Long Time No Write...

Okay, it has been forever since I have written on this blog. A lot has changed since I last posted. Little Miss Paige is now here and we are so incredibly blessed!! Part of the reason why I didn't journal my pregnancy is because I was so afraid something would happen during my pregnancy and I just didn't want to have it public.
But now that she is here and healthy, it is time to start blogging again so I can remember these precious times and the girls (I love saying that) will have these memories in my words forever!! Soooo... here goes...

Paige is officially 4 months old today and is such an amazing baby! We have been so blessed to have two easy babies. Hope just ADORES her baby sister. She calls Paige her baby which I think is so incredibly cute!!
I am not going to try catch up and detail everything since I last posted, but I do have a funny story I need to jog down so I don't forget it. Hope is so articulate and so smart, not bragging, but she really is! She says the funniest things sometimes. So I have to tell you about an incident that happened at Walmart a few weeks after Paige was born. Hope was in the basket and I had to get something in the women's department since I had just had a baby and all... so here we were in the feminine product section. I put a package of pantiliners in the basket and Hope says in a really loud innocent children's voice... "Are those pads mommy?" "Yes, Hope those are pads..." "Are those pads Mommy for your big girl panties!!!???" "Yes, Hope, thank you for telling everyone at Walmart about the pads for mommy's big girl panties." I thought the lady next to me was going to fall over laughing!! It was so funny! A few years ago, I probably would have been embarrassed, but I thought it was too funny!!

So last night, I was snuggling with Hope in her bed before bedtime and she said so sweetly... "Mommy, you are the best mommy ever!" Talk about melting your heart!! Then she said "You are a great Mommy and a nice Mommy!" I guess I am doing something right!! :) She is such a sweetheart! Everyone asks how she is adjusting with Paige and she is adjusting just fine. Regression on the potty training, but other than that she just wants to hug and kiss on her all the time.
Paige looks just like Hope except she has strawberry blonde hair. Hope had red hair when she was born, but it all fell out and came back blonde. Paige never lost any hair, but she does have a little bald spot now from where she rubs her head on the sheets. Paige has such long, beautiful eye lashes and bright blue eyes. She belly laughed for the first time on Saturday, October 30th. Ms. Annie came over to pick pecans and we were sitting on the outdoor swing. Hope wanted to play with her ball, so we were "popping it" up in the air like a hot potato and laughing and then all the sudden, from the depths of her belly, Paige starts laughing. This made us all laugh and made her laugh more. So that evening, when Kate and Janis were over, we did it again hoping she would laugh and sure enough, she did. We even got Daddy in the room to see it and then he also got it on video. Then the next Wednesday, Paige rolled over for the first time. I can't believe she is already 4 months old!! Having already had a baby, I now know how quickly the time passes and we are trying to savor each and every moment. We are hoping she isn't going to be our last baby, but you never know. We absolutely LOVE being parents! We know we waited a long time to have children and I have often heard parents say they don't want to be 60 when their children get out of high school or college and raise kids their entire lives, but what an honor to do that! I would welcome it!!! Being a mother has been the MOST AMAZING experience I have ever had and I feel so incredibly blessed God choose me to be Hope and Paige's mommy.

Blog ...

Blog is currently being updated with several posts. Please bear with me as I work on getting them all completed in order with photos.

Bluebonnet Photos April 8, 2010

My girlfriend Joely is trying to get her photography business up and going, so she called me and asked me if I was interested in her taking some bluebonnet photos of Hope one evening. Even though Hope wasn't too excited about being there, Joely did a great job capturing some amazing photos! Look at those gorgeous blue eyes!!

San Antonio 3-7-10 and Easter Weekend

Sunday, March 7th, we went to the San Antonio Riverwalk and met up with Valerie, my roommate from college and her husband Rhett and son Carter. Carter is a month older than Hope. We had a great

Birthday Weekend- Feb 20th & 21st

Hope had an amazing birthday weekend. We started off Thursday, February 18th (My Birthday) with a trip to Houston to see Grammy and take three generation photos. (I wasn't able to get permission to print those, so you won't see them on this blog). Then Grammy took Hope to Build a Bear where Hope made her new best friend Teddy. It was so sweet to watch them interact together. Then Grammy treated us to lunch at Landry's and we ate yummy seafood. Hope was such a good girl all day especially at the restaurant where she was full of personality and conversation.



Saturday we had her birthday party at the house complete with a hayride and pinata and lots of family and friends.

(Birthday Photos Here)



Then on Sunday, Wayne and I took her to see Elmo on Stage with Sesame Street Live! She was in complete awe of Elmo and got to "high five" several of the characters because we were so close. I love seeing the world thru Hope's eyes!

Family Photos - February 14, 2010

We won a free sitting with Diane Mueller Photography and had some wonderful family photos taken on Valentine's Day.

Christmas 2009

This Christmas Hope had a big present to share with the family! Check out her new shirt!
We had a wonderful Christmas. One Sunday, Hope and I made sugar cookies and decorated them with beautiful colored icing and lots of different sprinkles. Before the day was thru, we had sprinkles all over the floor and all I could do was laugh! Hope was so excited on the first 5 or 6 cookies and then after that she wanted to eat the rest. We made well over 100 cookies in all so you can imagine the mess and the fun we had!! Christmas was fun this year because Hope was now old enough to enjoy opening the presents and playing with everything new.

The Meaning of Motherhood

A few months ago I was reading my Parenting Magazine and decided I was going to enter one of their essay contests. I have been waiting to post this on the blog to see if they choose me, but I haven't been contacted as of yet, so I don't think they did. The instructions were to write a 300 word essay on "The Meaning of Motherhood" and attach a photo to go along with your essay. It was actually pretty easy to write. It all came from my heart and pretty much sums it all up! So here is what I submitted:








I always knew being a mother would be wonderful, but I never knew just how wonderful. We were so excited the day you were born. We still didn’t know if you were a boy or girl, so the doctor lifted you up for us to see for ourselves. That was the most amazing day of my life, the day I became a mother of the most amazing little girl. We named you Hope as we had hoped and prayed so hard for you and now you were finally here. I remember every single detail of your birth day, the day you made me a mother and filled a place in my heart I never knew was empty.
Each day since has been amazing too, but the days go by far more quickly than I ever anticipated. You are almost two now and aren’t a baby anymore. Your enthusiasm about everything around you reminds me every day to appreciate the simpler things in life. I know I am supposed to be the one to teach you, but you have taught me so much. I have learned the little things I used to worry about don’t really matter anymore and one hug from you can wipe away all the day’s frustrations. I love watching you learn and grow and most importantly watching you laugh. You told Daddy one day not too long ago “Hope Happy”. What wonderful feeling to know your child is healthy and happy; I couldn’t ask for anything more. You are the most amazing gift and I am truly blessed to have you as my daughter. You are loved and cherished by so many, but especially by me. Motherhood is the most fulfilling role in my life and I am so honored God chose me to be your mother!