Dayle's Shower

At Dayle's shower, Sydney got to meet Will Wheat! She was very interested, especially in his buttons on his cute overalls! Thanks Elaine for capturing the pictures!!!

The Princess is Sleeping

Nan picked up Sydney early today from school, and she has been taking her late afternoon nap since I've been home. I am dieing to wake her up! I just went in to check on her and this is what I found. I love her little butt in the air and her silkie in her arm.

We're Ready for School!

My Friday morning...

" Good morning Misty!"
"Um, yes thank you Misty."

"Mom, did you just see that?!?! Misty kissed me on the FACE!"

Spontaneous Swim

Erin, Sydney and I ran over to the see Keri and the girls while they are in town, and Sydney and Caroline took a spontaneous swim in the Geran's pool. Sydney loved just being in her diaper and kept trying to roll/splash everywhere. I was soaked from trying to keep her afloat in 4 inches of water!!! Erin has other really cute pictures of Caroline and Sydney kissing, etc. Thanks to Sassy for letting us crash her dinner!

I've been "tagged"

I was "tagged" by Lindsey Kelley to play the following game. Since I am a rule-follower to the letter, here are the rules:

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (**if you’re a non-blogger, you can email them!)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

**I feel like I need to preface this by saying "Just Lauren", like Jack did from Will & Grace. :)

Random Info #1: I LOVE to watch Sydney sleeping. We joke and say that the only TV channel I have time to watch now is "Channel Sydney" on my video monitor. I love to wake up in the middle of the night and just watch her for a minute or two and then go back to sleep.

Random Info #2: I attended a conference today about special education due process paperwork that the state department requires all the early childhood offices to follow. And I'm proud to say that after only 1 year doing the paperwork- I understood about 95% of what the speaker said. This is WAY up from last year, when I understood about 1%.

Random Info #3: I have already bought Sydney's Halloween costume because I found one I liked online.

Random Info #4: I actually enjoy sitting down and paying bills. And feeling so accomplished after they have their address labels and stamps on them.

Random Info #5: Brent and I read a book in 2004 that changed our financial lives called Debt Proof Living by Mary Hunt. Since that time, we have really tried to only buy things with cash and save every month for "expected expenses". For example, I have $250 saved already for Christmas and $110 saved for my property tax. This makes me feel like I have a small amount of control over paying large bills and also keeps me from using my Visa card.

Random Info #6: I am going bowling tomorrow night with the girls from my new Bodylife Group (aka Sunday School Class). I haven't bowled since at least 2000. It will be scary I'm afraid...

Random Info #7: My favorite selfish pastime is climbing into bed and reading InStyle magazine from cover to cover. In fact, I got one today with Gwen on the cover, so I need to wrap this up!

Random Info #8: I should get my 07-08 caseload of therapy kids next week, and I can't WAIT to see their little faces and start the speech therapy process with them. I am really blessed to do what I love and love what I do!

OK, now Corbin, Keri, Erin, Megan, Amber, Scarlett, Melissa, Casey, and Rachel... you have been tagged!!!

Yummy- Green Beans!

I thought we'd give a vegetable a try. She loved them!

'97 Reunion

OK, I'll admit it, I didn't have really high expectations for my 10 year high school reunion. But it was really a very fun weekend!!! Hot, but really fun to hang out with the ole' group again. I have totally embraced my nerdiness, but I also enjoyed visiting with people that were not close friends in high school. It was interesting to see where people were and what life had brought their way. We missed you JC!! Erin has tons of great party pics from all the events, but here are the ones I caught!

Adorable Clip of Psalm 23

Maria sent me this link. It is SO PRECIOUS!!! Please watch this little girl! Of course, I am partial to red heads :)!!! Maybe this is a glimpse of Sydney in 3 or 4 years?

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9e7c4b40cf5a13cea6ca

Amen Sister!!!

5 Months Old

Well, Miss Sydney is 5 months old today! We really can't believe it. It has been a long time since I have given an update on all the things she is doing, and I want to be able to look back and remember! She is still smiling and laughing out loud a lot. I swear there is no sweeter sound than a baby laughing!! She is sitting up with assistance, but she would rather stand. She stiffens up her legs all the time and really doesn't like to be sitting. The top 2 pictures look like I'm trying to make her walk, which of course I'm not. She was just balancing on her feet after I changed her diaper so well! She loves to "talk" and just this week has started these vocalizations that go up and down in pitch. She is drinking 5 6 oz. bottles a day and rice cereal once a day. I'm going to start baby food in a couple of days- maybe green veggies first? I know that she is gaining weight! I've been calling her "Chunky Monkey" lately! She is still wearing size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothing. Praise God- she has learned to sleep!!! She has been consistently sleeping through the night for 3 weeks now- Bedtime at 7:00pm and waking up at 6:45am. I don't even need to set an alarm clock! Sydney is still taking 3 or 4 naps a day- varying from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Which leads me to my next thought... Sydney will be starting at her infant center full time on Monday! She has been for several half days this summer, and a couple of days I had to work so she stayed until 3:30ish. Honestly, she likes school. She is happy, clean, well rested and overall very well taken care of. This morning she went and I think she recognized the door because she stiffened up her legs and smiled! Oh, what to say about my emotions going back to work?!?!? One fear is that I may not survive just getting out of the door every morning with everyone ready and on time. Another fear is that she will like her teachers more than her mommy! Or that I will miss even a small moment in her life! But Brent and I both have complete peace that, for now at least, this is the step to take. And if that is God's plan- whom am I to fear??? A co-worker said "If you have a peace about it, then God's grace is all over you and Sydney and Brent and you would be missing out on blessings if you didn't obey!" So, "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work I go" on Monday! We have a super busy weekend planned- my 10 year high school reunion! Stay tuned for pictures!

My Sunday Afternoon

I hung out with my Daddy...
Watched my cousins Nick and Drake beat Daddy in NCAA Football '08
(an XBox Game)...

Played in my chair while Mommy made lunch...

And practiced chewing on my favorite new toy, my finger! Hope everyone else had a great Sunday too!

Morning Sweet Baby Girl!

OK, poor Brent. He is surrounded by girls who LOVE morning time!!!

I can't think of anything I would rather have wake me up than Sydney just talking and singing to herself in her crib. She just grins from ear to ear when she sees my face come in to get her. I LOVE IT!!! Unfortunately, it takes her Daddy a shower, a cup of coffee and usually an hour before he can even fake a smile in the morning. But we will keep working on him!

SI swimsuit model :)

Brent and I took Sydney over to my mom's last weekend for a little pool time. She loved it! I had her in the water up to her shoulders and she was trying to put her face down in the water. But then, on Monday we tried the water park and she cried in the water-? I will certainly be trying again before the summer is over though!

Funny Sleep Habits

I just snuck in a took a picture of how Sydney is sleeping these days. She has been sleeping on her stomache now for several weeks. I know, SIDS precautions say for all babies to sleep on their backs. I promise I always lie her down on her back, but she almost always flips. You can't really tell in the picture, but her little butt is up in the air- it is so cute! The other morning I went in to check on her and she was not only at the top of her bed flipped around, but she was bear-hugging her bumper pad!!!

Sydney's Latest Pictures

These were really taken a couple of weeks ago, but it took awhile to get them back. A special "THANK YOU" to Erin for use of her scanner and technical support!

Always all smiles in the bath!
Check out my dimples
First time with rice cereal- not quite sure what to think about the spoon
She was so excited to sit in her highchair like a big girl! She knew something was going on and laughed when I put a bib on her. Lord knows she must get her excitement about food from her Mommy!

Already very into books. We'll start reading Harry Potter in the morning :).

We have had the best week! I really committed to have a week devoted to being "homebodies" and really working on a nap and sleep schedule. If you know me at all, you know that I can't sit still long. But I have really enjoyed just hanging out with Sydney this week and trying to not be revolving around a "to do" list. We have played, walked, and swam at my Mom's, but also focused on napping during the day (in her bed and not riding around Target in her carrier:) )and really sticking to our bedtime rituals (playtime, bath, bottle, book, and bed by 7:30). And it is working! Sydney has slept through the night the past 3 nights, and I am banking on Ashley's advice that 3 nights makes a habit. We tried a little rice cereal tonight. She probably ate 3 or 4 bites of it, but wasn't too crazy about the spoon. I am sure that part of my optimism is having 3 nights of sleep, but we really had a great week!