Tax Season

April 18th just a few years ago would have been a very different kind of day for me than it was this year.  Public accounting is a different kind of animal than industry accounting.  I am so very thankful that God has provided me with the job I have now.  I truly appreciate that I don't have to sacrifice time spent with my family for the first four months of the year.  This just reminds me that our prior experiences shape our perspective on future experiences.  Had I not had struggles in my past, the pleasures of the present wouldn't be as poignant.  I love the time in my life that I am in right now.  I love watching my little girl grow up.  I love supporting my husband in his endeavours.  I love that there is a new challenge always around the corner.  I am hard on myself alot...always have been.  I want to do everything perfectly and already know how to do it perfectly...but the truth is...life is a learning process.  I mess up...I learn...I grow....I try again.  There's only so many hours in the day...and sometimes you have to sacrifice finishing a project or cleaning the house or grocery shopping...so you can enjoy spending time and making memories with the ones you love.  Some days that's easier to do than others.  Some days it drives me crazy and I get completely overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done...but others I can just be content and know that I'll do all I can in one day...and the rest will wait.  I'm just trying to take one day at a time these days. :o)

Getting Daddy's Credit Card!

Ladies and Gentlemen...She's starting early!!!!  Not even a whole 8 months and she's already got Daddy's Credit Card!!!!  Ashlyn treated us (compliments of Daddy's credit card) to a fabulous brunch at O'Charley's after church yesterday.  Ashlyn was such a good little baby!!!!...as usual.  She is typically so well-behaved in public.  I took her with me on Saturday to get a MUCH NEEDED pedicure (we're talking some ugly before toes!).  She just grinned and cooed the whole time!  Everyone commented on what a pretty baby she was and I can't count how many times they said "She is such a good baby!".  I said "thank you"...but what I really wanted to say was "I know." - I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have been what they were expecting to hear. :o)

Since she is closer to eight months than seven now...I figured it was time to debut the seven month onesie pictures.  I REALLY need to find my camera.  I had to take these with my phone and that was quite the ordeal.

I wish I had enough room to post the random shots I get while I'm trying to do these onesie pictures...some are quite hilarious!

                                      

My precious girl sound asleep in her own bed.  This is usually how the night starts out. She rarely stays in her own bed though...we're working on it.

Ashlyn's first babysitter!  Kelsey Fisher, my co-worker's (and friend) daughter came over last Saturday to help watch Ashlyn while I worked on some of the projects we have slated to get finished before we put the house on the market.  Ashlyn LOVES Kelsey!!!!!!  They played and Ashlyn giggled!  I got the front door painted and the border taken down from the guest bathroom.  LOTS left to do!  Mary came over to help and took over Ashlyn-duty when it was time for Kelsey to leave.
This Saturday was A-Day.  David had to work on Campus for a sorority and a fraternity...so needless to say they were a little busy.  We decided not to attend A-Day this year - maybe next year.  They unveiled the Nick Saban Statue - Roll Tide!!!! National Championship 2010 Baby!  I'll walk over at lunch one day and see it.  When David got home we took the boat out for about an hour and a half on Lake Tuscaloosa.  I wrapped Ashlyn up nice and tight in a fleece blanket.  That child was sound asleep by the time we were done.  I think she likes being on the water, but she absolutely HATES her life jacket.  I can't wait until we can get her a little princess fishing pole!  Sunday, we let Ashlyn spend some time with Papa Chuck and GrandMary and David and I headed out to the Lake again.  We had a great time!  Beautiful weather and the lake is just gorgeous!  I still haven't stopped to get my fishing license, so we just drove around (we hit almost 60 once!) and looked around.  This summer is going to be so much fun!  We're going to look into buying a wake board and a tube! - eventually anyway - they aren't exactly cheap.
Friday was the crazy day of the weekend.  We had inclement weather (pretty sure that's an understatement).  I just knew that this storm was going to be a bad one.  They dismissed City and County schools, but UA never closed.  I left at 2 and went to pick Ashlyn up from preschool.  When we got home we went straight from the car to the closet in our bedroom.  I turned on the weather and we hung out in the closet from about 2:30 until about 5:00.  Several tornadoes ripped through Mississippi and Alabama.  We Thank God for his protection!  A tornado went right over our house, but didn't touch down until a little further down the street.  Everyone tried to call me and text at the same time so my phone froze up for a minute.  I can only get so many phone calls at one time and David was so worried about us!  We only lost power for a total of about 2 hours.  Thankfully the damage in our area is sporadic and minimal.  I know the storm caused some major damage in other areas and I'll be keeping them in my prayers.

Tender Golden Sweet Potatoes

Ashlyn finally likes a baby food!!!!

I sent these sweet potatoes with her to preschool and her teacher was as surprised as I was when she ate them and liked them!!!!  I think it's quite funny since short of brussell sprouts...these are my least favorite food in the world!!! (Not counting that I don't like ANYTHING spicy - I'm sure Ashlyn will put Tabasco on everything just like her Daddy).  It is funny how much she looks like me, but acts like David.  My little picky eater!!!  Maybe she'll also get the tall and skinny gene from her Dad-even though he eats like a horse!

Made to Crave

I've been thinking about buying this book for some time now.  I finally bought it last night.  I'll be honest...I haven't even cracked it yet, but I think it will bring some "Aha" moments when I sit down with it.

Spring has sprung...again...

Spring is just around the corner!!!  We have had one warm snap...then it got colder again...now it's getting warm again.  As par for the course in Alabama...all the flowers are confused, pollen is everywhere and everybody has a runny nose!!!  Ashlyn and I had a little photo shoot while waiting for Daddy to get ready for church...(Yes...we were ready first!!!! Write it in the calendar cause it will probably never happen again!)  I love to put her in little dresses!  Having a girl is SO FUN!  I thought it was funny in Oklahoma this past Christmas when my Granny scoldingly told me that..."She is NOT a doll".  I know she isn't a doll...but she sure is one cute, tiny, precious, beautiful, lovely little model. :o)  It doesn't matter what you put on her...it always looks darling!!!  P.S.  This child LOVES grass!  She picks is up and studies it very carefully and throws it around.  Surprisingly, she hasn't tried to eat it yet...I'm sure that's coming.

A whole month!

I can't believe it has been an entire month since my last update...but that just shows how crazy this month has been!  In no particular order...
*     I went to the sewing class and made a dress for Ashlyn.  I did one on my own the other day too!
*    Worked with Ashlyn on eating baby food.
*    We had Spring Break! Autumn and Shelby came to visit and I got to visit my friends in Auburn. :o)

*    Mary's Birthday/St. Patty's Day
*    We started fixing up the house to maybe try to sell it.
*    Ashlyn turned 7 Months old!!!
*    I lost my camera...but I got a new cell phone.
*    Ashlyn got sick again. :o( We're talking 104.7 fever.
*    I wrecked my car. :o(
I have lots of pictures to share...unfortunately some of them were on the camera I lost. Here's a few of the one's that didn't get lost.

St. Patrick's Day 2011
Note:  Just for Granny, Great Granny, Great Grandad and Mary...I know she's Scottish too. :o)

 My friends Jenny and Olivia in Auburn!  I had a great time visiting with them!  I don't get to see them nearly enough!!!  They are both such sweet ladies!
I got videos of Autumn and Shelby visiting at my house...but they are on the camcorder...so I'll have to add them later.  They are so precious!  David has pictures on his phone of our visit to Chuck E. Cheese!!!

 Photo shoot at the doctor's office with Daddy's hat!!!  This was the dress I made Ashlyn at the sewing class.  It is reversible.  Unfortunately the good pictures of it were on the camera.

 This was the first visit...obviously she wasn't feeling that badly yet.  Second visit was for the fever...and it got pretty bad.  My poor baby was miserable.  Thank God she is feeling better now.  That was one scary virus.

The dress I made Ashlyn on my own.  The red dots are lady bugs, and it has clovers and yellow flowers and the fabric has silver glitters.  I'm pretty proud of myself. :o)  It's a little big because it was a toddler's pattern...so I made a size one and she's in between size 9 months and 12 months right now.

I think the pictures of Ashlyn's first feedings were on the camera.  She pretty much HATES baby food.  She loves oatmeal and rice cereal and now we've found a couple baby foods that she will eat (Sweet Peas, Mac and Cheese, & Chicken and Gravy - and yes...those are all ground up...yuck!)  She was throwing up her oatmeal though...that is why I went ahead and took her to the doctor the first time...I was getting worried about her refusal of so many foods.  Good thing is...she is definitely gaining weight.  She is at 19 lbs now!  Mary said David was 25 lbs when he was her age...what a chunker! :o)  She is still drinking breast milk so she is getting the nutrients she needs and the doctor wasn't too concerned with her lack of interest in other foods.  He said not to force it...which is his philosophy on just about everything...and my Granny's.  We did buy those "Fresh Food Feeders" (pictured below) for Ashlyn and she likes those.  She has eaten grapes and apples.  The fruit is a little cold and I think the mesh feels good on her gums.  She is seriously teething now!

Privatizing

After much thought and consideration, I have decided to privatize this blog.  The intention of my blog is to help me document the adventures and milestones in mine and my family's life and to offer a way to share pictures and videos with family and friends.  If any one out there wants to continue viewing my blog, please request to be a follower.

Thanks, Heather