Kirby's Two

This past weekend we celebrated Kirby's 2nd birthday.  Where has the time gone?  I can already see what people are talking about when they say, "before you know it you will be sending her off to college."  Thankfully the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to stay home with her while she is young and I can snap shot these memories for my mind.   I know it is just a few weeks difference, but it seems like she has done so much growing up over the last 2 weeks - like over the week when she turned 2, she really turned 2.

Before I get to the pictures, let me fill you in on some of her latest antics:

• potty training is going well.  It took her longer than 3 days as suggested in the book I read and my friends that used that method, but every child is different.  It was very hard on me, being pregnant and having to pick her up and run her to the potty every time I saw the "sign".  The hardest part for the first week was that she refused to let anyone else take her but me.  : /.  Finally I just told the hubs to buck up and get through the fits, that eventually she would learn.  Guess what, she did!  I kept her home from Mother's Day Out while I did this as well so that we could get it down pat.  Yesterday was her first day back and she only had one accident - not because she wet in her pants but because when they put her on the big potty, it sprayed straight out and went all over her clothes.  
• About Mother's Day Out - yesterday she did GREAT when I left her.  The last 2 months she has gone, it has been TERRIBLE for me to leave her.  Knock down, drag out fits.  Yesterday there were no tears what so ever.  That's part of the "all of a sudden she is growing up".  
• Kirby walks around singing all of the time.  This morning she was singing "Amazing Grace".  This was her version: "mazing (babble babble) grace ..... sweet sound".  Sometimes she sings, "Lord soul ... oh soul....".  She often sings and signs "Jesus Loves Me" and it just melts my heart.  Her favorite song to sing to baby is  "Holy, holy, holy".
• She loves to run ... really fast.  She has been going through a stage of using mommy's shoes, but yesterday she ate it on the floor when running really fast in mommy's shoes, so we have tried to nip that.
• She is sleeping in a big girl bed!  I didn't mean to do it all at once with potty training and a crazy schedule, it just happened that way.  I wanted her to have some time to get over her crib being used for the baby.  I didn't want her to think when baby got here, "here this new baby is, taking away my mommy, my bed ...."  So we decided to transition now.  She loves the bed, but getting to sleep in it the first few days was a struggle.  Like an hour and half to two hour struggle.  That has gradually tapered off and last night it was just 30 minutes of singing and reading.  Maybe eventually we will get back to the 10 minutes of settling down, but if not, that's ok too. 

She has started to love to go with CR on the tractor, to the barn, to wherever.  This morning CR said, "Well, I am headed to get on the tractor to shred some brush."  Kirby said, "Me too."

Now on to her birthday.  We did an owl theme because she started liking owls a long time ago.  As soon as she could show like in something, I noticed she had a thing for owls.  In books, at stores, she would always look at them and giggle or reach for them.  Over the last year and a half I have slowly collected owl things to convert her room.  At first I couldn't find much at all, now it is all the rage.  There was quite a bit that I could find for the party and everyone seemed to like it.  The cupcakes were a pintrest find, mom got creative with some goodie bags, and I threw together a quick wreath for the front door.  I had collected some other party things over the last year that would work for any party (flower lights, big balls to hang from the ceiling) and had wrapping paper for table runners.  Easy peasy and for the most part pretty inexpensive.  We kept it "small" ... mainly just family and a few close friends that might as well be family were invited.  The kids swam and played with Kirby's toys (new and old) and the adults seemed to have a great time catching up.  

These are from her actual birthday:

 What we got her for her birthday.  Yes we did.

She was too busy riding to take time out for a full smile!

Birthday outfit from Aunt E!

 Cupcakes!

 Daddy helped blow out the candle!

 For 5 minutes afterwards, she was still singing "Happy Birthday to Kirby"!

 Anna Kate had to show me the mess she had!

 Possibly her favorite gift ever ... her first shot gun!  She points it at the ducks after she calls them in.

More cupcakes - I tried to make this set up look like an owl body ... see the nest?!

 My precious, precious family.

Eva wanted in on the fun!

Sister-in-laws .... same due date!!

 Ryan did very good on Kirby's present!

 Swim time

Thank you to everyone who made this day super special for Kirby.  She keeps talking about it all.  Memories for the cookie jar!

"But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."  Luke 18:16

My deepest desire is for Kirby to come to know Christ and to inherit the kingdom of God.

Bless the Lord

oh my soul, ohhhh my soul.  This is currently my #1 favorite song.  CR, Kirby and I sing it all day long.  It gets stuck in your head, but what better song to have stuck?  While I was in Montgomery I had a wedding rehearsal (not my cup of tea, so if I turn down a request please don't take it personally - I just don't think I am good at that - I like pictures I have total control over) at my grandparent's church.  This church is beautiful.  If I didn't have to be Catholic to get married there, our wedding would have been there.  Awhile back they went in and completely restored it, keeping as much of the original church as they could.  It is breath taking.  One of the reasons my dad and grandmother love to go there is because they say you feel such peace out there, and you really do.

When my grandpa and grandma started going to this church, they instantly fell in love.  Even though most of the congregation wears boots and jeans,  grandpa wore a suit and tie for the longest time.  I don't think it was until his last year or so did he tone it down to slacks.  One lesson I will never forget him teaching me is that "to church, you always wear your best."  I wish I could shout this to the kids in churches today.  

Another reason I am so in love with this place is because this is where my uncle Steve and grandpa are buried.  I used to always make a point to stop by the graveside on our way back out of town, but since we have had Kirby once we get on the road we book it home!  It had been awhile since I had been out to the cemetery, so while I waited for the party to arrive, I ventured out to sit and pray, and of course snap a few pictures.  

The following verse from the song mentioned above came to my heart when I looked up from Steve's grave and saw this:

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

We sang this song this past Sunday in church.  When we came to this verse, it was all I could do to keep it together.  Here is God's amazing sun shining down on a son that passed away before we were ready, and now that son is kneeling and praising His Son!  Bless the Lord oh my soul ...

 I love how everything looks like new life around the cemetery.  When graves are first dug and headstones are first put in, everything is so unsettled and new.  Lifeless.  But now, as 4 years have passed since Grandpa was called home, and 5 since Steve, there is new life growing all around.  The ground has settled and everything just looks right ... looks loved.  

"His servants will serve Him."  Revelation 22:3

Take these moments

as they come.  Whew ... sorry it has been so long since I blogged last.  It has been a busy, busy last few weeks.  I am trying to take each moment as it comes, breathe it in, thank God for it, and then bask slowly in the memories that are being made.
The first week and a half (11 days CR reminds me constantly) Kirby and I spent time away from Bishop with my side of the family.  I had been really looking forward to this trip.  I missed CR terribly, but it was no wonderful to wake up every morning, walk with my daddy, Kirby and sometimes my mom, go swimming, and just enjoy the days as they played out.  Not many plans set in stone ( I did end up working 2 photo shoots while there, but hey -that paid for the trip!) and just sat back and enjoyed Montgomery.  I have not been able to do that since I left there 7 years ago.  Every time we go it is jam packed with plans and usually only for about 3 days (at most).
We met my mother, sister, Kyleigh, Brayleigh and Brody in San Antonio to go to Sea World.  This was so much fun.  It was hot, yes, but I took it as easy as I could.  We went later in the evening the first day and then got up and there when it opened the next, so we weren't ever there at the hottest time of the day.  My sister was the one with her camera so once I get some pictures from her I will share.  Kirby was a little young, but she still enjoyed it.  She loved the shows and learned a few new words (Shamu, penguin, dolphin, stop it - oh, she picked that up from Kyleigh!).  She was too small for even the kiddie coasters, so I think we will wait until she is about 5 to try it again.  And maybe in April.
Dad loves taking Kyleigh fishing.  They haven't been in a really long time because the lake had been so low.  It came up over the last few months, so Kirby got to go too.  And Brody was still in town, so he enjoyed catching some Blue Gills (Blue Belles as dad calls them) as well.

Safety first!  

She got tired of fishing (what girl doesn't) so she rested with grammy.

 Kirby finally caught one but didn't want to have anything to do with it, so dad took a picture with Kirby's first fish!

 While there I did get to catch up with some friends.  One day we met up with some of my teacher friends from Magnolia at a splash park and had a blast!  It was shaded and not too warm at all - even at 3 in the afternoon!  It was a quick trip, but so much fun to catch up with the girls and their beautiful, HILARIOUS children.

 Kyleigh and Brayleigh enjoyed it more than Kirby!

She was more interested in snow cone ice and smiling for the camera!

 I also got to meet up with my best friend Bethany at her mother's house.  We got to play with Nathan and google at precious baby Daniel.  Kirby, Nathan, Kyleigh, and Brayleigh enjoyed the pool tremendously.  Nathan was showing us how to jump off the rocks!  Kirby wanted to try, but that ended up not so good.  She was fine, but we aren't ready for that adventure yet!  She is getting very used to the pool, though, which was what I was hoping for on our trip to Montgomery.

I will get some of the pictures up on my Route One blog soon of my photo shoots I have done recently.  I have gotten busy again, which is such a blessing, because the Lord knows we need it.  I feel like God's hand has been upon this business since before I even started it.  He led me to His plan, and I pray  before every shoot that I would continue to do it all for His glory, never my own.  He has blessed me with wonderful customers who have referred me over and over and that is the best compliment anyone could ever give me.

Update on baby P
18 weeks along
gained 3 pounds from last visit - CR has gained about 10
heartbeat was nice and strong - found it right away right after I told him "I really don't even feel pregnant right now"
have been having Braxton Hicks contractions for the last 3 weeks - dr. says its hot and I need to slow down
still don't know boy and girl names ... we think we love our boy name, but then again we go back because we aren't sure about it with our last name.

We are working on potty training with Kirby.  She is doing much better now (day 7) than she was on day 2.  I had been suggested to use "3 day Potty Training" by a number of people who had great success with it.  I wouldn't say we didn't have success with it, but it has been much rougher than my friends said and than the book suggests.  The other day I broke down crying and told CR I must be a failure as a mother.  Then Christ calmed my heart ... while I was praying with Kirby about the situation, He reminded me that caring for His child takes time, nurturing, and sacrifices.  The small sacrifice of never ending patience, loss of sleep at night, and being worn plum out all the time is nothing when it comes to a life long lesson you are teaching a child.  When I shared this with CR he said, "Lauren, I never thought about it that way, but it is something that once you learn, you know for life."  After I saw it through His eyes, everything seemed so much better.  Not the least bit easier, but with more of a purpose.

Proverbs 22:6  "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Stay tuned for Kirby's birthday post ... you know, she turns 2 on Thursday!