Eight is Great!

8 Months!!! Can you believe it?! I'm not sure what is crazier to me...that Jani has been out of me almost as long as she was in me or that Halloween is only 4 months away. Yikes! Jani was such a diva for our photo shoot. She loves the camera and is getting to be so much fun! Being home with her has been so much fun. I get to do so much with her and we are spending a ton of time together. I have a feeling that come August, Jani is going to be attached to me (as if she isn't already!). So what is she doing this month....
- Sitting up is a breeze and she is scooting all over the floor. Still not interested in crawling. She's getting close but being on her stomach is not a favorite pasttime.
- Said her first word this month...Mama! We thought it was a fluke but she has consistently said it in the last week and we know it's what she's saying.
- Starting to sign 'more' and 'all done'. She's knows exactly what we're saying when we sign them and now she's starting to do it herself.
- Loves stacking blocks and knocking them over. We usually do the stacking and she just holds her hand over the top of the stack and hesistates and then lightly pushes them over. She laughs so hard when they come tumbling down.
- Eating everything she can get her hands on...no teeth so we've stayed away from anything that takes much chewing. She still loves her veggies and fruits and can't get enough of her puffs. We find them stashed everywhere!! In her diaper, in her clothes, in her toy box....she's a hoarder :)

We are having so much fun watching her grow. I was organizing pictures today and started crying looking at the pics from when we first brought her home. I can't believe how much she has changed!! (I didn't even notice she was holding the number 8...she was just adding to the picture...such a poser :) )

Beautiful Summer Days...

My daughter has been on a nap strike. Like, she seriously sleeps for twenty minutes and wakes up, tired as ever. Today was a horrible nap day. So by the end of the day we needed a distraction. We headed out to the front yard to watch the construction and boogie to some music from my phone. J got totally enthralled with the grass and she was dancing to the tunes. It was one of the cutest things I've seen lately. We could have sat out on the grass for hours. I'll just stick that little secret in my back pocket for cranky days...they are few and far between but when they happen, we need a plan!

In this last one, she was dancing to the music. She had such a confused look on her face because she couldn't figure out where the music was coming from. She kept looking at my phone so quizzically!

Anyone have other ways the distract little ones on cranky days? I'm always looking for ideas!! I have a feeling a tooth is just around the corner....

Run Like the Wind...

It was Sturgis Falls this weekend. We LOVE Sturgis...or should I say, we LOVE the food at Sturgis. We live for the tenderloins, the mini-donuts, and the smoothies. Yummo Rachel Ray! I failed Jani....I have NO pictures of her at her first Sturgis. Boy, was she a trooper. It was HOT! She was a champ and ate in her stroller, played on a blanket, and smiled at those who passed. She had so much fun! She even got to hang with Gma Jani on Friday night while mom and dad attempted a night out. Sunday morning, though, Doug got a chance to burn off all of his calories. He ran the half-marathon with a good friend of ours, Brendan. They kind-of trained but really were going into it having not run probably more than four or five miles at a time. I was a little worried about them :) But they did it. I am so proud of them!!

Brendan thought he was going to die. Doug was trying to get him to smile. We eventually got a smile out of him....when he left us I gave him two seasons of Dawson's Creek and told him to have an amazing day :)

Better Than Pottery Barn...

When I was pregnant, I'd peruse the Pottery Barn site and dream about what Jani's room would look like. Some of the furniture and bedding on that site is to die for. I'd get a cheap thrill out of picking everything out, full and well knowing that I would not be ordering. The sale shopper in me just wouldn't be able to do it. One thing I have always loved is their book shelves that hang on the walls. As a reading teacher (or former reading teacher!! EEEK!!!), I.love.books. I have an unhealthy obsession with ordering books from Scholastic. It borders on out of control...I should really probably get help. So Jani is not lacking in the book department. Anyway, one of my friend's gave me the best gift ever for Jani's shower. Shelves JUST like Pottery Barn shelves. Her husband made them...gotta love a crafty man :) We just got them hung (after trying to coordinate schedules for a very long time) and here they are....my favorite part of Jani's room.

Happy Father's Day!

To my baby daddy....

 

Doug is celebrating his first Father's Day today. It's a day to celebrate his role in the life of one beautiful little girl. One girl who loves him unconditionally, who laughs when he laughs, sings along to his guitar playing, and giggles when he makes faces. One girl who knows he will save her, soothe her, sway her, and sing to her. One girl who can melt his heart with one little smirk. I have loved watching Doug become a daddy. He is everything I thought he would be and more. I know he will take care of us. He always does :)

Summer Is Here!!!

It is finally summer....days of loving my girl. Sitting in the sun, reading books, trying new recipes (I know...stop laughing), making baby food, and taking a deep breath before starting my new adventure. Teaching 1st Grade!!! I am switching over from Reading to 1st Grade. I have mixed emotions as I enter into this but I am VERY excited. I am going to start organizing and getting everything put together very soon....I can hardly wait.

Miss Jani is growing like a weed and learning new things every day. I swear she wakes up in the morning and has new tricks! She has no interest in being on her belly (which prevents crawling) but somehow she can get across the room. I call it her 'Tush Push'. She's becoming quite attached to me. We light up when we see each other. She's just my little buddy right now :) I am so glad summer is here! Hopefully, I will have more pictures soon. Our summer has been a whirlwind so far...maybe it will slow down soon so we can just enjoy....

I Miss My BFF

About 6 years ago, I got my first teaching job. I was scared and nervous and ever other emotion you would feel when beginning your very first career. Upon starting my job, I found out I would actually be sharing a classroom with another new teacher. Now, I realized this could go one of two ways. It could be amazing...I could meet someone who is just like me, likes what I like, eats what I eat, drinks what I drink...you get the picture. Or it could be a living nightmare. My polar opposite. Well, you can imagine my surprise when it ended up being option A. I met my BFF. Someone who was, literally, my long lost twin. We finished each other's sentences, spent every waking minute together...we just gelled. Fast forward a year, I get married...another six months, she has a baby. We laugh, cry, grow, fight, and become the bestest of friends.

Sad part of the story? She ends up moving away. It's like one of those depressing teenie bop novels where a girl's best friend moves away and she's sad and broken. That was me...is me. Sad and broken. I miss Amber so much. I'm sad that we don't see each other much...life gets in the way. We don't really get to talk much...I think I avoid the phone calls because they make me miss her even more. I have moments where I'm really happy, or sad, or excited. I want to share news with her and spend time together...it's depressing when I just can't go see her. Doug is my other half...but Amber was (and is) at least my other quarter, or something. I know that doesn't add up :)

Cherish your BFF's. Take the time to get a coffee, talk, eat some cheeseballs, whatever it is you do. Here's to you Amber :) Miss you much!

Beach Babe

or at least deck babe :) Jani had her first dip in her Wal-Mart special pool. We felt a little redneck but she had a good time! I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time out on the deck. We may even brave the big pool down the street! I am going to be sure to try and make sure Jani is never afraid of water. I loved swimming when I was little and I hope Jani is a little fish! Here's my sweetie in her suit!

You Know You've Been Married A Long Time When...

...you buy each other the exact same anniversary card.

Seriously, I gave Doug his card and he started laughing. I could not, for the life of me, figure out why he was laughing! It was not a funny card. I then made the statement, "Look...it's our wedding colors! Isn't that nice?"

He then whipped out his card and said the same thing.

We were obviously meant for each other.

P.S. I found my first gray hair on the way out of the house last night. Such a sad moment :(

5 Years Ago...

5 years ago...it rained early in the morning. The thunder rumbled and I worried my hair would be ruined.

5 years ago...we bought bagels and coffee on the way to get our hair 'did'. Friends gathered, chattered, and comforted me. Nerves ran wild and I began to contemplate the day.

5 years ago...groomsmen showed up late, tuxes didn't fit, but a handsome groom waited for his bride in the chapel.

5 years ago...a mother and father walked their baby girl down the aisle. Tears were shed, hugs were given, and a family was formed.

5 years ago...a limousine's air conditioning was broken. A group of crazies crammed themselves in anyway and headed off to the place where memories had been made many years before.

5 years ago...a bride and groom ran through the pouring rain to drive off into the night, finally husband and wife. Where did they end up? Why, McDonald's of course!

5 years ago...I married my best friend. Now, as we celebrate life, a life that has been blessed with a beautiful baby girl, I am reminded every day why Doug is my beau. We have traveled, laughed, cried, mourned, played, loved, and smiled together. We know each other's weaknesses, strengths, hopes, dreams, and fears. Happy 5th Anniversary Baby! Here's to many more years of driving each other crazy :)

We Need To Talk About This...

So I was sitting around the house tonight flipping through channels, disappointed that none of my shows are on anymore, and I happened upon Toddlers and Tiaras. Have you seen this show? O.M.G. I have watched bits and pieces of it before but never sat through an entire episode. The lengths that these parents go to with their daughters....wait, not just daughters but sons too....is scary. Completely scary. One mom got her daughter fake teeth to cover up her own teeth because they weren't perfect enough. Another one had a 6 year old singing to her pacifier because she loved it so much. Yet another fed her daughter donuts to give her energy before the pageant. Do these seriously exist?? I'm sorry if I am offending you with this post. Maybe you are one that wants their daughter to dress like someone three times her age and tease her hair like it's 1989...if that's the case, more power to ya.

My husband looked at me during this show and simply said, "If you ever do that to our daughter, so help me Jesus."

Don't worry honey, you won't need Jesus' help on this one :)