Dixie on my Mind

Betsy's First Birthday

2018-01-14T16:12:00.002-06:00

We lucked out with a beautiful fall Saturday for Betsy's pink and balloon-filled birthday brunch. How in the world has it been a year since our sweet baby was born? Betsy's party was a joyful celebration filled with delicious food and so many special family members and friends. I could not have pulled this party off without my mom and Melanie who came to Dallas two days before the party to help me get ready - so thankful for them and their creativity!

As much as I loved every detail, one thing I am so glad we did was have our favorite photographer, Molly, come and photograph the party. I'm so glad to have these photos from her.

Up first: all the details...

birthday banner by Annie

My Grandma is a fabulous florist and arranged all the flowers for me!

favors to thank our friends for "popping" by

birthday hat by Annie

precious cookies by Aunt Mel

We served mini tomato tarts, veggies + dip, ham biscuits, sausage balls, Mel's precious cookies, finger sandwiches (pb&j and pimiento cheese), and mini cupcakes with pink buttercream.

Darling table runner is also by Annie!

Now for Betsy's first taste of cake...

Not sure what to do with this thing...

She quickly figured it out once I broke the cupcake into smaller pieces...

And finally, all of the wonderful FAMILY and FRIENDS who celebrated with us. We love you all!

Our original supper club group with our 4 new additions: Luke, Preston, Betsy & Connor.

Aunt Mel & Porter

Aunt MK (Betsy was getting SO tired at the end of the party!)

Brittany & sweet Knox

Mammo & Porter

Grandma & Pawpaw

Mammo & Pop

We had the best day celebrating our angel, and words cannot describe how wonderful the past year was with her in our lives! Thank you Lord for our happy, healthy baby girl.

Betsy: Months 10-12

2018-01-14T07:32:00.001-06:00

Betsy is now 14 months old, but for the sake of finishing what I started on the blog, I'm going to back up and document months 10-12. Last time I blogged (in August!), we had just celebrated Betsy turning 9 months old. She has changed so much since then!

Stats (from her 12 month appointment): 19 lbs, 2 oz (23%), 29.4 inches tall (52%)

Eating: Everything! Favorites include avocado, bananas, peas, cheese, green beans, grapes, and cottage cheese.

Sleeping: During the 10-12 month stretch, Betsy finally transitioned to only taking 2 naps a day (10:30 - 12:30 and 3:30 - 4:30). Nighttime sleep mostly stayed the same (7:00 p.m. - 6:30 a.m.).

Milestones:

10 mos: learned to "moo" like a cow and clap; got her sticker at the library for reading 100 books in 1,000 books before Kindergarten program; loved to crawl with her squeaky bunny; first time drinking out of a sippy cup
11 mos: stood on tiptoes constantly and started standing unassisted, lots of cruising on furniture, learned to waive "bye-bye"
12 mos: started drinking exclusively whole milk between 12 and 13 months (from sippy cup), celebrated her second Thanksgiving in Livingston with rides in Annie's wagon and on Pawpaw's mule, and chipped her front tooth a few days before 13 month birthday

Highlights:

September: Labor Day at Birdie & Bud's house, hosting a Sip & See for baby Coates, Austin's 30th birthday
October: visit from Annie, Aunt Mel & Porter, neighborhood block party, first Halloween
November: turning ONE, second Thanksgiving, decorating for Christmas

Labor Day Weekend at Birdie & Bud's

100 books down, 900 to go!

First Aggie game day of 2017

books > toys

Sip & See for baby Coates

celebrating Austin's birthday with Birdie & Bud

twins on Austin's 30th

Saturday morning stroll with Porter

cousin park date in matching outfits from Annie

neighborhood block party

First Halloween

driveway tailgate handing out candy on Halloween

Reghan's First Birthday Party

Voting at City Hall

Birthday weekend fun with Porter

Birthday Eve - great grandparents came to visit!

And she's 1!

Birthday party post to come.

Betsy at Nine Months

2017-08-27T16:21:00.002-05:00

Betsy turned 9 months old earlier this month, and we continue to be amazed by how much she changes and grows each day. She is still just as happy as she can be, and we loved celebrating 9 wonderful months with her.

Stats: At her 9 month well check, Betsy weighed 18 lbs, 7 oz (44%) and was 28 inches long (67%). She's been squeezing into all of her size 6m summer bubbles one last time in August but is wearing some larger sizes, too. I'm going to be so sad to put away her summer wardrobe!

Eating: Milk and breakfast at 6:30 in the morning, milk and an early lunch around 10:00, milk at 2:00, and milk and supper at 5:30 or 6:00. Breakfast favorites are yogurt and berries, tiny banana pancakes, scrambled eggs, smoothies, applesauce, cheerios, and sweet potatoes. Lunch and supper favorites are broccoli, green peas, corn, chicken, salmon, avocado, and squash. I think grilled salmon was Betsy's favorite thing she ate this month. It is one of my favorites, too, so I'm happy to work it into our rotation more!

morning smoothie date (excuse my wet hair!)

Sleeping: STILL loving 3 naps every day. For about a week she skipped her first nap and I thought surely this was the transition to 2 naps that I had been expecting, but the third nap came back with a vengeance and she is showing no signs of dropping it anytime soon. She's up for the day at 6:30, down for her first nap around 8:00, down for the second nap around 11:30, and down for the third nap around 4:00.

Awake time: crawling (started crawling just 3 days after her 8 month birthday, so this trick doesn't seem that new anymore) and pulling up like crazy. Still a huge fan of dominoes and toothbrushes of all kinds - she gets so excited when we are brushing our teeth with our electric toothbrush, and she also lights up when we brush her teeth after bathtime.

Highlights: First trip to the pool with her pal Will, several weekend dips in her baby pool with friends, crawling everywhere, and pulling up in her baby bed - she has just entered the phase of standing up when we go get her from a nap, and it is the best! Oh, and two new teeth popped through right after her 9 month birthday, so she now has two on bottom and two on top.

After a fun dinner with the Whitacres!

pool date with Quinn and Cooper - love these three little future Aggie babies

We need to take more morning pics next month... adding breakfast to our morning routine kind of threw us for a loop!

We couldn't love you more if we tried, Betsy! Happy 9 months, sweet girl.

Eight Months With Betsy

2017-07-29T13:53:00.001-05:00

EIGHT months with our little sunshine have absolutely flown by. It's true what "they" say - it gets harder and harder to remember what life was like before she was with us. Watching her little personality develop has been so much fun. She is a weeee bit sassy, but still oh-so-sweet.

Still no stats this month, but I can't wait to see how she's grown when we go for her 9 month checkup in August.

Eating: Milk 4-5 times per day (6:30/10:00/2:00/6:00) and solids twice per day (10:00/5:00). B is still a good eater so far and has been loving trying more fruits and veggies and even a bite or two of meat and carbs here and there. We went to breakfast with two of my friends from Mississippi at Breadwinners, and Betsy was a big fan of their blueberry muffins. New foods this month included yellow squash, eggs, blueberries (in plain form in addition to the muffin!), and probably some others that came via the baby food medleys she eats at Tammy's during the day.

Sleeping: No big changes here, and despite me thinking surely we are headed 2 naps a day, Betsy is holding strong with 3 naps - one longer nap mid-day and two shorter naps in the morning and late afternoon. Bedtime is between 6:30 and 7:00, and she's up for the day around 6:30.

Awake time: Rolling, rolling, rolling, and her newest trick: getting up on all fours. On her 8 month birthday, she was so close to crawling, but she didn't actually crawl for the first time until July 14 (three days after turning 8 months). Saturday morning coffee walks are still one of my favorite parts of the week. Betsy's love for dominoes knows no bounds, and a pile of dominoes will keep her occupied for quite a while. Other favorite things include our electric toothbrush, splashing in the tub, BOOKS (specifically turning the page), and doorstops.

A grainy pic, but this was the first time she figured out she could do this.

Annie had delicious foam letters at her house, and thanks to Amazon Prime, now we have our own.

SO. OBSESSED.

(spoiler alert: domino towers were her sole motivation for crawling at first)

Highlights: Austin's first Father's Day was a definite highlight this month. Betsy is so blessed to have him as her daddy. He is wonderful with her, and as much as I cannot wait to get home after work each day, I'm so glad they have their one-on-one time together when he picks her up and feeds her "supper" before I get home. Our Fourth of July celebration in Livingston was another highlight this month (more about that here)!

Happy Father's Day to the world's best daddy.

killing me with the leg pop -- I think she's a morning girl like her mama...

first dip in the pool with Master P

We love you so much, sweet girl!

A Belated Fourth of July Recap

2017-07-29T12:51:00.003-05:00

August is just three days away, but I'm rewinding a few weeks to recap our Fourth of July holiday weekend at my parents' house. We continued our tradition of celebrating America's birthday there this year, and the addition of Betsy and Porter made the festivities even more fun.

B+P in their matching Annie's Originals

Mom and Dad outdid themselves with the food, per usual, and this year Mom even had our daily menu on display in the kitchen (#thingsyoucandowhenyouretire). It's a good thing no one in my family is a vegetarian since we managed to enjoy brisket, ribs, pork tenderloin, sausage, chicken, and quail over the span of three days - and all in smoked/grilled form, I might add. This weekend had all of my favorite things to eat in the summer.

When we weren't eating, we were playing with Betsy and Porter inside on a pallet (Betsy discovered her new favorite toy - dominoes) or outside on their twin swings or in the baby pool. I die over these pictures of their first swim - cutest thing EVER.

Next year they MUST HAVE matching swimsuits.

sweet boy doing so well with his sitting

finally rocking her bikini from the Easter Bunny

true to form, Betsy had to check Porter out with just that one little finger

Porter: not so sure about this setup!

a little post-swim swing time

inaugural swing at Annie & Pawpaw's house - so festive (#redwhiteandbetsy)

taking Annie's red wagon for a spin

learning to play 42 - we're hoping she'll be a pro by 2035 when she heads to Aggieland

We all went to church on Sunday morning - Betsy's first trip to CBC in Livingston - and Betsy and Porter got to meet lots of hometown friends!

It was the best summer weekend with my favorite people (and favorite foods). So thankful for our country and time with those we love to celebrate our freedom.

Betsy is Seven Months

2017-07-05T21:25:00.001-05:00

Here I go again with another very delayed monthly post for my girl. We are just a few days away from her 8 month birthday, but first, a quick recap of month 7.

No stats this month as we don't have a pediatrician visit scheduled until around B's 9 month birthday.

Eating: Still holding strong with milk 4 or 5 times each day (6:30, 10:00, 2:00, 5:30, 6:30). Most weekend evenings she combines those last two feedings. The biggest change in this category this month is that we are now eating fruits and veggies! We started with veggies each day around 5:00, and now she is eating a veggie or a fruit twice a day (10:00 and 5:00). So far, Betsy has had avocado, peas, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, bananas, pears, prunes, apples, and peaches. She usually warms up to new foods after having them 2-3 times, but she is doing great with everything we've given her so far. I'm looking forward to re-stocking my freezer supply this weekend and adding some berries to the mix.

Sleeping: Not much new to report here. I keep thinking Betsy will be ready to drop a nap sometime soon, but for now she seems quite content to take her 3 naps every day. She goes down around 8:30 for the first nap, 11:30 for the second nap, and 3:00 for the third nap. Bedtime is 7:00, and we get her up for the day around 6:30. I am so thankful for our good sleeper.

Awake time: Betsy is still a rolling machine and loves playing on a pallet with lots of books and toys. Sadly, we are entering the time of year where it is just too hot to go for walks in the evening after work, so our neighborhood walks are mostly limited to early mornings on the weekends. We're still loving our front yard swing.

Highlights: My first Mother's Day was definitely a highlight (blogged more about that here). Starting Betsy on food has been so fun - I love the funny faces and noises she makes when she eats! Memorial Day and our trip to the Arboretum with Katey and Caroline was a treat, and we finally made it to the Farmers Market in our neighborhood the day before Betsy's 7 month birthday, which was such a fun Saturday morning activity. We had two families from church over for supper over Memorial Day weekend, and Betsy and Preston finally got to sport their smocked sailboat outfits for a photo op - Lindsay and I have only been planning this for the past 10 months! Oh, and at some point this month Betsy got her second tooth!

Mother's Day in The Woodlands for Porter's dedication

Naturally, Betsy and Caroline showed up in their matching flag bubbles for a Memorial Day stroll.

More morning counter pics!

We just had to wear our new embroidered cherry top and ruffle

bloomers from Annie for our first trip to the Farmers Market.

Hopefully back soon with a recap of our 4th of July holiday and Betsy's 8 month post!

Betsy's Official Six Month Pictures

2017-06-17T14:31:00.001-05:00

We reunited with the sweet Molly Coulter of Molly Coulter Photography a few weeks after Betsy's 6 month birthday to capture our little angel at this fun stage. I am in love with all of the pictures and had the hardest time not including every single one in this post. Molly, thank you for sharing your talent with us and for these beautiful pictures we will always treasure!

Now the hard part: choosing which ones to get printed for the house and my office...

Mother's Day + Porter's Dedication

2017-06-17T14:14:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day this year took us to The Woodlands where we got to celebrate with Melanie, Clark, Porter, and several other family members. It was a treat to get to be with my mom on Mother's Day and with my sister on our first Mother's Day with our babies! Melanie and Clark dedicated Porter at church on Sunday morning, and we gathered with both of their families for a wonderful brunch at Clark's parents' house after the service.

Austin, Betsy, and I made the trip from Dallas to Mel and Clark's house on Saturday, and Mary Katherine met us there. Mel and Clark fixed amazing fajitas, and Clark and Austin only had to run to HEB to refill our guac bowl once! It was a great, quick trip and a fabulous way to celebrate my first Mother's Day and our sweet nephew, Porter.

Morning snuggles at Aunt Mellie's house

So thankful for this angel who made me a mother.

Porter and Betsy were pretty much over it at this point!

My two favorite babies looking so sweet in blue and white!

HAD to get a few shots of the back of Betsy's bonnet.

We love Aunt MK!

Such a trooper on our long drive home on Sunday.

A little front seat action in the parking lot at Bucee's on our trip home.

We can't wait to see Porter and his parents and Aunt MK again soon! Happy belated Mother's Day to all the mommies, especially to my wonderful mother and mother-in-law who love us so well!

Betsy at Six Months

2017-06-05T10:13:00.000-05:00

Now that we are one week away from Betsy's 7 month birthday, I am finally getting her 6 month post up on the blog... we took 6 month photos with our favorite photographer, Molly Coulter, last weekend, and I'm so excited to get those back and share in a separate post. But, until then, here is a very belated 6 month update on our favorite happy girl.

Stats: As of 5/18/17 at Betsy's 6 month doctor visit, she weighed 15 lbs, 1 oz (27% - despite her cheeks and arm rolls, she is apparently a petite little thing!), was 26.5 inches long (50%), and her head measured 42 cm (33%).

Eating: Betsy still eats four or five times each day, usually at 6:30, 10:00, 2:00, 5:30, and 6:30. Sometimes she only eats once in the evenings when I get home from work. She does pretty well taking a bottle during the day at 10:00 and 2:00, but I don't think she loves it. She seems to take more from a bottle when we give her one on the weekends than she takes on the week days, but every day is different. We waited until her 6 month appointment until we started solids, so that will be in next month's recap! As you can see, she has mastered sitting in her highchair and is ready for the good stuff.

Sleeping: Bedtime has moved up a bit because she is usually just struggling to stay awake by about 6:30. I hate that I only get to spend about an hour with her after work during the week, but I know as she grows, her bedtime will move back a bit. Usually I feed her as soon as I get home, we might play or read a few books, then do bath around 6:00, then maybe a short feeding before putting her in bed around 6:30. She usually sleeps until we wake her up at 6:15 or so the next morning. Getting her out of bed each morning is just the BEST - she is so happy in the morning! As far as naps, she is still holding strong with three naps each day. On a good nap day, she gets about four hours of sleep throughout the day from her naps. On a perfect nap day, that looks like a one hour nap at 8:00, a two hour nap at 11:00, and a one hour nap at 3:00.

Awake time: Betsy gets SO proud of herself for rolling - right around the 6 month mark she figured out how to roll as a means to get somewhere, and she can get to just about any toy on the floor by rolling. She cracks herself up, and rolling usually produces a lot of squealing, too. Walks, books, and her swing in the front yard remain favorite weekend activities for awake time. Her exersaucer is still a big hit as well.

Highlights: Betsy's first tooth popped through on May 7th, just a few days before her 6 month birthday. She now has two bottom teeth, and is more interested in her Sophie teether than ever before! Of course her first Easter was a big highlight (blogged more about that here), and her baby dedication one week later was such a joyful day (more about that here). We took our first trip to visit Birdie and Bud in Austin at the end of April. She did so great, and it was tons of fun to introduce her to William when he and his parents (our good friends Billy and Carly) came over to play! Betsy also got to meet her future BFF, Quinn, and squeezed in another visit with her buddy, Knox when we had a fun dinner with his family in early May. We can't wait for more play dates with all these sweet babies to come!

Can't handle the cousin sweetness!

Two proud daddies and their girls! Can't wait to watch these two grow up together.

Thankful for this friend and her willingness to answer all my "first time mom question" texts!

While our weekends are extra sweet, and we try to take lots of pictures throughout Saturday and Sunday, sometimes during the week we don't get a chance to do much more than snap a quick picture on our way out the door in the morning. Here are a few of my favorites from this month.

Austin usually reads Betsy a quick story from her Jesus Storybook Bible in the morning while I finish getting ready - I love overhearing their "conversations" from down the hall.

One evening before bath time for little B.

Before church one Sunday. BTW, how do you keep a baby on a nap schedule and still go to church?! So hard! It seems mutually exclusive to be at church all morning and have a happy baby all afternoon right now, but I'm sure this too shall pass!

Happy six months, sweet angel! Back soon with month seven...

Betsy's Baby Dedication 4.23.2017

2017-05-06T15:38:00.002-05:00

One week after Easter, we welcomed our family to Dallas to celebrate Betsy's dedication at our church. It was so fun to have so many people who love Betsy all together to celebrate her. I think there will be a lot of that in her future as she is one loved little girl!

Melanie, Clark, and Porter drove up on Saturday and spent the afternoon and night with us, which was so fun! Betsy and I haven't seen Porter since going to the hospital when he was born, and Austin had not met him yet, so having them here was just wonderful. The first of many fun times for these cute little cousins, I hope.

My Grandma and Pawpaw, Austin's parents, and Austin's sister and BIL also came into town on Saturday, and they all came over to visit for a while that afternoon. Betsy was her usual angelic self, and I think she loved all the attention!

Betsy and Porter got to take their Saturday night bath together, and Melanie and I about died over how adorable they were. We will be together again soon for Porter's baby dedication and then later this summer for the Fourth of July, so there are definitely more cousin baths ahead for these two. Their matching tubs and hooded towels... I die!

Sunday was a bit hectic with lunch preparations and getting everyone out the door for church and trying to let the babies have a bit of a nap before the service and lunch, but we did it! What a special day to have both sets of Betsy's grandparents, two sets of her great-grandparents, all four of her aunts, both of her uncles, and her one sweet cousin there on Sunday to celebrate us dedicating her to the Lord and promising to teach her about God's immeasurable love for her. We pray that she will come to know Christ as her personal Lord and Savior early in her life.

After church we had everyone over for lunch, and I definitely wish we would have been able to take more pictures with everyone who came to celebrate with us (I didn't even get a picture of the back of Betsy's bonnet -- it has the most gorgeous monogram on it!), but it was fun just all being together and eating some yummy food. I also didn't get any pictures of the food, but for my memory's sake, we served snacky foods: ham with rolls and a few types of cheese and sauces, deviled eggs, veggies with Mr. B's, corn dip and chips, fruit salad, broccoli slaw, and Society Bakery petit fours.

my two favorite babies in bonnets

We are so thankful for all of our family members who traveled to be here on this special day for our family. We love you all!

Easter 2017

2017-05-06T15:17:00.002-05:00

Easter is my very favorite holiday, and this one - Betsy's first - was one of my favorite Easters yet! My office closes on Good Friday, so having all day with my best girl was the perfect way to kick off our weekend.

Thanks for our cute Easter banner, Annie!

We dyed Easter eggs just the way I remember doing it growing up - in coffee cups. In my family, we also have a tradition of dying one "ugly egg" by combining all the dyes at the end. The Easter Bunny always made sure that the ugly egg was the hardest to find on Sunday morning, and, of course, the ugly egg was always the one my sisters and I tried hardest to find. The finder had a year's worth of bragging rights. Austin and I haven't made it a point to dye eggs at Easter since we've been married, but this year with Betsy seemed like the perfect time to start. I can't wait for egg dying fun with her in years to come!

not sure what happened to our little orange egg :(

Saturday morning we decided to do a little indoor egg hunt "with Betsy." Ha! Of course she had no idea what was going on, but Austin hid the eggs upstairs, and Betsy and I hunted them, and then I took a turn hiding downstairs for Austin and Betsy. Betsy probably thinks we're crazy, but Austin and I had fun at least!

We ventured out on Saturday afternoon to a local toy store to pick up some last minute additions to Betsy's Easter basket. We settled on some new books and had fun browsing.

On Saturday evening we met our friends Chris and Spenser and their adorable little boy, Jackson, for dinner. We have been trying to get together with them for ages, so it was nice to finally get to catch up! We always love seeing them, and both babies did great while at the restaurant.

Sunday morning we gave Betsy her Easter basket and got ready for a great morning at church. Betsy did excellent in the nursery, and Austin and I enjoyed visiting with our friends in Sunday School and hearing the amazing music and a great sermon in big church. After church, we all napped, and Austin grilled us delicious steaks later that night to go with a spring veggie pasta I made.

books, precious book plates, and the sweetest calling cards

one more pic with the bunny rattle from Porter added in for good measure

It was a wonderful Easter weekend, but as good as these sweet memories with my family are, the best part about Easter is the celebration of our Savior's resurrection and the promise of eternal life in Him.

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.'" Matthew 28:5-6

Five Months with Betsy

2017-04-21T13:29:00.001-05:00

It's April 21, and Betsy turned 5 months old on April 11. I absolutely cannot believe that she is only weeks away from being 6 months old - that's half of a year!! What?! Good gracious, time has been flying by, and we just become more and more smitten with this little angel each and every day.

Stats: No stats this month as we (hopefully) won't return to the doctor until Betsy's six month checkup. I say hopefully because Betsy has her first stuffy nose right now, which is absolutely heartbreaking! She is not running a fever, and her spirits are good, so I'm praying she'll kick the runny nose soon.

Eating: Eating remains one of Betsy's favorite pastimes, as evidenced by her epic thigh rolls! She eats at 6:30 am, 10:00 am, 2:00 pm, 5:30 pm, and 7:00 pm. Still working on consolidating those two evening feedings into one, but we're not quite there yet. We are planning to wait until she turns 6 months old before trying anything other than breast milk, but I do have some baby oatmeal in the pantry ready to go! I picked up some bowls and tiny spoons at Target last weekend, and I'm getting so excited to start experimenting with food with her.

Sleeping: Betsy is still sleeping great at night (from about 7:00 pm to 6:20 am). Most mornings during the week we have to wake her up so that I can feed her and get her dressed and get us out the door by 7:00, but on the weekends sometimes she will sleep until 7:00 am or later if we let her. She is still taking three naps a day - a short nap at 8:00 (45 min to an hour), a longer nap at 10:30/11:00 (2-3 hours), and a short nap around 4:00 (45 min to an hour). She is also still doing great with putting herself to sleep (PTL!). Most of the time, she rolls over onto her tummy to sleep and finds her two favorite fingers on her left hand to suck (cutest thing ever). She scoots all around her bed, and it is not uncommon for us to find her in the morning with her head facing the opposite side of the bed from where we laid her down the night before.

And sometimes she falls asleep like this after she eats at 5:30... the sweetest.

Awake time: We still love reading books and going for walks, and Betsy is still a huge fan of her exersaucer in the evenings while Austin and I get supper ready. Bath time remains a big highlight of each day, and we recently brought Betsy's highchair down and have found that she seems to enjoy sitting there and watching us in the kitchen.

Sporting her seersucker on Masters Sunday.

My favorite picture this month.

Coordinating with our pal Preston in plaid at dinner.

Rocking her sunnies on a sunny Sunday.

New trick: sticking out our tongue. Encouraged by Daddy, of course.

Betsy's favorite two fingers - no idea how she contorts her arm like that, but it is non-stop.

First park trip! Very unimpressed with the swing.

The cutest crossed ankles - I die!

Highlights: Betsy's fifth month brought her first trip to Aggieland, meeting her GJ for the first time, my 30th birthday, her first trip to the park and first time in a swing, multiple visits with grandparents, more trips to the church nursery, and countless sweet smiles from our best girl. It has been a wonderful month, and we are constantly in awe that God blessed us with this precious daughter!

Mary Katherine's Aggie Ring Day

2017-04-21T12:55:00.001-05:00

My youngest sister celebrated a big Aggie milestone earlier this month when she received her long-awaited Aggie Ring. Betsy and I wouldn't have missed it, so we loaded up and headed to College Station for Betsy's first trip to her future college (wink, wink). Despite a lot of car time, Betsy did great on the drive down and enjoyed being strolled around campus. It was so fun to be in Aggieland with her and with my family to celebrate Mary Katherine's big day! We are so proud of you, MK.

We all went into the Association of Former Students Building with MK to actually get the ring, and once she had it securely on her finger, we went outside to take some pics on the porch. Betsy and Porter were probably both beyond ready for a solid nap, but they tolerated the craziness pretty well all things considered!

We rounded our our quick trip to Aggieland with a delicious barbecue lunch at Rudy's, then Betsy and I headed to Livingston to spend the night with my parents before our long drive back to Dallas on Saturday. It was a quick trip, but I'm so glad we got to be there on such a special day for our MK. Welcome to the Aggie Ring club, MK!

Betsy in Bluebonnets

2017-04-02T13:44:00.000-05:00

Being the good Texans that we are, we found a beautiful patch of bluebonnets this weekend and plopped Betsy down right in the middle of them for a roadside photo shoot. Betsy was absolutely fascinated with the bluebonnets, and despite all our best tricks, we could barely divert her eyes from the pretty flowers. Thankfully, we still got a few sweet pictures of our little Texas baby!

Celebrating 30 and Other Spring Fun

2017-04-02T13:36:00.000-05:00

Now that I've gotten Betsy's four month update posted (albeit three weeks late...), I don't want to let too much time pass without a little life update. We are falling into a good rhythm with me being back at work, and I am so happy Betsy seems to be thriving at the lady's house who keeps her during the day. Weekends and evenings have become so much sweeter, and we're trying our best to savor every minute with our little family.

Betsy's first ride down the slide!

I've been dying for her to wear this bird bubble ever since Lindsay gave it to me at my baby shower in September. Hello spring! (And hello thigh rolls!)

Thank goodness for Babiators on sunny walks!

In March, I celebrated my 30th birthday with a delicious brunch at home with Austin, Betsy, and my parents. It was the perfect Saturday morning, and I loved ringing in a new decade surrounded by my favorite people. Mom outdid herself with the menu: tart shells made of granola and filled with yogurt and berries, roasted potatoes topped with parsley and cheese, sausage and grits casserole, and kicked up avocado toast topped with a fried egg. Austin and my dad ran out after brunch and came home with 12 yummy cupcakes from Society Bakery (my favorite!) that were the perfect birthday sweet treat.

My actual birthday was on a work day, and Austin surprised me by showing up at my office mid-morning with a beautiful flower arrangement and 30 decorated sugar cookies for my office. Then, the weekend after my birthday, we went to dinner at Trip and Lindsay's house, and Lindsay made me an amazing chocolate birthday cake. Aside from seeing Preston and Betsy twinning in their plaid, the cake was my favorite part of the night! I also squeezed in a birthday lunch date with Katey - such a fun March tradition as we celebrate our birthdays only two weeks apart. She recently introduced me to Bird Bakery, and oh my word, it is my new favorite lunch spot.

We got a new bed and bedding in late February, and a new bed also meant we were in need of new bedside tables. A few weekends ago we popped into a few furniture stores between naps for Betsy and were happy to stumble upon the perfect pair. I love them and can't wait to replace the two dressers in our room to complete the transformation.

Easter decorations went up about a month ago, and I will probably leave them up until the end of April. I just love spring and the Easter season.

My grandmother came to visit us last weekend and got to meet Betsy for the first time! They took right to each other, and we had a great weekend together. GJ is a retired librarian and loves books more than anyone I know, so it was extra special seeing her read several books to Betsy while she was here.

We are gearing up for a big month in April with a trip to College Station for Mary Katherine's Ring Day on the horizon, Easter, and Betsy's baby dedication at the end of the month. And I'll leave you with Betsy's new bonnet for spring and summer. I'm dying for her to wear it very soon!

Happy spring to all!

Betsy is Four Months!

2017-04-02T12:46:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness, I can't believe how much Betsy has grown and changed this month! I just looked back at her three month post, and it seems like ages ago and like yesterday at the same time. Month four was a big one with me returning to work. I was so nervous to leave Betsy, but after being back at work for just over a month now, things are going great for Betsy and for me, and we are embracing our new normal.

Stats

At her four month appointment on March 23, Betsy weighed 14 lbs and 2 oz (51%), she measured 25 inches long (68%), and her head circumference was 41 cm (57%). She got two shots and did not shed a tear - such a little champion! We were shocked and of course so proud.

Eating

Betsy is still a great eater, and this month she has really been consistent with her eating schedule. She eats at 6:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., at around 5:30 p.m. when I get home from work, and before bed at around 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. It will be nice to combine those two evening feedings into one, but we're not quite there yet.

My mom came and stayed with Betsy for the first week and a half of me returning to work, and Betsy did great taking a bottle from her twice a day. When Mom went home and Betsy started going to the lady's house who keeps her during the day, she absolutely refused to take a bottle for the first day and a half, but by the afternoon of day 2, she took the bottle just fine and hasn't had a problem since!

Sleeping

The lady that keeps Betsy is a total baby whisperer and has taught Betsy to put herself to sleep and has successfully broken any attachment Betsy had to the paci (admittedly, she was never in love with the paci, but she had developed a dependence on it to fall asleep). Betsy naps three times a day (at around 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 3:00 p.m.) and sleeps from 7:30 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. at night. Usually two of the naps are about an hour long and one nap is longer - closer to two hours.

Awake Time

Betsy still loves reading books and going for walks, and we try to do as much of those two activities as possible on the weekends. We got her an exersaucer this month, and she adores it. It is so nice that she can entertain herself in it while we're eating dinner or just tending to things in the kitchen.

This was day one in the exersaucer - she did not know quite what to make of it at first! Austin has enjoyed putting her in her doorway jumper a few times, too. I think the picture below was from her inaugural bounce session.

Highlights

The biggest highlight of month four that comes to my mind is how beautifully Betsy transitioned to going somewhere ever day while I'm at work. I was so anxious about how long it would take her to get used to this new phase of life, but she has taken right to it. I am so thankful to know that I'm leaving her in good hands every day and that this change has not changed Betsy's happy, smiley demeanor in any way.

Other highlights from this month include a trip to the Arboretum with Lindsay and Preston, lots of sweet laughs, and the ten days Annie spent with us when I started back to work.

We love you more and more each day, sweet girl!

Three Months of Betsy

2017-02-14T16:21:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I just love this holiday full of all things pink, lovely, and girly. Having a little three month old valentine just makes today even better. We had a great visit with Austin's parents this weekend, and we celebrated Betsy's three month birthday and Valentine's Day. Since they live in Austin, they drive through Waco on their way to Dallas. We were thrilled that they stopped at Magnolia on their way up and came bearing the yummiest cupcakes.

Today Betsy and I had a fun lunch date with Lindsay and Preston, and I'm looking forward to the steak Austin is going to grill me tonight.

Now on to the three month update! Another month with our girl has flown by, and after looking back at her two month update, so much has changed.

Stats

No stats this month as we don't go back to the doctor until Betsy is four months. I can tell she has gained weight though, and she has outgrown pretty much all of her 0-3 month outfits.

Eating

Betsy is still a great eater, and right around her three month birthday, she dropped a feeding and now eats five times a day most days. I hope she's ready to start taking a bottle more regularly in month four, because I'm heading back to work next week! I think we have her schedule worked out so that she'll only have to take a bottle twice while I'm at work.

Sleeping

Sleep continues to be an evolving area for Betsy, and lately she has been favoring short naps throughout the day with a long nap only every few days. We pushed her bedtime back to 8:00 in preparation for our schedule once I go back to work. Right now she's sleeping from 8:00 - 6:00 at night (it will be ideal if she can stretch that to 6:30) and taking three or four naps during the day. Her awake time between naps is usually an hour and a half or two hours.

We transitioned out of the swaddle and into the Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit. She transitioned pretty flawlessly and seems to like "the Merlin," as we call it. We've tried a few tummy naps, but she doesn't seem too crazy about that just yet.

Awake Time

This month I've gotten more comfortable with taking Betsy places, so we've ventured out a bit more recently. I've loved meeting friends and their babies for walks, and we've gone out to breakfast and lunch a few times. When we're home, books, walks in our neighborhood, and her play mat remain favorites. She sat in her Bumbo for the first time the other day and did pretty well in it for a few minutes. I'm excited for her to be able to sit for longer stretches in it though!

Betsy and I had a great morning walking with Brittany and Knox last week!

doing so well on our road trip to Annie and Pawpaw's house

Highlights of Month Three

Betsy and I spent a week in Livingston with my parents while Austin was out of town for work. While we were there, Mammo and Pop came for a visit and Betsy's first cousin was born!

meeting Porter!

We loved taking Betsy to church for the first time at the end of January. We only went for the Sunday School hour, but she did great! I'm thinking she might make her first trip to the nursery in month four.

Austin's grandmother, Baja, came up from Austin to meet Betsy at the beginning of February. These two sure do love each other.

four generations!

We also changed our plans for Betsy's childcare this month, and God amazed us by providing what we think will be a wonderful fit! I am thankful to be much more at peace about leaving her to return to work with this change.

Betsy LOVES to hold on to her colorful rings in the stroller, her bouncer, and her car seat (best $4 I ever spent on Amazon - thank you Brittany for the recommendation!). She tolerates tummy time so much better than she used to, and she rolled over (front to back) for the first time on February 6.

And last but not least, Betsy's smiles and laughs continue to be the very best part of every day. She has started getting a huge smile on her face when we go get her up from the night or from a nap, and oh my gosh, it just melts me! Here are several other of our favorite pictures from month three (for the grandparents and great-grandparents).

all dressed up for a fun lunch date at the cutest bakery with Katey and Caroline

wearing a sweet sweater that was Aunt MK's when she was little

And we'll end with my very favorite picture from this entire month, which also made an appearance in my last post - oh well!

Happy three months, sweet girl!

Five on Friday - Vol. 55

2017-02-10T07:24:00.001-06:00

After a long Five on Friday hiatus, I'm happy to be back to my favorite weekly link up today!

Betsy and I are headed out this morning for a walk with our buddies Lindsay and Preston, but with the chilly weather outside, I'm not so sure our "walk" won't turn into a breakfast date. Either way, we're looking forward to a morning outing and seeing some of our favorites. Here are five of my favorite moments from recent weeks.

1: We took Betsy to church for the first time on January 31, and it was so fun having her meet all of our Sunday School friends! Our church was having a special "Baby Day" for all the babies born in 2016, so Betsy got to meet lots of her future friends as well. She hasn't been to the nursery yet, but that's right around the corner, I'm sure. Of course a bonnet and a sweet baby cardigan trimmed in pink were totally necessary!

2: My sister gave me the Lindsay Letters coloring book ("Sweeter Than Honey") for Christmas, and it arrived a few weeks ago. This week I finally sat down during one of Betsy's naps and did a little coloring - so fun and relaxing! I can't wait to do more.

3: One of Austin's former co-workers and her husband stopped by the other night to meet Betsy, and they brought her the CUTEST monogrammed bath robe. I mean I just cannot deal with how adorable this is! As if I needed another reason to love bath time. And what a great gift idea (that I definitely plan to copy).

4: February is even sweeter with this little love bug in head to toe pink! Today's to do list includes ordering an 8x10 of this picture to frame for the house. And I'm thinking I need one for my office too...

And the cutest outtake from yesterday's little photo session--

5: Betsy's Annie gave her baby bed a sweet dose of LOVE last time she was here, and I'm loving the Valentine's flair it brings to her nursery.

xoxo
Happy Friday!

Betsy & Porter

2017-01-23T04:33:00.001-06:00

Baby Porter is here, and Betsy is almost as excited about having a cousin as I am about becoming an aunt! Melanie and Clark welcomed Porter on January 18, and Betsy and I got to go meet him last Friday.

Austin was in Kansas City for training for his new job the week that Porter was born, and Betsy and I went to stay with my parents while he was away. The timing worked out perfectly for us to go down to The Woodlands to meet Porter and see Mel and Clark in the hospital. Porter is just precious, and I can't wait to watch these two grow up together. Mom, Mel, and I are already planning their coordinating outfits for the Fourth of July!

Betsy wasn't quite sure what to make of her new cousin...

Baby Porter slept right through our visit. He has the softest skin and the most perfectly fuzzy hair!

Betsy at Two Months

2017-01-22T13:28:00.001-06:00

Two months with our girl have absolutely flown by, and she just gets more fun each day. This two month update is over a week late, as she turned two months on January 11, and she didn't get a one month update, but maybe by February I'll have it together enough to do a timely update!

Stats

At her two month appointment, Betsy weighed 11 pounds, 6 ounces (65%), she measured 23 inches long (74%), and her head circumference was 39 centimeters (57%).

Eating

Thankfully, breastfeeding has been going well for us so far in Betsy's short little life. She gave me a little anxiety recently when she started eating much faster, but after tracking her diapers for a few days and talking with our pediatrician, a lactation consultant, and my friend who is a nurse practitioner at Betsy's pediatrician's office, I am convinced she is just getting more efficient.

I'm forcing myself to pump at least once a day to try build up as much of a stockpile as possible before I go back to work. Pumping is kind of a drag, but this is just a short season! I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much about how long we'll be able to continue exclusively breastfeeding once I go back to work, but I want to try for as long as we can.

Right now, Betsy eats six or seven times a day. She eats about every three hours during the day, and once at night. I'm so glad to be done with the early days of waking her up to feed her!

Sleeping

I'm absolutely convinced we lucked out with a good sleeper. We certainly haven't done much in the way of sleep training or followed any magic formula (I tried to read Babywise and got major anxiety a few pages in). Betsy has recently put herself on a schedule of three naps a day and she pretty much sticks to the routine of being awake for about an hour and a half to two hours between naps. Normally she will go down around 7:00 p.m. after her bath, wake at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. to eat, and go back down until close to 7:00 a.m. During the day, her naps vary in length with the first morning nap being the shortest and one of her other two naps being a longer nap (two or three hours).

Right now, Betsy sleeps swaddled in her PBK Halo Sleep Sack (arms in). During the day when she gets sleepy, I swaddle her, give her the paci, we walk a few laps around the house and rock a little bit, and she goes to sleep with minimal fussing. She does NOT like the paci unless she is tired and will basically act as if I'm trying to poison her if I offer it to her when she is wide awake. She tolerates being rocked to sleep in the evening but really prefers being walked to sleep. She will occasionally take a nap in her Rock & Play, but most of her sleeping is in her baby bed in her room. She has slept well in her Pack & Play when we've taken her to my parents' house.

When she starts school, she will have to be able to nap with her arms out of the swaddle, so we need to start working on that transition. I ordered the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit today in hopes it will aid in this transition a little bit (and I'm told she can also wear it for naps at school, PTL).

Awake Time

When she is awake, I love to take her on walks and read books to her. She seems to really enjoy being outside. We also try to squeeze in tummy time sessions throughout the day during awake time, which she hates. Hoping she will grow to tolerate tummy time better in month three! She seems to enjoy sitting in her bouncer for short amounts of time, and she likes her play mat as well. I'm excited for the day she starts reaching up to grab the little hanging critters. She has kicked them a few times, but I'm pretty sure it was unintentional.

Betsy adores bath time and would watch us pour water out of her hot pink cup for hours. Even though I'm told babies don't need a bath every day, Betsy gets one every night because she likes it so much and because I really can't stand the thought of putting her to bed without one. She is so smiley and chatty after her bath these days. There's not much cuter than this little angel in a hooded towel.

Highlights of Month Two

Betsy started smiling around one month and has just recently started letting out a few laughs here and there. She is cooing more and more every day, and it is so stinking adorable! I could listen to it all day. Her smiles are THE BEST.

The child is a candidate for sunglasses if I've ever seen one. She does a full body contortion if we dare allow the sun to shine on her face for even one second. It is hilarious but makes walks on sunny days a bit of a challenge. Evening and cloudy day walks are most definitely her preference. A little bird told me that a pair of Babiators might be on their way to her, and I really hope she will tolerate them on her face!

Right now, Betsy loves it when Austin reads her Snuggle Puppy and Barnyard Dance. I think she also likes my reading of Goodnight Moon before bed. Peter Rabbit, various nursery rhyme books, and the Jesus Storybook Bible are also favorites (by favorites I mean she has tolerated us reading them to her so far). She also seems to like her little pink ladybug we named Lily - it was the first toy she grabbed on her own.

Betsy met more great grandparents this month when some of Austin's grandparents traveled to Dallas to meet her! We had a great visit with them in early January. Betsy is a very loved little girl with so many wonderful great grandparents.

The weather in Dallas has been crazy during Betsy's second month of life. She saw her first snow on January 6, but she has also enjoyed some 70 and 80 degree January days. She was not impressed by the snow (or the wind), but we had to document it!

The day after her great snow adventure, Betsy came with us to a baby shower for her soon-to-be BFF, Quinn. We loved celebrating the McDonalds and their baby girl on the way! Betsy did so good at the shower, and I think it was at least due in part to the adorable outfit she was sporting.

And just a few more of my favorite pictures from month two...

2016 Recap

2017-01-09T20:29:00.001-06:00

Despite falling off the blogging wagon somewhat in 2016, for the sake of preserving memories, I wanted to be sure to recap the year. Some of these highlights already appeared on the blog, and some (especially in the later part of the year) did not. Welcoming Betsy will make 2016 impossible to top, I'm sure of it. Here are some highlights from our best year yet...

JANUARY: We rang in the new year with some of our best Aggie pals in east Texas, went to two weddings, headed west to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo for a double date with the McDonalds, and I got to spend a fun weekend with three of my best Mississippi girlfriends.

FEBRUARY: We hosted a Super Bowl party for some church friends, I had a ball in Waco with my mom and sisters for our annual girls' weekend, and we celebrated my Pop's 80th birthday! We also found out we were pregnant in February - one of the best days of the year for sure.

MARCH: We hosted a dinner for a group of mentors and mentees in Christian Legal Society, I celebrated a birthday (and repeated one of my favorite J.Crew dresses), we road tripped to Jackson for the St. Patrick's Day parade and an engagement party for law school friends, and we hosted Austin's parents for Easter weekend.

APRIL: Austin helped with a men's conference at our church, I hosted a baby shower for my friend Lindsay, and Billy and Carly came to town to attend "Boil for the Brave" with us for the second year in a row.

MAY: On Mother's Day weekend we told our parents they were going to be grandparents, went to a fun Kentucky Derby party, and brunched for Melanie's birthday. Also in May we attended a marriage conference at our church with a fabulous speaker (Ted Cunningham), ate pancakes at the most darling pancake stand put on by Austin's friend's son to raise money for a mission trip, hosted some of Austin's co-workers for an afternoon of grilling and outdoor games, hosted my Mammo and Pop for a weekend in Dallas, and celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary with a fabulous Omni staycation!

JUNE: We found our our sweet baby was a GIRL and celebrated with our families and pink cupcakes. Later that month we had fun at a wedding in Fort Worth with lots of college friends.

JULY: As has become our tradition, we celebrated the 4th of July in Livingston and found out that weekend that Melanie and Clark were also expecting! Mom had some sweet burp cloths for Betsy waiting for us when we arrived. Later in the month we traveled to New Orleans for a wedding and a fun dinner with GJ and Rick then to Houston for another wedding. Austin went to Chicago on a guys' trip and took (and passed!) the CFP exam at the end of July.

AUGUST: We spent a Saturday morning at the Downtown Pregnancy Center as part of our church's 2016 Serve Day, took a few days off work to make some progress in Betsy's nursery, and went to Houston for a fun weekend that included a wedding and Melanie and Clark's gender reveal party.

SEPTEMBER: We were spoiled with two wonderful baby showers in September and received so many sweet gifts for our girl. We also celebrated Casey's 21st birthday with a fun night out at Bob's and made our one and only trip to College Station for the Aggies' home opener against UCLA. Oh, and we celebrated Austin's birthday, too!

OCTOBER: I attended several baby showers and a sip and see - such a baby boom going on among our friends - and the ladies at my office hosted a fabulous tea for me and another associate who were both expecting little girls in November. We (mostly) finished Betsy's nursery and packed our bags as Betsy's due date got closer and closer!

NOVEMBER: Betsy was born! The best day ever. We hosted part of Austin's family for Betsy's first Thanksgiving, and my mom spent several days with us in November as well. Austin was an usher in our friends' wedding when Betsy was one week old. Thankfully the wedding was in Dallas!

DECEMBER: Betsy took her first trip to Livingston, and I went to a beautiful baby shower for Melanie and baby Porter in The Woodlands. My mom and Austin's mom spent more time in Dallas with us and Betsy, and we made it to Austin's work Christmas party and mine as well. We celebrated Betsy's first Christmas, and Austin accepted a new job the very last week of the year! It was especially wonderful having so many friends bring us meals and visit us in December.

It truly was the best year. I am so thankful for the many blessings God gave us in 2016 and looking forward to seeing His plans unfold in 2017.

Sweet Baby Betsy is Here!

2017-01-04T07:47:00.000-06:00

We were completely overjoyed to welcome our sweet little Betsy on November 11. Our lives have been forever changed in the very best way, and we have had a wonderful holiday season adjusting to life as a family of three. I couldn't get too far into 2017 without blogging about the best part of our 2016.

Betsy was born on Friday, November 11, and all of our family was able to make it to Dallas to meet her very late that night. We had a great hospital experience but were so happy to come home on Sunday, November 13. Since then, we have fallen more in love with this little lump of sugar every day!

I'm hoping to do monthly updates on the blog but will probably have start those with her two month birthday next week. A few highlights from Betsy's first month of life: she celebrated her first Thanksgiving with Austin's side of the family in Dallas, she spent a lot of time gazing at our Christmas tree and was totally obsessed with it, we enjoyed several walks in our neighborhood thanks to mild "fall" temperatures in Dallas, and we were completely spoiled with lots of meals and visits from our church family. And now I'm going to post enough pictures to make up for my lack of blogging since September (!).

We loved working with Molly Coulter for Betsy's newborn photos just before Thanksgiving. My mom (Betsy's "Annie") made her bow swaddle, and we put her in one of my Feltman dresses for a few shots.

Betsy's nursery is by far the happiest room in our house and our favorite place to be these days. I'm so thankful that I love her room so much, because we spend so much time in there each day. We are thankful to our friend Tony and his dad for installing the shiplap in Betsy's nursery and to our Annie for the window treatments, mobile, "Betsy" banner, and dust ruffle. I couldn't be happier with how her room turned out, and I hope Betsy grows to love it as much as I do!

Betsy had her own baby Christmas tree in her nursery during the month of December, and I was so sad to take it down! Annie started a tradition of gifting Betsy a smocked ball ornament each year, and Austin's mom ("Mimi") crocheted her the cutest little bootie ornament. I also hung some of Betsy's precious smocked shoes on her tree since they were still too big for her in December.

And finally, here are some of my favorite pictures from our first few weeks with our girl...

Meeting Aunt Mel and Aunt MK at the hospital

So ready to head home from the hospital!

In front of the tree - Betsy's favorite spot

LOVING bath time

So happy to cheer for the Cowboys with Daddy!

Meeting Mammo and Pop

First fire of the season

Loving time with Grandma and Mammo at Annie's house

Hanging with Daddy while I was at Aunt Mel's baby shower.

After our first walk with Preston and Lindsay!

These two have lots of fun times ahead in the church nursery.

Swinging and watching the ducks at the park in our neighborhood.

A little overwhelmed by all the yummy food Annie made at Christmas!

One month photo shoot in another vintage Feltman dress.

Bundled up on a cold January day.

Thrilled to be sporting such a darling pair of corduroy overalls!

I have a 2016 recap post in the works and hope to finish it up during a nap time very soon. Thinking back on 2016, I'm a little sad that I basically let blogging fall by the wayside. Hoping to post with a little more regularity in 2017 as I love having our memories documented on the blog.

Dallas Baby Shower

2016-09-19T05:28:00.000-05:00

After our fun shower last weekend in Austin, some of my wonderful friends hosted a beautiful baby shower for me in Dallas on Saturday. Once again, I was overwhelmed with all the love our friends and family have for our growing family and so thankful for this time to celebrate! The hostesses went above and beyond with so many sweet touches, and I loved every little detail.

I am so thankful for these beautiful ladies and great friends for putting together such a perfect morning to celebrate Betsy!

It was so special to have Katey's grandmother's beautiful demitasse cups at the shower. These are the perfect size for a pregnant girl's cup of coffee!

Mom and Katey's mom have been friends since childhood, and Katey and I are only two weeks apart and grew up together, along with the other Katie below. It was such a special time to all get to celebrate together this weekend. Katey and Katie both have little girls already, and I'm so excited to be joining the club!

Lindsay and Emily were also so sweet to help host the shower, and having both welcomed little ones this spring and summer, I hope they are ready to answer all my infant-related questions!

Once again, our family traveled from all over Texas to be here for the shower, and I'm so glad they did! And once again, Betsy received so many beautiful gifts. I absolutely cannot wait to see her in all of her precious new outfits! This child is also doing quite well in the bag department after receiving several darling embroidered bags in all shapes and sizes. She'll be ready for some road trips in no time.

After the shower, we made some great progress in Betsy's room by getting the furniture placement figured out and hanging the window treatments Mom made. It was so fun to have my parents and sisters here for the weekend to help with Betsy's room (and to watch the Aggies beat Auburn). I am thrilled with how everything is coming together, and I can't wait to share some pictures of her room here on the blog after a few finishing touches!

Austin Baby Shower

2016-09-18T19:05:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, Austin and I were spoiled with a precious couples' shower in Austin to celebrate baby Betsy coming later this fall. Betsy received some beautiful gifts, and we absolutely loved the chance to celebrate her with our Austin friends and family!

The hostesses included so many sweet details like these rattle cupcakes, beautiful cookie favors, and a cute crate for all of Betsy's new books. I love that guests brought books instead of a card! Betsy's library is off to a great start.

The photo booth was also a huge hit! So thankful for our sweet sisters and my Mom who traveled to Austin to celebrate with us.

Although our temperatures in Texas are still quite summery, I couldn't help but embrace a more fallish hostess gift for this shower. And now I'm wishing I had scooped up another pumpkin spice tea for me!

We are so blessed with wonderful friends and family all over Texas and are so thankful for their encouragement and for our time celebrating together!

Baby Craft Gender Reveal

2016-08-30T06:03:00.000-05:00

My last post recapping our Fourth of July left out one tiny detail from that weekend... my sister Melanie and brother-in-law Clark announced over Fourth of July weekend that they are expecting in January 2017. I am so excited to be an aunt and for Betsy to have a cousin so close in age!

For the past few weeks, Melanie and Mom have been hard at work getting ready for baby Craft's gender reveal party, which was Sunday afternoon. The timing of the party worked out perfectly for us as we had a wedding to attend near Houston on Saturday and were only a short drive away from where Mel and Clark live in The Woodlands.

Our little group of Ol 'Ags wives got lots of stares and comments at the reception thanks to multiple babies on the way! We figured out that Betsy and her friends will all be at A&M together as the class of 2039 :) Before heading to the party at Mel and Clark's, Megan and Jon hosted us, the McDonalds, the Sheffields, and the Keels for a delicious brunch at their pretty house in Katy, which was the perfect start to our Sunday.

Once we made our way to The Woodlands, we pitched in with some last minute party prep and started the countdown to the big reveal! Melanie and Mom did a great job with all the food, and all of the decorations and little touches came together so perfectly.

The photo booth and props were a fun touch, too!

After what felt like waiting forever, it was finally time for Mel and Clark to pop their poppers and for everyone to find out whether Mel and Clark would be welcoming a baby boy or baby girl in January.... and as almost EVERYONE had predicted, baby Craft is a BOY!

Since finding out that they were expecting, no one has been able to picture this baby being anything other than a sweet baby boy, and this was the perfect way to confirm that we were all right. Austin and I are so excited to meet our nephew in January!!