Learning to Stand

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

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...

Baby Spring Float with Canopy

Cute Product

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

 

4out of 5

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!!!

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

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

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?

Good thing we don't eat outside very often!

Who You Callin' Sleepy?

6 MONTH PICTURES

I LOVE the drool on her chin!


Sweet Girl


Raspberries!


Beach Babe


Surf's Up!

Donating from the heart

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...

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!

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

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?

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...

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.

 

Oh...To Be So Flexible

Our sweet girl is sitting up for longer and longer periods on her own.  It is so much fun to watch her get so excited about her accomplishments.  She has taken to leaning forward all the way to play with toys.  It is really funny to see.  It looks like I could just fold her up like origami and put her in my purse.  Of course, I would never do that!  ;-p

Pardon the laundry in the background...

I did 14 loads of laundry while Michael was gone and I decided this afternoon all I wanted to do was play with my little girl.  Laundry can wait!!

Pediatrician's Nightmare

I know, I know...I'm a naughty mommy!  I snapped this picture right after Morgan woke up from her nap this afternoon.  When I went in her room to get her from her crib I burst out laughing at the sight.  If you look closely you can see about a dozen soft lovies in her crib.  To be precise there are 4 pink stuffed bunnies, 2 white stuffed bunnies, 2 stuffed caterpillars, 1 glow worm, 1 blanket, 1 taggies lovie, 2 rattles, 2 paci's, 1 sleep sheep and a partridge in a pear tree.  (Ok, maybe not the last one, but it sounded good.)  Right smack in the middle of it all was my little girl, grinning from ear to ear and reaching her arms up for me to pick her up.  I'm pretty sure her pediatrician would have a heart-attack if he could see what was in her crib.  Little does he know she has been sleeping on her belly since she could lift her head off the mattress.  She does so much rolling back and forth now that even if she started on her back she would most assuredly be on her belly by morning.  Anyway, I had to take a picture because it made me laugh so hard.

   

Here's my love bug putting her paci in her mouth.

It's a fun game to put it in and take it out repeatedly!

New Toys

Talking to the animals...

Levi keeping watch

Look at me sitting up on my own!

Jumping

Look at those baby blues!

I love my Rain Forest Jumper!

Even on the lowest setting I still need a little boost!

Slight Breakthrough

We had a little breakthrough today...

Morgan drank a little water/organic pear juice mix from a bottle all on her own!

This is a breakthrough because she hasn't taken a bottle since a few days after she came home from the hospital.  Michael and I haven't been on an alone date since before she was born and I haven't been away from her for more than 2 or 3 hours...EVER!

Needless to say we are trying very hard to get her to take a bottle and/or sippy cup.

She will take a few sips out of a sippy, but mostly she wants to chew on it.

Hopefully, we can get her interested in at least one of them, SOON!

All on her own!

Oops!  A few drips! It happens!

EXCITING NEWS!! HE DID IT!!!

CONGRATULATIONS MICHAEL!!!

I am so very proud of all your accomplishments!!

You are so deserving of this for all your hard work!

I love you with all my heart!!

Michael got some great news on Saturday...he made Operational Department Head.  The competition was tough and he was one of the chosen few.  I am soo PROUD of him!!!  Now you may be asking what this means...well, a few things.  In no particular order and I may not get everything but, here's the gist.  Michael will continue to be able to fly, he will get one more bonus installment, it will help when it comes time to put on O-5 (Commander), he will eventually be able to be skipper of a squadron if chosen and he wants,  he will have a lot more responsibilities, work longer hours, most likely be out to sea for 6+ months or so and he will have a lot more stress.  Additionally, it is possible that we may have to move.  Our first choice would be to stay right where we are.  Unfortunately, the Navy will put us where ever they need, be it here or across the globe.  Well, that's all I know for now.  Michael will be trying to get more information over the next few days and weeks.  We will do our best to keep everyone posted on the happenings. ;-)