Jessica's Joys

Mothers Day 2016

2016-05-08T15:58:00.001-07:00

My sweet babies.

I'm so thankful that I get to be your mommy. I'm thankful that I get to see both you experience everything for the first time. In thankful for every laugh, every smile, every time you look up at me with your bright eyes. I'm also thankful for the times when there are tears. Even though it breaks my heart to see you both cry, I know it means you are learning and growing. And I'm so thankful that I get to be your safe space when you are sad. I'm thankful that I am here to hold you and love on you and teach you.

The both of you have made me a mommy. It's the greatest most important job in the whole world. I cherish every single moment I spend with you.being your mommy has made me whole and complete. I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life. I'm so thankful to you both and your daddy for giving me the greatest job there is.

We had so much fun on my first Mother's Day to two precious babies.

March 28, 2016

2016-03-28T16:10:00.001-07:00

My sweet sweet girls. I love you both more than words can say.

Today aunt sis took hadley to the aquarium. She had so much fun! She saw a mermaid and was so excited to tell her that she wore her buzz light year shirt! 😂

She also told me that Santa wasn't at the aquarium. She said he was in the chimney at our new house!

Ella had to take a trip to the doctor this afternoon for a diaper rash that will not go away! She did so good and played during all of the waiting that takes place at the dr... It looks like we have a lot of nakey baby time ahead of us!

Then we met aunt sissy and Hadley at the park. Hadley played hide and seek and Ella loved being outside in the sun. It was such a warm pretty day today.

I'm so thankful for both of you beautiful smart girls. It's so fun to find the beauty in the everyday parts of life.

Doughnuts for Dads

2016-01-24T17:49:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday Hadley had doughnuts for dads at school.

Daddy got to take her to school, walk her in, have doughnuts and play in the classroom with her!

He said when y'all got there, you grabbed him by the hand and said, "I'll take you inside daddy". Soooo sweet!! I wish that I could have been there to play with y'all and see you so proud to show off the school that you love to your daddy!

He said you proudly walked him in until you got in the hall and looked at all the people and then up at him and said "hold you!" Y'all dropped your backpack off, picked up some doughnuts and OJ and went back to your classroom to play.

He said you are the doughnut in about three seconds and then starting showing off your favorite toys. A camera and dump truck topped the list.

You started taking photos of everyone and everything!

Your friends Wils and Elle came in with their daddy and you pulled up a chair next to them and sat while they are their doughnuts!

When it was time for daddy to leave, you started to get upset and wanted to him to sing hush little baby! So he sang it and then gave you to ms heather.

Daddy had so much fun and I was pretty jealous that I didn't get to go! I have to wait until May for Muffins for Moms!!

When I picked you up, ms Shannon said she gave you an m&m after daddy left and it made you feel better!

She also said that you went potty at school!! She gave you another m&m and celebrated you at circle time! I am sooo proud of you!!!!!

This Year

2016-01-24T17:37:00.001-08:00

Each new year brings new beginnings. A chance to reevaluate your life and see what things need to change and what things you need to keep on keepin on with. It is my hope for both of you that you will take the start of a new year to really think about your life. To think about where you have been and where you are going. It's so nice to take the time and think about you. Go to a coffee shop or your favorite corner with a journal and sit down with your thoughts. Make a list of your goals for the next year and what you are happy with from the previous year.

I also want you to remember that you don't have to wait for a new year to start over. If things aren't going the way you think they should go, start over right then. Give yourself the ability to see when you need a change and the courage to actually make that change. I will always be there to support both of you no matter what. Your dad and I want the absolute best for both of you. We will be your biggest cheerleaders. And we will always be there for you to discuss changes and future plans with. We want to talk to you about every single thing in your life and give you whatever information we can to better your life. Or be there with open arms waiting to listen.

A girl that I went to school with (Austin Boatwright) wrote the following words on her blog. She said everything so beautifully and so perfectly. It's something that I want both of you to read and take to heart.

Lean in

By: Austin Boatwright

January 4, 2016

What if 2016 is greater than any Adele love song? The kind of love song you want to listen to on repeat with the high hope that enough replays will earn you front row seats to her performance.

This year: Sing all the words. Start the kitchen dance party. Whatever you are hoping for in someone else-- get out there and figure out how to do it yourself. Define your own brave. Write out your plans. Set goals. Or write nothing at all. Just don’t hold back.

This year: Maybe you should download the dating app. Don’t take it too seriously but make yourself available to laugh and meet someone new. You might go on an awful one. You might meet someone who brings you silly balloon giraffes and keeps knocking on your door. You gotta risk it for the biscuit, right?

You can't really be sure how life is going to work. You can’t read the last page and then decide if it is worth the meat in the middle. You draw breaths in and out. You crawl away from the sheets too early in the morning. You send emails. You fall in love. You put gas in your car. You learn names. You do plenty of things you don’t want to do. You dance. You sometimes overstay your welcome and drink too much tequila. You eat tacos. Too much queso. You wonder if you can survive on chips and salsa alone for the rest of your life. You call home. You slam doors. You let people in.

Let him in-- let him fix your car and call you beautiful. Take the long way home. Say too much. Be sappy and too romantic. Resolve some things like a Hallmark movie and leave other things unresolved like every word of a Shakespearean sonnet. Forgive, forgive, forgive.

This year: Send the text. Say the prayers. Take off your shoes to actually feel the sand. Talk to the Uber driver. Eat all the tacos. Splurge on the shoes. Leave love letters on car windshields. Write the damn book. Find slivers of this earth that feel holy and safe to you. Do every little thing fear has tried to take from you.

Lean in. Declare freedom. Do it with a vengeance.

January 19, 2016

2016-01-19T16:15:00.001-08:00

Sweet Ella,

As I sit here holding you, rocking you, feeding you, I can't believe that you are mine. I can't believe that I have been blessed with another perfect gift. I love you with all of my heart and am so happy with the way that you fit into our little family. You make us whole. Thank you for that. Thank you for wrapping your tiny fingers around mine just before drifting off to sleep. It's the greatest feeling in the world. It's a feeling I never want to forget. I love you so much sweet Ella.

Tonight your big sister was giving you "zerberts" and it was the cutest thing I have ever seen. You were laughing uncontrollably and would look at Hadley with such love in your eyes. And then she would laugh. I think it was the first time that you both were laughing together. It was the sweetest sound. I'm so happy that I get to hear that sweet sound of my daughters laughing together forever.

I just want you to know how thankful I am for you and how much I love you. You are such an amazing gift to me, your daddy and your sweet sister Hadley. I love you and your sister so much. I always will. No matter what.

Love,

your mommy

Happy Three Months Ella!!

2015-11-08T17:39:00.001-08:00

October 23rd

Sweet Ella you are already THREE months old.

Aunt Sis and I were just talking about how we feel like you were born three DAYS ago! Time is going so fast and I am cherishing every moment with you sweet girl. Our poor family isn't getting to spend as much time with you as they did with Hadley because I just can't give you up!!! I know how fast time goes and I don't want to miss one second of it.

You are still sleeping in our bedroom (because once again I just can't part ways with you!!) in your rock and play. You are starting to look a little cramped so we are going to move you to your room as soon as we get a monitor.

You are waking up just once around 2 at night to nurse. Then I put you back in the RNP and you wake up again when your sister does around 7:30. I nurse you again and put you back to sleep until around 8:30 when I have to wake you up to take Hadley to school. This happens on MOnday Wednesday and Friday. On the rest of the days you get to sleep as long as you want! I hate waking you up

tho!!

You are in size 2 diapers and size 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes.

You are still nursing about every three hours and it's going great! It ranges anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes which can be a little hard to plan around sometimes but it has been working out ok so far.

This month you picked up a pretty bad cold from your sister. It was so pitiful to hear you cough. Daddy and I took you to the dr because I was worried that your cough lasted for too long. They said you just had a little cold. We did get to see that you were gaining weight really well. I can't quite remember the number but it was over 12 pounds.

You are still sleeping very often during the day but I see signs of a schedule forming.

Our goals for this month us to get you on a schedule and move you to your room. I have so enjoyed this precious newborn time. You sleeping right next to me is the sweetest gift and I love to look over and see you in the middle of the night.

One major milestone you reached this month is rolling from your tummy to your back! We can't even put you on your tummy anymore without you immediately rolling to your back!!

I love you sweet baby girl. You have truly brought so much joy to our lives and know you gave been such a blessing to others. I hope you remember that even when you were teeny tiny and not able to speak yet, that your smile and your presence truly blessed people. You already have such a gentle and loving heart. I can't wait to see what the future holds for you. I am so happy that I get to spend everyday right beside you teaching you about this crazy life. Your daddy and I love you more than you will ever know!

Hadley's First Day of School!

2015-10-15T03:02:00.001-07:00

September 2nd

Today was Hadley's very first day of school!

She is in the ones class with 11 other little ones and 3 wonderful teachers.

Charlie and I both were able to take her on her first day. I was so nervous for the days (weeks, months) leading up to it! I was worried about sending her to a school a couple mornings a week right after Ella was born would make her feel like we didn't want her around!! We had been talking about school

For a while, reading books about going to school and teaching her the teachers names. She was so excited to wear her backpack but had no idea what was coming.

We woke up and made her a yummy big breakfast, dressed her in her school clothes and said a little prayer for a wonderful first day (for all of us)!

When we first got there everyone was taking cute pictures on the steps... This was ours ☺️☺️

For the first couple of weeks, the parents are supposed to walk them into the school and stand at a gate in front of the classroom. The teacher comes over says hello to them and takes them from the parent and we are supposed to leave quickly and not linger. They called it the bandaid effect. I had Ella in the sling so Charlie carried her in. I gave her a hug and a kiss as we were walking up to the school. I was sooo nervous!!

We got to the classroom and mrs Mel saw Hadley and came to the gate. She was so so so sweet to Hadley as Charlie handed her over. We said we loved her and she turned and looked at is and started crying! We had to turn away and keep walking. It was sooo sad!! We got to the end of the hall and Charlie turned around and went back to look through a little window and look at her! He came back and said she was sitting in mrs Mel's lap and not crying!!! Yay!!!!

Charlie and I headed to chick fil a and then home. I did not shed one tear, but I felt like it!!! We watched tv and counted down the hours until we could pick her up!! Charlie ended up having to go to work so I went alone to pick her up.

To pick up, i went in the school and her teacher brought her out to me. Hadley was so so so tired but didn't cry and was happy to see me and Ella. The teacher said she did really well and was just sleepy.

She sent us the pictures above and I LOVED seeing her happy (kinda??) at her new school. The rest of the day she talked about her teacher. I love her school so much and I hope she loves it just as much as I do!!!! She did tell me multiple times, "Haddie cried at school". I hope she will be ok with going back in a few days!!!

Ella is 2 months Old!!!

2015-10-07T13:02:00.001-07:00

September 23, 2015

Happy Two Months Sweet Ella!

You are still literally the happiest most calm baby. It's pretty crazy. You hardly ever cry and we have only had a handful of sleepless nights. So far you have been pretty easy which is such a blessing withHadley in her "trying twos". :)

You are in size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes. There are some newborn clothes that still fit but you are a little long so there is room in width but your running out of space in length!!

Your sleeping is going awesome. We start bedtime at about 9. We change you into a onesie, make sure your monitor is on, swaddle you and then I'll feed you until you fall asleep. Then I will transfer you to the Rock and play and sometimes you wake up but fall back asleep pretty easily.

You sleep for about 5-6 hours and wake up again around 3ish to nurse. Then you are right back asleep until around 7 when your sister wakes up.

You don't have scheduled nap times yet and pretty much sleep anytime, anywhere! After you are 3 months I'm going to try and start you on a more strict schedule and possibly transition you to your room.

You love riding in the car and have only had one little freak out but we figured out that it was because the air was blowing directly on you and you don't like to be cold!!

At your two month checkup you weighed 12 pounds 1 ounce and in the 70th percentile. You are 23.5 inches long and in the 90th percentile for height.

You are nursing every three hours during the day and since the thrush cleared up, it has been going great. Which is such a relief!! You nurse anywhere from 10-30 minutes.

We are so in love with you and you have brought us so so so much joy. We are so blessed to have such a sweet calm happy little baby girl!!!

Happy Second Birthday Hadley!!

2015-08-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

August 30, 2015

Today, you turned TWO!!!!!!!!!!

We had such a fun day starting with singing you happy Birthday in your crib! You were sooo excited and had the biggest smile on your face.

Then we decided to have Waffle Time on the beach!! It was so pretty and so fun to be at the beach in the morning for breakfast. You loved seeing the waves and putting your feet in. You normally run straight for the waves but today you had fun being the sand and walking with daddy.

Daddy took you to see a fisherman and you loved seeing him with all of his gear! You also got to see a "really big boat"! So you loved that too!

We left the beach when it started to rain a little and headed for the park. As soon as we arrived it stopped raining and we got to play. You went down a "really big slide" and loved it! You also really enjoyed watching the trucks go by and picking up "really big pinecones"!

We then headed to Grammy and Dats so they could give you your birthday presents. You got some cute clothes, bitty baby accessories and and adorable pink kitchen playset that was fully loaded with play food! You LOVED it!!!

It was then time for lunch!! We went to your fav, Pine Lakes! You had so much fun as the birthday girl and all eyes were on you! We even brought another cake so we could sing happy birthday and celebrate!

After nap we headed to nana and buddy's for a yummy dinner and MORE presents!! They surprised you with a whole room in their house that is just for you and Ella when she gets older!

It has a grocery store, double doll stroller, basketball goal and even a princess four wheeler that you call your motorcycle!! ☺️

We had so much fun playing in your new room! After dinner we had ANOTHER cake that had Spider-Man, memo and Cookie Monster on it!! It was AWESOME and you loved it.

We came home and rocked you extra long on the night of your second birthday. We had a fun filled busy long day and it was son nice to rock, read and pray with you. You and your sister are the greatest gifts God could give your daddy and u. We are so blessed to have you in our life and you make us better people. We had so much fun with you today and are so. So proud of you and ALWAYS will be no matter what.

Some quick stats about you on your second birthday!!

You weigh 26 pounds (45%)

You are 34 inches tall (70%)

You are in size 4 diapers with a little bit of interest in using the potty.

You wear size 18-24 month clothes and 2T.

You can say a million different words and are starting you form pretty long sentences.

You say, "Hold you", "Rock you", "help you" when you want any of those things. It's pretty much my fav thing!

You sleep from 7-7 and take a 2 hour nap from 12-2.

We are so in love with you! Happy happy birthday sweet girl!

Hadley's Second Birthday Party

2015-08-30T11:54:00.001-07:00

August 29, 2015

The day before Hadley turned 2 we had a "Bubbles and Brunch" birthday party at Grammys house. It was sooo much fun and a day I will always smile thinking about.

We started off the party with breakfast foods and of course doughnuts! Hadley is OBSESSED with doughnuts so i knew they had to make an appearance at her 2nd bday. I had a doughnut cake made from charleston and Hadley got a little doughnut tower of her very own. I think it was a hit!

Ella and Hadley had matching "bubble" dresses that were so cute. When Hadley saw Ella all dressed up she looked at her and said "Ella pretty!!!"! She is the cutest! Then when Hadley put on her matching dress she was patting it saying "Ella" and smiling so big. I love the way Hadley's loves Ella!

After some yummy doughnut time, we had a quick wardrobe change to the cutest shirt aunt Liney got and headed out to the bubbles!!!

There was a bubble refill station, a bubble wrap dance party, a giant bubble pool, a "bubble" ball pit, a water table with bubble bath inside, and her teepee complete with Spider-Man, a shark, and choo choo train!! All of the kids had so much fun and the adults had fun watching!!

Our families, Lillian, Decklan and Davis, Wils and Elle, Caroline Page, and Caroline all came with their families and had so much fun. I loved seeing Hadley play with all of the other kids and it actually made feel a lot more excited about school starting this week.

One of the funniest moments of he party was when Charlie was putting Hadley inside a bubble and she plopped down and started trying to swim in the little pool of bubble mixture! It was sooooo funny. She stood up, was soaking wet and took off running to the next fun thing to play with. Eventually we had to empty the bubble pool and fill it with regular water so Hadley could play!

Wils and Elle took over the bubble wrap dance floor and did some pretty amazing dancing and singing to frozen songs! It was the cutest thing to watch!! The ball pit was also a huge hit and they all loved belly flopping in!!

Hadley played and played soooo hard and had the best day. My heart grew a little bit when everyone was singing her Happy Birthday and she had the biggest smile on her face. She even (almost) blew out the birthday candles on her own. It was such a fun day and I wish we could do it all over again and have so much fun!

The Night Before Your Second Birthday

2015-08-30T11:27:00.001-07:00

Sweet Hadley,

Tomorrow you will turn TWO. Daddy and I can't believe you have been with us for two whole years! (I'm sure we will say this every birthday no matter how old you are!). These past two years have been, without a doubt, the best years of our lives. You have brought so much joy to us and to our whole family.

This time last year we were so nervous but so so excited for your arrival. We knew you would be coming soon so we were doing our best to prepare! We had no idea how our lives were about to change.

In just this past year alone you have blossomed into a smart, loving, kind, generous little girl. You have the best personality and we love seeing you change each day. We never know what you will say or do next but we knew it will bring a smile to our faces.

You have taught us how to be parents and that's one of the greatest lessons we have ever learned. Seeing you with your little sister makes us both feel whole and complete. You are so sweet to her and we can tell that she already loves you just as much as you love her.

You are the cutest little girl with hazel eyes and the sweetest light brown curls. You are so smart and can somehow count to TEN! But more importantly than those things, you have a gentle spirit and a kind, loving, and giving heart. The lord has blessed us so much with you and will continue to bless us as you grow. It is my prayer, in your second year, that you will understand that Jesus loves you so much. That mommy and daddy will always be there for you no matter what, but when we aren't physically with you, know that Jesus is always with you. I pray that you will put all of your trust, worries and fears in him. I pray that you will learn to thank Him for this wonderful life he has given all of us. I pray that you will continue to have that gentle spirit and loving heart.

Hadley, you are one of our greatest accomplishments and we are so beyond thankful for you. We love you with everything that we have and are looking so forward to watching you grow.

We love you sweet girl,

Mommy and Daddy

Ella is One Month Old!

2015-08-23T11:49:00.001-07:00

Happy One Month Sweet Ella!!

I can't believe you are already a month old. Time had flown by. You are the sweetest baby. You have brought so much joy to our lives and have blessed us so much.

You weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces at our two week dr appointment and I tried weighing you myself and you were about 10 pounds at 4 weeks. You are in the 95th percentile for your height which is way different from your big sister!

We just switched to size 1 diapers and are still in newborn clothes!

You are sleeping GREAT!! We have only had maybe 2 super bad nights. The rest you have woken up about twice, nursed and gone right back to sleep. Last night you only woke up ONCE!! It was awesome. When you first came home from the hospital, you slept with us in the bed and was so nice. I loved that time with you and it is something I will always hold close to my heart.

Now we swaddle you and you sleep in the Rock and play, which you love. I never had one with Hadley but I wish I had!! The white noise and rocking help you sleep so well and I think we may need to get a noise machine once you move to your room!!

We are having a little trouble nursing. I think you are getting plenty but your latch is a little off. Hopefully we will be getting help this week with it. Your daddy and sister have fed you a couple bottles which Hadley LOVED! She calls it your water bottle and was so in to giving it to you. It was so sweet.

Hadley is so sweet to you and loves holding you. Every night she kisses you goodnight and each morning you are the first thing she asks for. After Hadley goes to Grammys or nanas, she comes running back in the house saying "See Ella!!!!!!!" But she pronounces your name like "Ayyah"!!! She loves for mommy and daddy to hold you and is so protective of you. If someone else picks you up she immediately screams "Mommy hold her!!" . She loves to gives you kisses and huggies.

She loves to help give you baths and we even got brave and gave you both a bath together!!

It is so sweet to see you both together and I can't wait to see your relationship grow.

We love you more than words can express and are so happy you are in our lives. You are the perfect addition to our family and I can't wait to see you grow in this next month!

Welcome Baby Ella!

2015-08-02T14:17:00.001-07:00

On July 23rd, 2015, at 7:20 in the morning, Elizabeth Ann was born!! She weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 20 inches long.

It was one of the scariest and most amazing moments of my life. I had to have a repeat c section so it was scary thinking about the surgery for so long and wondering what it was going to be like awake since I was put to sleep when Hadley was born. The dr and Charlie kept reassuring me that it was going to be a much better experience and everything would go smoothly. They were so right. It was so amazing being able to hear Ella's first cry and hold her immediately after she was born. She was perfect and I immediately fell so in love with her.

After she was delivered we went to the recovery room where Charlie, Ella and i could all be together. It was perfect. She was healthy and I couldn't have been happier. I got to be there for her first bath and she never left my side.

All of the family got to come in and we were able to introduce Ella to them. When Hadley was born, everyone saw her before I was able to so it was such an awesome moment for me to be able to introduce her to the family.

The next day, Hadley came to meet her new little sister. It was so sweet and she was so good to her. She pointed out Ella's eyes, nose and mouth and was so excited. Ella have Hadley a special baby doll and book and Hadley gave Ella a baby blanket that is just like her special blanket. I loved them giving each other gifts. I was kind of weirded out about Hadley being in the hospital so she didn't stay long and went back to having fun playing with her Grammy.

We stayed in the hospital for two nights and we were all soooo ready to go home! When Hadley was born, we could have stayed there forever but this time we were ready to be in our own beds and start our life as a family of FOUR.

Ella's birth taught me that it doesn't matter how the baby comes into the world as long as they are healthy. Having a healthy baby outweighs everything else. Hadleys birth left me a little traumatized and it was something I would think about and get so upset. Ella's birth completely changed that for me. I am so at peace now with both births and I realized that people put so much pressure on how a baby is born that they may loose sight of the most important thing of the baby being healthy.

Ella is the perfect addition to our family and I can't imagine life without her. She came into this crazy world and immediately our hearts grew with so much love for her. It's crazy that I can love 3 people sooo much at the same time.

Fall Festival

2014-10-05T15:59:00.001-07:00

Today was a big day for you little girl!!

You went to the nursery at church for the very first time and went to a fall festival!

To start our big day off, daddy made us a yummy breakfast of eggs and bacon!

It was soo good and you LOVED the eggs!!

We were hoping you would get a good long nap before church but you always have a way of surprising us!!!! Your nap was pretty much nonexistent this morning despite our best attempts!!

We headed off to church a little early and saw Grandbuddy before taking you to the nursery. You didn't want to leave him at all!

I was so nervous to leave you in the nursery because it's a new environment for you and I didn't know how you would adjust. We kissed you and left without you knowing.

I sat in church clinching tightly to the pager so I wouldn't miss it's vibrating in case you needed us!!

After church we all headed to pick you up and you did pretty good. I could tell there were some tears and you were sooo tired. I think you gave your teachers a run for their money!! But it will get better each week and you will make some amazing friends!

After church we went to lunch with nana and buddy and had some more eggs!!

Then we headed to the fall festival at brookgreen gardens. We built a scarecrow and walked around the zoo. It was a lot of fun to be with all of our famy and celebrate your dad's favorite season!!!!

We had a great day with you today and we look so forward to many more!!

(I haven't been updating as much as usual because you decide you like to sit up to fall asleep while I'm holding you and it's kind of hard to type on my phone without distracting you!!)

Walking Girl!!!

2014-09-12T16:09:00.001-07:00

When we were at the lake a few weeks ago for my birthday, you took your first steps! You took about three steps in the basement and we FREAKED OUT!

Then took a couple more steps upstairs and we continued to FREAK OUT!

But you hadn't really taken anymore steps since then.

Until today...

You just up and decided today was the day to WALK!

We were cleaning up in your room and without be prompted, you just started walking over to the chair! While holding a hanger with a dress on it.

We went over to nanas house and you continued to take some steps. Then this afternoon instead of crawling to get something you just stood up and walked to it!!!

I can't believe how fast you are growing!

Well, I guess we have to start wearing shoes now!

The night before your First Birthday.

2014-08-29T16:36:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow morning I will wake up and be a mommy to the sweetest little one year old.

I have no idea how that happened. I still think of you (and call you) my tiny little newborn baby.

On this day last year, at around 3 o'clock, I found out that you would be making your grand entrance tomorrow, August 30th. I was experiencing high blood pressure and the doctor told us to be at the hospital at 4:30 am to be induced.

I was excited, nervous, scared, panicky, and in complete shock! I thought I still had 15 or so days to prepare for your arrival. We left the doctors appointment and couldn't believe that we would be meeting you the very next day. On Labor Day weekend. Your daddy couldn't get over the fact that we had to be there at 4:30! I couldn't get over the fact that I would be delivering a baby the next day!!

We called all of our family. They all couldn't believe it and were so excited. Your Aunt Sis freaked out. She was in Charleston and immediately came home!

We set up your bassinet, made sure everything was in our hospital bag, and tried to stay calm and focus on how happy we were to finally meet you.

We barely slept at all that night. I slept for a little bit but I don't think your daddy got any sleep. The next morning, we had a light breakfast and headed off to the hospital.

It's amazing how fast our lives changed that day. So many things happened before we finally got to meet you. But seeing you and holding you (no matter how brief) made all of the craziness of the day melt away.

You have changed my life in more ways than I thought possible. You have made me the happiest and luckiest person in the world. Your daddy loves you with his whole heart and is always trying to make our lives the best it can be. You have changed us. Forever. You have made us parents. And that is our greatest and most important job.

You have grown from this tiny, sleepy baby to a sweet little girl who loves to explore, climb and cuddle. You have learned so many things in this last year it's hard to comprehend what all you will learn in the next.

This past year has been the hardest, most rewarding, sleepless, greatest year of my life. This year has taught me patience, understanding, compassion, and so much more. I have learned so much about friendships and relationships. Your daddy and I have grown in our relationship in this past year. We have learned how to forgive each other better and love on a deeper level. This is all because of you. You have already changed so many people lives in your short little 12 months with us.

As I'm rocking you to sleep on the night before your first birthday, I can't help but think of how I felt holding you when you were so tiny. I loved you so much then, more than I thought I could love anyone. But as I hold you now, I love you so much more and my heart is so full it could literally burst. I know as you start talking more and showing your sweet little personality, my heart will continue to grow and I will continue to love you more and more. It's so amazing what our hearts are capable of.

I hope you have the sweetest of dreams tonight as you sleep. And even though you pretty much sleep through the night now, I won't mind it if you wake up so I can come rock my tiny little newborn again before you wake up in the morning and turn One.

I love you my sweet baby and look forward to what this next year holds for our little family.

11 Months Old!!

2014-08-15T07:41:00.001-07:00

On July 30th, you turned 11 months old!!

I cannot believe we are closing in on the one year mark. You have grown into the most beautiful, sweetest little baby. It's crazy to look back at this year and think how much has changed!

This month we spent Fourth of July at the Lakehouse and had so much fun with all of our family. They couldn't believe how big you were and they all love you so much.

You have learned how to stand all by yourself this month! You don't do it often or for long, but when you do, mommy claps like crazy and gets soo excited. It probably scares you and makes you want to sit back down!!

You love to show off all your tricks. You will through your arms up in the air, "roll em up", give kisses and wave like crazy!

It's soo cute! You love everyone and don't really know a stranger (as long as you are in mommy or daddy's arms!). You wave at EVERYONE everywhere we go!!

We have also been taking you to the beach and pool often. You love the sand and playing in the tide pools. We are so lucky to get to live right by the beach where we can visit whenever we want!

You weigh 19 pounds and are 27 inches long. You are still in size 3 diapers and where any where from 9-12 month clothes.

You are still breastfeeding about 4 times (sometimes more) a day. I don't really plan on stopping until you are ready to wean. But will cut back on the feedings at one year.

You are eating three solid food meals a day and LOVE grapes, speggheti squash and turkey breast! You also love your water!

You are sleeping pretty consistently through the night. Recently you have decided that 5:45 is the time to wake up for the day......... I'm not sure how I feel about that!!

You have 4 teeth and they are soooo cute!! But we have to be very careful when we go to retrieve something you have eaten that you weren't supposed to!

This month has been so much fun and I love every single second of being your mommy. You are my greatest gift and my greatest adventure. I look so forward to all of the fun summers we will have on the beach, at the pool and at the lake. Your daddy and I are so thankful God chose us to be your parents because you have made our lives pretty amazing. We love you with our whole hearts and can't wait to see what this month has in store. (But maybe time can slow down just a little bit??? I'm not ready for you to be 1! You are my tiny newborn baby still!!)

Ohh, and you also gave me my first black eye by flinging your Paci!

Aunt Sis Day and a Dedication!

2014-07-26T09:46:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we celebrated a day called Aunt Sis Day! It's like mothers day or fathers day but for Aunt Sis. She does so much to help with you that we thought she deserved her own day!

We woke and up and picked up a few presents for aunt sis and then she met us at home to rock you for your nap. She fed you a bottle and after some serous laughter you were out!

When you woke up we went to the park and then to Nana and Grandbuddys house.

We had your aunt sis' favorite meal of turkey and Mac and cheese. You had never tried turkey before and you LOVED it! You could not get enough and I was not feeding it to you fast enough either!

We even had an Aunt Sis Day cake!

It was such a fun day celebrating her and everything she does for you. I have no idea what I would do without her.

On Sunday we had a church dedication for you. We already your big one at home but we still wanted to be a part of the church one.

You were up on stage with a set of twin boys who were soo cute!

He dedicated you first and you did not like him touching you! You squirmed like crazy! You were talking up a storm and waving and laughing at aunt sis in the congregation. Your daddy and I just kept laughing at each other! At one point I even had to put you on the ground because you wanted to explore. Then....the pastor almost stepped on you. I swooped in and saved you! It was so funny but I was so glad to be off that stage!!!

I really enjoyed the way they did the baby dedication. We had to come up with 3-5 words that describe how we want you to be when you grow up. Our words were:

Considerate

Hard Working

Compassionate

Giving

We also had to choose two special people to pray over you and we chose your Nana and Grammy.

After the dedication we went to the nursery with you since it was your first time in there. You had fun playing with everyone and did really good! (I'm still a tad worried about the whole germ thing....but I need to get over that!!)

We went to Pine Lakes for lunch and you did great! You were the perfect angel at lunch and it was such a great way to end a fun weekend celebrating you. We love you with all of our hearts and can't wait to watch you grow in Gods love and see the amazing girl you will turn out to be.

TEN Months!!

2014-07-11T16:30:00.001-07:00

Happy TEN MONTHS Hadley Marie!!

On June 30th, you turned 10 months old! I cannot believe how big you are getting and how fast this precious time is going. When you are in the seasons of sleepless nights and then keeping a constant eye on what you are getting into, it feels like time is going soo slow. But looking back on these past 10 months, it has gone by in the blink of an eye.

This month we went swimming, to the beach and mommy and daddy went to charleston to celebrate our 4 year anniversary.

You love the water once you warm up to it, but bathtime isn't your favorite time of day! We are still working on it though!!

Your schedule has changed slightly and it's only changed because YOU changed it!!

You wake up at around 6:30 now and nurse. Then we have some play time and have breakfast at about 8:00.

For breakfast you normally have something fruity puréed, followed by whatever fruit I have on hand to eat with your fingers.

Naptime starts at about 8:30 (or around two hours after you woke up). On a good napping day, it last for about an hour and a half.

When you wake up we have playtime or run errands and you nurse at 11.

Lunch is around 12-12:30. You eat something orange or green! Whatever color you don't have at lunch you have for dinner. I also have been mixing a multi-vitamin and probiotic with your puréed lunch. You are a master sippy cup with straw drinker and love water!

We follow lunch up with puffs or another little finger food snack.

Your second nap is about 3 hours after you woke up from your first nap and it lasts about an hour and a half as well. I have picked up the habit of nursing you before nap time.

The afternoon is when we normally go out and do something fun. Like go for a walk, go to the park, pool, or go visit the grandparents! You nurse again at 3.

Between 5:30 and 6 is dinner time. It's normally little lighter than lunch. We do whatever color veggie and fruit you didn't have for lunch and maybe a couple grapes or something with your sippy.

Bathtime is around 6:30. You don't really enjoy the bath!! We got a giant inflatable rubber ducky bathtub to transition out of the 4moms tub. You didn't really enjoy it. But it's great for travelling.

So we then tried out a bath seat and you like that a lot more! Now, this seat isn't sold in the US so I had to order it on amazon from some crazy country but I literally watch you like a hawk and even hold you in it sometimes. I never leave your side or really let go of you so it works for us!

I nurse you to sleep after your bath and you are normally asleep by 7!

You are still in size 3 diapers and wear 6-12 month clothes. The 12 month clothes are still a little big on you! You weighed 18 pounds and 10 ounces (I think) at your last doctors appointment and are in 50th percentile for weight and height and 70th for head circumference!

You pull up on everything and try to climb up and down whatever you can! You have taken steps while holding our hand and have stood by yourself for a second!!

You love to eat and tried chicken and noodle this month!! You love them! But your favorite food is puffs...of any flavor! We have to hide them from you at mealtime or you will freak out until you have them!!

You can say "Ma Ma", "Da Da", "Na Na" really well! You try to say "Doggie" and "Banana" when you see Sadie or a banana!

This phase of your life has been so much fun. You are learning something new everyday and playing so well by yourself and with others. It's so much fun to watch you grow. We love you so much and are so so proud of you.

First Fourth of July!

2014-07-10T14:26:00.001-07:00

Every year we spend Fourth of July with all of our family at the Lakehouse!

It's a day we look forward to all year and it especially exciting now that you are here to join in on the fun!! This was your First Fourth of July and your last "first holiday"! Which is kind of crazy to think about!

Me and you came up on Monday and spent the whole week. But your dad couldn't come until Wednesday. We had such a fun and relaxing week preparing for our exciting Fourth of July celebration.

You went on your first boat ride!! I think you really enjoyed it! Except for the life jacket... You didn't think that was very fun.

You also got in the lake for the first time. Daddy walked you in at the stairs and you splashed away!

Everyone arrived Thursday night and Friday morning. It's always so fun waiting for everyone to get here and getting so excited looking forward to the fun we are going to have. There were about 23 people here!

We jumped straight in the water as soon as we could!! You played with us for a little bit, but then a much needed naptime came and you went to bed.

We played, rode the jet ski, jumped in the lake and just had fun with all of the cousins.

You took a really good nap and played with everyone when you woke up. They all loved seeing you and couldn't believe how much you had grown and how many things you have learned!

Later in the afternoon we had our LEOJAG games. They are like the family Olympics! Your dad, justin and Ryan came up with the name and it means "Lakefront Explosion of Justice and Glory". (Yes, they are crazy... But you already know that!!)

Each year we draw names to see who our partner will be and I drew Aunt Sis! We had so much fun and dispite my lack of athletic ability, we tied for second!!!

Your daddy and Bubba won!!

After the games, everyone got ready while I fed you and put you to bed.

Then I joined them for hamburgers and hot dogs! It was YUM!

This is always a fun time because we sit with all of the cousins and talk and laugh. I love the dinner on the fourth!

After dinner we played around in the yard and then got ready for fireworks!!

Nana sat inside and kept an eye on your monitor because I was so worried you were going to wake up! And not just that you would wake up, but that you would be scared by the explosions that were happening outside!!!

The cousins sat on the roof of the boat dock and watched them. They were soo pretty. I kept looking behind me to check and see if you had woken up and nana had brought you outside!!

After they were over we all raced back up to the house because Grandbuddy, daddy and Ryan were shooting off their fireworks. I had already been warned that they got "the mother load" of fireworks and that they were extremely loud!!

So when I got up to the house and found out that you had slept right through the lake fireworks, I was happy but knew there was a slim chance you would sleep through these.

I was right, after the first extremely loud explosion you were up and crying!

So I went upstairs and got you out of the crib and we sat in the window and watched them set of the fireworks.

You LOVED them!!! They would bang super loud and you would get a scared look on your face but then smile soo huge when they burst with color.

It was one of my favorite moments of the weekend and something I will always remember.

I had so much fun holding you and watching them! I did get a little worried a couple of times when your daddy lingered a little too long while lighting them though!!

After I got you back to sleep we all hung out down stairs and showered and got ready for bed.

While we were down there, Daniel was telling stories about grandbuddy's grandma and it was so fun listening to them all.

You slept through the night and woke up bright and early ready to play the next day! Daddy had to leave at 7am to go back to work and we missed him soo much.

I think we may have woken the whole house up because we opened the bedroom door and saw everyone moving around. Aunt Thelma came up and gave you a big kiss and said how much she loved mornings with little babies!

We spent the rest of the day playing outside and with you.

Everyone left on Saturday except for Dana, jay, Justin and Ryan. We had fun spending time with them and of course playing Mario kart and Mario party!!

It was such a fun week spending time with all of our family. It's so hard to believe that the next time we see all of them, it will be your first Birthday! That's literally crazy.

I love you sweet baby and thank you for making all of the holidays so much more fun now that you are here!!!!

A Mothers Prayer

2014-07-10T14:14:00.001-07:00

Before you close your eyes to sleep

I have a promise still to keep

As I hold you in my arms

I pray your little frame grows strong
And faith take hold while you are young
This is my prayer for you

Hold my hand, I'll teach you the way to go
Through the joys, through the tears
The journey of these years
May you trust Him till the end
May you trust Him in the end

This world is not as it should be
But the Savior opens eyes to see
All that's beautiful and true
Oh may His light fill all you are
And the jewel of wisdom crown your heart
This is my prayer for you

Hold my hand, I'll teach you the way to go
Through the joys, through the tears
The journey of these years
He is with us till the end
He is faithful till the end

You'll travel where my arms won't reach
As the road will rise and lead your feet
On a journey of your own
May my mistakes not hinder you
But His grace remain and guide you through
This is my prayer for you

Take His hand and go where He calls you to
And whatever comes, seek Him
With all your heart
This will be my prayer for you

Father hear my ceaseless prayer
Oh keep them in your care

-Kristyn and Keith Getty

Lesson Learned! (For now..)

2014-06-24T18:43:00.001-07:00

Today you had a play date with sweet Wils!

It was soo cute to see you two together and I can't wait to watch y'all grow up together. As soon as we walked in Wils got the biggest smile on his face and was just so excited to see you. It was literally the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Y'all played for a little bit and then we had lunch! Tippins asked if you would like cheese toast and I stepped out of my comfort zone, as far as food goes for you, and said yes! You LOVED it!

I'm so glad she suggested it and showed me that I don't have to go by the book for every little thing.

Y'all had such a cute little lunch date!

We played a little more after lunch and then they had to go pick up Elle from camp. You fell asleep as soon as I put you in the car seat! You were wiped out from your play date!

Before the play date I was getting pretty nervous about driving all the way to her house with you and just thinking about everything that could go wrong. I'm not quite used to taking you out by myself yet and I need to be more confident in both of us.

I want to tell you thank you yet again for proving me 100 percent wrong. You were a perfect angel the whole car ride there. While we were at Tippins house you played so nicely and were so sweet to Wils and you eat on the way home. I could not have asked for a better situation.

Something that you will learn about me, is that I worry A LOT! I worry about what other people are saying or what think of me, I worry about going to play dates and driving long distances (15 minutes....) with precious cargo. I worry about doing things alone and not being able to handle certain situations should they present themselves.

You taught me today to just relax, breathe, and have trust and confidence in both of us. You are such a sweet baby and I should have had more trust in you that it would all go ok.

I really, truly hope that you have your daddy's confidence. I hope that you learn from him how to be prepared, calm and ready to handle any situation. But to also be sensitive to others, like me, who may be nervous about something so simple and easy. I'm so thankful for his gentle hand in guiding me when I can be a little bit crazy! The two of you together are going to be an amazing combination on how y'all impact my life!

Thank you for already teaching me so much about myself at just 9 months. You really have changed my life for the better in more ways than you can ever imagine.

Anniversary Trip

2014-06-14T20:43:00.001-07:00

On June 12th your dad and I celebrated our 4th Wedding Anniversary!

Luckily, he had off work the 12th and 13th so we packed up and headed to Charleston to celebrate.

You stayed with Grammy and Grandad and y'all had sooo much fun. I received so many pictures of you so that made me super happy and it made me feel more comfortable leaving you. I was sad to leave for a few days and be out of the same town as you but we had so much fun and you they had fun spending time with you!

We left the morning of our anniversary. Your Grammy came and picked you up before your first nap and after we took a quick nap too, we were off!

When we arrived we went to Closed for Business for lunch. We went here once in college and have always wanted to go

back! It was yummmm!

After lunch we walked down king street and shopped some. It's so fun visiting especially with your dad because we share so many funny stories from college.

We stopped in the apple store and I was surprised to learn that I could upgrade my phone! I was so excited because my old phone had been through it and I was more than ready for an upgrade!

After getting my brand new, pretty, gold iphone, we walked back through campus and went back to the apartment to get ready for dinner!

You will quickly see that this whole trip revolves around eating....

When we were in college we would go to Magnolias to celebrate our dating anniversary (May 22nd) so we followed with that tradition and had Magnolias for dinner. We even took a pedicab on the way there!

When we arrived we were surprised with complimentary champagne to celebrate our anniversary! What a fun surprise!

I ordered the always amazing Shellfish Over Grits.

Your dad ordered the Fried Chicken plate!

Both were amazing...as always!

After spending time sitting and talking about what we each thought would happen or wanted to happen in the next year, we went across the street to a place called, The Gin Joint.

We sat outside and watched the people walk by and enjoyed the wonderful weather. That was probably one of my favorite parts of our trip.

In following our theme of eating, we ended the night at kaminskys. We switched up a bit though and got our cake to go and took a pedicab back to the apartment.

We woke up (late) Friday morning and headed to Caviar and Bananas for a chocolate croissant and iced coffee!

While we ate and sat outside we checked on you and made sure everything was going ok. Grammy said y'all were having fun and that you slept well the night before! I started missing you even more after we talked to her but it's important for us to spend time together and for you to have time with your grandparents!

After breakfast we stopped by the house that used to be the KA house. So many fun memories we both have of that house!

We continued walking around the back streets of downtown. We just headed towards the water and went down whichever street we had never been on.

It was soo fun to explore all of the houses and architecture. We both love looking at the houses in Charleston and walking around.

It was pretty hot but still so much fun, we ended at the battery and walked through the shaded park before heading back for lunch at Husk.

Husk is a restaurant we had heard so much about and seen on tv many times. Your dad has been wanting to go there since it opened. We finally got reservations and were so excited to try it out.

Thank goodness it was nice and cool!

We sat down and both decided we wouldn't be moving for a while!

For our appetizer, we shared cornbread and your dad got Pig Ear Lettuce Wraps..........

Yes, real pigs ear...

He convinced me to try it and they were actually pretty good.

But the cornbread was MUCH better!!

For lunch, I ordered Quail and Charlie got the Pork special.

Both were amazing.

After lunch we walked over to the market and took a carriage tour.

We have been on probably 10 Carriage Tours, but it's one of my favorite things to do. We even got a route that we have never been on (that I can remember). It took us down some if the streets we walked earlier and we got to see so much more of genuine architecture of downtown, rather than the same things everybody sees.

We did the tour right and had a caramel apple while riding!!

After a quick trip through the market we headed back to the apartment to rest.

We relaxed and took a little nap before going to Halls for dinner.

We sat at the bar and enjoyed some more complimentary champagne and the best prime rib ever.

On the way back to the apartment we stopped at a new ice cream shop called Jeni's. Unfortunately I can't have much dairy while feeding you (I was pumping) so I got Poached Pear sorbet and Charlie got Salted caramel and Savannah Buttermint. I had a little bite and it was amazing.

We visited a rooftop bar before heading back for a mini Office marathon before bed!

When we woke up the next morning we packed up and took a drive down king street to the battery before heading out of town.

Aunt Caroline just bought a house in Mt. Pleasant so we stopped to visit before ending our trip with lunch at Boulevard Diner.

We had such a fun couple of days spending time together and celebration 4 years of marriage and 9 years of being together. We missed you so much and I even almost made your dad drive me back to get you the first night!! I just wanted to hold you!! But we had so much fun and I'm glad we stayed and enjoyed the time together!

I'm holding you extra tight tonight though and rocking you a little longer than normal!!

Catching Up!

2014-06-10T16:13:00.001-07:00

Sorry I have been MIA for the last week! I was rereading a book called, The Fault In Our Stars. The movie came out this passed weekend and I wanted to read it again before seeing it! I'm so glad I did. What an amazing book and movie.

Anyway, the past week has actually been pretty busy!

Monday and Tuesday were spent at home, running errands, going to the grocery and cleaning. Nothing too exciting!

On Wednesday, we visited our cousins who were staying at the campground. It's always so much fun to see them and they love you so much.

We went swimming, played in the arcade and had some dinner!

Thursday, we had your 9 month check up at a new pediatrician. We were excited to meet them and go to a new office but of course I was nervous about your shots! You are not very easy to "contain" these days! You move around d like crazy when getting your diaper changed and when getting you dressed so I was worried about having to keep you still for the shots and of course because they hurt!!

The office was soo nice and clean and just perfect. Every one was nice and the dr took the time to play with you and watch how you move and just be. It was so refreshing and everything pointed to is making the right decision and switching doctors.

You weigh 18 pounds 9 ounces and are 27 inches long. (I think!!) You are in the 50th percentile for both height and weight and in the 75th for head still. So you did stretch out a little bit since last time!

You had a couple spots of exzema on your back but the Honest Company Healing Balm is working great ad clearing it up so the dr said unless it flairs up bad again, keep doing what we are doing.

When it came time for shots, they offered to let me hold you while you got them. I thought that was awesome. I was so thankful and you were too!

You made the tiniest noise and then that was it! You were smiling literally two seconds later. I could not believe it at all. It was such a great experience. And I'm soooo proud of you! You did so much better than I did!!

After the doctor we went back to the campground to visit the cousins. We just played and hung out. You were passed around and it was just a great day!

Over the weekend we made a bunch of baby food and organized things around the house. I spent Friday afternoon peeling, chopping, steaming an pureeing sooo many carrots it was insane.

On Saturday I fed you some and you did not like it at all.......... So yay.

I'm trying them with things and serve them a little more warm to see if you will like carrots more! Because I have a lot to use!!

On Sunday we went to see The Fault In Our Stars and it was amazing. Such a good story and they did a great job keeping true to the book. It was so much fun to go to the movies too! It had been a while!!

We had a great week and have another exciting week coming up!

Love you soo soo much!

Annual Meeting

2014-06-03T16:24:00.001-07:00

This weekend was the B&C meeting. Most of our family was in town and you got to meet so many new cousins!

It's always such a fun weekend seeing our family and catching up.

When I was little we used to look so forward to the meeting because we would get to go with all of our other cousins and play in the arcade or go to the aquarium. One time we went to nascar speed park and played in the arcade pretty much the whole time. We left with a huge trash bag full of stuffed animals from the claw machine! We are convinced it was rigged!! One day you willl get to go play with your little cousins too! While we all sit in a boring meeting...

In addition to meeting your little cousin Naia, you also got to meet your big Alaslan cousin, Kyle!

Kyle is almost the same age as mommy and he used to live in Alaska! Isn't that cool?!? I think it's pretty cool and I ask him about a trillion questions about it regularly!

It used to snow so much that the snow went all the way up to the roof! The crazy thing is, he still had to go to work. He said that school and work aren't closed for too much snow. They only ever close when it's too warm and all of the snow melts and turns to ice!

He also took some pretty awesome pictures of the wildlife there. I think he's pretty cool...

Anyway, he loved meeting you! You were so good and nice and let him hold you. It was so sweet!

We went to Grandma Carolyn's with everyone Saturday night after the meeting and we all got to play. It was so much fun. I can't believe that next year you will be running all over the place playing with Naia and your new little cousin. We will have so much fun!