Mother's Day

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” -Washington Irvin

I am thankful to have a wonderful mother that has not only guided me through my life, but has guided me through my own experience as a mother. She is there to share my excitement and my disappointments. She laughs with me, and cries with me. She is my best friend. I hope that I can guide Olivia through her ups and downs, and that she will always love me as her mother and friend.

Mother's Day started off with...

Breakfast in bed. Of Course! I could not eat alone so Miss Olivia joined me. We may have had to change the sheets after, but it was worth it.

Robert then took Olivia to run a few errands while I relaxed in the quietness of my own home-all by myself-with no one here but the dogs. It was NICE!

They picked up a few fun things while out and about:

Check out our new summer hat complete with fake smile.

Robert then made a wonderful dinner on the grill complete with grilled corn, grilled asparagus, and grilled chicken with white bar-b-q sauce. It was wonderful.

The day was simple, relaxed, and just what I needed.

Thank you to my wonderful husband and amazing daughter for making this Mother's Day special.

April in May

So April came and went-in a flash. I can't believe we are already in May. I was thinking to myself the other day that it was already really hot for March, and then quickly reminded myself that it is May not March.

The birthday celebrations began with Miss Olivia's princess party to celebrate her third birthday. She was very excited to have her Gigi and Papaw visit from Alabama, and to have some of her friends come over. We celebrated the weekend before her actual birthday so my parents could attend, and I'm glad we did because the weekend of her actual birthday was a disaster. More on that later.




A princess party complete with its very own princess.



Taylor Grace-Olivia's friend from school.

Playing with her birthday/latest obsession.

Decorating princess cookies

The weekend of Olivia's actual birthday started off great. We went to run a few errands while Daddy worked on the shower. To keep things short and sweet lets just say that Olivia became clean up on aisle 12 in Lowes. The rest of the weekend was restless and sleepless for all. We put friends and family on notice just in case the "bug" hit Robert and myself. I don't know how we avoided it, but it was nothing short of a miracle that neither one of us got sick.

This is how our sweet girl spent her birthday. She was either asleep or in someone's arms.

Following the stomach flu we had her three year old check-up. They tested her vision, attempted to check her hearing, checked her blood pressure, and we came away with a few new numbers for the growth chart. She weighed 39.2 lbs and is 40 inches tall. Still way above 95% of other kids, but the doc was pleased with her growth. They are predicting that she will be 5'9" - 5'10".

Waiting for the doctor with our fake (not excited at all) smile.

Then the birthday celebrations continued with Uncle Kyle, followed by Papaw, followed by Nana, and finally followed by me.

If you know these two then you need no explanation for the above photos.

Among the birthday celebrations we threw in Easter and a day trip to the beach. Lessons learned...Boil more eggs than expected. She will want to dye more. She will break at least two in the process. Lesson two: Wait to put sunscreen on your child's face and arms until absolutely necessary. The consequence is sunscreen in the eyes and an hour of screaming in the car. The good news- the beach cures even a grumpy child.

So proud of herself.

Casualty #1

All is right with the world.

Catching up on events.

March was the beginning of our busy season which usually does not end until the first of May. Robert is busy with work as session began, we celebrated 6 years of marriage, and had a few other celebrations to attend.

 Enjoying a cupcake date with mommy.

 Celebrating Katelyn's Third Birthday-More cupcakes!

 Buddies

 Enjoying our favorite neighborhood park.



A Birthday Letter

I cannot believe you are three years old. So much has happened, and I cannot begin to explain to you what a blessing you have been in our lives.

I remember vividly the day we discovered that you were going to join our family. It was August 22, 2007. I was feeling very unsettled and tired, and a little voice in my head told me to take a pregnancy test. It did not take long for those two blue lines to appear. I immediately dropped the test in the sink and began to cry with excitement and joy.

The next few weeks were filled with happiness and fear. Daddy and I were excited, but nervous about loosing you. I will never forget the first time I heard your heartbeat at 7 weeks. You were so tiny, but your heartbeat was strong and steady. Daddy thought you resembled a peanut, and he still calls you Peanut to this day. The doctor said we might share a birthday (my 30th).

We found out in November that you were going to be a little girl. I had a feeling all along that you were a girl, and so did Papaw. Everyone else thought you were going to be a boy. Daddy never said one way or the other. He just wanted you to be healthy.

Being pregnant was the most amazing experience I have ever been apart of. The nausea stopped right at 3 months, and I started feeling flutters around 17-18weeks. The big kicks and acrobats soon followed.

You decided to give us a little scare and a glimpse into how our life was about to change. It was April 4, 2008. I was home from work because I was scheduled to work the weekend. I was having some cramping in my belly but didn't think much about it. As the morning went on the cramping became more intense and I started to notice. I began to time these "episodes" and they were happening every 3-5 minutes. After a call to the doctors office and to Daddy at work we were on our way to triage for monitoring. I was convinced we were going to have a baby. After a long time, IV fluids, and a few shots to stop the labor we were discharged home the next day. We were sad to be leaving without a baby, but we also wanted to ensure that you would be healthy.

Since you were frank breech we were scheduled for a C-Section on April 17, 2008. We had to be at the hospital by 5:30 with an anticipated delivery between 7 and 8. I don't know that anyone slept the night before. We were nervous and excited.

I will never forget the moment at 7:31 a.m when I heard you cry and they lifted you over the curtain for me to see for the first time. I remember the doctor saying, "Oh my Jamie she is so big, " and Daddy saying, 'Oh my goodness" over and over.

After the nurses cleaned you and wrapped you up tight for me to see. I couldn't help but think that you looked just like me as a baby. We were all surprised to find out how big you were-9 pounds 5 ounces and 22 inches long. My jaw dropped. The doctors thought you would be around 8 pounds 5 ounces.

The first time I held you was amazing. We were skin to skin, and you were so soft and warm. You immediately snuggled right under my chin, and we would soon learn that this would be a favorite spot for you to sleep.

Since you were frank breech your little legs would fly up to your ears anytime you were unswaddled. We would joke and call them your froggy legs. They did a hip ultra-sound on your second day of life just to make sure there weren't any issues. And of course you were perfect!

After sleepless nights and long days in the hospital we were able to take you home. We were excited to finally leave the hospital, but nervous and anxious with what was ahead.

Three years have gone by way too fast, and I am told that they only go by faster. When we look at you now we see a little lady full of love, kindness, empathy, mystery, drama, questions, and energy. We hope that you continue to question, search, and ponder life. We are thankful to be along for the journey, and love you with our all our heart.