Memorial Day

Is this all-American or what?!?!


Sunday morning after church...


Sunday afternoon we took Payton to the pool for a trial run before meeting Robb's family for a leisurely day at the pool on Monday. The picture above is Payton's first time in the pool. She really liked it a lot, though she was getting tired before we even got there.


Can we say "bathing beauty"?


Payton is surrounded by people she loves...and who love her very much!!! Daddy (Robb), and cousins (from left to right), Kaitlyn, Ethan, and Michael Huff. The pool was very cold on Monday, so we didn't keep her in long. The hot tub, however, was not very hot at all. It was the perfect temperature of Payton's bath, so she never knew the difference! She kicked and smiled at all the kids playing around her!


One worn out little girl! After all that water and sunshine, she quickly fell asleep under the sheltered area. It was a beautiful, breezy day, and she was very relaxed!

It was a great day...Robb and I enjoyed the time to catch up with family, as well as all day to spend with Payton! Now, we're off on another busy week...hang on.... :)

Aren't these little guys cute?

My mom just got back from Kansas City where she spent about a week with Zach and Jake. This picture was Sunday morning on the way to church...aren't they so adorable?! I can't wait to see Jake for the first time in about 4 weeks!

Happy Four Month Birthday!

Our baby is 4 months old...already!!! Payton is growing and changing every day. It is amazing all the things she has started doing this month. She is getting stronger and her favorite "position" is "up"--standing, sitting, she doesn't care; she just wants to be able to look all around her! I'm busy now taking care of her, but when she starts crawling and then walking...watch out! She already has such a busy personality...she's going to keep us on our toes! She "talks" ALL the time, and smiles at anyone and everyone that smiles at her! She laughs pretty frequently now, which is just adorable (of course!) She also "sings", especially when she is being rocked and sang to. She has also started "singing" to herself sometimes when she is in her little bed trying to go to sleep. I know this sounds weird, but I also know it is possible from classes I have taken in music for babies...on several occasions she has starting "cooing" or "singing" IN KEY!!! YEAH!!! We have quite the budding little musician!

Here are her four-month pictures...



Hands in the mouth...her typical pose!


Check out the rolls on her arm...(you call them fat, we call them chubby...she is a little lady, after all!!! :) At her 16-week check-up, she weighed 19 pounds and was 25 3/4 inches long. She's in the 97th percentile for height and weight! Beautiful doesn't have to be petite, right?!


I love this picture! This is how she looks 90% of the time. I am so blessed with such a pleasant baby!


Her ear is bent a little funny, but who can resist this smile?!?! Her moses basket was a special gift from one of my piano/voice students. I love the big white bows! She is getting so long that we won't be able to use it for her much longer!


We had a hard time with the "towel" pictures. Payton kept wiggling all over the place and knocking the towel off!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures! I have no idea who reads our blog, but we love to "find" new/old friends, so if you have been reading, let us know!

Payton's New Fascination!

Payton loves her two cousins, Devin and Ethan Huff, so very much!!! My sister-in-law, Mary, has been keeping Payton two of the mornings that I am teaching. It is SO much easier to go to work, knowing that Payton is having a fabulous time! She is highly entertained by both of the boys, and Ethan, especially, can make her smile no matter what! He greets me at the door each time to inform me that "we have your baby", and usually eagerly adds that "he smiled at me"! (He has his "he's" and "her's" a little mixed up!)

Mary told me that when she is giving Payton her bottle, she has to keep her turned away from the boys. She gets so distracted by their antics that she doesn't want to eat! She just smiles and laughs--much more important than eating, right?!

Mary snapped a couple pictures the other day of Devin, checking out this new little person in his home!


Checking to see what on earth is under the blanket...


Caught in the act...

We feel very fortunate to have family close by, especially now that we have a child of our own. A huge thank you to Mary (and Ethan and Devin) for taking such good care of our little "sunshine"!

FREE MONEY--SERIOUSLY!

Please take note of the icon on the left side! I do not know who all reads this blog but I have posted an icon on the side bar called Revolution Money Exchange. I wanted to point it out because if you click on that and sign up before May 15th you will get $25 just for signing up. It is the same idea as paypal (where you can send or transfer money anonymously). It took me about 3 minutes to sign up--and $25.00 will be transferred to my bank account. I just want to share the "wealth"!!! There are no obligations at all for signing up. And, if you sign up, I get $10 for referring you!!! Just an easy way to make $25.00 extra dollars. I am very skeptical of "free money" ideas, but I've done this and it actually works!

My friend, Rebekah, put this on her blog first, which is where I got it from, so if you know her, please sign up from her blog so that she gets the $10.00! Thanks Rebekah!!!

My first Mother's Day...

I had a simply beautiful day Sunday. Really, it started Saturday afternoon with our picnic to the beach, and continued with the Mother/Daughter banquet at our church, followed by an enjoyable and relaxing Sunday. The pictures tell the story...

Robb took this picture of Payton and I at home, before we headed off to our very first Mother/Daughter banquet.

My mom, my daughter, and I. I am so blessed to have not only a mother, but a best friend in my mom!

My sister-in-law, Mary Ellen, my niece, Kaitlyn, Payton, and myself. We didn't plan to match, but it worked out nicely for this group photo!

My cousin, Bianca, and her new little baby boy, Wyatt, joined us for the evening. Wyatt was extremely good during the entire banquet, but I don't think he liked being surrounded by women for a picture!

My mom did a beautiful job with the decorations, as usual! Each table had a nice white tablecloth with a black sheer overlay. In the middle of each table was a black lantern (she had different kinds for a kind of "eclectic" look), and bright pink rose petals. It looked very classy and elegant, yet the bright pink made it look really fun.

The table setting...

Payton and I on Sunday morning...our first Mother's Day together! I wanted to find really nice mother/daughter outfits, but I didn't find any that I liked. I already had a white outfit from Easter, and I found a white dress for Payton that I just love.

Payton gets pretty heavy in church, especially when she is squirmy, so we all take turns! In this picture, she's sitting pretty calmly with my dad!

Payton and I with my mom...my parents came over to our house for a special Sunday dinner.

Payton definitely loves her Nana, and always has a big smile for her!

It is a little hard to tell (wink, wink!), but Payton is hamming it up for the camera in this picture! She is such a happy baby, and I am so very blessed...

Chilling out after a busy weekend...

Play time with Daddy...

I hope all of you mothers had as wonderful a Mother's Day as we did!!!

Mother's Day 2008

It's my first Mother's Day, and it is affecting me more than I thought. (I have a little bit of a hard time being vulnerable in "public"--like in a blog!--so bear with me...) I always knew I would love being a mother, but I just didn't understand how much. I didn't truly understand what it meant to love so much it hurts. Everything about being a mother has, and is, making me a better person. I am deeply grateful for the beautiful gift of my baby girl. A friend sent me this poem for Mother's Day...every line in the poem so perfectly describes how I feel...

Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on, pooped on, chewed on, peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests, or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

My new nephew...

Starting early with the sports gear!!! Jacob is just adorable, and it sounds like he is a good baby! Congrats, Chad and Jennifer!!! We love you all!!!

Chad--if you are reading this...Robb is extremely impressed with the KU gear (not!) :)

First trip to the "beach"!

Today we went with my parents to a little beach area under the Sewall's Point bridge for a "Mother's Day" picnic. My mom and dad brought KFC chicken and side dishes, and we brought drinks...and one cute baby! We had a really nice, relaxing time! This was the first time we've tried to take her out to the beach. Where we went today was perfect, because there was a nice non-sandy place to keep her stroller, play gym, etc., and that made clean up much better, especially since Mom, Payton, and I had to be ready for the Mother/Daughter Banquet in the evening. (I'll post pictures of that later.) We also had nice shade for her, which was great.


Robb and Payton enjoyed a little nap...


She doesn't usually even take her pacifier, much less sleep with it, but I thought this picture was so cute!


I took blankets to provide padding for her play gym. It worked out perfectly to set it up under the little pavilion, and she had a great time! She really enjoys being outside.


We helped her "dangle" her feet in the ocean water for the first time! She really liked it. She kept pushing her feet down into the sand...definitely something new she wanted to explore!


Even with her legs stretched all the way out, she still has plenty of "rolls"! I love it!

Welcome, Jacob!

I have a new nephew!!! Jacob Ryan Waits was born yesterday, May 8th, at 7:52 a.m. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces. They measured him at 18 inches, but my brother and sister-in-law are pretty sure he is longer than that. We are so excited to add another "little person" to the "Waits" family! The only bad thing is that I have to wait till July 2nd to see him! Below is a quick picture my brother took on his phone, so it isn't super clear. I'll post more when we get them.

Welcome, little Jacob! We love you very, very much!

Video of Payton's first three months...

My sister-in-law, Mary Ellen, put together this video of Payton's first three months. (Thank you, Mary! I know this must have taken a lot of time, and I really, really appreciate your thoughtfulness!)I really enjoyed seeing the progression of pictures...I can't believe how fast she is growing! Get out your tissues, friends...the song is so sweet!


or here is the link: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=0777b4fe3540aca313da

Cousins...

I was just reading my cousin's (Misty Peterson) blog, and found the pictures of Payton, Wyatt, and Kara from last Sunday. I just had to "steal" them! This was Kara's first Sunday at church, and we had a big family dinner at my mom's. It was nice to have so many of us together! (We missed you, Aunt Bennie!)


Kara- 1 week, Wyatt- almost 1 month, Payton- 3 months


Yes, that is my daughter looming large over her "little" cousins! It looks like Payton and Wyatt are in a fist fight! It won't be long before these three will be running and playing together. I'm so glad to have family (on both sides) close by for Payton to "grow up" with!!!

Pictures from our weekend...

Saturday was a really fun family day. A couple of weeks ago, we received a very nice gift from the family of one of my students, but it was too small for Payton. So, we went to Worth Avenue on Palm Beach Island to take care of these returns, at Neiman Marcus (or needless mark-up, as Robb calls it!) and Juicy Couture. (for those that may be interested, we exchanged the too-small clothes for an ADORABLE white eyelet dress with a big pink bow on the shoulder...perfect for this summer!) These are not our usual places to shop, so this was kind of fun and interesting! After that, we went to Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. It is basically a long strip (ending at the ocean) of little shops and interesting restaurants. A long time ago, we drove past it on our way home from a weekend trip to Ft. Lauderdale. At the time, we thought it looked like a fun "day trip", but just never went back. It was a really great choice for this weekend. Payton LOVES her stroller, and really enjoyed the time playing and looking around. And we enjoyed the time spent together, just taking it easy!





Payton relaxing in her stroller!







Robb and Payton on the beach...we didn't really "go" to the beach, as we didn't go prepared for a beach day, but we wanted to see what it looked like. At this beach, you can rent nice, padded beach chairs. Sounds relaxing, but not terribly so with a baby! She likes to keep moving!




No smile this time...too close to dinner time!




Sunday after church...from this picture, it looks like this Mommy needs a nap! (out of the ones we took, it was the best one of Payton, so I posted it...not the best picture of me, though!)



Sunday night after church, Payton got the giggles for the first time! It was SO cute! Robb and I were laughing so hard we were crying; I was trying to video, and it turned out quite shaky, as I was laughing so much. Robb went to put her pj's on her and started playing with her. She just laughed and laughed.



However, this is all following a ridiculous night at church. After the 3rd trip out of the service, we just went home. (I'm sure no one else ever did this, and I know it may not be the "right" thing to do, but I just didn't have the energy to keep trying after a busy Sunday and facing a busy week.) If anyone has any really good suggestions for getting a busy 3-month-old to sleep in church, I am open for ideas! I told Robb that everyone at Hobe Sound Bible Church probably thinks she is a terribly fussy baby! She really isn't at all. The only time she fusses is when she is getting sleepy and needing a nap...which consistently happens during church. I thought this would be a good thing, but it is proving quite difficult. At home, we just lay her down and she goes to sleep, but at church, there is too much going on, and she is too curious (and a little stubborn, I think!) to just quietly close her eyes...HELP!!!


Today was my first day back at "work." I have really been dreading it so very, very much. I feel like the worst mother ever to leave her (I know it's not true, it just feels like it!), but it's what we really need to do right now. Thank you to my friends and family who prayed for me...we both had a good morning. I am so thankful for several things:

1. I have family to leave her with (thank you, Bianca and Mary Ellen!)
2. I only have to go four mornings a week, and am home by 12:30
3. I only miss a couple of hours with her; the rest of the time she is sleeping, since she doesn't wake up until at least 9:00 a.m. and goes back down at 11:00 for her morning nap.
4. The time goes by very quickly at school, as I am very busy.

If you made it to the end of this long blog, thanks for "listening" and have a great week!

I thought this was good for the soul...

Someone forwarded this to me, and I thought it was too sweet to not share! I think we've all come across people like the lady in the story...unfortunately I've not always treated them like this little boy did...

Last week, I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, 'God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen! ' Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, 'That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!'

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, 'Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?' As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, 'I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer. ''Really?' my son asked. 'Cross my heart,' the man replied. Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), 'Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.'

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, 'Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already.'