Thankful Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Ryan and I were so thankful for a wonderful holiday with our precious little girl. We have had some stressful holiday seasons the past few years, so it was so great to relax, eat, travel a little, and enjoy our sweet baby this Thanksgiving. She was in the most adorable turkey outfit and though I had to fight the ribbon "feathers" (the onesie was a little big), it was totally worth it. We got some cute pictures I will share...

This was taken at our Oklahoma Thanksgiving lunch. I've been so excited to get a four generation girls picture and (aside from my daughter's disinterest in the camera) I LOVE it!!



Our litte family :)



This was the closest we could get to a smile. She's been in the funniest moods with cameras lately and is really in to drooling these days ;)

Thankful Thursday

Ryan and I have done a lot of refelcting on our marriage in the past week and it has made us both so incredibly thankful for the relationship that we share. We've watched others around us struggle with relationships and communication and it's really reinforced the need to always share your thoughts/feelings with those you love. It was even in the sermon at church on Sunday: "If you think it, say it!" Today, I want to express how much I love my husband.

Ryan,
You are my best friend and I'm so honored that you chose to spend your life with me. You make my every day brighter; there's truly not a day that goes by that you don't make me laugh about something. You're the best husband and father a girl could ask for. I'm so thankful for you and thankful that you love me. :)

30 Meals

Ok y'all... I've been racking my brain for so long now on the PERFECT system to organize my many recipes. I was so torn... do I want recipe cards? a binder? digital files? How exactly can I do this the best way? I often get overwhelmed by my own perfectionism and just shut down. That's what has happened with my recipes - a cupboard of papers, clippings, and cards in no particular order. It's really quite embarassing.

I'm SO excited because I just found the BEST idea! Kathryn at Nannygoat has developed a recipe system called 30 Meals. I'm seriously such an organizational junkie I can't wait to put this into practice. Click the link and check it out - it's going to change our lives! :)

Thankful Thursday

I returned to work this week and have been overwhelmed with the love and support of family and friends. Though I had some rough moments, I know without a doubt that I could not have made it through this week without those special people. I am so thankful for the babysitting help from Ryan and our mothers. Knowing that Charlotte is with family made walking out that door each morning so much easier! I recieved text messages, emails, and phone calls from friends giving encouraging words each day this week. Coworkers were kind and welcoming with smiles, hugs, even a cake! I'm truly blown away by all the love in my life.

3 Months!!

Sweet, sweet Charlotte,

Not only does this day bring a birthday for you, my little princess; it also marks the end of my maternity leave. Mommy is SO SAD to even think of leaving you to return to work on Monday! The past 3 months have been the biggest blessing and we love you SO MUCH! I know that you will love spending more time with Daddy, Lovie, and Grandma Carey, but always know that Mommy is thinking of you every second.

Anyway... on to this month's stats!

• Weight: 12 lbs!! (50th percentile)
• You are wearing sized 0-3 mo clothing.
• You're eating 4.5 to 5 ounces every four hours during the day.
• You are still not "sleeping through the night" but will snooze for 5-6 hours in your longest sleep cycle.
• You've started to develop such a personality and Mommy and Daddy just can't get enough of it! You kick, play, grin, and squeal.
• Mama's favorite is when you smile really big, raise your eyebrows and scrunch your shoulders up :)
• You're still a morning girl and Mommy loves having photo shoots with you every morning while you're in such a good mood.
• You're getting SO strong now and spend more time on your tummy before you get frustrated. Rolling over to your back is a piece of cake now, you hardly even have to try!
• Toys are starting to gain appeal and your favorite is the traditional plastic keys. Momma helps you get a good grip and then you shake, shake, shake away!

Thankful Thursday

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, I've decided to dedicate each Thursday of the month to post something that I'm thankful for. Cheesy? Ok, maybe, but sometimes it's important to express our gratitude for the good things in life - cheesy or not! So here goes...

This week, the last of my maternity leave, I'm especially thankful for... wait for it... MY BABY! More specifically, I'm so thankful for the last three months that I've been able to spend with her without the distractions that come with my classroom. Through the ups and downs, doctor appointments and play dates, coos and poos, sleepless nights and afternoon naps, I've gobbled (hehe... sorry couldn't resist) up every second with my baby girl. We are now so connected and full of love for each other. Though I will miss her terribly next week when I go back to work, I'm so grateful for the opportunity I've had to spend this time with her.

P.S. Happy 18th Birthday to my little brother! I can't believe you're an "adult" now, Bubba! It feels like just yesterday I was making funny faces and airplane noises so your plane spoon of food could land in your eager and open mouth. I'm thankful for you too! :)