One Year Later

A year ago today we found out that our little blessing was on the way. What a year it has been! Our sweet girl is a joy and blessing in our lives. I can't imagine life without her. Sometimes it's hard to remember when she wasn't with us.

July 24, 2012 - - 5 1/2 weeks pregnant

July 24, 2013 - - Evelyn Ravinell at 3 1/2 months

Memories

It's been 6 months since Chris' great grandmother, Grandma, passed away and nearly a year since she moved from our home to a nursing facility in Texas. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her. Just this morning I was baking cookies and put them in a container that was once hers. Our home is filled with her belongings. Her cookie jar, her sugar dish, the coffee cups she liked to use, her old sewing box. I enjoy seeing these items day to day and have those memories of her. While our time taking care of her was often difficult, I was blessed by her. I'm thankful to be able to remember the good times and the hard times have become distant memories.

We have an annual meeting this weekend. It was during this meeting last year that Chris and I strongly felt our time taking care of her was coming to an end. Her dementia had gotten to the point where she lived most of her days as a child waiting to go to school or waiting for her Daddy to come home. When she couldn't go to school or couldn't get up to go find her Daddy, she got very agitated and hard to control. She couldn't walk well and she wasn't sleeping well. During this meeting last year, she went 36 hours without sleeping, which only made her dementia and agitation worse. I was trying to keep a houseful of company, prepare food for church, enjoy the meeting, and take care of her. It was exhausting and extremely trying. (I was also pregnant, which we didn't know at the time, but certainly added to the exhaustion.) I spent most of the weekend in tears. Tears of frustration that she couldn't understand that she wasn't going to school, tears of anger at the disease of dementia, tears of selfishness that I couldn't enjoy the blessing of a church meeting, and tears of defeat in admitting that I could no longer care for Grandma. I'm not one to give up easily and I didn't want to throw in the towel just because I thought it was getting too difficult. Thankfully, the Lord's plans are far above ours and He blessed us with the perfect answer just a week later when we found out we were expecting.

I try to tell Evelyn about her great great grandmother and I look forward to many more years of being able to share stories with her. What I would give for just one picture of Evelyn and Grandma together. My hope is that Evelyn would grow up to know Grandma through our stories and she can feel as if she knew her in this world.

5 Years Later

Wedding Day: July 5, 2008

Five years later - wonderfully blessed

3 Months

 

Weight: 14 lbs, 10 1/2 oz
Height: 24 1/4 inches

 

 

Evelyn,

You are three months old today and even more precious than you were a month ago. I love watching you grow and become more aware of your surroundings every day. You are a curious little thing and I have no doubt you are soaking up everything around you.

This has been a big month for you with lots of "firsts." You took your first airplane ride this month and loved it. I was so proud of how well you did during the flight. We took the plane ride to Mississippi so you could meet your Great Grandpa Lester (Papaw) and Great Grandma Kate. They loved you and spoiled you while we were visiting. Papaw especially loved to hold you and play with you first thing in the morning. He would spend an hour or so every morning with you. You gave him big smiles and talked to him. Papaw just loved that.

While we were in Mississippi, you also got to meet your Uncle Isaac, Aunt Heather, and Cousin Lily for the first time. You enjoyed watching your big cousin, Lily, run around and play. You also met your Great Aunt Daphnea, Great Aunt Kimberly, and Mama's cousins. You spent the week getting kissed on and held by everyone. You did so well with it all and only complained a few times.

This month was one for meeting family! You also got to meet your Grandi and cousin Katelynn. They were so in love with you and couldn't get enough of your smiles. You really took to Katelynn and loved to watch her and smile at her. We took Grandi and Katelynn to Disney World. You were like an old pro since this was your third visit.

You also went swimming for the first time this month. Bath time is still one of your very favorite activities, so I wondered how you would do in the pool. You looked super adorable in your pink bathing suit. The water was quite a bit cooler than your bath water and it took your breath away at first. You didn't really kick and splash like I expected you too, but you didn't fuss either.

Tummy time has gotten a lot better this month! Since we found out that you have torticollis last month and have been doing daily stretches for your neck, you are able to tolerate tummy time a lot better. You start out on the floor and do about 5 minutes before you start fussing. Then I put the boppy under you and you are fairly content for another 10-15 minutes. We do this at least twice a day. You like it most if me or Daddy lay on the floor with you and talk to you. You also love your Dancing Ant toy Aunt Heather bought you.

You have started showing more interest in books this month. We tried out your Bumbo seat for the first time and you enjoyed that. I read you several books while you were sitting in it and you stayed interested through about 3 books. I enjoy reading to you and look forward to spending many more hours teaching you to love reading.

In the past week, you have just started becoming interested in your feet more. You love to grab onto your toes and hold your foot in the air. You have also been chewing on your hands and slobbering a ton, so I expect to see teeth popping up in the next month.

My darling daughter, you are very much a joy and blessing to us. I will never get tired of seeing your big gummy smiles first thing in the morning or when your Daddy gets home. Oh do you love your Daddy! The two of you have such a sweet relationship and I can't wait to see it grow.

I love you and can't wait to see what the next month brings!