Three Sweet Months

I can't believe that my sweet Aubrey Lane is already three months old!!!

Aubrey, at three months your little personality is starting to come through.  You are very sweet for everyone but you prefer your Mommy over anyone.


You love to smile and laugh and coo all the time, especially after you have just been fed.


You are usually a good sleeper and you sleep about 9 straight hours a night!  However, you hate to be out after dark.  If we are in the car after dark, you cry until we get home :-(


You have discovered your hand and your big brother.  You watch him constantly and think he is very funny.


You're a spitter... anyone who holds you for more than five minutes knows this.


Your looks have started to change some.  Once you looked just like your Papa, but since you've started rounding out the consensus is that you now look more like me.  Your hair is starting to lighten up, your eyes are still a grey blue, and you have such a rosy complexion.  You are really beautiful!


You have only had 3 bottles so far and you don't care for them much.  You have only stayed in the nursery a couple of times.  And you go everywhere with Mommy.  


You are such a sweetie!

  
Can't wait to see what the next month holds!

Dedicated and Celebrated

This weekend was a super busy weekend for our family, and all the exciting stuff happened on Sunday.

First we got up early and dressed the Jude dude and Aubrey Lane in their matching outfits and headed off to church to meet the rest of the family for Aubrey Lane's baby dedication.

 This was the only family picture I could get with the kids kinda looking at the camera.

I bought Aubrey Lane's dress at a sweet little boutique in Zachary and I made Jude's jonjon to match.  I was so proud of them; however, Aubrey Lane's dress upstaged Jude's outfit.  Everyone kept asking me if I made Aubrey's dress because it was so beautiful.  And let me clarify: I DON'T SMOCK!  And honestly, I'm not sure if I want learn how to smock.  I would love to be able to put my name as maker on a sweet little smocked outfit for Aubrey Lane, but I really don't have the time or resources to do such right now.

Regardless, I have learned my lesson.  If I make a sweet outfit for one of my babies, I need to dress the other baby down or make sure they are both in homemade outfits, lol

She's such a sweet girl.

After baby dedication, we headed to the park for Jude's birthday party.

Jude LOVES anything Eric Carl so we did "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" themed birthday party.

 Jude had a blast playing in the park, and I think the rest of the children did too!

Maybe Jude had a little too much fun?  He slept through 30 minutes of the party.

My mom and other sweet friends held Aubrey Lane so we could play with Jude!

The park was too cool.  It is a handicapped accessible park with wide play areas and wheel chair ramps on the toys.  It also has a splash park which I should have told guests to bring swimsuits but I had no idea the temp would be near the 90's during mid October.

We had a great but exhausting day.  I feel so blessed that I got to dedicate my daughter to raise to love Jesus and celebrate another year with my sweet son, Jude!

Later that evening, I came home and told Aubrey that this week she will be 3 months old so it was time for her to roll over now.  I put her on her mat on her tummy and she rolled right over like all I had to do was ask her :-)  We were so excited!  

Despite the busyness, it was truly a great day.

Happy Birthday Jude!!

Today is my sweet redhead's FOURTH birthday!!  

Happy Birthday Jude!!!

I can't believe it's been four years already, but at the same time I can't remember life without him.

Just a few hours old.

 ONE year old!

TWO years old!

THREE years old!

FOUR YEARS OLD!!!

(well actually last day as a three year old)

This was a really big year for Jude.  He started walking in his gait trainer, sitting up on his own, crawling, pulling up, learning to eat crackers, starting preschool, moving to a "big boy" bed, and becoming a big brother.

We are so blessed to have another year with our sweet boy.  Every minute is a gift.  

  

Thank you, God, for loaning one of your most precious creations to us to love so much!

Park Weather

Have I mentioned to you before that I just love this time of year?  I think I have a time or two.

I have been on a mission to clean my house super good the past couple of days. (Hasn't had a super good cleaning since Aubrey Lane arrived) But today when I stepped outside, the weather reminded me that I have two bigger priorities than a mopped floor.  So when the mister came home for lunch, I announced that when he got home from work we were taking the kids to the park; I don't care how dirty the house is.

So this afternoon rolled around and we headed to the park.

Jude had a blast sliding, swinging, and teeter tottering...

Aubrey Lane was there to enjoy the park too.

She just enjoyed it in her own little way :-)

We had a great playtime and plan to do it way more often.

Sweet Pea

My little sweet pea, Aubrey Lane, is TWELVE weeks old today!

It's going by way too quickly.



Today is a good day for a miracle.

This is my friend Kim.  She adores Aubrey Lane and Jude is her heart.  She just loves my little man so much.

Kim is very special to our family as well as so many

other families in our church and her community.

We love her very much!

Kim is in a ferocious battle with cancer.  It is causing her a tremendous amount of physical pain.

Kim needs a miracle TODAY!

Please pray for her!

I know that a lot of people who read my blog already know Kim and are already praying for her, but I also know that 

I have a lot of readers that don't know her but are 

phenomenal prayer warriors.

We know that our God is still doing miracles all the time.

As Kim says everyday-

Today is a good day for a miracle.

Hey Tiger Fans...

How 'bout that 

Honey Badger?!?

GEAUX TIGERS!!!!

Caviar taste on a tuna fish budget...

I have become a HUGE fan of Kelly's Korner Blog. If you love to read family blogs, you'll love her.  She seems so sweet and real.


Anyway, every Friday she does a "Show Us Your Life" linky party to help other bloggers connect!  Every Friday she has a different topic.


This past Friday she had a SUYL party about where we shop for our kids.  


I love dressing my Jude in polos, plaid shorts, sweaters, khakis, jon jons, and longalls.  Usually a casual outfit is easy to put together on a budget, and Jude grows very slowly so I know if I spend a little extra on a sweet outfit that he will get plenty of wear out of it.  I wish he was still little and I could get away with the boutique clothing a little more.
  
On the other hand, I haven't got to buy much for Aubrey Lane.  I have been so blessed with so many sweet outfits for her, but she's about to grow out of most of those outfits.  And so I'm so excited about getting some girly things!  


Here's my problem:


I have caviar taste on a tuna fish budget. 


I love all those smocked and applique boutique outfits.  I love cardigans and dresses and rompers and bows and tights and bloomers and bracelets and... well you get the picture.  All those things are so sweet, but so so PRICEY!  Not really in everyday budget for a stay at home mom. 


So here was my solution...
I got my monogramming machine.  I can monogram most of my kids clothes myself- I still need Stacy's (Once N Again my local monogramming haven) help.  And I can also do appliques with my machine.  I can save on plain longalls and dresses by monogramming or appliqueing them myself.  It can costs anywhere from $5-$25 dollars for a monogram or applique so I feel like my machine will pay for itself in the long run.  And since I have a basic knowledge of sewing, I can make Jude and Aubrey Lane some cute cute clothes.

These are just a few of the cute things I've monogrammed, appliquéd, or actually made for my sweet babies.

Oh and I made Jude's outfit to wear to the hospital to meet his little sister!


But I can't make everything and I can't smock.  (Well I'm sure I could learn but I'm not sure I want to invest in a pleater- moving on) So I need to find an affordable way to dress my kiddos in beautiful boutique outfits.  


I love shopping ebay and consignment.  Etsy is also a great place to shop for beautiful handmade outfits.  But, I only buy items from Etsy that I can't make myself.  


And I love Kelly's Kids clothes.  And Kelly's Kids have warehouse outlet sales in Natchez a few times a year so I'll be heading up there soon.


And lately I have been turned onto the Facebook auctions where you can get smocked goodies for cheap.  A few of the Facebook stores I have found that I like are


Smocked Auctions 
Smockadot

Curls and Twirls

Smocktions



I think I might have actually won my first auction tonight at Smocked Auctions.  Keeping my fingers crossed..


and I can't wait to buy some goodies from a high school friend at
Doodlebug Boutique


and another friend also has cute Facebook boutique
Simply 2 Exquisite


But like you all know, I am new at this dressing-a-girl thing so I need lots of tips and tricks.  


Like... can a bow ever be too big?  and if you put your little girl in a dress in tights, do you still need to put bloomers over the tights?  


Of course I love for Jude and Aubrey Lane to match and I've found that solid color polos and button ups are the easiest for Jude to match Aubrey's outfits when matching outfits aren't already available.  So where is the best place to find those polos and button ups?  Or do you have any other tips on matching an older brother to a little sister?


And I'd love to know how you manage dressing your sweet baby on a budget?  Where do you find good deals and steals?

Three Free Hours

Okay.. so yesterday while I was sitting in a McDonald’s parking lot using some free WiFi while Aubrey Lane napped and Jude was in preschool, I decided I needed to plan these preschool days a little better.

Up until now, I have had things to do during the hours Jude is at preschool.  Such as doctors appointments and trips to home health for supplies.  But today was my first free day.

For those of you who wonder why I just don’t go home those three hours that Jude is in school, let me explain.  We don’t exactly live very close to the LSU campus.  With traffic, it is at least a 30 minute drive to get there and about a 40 minute drive to get home.  So I really hate to add an hours worth of driving everyday to the gas bill on top of the fact that coming home for an hour and a half seems more trouble than worth. And I don’t have many stay at home mom friends and the few I have don’t live any closer to Baton Rouge than I do.

All this in mind, I’ve felt pretty guilty.  It’s not fair that Aubrey Lane has to spend so much time in a car seat.  No wonder she cries every time I put her in it.  

So today I started trying to figure out what to do on my three hours of free time.  These were my ideas and thoughts on them.

I could bring Aubrey Lane to a park.  That wouldn’t work because she’s not quite old enough to enjoy that and there is just too many germs at a park (yes I am that mom-blame the NICU and the PICU)  Not that we won’t go to parks, I would just like her to wait until she won’t have to stay in the hospital for a fever.

I could bust out the jogging stroller while I’m at LSU and walk the Lakes.  But those of you who don’t know my husband, just let me tell you- His little five foot nothing wife pushing his newborn baby girl down the side of the road would be way too much for his worrying habits.

I could put a cooler in the truck and go grocery shopping while Jude was at school- maybe...

I could go shopping in general- but I really don’t want to do that because that's not fun for Aubrey Lane and I’m trying to save money right now.

Or (the only idea that might seem to work) I can find a local library and take Aubrey Lane and read to her or hopefully they might have a story time on those days.

This is where I need your help.  I need ideas for making this three free hours quality time for Aubrey Lane.  

What would you do?  I’d love any suggestions I could get.

One Reader

Lately, life has been so full that I can find little time to get to the computer much less sit down and write a well organized blog post.  It just hasn't been on the top of my list of priorities.  


I mean, I just can't find the time.  For example, right now I am sitting in a McDonald's parking lot typing while Aubrey naps, and we wait for Jude to get out of preschool. 


This has made me wonder, "Why do I blog?"


Sure this blog originated from Caringbridge to keep family and friends up to speed on Jude's medical status and development.  And morphed into more of an outlet and journal for me.  A source of prayer requests and praises for answered prayers.


Sure I love all of those creative and DIY blogs!  I find myself so inspired by all of those things.  But let's be honest, I'm not a super creative and original person.  I don't have some major house renovation project going, nor have I mastered any skill enough to share with you some wonderful tutorial.


So what's the purpose of this blog?  I don't have many followers to entertain or giveaways to hand out or contests to enter.


I was actually praying about it this morning and know in my heart that I got my answer. 


This blog is my real time testimony.


When I write, it's about my life and my experiences and the grace and mercy that God has shown and shows me throughout them.  It is a constant testament that joy is found in the Lord.


But like I mentioned above, I don't have this huge base of readers to testify to so what's it worth?


One reader.


One reader, just one.  


One reader to witness the grace of God in my life.


One reader to share the good news with and come to know Jesus as their savior.


One reader to see and understand that our Father is still doing miracles for people everywhere.  People who are so undeserving like myself.


One reader who might be in what the world sees as a hopeless situation for me to say "With Jesus there is ALWAYS hope.  He IS our hope."


One reader that might be encouraged by a family that could have easily said "I give up" but instead chooses to fiercely praise His name.


One reader that came to my blog by accident and was witnessed to.


One reader that I might be able to plant a seed in.  A seed as tiny as a mustard seed.  


One. Reader.


If hundreds of people read this blog daily but only one reader witnesses the glory of the LORD in all of its existence, then I have found an unquestionable reason for writing it.


Just one reader.




And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
                            Revelations 12:11

It's the best medicine!

Laughter that is.


And Lane and I got a huge dose of that super sweet medicine tonight.


I was holding and talking to our sweet baby girl when Lane said something that made me laugh out loud.


Now for those of you who don't personally know me, I have a loud boisterous laugh.  It can be a little startling.  However, Aubrey Lane found my laugh very humorous.  She broke out in a HUGE smile and started LAUGHING OUT LOUD!


It was so stinkin' cute that I kept laughing and Lane joined in.  The more we laughed, the more she did. And this carried on for about three minutes.  


It was the best three minutes I've had in a couple weeks.  


For three precious little minutes, everything in the world was just perfect.


I can't believe she is already laughing out loud.  Time is flying by so quickly as both my babies are getting bigger by the minute.


Just look how quickly Aubrey Lane is growing.

This was during the first week of life. 

This was bath time last week.

She is so sweet lately with her smiles and coos and "laughs".  She is about to be out of 3 months and into 6 months clothes.  SHE IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD!!  She is also growing out of what little hair she has :-/  But I'm sure she will get some eventually.  

Aubrey Lane has also gained a lot of head control and can now pose for sweet pictures like this

She is not the only star around the house.  Our Judey Jude is still getting lots of attention.

Lately we have been working on teaching Jude how to help do things for himself. 

For example,

teaching him how to help wash his own hair.  He loves it and is actually getting the hang of it.


Well that's it for now.  I'm sure I'll be back on here soon because I'm getting double the stories to tell with double the blessings.