A Sneak Peek Of Baby Holli's Furniture...

Dear Caitlin,
     I has been busy around here with Mam-Maw being hospitalized and me starting to finalize the details on Ryan and Allison's engagement party.  Dad, however, has stayed focused on making Holli's baby furniture.  AND, he has given me permission to actually give a little "Sneak Peek" of his progress...

                       Here's a shot of two of the pieces; the chest of drawers and dressing table.

                                                                 Up close shot of dresser.

                                                        Up close shot of dressing table.

  He actually got the door made for the dressing table this week and is about to put the wicker in it.

  The baby bed is next.  He has been working on the scalloped pieces for the head and foot board.

OH...And look what Mrs. Linda brought over for you.  This was a chair her sister was getting rid of; it is about 50 years old.  Isn't it cute?!

I love this picture of Dad.  The sky had turned a little darker, rain had moved in and a chill was in the air; it sort of cast him in silhouette.  Notice that he moved all of his building items inside the garage.  Hurry up, Poppi!  You still have a bed and bookshelf to build...And then the painting begins!

              Baby Holli is growing more every day and at 31 weeks, the official countdown is on!


I really hope that I get to fly up there to see you one more time before Holli gets here...even if it's only for a few days!  I really do miss you and have missed getting to rub my hand across that growing belly of yours and tell Holli how much Ya Ya loves her. and can't wait to meet her.  Remember, I love you to the moon and back...And that's a very long distance!
                                                          MOM

An Heirloom From Poppi To Baby Holli...

Dear Caitlin,
     As your tummy grows bigger and bigger (finally at the 30 week mark...), I grow more anxious each day to hold sweet Baby Holli in my arms.  And as I have been knitting frantically to finish her little blanket, hats and other items, your dad has been creating an heirloom of his own for his precious little grand daughter too.

When you two began talking about the prospect of Dad making all of Holli's nursery furniture, I knew that he could do it; there was never any doubt about that.  What has surprised me most, however, is the joy it is giving him as he creates it.  You sent him the specifications and he has searched diligently to find Queen Anne legs and wicker and all sorts of things to make this treasured heirloom for Holli,  his only daughter's daughter.

Living in the south does have its perks too; we have had temperatures in the 70's, along with sunshine this week and Dad has set up shop outside of his shop!  There is wood and equipment everywhere and each day he gets up and goes to work.  And the smile...Oh, the smile on his face as he finishes each item.  Then, he calls me out to look at his handiwork closely, pointing out the fine details.    BUT...Part of the deal is that you not see any of the furniture until he delivers it to you.  And you KNOW I am dying to do just that!  I can tell you that the chest of drawers is almost complete and it looks AWESOME!

A parent's love for their child knows no bounds...This, I know.  And you, too,  will become a parent very soon and know this truth for yourself.  I cannot wait for you to see this beautiful baby furniture that your dad is building.  It will not merely be furniture, but a family heirloom that begins with Holli and will hopefully be passed down for many generations to come.

                                                                                                            I Love you and Miss you,
                                                                                                                 (VERY MUCH!!!)
                                                                                                                            MOM

Putting You On That Plane Will Never Get Easier...

Upon driving away from the airport this morning, I have come to terms that putting you on a plane back to Ohio, over 1200 miles away, will never get easier over time.

I have loved having you here for over a week but as the time come for you to leave, it always makes me sad.  I suppose even the weather this morning reflects my feelings,  since the rain only seemed to pour harder as I pulled away from the airport.  I really hate that in the last couple of days that you were here you got that terrible cold that seems to be going around.  Be sure to call you doctor as soon as you can to see if there is anything you can take for it...And REST and try to stay out of the snow and cold too!

***I am going to miss not getting to sit with you each morning and sip hot tea and coffee.
***I am going to miss seeing that big belly of yours grow bigger each day (I think it grew more in the time you were here!).
***I am going to miss running over and putting my hand on your belly to feel my sweet Holli Reese kick.
***I am going to miss you not being here to run errands with me.
***OK...I am REALLY going to just miss EVERYTHING about you.

I don't think I will be able to make it back to Ohio until possibly the first part of February because there are so many things coming up that I need to tend to:  Mam-Maw is having a stress test on Jan. 7th and I also have to plan Ryan and Allison's engagement party and their rehearsal dinner.  I'm sure when I do get to come, though, it will be bitterly cold and I don't know HOW we southern girls are going to deal with that sort of weather!  (Not well, I suspect...).

I will be getting the rest of your Christmas and baby gifts to Justin so he can ship them to you; I know you want to get your Cricut as soon as possible and I cannot wait to see what cute projects you create using it!  When you start feeling a little better from your cold, let's try to Skype so I can get to actually talk to you and see your belly and don't forget to call me after you have your glucose test done next week.  I guess I need to take advantage of getting up so early this morning and start on the mountain of laundry that is all that is left of everyone's visit home from the holidays.  And then I suppose I will head to the gym for a little yoga and Pilate's...back to my regular routine.  That routine is what helps me get by when all of y'all leave after visits; you will only understand this when Holli and your other kids get older and move away.  It is not easy to have an "empty nest", however, it is just another normal passage of life that one gets somwhat used to.  I LOVE you VERY MUCH and will MISS YOU SO MUCH EVERY DAY you are not here...
                                                                               MOM

Dear Daughter, Please Teach Your Children The "TRUE" Meaning Of Christmas...

Dear Caitlin,
     As I sat in church Sunday and listened to the sermon, I decided to write this post.  You know that I am so in love with the Christmas season and it's not just because of the decorations, festivities and gift giving.  It is because of a tiny baby born so many years ago...The Christ Child.

It saddens me to think of the children out there who have no idea what the "True" meaning of Christmas is.  I was raised in church, therefore, I knew that I would always raise my children in church and with Christian values.  That is why one of our Christmas traditions has always been to honor the "True" meaning of the season by focusing on the Christ Child that was born to save the world.

I love the tradition of our family gathering together on Christmas Eve and heading to church for that annual service.  You were born in December so I think the first time I ever took you to church was for the Christmas Eve Service that year.  The Christmas story is always read from the Bible, we sing carols and then each family lights a candle on the tree at the front of the church.  I find myself sitting and reflecting during that time about how blessed we are.  Blessed to all be together, blessed to be healthy, blessed to have roofs over our heads...but mostly blessed that we have a Savior who loved us enough to come into this world as a tiny baby and then die for our sins.

It is my prayer that you will raise your children in church.  Teach them not about "religion" but about a "relationship" with the Lord.  Teach them the "True" meaning of Christmas...This is the thing in life that is important.  This is what will bring meaning and peace to their lives.  This is an everlasting gift that you can give your children.


"But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.'"
Luke 2: 10-11

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you this first year you are so far away from us.  I am so happy that you will be back in the south only one week from today!  I cannot wait to see you and Baby Holli and celebrate her upcoming birth with your baby shower and then Christmas.  I LOVE you...and miss you MORE!
              MOM

A Name For "Baby Jarrell"...FINALLY!

Dear Caitlin,
     I am so happy that you and Kevin have finally decided on a name for our precious new little baby; Holli Reese Jarrell!  I like that and we can all start referring to her by that name.  I suppose she is bound to be a replica of you since you have blessed her with the middle name I gave you 23 years ago.  It was so appropriate for you since you were going to be a December baby and I'm happy that you like it enough to pass it along to your own daughter.

 

I ran across these old photos of you and the boys and decided to share them with you.  David adored you from the moment he met you.

It's no wonder you got Best Dressed of you high school class and college sorority; I dressed you in cute dresses and HUGE hair bows every day!

                                That is Caki holding YOU, while David and Justin sit close by.

Sorry...I HAD to add this one!  You with curlers in your hair and a cookie in your hand.  Look how innocent Ryan and David "appear" to be.

                                                 And one of my all time FAVORITES of y'all!

  YEP!  I'm pretty sure that little Holli Reese will be an awfully lot like her mommy, Caitlin Holli!


Dad and I are here at the lake this weekend and it is a bleak, rainy day; not unlike the days there in Ohio except for the fact that it is not cold.  Parker spent the night with us last night and is still with me today; we are all supposed to go to The Festival of Lights downtown tonight.  I always love going to the festival and hope that this time Parker will not be afraid of the fireworks.  Hopefully you and little Holli can make it next year.  I guess I will have to buy her and Parker Ann matching Christmas outfits to wear!  It's fun just thinking about it.

I'm really glad that Dad and I surprised you for your birthday weekend; I was afraid that you would guess we were coming.  We had fun and cannot wait for you and Kevin to get here in about a week and a half!  I think that everyone will end up making it in for Christmas Day for sure and I will be planning my big dinner that evening.  AND the baby shower plans are coming along well too.  All of the invitations were sent out, the cake has been ordered and also some really cute decorations that I ordered from Etsy that I can't wait for you to see.  OH...and, of course, the theme is vintage and pink!  Hmmm...Now that I know the baby's name I guess I could think of some sort of decoration with her name on it too.

Well, I will take lots of pictures at the festival tonight to share on my other blog; be sure to check them out!  I will miss you not being here with us this year, but like I said..."Let's shoot for next year"!  I love you to the moon and back!!!
                                                                        MOM

Countdown To Christmas Visit, Baby Shower and Birthday!

Dear Caitlin,
     Well, Thanksgiving is over and it's now on to Christmas and your baby shower!  It has been several days now and I am STILL putting out all of my Christmas decorations...you KNOW how many I have but I do love getting the house looking festive for everyone.  And this year, Parker is sure to notice and LOVE everything.
     Today is Monday and I am also gearing up for my next dental implant surgery on Wednesday (ugh...).  I'm really not looking forward to that at all and am just ready to get it over with.  My doctor has assured me that it won't be as bad as the last one but I'm not taking any chances...I'm stocking up on all medications I could possibly need now!  That is another reason I wanted all of my decorations finished by Tuesday; so I could just sit back and enjoy them and know that I don't have anything pressing after my surgery.  Hmmm..."not pressing"?!  I suppose I shouldn't put it THAT way.  I will still have to finish Christmas shopping (thank goodness for shopping online!) and preparing for your baby shower.  And speaking of the baby shower, the invitations should be going to the printer today and I have ordered some really cute decorations from Etsy this morning too.  I have some real "Girl Cuteness" planned and I hope you love it.
     On to your birthday now...It's coming up in only a week so you just be looking for the surprise I will be sending you to hopefully make that day a happy one for you!  I still can't believe that 23 years ago I was getting ready to get my Christmas present for the year...and for life; my own little baby girl.  And now my baby girl is having her own baby girl.  Wow! Time sure does fly and I must admit that it has been so much fun.  From hair bows to bloomers and dresses and dance costumes to cheer leading pom-poms;  Teddy Bear Tea Parties and high school dances...you have been a little ball of joy in our lives and we are so happy that God gifted us with you.  I pray that your little girl will bring you as much joy over the years as you have brought our entire family.  We love you, Baby Girl!  And we miss getting to see you every day.  I cannot wait until Dec. 19th gets here and I get to see you again! Until then...I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON and BACK!
                                                                                                               MOM

Today Is The Day! BOY or GIRL?

Dear Caitlin,
     I'm just sitting here waiting for the call.  Oh, I know you are planning something "special" to tell Dad and me what the sex of the baby is, but TODAY is actually the day.  And just to let you know...I'm STILL sticking with my guess...I think it's a BOY!  Well, since I think that, it most like is a GIRL because, as we all know, I'm not really good at guessing; I thought Parker was a boy...wrong!  And WAY BACK WHEN, I thought Ryan was a GIRL (Haley Taylor...)...wrong!  So, in saying all of THAT, I am still sticking with my guess of a BOY but you are probably right and it is a GIRL.  Anyway, I don't really care; I'm just ready for another happy, healthy baby who will call me Ya Ya!  So...Here's to waiting.  Now, HURRY UP AND LET ME KNOW so I can start buying more baby stuff!!!

                                               11 and counting...What will number 12 be?!

                                                                                                                  Love,
                                                                                                                  Ya Ya