She said it...

Oh, on her birthday, Rae gave me 2 gifts as well..... She learned how to vault onto the couch all by herself ( my heart is still in my stomach) and, as we were sitting down to dinner, she said "CHEESE" not once, but 3 times. That's one for the books..

The Rae and her Bankie

Well, a small dream of mine has finally come true, and Raegan is truely attached to her Baby Blanket. She wants it with her all the time. She doesn't necessarily play with it or anything, but she wants it OUT where she can see and touch it at all times. When I get her up from nap/bedtime, she stands up, smiles, and holds that little hand up, clenching her blanket, to be picked up. It is just too cute. The problem is, now, that I am having a hard time getting it away from her to wash it. It smells of old milk ( but it also has that sweet Raegan-only smell that I am lothe to wash out of it)

Oh well. The price I pay for a dream....

She didn't much care for the cake, actually.  

The Reason I was Born....

It's 12:07 and I can't wait any longer. I make a bottle and tip-toe into her room where she is sleeping peacefully. Perfection. That is want perfection looks like, I think. I gather my sleeping angel in my arms and creep out to the living room, settling myself in the squishy rocker. Wrapped in her baby blanket, she sleeps on as I hold her bottle for her. She absently rubs my arm, exactly like she did a year ago when I frist fed her. Back and forth, back and forth, those sweet little hands go. Tears streaming down my face, I look at this little Being. Perfection. Why was I so blessed? What did I do to earn this? How do I make sure I am worthy? How can it have been only a year ago that we first met? She has been mine forever, and yet..... It was just yeartday that I heard that first little cry, saw that face, those hands, for the first time. It is just so hard to process. How can she be a year old, when she is still my little baby? How can it have been an entire year? I'm not ready for this. I don't think I ever will be. Her wandering hand stops.. she is done with her bottle. With a grunt, she snuggles closer to me. That same tiny hand creeps up, grabs my thumb, and closes.. tight. Holding me as close to her as I am holding her, to me. Perfection. We quietly get up and walk into my room, nudging daddy with my hip as I sit down. Softly, ever so softly, Daddy sings Happy Birthday to our little piece of Forever. Mama cries all the harder, trying not to jostle our Gift. Will it always be this hard, watching her grow? Will I always cry on this special day, remembering the child she was, hoping for the child she will become? God, I hope so.

Happy Birthday, Raegan. I love you.

Sorry, Y'all

OK, so I hate Blog Spam. As a result of a recent influx on this blog, I have activated Word Verification for commentors... SORRY! No big deal, but an extra hoop to jump through...

She saw me get out the camera and decided to walk over and investigate..... I use her not-at-all-camera-shy attitude to my advantage... 

 

 

 

stinker. 

and she's in the basket AGAIN...Ugh... leave her alone for ONE second!!.... 

A Silly Thing

Your Seduction Style: Au Natural

You rank up there with your seduction skills, though you might not know it. That's because you're a natural at seduction. You don't realize your power! The root of your natural seduction power: your innocence and optimism. You're the type of person who happily plays around and creates a unique little world. Little do you know that your personal paradise is so appealing that it sucks people in. You find joy in everything - so is it any surprise that people find joy in you? You bring back the inner child in everyone you meet with your sincere and spontaneous ways. Your childlike (but not childish) behavior also inspires others to care for you. As a result, those who you befriend and date tend to be incredibly loyal to you.

What Kind of Seducer Are You?

Gosh, I LOVE these overalls! They are way too small for her, but I'll still stuff her in them as long as I can! 

Morgan giggling at Lola 

Raegan eating Scuba Steeve 

Geoff and Heidi's Children

Raegan and her cousins: 7 year old Anthony, and 6 month old Callista 

She's not quite sure what to think about that baby... 

Yipee for me!

I have enrolled in class to get my Oregon State Realtors Licence!! YEAH! It is an online course, will probably take me like 3 months and a couple hundred dollars in test fees, ( thank you Papa, for wanting to buy my bike for some mysterious reason.. girlfriends son?) but then I'll be all ready to get the show on the road! YEAH a career! YEAH productive daytime plans! It will be all good. I am SO excited about the whole idea!

A Raegan Update:

My daughter can walk. Yep, walk. Not her prime mode of transportation yet, but it soon will be. Very very fun!

Raegan ( and her cracker) on the bouncy-dragon. 

Raegan and Mama on the Teeter Totter ( 2 more babies and we would have out-weighed Daddy) 

Only in Central Oregon will you find a toy at the park that teaches kids how to use a back hoe. Gotta start them soon, I guess. Of course, it was the first toy Matt saw in the whole place... 

He's so silly. 

Daddy pushin' the swing 

So much fun! 

Matt and Raegan on the tire swing 

The Pitter-Patter of Little Feet

So, I tried to post a video clip - which didn't work - of Raegan taking some steps. Oh well.
Yep, she's starting to walk! And not always with the intent of throwing herself onto the floor pillow! She should be pretty confident at using those tootsies by her birthday. It is soo fun watching her! She gets so excited when she manages to take a few steps before falling! Giggles and laughs the whole time! If she learns walking at all like she learned crawling, I may only have a few more days left of "safety" before she's running all over the place. Very exciting!

Ok, an acceptable shoe has been found.. now to find a retailer near me.. as my search brings up no one. It is cheaper then the other one, but only comes in a large gift pack on E-Bay. Still, cute huh? 

The Coolest Shoe Ever

OK, so these are the absolute coolest shoes ever. They are made by a company called Preschoolians (http://preschoolians.com/category.asp?id=64) , and are GREAT! They are the highest recommended shoe for new walkers, having a thin sole ( that is clear plastic so you can see where her toes end) and come with inserts for wide or narrow feet. I SO want them! They are like $30 though, so probably will not be getting them.
Raegan HATES having shoes on. She thinks they are a fun toy, but when on she refuses to use her feet. She just tries to get them off. I'm gonna have to do something about that soon, as the weather is getting cold and she's gonna want to be walking on those feet!