4 Years

I am so very thankful that as I woke up today the man beside me is Jason Hodges. Four years ago yesterday we were married. So for 4 years I have been able to wake up w/ him beside me. I am so very thankful. As I watched our rehearsal dinner video again it was so good to hear our premarried words talk about why we were marrying one another and what we wanted to take from our parents marriage into our own. Then as I watched our wedding ceremony - tears -of course - I heard Reggie share words that penetrated to my heart again. His challenge to me was that Jason would be my ministry. That I would use the gifts God has given me to pour out onto my husband. What a great reminder of that...Jason is my ministry.
I am thankful for a healthy marriage - a partnership - a covenant, not a contract...I am thankful we trust, we laugh, and we love! I am thankful it is Jason the Lord has given me...and Caroline...and Wyatt!

I love you Jake!

18 Months - So Fast

Dearest Caroline - Today you are 18 months - a year and a half!! You have invaded our hearts. You surprise my day. Teaching you how to pray brings me delight - you are my first born - my darling daughter - flesh of my flesh - and yet not mine at all! Thank you for all that you are letting the Lord teach me through you. To delight in the everyday...nothing is mundane! To relish a good bite of food w/ an "mmmmm", that squealing is totally appropriate, and that saying a word over and over b/c you like the sound of it must delight the Lord b/c he gave us sound!
Today you had your 18 month check up w/ Dr. Cox - you're a giant as always: 33 5/8 inches long (90%), and 22.2 lb (25%)! You are hitting all the milestone developmental things you should - a Dr. Cox loves that you like to eat your veggies frozen! Today though you've had 103 degree fever, so you've been a bit needy...you must not feel good my love b/c you've cried most of the afternoon/evening and that isn't your general disposition. It made mommy and daddy very thankful that you are in general a very healthy little girl! Thank you Lord!

I love you sweet Caroline - and just wanted you to know that today, Sept. 17, 2008 I love you!

Tip Toes

A fun little new fact about our girl...she prances on her tip toes and raises her hands in the air as she does it! So precious, and my oh my it seems so grown up.
She has added new words each day it seems like...the recent ones are: all gone, horse, suzie
combining words: bye bye daddy
and signing: moon

Wow!

Fairy Dust

Just some fun pics from the last couple of weeks of our girl in her little fairy accessories that a friend made, and her at the piano loving the music!

Just to inform, little Wyatt is doing great! We've had some extensive sonograms at the specialist (totally normal to do this for me) and they've all come back normal! Thank you Lord! I am 24 weeks now - that is amazing and actually I feel GREAT!

Caroline is quite the little girl. She is finally saying "mommy" when she sees me as opposed to when she would only say my name when she was sad or hurt! It melts my heart! Here are some other words she is saying - we need to get them on camera so you can hear her sweet voice say the words!

Daddy, Mommy, Doggie, Baby, Bus, Apple, Bible, Jesus, Shoes, Cheese, Ball, Book, Read, Help, Car, Cow, Peas, Mimi, Pops, Papa, Water (WaWee), Eye, Ears, hi, bye-bye, tree, house, yes, no, rain, elbow, hors d'oeuvres (I know hilarious)
there may be more but that's what I can remember now: she signs: more, please, all done, thank you, book ,help, butterfly, airplane

I love being her mom!

Ahoy!

Well, honestly I think most little girls at some point in their life have a sailor dress...Caroline is no different. She was given this darling dress when she was born, and I just could never imagine her big enough to wear it. We brought it out this past Sunday and my how she looked like a little girl.
Poor Wyatt...boys are in such a different clothing realm. It really is just man clothes shrunk down to baby clothes...

Enjoy our little sailor.

Watering

A few fun action shots of our girl helping daddy water the grass on Saturday mornings!

Caroline Dale in action

There have been so many moments over the last several months where I have thought "Oh I need to blog about that." and then lo and behold, I can't seem to remember what the life changing thought was to document. Blame it on the prego brain I guess.

I will say, I am holding close to my heart my last few months with it just being Caroline and I at home. There have been several story times before naps that look like this, story, songs, rocking and tears...I just look at that little face of hers and can't seem to contain the joy of being her mom. Jason says I live in a movie sometimes...and sadly he is oh so right. I watch her play and think of those movies where the kid is going off to college or getting married and the parent has that flash back moment in their mind to when they were toddlers (ie:Father of the Bride when Annie is coming down the stairs)...I seem to have those moments often these days.
I love watching her express her opinion. I have been convicted that if we really are wanting first time obedience from our children, then it should be on the first time-not the 3rd or 4th time. So I am trying to differentiate between disobedience, being a kid...and just testing her limits. I had a conversation w/ my mom about a week ago (those are so good for me), and we were discussing this idea. Then mom said, there are going to be those times Allison that you hope Caroline is defiant, and opinionated. When the other kids want her to get in the car with them after they've been drinking. Well, I just totally lost it and amidst the tears said "Oh I hope so!" I am a wreck for my kid!

Side note: Caroline's brother now has a name. Wyatt Christopher. The "W" in his first name is in honor of my gpa that passed this past January. His name was Wilbur...and we just couldn't do that to him. The Christopher is in honor of my best friend from growing up...he sang in our wedding-Chris DeTray!