Moon Over My-Amity

Our Busy Little Bee

Open Door Policy

This little sweet and sassy girl has developed a recent fear of monsters. We are not sure where she first heard of monsters or what she actually thinks monsters are but they are very real to her. When she is not afraid of monsters, she is afraid that there are bugs in her bed. Our house is by no means pristine but we don't have a bugs in our beds! Every night, I kneel beside her bed and pray with her. We pray that the Lord would remind her that He is bigger than all of her fears and that He would give her peace and enable her to trust in Him when she is afraid. She loves these times to pray together but tonight, in the middle of our prayer, she reminded me that I needed to leave her bedroom door open!

Even with her door open a crack, she has already cried out more than four times to go to the bathroom. After the last time, she said, "Mommy, I want to sleep with you and Daddy." When I told her she couldn't, she said, "But I don't want to sleep in my room!" It's so hard to do things we don't want to do! I did take her into our room and showed her the video monitor. She recognized her bed and I told her that I would be watching her and listening for her if anything was trying to scare her. It is now 10:20 pm and she is still awake.

It is time to go to sleep little girl! Sweet monster-free and bug-free dreams!

Debriefing

I took this video yesterday afternoon after we returned home from MOPS/Moppets.  Vivien went down for a nap and Amity made a stop in the restroom before going down for a nap herself.  I thought that I would take the opportunity to catch some of Amity's talkativeness on video.  I obviously didn't know how it would end!  I had to edit the rest of the video but you can still get an idea of Amity's chatty little self.  She especially likes to have company at these times in her day!

Our Very Patient Patient

Sweet little Vivi Leigh started showing signs of an upset tummy Saturday evening. When I walked into the girls' room on Sunday morning, it was di-stink-tly (HA!) evident that there was sickness in the Grover home. I stayed home from church with the girls while Dennis went to do set-up and stayed for the service. We spent the rest of the day at home changing Vivien's diapers and serving up the Pedialyte.

On Monday, it appeared she might be ready for a regular bottle and we met Becky and the kids from some MOPS craft shopping and then a Boss's Day lunch at Applebees. GG and KK arrived late afternoon and we all sat down to dinner (minus Dennis who was working a game).

Shortly after Vivien tried some food, it came right back up and landed all over KK and Paco and herself. Paco was sent outside, Vivien was put in the bathtub, KK helped even while wearing Vivien's dinner, and GG cleaned up the kitchen and entertained Amity. Just as we got Vivien cleaned up in the tub, her little tummy got sick again...from the other end. We scooped her out of the dirty water and put her in the bathroom sink where we cleaned her up again. Eventually, KK and Vivien got cleaned up and GG gave Paco a hose bath outside. Thank goodness for God's provision of grandparents at the perfect time!

Vivien received lots of TLC from GG and KK on Tuesday and Wednesday. When she was still sick on Tuesday, the nurse suggested by phone that we give her soy formula for a few days. By Wednesday, she was fully recovered.

I took these pictures on Sunday when she was in the midst of the sickness but you never would have known it. She was just a little more cuddly and sleepy but all around a perfect little patient!

Eddie Coker & Cousins

We visited the Aboretum's Pumpkin Patch for the second time this fall and this time took Aunt Becky, Eli, and Eiley with us.  It was a wonderful crazy adventure including a concert by Eddie Coker!  Apparently, Blogger sensed the craziness and doesn't want me to display the pictures in any sort of sequential order.   So, behold our fun day in a mixed-up way and don't forget to notice Amity's pony tail.  It might never happen again! :)

Precious

Hi Vivien! It's your Mommy! I apologize that I have not kept up with your monthly updates. Someday, when you read this (because you will read this...many times, right?), I want you to know that the lack of updates in no way indicates your lack of preciousness to us. Just to prove it, let me tell you some of the ways that we prize you!
I could just stare for hours at your profile in the picture above. Your little bald forehead from rubbing your face in your lovies as you sleep on your tummy. Your squishy round cheeks that have been kissed thousands of times already in your short little life. That scrumptious little nose. Your eyes always alert and taking in the world. Those chubby little arms that are very good at grabbing anything within reach.

You are a wonderful sleeper and still nap a couple of hours in the morning and a couple in the afternoon and then sleep hard from 7-7 at night. But, whenever you are awake, you are A-W-A-K-E and full of energy. Those little arms at your side are always in motion and, sometimes, you shake them and let out a noise that sounds like you are frustrated that you can't do more, say more, show more excitement. Is this an indication of what your high school activity schedule is going to be like?

You are a happy baby at home and out with family but get very serious when strangers talk to you. You have been this way from Day One with your ability to wrinkle that Bounds forehead.

You have had two teeth on the bottom for quite a while and one top tooth has broken through. Several more appear to be on their way. You love to chew on anything you can get your hands on.

I love to lay a toy down a little ways away from you and watch you take off to get it. You are very intentional about your crawling and you seem to love this new mobility and ability to follow your sister.

You have yet to stand up on your own but you are always trying to put weight on those little feet and you often get in this kneeling position. I love your little tongue that hangs out as you concentrate!

We are always standing you up on toys and you love to hang on and look like such a big girl. After a few minutes, we will hear you start to whine because you haven't yet figured out how to get down gracefully. However, the few times that you have just fallen down, you have rarely cried. You seem to be one that thinks falling is just a part of the process. That is a good quality to have in life!

I can't tell you how much you weigh or how long you are right now but I can tell you that listening to you breathe is one of my favorite sounds in the world. At night, you can go from 90 to nothing as I pick you up from playing in your bedroom with your sister and hold you tightly in my arms for a few minutes before I put you in bed. I thank God for you and pray for you and I pray for my dear friends that wait for a precious one of their own to hold. You are precious to me!

I love you!

Mom

In Her Genes

My grandmother was an elementary school teacher. I have two aunts that were elementary teachers. My mother was an elementary teacher and now my two girls have a mother that was/will be an elementary teacher. I am told that I used to hurry to my room after church to line up my dolls and teach them the Sunday school lesson. I guess I should not be surprised that, on our way home from MOPS today, Amity asked for a book to read and then started saying things like, "Okay, you've got to listen to the story. Hey! Calm down! Okay, this book is about hands. (the book is really in Spanish about growing tomatoes!). God made tomatoes. (turn the page) God made feet. (turn the page) God made..."

I let her pick out some books to read during her naptime. Twenty minutes after she had been in her room I could still hear her talking. I peaked in and caught this picture of her reading to Elmo. I hope that Oma and Aunt Pixie get to see this! :)

Partners in Crime

This little girl has become quite the entertainer at mealtimes lately. She loves to tell stories and just laugh and stall eating her food.

Of course, this little person ADORES her big sister and thinks everything she does is just hilarious!

With Dennis's games and my evening classes this fall, one of us is often doing the dinner routine by ourselves. We have confessed to each other that we sometimes feel outnumbered! I have a feeling this is just the beginning!

Her Own Little Person

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We've had a feeling every since she was just weeks old that little Miss Vivien was not going to be an exact replica of her big sister. The above picture is a perfect example! This has become Vivien's favorite thing to do anytime she is near her pack and play (from the inside OR the outside). She sticks her little teeth into the holes on the sides and pushes her head back and forth. I don't think this ever even crossed Amity's mind! Why do we already feel the need to pray for prevention from emergency room visits for this little one? :)