365 Days

Dear Baby Girl,
I love you so much, this past year has been such a blessing with you in our family. You have the most precious spirit and we are so grateful for you.
You have brought so much love and joy into our lives. Your big sisters and brother adore you and love to cuddle and play with you. Your daddy and I are just as smitten, if not more so now with you as the day you were born.
I am so grateful Heavenly Father sent you to us and that he sent you on his timing. After some very difficult trials and some very sad times you were the ray of sunshine our family needed. You have helped me heal, you have helped me to feel closer to the spirit, you have reminded me to keep an eternal perspective. I feel so blessed to be you and your siblings mother. I love each of you equally and with all of my heart.
You are at such a fun stage. You are trying so hard to walk, but your not quite there yet. It is so fun to watch you try to keep up with the big kids. You are such a little monkey and you are still so tiny.
I love you so much! Happy first birthday my little princess!!!
I love you to the moon and back!
Love-
Mommy

Eleven Months

August 2012

Dear Baby Girl,

I love you so much my precious baby girl. You are such a sweet little thing. We are all still so smitten with you. You have the cutest little giggle and love to put both of your little hands under your chin and bat your big beautiful eyes at us (it's pretty much the cutest thing we have ever seen).

For weeks now I have thought that you were teething, you sure seem to be, but no teeth yet. You are trying so hard to walk. You pull your self up on everything and have tried to take a few steps. Your brother and sisters sure find this entertaining, they are some of your biggest fans.

 

You are becoming quite the little eater, which is so good for you! We are hoping now that you are eating lots of solids that you will start putting on some weight.  You are still such a tiny little thing at just 15 pounds. You love to eat yogurt, cheese, fruit, and Cheerios.

Your dad and I are constantly talking about how much fun you are and how lucky we are to have you in our lives. You have the sweetest countenance and you bring so much peace and love into our home. You have completely stolen your daddy's heart and I love watching him with you! You are truly a gift and we love you so much!

I love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Mommy

7,8,9,10

Dear Baby Girl,

WOW, now I have seriously gotten behind on my letters to you. I am so mad at myself for this. I am constantly telling myself to SLOW DOWN, but life gets so nuts I often forget.

You are growing up so fast, I can't believe how quickly this past year has gone. I can't believe you are already 10 months old. We have had a busy couple of months and you have changed so much in the last few months.

You have gone from sitting up to crawling to pulling your self up to standing for a minute or two. I am grateful you aren't trying to walk yet! You sure love to stand though, you are so proud of your self, you love to let go of whatever you are holding onto and you squeal before your bum hits the floor. You have gotten pretty quick with your crawling and LOVE to crawl away and laugh in the middle of your diaper changes! Your crawl is so funny because you crawl with your right knee on the floor but wont put your left knee down, instead you push off with your left foot. Despite your silly little crawl, you still look so darn cute cruising around. You are also waving bye-bye and it is so fun to see you interact more and more.

You are still a tiny little thing, weighing in at a whopping 14 pounds. Your such a little string bean. You have to wear 0-3 month shorts and Capri's just so they will stay up on your itty bitty waist. I love that you are still so tiny because you have felt like a baby so much longer!! Although your slow weight gain has had us and your doctor a little worried. We have you on probiotics and other supplements to help you absorb the most nutrients out of your food! We are hoping these things help you to put on a little weight. Your height has continued to slowly increase, so we know that you are growing :).

You are the happiest and sweetest baby. You LOVE being doted on by your sisters and brother and they love to dote on you. You are SO LOVED, it isn't even funny how much we all adore you. Your sweet spirit fills our home with so much love and we are so lucky to have you in our family. I love how you like to snuggle right in my chest still and love when you play with my face as I hold you.

I love you to the moon and back my beautiful little princess!

Love,
Mommy

6 months

Dear Baby Girl,
I got behind on my journaling/blogging and haven't had the chance to write you your six month letter yet. The months since you were born seem to be slipping by so quickly and I just want to freeze time and keep you my precious baby girl for awhile longer.
You are such a sweet, precious baby and I am so grateful to be your mom. I can't imagine what it will be like to not have anymore babies. I am sad that this chapter of my life is going by so quickly. Knowing that your my last has helped me to savor every moment with you. I love that you are still so tiny, it's kept you my little baby longer. At your six month check up you were 12 pounds and in the 3rd perecentile.
After visiting the Doctor and seeing how small you were we started feeding you more foods. At first you weren't sure what to think, but you are starting to do so well eating. You love greek yogurt which is great because it's full of protien and you need it little missy.
Your sisters and brother still adore you to the ends of the earth. They are all so sweet and tender with you and it is so fun for me to watch as a mom. Your brother is especially obsessed with you, he loves to get right in your face and talk baby talk to you. He also has lots of little randm nick names for you which are so cute. Your sisters think you are their little doll and tote you around wherever and whenever they can. I love that they love you so much.
You are trying so hard to sit up but your not quite there yet. You love to roll around on the floor and everything you find goes straight into your mouth. You love toys or anything you can turn into a toy.
You are a mamas girl and I love it, although it makes your daddy a bit sad when you want me over him. You have been saying, "mama" for the last few weeks and your sweet little voice is music to my ears! I just can't get enough of you!!!
Your having a hard time sleeping during the day and still not sleeping through the night. We're hoping for our sake and yours that this changes soon. You are such a tiny little thing and you really need your sleep.
Your beautiful black hair and dark eyes are still getting you lots of attention. I get stoped everywhere so that people can peak in your car seat and take a look at you. You are such a smily baby and love the attention!
I love you so much my beautiful baby. You are truly a gift straight from Heaven. You bring so much love and peace into our home.
Love,
Mommy

Dear Baby Girl...

Little Miss E's nursery

Here is little Miss E's nursery before and afters! I had a lot of fun putting her nursery together. I didn't have a ton of extra money to spend on this project so I had to be thrifty. I went through my storage room to find out decorations that I could re-paint and spruce up to use in the room. Also I found her changing table online for $20, including the baskets, a great deal if you ask me!! The changing table was a light honey wood color and pretty dinged up, so I painted it pink and spray painted the baskets. For all of my paint, supplies, decorations etc... I believe the grand total came to around $175. Not to bad!!! It helps that I already had the crib, dresser, and rocking chair. Also the crib bedding was Lex's when she was a baby and is still in perfect condition.

Before:



After:

Skype baby

Courts dad goes to Africa several times a year for work, so we keep in touch with him through skype. Court was talking to his dad the other night and little baby E could not get enough of her grandpa! She loved talking to him and especially loved holding the phone. In the last week she has started grabbing and playing with toys. It is so cute to see her playing with her toys!!

4 months old

Dear Baby E,

I really cant believe you are already 4 months old. You are getting older way, way too fast. I wish I could slow down time and enjoy you at each stage a little longer.

You are at such a fun age. You love to coo and make noises and you are constantly smiling!! You can recognize daddy and I's voices from across the room. Just a few days ago I was kissing your cheeks and you let out your fitst giggle. Oh it was so cute. Of course your daddy had to get in on the action and he had you giggling more in no time!

You are such a sweet happy baby. You love to cuddle and nurse. You want nothing to do with a bottle and just barely started taking a binky. I took you in today for your 4 month check up and you weighed a whopping 11 pounds 6 ounces, your a tiny little thing. You are pretty long though, you were in the 75th percentile for lengh and only 10th percentile for weight. The doctor wants me to feed you more often and start you on rice cereal to see if we can chunk you up a little bit. We tried the rice cereal for the first time tonight and you weren't the biggest fan, but we will keep on trying.

I absolutly adore you my sweet baby girl. You are precious in every way and I love being your mommy. I know you are my last baby and knowing that is helping me to savour each stage with you even more. I love seeing you grow and become more alert. Your sisters and brother are all crazy in love with you too. Not one of them is gelous in anyway, they each just adore you. And as for your daddy, you have got him wrapped around all of your little fingers. He can't get enough of you either. I think it's pretty safe to say you are very loved!!

I love you to the moon and back!

Love,
Mommy

Ps- I took this picture of you a few weeks ago so your not quite 4 months in it, but I love this picture, it shows all of your personality bottled up in that teeny body of yours :)

Say it isn't so...

Dear baby E,

I can hardly believe you are 3 months old already! These past three months have gone by way, way, way too fast. You have brought so much love and peace into our home. We all absolutly adore you. Not one of your siblings have been jealous of you at all. They each are completely in love with you and are constantly holding, snuggling, and kissing you!

Last night I was up really late, I just couldn't sleep, I held you in my arms and just starred at you. You are truly breath taking. You have such tiny, femanine features. Your eyelashes are incredible. They are so long and thick that they don't even look real! And your hair is so dark, thick, and silky. Everything about you is so precious! I am so grateful for you sweet girl, you are truly a gift from above!

You are still pretty tiny, exactly 11 pounds when I weighed you today. Although I'm not sure how accurate that is since I weighed myself and then again with you in my arms. You are long and skinny. You have the cutest little body, yout so petite!! The kids love your tiny little bottom.

You are very alert now and love to smile. You smile with your whole body. Whenever you smile you crunch in and pull your legs up. It is so cute to see how excited you get when we talk to you. You are cooing now too and it is so much fun. You are so cute when you get "talking". Your daddy loves to go back and forth with you cooing! I really need to get this on video.

I just cant get enough of you, I could hold you all day!! The house has become quite a bit more messy since you came along. Snuggle my beautiful babe or clean house??? I pick you!

I love you to the moon and back!
Love,

Mommy

First hair cut

Oh my goodness this little beauty just melts my HEART!! She is still so tiny and I LOVE IT! All of my other kids have gotten big so fast, it is nice to have her feel like a newborn longer. Well although she isn't growing super fast her hair sure is!! Being a hairdresser I just couldn't take it anymore. Mullets just aren't cute on anyone, not even darling baby girls. She was seriously growing a LONG mullet and last night I had to cut it. I wish I would have taken a before picture. I cut at least a half inch off the back and then trimmed up around her ears. It looks so much better. I can't believe she is barely 7 weeks old and already needed a hair cut! She definitely didn't get her hair from me... she can thank her daddy for her long black hair (and LONG black eyelashes)!!!

Dear Baby Girl...

Dear Baby Girl,

I can not believe you are 6 weeks old ALREADY! Time is flying by so quickly. I just want to keep you my precious newborn baby as long as possible. You are the sweetest, cuddliest, cutest baby!!! Your dark black hair is getting so long I think it's about time for a trim! How crazy that at only 6 weeks old you already need a hair cut :). I get stopped EVERYWHERE I go and people's first comment is always, "LOOK at ALL that hair". Your dark hair and beautiful skin sure get you lots of attention, not to mention that you are a litle beauty.

You are still so tiny and I am loving it! Your sisters and brother got big so fast that I felt like I blinked and the newborn stage was over. You are barely 9 pounds and still seem so tiny to me. Your 0-3 month clothes still drown you and you mostly still wear newborn clothes. You are so much fun and I am LOVING every.single.minute with you!

Love,
Mommy

2 Weeks Already?

Dear Baby E,

I can't believe how fast time is going by already. I took you in for your two week check up yesterday, you have already grown an inch and a half (I'm having a hard time believing that one, maybe there measurements were a little off) and you weighed 7lb. 7oz. (still smaller then any of your siblings were at birth)! You are just so precious and perfect. It is such a joy to have a sweet newborn baby in our home. You are so peaceful and make everyone in the family so happy. Your sisters absolutely ADORE you and want to hold you every chance they get. Your big brother adores you too, although his attention span isn't quite as long. He will ask to hold you and then a tell me a minute or two later, "Ok get her off me now".

You have had your daddy wrapped around your little finger since day one! He is so cute and sweet with you. I love being able to see this side of him. He loves you so much and loves to snuggle and hold you. At night when the big kids have gone to bed he and I fight over who gets to hold you! You love to snuggle right into his chest!!

I truly love being your mother and I feel so lucky to get to stay home with you and your siblings. I love that the sound of my voice calms you down instantly and that you love to curl up on my chest and go to sleep. You smell amazing, if I could bottle up the newborn smell and save it, I WOULD!! More then likely you will be our last baby, I thought that I was going to be totally okay with the idea of not having anymore kids, but ever since you arrived the thought of never getting to have a new baby again has made me a bit sad. Knowing that you will probably be our last has made me want to enjoy every second with you even more. I truly have a hard time putting you down, I just want to enjoy cuddling and holding you as long as possible.

So far you have been a pretty good sleeper for a newborn. We have had a few rough nights, but other then those few you are sleeping really well and only getting up once or twice. You are so sweet and such a good baby, I really don't mind getting up with you. I enjoy the quiet time to hold and nurse you. You always eat and go right back to sleep.

Just a few weeks before you were born I was having a really hard day. I had a lot on my mind and I was really grieving over the loss of my brother Jake. I remember walking down the hall and feeling the most peaceful and calm feeling come over me. I could feel your sweet spirit comforting me and telling me that everything would be ok. I am so grateful for that tender experience with you before you were even born. It is such a privilege to be the mother to 4 of Heavenly Fathers choice spirits.


I love you more then words,
Love,
Mom

She is here!!!

Baby E. 61b. 13oz. 19in.




Our sweet baby girl joined our family just a little over a week ago. She is so precious, perfect, and cuddly. I SERIOUSLY can't get enough of her!! I really can't believe I had such a hard time deciding to have another baby because she is just a little piece of Heaven right in our home. This pregnancy was so challenging for me with being in school full-time (literally 40 hours a week), the death of my baby brother, and then my mystery bug I got in Mexico that ended up lasting about 8 weeks. I have never been more of an emotional wreck in my life. Having this sweet spirit fresh from Heaven in my arms has been so spiritual and healing. During my labor the spirit was so strong... I could feel the presence of my sweet brother Jake and I know that Heavenly Father allowed him to bring her to me. I can't even describe what peace it has brought me to literally FEEL my brother with me just minutes before I gave birth. I completely believe in life after death, I know that our family is eternal and that we will be together FOREVER, death does not change that. It has been very healing to finally cry HAPPY tears for the first time in months. This precious baby is truly a gift!!