Matching Jammies

all of the girl cousins together in our "matching" jammies for 2010. Becca, Jessie, Courtney, Me, Toni and Anna. I LOVE this jammy tradition. It's probably silly that I am almost 28 years old and still get giddy with anticipation when I see the boxes laying under the tree for us to open that I know contain our matching jammies. And maybe even sillier is that we don't even spend the night at my Grandma's house on Christmas Eve anymore as we are all older (mostly) and all live on our own. We still take off our nice Christmas dinner clothes and jump into our jammies and take pictures. It's a crack up! Love that we have stayed so close to my cousins and family all these years! Below: I'm clearly killing my sister with my body weight but, I wanted to cheer!
Me and my baby on Christmas day 2010. The boys get jammies too...:-) Have I mentioned lately how much I love this guy?
Me and all of my awesome siblings on Christmas day. My bro in law Tony (we have 3 Tony/i's in our family!) and my sister Becca, me and Joey, my older bro Ryan and my youngest sister Anna. Love this picture of all of us!
The two people that I adore SO much! My mommy and daddy who were such a joy to visit this Christmas. They spoiled us and fed us lots of good food:-). I miss you guys too much!
My Aunt Pam, Grandma and my mom. They are only missing their eldest sister Kim who lives in Australia and understandably couldn't make it for Christmas. We missed them though!
I decided to jump into the shot. Why not right:).

Me and my sweet daughter on Christmas day a bit earlier having dinner with Grandma and Papa Martinez. I have to brag about Grandma Martinez for a minute. Never in my life have I known someone who serves through food as amazingly as Grandma. From the second you walk through her door up to the moment you leave she is serving snacks, drinks, sweets, delicious food and showering her guests with hospitality. She even does all the cleaning herself and she does it all so joyfully. It's amazing and I'd like to be more like that...just wish I liked cooking! Grandma and Papa served a delicious prime rib and even made sure to have my favorite Ameci's salad and dressing (YUM!) and we also enjoyed eating with Uncle Rick, Christine and their two sons. It was so nice to see everyone and to catch up together. Papa got me this really awesome book about portrait photography that has been very useful!! Thanks Papa! I also got to enjoy shopping at Macys thanks to Grandma and was able to get a couple of wonderful things!! We had a great time seeing them! Below: One of the only pictures I got of me and my love bug on Christmas day. She was so exhausted all day. It was a lot of fun for her...maybe too much fun as she was simply wiped out everywhere we went. She did UH mazing though. I'm so proud of her!!
Papa, Joey and Daisy looking so cute here. Her adorable outfit is from Grandma and Papa. Loved it, especially those little bows on the legs!
Christmas morning we met up with Grandma Bailey, auntie Jess, Uncle Jeremy, cousins Nic, Tyler and shannon and Uncle Tom and Aunt Marie. They spoiled Daisy with a beautiful handmade stocking that is gorgeous and VERY detailed as well as some other super cute things! Thank you guys soooo much!!! It was wonderful seeing everyone and going out to eat together!
How cute is this Noah's ark!

I should have found a way to get into this picture below:0. The Martinez family on Christmas Day. Grandma Martinez, Joey, Auntie Jess and Uncle Jeremy (who is great with Daisy by the way!).
This more or less concludes our Christmas adventures though I still have other random pictures to post from around Christmas time. I sometimes wonder if carrying my camera with me everywhere is a good idea as I get SO behind blog posting on the truckloads of pictures I end up taking but, on the flip side I never regret the pictures once I have them:).

I will be publishing my blog into a book form for Daisy on her first BD. I can't wait to see her first year in print!! What a great baby book huh.

Surrender

I thought I would take a little detour from the swarm of Christmas pictures that I have been posting. Sorry family, I will continue posting the rest of the pics very soon don't worry! :-)

The one thing God has shown me time and time again in my adult life is the importance of surrendering. I was talking to my mom on the phone this morning and I realized how many things I need to surrender in my life right now and truthfully, every day!

Definitions of Surrender: a : to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand <surrendered the fort> b : to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another

Before Daisy was born there were still quite a few things that I felt like we needed in order to be ready for her arrival. I knew we could never afford all of the things we still needed. I didn't know what to do and it was not a fun feeling. A wise person suggested that I write a list of all of the things that I feel like I "needed" and then to lift those things up in prayer one by one every day. For starters this activity is AWESOME and I HIGHLY recommend it! Lifting up our "stuff" specifically, everyday to God allows us to surrender it to Him; to entrust it in His care. He is the one who takes care of us and provides for us after all...though we might be convinced otherwise. I prayed about those 10 or 12 things night after night and every time I prayed I felt peace that God would either provide or remove the need all together in a completely different way. I trusted Him. He loves me (He LOVES YOU!) and I know he hears my prayers (and yours!). It turned out that God provided nearly every single thing on that list that I needed. A couple of things I didn't receive in the way I was expecting but, the awesome thing is, God provided in other ways and the need was removed. God is not a genie who gives us everything we ask for so please don't misunderstand what I am suggesting. I am saying that when we lift things up to the Lord, He aligns our hearts so that we are in tune with His will and not our own. Then He provides as He sees best which could be by providing exactly what we are asking for or something else.

I have a lot of things I need to surrender to the Lord in prayer at the start of this new year: (I'm providing specifics to hopefully encourage you to do the same. Keeping it real here:-) By being specific it is easier to identify when God answers prayers or to pinpoint what you learn and it actually increases your faith! It's an awesome thing!

I need to Surrender...

*fears (often of things that have not even happened and may never!)
*finances (learning to live on one income and spending a whole lot less than we are used to has been a challenge)
*dreams (keeping a healthy perspective on dreams is important)
*anger and disappointment
*control (I think we women can all relate to this one:-)
*marriage (seeking God's best for my marriage and letting Him do the work in me (not me doing the work in me) to get it there)
*family (being a Godly mom and wife etc. and doing so with joy)
*contentment (being content with exactly what I have at any given moment. Our needs are being met and the wants shouldn't be all consuming)
*photography business (trusting God's timing and provision. Is this even God's will for me?)

K, now it's your turn! It's great if you can write these things down in a journal or on a piece of paper so you can go back to it frequently and have a tangible reminder of what you want to surrender to the Lord. BE SPECIFIC. I wasn't as specific here as I would have been in a journal but, specifics help you sort out what exactly what you are feeling/needing/struggling with etc.

Your things might be:
addictions
relational troubles..spouse, child, parent etc.
anger over a loss...home, job, loved one etc.
pregnancy challenges
etc. etc.


I would love to buy a big plaque that says surrender with a great bible verse under it. I see the cute "simplify" phrase everywhere but, personally I think surrender is essential for healthy living! :-)
Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

WE used to sing this song at my CC church in California and the guy who sang it always sang it with so much conviction. It has stuck in my heart and my head ever since. "Surrender."

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?