The Crawford Family

6 Weeks = Praying for Comfort

2012-01-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe 6 weeks ago today, Joshua entered & left this world immediately. I wasn't too sure how these weeks would affect me, and to be honest I'm pretty surprised with how I've felt. Ever since we found out at the end of August that Joshua had a fatal condition, the Lord let me grieve, mourn, deal with anger all during the same time that I was enjoying the pregnancy. I feel as though my heart has been guarded & blessed with more comfort than I could have ever imagined. These past 6 weeks have taught me so much more about the unconditional love that our Father lavishes down on us.

Since Joshua's birth & death I have not had too many days where I have been soaked in tears. Today, however, was one of them. It has been exactly 6 weeks since we held our son for just a short time. Kelly, Kaitlynn & I spent this morning at the funeral home & cemetery designing his permanent tombstone. Instead of spending sweet time rocking my son to sleep for a nap, we were deciding between a "Heart" or "Butterfly" design for his marker. Needless to say, I was very, very upset. After the flood of emotions I was dealing with this morning, I was so thankful to leave the funeral home without my heavy & saddened heart. I was reminded during our visit that our time here is very, very short & temporary. Joshua is in the best place ever; he is with our Lord in Heaven. He is perfect.

After leaving the funeral home, we headed to the cemetery to spend some time at Joshua's resting place. The Lord truly comforted me this morning. It was breathtaking walking up to his spot. There was bright green grass over his special place. He was the only one with new growth on the ground. It was absolutely beautiful. Words cannot describe how weightless I felt the moment I saw it. The Lord was cradling me in His arms during that sweet moment.

Joshua's Resting Place

2011-12-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

Kelly & I never imagined we would ever experience losing one of our own children. Taking Joshua to his "resting place" was a day of celebration rather than mourning. We celebrated knowing Joshua was already with the Lord. He suffered absolutely no pain & only knew love from Kelly & myself. We both believe the Lord guarded our hearts that day and blessed us with "a peace that surpasses all understanding."

Philippians 4:6-7

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Joshua's temporary stone

Joshua Meets our Saviour - 12/5/2011

2011-12-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

From the moment Kelly & I knew about Joshua's condition - Triploidy - we prayed the Lord would fill our hearts & minds with peace. It is not easy losing a loved one; it's a very tough process, but one that you either handle alone or let the Lord guide you through. I remember telling Kelly a few years ago that I could never handle losing a child. The Lord chose us to be Joshua's parents for 33 weeks during pregnancy, but decided then it was time to take him Home. I will never forget the impact he had on my life & continues to have each day.

After 32 weeks 4 days, I told Kelly on Friday, December 12th that I had a strange feeling come over me that Joshua was gone; that he was with the Lord. We had an already scheduled OB appt for my 33-week check-up the following morning so I decided not to listen to his heartbeat & wait until I was seen the next day. I walked into the office on Saturday morning feeling strange.... I was alone because Kelly was at home with Kaitlynn who was extremely sick. My sweet midwife, Christy, came in & after a few moments with the heart monitor, we couldn't find his heartbeat. Typically we would find it immediately, but I already knew he was gone. We headed into a different room where we checked on the ultrasound, which confirmed what I already knew..... Joshua was gone. His heart had stopped. I had to call Kelly & tell him over the phone that our son was already with the Lord - it was not the phone call I wanted to make.

We headed to the hospital the next morning (Sunday, December 4th) in hopes to have a VBAC. After 36-40 hours of induced labor, we headed into the OR for a c-section. Looking back & thinking about our time in the hospital, I was so glad to have had that c-section. Having surgery gave us a chance to see our son in perfect condition. His fragile body most likely would not have made it through a regular delivery. The time we had with Joshua's earthly body was very peaceful - exactly what we had prayed for. Joshua never knew pain & he met the Lord after 33 weeks of unending love from Kelly & myself.

It's absolutely amazing that a precious baby would impact so many people including our family, friends, & people we have never even met. It's neat to think about how a helpless, innocent newborn can have a lasting affect on so many people. It's a wonderful reminder, especially during the Christmas season, that the Lord came to this Earth as a helpless, innocent baby, with the sole purpose to love & minister to people.... eventually be crucified on the cross to save us from our sin. Because of Him, Kelly & I will be with our son again one day. Because of that truth & that the Lord is our Saviour, we are able to move forward with our lives here; joyfully anticipating the day the Lord calls us Home.

We love you Joshua! You will forever be our precious son, our Angel.

We will remember you always & look forward to the day we're together again!

Joshua Keith Crawford

Monday, December 5, 2011 @ 7:43pm

1 lb. 8 oz.

12.5 inches long

30 Weeks - Bittersweet

2011-11-15T18:14:00.001-08:00

*30 Weeks* is a bittersweet marking for us with baby Joshua. At our 24 week ultrasound & appointment, we discussed inducing at 30 weeks. If things had gone to plan before Kelly & I felt strongly that the Lord was telling us to hold on, we would have been in the hospital this week meeting our son. I am so thankful, more than thankful actually, that the Lord gave us such strong convictions about not being induced at 30 weeks. I am so happy to have had 30 weeks with our son and to have how ever many weeks more that the Lord keeps baby Joshua in my womb.

We celebrated our son this past weekend with a baby shower - the guests donated toys to Toys-For-Tots in honor of baby Joshua, and gave donations to String of Pearls which is one of the organizations that has provided us with so many things to make memories of baby Joshua once he's born. We also had maternity pictures taken with one of my old co-workers, Katie Knowles & her sister Christy. She just launched her new business - ThistleField Photography! It was the best afternoon spent with my family making wonderful memories with sweet baby Joshua. We will put some pictures on the blog once we receive the CD from Christy in a week or two!!

*Angi*Dana*Allison*Kristen*Maureen*Elizabeth*Julie*

(not pictured: Jana)

This picture was taken October 28, 2011 - 28 weeks pregnant with baby Joshua!

We looked back, and I was just as small with Kaitlynn as I am with Joshua!

After the wonderful weekend we had, "bittersweet" is definitely the perfect word to mark this week. I spent time battling with the Lord again about baby Joshua's situation.... telling Him that it isn't fair that we're having to loose our son when we want him so badly. It's definitely ironic because all I could think about after hours of tears in my sweet husband's arms, is the pain the Lord must have felt watching His Son die on the cross for everyone's sin...... Everyone that has come before us, that is on this Earth now, and those that will come after we're gone. As hard as this is for our family, it comforts my heart knowing that the Lord truly knows every heartache that I feel, every pain that hits my bones, every tear that forms, and every joyful moment I encounter.

We have our next doctor's appointment this coming Friday morning. I am so thankful we do not have to wait two weeks to hear our son's heartbeat! It's very special listening to him at home everyday.... definitely a sound I'll never forget.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

-Psalm 34:18

"You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

You perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I ride on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

-Psalm 139: 1-12

Kaitlynn Singing @ 2-years Old

2011-11-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

I think Kelly & I could listen to Kaitlynn's sweet voice as a 2-year old forever!! Here are a couple videos of Kaitlynn singing a few of her favorite songs!

28 Weeks with baby Joshua

2011-11-05T11:30:00.001-07:00

We finally hit our big milestone this past Tuesday! We officially moved into the 3rd Trimester with baby Joshua. I just get chills down my spine thinking about how we felt at 21 weeks when we were told about baby Joshua's situation, and how we feel now at 28 weeks! We are just completely thankful & very joyful in knowing that we've made it so far with our sweet son. We've been able to feel a lot of kicks & movement, listen to his heartbeat anytime we wanted to feel close to him, and daydream of what it'll be like finally meeting & holding our baby boy.

We had another check-up yesterday!

I always enjoy going to our OB because the midwife we are using is a christian believer, and really encourages Kelly & I in this journey with baby Joshua. Everything checked out great! We measured 26 weeks, which means more growth! We're still only 2 weeks behind on measurements. His heartbeat also sounded extremely strong. We're all still shocked with how well baby Joshua is doing and growing! The Lord definitely deserves all the praise with each check-up in this pregnancy.

Kelly & I spent some time this week getting baby Joshua's heartbeat recorded on video. I am so thankful we finally spent time doing that. It's a sweet sound I never want to forget, and will never have to forget. I'll get the recording on the blog for our next update!

Here are two links to UTube. These are three different songs that have spoken tremendously to both Kelly & I during this journey. I hope these songs bless you as much as they have blessed both of us!

The first song - I Will Carry You by Selah

(Angie Smith wrote this song while she was pregnant with her daughter, Audrey. Beautiful....)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2CnUtVY35o

The second song - Held by Natalie Grant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOufqWodFNo

The third song - Faithful God by Gateway Worship

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pjNy4IDCII

Halloween 2011

2011-11-05T11:22:00.001-07:00

This year, Kelly & I had so much fun with Kaitlynn for Hallween!! We spent time carving our pumpkin for the first time, and took Kaitlynn trick-or-treating! She absolutely soaked up every minute of going up to every door for candy. It was too precious.

-*- Pumpkin Carving 2011 *-*

*-* Our Butterfly Princess *-*

*-* Trick-or-Treating *-*

Celebrating baby Joshua

2011-10-29T10:24:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, October 25th was a very special evening for me. Several of the ladies in our Sunday school class had a coffee & dessert get-together in honor of me & baby Joshua. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, spending time praising the Lord for the life he's already given baby Joshua, and sweet moments in prayer. Kelly & I are very thankful to be a part of Relevant Faith at JFBC and have felt cradled, loved, supported, and prayed over during our this special journey with our son, baby Joshua. Each new life should be celebrated regardless of the amount of days he/she is with us on Earth. I am so thankful that our days are only specifically numbered here on Earth, and not in Heaven with our Lord.

"For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them."

-Matthew 18:20-

*Kim*Elizabeth*Heather*Anne*Lisa*Kristen*Devin*Christy*Jenifer*

26 Weeks

2011-10-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

After each doctor's appointment, I feel very blessed that our pregnancy has come this far. I am so excited that we're almost entering the 3rd trimester! When we received the news that baby Joshua had Triploidy, the thought of making it to the 3rd trimester never entered my mind. Now we're only two weeks away from that milestone with him!

The past month has been a roller coaster as Kelly & I have spent time preparing ourselves for Joshua's birth, burial, and everyday coping strategies with everything we're facing. We were told at the beginning of all of this (around 21 weeks) that we could decide when we wanted to be induced. Kelly & I had decided that 30 weeks was a good, strong time frame.

The past few days, a lot changed. Baby Joshua continued having a strong heartbeat, and started kicking me hard enough to feel him from outside my tummy! Complete blessing for me & Kelly. I also started questioning being induced at 30 weeks. I started feeling very torn between a lot of decisions. My heart was not 100% okay with picking a specific date for baby Joshua to be born, and possibly pass away at the same time. I told Kelly on our way to our doctor appt. this afternoon that I needed the Lord to show me - black or white - which route we needed to go.... either inducing at 30 weeks, or letting nature take its course. Our midwife did just that for us. After checking baby Joshua's heartbeat, his growth, etc. we spent time talking through how we were feeling at this point. She told us point blank that the other doctors & herself discussed our situation and feel that the best route for us would be to continue the pregnancy until things happened naturally. Thank you Lord for giving me the direct answer I needed!!

The appointment went great - baby Joshua had a strong heartbeat around 140 bpm again. We are 26 weeks pregnant and measuring 24 weeks, which means growth! I have no idea what baby Joshua is up to, but I'm so thankful that he is happy, healthy, & growing in the womb.

Kelly & I both believe that there will be a blessing at the end of all this heartache. We're not completely sure what the blessing will be yet, but I cannot wait to find out.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

-Jeremiah 1:5-

Our family of *almost* 4

Kaitlynn has a blue bunny blanket that we're saving for baby Joshua!

I'm wearing a blue pin in honor of him.

Berry Patch Farms

2011-10-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

Kelly & I took Kaitlynn to Berry Patch Farms this past weekend. We had a wonderful time together as a family. The weather was cool & crisp. It was a gorgeous Saturday morning, and there was nothing else I would have rather been doing!!

24 Weeks with Baby Joshua

2011-10-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

Kelly, Kaitlynn & I headed to our 24-week appointment & ultrasound this afternoon. All day long I felt joy about today's appointment. I woke up excited and in huge anticipation to see our precious son again. I think part of me was hoping for a big miracle & that things would have drastically changed. The other part of me accepted what was happening and just wanted to enjoy feeling like I was closer to my son than I was yesterday.

It took forever to be seen..... but it was definitely worth the wait. Baby Joshua seemed very happy in my womb! There were no signs of pre-labor at the moment. I was very thankful for the news because to be completely honest, I am not ready for our pregnancy to be over! I am enjoying the time we have with him now since this is the only time we're given!

Kaitlynn was a trooper during the entire visit. We were there 1.5 hours! That was definitely a long time to keep a toddler entertained. Thank goodness for Kelly's Blackberry & UTube! Here is a quick snapshot of me & my sweet girl waiting to be seen by our midwife.

After being seen by our midwife, we all headed into the ultrasound room to finally spend some time watching our baby boy!! He didn't move around much, but we were able to see his little body and hear his sweet heartbeat. It was absolutely surreal. Once again, all I could think about was the fact that our baby boy's heart was beating 138 bpm, and that he seemed very happy. How could things seem fine right now, but knowing what the end of our pregnancy will bring?!

During our visit today, the Lord gave me peace. I was able to enjoy our appt. & ultrasound, and did not worry about the things to come. My heart was guarded and all I felt was love and happiness for my baby boy.

As we left the doctor, I was being reminded that this place we call home, is really not our Home. Our true Home is in Heaven with the Lord. I am so thankful I am doing what I am called to do as a mother - I am keeping baby Joshua safe in my womb until the Lord takes him to our Home. I have so much happiness in knowing that one day I will be reunited with Joshua, and will be able to give him another huge hug. Thank you Jesus for the choice of forever with you & our precious loved ones.

Here are two of our favorite pictures from the ultrasound today.

Meet our son, Joshua Keith Crawford.

This is Joshua's profile picture - his hand is up by his face!

Kaitlynn did that a lot during her ultrasounds as well. Love it!

Not too sure what the top picture was supposed to be, but the main point of this was to have a visual picture of Joshua's strong heartbeat. It was 138 bpm today!

Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

Even when I walk through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Psalm 30:5 (NLT)

For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime!

Weeping may last through the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

Hebrews 4:15-16 (NLT)

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses,

for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.

There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

The Beginning Journey of our Precious Son, Joshua

2011-09-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 12, 2011 was a very exciting day for our family. It was the day I was able to tell Kelly we were expecting our 2nd baby! Little did we know what all was in store for our precious baby.

The weeks flew by and I barely had time to really pay attention to the pregnancy due to a very energetic 2-year old daughter. June.... July.... and August flew by and our 19-week ultrasound came around quickly. The month prior to our appt., Kelly & I battled back and forth between finding out the sex of the baby. I kept telling him how much I felt as though we were pregnant with a little boy and was able to convince him that we needed to find out for sure!

When Tuesday, August 30, 2011 arrived, Kelly & I were anxious to go to our appt. for the ultrasound. We took a few pictures in anticipation of seeing our sweet new baby!

Little did we know that the rest of our life would be forever changed from that 19-week ultrasound..

I remember lying down on the table ready to see our baby. The first shot we saw was his/her head. The only words we heard were "I need to get Dr. Chappell, there are some problems." I remember looking at Kelly and having tears run down my face with fear. Dr. Chappell came in & told us that it seemed as though our baby showed signs of Hydrocephalus. Oh how I wish to this day that was what we were really dealing with, but it wasn't. We went ahead and did the blood work to know if there was anything else we would be going through.

The following Tuesday, September 6, 2011 we received the phone call that my blood-work came back positive for Trisomy 18. For women my age, it's typically "1 out of 3500," but for me I showed up as "1 out of 10." The fear rose greatly. Trisomy babies do not survive long after birth - a week... maybe a month.... some survive a few months. I was crushed and devastated at the news I received that day. For the next week, I prayed & pleaded with the Lord to heal our son. I questioned how He could let this happen. The Lord is sovereign and He did not do this to our child. These devastating incidents happen because sin came into the world. Our bodies are not perfect, and things like this do happen, but praise be to God that we have eternity to look forward to where we will be perfected & our imperfections will be nonexistent.

The following week, we went to the Atlanta Perinatal Specialists for another ultrasound, and chose to do the Amnio so we would know 100% what we were being faced with. It felt like eternity waiting on our results. We received the early test results on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011 which explained that our baby boy, Joshua, did not have Trisomy 18 - he had Triploidy. This means that instead of having 46 chromosomes - 23 from mommy, and 23 from daddy - baby Joshua had 69. They explained that this was not compatible for life. Most triploidy babies end as miscarriages. The few that make it into the 2nd & 3rd trimester end in stillbirths. Only about "1 out of 10,000" are actually born alive before passing shortly thereafter. Thankfully we found out that this is an extremely rare situation and is nothing that is hereditary. We will definitely be able to have more children, if that is what the Lord has planned for us!

We spent the following morning, Friday Sept. 9, 2011 talking with the Genetic Counselor at Northside Hospital. She explained that we had two options - to terminate the pregnancy or to continue the pregnancy until the baby passes. First of all, those should never be options during a pregnancy...... Parents should never have to go through the pain of losing a child. However, once again, because sin entered the world, it is one circumstance that is very common. Kelly & I chose to continue the pregnancy. Our pregnancy was the only time we were going to have with our baby boy. It is definitely hard to wake up each day with the reminder that things are not "normal" for us this time around. However, I am reminded of the Lord's grace everything I feel baby Joshua kick in the womb, or listen to his heartbeat. Kelly has been able to feel him kick once, which was a huge answer to prayer.

Where are we now? As of today, we're almost 24-weeks pregnant, and baby Joshua seems to be quite happy in my womb. I'm sure he's pretty cozy! We have good day & bad days, and I'm sure they'll both continue. We are trying to prepare ourselves for the day that the Lord takes our baby boy home with Him. At the same time, we're also trying to enjoy each moment that he is here with us during this pregnancy. We have no idea how many days we have left, but words cannot describe how thankful we are to already have had 24 weeks with him already!

We are so thankful for everyone who has been praying for us and continues to pray for us. My daily prayer is for the Lord to heal our son. However, that may not happen until the Lord calls him home, but baby Joshua will be healed & perfected. I am so thankful that we have eternity to look forward to so that we will see our baby boy again!

For those of you always asking what you can do for our family during this time. Your prayers are the best thing for us! We feel the Lord's peace daily about our decisions during this process, and the events that have yet taken place. Continue to pray that we are surrounded by the Lord's love and peace during this time. Pray that we feel joy as we meet our baby boy in the coming weeks & say "see you later" on that same day. Because of our gracious Father in Heaven, it's always going to be "see you later," because there are never any goodbyes as brothers & sisters in Christ.

We will continue to update periodically on our progress and how things are going! Thank you again for all of your prayers and kind thoughts.

A few thoughts that has kept me going.......

During every good & bad circumstance, do you put your trust in the Lord? Do you trust Him to fulfill His will and what is best for our lives?

In the midst of brokeness, cling to the Lord & trust His goodness. Even when things seem extremely dark and the end is not in sight, remember that He is the one that sees the entire picture & He is the one that can bring you through any circumstance!

Blessings by Laura Story
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.".

Matthew 11:28

Kaitlynn is 2

2011-08-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that two years ago Kaitlynn came into this world. We had absolutely no idea what kind of personality she'd bring into our family, but it's definitely a great one!

*She is very bright, creative & independent.

*She loves to talk

*She is very strong-willed & stubborn :-)

*She is definitely a leader, not a follower.

*She loves to snuggle, give hugs & kisses.

*She plays school everyday - knows, recognizes, & can say in order - numbers 0-20,

and letters A-Z.

*She loves to feed & burp her baby dolls

*She can say 3-4 word phrases - our favorite "Love you Mommy, or Love you too Daddy"

*She can follow directions when she so chooses

*She loves to dig through the fridge to find yogurt after her nap!

*She still loves to read books

*She loves to play "get you" where we chase her around the house.

*She loves the pool & playing with her water table

*She loves to play outside & go for walks in our neighborhood

*She loves bubbles & chalk

*Her favorite TV shows include Dora, Mickey, Clifford & Curious George.

*Kaitlynn loves to walk around the house pretending to talk to every character from TV shows that she can possible think of.

*Kaitlynn still doesn't know or understand just yet, but she's definitely going to be a great

big sister come January 2012!!

We had her 2-year checkup this past week.

Weight: 23 lbs. (10%)

Length: 33 in. (50%)

We spent Kaitlynn's birthday doing a lot of her favorite things..... trip to the GA Aquarium on Saturday morning, lunch @ Taco Mac - she loves getting oreos, "rest time," and then spent the late afternoon/early evening at a pool party!

Kaitlynn 2nd Birthday

2011-08-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of our family & friends at Kaitlynn's birthday party this past weekend. It was a blast spending time with everyone!

This year, I made Kaitlynn a Monkey Cake!

Water Table Fun!

2011-08-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

Kaitlynn loves being outside...... Kaitlynn loves playing with water...........

Our 3rd Anniversary!

2011-07-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Kelly & I were talking about the past 4 years that we've known each other. It's been a quick journey, but I have loved every minute of it!

4 years ago (June 2007)........ I met Kelly

3 years ago (July 2008)........ I married my best friend

2 years ago (August 2009)......... Our first daughter was born

1 year ago (April 2010)......... We moved into our first home

Now (July 2011)........ We're 15 weeks pregnant with our 2nd child

Next year (January 2012)......... we'll become a family of 4

A lot has happened over these last 4 years since I've known Kelly, and I have been blessed with 3 wonderful years of marriage. The song we danced to - When God Made You by Newsong - fit us perfectly then & still does now.

Love you Kelly Crawford! I am so happy I get to experience life with you!

*July 26, 2008*

22 Months Old

2011-06-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe Kaitlynn will be a 2-year old in just two months! She is wearing 24-month clothes, but has started wearing some toddler outfits. It is completely amazing how quickly time has gone by, and that my precious baby is a sweet toddler with a great personality!

*Kaitlynn loves to roll play with her dolls and animals.

*She still loves to help with household chores such as loading the drying, & watering the flowers

*She gives the best hugs, and loves to give anyone smooches.

*She loves her Noah's Arc animals, and plays with her TV learning game constantly.

*She loves to go on walks, play in the dirt, and look at the pretty flowers

*She runs laps around our house non-stop

*She wants to go up & down the stairs with out any help

*She loves to color, and go to gymnastics class.

*She loves being rocked to sleep for naptime,

and likes doing summer-saults in her crib before bedtime!

*She loves to sit on our hearth and read one book after another

*She loves to ride in her "beep beep," and push her baby in the umbrella stroller

*At this point, Kelly & I have stopped keeping up with new words that are being added to her vocabulary because there are so many things she picks up on a daily basis.

We feel so blessed to have such a snuggle-bug, almost 2-year old for a daughter. She is so precious and we love her to pieces. She's going to be a fantastic sister!

Happy 22 months to our sweet Kaitlynn!

Counting Q-Tips

2011-06-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

Kaitlynn has enjoyed counting for a long time now. However, instead of just repeating numbers after me or Kelly - or saying a number that she sees, now she is counting the amount of an object in front of her. I thoroughly enjoy seeing her learn first hand.

As of right now, at age 22 months - Kaitlynn can count to 15. She can count 1-15 in a row, or she can play skip count with me or Kelly. We'll say 1, Kaitlynn says 2, We'll say 3, Kaitlynn says 4, etc. She is learning things so quickly, and it's neat to see how excited she gets when she figures something out on her own.

1st Day at the Pool

2011-05-26T10:19:00.001-07:00

Our neighborhood pool opened May 1st. However, this past weekend was the first time we ventured over there with Kaitlynn. She loved the pool last year, and it was a definite hit this year as well. We really enjoyed watching her walk around & play in the baby pool without having to stay right on top of her.... thanks to her cute toddler life jacket!

Easter Celebration 2011

2011-04-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Kelly & I spent time with both sides of our family for Easter this year.

Here is are some pictures from both weekends!

HAYESVILLE, NC

*-------------------*------------------------*------------------------*---------------------*

GREENVILLE, SC

*---------------------*---------------------*---------------------*-----------------------*

Kaitlynn's Easter Pictures - 2011

-20 months old-

Relevant Faith Easter Celebration

2011-04-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

Our sunday school class had it's annual Easter Celebration this weekend! We headed to Buice's Farm for a hayride, easter egg hunt, and a delicious pic-nic dinner!

Kaitlynn's 1st Trip to the Atlanta Zoo

2011-04-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

Kelly & I headed to the Atlanta Zoo on Friday morning with Kaitlynn. As much as she loves animals, we were so excited to finally take her to the zoo! She had a great time seeing all the animals.

Kaitlynn's 1st Haircut

2011-04-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

Kelly & I decided today, very randomly, to go & get Kaitlynn's hair cut. We ended up taking her to "Pigtails & Crewcuts" right near our church. They did a great job with her, even though she wasn't a fan of having her hair messed with! They ended up cutting an inch off of her hair all around!! I looks much better.... but the best part?? Her curls are still there :o)

BEFORE HAIR CUT................................... AFTER HAIR CUT

LOVE the name of Kaitlynn's hair place!!

Family photo after the hair cut was finished!

All smiles for her new hair cut!

Swim Lessons!

2011-04-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

Kaitlynn loved going to Aqua-Tots last Spring for swim lessons, so Kelly & I decided to sign her up for another round this year! Since it was just me taking her, I wasn't able to get any pictures of her in her swim suit - which is precious, but I did get a few photos before we left home!

All ready for swim lessons!!

Can we say..... haircut?! Definitely considering it........

Cute cute cute!!

**Can you see a "hint" of her swim suit?! It's red & white with polka-dots!

Ready to go swimming!

Such the Little Helper!

2011-03-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

Kaitlynn loves to help with chores around the house. She loves to give Willa & Sadie their treats, helps put the laundry into the dryer, helps load the dishwasher & open/shut all doors. She loves taking mail to the mailbox & getting the mail once it has arrived. She also enjoys vacuuming!

*Vacuum Time*

*Open & Close*

"Really mama.... enough pictures, let's play!"

Incase You Didn't Know.......

2011-03-23T16:44:00.001-07:00

................We have one pretty cute daughter!!

*19 months old*

Kaitlynn stole our hearts before she was born, the day she was born, and each day since. She is such a precious little girl. She loves to help with housework - she follows me around while I use our swiffer, will help load the dryer, and dishwasher. She loves toys that make her think such as shape sorters & puzzles. I never imagined having such a smart & bright toddler that knows way more than expected. She has a huge vocabulary & talks non-stop! An updated list on her vocabulary? Let me think.....

Momma, Dadda, Nana, Papa, Willa, Sadie, remote, fruit, outside, up, down, slide, swing, no, yah, Elmo, Pooh, Mickey, Minnie, Baby, milk, water, snack, eat, play, walk, flower, okay, let's count, what's that?, let's read

**She know's her animals & the sounds they make for...

Cows, Sheeps, Monkeys, Dogs, Cats, Lions, Pigs, Horses, Roosters, Ducks, Chickens

**She knows shapes......

Square, Circle, Heart, Star, Triangle

**She knows her colors......

Yellow & Purple are her favorite

Blue, red, green, orange, pink

**She can count to "10" - if you have ever heard her.... it's insane!

**She knows a lot of her ABC's and is still working on them...... her favorite right now is "B"

She loves to pretend, play mommy to her babies, go for walks in our home with her umbrella stroller, play with her kitchen/shopping cart/food, open & shut doors, climb into cabinets and disappear, pull everything out & then put it back, turn our jacuzzi tub water on & off, snuggle on the couch & watch Elmo, read books, work puzzles, draw, and play outside

The Lord truly blessed us with such a wonderful gift on August 20, 2009!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T12:46:00.001-07:00

St. Patty's Day is by far one of my most favorite holidays! Ever since I was a little girl I was always fascinated by the little green feet that would be all over my classroom & the bathroom once we came in from recess. I have to admit.... I didn't mind the chocolate coins the leprechauns left in the pot either :o)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Kaitlynn is 18 months old!

2011-02-22T05:03:00.001-08:00

Sunday Feb. 20th, Kelly & I celebrated Kaitlynn turning 18 months. It is so hard to believe how quickly our little girl is growing up! She had her 18-month well visit yesterday morning, which went extremely well. She is saying phrases at a 3-year old level (amazing...), and walking/running/kicking balls/throwing tantrums/being a normal 18-month old precious little girl!

Her weight check was 21 lbs. 10 oz. (10th percentile)

Her length was 31 inches (50th percentile)

Visit from the Crawfords & Jackson's 2nd Birthday

2011-02-22T05:02:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we had a visit from Kelly's parents! We had a great time with them while they were here. Kaitlynn really enjoyed spending time with Papa & Nana!

We also headed to Jackson's 2nd birthday party! Chris & Angi through a "tailgating" theme so Kaitlynn wore her UNC Tarheels t-shirt to help celebrate.

Trip to Greenville

2011-02-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

Kaitlynn and I spent a few days in Greenville this week with my mom! We had a wonderful time, as always. This visit was different than most - I made absolutely NO plans! It was nice to relax with my mom with no obligations to anyone. I did get the chance to spend some time with Mark, Bridgette & Elizabeth. Kaitlynn and Elizabeth love playing together!

Visit from the R's!

2011-02-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

Eric, Blythe & Hendrix came down to Atlanta last weekend to spend some time with us! We had a great visit together.... and I'm pretty sure the kids enjoyed playing as well.

Champion Kids - Music Time

2011-02-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

Kaitlynn & I go to Champion Kids almost every Thursday morning for their Music Class. There are anywhere from 15-30 mom's with 1-3 kids! It's pretty crazy, but so much fun!

Kaitlynn's new slide!

2011-02-10T09:52:00.000-08:00

Kelly & I randomly bought Kaitlynn her 1st slide! It's geared towards 2-6 year olds, however we didn't want to buy more than one.... ever.... at least until she gets a swing set! :o)

Canterbury Playground

2011-02-02T08:42:00.001-08:00

This weekend was absolutely gorgeous outside! Blue skies, lots of sunshine, and 65-70* weather! What a wonderful gift from the Lord after all this crazy winter weather we've had lately. We took full advantage and spend a lot of time outside with Kaitlynn, Willa & Sadie. We went for a lot of walks, and took Kaitlynn to the playground across the street from our house by the pool area! She is really enjoying slides at the moment, so she had a blast! She went from the slides, to the swings, back to the slides, etc.... for about an hour. It wore me & Kelly out just watching her.

I have to brag on our daughter for a minute..... if anyone has been around Kaitlynn much, you know that talking & saying 2-3 word phrases is one of her strong points considering she's doing it much earlier than expected. One of her big phrases at the moment is "I see that." Kaitlynn will point to what she wants and she'll say, everytime, "I see that."

"I see that"

At this moment - she was pointing to the swing.... she got what she wanted! :o)

Kaitlynn LOVES the slide.

Kaitlynn also loves the swings!

"Peek-a-Boo"

Last minute giggles with our girl.

Champion Kids

2011-01-29T10:22:00.000-08:00

Every Thursday morning, Kaitlynn & I venture out to Champion Kids for music & now open play time. This past Thursday was our first time staying for open play time after music class. Kaitlynn absolutely LOVED it! Her favorite part (couldn't get a picture) was the huge blow up slide that they had. I carried her in one arm & used the other arm to help climb up the blow up slide so we could go down together..... this happened several times. We'll be starting a Mommy & Me Gymnastics class at Champion Kids on March 1st.

Toddler Play area

Giant foam pit in the Gymnastics Room

Kaitlynn hanging out on the trampoline walkway!

Exercise Time!

2011-01-14T09:56:00.001-08:00

Snowed In - part 2

2011-01-14T09:26:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of Kaitlynn during this week of being "snowed in." Oh how we've missed our morning activities & playdates this week! It's definitely a lot harder to entertain a 16-month old inside the house 24/7 for 5 days straight! We managed & ended up having a lot of fun!

ABC's

2011-01-14T09:03:00.001-08:00

Kelly is a wonderful teacher! Outside of his business degrees, he is fabulous with young children - especially our daughter. Lately he has started playing a game with Kaitlynn upstairs in her playroom to help her learn ABCs, & 123's. I was able to get a video of her recognizing the letters, but it doesn't compare to watching her & her daddy play their game!

Bath Time Fun!

2011-01-14T08:46:00.001-08:00

Lately, Kaitlynn has gotten much more excited about bath-time. It's definitely her favorite part of the evening! She has always loved the water, but as she gets older & learns new tricks - it definitely gets more enjoyable to watch!

Blizzard 2011

2011-01-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

Things got kind of crazy here in the south! Sunday night, Jan. 9th rolled around and within 30 minutes, Atlanta saw two inches of snow. These two inches ended up being a total of six, which left many people stranded on interstates for more than 24 hours! Kaitlynn & I took advantage of some extra "daddy" time this week - he couldn't get to work Monday or Tuesday.....

VIDEOS:

Looking Back at 2010

2011-01-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

As years go by, it's nice to sit back & think about all the things that you've done. Here is a little glimpse of the things that we've done over the past year..................

JANUARY 2010 -

*Weekend in Columbia with Eric, Blythe & Hendrix*

*Kelly took his annual trip to Mississippi with his dad & brother while I had some enjoyable time with my mom!*

*We started feeding Kaitlynn baby food!*

FEBRUARY 2010 -

*Worked on 'staging' our home to be sold*

*Kelly had surgery on his torn Achilles Tendon*

*Celebrated our 3rd Valentines @ home while Kaitlynn was sound asleep!*

*Got our first offer on our condo on the 20th*

*Kaitlynn turned 6 months - began sitting without any support*

MARCH 2010 -

*Signed our contract on our NEW home!*

*Had our first over-night evening away from Kaitlynn*

*Had all of our family down to Atlanta as we dedicated Kaitlynn to the Lord*

*Packed up our things & moved out of our condo*

*Became 'homeless' for one month while we waiting to move into our new home*

APRIL 2010 -

*STILL homeless*

*Celebrated Kaitlynn's first Easter in Atlanta so we could furniture shop for our new home*

*Had our first Easter service at JFBC*

*The Easter bunny came & visited Kaitlynn!*

*Finally moved into our new home on the 22nd*

*Kristen turned 26 on the 26th!*

MAY 2010 -

*Celebrated my first official Mother's Day!*

*Our neice, Jeslyn was born!*

*Kelly turned 32 on the 24th!*

JUNE 2010 -

*Heading to the beach for some 'Kelly & Kristen' time!*

*Kaitlynn started swim lessons with Aqua-Tots*

*Kelly celebrated his first official Father's Day*

JULY 2010 -

*4th of July*

*Took Kaitlynn to Amelia Island, FL for her first beach trip*

*Celebrated cousin Elizabeth's 1st birthday*

*Kaitlynn turned 11 months - she finally became mobile & decided to be a SCOOTER!*

*Celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary - had an over-night evening away to celebrate!*

*Found our precious 2nd beagle - Sadie Mae*

*Halie & Michael's wedding*

AUGUST 2010 -

*Kaitlynn started all the OT & PT at Children's.*

*Had Kaitlynn's 1-year party*

*Celebrated Kaitlynn turning *1* on the 20th*

SEPTEMBER 2010 -

*Celebrated Nanny Crawford's 90th birthday*

*End of September - Kaitlynn was finished with OT*

OCTOBER 2010 -

*Headed to Greenville for Troy's 3rd birthday party*

*Took Kaitlynn to her 1st petting zoo & to pick out her 1st pumpkin!*

*Weekend away to Greensboro, NC for Will & Bethany's wedding*

*Kaitlynn dressed up as a bunny this year for Halloween!*

*Kaitlynn turned 14 months - she finally started pulling up on anything & everything!*

NOVEMBER 2010 -

*THANKSGIVING*

DECEMBER 2010 -

*2 weeks before Christmas, Kaitlynn decided she wanted to walk*

*Christmas*

*Kaitlynn turned 16 months*

*CHRISTMAS*

*December 29th marked the day that there was no turning back.... Kaitlynn decided she'd rather walk, than scoot!*

New Years 2011

2011-01-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone has had a safe & enjoyable New Years weekend!

It's truly hard to believe another year has passed us by. One of the few things that comes to my mind is a sermon we heard one Sunday morning at our church. One of our associate pastors spoke on how short our life is here on Earth, but we have eternity to look forward to as Christians with our Father in Heaven. Now that I'm semi-used to being a parent, and I see how quickly time goes by with Kaitlynn.... I feel as though I have a better understanding that our time on Earth is so quick compared to the time we'll spend with our Father in Heaven. One of our New Years Resolutions - to not focus on life's trivial matters that will come & go so quickly, but to focus on living our lives in such a way that we increase the kingdom and family of Christ. In the end - that is the only thing that matters and that is why we're here on Earth!

We spent our NYE in the quiet of our home. Kelly watched football & I caught up on some sleep :o) Definitely a relaxing & enjoyable evening.

We decided to take Kaitlynn to the GA Aquarium this morning to start our New Years Day celebration! We were so glad we waited until she was walking & had a vivid personality. It was so much fun watching her become star-struck over the fish!

Getting ready to head into the GA Aquarium!

Kaitlynn was so excited to see all of the fish!

Visiting the Penguins!

Christmas in Hayesville 2010

2010-12-30T14:09:00.001-08:00

Kelly & I packed the car and headed to the mountains of NC to spend time with his family for Christmas! Little did we know the adventure we'd go through to get to his parents' house! We took both cars for various reasons.... I had never driven through snow.... however - for me, this was a semi-blizzard! Our 1.5 hour trip took us 3 hours going about 20 mph on Hwy 515. Once we made it there safely, it took about 24-hours for my nerves to settle.... We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Hayesville and were thrilled to make it back home safely! We did get to come home to the snow that Atlanta had received - it was the most gorgeous white ChristmasI've seen in a very long time!

Hayesville got 5 inches of snow - isn't it gorgeous?!

playtime with daddy!

The dogs really enjoyed playing in the snow!

Home Sweet Home

Kaitlynn & daddy checking out the snow in Atlanta!

Visit from Santa Claus!

2010-12-30T10:47:00.001-08:00

This was our first year spending Christmas Eve & Christmas morning at home! We thoroughly enjoyed our time together, especially the anticipation of Christmas morning for Kaitlynn! We went to our Christmas Eve service @ 4:00pm - let Kaitlynn play in the nursery while we enjoyed the service. Had a pizza dinner, along with our Christmas together..... Christmas morning - watching Kaitlynn's eyes light up was definitely my most favorite memory!

Christmas Eve walk with our girls

Kaitlynn made her first paper ornament in the Christmas Eve nursery at our church!

Christmas Eve - getting ready for Santa Claus!

Kaitlynn was SO excited to see all the things Santa left for her!

Yum Yum!! Santa liked our choice - oreos & chocolate milk :o)

Kaitlynn - super excited about her new toys! Especially her princess chair!

Christmas morning family photo!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas this year!!

Love,

Kelly, Kristen, Kaitlynn, Willa Grace & Sadie Mae

Christmas with Grandpa 2010

2010-12-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

This is our first year staying home Christmas Eve & Christmas morning! With that being said.... we took advantage of spending some quality time with my dad here in Atlanta! He came over for breakfast this morning & to spend time with us and miss Kaitlynn :o)

Kaitlynn LOVES Mickey Mouse & books!! Grandpa & Zully gave her lots of Mickey Mouse & books for Christmas this year!! She was beyond excited :o)

Christmas in Greenville 2010

2010-12-22T12:58:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we spent time in Greenville for Christmas!! It was great getting to see everyone in one quick weekend. I ended up staying in town with Kaitlynn & our two dogs while Kelly headed back Monday evening for work on Tuesday. I was able to see one of my dearest friends - Mary. She is now living in Denver, Colorado and it had been an entire year since we'd seen each other - sad! Needless to say - it didn't seem like an entire year had passed.... didn't even seem like a month had past since we saw each other last.

Gingerbread Men & Friends

2010-12-13T14:37:00.001-08:00

Kelly, Kaitlynn & I baked some gingerbread men & friends today! It was the perfect day to bake cookies - it was cold, windy, and SNOWING outside!! After our cookies were finished in the oven and had some time to cool, we let Kaitlynn "decorate" her own and then try it out for the first time. She definitely enjoyed her cookie! Check out some pictures & video from our afternoon of baking!

Before the decorating!

All of our decorated gingerbread men & friends!

We have a WALKER!

2010-12-12T17:02:00.000-08:00

This past Friday, December 12, 2010 - Kaitlynn decided to stand up in the middle of the floor and take about 8-10 steps completely on her own. She did this twice on Friday morning.... Saturday rolled around and she was a bit hesitant towards walking, except for about 2-3 steps at a time. However on Sunday, Kelly & I were able to get her to walk to & from both of us - about 8 steps each way. If she fell down, she'd stand right back up and finish walking to us! Once she got to either Kelly or myself, she would get so excited about her accomplished steps! It was absolutely precious. We are so proud of our little girl for her big step in toddler-hood!

Check out the video below. It definitely does NOT do Kaitlynn justice with how well she is walking, but it'll do until you can see her in person :o)

Christmas Portraits 2010

2010-12-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

We headed to Portrait Innovations on Saturday, November 27th to have our Christmas pictures taken! Here are a few of our favorites :o)

Always and forever.... my husband & best friend.

Our family portraits

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!

The Lord definitely blessed us with such a beautiful daughter!

A Few New Accomplishments! (Lots of pictures!)

2010-12-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

My mom came into town to enjoy some of our Christmas decorations! Little did we know that this week would include a lot of accomplishments for miss Kaitlynn!!

This was one of Kaitlynn's favorite games on Wednesday!

Couldn't resist!

Sadie Mae's official Christmas picture for 2010

Anyone notice Kaitlynn's static?! :o)

Kaitlynn loves playing in her cabinet in the kitchen!

Accomplishment #1 & #2 -

Standing up without pulling on anything, and

free standing for a good while before sitting down!!

Accomplishment #3 -

finally LOVES climbing our stairs!!

Kaitlynn loves playing with Willa Grace!

Decorating for Christmas!

2010-12-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

When we first moved into our new home, I was so excited about the anticipation of decorating our house for Christmas!! Kelly & I decided to focus on the inside of our home this year. Next year we will start working on the outside! These pictures don't do our house justice, but we hope you enjoy a little insight into our home for the holidays!

Kaitlynn wanted to help get our Christmas tree put together!

Kaitlynn's grandpa came by for some playtime!

Worked out well.... Kelly & I were able to decorate our tree!

Our family room Christmas tree - 9 ft. tall :o)

I have to admit.... I'm in love with our tree! The lights are on ALL day & night!

Center pieces

The Hearth

We've moved Kaitlynn's Nativity due to miss Sadie Mae wanting to eat it :o)

Christmas Tree #2 in our Living Room

Dining Room Christmas China

Banisters

Thanksgiving in Hayesville

2010-11-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day rolled around pretty quickly. Kelly, Kaitlynn & I headed to Hayesville, NC to spend time with the Crawfords & Penlands! We had a great time visiting with everyone.

Shutterfly's 50 Free Holiday Cards Promotion

2010-11-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

I have always been a huge fan of Shutterfly! The convenience of uploading pictures online and being able to do multiple things from one site has been wonderful! I have ordered invitations, photo cards, announcements, and gifts for birthday and holidays from Shutterfly. Not only are the products great through Shutterfly, but getting them in a timely manner and sent to your home has always been a plus.

The Christmas season is quickly approaching as Thanksgiving is coming to an end tomorrow. One of my favorite things about the Christmas holiday is getting online & choosing our photo cards to use each year! It's so much fun looking at all the new ideas and choices that Shutterfly comes up with for their cards.

As the holiday quickly approaches this year, I am very excited about getting our holiday cards together. There is something special about sending a photo card to family and friends that live away from us. It gives people the excitement of seeing you again in the near future.

Take a minute and looks at some of the great holiday cards that Shutterfly is offering!! Here is a link of my top choices for holiday cards this year from Shutterfly:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/family-wall-red-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93476

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/merry-modern-collage-christmas-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93476

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/mod-lime-story-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93476

Watson Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-23T10:22:00.001-08:00

Watson Thanksgiving

November 19-21, 2010

We packed up the car & headed to Greenville to spend time with my family for Thanksgiving. We missed getting to see my older brother, his wife & two children.... as well as my twin brother, his wife & their daughter. However, we had a great time with my mom, grandparents, & extended family! Looking forward to seeing those we missed over Christmas!

15 Months Old

2010-11-21T04:23:00.001-08:00

It is really hard to believe that Kaitlynn was 15 months old yesterday!! I remember thinking it would seem like forever before she would wear any of her 12-month or 18-month clothes that she had hanging in her closet!! I cannot even begin to explain how fast time has gone by and how much I wish I could put this time I have with her in a bottle & save it forever. This age comes with its challenges, but she is absolutely precious and time is going too quickly! Happy 15 months Kaitlynn!! Mommy & Daddy love & adore you very much.

DNOW weekend

2010-11-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

Kelly & I had the blessing of hosting a group of girls from our church for DNOW weekend. DISCIPLE NOW is an "in-town" retreat for middle & high school students. We had 15 ninth-grade girls & two leaders in our home from Friday evening - Sunday mid-morning! When these girls arrived to our home on Friday evening, I had no idea what to expect from the weekend! To be honest, we were a bit anxious, nervous, & excited! However, as the weekend progressed, Kelly & I were tremendously blessed by having this group in our home.

The Lord really showed me that He will provide during any & every circumstance as long as I step aside and allow Him to do so. A few weeks before DNOW, we were told groups would range anywhere from 8-10 students. However, going into the weekend we had 13 students. Once Friday evening arrived we welcome 15 lovely girls into our home! Kelly & I had no idea how we would manage getting everyone to & from the church with a 15-month old baby. Like I said.... the Lord provided & answered our prayers and concerns. One of our girls - her parents traded cars with us. We had a minivan for the weekend instead of our Honda Accord.

DNOW was a life-changing time for the students, leaders, & the Host Homes! Here is a picture of our 15 girls & 2 leaders from Dress-Up night on Saturday! They dressed up as the disney movie "Up."

"......These are a few of my favorite things....."

2010-11-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

Kaitlynn has such a neat personality these days! However, there are a few things that really make her personality shine through with a mouth full of squeals!

Watching the dogs from the windows!

Playing in the dishwasher!

And we can't forget.... Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! However, now that Kaitlynn can pull up on the TV - here is her newfound way to watch this show :o)

What Are You Thankful For?

2010-11-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

I follow & keep up with several other blogs on a regular basis. Several people have taken time to talk about what they're thankful for. I find that it's perfect timing with Thanksgiving just around the corner! Everyone has something they're thankful for in their lives. I feel blessed to have many things to be thankful for.

*I am thankful to have a loving & forgiving Savior that is so detailed when it comes to my existence!

*I am thankful for my patient & loving husband that the Lord placed in my life specifically for me to take care of and love unconditionally. I cannot imagine my life without Kelly walking beside me, encouraging me to do my best, and loving me regardless!

*I am thankful for my beautiful daughter. She brings more joy & love into my life than I could have ever imagined.

*Walking down stairs.... seeing my husband & daughter playing together.... and having Kaitlynn look up and say "Hey mommy." Definitely one of the sweetest sounds ever!

*My family even though everyone is so widespread between Atlanta, Greenville, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, Charlotte, Hayesville & Denver (MGW)! Being able to spend time with family brings joy to my life!

*I'm thankful for my best girl friends - without them.... well, I just won't go there :o) Just wish we all lived closer together!

*My precious dogs!! I absolutely love Willa Grace & Sadie Mae!

*Being able to stay at home with Kaitlynn. I've been at home now since May 2009. The more I'm at home with my daughter, the more I'm learning that it's definitely a blessing for me! She teaches me so many things about myself and the type of mommy I want to be for her.

It is so easy, especially for me to focus on tough times & negative things when you're having a difficult day or a hard week. The Lord reminds me everyday that each day is a new day and he's not going to give us more than I can handle. Trying to look at everything - good & bad - as a blessing is definitely not the easiest thing, but it's being more & more of a habit. Try and look at today as a complete blessing from the Lord, no matter the circumstance.... no matter the outcome! Today will not happen again - enjoy it, embrace it, and thank our Lord he gave us these days!

Updates from October!

2010-11-04T09:22:00.001-07:00

Kaitlynn is getting to be a handful these days, and we're loving every minute of it! She is showing huge interests in what we're eating; wanting samples, but still not enough for an entire meal. She's doing great in PT - pulling up & cruising like a pro. All she wants to do is be on her feet & walk, but is still a bit timid to let go and do it on her own! She's quite the snuggler these days as she likes to be rocked to sleep pretty often. Guess who doesn't seem to mind?! We did experience a first - her first night terror..... horrible! Lastly, if anyone has been around Kaitlynn since about 6 months old..... she's been very social! The Lord has blessed us with a chatter box!! :o) We love it & it's definitely one of our favorite things about her!!

Check out some pictures of the last few weeks!

Kaitlynn's 1st Dentist Appt.

Will & Bethany's Wedding - Greensboro, NC

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND 2010

Visit from Kaitlynn's Grandpa:

Missed pictures from the past two months

2010-10-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

It's tough these days to keep up with the blog. Kaitlynn keeps us pretty busy now that she's all over the place!! Here are some "missed" pictures over the past two months:

**Trip to Spartanburg - August 28, 2010**

Kaitlynn's great-grandparents, Pop & JaJa

I think miss Elizabeth is telling Kaitlynn who's the boss!! HAHA

**Nana's trip trip to Atlanta - September 20, 2010**

Kaitlynn loves playing at the window!

Quick picture with my girl before a lunch date with my hubby!!

**Visit from Michael & Halie, and Kevin & Kelly - October 1, 2010**

**Troy's 3rd birthday party in Greenville - October 9, 2010**

Kelly & I with our nephew Troy, the birthday boy!!

The great-grandmothers with the newest addition - Jeslyn Kate Watson

The Watson Grandkids

*Kaitlynn (13 months)* Elizabeth (14 months)* Troy (3 years)* Jeslyn (5 months)*

Happy 3rd birthday Troy!

Visit from Kelly's Parents

2010-10-18T12:50:00.002-07:00

This past weekend, Keith & Donna came down to Atlanta for the weekend. We enjoyed some time at the Marietta Square, but the majority of our time was spent working on landscaping our backyard!

Our backyard landscaping

Petite Creek Farms

2010-10-12T11:07:00.001-07:00

Kelly had Columbus Day off from work, so we took Kaitlynn to the Petite Creek Farms. They had a pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayride, & a petting zoo. Kaitlynn was a bit scared of the animals at first, but slowly warmed up to them & had a great time!!

"Uh-Oh"

2010-10-04T10:15:00.001-07:00

Kaitlynn has officially discovered the word "uh-oh." She drops a toy, and then uses that expression. Absolutely precious!

Nanny Crawford's 90th Birthday

2010-09-13T13:51:00.001-07:00

Kelly, Kaitlynn & I were able to go into Hayesville to celebrate Nanny Crawford's 90th birthday! Donna put together a big shin-dig at her house on Sunday, September 12th. Check out some pictures!

Our silly girls on the trip up to Hayesville

Happy Birthday, Nanny! 90 years young!

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-05T11:00:00.001-07:00

I always look forward to holiday weekends because Kelly has 3 full days at home with Kaitlynn and I. We definitely made the most of our time together & the gorgeous weather God provided us!

Friday evening was a big step for us, but mostly for me. We invited an 18-year old over for dinner - the daughter of my bible study leader at church. She is going to start babysitting for us on the weekends so Kelly & I can get away & do some things without our precious girl. Our first night out, using a babysitter that is...... is this coming Saturday! Thanks to our families - we've always been able to have date nights & weekends away ever since Kaitlynn was born. But, it'll definitely be nice to go out on random occasions and not have to wait until we visit with family!

The rest of the weekend was quite enjoyable..... we spent time at the Marietta Square for the famer's market & art festival, watched lots of football, spent time @ church on sunday, headed to the outlets in Dawsonville Sunday afternoon, enjoyed a luscious breakfast at Cracker Barrel on Monday morning, and headed back to church for the Holy Smoke BBQ that afternoon!

*Marietta Square*

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*playtime @ home*

*working hard on the little red car*

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*Holy Smoke BBQ*

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Best of friends

*Willa Grace & Sadie Mae*

Kaitlynn's 1 year pictures

2010-08-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

Kelly & I headed to Clix Studio Portraits to have Kaitlynn's 1 year pictures taken! Enjoy!!

KAITLYNN IS 1

2010-08-20T11:29:00.001-07:00

It truly is hard to believe that this time last year, we welcomed our daughter into the world. I spent some time this morning thinking about August 20, 2009. Kelly & I headed to my 38-week check-up with Dr. Walters that Thursday morning not knowing that our life was about to completely change! With the amount of contractions I was having for the past two weeks, we were sent to Northside Hospital (for the 3rd time) to deliver our daughter via c-section. So many emotions went through our minds that day. We are both so proud to have a beautiful daughter in our lives and cannot wait to see what all will unfold in her 2nd year of life! Take time to enjoy some flashback pictures of Kaitlynn over this last year.

Waiting on our baby girl to arrive!

A few minutes old!

Our first family picture!!

1 month old..................................3 months old

6 months..................................... 9 months

1-year old!