For My Georgia

I really wish I could bottle you up and keep you this age forever. The exhausting infancy stage is over, the learning-to-walk toddler era is behind us and we haven't reached the terrible twos so we're in an easy place right now. Everyday you learn something(s) new and make me the proudest mom. I want to make sure I remember this special time in your life.

On Mondays we go to MND (Monday night dinner) at Grandmomma's house. You are already there since she keeps you on Mondays so Mommy and Daddy just come there to see you and eat supper. You are always the center of attention and I think it's obvious you like the limelight.

On Tuesdays we go run/walk/stroll/chase birds as a family after supper. This is a new tradition we started this spring and we all four look forward to it. Your Mom and Dad both know how important it is to exercise but we don't want to take time away from you at night so you join us!

On Wednesdays you spend the day with Mamaw Carolyn and we go to Mamaw Embry's for supper and to church. You are privileged to get to grow up knowing all four of your great-grandmothers.

On Thursdays we watch out the front door for Daddy to come home from school. Owen is always by your side because he is equally excited to see his favorite person. This is our favorite part of the day! You like seeing the "school bah" and "kids" walking home too.

You are always smiling and waving. Even at your crazy Mom taking a picture of you in the front yard.

On Fridays you paint me beautiful pictures with your preschool friends. Even though you are the youngest you feel like you should get to participate in all of the things they do. And of course they let you and love the days that "Baby Georgia" is there. You have learned so much from them and hit milestones early following their lead.

Our weekends are pretty easy and laid back. We usually sleep-in (8am) on Saturdays and have a fun day at home. Now that summer is almost here you will probably find us at Gammy's pool a lot too.

One of my favorite times of the day is when you first wake up from your nap. You are so cuddly and happy to see me it makes my heart want to explode.

This past weekend I washed our bedding and when I pulled out our blanket I let you feel how warm it was. You loved it so I wrapped you up in it like a baby. Before I knew it you were sound asleep, way before your normal naptime.

Back in November I blogged about setting up an email account for Georgia Grace that we can use to send her little tidbits that she will enjoy reading when she is 16. Or maybe she won't but I will be glad we did it :) Here was the most recent email sent to her. Marcus usually doesn't contribute to the blog but I asked if I could post this and he obliged. Of course I cried. Of course.

May 9, 2014

Georgia Grace,

Last night, I took you to the ballpark with me to watch some of my students play baseball.  It was just you and me.  We had a fun time!  You got to see your cousin, Keagen, play 2^nd base and pitcher for his Little League team, the Cardinals.  My favorite part of the night was holding you in my lap and eating sunflower seeds with you.  You were very curious about what I was eating, so I cracked the shell of a seed and let you bite part of the seed inside.  You liked it!  You observed that I was spitting the shells after I cracked them in my mouth, so you started trying to spit as well.  You looked up at me with those darling, big, brown eyes, then leaned over and tried to spit on the ground, just like you saw “Daddy” doing.  It melted my heart.  I loved that you wanted to be like me.

All my love,

Daddy

You had us from the moment we laid eyes on you. We are putty in your hands :) A year and a half new suits you well but no matter how old you get my baby you will always be.

Love,

Mommy

A Day In The Life

Georgia was just a baby when I did a post that went through the ins and outs of a typical day for us so I thought it would be a good time to do another one. This blog is my family's scrapbook and I know I will appreciate looking back at what a typical day looked like at this exact time in our lives.

If you've been following along for a while you know that I get to be a SAHM on Thursdays. I absolutely love that about my job. I am able to have a career and provide for my family and still experience being at home with her. And she gets to spend her other days with her great-grandmothers. I truly have the best of both worlds.

On Thursdays GGH is my alarm clock so she decided 7a on the dot was wake up time (9 o'clock bedtime and no wake ups through the night-yahoo!).

Good morning angel baby!

We start off our day with a bottle and morning snuggles. I love this time when she's still sleepy but starting to rise. This particular morning she was not ready to get her day started so I just rocked her and she slept another 2 hours until 9a! I sat and held her the whole time. Babies don't keep. 

After our morning nap it was time for breakfast. Georgia Grace LOVES cooking. She seriously loves to be in the kitchen. I have learned to crack eggs with one hand and open cabinet doors with my toes just so she can be a part of meal prep. Breakfast this morning was scrambled eggs, "O's", a mandarin orange and milk-yum! (She was upset in the picture because I put her in her high chair so I could transfer eggs from the skillet to her bowl-told you.) Also you can see Owen lurking in the background. He gets breakfast scraps :)

After breakfast I found Owen in one of his favorite spots. He loves looking out our living room windows.

After breakfast we got cleaned up and dressed for the day (she did at least, it was an all-day pajama day for me!). Most days when we stay home I keep her in footed jams but today we were taking her 15 month picture so she spruced up a bit. Mommy and baby selfie in her nursery as she's waving to the camera :)

I took some funny ones including this one that I posted to facebook. Loved the sweet comments from my family and friends! Everyone that knows her was not surprised by that picture ha!

We played in her nursery and in the living room for the rest of the morning until it was time for lunch and to see daddy.

We live close enough to Marcus's school that he can walk to work so he walks home during his lunch break too. What a sweet treat for us! I look forward to seeing him and his daughter and pup definitely do.

Lunch happened and I didn't take a picture. I ate leftover mexican casserole and she had some mac and cheese and veggie snacks. She wasn't very hungry after a late breakfast. 

By 1 o'clock she was ready for a nap. She normally doesn't sleep this much but she had her 15 month shots the day prior so I think that was some of it.

I absolutely love watching her sleep. And taking her picture while she's doing it.

(Thanks again Darcy for the adorable valentine pj's!)

From different angles.

I'm obsessed.

Breathing in these sweet moments.

When I finally pulled away from starring at my sleeping beauty, it was on to laundry. I don't have a laundry room, I have a laundry closet so my dining room serves a dual purpose. I like to dry my clothes for about 20 minutes and then let me air dry them to finish. My dad taught me that trick a long time ago and I still do it.

I lied when I said my dining room served  a dual purpose because actually it's a trifecta-dining room, laundry, and sewing room (My pantry cabinet is also in there so four purposes!). My machine has been acting up so I decided it was time for a good cleaning. Sure enough that fixed my problem.

My Mamaw Carolyn also stopped by to bring us all this fruit she bought for us! I am an Aldi produce snob and she knows it so she picks up some goodies for us when she makes a trip. She knows the way to my heart!

Marcus and cousin Keagen came home from school and headed out to get a haircut for Keagen. He got a 'bama bangs cut and it was so cute. His words:

"I never knew I could look this good!"

"I was at 100% and know I guess I'm at 150%."

So humble. So hilarious!

At 4:30 (a 3 1/2 hour nap!!) Georgia Grace woke up to see one of her favorite cousins!

She was so excited she started running in her crib!

Daddy, Keagen, and GGH played while I started supper. Keagen was on his way in the pit when I took this picture.

For dinner I fixed Taco Chili and Funfetti Gooey Cake Bars. I don't normally fix a dessert but I saw this recipe and had to try it! The taco chili was excellent. Marcus bragged and bragged on it. He has been so proud of me and my recent monthly menu planning project. That in itself motivates me. 

Keagen went home and daddy and Georgia were on their own while I slaved away in the kitchen. I heard a commotion and looked over and witnessed this all too familiar scene. She had got into Owen's dog food and Marcus was disciplining her (#reallife). She knows better but she just loves playing in it so much. Bless it she has a hard life! ;)

The finished product of the funfetti bars.

I think I was suppose to make my balls of dough smaller on top because this is how they're suppose to look, the balls all melting together. Oh well, it didn't change the taste. You learn as you go!

I cleaned up the kitchen and then we decided we would take the dessert over to my Mamaw Carolyn's to share it with her. Georgia Grace hopped in her lap first thing for a snack. We visited and watched some ballgames and then headed back home around 9:15.

She fell semi asleep on the way home so I rocked her and gave her a bottle before putting her to bed at 10pm. I picked a perfect day to do a day in the life for her sleeping schedule! She's trying to make a liar out of me :)

After I put her down for bed, I take my shower, lay out my things for the next day, set out the camcorder for Film Friday, and feed Owen. An adorable clothing company called Georgia Grace (crazy cool!) released some of their Spring 2014 line last night and I fell in love with this top. I haven't pulled the trigger yet but I may have to. She needs a few pieces with her name in them! :)

I check social media and do my Jesus Reading (current-Love Does by Bob Goff). Always time well spent.

Bedtime. Tomorrow starts in approximately 6 1/2 hours.

So that's what a typical, very boring and very real day looks like at the Harrison Homeplace. Thanks for hanging with me and enduring the 26 iphone quality pictures! It was a fun day at home living life with the ones I love most.