awful

Oh my yesterday was an AWFUL day! For the first time in a VERY VERY long time, my computer wasn't even touched! I was in bed all day with the sickies. Oh, I'm very thankful it was only a 24 hour bug and it is gone! I am also extremely thankful for my dear friend Charity who came to my rescue as I was a crying, blubbering mess on the phone at 7:45am...she saved me by picking up Macy Grace and loving on her all day long. Oh, it was so needed.
On a positive note, I lost 4 to 5 lbs because of the nastiness, which will be gained right back today, I'm just sure of it!

4 months

Lil love,
Today marks 4 months since we welcomed you into this world, and I've loved nearly every single second of it. You are amazing. And such a good baby. Grant it, you have your moments where you really are a handful and needy, but what can I expect from a baby? Overall, you are perfect.
When you smile, your entire face lights up, it is so warming. You have the cutest grin and captivating eyes. Your eyelashes are long and thick and curly. You definitely inherited that gene from your daddy!
You have discovered your toes, and it is adorable. We lay you down and you instantly grab for your toes. You also know how to roll over and have been doing so for about a month now. You prefer to roll from back to tummy and have amazing head control. Daddy says you look like a seal on your tummy because you lift your head up so high and arch your back then you lift your feet up also, it is cute.
You still enjoy your swing and mobile. Your playmat is starting to get a little boring as now you just roll over and don't enjoy it quite as much. I put you in a walker the other day but your cute little legs don't touch the floor yet. Daddy says I'm trying to make you grow up too quick!
You are definitely a go-getter. You love to be moving. When someone is holding you you want us to be walking around. And when we put you up to a mirror you smile so big! It's cute. You are still cooing and babbling alot and you really enjoy music.
Unfortunately you did get sick about a week ago with your first double ear infection, you took it like a champ though. I took you to the doctor and you weighed 13 lbs 9 ounces and are 24 inches long.
Your sleeping habits have changed slightly as sometimes you wake up about twice in the night, maybe you just need some extra lovin'! Another thing that you have discovered is the tv. It captivates you!
You still smile big for my camera and are just precious. I cannot begin to explain to you how much I love you and how much that love grows every single day. You are my sunshine and I love you with all my heart. Everyone that meets you walks away saying how beautiful you are, and they are right, you are beautiful. I love you my itty bitty.
With all my love,
Momma

a universal struggle

I don't have time for much, but I made time for this. Ah, the pioneer woman...she tells it like it is, I love her for that. This post is perfect.

Living in the country has been so helpful to me as I’ve trudged through pregnancies, births, and periods of nursing all four of my children. It helps me realize that as members of the female species, our struggles are universal. When I’m heavily pregnant in the final months of carrying my babies, I see the enormous mama cows carrying around 100-pound calves in their bodies and it helps me not feel so bad about my plight. And when we wean ther calves from their mamas and watch the mama cows walk the fenceline and bawl because they can’t get to their babies, I feel that horrible tug and my throat swells empathetically. I know how strong the bond is between a mother and her baby; I’ll probably bawl, too, when my first child goes to college. And when I see a mama cow in the pasture moments after she’s given birth and her placenta and other membranes are still hanging from her body, I totally…
Never mind. I care too much about the handful of males that read this site this to go any farther.
Back to country life. Back to the animals.
I wish I’d had Hooker, Cowboy Josh’s dog, around when I was breastfeeding my babies. Because if I’d taken one look at her, I would have felt a little less shackled by the fact that I was providing the sole nutrition for another human being. I would have felt a little better about not being able to get anything done because I have this THING permanently attached to my bosom.
I would have felt a heck of a lot less engorged.
Here. I’ll show you what I mean.
(Note: Hooker is a stray that Cowboy Josh adopted, and he intends to have her spayed as soon as the puppies are weaned. Her scars and war injuries indicate a rough past, but rest assured she’s now cared for and loved.)


Hooker’s such a good mama. But sometimes she just has to get away and have a moment to herself.


The puppies don’t really grasp that concept.



They don’t care if their mama is standing up, lying down, or doing the Cha-Cha. If they want to eat, they find a way to make it happen.


Oh my GRACIOUS, but these babies are cute.



If Hooker goes into the barn…the puppies go in right after her.

You know, this reminds me that when my siblings and I were little, my own mom used to go into her room to try to take a short nap from time to time. She lock her door, and we’d pick it with a hanger and go hop on her bed.

My poor mother. I now understand all she went through.

Mom? I’m sorry I picked your lock when you were trying to sleep.

Is that why you only call me four times a week now instead of five? I hope you can forgive me one day.


“Hey, Mom! Hey Mom! Mom? Mom? Where ya goin’, Mom? Mom? Mom?”

Mom?


Poor, sweet Hooker



She just can't catch a break


But at least she’s learned the most important thing about giving birth to babies, whether it’s one or two or six:


The moment you have a child...


Your life is never, ever your own again.


So you might as well just lay back...


Submit...


And enjoy the ride.

a few new favs

I just took these today, isn't she cute? These are my new favorites =)









PS. Do you love 'em BIG?

beautiful

The weather is gorgeous. There is simply no other way to describe it. It's perfect. Beautiful. Wow. 10:40am on March 5th, and the temperature is a stunning 67 degrees. A slight breeze. The birds are churpping. The air is fresh. You can see little patches of green grass springing up. This just makes me so happy.

And sad. Lil love is still coughing and I want to be outside so badly. Would that be irresponsible? Should I be taking her outside, even though the weather is perfect? I just don't know. Ugh.

10 on Tuesday

I had EVERY intention of doing this yesterday, since it is, ahem, 10 on Tuesday....but you'll soon find out why this post is repeatedly late.
1. Macy Grace is so sick. I'm just so sad about it. She has a stuffy nose, congestion, double ear infection, and thrush. I might as well jot it down because no thanks to the fact that she inherited my sensitive genes, she'll have a yeast infection in no time....ugh. Add that to the fact that she's a drooling mess (I think because of teeth) and I'm very very tired!
2. I bellied up here last night with 3 perfectly delicious, warm, straight from the oven cowboy cookies only to realize Jake was a barking fool. So, I go outside to let him in and he gets off the leash and off into the night. Grrrr. So, I had to call J to come start looking for him. I couldn't leave the house since lil love was finally tucked in and asleep. Luckily, 45 minutes later J comes home with him. I was annoyed.
3. So, there ya have it, exactly why I'm just now posting, at 2:30 in the afternoon with a precious bundle of love laying in her crib singing and jabbering, NOT taking her much much needed nap.
4. I'm starting to get a few bricks in the fire and it's going to keep me on my toes. I have 4 weddings this summer and I'm the maid of honor in one, taking pictures for one, enjoying one, and J is in one.
5. My bedroom is all organized. It makes me so happy. It truly just doesn't matter to me how ugly and blah it is with nothing on the walls as long as it's clean and organized, and that it is!
6. Photography, I'm starting to think it really is my passion. I enjoy it so much. I know I'm still learning but I really appreciate it. I've tried many other things (as in hobbies) and nothing I've really really enjoyed as much as this. It is so FUN!
7. Spring is in the air, I heard the birds churpping the other morning and it brought a HUGE smile to my face!
8. Jeremy was reading to Macy Grace her bedtime Bible story the other night and it was so precious. He wanted to read her Jonah and whale. The stories are only one page and simple, well, J thought it could use some exagerration with in so he started in. Macy Grace had been quite fussy that evening but as soon as he started to tell her the story she got this HUGE smile on her face. Then he made the sound effect of the whale spitting Jonah onto dry land with a big "BLECH" and lil love let out the cutest giggle. Nothing and I mean nothing is sweeter and warms my heart more then that.
9. Because I normally say something about it, the Bachelor, gosh. I was disppointed. Let's just leave it at that...
10. Last Saturday night, our young adult Sunday School class met together for one of our monthly activities. I love our ACTS class. We are a crazy bunch of young adults who have a really fun time together and the chemistry is awesome. Well, this particular night the activity planned was a scavenger hunt - boys vs girls. Or okay, men vs women, whatever. Anyhow, the girls team rocked and we won. And I nearly peed my pants as we decided to outsmart the other team by splitting into two different vehicles. Well, when we realized the other team left with 5 of us to ride in a 2 passenger manual shift pickup, it meant 3 of us were to pile in the bed and call it "old times". Needless to say we were in a race against time so as Charity went flying through a feild, Shirley, Jennifer, and I gripped on sides for dear life and decided to take one for the team! It was fun....

a little sickly

I know it must seem like I've fallen off the band wagon, but lil love is sickly. She has had a stuffy nose for several days, then it started getting deeper into the chest, and now a cough =( I started some breathing treatments on Thursday and it just doesn't seem to be getting any better! Therefore, since she doesn't feel very well, she just wants her mommy to hold her, how's that for getting ANYTHING done? Anyhow, we're off to the dr tomorrow, hopefully she'll be doing much better soon.