Pregnancy Number Two.

Milestone moment for pregnancy #2:  Last night (March 5th, 2014), Tony felt our 2nd baby girl kick for the first time!  Just so happened to take place directly AFTER we finished our conversation about name choices... coincidence?!  I THINK NOT.  I think that #1 she loves her daddy's voice and #2 she likes the name we have tentatively agreed on!  (I say tentatively because we haven't chosen her name yet.  It's just the top name that we are liking but aren't 100% on it.)  It was a really sweet moment, though, and to see Tony's face light up when he for SURE felt her kick was awesome!!!!  It's really incredible how much more prepared I feel we are this time around or at least that we know what to expect.

It's definitely a new experience for me to not have a name for my baby by now... which may seem silly to other folks considering I am barely halfway through this pregnancy.  I know I've been talking about it so much lately... I am usually not so "type A" about things but this - naming this baby - is something I just can't not think about.  Tony and I have a great conversation about baby names last night.  He looked over my long list and starred the names he liked and could envision for this baby.  And then one by one we went through those 10 names and started marking them off one by one for different reasons.  "Oh, but Violet doesn't sound good with Presley..."  "Addison is nice.  But then we would call her Addie, right?  I don't know that I like her having two names..."  you get the picture.  So we narrowed it down to one name complete with a middle name that we both love - it's got family history, goes well with our last name, the initials don't spell anything offensive, and sounds great with Presley.  Plus, Presley can say it and it sounds adorable.

Another thing that is different about this pregnancy?  I don't remember feeling so sappy when I felt Presley moving around.  Maybe I did and I just don't remember (highly likely)... but I just really marvel in it here lately.  Especially thinking this could be my last pregnancy.  It's also weird to me to think that I am 26 and this could be my last time carrying a baby.  I don't regret starting our family when we did whatsoever, but it just feel like such a young age to be done expanding our family.  I like the idea of having three kids, but at the same time, I think it would be a lot less strenuous (in so many ways) for our family to stay at 4 members.  It's all very surreal to talk about at this point, anyways.  So anyways, I just bring this up to say that this pregnancy is different for me in small ways.  I guess the true test will occur when the baby's hiccups start!!!  (If you don't recall, I was thoroughly annoyed by those last pregnancy!  Sorry Presley!!!)

I also can't wait to unpack baby #2's baby book and start writing in it!  I got it several months before we got pregnant from Hallmark when it was on clearance for somewhere between 70-90% off!!!  It had a circus theme - which we are not fans of the circus - but we LOVE animals and it was just beautiful.  The colors were very neutral (mostly the color red) so I felt it would be perfect whether we would have a boy or girl.  Tony thought I was ridiculous at the time for buying it but I bet now he thinks I'm a superstar!  And my mom will be happy... she likes Hallmark baby books.  Plus, she bought us a baby book just before Presley was born last time because "she has to have a baby book!"  Which, I am so glad she does have one and I love Presley's baby book so so much!!

Update on the home buying:  The seller has signed the contract and the inspection is scheduled for the beginning of next week!!!!  SO EXCITING.  I hope to feel more at ease after the inspection is over... just one more big step towards owning our home!  I went through our list of wants for this house - and it literally had everything we were hoping for minus ONE optional aspect - which was our preference for a flat driveway.  It is definitely not flat... it's actually pretty steep.  What makes me a bit more comfortable is the fact that there are stairs right next to the driveway AND there is plenty of room on the street for friends and family to park if they are not comfortable in the drive.  Can't wait to talk more openly about the house once plans become more concrete!!!!!!

That's all for today... it has taken me all of Presley's nap just to write this much!  I'm not sure why my brain is moving so slow today.  Looking forward to a relaxing weekend and hope it'll turn out that way!!

Happy FIRST Birthday, my BEAUTIFUL baby!

That is my big, beautiful, 12-month-old girl right there.  She has proved herself to be so tough all while having such a sweet heart.  Presley is so independent and wants to prove she can do things on her these days.  But there are those moments, usually just before bedtime, where she will snuggle into my shoulder as I sing to her and she will let me hold her like the little baby that she still is to me.  I never understood how vulnerable being a parent could make you, but it really is exactly like they say... having a child is like letting your heart walk around outside of your body.  It's terrifying and completely satisfying at the same time.  From the day that we have our babies, we are constantly learning to "let go" a little more by the day (just like my mama friend, Sharon said in one of her blogs months ago, yet is still fresh in my mind) and while each milestone feels like such a momentous experience... it really is just a drop in the bucket (like my mama friend, Sean said in one of her blogs that has really stuck with me)!

I tried to convince myself that this would be nothing but "another day" or "just another experience" but to be honest, Presley celebrating her first birthday has really affected me.  I've been going through tons of pictures from my pregnancy to the day I gave birth to Presley and beyond.  It's all so life altering; I don't think I'll ever view what's happened to us within these last two years as anything short of amazing.

So here we are.  How did we get from here to this point?  All three of us somehow SURVIVED this first year as a family of three!  Not only that, but I feel like we hit our stride and we are in such a great, loving, and comfortable place together with some unbreakable bonds.  I love my little family so much more than I ever imagined possible.  It's the kind of absolute love that you just have to experience and feel first hand to understand and appreciate it's magnitude.  For those of you mamas and dadas out there who know what I mean, bless your heart.  And bless your little family!

Now, let me tell you what Presley has been up to lately...

• We went to the doctor today for her twelve month check-up and shots - and let me just say that this was definitely an emotional experience!  Instead of getting the vaccinations in her legs, they were in her arms this time and boy that must  have really hurt because there was a lot of tears... poor girl.  Presley's height was 28.25 inches (25% for height) and she weighed in at 18 pounds 9 ounces which put her in the 10% for weight... I was a whole POUND off when I weighed her at home last week!  Oh, and her head is staying strong within the 75%!  So far, she's lean like her daddy, about average height like her mama, and a huge ole head like her Uncle Sean.

• Presley is still a great eater and will try anything at least once!  She makes the funniest face while she chews lately... even if it's one of her favorites she will make a face as if you're feeding her lemons!  Carrots and bananas are still her favorites.
• She's standing up on her own and will shuffle-step around her musical activity table, but she's not really doing any walking on her own yet.  Though, she is a super fast crawler... especially if you do the whole "I'm gonna get you!" thing (which she thinks is so hilarious).
• Night-time routine is still the solid "Night Night Little Pookie" followed by tunes from her Twinkle Twinkle Little Scout then she snuggles up with mama and listens to me butcher songs such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Edelweiss" from the Sound of Music (her favorite!).  There is no other place I'd rather be at night than tucking Presley in.  Literally, no where.  It makes me wonder what bedtime in our house would be like if we ever had more than one!
• Last month, I talked about Presley not yet having her first "big" injury.  Well, sad to say, she has had it.  While it shook up the entire house, we all survived and I don't specifically want to talk about it because it still upsets me!  What is truly comforting is reading blogs written by other mommies with kids around Presley's age who are going through the same stuff right now - the first big bumps/bruises/burns/injuries - and knowing we aren't alone!  I'm also very fortunate to have a strong husband and some of the best friends in the world who are always there for me - so thank you guys for helping me see that the things that feel like "BIG" things are actually just small things that are being magnified under a microscope.
• Still making baby wipes at home and that is going very well!  Highly recommend trying it out to see how you like it because it is so simple.
• No imminent end in sight just yet when it comes to breastfeeding.  The plan is to wait for cues from Presley that she is ready to end the breastfeeding relationship.  Until then, we are both content with our extra special bonding time.  What was once something that I once resented is something I will be sad to see go.
• She's saying words all the time - some of which we don't yet understand.  Others are clear as day such as "hi" "dada" and "mama" are the words she says regularly.  Her favorite phrase is "Hi dada" and she says it to Tony all the time.  Melts.  My.  Heart.  She is so sweet to him.
• She responds so well to our cues now... such as "Can I have a kiss?" to which she responds with a kiss; "Can you say YAY?" to which she starts clapping; "Presley, say HI." to which she starts waving and saying "Hiiiii".  There are a few other "tricks" of hers that are so cute, but those are my absolute favorites.  She also kisses her stuffed animals, babies, and even her blankies now.  (I die!!!!)

Here she is giving her puppy a kiss!

•  She's gotten so good about holding her sippy cup herself lately to take a drink.
•  Still has a bit of cradle cap (which isn't noticeable) which we got a great tip from my older sister to try a little of dandruff shampoo when showering her and it has really worked wonders!  Thanks for that tip, Amanda!
• Absolutely refuses bows on her head these days... so we got silly and when she ripped her bow off, Tony put it on Teddy Mosby, to which Presley responded unkindly to Teddy!

Pulling off her bow...

Daddy puts it on Teddy...

So Presley takes back her bow & slams Teddy's face to the ground!  So hilarious.

As you may recall, on Presley's birthday we asked our friends and family to send birthday videos for Presley - we got some really fun videos and I strung them together, check it out (shout out to Sean from A Mad Girl's Lovesong! Loved the video of you & Nat!)



In other news, I'm wanting to get into some sort of regular mommy playgroup so if any of you Quad City moms know of anything or would like to start something up - let me know and we will happily get something going!  (As you could guess we are certainly missing our weekly playdates with Molly, Alli, and Megan!!!!)

And this entry wouldn't be complete without telling you guys how much I love you all... thanks for being a part of our journey.  This year started out to be so tough for me as I battled what I assume was post-partum depression and your support and love and encouragement helped me to move mountains in my life.  I hope that all the struggling new parents who find themselves in a similar boat that I was in are lucky enough to have some real help in the form of family, friends, and even complete strangers!  You guys absolutely rock and I am forever in awe of humanity because of you guys.  Thank you for the jokes, listening ears, and empathy when I needed it most.

Birthday Party!

Wow.  First, let me start off by saying my family and I are so supremely blessed with family members who are friends and friends who are extended family members to us.  The gift of their time and love is better than anything and that was more evident tonight then ever before.  Second, we survived the party!  And we all had a fantastic time!  Until the end of the party, at least... right before we left, Presley really got upset because she was SO exhausted.  She skipped her nap today (must have been excited for the party!) and thus, her nighttime crash came a little sooner and was a bit stronger!  I felt so bad for her because we still had to pack up the car and go home before I could feed her and put her to bed.  She was such a trooper, though, and really went along well with everything today, whether it was running pre-party errands or the different aspects of her party, she did great!

I felt too busy occupied (if that makes sense?) at the party to really think about the implications of Presley turning one - and I don't think the reality of it all will hit me until her real birthday or maybe even after that.  I haven't even stopped to think about the fact that Wednesday will be my last "monthly" birthday update for Presley.  Just thinking about that makes me want to cry a little bit!  I have really enjoyed watching her grow so rapidly and can't believe on all the "lasts" that have just slipped right past us without realizing it would be our last.  (For example:  Last time she napped on me regularly... at the time I worried too much if she would ever be able to nap in her crib - so much so that I didn't soak up those little moments enough.  Last time I could set her down without her moving.  Last time she fell asleep while I was rocking her in church while at mass... etc.)  I will definitely have to find a way to keep documenting the new things she learns as time goes on.

Now, onto the party! 

We had her birthday party at a local pizza parlor and invited some of our friends and family members.

Presley's Invites from Shutterfly

Most of the guests lived in town but we also had a few from out of town - my cousin Breanne, her husband Dustin, and their son Emory (who we are going to spend Father's Day with this year) came from Milwaukee to party with Presley and my aunt Jill and uncle Chuck (who we love to visit every Easter/Thanksgiving) came from Huntley!  We felt so lucky to have them there with us.

I also got crafty and made a few decorations from ideas inspired from Pinterest!  What did parents do for fun and creative ideas before this website?!  I bought 3 packs of party hats on clearance at Jewel Osco a few weeks ago.  They had an okay design to start out with but I bought them so I could make Minnie/Mickey party hats.  This required spray painting them black, cutting circles & bows out of cardstock, adding ears and bows to the hats, and they went from this...

To this...

Awesome tutorial found here!

I also crafted together a "chalkboard" poster board full of Presley's stats.  It didn't turn out anything like what I initially envisioned, but I do like how it turned out (for the most part).  But I definitely had fun making it, that's for sure!  It was nice to just sit for a moment and think about the things Presley most enjoys.

Original inspiration for this found here

At the party, Presley had her first taste of pizza!  I think she liked it but it was hard to tell since she will pretty much eat anything we give her these days.  She also had her first real dessert and had it all to herself!  I say "dessert" since her cake turned out to be more like pudding than anything else!  I tried to make it as "healthy" as possible (bananas instead of eggs and apple juice concentrate instead of sugar) but it just didn't turn out so much like a cake after all.  Nonetheless, she seemed to really like it - which is no surprise because she has always loved bananas.  (Maybe we will have to make her a better cake for her actual birthday this Wednesday.)

Presley with my mom & her #1 balloon!

Presley and Jaime - a friend of mine from high school

Presley and Megan - another friend from high school!  Presley and I miss our weekly play dates with Megan and her nieces.

Beautiful smiles!

 

Presley and her daddy!  This is the only picture I got with Presley's party hat on - she didn't care for it.  You can also KIND of see the dirt cake cups I made for dessert for the party guests, idea from here.

Hat is gone!

Me and Presley!  She's also wearing the tutu I made for her. :)

Presley getting out of her cake-covered clothes

Dressing her in her back-up clothes... she looks pretty tired already!

We can never seem to get all six of us looking at the camera at once!  Almost!
L to R:  Megan with Alli, Me with Presley, and Erin with Molly.

We take turns looking away/looking at the camera!

Presley and Becca - a former work friend of mine from the YMCA who was also in our wedding party!

Presley and my best friend, Betsy, from high school.

Presley with Ashley & Jake - a great friend from high school and her fantastic husband.  They're expecting a baby boy this summer!  Couldn't be a more deserving couple.  :)

This is when we were saying goodbye to everyone and the long day started to hit Presley!

Presley with her Grammy - this picture is hilarious.

Presley with Jess - one of my very sweet friends!

And man, did Presley get some spectacular gifts - her friends really do know her well!  From adorable outfits to interactive toys (and several awesome Disney gifts!) she is going to be a busy and happy bee.  My cousin took video of Presley digging into her "cake" so I will need to cut it down a bit and then upload a portion to my blog.

Ending this hectic but very awesome days feeling so lucky.  Thank you to everybody who came out for our little baby girl's first birthday party - you guys make our lives so much happier and bless us with all you are!  And to everybody reading this, we certainly love you as well -  thanks for being such a special part of Presley's first year as a baby and our first year as parents!!!  Well... almost a complete year... still a few more days under that year mark. *sigh*  But like my friend Sean said... it's really just a drop in the bucket in the big scheme of things!

****update****

Here are a couple still shots from the cake video!

Her reaction just after the first bite!

Happy 11 month birthday, Presley pants!

Well I do declare!  (That particular expression was for you, Amanda...)  I cannot believe it is already time to write this blog.  Today our little girly is 11 months old!  Let's delve into what's going on in Presley's life these days...

• Chompers:  At the present moment, she's got 4 teeth up top and 4 teeth on the bottom of her mouth!  Two (of the four) top teeth are still fairly new and haven't come all the way down yet.  And man, she loves to use those teeth.  Her and I play this little game where she tries to bite my nose and usually she just pretends like she's gonna bite it and other times she actually does bite it.  I thought I was going to lose the tip of my nose the other day... geez Louise... I think we are going to have to discontinue this game pretty soon.

Excited about all her teeth!

• Loves to SNACK!  Cheerios, puffs, green beans, bits of peaches,  raisins, Baby Mum-Mums, teething biscuits, bread, etc.... anything that is edible and as long as it is something she can pick up herself, she is usually thrilled about!  This also means she is liking pureed baby food less and less, unless it is out of a pouch!

The aftermath of a teething biscuit!

•  Loves her Baby Einstein DVDs while mommy brushes her teeth in the morning or the rare moments mommy or daddy clean!

• Not only has she perfected her speedy crawling, but she has also started pulling herself up onto her knees this week.  She's even gotten to do it in the crib - looks like daddy will be lowering that crib VERY soon.
• We're still using the infant car seat instead of our convertible car seat... mommy and daddy are DEFINITELY still in denial!  She still fits in the baby seat, but I think she would be more comfortable in the big seat.
• Finally getting plans together for Presley's first birthday!  Looks like we'll be having pizza and cake with some of our friends and family!
• Still breastfeeding.  Still love it.  Can't imagine not having that time to bond with her but of course I will revisit the decision again next month!  To be honest, though, I don't think we'll stop there.
• When we're in the car, I will turn on "Disney songs" Pandora and seems to really enjoy music intended for little kids!  Already showing preference to Disney - definitely our child!
• Loves her shower time again!
• She likes to take a few steps here and there if we are holding her hands.
• Still reading her "Night-Night Little Pookie" every night and sing songs with her Twinkle Twinkle Little Scout.  She sleeps through the night with a fan and a few of her blankies!
• She mainly wears size 3 Pampers Cruisers and we still absolutely love the fragrance-free Parent's Choice wipes!  Also still using her wipe warmer.
• We started brushing her teeth in the morning and night and she thinks it's silly but she likes it.
• She's been a tough cookie when it comes to bumps and bruises that come along with the territory of crawling and exploring.  She hasn't really had her first injury yet and I hope we can keep it that way because I'm not sure how Tony or I will survive it!
• Presley love to clap when we say "YAY!" and also when we ask her to clap - depending on her mood, of course.  She waves when we say "Hi!" or when we ask her to wave.  She's so friendly and loves to get people's attention when we are out and about.

And that's what's new in our home.  Take heart everybody, I guess tomorrow is known as "Blue Monday" and is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year.  Don't be afraid to do something special for yourself tomorrow - and while you're at it, be considerate of how you treat your coworkers, friends, family members, and others you come in contact with tomorrow.  Make the most of your week!

Happy 10 month birthday, Presley girl!

Showing off her bottom teeth!

 Alright, so, there have been a TON of changes this past month!

• We've got a big, bad CRAWLER on our hands!  And I'm talking, belly OFF the floor kinda crawling.  One day last week she just decided that she was gonna get a move on and the rest was history.

In addition to your 4 beautiful bottom teeth, you will be getting both top teeth in no time, it seems.  One of your top teeth has cut through all the way and the other is not far behind.  Hopefully this won't be too painful of an experience for you - so far you are totally handling it like the champ that you are!

Child of mine, you have some SMELLY feet!!!!!  Looks like we're going to have to up the amount of baths you have a week!

Your favorite words are "baby" and "dada" and you sure do wear them out!  Sometimes you get too excited and put both words together by saying "bay-da" - very cute!  "Mama" isn't on your radar these days... when and if you do say it, you are often shouting it.

You just love your puffs!

Just this week you started clapping.  So darn sweet!

 

• I believe we will be moving to your bigger car seat pretty soon!  You still fit in your baby one, but you sure are pushing its limits.  I think you will be more comfortable but it will be tough for me... just another indication that you are growing up!

So, I would be lying if I didn't mention that I am a bit bummed we won't be starting any Christmas traditions for our little family of 3 this year.  Because when I think about how nice a relaxing Christmas at home would be, it sounds pretty darn wonderful.  Plus, babies are just not made for traveling, if you ask me!  Though, I know if we stayed home for Christmas we would end up being pretty damn sad and just wishing we were with my in-laws and sisters the entire time.

Plus, like my sister and I talked about, our kids are so small now that it won't matter a ton in the big scheme of things... it's not like they will have any true memories about this first Christmas!  So, I am just telling myself that we will have another year to prepare for any and all family Christmas traditions we look forward to sharing together.

With that said, any sacrifice is worth the reward we'll be gaining because we will be spending time with our family whom we only get to see a few times a year.  That includes traveling to Memphis, Nashville, and possibly Chattanooga (gotta iron out those plans).  We'll be having another big "first" along with Presley's FIRST Christmas and that will be first plane ride!  I'm just a wee bit anxious about how it will go, especially since Presley hates to sit still now that she has started crawling... but she really is such an easy-going kid.  Now, any tips/tricks/advice for flying with a baby in tow - send them my way and don't be shy!  I really would like to take our Boppy with because I can't imagine being without it, but I'm just not sure we'll have room since the plan is (for now) to not check any bags.  We are flying with Delta, which I am super pumped about because they still serve in-flight snacks (SWEET!) and have no problem with us bringing our car seat and stroller (not sure if we'll bring that or not) and neither of those things count towards our carry ons! Woo!

In other news, we just had our first big snow of the year.  This resulted in Presley and I being home bound all day.  Which resulted in these silly pictures.

Happy ten months, Presley Rose.  Ten down and only two to go until we're all celebrating your super special first birthday!  Very hard to believe but even more exciting. 

Happy 9 month birthday, my little turkey!

Wow.  I know I say this every month - and I will probably be saying this for the rest of my life - but I cannot believe how fast the time is going!  Our little baby girl is a mere three months away from her first birthday!  And it truly feels like just yesterday that we were celebrating her THREE month birthday! As I said before, she weighed in at 16 pounds 13.5 ounces and was 27 inches tall!  Her head (75%) and height (between the 50-75%) have followed the same curve as always but her weight has started to drop off her curve (25%).  We will go back in a month to weigh her to make sure everything is okay.

I learn more and more about Presley everyday, especially as her personality develops and emerges.  As much as I enjoy hogging her to myself, I think one of my favorite things is watching how she interacts with other people.  Here is what my little beauty has been up to...

• She no longer keeps bows on her head.  Once she realizes it's there, she reaches up and tugs it down off her head with no problem.  She is getting strong and extremely smart!
• Presley's outgrown most of her 6-9 month clothing (especially her pants) and is moving into her 9-12 month stuff.  She's been in 12 month sleepers for a few weeks now, but we only have a few of them.  Does anyone know a good place to buy sleepers?  I know you can get them just about anywhere, but I am looking for good quality, a good deal, and something warm enough for this time of year.
• Ladies and gentlemen, we have a semi-crawler!  She is more of a scooter and spin-around-in-a-circle kinda girl... but hey, whatever works!  She is really getting around these days.
• We had our first choking experience this past weekend with Presley.  And wouldn't you know it was one of those child-friendly puffs?  My mom had literally just taught me what to do in case that were to ever happen - so it was fresh on my mind.  I picked her up as fast as I could, faced her body/face downward, and smacked her on the back a few times.  The puff and some puke came right up and she was just fine.  I'm sure she would have gotten the puff down herself without my intervening, but I wasn't going to take that chance.  I'm not gonna lie, I really felt like a bad ass in that moment.  And a capable mommy.  My mom was there to witness it all, too, and she said, "You really did everything just right!"  Sounds like I had a good teacher, thanks Mom! ;)
• Still in a size 3 diaper, still loves water in her sippy cup, and is getting more comfortable with dogs!
• Sleep training using the Ferber/progressive waiting method was a SUCCESS!  And Presley is also taking a daily nap (usually) lasting about an hour and a half most days.  This is WONDERFUL.  If any of you moms would like to know any more about our experience, just let me know and I'd be happy to share more in depth.

• She's learning to give kisses and every so often if you ask nicely enough, she complies and there is absolutely nothing sweeter than baby kisses.
• Still a little waving machine!  But only when the mood arises.  Her mood has been hit and miss this past week - Tony and I think it's another round of teething!
• Presley is even more into table food these days.  She thinks that whatever Tony and I eat are fair game for her!  This is why we wait to eat dinner until after she's in bed most nights, though we don't mind sharing the things that she can eat.
• We think she had a negative reaction to either quinoa or broccoli last week.  She had eczema-type rashes all over her so we are gonna wait to give her either of those for a little bit.  This is the first time she's reacted negatively to any foods!
• We've made it to our 9 month breastfeeding goal!  And I certainly couldn't have done it without all the support I've gotten along the way - especially the support and encouragement I receive from my husband every day.  So, it's time to set the BIG goal, FINALLY!  Our next goal is to keep breastfeeding until 12 months and I don't see us stopping now.
• Presley shared one of her snacks with me the other day.  I asked her if Mama could have one and I leaned forward & opened my mouth - she picked up on of her little snacks and dropped it in my mouth!!!  I was shocked!  She didn't do it again, though, and was quick to shove those little snacks in her own mouth from then out!
• So excited to celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a family of three with friends and family this week!  Looking forward to good food and good times and especially getting the chance to meet and hopefully love on the newest baby in our family - mister Emory!  (I say hopefully because there will be a lot of excited family members there to hold this new sweetie.)

This is unrelated to Presley's development - but if I hear one more person comment on how "spoiled" my child is [what does that even mean??] because I care for her all day or because I tend to her needs as they come - I will possibly snap.   
So look everyone, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
Please know that it is in my opinion that there is no such thing as spoiling a child with too much love; that makes absolutely ZERO sense.  There is also no such thing as a perfect parent - so when you can look me square in the eyes and tell me you are the perfect parent, then and only then can you comment negatively on the choices I make for my family.  I am open for fluid conversations.  I can take constructive criticism (if it comes from a good place).  I don't think I can take anymore talking behind my back without confronting people or being talked down to without getting personal.  Is this how every new or young mother feels?  If so, then why is it that our society feels that this type of behavior is acceptable?  Why do we feel we've earned the right to judge others?

On another note, one of my friend's mom made a comment just the other day that I was doing a fine job on raising Presley and while it was just very casually made, it really meant a great deal to me.  It also made me reflect on how I talk to others; do I encourage the people I love?  Either way, it was one of the best compliments I could have gotten at this point in my life and a great reminder to be a light to others!

All in all, I am in love with my life.  I love my friends.  I love my family.  I love my sweet nine month little girl.  I am so beyond blessed.  I wouldn't have picked this path for my life but that is what is so amazing about God's plan - it is so much better than our own!  I will leave you guys with some recent pictures -- much love and happy Thanksgiving to you guys; I hope everyone shares the day with some delicious food and reflecting on the people who bring you joy.

Two of my best friends - Katie S. and her nephew, Harlan - Katie D. and her nephew Landyn!
Both of them live out of town and it was so nice to get together while they were here.  Miss them so much!

Molly, Alli, & Presley at their latest hangout session.  Two and a half weeks until the twins are ONE!

Another one of my best friends, Betsy, posing with Presley!

My mom and Presley shortly after the choking incident. 
Presley gave her Gramma/Grammy a kiss before she left, too!