Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Eve! We have had a very insane week, thus the lack of updates. But now we're home and being lazy, so here I go. We had a good weekend visit with Mitch's parents. We really enjoy when they come visit because we usually make it to a movie and dinner. This time we saw National Treasure, and I think it's fantastic. It's a great sequel. Today we spent our time relaxing and playing Super Mario Bros. III. Mitch downloaded it off the internet, and I'm having a blast. The only Nintendo I had access to was my granny's, and I had to fight all my cousins for a turn. Mitch is very patient with me when we play.

Jacey has definitely blossomed recently. Today she kept down a spoonful or two of cereal, much to the delight of her momma. Maybe we can start experimenting with eating food soon. We also finally found her a Bumbo chair. They had been recalled for a while, but now they're back! She had fun sitting a chewing on Dad's new loofah.

The small things in life

As I sit here and enjoy my brownie and milk, I realized I have never honored the small things I love about living in Canyon. And so here they are, in no particular order:

1. Braum's. I have to admit that at first I wasn't all that impressed with their food and ice cream. Growing up in Nashville you learn to love Purity. However, Mitch and I decided one day that we needed to try Braum's whole milk. One word. Yum. And I'm not a big milk drinker at all! But now we go through about 2 gallons a week. I also love their ice cream. It's way better than Blue Bell, and cheaper too.
2. The mindset that a trip to Walmart is a "long" way. Walmart is on the edge of town, about 5 minutes from our house.
3. No traffic. People here talk about traffic problems. I even heard once on the news that Canyon had a traffic problem! To give them credit, there is a stoplight that has no turn signal, which is annoying. But not really a problem. When I go to a city I have to remember to have patience, since it takes forever to get through a stoplight.
4. Tascosa Hot Sauce. It has to be some of the best salsa I've ever had. The Panhandle of Texas doesn't have the best Mexican food around, but they definitely know what they're doing when it comes to salsa (and the chips that go with it.) It's cool too because it's made in Amarillo. My mom buys 3 or 4 big jars when she comes to take home with her.
5. Everyone puts up Christmas lights. The majority of the people on our street have put up lights of some sort. Mitch and I were feeling like the outcasts, so we went to Walmart and bought enough icicle lights to go around the house.

Get to know me- Christmas version

Welcome to the Holiday edition of getting to know your friends.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love wrapping presents. To me, bags are just an easy way out of wrapping the presents.
2. Real tree or artificial? This year I got Mitch to go with me to look at real trees, and about 5 minutes later we had the perfect one picked out. It's thick, and full, and smells unbelievably good. In the past we had a very small, skinny fake tree.
3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever we have time. This year, we put it up yesterday.
4. When do you take the tree down? Same answer...whenever time permits.
5. Do you like eggnog? I've honestly never tried it.
6. What about Fruitcake? Again, I've never had it, but probably don't.
7. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably Barbie's Dream House. I got it when I was around 5 years old, and I can't wait to pull it out again with Jacey. Supposedly my parents stayed up half the night to put it together; mom having a blast, dad being miserable with all the little stickers and girly stuff.
8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, my mom got us the Willow Tree nativity scene a few years ago.
9. Hardest person to buy for? Probably Leland.
10. Easiest person to buy for? My mom
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I actually can't think of one
12. Mail or email Christmas cards? I used to send cards. This year, you'll just have to know you're loved without one.
13. Favorite Christmas Movie? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. What a classic! Mom even has all the figurines. I also like White Christmas.
14. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Right before we leave for Thanksgiving, since we celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving together with part of the family.
15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope but sometimes I want to.
16. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? fudge, cherry cheesecake
17. Clear lights or colored on the tree? We have both. Supposedly if you wrap the trunk of the tree with clear lights, it glows. Then we put colored lights on, and our tree definitely twinkles.
18. Favorite Christmas song? Jingle Bells and Sleigh Ride (I love the crack of the whip and the horse...I'm am band dork, I know.)
19. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? We are actually going to be home for Christmas day for the first time. Then we are traveling to Nashville to visit my parents. Yep, 15 hours in the car with an infant. I'll keep you informed on that one.
20. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? actually yes
21. Angel on the tree top or a star? We went with a Santa hat. Whoever distributes the presents on Christmas morning wears the hat.
22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning, unless it's cool pjs from the Wiggains.
23. What is the one present you want most this year? I honestly have everything I wanted already. The rest is just icing on the cake.
24. Most annoying thing about this time of year? "White Santa" gift exchanges. I hate opening and stealing things that someone got just because it was the worst thing they could find in their house. Dirty Santa is much better. It's the same idea, but with really cool gifts.
25. What I love most about Christmas? Being with family, giving presents, possibility of snow, carols, getting cool stuff, and the magic of it all.

I tag Mitch, Mom, Charlotte, and Laura.

Perfect Moments

Every now and then you find yourself in those moments where the world is absolutely perfect. Some of these might include a proposal, seeing your child for the first time, vacationing in a new place, etc. Tonight was one of those moments for me. Mitch, Jacey, and I decided to go to Braum's for ice cream. As I sat down to enjoy my chocolate cookies & cream single dip, I looked over to watch Mitch entertaining Jacey. She could not get enough of him. She smiled and smiled. I realized that at that moment, with great ice cream, a beautiful child, and a wonderful husband and father that the world probably couldn't get any better.

God-things

When I was in junior high and high school my friends and I were hooked on to a series of Christian romance novels. They provided many opportunities for dreams and giggles. They also gave me the phrase "God-things." Although that phrase most likely didn't originate with that author, the stories provided many examples of God-things in "real" life.

Today I was part of a huge God-thing. We were told by the hospital where we had Jacey that we might qualify for financial assistance, since our bill was large and we didn't have maternity insurance. I felt blessed just to have that opportunity, because many places won't mention things like that to you unless you ask. Today I completed the forms and sent them in. And (drumroll please...), we qualify. Completely. Our bill was 100% forgiven. WOW. Who knew hospitals did that? God certainly did.

Definitely a God-thing.


Maybe now we can get a new couch...

Thanksgiving

We had an awesome Thanksgiving holiday in San Antonio. It was great to get away and hang out with family for a week. We were able to enjoy the sights, including the Riverwalk, the mall, and H-E-B with about a million other people who were buying food. Mitch's parents really spoiled us with the nice house and meals.

I also enjoyed watching all of the little ones play together. Each child is at a distinctly different stage, and it was interesting to watch. Reese is babbling like crazy and reaching for everything; Keynan is starting to talk and learn about boundaries; Raylee is talking and watching out for everyone; and Ryland is starting to read. Such a variety! I learned a lot about what to expect with Jacey over the next months/years.

Sunday we drove home and actually got to see some snow. Between Big Spring and Lubbock there was probably 2-3 inches. Unfortunately we didn't get anything in Canyon, but maybe soon.

The only downside of our trip is that I came home with a horrible cold. I don't think I got it from anyone in the family, since I got sick so soon after seeing them. But it's no fun. I've been in bed most of the time Jacey's napping the past 2 days. Today I'm a little better, and hopefully can make it to the grocery store without too much exhaustion.

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!

The Father's love

After a particularly difficult day today with Jacey, I sat rocking and feeding her thinking about my love for her. Days like today are fairly rare. She usually plays, naps, eats, and smiles right on schedule. Today she took a good morning nap, and then a short afternoon one. She woke up early, which meant she was grumpy. After spending 2 hours screaming and crying, she went to sleep, only to be woken up again in 20 minutes by our dog barking. Needless to say, my emotions were spent. (Luckily I have a wonderful, forgiving, and patient husband.) And I love that child more than I can possibly imagine. I used to wonder how my parents felt about me. Not that I wasn't absolutely positive they loved me, but I wondered what it felt like to have a child of my own. What kind of love is it, and what does it feel like? To be honest, I can't describe it in words. Awesome, consuming, fulfilling; these are a few adjectives, but they don't paint the whole picture. I really would do anything it took to make her happy and healthy. And I would fight anyone or anything that threatened her. I understand now the Father's love. I can barely fit my love for Jacey inside myself; God feels that for every single person.

That's just amazing.

3 Months

Today we are going to Sears to get Jacey's 3 month pictures taken. I'm quite excited honestly. When I was growing up my parents had our baby pictures on the wall for all to see. It made me feel special, and it was also fun to look at how little I was. I hope to continue the tradition with Jacey and all of our children. My only dilemma is what to dress her in...

The pictures should be online tonight, so if you would like to order any just let me know!

We are also going Christmas shopping. Yes, I know it's before Thanksgiving, but we're getting together with Mitch's family for a week of fun in San Antonio, and we're celebrating Christmas then. I'm also excited about this. Even though we just went to Nashville, I'm looking forward to a vacation. Maybe just a trip to a place we haven't seen in awhile.

God has really blessed us this year. We have plenty of food, clothing, health, a cool house, great friends, and a wonderful family. So many people can't say that!

And it might even snow here on Thanksgiving.

Recent Pictures

Here are some recent pictures for your enjoyment!

Jacey and Aunt Charlotte

Just hanging out.

My little bumblebee!

I just loved the antennas.

It's been awhile...

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. We've had a very full few weeks. A couple of weeks ago we flew to Nashville to visit my parents. It definitely was a whirlwind trip, but a very enjoyable one. Jacey got to meet most of the family and some friends too. We even got an adorable 4 generation picture with my grandparents. Jacey was pretty spoiled all week, but handled it well, of course. She even enjoyed the airplane, since it incorporates the best things in her world: being held my mom & dad, eating a lot, and white noise.

Halloween was great. It was one of the most perfect Halloweens I've seen in awhile. The trees were turning colors but hadn't lost their leaves, the sun was shining, and the air was a little crisp. Jacey and I got a cold but still had a blast. She went as a bumblebee (pictures coming soon,) and the antennas were the best part. I'm sure she'll hate us for making her wear them in about 15 years.

This past weekend we went to Hooker for their youth rally. I ask Mitch every year if he is excited about going "home," but to him it's not really home anymore. Which is very understandable with all that has happenedsince they've moved away. But once he sees the land he grew up on, he gets this cute goofy smile. I love watching it every year. We enjoyed seeing the members of the church there and showing off Jacey. Mitch did a great job leading singing, and I think everyone had a great time.

Before we left for the youth rally, the coolest piece of technology I've ever owned arrived. How cool is it, might you ask? So cool it toook Mitch and I 5 minutes to figure out how to turn it on. Yes, I got a new cell phone, the Blackberry pearl. It is a phone, organizer, calendar, note taker, music player, and anything else I could ever want it to be, all in one. I used to think I didn't need all those things in a phone. Because a phone is just that, a phone. But after having Jacey, I've forgotten so many commitments that I just had to do something. And it's wonderful. Mitch is very jealous.

Pictures of the past few weeks coming soon!

Thank you

God has been reminding me recently in so many small ways that he'll take care of us. With all of the doctor's bills coming, and life just being what it is, sometimes it's easy to forget I don't have to do this all on my own. The most recent reminder happened yesterday. I had been thinking about going to buy Jacey some winter clothes, since it's getting cooler. Luckily I waited. This past weekend Harmony sent me home with two tubs of baby clothes she wasn't going to use anymore. After doing 4 loads of just baby laundry and putting them away, I realized that Jacey can probably wear a different outfit for every day from now until maybe April. And she'll look fabulous too. I'm out of hangers and drawer space. It is very wonderful. Thank you so much Harmony! (And Raylee and Reese too!)

Busy...

We have been pretty busy these past few days, thus the lengthy absence from posting. Last Friday Jacey went to the doctor for a check-up and to get her first shots. Poor thing didn't like them at all (who does?) but survived the ordeal very well. We then headed out to Dallas to visit the Wiggains clan. It was fun to show off our kid and to see all of the cousins and aunts and uncles. Everyone is growing up so fast. And they're all adorable.

I've come to realize that Jacey is a home-body. She inheirited this trait from me. Mitch told me a long time ago that he didn't want our kids to be home-bodies and attached to their own beds, routines, etc. Unfortunately, babies have a tendency to decide for themselves what they like. She was very pleasant on our trip for the most part, but didn't nap well, and was a little out-of-sorts. The wonderful thing about this is that when we come home, she's an angel. She's taken all of her naps, and slept for 7 1/2 hours last night. She's talked, smiled, played, and has just loved life. (I say this now; I'm probably jinxing myself for the rest of the day.)

Not to say we're never traveling again. Monday we head out to Nashville to visit my parents and sister for a week. I'm really excited to see them and all of my friends. My popularity has definitely gone up since Jacey arrived.

My 100

1. I'm 23 years old.
2. I share my birthday, January 19, with my sister, who is 3 years younger than I am.
3. We were actually born in the same hour, so we're 3 years and 30 minutes apart.
4. I also share it with Dolly Parton.
5. I like the idea of posting "my 100," so I'm being a copycat.
6. I grew up in Nashville.
7. Everyone asks me if I know any country music stars. Nope.
8. My dad has met or seen a lot of them though. He actually stopped Alan Jackson in a restaurant to shake his hand. Mom freaked out.
9. I always thought Nashville was a small city. Then I moved to West Texas.
10. I no longer can drive confidently in Nashville.
11. I've allowed myself to believe Canyon/Amarillo is a city.
12. Then I drove 5 minutes outside of town towards Hereford. What kind of name is Hereford, anyway?
13. I attended private schools all my life.
14. I was/am a band dork. Just turn on DCI, and I go crazy.
15. I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom.
16. I actually like cleaning my house. It makes me feel clean and pretty somehow.
17. I don't like cleaning our shower though. It's all tile...walls, ceiling, and floor. And mold loves to grow. Ugh.
18. I've been married for 3 years.
19. My husband is the only person I've ever kissed.
20. I love being pregnant. It allows you to not worry about being fat.
21. My water broke before any contractions started.
22. I started shaking because I was so surprised. And scared.
23. Jacey came in 5 hours.
24. I'm worried that I won't make it to the hospital in time with my next kids. At least in time for an epidural.
25. I thought I wanted a lot of kids. I still do, but can't imagine such craziness yet.
26. I love chocolate cake.
27. My granny always made chocolate cake for me and my cousin Dustin when the family got together.
28. She also made me green beans. My granny makes the best green beans. I don't believe there is any nutritional value left in them, but boy are they good.
29. My granny's name is Granny. At least that's how the whole world knows her. She even addressed a package to me as Granny Chester.
30. I have 15 cousins on my dad's side of the family.
31. We warn newcomers when we go visit the entire family. They must be prepared, or they'll be very overwhelmed. Just ask Mitch.
32. I love playing music.
33. I desperately miss playing my clarinet.
34. I'm currently teaching piano lessons.
35. I love to cook.
36. I love trying new recipes.
37. I have to have a recipe when I cook, unless I'm making homemade pizza and chocolate chip cookies.
38. My mom and I make the best homemade lasagna.
39. I've always wanted to learn how to decorate cakes.
40. My experiments in that area have not turned out as I would have wished.
41. I've never had a "real" job, with a boss and everything.
42. I really try not to be lazy.
43. I love sleeping though. And naps.
44. I miss sleeping all night long.
45. My two favorite times of day with Jacey are mornings after she's eaten - she kicks and talks to me a lot, and bath/bedtime. There's something calming about a freshly clean, naked baby.
46. I love to read, and always have.
47. My kindergarten teacher told my parents to consider holding me back because I couldn't read anything but "stop" before 1st grade. They didn't, and I was reading at a 4th grade level a few months in.
48. It takes me about 10 minutes in the library to fill my arms with books.
49. I've read almost every Nancy Drew book in existence.
50. I love to scrapbook.
51. I hate the philosophy, "Just get it done as fast and easily as you can," when scrapbooking. To me, it's a process that must be enjoyed, no matter how long it takes.
52. My last scrapbook was about 6 inches thick. That was for 2005. It took me about a year to finish.
53. I also crosstitch.
54. I'm working on a snow scene for our guest room. I'll probably finish it by the time we redo that room.
55. My last crosstitching piece took my 8 years.
56. I guess I have a lot patience.
57. I can't watch true emergency shows, like the ones on the Discovery channel, or listen to sad songs, especially those involving little kids. This started about 7 weeks ago.
58. I hate animal movies, and refuse to watch them.
59. My favorite color is purple.
60. Our house will eventually have every color of the rainbow in it. So far, our bedroom is red, the guest room is purple, and the nursery is yellow and green. Eventually the living room will be orange (rust), the kitchen green, and the laundry room might be blue.
61. My favorite food is Italian.
62. I love rice as well. If Mitch is gone, I'll make rice for dinner.
63. I believe tuna casserole is gross.
64. I only make it with chicken.
65. The sound it makes is fun to hear.
66. I played softball for 11 years.
67. I believe my first word was ball.
68. My grandfather taught me eye-hand coordination. We would go into the hall of my house and he would toss me a tennis ball. I had a racquet ball racket and I would hit it back to him.
69. I enjoyed those 11 years, but don't miss playing.
70. I cannot dance.
71. I discovered this when I was in winter guard.
72. I can walk to a beat and catch things at the same time.
73. I was put on equipment (flags/rifle) as soon as possible during our show.
74. I painted myself blue every Friday night one fall.
75. Blue face paint can take forever to get off.
76. Driving home with a blue face can be interesting. I really tried not to get in a wreck or be pulled over. I didn't want to explain it.
77. I've had every length of hair possible.
78. I hate/hated being a dork.
79. I'm amazed I snagged such a cutie for a husband for that reason.
80. I love copying down music. I love the simple drawing process that is so precise.
81. I love school supplies, and can't wait to get to buy them for my kids.
82. One of life's greatest joys is a 120 count Crayola box of crayons that have never been used.
83. They even smell good.
84. I love going to the beach.
85. Boogy boarding and wave jumping are two things I could do for hours.
86. I like skiing.
87. I'm a horrible skier, but enjoy trying.
88. I love to eat.
89. Right now, I can eat a ton of food.
90. Koolaid is the greatest invention.
91. Sweet tea is a must. I didn't comprehend the existence of unsweet tea for a long time.
92. My grandmother was a poet.
93. If she was alive, she'd write you a poem.
94. My mom was adopted from Germany.
95. One day Mitch is going to take me to Europe. And Hawaii.
96. I love roses.
97. I believe every woman should get flowers at least once a year. Preferrable more often.
98. My dog understands English. He chooses to obey.
99. I don't really know how to use makeup, so I don't wear it that often.
100. It's hard to come up with 100 things about myself.

One thing I've learned by living here is that life is unpredictable. We aren't guaranteed that tomorrow is going to work out like we planned. Case in point: Mitch called yesterday and said he was at the hospital with a family from church. The father was a diabetic and hadn't felt good that morning. He stayed home, and that morning he passed away. His wife, who was at home the whole time, came in a found him not breathing. The doctors believe he was having a heart attack, and the symptoms of the diabetes masked it. He left behind his wife and two sons, one of which is a senior in high school. Please pray for them.

In other news, Jacey is going through a growth spurt. She's 6 weeks old now, so I was expecting it. She eats every 1 to 3 hours, and has slept all morning, poor thing. Luckily for us she did make it about 8 hours last night between feedings. It's amazing to actually get sleep!

The evils of garlic

After eating lasagna, pizza, and breadsticks for dinner the past few nights, and waking up to a screaming child, we're hoping that she is opposed to just garlic. The poor thing will just scream with a gurgling stomach after her midnight feeding. I'm saddened by this because of my love of all things Italian, but I value sleep and a happy, comfortable child more.

This weekend was very enjoyable. Friday we went to Sam's for diapers and a tour. I haven't shopped there in so long that I had no idea what wonderful things I could buy in bulk. They even have decent furniture. Who knew? Saturday we invited ourselves over to Newton and Laura's for a movie day. We hadn't seen them in a while, and so we enjoyed a lazy Saturday together.

Here are a few recent pictures for your enjoyment:

We are trying to take a picture each month by the same object to see how much she is growing. This is Cuddles, my childhood teddy bear.

I was so lucky in my timing to get this picture! She is smiling because of gas, not because of mom, unfortunately.

I love her pants! She is finally just big enough for them.

A little less sleep

So I have a typical newborn. After sleeping through the night (well, almost), we were up every 3 hours Sunday night (mainly because mom ate pickles), and 3-4 on Monday. I think Jacey's been going through a growth spurt. At least that's all I can figure. Last night was much better though.

I've realized that all my posts are about Jacey, so I'll try to fill you in on her and the other things in our life (I think there are other things). We are planning a trip to Nashville courtesy of my parents at the end of October. They are dying to see Jacey again, and it'll be fun to show her off. Even though they live 15 hours away, we're hopefully going to do better about seeing each other, for my sake as well as theirs. Work and the craziness of life are poor excuses for not seeing family in my opinion. So I'm thrilled about that.

My inlaws gave us a lot of chicken that was leftover from camp this summer, and I've had fun creating meals. If anyone has any good recipes for chicken, feel free to share!

New Xbox game - Lego Star Wars II = lots of fun. It's a comedy, really.

Pretty girl

This is her first Sunday to go to church. Grandma gave her the pretty dress, and the booties she's wearing I wore when I was her age.

Getting ready for another trip out.

Sleeping beauty.

My drama queen.

It's amazing to look at these pictures and realize how much she's already changed. She's definitely put on some more body fat. and has more cheeks on her. She's also starting to sleep more (hooray!). Thursday night she slept for 6 1/2 hours before I woke up and fed her. She's consistently stretched feedings to 4 hours this week.

One of my new favorite things: giving Jacey a bath and watching her relax. It's one of the most peaceful things I've ever seen.

A familar face

I found this picture of Jacey from a few weeks ago. According to my mother-in-law, Tyler, my husband's brother, had a huge mouth when he cried. I have no idea if this is remotely closely to that image, but I thought of that story when I saw it. Isn't she cute?

I'm finally here!

My sister-in-law encouraged me to start a blog, so here I am! I really enjoy reading my friends and family's posts, and I like to write my own occasionally. It's such a good way of keeping in touch. So here goes.

Life is good around here. Things are settling down as we get accustomed to having a little baby. Jacey has definitely made the transition to parenthood easy for us. She's such a sweetheart, and isn't a difficult baby. Last night she slept for 4 hours between feedings, and we all were rejoicing! Our pediatrician really pushes to have her patients sleeping at least 6 hours by 2 months. I love the idea, but I've been worried about how to get Jacey to stretch it out. Like all things I've discovered about parenting so far, the child usually knows what she needs, and things will work out in due time. And last night was proof of that.

She's also getting to be more active and awake. We played in the floor on our stomachs yesterday as she worked on lifting her head and looking from side to side. She works at it so hard that she gets tired and grumpy pretty fast. But she's definitely making progress!

Mitch's job is going well. We're getting back into a set schedule after this summer's trips and all-around craziness. The kids, parents, and congregation are starting to open up to him more since we've been here over a year. He's beginning to be able to incorporate his ideas and goals, instead of doing what has always been done. It's great to watch.

On a more random note, I love making funfetti cake. You know, the mix with the sprinkles inside. It's not necessarily my favorite flavor, but for some reason I'm drawn to it every time in the grocery store. It's just hard not to be happy as you make and eat it.

For those who've requested, here are some pictures of our family...

I love to headbands. I don't know if she does...

Hungry Jacey!

Sleepy Jacey.

More coming soon!