Happy Birthday, Mommy!

I'm pulling a Neisha with my all-at-once approach to posting, but I have to do it while I have the time.

My birthday was Tuesday, and my thoughtful baby gave me this adorable card.

She had a little help from Aunt Katie. I cannot look at this without laughing! I had a great birthday. Having Amelia in our lives just makes every day more special.

Aunt Katie and Amelia's Valentine's date

Katie is busy at work, I'm sure enlightening the minds of her precious special-ed students. I don't know if they're being precious today or not. I'm just giving them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm copying the content of an email she sent me with photos of her night with Amelia while Cliff and I went out for Valentine's. I think they had a good time.

From Katie:
Our night consisted of:
-lots of talking/telling secrets/playing on the couch
-playing on the floor

She was so into looking at everything and then eating it.

-back to the couch for more playing/eating toys

-repeatedly trying to roll over and falling asleep MID-ROLL-getting pj's on without ever waking up Ok, now it's me again. (Angela)

Ha, I love these! I love photos that tell a story. As you can see, she spent some time in just her diaper. She just loves not having clothes on. Look how she fell asleep gripping the blanket from trying to roll over. Poor baby just wore herself out!

Thanks for babysitting, Katie! We had a great night out, and I love getting to see what my baby did while we were gone. Mama, can you please begin taking photos of everything Amelia does while you have her? It really makes me feel better about leaving her. I wonder if I can request that from Ms. Stacy at daycare...

You can't eat my hand!

I was able to capture Cliff making Amelia laugh on video last week. She was trying to eat his hand, and when he said 'you can't eat my hand' and tickled her, she thought it was hilarious. So what's any dad to do, but repeat said phrase and tickle her over and over.

It's hard to hear her cute laugh over Cliff, but it's there. Best sound ever. The laugh, not Cliff being goofy.

Some new pics of the princess

I am way overdue for an Amelia update with photos! Unfortunately, I just don't have as much time for my blogging and social networking now that I'm back at work. I'll try to get you all up to speed. Get ready for lots of photos. I hope you don't mind!

These are all from the last couple of weeks so she's around 3 1/2 months in most of them. I'm bad about not documenting how old she is in her pics. She will be 4 months old at the end of this month! Time is really flying. I wish it would stand still for just a little while.

Here she is a couple of Saturdays ago sitting in her Bumbo seat.
Playing with Daddy, then they both got tired, so they took a nap together.
All wrapped up after a bath. I just adore hooded towels!I wanted to get a smiling photo for our Valentine cards, but she was just not up for it. I asked Katie to come help me. My baby just refuses to smile when she sees a camera. So frustrating. She really does smile a lot! But you'd never know it from her photos. We did capture this cute one when she wasn't looking.

But this face is a little more typical. Can't you just imagine that she's thinking, Seriously? You're making me do this AGAIN?

I didn't find these particularly frame or valentine card-worthy, but Katie was able to get a few cute ones even though Amelia was so over it. Of course, still no smiles.

I got these precious butterfly wings at the dollar store and we just had to take pics with them. Poor girl had a runny nose and just was not in the mood! We will try again with them when I'm able to be home with her during her happy morning time. She is usually worn out from all her daycare activities and doesn't want to do photo shoots in the evenings. I guess I don't blame her. I don't feel like taking pics at the end of the day either.

This is the pic we used for her Valentines, as a few of you saw when you got yours in the mail. I realized after the cards were printed that she looks like she has fat rolls but really it's Katie's fingers holding her. I love a chubby baby, but mine isn't as chubby as these pics make her look, ha.

And finally, it has happened. I know I have said it before and I'll say it again. There is no such thing as a bow too big. However, I think we've found one that is just a little over the top.

AHHH! Isn't it awesome?! I showed it to Cliff and he told me to take that ridiculous thing off our baby's head. LOL. I got it from a friend as a gift right after she was born and I've tried it on her so many times hoping that it would work. Alas, her head is still too small. I'm not sure if it'll ever be big enough to justify this hair accessory!

Her shirt says "Future Heart Breaker." Ha. I'm not a big fan of message tees for my baby, but I couldn't resist this one for Valentine's Day. These were taken on the actual holiday last Saturday.After taking a few photos, I scaled it down to a normal-sized bow. But I think she liked her purple one better.

More Valentine's stuff coming up next. Guest blogger Aunt Katie will chronicle how she and Amelia spent Valentine's night while Mommy and Daddy went out.

My sweet Valentine

"I have found the one whom my soul loves."

Song of Solomon 3:4

I'm not one for PDA, or gushing all about how great my husband is. I know people who do that, and sometimes I think it's an act to try to convince themselves and others that they are happier than they actually are. Cliff has always made a point to tell me how much he loves me, but I don't usually put my feelings into words as well as he does. My love language is more about doing things to show him my love than saying it.

Nothing wrong with that, but I thought I'd mix it up and dedicate this post to my Valentine for the last 8 years. Wow, it's so hard to believe that we've been loving each other this long. We will celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary in June. We were just 19 year old kids in college when we started dating, and now we are grown-ups with jobs, a baby, and a mortgage, ha.

I'm sure it's typical to put your marriage on hold for a while when you have a baby. She becomes the center of the universe (and rightfully so). I know I've been guilty of neglecting alone time with Cliff either because I'm tired, busy or just focused on Amelia. But tomorrow night we're going to leave Amelia with Aunt Katie and go out on a date together. I will hate leaving my girl, but I am so looking forward to hanging out with my husband. Basketball has kept him away a lot for the last few months, so that has made it even harder to spend time together. We were friends before we started dating, and I feel lucky that we are still best friends today. I miss him when we haven't had time to spend just hanging out being friends.

I know I take for granted how lucky I am to have Cliff. He was always a boyfriend unlike my friends' boyfriends, and today he is a different husband than a lot that I know. He has always been a little mushy about telling me how much he loves and adores me. He was pretty romantic about getting me flowers and presents and always writing me sweet notes pledging his undying love when we were dating. Well, the years have gone by, and I may not get flowers, gifts or love notes as often, but he does still go out of his way to show and tell me how much he cares.


Today I was exhausted from a busy work week and I was ready to just get home and snuggle with Amelia, but I knew I had a messy house waiting for me. When I got home, I was surprised to find a clean house and the sweetest card he has ever written for me. His appreciation and respect for me as a mother to Amelia trumps all the other sappy cards he ever got me. That was better than any bouquet of flowers I could have gotten. (However, I won't hate it if he has flowers for me tomorrow.)


I wanted to show a few of our photos throughout the years, but then I remembered that we dated during the age of having your film "developed," and I don't have many pics on the computer. It's too late to go borrow Katie's scanner. But I'll still share a few of my favorites.


This is one of our engagement photos we had taken before our wedding in 2005.



Here we are hiking in the Ozarks a couple of years ago.
This is one of my favorite wedding photos. It was shot before the wedding. I'm not sure what we were saying, but I think Cliff might have been telling me how pretty I looked. He always makes me feel pretty, even when I am having a fat day. (Been having a lot of those since Miss Amelia came into our lives! :)


Another wedding pic.
On our honeymoon in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. This makes me excited about our cruise in June!One of my favorite pics ever. He was so proud to meet his sweet girl. I've given him a hard time for being such an absentee dad during basketball season, but I know that he is crazy about his baby girl and hates being away from us. He has already shown that he is not afraid to do diapers or anything else that she needs. He is an amazing father, and I know Amelia is going to be a daddy's girl like I was. Who am I kidding, I still am!


We have already been through so much in our short time together. From losing a parent, losing friends, to losing our first baby, the happy times outweigh the sad by far. I'm so thankful that God brought us together. Happy Valentine's Day to my sweet Cliffy! I love you, and I am looking forward to raising our precious family and growing old together.

A few videos

Still no luck on the rolling over. Amelia has gotten very very close to doing it at home, but no success yet. I don't think she's done it again at school. If she has, Ms. Stacy isn't telling me! I'm not one of those moms who doesn't want to know when my baby has "firsts" at daycare. I hate missing things, but I definitely want to know so I can document it.

Today Amelia got a day off of school and got to hang out with her Grammy (my mom). Grammy took her to visit Maw Maw and Paw Paw (my grandparents) and my brother, Uncle Jeremy got in on some of the playtime. I'm glad they got to spend some time together.

We spent the better part of this evening hanging out in the crib playing and trying to capture her trying to roll over. Actually it started when I put her in her crib for a nap, but then I came in to hear her talking to herself and trying to roll over. I blew off several hours just watching her and trying to get some of the cuteness on video. My memory card kept filling up just as she would be getting ready to show out.

I got her trying to roll over in one clip and talking to Uncle Chris in another. Amelia likes the sound of a kiss and the anticipation of you coming towards her more than the actual kiss. I had to make kissy noises with her little bunny to get her to smile and talk. I realize how ridiculous I look and sound when doing things such as this, but don't knock it until you are trying to get a kid to smile and laugh! Cliff and I both have sunk to new lows of silliness to hear that sweet little laugh. It has been a while since Uncle Chris and Aunt Kathryn have seen her, so she wanted to give you guys a shout out so you'd see how big she has gotten. See you guys soon!

First week of college and already learning new tricks!

Ms. Stacy informed me yesterday when I went to pick up Amelia that she rolled over for the first time! I had mixed emotions- first I wanted to cry because I missed her first big milestone, but then I was so happy and proud of her accomplishment. I'm so amazed at how she develops new skills almost weekly. She is just growing and changing so fast.


I hoped she would do it again at home last night, but she was so pooped out from performing at daycare, that she took a 2 hour nap when we got home, then woke up for a bottle and then went back to sleep for the night! It's hard to just let her hang out on the floor by herself when we're home with her. We just end up holding her and playing with her. But I've got to see this new trick for myself.


These are just a couple of pics I took a couple of weeks ago. She was laughing and smiling on her boppy, then of course when I tried to get a pic, she gives me the blank stare in the second photo.


It has finally happened. I knew it would. I have not had as much time to take pics and there have been several days when there is no photographic evidence of Amelia! For the longest time, there was a photo taken every single day of her life. Tragically, I've been a slacker on this the last couple of weeks. I promise to do better.

These days she is just crazy about her daddy. She smiles at everything he says. If I can catch him home long enough, I will have to do a little photo shoot of him making her smile and laugh. Maybe I can even get a pic of her doing her newest rolling over trick!

Bathrobe, Miss America, and first day of school

We survived the first week of our new life. Me, as a working mom, and Amelia as a college student! We both did surprisingly well. We have really enjoyed our weekend. I've barely left the house. Cliff and I have both spent most of our time just loving on our sweet girl. Not getting to spend all day every day with her makes me appreciate my time with her so much more.

Amelia seems to like her teacher, Ms. Stacy. I wanted to take their pic together last week, but I didn't want Ms. Stacy to think I'm a nerd. Thought I'd at least wait a couple of weeks before I let her see the real me. But she is very sweet to Amelia and the other 4 babies in her class. Soon I will take a pic of her with her new friends. Although I am sad that we can't spend all day together, I'm glad that Amelia will have friends her age at school, and will get a chance to learn important lessons like sharing and being kind to others. At least I hope that's what she learns at daycare. She'll probably pick up a few not-so-sweet life lessons too!

Here are a few of our recent photos.

All bundled up for a trip to Wal-Mart with Mommy on a cold day. I failed to capture a photo of the meltdown she had in Wal-Mart when she woke up and realized she was hot with a hat and blanket on. I ended up carrying her and pushing the buggy. One of the joys of being a mother! It was funny seeing the sympathetic looks I got from other moms who have obviously been there.
Cute and cuddly in her robe and slippers after a bath.

Watching Miss America in our pjs. Hopefully this will be the first of many more girly nights to come. We had fun talking about whose hair was too big, whose dress was tacky (what's up with winners in long sleeves 2 years in a row?), and of course scrutinizing everyone in the swimsuit competition! What a shame Mississippi won in swimsuit and didn't even make Top 15. We were robbed! When she is older we will discuss the importance of inner beauty, but this year we were pretty catty, ha.

I also have to point out how much Amelia loves American Idol! It is definitely her favorite show. We're ready for the competition to actually begin. She also likes watching ESPN with daddy. Ok, really she is just fascinated with tv, and these are the shows that are on for her to watch. We are going to have to cut down her tv viewing to an hour a day.

Here we are all packed up and ready to leave for our first day of school! Check out her tiny backpack.

A reminder to family- if you want to order any photos from her 3 month shoot with Lindey, go here in the next week or so. All of the photos will be available to choose from at the end of the year, but I'm not sure if this gallery will come down in the meantime. Remember to click on the photography site, client viewing, and the password is 'amelia.' I would love feedback on your faves! I want to order a few for now, and then decide on big stuff at the end of her one year session, but I am having a hard time choosing.