Morgan's World

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY MORGAN!!

2010-01-08T19:20:00.001-08:00

Morgan with Sugar
(Santa left Sugar for Morgan as a trade for her paci's. Morgan happily traded her paci's for Sugar who she named after the real Sugar she got to ride in early November.)

Dearest Morgan Jo,

It is hard to believe you are two years old already! Where has the time gone? You have grown so much in the last year and have become such a beautiful, sweet, and caring little girl. You continue to amaze us every day with your vocabulary, skills, and how quickly you learn new things. How exciting it is to watch you grow and mature into such a loving little girl. Every day you bring joy to our lives with your sweet and funny ways. Your love of all things horsey related continues to amuse us. Watching your sheer joy and excitement when playing with your horses is fascinating.

Daddy and I are so proud of how kind and loving and how very smart you are! We both love you more than words can say and we look forward to watching you continue grow. We are so blessed God chose us to be your parents, what an honor it is!

Happy 2nd Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!

All Our Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Christmas Eve 2009

2009-12-31T20:31:00.000-08:00

First Christmas Present this year.

I decided to do things a little differently this year. Instead of opening all of our family gifts in the evening we spread it out and opened half the presents in the afternoon and half of them after church and dinner. This seemed to work well for our little girl, who started out opening her gifts very delicately and methodically. Morgan was adorable and hysterical throughout the process! This first gift she insisted on removing each shred of paper a piece at a time and taking each to the trash can before removing another piece. We quickly decided to bring a trash bag into the living room so she would not keep leaving and going to the kitchen to throw each piece away. This first present was from Grandma and Grandpa Simpson, a Fisher Price Little People Castle complete with horse, and as you can see from her reaction, a HUGE hit! I was glad I decided to break all the gifts up into segments to open. It gave Morgan a chance to enjoy her gifts a little more since she wasn't too overwhelmed all at once.
Hopefully, we can do the same thing next year... WITH Daddy present!

More pictures to come of Christmas Eve and day.

For The Love Of Horses

2009-11-16T21:39:00.001-08:00

On a very chilly Wednesday afternoon a few weeks ago Morgan, Meme, and I went to watch the daughter of a friend during her riding lesson. Since Morgan loves horses and all we thought it would be something really fun for her to watch.

Not only did Morgan love watching Tabitha ride Sugar, Morgan got to ride Sugar herself!
She went two and a half times around the ring and enjoyed every minute of it. While sitting up in the saddle Morgan, at one point, leaned over and grabbed the reigns all on her own. The riding instructor was so impressed. She said normally she does not start children with riding lessons until they are four, but thought Morgan would be ready for lessons at three. If Morgan continues with her affinity for horses we may have lessons in the future. She seems to be a natural born equestrian!

Morgan getting on Sugar

(Tabitha is in front in the riding gear,
her Mom is in the black jacket,
and the riding instructor is in the blue sweater,
& Sugar the horse)

Posing for a pic
(Morgan, Mommy, Tabitha & Sugar)

Riding around the ring

BORN TO RIDE!!

Just Some Pics

2009-11-16T21:26:00.001-08:00

Halloween Pics

2009-11-16T21:12:00.001-08:00

Morgan is obsessed with horses so it was only appropriate for her to be a horse for Halloween. This was her first year actually going trick-or-treating, but she picked up the concept immediately! She has her daddy's sweet-tooth and has been enjoying getting the occasional treat. Mostly she love chocolate of any kind, but had a particular affinity for M&M's which she calls "emenies".

The Little Flower House

2009-09-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

How very exciting yesterday was! We started off our day later than usual (thank you for letting Mommy sleep until 0740 this morning Sweet Girl!) and we woke up to gray cloudy skies and...RAIN! YEA! I can not remember the last time it rained and it was so nice to have the cool wet weather. It did not last long...today it is in the high 80's bright and sunny, but I digress.

The most important thing that happened today...
Morgan received a special package in the mail this afternoon, a book and DVD from Daddy. He bought an adorable lift-the-flap book while in port in Japan called, "The Little Flower House", at least that is what he thinks it is called. The book is written in Japanese which he had a friend, from back in his Black Knights days, translate.

Morgan was so excited to get her book in the mail and loves looking through the pages. We have watched Daddy reading the story more times that I can count now. It is amazing to see how excited she gets when the DVD starts, she loves watching and hearing her Daddy.

For those of you that do not know, Michael read ten different books on video for Morgan before he left on deployment. Actually, he did not read ten books, he read two books and SANG the rest. Watching those videos is as much a part of our daily routine as things like getting dressed, brushing teeth, and sitting on the potty.

I think having these videos for Morgan has helped a little dealing with the physical absence of her Daddy. They are certainly no replacement for the REAL thing, but in the mean time they have helped to fill an empty spot in her world. If for any reason, you or your spouse are away from your children for any length of time, I highly recommend video taping that parent reading books. I have seen first hand how very special they are to Morgan now and I know she will cherish them when she is older.

With out further ado...

The Little Flower House

A special package for Morgan from Daddy

Wow! This is tough to open.

Still working...

Success!

DVD and translations included...yea!

Checking out the pages

Here we go

Listening intently

Looking for Bitty Bee

Blowing kissy's to Daddy at the end of the video.

Mental Note

2009-09-06T10:54:00.001-07:00

Never leave coffee unattended in my house!

(good thing it takes me all morning to finish a cup...it was cold by the time this happened)

Oops! How did that happen? Must have been elves...or a toddler...

Definitely a toddler! Honest, it was an accident!

Mommy, are you sure it's not for painting?

OK, I will clean it up. Sorry, Mommy!

Where Has the Time Gone?

2009-09-02T23:45:00.000-07:00

Dearest Morgan Jo,

I can not believe the changes in you over the past few months. It is hard to believe you are twenty months old now and soon to be two years! You are growing into quite the little girl, so sweet and so much fun. You have such a zest for life and your smile is intoxicating and contagious. You have had your moments in the past few weeks. I can see that you are testing me, wondering how I will react to your less than perfect moments. Please know, I am new to all this Mommy stuff and I am learning the best I can.

I am having so much fun watching you learn and explore the world around you. You are so curious and I can not believe how quickly you learn new things. I am not sure where this love affair, with all things horse related came from, but it has been a lot of fun for me to see you get so excited when you see one. We will see where this love heads over the next few months and years. Maybe you will move onto something new, but for now I am loving every moment I watch as your excitement grows.

These next few months (well, really years) are going to be difficult with Daddy gone sometimes. I know you do not understand right now, but I will do my best to try and make things as normal as I can here at home. When you are a little older I know you will understand why Daddy has to be away from us for little while. One thing you must never forget, is no matter where in the world Daddy is, he is thinking about you all the time, loves you more than the whole wide world, and misses you more than he could ever explain.

Happy 20 Month Birthday Sweet Girl!

We Love You So Very Much!

Mommy

A Girl and Her Horses

2009-09-01T00:26:00.000-07:00

Miss you Daddy!!

Mmmuah!

A little horse reading...

A little horse playing...

A little horse snuggling...

A little horse riding...

and more riding...

and riding...

and riding!

Equestrian Firefighter?

2009-08-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

It's possible, right?!

Could she be any cuter?
I am rather enjoying Morgan's recent love (read: obsession) for all things horse related.
I hope it is not just a phase and she goes on to have a passion for riding!

Kisses For Daddy

2009-08-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Love and Miss You Daddy!!
Stay safe and come home soon!

Mmmuah!

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-06-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day weekend we did a bit of touristy traveling here in California. On Saturday, we went to visit Hearst Castle. If you've never been, it is a must see! We had a great time and the castle is beautiful! Bring Benadryl if you are allergic to flowers even in the tiniest bit, my face swelled so I could barely see, my eyes and nose were runny, and I couldn't stop sneezing from the beautiful flower gardens, but it was worth every minute! I won't go back without allergy meds though! We even stopped in Paso Robles for a little walking around and a yummy dinner. We can't wait to go back to check out some of the wineries!

Then on Sunday, we went to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. First we drove down, what seemed like, the never ending road and ended up at Crystal Cave. We had a wonderful time exploring the cave, but the walk back up the hill was a little tough. After the cave we drove to the LodgePole Restaurant on top of one of the great big hills and had a wonderful time exploring the path and eating a yummy dinner. It was a long and tiring day, but so much fun! We even got to see a baby black bear!

What Does The Piggy Say?

2009-05-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Oink...Oink!!

All Good Things...

2009-05-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

...must come to an end.

It was a bitter sweet moment when I realized our sweet baby girl,
while still sweet, is no longer a baby.

She is a walking, talking, climbing little girl...with full blown toddler attitude and a penchant for tantrums! Also, a new found curiosity and exploitative nature has emerged from my once cuddly sweet babe. No longer will she sit still to be snuggled, she must go...go...GO!

Here are a few pictures of our little Morgan the Explorer.

Purely Sweet

So Lady-Like!

**Dress courtesy of Morgan's Meme.**

Learning Photo Shop...slowly!

2009-05-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know yet, I started back to school on 6 April. I am working towards my BS in Photography through The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online, thanks in part to Uncle Sam. I only have 5 more years to utilize my MGIB benefits and now seems as good a time as ever to use them...it may take me those 5 years to actually finish my degree since I lost all but 8 of my credits from previous schooling. Something about there being a statute of limitations. Apparently, you cannot transfer credits older than 10 years. Yikes! Have I really been out of school that long?
Anyway, I am desperately trying to learn Ad@be Photo Shop CS4 and Ad@be Lightroom 2, as well as becoming better at composition and lighting. I haven't actually taken any photography classes yet, as they require an online learning class and basic English and Math courses first.

Here are a few of the most recent photos of The Doodle Bug.

The last one is not a favorite because of the chair leg, but I just LOVED that adorable little face! She had had enough of me taking her photo and just asked me, "Uhp peas!" (Translation: Up Please) and gave me that goofy grin. How could I not put the camera down and snuggle my little girl after that?!

Doodlebug Dress

2009-04-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Morgan's Meme made this dress for her last summer.
It was a little big last year, but fits perfectly now.
The little dots on the dress are little ladybugs...

So Sweet!!

So Sad...Mommy won't let me play in the pool outside with my pretty dress on.

Crackers make everything better!!
Look at those huge tears on her cheeks.

So Happy!!

Spring Fun...

2009-04-22T13:51:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pics from the past few weeks.

Mmmm....chocolate!
Morgan's first taste of chocolate.

Clapping for chocolate...she must like it!

Yep, she likes it!!

Sooo sad because Mommy stopped pushing and she wasn't done yet.
Mean Mommy!

Somebody likes to run and march!

Future gymnast??

First Illini T-shirt...
...and boo-boo's on the knees.

Yes Daddy, that is a WHOLE sausage link in my mouth!

Mommy's Doodle Bug

Stacked these blocks all on her OWN!!!

With Sadness...

2009-04-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

I HATE to share news like this, especially in this way,
but for the moment this will make it easier for me.

This past weekend, Michael and I found out we were pregnant.
We also found out the pregnancy would not last and I would miscarry.

This was not a planned pregnancy,
though we would have embraced this miracle with open arms!

Many of you know the pain, heart-break, medical intervention and time it took to be blessed with our Sweet Morgan. Throughout that process, and prior to, I had been told we would NOT become pregnant with out medical intervention.

Well...SURPRISE!
Apparently, we CAN get pregnant...without assistance from a doctor.

The tricky part now is STAYING pregnant,
should be be blessed again.

We have no answers as to why,
we speculate is may have been due to my Protein-S Deficiency,
but we won't know for sure.

Da E-sta Bunny, Da E-sta Bunny!

2009-04-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny made an early pit stop at the Simpson Residence last week.
He must have known Michael was going away and wouldn't be home for all the excitement.
The Easter Bunny sure does pack a mean basket, too!

Morgan's Wagon "Basket"

Nesting Blocks
Morgan's Favorite!

Pulling the wagon

Easter Egg Hunt

Morgan had a great time "finding" all the Easter eggs "hidden" around our family room.
We have since been to two more egg hunts and have accumulated quite the collection of eggs. She has a blast dumping them from a bucket onto the floor then picking them back up again. We must do this a dozen or more times a day. She also loves for me to hide some eggs while she is napping and find them when she wakes up and comes down stairs.

HAPPY 15 MONTH BIRTHDAY MORGAN!

2009-04-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

These were taken on the day Morgan turned 15 months old.

Yes, our baby girl is 15 months old!!

She is totally a toddler now and enjoys, in no particular order, climbing
(everything including the stove and other furniture), dancing, singing, running, coloring, bubbles, talking and The Wiggles. Actually, her like for The Wiggles goes a little deeper and could be considered an obsession!

In the pictures below she is dressed for a party that we went to for a friend's birthday. The Wiggles were on TV which made it impossible to get her to look at the camera...at least she wasn't climbing on the stove or the table though!

Singing

Dancing to The Wiggles

Please Take A Moment

2009-03-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

When you have a moment please take the time to read this...

Evan's Story

This is a very sad story (have tissues nearby), but one that needs to be heard.

I pray not one more child is affected or family devastated by this.

Please read it...it may save your child's life.

FRG Pot Luck

2009-03-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

Morgan and I met a group of women (from our squadron) and their children at the base Community Center yesterday for a pot luck. There was a ton of very yummy food and we had a good time visiting and listening to a Fleet and Family Support speaker.

Since it was so close to St. Patrick's Day Morgan and I dressed up in green to celebrate.

Dancing Queen

Morgan and her buddy Joshua
(She absolutely LOVES Joshua! He is so sweet and plays so nicely with her.)

Morgan's laugh is infectious. She is giggling at Joshua in this pic.
He would run, hide and jump out saying, "Boo!". She thought this was the best thing ever.

Cutie-Tootie Samuel

California Goodies

2009-03-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

A friend from one of Morgan's play groups told me about a website called Family Farm Fresh.
It is a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group of local farm families.

Every other week we will receive a basket full of local fresh fruits and vegetables and organic grape juice delivered right to our door. Each delivery the contents will differ which will make it exciting to see what's next. They even include storage directions and recipes. We also have the opportunity to add things like local nuts, raw cheeses, honey and baked goods.

We received our first basket this afternoon. Morgan was so excited to see what was in the basket and so was I. I have never seen produce this fresh. The smell of the citrus and onions was intoxicating. Of course we had to try something right away, so an orange it was.

This was the first orange Morgan had ever had and she couldn't get enough of it! She kept repeating, "Mmmm...Mmmm....Mmmm!" over and over again. It was too cute!

Here's our first basket.

All the yummy goodies inside.
We got lettuce, snow peas, asparagus, potatoes, pomelos, navel oranges, avocados, onions and cucumbers in this weeks' basket.

Organic grape juice too!
Yum!

Just A Little Readin'

2009-03-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

One of Morgan's favorite things to do is read books. There have been many times when I will be busy and realize the house is too quiet. After going to find Morgan to see what she's up to I have found her either in her "Morgan" chair or on the couch quietly reading a book.
Yesterday, I found her on the couch with her new favorite book,
"The Adventures of Morgan, Meme and Pops - Part 1".

A little kiss for baby Morgan on the cover.

My Daddy is My Favorite Guy!!

2009-03-10T21:27:00.001-07:00

Need I Say More??

Boo-boo

2009-03-10T21:12:00.001-07:00

Not the first and certainly not the last, but a particularly big and painful boo-boo.
She was playing near the coffee table and tripped bumping her head on the edge.
She screamed and cried hysterically while burying her head in my shoulder.
It took me a few minutes to see what was wrong because she wouldn't lift her head from chest.

If you look closely you can see a tear on her nose in this picture.
So sad!!

Ouchie!!

Who Said You Need A Spoon...

2009-03-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

...to eat applesauce?

Mommy says I am still a lady even though I use my hands...and face!

There's still more in there!

Fingers are much better than a spoon.

Mmmm....

Yummy!

All gone.

Today's Play Group Outing

2009-03-03T22:26:00.001-08:00

We met some friends at the park for play group today for a picnic.
It was very windy and cloudy which made for a chilly day.
We still managed to have great fun climbing, sliding and running though.

She is just a happy kid!!

Just For My Daddy

2009-03-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

Morgan just learned how to scale household furniture,
blow kissy's AND say a toddler version of "Love You!". Check it out!!

LOVE AND MISS YOU DADDY!! COME HOME...PLEASE!!

Mommy's Doodle Bug

2009-03-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

How adorable is Morgan in this outfit and bow?
She just got this bow in the mail from one of my favorite online boutiques...
Angelic Tutu Boutique. The outfit is Carter's also one of my favorites.

So sweet!

Never EVER Turn Your Back...

2009-03-01T20:24:00.001-08:00

...On A Toddler!!

This is what I found when things got a little too quiet.
I didn't know whether to laugh or scold her.
What a monkey!!

Check out that devilish grin!!

"Hmm...what's this?"

"These candles smell yummy Mommy!"

"Can I get up one more step?"

**NOTICE: In this video the candles have been removed. This video is her 3rd time scaling this Step Tansu. She would NOT take no for an answer.**

Shimmy Shake

2009-03-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

Check out Morgan's dancin' skills!!
How cute is she?

Can you tell she is teething?

Music courtesy of The Wiggles.

Spring Has Sprung

2009-02-28T20:42:00.001-08:00

The weather has been beautiful here the past few days. The trees are blossoming and flowers are starting to grow.

These were taken in our backyard.

Morgan in her swing
We had a relaxing day at home playing.

J.D. snoozing

Levi with his favorite toy

Levi lost in the grass.
The grass is crazy long after only a few weeks. I can't imagine what it's going to look like after a few months of Michael being gone. ;-P

Dressed For A Party

2009-02-28T20:31:00.001-08:00

Morgan and I went to a party last night and I just had to dress her up in a cute dress and her VFA-41 Squadron Bow.
How cute is she?!
Amazingly she left the bow on all night. The only time it came off was when a little boy pulled it off. Morgan got really mad that he pulled it off and threw herself on the floor in a fit. She is starting to get quite the little attitude!

Morgan saying, "Cheee!"
How cute are those toofers?

Sweet Bunny Outfit

2009-02-28T20:21:00.000-08:00

Morgan got this cute bunny outfit for her birthday from her Aunt Sue and Uncle Joe.
Isn't it just so sweet!! She loves pointing to the bunny and saying, "Oooo!".

Morgan got this giraffe bike for Christmas from Auntie Jenilyn, Uncle Kenny, Lil' Kenny and Jace Jensen. Even though it's a bike, she would much rather push it around than ride on it.

"Peek-A-Boo!!"

Playing At Home & Visit To Freedom Park

2009-02-26T09:13:00.001-08:00

Look What I Can Do

2009-02-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Day Korker Bow
This is my first attempt at making a hair bow for Morgan.
I think it came out pretty cute, but I have a lot of practicing to do.
I ordered some ribbon to try a few different kinds of bows.
I'll share them when they're done.

Hair Bow Holder

Hair Bow Holder with all of Morgan's bows.
I just ordered a few more online from some of my favorite Mama Made Boutique's.
I can't wait to share pictures of Morgan in her Easter outfit.
I may not be able to wait until Easter!

Another Lunch Time Photo Shoot

2009-02-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is what I got when I asked Morgan what she was eating.

Look closely at this one and you can see Morgan pointing to herself.
Her answer to "Where's Morgan?".

Sharing a treat with J.D..
He has a permanent spot under her chair when she's eating...and she loves sharing with him.

Just look at those cheeks!

Impromptu Game Of Peek-A-Boo

2009-02-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

As I was making lunch yesterday I could hear Morgan giggling and saying, "Boooooooo".
When I turned around this is what I found...

Hiding under her blanket.

Playing Peek-A-Boo with her bears from G'ma & G'pa Simpson and Meme & Pops.
(Cute t-shirt from goodmama. She has a matching dipey too!)

Boo!

I regret not getting a picture of her bears sitting on the floor next to her. She had the two of them snuggled together and was standing in front of them having a ball playing her game. Talk about cute and sweet!

Just Some Cheezy Grins...

2009-02-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

Morgan was in just a great mood today. I took advantage of her toofy grin and snapped a few (OK, a lot!) pics.
Here are a few of my favorites...

Such A Happy Little Girl!
(I just love her three little toofers)

In this one Morgan is saying, "Chee!", her version of cheese.
Look At Those Cheeks!
(It looks like she's storing nuts in there!)

So Happy!

Look Daddy A New Toofer!

Can You Tell She's Enjoying The Attention?!

Morgan got two very sweet bears for Valentine's Day.
She carried these bears around almost All day today!
She just couldn't give enough huggy's and kissy's today.

Huggy's for her bears.
Don't you just love her version of a double hug?!
TOO CUTE!

Kissy's for her sweetheart bear from Grandma and Grandpa Simpson

Having a chat with her bear from Meme and Pops.

Giggling at the Wiggles on TV.

More kissy's for her bear from G'ma & G'pa Simpson.
She just LOVED giving him kissy's!

THANK YOU so very much Grandma and Grandpa Simpson and Meme and Pops for my bears!
I love giving them huggy's and kissy's.
Don't be mistaken though, I'd rather give YOU my huggy's and kissy's!!

I love and miss you, Daddy!!
Come home soon...
...I have LOTS of huggy's and kissy's for you, too!!!

New Climber Fun

2009-02-21T11:11:00.001-08:00

Morgan got a climber for her birthday from her Mommy and Daddy.
She just loves to climb up the slide and play inside the house.

Morgan is sporting some cool jammies in these pictures, a Christmas present from Uncle Scott and Uncle Keith.

First Attempt At New Climber

Second Attempt Success!

A Few More Pictures...

2009-02-21T11:04:00.001-08:00

8 Feb 09
Jammies From Cousin Addi

8 Feb 09
Puppy from Aunt Jennifer and cousin Sheradan

14 Feb 09
"Stop taking my picture Mommy, and read me this book!"

14 Feb 09
Hmmm....
This is one of my favorite pics of Morgan.
She is teething and chews her fingers a lot lately.

Here's What's Happening

2009-02-21T10:07:00.001-08:00

After about 7 weeks of being sick on and off...mostly on ;-(...we are finally starting to feel better.
Morgan is now the proud owner of a third tooth and is working very hard on three more. I imagine those will be coming anytime in the next month or two.

Michael is in full swing preparing for his mid-year deployment. He is currently out to sea, but should be home in a few weeks.

Morgan and I have been trying to keep busy as best we can being sick and have managed to get out to a few play dates and dinners.

Here are some pics from the past few months. We hope you enjoy them!

2 Jan 09

Morgan and Daddy at the mall

2 Jan 09
Morgan, Mommy and Daddy

16 Jan 09
Morgan at South Valley Mommies play group event

17 Jan 09
Water play in the backyard

24 Jan 09
Chalk in the backyard

27 Jan 09
Life Is Good
Morgan LOVES to do headstands!

27 Jan 09
Jammies from Tantie Steph and a choco ice cream face

29 Jan 09
New t-shirt from goodmama and footies from Woollybottoms

18 Feb 09
VFA-41 Squadron Playgroup Event

20 Feb 09
Cheezy grin sporting V-day jammies from Meme and Pops

Morgan's First Art Work

2009-01-18T22:19:00.001-08:00

Morgan thought she was pretty hot stuff using big kids crayons.
She loved coloring on the paper and enjoyed putting the crayons in her mouth even more!
I guess we'll have to work on that one.
I'm thinking she may have a career in abstract art in the future.

12 Month Well-Baby

2009-01-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Our baby girl is not so much a baby anymore...she is growing into a toddler!! Who told her she could do that!!?

Morgan had her 12 month check-up today, is right on target developmentally(or a little ahead ;-)) and is very healthy.

Here are some stats...

weight: 18 lbs. 10.9 oz. 10-20th percentile
length: 27 1/4 inches 5-10th percentile
head circumference: 45 cm

She enjoyed climbing up and down the stairs of the "school bus" exam table and only screamed for a few minutes after her 5 shots...poor baby! Overall, she did great today and is growing like a weed!

One Year Ago...

2009-01-03T22:28:00.004-08:00

January 3rd 2007

One year ago today, we brought this beautifully sweet little baby girl home.

Who knew she would be this cute one year later??

Mommy's Little Doodle Bug

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY MORGAN!!

2009-01-01T10:43:00.004-08:00

Dearest Morgan Jo,

What a year it has been! We have watched you grow from a tiny baby into a beautiful, walking, talking little girl. You amaze us every day with how quickly you are learning and growing. How exciting it is for us to see how big you are getting and how happy you are. It was a very long road to get you here safely in our arms and we would go through it all again because the journey gave us YOU. We couldn't feel more blessed as parents to have such a healthy happy little girl. GOD is good and we have him to thank for entrusting and blessing us with you. We pray you continue to grow and remain healthy and look forward to every new day with you. Our love for you overflows our hearts and continues to grow each day.

Happy 1st Birthday Morgan!

We Love You So Very Much,
Mommy & Daddy

Santa Says...

2008-12-27T21:02:00.002-08:00

Christmas Day

2008-12-27T20:37:00.004-08:00

Happy Birthday Daddy! Merry Christmas!

2008-12-27T20:23:00.005-08:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Christmas Eve

Sequoia National Park

2008-12-14T20:37:00.004-08:00

What an amazing day we had at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks today!
Breath taking scenery, amazing wildlife and gorgeous snowfall.
Thanks Uncle Steve for suggesting the trip!

A Day At The Park

2008-11-21T07:35:00.005-08:00

Singing and clapping

Cheezin' for the camera

Eatin' wood chips

Crawling through the wood chips

Smiling at Mommy

Checking out the slide

What 'cha doin' Mommy?

Climbing Stairs

Riding the Duckie

Norfolk Zoo

2008-11-17T09:18:00.004-08:00

Morgan's First Steps

2008-11-17T08:46:00.004-08:00

Hard to believe this little peanut is walkig already!

Found...

2008-11-13T22:33:00.002-08:00

...the camera that is!

After some pouting, tears, frantic searching, a declaration that there was no way we were going to find it and flashbacks of all the photos I have taken in the last two months Michael found the missing camera.

Boy, do I love that man!! I think it took him all of 15 minutes too...figures!
If I didn't know better I'd think he hid it just so he could say "I told you we'd find it.".

The battery is charging and pictures will be posted over the weekend.

We Have Arrived...

2008-11-13T20:09:00.002-08:00

...at the threshold of Hell.

For those of you who read the previous post, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse it has.

I have some how managed to lose our camera. Now you may wonder why I would be so attached to it or upset by this. Well, it has been a few months since I have taken the time to upload our pictures. So all of our adorable pictures of Morgan's first Halloween dressed up like a little ladybug with Little Kenny and Jacey, pictures of her first steps, pictures of her first well, everything are gone, gone, GONE.

It is absolutely breaking my heart to even think about this.
So, I hope you didn't want to see any new pictures of her because, I don't have any.

We're Here...Barely.

2008-11-12T21:36:00.003-08:00

We are sorry it has been so long since our last posting. Life has been...well, crazy. We survived our cross country trip with Morgan and the boys...just barely though. Morgan and I got our flu shots the day before we left. BIG mistake! I was already not feeling well and by the time we hit Illinois I wanted to die and poor Morgan was miserable. Luckily, we started to feel better somewhere around Ely, Nevada. If you'd like to hear about our stay in the Ely Motel 6, I'd be happy to regale you with that tale another evening.

A few short days before arriving in sunny California we got THE call that the sale of the house we were trying to buy fell through (long story). So we pretty much arrived in good ol' Cali with no place for the short term and no place or ideas for the long term.

By the way, I am typing this as I sit on the dog-pee smelling carpeted floor, um, I mean in our pet-friendly one room (if you don't count the bathroom), broken stove, broken air-conditioned Navy Lodge "Home ". Yes, we have been here 11 days and yes we will be here at least another 10 days, but hey at $60 bucks a night what more could we ask for? At least we aren't paying for 2 dogs to be boarded on top of that! But, I digress.

Upon arrival in our new state/city our first order of business was shopping for a long term place to call home. We looked at four homes within the first 2 hours of being in Lemoore/Hanford and after some dinner and panicking on my part we arrived at what we are now calling home for the semi-short term.

Early the next morning I spent 5 hours in the Urgent Care Clinic with severe abdominal pain and nausea. But, a few doses of morphine, a little anti-nausea medicine and a few prescriptions for pain meds and I was right as rain. Or so I thought... A few doctor's visits later and we still don't know what is wrong, but the rumor is an ovarian cyst. I am still having intermittent pain, but it is tollerable, I guess. I have been remiss in contacting my doctor for my ultrasound results, but only because I have spent as much or more time in the hospital visiting doctors with Morgan for a wicked diaper rash, nummular eczema and another common treatable issue that I will not post here, that I dread having to spend more time for me. Her rash is gone the other issue is resolving, but the eczema has become worse. We started a topical steroid cream and a host of other creams this evening. Hopefully, this too will start to get better.

Fast forward a few days from my visit in the UCC...we did choose one of the homes we looked at our first day. We have gone through a long drawn out nightmare of phonecalls, paperwork, emails, inspections, etc. and we are still waiting on closing. It seems that we get another new disclaimer/form emailed to us on a daily basis to print, fill-out and deliver to our agent. By the way, did I mention we have no printer and our internet connection in our room is minimal at best so we have to drive 20 miles to Panera for free WiFi to read our email? Truly a JOY! We are told the house is ours and we should close somewhere before Thanksgiving. We'll see! Very little else has gone as planned in our transition here so I am not going to hold my breath. If we get the house I will be sure to let everyone know and post pictures for all to see. If this falls through I will let everyone know our post office box number so you can send Christmas cards. You are ALL going to send cards right!

After 11 days here, I have met ZERO people, except for the nice women in TRICARE, a slew of doctors and nurses and the sweet girl at the coffee stand in the hospital who gave me my coffee on the house today, because only after she made it did I realize they only take cash or checks and I had neither.

BTW~ I went back a few hours and a trip to the bank later and gave her the money for the coffee and a big tip.

Morgan did start to walk a few consecutive steps last week. She loves to stand and cruise, will take a few steps only when she wants to, but prefers the quicker crawling method of getting into trouble...I mean getting around.

She has her two bottom teeth and a third trying to work its way through. Which is fun for Michael and me as we are again waking up a few times a night to her crying. Atleast the dog above us who liked to run sprints around midnight has left the building, right?!

Well, it is time for me to head to bed now. Morgan has woken twice since I started typing this and if that is any indication of the rest of the night to come I had better try and get some sleep while I can.

I will leave you with one last update. Michael is back to work and has been very busy getting ready for the coming year. The good news is he will be home for a total of 13 weeks in the calendar year 2009. Luckily, for Morgan and I, he will be gone for most of the major holidays, our 4th and 5th Anniversaries, my birthday, his birthday, Morgan's 2nd birthday and a host of other holidays. Atleast we have that to look forward to!

Did I mention how HAPPY I am to have moved to California?!

Show and Tell

2008-10-19T09:17:00.003-07:00

mel's show and tell

This is my first Show and Tell and I decided why not post two of the funniest pictures I have of our sweet baby girl.

First, a little background...Morgan is our first and only Earth Angel (so far!) as she was preceded by our three Angels in Heaven.

She is just shy of 10 months and has just started to teethe in the past few weeks. Along with general fussiness, drooling, chewing and low grade fever she has also had a runny nose.

I am so glad I had the camera handy a few weeks ago when this happened...

You gotta love the drool rash on her chin and the black 'n blue mark on her forehead!

I can't wait to pull out copies of these when she starts dating!

Do you think these will keep the boys away?

For Our Babies

2008-10-16T09:02:00.005-07:00

In Memory Of
Our 3 Angels In Heaven


We love you and can't wait to hold you in heaven. Love, Mommy and Daddy

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

2008-10-15T16:26:00.007-07:00

Remembering Clare and the two other babies we lost in 2006.
We can't wait to see you in heaven sweet babes.

We love you,
Mommy and Daddy

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-14T09:49:00.003-07:00

On Saturday we went to Oceana's Chili Cook-off and Car Show.
We got to try some good chili for free and walk around looking at some really cool cars.
They had a bunch of fun stuff for kids including pumpkin decorating.
Though we skipped the decorating this time we did use their "Pumpkin Patch" to take a few pictures of Morgan. She was very interested in the straw bales and not so interested in getting her picture taken. Here are a few of the good ones.
Enjoy!

Not Me Monday

2008-10-13T14:22:00.012-07:00

OK everyone, I am going to try something new. I am going to try something fun that I found on a blog that I follow religiously...I mean occasionally. Please head over to MckMama's blog and check out the brains behind this carnival. You will love her blog, she is so sweet, her kids are just too cute and her blog is adorable, not to mention hysterical. Also, you have to check out all the other folks that have joined in on the fun here. So, with out further ado, here goes my first Not Me Monday...

I did not drink coffee every day this week and consider it breakfast. Nope, I ate a healthy nutritionally balanced breakfast every morning as a good example for my daughter.

I most certainly did not tell my 9 1/2 month old that Mommy's Milk Bar was closed and give her a sippy cup of whole milk just because I was too tired to nurse her. I would never deny my sweet baby girl her mama milk that would be wrong.

I did not and would not put her down for a nap early just because I was tired and wanted to take a nap. That might mess up her sleep schedule and cause her to stay up late.

Morgan was not screaming in her pack 'n play for 20 minutes while I took a hot shower. I took a shower while she was asleep because I know she does not like to be left alone.

Michael and I did not take our baby to the movies to see The D@rk Night because there is violence and profanity in the movie. Nope, we left her at home sound asleep with a babysitter because taking her to see that movie would be irresponsible of us.

I absolutely do not spend as much time as I can reading blogs of complete strangers then tell my husband all about what I read as if these people are my friends. And I certainly did not sit sobbing my head off while reading one of those blogs because I felt the loss of a Sister in Christ as if it were my own.

This Not Me Monday was NOT posted on Tuesday, nope I posted it on Monday just like I am suppose to do because it is called Not Me Monday not Tuesday.

Have a great week everyone!

We've Had A Break Through

2008-10-11T06:59:00.003-07:00

Isn't teething wonderful?

Morgan's first tooth punched through the gum line a few nights ago.

Let me just chew on this bottle of Tylen@l, please...

...or maybe this bottle of teething tablets...

...decisions, decisions!

Visiting Uncle Jake

2008-10-04T07:42:00.005-07:00

During our stay in Illinois we took Morgan to meet and visit with her Uncle Jake.
This past September 8th would have been his 36th birthday.

It is still hard to believe he is no longer with us here on earth, but we know he is with us every day as we carry him in our hearts.

Even though Morgan didn't get to meet Uncle Jake we have no doubt he would have loved her as much as she would have him. We look forward to telling stories of her Uncle Jake so she can grow to know him and love him as we do.

We love and miss you Jake!

Illinois Trip Part II

2008-10-04T07:18:00.005-07:00

As a special treat we were able to visit with Michael's very good friends from college, John (a.k.a. Chip) and Amy Chipman and their daughter Abby. They took us to a U of I football game and then we spent some time visiting at their new house. It was so wonderful to get a chance to spend time catching up and meeting Abby!

We also visited with Chip's parents Grandma and Grandpa Chipman.
It was so nice to spend time with them and introduce them to Morgan.

Our Trip To Illinois

2008-10-04T06:25:00.014-07:00

What a special and wonderful time we had visiting the Simpson/Lessen/Foster side of our family at the end of August to the beginning of September. We were able to visit with a lot of family and do some really fun things.

We stayed with Aunt Kristi and cousins Matt and Addi.

We celebrated Great-Grandma Fellers' 88th Birthday.

Daddy played golf in Uncle Jake's 2nd Annual Memorial Golf Outing

We visited Uncle Steve at his apartment in St. Louis and then went to the St. Louis Zoo.

We visited with Grandma and Grandpa Simpson.

We went to a St. Louis Cardinals game.

9 Month Well-Baby

2008-10-02T18:37:00.004-07:00

Our sweet girl is getting so big!
She weighed 16 lbs 3.2 oz and was 26 1/2 inches long on Tuesday.
No shots thank goodness! It breaks my heart to see her cry from the pain.
Here are a few recent pictures...hope you enjoy!

Clean Baby

So Sleepy

Blueberries Are Yummy!

Sharing Some Waffles With Levi

We Are Still Alive...

2008-09-27T16:39:00.002-07:00

We are so sorry we haven't posted in such a long time. We were without internet for quite a long time and have just picked up a Verizon wireless internet connection. We are limited in how much we can use it so we haven't updated for fear of wasting all of our time.

We are doing well. Morgan is growing like a weed. She is 15 lbs 11 oz and 26 1/2 inches as of 2 weeks ago. She has her 9 month well-baby appointment on Tuesday. I'll do my best to give an update when I can. She is cruising like a maniac and will stand up on her own without holding on to anything. She looks like she wants to take off and walk any day now.

Anyway, one last thing before I close. I want to thank my husband and daughter for making today a wonderful day for me. Today was my 30-something birthday and they made it very special.

Thank you Michael and Morgan! I love you both so very much!

2008-09-05T10:17:00.003-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS!!

I Love and Miss You!!

Morgan

Wordless Wednesday

2008-09-03T19:00:00.002-07:00

Afternoon Photo Shoot

2008-08-30T06:38:00.004-07:00

17 August

Could she be any cuter?
Gotta love the belly and the drool!

Water Play

2008-08-30T06:25:00.003-07:00

16 August

I gave Morgan a bucket of water and some foam letters to play with while I was making dinner one evening. She had a great time splashing and dumping the water. I must have re-filled the bucket 5 times because she kept dumping the water into her lap and all over the floor. If only I had known it would not only make her so happy and get my floors clean...I would have done it a long time ago!

Norfolk Tides

2008-08-30T06:05:00.004-07:00

15 August

We took Morgan to her second baseball game to see the Norfolk Tides play. The game had an hour & 50 minute rain delay, but our little trooper hung in there and was such a good girl. We ate at the ball park restaurant which was ok, but the atmosphere was fun and made up for the food. If only the game hadn't been delayed! Maybe next time.

Offer Accepted

2008-08-21T10:29:00.002-07:00

We got good news this morning. Our offer on the house in Hanford was accepted by the seller. Now we have to wait on appraisal and approval from the bank saying they will accept getting less than the value of the property.

Continue to keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer for us.

Thank You!!

Amazing

2008-08-21T06:12:00.002-07:00

Our little Love Bug slept through the night last night. We put her to bed around 7pm and Daddy woke her up a few minutes before 7am. Absolutely amazing!

Now, wouldn't it have been nice if we were able to have slept that long?!

After putting the offer on the Hanford house late last night we had a million things running through our mind which made for a very tough night of sleep.

We will be so glad to finally get settled in California.

We Put In An Offer...

2008-08-20T19:17:00.010-07:00

...on a house in Hanford, California this evening. Our offer has been accepted by the seller, but needs to be approved by the bank because it is a short sale.

It is a beautiful home with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large kitchen, family/living room, 2 car garage and a pool in the backyard. In other words...PLENTY of room for visitors!

We are excited, but have a a lot that needs to be approved before we can celebrate that we have a new home.

Please keep us in your prayers as we play the waiting game. We hope all goes smoothly with this transaction.

Here are some pics of the house...

New Look

2008-08-19T17:19:00.002-07:00

Ever since I started the blog I haven't been totally satisfied with the way it looks. I have been trying ever since to find the right background, page elements and other fun stuff. The last one I liked, but it was just a little too bright.

After a lot of looking around the web I finally found a background that I really love. It was super easy to configure and didn't take very long at all.

Let me know what you think.

Under Contract

2008-08-19T13:23:00.002-07:00

Yes...you read that correctly! After numerous counter offers and a lesson learned by the buyers they have finally accepted our counter offer. So, things are moving quickly. Our home inspection is either tomorrow or Thursday and should things go well with that our house will go to close.

As of now our household goods packing dates are Sep. 10 & 11 (we will be home from IL Sep. 7). Our household goods pick-up will be Sep. 12 and our closing will be Sep. 15.

So that has us living the nomadic life with Morgan and the 2 dogs until we leave here Oct. 22 for California. Our good friends Kevin and Nealy Seibel have graciously offered for us to stay with them until we leave. It will be crowded with 6 adults, 3 kids and 5 dogs, but we'll work it out.

Messy Face

2008-08-17T21:50:00.002-07:00

Need I say more?

The aftermath of feeding herself breakfast.

13 August

Our Little Miracle

2008-08-17T20:06:00.004-07:00

Michael and I attended The New Hope Center's 10th Annual "Our Little Miracles" Birthday Celebration last year while I was still pregnant with Morgan. We were given a cute little t-shirt before we went home. She is wearing it in the pictures below.

We won't be able to make this year's celebration because we will be visiting our family in Illinois for the 2nd Annual Jake Lessen Memorial Golf Outing, but we hope to be able to attend in the future.

13 August

Bows, Bows, Bows!!!

2008-08-17T19:54:00.003-07:00

Morgan's hair is finally long enough to put clip bows in.
I think she looks absolutely adorable.
What do you think??

12 August

First Bubble Bath

2008-08-17T19:51:00.001-07:00

Too much fun!!

11 August

Who Knew...

2008-08-17T19:47:00.001-07:00

...that plastic measuring cups could be so fun!

11 August

Learning to Crawl

2008-08-17T17:48:00.004-07:00

5 August

Morgan has been on the go, go, go. Ever since she learned to sit up on her own she has been unstoppable. Just days after learning to stand on her own she started crawling. She is just amazing. She is definitely determined to be on the move. I have since become her personal jungle gym. It is absolutely adorable how excited she gets when she learns a new trick. I have no doubt she will be cruising the furniture and taking her first steps soon!

I have to say that it wasn't Mommy who got to see her crawl for the first time. I left her at the beach house with Daddy and Uncle Scott and went shopping. Daddy caught her first shuffle on video while I was out. Mommy was so sad to have missed it!

Trip to Fenwick Island

2008-08-17T17:15:00.009-07:00

4 August

This was our first trip to the pool and the beach.
We had a great time and went home exhausted.

First Time in the Pool

Morgan & Daddy

Morgan & Pops

Morgan & Mommy
(Don't ya just love the hat and bikini!)

Morgan & Aunt Nancy

Morgan & Meme

Morgan & Mommy Again

Out For A Stroll in Sunny Delaware

2008-08-17T17:11:00.004-07:00

3 August

As you can tell by her smile she was having a great time strolling and snacking!

Learning to Stand

2008-08-17T16:48:00.005-07:00

I am way behind in blogging this month.

Sorry.

We have been terribly busy with vacations and trying to sell our house. An adventure all of it's own.

Here are a few pics of Morgan learning to stand with the help of her buddy J.D..
She started pulling to a stand on her own 1 August.

He tolerated her pulling his hair and leaning on him for about 10 or 15 minutes. Then he got up and moved to another room...well out of reach!

My Review of Baby Spring Float with Canopy

2008-08-14T06:27:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at One Step Ahead

The perfect first baby float: secure, portable — and even safer than ever, thanks to our UV-blocking canopy! Float is very well balanced, with concentric rings and a low, centered seat made of soft, feel-good mesh. Removable canopy blocks 97% of UV rays and features quick-release operation. F...

Cute Product

By Mama 2 Morgan from Virginia on 8/14/2008

Fit: Feels true to size

Pros: Durable, Lightweight, Fun

Cons: Hard to get baby in seat, Very Hard to Fold

Best Uses: Infants

Describe Yourself: First Time Parent

We had a hard time getting DD into the fabric seat. Once she was in it was just fine. It is almost impossible to fold into the carry bag it came out of. There are no instructions included. If you don't mind having it sit open then there isn't a problem.

Floatin' Baby

Tags: Using Product

Trying To Get In

Tags: Using Product

(legalese)

Happy 7 Month Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!!!

2008-07-31T16:36:00.002-07:00

It's hard to believe that 1 year ago Michael & I were getting ready to head to Bethany Beach, Delaware for a family vacation. I was a few days short of 17 weeks pregnant with Morgan and feeling very big & nauseous. One year ago tomorrow I had my first OB appointment at
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. We had so many dreams, hopes and prayers for how the pregnancy and birth would go and what it would be like to finally become parents. Though we had some hiccups along the way we are so very happy to finally be parents.

Now, here we are 1 year later with a beautiful 7 month sweet baby girl. No amount of reading or planning could have prepared us for this amazing and awesome experience. To say the least Michael and I feel so incredibly blessed. God has given us this wonderfully amazing little girl and we couldn't be more in love with her.

Two days ago I went into the nursery to get Morgan up from her nap in the afternoon. She wasn't crying just babbling away to herself. The following picture is what I found when I went into her room...

Our sweet little girl had learned to sit up all by herself and was playing away with her toys.

I got the biggest gummy grin from her when I walked in. I am pretty sure if she could have spoken she would have said, "Look at me Mommy! Look what I can do...all by MYSELF!".
I am so glad that Michael was home at the time. I called him to come quick and see what our little girl had done. We were so proud of her and she was so proud of herself.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-30T19:16:00.005-07:00

Baby's Got To Have A Little Bling...

2008-07-24T19:26:00.005-07:00

On Morgan's finger is a gold baby ring that was first worn by her Pops as a little boy, then her Uncle Scott, her Mommy and also on a necklace by her Meme.
It's hard to see in the first photo, so I got a close up with the second.

(I hope this picture isn't a foreshadow of her attitude to come!)

Isn't it just too cute!

BTW~ How cool is our little girl?
She now has her name on her paci's.

Dinner Anyone?

2008-07-24T19:22:00.002-07:00

Good thing we don't eat outside very often!

Who You Callin' Sleepy?

2008-07-24T19:05:00.004-07:00

6 MONTH PICTURES

2008-07-16T07:19:00.004-07:00

I LOVE the drool on her chin!

Sweet Girl

Raspberries!

Beach Babe

Surf's Up!

Donating from the heart

2008-07-08T17:32:00.004-07:00

Here's a pic and article of Morgan's Aunt Kristi
The Lincoln Courier, Lincoln, IL

Donating from the heart

Lincoln, Ill. -

Kristi Lessen smiles as she donates blood Monday during a Central Illinois Community Blood Center drive at the Masonic Temple. Lessen also taped a testimonial for the blood center, urging others to give. She said donating is her way of repaying the strangers who provided blood for her following a September 2006 motorcycle accident that fatally injured her husband, Jake Lessen, and left her hospitalized. “I received 12 transfusions during the two weeks I was in the hospital,” Lessen said. “That’s one of the five factors of why I’m still here. My husband gave his life so I could live. I’m living life for both of us, so I want to live it the best I can. I believe in paying it forward.” Lessen also recently adopted two children from Guatemala.

By Nancy Rollings Saul

The Courier

Tue Jul 08, 2008, 11:06 AM CDT

It's Official...

2008-07-02T09:24:00.003-07:00

For those of you who didn't know and those of you that did, Michael has been waiting for his Department Head orders. We have been anxious to get them because he got word to "expect a PCS move and it's not to Japan". I, like my father, am a need-to-know person, needing ample time for things to "soak in" and be processed. So for the past few weeks we have been preparing to get official word we need to move to Lemoore, California.

Well, the slate came out and it's official we are headed to California. Lemoore is south of Fresno in between San Francisco and L.A.. It's quite a distance inland in a very hot valley.

At first we were less than happy, but are slooowly getting used to the idea. We don't have a report no later than date yet, but we are expecting to have to be there some time between mid-September and mid-October.

Michael will be assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron Four-One.
VFA-41 the Black Aces.

This squadron is attached to a carrier (I think it's the USS Nimitz out of San Diego) and Michael will be going out to sea for 6 month stints. We won't know his schedule until he signs in, but in the mean time I need to prepare myself to be just Morgan, me and the boys for long periods of time. We'll see how that goes!

We will be sure to keep you posted on when we will be leaving Virginia. As for now we need to get our house in order so we can put it on the market. So, if you know anyone moving to our area looking for a 3 bedroom 2 bath house please send them our way!

What an adventure this will be moving cross country with a 9 month old and two dogs! I am prayerful that there are no hiccups along the way. I will be very nervous until we are finally there and settled safely. Please keep us in your prayers for a smooth transition and safe journey.

As always, there is an open door policy to our home. If ever in California and you would like to stop by, you are more than welcome anytime...even if you aren't in Cali and want to come visit please do!

Half Way There!

2008-07-01T17:41:00.002-07:00

Happy Half-Birthday Baby Girl!!

I can't believe our Sweet Baby Girl is 6 months old already! She is getting so big.

Her 6 month well-baby stats are...
Weight: 14 lbs. 6 oz.
Length: 25 inches
HC: 41 3/4 cm
She falls some where around the 25th percentile.

She sits up so well on her own now and loves to stand up while holding your hands. She smiles all the time, takes great naps, is a great eater and is so much fun! We're still working on night-time sleeping, but it has been getting a little better lately.

I will try and post some pictures tomorrow in her new "fluff".

Daddy's Special Day

2008-06-14T19:07:00.006-07:00

Tomorrow is Father's Day and I wanted to take a moment to remember a few of the very special people in my life...

First ~ Michael, Thank you for being the wonderfully amazing and loving man that you are. You are an awesome daddy, the best one Morgan could ever have. My heart swells every time I see her smile that huge gummy grin at you. She sure knows you are her daddy and I can see how she loves you so very much. It is almost overwhelming at times how much I am in love with you and our little girl. Sometimes I feel like my heart might burst because I love you both so much, that it couldn't possibly hold any more. Then I wake up to a new day and find myself loving you even more. Thank you for showing me that it is possible to love after hurt and allowing me to open my heart and receive all that you have to give me without fear.

Daddy ~ Thank you for loving me through all my stages of growth...the good and the bad. Thank you for standing by me when I insisted on learning from my own mistakes. I know it must have been hard to endure a lot of my behavior, but I appreciate you allowing me (willingly or not) to grow in the way I need for myself. It is because of your and Mom's guidance that I am the woman I am today. You and Mom allowed me to grow to be independent and strong. I appreciate that and hope that I can pass those traits onto my daughter.

Mommy ~ Thank you for falling in love with Dad, marrying him, enduring my adolescence and loving me unconditionally. Thank you for being an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on and net when venting my frustrations. I am so happy that not only can I call you Mom, but also friend.

Mom and Dad Simpson ~ Thank you for raising your son to be a loving, caring, strong, honest, respectful and Godly man. I feel so blessed to have been lead by GOD in a way that our paths crossed at the right time and place. Thank you for accepting me as a daughter and loving me despite my flaws.

Michael, Daddy and Dad Simpson ~ I wish you a happy, blessed and peaceful Father's Day.

All My Love!

P.S. ~ Your cards are late...they're in the mail. Sorry for the delay!!

Strange Obsession?

2008-06-13T18:03:00.003-07:00

I'm going to call myself out here. Not because I want you to make fun of me, I just want to share my latest obsession. So, here goes...

I have heard this story more than a dozen times from my Mom (Morgan's Meme aka., Grandma Lewis when she's ticked me off ). As a child I was a thumb sucker. It was a habit that was very hard to break and took a long time. Apparently, when I indulged in this habit I would pick fuzz from any soft item and rub it under my nose. I don't remember, but my Mom swears I did this. She claims that I would pick the fuzz off the front of my footie jammies to the point of thread bare patches. Very strange obsession she claims.

You are probably pretty confused as to where I am going with this by now. Hang in there there is a point and conclusion to this story.

Anyway, this fuzz picking and rubbing was a comfort thing that I did when I was tired. I really didn't believe I would do something as strange as rubbing fuzz under my nose until the other day...

It started like any other night's bedtime routine for Morgan. Nurse, bath, diaper, lotion, jammies, brush hair (yes, she has some), nurse again, read books, rock to sleep, then into the crib she goes.

I DID IT!! I CAUGHT MYSELF DOING IT!

No, not sucking my thumb and not picking fuzz, but very close. As I was snuggling my baby girl, smelling so sweet after her bath, I caught myself rubbing her soft silky baby fine hair under my nose as I kissed her perfect little head. She was so warm and cuddly and had her little fingers wrapped tightly around my pinky. I was holding her so close planting as many kisses on her head as I could without waking her. The feel of her silky hair on my lips and the smell of her little head was intoxicating. I could have held her there for the rest of my life. It was heaven on earth!

So there it is. I'm a closet fuzz rubber. I guess my Mom was telling the truth. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I love rubbing my daughter's sweet silky hair across my lips as I kiss her little head. Call me STRANGE, I'll take it!

Random Thought...

2008-06-12T17:28:00.004-07:00

As I was looking over our blog I glanced at our Wedding Ticker and had to smile.

Michael and I were married 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days ago.

I Love You, Michael with all that I am and all that I have!

Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to stay at home and watch our sweet little girl grow.