Beautiful Time of the Year for the Beach

Today I'm enjoying the sun, nice breeze, and beautiful scenery here at the Gulf coast. It's such a nice time of year for the beach and not crowded at all!!! Some of my girl friends and sorority sisters from college reunited for a weekend beach trip and it's been great so far! Good company, great food, and no mommy duty involved! It's the first time I've left my baby for longer than a 24 hr period!!! It was sooo hard to leave him but I know it's nice for me to have time for myself to reenergize and for him to have a bonding weekend with his daddy. That's right.... It's a father-son weekend and the first time my hubby has been on daddy duty by himself for longer than 6 hrs. But I know my baby is in the best hands possible!!!! Even if my baby did get sick within the first 5 hrs of me leaving home..... But my hubby handled it like a champ.... called the MD for advice, kept his cool, and cared for our baby through the screaming, crying, nose-suctioning, and fever. Talk about a first-time-daddy-left-by-himself and first-time-mommy-leaves-daddy-and-baby-by-themselves parenting experience! But we made it and I'm sure are better and more confident for it! Now.... Back to basking in the sun ;) 

10 Months Old!!!!

I can't believe my sweet baby boy is 10 months old!!!! It's going by WAY TOO FAST!!!! And he's walking!!!!! He is on the move constantly and he gets sooo excited every time he is able to put several steps together! It is so cute! Motor development and language skills are right on track... however he still has no teeth. I suppose he gets those genes from his daddy because mommy got teeth really early. Oh well. I'm sure they will come eventually. But in the mean time he is eating everything placed in front of him so his lack of teeth is not holding him back in that area! The boy eats everything.... grilled chicken, tilapia, salmon, carrots, squash, beans, waffles, sweet potatoes, yogurt, ritz crackers, avocados... his absolute favorites: cream cheese and cheerios, cooked apples, yogurt bites, sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, black eyed peas, blueberries, pancakes, and broccoli! Honestly, I haven't found anything the boy won't eat, haha! He's a little porker :) but a very, very cute one I must admit!

Zoo Day!

Today I took my baby to the Zoo for the very first time. It was hard for him to see the smaller animals in the corners of their cages, but the ostriches, zebras, and goats were a big hit! We had our new best friends with us and got some great photos! So even if the boys don't remember this trip years down the road, at least we have documented proof... $5 well spent :)

first stop, prairie dogs! 

cute little goats

new best buds

we love zebras :)

It was incredibly hot today but thanks to our handy dandy battery-powered fan, it was bearable. There were fans scattered throughout the zoo as well which helped a great deal. The zebras exhibit had a great shaded spot with a huge fan, and somehow we kept ending up there.... what can I say, the boys REALLY liked those striped creatures, so naturally we had to go see them about 4 different times :)

where did that zebra go?

happy boy!

peek-a-boo!

All in all, it was a great first zoo experience and we can't wait to hit up more zoos in the future! Maybe the next ones will have bigger animals like giraffes, elephants, lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! 

VOTE MY BABY FOR CUTEST CALF!

As you may know from my previous post, we dressed up like cows for Chick-Fil-A's cow appreciation day. And of course, my sweet boy was the cutest little cow! 

Please go to the link below and vote for him!!! :)

https://www.cowappreciationday.com/gallery/photo/1925

Joy or "Just Wait"

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."
(Psalms 127:3-5 ESV)

My baby boy has been such a blessing and has brought so much joy to my family. I cherish every moment with him... even the moments filled with screaming, tears, impatience, and sleeplessness, and I feel like I could pull my hair out, I am thankful that God chose me to be his mother and that He will help me.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

(Isaiah 41:10)

"...do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."(Ephesians 6:4 ESV) 

I pray that I can do just that and along the way always have a gracious heart for what the Lord has given me.

A friend shared this link with me: Joy or Just Wait

And for all the moms (and moms-to-be) out there I really believe that it is a beneficial read. Even though I have only experienced motherhood for 8 months, I can say that it really does get better and better with each week and I can't wait for all the wonderful things to come!

We love free chicken!!!

And apparently we will do anything to get it.... even if that means dressing up like a cow and parading out in public... only to Chick-fil-a though (I know y'all are disappointed to hear that I didn't go to the mall or grocery store dressed like a cow). Anyways, it was really fun for me creating the outfits. I really enjoy sewing but haven't had a lot of reason to lately so this was the perfect creative outlet for me! If only more places gave away free things for dressing up like animals, ha! Halloween is only a few months away so I guess I have time to dream up some awesome costumes for my baby and I by then! My husband isn't much of a dresser-upper so its up to me and my little boy to look the part! But major props to my hubby for at least wearing the hat I made him to Chick-fil-a. A fun family outing for us all... I had fun making our costumes, my baby enjoyed looking at all the other "cows" at chick-fil-a, and my hubby enjoyed keeping his wallet in his pocket for this free meal for 3!

Not so sure about mommy's new ears

yummy chicken!

have you ever seen a cuter baby cow? i think not!

 daddy's "golf" hat

Back in Action!

Well after 3 months of not posting a single thing on my blog, I figured it was about time to get back in the game! A lot has happened since April.... we have moved to a new state, I have finally lost all of my baby weight (thanks to weight watchers) and once again fit into the cute clothes I love, and my baby boy is now 7.5 months old and he is doing all of the following: crawling, pulling to stand, taking steps holding my hands, furniture walking, eating 3 solid meals a day (and 4 bottles), and recently began eating finger foods! I am still a breast-milk pumping machine (although only twice/day) but no longer giving my baby only BM...  I was unable to keep up with my baby boy's hunger demands and after 7 months and 2 days of exclusive BM, I had to supplement a bottle of formula. I'm pretty sure it was more traumatic for me than my sweet boy, but I consider it a great success that I made it as long as I did! My baby is still getting at least 3 out of 4 bottles a day of BM with only one bottle formula (some days no formula) so I'm happy with that. I never thought I'd be pumping still at this point but it looks like I'll just keep going as long as I can since I've already come this far! My goal now: make it to the one year mark!

Mama C and Pop Visit!

So excited to see their grand baby :)

And like every good grandparent they bought their grandson a new toy!

Pop did not want to leave that baby!

The Best Sound in the World!

Last night I was playing with my baby by "gasping in surprise" and every time he delivered THE BEST laugh!!! He has never laughed this loud, hard, or for as long as last night! It was so much fun!!! My husband and I were laughing so hard we were crying at one point! 

My Baby's Dedication

Sunday we had our sweet baby dedicated at church by his granddaddy and with his cousin, who was born only 2 days before our little man.

My husband and I are Christians and having Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior has changed our lives forever, now and eternally, and we pray every day that we would be Godly examples to our little boy, so the same might be said by him. When we dedicated our baby to the Lord, we made the commitment to raise him in a Christian home, teach him about Jesus and His Word, and pray that God would work in his heart daily and save him as His child to become a part of his eternal kingdom. There would be no greater joy to us as parents than to know that our child would one day be saved by the Grace of God and spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

We were also very thankful to have so many family members and friends come from near and far to join in the very special day.

Valentine's Day!

This year we had a very low key Valentine's Day with our newest family addition :) We had some really good family time together and some very delicious eats!

Holding Mommy's Valentine Candy

My little Valentine :)

I got my hubby a heart-shaped pizza from Papa Johns... he LOVES hawaiian pizza!

Both my Valentines :)

My hubby got me some delicious chocolate covered fruit!!! 

I'm a sucker for chocolate covered fruit!

So excited! He knows me so well :)

One of my favorite things to get to eat at Belford's Restaurant in Savannah, GA was their Baked Brie en Croute so tonight I attempted to recreate it as best I could... And it was very tasty if I do say so myself! 

Baked Brie en Croute with Honey and Walnuts

Puff Pastry Wrapped Brie with Honey and Walnuts

• Ingredients:
  1/2 of a 17.3-ounce packagePepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed according to package directions
• 1 (8-ounce) Brie cheese round
  
  
  1/4 c. walnuts
  
  
  2 tbsp. honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. water

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Mix honey and walnuts and put in center of pastry. Place the cheese on top of honey mixture. Fold the pastry up over the cheese to cover. Trim the excess pastry and press to seal. Reserve the pastry scraps for decoration.
2. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk. Brush the seam of the pastry with the egg mixture. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Decorate with the pastry scraps, if desired. Brush with the egg mixture.
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Snow Day!

Today was my baby's second snow day since his birth! His first snow day where he was actually awake and alert. I can't say for sure if he really enjoyed himself, but his parents and puppy dog sure did! :)

Ready for the Snow!

Matching Boots!

Watching Daddy play with Bowden

Fun Day in the Snow!

3 Months Ago Yesterday...

My sweet baby boy was born!

Birth Day
11.12.11

I can't believe its already been 3 months! It was a tiring and difficult start figuring out this whole parenting thing.... from the extremely long labor process (over 30 hours), to a week in the hospital secondary to my baby's jaundice and my complications with preeclampsia/protein urea post-delivery, to the struggles with breastfeeding with two cases of mastitis, and of course, sleep deprivation. But once I figured out my baby and I were MUCH happier with bottle vs. breast, and pumping vs. nursing, a weight was lifted and I was able to enjoy being a mom so much more! Now I have mastered pumping (been going strong for 2 months and today met my goal of making it to at least his 3 month mark) and my baby is growing, thriving and sleeping through the night (anywhere from 5-8 hours a night)! He smiles constantly and melts my heart every time! He is such a happy baby and really only cries or fusses when he's hungry, tired, or when he needs his diaper changed. He is much more alert now and loves to go on tours of the house. We try to point out what everything is and he really looks and follows your finger like he knows what we are saying. He found his hands last week and loves to chew and suck on them. He found his knees today, so I'm sure it won't be long before he finds his little piggies!

Me & My Baby

at 3 Months 

My Husband and Baby

at 3 Months

"He looks just like you!"

Like any new parent, my husband and I have gotten that comment a lot with our son... sometimes people say it to me, and sometimes to my husband. The general consensus is that our baby has my husbands eyes and my nose and lips. But we still weren't convinced. Personally, I think he's a good blend of both of us, but its still hard to tell at this age who he is going to look more like. So I got busy looking through some of our baby pictures to compare. The verdict: our baby definitely has my nose... everything else, well, see for yourself....

Example #1: 

Picture on Top: me and my Nanny

Pics on Bottom: my Baby 

Resemblances: crazy hair, nose, scrunched brows, shape of head 

Example #2:      

Pic on the Top: My Husband

Pics on Bottom: My Baby

Resemblances: Isn't it obvious... hello cubby chin!!! and perhaps the eyes too (and of course the bath towel but that doesn't really count) 

Example #3:
Pic on Left: My Husband
Pic on Right: My Baby
Resemblances: Eyes, chubby cheeks :)

I can't wait to see how our baby continues to change and grow!!!!