Four Months!!!

It’s crazy that four months have already flown by since Miss Paige made her arrival!! It’s even crazier all the changes and new things happening! Her favorite thing right now is getting into a laughing contest with me or Tyler…she also likes to compete with me on who can yell louder…it is quite entertaining!! She is flipping herself over in rapid speeds and tries her hardest to sit up all by herself!! I don’t have her exact measurements but she is super long (wearing 6 month pj’s so they are long enough) and stores fat reserves in her wrists:) ! We are preparing for a few more 1st—we are heading to Vegas next week for Christmas with my parents and it will be her first plane ride, first trip out of the state and of course, first Christmas!! We can hardly wait!!

We hope you all have a magical Christmas!! Here are a couple pics from this week!

First Halloween!

Well, Paige’s first Halloween was lots of fun!! Our little lamb was such a treat! We trick or treated Shaun and Yankee at their new house!! Then we came home and had the Beaver clan over for dinner and trick or treaters! Our little lamb slept through the evening and was uninterested in handing out candy...as you can see from the photos she absolutely loves her daddy and was smiling and laughing at him like crazy but of course the best smiles were missed due to my crazy flash! We are so in love with our lamb!

Happy Halloween

Love,

Tyler, Heather and Paige

9.5 Week Update!

Has it really been 9.5 weeks?!?!?! Paigie is growing and changing so much!! She is smiling, cooing, holding her little head up and moving all the time! She slept all through the night for the first time last night!!! It is definitely a task keeping her up the last few hours of the night but it makes all of the difference at bed time!

She still loves football and baths but has a new love and appreciation for all things shiny and pretty! She stares at her chandelier in her room and the one in the dining room in awe! We are glad she has such good taste:).

She is a great traveler and loves to be on the move shopping, walking or just visiting friends! We go in for a checkup and shots:( on Tuesday and are anxious to hear how much she has changed since our last visit!

Here are a few action shots of us trying to entertain her at night time with her toys and one all dressed up in some pumpkin gear. We are certain that she is the smartest most beautiful baby ever!!

Love, tyler & heather

Two weeks under our belt!!!

Its weird we have only had our sweet girl two weeks! We already feel like she has always been a part of our lives! Maybe the fact we love her soooo much or the fact we wake up every two hours so days seem like weeks:) It has been so amazing though! We have had a lot of first's this second week. Dad went back to work so miss sunshine and I were on our own...not really...he came and checked on us every day at lunch since he works a few minutes away...but kind of! We went to her two week check up where she gained her weight back that she lost after we left the hospital, we had her newborn photos taken where she posed with the likes of Giselle, we had some electrical work done in the house so her room is extra safe and up to code for when she moves into it, we ventured over to an evening out of the house at Bubby & Tiff's which was really nice to be out of our "cave" as Tyler calls it and hanging out with some friends and the finale of the weekend...we ate at a restaurant for lunch today!!!! She was a perfect patron and just snoozed while the four of us ate! We also managed to go on a family walk and took her with us to the grocery store. I know most of these things are usually taken for granted but those of you with children know it is a lot more difficult when you have an infant's schedule to work around! She is still a big sleeper and rarely cries which we aren't banking on lasting forever but it has been really nice having such a sweet baby while we adjust to parenthood!!

We should have her picture proofs back soon and we will email the link to everyone!! Beth Jansen took her photos and the lady is pretty awesome! Not only is she super creative but she was so wonderful with the baby! As most new mom's I am very protective and watch people like hawks as they hold my sweet little cub but she is a pro...not only does she have her own "cubs" but she holds newborns for a living for heavens sake! I urge all the mommies to check out her website for children's photography! http://www.bethjansenphotography.com/

Abused Blog!!!

Well, as most of you know already we received an unexpected delivery from the stork last Thursday!!! I was scheduled to be induced this Monday but our tiny angel did not like doctors making her schedule for her! Tyler and I wisked off to the hospital Thursday morning at 2:00 am to find out I was in fact in labor!! We were really excited because Dr. McDreamy was hoping she would come on her own before the induction date and so she did! Tyler and I were a little confused by the chain of events...it was not like the movies or like you hear about from people for us! I woke him up, told him I thought baby was coming so he got up then I said I am going to take a shower and brush my teeth before we leave the house. The hot shower eased my cramps so I took my time brushing my hair, packing the rest of my last minute items for my bag and trying to find something cozy to wear to the hospital! Then we get in the car and Tyler was expecting me to scream and yell the whole way there but we had a nice chat. Once we got to the hospital and I sat in the wheel chair, the pain started getting a little more intense but still not like the movies people! The nurse checked me out and said my water had broken and I was in active labor so we wouldn't be leaving the hospital without a baby! So within 10-11 hours we had a baby...I will tell you...I had every intention of trying to have natural child birth before the doc started thinking baby could be 8-9 pounds. It was like the best Christmas when Dr. Red came in with the epidural! So a couple of pushes and we had our beautiful daughter laying right there with us!!! And what a beauty she is! A head full of brown hair like daddy, big blue eyes, Angelina Jolie lips, chubby cheeks and a long, skinny body! I have never seen anything more precious and perfect! I can just sit here and stare at her for hours! She is a week old now and has been such a wonderful baby! She loves to eat, sleep and poop and her doc says she is very healthy! We are so happy and are loving our new titles as Mommy and Daddy!!! I will have lots more stories to come in the near future but wanted to get an update on here and a few pictures posted!

Daddy Shower

For a change of pace, there won’t be any mention of pink in this blog! It will be hard for me though! We have been blessed with several baby showers and so many wonderful gifts and Tyler has been very grateful (also grateful that he doesn’t have to go!) But this weekend he got a mini-version of his own baby shower! His best friend Chad emailed us on Friday before we left work to let us know that he had several gifts for Paige and he would be bringing them to the evening festivities. You never know with Chad what it might be...it no doubt would be good whatever it is because he is an amazing gift giver but there is just no telling...it really wouldn’t have surprised us if he showed up at our house with a live pony! The only clue he gave was the gifts were not from any registry but that Paige really needed and would love the things he got. When we met up with everyone, sure enough, Chad was waiting with a table full of beautifully wrapped gifts! I told Tyler it was his turn to open gifts and I would take pictures. Disclaimer: hopefully my dad and uncles miss this entry because they aren’t going to like it!
Tyler and Chad are HUGE University of Texas fans which is very hard to swallow for their friends and family that are die hard OU fans! Well, As you can imagine, Chad provided 2 years worth of UT gear for Paige!! From 6 months to 24 months she has t-shirts, onesies, and the cutest cheerleader outfit including bloomers AND a very comfy blanket to lay on while she watches football with her daddy! I don’t think anything could have got him more excited than having sports gear for his little girl! We will also have to track down some Astros gear for her since we are big fans and try to go watch a few games a year in Houston.
So Uncle Chad and Daddy are very excited to have some of their manly past times to share with the newest member of the family and are excited to get her into watching sports and teaching her how to play poker. As long as I can keep her coming home without swearing and passing gas, I will be happy for her to have her bonding time with the guys! Enjoy the pics of the mini-man shower!!

Pink House Celebration!

Well, it has been a very busy week and I am pretty sure the next few weeks are going to be equally as busy as we make our final preparations or our special delivery! Last Saturday was a very special day for Paige and me! Kristen (my best friend from high school) threw Paige and me a shower at The Pink House in Claremore for all of my friends and family in that part of the state. It was just wonderful! It’s so nice to be around your friends you have had since you were young and realize even though we don’t see each other as often as we used to or should, it always feels like not a moment has passed since the last time we were all together! I have so many funny, embarrassing, wonderful memories with all of these girls and although a lot of them would make for a very exciting blog, I am not going to incriminate myself or anyone else since I intend to make my blogs into a little book for Paige so she can see how I documented the pregnancy and her first year. My mother in law came with me to Claremore and it was so fun telling her about each girl and how we became friends and why I love each of them. It’s funny all of the funny things you start remembering...Michelle moved to Claremore from Saudi Arabia and certainly wasn’t the priss she is now but equally as fun and exciting. Our moms thought we would be the last girls on the face of the earth to get married, but look at us nowJ. I had to force Sherri to be friends with me as she preferred the hermit crab lifestyle back in middle school and did not like the obnoxious blonde that never had all of her school supplies and gave her makeovers the first time I got her to spend the night at my house! I am certain she is the reason I learned better study habits and made good grades in college! Sarah—I am really sorry I could never let you borrow a pen out of my collection of 300 I carried around everywhere! Sarah’s house was so fun...we would stay up jumping on the trampoline until her mom fell asleep and then called boys all night! Sorry Brenda! Jenny is the only person I have ever met that never went through an ugly stage! The girl was born beautiful and just got prettier every year! We had so much fun together and spent every weekend for years at each other’s houses. She has her first little girl, Grace and I am certain she will be equally as beautiful! And then there’s Kristen...She wore neon green and black striped tights and I wore mini-skirts in the winter just because we felt like it! We passed notes, got in trouble from her dad for talking on the phone too long and then went to college together! I pray every day that Paige finds lifelong friends to enrich her life and be surrounded by amazing women that will encourage her, support her and be there for her like only a best friend can! I am so thankful to have such incredible women in my life!

“It’s a Blessing Being Me!”

So I didn’t come up with this title all on my own today. As I was in the kitchen at work heating up my weight smart oatmeal...yes gross but healthy...I was thinking how tired I felt. A minute later one of the attorneys I work with came bouncing in and I said good morning and someone asked how he was and he said “Super Awesome”! I started giggling and said “It’s really too early to be this happy isn’t it? You haven’t even had your coffee yet!” He then told me that it is just a blessing being him! I started laughing uncontrollably! It was so funny! But as I walked back to my office with my weight smart oatmeal on my two year wedding anniversary date with my big, beautiful baby bump I realized...you know what...It is a blessing to be me too!! So here are a few reasons it’s great to be me...

10. I have an amazing job that I love what I do and I can see all of Oklahoma City from my office window!
9. I am healthy, happy and loved
8. I live in a beautiful home that is full of love (and character—don’t forget about the pink bathroom)
7. I have a long list of life experiences and education that has shaped me into the person I want to be
6. I get unconditional love from my sweetest puppy Oscar—he is the happiest dog I have ever seen and doesn’t seem to be phased at all by being blind. I learn from him every day!
5. I am truly blessed with the greatest friends and most wonderful family a girl could ever dream of!
4. My parents are home safe from their 3 year assignment in Germany and my dad has retired and will be living the good life in Las Vegas!
3. I got to marry my best friend! He looks past my flaws, truly believes I am the prettiest girl alive and thinks I am funny...Ok, he doesn’t think I am funny but the other things are trueJ
2. Today I have been married two wonderful years to a man that is the greatest husband, will be the most amazing father and the most loyal friend you could ever have. Every day I wake up next to him, he makes me want to be a better wife, friend and mom.
1. In a few short weeks we will be welcoming our first child into this world! We can hardly wait to see her sweet face and chubby cheeks and just kiss her all over! My life is a dream...

As you go through your day, think of all of the reasons it’s a blessing to be you! It truly is a great way to start the day and remember to tell those around you that make your life special how wonderful they are!
“To do something, however small, to make others happier and better, is the highest ambition, the most elevating hope, which can inspire a human being.”
—John Lubbock (1834-1913); biologist, politician,

So they call it "Nesting"...

There are so many different things that run through your head the last few weeks of pregnancy. Am I going to be a good mommy? Will I know what to do when my sweet girl is sick or upset? Can I get this house any cleaner or more organized? How do I keep her from growing up too fast? Am I growing Shrek in my belly? And will I ever have a waist again?!?! This weekend we focused on the clean and organized topic!
I am kind of the pack rat in the family and some things I just can’t bear to go through life without. Even though I don’t want to see them, I know they are tucked away in a box somewhere just in case I want to take a peek at them. We cleaned out most of my “treasures” when we got married 2 years ago tomorrow and Tyler moved into my house. There were tears shed the day we had to clean out my “junk”. The worst of which was a large Ziploc bag of what appeared to Tyler as just broken pottery. He started dying laughing and threw the bag into the trash pile. When he finally looked over at me I was sobbing. The bag of pottery was a tea kettle my Grandma Kay bought for me. She passed away when I was 9 and I just adored her! When I was a sophomore in college I was making tea in my one and only tea kettle of course. Well, my college mind drifted and an hour later I realized I was going to have some green tea...the water had evaporated and the kettle was sooo hot! I immediately took it off the stove and rushed it to the sink so I could put cold water all over it. Isn’t that what you do?? NO! It immediately shattered into lots of pieces and I sobbed! I carried that bag of tea kettle remnants with me everywhere I moved until 2 years ago. Tyler felt horrible when he realized how upset I was and why. But I decided that day to let go of the broken kettle and I haven’t missed it. I guess us pack rats are afraid of forgetting memories or something. I remember my Grandma Kay perfectly and have realized the broken tea kettle wasn’t keeping her memory alive. So as I struggle to part with some things, I try to remind myself of how ridiculous it was to tote around a Ziploc of pottery for 5+ years.
Well, Tyler and I have lived in our current home for close to 9 months now. Somehow we haven’t managed to have a cleaned out garage during that timeframe. (See above story for explanation). I told him that it must be done or I would just die! I don’t want our sweet little girl moving into a house with a junky garage!! He agreed and we got up early on Saturday and got to work. Low and behold, mostly my junk that I haven’t parted with but haven’t moved into the house. A few hours later we had identified all of the trash, all of the items I no longer want but would do great in a garage sale and things we want to keep but need to go in the attic for the time being. The garage is clean as a whistle and I am sure Paige will not give a darn but I sure sleep easier knowing it’s clean and organized!!
Although I am sure I will come up with lots more little projects for Tyler and I these last few weeks, I know Paige will love us whether the garage is clean, the hall is painted or if we still have some weeds in the flower beds but I guess it is all part of it! Less than 6 weeks (possibly 4) in the oven!!

Baby Room!!

33 Weeks!

Tyler and I went in for our 33 Week appointment yesterday and got to take a peek at Miss Paige at what we thought would be the last ultrasound! Apparently I was measuring a little small last appointment so the doc wanted an ultrasound to confirm we have the right due date and everything is progressing on schedule. Ironically...the ultrasound tech starts laughing when I told her the reason for the ultrasound because our baby is weighing in at 5 ½ pounds already!!! For those non-baby experts, the charts say about 4 1/2 by the end of this week! So she is healthy and happy and it looks like she has her mommy’s big cheeksJ She is in the 87th percentile for weight right now so none of you should be getting your hopes up for a sweet little petite baby girl! The doctor said we will do another ultrasound at 37 weeks to ensure she doesn’t move into the 92-93% weight because I am not big enough to deliver her if she does! Apparently I better be safe and pack a toddler outfit for the hospital!! She is already “head down” and still kicking like crazy! I think it is pretty safe to say that there is a good chance she will come around 38 weeks! I have been telling Tyler for a couple weeks that I just know she is trying to find a way out!!

Other than that everything looks just perfect! She is healthy as a tick and is still a GIRL! Which is a good thing since her room is done and as pink as it can get! We are getting very excited and anxious to meet our little (or big) girl!!! We will keep you posted if we officially change the date from August 23rd! I will have some pics of her room in the next post!!

Pink Pink Pink!!!

We had a shower for Paige on Saturday at Ashlei’s house hosted by Ashlei and Chelsea! It was such a treat! It is unbelievable how much stuff this little girl has already and she isn’t even here yet!! The girls made a delicious brunch with breakfast pizza pocket, mini-cinnamon rolls, fruit, muffins, sausage balls, cupcakes and strawberry shortcake! There was this delicious green punch that had lime sherbet, ginger ale, pineapple juice and slices of limes and cherries. Yum! Paige was doing baby tae bo in the belly after I finished a glass!!! So many great friends came to enjoy the party and give their sweet wishes to baby Paige! She received so many amazingly adorable gifts! Outfits, the softest blankies, A JUICY COUTURE BABY BIKINI, her precious little high chair and much much more!! This little princess is going to be tough to keep up with fashion wise! Tyler says she already has more clothes and shoes than him! (He classifies the cute little socks that look like mary jane’s as shoes btw.) It was such a fun party and we appreciate everything so much!! We are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends to share this exciting time with us!
While I was at the shower, hubby put together Paige’s baby bed!! It is definitely a dream baby bed! Her room just gets more luscious every day! I have really tried very hard to stick with the soft, sweet, chic feel—no white, no black just soft colors that melt from one to another when you look into the room. Those that know me, including my husband, know I tend to err on the side of more is more!! I love color, pattern, BEDDAZZLING, and mostly mixing all of those things until I get it just right! My just right is usually over the top for most folks though! My motto has always been, when in doubt more jewelry, extra squirt of perfume, lots of lipstick and you can never be too tan or too blonde! Ok, I have grown out of most of those but my friend Kim used to either call me Loretta Lynn or Madonna when we worked at the bank and the sad thing is I loved it! haha Anyway, I am going to try my hardest not to teach my bad ways to my sweet baby daughter! I always know when Tyler is impressed with the room, that I haven’t taken it too far. I will have pictures of the room to post over the weekend!
Less than 8 weeks on the clock.....

Last Vacation as a family of TWO!!

Tyler and I decided to celebrate our two year anniversary and our last vacation as careless newlyweds without children (Okay, paige was technically with us but fairly easy to tend to in this state)!! We stayed at The Mansion at Turtle Creek in Uptown Dallas for 4 days!! It was fantastic! Lots of relaxing, laying by the pool, eating at fun restaurants, watched movies and shopped! One noteworthy restaurant/diner if you are ever in Dallas and love hamburgers like I do...Twisted Root Hamburger Co. It was featured on the Food Network a few weeks ago and since that is Tyler and my favorite channel...we decided to make it a stop! Homemade everything...patties, hand cut fries, hand battered onion rings, fried pickles, homemade root beer and ice cream...you name it! There was a bumper sticker on the toilet that said "Put your big girl panties on and deal with it!" and the background music was madonna...I knew I was at my dream place! I know my friend Kim will have a sassy comment about all of this but it is also her dream place!! We took off Monday as well to kind of re-group from vacation mode and run some errands. We got the baby crib picked up (not yet put together so pictures to come), I let my license expire 6 months ago apparently and didn't find out until I was at the airport a few weeks ago so I had to go to the DMV and everything! My sweet husband shuttled me around in the 105 heat and waited patiently as I sat in line for 1.5 hours like a criminal! I really never forget things like this but I will blame it on my pregnant brain! Tyler keeps asking what I will blame things on when I'm not pregnant anymore and I just smile and say Paige of course:) We also got to see one of our best friends on Monday, Mr. Ben Mason! He moved to Arizona over a year ago and we don't get to see him too often! He and Tyler have been friends since they were kids and I have just loved him since the minute I met him! One of Tyler's friends recently opened up a diner in Edmond at about 2nd & Broadway called Colby's Grill. They serve breakfast and lunch and it was absolutely delicious!!! I was nervous after being at the place in Dallas and going to Colby's for the first time only a few days later but it was fantastic! I had the chili cheese burger and hand cut fries and it was the best chili burger I have had!! Onion rings are hand battered every day as well and were quite tasty!!! All of the boys have had breakfast here but I haven't been so fortunate yet but will post about it as soon as I get the opportunity!!

We had out 31 week checkup on Monday and everything looks great still! We are now on the two week plan and will have one last untrasound at our next visit!! I can hardly wait to take one more peek at our little baby one last time before she comes into the world!

A couple pictures from our weekend of fun are attached!

shower--a few more pics!

Here are a few more pics--The new stroller and car seat, my Beaver Family, the Beautiful Hostesses and me posing with the prettiest wrapped present I have ever seen:)

Baby Shower!!!

So Saturday was Paige's first baby shower!! It was such a great party! Buffy, Kim, Beth and Tiffany did a fabulous job! You wouldn't believe how good the food was! The shower was at Buffy's new home which is absolutely beautiful! Lots of friends and family came and filled up the house! As you can imagine there was pink everywhere!! Tyler and I have a baby room and have been buying diapers when we get groceries for a few months now but I think it finally hit me as I was opening up all of this baby stuff that there is actually going to be a baby moving into OUR house!! We received so many great gifts! I love having things around now that have "Paige" monogrammed on them! She got a beautiful pearl bracelet with her name on it from Carreybeth and a pink blankie from Sharon with her name on it and how could you forget the onsie with a huge pink belt and of course...Paige printed across from Kattie! Bath tubs and toys and sheets, books and teethers and the tiniest socks you have ever seen!!! She also got her swing that several moms have sworn by so I am sure that will be a life saver and her very safe and stylish car seat and stroller from Nonny, pappy, nana and Bill!! One of the neatest gifts though as from my friend and mommy Richelle! She and my friend Kim helped me register when I realized I had no idea what babies need! She bought us all of the things that have made her life easier with Hope and attached little sticky notes telling me all about the product and how it was useful to her! She also referred me to several wonderful books that I have read during pregnancy and they have been a life saver!!

Thanks to all of our wonderful friends and family who came to celebrate with us and shower little Paige with such amazing gifts!!! We can't wait for everyone to meet her!!

Fashion & Snoozing!

When you are pregnant you get to hear so many stories and get lots of advice and hear about other women's pregnancies but the best stories come from men who have experienced pregnancy from the "dad standpoint"! I was riding the elevator with some SD execs the other day who thought it was so funny that I still wear really high heels...one even referred to me as a "slave to fashion"! Which of course I loved:) Pregnancy hasn's stopped paige's mommy from loving clothes, accessories and high heels! But one of them asked if I had been busy decorating the house. I said oh yes, my poor husband is developing carpel tunnel from all of the painting!! They both cringed and one of them said he lost it when he had painted the entire house but one bathroom his wife made him repaint three times!!! I cried I laughed so hard!

The other bits of advice I receive over and over again are to get as much sleep now as you can!!! The good news is, my pregnant body can only handle so much activity before it immediately shuts down and I go to sleep!! I had a day of activities on Saturday starting with a trip to the salon and then we drove to Chickasha to attend an amazing BBQ with some of our best friends! It was an awesome day but when we pulled into the driveway at 11:30 pm, I ran in the house, put on my pjs, and laid on the couch with my blankie and my pup! Tyler stayed up and watched TV but found it entertaining how worn out Oscar and I were so he decided to snap this picture. We both must love this blanket because we have several photos of the two of us wrapped up and snoring in it!!

So as I head into the 30th week, I will continue to attempt the high heels for special occassions and wrap up in my cowboy blanket for naps as much as possible!!

My two favorite guys!

Somehow I have managed not to have any pictures of my sweet little puppy on my blog yet! Okay, he's not that sweet, little or a puppy anymore but he is to me!! Oscar has brought so much love and entertainment to us for almost two years! He has taught us so much about each other and probably has prepared us a bit for parenthood! Yes a dog is different than a baby but if you haven't raised a puppy, you have no idea how much time and energy (and money) they can be!! I could write a novel of all of the stories of things we have been through with this fury critter from the vet stories, to the snow, or his obsession with under garments...Most of his bad habits he has finally outgrown but his love for lacey underwear will never die!! He has slept with us since the second day he had him home because he cried in his crate the entire first night without ever taking a break or getting a drink of water! 1/2 way through night two Tyler almost lost it and said put your dog in the bed if it will make him stop crying so we can all get some sleep! The second I picked him up and put him next to me, he was snoring! Tyler trained him to sleep in the floor while we were living with his parents during our remodeling phase but then he went on a week long work trip...Oscar and I couldn't resist! When Tyler came home, he was confused as to why Oscar was back in bed so he told him to get into his bed...Oscar growled and got under my covers! He hasn't left since! He sleeps right next to me under the covers every night with the exception of when Tyler is out of town...then he somehow knows he is in charge and sleeps at the end of the bed out of the covers and listens all night. When Tyler comes home, he runs for the covers because he knows he is "off duty" and dad is in charge of protecting his mom! Not sure if my dad reads this blog but rest assured if he does he will be apalled that the 90 pound doberman is still sleeping in our bed...OK I am sure he is not the only one but to each their own:)

I have to say, I couldn't ask for two better guys to always be looking out for me! It was pretty big shoes to fill coming from my family where I was the only girl! Basically my dad hung the moon, protected national security, possibly invented rainbows and knows the answer to everything and could solve any problem! I know that is what Tyler will be to Paige too and part of the reason I love him so much!

Remember to count your blessings and enjoy the little things. A few photos of Oscar to share...Tyler has only been really sick once since I have known him and he was REALLY sick! It was my birthday last year so I went out with my friends and Oscar took care of Tyler...not only did he not leave his side, he didn't leave his back!! The strawberry picture is from Valentine's Day last year...we had heart shaped pizza then Oscar put on a tuxedo shirt and they brought me chocolate strawberries! Best V-Day ever!! The other is just one of my favorite pics of Ty & Osc before work one day~

The joy of reading...

We get little inspirational quotes once a day at work and I just love them! I have always loved cutting out my favorite quotes and taping them places for inspiration and daily reminders! Yesterday was a quote from the book, "Charlotte's Web". Of course I loved the quote and had a rush of memories from childhood and my cherished favorite book, "Charlotte's Web"! From as far back as I can remember, both of my parents read to us. At least every night if not more. My mom took us to the library once a week to check out books and when we were lucky, enjoy a little storytime with the librarian!! I have a bit of an obsessive personality so when I like something, I can't get enough of it until I wear it completely out! So every week when we went to the library, I would check out "Charlotte's Web" and my mom always made me get a second book so I wasn't always reading the same thing. Once I completed the new book, I could have "Charlotte's Web" back and could read as many times as my heart desired!! I have no idea why she didn't buy me a copy, maybe because the librarian got such a chuckle out of seeing my bouncy little body run in and say "Re-check please!!"

Thanks to my parents, I absolutely love to read! Basically anything at this point! So it led me to think of all the creative things I will do, so that my kids will love reading as well! I have read a few articles and one book about reading to baby while she is still in the womb. It helps her learn your voice and if you will read the same story over and over again, that story will calm baby when you read it to her when she comes home. So I ordered paige 5 books yesterday that I think every little girl needs (some are great for boys too). 1) Where the Sidewalk Ends -Shel Silverstein *My fave as I got older 2) Charlotte's Web -E.B. White (duh!) 3) On the Night You Were Born -Nancy Tillman (the one I will begin reading to her every night once I receive it) 4) Are you There God? It's Me Margaret -Judy Blume (for an older girl, but definitely a must read for all young women) 5) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day -Judith Viorist (an adorable book).

My friend Dotty (who is a grandmother) was telling me about storytime on Saturdays at the bookstore in Edmond in Kickingbird Square, Best of Books. What a great way to get the munchkins into reading! Sometimes a change of scenery with a sweet voice and a puppet show is all you need to get their little sparks ignited!! I will definitely add it as an activity to share with little Paige once she is big enough!

"You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing...By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that." -Charlotte, "Charlotte's Web" E.B. White (1899-1985) author

Quick Update!

We had a great weekend at the Beaver house! Lots of relaxing!! Yesterday was our 28 week check-up and everything went great! pretty boring appointment (which is good I guess) and we are right on track and will go back to the doc in three weeks. Paige is moving sooo much right now and we get a kick out of watching my belly jump around with little feets and elbows.

This quote made me think of my little Paige~

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." Anais Nin (1903-1977) author, diarist

We can't wait for our new little world to arrive and bless our lives!

Baby Bump!

I have been neglecting my new blog and I am terribly sorry!! Paige and I have been traveling all over East Texas for work since I can't travel too far from home much longer!!! I had no intentions of posting pictures of myself on here but lots of family has been emailing that they haven't seen any pics of my big belly...my brother called the other day and said he stared at the picture of me I sent him for 20 minutes because he just couldn't believe it! HAHAHA For those that don't know, he works off-shore as an underwater welder/diver so we haven't seen each other since I have been pregnant!! He is definitely more adventurous than his big sis!!

For those that have never been pregnant, I have come to the conclusion that almost all people love a pregnant lady! People offer their chairs, spots in line, pay for your drinks and cookies at Starbuck's, load up your groceries into your car, hand out compliments....I really just hate all the attention:) HAHA. It has certainly been an enjoyable experience so far!

Not too much else exciting going on right now, but baby showers are coming up!! I think two weeks is the first baby shower at my friend Buffy's house! It is sure to be a grand occassion with my best buddy Kim's home cooking, Beth and Tiffany spreading pink all over and Buffy's amazing home perfect for all entertaining!! Paige will be one lucky gal to have all of these special ladies in her life!! There will definitely be pictures and stories to follow the occassion so stay tuned...

(Picture notes: The red tank top photo was 17 weeks and first signs of a bump!, middle photo is 23 weeks and a more prominent baby belly, the last is a close up at 26 weeks and Miss paige is really sticking out there!! ) Today paige is 28 weeks so Tyler will take some new ones so I can post an update Monday after the doctor appointment!

Baby food~

Like I said, I am well into my baby research and I know some of you mommies out there will just roll your eyes and laugh at my posts as I blog about some of my ideas and plans for my babies but I am going to start out with the best of intentions with this stuff. So for starters, the subject matter for this blog! The Baeba Babycook from Williams-Sonoma. It is a lovely appliance from France which is recently available in the US. It has won about 10 awards and after receiving it for Mother's Day last week, I can see why! I really wanted it so I can prepare baby food myself--save money and not pump baby full of preservatives. What I didn't realize is this little contraption also can be used for meats. Fish, beef, chicken,...you name it! Of course all of the recipes can be made into larger batches and freezed up to 3 months or just refrigerated for 3-5 days. Hubby and I love fresh fruits and vegetables of all sorts so we already have everything on hand to make the baby food. So, while chopping up my asparagus for us, I can reserve a little bit and throw into the babycook and BAM! Paige will have her veggies for a few days. I also got the cookbook which is really nice because it gives you charts on what age to introduce different things and what things aren't safe before a certain age. I am not a pro and will certainly need that guidance! The recipes are so neat and are designed to give baby all of the nutrients she needs and provides the building blocks to have healthier children that grow up with more of a chance to remain healthy, good eaters with a lot less chance of obesity. (I should get paid for this advertisement). Anyway, if you have babies, know someone having babies or just want healthy mushed up food, check this contraption out! It is very small and will clean very easily!! A funny tidbit of advice: A friend of mine was telling me a story about feeding babies food at first and used the expression: "Don't take them to Disney Land at the beginning, start baby off at White Water Bay with the green peas and broccoli, then introduce the carrots and sweet potatoes (Six Flags) and then give her a taste of Disney Land with the apples and sweet potatoes!" HAHA its so true though...why would she eat the nasty peas when she has already been given the apple sauce!

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/electrics/specialty-electrics/index.cfm?cm%5Ftype=gnav

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! Let's see...so many things going on right now. Well, I am 6 1/2 months pregnant so definitely the fun stage! I have lots of energy and well into the "nesting phase"! My poor family! No not just my husband, my mother in law, my father in law, my aunt and uncle, my brother and sister in law, friends...you get the point! I have turned into a tornado for projects! My husband and I live in a home built in 1955. It is the perfect family house but definitely needs/needed updating in every single room! Our floors, kitchen, dining room, one bedroom and 2 living rooms are completely done! Right now we have been working on the nursery, curtains and the hallway and master bedroom. The hall and master are the only rooms left with wallpaper. Luckily my husband is a self-taught master painter! We have a contractor working on removing the wallpaper and texturing the remaining rooms so Tyler can paint the walls, trim and molding over the next few weeks. Basically, the whole house will be complete besides the 3 bathrooms before our precious baby comes on our about August 23rd!! So back to her! It has been such a blast planning and choosing things for her room! I had a chair custom made with 4 shabby sheek fabrics and we get to pick it up on Saturday morning! It is what her room has been designed around! Her bed is ordered and it is an off white distressed wrought-iron canopy bed. We chose to paint her walls an antique brown so the pink doesn't get too overwhelming:) Tyler is finishing the painting tonight! Pictures to come in the near future as things start coming in and moved into her room!! I have found lots of accessories at antique shops and little boutiques so it doesn't end up looking like I bought a all-in-one kit. More pictures to come this weekend!!