Getting better every day...

Just some of the pictures from our latest baby group!! There's Lynette and Baby Kyra (in the back, in purple), Samantha is trying to hold Lincoln's hand :), Madline is wearing the pink fishy dress and that's Sarah Paige's head there in the foreground. They were just talking to each other and rolling all over the place. I can't tell you how relieved I felt to get back together with all those girls! They're like my lifeline, my source of energy when it comes to all things mommy. We're all so open and honest, nothing's off limits. It's wonderful. It was a breath of fresh air after my first week back to work. I have missed them SOO much. It's so much to adjust to, work, leaving Lincoln behind, missing baby massage. 

Here's Jenn loving on Lincoln!! Baby Carter was acting like the king of the room with his boppies holding him up!!! And that's Sarah Paige in the foreground again!! She's so long! Man I miss these girls! It's so incredibly sweet of them to start coming to the support group at the 5:00 time so all us mommies who had to go back to work can still get together with all our new friends and playmates. It's so important to have a mommy outlet - this is mine.

Oh I LOVE this picture!! Mom and I went to spend some time with Ma-maw not too long ago. It was such a great day for all of us! Anthony had a continuing ed class in Asheville so Mom went with us all and we meet Ma-maw at the mall and did a little shopping and had lunch. It was so sweet to spend some time with her, and to let her munch on my Lincoln. I think this is just a fabulous picture taken at the end of an equally fabulous day!! Love it!

That silly Zane came to see Lincoln the other day. Leslie and Zane dropped off Anthony's (late) birthday present and he just had to snuggle the baby! He was a total mess from daycare, or hanging out with Kaleb, who knows. But he was sweet. He wanted to play with all of Lincoln's toys and he just couldn't understand why Lincoln couldn't just get up and play with him!

Oh my goodness.....my heart just melts at this. My sweet, sweet boy, fresh and clean out of the tub. Anthony was there to help us and we just loved and snuggled. He loves a bath. He just kicks and squeals and talks. It's terribly cute. There aren't many things better than a squeaky clean baby.

I have to admit I teared up a little here. I was in the bedroom getting my pajamas on while Anthony got Lincoln ready for bed. They were in the nursery for a very long time and I went to peek in on them and this is what I found: Anthony reading a book to the babies. Even Lile was in on the fun. My heart skidded to a stop and my eyes welled up. It's just one of those sweet moments in time you wish you could freeze and just play over and over again when you have a bad day. What  sweet sound...to hear the man of your dreams reading a silly book to the baby you've always prayed for. Oh, my eyes are even getting a little misty as I type this. What a beautiful family God has blessed me with! It's incredible the love we share and the bonds we're growing.

Would you just look at this?! Do you see this?! YES!!! That's MY Lincoln, sitting. ALONE! IN THE FLOOR!! By HIMSELF!!! He can now sit and play alone. Can you believe it?! This was one week before he turned 5 months old! And he's been working on it since we went to the beach in early August. He can lean over and grab a toy and play with it. He still falls over of course, and he sometimes pushes back because he wants to stand up instead. But this is huge. Goodness, this just flies right by.

This is what our deck used to look like. (Well, it used to have a railing there on the end too, I just didn't snap a picture until Anthony had already knocked it off!) 

Then it looked like this:

That's right....it's gone. So we're in the process of rebuilding something YET again! But it's dreadfully fun! I love watching Anthony out those doors making our house beautiful. I also have to giggle at all the times he makes up his mind...and then changes it!

This is what it looks like out our double kitchen doors as of yesterday, September 4, 2010:

Yep....a whole new structure is rising up! The deck is growing from 16x16 to 16x20. And we're going to cover almost all of it, leaving 4 feet uncovered so I can catch some rays :) and we can use the grill up there.  He spent all day Saturday working with his dad, and he's off tomorrow, Labor Day, and plans to work most of the day as well. Although, he's promised to take Lincoln and me to see the butterfly exhibit at the Catawba Science Center before it's gone! It gets better every day.

We also put up Lincoln's very first swing!

It's hanging in the tree right outside the door, under the living room windows. It's so sweet to walk by and catch a glimpse of the swing in the yard. Even when it's empty it holds the promise of so many sweet moments. He just loves it! He smiles and just cackles.

Oh my gosh, couldn't you just eat him?! He's had fun in there today and yesterday. I figure it will become a favorite past time for all of us as the days continue to be cool and fresh like this weekend.

While Anthony was outside yesterday, I was busy inside. I cleaned the house and even managed to rustle up some fall decorations since the weather was so inspiring! Here's my dining room table, all decked out for fall! I love those pilgrims! Can't wait to hang my leaf garland when it gets a little cooler. It's my favorite time of the year. I'm already trying to figure out something for Lincoln for Halloween. Stay tuned for updates!

We met up with Jeromy, Anna, and Ian today for lunch after church. This is Lincoln's first time seeing him in about 5 weeks. He was a little excited, if you couldn't tell. He wanted to eat him!

HA! What a sweet Ian smile!

Now that is a lap-full of babies!!!! Is it time for #2 yet?!?!

Oh those sweet boys! We had a lovely time. Hopefully we're going to see them again next weekend, yay! And I'm doubly hoping that our long-lost friend, Gary, will be with us! He still hasn't met either one of these fellows...it's high time he did!!

Now that I've run out of pictures from the last week and a half I guess it's time to get down to what you all really want to know. Lincoln spent the week with Denise this week....the family friend who's offered to keep him for me so I don't have to send him back to daycare. We talked on the phone tonight after her "trial run" and she's officially decided to take the job!! WOOT WOOT!!! Hooray!! No more daycare for Lincoln!!! She had a good time this week, and he was an extra good baby. It sealed the deal for Anthony when she told us he had been fussy one afternoon, so she took him outside and they sat and watched the humming birds. Now that's something you just can't do at daycare. He's been to the middle school to pick up her oldest daughter and he's come to my school several times this week when Denise had to pick her kids up for dentist appointments and piano lessons. He even went with her to her grandmother's house to give her a bath. She said he was fabulous and very well behaved. Tonight she said she just thought she'd cry if I had to take him back to the daycare. 

See, it turns out that she and her husband, David, had been talking about her getting a job since all the kids were in school and he's traveling like every other week. Problem was she needed a job where she could leave by 2:30 to pick up her girl from the middle school. Where was she going to find that? So while I was desperately praying for a solution to the daycare problem, they were praying to find a job to help ends meet around their house. Isn't God good?! We just "happened" to find each other and answer both prayers! 

This week at work it's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm not constantly rushing to the computer to see the webcam to see if the girls are taking care of my baby. I wasn't worried about whether he was getting interaction and attention. I can't even put into words how different my heart feels knowing that he's with someone who will love him and care for him. When his needs are met, my needs are met. And when Mommy's happy, everyone's happy! It just keeps getting better.....every day.

We've decided on a payment plan that makes us all happy and we've even shuffled some toys her way so they can play with familiar things during the day. He seems happy, he's eating well, and is taking great naps! That goes to show he feels safe and secure, that's all I need to know. Here's hoping for a great relationship with family members, and new friends. I just know this is going to be wonderful for everyone. Of course I'd still love to be at home. That's where my heart is. But Anthony and I are already  making plans for how it would work to stay home next time. It's going to happen, we just have to figure out the lay of the land so to speak. So glad he's willing to help me make that sacrifice for our babies. Gosh, he's pretty great!

Love you all...