Growing Boy

My Sweet Reid,

You have only been on this Earth two short years, and you have already proven to have immeasurable resilience and unwavering strength. Through illness and pain, you have never lost your sweet, sweet smile. I can only pray that you are always as joyful as you are right now. Your Daddy and I pray daily that your first love (other than us, cows and tractors) will be our savior and friend, Jesus Christ. Without Him, your life has no purpose. May you see Him in our eyes daily, grow to love Him, and accept Him as your Redeemer.

You have the gift of brightening dreary days. There have been so many times that I have been down, and you simply place your hand on mine and squeeze it tightly. That gentle touch and those silver dollar eyes can make the saddest person jump with joy. Never lose this gift. God will use you throughout your life to brighten the lives of others.

You recently took on the job of "big brother." No, you did not ask for this position, but God blessed you with it. This is a great responsibility. There will come a day when you will know more about what is going on in Sissy's life than your Daddy and I do. You must guide her, protect her and help her to make the right decisions when Mommy and Daddy are not close by. Daddy and I trust you because we already see the love you have for Georgia in the gentle way you play with her. Always hold her close. She is truly a treasure.

Every morning I wake up to your smiling face, and each night I kiss your cheek before you drift off to sleep. I will not always be able to do this, but know that there will never be a morning or a night that I do not think of you and pray for you. The moment that your Daddy and I held you for the first time, we were given proof that our God is indeed very real. Keep smiling Baby Reid...keep smiling.

I love you,
Mommy

"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3

Francie Turns Two and Family Lake Weekend...

This has been an exciting month for our four. Our sweet Francie turned two, and we enjoyed celebrating with her. We also went to Lake Eufaula for a fun family weekend. Here are some pictures I wanted to share!

This is Reid's "I don't want my picture taken, GaGa" face.

Reading books together.

Papa was supposed to be rocking him to sleep...




Sissy decided to start trying to sit up!

Aunt Kate, Georgia, Francie and Baby Christi at Francie's 2nd B-day.

Playing with Sissy.

See the resemblance??

Family Picture at the Cabin

Rolling, Loving, and Calving...

First, our sweet Georgia Peach (4 and 1/2 months) is rolling EVERYWHERE! Earlier this week at 4:00 a.m., she decided to start rolling onto her back, and of course she needed an audience...she has been going ever since! She is already trying to get on her hands and knees, and I'm afraid we will have a crawler before too long...goodness...where does time go?

Along with the cold weather, also comes sweet baby calves. Here is a picture of one...brand new!

And the reason we started this blog, our Reidster, will be turning 2 in less than a month! He is changing and growing everyday. Despite the "terrible twos" we seem to be entering, he is such a joy, and I am so blessed to be his mother. Here is a video of him saying "I Love You!"

11 weeks and the Terrible Two's on Steroids...

Well, my sweet Georgia turned 11 weeks this past Friday. Where does time go? She is sleeping 8-10 hours a night, napping well during the day, gaining weight (already over 10 lbs), "talking," and smiling all the time! Such a happy baby! Reid was wonderful, but she puts him to shame!!!

This stay-at-home-mommy is VERY thankful that her baby girl is so well behaved, because her other "sweet baby" has hit the TERRIBLE TWO'S! Not only has he started pitching horrendous fits, telling Mommy and Daddy "NO!," drawing on the walls, climbing on furniture, playing in toilets, and loving on Sissy a little TOO much (especially when she is sleeping)...but he's also been taking high doses of steroids for the past week because of his asthma! Talk about one heck of a week!!! Here are a few pictures of the little stinker in action...

If you can't tell, Reid has drawn on the wall in this picture...notice his mischievous smile in the background.

Climbing on the chair and dancing naked after a bath.

My little "coo doo" (cool dude)

Even though my little monster has started telling his Mommy and Daddy just what he thinks, that also includes "I uv ooo" (I love you). Those are definitely the sweetest words a Mommy can hear!!!

The Big 6 - 0!!

Happy birthday Papa! Today my Daddy is turning a very young 60 years old (I hope you don't mind my sharing that with the world)! My family and I love him more than words can express (especially my babies) and we wanted him to know how thankful we are that he is our's. We love you, and hope you have a wonderful, spirit-filled day! We'll see you tonight!

Here are a few pictures of him doing what he enjoys best:

Blessed...

Things have settled down in our house, and we are slowly finding a sense of normalcy again. Cory and I were talking last night after both babies were in bed, and reflected over the last several weeks. A terrible pregnancy, a premature baby, giving birth to a gallbladder, and a severe asthma attack sent us for a whirl, but here we are...a little cracked but not shattered, tired but healthy, and blessed more than we ever imagined.

Everyday I find myself thankful for the two sweet souls God trusted me with...not to mention the parents that God gave Cory and I. DayDay and CeCe, and Papa and GaGa have given more of their time and love to our family over the last several months, and all we can really say is thank you. I can hear my Daddy plain as day, "You don't have to thank us. We do it because we love you." But I never want the four of you to think we don't appreciate each of you. Whether it was last minute babysitting, 3 drives back and forth to Pensacola, or late night visits to the hospital just to offer a smile and that never-failing sense of security, know that we love you, and your grandchildren love you too. Here are a two big smiles to brighten your day...

Beachin' It...

Well, I successfully took 3 red-heads to the beach, and not one came back sun burnt (thanks to those 4 bottles of 50 proof Water Babies I bought)! Cory and I took Reid and Georgia to the San Destin Hilton for our annual week at the beach. We all had a much needed break from our current normal of regular hospital visits. Reid LOVED being all boy and wallowing in the sand, and Georgia just decided that the beach was a more peaceful environment for her agenda of sleeping and eating. Cory and I simply enjoyed making memories with our sweet babies. Next year, both will be completely mobile and we'll really be given a run for our money! Here are a few pictures...

Georgia was pooped...

Things got quiet in the hotel room, and when I went looking, this is what I found...

Big beach smile!

Being silly...


The green bucket didn't get too far away...

Diggin'...

Playing with Dada...

Reid took a much needed 2 hour nap on the beach! That's the life...

If only he knew...

...when the day comes that he's actually old enough to cut the grass, he won't be NEARLY as excited as he is now! This is what we caught Reid doing Sunday afternoon while Cory grilled our supper...

Anything you can do...

I can do better! I can do anything better than you! Maybe Reid's just a little jealous...= )

We can both fit on the blanket!!!

Sissy sitting in her Bumbo

...Reid can still fit in it too!!!

The drama never ends...

Just so you know, I posted a little about Georgia down below...be sure to read that first!

Ever since "Sissy" joined us, our lives have been far from boring. Reid had been spending a lot of time with his grandparents. Papa and Gaga took him to eat at Burger King, let him play in the sprinkler, and to Montgomery to pick up Francie at Chick-fil-a! DayDay and Cece also took him to the beach.

On July 2nd, I went back into the hospital because of a gallbladder attack, and had surgery to remove it on the 4th (no fireworks there!). Exactly one week later, Reid woke Cory and I up in the middle of the night coughing and restless. This is VERY RARE for Reid. He is such a good sleeper, so when he wasn't able to rest well, we knew he was getting sick. The next morning we had to take him to the ER in Andalusia, because the doc's office was closed. We assumed he would leave with some breathing treatments and antibiotics, but boy were we wrong! God's hand was on the shoulder of my child the entire day, and it is amazing to see how He worked now that we are no longer in the midst of the situation. While at the ER, there had been a horrible accident, and the ER doctor was tied up with that patient. Dr. Eldridge (Reid's primary care doc) happened to be at the hospital because there was a baby that was possibly going to be transferred to a different NICU. Anyway, Dr. E ended up seeing Reid, and let me tell you...when I saw him, I immediately felt relief and knew that Reid was in good hands! Dr. E transferred Reid by ambulance to Sacred Heart in Pensacola where he spent two nights on the toddler pediatric ward. Reid had a severe allergic asthma attack, and had to have oxygen via a nasal cannula. We had a very scary night on Saturday night because the doctors were throwing around possibilities such as surgery, ICU, infection, etc. Just as quickly as the situation became serious and brought Cory and I to our knees (literally...in the hospital room) God showed his grace and mercy, and Reid began improving. He finished the rest of his steroids and breathing treatments today, and Dr. E gave him a clean bill of health. Cory and I simply have to be more vigilant, and start treating an attack before it gets too severe. Here are pictures of Reid in the hospital. He was such a sweet boy even in the midst of his pain!!!

Needless to say, everything has been pretty hectic in the Ellis household, but I have been blessed with the joy of waking up to that precious smile every day...you have to admit, that makes it all worth it!!!

We've added a little pink to our lives!!!

Well, I honestly have no idea where to even start. The last time I posted, I had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl 5 weeks early. At the time, we were told she was in perfect health, and we were resting on cloud nine. Shortly after, we were informed by the pediatrician that she could have some possible health issues. Several tense hours later, we were relieved to find out that there was nothing wrong...she was perfect. Hallelujah! Reid has dubbed her "Sissy" and he is definitely a proud big brother. The first picture is of him seeing her for the first time. All he could do was wave and say, "Hey Sissy! Hey!"

Georgia is now 6 weeks old. Boy does time fly. She is almost sleeping through the night (she gives us 5 and 6 hour stretches) and is staying awake more during the day. Her eyes are constantly moving and looking in every direction, and she is starting to give her mommy big smiles that are all gums! Gosh I love it! Here is G at 4 weeks.