McKinney Madness

Pinterest Addiction

2012-01-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

It started in November when Amy made these ribbon topiaries for Sarah Taylor's party...

I started looking through Pinterest looking for ideas of my own...

I haven't tried this yet but it's on my list of to-do's. On the blog I stole the idea from, it said these are $130 at Pottery Barn but cost her only $10 to make. Here is the link if you're interested:

http://naptimedecorator.blogspot.com/2011/10/ruler-growth-chart.html

I will definitely be doing this in February. I got three shovels at Target for $1 today!

And now... for the recipes/projects I have tried thus far:

5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars

Just made them tonight... delicious!

Smores' Cookies= UNBELIEVABLE!

Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken

I liked it but Trey wasn't thrilled with it. He's picky though. I'd give it a go if I were you.

Only 3 ingredients!

I had a blast making these reindeer cupcakes, and they were a hit at our family Christmas get-together.

I wanted to find a way to paint ST's hands and feet but in a fun and creative way. I found this idea off Pinterest, and because it was Christmas break and I had some extra time I tried it out. Not too difficult, and now I have a keepsake that I'll treasure for a lifetime!

And finally, brownies that you cook inside of the cookie cutter. SO EASY!!

Hmm.... what will I try next?! The choices are endless!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T09:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011

On Christmas Eve, we went over to Trey's Grandmother's house to visit and open presents with her.

One of the gifts we gave our Grandmothers was a calendar with pictures of Sarah Taylor throughout the first year of her life. It seemed to be a big hit!

After visiting with Grandmother McKinney, we went over to Trey's parent's house to open presents with them.

Sarah Taylor with a microphone she got from Aunt Glenda

Sarah Taylor loved dancing with Tigger (he sang and danced and she absolutely loved it)!

ST is spoiled to say the least. Gran and Grandaddy gave her so many things!

She got a frog and blanket for the car, a bath time octopus that blows bubbles, food and a toaster for her kitchen, and several other things. I'd have to say her most favorite toy of all was...

her new tricycle! It's so neat- it has two different sets of pedals she can use as she grows, along with a handle we can use to push her with.

This will be perfect for summer time!

Gran and Grandaddy spoiled all of us, and as always we had a fantastic time opening presents with them. : )

Oh, and did I mention she got an Elmo backpack, too?

She LOVES it!

On Christmas morning, she woke to find that Santa had brought her a BIG teddy bear, a cradle for her babies, a kitchen, a chair, and several other goodies that she got to open.

It was so funny to watch her walk into the room, because she was still groggy and didn't quite know what to do. She just sort of walked around it all and stared for a few minutes.

It didn't take long before she warmed up to her teddy bear.

And her cradle. : )

Her stocking had all sorts of Aveeno products, Dr. Seuss DVD's, squeeze packs, and yogurt puffs. Santa Claus definitely knows what she loves!

I think this has to be her most beneficial gift of all. She no longer has to crane her neck to watch TV, and she crawls up in it all the time to watch Elmo and read her books. I love it!

Smiling at Daddy

Right before church

After church, we drove up to Florence to open presents with Grammy and Aunt Mamie.

As you can see, she started getting brave with the lights and ornaments, and loved touching them and taking them off the tree.

Aunt Mamie painted this stepping stool for ST, and I absolutely adore it. Aunt Mamie is always great at getting special gifts like this. In fact, she printed off the first two years of my blog for me and made it into a book, which I absolutely LOVE.

Grammy got her pots for her kitchen...

a book, an outfit from Kelly's Kids, and several other things. Her biggest gift was a Bitty Baby that looks like her. This is going to be her new best friend!

Amy bought this huge Bible Atlas for Trey which he had been wanting for a long time. You'd think he had won the lottery...

And after church that night we got to open up our stockings. Stockings are one of my most favorite parts of Christmas, because there are always really fun prizes hiding in them. : )

We stayed in Florence through Thursday and had a great time spending time with family and friends.

We even went to visit the lions at UNA.

I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas!

Happy 2012!

Sarah Taylor at 13 Months

2011-12-23T07:50:00.001-08:00

Our sweet baby turned 13 months on December 23rd, and each month she surprises me with all of the things she picks up on and is learning. The last month has been a lot of fun and filled with good times and family adventures.

We celebrated Thanksgiving at Trey's Grandmother's house and headed straight for Orange Beach after that. We had a lot of fun shopping for Black Friday deals at the outlets and several other places...

while Sarah Taylor and her Grandaddy had fun acting silly. : )

Sarah Taylor loves her Grandaddy!

ST has begun exploring all sorts of new things, including cabinets and drawers (and basically anything she can get her hands on). She loves to point and say "Hey" as she waves, and when she wants your attention she'll scream bloody murder!

On December 10th, we took a trip down to Vernon to have Christmas with Mamaw.

As always, Mamaw was way too good to us and we had a great time spending time with her AND eating her amazing home cookin.'

"My turn to take pictures!"

ST's favorite gift was her "Elf on the Shelf" that we fondly named Vern (after the town of Vernon of course). I have a feeling there will be some fun times ahead with Vern!

"Ride a little horsey down to town..."

Did I mention she likes crawling inside of drawers and cabinets as well?

One of the biggest challenges we took on this month was transitioning from the bottle to the sippy cup. It was hard on me because I felt like that was the last thing I could hold on to before my little baby became not so little anymore. :( We had a VERY difficult time at first because she refused to drink milk out of anything but her bottle. After trying 6 different sippy cups, we finally found the "Nuk Transition Cup" that she eventually took to liking, but that is it. This is the ONLY thing she will drink milk out of, and in the beginning we had to put flavored yogurt in it just to get her to drink it. Oh me.... is this a foretelling of what it will be like with potty training??

At this point, Sarah Taylor has 7 teeth and is cutting her 8th tooth. This tooth doesn't seem to hurt her as bad as those in the past, but she's had her days nonetheless.

At 13 months, Sarah Taylor loves eating cheese, yogurt, goldfish, freeze-dried apples and strawberries, Nutrigrain bars, and apple sauce. Her favorite toys would have to be her Weebles playset from Grammy, her Little People riding toy from Aunt Vicki and Uncle Tim, and of course her most favorite of all would be her books. She still loves board books with bright colors and pictures.

Our little girl can light up a room with her big blue eyes and sweet grin. We adore her and enjoy every single minute we have to spend with her. Each month keeps getting better and better!

Roadtrip!

2011-12-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

We always love going to the Opryland hotel, but having the opportunity to go with our entire family made it so much more fun! We were there for 2 nights and had a really good time. You can get lost just walking around inside the hotel. We shopped, ate good food, and watched the "Holiday Shrek-tacular." I'll let the pictures speak for themselves....

I wish I had taken more pictures, but unfortunately this is as good as it gets.

Trey would live inside that hotel if he could. ha!

Sarah Taylor at 12 Months

2011-12-17T12:04:00.000-08:00

After all of her birthday posts, I realized that I still needed to post a "12 Month" blog like I normally each month, except I've forgotten to take her picture with the 1 and 2. Oh well. Life goes on!

Little Miss Priss has gotten pretty independent lately, and she likes to feed herself without any help. This was her first stab at spaghetti. I think much more landed in her highchair than in her tummy. : )

Here is Nat, ST, and Noah on Halloween night ready to head out to a little Trunk-or-Treat at Aunt Linda's church. This was the best picture I got of all 3.

Most people thought she was a bear, although the long tail should have given it away.

We couldn't resist!

I'm not sure who had more fun... her or her Daddy.

A few weeks later, we decided to head to the Bass Pro Shop to have her picture taken with Santa. She had a blast walking around all of the Christmas decor but didn't know what to think about Santa (Not sure if that is juice or drool on her dress. Go figure!).

As she walked down the aisle to get to Santa, I thought this was going to be a breeze.

Santa was so nice and sweet.

This may look like a smile on her face, but she's mid-squeal.

And this is her feeble attempt at getting down!

HAHAAAAA!!! Not before she asked for Elmo for Christmas though... of course. : )

And here is our sweet angel on her birthday. This day was so much more laid back than her party day, and we enjoyed having the time to watch her open presents, grab a cupcake from Edgar's, and shoot a few pictures at Aldridge Gardens.

Right now, she loves her "Noah's Ark Little People" set and plays with it every day. She got SO many toys for her birthday that Trey and I feel like we live in a daycare. Every toy has a zillion pieces and it's impossible to keep the house clean. I know, I know.... this is payback for all of the times we've gotten other kids toys with tons of pieces. I get it now.

Here is the rundown of what Sarah Taylor is doing at 12 months:

- She's walking everywhere... and fast!

-She kept a bad cough and runny nose for the large majority of the month. ROUGH! We finally put her on her first antibiotic (Azythromyacin) and knocked it out pretty quick.

- Baby food is pretty much non-existent, as we have tried to switch to "adult" food now.

-At her 12 month well-baby check-up, she was 25.6 lbs and OVER the 95th % in weight, 30 in long and in the 90th % in height, and her head was 19 in and STILL off the chart!

-She holds her ears ALL the time. I think I mentioned that in some of her previous posts and there were several pictures to prove it. I took her to the doctor twice convinced she had ear infections. I guess she fooled me!

- We switched from formula to organic whole milk and she made the transition just fine. Although after her doctor's appointment, Dr. McCain suggested taking her down to 2%. HA!

After making all of these big transitions, I'm left wondering where my little baby went. I can't believe she's a year old... it hurts my heart to even think about how quickly the time has flown, although I must say- each stage gets more and more fun (or would you say funner and funner)?

Anyway, we love our baby girl and can't wait for many more birthdays to share with her!

12 month pictures

2011-11-29T18:38:00.001-08:00

***SEVERAL NEW POSTS BELOW***

On Sarah Taylor's birthday, we went to Aldridge Gardens where my sweet sis took these pictures of us and Sarah Taylor. Once again, I thought she did a great job and I'm so happy to capture these sweet shots of our baby girl on her birthday. Thank you Amy!

This is my 2nd favorite pic...

and this one is my very favorite!

(notice her tongue sticking out... ha!)

Sarah Taylor's First Birthday Party: Part Three

2011-11-29T18:14:00.001-08:00

Why don't I let the pictures speak for themselves...

Sadly enough, this is the only family picture we got together.

She looks so happy, doesn't she?

LOVE.

Wardrobe change after her bath...

ST and I had a good time playing with all of her toys after our guests had left. We are SO blessed to have such wonderful friends and family that would take time out of their busy schedule to come and be a part of Sarah Taylor's first birthday. ST is one loved little girl, that's for sure. : )

Sarah Taylor's Birthday Party: Part Two

2011-11-29T17:44:00.001-08:00

As you can see, the grandmothers were tickled pink to see their granddaughter turning one. I don't know who's smiling bigger- ST or Gran. : )

Uh oh... at this point the party hadn't even started and she's already yawning. We had just started her on an antibiotic, so on top of being sleepy she was also very fussy. Do antibiotics do that to your kids? She was TERRIBLY FUSSY for several days after we started the antibiotic (Azythromyacin).

Katherine and Addison having their girl talk.

This is Grandmother meeting Wes May for the first time. Wes' grandparents attend the same church that I grew up in and where my Grandmother attends now. She was thrilled to meet her Rook partner's grandson. : )

Grandaddy showing ST Winnie the Pooh on her birthday bag

Group shot #1

As you can see, people just sort of popped a squat wherever they could find space. It was pretty crowded, but I wouldn't have had it any other way!

I guess ST thought everyone was being too loud.

(Not really, she does this CONSTANTLY. I guess it's her new thing.)

She was pretty interested in opening gifts for the first 10 minutes or so, but after that the A.D.D. started kicking in. Before long, Mommy was opening all the gifts while ST played with the tissue paper and bags.

Group Shot #2

Katherine and Marah were very good helpers. : )

"You need me?"

This girl loves books. I mean, LOVES them.

Well, and money, too.

Our sweet cousins: Marah and Caley

ST is obsessed with Elmo right now. She got several Elmo toys and books and they have become some of her favorite things to play with.

Up Next: Smash Cake... Stay tuned!

Sarah Taylor's First Birthday Party: Part One

2011-11-29T04:19:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, November 19th we celebrated Sarah Taylor's 1st birthday with an Auburn tail-gating style party. We took so many pictures that I decided to break it up into 2 parts- food/decorations and then the party itself. : )

All I can say is, thank God for pinterest! ha! It's become mine and my sister's favorite past time, and we came up, or actually my sister came up with all of the cute ideas that you are about to see. And she made all of them too! I can't take any credit whatsoever for the cute stuff.

The party favors were one of my favorite ideas that we saw on pinterest. I got the popcorn containers for 2/$1 at Dollar Tree and my sister made the pennants out of scrapbook paper and stickers. We filled each favor with play doh, ring pops, a football brownie, tootsie pops, a whistle, and some fruit snacks.

I think we made 26 favors in all. Thank you Mom and Amy!!

The ribbon topiaries were my favorite part of the table decorations. My sister made these as well by cutting ribbon in little strips and placing them on a green foam ball (I don't know what they're called) and used straight pins to pin them in place. Super cute, huh?!

I had a friend of mine from school make the burlap banner. Go Tigers!

I wanted there to be some kind of activity that both kids and adults could do outside (the high was 67 that day), so we borrowed cornhole from our good friends Hal and Wes. Thanks guys!

We also borrowed a life-size jenga set. Most of the kids spent their time rolling down the hill in the grass though. Whatever floats their boat!

The plan was to make the green icing look like grass but I couldn't quite get it to look the way I wanted. I thought these would do. : )

I stressed over where to buy the cake. I wanted to order from Edgar's (YUM!) but it was going to be very expensive, so I ordered from Publix instead and got the smash cake for free! I was pretty pleased and thought they did a good job.

Yes, we even made Auburn pasta. I couldn't resist!

I wanted to display her "watch me grow" pictures from month 1-12 in some way on the table, so I bought these tigers and footballs at Hobby Lobby for $.67 and hot glued a clothes clip to the back. Worked like a charm!

Goldfish for the little ones...

The menu consisted of Chick-fil-A nuggets, cocktail smokies, mini corn dogs, spinach dip, loaded baked potato dip, m&m's, pasta salad, goldfish, fruit skewers, cupcakes, cookies, and cake.

Believe it or not, we didn't have a lot of food left!

Next up, opening presents and smash cake time!

Fall Family Fun

2011-11-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

I'm reminded more and more each day of why I love fall time so much. A friend of mine wrote on facebook this morning, "God's color palette is so amazing," and I think that definitely rings true for this time of year.

Watching Sarah Taylor play in the leaves yesterday was so much fun. She couldn't get enough of the leaves- she wanted to throw them, swish them, eat them... you name it!

"You want some?"

We went to Aunt Linda's to celebrate yesterday because, after working 35 years at Southern Railroad, she decided to retire. She has spent her entire life doing for others and Trey considers her a 2nd mom. It was so much fun to take time out to do something nice for her. I even had the opportunity to take some fun pictures while I was there. : )

The kids (from left top): Jana (I think), Sarah Taylor, Jacob, Noah, Jesslyn (I think), baby Nate

Natalie, Braxton, and Brennan

Jana, Jacob, and Jesslyn

The Williams family

Misty, Brennan, and Braxton

Aunt Linda and ST

Mama Mc and ST

FUN...

AND MORE FUN...

HAPPY FALL YA'LL!

11 Months

2011-11-05T17:53:00.001-07:00

I tell you what- as Sarah Taylor gets older these monthly pictures get harder and harder. We had to make an extra one this month out of an "L" and trying to get ST to hold them so we could see the numbers is almost impossible. Regardless, we still had fun doing it and hopefully you get the idea... : )

The month of October was SO busy. We started out with a trip to Myrtle Beach (which I blogged about a few weeks ago), then went home to Florence for Punkin' Day at Mars Hill and the Pumpkin Patch (which I also blogged about). During October we also did Trunk or Treat at Homewood, enjoyed having Grammy and Aunt Amy down for a visit, and a host of other things. While it was all tons of fun, we are exhausted nonetheless!

On the trip up to Myrtle Beach, ST had the highest fever she's had yet (it got up to 102 at one point), but we eventually found out she was cutting her two "I" teeth. Throughout the course of the month, she kept having more teeth cut through, and finally there were FIVE in all cutting through at the same time. Poor baby, no wonder she's been fussy.

At 11 months, Sarah Taylor LOVES any flavor of yogurt and eats at least one to two containers per day. Her other favorite foods include: cheese, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and nutri-grain bars. Thankfully, she'll eat just about anything... and I'm hoping she stays that way and doesn't turn into a picky eater like her daddy. : )

Sarah Taylor has watched a lot of football with Daddy this month, and has sported a lot of Auburn gear. We wouldn't have it any other way! War Eagle!

Sarah Taylor is doing a great job of sleeping through the night now. I'd say that she may have one "bad" night a week now, and by bad I mean she may cry out a time or two before falling back to sleep. I hope I didn't just jinx myself, but I really am proud of how far she's come.

This is ST at Punkin' Day picking her rubber duckie. We didn't know what we were supposed to do with it after she chose one, so we waited around and the lady never said anything so we took it with us. We later found out that we were supposed to turn it in for a piece of candy. WHOOPS!

Sarah Taylor is at such a fun and playful stage right now. She does a great job of playing independently with her toys, which gives me a little more freedom to cook and clean without having this little monkey hanging onto my leg. : )

One of her new favorite past times is pulling DVD's off the shelf and onto the floor. I don't mind as long as it keeps her distracted. She also LOVES books and turning the pages all by herself- she'll pick a book over a toy any day. Sure makes her mama proud! : ) Her favorite books still include flip books as well as first 100 words and any board book that has baby animals or numbers in it.

Along with books, her second love is music. As of now, Sarah Taylor's favorite song is "What I Am" by Will I Am and his Sesame Street Friends. If you've never heard it before you've got to look it up on You Tube. I hope to teach it to my little students this year. They'd love it!

Day by day, our little one is gaining more and more confidence in walking. She has taken 10 steps so far without falling, so it's just a matter of time before she'll be all over the place!

I know these milestones and bits of information are probably boring to most, but this is my best form of "scrapbooking" and I'd hate to look back and wish that I'd done a better job of writing things down. One of my wishes for Christmas is to start printing off portions of my blog in small increments. I've been told that a great place to do this is at www.blog2print.com.

In just a few short weeks our little girl will be turning one. I honestly can't believe it. She is our greatest blessing and we are so humbled in knowing that God would entrust us with such an amazing daughter. We love you boo boo!

Trunk or Treat 2011

2011-10-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday night we celebrated "Trunk or Treat" at our church. Our core group has always sponsored a "trunk" but obviously this is the first year I've ever had a little munchkin to carry around with me. We had so much fun!

Lots of people thought she was a bear, but she was actually supposed to be a little monkey (which suits her well)!

You see the basketball whistle around her neck? This thing entertained her the entire night, along with a little basketball goal that Adam and Maryann brought. Thanks guys!!!

"Beware of my ferocious paws! Grrr!!"

It's pretty easy to see that she enjoyed herself (and I promise, she didn't even eat a piece of candy)!

Now, as for the "TRUNK" that our core group sponsored... I'll give you a little hint...

Figured it out yet? That's right, our group dressed up as the Harlen Globe Trotters... or 80ish basketball players. I think we had more fun than the kids did!

Let me introduce you to our players:

Mad Man McKinney

Kudos to Trey for dressing up! I really didn't think he'd do it!

Magic Maryann and Coach Green

(And Jaws, AKA London)

Jumpin Jack Flash and Squanto

(And sweet little Dorothy...err, Addison)

Fletch and Coach Chris

Larry Byrd (did you know he played for Kentucky?) and Krazy Kelli

Pimpin' Patrick and Wild Woman Amy

And here are some of our mascots...

We had so much fun and Sarah Taylor got to hang out with some of her best buddies, including:

London

Asher

Cade Thomas

Maddie

Addison

And if that weren't enough fun, Sarah Taylor even got to ride a pony!

I don't think my child is scared of anything.

She loved every single second of it. :)

Sarah and Reagan

Rachel/Cade Thomas, Me/ST, Ashley/Owen

The team

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

Goin' Back For More

2011-10-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

FYI: SEVERAL NEW POSTS BELOW!

Okay, okay... I couldn't help it. We had so much fun on Saturday that we decided to visit another pumpkin patch before heading back to Florence yesterday. This one was on a MUCH smaller scale than McGee farms, but it was still fun looking at the pumpkins and picking a few of the little bitty ones to take home. : )

Once again, she loved being outside and around all of the neat pumpkins of all shapes and sizes.

This picture was taken right before she decided to lick the picture. Everything seems edible to her these days. Could be because she is cutting THREE teeth!

Notice my hand at the bottom. I'm one paranoid mama.

This seals the deal for me. Move over Summer time, fall is now my FAVORITE time of the year!

McGee Farms

2011-10-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I've NEVER been to a pumpkin patch. Last year, I wanted to go so bad but didn't feel like I could because I didn't have a child to bring with me. : ) This year, I was so excited to take Sarah Taylor out to the pumpkin patch and pick out a few pumpkins to take home with us.

One of the reasons that we found it to be so much fun is because of all the great photo opportunities there were. For instance, there were tons of great spots like this that were set up specifically for picture taking. ST was in a great mood and we had a blast! Hence, all the pictures you are about to see (and believe me, this is the scaled down version of pictures)...

My sis took all of the scenic pictures that you'll see, and several more of ST. The name of this place is McGee Farms and it is right outside of Florence in the good ol' countryside. As you can see, it was a BEAUTIFUL farm with chickens and goats to feed, hay to jump around in, hayrides, and of course 2 HUGE pumpkin patches where you could pick your very own pumpkin.

Sarah Taylor had an absolute blast!

Love. Love. Love.

There were so many different kinds of pumpkins to choose from. Green ones, orange ones, warty ones, big ones, small ones.... you get the picture.

Sarah Taylor grinned from ear to ear while her daddy took her on a mad hunt for the perfect pumpkin. I had never been in a pumpkin patch before and it was really neat. It reminded me of a book I read to my kids called Spookly the Square Pumpkin. If you've never read it before, it's a great book about being different and self-esteem. I highly recommend it!

I don't like pictures of me. BLAH. But I do want ST to look back one day and realize that I did actually come out from behind the camera every now and then.

"Daddy! I found it!"

Petting the goats was probably her favorite part. She wasn't scared at all- she just stared and wanted to lean over the fence and get in there with them. Too funny!

Our pumpkin picks

"Peek-a-boo!"

This is me trying my best to stay out of the picture but keeping ST from falling head first at the same time. I didn't do such a good job.

LOVE this picture. Probably my very favorite one... although I have a lot of favorites as you can see! We had such a good time here. I can't wait to go to more back in Birmingham! As long as their are great photo opps, I'm there! ha!

Myrtle Beach Road Trip

2011-10-17T04:50:00.000-07:00

On the weekend of October 1st (I know, I'm way behind), we took a road trip with the Davis' to Myrtle Beach, SC. The boys went because they wanted a good excuse to go to the Florida/Auburn game. We went because we wanted a mini vacation and a chance to shop!

Anytime you take a road trip with a 10 month old and 18 month old you never know what to expect. Laura and I were a little nervous to say the least, but the trip up there was no problem at all. We were pleasantly surprised!

We stayed at The Marina at Grand Dunes and it was absolutely gorgeous. It was on the bay and we had a great view of the water. We did a lot of shopping with a little bit of rest on the side.

On Friday night we went to this really neat place called "The Boardwalk," where they had all kinds of shops and restaurants. The main attraction was this place called "Preservation Station" (I think... is that right?) where you could pay to have your picture taken with the tigers. It was really neat just being so close to them. ST loved looking at them through the glass.

After looking at the Tigers, we walked across the bridge to the carousel. Trey had a blast showing ST the fish and turtles in the water. I think this was my favorite part of the trip (I absolutely adore watching my two loves together).

And doesn't Blair look too cute in her dress (made by Laura I might add)?!

Daddy/Daughter Time

Daddy Lovin'

Sweet Blair (gotta love those curls)

It's safe to say that ST and Blair sported their Auburn attire the entire time we were there! Nothing like showing a little team spirit!

I couldn't pick out a favorite so I had to post a few. : )

Laura and Blair on the carousel

ST wasn't sure what to think about it. No tears were shed though, so we considered it a success!

I thought we had a good thing going when the girls had such a peaceful ride up to Myrtle Beach. The ride back however... not so much. We were all tired and cranky, and by the time we set in ATL traffic for 2 hours with two fussy babies, I think we were all in tears (the girls at least). Lets just say... washing bottles in a Kroger bathroom and playing on a couch in Big Lots is NOT my idea of fun.

Having said that, we still managed to have a great time and I loved the memories we made while we were there. ST had a great time with Blair and I'm so blessed to have such great friends to spend fun times with!

9 (err...10) month pictures

2011-10-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

Our original plan was for my cousin Brooke, who took ST's newborn, 3, and 6 month pictures to take her 9 month pictures as well. However, due to rainy weather we weren't able to meet at our original time. SO... my sister and I decided we would try our hand at a little photography with ST as our guinea pig.

The only part I played was acting a fool to get ST to smile. Amy did the rest.

Not too shabby, eh?

We went out to an old plantation home here in town and because ST had just learned to stand and was too afraid to walk, she stood still and did a great job. We caught her at the perfect time of day with great lightening, and a good mood to boot!

This is Aunt Amy's favorite. Mine is the first one pictured at the top. : )

Did I mention my mom wore bunny ears and acted like a crazy person just to get ST to smile? Yep, we'll be taking her along on photo sessions from now on!

I can't believe that I'm already planning her first birthday party. Makes me sad!!

Where does the time go??

10 Months

2011-10-08T07:30:00.001-07:00

Sarah Taylor took her first step on her 10 month birthday, which was September 23rd. We were so excited! She has begun standing for long periods of time, so I told Trey to come into the living room to see how long she had been standing and as soon as he did ST took a step. I'm so glad that we were both in the room when it happened! The picture above is taken right afterwards. : )

We went home to Florence in September and ST always loves visiting with Grandmother. Grandmother calls her "tootie fruitie" and they have such a good time together.

Sarah Taylor is continuing to love her bath time. I have a feeling she's going to fall in love with the swimming pool next summer.

Trey and I have made a plan to lose the pacifier at 12 months. That's going to be a pretty hard habit to break! As it stands, we try to use it mainly during nap and bedtime ...but we always have it handy just in case. : )

This picture was taken right after Trey got back from the Mississippi State game. Can you say burnt much??

ST has just started clapping this month and she thinks it is the funniest thing. Anytime we say "Yay Sarah Taylor!" she starts to clap like she's so proud of herself. Too cute!

Family pic right before Sunday church

This picture was taken immediately after she took her first step. We tried to get it on video but couldn't get her to do it again. Since then, She's taken a step or two here and there, but she's not an avid walker just yet. I'm sure it's coming soon though!

A few more fun facts I want to remember about Sarah Taylor in her 10th month:

1) She says "mama and dada" all the time

2) She bounces to music

3) When we are in public she always does great because she LOVES to stare at people. She's so nosy. : )

4) She's started waving just a little if we try really hard to get her to. It's a work in progress!

5) She is definitely a "mama's girl" right now. She's gone through a very clingy stage, but I don't mind it so much... : )

6) She's teething. She has to be, because she drools all the time and has been pretty irritable. I expect to see teeth popping through at any time!

9 month pictures coming up! Stay tuned.

War Eagle, Hey!

2011-09-10T07:31:00.001-07:00

9 Months

2011-08-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

And just like that- she's 9 months. Seriously, where does the time go?

As you can see, she's still holding on to her little hamhocks, and I absolutely love it. She's a wonderful eater and really hasn't found a food that she doesn't like. I've been pureeing a lot of foods lately. She's eaten butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and a banana/blueberry medley that she loves the most. They are so easy to make, and it feels so good to know she's eating healthy and I know exactly what is going into her sweet little body.

She loves being outside and has taken an interest in eating leaves lately. This girl will put ANYTHING into her mouth. I can't wait until cooler weather comes- we love taking walks as a family and playing around the house when the weather is nice. Trey likes taking her outside to pick muscadines from our vine or to feed Toby.

I think I caught her by surprise. : ) I bought her this Elmo plane at a consignment sale in Florence and she loves it!

Trying to change and dress Miss Priss has become quite the challenge lately. She wants to roll over constantly, so I have to give her something to play with. You'd think a brush and a bottle of lotion were the best thing since sliced bread according to her.

ST cracks us up by doing this. Whether she's in the carseat or chilling with one of us, she ALWAYS has her feet crossed like this. Just chillaxin I guess...

Have I mentioned that she loves Toby??

(Disclaimer: It's impossible to keep the window clean.)

Amy got her this onesie while on her mission trip in Antigua. The hat is Trey's for cutting grass. She didn't mind it at all!

Caught ya!

(This is one of her favorite past times)

I wanted to take a close up of her double crown because it won't be long before it's covered up by her thick brown hair. I can't believe how fast her hair is growing. Trey and I both thought she'd have blonde hair since both of us did when we were little, but it seems to be getting darker believe it or not.

This little one has blessed us more than we ever thought possible.

We love you Boo Boo!

8 Months

2011-08-21T06:51:00.001-07:00

Can you tell school is back in session and I'm way behind on my blogging? Now that she's 2 days away from being 9 months old I've decided to try and post her 8 month blog. Better late than never, right? It is HARD getting back into the swing of things, but I'm hoping that within the next few weeks I'll have the working-mom thing figured out again and can get my life back in order. For now, it's corndogs and a dirty house.

As you can see, our sweet Sarah Taylor is growing like a weed and is such a happy baby. We've come a LONG way since those newborn days with colic! We went for a doctor's visit during this time and she weighed in at a whopping 21 lbs 2.5 oz. I can't wait to see her stats at her 9 month appointment. People kept telling me that she'd slim down and plateau on weight gain once she began crawling, but we have yet to see that! Doesn't bother me at all... I love my baby's chunky legs!

I took these pictures at my Mamaw's house last month when we went for a visit. I have so many amazing memories of this place. The tricycle ST is standing with was mine and my sister's when we were little, and the tree in the background has a mark from where I ran into it with the 4-wheeler. I tried to drive it when I was 5.... not a good idea. I'm not sure who was hurt more- me or the tree.

The dress Sarah Taylor is wearing was made by my Aunt Peggy (my Daddy's sister). She made a beautiful bonnet to go with it. When I received it from her the card said, "To my brother's firstborn granddaughter." Needless to say, it's very special to me. I think Sarah Taylor looks a lot like my Daddy. I know he'd be so proud.

Sunscreen much?

We've graduated to the rubber ducky tub and she LOVES bath time.

At 8 months, she has just begun pulling up on things. You can tell in this picture she was a bit wobbly. Immediately after taking this picture I went to grab the clothes out of the dryer and she fell over and got a bloody nose. Boo Mama.

Picking Grammy's pears

(P.S. Do you see the rash around her mouth? It's been there all summer and I can't get it to go away! I know it's from her paci, so we try to put Aquaphor on it and dry it out as much as possible. It's awful looking!)

Don't let this sweet smile deceive you. This diva is starting to develop quite the personality AND quite the attitude. Hopefully we can get a handle on it very quickly!

Now that she can crawl, ST LOVES door stops, Elmo, Sesame Street, and her Spot books.

Her favorite thing to eat would be... hmm... just about anything. She still adores sweet potatoes and apples and bananas though. : )

Mamaw had such a good time with Sarah Taylor!

I think this picture will forever remain one of my very favorites. So many memories behind it.

We are so blessed to wake up every morning to this sweet face.

God is good. All the time!

July 4th Weekend

2011-07-25T06:42:00.001-07:00

** NEW POST BELOW**

On Friday, July 1st, Maghan, Jessa, and myself along with all of the kiddos took a roadtrip to Huntsville to visit our good friend from college (Tara) and her little girl Katherine. First of all, a trip with 3 adults and 3 kids stuffed into one vehicle is quite interesting. The kids did really well though and we definitely enjoyed our time together.

The photo shoot went... well... as expected. These were some of the best shots we could get!

(Addison, ST, Katherine, and Cooper)

Poor Addison, she just wasn't feeling the pictures...

Cooper was SICK of pictures at this point, and ST was wondering how we were going to get her chunky legs out of that Bumbo.

Jessa got ST and Cooper matching bubbles. I love it!

Late that night/early the next morning after we had gotten home, ST woke up with the stomach bug. At the time, we thought it was just what she had eaten the night before and due to the Prilosec we had not been giving her (per the nurse's opinion). Therefore, we carried on with our normal 4th of July festivities and went to the river to play with Phillip, Carol, Hannah, Harrison, Gran, and Grandaddy. (You can see where this is going...)

Gran and ST

Nice hair, Harrison!

ST showing her patriotism

Sorry Hannah, but I think that lifejacket is a little too small for you. : )

We spent the day riding the Sea Doo (is that how you spell it?) and intertubing. My elbows lost a layer of skin that day, but we had soooo much fun!

ST watching from the pier

ST and Trey right after church

After church on Sunday, I started feeling really tired and achy. I didn't think much about it... I just assumed it was from riding the sea doo the day before. Not so much... I started throwing up around 8, only to find out that Carol, Trey, my in-laws, my mom, and my sis would be getting it next. BRUTAL.

And let me just tell you, trying to take care of a baby while both parents are down for the count is awful. I was just getting over it and Trey was right in the middle of it, so my fashion sense went out the door.

Don't hate. I did the best I could.

6 Month Pictures

2011-07-24T14:50:00.001-07:00

I'm way behind on my blog posts! My camera cord has a short in it and I've not been able to upload pics for almost a month now. Needless to say, there will be several more posts to come. These are just a few of the pictures Brooke took at the beach for ST's 6 month portraits. I was thrilled with the outcome, and happy to have a few family pictures to boot!

Thank you Brooke!! We love you!

P.S.- I can't decide on which picture I want to frame. Take a look at the numbered pics below and let me know which one you like best!

Orange Beach Through Brooke's Lens

2011-07-05T13:50:00.001-07:00

Brooke Busby Photography

7 Months

2011-07-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm a little late in posting Sarah Taylor's 7 month update. Better late than never, right?

I know I probably say this every month, but throughout the last 4 weeks I feel like ST has reached so many milestones and has had so many "firsts." She is growing like a weed and becoming more and more active each and every day. Her smile lights up the room and I am thrilled to have the entire summer to spend with her.

For the last few weeks we have been working on taking longer naps, and she's doing a great job now that we've gotten into a routine. She now takes a 1 1/2-2 hour nap in the morning and the same in the afternoon. I have REALLY enjoyed the quiet time, as I have been able to get so many more things done when she's asleep!

For the past 2 months or so, she has become ADDICTED to Baby Beethoven. We put it in at least once a day (call me a bad mom for letting her watch TV, but you do what you have to do) and it gives me time to wash bottles, cook dinner, etc. Sarah Taylor's favorite vegetable right now is sweet potatoes and her favorite fruit would be the strawberry, apple, and banana medley. She tried "puffs" for the first time and the little yogurt melts, too, and seems to really like both. We've actually just started giving her juice in a sippy cup and she's doing really well with that. Actually, it's more like 90% water and 10% juice, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her. : )

Remember all that drool I mentioned in previous posts? I knew she must be teething, but I didn't expect her to cut both bottom teeth at the same time! She went through a week or two where she was very ornery, had some rough diapers, and slept quite a bit. She used her teethers relentlessly and I even gave her a frozen waffle to see how she'd do with it. She LOVED it, but it became soggy very quickly and I had to be the bad guy and take it away.

She is now scooting but will mainly stay in the same 5 foot vicinity. I have a feeling it won't take long before she's crawling everywhere. She can also sit up from the crawling position. Sarah Taylor loves her freedom and seems to play more independently now that she is quite active and mobile. We even began putting her in a high chair at restaurants and she sits like a big girl in the buggy now. It makes me sad that she's getting so big. Where did my little baby go?

My cousin Brooke took this picture while we were at the beach. She also took ST's 6 month pictures and I can't wait to see them!

Sarah Taylor is such a sweet, fun, and adorable little girl and Trey and I feel so blessed to be her parents. She is one spoiled little girl, as her grandparents on both sides are enjoying very much their first grandbaby! (Well, and we might spoil her a little bit, too.) : )

I Just Have to Brag...

2011-06-30T16:29:00.001-07:00

I'm no extreme couponer, but for the last few months Trey and I have really tried to take notice of what's on sale and pair that with coupons we have to go along with that item. It's really starting to pay off, as we are saving some mega bucks at Publix, Target, CVS, etc, and have even gotten some stuff for free!

Above is my stockpile that I purchased today at Publix... for $35! Notice I have 3 lbs of ground beef and steak kabobs which made up $17 worth of the purchase. I saved over $65 and was very excited about what I got for my money. I'll break it down for those of you that care. If you don't... you may want to discontinue reading. : )

1. Playtex Sippy Cups: On sale for 50% off with a $2 coupon = $1.50 for 2

2. Pillsbury Crescent Rolls- On sale for $1 each with $.40 coupon that doubled= $.60 each

3. Cheez Its: BOGO with a $2 coupon= $1.69 for 2

4. Pillsbury Cake Mix: On sale for $1 each

5. Milk: Regular Price ($1.85)

6. Ground beef: ~ $10 for 3.5 lbs with $1 off coupon= $9

7. Birds Eye Broccoli: 50% off= $1.53

8. Sweet Corn= On sale, 4 for $1.20

9. Duncan Hines Brownie Mix: BOGO with a coupon for buy 2 get 1 free= 3 for $2.69

10. Goldfish: On sale for $1 each with 2 $.75 coupons and 1 $.55 coupon

11. Eggs- Regular Price ($1.59)

12. Steak Kabobs- On sale for $4.99/lb

Don't do the math on this, as I'm doing this from memory and I may have messed up. All I know is that I got all of this for $35 and I'm really excited. Now, if someone could just teach me how to buy Similac at a decent price, I'd be in hog heaven.

Watch out TLC, here I come.

Orange Beach Day 7

2011-06-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

Leaving Orange Beach was bitter sweet. It's always nice to get back home though, especially when I have one month left of summer time before work begins again. : ) We spent our last night eating at Jake's Grill (you gotta love their cheese biscuits!) and then having a mini photo shoot with ST by the pool.

I was so glad the weather worked in our favor and ST was in a good mood. These were some of the best pictures I got all week!

I tried to get a few pictures of her with the "7" since we celebrated her 7 month birthday while we were there. I think you can see how that went... By the way, props to Jessa for the cute sand pail we got as a favor from Cooper's birthday party!

A special shout out to my mom who got her the cute beach towel she's sitting on. She ordered it from Kelly's Kids and then got a good friend of ours to embroider (is that the right word?) her name on it. I love it! Thanks Mom!

At the last minute I decided Trey and I should jump in and try to take a cute family picture. As you can see, we're not in our color coordinating outifts, but I love it just the same. I think it's perfect. : )

And then of course we had to have a picture with Aunt Amy...

and Grammy!

(Gotta love those chunky legs!)

Our beach trip was absolutely perfect. I was able to check off everything on my to-do list (such as read a good mindless book, take a nap, lay out by the pool, read a Southern Living magazine, take a walk on the beach, etc...) and loved every minute of my time with my wonderful family. I can't wait until next year!

Orange Beach Day 4, 5, and 6

2011-06-24T10:37:00.001-07:00

As the week progressed, a day or two would pass when I wouldn't take any pictures at all, and the next day I'd have a full out photo session and take a bazillion pictures. This is a conglomeration of the pictures I took on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week.

Because there were 22 of us, we spent 3 nights in where we took turn about cooking dinner for one another. We loved being together, and the little girls absolutely adore ST and were a great help- especially during feeding time! ha!

On Wednesday morning Trey got up and went to play a round of golf, so ST and I took a walk on the beach and hung out by the pool. We had some great girl time together and I was thankful for mom and Amy coming to the rescue when I needed some down time. : )

Doesn't she look like a little Indian chief?

Caley and Marah

ST's favorite thing to do outside was to play in the Splash Pad. She would try and catch the water and grin from ear to ear when she did. It was so cute to watch!

Marah and Joshua

On Thursday our cousin Jana came up from Fairhope to visit and brought her daughter Maryn Kate and her son, Sullivan. We had a great time catching up and I think Maryn enjoyed playing with the girls. : )

Last night we were all very excited to eat at our favorite place- The Original Oyster House. Aunt Vicki and Uncle Tim went on ahead of us and called to say there was a 2 hour wait. So what did we do to pass the time? You got it- a photo shoot!

The Oyster House was delicious as always, and we had a great time while we were there. Unfortunately, our time at the beach is near the end and we are so sad to go. However, I'm only half way through the summer and very excited to spend more quality time at home with Trey and ST.

Thanks for sticking with me and looking through all of my pictures. I know I've posted a ton, but if you knew how many I have sifted through just to pick those you'd be amazed! Only 2 more days left... and bunches of more pictures to post! ha!

Orange Beach Day 3

2011-06-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

On Monday morning, we got out to the pool around noon or so (ST has been sleeping SO good since we've been here! If only she would do that at home...) and spent time swimming with ST and playing with the kiddos. Unfortunately, it doesn't take Sarah Taylor long to tucker out so we've spent a lot of time indoors too. That's okay though- my mom and sis have helped a ton so I've still been able to get some good quality read-by-the-pool time by myself. It's been great!

She loves the water and enjoys playing with her cousins in the pool.

On Monday night Brooke took Sarah Taylor's 6 month pictures at the beach. She was actually 6 months and 20 some-odd days old at that point, but who's counting... right? I think she got some great shots and I can't wait to see the final photos, but this is a snapshot I took while we were down there.

She enjoyed the sand a little too much. In fact, she thought it was a good idea to eat the sand until she found out that it didn't taste so good. : )

We also celebrated the triplets birthday while we were here. They turn 5 on June 28th. I can't believe it!! We had such a great time playing with them, and were sad to see them leave on Wednesday.

This week has been great, and I have TONS more pictures to come!

Orange Beach Day 1 and 2

2011-06-20T09:13:00.001-07:00

Do you think we packed enough??

If I waited until I got home to upload all of the pictures I wanted to post from our beach trip, there is no way I could ever post them all. We've not even been here 48 hours and we're already having so much fun. I may be the only one interested in these pictures, but once again, for memories' sake, I wanted to post as many as I could to remember Sarah Taylor's first beach trip by. I won't comment on them all (it would take FOREVER), but I'll highlight some of the things we've done in the last 2 days...

Our bedroom for the week

The living room

The kitchen

Aunt Vicki, Uncle Tim, Anna, and Ben cooked hamburgers and hotdogs for us on Saturday night after we got here. I made all of the girls headbands and some of them decided to put them on immediately. Above is a picture of Marah wearing hers. : )

Abbie and Bailey wearing their Auburn headbands

Not sure why this turned out so small, but I love this picture

of us right before we went down to swim!

Sarah Taylor LOVED the pool. Splashing was her favorite thing to do!

We woke up on Father's Day and surprised Daddy with Season 6 of The Office.

ST loved the paper more than anything else.

He sure loves his little girl. : )

We took our time getting out to the beach yesterday and ST had fun playing under the umbrella. It was HOTT though so we only stayed at the beach for 45 minutes or so before heading to the pool!

This is my most favorite picture yet!!

Our first beach picture

Like her Daddy, ST wasn't as fond of the beach as she was of the pool. We had our fun in the water and then went immediately to cool off in the pool.

Macy playing at the Splash Pad

Last night we went to eat at Wolf Bay Lodge. We used to eat there all the time when we were little, but now they have one a mile down the road from where we are staying, which is so much more convenient than driving 45 minutes out to the old one like we used to. The food was great and the scenery was even better!

Joshua, Marah, and Macy

Tonight we plan on cooking Mexican and celebrating the triplets 5th birthday! More pictures to come... stay tuned!

Summer Girl

2011-06-16T06:57:00.001-07:00

Since school got out on June 2nd, Sarah Taylor and I have hit the ground running. We've had lunch dates with friends, play dates with little buddies, and this past week we took a visit to see Grammy in Florence.

Here are a few things Sarah Taylor busied herself with in Florence:

I bought this exersaucer at a consignment sale for $10. Last time we were there she was too little and didn't seem interested in it. This time around, she absolutely loved it! It was a life saver to say the least.

Our little Beethoven.
(She's a child prodigy if you didn't already know.) : )

We went shopping at some of my favorite stores and ate at my most favorite places.

Sarah Taylor loves girly days like this!

Grammy was very excited to have Sarah Taylor at her house for a few days.

I was just along for the ride. : )

Our cousins came to visit and ST loved playing with Macey...

and Marah. We can't wait until we get to play with them for a whole week at the beach!

When Trey came up for the weekend we decided to take ST swimming for the first time. Paige invited us over to their neighborhood pool, and we had such a great time.

Her Daddy loved taking her around and splashing her in the water. He even dunked her a few times and she didn't mind at all. I think she's going to be a little fish.

Family photo

Aren't summer days meant to be lazy? We're hoping for many more lazy-filled summer days to come! Happy summer to you, too!

3 Years Ago Today...

2011-06-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, I married my very best friend. I'd say we've come a long way in three years; job loss... miscarriage... death... birth... it's been a wild ride to say the least. I still feel the same exact way that I did when I wrote this blog right after we returned from our honeymoon. I am so blessed to be married to someone so genuine, honest, loving, and kind.

Trey, you are the best husband and father that a girl could ever hope for. I love you to the moon and back!

6 Months Old!

2011-05-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to see the changes that have taken place in the last 6 months. For the first 8 weeks of Sarah Taylor's life, she spent the majority of her time screaming, eating, and sleeping. She was on 3 or 4 different times of medicines and herbal supplements to help with her colic and reflux. I got 3-4 hours of very interrupted sleep at night, and Trey and I look back and wonder how we ever made it. NOW, I can honestly say that we have a funny, cheerful, healthy, and beautiful baby girl that is the light of our lives. She becomes more and more fun each and every day, and we are so blessed to have her in our lives.

We had her 6 month check-up last week and Dr. McCain was very happy with her progress and said she looks wonderful for a baby her age. Here are her current stats:

Height: 26 1/2 inches (90th %)
Weight: 19 lbs 2 oz (95th%)

Needless to say, Sarah Taylor is a VERY healthy eater! : )

Sarah Taylor is into EVERYTHING she can get her hands on, and she puts everything in her mouth, too. I haven't seen a tooth yet, but I have a feeling we're very close to having our first. Wish us luck!

She loves playing peek-a-boo, seeing herself in the mirror, and plays very well by herself. She sits up on her own but is still a little wobbly. She certainly loves her independence which makes mommy and daddy very happy!

May has been a very busy month. This picture was taken the first Saturday in May down in Vernon. We were spending the day with family and placing flowers on the graves of our loved ones that have passed away. In the country, we call it "Decoration," but there aren't many people that know what that is anymore!

We love spending time with Grammy!

This picture was taken on Mother's Day. For the most part, I prefer to be BEHIND the camera, but for memory's sake I wanted to post this to remember our first Mother's Day together.

I'd say that Trey is pretty much addicted to his little girl. He always wants to be the first to run in her room and pick her up in the morning, and Sarah Taylor's favorite thing is dancing with her Daddy. She laughs and laughs, which of course makes us grin from ear to ear, too.

A few weekends ago Trey surprised me by saying that he wanted to go away for the weekend. It was our first excursion together alone as a family and we had a really good time. We went to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and shopped around at IKEA and one of their big malls while we were there. It's amazing all that you have to pack for a baby for just a small weekend away!

ST should be crawling in a matter of days. She'll get up on all 4's and rock back and forth, but right now she does a better job of going backwards than going forwards. : ) I'm a little worried about her becoming so mobile... she'll have me on my toes to say the least!

Don't worry... Daddy stepped away just long enough for me to snap the picture!
(His idea, of course.)

Grammy just learned how to skype in the last few weeks, so we've spent a lot of time on the computer checking in with her. ST doesn't know what to think! ha!

I had to post this picture... ST has a double crown, and right now she is sporting a pretty gnarly mohawk. I absolutely love it and think she looks so cute! ha!

Needless to say, the month of May has been a lot of fun and we are enjoying every single minute with our baby girl. Now that the summer is finally here, I'm hoping to do a better job of keeping up with the blogging world.

Stay tuned!

"April's Fury"

2011-05-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

"I am not skilled to understand,

what God has willed what God has planned...

I only know at his right hand

stands one who is my Savior.

I take Him at his word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read.

and in my heart I find a need

of him to be my Savior.

that He would leave his place on high

and come for sinful man to die

you count it strange, so once did I

before I knew my Savior.

My Savior loves, My Savior lives

My Savior's always there for me.

My God: He was, My God; He is

My God is always gonna be.

Yes, living, dying, let me bring

My strength, my solace from this spring;

That he who lives to be my king

Once died to be my Savior.

My Savior loves, My Savior lives

My Savior's always there for me.

My God: He was, My God; He is

My God is always gonna be...."

* Pictures taken by Trey and myself (besides aerial view) in Pleasant Grove, Al on April 28th and May 1, 2011. Please keep these families in your prayers...

Easter Weekend

2011-04-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Trey, Sarah Taylor, and I drove to Florence for Easter weekend. We made a detour Friday night to Madison, Al to attend "Secret Church" with Martina and Camron. If you're not familiar with Secret Church, it is put on by David Platt, author of Radical and preaching minister at Church of Brookhills in Birmingham, Al. It is a 6 hour in-depth bible study that is formed after the types of secret church they provided for persecuted Christians in foreign countries. It was a LONG night, but we had a great time and were excited for the opportunity to go.

On Saturday morning, Amy, Trey, Sarah Taylor, and I went to see my best friend's little boy play in his very first t-ball game. It was hilarious!! Rhett plays for the "A's" because his Daddy plays for the A's, and it was so cute to see them all out there in their uniforms!

Rhett loves him some Sarah Taylor, and Ging and I secretly hope that she marries one of her boys in about 30 years! : )

Sweet Rhet right before the game

This is an AWFUL picture of me, but it was the only one we took and I don't have many recent pictures of the 3 of us, so here you go.

Me, Ginger, and Amy

I found some sunglasses for ST while Amy and I were out shopping on Saturday and I couldn't resist. We'll be at the beach in less than 2 months and she HAD to have them!!

Saturday was Sarah Taylor's 5 month birthday, so we had a photo shoot outside which left us all in tears from laughing so hard. Amy was in charge of waiting in the wings to make sure ST didn't fall over and hurt herself when we sat her straight up. Needless to say, she got a workout! ha!

On Easter Sunday we attended church with my mom and then came back home for an awesome lunch prepared by my mom and Grandmother. We had ham, chicken and dressing, sweet potatoes, corn, lima beans, okra, bread, and strawberry pudding for dessert. YUM!

Alot has changed since Easter of last year... : )

Grammy loved having us home! She ate up every minute she could with ST. We always love going home to visit!

Sarah Taylor in her Easter dress. She looks so big when she stands like that!!

Hope you guys had a wonderful Easter as well! Our family is so blessed. May we never forget the true reason of celebrating Easter. He is risen!!

5 Months Old

2011-04-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Umm, excuse me? Is my baby really 5 months old? I know that each month my posts begin something like this, but I honestly can't believe how quickly Sarah Taylor is growing.

As you can see, Sarah Taylor has just begin sitting up a little on her own. It doesn't last long and she slumps for the most part, but we had Amy waiting in the wings during this particular photo session ready to catch her when she started falling!

Sarah Taylor takes four to five 6 oz bottles a day, with oatmeal in the morning and some type of vegetable at night. She is still wearing #2 diapers but is quickly working her way into 3's. She sleeps wonderfully now, waking up only once around 5 AM and going straight back to sleep after the paci is put into her mouth. She still tries to hold her own bottle and does NOT nap well during the day. We're working on that, though! : )

As mentioned before in my last post, she started solids this past month and has gone through almost all vegetables and is just about ready to begin fruits. My BFF Ginger bought me a Beaba baby puree machine, so I'm waiting to make sure she genuinely likes all of these fruits and veggies before beginning to puree them for her.

Her new favorite thing is her bouncy seat. She sits in this a lot at daycare and loves to sit in it at home, too. We have it placed in the door frame between the kitchen and the living room, so she has a view of a lot of different things and loves it! I'm convinced she must be teething, too, because she gnaws on EVERYTHING she comes in contact with, and drools CONSTANTLY! I think our daycare provider said she went through 4 bibs in one day!!

I hate to say it, but she's become quite the Daddy's girl lately. In fact, Trey stayed home with her today because she couldn't go to daycare, and she had a blast and was very good for him. I was so glad he got to be a Mr. Mom for the day!

Trey bought this dress for her and couldn't wait for her to wear it. She wore it a few weeks ago on her trip to see the Easter bunny, and I have to admit she looked super cute in it. : )

(And props to my sis who bought the sandals for her. I love them!)

Luckily, she wasn't scared of the Easter Bunny at all. If she's anything like her mama though, she definitely will be by next year! I was deathly afraid of the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

This month has definitely been a month of changes... I started back to work and she began daycare. We began solids and transitioned her onto regular formula, and somewhere in the middle of all that she had "stool issues" (you don't want me to go into more detail) and a couple of mystery rashes as well. I think it all had/has to do with starting solids and teething... and eczema, but you just never know for sure. I hate the not knowing part, though. No fun.

If there is one thing I know for sure, it's that her mama loves her more and more every day and cannot imagine life without her. She brings such joy to our lives, and we are so blessed to have her as our sweet daughter.

Ahh.... God is good.

"More, Please!"

2011-04-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

After ST's 4 month check-up, we were given the go-ahead by Dr. McCain to try out solids for the first time. It has been so much fun watching her reaction as she tries out all different kinds of vegetables, and she's really taken a liking to feeding time! She loves her highchair, too, which is really nice when I'm cooking and she can sit and watch. : )

For starters, the doc told us to try out oatmeal. Amy had the camera in hand, I had the video camera, and Trey had the spoon. We were ready to go! (One of these days I'm going to post a video... you'd think I would've tried it by now but I haven't.)

She wasn't quite sure what to think...

In the beginning, 75% of her oatmeal made it to her bib instead of her tummy. We loved watching her though. She was very interested in learning and it didn't take her long to figure it out!

We sure know how to make a mess!!

Next on the menu was green beans. I tried to think of the nastiest baby food there was, because that's what I wanted to start her off with. I knew that if she did well with it she would definitely do well with everything else, and so far she has.

She ate the green beans right up and we tried out peas after that. It was right about that time that she started having a little rash, so we discontinued the peas and waited a few days before trying something else. I don't think it was the peas, so we'll try them again later on.

So far, we've tried out oatmeal, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, and squash. She seems to love each vegetable we have tried and I am excited about moving on to fruits next. Poor Sarah Taylor, she's going to be just like her mama- a natural eater!!

My New Craft

2011-04-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that I made this adorable dress, but Bethany was sweet enough to make it for Sarah Taylor. I just made the headband to match!

While on maternity leave, the craft bug hit me and I got the urge to make some headbands with twisted fabric flowers on them. My sis took it a step further and thought it would be cute to add the flowers to a picture frame, and they were both a lot of fun and super easy to make!

Kudos to my sis for painting this particular frame. We made it for Blair for her 1st birthday!

Daycare Success!

2011-04-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

It wasn't easy, but I said goodbye to my baby yesterday morning as she was still sleeping soundly in her crib. I was feeling pretty good when I first woke up and thought I'd make it without any tears, but it hit me when I actually started to walk out the door. It was awful!! THANKFULLY, as soon as I got to work I hit the ground running and immediately felt better.

Trey sent me this picture on his phone right before he took her to daycare. The text said: "Good morning Mommy! Thank you for letting me go play today! Have a great day! Love you!" I felt SO much better after seeing her sweet smile. Sarah Taylor and I both had great days, but were EXHAUSTED by the time we got home. She fell out by 7 and I fell asleep shortly thereafter. I was a little overwhelmed at the amount of work to do after getting home from a long day at work, but Trey came to the rescue and gave Sarah Taylor a bath (apparently wearing his Superman cape and everything). He's a great Daddy and is always willing to help with anything I need him to do.

I got this picture from our daycare provider today and absolutely loved it! It makes my day to receive pictures like this. I think the jumpy is her new favorite toy!

We are so thankful for 2 successful days of work and daycare. I was so encouraged yesterday by everyone's calls, texts, and emails. THANK YOU for thinking of us!!

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's Back to Work I Go...

2011-04-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

I've been dreading the idea of going back to work for a long time now. I've been an emotional wreck all week long just thinking about it. It's hard to explain the way I feel, because my thoughts contradict themselves all the time... I love my job. And I'm not just saying that. Sure, there are difficult days and times when I come home dog tired, but I truly feel a calling to minister to children through counseling. I have always considered my job to be my ministry, and I am truly passionate about what I do. Having said that, I feel torn now that I am a mother. I feel that Sarah Taylor has now become my ministry as well, and I'd like nothing more than to stay at home with her all day every day. I've had almost 4 and a half months worth and I have to say that it's spoiled me to the idea. Since I was a little girl, all I've ever wanted to be was a mommy. When I went to college, I majored in Human Development and Family Studies, which everyone nicknamed the "MRS." degree because that's what most girls majored in that wanted to end up at home with their children one day. When Trey and I went through premarital counseling, I told him that the only expecation I had... the one thing I truly wanted... was to be a stay-at-home mom. And yet, at this point in life, it's just not feasible. Am I angry? No. Do I resent Trey or God? No. In fact, my thoughts have come full circle in the past week. Although I'd love nothing more than to stay at home with my baby, I've been called to reflect on a piece of scripture that resignates in my mind:

"And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there." - I Corinthians 7 (The Message)

Right now, at this point in my life, God is calling me to serve in another capacity than at home with my child. I have an opportunity to let God use me as his vessel to reach these impressionable children, and I'm excited about that. My job is so rewarding, and I can't wait to immerse myself into the lives of these kids and let them see Jesus in me. This is my way of serving.

So I'll get up on Monday morning, and yes- it's going to be hard at first, but I have to believe that where I am at this point in my life is exactly where God wants me to be. And I take comfort in that.

God is good.

**** SIDE NOTE: A big, huge THANK YOU goes out to Haley Morgan who worked hard on making my blog header so cute! I absolutely love it!!

Sarah Taylor's Special Playdate

2011-03-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, one of my best friends from Auburn drove down from Huntsville with her little girl, Katherine. We met up with Jessa and Cooper for a super fun girly day!

Of course, no playdate is complete without a photo shoot of the little ones. :)

Katherine didn't know what to think of Sarah Taylor, but she was a trooper!

After our photo shoot, we met up with Jessa and Cooper at our favorite Birmingham spot (Edgar's) for a girly lunch and super yummy dessert. The food was awesome and the conversation was even better! The kids did a great job at lunch, and afterwards we went shopping at a children's boutique. What fun! Here are pics of the kids at lunch:

If we could just convince Tara to move to Birmingham it would be perfect! ha! Looking forward to another outing this summer with Maghan and Addison in tow!

4 Months Old

2011-03-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

Warning: This blog is going to be really long and has TONS of pictures. You'd think I'd do a better job of posting all along, but I feel pretty accomplished if the bed gets made each day, so I guess I have to pick my priorities these days. : )

My baby is a whopping 4 months old. I feel weird even saying that. I made a Shutterfly book last night of the first four months of her life and I honestly could not believe how quickly she has changed and grown in the past few months. I feel like the biggest growth spurt has happened in the past month. Lots of milestones!!

Yesterday we had our 4 month check-up. I couldn't wait to see how much she had grown! Here are her stats:

Weight: 16 lbs (90-95th %)

Height: 25 3/4 in (90-95th %)

Head: 17 in (90-95th %)

Looks like we're raising an Amazon woman! ha! I couldn't be more proud of her growth and changes, and the doctor said she was doing wonderfully... makes a mama proud! Dr. McCain said we could also try weaning her off of the Similac Alimentum (hypoallergenic formula for colicky babies with protein sensitivity- AKA: EXPENSIVE) and try to get her on plain old Similac. If that goes well, we can move on to Oatmeal and then progress to green vegetables. I can't wait to see her try solids for the first time!

Trey took this picture on his phone right before she got her shots. Bless her heart... she didn't know what was coming. At her 2 month appointment, she did great with the shots and we had no problems. This time around she has been super fussy, and woke up this morning with a 100.3 temperature. Needless to say, we don't like immunization day. : (

I took this picture the other day and love the serious look she has on her face. I think I'm going to enter it in my friend, Jennifer Tidwell of Jennifer Photography's cutest kid contest. Please get on facebook on April 4th to vote! : )

Rabbit ears for $1 at Target... can't beat that.

(Notice the drool coming off of her chin? She is one big slobber pot these days.)

Sarah Taylor loves to smile and laugh. My favorite thing is to play with her first thing in the morning after she wakes up. This is her happiest time of day and seeing her grin from ear to ear absolutely melts my heart.

She loves napping with her "loveys" right beside her. I think we have 3 dispersed in different parts of the house... along with her paci's of course!

This picture is so funny to me. She is OBSESSED with her hands and always has them in her mouth. I think she likes them better than her paci!

She is also trying to hold her own bottle. Sarah Taylor cannot stand it when I pull the bottle out of her mouth half-way through to burp her. She screams bloody murder, so I think holding onto the bottle is her way of making sure it stays put. : )

And the newest milestone: ROLLING OVER!
Now that she's figured out how to tuck and roll, she does it all the time, and she's really good at it! I can't put her down without her rolling over. Only problem is, she gets onto her stomach and then doesn't know what to do with herself. She's keeping me busy already!

And her daddy is absolutely in love with her. He can't wait to go and get her out of her crib in the morning and see her as soon as he walks in the door in the evening. She LOVES her daddy and has tons of fun playing with him.

ST moved up to size 2 in diapers and is taking 6 oz bottles every 4 hours with one to two 5 oz bottles during the night... IF she wakes up that is. She slept through the night for the first time night before last!! WHOO HOOO!!!! Now that she can roll onto her tummy, she sleeps much better and we couldn't be more excited to have some good quality Zzzz's.

Unfortunately, I'll be heading back to work in 10 short days. I'm nervous, anxious, excited, depressed... you name it and I feel it. I've been so blessed though... 4 1/2 months is a long time to be on maternity leave and I have enjoyed every single second of it. Say a prayer for me though- I have no doubt it will be very rough at first!!

3 Month Pictures

2011-03-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

I am in LOVE with Sarah Taylor's 3 month pictures!! A special thanks goes out to my sweet cousin, Brooke, who did a great job taking her pics. We had so much fun and they turned out exactly like I had hoped! Thanks Brooke!

www.brookebusby.com

Understanding the Purpose of Lent...

2011-03-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

* NEW POST BELOW*

Okay, so I'll admit.... yesterday when I realized that it was Fat Tuesday and that Lent would come today, I decided that I wanted to give up sweets so that I would have a "spiritual" reason to lose weight and show more self-discipline. I'm embarrassed to admit that, because I was doing it for all the wrong reasons.

Fast forward to this morning. My phone is dead (which I depend on heavily) and I am without a way to charge it until this afternoon which forces me to sit quietly and reflect while Sarah Taylor is sleeping. I receive an email from my sister with a link to this blog (www.lifeingraceblog.com/2011/03/lent-for-the-newcomer-learning-from-my-father.html) which gives a clear and poignant understanding of the purpose for Lent.

I get it now. It's not about me "suffering," because Christ didn't get to choose what he wanted to sacrifice. It's not about service to God, as serving God is found in serving others. And it's certainly not about losing weight by giving up sweets.

It's about spending time in prayer and fasting and being reminded of the time Christ spent in the desert wrestling with the devil. It's about realizing that we are a people in exile who has become too comfortable in our temporary world and have forgotten about the treasures stored for us in heaven.

It's about the blood of Christ and him crucified.

I'm a Big Girl Now!

2011-03-09T06:16:00.000-08:00

It seems like, just in the past few weeks, Sarah Taylor is no longer my little baby but has become a "big girl." It's unbelievable how quickly the time goes.... one minute she's being swaddled and the next she's ready to sit upright so she can play and see what is going on around her. I can't believe it!

I put together her "Jumperoo" the other day just to see how she might like it. I don't think she really knew what to do with it, but was happy to be sitting upright nonetheless!

Trey LOVES the Bumbo and has been waiting for her to grow so that she could sit in it comfortably without her head slumping forward. She is VERY strong and can now sit for quite a while in her bumbo. I think she likes being off of her back and sitting like a big girl!

At the TNT consignment sale last Friday, I bought this exersaucer for $10 to take to my mom's house and leave. We've tried her in it a few times but I think she's a little overwhelmed. She just looks at the toys like, "What am I supposed to do with this?!" Nevertheless, it's fun seeing her in something other than her swing or bouncy seat.

Last night while we were eating we decided to try Sarah Taylor in the space saver high chair to see how she would do. We knew that if she couldn't be a part of our dinner conversation she wouldn't like it very much, and she LOVED sitting in her "big girl" seat. I can't wait to get out the big high chair and see how she does with that!

It is so much fun watching my baby grow, but sad at the same time. I am very grateful for this time I have at home with her, and am eating up every minute of it. I will go back to work in just a few short weeks, so this time I have now with Sarah Taylor is very precious.

Sweet Relief.

2011-03-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

(Sorry the picture quality is bad. It was taken with my phone.)

Since the day we brought Sarah Taylor home from the hospital, we have had trouble with her sleeping through the night. On average, I've gotten approximately 4-5 hours of very restless sleep at night. In the beginning however, I got NONE. For at least the first two-two and a half months of life she has woken up every 2-3 hours wanting to be fed. In addition, due to her reflux, we've had to try a host of things for her to sleep in that would lay her at an angle so that gravity would keep her food down but in a place where she could also sleep peacefully. These items have included:

1. bassinet

2. secure sleeper (set inbetween us in the bed)

3. swing

4. nap nanny

5. bouncy seat

6. car seat

7. stroller

Yes, I said it... we have even put her in the stroller to sleep at night. You can adjust it to an incline so that it holds her upright a little but is also fairly tight and confined like she likes it. It has been a SLOW process getting her into her crib, but I am happy to report that last night she slept from 10-7 in her crib!! WHOO HOO!!! Now... let me just say, this was not straight sleep. I had to go into her room 4 or 5 times to give her her paci, shush her, feed her, etc... but this is a MAJOR step in the right direction and we are thrilled that we are on our way to more restful sleep at night!

Sarah Taylor has come a long way in the past 3 months. We survived colic with all of our hair and, although we have had MANY sleepless nights, we've made it through this phase as well. You guys were right when you said, "This too shall pass."

Only problem is, she's growing up way too fast!!

Where does the time go??

3 Months Old

2011-02-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

My sweet baby girl is officially three months old. They told me I'd find this to be true, but I find each stage of Sarah Taylor's life more joyful than the last, and it makes me so excited to think about what the future holds for her. She is up to all sorts of things, and I look at her all the time and wonder how God could bless us with such a beautiful, amazing, and perfect little girl.

Sarah Taylor is very strong. She can hold her head up for quite a while without getting tired, and loves to put weight on her feet and stand on my legs. Her Daddy is very excited that we are finally using the Bumbo, as it is his favorite baby item. : ) She loves to smile and follow her mommy and daddy with her eyes; she has recently become fascinated with the TV (oh no!) and loves her Praise Baby DVD; when she gets really sleepy she moves her hands wildly and often times hits herself in the head (to which we laugh hysterically); she has just begun laughing out loud which is music to my ears; she loves her "lovey" and falls right to sleep when it's up against her face; she has become much more independent and will play for 30 minutes at a time on her playmat or in her bouncy seat...

This is her very first Valentine, Rhett. We brought Rhett and Ryder some Valentine M&M's and that's all it took. It was love at first bite! (Rhett is my BFF Ginger's son. He'll be 5 in October. I should have known she'd like the older men...)

Sarah Taylor now takes 5 oz bottles every 3 hours with 4 oz bottles at night. I have tried to get her to go four hours between feedings but she's just not having it. She's like her mama... she likes her food.

You know I love to dress my baby like a girly girl, but I thought this onesie was too cute! Trey's favorite thing for ST to wear is onesies... I think it's because he likes seeing her little fat rolls! ha!
We've been putting her in onesies a lot lately because of this hot weather we've been having. I can't believe it's February and in the 70's! Last year it was snowing around this time and in the 20's. It's a good thing she's moving into some of her 6 month clothes, becuase we have no short-sleeved things in 3 month. (Although I will say, she still has clothes with the tag on it between 0-3 because she's growing so fast we haven't had time to wear them all. BOO!)

In the last two weeks or so, she has finally started sleeping for a few hours at a time in her crib. This is a big step for us, as sleeping is our biggest struggle right now. She still has a tough time at night, but we've been battling a stuffy nose this month due to the dry winter air (she's not sick, thankfully) and that's made things a lot more difficult. I am HOPING that once we get her nose and her gassiness (yes, I said it) under control we'll have a completely different child that is more than capable of sleeping through the night.

My sweet pea LOVES to stick her tongue out... all. the. time. It's so funny, because my Daddy used to say the same thing about me. He said that when I was born he wasn't sure that my tongue would fit inside my mouth because I always had it sticking out. I could certainly say the same thing about her. I think it's her favorite "toy." : )

I was supposed to have started back to work last week, but due to Sarah Taylor's colic and reflux I was able to extend my leave until April. My mother graciously donated 6 weeks worth of sick days in order for this to happen. As I look back at these pictures and all the memories that surround them, I realize that I wouldn't have these if it weren't for my mom. (Thank you mom, for allowing me the time to spend these priceless moments with my baby. I am forever indebted to you. I cannot think of a greater blessing than this.)

Florence Bound

2011-02-23T12:14:00.000-08:00

Last week after baby dedication, Sarah Taylor and I hitchhiked a ride home with my mom and sis to spend the week with them in Florence. Trey had a lot of work to do (and let's be honest- fishing, too) and I always get tons of help when I'm home so it was a good time for us to go. We missed Trey a whole bunch, but were so glad to have an entire week at home with our family and friends.

Sarah Taylor is so spoiled by my mom and sister. They both gave her adorable outfits as a Valentine's Day gift. In the picture above, ST is wearing the outfit Amy gave to her. On the onesie it says, "Where you lead, I will follow." So cute!

Grandmother came over every single day while my mom and sis were at work to play with Sarah Taylor. She took us to lunch, taught me how to make a blueberry poundcake and rocked Sarah Taylor while I had some quiet time. It was great!
Sarah Taylor thinks Grandmother is so funny. She would lay on Grandmother's knees and just stare as she talked to her.

Sarah Taylor would just laugh...

and laugh!

Don't you just love a happy baby?!

Amy also helped me give her a vapor bubble bath to help with her stuffy nose. We had a little bit of fun with the bubbles....

One of the biggest blessings was being able to hang out with by best friend from high school, Ginger, almost every day. We went to eat at my favorite lunch spot, Sweet Basil, and shopped at some of my favorite places. Sarah Taylor loves Aunt Gigi!

On Wednesday night my mom cooked her famous meatloaf (no really, I don't like meatloaf either, but hers is AWESOME) for Josh, Ginger, Rhett, and Ryder as an early birthday dinner for Josh before they flew out to Arizona for Spring Training. Josh will be playing for the Oakland A's this year, and we're really excited to see what the season holds!

Even though we had a lot of fun, we were very excited to see Daddy on Thursday when he came into town. We missed him a whole bunch, but had tons of fun!

Thanks Mom and Amy for taking such good care of us!!

That's All I've Got To Say About That.

2011-02-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

**SEVERAL NEW POSTS BELOW**

Per a friend of mine, Alison Liggin:

"Unless you love Auburn, it's just a set of trees embedded at the intersection of College and Magnolia. They might seem unassuming, hanging loosely over the sidewalk and cascading across one of the entryways to Auburn University. Unless you love Auburn, it may seem like a pointless way to celebrate victory, but I love Auburn and it makes perfect sense to me. Who doesn't remember buying that first pack of generic toilet paper the morning of the first game their Freshman year.... after all, we always beat Louisiana Monroe. Who doesn't remember tossing that first roll, realizing a second later just how tall those branches really are! Who doesn't remember celebrating victory during their first Iron Bowl or going back years after with their spouse in tow, chattering the entire walk through campus about how great it is to roll Toomer's. Who doesn't know that Auburn is about family; yes we love our football and especially celebrating those wins, but Auburn is home to the thousands who make that trek from Jordan-Hare to Toomer's Corner. So the outsiders who will wonder why contaminating our corner really matters, it only matters to those who believe in Auburn and love it.

Fearless and true... fight on you orange and blue. "

Our Funny Valentine

2011-02-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

I realize I'm a little late on this, but I wasn't able to blog on Valentine's Day and I don't want to miss out on some of Sarah Taylor's 1st's. : ) We are so happy to have this little one in our lives, and she definitely brings big smiles to her mommy and daddy's face. She is our funny Valentine!

"Enough of the pictures Mommy!"

Baby Dedication

2011-02-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

"Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Matthew 19:14

On Sunday, February 13, 2011, Sarah Taylor was dedicated to the Lord at Homewood Church of Christ. One of our favorite shepherds, Rick Kaufhold, prayed over her and she was given a Beginner's Bible and I received beautiful gerber daisies. I remembered in his prayer that he prayed for her to have peace and love, and to always know how much her church family loves her.

Our prayer is much the same, that she would grow up to know and love and have a passion for serving the Lord almighty; that she would, in humility, reach out to others in their pain and love them like Jesus would; that she would see the love that Christ had for us and find a husband that could love her the same way; that she would always have peace and comfort in knowing that we love her unconditionally and always will.

I completely forgot to take pictures after the church service, and I was really looking forward to a good family picture. BUT... I was in too big of a rush after church so we didn't think about it until we were in the parking lot at Chili's. Her dress was so pretty, too! We may have to have another photo session sometime soon.... : )

Mommy and ST

Daddy and ST

Grammy and Aunt Amy

Gran and Grandaddy

Aunt Linda was at her baby dedication, too. We were so proud to have our family there to share in such a special day.

Gatlinburg 2011

2011-02-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we left for our first real road trip with Sarah Taylor to Gatlinburg, TN with Trey's parents and Aunt. I was really nervous about Sarah Taylor traveling that far, but she did a great job and it was so nice to get out of the house and have a change of scenery for a few days!

I was also very nervous about having her out in the cold weather (which we kept her in most of the time), so we bundled her up on the days we took her out and kept her as warm as possible. Trey picked out this outfit for her. Can you tell by the mohawk? Let's just say, I pick my battles...

On Sunday of this past week we went to downtown Gatlinburg and just walked around and took our time looking. It had been 4 years or so since I had done that last, so Trey and I had a good time doing our favorites... like taking crazy pictures, eating carmel apples and caramel popcorn, looking at all of the crazy t-shirts and junk that Gatlinburg has to offer...

and taking some good pictures along the way, too. This is Aunt Linda and Mama Mc (Trey's Mom).

And no Martina, we did not take any black and white saloon photos. I know you're disappointed!

Even though we didn't ride the lift, this is a picture out in front of it on a fake one.

I don't think we had to worry about ST getting cold. I think she was the warmest one of the bunch! (This is her tucked deep inside her carseat and stroller with a million blankets on top.)

I don't really enjoy cold weather, but I do love a warm fire. Our condo had one in it and we turned it on every night. Even though you can't see it, this is Trey and Sarah Taylor in front of the fire. (Don't you just love those big cheeks??)

My friend Lanie gave us this little onesie. If you can't read it, it says "World's Cutest Alarm Clock." I have to remind myself of that when it's 3 in the morning and I've already been up several times before. (I am blessed... I am blessed... I am blessed....)

While we were there, we went to the Apple Barn twice and ate at several other really good restaurants. We shopped a lot and had a lot of good family time as well. It was so nice to have the extra help with the baby and to enjoy some quality time with my hubby.

In closing, I'd just like to say...

Only in Gatlinburg...

(And no, this is NOT our vehicle.)

Because this is what happens...

2011-02-04T12:50:00.000-08:00

when we're bored and stuck inside.

Bless her heart.

She was a trooper!

Remembering Ganny...

2011-01-26T20:03:00.000-08:00

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again. That where I am, there you may be also."

John 14: 1-3

We will miss you Ganny. Thank you for welcoming me into your family and loving me as your own. Trey was blessed to have you as a grandmother and Sarah Taylor will grow up hearing many stories about her amazing Great Grandmother. Although we will miss you terribly, we take great comfort in knowing that you're welcomed by Pop and those you love. God wanted you home, and we find peace and rest in knowing that. Just make sure to tell my Daddy hello while you're there.

December 30, 1923- January 26, 2011

Our Saving Grace

2011-01-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

There aren't a lot of places that Sarah Taylor will sleep, but our one saving grace is the swing that Jessa let us borrow. She LOVES this swing and will even sleep in it at night as well. It's about the only thing I've found that's fool proof. She went through a phase where she wouldn't touch it, but in the past few weeks she's slept in this thing for hours at a time. THANK GOODNESS! I can credit this thing for actually being able to get a few things done!

Thanks Jessa for letting us borrow your swing!

Doctor's Visit

2011-01-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

*** NEW POST BELOW***

Sarah Taylor had her two month check-up today! She is 13 pounds and 22 1/4 inches long with a head circumference of 16 1/4 inches. She is in the 50-75th% for height and 75th-90th% on weight. Our little girl is growing fast!

The picture above was taken right before she received her shots. She had no idea what was coming! She cried for just a few minutes, and then fell fast asleep in the car. We are HOPING she takes a long nap this afternoon to sleep off some of the soreness in her leg. Bless her heart! She's a trooper!

2 Month Review

2011-01-23T16:14:00.000-08:00

Seriously... where does the time go? 2 months... already? I know I sound so cliche, but it really does seem like yesterday that I was bringing her home from the hospital. They say that if you blink you'll miss it, and I truly believe and understand that more than ever now.

I can honestly say that being a mommy has become lots of fun in the last month or so. Sarah Taylor now smiles and coos quite often, which absolutely makes my day. She is drinking 4 ounces of formula every 3 hours during the day and 3 ounces at night. We're still working on her sleeping habits, but as of now she's sleeping about 3 hours in the beginning and wakes up about every hour and a half after that.

As I mentioned last month, Sarah Taylor was diagnosed with both acid reflux and colic, so we've spent the last 2 months trying MANY different things in an effort to help make her feel better. In the last month, we have switched medications and visited the chiropractor twice as well as the Gastroenterologist. Since then, I have stopped nursing and we are on a special formula and probiotic to help her little tummy. I'm not sure if it's the conglomeration of all of these things that have helped, but she is MUCH better and we are praising God that she is happy and healthy and doing well!

I've been wanting to find a cute little hat that ST could wear when it is super cold outside (which it has been lately). Amy found this hat on ebay and surprised us with it. I think she looks so cute in it! Aunt Amy has bought ST half of what's in her closet I do believe. We love our Aunt "Mamee"!

I love taking pictures of Sarah Taylor, so this is one of our many photo shoots where I caught a half-smile.

Sarah Taylor's personality is really starting to come alive, and it's so much fun to put her down and see what she'll do, see, etc. She LOVES her playmat and can spend 20-30 minutes at a time (which is very good for us) batting, kicking, and cooing on this mat. It has a mirror on the top of it and she loves staring at herself! ha ha!

(Sidebar: I am well aware that she's wearing Christmas pajamas. Don't hate- it was the first thing I grabbed...)

She's really starting to love bath time, too. If she's having a fussy moment and needs to calm down, this is definitely the way to do it. She loves the water, and I'm hoping this means she'll do really well in the pool come summertime!

Sarah Taylor has had a lot of "firsts" this month, but here are just a few that I've tried to document:

1. Her first playdate.

Sarah Taylor and I went over to Laura and Blair's house for our first playdate. We had so much fun and were so thankful for the company! Since then, ST has played with Reagan Hearn, Cooper Mullen, John Ashton Turner, Drew Findlay, Madi Faucett, Asher Grizzle, and Clark and Caroline Hale. She's so lucky to have so many good Christian buddies to hang out with (her Mommy, too)!

2. Her first NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! WAR EAGLE!!

We've said Sarah Taylor was Auburn's good luck charm all season, but this definitely proves it! We were so excited!

3. Her first smile

This wasn't her actual "first smile," but my sister caught this on camera and I thought it was absolutely adorable. Hopefully we'll catch many more smiles in the near future!

4. Her first trip to Vernon

My hometown is Vernon, Alabama where my Mamaw and some of my dad's family still live. We weren't able to get down there during Christmas time due to ST being so little, so we drove down this past weekend in order to do Christmas with Mamaw. ST did great on the drive down and back and we had a great time visiting with her great-grandmother. I selfishly enjoyed my Mamaw's homecooking! There's nothing like it!

5. Her first trip to church

Yesterday we braved church for the first time, and she did a great job! We even went to Trey's favorite restaurant, Mr. Wang's, afterwards and she slept right through lunch. We are amazed at how much different she is just from one month ago. Trey and I are so thankful for her improvement.

I couldn't resist posting a few more pictures of our photo shoot from yesterday. My love for this little one grows more and more every day, and I love her more than I ever thought possible. It's so much fun to watch Trey grow as a father and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the weeks, months, and years to come with our precious little girl.

Sarah Taylor, I thank God every day that He would bless me and trust me with you. I pray that I can be the kind of mom that you need and that God would want me to be. I hope that you never doubt my love, and will always feel like you can come to be about anything that's on your heart. My love for you is unending and unconditional.

You are.... the one and only ever you.

Baby's First Christmas

2011-01-12T17:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I'd definitely say that Sarah Taylor definitely had a memorable first Christmas. We woke up Saturday morning around 6 or so and got ready to head to Trey's parents house for the first stop of the day. We knew that there was a possibility of bad weather, but didn't take it too seriously and thought we'd have plenty of time to make it to Florence by that afternoon.

This was Sarah Taylor's first trip to Gran and Grandaddy's house!

Sarah Taylor got a lot of presents on Christmas day, but Baby Tad was one of her favorites. : )

Mama Mc surprised me with a picture of ST and I from the newborn pics that were taken in the hospital. Trey and I are very spoiled and got lots of great gifts that morning.

Lovin' on my baby...

After leaving Gran and Grandaddy's house, we decided we might ought to hurry and get on the road so that we could get to Florence before the roads got too bad. Before we did, we stopped at Trey's Grandmother's house so she could meet Sarah Taylor for the first time.

By the time we left his Grandmother's house, it was snowing hard and I began to get worried about what we'd run into AND how ST would make it in the car that long. It had already been a fun but stressful day. Unfortunately, ST cried for a large portion of the trip and we were VERY glad to finally arrive at Grammy's house.

Aunt Amy is such a big help and Sarah Taylor loves her very much!

We opened presents almost immediately after we got there. I have to admit, I'm still a kid at heart when it comes to opening presents. We let Mom open her presents first, and for years she has been looking for her favorite candy (Brach's Malted Milk Balls) that is no longer carried anywhere in Florence, so Amy surprised her by ordering her a whole box full!

Needless to say, she was very excited! ha!

The snow on Christmas Day

(Mom finally got her wish by having a White Christmas!)

We spent several days in Florence after Christmas and had a great time with my mom and sis. Sarah Taylor enjoyed all the attention and Mommy and Daddy enjoyed the extra help!

Sarah Taylor in her swing

Paige and the kiddos hanging out with ST

Daddy playing with his little girl

Grandmother and her 10th Great Grandchild

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Newborn Pictures

2011-01-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

I should have posted these pictures a long time ago, but my time on the computer is limited these days. : ) My awesome cousin Brooke came down when Sarah Taylor was 6 days old to take newborn pictures. She did an amazing job, so I had to brag on her and brag on my baby girl. Here are some of my favorites!

One Month Already??

2010-12-23T14:51:00.001-08:00

(WARNING: Long post below!)

I can't believe our sweet baby is already one month old. People say time flies when they're little and to enjoy every minute, and now I completely understand. We went to the doctor on Wednesday and she weighs in at 9 lbs 15 oz and is 22 inches long! She is in the 75th percentile for both and the doctor says that she is very healthy and is doing wonderfully. We feel so blessed and are so happy that God has given us such an amazing little girl to call our own!

Meeting Toby for the first time

(Toby must have known something was going on, because he wouldn't leave that spot for DAYS. Sidebar: Pardon the nasty window. As soon as I clean it he licks, scratches, and gets it dirty all over again.)

This first month has been a roller coaster for all of us. We knew it would be to some extent... learning Sarah Taylor's likes and dislikes, how to nurse, getting used to the lack of sleep, etc., but we did not plan for colic and reflux. I've said this a million times before, but I truly have no reason to complain. Many people would only wish for a baby whose only problem was reflux and crying spells, so I'll take that any day over something much worse. It's hard for us though, knowing that her tummy hurts her like it does and that I can't take the pain away. Trey and I are truly learning the art of parenting, and the unconditional love you have for something so new. It's a process and definitely a learning curve, but we wouldn't trade it for the world!

(Trey and his good luck charm right before the SEC Championship game)

From the moment she was born, Sarah Taylor has been very alert and loves to see all that is around her. She is wide-eyed all the time and her steel blue eyes can melt your heart. When she sleeps she loves to have her hands beside her face, and as always her favorite place to sleep is right on our chest.

(Right after her first sponge bath)

Sarah Taylor is a great eater, but because of her tummy has a difficult time getting comfortable and sleeping for long periods of time. We're working on that, and she is getting better and better every day. We are currently taking medicine and are using "gripe water" and Mylicon to help her tummy, as well as using Dr. Brown bottles, holding her upright after feedings, letting her sleep at a 45 degree angle, and cutting out dairy, green leafy vegetables, and anything acidic or citrus-ey from my diet. I'd go to the moon and back if it meant helping her feel better!

Everybody that knows me well knows that I love bows in a little girl's hair. I must admit though, with everything we've had going on that's not been on the top of my priority list. (Pick your battles, right?) You have to use toothpaste to get those suckers to stick, but they don't stick half the time! Regardless, she looks so cute when she's got one in her hair! : )

This picture was taken right before her first doctor's appointment. I had called earlier that morning and moved her appointment up a day because I was so worried about her. You can tell from the picture that I'm a tired and nervous wreck. I cried during the entire doctor's appointment... must have been the hormones!

Sarah Taylor loves riding in the car, and falls asleep most every time... AS LONG AS the car is moving of course. If we stop for longer than a minute, she wakes right up and lets us know she doesn't appreciate it!

My mom and sister came the night before Sarah Taylor was born and stayed for 2 whole weeks. They, along with Trey's parents, have been instrumental in getting us through this first month. They all have been amazing and such a huge help. Sarah Taylor will be so spoiled by them because they love her so much, but I can't say that I blame them. Her little face will melt your heart. : )

Trey's favorite: snuggle time with Sarah Taylor while playing on his beloved Ipad.

Sarah Taylor doesn't seem to mind. : )

Trying to find a way to get our little one to sleep at night has been very interesting. We started out in the bassinet- NO GO. Then we tried a secure sleeper in the bed- NO GO. Next we tried the swing, which worked for a while and now she hates it. As of now, we are currently using a Nap Nanny which my sweet friend Amber let us borrow. And YES- I know that they have been recalled. We are watching her very closely and are NOT putting it in her crib.

Cabin fever has certainly gotten to me over the past few weeks. The doctor told us not to get her out and into public places for 6-8 weeks, but last Saturday while my mom and sis were in town we all took a family outing to Target. It was 42 degrees outside but I dressed her like we were in the middle of Alaska. She stayed in the buggy the entire time with only her little face showing. I was a nervous wreck, but she did fine and we were able to get at least a little Christmas shopping done!

This past Sunday we took ST to Trey's Ganny's house for their family Christmas. I, once again, was very nervous about getting her out and around a lot of people, but she did great and it was nice to get out and about for a while.

As for me, I'm doing well. I've lost 32 pounds but still have a ways to go in getting back to what I'd like to be. As all of you mommies know, your body never goes back to the way it used to be. I still can't get my wedding rings back on unless I force them on and can't get them off, my feet are permanently a half size larger, and all of my maternity clothes are too big but my regular clothes are too little. Do you know what that leaves me with? That's right- nothing to wear.

My sis bought this little outfit for her and she looks so cute in it! This is a great picture showing just how alert she is. She's like her mama... always wanting to be in the loop!!

I took these pictures yesterday morning on her one month birthday. She loves the morning time and is always her most alert and happiest at that time. We love our sweet baby!

We love you Sarah Taylor!

You are the "one and only ever you!"