Welcome Ella Mae!

Ella Mae is here and we are home. Exhausted but home. And glad to be home to Issa's warm hugs and kisses and our own sheets and fluffy pillows.
Ella Mae was 7 pounds 12 ounces, and was 20 inches long. She has the longest most dainty fingers, and the sweetest fullest lips. Her eyes are big and blue, and she has a headful of dark hair. What a blessing she is. Jacob has been home, and it's been nice to enjoy time together as a family of four!
Thanks, blogger, for conveniently allowing me to post a new picture of my daughter. :)
Pix later...

Countdown is on-

So today is May 19. I check in to Piedmont on May 23 at 6:30 AM and the C-section is scheduled for 8:30 AM. It's amazing to think that she'll be here in 4 days. :-0

Her nursery is ready - complete with clean everything and a full diaper changing table. Her little Moses basket is next to our bed, ready to go! We have decided on Ella Mae Allbritton. We'll call her Mae. I would have put Mae first (mae ella) but I love the way Ella Mae sounds. So Mae it is! I actually saw the name first from my friend and old neighbor in Charlotte, Amanda. Her friend's baby girl is Mae, and the name stuck with me. I love it!

Last night was Poker Night - at Carly's. We turned it into Jacob's surprise 30th birthday party. It was a huge sucess. He had NO idea and there was a nice crowd to "surprise" him and spray him with silly string. It was great! We had the usual poker crew, and also two of Jacob's friends form high school and their wives. Carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing (homemade, thank you very much), a Bruster's birthday cake (yellow cake, fudge filling, choco chip cookie dough ice cream), and BBQ from Old South. It was a great night! We left at midnight b/c Jake's Mom and sis were at home with Issa and were driving back to Cumming. BUT GUESS WHO WAS IN FIRST PLACE AT POKER? Me! I had tons. It was a fun night. They counted chips and decided that since I had 1/3 of all of the chips, they gave me 1/3 of the winnings. I had a lucky night - great hands.

Today we had a great day together. We have gotten lots of baby stuff in order. We had a tea party outside with water :) and Issa played for hours in her sandbox.

I'll check in after baby Mae arrives!

Two years old

May 10, 2007
Dear Issa,

Tomorrow you turn 2 years old. Two. I really can’t believe that the tiny baby that was on that changing table in Charlotte, North Carolina is now two. Walking and jabbering and talking and chatting and singing and pretending and hugging and loving.
I love you so much.
Sometimes I pick you up and smell the top of your sweet-smelling hair, and I can’t understand how you are this perfect. I close my eyes and try to just live in.that.moment… holding you and smelling your sweet hair. It won’t be forever that you let me cuddle with you.

You continue to look so much like your Daddy, but several people have commented that they think you are looking like me.
Your hair has started to turn from a darker brown to a lighter brown. And the curls… they continue to grow longer.

You love to sing. You will sing Old MacDonald, or Twinkle Twinkle, and I close my eyes and hope hope hope that I will never forget that sweet voice. Your little voice is like an angel-sound. But you don’t like to think that someone’s listening to you. If you think you could be on the stage, you quickly cross your arms and pout, “no”.

You are starting to demonstrate your independence. Although I don’t particularly like it when you tell me, “no” (and I tell you how I don’t like it), I secretly am happy that you are asserting your independence. You are strong-willed, and let your wants known.

And my, you are talking. I love to hear, “ussat, Mommy?” or “I do it self” (I do it by myself”, or “what daddy doing?” You are speaking in 5-6 word sentences most of the time, and your vocabulary is vast!

You love to eat pasta, and pizza, and anything Italian. High-flavor foods are a favorite.

Issa, Mommy is always here for you. I will be here this year and next year and forever. You could not do anything in the whole wide world that would make me love you any less.

I love you, sweet Issa-belle, my baby girl. You are my everything. Thank you for the best two years of my entire life.

Love, Mommy