Picture Perfect Holiday Season

Just a quick update.  Mostly in pictures!

First, this is the finished product of our red dining room fiasco!  While it took a lot of work for a fairly small room it looks pretty good (I think).

As many of you know Kaley's absolute favorite thing in the world is her puppy.  Here she is playing with Bayla.

My little girl is getting so big!  She doesn't even look like a baby with her pigtails!

Sweet girl in her Christmas outfit!

Christmas #1!  Leapord jacket,  a water baby, membership to the Ft Worth zoo, bat and ball!

Playing with mommy at Christmas #1.

Christmas #2!  Toy chest, puzzles, blocks, books, clothes, musical instruments, and a pony!

Passing out presents!

Playing some more in my toy chest!

Getting sleepy after opening so many presents!

Riding on my pony!  

Happy holidays to everyone and a Happy New Year!

And to top it off after Kaley went to bed the "adults" played some butt darts!  (Don't ask!)

Mommy will post more at some point...you know how it goes.  

Baby Fever is Upon Us

I am surrounded by pregnant women!!!  I don't mean that in a bad way.  As many of you know there are quite a few pregnant ladies at my work...6 to be exact.  Along with co-workers being pregnant a few of my patients mom's are pregnant, my sister in law, and a few friends.  I won't count it all out but we are definitely in the double digit numbers here.  Now, I am not meaning to sound negative in any way.  It is just that with all these pregnancies I am getting baby fever!  So tonight, in order to calm my baby fever I started reading my blog from the beginning (no not the whole thing just most of it, hehe).  I started looking at the "belly shots" and then at the first pictures of Kaley in the hospital and so on.  Then I started thinking about how much I have dreaded her getting older.  I couldn't and still can't stand the thought of her getting bigger and growing up; however, for the first time tonight I started to look at it in a different light...I loved being pregnant and I loved bringing this perfect gift from God into this world.  I loved nursing her every three hours and then getting to sleep when she slept through the night.  I loved holding her and cuddling her when she was too little to do much else.  I loved seeing her firsts, rolling, sitting, crawling, steps, words, etc.  And while each and every day I just wanted her to stay that perfect baby girl I knew that the days would continue to come and go and all I would have are my pictures and memories.  Many times I am sad that she is no longer that newborn I held in my arms but tonight I started to think if she didn't grow I would not know this amazing person she is becoming.  I wouldn't get to see her scream "Mommy" and light up when I walk into the door after work or get to experience her sweet hugs and kisses.  I wouldn't get to to enjoy the sassy little girl she is becoming, or the sweet and innocent little daddy's girl she appears to be.  So...while yes I do still get sad that she is growing so fast I am truly glad that I am able to watch her grow into this amazing little girl!  Anyways, I was thinking about just a "few" of my favorite moments from the journey up until this point so here they are:

~Finding out I was pregnant.

~First sonogram

~Feeling the first kicks

~It's a GIRL!

~Labor and delivery...but mostly the epidural 

~Seeing Kaley for the first time

~Watching John hold her and love her

~Her early morning stretches

~The hiccups

~Her peacefulness as she slept

~The way she bats her eyelashes and grins when she is flirting with men

~Her sheepish grin as she feeds the dog when she knows she isn't supposed to

~The way she says "momma" when I talk to her stearnly

~How she follows Bayla around chanting "puppy, puppy, puppy"

~The way the puts her hands on her head and shakes it while saying "oh no no"  to make you laugh when she has done something wrong (like feed the dog)

~The way she crawls into my lap and pulls up on me to give me a kiss or a hug

~The way she points at John when she sees pictures of him and chants "dada dada" when he isn't home

~The way she crawls over to me and says "nigh nigh" because she loves to have her quiet time in her room and take naps 

~The way she sings "E-I-E-O" all day long!

~The way she cries for a split second right before her bottle or sippy cup of milk enters her mouth because she can't get it there fast enough

~The way her sweet and sassy personality, her noises, talking and giggling fill up the house with happiness and joy

That was a few right???

 

So for all you many of pregnant women I know out there...I pray that you have a healthy baby and are able to make your own sweet memories with your little angel.  I pray that you treasure every passing moment of your pregnancy because while you may be pregnant again it will never be the same as it is with this child.  I pray that having this child "fills the whole in your heart you never knew was empty".  I pray that the birth of your child allows you to see a completely different side of your spouse and allows you to fall in love with them a little bit more than the day before.  I pray you find that this job of mother you are about to take on is the most rewarding and fulfilling job you have ever had.  I pray that this life you will soon be bringing into the world gives you as much joy and happiness as Kaley brings to me.  I pray for you and for your family.