True Friendship

The other day I was talking to a very wise woman about some things that I had been experiencing during my journey of motherhood. I was telling her about my struggle with guilt. I struggle like most moms with guilt along with many other emotions that have seem to consume me lately. I feel guilty when I am not with Madelyn every second, take a nap on Sunday afternoon, and different things like that. She told me that it is perfectly normal to feel that way and assured me that it is Satan himself putting these feelings and thoughts in my head. This got me to thinking…I don’t understand why we as women/mothers are so hard on ourselves as well as each other! I had a great friend call me the other day and she was nearly in tears because she didn’t think she was measuring up as a mom and a wife. She said, “I am struggling, I just can’t do it all like I feel I should.” I told her that EVERYONE feels that way! She said, “I don’t know how you do it. You work, have an organized and clean house, you’re a mom, you make homemade baby food, you cook dinner every night, etc.” I couldn’t help but laugh!!!! I know she was having a melt down but it was so funny to me that she had ME on a pedestal. Little did she know my house was a wreck, you couldn’t even see the top of my kitchen table and the only laundry that had been done all week was Maddie’s. After I got home that day I sent her a picture of my so called clean/organized house to show her that nobody is perfect and we all struggle!

We as friends and women need to quit putting on a front for each other! We need to be real about our struggles and feelings and lift each other up. I value my friendship with this girl so much that I feel like I can tell her what I am struggling with and it makes me feel better to hear that she is in the same boat at times. We need more friends like that…not ones that we compete with her put on a front for. I personally don’t have the time nor the energy to waste on friendships that are less than this.
I had one of my best friends come by my house on Sunday. I have not seen her in quite some time but we always pick right back up where we left off. We are both guilty of not staying in touch or getting together as often as we should but we love each other and we have always been very real towards one another.
I value my true friends and you all know who you are. I do sometimes think we all need to make more of an effort to get together more because I value all of you so much and get so much out of our time together!

6 Months/ New Years Day!

New Years Day was Madelyn's 6 month birthday.  Wow time has flown by.  I can't believe 2010 is gone and left me with a 6 month old!  I absolutely LOVE this age!  She is so much fun and interactive right now.  On New Years Day we went over to my grandparents house to watch football and eat greens for wealth and black eyed peas for health.  These are just a few pictures we took of Madelyn that day to remember New Years and her 6 month birthday. 

 Please notice that she has a bow in her hair without a headband!  Yes this is big for us!  Her hair is growing.

I can't believe my little M&M has gotten so tall!  That following monday we had her 6 month wellness check.  Everything was perfect.  She has reached the milestones that are expected for her age.  Her teeth are early but everything else is just right!  She weighed 16.3 LB and was 26.5 inches long.  This puts her in the 53rd percentile for weight and 76th for length.  We also had to turn in her 3rd poop sample for her final check on salmonella.  A few days later we got the call that it was negitive!  It takes 2 negitive samples to say she is clear and yes thats means she is CLEAR!!!!  Praise God!

Snow Day 2011

Well if you live in East Texas you know snow is VERY rare!  So when it snows the town seems to stop.  Well this year we had our first snow of the season which may also be the only snow for the next few years so I had to capture it!  This was Maddie's first snow so I had to bundle her up and let her experience it just a bit!  She had a runny nose that week so we only stayed out about 10 mins, long enough for me to get some pictures.  I waited till it warmed up a bit to take her out so some of the snow had already melted.  She didn't seem to impressed!  She hates her snow suite because she can't sit up in it.  She reminds me of the kid in the movie The Christmas Story when his mom bundles him up so much that he can't put his arms down!  She was a good sport for mommy!

 Snow Day 2011

 She is not a fan!

 She can't move in her suite but she looks cute!

She seemed to like it once prissy came out!  Wow sister you blend in!!

Christmas 2010

Christmas this year was the best christmas ever!  Christmas is my favorite holiday.  It is full of tradition and memories.  Every year I love to start off christmas by decorating my tree.  It is not a chore to me it is a trip down memory lane.  Every vacation we go on I buy an ornament so my tree is filled with memories of places we have been together.  I also get new ornaments each year that represent what we have gone through that year.  For example our first christmas together, our new home, we are expecting, etc.  So unwraping the ornaments and hanging them on the tree is a very special time.  Any who I am a huge fan of traditions and this year we embraced old traditions and started some of our own with our own little family.  Yes I know Maddie will never remember her first christmas but one day when she looks back at the home video she will see how much she was loved and how special we tried to make it for her.  I hope everyone had a wonderful christmas!!!!

 Claire, Cade and Maddie with Santa at the Mall in Tyler

 Christmas Eve at Mamaw and Papaw's house after church

 Our Tree

Next year we may have to add another tree!  This one can't hold many more memories!

Maddie had her own tree this year in her room.  It was full of her baby's first christmas ornaments.

 Maddie baking holiday treats with Mimi.  My Mom and I have always gotten together to bake for the holidays but this year we had a Jr. Chef join the fun!  We love making christmas treats for friends, customers and family!

 Christmas morning at my Mom's house.  Chris and I have always spent the night at her house on christmas eve since we have been married.  This year we got to wake up and do santa!  My Mom has always given Chris and I pj's on christmas eve.  This year we got matching pj's and Maddie got some too!

 This was just for fun!

Maddie with Santa at the Gaylord Texan.  She pulled his beard with all her might!



Eating Adventures

Well I wanted to give everyone an update on eating solids.  After trying and hating rice and oatmel we found a cereal she will eat.  She loves barley.  She must get that from her father!  So she likes the barley and she likes all the fruits and vegtables that we have tried.  I got a baby food maker for christmas and I LOVE it!!!  I love to cook anyways but knowing that I am giving my daughter a healthy start with homemade food made from fresh produce makes me smile!  It is also a lot cheaper which means my money can go to cute bows and clothes instead of jared food!  I am not saying that there is anything wrong with jared food!  Maddie has eaten it and I am sure she will again.  Here are some pictures of our eating adventures.

 I am not sure how the peas got on her nose!

 She LOVES yams!

She looks so tiny in her high chair!

I need a do over!

We all have those days when we think we should just crawl back in bed and start over. Well last week I had a few of those days. Monday Maddie and I came home from the grocery store and I put her down for a nap and then unloaded the groceries. I then went into the bedroom to change clothes. I took my wedding set off and went to the other hand to take off the ring Chris gave me for Christmas and nothing! The hand was bear! The ring is a little big and I need to get it sized. But as all of you girls know when you get a new ring you don’t want to give it up for a few days to have it sized. Well that being said, It was gone!! My heart sank and then panic set in!!!! I ran through the house searching for the ring. I found it in the trash can in an empty Wal-Mart sack! Yep I quickly composed myself so when Chris got home he would never know!!!!


On Wednesday I was taking Maddie to her Caregivers house (AKA Nanny) and I ran out of gas! First of all, when I take her and drop her off I am not dressed for the day! I am usually in my pj’s and have on the first pair of shoes I can find. On this lovely day I had on pink caprice pj’s, a pink hoodie, and ugg boots. Yep that right! Well there is a lot of traffic on Old Jacksonville at 8:oo am. I was at a red light and could see the gas station from the car. I put my flashers on but cars still came up behind me and honked their horns. A sweet couple finally came and offered to push me out of the way. I didn’t know if that would be possible in my SUV but they did it! As I sat there waiting on Lavonda to bring me gas I could just here Chris saying, “ I told you so! You should never let it get below a fourth of a tank!” I sat and talked to Maddie and begged her to never remember this! I felt like a bad mom and most of all I dreaded telling Chris. I did tell him that night and he didn’t say I told you so but it was written all over his face! I hate when I can tell him he is right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Lavonda for saving the day! I have 5 years of free road side assistance that came with my car but I didn’t remember that at the right time.
 
I hope this week is better than the last!

Milestone for Mommy

Well New Years eve was a HUGE milestone for me! Maddie spent the night at her Mimi’s house! Until then the longest time I had spent away from her was 12 hours. Those 12 hours were only because I have to go to Dallas for meetings. Most days I am only away from her about 5 to 6 hours. I know most of you are thinking it took 6 months to have a night away from her. Yes it did! Don’t judge me!!! Chris and I have a dates but they have only been for a few hours so this was very special. We dropped her off about 6 and picked her up the next day around noon. So yes it still wasn’t even 24 hours but it was a big deal to me! I prefer to take baby steps! She did amazing and slept all night for Mimi! I did pretty good too! I only cried twice and Chris assured me we could go get her anytime! My next goal 24 hours! It is not that I don’t trust my mom with her, I just don’t want to miss a thing! But I know it is healthy for our marriage to have time alone together and having a healthy marriage is good for Maddie!
Chris and I had a great night out and enjoyed sleeping in the next morning!  The next day we celebrated New years day and Maddie's 6 month birthday.  Wow I can't believe she is already a 1/2 a year old.  Time flies when your having the time of your life.

2011 Bring it on!!!

Well it is a new year! It is a time for self evaluation and a time for changes to be made. As I sat down to think about my resolutions I couldn’t help but think that it is crazy that we need a new year to make changes in our lives but if that is what it takes than so be it. I also started thinking about this past year and the changes that have already taken place in my life. This year has been the BIGGEST year for change. Hello…I had a baby!! That really shakes things up!

It has been six months to the day since Maddie was born and I think I am starting to get the hang of things. Now that I feel like I am getting the hang of things I feel like I can sit down and make new goals and resolutions for myself. I decided to share my resolutions with all of you as a step towards my first resolution…(these are in no particular order)

1. To be more open and honest and not worry about what other think!

2. Lose weight…yep I figure this is on most people list. I have lost all of my Prego weight but now the 30 lbs that I gained before getting pregnant needs to come off. This is an overall resolution to be healthier.

3. To update my blog at least twice a week! I need your help with this. When I get comments or know people are reading this I am motivated to keep writing.

4. To RELAX!

This is some what hard for me. I tend to be up tight! But I think by relaxing it will make me a better mom, wife, friend, and overall person! I don’t think Maddie will hold it against me (if she even knows) that her homemade baby food doesn’t have typed labels or if I forgot to sprinkle the Reindeer food I had made out for her first Christmas. I am going to try and give myself a break.

5. Be present in every moment!

This goes hand in hand with relaxing. I don’t need to be worrying about what I need to be doing around the house when I am playing with Maddie or talking to Chris about his day. That is not fair to them. I need to give full attention to what, who, and where I am at THAT MOMENT!
I hope this may inspire you to make a few resolutions for yourself.

Happy NEW YEAR! I hope everyone has a blessed 2011.

I am very excited about 2011. We have a lot of big things going on this year.

1. Chris turns 30!

2. My grandparents 60th wedding anniversary

3. Our 5th anniversary.

4. A friend of ours has a baby!

5. A few friends/family are getting married

6.Maddie turns 1

2011 Bring it on!!