Julia and God

After we had Papaw's graveside service, Julia was walking aroung with Aunt Kara. When Julia spotted this statue she wanted her picture taken with God. So apparently God really does live in Texas.

Just For The Record

Daddy would like to set the record straight and say that "As for me and my house, we will cheer for A&M."

Sleeping Beauty

Here's that baby girl sleeping again. I'm sure someday she'll do something else, but for right now I'm enjoying this. =)

Peter Pan and Woody Join Forces

Tuesday night was dress-up night here at the Sullivan house. Oh what fun...

Big Sister Julia

Here's Julia holding her baby a couple of nights ago. Both of the kids love to hold her and touch her. They think it's hilarious if I hold Aulora up and pretend that she is talking to them. I can get them to do just about anything if Aulora tells them to do it!

John David and School

John David still likes going to school. Getting up in the morning is sometimes hard but when I drop him off he still always runs to get to where his class is lining up. He has finally stopped complaining about naptime. He now takes advantage of it and falls asleep every day. I guess he IS getting smarter. =)

I'm posting a picture of his school - Cornerstone Christian School. Only the main building is in the picture. There is also a gym and a cafeteria building. John David's classroom is in the main building. Hopefully I'll get a picture of his classroom and his teacher soon.

We weren't seeing too many happy face days until recently. This week he's had a happy face every day! I told him that if he gets one tomorrow to make it a perfect week then we'll have to have a really special prize. I'm not sure what that will be yet. He would be thrilled with dinner at Cici's or a toy from the Dollar Store though. He's not hard to impress. =)

One day this week I was a couple minutes late to pick him up and he was already in after school care. After I got him and we were in the car he said, "Mommy, that was the coolest class! They don't make you do any work at all - you just get to play!" One day I'll have to let him stay in after school care just for the fun of it....

Dr. Carrizales & Aulora

I had my check-up with the doctor today and took both Julia and Aulora with me. Here's a picture of Dr. Carrizales holding Aulora. She's my favorite doctor so far and she's the one who did the c-section. All is well and both of my baby girls were angels while we were there. The ladies in the office already adored Julia and they were swooning over Aulora today. Daddy, get the sticks ready.. =)

All Dressed Up

Yesterday was our first day back at church. It was nice to be back and even nicer to actually be in a service since I'm no longer the children's pastor. Wow - now I get to dress up three dollies for church. Life is just such fun!

A Special Day

Aulora Grace Sullivan

Three weeks ago Aulora Grace made her surprise debut. She was 4 weeks early and only 5 pounds and 4 ounces. When I went in for my routine doctor's appointment, I was told we needed to have a c-section right away because the amniotic fluid was so low and the baby could die. So after driving to the church to pick up John and then taking Julia home to Steve and packing a bag we hurried back up to the hospital. Aulora was born at about 1:15 pm that Monday.

Both John David and Julia were very excited about their new baby sister. John picked up John David from school and brought him up to the hospital. Julia came that night when John's family got there. The kids didn't get to see Aulora that day because she was in the NICU, but we showed them pictures of her.

After a 1 week stay in the NICU, we were finally released to go home! The doctors wanted to keep Aulora longer but I begged them to let us go so we could get home and then go to Midland to see Papaw, who was not expected to live much longer. We went home on Sunday afternoon and on Monday morning we headed to Midland, where Papaw was in hospice waiting to see his new great-grandbaby.

Julia's Best Friend

Julia has a number of friends at church but her most favorite friend is James Daniel. He is a few months older than her but they absolutely love playing together. It will be a happy day when Julia turns 3 and is able to once again go to the same class as James Daniel on Sundays.

Last night at church they played air hockey together and then danced in the gameroom during praise and worship. When it was time to say good-bye they hugged and hugged and Julia gave him a big kiss on his cheek. Good thing Daddy didn't see that! =) They will get to play together every Wednesday now that James Daniel's parents, Cathy and J.D., are helping us with youth. Wednesdays are just so much more fun now. =)

Labor Day with Papaw

Sunday afternoon found us driving to Midland with rainy skies and somewhat cooler weather. Papaw isn't doing well so we went to visit over Labor Day. We stayed at Mimi and Papaw's house - Julia thought that was great fun since Mimi has an enormous doll collection. It was a bitter-sweet trip since Papaw was so sick. He wasn't breathing well so John helped his dad get Papaw in the car and they took him to the emergency room. They admitted him to the hospital and he was doing better by the time we left on Monday evening. His pnemonia was making him feel so much worse than he already did.

Right now, in Midland, John is joining in with Matthew, Sandy, and Mimi as they have a consultation with the Doctor. They said on Tuesday that they were almost certain the cancer has spread to his lungs but we should know for sure after this morning. We love you Papaw....

Changes, Changes, Changes

It's been 2 weeks since my last post and life has been very different around our house. Good, but different. Bedtime comes early these days - when the sun starts setting it's almost bedtime! And unfortunately, wake up time comes before the sun starts rising. Today was especially hard because it rained all night and was still raining this morning. With the windows open and the skies still dark, it wasn't easy to quit pushing that snooze button. =)
John David is doing well in school. He has had a "happy face day" every day except one so far and he is really learning a lot. They are working on all their vowels as well as simple math. He has memorized The Lord's Prayer, a poem called "I Had a Little Turtle", and a couple of Bible verses already. He loves Thursdays because that's pizza day in the lunchroom and he even gets chocolate milk! How exciting! =) Every other day he takes his lunch with him.
Julia still misses him a lot while he's gone and she's never very happy about taking him to school. Today she stayed in bed and slept while I took him so it's been an easy morning. Picking up John David is the highlight of her day and it's so cute to hear her squeal in delight when she first spots him.
We have less than 6 weeks to go until this little Baby Sullivan is born so I'm keeping myself busy getting ready. I learned my lesson with Julia and this time I plan to be totally ready 3-4 weeks early. In case you're wondering if this baby has a name yet, the answer is no. She won't be named for sure until after she is born and we can see her and hold her. We do have a couple of names that we both agree on and will choose between though. (Another lesson learned from having Julia!)
My duties as children's pastor are winding down and will be totally done within a couple of weeks. Yesterday was my last day to be in charge of Sunday morning Impact service but I will be shadowing my replacement for the next couple of weeks to make sure the transition goes well. Junior Bible Quiz is already out of my hands except for just giving advice and support to the people running it. I'm sure I won't know quite what to do with myself once I'm all done. Maybe I'll go to a big people service! Although, unless there are games, puppets, and some object lessons involving slime or whipping cream, I'm not sure my attention span can handle it anymore. =)Oh, well........

Lifetime of Lasts

Well, I did it - I survived one of the hardest days of my life. I sent my baby boy to school for the first time! I wasn't worried a bit about him because I knew he would have a great time (that was confirmed when he stood in the hall with me as first one class and then another filed by before the tardy bell rang and he loudly said hello and waved to every student as they passed). I was the one I knew would have a hard time. I was holding it together decently as we left (decently meaning I was only crying silently and not wailing) until Julia started crying and saying "John David, come back!" Once we were in the car, we cried a little more and then we headed to Walmart to shop away our pain (don't laugh that we went to Walmart - it was just the only store that was open at 8:00 in the morning).

I came across this poem last night. It's written from the perspective of a mother looking back over the years after her son is grown. We have so many memory making times ahead of us and I want to treasure each moment as it comes knowing that my baby will be all grown up much too fast.

"Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts
First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave to me your past,
And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts.

The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips...
Last time that I lifted you and help you on my hip...
Last time when you had a binky stuck inside your mouth...
The last time that you crawled across the floor the this old house.

Last time when you ran to me, still small enought to hold,
Last time when you said you'd marry me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from the past,
Would I have held you longer if I'd known they were the last?

Your last few hours of kindergarten, last days of first grade...
Last at bat in Little League, last colored paper made.
Last time that I tucked you in for one last midday nap...
Last time when you wore your beat-up Green Bay Packers cap.

Last time that you caught a frog in that old backyard pond...
Last time when you ran barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn.
Silly scattered images to represent your past.
Would I have taken pictures....if I'd known they were the last?

The last dark night you slipped in bed and slept between us two,
When last I read to you of God or Horton Hears a Who!
Last time that I smelled you hair and prayed after your shower...
Last time that we held devotions in the evening hours.

The last time that you giggled watching doodle bugs go,
Last time that you made an angel in the melting snow.
I never even said good-bye to yesterdays long passed.
Would I haved marked the moments...if I'd known they were the last?

Last piano lesson, and last soccer goal you kicked...
The last few weeks of middle school, last flowers that you picked.
Last time that you needed me for rides from here to there...
The last time that you spent the night with that old tattered bear.

Last time that I helped you with a math or spelling test,
Last time when I shouted that your room was still a mess.
Time and life moved quicker, taking pieces of your past.
Would I have stretched the moments...if I'd known they were the last?

The last time that you needed help with details of a dance...
Last time that you asked me for advice about romance.
Last time that you talked to me about your hopes and dreams.
Last time that you wore a jersey for your high school team.

I watched you grow and never noticed seasons as they passed.
I wish I could've frozen time, to hold on to your lasts.
For come tomorrow morning life will never be the same.
You'll plege forever to your girl, and she will take your name.

And I will watch you, knowing God has blessed you with this day.
I never would have wanted to somehow make you stay.
They say a son's a son until he takes for him a wife.
You're grown-up now; it's time to go and start your brand-new life.

One last hug, one last good-bye, one quick and hurried kiss...
One last time to understand just how much you'll be missed.
I'll watch you leave and think how quickly childhood sped past.
Would I have held on longer...if I'd known it was your last?"

The Sith Sense

Check out this super cool site - it'll blow you away and it's fun! (You have to copy and paste the link into your browser.....)

http://sithsense.com/flash.htm

Baby Girl

Here's our newest little Sullivan Baby. We had a special 3D sonogram done today and it was like looking right at her. Her arm is on the left side of the picture covering part of her face. She would never move her arm entirely out of the way. She now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is still due around October 8th. I'm more in love now than ever.....

John David's First Fish

While we were in Wichita Falls for Granny's 100th birthday party, John David got to go fishing for the first time. He loved it! Gran and D have a big pond across from their house and a family friend took John David fishing. He was out fishing in his pajamas before I was ever even up and dressed. He can't wait until he gets to go fishing again and he really wants his own fishing pole now!

A Few Words From Our Self-Proclaimed "Modern Man"

John David says, "I ate at Burger King today and I tried to follow an ice cream truck I saw driving down the road but I missed the truck. I should have stopped that truck from going but it will come back real soon and I will destroy that ice cream truck with a knife and a fork! At Burger King I got a Superman toy fan. I thought it would shoot that disc on it but it didn't because it was actually a fan. But I decided to use it and pretend it's a blower to blow people away and shoot Superman disc bullets.

I finally "beat the clock" with JBQ and earned my prize that I really wanted so badly! My prize is a light-up toy for my mouth. I can turn it off and on with my teeth.

And I played Zelda and tried to follow my daddy's instructions on how to beat the bad guy on Zelda and tried to go back to the cave to defeat him but Daddy said he left the cave and went back to the city. Now I need my Daddy's help. That's all........"

Dress Up Queen

Julia loves to play dress-up and this is what she came out of her closet wearing tonight. I'm on the lookout for a dress-up chest for both John David and Julia because they both LOVE to wear costumes and they have a lot of them already. =)

Our Newest Dance

Well, it's potty training time at our house again and so our newest dance we do is called "The Tee-Tee Dance". So far we've done this dance 3 times which I suppose isn't too bad since we just started yesterday morning. We were going to be here at home all week long while John and Steve were at nationals so I thought we should try to get a good start. After all, this has to be done soon because we do NOT want 2 kids in diapers. =) The picture is when Julia sat on her potty for the first time, which was actually a couple of months ago. It's just taken me awhile to get going.....