Grandpa Al

My grandpa passed away last night.  He was 87 years old.  My dad called about 2:20 in the morning.  He was staying with my grandpa and grandma (the kids have been taking turns helping out with him at home) and he had just helped Gpa lay back down.  Moments later my grandma got my dad up and said she thought Gpa was gone.  So he left earth at home, in bed, lying next to his sweetheart of 60 years.  He is finally at peace and with our King in paradise.  Praise be to God.  I talked to my sister about 3:20 in the morning and she said that my cousins and aunts and uncle went over to the house and said prayers.  What a blessing.  I am sad not to have been there for that, but so joyful that my Grandma has most of her loved ones so close by.  I am anxious to get back to St. Louis and be with my family.  I am so glad that everyone was able to be there at Christmas to say goodbye to Gpa and that he got to meet Quinn and that I got to exchange my "I love you"s with him a few times throughout that week.  I will always remember my grandpa's amazing rose garden on the side of the carport and his tomato plants in the backyard.  I will remember that he always called me "Re" and his deep scruffy voice.  I will remember his big hands and his firm handshake.  I will remember his amazing sense of humor and how he was still cracking jokes even in those last days when he was so weak.  I will miss him so much.

in the Navy- 1945

Grandpa and me

 One of my favorite pictures of my Gpa and Gma

Gpa and me dancing at my wedding- 2007

Gpa meeting Quinn for the first time

Sept. 2011

2 Timothy 4:6-8

For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand.  

I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.

From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth . . .

Well Quinn, you're half way there, you just got your two bottom teeth!  Yesterday we were at Great Grandma's house in St. Louis and she was tell me about how your Great Uncle Pat got teeth at 4 months old and I said, "well she is teething for sure but it will probably still be a while before any poke through."  And with that remark I felt your bottom gum line and discovered two pearly whites starting to poke through!  You got them right in time for your 5 months birthday, which was Tuesday (Dec. 20th).  I never noticed them because you always stick your tongue out over your gum line.  You are such a big girl!  It's exciting, but I do hope those top teeth take a long time to come in because I don't want you biting me anytime soon. 

Monday you met Liz, Great Gma and Gpa's dog.  You LOVED Liz.  You were cracking up and grabbing her hair and ears.  All your "Aunts" (actually first cousins once removed) were gathered around watching you.  We got some of it on video and then we watched it over and over.

I love you my sweet girl.  I am excited for your first Christmas in just a few days!

random thoughts and a gloomy day

have i mentioned how much i love the way you smell? i do, especially your slobbery mouth.  i'm not kidding, i love your sweet drooly breath.

today was a rough day.  you didn't get a nap because i was dragging you around town to show the renal house and to get groceries and go to Target.  it took like three hours to go to Target and Trader Joe's.  it was so gross outside, rainy and cold.  i nursed you in the fitting room and then had to change your diaper and i had forgotten that you were wearing a cloth diaper and it was nice and poopy- yuck.  luckily i had the wet/dry bag to put it in.  some days i feel like i don't know what i am doing.  i hope we can figure out this nap thing.  we will try again tomorrow.

i am so glad that we are pros at nursing now.  i especially love to nurse you in bed in the side lying position.  i am so glad was have finally perfected it and can do this when you wake up early in the mornings and we are both so sleepy.

ps- every once in a while you bless us with a little giggle.  it is THE CUTEST thing i have EVER heard in my life.  no joke.  people are just going to die when they hear your laugh.  i can't wait to hear it more often.  in Memphis last week we were playing with your dog toy and you started cracking up for like 30 seconds!  i can't wait to hear it again.

 

your new curtains!

 

nursing you at target

 

your cute Christmas present from Mark and Dave!

Memphis

We were in Memphis last week hanging out with Daddy while he works.  He's been out of town most weeks working on a refinery there and we were missing him, so we dropped the puppies off with Grandma and Grandpa in Springfield and drove on to Memphis.  Quinn, you and I got to hang out in the hotel room.  We got to sleep in late and cuddle in the bed.  You loved charming the ladies at the front desk.  You loved playing on the exercise ball in the fitness room, bouncing and rolling.  And each night when Daddy got off work we got to go out to dinner!

You are a champ at rolling over now!  Every time I put you on your stomach you roll right back over onto your back.  It's so cute: you push up with your feet until your booty is in the air, roll to your side, and then push over with your leg.  Everywhere I take you people stop and tell me how beautiful you are and how alert you are and what great features you have.  People loose control around you trying to get you to smile, you make them work for it though.  But in the end you always show them your beautiful smile and a little tongue.

When we drove back from Memphis Friday night we stopped at Mammoth Springs and got to see the spring and the beaver dens.  You got to wear your cute hate and new mittens.   Daddy and I can't wait to take you to parks and on trips to see and learn about nature and animals.  Grandma use to be a science teacher and is very excited to teach you these things too.  We spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house Friday night before driving back to KC.  They loved getting to play and cuddle with you!

Now that breastfeeding is going well we are on to our next feet: NAPS.  I've said it before, but we are REALLY going to work on naps this week.  :)

4 months+

Hello My Love, You are 4 months and 11 days old!  I don't think I documented your last milestone- rolling over for the first time, on November 14th.  And I caught it on video!!  Well, I caught the 2nd and 3rd time on video!  You were upstairs on the couch with Daddy and I and you rolled over from your front to your back.  Then you did it two more times on the couch.  I looked at Jeff and said "Does that count?!"  because the couch is a little slanted.  So we put you on the floor and you rolled over again!  Since then you've only rolled over twice but that is okay.  :)


Last week I got excited because you slept 8-9 hours for a couple days in a row, then you started waking up every 2-3 hours again- silly baby!  :)  Good thing I am not having to go to work on this kind of sleep schedule.  (Although I have been busy busy with the new rental house that Jeff and I bought.  Since he is out of town for work, Quinn and I are the sole property mangers and have been showing it to people several times a day, cleaning it, setting up utilities, etc.  NOT FUN!)

We had a great Thanksgiving in Springfield.  Quinn, you are so so loved by so many people.  At one point there were about 10+ relatives and 3 dogs sitting around you watching you kick and listening to you squeal.  You were VERY entertaining and loved the attention.

4 months old

At your 4 month appointment you weighed 12 lbs. and were 24 inches long.  

You jumped from the 15%tile to the 35%tile in weight and were in the 50%tile for length.  

Dr. Moylan said you are a healthy baby.

Looks like all that hard work at breastfeeding has paid off!

17 weeks

My beautiful baby girl, why don't you like to nap?  Some days you stay awake all day long !  We will figure it out I'm sure.  I am just so glad that you are sleeping at night.  Last night you slept 8 hours!  That's a record!  I hope you keep that up.

We've had a busy week and it's only Wednesday!  Monday you didn't want to nap so we took the dogs to the dog park and you slept in the wrap while I walked and the dogs played.  Tuesday we went to the zoo with Ms. Carrie and her boys.  It was a perfect day.  We had so much fun and the weather was gorgeous!  It was so great to get some "mommy play date time" and get out of the house for a while.  I can't believe how warm it still is in the middle of November!

 

I definitely think you are teething as you are drooling A TON.  But I don't mind, I think it's cute.  You don't seem to be bothered by it yet.  You are my little slobber monster.  :) 

Quinn, you are the cutest, sweetest baby girl.  I love you so much and thank God for you every day.  

16 Weeks

It's been so long since I've last posted!!  Too long!  So much has happened in the last few weeks.  Quinn, you are grabbing things, you can shake a rattle, you can hold your head up and look around when you are on your tummy.  You've started putting things in your mouth, you esp. love your hands and have even got a good suck on your thumb a couple of times.  You are much more attentive and alert.  You love to interact with us.  You love to screech as loud as you can, it's a fun game we play. 

A couple weeks ago we took you to Columbia and you got to go on Mizzou's campus, which is where Mommy and Daddy went to college.  We had a homecoming reunion with our college church.  You got to meet Aunt Mazvita!

Grandma Kim, Grandpa Ben, and your great grandma and grandpa Sappington came to visit you.  They love you so much.  This weekend Grandpa Bill and Aunt Chrissy are coming to see you!

 You in your Halloween tutu!

I love you to the moon and back.

3 months old!

Quinn, today you are 3 months old!  I can't believe you are growing up so fast!  You are such a beautiful little girl.  You've learned so much already and you love to look around and observe the world.  You are getting pretty good at holding your head up, you like to try to stand while I am holding you, you love to kick, kick, kick.  You now grab on to things like our shirts, hair, blankets, etc.  You love to suck on your hands.  Daddy and I love how you make eye contact and smile at us when we talk to you.  Sometimes you just stare at us, so in love, just like we are with you. 

When I nurse you you like to grab my shirt or touch my face or mouth, or just rest your hand against my chest.  I am so proud that we have made it to 3 months with exclusive breastfeeding!  You are doing such a good job now!  I am so glad I can give you "liquid gold" to help you be strong and smart and healthy.  We have worked very hard over these past 3 months to figure it out and I can't imagine not connecting with you in this way.  Those moments are so precious to me.  Everyone was right when they said it would be worth it.  I know there will be bumps on the BF road but I am sure we can get past just about anything now!

You weighed 10 lbs, 4 oz on Monday.  You are have been sleeping 5-6 hours a night and you are so good at going to sleep on your own! 

I love you so much.

My baby is growing up.

Today Quinn stopped nursing and looked up at me and smiled and started talking to me with her cute little noises.  Then when I latched her back on she still turned her head a little to lock eyes with me.  It was so sweet.  She has never done that before. 

She is growing up so fast.  Jeff says she seems like a little girl now, not an "infant".  She is almost 3 months old which means she will no longer be considered a newborn!  Quinn is so  much more responsive now with her smiles and coos, squeaks and squeals.  She loves talking to Daddy the best, they will go back and forth for several minutes.  It is super sweet how well she responds to him.

Sweet Mornings

I could never find another love sweeter than you.

Quinn, my favorite time of day are the mornings that I bring you into bed with me and let you fall back asleep on my chest.  I feel and hear your breath, heavy at first, and then slowly quieting until all I can feel is the slight rise and fall of your chest against mine.

I'm not sure how many of these mornings we have left, as you have begun to sleep longer at night, making our waking and feeding times a bit later.  And then there's that laundry that needs to be folded and those dishes that need to be washed. . . but for now I will choose to savoir these precious moments while you will still fall asleep so soundly against my skin.  I love you.

Momma's Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday.  I am 28.  Yippee.  But really, it was a good birthday.  Jeff took a half day and came home at lunch, then we went to Loose Park and had a picnic.  It was such a gorgeous day!  Quinn laid on the blanket and looked up at the trees.  After this we took Quinn to the pediatrician for her 2 month appointment and vaccines.  Yikes!  I was really glad that Jeff was going with us.  It was our first time with her new pediatrician and we really liked him, plus he graduated from Mizzou, this is why I chose him :p.  Anyway he was really nice and answered my questions and basically told me not to look stuff up on the internet because all it does is make moms worry.  He said she is up 50% of her birth weight which is great and when he tested her leg strength he said, "Well, this is great to me as a  developmentalist, but as a father, this is bad news."  Quinn will be walking in no time :p.  The vaccines were terrible.  She cried so hard and so did I.  Jeff tried to sneak out of the room before the nurse came in to give the shots.  The Dr. also said the Quinn has thrush, which might be why breastfeeding is still hurting.  So after that I wrapped up my poor bandaged baby in the wrap on my chest and we walked on the plaza and she slept.  Then we went home and took the dogs on a little walk.  Later that night we had dinner outside on the plaza at the Cheesecake Factory.

Fast forward to midnight when I nursed Quinn and then put the Thrush meds in her mouth and she spit it all back up along with the milk I just fed her and I had to give her a bath, rinse out her cloths, and try to nurse her again so she wouldn't get dehydrated.  Then we got to do it all again at 3:30am.  Fun stuff.  But thank goodness today she has been okay with the meds.