Goldie Locks

I love Faith's hair! She has the beautiful curls that I had as a little one and that her older Sullivan nieces have, and she has the beautiful almost white hair that her daddy had as a little boy. I cannot tell you how many times people have asked, "did you curl her hair?" Sure people, I had the toddler sit on the sink and said be real still while I put this burning hot iron on your precious little hair!

I do feel for her in that I have inherited my mother's tolerance for patience and empathy when it comes to brushing, washing, and fixing her hair. Might as well grin and bear it, Faith! I did. If a tangle doesn't come out immediately, just tug harder. Now you get the picture?

I love the way she loves having bows in her hair and using head bands. She loves to admire herself in the mirror, sweet lil thing.

10 things I love about Faith at 23 months

Faith has kept her mommy so busy lately that I haven't been able to update in a while. Wow, how time flies. Faith is turning two years old this month! In the past couple of weeks, she has really developed her speech so that she is sounding less and less like she's speaking Chinese.

Here are my top 10 favorite things that she's doing at this time:

1. Saying "please" with a cheesy little smile that gets her almost anything she wants.

2. Following Gracie (the chihuahua) around the house with her arms wide open saying "hugs?"

3. Pressing the glowworm in the middle of the night several times in a row just to listen to the music.

4. Insisting on wearing her rain boots (which are two sizes too big) to school several days in a row and on more than one occasion.

5. The way she lights up when she sees her Papaws, and the way any older man in any store also qualifies as a papaw.

6. That one of her first intelligible longer sentences at school was "No Jackson! My toy! Get back!"

7. The way Faith loves on her mommy and daddy at night time and gives the best long hugs a parent could ever ask for.

8. Extremely wet and messy kisses (on the mouth of course!)

9. How she cannot sit on the potty without saying "My teeth!" She brushes her teeth no less than 4 times a day (that's a week day, many more times on the weekend!).

10. The way she mothers her little babies and keeps them in her arms (all five) in the morning while i'm trying to change her diaper and get her dressed. "Babies! Babies! My Babies!" Faith, you should not have so many babies, you can't even take care of them! LOL

Little Girl Growing Up, A Summer Recap

This is bound to be a long post! The last was in the middle of May and there is so much that has happened in our little family! I cannot believe how much Faith has changed in these short months, you will notice on the pictures.
So, at the end of May, Mommy left her job at Baylor and ventured out to practice speech-language pathology. Daddy has been making great strides in leadership in his job, though he works some early and loooong hours.
Our summer start with a visit from Nana and Papaw Sartor. She was spoiled rotten when they left! She loves her papaw! (nothing against Nana, it's just that she likes the men better, she does the same thing with Grandma Nina)
Faith has once again moved up a classroom at her school and is she really enjoying all the fun activities at school. Here she is ready for school at the end of May...

With summer comes swimming, and this is something Faith has become somewhat proficient in. Notice the contraption she is wearing below. It is designed to keep the kid afloat, but does not keep your head above water automatically. It requires balance. Faith found out the hard way, and now can balance herself and move about independently around the pool (she wouldn't have it any other way). We've been blessed to have friends with the perfect size and type of pool for
Faith to learn her way about the water in. Here she is taking a break from the pool and sitting up like a big girl in the lawn chair.


Something else that she has explored for the first time this summer is the indoor playgrounds at different neighborhood eating joints. And, of course, she knows that the slide is the most fun when walked up backwards...

I've known for some time that Faith needed to be getting off the bottle all together. For several months she had been only having a night time bottle. She weaned herself in July. She got to where she would just chew on the bottle at night, and not really drink it. I just quit offering it, and she didn't ask. This is one of her last bottles :( Sniff, Sniff

July 4th was a neat experience for us. We had a family wide G and G camp together at a retreat/ranch outside of Fort Worth. It was the perfect little get away for us, and Faith really started warming up to her cousins. I don't have any pics from this...need to get them emailed to me. It was here that Faith led her Grandpa Sullivan all over the property several times a day. He would let her explore and just follow her. They were so cute!

Pigtails have been a staple for Faith this summer. She is hot natured and needs all the help she can get. I try to dress her in as little clothing as possible, while keeping her hair up off her neck. The pigtails also happen to be pretty darn cute! I snapped this in the hallway one morning as she was walking to her classroom.
Mom and dad brought Faith my old rocking chair earlier this Spring. That thing is over 25 years old! Faith enjoys it now, and likes to try my patience inventing different ways to sit or stand in the chair. It's cool to see her using this though!

A nighttime ritual at our household is a family prayer before bed. Yes, this is sunshine you see...it was daylight at 8pm for quiet some time, but it was still bedtime! Faith gets in her daddy's lap and puts her hands together and we all recite the prayer together. Her favorite part is the "Amen," which she says with quiet some fervor.


The beginning of August rolled around and Grandpa Sullivan's birthday. Faith decided to go and surprise her Grandpa for his birthday. He knew not a word about it and the whole trip was super quick but super special. Here she is with her cousin Hayley and cousin Emily riding around the family farm in Briggsville.


Below is a pic of Faith watching Grandma Nina fix a good ole breakfast. I remember many mornings in this very kitchen watching Grandma Anna and Aunt Anna Jewel prepare breakfast. It's cool to see her continuing the experience.

And here is why that trip was worth it. Faith adores her Grandpa.

We had visitors the next weekend. It is rare that we see each other this often, but Uncle Wes, Hayley and Caitlin came and stayed with us for several days. Faith loved the attention and the excuse to stay up "late" with her cousins.

Faith and Uncle Wes

This summer also marked Faith's first real hair cut. She was none too excited about this, but with some help from You Tube and daddy's Iphone, she survived. We only trimmed it, and didn't really have the usual curls that you keep in a baby book. Maybe next time. It's too cute to cut much right now!

Faith was introduced to the deer woods this month too. We had a family day trip to the deer woods, were we checked daddy's game camera and filled up his feeder. Faith favorite part was getting to "drive" through the pasture and of course, not having to sit in the car seat for a while.

And the very next afternoon she took her first boat ride in daddy's boat. She was enamored at the sights around her and liked the experience....as long as we weren't going over 10 mph. That got old quickly and this turned out to be a brief ride, though a successful one none the less.

So there you have it. You are caught up with the events of our summer. No big destination trips or anything. Just everyday life. We cherish our time with Faith each evening and every weekend. She is such a joy in our life :)

An Afternoon at the Park

Determined that Faith needed to swing, Daddy and I drove all around looking for a park with a good toddler swing. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we'd have stayed all evening if not for the little nagging knats!

Faith liked swinging, at first, then she changed her tune as her poor feet drug through the sand. We need a toddler swing for taller toddlers!

Faith walked out holding on to her daddy's hand. I love this pic!

Daddy's Lil' Huntress

Dinner Club

So it may sound cliche, but we are part of a quaint little dinner club where 4 couples rotate homes each month for a evening get together. Three of the couples have little girls all around the same age. Payton and Macy are about 20 months old, while Faith is 16 months old.

Last night at our get together, the girls had an absolute blast playing together. They started a game that involved running in a herd from one end of the house to the other. Oh, and this house is Josh and Britni's, and they don't have kids just yet. So you can imagine the anxious way we watched the girls to make sure they didn't get into anything that was less than baby proof.

I managed to get this short video to give you an idea of our night, and why we had headaches at the end of it...

Later on, Faith started to push Britni's coffee table around on the floor, and when Macy tried to join in the effort, Faith boxed her out using elbows and all! That's my girl!

Anyway, we really enjoy this time each month to see how the girls have changed and compare life stories. Now, our evenings will forever be more interesting.

When we got home, I put Faith, who was already in PJ's, down and asked her if she was ready to go night night. She shook her head yes, ran into her room, and threw her arms up at her crib. I gave her a kiss and lifted her into her bed, where she snuggled in for the night. I have it so good!

Turkey time with Daddy: Then and Now

Well, turkey season in Texas is almost over and daddy has really had some success. Faith and I really like it when dad kills a turkey, because that means he will bring us breakfast back and be home when we wake up!

Daddy has made it a tradition, he wants a pic with Faith and his turkeys. Here is the first ever Faith/Dad/Turkey pic:

Now, again, check out the difference a year makes! And, yes, that is Gracie sniffing the poor turkey. She was concerned that it may be faking.

And yet, a different turkey, and a baby who is NOT willing to stand still for the pic!

Thus ends turkey season 2010, and my apologies to those appalled by the pics of dead birds. I am immune to these feelings by now!

Blue Bonnets 2010

We almost waited too long, but we finally gots some pics of Faith in the Texas Blue Bonnets this year. It stinks that it's best to wait until dusk, right when Faith is ready to go to bed. We are lucky to have snapped a few good ones :)

My how she has changed since last year!

Happy Easter 2010

Yes, Faith...You are the center of attention, please enjoy

Part of our mission as parents is to teach our children the real meaning behind our marketed frivolous modern holidays. We are to find a way to make sure our kids recognize that Christ's birthday is the real celebration at Christmas, and that Christ's resurrection is the celebration of Easter.

At this point in our 15 month-old's life, she is the center of attention. No question. She proved her desire to be on the stage in several overt ways this weekend.

First of all, I took her to see her first Baylor softball game of the season. Last season, Faith was quite a doll, literally, a 3 month old sweet thing that we easily took care of while watching the game. This year, I knew things would be different. I didn't think I would get to watch the game at all! Boy was I wrong.

She loved the game! She loved watching the people, and she screamed and squealed every time a play was made. You could tell she was watching the ball, because her head would follow the ball on a pop up or other obvious play.

Maybe this has something to do with her parents agging her on at home, but she thought she had really done something amazing, when our junior slugger, JV, hit the game winning RBI in extra innings and the crowd went wild. She was reveling in her victory.

After the game, there was an Easter egg "hunt" in the outfield. I say hunt, but it was really more of a free for all. I placed Faith in a strategic spot with 3 eggs close together to give her a fighting chance vs. the big kids. I let her go, and she ran right at the eggs. In fact, she ran right past them, to the infield. She stood in the pitcher's circle and twirled around with a big smile on her face.

I think she knew that this place was where all eyes are fixed during the game. I wonder if she knew that her momma was a pitcher? Hmm, she has a future in the spotlight, not sure where it will be though, because the next day....

After the service was over at church, during which she earned high honors for good behavior from those sitting around us, she was let down and immediately ran for the pulpit area! She climbed up on the stage and gained that huge smile again. Again, she knew that this was where every one's eyes are fixed in the service.

I think it's fine for her to enjoy the time in her life when the world revolves around her. After all, my parents had me thinking I was one of a kind on this world. I truly believed that God made me special. Not just "special" but extra "special" as if I possess qualities none on this earth could simulate. lol....not that my parents intended this, but I just thought I was something else. Maybe it gave me to confidence to believe I was different and to make more sound decisions in my life.

One day, like my parents did with me, as we continue to point Faith to the Father, she too will realize that she is special in that she is a child of God. She will one day look past herself to others and more importantly, look to Him.

We love you, Faith! You superstar!

Faith's First Dance with Daddy

After a friend's wedding, Daddy and Faith got this great opportunity to dance while waiting on the arrival of the bridal party. During this time, she also had several twirls and foot stomping fits that weren't captured on video. She has the cutest little pink cowgirl boots that she wore to this Western-style wedding.

Daddy and Faith had a great time on the floor that afternoon, and both of us had our hands full following Faith around the venue.

Cousin Hannah

A year ago Faith's oldest cousin, Hannah Joy, entered Heaven. Hannah has left such a lasting legacy for her family, her friends, and even strangers, bringing all of us closer to Him and teaching us to look to Him when we fail ourselves.

Faith will hear about Hannah all of her life and be held to a high standard. Hannah, the oldest cousin and "leader of the pack" led an exemplary life for Christ. As her mom would quickly add, she wasn't perfect, none of us are, but she took on her life storm with nothing but grace.
Below is a pic of the first time Hannah met Faith. This was near the end of January of last year. I won't say it's the first and last time they will meet, because we know there will be a joyful reunion at Home one day. This is probably the only pic of all 7 granddaughters together.

When we found out we were pregnant, Hannah was the first cousin I called. I remember her screaming "You're pregnant!!!?!!! Mom, Aunt Sarah is pregnant!" She was super excited as was the rest of the crew. Faith and Katie Joy (born just after Hannah went to Heaven) won't remember the physical Hannah, but her story will penetrate their lives and inspire them to live their life in such a way that points others to the Lord. Read more about Hannah's story here.

Hannah Joy, WE MISS YOU!

What to do with Sydney Kitty Cat

With these ear infections Faith has been having, we have been trying to decide what is keeping her stopped up. One plausible cause would be our 15 pound 1st child of the feline type. Oh yeah, with long shaggy hair that is annoying to clean up all the time.

I suggested this idea to our doctor who said that he couldn't do allergy tests on Faith until she is 4. He recommended getting the cat out of the house for several weeks to see if Faith improved with the cat gone.

Would any of ya'll believe that there are not a tons of our friends out there dying to keep our cat for a couple of weeks? Poor Sydney, your family member status is in jeopardy....you'd better start doing laundry or something. Faith loves you, but you allude her. This combined with your dander, just can't be tolerated much longer. What are we going to do?

Can I just stay under this table, Mom?

Yesterday, We all loaded up to go get Faith's 12 month vaccinations. They had been postponed because of her ear infection issues, so she got them at more like 14 months, which is fine with us!

The room at Dr. Loden's office is brightly colored and painted with a lot of fish and undersea creatures. Faith prided herself in running from wall to wall and slamming her hands on the wall. After a long time of doing this, I think she started to get nervous. She loved the paper on the examine table and tried pulling it off...

She also tried escaping through the door, but she could quite work the handle...

When she gave up on escape, she conceded to hiding under the desk...do I have to come out?? Shots (4 of them) hurt but were OK....bottles make lots of things Ok.

Oh, So Now You Like Your Hat?

When her daddy first brought this hat home for Faith, she couldn't stand to have it on her head! The only way we'd get pics is to distract her for long enough to snap a shot. Well, the hat has been living in the toy bin and Faith has rediscovered it. She now brings it to us and makes up put it on her head. She does this over and over again! She's just started to put it on and take it off her little doll too! I love to watch how she is learning functions of things. She tries to brush her hair, put her shoes on, put her daddy's nasty socks back on him, and this morning she took a clean diaper, put it between her legs and sat on it! Smart girl! What's next?

Faith and Daddy's Game

You remember the stare down game? Where two people stare at each other emotionless until one finally cracks a smile and both start laughing? Well, Faith and her daddy have started a similar game that takes place in daddy's lap almost every night the past week for about half-an-hour at a time. Not exaggerating!

It started when they just kept laughing back and forth at each other. Then, I got daddy's attention and told him to make a serious face. He did, she observed and then got him to crack his serious face. They continued laughing when suddenly, Faith got an ice cold emotionless face. Bubba copied her, and the stare-off began. These stare offs don't last that long, however, as both crack fairly easily. Faith will through her head back in laughter. It's such a joy to watch!

Bad Mommy! Now, I need some advice.

Sorry, i'm a bad mommy for not keeping ya'll posted on Faith's latest accomplishments. Her personality just oozes from her now, and she will win you over with her big ole cheesy smile!

Fact is, I'm needing some advice from you on a few things...

• When do I have to take her off her bottle? I have friends that have already completely taken away the bottle. Faith likes her bottle, and I like giving it to her...I'm not ready to give this up, but is there something I should know?

• What's the best way to get rid of the dramatic "back bending" fits she throws? She does this when she's hungry or otherwise disgruntled. It's a bit much.

• When did you start potty training with your kids, if you have any. When is too early? Reason I ask, Faith predictable goes tinkle every time she watches the tub fill up with water. She is now 13 months old. My mom suggested getting a potty and just letting her go at bath time. Any tips? Suggestions? Warnings?

Thanks for your input! I cherish your thoughts family and friends!

Basketball Fun

This is Faith after a recent Lady Bears basketball game. She was so attentive to the game, and though she was tired...so tired....she kept smiling at people and stayed involved in the game. In the above video, we went down to the court after the game to wait for some of the girls to return from the lockerroom. Faith pushed her way between the seats that make up the bench and spent about 15 minutes walking around the court, bright-eyed and bushy tailed! She was enthralled!