6 Months Old and lots to be Thankful for!

Sara discovered the Christmas tree lights after she at last night and couldn't look away. The pic is a bit dark, but you get the idea

6 Months ago Sara surprised us, 6 months later she still does. Who would have thought in June we would be decorating a Christmas tree with Sara the day before thanksgiving. But is anything too hard for the Lord?

She is now 12.2 lbs and 24 in long, at her last dr appt yesterday. She saw the pediatric cardiologist who was watching to make sure all the valves were closes and everything is working right. He is confident she is good to go, so we won't see him for 6 months!

We will be heading to see family tomm, Sara's first trip out of the house not to see a doc. We had a bit of a scare with Emma Grace who came down with a little bug, but she is good to go and we are all 5 good to go.

The newest things Sara is doing include rolling over from front to back (still can't catch her on camera), a new cooing sound, and sucking on 4 fingers to go to sleep.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, we much to praise Him and thank Him for!

Psalm 98:1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!

Amazed

More Christmas tree amazement

Helping decorate

New Pics and New Tricks!

By tricks I mean Sara can roll over from front to back. Both times it has happened yesterday and today have been when she is waking up from her nap and wasn't the happiest little critter in the world to take a picture of. But we'll give her some tummy time when she is happy and get it on film (but keep that quiet, if she finds out our plan, she'll never do it).

Hey Dad, I think I have more hair than you!

(Jennifer was holding her at an angle and she is holding her head up all by herself. Very impressive - see video below)

Again with the disappearing arm trick. She loves it so much she laughs!

So I bend down to nuzzle her with my nose to get her to laugh and jump back up to get the pic and their blurry! Don't have a unblurrification button on my camera software, but you can still see that big smile!

Alright Dad, what are you up to? You gonna put you big nose on me again to make me laugh.

Aauugghh, here it comes, run for my life. Wait, all I can do it lay here. Ok, poop on him!

All dressed up with my cool fake shoes and no where to go.

Hey mom, please make him stop, please get me outta here

Biking with my other two girls on a beautiful fall Saturday, at least before the dogs attack.

Hanging out and about to be sleeping in my stroller.

I love my sister!

This video is just showing how well she is holding her head up. Jenn is sitting at an incline, so she is doing all this work herself.

Good Week, Fussy Weekend

Sara had a great week last week. She slept good, ate good, smiled good, and she is almost laughing. In fact the other night, I had her laughing a few times. So we turn on the camera and???? Nothing. Kids!! It's like they know your trying to capture that moment and they shut it down.

She was kind of fussy and wanting to be held alot this weekend, of course you always start thinking something is wrong with the shunt. But we think it was more along the lines of constipation - we know how to fix that. She was back to her pleasant smiling self this morning.

We started therapy this past week. Twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays at 8am an occupational therapist and a special instructor will be coming in to work with Sara. Help her hit those milestones. You might ask - why so early. Well, they come to our house first before visiting others houses that may have sickness. Also, we are early risers and like to get that done before our day really begins, so it really works great for us. And Sara is usually up and happy by that time.

Have a great week - thanks again for praying and caring. I'll post some new pics later today or tomm.

Sara being Excited

Everything going Great!

We have been doing well as a family, Sara has been doing great. We made it through our first sickness a couple weekends ago, Sara had some minor symptoms, but no fever and no trips to the hospital. She has had 3 doctor's visits that have all been great. Her pediatrician, neurosurgeon, and neurologist are all very pleased. In fact, we don't go back to the neuro-docs until March!! Now, that is nice!

We are really feeling like we are settling into a nice normal routine. I mentioned before the hardest thing about life with Sara is that she cannot get out into big crowds, i.e. church, stores, etc.. As a pastor, that makes life a bit difficult. Our church family would love to see her, we would love to bring her, but we have to weigh all of that against taking risks and her health. So we have this crazy routine of me being home while Jennifer teaches her pre-school Sunday School class, then she comes home and I go preach in our worship service. And then we repeat it in the evening, while she is helping the children's group at 5, I am with Sara, and then we switch at 6. It works. Before we know it, it will be past flu and RSV season and we can bring her wherever we want.

The good news is we have been given permission to travel at the holidays, so as long as our extended families are not sickly we can go see them. We still will have limited visitation, but that won't be a problem. We are going through bottles of Purrell hand wash like fried chicken at a pastor's conference. Thankfully they make a kind with aloe that helps your hands not turn to sandpaper from the alcohol.

Sara is up to 11.5 pounds. She is sleeping through most nights, every now and then waking up to eat once, or we have to get up and give her a pacifier. Jennifer and I alternate nights on duty, one of the silver linings to not being able to breastfeed Sara - Jennifer gets some nights off. Of course, that would be a silver lining from her perspective, I never knew how good I had it! She is really funny when it isn't her night- she really loves to sleep and not have to get up.

Some of the things we have been up to....

The girls helping me celebrate my bday. Homemade cards and a new ipod from my bride - awesome gifts and great day!


Dressing up for our church's fall festival - Tinker Bell and a Bridesmaid


Carving pumpkins

Carved pumpkins

Field trip to an awesome Pumpkin patch farm in Start, La

Licensed to Kill - don't mess with this girl!

Notice her hand in mouth - the neuro-docs were very excited about this, good brain development thing! Who knew??, we're just praying she finds that thumb and we can quit the 2am PIM's (pacifier insertion missions).

Hanging out on Emma Grace's bed

Hanging out with Maw Maw - my big sister dressed me up!

Abigail is so much help!

Have a great week, thanks for checking in, praying, and caring. God has been so gracious and kind to us, we have so enjoyed being all home together. Praying you know His grace through Jesus in your lives, homes, and families also!