Family

You never realize how much you're missing, until you have kids. Madilyn has just brought Cameron and I so much closer together as a couple...

I'm loving having her here! What a tremendous blessing it is to be a parent.

Tummy Time & Growing Up

Well, as you well know, most babies sleep and really do everything on their backs...since this has reduced the risk of SIDS. Which, of course I'm all for keeping my baby safe...so she sleeps on her back.


But, in doing so, she doesn't get very much "tummy time." This is important to develop her muscles and all that. However, each time I put her on her tummy, she gets mad. It's like I'm torturing her. And, believe it or not, for a while I would only do it about 2 or 3 minutes a day because it made her so mad. Being a new mom, you do whatever you can to try to not have a crying baby! It's the truth!

One day I was on a baby website, and it said that "By now, she should be having up to 20 min. of tummy time per day." Whoa! We were not doing that much at all!!!

I am pleased to let you know that now (she's almost 4 months old!), we're able to have more "tummy time" without her crying.

So, here are a few pictures of her this week, having tummy time and not crying! Yay!!!
She's getting SO BIG! I can't believe it's almost been 4 months since we welcomed her into this world. In some ways, it seems like just yesterday, and as far as sleep goes, it feels like I haven't been rested in 2 years! LOL But, all in all, we are so blessed to have her with us. I'm already teary-eyed when I think about her growing up and going to school and all that. Whew! I just can't think about it right now...she's such a huge blessing. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her life and our lives as a family.

Here is her first 3 month size outfit to wear. It was a gift from our friends Thomas and Amity. I had to take her picture because I am amazed that she's just now fitting into it (at the ripe old age of 4 months)!

Also, last night after this picture was taken, we were playing in her floor and she starting screaming!!! LOUD! I've never heard her do that before. I couldn't tell if she was mad or just overly excited. But, I'm guessing she was mad because an hour later when I was changing her diaper and getting her pj's on, she was thrashing her arms around and jerking her head around and throwing a FIT! Wow! Praise God for healthy lungs! LOL It ended up being that she was just really tired, and as soon as I swaddled her and fed her she was OUT for the night. It's so fun to see her growing and changing...and I figure that she can't talk yet, so all she has is her whining, crying, and (NOW) screaming to let me know how she feels. So, it's acceptable for now. However, when she learns to talk it will be a much different story. :0) Oh, the joys of motherhood! I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Little Miss Personality!

Here is our little Madilyn Kate, almost 4 months old! It's so hard to believe! Time really flies, and I'm already getting sad about her growing up...but also very excited at the same time. She has started smiling and laughing at us...

The other day, I was rocking her to sleep and she was fighting it and crying. I caught her attention and said, "You've gotta go to sleep little girl," and she started cracking up! Well, as you can imagine, I started laughing, too. I kept repeating the phrase and she would just laugh and laugh and laugh. As you can imagine, sleeping didn't happen for a while!

Field Trips

Oh, the glorious Field Trips. Today, we went to Palo Duro Canyon. One of my students asked the Park Ranger if she could catch a prairie dog and keep it. He said NO and so did I! :0) Then, we found out prairie dogs don't live in the Canyon...they live on the prairie. Duh, right?

Then, the Park Ranger proceeded to tell us to watch for Rattlesnakes and wild pigs. He said that the wild pigs would charge you if they saw you...and that if they caught you, they would proceed to eat you. Thanks a lot, Park Ranger! All I had was a group of 11 third graders and a tube of sunscreen. I guess I could've tried to aim for the pigs' eyes, right?

Then, we cooked hot dogs. The greatest comment of the day? "Will you tell that guy to cook my hot dog medium rare?" Oh, goodness!

It's time for summer! LOL

I've Been Tagged...

Amity tagged me...so here goes.
4 jobs I have had in my life:
1. 3rd grade teacher (which I LOVE!!!)
2. Waitress at a BBQ place
3. Early Childhood/Children's Ministry Director at Champions Church
4. Summer Camp Guru (TFC--Amarillo)

4 movies I have watched more than once:
1. The Wedding Planner
2. Can't Buy Me Love
3. Napoleon Dynamite
4. Curly Sue

4 Places I have lived:
1. Amarillo/Canyon, TX
2. Denton, TX
3. Abilene, TX
4. Dalhart, TX

4 TV shows I watch:
1. LOST
2. Ugly Betty
3. The Bachelor
4. Dancing with the Stars

4 Places I have been:
1. Reynosa, Mexico
2. Shiprock, NM
3. Salida, CO
4. Kansas City, MO
(I haven't been very far!!!)

4 of my favorite foods: (right now, things are different because I'm preggo...so here's the preggo taste)
1. french fries from McDonald's
2. Buffalo Chicken Salad (from Chilis)
3. asperagus
4. grapefruit

4 Places I would like to visit:
1. New York City
2. The Bahamas
3. Hawaii
4. Jamaica

4 Things I am looking forward to in the coming year
1. Preparing the baby nursery
2. Naming our little girl (it's such a BIG decision!)
3. Meeting our little girl
4. Not being pregnant/losing the BABY WEIGHT

4 Bloggers I am tagging
I think everyone I know has already done this...

It's a GIRL!!!

We found out yesterday that we will be welcoming a beautiful baby girl into our family! Cameron, myself, and all of our family thought it would be a girl...but it was nice to hear it, and see her! :0)

She was very wiggly and even waved at us right when the sonogram started! Like, "Hi, mom and dad!" It was precious. Everything measured normal, and she's VERY healthy! Praise the Lord!!!

I'm learning that as a "mom," you realize just how much of a miracle pregnancy is! I mean, I have NOTHING to do with her little fingers, toes, 4-chambered heart, or anything else. God just does it! Wow! It makes me realize even more just how amazing God is:

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You." Psalm 139:13-18

Whoo-nu?

Who knew Dallas could be so fun?

We decided to get out of town for a few days over Spring Break and head to the BIG D. Well, let me just say, it was the funnest week of my life! :0)

We spent time with friends...

We went to a Dallas Maverick's game...and had a lady yelling her head off the whole game right in our ears!!! Then, she'd clear her throat each time after she did it... "Go Mavs!!! Ah-HEMMM!" (What's a good basketball game without an obnoxious fan yelling in your ears, right?)

And then we met Jerry Stackhouse, a Dallas Maverick (sometimes a starter) at the Galleria! What more could you ask for?

We had a great time, and it was much needed. Now, we can start preparing our lives for a new little baby!!! :0)