The Henry Story: There and Back Again, A Lovey's Unexpected Journey

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Henry Percival Louis Edmund Phelps the 78th. My dear sweet, precious Lucy is allowing me the privilege of telling you the tale of what happened the night I was lost and the treacherous months that followed. It was not too, too awful bad but I did miss my Lucy terribly. Let me start from the very beginning of my tale...

I was born on a blustery, rainy night in May. I do not remember much about that day except that there were a lot of other loveys to pick from but Lucy's cousin, Lauraline, picked me out just for Lucy - she even had Lucy's name stitched on my tummy. Then they wrapped me up and drove me a long way to this thing called a "shower". Strangely there was no rain at this shower but there were gifts - and all for Lucy Paige. Lucy's mommy very carefully unwrapped me from the package and said that I'd make a perfect sleeping buddy for Lucy when she arrived in July. After that day, I waited and waited for Lucy to come. I imagined her and what she would look like and how she would act and how she would smell. I imagined all of our future playdates together. I imagined that she and I would have so much fun together and play all sorts of fun games like dress-up and tea party. And that she would take me everywhere and love me. I already loved her - I would listen to her mommy tell her stories while she was still in her mommy's tummy. I could not wait for her to get here. And then, one day, she did!

It was the best day and she was even more perfect than I could have ever imagined. She was so tiny and made the sweetest squeaking noises. I was thrilled to get to meet her. From that day forward I got to be her sleeping buddy. We would stay awake at night and tell each other stories - she loved the stories about her mommy reading to her before she was born. After we told stories, she would fall fast asleep and I'd keep watch all night just to make sure she was safe and sound. I went with her on all her spend the night parties at the Farm and that was how I got lost...

Lucy's daddy took her to meet her MiTessa to have one of those spend the night parties. We arrived at the meeting place a bit early and so we all went into this place called Target. We walked around and looked at so many things; it was fun... until I fell out of Lucy's car seat. I tried calling out to Lucy but she had fallen asleep. I was very, very sad. A few hours later I heard Lucy's mommy and daddy calling my name but I had been swept under a shelf and they couldn't see me. Lucy told me that they looked all over for me that night and even had those nice folks from the store looking for me. Truthfully, I knew I'd be found - either by Lucy, one day soon, or by another sweet child that needed my love.

And that's where my adventures in Target started! Even though I missed my sweet Lucy Paige, I had so much fun in Target! I made so many new friends there, tried on some stylish clothes, ate some really good food, lounged in awesome chairs, tried my hand at cooking, listened to rocking music, watched the telly, and so so so much more. Allow me to show you everything that I did (Lucy Paige's mommy was able to get some stills from the security footage)...

Trying on a bathing suit to get ready for the summer!

These guys seem familiar... Hmmm...

Working out! 

Love these shoes! 

I can totally rock a mallard hat. 

Trying to look like Lucy's daddy.

Tried to get in a box of diapers because I knew Lucy's mommy would have to get diapers and I thought she'd get the box I was in and I'd end up at home. 

Testing out carseats for Lucy Paige.

Watching movies on the movie-watcher thing. :)

Listening to music! 

Hanging out with some other loveys waiting to go home with a sweet kiddo. 

My friends, Leo Lion, Berry Bear and Alison Alligator. 

Look at this cutie! She and I had long walks through the home organization aisles... 

Watching the Lego Star Wars guys battling it out on Tatooine.  

Love Dr. Suess. 

Reading Peter Rabbit. 

Loved playing soccer with my friends! 

I decided that I needed to lift some weights because I ate a lot of candy and cookies. 

Look at all this COKE!!!!

This chocolate bunny was delicious. 

Napping on a soft, warm, fuzzy blanket. 

Favorite cereal! 

Eating ice cream - I love ice cream. 

I got stuck in this cookie jar quite a few times. 

Picking out shampoo so I could take a bath. 

I had to try on shades because summer is coming up! 

Farewell Ladies and Gentlemen - I am retiring for the night because it is Lucy Paige's bedtime. I hope  you enjoyed my story. I had fun but I am so ecstatic to be home with my sweet Lucy Paige.

Goodnight,
Henry Percival Louis Edmund Phelps the 78th

PS 2.26.14
I was told that I left off the dramatic rescue! Here's how that part went down - Lucy Paige and her mommy came into Target about two weeks ago looking for Lucy a pair of white leggings and like any good mommy, Lucy's mommy browsed through the clearance section. I had been in the clearance section for a while with a $3 price tag on my tail when they happened upon me. Lucy's mommy saw me sitting there with only the "Lucy" part of my tummy showing. She said to Lucy, "Hey Lucy, that's your name!" (by that time I had already told Lucy that it was me!! And to pick me up as soon as she could). Lucy's mommy took me to the front and told the people that she would pay for me but that I belonged to Lucy - long story short, the manager very nicely gave me back to Lucy Paige! It was the BEST day - I was so happy to be back with my sweet girl!! Since then I've had to tell  Lucy Paige my story every night! She loves it, especially the part about eating cookies all night!

Camp Sumatanga - Annual Church-Wide Retreat

I just got home from our church's annual retreat - it was a blast (for the most part!)! :) It started off kind of rough with TJ's asthma flaring up and him having to go to the dr, but we eventually got to Sumatanga before the crowd. We did run into a traffic accident that got us stuck at the Junction for about 20 minutes - TJ immediately decided that since traffic was at a standstill we should abandon our vehicle, lose hope, start looting for food, and walk to camp. I talked him out of jumping out of the car and we eventually got through the accident... My silly and good-looking husband. :)

Last year at this time I was pregnant with my sweet Lucy Paige and was looking forward to having a 7 month old at camp this year. She had such a good time seeing our church family and crawling all over the youth room. We got to play outside and LP got to sleep with Mommy because she refused to sleep in the pack and play. My sweet girl loved being around everyone this weekend.

TJ always gets someone to do the youth sessions just so that he can have a break and the kids can get a different perspective. Its nice to get to meet new people and get to know them too. Our first year we had our dear friend Ben Nelson come in, next we had our best and oldest youth minister friend BJ Parson (TJ and BJ are like two peas in a pod - I love BJ and his sweet family too, awesome people - so genuine), last year was someone new - Brian Miller (great with our kids and so funny) and this year we got John David Crowe and his wife Jessica. Each and every one of those guys were so great and connected so well with us and our kids, but John David was so inspiring. His and Jessica's personal testimony touched me so much. They broke my heart, gave me hope and new perspective, and challenged me to be a "Mary", to find rest at Jesus' feet.

One thing that stood out to me was something John David said today about his son; his son passed away two years ago and they went through so much but a month after Noah passed away they went on a youth mission trip. Jessica had prefaced this story the night before by telling me that worship through music was one of the things that she and John David loved so much and truly felt close to God when they worshipped. So like I said, Noah had just passed away and they were upset and angry at God for taking away their son. John David said he hadn't prayed or read his Bible since precious Noah passed. But while at that camp, the worship band pulled them in and led them in worship; while they were singing the Holy Spirit whispered to John David and said that he should worship because thats what Noah was doing at that exact moment. John David knew, in that moment, that he could be doing something with his son, even though they weren't together they could be worshipping God together. That thought hit me like a ton of bricks... When we worship through song, poetry, prayer, exclaiming Who God is, etc., we are doing the exact same thing that people who have passed, and loved/had a relationship with Jesus, are doing. Angels and seraphim sing constantly, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the earth is full of His glory". And I think that the saints join that song and praise our Father, who is mighty and worthy of all our praise. On my way home, I listened to "Holy" by David Crowder and I sang and I worshipped with my Granny and Pop, my Granddaddy, my brother and sister, my mother and father in law, my best friend's dad and brother, precious Noah, and countless other family members and dear friends. I cried, I prayed, I sang, I danced... Why don't you take and minute to worship and reflect  along with your friends and family, here is the song I listened to, "Holy", by David Crowder.

And now to praise our Father through beautiful pictures of one of His masterpieces... Love my girl and am so blessed that God allowed me to be her Mommy! :)

6 Month Photo Shoot with LP! :)

Thanks to my wonderful and talented friend, Rebekah, for these beautiful pictures!! 

7, The Number of Perfection, Right? :)

So I'm officially 7 months old! Woot! This means we are on the downward slope to my first birthday - wow, my first birthday. That's awesome. Mom has already started planning my party (that silly Mommy is just so excited!). So I've really done a lot this past month - another sleepover while Mommy and Daddy took stinky kids somewhere, screaming, squealing, playing games, having lunch dates with Lauraline and Aunt Wendy, and CRAWLING - say what?!!??!?! Yes, crawling - and I'm so good at it. I'm all over the place now. Mommy thinks it is funny to leave me in a room and call my name to come crawling to her. I oblige her silly game, for now that is. When I start running she'll get pay back for leaving me... :) I started "officially" crawling just a week or so after my 6 month birthday and quickly became a master at it.


And I'm a talker now. It's mostly just squealing, laughing, screaming loudly, singing, and blowing spit bubbles.  I can make the "b" and "w" sounds fairly well but Mommy and Daddy say I'm mostly baby talking. Whatever, they just can't understand me. It's like the other day I was trying to tell Mommy that I wanted out of my stand up thing and she just laughs at me. I'm not a comedian, I'm not making jokes - I'm asking, nay demanding, to be let out and roam around the room. She said it sounded like I was just looking at her squealing. I can totally understand her and what she says to me - she and Daddy just need to learn my language. Something fun I've learned to do is play "peek-a-boo". I just love it, I'll play with anything that sits still long enough. Even when no one is watching, I'll play. It's so much fun! When Daddy and Mommy play with me, I'll hold my bib or towel or toy or even just my hands up and they say, "Where's Lucy? Where's Lucy?" until I drop my hands and then they laugh and say, "There you are!!" and kiss me all over. It is the best. I love them so much.

And now that I'm a crawler, I've decided that I need to crawl over to my rocker or my trunk or Daddy and pull up to stand. I love standing, it is wonderful. My inner ear is not fully developed yet (ha! :) ) so I have trouble balancing but I can do it and am getting better and better at it. Everybody thinks I'll be walking in the next month or two. We shall see... I love to wallow too. I find Mommy and just lay and climb and roll all over her. She just tickles my tummy and we both just laugh and smile a lot. I love wallowing with her. We wallow on the couch and in her big bed, she lets me stand and play with the cushions and pillows. I love scratching and feeling the different textures. Calvin joins our wallowing sessions sometimes. He likes to wallow too and I like laughing at him.

I had another sleepover with Dabo and MiTessa!! I love The Farm, I love going there and playing with the puppies and riding the four wheeler and getting to play with MiTessa's iPad. That thing has all these animals trapped inside and when you touch them they talk! The kitty looks just like Calvin! I love hearing the sounds too. And if anyone, and I mean anyone, has that iPad out and doesn't let me play with it, I'll pitch a fit. Even if they try to hide it from me I just crawl my happy little self over and find it. Who do they think they are, hiding stuff from me... smh ( :) that means, shaking my head! ha!!) I stayed there 3 different times this past month - 1. Mommy and Daddy went to Passion in Atlanta with the high school seniors and college students, 2. Mommy got a tummy bug and Daddy didn't want me or him get it so Aunt Rikki came and picked me up and whisked me away, 3. MiTessa came to get me and Mommy for a snow day. And what a snow day it turned out to be!!! It was only supposed to "dust" in hyt and maybe get about an inch in Lawley and really snow where Aunt Wendy, Lauraline, Uncle Wade, and Aunt Stacy live in Montgomery. Mommy really wanted me to see snow so we packed up to spend the night in Lawley - we ended up getting snowed in for 3 days! I loved it! I got to see Dabo, MiTessa, Aunt Rikki, Aunt Megan, Uncle David, and Chloe. I loved the snow - it was so cold and pretty. Mom let me try snow ice cream, it melted in my mouth and then just ran out. It was pretty strange, I've never had something soooooo cold to eat!

As far as the tooth situation goes - you guys will never believe this but I got my first tooth February 3! A day after my 7 month birthday! So it would technically have to go in next month's update but I'm including it here. Mom has been sticking her fingers in my mouth everyday, feeling for any signs of an emerging tooth and I have been telling her to stop, that I only want my fingers in my mouth, but she doesn't listen. With my new tooth though, I'm going to bite her and then maybe she'll quit.  

Some fun things to mention are my lunch date with Lauraline and Aunt Wendy at California Pizza Kitchen, face timing with Skeeter (along Mo, Nana, and Grandaddy Clay) so he could make the blog post (Hi, Skeeter!!), going to Zapopan with MiTessa and Dabo, and great one on one time with Daddy while Mommy went to "shoot" people. A few of my favorite things are still my bath, I love it. It's warm and cozy and I have chewy toys that I can put in my mouth. I love playing in my room and crawling over to my books, Calvin and his craziness, watching little kids play and run, putting all my toys in my mouth, climbing on the couch and the pillows. I love chewing on my sassy paci and playing my piano.

Thanks for reading! See you in a month! Oh, and guess what - next month my bff will be ONE YEAR OLD!!!!!! What?!?!?