Easter and Baptism Pictures

Where is the pause button?

In the midst of chaos with traveling to Delaware this past weekend, Easter coming up this weekend, and then Audrey's baptism the weekend after that, I didn't even noticed the days slowly passing by. Tomorrow my little angel will be nine months old.

I feel like June 26th, 2012 was just yesterday. I remember dressing Audrey up in her Fourth of July gear for her first holiday, and now I just got back from target from purchasing Easter basket goodies.

In the past month Audrey has learned so many new things. She blossoms every day! She is now crawling, laughing even louder, smiling even bigger, and now pulls herself up in a standing position all by herself in seconds! Next thing I know I'm going to be sending her off to college!

We are slowly but surely cutting pureed baby food out of her diet. She now focus' more on picking up chopped up food with her two fingers and feeds herself that way. She almost has the sippy cup mastered, and has told the pacifier adios!

She waves, claps, and sings like there is no tomorrow. Our English Bulldog is her best friend without a doubt. She will chase that pour pup around until it's time for bed, every day..wether it be in her walker or crawling!

She is a huge fan of yogurt and apple juice, but she haven't introduced any meats yet. I don't know what other moms usually do, but I think we are going to start tonight with dinner! (chicken)

The only down fall we have had this month is sleep issues. The past few weeks Audrey has refused to sleep through the night, waking up 3-4 times, wanting a full 8 ounce bottle each wake up. I give her bottles and she finishes them! I guess it's a phase and it will pass, but I sure do miss my full nights sleep!

I just can't fathom that I will be planning her first birthday so soon!

(I will post Audrey's nine month photo shoot pictures at the end of this week along with Easter photos!)

DIY Chalkboard

So I'm sure you've all seen the DIY chalkboards floating around on the internet, especially pinterest. I certainly have, and I wanted to give it a shot. I've tried other things out that I've found off pinterest, but let's be honest here..I'm no pro at MOST of those things I find. Actually, most of the time I get some crazy messed up project that was supposed to be easy peasy turned into some dilemma of a mess. Let's just say that rag quilt (that I begged my mother in law to buy me a sewing machine for) is 1/4th way done laying on the bed in the guest bedroom...and has been since december.

I thought the chalkboard was going to be the same. I actually have to encourage myself to do this project! Usually when I find something I want to do on pinterest, I do it that day, or the next.

I bought a picture frame at Michaels about 3 months ago. I honestly don't recommend buying a frame from Michaels because it can be a bit pricey. I just lucked out and went on a day there was a giant 40% off sale, and also found one that the glass was cracked so I got extra off that as well! (Hince, I don't need to the glass..) You can find cheaper frames at Ikea, Goodwill, the dollar store, etc.

So today, I finally decided to make the chalkboard. I took the back off the frame, the cardboard, the 'picture', and the glass so it was just the frame.



I took the back part of the frame and took it out back and started the process!

I bought this spray paint from Home depot about 3 months ago as well (I'm being serious when I said I totally had to talk myself into this because I was terrified it would be some crazy outcome).

Chalk Board Spray Paint

I sprayed the board three times, waiting about 5 minutes between each coat.

Then I may or may not have taken a two hour nap with my 8 month old daughter.

When I woke up, my father in law had cleaned up my mess and brought the 'chalkboard' inside. I am not promising this part will happen for all of you, but you can try! ;)

Before this whole process happened, I tried thinking my way out of making this project. I didn't have chalk! So, I told Wil I wasn't making it unless I didn't have chalk.

Crayola Chalk

Guess who bought some on his way home from his appointment this afternoon? Smart guy.

I put the chalkboard AKA back of the picture frame back into the frame. We closed all the little clasped and I seasoned the        chalk board.

Seasoning the chalk board is really just taking a piece of chalk and covering the whole board with shading. This is so when you erase it, and write something else, it won't say the first thing you right forever. Usually if you don't season your chalk board, you will always be able to see what the first thing was ever written.                                                                

So I seasoned the chalk board and erased it. Then, I started writing on my chalk board. That is when I realized two things;


1. My handwriting sucks and I'm totally not artistic and it's going to take a lot of practice.
2. Finally, a Pinterest DIY project FINALLY worked!

So, I highly recommend trying this out! Have fun! 

Just trying to pass the time..

I don't understand why my schedule at school as so many breaks. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays I have a two hour break between TWO classes. I don't live right down the street or I'd go home and nap, but by the time I would get to my house I'd have to turn right back around.

So since I am bored, I bought some St. Patrick's day goodies for my husband and I.

Seriously, how appropriate is this? I messaged the Etsy owner because honestly I didn't think it would make it here on time, but they said they could have it to me by Saturday at the latest.

I sure do hope they make it!

Huge Mom Fail

Audrey has been refusing to eat. I'm still not 100 percent certain as to why, but my main guess is teething and everyone that I've talked to so far has yet to disagree. She doesn't wasn't any solids what so ever and bottles aren't much better. I'm lucky if she drinks a full bottle once a day.

So the other day I am holding her and I finally get her to finish a bottle. It was bed time and I just put her in her last clean pair of pajamas, and the rest were in the dryer. She had just fell asleep on her side while laying on my chest. I bent down to cuddle her and to cradle her into my arms so I could carry her into her crib. I felt wetness and I knew I didn't spill the bottle, so I picked up my hands and not only were they covered, but my bed, and Audrey was also covered in diarrhea. I panicked.

It has never happened to me before!

So, I grab her fast which wakes her right up, I sit her on her bedroom floor and go wash my hands. I layed a receiving blanket on the floor and another on her changing table and stripped her down. I plopped her in the bath tub and luckly, a pair of pajamas were dry in the dryer!

We got that situation done and I was so in shock as to what happened. Definitely teething!

So around 4:30 Audrey wakes up. I think she's going through a growth spurt as well because she isn't sleeping throught the night. She wakes up once for a bottle.

So I make her a bottle, and like always I just give it to her in her crib. I watched the video monitor from my bed so I can be comfortable. She usually drinks the bottle and flips to her tummy and goes right back to sleep!

So I fell asleep.

When I woke up to my daughter growling at 6:30 a.m., I found her with her bottle upside down, throwing it around, empty. She poured it ALL over herself and her bed. My freshly bathed baby from the night before was now covered in sticky, smelly formula.

And my husband made the mistake again last night.

And I woke up with a sticky smelly baby once again this morning. Sigh.

Hoping things will start to look up.

My dad's visit this past weekend really was amazing. His new girlfriend joined him so I could get to know her better, and we all adore her! I was really sad to see them go.

I'm hoping things will start looking up for us in the next few months. I will be done with school in July, which will be really nice so I can work while Wil goes to school at night, and hopefully with that schedule we can take Audrey out of daycare. I can't believe how much money we blow on day care every month, it's sickening.

Wil has a job interview lined up for this Wednesday and I'm praying he gets it. It will mean that we can most likely get our own place which will be the best news of my life. I know God will lead us in the right direction, but I sure do hope this is it!

We had our first big Scentsy show on Sunday which was a bust. We were at a bridal show and there were only four brides. I accidentally added up some things wrong, and after the girl left I realized I PAID her to buy Scentsy from me basically. Sigh, oh well!

Wil and I go to Disney in just a little over a month. I seriously need to get away and I'm so excited. It's going to be so nice to finally have a 'honey moon'.

Graze.com; some serious munchies!

I don't follow many blogs. I have a select few I really love, and that I've followed ever since my 'blogging career' started about two and a half years ago. One of the blogs that I've followed ever since I started following her pregnancy journey on YouTube is Morgan at Modernmommyhood.com.

I just started getting more comfortable with foods and expanding my comfort zone. I was always a picky eater until recently. My husband is adventerous and we couldnt be more of the complete opposite, but I promised I would try new things. A few weeks ago Morgan posted a post about Graze.com. I had just started my weight loss journey, or being serious about it anyways, and I wanted to try it out. 

Morgan gave me a code because the website isn't open to the public yet. I ordered my first box (which was FREE!) about two weeks ago, maybe a little less. Today Wil sent me a picture of my first Graze box with "Great, you signed up for another subscription box." Little did he know what was inside ;) 

At Graze.com you choose four options; 1 hate it, 2. Try it, 3. Like it, and 4. Love it! I went through the list of things and put "hate it" or whatever it says to the things I didn't want to try, that I already know I really don't like..and no, I didn't say I hated things I haven't tried before. I'm trying to "expand my horizon"...did I just use that right? 

So, in my first Graze box I got four things:

First thing I tried was the "Strawberry Milkshake" which consists of baby strawberries, banana, and white chocolate buttons. The fruit isn't dried, but it's not fresh fruit either. It's chewy, and delicious. I personally don't like bananas so I didn't give them a try, and picked them out. The strawberries and white Chocolate where perfect though! I ate this as a 'desert' after my lunch. 

The second thing was Granny Smith Apple Slices with toffee sauce. Wil ate most of these but I did get to try them. Wil thought the apples were a weird texture but I loved it! The toffee sauce had me on edge, but I enjoyed it. Wil explained it was kind of like a caramel with coffee but I only tasted caramel. I would definitely enough receiving this again, and next time not share it.







Piña Coloda is coconut flakes, mango, and pineapple. It hasn't been consumed yet, and probably won't be by me. I like coconut flavored things but I don't care for the texture of actual coconut. Even though it looks pretty, it doesn't scream "eat me!". So, unless Wil eats it, it won't be eaten anytime soon. It just isn't my cup of tea and I'm not even okay with going out of the box for this one.

And last, there is Olive & Rosemary Bruschetta. It has olive croutons, rosemary and garlic cashews, and tomato baguettes. This is the only thing I received that isn't "fruit". It smells delightful. The Olive  croutons taste exactly how it sounds, but a little bland. Rosemary and garlic cashews could be very addicting. I think they are my favorite out of everything. The tomato baguettes could use a little less tomato, but other then that, taste like a pizza.






In all, I do not regret signing up for Graze.com. They are portioned perfectly and taste awesome, only for five dollars! Plus, my first box is free, and I could cancel it right now and not be charged for
anything! It really is ''nature delivered"!

I highly recommend signing up! :)

8 Months

My sweet angel girl is eight months old today. I remember this exact day one year ago, and it isn't too often that this happens. A good friend of my husbands, and former Marine, had passed away. He was in training in California. It was the first deployment my husbands unit would have without my husband. Wil was getting out of the Marine Corps that coming May, so he wasn't eligible. I will never forget the look on my husbands face when his other friend gave him the news via a phone call.

I never in a million years thought I'd have a sweet baby girl who would be eight months old, the next year to exact. I was terrified I would miscarry again, even after my 20 week mark I thought something would go wrong, but it didn't.

My sweet Audrey is eight months old today and I feel like time is now flying by. She will be a whole year old in just four          short months. Her birthday party planning will soon start. Her baptism is just a month away.




She brightens my day even more each day then the day before. Her laugh is music to my ears. She loves her walker and runs all over the house, thanks to our hardwood floors. Charlie, our English bulldog is her best bud. She is a daddy's girl but is Mamas best friend. She loves food like there is no tomorrow. She makes the funniest "hoo's" and waved for the first time two nights ago.



She is our world.








Soon she will be walking, and off to college (haha). Today I realized I need to stop and slow down. I need to enjoy these times and not try to rush them gone. I need to soak up every last bit of baby smell I can get because soon, it won't be near. My little girl isn't so little anymore.

The first day of preparation.

My husband was raised in a church, but I wasn't. Almost all my friends attended church regularly. My mother was raised Southern Baptist, and my father Catholic.

I guess they were confused once they had kids, and they just decided not to go to church at all. It's not that they don't believe in God, because they do. My father actually taught me a lot about God growing up, and I also attended church occasionally with friends when I stayed over at their houses.

When Wil and I got married, we got married in the court house. We planned to have some big fancy wedding a year later, but instead we had a baby. We attended church together once; on Christmas with his parents at a methodist church. There was a whopping 6 old women there, my in-laws, us, and the Asian pastor that I couldn't understand. I've been there twice. 

When Audrey was born, people made it clear that I had to have a christening. I didn't think about it because, I haven't been baptized before. My parents left that completely up to me, and honestly I have anxiety too bad to go in front of a bunch of people and get dunked into water. It's just not me. 

A few weeks ago Wil asked me if we could start attending church regularly, and I of course said yes, because I find nothing wrong with that. I believe in God. 

So, we've been to our new church twice, and we love it. We have even decided to get Audrey baptized.

We are planning for it to be April 7th, and I have already started planning! 

Since Audrey's birthday party will have
NOTHING pink in it (not because of the color, but because of the theme we are going with), I have decided to do a pink "ombre" look. This is what we have purchased so far : 

I'm super excited about it, and I just love the idea of pink ombre. I plan to do a lot of DIY stuff, and I can't wait to share everything with everyone.

I even made her Invitations, which are these (I blacked out the addresses and phone numbers): 

Keep an eye out for more purchases, and for the finished party! :)