Good Friends are a Treasure and a Standing Baby

(side note for remembrance sake) We laid Daisy down for a nap today and when I continued to hear her chatting in her room, I walked in to see her standing up and holding on to the rail while "singing." She was SO proud of herself and I think that was one of the most exhilarating moments of mommy hood for me. I hollered to Joey who was working from home and he came in to cherish the moment with me. It was very special for both of us. She has since stood up a few other times in her crib and is pulling up and standing all over the house now!!

Joey and I have been great friends with the Fisher family for a long time and even attended their wedding several years ago. Now they have two beautiful children and are in the process of adopting their third child from Ethiopia and we couldn't be more excited for them! They have set such a great parenting example for Joey and I and what we respect most is their steadfast walks with Lord that shines through all they do (sorry Ben and Melissa but, I can't help but brag about you guys:). Melissa and I hung out for a couple of days with our kiddos and it was so nice to spend some mom time and just be ourselves. Thank you so much for your hospitality!

Just thought I would stick this random out of order picture of Joey at the beach because it is the only ocean picture I got since it rained the entire time we were in CA. I just wanted to prove to DAisy that she did actually visit the ocean in CA before she turned one:). Daddy wanted to surf but, the waves were horrible and blown out.
Me and my sweetie pie. She melts me. Yes, horribly overexposed..kills me when that happens.
Maddie eating dinner and giving me a priceless smile. Miss you Mads!
Daisy got this adorable polka dot outfit for Christmas from Ben and Melissa and she looked so precious. She was waving and looked so stinking cute! I was informed that her pants are called jeggings..jean-leggings, which I had never heard before so that was a neat lesson in fashion:). hehe Thank you for the gift guys!
Maddie LOVED DAisy and was so sweet with her. It really got me thinking about how Daisy will hopefully be someday with her little brother or sister. It's so sweet to see kids interact together.
I also had the pleasure of seeing my dear friend Lindsey who I have been friends with since elementary school. Most of the pictures were overexposed unfortunately and I wasn't able to salvage any with Lindsey which really bums me out!! I did however; capture a cute pic. with her two girls, Emily on the left and Claire. They are also adorable, charming little girls. Lindsey has since moved out of the country with her hubby and kids and I will not be seeing her for at least a couple of years so this was a special bon voyage visit! Miss you Linds!
The Fishers have so many fun toys but, at this point Daisy just needs one to stick in her mouth. It was cute to see all of the kids playing together though I will admit Daisy was so fussy in the company of so many kids. I don't think my only child is used to sharing her space but, soon enough she will be...when #2 comes around (not anytime soon so don't start wondering...seriously, I know you are still thinking...I am SO not ready for another baby yet...).
Here I am with the two Fisher kiddos, Madelyn and Hudson. Maddie looks a lot like her Daddy and Hudson is the spitting image of his mama (except that he looks like a cute boy of course). They are the sweetest kids!

"Each friend represents a world in us,
a world possibly not born until they arrive,
and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
~ Ana Nin

The Festivities Continue

Love this picture of my mom, (Daisy's Lulu), and Daisy. Daisy's facial expression cracks me up. She is quite an expressive little girl. I love my mama so much. Now that I am a mama myself, I love her even more if that is possible. I feel even closer and more united in a sense now that we share in the bond of motherhood. I feel so blessed to be best friends with her and I wish more than anything that she didn't live a country away from us...I know she feels the same way!
Below: How cute is Daisy sitting on all of the presents. She was having a good ol' time.

Daisy met my Dad, her Grandpa, for the first time while we were out in California. She LOVED Grandpa. My dad was very quiet and gentle and Daisy took to him so easily much to my surprise. It was so special to me to see my Dad holding and hanging out with Daisy. He was so great with her! Miss you DAddy! Not to mention my Dad cooked us several amazing breakfasts and was so helpful while we stayed with them.



My youngest sister Anna and her awesome boyfriend Sean. They are very cute together as you can tell. Sean got Anna a really amazing big soft, blanket for Christmas...which is the present they are both holding in the picture. It was great meeting you Sean!

I loved having the extra hands to help me with the daily routine with Daisy. Every little break was a treat during such a busy trip. Thanks guys!

Daisy enjoyed her toys and playroom at Grandpa and Lulu's house.



It was such a treat to be able to drive and visit my sister and her husband where they live in CA and celebrate her 21st birthday with her. She has a really cute little home that I had never gotten to see before. She too had never met DAisy so this visit was very special!! Miss you Beck!

Becca holding Daisy, me and Anna. Only missing my older brother Ryan!

The group shot all together to celebrate with BEcca:0.



ON A SIDE NOTE:

I have so many holiday pictures to post that I don't want to get behind on the current happenings in the mean time.

Daisy and I have been having such a great time together. She is now completely disinterested in her toys and instead follows me by crawling all over the house to keep up with me. She sat in the laundry room for 40 minutes tonight trying to pull up on the washer and dryer and stand or chew on the door stops. She loved playing with the laundry while I folded it and was thrilled just to be hanging out in my presence. It certainly makes things much more challenging when she is constantly under my feet in the kitchen while cooking and cleaning but, it's so cute to see her exploring and becoming so much more mobile and curious.

Daisy is becoming more cautious with people now which is a first. She still loves attention and smiles at everyone but, she is a bit more reserved and even holds tightly to me or Joey and acts a little shy at times. She has done great in our church nursery though the past couple of times which makes me happy. I'm in the process of joining a local MOPS group to meet other moms and to give Daisy more play time with other babies. I'm really looking forward to this and I hope Daisy does too!

Daisy is so cuddly when she is sleepy. I lay her soft blankie on my shoulder and give her the poppy (pacifier) and she snuggles her face into her blanket and starts humming and rubbing her blanket between her fingers. It is so precious! I cherish those tender moments and never rush them.

I am soaking up this season with Daisy. Don't get me wrong; it is so exhausting to keep her from falling every second that she is pulling up on things and it is exhausting to keep her out of things but, seeing Daisy's personality coming out more and more is priceless! I am very blessed to be around so much to enjoy all of these phases! All thanks to Jesus!

Also, want to give my hubby kuddos for being so awesome. He is so supportive of me staying home and has even taken on the role of helping with dinner and clean up most nights. He claims that he really enjoys the experience which I think is a huge blessing as I can't stand it! We are both purposing to focus on our us more this year. Last year was very much all about Daisy (not that it is a bad thing), but it is important to remember to nurture a relationship even after kiddos, even though it can be hard! Thanks for being such a wonderful hubby and such a fantastic Daddy to our daughter Daisy. I love you babe!

Baby Friends

I can't believe it!! In just a mere3 months. Where did the time go? Yes, I am party planning already and trying to keep things simple and easy in case you were wondering. . (in reference to the picture below.)

While out in California, Daisy and I visited my friend Stephanie and her little guy Jacob who will be one this January. He has an awesome striped chair in his room that he has taken a picture in every month since he was born and he was kind enough to share it with Daisy. It was so cute to put these two babies together. Stephanie and I think they some what resemble each other and they were really sweet together. Future boyfriend perhaps? lol. Stephanie and I go all the way back to elementary school! We used to play the Oregon Trail together in 5th grade in computer lab and eat Certs...well, Stephanie always had certs and I always ate them. So great to still be friends after all of these years! Seeing friends and family was definitely the highlight of our trip out to California. (waving bye or hi here)

Sharing the chair was a bit too boring for Jacob. Since he can walk now he had much more exciting things to do...like walk and get out of the chair:0.



Love how each baby has their own thing going on in this picture. Daisy is practicing a ballet move and Jacob is eating a snowman:). hehe

sweeties!

Daisy my daughter and Daisy Stephanie's dog (Yes, I am okay with the fact that people have dogs named Daisy and I actually think it's kinda cute:), and Jacob.

Handsome boy

He has really beautiful hazel eyes



mama and her boy:)

love the matching expressions:)

My little girl enjoying Jacobs toy that allowed her to practice standing...which she began to excel at while out in CA...fantastic...a more mobile baby while traveling! lol:). She loved the snack bowl in the middle of this toy! lol My gal likes to eat...what can I say:0





The Thomas Family:). Super cute family picture and a super sweet family if I do say so myself!

Bye Bye...

Flying With a Baby -- Happy New Year 2011!!

I am slightly germaphobic in case you didn't know that about me. I will say though that since having a child I have become less and less concerned about germs (makes no sense right??). What I have quickly learned is that while traveling I can't keep my daughter from chewing on the edge of every fast food table when I forget her travel place mat. I don't have time to sanitize her toys and pacifiers every time she flings them out of her mouth while we are running full speed across a terminal to catch a flight. I can't hold my daughter for 3 hours while we are on a layover at the airport when she needs to crawl and get her energy out...Oh my gosh I still cringe when I think about how black Daisy's pj's were after I let her crawl around on the floor. I had to take her to the bathroom before we boarded and washed her black hands and feet in the sink with soap. EWW!! I suppose I could have found ways to not let these things happen but, when I think about how much more stressful that could have made our traveling experience I realize...to heck with it, happy baby, happy mommy...happy mommy, happy daddy:-). Perhaps that is why my little angel now has a cold. Too many germs on this vacation or perhaps it was just inevitable. I suppose traveling with a dozen severely sick people in a plane who were hacking their lungs up and rooming with a good deal of sick family over Christmas probably could be the culprit too. lol.

In summary, Daisy did far better than we expected on the four flights we had to take this Christmas. She slept 90% of the red eye flight out to CA, though I must add that she squirmed and fussed and woke up several times, making sleep and comfort absolutely impossible for me for five hours...brutally uncomfortable and I hope to never again share a seat with an infant...but, she slept, Praise God! The flight coming home to NC was a day flight and this one was certainly the most challenging. It took every ounce of mental and physical energy for my husband and myself to keep Daisy preoccupied with toy after toy, walking around the plane, eating cheerios, nursing, bouncing, standing up in the window etc. to keep her content for 5 hours. I equate these two home coming flights to me running a 40 mile marathon. I felt that dead when we landed...but, she behaved excellently as a result of our efforts. We even got several compliments from men and women on all flights stating how wonderful and charming Daisy is. We did after all make all the effort to keep Daisy quiet to keep them happy so it was refreshing to hear that they appreciated it! lol.

What I learned about flying with Daisy:

1. Bring lots AND LOTS of toys and by toys I mean things like: TV remotes, magazines, food wrappers, cell phones, lip gloss, desitin tubes, bottles of shampoo, wipe containers, and new toothbrushes. Her real toys were pretty worthless but, our "things" were a gold mine of fun for her!

2. Though it goes against everything in your fiber to let an infant have something sweet before they turn one...or perhaps two...a sees sucker might just become your best friend, a life savor, a hero in a plastic wrapper! Think about it...those suckers are quite large...they taste delicious, I should know because I only got five licks and Daisy got 4,000 and it was supposed to be my treat to myself...sigh. I will have to buy some online soon. Anyways, that sucker gave us an hour of distraction (along with all of those toys), then Daisy took a little nap and I saved the rest of the sucker for when she woke up and it gave us another hour! Don't judge me...flying calls for desperate measures! hahaha. For the record...I am still very anti sweets for my kiddo for as long as possible. This was what I'd like to call a special occasion:-)

3. Changing a baby's diaper on a plane...ummm, clearly infants were not thought about when airplane bathrooms were designed. At one point I thought Daisy had gone #2 so I marched nervously to the microscopic bathroom in the back of the plane..shut the door behind us and realized that not only could I not turn around in that tight space but, there was absolutely no where to lay Daisy down...even the toilet seat (shut) was too small to support half of her body. I began to feel sweaty and a tad bit overwhelmed...checked her diaper and found that it had just been a fantasticly stinky toot. Fabulous!!! Diaper situation averted!! And no, I could not have changed her diaper in a seat as I was smashed in the middle of a heavy set person and my husband on all 4 flights...hyperventilate with me please. Cattle call anyone?? :-)

4. I discovered that Daisy was absolutely fascinated by the air blowing out of the vents above us. I would lift her up to the vent and let the air blow around her hair and face and she would open her mouth and flap her arms and legs wildly with the hugest smile on her face. Yes, all I could think of was, "look at my cute puppy sticking her head out the window." It entertained Daisy for an hour. My arms were numb and tingling after five minutes so Joey and I took turns hoisting her over our heads and soaked up her excitement as it was quite priceless...the other passengers agreed:0. Try it sometime!

In conclusion: If we can afford to we will purchase a seat for Daisy the next time we fly. I will probably not wear Uggs as I felt like I was overheating 90% of the time but, between the jackets, diaper bag and my purse I could not even reach my feet to take my Uggs off. I am thankful that flights are only 5 hours...driving would be 40+. It was very worth it even if it was beyond exhausting. Daisy did great! Truly, we were so proud of her and I think we loved her even more after the entire experience because we all survived and did far better than we expected. Way to go Daisy bean!!

What tricks have you learned that help your flying experiences to go more smoothly?

9 Months Old and Finally Back to Blogging...

I love this picture of Daisy with my good friend Melissa. M happened to have a cute baby apron that matched hers. She put it on Daisy and handed Daisy a mixer and whalah the cutest pic ever! Below: Melissa also loaned us a super useful baby travel chair and it was such a lifesavor!! Daisy really enjoyed it too...as you can tell:)
Joey and her Daddy hanging out at Great Grandma and Papa's house. She got spoiled with lots of presents as did we and we all enjoyed a ton of delicious food! Thanks so much Grandma and Papa!!
Daisy meeting her Great Papa Martinez for the first time.
Daisy and her GG (Great Grandma Marshall). They too met for the first time on this trip. Daisy loved her GG!

Today my sweet little Daisy Love is 9 months old on none other than New years Eve! Happy Nine months to our darling little girl. Joey and I are both blown away at how fast the time has gone with our child. In just a mere three months we will be celebrating her first year of life and our first year of having a child and managing to stay sane through all of the lively changes and adjustments. lol.

Some things that have changed since her 8 month post
-She eats just about anything and everything (in small amounts) but the funny thing is she is still very picky about picking up slimy foods or brightly colored vegies with her own hands. I can spoon feed her just about anything thankfully. She enjoys cheese, eggs, all fruits, beans, rice and so on..and sweets unfortunately.
-She is crawling like a pro now and is pulling up on everything and will stand with assitance. In fact she is more interested in pulling up on all of our dangerous end tables, armoires, dressers and chairs than playing with her loads of amazing toys at the moment. I have to watch her like a hawk all the time, which is beyond exhausting because she is very prone to face planting while attempting to pull up on things right now. Perhaps Daisy needs her own empty room with nothing other than toys so I can get things done and she doesn't smash her face? lol
-She is struggling with separation anxiety again though we have only run into an issue twice since Joey and I have only been on a couple of solo dates in the past couple months (we need to work on this, clearly!). She tends to cry pretty much the entire time we are gone. This is unfortunate for us, for her and for those watching her. I hope it passes quickly!
-She wears 12 month clothing
-Has babbled mama, dada, bye bye
-Has 8 teeth but, I believe she is working on 1 or 2 more at the moment (crazy!!)
-LOVES giving kisses with an open mouth. She also enjoys kissing magazines with baby faces and mirrors while looking at herself. It's too cute!
-Wiggles is still her favorite show
-Cries whenever I walk out of a room if it is just me and her at home. Drives me crazy but, I know it's only because she loves me:-).
That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure more will come to me as soon as I publish this post!

I'm a tad unsure of what to even write in this post as I have far too much to catch up on... In the past 19 days I think I only posted one blog entry! That is an all time record of absence for me. I missed blogging tremendously while I was out in California but, internet breaks were in very short supply and by the end of each busy day with family and friends I was almost always too pooped to do anything other than crawl into bed after my munchkin fell asleep. It was such a blessing to be with all of our loved ones during the Christmas season and even more special that we got to introduce Daisy to everyone who had not yet met her!

I will be posting a slew of pictures over the next couple of weeks and updating you all on our very uninteresting lives that you missed out on:-). I lost a memory card full of videos and pictures of Christmas while eating at a restaurant one afternoon. I was devastated and it took me a few days to get over the ache of losing memories because if you know me at all you know my brain will not store the memories for me. The restaurant was not able to locate the tiny memory card so I had to surrender my grief to the Heavens and be thankful that I had so many pictures from before and after Christmas to share and I am...very thankful that I have what I do. Stay tuned for adventures of flying with an infant, eating delicious California cuisine, lots and lots of visitors, Christmas fun, highlights and lessons learned from our 2010 Christmas trip!

Happy New Year's Eve!! We hope you all had a wonderful 2010 and we pray that the new year of 2011 is full of new adventures, blessings and challenges that will strengthen you and build you. God Bless each of you!!

My resolutions: (For the record I never make resolutions at the start of the new year as they tend to set me up for failure but, the things I have already been working on and setting in motion might as well be called resolutions:-)

1. Eat out minimally (one because we need to spend less and two because I need to eat better)
2. Think Positively
3. Get plugged in to a mommy and me playgroup to get both myself and my daughter more socialized
4. Me and the hubs want to get more plugged in to a bible study and in to our church
5. Praise God always on good days and bad and spend time with Him everyday!

Babies Love Starbucks!

I have not had internet access for much of this trip so I apologize to all of our family who so enjoy seeing their Daisy updates every morning. I have loads of pictures and lots of stories to share about the flight, this trip and my little Daisy bean but, for now I thought I would let you enjoy one of my favorite videos of Daisy too date. I was at Target waiting for my warm Starbucks drink and it must have been the festive music, the happy people or just Daisy being Daisy but, she was too cute!! By the way..this was when it was still warm out which is why she has no socks or shoes on...this video is a handful of weeks old now.

We hope you are all enjoying your Christmas week! It is very special being here in California with both of our families. Daisy has already gotten some sweet gifts from her Great Grandma and Papa and we are loving the chance to reconnect with so many people..not to mention eating at all of our favorite places. A diet will certainly be necessary when we get home to North Carolina. NC friends and family we miss you too!

We pray that the joy of the Lord is filling you this season. I'm so thankful for Jesus and his sweet, simple birth. For His gift I am most grateful. Be blessed everyone. xoxo

Flying

It's been a whirlwind of packing over the past two days. Clothes and things for 3 people for 16 full days in California adds up quickly even when I try really hard to keep it light. We are very thankful and happy that we get to visit everyone in CA this Christmas!! Such a blessing! We are pretty confident that flying will be a handful with Daisy because we know our kid. She will not sit still for even a second now. She is so squirmy and wants to crawl everywhere. It will be an adventure to say the least but, once we are there let the fun begin!

Doesn't Daisy look so happy sitting in our suitcase:-). I think she knows that we are about to embark on a fantastic voyage to see lots of people who love her. Let the journey begin...oh, and since we will probably not be sleeping much for the next few days there will be very little blogging. We'll see you all soon!