My Heart Aches

It has only been two days since my return to work, but my heart aches for my little precious. I feel like I am missing her whole life...Will I will miss her rolling over for the first time, laughing for the first time? I get to spend a short amount of time with her in the mornings before work and in the evenings before she goes to bed. I find myself wishing she would stay awake longer, just so I can play with her and hold her. Going back to work has made the short time I do have with her even more special. John Allen and I fight over who gets to give her a bath and put her to bed. I miss my little doodlebug. Emma seems to be doing ok. She refused to take a nap yesterday which made for a rather grumpy girl when I came home from work, but today she is doing much better. Granna is loving the extra time with her grandbaby!
Please pray for us. Hopefully this transition will get easier as time goes by. If not, it's only 46 days till summer break! Thank God I am a teacher!

Rain Rain Go Away, but Melissa you can stay!

What a rainy but fun weekend. Melissa and her adorable Asher came up Friday to spend some time with us. They drove through the rain Friday and arrived around 9:00. We put the kiddies to bed and stayed up talking till way past our usual bedtimes. Saturday was spent doing what girls do best...SHOP. We found some cute things for Asher and Emma. Since it was still raining and the babies needed naps (which they didn't take) we came home, watched Mama Mia and laughed as Asher boogied down to Dancing Queen. It was interesting to have a one year old in the house, a preview of what's to come?!? I learned one thing this weekend...I need to do some serious babyproofing! Thanks Mel for coming to visit and bringing your little man...come back soon!

Look at those Baby Blues

My First Blog Award..Kreative Blogger

I am fairly creative in the classroom and around the house, but my blog (to me) is not that creative so I was giddy to receive the "Kreative Blogger" award from Lindsay Lou! Thanks girl! So I am supposed to write about 7 things I love and then pass the award on to some other creative bloggers. Here goes...

1. Church~ I enjoy being around believers. God is good and it is a shame that I cannot even mention it at my place of work. God has blessed my life with wonderful parents, a ginormous amazing family, a loving husband and a gorgeous daughter. I praise him every day for the gifts he has bestowed upon me.

2. John Allen and Emma~ As I get ready to head back to work, I have really been thinking about how lucky I am to have such an amazing and understanding husband. I know there will be days that I will call him from work just to cry and tell him how much I miss our sweet preciousness. He will inevitably come home with some surprise...my favorite flower, candy, dinner from my favorite restaurant. He is a man I cannot live without. And Miss Emma Doodle...who could resist that cute little face! I am shocked at how much I love her and it grows more and more each day!

3. Family~ My parents raised me to be a kind and loving person. My mom is a wonderful role model and I hope that Emma loves me as much as I love my mom. She is my best friend and the person that always makes me feel safe and supported. My Dad is a generous person...he gives not only monitary items but love and support also. My dad would hate it if I told someone this, but he goes to the beach every month with work and goes to eat at the Calabash restaurants. He has been known to pay for family's dinners without acknowledgement...just because he thought they could use the help. LOVE him! My brother is also a giver. He amazes me how he can run into a burning building with no regard for his own safety. That is a true hero! Meredith, my brother's fiance, is going to be a perfect addition to our family. She just fits! My in-laws are now part of my family. I love getting to know them and spending time with them. And don't forget Joan Aubrey...well she's just Joan Aubrey. Absolutly adorable!

4. Clemson Football~ There is nothing like tailgating for a Clemson football game. I love running into old friends. I love watching the Tigers run down the hill. I love going to Mac's to get an mouth watering burger and not worrying about the calories I am about to consume. I just love Clemson. It is my #1 place to live!

5. Books~ I love books. I love to find a book that you just can't put down. I once read an entire book in one day...Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. YEAH, YEAH, I know...don't laugh at me. I am a teacher and they are REALLY good books. I love Nicolas Sparks books, always good! I read The DaVinci Code in two days. Interesting. I am also a fan of John Irving and love A Prayer for Owen Meany. You could also say I am a sucker for a good children's book. My favorite is The Giving Tree.

6. The good 'ole state of South Carolina~ I love SC. I love our state flag. It is by far the best flag out there. I love the destinations...Charleston, Clemson, Columbia. There are beautiful waterfalls in the mountains and gorgeous old homes in Charleston. If you need to go shopping, we have some wonderful outlets in Gaffney and Myrtle Beach. If you would like to go golfing...Hilton Head is not too far away. It is the perfect place to live. Wish with all my being that I still lived in that awesome state!

Whoosh...I am already on my 7th thing. This is harder than I thought. I love so many things!

7. Friends~ I definately can't leave those out. I have made lots of friends over the years. Some I keep in touch with constantly and others that I only talk to occasionally. I have my old friends, my school friends, my blog friends, my college friends and my FOREVER friends. They all have a special place in my heart. I am so excited to get to spend time with one special "forever" friend this weekend. Melissa and I have been best friends since like 5th grade when she moved to SC from out west...boots and all! I love ya Kamel! (looks like camel but is pronounced Kay-Mel) We will miss you Ans!

I pass this to Ansley Allen, Sara Alexander, Courtney Williams and Leigh Chasteen. Looking forward to reading about your loves!

Announce the Birth

I told myself before Emma's birth that I would get out announcements before her first month dr. appointment. In reality, that did not happen. Too many diapers to change, babies to feed and sleep to catch up on. I am finally getting around to it. Can you say procrastination! It is my last week at home. Tuesday during Emma's nap, I looked around on the internet for announcements. They are all so cute! I had a hard time picking it out, but I have finally decided on one and am ordering it today! SO EXCITED! I will post some of the pics from her announcement photo shoot after they go out! So all you BFF's (Blog Friends Forever..thanks for the nickname Abby) will have to wait.......

My First Video

Stupid me didn't even realize that I had a video camera on my camera. Mom and Dad I hope you enjoy getting a glimpse of Emma in action.

Me and my Bumbo

Lovin' my seat, Lovin' my seat! I'm so happy, sittin' in my seat!

Lookin' at crazy mommy. She is singing and trying to get my to look at the camera. I'm being shy!

TOYS!! I love things that rattle and make noise.

I'm done! That is enough of the seat. Time for nap! NOW!

Too tired to blog

Emma has been a cranky little girl since her doctors appointment today. She had to get two shots. We finally got her to sleep at 9:00, just in time for Jon and Kate Plus 8. Here are her two month stats:

Weight: 11lbs. 15 oz. 75%
Height: 23.5 in. 90% (I think she might be a tall girl like her mommy!)
Head: 15 in. 50%

She is doing wonderful! Absolutely perfect! Love her! Hope she is back to her happy self tomorrow!

To Move or not to Move, That is the question

Everyone says that babies sleep better once you move them to their own bedroom. Up until now, Emma has been sleeping in our room in her pack-n-play. She is such a wonderful sleeper...10-12 hours every night. How did we ever get so lucky!?! I haven't been able to muster up the courage to let her sleep in her room yet. In our house, the master bedroom in downstairs and Emma's room is upstairs. I can't imagine sleeping so far away from my sweet precious little girl. I am starting to think that I might just move upstairs so that we can be close and she can sleep in her own bed. I want Emma to get used to her bedroom but I am a total worry-wart and I love being able to check on her during the night. Maybe I'll let her sleep in our room for another month. She's growing up so fast...savor every moment! Before long she will be walking, talking, running, etc. John Allen is already trying to get her to say "Daddy" first. He spent all night saying "Say Daddy, Say Daddy!" How cute!

Hey, It's Me Again...

I am finally back from my South Carolina visit and boy am I tired! Being held all day and meeting new people is exhausting. I met so many nice people. Here are some pictures from my visit. Enjoy!

This is my friend Charlie. He is such a big boy. Our daddies are good friends. We both enjoyed watching the tournament yesterday while our parents ate lunch and caught up!

This is my new friend Calli. I can't wait until we go to the beach this year. Our mommies have gone to the beach together for MANY years. I have a feeling that we are going to have a lot of fun together!

This is me and my mom's best friend, Ansley. She's so pretty and she has two kids, but they are older than me. Mommy gets lots of advice from her. I can't wait until we live closer to her and her darling kids!

My mom's other bestie, Melissa and me! She was my mom's roommate in college and they love to sing showtunes from Les Mis together. I hope I get to see her again soon and her cute little boy, Asher. He is almost one and is growing so fast! Melissa gives mom lots of advice too. She's such a great Mommy! Isn't she pretty too!?

Me and my cousins. Well, they are my mom's cousin's kids. Close Enough! Alex and Ella (the twins) loved me and would run around yelling their version of "Baby!!, Baby!!" Hunter just loved giving me kisses. He also thought that I could get out and walk, but Mommy told him that I can't do that just yet. Maybe soon!

A Day in the Park

Aren't they just so cute! Thursday, Emma and I enjoyed a play date in the park with Crystal, Jackson, and Grayson Decker. Emma spent the afternoon napping in her stroller while Crystal and I tried to keep up with her precocious toddlers. I loved Barret's Place park. It is nice and shady! The boys played on the swings and ran around in the play houses. Crystal is a wonderful mother. I told her that John Allen and I discussed twins on the way home from the hospital and could not imagine how hard it would be! She makes it look so easy!

Making our Rounds

Emma and I have had a full week! We are visiting with my parents in SC for the week. I can't believe the week is almost over! Emma is meeting all kinds of new people. Tuesday we went over and "played" with her cousins: Hunter, Alex and Ella Bryant. Ella and Alex loved the baby and Hunter gave her lots of kisses! Of course, we saw Auntie Joan Aubrey and she gave Emma a very cute summer outfit for St. Patrick's Day. Today, Emma had her first play date with Baker. Baker is my good friend, Courtney's daughter. She is exactly two months older than Emma, but Emma is just as big as her! She is adorable and they enjoyed looking at each other and holding hands. I can't wait till Baker and Emma can run around and play together. I hope they will be good friends. We still have lots of plans for the rest of this week and many more people to introduce to Emma. Tomorrow, we are headed to the park for another play date!

Happy St. Pat's

Someone pinched me!!

Cutie Pie in her St. Pat's outfit!

Two Month Old Cutie

Can't believe my little cuteness is TWO months old! We will have all the two month stats when we return to Raleigh. Our Dr.'s appointment is on Monday and I am dreading it. Emma has to get three shots!! I hate to hear her cry! I am guessing that she will be close to 12 pounds. She getting to be such a big girl!

Wonderful Weekend

Chillin' in the car on our ride to Clemson.
Snoozing with my toys during our trip to Clemson.

What a wonderful weekend! Emma survived her first road trip and made it down to Clemson on Friday! She was beyond awesome in the car and slept for most of the trip. Cute pics coming soon! On Saturday, we went over to see our good friends David and Kendall Martin. Kendall has a budding photography career and she took some great pics of Emma. You can check them out on her website http://www.kendallmartinphotography.com/. (Go to proofing, and the password is Emma) We have missed spending time with them, but it is so hard to see everyone when you're in town for the weekend. We hadn't seen their boy, Parker since the day he came home from the hospital and he just turned one in December. They are expecting again and it's another boy! Pray that Kendall can keep her sanity in a house full of three young boys. (Four if you count David!) John Allen is convinced that we will have a house full of girls, but hey, you take what the Lord gives ya! Of course, Saturday evening was spent with family. The dad's grilled steaks and watched movies and the girls gaga'd over Emma. She had a full audience for her bath Saturday night. Sunday, Emma made her first trip to the church I grew up in. She was not as good as she was in church last week and we (I) ended up taking her to the nursery to stay with our family friend, Ms. Becky. After church, we headed to Reese and Meredith's shower. They racked up with gift cards to Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, and many others. Gift card shower...what a good idea!

I am staying with my parents this week and enjoying introducing Emma to all my friends and family, but we sure are missing one important man in our lives.......DADDY!! JAP, I love you and want to thank you for letting me "steal" Emma for the week! We can't wait to see you on Saturday!

Does she look like me?

Here is a pic of me when I was a baby. I think Emma looks just like me when I was a baby. What do you think?

2 months post baby

This is SO not fair. Hiedi walked the runway at the Victoria Secret fashion show just 8 weeks after giving birth. I am coming up on 8 weeks post pregnancy and am feeling more like a beached whale. As many of you know, my brother is getting married in two months. I have got to loose SOME of this baby weight before the big day! I am a bridesmaid in the wedding, and of course all the other bridesmaids are about size 2's. (Love you all ladies) I would almost give my right (no make that left) arm to look like Heidi right now. Well, lets just say, I would love to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight...even minus a few pounds. I never looked like Hiedi anyway. Today marks the diet of the century. Well as much of a diet that you can do while breastfeeding. NO SUGAR! Oooh, that is going to be a hard one. I do so much love my sweets! NO FLOUR..this takes a lot out of your diet, but I am planning to eat lots of protein, fruits, and veggies! Determination ladies...please pray that I can stay motivated!

She's my best friend's girl...

Thanks Monty for all your hard work this weekend! We all really enjoyed getting to spend some time with you and of course, the floors look great! Emma can't wait to meet the rest of your family in just a few short weeks.

GO TIGERS!

John Allen's friend Monty came up this weekend to help him install hardwoods in our bedroom. They have been working hard since Thursday night and still have more work to do tomorrow. They took the afternoon off and headed to the Clemson/UNC baseball game. Emma is wearing her Clemson shirt in honor of the occasion. She doesn't really look like a girl in this outfit, but she does look "tiger-est." We (the girls) were not invited to go to the game...boys only! We spent the day lounging at the house, baking cookies, and enjoying the beautiful weather! It was 80 outside today!! I am loving the spring weather and hoping it is here to stay.

Totally random...I am rather annoyed with people that talk to my baby in stores and refer to her as a BOY! I mean come on people, she is covered in a pink blanket with a butterfly and a flower dangling from her carseat. Does that scream BOY? Just wondering?

Savor Every Moment

Sorry I have been such a bad blogger. I am just trying to savor every moment with Emma before I have to go back to work. I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed. I go back to work on March 30th and that seems like way too quick! I only have a couple of more weeks of sleeping in with my cutie, watching her every move, seeing her smile at the morning sun coming through the blinds. Luckily my mom is coming to stay with her my first week back to school. I will know that she is safe and happy hanging out with Granna while I'm sure I will be bauling in the teacher's lounge. I am trying not to think about our seperation and just enjoy my last few weeks as a stay at home mommy. When I do go back to work, let's just say I'll be living for the summer!

PS. Who knew health insurance for a newborn was so expensive!!! We took a real hit this month because they decided to take out the health insurance for Jan, Feb, and March!!! Without asking I might add! Uhgggghhhhh...

Just a few pics