California

Abby, Lauren and I flew out to California for a very lovely wedding of my very lovely high school friend.  Crystal and I have been friends for a long time and it was so fun to be a part of her perfect day.  I didn't take my camera with me (a toddler and a baby was all I could handle on the airplane), but here is one picture of Abby that her photographer actually took. 

Crystal (isn't she gorgeous?) just before the wedding.  I love her bouquet which was made out of brooches and earrings she has collected over time.  Some are her grandmas, and some her moms, but mostly ones she has collected since she has been antiquing since grade school (seriously!)

 This looks like it's from a movie.  Love!

I also got the chance to visit with my cousins while in CA.  It was really special to watch Abby play with their kids as I used to play with them.  Loved it!  My cousin took some awesome pictures, but I can't figure out how to get them on here yet. 
The day my mom and dad picked us up at the airport, they pulled in with In-N-Out in their hands and took us straight to the beach.  They know how to get me to come back.  :-)  Here's a picture Abby running around chasing the sea gulls. 

We also saw a couple of dolphins and my dad caught three sand crabs for her.  It was a perfect afternoon.  
I got to take Abby to a park that we went to a lot while I was growing up.  There are ton of ducks there to feed and some very large geese.  One goose even came up to her and took the piece of bread right out of her hand.  I thought Abby would get scared (all of them crowing toward her), but she didn't.  She's braver than I am.

 Just before going up to the wedding, I got to have breakfast with some very dear friends from high school.  Carissa (on the left) was on my high school basketball team and currently lives in Houston.  It's so fun for me to have a friend who understand both my Texas and my California life.  Tracy (middle) and I were part of the "Calc Club" (we were cool, so stop judging!).  The breakfast went way way too fast, but I loved seeing them. 

Back on the home front, our truck just turned over 100,000 miles.  I tried to take a picture as it was happening, but sadly, my phone was on video and since I was going 70 down the highway when it happened, I didn't notice.  This is the closest I got. 

Taylor turns two and adjusting to three

 Taylor turns two this week and I can't believe it.  She's such a sweet girl who loves deeply.  Here are a few recent pictures from around the Lloyd household

 The girls LOVE getting their toe nails painted

 That is Lauren in the middle, not a doll.  Tay is giving Lauren some sort of look in this picture.  :-)

 Taylor reading to Lauren.  First Tay yawned . . .

 then Lauren right after that.

 Most of the time, their interactions look like this, where Taylor is trying to "love" her to death.  I'm often a little worried for our youngest.  She is always wanted to hold, hug, and kiss her though.

 GG came for a visit and got to see Lauren for the first time since she was born.

 I came in from the other room and saw these two sitting in Lauren's car seat watching movies on my phone. 

 Taylor LOVES doing anything with Abby.  Here are the two of them after taking a bath together.  Whenever Abby isn't around, Tay just kind of walks around asking, "where's Abby?"

 Sister love

 Yep, pretty much how it always goes. Love both of their faces here.

 Sister love again. 

 Our sweet almost two year old!

I can see her looking just like this as a teenager (minus the pigtails maybe).  Tay loves to snuggle, but is also very active.  She makes us laugh with her faces and is generally very happy most of the time.  People have asked how we have adjusted to having three.  Mostly is has been a very smooth transition, but I think Taylor has been the one who has demanded a little more attention since Lauren has been born.  She's probably used to taking second to Abby most of the time, but didn't want to take third place for my attention after Lauren as well.  Love this little girl!

Lauren's Newborn Picts

So, first of all, let me say how much fun we had while Tiff was taking these.  She's amazing at what she does and makes you feel so at ease as she's taking pictures of your child.  I'll post more later, but this is all I have time for today.  Let me know what are your favorites as I need to get a baby announcement out soon. 

This picture just makes me want to kiss on her cheeks!

 I love the colors of the blue floor, brown hat and cocoon, and pink baby.

 This is an owl hat which was so adorable!  It was a tad difficult to put on my child though, because apparently she has a small head. 

 This stump was originally a cake stand, but the perfect size for my little munchkin.  It's a little crazy to me that a whole person can fit where a cake fits.  People start out so little.

 I think this wreath is so fun and artsy. 

 I love the simplicity of both of these.  The black and white and just my hands and hers. 

Beautiful Laur, we love you already.  She really is as peaceful as she looks in these pictures.  We are so blessed.

Anyway, I went over to Tiffany's house (just a week before they moved, I might add) and she decided last minute that the lighting on the front porch would be awesome.  Well, they kind of lived in the ghetto (we lived just down the street, so I can say that), so this photo shoot was nicknamed naked baby on a stump in the hood.  At one point the mail lady came around the corner and saw Tiff laying on the stairs of the porch.  She asked if Tiffany had fallen asleep there (she couldn't see me or Lauren).  Maybe she has seen someone fall asleep on a porch before in the neighborhood?  Not sure, but here is a picture of what we all looked like.

Another funny moment was trying to get a certain pose and how long I must have tried putting my child in a position which was neither natural or comfortable for her.  She basically looked at me like, what are you trying to do to me?  Don't you know I want to sleep?!?!  What we do for a good picture.  She would have appreciated it later in life I assured her, but alas, she did not ultimately cooperate.

 I'll post more later, but here is Lauren and her friend Blythe.  Can't wait to see these two girls playing together. 

Tell me which are favorites so I can make a decision about baby announcements!

Random picts

Last (and maybe only) belly shot.  This was actually taken at the hospital, just before I went in to change into the hospital gown.

My sweet friend, Tiffany, who took all the pictures.  Isn't she beautiful? 

Coming home from the hospital

We LOVED having Grandma come to stay with us. 

Abby-isms

Here are just some funny things Abby has recently that I don't want to forget.

Abby's prayer before breakfast one morning, "Dear Jesus, thank you for this food.  Bless the children and bless the monkeys.  Help them to not get hurt.  Amen"  No context, completely random which is very Abby style.

We went to the dentist a couple of months ago and the hygenist was asking Abby lots of questions while cleaning her teeth. One of the questions was, "What does you daddy do?".  Abby's answer, "He makes breakfast."

Recently a friend asked Abby what she dreams about.  She responded with, "Ummm, Jesus and cake."  Sounds like some pretty good dreams to me.

When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, her usually answer is a doctor or a nurse (favorite toy for awhile has been a dr. kit).  One day, however, her answer was, "I want to be Papaw (JT's dad) when I grow up."

After a fun morning at Target with Abby where she got to pick out some headbands to buy, JT joined us at home for lunch.  When it came time for him to return to work, Abby started to ask why he had to leave.  I turned around and asked her why Daddy goes to work and she responded with, "So Mommy can go to Target again."  That's the truth!

While driving one day she started singing a song.  I asked her if she made the song up to which she said, "yes, I was loading and then it loaded and then I singed it".  Talk about being a child of the 21st century.  She has maybe spent a little too much time on the computer recently.  :-)

My mom stayed with us for three weeks after Lauren was born (it was WONDERFUL) and she predominately took care of Abby and Taylor during that time.  I was made most aware of that fact by Abby the first morning she was gone.  I went into the kitchen and made oatmeal for both girls and proceeded to cut up some frozen fruit to put in the oatmeal.  Abby informed me that she wanted her fruit whole.  I said, "Sorry honey, it's already cut up because I didn't know".  Her quick response was, "Grandma knows!"  Then we both cried because Grandma was gone.  :-)

One day Abby walked up to our friend Adam (who has been training for a triathlon for months) and just said, totally out of the blue, "my daddy's stronger than you". 

On a sweet morning with the girls, Abby woke up and crawled into bed with me and a few minutes later, I hear Tay.  I go and get her and we all three lay in my bed for a couple of minutes.  I then get up to start making breakfast, and Abby says, while rubbing Taylor's back, "it's okay, Mommy, you can go.  I'll take care of Taylor"  Pretty sweet!

This little girl makes us laugh so much! Here is a recent picture of her.

Forgot one of my favorite picts

Miracles

I had two dear friends who tragically have suffered miscarriages this summer.  I was struck with the fact that each of them walked away saying how much having and carrying a baby full term is a miracle.  I have clung to these words during the many middle of the night feedings I have had in the past three weeks.  Those hours in the night where the whole house is quiet and it's just her and me.  She's a miracle and she's beautiful and perfect and precious.  We are so thankful for another little girl and I'm loving having a newborn with all the newborn sounds and smells.  I love holding her close and kissing her face and am trying to soak in every moment, because it goes away too fast.  It feels like Abby was a newborn yesterday.  :-)


Lauren Hope Lloyd was born at 2:06 pm on Monday, August 8.  She was 8lb, 1 oz and 21 inches long.

Here we are just after arriving at the hospital.

So glad my Mom was able to come for the birth this time.  It was so special to have her be a part of this special day.

She was coming out looking up and sideways instead of face down, so I did a LOT of pushing.  At one point they decided that it was going to be awhile and wheeled the sterile cart for after delivery down to another room.  That was a little disheartening.

All worth it for this though.  I LOVE that first little cry.  So sweet!

Our little pumpkin.

Man, I love her already :-)

She's got Daddy wrapped around her finger.

Sister's checking her out for the first time.

Abby and Tay look like they are already talking about how much fun the three of them are going to have.  Can't wait!

JT's parents.

Our new family of five.  Wow, seems like a lot :-)

Here are a few more of just her.  

She's three weeks old today.  In some ways these last three weeks feel like a blink, but in other ways this special day feels like forever ago and just a blur now.  So thankful to my friend Tiffany Bonow for capturing this day for me to remember forever.  If you live in Waco, I highly recommend her photography skills.
We're adjusting, but each day does not seem to have enough hours in it right now.  I am constantly feeding Lauren and the other two do take a little bit of my attention still, but I know this season will be over before I know it.  Our theme song for our lives right now is "What a Beautiful Mess I'm in".  Wouldn't have it any other way!