Fun, Mess, & Resisting a REST!

Question of the day:  what item does our family need as much as this woman needs Oil of Olay face cream?

The answer?  REST.  And thankfully we've gotten a lot of it over the past two weekends.  Nice warm days enable you to do super fun things, like...play on the play ground and even go swimming!!!

We've done a LOT of both lately.

Two weekends ago Emerson spent lots of time with both families and even got to meet Aunt Ellen and Uncle Larry.  They had a blast with her!

In the top right corner we appear to be exchanging Monopoly money when in fact we were going down memory lane looking at PRICELESS family photos, such as...

This perfect depiction of a teenage brother/sister relationship

Sweetness of years gone by

...and even THIS!

Stay tuned for more to come.

This past weekend is one to which I look forward every year: a MONDAY off for Memorial Day!!!  God bless those who serve our country.  Who decided that we should work five days out of seven anyway?  Can't we all squeeze work into three or four days, instead of going 71% of the week?!?

Working that amount is about as sensible as this fire exit in the lawn and garden section of Wal-Mart.

Why would you rush to that fire escape door when there is a big gaping hole.....oh, nevermind.  

Ryan stayed at our house with Kevin and Daniel for the holiday weekend, and immediately after their arrival on Friday evening a massive hail storm hit our neighborhood. 

I told Ryan that he gets "HAIL" if I'm home and "HAIL" if I'm not!  I couldn't resist.

Our nights are getting easier, though.  Now that Emerson is eating solid foods it usually helps her to sleep very soundly for several hours.

LIKE A ROCK.

And on many days I find myself celebrating even the smallest of victories, like opening the door to an empty dryer after a washing machine cycle is through.  Otherwise, the previously clean, dry, and once unwrinkled clothes go in a heap on the couch, resulting in an unhappy Ryan.

"I TOLD you to fold the clothes PROMPTLY!"

Speaking of clothing articles, Emerson is growing out of them at the rate of someone who eats like this every day:

I find myself wondering if she swallowed a bean from Jack & the Beanstalk.

In her defense, she inherited a love of food from her mother and father.  If home is where the heart is, consider my house to be on the snack aisle in Bi-Lo.  

Aisle #9 - Good every time.

But she also inherited a friendly trait as well.  This sweet baby has never met a stranger, and she had a most wonderful time during a playdate with Hudson and afternoon walk with Dorothy.

And she apparently missed the memo that school pictures are supposed to be awkward and embarrassing, or at least that was the case for probably 99% of us.  But she couldn't have looked sweeter!

Yes, I'll take the wallet sizes, 8 x 10, 11 x 14, and go ahead and throw in a mural for good measure.

Emerson, how do I love thee?  Let me count a few of the million ways.  The way you:

Go to town chewing Sophie the Giraffe

Cut me crazy looks

and even sleep with your feet pressed against the Pack & Play

Speaking of rest.... I know I’ve been bragging about the amount of time my baby girl sleeps, but as it turns out, I shouldn’t have jinxed it.  Let’s take last night for instance.  For some reason unknown to mankind Emerson was up every HOUR AND A HALF to fuss and cry.   In an attempt to accurately describe the degree of misery I experienced today I have come up with a new entertainment segment entitled: “ I’m So Tired That…”  Here we go.

I’m so tired that…

Chick-Fil-A offered me a free #1 combo, and I had to think about it.

I’ve added “expert planker” to my resume.

I drove like a turtle in this morning’s traffic.

…and experienced various reactions from other drivers.

I went to the mall without setting foot in a store and slept on the benches instead, which are most often used by A) disgruntled men whose wives are still shopping, B) the elderly, or C) a combination of the above.

Go ahead...swipe that Belk card one more time.

I slept through the following things taking place in my very own bedroom:

I’m so tired that Oprah told me I won free tickets to her “Favorite Things” episode and I was like…

*Meet Rusty, the narcoleptic dog.

I got caught on camera at a major basketball game.

I was asked to audition for a major movie role, and all that came out was…

I answered my work phone by saying, “Singleton’s Fish Market.  How may I serve you?”

I went into Mattress World for a siesta.

“Umm, hi, ma’am.  Are you looking for anything in partic…

 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!”

You get the picture.  And I could keep going…and going and going.  Trust me when I say that parenting sucks your energy out like nothing in this world.

Keep quiet, Emerson.  Energy doesn’t grow on trees.

But to me- parenting isn’t a job.  It’s not just a responsibility.  It’s a purpose.  And each night when I hit my pillow with spilled formula on the kitchen counter and unorganized cabinets I will be content- because I made her happy.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

Not Just Another Mother's Day

What's more magical than Cinderella's pumpkin coach?

...and Aladdin's carpet ride?

That's easy: my first official Mother's Day and Emerson's dedication- on the same day!  This weekend was so sweet it could put Skittles out of business.

I knew I wanted to do something extra special for Emerson's dedication; I just had to figure out what.  And then it hit me: a themed dinner in her honor, full of special touches and surprises.  I could make that happen, right?

Fortunately for the economy and unfortunately for my wallet, we are very close to a Jo Ann, Michael's, AND Hobby Lobby, so I set out on a mission.  Me walking in a craft store is comparable to Thomas Edison conducting experiments in the lighting department at Lowe's; the ideas start exploding.

The lightbulb is coming on; literally.

I've checked the fabric and paint aisles; now let's try "seasonal decor."

Some spilled paint, many hours of crafting, and several debit card swipes later we were ready for Emerson's dedication dinner on Saturday night.  It was only fitting to have her initial on the front door; after all, she rules the home.  I painted monogrammed crosses to incorporate throughout the house and each guest (parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and uncles) got a keepsake cross to take home with the date on the back and decorated with pearls.

I looked all over for a chalkboard, and when I found one, let's just say it took "vintage distressed" to a whole new level...but that was nothing some sanding and paint couldn't fix!

My Mom sent me out that morning to get an arrangement for the dining room table.  I ran in Wal-Mart and grabbed the first pink thing I could find.  She looked befuddled when I came back.

"Well it's lovely, honey, but it's a plant.  This goes in your yard."  Oops.

Don't worry; no dirt made its way onto the dinner plates, and let's just be glad it wasn't fully grown...

"Hey, Ann, can you pass the salt?  I can't see it."

What's a celebration without cake?  I was most pleased with this beautiful work by Tiffany's bakery!

Emerson's month 1-6 pictures were displayed in the dining room.

And that got me wondering...can you imagine if we all kept pictures of ourselves each month as we got older?  Hahaha!

Frames documenting each month of Abraham Lincoln's life.

A couple of weekends ago I went through sweet Emerson's clothes so that I could store the things that are too small.  Several of the outfits were too meaningful to put in the attic, like the dress she came home in, her first Christmas outfit, etc.  How could I make something special of these?

I decided to display them on the fireplace during the party with tags and dates on each one.  

"It's a girl! 6/20/2013."  That was the day of our gender ultrasound.  Other items included her newborn hospital blanket and hat, Thanksgiving and Christmas outfits, the onesie I bought to tell Ryan that we were expecting, etc.

I also brought several of Emerson's "artifacts" for display.

The balloons were blown, the ribbons were tied,  and everything was in place.  What's left? The princess, of course!  Here she is awaiting her guests.

This sweetheart makes our world go round!  (And sometimes even turns it upside down!)

When everyone was seated inside I announced that we had a big surprise.

And no, it's not what some of our family members thought...

Family pet?

Moving?

Another....wait, WHAT?!??  Sorry, folks.  The stork already came on 10/29/2013.  

Emerson was surprising them with her first time in a POOL!!!  Both sets of our parents have asked non stop when we were taking her swimming.  We wanted to be fair, and while we have a beautiful pool in our neighborhood, the odds of all our family members being here at once were slim...so we brought a pool home with us!

While she adores bath time, she wasn't too big a fan of the colder-than-usual water.  

Bless your heart, baby.  I feel the same way when I open my emails at work each morning.

Then we chowed down on fried chicken, pork loin that Jay seasoned himself (AMAZING!), brown rice, cornbread salad, sweet potato souffle, cole slaw, green been casserole, and other things that I omitted from my plate due to pickiness.

After dinner we watched my latest slideshow of all new pictures and video footage for the past six months.  Even Emerson watched!

Then we filled up on cake.

Someone grabbed the icing...

It was such a special evening with our families that I'll never forget.  The next morning was the official dedication!  One weekend last month Mama and I searched every baby store within a 50 mile radius to find the perfect dress for Emerson.  I don't even like throwing her daily daycare reports away; of course I'd make a big deal out of her being presented to the church as we dedicate her life to the Lord.

When I found this detailed Lauren Madison gown I knew it was the one.

Emerson and her doting servants family members.

Emerson, Isaac, Trace, & Hudson were all dedicated during the service.  My nerves were slightly on edge when I found out that she'd be sitting in the sanctuary, but thankfully she conducted herself just like a little lady!

What exactly is a dedication?  It's important for me to explain that this service focuses on the parents' role in their children's lives.  It is a public promise we made before God and many witnesses to raise her in a Christian home.  At this point, sweet Emerson doesn't really "know" about Jesus.  I believe it's our job to teach her about Him and keep her involved in church and activities where she'll learn of His love and will one day prayerfully accept Him as her Lord and Savior.  

Special occasions call for portraits!  When I made CDs for my wedding guest favors I had my picture taken on our piano.

It only seemed fitting to keep the tradition alive!

After church was the annual Mother's Day lunch with Ryan's family.  I'm willing to bet that Emerson was passed around more than the sweet tea and offering plates this past Sunday.

A few weeks ago (actually on Good Friday!) my awesome friend Brandy took some "Mommy & Me" pictures.  I'll cherish these forever.

I have now experienced my first Mother's Day, and quite frankly, it was like Christmas.  It was absolutely so special, and I never realized just how much this responsibility entails.  Every day - every SECOND - revolves around the fact that I'm a mother.  It has also given me just a grain's worth of insight to how much my mother did for me.  The endless rocking and bouncing Emerson to sleep, fixing bottles at 3:00 am, cleaning bodily fluids off of every fabric and surface imaginable, washing my hair once I start to receive strange stares, getting her ready each day, keeping her entertained, and that's just skimming the surface.  Even when I'm sleeping I'm "on call."  But the role of a mother is a precious gift.

The Lord created a miraculous little girl with His merciful hands and out of everyone in the world He chose to place her with us.  I will never, ever take for granted my little girl; she is what my heart looks like.

There are so many things I'm looking forward to that I can't even count them all.  Each day as I learn new things about her I become more and more grateful. 

Before we left on Sunday to head back my family was helping us pack in a frenzy, as usual.  They were asking us all kinds of questions... What about the pink wreath? The crosses?  Want some cake to take back?  Where do you want to store her dress?

Mama finally looked at me and said, "Katharine, I enjoyed every minute of it, honey.  I've never seen such."  And that set my mind ablaze.

Just wait until her first Birthday!!!