Change of seasons

Halloween is over. Thanksgiving is over.  Iron bowl is over.  You know what that means...the seasons have officially changed.  It's winter and time to get the christmas decorations out of the attic and get this house twinkling pretty!  I had a couple of helpers...

It isn't the assembly of the tree, it the failure of the pre-lit lights that's what's so frustrating!

Bella helped me put ornaments on the tree this year. She did a great job except she didn't understand that you have to spread the ornaments out, not put them all on one branch!

That one little branch had all it could take when they all came tumbling down.

We took a break when Aunt KK came over with some early gifts.

For mommy (and Bella)

For Lucy

Book for Bella

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Stuffed

I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!  I spent Thanksgiving with Jacob's side of the family.  Lunch was delicious to say the least.  I love getting together with family.  We eat until we are stuffed and then lounge with our bellies over-full and our eyes only half open, fighting a nap.  I have great admiration for those who host & cook Thanksgiving!  If I were in charge of it...oh...I just can't even imagine!  I carried my little hash brown casserole and hoped everyone would enjoy it.  I can't imagine cooking all the biggies!  Unfortunately I didn't get many pictures.  I'll blame it on, there was either a baby/fork in my hand or I was fighting to keep my eye lids open.  

Nana talking to Lucy

My little turkey

After we got home, I got to take my nap.  Then my mama, sisters and I went Black Friday shopping (even though it started Thursday night).  We hit a few stores, bought several christmas gifts, saved lots of money and had so much fun!!  We got home around around 3am. The highlight of the night was when it took us 10 minutes to figure out how to get all of our goodies in the car and Lindsay and Caitlin had to sit on the folded down back seat, with things in their lap that stretched from window to window.  During the time when we were trying to figure out our how-to-fit-all-our-oversized-gifts-in puzzle, there was a man patiently waiting for our buggie.  This Black Friday wasn't my most successful ever, but I got a lot and had fun!  I'm sure I'll be out in the madness again next year!

We spent Saturday cheering for the Tide!  It was a great rivalry match-up if I do say so myself.  Alabama put a whooping on Auburn. 42-14.

Sunday was fairly lazy, but I did get started decorating!  I'm finishing up today!  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

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Thankful

Today I am thankful.  Thankful for a God who'll never leave me or forsake me.  The God that I can pray to at any time and He calms & comforts me.  Thankful for this life, for my amazing, loving husband, for my vibrant, beautiful Bella and for my tiny, lovely Lucy.  I'm thankful for a family who loves me.  I am thankful for friends and laughter.  Thankful for a job that I enjoy and for co-workers that I love to be around.  Thankful for this wonderful home, where these priceless memories are made.  I'm thankful for my health.  Thankful for a maternity leave that allows me to lounge in the bed with my girls every morning and take naps with my newborn.  I'm thankful for get-togethers, big or small, for fellowship and good food and funny stories. Thankful for this holiday to remind me of what I'm thankful for.  I'm thankful to those with a pure heart, good intentions, kind spirits, genuine smiles.  I'm thankful for my memory.  I don't ever want to forget how good life is right now.

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Imperfect

Ya know what gets on my nerves...is when people portray themselves as being perfect. Having the perfect marriage, with the perfect kids, in the perfect home, enjoying the perfect life.  When I started this blog I wanted to keep it real (Brynn will laugh because I said 'keepin it real'.   Haha!).  So I want to announce to everyone how real I am...

• I am a horrible cook.  I do not enjoy it because my meals turn out burnt or dried out or just yucky!
• My house is 80% of the time covered in toys and I've come to just accept it and only pick up at night...sometimes.
• I love to take naps.  So much that I've become a bit lazy while on maternity leave.
• I do not like to eat healthy.  I don't care about eating organic or the proper servings of vegetables.  I love eating candy and all other sweets!
• I don't really like to exercise that much either!  
• I'm 20 pounds overweight and my desire to take naps and eat candy isn't helping things!
• My amazing husband and I can get snappy with each other occasionally.  But at least we always fight fair, never name-calling!
• My beautiful Bella can be super whiny and clingy at times.
• My lovely, little Lucy that smells like an angel after her baths, smells like spit up and poop before her bath.  
• Since becoming a mommy of 2, I usually don't brush my teeth until after 10am.  I smell like spit up and poop by the end of the day too.  And by the time Jacob gets home, I'm sure he's less than impressed with the appearance of his wife.
• I really love to host parties and get-togethers at my house, but no matter how much preparation I do, 1 hour before the party, I'm always one big ball of stress and in freak-out mode!
• No matter what people say, my body will never get used to getting up at 5am to go to work.
• I want beautiful gardens (without having to work on them).
• People do and say kind things to me often and I feel like I never return the favors.  I forget birthdays and anniversaries.
• I'm usually late and people have to wait on me. (I'm sorry.  I really hate that about myself!)
• We are in debt, trying hard to get out, so we can put in a pool=more debt.  When will we ever learn?!
• I wish I had really pretty handwriting, I don't!
• I'm a worrier.  Worrying about the smallest of things.
• I wish I had a talent that I could be paid for.   Like a little side job (that would make us rich).
• I don't read books, unless Nicholas Sparks wrote it or Bella asks me to read a book with her.
• I try to be organized and I think I am, but Jacob would tell you otherwise!
• I'm ridiculously impatient.  When I am excited about something I obsess over it!

The list could go on and on, but Lucy just pooped.  So it's time to end this post and carry on with my wonderfully blessed and imperfect life...

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In the tub

Lucy's cord fell off, so we finally got to put her in the baby tub.  She was pretty happy in there.  I had enough time to snap a few pictures.

Then...she pooped!  Her very 1st baby-tub experience was a nasty one!  So, I had to take her out & wash her in the sink which she didn't think was near as leisurely.  She screamed her head off for the 3 minutes it took for me to clean her good.  As soon as I picked her up, she grabbed my hair with both hands & held on for dear life. You can't really tell in the pictures, but I'm sure that if I would've let her go, she could've dangled off my hair, she was gripping me so tight.  Bless her heart!

But as pitiful as her 1st experienced turned out, this story has a happy ending.  After comforting her & telling her she was ok, she calmed down & quickly went to sleep.

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8 days old

When Lucy was 8 days old, we got newborn pictures made of her.  These are my favorites...

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In His time

My best friend, Brynn, has had a long, emotional 2 and a half years struggle with infertility.  As I went through my pregnancies, it was such bitter sweet feeling of being so happy for myself, but so desperately wanting her to experience the joys of pregnancy and motherhood too.  A while back, we spent the day together and had a wonderful time.

Sweet card from Brynn

Brynn bought Lucy a sweet little gift.

There was another little card on top of the shoes...

Her time has FINALLY come.  Brynn is pregnant!  This is something that we've talked about for so long and it's now reality!  Thousands of prayers have been answered.  I teared up with such joy.  I cannot stop smiling!  This is such an amazing feeling knowing that she will be blessed!  She will be one of the pregnant girls that will be vomiting, but happy...have horrible heartburn, but thankful...having strong contractions, but rejoicing.  

We ate lunch and had a pedicure.  We never stopped smiling, talking and dreaming of her pregnancy, her little baby and her future.  

Congratulations Brynn, I love you!


Make sure to check her blog later for pregnancy updates!

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I'm Alive & Well

I guess this is the week of videos.  Jacob might kill me for this one, but it is too precious not to share.  While on maternity leave, I have a long, overdue To-Do list.  One of those things that I'm working on this week is getting all the movies off the video camera & our phones and putting them on DVDs.  I came across this one and it just melted my heart.  I know exactly when it was...it was the day after Halloween because Jacob still had on his fake tattoo.  (He was a redneck, sporting the Mississippi mudflap hair).

Bella was 10 months when she had her 1st dance with the man that loves her more than anyone ever can:

Happy 2 weeks, Lucy!

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Bella singing her ABCs...kinda

Bella singing her ABCs (kinda) at 22 months old.  Lucy is 10 days old.

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Cutie Quick Clip - Bella wants Lucy's hat on!!

This is when Bella met Lucy for the 1st time.
Bella is 22 months old in this video and still learning how to handle babies.  

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It was LOVE at 1st Sight for these sisters

This is the video of when Bella met Lucy for the 1st time.  It's a little lengthy, but completely precious!  

I am so happy that we caught this sweet moment on the cameras.

The bond between sisters are irreplaceable and by the looks of things so far, they will have that close relationship that I share with my sisters.  I'm sure they will have days of fussing and fighting, but many more days of laughter, joy and appreciation.  I'm so glad that these two will have each other!

Lucy-10 days old                              Bella-22 months old 

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Lucy's 1 week old

Our Lovely little Lucy is one week old.  What a wonderful week it has been!  I have decided that there is no softer feeling on this earth than newborn skin on your lips.  I have given this angel hundreds of kisses so far & plan on thousands more!

On Friday, the day after delivery, we requested to go home.  Our care at the hospital had been excellent, but we were ready to get settled in at home and rest in our bed.  Lucy and I were healthy, with no risk factors to be overly concerned about, so the doctors gave the discharge orders.  We waited on all of our blood work came back normal.   We got the go-ahead around 3.  Jacob had everything loaded on the cart in about 10 minutes and we were rolling to the car.

 We wrote in her baby book.

 We talked about how tiny she is...

 I sat in the backseat and stared at her the whole way home.

When we got home, we had a very excited little girl waiting on us.  When Bella saw Lucy she lit up and couldn't hide her big smile!

Lucy's wreath that I made...yes I'm proud!

Lucy settled in for her 1st night at home.  Let's say that I didn't sleep much this 1st night.  I wanted to sit up and watch her.  Every little wimpier she made, I sat up to look at her.  She was fine...all night she was just fine.  I hate how much of a worrier that I am sometimes.  However, Jacob let me sleep extra late while him and Bella played and did projects around the house.

 Every morning when Bella wakes up she asks "Where's Lucy?!?"  And she is not happy until she finds her, as soon as she sees her, Bella smiles so big!

 We put her "Roll Tide" outfit on for the game.

 Jacob is the best husband and dad anyone could ask for.  I deeply loved him the day we got married, but I am so in love with him today!  He loves his girls so much.  He has taken wonderful care of us!  Preparing meals, bathing Bella, letting me sleep and nap everyday.  I couldn't ask for any better man to be sharing this life with!  He is one reason this blog is named Amazing Love.  That is what we share...is an Amazing Love!

 I'm learning how the love you have for your children multiply, it doesn't divide.  My lap has to accommodate 2 sweet babies now.

 We went to see our pediatrician, Dr Sawyer for a weight check.

She's such a good little eater, only losing 1 ounce!

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