Five Years

Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without.
~James C. Dobson

These have been the best five years of my life. Here's to many, many more!
I love you, babe!




*This picture is from our first anniversary...I can't seem to find the honeymoon pictures what with all of the baby pictures taking over my computer!

The Loves of My Life

We've had a busy day!


God has blessed me.

Post-Nap Routine

Step 1:
Frantically call for Mommy. Give her a sweet smile when she walks in so she can't be mad at me even though I'm waking up after only 45 minutes.

Step 2:
Streeeettttch!

Step 3:

Roll from side to side enjoying the glorious freedom that comes from being un-swaddled.

Step 4:
Chill out and listen to Mommy have a conversation about how she knows I'm still tired.

Step 5:

Turn toward the window and say "Hello Mr. Sunshine!" Then proceed to talk to Mommy and tell her that I know she must be doing something exciting while I'm sleeping and I demand to be part of the fun!

Step 6: Mommy, you're boring. I'm tired...

3 Months Old

Genevieve, you're three months old today!

What are you up to?

• You weigh 12 pounds 14 ounces.
  
• You are 22 3/4 inches long.
• You are in the 50th percentile for both weight and height. You're all caught up...no more preemie charts!
• You wear a size 2 diaper.
• You wear 3-6 month clothes. Although, you wear 6-9 month Gerber onesies.
  
• Your eyes are blue with a light blue/gray ring around the pupil.
• You sleep between 6 and 7 hours at night. Although you did have one awesome night where you slept for 9 hours!!
• You sleep in your big girl crib during the day. You are still sleeping in your bassinet in Mommy and Daddy's room, but Mommy is going to work up the courage to move you to your own room soon!
  
• You are in love with baths.
• You love to go places and get out of the house.
• You have the most beautiful smile in the world!
• You like to watch the pretty, bright colors on T.V.
• Your favorite toy is the top of a black and white box.
• You like to mimic facial expressions...especially when Daddy makes his mouth do funny things.
• You are very interested in everything around you. You will follow objects with your eyes and turn your head when you hear an interesting noise.
• You play with the hair on the back of your head when you are tired.
• You do not like to poop or toot--you're such a lady!
• You talk in your sleep.
• You are becoming more interactive.
• You have things at the end of your arms called hands! Apparently they are very yummy!
• You went to church for the first time today. We made it half-way through. Next week, you will go to the nursery.
• You make Mommy and Daddy smile and laugh everyday!

I can't believe how much you've grown!

Photo Shoot

Genevieve got her first round of shots yesterday. She was such a big girl--she only cried for a minute. However, when we got home she wasn't feeling well and continued to fuss and moan for the rest of the day. I think she even had a few nightmares about her traumatic morning. Several times while she was sleeping she would suddenly start to cry like she did when she got her shots then she would quiet down as quickly as she started. So pitiful! She started feeling a little better this afternoon so we decided to have a photo shoot to show off the cute tutu Nona gave her. The only thing this cute outfit is missing is a darling little bow.

Mommy, I have had enough!
Daddy, get me out of here!!

Grump-a-Lump and the Great Sleep Strike

Once upon a time there was a happy little girl who made her mommy very happy as well. Like her mommy, this happy little girl seemed to love a routine. She would eat, sleep, and play around the same time everyday. Even better, she would sleep for 6 1/2, 7 1/2, or sometimes even 9 hours at night--usually waking around 4:00 am for a little snack. Her mommy's favorite part of their day was when she would walk in after nap time and see the happy little girl looking around and smiling at the world.

One hot and steamy day, the happy little girl decided it was time to initiate The Great Sleep Strike. The happy little girl decided that she would take a morning nap, but after that no way! No afternoon nap, no early evening catnap, and worst of all...no more long stretches of sleep at night. This routine made the happy little girl so tired that she became...

The Grump-a-Lump

The Grump-a-Lump fell in love with tricking her mommy everyday into thinking the happy little girl had returned. She would go down for her morning nap without a fight. Sometimes she would even whisper sweet nothings to herself as she fell asleep. Then she would wake a little early from her morning nap, which didn't really bother her naive mommy all that much. But after she ate her lunch and played for a little while The Grump-a-Lump couldn't hide her true self any longer. She would allow her mommy to put her in her crib for an afternoon nap, but just as her mommy thought it was a "safe" time to make her own lunch The Grump-a-Lump would wake up and demand that she be taken out of the crib. This game would continue until it was time for the Grump-a-Lump's mid-afternoon snack and playtime. The Grumps would be a perfect little angel while she was eating because YUM, but as soon as snack time was over she would quickly recall the way in which to torture her mommy.
And so this is how her days and nights would play out. The Grump-a-Lump's mommy turned from a happy, energetic mommy to...

The Great Sleepy One

The Grump-a-Lump raged war in the house for three very long days. Each day The Great Sleepy One would wake up and hope that the happy little girl would return, but each day The Grump-a-Lump would show up instead. Finally on the fourth day, it seemed to The Great Sleepy One that the happy little girl had indeed returned! She took her naps, ate well, and played well all while brightening the world with her luscious smiles. While The Great Sleepy One resumed her roll as the happy mommy, she never forgot about The Grump-a-Lump. To this day, she continues to keep a close eye out for The Grumps to make sure she never returns so the happy little girl can live happily ever after.

Peanut Brittle

What do you do in the 15 minutes before the end of nap time?

I make peanut brittle!

You may be asking yourself, "Why would she choose to cook at the end of nap time?" Well, during every special occasion my dad expects to receive peanut brittle--especially on his birthday and father's day. We were celebrating father's day with him today and since I wasn't able to make any for his birthday (at that time we were still traveling back and forth to the hospital to visit G) I really had to make it today and it just so happens that the end of nap time was the only time I could do it.

So, what is the key to making quick peanut brittle? ORGANIZATION!

Here you can see that I actually got everything out and ready before beginning the cooking process. That is something I never did before Genevieve was born. Notice that the baby monitor is part of my cluster of ingredients/tools.



G rustled a little during this (crucial) stage. I thought I was going to have to scratch the whole thing, but I was able to sooth her back to sleep. Sorry the picture is blurry...I had a lot going on at that moment!



Here is the peanut brittle in the cooling phase. G woke up shortly after--bright-eyed and smiling...isn't that just the best thing in the world?



Here is the finished product. I know the presentation is lacking a bit (ok a lot), but guys don't care what it looks like as long as it tastes good, right?!