Beckett - 10 months

So, I think this is the time that I'm supposed to be planning a big 1st birthday celebration and seeing what fun party ideas I can make happen.  But that's not what's going on right now.  Mostly, I'm just in awe that my sweet boy is SO close to turning 1 that I can't believe it!  He is SO SO SO much fun!  More fun than I ever thought a little boy would be!  I've always heard that "little boys love their mommies,"  and now I believe it!  dont' get me wrong...he LOVES his daddy, too!  really, he loves just about any one, but I like to think I'm special as he's crawling up my legs while I'm typing...and just about anytime I'm doing anything.  Ahhhh!  Sweet baby love!

10 month stats:

Wt: 21lbs 14oz (75th percentile)

Ht: 29 1/4 in (75th percentile)

*still bear crawling all over
*standing on his own - can stand straight up from sitting without assistance
*I feel like he may be walking any day now...
*SO SO happy
*loves to play with his sister and she loves to play with him/drag him around!
*babbling all the time (ma-ma-ma-ma, da-da-da-da)
*blowing raspberries, and sticking tongue out to make noises a lot
*but getting a little clingy to mommy!
*still has mostly blue eyes...maybe some hazel seeping through?
*sleeping through the night most of the time
*eating the same - 5-6 bottles a day about 5oz each, and pureed homeade (mostly) food and baby cereal about 3 times a day
*eating some finger foods - bananas, cheerios, gold fish
*still has 8 teeth (they look a little crazy because they are spaced pretty far apart! HA!)
*wearing 12-18month clothes
*wearing size 4 diapers (and still some cloth diapers)

I really really really love this little man!!!  he's SO cuddly and his smile is infectious!
I just can't get enough of him!!!

Butch's 60th!!!

My dad turns 60 today, so we had a 60th Surprise Birthday Bash at our house this past weekend!!!  It was sort of thrown together quickly, but turned out perfectly!!  We invited several of his friends and had a fish fry.  The weather was perfect and the food, drinks and company were outstanding!  

Many thanks to Tom for lending the fryer, but more thanks to Ty and Stephanie for slaving over those fish, french fries, and hushpuppies to get them just perfect!!!  AND many thanks to my husband who spent most of his Saturday and the better part of his week watching the kids and getting the house and yard ready while I put in extra hours at work this last week and weekend!!  He did an outstanding job!  I think everyone had a good time and more importantly I think my dad was (maybe a little unpleasantly, but secretly pleasantly - make sense?) surprised!!!

  

HAPPY 60th, DAD!!!

Beckett - 8 months!!

In 2 days Beckett will be 8 months!!!  and we're loving every minute of it!!

8 month stats:

Wt:  19lbs 10oz (and this was from about a week ago!)

AND This is more than Ruby Belle weighed at 1 year! WOW!

• has 7 teeth and one breaking through as we speak (Ruby Belle only had 2 at this age!)
• his eyes are still blue...but do have some hazel seeping in I think...
• he's crawling all over
• pulling up to stand
• and all over!!!  he's non-stop! 
• loves to put everything in his mouth
• grunts LOUDLY a LOT! and in public places.  
• He's eating lots of pureed foods.  Usually we make our own foods and my new favorite (his new favorite) is mac n'cheese w/LOTS of mixed veggies mixed in.  He will eat most of those stinky Gerber meat-and-mixed-veggie combos.  However, he hated the pureed pears and peaches I made (just used the low sugar canned ones).  Hated them so much that he immediately vomited the peaches and his meal up (those were his dessert).  Wouldn't even touch the pears...even when I mixed them with cereal.
• eats 6 times a day...usually a bottle and food
• sometimes holds his own bottle and tries to take the spoon and feed himself
• I'm still pumping (5 times a day) and we don't usually have to supplement w/formula
• he has tried a sippy cup a few times, with some success
• he mostly sleeps through the night...it's been hit or miss for about a month due to being sick, but we're almost getting back in the swing of things regularly! 
• goes to bed around 7:30-8, wakes around 6-7am
• wearing 9-12 month clothes
• wearing size 3 diapers and cloth diapers (as seen in the pics below)
• loves baths
• LOVES LOVES LOVES his sister
• seriously happy baby!!  these smiles you see are constant and so easy to come by!!  (SO much different than Ruby Belle...she was much more serious as a baby!)

some pics...overload, I know, but it's SO hard to decide what you like best when it's your little man!

(yes, that's a "princess" bandaid on his hand because those are all we have and I'm a terrible mommy and let him accidentally brush his hand against a hot pot today :-( didn't faze him, but it looks yucky!)

 

 

Beckett - 7 months!

7 months

Beckett is 7 months today and is movin' and shakin' these days!

• he just finally got the hang of crawling about a week ago, but is still perfecting his technique. He still sometimes "bear crawls"
• sitting up on his own like a champ now!
• he still has 2 teeth, but there are 2 that just broke the surface today and one more I can see!! (2 on top and another on the bottom)
• smiles ALL THE TIME! really, he's the happiest, smil-i-est baby!
• he laughs a lot, but his sister can get him to laugh quicker than anyone!
• he's sleeping through the night most if not all nights now!
• he's getting over RSV (breathing treatments are NOT fun, but he took them pretty well)
• still wearing size 3 diapers and cloth diapers sometimes at home
• wearing 9 month clothes
• eats 5-6 times a day. eats LOTS of "real" (baby) food - i'm pretty sure he'd rather eat than drink.
• eats pretty much whatever we feed him.
• we make a lot of our own baby food
• I'm still pumping (and Ruby Belle refers to her "boobs" as "my pumps"!!! ha!! - I know, TMI!, but i laugh SO hard when she does it!)

(This is the way the most of the pictures turned out!)

Beckett - 6 months!

Beckett turned 6 months on January 19, 2012! I can hardly believe it's been 1/2 a year already, but it's been SUCH a wonderful 6 months. This boy brings more joy to my heart that I could ever have imagined! He is all smiles...seriously! (except when he's hungry or tired). Here's the updates:

6 month stats:

Wt: 18lbs 8oz (75th percentile)

Ht: 75th percentile (Justin took him and can't remember his exact height)

• trying SO SO hard to crawl...but just really good at "push up position" and "down dog"
• when he does "crawl" it's usually backwards
• sitting up, but only for a short bit at a time...
• eating SO much! loves "real" (baby) food and can eat a 30 yr old man portion!
• FINALLY sleeping through the night!!! like from 8pm to 6 or 7am!!! it took some "sleep training...aka. "crying it out." but once we committed it only took a few days!
• takes 2-3 naps a day (usually less than an hour each...esp at day care...he seems to only nap 20-45 min at a time there?
• has had an ear infection at each doc appointment for the last 3 months (4 months, 5 months, and 6 months), but you'd never know b/c he never "complains!"
• Still has only 2 teeth
• wearing size 3 diapers
• wearing 6-9 month clothes
• cradle cap is finally getting better! not all the way, but definitely better!

getting SO close!

Down dog at it's finest!

2011...A Year in Review

it WAS a year! wow. SO many changes, trials, tribulations, celebrations, and praises!!

here we go...cliff notes version.

• Dec 31st, 2010 - moved to Shreveport from Bella Vista, AR (about 10 weeks pregnant - i think...i can't exactly remember!). Moved in w/my brother and sister-in-law...in their "above garage mother-in-law suite"
• Jan 2nd, 2011 - Justin and I both started new jobs (duh...)
• Feb (mid month) 2011 - We closed on our house and then went up to Arkansas to finish moving all of our stuff...just 2 days after the biggest snow storm in years and just a few days before Justin headed to Baton Rouge to take the LA bar exam.
• Feb (mid month) 2011 - Justin took LA bar exam
• Feb 22nd, 2011 - I quit my job at the nursing home...yep, walked out (after working a few days of my 2 week notice!)
• Feb 28th, 2011 - I started my new job at LSU-HSC.
• April 15th, 2011 - Moved into our new house!!!
• April 2011 - Justin found out he passed 7 out of 9 parts of the LA bar exam...must pass 7, but can only "fail" one in each "section" - the 2 he "failed" were in the same section! CRAP...redo.
• July 19, 2011 - Beckett arrived weighing 8lbs 6oz at 10:08pm!!! What a joy and blessing!!! perfect, easy delivery...just 2 weeks early, but a healthy baby boy!!
• July 25th, 2011 - Justin sits for the LA bar exam again!
• September 5th, 2011 - back to work after a 7 week maternity leave
• September 2011 - Justin found out he passed the LA bar!!
• September 16, 2011 - Ruby Belle turned 2!!!! We celebrated with both Justin and my family!!
• September 20, 2011 - Justin sworn in as an official Louisiana attorney!!!
• October 2011 - found out my grandfather had prostate cancer. He started treatment and thankfully doc said something else would get him before the cancer would.
• November (mid month...just about a week before Thanksgiving) 2011 - found out my mom had cancer.
• November (day before Thanksgiving) 2011 - Found out the cancer was Stage 2 and had not spread! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!
• November 2011 - Ty and Steph found out they were pregnant!!! CANNOT wait for this baby!!!!
• December 5th, 2011 - my mom started chemo and radiation for her cancer. All very hopeful and positive!
• December 25th, 2011 - BEST Christmas ever...well, so far! Lots of praises...healthy babies, good amount of time off work, mom was doing well w/cancer treatments, no traveling anywhere (that was NICE!), in-laws came to celebrate, then Christmas w/the Jordan's at our house. SO much fun!!
• December 31st, 2011 - celebrated the New Year w/friends.

SO SO SO many other things to be thankful for. We LOVE living here. We may not LOVE our jobs, but we love just about everything else! It has been hard transitioning to a "new" life. We don't have many "close" friends yet and that will take time. But it sure is hard to leave the old ones in Arkansas and to not miss that part. Otherwise, I LOVE LOVE LOVE being around family!! and Justin is enjoying it, too, so far. Thankfully his parents have been to visit a few times, so we have gotten to see them as well, but we do miss seeing his side of the family that we were able to see much more often when we were in NW Arkansas. Either way, we're both happy with the decision we made to move!

We have a few things coming up this next year, like a "Smith family vacation" to Florida in May for a family wedding and just vacation. A Jordan baby to arrive in August! and praying for good news from my mom's 3 month follow up post chemo and radiation treatment, which she completes next week. Truly, my mom is a fighter. she has done SO well with this!! She is such an inspiration and strong woman! I feel SO grateful to have been down here through this time, as well. I can only be there so much for her, but I can't imagine being in Arkansas while she was having chemo and radiation treatments. We both also, hope to find either happiness/contentment in our current jobs or other jobs that we like better and can blossom in. Job satisfaction has definitely been a struggle with us this year. BUT all in all, we are beautifully blessed by God with what we have and I am amazed daily with how big HE is. We pray that our relationship with Him will grow this next year and wish everyone a Happy, Healthy and Blessed 2012!

Beckett - 5 months and more firsts!!

Beckett turned 5 months on December 19th, TODAY...he's getting SO big so fast!! but I love it!

5 Month stats:

Not sure...no updates here

• sleeping stil 4-7 hours at a time. usually goes down around 8 and is up anywhere between 12 and 4, but usually between 2-3. SO ready for him to sleep 8-12 hours!!!
• starting feeding him rice cereal and oatmeal. He didn't like it much at first, but now he would rather eat than drink a lot of the time. He's a growin' big boy!!
• have tried bananas and sweet potatoes. liked the sweet potatoes better.
• wearing #3 diapers
• wearing 6-9 month clothes (and even some 12 months, but those have GOT to be wrong!)
• STILL has serious cradle cap...going on 2+ months now!! I SO wish it would go away already...it's really pretty gross :-(
• working on sitting up unassisted. not quite there yet.
• likes his tummy time and usually rolls over to his tummy shortly after placing him on his back. I can't even keep him on his back to sleep all of a sudden. almost every time we put him down he rolls over right away.
• Got his first tooth and then another one right after!!! 2 teeth!!! oooh...and he's not a terrible teether...but NOT a good one either!!
• Such a happy, smiley baby!! He LOVES his sister and loves to watch her. He just lights up and she can make him giggle like no one else!!

WARNING! Picture overload...I just could not decide which ones I liked best!!

4 months - Beckett

Another post that's a little late!!! Beckett was 4 months on November 19th and here are the updates

4 month stats:

Wt: 15lbs 9oz (50th percentile)

Ht: 25.5in (75th percentile)

• just starting baby foods (rice cereal, applesauce, sweet potatoes
• wears size 2 diapers, but about to out grow them
• wears size 6 month clothes
• sleeping ok. just 4-6 hours a night mostly. goes down around 8 and is up usually between 2-3...give or take!! ;-)
• smiling and laughing a lot!
• loves his sister the most ;-)
• rolling over both directions!!
• still on reflux meds
• been a little sick lately, but just a cold
• learning to sit up...slowly
• a bundle of fun!!
• BOY oh BOY are 2 sweet babies harder than 1!!! but SO much fun!!!

Beckett - 3 months & a FIRST!!!

Beckett turned 3 months on October 19, 2011 and he's a growing boy!

Stats:

Wt: 14lbs 3oz

Ht: 24.5in

• He's "sleeping through the night" meaning he's sleeping about 5-7 hours. We usually put him down around 8 and end up getting up to feed him around 2-3am. SO, WE'RE not "sleeping through the night," but he is based on what I called "sleeping through the night" with Ruby Belle...and what most liturature calls "sleeping through the night," I think.
• He rolled over just a few days before his 3 month "birthday." AND it happened the same time Ruby Belle hit the same milestone!!! How crazy is that!! http://mandysmakins.blogspot.com/2009/12/first.html
• he is eating about 30oz a day of breast milk/day (sometimes more, sometimes less...but usually leaning toward more!)
• I'm exclusively pumping (6 times a day...ugh!)
• He's wearing #2 diapers, and cloth ones on the weekends (usually)
• likes his tummy time and doesn't love his Bumbo time, but we're still practicing
• He's smiling a lot and laughing a little!!! I LOVE IT!

Someone is 2!!! Guess who?!?

Ruby Belle turned 2 on September 16th, 2011. and yes, this is LATE! Like I said...still trying to adjust to work /life and family balance with 2 kiddos :-)

We had a fun little get together with just our family. Justin's parents were in town so we had them, my parents, and my brother and sister-in-law over for dinner and cake and ice cream at our house. Poor Ruby Belle got sick and threw up during her party, but quickly quickly recovered enough to open presents and eat cake!!

Overall, it was a great day! I cannot believe my little girl is 2!!! I didn't know it was possible, but I love her more and more each day. She's talking up a storm now (although, it's still tough to understand a lot of what she says)! Sentences are just mumble jumble sometimes, but she usually gets her point across! She also has gotten into the habit of putting her hands on her hips and walks with a little sass sometimes!! Cute now...in a few years...maybe not so much! ha! She really is a sweet, sweet girl, who LOVES to laugh! She is a typical 2 yr old and has her moments at least a few times a day with a temper tantrum, but she's still so easy to love!!

Beckett's 2 month check up

We had Beckett's 2 month check up appointment September 19th...and yes, I'm just now blogging about it. I went back to work on Sept 5th and life's been a little busy since then. I keep telling myself that one day I'll figure out how to balance 2 kids, work and life, but until then...I'll just keep trying!

So, here's where we are:

2 month Stats:

Wt - 12lbs 11oz (50th percentile)

Ht - 24 in (75th percentile)

Head Circumfrence: - 15.5in (50th percentile)

• Beckett is much more laid back than Ruby Belle (maybe because I'm more laid back this time around!)
• He's eating 6-8 times/day
• He's sleeping 5-8 hours a night, but we put him down around 8, so we're still getting up once to feed him
• He's wearing size 1 diapers (but really needs a 2...we're just trying to get rid of the 1's)
• We are going to start doing the cloth diapers while at home (day care won't do them) this month
• He's in day care...has been since he was 7 weeks old (RB didn't go until she was 4 months - work didn't allow me that long off this time)
• He's smiling and is SO much fun!

Beckett's one month catch up

My sweet boy was a month old last week (Aug 19th) so here's the catch up.

Stats:

Wt: unsure - no doc appt at 1 month - i estimate somewhere around 10-11 lbs!!!

(Ruby Belle was only 8lbs 1oz at 1 month!)

Ht: again unsure

Beckett is quite different from Ruby Belle...and SO am I! ha! I've become a little more relaxed (i would classify myself as CRAZY and OCD with Ruby Belle)

He's just more laid back.

*eats 8 times a day (was eating almost 6 oz at some feedings until i realized that this was NOT normal, so I did some research and think we were "over-feeding" him). SO, now we're at 4-5oz usually 7 times a day.

*getting breastmilk, but i'm exclusively pumping (i only let him nurse for 2 days! I loathe breastfeeding, so pumping is best for both of us!)

*has reflux (diagnosed at birth) so takes meds for it, but doesn't spit up anywhere close to what RB did!

*already outgrown his newborn clothes

*wearing size 1 diapers

*sleeps anywhere from 3-4 hrs at a time at night

*naps several times a day (like all babies!)

*practices tummy time at least once a day...not our favorite, but not terrible either...normal for all babies!

*he's a strong boy!! and a big boy!! I predict he'll be doing a few things a little sooner than Ruby Belle did...but WHO knows?!

So, far we are loving every sleepless minute of him!! (and are looking forward to that first night he sleeps more than 3-4 hrs!! ha!)

It started with a "thud"

This past weekend was an eventful one...at least in my "mommy" eyes. We had a few "milestones," did some house work, some birthday parties, and just some running around! Needless to say, we didn't make it to everything we planned to make it to, but still I need a weekend from my weekend!


Friday night started off with a thud! Yep, my baby girl climbed out of her crib for the first time...and it will be the last. Thankfully, we had already planned to go buy a twin mattress and start the transition beginning Saturday night! We had been dreading this transition (she's such a good sleeper in the crib at night and we just weren't sure if she was ready!), but after Friday night's fall, it couldn't come quicker!


She was not ready to go to bed Friday night and cried in her crib for a longer amount of time than usual. Justin and I just sat there listening (while watching tv) and waited as usual because she usually quiets down after a little bit and drifts off to sleep. But, I tell you what! The "thud" that came next rocked my little world! I ran (literally) through the house and found her sitting up on her HARDwood floor crying. I really don't think she was any more hurt or upset or scared about crawling out of the crib and falling (ok, maybe a little), than she was with just having to go to bed that night, truthfully, but it scared my heart out of my chest. The crying ended quickly and she spent the next hour or so with us on the couch in my arms and then fell asleep watching TV. Of course, a million worries went through my mind about concussions, etc, but all was well in the end.

my sweet angel after the fall, asleep on the couch

So, after that event, a mattress was the one thing on my mind on Saturday!! But first, we had not one, but two 2 yr old birthday parties to attend! It was a busy start for our Saturday morning. Justin went garage-selling while Ruby Belle and I went for a walk then got ready for the parties. We went to a party for a day care friend first at Gymboree (that was SO much fun for Ruby Belle, we may have to go back for a visit!) and then to another friend's Elmo-themed bash with all the stops including a "jumpy." Believe it or not, it was a little chilly outside, but Ruby Belle had fun! All of that plus a stop by the grocery store by 12:30pm. wheew! (not sure how you do it with 2 or more kids, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough!)


Then it was off to work on projects for the house. Justin was busy working outside and running errands and my mom came over and helped (basically she did it all) sand a bed frame down to paint for Ruby Belle, and then we (unsuccessfully) shopped for bedding for Ruby Belle's new bed. The bed was more of an adventure (mostly for Justin and my dad) because we couldn't find bed rails, etc, but after much discussion and running around we worked it out.

We were supposed to go to a friend's house for a cookout, but I was whooped and we were still immersed in house projects by the time it rolled around. Also, I knew I needed to gear up for the night ahead!


Ruby Belle's first night in her "big girl" bed made me question why we were having another baby (only for a minute!). We read and read and read until I was tired of reading. But, she would not tire. Then I tried just laying her down, laying down with her, etc. nothing worked. Justin took over after about an hour and she finally became too tired to keep fighting. She slept in her bed from 9 until about 1:45am. Then it was over. She woke up and ended up in our bed for the rest of the night because she was not having it in hers! So, Sunday, we skipped church for rest and more house projects. My mom and I went on a mission to find "cool new bedding" for the new bed in hopes of getting her excited about sleeping there. We finally succeeded!

Here's her while we're putting on the new bedding! Maybe you can tell through the horrible picture quality of the iPhone, but believe me, she LOVED it!

But, didn't love it enough to make the transition totally smooth!! :-) That night, she went down in about 30 minutes instead of the hour, but somehow managed to end up under the bed in the middle of the night! YES, it was like the scene from the "Wizard of Oz" where they find the witch with her toes hanging out from under the house! I heard her rumble, and cry a bit, then she got really quiet. I was sure she had gone back to sleep, but I still had to check on her!! I wish I had my camera, but I was afraid to wake her! I found her lying on her stomach all the way under the bed (her toes were hanging out), sound asleep!! and if you can't see it in the pic, the bed is pretty low to the ground. I had to pull her out by her feet (I could not let her sleep there!) and put her back in bed. BUT, she really didn't wake up!

In the end, all nights have been fairly smooth...relatively speaking. She takes an hour at least to get down (this is the part that really, really tests my patience - we haven't figured out how to make this happen any better yet) and stays in her bed all night for the most part. She usually wakes up 2-4 times, cries, gets up and then as long as I go lay back down w/her in her bed until she falls asleep, she goes back down easily. We don't have bed rails so there are pillows lining the floor in hopes that she doesn't fall. Not that she would hurt herself badly with a 6 inch fall, but I would rather her not be any more startled. Bed rails would have been a good option, but we just haven't made them happen yet. We'll see how long this transition takes! It's definitely a new one for me!! Can't wait to potty train...that's next (sarcasm should be noted) !!!

All in all, that was a really LONG post!!! Sorry for the novel!! Hope everyone else had a good weekend!!

15 months

again, it's been a while since i've given a Ruby Belle update! she turned 15 months on Dec. 16th, so i'm a little late, but here you go!

15 months stats:
20lbs 6oz
29.5 inches

other updates:

*still sleeping great. goes to bed around 8 and gets up around 7. takes 1 nap daily for 1.5-2 hrs

*eats 3 meals and 2 snacks daily, plus a bottle before bed

*yes, i said bottle. We REALLY need to break her of that!

*good news...doesn't use a paci or suck her thumb and never has

*love to feed herself. usually that's the only way she'll eat (unless she's STARVING)-she's really showing her independent side

*still won't eat much protein. but she will if it's mixed with spagetti/tomato sauce (lasagna, chicken parmesean, spagetti)

*much pickier about veggies - will usually only eat canned green beans...and she'll eat LOTS of those, but rarely she'll eat some bits of other veggies

*can say "more" in baby sign language...working on others
*she has LOTS of conversations with herself, i still can't understand any of them!

*she sometimes says "thank you," "dog," "cat," "mama," and "dada"

*cries when told "no"

*cries and stomps her feet when you take a toy (one that's not supposed to be a toy...like a wire - she LOVES wires) out of her hand

*has learned to throw temper tantrums with the best of them (see earlier post)

*giggles all the time...and is especially ticklish

*has gotten much better at giving kisses, but still only does them when she wants to :)

*loves to pet and chase the cat and dog

*has had 2 "accident reports" at school...both involving fights over a toy

*loves to climb on anything she can reach

*plays well independently (but loves attention!)

*loves going down slides

*loves to clap when you say "yay!"

*has several teeth - 12, i think

*still using cloth dipers at home

*is going to be a BIG SISTER!!!

She just gets to be more fun each day!! It's so fun interacting with her and watching her grow up! i can't even put it into words! she definitely has an attitude, though! it's been challenging trying to learn how to parent and discipline. we're still trying to figure that out. and i'm sure we'll be trying to figure that one out for the next 20 years at least!

pic while we were waiting for our shots at the doc's office!

that sweet smile! this one was priceless!

like i said...loves to climb!

and more climbing

Success!

playing with Meme and Pops

Domestic Goddess in the making...watch out!

yep, that's me!

ok, really?! NO WAY! I don't know how stay-at-home moms do it!?! I am whooped today!

here's what i did:

6am - wake up and let the dogs out (we're babysitting a dog for my mom. a YorkiePoo who's super cute, but wakes up screaming at 6am - and that's on a good day - ready to go out!)

6:10 - back to bed (while listening to the YorkiePoo wimper in her crate)

7am - wake up to crying baby (normal wake up time is anywhere from 7-8am) and am up for good.

7:15 - begin to make coffee, but then try to feed fussy baby...this is a failure, milk it is.

7:45 - cook breakfast!! YES i did, folks!! Bisquick pancakes. Not what a real domestic goddess (aka super stay-at-home mom) would do, but it's the first breakfast i actually had to turn something besides the microwave on for in years!!! maybe EVER!

8:30 - clean up breakfast

9:00 - play with baby and try to watch a little boob tube while waiting for it to get a little warmer outside

10:15 - baby grouchy and hungry (b/c she didn't eat any breakfast) so the only thing that appeases her is cheerios...Cheerios it is!

10:45 - baby down for a nap. I do a little more cleaning/laundry

11:30 - head out for a 6 mile run!!

12:30 - back from run, but baby still sleeping!! it's a miracle!

12:45 - baby up from nap, time for lunch!! she refuses everything except for the carrots i'm cooking for me, and only will stay in the high chair for 2 minutes at a time before screaming. (this is NOT her favorite place, but today is unsually strange...but it's part of being a mom, right?! :) and again decides she'll eat pretzels as long as i feed them to her NOT in the high chair. i MUST NOT GIVE in!! that's what i'm thinking as i'm trying to be super mom and teach my baby to behave and act like a sweet, responsible, polite little girl. surely she'll have to be starving at some point and eat, right?!

1:30 - give up on lunch and clean up.

2:30 - head out to work (i'm on call and have to run an errand for them)

3:45 - return home and start to cook dinner.

4:30 - dinner is in the oven! Begin washing dishese and cleaning up

5:15 - Dinner is served! and best of all, my husband and baby BOTH like it!!

here's the proof...i really did cook this. got the recipe from a Kraft Food & Family magazine. i've been getting these for years, but rarely use them! anyway, recipe is Undone Stuffed Pepper Casserole. and really, it was easy and pretty good!

`

5:30 - clean up dinner

5:45 - sit on couch and wonder if i HAVE to give baby a bath?! ;) write this post instead while i relish in my 2 meals, fairly clean house, and clean laundry! YES, i think....just for a moment...

I'm a DOMESTIC GODDESS!!

6:00 - finish post b/c baby wants to type and it's getting harder for me to fight her off...back to reality. time for baby's bath!!!

Second 1st Birthday Party!!!

Another birthday party!!! We went down to Shreveport for my brother's wedding. Ruby Belle and I went down the Sunday before the wedding, then Justin came Thursday night. We had a birthday party with Mimi, Pop, Uncle Ty and Aunt Stephanie.

First we opened presents

Mommy and Ruby Belle

She shoveled it in!!

Hangin' w/Aunt Stephanie...claiming to be 1!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Ruby Belle!!!