What a week!!

This past week Presley and I went to San Antonio to help my sister, Kaci, with Katelynn while she was at a conference. We had such a great time. However, it wasn't without a little drama!!

When we arrived some good friends of ours were there with Kaci. Jo and Vicki are friends of Kaci's from Cabot, Arkansas who I had the privilege of befriending while I stayed with Kaci in March. They are such wonderful ladies! When we are all together you would never know that their is at least a 20+ year difference between all of us. Their love of life and simple way of viewing the world is so refreshing. Plus it is full of wisdom that I try to cling to every minute I am around them. We all sat around laughing and giggling like we have been friends forever. While they were there we went to Sea World with the little girls. What fun!! I honestly thought it would be hard for me with Presley. Nope! She LOVED it! I know you are thinking how can a 4month old enjoy Sea World. She did. She watched everything. The colors and songs helping in grabbing her attention. I just can't believe how alert she is. It is incredible to watch her take in everything around her for the first time. Katelynn enjoyed it also. She was such a trooper. She took the heat and walking like a pro! My sister really has done an incredible job with her!!

Kaci and I had a day to ourselves before she had to go to work. We had a full day planned until I had to throw a twist in there. I had been having a lot of pain in my hand and wrist and it was only getting worse. To the point I was having a hard time holding Presley and knew I would have a hard time with both girls if I didn't check it out. So, we headed to the emergency room. We sat there for 3hrs just to get Aleve and a soft cast to stabilize it. I didn't get a diagnosis, but my personal diagnosis is tendinitis. I wore the cast for the rest of that day and at night the rest of the week. I had to have it off to handle the girls. After the emergency room we headed off to the Alamo. HAHAHAHA!!! People are not joking when they talk about how small it is. It was neat to see a piece of history, though, and the parks around it were beautiful!

I had the two girls for the next two days by myself. That was fun! All day all I heard was "Hey Presley!" from my niece Katelynn! She is getting super big. She talks all the time and mi micks everything you do. She loves Presley so much. Every time I turned around she had Presley in a head lock. It was the "I love you so much that I don't know how hard to squeeze" hug little ones do at that age. Presley loved Katelynn just as equally. You could tell because she let Katelynn squeeze her without complaint and because she couldn't take her eyes off of her. There was only one problem. They felt a huge void all week and couldn't figure out what it was. Then it dawned on them, their little man Dylan wasn't there. That is their older cousin. They think he rocks.

Then the next two days Presley and I spent with Katelynn and her dad James. James, Kaci's ex, came to see Katelynn since she was so close. It was so great to get to see Katelynn with James however, I couldn't help but think the whole time that this would soon come to an end when he would have to head back to Arkansas. We went to the botanical gardens in San Antonio and ate at the bistro. It was fabulous. That night we went to the river walk and road the boats and got a tour of all the historical buildings that line the river. It was like family again. I wanted to be hurtful and angry that the situation isn't that anymore, but I couldn't. I guess there just comes a time when you realize the loss of someone dear will always hurt, but that it is hard to stop loving them when there are too many good memories.

The next day, Friday, James, Kaci, Katelynn, Presley and I were going to go to the zoo. However,Kaci had other plans for us. She woke me up at 6am telling me we needed to go to the emergency room. Yes, that would be out 2nd visit in 5 days!! She had a sore throat and wanted to get some antibiotics to help her for her trip home on Saturday. Well, she got antibiotics and a 2 night stay in the hospital. When we got to the ER her white blood cell count was 25000 when the norm is suppose to be between 5&10,000. Nasty infection! She was admitted that night and not released until Sunday evening at 11:00pm. We both had to extend our flights from Saturday to Monday. Oh, and my mom flew in in case it got worse. It didn't, thank goodness, but we got to spend a little time with mom!!! I knew Kaci had something up her sleeve when all this went down.

Coming home Presley and I got delayed in Atlanta due to severe thunderstorms. We were suppose to be home at 7:45 but didn't get home until 11:00pm. We were both so tired. Presley did extremely well on the flights, though, and seems to love traveling. She almost seems to thrive in the hustle and bustle of trips. It was a wonderful trip all in all. Now we get to do it all again this Saturday. Presley and I will be heading to Jonesboro to visit Dallas' family. Pray for us. We will be tired!!!

Click here to see all the pictures of our trip. (pictures)

Presley's Amazing Ckup!

Presley had a great check up today!! She went in for her 4 month check up and wowed the doctor. She is 12lbs 13oz. I just knew she would be 13, but alas she was not. The doc says she is very advanced for her age. Get this-when she was showing me how she should be sitting at the 6month check up, Presley sat straight up(no hands on the table) and looked at the doctor almost as if she was saying "Like this?" She then checked her leg strength and Presley let go for a moment and balanced on her own. Needless to say the doctor said she was advanced and that she is going to be a hand full. Of course, I realize that this too will slow down as every baby has their time of rapid development. However, for now I am proud! I also couldn't help but giggle that in the midst of all these people oohing and awing over her development that every ones #1 comment and concern was over her hair! AUGH! That darn hair!!! HEE HEE!!
I was tickled. She is doing super good and showed out once again for anyone who would give her an audience. Sound like anyone you know?

Presley laughing

Ok, so I know I have posted a ton of blogs in the last 48hrs in comparison to my lack of posts over the last month but I had to blog this. Dallas, Presley and I were sitting in the livingroom last night well past when Presley normally goes to sleep when she got the giggles!! She is all girl! Anyways, I had to video it. I have to apologize because she chokes herself early in the video and it gets me so tickled that I couldn't stop laughing. Then, Dallas joined in which made me laugh even harder. So, unfortunately you can hear me laughing pretty loudly. Sorry. I hope you all enjoy a sweet glimpse into family time at the Gipson's!!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Anniversary and 4 months...

Happy Anniversary to my mom and dad and to Dallas' parents. Mae and Pop (Patsy and Donnie) had their anniversary yesterday. Dallas' mom and dad ( Mary and Gary) are having theirs today. Yes, our parents are both still together. It is amazing and such an incredible example to us. We appreciate both sets of parents more than they will ever know. I am so greatful that my parents have stayed together and more importantly that over the years they have transitioned from my parents to my friends. That says a great deal about their character. I am greatful to God for Dallas' parents because, well, they gave me Dallas!! Happy Anniversary to both of you.

I can't believe a year ago this weekend we found out we were pregnant with Presley. Isn't that wild? I took my first test on Aug. 21st. We called my parents and told them unofficially that we were pregnant as an anniversary present and were able to call Dallas' parents the following night wtih official news that we were expecting!! Isn't that cool!! We thought it would be a fitting anniversary present since Presley is a part of the legacy of both of those marriages!!

Presley is 4 months old today. Can you believe it? I can't. This week I remember telling myself that she is no longer "new"! She is starting to get this world down. Or, maybe it is because she fell off the couch! OUCH! Yeah, I know. Cindy is a bad mom. It really does happen in a split second. Yikes. Once I realized that she was ok I then realized that she isn't so brand new anymore.

What she is doing at 4 months:

She rolls from her back to her front
She talks up a storm(Baby language of course)
She has a good routine down
She sleeps 10hrs a night
She plays with her toes
She knows who mommy and daddy are(that is my favorite thing)
She is growing out of her newborn clothes =(
She is now 12lbs 7oz
She is 4 months bigger than I ever imagined she would be.....I can't even begin to imagine her first day of kindergarten, first crush, prom night, wedding day and the day she becomes a mommy herself. Life is truely AMAZING!

And Mommy and Daddy don't want to remember life without you!!

Tropical Storm Fay

As many of you know Florida has taken a beating from Tropical Storm Fay. 4 landfalls in one state! That is historic. The center of Fay went right over Gainesville. Which, in this storm meant that we really didn't get a lot of activity. Ok, well, we did according to people who live here. However, Dallas and I have been through worse thunderstorms in Arkansas. There was a lot of wind and TONS of rain. Thank God we are in-land or we would have had flooding like some of the Southcentral areas of Florida. She was a lot more of a problem for people on her outward whipping bands. However, I was preparred. Dallas was gone all week when she was suppose to hit which left me to preparations. Lets just say I am glad there was no problem while he was gone!! Needless to say we are all ok. Except for a lot of branches down and power going out once or twice at night, we are good. I only have one question after all of this. Who ever came up with the phrase "You hit like a girl" to be considered an insult?? After TSs like Fay and Hurricanes like Katrina I am not sure we should consider that a bad thing!! Hope everyone is staying dry and happy.

We play..

Presley had a very busy week. Everyday we were playing with friends, swimming, running errands, etc. Presley loves to get out and go. I know she needs a schedule and we are working on that, but for now she really seems to thrive in the hustle and bustle of life!!

Every Tuesday since she was born her and I go to a "New Moms' Luncheon" at the hospital I gave birth in. The point of the luncheon is to give new moms a place to go, hang out and discuss issues they are having with being a new mommy. From these luncheons we have met some great people. Two weeks ago we had our first play date with some of the little ones her age here at the house!! She already loves her new friends and mommy really appreciates the other ladies!

She is really starting to come into her own. She laughs all the time. I swear she is already pitching a fit when she is bored. She will crawl/walk early due to the fact she is frustrated when we don't know what it is she wants to do/see!!! She cracks us up! We had her in a dress that my Aunt Brenda and Uncle Jack gave her as a gift and took some pictures of her on our granite table top. She was so into the granite because of the different colors we could hardly get her to look up. But, alas, we got a few.

Sympathies....

My dear friend from High School, Jessica Sainz Gause, lost her older brother in a car accident last weekend. Jesse Sainz was 29. Please pray for this family at this time of loss. Jessica, my sympathies are with you. I wish I knew exactly what to say to you right now. Sometimes words aren't enough. May God's peace and comfort find you.