Sweet Tea=YUM!

My baby girl loves sweet tea. It is so funny watching her lick the tea from the straw like a rabbit.

38 weeks 4 days

EA is 38 weeks 4 days old TODAY which also happens to be the same length of time I was pregnant with her! Let me just say that pregnancy seems to last way longer! EA is such a joy! Check out how fast she's grown!

38 weeks 4 days:

The next 38 weeks 4 days:

One word: AMAZING!!!

EA and Her Daddy Walking and Singing

First Birthday Blues

 EA's first birthday is causing me to loose sleep because I can't decide on a THEME!!! Some people have it all together and have already ordered OUTFITS like my dear friend over ON MULLET ROAD. You should check her blog out! I've contemplated a Seuss themed party (red white and blue) because she was born on Memorial Day and we are having her party on Memorial Day BUT I'm worried that I will regret not having her a party filled with pink girly stuff.

http://stylishchildrensparties.blogspot.com/2010/07/dr-seuss-inspired-first-birthday-party.html

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2242551/candy-land-birthday

HELP!!!!!

Somebody help my Mama because I'm too little to care.

Headache Smeadache

I hate migraines. I've had them since I was in the third grade and they whip me every time. I guess I haven't been getting enough rest so my body made me cave because I can't function with a migraine. I've slept all morning and I now feel human again finally. I agree with whoever said that a migraine is worse than labor (or my labor anyhow). Migraines make me nauseas and labor just made me hurt. I need to find that video of me while I was in labor before drugs. Bruce was documenting the room while I was dying having contractions. He tells me to tell EA hey and I just wave. It is quite comical especially if you know me. haha! Anywho until I find it, I guess you'll just have to enjoy these pictures of EA (she is way prettier than me anyways).

BLW

EA is 8 months old and I decided it was time for her to try real food. I know most people start between 4 to 6 months but I know of people that their breastfed babies don't eat anything until after the first year. After some research, I also decided that I wanted to try BLW or baby led weaning because it is more like the way I breastfeed her. I let her eat until she doesn't want to eat anymore and because she won't take a bottle, I have never known how much milk she drinks. It works and I like it because she's learning to stop eating once she's full which is what I've started to do in order to loose my weight. (Who says you can't learn from babies?) BLW is similar in the fact that you put the food in front of them and they eat what they want, when they want, and how much they want. No shoving spoons full of mush in their mouths. They eat whole food no mashing or mushing. It also teaches them to chew then swallow "food" as opposed to learning it later after the "mush". After reading reading and reading some more, I liked it. I knew I would wait until the 6 month mark which BLW does follow the APA recommendation of waiting until 6 months to start food.

So last week I decided that I would let EA try a banana. She played with it, held it, and it even came close to her mouth one time but in the end it ended up in my tea when she dropped it. haha! Check her out:

We've tried baby cereal for the iron (no go), banana (no go), and mashed potatoes (no go). HOWEVER, one night I was eating a teriyaki chicken wing from Zaxby's and she wanted a taste so I let her and homegirl tried to take the thing from me so she could eat it! Crazy! This is definitely my child because I love chicken wings! mmmgood!

It's Friday Y'all!!!!

Rainy Thursday

Well so I'm up and at it early *for me* this morning and it is raining and dreary. So I thought I would post some pictures from a couple of weeks ago when it was beautiful, sunny, and warm to make this cold, dreary, rainy day even drearier. I will be so glad when summer is finally here. I HATE cold weather. I consider anything below 75 degrees cold. You will never hear me complain that it is TOO hot because I would rather sweat than shiver any day.

Anyways, a couple of weeks ago we took a sheet and went outside to play and enjoy the beautiful weather. EA has started *screaming like a banshee* as another blogger described (her daughter) every time I walk into a room. If she sees me, she wants me. She puts her hands in the air and screams. If I don't come pick her up *right then* she starts crying and hangs her little head down so I pick her up because I can't take it. She's training me good! Maybe I need to take some lessons from her? Ah well, I want her to know that I will *always always always* be here for her if humanly possible even if she just *wants* me, not just when she needs me. You know, sometimes we just *want* our Mama. I don't usually write about the way I parent because it is such a touchy subject. I don't parent my child the way you parent yours and I won't judge you so please don't judge me. :-)

MAMA!!!!!

Family photo, FAIL!

I love this baby girl!

EA already drives better than her Daddy!

Wordless Wednesday-EA loves the Remote!

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I would do this Q & A I found on one of the many blogs I read, Mrs. Southern Belle.

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

We started dating in June 2003 so almost NINE years! Time flies when you're having fun for sure!

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

Well, his first cousin Crystal has been my best friend since kindergarten and his uncle was the best man in my parent's wedding so I have known OF him practically my whole life. However, I was home for the summer after my first year of college in 2003 and I was beyond bored so I asked Crystal if she wanted to ride with me to WalMart and she said yes. On our way there, she decides to call her cousin Bruce and see if he wanted to ride with us because "he just broke up with his girlfriend and he's probably not doing anything" so whatdaya know he's not doing anything. He goes to Walmart with us and proceeds to point out everything "his ex-girlfriend" wore/used. After we dropped him off after riding the strip a few times, I told Crystal "he sure is hung up on his ex, huh?". Needless to say he wasn't so hung up on his ex afterall. ;-) 

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

We were married on TUESDAY September 18th, 2007. It was a glorious day! We have been married four years going on FIVE!

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

We were married at Jekyll Island Club hotel on Jekyll Island and it was a very small wedding. I loved it because it was not stressful at all.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

We call each other "Baby" "Darling". He sometimes calls me Jodi Modi and I call him Brucey and "dude", he really hates being called dude but I still do it anyways. haha!

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

-He is one of the most giving people you will ever meet. Do you need the shirt off of his back? HERE you go!
-He is a simple. He definitely enjoys the simple things in life and he has taught me to enjoy them too!
-His style of parenting. He is the best Daddy ever to our little girl! I love to see them interact and he can get the most giggles out of her. He also treats me the way he wants her to one day be treated which says a lot about who is he is.

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

Well technically there was two proposals. The first one he took me to the place where we first met which was the Winn Dixie parking lot. The second one was at my favorite restuarant in Savannah, Kasey's.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

He is the "I know my wife would kill me if I spent money on flowers" kind of guy! haha! Dinner with my two favorite people is certainly enough for this love holiday.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

I'm a "Pop a movie in and relax on the couch" kind of girl minus popping in a movie. haha! I'm not much of a movie watcher these days. Give me The Bachelor!

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I can't wait to take our daughter to Disney and Sea World. He would absolutely be on cloud nine with her at Sea World!

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

We are probably staying in and doing what we always do but he did take me to dinner Saturday night! We walked in and I saw all of the roses on the tables and I was like "oh yeah it is Valentine's weekend". How sad, right?

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

We don't usually exchange gifts except for maybe some reese hearts.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
Marry your best friend, communicate often, and love him always. So many people enter into marriage with unrealistic dreams of how a marriage can be but reality is harsh. Marriage is not a fairytale, it is more like a job. The more you communicate, work at it, and invest in it, the better it is.

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Happy Monday!

This past weekend we celebrated my niece's 13th birthday! THIRTEEN!!!! Where does the time go!?! She was only FOUR when Bruce and I started dating. I would tote her around on my hip and now she is almost as tall as I am! CRAZY! She did a photo booth and her cousins took advantage! The picture above is EA and her cousins. The birthday girl wasn't in the picture, but it is cute none the less. Can you find EA???


Speaking of toting her on my hip here is my TEENAGER niece way back when:

The Dreaded Walker

I SWORE I would never buy "the death trap" but after weeks of walking around on my knees so EA could hold onto my hands while she teetered tottered throughout the house I caved.

Checking out her brother Stitch who is TERRIFIED of the walker! haha!

EA with my purse that she pulled down from the chair. :-/

She likes to chase Stitch and anyone else while she's in her walker. It is hilarious! Stitch has figured out that she can't fit between furniture so he makes his escape that way! haha!

HAPPY SATURDAY Y'ALL!!!

Flashback Friday

I was going to do a belly post but as I was looking back at my belly pictures I got to thinking about how I can't believe the little baby that grew inside of me is getting to be so big so fast! The whole pregnancy process is such a miracle! I remember imagining what she looked like and trying to figure out if that was her head or her butt. I remember all of the little kicks and how she LOVED to stay on my right side. I remember watching my belly grow and my feet disappear. I remember the anticipation of "when" she was going to come. I remember laying in bed and just enjoying feeling her move. I remember when Bruce would rub my stomach she would stick her butt up (or at least I think it was her butt) on the right side so high that left side would be flat! haha! I remember hearing her little heart beat and seeing her image on the screen. I remember staring at those images wondering what she would look like, what she would be like, and dreaming of her nightly. It is so funny how pictures can bring you right back to that moment and I'm so thankful I have the pictures to look back on because I look at my baby girl now and it is so hard to believe those kicks, that butt, that heart beat was HER! I'm so blessed to be her mama and I thank God every day and night for her because it is true what Elizabeth Stone said, "Making the decision to have a child is a momentous one. It is to decide forever to have your heart walking around outside of your body".

My Dear Eileigh Ann; You are the only one that knows how deep my love for you is, after all you are the only one that has heard my heart beat from the inside.

TUTU Tutorial

After doing this tutorial I realize I stink at tutorials so this will probably be my last one! haha! But seriously, tutus are so easy to make. I think I spent a total of $7 on this one and they are usually $25 and up on etsy. It was SO easy and took about an hour total of my time. Happy Tutuing!

First you measure their waist and you cut a piece of elastic and sew it together. Bruce did the sewing so I didn't get any pictures of that. I purchased the 3 spools of tulle at Hobby Lobby.

Then I cut strips of tulle 18" long.

 I knotted 8 pieces of the same color and then alternated my colors.

 and VOILA'!

 Then you must find a willing participant to wear it.

 E did NOT like it!

But it sure made her 8 month pictures look adorable!!! 

www.studioviohl.com

GO EAGLES!