The Official Invitation!!!

The party is in Shawnee, OK! Thank You to Rita of bellaballoon.com for the beautiful invitation!

11 months with our miracle!

Ella Dawn our sunshine, You are 11 months today wow! Three days ago you crawled for the first time! Mommy was so proud I cried! Daddy was home too and he cheered you on as he watched! You pulled up to your knees for the first time on Thursday, and your favorite thing to play is peek-a-boo! You have loved this game for a long  time, but you have a whole new interest in it, as in you would play for hours on end without pausing! You are loving books and standing! You seem to be getting quite tall and your hair is growing! You are fighting two new teeth on the bottom that just won't pop through yet! You LOVE music and you love to hear and say your name! You are so cute and smart! We finally have caught up on all your yucky shots we just had the last two on Thursday we have more due in the next few months, but at least you aren't behind anymore. Shots are always hard on all of us, you especially, but this time was especially bad since you know the room and the nurse. I could feel you shaking in my arms in anxiety after the nurse had said hi. You started to cry because you knew why we were in that place, you looked so sad. When the nurse came in with the shots and I had to lay you on the table you started to cry so hard and just looked into my eyes like you did not understand why I was doing that at all. it broke my heart, I cried. As soon as the nurse finished I scooped you up and daddy wrapped us up in his big strong arms... that seemed to make things a little better. As always you were very brave and we were so proud! I can't believe you are so big already! I am loving each new stage with you, but it's all flying by too fast. With two hands from mommy or daddy you can walk all around now instead of just a few steps! You have been doing so great with eating some solids, you hardly gag at all anymore! You like your sippy cup too! You are so special sweet girl, we love every single second with you! Happy 11 month birthday Sunshine!!!!

Ella's fist 4th of July!

Ella's sweet "hand-me-down" dress from her cousin!

                                                           She knows she is the star :)

                                                  Wearing her bow from her heart friend Emma!

                                                                      My goofy girl!

                                                                           Our Family

                                                                     Love her so much!

                                                                         Happy Baby!

pictures!!!

One morning she woke up with her hair strait up in front, I guess she slept on her face lol

                                                           She always makes us smile!

                                                            Going out on a family date!

                                                The date started with dinner at one of our favorite places. One of the few places that sounded good from time to time while I was pregnant, also one of the few places that I haven't thrown up in their toilet (not that you wanted to know that)! This trip was extra special to me as it brought back memories of times more uncertain. Jon and I went here just weeks before we left for Dallas with all the unknown ahead. As we sat there eating, a couple walked in with their brand new baby girl. In fact they had come straight from the hospital, she was still wearing her hospital bracelets. I couldn't help but cry. I desperately longed to embrace that little baby and sob, but knowing the parents wouldn't understand I refrained. One of the hardest things for me was seeing parents bring their new born's home right away, I was happy for them, but angry and sad that I wouldn't get to take my tiny baby home right away, and for that matter maybe never. So on this day, as I sat one booth away from where that family sat back then, Ella smiled and cooed, happy and healthy 18 lbs. 10 months old, I couldn't help but cry again. This time they were tears of joy and whispers of beyond grateful "thank you's" to my merciful Jesus. Sometimes as inadequate as "thank you" is, it's all that can escape my lips... and I say it over and over and over again...everyday. God is so Good!

                                                             Here we are, a family of 3!!!

             Next we moved on to Ice Cream! She went to town at first but quickly decided she had enough ;)

 A few days later she had a bite of Oreo and loved it so much we had to get out the camera to catch her                             excitement... this was the result of my camera shy child hahaha she is such a goof! :)

                                                               I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!

A big day is around the corner!

We just can't thank you all enough for following Ella's life and praying for her all this time! It's hard to believe Ella's first birthday is just around the corner, Aug. 9th 2011!! We are inviting YOU! Please RSVP in the comments, and make sure you are healthy the day of the party!!!! We would love to have you as part of this wonderful celebration! I want to say a VERY special thank you to Rita http://bellaballoon.com/  for the save the date you see above! More details to come later!!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day! Growing up father's Day was all about my daddy. Who he was, what he did for us, all the good times we've had! We would scramble around to spoil him extra on Father's Day. I like to think we spoiled him a bit all year with it being all girls in my family!  :) Truth be told he spoiled us a little too, well he spoiled me at least, after all I was the youngest! :) Love you Daddy! Father's Day has always been a special day, but somehow now it means even more! Being married to the man of my dreams, having the baby girl of my dreams, and watching them together... wow! Being a parent certainly makes me realize that before I was a parent, I really didn't understand just how much a parent loves.It is INDESCRIBABLE! I have to brag on Ella's big strong daddy here, it's so easy to do, and after all it is father's day! I remember when we were first getting to know each other, going on dates, talking, I wandered what kind of dad he would be someday. He talked tough,  I wanted him to be a "daddy" not just her "father". We talked about baby names (yes before we got married) I mentioned the name Ella and to my surprise he really liked it. We tried to come up with a boy name, but never really could. We knew the middle name would be David after my sweet hubby himself (Jonathan David) So we jokingly from then on when referring to future kid's we used the name Ella! Little did I know that on Dec. 8 2009 we would get the positive pregnancy test that would forever change our live's and would officially make Jon a daddy of a little girl named Ella! He was so excited as was I, he picked me up in his strong arms and ran around the house like a crazy man lol He was so cute! He is NOT the expressive over the top type of guy, so I was a little shocked at first :) But now I know the power of a little girl on her daddy and I know that was just the first of many more over the top actions from her daddy for her! When we thought we lost our sweet baby very early in the pregnancy, we wept together. He was strong for me, but I could see his heart breaking. He loved her deeply, instantly, she already had his heart. When I was in the hospital 3 times fighting for her life, he was there. He drove the nearly 2 hour round trip to work and back every night to sleep in a horrid stiff chair at my bedside. Jon literally carried me when I was too weak to walk, he held my hair when I threw up, he made my food and when I felt too sick and wanted to refuse (every meal), he lovingly yet firmly ;) forced me to continue to take another bite to save our unborn child's life. He was her advocate. For nine months he stood by my side doing far more then his share of the work, without him and his persistence Ella would not have been born on Aug. 9 2010 at 3:23pm weighing 7lbs. 4oz. 19 3/4 inches long. He came to EVERY single doctor appointment that I had throughout my pregnancy, He loved to hear her heartbeat! Once she entered this world, as much as I deeply wanted to care for her... they had to take her away. And even though I missed those precious first moments of firsts for her, he was by her side standing in where I could not. The moment she was born and we touched her hands, we knew we couldn't lose her. As the teams of surgeons rushed her away I remember Jon was going to be going with them to be with her. It was the first time he was leaving me to care for her, I was still in surgery and scared. I watched as a whirlwind of people took my baby away and Jon gave me a kiss told me that he loved me and he was gone.  He was a father, yes he was still my husband, but I wanted him to go, and  for the first time I wanted him to care for someone else. We understood our love for one another, it was time to share our love with another. He sat alone for 7 hours through her first surgery while I was in recovery. He stood by her bedside all night long. He came and checked on me when he could, but his heart was now part hers. I didn't mind because you see she had captured part of mine as well. She didn't steal our love from one another, she made it grow! Jon has gone above and beyond and is the definition of father! He gave her, her first kiss, her first bath, he showed her love! Ella has made Jon a father, but he has become a "daddy"! Watching the two of them together truly is the best site, the love between them is bubbling over. She light's up when she sees her hero, and his tough talk from before.... well let's just say she might just be a little spoiled from her daddy :) But that's okay, that's what daddy's are for! Jon is an amazing man, husband, father, friend. He is our HERO! We love you SO MUCH! Happy Father's Day!!!!!

                                                  My two favorite people in the whole world!