Thankful For Each Mommy Moment

Some days I find myself going through the routine and schedule I set before myself and not taking the time to step back and thankfully enjoy my time with my baby. I can hardly believe Ella Grace is almost 9 months and sometimes I ask myself "where has the time gone??? How is our baby growing so fast??" I remind myself to soak in each moment of being a mommy- the fun and the tiring times; the sweet moments along with the aggravating ones. I want to be thankful for the gift God has blessed us with and not go through life so quickly that I look back and wished I would have lived more in the moment that God had placed me in.
Our Ella Grace is most certainly a gift from above...

She's crawling!!

Hey friends! It has been way too long since our last post but today is the perfect day for an update. This morning Ella Grace decided to crawl for the first time at Kelly's house! Here is a video of the action...

More updates to come!

Saying Goodbye to Our Ming and Poo

Today is the big day that my beloved sister, Daphne, and brother in law, Ryan, leave for Cambodia. It has been exciting to watch how this opportunity evolved and we are soo eager to see what God has in store for them there. They will be traveling to the capital city of Phnom Penh and will stay there for a while till they head to the provincial town of Prey Veng where they will reside.

Please pray for safety, wisdom, and confidence as they venture to a new place, experience new culture and people, and attempt to learn the language. If you are interested in learning more about what they will be doing stay tuned to their blog: http://ryandaphne.typepad.com/

"Ming" is the word for Aunt in Cambodian and "Poo" is what they use for Uncle. Ella Grace loves her Ming and Poo so much and will be sending monthly updates and photos to them for the three years that they are there. Ella Grace and I were able to take a last minute surprise trip to see them. Here are some photos of our time together...


The big surprise. They were having a goodbye party with some friends when we arrived on the scene. Ming's face is priceless...
Disbelief
Ella Grace got scared because there were so many people she had never seen before and everyone gasped. Ming made everything better.She was mesmerized by the fire with Poo.
Piano lessons with Ming
Helping to get a few last minute things before the trip.

We will miss you and love you more than words can express!

Flippin' Momma

Ella Grace thinks her Mama's gymnastics is funny...

6 Months Old Already!

We aren't sure where the time has gone but Ella Grace is already half a year old (hard to believe!). The past few weeks have been filled with meeting great grandpa Wilfong ("Papa") in Orlando, celebrating Daddy Guy's 28th birthday (yikes.....we are awfully close to 30!), helping out in a kindergarten classroom at a nearby school, and going to our 6 month check up. She now weighs 18 lbs (90th %) and is 25 inches long (50th %). Here are some of the latest pictures...

Playing with mommy and daddy....

tripod over baby.....the newest skill I've mastered
Handstand over baby...
Handstand push-ups. She is cheering me on.
Daddy's sweatshirt is cozy!!
After bath time

Dancing with daddy...

A New Year

It has been FOREVER since my last post. If you are reading this, thank you for waiting it out and continuing to check for updates!!
Our Christmas break was wonderful. We began by going to Gainesville for Nathan's GRADUATION from UF!! CONGRATS, DADDY DOC!! Mama and Ella Grace are very proud!!

After Gainesville we went to Boston for a week and then back to Charlotte to host the Mitten's for New Years. Mimi got to stay for an extra week afterward to spend some quality time with the baby.
Miss Ella Grace is growing like a weed. It is unbelievable! She is about 5 1/2 months, weighs around 17 lbs and getting very strong! She is sitting by herself for just a few seconds at a time, loves to roll from her back to her stomach, and is eating big girl food once a day. Not to brag, but her mama milk is a definite favorite still. ;)
I recently joined a Mom's group called "New Mom's of South Charlotte" and am excited to meet new people from different walks of life around this area. There are multiple events and "meetups" scheduled every day of the week so that mom's can go to as few or as many events as they'd like. Meetings involve anything from meeting for coffee, lunch, play dates, walks on greenways or in the mall (since its soo cold), yoga, storytimes, kindermusik, discussion groups, book studies, and mom's nights out.
Here are a few snapshots from December (actually, there is a lot!)...

Christmas in Boston with the Hollingers...

I love my Uncle Ryan. He is so nice to me.
Christmas is so exciting that I'm bustin' out of my britches!


Here Grandma, have a present.
This is a fluffy present.


Let me see it, Mama. Ohh, I like it!

Grandpa's face is priceless here. I think he likes it.

I love my daddy sooooo much.Hot tubbin' in the snow...without baby girl.


Bath time with grandma.

This is the shirt Aunt Daphne wore when she was a baby.My grandpa is so cool!

New Years in Charlotte with the Mittens...

I'm lovin' my GranMimi
Jess & Temple make brunch!!

Spending time with Mimi after New Years :)
Bathtime is great!!Visiting daddy doc for lunch in his office.