Next Blog Please

I have a confession. I decided to confess because I was sitting here getting wrapped up in what I am about to confess so I decided if I blogged about it, I could pull myself away from all the .blogspots and go to bed.

My confession is as follows: I could sit for hours and hours reading strangers blogs. I recently discovered the nifty "next blog" tab on the top of the page, which takes you to a random person's blog. How fun is that! Just peeking into people's lives. Oh dear, that sounds stalker-ish. But really, I must find a way not to get carried away looking at random blogs. I guess I am just nosey like that. Oh well, atleast I will have something very entertaining to do if I ever get really bored. Which is an unlikely occurrence when you have a baby at home :)

End of confession. Time for bed.

Precious Face

How can you not have a good day when you have this precious face with you? This morning she was wearing a smock dress and her "jacki" that my Nana (her great Nana) sent to her! Who knows why they call it a "jacki," but it is stinkin cute!

Random thought--any blogger friends know how to make my top banner/header bigger?? I was in the middle of coming up with new designs for the blog and now I am stuck because I can't seem to find the html code to do this...help! Anyone?

Under Construction

Working on my blog to find the perfect background, header, and fonts! Check back soon for a cute new look!

The Simple Life

I tend to over complicate MY life. I love details and can get caught up in them. However, I do know how to find simple solutions and I can see when complicated things are not working, you must go back to the basics. Start fresh. Make things easy on people so that they can be challenged in ways they need to be, not in ways that just waste time. (And I don't over complicate other people's lives...just my own :) )

Ok, enough with my rant. There is a hidden message in all that...but I dare not state what that rant is really about...

But truthfully, I have been thinking a lot lately about the simple life. When I see girls out around town with their sorority shirts on, I remember those days...those easy days. Now at the time, I didn't think that keeping a 4.0 and being involved in sorority life was simple. At the time, it was stressful. So much fun, but challenging. So when I see those girls today, I miss those days. And when Rob and I drove by the apartment complex where we lived when we were first married, we said that we missed those simple days. Rob was in nursing school and not working, I was working, we had a little apartment, and two dogs. That was it!! The end! No house to keep up with, no "real" jobs, and no little person! But then I think about all that Rob and I aspire for. He will be a CRNA and I will be a stay at home mom keeping up with lots of little people! Life will be more complicated. So I realize, THESE are the simple days. One little house, two jobs, two dogs, & one precious little baby. Easy cheesy!! (No, not easy at all...being a mom is the most difficult, but also the most wonderful, job in the world.) Now, when we see college kids out, or our old apartment, or even think back to what life was like a few months ago before Lorelei, we won't miss those days because we are so blessed to have all that we have, and one day, we will think back and realize RIGHT NOW is the simple life!

Dear Little Baby

Dear Lorelei,

Happy 2 month birthday!! This past month has been so much fun, watching you change and grow so quickly! In the past month, you have had your Nana come to visit you, had your first professional photo shoot (which you cried most of), taken your first trip to Dallas to see your Mimi and G-daddy, sat for the first time in your swing and Bumbo seat, smiled for the first time, started cooing and "talking," met your Grandad and Grandma Cathy, slept in your crib for the first time, outgrew your Miracle Swaddling Blanket (not to worry-we promptly purchased a bigger swaddling blanket), went to your first night at Parent's Night Out, moved up to size 1 diapers from Newborn, & had your first Halloween. That's a lot of new things in one month!!

Yesterday you went to your 2 month doctor appointment. You were 12 lbs. and 24.4 inches long! That is one long little baby!! You had to get several vaccines and it was so sad to see you so upset! Your legs are still very sore from the shots so we are giving you baby tylenol around the clock to keep you comfortable. The doctor also gave us some medicine for your reflux. So far it has really helped with your spitting up and fussy times.

In the upcoming month you will continue to have lots of firsts! We will be taking your first plane ride, first Thanksgiving, and you will have your first day at daycare. Mommy is very sad about your first day at daycare, but I know that it will make the afternoons when I pick you up that much sweeter. Daddy will stay home with you two days a week, so you will only be going to day care three days a week.

We learn more and more about you each day. While I thought that I would never be able to distinguish your cries, it is now so natural to know what you need just by listening to your cry. You really don't cry very much, which is a great blessing! You are such a good & sweet baby and we are enjoying this time with you so much. You love bath time, and after your bath each morning we spend time singing and reading in the glider in your room. This is my most favorite time of the day. You also have really started looking around, whether we are at the store, or you are in your crib looking at your toys--I love that everything is so new to you and you are enjoying learning about all of it!

When I get sad about you growing so quickly, I remember to be thankful that you are growing and healthy. God has blessed us with you and we thank Him for you each day.

We love you to the moon & back, angel baby!

Love,
Momma and Daddy

Pictures from 1 month-2 months:

Sweet November

I can't believe it is already November!! Fall is flying by, which is really too bad because it is my favorite time of year. The anticipation of the upcoming holidays, cooler weather, pretty leaves (not too much in Lubbock), football, and fires in the fireplace. Oh, and this year-Lorelei & maternity leave. Which makes Fall even better :)

Halloween weekend Rob's Dad and stepmom, Cathy came for a visit! It was the first time they got to meet Lorelei! We were so thankful that they made the long drive to visit.

I have started my Christmas shopping and gotten our stockings embroidered with our names! Funny thing about my stockings. When Rob and I first got married I had the idea that I wanted our family stockings to match. You know, how you see in Pottery Barn where all family members have the same or coordinating stockings. Well, I wasn't sure how to accomplish this since I didn't want to buy new stockings every time we had another baby, and I was certain a stocking pattern wouldn't be around each time we had a new baby. So, being the crazy planner that I am, I pre-purchased stockings for our family. Mind you this was before we had any babies. So, we had talked about wanting maybe 4 kids, so I bought 6 stockings from Pottery Barn Kids. We have a Santa, snowman, train, Christmas tree, and 2 others I can't think of right now. So this year is the BIG year for stockings! Rob decided to be Santa and I am the Christmas tree. Lorelei is the snowman snowgirl. When I went to the attic to get the stockings this year Rob asked how many more kids we could have. 1 is here, 3 to go. 4 stockings. No more, no less. So there you have it. My crazy and controlling stocking story. So you can call me nuts, but I will be the one with a fireplace full of perfectly coordinating stockings when my family is complete :)

Later this month we are going to visit Chicago! This will be the first time that Natalie and Melanie get to meet their little niece!! We plan to visit the Shedd aquarium and visit downtown while we are there! Last time we stayed up in Lake Forest at my parent's and didn't venture downtown. This time Natalie has agreed to be our tour guide :)

Lorelei had her first sit in her Bumbo seat this weekend. I took a few pictures and then decided to video her. The video is below. By the time we started videoing, the newness had worn off and she was pretty much tired of holding her head up!!

An Art Project

Okay, well it is not REALLY an art project...but my little friend and I made a Christmas ornament with her handprint impression on it. However, I really wasn't thinking when I decided to buy it because when I went to actually do the print, I realized that babies don't really spread their fingers out!! What was I thinking? A footprint would have been much easier, but I was determined to do a handprint. So, it took me numerous times of rolling out the molding and then attempting to spread her fingers out and smooch her hand down before I got an impression I was happy with. Then, I got so excited that it turned out, I took a picture of L and her first art project! It is currently in the drying stage and once it is dry I will add the ribbon.

As you might guess, she was exhausted after our big project. Hey, having mom smooch your hand down over and over until it was just perfect was hard work! So, right after we finished, Lorelei got into her burrito and took a nap in her swing. Here she is, clearly very ready to be left alone and go to sleep!