Today we celebrate one year of life with this little cracker jack.

About this time one year ago, I looked like this:

and I went to bed on the night of June 17th with my bag packed for the hospital and my alarm set for 4:00 AM, but I'm one of the few women who didn't want to be induced, even if it meant waiting. I just wanted to go into labor naturally whenever it was Eydie's time. I was already three days past my due date and my doctor was about to go on vacation, so we agreed I would be induced on the 18th. As I lay awake in bed wondering how I would ever go to sleep, my water broke. And within an hour we were arriving at the hospital a few hours earlier than scheduled.
The labor part was great. I progressed well and never needed any drugs for that. At about 7:00 in the morning I got an epidural, and felt amazingly better! I took a little nap through my biggest contractions and the nurse came in and woke me up when it was time to push. I think I pushed for about an hour before the doctor got there and within a few minutes, Eydie was born. I was first amazed at how much hair she had. She wasn't crying or squirming, but at the time I didn't even notice. I thought she was perfect. Then the nurses attending to her left the room with her before I got a chance to hold her or see her up close, and that's when I realized there was a problem. The next few hours were hard because I had anticipated getting to nurse and snuggle with my newborn, taking family pictures together with Brandon, and having our family and friends come back to meet her. Instead, we waited and cried in a quiet delivery room while doctors performed tests on her in the NICU. About four hours later I finally got to go in and see her.



I never felt more vulnerable, and yet I was also the most relieved I've ever been that God is in control. I knew He was holding her in His arms when I couldn't. The next few days we were surrounded and supported by the body of Christ as people prayed. And within a week we brought home a healthy, lovely little girl. And the past year has been thrilling and tiring, and changed us forever. Eydie Paige, we love watching you grow! Happy birthday baby girl!

What a week!

We had a wild and crazy trip to Missouri for the regional tournament. On the 12-hour drive there we hit a drive shaft that fell out of an 18-wheeler in front of us on the highway. (Didn't know that could happen.) Fortunately, my dad was driving and was able to swerve to avoid running over it with our front tires. Unfortunately, it damaged the car pretty badly and we're going to have to make another trip to Joplin, Missouri in the coming week to pick up the car after they ordered new parts to fix it. Once we pulled over and realized that it was undriveable, Eydie and I were able to get in the car with a family of one of the players who were just behind us on the road, and my dad stayed with the car, got it towed to town, talked to the mechanics and insurance company the next day, and rented a car to drive the rest of the way. Whew! And that was just getting there!



After playing 2 games Thursday and Friday, we waited and waited in the hotel while it rained for 2 1/2 days. The games were postponed, our hotel didn't have enough rooms to keep us there for more days, so we moved to another hotel about 45 miles away.

Eydie figured out how to entertain herself in a hotel.

She spent a lot of time in a car seat, and had some crazy bed hair/humidity curls that just made her even cuter and more adorable. Which is good because she had several not so cute moments while in the car and some early mornings where I had to take her to the lobby so she wouldn't wake up her daddy who had only gotten a few hours of sleep.


Once it finally stopped raining, we played 4 games in 18 hours, one of them going 13 innings, and one of them starting at 12:30 AM and ending at 3:30 AM. We made it to the championship game, but came up short in the end. The team did a great job, and despite everything it was fun to be there and get to watch them. They made it to 50 wins this season, a new record.

Dad had to get back to work, so he left Sunday, and Eydie and I rode home Wednesday with Cari Bonneau. She was very sweet to take us in and put up with Eydie's crying. She did a good job for a majority of the trip, but cried and squealed for a couple hours of it. After we had been in the car for about 9 hours, we stopped to get gas, and I took Eydie into the gas station to give her a break from her car seat. I was holding her fingers as she walked around. She settled on the floor and started pulling everything off the bottom of a shelf, so I tried to move her away. Apparently, being diverted from something that finally made her happy was more than she could handle. She slithered out of my fingers, threw herself on the floor, and defiantly licked the gas station floor. Awesome.
Now, we're all happy to be back at home where she is free to roam/crawl/play on the floor and sleep in her own crib at night.

Check out all the teeth!

I better catch up with some 10 month pictures before she turns 11 months! I first attempted to get pictures of her in her little ACU cheerleader uniform, but she was being a bit...stubborn and obviously was not cooperative. She did not like that I kept taking away the Ten Month sign and trying to put in behind her. I got some again later when she was in a much better mood!


At 10 1/2 months Eydie is so close to standing up on her own and taking steps. She can stand for a few seconds before falling and can kind of take a step before falling into my arms. She acts so proud and happy when she does! She eats about 2 meals a day of baby food and usually either takes 2 naps for 1 1/2 hours each or one long 3-hour nap during the day. She's got 3 new teeth coming in on top with a gap where one is still waiting to peek through the gums. We call her Snaggletooth.

Proud daddy after ACU won the conference tournament. Eydie and I will be making the trip to the regional tournament to continue cheering on the Wildcats!

Catching up

Our consignment sale was a success and I have been catching up on sleep and house cleaning now that it's over. We have still have to get all the checks out to the consignors so the work's not over yet, but I finally had a chance to upload some pictures, so here's a recap of Eydie's last few weeks.

Enjoying lunch with Dada for his 30th birthday. I love how she's looking up at him.

Easter weekend at the lake. This is the mad face she gave me because I stepped back to take a picture of her instead of picking her up. It's so pathetic, it cracks me up!

In her Easter dress

Just after a bath. Love those big blue eyes!

9 month pictures!

Showing off where she sleeps. This is my favorite blanket I always sleep with.

Wassup! Welcome to my crib.

Starting to get little curls in the back! :)

2 teeth on the bottom and cutting teeth on the top.

And she and Ava wore matching dresses today to YCW.

LOVE that it's warm enough for sun dresses!

So since Eydie will be 9 months old in a week, I thought I better get her 8 month pictures up. Here she is with my Lindsey doll I used to play with when I was little. Time to pass it on...

Ava took this picture of us

And here we all are. Ava being silly and Eydie looking cross-eyed and eating her shoe. Gifted I tell you.

Daddy gets the biggest smiles and the best snuggles. I would be jealous but it's just so darn cute. I love them both.

She pulls up on everything now, but doesn't know what to do from here. Sometimes she just stays there and grunts until we move her. Other times she forgets she doesn't know how to stand and lets go, falling to the floor. A few times she's managed to gracefully sit down and crawl away.

Well, our first ever My Sister's House consignment sale is a little over a week away and we have more consignors than we expected! Exciting? Yes. Unnerving? A little. Time-consuming? Yep. So I probably won't have E's 9 month pictures up on her 9-month birthday. But she's worth the wait, right?

First ACU baseball games and urgent prayer request

The other day Ava was entertaining Eydie in her room while Dad and I talked in the living room. Ava found Eydie's bows and decided she needed to accessorize a little. I think Eydie felt like she was looking good!

Eydie went to her first ACU baseball games today. I was so glad the sun was shining since it's been dreary and rainy all week. She looked so cute cheering the Wildcats on to 2 victories today!

She made friends with Ollie. I didn't know it, but apparently she loves dogs.

Watching the game with Grandpa

And admiring KK's scarf

Summer and Ava enjoying the sun

Pierson dressed and ready to go in the game if coach needs him

The second game got a little chilly.
What keeps you warmer than a Snuggie? An Eydie.

Also, please pray for healing for Jenny Bizaillion. She is Josh Ross's sister and went into the hospital a few days ago thinking she had the flu. It turned out to be pneumonia and sepsis. She is in critical condition, and their family would welcome prayers on her behalf. You can read more and get updates here.