10 Day You Challenge: Day 1, 10 Secrets

Howdy Y'all!

I found this idea while I was blog hopping this weekend and I thought it was a cool idea.  I really don't know why they would have started with secrets because that is just too hard to come up with 10!  But, here it goes...

10.  I don't love to fly.  I love going on vacation - but, I hate flying.  I know that it is safe to fly and accidents rarely ever happen, but I think it is something about the lack of being in control that freaks me out.  Honestly, I should know that I am not control of any of my life, but I guess I like to think I am.

9.  I can't watch a scary movie at night or by myself or while sitting next to a glass door.  Silly me!

8.  Sometimes I feel like the world's worst friend - and I think it has come about since getting Harper.  She makes me forget about texts and phone calls that I am supposed to return.  I do love all of my friends, but I have a special girl on my mind so you will have to forgive me.

7.  Now that I am older, I have to admit that my parents were right almost 100% of the time when I was growing up.  I can't believe that I am saying this!

6.  I am terrified of tornados - especially after being so close to Joplin, it has now increased to deathly terrified.

5.  I am never without my phone.  My husband laughs about this - if I go upstairs, it goes upstairs...if I go outside, it comes outside.  IF I ever forget it, I feel completely useless and naked.  What would I have ever done with it?

4.  On that note, I love Apple products.  Between the two of us, we have 5 Apple products - 2 iPhones, 1 iPad, 1 MacBook and 1 iMac and I love them all!  I swear, if they keep innovating - we will keep buying!

3.  If I had to do it all over again, I would have never gotten an Accounting degree - I would have instead gotten an industrial engineering degree.  Too bad my high school counselor didn't educate me (or any of my classmates) on the different options we had.  She was terrible!

2.  After knowing them for 10+ years, I still don't think I act like myself around my in-laws.  I love them to death, but they are pretty quiet and reserved and I am not like that most of the time.  I always describe my family as loud and Tony's family as reserved.  If his parents saw the real me, they may be shocked!

1.  And, last but not least, I wish I had another job.  I love Walmart - I can admit that, but I wish I owned a bakery or something.  There is something calming about baking a cake.  I guess for now I will just have to continue baking them for the people I work with.

Well, day one is over and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  If you have read this far, I will reward you with a picture or two of my sweet, sweet Harper.  This first one is one of my favorites so far and the second one is of Harper using her Bumbo chair for the very first time.  Look at that head control!  :)

Toodles!

Kelly's Korner Show Us Your Life: Baby Showers

Howdy Y'all!

I am blogging today to link to Kelly's Korner and her Show Us Your Life Series.  The topic is baby showers and they are top of mind for me since I have attended two of my own this year and hosted my sister's and my college roommate's shower less than a year ago.

Here are some pictures from my sister's shower - it was held in Texas at the church she attends and it was HOT!  Other than the temps, I thought the shower turned out great - she had a great turn out and got lots of things for my adorable niece Ava Grace.

Here is her diaper cake - it is my first and only attempt at a diaper cake.  I thought it turned out pretty cute.  If you ever want to learn how to make one, there are step-by-step video's on YouTube which make it pretty darn easy to pull one of these off.

Here is her table - I love the idea of a clothes line.  I stole this idea shamelessly from my friend Laura's shower.  I had the onesies made and I think it adds a personal touch.

I found this cake idea on one of our local bakeries website and then my mom's friend made it for Ashley's shower.  I think it is the cutest idea.  (And, note - if you are visiting my blog from Kelly's Korner or new to my blog, the little gnome in the picture is my traveling gnome and she shows up in lots of random pictures!)

My beautiful sister and her table.

Here is another idea that I stole from Laura's shower - it is called a blessing ring.  You can decorate a front and back cover to the ring and then it is a place for the mom-to-be to keep all of the cards in one place that she received for the baby.  And, really this idea could be used for wedding showers, birthday parties, etc.  Isn't it all about stealing ideas for your own use?

Me and several others threw my college roommate, Rebecca, a baby shower in January of this year.  I apologize for the lack of photos (I did steal two of them from her shutterfly account).  HA!  I did make her a blessing ring as well, but didn't get a picture of it.  Sorry.

Note: Again for those of you visiting from Kelly's Korner, I need to explain something before you all get a little confused.  My husband and I adopted a beautiful baby girl in June, but we were supposed to adopt one in March but the mom changed her mind after the baby was 3 days old.  So, you will see in these next two showers that one is for Kinley and the other is for Harper.  Kinley is the sweet baby girl that we don't have and Harper is our little angel now.

My wonderful friends Laura and Rhonda in Northwest Arkansas threw me a shower for Kinley in February of this year and it was so cute.  They used the colors of our nursery and I loved it.  Here is the cute little baby shower invite that Rhonda had made to match the decor.  I spiced it up for a scrapbook page/baby shower sign in.

Here is the table at Kinley's shower with the adorable diaper cake.  This was also Rhonda's first attempt and she did GREAT!  I loved that she used the fabric from our nursery on it.

I love petit fours!  They are just the best!  Luckily I was able to actually eat a couple of these because I opened gifts for over two hours and I was afraid they would all be gone.  But, never fear, I was able to eat some and take home extras too.

Here are my beautiful hostesses - I love these girls.  They are simply amazing!

And, I got my own blessing ring too.  I plan on changing the name out to Harper and keeping all the cards together.  I really just love the idea that you can keep all the cards and the sweet notes from people that you have received.  Normally, these would have just been thrown away...such a great idea!

Because of what happened with Kinley - I told my friends in Texas that I didn't want to have a shower until after we brought Harper home and we knew she was going to stay with us forever.  It all worked out perfectly.

Isn't this cake adorable?  My sister kept this cake a secret from me for months - and that is huge because she can't keep a secret to save her life.

Cute little clothesline - I love the skirts, bloomers and socks!

The awesome food table with the diaper cake and cute Harper picture frame.  My mom gave me a Bible verse to carry around with me while we were waiting for sweet Harper and my friend Crystal had the Harper frame made for me and it has the Bible verse on it.  Too sweet!

They also had a candy bar and cake pops.  If you have never had a cake pop, you are really missing out. They are so delicious!  And, if you notice the piggy bank in the picture, that was for the guests to start Harper's college fund.  I love the idea.  Too cute.

And, last but not least are my beautiful hostesses - I love these girls for throwing me and Harper the most amazing shower.

I hope you all enjoyed the tour of all the babies showers I have attended/thrown during the last year.

Toodles!

Hit Me with Your Best SHOT!

Howdy Y'all!

Today was a day that I would guess most parents dread - Harper's first shots.  I was excited about going to the doctor to get her measurements because she is such a big baby, but I didn't want her to have the pain of shots.  This is the picture that I call the "calm before the storm".  I think she is adorable without all the clothes and bows - and those cheeks are just as squeezable!

Today Harper weighed in at a whooping 13lbs, 12 oz (98th percentile) and was 24.25 inches long (97th percentile).  You can't say we don't feed her.  :)  I am just happy with a beautiful healthy baby.  If she keeps growing like this, we may never repeat an outfit because we will grow out of them faster than we can wear them.  ha!

The doctor gave her a clean bill of health - and said that her kidney ultrasound looked normal.  If you don't remember this, we had this done because of an ear pit that she has - these basically look like an ear piercing which is a sinus cavity that didn't close up properly.  From the last time I mentioned it on here, I have had many others tell me that either they have one or their kids have one.  Long story short, it has turned out to be nothing and Harper is healthy!

The poor baby had to have 3 shots and an oral vaccine today.  She was actually crying most of the visit at the doctor's office because she was tired so I really didn't notice any additional crying because of the shots.

Harper was so tired that she feel asleep before we left the doctor's office parking lot.  I love her grumpy little face.

My sweet angel has been sleeping off and on all day with a little fussing here and there.  I decided to work from home this afternoon so I could monitor her after her shots - and I am glad I did.  I am glad I was the one that got to calm her when she got fussy.  I miss it during the day.

Tonight she is almost back to her old self - I love getting smiles from her.  It just about melts my heart.  I love this sweet girl so much!

Toodles!

Harper Aline is Two Months Old!

Howdy Y'all!

I can't believe that Harper is two months old.  Time really flies when you are having fun.  Honestly, it feels like she has been in our lives forever, but on the other hand, I can't believe it has been two months.

This month, we had a couple of firsts...

We saw her first real smiles...and they are so adorable.  I love it when she breaks them out.  At first, she would only do it when we played with her cheeks - and now she does it when we talk to her.  She loves the sound of our voices.

Big Smiles!

Harper also started going to "school" this month - it was hard for me to drop her off the first day, but they treat her well...and probably spoil her a little too.  I drop her off in the mornings and Tony picks her up - almost every day she is being held when he picks her up.  I understand, she is irresistible.  :)

First Day of "School"

She slept through the night for the first time this month too...too bad it is not a trend she has followed.  She averages once a night each week that she sleeps through the night - but the other nights aren't bad because she is only up once.  She is quick about eating her bottle and going right back to bed.

We started taking a few walks at night since it has gotten a little cooler (except for the past couple of days).  Poor Harper didn't have a clue what the outdoors was because it has been so hot to go outside.

Harper also got her first dog, Landry Kate, and they are so cute together.  Landry is so gentle with her and I think they are going to be great friends!

She is still eating about 4 ounces at a time - every four hours.  This hasn't really changed since she was about 5 days old.

Harper loves to swing!  She loves go on walks.  She is beginning to love her activity mat.  And, she loves her family.  And, we LOVE her!  She is so special to us.

Happy two month birthday Harper!  Mommy and Daddy love you so much.

Two Months Old!

Just for comparison, here is her one month photo too.

Toodles!

You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do

Howdy Y'all!

Y'all probably would have gotten a great laugh yesterday if you were a fly on the wall at my house.  Harper was extremely fussy!  I tried everything to calm her down (except food since she had just eaten).

Of course, there was the diaper change...that didn't work!

Then, came the paci...and that didn't work!

What about the swing?  She usually loves it!  Not this time!!

Okay, well maybe she wanted to lay flat??  NOPE!

We tried the bicycle leg exercises for gas...still nothing.

I had something in the oven - so I couldn't leave the house.  So, I came up with a brilliant idea.  How about the stroller?

But, if you read right, I was trapped in the house because something was in the oven.  So, I was resourceful and decided to take Harper for a walk inside the house.  We walked from the living room, through the hall and into the foyer and then circled back again.  We did this over and over and over again with our little doggie friend following our every move.

But, guess what...it WORKED!  I had a sleeping baby when it was all said and done.  I did feel quite silly walking inside with the stroller - but you gotta do what you gotta do!

Today, my little sweetheart turned 8 weeks old!  I love this little girl so much - she is the light of our lives.  We go for her two month appointment next week and I am so curious about her stats because she looks so big for her age!

And, lastly - Friday night, Ariel emailed us some pictures from Harper's birth and I was so thankful for them.  When her dad came and got us to go back to see our angel for the first time,  I didn't take my camera so I was so excited when these pictures came!

Harper's first picture??  Maybe so!

Harper and Ariel's dad, Bob.

 Our first official family picture.

Us and Ariel - I am so thankful for these pictures!

I hope you have stopped laughing at me by now!  Have a great night.

Toodles!

Keeping Up With Those in TN

Howdy Y'all!

I have had a few people ask if I still talk with Harper's birthmom.  Before Harper's birth, we emailed back and forth and I had set up a texting app on my phone that allowed me to give her a different number than my cell phone number to text.  We pretty much talked every day.  So, I thought I would give you an update on how we communicate now with a few of my favorite pictures from the last week or so sprinkled throughout.

My mother-in-law was so afraid for me to continue to talk to Ariel after Harper was born, but I thought it was common courtesy to continue to the lines of communication.  She had just went through something so brave and courageous and I wanted to make sure that she was feeling okay with her decision.  I wanted her to make sure she understood that she had picked the right family.  So, just about everyday for the first week, I sent her a text message just to check up on her and she how she was feeling.

We are obligated by the agency to send pictures and letters to Ariel - one in the first 30 days, then two more per year for the first 5 years and then once a year until she is 18.  However, I decided to go a bit further and actually do something so she could see pictures more often.  I set up a Shutterfly account and I update pictures pretty frequently on the site.  Both Ariel and her dad have access to the site and they are able to make comments on the photos.  Again, I want them to rest assured that Harper is at the right place and that her family loves her so much.

Ariel and I text each other about once a week - sometimes she initiates the text and sometimes I do.  On Friday, I received a letter that she had been awarded a scholarship from our adoption agency to help with her schooling so I immediately texted her to congratulate her.  And, whoops - I broke the news to her - she hadn't even heard from the agency yet.  At least it was good news.  :)

When it was time for us to write our first letter, instead of picking out a couple of pictures, I actually sent Ariel about 15 pictures of our little cutie patootie.  I wrote Ariel a letter telling her about Harper's "milestones" like how much she is eating, sleeping, etc.  Since we met Ariel's dad - and really enjoyed meeting him - I wrote him a little note too.  They were both so appreciative of the letters and photos.  The relationship between us and them is just so easy and almost comes natural.

I have thought about this a few times - if Ariel would have changed her mind and kept Harper, I know that she would have been loved by Ariel and Ariel's dad.  She may not have had all the money in the world, but I know she would have been rich with love.  It is sad for me to say that I just don't feel the same way about our disrupted adoption in March.  I feel sad for Kinley/Emma and I hope and pray that her life is good, but I am just not optimistic about it.  I would love it if you guys and gals could continue to pray for her to have a good life.  I know that Harper was meant to be with us, but it doesn't make me wonder about Kinley/Emma any less.

Toodles!

Customer Service

Howdy Y'all!

You know how the story goes - if a company does something good for you, you may tell 1 or 2 people but if they wrong you, you tell 10x the amount.  Well, I want to buck that trend tonight.

My mother-in-law got Harper the cutest little Trumpette socks (and if you don't know the brand, you need to check them out...CUTE, CUTE stuff).  I have been wanting this particular set for awhile and we got a little present on the doorstep a couple of days ago.  Don't you just love Grandmother's who spoil their grandchildren??

On Monday night, I was picking out an outfit for Harper to where to daycare on Tuesday which would have looked so cute with those pink socks.  But, when I opened the box to retrieve them, one was missing.  If it was the green or yellow pair, I probably would have just let it go - but, pink is such a staple in a little girls wardrobe that we had to have it.

On Tuesday morning, I decided to email Trumpette and explain our situation to see if they would send us a pink sock - and I got an immediate reply from them.  They were so apologetic and told me to give them my address and phone number and they would ship a new pair to me immediately.  I just thought it was great customer service so I thought I would share.

If I didn't absolutely love Trumpette before because of all their cute socks, I definitely love them now.  I will be a customer for a long, long time!  They rock!

Toodles!