Just a picture of me breathing in some fresh air after daddy finished mowing the grass. Look at me with short sleeves on and no shoes or socks...and it is still February. I like being able to go outside without my coat & hat.I always wondered what goes on when I take a nap. I used to fight going to sleep because I thought all kinds of fun stuff went on when I was in bed. I've grown out of that and decided that naps are pretty cool...until today. This morning I was up at the church with mommy so I didn't get my ususal morning nap (there's just too much to do and too many people to play with in the nursery) so when I got home, I had lunch and then crashed. In fact, when daddy got home, I was still sleeping so he came to wake me up. Little did I know, while I was sleeping a pretty girl was playing in my house with my toys. Mommy kept Molly while her mommy had something to do. Mommy didn't even wake me up to let me know she was here...mommy just let me sleep the day away and miss the opportunity of a lifetime. It's not that often a little guy like me gets to play with a pretty girl like Molly all by myself. Maybe Molly will come back when I'm awake so we can have a real playdate.
Molly playing with my blocks. Isn't she pretty?
Molly's showing off her teeth. She has A LOT more than I do.
Molly is also a pro at standing. Mommy said she loved my exersaucer.
Braeden, Mary, & Molly with Mrs. Kali.
Tickle Me Elmo made Eli laugh so hard. Mary & I thought Eli was more fun to watch than Elmo.
Many of you have heard that I'm getting my first tooth. I'd love to show you a picture of it but I can't yet. Mommy & daddy held me down this morning to see if they could see it and I only let them see the very top. Don't worry, I'm working hard at getting the whole tooth out so everyone can see it. Keep checking back, I'll release a picture soon.
Mommy & daddy have been letting me eat a lot more table food. They let me try just about everything but I must say my favorite is peaches. They're a little slippery to hang onto but when I do get one in my mouth, man they're good!
I'm going to let mommy talk a bit today:
When you say that it's hard to have so many life events happen at once, you're not kidding. This past week was one of those weeks. Anxiously, Jackson & I boarded a plane on Thurs evening to be in Lubbock when my sister delivered her first baby. As I was leaving the office on Thurs, I told Gary "Don't worry, I'll be back by Sunday. I'm just there for less than 48 hours and there's no threat of bad weather." Little did I know... I was so proud of myself for packing only the necessities for me & Jackson. I drove us to the airport, found the perfect spot in the A lot so that when we got off the plane, I'd have to walk minimal steps to be in my car and heading home. I had a diaper bag, a backpack (with our 2 days of clothes tightly fit in a space saver bag), a stroller, and car seat. I had no idea I'd later regret being such a skimpy packer. Thursday night Steph (my sister) was supposed to go into the hospital to be induced but she was told there was no room so wait and call again at 7am on Friday. Friday we woke up to snow. So here we are with no signs of a baby on the way and bad weather (my 48 hour plan is not looking promising)...so we went to the mall. While there, my mom received a call from my dad saying that he was on his way from NM to Midland because my Granddad was in the hospital. By 6pm that evening, mom & I were sitting in the hospital room with Steph while my dad was in the Hospice room at the hospital in Midland with my Granddad. Though we were all sitting in different rooms in different towns, our hearts and minds were with the others. By late Saturday night, we were torn even more. My sister was having to have a C-Section and my granddad was slipping more and more away. (My mom's mother said it best I think when she said that my granddad and Emily were going to pass each other on their journeys. I know that my granddad had not died when Emily made her appearance that night but I do believe that his spirit was well on it's way to meet Jesus. Maybe that's how I reconcile the two events.) Sunday morning we received the call...Granddad had died. With heavy hearts, we went to the hospital to welcome Emily Laverne Brown (named after my Granddad) and then drove to Midland to grieve with the family.
People have asked how I'm doing during this crazy week of events, many wondering why I'm not more tearful. After all, I was probably closest to Granddad and probably most like him. I guess my answer is that I have been praying for this to happen for 9 months now. Granddad's "official" ALS diagnosis came the day that Jackson was born. I dreaded the fact that I would have to watch the strongest man I know go gradually down hill. I didn't want to see him confined to bed, hooked up to oxygen, and having all nutrients given to him by a tube while still having the cognition to let me know what I need to do with my retirement money. That's just not fair. So, to me, this was a week of blessings. Though I'll miss my Granddad horribly, I have to praise God that on Wednesday we buried his physical body (or sinful body that would be overcome by disease & sickness) and allowed him to take on a new body that wouldn't hold him back from doing what he wanted to do most...give constant glory to God.
