Happy New Year, 2013!

I can't say that last night was very exciting for our little family of three.  We put Raleigh Grace to sleep around 10pm and then I did my best to keep the hubs awake (unsuccessfully).  He was adamant on wanting to stay awake so about a minute before the ball dropped I shook him awake so he could count down with me.  We kissed and went to bed.  Super exciting huh?  

This past year has been a good year as a family of three but I am looking forward to becoming a family of FOUR next year.  :)  The number 13 is my favorite number so this year is bound to be good, right?!

Here is a glimpse into our New Years Eve last year vs. this year: 

New Years Eve 2012: 

How we are bringing in the new year... Party in the bath tub!!! Believe it or not this is her excited face!! She loves when we have water squirter wars!!

  2011:

Bringing in the New Year at GGDaddy's house!

Her fancy outfit from Aunt Donna P!

"2012 My First New Years"

...and what exactly we were doing on this day in 2012? We had just driven to Orlando, Florida (yes, with a 2 month old!) for a family vacation with K's family at Walt Disney World!! Oh how I wish we could be back there right now! Instead I'm sitting on the couch with my hubby while RG naps, watching football.  I'll take that too! 

On the way to Cinderella's Castle at 6am to have breakfast with  ALL of the princesses...
Raleigh Grace was dressed up as Belle (the CUTEST Belle ever at that!), and her cousins were Aurora, Snow White and Rapunzel. 

The big girls in front of Cinderella's Castle

Princess Belle and Daddy

I hope you all have a wonderful day today, and happy 2013!! 

RG by the week: 12 weeks!

Jan 2-8, 2011

12 weeks!

Stats: 
Still growing... sorry I haven't measured or weighed her since her 2 month apt. 

Grandpa and "Belle" aka "Beauty and the Beast"

Daddy and "Belle"

All the "princesses" dressed up and ready for breakfast in the castle with Cinderella

Milestones:
Bearing weight on her legs without support. Able to push her legs up straight from a squatting position. Totally holding head/neck up 99% of time with good control. Enjoys sitting up much better than a cradled position.
When she is laying down if you grab her hands she can pull herself up to sit up with minimal effort. She can do this to stand but with greater effort.
She doesn't seem to be happily talking as much as before but she is definitely fussing at us when she needs our attention.

such a good sport on our 12+ hour drive

Sleep:
Sleep as been pretty good considering we weren't home at all this week and we were in super cramped quarters. Starting Tuesday you could tell she really wasn't feeling well because she was much fussier at times. Her naps were shorter in the morning - where she would usually nap 2-3 hrs in the am she would only sleep 45 mins- an hour.

taking a little nap on the bus ride to Magic Kingdom

Feeding:

She took more bottles than normal because we were constantly on the go. This did make her have one quite "chunky" dirty diaper that K was lucky enough to get stuck changing by himself in the Cracker Barrel bathroom on our trip home. She is still a great eater no matter what the circumstance.

family photo opp on the bus

showing off her dress :)

Clothes:
This week was a mix of newborn and 0-3 because we had more warm clothes in 0-3 than newborn, however some 0-3 are perfect and others are just still too large. Still in newborn diapers

on a walk to Downtown Disney

First:
New years day!(we drove all day), family reunion, trip to Disney (Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Downtown Disney), ride: Carousel of Progress (at Magic Kingdom-she slept the entire time), first time meeting all the Disney Princesses, bus ride (from our resort- the tree houses in Saratoga Springs- to Magic Kingdom, meeting great Gma Issinghoff, Aunt Stacy, Uncle Bret, Maren, & Eli, Keith, Wendy and John, first long road trip (approx 12 hrs), first time in GA and Florida, first time meeting Rob, Amy and Olivia, first doggie kiss from Alexia, stay in a resort and a hotel (the Hilton), first cold, trip to Cracker Barrel, got her first North Face Denali jacket, trip to the outlets, train ride (in Magic Kingdom from Frontier Land to main gate),

1st train ride

lunch with Amy and Olivia

meeting amy & rob

Mommy:
Enjoyed a mango margarita the last night at Disney and it was wonderful! My in laws watched rg and I didn't have a worry in the world! After the long week k and I stayed in a hotel with RG- after unloading the car k brought me an ice cold corona and he had a Stella while RG rested so beautifully. It was so nice to be able to enjoy the quiet and put our feet up for a little while after a hectic week!
(sorry these both include drinking ha ha it was just that kind of trip lol)


Challenges:
All 3 of us being sick! If it's not one of us it another :(
The long trip, the drive (even though rg did awesome!), a week away from home with an infant!

Behavior:
She was awesome and such a trooper through the whole trip!! Again, 99% of the time she was so happy and content people watching at the parks haha! Tuesday she had a screaming/crying "fit" at our house where NOTHING would make her happy including nursing (this has never not satisfied her! :( ) so we bundled her (it was in the 50's) and took her on a walk from the tree houses we stayed in to Saratoga springs. She immediately quit crying.  After about an hour she finally fell asleep but scowled the whole time she was both awake and asleep. Luckily, she woke up happier :)

the scowl

Top 2 Tuesday... Favorite Jobs!

Obviously I have the BEST job ever now, and what I have wanted to do my whole life- teaching kiddos, so I will list my top 2 before this career!

1) Walt Disney World!!! When I was a senior in college I participated in the WDW College Program.  It was the TIME OF MY LIFFFFE!!! If you know anyone who is in college you should have them look into this.  Not to mention that EVERY interview I have had after working at WDW that is the one thing they ALWAYS want to talk to me about - my experiences at Walt's home. Lets be honest... everyone you will ever meet has either a)just been there  b) is planning a trip to go there  c)knows someone who just got back from there or d)knows someone who is planning a trip there.  So yeah!
Great job- met some of the greatest people from ALL around the world (they house you in apartments with all the other college kids in the program)- I lived with girls from South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Brazil!  I also attended classes while there.  The weather was so nice we often took mini vacations to places such as Coco Beach, Miami, and Clearwater, FL.
(oh and not to mention I got to go to ALL of the parks as MANY times as I wanted... for FREE!! Thats right!! I have been to the parks OVER 100 times!! :) Not a bad added bonus!)

 The Emporium where I worked :)

K and My honeymoon at Magic Kingdom!

2)Baylor University
I had the opportunity to call perspective students and talk to them about their college decision process.  I was not there to sell Baylor, only to answer questions they had about college and Baylor, and to share my experiences while at BU.  Since I am a huge Baylor fan, I had lots of positive things to say and quite honestly it was just a LOT of fun to chat with high school students about what they were about to get themselves into... college :)

Such a BEAUTIFUL place in way more ways than one!!

Since I've Been Gone...

Well Hey Ya'll and WELCOME back to my blog! 
(I am still in the process of re-vamping-new layout, new background, new picture, etc- so please bear with me)

SOOO much has been going on over the past several months... but I don't really have all the time in the world to discuss that right now, although I assure you that I will. I am going to try my darnedest to get back into my blogging and now that I am back in town and near a computer it should be do-able :) 


So for a quick and short overview... 

"Since I've Been Gone..."

-I finalized our wedding plans

-Took a road-trip to Arkansas 

-From Arkansas drove to N.C.

-Enjoyed being in my hometown for a week

-Had the MOST BEAUTIFUL, FUN, & WONDERFUL wedding & reception to truly the MOST AMAZING man in this WORLD! {seriously, the BEST TIME EVER!!!}

-Took a road-trip/honeymoon to Orlando, FL- spent time at Walt Disney World and got to spend some Q.T. with my dear friends and their newborn daughter, precious girl!

-Took yet another road-trip to spend the remainder of our honeymoon in Destin, FL!

-Obviously (take a look at my new pic...) met up with the MOST TALENTED Patsy Brown and had her take some SMOKIN' HOT photo's of Hubs and I! 

-One last road-trip from FL to New Orleans, Louisiana and finally back to our abode

ohhhhhh and something MOST exciting....

-Got a NEW job TEACHING SECOND GRADE!!! {Squeels!}

And those are just the highlights! I swear I will try to share more soon! Pinky Promise! Oh how I have missed all of my faithful readers and blogger friends!! I have been in workshops all week for New Teacher Training, and tomorrow will wrap that up... so alas I MUST call it a night and get some shut eye... 6:30 am is going to come oh too soon! 

We LOVE you, Patsy Brown!!! Go check out her blog! oh and she travels :)