Sweet Potatoes, High Chairs and Sippy Cups

I was part of a high chair focus group on Wednesday morning and it dawned on me that we should/could be using our high chair! I put it in the basement before she was born and completely forgot about it. We've been feeding Macey in her bouncy seat on the kitchen table so that she is leaning back. (We started in the bumbo but she wanted to drop her head so we moved to the bouncy seat.) I forgot that our high chair has a tilt that allows Macey to recline... it works great! We used it last night with her cereal and today for her sweet potatoes.



Today is Macey's first experience with sweet potatoes. My goal is to make as much baby food as I can but I started today with Gerber's organic sweet potatoes. She seemed to enjoy eating them so we are off and running with solids!



We've been experimenting with the sippy cup for about a week. Since she won't suck from it, I removed the plastic stopper inside so the milk just flows right out. We waste a lot of milk but hopefully we will get there! I know this video is just like the first one... but I can't help it! :)

Reuniting with High School Friends

It's been eleven years since I graduated high school. Eleven years! I've started reuniting with old high school friends, and people I wasn't friends with in HS, through Facebook over the past two years. It's been fun to see my old friends with their husbands and kids... and to see how everyone has changed! This week has been a special week as I have been able to see four old HS girlfriends.

Monday, Macey and I went to Fayetteville to visit with the Cottons, Sandi and her four kiddos and Tiffany and her two little ones. Sandi, Tiffany and I were in the band together all four years of HS. (yep, I was in the band... I played the sax and I was actually pretty good... I wish I had kept it up. Maybe one day...) Sandi has one little girl (7 years old) and three little boys, the youngest is 10 months. She is an amazing mother. I'm thankful to have so many great mom's in my life but wish that I could spend more time with this one. I've never heard Sandi raise her voice and the girl has four kids! They are all very well mannered and are absolutely adorable. We have been emailing together for two years and I have loved reuniting with her. If only Albany were next door to Smyrna!

Kelly and Miss Molly

Today, Jo Ana and Kelly came to our house for a girls lunch. Jo Ana's new baby girl, Avery, is just two and a half months old and Kelly's baby girl, Molly, is 9 months old. These two girls and I were on the flag corps together (some of my post HS friends are learning a lot about me with this post!) and spent most of our senior year at each others houses. It's a bit surreal to have old best friends over with their babies. I'm so thankful to have reunited with these girls and am looking forward to many more playdates, dinners and lunches to catch up on the past eleven years.

Jo Ana and Baby Avery

Macey is trying to sit up like her new big girl friend! She still is a little unsteady... but she's getting there!

Jimmy doesn't like Macey's big bow... but I just don't think they can be big enough! She's so adorable!!

Baby Avery does so well on her tummy! I took this picture and immediately took the next picture...

Apparently Molly was done with pictures!

BBQ with the Babies and Daddies

We had a great time at the Gordon’s for our first “family” BBQ this past Saturday night. I love this group of ladies and was so happy that Jimmy also enjoyed talking with the other daddies. Shari and Bill were such great hosts and have the perfect house for entertaining. (I’m incredibly jealous of their large kitchen!) A torrential down pour hit the house just as several of us pulled up. Soaking wet, we tromped into the house needing towels to dry off and laughing at the timing of the storm. Bill was so kind to grill in between the rain clouds and we had a huge feast! I’m pretty sure I gained 2 lbs that night but it was well worth it.

On our way home, I found myself wondering what I would do if I didn’t have these girls to go on this new journey of motherhood with me. Jimmy is also thankful that Macey and I have the support of this group and was so happy to have met all of the moms and babies that I talk about nearly every day. It’s a different life but I love it so much that I can’t remember my old life.

Thankful for Our Friends!

I feel like it's been a long time since we've had friends over and gone to dinner with friends... so we made up for lost time this past week! Kat, Heath, Allison and Brian came for dinner last Saturday night for a hot evening on the deck. (When are we going to get some relief from this 90 degree heat?!) These aren't her best pictures of Macey but she loves her Auntie Al and Aunt Kat!

We had dinner with Krissy, Chris and Nicholas on Wednesday and Macey loved seeing her little buddy! They are so sweet together! I think Jimmy is getting used to all of the pink I put on Macey so this little fish outfit was not his favorite. But I love that he matched her in his light blue shirt and she and Nicholas looked adorable together! We had a great time getting to know the Bignon's better and are so thankful for our new friends! Looking forward to our swim date soon! (Thank you for taking most of these pics Krissy!)

Jimmy loves feeding Macey her nightly cereal... such a mess!

Friday night, Macey and I went to Jack and Kim's pool for a girls date while Jimmy golfed with the guys. David and Amy's daughter, Maggie Grace, loves the pool and was showing Macey her swim moves. They are going to be little fish this time next summer! It's always nice to spend time with these girls and their hubbys. Looking forward to Sugarland next week!Our sweet girls are just about the same height... and 6 months apart! Everything goes in Macey's mouth these days... so she offered her fingers to MG. Sharing already?
I think Amy could handle a second baby... Maybe it's time for MG to have a little brother??

Cry It Out??

Since Macey will be five months this Friday, I've decided we need to work on her sleeping habits. I feel like she is at the age of soothing herself and putting herself to sleep. If only I could discuss this with her and have her agree to fall asleep without crying...

I guess what pushed me over the edge and brought me to this place of needing a better sleep habit is her inability to take a nap in her crib without me rocking (and bouncing and walking...) her to sleep. I love holding and rocking my little angel, but her five month body is getting a little heavy for mommy to bounce-walk for thirty minutes before each nap. On Saturday I found myself putting her in her car seat and driving around the neighborhood until she fell asleep for her afternoon nap. I know some parents do this with their children but I feel like there has to be a better way for us both.

So we are trying the method of "Cry it Out." I don't like this one single bit. We started with her morning nap yesterday. I put on her mobile, kissed and told her good night. She watched her mobile, rolled around, got stuck in the bars of the crib, rolled around some more until the mobile stopped. Then the crying started. I put her on her stomach, pat/shushed her until she stopped crying and left the room. I repeated this a couple more times until she was fast asleep. whew! Last night, I did the same thing but it took a little more crying and pat/shushing to get her to sleep. Two CIO's down. I've read that this method takes 3 - 7 days to work... We are on day two and so far so good. She woke up at 3:30a last night and I knew she wasn't hungry. So I got up and worked the CIO method for about 30 - 45 minutes. Although she did go to sleep without me taking her out of her crib or feeding her, it was tough on us both. Hoping it gets easier on us both!

Just a few sweet pictures of our baby girl... Sorry there are so many but it's hard to stop taking pictures of that smile!

Music to My Ears

Macey found her voice over the past month and I've really loved hearing her "talk". Now she has found her squeal. It's pretty funny how she squeals just to hear her little voice. Jimmy and I were cracking up listening to her this morning and she didn't give up all day. I tried to get a video of her squealing and listening to herself... so sweet!



I love this laugh. It makes me smile just thinking about it. And Jimmy and I will do anything to hear it. Now that she has discovered the pups, Macey loves to watch them play and it almost always makes her laugh. Thankfully our golden retrievers have been just as calm as we expected them to be with her... although they may be bald by winter.

Now if this doesn't make you smile...



And one more video of her squeal and sweet smile... I'm so addicted to this little girl.

Daddy's Day

Today is Daddy Day with Macey. Man does she love her daddy!! After church we took the pups for a walk and Jimmy got to use the Baby Bjorn for the first time... I can't decide who had more fun, Jimmy or Macey...



Macey loves rolling around on her activity mat but it is much more fun when daddy gets down and plays too!



Macey has become very interested when we eat and tries to pull what we are eating/holding into her mouth. I've been wanting to capture this on video so when Jimmy was eating an ice cream Snickers, I thought it would be good timing... we got a good laugh to watch her follow the ice cream, but when we started videoing it seemed a little cruel... She usually follows what we are eating or holding without "teasing" her.



And finally down for an afternoon nap... the storm outside, Braves on TV and his baby girl sleeping sweetly on his chest... this man is in heaven.

Dinner Giggles

When Macey gets really tired, she gets really giggly. I love it! She had a late nap today so I was keeping her up later than her usual 7:15 - 7:30 bedtime. Praying she sleeps until 8a, with just one feeding in the middle of the night!

Babies, Babies, Babies!

We started meeting once a week to walk and get back in shape after gaining more weight than I care to share during pregnancy. ;) Walking was great but now it is too hot in Atlanta to be outside with the babies so we have changed our walks to pool dates. Also we have added a second day to host our own playgroups each week. We mimic the classes that Gymboree offers and teach new songs/games to play with the babies. It’s nice to have a day to just hang out with all of the other stay at home moms.

Below are lots of pictures from the playgroup! Starting with the most recent to the first walk.

Pool day, Tuesday July 13th
I love this face!! Nicholas "Look, I can grab my foot!"
Macey "Wow, I can just roll to my tummy."Julie, Samantha, Macey and Me

Thursday, July 1st
Mommies and Babies!Now that she rolls, Macey loves to hang out on her tummyI love my happy baby!!

Us with Kerri and MilesSamantha and SpencerSpencer, Isabella and Carter
Thursday, June 10th

Walking in Alpharetta

Our first walk, Tuesday April 20th
Our first play group! Monday, April 12th