Kickin' it in gear!
I am getting ready to get into full blown Mississippi Children's Museum mode! I am the grand opening chairman and I have the extremely large job of getting a 25 million dollar, 40,000 square foot museum open. I have two co-chairs and a team of very well qualified volunteers to help me but the task is large and daunting to think about at times. I feel so privileged to have been asked to head up such an important event in not only the Junior League of Jackson's history books but the city of Jackson as well. We have some great ideas being churned up and while it seems like forever until the Fall of 2010, our time will fly when it comes to producing an event so big in our community. With a new baby coming I am doubly excited and doubly scared! I know that God will get me through all of it and that we can make things happen if we just believe. Our website and museum is amazing. Check it out at: http://www.mississippichildrensmuseum.com/

We have had the craziest week here in Maderville. The air went out again...twice. I am suffering from some serious nausea and the carpel tunnel has returned. It hurts...a LOT! Landry will return to Mom's Morning Out after being out for a month and I think she is ready to go back. She has been such a love these last few weeks and I have so enjoyed our time being lazy together. She is really into books and puzzles these days. She LOVES her shapes puzzle and she can knock it out in no time. She just dumps it and starts over. She knows the difference between a pentagon and an octagon! She even counted to 5 today by herself. She is a truly special child and I know that most mama's feel that way but she really is. I see her sweetness and joy every day and I couldn't be more proud of her.

Word Explosion-20months
Landry is quite the chatter box these days. She wants to know EVERY thing and wants a word for it. Today we went through no less than 12 books..some of them more than a few times...and she named every single thing in them. She is learning all of her animals and their sounds, colors, shapes, numbers and random objects. We are at around 1000 words in her vocabulary. It's hard to keep count now. She has learned several of her letters but she really doesn't care much about them right now. She is figuring out that zebras and horses look the same but are different. She's differentiating between birds and knows the difference between a rooster, chicken, duck and owl. She has also grasped the word 'yes'. She has always said 'please' when she wants something but now she is very clear on yes and no. She still says please but now I am going to start working on Mam and Sir. Too early? Maybe but she's already learning left and right so Sir and Mam ought to be a piece of cake. :) She amazes me every day. I just didn't know they were this smart when they were this little. I may be a little biased but I think she is exceptionally smart. We work hard to make everything a fun learning experience and she seems to love it. There is no shortage of loving praise in this household. The other thing she loves these days is the pool. That girl is a water baby! She loves it when I pick her up and cannonball her in the pool to her Daddy. She pops out of the water with a big ole smile on her face and she scoots to the side and squeals and says "AGAIN!! AGAIN!!" Her swimming has come a long way and she paddles and kicks so well. She has no fear at all of the water...which is good and bad but I am so happy that she loves to be outside and will try anything. I don't know of anything that she's ever been afraid of. She certainly has preferences but she is truly fearless. Bless my soul!

She got out of the tub tonight and our ritual is that we go say hi to Sophie(her picture is in my bathroom) and give her a kiss and then brush her teeth and comb her hair. Tonight she totally surprised me. When we were walking toward her picture she didn't say Sophie...she said SISTER. I looked at her and said 'You're right! That IS your sister.' She just kept saying sister over and over...she never said Sophie. I was stunned. She gives me the smallest gifts that touch my heart each and every day. I am such a blessed Mama. Mike and I had a discussion earlier about how much joy she has brought us. I pray that God brings us a healthy, happy child for Landry to show the ropes to. I can't imagine loving another child like I do her but God is good and He will help me find the space in my heart for it. I guess that's just how things happen....follow Him, Love Him and be loved by Him. It's a good system and I am not going to question it.

ALOHA!

Hands
One of the greatest parts of my day is when Landry is taking a nap or going to bed. Not because I'm getting a break or that I'll soon get a few minutes to myself....it's because of the ritual. When Landry is ready to go to bed she tells us. She looks at me or her Daddy and usually says 'Night night' and then says the word 'hands'. She then proceeds to grab both of our hands-one on each side and walks us to her room. She goes up to her crib and says 'UP!' We get our hugs and kisses and then we lay her down and she immediately clasps her hands together and says 'PRAYERS'. We say our prayers and we end them with a big AMEN. She says 'night night' and we tell her we love her and she's out. It's as simple as that. She loves her sleep and she blesses her parents with a good nights sleep every night. I hope and pray that this new baby will be as good to us as Landry has. Baby M 3 has some pretty big shoes to fill. I know that they say that you love all of your children the same but I just don't know how God could put that much more love in my heart. I feel so full when it comes to her. Our lives have been so blessed these last 19 months. Thank you Lord for taking such great care of our family!

Nausea
...is consuming me and my brain. I know that my blogging has fallen to the way side but I just can't seem to get it together! I have so much to share. We had the most fantastic trip to Hawaii. We saw the most beautiful sunsets, went to a luau, went snorkeling twice, toured the island, watched Mike take a private surfing lesson, laid on the beach and went to Moana Loa...one of the best star gazing places in the world. It was all so amazing. I am so proud of Mike for making Winner's Circle. He has worked so hard this past year and it was an honor he certainly deserved. Our biggest challenge was leaving Landry. Thankfully and most gratefully, we had the loving care of the Barnharts to leave her in. She was absolutely loved and spoiled for 8 days. We called at least twice a day and when she had time to talk to us she was always happy and full of joy. When we got home she cried when they pulled out of the drive way. I just don't know what we would do without MoMo and Paw Paw! I hope that they are always in our lives. They are some of the Godliest people I have ever known and we feel so blessed to have them in our lives.
On to Landry...she is simply amazing. We are amazed at the things that she is learning and doing every day. She is really bursting at the seams with this vocabulary of hers. I could brag about her for days but she simply is the light of my life. As we were preparing for our trip I was determined to have a new will and testament prepared for us. I felt a huge weight off of my shouders the minute it was signed. I cried while I prepared it thinking of the actual reason behind it. I can't leave this child behind. I can't let her father leave us. It just can't happen. She needs us...we need to be here for her and I just can't imagine ever having a moment when I couldn't fill whatever roll she needed from me. With this thought I pray--- Lord, please keep our family safe and healthy so that we may live out this life in love and service to you and each other. Amen. Whatever His will is, we are prepared both spiritually and now, legally.