Thinking Out Loud: Three Years Ago....The Best Day of 2006!!!

Three years ago, The Payne Family officially became The Magnificent Seven! We welcomed, with so much love and joy, a beautiful daughter and sister into our lives and hearts!! Elliot Ann Payne was born on September 3rd, 2009. She was born on the Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend. She was named before she was born, since we did know she was a girl; and I we do have a lot of requirements in choosing a name....;)! I was 39 years old when Elliot was born, so I had sonograms at every doctor's visit and even some Level 2 sonograms. Since my previous 2 babies, Drew and Bryna, were both premature; and B actually spent some time in the NICU and I was 39....this pregnancy was considered somewhat high risk. We learned early on that she was a girl....by NPayne's choice. He always likes to know, and I prefer a surprise; but this time he got his way....you're welcome HONEY! I remember the doctor, doing the sonogram, Dr. Payne....no relation, but isn't it cool that his last name is the same as ours....said tell me what you have at home as far as children go? I said "We have 3 girls and a boy!" He said "4 girls and a boy!" And I said "No, 3 girls and a boy!" And he said "NO.....4 girls and a boy!" Then I realized he was telling me she was a girl which I really had not doubted, since I had the worst morning sickness I had ever had. I was not sick one day when I was expecting Cal but always sick when expecting a girl....wouldn't ya know it....it couldn't be the other way around, since girls are in abundance in our homestead. She was a surprise but a much prayed for blessing.

Now tell me....go ahead and be honest....isn't this about the cutest birth announcement you have ever seen? I mean seriously....who would have thought of something like this....ahem....well I don't like to boast, BUT.....

This picture was taken by my friend and photographer Cathy Zaragoza. She knows exactly what I like in a picture which is some whimsy, no stereotypical posing, and a very natural look all wrapped up in something really creative and different. And she captured all of that here for sure!!! I want to be just like her when I grow up. If you do look on her website, and click on the galleries (children)....you will see a few more pictures of Elliot and even one of Elliot and Bryna! I love Cathy....she rocks!

On the back of the picture, it says the following....

Elliot Ann Payne (Elli)

Born September 3, 2006 at 1:37 pm

9 lb. 9 oz. 20 3/4 inches

Elliot (English) meaning Thanks Be To God!

Ann (English) meaning Gracious!

For her we are thankful!

The Payne Family

Neil, Lorie, Addison, Callahan, Drew, Bryna Mae &Elliot

Right after she came home.....I made this onesie for her!!!

I remember holding her as often as I could, and I remember how she was the only one of my 5 babies who was not happy about taking breast milk from a bottle.....hence me having to get up much more with her than with the others. NPayne has always been very helpful by getting up during the night and doing feedings. With Elliot, it was frustrating for him; because she really wasn't a fan of him feeding her. You would have never known then that she was going to adore him and be a complete Daddy's Girl!!!

In the hospital, her brother and sisters immediately fell completely in love with her. Cal adapted well to another sister, and he has always been very protective of her. I love how having a baby, in the house, brought out so much emotion in him that we hadn't seen before.

One of our first group photos.....I LOVE this picture with every ounce of my being!!! I couldn't be more grateful and thankful for these children!

Elli.....
I love how you always look just like a picture out of an old victorian storybook.

I love how you were so accepted and loved by all of our family and friends. And I love that you were baptized on my best friend's birthday!!!

Your Baptism Day....December 10, 2006!!!

Our family is blessed once again!

I love how your peach fuzz was really red before your hair grew out. I always wanted one of my babies to be a red head.

I love how you have always been a good eater and will try about anything......

.....even a little sand!!! Must have been tasty, because you kept on eating it.

I love your peach skin and strawberry blonde eyelashes!!!

I love that you remind me of my daddy!

I loved when you turned ONE and had so much fun!!!

I love that you LOVE your daddy and are a complete and total Daddy's Girl!!!

He does too ;)!

I love that you are happy and healthy and sweet and even a little strong willed.....okay a lot on the strong will part, but I still love it!!!!

I love that I can see your dimples with the littlest of smiles, and that your eyes shine bright when you are smiling!!

I love that you look the most like me!!!!

I love that you are adored by your siblings, and that they all happily and lovingly have embraced you as their sister!!!!

I love that you love for me to take your picture!

I love your bright blue eyes!

I love your sweet little baby hands and feet and how you like to hold my hand!!!

I love that you let me kiss you all over and giggle whole heartedly when I do!!!!

I love the back of your neck and your wild and crazy curls!!!

I love that you want to wear a tutu and crown every single day and will proudly proclaim "I'm a Princess!" And you are....Your Father is the King of Kings!!!!

I love how your two front teeth rest on your bottom lip!!!

I love that you always want to wear a dress!!!!

I love that you love so much!!

I love that I can read you like a book, and that you're go with the flow but can be a little high maintenance!!!

I love that you are full of so much joy and that you bring so much joy into the lives of everyone who knows you!!!! I love that you are funny, laugh a lot, and have a wonderful sense of humor!

I love that you already have such a zest for life at such a young age.

I love how you wink randomly at people, and they will ask me....

"Did she just wink at me?" And I will answer them with....

"Yes she did!!"

I love that you have a huge vocabulary, and I love hearing you say

"I LUUUUUV YOU TOO Mommy!!!"

"You look futiful (beautiful)!"

"I have blue eyes, and you have green eyes!"

"OH NO" with a big gasp!

I love that you sing and dance constantly, and I love that you can hear a song once and sing right along with it like you know all of the words....even if you don't. I love that you still want me to rock you and sing to you before you go to sleep!!! I love hearing you sing our three favorite songs while we rock, and I love how you ask me to tickle you slow which means rub your arms and face. I love how you whisper "AMEN" after I sing you your bedtime prayer!!!

I love that you lead us in our dinnertime prayer every night, and that you always start our tradition of "Roses and Thorns"! I love that your "rose" will often consist of saying...."I have good day, and thank you for my pamily (family)!"

I love that you never have a "thorn" because you really don't even know what there is to be unhappy about yet!!!
I love that you are a girly girl through and through and can already walk, run and play in your dress up high heel shoes. I love that you love to paint and draw! I love that you cover your ears with your hands when you are nervous!!! I love that you are very much your own person but still need me and want me all of the time!!! I love that you are a little spoiled by your siblings but not spoiled ROTTEN (at least not yet)! I love that you will root for your siblings and even tell Bryna "Good Job Bryna" when she gets in the car after school and announces that she did NOT have a color change that day! I love that you say some things backwards....."cake chocolate"! I love that you watch me in the rearview mirror of the car and everytime I look at you.....you smile at me and oftentimes give me a wink. I love that you can sooth yourself with your Pinky Pie and your thumb! I love that a kiss can almost always make it "ALL BETTER"!
I love to watch you grow, learn and explore; and I love to absorb every moment while you're growing, learning and exploring. I love that you crack yourself up, and I love that your face is full of expression. I love that you have the cutest pout I've ever seen. I love that you can adapt to change easily. I love that you're sensitive but definitely can stand up for yourself. I love that you ALWAYS wake up happy! I love to get you out of your bed and hear you say "Good Morning Mommy" with a big dimply smile! I love to stare at your face when you're sitting in my lap. I love the way you smell, and I love to watch you sleep!!! I love that you were truly an answered prayer, and I love that God answered it with a YES!