Happy Trick or Treat 2011

Your First Halloween

October 31, 2011

 Happy first Halloween our "little kitty" and our "little pig!"  I couldn't decide what I wanted you to be for your first Halloween....so you ended up with 2 simple costumes.  It is usually so hot down here for Halloween that the big, fluffy costumes are just too hot and I didn't want to waste my money on them.  You ended up with a little black and pink kitty set and a little pig set!  You didn't mind the black cat set, but you absolutely HATED the pig set!  You cried the whole time you had it on, and it wasn't even that much.  You really just hated the nose part of the costume, and I can't say that I blame you. 

Next year you will be old enough to pick out your own costume....and hopefully you'll choose something good! 

On Saturday night we went to a trunk or treat with Aunt Meghan, Jentri, and Graydi.  I dressed you up as the black and pink kitty for that and you were so cute! 

On Halloween night, it was a little chilly and I didn't see the point in taking you trick or treating when you really didn't know what was going on anyway, so I dressed you up as the little pig at home and took a few pictures.  We ate dinner, you ate dinner, had your bath and went to bed!  Very uneventful Halloween but we wouldn't have preferred it any other way!

Next year at Halloween you're going to be walking everywhere I bet and we will have to venture out to trick or treat.  So for our last year of staying in, that's what we chose to do!

Happy First Halloween baby girl!!

Baby Tiger-October 30, 2011

Baby Tiger! Ready to watch the Clemson game....first time you were able to successfully fit in your first Clemson Cheerleading outfit!

Pumpkin Carving Fun

Pumpkin Carving Fun

Sunday October 30, 2011

The Methodist church in town always has a big fall pumpkin sell the month of October.  Tonight, we went up and bought a few pumpkins.  When we got home, Daddy drew out our designs and carved them while we watched!  We definitely don't want to rush time, but we cannot wait for you to be old enough to carve pumpkins with us!  Your Daddy and I have carved pumpkins together since we started dating.  And now, we get to continue our tradition with you! 

You were quite the sport taking these pictures!  You are our little pumpkin and we love you so much!

Watching Daddy carve pumpkins!

Your personal pumpkin!

NOT so thrilled about pictures!

Happy Halloween!

Family Halloween photo!

Laughing in your sleep! October 18, 2011

You are so precious when you are sleeping!  Often times right before you wake up, you will start chuckling and laughing in your sleep!  It's so cute!  It's almost like you are dreaming about something so funny. 

Daddy bought me a tutu!

Daddy's Little Girl!

Your Daddy had to work at the Loris Bog-off today.  He called me a little before dinner and told me to ride up so he could see you before you had your bath and went to bed because he wouldn't be home before you went to sleep.  So, we rode to town.  When we got there, he had you a present!  Your very first Clemson tutu and hairbow!  Of course we had to come home and have a little photo shoot!  You are just adorable in it!  You have your Daddy wrapped already and I love that!  I know all about being a Daddy's little girl and I am so excited you will be too!

Turkey PJ's!

Cak sent you a Thanksgiving present in the mail!  Some turkey pajamas!  So sweet and cute! You are the cutest littel turkey we know!

Meeting Great-Grandma Pauline-October 13, 2011

Today, we took you to meet your Great-Grandma Pauline.  She adored you! 

Baby's got her blue jeans on! October 13, 2011

Today, you wore your first pair of blue jeans! They are a newborn size and they were so cute on!!!

One Month Check-up-October 12, 2011

One Month Check-up

October 12, 2011

It's hard to believe that today you went for your one month check up! 

No doubt, we all knew you were gaining wait....your little thighs are starting to plump up and are soo cute!  I love babies with chunky legs!  However, I wasn't expecting to see the scales quite so high, in my opinion.

At birth you weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces!  You lost down to 7 pounds 1 ounce by the time we left the hospital.  By your first doctor's appointment the Thursday after you came home, you were down to 6 pounds 11 ounces....and drum roll please....today, you were up to 10 pounds 5 ounces!  So, where I have been concerned about all the spitting up you have been doing, I can rest assured you are getting all the nutrients you need!  In fact, you are gaining a little more than you are supposed to be!  You are in the 90th percentile for weight.  I don't really think you look 10.5 pounds because you are so long! 

At birth, you were 21.5 inches long, and today, you were 23 1/4 inches long!  You are in the 95th percentile for height!  I am assuming, you are getting your height from your Pa Shealy's side of the family.  However, you may surprise us and be tall now, and then level out to be short like your Mommy as you get older!  We will just have to wait and see!  The doctor said you were okay to go a little longer at night in between feedings.   I saw Dr. Richards today.  He said not to let you go all night without eating, but you could definitely go more than 3 hours.  So, we're going to see what we can do...and I hate to say it but if you sleep longer than you're "supposed" to, I'm not worried about it.  I've always been told, don't wake a sleeping baby! 

I did ask the doctor again about you spitting up so much.  He said it's okay, some babies just do that.  He did say if you continue and I wanted to try to put you on zantac, I could, but I think we will just wait and see how you do!  I don't like constantly changing your clothes or my clothes, but I don't think you need to be on medicine right now. 

We LOVE LOVE LOVE you baby girl!  Keep growing and continuing to be healthy!  You are our sunshine! 

Now, here's to seeing how long you will stretch between feedings at night!! 

Getting ready to leave for your appointment!

Your first boo-boo from shots!

Getting ready for your bath and to take your band-aids off!

Sleeping Beauty-First night without her bassinet! October 11, 2011

While we are in Walhalla this past weekend, you slept in the bed with us.....And apparently you go used to having more space because when we got back home, you wanted no part of your bassinet! After 2 nights of you not sleeping well, we decided to move you out of your bassinet and let you lay flat in your pack n play by the bed.  You slept like a champ, all night, stretched out on your back!  You're such a precious sleeping beauty!  And we LOVED the sleep!



Happy 1 Month Birthday! October 9, 2011

Happy ONE MONTH birthday our little princess!

This month has FLOWN by!  We have been so busy with getting to know you, remodeling our house, traveling, that we haven't had time to slow down!  We cannot believe that one month ago today, we were anxiously awaiting your arrival!  You have lightened our lives up so much and we don't really know what we used to do before you were here!  We wake up each morning looking at you and fall asleep at night looking at you!  You are beautiful and perfect in every way!  We just can't get enough of you!  Daddy and I had a pretty boring life prior to your arrival!  And I must say you are the ONLY thing that I would EVER get up in the middle of the night for!  Just ask Daddy....I don't like my sleep disrupted, but you are more than worth it! 

We spent your one month birthday traveling back to the beach from Walhalla.  You were a trooper in the car, even with the hour and a half detour through the country because of something that happened on the interstate.  We were a little illegal today because you got hungry on that detour, we had nowhere to pull over, so I put a jacket up over the window and nursed you riding down the road.  Definitely don't prefer to do that but you were not going to wait another second! 

When we got home tonight, we gave you a bath and we all went to bed pretty early!  We were all exhausted! 

We cannot wait to take you to your one month check up this week and to see how much you have grown!  And for the doctor to once again tell us you are PERFECT!  We won't ever get tired of hearing that! 

A few things about you fromt his month:

• Your umbilical cord fell off
• You LOVE your bath time!
• You LOVE your swing and bouncy seat!
• You LOVE being held to take a nap!
• You HATE HATE tummy time!
• You are starting to look around more and become more alert when you are awake. 
• You stay awake about 2 hours at a time now.
• You nurse every 3 hours during the day.
• You nurse about every 4 hours at night!
• You smile sometimes at us, however, I don't think you really know that you are doing it!  It's usually at random times, or in your sleep!  Some people will say that you are definitely smiling at them, but it's more of a reflex thing at this point!
• Usually right before you wake up from a nap, you get in a little chuckle fit in your sleep and it's sooo precious to watch!!!
• You adore your Daddy and he adores you!  You adore me too:)
• Your fur sisters are becoming more used to you!  Elsa could care less and Lulu is getting more used to you...thank goodness!  She's still not so sure about you, but she is better. 

We are settling in to a nice day time routine.  We get up around 6 for you to nurse and then you get to get in bed with me and Daddy and we snuggle and look at you until he gets up to go to work.  We LOVE snuggle time!  Once Daddy leaves for work, I go back to sleep with you until you get up around 9:00 to eat again.  After this, you're usually awake for about 2 hours.  We play in the swing, in the floor, in the bouncy.  You just go with the flow!  When you take your morning nap, I usually try to get our laundry done and piddle around the house.  I always take your afternoon nap with you.  That's our time together until Daddy comes home!  I have started giving you a bath before your 9pm feeding so you can get in to a routine.  You eat around 9 and then I put you in your bassinet where you sleep until midnight and then you eat again!  During this time, Daddy and I either sleep or I stay up and just enjoy the down time!  You're a full time job baby girl! 

We love you to the moon and back little princess!  You are our reason to get up every morning!! 

We cannot wait to have our new house finished soon and to start our little family of 3 together in our new place!!

Before we left Walhalla

When we got home from Walhalla!  Needless to say, you were not wanting any 1 month pictures taken after being in the car for 7 hours!

First Trip to Walhalla-October 7-9, 2011

First Trip to visit your Walhalla family!

October 7-9, 2011

Your Daddy and I decided last week that we were going to take you to Walhalla before you turned a month old! I wasn't set out to conquer this trip alone yet, so we didn't get to leave until after your Daddy got off work.  I was a little worried how you would do eating along the way.  You usually go about 4 hours in between feedings and well, with a 5 hour trip, I figured we'd have to stop somewhere for me to feed.  You were due up to feed somewhere around Columbia, which was perfect timing because we were hungry for supper. So, while Daddy went in to get Chic-Fil-A, I nursed in the car.  You did great and we were back on the road in record time!  Of course I sat in the back with you the whole way, thinking you might wake up at some point....but, you slept like a champ!  The car puts you to sleep every time!  You take that after me because poor Daddy has to ride solo a lot when we travel because I crash within minutes!  He on the other hand, takes a 10 minute nap and is good to go! 

We made it to Walhalla around 9pm.  We didn't tell anyone we were coming but Cak and PawPaw.  We made a pit stop by to surprise Great-Gran!  She was thrilled when she opened the door and there you were!  You were dressed in a Halloween outfit!  She loved you to death and just cried!  We stayed for about 30 minutes and then you were ready for your bath and to eat again, so we left and went to Cak's. 

You slept in your bummzie inbetween Daddy and I and you did great! 

On Saturday, we had a little family lunch at Great-Grans for all your other family to meet you.  Auntie Mel, Uncle Frank, Cousin Grant, Bobbie and Aunt Julie all came to visit you!  They just adored you!  Some family friends, Beth Davis, Mary Sprouse, and Shawn Higdon all came to visit over at Great-Grans as well.  They thought you were just precious! 

Later on Saturday we went met PawPaw at your Great-Grandma and Great-Papas house for them to meet you!  Of course, you slept most of the time! 

We spent the night with PawPaw tonight...and of course you slept in between us again! 

Sunday morning!...HAPPY ONE MONTH BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!!! (I'll post a one month later!)

On Sunday morning, we got up and went over to see your Great Aunt Donna and Uncle Roger.  Your cousins Amber, Jacob, and Kaleb were in town as well so they got to meet you too!  When we finished visiting with them, we hit the road back home! 

You were doing great until we hit TONS of traffic near Newberry!  The interstate was closed down and we had to take a major detour that lasted over an hour because it was 2 lane country roads.  I ended up having to do a big NO NO...take you out of your car seat to nurse while driving, but there was no where for us to pull over and you were demanding to be fed!  We finally got back on the interstate and left the traffic behind!   You managed to sleep the rest of the way until we made it home!  Thank goodness!!

We had a wonderful weekend.  It was a busy weekend, but full of fun and showing you off to our family!  Everyone simply adored you and thought you were the prettiest baby they had ever seen!  When you were awake, you took in each moment and didn't mind everyone passing you around and loving on you!  I missed getting to hold you all day but you didn't seem to mind! 

We are so happy that my family got to meet you finally!  It's always tough living 5 hours away from everyone, however, I must say, when we go visit, we are there for a few days at a time, and we spend every waking moment with family! 

Here are a few snapshots of the weekend!  I'd say our first road trip was a HUGE SUCCESS!!

Talking with her Great-Gran!

Surrounded by her Pa Shealy's Cardinals attire! 

Cak and Maribelle rocking!

Love my little family!

Great Grandma and Maribelle playing!

Paw Paw and Maribelle

Daddy's little Tiger fan!

4 Generations.  Great-Grandma, Daddy, me and Maribelle!  Also pictured is Great-Papa

3 generations!

1 month old and about to break out into a scream because she's tired of pictures!

LOVE my precious little princess to the moon and back and all the space in between!

3 Generations: Leslie Carol, Leslie Elizabeth, and Maribelle Rebekka

4 Generations: Great-Gran, Cak, me and Maribelle

First package in the mail! October 5, 2011

Today, you recieved your first package in the mail!  Your Great-Godmother Bobbie sent you the cutest little Halloween pajama outfit!  I can't wait for you to be able to wear it! I have a feeling this is only the start of all the packages and cards you will receive!  You are one LOVED and SPOILED rotten little girl already!  And I love every minute of spoiling you and having others spoil you!