March Madness

Umm, how in the world is it the end of March? Will someone please tell my child to stop growing up so fast?!

These past few months have been unbelievable! Shelby is incredible and I am loving every minute that I get to spend with her. So, here's the lastest on Shelby...

1. Loves solid food. Don't try to give her any of that mushy baby food. She's onto bigger and better things. She loves chicken (like her mama), green beans, broccoli, grapes, tortillas, and the list goes on and on.

2. We're trying to wean from the bottle a little each week. That's not going so well. Enough said.

3. She can crawl, scoot, cruise on furniture...and there are many moments during the day where she is standing on her own. She can walk a few steps but she is trying to gain more confidence.

4. Girlfriend love, love, loves to read. The other day she was not in my sight and when I called out for her to come to me, she didn't. I thought for sure she was a.) putting something in her mouth that she shouldn't, b.) unrolling the toilet paper, or c.) not breathing. (C. is a bit irrational, but it's where my mind goes---I can't help it). Anyway, as I frantically ran into the other room...this is what I found:

And, to add to it. She's looking at the book the correct way and was turning pages! She's a genius if I do say so myself.

5. In February I went with my Mom to the Just Between Friends sale in Tulsa. Oh my overwhelming. But I got a few great toys including this one that she almost exclusively plays with. I would highly recommend getting this Fisher Price Play and Learn House. I would also highly recommend you go to JBF to get one of these. They retail for around $84 and I got hers for $40. Barely used.

6. Sickness and teething are not a delightful mix. A couple of weeks ago, Shelby came down with RSV. This coincidentally happened right at the same time as the weekend Nate and I were a.) going to celebrate our long, overdue Anniversary at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri and, b.) leaving Shelby for her first weekend away from us. On the Thursday night before we were supposed to leave for Branson, she woke up in the middle of the night with and fever and having vomited all over herself and her bedding. After some Tylenol and a bottle, she fell back asleep and woke up seemingly feeling better.

So, thinking Shelby was on the mend, we left on our much needed vacation together. And we needed it. Here's a shot of Nate at the lake and our view from our cabin. Absolute bliss.

Our view.

We came home to one very sick girl. Her doctor said it was a combo of RSV, allergies (from all the wildfires), and teething.

Sick at Nana's

So after many sleepless nights...things started to look up.

Four teeth so far...and currently cutting four more.

And today she's back to herself. One happy, fun-loving girl. I love her.

Go Pokes!

A New Year, A New Resolution

So, I just realized that it's been two months since I've posted something and that is pretty horrible. It's amazing how swept up you can get in life. Fall and Winter are the busiest time of year for our family. Thanksgiving, Nate's Birthday, 5 Family Christmases, more family gatherings, and My Birthday later...here I am. 2010 was an incredible year for us.

We started out the year expecting our first child and, although we were nervous, we were mostly carefree. Then came the news that Shelby was low on amniotic fluid and a whole barrage of tests, ultrasounds, and AFI checks followed. It wasn't soon after that Nate's Grandfather, "Shorty" passed away. It was a very tough time.

Halfway through April, I went on maternity leave earlier than expected because we thought Shelby would need to come early via c-section. Well, that didn't happen. So we waited "patiently" for two weeks before she was born on May 4th. A couple days in the hospital, and then we went home...only to head to Stillwater the next day to celebrate Nate's graduation from OSU.

The fun didn't stop there. We decided to make the move back to Tulsa because we wanted Shelby to be able to grow up around our families. So we started building on a house to be completed in approximately 3 months. During this time, we discovered that my grandmother had cancer. She passed away very soon after finding out about her cancer. I will be honest and say that our relationship was a complicated one. Oh so complicated. I loved my grandmother but during these past 10 years, we had become distant. There were unspoken words and conversations I wish we could have had...but I know that it is not possible now. I was very happy that she was able to meet Shelby though before she died.

We pressed forward and enjoyed some of Shelby's "firsts"...her first smiles and squeals which made my heart melt. We moved into our home in August and Shelby slept in her own room the first night we moved in!

Then came September and Matt and Melissa's wedding. Shelby's first plane ride (where she pooped on every single takeoff and landing); her first visit to the beach; our first semi- family vacation. It was beautiful.

October, November, and December were a whirlwind of family, football, and fun. Shelby and I endured the long stretches we weren't able to see Nate because of coaching high school football. She was a monkey for Halloween and enjoyed her first taste of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. She took her first camping trip and celebrated with Nate at his 29th birthday. She semi-opened gifts on Christmas morning and started making new funny sounds everyday.

And here we are today. Shelby will be {8} months this week. She has swept us all away with her sweet little smile. God knew exactly what He was doing when he placed her in our lives last May. Shelby was our light and hope for the future when times were dark last year. I look forward to all that 2011 has in store for us as a family.

This year I want to strive to make my relationships with friends
and family a priority. To let those around me know how much I appreciate them. And to enjoy every moment I have with my daughter. That's it and that's all.

Fall, Boo-Boo's, and { 6 } Months of Shelby

Just a few thoughts about my random life...

1. Fall is the BEST time of year. Windows open, fresh air filling my home...it just puts me in the best mood. Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner! I have actually gotten some of my X-mas shopping done already, which NEVER happens.
2. What was I thinking with a 2-door car?! Obviously I was living in the moment...and at that moment, I was being practical and saying to myself, "Honda's get the BEST gas mileage!" I would give anything to have a gas-guzzling SUV right about now. Let's just say it ain't pretty getting a car seat in and out of the back. It's just not right. On the flipside, at least I have a car...
3. Shelby got her first boo-boo. I cried. She cried. No, I take that back, I bawled. Our dog, Duke, was playing fetch with a stick (more like a log) and as Shelby was sitting in my lap, he whacked it upside her head. Oh yeah, I felt SO guilty. A picture of the aftermath is below.                                            
4. This past Sunday I found out that all the water from a 6 oz. bottle leaked in the diaper bag and found my camera. Bad news: it's a goner
5. Today, at the bookstore, as I was getting ready to check out, I found a bottle of formula dumped over in my purse and it saturated my phone. Good news: the phone survived.
6. After the incident at the bookstore, I paraded myself over the Target (Yay!) and bought different bottles. We started out with the Dr. Brown's bottles, which I loved, but I found that they always leaked (learned this the hard way and way too many times to count). They were great at reducing the air bubbles, but a pain in the rear to clean. So, we moved on to different bottles.
7. I may have some road rage, but I saw a man flip off a woman in a van and I was m.o.r.t.i.f.i.e.d. People seriously need to chill out. Keep it classy Tulsa.
8. Miss Shelby is 6 months tomorrow! Can you believe it?! She is the sweetest and happiest baby (if I do say so myself). She can sit up all on her own, has chubby cheeks and thighs (I like to think she has my lips and hips, but otherwise...looks totally like Nate!), and is so much fun to be around! Shelby, your Daddy and I love you beyond words. Your laugh makes my heart burst. I am so happy to be your Mommy and I look forward to all our fun times ahead.  Here are some of the pics for Halloween where Shelby was a monkey.

Monkey Time!



Happy!





With Nana and Papa

 



Asleep on her GranJan at the Church Fall Festival

 



Boo-Boo from Duke



Look who's sitting up!

She's growing up so fast!!! She also started saying "da-da-da-da and ba-ba-ba-ba" last night!

Love her!

Pass me the Nyquil, Coach

For about a week now, we've all been trying to shake off a cold. I've been sick before, but I am finding out how different being sick is when you have a child...and they are also sick. There's no sleeping in because you couldn't breathe the night before and just can't even fathom the idea of getting out of bed. No, you have to get up at 4:30am because your daughter is congested and wants you to just hold her. I'm not gonna lie...it's a struggle. Because seriously, when I am sick, I just want to be taken care of....just like Shelby does. But who wouldn't want to snuggle with this little cutie?

Prior to us coming down with the sickness, I took Shelby to the football game last Friday night to see her daddy coach for the first time. Nate started coaching at Okmulgee halfway through their football season and this was the first opportunity for me to take her to a ball game. As you can see in this picture (by the scoreboard and Nate's face), we lost miserably. BUT, the great thing was how well Shelby did. She sat in her GranJan's lap the entire game and did not fuss at all. I believe we have a little people-watcher on our hands. She LOVED the game and watching all the people in the stands. Thank goodness because she has many more games in her future!

Pumpkins

Saturday afternoon after a long day of working outside, we decided to take Shelby to the Carmichael's pumpkin patch in Bixby. The greatest thing is it's just down the road from us! I love Bixby, and I especially love the fact that we are known for our fresh produce and the pumpkin patch (even though I'm pretty sure they bring 'em in from other places)!

We went in the evening and it was perfect timing because most people were headed out. We took tons of pictures and Shelby got to see the animals. I love the fact she is so aware of her surroundings now. Watching her learn is the best feeling EVER. Both sets of granparents were able to be there too which made the day even more special. So, here are a few shots from our day together.

  

Go Pokes!

I love this face!

Talking to her Daddy...

  





It was a long day.

I love my family!





Jessie

At times when things are going well, they can sometimes take a turn. We lost our dog Jessie today. She ran into the street and was hit by a truck. Anyone who knows us knows how much we love our dogs... they've been on our Christmas cards every year for goodness sake.

Jessie is the one on the right. Nate got her his first year at OSU. He adopted her from the shelter in Stillwater and they were connected right from the start. At first, I was not so thrilled with her or the idea of a dog shedding everywhere, but she's grown on me over the years. She was such a sweet dog and extremely smart. Chasing the ball just wasn't her thing, but chasing Duke who was chasing the ball; now that was where it was at.

 Here are just a few pics of Jessie...

 She loved being outside and going camping and hiking with us...

Love you girlie! We will miss you.