Dear Georgia

Georgia,

I wish I could bottle you up exactly as you are right now and keep you this way forever. These days are the best days. You have filled our lives with a love and happiness that is indescribable. Every decision we make is based on how it will effect you and Jack. You are our world!

Your third year of life has brought about a lot of changes. You are in preschool and love going to school. You have a new house and a new nursery and a new brother too. You have handled all the newness with grace and excitement.

Even though there has been change, there are still constants. You are still sleeping in your crib and you are such a great sleeper. You still wear footed pajamas or a gown every night to bed. You still let us brush your teeth for you. If you knock your covers off in the night and wake up without them, you holler for one of us to come cover you back up. And you still let us carry you (sometimes) and that makes us really happy :) Our baby you will always be.

Becoming a sister has been a highlight over the past six months. You told us a few days ago, "Jack is my favorite boy in the whole world". Your love for him is strong. You will be his protector and biggest fan. Watching you two grow up together will be a blessing.

At three years old you know your colors, numbers and most of your letters. You are learning to write your letters and name starting with the G. You are so proud when you bring home your coloring sheet with the letters you draw on them! You love playing dress up, babies and being read to. You love eating at "chic a flay" and riding the carousel in the mall. 

As we start year four I look forward to seeing your little personality continue to grow and develop. You are loved by so many because of your sweet presence and big heart. I pray that you learn more about Jesus and that we can show you Jesus everyday. That is the best gift we can give you. I know He has big plans for you my dear child!

I love you my October baby! You are everything and more I hoped and prayed for in a daughter. You are a perfect gift. Thank you for filling us with so much laughter, happiness and love.

I love you forever!

Love,

Mommy 

Halloween Week

Halloween falls on Saturday this year which is the best because it gives us the weekend to celebrate and the week leading up to it to prepare. It also means Georgia's birthday is on a Friday this year which is always a good day for a birthday. We have had a busy week getting ready for both big events! 

Oh Jack boy. He didn't get the memo that the sabbath is for rest. On Sunday he was squealing at the top of his lungs, demanding to be held all day and eating like it was his job. It's a good thing he is so cute ;)

On Sunday Georgia went up for children's church. My friend Brandy took this picture and it melts me. We are taking baby steps to prepare her for leaving the nursery and going to a Sunday School class and attending worship service.

Monday was a preschool day and it was their annual event of carving a pumpkin and counting the seeds. Isn't this the cutest sweeties you've ever seen! 

Already mastered the silly faces. Love it!

They feel inside of the pumpkin and bake the pumpkin seeds for a snack. She thought it was gooey!

Monday night we had our annual popcorn ball making night at Grandmomma's house. Daddy and Georgia Grace operated the popcorn popping station.

Owen took care of any imperfect products.

The in-laws were summoned to the stirring hot molasses and rolling popcorn balls jobs. We decided we were stuck with the most dangerous jobs because we were replaceable as opposed to the blood kin relatives HA! 

She ended up on top of him in a choke hold but it started off super sweet. She told us the other day, "Jack is my favorite boy in the whole world".

Three year and six month checkups happened on Tuesday. Georgia Grace has turned a 180 from her previous doctor's visits. She has always loved her pediatrician but would be nervous and fear going to the doctor's office. Tuesday she let them check her out thoroughly and used her manners and was such a joy. She is healthy as an ox. She is back on the weight growth chart (26 1/2 pounds, 10th percentile) and is in the 80th percentile for height (3' even). She had her BP taken (81/68), received her flu mist, and was on her way with a new book and sticker!


Jack boy had a great checkup too. He is 17 pounds, 28" (90th percentile) and his head continues to be in the 99th percentile. Poor boy had two vaccines and a flu shot so his experience wasn't as jolly but he didn't have any symptoms after the shots thank goodness. I am so so thankful for two healthy babies!!

Wednesday night was our trunk-or-treat event at church. I couldn't come up with anything biblical so Georgia went as one of the pigs on Noah's Ark. She won most biblical in the 0-2 age group! :) I think she was the only animal. We were at the beach last year on Halloween so she doesn't remember trick-or-treating at all, she loved it! We had a meal and then games afterward that she loved. It was a fun night and I am so thankful for our church family and especially youth group that made this event possible. 

This costume is from two Halloweens ago but I love it and it still fits. She got called a poodle a few times. I could just eat her up in it!!

Sweet friends Ellie, Georgia, Eliza and Ava. It makes me happy to see them grow up together!

Tomorrow is the big day. We will have a three year old. Someone hold me because I am not ready. She is though, most people can't believe she is still two. She is a mature baby and advanced so in some ways I feel like she has acted like a three year old for some time. I am so proud to be her momma!

Georgia Grace's Third Birthday Party

On Saturday we celebrated Georgia Grace's third birthday with a cheerleader tailgate party! Cheerleading is one of her favorite things right now and she decided a cheerleader themed party would be fun. From that we ran with the tailgate idea and it was my favorite party to plan thus far! I only wish the weather had been more favorable so we could have used the yard and the boys could have played football, but it was still an extra fun day celebrating our girl!

It is just a fact that her birthday parties will be a large event until she is older and gets into more of a friend sleepover party age. We have a big family and I always invite all of her preschool friends plus our church friends and just regular friends. There is no way to shorten the guest list until she is older so big blowouts are how we roll. 

My friend Sara made the party invitations and they were perfect. I think the cheerleader cartoon even looks like GGH!

Good morning, birthday party girl! It's your day to celebrate! In unrelated news, we are still in our crib. She asked us one time "How do I get out of here?" and we told her to wait for Mommy or Daddy to come get you and that was it. So we are riding it out until she expresses interest in a big girl bed. She is happy, safe and sleeps well in her crib-why mess up a good thing? :)

Cousin Payton came over to help with some party prep Saturday morning. She couldn't be at the party so she joined us for the pre-festivities. So thankful for her and how she loves my babies!

Tailgate time! We actually lucked out with the rain because it rained before and after but not a drop during the party. We still moved the food into the garage to be safe but it was nice being outside for sitting and using the bouncy house.

I found the football field tablecloths at Walmart for $1! Mom borrowed the pom poms from the high school (she is a high school teacher). I made the utensil/straw holders out of empty cans and everything else we had and reused.

Pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, pigs in a blanket, chips, fruit, cupcakes and cake were on the menu. 

My small, easy craft project for the party-pom pom cupcakes. Georgia Grace helped make them so they were made with extra love.

Sweet cheerleaders and sports fans sitting at the kid's tables.

"Cheerleader cheerleader rah rah rah"

I love my spirited girl!

Her Ma got her an official cheerleader outfit as an early birthday gift. It has the bodysuit, bloomers and pom poms. She was ready for a sideline!

A classic picture of Georgia. She plays with her ears all the time. Sometimes it is because she is sleepy, sometimes she's excited, sometimes she's nervous. This is a very common sight for her ;)

Sweet Jack boy enjoyed being loved on and passed around all afternoon.

He sported his best UK attire for the party.

Four Porters enjoying the festivities. I loved that nearly all our party people participated in wearing their favorite team colors.

Her favorite part of the party-having "Happy Birthday" sung to her. Her face and expression was just pricless.

The sweetest dimples I ever did see.

Our big three year old. Love her so much!

Three years of celebrating our girl. I can't believe how much she has grown. We have had pumpkin patch, fall festival and cheerleader tailgate parties. The partying is more fun each year as she gets older and her personality grows.

I'm blessed with the best family to do life with.

Her sweet friends and cousins ready to party. Lots of UK/Butler County blue in our crowd :)

My favorite picture from the day. While I was gone to get extra plates she snuck a spoon from the container and started eating icing right off the cake! Oh well, it's her birthday and she can eat icing if she wants to :)

Bouncy house fun! She had two requests for her party-cake and a bouncy house. I can handle that.

She loved jumping on this four square feet of space. I think it made her jump higher.

She very thoroughly opened and examined each gift. I know it tested the other kid's patience but I was proud of her for showing interest in all her gifts.

She decided to read one of the books she opened HA! We saved the rest for later.

She even tried some of them out for quality :)

To go with her cheerleader outfit she received her own "Georgia" megaphone.

She thought telling everyone thank you in her megaphone was hilarious!

Giggles galore

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate our girl with us! She is loved by so many and we are so thankful for that. They say it takes a village and we have a great one. 

Pumpkin Days

October has always and probably will always be the busiest time of year for us. Sister girl is excited about her birthday party this weekend (although she will tell us periodically she is not going HA!) and this week we have been busy planning for it. I have no idea how we are celebrating her third birthday since I just had her yesterday.

She wanted a cheerleader party so we went with her request and decided to have a tailgate. Mother nature doesn't look like she will cooperate so we will decide tomorrow to go ahead and try it at our house or go with plan B-our church ministry center. We were really hoping it could be an outdoor event so I am praying it will all work out in our favor. Either way she is going to have a ball, she loves birthday parties!

Sunday morning I was fixing breakfast in the kitchen and snapped this ordinary moment that will be extraordinary to us someday. Jack had already been awake for a little while and he went with Daddy to get his big sister up. We love our slow weekend mornings so much! This picture pulls at my heart strings.

This week has been all about pumpkins. GGH went to the pumpkin patch with Poppa and carved pumpkins twice. We are watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" in my car DVD player and reading all our pumpkin books.

Monday night we carved pumpkins at Grandmomma's house and everyone got in on the fun. The fun stopped for brother when he tried to eat the pumpkin guts and seeds. He does love his orange veggies!

Ma and Georgia with their pumpkin. GGH drew the design and Ma cut it out. She was proud of it!

A bunch of Jack(o'lantern)s :) Aunt Shanna's hand is on the other side of him, I swear we didn't prop him on the mantle solo. 

And sweet girl with the jack o'lanterns! What she lacks in size she makes up for in personality. This was the face she gave me. Have mercy!

I am off to get some rest for what I am sure will be a big weekend. I can't wait to celebrate our girl!