Things I DO NOT Want to Forget

I want to make a blog post with pictures and play catch up. I have started and just never finished and Blogger wouldn't let me upload pictures. However, things are happening now and I don't want to forget them.

Isabella

• Isabella currently has a facination with buses. We listen to "The Wheels on the Bus" every time we get into the car and it is so cute when she does all of the motions. On our way to Patty's I plan it so we can see four buses and three we get stopped by. In the sweetest voice she asks for, "more". Most people would get frustrated at being stopped  by three buses a day, but I love it because she smiles so big when she sees them. Then, in the afternoons Patty has her wait by the door so she can see two more buses.
• If she thinks it is time for you to play with her, get her something to eat, or go upstairs...Isabella ever so politely says, "pup" as she puts her hand under your bum to get up and go with her. It is so hard to say no to that.
• Her clock puzzle keeps her very busy. She is very good at getting the shapes right and she is even starting to get the numbers in the right direction. We are missing the #4 right now and she will ask, "four?"
• At night we have a very strict routine. Bath, diaper, baby, taggie, blankie, kiss baby, and "stickesses" (kisses) for Isabella. She reminds us if we miss something.
• Isabella knows where the cookies are and she is persistent when she wants one. She will stand beneath the cabinet where they are located, rub her fingers together (as if she was snapping), and repeat "coooky" until one of us gives in. She will do the same for "choc" (chocolate milk) but she knows that only daddy gives into that request.
• 9 out of 10 times we get in the car she will ask if we are going to Nene and Papa's house. I will usually give in about twice a week.
• When she wants an animal to come to her she will pat her legs, curl her fingers in the come here action, and blow (whistle). It usually scares more than it helps, but to the shelter dog we adopted for a week it worked every. single. time.

Owen

• Still not a night sleeper. I don't see an end in sight. Until his love for his paci fades or he can get his fingers in his mouth like his sissy, I will unfortunately be getting up ALOT to put that paci in his mouth.
• Patty just raves about how good he is out there and he truely is a great baby.
• He is very alert to his surroundings. Sunday he even watched YouTube videos with Daddy and Sissy in bed.
• Owen comes by his nickname of stinky very honestly. And he gets his other nickname of Little Rodney when he is fighting bedtime. Nene doesn't like that nickname, but hey, sometimes he can just be a grumpy ole man!
• Brown and Navy are the most handsome colors for him.
• People always comment about how much he favors his big sister. That just makes me super happy because I don't think that my brother and I look much alike.

Right now routines are getting easier. My favorite parts of the day are playtime and snuggle time. I love my family and I love being a mom. It is the biggest blessing I have ever been given.

It's here, It's here! Fall is here.

Warning! This will be a short, but wonderful post. You know it is fall in the south when SEC football is on the TV on Saturday's and pumpkins can be found every where. This year we were lucky enough to have our own pumpkin patch. It wasn't the most plentiful of patches due to the extreme drought and the crazy amount of squash bugs. However, daddy was able to salvage one larger pumpkin and three cute little pumpkins. Isabella had a good time playing with them this afternoon. It was cute watching her play with the pumpkins until she started "pumpkin chunkin' "!!

And here is a picture of our very own Crimson Tide cheerleader. I was hoping to get her to be able to say Roll Tide! by this season, but I am afraid that I will have to wait until next year. No biggie, she will still look cute regardless.

Things Matthew Wants to Remember

Last night as we layed in bed Matthew saw new baby move in my belly for the first time. This was quite an accomplishment. New baby moves, however, the movement is not nearly as often or as violently as Isabella did. This was also the first week that Matthew really felt new baby kick. As I rolled over and snuggled into Matthew's back the other night, new baby decided to give daddy a back massage by kicking his back repeatedly. I actually think that new baby had the hiccups, but it was a good moment for Matthew and I to share with new baby. New baby is calm, but gives me an occasional reminder that there is a small blessing growing in my belly. If heartburn is the actual indicator of hair growth for a baby, this baby will have very little. That is one pregnancy side affect that I am not missing from my pregnancy with Isabella. Oh, and I forgot to mention that our 20 week (well, actually 22 week) ultrasound said that new baby was a little BOY!!

One Quilt...One Year...Many, Many Memories

Before Isabella was born Matthew's grandmother and I (and other family members, too) made a quilt. It was quite a long adventure, but well worth it. Later on we named our daughter after Matthew's grandmother and with that being said I thought it would be a great photo prop for Isabella's first year of pictures. I am going to have to think of something special like this for new baby.

Newborn

4 Months

8 Months

One Year!!

I love this quilt. It was so special to me before Isabella was born, but now it is worth more than practically anything. I think it made the perfect prop for the perfect pint sized subject.

Famous at 14 Months

Back in the early spring Isabella's Papa called me and asked me for a few good pictures of Isabella for a promotion they were doing at the bank. He is a very calm soul that doesn't get excited over much. He told me, "its not a big deal." Umm...HELLO...I am her biggest fan and her mommy so it was a HUGE deal to me.
He was in luck though because a week or two before when the weather was really nice and my buttercups were in full bloom I took her outside for a quick photo opprotunity with my really nice camera. Who knew those pictures would be on something more than a mamma's desk.

The promotion is for a customized debit card and I think she was the perfect little model. Below is a copy of the printed add.

I saw this ad before the banners were up. Last night Isabella's Nana & Papa told me that the banner was put up that day, so today on my lunch I made a special trip to take a picture of the banner proudly displayed in front of her Papa's bank.

I am still waiting on her billboard. But you better believe that I am very proud of my famous little girl!

Well blogworld it is official...I am a terrible blogger. Actually I don't really think I am a terrible blogger, I just wish for one more extra hour a day. I really NEED to keep up with all the little details in our lives though. It is important to me. What if... What if someday I wouldn't have such a wonderful family to blog about? What if I one day all of a sudden I didn't have the ability to remember my most memorable moments. I have to do this, I must do this. So because of that, I am really (I mean it this time) going to try (hey I do have a family to keep up with) to stay faithful to this blog. So first things first, we must play catch up.

Man of the house, Matthew, has been busy as ever at work. Not at the same work, but he started on a new endevour at the start of 2012. Instead of supervising the warehousing and shipping car care products he now is in charge of the safety and quality control of the warehousing and shipping of a very popular brand of potato chips. Yes, he gets to eat as many potato chips as he wants while he is at work but we have to buy ours at the house to enjoy. Matthew and Uncle Andy have also taken on another big adventure. They are up to their elbows in a full blown remodel of our sunroom. I am so proud of them. Between the two of them and their knowledge plus the ability to watch YouTube how-to videos, Isabella will have a new play room in just a few more weeks. We are also looking forward to the flowers and pumpkins that he has planted for us.

I on the other hand, I have had very little change to my life. Same job, same full time job as a mommy and part time housekeeper. I have had my hands full with Isabella that I have been horrible at taking pictures but I will give ya what I've got.

Isabella on the other had has had MAJOR milestones, MAJOR changes, and MAJOR exciting times.

We have switched her from this:

to this:

We have had our first hair cut:

But our biggest milestone of them all is this one:

World watch out because Isabella can walk. She took her first steps to Grandmama (04/28/12) one day and hasn't stopped since. I would say that she officially was a confindent walker at 14 months. Now she is almost 15 months and she is getting a little too confindent.

Your current likes are:
Fig Newtons
Nutrigrain bars
Yougurt
Turkey Lunchmeat
Animal crackers
Carrots (funny side story is that you were eating them so much the doctor commented how orange your skin looked)
Anything with chocolate
You loved whole milk from the start and your cup is usually empty by the time you get to Patty's
You love Patty's Papa. (We hope he gets better soon so he can come spend the day with you again soon.)
Patty-cake
Your nursery-rhyme songs and your Everlasting God CD's
Of course green blankie - I call you my little Linus because you will drag that thing EVERYWHERE!!
You are facinated by screw on lids.
You still love your bath (as long as you aren't too tired)
Your Grammy bought you a sand & water table for Easter/Birthday and you will spend all day playing with it if possible.
Swinging & Sliding
Who am I kidding you just LOVE to be outside.

You can say:
Yes (you can also shake your head, yes)
No (and you can also shake your head, no)
Mine (but it sounds more like nine)
Mamma
Dadda
Kitty
Thanks
Thank you
Hey
Green
Keys
Drink (it sounds like 'nink)
Cheese
And when you are trying to say a new word you usually just whisper it to yourself. It is strange, but very cute

Stats:
Size 4 Diaper
Size 4 Shoe (but you really prefer to go barefoot)
18 months clothes (some 12 months still fit)
24 month swimsuits
Approximately 25ish pounds
Approximately 24 inches tall
At you 12 month check up you were actually growing into your head though

And the most important stat to add to Isabella's list:

Big sister!

Now that you are all caught up, it will just be up to me to keep up!!

8 Months & Thanksgiving

For once we are in a month without any huge milestones. You have been alive about the same time that you were inside my belly. I am okay with that. Can slow your grow just a little bit though? You are trying to crawl but you just don't have the strength or coordination for that. You are starting to grown out of your bottles. Some nights you will take a bottle and rock you, other nights you just stretch out in my arms until I get the hint that you just want to lay down in your bed alone. 12 hours a night is normal for you. We put you to bed around 7 and during the week I wake you up at 6:30 but on the weekends you push towards waking up at 8 or 8:30. No complaints here. You have no problems with eating or drinking out of a sippy cup. You eat a serving of rice and one jar of food every three hours. And if you are SUPER lucky we will give you a drink of our tea. It is your favorite.

We had a big month with a big first. Your 1st Thanksgiving!! Although you didn't get to enjoy the food you did get to enjoy all the attention you could ever want from your Mommy, Daddy, Nana, Papa, Uncle Andrew, Great-Grandmother Faye & Great-Grandfather Rodney.

Here is a photo recap of your 8th month.

You are starting to feed yourself. You will persistantly chase the food around on your tray.

Papa gave you a cupcake. You had no objections.

Mommy gave you some pudding. More of a mess than anything. But you enjoyed sucking it out of your shirt.

Bath time is still your favorite time of the day.

Nana got you a swing for pretty days outside. You really seemed to enjoy it. Hopefully Spring will come early so you can enjoy it more.

Ripping paper has become one of your favorite things to do.

One of my favorite moments this month was when daddy picked you up from Mrs. Patty's and she had put this bib on you just for your daddy to see. We love Mrs. Patty!

 ROLL TIDE!! Game time is in full swing! We have to dress for the occasion.

My little monkey!

Your failed attempt at crawling. AND Mommy's failed attempt to get you to sleep.

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble! A cute outfit Uncle Andy got you. It was only appropriate that he was the one that got you this.

Happy 1st Thanksgiving!