Road Trip

Wednesday we took a little road trip after work (well after work for me) to Berryville to have dinner with Jenny, Jason, and Hannah. Why would we drive all the way over there for dinner? Well, because there is this excellent little Mexican restaurant that is only open during the week. Jenny worked there through high school and college and the owners have always been close with Chris' family. It's called La Cabana. Yum!! We recommend if you're in the Berryville area! We were saying that is the last time we would see them before Jenny has the baby, too! She is all baby and he sitting pretty low. Poor mama is so uncomfortable.

She tried to get Sara Kate to bouce that baby on out...no success (Sara Kate was bouncing on Jenny's belly. I'm sure baby Hayden didn't appreciate that!).

We loved seeing Hannah, of course, and she had a good time sitting beside Sara Kate.

The guacamole there is super mild...Hannah has been eating it since she was a baby. We decided to let Sara Kate try it, and Hannah wanted to feed it to her. It was so cute. She liked it! Hannah is going to be a good big sister.

It looks like Sara Kate got put in baby jail. Don't worry, she broke out! :-)

Meme with 2 tired girls...

Poppa with 2 tired girls...notice Sara Kate's eyes and Poppa's eyes. Think we know where she got those bright baby blues from!

Sara Kate was tired and she ended up sleeping the hour and 15 minutes it took us to get home. Lucky me because then she didn't want to go to bed when we got home. I finally got her to sleep about 11:30 but that led to one tired mommy on Thursday. I'm gonna leave this post with one last picture, one of the 3 of us. I have a picture of me and Chris in this same spot when we first started dating. It was the first time he took me to Berryville for a day, which happened to be during spring break, so that was like exactly 7 years ago. I thought it was a digital picture so I could post them together but I just remembered it wasn't and I have a snapshot printed out somewhere. Oh well. Here's our family of 3 in Chris' hometown.

March Showers

'Tis the season for babies and weddings! I've had several friends having babies lately or are about to have babies. Yay for new friends for Sara Kate!! Ha! Babies mean showers! It was this time last year I was having my shower for Sara Kate. I missed a shower for a friend a couple weeks ago and she welcomed her little girl just a few days later. Last Friday we helped host a shower for our friends the Vann's. They are expecting a baby ? (don't know if it's boy or girl) in a few short weeks! We had great food and great company, and Brandy got some great stuff!

It was a couple's shower...have you ever been to a couple's baby shower? It was pretty much the boys sitting on the patio drinking beer while the girls sat inside and ooh'ed and ahh'ed over cute baby stuff! :-)

The prettiest package!

Spring time/summer time is also wedding season. We went to a friend's wedding last weekend and my brother is getting married in May. Today we hosted a wedding shower for Phillip and Holly. She couldn't be here but someone mentioned that it was nice for the groom to get to open all the presents and get a little attention.

Don't make him mad Holly! Ha!

My parents came up Thursday and it was so nice that they were able to stay until it was over. And it was a huge help to me!

I loved they were able to spend lots of extra time with Sara Kate!

She was here during the shower but was very tired. Meme had the magic touch in getting her to fall asleep!

I have another baby shower to attend next weekend then I think that's about it until the summer. As you can see we've had a busy weekend and I REALLY need a weekend to recover from this weekend! I have a feeling it's gonna be a tiring week. Hope everyone has a good one!

Happy Spring!

Today is the first day of spring and it actually feels like it...at least it does in Northwest Arkansas! We have had some gorgeous weather lately and it's supposed to be nice all week. Last year's first day of spring included a big snow storm (see HERE), and actually, the weather around spring break can always be so unpredictable up here. Several schools in the area have taken days out of spring break to make up snow days but Fayetteville schools aren't doing that. So Chris has the week off and he has a project to work on...fixing up our back yard! We are going to get some patio furniture (which we've never had) and make the space out there actually usable. We have plans to plant a new tree in a bed where one died, as well as fix up some other beds. Maybe if things look nice and we can keep the dogs out of them (which is why things look like crap out there at the moment), I'll post some pictures. Here's a before picture of the patio with a few of the things we have to plant. I won't post a before picture of the rest of the yard/beds...it's embarrassing. :-)

Since it was the first day of spring today, Sara Kate looked extra spring-y in her pretty green blue dress. Someone gave this to us as a baby gift at a shower and it still amazes me that she's starting to wear things I purchased last year for this year or gifts we received that are 12 month sizes.

Here we are at church this morning. I was so impressed that Sara Kate kept her head band on most of the morning (plus she looked so adorable!!) I needed a family picture. She has the worst expression but I think the flash caught her off guard. Oh well. Can't always have perfect smiley family pictures! :-)

I teach kids church on the 3rd Sunday of every month to our preschoolers and when I went to peak in on Sara Kate in the nursery I saw this. She was sitting there playing with a few friends (yes those babies are twins and they are a couple months younger...so yes, Carly is 2 months younger and has more hair that Sara Kate will have for a while!). So cute.
After church we made a Lowe's run to get a few supplies and she was so happy sitting in the cart like a big girl!

And here's another via Instagram (edited to be artsy...don't think my mom got it when I sent her this picture...sorry to call you out mom)!! :-)
Here's one more Instagram from a picture taken the other day...it's a cool program!
We came home, Sara Kate had some lunch, Chris did some yard work, and we're getting ready to grill out tonight and do a little more work in the yard. I hear little missy up from her nap and she doesn't sound very happy to be in there alone so I better get off here. Happy Spring, ya'll!

St. Patrick's Day

Sara Kate wants to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day! She made sure to wear her green today. Love her little shirt...Wal-Mart special! :-) She even had green food for dinner...zuchinni and green beans, both of which she thought were delicious. Hope everyone had a great day!

She says, photo shoot over...get this thing off my head!

11 Months - Out Takes!

Usually right after a meal or right after a nap is a great time to have a photo shoot with Sara Kate. Today we had one right after lunch to get a picture for her birthday invitation, which went great. She was smiley and happy...great! Then she went down for a nap. And then it was time for her 11 month photo shoot (yes, I'm a couple days behind). That time, not so good. See for yourself.

Whoa is me...it's so hard being 11 months old!

So then we tried the floor. Not any better.

This is what she wanted, to cuddle with her mama.

A somewhat decent shot while in my lap.

And the best shot during this particular photo shoot, and she was actually in the process of getting mad.

So when I say that Sara Kate is a very happy baby, that's a true statement...MOST of the time. :-)

11 Months

Sara Kate, you are 11 months! What have you been up to??

- I think you really love going to school. When I tell you it's time to get ready for school, you get excited! I have even heard you have a little boyfriend in your class! I've picked you up a few times lately, and I'll peak in and watch you playing with your friends. It's cute. We've had a little separation anxiety when I drop you off at times and putting you in the jumper when I leave is a good distraction...you love that jumper! You're school schedule hasn't really changed much from last month, minus the week of you being a little rebel! You get to school about 7:30, have breakfast between 8 and 9 (oatmeal mixed with fruit), nap time, you get a bottle of breast milk between 10:30 and 11, lunch is between 12 and 1 (lately it's been fruit and veggie or 2 veggies), nap time, you get a bottle of formula between 3 and 4, and then daddy usually comes to pick you up.
- You have been crawling now for a couple of weeks! You get on the floor and crawl around, and when you are in the living room with us you head straight for the cat's food bowl or the dog's water bowls! When you are on the ground, you are pulling up onto your knees. Also, when you are crawling, sometimes you will get your foot under you like you are trying to stand.

- You still love food and have tried some new things over the last month! I still make all your food, minus sweet peas, which you won't eat what I made so you get peas from a jar. Here's what all you've had so far: butternut squash (love), sweet potatoes (love), zucchini (like...it purees really thin so I mix it with oatmeal and you really like it), green beans (stopped pureeing them and will heat them and cut them into little pieces so you can feed them to yourself), sweet peas (don't like homemade, like jarred), cauliflower (have started giving it to you at lunch sometimes and you don't seem to mind it, so I'm told from your teachers), mashed potatoes (like), carrots (really like), apples (love), pears (love), banana (love), blueberries (love), peaches (love), mango (like), cherries (like), blackberries (like mixed with oatmeal), and grapes (will cut them into little pieces so you can feed them to yourself and you love them). During the holidays you had cream corn (like) and dressing (like). Some big people food you've had includes grilled cheese sandwich (love), chicken salad that is 'smashed' (liked it at first but then you weren't crazy about it...need to try this again), this chicken pie stuff your Gran made (like), rotisserie chicken from the store (cut into little pieces so you can feed yourself...like), Cool Whip (like), the edge of a pop tart (not the filling part or icing part, only the edge...love), some noodles (you liked it but couldn't quite figure out how to eat it), graham crackers (love), pancakes (love), and bread (love!!!). You've had apple puffs, strawberry puffs, banana puffs, and sweet potato puffs, along with biter biscuits...you are really good about feeding your self this stuff. We are venturing out more, giving you little bites of what we eat, and it's so interesting to see your reaction to different things. So far you aren't picky and will eat about anything!

- It's been mentioned before, but you are having some formula now in addition to being breast fed. It was hard for mommy to let go of that one feeding, and I guess pretty soon you'll be completely off breast milk. I'm so proud of us that we made it 10 months and a week of exclusive breast milk. Pending any supply issues in the next couple of weeks, we'll make it to the one year mark (when we'll wean)!
- You are a pro at your sippy cup and I think you really like it. At dinner time, when I get it out and put water in it, you get so excited and start reaching for it. Unfortunately, you also like to throw it off the right side of your high chair. Always the right side. Weird.

- I mentioned your schedule at school already, but here's your schedule for the day: I wake you up around 6:15 and you nurse, you go to school, breakfast (oatmeal mixed with fruit) between 8 and 9, nap time, you get a bottle of breast milk between 10:30 and 11 (around 4 oz), lunch between 12 and 1 (a fruit and a veggie or 2 veggies), nap time, you a bottle of formula between 3 and 4 (around 4 oz), come home, you have dinner when we do between 6:30 and 7 (usually 2 veggies and a handful of puffs or a biter biscuit), bedtime routine starts around 8:30, around 9 you nurse, and you are usually asleep in bed between 9:15-9:30.
- You still LOVE bath time! You can be upset (because you are tired) but when it's time for your bath, you get so excited! What makes me really nervous is you crawling around in the tub. But I can't make you sit still! You still like to put your face in the water, too. You haven't gotten too upset lately when it's time to get out...when you get out, you like to wave to the baby in the mirror. So cute.

You like to look at yourself in the little silver mirrored thing (I have no idea what that thing is). You even like to try and kiss the baby (and no, I don't let you put your mouth on that thing!). Yes, you'll kill me one day for posting your cute little baby butt on the internet! :-)

- You are a sleeping pro, and mommy loves this!! Over the last week, you've started rolling and moving during the night. It cracks me up to go wake you up and see what kind of position you're in. But I don't hear a peep out of you at night when you are moving so you must be sleeping hard.

- You haven't gotten any more teeth. At times it seems like you may be working on the top ones but so far nothing has come through. Guess those teeth aren't in any hurry to get here!

- You are little chatter box! Last night we were carrying on a little conversation, and I had no idea what you were saying...besides 'mom.' :-) We love to hear you say dada and mama. Sometimes it sounds like you say 'hi' and 'bye,' and you have all the sounds to say 'ball' and 'dog' so we're working on teaching you other words. I think you know 'bath' and 'baby' and it seems you have your own words. You like to 'talk' when you are crawling, too.
- You love to clap and will imitate us when we clap. You will clap and clap and clap.
Clapping and bath time, 2 of your favorite things!

- You are definitely now waving. You have started the backwards hand wave and sometimes you turn your hand the right way. You wave at your teachers when we get to school, you wave at the baby in the mirror, you love waving at Meme, and you wave at people when we're out and about.
- You are still in 6-9 month clothes (like Jumping Bean), 9-month clothes (like Carters), and 6-12 month clothes (Baby Gap and Old Navy). You are still wearing some 6-9 month sleepers but most of your jammies are 9 months.
- You are in size 2 shoes, but you can wear a size 3 if they velcro real tight (even though they are still big).
- You are in size 3 diapers.
- Your eyes are just a beautiful blue, and you have lots of super blonde hair coming in. You are just beautiful...but I know I'm a bit partial.

- I say it every month, but you are just such a happy baby and we are so blessed. We are looking forward to seeing what the final month of your first year has in store!