Long, long, long overdue!

I can't believe I haven't posted since May! This is my last summer of school and it has been a busy one. Not one post in June...and we had some very important memories made in that month! Brett's 28th birthday, Everly's party, Everly's birthday and B's first father's day. Hopefully I can remember the important details. I have been sick all day and I think my fever has finally broken. I am sweating like a pig...TMI I know! At least I've got a little time to post some updates. Expect lots of pictures to follow...I'm talking photo overload!! So here we go...maybe I can keep this in chronological order.

With Pop-First time at a Japanese Hibachi (sp?)

Wow! Look at the fire.

Playing with Dada on his birthday. Miss E and I got him a new grill. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of it :(

Singing Sweet B Happy Birthday...that pineapple was awesome!

Our sweet family! (I hate looking at pictures of myself...that does not look like me, to me). Oh yeah, something else new...I go a jogging stroller. E and I used it for the first time last night. She loved it and so did I. Today's sickness is not helping with the routine.

Dave says...

I may have mentioned this in earlier posts but if not, Brett and I are participating in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University being held at our church. We are a little over half way through and half lived off a budget for the first time in our marriage. I think it is going great! We are using the envelope system, which may be a little embarrassing for some to pull out of their purses, but has totally worked for us. I'm the free spirit (a Dave term) of the relationship, but I've also become a nerd (another Dave term). I think I just needed a little direction. I love the budget. We have built in BLOW money, entertainment, shopping...it's starting to sound like a vacation or something! This week Brett and I have used our entertainment money to go on a "day date". We walked nine holes...do you know how less expensive that is plus the added exercise benefit. Then we had dinner at the DQ...yeah, so it's not five star dining...that's not the point!
We've also done well with our grocery money. I have about half let for this pay period. Our grocery money also includes diapers and formula and our total is much less than others spend on groceries. We don't eat cheap meals either. I like to make casseroles that I know we'll eat leftovers of. Or I make something like say baked chicken that could later be used for chicken salad, steamed broccoli that could later be used for one of the mentioned casseroles. I can not stand to see food wasted! It costs too much money to be thrown away.
We also have the pleasure to eat with my ILs several times a week. This was a total lifesaver when I had night classes! This coming semester which starts Monday(boo hoo!) I will not have any night classes, which makes me so happy. I will get to cook dinner for my little family every night. I love to cook! My sweet husband and baby aren't picky (praise the Lord) and allow me to experiment with lots of recipes. I love making nutritious meals for my loves...ok! This turned way away from Dave!
The point is we've really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone. We don't have any credit card debt and only one car payment. Comparatively speaking our debt is low...but in our class alone...of 25 individuals/couples there was about 3 million dollars in debt. That figure does NOT include housing!
Dave's program just helps you think before you spend your hard earned money. I think lots of people need to realize that life is not about keeping up with the Joneses!
We use all of the FPU forms, but I found this spreadsheet online to use on Excel.

Fun Now, Fun Later

I think I am beginning to get addicted to Kelly's Korner Show Us Your Life Fridays! Today's topic is favorite books. I have always loved to read and hope to pass that love along to Everly. At my baby shower guests brought children's books instead of greeting cards. It provided a great start to Sweet E's library. I love to read those books to her along with their sweet inscriptions.

We've always tried to read to her and recently she seems to really enjoy it at bedtime. We started just laying her down at night to fall asleep, but first we get her dressed in her pjs and put some "purple lotion"...lavender lotion on her for a little baby massage. Then we settle down in the comfortable rocker in her room and read a little.

Last night we read her Take Along Bible that Pop and Gimme got her for Christmas. The only word she touched in the whole book was God. We read that word over and over. I thought it was pretty special! The Take Along Bible is great for really young children. The stories are short and sweet and include scripture references. We read the whole thing and a few of the stories a second time.


We also read Goodnight Moon this week, not one of my favorites, but it's a classic bedtime story.


I love this book! It is one of my favorites. I have a copy for E at home and I will definitely have a copy in my classroom. It teaches a great lesson. It's full of humor and keeps children's interest. I love to get into character when I read it aloud!

Those are fun for now...here are a few that will be fun later...


I loved these books in fourth and fifth grade. Our school library didn't have many, but Samantha was by far my favorite! These books teach many lessons about our nation's history, culture, and real life lessons. I can't wait until E (is hopefully) interested. We'll be going on a birthday or Christmas trip to Atlanta to visit the American Girl store to pick out a doll and have lunch with her. I hear they provide little highchairs for your doll at the cafe.

Then there are these girls...talking about addicted! I probably read 100 of the BSC books. Funny that this was Kelly's topic today. I just read in Instructor magazine this morning that Ann M. Martin the author of the Babysitter's Club series just released a prequel to the series and will begin publishing the series again. They have been out of print for some time. Talk about excited!! I can't wait to start reading these aloud to Everly...maybe in second or third grade...if she's even interested. Brett says I'll be living through her!



My mom didn't show a lot of interest in lots of things that I was into, so I want to be different. Maybe it won't be Molly, Samantha, Lilly, or Kristy...maybe it will be Junie B. Jones or whoever is around then. Either way, I hope Everly is interested in reading. I will definitely make trips with her to the library and bookstore to feed that passion!

Oh yeah, I get most of my books from Thrift Books. You can't beat the prices for library edition, quality used books.

Bye Bye Adenoids, Hello Tubes

I've been meaning to do this post for several days, but I'm usually holding a clingy baby, so I haven't had time. We've started letting her put herself to sleep this week. She's resting better and sleeping later, which may have something to do with her surgery.

We got up at 4:00 and left our house a little after 4:30. E went right back to sleep in her carseat. We picked up Brett's parents and headed to Dothan. We had to be at the Surgery Center at 6:15 and we pulled in at 6:15 on the dot. This place was packed already! We didn't wait too long before we were called back. They gave Everly a little hospital gown with lions and tigers on it and a heated blanket. It was freezing in there! I thought it might be (I thought back to when they wheeled me into the ice box, I mean operating room for my c-section). I luckily, brought a fleece pullover. So Brett and I said and played with our girl as various nurses and the anesthesiologist came to speak with us. We were sitting in our little room probably about 45 minutes and Everly began to get fussy. This girl likes to eat, so I was worried she was getting hungry. Never fear, Dr. Nunnally had arrived. His sweet nurse took Everly and she didn't cry...that gave me relief. If she would have cried, I would have bawled until I saw her again! It was like the Lord was letting me know everything was going to be alright.

Her surgery took about 20 minutes. Brett and I occupied ourselves with coffee (really to warm our bones) and chatting with his parents. We were so glad that they came. Then we were called back to speak with the doctor. Dr. Nunnally said the surgery went great. He said her ears were filled with puss. Yuck! Then he said he was glad that he went ahead and took her adenoids out too because they were very inflammed. He said adenoids size are judged on a scale from 1-4 and her's were a 4+.

A few minutes later we were called back to post-op. I could have never prepared myself for this scene. Our Sweet E was unconsoliable. The nurse kept saying it was the anesthesia wearing off, but that doesn't make a mother's heart feel any less pain. There was blood coming out of her ears and nose. I just wasn't ready to see this. She screamed, cried, and kicked. All I could do was rock her. The nurse tried to take her IV out of her foot and she kept kicking. I had to hold the top of her leg and Brett had to hold her foot for the nurse to be able to take it out.



We got her loaded in her carseat and made the hour and a half trip back home. We had brought her blankie and I stroked her face with it for about thirty minutes until she finally settled down and dozed off.

When we got home we tried to give her a bottle and a sippy cup, no such luck. She did eat some baby cereal and yogurt melts. Later that afternoon my MIL brought some pedialite and I gave it to her with a medicine dropper. The last thing we needed was for her now to become dehydrated.

She's waking up...so I'm going to have to cut this off. We also have said bye, bye to something else...bottles! She hasn't wanted one for five days. I was going to take them away when she turned a year, so I thought it would be cruel to give it back and take it away in six weeks. I continued to give her liquid with the medicine dropper to keep her hydrated until Monday. Yesterday, I said enough! I figured this was something she liked and didn't really need. She is eating everything under the sun including crunchy foods, so I know it's not her throat.

I kept giving her sippy cups. I think I have bought five new ones in five days trying to figure out which kind she would take to. Last night we had the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class at church, so I sent E to the nursery with a sippy. When I came back, she had drank 2/3 of it! Uh huh, just playing mommy. She's smart like that!

First Official Mother's Day

Yesterday was my first official Mother's Day. Everly is still recovering from getting her tubes in and adnoids out, so we didn't make it to church. E and I got dressed up anyway to celebrate. Brett was so excited for me to open my present I opened it in the bathroom while he bathed Everly. It was a beautiful portrait of Everly taken by a local doctor. It was featured at LAAC Lower Alabama Arts Coalition. I was so thrilled. It is probably my favorite picture of her. It captures her natural beauty and innocence.


I wanted to reflect on a few things that being a mother means to me and changes Sweet E has brought to my life.

It's ok if-
You don't get a shower that day, as long as your child has a bath
You don't eat, but your child has had three meals plus snacks
You don't get your hair done as often
Pedicures and manicures are out
You spend your days in yoga pants and if you get time to iron your t-shirt you are doing good.
You watch PBSKids all day, because you think it's educational
You wear your hair in a ponytail all the time and when you finally wear it down you're amazed at how long it's grown
You never buy yourself anything and your child has a closet full of clothes
You cry tears of happiness because of the little things your child accomplishes
You cry tears of sadness because your child is growing up too fast

I love being a mommy! I always thought I wanted children, but now I can't imagine life without her (I know everyone always says that, but it's true). She did the sweetest thing last night. She just crawled over to me and laid her head in my lap and I just stroked her hair. Oh, it just melted my heart. I hope she will never grow too big to lay her head in my lap. I can just picture us in her teenage years when boys make her cry(don't do it boys...her daddy will get you) laying her head in my lap and us having a talk.

Sorry if this post went a little all over the place. The purpose of this blog is to record our family memories...so it can be like that sometimes.

Where did you come up with that name?

As I sit here holding a sleeping baby (I'll post about her surgery experience when I can type...I am pecking now) I looked at Kelly's Korner blog. Today's Show Us Your Life is about baby names. Since I get asked about this all the time I thought I would participate. Our sweet girl's name is Everly Allyn. We had her first name picked out long before we were pregnant and I believe before we were even engaged. Everley is my great grandmother's last name. She is a true inspiration to me. She has the kindest heart and I've never heard her say a mean word about anyone. She has been a foster mother to many, many children through out her life. Everly is also named after B's mamaw, Evelyn. We thought that Everly could be used for both grandmothers.

Coming up with a middle name was a little more difficult. I was kind of leaning towards Ryann. I have always thought I would have a daughter named Ryann. It just wasn't clicking though. I don't know exactly how Allyn came about...you know pregnancy brain! It's crazy! I just remember thinking I really wanted something that would honor Brett. He is such a good husband and I knew he would be a great father. I remember thinking I probably wouldn't use Allen for a boy, because we have our hearts set on another name (which I will not tell. I would be heartbroken if someone stole "our name"! ha ha). So Allyn came about changing the "e" to a "y" to be a little more feminine. She is named after her Dada and Pop.

We love her name! It's meaningful and unique. It honors four wonderful family members.

MyRide or Roundabout 50

Does anyone have either of these carseats? I am doing research for Everly's new carseat. The top is the Britax Roundabout 50 and the bottom is the Graco MyRide 65. We have a Graco now and have had no problems with it, so I am leaning more towards the Graco. Both of these have great safety reviews. The have high weight limits for rear facing babies. That is very important to me since it is recommended babies are rear facing as long as possible. I am wondering more about ease of use and space taken up in the backseat of a car (I have a Camry). If any of you have one, would you please leave us a comment. We'll be purchasing soon. I think we've got our money's worth out of the Graco SnugRide infant seat.