Big Girl!

     You are growing up too quickly. It's such a difficult thing because I love watching you learn and grow, but I don't want my baby to get any bigger! You'll cuddle with me if you're really tired or if you're trying to trick me into not putting you in bed, but for the most part you're very independent. You're smart, funny, and very beautiful.
     We spent a couple days at grandma & papa's house this week because daddy had a conference with the church. You get really excited to see your cousins, although you don't like to share with them at all. We're working on that. I hate spanking you. It's torture, even if it's a small leg swat. Torture. I'm hoping that you get through this little stage quickly.
      I bought you a set of alphabet flash cards yesterday. They have a letter and a picture on each card, and you know what the letters are when you see them. I'm so proud and impressed with you, as always.
     While you were eating dinner tonight you said, "I'm sorry; I don't know what you're saying," which is something  I sometimes tell you. You also said, "I said no dogs in our house; no kitty cats too." You're constantly making me laugh and fall more in love with you! I can't wait for tomorrow!

Love you, baby!

We had to run some errands and detoured at the beach...

Nesting

   If you do anything productive while you're pregnant, people automatically tell you you're "nesting". When I was pregnant with you, I hated when people would say I was nesting about everything I did. With Kennedy, I don't really care what they call it- I needed a bedroom refresh before we become a family of four. Paisley, you, of course, helped along the way. I need to take photos of the entire room and post a before and after,  but these are too cute. You love love love ladders, and they make me so nervous- brave little thing! I love you, PGA! 

Vacation Time!

We went to Maine last week. As usual, we flew into Boston and saw the Red Sox play. It was your second game at Fenway, and you were dressed the part! It was a bit chilly, but you didn't seem to mind it. After time in Boston, we headed to York, to our vacation home. You loved that the cousins were with us and all of the other family members you just love. Of course you wanted to climb the rocks by yourself, which completely scares me to death! But you're just trying to keep up with the older kids. Grandma and Papa bought you a rain coat, and you want to wear it all day long- you love it! It rained a lot while we were there this time so we bought you girls a tea set that you loved, went shopping around town, and went to the arcade in Wells. You, being the smart funny little thing you are, decided the best way to play skii ball would be to walk up the lane and put the ball in the hole, climbing under the metal cage that guards the holes. Too cute!!  We did all of the things mommy did when she was a kid: walking the marginal way, eating at Barnicle Billys, roasting marshmallows on the rocks. I love that you get to share the same memories that I had growing up, visiting my grandma in Maine. I hope we get to go for many years to come!

My Little Helper

When I found out that you were going to be a girl, I was so excited about all the things we'd get to do together: shopping, primping, dressing up, baking, etc...I lucked out because you love all of those things! You especially love to sit on the counter and help me while I'm baking. We laugh a lot, we get messy, we just have fun! We made chocolate chip cookies today, and you enjoyed every second. You even ate the flour! I can't get enough of you!!

Sweet Summertime

     

My days with you are so fun!  Summer is in full swing on the gulf coast! Tricia Cate had a Noah's ark birthday a couple weeks ago, and you had a blast! Aunt Tricia knows how to throw a party!  In an effort for mommy to stay cool, we put up a pool this month. You helped Papa build the deck, quite the handy little thing you are! And adorable! So now that we have a deck with a railing, we've been able to safely enjoy the pool. At grandma's house, you're able to walk around in the pool with your head above water, but our pool is a little deeper. The problem is that you don't understand the difference so you're mainly upset with me for not letting you go on your own. We've tried floats, wingies, etc...you don't want anything to do with any of it! Maybe you'll just learn to swim and it won't matter. I'm loving every moment we can spend together while it's just you and me! 

Love you! 

Paisley baby,
 
    You went to your first Wahoos game! You love that everyone claps when a play is made, and you love the food. You liked the blue mascot from afar, but not so much when he came to say hi. We made it on the big screen- probably because you are so stinkin' cute. Daddy ate shrimp and grits, which is quite a funny choice for a baseball stadium menu! It was such a great time!

Things We love about you...

Dear Little Paisley...

You stand on your tip toes when you look out the window or when you try to reach things...
You say "I don't know" when we ask you questions. 
You think all the princesses are Ariel.You say eat right when you wake up.
You love hot dogs and sausage.You love getting your toes painted. 
You'll even go to the bathroom, get nail polish from under the sink, and bring it to us to paint your nails. 
You love dipping food in things- ketchup, ranch, anything.
You love toast but you don't want to wait for the toaster to finish.
You go to your crib, try to reach in for a paci, and ask to go to bed if you don't succeed in reaching it.
You love bubbles, but you want to be the one to blow them and can't quite to it yet.
You love going outside. And you love to swing!

You love reading. You have to have every book off the shelf, not just the one you're reading.
You love puppies and aren't scared to be around them or even feed them.
You say cheese when someone gets a camera out.
You act like you are going to share your food and then promptly put it in your mouth, especially sweets.
You crawl around with a guitar pick in your hand when you find one of daddy's.
You love rocking chairs and saying, "rock, rock."
You talk to anyone in a store that looks like a grandma.
You have the most beautiful eye lashes.
You think that Phoebe and Avery hung the moon.

You cry when I take you from Grammie.
You love Elmo.
You love clapping and cheering for things.
You say,  "Momma?" like, come and get me in the morning when you wake up.
You look for daddy in every room in the house until you have confirmed he's gone to work.
You drop things just so you can look for them as you call their name, Pacccciiiii...
You love to take baths while laying on your tummy.
You call for daddy from the kitchen until he gets out of bed to come see you, and then you play hard to get. 

There are so many other little Paisley things you do that we love, cherish, and hope to always remember!!
Daddy and I love you more than words....

Beach Day!

The weather has been beautiful so we decided today that we'd go to the beach. You still aren't walking, but you crawl like a champ so we weren't sure what to expect. You sat and played with bubbles for most of the visit. You also stayed on the sheet we brought and dug in the sand; you like playing with the sand but not getting in it so you were pretty content sitting under the umbrella playing the whole time. Such a good girl and such an enjoyable time!

My Paisley,

   You are the sweetest thing! You hug and kiss when we ask you (and even when we don't). You love people; you'll go see anyone and let pretty much anyone hold you, which makes you everyone's favorite baby! You know the sounds that a cow, horse, sheep, dog, cat, duck, and chicken make and can say them on command. You know the letters "B", "D", "E", and "F" and will say them when daddy and I say "A" and "C" in between you reciting them. You love all kinds of food; I think tuna fish is the only thing you haven't really cared for. Daddy and I generally just feed you whatever we are eating and you are happy with that. You are constantly learning and growing into such a smart, beautiful little girl. We love you!!

It's My Birthday

             Today is my 26th birthday. I know that this is going to be the best year yet. I have a wonderful husband whom I love and adore, and I have a perfect little one that I could not be more thankful for. Last night we went to Paisley's bed, admired her, and then picked her up so that we could love on her. As I was holding her in the rocking chair, I felt overwhelmed with emotion- love, hope, joy. She is so sweet and such a blessing. I can't imagine life without her. When I finally gave Zach a turn, he swooped her up, she looked at him, and rested her little head on his shoulder, slowly blinking as her eyes closed. I hope I never forget that image in my head. The two things I love most in this world, cuddling so very sweetly together. I realized that I really and truly have all I could ask for, and I couldn't wait until this morning when Paisley would be awake and ready to play. She does so many wonderful things now like singing and mimicking sounds. We want to think she'll be an amazing musician so of course, we think that her singing is a testament of things to come. For a while now, her favorite word has been "dada". She had "mama" down for months and then decided to start using it sparingly- just when she really really wants me to rescue her from the crib, but Saturday she started saying it over and over again and has been doing it ever since. Zach says she's making up for lost time; I say that its her birthday gift to me. There is not a better gift I could receive- I love hearing her sweet voice say it repeatedly, and I had missed it so much!
            I do have a few goals for this year. I think a birthday (and a Monday) is a great time to start working toward new things. Here's the list:

• Read the Word every day and come closer to the Lord
• Spend quality time with Zach and Paisley daily
• Run in a 5k
• Spend more time outdoors
• Spend more time volunteering
• Make a difference in people's lives
• Start to become the godly mom I hope to be

They are in no particular order, other than the first one needing to be my main priority. 

Here's to another year!

Swing Sets and Sliding Boards

     Today was another, "I hope I don't forget this," kind of day. We had accelerate (the newcomers class) at church, and while Zach was in talking with people, Paisley and I went out to the playground. Paisley LOVED the swing and the slide. She giggled and laughed the whole time on the swing. As for the slide, she gets so excited at the top, but during the actual sliding down, she closes her eyes as tightly as she possibly can, only to open them, smile, and lunge toward the slide when it's all over. It is the funniest and cutest thing I've seen. I love love love this baby!!
    On another note, 56 people joined the church. I'm so excited for what God is doing at COTES. It's great to feel excited for the future and to feel the excitement in those around you at the church! Thank goodness for fresh starts!

To My Little Crawler

    You can crawl! Yesterday we were at church almost all day long. I was setting up a party to welcome Pastor Chris and Ms. Nan, and daddy was working and rehearsing for Night of Praise. Jeremy Mayfield, one of Daddy's friends, was there practicing with Daddy. He has two precious little boys that are a little older than you. You have been wanting to get moving for a while now, but up until yesterday you'd just roll wherever you needed to go. Jeremy got down on the floor to try to coax you into crawling and it worked! You crawled right to him, and all of the sudden you are a pro. Time to Paisley proof the house! I was trying to take video of you this morning crawling, but you crawled right into the coffee table and hit your head. Par for the course, I guess. It didn't phase you at all. You are SO fun!! Can't wait to see what you learn next!

Teeth!!

       You got your second tooth today. The first one came in on Tuesday, the 14th. You didn't seem to have any trouble, other than feeling a little achy. Teething tablets really seem to help though, and they must taste good because you act like they are candy, not medicine. This morning  Grammie, Papa, Granny, Phoebe and Avery came to church. When we got home, Grammie was checking your tooth from Tuesday when she exclaimed, "Hey! There's another one in here!" I had no idea it was there! Last night, you briefly woke up and cried but then you were right back to sleep; I guess that's probably when the tooth started to come through. They are the cutest little teeth I have ever seen! I've already decided that my favorite new noise is the clanking of your sweet teeth on a glass when I let you drink my water. It is positively precious! Love you, baby girl!

Orlando

Dear Paisley, 

We went to Orlando this week for Brooke Albert's wedding with Grammie and Papa.. You didn't make a peep, except to talk and laugh, the whole way driving. What a perfect baby you are.
   As usual, you smiled at fellow hotel guests, wedding guests, anyone who caught your eye. There was a wonderful pool at the resort, Rosen Shingle Creek, and when you weren't swimming you were sleeping peacefully under a cabana.
      You said, "Dada" non stop most of the trip. I think you must really miss daddy. We FaceTime daddy whenever we are apart, and normally you aren't sure about what we are doing, but this trip you knew we were talking to daddy and were so excited to see him! You giggled and smiled and kicked your feet. So sweet!                        Uncle Mike set you up on a blind date with little Andy Albert; you tried to kiss him, and he wasn't too sure about that. You looked absolutely beautiful in your purple dress and white shoes with the silver toes. The music was very loud at the wedding, but you didn't mind at all- you took a two hour nap!
     A lot of moms think their babies are perfect, but you really couldn't be a better baby and I am so in love with you!! I can't get enough hugs and kisses; even when you are asleep I can't stop kissing your cheeks. Your hands and feet are completely adorable as well.
     You can flip over really well now and you like to hold yourself up with your hands while you are on your belly. I think you'll probably crawl soon. You can sit up, but I don't ever just leave you sitting because you are still a little tipsy. You look less like a baby and more like a little girl every day. It's bittersweet. I love you, baby girl!

    

Cousins and July 4th

We spent the fourth of July with Grammie and Papa at their house. We swam in the pool, had a cookout, and enjoyed time with cousins. You love Phoebe and Avery! Just a picture of them gets you over the top excited. It's rather cute; I think you'll all be best friends! I love fireworks, but we didn't end up going to see them. It was hot, it had rained, and you were fast asleep. So next year we will take you and I'm sure you'll love it! Here's the photo of the day from your first 4th of July...

I love you girls! 

Maternity Photos

So I just got my maternity photos from the fabulous Michelle Quimby. We forgot to connect basically so I'm just now seeing them for the first time. I have decided, though, that these photos are much more special to me seeing them now then they would have been if I had seen them right when they were taken. Seeing photos that were taken 18 days before Paisley was born makes me thankful I'm not pregnant anymore, thankful that Paisley is healthy and happy, but most of all thankful for how complete our family feels for the time being. We love being parents! It's the best thing in the world. Everyone says it, but you don't know until you have one. I love my Paisley Grace!! Thank you, Michelle, for the wonderful experience and beautiful photos. They are so very special to me.

Hi Friends, 


      Let me just say that it has been so great to be home this week spending time with my loves! I don't even want to go out at all this week. I'm savoring every moment we can spend simply at home being the three of us. 

       Paisley has been doing well with baby food (sweet potatoes and oatmeal cereal). She much prefers the sweet potatoes so I mix them together. It's been 72 hours, which is the time the doctor recommends you give your sweet one's body before you let them try another food. So sweet potatoes are a keeper! Good thing because we eat them ourselves all the time! 

     Let's talk weight loss. I'm another pound down, still sticking to no sugar and loving it. The emeals recipes this week have been great! On Sunday we had grilled chicken and steak kabobs. Delicious and super healthy!  

    On the same note, it's terribly hot today so for a snack I made a frozen fruit smoothie. I put bananas, strawberries, non fat plain greek yogurt, and a bit of stevia in the blender and voila- a wonderfully refreshing cool smoothie! I'll take a photo the next time I make one, and at 155 calories, that should be quite often! We bought frozen strawberries, blueberries, and mixed fruit from Sam's Club so it is cost effective and will last us a while. Yay for something healthy that tastes like dessert...finally! 


    Hope everyone has a great day!

Julie

Oh the Places You'll Go....

Dear Paisley, 

    Last week you went on your first airplane! You were great, of course. All of the people on the plane commented on how pretty you are and how well you behaved. We went to Virginia for your second cousin's , Jessica, wedding. Mommy made the wedding and groom's cake and Grammie Suzanne and Grammie Nola took care of you. At the wedding we got to see a bunch of distant relatives, and they all wanted to hold you- I barely even saw you the whole day! Aunt Janet, Grammie Nola's sister, made you a very special bear and brought it to the wedding. It is made from your great great grandmother's quilts. It's just beautiful.

Chillin' in the airport.

                          

At the Wedding

   While we were in Virginia, we went to a water park at Massanutten. You were neither here nor there about the water, but very happy all day. They had little swings you could bounce around in and the water in the baby area was shallow enough that you could even sit down. Grammie Suzanne went on a water slide! You'll have to ask her about it some time.  We stayed in Virginia for about a week so daddy was very anxious to see us, well probably mainly you. We used the ipad to talk to him via video chat so we could see him while we were gone. He is an amazing daddy and husband- we are blessed!

  You're very curious these days, wanting to check everything out. You can barely eat your bottle because you want to see what's going on. On Wednesday daddy and I gave you some oatmeal cereal. You did really well and seemed to enjoy it. We will try some new things in a few days.

   You say mama all the time now, especially when you wake up from your naps. In general, you talk a lot, carrying on conversations as if you were an adult. I love it. I love everything about you! I miss you when I'm away from you for any length of time. You are my precious Paisley and I love you so so much!

Love,

  Mommy

Beach Days

My Sweetheart, 

    On Monday we went with Jen, Andy, and Jen's parents to a condo down in Gulf Shores. It was your first beach trip. You didn't cry or fuss at all- inside the condo or at the beach or pool. You were so cute and so fun! Truly a precious, sweet girl. Oh! And Jen found out a couple weeks ago that she and Andy are having triplets! Can you believe it? Lots of little playmates for you! Exciting!!

Love you, 

  Mommy