Happy Two Months Abby Lu

This picture compared to last month really shows how much she has changed in her second month. Physically, she is much larger. She has plump cheeks, a big ol' belly and sports a double chin on ocassion. Developmentally, she can hold her head up for short periods of time, looks around at objects, and smiles when spoken to or stimulated.

She is still a fabulous sleeper and eats about every 2 hours in the morning and closer to 3 hours as the day goes on. Her last meal is a big bottle and it holds her for 6-8 hours of sleep. She is still sleeping in her swing, but we are trying to start each night in her co-sleeper to transition her into a bed. She sleeps well in the car... provided it is moving!

Monday we have her 2 month checkup and will share her stats. I imagine she is at least 11 pounds. She will receive her first set of shots on Monday. Pray for Daddy!

Thanks for the Advice

Abby and I ventured to Hobby Lobby this morning for a few supplies for my overwhleming desire to decorate! Watching HGTV all day long is bad for me.... I need the workout or save money channel!

Anyway, a random man in the spray paint aisle came over to me just as Abby began crying in her stroller. Said man, leaned over to look at her and loudly proclaimed she was hungry. Excuse me, you have met my child for 5 seconds and you know she is hungry? Weird! I appreciate advice, but this man was too much. I thanked him and politely moved on. She had finished eating a mere 20 minutes before the incident.

Riding in the "Front Loader"

Grammy bought this Jeep carrier for Abby Lu and Marcus last summer. Marcus was so excited to have it and we have tried in a couple of times and she hated it. She just wasn't strong enough to manage her head and facing Marcus wasn't any fun.

Today when I was at the outlet mall she really liked being held facing outward to see the world so I told Marcus we needed to try it again. Today she liked it much better. Her head is still a little wobbly, but she can control it enough to ride in the front loader. Yea!

Daily Photo Session: 8 Weeks Old

Some days she can just lay on her changing table for hours! Earlier this week was one of those days and I grabbed the camera to capture her awareness!

Look at that adorable smile and laugh. I love it and lately get to hear it more often. When her belly is full and diaper is clean, she is a happy baby!

We went through a couple of different outfits on this day. I try to look at it as an opportunity to wear all the cute clothes we have. Apparently, Abby Lu hates this onesie. She has worn it one other time and each time it has ended up coming off early because of a nasty blow out. Thank goodness hot water and Oxyclean are magic!

Fun Day Out of the House

Abby Lu and I enjoyed the great weather today by having breakfast at Kirby Lane with our friends Tabriah and Kiersten. Mmmm... blueberry pancakes!

After running home to eat (still can't do that in public!), we went to the outlet mall and walked around. They are having some great specials. I bought 7 items and each was under $4. Cute stuff from Gymboree and Carters. I also bought Abby's coat for next winter- a cute kelly green peacoat from Baby Gap. I love all of the green stuff they have out this season. Super cute! If you have the money, now is the time to hit the outlet malls. They are hurting.

Sick and Sleeping

Yesterday afternoon for the first time, Abby "gave me back" her bottle. It went all over outfit #2 of the day. She was a fussy girl and only wanted to be held. The doctor recommended I come in only if she was sick a second time. Luckily, she was fine by dinner time and was content to play. I assume she took the bottle too quickly or ate too much. It was a good test of how we will be with a sick baby- I was calm and practical, not getting too worked up. Marcus threatened to call our pediatrician back and give them a piece of his mind and mentioned his heart being broken. That lower lip and sad face are powerful!

After she was all better, she ate and went down for bed about 9:30. She woke up this morning with a smile at 7:15! I know they say sleeping 6 hours is considered sleeping through the night, but I consider last night really sleeping through the night. There was no 4:30ish feeding and it felt good! I hope this continues and wasn't just exhaustion from feeling bad.

Visit to Kerrville

On Tuesday, Abby and I drove with my Dad to visit some of our relatives in Kerrville. It was a nice car ride with Abby sleeping most of the way. Spending time in Kerrville was a staple in my house growing up. My Dad and Mom have family there. In total, I have 11 aunts and uncles and many more cousins most of which live in the Kerrville area.

We picked up my Aunt Ruth and drove to Ingram to visit my Aunt Nell and Uncle Tom. Ruth is one of my Dad's older sister and is my cousin Kristi's (whom I talk about often) grandmother.

Aunt Nell is one of my all-time favorite people. My love of baking comes from her. There is always a fresh plate of something sweet on her table. At our family reunion, her baggies of peanut brittle sell for more than anything else!

Uncle Tom is the recipient of all that baking and has the coolest man cave with a big screen TV, a large collection of historical guns and other weapons, and his own beverage fridge. He had the man cave before the man cave was cool!

Before we left Kerrville, we visited my Aunt Vicki whom I have not seen in years. We used to spend weekends at her house and always had a blast. It was nice to let her meet Miss Abby Lu. Besides changing a diaper, I don't think I held Abby 5 minutes while in Vicki's prescence! She is always a kid's favorite!

My streak has ended...zappos got me!

As many people know, my wife has an intimate knowledge of the Zappos website.  In fact, rumor has it, that she directed someone around the site over the telephone, just off memory.  Well the other night, I mentioned that I need new running shoes.  She suggested Zappos to look.  

So to amuse her I went out there...and the conversation was something like this:

"I found some that are neat.  But I can't tell if this size will fit me."

"See the reviews?  almost everyone says it fits true to size."

"yes..but I have no arch.  How will I know these will fit with low arch support?"

"See there?  Says support low to no arch."

"Shipping will kill us."

"Free shipping."
"Itll take forever to get here."

"I have overnight shipping on my account.  For free."

"...."

"Yes?"

"Nothing, just getting my credit card out to buy em."

I have the new shoes.  I like the new shoes.  Here's the pic of the new shoes.

And you know what?  didnt have to spend an hour in the shoe department at some store.

Marcus buying shoes online...what is next?!....ooh....here is a 10 day free subscription for World of warcraft to share with someone....well looky looky...Anna's laptop meets the game requirements....

MJ

Abby's Red Carpet Appearance

Appearing on the red carpet for the first time (hello, it was Oscar night!), Abby Lu wore a soft cotton ensemble from the 2008 Baby Nay collection. hehe!

She is obviously outraged Ryan Seacrest snubbed her for an interview with Brangelina.

Abby Lu and Michael

This is Abby Lu's first picture with a boy! We visited our friends The Gumpls a few weeks ago and Abby and Michael (5 months old) sat down for a little photo session.

She quickly laid in his lap and he begged his mother for help!

First Trip to Church

This morning we went to church as a family of three! Praise Jesus! It was a wonderful morning as we were able to see many of our friends, and hear our fabulous teacher Rob preach on forgiveness, but also to thank God for the gift of Abby Lu.

She was all decked out in her sweater suit and was just as soft as can be. She did well in class- sleeping, taking a bottle and being quiet.

It was also the first time she has worn shoes! She owns quite a few pair in all different sizes, but up until this point they have been much too large for her. Last night we tried on the smallest ones and found that they fit. So much fun!

Abby Lu in Her New Bow

So for dinner tonight we put Abby Lu in one of her new bows (see post below). I did not realize how LARGE they are in comparison to her little head. Marcus and I spent the car ride to dinner laughing and coming up with our best, "if Abby could talk right now, she would say..." We welcome your thoughts as well. Here is our best:

1. The Queen of England has nothing on me.

2. Does this bow make my butt look big?

3. What is up there? What are you laughing at?

4. Mom, I am not a cheerleader from 1989.

5. This bow is so heavy, my neck is too weak to hold it up.

6. Hello, the bow is a 2T.

7. Party at the bow.

8. Oh no, you bought how many of these?

9. Okay, I'll play the part.

10. That's it, I'm putting you in the bad home now.

11. Further proof that Daddy has no control over what I wear.

Girls Are Too Fun!

I have discovered etsy and it is a dangerous thing! If you haven't looked at www.etsy.com, be warned! It is like ebay only the items are handmade by individuals around the world. Search for anything and you'll be amazed at what you find... pears, Texas Tech, Elvis, you name it!

I find a lady in Spring Lake that makes custom bows. You email her pictures of your favorite outfits or choose from her list of ribbon colors and she whips out the most darling over the top bows. These will be so cute on Abby Lu's headbands.

Here is a look at the detail of these bows. Super duper cute! I sent her Abby's Easter dress, another favorite dress for this summer, and then the colors of Carter's five packs of onesies I bought a while back. She will be stylin'!

I also recently checked out The Monogram Lady on Far West. Lots of fun gift ideas for babies and older girls. Plus, she can put your name or initials on anything! I went in there looking for a small diaper bag. Our big bag doesn't fit in the stroller slot at the bottom and I wanted a little one for short trips.

This is a shower bag for college, but works great. Lots of pockets and the whole thing is waterproof! Look at the cute font!

So, what does Abby Lu think of her new bows and bag? She looks pretty happy about it!

Fun Filled Day

Thursday was a fun day with lots of people to see.

We had lunch with Cathy and her baby Connor (pictured) and Andrea and her daughter Abbie (not pictured). About 2 years ago, the three of us worked together at Keller Williams and about a year ago, we were a lunchtime party of 3 (sometimes 4 with Abbie). Today, we were a party of 6, almost seven if you count Andrea's unborn baby. It was fun to catch up and look at how much our lives have changed. If we were still at KW, we would be in Orlando right now at convention. I miss my KW friends, but it was nice to be at Jason's Deli on this day.

After lunch, I visited some friends at our church and then met up with Marcus, my Dad, and Jacque at home for pizza and a spontaneous Wii tournament. Dad and Jacque dueled it out in bowling and golf before trying out the Wii fit and learning how hard it is to ski.

Root Beer Belly

As Marcus' coworker John Porter would say- check out that root beer belly. Abby Lu is taking nicely to the milk combination we have going right now. She even took 5 ounces the other night. We are learning when to nurse and when to bottle to maximize both. I hope the pattern works.








All this milk is leading to a little weight gain and along with her length growing, we are about to outgrow my favorite newborn pajamas. I wish I had bought more of these polka dotted cuties at Target.





I think Abby looks like me in this picture... it is the big forehead and the cute ear sitcking out! Everywhere we go we are told she looks like Marcus or me, so she must just be a perfect combination of us both.

Daily Photo Session: 7 Weeks Old

I could just smile at this sweet face all day long!
God made her pretty on the outside and my job is to make sure she is just as pretty on the inside. I hope to praise her for all of the wonderful virtues she possesses that she can control- being kind to others, respecting people, working hard, and being honest to herself and others.

Meet Fifi the Poodle

Abby Lu has taken a liking to Fifi, her little poodle the last couple of days. She hugs her (with a loose arm wrapped around her) when she is sleepy and slobbers all over her when she is unhappy.

Fun with Kyleigh

Since Kyleigh was out of school for President's Day, she joined my Mom and spent yesterday and today at our house. As always, we try to come up with fun projects to do with her.

She spent some time holding and feeding Abby. She always calls her Abigayle, which is cute. The formal name coming from a little person makes me smile.

As is a tradition, we had to bake. I had bought an Almond Joy bar mix at Target last week. It was easy to do with her. No baking involved and very good!

Finally, this morning we did a little home decor. I have been wanting a set of apothecary jars for months and finally found a large affordable set. We filled them with colored beans in a fun pattern to decorate my dining room table. Love it!

Valentine's Day Celebration

Marcus and I got dressed up and enjoyed dinner downtown last night to celebrate Valentine's Day. There was nobody at the restaurant which was nice. No wait and no crowd at Cantina Laredo. The food was wonderful!

Abby doesn't look happy to be staying home with Nana and Kyleigh. She did great- going down in her bed before 8:00 so they could have a Wii bowling tournament. They were fully engrossed in their game when we got back home.

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day. I bought Marcus a Wii game and a nice bottle of wine and he bought me flowers and a cozy sweater blanket I had been wanting. A nice day!

Daddy's Girl Outfits

They sure do make lots of little girl clothes professing their love for their Daddy...







... and we sure do own them all!

Happy Valentine's Day 2009

Abby Goes to Daddy's Office

All decked out in her Valentine's outfit, Abby and I went to Daddy's office this afternoon to meet his team. She was an angel- awake for most of the time and then sleeping peacefully in his arms.

She had a busy day as we also visited my former co-workers at Keller Williams and ran 3 errands. I am so grateful we have a baby that sleeps well in the car and does well in public. You can see her looking around and taking everything in. Then, she sleeps soundly from exhuastion.

After her busy day today, Abby slept through dinner allowing Marcus and I to have a nice early Valentine's Day dinner at home.

Part Two: Uh Oh, is this a sign?

What is this? Our master closet clothes rod fell this afternoon. The screws came out of the wall and the shelf.

Hello, my name is Anna and I have been a shopoholic for 14 years. Welcome Anna.

Silly Daddy

So Marcus plays this cute little game with Abby that his Mom played with him and I captured it in photos.... he sings to her while making faces. Sometimes she laughs at it, sometimes she doesn't seem amused and this time she was down right over it.

Piggy Wiggy














Fishy Wishy













Turkey Lurkey.

This face is a sign of things to come... geez, you people are embarrassing.

Perspective

Abby at 6 weeks and 3 days...

Yesterday I dressed Abby Lu in her super cozy red outfit from her fasion godmother Brandy. This is the same outfit she wore home. I had not put it on her since coming home and she no longer swims in it. It fit her properly this time around. However, her head had obviosuly grown because I could not fit the sweet red hat on her anymore.

Abby at 2 days in her red outfit.

Uh Oh, is this a sign?

The closet extender in Abby Lu's closet broke. Uh Oh, do you think she has too many clothes?

My First Road Trip

Abby Lu and I took a road trip to New Braunfels yesterday to have lunch with my sister who was home awaiting the DSL serviceman. On the way, we stopped at the San Marcos outlet mall for our first bottle in public and our first public restroom diaper change. Wow- never judged a bathroom so hard. She did wonderful in the car and slept both ways. In the Old Navy outlet, she let me know when it was time to go, but not before I managed to snag a couple of cute outfits for her!

Tiffany and I had a wonderful time hanging out on her couch and talking while eating Chick-fil-a. Abby ate and slept a little at Tiffany's house before deciding in the middle of a nasty diaper change that she wasn't done. Sorry about your couch Tiff!

Just before I left Kyleigh came home from school. She was able to finish Abby's bottle and kiss on her before I came home.

The big road trip exhausted Abby Lu and she slept from 7:30 PM until 7:15 this morning! Wow! We did wake her and feed her at 9:45 and at 5:45. Getting out of the house really is good for us. I am able to feel normal again and she takes in the sights and sounds and then rests really well.

Look for us at a shopping mall near you!

6 Weeks Everything Does Change!

Wow- this week we hit 6 weeks and just like I have heard, everything changes!

Abby Lu is smiling, looks at us, sits in her bouncer and enjoys it, and is a much more content baby. The first six weeks were wonderful and I love her dearly, but I feel like we are at a point where we can get to know her. She is developing some true patterns in her behavior and temperament that make it so much easier to parent her and not just follow the books.

She was so happy yesterday morning that I was able to do a photo session without a screaming fit photo to end it all. I captured lots of sweet girl photos this time around.

This time we ended the session because the bright flash was starting to effect her!