Happy Father's Day!

We had a very fun Father's Day! Went over to my dad's house for lunch and had a great time visiting, and playing with Dash. Then we went over to David's dad's for some swimming in the heat! It was nice and sunny and there was a breeze all day that just made it a very great day to be outside. Enjoy some pictures of David's first Father's Day!

A GREAT picture of Gracie and her Grandad

Me with Gracie and Dash
Gracie in her new swimsuit (and she's already grown out of it! )
Playing in her new float!
She really seemed to like it!
Sweet picture with Daddy
She discovered the joy of splashing everyone this time!
Family picture

Gracie's 6-month check-up!

Gracie is weighing in at a whopping 18 pounds and 8 ounces! She is in the 90th percentile for her weight among other babies her age, however her doctor is not concerned because her 95th percentile length of 27 1/4 inches balances it out! He is still saying she is going to be a very tall girl!

We got the okay to start on Stage 2 baby foods, so she will now get meats and different veggies and fruits as well as different cereals, and we can mix it up however we want! We're very excited, and Dr. Len says we have a perfect 6-month-old little girl!

2nd tooth in!!!

Gracie was so fussy all weekend, especially this morning. Brandi texted me at 4:30 to tell me that her second tooth had just broken through! So, two teeth in three days... wow she's on a roll, isn't she? =)

Gracie's first tooth broke through!

So yesterday it wasn't even visible, you couldn't feel it or anything. She has been drooling twice as much as usual lately, in a lot of pain, and even running a couple of low-grade fevers the last two days, so we figured it would be any day now. Well... that day was today! We were at Jacqueline's baby shower and Gracie was just attacking everything in sight to chew on, so I finally put my thumb in her mouth to chew on for awhile. That's when I felt a tiny, sharp bump on her lower gum! You can barely see it, but it has definitely broken through. So, she got her first tooth in today! We are very excited!

Time for a Gracie update!

She is a champ at eating all her baby food and usually sleeps through the night in her crib with very minimal fussiness if any at all when we lay her down. YES! =) No teeth in quite yet, but it should be any day now.

Here are a few other things she has mastered lately:

Grabs both feet at a time...

...and chews on them!
Sits straight up, unsupported by even her hands...
...leaving them available to put absolutely everything in her mouth!
And she is starting to hold her own bottle!

What a big girl! =) She turns six-months old next Thursday, and her 6-month appointment is next Friday! We can't wait to find out her measurements and start the next feeding stage!

Taking action to protect pets

In light of the horrific story in the Dallas Morning News and all over the radio yesterday about a Denton couple's dog that was mistakenly euthanized at the Denton Animal Shelter (see story here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/060208dnmetdeaddogs.375a981.html), we are now supporting the local no-kill animal shelter Operation Kindness.

There are many ways to help them! This link: http://www.operationkindness.org/helping/HelpingAnimals.htm outlines several ways to help the shelter. We use the Kroger Cares Card and Tom Thumb Reward Card to donate a portion of our purchases, and I will use the "Giving Works" Icon on Ebay when I list a few items to sell, which will let the buyers know that I am donating a portion of their purchase to Operation Kindness. I even volunteered to help at some of their Special Events!

Please get involved to help these animals, and to support the no-kill animal shelters. The Tom Thumb Reward Card option is simply notifying the cashier one time to link your card to Operation Kindness, and then you never have to worry about it again!

Thanks for listening!

Gracie's first art!

Gracie fingerpainted for the first time at Mrs. Brandi's today! I can't wait to get it in a frame!

Sara's 23rd Birthday Party!

Last night we went out to celebrate my birthday! First we had dinner at Copeland's of New Orleans inside the Hilton Hotel in Southlake Town Square. Then we headed over to the Glass Cactus at the Gaylord Texan Resort on Lake Grapevine! It was loads of fun, and a much-needed party night! Here are some pictures!

With Brandi

The party at Glass Cactus!
This crazy cover band was playing
What a smile, David! Haha
I can't remember where this hat came from, but I loved it!

Gracie's fun bathtime!

Today is my 23rd birthday! We didn't do anything to celebrate, but my party is Saturday night, so we're looking forward to that! I had to work 7-3 today, Mom took me to lunch at 11, and Brandi picked me up in the afternoon and took Gracie and I home, which was so nice. David has to work in Arlington until 10pm, so it was just me and the kiddo for the evening. We had a lot of fun playing and napping together, and after green beans for dinner (she ate them all!), it was time for her bath! I usually play with her a little bit in the water, just pouring water on her, but this time she actually sat herself up in her tub and reached for the toys! It was so cute, I couldn't help but take a bunch of pictures! Afterwards, we read a story and sang some nite-nite songs and when I laid her down FULLY AWAKE in her crib.... she didn't cry once! Just smiled at me when I kissed her goodnight and said her prayers and when I left her room she didn't make a peep! I checked on her every five minutes or so and she was just snoozing away... so the last three weeks of letting her cry really did pay off! We are so excited! It was a very hard process, but now she knows her bedtime routine and knows what time it is when we lay her down. I'm so proud!

Enjoy some pictures of our fun bath time tonight!

Memorial Day week

It's been a busy one so far! We both had Memorial Day off, which was really nice. We sat around the house being lazy and cooked a big M-Day meal of BBQ ribs, corn casserole, and green bean bundles (just cooked, fresh green beans wrapped five at a time in bacon slices, then popped in the oven for about 15 minutes until beans are crispy, bacon still a little soft.... so good!). We had a crazy time this week running back and forth between our jobs and the house and the Koon's to drop off and pick up Gracie. We can't wait to get that second car soon!

I got the schedule all worked out for June, and most likely the rest of the summer, as well. Here it is:

*Every Monday and Wednesday: 11am-7pm
*Every Tuesday and Thursday: 7am-3pm

Friday, June 6th: 11am-7pm
Saturday, June 7th: OFF

Friday, June 13th: OFF
Saturday, June 14th: 8am-1pm

Friday, June 20th: 11am-7pm
Saturday, June 21st: OFF

Friday, June 27th: OFF
Saturday, June 28th: 8am-1pm

Gracie's first swim!

We went over to David's dad's house today to cookout and go swimming. We've had a little swimsuit for Gracie, but I've been waiting until she is old enough to have sunscreen on her skin (her pediatrician said to wait until around 6 months old). I decided that at 5 1/2 months it would be fine to go ahead and put it on her so we went to the store and got her some baby sunscreen and swim diapers and headed to the pool! I used almost half the bottle of sunscreen on her throughout the afternoon, and she wore a hat the whole time she was in the sun, so don't worry, she was very protected! She was great, she really loves the water anyway, so she was calm but interested the whole time. She loved when I blew bubbles at her in the water, and when I'd go underwater she would watch me. She fell asleep on David's lap afterwards and snoozed away in the shade. It was a fun day, and I can't wait to get her in the pool again! Next time we'll get her one of those floats with a shade on them, made especially for babies her age. She will love it! Enjoy some pictures!

We got our new car!!!!!!

We have been wanting to get rid of our 2005 Ford F150, because we spend about $600 per month on gas. Well, David got off work early today and came up to my work and sat down to talk with one of the used sales guys and we left in our new car! It's not new, really, but it's a Certified Pre-Owned 2005 Honda Accord Sedan! We got a great deal on it; it's in great condition, warranties still intact, and only has 40,000 miles on it! It's a really ugly green color, though, but I can live with that since we have a much safer, nicer, and cheaper car! We will pay it off quickly through our Total Money Makeover plan, so we are excited to have a great family car that will last us a really long time! We are going to keep our eyes peeled for a cheap little car we can pay cash for that I will use to just go to work and back, since I stay in the Lewisville/Flower Mound/Highland Village area every day. My weird work schedule has made having only one car pretty hard, so we need another car. But it's going to be a cheap little thing, probably less than $3000. We will try to get that by the end of the summer. Here are some pictures of the new addition to our family! (;D)

Busy week

Well, I haven't had much time to get on the computer this week. I'm trying to adjust to my work schedule and still get things done at home. Gracie's going to stay with Brandi tomorrow, and I'm really excited. I know she'll have a lot of fun with Brandi and Maelyn. I really like my job so far. It's very easy and I've already learned pretty much everything. It keeps me busy, which I like because it makes the day go by faster. Next week I have Monday off for Memorial Day, and Friday off, also, so that will be nice. Gracie started applesauce tonight and she loves it! Ate the whole container. We are definitely looking forward to a long, relaxing weekend!

Sara's Work Schedule for May

I love my job! =) It's a little boring sometimes, but it is easy and fun, because I get to talk to people as they come up to the counter, and there's always filing to keep me busy. I really missed Gracie, but I was so busy trying to learn everything that I didn't get too upset. I picked up on everything really well and quickly, and I'll actually be closing on my own on Friday! The scheduling isn't quite what I had planned for, but I actually like it a little better. The cashiers make their own schedule together, so we're flexible with each other's needs. Here is my schedule for the next two weeks:

Mon, 5/19: 11am-7pm
Tues, 5/20: 7am-3pm
Wed, 5/21: 11am-7pm
Thurs, 5/22: 7am-3pm
Fri, 5/23: 11am-7pm
Sat, 5/24: off
*Closed Sundays*
Mon, 5/26: off for Memorial Day
Tues, 5/27: 7am-3pm
Wed, 5/28: 11am-7pm
Thurs, 5/29 (my birthday!): 7am-3pm
Fri, 5/30: off
Sat, 5/31: 8am-1pm

I will work 11am-7pm every Monday and Wednesday, and 7am-3pm every Tuesday and Thursday. I won't know my weekend schedule (Fridays and Saturdays) until the beginning of each month, but I will post it when I find out!

Sara starts new job today!

I'm a little nervous, and at the last minute I've decided that I REALLY don't want to go back to work. There's just too much going on with Gracie, and I want to be with her! But, we really needed to get the ball rolling on our Total Money Makeover, and get on the right track to getting our own place to live, and that means I just have to get a job. Uuuuuuuugh.... I'm not even excited! That is so unlike me, I'm always excited about a new job. And this is Honda, of all places! I guess having a baby really does change your outlook on everything...

Well, off to get ready. Wish me luck!

*And please keep our friend Brandi Koon in your prayers today. She is having a test done this morning, and we pray the outcome of that is a positive one. Thanks!

Camping!

David and I went camping with some friends this weekend to Lake Whitney (it's a little outside Hillsboro). We had so much fun, we didn't realize how much we needed a weekend to just get away. Of course we missed Gracie, but it was nice to have some uninterrupted time to ourselves for a few days. Here are a few pictures, hope everyone had a great weekend!

Brandi and Mark entertaining us with a musical performance =)

Baggo! (or as I call it, a glorified bean-bag toss)

Gracie is sitting up unsupported!

She has been doing well sitting with a little support lately, and I've been practicing with her without support and letting her fall over to learn. Today we were playing and she started to tip sideways and she quickly put her hand down and caught herself! She looked up at me like, "What do I do now?", haha. She continued to hold herself up repeatedly for awhile, until she got tired. She can't sit up from laying down, and she can't catch herself if she tips backwards from sitting, but she can keep herself upright for the most part! She also sat up without using her hands to support her, I just couldn't get a picture of it. So she's now an unsupported sitter! She's been consistently early in her milestones so far, so maybe she'll be pulling up soon! That may be a bit premature, but she sure does have a mind of her own! I'm so proud! =)

Here are some pictures, and follow the links below to see video of her sitting up!

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/sarasmatic149/?action=view&current=05-15-08052.flv

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/sarasmatic149/?action=view&current=05-15-08056.flv

Getting a little big for this bouncer.

Sitting up, unsupported!
Nothing back there holding her up, it's all Gracie!

She likes to push up from her elbows onto her hands now... building up that upper body strength to start crawling soon!

Silly, giggling girl!

***I also wanted to mention that little Addison Lynn Hieronymus was born today, daughter of my friends Aaron and Deanna, niece of Nicki, granddaughter of Mr. Harry and Mrs. Debbie, and great-niece of Bobo! She was born in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at around 2pm, weighing 7 pounds and 11 ounces, and 21 inches long. Congratulations to them and their families! I'm very excited!

Sara's new doctor

So I went to a new OB/GYN today. If you don't remember, I hated the doctor that delivered Gracie and vowed never to go back. My insurance finally kicked in, and I found this guy to be the closest Aetna provider to me, so I called, and they said they had a cancellation today and could get me in! He was AWESOME! I've never been very comfortable with guy doctors, but after my last doctor, I didn't think it could get any worse. Dr. Van Dell is so funny, and really easy to talk to, and very understanding. He respected exactly what I wanted, listened to my concerns, and spoke to me as an adult, not like I was below him, which was how Dr. Greggs was. He's going to request all my files from Dr. Greggs, and then go over them with me, so that I understand exactly what happened during my labor and delivery. He and his nurses are really nice, and I still can't believe that I actually enjoyed my visit! So if you want to check him out, his name is Dr. Guy Van Dell, and his office is located in Parker Square, in Flower Mound. He takes pretty much every insurance, even Medicaid! He delivers at Medical Center Lewisville, which is a great hospital. I'm just really excited to have found a doctor I love, after all the crap I put up with seeing Dr. Greggs. He even has a 3D/4D ultrasound machine in his office! We didn't have that opportunity with Gracie, but now we will with our future children! *Don't get too excited, I just went back on some serious birth control, so we won't have any more little Gracies for awhile! =)

Sweet potatoes were a big hit!

Gracie LOVES sweet potatoes! She ate an entire container of them tonight! It's so funny, I think she was disappointed when then were all gone! Hehe... next its carrots on Saturday, and then her first fruit, applesauce! She rolled over three times while playing today, tummy to back. And she's been sleeping in her crib all night the last few nights, which makes us REALLY happy! She's five months old today, and getting so big and doing so good! We're very proud!

Happy Mother's Day!

We went to church, and my parents met us there for Gracie's dedication! It was a very special time, and other than a messy diaper, she did pretty good the whole service! We went to lunch at Village Grill with the family afterwards, and enjoyed a buffet-style brunch. Then David and I went home, changed clothes, and then went to Taste Addison! It was a GORGEOUS day, and after strolling around, we spread a blanket out under some trees and just relaxed and played with Gracie for awhile. When we got home David grilled us some steaks for dinner! I had a great 1st Mother's Day, and I hope all the other mothers out there enjoyed their day, also!

CRAWFISH Boil!

I LOOOOOVE crawfish, if you didn't already know! Our friends, the Koons, and their family have a huge crawfish boil every year, and we went to it today. We had a great time hanging out with everyone, and enjoying all the yummy crawfish, corn, potatoes and sausage! We got quite a bit of sun, but we were mostly in the shade and drank a lot. We left at around 3:45 to take Gracie home, but the party was still going strong! I wanted to go back later, but the Stars game is on so we have to watch that. =) Yay for crawfish and friends and the Stars!

Just a fraction of the 140+ pounds of crawfish!

Family picture (it was really hot and humid)
David with Gracie and the boys: Brian, Mark, and Zach
Playing with Daddy
Gracie (held by Brandi) saying "hi" to her new friend, Bailey

Yesterday was our 1st Anniversary and David's 28th Birthday!

David had to work, so I played with Gracie at home all day, then when David got home we got ready and set out to have our anniversary dinner. We had originally planned to go to Taste Addison, but none of our friends were going. David wanted to go play poker, so we decided we'd go eat first and then meet at Mark and Brandi's house to play. Well, we ended up taking some back roads up to Denton, just enjoying the gorgeous evening and sunset as we drove. We couldn't decide where to eat, and David wasn't hungry, so we ended up just going through the Grandy's drive-thru for dinner and going to the Koon's house. We hung out on their patio for awhile, and then set up the poker table at abotu 12:30 am, hehe. We played (and lost to the Koons) and got home around 2:30 or so. We had a fun time, but we will probably finally go to Taste Addison Sunday evening. So that was our wonderful day! =)

Gracie's first trip to the Zoo!

We went to the Fort Worth Zoo today! We rode with Brandi and Maelyn and met Brandi's friend Nikki and her daughter Lauren there. It was fun! Gracie didn't really look at the animals, she was more interested in the toys I had attached to her stroller. Aside from the bees that kept stalking me, we had a blast! =) She got really sleep at the end and passed out the whole way home. I can't wait til she's old enough to notice the animals, but that won't stop me from taking her again before then! Here's some pictures of us at the zoo:

In the Penguin Exhibit

Me, Nikki, and Brandi, and our sleepy princesses Gracie, Lauren and Maelyn

Bad news: Sinus Infection... Good news: Job!

I have a bad one. I was in bed all Saturday night, all day Sunday, and most of Monday. I finally got up to go to the doctor yesterday around 1pm, and they diagnosed me with severe sinusitis, and gave me a prescription. I've only got a couple doses in me so far, but I already felt better when I woke up this morning. Now if I could just breathe through my nose...

Needless to say, I wasn't able to make that cake for the children's ministry's dessert auction on Sunday. But I just heard that they made $10,000 at this year's event, setting a new record! That is AWESOME! Now every single kid will be able to go to camp, how neat is that? I'm very excited for them. Maybe my cake next year will help get them to $15,000.

Well, Chris called me from Bankston Honda yesterday, and told me to come in at 2pm today. I got the job! He just took me on a tour of the dealership today, and introduced me to most of the people I'll be working with. I will start on May 19th, so that gives me a little more time with Gracie, yay! I'm sad that I have to go to work, but I'm excited about the chance I have to get into a career field I've always wanted. I'm still not sure what I want to be "when I grow up", but I know I definitely want to be in this industry, and this is a great place to start. So I'm glad the cards fell just right to enable me to jump on this opportunity!

Busy day

This morning I went to the Ladies' Craft event at church. It was lots of fun! We got to make a few neat projects, and we had a potluck-brunch, which was super yummy. It was nice to spend time with some of the ladies I'd never met, as well as with some friends.

I had to leave early to get ready to go eat lunch for Great-Grandmother's 88th birthday. We still ran a bit late, but everyone got to see Gracie and we had a great lunch at Abuelo's. I love my family so much. We're all so unique, but when we all get going you can tell we're pretty alike! (Also, most of us are blonde, so that's another clue, hehe). I'm so happy to be related to some of the classiest, funniest, and honest people on the planet. And I just LOVE spending time with Gran, she's one of my very best friends. We can talk about absolutely anything at all, without judging each other, and understand each other perfectly. She's an incredible woman, and I'm very blessed to have her in my life. We are also feet twins, did you know that? Hehe, no one else in the family has such long pretty toes like we do. And I'm starting to come down with the, "Sassy, Sally, Dyana, .... what's your name again?" syndrome, HAHA. That's one of her trademarks. (;P)

Ugh, I think I'm getting sick. My throat started hurting yesterday afternoon, but I thought I just hadn't been drinking enough water. Then today it was still hurting and now I have a horrible headache, and am achy all over. Great, I might get offered this job this week, and I can't be sick! I need to make one of those Pink Lady cakes I made for Mom's birthday tonight. The children's ministry at church is having a dessert auction tomorrow to raise money for camps this summer, and I think it will be a big hit. Guess I'll go lay down awhile and see if I feel better...

I'll miss these lazy weekdays with Gracie...

I filled out the forms consenting to my background check and went and did my drug test (after an hour wait, ugh) yesterday, and the results from all that should come back in 3-4 business days. I should expect a call by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week to tell me their formal offer. I can't wait, but after the excitement of the last few days, I am really realizing how much I will miss Gracie when I start working. Today has been really relaxing so far, sleeping in with her, watching cartoons, playing, eating her cereal, and she's now on her second nap while I catch up on some housework. I'll miss these lazy days with just us, but I know that working will be great for our family, and I won't be so lazy all the time. =) I know Gracie will have a great time hanging out with her Grammy and also Mrs. Brandi from time to time, but I hope I don't miss too many milestones. Now I know how David must feel when I called him at work to tell him she rolled over on her own, or laughed for the first time. Maybe I will just tell them to not tell me if she does anything new, to let us see for ourselves and think it's the first time. Aw, now I'm getting sad. Well, I will just have to enjoy the few days I have left with her before I start working. I'll go up there now and read a book while she's napping.

Enjoy a few pictures from the last few days!

Found her toes!!!

A beautiful field of wildflowers at Arapaho & 75, in Richardson.