Baby's First Christmas

We had a great Christmas! We began our celebration with Grandad and Nona on Christmas Eve. Genevieve had a great time opening her first presents of the season. She figured out quite quickly that biting the wrapping paper off was the most amusing way to open her presents.

On Christmas morning, Genevieve was so excited to see what Santa brought her!
After opening presents at our house, we then traveled to Yaya and Papa's house for a wonderful brunch. Genevieve had a fabulous time playing with Austin!

We ended our Christmas Day festivities by traveling to Sumter to visit Mammy, Pappy, and Grandmammy. Somehow my camera missed all of the action so I don't have any pictures from our time in Sumter. All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas with our little angel.

1 More Day Until...

Family Traditions

During my first year of college, I learned something very interesting during one of my psychology classes. Childhood family traditions can sometimes be a source of confusion when you become an adult.

The example the professor used was that he and his wife would often walk around little shops in town. As they would walk by the windows, his wife would peak in and point out all of the items that she wanted. Weeks later, during one of their outings my professor’s wife commented on something she wanted from one of the stores. With growing frustration, my professor snapped and told his wife that there was no way they could afford all of the things she wanted. With a shocked look, the wife told my professor that she did not expect to actually own any of the items.

After a short conversation, the pair realized that when the wife was a young girl, she and her family would go window shopping through the streets of a small town. They would pick out all of the things they “wanted” fully understanding that they would never actually purchase the items. On the other hand, my professor’s family was a bit different. When he was young, if he and his family went to a store that meant they were going to buy something. They never walked around to browse stores just for the fun of it.

Therefore, during my professor and wife’s little walks through town each adult was reacting the way their family traditions had taught them to react. However, since their traditions were so different, mass confusion ensued.

Now that I have a child I am eager to begin our own family traditions. After conversing with my partner-in-crime, we have come to realize that our individual family traditions differ a bit. You see, Santa was always an important figure in my house around the holidays. In hubby’s house—not so much. So now it is our job to meld our two traditions into one for our beautiful daughter. Whatever we decide to do for our new family tradition there will be no confusing the fact that no gift Santa brings could ever compare to the original gift that began this glorious season. God gave us the greatest gift of all when he sent His Son, our Savior, JESUS CHRIST to this world.

Christmas Pictures

We finally had a chance to get Genevieve's Christmas pictures taken. Unfortunately, nothing turned out the way I had hoped. Oh well...such is life (and I am glad about that)!

I ordered her adorable outfit from a very creative woman who sells her stuff on etsy.com. Unfortunately, the outfit is slightly too big.




Then, when we arrived for our portrait appointment we realized that we had been assigned to a male photographer. He was an amazing person, with the patience of a saint; however, Genevieve is not so fond of men. In fact, I'm fairly confident that she thought he was her doctor. Needless to say, our sweet, happy baby showed her little hiney the entire time. He had to work hard just to get a couple of decent pictures. And, wouldn't ya know it, as soon as we walked out of the studio, our exuberant baby returned!



The Santa picture should be loads of fun!

Eight Months Old

Genevieve, you're EIGHT months old!

• You still wear 6-9 months clothes and size 3 diapers.
• You weigh 18 pounds.
• Your hair has really started to come in this month. It appears that you are going to be a little blonde baby just like your daddy was.
• You love to go places! It doesn't matter where we go--restaurants, grandparent's houses, craft shows, grocery stores--you love being around people.
• You are such a good baby. As long as you have someone or something to study, you are the happiest baby in the world.
• You are a side sleeper! When we put you in your crib you immediately roll to your side, snuggle with Lovey, and go to sleep. Cutest. Thing. Ever.
• You have been sick with one thing or another every week since the middle of September (darn daycare). The latest illness was "not RSV but something like it." Seriously--that was the official diagnosis. You had to use a nebulizer for several days and you were such a trooper. Thanks Aunt Cameron for the great tip about the bouncy seat in front of the TV!
• 
• Your favorite letter right now is "d" so of course you say "dada" all the live long day! You've only uttered "mama" a handful of times and the majority of those times were when you were crying. Daddy thinks it is loads of fun when I tell you to say "mama" and you immediately say "dada." Awesome.
• Everytime you see Layla you say dog!! Well, you really say "dod" but I know you mean "dog"--mother's intuition, you see.
• After a few weeks of sneaking fruit into your veggies, you now eat fruit all by itself. Also new this month--PUFFS! You love to feed yourself, but I think you might like to tease the dog with your food a little more.
• You've become quite the rolling machine this month. You have realized that you can move from place to place just by rolling. Who needs to crawl when you can roll?
• Since you decided to enter this world a little earlier than expected, you have officially been "out" longer than you were "in." My, my, where has the time gone?

Fight for Preemies

"Every year, 20 million babies are born too soon, too small and very sick--half a million of them in the United States. November 17 is when we fight." *

This month is Prematurity Awareness Month and today, November 17, is Fight for Preemies Day.

This issue is very close to my heart because my dear Genevieve was born 5 1/2 weeks too soon. We didn't have any advanced warning that she was going to arrive early; and to this day we still don't quite understand why she was born early.

I was very unprepared when it came to being a mom to a preemie. In all of my pregnancy books, there was an obligatory "Premature Birth" chapter, but I just knew that my child would not be a preemie. No sir, not my child. So what did I do? I skipped those chapters, of course!

However, in the first nine days of Genevieve's life I learned more about prematurity that I ever cared to learn. I watched her monitors like a hawk. I knew what every number on that machine meant. I knew what the alarms sounded like. I began to learn the difference between an ok-alarm and a not-so-ok-alarm. I watched as my daughter had apnea episodes in which she briefly stopped breathing. I watched as my daughter had bradycardia episodes in which her heart rate dropped. I watched as my daughter's lips turned blue for a brief moment.

I watched and I learned.

We are very blessed that after only nine days in the hospital Genevieve was able to come home. And after one month she was able to come off of her breathing and heart rate monitor. However, we are painfully aware that many families are not blessed with such a happy story.

The March of Dimes is committed to saving babies from premature births by funding research to find the causes. Premature birth is a crisis in our country and we need to come together to help these babies. Please consider making a donation to The March of Dimes in Genevieve's name.

On this day, November 17th, we fight for preemies--because they shouldn't have to.

Click here to donate in Genevieve's name.

*Bloggers Unite: Fight for Preemies

Wordless Wednesday

Seven Months Old

Genevieve, you're SEVEN months old!

What are you up to these days?

• You weigh 17 pounds 12 ounces which is between the 50th and 75th percentile.
  
• You are 26 1/2 inches long which is between the 50th and 75th percentile.
• Your head is 17 inches around, which is between the 75th and 90th percentile. You definitely got that from your mommy!
• You are still wearing a size 3 diaper.
• You wear 6-9 months clothing.
• You love to jump!
• You can roll over both ways! Although, sometimes you forget exactly how you have to move your body in order to roll.
• You can sit up! I told you one day that it was time for you to learn how to sit up and the next day, you did it. You follow directions so well. You love being able to sit up because it allows you to finally play with your feet.
• You are very patient and laid back. Mommy and Daddy are very grateful for that, but it makes us a little scared to think how your future brother or sister will act. I hear it is almost impossible to have two easy babies in a row!
  
• You love books. We lie next to each other and read every night before bed and you enjoy it so much. We usually read Goodnight Moon, but Daddy says we need to find a different book. It is a bit random, but it's a childhood classic so I think we'll keep it for a while.
• You still love vegetables. Fruit--not so much! You are really not a fan of any type of fruit, but the other day I figured out that if I put a little bit of bananas on the spoon and then filled the spoon with peas, you would eat it. Weirdo!
• You are such a happy baby. You have grown developmentally by leaps and bounds this past month. We love you very much!

The Day Target Ruined Halloween

I am apparently the worst mom ever, but I blame this on Target.

You see, I wanted my baybee to be a precious little ladybug for her first Halloween. I purchased a darling little costume at Target and then the morning of Halloween I realized that my darling little lady did not fit into the darling little ladybug costume. Apparently, Target sells these costumes with tags on them that tell mommies and daddies exactly how tall and how heavy the baby can be and still fit in said costume. The only problem is the mommies and daddies must actually read the tag.

No need to fear, I can sew. And by sew, I mean rip two juicy, thigh-sized holes in the bottom of the darn thing!

Fail.

Mega-fail.

You see, the juicy baby thighs fit through the holes, but my baby—she is a plump one.

No need to fear, surely Target still has Halloween costumes!

So, before when I said that I wanted my precious little baybee to be a darling little ladybug for Halloween, I really meant I wanted her to be a plump little pumpkin.

Really I did. Honestly.

This time, I was a smart cookie and I actually read the tag to make sure that my plump little pumpkin would fit into her costume. She would.

Fail.

Mega-fail.

Not. Even. Close.

Desperate to begin creating our family traditions, I called my sister Danika for some advice. My brother-in-law suggested wrapping her in tin foil and calling her leftovers.

GENIUS.

But, Ben would not allow me to do that. Something about child abuse.

So my precious little one did not get to dress up for her first Halloween. I think this entitles me to a Target Gift Card—or more appropriately named, a We-Are-Sorry-We-Robbed-You-And-Your-Family-Of-Precious-Memories Card.

Target, you are on my list.

Roly Poly

Genevieve (finally) decided to roll completely over from back to tummy today!!!

She has been working on rolling over for weeks. Recently she has been doing a semi-roll so that her knees and tummy are completely flat on the floor, but when she would try to put her shoulder down she would end up lurching herself back onto her back. However, she realized today that if she picks her head up then she can actually put her shoulder on the floor!

She spent her entire early evening catnap practicing her new skill so by dinnertime she was absolutely exhausted. She ate the majority of her dinner with her eyes closed which made for a very messy evening!
Unfortunately, Ben has been in Charlotte all day on a business trip so he missed her first roll. But that's ok; something tells me that she will be glad to show him her new trick all night long. Who needs to sleep anyway? Rolling over is totally awesome!

Family Weekend

Genevieve, Ben, and I had a wonderful family weekend.

First, we got to spend a wonderful Saturday afternoon hanging out with our neighbors and watching lots of football. Here is our little Gamecock!Today, we made our way to Magnolia Gardens. It was a beautiful day and Genevieve absolutely loved spending time outdoors taking in the new scenery. She even got to see a peacock walk right by her stroller while she was eating her yummy peas. I was less than thrilled about that though; birds and I don't mix well, especially when they start eying my baybee!

Genevieve had such a blast! In fact, she was rather upset with us when we put her in the car to go home. Apparently, she was not finished looking at all of the pretty flowers, animals, and people!

Great friends. Wonderful family.
Life is Good!

6 Months Old

Genevieve, you're SIX months old!!!!
What are you up to these days?

• You weigh 16 pounds and 12 ounces.
• You are still wearing a size 3 diaper.
• You wear 6-9 months clothes.
• You are such a happy baby (except when you have an ear infection, or a cold, or are teething...)
• You love to hear Mommy sing. We sing together on the way to daycare everyday. There have been a few days when you really get into singing and I can hardly hear myself. I love it!
• You recently had your first weekend beach trip. Unfortunately, you experienced your first ear infection on that trip. Mommy and Daddy didn't know what to do, but luckily your Yaya, Aunt Cameron, and Aunt Addie came to the rescue (thank you!!). Yaya even spent the entire night holding and bouncing you. Thank you, Yaya!
• You are a good eater. You love carrots, sweet peas, green beans, and sweet potatoes. Now that you've tasted "real" food, you refuse to eat rice cereal!
• You are very stubborn when it comes to rolling over. You will roll all the way over onto your tummy, but you stop short of lifting your head and moving your shoulder. You are getting so close!
  
• You just recently learned how to blow raspberries. Here is a video of the first time you realized you can blow raspberries. You have grown much more adroit with your newfound skill in the past week.

• You amaze Mommy and Daddy everyday; we can't believe that six months have already gone by. We are so blessed to be your parents. We love you more than words can say!

5 Months Old

Genevieve, you're FIVE months old!
What are you up to?

• You weigh almost 15 pounds.
• You are 24 3/4 inches long.
• You are still wearing a size 3 diaper.
• You are wearing size 3-6 months clothing.
  
• You love to talk. And by talk, I mean YELL! Apparently, you are in love with the sound of your voice. I can't blame you though; I'm in love with it too!
• You've been in daycare for about a month now. You have already learned so much just by watching the other children. After five days in daycare, you finally figured out how to hold your head up while you are on your tummy.
• Now that you know I'm not trying to suffocate you when I put you on your tummy, you are trying really hard to roll over. You are almost there!
• Your eyes are still big, beautiful, and blue!
• You no longer have to be swaddled to go to sleep. Now you get to wear the cute footed pajamas since you aren't snuggled up in a blanket.
• I am amazed at how much you have developed over the past month!
• You are seriously teething now. Mommy and Daddy aren't getting much sleep because of it, but I imagine it is much more annoying for you.
• You are extremely ticklish...especially on your little bottom!
• You make Mommy and Daddy laugh and smile everyday.
• You love eating rice cereal as long as it is the kind with mixed fruit in it.
• You love watching the bright colors on TV.
• You love looking at yourself in the mirror. There's always a very pretty little girl staring back at you!
  
• Blue's Clues is awesome! You love your new friend, Steve. You have grand conversations with him.
  
• We can't believe how much you've grown.
• We love you more than words can say!

4 Months Old

Genevieve, you're four months old today!!

What are you up to these days?

• You weigh roughly 14 pounds (according to the bathroom scale, which isn't the most accurate thing in the world).
• You are 24 inches long...I think. You are pretty hard to get stretched out long enough to measure.
• You are wearing a size 3 diaper.
• You wear 3-6 months clothing. The plain 'ole 3 months outfits don't fit anymore. Neither do the 6-9 months Gerber onesies...
• You tried to roll over a few times (with just a little help from Mommy), but when you figured out that you were rolling over onto your tummy you decided it wasn't worth it!
• Your eyes are still blue with a light blue ring around the pupil. When you look into the sunlight, the ring looks like a light green. Although, the other day, our friends said your eyes looked purple. Interesting, to say the least!
• You've gotten into a pretty good sleeping pattern. You go to bed around 8 p.m., I feed you right before I go to bed around 10:30, and you sleep until 7-ish.
• You have discovered that you have things on the end of your legs, called feet. However, your rolls prevent you from actually touching these delicious things. Just like your daddy, you are not very "bendy."
• You have been sleeping in your own room for several days now. You are still trying to adjust--a couple times during the night you call for me and Daddy, just to make sure we're still here. I adore these middle of the night greetings as much as the next sleep deprived mommy, but when I go back to work I'm not sure how I'll feel about them. So, I'm hoping you will feel secure enough by then to be able to sleep through the night again. You have 5 days, kiddo!
• You make Mommy and Daddy laugh and laugh and laugh!
• You are extremely camera shy! I have been trying everyday for the past three weeks to catch you talking on camera, but as soon as I pull out the camera you stop talking and stare intently at the camera. I get it though--it's a bright, shiny object--very interesting!
• You still find your hands fascinating and YUMMY! You have now figured out how to put your fingers in your mouth to sooth yourself.
• You have a birth mark on your right thigh. Mommy thinks it is cute...and she definitely did not try to scrub it off, thinking it was dirt!
• You still have the cutest smile in the world.
• Mommy has enjoyed spending the past four months at home with you. Soon we will enter the next chapter of our lives. I'm sure you will be a very big girl, and adjust well to the changes. I will try to be a big girl!
• You still love being swaddled when you go to sleep. But when I go into to check on you, this is what you look like:
• You have good head control now. You can sit fairly well while supported.
• You love watching Mommy and Daddy cook.
  
• You have just recently become ticklish.
  
• You love to talk! You are constantly experimenting--you move your mouth in different ways just to see what kind of sound will come out of it.
• I can't believe how much you've grown!

Southern Hospitality

Ellen Howe is looking to rent a shed. She called my house last night and left a message listing her needs. Impressively, she used the word "y'all" three times within a 20 second time frame. Before she hung up she promised to call back in the morning.

Ellen Howe is looking to rent a shed. As promised, Ellen called again this morning. She left another message. Trying to appeal to my business sense, she reminded me that she had referred several people to my shed-renting company in the past, but now she is calling for herself. Ellen is apparently great for business...too bad she has the wrong number.

Ellen Howe is looking to rent a shed. She called again. This time she didn't have to speak to a machine. I answered the phone and listened patiently to her shed needs. Slightly embarrassed for her that I let her carry on without interrupting, I finally said, "Umm, I think you have the wrong number."

Why did I feel the need to not embarrass her? I think she has the wrong number? No--I know she has the wrong number. Southern hospitality at its finest, I suppose.

Perhaps due to my sheepish tone, Ellen Howe--who is looking to rent a shed--asks, "Are you sure I have the wrong number?"

Yes--I'm quite sure.

She then proceeds to call out my phone number and ask me if that is the number she dialed.

Yes--I suppose it is.

She clearly is baffled. She wants to interrogate me further, but decides that will be of no use. "Thanks anyway," she says as she reluctantly hangs up.

Ellen Howe is looking to rent a shed. Another call. I answer, this time wondering if she will recognize my voice.

No--she does not.

She lists her needs once more. Again, I listen patiently, not wanting to seem rude. When she finishes making her shed needs known to me now for the fourth time, I say, "You still have the wrong number."

"Do I really?"

The sarcastic side of me wants to notify Ellen--who is looking to rent a shed--that, shockingly, I did not change my phone number in the last 30 minutes. But, instead, I politely reply, "Yes ma'am."

I wonder if Ellen Howe is still looking to rent a shed?

Testing...Testing...1, 2, 3

Let's Play a Game!

You're freezing...

Getting warmer...

Warmer still...

Cold, cold, cold...

You're on fire!
Ding, ding! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner (sort of)!Practice Makes Perfect!

~~Please excuse the blurry pictures. I guess it was kind of hard for Ben to take a good picture when *ahem* someone kept jumping up and down and hitting him on the shoulder all while shouting, "Take a picture, take a picture!" I wonder who that could have been?