This is a picture your Aunt Jez took of your daddy and me on our wedding day. It reminds me of how active we were! I am so happy we are (slowly) getting there again!

Mike (aka dad) has been working really hard to preserve our small park near our house, the Linear Park.

We even got Uncle Dave and Grandma Sawyer, your dad and me to speak in front of city council about it! Hopefully it will still be there when you're old enough to whiz by on it, riding your pink tasseled bicycle. :)

Your first Birthday Party Attendance

Yesterday was Ellie's second birthday party!

Ellie could not have been less interested in her gifts. :) She was all about digging in the dirt!

If only we could ALL be contented with a plastic shovel and some nice fresh dirt.

Your mom had so much fun catching up with your Aunt Jez and Uncle Shannon and her Aunt Dee.

Jez is an artist too- she takes the most beautiful pictures! I was trying to tell her that the rest of us try to take good pictures, but people like her are MEANT to take incredible, beautiful photos of the same things that you and I cannot capture with a camera.

She took some pictures of you and Ellie that I can't wait to see!!

Hello, Blue Eyes

Wow- I have hands!!

This weekend you seemed to discover your hands. Several times, Grandpa Hatch (he and gma were visiting, helping me while I recover) noticed you staring intently at the backs and the palms of the hands. You still won't grasp a toy, but if I pry your tiny fingers open, you might hold it for a few moments. Grandma Hatch noticed that you are now able to take things OUT of your mouth (like your paci), but not to put them back into your mouth, thus resulting in understandable frustration. Also, you keep trying to fit your whole fist into your little mouth and chew on it. You are drooling a little more too, which probably means my little baby is growing her first teeth! Poor Ruby :( You're so cute though. You'll do the fist in your mouth thing and get fussy, then the next moment, you are smiling at me or giving a big old grin to your favorite friend, Mr. Ceiling Fan.

Dad went to Blacksburg this weekend for the victorious Hokie Game and we tried on your Hokie Gear back in Chester. It's a little big still, but so darn cute!

Ok so here are some pictures. The first two are of you holding your head up and drooling.

OK, the the next one is you doing your pregame workout, as all Hokies do before a big game.

and then one showing you have no fear for the opposing team

After that, you pretty much pooped out but represented the Hokie Pokie in your beautiful sleepy self.

New Favorite Books

You really like books with big, bright colorful pictures that cover the whole page. Your favorites right now are "From Head to Toe" by Eric Carle, "Olivia's Opposites" by Ian Falconer, and "Oink" by David Wojtowycz.

You Have A New Cousin On The Way!!!

Your Aunt Michelle and Uncle Dave are expecting a brand new little baby! Ellie, your cousin, is going to be a big sister.

This is Ellie, who will be two in October. She is SO cute. She looks like a living Madame Alexander baby doll.

Her mom, your Aunt Michelle, is one of the most beautiful, charming, and sweetest women I've ever met in real life.

Let's hope for the baby's sake, he or she looks more like Michelle than Dave :) Ok, ok. Just kidding! Dave's not bad looking either. Besides, he's a police man and everybody feels safer when he's around. I can't wait to meet your new little cousin. I think it's probably a boy.. but either way, he or she is sure to be beautiful and SO loved.

Daddy and Me

It looks like you and daddy are having a great time!

You are holding your head up almost completely, and you have a new move where you hold up your hand to your cheek like you're talking on your cell phone. "My Goodness.." your dad says. :)

My happy little jelly bean. You and daddy have fun. I'll be home on Wednesday. Your Uncle Cliffy leaves for Afghanistan on Friday, so we're going to send him lots of packages filled with love.

I kept your little purple onesie outfit so I can hold it close to my face and sense your sweet scent. I will be home soon, I'm sure daddy will have you well rehearsed about touchdowns and quarterbacks and and the football lingo by the time I get back. Love you, Love Daddy. Love Spiegels, Love the fishes. Daddy says "There are two of them, right?" Oh dear. Looks like one has gone to the big aquarium in the sky.

-Your Mom

Finally.

My sweet baby girl,


Your mom has been sick sick sick for a very long time. Your dad, your Grandma Hatch, Grandma Sawyer, Grandpa Hatch, and everyone has been so, so good to us. And now I'm finally getting better.

I was so worried that my time with you would be too short. Too short to see you get onto the school bus, to have your first sleepover with your best friends, too short to scream and cuddle over ghost stories told over a warm campfire roasting marshmallows, too short to remember me.

I pray he gives me the grace to see you fall in love, to fall into my arms if ever your heart is broken, to graduate with pride, to fish with your Grandpa Hatch, to learn Chemistry with your Grandma Hatch, to learn about God with your Grandma Sawyer, to walk down the aisle, to have your babies.

I am so grateful to everyone who hung in there with us, so I can cherish every toe, every giggle, every struggle we have, every moment we have together, good or bad, is one I might not have had if not for the love of your daddy, your grandparents, the doctors, and the many people who prayed for us and loved us. I could never imagine until now just how much I could love someone until I met you. And now, we can see the world together. With your daddy, you, and me, we have a world of love ahead of us, and I will thank God for every day he lets us wake up, breathe it in, and learn from each other.

I love you so, my child. No words suffice. You are my heart, my soul, and the reason God has given me another chance to live.