2 Weeks

Our sweet Evelyn is 2 weeks old today. She's growing too fast!! It's hard to believe that it's only been (and already been) two weeks since we first laid eyes on her.

I've learned a lot in the past two weeks. I've learned that there are a lot of things I can do with only one hand. I've learned that I can actually function pretty well with a few hours of sleep most nights. I've learned that eating a meal in one attempt is now a luxury. I've learned that I completely underestimated the number of diapers a baby can go through in a day.

More importantly, I've learned that it is impossible to know the love you have for your child until you experience it. I've learned a love that is unlike any I've ever experienced before. My heart melts when my sweet girl grabs my finger and holds on while she nurses. My heart feels like it's being ripped out when she's screaming and I don't know what's wrong with her. My heart rejoices when she finally lets out a Daddy-sized burp and instantly stops screaming.

I've learned a love for my husband deeper than the love I've had for him before. There's something about seeing your best friend and companion look at his daughter for the first time with the most endearing look on his face. I've learned there are no words to express how I feel when he's up with me in the middle of the night to offer encouragement and get me whatever I need. I've learned that I have the best husband in the world and there's no arguing about it.

3 days old

5 days old on her quilt from Great Great Grandma Kate

6 days old

13 days old

Wesley checking her out

5 days old - Evelyn and Daddy before church

First day of church - 5 days old

Beach Day

My brother, sister-in-law, and niece are visiting this week and we spent Wednesday at the beach. It was a bit chilly and windy, but still ended up being a nice day. We all came home with a little pink tinge to our skin.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge...I much prefer looking at it from the beach than being on it!

Just in case you were wondering...

Lily's first visit to the beach

All that playing wore her out!

A Tale of the Furby

If you've watched any TV or been out to the stores at all this holiday season, you have probably seen this lovely creature. Every time I walk by one in the store, I start to shake and whine. These things scare me.

Once upon a time when the Furby was the hot new item the first time around, we had one. I think it was actually my sister's, but I still suffer nightmares. Oh it was fun at first. It was soft, cute (in a strange kind of way), and did cool things. He would talk, move across the floor, and even laugh. I'm sure he had a name, but I can't remember. The fun didn't last very long though. We soon grew tired of Mr. Furby, probably all too quickly for the amount of money our parents spent on him. Mr. Furby had to go. But, knowing our parents generously forked out the dough, we couldn't just throw him away. Mr. Furby needed to die. We tried to bury Mr. Furby in the bottom of a box of toys. But at night, as we were just about to go to sleep, we would hear the demented voice coming from the dark box. I can't remember exactly what he said, but I think it was usually asking to be fed. We tried dropping him down the steps, but he survived. We tried locking him in the dark basement for several days, but he survived. We smothered him with blankets, yet he survived. All the while, his voice box becoming more worn out and demented sounding. I don't recall what we eventually did to Mr. Furby. He probably got stuffed in a box in the garage. I think my mom said she just recently found him and threw him away.

The Toys R Us website has this little tidbit of information about the new Furby:  

"Furby is the ever-popular, interactive toy that has a mind of its own. Who your Furby becomes is entirely up to you. Talk to it, tickle it, play music for it, even feed it! But keep in mind - your Furby will develop its own personality based on how you treat it."

So apparently we made the Furby mean, needy, and demented by our cruel treatment?!?! I doubt being nice to the thing would have made much of a difference. 

If you have young children or you are buying a gift for a child, do yourself a favor and stay far away from the Furby. Sure the updated version is a little cuter with the fun colors. They look attractive and all the "cool" kids are asking for one. But don't do it. Save yourself the years of annoyance and money not well spent. I threatened to buy one for my niece and nephew for Christmas, but I'm a nicer Aunt than that. I do hope my sister likes her gift though....

Everett James

My nephew, Everett James, was born while I was visiting my family in Illinois. It was special to be at the hospital when he was born and be able to see him at just a couple hours old. He is adorable!

Everett James

7 lbs. 1 oz. 

22 inches

September 11, 2012

Everett James

 

 

 

Mum and Pop admire their first grandson

Future golfer, just like Daddy

Meeting Aunt Tasha

Bright, beautiful eyes

Cute little yawn!

And Baby Makes 3!

Words cannot express how excited and thankful we are to announce that we are expecting our first little blessing on March 23, 2013!

We have known that we are pregnant for a little over a month and it has been HARD keeping our little secret! I am thankful to be feeling pretty well so far. I've had a little nausea, but nothing too miserable. Our first appointment was last Tuesday and we were able to hear the heartbeat! What a special moment! I could have listened to that sound all day, but the OB was in a hurry to move along with the appointment.

There's no denying that I'm pregnant! I haven't had crazy cravings, just have moments when only one specific thing sounds appetizing. Last night, we were laying in bed around 10:30 and I was hungry (which is a constant state for me). Chris looked at me like I was crazy when I said that I really wanted a salad from a salad bar. Ice cold lettuce, crisp peas, egg, ham, cheese, onions, ranch dressing, sunflower seeds, and croutons. I couldn't get it out of my mind! Earlier in the night it was a blizzard from Dairy Queen. That's all I could think about! Of course, I'm too lazy and practical to give into the cravings. I never understood the hype about pregnant women getting cravings, but I completely understand now! I find myself buying things at the grocery store I would have never considered buying before. Chicken nuggets are on my list for today. I don't know if I've ever bought chicken nuggets, but I'm buying some today!

I hope my lovely readers don't get tired of reading about the baby! If so, you might want to stay away from the blog for a while (or forever)! It's the most exciting thing in our life right now! Much more exciting than reading about the dog! :)

Visit Home

This past weekend I flew home to Illinois to attend my best friend's baby shower and spend some time with my family. It was a quick trip, but a lot of fun and much needed.

My parents and sister picked me up at the airport Friday afternoon and we headed out to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. We all stuffed ourselves and picked out cheesecake to take home for later. We did a little shopping and Dad wanted to take me to buy a new lens for my camera. I've been wanting to get a new lens for quite some time, but can never make myself spend the money. So Dad gave me a little push and shove. Thanks Dad!

My new lens!

A shot with my new lens. 35 mm/f2.4

Saturday morning was Brittney's shower. She didn't know I was going to be there and it was fun to surprise her. Brittney and I have been best friends since 6th grade and have been through a lot together. It was really special for me to be there and see her cute little belly. The shower was a lot of fun and I stayed a few extra hours to visit with Brittney and her family. There is never enough time to catch up when you live 1000+ miles away and haven't seen each other in almost 2 years.

Me and Brittney

I worked on several special projects for Baby P, including my very first quilt. I learned that it is a lot of fun sewing for a little one, especially girls! I enjoyed being able to work on the gifts and imagine a mini Brittney enjoying them.

Pile of gifts ready to be packed.

Brittney opening the quilt I made.

Sunday evening we visited with my grandparents and went to supper at a Mexican restaurant. Mom, Tasha, and I had stopped at a cake shop before the shower and picked up cupcakes for teh family. We enjoyed those Saturday night after our Mexican. They were delicious! They are made by the same cake shop that did our wedding cake, Patty Cakes. The owner has been on (and won) several different cake competitions on Food Network. Tasha and I did some cooking for lunch at church. We were especially excited to make some colored deviled eggs. We also made a carrot cake cheesecake and chicken artichoke lasagna.

Patty Cakes in Highland

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Our colored deviled eggs, as inspired by Pinterest.

Sunday morning we attended services at the church where I grew up, Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church. I enjoyed visiting and catching up with everyone there, especially the little ones. Sunday night we just rested and enjoyed some time together as a family. Dad grilled for us, which is always yummy!

I had an early flight Monday morning. It's always sad to leave, but we look forward to the next visit.

Manatee Viewing

Friday was Grandma's 89th birthday. We were excited to have her son and daughter-in-law visiting for the weekend. I had heard about a manatee viewing center near us and thought it sounded interesting. It was free, not too far away, and something none of us had done before. It was a beautiful day to be out by the water!

Our first sighting of a manatee. We just looked for the dark blobs in the water and waited for one to pop its head up for a second.

Chris pointing out the manatees to Grandma.

Standing up to get a better look.

Marilyn, Grandma, and Dave

Grandma and her son

We also saw a few little sharks!

Chris showing Grandma the shark.

It was so exciting when one would decide to stick its nose or tail up for a second.

Manatees are kind of ugly creatures, but still interesting to watch. One came close enough to see some of the scars on its back. Because manatees are such calm animals, they often get hit by boat propellers. The researchers use the scar patterns to identify the manatees.

A pretty flower and butterfly

One manatee had a tracking device attached. Another manatee sanctuary attached the tracking device a couple weeks ago and has been in contact with this sanctuary since the manatee made its way to Apollo Beach. Researchers can tell by its scar pattern that it is a manatee first sighted in the late 1970s.

These two guys were called in to rescue a manatee caught up in a buoy. They were trying to get close enough to put a marker on it, then they would go out later with a bigger boat to catch it in a net and remove the buoy. The manatee was not interested in letting them get close!

This is about as close to a shark as I would like to be!

Little crabs

One last shot of one sticking its nose out of the water to catch a breath.