Things I Can Not Explain...

Why a bird will poo on my car the minute I roll out of the car wash.

Why a zit will appear the very day I have pictures or something important going on.

Why just when all my nails get the same length one decides to break.

Why my daughter suddenly goes into a trance the minute the vacuum is turned on.

About a week ago I was running around the house cleaning and picking up getting ready for company to come. I was getting ready to vacuum when Cecilia picked that very moment to start crying. I tried bouncing her around, sticking the pacifier her mouth, talking to her but nothing worked. Finally I decided she was just going to have to cry it out while I vacuumed. I did like any good mother and had her in one arm and pushed the vacuum with the other. The minute (and when I say minute I mean the very second) I turned the vacuum on she stopped crying and went into this trance. I thought she finally calmed herself down and went on about my cleaning. The key word was THOUGHT. The moment I turned it off she started crying again! I turned the vacuum back on and she stopped. It by far the craziest thing! Brent thought I was lying so the other night I showed him that indeed our daughter is nuts!

Here we are standing in front of the vacuum with a calm daughter. Notice Brent's cell phone on the floor. He thought he would record it so we could use it later instead of the vacuum. Too bad she only likes the real thing!

We literally go from this...

to this..

with a push of a button!

I'm now in search of a cd that has nothing but vacuum sounds on it!

Who's Watching?

So last night I decided to check out a new show on NBC called Parenthood. Have you seen this yet? I wasn't sure if I would like it but I liked several of the actors on it so I thought it couldn't be that bad. And I was right! I laughed through the whole thing! There were two scenes that made me really laugh out loud.

The first one was 3 mothers were sitting around complaining about their daughters and questioning their skills as a mother. At the end of the scene one of them said 'you know what is wrong with mothers, right?' In unison they said 'daughters.'!!! HA! Somehow daughters have managed to make the most confident mother question her ability just by one comment! I know I gave (and still give for that matter) my mom a run for her money. I am a secure enough woman to admit that I was not the easiest child in the world and I can only imagine if Cecilia gets only a small portion of me, payback will coming and it will NOT be pretty! Ahh the wonderful hormones of girls!

The second scene had me almost in the floor. A couple had dropped off their son at his aunt's house so they could enjoy an evening out. About halfway through dinner the aunt calls saying the little boy was dying to go home because he had an emergency. The parents get to the house and ask the little boy what the emergency was. He quietly whispers he has to go poo and he has to do it at his house! Apparently the kid had already developed issues with using the bathroom somewhere else besides his home. You just really have to know me to know why I find this so hilarious.

If you haven't seen the show, you should tune in. They have definitely got a new viewer here!

So Long Insecurity and a First

This weekend I attended a Beth Moore simulcast talking about her new book and women's struggle with insecurity. It was a really good conference and the book is a must read. I loved reading it and following along with her study on her blog. I'm not normally a self-help book kind of girl and I don't know that I would put this book in that category but it was very enlightening and made me get a grip on myself. If you haven't read this, pick it up and read it. It might just change how you look at yourself!

While I was gone most of the day Saturday, Brent was home with Cecilia along with his parents and grandmother. They came down to lend Brent an extra set of hands and his grandmother got to meet Cecilia for the first time. It was great spending time with them and we know Cecilia loved all the attention.

Last night we experienced a first for us. Cecilia was in desperate need of a bath and it is normally a scream fest through the whole thing but last night I decided we should try out her spa tub instead of just laying her on the foam pad. And for once she didn't cry. Actually she looked like she enjoyed it! :) She even managed to keep her pacifier in her mouth the whole time too!
Here she is enjoying the scrub down. Yes I'm covering the suz! I'm only thinking of her 18 years down the road on Senior day when this picture resurfaces!

For some reason I filled the tub BEFORE I got it out of the bathtub and it was too heavy for me to lift out so Brent told me just to climb in with her. I was very uncomfortable and wet by the end of it so this will not happen again.

I am so glad she is enjoying her baths now. It was going to be a nightmare if she cried during every bath! Thanks Nanny for the spa! We love it!

She's Here! She's Here!

I am so happy to announce that Sydney Diane is finally here! She was born Wednesday, April 21. I was able to go see this precious baby tonight and she is gorgeous! She is so sweet and I am so happy for Jaclyn and Corey. They just don't know the joy and love they are about to experience! I did take a picture but I will not dare post a picture before Jac does. You will just have to catch me out to see it! :) Man I can hardly wait to get our two girls together!

Congratulations again Corey and Jaclyn! You got your dark hair, dark eyed baby!:)

2 Week Pictures

Just wanted to share a few of my favorite pics...

1 Month

Here Cecilia is at 1 month. It is crazy for us to think that she has only been with us a month because it feels like she has always been here. We are absolutely head over heels in love with her and couldn't be happier!

At a month old, we have already discovered things that she hates and things that she likes. Currently she hates getting her diaper changed, changing clothes, taking a bath, anything having to do with her being naked, being swaddled, playing in her bouncer or swing or any other little activity thing that everyone said was a must have! She likes being on her tummy and taking walks. She likes to kick her legs and move her arms around. Umm that may be it. Her list of hates seems to be a tad longer than her likes but hopefully that will change!

She is still in newborn clothes for the most part. There are a few 0-3 outfits I have found she can wear but for the most part they are still a bit too big. Since we haven't been to the doctor lately I'm not sure what she weighs at this point but I'm almost positive it is more than the 8 lbs 1 oz she weighed a few weeks ago. Her eyes are still blue and I'm praying they stay that color. I have always said I want our kids to have Brent's eyes. His are the prettiest blue so maybe her's won't change.

She still is doing fabulous at night. No matter if she has slept all day or been up all day, she wakes up anywhere between 2:30-3:00 am, goes back down until 6:30 or 7:00. This allows me to get plenty of sleep!

We have adjusted well and are loving having a baby in the house! I am so excited to watch her grow and really develop a personality!

Side note: Excuse the poor picture. We were trying to get her to look at me so Brent was waving around a toy that rattled while also trying to make sure she didn't fall over. In the middle of all that, Colt decided to take interest in the toy so I had to take shots in between him jumping up in front of me trying to get the toy. Finally, after trying several times we just gave up. Hence the picture of her staring into space.

Fun Monday!

It is not too often that those words come out of my mouth but today was a really great day!


First off, I stayed up late last night to finish a book I have been dying to read ever since I heard it was coming out. I had pre-ordered it so I would get it as soon as it was released. I got it in the mail on Friday and had to dive in. It is actually my book club's book for next month but I couldn't wait that long to read it. It is called "I Will Carry You" by Angie Smith and let me tell ya, don't read it without a box of tissue beside you.





I have never clung to Cecilia as hard as I did while reading this book. It is a true story about Angie's journey through one of the toughest things I think anyone can go through; losing a child. The thing is, she and her husband knew that their daughter won't survive much after birth. During an ultrasound, they found out the baby had several complications that made her "incompatible to live." Even after being advised to terminate the pregnancy, her and her husband decided they would finish out the pregnancy and meet their daughter. This is an amazing story of one family's strength and faith in God. If you have a chance, click on her blog on the right side of mine. Some where it has a link to get a short version of their story. It's called Bring the Rain.

Now on to the fun stuff. Last night Jaclyn called to see if she could come up and take us to lunch and hang out. I of course jumped at the invite because quite frankly I'm getting tired of staring at these walls and I wanted to spend some time with her before she gets all tied up.

When she got here, we headed out to Buckhead Cafe to grab lunch. This was Cecilia's first real outing where she would see more than the back of my car. We were super excited and had a great time with Aunt Jac. Cecilia was so excited that just the thought of going out in public completely worn her out and she slept through lunch!

She didn't so much as make a sound the whole time we were out! I'm hoping it is always like this!

When we got back from lunch, we decided to take a stroll around the block. It was a gorgeous day to be out and Jac needed to do some walkin' to try and get that baby out! Today was her due date so we where trying to jump start labor. Apparently it didn't work because I haven't gotten a call saying they are headed to the hospital. Oh well! Sydney just is not ready to meet us yet.

Thanks Aunt Jac for entertaining us today! We will return the favor soon!

Tonight, we have had a bath and a bottle and Cecilia is currently passed out from all of today's activities. I think I may have to pass out soon as well. 2:30 am comes pretty quickly these days!

First Date

A couple weeks ago my dad called me and told me he won 2 tickets to any game for the Hot Rods opening week and wanted to know if Brent and I wanted them. He thought by then we would need a night out on the town and he said he might have a hidden agenda (time with Cecilia!). I readily accepted knowing I would be ready to get out of the house and spend some time alone with Brent. Plus we love going to sporting events especially baseball games.

Has our luck would have it, opening day the Hot Rods were playing the Cincinnati Reds' (Brent's favorite team) farm team. The weather was beautiful Sunday, we were 3 rows behind their dugout, and had a good time. We had a few annoying college kids sitting behind us that just about got a chewin' from me but once they left we were able to enjoy the game. (Brent and I both prayed we were NOT that immature during our college years!)

After the game, we headed out to eat at Cheddar's. We were dying to check out the new restaurant in town that everyone seems to be talking about. Since it was later at night, we were able to walk right in and get a table. I have heard the wait can get to 2 hours! I'm sorry, no food is worth that wait! The food was good and their portions are huge! I came home with half my meal!

A night out on the town was just what we needed! I only called once to check in and that was only because it was around her usual meltdown. I knew she was in capable hands so there was no need to worry! Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us have our first date after a baby!

What a Week!

This has been a crazy, wonderful week. My mom has been here all week to help with Cecilia while I do things around the house. Before I had Cecilia Brent and I weren't sure what kind of shape I would be in afterwards so I asked my mom to come stay with me the week he went back to work. Its been great having her here because I was able to stay on top of all the things around the house while her and Cecilia hung out together. Plus we had a few things planned this week that I would need an extra set of hands.

Yesterday we had our first real photo shoot. I would love to tell you that Cecilia did wonderful and slept through the whole thing, but I would be lying. My poor child HATES to be naked. Screams when you change her clothes and diaper so you can only imagine the fun we had when she was photographed in her diaper and then the nude. We were there close to 2 hours and spent most of that time calming her down in between shots. Oh and you know those sweet pictures of babies sleeping and all curled up. Yeah not sure if any of those will turn out that great because even though it was during a time when she normally is sound asleep, yesterday she was wide eyed and would NOT go to sleep. About the time she did, we would have to move her into a new position and she would wake up, realize she was naked and start screaming! Man, it was a long morning and it wore her out. She ended up sleeping all day yesterday and we had a wonderful night of sleep!

As if yesterday wasn't enough, this morning we had her 3 week check up. (yes she is already 3 weeks and Brent and I feel like we have had her for months!) She has gained a pound since last visit bringing her to 8 lbs and 1 oz and for some reason she seems to have shrunk. When she was born she was 20 1/2 inches and today is was 20 1/4 inches. I'm sure it was just the difference in people measuring so I'm not too concerned. :)

We do have one small concern with her eyes. In the past couple of weeks she has developed what we used to call eye boogers (goo in the corner of her eyes). The doctor thinks her tear ducts may be a tad stopped up so we have to massage her eyes a few times a day to get that worked out but she said that a lot of babies have that problem and it typically works itself out. Thank goodness! I was a little worried because my brother had this issue when he was a baby and he had to have surgery and that was the last thing I wanted her to have to go through. Not sure how I would have handled myself!

Other than that we seem to be doing good! We have a few cosmetic things we have to work on, baby acne and extremely dry skin, but those are minor things with easy fixes.

I'm anxious about how we handle ourselves next week with NO help and no one to keep us company! I'm glad it will be warm out so we might have to go on lots of walks to keep ourselves occupied!

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

This one is for you Uncle Mayo

I was told we needed some pictures of Cecilia with her eyes open so here are a few I took this morning.

Cecilia's First Easter

We had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating Cecilia's first holiday. The Easter bunny came to see her and brought her a bucket full of clothes that will actually fit her and a bunny Mrs. Potato Head. Granted she won't be able to play with it for several years but it was too cute for the Easter bunny not to get her.
My Granny had Easter lunch for the whole family and Cecilia got to spend some quality time with the family. It was her first outing and she was great until late afternoon. We had a slight meltdown but I soon got her calm and asleep and I thought that would be the perfect time to have a photo shoot.

4 generations of women

Another set of 4 generations

Family photo

Our precious Easter baby

Bye Daddy!

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to Brent and send him back to work. I wasn't sure how I would handle the change. Apparently these days I am pretty emotional at the drop of the hat. (stupid hormones!)

Luckily, Momoi came over to distract us and keep us busy.

I had a ton of errands to run so the 3 of us loaded up and headed to town. Mom and I took turns going into the stores and staying out in car with Cecilia. Cecilia did great! We had a few meltdowns but I don't blame her. I would have hated to be stuck in a car seat all day too! She is a trooper and I can only hope she will be that well behaved when we can get out into public and do some serious shopping!

Its a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

Since today was yet another gorgeous day, we decided to get out as a family (Brent and Colt included) and take a stroll around the block. This was Cecilia's first of many walks around the neighborhood and she LOVED IT! Can't you tell by the expression on her face?


She slept the whole walk! Good thing since this will become a daily thing for us. Someone has got just 4 more weeks to fit back into her summer wardrobe! :)