Happy 8-months, Bunny!!

Today I have an 8-month old. She is undoubtedly the coolest kid in the world. The last two weeks, she has EXPLODED with development and has learned to "dance", roll around the room, clap, sign "more", recognize the signs for "milk" and "daddy" (she already knew "eat"), climb on top of her Daddy, shake her head "no", and, just last night while Skype-ing with Papaw and Mimi, learned how to wave. She has started waking up a little less cranky every morning and tends to play with the sheets, pillows, or our faces until we're ready to get up. She quietly coos to herself for a while, and when she's finally ready for us to quit being lazy and get out of bed, she starts letting out yelps until one of us gets up. It's SOOOO funny!

She is SO like her Mama and loves to shop and picks out her own clothes (she likes ruffles, flowers, and sparkles - ALL girl!). She is also like her Mama in that she talks, giggles, claps, tells us "no", and climbs on top of her Daddy's chest - ALL IN HER SLEEP!! Her TV buddy is still Oswald, although her contact with him is VERY limited. We took her to visit family last week and she definitely adapts well and fits right in wherever she is. As a matter of fact, she quite frankly took total control of my parents' house and they would have her there to do it again in a heartbeat! While we were gone, we took her shopping, out to eat, and on long drives to visit family. Save one meltdown after being stuck in city traffic a bit too long, she was perfectly behaved in every situation.

Bunny, we love you, our little bit, little bug, sugar booger, stinker-butt. You are such a joy to us. We are so blessed by how well-behaved and adaptable you are. I can't wait to see what your ninth month of life holds!!

7 Months!!

I know, I know.  I say it all the time.  But seriously, WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?!?!  It seems like yesterday I had a beautiful 6-month old.  I think I blinked and all of a sudden, she's a 7-month old.  The 7 month mark is both exhilarating and scary for me.  Exhilarating, you say?  Yes, yes.  Of course.  Scary, you say?  What ever do you mean?  Well, I'll get to that later.

Bunny is pretty much the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen.  Her gorgeous long-lash rimmed eyes are still a stunning steel gray or blue, depending on the day, her mood, the way the light hits them.  She is sitting up all on her own like a STAR, but still refuses to roll over from back to belly or crawl.  MM swears she can, but is just too lazy to do it.  I'm inclined to agree.  I have caught girlfriend, on more than one occasion, after she has manipulated a toy, doll, or blanket into a prop for her bottle so that she doesn't have to hold it.  She just reclines with her hands behind her head, sucking away.  She LOVES to eat and hasn't really disliked anything we've given her.  She has been receptive to all sorts of textures and we'll probably have her eating our mashed up dinner fairly soon.  Bunny is learning her consonants and can usually be found releasing a constant stream of "ga-ga-ga's" along with a few "ka", "da", and "ba" sounds as well.  She is NOT a quiet child.  I don't like to leave windows open in the house for fear that the neighbors may confuse her shrieks of anger with a small creature being tortured.  She is also recognizing the sign for "eat" consistently and understands that when Daddy or Mommy make the sign, it's time to stop playing and take a bite.  We're continuing to work with her on the signs for "milk", "Daddy", "Mommy", and "more".  She's a little genius-head, in our opinion.  She's got two bumps behind her lower gums that I swear are teeth starting to bud, but I don't think they're anywhere near cutting, yet.  It's fine by me.  As much as she screams in anger when her toys don't roll the way she wants them to, I can't imagine how much she'll scream when she's in pain. 

Exhilarating.  Yes.  Very.  She is changing before our eyes.  I really feel that if I sleep too long, I'll miss another change.

Standing up without Mama!  Yikes!!

Is that the face of a stinker, or what?!

Perfect in every way.  Ready to run errands with Mommy.

Oh yeah.  I bet you're wondering about that "scary" comment way up there?  Yes, I'm scared.  My daughter is 7 months old.  In the past three months, two babies that were 7 months old passed away, a result of SIDS, reports say.  One occurred in the very town we live in, the other one was a friend of a friend on an online forum.  Now, understanding the statistics of SIDS should alleviate my fears, but it doesn't.  The only think that gets me through each day and night is giving her to God, to do with her as His Will provides, and seeing her smiling face every chance I get.  I usually don't say this about time, but I do hope this month passes quickly.  I know that 8-months is not some magic "anti-SIDS" barrier, but I do know that I will sleep a little more deeply when we reach that milestone, even if it is completely irrational.

Finally, get ready from some big news from the Stars!  I don't know when I'll be at liberty to share what we've got going on, but it is so exciting for the future of our family.

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!

Happy Birthday, MM!!

You, MM, are the love of my life!  I know that God intended you for me and I am so thankful for that.  You are such a strong man, the head of our household in all matters, especially spiritually, and you are so in love with your "two ladies" and we greatly appreciate it.  Every day I am with you brings joy and laughter to my life.  There is never a dull moment and I'm so grateful that we aren't one of those boring couples.  I am honored to be your wife and thank you for truly loving me for who I am at any given moment.  We have been through our ups and downs, but you just hold out your hand and we always walk through the fire together, with God as our guide.

Bunny and I wish you the happiest, happiest birthday ever!  We love you the world!!

Who do you think you are?!?!?

I AM!!

Love, P.B. and Bunny

My, How Time Flies

On Sunday, we had a six-month-old.  She is our 25 1/4-inch, 15 lb. 11.5 oz., bundle of joy. She is definitely becoming a little girl and her personality is certainly going to be strong and stubborn, just like her mama and daddy. She has taken to growling at her toys, bottles, sippy cups, and us when she is happy and screeches like a banshee when she's mad. Her daddy thinks she considers it a personal insult any time one of us needs to eat, shower, or go to sleep and chooses that exact moment to throw a fit. Girlfriend's terrible-two tantrums are going to be EPIC. It all makes me giggle. She's still digging on watching her favorite buddy, Oswald, in the morning while Mommy gets ready, but doesn't mind watching Chuggington or Mickey Mouse House...or whatever it's called...when we're tired of Oswald. She sits up all on her own now, but is still being stubborn about rolling from back to belly. Girlfriend hates being on her belly! She changes every single day and I'm afraid if I blink I am going to miss it. The joy and fun she has brought us are immeasurable and we are so grateful to God for the blessing of her!

MM's Camo Princess

Silly Girl!

Mommy's Precious Smile!

Big girl

A very sweet moment with Daddy after her shots.

Happy Valentine's Day, world!

Beautiful, blue eyes.

One of two smiles in the world that can melt my heart in an instant.

TWO MONTHS!!

Can you believe it?! We can't! She has grown so much already and is developing well. I just love her so much and it's hard to get through the 8 hours we're at work without missing her terribly. I know that will pass with time, but for now I'll let it be and just love on her a little extra every morning and night.

Thankful at Thirty

Today I turn 30. Being 39 weeks pregnant and turning 30 brings out a lot of emotions. Some good, some not-so-good, but all a part of life. The feeling I am most focused on right now, though, is how thankful I am. I am so blessed and thankful for SO many things right now, that, if I weren't baby-belly huge and prone to public embarrassment, I might spend my 30th birthday dancing through town.

What am I thankful for? SO much:

1. The promise of eternity in heaven, thanks to my salvation through Jesus Christ.
2. A wonderful, loving husband who I know will always put me, and now Bunny, second only to God.
3. Having a healthy, risk-free pregnancy.
4. A loving family who is always there for us.
5. A happy home to live in.
6. All our necessities being met.
7. Good jobs for both of us.
8. Wonderful friends to share life's joys and pains with.
9. Having the ability to truly enjoy life, no matter what comes our way.
10. Peace and quiet when I need it.
11. A promising future as we finally become a family of three.

There is so much more, but my pregnant mind only goes so far these days. Thanks for reading!

More Shmirfday Fun

MM KNOWS how to please a pregnant lady on her Shmirfday. He made the yummiest, ooey-gooiest brownies ever. They are delicious. He has honestly never baked for me before, so I was pleasantly surprised when he told me what his plans were.

Here he is getting the pan ready for the oven.

I'm SO not happy about this picture being taken...I just wanted to eat my brownies!!

Doesn't it look like that huge baby bump is about to jump on the counter and devour the whole lot? If it could, it probably would have!

Finally, a shot of the brownies after I had already taken out my portion. See, I just couldn't wait. Could you have waited?!

That was how my Saturday night ended up; eating my brownies, enjoying my Shmirfday and the nice weather outside thinking, "Life is just PERFECT". It doesn't get any better than a Shmirfday weekend with MM. Next year it'll be a Shmirfday weekend with MM AND Bunny. I can't wait!!

Birthday - Shmirfday

On August 8, I turn 30. MM is SURE that I'm going to be miserable and go into labor the night of my 30th birthday and won't be able to enjoy the milestone. (He's probably right about my misery, but I still think I'm going to deliver on Aug. 18th. Anyone want to put some money on it?!)

So, to make absolutely SURE that I got the birthday celebration he deems me worthy of, he set aside this weekend as my Shmirfday weekend. When I got home from work on Thursday evening, there was a sign on our front door cordially inviting me to celebrate my birthday from Friday at 5 pm until Sunday when I went to bed. I was very excited! The invitation made note of the fact that we were going to do whatever I wanted, eat whatever I wanted for our meals, and just have fun together all weekend. It was a lot to look forward to.

Oh, and the cards! I have been wanting an IPod for a while, especially to use while I was laboring, but it just wasn't going to work out financially. Baby-buying and the anticipation of medical bills to come was keeping us from being able to budget for one. MM presented me with two cards Thursday night. One was from Bunny and was a sweet little card about being a perfect mom. On the inside, MM had taped a picture of an IPod. I was intrigued, but not sure what it meant. After that, I opened a card from MM himself, and inside the first flap was a receipt for The Three Muskateers, one of my favorite movies that he had ordered for me. Inside the second flap, was just the amount of money I needed to order my IPod and several accessories. I was SHOCKED! Where did the money come from?! I am three weeks away from starting unpaid maternity leave!! Well, as it turns out, MM had finally sold his saddle and wanted me to use the money for whatever I wanted. Needless to say, after Bunny's card and "suggestion", my IPod was ordered and is on its way.

There's much more to say about this wonderful weekend, but it'll keep for another post. Here's some pics of us enjoying Friday night after a nice dinner out. It FINALLY started raining and we sat on the back porch, talking and enjoying the smell, sight and sound of that blessed precipitation!

Oh, and just a side note. We had an U/S on Friday to check Bunny's position, size, and etc. Every time I have an U/S or lab done, we have to register at the hospital. The registrar noted that my birthday was close to my due date, and we ended up discussing MM's Shmirfday plans for the weekend. She was impressed with his forethought and asked if he had other children. We told her he was just that smart. He really is Captain Amazing, isn't he? I guess I may have to consider an official name change from "MM" to "CA".