we are the weatherfords

He's 15 months!

2011-04-22T09:31:00.000-05:00

I continue to neglect this blog and it bugs me but sometimes I get confused as to why I even keep it. Is it to keep others posted? To keep records of what goes on? To brag? Well, I guess its a combo of all. Although some days I'm tempted to blog about not-so-good stuff, to vent about things that are bothering me, etc... so I might take that approach every now and then. Who know, for now it's about GABE!

Yesterday Gabe officially turned 15 months old. I would post all his stats but I don't have them! We are choosing not to vaccinate (please don't judge) so I didn't even think to make a well-check appointment. But, he is a big boy that loves to eat! Some of his favorite foods are bananas, waffles, toast, cheese, fruits, most of the common veggies (carrots, green beans, broccoli) and chicken nuggets. We laugh because he really is "all boy", just so much different than Olivia in his mannerisms. Olivia is very careful, clean and dainty and Gabe is not. He will grab handfuls of food and stuff them in his mouth, swallow them down without even bothering to chew! We often see whole pieces of food later on, if you know what I mean! He'll rub his dirty hands through his hair and pick in his ear...Olivia asks for a napkin at each meal and actually uses it! Even when she was little she was always a neat eater.

He loves to play with Olivia's hat. I bought him his own but he still prefers to put this one on!

(I don't know why blogger won't let me rotate these)

Gabe is also a man of few words. He says da-da, ma-ma, NO and babbles quite a bit but that is about it for language. He mastered walking at 14 months and I also weaned him about that same time. He loves to drink milk and water, that's pretty much all he's ever had. He absolutely adores Olivia, loves playing outside, bath time, and has learned to run away from us when he's playing with something he shouldn't have. He is our snuggler and gives absolutely the B-E-S-T hugs ever. They can turn a crummy day into gold in one second flat. Love them!

As the months go by he is becoming more of a daddy's boy. He squeals with excitement when Koby comes home from work, its adorable.

Happy Easter everbody!

Olivia's thoughts...

2011-01-28T09:40:00.000-06:00

Olivia and I had some girl time yesterday afternoon and while driving home to see our boys this conversation went on:
Olivia- "Somebody colored my eyes brown."
Me- "Haha, yeah that's right. I can tell you who did it too."
O- "Who?"
Me- "God did it. He knew that was the perfect color for you."
O- "Oh, I wish he would have colored them PINK!"

This girl is in love with all things pink.

Our little man is growing up!

2011-01-25T12:24:00.000-06:00

Gabriel's 1st birthday was last Friday, January 21st! He is an amazing baby boy and it is crazy that a year has already gone by. We started our celebration with a quick trip to Abilene to celebrate with both sets of grandparents. Unfortunately, Gabe had a little stomach bug and wound up being sick so it wasn't all that much fun for him.

The next weekend I made a cake and we had another little celebration on his real birthday. He was feeling much better and really got the hang of what to do with all that cake! For the record, that is the messiest my little boy has gotten while eating. I just don't do messy eating babies!

In case you were curious, I took him to his well visit this morning and he weighed in at 23lbs 9oz and measured 29 1/4" long. Personally, I don't think the nurse stretched him out right cause he was squirming around...he may be just a bit longer! ;)

Gabe is such a charmer. He has the sweetest eyes, the most voluptuous lips (I love them), chubby little thighs and he is the BEST hugger/snuggler ever. He has always given the strongest, tightest hugs. It melts my heart! Just so I don't forget I'm going to note some things he is up to:

- cruises around and has taken a few steps at a time

- loves the remote control

- will usually try most foods and like them

- nurses 3 times a day

- sleeps for about 10-ish hours a night and takes a nap at some point during the day (poor second-borns don't get the luxury of a set daytime schedule!)

- has 7 teeth

- babbles alot but has only said da-da and momma a few times...not sure if he really "knows" them.

- wears mostly 18 month clothes and size 4 diapers

- has a little pillow in his crib that he adores

- drinks whole milk from his sippy cup everyday

Here's to another year of our sweet Gabriel Lee!

Hello 2011!

2011-01-03T10:13:00.000-06:00

I really want to begin posting more regularly, it is one of my new year "goals". So, I'll begin with one that some of you may have already read. I'm not even sure how many people still read this blog but it's worth a shot.

Our Dogs
Family and Friends,

When Koby and I were newly married about 10 years ago we decided that we missed our pets back home and we needed one of our own. We took the short trip to the Brazos Valley Animal Shelter and found Klowie in October of 2000. They approximated her age to be one year old and she had been at the shelter for a few weeks (read: her time was running out). She wasn't the cutest we saw that day, but there was something special about her. So we signed on the dotted line and welcomed our first "baby".

A couple of years later we decided that Klowie was lonely and she needed a friend. We were driving through a neighborhood in College Station and saw a sign that read "Puppies $5" so we stopped. There was a litter of the cutest little fur balls you've ever seen. The family said that their dogs had accidentally bred...the mom was a lab/rot mix and the dad was full collie. Being the softies we are, we quickly spotted the runt of the litter and brought her home. Isabella joined our family in 2002.

Fast-forward about 8 years. We are a busy family with two real babies that demand an incredible amount of our time and energy. We go for walks to the park and don't have enough hands to juggle kids, strollers, snacks AND leashes. Over the last few years the dogs have taken a permanent spot on the back burner. It is not something we are proud of, or something we expected to happen. It just has. The kicker is that we have learned that my dad is severely allergic to dogs, therefore my parents have rarely been able to come visit us and the kids. If they do, they have to stay at a hotel, which is costly. If they come over for a bit my dad has to sit outside. It has become an emotional burden/dilemma.

If you are still with me, I'm writing all this to say that Koby and I have decided to attempt to find a new home(s) for our dogs. The simple act of typing this e-mail creates a pull in my heart. We want nothing more than for the dogs to be loved and appreciated so we are sending this message out to people we know are capable of those things.

In short, would you or someone you know like a new friend?

A date with my Girl

2010-07-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

I decided to take Olivia to watch Toy Story 3 today while Koby stayed home with Gabe. She is obsessed with TS2 so I just knew she would have a blast watching the new one, plus she's never been to the theater before so that would be fun too. We get there, and I ask for two tickets...its over $13.00 just for the two of us. What? I was confused. Turns out they are only showing the movie in 3D so they charge more. I pay the money anyway and get handed two pairs of HUGE 3D glasses. Really? How is my tiny girl supposed to wear and keep these on throughout the whole movie? I decide to give it a shot since we are already there and Olivia is pulling me towards the concessions. Long story short, we ended up leaving about 10 minutes later with our full drinks and popcorn in hand. Luckily, I got a refund on our tickets but I had a disappointed little girl. I really can't believe they don't have child size glasses if they are going to force you to watch a movie in 3D.
So, we had some time on our hands and Livi said she wanted to go to Target. We enjoyed some girl time together, finished our movie popcorn and drinks and rolled out of the store with this! Not a bad trip if you ask me! It was really nice to spend time just the two of us. That has not happened in a while...about 6 months to be exact! :)

we were "practicing" inside...

Six Months of GABE

2010-07-21T16:05:00.000-05:00

Time has really flown by with this "little" guy. He is 6 months old today and is such a great baby. Sure, I get frustrated at times but all in all he is a good baby. He is not sleeping consistently at night or during the day but somehow God gives us all the strength to keep going!
I have no idea what his stats are, but he is a little over 20lbs, can sit up without a spot, has no teeth, LOVES to nurse, has the sweetest laugh, LOVES his big sister, doesn't crawl but has mastered the smear-face-on-the-ground-while-pushing-with-his-feet maneuver, does what looks like push-ups and last but not least makes our little family complete!!

Birth- January 21, 2010

Approx 1 month

Approx 2 months

Approx. 3 months

Approx 4 months

Approx. 5 months

6 months

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T17:50:00.000-05:00

Comparisons

2010-05-21T16:45:00.001-05:00

Whew! Life has been crazy around here. Today Gabriel is 4 months old so we went in for his well-check. No shots for this little one but we got the doctors seal of approval anyway. Even though they are not the same gender (it might be like comparing apples to oranges) I wanted to post stat comparisons from when Livi was this age.
Olivia- 4 months
26" long
15lbs 4oz

Gabriel- 4 months

26 1/2" long

17lb 11oz

He is 95th percentile on both height and weight! I love that he is so big and strong and feel extremely blessed to have two healthy little ones. Hopefully I won't jinx myself by sharing this but lately he has been sleeping about 7-ish hours at night and then most mornings he'll go back to sleep when I feed him. He hasn't developed a regular or predictable day schedule yet which kind of stinks, but if I'm getting semi-decent rest at night then I shouldn't complain.

Olivia has been doing really good lately too. It took her a couple of months to swallow reality after Gabe was born and then it hit her like a ton of bricks. She really lashed out and started throwing the worst fits and just was generally difficult. None of her tantrums were directed at Gabe and I never felt that she was angry with him, she just had to get it out of her system I guess. As of April, she is officially potty trained. She had only been wearing diapers at night for quite a while and then she started waking up dry for about 2 weeks so I quit buying them! She has only had a couple of small accidents. I'm loving having just Gabe in diapers.

Until next time...

This and That

2010-03-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

Yikes! March has flown by and I didn't blog as often as I thought I would...

Today Olivia woke up and wanted me to carry her to the living room. I already had the tv on and Handy Manny was on. While I was walking she hugged my neck real tight and said, "Aw, you're the best!". It was the sweetest thing!

Gabe is growing so quickly. I guesstimated his weight at 15lbs. He is two months old and has no problems that I can think of. Thank you Jesus! He doesn't sleep through the night at all but has settled into a nice afternoon nap routine lately which is super nice b/c I get quiet, alone time for a little while. It helps me get through the day without going bonkers.

Speaking of weight, I'm having trouble getting motivated to really tackle the baby weight. I've been walking here and there but nothing consistent. I've leveled out at about 150lbs (yes, I just posted my weight on the blog) and that is not anywhere close to where I want to be. I don't feel healthy or strong. I don't feel sick, but I just don't feel "right". Like I said, I'm just having problems with motivation. I printed out a couch to 5K program that looks like something that I could manage but I haven't started it. I keep trying to look for the perfect time to go but it never presents itself. Imagine that! There's always laundry and chores to be done, a child (or two) to be taken care of, duplex work to do, exhaustion bearing down on me, or the weather is unfavorable. A friend of mine has blogged every monday about her post-baby weight loss plan and has shared how many pounds she lost (or gained) until she recently reached her goal. I'm thinking about doing that but I don't know if I can get over myself enough to be that honest! I think it takes alot of guts to be that open and allow people to hold you accountable. Maybe that's what I need, accountability.

This has been a random post so I'll wrap up with some pictures!

I love her smile in this one!

A Baby Story

2010-03-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

I know I'm in "hot water" with a few people that didn't even know I had the baby yet (I tend to forget that not everybody has a Facebook account) so I thought I'd go ahead and share Gabe's story through pictures. That's what we want to see on a blog post anyway, right?
My last real post was a LONG time ago and lots of things have happened since then. Not that any of those things weren't worth mentioning, like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years but I have to stop thinking that I need to "catch up" on the blog and just start from the present...otherwise I'll only continue to be overwhelmed and avoid blogging!

1 week before due date

Gabriel Lee Weatherford

8lbs 10oz

21 inches

January 21, 2010

11:08am

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T17:07:00.000-06:00

Bye, Bye Piggy

2009-11-23T16:01:00.000-06:00

Rosemary moved back to Delaware on Sunday after being in Texas since July. We really enjoyed getting to spend time with her and I know Olivia will truly miss her prima being here to play with her. At first it was a little bit tough on both of them. Rosie was away from home and Livi wasn't used to sharing her toys, home or parents with another little girl. But, after a few weeks they really learned to play and get along (mostly) and pretty much behave like normal siblings.
I'm not sure how or why Rosie started calling Livi "Piggy" but she did. Even at the airport when we were saying our goodbyes..."bye Piggy!" We will miss Rosie so very much and I know Livi will be asking for her soon. I know she's just in Delaware, but it seems a world away. Besos y abrasos Rosita!!!!

EXCITED!

2009-11-20T17:17:00.000-06:00

I was wasting some time while Olivia was napping and decided to read some of my older posts from before Olivia was born and it got me so FIRED UP to have this baby. Sure, it was hard adjusting in the beginning and I was nervous about labor, but wow, my own descriptions of my emotions and thoughts really took me back.
I should complain/whine less and smile more...it will be over before I realize it. Thank you Jesus for allowing my body the ability to carry babies!

The Cutest Little Girl I Know.

2009-11-17T14:58:00.000-06:00

These are the Fall pictures from Sonshine School!

This one makes me laugh. She had the exact same look on her face for her pictures last year.

UpDaTeS

2009-11-16T16:32:00.000-06:00

I am now 31 weeks along but yet feel like I'm due any day. However, I was looking through some pics of when I was pregnant with Olivia and realized that I've still got a ways to GROW. I get rediculously huge when I'm pregnant. Oh well, it's all worth it!

I haven't updated about my mom's cancer in quite a while...
She finished her first round of chemo a couple of weeks ago. The first round was supposed to take about 2 months...it took more like 3 1/2. Her cell counts had a lot of trouble rebounding and that caused the treatments to be delayed. For those that don't know or forgot, mom is a 1st grade teacher so she has had to stay home and has not been able to work.
That all changed last week. She began her second round of chemo last week. This time she is going in once a week (on Thursdays) for 12 weeks. Since her shots are on Thursdays she is going back to work on Mon-Thurs and then "recovering" Friday, Sat. and Sunday. It's a grueling schedule and I'm worried about her being exposed to germy kids all day especially since her immune system is so compromised and even more so because of the terrible flu season approaching. Her doctor and her principal have strongly advised her to wear her mask. After she completes this cycle then they will evaluate if radiation is needed. Please keep praying!
We will travel home for Thanksgiving and let mom rub my baby belly one last time since she won't be able to make it to College Station for the birth and we will not be going back to Abilene for Christmas. Super bummed about that...

If you're still with me here's a sweet picture...

Where is the spell check button? Has anybody that posted lately noticed thiers go missing? Am I losing it?

Some Halloween pictures...finally.

2009-11-08T15:41:00.000-06:00

I'm just now getting around to updating and I wanted to share some Halloween picutres. We went to two trunk or treat events, one at A&M Church of Christ and then the other at the church down the street in our neighborhood (which for some reason I can't remember what its called). Either way, the girls had a blast at both and I'm really glad that somebody thought to start the trend that is "trunk or treat"...it makes things much safer and I think the kids can enjoy themselves better.
Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The BIG 3-0!!

2009-10-12T16:45:00.000-05:00

Last week I said my farewells to my 20's and somewhat reluctantly welcomed in my 30's. My birthday was last Thursday and I had an awesome day. It started out with some mall time in the morning followed by lunch with a good friend that I don't get to see very often. Then while Livi was napping I actually layed around on the couch and watched a movie and then it was time to get ready for a GNO in my honor. A few of my super-sweet friends took me out to eat a yummy dinner and treated me to some coffee-talk afterward. I didn't make it home until 11pm (yes, that is WAY late for me) and I walked in to find that Koby and Livi had baked me some strawberry cupcakes with strawberries and creme frosting! YUM.

Thanks girls!!

News Flash...News Flash...

2009-10-01T20:15:00.004-05:00

Well, at least to us!

Both yesterday and today Olivia woke up from her nap and wore her "big girl panties" all evening until bath time...without any accidents! Yesterday we stayed home all evening but tonight we went to eat at the Cotton Patch and then made a quick trip to Walgreens. My plan is to slowly extend the amount of time she's in her panties...especially when we're at home. She gets so proud of herself when she goes in the potty that our praise seems to be doing the trick. We haven't had to deal with the dreaded #2 yet so I'm fully aware that we haven't conquered the hard part! :)

In addition to this I have to brag that she also ate quite a bit of broccoli at dinner tonight with very little encouragement!

This is a picture from the fair and livestock auction in Caldwell last Friday. Good times!

Rite of Passage

2009-09-28T15:59:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday we went to have Olivia's ears pierced. Now, if you've ever been blessed with the opportunity to listen to Koby and I debate about this you'd know that I have been wanting to have this done for quite a while...Koby not so much.

I'm not sure if there was anything specific that changed Koby's mind or if it was as simple as me saying, "Hey, we're going to the mall on Thursday after you get home from work to get Livi's ears pierced." Either way, she did great and was only upset for just a little bit. She loves to look in the mirror and talk about how pretty her earrings are! Too cute!

Before...

right after... about a minute later.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-23T17:37:00.002-05:00

Giddy Up!

2009-09-18T17:52:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was "Western Day" at Sonshine School and being that we are city folk I didn't really have anything other than these cute hand-me-down boots (thanks Jenny and/or Angela) for Olivia to wear. I didn't want to go buy her something specific just for this day so this is what she ended up wearing. I think she ended up looking pretty stinking cute!

Happy Birthday Olivia Kate!!!

2009-09-16T14:46:00.004-05:00

Two years ago we were blessed to become the parents of this precious baby girl!

As I was told it would, time has flown by and now she has turned into this beautiful and smart little girl.

Last weekend we drove to Abilene to celebrate with Meema and Grandaddy (Koby's parents) and Wito and Wita (my parents). We had a low-key weekend, partially by choice but mainly because it was raining all weekend and just spent some quality time visiting and catching up with each other. On Sunday evening, Koby's mom cooked up a yummy dinner (roast, potatoes, gravy, veggies, rolls...) and we had a birthday dinner complete with red velvet cake for Koby (his b-day is next week) and a Dora cake for Olivia. She was so shy when we sang Happy Birthday she wouldn't even look up!

Koby's mom works at ACU in the music department so we went up there and took some pictures in the recital hall and anywhere else we could get Livi to cooperate!

Happy Birthday Livi Kate! We love you more than you will ever know!

Two days in a row...WHAT?

2009-09-10T16:16:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I felt the love! Thanks for sticking with me!

Today was the first day of Sonshine School up at the church so we were up and ready to go a little earlier than usual today. Really, it's not that early...school starts a 9am! Anyway, Olivia had a great time and only fussed for a couple of seconds when I dropped her off. She even gave her teacher a big hug when we were leaving to come home. She is becoming such a big girl. This is the best picture I could get of her this morning...

Tomorrow we are heading off to Abilene to visit our parents and to celebrate Olivia's 2nd b-day (and Koby's 33rd). It'll be pretty low key, but I know that Bueno, LaPopular, homemade red velvet cake and some R&R will be included!

Wordless Wednesday...kind of

2009-09-09T19:36:00.003-05:00

If you still check in on this blog, please leave a comment. I'm just curious if there's anybody still "with me" on here.

Update on mom...kind of.

2009-05-12T18:43:00.002-05:00

I drove into Abilene late last night and was able to help mom out through the night. She's doing much better today, not in a lot of pain, just tired and a little uncomfortable.
The doctor called this morning and confirmed that the tumors were cancerous, however, he could not be any more specific. He told my dad yesterday that they would send the tumors for testing and the results would be back in 2-3 days. So, when he called this morning I was really anxious to hear the results and a little impressed that the tests had come back so quickly. Instead, he said they needed to conduct further testing at their "other" lab in Dallas and that we wouldn't know those results until Monday or Tuesday of next week.
I'm trying to patient but it's really hard. I am not by nature a patient person. I'm trying to stay positive, but that's really hard too. Mom, on the other hand seems to be very peaceful and calm about everything. I know that is a huge blessing. Thanks for the prayers and words of encouragement and I'll update when I know more.

Prayers Please

2009-05-11T08:44:00.002-05:00

Over a month ago, my mom noticed a mass under her arm that was bothering her. She ignored it at first but then realized she should make an appointment with the doctor. She was finally fit in about a week and a half ago and her regular doctor referred her to a specialist. She saw that specialist last Thursday and he scheduled her for surgery today. She will go in at about 3pm today and have the mass removed and then tested. The results should be in within the next couple of days.
Please pray for her strength and for her spirits to stay positive. I know this is a fairly routine procedure but I am still anxious...mainly for the results.

Some new pics

2009-03-24T09:59:00.003-05:00

I'm starting to feel really guilty for not blogging more often. I know people catch up with us on here and so I should do a better job at keeping up with it...
We have been up to lots of things over the past several weeks since I've blogged.

We've been playing in the bed of the truck.

On February 26th we made a "card" and had a photo shoot for Tia's b-day.
We've been helping daddy with his projects in the yard.

We've been practicing our leprechaun pose.

We've been snuggling.

And we've been GROWING like a weed!!!

Olivia is now 18 months old and is making us proud on a daily basis. We might be just a bit biased but we think she's stinking cute and smart too. She recognizes mostly all of the letters of the alphabet and several numbers. Sometimes she'll even read me the letters and numbers of our license plates. She is talking up a storm and has starting using the potty almost every night before bed. It's really funny, actually. We sit her on the seat and immediately she starts yelling, "PUSH! PUSH!" and then as soon as she's finished she says, "wipes, wipes."

She knows tons of words and I won't list them all but she has also started to string more words together. We just love watching her grow and are amazed at how quickly she learns things and how independent she has become. She most definitely has her moments but she really is such a good girl!

Party time

2009-02-12T15:02:00.005-06:00

Olivia's been doing great in Sonshine school. She now goes twice a week for 4.5 hours a day. I think its been good for her to interact with other kids and authority figures. She seems to like it and except for this morning, doesn't even fuss when I drop her off. It's been a great time for me to take care of things with work and around the house. I always feel like I need to be so quiet in the afternoons when she's asleep.

Today she had a little Valentine's day party at school. Basically, the kids got to indulge in LOTS of sugary treats. Even though she's not smiling, she really had a good time! Thanks to Ms. Stephanie and all the moms that actually brought the sweet treats!

I've been putting her hair in a little pony tail...I think its CuTe!!
Hope everybody has a happy Valentine's Day!!

First Day of School

2009-01-13T15:23:00.006-06:00

We have enrolled Olivia in Sonshine School at our church this semester and today was her first day of school! The program is normally 2 days a week from 9am-1:30pm but for some reason they only had 1 day a week available. So, Livi will be going to "school" every Tuesday this spring. My job at the duplexes really picks up in the spring and I know that this time will soon be taken over with phone calls, rental verifications and showings but today was really a good day, relaxing, productive morning (sans strollers, snacks and sippy cups).

For those of you that don't know, I didn't always plan on being a stay at home mom so when I got pregnant I told my boss that I would be back 6-8 weeks after giving birth. As you can imagine my world was rocked when I met my baby girl and I started having some major second thoughts. We went ahead and found a day-care center for Olivia and I went back to work (2 1/2 months later) and sobbed every time I dropped her off until I finally quit my job and decided to be broke and stay at home.

Now fast-forward a little over a year later...I did not cry when I dropped Olivia off at school. In fact, it was Livi that brought on the water works and the, "How dare you leave me????" look as I walked away. She ended up doing just fine, of course, and I'm sure she will have fun again next week.

I tried, I really tried to get a cute first day of school picture but she wasn't having it so this is the best I could do.

And this one I just thought was too funny. Her cousin James makes almost the exact same face!

Home ALONE!

2009-01-08T18:09:00.003-06:00

Tonight I am going to Bunko so Koby just took Olivia to eat dinner and go to Home Depot. I am home alone and it feels weird. I am very rarely home by myself these days. There is no Dora the Explorer or Baby Einstein playing in the background or no need to tiptoe around the house. I can yell or scream if I want to, play loud music at the computer if I want to or eat dinner on the couch while watching a tv show (uninterrupted I might add) if that is what my heart desires. Hmmm...that last one sounds tempting. Gotta go, the couch is calling! :)

( This is the picture I was trying to add for Wordless Wednesday)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T15:47:00.001-06:00

For the record, I've tried twice today to upload a picture. Obviously, it hasn't worked so maybe tomorrow I'll try again!

Adios 2008!

2008-12-31T21:24:00.005-06:00

Okay, so I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't had time to blog lately. I've actually had numerous opportunities but I just can't get motivated. So, today I was thinking about the new year coming and the old year ending and I thought that I really should make a better effort to blog. I'm not one to make many (if any) new year's resolutions but I think one that I'll make this year is to be a better blogger. I think a once-a-week goal is practical and achievable...right?

I'm sure many of you that have kids know that holidays such as New Year's Eve can be a little tricky. You want to have fun and possibly stay out late or meet up with some friends but that can be complicated when you have bedtimes to work around. Plus, finding a sitter on a holiday is no easy feat. So we decided that we still wanted to go and do something fun but still be home in time for Livi's bedtime.

We started our evening by going out to eat at Boston's. Both Koby and I felt like eating some good pizza. We couldn't get Livi to look at the camera so this is the best shot out of about 5 tries!

Then we decided to go bowling. Olivia has never been so we were a little unsure about how she would do. She was a little bit hesitant at first but then we let her roll the ball down the lane with bumpers and she had a great time!

I took a video but I'm not sure if it will post or not. If you listen you can hear her saying, "GO, GO, Go!" to the ball. Too cute!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

2008-11-11T10:29:00.003-06:00

Again, almost a month since my last post and I'm not even going to try to make any excuses! :) Olivia and I have been hanging out, enjoying the slow season with my job and trying to get ready for the holidays. In about a week and a half Olivia and I will be heading to Abilene for a week-long stay. Koby will join us the day before Thanksgiving so it will be nice for him to have a little bit of "alone" time. I think he already has a list of projects that he would like to work on and I'm sure, if I try reaaalllly hard, I can think of a few things to add to it!

Last year Olivia was only about 6 weeks old on Halloween so we didn't do a thing. No pumpkin patch, no trunk or treat, no handing out candy...like I said, nothing. This year we still didn't make it to the pumpkin patch (where are these things anyway?) but we did dress up and head out the trunk or treat at A&M Church and we also went to the fall festival at the Baptist church down the street.

Zoe and Olivia

There was so much excitement that it was hard to get a good picture. A one year old's attention span is pretty short!

Thanks a mil, MIL!

2008-10-15T13:45:00.003-05:00

After a nice, relaxing weekend I'm settling back down into the "real world". You see, for the last 5 days I have had the luxury of having my mother-in-law (MIL) in town. Olivia was a little shy at first but after a couple of hours she was lOvInG the new person (read: extra attention) in the house. We all had a great weekend and Koby and I got to go out by ourselves on Sunday night. We just went to Jason's Deli, nothing fancy but it has become a place that we don't like to go to with Olivia. She eats well there, it's just so up-and-down that we're exhausted by the end of the meal! Anyway, we enjoyed the fact that we picked a booth, sat our drinks down and were both able to go get our salads at the same time! :)

So, thanks Glenda for the yummy cooking, the good conversations, the home decor suggestions, the diaper changes, the story time, the laundry folding...we all enjoyed the visit!!

Once again...

2008-10-08T21:28:00.006-05:00

...I have slacked off at blogging and feel overwhelmed that there is so much to say but I don't know where to start.

We had a small birthday party for Olivia at one of our favorite places, J.Cody's and some of our good friends came out to help us celebrate. We had originally planned on having it the weekend right after her birthday but then hurricane ike came through and we cancelled it. Neither set of our parents were able to come to the re-scheduled party but we got to visit with my parents last weekend and then Koby's parents are coming this weekend. Olivia had a blast at the party and didn't cry (barely fussed) the entire time. Our multi-talented and super sweet friend Angela, made the cakes for the party. She decorated to coordinate with the invitation that I had sent out (to the party that was cancelled). Anyway, it was all so special to have friends around...especially since our family is so far away.

birthday cake, goodie bags and invitation

Olivia's personal size cake

I love her reaction here...we had just finished singing Happy Birthday to her and she wasn't sure how to react to all the attention!

What was left of above mentioned cake.

happy girl opening some gifts

We took her in for her 1 year well check and everything looks good. She is walking up a storm, has 6 1/2 teeth (one is only half way in) and is on her way to being a weaned baby (YES!). She weighed in at 21lbs 7 oz (50-75th percentile) and 31inches tall (95th percentile). Getting taller and thinning out...who would have guessed?

Thank you Jesus for our precious baby! Until next time!

(don't hold your breath, no, really...)

Happy Birthday Olivia!!

2008-09-16T17:21:00.003-05:00

Today is sweet Olivia's 1 Year Birthday! We are so very proud of her that I could type all day and all night long and not even begin to describe it. She has filled our lives with such joy, laughter, pride and love. Olivia, we love you so!

Catching our breath!

2008-09-09T21:40:00.006-05:00

Again, long time no blog. It seems like August was just a blur for me with the chaos of my first turn at the duplexes. But, we all survived with only a few bumps and bruises! Now that everybody has moved in I finally feel like I have some time to relax and just be. It has been incredibly nice not to have to answer my phone non-stop all day and coordinate the flooring people with the cleaning people with the painter guys with the maintenance people...you get the idea.

So, I'm at a point where I feel like so many things have happened (like my 10 year high school reunion, our 8 year wedding anniversary) that I don't really know where to start so I think I'm just going to post some pictures and call it a night!

Just a picture of Livi being cute in her Sunday outfit.

This is our entry way table and Olivia really likes to climb up and dig through my purse/diaper bag. She automatically goes straight to my wallet and out of all the cards I carry she always pulls out my debit/check card, my emergency credit card and my Victoria's Secret card. What can I say, the girl already knows about the essentials of life!

I used to just keep Olivia's bows in a little box in her dresser but lately I've been getting annoyed with having to dig them out so I decided to try my hand at being crafty and made her a little bow holder. I chose black and red gingham because it matched her bedding. And of course the "O" is for "Olivia"!

Today Olivia got her first haircut! I probably could have done it myself but I was too scared to completely mess up so little miss thing went to the salon. It was so cute, the hair dresser was able to put her hair in a little ponytail and then cut it for us to keep!

Before (back)

After (back)

Feeling like a big girl in the chair...

Not so sure about the cape and the stranger taking our picture...

All done! What do ya think? :)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-13T21:53:00.002-05:00

For you, Tia

2008-07-20T16:02:00.004-05:00

I can't wait until the next time I get to see you, Tio, James, John and MoMary!
Love, Livi

I'm Confused

2008-07-09T15:27:00.004-05:00

Here's the deal...I'm thinking that it is time to get Olivia a new car seat but I don't know which one to buy. As usual, I'm driving myself crazy trying to research and pick the "perfect" one. The problem with this is 1) I don't have time to thoroughly research every car seat out there and 2) the stores around here seem to carry a limited selection.

I know that I still want the option to keep her rear facing since I've read that this way is safest, but I would also like to have her forward facing for trips. The seat needs to be SAFE, comfortable, have a reclining function, good quality, affordable and it would be nice if it was cute! I don't want to spend a million bucks, but at the same time I know that most times you get what you pay for and when it comes to my baby girl's safety, there is no price too high.

So, PLEASE help me. If you know anything about a particular car seat, good or bad, please share.

9 Months and Counting

2008-06-25T08:55:00.005-05:00

Hello Blogworld! We still exist!

It's been quite a while since I've been on here to blog. I've checked when friends updated but that's about it. We've basically been up to the same old same old around here. I've been crazy busy with work and so has Koby. Olivia is growing by leaps and bounds and we still can't believe that God has blessed us with such a beautiful, healthy baby. She has taught me so much about myself and life in general and she is only 9 months old!

Here are just a few facts about her since I haven't been good about keeping you up to speed:

She sleeps all night (yes!) but has been waking up earlier and earlier lately. She was up by 7am today.
Her bottom two teeth are completely in and has two more cutting in on top.
She absolutely LOVES to play ball with Izzy. She cracks up like nothing else!
She has really started to prefer her daddy at certain times. If we meet Koby for lunch she cries when he gets out of the truck and if he leaves the house in the evenings she follows after him and gets sad. :(
She is learning the word "no"...mainly because we are trying to teach her to stay away from the dog food.
Her favorite song is "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys. She dances to it and it melts my heart.
She is a really good eater for the most. Her recent favorite is black beans and cherrios, not necessarily together.
She says "mama", "hi", "bye-bye", and sometimes "da-da" and she also makes some really sweet sounds with her lips. It makes me smile.
She is starting to test her balance and sometimes lets go of the furniture when she is standing up. She took a couple of steps the other day with Koby holding both her hands.

There's probably much more but I can't think of anything else. Oh, I did take her for her 9month well check yesterday and she weighs 20lb 10oz and is 29in tall. I think the doctor said that puts her in the 90th percentile for height and 75 for weight so I think she is thinning out a little bit. She still has the yummiest little thighs tough!

We are looking forward to a visit from Koby's brother and his wife. They are coming to visit over the 4th of July weekend from Reno, NV. They own a gym called Freestyle Martial Arts. They have never been to College Station and we haven't seem them since Christmas of 2004 so it is a really special visit. Also, I have my 10 year high school reunion coming up in August! I cannot believe I have been out of high school for 10 years!

Until next time...bye!

My sweet angel

2008-05-16T20:58:00.002-05:00

Olivia is 8 months old! How time flies...

Where did April go?

2008-05-03T21:48:00.007-05:00

Part of my job as property manager is processing rent payments at the beginning of the month. I've gotten quicker at it, but it is still a tedious task that I don't always look forward to. I think the most annoying thing is waiting for all the tenants to finally decide to pay their rent. It forces me to stay extra organized to make sure I don't forget anything. Anyway, as I was processing rent earlier today it really hit me that it was already May. It feels like April just started the other day! Time goes by way to fast these days.

We've been busy as usual around here. I'm working really hard at getting all my units leased for August, Koby is still trying to finish up the huge tree planting project on campus and Olivia is busy crawling all over the house! She is saying little words (babbling would be a better description) and is still eating really well. Today she had prunes for the first time and seemed to like them just fine. I took her to the doctor earlier this week...I jumped the gun because it was just a cold. But, they weighed her and she's 20lbs! She is growing so quickly.

We took a trip to Dallas a couple of weeks ago and visited my new little niece Ashlyn. She is so sweet and tiny! I'd post a picture but I just realized that I didn't even take one! We also saw our friends the Team's and my best friend from high school JJ. It was a busy weekend, but I'm glad we made it up there. We always have lots of fun in the big D!

Emma and Olivia

Kenley was such a sweet cousin. She calls her "Olivia Kate!" Me and JJ
On the way to Dallas we stopped off and took some wildflower pictures. We were looking for bluebonnets, but I guess we waited too long because all we found were these little yellow flowers (which I don't know the name of). They were really tall so it was kind of hard to get a good picture but these were among my favorites.

Our next trip is coming up soon. We will be heading to Abilene for Mother's Day weekend. It will be my first MDay! I was pregnant last year and everybody said I was included, but I didn't agree. So now I can truly celebrate the blessing of having a sweet, loving, beautiful baby girl!

Speaking of mothers...Happy Anniversary momma (and dad)! Today is my parents 33rd anniversary! What an accomplishment!

Remember "the Blog"

2008-04-09T22:00:00.004-05:00

Yes, it has been a very long time since I've posted. I think this might be becoming the rule rather than the exception. There is just waaaaayyyyy too much to do and I have to say that posting on the blog has not been up there on my priority list. But, I know there are some faithful followers out there that probably more than anything just want to see pictures of sweet Olivia. So, because it is already 10pm and I can hardly keep my eyes open...enjoy!

About a month ago...gazing up at her daddy

In Delaware

close up shot in NYC

playing outside on a nice day

eating some avocado

Home, sweet home

2008-03-18T18:12:00.002-05:00

Olivia and I are back from our spring break travels and now I'm trying to play catch up with all my work stuff and just a few household things. We had such a great time visiting with Irene, Philip, James, John and Rosemary (and Fara too!). Olivia did so incredibly good on the airplane and I couldn't be happier with her cooperation.
But, now that we are home it is a different story. I guess she got used to being in my arms (or Irene's, or Philip's, or Fara's, or my dad's, or being entertained by the kids...) that now that we are home she is extremely fussy and annoyingly clingy. As in it feels like I came home with a different baby altogether. I'm hoping that as the week continues on that she will feel more at home and return to being the sweet, content baby that she is.
I will post trip details and pictures later...

We miss you Campbells!!!!!!!

Forever and a year

2008-03-08T15:11:00.007-06:00

Okay, so sometimes when it's been a long time since something has happened you hear people say, "it's been forever!" But I thought I needed to add the "year" part because it's been an extra long time since I've blogged. ;)

My absence hasn't been because there's nothing to blog about. Lots has happened lately. Really I've just been busy with my new job. It's going great and I feel like I'm catching on to things but at least for now, it is taking up most of my free time. Thankfully, Olivia has consistently been taking 1 1/2 to 2 hour naps so I get most of my work done then.

Koby's been busy as ever at work. He has this huge tree planting project going on and has been coordinating it for a long time now. Last week was when the digging actually started and one of the contractors hit a gas line while he was digging. It was a HUGE mess. The media caught wind of it so it was all over the radio and the evening news. Koby was devastated. Texas A&M has this system called Code Maroon to alert all the students/faculty/staff when something goes on and they sent a big message (via e-mail and text) about the gas leak. So now, several of Koby's co-workers have taken to calling him Code Maroon. It's definitely not his favorite nickname!

Last week I made an emergency trip to Abilene because my dad had a mild heart attack. He is fine now (thank you Jesus) and will be making a trip to Delaware with me and Olivia. Oh, I guess I hadn't mentioned...I'M GOING TO DELAWARE!!!! I should be packing right now since I leave bright and early Monday morning, but I figured I needed get my blog fix and post some pictures. Olivia, my dad and I will be going to visit Irene, Philip and the kids. I can't wait! I believe a trip to NYC is also on the agenda!
(I just have to add in that when I got back from the long drive home from Abilene I walked in to the most immaculate home! Koby had spent the last few days cleaning the whole house. It was so refreshing I can't even describe it. The bathrooms were clean, floors were mopped and vacuumed, laundry washed and put up, microwave cleaned out...he even took the time to clean the washer and dryer! I think I'm going to keep him for another long while!)

Olivia is growing by leaps and bounds. She will be 6 months old next week and is eating some solid foods now. Mainly just rice cereal but I plan on introducing some veggies and fruits when I get back from Delaware. She is probably about 2 weeks away from crawling, at most. She's getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth quite a bit. I know I've said this a million times before and I know I'll continue to say it another million times in the future but, I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAST SHE IS GROWING!

Okay, I've got to go and get lots of stuff done because it's really an hour later than what the clock says....don't forget to turn you clocks forward an hour tonight or you'll be late to church tomorrow! Until next time!

Backward progess?

2008-02-07T14:20:00.000-06:00

I needed to get some things done on the computer today so I put Olivia down on her tummy to play on her jungle mat in the living room. I knew she wouldn't be content for very long since she was getting a little bit tired, but I kept typing away at my e-mail just waiting for her to start fussing. Well, I guess I got carried away and then I realized that I hadn't heard her so I ran in the living room to find her content and staring up at the ceiling fan. I guess she figured she'd had enough tummy time and just wanted to hang out on the carpet! She is just growing so fast. She's also learning how to reach out for me when she wants to be picked up. It's pretty sweet!

I've been busy training for my new job this week and feel like things are going well. There is a lot to learn in a short amount of time, but the owners and my predecessor have assured me that they are only a phone call or e-mail away if I need them for anything. I'm still really excited about the job and so very thankful for the opportunity!

On another note, Olivia has been "sleeping through the night". I've found that this phrase is hard to define and varies from child to child, but she has been sleeping an average of 9 or 10 hours a night for the last week. Plus she's been taking about 1 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon. It has been wonderful!!!!! I am really enjoying this phase and I hope it lasts another good while! :)

She loves to reach out for the water spray at bath time and she has also decided that she likes to lounge in the tub. We used to contantly put her back in the "right" position but she always wiggled back to this position. Oh well, at least she's getting cleaned!

Back in the saddle again!

2008-01-27T16:12:00.000-06:00

Whoohooo! I GOT THE JOB!! I went in for my official interview on Friday, then for a follow up interview yesterday and then shortly after noon today I got the offer! I am so excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I've known about this job for about a month now, but it seems like everything happened so quickly. This is literally an answer to our prayers.
You know, it's amazing how the Lord has provided for us over the years. I tend to get so caught up in me, me, me that I don't give credit where credit is due. I've taken so many "leaps of faith" only to credit myself when things work out in the end. So, Lord, I thank you. Thank you for giving your life just for me. I thank you!

Possibilites

2008-01-25T23:13:00.000-06:00

Today I had an interview for a super cool job possibility. The position would let me stay at home with Olivia, make my own schedule and bring home enough bacon to make ends meet. :) If I get the job I'd be managing a group of 25 duplexes (50 units) for an owner that lives out of town. In my opinion, the interview went really smoothly and I felt confident that I didn't make a total fool of myself when I left. I should know if I got the job by Monday so stay tuned to find out!

Stuff

2008-01-17T14:24:00.000-06:00

The winds of change have been blowing at the Weatherford house and the breeze feels good! I'm pretty sure we are over our first bout of baby sickness. Olivia is doing much better and when I took her in for her follow-up appointment everything looked good. To counter the imbalances caused by all the antibiotics she was on we started giving her some probiotics. This seems to be calming her stomach and letting her get a good nights rest. I hope I don't jinx us by sharing this but she is sleeping so much better now. It is wonderful!

Olivia has started becoming much more vocal. She'll squeal in delight and I've also found what seems to be a major tickle spot under her arm. There are few things as beautiful as the sound of her sweet laugh! She is also getting so strong. She's holding herself up when she is on her tummy and can pretty much roll over to her side without help.

Koby has been really busy at work lately. He's also been working an ongoing tree job on Saturday mornings to help pad the ever dwindling bank account. He is such a hard worker and good provider. I love the smile he gets when he comes home and holds Olivia. Of course, she is already daddy's little girl and bashfully smiles back at him!

An opportunity for a part time job has come up that I'm really excited about. One of the other young mothers that I go to church with has been working as a property manager for a small block of duplexes for a couple of years while she stays home with her baby. (is that a run on sentence?) Her husband recently lost his job so they are moving to Amarillo at the end of the month and she will be vacating the position. I spoke with her about it and it seems like a really good deal. The pay is good and the schedule is very flexible and laid back. Anyway, I will interview at the end of next week and know more sometime after that. Wish me luck and say lots of prayers between now and then.

Olivia Kate- 4 months old

How my baby has grown!

2008-01-05T10:38:00.000-06:00

September 16th- (birthday)
8 lbs 5 oz
20 inches

October 1st-
9 lbs 5 oz
21 1/2 inches

November 20th-
12 lbs 12 oz
23 inches

January 3rd-
15 lbs 4 oz
26 inches

This girl is growing way too fast. I swear sometimes she looks bigger in the morning than she did the night before! She'll be 4 months old in a week and a half and she is already wearing all 6 month clothes.
She seems to be feeling better every day and is sleeping better at night. (YES!!) The antibiotics are a pain to give her because they don't taste yummy and sweet like the old pink stuff. This stuff is white and chalky. Yuck.
I know some of you want to see new pictures, but we haven't really taken any lately. I'll post some eventually. Have a great weekend!

Plans? What plans?

2008-01-03T17:48:00.000-06:00

Well, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Belated, I know, but don't people always say better late than never? :) Things have been crazy around here. Not the kind of fun crazy where you get to run around town and meet with friends or shop or go to the movies or go out of town. It's been almost boring crazy, if that makes any sense. My last day of work was Friday, the 21st and that is also when the official Christmas break began for Koby. I had plans. So many plans. Some of them big, some of them small...either way they were plans. But, I've realized that sometimes (especially when you have a small baby) things don't always go as planned.

I planned to catch up with some friends for lunch or dinner, or both...didn't happen.
I planned to work on my photo albums...didn't happen.
I planned to catch some of the after Christmas sales somewhere...didn't happen.
I planned to walk every single day...didn't happen.
I planned to get Olivia's ears pierced...didn't happen.
I planned to finish putting up some decorations in Olivia's room...didn't happen.
I planned to transition Olivia from sleeping in her bassinet to sleeping in her crib...didn't happen.

Okay, I think you get the point. Olivia has been sick since about Christmas Eve. At first we thought it was just a cold, but then after about a week she began having a fever so we took her in to see the doctor. She did have a cold, plus an ear infection. We started her on antibiotics expecting her to show some signs of improvement within about three days. Not so much. I took her to see the doctor today and now she has two ear infections and a new prescription for stronger antibiotics. I hate that she is sick and I hate that we have to give her strong medication that will probably give her an upset stomach. Selfishly, I also hate the fact that she is waking up just as often, if not more than she did when she was a newborn. I am exhausted all over again. Oh, and did I mention that in the middle of all of this we were "celebrating" Christmas and New Years? Honestly, I feel bad that both Koby's parents and my mom made the trip from Abilene to see us. At any given point at least one of us, and sometimes all three of us were in rotten moods. Can you say bah-humbug? Anyway, I'm hoping that we'll all get on the sunny side of life soon and get a better start to 2008.
In the meantime I have no plans...none, whatsoever! ;)

Pictures...

2007-12-21T15:41:00.001-06:00

...just because she's so stinking cute!!!

Last Days

2007-12-20T10:52:00.000-06:00

Today is Olivia's last day of day care...for a while at least.

Tomorrow is my last day of work...at least professional work.

For some reason I am full of emotion and I have a feeling that I will cry as I leave the day care with her, similar to the way I cried when I first walked in. I guess that I'm somewhat nervous about my new role of stay at home mom. I know that I really want to take this route, but I also know that it will take a lot work to be the kind of mom and home maker that I want to be.

I guess only time will tell...

So Much to Say

2007-12-10T14:30:00.000-06:00

Almost a month has passed since last time I blogged so there is a lot to catch up on. Read on if you are interested...

Olivia is now 12 weeks old (Koby says she's already 3 months but I say she's not 3 months until December 16th). Anyway, she is really growing so quickly. At her 2 month checkup she weighted 12lbs 12oz and was over 23 inches long. She is babbling quite a bit and loves to sit in her bumbo chair that Rachel let us borrow. She smiles all the time, especially in the morning and when she wakes up from taking a nap. She's really starting to be curious about her surroundings and makes the cutest little faces. She has even mastered the pouty, stick out the bottom lip face! I'll have to take a picture of it sometime.

Thanksgiving was awesome!! We went home to Abilene, but before that we woke up in the wee hours of the morning to welcome the Campbell's back to Texas! It was so wonderful to see Irene, James, John and Rosemary...and I guess Philip too! ;) I missed them so much! Olivia loved spending time with her Tia Irene and getting to know her cousins.

Abilene was busy as always, but we got to hang out with the family, eat some tamales (at my parents house) and some turkey and dressing (at Koby's parents house). We even got to play in the snow! It was the nice fluffy snow too! We wrapped up the trip with a "Meet baby Olivia" baby shower at ACU, an Aggie win against t.u., and some Taco Bueno. What else could you ask for?

The latest news in the Weatherford household is quite possibly one of the biggest decisions that we have made in a long time. Today, I gave my two weeks notice at the office! My new job has the sweetest title ever... MOM. Before Olivia was even born, Koby and I decided that I would not be a stay at home mom and that I would continue to work full-time. Boy how things change. When Olivia was born my whole world came to a screeching halt, re-prioritized itself (without my conscience input) and then took off at a pace I can barely wrap my head around. I look in the mirror and see parts of new person that I never knew existed.

Olivia started day care last week and I started back to work. I'm only working 1/2 days right now so I get to pick her up at noon. She did okay, except that she refused to take her bottle every single day. We've been practicing for quite a while and some days she takes it just fine and other days she puts up a fight...but she always end up taking it. I feel terrible because she doesn't eat until we get home at about 12:45. Everybody has been saying, "She'll take the bottle when she gets hungry enough." Yeah, okay. But in the mean time it kills me to know that she's not eating.

Anyway, for so many reasons that I don't have the time to list right now, we decided that it was worth the sacrifice for me to stay at home. This choice feels right and leaves my heart at peace. However, I will need to find some way to make some money so if you have any suggestions, please share.

I'm excited to start the new year with a new baby, new goals, new challenges and my new job!

Koby & Irma plus One

2007-11-13T14:16:00.000-06:00

So have any of you seen that show on TLC called Jon & Kate plus Eight? It is amazing! This couple has a set of 6 year old twin girls plus 3 year old sextuplets! EIGHT KIDS!!!! I can't even imagine what their lives were like when the sextuplets were infants. I'm sure it was chaotic beyond belief (as if it isn't right now). Anyway, whenever I feel like complaining about how crazy and complicated my life is now as a mother of a two month old, I try to remind myself that I have it pretty easy and my respect for mothers of multiples soars to an even higher level.

Speaking of my two month old, Olivia has made me so proud this week...

Yesterday, she took a bottle for the very first time (she even took it from me)! I was really nervous about trying one out for some reason and lots of people told (or warned) me that she might reject a bottle from me because she wants the "real thing". But, she did just fine and took a nice nap on her Daddy's chest afterward. We'll see how she does again today.

Last night she was a little bit fussy when I put her to bed so I was worried that she was going to wake up a lot during the night and I was particularly tired last night. Well, it was the complete opposite. I laid her in her bassinet at 10pm and the little angel didn't wake up until 4am to eat. AWESOME! Six whole hours of non-stop zzzz's for me! It gets better...after I fed her and changed her diaper she went back to sleep until 8am.

Today, for some strange reason (maybe the good night's rest) I decided to go to the grocery store with Olivia. No, I haven't been to the grocery store by myself with her since she was born. I've been to lots of other stores, but most of them have dressing rooms where I can feed her and I'm not having to shop for perishable goods. Anyway, she didn't make a peep the whole time I was there. It was a great trip all around. The store wasn't crowded, the shelves were fully stocked and Olivia snoozed the whole time.

Gold stars and smiley faces for this week!!!

2007-11-08T17:47:00.000-06:00

Well, time flies when you're having fun! I absolutely can't believe that Olivia is almost 8 weeks old. It really seems like just the other day that we all came home from the hospital. By the way, I'm confused about something...maybe somebody can clarify. When would Olivia (or babies in general) officially turn 2 months old? Is it at her 8 week mark or two months from her birth date? Anyway, we are all doing great. Olivia generally sleeps and eats like a champ but she REALLY likes to have all the attention on her when she's awake, which is okay but cumbersome.

We recently finalized childcare arrangements for Olivia since I'll be heading back to work in about 4 weeks (tears pouring). We had originally gone daycare "shopping" back in the spring because everybody told us that places had waiting lists that could be several months long. Anyway, we made arrangements with a place and those arrangements ended up falling through. They switched directors sometime this summer and blah, blah, blah. So we were out the $50 deposit and left with 2 months to find childcare. We finally found somewhere this week and it turns out that another little boy that we know from church who is 3 weeks older than Olivia will be starting there too. I'm still not thrilled about the idea of her staying anywhere other than with me (or one of our family members, but none of them will drop everything they are doing, quit their jobs and move to College Station!!!) but I'm sure she will be just fine.

Well, she just woke up and is ready to eat...until next time!

Long time no post...

2007-10-28T19:25:00.000-05:00

BIG, HUGE, apologies to those of you that regularly check this blog to keep up with us...

Olivia is growing so quickly! I'm not sure how much she weighs but I know she is growing at a pretty rapid pace. She is already outgrowing some clothes, which I did not expect to happen so soon and is wearing a size 1 diaper instead of the newborn size. Time has really flown by and I can't believe that she is already 6 weeks old. It has been a whirlwind of a journey so far.

She is a really good baby and for me to complain would be plain selfishness. For the first 3 or 4 weeks I didn't have the courage to get out of the house much. I basically stayed inside the house and only went out when Koby could come with us. Now, Olivia and I paint the town every day!! No, not really, but we do get out pretty much everyday. I've learned that dressing rooms make excellent places to nurse her and that she is quite fond of her stroller, so long as it is in motion!

Koby is head over heels in love with his little girl. When he comes home from work the first thing he does is rush right over to her to hold her close. She loves to look at him and rest on his chest. I'm really blessed that he is so helpful and patient and there's nothing more precious than seeing the two of them together!

I'm doing great. Recovery from labor was not as bad as I thought it would be. Except for the extra weight I'm still toting around (and the lack of sleep) I pretty much feel like my normal self. I will be able to stay at home with Olivia until December 3rd. I wish I could stay with her for a lot longer...she's growing, but she's still so little. For the month of December I am going to work 1/2 days and then I'll go back full time after the Christmas holidays.

She is just beginning to give us some "real" smiles and I happened to coax one out of her after she woke up from a nap. Her mouth is stained purple from the medicine she is taking right now... Thanks for all the phone calls, e-mails and prayers we've received over the last several weeks! We really appreciate everything! I will try much harder to update more often. I'll set a realistic goal...at least one post a week, WITH pictures!

What I'm ExCiTeD about...
THANKSGIVING!!! We will be going to Abilene to see our parents and to see Irene, Philip and the kids. It has been since late July since I've seen them and that is incredibly too long! We are also having a "meet baby Olivia" shower at ACU. I can't wait!!

3 Weeks of Olivia

2007-10-09T15:50:00.001-05:00

We'd love for you to meet...

2007-09-19T15:51:00.000-05:00

...baby Olivia Kate Weatherford!

Sunday, September 16th at 5:30pm

8lbs 5oz

20 inches long

Both Koby and I are madly in love with our little sweetie and still can't believe that she is ours to keep. Everything went well with labor and delivery. It was everything I expected it would be, but at the same time nothing like I expected it would be...if that makes any sense. Anyway, here are just a few pics as I don't have much time right now. But, I assure you, there will be many more to come!

No news is...no news

2007-09-12T18:36:00.001-05:00

Well, our last doctors visit was today. Everything went well. Basically, I'm still not dilated any further, but I'm fully effaced. The official due date is this Saturday, September

15th. If I haven't gone into labor by Monday then I'm scheduled to go in for an ultrasound and something he called a low-stress test. He said this would let us check out what everything looked like in the womb (baby, placenta, amniotic fluid) and this information would help Koby and I decide if and when we want to schedule to be induced. I pray that we don't make it until Monday, for several reasons...some selfish, some not. In the meantime I suppose we'll all just have to hurry up and wait!

In my most recent (and very rare) bursts of energy I went to the mall and found this cute onesie at Gymboree. Koby's face lit up when he saw it...and then he saw the receipt! Haha, just kidding. It was on sale. I don't even look at the regular priced items in that store! :)

Ahhhh...Refreshing!!

2007-09-11T13:49:00.000-05:00

So I leave work today at about noon and I walk outside to find...

That it is a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l day! As I type this the temperature is 77 degrees with only 82% humidity. This is such a welcome change...it just makes everything nicer.

There's still no news on the baby front. I have another appointment (the last one) tomorrow afternoon so hopefully I've made some progress from last time. Here's a picture that Koby took of me on Sunday. I wear this shirt all the time because I'm running out of shirts that are long (and big) enough to cover my belly. As you can see it just sticks strait out. This, in addition to having a long torso makes finding maternity shirts hard at this stage. Oh well, hopefully I won't have to worry about that for much longer!

There are just a few minor details that need done in the nursery, but for the most part it is finished.

39 Weeks

2007-09-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

I had my 39 week doctor's appointment yesterday and everything still looks good. I have effaced to about 70% and am still only about 1cm dilated. I'm hoping that next week will be "the week". It's really just a wating game now and I'll admit that I'm not the most patient person.

Last night I was finishing packing my bag for the hospital and the checklist I was using suggested packing some CD's or music that might help me relax or stay calm during labor. We keep all our music on the computer so I opened up Media Player to create a playlist. Anyway, I guess since my mind was focused on giving birth and all that good stuff quite a few song titles struck me as funny. Here are just few...

"Push"- Matchbox 20
"Take it to the Limit"- The Eagles
"Vasoline"- Stone Temple Pilots
"I Will Survive"- Cake
"What's Your Mama's Name?"- Tanya Tucker
"Hold My Hand"- Hootie and the Blowfish
"Papa Don't Preach"- Madonna
"Help!"- the Beatles
"Don't Do Me Like That"- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Counting the Days"- Collective Soul
"Harder to Breathe"- Maroon 5
"Lay Your Hands on Me"- Bon Jovi
"Something in the Way"- Nirvana
"Man! I Feel Like a Woman"- Shania Twain

Catch up

2007-09-05T16:29:00.000-05:00

Where to start...I guess the game. We made it to the A&M game on Saturday and had a really great time. The weather wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. We parked at my building and walked to Kyle field and when we got to our seats, they were already shaded over. So I didn't have to sit and bake in the sun! The only hard part was walking back to the truck. I was already really stiff and a little bit sore from the sitting/standing of the game that I was huffing and puffing at least the last part of the walk. I figured it was good for me though and since we had already seen the game, we were both just fine with labor starting! :)

(So I made a slide show to insert here and it is not working for whatever reason and I've lost my patience so I will try again later...)

I guess we had a pretty good weekend. I've been trying to rest up and take it easy. A&M didn't have Labor Day off, but I ended up not going in anyway. I had a really rough night on Sunday night so I slept in on Monday and then figured I might as well stay home for the rest of the day. Koby came home at lunch and we ate and went to the movies. We saw the Bourne Ultimatum with Matt Damon and some other people...pretty much I just remember Matt Damon! Haha, just kidding! Anyway, it was a pretty good movie, intense, but good.

Gig 'Em Aggies!!

2007-08-28T19:50:00.000-05:00

Koby found out today that one of his hook-ups at his job was able to get us two tickets to the game this Saturday! We're not playing anybody "big", just Montana State, but it's the first game of the season so you know Kyle field is going to be rocking! I'm so glad that we're getting this chance to see a game...especially for free. How nice is that?! Too bad Olivia's not here yet so she can show off these little onesies that Angela made. :)

My last doctor's appointment was last Friday. He did an exam and said that I was 1 cm dilated and he predicted that I'd deliver early. Olivia is already in position and everything looked good.

I'd be perfectly happy if it happened today, to be honest. I'm ready to meet her and get the labor part out of the way, but selfishly, I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore.

It seems like lately people have been getting on my nerves with their comments. I mean, c'mon, pregnant ladies have feelings too. I'm sure this has been a gripe among expectant women for ages, but I can't tell you how annoying it is to hear the words, "Wow! You are really big!" Oh, and today, a professor that I work with told me that I looked like I should have had the baby yesterday and that I also looked like I hadn't slept in 3 weeks! Nice.

But all these annoyances are eased when I'm at home lounging around and randomly catch Koby staring at my belly or when he comes up and just lovingly rubs on it...its times like these that I feel like the most beautiful pregnant woman ever despite the 40+ pounds I've gained and my newly attached double chin!

Our Days are Numbered...

2007-08-20T19:28:00.000-05:00

So I did the math today (applause please) and if Olivia arrives exactly when she is due then we only have 26 days left until we get to meet her in person! I can't believe that it is so close. Koby's been on me to pack my bag for the hospital, but of course, I haven't. I'm pretty sure I have all the things that I need...I'm just procrastinating.

I've got to say that I think I've had my fill of pregnancy. I really miss the second trimester. If you are reading this and just found out you are pregnant, trust me, the second trimester is HEAVENLY! I really shouldn't complain though. It's been fairly easy. It's just that lately it has been really hot outside and I'm starting to swell...big time. The only shoes I can wear are flip flops so I have a brown pair and a black pair that I wear with my work clothes! It's quite a sight!

Speaking of a sight, I've got some pictures of the bedding and some other cute stuff! The bedding came in last Thursday so I washed it and put it on crib over the weekend! It's just as pretty in person as it looked on the website. I love it! The picture on the left is a close up of the sheets. I just realized that I think I might have put the bumper pads on wrong...does the design part go facing the inside or the outside? Maybe I should switch it around. :)

I've also been meaning to post a picture of these cute onesies that our friend Angela made for Olivia. I think I might use the one on the bottom that says "Olivia" as her coming home outfit! I washed all the baby clothes this weekend and realized that I've got LOTS of cute, cute clothes, especially onesies. Good thing she'll probably need to be changed often!

4 more weeks!

2007-08-16T11:05:00.000-05:00

The official due date that we are going by is September 15th. So, yesterday marked the one month countdown! While I'm ready to meet and hold baby Olivia, I'm also nervous about the new territory that we will be exploring. I probably haven't read as much material as I should have and I haven't been training for the "marathon" of labor like I wanted to, but regardless of what I have or have not done, she will be here before I know it!

Last Saturday, Koby and I attended a prepared childbirth class. It was very informative and not as dreadful as I'd pictured it. I think part of that had to do with the teacher. She is a labor and delivery nurse at the hospital we will be at and had a wonderful personality. She has four kids (all boys) and had more energy than everybody in the class...combined! I hope she's on shift when we go in!

Sunday we took a day trip to Houston to shop for...you guessed it, BABY STUFF! We needed to buy all the "big stuff" and didn't want to order online and wait for shipping (recall the headaches of the crib from walmart.com). Anyway, we left with a long shopping list for Babies R Us and our Target gift cards in tow. We bought the stroller, car seat, extra base for car seat, crib mattress, pack and play, changing table pad, storage drawers for the closet and some other random things. Good thing we have a big truck otherwise we might have had to rent a U-haul to make it back home!

I feel much better that we got this out of the way. There are still a few things that I need to take care of, but nothing needs to be ordered and as far as we know, all major purchases have been made. Oh, I almost forgot...I ordered the crib bedding on Monday and according to the Fed Ex shipment tracking it's on the truck to be delivered TODAY!! I am so excited about this bedding. I've had it on my wish list since April when we found out we were having a girl! It's the cutest ever.

What I'm ExCiTeD about...

Today is my Friday! Koby and I decided to take the day off tomorrow to sleep in and run errands. And I have a doctors appointment this afternoon. I feel Olivia move around alot but I still like to hear her little heartbeat!

New slideshow and update

2007-08-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've really been slacking on the blog lately which I have no excuse for. There has been so much going on that I could probably post at least a couple times a day and still not fit everything in, well...that might be a slight exaggeration.

In an attempt to catch up on the almost two weeks that I've been MIA I made another slide show of just a few pictures.
I think I mentioned that Koby's co-workers gave us a baby shower a couple of weeks ago. It was really nice and pretty relaxing as far as showers go. We sat around, ate burgers and cake and just had a good time.
For our anniversary Koby had Angela bake a cake and he also gave me a gift certificate to the Boardwalk Spa. The cake was really good and the gift certificate was heavenly. Caren and I went together and got manicures and hour-long massages. I was so incredibly relaxed for the rest of the day. If you are pregnant (or even if you are not) I highly recommend getting a message!
We've had a lot of company lately...my mom stayed with us for about a week after she got back from Delaware...my dad and Jason and Caren came in Friday night and Glenda (Koby's mom) and Stephanie (Koby's sister) came in on Sunday. They all came for the baby shower at the church on Sunday night. It was a lot of fun and baby Olivia got quite a few gifts. It was a huge blessing!
Last night we went to a breastfeeding class taught by St. Joseph's hospital. Even though I've been around breastfeeding on and off for the last 8 years of my life (thanks Irene!!) it was still really helpful to hear all about it. I'm not as intimidated as I was before and I'm looking forward to a pleasant experience. We go to our childbirth class ALL DAY on Saturday. We'll be there from 8:45am-5:30pm. There goes my only day to sleep in, but hopefully it will be worth the time. After this weekend we don't have any plans except to stay home, rest and prepare for Olivia's arrival. The nursery is not even close to being ready so I've got some work to do. I also need to get the baby book started and make sure I have all the things for the hospital bag. Yikes!! I can't believe I'm already close to that point.

Enjoy the slide show!

What I'm ExCiTeD about...
Every day that goes by means that I'm one day closer to meeting Olivia, AND one day closer to cooler weather!!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!

2007-07-29T20:27:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated 7 years of marriage!! The years have literally flown by and we have had such wonderful blessings come our way, especially within the past year. This might be a little bit cheesy but I decided to list 7 things that I love about Koby.

1. I love how Koby can fix just about anything. It doesn't matter if its his Jeep, the toilet, outdoor sensor lights or my curling iron. He doesn't shy away from anything and will always devote at least a couple of hours before even entertaining the thought that outside help might be needed!

2. He is just as much as an animal lover as I am. Plus, he's taught me to appreciate bugs and insects and I think it's super cute that he'll spend 10 minutes trying to "catch and rescue" a spider instead of killing it!

3. He'll watch "What Not to Wear" on TLC with me!

4. He is respectful towards my parents and family. This is something that I didn't realize was so important until I actually saw it happening. Anybody that is married and has in-laws knows that every family operates differently and just because you marry into that family doesn't mean you will agree with or easily adjust to their ways.
To put is simply, he loves my family, my family loves him and that makes me very happy.

5. He is a VERY hard worker and a VERY dependable person.

6. He doesn't hesitate to do things like laundry, dishes, cooking or cleaning. And the best part is that he really does a good job!

7. Last, but definitely not least...he is tall, dark and handsome! How could I resist?!

The Picture Post

2007-07-26T14:27:00.001-05:00

I've got lots of pictures that I wanted to share so I'm just going to throw them all in one post. There's been so much going on lately...as you know if you've been following the blog. Enjoy and thanks for the responses on the yesterday's post. I love that I have other mommies to learn from! You gals are the best!

Koby assembled the crib not too long ago. I really like it and I'm so glad all the Walmart.com drama is over with. It didn't take him very long...especially since he had help from the dogs! Klowie was so curious that I decided to use her to "practice" putting a baby in the crib. She wasn't very happy about this.

These gifts are from the baby shower that my co-workers organized. It was very nice and I got all kinds of neat things. I can't believe how many things you need to take care of a little baby! Koby also put the matching dresser/changer together when it came in. This piece gave him a few more headaches, but he still finished it in a couple of hours. I'm anxious to get everything organized and put up where it belongs (which is the tough part because I have to figure out where exactly that will be).

A couple of Sunday's ago the church had a "Farewell to the Campbell's" reception after evening services. It was a great success and lots of people and kids came to the parlor for snacks and one "last" time to bid Irene, Philip and the kids farewell. Rosemary enjoyed playing with a cute little girl named Shelby while James did a great job being the photographer and John felt that it was his responsibility to "monitor" the cookie tray! Irene said that he was wired for hours that night...there's no telling how many cookies he ate!

And finally these pics are of the shower that Koby's work set up for us.
It was really nice that the people he works with (mainly guys)
were willing to join forces and throw us a baby shower! We had a great time and got some wonderful gifts. And the really nice part is that Koby volunteered to write the thank-you notes! How did I get so lucky?!

What I'm ExCiTeD about...
This is a little cheesy but I'm excited that I will be going to a wedding on Saturday and that means...WEDDING CAKE!! Yes, that makes me very excited and we are going to go to a Babies R' Us store. I've been online a million times but I want to visit one in person! :)

Update and some more advice please...

2007-07-25T10:42:00.000-05:00

Irene hasn't had a chance to update her blog so I thought I'd let everybody know what was going on in Delaware (as far as I know).

Everybody made it back to their destinations in one piece. Irene, mom and the kids had a good flight without any major drama. Mom will be in Delaware until Saturday to help Irene and Philip get their new place set up. Yesterday Irene said that James asked her how many days they were going to be staying in the new place. Irene told him that it was their new home and that they would be there for quite a while...she then asked him why he was wondering. He responded with, "Well, I really like College Station." So, I guess reality hits us all at different times. Hopefully all three kids will adjust with as little confusion as possible.

Koby finally made it home close to midnight on Monday. He had delays both in Philadelphia and Atlanta and then had to drive back home from the airport in Houston. He was absolutely exhausted yesterday.

Now for the advice part...I had such a great response from everybody in the past so I thought I'd try my luck one more time!

I have questions/concerns/issues about the following things. If you have time I would really like to hear your take on them.

Pediatricians (for those in B/CS with Scott & White insurance)- I would like to know who you feel is best and/or if you've heard negative things about any particular doctor.

Crib Mattresses- I've seen them range anywhere between $50-200. Should I go with a happy medium or is there something special about the expensive ones that is important?

Gliders/Ottomans- I've heard lots of moms say that these are just about as essential as diapers and wipes...but they are really expensive. Do you recommend a particular brand/style that is both economical and a quality product? We don't even have a recliner or rocking chair so we will end up needing to buy something.

Nursing Bras- I will be returning to work and pumping so I'd like to have a couple bras that, how should I put it...give the new girls a nice shape under my work clothes. I know I've seen nursing bras at Motherhood, Let's Go Dreaming, Sears and JC Penny's but I'm not sure which are good quality.

I guess that's about it for now. Oh, in case you would like to know, I had my 32 week checkup yesterday and everything is looking normal and progressing nicely. No red flags of any kind! :)

What I'm ExCiTeD about...
Koby's co-workers have organized a shower for us at lunch today. He works with lots of guys and I think it's sweet that they cared enough to organize something. We'll have hamburgers, drinks and cake! Sounds great to me! :)

The time has come!

2007-07-23T03:29:00.000-05:00

No, not that time.

It's 3:30am and Irene, my mom and the kids just left my house to head to the airport in Houston. I've been anticipating this exact moment for quite some time. I've wondered how I was going to feel, what I was going to say, how they were going to react. When Irene told me that their flight was at 7am I was a little bit sad. I guess I thought we would do a big to-do and, for example, if their flight left at 3pm we would spend the whole day laughing and playing and eating...enjoying the final few hours in College Station together. Maybe I'm being dramatic (which I think I might be allowed since it's 3:30am and I'm pregnant) but that's just how I envisioned it. But for some reason I think this way worked out better.

I am sad. I have fears. I have regrets. I have an empty house (except for the dogs) that was once scattered with toys, videos, luggage and most importantly, little, cozy, sleeping bodies.

At the same time I have excitement. I have hope. I have peace. I have joy that John is going to have a new opportunity to help battle his autism. He is a beautiful boy with a sweet heart and he deserves a shot at this new school.

I'm off to go climb in bed and hopefully catch some zzzzz's. I have to go into work tomorrow and try to keep myself composed...yeah, that ought to be interesting. So, goodnight, or good morning...

What I'm ExCiTeD about...
Koby comes home today!! He left on Friday to help Philip make the drive to Delaware and I really miss him.

New Additions

2007-07-17T08:39:00.001-05:00

I'd like for you to meet Roc...aka cousin Roc, Rock-o, Rockefello, or rat dog.

He is Irene and Philip's dog that will soon be joining the Weatherford household. The place that

they found to live in Delaware doesn't allow them to have any pets (and apparently the crazy landlord is apprehensive about children too...ha, the nerve of those yankees!!!) so he will be staying with us until we find him a place to stay. Yeah, right. The reality of this situation is that ever since they decided to make the move and knew they wouldn't be able to take him, Koby and I wanted to keep him. Actually, it's more like we didn't want him to go to some strange people's house and be scared and never be able to see him again. But, we held off until the very end and told Irene and Philip on Sunday that we would gladly take him in. Of course we requested monthly "child support" because he is obviously going to eat us out of house and home! :)

I'm not crazy about having 3 dogs now but I do know that he is great with babies/kids, he can go the whole day without having to be let out, and he really is a sweet dog.

*side note* I woke up at about 12:30 last night and baby Olivia had a bad case of the hiccups. It was so sad!! Maybe I'm a wuss, but I hate the hiccups so I felt terrible that I couldn't do anything about it. I did drink some water which I don't really think made a difference. I told Koby this morning and he jokingly asked, "Did you hold your breath?". He's so funny!

Baby Got Back!!!

2007-07-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

Irene took the kids to the splash pad by my house yesterday so I stopped on my way home from work and took some pictures. Rosemary looked precious in her swimsuit and was more than happy to model for us...these pictures are just too cute so I just had to share!

I also got some good ones of James and John. I'm really going to miss all three of them so much! They grow up so fast and I can only imagine how much they are going to change and mature when I only get to see them a couple times a year!

Falling Behind

2007-07-11T13:43:00.000-05:00

Geeeez, I thought I would be a lot better at keeping up with this blog than I have been lately but I guess I'll just have to put more effort into it. Come to think of it, I shouldn't be that disappointed. I've always had a hard time with things like journals and diaries, which is essentially what a blog is. Anyway...

Since the last time I posted there's been a few things (read: a lot) going on. Last Tuesday I had my second ultrasound. The main purpose of this was to follow up on the position of my placenta. It was a little bit low the first time around so the doctor (and me) wanted to see how it had shifted. It turned out to be normal and it is high enough where it shouldn't be in the way when Olivia decides to make her voyage. Oh, and Olivia is still a she so BRING ON THE GIRLIE STUFF!!!!

Then there was the 4th of July. We got up really early that morning and drove to Kountze, TX (about a 3 hour drive). It's by Beaumont in east Texas if you've never heard of it. Every year, Koby's mom's side of the family holds a HUGE family reunion...the McDonald Family Reunion. We had fun and got to catch up with some of his cousins, aunts and uncles and Koby's grandmother. I love her! She is everything a grandmother should be and at 81 years old she doesn't miss a beat! I managed to take my camera, but it stayed in my bag and I never took any pictures! I am notorious for doing that. Maybe we'll get some from Glenda (my other mom) and I'll post them later.

July 5th was my cutie pie's b-day (Rosemary). She turned 2 and we went to eat at Mi Cocina. We didn't do anything big for her that day because my parents were going to be arriving the next day and so were some friends of Irene and Philip.

On Friday, Koby worked really hard and started painting the nursery. As you probably guessed I didn't want to go with a flashy color...nothing bold at all whatsoever. I've come to realize that I tire of things like decor fairly quickly and I know if I were to go with yellow or some other color that I'd want it repainted in 6 months. Which I also know if I asked Koby to re-do the paint that soon the answer would be something along the lines of, "Woman! Have you lost your mind?" Plus, we ended up having TONS (tons=7 gallons) of paint left over from the other rooms we painted over memorial day so I could not justify buying more paint when we had about $150 worth of paint sitting in our garage. (We tried to return it but they don't let you return colored paint and we listed it on Craig's list, but had no takers) So to give it slightly different hue, Koby mixed half a can of colored paint with half a can of white paint. I think it turned really nice!

On Saturday we had family time. We "celebrated" Rosemary's b-day at Freebirds for lunch and then planned to meet at the Campbell's house that evening for cake and presents. Of course I didn't get any pics of the cake or presents because I forgot my camera. But, I had a good excuse...keep reading and you be the judge.

This is our baby...Isabella and she L-O-V-E-S to go play disc golf with Koby. She always does really good and stays close. But not this time. Koby took her and Klowie to the park on Saturday afternoon and she must have gotten tangled up in some barbed wire (Austin's Colony in case you were wondering which course). She didn't act hurt and Koby didn't even know that she was injured until he saw that she had two huge fleshy gashes on her chest. Since it was Saturday evening we had to take her to the ER for pets known as the A&M Vet School. They were nice enough, but it was a good 6 hour ordeal by the time we took her in and were able to pick her up. We ended up making it to Irene and Philip's just as they were about to light the candles on Rosie's cake. Actually, to be honest, they waited on us for about 10 minutes. Anyway, dogs are so tough. She has several other scratches on her body, but nothing else that required stitches. So now she had to wear one of my old sleep shirts to keep her from chewing. She's not very happy about this.

Sunday morning we all got up and went to church together. It was extra special because, in case you didn't know, Irene and Philip are getting ready to move to Delaware. This Sunday will be their last Sunday at A&M church. I was really proud of myself because not only did I think to grab the camera as we were running out to church...but I also got somebody (thanks Daniel!) to take our family picture!! So this was nice...plus we were all dressed up!

Haha, notice how Koby and Philip are matching in their khaki pants and white polo shirts!

Silly boys.

This week has been pretty good and has been going by very quickly. Monday we finally got the crib in and Koby has started to slowly assemble it. Also, Koby was summoned for jury duty and spent the whole day at the court house. Luckily, he didn't get selected because the case was something along the lines of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Not a jury I'd like to be on.

Yesterday I got to hang out with some girls from church over dinner. I was really tired, but I had a wonderful time. I LOVE GIRL TIME! I guess I better get it while I can right?

What I'm ExCiTeD about...

My job had a baby shower for Koby and I today and it was REALLY awesome. I got to see some old friends and got lots of nice things for Olivia...and I got to eat some delicious cake. I'll post some pics tomorrow or the next day.

Thanks!!

2007-07-03T09:42:00.000-05:00

Wow! Thanks for the comments on the previous "advice" post. My mind is still spinning, but I feel like I have a little bit more direction. Since you guys were so responsive, I'll pick your brain about one more thing...type of diapers. Is there a particular brand that is best? I really don't want to buy/register for the expensive ones if the cheap(er) ones work just as well.
What's the scoop on the poop?

What I'm ExCiTeD about...
Last night after running some errands I was on my way home and just felt so beat. I then started complaining to myself about being tired, etc..but then *BAHM* it hit me.
There is a human life being created inside my body.
I know what you're thinking. You're 7 months pregnant and this is just now registering??? No, I'm not thaaaat slow (shut up Aaron!). I guess I just tend to overlook the sheer miracle that it truly is. So today I'm excited to be exhausted!!

Advice

2007-07-02T11:46:00.001-05:00

Ickkkk...its Monday. A rainy one at that.

The weekend went by so fast its unbelievable but I had a great time. I got to hang out with my friend JJ on Saturday and then Sunday I got some rest and bought some baby stuff and a dress for myself at the mall. Koby's mom drove in town around dinner time yesterday and we went out for breakfast this morning. It was super yummy!

Anyway, we will be registering for baby stuff soon and I thought I would ask all you moms (and dads) for some advice. I know most things can be returned/exchanged if they don't work, but I want to try to register for the exact thing I need. I'm not too worried about the little stuff, but I could use some advice about things like:

strollers (I know for sure we want one that is tall-people friendly)
car seats (safe of course, but I will be dropping baby off, Koby will be picking baby up. Do they make them where you can buy two bases?)
monitors (want one that will last but not super fancy)
bassinets/pack-n-plays (absolutely clueless)
breast pumps (again, clueless)

Any advice would be appreciated!

What I'm ExCiTeD about...

I have an ultrasound tomorrow and I'm very eager to see what baby Olivia looks like now. Last time she moved around a whole bunch but I couldn't feel it because she was still so small. I have a feeling it will be very different this time around! :)

I've been tagged!

2007-06-29T08:55:00.000-05:00

First memory - I remember sitting on the steps of the hospital in Abilene when my grandma died. My dad was crying and I remember feeling scared. I think I was about 4.

First real kiss - Daniel Lopez in 8th grade, outside of the choir hall, right before gym class! I was so freaked out!

First love - I guess Daniel was, at least it felt like love at the time. We "dated" for 2 years.

First thing you think in the morning - What is today? Do I really have to get up so early?

First question you'll ask in heaven - How the heck did I get here!? Just kidding! I really don't know what I would ask. I think I would say thank you first.

First thing you think of when you hear the word vacation - expensive

First best friend - Angela Pounds. We met in kindergarten and were inseparable for the next 6 years. I have no idea where she's at now.

Last time you dressed up -I don't really remember...but we are going to a wedding at the end of July so I'll dress up for that. Plus it will be mine and Koby's 7 year anniversary so I'll want to wear something extra nice!

Last thing you ate -cinnamon toast

Last CD you bought - Gwen Stefani's second album.

Last good book you read - What to Expect When You're Expecting. It's not so much a story book, in my opinion, but a guide. Oh and I read a book called Belly Laughs by none other than Jenny McCarthy. It was pretty funny.

Last time you cried - A couple of times this week. I'm about ready to kick these hormones to the curb.

Last time you told someone you loved them -this morning I told Koby and my puppy dogs!

Last really funny thing you did - I don't know if this is funny or just stupid, but here's the story. I work in a college at TAMU and our dean has a...well, pot-belly. I hadn't seen him in a while (he's been traveling) and so about a week ago we ran into each other in the main office. He politely commented about how much my belly had grown since last time he'd seen me and so I (without thinking) replied back with this, "Yes sir! I'm almost catching up with you!!" Of course I had a big smile on my face and lets face it, who can get mad a pregnant lady, but he kind of laughed and then went on with his business. Anyway, not only was the comment inappropriate to say to my top-boss but come to find out he 1) has somewhat of a complex about his weight and 2) has actually been on a diet for a few months and has been losing weight.
So, funny... a little bit. Stupid... a lot a bit!!

Last thing you watched on TV -The Early Show while I was getting ready this morning.

I tag...Irene, Rachel and Angela!!

What I'm ExCiTeD about...
It's FRIDAY! What more can I say!

28 Weeks!

2007-06-28T14:13:00.000-05:00

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and all went well. The results came in for my gestational diabetes test and I was negative. I wasn't really too worried about it, but I was still glad when he said that everything was fine. I am still slightly anemic (even though I'm taking an iron supplement) but my iron count hasn't gotten any lower either so he said not to worry about it. I'm also measuring right on target and he (the doctor) didn't gripe about my weight.

I've never had to "manage" my weight before so this is something that I've had to get used to. Well, now that I think about it I did try to stay under a certain weight in college one semester while I was in a strength training class but that was only to avoid having to lift heavier weights for the test! Anyway, where was I? Oh, I'm blessed with a good metabolism (thanks mom and dad) and since I'm tall there are lots of places for my weight to spread out. Having said all this, I am a bit concerned that I've already gained about 30 lbs and the baby is just now starting to put on all of her weight!! Everybody keeps saying not to worry about it and that I'll "bounce" back to my old self after the baby. I just love that word...bounce...makes it sound so easy! But alas, Koby always eases my worries. He's been a constant encouragement and reminds me that as long as I, and the baby are healthy that it doesn't matter what the scale says. He says I'm more beautiful than I've ever been and I love when I catch him staring at my belly! I really need to be more disciplined when it comes to walking and eating right though. It's just so much easier to come home after work and lounge around. Who wants to get out and get all sweaty anyway?

I decided that I'm going to add a little "what I'm excited about" section to the end of my blogs. I tend to get caught up worrying about the little things so maybe this will help me focus on the positive things too.

What I'm ExCiTeD about...
My friend JJ from Dallas is coming to visit me tomorrow. I haven't seen her since her b-day in mid-December so I know we will have fun catching up and we are going to do some shopping!! I can't wait!

Back-tracking

2007-06-26T13:33:00.000-05:00

Today I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed. I keep thinking about all the things that I need to do, which leads me to think about all the things that I want to do. This can be frustrating because these two lists rarely seem to overlap for me! Plus I'm really sleepy today so a simple task that usually wouldn't seem overwhelming, well...seems overwhelming. But I did manage to think back at all the things we've done around the house since we moved over the Christmas holidays and I thought I'd share.

Here is the front of our house. We really haven't done much to the exterior except a few small landscaping touch ups. The bushes on the right side of the garage are gone and we now have a cute planter with pretty yellow flowers. The grass is also MUCH greener since it's now summer instead of winter (when the pic was taken) and we have had lots of rain lately.

This is what our bedroom used to look like.

This is what is looks like now. We still have the artwork above the bed...just hadn't put it up yet. :) Koby was exhausted after painting the ceiling in this room. Not only did it take two coats of Kilz (primer) plus two coats of white paint, but it is also vaulted so his arms, neck and shoulders were killing him. But it looks really nice now...what a man!!!

(By the way, now that I'm looking at the paint in this picture it looks pinkish peach. It's not. It is Rich Taupe to be exact.)

This same weekend we also painted the living room, dining area and entry way.

Living room before.

Entry way before.

Living room after.

Entry way after.

Last but not least here are our "happy face" pictures that we took. We did this project over the Memorial day weekend and it took us about 3 1/2 days. Exhausted barely begins to describe what we were. Anyway, I made Koby take my picture as proof that 1) I helped and 2) I wore a heavy duty mask to protect myself and the baby from the paint fumes!

Hurry up and wait!

2007-06-20T11:21:00.000-05:00

One of the first things I did after we found out that I was pregnant was start shopping around for a crib. Some people made fun of me for already diving into that task, but I was so excited to find the perfect one and get it ordered. After web-shopping for about 2 or 3 weeks I finally found the one that I wanted and also found the cheapest way to buy it.

Walmart.com offers a service called Site-to-Store shipping where you get your product delivered to the Wal-mart of your choice and then, you guessed it, pick it up yourself when it arrives. This is an awesome option (especially when ordering over sized items) because the shipping is absolutely free. So off I went. I ordered the crib (pictured below) and the matching dresser/changing table combo. Everything went as expected. I waited about 2 weeks and received an e-mail informing me that the dresser/changing table combo was in. YES!!! I was excited, but decided to wait until the crib came in that way Koby and I could just make one trip and pick up both items. Well, a couple of days later I got another e-mail from Wal-mart...only this one was bad news. The crib had been damaged in transit and got sent back to the distributor. What? Damaged? I was bummed, but not for long.

I thought, hey, this is an easy fix. I'll just wait for them to reimburse my account and then re-order the crib. Plus, I changed my mind about the finish on the crib. I originally ordered white, but decided that I wanted the cognac color instead. I took the opportunity to return the dresser/changing table combo and then started again from scratch.

At the beginning of June I placed a brand new order. Crib and dresser/changing table combo, both in cognac. YES!! My excitement once again returned. Again, I waited for an e-mail. Again, I get an e-mail. Again, the dresser/changing table is here! I decide to wait for the crib to come in for the same reason I waited last time. But then...wait for it...AGAIN, THE CRIB IS DAMAGED IN TRANSIT! C'mon, what's the problem? How can the same exact thing happen twice?

So this morning I called walmart.com and explained to them my dilemma. They were apologetic and seemed to care about the situation. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that I told a little white lie and said that I was due in 6 weeks and really needed this crib ASAP. Either way they agreed to ship the crib again, only this time it is coming directly to the house instead of the store, plus they are going to waive the shipping fee. The waiting game begins again.

Anyway, this is what I'm frustrated about today. It's small in the big scheme of things, but one of my flaws is that I tend to be impatient so something like this really gets under my skin.

Baby stuff

2007-06-18T11:01:00.000-05:00

I've got about 3 months to go until we get to meet baby Olivia in person, but I've been shopping for her nursery things for quite a while now. Some people have asked what my "theme" is and what the crib looks like so I thought I would post it on the blog.

Since I'm not so much a fan of the color pink, you can imagine the look on my face when the doctor said, "It's a girl!" The first thing I though of was how I dreaded having princesses and lace all over the place. (I know, I must be a tomboy at heart.) But then I realized that I'm going to be the mom and that I could choose what her nursery would look like. Imagine that!

So here it is. I love that the bedding is girly, without going overboard and I especially like the red. It's a six-piece set so it will automatically come with the diaper stacker, valance, and dust ruffle, as well as the fitted crib sheet, bumper pads and quilt.

The crib is what they call a stages crib which means that it converts from what you see here, to a toddler bed, and then to a full size bed with and headboard and foot board. Mine and Koby's bed is a sleigh bed so I loved this one and I think the drawer at the bottom will come in handy.

And here is the latest picture of me. I am almost 27 weeks now, which according to my pregnancy book, is the first week of the seventh month, which in turn is the beginning of the last trimester. I can't believe that I'm already at this stage. It really has gone by fast and I'm getting anxious to see the little being that has already changed my world forever!

Happy Father's Day!!

2007-06-17T20:46:00.001-05:00

Today was Koby's first (kind of) Father's Day. We didn't do anything too special. We got up and went to church this morning and then I promised Koby that we could go eat Chinese food for lunch. He loves Chinese food and I'm not so fond of it, even before I was pregnant. The only place I really like is this restaurant named Fuji's in Abilene. I like it so much that we have to eat there every time we go to Abilene! Anyway, we had a good lunch and then he went and played disc golf with his friend Jason.

I called my dad this morning to wish him a Happy Father's Day and really got sad that I couldn't be there to at least give him a big hug and a kiss. Over the years I've grown to really love the Bryan/College Station area and I definitely love our new house, but the one thing I hate is how far away mine and Koby's parents are. It's just not an easy (or cheap, these days) trip to make for a weekend.

This is my dad, Johnny.

This is my father-in-law, Shelby.

Oh Deer!

2007-06-15T10:53:00.000-05:00

This week has been fairly uneventful, but there's one thing that has really been neat. I don't know what season it is (as in hunting) but for some reason there are LOTS of deer out in our neighborhood. For those of you that might not know, I am an avid animal lover. I love all kinds of animals and especially love to see them in their "natural" habitats. Anyway, so far I've seen a deer everyday this week, except for today. Monday, at about noon I saw one bounding across the road. It was a good distance in front of me where it was an enjoyable experience as opposed to tire screeching panic. Tuesday, Koby and I saw a mom and baby close to the creek. Wednesday I saw one roaming in a small pasture while I was on my walk. Thursday morning Koby let the dogs out like he normally does first thing in the morning and then Izzy began steady barking at something. She usually doesn't bark, just for the sake of barking, especially in the morning. So, Koby went outside to see what all the fuss was about. That's when he saw a deer standing maybe 10 feet on the other side of our fence. He, or she, was just standing there staring at us and we were just standing there staring at him. It was pretty neat especially since it would be a stretch to say that we live in the country where this might be a common occurrence. We tried to take some pictures of him but didn't get very good ones.

Check, Check, Check

2007-06-08T14:25:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, so this is what the blogging world is like. I've decided to start a blog of my own instead of just spying on everybody elses! :)

I don't really have much to say right now, I guess I'm feeling a little bit shy. So I'll just post something a little bit later.

Thanks for reading!