Drum Roll Please....

This little sister isn't so little anymore

Happy 4 Month Birthday Hannah!!!

Happy Easter (A day late)

Sorry this is coming a day late but yesterday was pretty busy and I just didn't make it to the computer. We had a wonderful day of worship and with family. Jill made a delicious ham dinner and the girls got all kinds of goodies from Mommy and Daddy and their aunties and uncles (the got their Easter from Grammy and Nana and Papa a couple weeks ago.) Here are a few pics of yesterdays highlights. We hope you had a blessed day of reflection and time with loved ones. We love you! Kev, Mandy, Emma and Hannah

Easter Egg Eggstravaganza!

Emma and Hannah went to their very first Easter Egg Hunt today! It was hosted by a family of our new church and was so much fun. Following all the festivities there was a picnic lunch with lots of yummy deserts. There was also a jump house and a little craft table where the girls made foam crosses with their names on it. We got to meet more great people from the church and had a great time. I'll leave you with some great pics and a hilarious video of Emma playing "fetch" with Daddy. Tune in tomorrow for pics of the girls in Easter dresses!!

Big Girl Bed

Emma is officially the proud owner of a toddler bed. Poor girl has been sleeping in her Pack-N-Play for the last 2 weeks :( It's barely big enough for her to lay in and she has hardly protested her lack of space.

Although I'm excited about this new step for her I've been dreading it also just because it's another change and transition for her to have to undergo amidst all the others going on. She would be perfectly happy sleeping in her crib for months to come but we need it for Hannah. Baby girl has been sleeping in her bouncy seat and bassinet and has about reached capacity.

Emma was really excited when we put it together and liked playing on it. She was not so sure about going to sleep in it. She was a little upset this evening at bedtime but after about 10 minutes settled down. Hopefully she'll be able to sleep well through the night (and not fall onto the floor). I've been looking online for some supercute toddler bedding to order for her new room and can't wait to decorate it :)

We're having our home inspection tomorrow (keep your fingers crossed). Also, we still haven't had any luck getting Kevin's status updated so that we can enroll for medical benefits but he made some phone calls today a little higher up the chain that will hopefully make some things happen for Hannah getting her follow-up.

That's all our excitement for today. TTFN- Ta-ta from Tennessee ;)

Home Owners

Our offer has been accepted and we should close by the end of the month!!! yay!!!!

Have you missed us?

Sorry! I'm finally taking some time to sit down and fill you in about what we've been up to this last week or so. Even though not much is going on yet, I feel like we've been so busy!

Kevin is still working on trying to get all of his in-processing accomplished so that me and the girls can be enrolled for benefits, get ID cards, get our vehicles registered for entering post, etc. It turns out that when Kevin's recruiter had him take his initial oath several months ago she entered him into the system as a Reservist instead of Active duty. That means this has to be undone and changed before his family is eligible for benefits. While all of this is just a technicality and will all be taken care of (obviously we have active duty orders and we're here) it is putting a delay on things. Normally I wouldn't be too concerned but I'm anxious to get things squared away so we can get Hannah an appointment with an orthopedist.

---------->UPDATE ON HANNAH----------------> Sorry, I realized I never posted on update after her appointment in Springfield. The pediatric ortho said that in he is almost positive that she will correct her hip situation all on her own, however she does need to be monitored periodically until everything is normal. He feels that she needs another ultrasound and ortho appointment by the end of April to monitor progress. He said 95% of babies like Hannah will not need any intervention at all but it is still imperative that it is monitored closely. We are so thankful that no treatment is needed. Thank you so much for your prayers and support! So, hopefully we'll get all this benefit stuff squared away this week so that we can get her appointment set up. We'll keep you posted :)

We should know for sure tomorrow, but we think we have bought a house!!!! We put an offer in that we think will be accepted but I'm trying not to get my hopes up until we know for certain. It's a 3 bed, 2 bath ranch with a bonus room in a really cute subdivision. If the offer goes through I'll try to post a picture tomorrow and we'll close at the end of the month. Keep your fingers crossed! We have looked at a bunch of houses this week. We started off looking at the high end of what we were pre-approved for and quickly realized that just because the bank says they'll give you the money doesn't mean you can afford it! I think we finally figured out what we wanted to spend and found the perfect house (lets just hope the seller agrees our offer is perfect!)

It's been a ton of fun staying with Joe and Jill. Emma is a big fan of her auntie and uncle whom she is affectionately calling "Sheel" and "Sho". Jill has been gracing us with her yummy cooking all week; I think we'll have to come over for dinner every night after we move out. Their house is basically done and is beautiful. I can't wait for them to be able to move in and see it with their personal touches.

This morning we attended a new church, Madison Street UMC. I have to admit, I was really nervous about trying to find a new church and thought we might have to try several. But, I think this is going to be our new home. We went to a Sunday School class for 20's and 30's and everyone was so kind and welcoming. Also, most of the members were military so they knew what we were experiencing, being new in town.

It made me a little sad, though, because I really miss all our friends and our faith family from our church in Springfield, Wesley UMC. We developed such strong relationships there and I miss everyone so much! (Shout out to Julie, Cindy, Misty and Joel, Missy and Brad, the rest of Turning Points, Jennifer, Carrie and David- love and miss you guys!!)

I'll try to get on here more often and post about our new military life. Also, I got to get a pic of Kevin in his uniform! Miss and love all of you!

We made it to Tennessee

I don't have any pictures to post yet or much time but just wanted to put up a quick post that we made it to Tennessee on Saturday evening. The trip was actually pretty uneventful and the girls did great! Joe and Jill are graciously letting us stay with them until we find a place and Emma is loving having extra attention (and new stuff to explore. She snuck into their bedroom yesterday and broke Jill's glasses *sigh*).

Tomorrow is Kev's first day to report. We've spent the last 2 days trying to get ID cards, enroll for benefits, get decals for our cars, etc and haven't accomplished any of it! Ha, got to love the military. Apparenly, Kevin is going to have some kinks to try to iron out concerning his status and the way it's entered into the computer. It's been a headache and frustrating but I'm trying to stay positive.

The awesome thing is that we were pretty sure we would have to rent a place for a few months before we could buy, BUT, that doesn't look to be the case. We have actually found a house that we love-love-love and are hoping to put in an offer this week (pending Kevin can work out those kinks quickly). I'll try to get some pics and find time to post more details about the things I had promised from before.

Until then, we miss and love you all!!!

Praise Jesus

We have an appointment with a pediatric ortho here in Springfield Friday morning at 8 AM! (While our stuff is being loaded onto a truck) Thank you for your prayers, thank you God!

Where to Begin?

First off, I owe Hannah an apology. Yesterday was her 2 month birthday but our internet was down all day! Very frustrating, I must say. She is getting so big.

Here are a few things she's been doing: She is finally starting to crack a few grins for us ~ She is staring to like to lay on her activity mat and kick her legs ~ She really still hates tummy time but is getting strong enough that she can scoot around a little bit when she's mad enough ~ She's gaining control of her head and can hold it steady for a while ~ She is following things around the room with her eyes ~ She can find me when she hears my voice ~ She is getting her nights and days straight (praise the LORD!) ~ AND, she has had several nights of only waking up once to eat and then going right back to sleep!! (more praise!)

Well, there are a lot of things on my heart to write about right now and there's no way I could fit them into one post. So, I'm gonna hit you with the punch lines and that which is lying on me the heaviest and save the rest for the coming days.

Ok, here's the punch line- Kevin has been comissioned as an officer with the US Army and we are moving to Ft Campbell, KY in in 4 days! For those of you who don't know, Kevin enlisted with the Army prior to graduating from high school and served four years on active duty, including 2 deployments overseas after 9/11. He then served 3 years with the National Guard while in college and has been separated completely from the military the last few years. There are a lot of details surrounding our decision for Kevin to join the military; that will have to wait for another post.

I also want to post in the coming week(s) about our awesome church and friends that we are leaving behind, my amazing job that I have had the last 4.5 years that I am absolutely heartbroken to no longer have, our crazy apartment that we are sooooo happy to say goodbye to (If we were staying any longer I might have to kill our neighbors!), Dave and Cort's recent visit and their very special gift for our girls, and so much more! (Apparently I have been really slacking on the blogging- You would think that with me being at home on maternity leave I would have more time for these sort of things)

Anyway, most heavily weighing on Kevin and I's mind this week is our dear Hannah. This last week we took the girls in for their well child checks. We take them to a pediatric nurse practitioner that I work with and just adore. Upon doing Hannah's physical exam, she noticed bilateral hip clicks. Since we were moving the next week she wanted us to take her for an ultrasound, just to be safe, and rule out hip dysplasia. We had Hannah's ultrasound this past Friday morning. A radiologist performed the exam and we have the final report but we are unsure what to make of the findings or if hip dysplasia has been ruled out.

The very very good thing is that Hannah's hips are not dislocating, even upon purposeful manipulation. The ultrasound did show, however, that both sockets are shalow to an extent that only about 50% of the femoral heads are covered. Also, the angles at which the femors enter the socket are off. There are some other findings also that I don't understand. The nurse practitioner and the doctor she works with don't have much experience with this and normally would refer Hannah to a pediatric orthopedist. But, since we are moving we are now going to be transfering into the hands of Tricare and the military's health system. Our understanding is that Kevin will enroll us (Me and the girls) as his dependents as soon as he gets on base but that it may take up to one month for us to get in the system. At that time, we will be assigned a PCP. From that point I can make an appointment for Hannah, and hopfully get a referral to a specialist.

It just pains us to think about having to potentially wait 1-2 months or longer in limbo of being unsure if there is something wrong with our baby, if she needs treatment or braces, etc. We are praying that the findings are "no big deal" and that she will not need any intervention at all. But, if she does, the sooner the better, for her sake. We appreciate your prayers and support as we wait and see how this process goes. This is a whole new lifestyle for me and will be a learning experience and although Kevin was in the Army before, he never dealt with dependent benefits. I will keep y'all posted (I'm practicing my Tennessee lingo) Until we blog again....Love Kev, Mandy, Emma and Hannah

PS. Isn't this the cutest stinking picture you've ever seen?!?

My Emma Girl

I need to focus this post on my Emma girl and what she's been up to lately. She is getting soooo big and is learning soooo much.

First of all, let me say she is an awesome big sister. She is so kind and sweet towards Hannah. The first few weeks, she mostly ignored her. I must admit, that was kinda nice because I figured, "Hey, she's not being rough with her and she's not feeling neglected." Now, she's not only taking notice of her a lot more but I think she's really starting to care about her. She always wants to know where Hannah's at and what she's doing. She likes to come give her kisses and hugs and *gentle* pats. She brings her her lovey and binky and displays nothing but affection towards her. We're so proud of our sweet girl.

Part of having a little baby in the house means that you learn some mothering skills. Emma's very best friend and very best "baby" in the whole world is her kitty from Build-A-Bear that she got for her birthday from Aunt Mae and Uncle Ian. She sleeps with him and carries him EVERYWHERE. He never leaves her side. Well, now, she mothers him. As you can see from the picture, poor kitty needed his hair brushed and had some boogies that needed sucked from his nose. And, as all us Mommy's can relate, you have to balance baby care with your own so she managed to take care of her sweet kitty while brushing her teeth :)

We have also been working very hard with her on learning some simple "chores" and she is doing great with them. Every day, we have her put her shoes away by herself, put her dirty clothes in her hamper, she puts her books on her shelf (or on the floor in front of the shelf), and will help us pick up her toys at the end of the day. We give her lots and lots of praise when she picks up her things and she really enjoys it. I'm starting to notice that she's doing it without me asking her.

As part of her bedtime routine, I have been saying a prayer with her and showing her how to fold her hands and bow her head (which she does very nicely for all of about 3 seconds, but hey, it's a start). I've been struggling with what type of verbal prayer to pray with her. I thought, what would a baby be thankful for? What would a baby worry about? So, I pray in the first person, as though I'm her, and we thank God for Mommy, Daddy, Hannah and all our other family members. Tonight we thanked God for our awesome teachers at daycare because they do fun stuff and care so much. We ask God to watch over her through the night, to guard her dreams, help her be a good girl, be healthy and grow. Her favorite part, though, is the Amen. It kinda sounds like May-Mee. And she shouts it really loud about five times more like a Hallelujah. It's kinda funny because the first few times I tried to quiet her and say, "Okay, that's enough, time for night-night." I wondered how I would even try getting into an exlpanation of what it means to be reverent to an 18 month old. But then I thought, "What's wrong with celebrating at the end of a prayer in anticipation of the great things God will do?" I think sometimes we really can learn so much from our kids.

Anyway, miss Emma Liz is doing great and we love her so much.

And, because I just can't resist, here's a picture of sweet Hannah before I go :)

Typo Queen

Just wanted to say that I realize I'm a typo queen. Simply should be simplify and I think I used the wrong version of "to" a few times. Nice.

Randomness

I had a hair appointment today (one of my favorite things in the world) and got quite a bit of my hair cut off. As you can see by the lovely picture taken by my husband, there is still some length in the front but the back is pretty non-existent :) And, I love it. This isn't anything new for me; I've actually had my hair this short and shorter before. I had decided a few years back that I liked having a little more hair to work with but it just takes to long to get ready! Especially now that I have two runts to chase after I want to simply some areas of my life. *I'm trying to convince Kevin that we could really simply other areas by hiring a maid but he's not on board with that one yet*

I also realized that I hadn't really mentioned in any prior posts (sorry!) the family we've had come stay with us and help us welcome Hannah into the family. Kevin's sister, Mae and baby Izzy were the first to meet Hannah. They actually came into town a couple hours before the birth and stayed for a week. It was so awesome having someone at the hospital to greet Hannah, especially since it was so late at night and unexpected. Then, they came back this past weekend with Ian and visited. We had a lot of fun just hanging out and seeing the 3 girl cousins together. Mae and I are hoping to get the girls' picture taken in a few months, when Hannah is a little older; won't that be precious?!

Also, my step-mom was in town right after the birth to meet Hannah and take care of Emma while we were at the hospital and recovering at home. It was so awesome to have her around doing laundry, cooking, and really keeping Emma entertained.

The weekend of Valentine's Day, Kevin's brother Joe and his wife Jill came to visit from Ft. Campbell. Again, we had a wonderful time and it was so nice to see them.

We are so truly thankful for our family and how much they love us and our girls. It places a true peace and happiness in my heart knowing that we have so many people to love our girls, to play with them, to guide them, to lift them in prayer, and be a positive presence in their lives. I admit, it's not something I thought about much before becoming a mom; I didn't realize the value of family in this way. It's true, though, that it is on my mind daily and I am so thankful.

I love ya'll

1 Month Old

Hannah Sue is 1 month old today!!!

We love you baby girl!!!! Love, Mommy, Daddy and Big Sissy Emma

Happy Valentine's Day!

~ Here are some photos of my littlest Valentines ~

Emma getting ready to give Hannah a V-Day kiss (By the way, check out Emma's eye lashes!)

Hannah Sue's 1st Valentines

Emma, sporting her new shirt from Uncle Joe and Aunt Jill, who came to visit us this weekend

Emma in her Cupcake shirt, on her way to the Valentine party at daycare

Emma's goodie bag and Valentine's from friends at daycare

These are the Valentine's Emma took to give her classmates

An Interview with Mandy

I'm getting addicted to surveys/games, etc. So, this one is where you are given 5 interview-type questions from another blogger to answer and post. If you play along, I get to pick 5 questions for you! Here we go...

1. If you had to pick one personality trait to pass on to your children from both you and your husband, what would it be? Are there any personality traits that you would most definitely not want to pass on?
This is tough. A trait from Kevin is pretty easy- he is a peace-keeper and I hope that trait passes on to our girls. He is so gifted at seeing the Greater Need of a situation. He encourages others to let things go, to reconcile and is able to swallow his own frustrations for the sake of relationships. I'm amazed at his even temperment and ability to forgive. I pray this is something he continues to demonstrate and teach our girls. If I had to pick something I hope he doesn't pass on to our girls, I would have to say driving agression/frustration. Not quite to the level I would say Road Rage but it's close. (Love you, honey :)
From myself, I hope that our girls gain my sense of compassion. From a young age I have always been able to feel great empathy and compassion for those around me. One those I know are hurting, I hurt with them. When there is a joy, I rejoice with them. In our current culture, I think it's often too easy to become very egocentric and have little regard for our fellow man and I hope I'm able to show my girls it's important to share in life's trials and blessings with each other. I hope I do NOT pass on my procrasination to the girls. Dude, it's bad. Example, my c-section was scheduled for Jan 26th; I only delivered 4 days early and my hospital bag was not packed. Sad, I know.

2. Out of all the books you have read, which book has had the strongest impact on you and why?
Other than the Bible for its obvious reasons I would have to say Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I think he makes a very raw, very honest look at the struggles Christians face such as losing enthusiasm, "betrayal" by other Christians, the mundane doldrums, etc and how we can address and deal with it. As he explored all of his short-comings and frustrations and times of discouragement on his walk with Christ, I felt like it was a manuscript for my own faith journey. In the end, he realizes, as does the reader, that while we may not always "feel" consistent and faithful, God is.

3. If you had to change careers, what would you do instead and why?
This is going to sound so boring but I would love to do a job where all I did was data-entry or crunch numbers. No phones ringing, no customers/patients to deal with, no interaction with the public. Give me a task to do with instructions and then leave me alone to do it. My job requires me to spend alot of time dealing with patients and talking on the phone. I hate the phone so much that I sometimes take it as a personal attack when it rings. Hmph, I love my job but sometimes I think it would be so nice to not have to see or talk to anyone. :)

4. If you had to choose the best meal ever, from appetizer down to dessert, what would it consist of?
Alright, this is going to be so non-sophisticated or fancy. First, a blooming onion from Outback. Then, a house salad from Pasta House. This would be followed by the jambalaya from Brew Co and ended with creme brulee from Nonna's. Mmmm. Oh, and I would have ice water with no lemon and sweet tea. :)

5. As a parent, and considering the world we live in, which things make you excited for their future? Apprehensive?
It is easier for me to start with things that make me apprehensive. It makes me so sad when I see how sexualized and image-driven our current culture is, especially for girls. It seems to get worse with each decade and doesn't show any sign of slowing down. I fear the day when one of my children come home wondering if she's pretty enough, skinny enough, fancy enough. Or if she feels that she must give of herself to a boy to gain his love and affections. I'd like to naively think we don't have to worry about this until the teen years but I know that's not true.

That being said, I'm excited that Emma and Hannah can potentially have every opportunity afforded to them. They can participate in athletics, academics and the arts. They can pursue any collegiate field they want or they can choose to be a homemaker. Mostly, I'm just excited to see God's plan for their lives and how He uses them.

If you would like to play along here are the directions:1. Leave me a comment & your e-mail address saying, "Interview me." If you dare.2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (You get to choose the questions.)
The first five 'askers' get the interview!