The Baucom Family

Treasured Photos

2012-01-06T09:53:00.000-05:00

It's my goal to get in to writing here more...There are many photos that I love of Abigail's life. Unfortunately, there are far to few pictures of us together. Here are some of my most treasured photos. Treasured because I got out from behind the camera to be with my girl.Holding her for the first time:My wedding day:Trips to the Pumpkin Patch:Trips we've taken:General Silliness:And, showing love for her brother before he got here:I'm so lucky to have her.

Catch-Up

2011-09-11T15:25:00.000-04:00

I'm going to catch up on the happenings of the Baucom Bunch on the next few posts.....We'll start waaaayyyy back in June. We celebrated Princess Abigail's 5th birthday, her last as an only child. It's amazing to me how much she's changed.

She had her usual birthday dinner at Red Robin and was so excited when she opened her Barbie Laptop from Mom and dad.

We are so lucky to have her. She is one amazing child!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T10:18:00.002-04:00

Photo Card

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Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T14:02:00.000-04:00

My Girl

2011-05-26T18:55:00.003-04:00

There was never a time in my life when I DIDN'T want to be a mom. I've always dreamed of having a sweet little family to come home to every night; a snuggly little girl to watch silly television shows; a chubby faced boy to watch play soccer. While my boy isn't here yet (SIX MORE WEEKS EEK!!), I have to say, my silly childhood dreams...they didn't even come CLOSE to what I have with Miss Abigail. I struck baby GOLD with that girl. I just know that when she gets older we're going to be the best of friends. I am the luckiest mom in the world.

Scared....

2011-04-07T18:43:00.002-04:00

I'm scared that I won't have enough love to give both of my children...

I'm scared that Abigail will feel left out when the baby gets here...

I'm scared that Baby Boy Baucom will feel he he drew the short straw cause he got here second...

I'm scared that I won't be prepared for his arrival...

I'm scared that I won't be able to handle having two children...

I'm scared that there's not enough of me to fill both of their needs...

I'm scared that Matthew and I will have trouble finding time for us...

I'm scared that the only thing we will have time to talk about once the baby gets here is our children...

I'm scared that something will happen to one of the children that I worked so hard to get here safe and healthy...

I'm scared that something will happen to Matthew, leaving me alone...

Mainly, I'm scared of everything right now.

This goes away, right??

Dear Edamame

2011-01-17T19:47:00.003-05:00

Hi there sweet baby!

I am so very excited about your impending arrival, even if I still have to wait another 25 weeks to meet you. Daddy, Abigail and I will patiently wait for you. Stay in there as long as needed for you to get here. Please don't come early like your big sister did.

When Daddy and I found out you were coming we were surprised, but happier than you can even imagine. We know you're the puzzle piece that has been missing from our sweet family without us even knowing it. We absolutely adore you already and haven't even gotten to see your sweet face yet.

You big sister is already the best big sister there's ever been. She is so excited about all the things she's going to get to teach you. You probably already know this, but she talks to you every night. She is actually the one that named you Edamame. She is so silly.

We have had some great times, you and I. I'm thankful the "pukies" have left us behind. Thanks for that. It makes mommy very happy to have an appetite again.

Thank you baby, for choosing me and Daddy. We already feel so lucky to be your parents.

I love you more than you know,
Mommy

Vacation...Part 2...Disney World

2010-11-26T10:29:00.007-05:00

(See Vacation...Part 1 here)

On Monday morning we woke up and had breakfast with Nana. After that, we hopped in the car and headed to the happiest place on Earth...Disney World!!!! It took about an hour to get from Nana Jane's to our hotel. We checked in and got settled in our room and then headed off to the Magic Kingdom.

The first ride we came to was the Teacups. That is one of my favorites of all time!! It was a little busier that Matthew and I had anticipated, so we had to wait in line. Miss Abigail was none too excited about this, as evidenced in this picture:

Once it was our turn, Abigail turned in to a happy camper again!!!!

We had the best time with her in Disney World. I don't think words can describe the fun enough, so I'll just end this with pictures of our trip! :)

She got her face painted:

Drove a car with her daddy:

Rode Dumbo with me:

Stood in lots of lines:

Rode a carousel with daddy:

She loved on her Daddy and hammed for the Camera:

She met Mommy's favorite Disney characters:

Posed for family pictures:

She met princesses:

She hammed for the camera a bit more:

Met Donald Duck (and many other characters):

And went to Epcot:

We had the best time with her and cannot WAIT to do it again!!!

Vacation...Part 1

2010-10-05T19:19:00.007-04:00

At the end of September, Matthew, Abigail and I went on our very first family vacation!! It was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We left on Friday, the 17th and drove down to Florida. We spent 3 nights with Matthew's grandmother, Nana Jane. We'll call that Part 1 of our "Floridian Vacation."

We arrived on Friday evening at Nana Jane's house. Matthew's great aunt drove up from Tampa to spend the weekend with us, and was already there. Abigail ADORES Auntie and Nana Jane, so she COULD NOT WAIT to get there.

When we arrived, Aunt Lu & Uncle Bill came to Nana's house and we all went out for a steak dinner. It was delicious!!!!!! While we were trying to decide what we wanted, Abigail got a hold of my camera and took some pictures.

I'm sure Auntie would love this one.

On Saturday morning, we woke up and went to a tasty breakfast at Denny's and then had a golf cart tour of The Villages. Our tour guide, Abigail, was sure to provide us with pictures of the trip.

On Saturday evening, after a DELICIOUS dinner at Carrabba's, we went to play mini golf. Everytime Abigail visits Nana, they go mini golfing. It has become something that she looks forward to each time she visits her. Abigail may not have a future in golf, but I'm sure she'll be a killer hockey player based on how well she scoots the ball into the hole.

On Sunday morning we woke up early, had some Perkins for breakfast and then headed to Silver Springs. This is a state park (I think) that is surrounded by BEAUTIFUL springs. They have glass bottom boat rides, a carousel and lots of other fun stuff to do. There are lots of alligators and crocodiles. Abigail made us laugh so hard when she "taunted" the Gators with her Daddy's Hurricanes hat, because the Canes don't like Gators. It was the neatest place. Abigail had a blast riding in the boats.

Meet Beary Fluffy Baucom....Abigail's new baby.

Thank you so much, Nana Jane. We had a wonderful time with you and cannot WAIT to visit again.

Stay tuned for Vacation...Part 2...Disney World

Every mile a memory......

2010-09-08T16:10:00.004-04:00

When I was younger, as soon as school was out for the summer, my grandparents would hop in their giant van and make the 15 hour trek from New Jersey to Georgia. They would stay for a few days and then pack my sister, brother and me into the van and we would set off on our adventure back to New Jersey. They had the patience of saints.

The three of us would argue like cats and dogs and Nana and Pop would just sit and listen. Also, mediate when necessary. Some of my fondest childhood memories of are those car trips every summer. There were the old songs that we knew all the words to cause Nana and Pop played the tapes. There were the detours through the Appalachian mountains. Pop still teases me because he knows every rest area between Georgia and New Jersey because of me.

We would spend the entire summer with them. I looked forward to the time with them every year. Sure, I missed my parents, but couldn't be sad because I was with my amazing grandparents getting spoiled. Nana would cook us anything we wanted, and man what a good cook she was.

With the summer of sadness we've had winding to a close, I am even more appreciative of all the time we got to spend with them.

It tears my heart to pieces knowing I'll never be able to pick up the phone and talk to Nana again; that Abigail won't get any summers with Nana and Pop like I did. She is so very lucky to have gotten the time she did with Nana. Most children don't get to know their great grandparents. Abigail has 5, well 4 now, that she sees on a fairly regular basis.

And, while Abigail doesn't get actual PHYSICAL time with Nana June, I'm convinced she's never far from Abigail's side. Abigail has conversations with her everytime she's in the car. It seems like car trips are going to give her some Nana memories after all. It's just more proof that they have a very special bond that not even death can break.

Forever in our hearts...

2010-08-16T12:36:00.004-04:00

As I've mentioned before , Abigail is named after my grandmother.

This past Thursday I flew to New Jersey to be with my family. Nana had been very sick. 2 and a half weeks before, she had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. After a very hard fight, she passed away on Friday, August 13, 2010.

She was surrounded by her husband and children when she passed. We all, my brother, sister, cousin and I, all got to have a few moments with her to say our goodbyes.

I miss her with every fiber of my being, but I know she's looking out for me. Heaven has gained an incredible angel.

It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life, but I am so glad I was able to be there.

Ten

2010-07-29T12:00:00.002-04:00

1 proposal.
1 wedding for us.
7 weddings of people we love.
10 Christmases.
1 apartment.
1 house.
3 different addresses.
1 mailbox run over.
4 cars.
3 beds.
3 couches.
4 different schools.
2 graduations.
6 TV’s.
3 surgeries.
1 hospital stay.
2 emergency room visits.
24 birthdays.
1 pregnancy.
1 beautiful baby girl.
1 speeding ticket.
3 accidents.
150 lbs. gained.
60 lbs. lost.
11 in-laws.
1 nephew.
2 nieces.
3 computers.
1 cruise.
1 trip to Vegas.
7 phone numbers.
315,360,000 seconds.
5,256,000 minutes.
3,650 days.
520 weeks.
120 months.
10 years.

This One time, at Band Camp...

2010-07-29T08:00:00.009-04:00

...Matthew got stomach bug and I pretended to get one. Quite honestly, it was really hot (the heat makes me queasy) and I just wasn't feeling band camp that day. It took me almost this long to admit I wasn't really sick to him. Let me tell you something though, it was the best thing I ever did. After 2 years of knowing him, I finally realized what an amazing guy Matthew is. We spent the rest of the week together whenever we could be. Then, the Saturday following band camp, July 29,2000, we went on our first date. Ten years ago, he kissed me for the first time (what a memorable kiss it was!) and I knew that, at 17, I had found the man I would marry.

Before that fateful week, Matthew was my "go-to guy" when it came to boy problems. He was always so wonderful, listening to me, giving me advice, setting me up with all his friends. Deep down he was thinking "Hello, stupid, I'm right here. I won't EVER treat you like those buffoons treat you." Thank goodness he was patient and waited for me. I don't know, nor do I care to, what my life would be like.

That man is my best friend. He is the person I go to about everything. The shoulder I cry on, the man who makes me laugh when I truly don't feel like laughing. I would be lost without him. I don't make loving me easy, but he does it. I don't know how, but I do know I'm the luckiest woman in the world.

So, my love, to you I say: THANK YOU...for loving me...for putting up with me...for giving me this incredible life...for giving me our beautiful daughter.

Love just doesn't seem like a strong enough word to describe how I feel about you.

I ADORE you, Stinky Pete.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T07:42:00.001-04:00

Happy Father's Day! (a day late)

2010-06-21T10:44:00.003-04:00

Abigail is so insanely lucky to have you as her daddy. We both love you so very much!

Birthday Dinner

2010-06-17T12:09:00.002-04:00

We went to "Red Robin Hood" for Abigail's birthday dinner. She had a cheeseburger, and saw the big red bird dancing around. All in all a GREAT birthday treat. That is...until they put whipped cream on her birthday sundae!! (by the way...I don't think she's my child cause she doesn't like whipped cream!!)

Not AT ALL happy!

All was right in the world when she got a balloon though!!

Happy Birthday, Big Bad Dad!

2010-06-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

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I can think of no one better to spend the rest of my life with.

All my love...

Happy Birthday Junebug!

2010-06-15T00:01:00.001-04:00

My how you've changed!!

Happy Birthday Princess!

I love you so very much!

What's in a name?

2010-06-08T08:30:00.003-04:00

Deep down I knew I was having a girl from the minute I found out I was pregnant. I had always wanted a (mama's) boy first, but also couldn't wait to have a sweet little girl to hug and kiss.

When Matthew and I found out for sure we were having a girl, we immediately started pouring over the baby name books. After hours, upon hours, upon hours, upon hours of looking through the books we had narrowed it down to two first names: Isabella and Abigail. When I suggested Abigail, Matthew could take it or leave it. However, when he read what Abigail means, "a father's joy," that became our baby girl's name. It couldn't be a more perfect name.

When it came to her middle name, we had even more trouble. We knew we wanted it to mean something. He and I tossed around hundreds of names. Nothing seemed to fit with Abigail. I thought and thought and thought, when one day it hit me. When I suggested June, which is my grandmother's middle name, Matt wasn't too sure. My due date was July 7th, so he thought people would think we were crazy for naming our daughter for a month she wasn't born in (crazy, I know). When she ended up coming quite early, and was actually born in June, there was no question. Looking at her now, I can't think of a more perfect name for our Abigail June.

My grandmother is one of the most amazing women I've ever known. She's kind, compassionate, loving and one of the strongest woman in the world. When I was younger I loved to spend as much time with her and my grandfather as possible. I still love it. I am incredibly lucky to have her as a role model. If I do half as well in life as she has I'll consider my life a success.

As time goes on, I hope Abigail gets to spend more time with her, as she calls her, Nana June. She is so lucky to be named for such a wonderful woman.

Dear Abigail

2010-04-30T12:23:00.001-04:00

Hello there sweet girl! It's getting very close to your FOURTH birthday! I cannot believe how quickly these 4 years have gone.

I want you to know that you have brought your daddy and me so much happiness, laughter and sunshine.

When we first found out that you were in Mommy's tummy we were, quite honestly, petrified. But, as you'll find out in the years to come, Daddy and I can accomplish ANYTHING together. One of my biggest hopes for your life is that you can find a man as wonderful as he is. We are incredibly lucky to have him. His ability to love has no end, and we are so very fortunate to be on the receiving end of that.

You are the smartest little girl I've ever met. I'm not just saying that cause I'm your mom and it's my job to say it. You really are. Never lose sight of that, and never, EVER let someone make you believe that that's not the case. Daddy's new favorite thing to say about you is that by 16 you'll think you're smarter than us (like every other teenager out there), but by the time you're 18 you'll actually be smarter than us. Just don't forget your old mom and dad when you're out curing cancer, okay?

It has been an honor to be your mommy. You have taught me so much, about me, about the world, about random things like how to make a volcano out of baking soda and vinegar (Daddy is STILL amazed by that). You have such a pure heart. You also, I think, inherited your capacity to love from Daddy, because you love everyone so wholly and unconditionally. It's amazing to watch you, whether it's playing with me or your cousins or your friends. You're like a little mommy walking around, making sure everyone is happy and feels part of the "cool kids."

I have so many hopes and dreams for you. The first, and most important, is that you choose your friends wisely, therefore surrounding yourself with people who love you as much as I do (or at least ALMOST as much as I do, cause I love you a whole lot). Friends are the extended family you get to choose, so choose carefully. If you do, you'll be surrounded by happiness and laughter everyday. I also hope you pick a career that makes you happy to go to work everyday. It doesn't matter if you are a garbage collector, bartender, or actually DO cure cancer. All that matters is that when you walk through the doors to that place, you have a smile on your face, at the beginning and end of your day.

I cannot WAIT to watch you grow older and learn new things. Though, I have to admit, I'm so sad to see you grow up too. You've become so independent and I tear up a little when you use the words "I can do it myself." I immediately flash back to the days when you relied on me for everything. I miss that sweet baby face. I can tell you, as much as I miss your dependance, it's also wonderful to see that you're going to turn into a strong independent woman. Each time you do something I've never seen you do, I swell with pride. All I can think is, "That's my baby."

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank God for give you to me. I must have done something pretty amazing to deserve you. You are my first thought in the morning, and my last thought at night. Each and every time I look at a picture of you (and let's face it, I could spend the whole weekend doing nothing BUT that I have so many) I flash back to that moment in time and smile. That is one of your greatest gifts to me, no matter what my mood, what's happened in a day, the MOMENT I see your beautiful blue eyes and amazing smile, it's like nothing bad has ever happened.

Thank you baby. Thank you for being my little JuJubean, my Junebug, my princess. You have made my life complete and helped me and Daddy become the luckiest Mommy and Daddy in the world.

I love you....to the moon and back.....900 BJILLION times.

Mommy

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T08:31:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T19:18:00.001-05:00

The Aquarium Through Abigail's Eyes

2009-10-28T21:39:00.003-04:00

This post is mostly just pictures....we went to the Georgia Aquarium on Sunday. Abigail had so much fun!!! Most of these pictures were taken by her. I have to say, she's not too shabby with the camera.

Beach Baby

2009-10-28T20:40:00.005-04:00

The weekend of October 16th we went to Port St. Joe, Florida. My brother was on vacation down there and invited Matthew, Abigail & I to spend the weekend with him at the beach house. We were SO excited. We went shopping for all sorts of beach stuff: goggles, noodles, a bucket and shovel...the works. I worked a half day on Friday and we drove down after Abigail got out of school and I was finished with work. By 1:00 we were on the road. We got down there at about 8:30. Abigail was so excited to see Uncle D and his friend Melissa.

On Saturday morning we woke up with a mission....the beach! Unfortunately, when we stepped outside it was about 60 degrees. My hard-headed child insisted that we still go, so we loaded in the car and headed to the beach. When we got there, it was even colder on the water. Abigail refused to get in the water. (It was actually warmer than the air was.) We ended up wrapping her in towels and putting a long sleeved shirt on her. We made the whole experience fun, even though we froze!
Abigail loved playing in the sand.

When we finally gave up on the beach, we went back to the beach house. We had fun playing cards. After a relaxing afternoon we went out for dinner and to watch some college football.

It was very sad that we couldn't get our Hurricanes on TV even in Florida!!!!!!

When Sunday morning rolled around we were very sad to be leaving. Abigail didn't want to leave her Uncle D!!!! We can't wait for Christmas time...hopefully he'll be able to make it down here to visit us.

Here's a few more pictures from our visit.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-28T20:22:00.004-04:00

A couple weekends ago we took Abigail up to Dawsonville for our annual pumpkin patch visit. Normally, we go to Bert's Pumpkin Patch, but this year, as we were driving up there, we passed Uncle Shucks. We decided to try them out this year. I was so glad they did!! They had so much more to do than Bert's does. There was face painting, pony rides and a corn maze. They even had a little maze for the kids to go through. Abigail had a blast running around the maze.

She got an adorable scarecrow painted on her face.

And, last, but certainly not least, she went on a pony ride.

After the pony ride was over Abigail go a bit grumpy. She looked at us and said she was ready to leave. We couldn't figure out why she was moody. When we asked her what was wrong, she said, "I wasn't ready to get off that pony and that boy took me off." She's so funny.

Daddy's Little Hurricane

2009-10-04T08:48:00.004-04:00

On Saturday nights, you can usually find Abigail and her daddy parked in front of the TV for the Hurricanes game. I think she's going to be a sports announcer. The girl knows her stuff! HAHA!!

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She's so much fun. She loves to watch sports with her daddy. And he eats that up.

Having a yard is a HUGE responsibility....

2009-10-04T08:44:00.003-04:00

But I think Abigail is up to the challenge.

Happy Birthday, Uncle D!!

2009-10-01T12:40:00.001-04:00

I thought I posted this yesterday, but apparently I didn't.

September 30 was Abigail's Uncle D's birthday.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We love you very much!!!!!!

First Day of School

2009-09-12T15:02:00.005-04:00

Abigail had her first day of preschool this past Wednesday. She was so extremely excited to be going. All she talked about for weeks before hand. We woke up on Wednesday morning, and the first words out of Abigail's mouth were, "Am I going to school today?" We were finally able to tell her yes. I went in to work late so I could take her on her first day. We got up, took a bath and got her dressed in her adorably cute dress that she picked out for her first day of school.

After breakfast, we were ready to go! We got her backpack on and we were out the door.

Mommy kept it together long enough to drop her off in her class room. She was so very excited to be there. She hung her bookbag up, sat down and started coloring.

The look on her face says, "Mom, stop taking my picture and get the heck out of here. I can handle this." Haha!!! She made my day when I started to walk away from her and out the door. She yelled MOM. When I turned around, she had her hands in the air and her lips puckered up for one more hug and kiss. Talk about making my day. I got all my tears out in the car on the way to work. This was so difficult for me because we've never left Abigail with someone who wasn't family.
Matthew and I were DYING all day wanting to know how school was. When she got home, Matt's mom had her call us both at work. She wasn't really into telling us much about her day. The part that stuck out in her mind was the birthday cake she had...apparently it was someone's birthday.

All I can say is, I hope she loves school this much forever!!!

Football Season is Upon Us

2009-09-12T14:52:00.003-04:00

Labor day was kick off for the greatest college football team out there...The Miami Hurricanes. Abigail was so excited to watch the game with Daddy & PopPop. She was dressed in her Miami Best.

The red flag is a hurricane warning flag that she wore as a cape. Too cute!!!!

Bowling Gone Bad

2009-09-07T12:00:00.008-04:00

Last Sunday we decided to do something fun. We asked Abigail what she wanted to do, and her answer was Rollerskating. She heard her cousins talking about skate night at their school, and that's what put the idea in her head. When she asked Daddy, his answer was,"No way. That's too dangerous for someone your size." So, on that statement alone, we decided to go bowling.

We got there, got our shoes on and started our game. It was the best game of bowling I've ever had....two strikes in the first 4 frames. Abigail was having the time of her life!!!!!! They had these ramp things were a child can place her ball and it rolls the ball down the alley after they push it. She was having a great game too.

Right before the fifth frame, things turn ugly. Little Miss Independence just HAD to carry her ball by herself. As she was walking to the ramp, the ball started to slip out of her hand. Instead of just letting the ball fall to the ground, she thought she needed to catch it. The weight of the ball pulled her hand down with it and then she and the ball crashed down on the floor. The result of this little spill was our first trip to the ER and this:

That darn ball broke 2 fingers in her right index finger. She was a trooper in the emergency room; especially considering how long they made us wait. We had to keep her awake, so we had a mini photo shoot in the room while we were waiting for the doctor. Here's some of the pics.

She is recovering very well. The doctor said it should be healed within 3 weeks. Abigail has been trying to move it a lot more in the past few days, which is a great sign!! It just stinks that she has to start preschool with such a big boo boo; especially since it's on her right hand and she does everything right handed.

Singing girl!

2009-08-30T11:27:00.001-04:00

I accidentally delete this a few weeks ago....The Junebug singing "A Bicycle Built for Two."

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Fun Weekend

2009-08-27T19:27:00.010-04:00

A few weeks ago we took Abigail tubing up in Helen, Ga. Uncle Chris and Aunt Nelly went with us. As I've said, she ADORES her aunt and uncle and absolutely loved having them all to herself. The whole way there she kept telling us that she wanted to go tubing. Over and over again for the whole hour long drive. To keep her entertained I gave her my camera to snap some pictures. Upon looking at her snapshots I couldn't help but laugh. Here's my two favorite.........

We had so much fun tubing down the river!!! If you ask Abigail, her favorite part was when Daddy fell out of his tube.
It was a very relaxing hour...except for the rocks knocking me in the booty. Abigail got extremely tired half way down and I thought she was going to fall asleep. She was a trooper though!!!!! Here's a few of my favorite pictures.

After we went tubing, we played Mini Golf in Helen. Abigail had SO much fun. It was the first time she'd been. She caught on pretty quickly. Watch out Tiger Woods. She's so good, she'll be playing with the men!!

She was POOPED when we were finished. But we had a BLAST with Uncle Chris & Aunt Nelly.

Finally some time...

2009-08-10T15:50:00.008-04:00

Well, we're moved. We've been in with my in-laws for a little under a month now. It's been a bit of an adjustment, but nothing we can't handle. It's great that Abigail is getting this opportunity to bond with her grandparents even more. They lived in South Florida for the first 3 years of her life, so getting to see them on a day to day basis is such a treat-for her and them!

Getting Abigail to understand this is our home now was, well STILL IS, difficult. She asked Matthew the other day why we had to leave her old home. His answer was: a new family had to move in so they could begin making all their memories there. She accepted this, but not with out one big question- "WHO ARE THEY?" My husband, always quick on his toes, answered, "John and Michelle Gunderson and their son Jason." Abigail was perfectly happy with this answer. We went to a book store at the end of the road we lived on this weekend and Abigail said to me, "Mom, let's go visit John and Michelle." Silly girl, remembers everything you say!

We have her room pretty much set up....though I hope to paint it soon. It looks ADORABLE!!! When we moved, we took her toddler bed down, as Mimi & Pop Pop had already set up a bed for her to stay at their house before we ever discussed moving in. She now has a double bed and she LOVES it.

At our new home, my in-laws moved their dining room to where the formal living room used to be and gave us our own living room. This is where we can watch movies on our own or, if you're Abigail and Daddy, play video games.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Chris

2009-07-10T22:37:00.002-04:00

Abigail's Uncle Chris turns mhmhm years old today!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Birthday! We love you!!

Fouth of July Fun

2009-07-05T11:44:00.012-04:00

What a day we had yesterday!!! Abigail and I spent the morning playing at home, complete with a head butt and bloody nose for mommy! OUCH!! After an afternoon of playing we went to Mimi & Pop Pop's house to have dinner and watch fireworks. Uncle Chris, Aunt Nelly, Uncle Dave, Joanie Bologna, Baby Ethan, Christian, Stephanie and Abigail's best friend Ellie came. Abigail and Ellie are two weeks apart and LOVE playing together. Last night was no exception. They had a blast on Matthew's parents neighbor's trampoline. It was so exciting to see Abigail become a little daredevil. She never wants to do anything slightly scary, so for her to even agree to get on the trampoline was an accomplishment. By the time we got the girls off of it, she was jumping high and even doing somersaults on it.

Even Ethan got in on the "jumping" action!

After the jumping was over, it was finally dark enough to head to the end of the street in their neighborhood where a bunch of people had gone in to put a great show on. The fireworks were beautiful and the kids had a great time. It took Abigail a few minutes to get used to the noise, as you can tell...

The kids had a blast...even Ethan, well, for the most part. He did sleep through most of the fireworks.

And, to end this, just a few pictures...

The kids are ready for some firework action...

Abigail & Uncle Chris checking out the fireworks..

Happy Birthday, Sweet Princess!!

2009-06-14T21:45:00.001-04:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mommy & Daddy love you to the moon and back!!

Abigail's Birthday Party weekend

2009-06-14T13:08:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was Abigail's 3rd birthday party. She had a BLAST at Chuck E. Cheese. Most of her favorite people were there. Unfortunately, her cousin Kylie couldn't make it. Kylie had her tonsils taken out on Thursday and wasn't able to come. We all missed her.

Abigail was absolutely enamored with Chuck....though she refused to go near him without me or her daddy. To be honest, the giant, walking, talking rat creeps me out, so I can't imagine being a three year old. She had a Spongebob party. Complete with a custom made Spongebob cake. A woman I work with makes THE best cakes. She did Abigail's Curious George one last year, and this year she made the BOB one. It is SUPER cute. Here's a picture...if you want her number, let me know.....she's trying to start her own business....she's even done a couple wedding cakes.

After the party we went to Uncle Chris & Aunt Nelly's (Matthew's brother & his wife/my best friend) house and to their pool. My child LOVES to swim. Well....swim wouldn't exactly be the word to choose...more float around in her tube. We'll work on the swimming. She had so much fun. She has her aunt and uncle wrapped around her little finger....and I believe they love every second of it.
Today, we had a lazy day. Daddy had to work, so it was just me and the princess. She had tons of fun playing with her new toys. Matthew and I got her a cash register. Her cousins have one and she loves playing with it so we decided to get her one for home. She had a BALL with it today. She was playing with it and I was at the computer for a minute. I heard her talking and asked her to repeat what she said. Her answer was, "I wasn't talking to you, Mommy. I was talking to my customer." HAHAHAHA!!! Love that girl.

Tomorrow is her birthday. I cannot believe how quickly time has gone....

It's been a while....

2009-06-06T10:19:00.005-04:00

We have had a pretty uneventful couple weeks. Last weekend, we went to Ellie's (Abigail's' best friend) birthday party. It was a pool party and Abigail had the time of her life. It was so cute!! In her goody bag, she got an Ariel water tube thingy. My child absolutely ADORES Ariel, so getting this tube made her week. So much so, that she has to bathe with it in the tub. Don't believe me?? There's the picture!! :) She's so much fun.

We've also been getting ready for our move. When the lease is up on our apartment, we'll be moving to Grayson to live with Matthew's parents. They are both laid off, and we'd like the opportunity to save some money to buy our own home, so this is a win-win situation. I know it's going to be a big adjustment, but it's also going to be GREAT for Abigail. She adores her Mimi & Pop Pop so the idea of living with them has her thrilled to pieces. She has been "helping" us pack. This usually entails her climbing into a box with her teddy bear, or another random toy, and playing. In a way she IS helping cause she's out from under foot.

In 9 days, my baby is turning THREE years old. I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. I can't believe that this was our first picture together....

It seems like time just flies by now. Makes for a sad mommy!!!

Phew...what a weekend!!!!

2009-05-17T22:21:00.004-04:00

We had a very busy weekend!!!!! On Friday, Matthew went golfing, so Abigail and I had dinner with Matt's dad. Abigail adores her Pop Pop, so the more time spent with him, the happier she is. He's currently out of work, so he watches her a few days a week (if any one knows ANYWHERE that is hiring, please let me know so I can pass the information along to him. He's been out of work since December and can't find ANY leads for a possible job. Even if you don't know of anywhere, please keep him in your prayers).

Saturday mornings are my favorite!! Especially since we switched Abigail in to her "big girl bed." She gets woken up by the sun in her window at about 7. When she was in her crib, she'd roll over and fall back to sleep. Now that she can get out of bed whenever she pleases, she comes in to our bed. It's amazing to have her cuddled into me. Truly, the best feeling in the world. Yesterday, she fell back to sleep until 10:00. So, not only did I get to cuddle with my princess, I got to sleep late. Wahoo!!!!

We went Strawberry picking yesterday afternoon. It would have been a whole lot more fun had it not rained before we went. It was fun to show Abigail how the fruit that she love so much grows. She enjoyed it...except for when she fell and got her little heiny dirty. We had to leave shortly after that...the child hates to be dirty. She would pick a strawberry, and look at me and say, "Mommy, I think we need to change my clothes. I'm dirty." Though we didn't get quite as many strawberries as I had planned on, she really enjoyed the strawberry shortcake that followed dinner. It was quite tasty if I do say so myself.

Today, we went to my niece, Madison's, ballet recital. I'm so proud of her!!! She looke so grown up. Abigail was extremely proud of her cousin, standing in her chair and clapping as hard as she could while she was dancing. It was adorable. I've never seen three cousins as close as Abigail is with her cousins. I love it and hope they stay like that forever!!!! It was so fun to watch them greet each other when it was over. Abigail ran up to Madison, gave her a big hug, and said, "you did a good, good job. I'm so proud of you." ADORABLE!!!!

The princess just fell out of her bed. Poor baby. She ran out to me crying on the computer and when she saw me coming to her, she ran back to her room to get tucked in. I got her all covered up and gave her a kiss. She said "I love you, Mommy." (THE BEST THING TO HEAR EVER!!) I answered I love you to the moon and back, to which she answered, "two times." Man, I'm lucky!!!

Ahhh, bedtime!

2009-05-11T21:02:00.006-04:00

I love Abigail's bedtime. Not for the reasons some moms do. I love it because those final kisses of the day are the sweetest. Our nighttime routine goes a little something like this, there are MANY variations, mind you...after bath time, Matthew brushes her hair, then we all pile on the couch and cuddle. This usually includes reading a book, or twelve, depending on Abigail's mood that night. After cuddle time, Abigail and I hide from Daddy. Mind you, it is the EXACT same spot every night. Daddy is sweet enough to ALWAYS have trouble finding us and act suprised that we're in her pop up tent (the tent is in this picture) in her bedroom, covered up with her purple monkey blanket (not kidding, EVERY NIGHT!!!). Once hide-and-seek is over, it's three kisses for Mommy, three kisses for Daddy and three Abigail Sandwiches (pretty self explanatory-we squish her in the middle of us). Then, it's put her in bed, get her all covered up, only for her to tell us she has to go potty...again. Some nights we talk about starting bed time about an hour before her actual bedtime, so she might actually get situated in time. Last night after finally getting her tucked in, Matthew told her he thought she needed to tell me happy mother's day one more time. She, of course, did as she was told (my perfect angel) and told me, in her exact words, "happy halloweeny mother's day." Silly girl. I leaned down, gave her a final kiss and said, "Thank you for being my baby." Her response brought tears to my eyes and made me laugh. She said, "Well you're welcome, sweetie." Man, my kid rocks. I am so blessed.

Tonight, we got home and I started cooking dinner. She decided she wanted to help, so she ran into her bathroom to grab her stool so she could reach the counter. I didn't exactly want her under foot while I was working at the hot stove, so I put her on the task of washing dishes. Love what she did....she grabbed my scrubbing brush and a spatula and proceeded to scrub the bowl and pot in the sink. Of course, I had to make sure there was water and soap or she wasn't happy. Pretending is for her play kitchen apparently. I've never met a child so eager to help. I don't know what we did right, but we must've done something pretty spectacular to deserve her.

New to this...

2009-05-10T14:25:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking about blogging for about a year now....mainly because I'm positive people get very sick of hearing about my daughter. She's pretty amazing, so why shouldn't I talk about her??? But, I'm sure my friends who don't have kids don't get it, and those who do are thinking to themselves, wow...that's great...my kid does the same thing and you don't see me shouting it from the rooftops. So, in an attempt to cut down on the "Abigail chatter" I'm going to try out blogging.

This will be my chance to brag about the wonderful-ness that is my child. And, man, can I brag!! :)

Last night for example, we took Abigail to see a movie at the theater for the very first time. On the way there, we were telling her she had to be very, very quiet in the movie. Matthew started whispering her, demonstrating how she needs to talk if she feels necessary during the movie. My crazy three year old looks at her daddy and says, "Daddy, we're not in the movies right now. You need to speak up so I can hear you." Crazy girl!!!!!
(Side note: I do not advise taking a three year old to see a 3-D movie. She loved the movie part, but refused to keep the glasses on, so was confused about why things were all out of focus.)
Here she is in those 3-D glasses. Goofy girl!!!

And, since she's sitting on the potty while she's in this picture, let me tell you that SHE'S COMPLETELY POTTY TRAINED!! HORRAY!!! I didn't think it would ever happen. We've been working on this for almost a year now, and finally, overnight it seemed, she got the hang of it. No more pull-ups or accidents for her. I'm one proud mommy.

Well, that's about all the Abigail fun I have to share for now. Give me 5 minutes and I"m sure she'll give me more material! HAHA!!

Have a great mother's day all you Mommies!!!!!