The Yartym's

Sister Tea Party

2012-02-09T21:49:00.002-06:00

This past week Presley has gotten much stronger at sitting up on her own. She of course can't go to sitting by herself, but she rarely falls over now when you put her down. I'm loving it!! Now that she is sitting she and Paige can interact more with each other.

On our lazy Monday morning this week, we were hanging out in jammies and playing in the playroom. Paige asked if she could have a tea party with Presley. Are you kidding me on the cuteness!?! She picked the pink tea cup for her sister because she has always said it's Presley's favorite color :), and served sissy her tea.

I'm not sure how I managed to capture the most precious smile I have seen from Paige here. I might be inclined to title this picture "bliss". My girls having tea together. Love that this will be the first of many tea parties.

6 Months

2012-02-03T14:34:00.002-06:00

We really did do things during the month of January, though our blog would show otherwise!! Just nothing that I took pictures of I guess!!!

And now we are in February. I love this month! It holds my second favorite holiday, and my baby turned six months old!!!

Presley, you are growing up too fast! The past six months have been a roller coaster around here, but one that is filled with so much love and so many laughs and smiles. I cannot imagine life without you in it.

This month you have really started to get fun. You have found your feet and are rolling all over the place. In fact, this month you rolled off of your changing table. :( Mommy felt so bad and will only change you on the floor now. When you are on your tummy you are starting to rock so I think crawling will be coming sooner rather than later. When you see Paige running around you scoot on your back or roll to get to her. You have also started sitting up when mommy or daddy put you in position.

You are still an excellent sleeper, Pressy. I think God knew I needed one baby who would take naps! You wake up around 8 a.m. and take about a 45 minute morning and evening nap. You also nap at the same time as Paige for about 2.5 hours. You are eating four 8 ounce bottles a day, and about 9 ounces of baby food each day. You are definitely a growing girl! Yesterday you weighted 15 pounds 8 ounces. Oh my little chunk!

Presley, we love every single thing about you. I can't wait to continue to watch you grow up. I'm looking forward to you interacting with Paige more and the two of you becoming sweet friends. We love you baby girl and are so proud of who you are.

Pierced Ears

2012-01-30T21:37:00.002-06:00

Saturday morning we had to go to Sweet and Sassy to get Paige some new earrings. The backs had fallen off her old pair and I had to replace them with some of my backs. It did the job, and no one could notice, but it drove both Matt and me crazy!

While we were there we decided to go ahead and pierce Presley's ears. I am a proponent of ear piercing as infants. I have heard all sides of the debate, from getting it done early so they don't remember to those who feel it needs to be the childs choice. And while I respect all decisions, I stand pretty firm in my camp.

The experience wasn't as great as it was with Paige. One of the girls missed the mark, but was able to fix the situation. As with Paige, there was a bottle on hand and Presley was no worse for the wear within a few seconds. Matt took a few pictures, but only the pre-piercing picture turned out.

I haven't taken any yet with her new studs. Maybe her six month picture?? Wow. How can my baby be a six month old almost?

5 Months

2012-01-03T11:12:00.002-06:00

Where have the last five months gone!? Presley is growing up before our eyes and I can't believe it. Sweet Presley, how did you already get to be five months old?!?

Presley, you are a wonderful baby. You are such a talker. In fact, when I am out with you alone, people comment on the fact that you MUST have an older sibling because you are constantly babbling. You are a little harder to make laugh than Paige, but it's still not too difficult. And when you start up, you don't stop. Your giggle box is the cutest sound in the world.

You are also a great sleeper. You go to bed at 7:30 p.m. and wake up at 8:00 a.m. You take short 45 minute naps in the morning and evening, and take a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. It really is great for our schedule because you and Paige overlap nap times. Your last bottle of the day is during Paige's story time. It's probably my favorite time of the entire day because our whole family (including the dogs) is all in Paige's room talking about the day, reading books, and then saying prayers.

Presley, you eat four eight ounce bottles a day. This month you also started rice cereal and baby food. You have had green peas and applesauce so far. Tonight you start corn. You are an expert at rolling from your tummy to your back and are so close to going from your back to your tummy. We are also waiting for you to find your feet. Any day now, I'm sure!

You are really just an excellent baby, Presley. You are pretty much a go-with-the-flow kind of child, with the exception of your carseat. You don't mind it, as long as you aren't in it too much in one day. I try to space out our errands throughout the week to give you and Paige as much playtime in a day as possible.

We all love you so much, Presley. We couldn't be more happy to have you in our life and can't wait to see what you become.

Baby Food

2011-12-30T17:20:00.004-06:00

I put it off through the holidays, feeding Presley only rice cereal, but I can't put it off any longer.

I'm back in the baby food making business! I'm not sure what possessed me to make my own baby food for both girls. Maybe it was my inability to nurse either one of them. Maybe I just like to spend every waking hour serving my family. Maybe it was that it is so much cheaper. Or maybe it was because all my friends were doing it. Whatever the reason, I did it for Paige and I will do it for Presley.

We are starting with green peas, broccoli, and corn. For their first year, I try hard to make sure the girls are fed organically. I want things to be as pure as possible in their little bodies. After the first year I guess it just goes down hill though! Cupcake anyone?

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T08:23:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone and we are almost at the start of a new year. We have had such a wonderful Christmas break. Paige is of an age where she is starting to get excited about Jesus' birthday and Santa, and we were thankful to have our second baby love here to celebrate this year too.

We started off our celebrations with a trip to Dallas where Paige got re-aquainted with the skill of unwrapping presents.

And also with the skill of smiling for the camera...

(Please Lord Jesus hear my prayer. I don't want to see this same pose with her in an orange jumpsuit. Does this look like her Christmas mug shot?!)

We got home just in time to make preparations for Christmas Eve. We went to church with my family and then back home for Jesus' birthday party. Paige got to blow out his candles.

And right before she went upstairs to bed, Paige set out milk and cookies for Santa Claus. (Santa informed us this year that his favorite cookies were Oreos. Boring, but we respected his wishes.)

I'm not sure if Paige was more excited to wake up Christmas morning, or me. Regardless, we were all ready to see if Santa came to our house. Paige and Presley must have been excellent girls because Santa spoiled them.

Cinderella Paige on Christmas morning.

We were so thankful that my parents, brother and aunt all came to our house to spend Christmas morning with us. I'm so happy they were there to share in the excitement of the day. And Presley loved getting to show Poppy one of her new toys.

After breakfast Paige couldn't wait to start playing with her new things. First she did a little art for us.

And then we spent a couple hours playing with her new dollhouse.

We were all so spoiled this year. We hope your holiday was filled with much joy and happiness.

Bath Time

2011-12-27T23:09:00.002-06:00

The thought of uploading all of our Christmas pictures is a bit overwhelming right now, so I give you instead my two babies in the bath tub:

Paige and Presley both got bubble bath in their stockings and Paige kept asking if she and Presley could get a bath together and use it. Since Pres can't sit up yet we had to modify, but I think they both had a fun time. :)

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T07:32:00.001-06:00

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

"And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

"And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." Luke 1:30-31

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Santa

2011-12-20T23:17:00.001-06:00

This morning we had the third annual Bell family Breakfast with Santa at the Aquarium. It was Presley's first time to meet Santa Claus and my first picture of both girls with Santa and Mrs. Clause!

Counting down until the man in red comes to our house!!

Rice Cereal

2011-12-17T11:06:00.001-06:00

At Presley's four month appointment this week, Dr. B told us Presley was ready to start eating rice cereal. We started Paige on baby food at four months and I remember thinking that with the second one, I probably wouldn't start until she was six months old because there really wasn't any point. Well, I am eating my words because with Presley, there is need!! She is already eating the maximum amount of formula in a day, and she still wants more. So, here we go with food!!

We started Thursday night with rice cereal.

Can you see the excitement on her face? Ready to try the spoon!!

She wasn't wild about it to be honest. It took her about half the bowl to catch on and not immediately spit the food out. Once she got the hang of it, things were a little better, but I'm not sure she is in love with this whole concept. :)

She finished it though!!

Just like I said in my last post, things like this make me realize I don't have a bitty baby anymore. I can't believe how quickly she is growing!

Exersaucer Time

2011-12-16T11:13:00.002-06:00

This week Presley started playing in her exersaucer! It has been at living at my parents house, so we hadn't gotten it out for her yet. Earlier this week we were at their house so I wanted to put her in for a try.

She looked like she was having fun taking it all in.

She is starting to reach for objects now, and a couple of things on the exersaucer really caught her eye. She would reach for them and talk.

Sweet smiles!! "This is fun, mama!!"

Relaxing a little bit. She loves when you spin that clear ball.

I can't believe she is big enough for the exersaucer. I was just thinking that it was about time to retire the baby swing to the attic. The swing is so symbolic to me of a newborn, so the thought that it is time to say goodbye to it makes me realize she isn't a newborn anymore! (I would be remiss though if I didn't say I am looking forward to her being able to sit up and interact more!!)

Presley's Baptism

2011-12-15T11:12:00.009-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated our precious Presley at her baptism. She was baptized at our church and we are so grateful to have so many family and friends come to watch us commit our baby to the Lord.

Presley got lots of pre-baptism snuggles in. First with Papa, her great grandpa.

Then with Na.

And with CiCi.

Andy asked us three questions, and then she was ready to be sprinkled.

I had never seen a baptism at our church and I have to say I really loved every minute of it. Hmm...take that back. Presley was baptized the day AFTER RG3 won the Heisman. Both Presley's daddy and Uncle were sporting BU shirts on the stage, and I believe this picture was taken as Matt said "In RG3 we trust". Out loud.

After the baptism, we went to our house and had a little family party to honor Presley. BBQ and RJ Goodies cake is the perfect way to celebrate!

One more shot of Presley and her Na and CiCi.

Happy baptism day Presley! You are a beautiful and perfect gift from God and we will do everything we can to raise you to become a woman who loves Him.

For a Smile

2011-12-14T13:59:00.007-06:00

Last month we had our first professional pictures taken of us as a family of four. I am so excited about them I had to share a few of them!!

You should be warned that the following pictures will put your cuteness meter at overload.

Swinging

2011-12-13T19:02:00.004-06:00

When Matt pushes Paige on the swing, he does this thing where he grabs the sides of the swing, and runs under it, thus pushing the swing super high into the air, resulting in *glorious little girl laughter.

So, I decided I would try it. I mean, I had seen Matt do this "trick" no less than 20 times this weekend alone, so I had surely mastered how he did it. Except, that I didn't...

I have never seen Matt have results like these. I'm still not exactly sure where I went wrong, but once I realized she was safe and not going to fall out, I certainly did run over to the table and get my phone so I could take a picture of her. :)

I'm not sure I will be trying this move anymore. Probably best for me to stick to the **classics.

* there is no sound that will make your heart smile quite like this

** I'm not sure what the classics would mean, other than the standard pushing of the swing. So I guess that's where I stand on my tricks.

Sic 'Em

2011-12-10T21:07:00.002-06:00

"Baylor we are, Baylor we'll always be" - R. G. 3.

Four Months

2011-12-06T22:40:00.002-06:00

Sweet little Presley, you are four months old!!

You are such a sweet baby and your personality is beginning to come through. Presley, we didn't think you were going to be big on laughing, but you have proven us wrong. It doesn't take much to get your giggle box working but funny faces are your favorite.

When you turned four months old, we stopped swaddling you. Mama was so nervous about doing this. You have been our champion napper and a three and a half hour afternoon nap was the norm as long as you were swaddled up. Needless to say, I was worried that was going to become a thing of the past, but it hasn't! You no longer take naps in your swing and nap really well in your own bed. Probably because it is quieter! You are also rolling from your tummy to your back and trying hard to go from your back to tummy.

You weigh 13 pounds which is the 27th percentile, your height is the 25 inches, 80th percentile, and your head is 15 inches, which is the 95th percentile!!! You are in size 0-3 month clothing, although all your winter clothes are 3-6 month, so you have been wearing them on days long sleeves are needed. They are a little roomy, but oh well!!

Presley, I say it every month, but you are a wonderful blessing to our family and a true joy. You are so loved by all of us and we can't wait to continue to watch you grow up. Love you baby Pressy!!

Swaddle Free

2011-12-02T19:44:00.002-06:00

This is how Matt and I put Presley down for bed tonight:

If there ever was a child who loved her swaddle, it is Presley. But since she turned four months old today, it is time to try our first night swaddle free. We gave her Sophie giraffe and her lovie to cuddle with and hopefully the night will be met with minimal (or zero) waking up!

Can't believe my little baby is already four months old!

Deck the Halls

2011-12-01T08:59:00.003-06:00

Our halls are decked:

And our stockings are hung by the chimney with care:

Celebrating the birth of our Savior and a visit from Santa all month long!!!

The Paci Fairy

2011-11-28T14:51:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, the Paci Fairy paid a visit to our house. To be honest, I never had any intentions of letting go of the paci's. Paige used one at nap time and bed time and if that's what she wanted, I really wasn't bothered by it at all. But then she started waking up in the middle of the night and from her naps, crying because she couldn't find her paci. After about a week of a 2 a.m. wake up call from Paige in a paci panic, I decided it was time to give the Paci Fairy a try.

Thankfully the day I became at my wits end was a Friday, and I knew I'd have the weekend to recover from sleepless nights, so that night, we put all of the paci's into a container for the fairy to find.

The first night really wasn't all that bad. The Paci Fairy was going to leave a gift, so we kept talking up this present, and it worked pretty well. She never woke up in the night, and the next morning, the Paci Fairy had left her this:

(I guess the Paci Fairy has it on good authority from Santa Claus that the girls will be getting a dollhouse for Christmas and might need some dolls to go inside it...)

I deemed it a success after the first night, but really shouldn't have counted my chickens before they hatched. I'd say it took a good four days before Paige finally stopped asking for (or crying for in some cases) her paci at nap or bedtime. But, we are now paci free. :)

Thankful

2011-11-27T13:44:00.006-06:00

Somehow the thought of a family picture escaped me on Thanksgiving this year, so we will have to do without one. We did manage to get a picture of all three girls in their matching outfits on Poppy's lap though:

And in case you were wondering how the photo shoot really went down, here are some of the rejects:

Thankful this year for my husby and my precious little girls, family that loves and supports us, and friends we cherish. Oh, and for a mouth that now opens. :)

Daddy Daughter Dates

2011-11-23T13:11:00.001-06:00

Matt and I are big on date nights. Now that Presley has arrived, we have slowed them to probably once every other week, however they are still something we make a point to do. I think it not only makes us a better mommy and daddy, but it also is a source of security for Paige and eventually Presley. I believe it is good to show affection and to love each other in front of her to show her that we love each other and she is in a secure home.

While I think it is important for our girls to watch Matt and I date each other, I also think it is important for our girls to go on individual "dates" with each of us. I know my girls will learn about the kind of man they want in their life by looking at their daddy. Thankfully, they have an incredible example.

Well, Matt and Paige had their first official date last week. It had been a long week for Paige, so Matt and she got Chick-fil-a and had a date night just at the house. They ate their dinner together and watched Charlotte's Web. Presley and I stayed out of the way so they could enjoy time just the two of them.

Aren't they cute!! It was the perfect first official daddy daughter date night. Paige had a great time getting to stay up late and have the undivided attention of her daddy. :)

Disney on Ice

2011-11-22T12:54:00.010-06:00

A little over a week ago, we topped off Reagan's 2nd birthday weekend with a trip to Disney on Ice. I think I was just as excited (if not more so, yikes!) than Paige was about seeing all the Disney characters. Paige cared only about two things. 1. Was Simba going to be there, and 2. Was Tinker Bell going to be there. Thankfully, Disney didn't disappoint on either front.

Here is Reagan and Christopher before the show. I will say we went to the 1:30 showing, and popcorn is what kept these girls going through the nap time show!

Ariel and friends. Paige has never seen The Little Mermaid, but does love her music!

Timon, Pumba and Simba. She was so happy to see them. I was worried Scar (or Scarf, as Paige calls him) would make an appearance, which would have scared her some, but he didn't.

When Tinker Bell came out, Paige told me she was "so beautiful". I had to agree with her...

And this was the face of Paige I captured as she watched Tink skating.

And then came Captain Hook, Peter Pan and the lost boys. Both Paige and Reagan were really captivated by this point!

And we can't forget sweet Presley. She got to see all her favorite Disney characters too!!!

It was so much fun to get to do another Disney activity this year. I love watching the girls become interested in things like this as they get older. Makes me excited for the future!

4 Years

2011-11-17T07:03:00.004-06:00

Four years ago today, I walked down the aisle to marry the man of my dreams. I was so nervous of making that long walk. I thought I was going to trip or faint, right there in front of hundreds of people. The aisle was long where we got married and there was a lot of room for mistakes. :) I remember telling my dad as we started our walk, that I was scared. And then, as we walked further down, I saw Matt standing at the end of it. I didn't see the preacher, or my flower girl. I didn't see my nine bridesmaids or Matt's groomsmen. All I saw was him. I locked eyes with him and immediately felt at peace. I knew this was a marriage ordained by God.

And although this marriage was planned and arranged by the Most High, I know that doesn't exempt us from struggles and trials. And we have not been short on those in our four years. And while I don't know what is to come in our life, I do know that Matt is more the man of my dreams today than he was four years ago.

Thank you for the past four years. Thank you for realizing my dreams and working to make them come true. Thank you for our beautiful girls, who are the spitting image of their daddy. Thank you for loving me, even on days when I seem most unlovable. I have found perfect balance in you, and I love you. More each day.

Happy Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T08:07:00.004-06:00

My favorite veteran. Made it through WWII and Korea to snuggle precious Presley. His third great granddaughter.

Happy Birthday, Reagan

2011-11-10T06:51:00.003-06:00

Happy 2nd Birthday, Reagan!!!

We love you little girl and have loved getting to watch you grow up these past two years. We can't wait to see the beautiful young woman you become.

Have a wonderful, special day. Happy 2nd birthday to you!

3 Months

2011-11-10T06:42:00.003-06:00

Dear Presley,

Happy 3 Months baby girl!!

You are such a blessing to our family and I feel like this month we really started to mesh as a family of four. It took me some time to figure out how to balance both you and your sister, but I think this month we got it down pretty well!!

At three months you are really growing. You weigh around 12 pounds and are eating now seven ounces of formula every three hours. I have started adding rice cereal to your bottles so we can work on pushing you to every four hours. You take your first bottle around 7:30 or 8 a.m. and your last around 8 p.m.

Presley, you are an incredible sleeper! You take a 45-hour long nap in the morning and late afternoon, and about a 2-2.5 hour nap mid day. I worked your schedule this way so you and Paige would sleep for at least an hour at the same time. It's the only way I can get chores done!

This week you started rolling over from your tummy to your back on a consistent basis, which makes tummy time challenging!! You are also starting to giggle more and more, although it takes more to get your giggle box going than it did with your sister.

You also had your first fever this month at 102.6. It made me so sad, but you were a champ and with some Tylenol slept the whole thing right off.

Presley, we love you so much I can't even begin to explain it. I know God made you just for us, but you really are the perfect fit to our little family. I can't imagine you not being a part of it all. You are so precious to us all.

Happy 3 months baby girl!!!

Gingerbread Workshop

2011-11-09T13:11:00.011-06:00

Another Holiday Market has come and gone, and I have found myself still trying to catch up from being gone all weekend. With activities every night this week, it is proving hard to do! Last year at Market Paige went to the Gingerbread Workshop for the first time. We went again this year and she was more into the activities, which made it more fun!

Our first stop when we got there was to go and get her face painted. I sat with her, not knowing how well she would do or how long she would last. She sat really still and kept telling me that it tickled her face. :) We ended up with a sweet little snowman she kept wanting to look at when we would pass a mirror at home!

Next stop was to get our candy for her gingerbread house. Cici and Na took her through the line to pick out all her yummies!!

Starting with her blank canvas, Paige got to work on decorating her house. Cici helped with the icing...

And of course there has to be a taste test or two that takes place. What kind of gingerbread house decorator would she be if it didn't taste as good as it looked. :)

Putting on another mint. She was obsessed with these mints this year!

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the finished product, and well, our poor house didn't survive the transit home. Matt and Paige tried to reengineer the house after nap, but it was unsuccessful. Our poor little gingerbread house ended up in the trash, so I guess we will just have to make another one! (or maybe we will just wait until next year and try again, because really, who has the time...)

Reagan came with us this year to Gingerbread and the girls had fun dancing to the Christmas music they were playing. She was fast, but I was able to catch Paige mid-dance:

I was worried about meeting Santa this year, since last year was anything but enjoyable, but Paige did well. Notice I didn't' say she did great, but she did sit on his lap. Her expression remained stone cold the entire time, but hey, baby steps! I talked Santa up the entire car ride there but girlfriend didn't take the bait.

We did manage to get one shot of her with a half (ok, maybe a quarter) smile. But Santa certainly is looking jolly!

While we were in line to see Santa, she was talking about getting her picture taken with the Gingerbread Man, so I had higher hopes for the outcome of this photo op. But sweet Paige was still a bit stoic here too!

Holiday Market really kicks off the Christmas season for me, so I was really excited it came. By the end of the weekend, I was exhausted, but I had a lot of fun. I am so grateful to Matt's mom for taking time off work to come down and watch the girls while I was working. Paige and Presley loved spending time with her and can't wait until she can play with them again!!

Trick or Treat

2011-10-31T21:27:00.007-05:00

Happy Halloween!!! Paige couldn't believe that the day had FINALLY come and she could FINALLY go trick-or-treating! She waited anxiously all day long for the hour to come when she could put on her costume and get that candy.

We couldn't forget sweet baby Presley. She went as Tinker Bell. I was so excited to get to see Presley in this costume. It seems so long since Paigey wore it on her first Halloween, and until she has an opinion on the matter, Presley will wear what Paige wore!

And of course the witch holding her broom. They say the accessories make an outfit, so we dolled Paige up with her Hermoine wand and Harry Potter broomstick. I knew that trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would come in handy!! :)

And since Halloween is more fun when you get to knock on doors and eat massive amounts of candy with friends, that is what we did! Rex, Woody, Cupcake, Mr. Potato Head, Tinker Bell and Princess Witch.

I. Die.

Of course the big kids were excited, but come on now, can't you tell by the looks in their eyes that they too had been waiting all day to get dressed up!

A chariot to take them from house to house. :)

Jack and Paige heading to trick-or-treat! They were professionals by the time we were done!! Check out their skills here!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!! I couldn't have had more fun with these precious kiddos!

Halloween Eve

2011-10-30T20:41:00.015-05:00

After church today we decided to head over to Christopher and Sharon's house early and carve pumpkins! After all three girls took a nap (well, I don't actually think Paige ever slept) we set about with the carving. This was the first time Matt and I have ever carved a pumpkin since we have been together, so obviously Paige's first time as well!!

The first step of course was to cut a hole in the top. Paige was pointing and laughing while saying "pumpkin guts!!!".

Paige getting a closer view of a pumpkins seeds.

And let the scooping begin!! At first she would only do this every once in a while and take a peek inside as Matt scooped out the pumpkin.

I love them so much. And I love how Paige is looking at her daddy as he pulls out a huge spoonful of pumpkin! She still wasn't brave enough to touch it yet, but we were getting there!

After a little more convincing, Paige decided she was brave enough to get her hand a little bit dirty, so she went for it! I was so proud of her, considering early this morning, she was freaking out that she had goldfish "dust" on her hands. :)

I thought when she stuck her hand in there she might pull out a seed or two, but this is what she came out with. Girlfriend went all in!! Love it!!

Once our pumpkin was all cleaned out, Matt and Paige had to think about what kind of face they wanted to carve. Paige said she wanted "something silly".

While daddy was carving, we had cupcakes and picture time. Paigey and her Na.

Paige was SO PROUD of her finished pumpkin. I loved getting to watch her expression as Matt showed her the pumpkin for the first time after it was all done. I asked her if she wanted her picture taken with her pumpkin, to which she said yes, and was a total ham while I took her picture. She is still talking about how beautiful her pumpkin is.

You all know by now that I am a huge fan of keeping it real around here. I turn these blogs into books for each year, and I want to go back and remember the true details and not just the sugar coated things. (although that would always make for roses, it's not our real life) I wanted to get a picture of our whole family with our little pumpkin. Notice anything wrong with this shot??

Yep. After we took that picture, I said "wait, what about Presley!?!" So here is take two:

Baby girl, we really do love you! She was such an angel and slept while we were carving that she slipped my mind for a quick minute. Just a quick one though because she is pretty unforgettable.

And once it got dark, we got to see our work lit up. Reagan's pumpkin is on the left, and Paige's is on the right.

Happy Halloween Eve!! Paige is excited to go trick-or-treating, and Presley and I are excited to hand out candy and chat with our neighbors. And Halloween means a certain someone is almost three months old. Can't believe it.

School Halloween Party

2011-10-27T11:21:00.000-05:00

Today Paige had her Halloween party at school! We laid out her costume last night and she woke up excited this morning to put it on. This year Paige is dressing up as a witch. And a super cute witch at that!!

Parents got to stay for the morning parade at school. I loved seeing all the kids dressed up in costumes!

Paige could have cared less that I was there and went straight to the puzzles with Hannah and Abby.

Cute little kiddies on parade!!

And click here for the link to the parade video I took. I realize you will only want to watch this if you are Paige's grandparents!!

Jesse and a witch. Paige's friend Emme Claire that she loves playing with!!

Me and my Halloween cutie. Halloween was never at the top of the list for holidays I love, but now that I have kids, it is! I love seeing things through their eyes, especially holidays!!

And a group shot!! Love all the costumes in the Little Lambs class!!!

We were in charge of the treat bags for the class party, so here is what Paige and I came up with. Bubbles, spooky rings, play-doh, erasers, stickers, reflective arm bands for trick-or-treating, pretzels, marshmallows, suckers and Halloween trail mix. We put all the treats in buckets from the Dollar Store that I jazzed up with some ribbon, bows and a button.

And here was our finished product! Paige loved helping me stuff all of the buckets. She also helped me make the trail mix. So glad I have such a little helper!

I can't believe it is already time for Halloween. It won't be long until we are thinking turkey and then candy canes!! My favorite months are just around the corner. :)

Paige's Prayers

2011-10-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

Every night, Paige has a very set routine before bed. We eat dinner, clean up the playroom, take a bath, brush teeth, read books and give hugs and kisses good night. When we eat a meal, we always say a prayer before it, and recently, Paige has been the first to put her hands out to pray. I took this as a cue she was ready to do night time prayers with us, so I made this for her room:

It is just a simple terra cotta flower pot that I painted. I wrote "Paige's Prayers" on it, and inside there are craft sticks with people's names on them. Every night she gets to pull out one of the sticks and that is the person we pray for that night. (I did buy extra sticks so as specific needs arise, we can add them to the pot) She has many choices, from mom and dad, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends. There is also a stick for her salvation. While this is a prayer I pray for her, it is a prayer she will one day have to pray for herself.

We have LOVED using the prayer pot. It keeps prayers from dragging on and on as a stalling mechanism, as well as teaches Paige the importance of praying to God. She loves the end of story time now because she gets to pull a prayer stick!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T20:50:00.004-05:00

Sunday afternoon before dinner we met up with the rest of my family at the pumpkin patch for some cute and festive pictures of the girls together in their Halloween outfits. Paige and Reagan had a blast running around the patch together! We did manage to get a few pictures out of them. Two is definitely a tricky age for picture taking!!

Our family at the pumpkin patch. (With a couple other families behind us!)

Paige and Presley and well, my arm. But look at how stately Paige is standing!!!

And Paige and Reagan. There wasn't a decent one of Paige, Reagan and Presley I'm so sad to say!

We are really looking forward to this weekend when we get to go buy our pumpkin and carve it. This will be the first year we have carved a pumpkin with Paigey! I can't believe that Halloween is only one week away!

2 Month Check Up

2011-10-13T13:23:00.005-05:00

Presley went in today for her two month checkup and first round of shots and was a champ!!!

Dr. B said she is growing right on track and that we have nothing to be worried about. After all of the growth ordeal with our previous pediatrician, that was great news to hear. Presley is our little baby chunk and I can't get over her fabulous chubby cheeks! Here are her stats at two months old:

Height: 23.5 in (79th percentile)

Weight: 10 lb 13 oz (30th percentile. I do realize that for some of you reading, 30th percentile hardly classifies as a chunk, but Paige was in the 10th and my niece wasn't even on the charts, so 30th is big!!)

Head: 16 in. (83rd percentile)

At first, I didn't think Presley was as smiley as Paige was, but the past two weeks have really proved me wrong. Sometimes it will take her 30 minutes to eat a bottle because she keeps stopping to smile at you. She is also getting real chatty, which is so sweet. I forgot how much fun it is to have little baby conversations. I'm almost positive all she talks about is how pretty I am and how impressed she is that my hair always looks like I just walked out of a salon.

I'm just so proud of her and all she is doing. The transition to two made for a challenging first six weeks or so, but I couldn't have asked for two better little girls. They have made it all as easy as possible!

Halloween Cuties

2011-10-06T07:07:00.002-05:00

October is FINALLY here!!! I love this month because it means my favorite season is here, it signals cooler temperatures, and all my favorite holidays. I couldn't resist putting the girls in Halloween outfits, even though it turned out to be 90 degrees and they were in long sleeves!

And just because I am a big fan of keeping it real around here, this is how the photo shoot really went:

Oh sweet Presley. You spit up SOOO much! And Paige refused to take the picture unless her baby was in it! Love my girls. :)

Fall Craft

2011-10-05T10:28:00.001-05:00

Monday's are one of my favorite days of the week. The girls and I stay home all day, lounging around in sweat pants, with no makeup or hair bows, and do laundry and other chores. (Well, I do laundry and other chores.) Paige and I also usually do lots of coloring or other art activities on Mondays as well, since we are at home and in clothes that can get messy.

Late last week Paige picked some pinecones for me to put into this pumpkin basket we have. She was so proud of herself and her pinecones that we put it as our centerpiece on the kitchen table. I felt like it needed to be jazzed up a little though, so this past Monday we "sparkled them" as Paige would say.

Paige really wanted purple glitter, so we went with orange, black, purple and green for Halloween. It was a messy project and I most definitely spent 30+ minutes at the sink working spray glue and glitter off my left hand, but Paige had SO MUCH fun. We did it outside to maintain the mess as much as possible, and now our whole back patio is sparkly! I love that Paige is at an age where we can start doing little crafts like this!

2 Months Old

2011-10-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

Dear Presley,

You are two months old!!!

Here is what you are doing at two months:

You are a WONDERFUL sleeper!!! You nap really well in the morning, but they do get a little rough as the day wears on. You started sleeping through the night at six and a half weeks and haven't woken up in the night since. You eat your last bottle at 8 p.m. and you wake up in the morning between 7 and 8 a.m. On days I can let you sleep, you wake up on your own between 7:30 and 8, but on days we have to be out the door, Mommy wakes you up between 7 and 7:30 a.m.

You are eating five six ounce bottles a day and are becoming such a little chunk! You are right around ten pounds. We go for your two month checkup next week and I can't wait to see what you weigh then!

You don't seem to mind tummy time, and Paigey likes to do it with you, which makes it easier on mama. You are getting better with your smiles and eye contact, but you usually save both for your daddy. You do smile for mama when I sing to you, but hate it when Paige plays Pat-a-Cake with you! :)

Presley, you have brought so much joy to our lives and we love you so much. We can't wait to watch you grow into a precious little girl.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

State Fair of Texas

2011-10-03T21:41:00.006-05:00

This weekend, Matt and I loaded up the girls and headed to Dallas for the State Fair. Paige and Presley both did great, especially considering we went to the fair immediately upon our arrival in Dallas, so both girls had just spent four hours in the car, and Paige with no nap.

Presley had a great time at the fair and spent most of the day hanging out with her daddy in the Bjorn.

We did the Little Hands Farm with Paige. What a cute little sheep!

Love this picture of her!! She did inform me on Friday morning that she wasn't going to go to Dallas unless she got to wear her Kitty Hello (Hello Kitty) dress from H&M. I have no idea where she got such a strong willed personality. :)

In the petting zoo loving on a zebra. They did match after all!

We went to the fair with Matt's parents, and Cici and Ed took Paige on the giant ferris wheel at the end of the day. I was certain Paige would be a little hesitant, but even though I didn't ride with her, I can safely say she enjoyed every minute of it. She had her hand out the side waving to me when they were up in the air!

This trip was also special because Matt's grandparents got to meet Presley for the first time.

When Paige was born, she got to meet seven of her eight great grandparents, which is really incredible. I think it is also incredible that Presley gets to have five of hers in her life. I miss my grandma all the time and I know Matt misses his grandpa. Presley's namesake is my grandma, and I sometimes find myself looking at her and the only thought running through my mind is "What would she think of this baby girl?" Before my grandma passed away she had spent six weeks down in Houston with us and I remember standing in my kitchen with her. She looked at me, and said that she was so proud of Paige and that she thought I was a great mom. I loved Presley meeting Granny and Doyle, but it made me wish my grandma was here. I wanted her to tell me she was proud of my Presley too. I know she would have loved her, but sometimes I just wish I could hear it from her.

It was a quick weekend but I could not have pictured Paige having a better time at the fair, and Presley doing so great too. And Matt and I indulged in some fried banana pudding which will keep us coming back for years!!

Someone in the House

2011-09-30T13:02:00.005-05:00

This morning I was upstairs getting ready for the day when Paige came up and said "Mommy, there is someone in the house. Don't freak out. Follow me."

I knew that there wasn't anyone in the house because the dogs would have gone crazy, but I did sort of think maybe someone was peeking in our windows or something and Paige had seen them.

So, I followed Paige downstairs and into the dining room, where she pointed to the table, and said, "WHO is that mom?"

There's a few things I loved about this conversation. First off, I must say "don't freak out" quite a bit for her to pick up on it, and secondly, I loved that she referred to this spider as a someone and a who, not just a something and a what. She gave it some personality. :) After I showed her what it was she wasn't nervous about it anymore. I guess that is what I get for putting out the Halloween decorations while she was asleep!!

And just because she is so stinking cute and needs a blog feature, here is my second baby love:

and yes, that is spit up on her shirt. :)

Bounce House

2011-09-25T20:58:00.009-05:00

I know I haven't blogged in a while. I think my excuse will be a seven week old and a two year old. It's a good one, huh. :) We have been busy and having lots of fun, I just haven't brought my camera along to document it.

This Saturday though, I got the camera out and took some pictures. It was a great day. We played in the bounce house, I had the annual dragon boat races, and we ended the day with a Baylor win. Days really don't get better than that.

Last week our lawn man cleared out lots of underbrush, bushes and trees in our back and side yard so that the girls and I feel safe playing out in the back, so I was excited to spend some time in our backyard over the weekend and thought getting out the bouncy house would be a great idea. I got this for Paige over a year ago, but she is just now at an age where the bouncy house is not intimidating to her.

Come on in, Mommy. It's fun!!! She called it her castle all day. So cute.

And she bounced and bounced all morning long.

Towards the end, Matt thought it would be fun to set the bubble blower up so it would blow bubbles into her "castle". And then she was really in heaven!

Both girls are doing really well. Paige is loving school and her new class which is wonderful to hear. She has made two friends that she talks about all the time when we are going to and from school. Paige is also obsessed with princesses, something she has always liked but I feel has really picked up the last month or two. I tried to convince her to be Jesse from Toy Story for Halloween and she just wouldn't have it. She only wanted to be a princess. I finally talked her into a witch by calling it a princess witch!

Presley has been sleeping through the night for about a week now, which is a huge blessing. Matt feeds her her last bottle between 8 and 8:30 and I wake her up between 7 and 7:30 in the morning. This weekend we let her sleep until she woke up and both days she woke up around 8 a.m. Unfortunately, she is not the quickest eater and our weekday schedule really doesn't allow for an 8 a.m. wake up followed by a 45 minute bottle! She is eating every 3-3.5 hours during the day and is eating 6 ounces of formula. At seven weeks Paige was just bumping up to five ounces of formula, so Presley is definitely a bigger eater.

We took her to a new pediatrician this week so he weighed her and she is 9 lb. 10 oz. So big!

Paige is still adjusting well to Presley being around, but I have noticed little things here and there that she didn't used to do when Presley first came home. If I have Presley down on the floor to play, Paige almost always will play on the floor with us. I LOVE this because I can give both my girls attention and they can start to learn to play together. Last week though, I noticed Paige told Presley not to touch her toy at one point, and then another day got upset that Presley knocked over one of her toys. I guess the excitement of Presley's newness is starting to wear off to a certain big sister. :) Just a little taste of what's to come, I'm sure!

Presley's Newborn Pictures

2011-09-13T21:56:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we got Presley's newborn pictures in the mail. I am in love with them and so excited to share some of them!! And happy six weeks to my little buttercup. :)

One Month

2011-09-02T21:28:00.003-05:00

My sweet baby is one month old today! This month has flown by and even though it went fast with Paige, I am sure it was not quite this fast!

Here is my precious girl at 1 month old:

Presley is weighing 7 lb. 8 oz. and is 20 inches long. We found out last Thursday that I am not producing enough milk, so Presley is eating four ounces of milk every three hours. I give her what I can and the rest is formula. At night she will sleep about five hours before needing to eat.

We have been going to her pediatrician every week for the month for weight checks. At two weeks, she should have been back at her birth weight, and we didn't meet this goal until she was almost four weeks old. We were told today at an appointment with a pediatric gastrointerologist that Presley was moderately malnourished. I can't even begin to explain how much hearing that word....malnourished...will crush a mommas soul.

The great news is that Presley gained almost a pound this past week, so we know the problem was my low milk supply and nothing to do with her. Now she just has to play catchup to ensure we aren't behind on any milestones. I am so in love with her and can't wait for this little hump to be something I can look back on and say "remember when", but right now there are some really hard moments in our days.

Other than her feeding struggles, Presley really is an incredibly easy and happy baby. She loves to be held, is not a huge fan of tummy time, and will start searching for her daddy the minute she hears his voice. Presley, we are so in love with you precious girl. I can't wait to see you continue to grow and watch you turn into a beautiful woman.

Happy first month sweet Pressy.

Sister Love Part Two

2011-08-30T20:59:00.003-05:00

I know you all may not enjoy these sweet moments quite as much as I do, but I want Paige to see how much she loves her sister. One day Presley will want to steal her makeup, clothes and boyfriend, and Paige will need to look back at these little moments. :) So, I give you sister love, part two:

This morning I was feeding Presley when Paige woke up and came into our room. Once I was done, I put Presley on the bed and Paige climbed up and snuggled her. I also feel I should note that this picture is not staged. I did asked her if she would stay like that though while I got my phone to snap a picture!

I am beyond thankful that Paige has adjusted so well to having a sister around. Like Paige, Presley has really struggled in the eating arena, so demands quite a bit of my time during the day, and I know that is asking a lot of Paige, but she has done so well it blows me away. I love my girls so much!!

ABC, 123

2011-08-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

This morning Paige was being a real ham while we were getting ready for school. She was saying her abc's and counting. It was so cute I had to get a video of her in action. And yes, at the end of the video she falls off the bed from excitement!

Where's Presley

2011-08-24T21:17:00.001-05:00

One of these is not like the others...

First Day of School

2011-08-19T12:58:00.004-05:00

We were all excited for Paige to start school yesterday! We have missed it over the summer break. :) The night before school started I let Paige pick out which uniform she wanted to wear, her socks, hair bow, etc. so Thursday morning, when she woke up, the first thing she wanted to do was put it all on. Here is how our first day of school pictures went: "Smile Paigey"...

Five more pictures ensue before: "Smile Paigey, please, and I will give you some Tangled fruit snacks":
I have said it before, and I will say it again. I am not above bribery. I used to look at moms that bribed their children and said I would never do that, especially with food. Well, I'm here to tell you there is a reason every single mom on the planet does it...it works!

Matt went in late to work so that he could come to drop her off with me. When we got in, all the kids spent time doing puzzles while all of the class arrived. Paige LOVES puzzles!

And when we left her for the morning, this is the precious face she gave us. This little girl really has no issue with us leaving her places. Least of all at school!

When I picked her up yesterday afternoon she told me about the kids in her class, what all they did that day, and that she had "lots of fun". So glad to be back in the normal swing of things. (Have I mentioned summer is my LEAST favorite season! Happy it is on its way out!)

Meet the Teach

2011-08-16T20:29:00.002-05:00

Paige was excited all day today because I told her that this afternoon we were going to go to her school for meet the teacher night. She has been asking all summer about when she gets to go back to school and is thrilled that this is finally the week!

Outside her new classroom ready to meet her teachers for the year. Look at that precious "cheese" face!

With her teacher, Ms. Sandra, and her assistant, Ms. Fabi. Both are native Spanish speakers and at Paige's school they study Spanish in the fall and French in the Spring. I am hopeful that the fall will yield lots of new Spanish words with these two as her teachers!!

I can't believe summer is over and we start school on Thursday. I am so excited for Paige. I love that she loves to go to school and can't wait to see what new things she will learn this year. Praying for a wonderful school year for my baby love!!

Sister Love

2011-08-11T13:48:00.006-05:00

I won't lie to you. Yesterday was a hard day. I had two babies who wouldn't sleep, and a mommy and daddy who were in desperate need of a nap. But, God is faithful, and after the storm, He always brings the calm. Words can't express how full my heart was this morning watching Paige give sissy some love.

Giving her "cheese" face.

Decided to do tummy time with her sister.

For real. It doesn't get better than this moment.

One Week

2011-08-09T20:10:00.010-05:00

We have survived our first week as a family of four!! I can't believe it has already been one week with Presley in our lives. I am so thankful for Matt, my parents, and Sharon. I would not have had such a wonderful week without each of them. Matt is off for two weeks helping me out, and my parents or Sharon have helped me out every single day this week. I am so grateful.

And we have been busy! Presley had her first bath at home on Saturday:

We have played on her play mat:

Big sister got a busted lip:

We have played dress up:

And relaxed in our bouncy seat:

And we have gotten all dolled up to go see our pediatrician for the first time:

Oh this face. I love this face.

Paige has been the best big sister ever and is adjusting well to having Presley in the house with us. She has her moments, but they are not often and short lived, and when I remember how much her little world has been turned upside down, I can't help but be thankful for how great she is doing. She is mommy's helper and loves to love on her baby sister. I just can't say enough wonderful things about how she is doing.

Presley is doing great too! She eats every 2-3 hours, and is getting better about sleeping. Although she isn't fussy when she is awake, she doesn't like to be put down either, which can be tricky! When we went to the doctor on Monday she weighed in at 6 lb. 5 oz. We go back on Friday for a weight check to make sure she is starting to get back to her birth weight.

I am so thankful for my two precious, beautiful little girls. God has answered so many prayers in this week alone I can't help but be in awe. I am so excited to see what is in store for us as we settle into our routine and life together as a family of four.

Presley's Birth

2011-08-05T13:46:00.002-05:00

I have re-read the story of Paige's birth so many times that I wanted to write down Presley's too. It is so special to go back and relive such wonderful moments.

From the beginning, Presley has been different from her sister. My entire pregnancy was different, so it seemed fitting that the delivery would be as well. Unlike Paige, Presley chose not to come on her own, so on the morning of August 2, I was up at 5 a.m. to call the hospital and see if I made the induction schedule for that day. My OB had put me on the week before, but I could still be bumped off if the hospital was full. I called at 5 and was told I was "on hold", meaning they didn't know if they had a room for me or not, and to call back at 7:30. I decided that I was going to be optimistic about the day and went ahead and got a shower, finished packing my toiletries for the hospital, etc. At 7:30 I called and was told I was still on hold for a couple more hours, but that the two women in front of me were also on hold. In other words, it wasn't looking good, since the other two weren't in either. I was told to call back at 9:30 and we would know for sure. At this point, I was bummed and was resolving myself to the fact that Presley would not be coming that day, when about 10 minutes after we hung up, I got a call back from the hospital saying I was in and to be there in no more than 30 minutes.

Matt and I rushed to get the bags in the car, food and drink in me, and out the door to the hospital. We made it by 8:15 a.m. and were almost immediately taken back to our room. I feel like I need to put here, that while I was getting my shower, I prayed the whole time. I didn't know what my prayer should be, because if she really wasn't ready to come out I wouldn't have wanted her here yet. I wanted her to be perfectly cooked and ready, so instead, I prayed for wisdom. I told God that I was tired and anxious and ready, but that I needed wisdom for what to pray for exactly, and he answered. He told me to pray for the perfect room to be available. And so I did. Our room was at the very end of the hall, and as we were walking to it, I knew why I was told to pray for our room. We were put in room 1234, the same room I delivered Paige in. It was our perfect room.

Around 9, the nurse came in to start my IV. With Paige, I never even felt the IV because I was in so much pain. This time, the IV was the worst part. After blowing two of my veins, she finally got it on the third try, so we were ready to get going. Dr. S. came in at 9:15 to break my water, and by 9:30, I had pitocin coming in. At 12:30 I told the nurse that I wasn't in a ton of pain, but that I figured within an hour I would be ready for my epidural, so she went ahead and put me in the line to get one. I had it about 1:15, at which point the nurse checked me and I was only 3 cm. At 4:30, the nurse checked again and I was 6 c.m. and then Dr. S came by on his way out of the office around 5:15, and I was at an 8. About 20 minutes later I told the nurse I was ready to push so she went ahead and called to see where Dr. S. was. He had gone home and so I was told to just wait until he got back to start pushing. When he got there and everything was ready, I pushed two times...literally, two....and was told my job was done. She was out!

After only 8.5 hours, and two pushes, baby Presley made her debut. Her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck (which the nurse had suspected hours earlier due to the fact her heart rate would drastically drop when I had a contraction) and she didn't cry for the first couple of minutes, which left me terrified, but she was perfect. (and just needed a little suctioning to get those lungs going!) She weighed 6 lb. 13 oz, which was more than her sister, but was "shorter" than Paige at 19 inches long.

Our sweet Presley is absolutely perfect in every way. I am so proud to get to share this story and how my second baby love made her entrance into the world!

Presley Holland Yartym

2011-08-04T12:50:00.002-05:00

We are so excited to introduce you to our newest addition, Presley Holland Yartym! Presley was born August 2, 2011, at 6:02 p.m., after 8.5 hours of labor. She weighed 6 lb. 13 oz. and was 19 in. long. She weighed more than her sister, but was half an inch shorter.

We are loving our new life as a family of four and can't wait to share pictures, videos and stories of Presley with you. Welcome to the world, baby girl!

38 Weeks

2011-07-25T20:03:00.003-05:00

The end is starting to be in sight now that I have hit 38 weeks! I went and saw Dr. S. today for my 38 week appointment, and to be honest, left a little disappointed. For starters, nothing has changed since last week. I am still only one cm dilated and not effaced. I also found out that the induction schedule for next Monday was full, so I will find out tomorrow if I get on for Tuesday, the 2nd.

I left the doctor feeling really bummed. I have always felt this pregnancy that Presley was going to come during my 38th week, and I think I realized today that the likelihood of that happening is slim. No one ever gave me reason to believe that this would be the case, it is just what I thought. Call it wishful thinking, I guess!!! :)

I just have to keep reminding myself that she will be here soon and to enjoy these last days as a family of three. I am trying so hard not to want to rush through them, but the hotter it gets, and the more tired I get, the harder that becomes! Above all, I want Presley to be healthy, and if that means staying in a little longer, so be it!

So here I am, post pool and post rain, at 38 weeks:

I'm 38 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 38 Weeks

Size of Baby: 20 inches, 6 1/2 pounds

Total Weight Gain: 25 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Yes of course.

Gender: Girl

Movement: With her being head down it is lots of kicks in the ribs

Sleep: I am up about four times a night using the restroom, but don't have a hard time falling back asleep.

What I Miss: Margaritas and stomach sleeping!

Cravings: sour

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, spider veins on my legs

Best Moment this Week: I packed my bag for the hospital. (something I am beginning to feel was very premature!!) But, everything we had to do is now officially done and we are literally just playing the waiting game.

37 Weeks

2011-07-18T20:20:00.003-05:00

Hooray! I have made it to full term!!!! I went to Dr. S. today for my 37 week appointment, and although I am not effaced and only one cm dilated, he did say that Presley's head is fully in position. Hopefully this week she will put lots of pressure on me, causing both of the aforementioned things to happen.

We talked about being induced, and have a tentative date of August 1 set if Presley hasn't decided to come on her own. When I say tentative though, I mean VERY tentative. Next Monday morning the doctor's office will call the hospital to get me on the induction schedule for the following Monday. If I get a slot, they will let me know at my appointment that morning. However, even if I get a slot, it is still like flying standby and I can be bumped for women who are more serious than my elective induction. That being said, in roughly two weeks, we will be holding sweet little Presley baby in our arms, and that makes me so joyful!

We have done every single thing on our before baby check list except to pack my personal bag for the hospital. Knowing I am only one centimeter dilated, I don't feel rushed to do this step though! Maybe this weekend it will happen??

Paigey Mommy

2011-07-13T06:40:00.002-05:00

Paige goes into Presley's nursery at least once a day. With all the changes that have gone on, I think she just likes to see what is new. And I would like to believe that even though her understanding of what is happening is not 100%, that she is still excited to have a sister. (until of course she knows just what that means!)

Yesterday when Paige was looking around, she noticed that the crib was raised up and immediately wanted in with her baby doll (whom as of yesterday she has named Presley). She was so stinkin cute the whole time!! She tucked her in with all of her blankets and lovie, and then fed her juice and turned on her mobile:

And just generally loved on "Presley", gave her kisses, patted her, etc.

We went to the pool last night after an early dinner, and she kept telling Matt and me that she needed to go home to put her baby to bed, because that is what good mommy's do. Sigh. I love her.

36 Weeks

2011-07-11T14:37:00.006-05:00

Today I saw Dr. S for my 36 week appointment. That means I will now go once a week to see him, and that is a huge milestone in my book! It was a quick appointment and we just listened to Presley's heartbeat, at 132 bpm. Next week we will start checking for progress and get a better idea of when she might make her debut!!

Paige spent the night at my parents last night, so Matt and I took the time to put the nursery back in newborn order. We raised the crib, had the bumper cleaned, hung the mobile, etc. I even have Presley packed for the hospital. Myself, well that is another story, but Presley's things are ready to go! Other than packing, the only big thing left on my "to do before baby" list is to have the car thoroughly washed and car seat installed. And a pedicure should probably be thrown in there too!!

So here we are at 36 weeks:

I'm 36 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Size of Baby: 18.5 inches, 6 pounds

Total Weight Gain: 25 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Yes of course.

Gender: Girl

Movement: Yes. No more punches or kicks really though, it is now lots of rolling, where my whole stomach will go lopsided as she rolls to the right or left.

Sleep: I can fall asleep quickly, but wake up frequently throughout the night to use the bathroom or because of cramping, etc. But it is SOOO worth it!!

What I Miss: Margaritas. I don't think this has changed in months! Also, sleeping on my stomach. I hate sleeping on my side!

Cravings: sour sour sour things still

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, spider veins on my legs

Best Moment this Week: My friends had a sprinkle for me and another friend Saturday. I felt so much love not just for me, but for my baby girl too. I know these are women who would all be there for me or my girls any day, any time if we needed, and that is just such an overwhelming and blessed feeling.

Sea World

2011-07-01T08:41:00.002-05:00

Paige and I just got back from a girls trip to Sea World this week with my mom, Sharon, and Reagan. We drove up on Tuesday, did Sea World Wednesday, and then came home Thursday. We had such a good time, and seriously, these two girls are becoming theme park pros!!!

Wednesday it was 104 in San Antonio so we all invested in a souvenir cup with 99 cent refills to keep ourselves and the girls hydrated all day long. No joke, our cup was almost as big as Paige was. But she sure looked cute drinking out of it!!!

After one of the shows we took the girls to Elmo's Bay of Play for a little splash pad fun. There is a three and under section we went to that overlooked the performance stage, where Elmo and the gang were putting on a show. Paige loved dancing around in the fountains to the music and getting to see everyone in the Sesame Street gang.

After the show was over, the characters did meet and greets. After our Disney World incident with Pooh Bear at breakfast, I obviously didn't take Paige to meet the characters, but she asked (with no prompting by anyone) to go and meet Zoe and then Abby. I was honestly shocked, but Paige got her picture taken with both of them! Zoe was first and she was still a little reluctant, but Reagan and Sharon got in the picture too, which helped.

And then on to meet Abby Caddabi! (Her favorite Sesame Street character. We don't watch the tv show, but have a few Sesame Street books) At the end of the day each girl got to pick out a toy to bring home, and Paige picked out an Abby doll. I tried hard to persuade her to get something Sea World related like a dolphin or whale, but girlfriend wasn't having it. Only Abby would do.

After lunch we went and fed the Dolphins, which both the girls loved.

Paige did really well at holding a fish and throwing into the water. She couldn't get it into their mouths, but then they came up out of the water a bit more to get the fish from where she dropped it, so she got a better view anyway. When we were down to one fish in the tray, she did accidentally knock the tray and fish into the water. Whoops.

Posing for the camera with two pretty dolphins behind her. Look at those red cheeks!

Paige said her favorite show was the Beluga whale/dolphin show. It was my favorite too. Sort of Sea World show meets a mini Cirque de Soleil.

On the way to Shamu we made a stop at the Flamingos!

And before we went and saw Shamu, we had our picture taken with him. This time Paige was not as impressed as with Abby and Zoe!

We sat three rows from the bottom at the Shamu show which was most definitely part of the splash zone, so we came out of Shamu soaking wet and smelling of salt water, but I can't say it didn't feel good to cool off a bit!! Paige wasn't overly excited about being splashed, but I know the cold water had to feel nice on her too. And, it only took about 2.5 seconds to dry off once the show was over thanks to the temperatures!

We had an awesome day at Sea World. I am so proud of Paige for rocking yet another theme park. Yesterday when we got home we both napped for over three hours and had sweet dolphin dreams.

34 Weeks

2011-06-27T20:05:00.002-05:00

Well, we have made it to 34 weeks, and are only three weeks away from being full term, and five-ish weeks away from meeting our Presley! I am starting to get things checked off my 'before baby arrives' to-do list which of course makes it all the more real to us as well. I saw Dr. S today for my 34 week appointment which meant blood work and Group B strep test. I was able to hear Presley's heartbeat at 159 bpm, and that was basically it. I love that my doctor is very patient and listens well when you have questions, but I also love that when you don't have questions, he is quick and down to business. Nothing worse than wasting half a day sitting in a doctors office! So here I am at 34 weeks with my Presley (and please excuse the post-pool look):

I'm 34 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 Weeks

Size of Baby: 18 inches, 5 pounds

Total Weight Gain: 23 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Of course. Although it seems my maternity swimsuit is what I sport most days! Paige and I are going to have awesome tans. :)

Gender: Girl. Paige calls her Pressy and something tells me that it is going to stick. (I think my older brother was Bubba until at least 25.)

Movement: Yes. Still on my left side most of the time.

Sleep: Hasn't been great at night the past couple of weeks. I don't sleep well at night, which leads to a nap during the day, which then leads to a hard time falling asleep at night. Ahh the tangled web I weave.

What I Miss: still margaritas. And the smell is intoxicating when you can't have one!

Cravings: sour everything

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, spider veins on my legs

Best Moment this Week: Nothing really, except getting things marked off the before baby to-do list.

Baby Now

2011-06-25T09:10:00.001-05:00

I was going to wait about three more weeks until I got the baby toys out of the attic, but found that the other day, I just couldn't resist their charm, so went ahead and pulled them all out. (Which by the by, shows how different the second pregnancy is than the first. Do you really think the first time around I would be in the attic at 33+ weeks?!) And I'm so glad that I did. I think Paige is doing a bit of reverting, as this is her favorite place in the playroom:

And my mind immediately took me two years back to this:

If she's not in the bouncy seat, she is in the nursery on the play mat:

Which is similar too, but not quite the same as, this picture taken on her first full day at home:

I explained to her that these toys were for the baby, and even showed her pictures of her using these same toys as an infant, to show her that she is my baby too. But, when you ask her what she is doing, she will say "Paige is a baby now". Hmm...I'm hoping that it was a good decision to get these toys out now, so that the initial excitement of them will wear off and Paige will realize that being a big girl is much more fun.

Bluebell Creamery

2011-06-24T20:48:00.007-05:00

I am 34 weeks pregnant, and it is hot. It goes without saying that I am getting tired, and if I'm being honest, I spend the entire two hours Paige takes a nap, napping myself these days. However, before summer started, I decided not to put Paige in the summer program at her preschool because I wanted to have one last "epic" summer as just us. After all, this is her last summer without her sister, so I wanted it to go out with a bang! This morning, I was exhausted, but I pulled up my bootstraps, put my happy face on, and proclaimed with my fist in the air, that "With God as my witness, we will still have our epic summer!" (ok, so that last part was an exaggeration and didn't actually happen, but you get the drift.)

So Paige and I loaded up, along with my brother, and headed to Brenham for the day. I find that when, at 34 weeks pregnant, you have a craving for something, it is best to just go straight to the source. So, off we went to the Bluebell Creamery!

Paige wasn't wild about the tour part (or this hat that I put her in) and kept asking when she was going to get that ice cream I had promised her, but she did a pretty good job of faking it for the tour guide, which made me happy.

Cameras weren't allowed on the tour so I snapped a few pictures before it actually began. I'm not sure what those canisters are behind Paige, but they looked rustic and have something to do with the ice cream making process, I'm sure. :)

Finally!!! After an hour and fifteen minute car ride, and a 45 minute tour, she finally got her ice cream! They let you pick the flavor from their ice cream parlor, so I held Paige to the glass so she could choose which one she wanted. When I saw that one, I knew she would pick it, and she did. I think it is called Krazy Kookie Dough. Once you got past the hot pink and green chunks of cookie dough, it was pretty good! (Not as good as my Southern Blackberry Cobbler, but good)

A group shot of me, Paige and Cammy with the cow statue.

And I had to get one with the old ice cream truck. Yes, sometimes I wish I lived in Mayberry.

We rounded out the trip with lunch at the Chappell Hill Sausage company, because really, who can go through Washington County without stopping off there?! And I'm happy to say that all cravings have been satisfied....at least for today!

Baby James

2011-06-24T20:27:00.002-05:00

My sweet friends, I am asking you to pray for my friend Kara, her husband Matthew, and their eight month old baby boy, James. Over a week ago baby James started vomiting, which led to many doctor appointments and an ER stay for fluids. On Tuesday morning, James was taken to the ICU at Children's Hospital in Dallas where doctors found a cancerous brain tumor. James underwent his first brain surgery today, and will have another surgery on Monday or Tuesday where the doctors will remove as much of the cancer as possible. This surgery will take the entire day. Please please pray for baby James. Pray that the tumor is encapsulated so that the doctors can remove the entire tumor. Pray for strength during the surgery for James, his precious mom and dad, and the team of doctors operating on him.

Kara and her husband Matthew are strong believers in Christ, and know as well as we do, that God can heal James, and that He does perform miracles all the time. Please pray for God to intercede on this family's behalf and for baby James to be restored to complete health. Pray for peace for Kara and Matthew, as well as their family. Thank you so much sweet friends.

Light My Fire

2011-06-21T13:06:00.010-05:00

Here I thought this week was going to be slow and boring, but I have been proven wrong! Today, after dance class, Paige and I headed over to the local fire station for some fun. Now if the image you have in your head right now is something akin to this:

don't feel bad, because let's face it, I had the same image. But here was the reality:

Still pretty stinking cute if you ask me!! Our playgroup met at the fire station for the kids to take a tour, meet the firemen, and get to play on the fire engine! I wasn't sure what Paige was going to think because she isn't really into trucks at home, but she had a great time. They all got these super cute fire hats to wear, which I loved!! (please pardon two things in the following pictures: 1. Paige is clutching her snack trap the entire time. 2. yes, she is in her dance outfit with a t-shirt thrown on top. We literally went straight over after dance!)

The firemen were all so patient with our curious two year olds and the kids took full advantage of the ability to climb all over the fire engine. Here is Paige buckling herself in to the passengers seat, ready to go for a spin. Safety first!!

And my Jack Jack saying cheese. I did a great job of making sure that large wire was directly in front of his face. When you have photography skills like mine, you get the good shots. :)

Paige driving the truck. All the kids loved having a turn at the steering wheel as well as the countless buttons and gadgets by the drivers seat! It probably took the firemen a good 20 minutes once we left to get that engine back in order!

Paigey posing on the front of the truck. A true model with that pout! (or maybe just pouting...I will never tell!)

Big preggo mommy and Paige on the truck!

We had a great morning at the station and were so happy to have such a fun opportunity. When we got in the car, Paige immediately asked to call her daddy and her Na to tell them all about her morning at the fire station!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T10:41:00.000-05:00

Dear Matt,

Happy Fathers Day! Thank you for being such an incredible father and husband to all your girls. First, thank you for loving me, even when I know it is difficult to do so. :) Thank you for your patience, kindness and understanding with me.

Thank you for our Paigey. I love how you love her. Seeing the two of you together makes me the happiest person on earth. Thank you for what you teach her, show her, and how you guide her.

Thank you for our Presley. I can't wait to watch you love on your second little girl. The bond between a father and daughter has been incredible to witness, and I am excited to see you grow into that special relationship with her.

We love you so much and hope you have an awesome Father's Day.

All our Love,

Mallie, Paigey, and Pressy too!

32 Weeks

2011-06-14T07:06:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I went to Dr. S. for my 32 week appointment. I feel like we are getting into the home stretch here, and I am so excited about meeting my baby girl soon! We had our final ultrasound and from what we could tell, she is just gorgeous. :) Actually, both of her hands were balled up into fists over her face, so it was hard to see much of anything. We did confirm that she is in fact still a girl, which is good, because I don't think my son would want to come home to a pink room. Dr. S. took lots of measurements and said she is measuring about a week ahead right now, and according to the ultrasound machine, weights roughly 4 lb. 8 oz. He did say that this is just an estimate, and based on Paige's size, would guess that she is not yet as big as it might suggest. So here I am at 32 weeks:

I'm 32 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 Weeks

Size of Baby: 18 inches, 3.75 pounds

Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and in case you hadn't stepped outside in the last month, it has gotten HOT!!! So please don't be surprised or offended if you see me sporting the same three maternity tank tops and shorts over and over again!

Gender: Girl. Presley Holland Yartym.

Movement: Yep. She tends to favor her feet being on my left side, so I get kicked in the same spot a lot.

Sleep: LOVE IT. Starting to get harder at night though. In fact, we had to kick Daisy out of our bed and she now sleeps with Paige.

What I Miss: margaritas...but the frozen strawberry lemonade from McDonalds really is helping with this one. And Simply Lemonade now makes Raspberry Lemonade, so that helps too!

Cravings: sour everything (hence all the lemonade!), fruit

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, spider veins on my legs

Best Moment this Week: Seeing Presley for the last time on ultrasound. I can't believe that the next time I see her will be in person.

Tough Mamas

2011-06-13T12:42:00.000-05:00

Now, you may find this post disturbing or gross, but I feel like I need to document it somewhere for my own records. I'm sure one day I will have blocked such things from my mind, so I need a place to recall it!!

Both of my girls have left battle scars on me during my pregnancies. Paige left them in the form of stretch marks across my stomach...hey, I'll be real here people!!! And Presley has left them in the form of spider veins on my legs! Except that it looks more like I have sprained my ankle than veins!!! Thankfully, stretch marks really do fade away, and hopefully my veiny legs will subside once Presley makes her debut! Women have to be tough to have babies is all I'm saying!!!

And yes, it hurts REALLY badly when it is touched!!!

Dressing Up

2011-06-11T19:34:00.006-05:00

For her birthday, Paige got a huge box of dress up that I put in her playroom, but was not sure if she would be into quite yet. I was SO WRONG!!!! When we play, the first thing Paige does is go for the dress up box, get herself all dolled up in a dress, heels, jewelry and at least one purse, and then she will start to play with other toys. It is so funny to watch my two year old prance around in high heels and flowing dresses!

This purple dress is her favorite of them all, with the runner up being a pink number that has feathers. She is just so cute to see when she has finished her look. I really think she is starting to develop an imagination and it is coming out in dress up time! What a doll baby.

Tiny Dancer

2011-06-07T20:53:00.002-05:00

For Paige's birthday, her Na and Poppy got her dance lessons for the summer. Today was her first day of class and she had an awesome time! The class is not mommy and me, but the mom's wait outside the door. They say mom's stay with your child until your child is ready for you to leave and to do it on their own. Well, Paige was ready for me to leave immediately! She did an excellent job of following direction and listening to her teachers. In fact, at the end of class, Ms. Boni said Paige was ready for the next level dance class!

The little girls were all so cute in their leotards! We didn't have our tights or ballet shoes for the first class because they didn't have them in her size, but we have them now and are ready for next class! The girl standing to the right of Paige in this picture also is in her school class. Nice to have a friend from school to play with during the summer too!

Playing with the scarves was Paige's favorite part of the class, probably. I did come in and do the parachute part with her. We tried a parachute at the childrens museum, and she was not a fan, so I thought she might be afraid. She was, but hopefully with some time she will warm up to it.

Dancing around the class.

My tiny ballerina! I am so happy she had a wonderful time! Na and Poppy took us to lunch today, where Paige told them all about her class. Thank you, Na and Poppy for such a wonderful birthday gift. We can't wait to go back to dance class!

And just because it is cute, a video of her in class. One at a time they had to go to the teacher and do a circle around her. Some of the children were timid, but as you can see, not Paige! In fact, she did it about four more times after this!!

Paige's Pooh Party

2011-06-05T19:18:00.018-05:00

Yesterday was Paige's second birthday party! Since she fell in love with Winnie the Pooh and all his friends at Disney World, we went with a Pooh Bear theme for the party. We had the party at a local park in the area, and although it was blazing hot, Paige and her friends had a great time. I did tell everyone that this will be our LAST birthday party outside, unless it involves a pool! My friend Brittani did the invitations for us and I loved how they turned out.

My mom's friend has a cake decorating business and did Paige's birthday cake for us. The night before the party my mom and Cameron went to pick up the cake from her house, and basically the entire thing collapsed in on itself due to the heat on the drive home. The decorator was kind enough to come over to my parents house, try and fix the cake, and when she realized it was beyond repair, spent the entire night making a new one. She decided to bring it to the park in pieces and assemble it there, so I wanted to get a picture of her working on it. I was so impressed with her and want to use her for future cakes!

The party favor table. I did Pooh and friends coloring books, a pack of Pooh crayons and a sucker that was in the shape of either Pooh, Tigger or Piglet.

Close up of the favors.

The finished cake was my favorite part of the party. I think she did such an excellent job on it and it actually tasted really good too! We did a white cake with raspberry filling. Yum! I will say that we did things a little out of order and had cake before the pizza. I didn't want it to get too hot and collapse like the first one had!!

The cake table. Basically right after I took this picture, the balloons toppled over, came loose from their weight and our Pooh bear balloons took off into heavens. I'm happy I at least got a picture of them!!

Paige and Reagan at the cake table. My loves.

Let the party begin!

Singing happy birthday to Paige. For as much of a ham as Paige can be, I'm not sure she likes being in the spotlight and having singing going on!

Blowing out her candle!

Cutting the cake. I love the kids all lined up for a piece.

One of my favorite shots of the day. Jack D. going in for a bite. Who needs a slice when you can eat off a mega piece!

We waited until we got home to open her birthday presents. I had sort of planned on her having a shower and nap before she started ripping into them all, but she had different plans.

Her Uncle Cameron got her a Rapunzel doll, and she was IN LOVE. Her favorite movie right now is Tangled.

Opening more presents.

I can't believe her second birthday has come and gone and that before the summer is over we will be welcoming her sister into our crazy little mix.

I have struggled more with Paige's second birthday than I did with her first. Although she will always be my first baby, she isn't a baby anymore. And as much as I love seeing her grow up, a part of me feels like she is doing it all too quickly. I guess that is my lot in life now as a mom. So excited to watch her achieve milestones on one hand, and so sad to let her grow up on the other. Paige, I love every single thing about you. You make me happier than I could ever imagine being. Thank you for being so wonderful, and may this coming year be even sweeter than the last.

Baby It's HOT Outside

2011-06-03T08:16:00.003-05:00

I wish I was singing the real lyrics to that song, but days like yesterday make the summer heat a little more bearable. And thanks to both Mary and Kim because all of the pictures I posted were taken by one of them!

We met up with a group of friends at one of the splash pads in the area for a morning of fun in the sun. We got there at 9:30, and the kids ran through the fountains until 11. I have never seen Paige have so much fun at the fountains. She usually is a bit more timid about water being splashed in her face, but she was loving every minute of it. I love this picture of her. She would run through with her mouth open, giggling the whole time.

Jack D. taught her a fun game that she thought was just hilarous. I think Jack is looking at her wondering how long he has to put up with her stealing his fountain...

Reagan and Paige having a little cookie break. I don't say it enough, but I LOVE having my sister in law close by to share in fun activities with. Not only are the girls close in age, but I never grew up with a sister, so I love having someone close to that I can share my feelings with. I am so thankful for Sharon and excited that Paige will have that sister dynamic with Presley that I didn't have until my twenties. I can't wait for them to be each others secret keeper, best friend, and worst enemy all in the same day! (I feel like I was just a downer on my brothers, and that wasn't my intention. Brothers rock too, and mine are probably the best two out there, it's just different!!)

After we were all dripping with water (the kids) or sweat (the moms), we headed to Grimaldi's for a pizza lunch. 6 moms and 8 children. Do you think the staff was excited to see us?!?! And FOUR of us are pregnant. I'm sure we were quite the sight to behold as we walked in those doors!!
Paige and I have not stopped all week long, and I have my constant blogging to prove it! It has been a fun-filled first week of summer...I just hope Paige doesn't expect me to keep up this pace all summer long. Mama has been worn out each day at nap time! Paige and I can't wait to splash with our friends all summer long.

Aquarium Adventure

2011-06-02T08:34:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I wanted to do something special for Paige's actual birthday. She is having a party on Saturday but with me and birthday's the party lasts all week long, so I had to do something on the big day itself.

After Paige woke up and got dressed, I told her she could open one birthday present. At this point, she was excited...

By this point, she wasn't as excited. For some reason she decided that Gushers were inside the present, and when it turned out to be books, she was not to pleased.

And as if the face doesn't describe it for me, total disappointment at the lack of Gushers in her birthday present. What. A. Flop!

Thankfully the promise of Reagan and Poppy eased her pain, and she and I headed down to Spring to meet Reagan, Sharon, and Poppy at Rao's Bakery for a birthday breakfast. After Rao's, Sharon, my little brother Cameron, and I took both the girls to the Downtown Aquarium for a morning of fun.

They are currently running a special on their all day adventure passes where you can buy one get one free, and get unlimited rides and access to the exhibit, so we were up for taking advantage of a good deal. Walking in to the Aquarium Paige was so excited. She has been here several times, but never to the actual exhibit.

We did the exhibit first. Paige loved looking at all the fish, turtles, etc., but the piece de resistance was the white tiger. This is not a look of fear on her face. She was SO EXCITED!

We rode the carousel a couple of times. Each time Paige picked to ride on a seal...which she called a sea lion. I was impressed with her marine life vocabulary.

Then it was on to the shark tanks. But I don't think either of the girls really cared as much about the sharks as they did about being on a choo-choo train.

And the ferris wheel. This one tested my blood pressure on all accounts. I have no fear of heights, but I did have a fear of my two year old leaning over the side and falling out. Thankfully she didn't move around too much.

And she eventually decided to stand in the middle and do a little pole dance of sorts. That eased my fears...at least my fears about her falling. Fears of future careers have not been eased by this...

We had picnic lunches and then one last spin on the carousel before heading home. Reagan and Sharon rocked the sea horse.

And yes, that is me and my 30 week preggo belly riding a shark. (The things I will do for my girl) And Paige hiding behind another pole...
Paige had a great time playing with Cammy, Sharon and Reagan and there were some tears shed when we had to say good bye. It was a wonderful way to spend a second birthday!

Happy To You

2011-06-01T20:26:00.002-05:00

Throughout the day today, we have been singing "Happy Birthday to You" to Paige. By the end of the day she had her own version, "Happy To You". I see a budding singing career in this two year old's future!

2 Years Old

2011-06-01T09:27:00.001-05:00

Dear Paige,

Happy 2nd birthday sweet baby girl!

I have been thinking about this day for months. Some days I was excited for it to be here, and some days I got tears in my eyes thinking about how quickly it has come. You are the light of my life. There is nothing in this world your daddy and I are more proud of than you. You are my first baby love and I have relished getting to be your mommy and watch you grow up every single day.

I am so proud of the little girl that you are, and love the glimpses into your personality of the woman you will one day become. I cherish every single thing about you and am so thankful that God chose me to be your mommy. I love you more than I can ever express in words and can't wait to continue to watch you grow into a beautiful little lady. I am so proud of all that you are.

All my love,

Mommy

Day 1

Day 365

Day 730

Happiest of birthdays my precious Paigey. You're TWO today!!!!!!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-31T20:48:00.010-05:00

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend this year! It was a great way to kick off the summer and Paige's birthday week. At our house you celebrate your birthday all week long, so we started off on Monday with Paige's first pedicure at the nail salon. She woke up that morning so excited to get her fingers and toes painted orange, and when we got to the salon she immediately made a b-line for all the polishes and picked out the most neon shade of orange on the shelf.

She was so excited when she got to sit in the big chair to have it all done.

And she sat pretty still. I think she sits better at home, but with the new environment and comfy chair, she was probably a little bit excited. She did love watching the lady work on her though.

Precious baby toes. What a great color for summer!

That afternoon we had a pool party with friends to celebrate the holiday. I think daddy's having a Monday off work is one of the greatest joys in life!
Paige and Matt. She had so much fun splashing around with her daddy in the sun.

Did somebody say "cheese"?!?! A group photo of these precious kids. I love that they play so well with each other.

And we had a little impromptu birthday celebration as well. Paige shares a birthday with Kat, one of her favorite people in the entire world, so they had a little joint celebration.

And Kat was sweet enough to let Paige blow out both the candles. :)

Munching cookie cake. What a yummy treat after an afternoon of fun in the sun!

We are so grateful to all the men and women serving our country to protect our freedom. We are thankful for their service.

30 Weeks

2011-05-27T13:30:00.003-05:00

Today I had my 30 week appointment. Also known as only nine* more weeks until this baby comes out! *In case you are wondering if I can in fact count to 40, worry not. Dr. S told me at my very first appointment this pregnancy that he would induce me at 39 weeks, so to be honest, I am not even counting to 40. My brain just won't even go that high, and simply insists on stopping at 39. If you were pregnant through the whole summer with a 2 year old, your brain wouldn't count that high either.

I had a quick appointment today but did get to hear Presley's heartbeat at 140 bpm. Everything else is measuring on track and in two weeks I will have my final ultrasound.

I had a picture of myself with Paige at 30 weeks, and I have to be honest with you, I double checked the photo several times because I look like I am about to pop open. But, it really was 30 weeks, and I have larger belly photos to prove it! On the top is me with Presley, and on the bottom is me with Paige.

I'm 30 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 Weeks

Size of Baby: 15.5 inches, 3 pounds

Total Weight Gain: 17 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Yes in pants and shorts but still wear a lot of non maternity tops

Gender: Girl. Presley Holland Yartym.

Movement: All the time. I always hope she will kick while Paige has her head on my tummy, so she can feel Presley too, but it hasn't happened yet.

Sleep: I have always been a morning person but the past couple weeks I have found myself struggling to get out of bed in the morning, but feeling great at night.

What I Miss: margaritas

Cravings: sour everything

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, spider veins on my legs

Best Moment this Week: All of the room re-do's we had to finish before Presley arrives are done! Now, I still have tons left to do, but those were the largest tasks and ones I couldn't do on my own.

Paige's Room

2011-05-25T12:28:00.007-05:00

Well, the big girl room is 100% officially DONE!! That means that as of today, all three of the rooms we had to re-do before Presley's arrival have all been taken care of and finished! All that was left in Paige's room was decorative so Matt knocked it out yesterday and it all looks so cute now that it has come together!

The view of her bed, dresser, nightstand:

Close up of her bed. She has a picture of Daisy on the nightstand, which, when she naps, she takes off the nightstand and sleeps with. So sweet!

From another corner. Bed, closet and dresser.

Her bookcase, shelves and window.

And her wall letters. We just took them from the nursery and moved them in. Now I need to get some letters made for Presley. My summer project!

And just because it came last week, here is Presley's boppy cover. When I saw this, I couldn't help but be a little giddy at the thought she is not too far off now!

Cuteness

2011-05-23T09:03:00.000-05:00

In the name of all things cute and precious in this world, I give you, my sweet sweet princess.

Melts. My. Heart. Couldn't resist her cuteness today!

Playroom

2011-05-22T14:43:00.006-05:00

Matt and I have spent the last week working on one of three rooms that are being redone before the arrival of Presley. We have Paige's room basically finished, except for some artwork that needs to be hung, we have converted the nook off of our bedroom into an office, and the final room was taking what was the office and turning into a playroom for the girls.

Matt HATED that toys were strewn about around the house, and I was right there with him. Even when it was all picked up, it still looked like toys stuffed into corners of the rooms trying to keep them out of sight. So, the solution was the playroom.

We had so much to clean out and literally have our trashcan stuffed to the brim already this week, but I am so excited about this room now! Here is one view:

And the other side of the room:

And my favorite place, the closet! Ahh the organization in this place makes my heart joyful...

More closet:
Paige and Presley's rooms are right across the hall from each other and the playroom is right next to Paige's new room. I am able to gate off the hall and allow access to just those three rooms. I am hopeful that this will allow Paige plenty of space to play with her toys in a set area, while I am still able to tend to all of Presley's newborn needs since the nursery is right there. I was trying to eliminate chasing Paige all over the house for a while, and Matt was trying to eliminate the toy clutter downstairs.

In six weeks or so I will start taking newborn toys out of the attic to put in the playroom as well so that Paige and Presley can both be in there together. I can put Presley on a tummy time mat while Paige and I cook in her kitchen. Having these three rooms complete makes me realize Presley really is on her way!

No No, Sir

2011-05-20T21:06:00.004-05:00

"No no, sir." - I hear this phrase probably 30 times a day. The closer we get to my baby girls second birthday, the more a bossy little personality begins to shine through!

It all started about a month ago. We were at the grocery store and I told Paige that the next day her cousin Reagan was going to come over to play. For whatever reason she asked me, (not quite in the sentence form I will use here, but she got her point across) if she could get some chips for her and Reagan to have the next day at lunch. Simple enough request and I was happy to oblige the munchkin, even as she picked out Cheetos for the two of them to share. Reagan came, the two munched Cheetos with their lunch, and Reagan went home. The next day, Paige wanted more Cheetos with her lunch. Now I'm sure you can all sense the drama as I type this next part... the Cheetos were not in the pantry. It seemed that on that particular day, Daddy decided he too wanted Cheetos for lunch, and took the whole bag to work. I relayed the disappointing news to Paige, who looked at me, crossed an arm over her tummy and with her other hand began wagging her finger. "No no, Sir. Daddy no take Paige's chips"

She says no no sir to everyone these days (regardless of gender in case you get the finger wag in your direction, ladies). And, if she says it to her daddy, girlfriend can crank out a tear or two with it to really seal the deal. How Matt picked up on my fake cry years ago but still falls for hers is unknown to me!

So, we have a bossy little baby on our hands to deal with, and we haven't even hit those rocky teenage years. I remember when I was younger, my parents telling me that they prayed I had a daughter just like me one day. Well, it seems their prayers have been answered. Now, if Presley comes out just as much of a spitfire, I will have to seriously question the NUMBER of times they prayed that little prayer!

28 Weeks

2011-05-12T13:05:00.000-05:00

I saw Dr. S. today for my 28 week appointment. I can't believe I am already at 28 weeks! In fact, when his nurse was talking with me, she handed me a slip and said it was time to pre-register at the hospital. I looked at her and said "Oh, it's already time to do that?" I'm just amazed at how much faster this pregnancy is going.

Everything at my appointment went great. Presley's heartbeat was 163 bpm, and I am measuring right on schedule. And, it is already time to start seeing him every two weeks, so I will get to hear her again in just a couple weeks, and then have an ultrasound in four weeks.

Here I am at 28 weeks (a couple days early actually):

I'm 28 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 28 Weeks

Size of Baby: 15 inches, 2.5 pounds

Total Weight Gain: 17 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Yes in pants and shorts but still wear a lot of non maternity tops

Gender: Girl. Presley Holland Yartym

Movement: Yes. She will most likely play Rush soccer!

Sleep: Love it. Can't get enough of it. And have even taken a couple naps this week while Paige napped.

What I Miss: margaritas

Cravings: lunch meat and potato salad at the moment

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, spider veins on my legs

Best Moment this Week: Paige has fully transitioned to her new room and I spent one day while she was at school moving over her clothes and everything in her drawers. Then I hung up baby clothes in the nursery and put away swaddles, burp cloths, etc into the drawers. I loved looking at all those tiny tiny clothes again! Oh, and we booked a little babymoon last night! Nothing fancy, just a weekend in San Antonio to relax and eat delicious mexican food!

Houston, We Have a Big Girl!

2011-05-04T16:05:00.005-05:00

This morning when I woke Paige up, it was the first time I got her out of bed like this:

Don't let the paci fool you, we officially have a big girl!!! The past couple days Paige had been asking to take her nap in the purple room and I was telling her not yet. Finally yesterday, I realized that me telling her no might be seen by her as me discouraging her from this room. (did you follow that awkward sentence?!) So, I told her that she could sleep there. (thinking in my mind that she would never follow through with it!!) I sort of decided that if she was telling me she wanted to, then maybe she was ready to make the transition and that I should go with it and see what happened.

So yesterday I put her down for a nap in her bed, and about ten minutes after I laid her down, she came out of her room. I told her that it was nap time and she could either nap in her bed or in her crib and that it was her choice. She chose the bed, I re-tucked her in, and she slept for two hours!

Last night when she was getting ready for bed, I was a little anxious to see if she would choose the bed or the crib. I told myself that if she chose the bed again, we were officially transitioning and the crib would be no more. She chose the bed and she slept great!!! She only woke up one time, around 12:45 and I could tell from her cry that she was scared. I think she was a little disoriented, so I turned on her light so she could see where she was and that she was safe, cuddled her and then laid her back down about five minutes later. We didn't hear from her again until 7 a.m.!

Nap today was another success story. I laid her down, she did not get up, and slept for three hours. I can't believe how easy this transition is going so far. Now, I'm not fully sure we are out of the woods yet, but so far she is doing great. We did think about taking away her pacifiers once she was in her big girl room, but decided against it. I think we need to focus on one big change at a time!

Netflix

2011-05-03T12:52:00.002-05:00

Seriously. Why can I not master opening a simple Netflix envelope?! I always rip the wrong side and they wind up having to go back to Netflix in true redneck style...I should never be trusted with crazy contraptions such as envelopes I guess!

Ridiculous.

BGR, Phase 2

2011-05-01T20:06:00.005-05:00

Well, after today we are a few steps closer to moving Paige into her big girl room! Today Matt knocked out all of the electrical work that needed to be done, which is something I don't think anyone fully appreciates unless it is them doing the work! Since all of the trim work was done in ivory, all of the outlet covers and outlets were ivory too, which meant Matt had to re-wire new outlets into place in white.

After he finished the wiring, he did some touch up paint work and then starting moving the furniture out of the center of the room, to how we want it laid out. This is the view when you walk into the room. I went ahead and put on the new bedskirt, however the sheets and comforter are the old ones. Matt's parents are spending this coming weekend with us so we decided to wait to put her sheets on so I don't have to wash them twice. The shams are her bedding shams though. And I still need to get something to put on that little table...any suggestions??

Her bed, along with Mildred, her oversized stuffed bunny sitting on the floor. While I fully trust that Matt's parents are capable of sleeping in bed without falling out, until they get here Paige has been loving getting on the bed and playing. So, the rail is going to stay up during the week while she is playing and getting used to the room. (As of today we are going to play in here A LOT. I want to spend this week building excitement for the big girl room so that she is excited to switch!)

Her dresser and closet. As you can see, the closet doors are still a gross shade of ivory. They need to be removed and painted.

And her step stool to get into bed. She has already mastered using it!

We still have artwork and shelves to hang and closet doors to paint before it will be finished. Then hopefully on one of her school days I can get all of her clothes, diapers, etc. moved from her closet and dresser in the nursery into this room to make everything complete. She is already in love with her new room, so we are hoping to move her in sometime next week!

Happy Birthday, Matt

2011-04-30T23:12:00.000-05:00

Today was Matt's birthday! Paige and I have had a wonderful day celebrating him and all that he means to us. We fed the ducks, did a little shopping with some of his birthday money, and Matt and I went to the Astro's game, where thankfully, they won!

Matt is such the stable rock in our family and is the perfect balance for Paige and me. He is a wonderful daddy,

and a fantastic husband.

I could not ask for a better partner in this life.

Happy birthday, Matt. We love you so much and are so proud of everything that you do for our family. Happy ninth birthday celebration together and here is to many many more.

Royal Wedding Playgroup

2011-04-29T13:30:00.005-05:00

So unless you have been hiding under a rock, you probably knew that today Prince William wed his girlfriend, Kate Middleton. When the engagement was first announced and the date set, I didn't find myself all that interested, however as it drew closer, I became totally sucked in to all of the William and Kate specials on tv, and by today, was so anxious to see who would actually be the designer of Kate's dress. I am Mallory. And I jump on bandwagons.

In honor of the day, Paige and I invited our playgroup over to play and have breakfast. My plan was that the children would entertain one another so that the moms could watch. And it worked to some degree...some. (Not that I hadn't already been up since 6 a.m. and seen the whole wedding once that morning)

So finally the mystery was revealed regarding Kate's dress:

And the kiddos had a wonderful time eating...

And playing. While the moms had a chance to talk and catch bits and pieces of the ceremony.

And here is my own royal princess on the big day. She was SOOOOO over the wedding by this point!

We are so thankful to have so many friends Paige's age that we have the opportunity to hang out with. Each of these kids are so special to us and we are so happy to know them and there wonderful mamas!

Big Girl Room, Phase 1

2011-04-26T11:09:00.005-05:00

For Mothers Day this year I asked for Paige's big girl room to be painted and finished so we could move Paige into it by her birthday. We had all the supplies ready, I just needed the labor! Matt agreed that was a great gift and this weekend set about starting the job.

Paige asked for a purple room and we were happy to give her what she wanted. A pink room and a purple room - yes, it will look like Easter year around here! Matt got the purple up on the walls in no time and then yesterday and today has done the trim work.

All of the trim in the room is in this ugly ivory color so I am happy to see it go. And it is always amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to a room!

And while we are talking coats of paint, I am totally going to plug the Behr Paint and Primer in One paint. The walls in this room hadn't been painted in AGES so we were certain they would suck up lots of paint. We used the paint and primer and it took only one can for the entire room, and only one coat. This is worth the extra investment!! I think in the long run it saves time and money too!

We are still debating whether or not we are going to do stripes in her big girl room. The nursery has stripes, but I am thinking this room would look nice with just some art. Since Matt is the painter, I will give him the ultimate decision!!

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T11:04:00.014-05:00

Are you getting sick of all my Easter posts yet? I feel like the Yartym family has really embraced the holiday this year, and my blog is showing it. I would spare you from more photos of my adorable child hunting Easter eggs, but really, what else would you rather be doing?!

Saturday morning we met up with some friends at our church for its Easter egg hunt, and it was crazy! The whole sanctuary was filled with children ready to hunt eggs, and ours were no exception! Paige and Jack took a lay of the land before we headed inside for the puppet show. Words cannot even express my love for these two!

Inside at the puppet show with her friends Beckett and Jack.

Paige and Daddy. I bet Matt was giving her some sort of pep talk right about now on how best to go about the hunt.

And off she goes! This is what most of our pictures look like from the event. She was in a group of toddlers to four year olds, so to say it was a mayhem is somewhat of an understatement! Girlfriend held her own though!

We went to church Saturday night (untraditional, I know, but if you went to our church you would realize not a lot about it is what you might call "traditional"). It was so wonderful to have Sunday morning to relax and spend as a family. As we were walking out the door for my parents house, Matt found a turtle in our yard. We of course had to show it to Paige. (and yes, there was MUCH disinfecting taking place after this!)

Ready for her fourth and final egg hunt, at Na and Poppy's house.

I love this face. It sums up Paige's feelings on egg hunting completely. She had this much excitement every single time she found an egg. Through the eyes of a child...

My baby love quickly realized that her basket was dragging her down, so she placed the basket in the yard and would run and gather as many eggs as she could hold before running back and putting them in her basket. What a problem solver!

My loves taking a look at what she found...

Her Easter day loot. Paige made a HAUL!!!

And the obligatory family Easter picture. Why I look like death ran over, I have no clue. Before this picture, I was thinking I looked pretty cute that day!!! (And yes, Thumper had to be a part of the picture)

We hope your Easter was as wonderful as ours. And as much egg hunting as was done, we are thankful for the real reason we celebrate Easter. "Atoned by His blood and forever washed white on that beautiful, scandalous night." He is RISEN!!

Hop

2011-04-21T20:32:00.006-05:00

What a fun day we had today!!!

Paige is really getting into the Easter spirit. More than any other holiday so far! (I want to make a side note here that I tried to explain to her God in heaven and his son Jesus, and her response was "eggs". Something told me to go ahead and stop there because words like "resurrection" weren't going to do it either. BUT, we're working on it.)

This morning Paige had her second of four Easter egg hunts, this one at school. Earlier this week she and I went to the store and I let her help me pick out and make her teacher's Easter gifts, so she has been excited about this day for a little while now.

Before school she asked me to take a cheese (that would be a picture for all of you non-Paige speakers in the reading audience), so of course I obliged. I mean, who wouldn't want a picture of this cutie bug?!

She also wanted a picture of her holding her teacher gifts. She held them from this point until we got to school and I had to literally pry them out of her hot little hands. Girlfriend didn't want to give up those baskets! (she is saying "cheese" in the picture)

A close up of her teacher gifts. Nothing fancy, just some Cadbury Creme Eggs in a festive basket.

This afternoon Paige and I met up with our friends Jack and Kat to see the movie Hop. This was Paige's first time to go to a movie theater and I was so excited to take her to see this movie, seeing as she is really in tune with the Easter spirit. While we bought our tickets she and Jack looked at the movie posters, and more importantly, the candy display cases.

I'm sure the five other patrons to this movie were not happy that I took a picture in the theater, but in my own defense, it was before the previews even began, so I don't feel bad. And there was no way I wasn't getting at least one shot of P's first movie experience! She and Jack munching snacks (because how else do you get a two year old to sit still in a movie?) If you look closely, sweet Paige doesn't even weight enough to keep her seat down, so she is sort of sitting in the crack.
We made it through about 45 minutes of the film, right about to the point where I was starting to get invested. Guess I will just have to go back! The kids were so stinking cute and I love how well they play together. Paige was still talking about her date with Jack at dinner, so I'd say she had a great time!!!

Our Placemats

2011-04-19T08:02:00.005-05:00

We got our chalkboard placemats in last week and Paige has enjoyed getting to color before meals, as well as do some learning!! While sometimes I write cute messages on them like "Welcome Home, Daddy", most of the time I put something we are working on for her to look at. This is what our placemats look like today:

We are working on our colors:

Our numbers:

Letters:

And shapes:

Shapes is currently sitting at Paige's place setting, and after a meal, when the placemat needs to be wiped down and erased, I just move a different concept mat over to her spot so we can work on something else at the next meal. I am loving these things!

First Egg Hunt

2011-04-17T19:22:00.006-05:00

This morning after church Paige got to participate in her very first Easter egg hunt! Our Sunday School class planned a picnic at the park and egg hunt for all of our kids and we had such a blast. Paige loves getting to go to the park with her daddy because he does all sorts of tosses and flips with her that I am not brave enough to watch, let alone do!

With this being Paige's first egg hunt, we didn't know if she would get the concept of what was happening or not, but she did. She knew that the eggs had candy inside of them, and honestly, that was all that it took for that girl to figure out what to do!

She stopped at the swings and scored a couple there.

Putting more eggs into her basket.

Running to another egg that she spotted!

And she got it!
We each brought twelve eggs for the kids to find, so we made sure Paige only picked up 12 eggs to take home with us. I figured we would be hunting for a good fifteen minutes or so, but she just grabbed one right after the other. When I told her she was on her last egg, she was very good about going back to the picnic table and not picking up anymore. (of course, it didn't hurt that I told her when we got to the picnic table she could start opening her eggs!)

It was a great first egg hunt and the weather made the morning really perfect. She has one more practice go Thursday at school before the big event next Sunday!

24 Weeks

2011-04-15T14:19:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I had my 24 week appointment with Dr. S., which meant my glucose test. After I had seen the doctor I still had 35 minutes until my blood could be drawn, so I was in the waiting room reading my nook, and totally had the shakes while I was reading it. That orange drink you chug must just be straight sugar!

I feel like this pregnancy is so much different than with Paige. It is definitely going by much quicker (of course come July I will be singing a much different tune!) but I have noticed my symptoms to be different too...hello spider veins this time! My poor legs are starting to look like a state map! So here you are, 24 weeks:

And because I had one and love to torture myself, here I was at 24 weeks with Paige. This time around even looks to be a much different pregnancy. For starters, I am carrying Presley a lot lower than I carried Paige... not to mention I haven't even yet reached the weight I started out my pregnancy with Paige, which may have something to do with it.

I'm 24 Weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 24 Weeks

Size of Baby: Length of a hot dog, weighs 1 1/3 pound

Total Weight Gain: 13 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Nope, I'm in my skinny jeans. Just kidding. :)

Gender: girlie girl

Movement: Lots of sweet kicks

Sleep: No problems yet

What I Miss: at this moment, wine

Cravings: anything and everything sour or tart

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks

Best Moment this Week: We bought the paint for Paige's big girl room. Not huge, but a step toward her being out of the nursery!

Strawberry Fields

2011-04-14T10:51:00.008-05:00

Yesterday Paige and I went to pick strawberries at Kings Orchard with her playgroup. We went with my family to pick blueberries last summer and this experience was MUCH different! For starters, the weather was beautiful. We met up early in the morning so it was still a little cool and breezy. Paige LOVED picking berries. I wasn't sure how she was going to take to it all, but she was all about it.

We loaded up in wagons to walk out to the fields and Paige had a great time being pulled around the bumpy terrain. From this point on she did not want to let go of that strawberry box!

Sending her out into the fields. Get mama some good ones baby!!

I told her that we wanted to get ones that were really big and really red, so she would scan the plants saying to herself "big" and "red" as she searched.

She found one! Her favorite part was getting to yank those berries off of the plants.

Sometimes we would squeeze every single ounce of juice out of the strawberry in an effort to remove it from the stem, but most of the time she got it without problem. Every time she would pick she would give a little grunt too. A working girl!

Our berry box didn't take long to start filling up! And Paige was not content until that whole box was filled!

Picking two at once while straddling her box. I'm telling you, this girl is a natural. I feel like I need to start growing strawberries because I have a field worker ready to go!

Cheese mama! She was telling me that she loved berries. I tried to get a shot of her red little mouth, but it didn't show up. You weren't supposed to, but Paige just couldn't resist munching a berry or two (or twelve) right there in the field. What a sweet spring treat!
I had big plans to make jam or bread or something with the pounds of strawberries we now have, but we have just been enjoying eating them plain with meals and for snacks, so I think they will stay that way for now. A delicious treat!

Wedding Weekend

2011-04-06T07:58:00.000-05:00

We got home Sunday from a long weekend in Dallas, celebrating my sister in law's wedding. She and her now husband Tim dated for eight years before tying the knot Saturday night, so I know they were very ready for this day to be here!

We got in Wednesday night and spent Thursday getting our toes done and relaxing, while Matt went to the bachelor party. Friday we had a bridal luncheon before the rehearsal, so it was a busy day. The lunch took place right before Paige's nap time so I was afraid the whole time she was just going to have a complete meltdown, but she did great. Matt's granny came over a little before we had to leave to help watch Paige so I could get dressed. Paige had to be bribed to take this picture, but well, I'm not above that sort of thing...

At the lunch, Paige dug right into her cupcake Valerie made. I try not to feed her sweets before her meal, but as we've established above, Paige can be bought and I'm not above it.

She did great during the whole lunch. In fact, I had brought her lovie and small blanket, so she spent most of the lunch like this!

I dropped her off at the house with Matt so she could take a nap and then headed back out to help with reception set up. That night was the rehearsal and dinner, and once again, Paige did great! She really loved hanging out with the other flower girl, Keelee. (I know this is blurry, but Paige was all action at the church!)

The only other picture from the night I took was of Val and Tim listening to the pastor before we started the rehearsal. A creeper photo since they didn't know I was taking it!

We packed pajamas for Paige to change into once we got to dinner and that was the best idea we have ever had. She was out of her dress and much more comfortable. She didn't go to bed until 11 p.m. that night (the latest she has EVER stayed up) and she was so wonderful! Our prayers really were answered all weekend with her behavior.

Saturday was of course the BIG day! I keep saying it, but I could not have asked for a better child all weekend long. Paige was a flowergirl and walked perfectly down the aisle without a fit. I had been nervous she wouldn't go at all, but she proved me wrong. Matt and I were so thankful to my parents, brother and sister who came to the wedding and took care of Paige during the ceremony and the reception. My parents even took her back to the hotel with them after the reception so we could help clean up, etc. I could not have done that night without all of them there helping me.

Paige and Reagan both turned into dancing FOOLS at the reception too! They had the best time dancing around the room, chasing the lights. All of my pictures from the reception almost are of them dancing, so I was clearly loving every second of it!

Reagan and Na on the dance floor:

So this one is dark, but it is Paige on the left and Reagan on the right of Sharon, dancing away. Paige kept calling the lights "bubbles" and was chasing them around.

Dancing with the bride!!!

Poppy and Reagan enjoying a slow dance.

Na and Paige twisting and shouting!!

Matt with the girls.
And one of the only non-shots of my child and niece dancing, so I had to post it, the toasts. This was Matt's dad giving a toast.

We had so much fun getting to be a part of Valerie and Tim's wedding. Valerie was a gorgeous bride and Tim was as handsome as ever. By Sunday night when we got home, we were all exhausted, but it was well worth it to get to share in their special day. Val and Tim, we can't wait to watch your marriage grow year by year. We are so happy for you!

Chalkboard Placemats

2011-04-05T08:16:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I had a fabulous find on the Pioneer Woman's website. Chalkboard placemats!! With Paige being a fully independent eater, we had to forgo our tablecloth. She makes such a mess when she eats that I was washing it every night. So we switched to placemats. The cleanup is much easier, and Paige loves them.

So when I came across these chalkboard placemats, I was really excited to buy them. They look like so much fun for a little kid and Paige can really display her creativity with them. All my photos I should say are from Pioneer Woman's website. They are not my own.

Don't they look durable. We have some Christmas placemats from Pottery Barn kids that have this cork backing and they are my favorite because of their durability.

It's four placemats in a set and they come with a pack of chalk. I think Paige is going to freak out when she finds out she can use chalk in the house!

I love that she will be able to draw on hers and they will then just wipe clean. I am hoping that I can put her in her chair at the table and she will draw while I finish up lunch or dinner.

And of course we can use them for learning. Putting letters, numbers, colors, and shapes on the board and doing a little learning while we eat kind of thing! If you want some, click here for the link!

Bluebonnets

2011-03-27T12:55:00.005-05:00

Yesterday Paige woke up with a really bad cough, so we had to miss out on a birthday party she had been invited too. (We leave Wednesday for Dallas for my sister-in-law's wedding, and I need her healthy!) So since we had the day free, we decided to go take bluebonnet pictures. I love bluebonnets and remember having my picture taken in them as a kid, so Paige will of course be subjected to all the same kinds of things. :)

Reagan came with us so here are the girls in the bluebonnets:

That really is our best shot. Try getting a 17 month old and a 21 month old to both sit still and smile for the camera at the same time. Paige is in her Easter outfit, a Chic Baby find. We go to a church where shorts and t-shirts are perfectly acceptable on Sundays, so it was a bit of a challenge finding an outfit that was cute enough for Easter, but casual enough still for The Loft.

It didn't take long for the girls to be completely over sitting in a field of flowers, and were up and running. And yes, if you notice the background, we did stop on the side of the freeway by a water ditch to get to this patch.

Most of our pictures look something like this:

And because we are talking bluebonnets, I had to put Paige's bluebonnet art she did at preschool. Precious little fingerprints as the petals. And her butterfly she made Wednesday at church while I have bible study. So sweet!

Yummy!

2011-03-24T12:57:00.002-05:00

This week when I went to the grocery store, I had one thing on my mind. This pregnancy I have really been craving fruit, and I always seem to run out by the end of each week. HEB had their produce on some good sales, so I decided that this week, I would not run out. When I came home, this was my fruit collection:

Two things. One, I totally blame this on Presley. :) And two, the only things left are a bag of grapes and the watermelon. I am LOVING fruit right now!

Gender Reveal

2011-03-18T13:21:00.007-05:00

We knew that with Y2 we wanted to do something special to reveal whether or not we were having a boy or girl, so we decided to have a little party for just our family to spill the beans with them. I decorated the house the morning of our appointment, before we knew, that way there was no favoring pink or blue once I knew!

The dining room table was in pink

and the kitchen table was in blue. So as not to give anything away!

We went to the rodeo last week and I had a loaded baked potato. Since then I have been thinking about how good that potato was every day. So, for the party we had pulled pork loaded baked potatoes.

The drinks. Blue or pink juice, or milk. It was a baby party afterall!

The cole slaw, baked beans, and salad side.

The cupcakes that held our secret! With dumbo and Sophie giraffe, two little presents for the baby.
We asked everyone to wear either a pink or blue shirt as their guess, and the blue shirts won out 8-4. Matt wore blue and I wore pink so we wouldn't give it away, and Paige wore a dress with blue and pink, so she wasn't the tie breaker!! We didn't even tell Paige what we were having before the party because we didn't want her to accidentally blurt it out! (Or get someone to bribe her with let's say an m&m...mom!)

All in all we had a ton of fun and would recommend this idea to everyone!! Now it's time to start thinking pink once again. Oh, I can't wait to get all those precious newborn clothes out of storage!!