Angels

While Rachel was very young, Sulley went to doggie Heaven.
We decided to wait to get another dog, but 3 days later we had a puppy. A German Shepherd named Cody. We drove out to a farm very late one night and the owner let all the puppies out. They all went running around the yard - well, all but one. One puppy came over and sat by us. Cody had chosen us.

I must say that going clothes shopping for a girl is a lot of fun.

I loved dressing up my little boys, but I loved looking for that little extra sparkle and shine in girls' outfits too. I guess it also helps that I am a girl and was happy to have someone to share that with. I loved doing her hair and picking out the right jewelry and other accessories - and we can't forget the shoes/boots and little purses!

Rachel had a closet stuffed with dresses and skirts. The floor of her closet overflowed with shoes. A basket I kept in the bathroom was filled to the top with hair ribbons and bows. And I found a new love for pink.

Rachel Ann did become a "girly-girl." She loved to dress up. (Still does!)

She has always had a great sense of fashion.

She is so beautiful! She has her daddy's beautiful brown eyes.

My daddy used to tell me that he hoped I'd have a daughter someday that whined as much as I did. Well, I got her.

I remember saying how I know God gave me the right girl when one day she said to me that she wanted to wear all black.

Growing up I was what they now call "Goth." I loved wearing black - in fact, at my High School Reunion that is how many remembered who I was. I heard a lot of "Aren't you the one who always wore black?"

Rachel has my long dark hair - snarls and all - and she tells everyone that she looks just like me. I love that! I love that she is at the age where she loves her momma and loves that we look alike. She even told me to buy a sweater that was almost identical to hers because she wanted us to dress the same.

I pray our relationship stays like this for many many years.

Rachel is very sweet and kind and I adore her.

She is very loved in our home.

Our little Noah didn't talk very much.
Mama, Dada, and Baby were the words he said now.
Noah had had some interesting moments.
Even though Noah didn't talk, there were many times he would appear to be asleep, but his eyes would open, he would smile, and his lips would move like he was talking to someone but without sound.
He would do this in bed and in the car. Anywhere he could sleep. It would happen as he was falling asleep or as he was waking up.
I videotaped him one time. It was a little unclear because the room was dark, but a doctor we saw at the Children's Hospital asked me for a copy. He found it very interesting and had no answers for us. We saw this doctor because Noah had had night terrors too. He did a sleep study on him.
My answer - I believe Noah was talking to Angels he could see. He didn't appear scared at all during these times. He looked like he was having a nice conversation - and nothing I did would change what was going on. I could wave my hand in front of his face and he didn't see me. And the interesting thing is that when Noah started talking (with the help of a speech therapist)these special moments stopped happening. Noah stopped seeing and talking to Angels when he was finally able to talk to us. Maybe they didn't want our little Noah to repeat what they were saying.