Snip, Snip!

I broke down, I had to, it was time. My mom and I took Ella July 2nd for her first hair cut. It was a bit emotional for me, but what isn't lately? Anyway, I put on my big girl panties and with tear-filled eyes made the appointment. She did a wonderful job and sat completely still. It was an extremely fun day with the girls and afterward we had strawberry cake at Edgar's and did a little shopping-what more could you ask for! Here are some pics from the big event...

Here we go...

The first cut.

Stillness at its finest...this never happens!

My "sweet princess", she was excited!

Getting some layers...

And a little off of the top...

All finished!!

She had sparkles sprayed in her hair and a glitter star on her cheek...DIVA!!!

Ella and her ever-so-talented stylist, Camille! She did a FANTASTIC job and I no longer have to worry about who cuts Ella's hair-I just hope she doesn't leave anytime soon!!

View from the back...

...and the front!

I can't end this post without mentioning the rest of the weekend as well. That night Matt's family came in town for the 4th. Matt, PaPa and Uncle Josh laid hardwood floors throughout our house minus the kitchen and bathrooms. Needless to say I was completely A-MAZED at the rather large amount of work they completed in such a small amount of time! It made such a drastic and wonderful change to the house and we appreciate them sacrificing their 4th to come and help us with this project before the baby arrives! MeMe, Ella and I basically spent the weekend shopping and running errands in a grand effort to stay out of the way. It was an extremely productive weekend!

Tut, tut...it looks like a Sprinkle!!

Some of my sweet and precious friends threw a sprinkle for baby boy! It was such a wonderful and sweet event. Matt and I appreciated it SO very much and we are ready, prepared and stocked with blue for his arrival now!! It is extremely different seeing that color around the house...we've just grown so accustomed to pink! Thank you so much to Jenny, Jennifer and Shelly for throwing such a thoughtful shower!!

Delicious food and "diaper" cake

Yummy!

Some gifts and the "prayer" flowers!

The hostesses

Jenny (23 weeks) and Me (34 weeks)...we hope our sons will be as great of friends as we have been!!

The big sister!




Mommy and daughter...she racked up as well! (Even though she has already had a turn!)




Mommy and daughter, again...though technically she's been promoted from mommy to Honey.

The love of our lives, The "big girl" room and the event

The love of our lives: Obviously, Ella! I can no longer talk about what she can do, say or is learning...she can do it all, say it all and is learning faster than I could even begin to type. Her personality shines out of her ears and she keeps me on my toes and keeps me laughing throughout the day. We are definitely at the stage where you never know what she'll say or when it will come out. I've never really been an impromptu fibber or explainer, sometimes all I can do is laugh, shrug and smile. I'm really trying to soak up these last weeks of just the two of us...it's bitter sweet to know I will have to divide my time-THOUGH extremely excited about the bundle of joy to come. She is constant company and it is safe to say that I don't think she has stopped talking (unless she's sleeping) since we got rid of the paci almost 6 months ago! I now know why they call it that! She LOVES the Disney Store, which she refers to as, the Mickey Mouse Club house, and so we visit as often as we can. She knows its exact location in the mall and takes off running and squealing as soon as it is within her vision. It's the sweetest thing to witness her joy as she nears the store, it makes my day! If only we all could get that sheer pleasure out of such simple things. The sweetest sound, to this day, is hearing her say, "I love you, mama," which she says randomly and often. And a couple days ago she said, "I love you the best." I melted and teared up! I often tell her those same words and if there was ever any doubt that she wasn't listening or understanding it would now be gone. From birth she's been like a sponge and she has moments when she just sits intently and listens to "grown-up" conversation and you can see the wheels turning. Then, there are also moments when she is in another room or complete other vicinity busy as can be and completely preoccupied with something else yet she STILL manages to hear and or repeat what you said. You have to be VERY careful. Children truly are the greatest accountability! I often hear her from the other room shout, "Don't say "stupid", Mama!" I didn't even know she was listening, much less could possibly hear me from where she was!



The "Big Girl" Room: We have switched Ella's room to what used to be the guest room. We painted it pink and she got all new furniture. Since the painting and assembly of the new bed she has spent every night in her room. Though I miss her in the middle, it was time. She loves her new room and now has no desire to be in our bed anyway. She says every night at bed time, " I want to go lay in my bed in my new room." I'm very thankful that it was an effortless and fun adjustment for her. She has slept in her room and through the night since she "moved in". We don't usually hear from her until around 5 or 6 am. At which time she quietly gets up, makes her way over to my side of the bed and stands there quietly with a grin on her face, as if she is getting away with something until I wake up and assist her into our bed. It's nice to have those next few hours to love on her and cuddle until we get up. However, one of the best parts for me was of course decorating the room, which made me quickly realize how very much we live vicariously through our children, but also giving her a place all her own that she loves. Her excitement is wonderful and it gave her just a tad more independence, as if she really needed it! Now, it is onto the nursery and giving baby boy a place all his own before he makes his debut! Ella has been a huge help in the painting process already. She leaned over my belly and told him last night, "Hey, little brotha, I painted your room, it's so pwetty!" She's really gonna love him!! I guess it is only fair that if I got a pink room that Matt now has the opportunity to decorate for his son (of course, with mild supervision.) We shall only see what the two of us come up with there. We are COMPLETELY opposite, so this should be interesting.


The Event: The other night baby boy was in rare form. He's always active...extremely active, and his movement is MUCH more aggressive than Ella's ever was. And Thursday night was no exception. The three of us were watching So You Think You Can Dance and without really knowing what I was doing began tapping on my belly as we watched and that's when it began. Baby boy decided to push his heel, foot, knee whatever body part it was out one side of my stomach and whatever part was opposite that came poking out the other side. I quickly beckoned for Matt and Ella to come look, because that was the type of movement it was, that which you could "see" from the outside as my stomach bounced and distorted into many different and abnormal shapes. Matt began talking to him, Ella was tickled and couldn't keep her hands off. When he would stop moving she would quickly press (and by "press" I mean mash and beat with much force) on my belly to "wake him up" as she called it. Of course, with any touch he would begin moving again and for a good 15 minutes we sat as a family enjoying our baby brother as he hoisted about in utero! Watching Matt and Ella's faces light up during this time made my heart glad. I think they are both truly in love already. This was the first time I actually felt like a family of four without him actually being here yet. It is a wonderful feeling watching our family grow!

Ella's first movie...

Matt and I took Ella to see her first movie Saturday at the theatre. We saw Disney's, "UP" in 3D. What an experience it was. We had told her on Friday we were going to go and she couldn't stop talking about it the whole day. So, on Saturday afternoon we went. Bought tickets, loaded up with a huge bag of popcorn and drink and prissy with some Buncha Crunch and headed in to pick out our seats. Her eyes were WIDE open the whole way down the hall and into the theatre. The movie was very enjoyable...I cried (of course), Ella squealed, Matt laughed and baby boy bounced around to the noise-it was fun for the whole family. Being in 3D we had some rockin' glasses and Ella was slightly skeptical. I couldn't figure out why she kept taking them on and off repeatedly, I mean, this is a child that doesn't go outside without her sunglasses so I thought she would be better about that. After approximately 30 min. or so after she had given up and set hers in my lap I decided to try hers on just for kicks. OH! the smudges and fingerprints...you couldn't see ANYTHING out of those lenses least of all the screen through all those smudges! They were big and her little "button" nose couldn't completely hold them up so she kept having to put her chocolate-coated fingers up there to hold them on her face. No wonder she didn't like them. So, after a quiet giggle to myself, I gave her mine and handed her soiled pair to Matt. He looked through them, gave a laugh and began wiping. She was good about wearing them after that until the next time they got dirty and blurry. So, we played musical glasses through the entire movie, but at least we could all see through clean lenses! She was surprisingly quiet and content for the duration. It was a wonderful family date! I think Ella really enjoyed her first movie and we sure enjoyed watching her. She looked so little bitty and lost in that big seat by herself, but so big and grown up all at the same time!

Happy Father's Day!

It all started here:

Five months later she kissed him back:

He made her feel safe in this spot right here:

They were quite a pair:

They're two peas in a pod:

She has read him books:

She's his little "stinker":
And his pretty princess:
He's her hero:

And her friend:

They play hard:

Work hard:

He teaches and explains things to her:

He passed on to her his innate love of nature and animals:


He helps her conquer fears:
She thinks he can do ANYTHING from fishing...

To painting fingers and toes:


He lets her do his hair (without complaint or embarassment!)

He is the ultimate toy!!!

The epitome of fun,

And definition of what a great dad should be!


Happy Father's Day, Matt, to the greatest daddy we know!!

Thank you for staying up late even though you have to get up early,

for getting up early even though we kept you up late,

for working 6 day weeks and long hour days so I can stay home and raise our daughter,

for doing that work with a glad and joyful heart,

for being patient and caring,

loving and kind,

sensitive and understanding.

For inviting us to come to lunch,

or taking us for ice cream.

For going to the gas station at 9 p.m. for candy bars,

or stopping by the store after a long day to pick up milk or bread.

For laying with our daughter so I can have a couple minutes to myself even though you haven't had any of those moments either.

For taking us to church and teaching your daughter how to pray and showing her what it means to love Jesus...and, be like him.

For spending time with Ella when it would just be easier to rest or watch tv.

For watching girly or princess movies even though you've seen them a million times.

For giving an honest effort to pick up your clothes and put them in the laundry.

For cooking dinner when I'm too tired or lazy to do so.

For making us laugh,

discipling out of love

and listening to us talk even though it'd be nicer to have some peace and quiet.

For holding our hair back, cleaning up throw-up and going to get medicine.

For sleeping with feet in the small of your back for 2 1/2 years because your daughter liked it better in your bed than her own.

For not hunting or fishing as much as you'd like because you'd rather spend time with your girls. For putting us first...always!

For all these reasons (and many more) I'm thankful for the father you have become and the blessings you have given me in Ella and now a son.

We love you so much!!

Mini Vacay...

Matt had his wisdom teeth taken out last Wednesday. And, where better to go have the surgery than Mobile. My aunt and cousin live there so we had the same oral surgeon do it that removed mine and my brother's. We left Saturday and stayed until the following Sunday. My cousin Emma was SO wonderful to let us stay with her for the entire week, she opened her home, refrigerator and pool to us so we could have a nice family get away while Matt recovered. Matt is always busy and isn't still unless he's sleeping so having to be "down" for that day and half was hard for him, but he enjoyed it and needed some rest and relaxation desperately. My mom and Zach went with us, we enjoyed spending time with everyone. We literally slept, ate, swam, watched movies and hung out with family for the entire visit. Matt and I even had a "date night" before his surgery, which was especially sweet.





Ella and cousin Juliannah.

"Are you talking to me?"






"Sneaking" Emma's dog, Albus, some treats. Is it sneaking if you get caught?
Ella with Uncle Zach
Ella and Emma swimming. For awhile, Emma was the only one Ella would hold while in the water!

Summer just wouldn't be summer without the freedom and opportunity to submerge your entire face into some juicy watermelon!

Loving the pool!








Just some more photo fun...


Thanks Emma and aunt Myra for all your hospitality!! We miss you already!!