Last Year

Do you remember a moment? An exact time and place of where you were? I do. Last year at this exact time- 9:30- I called John in (More like yelled with concern) as he was watching his bowl game. You see I had gone to bed at 7:30 because I was tired. We had gone to church, gone out to eat and then grocery shopping.
But my little baby decided she didn't have enough room in my tummy any more. She needed some stretching room. So she pushed and kicked and got her feet out. And woke me up.
And the rest well.... you can remember all the fun here.

Life is CRAZY...

Yes it is. We just got back into the swing of things on Wednesday. John went back to work. I recovered from my extreme tiredness and Gianna loved being able to finally play with all her new toys. Scooter- we'll he just slept, not much difference for him!
Thursday- that's when life was NOT normal! John's dad got scheduled for surgery. They live in Temple, but it was here at St Joseph's in Bryan. Gianna and I got up Thursday and headed over the the hospital to wait. Two hours in the front room then an hour latter we were waiting with the family in the "holding room." Now quotes- why the quotes? Have you ever seen one of those rooms? Not so much fun. I think they got the names mixed up- or they just thought they would keep the same idea going as the jails have and be cute and change the name up a little. From holding cell to holding room. Now, I have NEVER (I promise Mom) been inside a holding cell, but from what they show on TV (and it SHOULD be the most accurate thing around) holding cells are teeny tiny and dark. Yep, they got it right so far. One single potty shared by two rooms, they did have a door so OK we made it a step up. Constant racket outside the door, so you are always hoping you are next, but no window to the outside so you can keep track of day. Close match to me.
Now, try to entertain a 12 month old in that room. I really didn't want her to crawl, but holding her for 3 hours wasn't so much fun. We collected all sorts of fun on the ground hospital germs. Except for the runny nose this morning she is OK.
Grandpa was a trooper. For a 1 hour surgery he turned it into 4 and got to stay the night. We've already been up to see him this morning and he should be on his way back to Temple tonight. Along with us. One more trip on the end of a busy holiday travel season. No problem. We can take it. I'm an expert packer and besides the car has it's own "holding room" qualities!

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2008. WOW! In less than a week little Gianna Joy will have been here a year.

Today we did what we traditionally do on New Years- take down Christmas and watch the Rose Bowl Parade. No one told me that it's hard to do this after you stay up till 1 the night before wishing everyone a Happy New Year and singing Old Lang Sine (or whatever the real lyrics are) and the still have to get up at the crack of dawn because the baby does! I know I know only 1 oclock you ask, but hey- we felt like we were PARTY animals because we usually hit the bed at 10 on the dot!
I got up with Gianna today, but was in a walking coma. I did not have too much celebrating last night just a little I PROMISE, but I was really "lack of sleep drunk." The kind where you are awake and you try to do the things on your to do list, but can't even function, or move off the couch because you are so out of it kind of thing. That kind of lack of sleep drunk. I am so grateful that I have quickly forgotten what it is like to survive on VERY little sleep. You have to do it when the baby is a newborn, but ..... THEY SLEEP DURING THE DAY TOO! So you can nap right along with them. John and I both tried to go to sleep during Gianna's morning nap, but he was more successful than I was because- I heard her wake up and he kept right on sleeping.
I did take a nap during her second nap and after all the Christmas was put away. But still...
I didn't fully recover from the day until the fourth quarter of the Texas Tech game when they came from behind and beat up on Virgina!
I do promise more pictures and such from our Christmas, but given the length of this post on how tired I am, you will have to wait!
2008 will bring us many things and many more fun glimpses into our little Princess' life, and sure- more pictures!!!!!
May your 2008 be filled with hope, joy and love.

Merry Christmas

This was Gianna's first Christmas. We went a few days beforehand to John's parents in Temple for a Ludlow Christmas. Then we went to Galveston to be with Charissa's family in Galveston. It was actually a little cool on the beach but did not prevent us from enjoying ourselves. We had cajun seafood, Christmas cookies, and a whole lot of little girls. There was Gianna and then our three nieces, 9, 7, and 4. Lots of pink, high shrills, and lots of fun. We had a fantastic Christmas and hope each of you did as well. We have more pics on our photo albums if you want to see. Merry Christmas.

Happy Birthday!

Well, Happy Birthday to me! It has already been so great. John took the day off to celebrate, and to fix the shower with my dad, but mostly to celebrate ME!
I love my birthday, but don't like it being so close to Christmas. December is like a month long celebration anyway. I feel like I get to enjoy my Birthday Season. So when someone says Happy Holidays they are not just referring to Kwanzaa, but to Charissa's birthday as well. It's a known fact. I know and now you do too! :)
John is so good at celebrating. One year he had a surprise party for me 2 weeks after my birthday. He took down all the ornaments off the Christmas tree and wrapped it in streamers and a balloons for a "birthday" tree. No July birthday has that!
One year I did get to have my birthday at school- 4th grade (even though I'm older I still have a mind like a trap!). My mom wrote a letter on each cupcake that spelled out- Happy Birthday Charissa. My friends got to pick out the letter they wanted. She made the coolest cakes: circus ones, shape ones like a bear, and my favorite of all- She actually made Cinderella's coach- the one that took her to the ball with horses , glass slippers, mice and all!
We used to (my brother and I) pick the restaurant we all got to go to on our birthdays. I picked TGIFridays and they tied balloons in my hair and sang happy birthday. I got wished well by some strange men in a bar. Sadly, not the last time!


How old you ask- UMMMMMMM you guess!!!!!!!!
This was going on in my birth year- http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,911945,00.html


What's your favorite birthday memory?
One of mine has to be that this year I get to hold my baby that just one year ago was still inside my tummy.

Who Does She Look Like Now??

You have done this before. Do it again. Do you agree? What is your vote? Or whose personality do you think she is more like and why?

11 months

Time got away from me, but here is her photo of 11 months!
I can't believe she is almost a year old!


Her Granny and Grandpa are here with us from Alaska and she is so enjoying time with them.