As Our Alyssa Grows

Resolution: Wife

2012-01-15T18:38:00.000-08:00

I will confess, being a wife is tough! Cinderella really has it all wrong, I guess that is why it is called a fairy tale.

Shawn and I met in 2001, married in 2003, and embarked on parenthood in 2007. We have had so many up and downs. Up to about 2 years ago I was what you would call the "nagging" wife. Those from the outside looking into my marriage they would say I was a "B" word. I was more like a mother to Shawn. I found myself bossing him instead of asking. He would do something wrong and I would be angry for a week. I supported NOTHING he enjoyed.

Over the past couple of years, I have learned to be more supportive, understanding, and loving. I often forgot that I was his wife, not his mother.

With this being said, I want to keep working towards being a better wife.

Resolution there?

Resolution: Wife.

This was such a GREAT day!

With this ring...

I do not think that I have changed much, but Shawn sure has! He looks like a baby here!

Shhh....It's A Secret

2012-01-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

At my church, as with many churches, we have what we call SECRET sister.
What this means is you buy gifts for someone but you do not identify yourself for a whole year.

The concept is great but I have done this for several years and had decided that this year I was not going to participate. I really struggled creatively in deciding what type of gifts to buy or even what to buy. Our questioner was very vague and my "secret sister receiver" seemed to have filled her's out in a hurry because she gave one word answers (no offense sister, you know who you are).

What did make it a little easier was my secret sister was always a great gift giver. I loved everything I have gotten over the years.

As 2012 approached, it was time again to make the decision to participate in secret sister 2012. I picked up the questioner and folded it into my Bible.It always took me a month to think of the next gift I would get my secret sister. I carried her questioner with me everywhere I went. I thought a lot and prayed a lot about it and was thinking one day..you know, it was always so great to get a gift and even better to give a gift. It was heart warming to know that someone thought of me in the same way that I thought of them.

So if you are a sister in Christ and have the opportunity to participate in Secret Sister, may I suggest to think about what I said.

Resolution there?

Resolution - Spiritual Growth

res·o·lu·tion

2012-01-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

res·o·lu·tion - noun - a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

As I mentioned previously, I have many resolutions this year. Again, some personal others I want to share with you.

I write my blog posts in my journal before typing them in the blog. This helps me to gather my thoughts. I skipped around a lot and forgot to even mention to you what my resolutions, or maybe I should refer to them as my "train cars" are. I will list them very broadly so that you can just get an idea.

Resolution - Spiritual Growth

Resolution - Work

Resolution - Forgiveness

Resolution - Family

Resolution - Motherhood

Resolution - Creativity

Alyssa writing Mommy, she just needed me to help her spell it!

What Can I Look Forward To This Year?

2012-01-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

2012 does hold some resolutions that I previously spoke about in my Twenty-Twelve!? post but it also holds some milestones and hardships (yes, hardships).

In just a couple of weeks I will turn 29. To be honest, getting older does not scare me. I am not afraid of age, I am mostly afraid to look back on life and have regrets. Hint my resolutions that will change me mentally and spiritually. So here is to 29 years of age!

This summer, Alyssa will have another surgery on her foot. More details will come later but again she will be in a cast and not able to have much movement for about 8 weeks. We will have to get her a wheelchair. I am scared for her. Moving on from this topic because the tears are already flowing.

My sweet Alyssa will turn 5 years old in August and even more so, she will start kindergarten. Ok, enough of that, cannot stop the tears for real now. Maybe I should just move on from Alyssa all together. I think the emotions about her are so high because as you will read at a later date, motherhood and being a mommy is in my list of resolutions.

Just to hit the high notes:

10 year high school reunion - May 2012

9 years of marriage - June 28, 2012

8 years at my job - July 2012

Taking my Granny to Disney for the first time later this year - CANNOT WAIT!

I am looking forward to sharing my 2012 with you. Enjoy the following pictures that I took as we celebrated our new year with some GREAT people!

We played a home version of "Minute to Win It". It was so much fun!

Stacking dice on a spoon.

One Minute to get all the tissues out of the tissue box.

One minute to get the green cup back on the bottom.

Bobble Head Madness.

The children of our future.

Genesis 27:2 2

2012-01-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

Genesis 27:2 2 Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death."

No one knows when their time shall come. I think that is the hardest part of death. The easy part is knowing that we have the promise of eternal life, just as it states in the book of John.

John 3:15

New King James Version (NKJV)

15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[a] have eternal life.

Eternal life you say? We will get to that a little later. When I think of death, I am often reminded of a verse in the book of Ruth.

Ruth 1:17

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

The LORD do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me.”

As with many, when someone close to me passes from this life, a piece of myself dies with them. Though losing a loved one suddenly or knowing they are sick and leaving this world, I hold onto death like I hold my Bible in church. Just writing this post I begin to think of all the loved ones I have watched pass from the train ride we call life. A resolution for me this year is to find peace with death. Trust in the Lord and his promise of eternal life (there it is again, Eternal life). Don't get me wrong, I still remember the pain. Let's be honest, the pain is still there. The pain for my loss and the pain I feel for the ones close to me and their loss as well.

It is "because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel" Colosians 1:5 NKJV This hope and promise of eternal life with all our loved ones that shall give me peace.

Acts 2:38

New King James Version (NKJV)

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

I am sorry that this post looks weird, I messed something up in my background color and I cannot figure out how to fix it without manually doing it.

Twenty-Twelve!?

2012-01-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

New year, new you! UGH! I believe that is the phrase of a major weight loss industry. Everyone seems to make new years resolutions and I am no exception. But this year, I will be an exception because I am going to follow through. I am not going to make unrealistic goals but I am going to strive to reach the goals that I want.

I have made many personal resolutions that I will keep to myself but there are many that I think will help others so I have decided to blog more and share my train ride I call life with you.

My life has been turned upside down in more than one way these last couple of years. Many things have been good and others have been bad. Death, loss of friendships, betrayal, family (I think many will relate when I just say "family") you know that I mean. The list can go on and on.

As I wrote out all the things that have gone wrong and right the past couple of years, I realized they can directly relate to my relationship with Christ. The Bible can help you through anything.

Here I am, new year, new me. Sharing this train ride with you I hope will inspire. You will notice many ups and downs, and I am going to do my best to quote scripture and I love music, so incorporate song lyrics also. But in the end, through this ride of low valleys and high mountains, I hope I can continue grow myself and inspire others to stay on the train of life with me.

"All the noise all the pain every night same ole thing

Why don't you shut up train go on shut up train

I give up I give in raise the flag let you win

Why don't you shut up train go on and shut up train"

Read more: LITTLE BIG TOWN - SHUT UP TRAIN LYRICS

Adios 2011!

2012-01-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

No blog you say since 2010 you say? I am so sorry about that, I like to think that everyone stalks my blog to see if I have posted anything new. I know that I stalk the ones I follow. With this being said, lets catch you up.

January 2011 - I turned 28! Logan and Lukus turned 2 & 3! I know I am missing something but give me a break! That was a year ago!

Alyssa with the birthday boys!

Shawn with the birthday boys!

Man, I was going to post something about every month but that seems overwhelming! So, Adios 2011 and Hola 2012!

Love To Blog!

2010-07-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

I love to blog but I cannot seem to find the time to blog. I am trying to take the time daily to think of something to blog about. That is not very hard these days with Alyssa growing so fast and Sew Cute As A Bug doing so well.

More importantly I love to read blogs. I have a couple of favorites. My only problem is when I sit down to read a blog on the computer, 99% of the time I end of with a headache. I have requested a new laptop or an IPad that I can carry with me so that I can blog in my spare time (what little spare time I have) and more importantly, I want to read blogs.

I am going to start a new blog I think. So keep looking and I will post on my Facebook when I post a new post!

Prayer

2010-02-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

Last night, as we were sitting down to dinner, Alyssa reminded Shawn and I just how much she is learning at church and with her Christian family.

I will admit, we are not the best at saying prayer before a meal. We seem to get caught up in the hustle of life, and forget to give thanks to the one who gave us this life.

I made Alyssa's plate and put it at the table to cool, and Shawn and I were making our plates when Alyssa came into the kitchen and climbed up in her chair. She was sitting there so nicely and I told her to go ahead and eat before it gets cold and she said, " No Momma, we have to say the prayer."

It is amazing to me how God reminds us in little ways to remember him. I am so proud of Alyssa, she shows Shawn and I everyday how much she is learning about Jesus.

Just wanted to share.

(This picture is from Disney 2009. Eating with Donald Duck at Chef Mickey's)

Joys of Potty Training

2010-02-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

I think the picture says it all, but just in case. We have recently been working on potty training (put on hold for now because of surgery). Hope you laugh at this as much as I have.

Child Labor Laws

2010-02-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Alyssa is such a big helper around the house. She especially loves to help me with the laundry. She will take the clothes from the washer, shake the wrinkles,and put them in the dryer.

I hope there are not any child labor laws that will get me into trouble. LOL!

Alyssa came out of our bedroom, specifically my closet, and she sported my boots around the house like a pro. Such a diva.

Happy New Year!

2010-02-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

January was another month that seemed to come and go. It was an exciting month, we got to go and visit with my Grandma on my Dad's side (Alyssa's great grandma) for her birthday. It was a lot of fun, and always good to see her and the family. Sydney, my Dad's Niece's Daughter, is growing so fast and Alyssa played so well with her.

(Left to Right) Alyssa, Grandma Johnston and Sidney

We did get a little dusting of snow the first of January. It was pretty but did not last to long.

Looks like we might just get a little more this week! (February 13, 2010)

Still thinking and Brian and Kristy Gray. And Happy New Year, 2011 is just around the corner.

Surgery #2

2010-02-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

This is a post that I struggled with posting. I do not like sympathy but after talking with a great friend (Tins S) she pointed out to me that it is not sympathy that people want to offer, it's prayer, love, and help.

As many of you know, Alyssa was born with a Left Clubfoot. Alyssa's Clubfoot is most likely genetic, my uncle was born with clubfoot, and his son was born with it. It is not well understood but common. Clubfoot can be seen on an ultrasound, but my doctor never saw it so it was a complete surprise when Alyssa was born. In many, non-surgical techniques are possible, and with Alyssa surgery was our second option. We tried non-surgical techniques but Alyssa was to smart for braces. Her first surgery went well, but there was a 5% chance that we would end up in surgery again at 2 1/2 to 3 years old.

This is Alyssa's VERY First Cast at only 5 days old.

First Surgery Recovery

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty and her Hero, her Daddy. Yes, he is in the crib with her.

She always did so well, she seemed to continue with her day to day life like nothing is really wrong.

On March 5th, we will return to the operating room because we need to correct and train her foot to walk flat. Dr. Martin will again, stretch her Achilles tendon (heal cord) so that she will have more movement in her ankle. The doctor is also considering breaking her tibia bone and shifting it a little to help with the support of the ankle and position of the knee. That is not 100% because Dr. Martin worries that Alyssa is to young. If we decide against that, then she will go back into surgery at age 4 to correct that bone.

After surgery, she will be in a full cast, from her toes to her butt-cheeks for 6 weeks. We will probably get her a wheelchair to make things more comfortable for her and a little easier on us, especially Me Maw, who gets to play with Alyssa all day. For the first 6 weeks, no movement will be allowed. It is going to be hard but Alyssa is tough and we have some things up our sleeves to keep her comfortable and as active as possible. Then, for 6 weeks, she will be in a short cast just under her knee. This cast will allow her to be active, she will be able to run, jump, etc.

That is the plan, feel better now that you all know.

Twenty - Seven

2010-02-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Seems like only yesterday when I was 15 or 16 saying, man I cannot wait to be 18, now at 27 I look forward to my future.

So many things have happened in my life, each one making me who I am today. Some things I do not like to talk about but others, I boast about. Others being my baptism, my marriage and my precious gift from God, Alyssa Marie.

I was baptized on April 23, 2006. Though I was ready at that time, I let things in my life come between my relationship with God. Now at 27, I can say that is not the case. Do not get me wrong, I struggle, but find comfort in knowing that we all struggle, even the most dedicated.

On June 28, 2003 I married, in my opinion, one of the best men that I have ever met. Shawn is a little older than me, 5 years, and contrary to younger women dating older men, he was perfect for me. I love him, and make sure he knows it everyday, no matter what.

Then, on August 25, 2007, Shawn and I welcome into this world Alyssa. Words cannot describe how we feel about her. Over flowing with love. We look forward to watching her grow and learn.

So, in 27 years, I think I have done pretty well. Looking forward to 27 more.

H is for Helen (November 2009)

2010-01-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

The day will forever be branded into my heart and mind. It was November 29th, 2009. Shawn and I had just spent the evening putting up Christmas decorations and enjoying some family time with Alyssa when my phone rang. It was Jeanne (Shawn's mom). I thought she was calling to see if Alyssa was coming on Monday (this is a normal Sunday evening call). When I answered the phone, she sounded upset and asked to speak with Shawn. I thought that Damien had gotten into some trouble and she needed Shawn's help (another normal thing, LOL - we love us some Damien). I handed Shawn the phone, he took the news and then hung up. We were standing in the kitchen when he told me that Brian and Kristy were in a car accident, Brian was admitted and released and Kristy was in critical condition at Emory. And then he said that Helen did not make it. I only remember going limp and then I thought of Kristy. She just lost her precious child, Helen, who touched so many lives.

Helen would have been three years old in December. I really wish that I could find the right words to state what she and the Gray family meant to me. This accident has changed the Morris family forever. Kristy is still recovering at Sheppard Spine Clinic and hopes to return home in March.

At Helen's funeral, I remember these precious words:
H is for Happy
H is for Heaven
H is for Helen

Helen will forever be in our hearts and we continue to Pray for Brian and Kristy and their healing physically and emotionally. My heart still ached for them to this day.

Enjoy some memories that I have of Helen:

Helen with Alyssa - May 2009

May - October 2009

2010-01-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

I think that it will be best to close up 2009 with an overview of things that happened between May and December in our lives.

May and June were not very exciting. July ended with Shawn and I gaining two more children. My sister was having some drug addiction problems and went into rehab and Shawn and I stepped up to take care of her boys. At the time, Logan was 18 months and Lukus was 7 months. I love those two boys and my sister very much but it was a hard few months. They went back to be with their mom in November.

Logan

Lukus

In between that time, we had a couple of great milestones. Alyssa turned 2 years old in August. No big party this year (I plan to do a big party every other year). We did a little celebration with my family and then Shawn's family.

Picture Taken in August of 2009

Then in September we loaded the car and took a little trip to Walt Disney World. We took Logan with us and Lukus stayed behind to stay with Amanda and Darlene (they were life savers and wallet savers). We went with Shawn's parents and little brother and sis. We had a great time and look forward to going again. Alyssa will be going in November of 2010 but Shawn and I will stay behind to save some money and hopefully be moving into our new home.

Alyssa and Shawn at a Restaurant in Disney (We told Alyssa to smile big)

Alyssa with Pluto

October came and went so quickly, it is hard to remember what happened. We went to the Conyers Church of Christ for a Trunk or Treat (this is my last fondest memory of Helen Gray - will post more about her later).

Alyssa was a Fairy and Logan was Woody from Toy Story

November and December will be posted on another post. Thank you!

I Knew She Was A Smart One

2009-04-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

Just got this e-mail form Nini:

Thursday, April 2, 2009 9:18 AM
Brianna and I were having a discussion about counting. She asked me if Alyssa knew how to count. Alyssa promptly said"yes!" and to prove it she counted the cherries on her shirt.."one...two"

This One Is For Trudy

2009-04-02T06:27:00.001-07:00

After dinner last night Shawn and I were playing with Alyssa in the floor. She is a 100% girl! She loves to talk on the phone so she was holding my phone and I told Shawn to call it. When Shawn calls me, Sugarland plays and when it started ringing, Alyssa started singing. And she continued to sing along with the music for about 5 minutes. So then I decided to tr another song and she did not want anything to do it. She was all about the Sugarland!

NEW BLOG!

2009-04-01T06:30:00.001-07:00

I have started another blog, check it out:
http://tashahappinessandhealth.blogspot.com/

E-mails from Grandma

2009-03-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Alyssa stays with Shawn's mom during the day and I love it when she sends me e-mails about how things are going. I especially love it when I think, "I should cut and paste that to my blog because it is hard for me to type". So here you go, enjoy!

March 25, 2009 10:44 am
She had a great breakfast this morning...I cut the bottle off a little after you left and she was finally hungry. She ate 2 eggs, a bit of Turkey bacon and one piece of bread. She was still asking for more...but since she ate a bit of cereal with the kids I was afraid to let her eat too much!

She also went potty for me...I put a pair of pull ups on her and she promptly went poopy in them after about 15 minutes! I put a diaper back on her and she screamed like I was killing her!

She is watching a hooked on phonics video with Damien right now, repeating almost everything the video is saying and singing along with it. I'm going to look into getting her a couple of their videos of her own to watch. I think she might enjoy them more...

She has been a busy little girl already this morning! She is in a fantastic mood, and is tickling everyone!

March Already?

2009-03-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

So many have said that I have not updated my blog. I have really been meaning to but things have been crazy.

Alyssa is growing so fast. She has went pee pee in the potty once this month but we are still working with her. Her favorite word is "no". What fun!

Shawn is working. He and Alyssa got the flu (this would be the 2nd time for him). I did not get it. But he is working a lot. They got a new shelter and it is really nice.

I just had a cyst removed from my left wrist. I am recovering, it has been hard. I never realized just how much I used my left arm. The best part about it is I cannot do dishes.

Here are some pics, I am still recovering from surgery so it is a little hard to type.

No More B-O-T-T-L-E

2008-11-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

After about a month of really trying hard and trying everything possible, we have finally gotten rid of the bottle thanks to much help from Grandma Morris. If you are reading this NeNe, thank you from the bottom of the bottle.

If you are at this point, trying to get rid of the bottle well here are some suggestions, call grandma. Truthfully, I think that if it were not for Grandma we would still be giving that bottle. She really helped a lot with sticking to the no bottle and then I purchased some cups made by Nuby and they are great. Alyssa refers to them as her ba-ba and she will drink milk out of them. We only spell b-o-t-t-l-e around her now, I am still holding onto the bottles but have a feeling that I will get rid of them mid-week.

So here we are, almost 15 months old and no bottle, no binky, and so far she is not sucking her thumb so that is a plus.

I vote for more time in the day, was that on the ballot?

2008-11-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Organizing has never been difficult for me (those of you who know me well know this very well) but lately I have really struggled. Things are a disaster around the house and my calendar is a mess. You would not believe the filing that I need to do at home and at work, I am considering just turning on the shredder at home and just getting rid of it all. I am stuck in this rut and can not find my way out.

The worst part of it all is the fact that Thanksgiving is in, it is late, I think 12 days but I could be wrong. Family is coming, friends are coming and I am stressing. There is not enough time in the day to do it all. I drop Alyssa off at 7 am get off between 4 - 5 pm, rush to pick her up and then get home and cook, clean, and then I am exhausted. I am getting better at getting up early and getting things done before Alyssa gets up and the more I do it the easier it is getting.

Ok, rambling. Any advice?

Ketchup

2008-11-13T18:03:00.001-08:00

Alyssa as most of you know is my only child so little things that she does is a very big deal to me so that is why I just have to share this with you. Tonight, I cheated and we had fast food for dinner and I got Alyssa a hot dog and french fries. When we got home, I cut up her fries and hot dog as usual and then decided to let her try ketchup (a few weeks ago she discovered BBQ sauce). I thought that she would just stick her fingers in it and paint but she did not. She picked up her fry and dipped it in the ketchup and ate it. What a smart girl. I know, so what, she dipped a fry but she is only 14 months, is she advanced enough for that?

Well I think that she is. The other day at Grandma Morris' house she was stacking blocks 5-8 high. That is advanced.

Ok. That is it. Now I sound like a first time mom who is proud of her "big" girl.

Heartfelt Thanks!

2008-11-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your prayers! My sister does not have cancer! It seems to just be a swollen nodule. The nodule and the cyst will be removed when Luke is born. Again, thank you sooooooo much. I truly believe in the power of prayer.

November Already

2008-11-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

What a great year! Time has really gotten away from us. About a month ago, I got a great gift from an even greater friend, Kristy. She sent me a blog lift and I am excited to announce that I am currently working with Teale and getting a great new lift that is especially for me. I am going to start posting atleast once a week. I enjoy doing this but sometimes I really struggle with finding the time.

August, we celebrated Alyssa's first birthday and what a great day it was. We were able to share it with many of our friends and family.

September and October were very rough months. Alyssa has started to get her big girl teeth in and it has been a rough road. I wanted to break the bottle before she turned 14 months but that is not going to happen. September and October were full of many slepless nights and the bottle allowed us to get atleast a couple of hours.

Then, Deer season started and that has been very hard on me. Shawn has been gone every Saturday for the past 3 weeks and this week, he was gone on Sunday and I do not like it at all. He is a lot of help and after working long hours all week, I need to rest a little on the weekends and with him gone, that is impossible.

Church has been GREAT! I have really enjoyed teaching this quarter and really looking forward to teaching next quarter. It is going to be very hard for me to manage teaching beginning in January but I want to do it so I am going to do it. I have learned so much and look forward to learning more.

NKOTB! I went to the NKOTB concert with a great friend, Crissy. We had a blast. It was great to be able to be 12 again and I would do it again tomorrow even though it is 2 weeks after the concert and I am still recovering.

On a sadder note, my sister and our family are about to go throug some very tough times. As you may or may not know, she is pregant with Shawn Lucas and is due for a c-section the first week of February. A little over a month ago, the OB-GYN found a knot on her neck and she then called the dr that diagnosed my mom and grandmother with thyroid cancer. She went for her biopsy and we did not get good news. The orginal lump has grown another cm and there is now another lump that is 11mm wide on the other side. The smaller one, after an ultrasound, looks my be a cyst but the dr is 99% sure that the other is cancer. If that is the case, we are not sure what will happen from here. I am sure that things will be fine but CANCER is such a horrbile word to hear, especially for a pregnant mother.

Here it is November, and it is already looking like a busy month. I am hosting BUNKO this month and we are having my family over for Thanksgiving on Nov 21 and then I am hosting Thanksgiving for the Morris family. Darlene's baby shower is Saturday and I a making some food for that and did the invites. And lets not forget, SHAWN's BIRTHDAY!

This is my promise, to post once a week. Oh and Alyssa is walking, not a lot but she is walking! Yah!

More Pics

2008-08-13T17:50:00.001-07:00

"Forget Me Not" Photos by Roxy

"Forget Me Not" Photos By Roxy

Pics - Thanks Roxy!

2008-08-12T06:28:00.001-07:00

The Results

2008-07-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

I just got the call from the pediatrician. She has reviewed the ultrasound results and she thinks it is just Alyssa's lymph nodes. They get swollen sometimes in children, especially babies when they get just a small infection. Alyssa has had a cough so I think that has something to do with it. I am happy that it is just swollen lymph nodes but I have a lot of unanswered questions. I will start some research and go from there.

Cyst On Her Neck

2008-07-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Alyssa has always had this little bump on her neck and I never really thought it would be anything to worry about until about a month ago, it got bigger and is continuing to get bigger. I thought it was her lymph nodes. I took her to the doctor this morning and the doctor thinks it is a cyst. It is not cancerous because they pricked Alyssa's toe and her white blood count is normal, if it were cancerous, her white blood count would have been really high. I am waiting for the hospital to call me back to schedule an ultrasound. The ultrasound will determine what kind of cyst and how quickly we need to move. She will have to have surgery but we are not sure when. We have to be at Egelston Friday, July 18 at 10:15 am for the ultrasound on Alyssa's neck. I will keep you updated.

i wuv uuuuuuuuu

2008-07-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday I went window shopping with Darlene to Atlantic Station. Great experience, will totally go another time when I actually have some money. Alyssa did great! She is such a great shopper. So we were in IKEA and she threw her bottle in the floor and I leaned over to pick it up and hand it to her. When I handed it to her I said, "I love you" and she said, "i wuv uuuuuuu!!" It was great, I screamed and the entire store stared at me. Oh well, it was such a great moment!

Happy Birthday America!

2008-07-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

232 years old. That is how old America is. WOW! Well Happy Birthday! Alyssa had her first experience with fireworks (she was in the womb last year) and she did great! She loved it. No tears! It was a good time. Picnic with family and friends and then fireworks. We played in the big blow up bouncer and ate ice cream and had a great time. Enjoy the pictures!

Just Some Pictures

2008-07-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

Days go by....

2008-07-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

I am really not sure where I should start. The past month has been unreal and July is starting off the same way. I think I will start with Shawn. He is still working nights and putting his parents hardwood & tile floor in their house. He is doing an excellent job but is starting to get frustrated because his parents are getting inpatient. I am not sure if they expected it done overnight but it is a big job and Shawn has to teach himself how to do it and only has a few hours a day to do it in. He is not a professional so he does not move as quick. There are times when we do have some downtime together and I tell Shawn he should go and work on the floors. Sometimes he will go and other times, he says he just wants to spend time with Alyssa and I. What a great daddy and husband he is. He has taught me a lot about life. He loves me uncondditinally, trust me I have done some pretty crappy things in our marriage. Don't get me wrong, nothing sinful, financially I have really hurt us. Ok, blabbering...so he is great. We just had our 5 year wedding anniversary. We spent the weekend together, just us. We left Alyssa with Kristy Gray for the first time overnight. Man that was tough. But Alyssa had a great time and Shawn and I are so gratful that we have such great support from our church family.

Speaking of church, I really miss my Wednesday night classes. I have not been able to attend a single summer series class. It seems like every night that I think I can make it, something happens. For example, tonight, I did not leave work until 7:00 pm which means I did not pick Alyssa up till 7:30 ish. I had had no dinner, Alyssa was ready for her bath and bed. AHHHHH!!! I am so ready for Shawn to work the day shift again. Then he could stay with Alyssa and I can start going back to Wednesday night class. VBS is coming up and I will not miss that for anything. This will be the first time to ever attend a VBS and I am so excited. I am ready to learn and see how it all comes together so that next year I can be a teacher. I am going to kind of float this year and step into all the classrooms and see how things work. CAN'T WAIT! It will also be Alyssa's first VBS!! Right now she does not have a choice on wether she wants to go or not but I hope that someday she will choose to go until them, I will make her go.

Alyssa has gotten the pin removed from her foot and it looks fabulous, it being her foot. I am so happy that we decided to do the surgery. It was hard, do not get me wrong, but so worth it in the end. I think it will always be that way with your kids. Labor was hard and now making the right deciosions for Alyssa is hard. Will it ever get easier? Alyssa is growing so fast. She says Mama, DaDa, Na Na, dog, cat, and moke (Smoke is my mom's dog's name). There are a few more but its late and I can not think of them all. She is cruising around tables and taken few steps by herself. If she learns to walk in her new cast, when they take it off she will not have to have a brace. If she is not walking, she will have to wear a brace. But I am sure she will be walking. She is sleeping all night. She goes to bed at about 8:00 pm and sleeps till atleast 7:00 sometimes later. We have booked the place where we will have her birthday, I have chosen the invitations and ordered the cake. We are so excited to share such a special time with our friends and family.

So I am going to close this with saying I am going to be an aunt again. My sister just found out she is pregnant. I am happy for her but worried. We will not go into that now, maybe another time. Gotta go! Enjoy the pictures!

Alyssa's foot when they removed the cast and the pin.

Her new cast, festive. Happy 4th of July.

(Thanks Kristy) Alyssa, she finds someting she likes and she makes sure she does not loose it.

TUPPERWARE

2008-06-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hello All:

I just wanted to let you know that my sister is now a Tupperware Consultant and I am trying to help her work on her sales and get some parties rolling. So if you think you want to have a party please let me know. I want this to work out for her. I think she is going to be successful, she just needs to get her feet off the ground. If you want to host a party or have a catalog party please let me know!

If you would like to place an order or want a catalog in the mail please also let me know. You can check out the website at www.tupperware.com.

Prayer and Understanding

2008-06-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

God has a plan but sometimes it's hard to understand. Yesterday afternoon a friend of the family, Eric Hill, decided to go swimming at the Rock Quarry. He dived in and witnessses stated that Eric hit his head on a rock and did not resurface. They found his body this afternoon. Please remember his family in your prayers. His mother also lost a daughter to SIDS many years ago and her oldest son (Josh) has survived a tour in Iraq and is due to return soon.

Josh is the best friend of Michael (Shawn's younger brother). This is a tough time for Shawn's mom, dad, brother, and Shawn. They all grew up together. We love Michael and Josh and will be here to support them all.

Could Not Be More Proud

2008-06-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Today was a very special day, my baby girl got a certificate for perfect attendace for Wednesday night Bible Class. She and I both had perfect attendance for Spring Quarter. She did not get it for Sunday Bible Class because of surgery. We are going to get it for Summer Quarter!

Just Some Pictures From My Week With Alyssa

2008-05-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

She loved Mommy's Sunglasses!

Bug!

Going shopping with Kristy and Aunt Amanda!

Spaghetti!

Napping!

Surgery, Recovery, and Keeping Her Down

2008-05-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

Surgery was Friday, May 16th. We arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am and Alyssa went into surgery at 7:30 am. We got a call from the Doctor that she was out of surgery and in recovery at about 9:30. By 10:00 she was in my arms and doing great. The Dr was happy to state that she was very happy with the outcome and thinks it was a 100% Success. The recovery was TOUGH. The hardest part was she was in pain and I could not help her. We stayed over night and released to go home Saturday morning. What a releif. Shawn and I go not sleep (partly because Alyssa was awake every few hours and the sleeping arangments were AWFUL). Getting home was hard. It's like having a newborn again, she wakes every few hours.

What a trooper she is. By Saturday afternoon, she was crawling and trying to stand up and walk. Enjoy the pictures, sorry so short, VERY TIRED. but wanted to update everyone.

She is doing well, I am loving my time with her but have to go back to work soon because I know they need me there.

Teeth, Walking, Baking Cakes....and Weight Loss

2008-05-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

So, I think that Alyssa is getting ready for her first 20 oz t-bone from Outback. She has three teeth on the bottom and two coming in up top. I will try to get a picture tomorrow, she does not like to show off her new teeth. It looks like her teeth on top are going to be very big. Alyssa is now pulling herself up to walk. She does not stand on her "bad" foot the right way so we really have to make her sit back down. It breaks my heart to know that she wants to walk but we can not let her. We can not let her walk until she gets the second cast. Paddycake, Paddycake....Alyssa LOVES that game. Today when I picked her up, she was sitting in Grandma's lap playing it with her baby. Believe it or not, I actually think she was singing the song (in baby babble of course). It was just to cute, if only she would say Mommy when she sits in my lap. Oh well, I just keep telling myself that one day I am going to wish that she never learned my name.

Shawn and I joined the gym today. I will get MUCH use out of it but Shawn not so much. He works so much, we are looking forward to going on the weekends together. It will be fun, I hope he will be able to teach me how to use all the machines. Joining the gym is an early Mother's Day gift. Shawn and Alyssa are going shopping together on Saturday. To be honest, I will not even care if he brings anything back or not. I am going to run me a hot bath, read a book, and take a nap!!

Here are some more pictures, I LOVE THESE SOOOO MUCH!! Thanks again Roxy. I will keep posting a few a day so that you can see them all.

Catching Alyssa and Catching Up

2008-05-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! Its really been a long time! I have been so busy these days so I have a lot of catching up to do. First I should start with the fact that its 8:58 pm and Alyssa is asleep. Its been a long road but I am happy to say, I think she is finally on a schedule at home. I have gotten so much greatly appreciated advice (thanks Kristy!). She went to sleep on her own and seems to be sleeping well. I took her off of the acid reflux medicine and put a teddy in the bed with her (thanks again, Krtisty) and she is sleeping through the night.

On Saturday, April 26th, my co-worker and great friend, Roxy, meet us at the strawberry patch in Grayson and took some pics. From there, we went to Vines Botanical Gardens and took some family pictures. Below are a few teasers, the rest are on MySpace, www.myspace.com/tashanmorris, my pics, April 2008 album. I am so proud of them and so greatful for Roxana. She took her Saturday for me and took these AWESOME pictures and I will cherish for a lifetime.

Its been crazy around the house. Alyssa is crawling SO fast. Its amazaing to me just how fast she can go. She getting into everything and loves magazines.

Surgery, The First of Several

2008-05-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

So, its official, Alyssa's surgery will be May 16th at Egelston.

I know you all are wondering what is going to happen. She will have her foot cut and Dr Martin will be going in and taking all of the tendons in her foot and "stretching" them. Alyssa will have a full cast with a pin in her foot. We will stay in the hospital 24-48 hours. After 6-8 weeks the cast will be removed and the pin will come out with the cast. The first cast, Alyssa will not be allowed to walk. She will be in pain and uncomfortable for about 2 weeks and after that she will just be herself (probably still a little unhappy about the cast). The first cast will be removed and the second one will go on. It will be a short cast, just in her knee. She will be allowed to walk in this cast (we want to her walk). After 6-8 weeks that cast will be removed and she will go into a brace for a while, no exact time period right now. It will depend on Alyssa's progress and that foot.

This will be the last surgery until she goes to Kindergarten but right now, I do not want to think about kindergarten. Thank you all for all of your support.

Just Some Pics!

2008-05-03T07:36:00.001-07:00

Hollywood

Crawling at Mommy's Work

She feel asleep while I walked with Aunt Darlene!

I just wanted to share some pictures. Keep checking back, new pictures coming soon.

The Scare of My Life

2008-04-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

I would not say that it was your typical Saturday. Today, I had Logan my nephew here babysitting. He was born on January 22, 2008 (one day before his Aunt Tasha's birthday). So he and Alyssa are very close. I will put it this way, two babies, both on the bottle, both in diapers, and one is very jealous. Alyssa did not like me or Shawn holding Logan. It was ok but she had to also be held by the same person that was holding Logan.

It was about 12:45 and I had just stepped out of the shower when Shawn screamed my name (it was VERY loud on the baby monitor) and I heard Alyssa crying. He was changing Logan in Alyssa's room. I ran into the living room and Alyssa was on her tummy face down, SCREAMING! I thought at first that she bumped her head on the table but I soon realized that our do had bit her. It snapped at her. He was sleeping and she snuck up on him a startled him. He got her right on the right eye and on the top of her head. We called Animal Control to file a bite report and we decided to let our dog Russell, Akita-mix, to go. We endangered Alyssa and there was no question that he was leaving. We took her to the ER, the cleaned her up and gave her some antibiotics. She was a trooper, I cried much harder than she did. I will never again say, "where were the parents when their kid go bit" when Shawn leaves to go do a bite report.

So, Alyssa had a horrible day and we decided that she needed a treat. Nathan's (Shawn's Cousin) birthday was yesterday and we had ice cream cake tonight to celebrate and we gave Alyssa a piece! She really liked it!

Night Owl

2008-04-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend was pretty good. On Friday night, Shawn and I attempted to watch Damien. It went really well until it was bedtime and he realized that it was raining. He got scared and started acting up. We had to put him in our room he was screaming so loud (we did not want him to wake Alyssa) and we had to call Rex to pick him up. I think we will try again to watch him but on a Saturday night when Shawn has not worked a 70 hour week and I am a little more rested.

Saturdays and Sundays are always the best. We get to spend time with Alyssa. Shawn was originally supposed to "Go Stumping" on Saturday but with the rain he was not able to. We went to breakfast and enjoyed a Saturday together window shopping. Sundays are always good, I look forward to going to church and spending time with my in-laws after church. My dad's birthday was Sunday so we had dinner at the mexican restaurant.

Then, Sunday night things went sour. Alyssa decidied she was not going to sleep so I got up with her. It was a long night. I did not go to work yesterday so that I could stay at home and try to rest but Alyssa still just did not want to sleep. Then, after finally taking a nap, she fell off the bed. I think I cried harder than she did. No bruises, I think she fell feet first.

Last night was not any better but Shawn got up with her. I think she may be trying to get sick and she is teething so she is going through a rough time. Its Tuesday now so I hope she will do better tonight.

Working with Alyssa

2008-04-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Grandma Morris was not feeling well yesterday so Alyssa had to come to work with me. We had a great day together, even though I was not able to get much work done. She loves sitting on my desk and playing with EVERYTHING. Her favorite was eating the highlighters and playing with the adding machine (she cracked up at the sound). I have one of her pictures on the desktop of the computer and she would crack up at it when she saw it. She kept going toward the computer screen to touch the baby. It was too cute. She napped for about an hour so I was in a mad rush to get as much work done as possible while she napped.

I know now that she is really growing. Less naps and more food. She is loving eating normal foods. Her favorites are green beans, potatoes, and carrots. She eats with her hands though most ends up in the floor, a lot actually makes it to her mouth also. Three teeth on the bottom now and she has some working their way through on the top.

Saturday will be one month until the surgery. I get more and more nervous everyday.

Saturday with Daddy

2008-04-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

Shawn started night shift this week so its been a hard week for me. I have to admit that he helped me out so much during the week. And this past week, I noticed it a little more because he was not there. He is working the 3-11pm shift at the county and then he works for Club Car from 7:30 am to 2pm. He leaves the house at 6:30am and returns at 11:30pm. It been tough on me not having him around because he helps me so much with Alyssa. I have to admit though, I have really enjoyed this week with her. Its been great!!

And well, I have to admit, I really miss him. After almost 5 years of marriage you would think that him being gone would not bother me but I have missed it this week and have 6 months to go. Today was the first day that we have spent together, well, seen each other for longer than an hour in a week. It was nice. We went to breakfast this morning, Alyssa had her first egg and she loved it. Oh, and she is definitly a southern girl, she lover her some sweet tea.

When God Touched My Life

2008-04-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Maybe he touched it twice, the day I married the man of my dreams. In June of 2003, I got married. You know it was great and I do not want to go into the details (you all know the details, I do, I love you, Kiss) happily ever after. Maybe not happily ever after, there have been some ups and downs.

Then, in November 2006 we got got the best news of our lives, we were expecting our first baby. Wow! Before we knew it, on August 25, 2007 she was born and I consider this the second time God touched my life. She is great! We love her, we love her, we love her!

So I will start my blog from here...Shawn, Tasha, and Alyssa in As Our Alyssa Grows.

Virgin Blogger

2008-04-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

This is excited and maybe a little scary at the same time. Exciting because I love to write but can not seem to find the time these days. Scary because I do not have the time to write but think that when I start to write I will not stop. Not mention the fact that the house will probably not get cleaned, laundry will get behind, dinner will either not get cooked or we will eat more burnt food. I guess I am starting because so many people are doing it, I am not a trend setter but a follower. But really I am more interested in having an "online" diary for everyone to see. I am thrilled to share my life with you as Alyssa grows and Shawn and I grow old together.