Payton's First Thanksgiving

      Today is Thanksgiving, and it has been a perfect day. Both of my girls were dressed to a T in their Thanksgiving outfits, and they looked gorgeous as always if I must say so myself. We got dressed up and headed to Granny and Paw Paw's for Thanksgiving lunch. We had a delicious meal and a wonderful time in fellowship with family. I had the best time playing with Jenna Brooke, she kept bringing me books and asking me to read to her, while Payton was being snuggled by Amber. Rylee just played toys most of the time, only stopping to eat a few fries, then go right back to playing.

      I have so much to be thankful for. I am so unbelievably blessed. I am grateful for my Savior, my girls, my husband, my family and family-in-law, my job, and all of my possessions that I don't really need but make my life more comfortable. Right now Ryan is out "Black Friday" shopping (on Thursday..?) getting us our Christmas present: a new tv, it's something that we don't need, but it's so nice to be able to have nice things. I couldn't be happier with where I am in life right now, and I'd like to believe that I'd be just as happy even if we didn't have anything but God and each other.

      Mostly, I am thankful for this. This picture is the perfect example of my life, it's imperfect but beautiful nonetheless. I love my sweet little family and every crazy, hectic, imperfect moment we spend together! Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! Hope you had a great one!

2 Months Old

      I can't believe it's been 2 whole months since my sweet Payton was born. She is growing so quickly. She wears size 0-3 onesies and pants but size 3-6 sleepers and long-alls. She wears size 1 diapers, but we're moving up to size 2 once we finish the pack we're on now. She drinks 4-5 oz of breastmilk every 3 hours during the day. She goes 4-6 hours between feedings during the night depending on the day. She still is exclusively breastfed, we haven't had to give her any formula yet-yay! We went to the Dr. today for her 2 months check up and shots, and she weighed 12 lbs 4 oz and was 22.5 in. tall. She did okay with her shots, but she has been a bit fussy this evening.

      She is getting stronger and more alert every day. If you tell her "hi!" she will mimic you and say "hi!" back. I know she's not really talking, but I think that counts as a first word! ;) She loves her playmat and her swing. When she's home she alternates between the two whenever she's not being held. She likes tummy time now, and is starting to play with her toys.

       On the left is Rylee at just over 2 months, and on the right is Payton at just under 2 months. I haven't really thought that my girls favored each other at all, but I can see that they do have some resemblances. Even though I may be biased, I think they are 2 of the prettiest babies in the whole world.

Thanksgiving in Middle TN

         Yesterday morning, the alarm went off at 4 AM, but it was okay because it was letting us know it was time to get up and get ready to go to Middle TN to visit Grandma and Grandpa for Thanksgiving! Ryan was sick with cough and fever, so we left him in bed to rest up and we were on our way. Both girls did great on the 3.5 hour car ride there, and again on the long ride back. I was proud of my sweet babies for being so good!

       We had a lot of fun spending time with family, and Payton was held nearly the entire time. As you can see, she really enjoyed all the cuddle time. She was a little unsure about the new experience, but overall she did great.

       Even though it was pretty cold, we got to spend some time outside. The kids would have been so upset if they couldn't play outside at grandma and grandpa's "treehouse!" After an amazing Thanksgiving lunch, we took a long walk through the woods. It was really pretty and good exercise after a little over-indulgence.

      After our walk, we came in and the kids helped decorate the house for Christmas. They enjoyed themselves maybe a little too much, and the results were a little chaotic, but cute. After all was decorated, we had some pie, the kids jumped on Grandma and Grandpa's bed one more time, then it was time to head home.

      Because Ryan was sick, I was awake much of Friday night. 4 AM came mighty early, and I was pretty worn out. On top of that, I drove the whole trip there and back. And taking care of both girls by myself in a different environment is more difficult than usual. Luckily I had lots of help in that area, and I'm thankful for my sweet family for looking out for my girls. However, by the time we were heading home, I could barely keep my eyes open. Mary rode with me and kept me entertained, but it was a LONG ride home trying to stay awake and alert. I don't think I have ever been so tired in my entire life. We got home a little after 10. Rylee fell asleep on the way home, and went straight to bed when we got home. I fed Payton, and she went down easily as well, and then it was my turn to pass out.

         Since Rylee went to sleep at 6 (on the way home) she was up just after 6 this morning, but once I gave her breakfast, she was content to play by herself in her play room, so I laid back down. I woke up and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the clock said 10 AM. Payton was still knocked out. She woke at 3 AM and 6:30 AM to eat, but otherwise slept from 10 PM until NOON. I guess roadtrips really are hard work! I am glad I was able to catch up on some rest as well. Ryan is still under the weather, and I still feel a bit worn down from such a busy week, so today is a lazy day for sure.

      We've already decorate our home for Christmas, so today I am going to wrap some presents. Then I think I may take a bubble bath and just hang out with my sweet girls for the rest of the day. I'm so glad I still have the next 7 days to spend with them!

1 Week Down...

     I survived my first week as a working mother of 2! Monday was very hard, but it got a little easier each day. The mornings were crazy trying to get out the door, and sad when I had to kiss my babies goodbye, but once I got in my classroom each day, it was just fine. I love my job, and I am blessed to have 19 sweet kindergartners who make every day an adventure. "My kids" were extremely sweet this week and they really are an amazing group. I was so impressed at how much they've learned and grown since I was with them last. The brain of a child is an amazing thing. I had my first formal evaluation this week, and we also had a Thanksgiving feast and a "Indian" day. It was a crazy week, but a lot of fun.

     The hardest thing about his week was the lack of sleep. During my leave, my alarm was set for 7:15 each day to get Rylee ready for preschool. This week my alarm was set for 5 each morning. I really missed those 2 extra hours of sleep each day. Each night, I came home got dinner ready, ate, bathed the girls, showered, and then went to bed. There was very little down time, and it was very tiring. It was easier when I had time to get things done during the day, and time to play when Rylee got home, but we will adjust to this new routine. Ryan is a HUGE help and an amazing partner, and I know I wouldn't be able to do this without him! Even thought this week was difficult, I am so thankful that I have a job that is my true calling. I know without a doubt that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I may be sleep deprived, stressed, and crazy, but I'm also content.

      As much as I love my job, I do love my sweet babies more, and I am very thankful to have the whole week off to spend with them for the Thanksgiving holiday!

Payton's First Day of Daycare

     This morning was a tough one for this mama, but didn't Payton look so pretty for her first day of daycare?! I got up and got ready and focused on it being Payton's first day of daycare, but purposefully refused to focus on what that meant for me,: I had to go to work and leave my baby all day. Yesterday I cried until it gave me a headache and it didn't change anything, so I was determined not to cry today. I did good getting Payton and Rylee ready and getting everything in the car. I even did good on the ride to daycare, but once I got there, I felt sick to my stomach. IT was really, really hard to bring her inside. I dropped Rylee off in her preschool room and headed back to the nursery. I told Ms. Cindy, "Nene," about Payton's daily routine and gave her her supplies. Then came the hard part: I had to hand her over. Honestly, that part just sucked. I started bawling like a baby, and kissed her a few more times, snapped a picture of Payton with Nene, and then I left.

      I cried the entire way to school and had to sit in the parking lot and gather the strength to go inside and start my day. It was hard, but I did it. Once my 19 other "babies" came into the room, it got easier and easier. Unfortunately today, we had ESA testing, which is 45 minutes of me monitoring while the students test, and that gave me way too much time to think and miss my baby. Then while I was pumping her milk for tomorrow during my lunch, that obviously made me think of how much I missed her. Planning and recess were equally hard, and then I didn't get home until 4:30 due to meetings. Payton did great, she ate on her normal schedule and finished all of her bottles, she napped normally, and she didn't cry unless she needed something, but she did give me the biggest smile when I got home and held her, and she instantly wanted to nurse, even though it wasn't time for her to eat again. She missed me, but not nearly as much as I missed her, and that's a good thing. I would never want her to be miserable. I'm hoping today is as hard as it will ever be, and it will get easier each day, but I just don't know if that's true. I'm already dreading tomorrow. I love my time with my students, but I hate every second that I'm not teaching, and I hate, hate, HATE being without my precious baby. I know how quickly they grow up, and I don't want to miss out. Keep praying for me, and hopefully things will get better. Only 4 more days until Thanksgiving break: I think I can, I think I can....

All good things must come to an end...

      This truly is my paradise. I love spending time with my sweet girls. I'm very sad that I will have less time to spend with them starting Monday. It's time for me to go back to work. My first week back includes ESA testing, Thanksgiving lunch, Pilgrims/Indians fish feast, and my first formal evaluation of the year. It is going to be a crazy busy week, and I'm going to have to get the hang of getting us all ready and out the door by 7 am, finding time to pump breast milk for Payton during my lunch time, and getting back into the swing of things with my students. Luckily I only have to go back for 5 days, then we get the full week off for Thanksgiving break, but honestly, I don't know if that's going to make it harder or easier.

     We have been enjoying the last bit of my maternity leave. Friday, I had my 6 week post partum check up. Ryan took off work so he could look after Payton during my check-up, and we made a lunch/shopping date out of it. We got some Christmas shopping done and it really got me excited about this Christmas. It's Payton's first Christmas and our first Christmas as a family of 4. I couldn't be more excited! After we got back, we picked Rylee up from preschool and headed over to visit with Nonna and Granddaddy for a little bit.

     Saturday, we took Rylee out to see Free Birds. She hasn't had very much one-on-one time since Payton has been born, she hasn't whined or complained about it, but we wanted to reward her for being such an awesome big sister. She loved the movie, and has been talking about it nonstop ever since. Ryan and I actually enjoyed the movie, too. It was super cute and funny. We all had a blast, and it was good to be able to focus fully on Rylee for a little while.

      While we were at the movies, Payton got to spend her time being spoiled at Aunt Liz's house. I'm willing to bet the only time she wasn't being held was when Aunt Liz was snapping pictures of her. By the end of the day, Kade told his mommy, "I'm ready for Payton to go home." He loves his cousin, but he loves his mommy more!

     Sunday morning we went to church, then enjoyed a quiet day at home. As the day went on, I started to feel bad and though maybe I was coming down with a cold or something, but it kept getting worse and worse. By Monday morning, my temperature was 102 and wouldn't budge, I had chills, body aches, severe headache, and I just wanted to sleep. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, until I noticed that my right breast was extremely sore, and I couldn't pump very much milk out of it. Turns out I have Mastasis, a bacterial infection in the breast. It's symptoms mimic the flu, but luckily it can be easily treated with antibiotics, fluids, rest, and frequent nursing and/or pumping of the infected breast. Today I feel a little better, and I hope I feel 100% again soon. I want to enjoy these last few days home with my precious Payton before I have to go back to work.

Halloween 2013

      This Halloween was fun-filled and very busy. It started Wednesday morning with the preschool Halloween party. Rylee was a little unsure about the costumes and everything being out of routine at first, but she soon warmed up and joined in on all the fun. I was glad that I'm not back at work yet, so I could stay with her until she warmed up so that she was able to enjoy the party with all of her friends. They dressed up in costumes and danced and played, then they went trick-or-treating at a local drugstore, then they had Halloween treats for lunch. Rylee came home saying she had "the best day ever!"

    Once she got home from school, we got her back into her costume and we got Payton in hers. Rylee was a bumblebee and Payton was a ladybug. I love my little love bugs so very much! Even though Halloween wasn't until Thursday, we were heading to Trunk or Treat at Mary's Chapel.

      The kids had a blast at trunk or treat. They walked form car to car saying "Trick or treat" and collecting candy. They got their faces painted, then they jumped in the bouncy house for a long time. After that, we went in and they had a snack before we headed home.

     On Thursday, we got them dressed up again for trick or treating. Our first stop was Aunt Mary's house where we exchanged little gifts with the cousins. Rylee and Payton both got some fun stuff.

      Next, we headed to the nursing home where Kade's MeMe works. The kids were so sweet, telling all of the elderly people "Happy Halloween!" and they got lots and lots of candy from the ladies and Kade's MeMe hooked them up with goodie bags that were filled with treats.

     Next we headed to Nonna and Granddaddy's. The kids got goodiebags filled with toys and candy and Payton got a cute new outfit. They always get spoiled by Nonna!

     Our last stop was Granny and Paw Paw's. At this point, Payton was tired of her costume, Rylee was hungry and sleepy, and both of them were crying. But Granny and Paw Paw had them both calmed and quiet within seconds (they have the magic touch!). They enjoyed their last stop, then we headed home.

    I think we've decided next year that we are only going to dress up and go out 1 night because this year Halloween wore us out! It was a lot of fun, though. Rylee had so much fun. Holidays get more and more fun the older she gets, but I still can't believe this was her 4th Halloween! And it was so special to celebrate Payton's first holiday. I'm looking forward to this Holiday Season as a mother of 2! It's a whole new "ball-game" now! :)