NICU Reunion Carnival

A few weeks ago we got a card in the mail informing us of the 1st Annual NICU Reunion for all of the Mercy NICU graduates. I was so excited about this party and couldn't wait to see Reese's nurses who we grew so close to and who became our heroes. This morning was the shindig, and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day for it. Due to the Razorback game starting at 11, we missed the official group picture at noon, but we spent about an hour checking out the fabulous carnival and catching up with some of my favorite people. Now Reese is napping while we nervously cheer on Arkansas against our old and once again conference rivals, Texas A&M.

A lot of memories and emotions came flooding back while we were walking around the hospital terrace just one year and a day after we took sweet girl home. It was the same terrace where I went out for fresh air, prayed, and had some heart to heart conversations with Wes a year ago. All of my memories and emotions are so dear and special, and I pray that I always remember my thankfulness and appreciation for this hospital and its staff. These nurses made us laugh, encouraged us, guided us as new parents, didn't judge me for being a crazy 1st time mom, and shared with us exactly what was going on with our precious daughter moment by moment. Here are just a few pictures from our wonderful morning.

A very proud daddy taking Reese to the carnival.

Yay! It's Auntie Lauren!

The carnival photo booth. We woke Reese up to come to the party so that we could get back for most of the game...needless to say, she acted like she was still napping the entire time. She would NEVER let us mess with her this much if she was truly awake. However, she would have lit up the entire place with her smile and laughs if she was a bit more rested. Those are her favorite activities these days, and I absolutely love it.

Our hero, Jeri. Jeri was the nurse who got my IV in after seven tries from others, she was in the room when Reese was born and helped her get oxygen and cleaned up, she was the one who put her PICC line in, and she was the one who removed it 7 days later. And I'm sure she was the one who did a lot more than I'll never know. I will never forget her comforting presence.

My sweet, sweet NICU graduate!

On the night Reese was born, nurse Mary watched her in the NICU while she was receiving oxygen and recognized something wasn't right. Her discernment, knowledge, and care helped diagnose our sweet girl early, and I will forever be thankful. She was working today, so Lauren helped us sneak up there to say hi!

Cute photo booth pictures!

Fall Decorating.

Last year, my home was beautifully decorated for fall. You see, I waited to come home until I could bring Reese home, so at this point, I was still living full-time at the hospital. The weather was just beginning to turn, and we were scheduled to bring home baby Thursday, September 30th. I'll never forget that date. I knew my mom and mother-in-law had gotten my fall decorations down from the attic, but I didn't realize they had gone. to. town. in my house and had added a few new pieces to my fall collection. I will also never forget the feeling I had walking in my front door that Thursday afternoon. A cool(er) crisp in the air, pumpkins on my front porch, a big welcome home sign, and then the door opened. Ahhhh...it was fall, and I had my baby in my arms. The living room was beautiful. On top of the decorating, they had the house deep cleaned. My two moms have an incredible art, and I loved that they worked together on this project. Yes, this is a plea to both of you to come decorate this year. Make it annual thing, right?! Just kidding. Wes and I are getting down our decorations this Saturday after the NICU Reunion Carnival (I CAN'T WAIT!), and we will enjoy changing the seasons in our home. Until then, here are a few pictures from our welcome home last year.

Wish I would have gotten some pictures of how it looked on the inside so I could try to copy it this year, but we were a bit busy once we stepped inside that door. Reese wasn't the "easiest" baby. Hehe.

And someone in this house is turning 29 tomorrow, and it ain't the baby or her momma.

Mini-union: Texas Style

SECOND POST TODAY. WOOHOO!

Reese and I got back last night from a long weekend in Dallas with some of my bestest friends in the whole wide world. Our full-scale reunions are pretty rare and pretty impossible these days, so we have to stage mini-unions in their place for a while. These mini-unions are like reunions but involve only half of the nine besties, and babies come, too.

For the other half who couldn't come to Dallas, here's a recap of the weekend. Last Thursday at nap time, we loaded up the car, stopped by to pick up Brooke and Stella, and headed south. We got in to Lily's around 6:30, ate some delicious turkey spaghetti, and put the girls to bed after they played a bit. Lily's house is perfect for toddlers and full of fun toys. Lindsay was already there when we arrived, and LC came shortly after we started dinner. We stayed up talking about our lives and updating each other on relationships, babies, and jobs. It was so what my heart needed. These conversations go deep quick, and the Lord is the center of it all.

Friday morning, after Lindsay headed to the last part of her conference, Lily, Abigail, Brooke, Stella, Reese, and I packed lunches and went to the zoo! It was amazing. Abigail and Stella ran around looking at zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions, monkeys, and lots of other animals I can't name. Reese stayed in her stroller for the most part because I didn't think it would be too sanitary to crawl around the zoo. Each girl rode on a pony and the carousel at the end of our zoo experience and then ate lunch on our way to visit Auntie LC who works right across from the zoo! It was so fun to see where she works...she is a legit member of the Dallas County Medical Society staff. Big office, and even bigger computer. The little ones had a blast exploring her office and sitting at her desk. Pictures will be shared below. "Nap time" at Lily's was followed by a trip to Central Market and its fun playground. Lily made a Mexican smorgasboard that night, and one of my best friends from high school who recently moved to the area came over to visit for a while, too.

Saturday was shopping at North Park, an almost meltdown at Corner Bakery, nap time and WPS watching at Lily's, Buy Buy Baby shopping for Brooke and me, and then pizza eating and Bridesmaids at night. It was the third or fourth time I had seen it, but I still loved it just as much. Perfect for our mini-union. Oh, and I can't forget the phone calls to the rest of the reunion cast and mad libs that totally crossed the line. Another late night of deep heartfelt sharing followed, and then it was time for us to pack up and head out Sunday morning. We stopped at the outlets and Paradise Bakery on our way out of town, and we made it back last night by 7.

Phew! It was a long weekend, but it was so, so good.

My friends are the kind that support, encourage, challenge, share, and love extremely well. We are marking our calendars now for a trip summer of 2013 when we all will be turning or will have turned 30 that year. A trip somewhere fun...beach, big city, cruise, spas, I don't care. The Lord has blessed me with friends I don't deserve, so I am going to cherish them and nurture these relationships as best as I can.

WARNING: There are A LOT of pictures here.

Our first night's dinner. Abigail loved her mama's cookin'.

The littlest two at the beginning of their first trip to the zoo!

Wow.

Reese drinking her juice and hanging out with lions.

Stella!

One of her few trips out of the stroller that morning. She was a trooper!

The girls and their strollers and snacks.

Pony rides. First up--Abigail.

Next--Stella.

Last, but not least--Reese.

Yeah, we just rode ponies.

Post-carousel ride. Reese clung to me halfway through and would not let go of my neck. Kinda sweet.

Seeing Auntie LC at work.

Reese sort of took over LC's work space.

Corporate world in her future?! Yikes.

Playing at Lily's.

Ready to call on those hogs. Too bad these cuties weren't enough.

Like mommy, like daughter. All in our Razorback gear.

Using up some of her nervous energy.

Sunday morning time with Auntie Lindsay.

Mini-union 2011.


Can't wait for the next one coming up soon!

Party People

MP sent me a disk of 210 pictures from the party, and I'm just going to pick a few to share here. She did a fabulous job of capturing all the chaos of the shindig, so thank you again! Here are just a few of the party people in action...

Of course, THE party person. Miss One-Year-Old herself, Reese Walker!

Finishing the set-up and relaxing before the guests arrive.

It's an indoor picnic.

Miss Birthday Girl needed to eat before the party so she could socialize and mingle with her friends during it.

Play area.

LOVE that Sawyer just sprawled out and worked on a puzzle.

The photographer and her hubby.
Gran and O'Pa. All the guests took pictures like this, but I just couldn't upload them all. So I chose the VIP's to post...grandparents!

Picnic-ing.

Most of the girls and babies in the living room while the guys hung out in the "manzebo" on the deck watching football.

Opening presents with her buddy Campbell.

Making sure everyone saw her new doll house!

Birthday cake. She was uninterested to say the least. No eating or smashing, but no screaming or crying either.

So onto the big people cake and cupcakes. Mom is thinking here...how do I cut this HUGE cake?!

Yeah, that's our little family.

She has good expressions.

Trying out her new wagon at the end of the party.

And Mopsy and Popsy to wrap it all up. Do you see any resemblance to the Birthday Girl? I think so.

I'll be posting about our "mini-union" in Dallas this past weekend probably later today. Reese's first trip to the zoo, first pony ride, play time with her friends Abigail and Stella, and being smothered in auntie love.