To sleep...or not to sleep...

Whew! It has been a really long time since I have found time to come update you all!

Phoenix is doing GREAT!! She will be crawling soon (we hope) or maybe she will skip it and go straight to walking...she wants to be mobile!

She will be getting in a splint for her hand to try and keep the left palm open during the day. That should be in really soon - I can post some pictures and show you what she thinks of it. They had to fit her for one and she was quite peeved at someone putting something on her hand she couldn't get off. She settled for biting it...With no teeth.

As far as legalities go, the state has decided to take us to trial for termination of parental rights. They want to remove her from us permanently and put her on the state list for adoption to a FL resident.

This will be decided October 5th and 6th, so please keep us and our lawyers in your prayers.

Anne has been staying with us babysitting Phoenix over the summer but has to go back to school SOON and we are still looking for a good babysitter. Pray about that please! Babysitters these days are not like they used to be...

On other news, Phoenix has decided that night time is the time to be awake! And stay awake! We have tried everything! We have even swaddled her like a newborn so she can't escape the covers and then fuss because she is cold. The newest weapon in her arsenal is: humming. Last night she hummed for 3.5 hours (after I tried rocking her to sleep for an hour) AND attempted to flail without rest so I just had to keep a hand on her crazy kicking legs. I finally gave up around 5:00 AM and went to the couch to sleep thinking she would figure out that I wasn't going to get her up because I wasn't right there so she would just get bored and go to sleep.

Aaa! Where is my shirt?!

I came in at 6:30. She had escaped the blankets, thrown the binky across the room and was laying there happy as a clam biting her toes.

This is not the first night of its kind...

Today she has been falling asleep sitting up and her therapist can't get her to do anything because she is so tired so the whole no-sleeping thing isn't working for baby or mommy!

So! If you have ideas for getting stubborn babies back to sleep please let me know!!

Also. She weighs 24 lbs and is still gaining and has officially reached the milestone of "half as tall as mommy!" and is proud, proud, proud!! We are breaking out the 2T/24month clothes!! Aaaa!!

Her Aunt Lyndsey came to visit a few weeks ago and they had a super fun time yelling and trying to steal toys away from each other! They had matching dresses...that were too small for both of them. Hehe...

We love you all!
-Shell, Allen & Phoenix

Sometimes I play small goats...