Trick or Treat!

Helen Grace loved her first Halloween, and she even seemed to enjoy her butterfly costume. After a long day of shopping with Spif at Merry Marketplace, we stayed put at home and everyone came to us (praise the Lord). I am one pooped mama and am heading to bed (I fear that HG will not participate in Daylight Savings Time tonight), but I wanted to leave you with some pics before I go.

The light/flash wasn’t great, but our little butterfly was having a ball! Google (new granddaddy name??) & Spif…when HG was oogley googly-ing the other day when Daddy was holding her, Moma mentioned that it sounded like she was calling him Google. Since he is such a computer techie, it really seems appropriate! If only we could get his buy in on it! ;) Rachel, Gabe, and Snow White (a.k.a. Courtlyn) came by to see us. Snow White really enjoyed handing out the candy to other trick-or-treaters, but by the end of the night, she started saying, “No monsters, no monsters!” I hope that she forgets about the scary boys with ugly masks by the time she gets back home to her bed tonight! Geggy and Grandma Jeanne…wish you could see the festive socks and earrings- they really spiced up the party! Oh, the payback I will get when HG is older…I am so mad for John getting everyone else’s kids all riled up (and in this case sugared up). I was a good child, but I know that I will now suffer because of  payback for his actions! Sorry, Rachel! Hope Court sleeps tonight! And yes, John “dressed up” as a soccer player. Not sure where he came up with that costume. ;)Worn OUT…goodnight!

Shoes

Halloween Dress-Up at First Time Moms

In our First Time Moms Group, we are reading Lysa TerKeurst’s book, The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained. It’s a great book for new moms and helps address all the emotions that come with this terrific yet terrifying experience.

This week’s chapter had a story that really hit home for me. Lysa was discussing a time when she was sitting in her house, and within her view, she could count 14 pairs of shoes!!! The anger and resentment started building up in her- how could her children and husband be so rude and disrespectful to leave their shoes in the middle of the floor? Didn’t they have any manners? As she leaned down to pick up a pair, it hit her- thank you, God, for these little pink painted toenails that are healthy enough to prance around in these little flip flops; thank you, God, for the healthy big boy feet that run around in the yard and get these tennis shoes muddy; thank you, God, for the man who works hard day after day to provide for this family and carries this family on his tired shoulders. As she gathered the shoes, she said a little prayer for each member of her family and was thankful for these reminders of all we have been given in this life.

Wow. That hit me hard. How many times have I nagged John to pick up his soccer cleats from the middle of the laundry room floor (or complained about all the little rubber pellets that accompany them into the house from the OBHS turf). Or tripped on his work shoes on a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night and thought some ugly thoughts. I have so much to be thankful for- a husband who is a great daddy and supports this family and especially supports me through my crazy moments, a daughter who is healthy and happy, a very comfortable home, a family that goes over and beyond to help us, friends that love us and our baby girl, jobs that provide for our family. I must use these every day moments like picking up shoes around the house to say ‘thank you, God’ and create in me an attitude of thankfulness.

P.S. My mom friends also taught me to sign up for daily emails at www.proverbs31.org. Most days, that is the only Bible verse I get to see, so I really appreciate the “daily bread.”

Pretty Butterfly & Sunshine

Helen Grace and I had a wonderful day together today! It started with a short-lived snuggle in bed because I had to hop in the shower to get ready for our moms’ group. Rebel helped me keep an eye on HG while I was putting on my makeup and drying my hair. Then we were off to town for First Time Moms to show off our butterfly costume! (P.S. She was NOT a fan of the hat, so we were minus the antennas.) We ran some quick errands (0nly to places with drive thru windows though) and then settled in for an afternoon nap on the couch. Later, we couldn’t stand being in the house anymore and headed out for a romp around the neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful weather. We have two lakes and lots of ducks down the street from us, and HG seemed to really like watching them get in and out of the water and then fly off when we got too close. Tonight we worked on our rice cereal with Daddy’s help and even squeezed a bath in for HG- whew, what a fun-filled day! I know she will sleep well tonight!

Two of my three babies…Rebel was being clingy with Helen Grace for some reason this morning. At our moms’ group, all the babies came dressed in their costumes! I am so lucky to have this fun group of smart moms and adorable babies as a support system. I learn something every time I go and enjoy getting to de-stress and refill. Post-butterfly outfit…I love these leggings; they are cute and also make diaper changing so much easier than putting her in pants! She was so stinkin’ cute just sitting there in her car seat after she woke up from her nap- so content and sleepy eyed. On our walk, enjoying all the pretty colored trees. Thanks to Momma Dot for this one in her yard next door! Setting out to find the duckies! She was really entertained by watching the ducks wander around.

Looking forward to Kindermusik on Friday and seeing all of our friends! Bubba’s coming too- can’t wait to see what she thinks about it! :)

A Feisty Five-Month-Old

Helen Grace turned five months old on October 25, 2009! We can’t get enough of this precious baby we’ve been blessed with- she’s so much fun!

Here’s what she’s up to these days:

• Actually grabs for toys and pulls them to her- much more coordinated.
• Everything goes into her mouth.
• The 5:00 p.m. squall is in full effect. She is really fussy by 7:00 p.m. now, and she very much fights sleep.
• Starting rice cereal and is doing well now that Ms. Jeanne taught me to hold her tongue down with the spoon.
• Has rolled over from her tummy to her back three times but seems content with that for now. No roll from her back to tummy yet. She prefers to lay on her back and spin around and around.
• Loves to “stand up”- will put pressure on her legs.
• Loves her jumperoo.
• Is talking up a storm and will chit chat the whole ride somewhere in the car- mostly sounds like “oogly googly iggily.” She’ll squeal and laugh too.
• Really takes everything in and recognizes people. She is very friendly and will smile at anyone that stops to talk to her. She is so busy looking around that she will completely turn her head while eating and throw her bottle out of her mouth.
• Still working on sitting up independently. She’s still a bobble head but has gained a lot of head, neck, and back strength.
• Doesn’t really nap during the day- just 30-45 minute stints if anything. At home, she will only nap on my lap or next to me on the couch, although Grandma Jeanne can get her to sleep in her pack-n-play. (HOW?!)
• Sleeping in a sleep sack or footie pjs, although I’m dying to put a blanket on her. Seems like she’d be cold without anything over her! She still sleeps on her left side and wiggles up and down the bed all night long.
• Loves to hold onto her bunny when on the go.
• Her hair is coming in more on the top- seems to be more blonde than red.
• My favorite new trick is when she loses her paci in the car, I can lean back, find it, and put it near her mouth, and she will grab it with her mouth. She can also take it out of her mouth and get it back in- just not always the right way. :)

Sweet Baby Girl

Our photo shoot with Jennifer Carroll turned out beautifully! Check out a preview of our pictures at the link below, and scroll down to the “sweet baby girl” blog.  Also, if you’d like to see all the pics, let me know (leave a comment below or email me at sha@desha.org), and I’ll send you the log in information.  I highly recommend Jenn- she makes it so easy and is very creative!

http://jennifercarrollphoto.wordpress.com/

BOO! at the Zoo

Friday afternoon, we met the Mullins, Chris, and his friend, Emily, at the zoo. If you would like to have the animals all to yourself, try going late in the afternoon on a cold October day. Worked like a charm! We probably saw no more than 20 other people in the whole place. Thank goodness that my sweet friend, Jessica, had given Helen Grace this adorable (and warm!) fuzzy hat and mittens that afternoon. It was very breezy on Friday (brrr!), but HG stayed warm and loved being carried around the zoo like a big girl. I just can’t get enough of this little hat- love it! We enjoyed our day with good friends!

Modeling her new hat and mittens Laughing at her daddy The new exhibit, Teton Trek…awesome!! Took John and I right back to Yellowstone- I wanna go back! Uncle CB and ThomasYou can walk all the way around the  animals- the boardwalk goes up and over so you can look down into the animal areas. We saw wolves, swans, and a grizzly bear. Not sure where the elk were- maybe they were hiding, although it’d be pretty hard to hide those antlers. They’ve built a replica of the Old Faithful Inn, which has a great space inside, complete with a toasty fireplace! This is the view from the waterfall at the back of the exhibit.

You could get so close to the grizzle! After staying 100 yards away in Yellowstone, I was freaking out to be this close! He has a great river and waterfall that he can play in, and they even have an underwater viewing area so that you can see him when he’s swimming (kind of like the polar bear area). Very cool! She loved the grizzly too! We got a great polar bear picture this time. They were seriously fighting- a little scary!She had had enough of the walking around. Time for a nap!The elephant was posing for us. The panda bear was watching the zookeepers clean the cage next door, and apparently, it was close to his dinnertime. He was MAD that he wasn’t getting fed. He was standing up on his back legs and pounding on the gate! FEED ME!We had a great time at the zoo! As we were scooting out of the zoo, the line was forming for Zoo Boo. They had the zoo decorated so well for Halloween, and I’m looking forward to taking Helen Grace to Zoo Boo next year when she’s big enough to run around and play. Best Buddies:  Helen Grace (with her ‘stone face’ on) and Thomas (with his ‘silly face’ on)

Little Delta Darlin’

Helen Grace visited the glorious, big white house on the hill yesterday, and I hope one day she will call it her own. The girls oohed and aahed over her, and she just ate up all the attention! Here are some pics from our day in God’s Country, a.k.a. Oxford.

HG’s first time on the Delta Gamma front porch….where her mama and her aunties consumed many a chicken on a stick after a fun night on the Square, where I piled on top of Auntie Em for a pledge class pic on our very first Bid Day, where Russell threw rocks at Aunt Whitney’s window, where we “studied” on gorgeous afternoons while snacking on yogurt, where poor Will got tarred and feathered after “dropping” Aunt Reba, where Aunt Whitney and I boohooed when we had to move out on graduation day. I could go on and on!During Rush my freshmen year, I was “preffed” in this chair in the Founders Room. My parents also gave me a graduation gift there my senior year. It is a very sentimental place for me, and I fully intend to pull out this pic when Helen Grace is going through Rush!Helen Grace got to meet Pierce Randall (my friend Liz’s daughter), both of whom Liz and I hope will be in the 2026 DG Pledge Class!And I finally got a pic of my baby in St. John’s pumpkin patch! It was FREEZING, so we were working quickly for these pics!

Sweet Moment

Helen Grace and I had a very sweet moment yesterday morning. I was giving her her morning bottle, and toward the end, she can slip into her milk coma. She had been holding my finger, but I had to get out of her grip to put the bottle down when she fell asleep. After I set it down, I picked her hand back up again to hold it for a few more minutes, and a smile spread across her face. What a beautiful gift!

We have had a great week. On Wednesday, we had a fun morning with our favorite First Time Moms and babies and then a delicious and refreshing lunch date with my friend, Tran, and her daughter, Ava. That night we got to spend some fun QT with John since he doesn’t have soccer practice on Wednesdays. Geggy (Peggy, John’s godmother) had an outpatient knee surgery today, and Helen Grace entertained her this afternoon while Geggy recuperated in bed. Then, tonight HG and I ate dinner with Spif and Granddaddy. Tomorrow we are going to Oxford for HG’s first time at the Delta Gamma house and to meet her friend (and one day pledge sister) Pierce Randall. My friend, Jessica, who used to work with me at Vaco but moved to Nashville last year, will also be in Oxford tomorrow, so we are looking forward to a fun visit! Also can’t wait to take some pics at the Episcopal Church’s pumpkin patch! I’ve waited over 10 years to take my baby there! Larry, Carmella, and Thomas Mullins are in town all weekend, so we’re looking forward to good times with old friends.

Here are some pics from our week.

Kisses from the daddy! You get them whether you like it or not, baby girl! :)John is so relieved…this child is FASCINATED by soccer on tv. She is obviously her father’s child. I snapped this pic on Tuesday morning. She was dressed and ready to go to Grandma’s, and she was watching soccer as she waited on her daddy to get ready. She was kicked back (caught her in mid yawn) and mesmerized. She also loves ESPN. I’m telling myself that it’s because of the bright colors and flashes of light and not that I’m losing my girly girl to sports and ESPN already. I have a feeling I am going to be outnumbered in my household.

Ok, go ahead. Get it all out.

Yes, Delta Gammas, Helen Grace now has a Hannah doll (Raggedy Ann) sweater and dress, and I love it. Go ahead, get all your laughs out! I didn’t win the DG Spirit Award for nothing! She’ll wear it loud and proud- brainwashing can’t start soon enough. :)

The Little English Warehouse Sale has arrived in Memphis, and I found some cute stuff (thanks, Doty!). It’s in the Carrefour shopping center at Poplar and Kirby between Swanky’s and Edible Arrangements on Mon-Tues 9-5 and Wed 9-12. I was a little disappointed that all the smocked dresses were still $45, but I couldn’t resist the Hannah doll one although the smallest they had was a 2T. They had a ton of cute corduroy rompers and dresses though for $25ish, sweaters for $35ish, and pima cotton rompers for $19. Go check it out!

 

Also, HG met rice cereal for the second time tonight. She was actually much better at it at 3 months when we tried it the first time. Wondering if I should have just kept it up back then. Tonight she kept kicking it back out and didn’t eat very much. She wore more of it than made it in her mouth! I tried to wipe her down, but she pitched a fit and was desperate for a bottle. She had her bedtime bottle wearing nothing but her diaper and covered in rice cereal. I was hoping to keep her awake until John got home from soccer practice so he could give her a bath, but she was conked out by then. I am too embarrassed to send her to Grandma Jeanne’s in the morning like this, so we are going to have to squeeze in a morning bath! Here are some pics from our adventure…

Just getting started…hmmm…Mama, I’m not so sure about this stuff.Are we done yet? Puh-lease give me a bottle!

I SAW IT! I SAW IT!

HG just rolled from her tummy to her back, and I FINALLY SAW IT!!! I was too worried about missing it to get my camera, but I’ll keep stalking her to make sure I get some video for you! YAY!

Domestic Goddess

Hahaha, not really, but that got your attention, huh?

I finally got my hands free long enough tonight to spend some time with my smocking project. It has been calling my name for over two weeks! I dove in, and when I finished the top line an hour and a half later, I looked up and time had flown by! My back is sore from hunching over my board, and my lips are chapped from sticking my tongue out (something weird I do when I am concentrating intensely). But man, I feel domestic! Here is what I accomplished tonight…

Also, we had a great (but COLD) afternoon on our photo shoot! Our photographer, Jennifer Carroll, has some sneak peeks up on her blog. Check it out here. We should have the proofs back in two weeks. So excited to see them all!

It’s a Wonderful Life

I am so blessed. This is what I get to wake up to every morning. How can you not be happy with this face smiling back at you? And if you know me, you know I’m not a morning person, but for this little angel, I don’t mind getting up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday!

It was cold enough yesterday that we pulled out Helen Grace’s new fleece jacket. It looked like a stay puff marshmallow on her- I couldn’t quit giggling! HG had such a good time at Kindermusik with Ashley and Tyler that she passed out after half a bottle. Serious milk coma! I got her all the way to the car still sound asleep.

Granddaddy has shown us that our bouncer has SOUND- how fun! Now it plays songs when she jumps up and down and hits some of the toys. She is loving it, and we are having a great, lazy Saturday morning! We had planned on walking in the Girls Inc. Bash Dash with John and the Lady Quistors, but when John told me it was going to be in the 30’s this morning, we changed our mind and have stayed home on the couch.