private

w/in the next 2 weeks i will be switching our blog to a private one, w/ an invited list of users. unfortunately, we've been getting some very random comments & that makes me slightly uncomfortable. if you rarely/never comment on our blog, but read our happenings (& so many of you say you do as you mention it when we email/talk otherwise), please email me @ bwhite7611@charter.net. i will add you to the "invited list"!

nanny barkie

last night, we unexpectedly lost a matriarch of our family. brian's grandmother, nanny barkie to us (margaret snodgrass), suddenly passed away & went home to be with our Lord. at this moment, it's unimaginable to think we're going to make this trek to TN this afternoon and not find her waiting at brian's house for us. or walking through the door to join us for dinner.

her passing has surely left a gaping hole in the fabric of our family. she was a fixture in our close knit crew...whether you live in elizabethton or only return for visits, you likely have a funny story about barkie. she told it like it was. she had some hard knocks. at the age of 24, she became a single mom to martha, who was then 4. she threw her life into raising a daughter who would grow to love God & one day her own family. she took care of her own mother, our precious nanny robbie. she took care of her grandchildren; while working full-time she helped in any way she could with brian & his brother & sister. her family was so incredibly important to her. but i know that in a way she longed for this day. i know that she was torn between this life & the next. i know she wanted to see those old familiar faces that were waiting on her. who i like to believe were there with our Father. who helped to welcome her into the presence of an Almighty God.

but we, we will miss her presence. but we will one day rejoice with her. & how amazing. she now stands in a perfect body, worshipping our Lord. once again, someone we loved & touched & cared for...is at His feet. how humbling & how hopeful.

we love you, nanny! we envy your sight...for now you see fully.

@ a wedding shower at first christian church...nanny barkie, nanny robbie & aunt ruth.

nanny, martha (brian's mom) & julie (brian's sister) @ a baby shower for Garrett, Oct 07.

uncle steve (nanny's brother) holding garrett.

nanny getting to snuggle with garrett @ his first easter, 2008.

garrett's first TN christmas, dec 2008.



garrett & barkie on the front porch of brian's parent's house, march 09.



lucy's first trip to TN, sitting w/ nanny & martha, oct 09.

lucy getting some snuggles from barkie, dec 2009.

brian's brother (michael) & his son, jackson @ nanny's house with brian, garrett & lucy; dec 2009.

lucy, 7 months

it just gets funner. i know, i know. funner isn't a word. but it IS fun to say. & miss lucy is just at such a fun stage.

i can't even tell you how much snuggling this girl loves. the past week we were in charlotte for a few days with my family & then Brian's parents were here over the weekend. she can be in anyone's arms & she's perfectly happy & content. you don't even need a toy to entertain her. @ my nephew's birthday party, it was nearly 8...L had skipped her catnap AND this was a half hour past her bedtime. garrett was saying, "done party. lovey, lovey. night night." poor thing just wanted to sleep. but not lucy. she was down the table, sitting on someone's lap, banging her hands loudly on the table & schreeching. put her in the middle of the party, where she can see what's going on & this girl's in hog heaven! i'm telling you...she just wants IN on the action.

plus sometimes when you're holding her, she reaches for your face. & comes in & just leans her forehead on yours. it's priceless. & unchartered for us. garrett has grown to be a love monkey but @ this age definitely wasn't a snuggler. advantages on both sides...b/c when lucy is displeased for not being held or paid attention to, she definitely "schreeches" until she has your attention. but the sister better learn to get in line...we try really hard to not "always" give in (yes, it's criminal - please post complaints here about the damage we're doing her psyche; she can tell her therapist about it later!).

(boring stats i'm listing mainly for future reference) sleepwise, she's still doing 2 naps a day + her little catnap. she & garrett both go down @ 7:30 so it makes our lives very simple in the evenings (once they're down, of course!). we're about to move her up - yet again - to the NEXT size in diapers b/c those little thighs keep chunking UP! she's doing soooo well w/ her solids...oatmeal, prunes, sweet potatoes, bananas & peas.

our little bean is STILL not interested in rolling from her back to her front. she'll sort of try - mainly in an attempt to see what garrett's doing behind her - but she doesn't care. seriously. she's happy where she is as long as she can see you or has a little toy where she is. i don't know how we'll ever get her to crawl b/c she doesn't enjoy being on her tummy. she'll just lie down on her arms. hahaha...the dr said it's just a matter of will (look out!) - that she'll do it when she's ready. her babbling is on a roll...blah blah blah; da da da; & blowing raspberries FULL of slobber. truly, she can talk up a storm!

i really can't say enough about how content & joyful lucy is. it amazes me that she is already so big. i am so grateful to God for making her our daughter. happy 7 months, baby girl!

ps - sorry for all the obnoxious photos...i couldn't pick just one from this shoot!

goofing off

the other day lucy loo was in SUCH a happy mood. i pulled out a hair band that i haven't put on her b/f & i tried it on her. didn't really love it (or the shots that i took of her w/ it on). BUT when G got up from his nap, he saw it & pulled it on. he does that w/ my workout head bands & so it wasn't unusual that he'd pull lucy's on.

he was happy @ first...but then acted a little foul. maybe b/c i was laughing so hard @ him! :-)

that little look...her eyes...so expressive.





this is soooo showing up in a senior year or rehearsal dinner slideshow. hahahahaha!!!

love how the bean looks @ her big bro. it's always with such adoration...for now! ;-)

happy valentine's day

the three people below...they are my loves. this is the 15th valentine's day brian & i have spent together. we celebrated with some time together last night. which wasn't really so much about valentine's as surviving the first part of this year.

we came home from the holidays feeling like we were firing on all cylinders. really working well together. & i don't mean that in a prideful way...in a way you just know you're in a wonderful, secure place in your relationship. in retrospect it was God preparing us - binding us together for the unexpected challenges we have been facing. it's nothing earth shattering, but enough to shake our world, exhaust us & in many ways truly test our faith. but in the last few weeks we have not only felt God's enormous grace, but one another's physical, emotional & spiritual support.

last night, as we were celebrating our survival :) (& our love, of course!) i was overwhelmed w/ just how blessed i am to spend my day to day with three such precious souls! so happy valentine's day to them & to all of you!

braves game (2008) in a big, giant red chair (though you can't tell it here)...i LOVE when we get time to ourselves - love our babies, but it is life giving to have time w/ my man!

in becoming parents, i believe God gives us the opportunity to see & love our spouse in a new & beautiful way. brian's been the most amazing husband (& father) through our transition...he was great @ garrett's & lucy's births - keeping me laughing & my spirits high. it is my joy to be on the journey of parenting our children w/ him.

happy, happy girl in her valentine's day outfit.

look @ those big blue eyes!

one sad, sick little boy watching 'CARS' after his (seriously!) almost 4 hour nap this afternoon!

he wants lovey & his drink & he curls up on the couch. or on us. we don't even care that he's been hacking all over us. lots & lots of snuggles from our little man in the last several days. wish he was better, but we'll take the cuddles while we can!

a first

 

last week i finally decided i needed to start lucy on her path to solid food. while it's fun & cute to see them eat, it's initially just a big mess & they don't actually eat very much.

i started the bean w/ rice cereal, but truly that stuff's just sooooo disgusting i just switched her over to oatmeal w/in two days. to help w/ some stomach issues, i decided to do prunes as her first fruit. honestly, she doesn't love it. any of it. she'll get it down, most of the time; but you can tell she'd just not prefer to be there. these pics don't do her *attitude* justice. :-) in a month or so, though, i know it will be a different story...in the meantime, we just have to bear through the round & round that is feeding the bean her cereal & fruit!

lucy's 6 month dr appt was yesterday...she got 4 shots. oh so sad - the wide open mouth, silence, then the scream. wretched. otherwise, dr said she's *perfect*!

weight - 17 pounds, 4 ounces (65%)
length - 26.75" (75%)

i looked back @ G's stats from 6 months. he was 9 ounces heavier & a full inch longer! the bean's a little roly poly of love.

cracks me up

 

garrett's always saying funny things or doing funny things. in general, he's a really happy, full of heart little boy.

earlier this week he was on my lap. i was tickling him & we were wrestling. then i said...

me: garrett, are you a sweet boy?
garrett: nooooo!
me: garrett, are you a bad boy?
garrett: nooooo!
me: well then what are you?
garrett: i'm two!

hahahaha! his little mind. :-)

brian's been working crazy hours lately. they've had 3 big pitches in 3 weeks & it's requiring a lot out of brian. in fact, i don't know how he hasn't gotten sick or just fallen over from exhaustion. & you know that as much of a struggle as it is for you, your kids definitely feel it too. brian came home from work the other night & garrett shook his head "no" while saying, "done office!" he was so glad to see brian & to know B was done w/ the office (although he wasn't - poor guy came home to say goodnight to the babies & head back in!).

photo above was taken @ christmas, in TN. cousin J was driving G around brian's parent's neighborhood. they had so much fun!