The day before

Well, today is the day before Noelle's evaluation. My nerves are going crazy and I'm so anxious. I just want today to be over with and us be on our way to Shriner's. I'm not looking forward to all the xrays and everything but its got to be done. I just hope she gets accepted. I'm also not looking forward to the 2-4 hours we will be spending there.

 On a happy note, she has already taken her first steps and is starting to stand by herself. She is making me so proud. She has very strong legs. She will be in the middle of the floor and stand up from sitting. She wont stand up if you  try to stand her up and she wont let go of furniture to stand on her own. She is very independent with that. I guess she she trying to prove to everyone that she is able to do it.

The 23rd was Cayla's birthday and she got one of those battery powered toy motorcycles. Both her and Noelle loved riding it. I cant believe that both my girls are growing up so fast, Cayla is now 2 years old and Noelle is about to be 10 months. Where does the time go?

The girls got matching pj's that glow in the dark.

Noelle made friends with my friends boxer.

Cayla and I.

Cayla on her Harley.

Noelle's cheese face.

Noelle on her big sister's Harley.

9 months

These 9 months have gone by so fast, I can't believe it. She is 19 lbs and 8 oz and 29 1/4 inches long. She is babbling like crazy, and trying to stand on her own. I'm still breastfeeding, even with teeth 7 and 8 coming in. She is already so picky about what she eats, she refuses puree's. Her favorite food is mac and cheese and hot dogs, just like me when i was little.

I look back on the last 9 months and think about how I wasn't as emotional as i thought i would be. But then I realized that the journey hasn't really started yet. Oh, and we heard back from Shriner's. She has her first appointment on October 2nd, but its only an evaluation. I'm excited and nervous.

On her 9 month birthday.

Love that smile.

I found this poem and I love it.

Missing Parts
God looked down, another child complete,
A smile so perfect, a temper so sweet.
But baby looked and some parts were gone,
Did God mess up and make me wrong?
God just looked at this perfect child,
He explained Himself as He just smiled.
"If I'd taken time to make that part,
you wouldn't be such a work of art."
I would not have had time to make that smile,
To list your talents would last a mile.
Your sense of humor, that belly laugh,
Where are these parts, you have to ask?
You are so lucky, these gifts of gold,
Those missing parts are mine to hold.
Forever they'll be, close to my heart,
So as you live, we are never apart.
Each time I move, you'll be on my mind,
You special child, you are quite the find!
So do not miss that part, you see,
It will always be safe and sound with me."

Good big sisters

I haven't done a post in a while. So here is an update on miss Noelle, she is crawling like a champ, trying to stand on her own, and trying to walk along the couch. And she is 8 months old, crazy how this time is going by so fast. And we're waiting to hear back from Shriner's.

She and her big sister, Cayla, just love each other. That make each other laugh, Cayla tries to calm her down when she is crying, and she even tries to share her sippy cup. Its so cute.

Here is Noelle and Cayla playing in their tunnel

One of those times she was trying to stand by herself.

Sitting on daddy's lap.

7 months and visiting Arkansas

We're visiting my family in Arkansas right now. We are having fun and Noelle has learned a lot of stuff.

She loves the walker and chasing the cat around.

We have gone swimming.

And she has started to sit up

She has also started to army crawl, she mainly uses her right leg for that. I'll have to make another post for the video of her crawling. Its crazy that she is 7 months old now. it has gone by so fast. And I'm pretty sure that she weighs as much as Cayla now.

 We cant really get out and do much because it really hot and Arkansas is in a drought. And while we're up here, Houston (where we live) is flooding because its wont stop raining.

We miss home. John called 2 days ago and both girls started yelling, they wanted to talk to daddy.

Almost 6 months...time really goes by fast

Noelle is doing great. She plays in her exersaucer all the time, she is rolling, almost sitting by herself, and as tried to crawl a few times. Its hard to believe that she is almost 6 months. Oh, and she has her first 2 teeth too. And lets just say they hurt me too (when i nurse her). She interacts with her sisters alot more now and laughs when they are just sitting there.  Sometimes I still have my moments where I just break down because its hard to think of what people will say behind her back. I had a little taste of it when it was just her and I at the store. People were starring and someone even commented to the person she was with "did you see that baby's foot?"

At the end of this month, Cayla, Noelle, my brother, and I will be going to Arkansas to see family. They haven't met her yet.

Noelle, Aubree, and Cayla

Play with Cayla

In her exersaucer

Sitting

4 months old

Noelle is now 4 months old. Crazy how time is flying by. We took her to her 4 month appointment, she is 27 inches long and 15lbs 10oz. 95th percentile in height and 55th percentile for weight. She rolls from laying on her back to her tummy now, just working on tummy to back. The difference in her legs is still about an inch, so her right leg is growing at about the same rate right now. Poor baby got shots, but thankfully she didnt have the same reaction as she did to her 2 month shots. Her 2 month shots made her leg swell to twice its normal size and I could even gently touch it with cloth. We almost went to the er because she cried inconsolably or nurse for about an hour and a half.  But she did and she slept all night that night.

Its just so crazy how time flies.

Harder days are comeing.

Since Noelle has been putting weight on her legs, all the emotions that I was told I would feel have started to show their ugly faces. When she "stands" on my lap i have noticed that 3 things happen, she either stands on the toe of her right foot or she slants her left leg out to the side or I have to raise my leg up a little. All to make up the difference.

And as I'm typing this, I'm watching Cayla jump around. That also stirs up emotions because Noelle will never be able to do that normally.

We haven't gone to Shriner's yet, but we know all the options. Its just really hard to think of them all.

I pray every night that she will be kept safe in the future and that it gets a little easier for me. And every night, as she is falling asleep, I tell her "no matter what the future holds, mommy will always love you, and no matter how many surgeries, mommy will always be there when you wake up".