Busy Week

Whew!  We have had a non-stop few weeks.  Busy doesn't even begin to describe our lives.  We took our first trip out of town (since Aubrey) last weekend to Texas and had a wonderful time.  Spending time with family was just what we needed.  

We've had our home on the market for about a year now and while we were out of town, a realtor showed the property and we got an offer!!  We have been back and forth negotiating and we finally agreed on a price!  Our home is officially under contract!  Now we are just praying that it appraises and the sale goes through.  If everything works out we are set to close on March 23.  

That my friends, means we have to find a house in less than 4 weeks!!!  AHHHH!!  So we have spent the last few days house hunting!  Fun but exhausting, just mentally trying to figure the logistics of everything...it's very overwhelming.  Not to mention we haven't even begun packing up! 

My little sweetie is developing at a rapid speed-she is discovering so many new things.  The world around her is becoming so obvious to her now and everything is just amazing to her.  She is trying her best to experience the world through her mouth!  Ha!  

She finds even the smallest things fascinating.  Dish towels, fingers, toes, bibs...everything is being analyzed and studied.

All that studying leads to exhaustion.  

Aubrey was such a trooper on our trip to Texas.  She did great and barely made a peep.  Much appreciation goes out to Wubbanub (see Aubrey's mouth) for making the trip tolerable.  

Praise Baby has become a favorite pastime for Aubrey Lane.  She is mesmerized by the shapes and colors. 

All dressed up and ready to go to church!!

It got a little chilly this weekend so we had to break out the hoodie!  Looking good Bre!

Overall we have had a wonderful week.  Busy and exhausting but exciting too.  Looking forward to seeing what God has in store for our little family!  

4 Months!!

Aubrey Lane you are 4 stinking months old!!  You are just getting so big and grown up that I would like to just sit and cry.  My baby is not a newborn anymore!!  

We went to the doctor today for your shots and check up and you are doing just fabulous!  You weigh 11 pounds, 11 ounces.  Which puts you in the 10th percentile for your weight.  You are 23 1/2 inches long which puts you at the 25th percentile for your height!  You are a petite little thing!

You are feeding about 6 times a day, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours apart.  You are still nursing like a champ.  You have started showing your little feisty side when mommy takes to long to get you situated to feed. I must be on the ball or you get aggravated very quickly!  Home-girl likes her food!

You are sleeping through the night (thank you Jesus!)  You are still pretty much on the same schedule as at 3 months.  You go down around 8:30 then we wake you up to eat at 10:00.  You are back down about 10:30 and you usually go til around 5:30 or 6:00.  You seriously love your sleep.  I am so thankful because mommy loves her sleep too!! 

You are loving sitting up and get mad when left to lay on your back for too long.  You'd much prefer to be sitting up in your swing or bumbo...or better yet on mommy's hip.  You are extremely alert and absolutely captivated by the daily happenings around the house.  You don't want to miss a moment of the action! 

I'm so thrilled because you have finally started to really smile.  You are constantly smiling and laughing now and your little personality is starting to just shine through.  You still love music and sounds are a sure way to get you to smile or laugh.  You are just so sweet and when you smile...I swear my heart just melts.  

You absolutely love your hands right now.  Apparently they are the most amazing thing you've discovered.  They are always in your mouth and you will spit out your noonie for a chance at those fingers.  

This is the look I get when I try to remove those hands from your mouth...one of "what do you think you are doing? I had those hands in my mouth for a reason!"

But it doesn't take much to get you back to this sweet smile.  You, Aubrey Lane, are our sweet, babbling, smiling, cooing little 4 month angel and we feel like our hearts are gonna explode with love for you! 

Mommy loves you so much!  Now stop growing and stay my baby forever!!!

Aubrey's Thoughts

"For some strange reason I feel a lot like Rainbow Bright"

 "Man...am I rocking the tutu/legging ensemble or what?"

"He thinks I don't notice he just skipped over three paragraphs...but I noticed."

"I must live up to all my t-shirts' names..anyone for milk at 3:00 am?"

"My name is Aubrey and I am addicted to my noonie..."

"Does mom think a flood is coming today or something?"

"I gave in...a girl needs her beauty rest"

"These lights are so bright...perhaps a little drool will dull them down"

"Lex...did you just see that? This Praise Baby DVD is unbelievable!"

"Does this bow make me look like a Christmas Present?"

"What's a girl gotta do to get a pillow around here?

Dedication Day

Our little angel was dedicated on Sunday.  Our church dedicated 27 babies-must have been something in the water about 12 months ago.  It was such an incredibly special day because not only did Aubrey Lane get dedicated but also my sweet niece Ciel. 

 Here is my sweetie all decked out and accessorized to the max! Poor thing-I had a huge bow in her hair, jewelry, a custom made noonie holder, frilly socks and a scratchy dress to match! I just can't help myself!

There was a small reception before the service where we ate refreshments and received a word from one of our pastors.  Here is daddy and Aubrey!

This photo cracks me up.  Bryan is saying, "hi sweet girl...you look lovely in that dress" and Aubrey is saying, "don't you be looking at me...my daddy says boys are bad news!"

 Dedicating AL to the Lord.

 "why do they insist on putting all these scratchy things on my body? 

Can't I just wear a onesie and call it a day?"

Sweet Aunt Kayce!

We thank the Lord everyday for our sweet baby girl.  She has been the best thing that has ever happened to our little family.  

From the moment Aubrey was formed, we knew she was special.  We prayed that the Lord would use her life to bring glory to Him.  I remember the day we found out about Aubrey's brain cysts.  I remember crying out to the Lord asking for Him to heal our sweet girl and let her be okay.  I also promised Him that no matter what the outcome of Aubrey's health...we would love her and raise her up in His will.  By His grace, we have a perfectly healthy baby girl and on this special day, we once again proclaim that no matter what Lord...she is yours.  We are just honored that we get to have her and hold her in our arms.  No matter what trials, tribulation or troubles that may come up...we will bring them and lay them at Your feet.  We pray for wisdom and guidance to raise this little girl up in the way that You desire.  

I pray that Aubrey will grow to be a strong, kind, compassionate, caring woman.  I pray that she will know the Father personally and long to please Him. I pray that she will do mighty things in His name.

Happy Dedication Day sweet Aubrey!  We love you!

Laundry and an update

First off, I'd like to say thanks to all my amazing bloggy friends who came through with shining colors for me.  I had so many texts, calls, emails and comments that I could barely keep up!  I felt like Pioneer Woman!  Ha...just kidding.  But seriously...you gals were all over it like white on rice...like mayonnaise on a bologna sandwich...like sauce on ribs...(man I must be hungry)! I have to say how thankful I am to have such a sweet community of bloggers-ya'll rock my socks off!  Okay, I promise I'm done with the corny phrases!

The sheriff said they would keep us posted on the status of the case.  They are pretty sure the post originated from California so hopefully they can narrow it down and track the sicko who posted the ad.  I wish ya'll could have been a fly on the wall at my house yesterday-it is hysterical looking back at it in hindsight- although I was not laughing yesterday.

The police left our house and headed to my brother's house to check on my niece.  By this point I am a disaster-pacing the floor, almost in tears, just a wreck.  I get a text from my brother that says "they are taking her (my niece) into the station for questioning...take every single picture down ASAP." I immediately burst into tears.  I have officially done it...ruined my precious niece's little life.  She will be scarred for life.  I'm sobbing to Christian, "she is gonna be so scared...the police station is a horrible place...oh the horrors she will witness...I'm a terrible aunt...I hate the Internet!" Mere seconds pass and I get another text from my brother.  "Just kidding-the sheriff just came and said "hi" to her and then left!" Oh how I dearly love my brother.  Leave it to him to turn me into even more of a deranged lunatic!

So things have settled down.  No more visits from the fuzz.

I've done some research and discovered that really no one thing will prevent these things from occurring.  There are measures you can take that will deter someone...but ultimately if someone wants your images-they will find a way to get them.  You can watermark your photos or try disabling the right click feature.  Both are good ideas...but won't prevent theft all together.

I want to mention that if any of ya'll would like a watermark made for your blog, just message me and I'll create a custom watermark for your photos.  So many people have commented that having a watermark across your photos can be a safeguard against people stealing your personal photographs. I'm more than willing to make a custom watermark for your blog and walk you through how to insert it onto your photos.  Different editing software does it differently...but I'll do my best to walk you through the process.

A sweet blog friend named Jamie emailed me with an awesome link.  This link allows you to insert a code into your blog at the end of each post and it automatically disables the right click feature.  Meaning that no one can save your images to their computer! Try right clicking on my photos...

Although my sweet friend Amy over at Filled with Praise informed me that if you use the blog reader feature, this doesn't prevent theft. 

I do want to share the link in case you'd like to use this feature. 

http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex9/noright.htm

Again I want to thank everyone for their sweet advice and support.  I sure wish we lived in a world where these things didn't happen and everyone could do their own thing...but in the meantime it is important to be informed and do what you can to stay safe.

And because somebody is so stinking cute and will not stop growing...I must document her on this day!  Miss Priss is 16 weeks old and growing like a weed.  Before long the laundry basket will be too small and I'll have to put her in a wheel barrow!

OMG...

Talk about craziness-never in a million years would I have imagined this would happen...it's like straight out of a movie!!

Christian calls me on my home from work to tell me that a detective from California called our house looking for me.  He went on to ask Christian if his wife had a blog...had ever posted on Craigslist...had a child, etc. Christian is like..."um, yeah-what is this all about?"

Apparently someone stole a photo off my blog and used it in an ad on Craigslist.  The ad was apparently very graphic and horrible in nature.  The photo was used in a threatening way and they were concerned for the well being of the child.  It wasn't Aubrey in the photo but a close relative and we explained who she was and where she was.

Next thing you know there is a sheriff at our door.  He had been contacted by the police in California and had to come see if this child was okay and had not been harmed. I immediately contacted my family and let them know what had happened because it has to do with their child...I'm just in tears over this mess.

The sheriff interviews both Christian and I, checks on Aubrey, and then leaves to go check on the child in the picture that was threatened.  They pay a visit to my relative and verify that she was safe and unharmed.

I'm just devastated over all this.  I cannot believe the sick people there are out there...violating a sweet innocent child and making harmful threats against a defenseless little girl. How disgusting is the world we live in?

The sheriff says this happens more than you think and he said it can happen to anyone who posts a photo on the internet.

I'm thinking I may need to make my blog private...I just can't take any risks.

Fellow bloggers...what is your opinion or how do you protect your photos?  What things can be done to prevent this from happening?  Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.