Dacy Caroline's First Trip to Grammy, Pop's and Uncle Jake's!

After a great weekend at Dacy and Rob's Easter weekend, Dacy and Dacy Caroline decided to come home with Grammy and Pops and spend the week. It was the tax deadline and Rob had major amounts of work to do!!

We've had a blast!! I've got nothing done, but that's okay!! We've played, went strolling, had a few visits from aunts and uncles and a few friends, and stayed up late at night. I think I even got a real smile out of her that was not gas or milk induced!!!

It was so great to have the four of us, well now five including Dacy Caroline, at home for a time. It was kind of like old times before Dacy and Rob got married. We've had great family time every afternoon and in the evenings. It's amazing how a baby brings us all together. We all stopped our busy schedules and made time for each other. We need to do that daily and not let life get in the way of relationships.

For me, it is often the same way with my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Life gets so busy so often that I do make time for my relationship with Him. We all often need reminders that our priorities need to be realigned yet once again. I know God allows circumstances in our daily to help us accomplish this. I thank HIM for reminding me yet once again to make time for the REALLY important things in our life. I recall a wise pastor who took the order of creation and applied it to the ordering of our priorities. He made the comment that our priorities should be God, family, and church - in the order they were instituted in the Bible. We all need to keep that in the front of our minds daily.

I got to run. Dacy Caroline is calling me to hold her. They go home tomorrow, Friday, April 17. I need to get all the loving I can get before they leave. There will be lots of pictures to follow.

Glimpses of Mema!!

The more I look at Dacy Caroline and view pictures of her and listen to comments made by others about her hair color and mannerisms, the more I am convinced that these seemingly insignificant characteristics are really very significant.

Dacy Caroline has auburn colored hair. Everyone has remarked about her hair color. Robert's dad has strawberry blonde hair so we thought that is where she got it. However, as I thought more about where she may have gotten it I can't help but think of my mother. Of course, I only remember my mother with gray or white hair. But my sisters and daddy talk about Mother's beautiful hair when she was a young lady which was auburn colored!!!

Dacy Caroline often will fold her hands across her chest and more often than not will intertwine her fingers. I was looking at pictures of mother and there was one sticking out lower than the rest. All I could see in the picture was her hands folded in her lap with her fingers intertwined. I immediately thought of the similarities between these two special people in my life.

I would like to think that Mema "kissed" the color into Dacy Caroline's hair in Heaven before God placed her in Dacy's womb. Is it possible that God has allowed Dacy Caroline to have these characteristics of my mom, Mema, to help me have glimpses of her whenever I see Dacy Caroline? All I know is that God helps heal the heart after a loss in a number of ways. At certain points in our walk through grief over the loss of a loved one, little parts of the heart are healed. I think God has done a little more healing in my heart by allowing me to see Mema in and through Dacy Caroline.

I love you, Mother!!! and I will never forget!!!

GENERATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS!!!

God has blessed us all through the birth of Dacy Caroline in so many ways. Angie (Patterson) Brown and I became friends when we were in sixth grade - I won't tell you how many years ago that was. We remained friends all through high school and even kept in touch and visited throughout our college years. Angie got married, moved around to several places, and finally ended up back in Opelika. A couple of years later I married and our hubbies became friends. Angie became pregnant first and had her oldest daughter, Hannah. A few months later I gave birth to my daughter, Dacy. Angie helped raise Dacy and kept her for me for a period of time while I worked. We always have joked and said Hannah should have been mine because we have similar personalities and Dacy should have been Angies because of the same reason. Dacy and Hannah became best of friends and have remained so to this day!!!

Dacy and Hannah grew up and both got married. Hannah became pregnant and had a daughter, Aiden, who just celebrated her 1st birthday. Dacy was with Hannah and Michael at the hospital when Aiden was born. When Dacy became pregnant last year, Hannah was disappointed that she would probably not get to be with Dacy when Dacy Caroline was born because she and Michael had moved to Virginia. Hannah and her husband were coming home for Spring Break and were going to stay with Dacy and Rob a few days before going on to Opelika. Dacy's due date was not until April 1, but this little girl decided to come three weeks early, exactly the time Hannah and Michael would be in Birmingham!!! On top of that it was Aiden's first birthday - March 11. She got a new best friend for her birthday!!! NOW - THAT IS DEFINITELY A GOD THING!!! Hannah was there for the entire labor and delivery and the entire next day. Angie and her husband Michael came up the day after Dacy Caroline was born and spent several hours with us. There is a great picture of ALL THE GIRLS!!! but I will have to get it later and post it. This will be a third generation of best friends!!! There will be lots of memories to recount over the past 37 years and there will be lots more to be made over the next 37 years!!!

I love you both, Angie and Hannah, with all my heart!!! You are not only our best friends, but also sisters in Christ, and "sisters" in our hearts!!! Thanks for all your love and support!!! You guys are the greatest!!!

Dacy Caroline has arrived!!!

Dacy Caroline Lee arrived on March 11, 2009, at 12:49 PM. She was 3 weeks early to the day!!! Already an impatient little thing!!! She weighed 6 lbs 5 oz. and was 18 inches long. She is just absolutely beautiful!!! After two false alarms, one on Monday morning, and one on Tuesday evening, Dacy and Rob got to stay at the hospital on Tuesday morning.

We arrived in Birmingham around 8:45. Dacy was in active labor and utilizing her breathing techniques through each contraction. Jack remarked as we were getting ready to leave Auburn that I was amazingly calm!! I told him he should see me on the inside. As soon as I walked in and saw my baby daughter experiencing one of the toughest experiences she has ever been through in order to give life to one of God's precious miracles I began to cry as did Dacy. We were both relieved for many reasons when we saw each other!! My own mother always said that no matter how old your children get they always need their mom!! I thank God that is true!!

Jack and I stayed in Birmingham through Friday afternoon. Dacy , Rob, and Dacy Caroline arrived home around noon on Friday. Rob's parents came back to Birmingham on Friday to stay the weekend. Jack had to work and I was helping to host a baby adoption shower on Sat. morning. I ABSOLUTELY DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE!!! I knew they were in good hands so we headed back to Opelika to fulfill our responsibilities and get some much needed rest.

I am now back in Birmingham having arrived on Sunday afternoon. I will stay as long as they need me. If it was up to me I would buy the house two doors down and move here tomorrow.
Dacy Caroline is absolutely precious. She is a great baby!! She cries only when she is hungry or has a little gas!! She loves to eat!! EVERY TWO HOURS!!! She is a nursing champ!!!

We've banned Rob to the basement for the week. He has to work so Dacy, Dacy Caroline, and I are having a spend the night party each night in Mom's room!!! HOW FUN!!! Making memories already!!!

I will definitely hate to go home the end of the week!! But I will definitely be back on a regular basis!!! Everybody watch out!!! A proud Grammy and Pops have lots of pictures to share!!!