Georgia Is Seven Months Old!

Georgia-you are SEVEN months old!

Georgia what have you been up to this month?!?

• You are 16 pounds and 26 inches long to my measuring. You are wearing 6 month clothing and you can still get in a few 3-6 month pieces depending on the make/brand. You are wearing size 2 diapers.
• You are constantly on the go! You do not like to be laid back unless you are sleepy. You prefer to be sitting up on your own or standing on our lap-little miss independent!
• You are taking about five 6 oz breastmilk bottles per day and eating breakfast and dinner. Typically breakfast is whole-grain oatmeal and dinner can be a variety of apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, peas, or green beans. You seem to have liked everything you've tasted so far except bananas, I don't think you care for them.
  

  

  
  
• You still seem to prefer your milk over food. You may be a hard baby to break from the bottle! You have drink water also and did good with it.
• You love to be naked and kick your legs on your changing table. Sometimes when you aren't wanting your diaper changed you throw a "mini-fit" and I'm pretty sure you think your life is horrible in that moment ha!
• You love to jump in your Jenny Jumper while mommy cooks supper.
• You have started reaching for us when you want to be held which we absolutely love. You sure know the way to our heart!
  

  

  
  
• When you wake up in the mornings you are so happy and excited! The mornings I get to be there when you wake up are the best mornings.
• You still take your paci but only when you are sleepy. You put it in and out of your mouth with your hands during the day. You like to be in control ha!
• You continue to sleep through the night and your napping has improved! I'm pretty sure you go so hard during the day you wear yourself out. Most days you take a morning 30 minute nap, long afternoon nap, and 30 minute evening nap. And the last few mornings you have slept until 9am (bedtime:10pm)-woohoo!!
  

  

  
  
  
• Mommy blow-dried your hair for the first time this month. We were getting ready for church and your hair wasn't drying fast enough with a towel so I used the blowdryer! I doubt many 7 month old babies are having to do this yet ha!
• You are right on the cusp of crawling. I feel like if we really pushed you you would be crawling right now but this mommy is in no hurry for that.
• 

  You LOVE Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. When you hear the Hotdog song, you stop whatever you're doing and direct your attention to the TV. I am amazed at how observant you are. To get your attention for a picture we have started singing the Hotdog song to you ha!
  
  

  If you can't tell from the variety of pictures, this photo session was a challenge! All she wanted to do is grab the chalkboard and chew on it. I didn't get one decent one of her with the board sitting beside her and did you notice the attitude she was giving me?!? Lord be with me through her teenage years :)
  

Happy 7 months Georgia Grace! You keep us on our toes and our lives are so much more fun with you! We love you oh so much.

(The pillowcase dress Georgia Grace is wearing was made by my church's youth girls and our friend Esther Givens. It is a special piece to me and I am so glad she was able to wear it!)

Memorial Day Weekend

Shew what a weekend! We celebrated Memorial Day big and officially kicked off summer. Here is a recap in pictures:

Friday night my little cousin Payton graduated from high school. I was pretty sad about it! I remember the day she was born (the only day I was EVER allowed to skip school ha!) and I don't see how there is anyway possible 17 years has passed since then. She graduated a valedictorian of her class and is headed to WKU in the fall to become a Kindergarten teacher. We are SOOO proud of you Payter Poo!

Payton and Marcus-two babes ;-)

Payton, Elijah, and Georgia Grace. She was drawn to Elijah's tassel so he let her wear his hat. Three peas in a pod! What a blessing both of them are to us.

Saturday we had a relaxing day at home and it was beautiful outside so I attempted to get some pics of GGH. Y'all this child never stops. If she's awake, she is busy doing something. This is the best pic I could get! The rest were blurry and/or she was completing ignoring the camera. I want her energy!

I hung out my first load of clothes for the year and I took her outside with me so she could watch. She loves being outside and observing nature. I gave her some clothes pins to play with and she probably would have been content with those for hours.

Sunday afternoon we went to a graduation cookout for Payt and Elijah hosted by Elijah's parents and Georgia Grace got to meet her friend Aimsley. These pictures pretty much explain themselves. Oh my goodness my child was in attack mode! She literally could not get enough of sweet Aimsley.

She is such a wild woman. I don't think Aimsley knew what to think ha! I love exposing Georgia to other babies and watching them interact.

Sunday night we went to our friends Brandon and Sara's house for a Memorial Day cookout and yes this is Georgia slapping Abbott! She was in rare form needless to say. Poor Abbott, he was tough though and didn't cry!

Three sweet babies at the cookout-Caroline, Abbott, & Georgia. They were all born within 7 weeks of each other. We laughed and laughed watching them interact. Caroline and Georgia were after my phone and Caroline took a 2 minute video of herself :). Abbott is such a ladies man. So precious!

On Memorial Day we took Georgia Grace to James and Ashley's for her first swim! My bikini babe took cuteness to a whole new level today. It was over-the-top sweetness! I could seriously kiss those little fat rolls all day.

Our sassy southern belle

Checking out her swimsuit. I found her teeny bikini at the LAA sale I went to back in March and I couldn't wait to see her in it. And the floppy hat was the perfect accessory! She never bothered it and it shaded a good portion of her body which was great just in case I missed any spots with sunblock.

Georgia's 1st swim! The water was a little chilly so she mainly sat on the raft. She enjoyed it but I think she would have rather I just turned her loose ha! I don't think so sister.

All smiles after a dip in the pool (& nap)!

After our swim we strolled to my mom's house. They live a couple holes down on the golf course so it is convenient for us. This baby loves to stroll!

And just because 3 cookouts wasn't enough-we had one more tonight! My dad and my Embry grandparents joined us for some hamburgers and brats on the BGE. And for dessert I made some strawberry homemade ice cream that we hand cranked just because we are awesome like that :)

Georgia even took a turn. She's earning her keep!

I'm feeling very blessed after this weekend. We have some pretty great friends and family that I am very thankful for. This weekend couldn't have been much better.<3

And thank you for our service men and women who honorably make sacrifices daily for our country. We are thankful for the brave so we can be free!

Happy Memorial Day!

And Happy Birthday Grandma Harrison!!

Schools Out For Summer

It's time to celebrate because summer has arrived!

Marcus came home yesterday singing School's Out by Alice Cooper. And then proceeded to spend the majority of the rest of the evening repairing our Big Green Egg for grilling season. He is PUMPED!

I don't have school-age children yet but I do have a husband that is a teacher so I think that earns me the right to make a first day/last day collage :). Isn't this just precious? He was two months from being a daddy at the start of the school year and now we have a healthy, vibrant 6 month old! Three years down, ??? to go. We are thankful he already has 3 under his belt.

This was a daily routine for daddy as he dropped baby girl off at grams before going to school. Yes, he walks her to grams and then walks to work. The man has it made!

But the end of summer does mean that Georgia Grace will be home with daddy now. I know two great-grandmothers that are probably a little sad about this. I'm sure the duo will make frequent trips this summer to visit them and I know my mom has already requested to keep her one day while Marcus golfs and does other manly things.

She has enjoyed her days with her great-grandmothers so much. I can't begin to tell you how thankful we are that they are able to keep her while I continue my career. If it isn't me/Marcus-they are the next best thing!

We have fun things planned for this summer that I'm really excited about. Can I tell you how excited I am to see this little princess in a 'kini on the beach? Oh my gracious it's going to be amazing!

So here's a sweet sugary cupcake to celebrate another school year in the books.

Let's get this summer party started!

3 Years Of Being A Bride

May 22, 2010

Three years ago today I married my high school sweetheart on the most beautiful spring day in our small town surrounded by our family and friends. I heard the man of my dreams read me the most endearing, heartfelt vows that were ever written. We cried, we laughed, we danced. Our special day was perfect in every single way.

The story really starts in November of 2003 when he asked me to be "his girl" :). I was 16, he was 15. Babies-just babies! This picture was taken his senior year of high school. (And now you see how our daughter inherited the hair gene ha!)

We dated through most of high school and college and were engaged in June 2009. Here we are the day he proposed on the BEACH! Oh how I love this man.

We have honeymooned in Hawaii, spent New Years Eve in the Big Apple, left the country for the Bahamas, been big kids at Disney World, watched the Cats in NOLA for March Madness, beach vacationed all over the southeastern coast and traveled countless other places in our short married life. We are trying to leave no stone unturned!

And one year ago today this happened! I don't think we will ever have an anniversary that tops this one. Our little family has grown in years and number and I'm thankful more and more everyday for our marriage and for my forever groom.

Happy Anniversary to us! These past three years have been good great the best. And it's only just begun...

Weekend

I

This weekend I didn't clean as much as I had planned or sew as much as I needed to but I spent quality time with my family and that trumps all the rest. I can't get enough of this picture. It's my new favorite. My heart just melts!

Sunday evening we went to have our pictures made as a family for the first time since Georgia was born. Oh my goodness they were so much fun! When I took her for her newborn portraits I felt stressed and overwhelmed. It had only been my second time of taking her out of the house and I was still Nervous Nellie trying to take care of a 10 day old baby. This experience was totally different and SO much easier.

Here is just a little sneak preview that I caught with my iPhone. Oooohhh the sweetness of this picture! The whole shoot felt very vintage-y and classic. Georgia Grace did wonderful. She thought she did wonderful too because she is giving herself a round of applause in this picture :). Love my girl!

And how sweet was this welcome when we pulled in the driveway!?! Thank you Jessi & Jack!

This week is going to be a fun one-last week of school, celebrating our 3rd anniversary, and watching cousin Payt get her high school diploma. And I will be sure to post our pictures when they are ready!

Just A List

1. We are moving right along with project: baby food. So far we have introduced sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, and bananas with good acceptance (and no allergies) to all. I can say that I think she still prefers her milk over her food. She will eat it but usually doesn't finish the whole serving and gets easily distracted. So far I have bought her baby food (I happened upon a deal at Rite Aid where they paid me to take it from their store!) but once my stores run out I plan on making her food. If you remember I tried making her first batch and it was an epic mommy fail so I'm easing myself back into it. Lesson #53278590 learned! :)

2. Two evenings this week we have taken strolls and can I tell you how happy I am spring has finally arrived? A little sunshine makes any day a little brighter.

3. Georgia had her first ride on the Harley last night! Marcus' dad is a diehard Harley Davidson man so it was only appropriate that we broke Georgia in at an early age. Oh, how I will loathe the day she starts asking to ride it!

4. Yesterday Georgia and I had a girls day out shopping for beach items, accessories for her 6 month portraits, and groceries of course. Georgia slept through Walmart and Aldi-can you blame her? She was a good shopping buddy. She did get mad at me once because she didn't want to get back in her carseat to leave the store. She threw a "mini-fit" you could say. I just had to laugh about it. I'm sure this won't be the last mini-fit she throws. And I bet they all won't be minis ha!

5. We met Paige and my mamaw at CFA for lunch yesterday. The first of many trips to CFA for GGH I'm sure. She is such a big girl now sitting in highchairs at restaurants.

6. Marcus' last day of school is next Thursday. This school year seemed about a minute long. It's crazy how fast time moves these days. He is looking forward to his summer at home with our baby and mommy has no idea how she will get up and leave them in the mornings.

It looks like this weekend will provide an opportunity to give the house a good spring cleaning/organizing. I don't like to clean but I like to BIG clean if that makes any sense. It must be the feeling of accomplishment you receive after tackling that busting-at-the-seams cabinet or finally finding a place for all those rolls of wrapping paper. I'm actually kind of excited about it. We will see if I'm singing the same song this time tomorrow...

My First Mother's Day

Mother's Day. A day I have often thought about but never experienced in its capacity until this year. And it was such a blessing!

Six months ago I was given the most precious gift from God-my sweet Georgia peach! What an amazing half of a year it has been. I now know the love of a mother and understand what it means when my mom would tell me, "You will understand when you have children of your own someday".

 This baby is my pride and joy. She makes me want to be a better mom. I love my husband better because of her. I work and provide for my family because of her. I seek God's Word and guidance daily because of her. Even though many days I feel inadequate, overwhelmed, or just plain exhausted with my motherly duties, I know the Lord trusted me to serve in this role. Can I get an amen?

I have loved getting to experience all of the "firsts" with these two.

I also was able to spend Mothers Day with the women who molded me for motherhood. These ladies are Proverbs 31 women to me.

My husband (& daughter) spoiled me this year with breakfast in bed which featured two of my favorite things: oatmeal and milk! I am such a mono-eater he knew there was no point in preparing an extravagant meal for me ha! I love that he knows that about me. But the sweetest things on the tray were the two cards from my Georgia Grace. She made them with AKK kids and they are SO sweet and special to me!

And to commemorate my first Mother's Day Marcus gave me a silver locket with Georgia Grace's picture in it. The perfect gift for the perfect day. I will be the first to admit I am not the best at accepting gifts because I am tight financially-strict but I am learning to appreciate these acts of love. We all have our crosses to bear ha!

My day ended with me feeling loved, needed, and appreciated. All very important things to be a healthy mom. Thank you to everyone for the heartfelt gifts and for making my day special.

You will notice in the top left-hand corner of the collage a ring that spells MOM. My Mamaw Embry gave this to me yesterday. She has wore it for many years and I am honored that she has passed it down to me. I am thankful for her renewed health after a trip to the hospital last week. God is good!

 I hope all of you motherly figures had a great day celebrating YOU! Happy Mothers Day!

WKU Finale

Today my brother graduated with his Bachelors Degree from WKU! He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a double major in political science and economics. He was also president of SAE fraterntiy. We are so proud of him!

Georgia, Cody, and Cody's sweet sweet girlfriend Sarah. We have loved getting to know her over the past year and we hope she sticks around! (hint hint bro)

The whole family. We are all sun-grinning like someone was paying us to do it. But we got the picture ha!

Georgia lasted the first 1 1/2 hours of graduation and then she got restless so she and I watched the rest from the TV screens in the hallway. And then she crashed while Eric was holding her (should have got a picture-SO precious) and slept the whole way home. She had a rough morning so a nap was much needed. She's a trooper though. I doubt many 6 month olds have been to two college graduations!

Cody and his melting cake :)

Mom and Stan had a cookout for Cody after the commencement. It just happens to still be WINTER here so we had to move indoors after sunset. It was nice not having to fight the graduation crowd at the restaurants.

We will sure miss this guy when he moves to Wichita next month but we couldn't be more proud or excited for his future! He's just an airplane ride (or a LONG car drive) away---and since he will be working in the aircraft industry maybe he can get us a deal! ;)

Stand up and cheer...For this is dear old Western's day.