Zzzzzz....

Sydney has never fallen asleep while chowing down on anything. Last night, she was having her traditional evening snack (a frozen banana in a mesh feeder bag) and she dropped like a rock. Chris and I couldn't even eat our supper for cracking up at her. She would nod her head, and then wake back up and start sucking on the banana...then off she'd drift again. Talk about entertainment unlike any other.

9 Months

Sydney practicing her redneck baby look.

When I was preggo with Sydney, 9 months seemed like an eternity, and I only made it to 7 months and 3 weeks with her. It mind-boggling to me that she has been with us for a whole 9 months!

What are you up to, Sydney?

You weigh approximately 18 pounds and wear Size 3 diapers.

You are 28.5 inches long.

You have taken your first steps without any assistance. (Last Thursday to be exact.)

You have just revealed your 2 lovely chompers.

You eat anything and everything, but your favorites are:
- maple & brown sugar oatmeal from my bowl
- banana flavored yogurt...heck banana flavored anything
- sweet potato Puffs
- green peas

- you stand up and crouch down without assistance (have been doing this for a few weeks)

- you absolutely REFUSE to drink from a sippy cup and barely tolerate drinking from a cup

- you click your tongue at your Daddy when he greets you

- there is no crevice in the house you have not explored

- you LOVE people and rarely meet a stranger

- you still LOVE dogs, cats, animals, any living thing that moves on the ground

- you still despise any type of head gear: hats, headbands, etc. and will rip them off the moment I pu them on your head, but Mama is determined...

- you have eaten air freshener gel

- you understand, "no, no" but just smile at me when I say it and continue your destructive path

- you're a good traveler for the most part

- you have decided that sleeping all night is not cool anymore

- you make your dad and me deliriously happy everyday

Simmy: "Umm...excuse me. You are living in MY house."

Wittle Wed Wagon

A long time ago, my mom and dad bought an old-fashioned radio flyer wagon complete with wooden handrails. Sadly, it had seen little use and spent its first few years of life living in their storage building coated in a layer of dust. This "wittle wed wagon" as I like to call it was bought in anticipation of future grandchildren. Grandchildren did not come quickly for my folks as most of you know. My dad even took a black marker and wrote on the side of the box, "for future grand-kids, if I live to see it."

I asked about the wagon a month or so back and was told, "We are saving it for Christmas." To which I replied, "It may be too cold for her to ride in it at Christmas." "Well, it will be for Christmas," I was told.

You can see that the wagon did not make it under the tree.

Sydney absolutely LOVES to ride in her wagon. She squeals with sheer delight and if you have plenty of cheese treats, Rags will ride with her. I wish I could say she rides with Sydney out of her pure love for the child, but she definitely rides only for sufficient compensation...cheese.

Whether she is bribed or not, the two make an adorable pair in the "wittle wed wagon."

Spontaneity Deferred...A Lesson in Selflessness

Before Sydney came along, Chris and I would take mini vacations at the drop of a hat.

Chris: "Hey, wanna fly out to California this weekend and see your cousin?"
Me: "Sure! Gotta be back by Monday for work."
Chris: "Okay, get on Continental.com and find us a flight."
Me: "Wahoo!"

Chris: "Wanna get on the bike and ride across TX during Spring Break?"
Me: "Sounds like fun. Who can we get to go with us?"

Chris: "Let's take the Springer down to Houston today and see some friends."
Me: "What time are we leaving?"

Now, I wasn't always spontaneous, care-free, and up for adventure. Chris brought that quality out in me. I am a planner, a worrier, a think-aheader, and an organizer. I was also a heavy packer. I packed EVERYTHING for an overnight stay somewhere. I eventually learned how to pack lighter and lighter. It is a womanly trait to prepare for any kind of weather or activity while on a trip and it was very difficult to retrain my brain. When you are buggin' out at a moment's notice, you do not have time to pack each hair accessory, matching earrings, and coordinating handbag.

I'll never forget one evening Chris came home from work and said, "Get your glasses and contact lens stuff and grab your purse. We're going for a ride." Do you know how HARD it was for me to do that and not have a clue where I was going? Needless to say, we had a wonderful time.

Now, our conversations are a little bit different.

Chris: "You think we might be able to go take a short motorcycle ride this afternoon?"
Me: "Maybe. I'll have to see if anyone can keep Sydney."
Chris: "Is there anyone who can keep her?"
Me: "Lemme see if Mom can."
Chris: "Well, I guess you can drive her out there. I'll meet you there. Then, we'll get on the bike and go ride, then come back to your mom's house so you can pick her up in the car."
Me: "Okay, well, I need to go pack up her bag. I don't think she has any formula made up."
Chris: "How much time do you need to get her ready? It's going to be dark soon."
Me: "Well, she's napping now and I don't want to wake her up. So, a couple of hours."
Chris: "Let's just skip it."

It has been a major adjustment at our house. We can't just pick up and go anywhere. We always have to think of Sydney. What does Sydney want? What does she need? When can we go that won't interfere with her sleeping schedule? Is she tired? Has she eaten yet? Do we have enough diapers?

In short, we have become a WHOLE LOT less selfish. We didn't realize just how selfish we were until she came along. Chris and I did what we wanted to, when we wanted to, and how we wanted to. We didn't have to consider anyone else, to a point. Now, we put her needs before ours, her comfort before ours, her happiness before ours.

Sydney has not only enriched our lives because she is simply here, but she also taught us a lesson in selflessness. We have learned how to give all we are to her and to consider not our own feelings, mental state, or even physical comfort. It's not about how we feel, it's about her.

I want to be the same way with the Lord. It's not about me, it's about HIM. What can I do today to please him, serve him, and love him the way HE deserves to be loved? How can I express extreme selflessness by showering HIS love on someone else, even though it may be a major inconvenience to me? For the past few months, I have been practicing this selflessness by giving my most precious commodity to others, my time.

Thank you Sydney for teaching me it is not about me.

To Sleep...perchance to dream...

Forgive me as I take Hamlet's soliloquy way out of context...but sleeping and dreaming sounds REALLY good to me right now. This is Day 4 of up and down nights. Sydney is fighting a cold and our evenings have been eventful to say the least. My mom has told me from the beginning, "when she sleeps, you sleep 'cause it doesn't matter how much stuff you think you have to do!" Today, I am following her rule to the letter...only Sydney is not sleeping because she is so congested and spends her nights hacking away.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining in the least. Just merely reporting the facts. As a matter of fact, I feel quite blessed. Sydney will be 9 months this Friday and this is the FIRST sniffle or hint of illness that she has experienced. My heart goes out to all of my dear friends with babies who have been back and forth to the doctor numerous times.

What intrigues me is that even though she feels so bad, she still wants to play. She will cry, look at me with those pitiful eyes, sniff, and then grab a toy. Talk about determination. She's saying, "I don't care how bad I feel. I love to play and I'm going to play. That's what I'm designed to do right now, so get outta my way." Yep, I know she's supposed to rest, but tell that to her.

So, in my sleep deprived state, with a coffee mug in one hand and a snot-slinging baby in the other, I am not concerned with housework, officework, or a grocery list. I am marveling at how this little stinker is throwing blocks around the nursery and chewing on that abused plastic butterfly. Cold? She doesn't have time for that. Get outta her way.

Havin' a Ball

One of Sydney's most endearing qualities is that she is perfectly content to play by herself. Today, we closed all the doors in the hallway, and let her have at it.

The Great Outdoors

Sydney spends every Wednesday morning with her Aunt Pammie down the street. I have known Pam since I was a little girl, and when you known someone that long, you adopt them as your own. (Afterall, they've seen you at your best, worst, and know a lot of family secrets!) I am so blessed that she gets to spend time with Pam, Keith, and their little chihuahua, Rico. Sydney LOVES animals, big and small. Rico is her buddy and yesterday, they spent some time experiencing the grass in the backyard.

I Can't Wait 'Til...

It seems as though lately everyone around me is in the "I Can't Wait Till..." frame of mind. I have found myself saying this phrase over and over again.

I can't wait 'til Sydney quits chewing on everything.
I can't wait 'til God directs us to the church he wants us to call home.
I can't wait 'til the weekend.
I can't wait 'til the hole in my heart is healed.
I can't wait 'til my husband gets a decent workload so he can be home more.
I can't wait 'til Sydney can say,"Mama and Daddy."

It's like we're always looking forward to tomorrow. We have this "I'll be happy when..." attitude. I always thought, "I'll be happy when I get married, get a good job, have kids, etc.."

Time is cruel. It is fast and furious at times when you want it to slow down, and then it drags on like an eternity when you wish it would just hurry up and get over with. If we're not careful, we will be in a constant state of wishing time away when each second, each minute, each hour is an opportunity to relish the beauty of the life God has given us. Be happy now, enjoy life now, be thankful for every day that you wake up and take a deep breath. This morning, during my devotional time, I thanked God for letting me exist. "A grateful heart, He will not despise."
So, I have rewritten my "I can't wait" statements from a fresh viewpoint.

Watching Sydney chew on everything is hilarious. One of these days, she won't put it in her mouth unless she likes it.

It is refreshing to attend several different churches and watch God move differently in each one.

Spending weekdays home with Sydney is the joy of my life. Monday - Friday are the days when I really get the important stuff accomplished!

I am thankful that I have a heart that can feel love, loss, loneliness, hurt, and joy. If I didn't feel the sadness, I wouldn't fully appreciate the joy.

Chris works long hours so I can stay home with Sydney. He may not send flowers and chocolates that often, but he shows he cares by providing for our family. Being home with Sydney is more important than any amount of money I can make at work.

Sydney may not be able to speak yet, but she melts our hearts with her goofy smiles and hugs. She doesn't have to know how to talk to let us know she feels loved.

Don't wait, thank God today for...TODAY.

Sydney's Portraits

Chris warned me. He told me that attempting to photograph a then 7 month old child at a professional studio was a mistake. He told me that we needed to wait till she was older. He warned me. Did I listen to the person who once took professional portraits for a living??? Nooooo.

I won't go into details about our photo session that we had at the beginning of October, but will sum it up with this word: madness. She cried, she whined, she bellyached, she took a nose dive off the couch and surprisingly did not break her face. I thought, well there goes my sitting fee out the window. There's no way she got any good pictures during this fiasco.

Well, I was wrong. Dena with Dena's Photography in Lufkin is a miracle worker. I don't know how she did it, but miraculously, she was able to capture the glimpses of a smile that surfaced briefly from my sweet, cherubic angel's face and after viewing the breathtaking slideshow (complete with music about baby girls) I was boo-hooing. I bought pictures like a mad woman, and now I am poorer, but my walls will be covered with Sydney.

Here is a glimpse. Now these are just the low quality scans from a page that Dena gave me. I can't wait to get my prints! Please visit her website: http://www.photographybydena.com/

Meet Rudy

Some children have a lovey that they carry around with them everywhere they go. While others, have a precious teddy bear or a favorite blanket that they cannot bear to travel without. My child has..........

a chicken.

Well, a rooster to be exact. This fine fowl's name is Rudy the Rooster. My mom gave it to her to play with a few months back, and their relationship has blossomed into an inseparable bond . Rudy is a bean bag toy and is not to be confused with the official TY beanie baby, "Strut" who is tie-dyed colored.

Rudy is a Chinese made knock-off for Strut and was probably given to me by one of my students years ago. Somehow, it ended up at my mom's (cause she loves chickens) and he eventually made his way into Sydney's heart.

Sydney loves her toys and has plenty of them..stuffed animals great and small, rolling bugs, blocks and stackers, as well as those that require an army of batteries. Out of all of these toys, she loves Rudy the best!

We aren't exactly sure when the attachment to this lovely bird happened, but, Rudy is now a member of the Chambers family. We do nothing, we go nowhere, without Rudy.

Rudy eats with us.

Rudy sleeps with us.

Rudy crawls with us.

Rudy travels with us.
Rudy goes to the babysitters' houses.
Rudy goes to grandma's house.
Rudy particularly enjoys strolling the aisles at Wal-Mart.

Rudy puts up with us.

Rudy is Sydney's faithful friend. If she is upset, hungry, whiny, lonely, sleepy, irritable, etc.. just give her Rudy and all is well. SHE LOVES THIS CHICKEN.

Poor Rudy has lost many black feathers during this relationship. Rudy's "fur" is quickly becoming worn, but I have a feeling that Rudy will be around for a long time and suffer through many dizzying washing machine cycles in the future. Rudy, we love you!