Rylee is 3!

     Well, it's official. My first born baby is 3! I cannot believe how time has flown! We started celebrating her birthday on Thursday night with a trip to Incredible Pizza with Kade and Bailey. All three kiddos had an absolute blast and then each of them ate an insane amount of pizza. It was the perfect way to kick-off Rylee's birthday celebrations.

      Friday was Rylee's birthday, so I spent the day making sure she had a perfect day. Ryan had to work Friday night, so he had to sleep during the day, so I took that time to spend the morning spoiling Rylee. First, I made her her favorite breakfast: raspberry pancakes. Then, we played together and practiced writing her name (her idea!). After that, I took her to a local nail salon to get her fingernails and toenails painted. It was her first time in a salon, but she had a blast. She was perfect for the whole experience.

      After we finished getting her nails done, we headed to Aunt Mary's work to get a sucker. Then we had lunch with Aunt Mary, Aunt Liz, and Kade. Rylee was crazy hyper all morning long, but she was still very well behaved. I love my good girl!

     When we got home from lunch, we took a nap. When we all got up, Ryan and I gave Rylee her big birthday present this year: a Power Wheels four-wheeler! She has been asking for one for months, so I just knew she would love it, but at first it seemed like I might be wrong. She was very timid about trying it out, but once she finally gave it a chance she LOVED it.

     For dinner, we ordered pizza because it is Rylee's favorite dinner. Nonna, Granddaddy, Aunt Mel, Uncle Josh, and Austin all came for dinner and spent time with the birthday girl. Rylee and Austin had a blast playing outside after dinner. Austin even got the chance to ride Rylee's new four-wheeler. Then, the 2 crazy kiddos decided to strip down to their undies (a diaper for Austin) and get in Rylee's pool. Ha!

     Today was Rylee's birthday party. Her party guests included Aunt Liz, Uncle Brandon, Kade, Aunt Mary, Bailey, Aunt Mel, Uncle Josh, Austin, Nonna, Granddaddy, Granny, Paw Paw, Great Aunt Vicki, Cousin Emilee, Cousin Matt, Cousin Amber, Jenna, Ms. Kala, Whit, and baby Eden. We had a full house!

     Rylee got absolutely spoiled when it comes to gifts and she had an absolute blast playing with all her friends. Her party was crazy and chaotic as all children's birthday parties are, but everyone seemed to have a ball!

     After presents, came cupcakes and then the kids got to pull string from a piñata until the candy came out. After all the indoor fun, we took Rylee outside to see her other gift from Mommy and Daddy: a water table. After Rylee got to see her new gifts, all the kids (and some adults) participated in water stations that included Rylee's new water table, Rylee's pool, a sprinkler, water balloons, and water guns. The kids had a blast in the water on such a hot day!

    After the party was over, and most of the guests had left, Rylee, Kade, and Bailey rode four-wheelers. They had a blast doing laps around the house until they were red-faced, thirsty, tired, and hungry. Then Ryan, Rylee, and I headed to dinner with Nonna, Aunt Mel, Uncle Josh, and Austin.

    I cannot believe my sweet girl is 3, but I must say that she has had the best 3rd birthday a little girl could ask for! This mama is bone-tired, the house is a wreck, and a certain 3-year-old has been up past her bedtime 3 nights in a row, but it has all been worth hearing my little girl say, "Thank you, mommy. I had the best birthday ever!" Some people are against big celebrations for children's birthdays, but when I think of how much joy this child has brought into our lives, I can't help but want to celebrate her birth in the biggest way that I can each year. She may be a little too spoiled, but it's only because she is very much loved! :) Happy Birthday, Rylee Love! You are named appropriately because you are the one who taught your Daddy and I just how much we could love someone.

Father's Day 2013

     Today is Father's Day, and I am so thankful to have this man on my parenting team. Together we are raising one pretty cool kid, and soon she will have a little sister for us to parent as well. I feel beyond blessed. My girls are lucky to have such an awesome daddy!

     When we got up this morning, Rylee helped me make breakfast for her daddy. We made raspberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage. He loved waking up to a big, warm meal. After breakfast, Rylee gave him the card she made him earlier this week. It included a cute little poem, her footprints, and one of my favorite photos of them together. Then we headed to church for a wonderful Father's Day service. After church, we went and visited with Ryan's parents for a little bit, and now both Ryan and Rylee are sleeping.

          This week, we spent most of our time in the pool. Rylee is such a little water bug, and my favorite thing about summer is being in the water! We love Nonna and Granddaddy's pool, but when we're home, Rylee can typically be found in her kiddie pool. She is just a water-loving kid! :) Payton reacts to the cold water at first, but then typically relaxes while I'm in the water. I think she likes swimming, too!

      Today at church, Rylee answered questions about her daddy, and I wanted to record them here, so I could remember her answers for years to come. I love the sweet way she filled in the blanks. This little girl sure does love her daddy!
"My daddy's name is Ryan. He is 2 years old, 6 tall, and 10 pounds. His favorite food is pancakes. My daddy is really good at riding the blue four-wheeler. He loves to play with me. My favorite thing to do with my dad is ride the four-wheeler. I'm just like my dad because I like donuts. What I love most about my daddy is when we play puzzles. It makes my dad happy when I kiss him."

Family Time

    This week we spent a lot of time with family, and that made for a fun and eventful week! My parents spent the week camping at Chickasaw State Park. Where they live is nearly a 4 hour drive from us, but this state park is only a little over an hour from where we live, so we took advantage of their close proximity. 

     The kids loved Chickasaw! They got to play on a playground, hang out at a campsite, and go to a beach to swim and play. Grandma and Grandpa soaked up all the time they could with their sweet grandbabies, and the kids just loved every minute of it!

     We went to visit, just Ryan, Rylee, and I, on Thursday and it was nice for Rylee to get some one-on-one time with her grandparents, too. On Saturday, we had a birthday cookout for Mary and my dad, and then my parents headed back home early Sunday morning. It was great to get so much time with them this week, and we know we will be heading up to visit them in 3 weeks to attend their town's annual Fourth of July festival. The kids will spend the day bouncing in bouncing houses, sliding down water slides, and playing outdoors. That night their will be a fireworks show over a lake. I know we will all have a blast!

     Yesterday was a great day, too. After church we headed over to Nonna and Granddaddy's house and we finally got to get into the big pool! Rylee was a little fish and swam and swam until we had to force her to get out to eat lunch. We had a nice family lunch together. Then we just spent the day enjoying each other's company. Rylee is very blessed to have 2 fantastic sets of grandparents who love her dearly! :)

     Today is Mary's birthday, so we are going out to dinner to celebrate! Happy Birthday, Mar-Mar! You're getting old! Haha!

24 Week Dr. Update

     Today we headed to the Dr. to check on Miss Payton. She is doing well. She was active for the appointment, so it took us a minute to get her heart rate, but when we did, it was 150 beats per minute. Everything seems to be going great. I have gained 6 more lbs since my last appointment, putting me at a total of +9 lbs for this pregnancy. Not too bad. Ryan has been working a lot lately, but he had already taken today off because we were visiting with my parents yesterday and he wouldn't have had a chance to sleep (he works third shift), so we took advantage of my appointment today to go on a lunch date and do a little shopping. I love spending time with him!

    Rylee has been getting more and more excited about her baby sister. She plays with her dolls nonstop and they are all now named "Payton Joy Massengill." Everyday she asks, "Is baby sister coming out of your belly today?" It makes me happy that she is looking forward to her sister's arrival. I know it will be a major adjustment for our family at first, but I really think they are going to get along just fine! :)

School's Out!/Memorial Day Weekend

 
 

      School's out! I made it through my first year of teaching, and I am so excited about spending all summer with my sweet girl! I have learned so much in this year, much more than my students, I am sure, but nonetheless, it was the hardest year of my life, but also the most rewarding. I am so thankful for my job, and very glad to be returning next August.

     But in the meantime, there is summer fun to be had! Last week, Mel and Austin came down for a visit, and it was a blast. It was the first time that Austin and Rylee really played together, and they had a ball! Friday night, we had a cookout at Granny and Pawpaw's, and for the first time in a long time, I think since Thanksgiving, the whole family was together. It was so much fun. The 3 kids had so much fun playing together. I can't believe how fast they've grown!

    Today is Memorial Day, so we had a cookout over at Liz and Brandon's and let our 3 kiddos play. These 3 are definitely best friends. They ran and laughed and played the entire evening. They didn't slow down for a second except to eat and then they were right back at it. I love these 3 kiddos so much, and I enjoy watching their special bond grow each and every day.

     This weekend is only just the beginning of a summer full of fun times, but the best thing is I get to spend every single day with my sweet girl! I love these little breaks when I get to be a stay-at-home-mom!! I am going to make the most of every minute because before long I will have 2 very special girls to give all my love and attention to. :)

Our 4th Anniversary

      Thursday was our 4th wedding anniversary. It feels like time has flown by, but it also feels like we have been together our whole lives. I guess because the most important things in our live have all happened in these last 4 years! :)

    We didn't do much Thursday to celebrate because we both had to work and were tired, so we decided it'd be best to go out to celebrate on Friday night instead. Thursday, we just ordered a pizza and enjoyed some family time.

     I did, however, surprise Ryan with a new drill set on Thursday. He had been wanting a drill for a while now. On our date Friday night, he bought me 3 new pairs of shoes. I must say his gift was better than mine. I'd take shoes over tools any day! Haha! Gifts are all well and good, but the most important thing is 4 years later, we are still very much in love. We still enjoy being around each other, and we're still genuinely happy together. I love our little family and I can't believe on our 5th anniversary we will be a family of 4! I can't wait! :) 4 years down, forever to go!

Mother's Day 2013

     Today is my 3rd Mother's Day being Rylee's mommy. I feel so blessed that God chose me to mother her. I am looking forward to next year which will be my first mother's day as Payton's mommy. I can't wait to meet her!

         Today was a great day. Yesterday, I got my gifts. Rylee made me a jar with her hand print on it at school. It is so adorable! "Rylee" (Ryan) got me flowers and donuts yesterday, too. I love all my gifts! :) Rylee also made me a card today at church. We heard a great sermon, then we took Ryan's mom out to lunch for mother's day. It was fun.

       This whole weekend has been absolutely perfect. Friday, we got to see Miss Payton at the baby doctor, and yesterday we took a trip to the zoo with Liz, Brandon, Kade, Mary, and Bailey. It was a lot of fun. I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day weekend!

    I think the most important thing about being a mother is that it is a learning process. This year I have learned how important acceptance is when it comes to parenting, and how detrimental comparison can be. All children are not the same, not even close. Accepting your child for who they are, how God created them to be, and realizing that a difference in personality traits is not a flaw make parenting a lot smoother. Rylee has quirks like every child. She is not bad, but she can't be expected to be perfect. I love her for who she is every minute of every day. I love her quirks. I love her personality. And I love her more than words can express. She can be one of the most loving, compassionate children on the planet, if she's given a chance to warm up. And anyone who isn't willing to give her that chance is really missing out. She has so much wisdom for someone so small. She teaches me something everyday, and I am forever grateful that she is mine. I thank God for guiding me as I raise her, and I pray that with each mistake I make, the lesson learned helps me and her to grow as human beings and as children of Christ.

It's A...

       Girl! We are officially expecting little Miss Payton Joy Massengill. We couldn't be more thrilled!

      Payton is developing right on schedule. She weighed in at a whopping 13 oz today, I have finally started putting on weight. I am at a total of +3 lbs from my initial, pre-pregnancy weight. I know it's natural, but seeing the number on the scale go up still sucks! Her heart rate was 151 beats per minute. And she was showing out her little spunky personality during the ultrasound. Every time Rylee would scream, she would put both of her hands up and cover her ears. Later when the tech was trying to get a picture of her profile, she kept turning around right when she tried to take the snapshots. It was so cute and funny. I already love her so!

      Rylee came along with us today because we wanted to involve her in the process and help feel more connected with her sister. Well, it didn't exactly go as planned because she began to freak out once we got to the Dr.'s office because she thought we were tricking her into going to the Dr. She had a meltdown when they cut the lights off to do the ultrasound and didn't watch it one bit, but as soon as it was over, she was excited as can be about her baby sister. We had a lot of fun shopping and getting ideas for things for Payton. On the way home, Ryles passed out from all of the excitement. Things don't always go as planned, but it was still a perfect day!

This Adventure We Call Life...

     This week at school has been one of the most tiring weeks so far. 2 field trips and 18 kids with a severe case of spring fever has made for one exhausted teacher! So we decided to make this weekend a fun one and take the three kiddos to ChuckECheese in Jackson.
     I kept Bailey yesterday morning while Mary worked until noon, and the girls had a great time. After their nap, we got ready to go and the kids were thrilled. On the way to Jackson, Rylee spit up a little bit. The car was stuffy, so we assumed it was just a little carsickness and went on.

      Unfortunately it turned out to be a stomach virus of some sort, and she ended up getting sick again about an hour later at Chuckecheese. We got out of there as quickly as we could and headed home. Rylee was getting sick in a bag in the backseat while Mary and I tried to help keep her clean. Ryan was hurrying home because she was sick. We had both got puked on so he had his shirt and my shirt in the trunk. I was wearing his undershirt and he was shirtless. And we got pulled over for speeding. It was a bit surreal, a child was literally green in the back seat, we had a bag of vomit, Ryan was shirtless, and this guy writes him a ticket anyways. Oh well, such is life.
     Once we got home, Rylee continued getting sick until about 11:30 PM, then she finally fell asleep. She got up around 6:30 AM and drank some watered down juice and has seemed fine ever since, just very weak and tired. This is her 4th stomach virus since December. Lets hope she can stay well for a while, now....