6 months old - Our little shrimpy

Madison Claire is 6 months old! She is learning something new everyday and gets stronger and smarter with every passing day! At 6 months she is sitting up perfectly and rolling all over the place. She's also starting to move, but not really crawl. She slithers/creeps using her arms. She is so stinking smart. If there is a toy on the blanket that she wants, she will pull the blanket to her so that she can get the toy. If she can't move the blanket, she will move forward on all fours but then flatten out her legs. She'll reach as far as she can and if she can't reach the toy, she'll start pulling herself towards it with her arms. She always gets there!! It really is quite precious. I'll try to capture it on video and post it sometime soon.

She's super active - always wanting to move, climb on you, stand up holding onto a table or the ottoman, play with toys, pretty much anything other than sitting still!

We started feeding her solids a week before she turned 6 months old. I've been making everything at home using my VitaMix blender and it's awesome. We started with Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Carrots, Apples, Pears in that order. She loves EVERYTHING orange and hates EVERYTHING green! Go figure!!

She had her 6 month doctors appointment on Thursday of this week and we were really hoping that her weight was going to stabilize or go up from a percentage standpoint. Here are her weight numbers from birth:

Birth - 8 lb 9 oz - 85%

1 week - 8 lb 4 oz - 65%

2 weeks - 8 lb 12 oz - 63%

2 months - 11 lb 3oz - 58%

2.5 months - 11 lb 8 oz - 49%

4 months - 13 lb 6 oz - 40%

6 months - 14 lb 8 oz - 19%

You can see the scary trend for our little shrimpy!! We've been feeding her rice cereal once a day since her 4 month appointment and she still had a dramatic drop in her weight percentage so our doctor is getting concerned. It is also the first time that her height has dropped so they are worried that her inability to gain weight sufficiently is impacting her overall growth. Her height dropped from the 72% to the 46%.

POOR LITTLE PUNKIN!!!

So...this is the plan. They have started her on a prescription antacid to help her keep her food down because she's been spitting up a lot lately. They've increased her food portion of rice cereal to 2 tbsp from 1 tbsp and want us to give that to her twice a day. They also want us to give her 2 servings of fruit a day and 1 serving of vegetables a day. Fruit has a higher caloric content than vegetables so that is the reason for the difference. The big kicker is that on top of all of that and her normal breastfeeding schedule, they want us to put one scoop of infant formula into each of her food servings to get her some additional calories.

We go back to the doctor in one month for a weight check. It is our hope and prayer that adding these calories will allow her to put on some weight. If it is not successful, they will begin running tests to ensure that her body is able to absorb the nutrients that the food should be giving her. Please join us in praying this won't be necessary!!

She is so strong, smart, and active that you wouldn't think anything at all was wrong with her! It is obvious though when people ask us how old she is and always seem shocked when we say 6 months. The poor little thing can still wear size 3 month clothes! Pray that there isn't anything wrong with her digestive system and it's just a case of a SUPER fast metabolism.

We'll keep you updated. In the meantime, thanks for your prayers for our little one.

Weekend visit with Meredith & Ben

Meredith & Ben came in for a visit this weekend. We went to the CPA game on Friday night where it was FREEZING cold! CPA had a big win 47-0 so we left at halftime. Saturday we took it easy & then went to the Vanderbilt game. Special thanks to Andrea for getting us tickets!

We enjoyed spending the time with them and Madison Claire LOVED her Aunt Mere & Mr. Ben.

Come back soon you two!

Papa Howard

My Papa Howard passed away on September 27th. We got word that he had become unresponsive on the previous Thursday so Ryan, Madison Claire and I went down to Chattanooga on an emergency trip on Friday the 26th to see Papa. It was so hard to see him unresponsive. It looked like even breathing with the help of the ventilator was so difficult for him. I held his hand in the room and talked with him about everything going on in our lives - how Madison was doing, how Ryan's football team is this year, etc. I also asked him to try to open his eyes for me and though he never did, I could see his eyes moving behind the lids as if he were trying really hard to open them. I gave him as much positive encouragement as I could and told him that I could see his eyes moving. I think if I were ever in a coma, I would want people to recognize that they knew I could hear them...even if I couldn't!

It was really hard to leave Chattanooga that day, but I felt at peace that I was able to hold his hand and kiss his cheek and tell him goodbye. I was able to be alone in the room with him for about 5 minutes and I told him how much I loved him, respected him, appreciated all that he had done for my family and our country and how I would always keep him in my heart. I told him he had an important job to do in heaven, to find our little friend Ryan Morgan and say hello. My mom told him to find her parents, my Mama and Papa Lambdin, and tell them about Madison Claire since they didn't get to meet her here on earth.

I knew when we left that it could have been the last time I saw him, but also had a hope that he would come out of the coma and improve. We got back into Nashville around 8:30pm that evening and I got a call from my mom around 11:30pm that he had passed away.

His funeral was on Thursday in Chattanooga and it was perfect. Papa would have loved it. Their church is the most beautiful church you have ever seen and it was the perfect setting for his service. Their pastor did an excellent job talking about Papa....he described him as the true Renaissance Man...doing everything well. That is so true!

I was asked to speak at the funeral to represent my dad's family. My cousins Elizabeth & Shelley spoke as well. It was overwhelming to think about what to say because truly I cannot put into words what an amazing man he was. This is what I had to say:

My name is Lauren and I am honored to speak on behalf of my siblings, Sarah, Meredith & Patrick. I want to talk about the legacy that my Papa Howard left to us. I think it can be best described by 2 bible verses:

I Corinthians 10:31 - "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"

and

Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward."

I think Papa can be described as a man of great character. He displayed this character and these verses in so many areas of his life. I think of his commitment to my Mama Howard - 63 years! I also saw it in his parenting. I think of my Uncle Russ, Aunt Lynn, and of course about my own dad and what an amazing father he is. I know that he learned a lot about being a great dad from the example of Papa.

I think of how my Papa was always present in my life...at every major event he was there. Graduations, my wedding, and even meeting Madison Claire 4 days after she was born.

I think of his gardening and how he told me the story not to long ago of the people testing his plot of land for chemicals because they couldn't believe that a garden plot could be that beautiful and weed free without them. He hadn't used chemicals but his hands to work the land. That type of hard work is rare to find these days.

I think about his positive attitude. In his memoirs, he writes:

"I was disappointed that I had not been assigned to a combat unit. I had decided to help make my unit one of the best transportation units in the Army."

And he did. I think we could all learn from that and am sure the world would be a better place if instead of complaining in difficult or disappointing circumstances, we made the best of what we did have.

Papa Howard lived out his faith by serving others with humility. This is the greatest example he could leave for us. We're told in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life." Because of God's gift of salvation in Christ, I rejoice today knowing that my Papa is looking Jesus face to face, and is full of light as he hears, "Well done, good & faithful servant."

Papa wrote me a letter this time last year. He said:

"You are providing me with one of the best reasons to live longer. I will be 84 in January. My great grand kids will need to be at least 5 or 6 years old to have any memories of me."

Papa - Madison Claire will have memories of you - through the legacy you've left her and each of us. A legacy of commitment, parenting, being present, hardworking, positive, to have a faith that can move mountains, and be of great character. Thank you for these treasures you have instilled in us. Until we meet again joyfully in heaven, I will keep you in my heart.



At the end of the service, they had a military presentation of the flag and all of the grandchildren served as pallbearers leaving the service. We went to the National Cemetery in Chattanooga for the burial. He had full military honors including the draped flag over the coffin, rifle salute, playing of Taps on the bugle and the presentation of the flag to my grandmother. It was so beautiful and touching. I know that Papa was smiling from heaven. I am so proud of him.

My Mama Howard has been absolutely amazing throughout all of this. I know the past few months of him in the hospital have been hard on her, but she has been incredibly loving and resilient, always advocating for his needs. She took care of him every day and was a staple at the hospital. She has a strength and grace that is truly admirable and I pray that I can have an ounce of that one day! Please join us in praying for her as she learns to navigate life here on earth without her sweet husband. She knows that she will see him again - praise the Lord!

It is hard to think about life here on earth without him but I know that life will go on with wonderful memories. I will miss him terribly and will strive to make him proud in my actions in life. He has left a legacy that all would be lucky to have. I am thankful that God ordained me to be in the family that I am and am grateful for many great years and memories with such a wonderful grandfather. I know that I will see him again in heaven and I will look forward to that day! I love you Papa!

Angel Baby

My good friend, Cyndi Goodman took these pictures of Madison Claire.  She was about 5 months old when they were taken.  You can see how talented Cyndi is...they are all so cute I don't know how I am EVER going to decide which one to put in Canvas!  If you have any favorites - post a comment because I am SERIOUSLY in trouble here!!!  

Thank you Cyndi for capturing our angel baby in such a beautiful way.