This Wonderful Thing Called Life

I Need to Update, But How About An Announcement Instead?

2011-12-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

So I know I have been terrible at this lately, but work and sickness has just been dragging us down. Back in November, while daddy was out of town, I found out that I was pregnant! I told Aylin because I decided I would love for her to be the one to tell Bobby. So, watch video now:

*Sorry for the videos previewed after mine, I have not watched them nor endorse them. Can anyone tell me how to post videos on here without using Youtube?*

She still talks about Mommy having a baby in her "button," every now and then she actually says belly :) We also surprised daddy with a homemade chocolate chip cookie cake :)

Aylin made this cute shirt and wore it at Thanksgiving dinner to tell the family our big news:

Everyone noticed right away except Bobby's mom, Bobby finally lifted Aylin up and said,

"Mom, read her shirt!" :)

I am at 9 weeks today (Thursday, Dec. 8th) and will be having my 3rd internal ultrasound in a little over a week. I have been having lots of cramping and have been extremely sick. With Aylin, I was sick mostly in the morning, would throw-up, and be okay. I also had a little cramping with her, but this 2nd time around I am nauseous all day and night! The baby was originally measuring small and my due date has been changed 3 times all ready. It started at July 10th, then to July 15th, and now we are at the 12th. On the last trip the Dr. found a small bleed which they believe is the cause of the intense cramping. Worst case scenario: we are looking a complications because of separation of the placenta. Best case scenario: it goes away on its own. Obviously, we are hoping and praying for the best case and would love any and all prayers for a good, healthy outcome.

Sweet Sleep

2011-10-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

It is 12:05 AM and Jewel Bug has finally fallen asleep :) We are on our way home from a great gospel meeting in McMinnville, TN where we got to see lots of old friends and made new ones, too. I forgot how much I love to hear my husband preach and he has a lot this month! Add the icing to our cake: we spent time with the Perrys and even saw the Reeds, old friends, good food, and the Smokies in the fall! Plus, hubby preaches again this Sunday ;). As for me, I'm off to try to get comfortable in Rosie, the Cube, and attempt a power nap...it's going to be a long, hard day!

Sweet Sleep

2011-10-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

Wordless Weds.

2011-09-14T19:02:00.001-07:00

A Catch-Up Post

2011-09-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

August was incredibly busy and tiresome, so much that I didn't make one single blog post :( So here is one to catch-up:

Jewel Bug is talking non-stop and very clearly now. She really thinks she is a big girl and can do everything by herself except when she is whiney and then she CAN'T do ANYTHING by herself! She is also really pushing that boundary or disobedience, ughh, that is very frustrating :( We have finally moved away from Mickey Mouse, don't get me wrong, she still loves all things Mickey, but we have reached out to Dora the Explorer, Cars, and Princess Belle. Sweet girl loves to sing, and I love to listen to her! Everywhere we go she notices the letter A and says, "A for Aylin!" :) Because I had to go back to work, she is back with Nannie Chelle and friends M-TR; but she loves her Nannie Chelle, Becka, and all her little friends so that makes the adjustment a little easier. Here she is with her Mary Claire:

She got a pet fish and named him Pete; Pete the Cat has recently become her favorite Mickey character?

She moved into the 2 year old classroom for Bible Class :)

She got her first haircut!

She did so great! She climbed up in the chair, loved her "big dress," and just let Kourtney cut away. She evened out her hair and put a few layers in to help it grow. The left side was longer than the right, but we are all the same length now :)

We had a paint night! Every year the school I work for does a fundraiser called Square One Art. The students make a work of art and this company creates anything you want them to with it. Last year, I did Aylin's hand print with each dog's paw print, so this year I built on that:

Above: what Aylin painted all by herself :) and below: Aylin's foot print, hand prints, fingerprints, Tessie's paw and Buttercup's paw :)

We had a COUSINS playdate! Payton and Aylin were so funny! They saw each other, ran to each other, and hugged each other! I love the pic of Payton and Aylin taking turns pushing Macey Jo in the swing...CUTENESS!

Just recently, she changed her bedtime routine on us. She won't let us rock her anymore! We use to read a few books and rock in her glider before saying our prayers and going to bed. But now she goes straight to the crib and starts trying to climb in, gathers her loveys and says goodnight :( She is still in her crib simply because we decided this year Christmas will be all about getting her a new room. In fact, we actually purchased our 1st Christmas gift! I know, I know, I am always the last minute shopper but Target had a cute little bed-in-a-bag that I had been eyeing on sale so we got it :)

She will be using my old twin bed and her great-grandmother's dresser for now. The other things Santa and family will be bringing include a chair, dollhouse bookshelf, owl pillow, curtains, ceiling fan, blinds (the new room is the only room in the house we didn't put blinds on when we 1st moved in), and any other little thing that might look cute in there.

I'm going to end it here with my little monkey, there are still a few posts I haven't done yet, but they will need to wait for another day.

Aylin Jewel's 2 Year Photo Shoot

2011-07-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

We got in our CD of pics and I finally got to look at them, so here they are

Make a photo slideshow

My Consignment Steal/Aylin's Favorite Toy/Counting to 5

2011-07-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

As a mom on a budget, I try to hit consignment sales for clothes and get hand-me-downs from friends. Every now and then I find a great little toy; for example, two years ago, at about this time, we bought Aylin a rocking horse for $10 which we saved until Christmas. This year I found this:

It is a Kleinway Baby Grand Piano, in great condition and I paid $15 for it! A friend prompted me to do some research, and I found a few shops that sale these for $95-120, and on eBay and Craigslist they are $70 and up! Let me just say this, this is the best $15 I have spent thus far; Jewel Bug LOVES her piano!

And finally a video to let you listen to what we have been hearing since Thursday night:

If you listen closely AJ counts to five at the end of the video, the sound only catches the 4 and the 5 because 1, 2, and 3 were so soft. It was the first time I heard her count CORRECTLY! Normally she just skips around all the numbers from 1-10, normally saying 6 and 7 three or four times. I love this girl and love watching her play her new piano :)

"Out of the Mouth of Babes..."

2011-07-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

A Memory Post for Our Family

(Images from NASA's website)

Tonight, as I was pulling Aylin Jewel out of her carseat, she looked up and REALLY noticed the stars. We have pointed them out to her before, but tonight was just different. I was in a hurry and my mind was racing about getting everything inside, taking care of the girls (dogs), getting the trash to the street, and getting AJ to bed because we have a long day tomorrow. I was privately praying that she wouldn't give me too much trouble tonight because I was tired and just didn't want to fight with her (she's been fighting sleep for the last couple of weeks). That is when I heard it...an awe-inspiring, "WOW!" I stopped and watched a little sparkle in Aylin's eyes as she scanned the sky. Finally, she looked down into my eyes and said, "Momma, whasat?" (What's that? for those of you who don't speak baby) Her look of amazement just brought a smile to my face, and I forgot about everything else including the rush to get inside.

I replied, "Those are stars, aren't they beautiful?" To which I got a "yes...bootiful stars," all the while gazing upward. I then asked her if she wanted to watch the stars for a while, which gave me a very excited YES! So we took our stuff inside, let the dogs out, gathered up the trash and took it to the street, and then sat down in the grass and looked up at the stars.

We talked about How God made the stars on day 4 and sang the creation song. We talked about how the stars form shapes and some people use them to find their way home. Then she wanted to sing the creation song again and we talked about the other things God made, each time coming back to the "bootiful stars."

My Jewel Bug then said "pay" (pray) and folded her little hands together. Which at the time made me tear up and as I am writing this is making me full-out cry. So we said a little prayer outside on our front lawn at 9:20 PM, and we thanked God for his creation and specifically for his beautiful stars. And we asked that Mommy not be in such a rush, that I would take the time to look around (up in this case) and enjoy God's creation more often. That I might SEE as my 2 year old SEES.

When we finished praying, I promised her that when she was older we would learn about the different constellations God put in the sky and how to find them. She hugged my neck and said, "okay mommy."

I told her we needed to go inside and call her daddy (he is on a youth trip) before going night, night. As we walked into the garage, she waved at the stars and said, "Bye, God stars!"

The first thing she said when her daddy said hello was "STARS!" She then tried to tell him all about them in an excited blur of words I couldn't even understand. :)

I leave you with a couple of Bible verses that seem extra relevant tonight:

Matthew 21:16 "...Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise."

(This is where I got the title from)

Also read Deuteronomy 6:5-7, Matthew 18:1-10, and Mark 10:14-16

Vacation Bible School at the Southaven Church of Christ

2011-07-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night we have an introduction lesson into our VBS followed by a Hot Dog Supper and Balloon Release. To date, AJ has cried 2 out of the 3 years we have done this, so daddy always hides a back-up balloon for her. Every now and then it pays to be the preacher's kid :) The pic above is of her when she received her BUB (back-up balloon). This year our theme was "In the Lord's Army" and had lessons about "Christian Armor," "Gideon's Army of 300," and "Joshua and the Battle of Jericho."

The guys, Ben and Eric, did an amazing job on the auditorium stage!

Shannon (Reed's mom) and I taught the Gideon lesson to 2-4th graders this year; this was our story room:

On the last night of VBS I sent Aylin to her class with my camera, here are some of the pics her teachers took:

Here are all the crafts Aylin brought home from the 3 nights of VBS. They are the Christian Armor (at least wheat we made it home with), Gideon's torch, and Joshua's trumpet. She had a great time in class, thanks to all her teachers and assistants!

And finally Aylin Jewel's Photo Memories from her 2011 VBS class:

Our 4th of July Weekend

2011-07-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late with this post, but I just now emptied the pics off of my camera. July 4th weekend is always a busy time, but very fun and uplifting as we do things with our Christian family. The festivities start off with the Hernando Bike Parade which we attend with other members from the Southaven Church of Christ. We had a smaller group than last year, but still had a GREAT time!

I had to add this picture below b/c it shows Aylin and Dean last year in Dean's wagon (L) and them this year in his wagon (R). She rode her bike until she saw him, then decided she needed to ride in the wagon again.

This next collage is of Aylin goofing off with my camera, these are the pics she took:

The weekend ends with our annual congregational cookout at the Taubken's followed by fireworks at Snowden Grove.

Aylin with her Nannie Chelle and Becka :)

And I leave you with this last pic of Aylin Jewel at LAST YEAR'S fireworks, when she took some of her first steps. It's crazy how much things change in just a year!

Aylin Jewel's 2 Year Check-Up

2011-07-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

This morning we went for AJ's 2 year check-up, and she did amazing!! She tee-teed and pooped in the potty as soon as we got there. She climbed on the scale all by herself and let the nurse weigh and measure her. Then climbed on top of the bus exam table, which coincidently she decided to carry in her own toy bus from her Nana (since we left Mickey at Nannie Chelle's). She let the dr. and a trainee examine her, and laughed and played with them the whole time. She told some baby crying next door to hush :) and even said "ahhhhh" for the doctors! Finally, here are her stats:
Head- 47.75 cm
Height- 34 in
Weight- 30 lbs
50% across the board, almost 75%

Laney Claire Comes To Play

2011-07-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

The past two days we have had extra kids at the house and I have LOVED every minute of it! Tonight, LC came to play while her mommy had a class to attend.

These girls play so nicely together!

In fact the only time I had to get on to either one of them was right before LC was getting ready to leave, and it was bedtime for both girls! Above: The girls playing house TOGETHER! Below: TAKING TURNS feeding Aylin Jewel's Baby Alive. YES! I said these 2 yr olds were taking turns!

Bobby and I decided to order some pizza for dinner, and the girls decided to share the Mickey tray while we watched Toy Story 1 :)

Popsicle Break

2011-07-07T12:06:00.001-07:00

Breakfast for 3

2011-07-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

Jennifer S brought breakfast over for us all :). Aylin was so excited to sit in a "big chair" and let JS have her "baby chair" - those were her words.

John Stephen Came to Play

2011-07-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

So yesterday our friend JS came over and the two kids played and danced and screamed on and off for an hour until we went outside for an impromptu play date with the Etheridge's and Risters!

Sliding with the Risters

2011-07-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Aylin loves the Rister boys! Griffin is the first boy to tell AJ he loves her :) LOL! And almost everything we do AJ asks for Reed :) They came over for the surprise play date yesterday too. The "whoa" you hear me say is b/c Aylin almost flipped out of the pool when G came down.

Aylin and her girls a few months ago

2011-06-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get my phone to post to my blog, hence the earlier pic post- it cut off the text on it

My Furbabies

2011-06-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

June Collage

2011-06-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy since we got back from vacation, but that is what I love about summer! We try to spend a lot of time at home playing, but I can only be in the house so much until I just have to get out. We have been potty training :) Aylin Jewel Bug does really well when at home or at the church building, rarely having any accidents, but when we are out other places she refuses to tell me she has to go potty.

The top two pics are just of AJ playing around the house, and the bottom 2 pics are of her very first tee-tee and poo-poo on the potty!!

We have had a few PLAYDATES!!

(1)Aylin with Aunt Tessa and cousin Payton (2)cousin Macey Jo

Playing with our friend Rachel!

Our first trip to the Sprinkler Park with Mary Claire and John Stephen:

Mary Claire, John Stephen, and Aylin Jewel

:) Best Friends=Sweet Babies :)

This past week daddy has been away to camp with our youth group; we went down there to visit twice, and both times I forgot my camera. These were taken on my phone. At SLCC, there is one of those really OLD, really TALL, metal slides. Of course, Aylin wasn't scared at all and climbed right up and slid right down! These pics are of her and one of our favorite friends, REED! They are 2 weeks apart :)

This morning we decided to give Buttercup and Tessie baths! It was hilarious :)

Finally, this has become one of Aylin Jewel's favorite treats: Starbucks' Birthday Cake Pop!

It has been a great first few weeks of summer with my baby girl; I wish it would never end.

Day 5 (Wednesday) and Day 6: The Trip Home

2011-06-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Our Last Morning at the Beach :(

I did not take any pics while at the beach today because Aylin loved it!! We spent all of our time playing, playing, playing, squealing, playing some more, and picking up seashells...It was a GREAT day! While having a snack break, I did take these 2 pics trying to show her boo-boo from the night before. I was worried she had bitten right through her lip, but it closed up on its own.

AND

Don't you just love that little belly? :)

That evening we drove up to Robertsdale, AL to worship with the local Church there. They were actually one of Bobby's supporting churches while he was at the Memphis School of Preaching. It was the first time we had visited there since his graduation in 2002.

On Thursday, we loaded up the car and headed home...well, after a trip to Lambert's Cafe! :)

And sadly, this is the end of the vacation posts :( We had an absolutely wonderful time and hope to be able to take another vacation in the years to come.

Day 4 (Tuesday)

2011-06-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

She woke up ready to go see the water on this day...

AND, for the first time, she really LOVED it!!

I really think she was laughing at her daddy here. If you look into the waves you can see a little spec being knocked over, that is her daddy :)

We sat under our umbrella playing in the sand and watching daddy try to boogie board for about 30 mins until finally she was ready to walk to the water:

I love the shots above, Aylin Jewel and her daddy walking to the water together. In the last one you can really see how proud daddy was too ;)

On our walk back to the car, Aylin found these little flowers growing on the beach and she picked a lot of them. In fact, I am still finding parts of flowers and SAND, for that matter, in my car!

After lunch, we decided to take the Ferry out to Dolphin Island and tour the military fort out there. It was a lot of fun, and Aylin was more of a happy tourist this time. This fort has a better set up than Fort Morgan and is more educational with different posts to read, museums, etc.

I JUST HAD TO...

I took the pics below because they would be great for my Social Studies class, then I remembered I wasn't teaching social studies this year :(

When we left Fort Morgan, we headed out to eat and then to have Aylin Jewel's 2 year portraits taken on the beach at sunset. I am still waiting on them to be mailed to us and am very anxious to see how they turned out. Afterwards, we went for ice cream, where Aylin slid through the bench seats and busted her lip pretty badly <--at least it happened AFTER we took pics! I will post a pic of her boo-boo in tomorrow's post.

We ended the night with a trip to one of those amusement places with arcades, miniature golf, go-carts, and rides...

We did not know that there were water guns on the bumper boats! We were at the front of the line when it RE-OPENED, needless to say the young kids on the ride with us LOVED soaking us old people, and having Aylin with me didn't help because every time we got sprayed she squealed and giggled and waved!

Day 3 (Monday)

2011-06-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day!

Thanks to all who have served in our military and to those who are still fighting for our freedoms.

Daddy and Aylin having a talk about God's creation :)

Since this was Memorial Day, we were a little timid about going to the beach. We thought it would just be too crowded. But our spot from Saturday was still empty, so we got to spend another morning on the beach! As you can see, even on her 2nd day at the beach AJ was still a little scared.

Above are some pictures of Jewel Bug's favorite part of the trip...the outdoor shower! Each day after coming back to our house, she ran to this and waited for us to turn it on. She would play in it for 20 mins or so, and then be ready to go upstairs and get a bath. Love this silly girl!

Thinking back, this was one of my most favorite days of vacation. A big part of that is seen in the three pics above. Baby girl would NOT take a nap at the house, and this is the day that we figured out if we eat dinner around 4:30 or 5 she would crash on the way to the restaurant and get in a nap. What made this night so special was two fold: (1) We ate at my favorite place while we were down there, a classy, beautifully decorated, Italian Seafood place in Orange Beach. (2) Aylin slept all the way through dinner!!! :)

I had to get a pic of AJ under a palm tree with her pineapple shirt on, it just made me smile.

After dinner, we went through a drive-thru and got baby girl something to eat, and she was just as happy as she could be. Then we hit a few of those surf shops. We were looking for water shoes for AJ, some type of float device for her, and a boogie board for mommy and daddy :) We chose the 2 surf shops above because every time we drove by them Aylin would get wide-eyed, squeal, and say "whooaaa!" She had a lot fun in these places, and so did we; her reactions to the giant sharks, octopus, turtles, and fish were priceless. She even loved all the pirate stuff!

We watched the sunset from in front of a giant pirate ship and ended our day with TCBY!

Aylin pretended to share her sorbet with sprinkles with me, then pulled it back and stuck her tongue out at me! She's such a little stinker :)

Day 2 (Sunday)

2011-06-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

We did not go to the beach on Sunday because of time. We had planned on worshipping at 2 different places Sunday but ended up sticking with The Gulf Shores congregation for both morning and evening worship services out of curiosity. You see on Sunday morning their building was packed out! Chairs had been added down the aisles, and the fellowship hall had been opened and turned into more seating. There were almost 700 people in attendance that morning, only about 90 were actual members, everybody else was just visiting! So what were we curious about? How many would return that night for evening services. Sadly, that evening, the count only seemed to be a little over 100. I don't know why Christians feel like vacation time means vacationing away from the Lord.

In between services we toured the historic Fort Morgan! Aylin fell asleep after lunch during the drive to the fort, so she wasn't the happiest little tourist this day :)

But still one of the cutest!

Day 1 (Saturday)

2011-06-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

The first thing we did when we woke up was went to have breakfast. Bobby found some breakfast buffet back in Gulf Shores that he wanted to try; the funny thing was as we were walking in so were a family with ties to the Southaven Church! We chatted with them a while and enjoyed our only breakfast out for the week. We only budgeted to eat out for dinner each night. After breakfast, we went to Walmart to grocery shop. As we were getting things to make sandwiches we ran across this:

Aylin screamed "ICKEE" and I kind of got a little excited too! :) So while we don't usually spend money on stuff like this, we did this time. Jewel Bug didn't really care for the cheese, but I loved it! After we got back to Fort Morgan, we loaded up the car with beach toys and drove down the street to our "private" beach. The only people allowed here were those who live in the small neighborhood. We drove down the street looking out at the water, listening to Aylin say "water" over and over again until we found a good place. By good place, I mean where no one else was. As Christians, we try to be modestly dressed whenever we are in public and try to not put ourselves in possible situations where everyone around us is immodestly dressed. Yes, this is sometimes VERY hard to do. While Aylin did wear a bathing suit, Bobby and I did not just in case others were around. That first morning served as our test run to see whether or not we would be able to spend adequate time at the beach while on vacation. It turned out GREAT! We were able to stay until about 1 PM, that's when other people started showing up not dressed modestly, so we would head back to our house, eat lunch, and go sightseeing. This schedule worked out perfectly the whole week!

Top Left: the beach as seen from our car...EMPTY! :)

Top Right: Bobby walking Aylin down to the water for the very 1st time :)

She did NOT like it and cried this day every time her feet touched the sand :(

Bottom Left: Our 1st sand creations :)

Bottom Right: She was all smiles playing with her toys, on the beach blanket, under the umbrella :)

My little BASKET CASE!

This evening our sightseeing consisted of shopping at the Tanger Outlet Mall in Foley, AL. They had a really nice playground, carousel, and sprinkler park right in the middle of the mall. So while daddy shopped, Aylin and I played!!

I love these last two shots! She was having so much fun, and that makes my heart smile. :)

The Drive (Friday)

2011-06-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

The night before we left, Aylin and I painted our toenails :)

I was very worried about the drive down to the Gulf. Aylin Jewel is not the greatest of riders and honestly, I was dreading this part so much that I didn't really want to go on the trip! It turned out to be

W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L!

She did great. I left work at noon, came home, loaded up Rosie (the Nissan Cube), and we were on our way. We drove about an hour or so and stopped for lunch, then got back on the road. She let us drive straight through Mobile before we stopped again for dinner!

In fact, she did great the whole time we were gone with riding. She actually stills asks to go get into the car. There were a few things that helped us get through the drive:

And of course our PACI, LOVEY, BEAR, and BABIES!

The Vacation: An Overview

2011-06-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

We recently went on our first vacation in 3 years, and it was also Aylin Jewel's first trip to the beach. We rented a little house (vrbo.com) in a private neighborhood that had private beach access to the Gulf of Mexico. Our address for the Memorial Day week was in Fort Morgan, AL (just west of Gulf Shores). It was just the three of us and was great! Don't get me wrong, I love going places with friends and family, but it's just nice to be "just us."

We went to the beach every morning but Sunday, and Aylin finally liked the beach by the end of the trip :) We also had AJ's 2 year pictures taken one evening on the beach at sunset. I will post them whenever I receive them from the photographer, and hopefully will change our title picture then. My plan is to post pics from each day in a new blog post over the next week; we'll see how it works out because you all know how notoriously bad I am at this blogging thing.

This past Monday, I started potty training little Jewel Bug. We are using the 3-Day Method where you just throw away diapers and put on "big girl panties" and don't leave your house! We are currently on DAY 4, and still not quite there yet, but getting a little better each day. It is very tiresome for both of us, but thankfully hasn't been too emotional.

Until the next post, I hope you have enjoyed these shots of the waves. I know they make me happy!

May=Bad Blogging Month :( *One of those long, catch-up posts...

2011-05-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

So I have been terrible this month and am just now blogging my 1st post! Everything has just been so busy! Tomorrow is my last day of school for the summer, and we are leaving for our 1st vacation in 3 years. We are taking Aylin Jewel to the beach, Fort Morgan, AL (Gulf Shores) to be exact. We have been cleaning like crazy tonight because my mother is going to come house and dog sit for us :) Oh, and I still have to blog about AJ's 2nd birthday party! I am just going to do one big post with a few mini posts:

POST #1: Lets start with the party...

THE CAKE!

We were set up with a wonderful cake lady for Jewel Bug's 1st birthday party, and we decided to use her again. Maureen Fortune of Southaven, MS makes amazing cakes as a side business from her very own kitchen! Everything was edible! :)

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!

Thanks Mrs. Elaine for our birthday shirt and Ms. Shelley for the Bouncer :)

Thanks to all of our friends who came to play: Mary Claire, Payton, Macey Jo, Danni, Dean, John Stephen, Laney Claire, Alayna, Micah, Easton, Griffin, and Reed!

Thank you Becka Matthews for painting this great photo memory maker!

Thank you daddy for putting up with mommy when she was trying to put this party together, and for helping to get everything inside when it started to RAIN!

Finally, thank you God for this beautiful, healthy, fun, loving, crazy 2 year old blessing!

I love you sweet baby girl!

POST #2: The Family Birthday Party

So none of Aylin's grandparents made it to her birthday party :( Aunt Tessa, my baby sister, had a state twirling competition in Nashville so my parents were there. Bobby's mother recently severely hurt her back while working and was just in too much pain to make it to her party. We decided to have a grandparent's cook out/birthday party so they could see her open her gifts :) Unfortunately, Bobby's parents were not able to make it but my parents came and gave Aylin a pop-up soccer goal!

Oh Jewel Bug, goalie is not in your future...you will not stay out of the net ;)

POST #3: The Mississippi River Flood of 2011

By the time we actually had time to get downtown to see the flood waters, they had already started receding, but AJ was still excited to see the WHAWHA (water) and the CHOOCHOO (trolley).

POST #4: School's Out for Summer

*Well there was a post and a video but the video crashed my old computer and we were trying to leave for our vacation so I couldn't fix it.

We have had a GREAT first 2 days of vacation, but that is all I am going to say because we are heading back out to the bach before it gets crowded :)

Happy 2nd Birthday Aylin Jewel Bug!!

2011-04-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little 2 year old! You are such a fun, sweet, loving kid and I can't figure out where the random tantrums and misbehaving come from! LOL! Your daddy and I love you so much and just can't believe you are growing up so fast. You are trying to do more and more on your own and want to do everything that we do. The thing I love the most about you is the way you give big, tight hugs and sweet, little kisses. The funniest thing you do right now, at least I hope I will look back and think it is funny one day, is strip off all your clothes including your diaper. I'm not sure why, but you sure love to be naked :) Okay I feel the need to reminisce, so here is a pic of you on the day we brought you home, followed by a pic from your 1st birthday party, then some shots we used for your 2nd B-day party invitation:

I can't believe how much you have grown!

This year's party theme is "Our Little Bookworm." You love to read so much and seem to never think we have read enough "goodnight" books. So you, daddy, and I picked out what your favorite books are and we based your party after them. They are Heads and Moo-Ha (picked out by you), Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (picked out by Daddy), The Very Busy Spider and Lily's Twinkly Bedtime (picked out by Mommy). Your party will be Saturday, the 7th and we are hoping everything will go smoothly. As much as I love the following picture taken at your 1st b-day party, I really don't want a repeat ;)

Actually, I still really do love this picture it just makes me laugh. But that is just you, you always bring a smile to my face! Love you sweet girl and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail (a story song with pics, of course)...

2011-04-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hopping through our living room

Leaving a trail of yummy goodies...

Tessie ran up the stairs...

Buttercup acted like she didn't care...

Then down the stairs comes Aylin Jewel

Following the trail of eggs...

Until she spots her goodies

Over to them she did run

Squeeling and hopping

Oh, what fun,

Oh no, Buttercup, you can't have any...

Her favorite thing was a bag of gummies

About 20 went into her tummy

Before mommy had to hide them away!

Oh the fun of Easter morn

Movie, ball, and PJs galore

And this is the end of our story :)

Now, I also wanted to share our 2nd Annual "Cousins" Spring Pictures done by J & B Portraits with the live bunnies. It is a fundraiser for Lebehonour Children's Hospital, and we just love the couple who takes these pics; I also love that they remembered us from last year! I did this years side-by-side with last years so you can see how much the girls have grown. It makes me sad to think how fast time really goes by.

(My scanner is broken, so these pics are actually pictures I took of the pictures; sorry about the quality.)

COUSINS: Aylin Jewel is 23 months, Macey Jo is 1 month, and Payton Renee is 2 years old.

As you can see, we also chose a more traditional background this year :)

Squeaky Shoes

2011-04-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

A little while ago we spent a family day downtown. Before we left, I found an outfit that "the squeaky shoes" matched so we put them on Aylin Jewel for the first time. This was her reaction when we sat her down outside in the driveway:

I know, I know, we were those crazy parents that day! :)

Decorating Easter Eggs

2011-04-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were having our egg hunt at church, so I decided that we would let Aylin decorate her very first Easter eggs! I'm pretty sure she enjoyed herself!

Daddy even got in on the fun and painted an egg his favorite color: green :)

And the finished project: treat filled plastic eggs for the hunt, decorated hard-boiled eggs for the games, and yummy cupcakes for after lunch!

We had a great time at our egg hunt even though it was 88 degrees and we all ended up a little sun burned. The Easter Bunny even came...

Didn't you know the EB liked to ride 4 wheelers?

This is one of the crafts Aylin Jewel bug made:

Hoppy Egg Hunting everyone!

A Day Off with Jewel Bug

2011-04-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

Our babysitter had to go out of town today, so I took the day off from work to hang out with my Jewel Bug. We had plans to do some birthday shopping/planning for her upcoming party, but the day was just too beautiful to spend in doors. So we made a playdate with Aunt Julianna and Cousins Payton and Macey. The plan was to meet at 11:30 at Chili's for lunch and then go to the park, but Aylin had a little accident.

We get a few mice every time the seasons change, and so at night we lay out the traps. Well I forgot to pick one up this morning, and of course, AJ found it. So there she was with a glue trap stuck to her! She pulled it off and dropped it on her clothes then got her hands stuck together!! I stripped her down absolutely yelling every time she reached for her hair with those sticky hands, and we got in the sink and started washing. Well let me tell you what DID NOT work:

(1) soap and water

(2) Peroxide

(3)Witch Hazel

(4) Germ-X

Admittedly, I am starting to panic a little because nothing is pulling off the sticky, thankfully NON-TOXIC, glue and now it is also all over my hands too. Now before you ask, we had thrown away all the boxes so I didn't have an emergency section to read or I thought. Then I remembered I had hidden an opened box, I found it and read: "Keep away from pets and children." Well duh, and oops :) "In case of skin/fur contact, wash with vegetable oil." VEGETABLE OIL!!! So we took a bath in vegetable oil and it WORKED!! We then took another almost bath in Germ-X just for good measure. Of course, I had to take a couple of pictures after the fact which you see above.

We finally made it to Chili's, only 20 mins late, and then to the park to play.

And now for a little catch up...I can't believe my baby girl is 23 months old and we are getting ready for her 2nd birthday party! Here are a few pics of Aylin in the dog's cage with her "Es" and "Bubba!"

I wanted to share these because it was a gift from Pampers! We have used Pampers diapers since her birth and registered all those "Points to Grow" Rewards. We have earned over 4,000 and bought this with the rewards points; they shipped it for free!

To Great Grandma's House We Go

2011-04-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

We went with the family to visit Aylin's only living Great-Grandmother, my grandma McCall, in Blytheville, AR. It was a great trip for all the girls, and I think Great-Grandma really enjoyed it. The picture below is Payton and Aylin having a snack at the ole' kid's table :) I know somewhere there is a picture of Julianna and myself sitting at this table!

Baby Macey napping...

And, of course, a shot of Great Grandma McCall with her youngest son's grandkids:

Payton Renee, Great-Granny, Macey Jo, and Aylin Jewel. Aylin's middle name is the same as Great-Grandma McCall and actually Macey's middle name is the same as Julianna's and is the name of Great-Grandpa McCall.

SPRING BREAK in the Middle of March

2011-04-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

One thing about being a teacher...I still look forward to Spring Break! We had a staycation and just did a few things around Memphis with family and friends. We visited My Big Backyard at Botanical Gardens with Kiki, Aunt Tessa, and cousin Payton:

We had our last SoccerTots class! Thanks so much Mrs. Kim!

We had a great time at our friend John Stephen's 1st birthday party!!

Top left is our best friend at Nannie Chelle's: Mary Claire, and top right is our friend Rachel. The bottom pictures are of the birthday boy and his mom and dad: Jennifer and John.

We also went on our annual Spring Break trip to the zoo! We LOVE the zoo!

The Williamses (Brian, Kristy, Anna Paige, Tyler, and Wesley) and the Risters (Griffin, Shannon, and Reed) came along with us! The Williams are below to the left and the Risters are to the right, minus David and Nathan. We attempted a few shots of all the kids together, but I don't think we have a single one where they are ALL looking at the cameras. :)

Aylin Jewel loves the Rister boys: Reed is a couple of weeks older than she and Griffin is 3 1/2. I love the pics below because they show how much she loves them; I mean, AJ does not normally share her food and she doesn't try to give kisses to just anyone! :) The funny thing is she loves their whole family! She loves Shannon and David, and even Shannon's mom and dad...I think she likes sitting with them more than anyone else at worship services!

Some of my favorite shots of baby girl:

A few more pics of all the monkeys, I mean kiddos:

And wrapping up our day of fun a pic of daddy showing Aylin the elephants and the other three are of Jewel Bug enjoying her very 1st coke iccee!

We had a wonderful 2011 Spring Break!

22 Months and a Few Flashbacks

2011-03-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

On the 1st of March, Aylin Jewel turned 22 months old! Because she had an ear infection, we were at the doctor again, but found out that she had finally broken the 25 lb weight streak and now weighs in at 26.3! She is talking all the time, saying new words and phrases, but my favorite is "whuh you" or love you for those who don't speak baby. Since it has been a while, we are going to play catch up all in this post.

The first flashback to be visited is Valentines Day:

Happy belated Valentines Day to all! My little baby girl got a balloon, a stuffed dog, a singing card, and a POTTY SEAT!! She tells you when she needs a diaper change so we thought we would just go ahead and get one and see what she does. For the 1st 2 weeks she cried if you sat her on it with out her clothes on, but now she will sit there and play. However, no action has yet to hit the inside of the potty.

The family at the Sweathearts Banquet at Southaven Church of Christ. The youth hosted a dinner for our We Care (older members) group on Valentines Day.

NEXT, Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration @ Target:

We had a group from church meet at Target for the book reading and then lunch. We love our church friends! (Aylin, Lydia, Laney Claire, Elena, Rachel, Reed, and Griffin)

Next, PLAYDATE with PAYTON:

We met Kiki, PaPaw, Aunt Tessa, and cousin Payton at the park for one last playdate before Miss Macey Jo was born. Aunt J, Uncle Richard, and daddy were working. The girls played their little hearts out and then had a great lunch at one of our old faves, El Porton! Payton and Aylin play so well together, I wonder how it will be when Macey Jo is thrown into the mix?

Finally, Macey Jo being thrown into the mix:

Miss Macey Jo came into this world at 20 in long and weighing 8lbs9oz (I think). I went to pick up Payton from daycare and took her to meet her new sister, and Bobby brought Aylin to meet her new cousin a little later in the afternoon. She is a beautiful little girl and both girls were interested in her when someone else was holding her :) Payton was a little overwhelmed and cried a few times at the hospital, but I think she will adjust. Everyone was and still are doing great!

I have to tell this story because I thought it was hilarious. When I picked up Payton, all the other kids were still napping. When she saw me, she screamed, "Aunt Blair!" and came running as fast as her little legs would carry her and she did not let any of the sleeping bodies get in her way. She STEPPED on some poor little kids HEAD to give her a little boost!

The Other Snow Day

2011-02-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

I am late with these, but what else is new?

1st-We made chocolate chip pancakes!

2nd-The dishwasher flooded!

3ed- We ate our chocolate chip pancakes, YUM!

Then we went to play in the snow!!

"ohhh paaane"

SNOW ANGEL:

Then We cuddled with TESSIE!

We LOVE snow days!!

21 Months and Spring Tease

2011-02-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

On Feb. 1st, Aylin Jewel turned 21 months old! She is really becoming such a big girl: talking more and more, throwing fits, being sneaky, but she still likes to love :)

Aylin with Laney Claire and Micah at Soccer Tots putting cones on Mrs. Kim's head!

We had a spring teaser! It was a beautiful 60 degrees on a Saturday, so we met some friends at the park to play! From L-R: Rachel (4), Laney (21mos), Elena(4 1/2), Aylin(21mos), and Lydia(2 1/2)!

Just a few pics of my sweet girl enjoying our day out in the sun :)

Just Memories/ No Pics :(

2011-01-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I just like to write things down to remember them. Please dismiss any grammar mistakes b/c I really am just letting it pour out.

There seems to be a lot of loss going around lately, from the death of friend's parents to little babies Aylin's age and it has just been an emotional time. The thing is none of the losses have been a part of my immediate family, but I still worry and hurt for these families. Some have blogs that I read and then cry and smile and pray for those families and my own. I can't fathom what those families are going through and all seem to really be holding on strong, and I'm so thankful that. I worry about my little girl so much, I can't imagine my life without her and some nights I can't sleep just thinking about her. She has always been a wonderful sleeper, and when she was an infant it worried me and now it worries me all over again. How would I know something was wrong? If I don't know, I can't prevent and plain and simple I DON'T like not having control over that. There are some nights when I wake up scared to death and I get up and stare at our video monitor and turn the volume up and wait and wait and wait until she moves or snores or makes any type of sound. Sometimes I have to fight back the tears while I wait and make myself stay put in our bedroom instead of rushing up the stairs and bursting through her door. Tonight will be one of those nights. Tonight she fell out of her highchair. She seems to have a bruise coming up on her cheek and she cried for 5 minutes and then wanted me to put her down so she could go play again. Actually, she walked over to her highchair and started laughing at it! SILLY GIRL! I try to make myself dwell in the present and stay positive but sometimes I can't help but think about the worst. Oh little girl, I love you so much and am so very glad God gave you to me and hope that He lets me keep you for a very long time, preferably my whole life. I hate that I have to work and don't get to stay with you more, but I am thankful for my job and the hours/days I do get to spend with you. I am really looking forward to the summer when we can spend everyday together again. I'm very thankful for your Ms. Michelle, you really seem to love it over there: love your friends, your Chelle, your Ecka, and even Codeee when he is here! But, I do wish it was me who got to spend Mon-Thurs. with you. I love you Jewel Bug, with all my heart, to the moon and back, and forever and ever. For all those families, most recently the Harrisons and Paynes we are still praying and thinking about you all daily! Okay enough with the heavy...

Something funny...

Aylin Jewel Bug is really into being naked! She loves to take off her clothes and most recently her diaper too! She takes it all off and runs around the house just cackling her little head off. Here lately she has decided that she likes to sleep naked too. There have been 3 mornings and 1 nap where we walk upstairs to get baby girl and are greeted by the cutest little tush EVER! Unfortunately, we also have pee all in the crib and I really am getting tired of changing those crib sheets everyday :) It doesn't matter what you put on her she gets it off from zipper pj's to button pj's to separates, she just likes to be naked! :) So 2 nights ago we decided to see if she wanted to use the potty. We told her she needed to potty if she wasn't going to wear a diaper. She just stared at us thinking. We carried her into the bathroom and set her down on the toilet and she started screaming! So we took her off really quickly and said "Aylin, if you are not going to wear a diaper you have to use the potty. She then took off running to the back door saying "yes, yes." Why would she do this you ask? Because numerous times a day, we tell the girls (dogs) to go potty and let them out the backdoor! Poor kid thinks she is one of the dogs.

Something cute...

I recently posted about songs and music that Aylin loves, one of them being the iPad commercial. You know the one and you know you are singing the tune right now... :) ...well today after morning services a few families went to Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch and that commercial came on one of the big screens and loud speakers. We had 6 children (and 1 baby) at our table and every single child, SAT UP, SMILED, and started DANCING in their seats. The older kids (ages 3 1/2 - 6) were waving their arms around, and the toddlers were bouncing their heads and hands. It was one of the cutest little things, ALMOST as cute as Aylin singing and doing the motions to "Lord's Army" and "Shrink" or calling for "Toodles" or singing the "Hot Dog Song."

Snowday and Soccertots

2011-01-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

January has found Aylin and I both sick once again so I am just now getting around to posting about our snowday! Aylin is all better now, but I am still dealing with an ear infection :( I love the picture above of Aylin and I in her cabin hiding from daddy and his mean snowballs!

Daddy and Aylin sledding!

Aylin and Buttercup hiding from daddy and his snowballs!

Running to her cabin, she was just so excited to be outside! We had 2 snowdays, but this was the only day we got out and played. I was just feeling too sick the next day.

Today was our first day at Soccertots! I didn't get any pics of Aylin with the actual soccer balls because she doesn't quite understand the "no hands" rule :) Really we had fun, I think she was just overwhelmed because it was so big and there were new people. Of course, the class is at 9:30 so I had to wake up the sleepyhead and she never likes that! But we had a blast and we did have a couple of friends there with us.

Picking up the cones while still eating her breakfast!

Some of our new friends along with our old ones. Our "Bible Class" and "Little Gym" buddies, Laney Claire and Micah, are in class with us.After class, we took the kiddos to the park to play for a little bit.

Aylin Jewel

Micah

Laney Claire

Also today, AJ said Laney Claire and Micah's names for the 1st time! She was so excited to play with her friends!

20 Months Old!

2011-01-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

My little brown haired, blue-eyed, 25lbs, size 4 diaper, size 6 shoe, 24 months/2T clothes, 18 teeth (I think), sweet little bundle of joy!

On New Years Day AJ turned 20 months old. I love this little girl so much and I'm so happy she is turning into a big girl, BUT it makes me want another little baby very badly. Of course a little attitude has also developed with the new "big girl" way of life which I could really do without. :) She is really starting to say more and more things, and even getting a few phrases out.

GAMES: (1)One of her favorite games is saying "momma" until I say "Aylin" then she smiles and says "momma" again and we go back and forth with this over and over again. (2)She also LOVES giving and getting kisses. Just in the past couple of days she has actually started giving closed mouth kisses and trying to give "zerbets" (when you blow on skin, like the tummy/cheek/arm/leg). She loves kissing you on the cheek and then trying to give you a zerbet and just giggles her little head off! (3)She has discovered taking her clothes off and on! Oh the joys of having a little streaker! She actually attempted to take off her dress and tights during worship! Every night she tries to have "naked" time and many mornings we see her in the crib with her pajamas thrown somewhere. She has even started undressing and dressing her baby dolls.

LOVES: (1)She loves all animals but especially her dogs: Tessie (Es) and Buttercup (Butcup). (2)She loves girly stuff: dolls, bracelets, necklaces, bows, etc. I don't know how I got a girly girl but wow I did, and I am doing my best to embrace it! Although we do start Soccertots soon! ;) (3) Dancing to T.V., she only watches when she hears music: Mickey Mouse, Wonder Pets, Backyardigans, ChooChoo Soul, Imagination Movers, the iPad commercial, etc. (4) Hugs and kisses!

She is really wanting to use big kid drinks (cups/tops/straws) when we get to go out to eat. Needless to say, we have had plenty of spills, but she is so adorable when she gets it right. :)

My 3 Sweet Girls Resting on the Couch!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

The new year found Aylin Jewel bug at her 1st sleepover with her cousin Payton! She even slept in a "big girl" bed! Every year the M.A.S.H. group at Southaven CofC have a New Years Eve Party; while children are welcomed, we decided we wanted to be able to stay and not leave at 8:30 when AJ goes to bed. We found out that my mom and baby sister, Tessa, were keeping Payton at Payton's house and thought we might try to start a tradition: Payton and Aylin's NYE Slumber Party :) My mom, the girls call her KiKi, and Tessa said everything went great! Here are some pictures that they took:

The two above are of the girls playing with Payton's new kitchen, and the two below are the girls pretending to go "night, night."

Aylin Jewel is 20 months old and Payton Renee is 1 week shy of being 2 years old!

MERRY DECEMBER

2010-12-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

The month of December is always extremely busy. I feel like all we do is attend Christmas party after Christmas party and don't get me wrong it is A Lot of fun but is kind of tiring too. For example, with the Southaven Church alone we had 6 different get togethers :) I really felt like I should try to get one more post in before the start of 2011 so here we go, the month of December in summary: (disclaimer: I'm going to attempt to not overload this post with pictures but no promises and note to myself: as I'm writing this Aylin Jewel bug is dancing around the playroom singing the Hot Dog song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - I love it!)

Bobby and I went on an impromptu date to Nashville to see Garth Brooks!

ZOO LIGHTS WITH THE RISTERS:

CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER AT OUR HOUSE!

WAKE UP AYLIN, SANTA HAS COME!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, I know we really did.

Earlier in the month our hearts were broken when we learned that a 20 month old little girl had passed away. We have been praying for the Harrison family all month and hope others continue to pray for them as they cope through this time. Little Evie was an adorable little girl and I know her sister, family, and friends will greatly miss her. Their blogposts and pictures have been both moving in sad and uplifting ways; remember to hug your babies and cherish the time you have with them.

18 & 19 Month Check Ups (oops)

2010-12-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

So apparently I forgot to do an 18 month blur on here so we are just going to combine them. Jewel Bug weighed in at 25.3 lbs at 18 months when she went to the doctor -she was sick :( Unfortunately, in between all the crazy activities it seems we all are sick. Aylin is on her second go with this cold and cough, mommy and daddy are both still getting over the cold, and have had the lovely stomach virus this weekend! We are still praying and holding out hope that AJ doesn't get that too. She loves to sing church songs and smile and play with her dogs, and give lovin', and unfortunately has a really strong temper! We will post pics later.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

AYLIN JEWEL wishes you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Oh sweet baby girl, we are so very thankful for you!

and for family: cousin Payton/ Aunt Tessa and Great Grandma McCall

and for friends: Pew Packers class at church :)

Just a Couple of Pictures

2010-11-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

In early November we went to sweet Danni's 4th birthday party and I just loved these 2 pics of my little Jewel Bug...

Halloween Weekend

2010-11-07T19:44:00.000-08:00

From Wicked, to Trunk-or-Treat, to birthday parties, and being sick-what a busy weekend!

I finally got to see Wicked at the Orpheum! My mom, baby sister, and I met downtown, had a yummy dinner at BB Kings, and then went to the most amazing show ever! :) In between, I had to pose with this cool Pumpkin Carriage, I should have dressed up like Cinderella.

Every year the Church has a Trunk-or-Treat, this year we went out to the Wallis' Farm. We have yet to make it through the entire event, our baby girl just gets too sleepy. Just like last year, we missed the hayride, bonfire, and roasting marshmellows. Payton and Kiki did come out and join in on the fun though. Aylin Jewel actually picked out her costume this year. We were walking through a Halloween store when she spotted a row of Mickey and Minnie costumes. She squeeled, fought to get out of my arms, ran to the costume displays, and grabbed the pink minnie outfit with a huge grin on her face!

Finally, I wanted to share some of our Halloween outfits:

AND MY FAVORITE HALLOWEEN FIND: OLD NAVY $10:

Work it baby girl!!

New Playhouse and Carving Pumpkins

2010-10-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

:) PAYTON RENEE & AYLIN JEWEL=COUSINS=BFF :)

We went to a birthday party not long ago and Aylin fell in love with this cute little wooden playhouse. Well it's owners had been talking about getting rid of it and we said we would give it a wonderful home full of love and laughter and lots of playtime (it's original owner had outgrown it). They pondered over the idea and agreed we were right and gave it to us for FREE as long we came and got it. So off we went the first chance we had. Boy were the girls excited when they woke up from their nap and saw this in the backyard. Aylin was so excited she aqueeled and ran as fast as her little legs would allow!

A girl on her porch, lovin' life!!

THIS MORNING WE DECIDED TO CARVE OUT THE PUMPKINS!

Our 3 little pumpkins:

Where's the Fall Break?

2010-10-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

So Desoto County has a 2 day Fall Break, we had the weekend and then a Monday/Tuesday off which is fine except we did not get a break! Originally we were trying to go to the beach for a little vacation, but alas money was nowhere to be found. No worries, a staycation we would have and it would be great!...

Until Aylin was diagnosed with Strep Throat and mommy was hit with the migrain train who didn't leave the station for 2 days. On Monday we got up and tried to go to the zoo but left after the 1st half because I could no longer function in the bright light of the sun. I went to bed as soon as we got home and didn't wake up until Wedsnesday morning! I did manage a few pics at the zoo before the SICKATION set in:

Gotta Love the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

I love the pumpkin patch probably because it is my favorite time of the year! :)

FAMILY SHOT:

And the whole family:

Trying to navigate around all the big pumpkins to get to the smaller ones :)

We had a great time. Aylin rode a pony, played in the mazes, in the corn shed, with all the animlas, and enjoyed the train ride and the hayride. It was so different this year verses last year. We all remembered how wet and freezing it was and this year it was dry and HOT, maybe next year it will actually feel like fall :)

17 Months Old

2010-10-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

We are 17 months old now and such a big little girl! Our at home scale says we still weigh 23 pounds! Most of our clothes are in the 18 month range with a few 24 month shirts and 12 month pants. We like to do everything by our self and occasionally want to sit and cuddle. Mommy loves our bedtime routine: climb the stairs, get in PJ's, brush our teeth, read a book, say our prayers, and night night we go! I'm really starting to communicate what I want by pointing/showing/or grunting but still not saying too much. A couple of new words are Bible and thank you but mostly I just point and grunt. We are working on getting rid of the lovey paci during the day :(

This picture is me and my daddy at the church building. I was waiting on daddy to start Pew Packers.

Showing off our borrowed Arkansas dress :)

Beth, our physical therapist, sent us to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon to have xrays taken because when I walk I am still turning my left leg out to the side. But everything with the bones is just fine and I should grow out of it by the time I am three :) So, great news there and I have been kicked back to PT just once a month instead of twice a month! YAY!!

A Busy End To September

2010-10-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy last 2 weekends of September. Two birthday parties, My Big Backyard, Disney on Ice, and just normal weekend things made it a little hectic. But we had a blast!

On Sunday mornings after Church we go eat with friends. We absolutely love this, but with the money crunch on everyone we have started taking turns eating a people's houses. The top left is a picture of Aylin and friends sitting at the kid's table for the 1st time :) Then we have Rachel and her baby sister Landrey, and on the bottom Aylin just a posing away, and finally Aylin's Bible Class of friends. Normally, they are the smiling"est" bunch of toddlers ever, but they would not crack a smile in front of the camera on this day! (Dean, Laney, Micah, Olivia, Aylin, and Reed)

We finally got a chance to take Aylin to My Big Backyard at Botanical Gardens, it was WONDERFUL!!

Then we had Emma's 5th birthday party to go to, I work with Emma's mom. Pictured below is Emma the birthday girl, Sara Addison, Aylin, and all the girls opening presents:)

The next weekend we had Rachel's birthday party!!

AND DISNEY ON ICE!!

Oh, it was so much fun: we had great seats, the girls had a great time, and so did we!! We went with my mom, sisters, and Payton. Had a yummy dinner at the Hard Rock on Beale in downtown Memphis and then had an amazing time with Mickey and friends!!

Oh, this little girl just warms my heart!

Labor Day=FRONT PAGE!

2010-09-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

Aylin Jewel and her daddy ended up on the front page of the Desoto Times-Tribune! The photographer said she was the cutest thing at the park!! :) I think I got better pics than he did though:

After AJ's lunch and LONG nap we filled up the pool for one last time this year :)

This sweet girl really thinks she is hot stuff!

Aylin Jewel Bug at 16 MONTHS!

2010-09-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well at 16 months we are 23 lbs exactly (on our scale @ home) and have 12 TEETH!! The four in front(on the top and bottom) and 4 molars. It was a rough couple of weeks when the 4 molars and one in front decided to all come in at the same time! She is attempting to feed herself with a fork, but it's a no go with the spoon :) She knows some body parts (mostly on her face) and some animal sounds (dog, cow, horse, and pig). She says a few peoples names (mom, dad, buttercup) but mostly just squeals with excitement and bounces up and down.

The picture above was taken at AJ's Great-Grandma McCall's at a family reunion we had this past weekend. The chair she is sitting in is for a stuffed bunny rabbit, but Aylin thought it was just perfect for her. I have to agree, she looks adorable in it. And the best part was when she would try to get up, the chair would be stuck to her!!

Happy 16 months sweetie, we love you!

Happy 28th Birthday to ME!!

2010-09-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my birthday at the famous Benihana's; Aylin had a blast and ate like a champ!

PEEK-A-BOO!!

10 Year High School Reunion

2010-09-06T11:51:00.001-07:00

HOUSTON HIGH MUSTANGS CLASS OF 2000

STILL BFF's: Colleen (chiropractor in Chicago), Sammie (government worker in Washington, D.C.), and myself (5th grade teacher and preacher's wife in Olive Branch, MS)
The reunion was an all weekend event, I attended the Saturday night main event at the Historic Daisy on Beale. Above are pictures of myself and Amanda/Hope, myself, and Emily/Emily, Meghan, and Amber :)

Aylin attended a cookout Thursday night with some old friends.

Top: Sammie, me, and Colleen again/me and Stephanie (the match maker)

Bottom: Marie and Eric and their son Ayden (see the resemblance b/n father and son!!

Little Gym Lover

2010-09-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the summer, Aylin and I enrolled into a Mommy & Me class at the Little Gym (thanks Mrs. Linda)! We both LOVED our time there and I think Aylin's most favorite thing was the bars: she loved swinging from them and flipping over them!

She also loved ALL the climbing that she got to do. They also offered circle time (which Aylin did NOT like-sitting still is just not for her), bubbles, and ball time.

I wish we could do this all year long but as long as I have to work, the scheduling just doesn't work out. However, we will EMBRACE the Little Gym again next summer and who knows maybe around birthday time too :)

We had some Bible class friends enroll with us: that's Laney Claire on the top and Micah on the bottom!

So It's Been a Month and Half...

2010-09-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

What can I say? Aylin Jewel started walking, the end of summer just took over, and then I had to go back to work :( So let us play the catch up game once again. The above picture is Aylin at 15 months, taken around August the 1st(she is already 16mos we will get to that later). She weighed 22.3 pounds and was almost released from physical therapy. However, the tehapists is going to keep us because AJ leads with her right foot and turns her left foot to the side and almost drags it behind her. She has to wear closed-toe shoes with special insoles in them at least half of the day. We have been doing this for a little over a month and I think she is getting better but if she is barefoot she turns that foot out again.

Another Playdate

2010-07-19T12:22:00.001-07:00

We met Payton, Landon, and their mommies at the childrens museum.

Aylin looking at me through the "log holes"
Aylin and Payton sneaking a snack while waiting on Landon to come back from the potty.

Aylin and Payton in the back of the police car; lets hope this never really comes true :)

Rachel, Landon, Payton, Julianna, and Aylin playing in the water. This was right after Landon dumped a bucket of water over Payton's head :)

Landon was showing the girls how to make the bugs move; sweet boy.

Build-A-Bear

2010-07-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Aylin received a gift certificate for Build-A-Bear for her birthday and we finally took her to make a bear. She and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and I really think daddy did too :) I think the best part is that she is still loving on that bear everyday!!

P.S. I'm now all caught up on this blog ;)

Ribs, Horses, and Redbirds

2010-07-15T19:05:00.001-07:00

Bobby was on vacation the week after the 4Th, and we were suppose to go to Chicago to visit Aunt Colleen; however, monetary funding was nowhere to be found so instead we hung out around home. We had a good week: went swimming as a family for the first time (thanks Mrs. Sheila), visited with friends at other congregations, drove to Lambert's to catch some rolls, became obsessed with campers (I see one in the distant future :), and had some good quality (just the 3 of us) family time. My favorite day was when we took Aylin downtown to eat some famous ribs, played with the horses, and took her to her first redbird game.

The Sprinkler Park

2010-07-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

We met our cousin Payton at the Sprinker Park in Collierville one morning. We got their around 10 and it was perfect just a few mom's with their young children. But we had to leave by lunch, way too many big kids. The girls sure did have a lot of fun though and were worn out afterwards.
Payton Renee and Aylin Jewel

Vacation Bible School

2010-07-14T12:33:00.001-07:00

Our theme for VBS this year was Giants From Genesis. Above are pictures of the stage in the auditorium. Below are a few pictures of Aylin on different nights. We had a great turnout each night!

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Every year we go watch Southaven's fireworks with the friends from church. This year we were worried that AJ would be scared of them, but she wasn't at all. She had a blast with her friends and even stopped climbing long enough to see a few of the fireworks light up the sky.
Above: Garrison and Cannon, Aylin with Griffin, Reed, and Rachel

Watching fireworks!!

Hernando Bike Parade

2010-07-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

We went to the Hernando Bike Parade with a group of friends from church. I love this pic of Aylin Jewel waving her American flag. Thanks to Mrs. Ashley for making us this tutu, letting us ride in her wagon, and making the shirts below with us!!

The back of Aylin and mommy's shirt; then the front of the shirts.

We had a photo shoot in our July 4th gear :)

After the parade, everyone picnics and watches a movie on the court house lawn!

A few of our friends and then below is a group shot :)

I'm Just Gonna Be Bad At This

2010-07-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

Obviously, we are just too busy to work in this blog thing on a regular basis :) So catching up: on July 1, Aylin turned 14 months old. She has taken up to 3 consecutive steps a couple of times, but has not taken off walking yet. She still isn't really talking HOWEVER she can tell you what the dogs say and what the cows say :) She loves all animals-chases down cats, dogs, horses, geese, and tried to dive head first into a coy pond after the big pretty fish this afternoon! She also gets the point of thank you. What do I mean? Well, when you ask her to say thank you for something she just flashes you a BIG grin :)

PLAYDATES

2010-06-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

Since I am home for the summer we are having playdates as much as possible!! Here are some from the playdates we have had so far...

Payton and Aylin, Aylin and Buttercup, Aylin knocked out :)
Aylin Jewel Bug

Landon :)

Cousin Payton

John Stephen, Micah, Laney Claire, and Olivia

Danni, Dean, Emma and Aylin, and friends

Alayna, Rachel, Emma and Danni, and Aylin

Payton and Aylin=Cousins=BFF :)

1st Daily Devotional Book

2010-06-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Since I am home for the summer and Aylin Jewel really likes to sit and listen while you read now, we started and have now finished our very first daily devotional book. Above are some pictures of her reading her book to celebrate this great milestone, as well as the story that I think was her favorite in the book. We used one of those toddler Bibles as our 1st devo book, but now we have started on "Bible Stories from a Rocking Chair" by Dorothy Sain; it is a must have for all!!

Catching Up & First Step

2010-06-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Well I have a lot of catching up to do on here and plan to start maybe tonight or tomorrow :) Thanks to Rachel Dunaway for showing me how to do the collage things; that will make my catching up a lot easier to finish! Yesterday, at a playdate, Aylin Jewel Bug took her FIRST STEP before falling; I think we are getting close!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T11:00:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-02T20:17:00.001-07:00

Bye Bye Bottle

2010-06-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

Aylin Jewel is 13 months old today and we have officially been bottle free for 4 days! The first night was rough, but she has been fine ever since. She is drinking around 8-16 oz of whole milk and 8 oz of juice/water everyday. AJ has also decided that she can no longer eat baby food our of a jar, she only wants Gerber Graduates or real food. I know it sounds like a cliche but the really do grow up way too fast!
We took this picture at our Memorial Day cookout with great friends from church. Notice those teeth. She has 4 all the way through, at least 3 halfway through, and about 4 spots that are really swollen - POOR BABY! She has really been testing the waters with the hwole biting thing, and actually bit out of frustration for the 1st time, our poor friend Rachel was the victim. Which led to me giving my 1st real little spanking which brought tears to MY eyes, as well as hers :(
Finally, this picture was taken at our church's graduation party. She had a blast playing with friends and climbing all over everything. Aylin Jewel loves to climb! I love that I have a little monkey, but wow, does she make you exhausted chasing after her all the time. I can only imagine the fun walking will bring to us!

Aylin Jewel's Party Pics

2010-05-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

I know this is late but...

My photographer took so many great pics at her birthday party. Here are a few:

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My Little 1 Year Old

2010-05-09T13:11:00.001-07:00

On May 1, 2010, my little Aylin Jewel Bug turned 1! I can't believe how fast the time goes by and can't believe she is growing up so fast. She is doing wonderful and is the greatest blessing in our lives. My precious baby was born 5 weeks early weighing in at 5 lbs 14 oz and at her 1 yr. check up she weighed 19 lbs 13 oz!! The picture below was taken on the day we came home from the hospital, when she actually only weighed 5lbs 8oz! Our baby girl has 5 teeth showing and loves to bite when she is really excited. She still has her blue eyes and head full of brown hair :) She speed crawls everywhere and loves to "run" away on her hands and knees. She pulls up on anything but is not cruising or taking any real steps yet. She still has physical therapy every 2 weeks and thankfully loves her playtime with Ms. Beth. We are currently working on the switch to whole milk and getting rid of bottles, good luck to us :)

Invitation Pics

2010-04-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

So we had our photo shoot for Aylin Jewel's birthday invitations, I can't believe it is that time all ready!! :( The theme is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, because she LOVES IT!! She gets so excited when she sees Mickey or hears the music come on, she starts bouncing around-it is adorable :) We had her shirt made at a sweet little boutique shop down here in Hernando called Itty Bitty and I adore the way it turned out, and yes that is actually her name in the Disney font :) These first few pics are ones that did NOT make the card but I still liked them.

And these last 2 are the ones we used for the invitations:

11 Months Old

2010-04-02T06:05:00.001-07:00

Aylin Jewel turned 11 months old on April 1st! I can't believe we are almost a year old, it has gone by way too quickly. She is also getting harder to take pictures of since she won't stay still anymore :) AJ has 4 teeth and 2 trying to come in (that we know of), she is doing better with her sippy cup, eating step 3 foods and more and more table foods, army crawling most of the time, everynow and then crawling on her hands and knees, and she has just started pulling up! Physical therapy is going great and she is working hard. I love you Jewel Bug :)

1st Egg Hunt and Nature Walk

2010-03-28T13:17:00.001-07:00

We took the girls to their 1st egg hunt! We went to Cameron Brown Park and had a great time. The weather was beautiful, and they had so many great things to do, and it was FREE!!! Afterwards, we all went to lunch and the walked almost 4 miles down a nature trail along the Wolf River! It was a beautiful, wonderful day :)

Live Bunny Pics

2010-03-28T13:13:00.001-07:00

I really wanted to do 1st Easter pictures with live bunnies and we found a place (thanks Rachel)! J and B Portrairs were AWESOME!! They have an amazing studio and worked great with us and the girls, Julianna and I did it together and gave pics to mom and dad for Easter- here are pictures I took of the pictures (my scanner doesn't work) :)

Payton Renee is 14 1/2 months old and Aylin Jewel is 10 1/2 months old!

Spring Break Post 3

2010-03-28T13:09:00.001-07:00

Earlier, I told you we made a trip to AR to visit my grandmothers. Little did we know that it would be the last for my Grandma Turpin; she passed away that evening. We think she had a wonderful last day and smiled A LOT at Aylin and Payton. It made her extremely happy to see and play with the babies :)

Spring Break Post 2

2010-03-28T13:05:00.001-07:00

We also took the girls to the zoo, they had a blast!!
The Davis' family shot!

The Jefferies' family shot!

Spring Break Post 1

2010-03-28T12:56:00.001-07:00

It has been a crazy, busy month. We had a wonderful Spring Break with family and Aylin Jewel and Payton got to spend a lot of time together. I took my favorite pics from each event to put in the post (I took over 200 something pics) :) This first one is of Aylin and her Great Grandma McCall, my dad's mom. We took an impromptu trip to Blytheville, AR to visit.
I just loved this shot of Aylin and her daddy, melts my heart :)

We played in Grandma's garden for a while!

Aylin and Payton shopping at Target!

We had a cookout at our house and the girls played forever in and around the dog's cages :) Look they both have on the same pair of Children's Place jeans :)

First Time at the Park

2010-03-14T12:28:00.001-07:00

I took Aylin to the park for the first time. We met my mom, dad, baby sister, and Aylin's cousin Payton at Mellow Mushroom and then set off for a park playdate! It was a little chilly but the girls had a blast!

Aunt Tessa chasing Payton down the jungle gym :)

Smile Pay Pay!

Payton and Aylin at the top of the slide.

Aylin sitting in the middle of the jungle gym.

Aylion absolutely loved the swings!! They were her favorite!!

I'm a 10 Monther!

2010-03-04T17:41:00.000-08:00

On March 1st, I took AJ's 10 month pictures. I almost started to cry when I put Aylin Jewel's 10 month photo in her frame. She only has 1 more little circle to fill and then it is the big 1 year old rectangle. I can't believe it has been that long! She is doing wonderful other than she can't shake this cold that everyone else has had forever too. Bobby and I have had going on 3 weeks now! She is pushing herself up into a sitting position now, scooting across the floor on her bottom, rolling accross the floor, and scooting backwards on her tummy. She is still in size 3 diapers and is now eating step 3 foods. She has 4 teeth: the middle front two and the bottom middle two. She is still not very fond of her sippy cup though. The physical therapist says she is doing great (we are still going every 2 weeks for an hour). Aylin loves her playtime there! I have more updates to do but they will have to wait for another night, sorry we are a little behind.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY FROM AYLIN JEWEL

2010-02-14T13:13:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I thought theses photos looked cute in black and white :) Happy 1st Valentines Day Aylin Jewel, we love you so much!!

My beautiful little girl smelling the roses...

and eating the rose (it's chocolate)...

and getting her new book!

SHE LOVES TO READ!!

We made Valentines Cards for our Bible Class friends and teachers. She is holding the very 1st Valentines Day Card she recieved, it is from our friend Rachel.

We made cookies to put in the bags.

Here is the card she gave out. It is her thumb print made into a person and says, "Aylin's Little Thumbkin Thinks Your Somethin'"

Hope everyone had a great day.

AJ's 1st Snow

2010-02-09T12:13:00.001-08:00

We woke up Monday to a surprise 5 inches of snow, and Aylin was well enough to go outside this time :) Here is her very 1st snow angel:
and a "just my size" snowman:

It was sleeting on us the whole time we were out there:

Mommy and me pics:

Daddy and me pics:

This was the look she was giving me for bundling her up, she did not like it :)

9 Month Check Up

2010-02-09T12:03:00.001-08:00

Look who's 9 months old!
Aylin Jewel had 2 great Dr. visits! PT went beautifully and she is doing awesome; 9 month check up was also great. She was in such a good mood, and she topped off the preemie growth chart and moved into the "normal" one. She weighs 16lbs 11oz and is now in the 25%, height is 27 1/2in (75%), and head circumference is 45 1/4 (90%). As far as PT goes, we are working on getting into the crawling position and building up those muscles.

AJ is in love with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so we took her to the Disney Store and it really was her happiest place on Earth!

She loves her baths :) The rest of the pics were taken at the Dr.'s office, she was having so much fun talking to herself in the mirror and giving herself kisses :)

Playdate and 8 Months Old

2010-01-18T14:33:00.001-08:00

This is a little late but...We had a playdate with Payton at her house before Payton 1st birthday party. Here is my little neice Payton!
And Aylin with Payton's new puppy, Bella:

COUSINS...

Aylin loved Payton's new horse!! I see one of those in our future..

And here is Aylin Jewel's 8 month photo:

She is working hard with her physical therapy and getting stronger and stronger. She sits up all by herself now and rarely falls over anymore! She has 2 teeth and is eating 2 jars of step 2 foods , 1/3 cup of cereal, and 22 oz. of formula every day.

Merry Christmas Aylin

2010-01-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

So we had the 3rd annual Christmas Eve dinner at our house. These are Aylin's presents from us and my side of the family.
Here is Aylin with her stocking from Santa:

Santa left this under our tree:

Aylin and one of Aunt Beanie's presents:

Aylin and Cydney Jane Perry:

Aylin and Jordan Perry:

Aylin and her Great Grandma McCall:

Aylin and Payton Davis:

Some of Aylin's toys:

Us reading the night before christmas

cookies for santa:

Some Random Pics and AJ's 1st BooBoo

2009-12-23T22:18:00.000-08:00

Aylin got her 1st booboo. I think she scraped the skin off her little toe on the water plug in her baby bath. All I know is I got her out of the tub and she had blood dripping off her foot and it bled for at least 5 minutes if not longer. I ended up wrapping it in gauze until I thought it had quit and then put some neosporin and a little bandaid on it.

Okay look at this face :) Every morning she wakes up just talking away. When we go up the stairs we play peek-a-boo and she makes this face when she first sees you and just laughs her little head off. It melts my heart!!

Santa and Zoo Lights

2009-12-23T22:11:00.000-08:00

She did great with Santa, she laughed at him and played with his beard; of course Santa looked younger than me but whatever!

Bobby and his mom and dad and older sister with Aylin and our great-neice Mackenzie

High-Five turtle friend :)

Family picture :) love it :)

ZOO LIGHTS - YAY!!

One of our Christmas dresses :)

7 Months Old and Christmas Card Shoot

2009-12-23T22:07:00.000-08:00

Okay these are some of the very adorable pictures that did not make our Christmas card:
Buttercup, Aylin Jewel, and Tessie

She loves her books :)

And this is her 7 month old picture!!

Goodbye, Amanda Jefferies.

2009-12-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving we got a phone call that broke our hearts. Bobby's little sister, Amanda, had passed away at the age of 23. We don't know much about the situation other than she had been sick for a while and went to the hospital Saturday night around midnight. They admitted her, diagnosed her with Swine Flu, and then released her at 9 Sunday morning. Prelimenary findings are that she died in her sleep from complications due to the H1N1 virus around 3 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Yesterday, we had the services for Amanda. It has been a long, tiredsome week and we appreciate all the food, cards, phone calls, thoughts, and prayers from everyone. We are still waiting on the toxicology report so that official cause of death can be determined.

The above picture is the last known picture we have of Amanda. It was taken on May 2nd and is Bobby's family: Karen, Amanda holding Aylin, and Robert Sr.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2009-12-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

Julianna and Richard had us over to their house for a Friday Thanksgiving dinner.
Our family picture!

Cousins: Payton (10 1/2 months) and Aylin (6 1/2 months)

Picture of my whole family on J's front porch. Bobby, me, Aylin, Teresa, Dennis, Payton, Julianna, Richard, and Tessa's in the front.

Photo Shoot with All My Girls.

2009-12-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

My 3 baby girls! Buttercup (7), Aylin (6 months), and Tessie (9 1/2).

Buttercup is know for her kisses! She even does it on command; we DO NOT tell her to kiss AJ! In fact, I took about 10 pictures before she did this and I just happened to get it on the camera. Aylin Jewel laughs hysterically when it does happen, so we figure no harm done.

Aylin and Buttercup.

Aylin and Tessie.

We sat in our high chair for the first time!!

Date Night

2009-12-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

Bobbay nad I went out on a date. We went to dinner and then out to the Jason Aldean concert, he did an awesome job!

Medical Updates

2009-12-05T07:26:00.001-08:00

Aylin had her first trip to the opthamologist (spelling?). Everything went great!! She was a wonderful little girl and never cried, not even when they were putting the drops in her eyes to dialate them. Dr. Flinn, who turned out to be one of my old basketball coaches, said her eyesight is just fine and we just have to go back in Feb. for a follow up. She has PSEUDOSTRABISMUS, which basically means that one eyelid fold is bigger than the other creating a false appearance of being crosseyed. She should grow out of it without us having to do any eye-atching, infant glasses, or surgery. YAY!!! Also in November, she went back to the physical therapist and loved it :) We are going there every two weeks.
After the eye doctor appointment, we spent the day together. We went to luch and then took Aylin to her first movie. I did not have to take her out at all and it was a long one, "2012."

We also took her to that big Petco by the University of Memphis, she LOVED watching the fish!

Here are a couple of shots of her at the eye doctor!

6 Month Check Up and Physical Therapy

2009-11-07T19:42:00.001-08:00

Aylin is half a year old!! She has grown from 19 in long at birth to 25 3/4in long and from 5lb14oz to 14lbs9oz at 6 months of age. As always she did great at the doctor's office except when she got the horrible shots :) She had her first reaction to the shots as well. It was a fever andw e think it came from the seasonal flu shot because she has never had a reaction to anything before and that was the only new thing she got. We have also been referred to a pediatric physical therapists. We met her Friday and had a consultation. She was very pleased with Aylin's social skills but her gross motor are behind. She also is refferring us to a pediatric eye doctor. AJ's left eye goes toward her nose a lot and she tilts her head in that direction as well. There is a possibility that she is tilting her head to compensate for her sight, which apparently could all be connected to her motor skills. We have a list of exercises to do at home with Aylin to help strenghten her muscles and should be able to set up an eye appointment in the next couple of weeks. She will go back to the PT before Thanksgiving for a follow-up and we should know more then.

AJ's first Halloween

2009-11-05T20:46:00.001-08:00

We had fun at Aylin's 1st Trunk or Treat.
She had to get all bundled up :)

That is Aylin's hand traced onto her pumpkin.

And here is our trunk. Our little family of rockers!! :) Yes, I mohawked my little girls' hair :) What can I say?

Class Pictures

2009-10-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

This morning in Bible Class we actually had all 5 babies there, plus a visiting baby!! We decided to try and take class pictures :) These are the best 2 we got, maybe in a couple of months we can try again and actually get some of them smiling :)

Aylin, Dean, Micah, Olivia, and Laney!

Cedar Hill Farms Pumpkin Patch!!

2009-10-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

Payton on the mountain of pumpkins.
Kiki and PawPaw with their grandkids:

Payton just leaned in to kiss Aylin out of the blue, at least that is what we say she is doing, she might have been trying to bite her!

Payton telling us Aylin is in her toy.

Too cute:

Aylin and her 1st pumpkin.

Sleeping at the pumpkin patch.

Screaming on the mountain of pumpkins!! Ha!Ha!

She loves her sunglasses.

Fall Break...

2009-10-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

We went to McMinnville to see everyone. It was really great to see our "family" there. Cydney, Aylin, and Jordan:

Bobby and I at Cheesecake Factory.

The Bakers...

This is the first toy that Aylin reached out a grabbed!!