Has it really been that long??

I can't believe my last blog post was in October, I am really slacking. But boy things have really been busy, I doubt I will even remember all of it to write about. First was Thanksgiving, I think. I got to stay with my parents for a month and it was so great. Bryan had to go home and work and then he got sick and didn't want Maisie and I to catch it so that is how we got to stay so long. I hate that Bryan got sick but I love the time with family. Thanksgiving was so awesome, the whole family was together. I love spending time with a house full of family, and the fact that we all are so close make it so much better. The food was awesome, ate WAY too much, but loved every minute of it. Maisie of course got spoiled by all the family, they couldn't help themselves. but now that we are home, I have her back to normal :) I think her teeth had given her a small break, although here lately I she has been biting her fingers a lot and chewing on things, so maybe some more are coming. There isn't a whole lot of room left in her mouth, so hopefully we are almost done, although, she isn't acting nearly as bad as when those molars were coming in...yikes.

Well, since we have been home we have been busy with Christmas stuff. Our choir had a performance at the Belingrath Gardens in Alabama, and it was fantastic. I had never seen so many lights before and Maisie did wonderful. She had so much fun running around...although she touched one strand of lights and the whole strand died...oops, not sure what she did, but she had to do something! haha. We have been putting up our Christmas decorations on the inside and outside of the house and I love it, I love the look of Christmas, gives me a happy feeling. I know, that sounded cheesy, but didn't know how else to say it. Bryan is still working on the outside lights, hopefully they will be done by christmas, LOL.

And the most exciting part about all this is my parents coming out Thursday night before Christmas and staying the weekend! I am so excited. My mom hasn't seen the house since we got all of our stuff unpacked so hopefully I can get things cleaned up and keep them that way. Kinda hard to keep the house clean with Maisie throwing her toys everywhere, wearing my shoes all over the house, and anything else she can get ahold of. Anyways, it will be so much fun, I can't wait.

As far as baby #2, I FINALLY got in to see the doctor. I had to get my initial appt. done yesterday, and they did the 7 viles of blood but Praise GOD they got it the first time and I didn't even bruise! Does pregnancy make your veins bigger and stronger? I think someone should do a study on that because all the blood you have to get drawn when you are pregnant is crazy and I seem to be doing better with #2 than I did with Maisie. I had the not so pleasant women's exam early this morning, so that is done and over with. But the best news of all is the fact that the military is 100% on board with getting a VBAC. I was so worried they were going to fight me on having this baby naturally and now I know they are going to help me! Another praise! I just feel so blessed! The nausea is down so that it barely bothers me at all (just have to stay away from certain foods...lol). Of course I am feeling tired ALL the time, but I am much more able to do things this time than last time so that is great!

Maisie is wonderful and learning so much, she is so smart. I can't believe how big she is getting, I sometimes look at her clothes thinking there is no way my baby is wearing that! But she isn't a baby anymore, she is a toddler (though she will always be my baby). I love how she loves to watch my old musicals with me. Even if she doesn't sit and watch the whole movie, if a singing and dancing scene comes up, she will stop what she is doing to watch the whole thing. It is so stinkin cute!

I think our puppy Monty is finally past the point of no return and will survive :) haha, he is been really good lately, although he will be getting fixed on Monday...so he may not be all that happy for a few days...oh well. He and Maisie are buds and get into lots of trouble together, mostly her fault cause she gets him to get into stuff...rotten girl ;)

Well, I better get off of here and take advantage of her napping...won't last too long. Miss my family, love you all...

Cuteness through the funk...

It seems everyone has been in kind of a funk lately. Poor Maisie is struggling with this one molar trying to come in. I have never seen her so grumpy and tired. I am still wondering if she maybe caught a bug too because she had runny diapers too, but she never really had a fever. I think maybe the stress of her tooth was just upsetting her tummy and making her life miserable. Of course through it all she still managed to be as cute as ever and sweet (sometimes)lol.

This morning sickness is no fun...but I have to say it isn't as bad as last time. I thought for sure I was really getting sick by this point last time and all I have right now is some nausea, and the best part is it is the worst in the morning, it isn't all day. Although, it kinda comes back late at night and I think that is why I am not sleeping all that great. I can't seem to get comfortable. I am also having this dry mouth problem, I don't remember this from last time, but of course I was puking everything up. But I have to literally be constantly drinking something all day for my mouth not to feel like cotton. The back of my tongue feels fat, but at least it doesn't hurt anymore. Well, today I feel better than yesterday, you know that feeling you get when you get water up your nose? it is a very awful feeling, try having that all day, and everytime you stand up your head pounds so bad it feels like your brains are going to explode (on top of the nausea). I felt like that ALL day, but I was smart and just kept drinking water trying to drain the fluid out of my head and today I feel SOOOO much better...I will keep drinking though just to make sure.

I really can't wait to visit my mom and dad, I may actually get more of a break. It is not easy being sick with a puppy and a toddler. I'm so glad I have a laid back pup.

Maisie is being so cute right now and learning so many new things. She loves to pretend she is talking on the phone, and she is blowing kisses now and it is my favorite. She is climbing a pile of clean clothes right now...I really should put them away. She sure does love her puppy though, it is so great watching them play, and so hard to get it on camera. I can't wait until mom and dad get to see them playing, they will get a kick out of it.

Well, I think I gotta let the pup out again, hopefully will post again soon.

We finally bought one...

Well, I haven't called my mom yet because I can already hear those "I don't think that was a good idea" words in my head. ( I love you mom, but I know that is what you will say or be thinking :) ) We have been thinking about getting a puppy for a few months. Maisie can get SO bored and loves animals so much I just knew it would be a wonderful thing for her. There were several issues though, number one, what kind to get? I am SOOO picky about dogs, I don't like shedding, licking, barking, small dogs. But most of the dogs that don't shed are small, but most small dogs have small bladders, bark and lick and I hate it! And most big dogs shed like crazy, and drool and I cannot do drool and slobber. So what do you do but get a hairless wonder?? which did not happen by the way. Well, we just happened to run across the most wonderful breed, it is called a Wheaten Terrier. Think of a Yorkshire Terrier, but they get to be around 50lbs. They DO NOT SHED! Yay! and this particular one we got, doesn't lick! He is not super hyper and all over the place! He is laid back, and really enjoys chasing Maisie around the house! They are companions already!

Now when the second baby is born, he will still be a puppy and will become quick friends as well, I have no doubt in my mind.

He is a quick learner, I was a little worried about him nipping too hard, but a little pop on the nose and he is doing FABULOUS. I thought about waiting until after the new baby was born, but quite frankly training a pup can be hard work and I don't want to do that with a new baby.

I do not regret my decision...if I did we would have taken him back. He seems to be the perfect dog at the perfect time. I know you will come to love him mom :) And those of you who will also be reading this, my mom is not an animal hater, she just doesn't care for animals in her house, which I understand. And she is not one to belittle my decisions she supports me SOOOOO much....she just doesn't quite get my love for animals :) haha, but that is okay she has always come around to liking them...for the most part :) Love you mom!

And we begin again...

Well, I found out I was pregnant this week. We are very excited for Maisie to be getting a playmate, though they won't be playing anytime soon. I am only a few weeks along so not much to report, although I am having random back, shoulder and hip pains. I look forward to seeing what this pregnancy has in store for me. We don't care if it is a boy or a girl, though a girl would be very convenient since we have all the stuff for a girl.

I have some small worries that I can't control, like those few days I am in the hospital and can't have my bug with me the whole time. And the fact that I will most likely be having a c-section and will not be able to play with the bug for a while. But we do what we must and Maisie will know I love her more than ever. She is such a great baby, I know, she is more like a toddler but she is my baby.

I will try to keep things posted for everyone.

Traditions...

I really wish I got on here more, it is not from a lack of things to write. Maisie is always growing and learning new things and of course doing the craziest stuff. But today I thought a little about family traditions or things passed down. I know that having my own family means so many new traditions but I love seeing things that were done when we were growing up being passed down. This may be a silly little example but I started thinking about it this morning while making breakfast for the gimp (my husband who had foot surgery and now i have to do everything for him :) haha...okay not really everything) and my beautiful child and I was making toast, but not just any toast, a special toast that Bryan grew up eating at his mom's house. I had never heard of it before and in all honesty is sounded odd, but it is now something we eat several times a week. It is just toasted bread, spread on some peanut butter, then a layer of applesauce and sprinkle some cinnamon. Maisie really loves it too, so it will be something that has been passed down from Bryan's side.

Something I remember as a kid that my dad would do is if we were sitting in a chair, or "his" seat, he would come and sit on us and say silly things like "man, my chair is lumpy today". Well yesterday I was on the couched leaning forward over my computer and Maisie got behind me. I found myself leaning back and without thinking, started saying the same thing my dad did when we were kids and Maisie just laughed. She obviously is too young to get the joke but I thought it was funny and reminded me of dad.

Those are too small and silly things but a start of all the many traditions we will have and pass down to Maisie.

Speaking of Maisie, she has been so crazy lately. She had to get more shots this week, which I hate! I got teary eyed! I felt like such a baby but if I could get away with never giving her shots I would do it. She got over it way quick, but of course got feverish the next day and that is no fun. I am happy to report though that she is a strong little thing and is never down too long.

We also discovered that maybe we should not give her too much coffee. Now don't get me wrong, she doesn't get her own cup or anything, usually she takes a few baby sips out of our cups, but the one day she must have suckered her daddy into giving her too much cause she was up until after 4pm that day! Now, she only takes one nap a day, but it is important or she is thrown off completely. She gets up like clockwork around 8:30am everymorning and is down between 1:30-2pm for a couple hours. Now she is usually wore out by the time 2pm comes around, so when we was running around mad after 2, then 3, I thought...no more coffee for her in those amounts! She came into my room, sat in my lap, and I kid you not, in less than a minute of putting her head back on me she was OUT! Of course the poor thing could only be allowed to sleep for an hour or she would be up way too late for bed. So that was not a pleasant night.

On a talking note, she is now saying buh-bye...which is SOOOOO cute, and if we say we are going bye-bye, she will start waving and saying buh-bye. Love it!

Anyways, got things to do, hopefully will be on here again before too long :)

The one where I forgot the diapers!!!

So you would think that one thing mothers never forget is diapers...well, apparently I am an exception. Sunday after church we went for indian food, which was an adventure in itself...we were there for over two hours. Apparently everyone quit and the dishwasher was waiting all the tables. It got to the point bryan was getting up and getting everyone at our table drinks and to-go boxes and then went and got a roller table to clear the dishes...hahahaha. Everyone in the restaurant was laughing at him and then proceeded to do the same thing! It was so funny!

Anyways, I noticed after a while that Maisie had that smell around her...so Bryan graciously offered to change her...only to find there were no wipes, and no diapers (face hits table). All I kept thinking about was her poor little butt getting a diaper rash, because who knew how long we would be there? Well, needless to say, bryan and I went into the bathroom with her, stripped her down, and wrapped her in toilet paper!! ahahaha, If only you could have see her face, Maisie was like "What is going on here?" it was so funny. But it worked until we got home! What an experience!

Well, on a completely different topic, we are moving into our brand new house this week and I can hardly wait. Bryan took the rest of this week and next week off and we are getting as much stuff as possible done. It has not been the easiest with Maisie because she doesn't like our focus being off of her for more than an hour but overall she has been a wonderful girl...a little whiny...but I can deal with that. Hopefully we will be posting pics in a few days and will be moved in by saturday night, CAN'T WAIT!!!

Small Playdate

My friend Brandy has a niece named Delilah and she is about 15 mths old now. Brandy and I wanted to see if we could get her and Maisie together when she is watching her for a small playdate to see what they would do. Well, Maisie is around other kids at church but usually none of them are her age, they are older, and she likes them but I have never really seen her "play" with them. Well Brandy came over last night after work with Delilah and it was the cutest thing I have ever seen. Maisie followed her around like a puppy and was squealing and flapping her arms all over the place. Then, the best thing ever was when I told Maisie to give her some sugar and they did!! And the camera didn't take the pic in time...although the pic below shows them going for it.


And of course you can see here where Maisie is giving hugs...


It is definitely about time for her to have a sibling...then maybe she won't get so bored. Don't get me wrong, I love the attention and her hanging all over me...but I know she wants someone to play with and she is just SOOOOO sweet!

A whole year....

I know, I have been so bad about updating my blog lately...TWO MONTHS!! And can I say that these too months have been bittersweet now that my baby is a whole year old. Not that I have really had my baby for a while since she insists on being a big girl :) Have I mentioned how I have the best baby? I know, but she is just so sweet. She loves to give hugs and sugars and I love it. She loves to read her books...I had to buy her some more for her birthday since I have practically memorized the others. She loves water, we have been able to take her in a pool several times in the past couple months. She loves to be around family, the more people the better. She still loves to go outside and take her walks...she will scrape her knees all up and still not want to stop because she is having too much fun. She has also discovered dancing here lately, anytime she hears music she starts bouncing and waving her arms...it is too cute.

Well, yesterday was her first birthday and I was so proud of her. I wasn't sure what to expect, with a house full of people and all eyes on her I wasn't sure how she would do and she did great. A little bit of shyness, but no crying or complaining. We had the party at my mom's house and we put all her toys out the night before after she went to bed so that she could wake up and see them.




The cardboard box was just from my mom's new recliners and Maisie liked it as her house. Well, Maisie seemed to like everything that she had gotten and played all day.






Then it was time for the cake, and a friend of mine named Holly did the cake for me and it was AWESOME!! Beautiful AND tasty, and Maisie had fun playing in it and eating it. She even got her feet into it :)






And then the last thing we brought out was the balloons, she LOVES balloons. I was a little worried though because she is so rough with them and didn't know if she would be scared if she popped one in her face. Well, she did pop one...and no scream...actually, she did it again, and I think on purpose...so crazy.




Well, we had a house-full. Besides myself, Maisie and her daddy there was my mom and dad, bryan's mom and stepdad, my brother Jesse and his wife and two kids, and my brother Kedric and his wife Sarah, and my mom's neighbors Laura and Anthony. She had a great day and shared it with great people.

Now we are home and she is THANKFULLY having a good day. She woke up all snuggly with me. Then she was just stomping around yelling happy squeals while I cleaned up the kitchen and has been playing with all her toys, LOVE IT!!

Hopefully it won't be too long before I do another update, I like to have these memories down to remember...miss my family!

I love my little bug...

I call her my sugar bug...don't ask, I don't know why or how I got the name. She has to be the best baby ever. And hilarious...just crazy. She always has something in her mouth she isn't supposed to have...I would tell you some, but it grosses me out. She is funny too because now when I look at her and say "what do you have in your mouth??" she smiles, giggles and take off only for me to chase her down. She does the same thing when she gets a hold of something she isn't supposed to have. She will look at me and then take off if I look like I am going to get it from her.

She has had her daddy home all week this past week and he has to go back to work tomorrow, it will probably be a rough day for her. She loves having her daddy home. I have been waking up when I hear her on the monitor and taking her into the bedroom to feed her because Bryan is of course still sleeping. When she is done eating she likes to play on the bed and wake her daddy up. It usually consists of climbing all over him and beating his head, etc...but today was so cute, she put her head down on him and gave him kisses and snuggled. My heart melted...my mind was saying "take it all, whatever you want you can have". Luckily she is too young to take advantage.

We have also been going outside quite a bit. Maisie is finally at the point that she likes exploring things while walking, I don't have to carry her everytime I get up to do something. One of her favorite things is checking on daddy in the garage. I open the door and she follows me out, then I help her with the one step and she takes off. It scares me because she still stumbles some and our driveway is very slanted and the idea of her scraping her legs and hands just hurts me. But she has a ball, she walks around the garage then out to the driveway and into the grass, just squealing and clapping usually, she is so cute and I of course look like an idiot with my arms out and bent over waiting for her to fall at any second.

I think Maisie almost has "mama" and "dada" down, she is almost doing it on command, it is very cute. She has also waved a lot recently, she learned to a long time ago, but didn't know what she was doing, but I think she is starting to understand....of course that may be because everytime she waves I say "hi Maisie, hi, hello". So this is said about 50 times a day...

Any recent food adventures?? Hmm...well, bryan tried her on cucumber today, she LOVED it. I was shocked, she ate like 10 bites! She loves hotdogs and SANDWICHES, yes, sandwiches. I think sandwiches are her favorite, I could probably make one, cut the crust off, and cut it into bitesize pieces and she would eat the whole thing. I know she has eaten at least half of one. Pasta is a fun one...especially long pieces, she gets a kick out of eating them.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Maisie has decided that she must learn to walk backwards...yes, backwards. I was sitting down and she kept falling on her butt and I thought at first that she is just being clumsy, then I watched closely and she was moving her feet behind her. Why does she feel the need to do this? well, I guess since she is walking now she feels she needs another challenge? I don't know, she is a nut!

Well, it is about bed time....yikes, after midnight!! Until next time...

Just a little of this and that....

I wish I could get on here more and write about stuff...but honestly, I forget, or when I do remember I am too busy with Maisie. So, the last time I wrote was Mother's day...what has been going on. Well, Maisie has been a little grumpier than usual at times, not all the time, just certain points in the day. I can't quite tell if it is boredom, teething....or just plain old grumpiness. For all I know it could be all of the above, anyways, that's ok because most of the time she is her pleasant and sweet self. She is just growing and growing, and doing more things. We bought her one of those small buckets with shapes that go inside. She obviously is too small to know what shapes go where, but she takes the lid off and likes to put the shapes in and take them out. She is also VERY fond of me reading her books! It used to be she just wanted to hold and play with the books but now I will sit and read and point at stuff on the pages and she just LOVES it! She watches and points at stuff too, it is so cute. She is also able to stand up without pulling up on something...unassisted standing! I just can't believe it.

We bought some outdoor toys for her to play with and she had fun with them. We got her a big pink bouncy ball and it is now a favorite...although she now gets frustrated if she can't pick it up...or if she can't pick it up along with two other toys....stubborn one.



Now lets talk food! Yes, she is still a great eater, she is just eating MORE. I can't believe how well and how much she eats. I always make her veggies and stuff while I am preparing dinner....just to make sure she eats her veggies cause I know she is going to want whatever I have too. And sure enough, I get a plate and she wants all my stuff, including the veggies I have. But what are some things she has tried lately you ask? Well, today we had homemade catfish and she LOVED it...practically stealing it off my plate. She is able to eat anything at taco bell (except the hard shells), she ate at least a half of a sandwich tonight, along with her 1/4 cup of peas, bites of spaghetti, chicken and dumplings, pasta salad....then a bottle of milk after that! I don't know where it all goes...I wish I was like that. If she gives me trouble during a meal, it is usually lunch...mainly because she is either tired, or too ready to play than sit and eat. I find that as long as I am busy doing something and not watching her she does pretty good. It actually works out nicely because I take that opportunity to get the kitchen somewhat in shape.



Well, it has been a busy weekend for Maisie, we had the Spring Fest on Saturday and church on Sunday. Hopefully this won't be too crazy of a week for her and hopefully she will be in a good mood. I have a lot of things I would like to get done around the house...because like always, it is a wreck...but I won't get my hopes up. Bryan has the week off so that will be nice, Maisie likes having both of us home...of course.

A New Mother's Day

Wow, I actually have a new holiday! It is so wonderful! I honestly haven't thought much about this day until this week, when I realized...duh...this day is for me too! I am a mom and even though I won't hear the words "I love you mom" or "Happy mother's day mom" today, I have a little girl who loves me. She brings me such joy and happiness, I love her so much. I really had no idea what being a mother was going to mean for me, and I have become...obsessed, for lack of a better word, with reading about other new mom's experiences because everyone's is different...and yet, there are so many similarities.

I stole this article from a friend of mine's blog, and she got it of of the Proverbs 31 ministries page (I think)on facebook. The article was a funny and touching one, it reminded me of things that I face today and things that I probably will face in the future. It also reminded me of my mom and things she probably went through. In case there are those of you who don't know, I have the best mom in the world :) It is not up for debate, it is what it is, and I know she will be reading this eventually so just in case I forget to say it "Happy Mother's Day mom! I love you!"

Here is the article, enjoy:

Ariel Allison Lawhon, She Reads Co-Director

"Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway." Proverbs 8:34 (NIV)

Life wouldn't be so hard if it wasn't so daily. As I sit here surrounded by laundry and dishes piled high in the sink, I see more than ever how life wears us down one day at a time.

Crumbs litter the floor and dirty smudges cover the windows. And I have yet to discover where that smell is coming from. For this mother of four, a simple trip to the grocery store requires an act of God and Congress – attempted only when we are down to powdered milk and Ramen noodles. Not thirty minutes ago a little one-year-old boy clung to my legs, belting out that scream - you know the one, bats can hear it. And I felt my coping skills slipping away. Not because he was crying but because he cries every day.

The daily-ness.

The job of motherhood feels so vast, and frightening, and unending. I am called to raise these children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and yet there are days that I can't seem to get out of my pajamas much less lead them in a time of prayer. I think anyone could endure the temper tantrums of a small child or the rebellion of a teenager or the constant needs of another if they lasted just one day. But the truth is that these things are the stuff of daily life. And when I am honest with myself, they grind down the rough edges of this woman. Because parenting can not be all about me when diapers must be changed, noses wiped and beds made.

In those moments I force myself to take a deep breath and thank God for this season of life. These children. The privilege of wiping noses and bottoms and countertops. A privilege many women would love to have, but don't. I remind myself that the days are long but the years are short. And one day I will look in the rear-view mirror and see empty seats. The cup that is overflowing right now will slowly drain. The stretch marks will fade. And I will find that a new set of daily struggles has overtaken me. When that day comes I will find the strength to face them as well because God gives the grace, daily.

The daily-ness.

As C.S. Lewis once said, "The thing is to rely on God… Meanwhile, the trouble is that relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing has yet been done."

Your daily-ness is probably different than mine, but it is nonetheless God-ordained. It is exactly what we need to live dependent on His grace instead of our own strength. The One who knows us best, who knit us together in our mother's womb, has allotted these days that are equal parts trial and triumph. And He knows that we will see Him most clearly from a place of dependence.

So today I embrace the normal things. The daily things. Another round of laundry. The ring in my toilet. The dust on my dresser so thick a child could write his name. But even more than that I want to celebrate the important things. A child slowly learning to read. A husband that finds his comfort in my arms. A baby who learns to walk and talk. Because all these are the things of life: some mundane and some holy. And all of them must be received daily.

Dear Lord, sometimes daily life is just hard. And we're tired. And overwhelmed. But You promised to be our strength and our hope and our comfort. So today we look to You for what we need. Would You meet us in this, our daily-ness, and help us receive Your grace? In Jesus' Name, Amen.

So much stuff...

There seems to be SO many things running through my head lately. Maisie had a checkup today at the clinic and she got her first vaccines...yes...her first. To start with, she is perfect, the doctor even said so. She is 17.9lbs and 28in tall. Her head size and weight are both in the 24 percentile and her height is in the 50 percentile range (I knew she was tall). She is nicely proportioned and in great shape, thank you God! I knew the day was going to come that I was going to have to make my mind up about vaccines and I decided today would be that day...kinda. We have decided on some but still can't make up are mind about others...luckily, those others are for when she is over a year old...still have time. She got her DTaP, Polio and Pneumacoccal(spelling?) vaccines...THREE shots, poor thing. If I could have held her when she got them she probably would have been better...I almost cried, but she was a trooper. She cried for the second and third shot, I think because she was being held down AND poked but as soon as I picked her up, she calmed down and within minutes was her normal self. We picked up some non-recalled tylenol at the pharmacy before we left (just to make sure she doesn't get a fever) and went to lunch. She has been fine...so far. She is taking a nice nap and we will see after that how she is. Stupid needles....

Anyways, I have been thinking about the big move lately and how much I DREAD it!! I am excited about the house, but the actual packing and moving SUCKS! So Bryan and I have been talking and wondering how much it would cost to get movers and I don't think it will be too bad! We were going to rent the BIG U-Haul...and with gas and for the day it was going to cost about $150...maybe a little less. But the movers said they charge $60 for the trip and $100 per hour and if they pack the house and move everything themselves they are guessing it will take them about 5 hrs. WELL, I thought that we will have most of the house packed before the BIG DAY with the exception of Maisie's toys, and dishes, and clothes...you know, stuff we actually have to use so the actual time to pack should be cut at least in half! Not to mention I have wonderful friends who plan on coming and helping move and pack so that should help save time! It will still be a few hundred dollars but having people move our furniture...especially from upstairs...will be SOOOOOOO much easier than us doing it ourselves and probably a WHOOOOOLLLLLEEE lot faster. So, I think we will be putting money aside these next months and do it! I feel relieved already!

We also said goodbye to our dog yesterday. We have had her for many years and love her, but thought it was best. We found the BEST home for her, a place she could run with other dogs with wonderful owners (personal friends) and not have a baby stressing her out. She HATES Maisie...I mean HATES. Don't get me wrong, she hasn't hurt her, or bitten her, etc. But she growls, she moans, when Maisie tries grabbing her she gets up and walks away...it breaks my heart because Maisie just LOVES her. So we decided before Maisie gets old enough to become attached, we should find a place that she can be happy for her last years, not stressed. Not an easy decision, but I know where she is and the family that has her loves her so much and she is happy there too.

What else...well, Maisie tried some new stuff the past few days, she tasted turnips (not the greens, the actual turnips) and Rutabega! She LOVED the Rutabega...ate most of what was on my plate of course. We also took all the baby gates down...except the stair baracade, so she could roam around the house....she doesn't like being limited to the living room, she gets bored. I DO, however, have to keep the bathroom closed, she has this infatuation with the toilet paper and maxi pads...she came out waving them around...so door is closed.

Well, I hear her, she just woke up, guess I will write more later!

I'm Cleaning!!

I know it looks like I am a little too excited about this, but really I am. Since Maisie has been born there has been very little I can do because she is practically joined to me at the hip. Now she is walking...which is fantastic...but doesn't necessarily mean she would rather walk that be held, so as long as I am chillin and doing nothing, she is off doing her thing, BUT, the minute I am up doing things she wants to be with me. Now, I don't want you thinking I pick her up all the time, cause I don't, I don't pack her around at all! I just usually don't do anything...lol, well, I will wait for bryan to get home so he can entertain her, or wait until she is eating in her chair, etc. But today I felt like I could really get some cleaning done so I got my happy baby out of bed, fed her, cuddled a little bit and she was off. I then proceeded to go to the kitchen and clean, and I cleaned, and cleaned somewhere else and she was fantastic!! There were some small bouts of fussiness, she wanted to be fed again, or just cuddled, so I would stop and get on the floor with her and then off she would go again and I started cleaning again. It was amazing! My little girl is growing up so fast, I just can't believe it. And even though I miss my "baby", I just love watching her grow and learn new things, and she is learning what "no" means and listens!! well, maybe not all the time but more than before! Well, I know I will never get my house as clean as I would like it today but knowing I got more than usual done today makes me happy :)

Smarty Pants

I definitely have a smarty pants for a daughter...let's see...what has she figured out lately. Well, I think to start with is the automatic trashcan. There is a sensor that you wave your hand over and the lid opens and after a few seconds closes again...so everyone now and again I hear the trashcan opening and closing. Another thing, she has figured out how to turn the water on and off in the sink when she is taking a bath...we have the kind that just pulls up or down. She also watched me yesterday playing with my cat. He LOVES to play with anything that resembles string...yarn, ribbon, whatever...yesterday just happened to be a ribbon and I would move it around and Monster was just attacking it. Maisie thought this was funny because everytime the cat went crazy she giggled. Well, when I got done I put the ribbon down...actually...i think Maisie may have taken it from me, anyways, she proceeded to wave it frantically in front of the cat (almost hitting him of course) and he LOVED it!! He actually played with her! I thought it was the cutest thing. So, this morning she remembered and started carrying the ribbon around with her...in turn...Monster followed her and played with her and she rolled on the floor with him, it was GREAT! and of course it made her so happy....if only she hadn't stolen my camera and put it out of reach.

What else has she done....well, she has decided to try multitasking. Instead of just walking, she has tried clapping while walking, waving her arms, play with the cat....oh, and eat of course. Speaking of eating, she is still eating her veggies!! This may be because the times she doesn't want to eat them...I don't give her anything else. Does that make me terrible?? I don't withold her milk of course, I just don't give her any fruit or anything. I think it has really paid off though, she LOVES her veggies. Today we went to Newk's Cafe and they had NOTHING that I could give her and I only brought applesauce with me so I thought maybe she would like the pasta salad. It isn't exactly a veggie but that's okay...she was more interested in the tomatoes and mushrooms on my pizza..haha. I don't mind that at all, she came home and ate some brocoli and cauliflower.

Yet Another Adventure...

We have decided to join the world of HOMEOWNERS! I really didn't expect to buy a house here...well...anywhere that we knew we would be living forever but now is the time! We are actually building...and we will be moving in July! I am so excited! We are going to try and extend our time here as long as possible to be able to take advantage of our new place. The community is filling up with Policemen and other military families so it will be a wonderful and hopefully SAFE place. The community is called Palm Ridge...and those of you who know how much I love palm trees know it is the perfect name!

Well, with all the excitement comes a lot of scared feelings so we would both appreciate your prayers...not to mention I HATE packing and moving.

Too Fast...

I just can't believe how fast my baby is growing, she is going to be nine months this weekend. I just love watching her grow though, she can make it half-way accross my living room floor before she makes a face-plant to the floor. It is so hilarious too because she always holds her hands out in front and yells with each step...I guess to make sure we are all paying attention...lol.

I am practically just feeding her from my plate now, she insists on eating my food anyways. But, that is ok because I always feed her the veggies first and she has no problem eating them. The applesauces are her favorites though....she even recognizes the container, so I have to make sure she doesn't see it while she is eating anything else.

I have taken her outside several times and she seems to enjoy it more and more each time. Today my neighbors puppy came out and plopped down right next to her and let her pet him, it was so cute and she just squealed. She also started beating on the grass and then tried to eat it. Walking did not seem to interest her at first...then she noticed the flowerbed, and she decided she could walk perfectly and headed straight for it, goofball.

Anyways...enough of my blabbering...I will have to get to bed soon seeing that she decided to go to sleep at 9pm...she is going to wake up WAY too early...blah...

Such a Delight...

Maisie has been so wonderful...not that she usually isn't. She seems to just be growing so fast. I found a third tooth the other day and realized i think she has three or four more coming in...no wonder she has been a little grumpy lately :) She has also been working really hard on her walking, she now takes a few steps everytime she is standing. She actually managed to go about 6 steps the other day without falling...i was impressed. She is also eating like crazy...trying everthing. I gave her half of an oreo the other day with the icing scraped off and she just loved it, she bit pieces off and got it all over her face and hands, but she LOVED it! the problem was I gave it too her at about 10pm and she was kinda wired after that...she didn't go down until after midnight.

I took Maisie outside for a few hours one day because Bryan and I wanted to work on our flowerbed and she really seems to enjoy it. She was a little shy at first...not because she never goes outside, but because she usually doesn't get put down when she is outside. She clung to me for a little bit...but then she started playing with her toys we brought out, she loved it and it was such a beautiful day!

I am also watching a little girl for a couple weeks and Maisie is having fun, she just loves other kids. The bad part is I have to get up earlier than normal...which makes Maisie get up earlier...oh well...guess it is good for me :)

Maisie will be walking soon....

Maisie was 5 1/2 mths old when she pulled herself up to stand for the first time and since then she has been working on taking steps. I love watching her play during the day, pulling herself up on anything she can grab...sometimes trying to stand up on her own and then trying to take a step. Sometimes she is successful, she may get two or three steps in before she falls, and sometimes she seems like she goes straight to the floor. It is funny when she happens to take three or so steps successfully toward me and she has the biggest grin on her face like she knows she is a big girl. I just can't get over how fast they grow, she is trying so hard to do everything right away.

We hate saying goodbye...

Had to say goodbye to my parents again, they left to go back home...it is funny how, to most people, we see them quite often, yet to us (and them) it just doesn't seem like enough.

Maisie is doing pretty good right now but I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a rough day. She just loves her grandma and grandpa...she usually gives me a couple grumpy days when it is just me and her and daddy.

Another Popeye's fan!

I really think that if I give Maisie anything I am eating she will just take it, no questions asked. My dad brought home popeye's yesterday and that is one of my ABSOLUTE favorites, I love the red beans and rice and the spicy chicken and the mashed potatoes, okay, and the biscuits...I love everything! well, Maisie has had beans, and rice and potatoes but nothing really with any spices in it...mainly because I am not really sure when you can introduce spices...so I said, what the heck, she can just try some. Well, needless to say, she didn't want to stop, she ate a bunch...i was lucky to get any...haha. I thought afterwards she may get a tummy ache, but she was just fine...no problems at all!

She tasted the beans and rice and the potatoes, the biscuit and the chicken....yes, the chicken. I tore a piece out of the middle and she used her bottom teeth to tear a small piece off and just couldn't seem to get enough of it....I almost lost a finger in the process...LOL. I hope she keeps this up!

Maisie and the peach...

I just love giving Maisie new things to try because she doesn't seem to be afraid of anything.....yet, that is. Since we started her on solid foods, most of what she eats has been homemade...she just doesn't care for the storebought food, and anytime I am eating something she insists on trying it. So we decided to give her a fresh peach because they were so ripe and soft when we bought them. Well, I took her pants off (cause I knew she would be a mess) and put her in her seat and gave her the peach and she LOVED it!!

What a weekend!

We got to see some friends we haven't seen in 3 years! When we were stationed overseas at Lajes we met a wonderful couple who we just clicked with right away...and we just hated that they left after a month of us really getting to know them. Well we visited them this weekend and had a great time...I just wish it could have been longer...maybe next time.

It was fun watching Maisie with the kids, she loved watching their boys and their baby. She also loved their dog :)

Hate Sickness...

I think Maisie and I are FINALLY almost over our colds. Maisie had never been sick until just over a week ago when she got a small fever. Then, she was congested in her nose, it made it hard for her to nurse and eat, I felt so bad for her. She is usually so happy and all over the place all day and when she had that fever, she just wanted to snuggle....I actually loved that part...it was so sweet. It is funny how being a mom makes me think up all these worst case scenarios about what could happen to my poor baby...she has a little cold, which I know is not uncommon and yet I felt the need to turn her baby monitor up so I could make sure I heard her breathing :) I also felt the need to check her temperature every five minutes...haha...it is funny how paranoid I started feeling.

Well, she got over her fever in less than two days but it feels like the mucus just stays with you forever! She even started losing her voice a little...which was cute because she could hear the difference and played with her new sounds. She still has a little cough...and I can still hear some congestion in her nose...but it seems to get a little better each day, Praise God.

We have been kidnapped :)

I have to say sorry to all my Mississippi friends, I have been kidnapped for the week by my parents, they were desperate to see Maisie. I think it has been a month since they have seen us and they said they were going through withdrawals so I agreed to be taken :) We are now safely arrived in GA and Maisie is asleep...she is not going to like getting up in a few hours...it will be a long sunday, but it will be good!

And for those of you who know my parents, the reunion was sweet. Maisie was quite comfortable snuggling with Grandma and Grandpa, she had not forgotten them as I know they always fear :)

Happy Mornings

I think my favorite thing of all is the mornings, there is nothing greater than walking into your baby's room and her greeting you with a huge smile. Maisie is just SO happy in the morning, she eats and then just talks to me and gives me sugar. Then, she is off to play with her toys talking and laughing and squealing at nothing and everything. She is just a genuinely happy baby and that makes me happy.

My Very First Blog

I have always liked reading peoples blogs, especially people I haven't seen in a while. Also, now that I am a mother, I just love reading people's blogs about their experiences with their children. I hope that by getting started I will be able to remember a lot of the little things that are usually forgotten.

First I would like to say, for those who may not know me THAT well, that I am a military brat. Georgia is the place I call home because I lived there most of my life. I am a born again christian, married to an Air Traffic Controller in the Air Force. We are, for now, living in Keesler, Mississippi. My husband and I got married in GA, moved to Lajes, Azores for two years before moving here. I have a bachelor's in Spanish Education and a Master's in Human Relations.

Like most married couples, my husband and I hit a rough patch a little while back, but by God's grace we got through it and I think came out the other side for the better and are now the proud parents of our first baby girl. I got pregnant in Oct. 2008 quite unexpectedly but found it to be a nice surprise. I was sick for most of my pregnancy, was sore, had pain and even through it all was excited about what was to come. I thought I had prepared myself for anything when the time came to give birth...then I realized I had prepared for everything except the possibility of a C-Section, which is what I ended up having. I was 41 weeks and hardly progressed at all so they decided to induce me. My labor progressed fine for a while until I stopped dilating at about a 6, they let me stay there increasing the pitocin for about 4 hrs and they said there was nothing else they could do but prep me for a C-Section. I was TERRIFIED but didn't really have time to do anything seeing that everything after that happened so fast. Needless to say, the procedure was surprisingly fast...don't even think it took a half hour, and my beautiful baby was born, I saw her and knew she was perfect. Maisie Marie McQuary was born July 17, 2009 at 8:30pm at 8lbs 3oz.


Since then, Maisie has been the most active baby ever....not that I have been around a ton of them. She decided she was ready for the world and didn't need to sleep all day. She was barely two months when she decided she wanted to be on her feet, I would prop her up on the arm of the chair with the boppy so she could watch baby Einstein. She would hold herself standing, I was just there so she would fall sideways. She wanted to play in all the toys that were for infants at least 6mths of age. She loves to just jabber, and I love to listen to her. My dad calls it her song, she always has a song to sing. I think she was not quite 4mths when she started rolling over and scooting on the floor, she was crawling and sitting by 5 mths and started pulling herself up to stand before she turned 6mths. Since she started pulling herself up to stand she has been trying to walk, she will hold on to the furniture and walk accross the floor. She is now almost 8 mths and is doing the one handed walk (holding on to stuff with just one hand) and will then let go and stand there on her own deciding whether or not she wants to take a step.. She is a happy baby, laughing, squealing, playing with minimal fuss throughout the day. She gets grumpy if she is hungry, tired, or not feeling well and that's it.

When she was between 1 and 2 mths she had some gas issues, she is a breastfed baby with VERY minimal bottle use so I know it had to be just regular gas. It really only bothered her at night and sometimes when I would try to feed her....but I started to give her mylicon and gripe water and that seemed to work wonders so I consider myself blessed not to deal with colic or major gas problems.

She started teething at 3mths and those dissolving tablets were a life saver....she tolerated those better than the orajel. and she has two beautiful bottom teeth. I was going to wait until she was 6mths before starting her on solid foods, but right after she turned 4mths she insisted that she was ready so I started her with the cereals. She has loved food ever since. I think one of my favorite things I remember was making apple pies with my mom in the kitchen and Maisie took an apple quarter that was peeled and cored and started to use her bottom teeth to scrape off some pieces...she was only 6mths at the time I think...a little young for solid apples...lol. Now everytime I am eating food she insists on trying it, she has tried fresh tomatoes, nectarines, green beans, potatoes, among other things. I also make 90% of her baby food because she likes it better than the store bought.

Maisie is also an animal lover, I have a cat, dog, fish and a chinchilla (new addition) and she just loves all of them and tries to show them by pinning them to the floor and climbing on them, i just love it.

Well, I have officially written a book...and still haven't said everything I could have. In a nutshell, I love being a mom, I couldn't have asked for a better baby, she is so beautiful and truly a gift from God. Even if nobody else reads this....I know I will be able to look back and remember how great God has always been.