5 on Friday: Bunnies, Babies, and a Clean House!

I sure do love this weekly link-up.  It helps me pick out things from my week that I want to remember down the road!

This week....

{ONE}
Baby bunnies are back!  A few years ago, right around this time, Marley started nosing around a spot of lumpy grass in our backyard and found a nest of baby bunnies.  David took him out to potty last night and it seems that he's found another bunny nest!  This nest was built up higher so I'm thinking these are brand new bunnies.  There has been a huge rabbit hanging around the house the last few days so we are thinking that's mom.  We learned the last time that the mom's only come to check on their babies one time a day so that they don't attract predators.  Hopefully we will be able to watch them grow like before! (These two pictures are from a few years ago.  We haven't gotten any of the babies this year.  I think they are still too small!  But see how much they grew?!)





{TWO}
I don't know if it's the "arrival of spring" (I use quotations because it's still 50 degrees here.  We had one day of spring-like weather and then it disappeared.  Get. it. together.) or if I'm nesting 5 months late (ha!) but I've felt the need to clean my house from top to bottom.  I'm talking trash bags full of stuff to give to goodwill, dusting, the whole nine yards.  Doesn't it feel good to do a nice, deep clean every once in a while?

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{THREE}
Hadley discovered that her feet make good chew toys.  I'm pretty sure it's because her toes are so fat and squishy.  Who wouldn't want to chew on their feet if they had fat, squishy toes?



{FOUR}
In all of my cleaning glory, I went through Hadley's closet and cleaned out a bunch of clothes that no longer fit her.  She's a chunk, what can I say?  I found the cutest little summer outfit that just isn't going to fit her by the time warmer temperatures roll around, so I had to improvise.  Better yet?  It's an outfit I wore when I was baby.  Talk about major hand-me-downs!  She was much cuter in the outfit!



{FIVE}
It's just way too much fun having a girl!  Girl clothes are the cutest and she wears them well!  Fat baby feet in pink sandals?  Yes, please!





Hadley's Nana and Grandpop (David's parents) are coming into town this weekend, so I know she will have a good time.  I hope everyone else has a great weekend as well!

In the Word: Promises

This month's "In the Word" devotion was all about Promises!  I loved this topic because I love when people do what they say they are going to do.  One of my biggest pet peeves is when people say they will do something and then they don't.  So here are my thoughts about Promises!

I've always heard Christians say things like, "He brings you to it, so He can bring you through it!" and "christians will have more trials and tribulations because He will use them so others can see Him." I don't know about you, but for a long time, thoughts like that really scared me!

Um, more pain and suffering than normal?  No thanks.  I think I'll pass.  I was so resistant to pursuing a relationship with God because I was fearful of what would come my way.

Day 1 was a very sweet reminder that this is not at all the case.  First, He is very honest with us.  Yes, you will have trials, you will have pain and suffering.  These are all part of living in a fallen world.  Second, He promises us that He is bigger than anything we will face on here on earth.

I love the what Elisabeth Elliott had to say about it: "Turn your thoughts to Christ who has already carried your griefs and sorrows."

He's been there, and done that, for me.  Why am I afraid of going through it?!

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I loved the message for Day 7.  I am God's Temple.  I come into contact with all types of unbelievers.  Am I really being an influence as God's Temple?  Or am I letting the unbelievers influence me?  It's so hard to stay "un-influenced" in this world.  I definitely needed to be reminded that I need my christian friends to help me stay grounded.  We need to be yoked by our brothers and sisters in this world of unbelievers.  (Even if some of these christian friends I haven't technically met and only encourage me through blogging!)


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Another point that hit me was the devotion about God rewarding the time I spend with Him.  It is so easy to get caught up in making sure others see you...regardless of how they get the attention.  It got me thinking....am I doing this for the right reasons?  Am I just doing it so others will think, "oh, look how Godly she is!" or am I really trying to further my relationship with Christ?  I read the Message version of Matthew 6:6 and was struck by the choice of wording, "Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God."  The bottom line is: He knows our hearts.  He knows whether we are role-playing or genuinely searching for Him.


As I was reading the bible verse for Day 11, I was coming into it tired.  Hadley had been up no less than 4 times the night before and they weren't quick "back to sleep" ups and down events.  But God, always in charge, reminded me that even "in troubles, hardships, distresses; in hard work, sleepless nights, in hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness..." (2 Cor. 6:4-7) I should still commend myself to spreading His message.  I know sleepless nights are probably one of the smallest "trials" compared to what others are suffering, but in this stage of life, where I am right now, this is a trial and I'm called to endure it and my endurance will "fuel the message" of God's glory.  Thank you, Lord, for showing me that my tiny troubles are not forgotten and in the grand scheme of things, are purposeful to your plan!



Day 19 struck a chord with me.  God wants to hear my plans, hopes, and dreams.  You mean to tell me my measly little life goals are important to God?  I never thought about it like that.  I'm very much a "go-getter" and do things my own way without consulting people.  It's my life and I'm going to do what I want.  But the truth of the matter is that God is in control and I really need to be running these decisions and goals by Him.  He is the ultimate decision-maker and if I want something accomplished, He and I need to talk about it.


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In a world where people will constantly let you down, make promises but not keep them, God is constant.  He has made a lot of promises and has kept every one.  Happy Thursday, friends. 

5 on Friday

It's been a few weeks since I participated in 5 on Friday so I'm happy to be back!  I hope everyone is gearing up for a great weekend.  It's supposed to be warm and sunny here, so I am really excited about that!

{ONE}  Marley took a trip to the vet this week.  I'm not sure what happened, but he has a spot on his back leg that looks like it needed stitches at some point.  By the time I noticed it, it was "healing".  Not oozing or bleeding, but a nice chunk was missing.  I cleaned it out and watched it for a few days. It wasn't getting any better....probably because he was licking it so much....so I decided to take him to the doctor in case he needed the cone of shame or something.  I tell ya, if it's not one child, it's the other!



{TWO}  Speaking of the other child, Hadley developed a rash and a fever!  It was such a strange rash, though!  She started sprouting these little red bumps all over her butt and no where else.  They aren't on the front of her bottom or even in the creases.  And she had a low-grade fever, but has been acting completely normal.  I'm telling you I'm stumped.  I won't post a picture of her bumpy butt because A) It's not gross or anything, but I don't want people to feel uncomfortable looking at my baby's bottom, even though it is pretty darn cute and B) I don't want her to hunt me down when she's fifteen with a picture of her baby butt that some friend found on the internet and be completely mortified that "I ever thought it would be a good idea to post her pimply butt for all the world to see."  So there's that.

{THREE} I've decided to teach Hadley some baby sign language!  I'm so, so, so excited about this!  There is no harm in teaching babies sign language (i.e.. it doesn't delay their verbal language) and some parents swear that their babies have communicated earlier with sign language.  Some also say it has helped avoid potential meltdowns in the toddler years because they are able to express themselves better.  Right now, mommy and daddy look a little silly signing, but Hadley seems to enjoy it and smiles at us!  We are starting with a few words: mommy, daddy, change (when we change her diaper), play, dog, cat, please, thank you, more, and milk.  We'll see how this goes.  Any other mom's out there try baby sign language?  What do I need to know??


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{FOUR} We met my mom at the outlet mall this past weekend to pick up Marley and we did a little shopping.  Well, I did some shopping with my birthday money/gift cards.  My hips don't lie and they aren't fitting into my shorts anymore so I needed some new ones since spring has sprung.  But if you buy a new pair of shorts, you're going to need a new shirt to go with it.  I ended up buying $480 worth of clothes for--wait for it-- $85 after gift cards and my birthday gift from my mom!  And I actually got $100 from David's family for my birthday so technically that $85 fell into that $100.  So really, I personally didn't pay for any of it.  That's my kind of shopping spree!  Now if only the weather will cooperate...



{FIVE}  And just because Marley doesn't get much love on the blog anymore (twice in one post...wow, I'm making up for lost time!), I'm pretty sure he can't wait for the weather to warm up so he can play in his kiddie pool!  Although, he may have to share this year. :)



Happy Friday!

Hadley- 5 Months

Hadley,



You are 5 months old today!  Your little personality is just shining these days.  You are such a happy baby!  You smile constantly.  One of my favorite parts of the day is when I come in to your room to wake you up.  Your head pops up at the sound of my voice and when you see me, you get these super squinty eyes and smile the biggest smile.  Here's what has been going on with you the last month:

• You are 24 3/4 inches long and weigh 14 lbs. 3 oz. (by our home scale!)
• We are working on learning baby sign language.  I think you like it!
• You have started laughing a little more!  I'll do anything to hear that laugh....including rolling around on the floor!
• You are still nursing every 3-4 hours during the day.  Night's are every 4-5 hours.
• You still get one bottle a day.  We moved it to dinner time instead of the middle of the night.  You are still taking about 4 1/2 ounces.  The most you've taken in one sitting is 6 ounces.
• You are wearing size 2 diapers.
• You still wear 3-6 month clothes.  Very few 3 month outfits and a couple 6 month outfits.
• No teeth yet, but you chew on everything and drool constantly.
• We have weaned you off your zantac!  Yay!
• You now sleep in your own room.  That was a hard transition for mommy, but it was time!
• You are so observant!  You want to see and be a part of everything.
• We are trying to get you on a nap/sleep schedule.  Right now you only nap for about 45minutes at a time and that leads for one over-stimulated, tired baby!
• You are trying to crawl!  You will lay on your tummy and just kick your feet.  You look like  a little dolphin, haha!
• You are starting to sit up with help.  I'll sit you on your bottom and you have pretty good balance!
• You have been to church for the first time!  We are trying out churches and it was a small church so you were the only baby in the nursery.  But they took you to play with some of the toddlers and you did wonderful!  We are so proud!

Likes:

• talking in your bed in the mornings before I come get you up.  I don't know who you're talking to, but it is the cutest thing!
• You still love to watch Marley!  And Macy when she's around.  Macy will let you pull all over her, so you love that!
• chewing on everything!  You name it, you've chewed on it.
• you finally like tummy time!  Although it's by your choice now!  You can see the world better on your tummy.
• You still love tv: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sophia the First...but because of that, mommy has started limiting your tv time.  Saturday mornings is it, haha!
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Dislikes:

• Strangers!  Only Mommy and Daddy will do right now.
• Being bored.  I know no one likes this, but your mind is constantly moving these days and you just like to go, go go.  If Mommy needs a minute to sit, you don't like it!
• Being stationary.  You are so close to being mobile and it bothers you so much when you want something and can't get to it!
• Sitting in your high chair at dinner time.  Someone has to hold you facing the table.  I think we are getting close to starting solids!
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You amaze me everyday, Hadley.  It seems like just yesterday I was in the hospital having you, and now you are trying to crawl, babbling all the time, and have the cutest personality!  How is it possible time has flown so fast?  I love you, my sweet girl, and can't wait to see what you accomplish in this next month of life!

A Bug, A Fish, and a Napless Child

I am not what I would call a girly-girl.  I don't spend hours on my make-up, I don't spend hours trying new styles with my make-up, and I don't spend hours in the store looking at make-up.  I don't stay up on the latest trends, and rarely do I read fashion magazines.  But don't let that fool you into thinking I'm a tomboy, either.  I don't like camping.  I don't play sports.  I don't like to swim in the ocean or the lake because I'm scared of what's swimming with me.  And I really don't like bugs.

Case in point.

I went upstairs to take a shower today.  Hadley sits in her bouncer while I shower just so I can keep an eye on her.  Well, upon entering the bathroom, this is what I saw:



I stopped dead in my tracks and had a moment of panic: Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.  Okay, calm down.  What is that?  More importantly, where did it come from??  How did it get on the second floor?  Are there more???  Why is it so big?  It has too many legs.  Does it jump?  How can I put Hadley in the bouncer now?  Dangit, David, why do you have a job?  I need you home to kill this thing!!!

I quickly took a picture of it and sent it to David.  Because that's what you do in a moment of panic with a big, scary looking bug.



Oh my husband has many jokes.  He wants me to pick it up????  I. don't. think. so.

I laid Hadley in her bed and found a shoe (David's shoe!) and hit the bug with a loud scream.  It fell on the ground and I hit it again with David's shoe.



I still haven't looked to see if it's alive or dead.  David can do that when he gets home.  I am so worried that it's going to come back to life (kind of like that man who came back to life in the body bag?).  Lord, I believe in miracles and I know you decide when and how you will perform these miracles. But please don't let one of your miracles be shown to me in the form of a reincarnated bug.  Amen.

I think the bathroom is just having all kinds of issues, though.  Because the other night, we were getting ready for bed.  It was going to get really cold that night so we turned on the heat.  We were both brushing our teeth and I started to smell this nasty, fishy smell.  I looked at David:

Me:  Did you fart?
David: No, did you?
Me: No, but be for real.  Did you fart?
David: No, you know I'd claim it if I did it.  But I smell it, too.

We started searching and realized the smell was coming out of the vents!  After doing some google research (because that's the best place to find accurate information) I was convinced that our house was going to burst into flames at some point during the night.  I had us scouring the wall sockets at 11pm looking for any "hot spots" and melting plastic.  David insisted that everything was fine and went to bed.  He called the AC company the next day and they said, "Oh yeah, that sounds like a typical case of 'dirty sock syndrome.'"  So long story short, we don't have a lone fish dying in our vents, just HVAC coils that smell like dirty socks.  Cool.  There is no emergency with that, so we will just be smelling fish on and off until next Wednesday when they come to replace the coils.


And now, I'm off to play with my 4 month old child who refuses to nap.  It's too early to get rid of naps, child.  Get it together!



Happy Friday! :)

Hadley's Favorite Toys- 4 Months

I realize my blog posts pretty much deal with all things Hadley, but she is what my world revolves around now!

As a new mom, I didn't know what I would need once Hadley arrived, so naturally, I got everything! ;)  I'm hoping to do this a few times through the year as she changes and her toy preference changes!

Right now, these are all a huge hit with Hadley!
1.Wubbanub Infant Pacifier  2.Baby Einstein's Explore and Discover Soft Blocks 3.Kids ii Oball Rattle 4.Baby Einstein's Take-Along Tunes 5.Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Fun With Friends Musical Table 6.Vulli Sophie the Giraffe

1. This girl loves her pacis.  We have 3, count 'em, 3 wubbanubs.  And we use all of them.  We keep one downstairs and 2 upstairs.  When Hadley was little, they were great for propping in her mouth so it wouldn't fall out.  Now, when Hadley gets tired, she rubs her face, which is cute, except she ends up pulling out her paci and freaking out when she can't find it and put it back in place.  We've started giving her one to suck on and we let her hold the other one in her hands.  It (hopefully) keeps her from rubbing her face and I don't have to worry about her suffocating on something bigger!  Easy to clean- I toss these in a laundry mesh bag and wash them with Hadley's clothes.  I let them air dry and then they are ready to go!

2. Now that Hadley is more active, she LOVES playing with these soft blocks.  She loves to have them stacked so she can knock them down.  It's a pretty hysterical game to her, really.  They are big enough that she can grab them, hold onto them, etc.  And they are super soft, so when they fall, they don't hurt!  We spend lots of time playing with these.

3. The O-ball was the toy Hadley first grabbed by herself.  It's an easy toy for her to grasp and shake.  Her little fingers fit perfectly in the holes and she loves to shake it.  Also super easy to clean.  I've heard you can put it in the dishwasher.  I haven't done that.  But I did wash it with soap and water in the sink and sterilized it in a sterilization bag in the microwave and that worked great.  The only downside- now that Hadley is putting everything in her mouth, she thinks the ball should also fit.  Which of course it does not.  And that makes her mad. :)

4.  Hadley loves music, so she loves this little toy that plays music.  It plays 7 different classical songs and the center button is very sensitive so it's easy for Hadley to push it and change songs.  It has a few little lights on the front for her to watch.  We really liked this toy during tummy time when she wasn't such a big fan because it kept her entertained for a while.  Some toys play the same songs over and over again and I just have enough and can't listen to it anymore.  Surprisingly, I don't feel that way about this toy.

5. We actually got this table from my mom's friend for pretty cheap.  If Hadley didn't like it, no big deal.  Well...she LOVES it.  She has so much fun standing at the table and smashing the buttons.  She also loves opening and closing the laptop.  It as quite a few songs, teaches spanish, numbers, etc.  Obviously at this point, she doesn't focus on much of the learning aspects of the table, but it is great at helping with her gross motor skills.  Knowing what I do now, I would definitely spend the money on this toy.

6. Ahh, Sophie.  I've heard babies either love Sophie or hate her.  Hadley is definitely in the former group.  It is so easy for her to grab Sophie by the neck or legs and shove whatever body part in her mouth.  She's not teething yet, although she's practicing by putting everything in her mouth.  I don't worry about her putting Sophie in her mouth because she's BPA and phthalate free.  The rubber is all natural, as is the paint.  We haven't had any issue with paint coming off.  So far, Hadley doesn't like teething rings, but loves chewing on Sophie.  I think it's because Sophie is a little softer and it feels better on her gums.

I sure do love watching my girl play and learn.  It's so much fun to see how she figures things out!  What toys do your kids love?  Any I need to add to our repertoire?

Birthday Fun!

This past weekend was wonderful!  (Also, we've entered the stage where we look everywhere but actually at the camera.  Oh well!)

David got off work a little early and we headed to Charlotte for my birthday weekend!  My actual birthday is today (yay!), and since it wasn't on a weekend and some of my family has to travel (me included!), we had my family birthday dinner on Saturday!

My grandmother usually makes the birthday dinners, but her and my grandfather were invited to see the GA Tech basketball game with friends and couldn't pass up that opportunity.  We missed them, but my Aunt Diane made my request: spaghetti and meatballs.  My mom made the cornbread and ordered the birthday cake!  My cousins Scott and Amy came in from out of town and Amy's boyfriend Tyler was there, too.  I always love spending time with this group of people, even when it's not my birthday! :)

I got lots of great gifts!  I got some gift cards for some of my favorite stores and my mom is giving me a few free pairs of shorts because, let's face it, I'm not fitting into my old shorts after having a baby!  And now that warmer weather is starting to trickle into town, I need something cooler to wear!  I also got some Pottery Barn sheets for our bed.  Y'all.  Heaven.  They are so soft!  They've already been washed and we slept on them last night.  I got a gift card to Amazon, and a panini press!  I guess David was tired of washing multiple pans for one sandwich. ;)  My grandparents also gave me a super cute shirt and sweater.  I'll have to model that this week!

And one of my favorite gifts?

A wand.  

You read that right, muggles.  This Harry Potter fan got a wand!  It's actually a wand remote.  (Did you see this episode of The Big Bang?  Howard and Raj are playing with the wand remote at the beginning of the episode.)  I can now turn the tv on and change the channel with just a flick of my wrist!  And I'm positive my invitation to Hogwarts will be arriving in the mail any day now.  I know it got lost in the mail when I was eleven....

As far as my actual birthday-- today has been wonderful.  I woke up to my beautiful daughter's smiling face, we met David for lunch, and she's been napping in my arms this afternoon.  Tonight we are having my favorite steak and salad meal.



Twenty-six was an amazing year for me...I hope twenty-seven is ready to give 26 a run for its money! Happy Monday, friends!

The Liebster Award Part II

I participated in the Liebster Award a couple weeks ago, but Kristal over at The Strong Family Blog nominated me a few days ago!  I had so much fun answering questions last time, I thought I'd participate this time by answering Kristal's questions!


Questions from Kristal:

1. What do you love about blogging?
I started my blog as a way to document our lives.  I've never been a "journal" kind of girl and I like that this is a type of journal.  I love going back through and reading about our fun trips and memories we've been over the years!  Now that Hadley is here, I love that I can quickly jot down things she's done since she's growing so fast!  I've also enjoyed getting to know other people through blogging.  People I've never met because we all live so far apart, but I feel sure we would be friends if we lived closer!

2. What does a typical day look like for you?
I love my days now.  I work one or two nights a week and the rest of my time is spent with my girl.  We usually get up at 8, nurse, and then play for a few hours.  Hadley will go down for a nap and I have about 45 minutes to grab a quick bite to eat and clean up a bit.  She's back up and we spend our afternoon eating, playing and learning different things.  She will usually take another nap in the afternoon.  When she wakes up we eat (again!) and if the weather is nice, we'll go outside and play on a blanket while we wait for Daddy to get home!  Some days we run errands or meet friends for lunch.  



3. Do you have any "guilty pleasure" TV shows?
This is such a sad question for me to answer, mainly because I have so many shows I watch that it's just sad, haha!  I love Castle, Bones, Nashville, Parenthood, Big Bang, Revenge, Blue Bloods, and Downton Abbey.  (See, I told you it was sad!) I have them all set to DVR so when Hadley naps, I can watch them while I eat lunch.

4. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
My whole family lives in Charlotte, so if I could move back there, I would do it in a heartbeat!  But as far as wishful thinking--hands down, Hawaii.  David and I honeymooned in Hawaii and it was literally the best vacation we've ever taken.  And I know you're thinking, "but it was vacation!  Of course it was fun!"  But we would literally spend all of our dinners talking about packing up and moving down to Hawaii.  I would gladly work nights at the hospital and spend my days sleeping on the beach.  



5. What's the most important thing I should know about you?
I had to think about this one.  If people only had the opportunity to know one thing about me, what would it be?  I think my answer is two-fold.  First and foremost, I am a daughter of God.  That being said, I love motherhood more than I ever thought possible because I am a daughter of God.  Having my own child has really opened my eyes to just how much God loves his children.  It is so hard to describe the love I have for my sweet girl and to know that God loves me even more?  Wow.



6. What's one place you have to visit in your lifetime?
I've already visited Hawaii! Haha! Growing up, that was really the only place I had to visit.  I've been blessed to travel all over with family, studying abroad, etc.  I would still like to go to Alaska.  

7. Do you have any summer vacation destinations you visit yearly?
No!  That's depressing, huh? :)  We used to go to the beach yearly, but then we got too old and had other stuff going on.  David's family does have a house on the lake and we try to get down there once during the summer, but I don't know if I'd call that vacation--more like a weekend to just relax.



8. Do you prefer the ocean or mountains?
I don't like the ocean.  I do, however, like the beach! I don't like not being able to see what is swimming around next to me in the ocean. (I also don't like being able to see if a shark is about to attack me.  Therefore, the ocean just can't win with me, haha!) But I do love a nice trip to the mountains, apple pickin', and small, quaint towns.

9. What's your favorite flower?
I like peonies and hydrangeas!  They are both uniform and pretty.

10. If you could do anything without fear of failure, what would it be?
Parenthood!  Haha!  I'm so scared every single day that I'm making the wrong decisions for Hadley.  I don't want her to end up on whatever the Oprah-equivilant show is in 20 years and blame all of her issues on me! Ha! :)  I also think I'm dramatic enough to try my hand at acting. ;)



11. Do you get up early or stay up late?
When left to my own devices, I love to stay up late.  But now that I have a side-kick, I'm usually up early and try to go to be early, although that's usually not the case.  So, can I answer with I get up early and stay up late?! 

Thank you, Kristal, for the fun questions!  I hope you all have a great weekend!  I know I will, I'm headed back to Charlotte to celebrate my birthday with my family!