Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Snow Day!

Last Friday, December 4th, it snowed in south Texas!

This is the second year in a row that it has snowed in the Houston area. We were in Arkansas last year and got no snow, so we were ecstatic when we got snow this year in Sugar Land. We took Madalyn out in it and got some pictures.


Here is our backyard when the snow decided it wanted to stick. It actually stuck around for over a day.


Daddy and Madalyn


She is excited!!!


Mommy and Madalyn


And, my favorite!


I adore this girl! - p.s. check out her camo boots - yeehaw!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Play Time

I was organizing pictures on my computer today. I realized I am HORRIBLE at remembering to take pictures! To remedy that, I got the camera out today during playtime. Here are a few from our fun on mommy and daddy's bed. When I say "a few", I really mean 12.

Enjoy!























Thursday, July 23, 2009

Madalyn's Photo Shoot

My friend Whitney took some pictures of Madalyn for us. We are going to use them for her birth announcement. That is next on my list to do. Enjoy!


The bracelet my sister Melissa made for Madalyn.



Ryan's Great-Grandma made the pink blanket and booties for Ryan (before they found out he was a boy). Ryan's mom gave them to Madalyn as a gift!


Had to get our country girl into some camo.







Well, It's About Time!

That is what some of you (mom and dad) are saying right now. I cannot believe it has been over a month since my last blog. Madalyn was almost two months when I last blogged. Now, she is over three months! Time has flown by. I will try to update you on the last month, the best my memory will let me.

Since Madalyn was 2 months old we have done A LOT! We were gone 3 weekends in a row! She has been a traveling baby.

June 26th-28th Ryan, Madalyn, and I went to Shreveport, LA. There was a fire at the refinery where Ryan works, so he got 4 days off! It was such a great treat for us. We travel the hour and a half to Shreveport. We shopped at the Boardwalk, ate some great food, and of course, we spent most of our time at Bass Pro Shops. It was extremely hot outside! Madalyn was a trooper, letting mommy and daddy shop. She did get a treat though. We made her a Build-A-Bear! We actually got her a rabbit and named her Mary Susan! That has always been Ryan's joke nickname for me...we thought, why not? It will give us a story to tell Madalyn when she gets older. One funny thing about the trip...I actually fed Madalyn (not bottle, I am a breastfeeding momma) on the floor at Bass Pro. I was planning on sitting in one of their comfy, cozy recliners, but they were all taken up by all the other ladies that had men shopping in the store. So, I went over to the bedding section, sat in between two displays, used a plastic wrapped comforter set as a pillow, put the stroller in front of me, and leaned against the wall. Can you picture it??? I had a few looks, mostly smiles from ladies that knew exactly what I was doing. I didn't care though...I was proud of myself.

The next weekend, we headed to TEXAS!!!! That's right, I said TEXAS!!!! It was fourth of July and Ryan had a three day weekend...where else would we have gone. It was so nice to be back in the homeland! We miss it so much. It was Ryan's first time to be in TEXAS since Christmas! That is way to long for a good ol' Texas boy. We got to spend some time with my family and Ryan's brother Jason and his wife Catherine. Ryan and I actually got to go on a date! We chose a double date with Jason and Catherine. We had a great dinner and movie night! Thanks mom and dad for babysitting the princess. We spent most of the 4th in the pool at my parents' house, and headed back to El Dorado on Sunday. Oh, Ryan got to go to the shooting range with his brother on Friday. I was so glad he was able to go. Can you believe they don't have a shooting range anywhere around us in Arkansas??!!!

4th of July with Aunt Christy and Uncle Ronald


Papa and Madalyn


Mama and Madalyn



Papa and Mama with Madalyn


The LORD is so good to us! I started getting sick Sunday morning, and ended up getting a summer cold I am still fighting. The amazing thing is that Madalyn started sleeping through the night THAT NIGHT! The LORD knew I needed a full nights sleep. She did it on her own...no stirring in the middle of the night, no crying, nothing, nada! That was July 5th...she was 11 weeks and 3 days old!

I fought that cold hard that week...I had a trip planned the next weekend and wanted to be able to go...there was a point that I thought I was not going to make it, but we did. That's right, our third trip in as many weekends. Madalyn and I went to Mobile, Alabama for Robert and Amy's wedding! We were so excited to be able to attend. We not only got to see Robert and Amy wed, we also got to see Ronald and Christy (for the 2nd weekend in a row) and Madalyn got to meet one of my best friends Kandace and her hubby Steven! We had the best time!

Madalyn and I at the wedding.


Madalyn with Kandace and Steven.


Not that I want to bore you (this is more for my memory than for your enjoyment, although you might get a kick out of the stories), but I need to recount two things that happened on that trip.

On the way there, I stopped at a Shell station to feed Madalyn, get gas, get a drink, etc. When I tell you we were there for an hour...I am not exagerating at all. I pulled in, ran inside and went to the bathroom (with Madalyn of course), came outside and fed her in the backseat. Pretty uneventful, huh? Then, and I mean a BIG then...we pulled to a pump and got gas. We pumped, and then we went inside to get a drink. (Remember, I have a cold) I start choking. not choking on something, just coughing uncontrollably choking. I run to get a big water and start chugging! I can't stop coughing! I am snotting all over the place. Madalyn, who is on my shoulder, throws up all over the floor. I have to sit her on a Bud Light with Lime display. I wipe her up, use her birp cloth to wipe my nose. Finally I stop coughing. I have mascara running down my face from my eyes watering, and I have just chugged 32 ounces of water! I go to the counter pay for my water, walk out to the car, move it, and nurse Madalyn a little more before we get on the road again. whew! it was insane!

My next story comes at the wedding. They had the wedding in a really cute chapel (think A Walk to Remember). The problem was there was no aisle except the middle aisle. I did not want Madalyn to start crying during the processional and have no where to go. SO, I went into the bathroom (it was at the entrance of the chapel). I stood in there with Madalyn while the processional happened. As soon as Amy walked in the door Madalyn started to whimper. I immediatley shut the door and starting feeding her (I wanted to say, stuck my boob in her mouth, but, well I just did) :) So, I watched (listened) to the wedding from the bathroom with the door cracked. That's right folks, I drove all the way to Alabama and didn't even get to see the wedding. If anyone but my sweet girl had prevented me from seeing it, I would have been mad. But, i can't get mad at that face!

We drove back home on Sunday, just in time for me to get ready for Vacation Bible School the next week. My friend Amanda and I co-taught the first graders. It was awesome! There were about 30-40 of them on any given day. One day was completely out of control, but overall we had a great week. I got to pray with a little girl as she asked Jesus to forgive her of her sin! It was a sweet moment. She was so excited to go home and tell her dad. He actually read her the pamplet that we gave her that night before bed.

Thursday, July 16th was Madalyn's 3 month birthday. She is currently 16 lbs. 4 oz and is 25 inches long. (just to remind you, she was 9 lbs. 7 oz. and 22 inches long at birth). She is growing so much, so fast! She is still sleeping through the night...all except for two days (growth spurt). She stayed in the nursery during church for the first time on July 19th. I figured, she had been in there everyday the previous week for VBS, she could handle a couple of hours on Sunday morning. She has done great! She has also started grabbing at her toys, holding her hands together, laughing a lot more, chewing on her hands, and so much more. We also had her first photo shoot (pics to follow)! She is the most beautiful baby if I do say so myself. :)

Funny Madalyn at 3 months old.


Ryan is about to start the turn-around at the refinery next Thursday. Since he is going to be working 7 days a week, 14 hours a day until it is finished (hopefully no more than 60 days), his company is giving him 4 days off before it starts (how generous of them...insert sarcasm here.) We decided that we are going to take a little trip to the beach! We are leaving Sunday and will be back on Tuesday or Wednesday...we haven't decided yet. It should be wonderful! I will update with pictures when we get back.

Here are some pics of the last month. Sorry the post is so long...I should have probably broken it down...oh well. Love you all.

Father's Day 2009. Her onesie says "Jesus Loves Me and So Does My Daddy".


This was after church on Father's Day.




Sometimes she has what we like to call Conan O'Brien Hair.


Sunday, June 14, 2009

Almost 2 Months Old

For those of you that have been asking, here are some recent pictures. Madalyn is almost 2 months old!




This is one of her new things...playing with her hair. She does this all the time.

Great Wolf Lodge

This past week, Madalyn and I got the opportunity to drive to Grapevine, TX to meet my sisters and their families at Great Wolf Lodge. Melissa and her family were vacationing there for the week, and Adrienne is only about 3 hours from there. We decided to all meet there on Tuesday. To say that my 7 hour drive with Madalyn was eventful really doesn't do it justice, but it was all worth it to see some of my family.

My morning began at 3:45. I woke up to feed Madalyn. She ended up eating and then staying awake until 5:00. I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't. I wanted to be on the road by 7:00 so I decided to finish packing and get an early start. We ended up leaving at 6:30.

I had to stop two times to feed her. The second time I stopped she pooped everywhere. Thankfully, I had a change of clothes that were easily accessible in her diaper bag and a lot of wipes. I was so thankful that it happened while I was nursing her and not while she was in her car seat. That would have been disgusting and a much worse situation.

Once we got to the Lodge, we got our bathing suits on and headed to the waterpark. We had so much fun! This was Madalyn's first time in the water. I also got to have some fun riding rides with Dawson while my sisters and Jackson held Madalyn. It was so great getting to see all of my nephews. They are changing so much! I hadn't seen them since the first weekend in February. That was way too long!

We ended up going to Fuddruckers for supper. We had a great time. Melissa and her family headed back to the Lodge, Adrienne and Jackson headed back to Oklahoma, and Madalyn and I headed to a hotel room across the street. I wish I had had my camera in the hotel room. It was a great room. AND...the bathtub was amazing! I think four people could have fit...and it was a jacuzzi tub! I don't even have to tell you that after Madalyn went to sleep I enjoyed a nice dip in the tub. I also enjoyed a good nights sleep. I got about 6 or 7 hours of straight sleep! It was so nice.

The trip home the next day was a little less eventful than the trip there, but it was still hard. It is really hard traveling with a 7 week old by yourself. I wouldn't recommend it. The days of just running in somewhere to go to the bathroom are over. I would do it all again though to see my family.

Here are some photos...

Madalyn's first time in the water



Dawson and I after our first ride


Jackson holding Madalyn while she slept. He was so sweet with her. He help her for about 45 minutes. He even asked his mommy to feed him his snack so he could still hold her! :) He was so gentle with her. Later, when she was crying, he would gently stroke her cheep and tell her it was ok. So sweet!

A picture of all the cousins

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Ryan's Birthday

I know, I know...his birthday was 10 days ago and I am just now getting around to blogging about it. Having a baby really makes blogging regularly difficult :)

I think I will tell it in pictures. Some of my blog friends do that and I always enjoy their blogs.

Madalyn and I took Ryan lunch and a cake to work. I grounded her for yelling at daddy on his birthday :)
This is Linda. She is a super-sweet lady that Ryan works with. She has recently finished chemo for lung cancer.

Ryan's gifts...two movies, money to buy tires for his new truck (which he didn't get because he couldn't find any he wanted. I helped him put the tires from our old truck (which were new) onto the new truck), and a Snoogle and Snoogle cover. For those of you that don't know, a Snoogle is a pillow that you use in pregnancy. I LOVE mine and still use it. Ryan always joked about wanting one, so I got him one. It is still in the wrapping. So, it was kind of a gag gift, but I bet he will love it.
I made him steak, buttered potatoes, and green beans from our garden for supper. I bought the rolls. Of course, I forgot to take a picture before we started eating. He had already eaten the green beans. I also bought him some Negro Medelo (beer) and made a German Chocolate Cake.


This was before bedtime. What a sweet daddy/baby picture. They love each other so much!