Busy Busy

We have been busy this month in our household! I thought I would share our December in pictures! This sweet girl is sitting up all by herself! Only a few spills from time to time! (This is her daddy's favorite picture. I swear we have it as our screen saver, in our computer office, and on our fridge. He ♥'s it!)These sweet college girls were once highschoolers in my youth group. They are all grown up now but still mean so much to me. They came by to visit with Lucy Clare and have a little lunch. Come back anytime Jen, Rae, and Sam! We loved having you! Christmas Eve at our church is always a big time. I have played Mary many times in various church happenings, but this year, I got to carry my own baby as Jesus! It was such a big deal to me as a kid watching a family process down the aisle and I am glad I could do it this year! LC makes the cutest Jesus! And she hammed it up in her first acting debut! Christmas morning came with a baby who decided to sleep till 8 (which is fine with us!) and when she woke up Santa had come in the night. She got a Cabbage Patch baby doll, a play world, and push train for when she can crawl. You can kinda see in the background that Santa brought Mommy a coffee maker. I am so excited and will now have to learn how to make coffee! And finally, LC took her first very very long car trip. Daddy surprised us with a trip to DisneyWorld which is a 6 hour drive from Dothan! Here she is excited to be out of her seat while Daddy checked into the hotel. She was an amazing car baby!

(I will post pics of Disney in the next post! )

Overall, I cannot believe that a year ago I had not long found out I was pregnant and wondering what this Christmas would hold for us! It was all I could have imagined. God has blessed me with an amazing husband who loves me even when I am at my worst, and child who blesses me everyday with her smile and presence. I have a loving family who adores LC and spoils her rotten and a job that I love.

My life is good.

I will always praise the One who loves me!

"I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!"

Deuteronomy 32:3

Merry Christmas!

She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophets, "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" which means, "God with us."

Matthew 1:21-23

May God be with you this Christmas and this new year.

With love,

Scott, Nikki, and Lucy Clare

Five Months, One Christmas, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree....

Lucy Clare, you are five months now. Five short months that feel like an eternity. I look at you each day and am still filled with amazement at how much you have grown, how much you know, and all the things you can do. You make me smile, laugh, and cry all at one time! What are you up to this month?

• You weigh 15 pounds! Whoop-Whoop!



• You have started solids. So far we have tried peas (fail!), sweet potatoes, applesauce, bananas, peaches, pears, and carrots. You love them all and you know when I am pouring the cereal and getting the spoon out that something fun is going to happen! You are sitting in your high chair and you look so cute!



• You wear a size 2 diaper.



• You drink 6 oz every 3-4 hours. Sometimes a little less when you eat your solids, but you love your bottle.



• You can sit up without assistance now! Big girl.



• You are not sleeping in your bouncy seat anymore. We have graduated to the sleep positioner. You sleep on your side in a sleep sack. You are moving to your crib on Friday night (ahhh... mommy's a little nervous! I like having you in the same room with me in your pack-n-play. I can hear you breathe all night..this is a big step.)



• You are back to sleeping through the night. We had a bad time when you were 4 months where you would wake up every hour. This was hard for mom. I was used to you sleeping all night long. I am glad you are back to your old ways. Mommy needs her sleep for those crazy first graders!



• You have a funny crawl thing that you do. You smoosh your face to the ground and put your butt up in the air. Then you scream because you can't figure out how to get your face up!



• You enjoyed your first Thanksgiving this year!



• Everyone still thinks you are so wonderful.



• Your dad has taught you how to blow bubbles. You get to going spitting all over the place. It is so funny.



• You "talk" a lot more now...it's so funny!

Happy five months little wonder! We love you.

And... I am giving a sneak peak of my Christmas pictures. Lucy and I had a 30 minute photo shoot under the tree. I think she did great. My Christmas cards go out tomorrow, so I'll just share one picture until I know the cards are in hands! Merry Christmas to you all! Another exciting event will be mom and dad as Mary and Joseph and you as Baby Jesus at church for Christmas Eve service! It will be so cute!

And if you haven't heard Casting Crowns Christmas song "While You Were Sleeping" I encourage you to listen. What we might have missed in the night if Christ came to earth today. Would we be sleeping? I pray we will all be ready for the day we meet our Lord! God bless!

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

-Luke 2:11

Four months!

Lucy Clare-- you are four months old today! You are growing so fast. We go to the doctor this week for your four month shots and check-up, so I'll have your exact weight and measurement soon!

• You are wearing a size 1/2 diaper.
• You are eating 6-8 ounces every 4 hours.
• You started eating cereal two to three times a week at night. You are starting to enjoy it!
• You are starting to be able to sit up better by yourself!
• You can roll from front to back and sometime back to front. Your arms get in the way sometimes.
• Josiee is still your favorite baby doll, but recently Gammy bought you a monkey you "picked" out. His name is Rudy. You adore him too.
• You just found your feet this week. It is quite funny.
• Football is your favorite thing to watch on tv. I assume you like the bright colors and the quick motions, but maybe you just like the cute boys! :)
• You can follow noises with your head. If daddy or I say your name you can usually find where we are.
• You still love your hands.
• You are much more vocal these days.
• You can grasp things and bring them to your mouth.
  

We praise God for you everyday, sweet sugar plum. I can't wait to see what the future holds for you. We love you so much! Happy four months!

Could you please?

I need to ask ya'll for a favor. You know, the 5 people that read this blog? Can you help a sister out? I am really struggling with something and I am a total believer in the power of prayer, so I am reaching out to you guys.

I received this wonderful gift via C-section on July 16th. I am thankful for this gift every single day!
I also received this "wonderful" gift via C-section---this gift, not so thankful for. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735
This. MRSA. Staph Infection. A very scary infection that without treatment can kill you. I found out I had MRSA about a month ago when I found a lump in my armpit. I thought it was a infected lymph node, or an ingrown hair. Turns out, it was staph infection, and that is how staph shows itself. These annoying bumps show on different parts of your body. Mine chooses to show itself in my armpit. I had it lanced, took antibiotics, bathed in Clorox stuff and thought it was all better. I knew I would live with this for the rest of my life, but I didn't know it would be so...bad. A few weeks later, I found TWO more bumps and one more on its way. I headed straight back to the doctor and was put on two new antibiotics, a nose treatment, a ointment for my bumps and a hibiclens bath for 7 days. I really thought this time it was over.
But no. Just yesterday I found another lump, meaning I am going to have to start another round of antibiotics and cleaning. I am just discouraged. I really wanted this to be over, or at least done for now.
I get so worried about little LC. I don't want her to get my staff infection and have to live with this too. I also worry that someday it won't show itself in my armpit and not show itself anywhere except internally and I won't know about it.
So, I am asking for prayer. I am prayer specific and while I know this is an infection I will always live with, I am asking that it keep at bay for awhile. I also pray that I never spread it to LC or Scott. Please just pray it stays away so I can feel better again. Thank you in advance... it means so much to me to have friends in Christ!

Peanut Festival

This year added a new element for our household as we attended the Peanut Festival... carting around a baby! I enjoyed every second of the fun of the Nut Fest this year. Here are some of the crazy pictures from our adventure out. Hope everyone had their fill of all fair food. I know I loved my ear of corn, my elephant ear, boiled peanuts, Lady Antebellum, and all the interesting people who show up for the fair! Welcome to the South. Sisters! I do love this crazy girl!

Lucy having a ball at her first real concert. I hope there are many more to come.

Family shot in the tractor section of the fair. Check out LC's Ugg boots and adorable outfit. She was the trendiest person at the fair!

Prayer

Dear Lord,

I sit in awe at Your creation. I hurt for those who do not feel this joy and are begging you for the chance. You are all-knowing and all-powerful and You know all the plans and desires of our hearts. You are always faithful. I can always count on the fact that even in times of sadness, You will use it to Your glory.

My prayers are overflowing. You know my thoughts and I am confident when I approach Your throne. Whether it be a praise, a promise, or a request, I know that You take them and hold them close to Your heart. For that, Lord, I am amazed and honored.

I feel so much closer to You since you placed Lucy Clare into my life. I feel an abundance of love, joy, worry, excitement and praise when I look at her. I try to think into the future and imagine her loving You. How I hope that I can be an example of Your love in her life. My biggest prayer is that she will come to know You with unfailing love. I pray that she is charismatic in her testimony to You and that she will never go a day without stopping to praise You.

Lord, bless her. Keep her close. Hold her forever in Your palm and comfort her in times of sadness and in joy. Make her life a witness to You. Let others see Your radiant love in her.

I pray for her future, her present, and her past. I pray that You will guide me as a mother. I pray that I can always make just decisions in her life and lead her in a path of righteousness. I pray for our family, for her daddy, who travels so much and misses her dearly. I pray that You will make our family a family for You and that we will always remember that You are the most important being in our lives.

You bless me more than I deserve. Please do not let me ever take You for granted. May I be a light in this world that will shine for You.

I pray Lord Jesus, for children who do not have a mother. I beg of You to wrap them in Your arms. I pray for my own mother, who instilled in me a love for You. I pray for other woman who had an influence in my life.

Lord, You are the lover of my soul, my Jehovah, my King, my Redeemer. You are mighty to save and You pulled me from the miry clay so that I could spend my life in love with You and forever worship You.

Thank You for all You are, and for what You will be. Without You I am nothing, but with You I am everything.

"To live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

In Your most Holy and Precious Name,
Amen