Brent, Tory & Abby

Lens Giveaway!

2011-02-21T10:33:00.002-06:00

GO HERE to enter this giveaway!

Win a Tamron 18-270mm Di II VC PZD Lens for Nikon, Canon or Sony dSLR Cameras

The Prize:

The New Tamron 18-270mm Di II VC PZD Lens for Nikon, Canon or Sony dSLR Cameras (Tamron 28-300VC for Nikon or Canon may be substituted if you have a full frame camera)

Details about the lens:

The World’s Lightest, Smallest 15x Zoom: Tamron 18-270mm Di II VC PZD is 24% Smaller than Previous Model!

The acclaimed Tamron 18-270mm VC all-in-one zoom for APS-C format DSLRs has reached an astonishing new level of compactness, performance, and speed with the addition of PZD (PIEZO Drive), an innovative ultrasonic autofocus motor based on an advanced piezoelectric design. The result is a lens that’s considerably lighter, noticeably shorter, with a much slimmer profile than any previous lens in its class, and that provides faster, quieter auto-focusing.

Signature features that have made this amazingly versatile lens the world standard in its class have been retained. They include a 28-419mm equivalent (15X) zoom range, an improved, lightweight, compact Vibration Compensation (VC) system, macro focusing to 19.3 inches throughout, and, of course, superlative imaging performance.

Contest Rules:

As Tamron USA Inc, the sponsor of this contest, is responsible for sales and marketing in the USA only, no shipment to winner can be made outside of the USA. If you reside outside the United States, the Lens will ship to MCP Actions, and we will ship it to you, but you will be responsible for the shipping costs as well as any duties, taxes, or tariffs.

Winner will be picked via random drawing on Monday, February 28th and announced on the MCP Blog.

To Enter:

Add your comments HERE (not on Facebook or in the Facebook Notes section – as those will NOT be integrated)

For your 1st entry, reply to the 3 questions below: (must reply on all 3 to qualify)

Why do you “need” this lens/how would it help your photography?
What is your favorite focal length to shoot?
Confirm that you “like” MCP Actions on Facebook – if you do not confirm this, your entry will NOT count (go here to “like us” if you have not prior)

Do you really want to win? Here are ways you can get additional entries:

Add the MCP Actions Banner or a text link to MCP’s site on your blog (code can be found on the sidebar of our blog). Then come back and tell us you did.
Subscribe to our blog RSS feed – see the orange icon at the top right of our blog. If you add it today, leave a comment letting us know.
Spread the word on social networking sites, your blog, or photo forums, as permitted, about this contest. Just leave a comment and tell us which ones you did this on. Do not leave a long link to where you left it – just say the name – or it breaks the comment section of my blog.

Please note this giveaway is hosted by MCP Actions, not me :)

Surprise!

2011-02-18T18:13:00.004-06:00

Angel and Ken Grove are super important people in our lives.
#1- Ken was my middle school science teacher
#2- They were our neighbors (until we moved)
#3- They are our friends
#4- I was their daughters, Kenlyn's, first full-time sitter! Such a sweet girl!
#5- Kenlyn was thought to be Ken and Angel's only child, and they were okay with that!
#6- Even with a 4 year age gap, Kenlyn and Abby are best of buds!
#7- They took Mel under their wing, they are like a second family to us!
#8- Surprise! Angel's ENT (ears, nose, & throat) Doctor surprised Angel with forever changing news...she is PREGNANT! Funny huh!?

So for a surprise baby, we thought a surprise shower was necessary!

The goods!
Thanks Mom for all your crafty help and tasty snacks!!!!!

Surprise!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited to add a picture of Big Sis Kenlyn and surprise baby Dyson!

August- CocoKeys, Zoo, Yankees!

2011-02-18T17:59:00.003-06:00

We did a bunch of fun things in August! First we went to CocoKeys water resort. It was a blast! To bad my waterproof disposable camera is still waiting to be developed or I would have the water resort pictures up! But Abby loved the arcade just as much! (7/31/10)

The next day we headed to the Omaha Zoo! Such a fabulous zoo for the Midwest! Abby Ooo'd and Awww'd at all the animals! The giraffes were her favorite, thanks Meme! Such a fun age! (8/1/10)

Brent. is. a. Yankees. fan. So when Kansas City hosted the Yankees Brent made sure it was a family event. Hot. But fun! We love hanging out with Aunt Winny, Uncle Steve, Gaga, Hal and Landon! Such a fun afternoon! But funny that I don't even remember who won! (8/14/10)

June & July

2011-02-18T17:28:00.004-06:00

Oh summer! How we love you! Our summer days are spent outside, from morning until bedtime. The pool with Kenlyn, BBQs, festivals and so much more!
My little fish! It's only February and Abby is already starting to ask when we can go to the pool! Silly girl.
Oh sweet Marley! We are so happy to have you in our life! She is growing to fast and her little personality isn't so little anymore!

This man, Uncle Dave, truly has is own special place in Abby's heart! They are always so silly together and Abby gets to giddy when Uncle Dave is around!

Oh the Albany festival, I loved attending when I was little-er, and Abby has just loved every minute you are in town. She loved bumping into Rylee, who I use to babysit when the girls were about a year old. They had a blast riding all the rides and jumping in the bounce house. Such sweet little girls!

More from May!

2011-02-16T22:50:00.003-06:00

First pool trip of the summer with Kenlyn!

Sweet Abby is 2!!

2011-02-16T22:31:00.006-06:00

Oh how we love this sweet little girl! For Abby's party, we did a Watermelon Picnic theme! Everything was watermelons! The invites, the party ware, the cake, the balloons and of course Abby's attire, all watermelon! We so love having all our family and friends together for food, fun and of course to party!

Abby's big gift! Her very own kitchen! She was so surprised and loved it!

May 2010

2011-02-16T21:27:00.009-06:00

Gahh, I am so so far behind! I don't know why I do this to myself and too the blogging world!

Anyway May is a super special month as my sweet sweet Abby celebrates her birthday!
Here is a quick wrap up of our month of May and Abby's birthday bash!

#1- Mel graduates!!!

#2- More grad cakes!

Cake Pops by Mom and Jamie!

#3-Abby's 2 year photo shoot
#4- Abby's 2nd Birthday!
(see next post above!)

Adorable Nelle*s giveaway!

2011-01-22T01:14:00.002-06:00

Go HERE to enter this awesome giveaway!

Woo hoo, it's F-R-I-D-A-Y!!!! And what better way to get the weekend started than with a GIVEAWAY!!!!!

I first stumbled upon Nelle's while browsing etsy a couple of weeks ago. This sweet dress made my heart flutter...Apron Dress + Vintage Pillowcase = Major Sweetness! Love, love, love it!

And you know what???? The items in this sweet etsy shop are affordable! So important these days!

So what do you say we get to know the designer behind Nelle's a little better? Here we go!

Name: Ellen
Age: 33
Location: Hebron, Maine
Etsy Shop Nelle's &
Facebook Fan PageHow long have you been designing & sewing kids' clothes?
I started in January of 2010. It quickly became my passion. I love fabric and I love creating new things!What led you to open your etsy shop?
In 2009 I was introduced to the world of custom clothing. I kept saying to myself, “Hey, I could make that.” My husband and kids gave me a Serger for Christmas that year…I was beyond thrilled! I started sewing dresses, skirts, and peasant tops for my daughters…and it wasn’t long before I decided to start selling my creations on a clothing board. About a month later, I opened my store on Etsy.Is there a story behind your shop's name?
When I decided to open my Etsy store, I called my Mom and asked some friends to get some advice on a name. I wanted it to have meaning…and be able to encompass more than just kids clothing. So we started to brainstorm – and then my Mom said, what about your nickname? Aha! My sister started calling me Nelle (only pronounced Nell-a) in college. So…yes…in case you haven’t already figured it out, it is my name spelled backwards. I know, silly, right?! But I love it just the same – silliness is part of our everyday life, so it's fitting!What inspires you?
Ohhhh….all of these wonderful, imaginative ladies with your wonderful, imaginative blogs! I am also inspired by fabric, and my girls…so many of my ideas are a result of their personalities. When my youngest daughter puts on one of my dresses she immediately says, “Mom, watch me spin!”How many kids do you have?
I have 3 kids, ages 9, 6 and 3.How do you describe your designing style?
Carefree, comfortable, fun…What do you like to do in your free time?
Sew! Oh wait! I mean, I love thrift shopping, going to rummage sales, and I love to watch movies, and have a pretty long list of TV series I’m addicted to – my absolute favorites are Grey’s Anatomy and Dexter.And just for fun...if someone came to your home and looked in the refrigerator, what would they find?
Lots of milk! We go through about 3 gallons in a week!
{ahh, a girl after my own heart!} Ellen has graciously offered one of her adorable dresses for this giveaway! Even better...WINNER's CHOICE!

To Enter:
1. Visit Nelle's and come back and tell me your favorite item (1 entry).

For Additional Entries:
2. Add Nelle's to your favorites on etsy (1 entry).
3. Like Nelle's page on facebook
(1 entry).
4. Become a follower of this blog or tell me you already are! (1 entry).
5. Blog or facebook about this giveaway, leaving the link in the comments (1 entry).

Please leave separate comments for each entry (5 total entries possible).
Contest runs until Tuesday,
January 25, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
Winner will be chosen randomly and announced Wednesday, January 26th.

THANK YOU ELLEN for sponsoring this fun giveaway! Someone is going to be very happy next week!!!

Don't wait! Go check out Nelle's!

(Note: this is not MY giveaway) Please follow the link at the top of post to enter for your chance to win!)

April 2010 Crafts!

2010-06-28T20:30:00.005-05:00

4/2/10

Rainbow for a rainy day!

4/2/10

A is for Alligator!

4/5/10

B is for Bumble Bee!

4/6/10

C is for Caterpillar!

4/7/10

D is for Duck!
(My camera was dead so not many pictures this day.)

4/8/10

E is for Elephant!

4/14/10

F is for Finger Painting and....

FISH!

April 2010

2010-06-28T18:49:00.010-05:00

4/3/10

Annual Albany Easter Egg hunt! Abby was a hoot to watch!

4/3/10

Coloring eggs with Krissy and Ryan! Abby was so silly, oooohing and aaaaahing every time an egg was pulled out of the die!

4/4/10

Happy Easter! We had a fun filled day attending church and watching Uncle Dave and Grandma Sonya preform in the Easter Cantata then spending the afternoon with Brent's side of the family then heading over to Grandma and Grandpa Abreu with Mel and Grandpa Kev! Thanks for the Easter goodies!

March 2010

2010-06-28T18:49:00.009-05:00

3/26/10

We enjoyed a fun-filled WINTER day at Monkey Cove with the Grove's and Mel!

3/30/10

Soaking up the warm weather splashing in water with Nana!

3/31/10

I had a cake order with Easter cookies, so Abby got to decorate her own special one all by herself with no limits!

3/27/10

Easter portraits with new cousin Marley!
(I need to find the pictures of Marley's homecoming! Such a special day, lots of happy tears!!!)

February 2010

2010-06-28T18:48:00.012-05:00

2/1/10

Mmmm, cupcakes! Abby enjoyed being mommy's little baker!

2/3/10 & 2/11/10

Abby loves to help make her morning smoothie! Easy and healthy- plain yogurt, frozen fruit, banana-orange juice, blend and enjoy!

2/13/10

Team Marley!

2/15/10

Favorite thing to do: COLOR! Anywhere, anyway!

2/20/10

Abby got her own coloring corner! Fun fun!

2/27/20

Happy 2nd Birthday Rylee!

2/27/10

Happy 1st Birthday Jared!

January 2010

2010-06-28T18:48:00.010-05:00

1/2/10

Happy New Year! While on Winter Break from school we spent the afternoon shopping and enjoying the cozy warm mall!

1/17/10 We had a blast playing in the snow then enjoying a warm cup of coco!

1/25/10Our little Michelangelo! We had to much fun with her color play house!

Tas the night before Christmas...

2010-04-02T21:23:00.004-05:00

12/24/09 & Christmas Morning!!!

when all through the house, was filled with the yummy smell of fresh baked cookies and the giggles of little Abby!

At the age of 1 and 1/2, Abby has her first obsession, Barney! So we new exactly what she would go nuts over..her very own Barney! But only if we knew....that our little Barney physic would be able to sense out her doll from under the tree the day before! Sadly we all missed her reaction the minute she saw Barney! But I re-wrapped it and surprised her and Brent with Barney and a Wii in the same box!!

Christmas Eve Traditions

2010-04-02T21:15:00.001-05:00

12/24/09

For as long as I can remember, spending Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa Abreu is a given! I am so grateful Abby gets to experience this joyous and memorable tradition with us! Nothing is sweeter then listening to Grandpa read the passage of Christ's birth and truly get to feel the meaning of Christmas! And there was NO fighting over who got to lay baby Jesus in his manger, Abby did a beautiful job with the "bebe".
Merry Christmas everyone!

Early Christmas!!

2010-04-02T21:04:00.003-05:00

12/21/09

We knew we wouldn't be home on Christmas morning, so Abby got to open her big gift early! Abby is such a little artist and has enjoyed coloring since she could hold a crayon! This was such a perfect gift and we certainly got the full $10 we paid for it! Many, many hours of fun, laughter and coloring!
Oh you can also notice Abby's new-doo in the pictures! We went in for a trim but the lady ended up chopping much more off! Good thing Abby looked adorable and no complaints!

Christmas Cantata and Christmas at the Payne's!

2010-03-22T23:22:00.003-05:00

It's such a joy to being new traditions with new family! Each year we get to enjoy watching Uncle Dave preform and sing in the Baptist Church Christmas Cantata! We also make a trip to Lawson, MO to celebrate and catch up with the Payne gang. I am so thankful for the wonderful family that have accepted Abby and myself with open arms and great memories! Another great celebration and can't wait until Christmas 2010!

Light Night

2010-02-21T03:07:00.004-06:00

11/28/09Annual Light Night! Abs had so much fun hanging out in Marilyn's shop and watching the parade. She thought it was so great picking up candy off the road and putting it in a sack! And this year she even waited in line to sit on Santa's lap! I have a short video of Abby sitting on his lap, but I won't post it because for the whole 20 seconds she is just screaming!

Thanksgiving!

2010-02-21T03:01:00.003-06:00

Abby was such a hoot during Thanksgiving dinner! Not only did she mooch off everyone's plate, for some silly reason she thought she needed to lean down to her plate to eat her yummy turkey!
I am so thankful for another happy and healthy year with family and friends! It is such a joy to watch Abby grow and become a person of her own!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

New Moon!

2010-02-21T02:45:00.004-06:00

11/19/09

When the Twilight craze hit I could not understand what was so amazing about VAMPIRES?! Seriously, vampires?! I swore to myself that I would not read the books/watch the movie. How dumb..VAMPIRES?! I would never be a Wannabe Mrs. Edward Cullen/Jacob Black. Umm gag! Until, one night Brent's sister, Winter, went to Wal-Mart with us and was struck with shock when I told her I had not read/seen Twilight (at this point, all the books had been published and Twilight was all ready on DVD). Winter quickly snagged the Twilight DVD and demand I watch it. So after Brent and I put Abby down for the night we plopped in the DVD and...BAM! Just like that I was a twi-hard, Edward loving, OBSESSED, Twilight fan. Within the next two weeks I had read the entire Saga and began my New Moon count down movie release plus reading the complete Saga another 2 times while waiting! So here I am with my friend Brooke, waiting for the midnight showing of New Moon!
Red Lobster + Twilight showing + NEW MOON = Perfect and much needed girls night out!
A-MAZ-ING!!! June 30th 2010...here I come!

Boys & Quads

2010-02-21T02:33:00.003-06:00

11/7/09
Abby and Mason are just about a month and a half apart and just too cute together! At first they weren't to sure about each other, but the quickly warmed up and before we knew it they were giving each other rides on Abby's Barbie quad! Mason preferred to drive and Abby loved being the passenger! Can't wait for Mason to visit again!

Halloween!!

2010-02-18T00:23:00.002-06:00

10/24/09 & 10/31/09

And here she is...........pretty as a peacock, wouldn't you say!

And maybe our future pro-peacock-golfer!

Happy 1st Birthday Kayne!

2010-02-18T00:18:00.002-06:00

10/24/09

Happy Birthday Buddy! He is such a doll and the sweetest thing ever! Kayne and Abby had a ball with the balloons and giving each other hugs all evening!

Meme Time

2010-02-18T00:12:00.003-06:00

10/8/09Melissa (Meme) kept Abby for an afternoon and had to much fun playing outside and taken pictures! She loved getting dirty and messy, something I don't let happen often! But she had a last and is so lucky to have such a wonderful Aunt! Thanks sis!

Pumpkin Carving!

2010-02-17T23:54:00.005-06:00

10/14/09

This was an...experience! Abby wasn't to sure about the whole gooey mess but had fun screaming and stretching about it! Rylee on the other had was way into it! It was so funny watching them and their reactions to the pumpkin and goo!

Homecoming!

2010-02-17T23:47:00.004-06:00

9/30/09 & 10/2/09

Melissa was a candidate for Homecoming queen! We really enjoyed watching the skits at the Variety Show and of course Mel was so beautiful!That following Friday was the Homecoming Parade and football game!

KC Zoo

2010-02-17T23:46:00.003-06:00

This is where a post about out trip to the KC Zoo is supposed to go but my pictures from the Zoo are on my desktop which is unplugged and put away. So for now here is another video for our Zoo day!

Band-Aid

2010-02-17T23:35:00.002-06:00

9/15/09

Too sweet for words!

Table Rock Lake

2010-02-17T22:47:00.004-06:00

9/6/09-Labor Day Weekend

The Race family invited us to their lake house for Labor Day Weekend and it was a blast!
This was the first time on a boat for Abby and she loved it! She knew what boats were from her Signing Time DVD and every time we would mention boats she would get so excited and sign boat non-stop! She loved getting in the water, more just sitting on the tube and watching everyone swim. She loved throwing ice in the water and watching them disappear and she enjoyed napping and the motion of the boat! Can't wait to go back!
Thanks Krissy, Ryan, JoAnn and Steve!

Love across the world♥

2010-02-08T15:42:00.003-06:00

Click the beautiful painting above to read a beautiful story

and see a new beautiful face!

Catch up!

2010-01-28T01:45:00.003-06:00

I'm going to attempt to play catch up on my blog!

Things to look forward too:
September-
Table Rock Lake
Band-aids
KC Zoo
October-
Kenlyn's 5th Birthday Party
Pumpkin Carving
Halloween Party
Halloween
November-
Boys and Quads
New Moon
Abby 18th months!
Thanksgiving
Light Night
December-
SNOW!
Christmas with the Paynes
Early Christmas
Christmas Eve with Great Grandma & Grandpa Abreu
Christmas Morning!
January-
Happy New Year!
Shopping
More SNOW
Mini Michelangelo
Bubbles!
And many many more in between!

So for now here is my zonked-out, little sicky-poo.

Arianna Bea is here!

2010-01-17T14:05:00.001-06:00

Arianna Bea is here! Born Jan. 16th @ 10:40PM, 8 lbs 5 oz, 20.5" in length, healthy delivery, healthy baby, healthy mommy!

Congratulations Curtis & Stef! We love you all!

Ekkkkkk

2009-10-27T13:04:00.004-05:00

I am WAY behind in blogger world! I lost my USB cord to my camera and mom's jump drive so I have been filling my camera up with TONS of pictures but can't get them to the computer!
So for now here is a cute video of Abby, Mel and I at the KC Zoo!

Check it out!

2009-10-13T23:56:00.001-05:00

Check out my Sugar blog! New cakes are up!
ChicSugars♥

First Hair Cut!

2009-09-17T13:37:00.004-05:00

8/14/09

Abby got her first haircut August 14th. I was a sad to see her baby-baby hair cut off, but I was sooo glad to see her mullet forming hair style gone! Abby did GREAT! She didn't make one sound or fuss at all! But that might have been because of the cookie she had hiding under the gown.
I guess I was too excited for her first hair cut and forgot to take a before picture!

Welcome Baby Kaylee!

2009-09-17T13:22:00.003-05:00

8/12/09

My best friend Britta welcomed her baby girl Kaylee Elizabeth into this world!
August 12th, 2009
8lbs 2oz 20in
This was everyone that greeted Kaylee as she enter our world! There was great-grandma, grandmas, grandpas, great aunts, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends!
Congrats Kevin and Britta! She's beautiful!

Mazingo Lake

2009-09-17T13:08:00.003-05:00

8/11/09

Brent and I took Abby to the lake here in town. I have been wanting to take Abby so bad because I just knew she'd love it! Sand, water, food-one big mess! But it was so fun! Nana stopped by after work and we had such a blast!

Uncle Ry & The Quad

2009-09-17T13:03:00.003-05:00

8/1/09

Ryan and his wife Krissy got Abby a Barbie Quad for her birthday! She loves riding it and can do it all by herself!

Watermelon Bliss

2009-09-17T12:58:00.002-05:00

8/1/09

Abby had a blasting chilling out on a hot summer day with her big chunk of watermelon.

Abby the fish

2009-09-14T18:12:00.004-05:00

7/19/09

Abby doing her 'fishy face'!
I love this goober head!

Baby Shower for Kaylee!

2009-08-24T17:16:00.003-05:00

My best friend had her baby shower July 18th! Her mom and sister-in-law threw it, I was just in charge of the cakes! It was a lot of fun and she got the loot! Earlier this year Abby and I went with Britta and her mom, Terri, to Britta's 3-D ultra sound. I've never seen one done and it was amazing! The detail the 3-D gives is remarkable! I will have to look into it with my next one!
In the pictures from top left to bottom right: Abby & Braxton, Britta, Britta's mom, Terri & her grandchild, Madison, Britta & her sis-in-law Mary Sue, the cakes, Mary Sue & Madison, and one of Britta's crazy aunts, Tina!

Congrats Devon and Shadow!

2009-08-24T17:13:00.002-05:00

Devon and Shadow tied the know July 11th 2009!Devon, Shadow and their handsome son Kayne!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-08-24T17:04:00.003-05:00

July 4th

For the past couple of years, Brent and I would go floating with a bunch of friends on July 4th!
We leave in the morning and usually get back just in time for late evening BBQs and fireworks at the golf course!

Happy 4th of July!
Love you all-Brent, Tory and Abby!!!!!!!!!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-08-24T16:51:00.003-05:00

Father's Day and July 3rd

Brent is an amazing dad! I am so lucky to have such a supportive and caring father to our child! He works so hard so I can go to school and be home with Abby! But his day is never over when he gets off work. He is always so excited when Abby greets him at the door! For being such a hard working daddy, Abby got Brent 3 tickets to a Royals game, for a guys night out!Brent, Payden and Landon! July 3rd 2009.

While Brent was with his buddies, Abby, Christy, Curtis, Stef, Mom and myself went to Ken and Angels anual 4th of July party! (July 3rd this year!) Abby was so fasinated with the fireworks! She would point and shreek at them all!

Grandpa K!

2009-08-24T16:43:00.002-05:00

June 15th

We are so glad Dad was in town for Abby's birthday party, plus a few extra weeks after!
We love you Grandpa K!

Shiny Black Boots

2009-08-24T16:39:00.003-05:00

June 14th

Abby loves going to Grandma and Grandpa Abreu's house! There is always so much to explore! But on this particular day her biggest interest was Grandpa's shiny black boots! So we put her in them and she danced away. She thought these boots were the greatest thing!

Summer Days!!

2009-08-24T16:35:00.004-05:00

June 7th

Abby is such a water baby! She loved the pool and all the kids in it! She had no fear of the water and would take off and go as deep as she could and then some! She loved the slide and jumping into the water and splashing!

Swing & Sand = So Much Fun!

2009-08-24T16:23:00.004-05:00

Grandma Sonya and Grandpa Hal got Abby a swing and sandbox for her birthday!

It was a huge hit!

Tulip Time

2009-08-24T16:07:00.004-05:00

Tulip Time-Pella, Iowa May 9th 2009

Mom, Abby and I went to Tulip Time to meet up with some friends and their little ones! It was a lot of fun and so beautiful!

Oliver(April 26), Laila(May 1) and Abby(May 23).

Zonked after a LONG day!

Jenn & Oliver, Me & Abby, Jamie & Laila!

Can't wait to see you guys again next year!

Extended Rear Facing

2009-08-18T14:00:00.005-05:00

Ahh I have a lot of catching up to do but first I wanted to share this video about Extended Rear Facing.

By law a child can be turned Forward Facing at one year AND 20 lbs, but AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) released this statement and information on Extended Rear Facing on April 4th 2009.
http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/4/12-a

What to consider when positioning carseats for toddlers.

Lori O’Keefe
Correspondent

New research indicates that toddlers are more than five timessafer riding rear-facing in a car safety seat upto their second birthday. Following are some safety tips forcar seat use:

All infants should ride rear-facing in either an infant carseat or convertible seat.

If an infant car seat is used, the infant should be switchedto a rear-facing convertible car seat once the maximumheight (when the infant’s head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat) and weight (usually 22 pounds to32 pounds) have been reached for that infant seatas suggested by the car seat manufacturer.

Toddlers should remain rear-facing in a convertible car seatuntil they have reached the maximum height and weightrecommended for the model, or at least the age of 2.

To see if your car seat is installed properly and to find acertified passenger safety technician in your area,visit www.seatcheck.org or www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm.You also can call 866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) or888-327-4236.

Abby is an official Extended Rear Facer at one year and 22lbs!
Joel's Story
Car Seat Safety.org

Party Day!

2009-06-02T16:48:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Abby's birthday last Saturday at mom's and it was so much fun! It was great having all the people that love and care about Abby at the same place on such a special day! We had an awesome cook out! (Thanks Nana M. and Grandma S. for doing all the cooking!) I just stuck with the baking.

Abby's birthday cake, smash cake and cookie favors I made!

Friends, family, food and trampoline FUN!

Opening gifts, eating cake and playing!

12 months past.

2009-06-02T16:42:00.003-05:00

Late Friday night May 2, 2008 (35 wk) I had a lot of bright red bleeding so I went to the hospital. They immediately hooked me up to the monitors and did an ultrasound. Come to find out part of my placenta has torn and separated. They kept me in the hospital for the next five days and was released May 8 on modified bed rest. May 14 I start to lightly spot again so I went back to the hospital. May 15 I had another ultrasound done to look for a safe amniotic sac for the amniotesis. But no luck finding a amniotic sac. But I had to stay in the hospital until the spotting stopped, which it never did. My doctor talked to me about inducing me around 38 wks since that was a safe point at my pregnancy to deliver. So on May 22 around 6:30pm they inserted the cervidil so hopefully begin to thin me out and get my body ready for the pitocin the next morning. The cervidil was definitely doing something because I was cramping and contracting all through the night and the pain meds they were giving me just made me extremely sleepy and sick, very sick! The next morning, May 23 they started the pitocin around 6:30 and was only dilated at about 1/2 cm. But by about 10am I was at a 4 and able to get my epi. Getting the epi wasn't bad at all, but the effects the epi had on my body was horrible! I got so so sick! I slept the entire time and had absolutely no energy. By 3pm I was fully dilated and ready to push, though I was not ready to push! The epi had worn me out and I felt as if I had weights tied to every limb of my body. It was a yucky feeling. I pushed for about an hour and a half then the doctor tried to suction out the baby. He tried it 3 times with no luck, and the baby's heart rate dropped I was sent for an emergency c-section, but I was ready for it. I had nothing in me to push anymore. Ugh, my delivery nurse did not handle this emergency situation very well at all! She panicked! As they were rolling me down to OR my IVs were pulling everywhere and the bottom half of the bed was falling off and hitting me right in the crotch, OUCH! Then Brent was waiting in the hall as the got me ready for surgery and he almost missed the delivery because the nurse forgot to go get him! In the end all the chaos and craziness was worth it because at 5:00pm we welcomed our beautiful and healthy baby girl into this world!

Abrielle Jean Owens
May 23, 2008
7lb 6oz 19in.

1

2009-06-02T16:35:00.003-05:00

Well turned one!
I can't believe how fast this past year as flown by!
Abby, Where I live is in your heart by. Spring has come again bringing green grass and blue skies. I feel like my life can't get much better than now. To look in your big beautiful eyes and see such hope and love. I see my future in you as your mother. I cry with the overwhelming love I feel for you. My heart feels close to bursting each time I see you. I wake up knowing no matter how bad the night before that I will get to see your smile.Each day with you is a gift. A gift I never thought I needed or would ever know, but that I'm so very grateful to have. I never could have imagined how out of breath with love and happiness I could be. You're one now and I cry to see you so beautifully growing older and into your own self. Not much else matter this day but that I'm blessed to spend it with you. I love you my little girl and Happy Birthday. Oh and thank you for choosing me.
I love you!

11 months!

2009-05-06T22:19:00.002-05:00

I can't believe my little Abby is 11 months old! And only 17 days from TODAY she will be a year old! She is growing too fast! I miss my itty bitty newborn, but I am totally in love with my wild and crazy baby who is turning into a toddler!
She is doing so many fun and silly things that I probably will forget some if I try to name them all so I will tell you my favorites!
Abby is a crazy good walker! I am so shocked how quickly she caught on to walking...she is a pro!
She won't move in the grass! It's so funny, she will stand still in one spot, sit or squat. The pictures above were taken on 4/23/09.
She is a champ at eating! She loves her fruit!
She is drinking great out of her sippy cup!
This girl is healthy as a horse! Other than teething side affects and a stuffy nose I thank Him for blessing us with an extremely healthy child!
She loves to give "snuggles" to everyone. It doesn't matter where you are, you could be sitting on the couch or laying on the floor or sitting at the kitchen table, Abby loves to come up and lay her head on you and give "snuggles"! She is the sweetest thing!
She is a people person! She loves waving at everyone and showing off her SIX teeth in the cutest grin. That is everyone BUT her Uncle Eric. We don't know why yet but she is TERRIFIED of him!
She loves to be outside. She follows me out to the deck everyday to water the flowers and play with the water in the watering pail.

And my FAVORITE thing of all...Thank you Nicole and Weston for introducing me to different way of communication between mother and child; sign language. When they came to visit in Nov. of 2007 and I saw how Weston could communicate with Nicole before he could speak I was AMAZED! Ever since then I knew I wanted to teach my child to sign with me before she could communicate with me verbally. And.......SHE HAS! Abby has shown us her first AND second sign! "More" and "eat/food". And we are soo close with "all done" and "dog". I am trying so hard to get a video of this but every time I get my camera out she is more amused by it than signing for me.
Her favorite movie is....Signing Time: My First Signs. When she hears Rachel singing and signing the theme song she comes running to dance along.
Being able to watch Abby sign is so amazing and such a wonderful feeling!

Congrats Krissy & Ryan!

2009-04-30T23:36:00.006-05:00

Warning: Major Picture overload!

CONGRATS Krissy and Ryan! They tied the knot on April 18th 2009!Ryan proposed last May the day after Krissy graduated from NWMSU. (I think, correct me if I am wrong!)
April 17th

The weekend festivities started of Friday. We left for KC around noon to attend the wedding rehearsal at 3. We had a little time between the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner so we headed back to Ryan and Krissy's new house before the dinner.

April 17th
We ate a a cute little Italian restaurant called Cafe Italia. The food was delicious and Abby enjoyed a little bit off everyone's plate but her favorite was Grandma's salmon. During desert 2 of Krissy's bridesmaids put together a slide show of Krissy and Ryan. It was so sweet to get to see such adorable pictures of the couple as babies and children.

April 18th
Getting all prettied up for her 'Uncle' Ry's and 'Aunt' Krissy's BIG day! (Bottom left picture: Abby thinks air drying is the best dry!)

Our family! I love those two!

The Owens side: Grandma Sonya and Grandpa Hal. And Brent with his dad.

The Hansel side: Susan and Dave, parents to the groom, Ryan's older brother and bestman Kris with his wife Staci. Brent and Kris. And crabby Abby with her Aunt Susan.

Awwwe, the LIMO. It was HUGE!
Brent and Ryan (the groom).

My sweetie! I love you so much!

The ceremony was soo beautiful and Krissy looked absolutely stunning!!! I only got a couple pics from the ceremony because I got in trouble with the photographer, oops!

The reception was also gorgeous! Pictures left to right starting at the top: Abby with her cousin Faith. Partied out on Dave's lap. The groom checking up on his favorite 'niece'. Dancing with my HS tumbling coach. Abby with her supper on her face! Daddy and Abs. Abby loved dancing with all the guys that night!

The newly weds first dance and cutting of the cake! My favorite picture is the bottom right. Ry must be whispering secret loves to his new wife! Congrats again guys!

The reception was a blast! The food, dancing and family was a great way to end Krissy and Ryan's fairy tale wedding! It was absolutely beautiful! Hope you 2 had a fabulous honeymoon!

Happy Easter

2009-04-30T22:36:00.008-05:00

Happy Easter everyone! I know it's late, but better late than never. Anyway, Easter was so great. I love getting to spend time with family and remembering what Easter is all about.

Saturday April 11th: (Here's Brent)-Well hello everyone this is Brent. On the day before Easter Abby and I went to the Annual Albany Easter Egg Hunt. It was held at the Golden Living Manor. Tory and Meg took the day off to go shopping. So it was very exciting for me to take Abby to her very first Easter egg hunt. She loved picking up the eggs all by herself and she loved all the little kids. Oh man that place was packed. It was very special Abby and daddy time that I will always remember.

Sunday April 12th: We started the morning off with the Easter bunny doorbell ditching Abby's 1st Easter basket at Grandma Sonya's, then headed off to church with Brent's family. They attend the Baptist Church. Brent's Uncle Dave is in the church's choir and put on a stunning Easter Cantata performance. The music was great and the message was absolutely beautiful! And Dave is a fabulous singer! After church we went over to mom's to eat Easter lunch and a mini egg hunt in her backyard! It was a quick hunt because the wind was a little chilly. Abby was the only person who got a basket from the Easter bunny, he has good taste-he picked out the dress she is wearing in the pictures! ;)

After we stuffed ourselves at Nana's we went over to Grandma Hazel's to eat again and play!

Abby just loves her cousin Garret. She wanted his Nintendo DS so bad she was snuggling, hugging and kissing her way to it all afternoon! In the picture she's trying to give him a kiss! After that we went to Aunt Susan's and Uncle Dave's for supper. I really need to remember to take pictures there! I always forget! The food was yummy though and Abby just adores her 'Uncles' Kris and Ryan and her 'Aunt' Staci!!!! Thanks for being such sweet people in her life! :) You all are going to be great parents! Kris and Staci are going to be parents here SOON! Go check out their journey of adoption from Ethiopia!

And She's OFF.......

2009-04-30T22:06:00.005-05:00

Abby is WALKING! She took her first steps to me the night of April 9th! It was so exciting! A few days before this happened I had just picked up a couple pairs of shoes at Old Navy to match a couple of her outfits. I had no intention of buying them so she could WALK with them, just keep on cruising like a cool cat! But on the night of the 9th I guess she just had to have that one tennis shoe I was holding because she let go of the sofa and took about 3 steps to get it from me! And ever since then she hasn't kept still!
Below are a couple pictures and videos.

The one of Abby and Brent is from the night she took her first steps (4/9). Top right, showing off her other new kicks (4/10). Bottom right, just looking cute in a squat (4/13).

Sorry it's sideways. 4 days later working hard on walking! (4/13)

Getting pretty good at it! (4/20)

Baths, Books and Bedtime!

2009-04-30T21:26:00.002-05:00

4/1/09
I love getting to spend all day and everyday with Abby! It's always a different adventure everyday. But my favorite part of each day is night time. And not just because it's bedtime! There is just something about that last hour and a half each night that is so special to me. Our bedtime routine starts around 6:30/6:40 every night. We start off with quiet play in the living room. We build with blocks or play pass the balls back and fourth, back and fourth, back and fourth....or put the cookies in the cookie jar, just something quiet and not to rowdy. At 7 we run bath water, Abby gets nakie and EXCITED while the tub fills. Every night she is the biggest goober in the tub. She loves to splash, giggle and jabber with her rubber duckies and throw around her stacking cups! I also get a bath even when I'm not in the tub! After her wash down she gets to play some more until the water is done draining. Next is the "fun" part, the lotion and pajamas! I try to slop the lotion on as quickly as I can before the naked runaway escapes and slip her jammies on faster than she can slip out of them! Once the jammies are on we lay together as she drinks her bottle. She loves to touch my face or pet my fingers when I hold her bottle. She is the sweetest thing ever! Next is book time. It is my favortie time. It is so special to me as she sits there looking and listening to pictures and words. She loves to help me turn the pages (even before I am done reading the page)! But the best part is reading her favorite book, The Big Book of Beautiful Babies. She loves to give kisses to every baby in the book and gets super excited at the very end when she gets to give herself kisses! Once the books are done we sing a little song then she is off to dream for the night! She is a great sleeper and always refreshed and energized for the next adventurous day!

Great Grandma Hazel's

2009-04-22T20:28:00.000-05:00

March 28

I love spending time over at Brent's grandma Hazel's house when all of his aunts, uncles and cousins come down! All the caos and all the kids running around with wrestling and rough housing around reminds of my family when I was little. I miss that so much but it's also so great to watch Abby be picked up, hugged and kissed by everyone!

Abby is..

2009-04-01T13:55:00.001-05:00

10 months old!
It's so hard to believe my little, teeny-tiny Abby is just 2 months away from turning one! These past 10 months have been the best 10 months of my life. I love getting to spend everyday with her and watching her grow more and more. But I feel soo lucky to get to spend many more hundreds months watching and playing and learning with my sweet sweet Abby!
Abby's Can-Dos this month:
She is a fabulous cruiser. Anything that this girl can get her hands on she cruises along.
She is a SPEED crawler.
She can go all day long yelling dadadada and now nanannana.
And if she isn't saying dada or nana she is just yelling and babbling at the top of her lungs. (She is a riot at restaurants!)
She stands unassisted anywhere from 15-20 seconds but she now realizes what we are doing when we let go of her hands and plops right to her bottom.
She loves my keyboard. She tries to pound on it every chance she gets.
She loves food! She is a great eater!
Her new favorite toy is an old X-Box controller that Brent gave her so she can play like daddy.
She loves to show new people how she can blow raspberries and make silly faces.
She likes to touch and pull at Grandma's and Nana's cats and dogs. She just thinks it is so funny!
Bath time is so fun. She loves to splash and squeal in the water and never wants to get out! The wetter the better.
She is sleeping great. Bed time is 8 o'clock and wakes up around 7:30. Naps are a little sketchy but are gradually getting better.
We love you Abby!!!

Doctor Visit

2009-03-11T17:55:00.001-05:00

Abby had her "9" month well-child check but technically she is 9 1/2 months.
Weight: 18 1/2 lbs
Height: 28 1/4 ins
(Oddly enough she is measuring tall for her age, hehe!)
Dr. F is very pleased with her development rate and glad to have such a happy and healthy patient.
Overall a great visit!

Another day at the park.

2009-03-11T16:59:00.001-05:00

I love warm weather no matter the time of the year. And I think Abby is going to be a warm-weathered goober with me. Summer here we come!

Mmm Spaghetti!

2009-03-10T22:40:00.002-05:00

Brent makes fabulous spaghetti and I think Abby agrees!

9 Months!

2009-02-25T19:10:00.004-06:00

I can't believe our Abby is 9 months old! I just love this little person sooo much! She is the greatest! We love her so so very much!
It was supposed to be nice Monday and Tuesday so we were going to take Abby to the park on the 23rd (Tues.). But like normal MO weather it changed and it was COLD! But today was extremely nice and Abby absolutely loved the park and getting to swing for the first time!

Pucker Up!

2009-02-25T18:54:00.002-06:00

Abby loves to give kisses. We have been using the sign kiss and as far as we can tell she knows what it means!

Muah!!!!!!

Yaaaaaaay Abby!

2009-02-25T18:47:00.002-06:00

Abby loves to clap!

Yay Abby!

Congrats Faith & Ben!

2009-02-25T18:02:00.005-06:00

Faith and Ben got married on Valentine's Day! It was a beautiful and perfect ceremony!
The reception was so much fun and it was great to get to meet more people from Brent's family.
It was a long ride over to the church...

Like father...

Like daughter. They were both zonked within minutes of the drive!Auntie Linda.The beautiful couple! Congrats! Congrats!Abby and DaddyKrissy, Ryan, Aunt Susan and Uncle Dave.
This young and gorgeous couple's wedding date is creeping up fast!The boys just loved Abby at the recption. There were 3 of them that couldn't get enough of her!Us!And we finally made it back to Grandma Son's. Abby is a goober and loves to play with Brent's old wrestlers!

It's February?!?

2009-02-25T17:53:00.002-06:00

Feb. 10
Are you serious?! It was such a nice and NEEDED day!

Teething Pain...

2009-02-25T17:39:00.004-06:00

Popsicle Pops fix the pain!

I was eating a Popsicle and Abby kept begging for some so when I was half way finished with it I plopped her in her highchair and she went to town on the rest.

New Car Seat, Yay!

2009-01-29T19:05:00.002-06:00

Abby's new car seat came today! It is sooo beautiful and safe which is WONDERFUL!

Band-Aids Make Her Smile.

2009-01-29T19:00:00.001-06:00

Abby got a boo-boo today and she was such a tough little girl! She didn't even cry but she sure did love the band-aid, so much she asked me to make a blog post so she could show it off!

Abby is 8 Months!

2009-01-29T18:56:00.002-06:00

She loves to give kisses..MUAH! That is just one of the many things this crazy and wild girl can do. Abby can officially crawl, and boy she is quick! She is pulling herself up to anything she can get her hands on and walking along the sofa. She is great at going from a sitting position to a crawling and vise-verse. She will sometimes give hugs but more interested in kisses. She is eating 3 solid meals a day and two snacks. She isn't picky and loves all the different foods she eats. She still loves fresh fruits and her favorite by far is strawberries! She also enjoys Gerber Puff things and Baby Mum-Mums. She loves to clap everytime I squeal "Yayyyy Abbyyyy!" I tried to get it on video but she would rather crawl to snatch the camera from me. Her favorite song we sing with her is Pat-a-Cake. I just love this little girl to pieces and can't get enough of her!

2009-01-29T18:54:00.000-06:00

Loved by her Daddy!

2009-01-29T18:51:00.000-06:00

My Sweetie.

Bath Time #2

2009-01-29T18:47:00.001-06:00

This was just too funny not to post. Hopefully the pictures tell the story!

Bath Time #1

2009-01-29T18:42:00.001-06:00

Bath time is now our favorite time of the night. It is so much fun to watch Abby splash and play, and she enjoys it so much more now that she is out of her baby tub and into the Big Girl Tub!

New Year's Eve

2009-01-29T18:36:00.007-06:00

No picture but on New Year's Eve Abby crawled for the FIRST time! It was so awesome to witnesses it with all of my closest friends. We were all just sitting around a table and Abby was on top just gazing and listening to our conversations when all of the sudden she made her way over to my best friend Melissa! Everyone was so excited and all the commotion we made scared Abby and wanted to be picked up. But it was great, a story we will never forget!

Christmas Celebrations!

2009-01-29T18:36:00.006-06:00

After we were fed and finished at Brent's parents we packed up Abby and drove a whole 3 minutes to have Christmas afternoon-ish at Nana Meg's! It's great having both set of grandparents and great-grandparents living in the same town! Christmas at mom's was also a lot of fun, lots of people and smiles.

But the Christmas-ing doesn't stop there! Later that afternoon we celebrated with Brent's Aunt Susan and Uncle Dave at their place with all of Brent's cousins. It was great getting to see everyone and getting to watch old family videos of everyone's past Christmas! (Brent was a little booger with a mullet!) For supper mom wanted everyone back over for Christmas Dinner. It was yummy as always! Overall Christmas was wonderful and I was so thankful to get to spend it with awesome family, I hope SOON we get out WEST to spend it with MORE family!

Long Underwear on Christmas Morning!

2009-01-29T18:22:00.001-06:00

Christmas morning at Grandma Sonya's and Grandpa Hal's.
Since we got to spend Christmas Eve with my side of the family we decided to wake up Christmas morning at Brent's parents house! It was a great first morning Christmas!

Christmas Eve Traditions Will Forever Last.

2009-01-29T18:15:00.001-06:00

Picture: Someone came up with a brilliant idea to put Abby in the Nativity Scene, she didn't like it to well.

As a family tradition we always get to spend Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa Abreu. We eat a wonderful supper then Grandpa reads the birth of Christ passage from the bible as someone lays the baby Jesus in his manger. Angel was the lucky on this year to get to do the honors!

Early Christmas

2009-01-29T18:09:00.001-06:00

Brent and I were so happy to get to have our very first Christmas as a family! We were so excited we just couldn't wait until Christmas morning to let Abby open her first gift. She was so excited (about the sound of paper crumpling that is)!

I'm Late, Late, Late!

2009-01-29T18:06:00.001-06:00

I'm sorry, it's been forever since I've updated! I know, I'm a BAD blogger. Oh the things I haven't blogged yet but they will come..I Promise!!
One thing I missed- Abby at 7 months!
She isn't crawling yet but she sure can get around QUICK! She is scooting every where and will get on all fours and lunge herself forward.
She loves meal time. She eats anything and everything you put on a spoon. She loves fresh fruits. We got her one of those mesh feeder things and she will suck the living juice out of every fruit we put in it. So far her favorites are: apples, bananas, cantelope, the green melon stuff and pears.
Abby also has two teeth now, if you look closely you can see them in the picture!

Any Day Now!!!

2008-12-10T21:03:00.004-06:00

Oh-Muh-Gosh!

Yesterday...

Last night...

Tonight!!!
I just can't believe it!

Family Pictures

2008-12-09T01:13:00.005-06:00

It's great having a mom who takes FABULOUS pictures! She is so good at what she does..SEE! :)
(Mom took the pictures, I just edited them)

Brent is a HUGE Chiefs Fan even though they aren't having the greatest season.

My sisters and Abby!
Left to right-Aunt Christy, Aunt Melissa, Me!

Abby and Santa *cough-Daddy-cough*

Christy picked out her Christmas tutu!

Tutu again!

I am IN LOVE with this picture!♥

I l♥ve her to pieces!

Light Night

2008-12-09T00:45:00.001-06:00

In the little town of Albany, it's tradition that on the Friday night after Thanksgiving they light up the square and have a Christmas Parade with Santa and all! It was too cold to stand outside so Abby and I stayed warm inside Marilyn's flower shop (a friend of mom's). She likes spoiling Abby. Notice the singing stuffed Christmas dog and the yummy blue sucker!

Tasting.....

Yum! She likes it!

Sorry..

2008-12-08T21:36:00.001-06:00

..for the Blog over load. But there's MORE coming!!!

(That is, when I DO blog) ;)
Eleven (11!) New posts below! Down, down, down!
Two (2!) Above! ^^

Turkey Day

2008-12-04T18:09:00.001-06:00

It was so nice to have a break from school and Brent a break from work, but it all went WAY TO FAST! Like last year we had to attend 2 Thanksgivings, but that was okay with us! For lunch we ate with Brent's side of the family and it was great because I got to meet some family that I've only got to hear about until now! It was a lot of fun and Abby was such a great sport with the big crowd!

Abby with her "cousin" Kris.

After lunch, waiting on dinner at mom's house.

Our second Thanksgiving meal was at mom's. It was yummy too! It was nice to have a somewhat "large" family Thanksgiving dinner again. Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, Eric, Jolene, Angel, Christy, Brent, Me, Abby.

6 Months Old!

2008-12-04T17:51:00.002-06:00

Our Abby is 6 months old! It's so crazy to think that she has been here with us for half a year. She's absolutely the best. She is an amazing little piece of perfect. She is so much fun and it seems as if she is learning something new everyday! She is such a hands on little girl and loves to touch everything, her hair, ears, belly, toes, feet and everything in arms reach. She loves tummy time and her play mat and playing on the carpet and doing her mini push ups, and she is even to a point where she will get on her hands and knees for a couple seconds. And she also sits unassisted pretty much too! It is such a joy to get to experience all these new discoveries with her. She is such a great eater too! She gobbles down each meal with a smile on her face weather its green beans or pears, she loves them all. I just love her soo soo much!

6 month stats: 16 lb 4 oz and 26 3/4 in long!

OH Christmas Tree, OH Christmas Tree..

2008-12-04T17:45:00.001-06:00

We just couldn't wait! We put our Christmas tree up even before Thanksgiving. It's fake but it still was so much fun to get to pick out our first tree together as a family!

Abby even wanted to help! :)

Nov. 21

First Tooth

2008-12-04T17:11:00.000-06:00

We knew Abby has been teething for a while now and we were just counting the days until the darn thing popped through, and it finally did. On Wednesday, November 19th I had a night class so I asked one of my friends, Jakki, a freshman at Northwest also, to watch Abby, she said yes of course so I took Abby to her dorm room, told Jakki if she needed anything to text me. About an hour into class I get a text from her saying she is just a tad fussy and is taking a nap, then 20 minutes later she texts me again saying she won't calm down. So I pack my things and head to her dorm, as always the minute I take Abby into my arms she's fine :) then Abby takes my hand to chew on, then OUCH she has a pokey tooth on her bottom gum! That explained everything, but poor Jakki..at least it will be a fun memory to always be able to tell!

I haven't been able to snap a picture of her new tooth but here is one before I left for class.

Bath Time and Sippy Cups

2008-12-04T17:04:00.000-06:00

Abby loves bath time, she loves to splash her chew on her bath toys!
Abby was purposely being a goober and wouldn't look at the camera!

Abby's doctor suggested we introduce her to a sippy cup and she loves it! She took to it so well.
This picture was taken by a wonderful photographer, her cousin Angel. (She loves my camera.)

Our Pre-Thanksgiving

2008-12-04T16:57:00.000-06:00

Brent's grandma Betty had some family up the first of November so we went over for dinner and it was a preview of Thanksgiving! It was yummy!

Abby playing with her "Uncle" Dave.

Happy Halloween!

2008-12-04T16:37:00.000-06:00

For Abby's 5 month portraits we decided to do them in her Halloween costume. She was our little Lamb Chop.

Even though Brent had to work that night, we still had a lot of fun with our Lamb Chop and showing her off to family!

5 months!

2008-12-04T15:54:00.000-06:00

On Oct. 23rd Abby was 5 months! I know I'm late on this but I had to post pictures! So much happened in her 5th month here with us. She tried her first foods, she discovered her toes, helped decorate for her first Halloween, and rolling everywhere! Abby is just so amazing, she makes everyday a great day and is such a wonderful and happy baby. Every time I look at her, I fall in love all over again. She is my world and I could never imagine her not here with us!

Daddy and Abby.

This was daddy's fault!
(This wasn't her first food but this was her first time eating carrots, and this is what I came home to one after noon from class. Brent had left her carrots on her tray while he went to the restroom and within a couple seconds, BAM, carrots are everywhere and Abby painting a carrot master piece!) She had so much fun!

Baby Shower and Birthdays

2008-12-02T10:44:00.000-06:00

Abby and I got to go to a baby shower for a friend, Devon, and it was a lot of fun! It was great to see her and all my other friends since leaving for college! I made her a diaper cake...it was so much fun, they are my new favorite thing to do!

Devon-she is a cute prego!

The diaper cake I made! This was only the second one I've ever made and definately my favorite!

Baby Kayne Lee was born Oct. 30th and was 8lb 9oz. It was so weird to hold a new new baby!

After the baby shower was Kenlyn's 4th Birthday Party! I use to babysit Kenlyn when she was a little baby, then Melissa took over the job and Kenlyn just adores "Meme."

Here is Kenlyn holding Abby in Kenlyn's closet watching a barbie movie she got for her birthday. Kenlyn likes to pretend Abby is her baby sister, its super cute!

Bebe Pod and Jumperoo!

2008-12-02T10:35:00.000-06:00

We got the Bebe Pod as a baby shower gift -(thanks Emma and family!) and Abby just loves it! She has been sitting in it since she was a little over 3 months and she just has a ball in it.

Oct. 10

Aw the Jumperoo! All we have to say is "Abby, jump-a-jump-a-JUMP" and she goes crazy. It's so fun to watch her in it.

My 2 Favorite Bearcats!

2008-12-02T10:26:00.000-06:00

I'm going to do a lot of time traveling because I am one of the worst bloggers known to Blogspot!

Oct. 9 2008

My 2 Bearcats...Gosh I love them to pieces!

BabyLegs...

2008-10-11T00:04:00.000-05:00

BabyLegs are basically baby tights but aren't connected and cover just the legs. You can order them from http://babylegs.com/ ,buy them from target or make them out of adult knee socks. Here are the directions Grandma and I followed but you have to make sure and read all of the comments because the directions can be confusing, but are simple once you get them. http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyhopes/237396880/in/set-72157594274454468/

These are made from tall toe socks. I'm making MORE tomorrow so I will post more pictures of my finished products!!

Yay for (fake) BabyLegs!

Thank You Nicole...

2008-10-09T18:40:00.000-05:00

Though I haven't won yet I am trying to increase my chances by 25!!!

This amazing website will be giving away a free Handbag every hour on Oct. 15th, 24 FREE bags!

GO and SIGN UP!

http://www.handbagplanet.com

BabyLegs

2008-10-07T17:55:00.000-05:00

I found a how-to website on how-to make babylegs! I am now obsessed with them. So this past weekend we went over to grandmas house to use her sewing machine, so as dad watched Abby, grandma and I were busy in her sewing room trying to figure out those darn instructions. Eventually we got it. Now I can't wait until friday because I have more stuff to make MORE babylegs!! $3 a pair totally beats $12-$20 a pair!

Love this pic of Abby and Melissa, and I didn't mean to get Mels face in the pic.