Abby's 1st Christmas PLUS

Well Christmas has come and gone...and I haven't blogged in over 2 weeks! OMG! That is like a record for me! Anyways, we enjoyed a crazy, exciting & wonderful Christmastime! The Monday before Christmas we went over to our cousins John & Claire P's house to decorate cookies...I am sure we will get to do alot more next year! We did manage to eat part of our cookie (which freaked mommy out) but we suffered no ill effects.

Eating her cookie!

On Christmas morning, we got up and came out to see what Santa had brought!. He brought her a green gingham Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair with her name on it & a tea set. She was really a joy to watch during present opening! She likes paper...I mean, likes to eat paper. haha! Her Nana (my mom & what she will occasionally call herself, but doesnt' really have a grandma name yet? :-)) & Grandpa got her a push around pink car that she loves, her Mimi & PopPop got her a white high chair with her own blonde dolly! And Great grammy & Aunt Cindi got her some fun toys & the Baby Can Read collection...we can't wait to use it! We enjoyed breakfast at home then off to Nana & Grandpa's house for lunch then to Shorter to see our cousins & Mimi & PopPop then to the Pstone Christmas to eat, drink & be merry! We were all tuckered out when we got home that night! We really had alot of fun experiencing Christmas on a new level! I can only imagine how fun next year will be!

Ready to go to church on Christmas Eve

Christmas morning (still in jamjams) in her new chair from Santa

Abby in her chair ready to start her 1st Christmas Day!

Well, if you have read my previous blogs or facebook statuses...we are having a sleeping problem in our house. Abby has been up at least once a night for about an hour for over 2 months. We started letting her "cry it out" last week. And were having some great results...then Sunday rolled around! I finally went in to get her because she was hysterical and was a different cry. And she had pooped her pants, and had been sitting in it. I didn't smell anything so I wouldn't have known. Her privates were all red and so was her hiney...I felt just terrible. So when we woke in the morning, I saw how bad it was. She had a sore & everything was bright red. When I wiped her she squealed in pain! So I called my mom so upset and she came over to check her out & brought us some Resinol. Then Great Grammy brought us some cloth diapers to use instead of real ones. Well we tried the diapers but that didn't work....sooooo we went "nakie" for 2 days to let it air out & heal. Sunday night, she woke up at 12:45. I knew what I would have to do to get some shut-eye for both of us. So I grabbed a comforter, pillow & blanket - and we both went back to sleep on her floor. About an hour later we were joined by dada & brother (oscar) on the floor. So there we all slept!

I just couldn't resist! What a cute little hiney!

Anyways, here are some pictures from our Christmas & of our diaper rash (don't worry these are cute!) Hope you all have had a great 2009 & will have a great 2010! We have been blessed beyond measure this year and can only wait for what next year brings!

December 18th, 2004

On our honeymoon December 19th, 2004

Our family began five years ago today. We began as "college sweethearts" and have come so far from that day. We got married 1 day after I graduated from Auburn...a BIG War Eagle on that one. We have gone through 2 apartments, 2 cities, a dog, me-being a guinea pig for all the OD's in training, ev-gradutating from UABSCO, moving home, buying a house & being graced by God to concieve & birth the most perfect child we could have ever imagined. We have grown so...we have had tons of good days, a few bad ones too. We continue to get what we can out of life. I am just so glad to share mine with my friend, Dada, my Evy!

I hope the next 5 are as memorable as the first!

Our first anniversary, while in the mountains with Ev's family!

Abby's Baptism Extravaganza

This past Sunday, December 13th, 2009, our sweet Abby was baptized at St. James United Methodist Church. We were so excited & nervous about how she would do. She did FABULOUS! She loved the music & huge screen tv! I really think that when they put the water on her she thought it was bath time - which she loves! We couldn't have been more proud of our sweet Abby and thankful for all the family for coming and joining us on such a special day.

After the service, everyone headed back to our house to have brunch. Everett & I cooked everything! (okay...not the muffins & mini cinnamon rolls - thank you Costco!) We had shrimp & grits, quiche, ham & biscuits, fruit, lemon blueberry muffins & cinnamon rolls. The cake was gorgeous and tasty too! I am thankful all of the food is now gone - the rainy weather didn't help yesterday...but at least I am getting back on the bus today! We are so thankful to everyone who came and helped, ate, celebrated, laughed....with us on Sunday. Anyways, here are a few pictures from our "extravaganza" on Sunday!

Tootles!

Abby awake & well rested after sleeping through her whole party :-)

Firsts

On Thursday, we had alot of firsts. We went shopping in downtown Prattville! They have such cute shops with baby stuff. Of course she needed some clothes, because she doesn't have enough...Grandma C :-) Then we went to "Gas" Pro Shops (as my niece used to call it :-) and met Santa Claus. Abby really loved all the Christmas trees, and games...mostly she liked all the other kids playing that were her size. We took turns passing her around the group (Grandma C, Pop Pop, Mama & Dada) to make sure she was happy. Well, it was finally our turn and we were hoping for a happy kiddo! And drumroll please.....she smiled in the picture! Actually SMILED!! We were so excited! I totally get that she was probablly unaware of the beared man holding her, but she did great! Santa was pretty awesome himself :-) After meeting Santa & telling him we wanted a pony..haha...we went to The Catfish House. The gang was all there - Grandma & Grandpa C, Great Grammy & Aunt Cindi and Our MiMi & Pop Pop. Another first - Abby sat in a high chair at the table! I was so proud of her! She ate her dinner and ham'd it up for all of us! Hope you enjoy the pictures of some of our firsts! :-)

Playing with Dada

Sitting like a big girl in my high chair & eating a Baby Mum Mum (thank you Elizabeth :-))

Playing with mom

My pose I do alot :-) I am so gonna be walking next month!

A Good Night Sleep...

I'm dreaming of a goooooood night sleep! Yep, that would be a great gift this year. Abby started sleeping through the night at around 2 1/2 months...I was extremely thankful for this. I was made aware from other parents that this wasn't likely to last....well it hasn't. Ever since we started teething, crawling, pulling up...we have gotten up almost every night around 3am. This is hard on mommy...the only thing that makes it not so bad is that I am fortunate to be able to stay at home. So I have no deadlines & no alarm clocks (except Abby).

I am sure I have broken the cardinal rule many times. I am trying not to rush in there when she cries...trying not to pick her up...trying not to rock her...trying not to make her a bottle. But its hard! I enjoy those snuggy moments when she wants her mama, even if it is in the dawn hours. I guess I will have to ask for some advice when we go for our 9 month appt. She already knows who is wrapped around her finger besides dada...haha!

Last night, I got a little emotional...not from the lack of sleep, but by something I have taken for granted! My little angel looked at me when I was rocking her. It brought back memories that have come and gone. Our first night together in the hospital (also at the wee hours of the morning) and just piercing my heart with those beautiful blue eyes. There have been only 4 or 5 nights that she has looked at me the same way as she did last night. And that just makes it all worth it. She is growing up so fast, but it is reassuring that those eyes will look at me that same from time to time with all the trust & love they did in our first meeting.

My cup runneth over...

Turkey Splurkey & Ready for Santa!

Abby ready for her first TURKEY DAY!


This year was not only our first Thanksgiving as parents, but the first one we hosted. My parents, Grandma & Aunt Cindi & Aunt Lois - joined us for lunch and we had a great time! Ev smoked a turkey and it was awesome! We really enjoyed having everyone over...I used my china for the first time since we have been married! Better late than never...then Ev's side came over to cook out that night! We had steak & taters...and we really missed our cousins Maddie, Huntley & William...Huntley had woken up with a fever on Turkey Day...so they were "quarantined" at home. We will make up for it at Christmas! :-)

On Saturday, Ev got out all our Christmas stuff...and we got it all DONE!! YAY!! I love Christmas time! So far Abby has done pretty good with the tree! She loves it! I can't wait to see her open presents Christmas morning...she is gonna be good at that...i think! :-)

Today, went out for some much needed shopping and picked up a baby gate. We have had to many "baths" in our brothers bowl! We will all have to get used to it...brother included!

Well that is all the updates I have now!
Tootles!

YAY!!

Mommy 1 - Teefy 2

So we have begun the wonderfully terrible teething experience. I have been saying that Abs has been teething for months...she has been quite the drool bucket ;-) Well last week when our first white "toofy" broke through...I was pleasantly suprised to have no ill effects from that little guy. Well Monday morning at the lovely hour of 3am - we woke up ticked off...I noticed she was a little warm. Finally found one of the 3 thermometers we have and took her temp - 99.5. So I gave her some tylenol and we finally made it back to sleep around 4:15am then up again at 5:00 then up again at 7. Then mommy & baby both went back to sleep aroun 8:15. Thankful for my nap...yesterday was probablly my most unproductive day in a long time. I brushed my teeth at 3pm (sorry for all of you I just totally grossed out :-)) and was in my pajamas all day. I did manage to put some chicken thighs in the crockpot so we would have dinner (side note - I Loooove my crockpot!) Then after dinner we got our bath! Another Side Note - We were a happy camper all Monday...even though we had a small fever, we played, jumperoo'd, giggled & of course snuggied with momma!

SIDE NOTE: I called the nurse at our pediatrician's office ( I am a worry wart!) and she told me the only true way to check fever is by using a rectal thermometer...I don't know about other babies at 7 3/4 months...but my baby is on the move and has places to go. Well we "tried" to check it rectally, and she started kicking & dancing! Instead of hurting her I gave up...so from this day forward we will be sticking to the ear thermometer!

Well dada fed her a bottle at 7 and she just fell asleep...no rocking needed. I knew this could be good or probablly bad. She woke up an hour later - thankfully I got a bath & washed my face during her cat nap. Then the fireworks began...Abs cried for about 45 minutes...which of course made her spit up because she got herself so worked up. We tried tylenol (more got on mommy than in our mouth), tried a bottle (just made her madder) then mylicon (maybe her tum tum hurt too!). Then our grandma came over to the rescue...and my sweet little Abs reappeared. Laughing, playing, grabbing our "brothers" tail...but then the waterworks continued. So we tried Orajel & that didn't really work, then she was chewing on a coaster (a paper one...not stone :-)) and screamed...then I saw the blood. So I finally got smart & wet a washcloth & put an ice cube in it, and we held it for her to naw on. That was the only thing that seemed to work. She finally went to sleep at 11:10pm and woke up only once at 11:50pm, just to make momma jump outta bed i think :-) It seems our fever has gone bye-bye today. I am just thankful she is only teething & not getting sick. As for our new toofy, the culprit is probablly our new next door neighbor who I can see moving in :-) Hopefully once this new toofy pops through...we will get used to the teethy...I have my fingers crossed!

Tootles for now! Here are some pre-toofy pictures of Abs & dada!

Dada's sidekick - wearing shades! :-)

Ready to go see our cousin Addie get baptized