n. bristol ave.

Here ye, here ye...Emarie is 7 months old!

2011-10-26T19:59:00.000-05:00

Soooooo.... where did October go? I'm amazed at how little I remember about October. This weekend is Halloween, my little Rudy dog will be 7 years old, and Emarie is another month closer to her 1st birthday.

At the Pumpkin Patch

This month here's what E's done:
1. She's crawling on her tummy, and will stop at nothing to touch a dog paw, a cell phone, a remote control, or a laptop.

Looks like she's plotting something.

2. She's eating new foods: yogurt, pureed meat {yuck}, mashed potatoes, and carrots.

3. She's a wobbly sitter and usually falls over in a matter of seconds. Unless she's kickin' it in a high chair at a sushi or mexican restaurant {that's the two places we've been where she rocked a high chair sans car seat}.

4. She pulled herself up yesterday for the first time. She wanted her daddy's "adult beverage" and pulled herself up using his shirt. Wish we had gotten it on camera.

5. She's babbling more and more.

6. She's taught herself how to blow bubbles, or spit. Not sure, you can decide from the video.

Her {unofficial} weight this month is: about 15.8 lbs

How funny is this?

Her most favorite things these days are:

1. Her Panda. She will fixate on him/her until I bring him/her close and then she will grab and hug him/her with all her might! It's cute.

2. Izzy dog. She just sits and laughs at Izzy. You'd think this would give a dog a complex, but not Izzy, she KNOWS she's awesome.

Iz-Bear

3. She really likes going to the grocery store. People tell her how cute she is and there's so much to look at. Who wouldn't like that.

Shopping in the kitty shirt, thanks Grammi!

4. She still really enjoys the bath.

Eating bath toys

Time has really flown by, but that's to be expected right. Over the next few months we are looking forward to time with family and friends, some college football action, and the holidays! I will post some Halloween photos next week! Happy Fall Everyone!

~tara

Half a year already?!?!?!?!

2011-09-28T21:27:00.000-05:00

First things first... finding time to mommy blogging is hard. I haven't been on here in a LOOOOOONG time. I need to do a better job of documenting E's life. Would day-by-day be too much? Overboard? Psycho? Hmmmm. I think so.

Well, it's been a whopping 6 months and 2 days since my little sweet cheeks was born. Everyday has been a miracle and a challenge. Life is so full of smiles now that she's in our lives. Oh and don't forget the frustrations too. Who knew every day could be so sweet and make you realize how lucky you are, then one second later, make you want to pull our hair out. Awww, kids!

So here's a great video of the good times. E's little laugh is so cute.

Her measurements from 4 mo to now:
@ 4 months-
ht: 23 3/4 inches
wt: 13 pounds
head cir: 16 inches
clothing size: 0-3mo and 3-6 mo
diaper size: 2

@6 months-
ht: 26 inches
wt: 14 pounds 14 ounces
head cir: 17 inches
clothing size: 6 months
diaper size: 2

Her likes and dislikes:
Likes-
a bath
wearing hats
sweet potatoes
bananas & apples
doggies
going on walks

Dislikes-
bedtime
wearing socks
squash
peas
getting dressed
the stroller (she'd rather be held)

mom love:
this is were i want to gush about my cuddle bunny. she's a smart and silly little girl. i can't wait for her to crawl, her first steps, her first tooth, her first words (better be mama or someone will get hurt, just kidding, or am I?), her first friend, her first day of school, her first everything. I think you get the picture. When babies are this young it's impossible not to wonder what they will grow up to be. E has the strength of a toddler, the will of an adult, and the smile of an angel. i bet she plays sports, but if she doesn't that's fine. i want her to follow her heart and be what she wants to be. i used to want to be a smurf, so maybe she will have higher aspiration than i did. her father wanted to be an architect (what an over-achiever), so let's hope she leans toward that and not a small blue animated thing. when i look at her, i know time will go so fast, that soon she'll be sixteen, then in college, then married... whoa, whoa, whoa. mind slow down please. i look at her as she is sleeping and realize when (if, haha, i can retire at 29, right?) i go back to work, i will miss spending all this time with her. these are memories that I am so lucky to have. she will probably not want to take naps with her momma before too long. so, right now, as she struggles to leave my side, i cherish it. i'm sorry to those who get tears when you try to hold her, but those tears remind me that she thinks i'm the best thing since sliced bread.

tara

it's a girl, her dad, and some rice cereal

2011-08-06T00:28:00.000-05:00

today we dove into a new tasty treat called rice cereal. i tried to be a nice wifey and get the grocery shopping done, so we didn't have to fight everyone and their dog over the weekend, and i grabbed some Gerber rice cereal for E. i figured now is as good a time as any to see if the girl can eat like her momma. and.....(drum roll......).... she can. makes me so proud.

i attempted her first introduction at lunch, four bites, not all that interested. would rather take her bottle. i didn't push it, since the handout from the doctor's office said it's good to ease into it. whatever that means. how do you ease into eating cereal as a 4 month old? anyway, i told myself i'd let her try it, if she was ready great, if not, oh well. so after my attempt, i figured it wasn't her time and we'd have to wait a few more weeks. i sent ryan a quick pic of his sweetness trying cereal for the first time, then curled up on the couch with my darlin' and took a siesta. what a great friday!

when the man of the house came home, he was eager to try the cereal with her. i think guys like when their kids first learn to eat because it's messy. he just wanted to see how messy she could get without me getting antsy and pulling out the steam mop. for whatever reason, today i didn't care about a mess. i think i'm too tired this week to even care about the tidiness, or lack there of, of my house. i say this after i swept the kitchen, vacuumed the carpet and couches (thanks dogs that shed like there's no tomorrow), and did all our laundry. guess i cared a little, huh.

but i recorded this 'real' attempt at rice cereal with her dad. moms out there, ever feel like you do all the dirty work all day, and sometimes can't get your kiddos to do/try anything, then dad comes home and they are all for it? that's how this new adventure went down. dad had the magic touch with the cereal. i see a new full-time job for ryan in the near future!!! he will hear me say, "but she likes it when her daddy feeds her."

here's the video and some photos of our neighbor Sophie. she's just a couple month younger than E and she's wreaking havoc and mayhem on her parents as well. she's such a sweet little thing.

have a great weekend!

Sophie:

More E:

ps- i just set up a youtube account and this video was only 3 minutes, but it took forever to get it uploaded. sheesh, when E wants to do a music video to make it big like justin beiber, i'll be waiting forever to upload that.

pps- i'm sacrificing good sleep for this post...what am i thinking.

my first day as a 4 month old -posted by EMARIE

2011-07-26T21:47:00.000-05:00

alright, so i can't type, yet, so i'm telling my mom everything i want to say. my mom is like my personal assistant. i really couldn't live without her. you know like famous people have people do everything for them, well that's kinda like my mom. if i liked coffee, i would have her get me a vente white chocolate mocha from Aspen Coffee in Stillwater, OK.

i am actually going to start my story by telling ya'll about yesterday... i had to go to this place called the doctor. my mom swears my doctor is a nice lady, but all i remember is those pokey things {shots}. Wowsers! it all began like any other day, i woke up, i was in my usual good mood, had some breakfast. next, i played in my exersaucer (picture of me in action to follow), mom got me dressed, then strapped me into my car seat and with a smile on her face said, "you ready to go bye-bye? my library books are ready to go pick up and you are almost out of formula." sounded like fun. i'm up for a car ride anytime, i just don't understand why the cars have to stop so much. i would quickly learn that she conveniently left out the trip to a little place called Healthcare for Children, or the most awful place on earth if you ask kids. thanks mom. i've got your number lady. i will remember this. you like sleep right... well, i'll be sure to get you back.

anyway- i took a catnap while mom drove around running errands, and the next thing i know, i'm naked, in a cold chair, with a paper napkin stuck to my bum {the scale}. when i saw that stranger, mom called her a nurse, i knew i was in for trouble. i tried to cry to keep her away, but it didn't work. she'd later get me good. the stranger put a ruler around my head and made me lay on a table as she stretched my leg off. it was pure torture, you guys. then she left. did the tears work? no time to celebrate, another stranger came in. she had a warm smile and a nice voice, but i cried anyway. i thought i would get some relief because the doctor kept saying nice things as she stuck a flat wooden object in my mouth and a funnel thingy in my ear. how could she expect me to like that? she even said i have a perfectly shaped head. maybe my daddy will let me be a head model? just kidding, there's no such thing. is there? well, my dad says i will play soccer. play...okay, i like that. soccer, sure, if it's play, i'm in. now my results from the doctor (in case you forgot what i was at 2 month, click here):

4 months:
-height- 23 3/4 inches {up almost 2 inches. call me Yao Ming}
-weight- 13 lbs {up a little over 2 1/2 lbs}
-head circumference- 16 inches {the brain has grown almost 2 inches too. move over Stephen Hawking}

i have no idea what these things mean or what the 25-50th percentile means, but that's where i am. all i know is that i'm not a fan of the doctor. what kind of lady can sleep at night after she pokes a baby like me?

now TODAY! i had a great day. i napped, played with my toys, napped, got in my swing, napped, played some more, had a few diaper changes, and napped. i ate too. i can eat 4 oz at one time. sometimes 5. i'm getting big. i walked around the house with my personal assistant {mom} and took pics of some of my favorite things. here's what i'm into these days:

this is pressley the pachyderm, i eat his nose sometimes

i love the nuk fatas...aka pacifiers

my cousin aubriana taught me about spongebob

my mom's cool pillows. i stare at them a lot.

this is me working out in my new exersaucer

i love to blow bubbles. oh and thanks Matt and Amy Garrett for my cute outfit!!!

my poppa calls me a pwwincess all the time.
P.S.- see my perfectly shaped noggin? i got my dad's ears.

emarie

life at home: the good, the bad, & the internet

2011-07-25T22:04:00.000-05:00

it is a full on, 100+ degrees, humid as florida summer here in KC, and with a {4} month old, i don't get out much. so that leaves me to my thoughts. thoughts about parenting, how to stay excited about my new full-time job, and who's turn is it to make the bottle. i wonder why some women choose to stay home, while others choose to return to work. as a new(ish) mom, i have a fair amount of time to think up my answers to all my questions, but i know i'm not always right. this post will be devoted to my thoughts on staying home, being a parent, how Ry fits in, and the internet, my new BFF.

life before a baby centered on ME...and ryan, and what me we wanted to do at each moment of the day. we were both working, making money, spending money, taking trips, eating out, going to the movies, and exercising. everyone knows that when a baby comes along, the me focus has to change to them. call me captain obvious. oh, and i'm not complaining. not at all, just stating some ~~facts~~ thoughts i have. now, i realize staying home doesn't work for everyone. and i'm not trying to force my thoughts on anyone else, because i am the first person who will tell you to raise your kids/plan or not plan your family how you want to, and always, always, always do what works easiest/ best for you. staying home just works for us. for many reasons: childcare costs an arm and a leg (literally), i couldn't convince myself in 37 1/2 weeks that someone else would love all over my kid the way i do, i grew up going to daycare (and turned out just fine) so i wanted to see the other side, i wasn't in love w/ my job, and almost peed my pants (not literally) thinking about staying home with E. there are pros and cons to our situation:

Pro
-i don't miss the little changes she undergoes daily
-we have already built a strong bond
-i get to cuddle her, even if she'd rather i not
-i can maintain a clean house
-i can run errands (early in the morning) otherwise put off for the weekends
-she gets to fall asleep and wake up at her house (familiar is always good)
-ryan and i can create whatever schedule we want her to be on... right now, there is no schedule
-the dogs get to go in and out all day (in more than out, we have weird dogs)
-laundry doesn't (usually) get backed up
-i can cook dinner... or fix it from a bag, whatever :)
-i can, and sometimes do, stay in my pj's all day (ry thinks it's hot)

Cons
-i have champagne, no i have good wine taste, on a Natty Lite budget
-daytime TV is crappy
-i can, and sometimes do, stay in my pj's all day (gets depressing)

all my cons are pretty minimal, i think.

all in all i feel blessed, lucky, thankful to have the opportunity and support to stay home. i also am human and a girl, so it's hard to think like my new strengths are washing bottles, wiping a precious hiney, doing laundry, and having a clean house. you definitely don't feel like a goddess when you get spit-up on multiple times a day, forget to brush your teeth until 3pm, or staying up all night rocking a fuss-a-saurus rex (that's what we call E when she's a handful). being a mom is a tough job. there's many old there that would disagree, so i'm only saying i think it's hard. there's a lot of pressure out there to be the perfect mom. don't let your kids sleep in your bed, they will have attachment issues, only breastfeed or your kid won't be healthy, put them on a schedule from the beginning, swaddle them, yada, yada, yada. there are so many 'rules' out there, how can they all be right? as you all already know, i don't follow a schedule and i do what works for us instead of what all the 'experts' say. good, bad, or indifferent, that's what i choose. i wish i could tell you that my method is the best, but i still have a fussy kids sometimes. a kid that doesn't sleep through the night. one that cries when a stranger holds her, and one that is only on formula now. i'm not the best mom, but E thinks i'm pretty darn close to it. that's what matters to me. if my kid is happy and healthy, is taught good manners, treats people with kindness and respect, and doesn't cheat or steal, then i've done my job. now, she might sleep in our bed til she's 10 or 40 (i told my parents i'd sleep in their bed til i was 40)? she might not do well at her first sleepover, and call me to come get her (i did). she will throw a tantrum at the most inopportune time, that i'm sure of. it's a given that she will catch colds and get germs. i can only be there to cuddle in bed with her, pick her up when she wants to come home, teach her that tantrums don't get you what you want, and nurse her back to her playful self when she has a bug. this is how easy i make it sound in my head.

so this next thought is a wife's perspective on how my hubs feels. these thoughts are probably somewhat accurate or could be totally way-off. i'll let ryan post a response to this if he wants. i'd like to know his perspective on fatherhood... i know he loves it, but i want him to spill his guts on his fears, what he wants for his daughter, how good/bad he is at all things baby, and how he sees me after a c-section, stitches, and big panties (TMI??? sorry). i'm not sure i can convince him to share all this, but i promise to try.

i think ryan is a great dad. he's a great dad in a very attentive-doesn't want her to be uncomfortable at all- tries really hard to help me in the middle of the night- isn't scared to get dirty-wants to provide for her every need kind of way. he'd buy her the moon if she wanted it. remember how i told you he uses 20 wipes per diaper? well, he is so concerned that she'll get a UTI that he wipes every inch of her tushy. he's concerned about her sun exposure. worries about if she's getting enough sleep. leaves the house early so he can come home early to see her. is a little picky about who holds her (if you've held her, you know you met his standard, or maybe he talked about you after we got home :) ). he might not know at what age we start cereal, what diaper rash looks like, or what food allergies are, but he's in it. he's willing to learn whatever it takes to help her grow up big and strong. because he wants to be all in this, that's a great dad. he doesn't leave the hard stuff to me. he says we are a team. and did i mention, he uses 20 wipes to clean her bum. oh i did.

now on to my new obsession. the internet! when i should be napping as E naps, i can't pull myself away from facebook, pinterest, younghouselove, Just Us, pickyourplum, yahoo, zulily, shabbycreekcottage, couponsuzy, babycenter, and as of today, joss and main. i've gotten sucked into decorating and diying things for our house on the cheap...well, i've gotten sucked into at least thinking about it. i've also decided to organize and clean out all the clutter in our house. we are getting lean and mean, and only keeping things we need. we've decided we waste a lot, we have stuff that we don't need or use, and others can get better use out of it.

another goal is to save money where we can. cut coupons, don't spend money M-Th, and check out books from the library. i hope i'm not making you all think we are financially struggling, because if you know my husband, you know he's socked away his whole life, so this save money challenge is simply to see how much frivolous spending we can eliminate. what we save will go to E's college fund. she might sleep with her momma until college, but the girl is going to college.

now, if you want, share your thoughts on parenting with us, tell me your favorite websites, so maybe i can get hooked into a few more, and leave any tips that have made life easier for those experienced parents out there. again, none of my thoughts are meant to make anyone feel like our parenting style is better than anyone else's. i just needed to share my thoughts, since E doesn't quite understand what i say to her. thanks for being my outlet tonight.

tara

opps...belated independence day!!!

2011-07-17T11:54:00.001-05:00

(does it count as late as long as i post in the same month as the actual holiday?)

i have to document this holiday, because at three months old, E will never remember this first 4th of July. this was probably one of my favorite holidays growing up. the 4th always meant HOT weather, the lake, BBQ's, swimming in the pool, and shooting off fire-crackers. i also can remember being so excited when my dad said we were going to get firecrackers. now, with a baby, it brings thoughts of loud bangs, booms, and whistles that will wake my kid up. am i a scrooge or what?! E actually did fine, to my dismay, but when at 11:30pm fire-crackers were still going off, R and I were annoyed. i think it constitutes annoyed when your husband puts a post of FB asking who the "d-bags were shooting off mortars". making friends right and left, huh? he's like sarah palin, momma grizzly bear, when it comes to little e. love him.

i feel like a party pooper writing this blog, but it's true. i was trying to think back to when i turned into a dud, and it occurred to me... i've kinda always been a dud. 1. my sister preferred to take my childhood BF to Bell's to ride the rides because i was a chicken (that's you Sheena). 2. in college i didn't want to wear my sorority sweatshirt into a bar for fear of being disrespectful... my BFF called me out on it, leading to a messy fight, but we have since reconciled (thanks Katie). 3. i now am not a fan of fireworks. there's a lot more stories of tara-the-lame, but in an effort to save my self from belittling, i'll stop there. :) guess i need to fun it up, or my kid will think i'm lame. it does make me feel a little better that my husband's friends referred to him as "grandpa" in college... two-peas-in-a-pod. two-lame-peas-in-a-pod.

Anywho, back to the 4th- we started off festivities on Friday, my parents came into town. since they live 4 hours away, they are like kids in a candy store when they come visit, and my kid is the candy. it's so sweet how much they dote on her. she loves it already. the cooing has since turned into odd sounds of happiness and she really wanted to tell my mom something the entire time she was here. probably things about my parenting style :) i'm getting sold out by an infant.

Friday we lounged and had drinks on the deck with our neighbors and ordered our traditional Minsky's pizza. a great way to end the week. Saturday we lounged some more, ate breakfast burritos, and watched the casey anthony BS, i mean trial. R and my dad tried to win BIG at the casino, but no such luck. Sunday we grilled out with our neighbors and my parents, and Monday i took pics of the fireworks pre-11:30pm. E was already asleep, but thanks to our neighbors, brennan and luke, i got some good shots to show her. all in all it was a lazy independence day at our house. Here's some pics of E's first 4th:

tara

three months already

2011-06-26T21:29:00.001-05:00

i'm writing this post as i watch Marley and Me with ryan, while glancing at the baby monitor often. it seems like yesterday we were at our 37 week visit when the doctor thought E was too small and needing to make her grand entrance sooner rather than later. friday march 25th was a day like none we've ever experienced.

three months later we are learning her likes and dislikes... dislikes are easier to figure out. we've noticed she is following her hands all over the place. she tries to help hold her bottle, she smiles every time one of us looks at her, and we have broken every 'rule' out there for raising kids. i like the help she gives me during feedings, i love the smiles, and i enjoy breaking the 'rules'. we are pretty sure she's going to grow up happy and healthy, so we don't care if she somehow figures out that she wants to suck her thumb or sleep in our bed (a king size bed is in our near future, i feel it in my bones). we will however draw the line with bad attitudes, selfishness, and lying. in our book, that's makes us pretty good parents.

a few more milestones:

1. the hands thing :)
2. she's wearing size 1 diapers
3. she's fitting into her 3 month clothes
4. she's getting used to the car seat
5. she likes her swing...when she's tired

a few 'rules' we've broken:

1. we let her suck her hands
2. she still sleeps in her pack-n-play in our room
3. we've also let her sleep in our bed... and we like it!
4. finally, we let her watch TV... should this be under milestones? haha

now here are some pictures of our little 3 month old-

she loves t.v.

PS- Marley and Me has successfully made me cry like a small child that has lost her favorite toy.

PSS- actually, both of us are crying... this is a super sad ending that we knew was coming and we are still sobbing.

count 'em, 3 years! that's 21 in dog years.

2011-06-21T20:32:00.002-05:00

and what an uber fantastic three years it's been! June 21, 2008 i married my sugar-daddy... i mean, my dreamboat! i thought it took me forever to find someone like ryan... and now time is whizzing by us. i hope to be the little old(er) lady sharing about our 50+ years of marriage someday. i bet blogs will have changed by then.

anyway, here's the story of us... a love story-

once upon at time, in the land of aggies, God's country, stillwater, OK, a romance blossomed. WAIT... i am leaving out the best part of the story... you see the story actually starts back in high school. i played basketball for a high school power house {go redskins}, and ryan caught a glimpse of his wifey-to-be when my team dominated his school's girls team. (he told me years later that he knew who i was in high school... stalker, j/k). he had no idea then, but i'd steal his heart in four short years as seniors in college. now fast forward 1 year, katie and i are causing some mayhem at a date party {sorry, john somebody for affixing a hula girl to your tv permanently}. we even knocked on several doors in the fraternity and introduced ourselves... ryan's door was one of those. (again, he remembered me...i didn't really recall shaking his hand that night...oops). still we didn't make a connection. again, fast forward another three years, i had just returned from a student exchange program, and ryan was pursuing an internship in tulsa during the spring of our senior year. kelly, katie, and i moved into a duplex next to ryan and all his friends. since ryan was off being responsible, i had to scope him out in pictures at his friends' house. even asking who was that strapping blond gentleman. finally, we meet! in the driveway of my next door neighbor. fireworks went off... okay, just kidding, but i did think he was {like totally} cute! that semester we go to date parties together, hang out and talk on his roof, and he kissed me, then... we graduate and move thousands of miles away from each other. not what you were expecting? well, that's what happened. i chalk it up to him being shy and me unsure of how he felt. he says i was the hard one to read and he wasn't waiting around. ok, i added the part about him not waiting around. but anyways, he takes a job in Houston, then KC, and i go to grad school, then move to OR. before i left for OR i call ryan. i knew he'd be so proud of me for landing a great job. one summer evening, i picked him up at his parents house, we drive to sonic for a 'drink'. we talked a lot about what we hoped for in life after college. back in his parent's driveway, i asked why we didn't work out. bold huh? i really just wanted him to know i was still {REALLY} interested in him. he seemed unsure of a long distance thing, and he was about to get of my car, then he turned back around and planted one on me...and the rest is history. we did the long distance thing for a year, although, there were some rough patches along the way and some "hate email" got sent (from me... he's too sweet to do that). but now we are happily married with one perfect little girl and two doggies. every morning i wake up to an amazing life. i realize everyday how great i have it.

Here's some pics of our journey together:

the engagement:

the wedding:

this hand shake sealed the marriage!

i wonder what the rest of life will bring our way... great things I'm sure. Happy 3rd Anniversary to my better half! I'll keep you around for another, oh say, 100 years. Here's to making it that long and not being senile. Love you Mr. Burger!

Tara

first dad's day at n.bristol ave

2011-06-19T17:15:00.000-05:00

today is father's day!!! this is the very first time we've celebrated this wonderful holiday in our house. i have to say, i think the Mr. had a pretty swell first father's day. E is obviously the best gift ever... but we went one step further {more to come}. here's how we started off our father's day WEEKEND (it is the first one, so we are going all out):

The Decorations

found the cute tie banner at ShinDig Parties To-Go

these tie tags are also from ShinDig Parties To-Go

ryan laughed when he walked in, but that means he likes it, right? RiGhT? i think he was actually wondering how i spend my days at home... now he knows. to get him to find the beers in the fridge, i asked him to grab me the veggie tray to snack on. then i waited... i heard him laugh (again, he likes it, right?) and i laughed too. maybe it's cheesy, but i wanted to make his first father's day memorable. mission: accomplished!

i did carry his child for {almost} nine months and endured a major surgery to get her here, not to mention have to watch everything i ate while she was "cooking" ...but hey, who's keeping tabs. no, i really am just kidding. i wanted a baby as bad as him. i actually really liked being pregnant. i'd omit some things {drinking water until my eyeballs were floating, cutting back on my beloved coffee and dr. peppers, nixing sushi, carpal tunnel in both hands, and difficulty sleeping the last three months} that happen to women during pregnancy, but overall, i rate my experience an A. the sacrifices we women make... oh, this post is about Father's Day, right, oops.

now on to the 'Gift'. the Mr. has been really wanting to get a new tattoo. yes, tattoo. he's really looking to get his ears pierced too, and have the holes stretched with those big ring things. uh... just kidding. well, just kidding about the piercings. he has talked about the tattoo since E was a few weeks old. she is the only girl that he would tattoo her name on his body... makes this wifey feel special. well, not really her name, so much as her initials. oh and his other 'l.o.v.e.', the mountains. here's the before:

he already had one tattoo. Alpha and Omega with a cross on top.

i think he thought if he got a tattoo with Christian significance, his mom wouldn't be SO mad if/when she found out. i should go ahead and tell you the story of the first tattoo. go ahead and grab some ice tea and a snack, this is a good story.

it all started at 5th and West, that's the house the Mr. shared with four other dudes in college. on the front porch at 5th and West, 'the dudes' all schemed a way to get tattoos. you see, at the time, it was illegal to run a tattoo parlor in the great state of OK. Soooo, 'the dudes' jumped in the car one Spring evening and started driving to... KS. yes, just driving to KS with no particular tattoo shop in mind. reaching a small town right over the border, 'the dudes' cruise down Main St. spotting two tattoo shops, they were getting very anxious. unfortunately, both were closed. feeling somewhat defeated, they slid back into the car for the hour and 15 minute drive back to campus. along the way they stop at a gas station in Ponca City, for snacks. as they are waiting at the register, they are talking about their misfortune, and how disheartened they all were that they were going back to school with no body art. low and behold, the man behind the register was not just a Quik-E-Mart employee, but their knight in shining armor. he claims to be the nephew of a tattoo artist. he offers to call his uncle and set up a time he will drive to Stillwater and give 'the dudes' in-home tattoos. illegal by the way. {sounds safe, right? it did to 4 college guys}.

skipping back to the car with wild abandon, 'the dudes' finish the drive home. they tell all their friends that a real live tattoo artist is going to come to 5th and West to give them tattoos. the envy of the fraternity, other guys wanted to get some ink too. a couple days later, Hawkeye made it to Stillwater. yes, you read that right, the tattooing uncle's name was Hawkeye! {yep, the college guys still think it sounds safe}. one 'dude' gets his name in russian on his back, another gets the secret fraternity creed, and my hunny bunny gets Alpha and Omega together with a cross. {there were others getting inked, but their tatttoos won't make the story}. i like saying inked. i digress. my hunny bunny also decides not to share his new mark with his parents. not only did he manage to keep it a secret from them for nearly 7 years, but when they finally found out, it was his 5 year old niece that spilled the beans. he was outed by a 5 year old. ryan actually tried to convince her it was a sticker for about an hour, but her momma didn't raise no fool and she wasn't falling for it. she even got a my little pony sticker, put it on her back and went around the house saying she had a tattoo just like uncle ryan. it was cute. i was giggling internally at the fact that his long kept secret was no more. he had to come clean.

** i promise the above mentioned story is 100% true!!! no joke, it really happened, and no names were changed to protect the innocent. **

now on to the 2nd tattoo. you already know it's our daughter's initials, but i documented as much of the event as possible. i was solely thinking about sharing this on here. as it's a little inappropriate to take a baby to a tattoo shop, oh and there was a sign on the door that said NO CHILDREN; i waited in the car with E. here's what we saw from the car:

proof we didn't take our child in a tattoo shop

although, i'd do different things to generate curb appeal, this is a far cry from the living room of a rental property with Hawkeye. i think it's safe. as i am a planner, i called in advance to schedule a time. 6:30pm with Roger... alright, let's do this. well, Roger had other plans. he double booked himself, so Ryan had the luck of getting tattooed by... oh yea, he didn't catch his name. anonymity seems to be my husbands preference. i would have found out his name, how long he'd been tattooing, and even where he was from, but not Ryan. get in, get a tat, and get out. simple man. okay, so here's how it looks two days later:

his skin is still a little angry with him, so the red/orange color will go away

the rest of the weekend was laid-back. we played with the babe, listened to some Telluride Bluegrass Festival on the computer, enjoyed a drink on the back deck, and ate some sushi. it was a great first father's day! with the bar set high, i have given him big expectations for next year. hope i can come through.

lastly, i HAVE to share my parents' gift with you all too. it's pretty great. a leather bracelet and silver case:

how cool! i want one too.

has E's name, DOB, and says " i love you Daddy"

the 'rents did great! good thing i supported the tattoo, because any other gift would have been out done by this bracelet.

up next, our anniversary! 3 years ya'll (said with Paula Dean accent)! i will share some photos from our time together and of course, pics from the wedding. hope everyone had a great time celebrating father's day with the father's in their lives. it's amazing for me to see how awesome the Mr. is as a dad. i can't think of a better man to share my life with. he's a great person, husband, and dad!!! i {l.o.v.e} you, ryan. thanks for allowing me to share your first father's day with friends, family, and perfect strangers.

Tara

Our trip to Tulsa...that's 5 1/2 hours in the car with a 2 month old!

2011-06-15T10:37:00.003-05:00

we went, we saw, and we conquered t-town!!! and... we slept the whole way home. i'm so proud of my little baby girl. she was an animal. my ryan and i were really looking forward to showing off E to our friends and family from our hometown, but my mom was MORE excited. it's hard to plan a "sip-n-see" from afar, so my mom and i decided to buck tradition and throw our own meet-n-greet. i'm saying we are modern women, some will say our party etiquette needs LOTS of work. oh well. who wouldn't want to show off this precious face:

still, the Mr. and i wanted this event low key. grammi had other ideas. we asked to put 'please no gifts' on the invitation...grammi took it off. we asked to have drinks only... grammi had a mexican buffet set up. she even ordered 4 dozen of these scrumptious puppies:

i should have known grammi was {UBER} thrilled to host this gathering when she sent me her list of invitees... all 73 couples and their kiddos(73 x 2= 146 people, not including children!!!). HOLY MOLY, linda! this was grammi's royal wedding of meet-n-greets. (we had to cut down the list though, that's too much for a 2 month old). even with the cut-backs, she was held by 50+ people and didn't cry once while 75+ people came by to see her. i love my friends and family! it meant so much to introduce my angel to them.

i have to reiterate, E didn't cry once during her party, ryan and i on the other hand, were nervous wrecks. we even set out hand sanitizer for people to use, and i'm pretty sure only my aunt ina used it. haha! ya know, in 2 1/2 months i haven't found a polite way to ask people to wash their hands before holding my babe... is there a nice way?

okay, now back to my mom's party, i mean E's meet-n-greet! it was a success. we were able to see family and friends we hadn't seen in a while. so many of ryan and i's friends have kids now. it's great to see all the little ones squirming around in their parent's arms. i'm amazed at how 'grown up' the class of 2000 is...but that's for another blog. titled "30...WHAT!!!"

here are some pictures from the party:

looks simple, right?

i love these two

and here's the planner herself , grammi :)

so cute!

princess aubriana holding her cousin with Poppa

clark liked baby E

now for the journey home...

daddy is such a great driver, too bad there's no mountains in the background

she slept the whole, i mean WHOLE way home

and finally, after a long road trip, E was so looking forward to a soak in the tub. it was so relaxing she passed out!

talk about a LONG weekend. i really love this little girl and her dad. i can't thank God enough for such a PERFECT addition to our family. i look forward to more trips to Tulsa, lots of laughs, water-everywhere-baths, riding bikes, and driver's Ed... i love my life!

Thank you again friends and family of Tulsa for sharing a few hours last weekend with us. have a great summer!!! my next post will be about Father's Day! ryan is getting a new tattoo... (sorry Pat and George!)

tara

hours and hours of play

2011-06-07T21:14:00.000-05:00

so... i have found yet another way to waste time. it's a good thing ryan agreed to let me be a stay-at-home-mom. a friend {laura coleman @ http://suburbanlivingcrafts.blogspot.com} told me about picnik yesterday, and i'm already in love. i can't wait to take pics of E and edit them. here's some pics i've done so far:

how fun!

my wedding bouquet

Almont, CO

crazy kids

i know who runs the house

hilarious

there are so many fun things you can do with picnik. laura said she'd been hearing about it on blogs she follows {http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com} and that it was FREE!!! I figured it was just like picasa or some of the other photo edit sites out there, but NO, it's so much better. if you want (i'm sure i will) you can upgrade to 'premium' features for a price, but right now, i'm having fun with the basics.

anyway, i wanted to share some fun photos i did and tell everyone to go to www.picnik.com and set up your accounts. who wouldn't want to have fun editing your pics for free fifty free?!

tara

Emarie's 2... 2 months!!!

2011-05-26T21:48:00.000-05:00

mom's everywhere want to bottle time, because our babies need a pause button. i can't believe this little bug-a-boo is 2 months old today!

5.26.11: 2 months

iphone pic, kinda blurry

on this monumental day i wanted to share her growth stats so far. i just realized i need to include her 1 month stats too. Here we go:

E @ 1 month:
height- 20 3/4 inches
weight- 9 pounds
head circumference- 14 inches

about 1 month old

E @ 2 months:
height- 22 1/8 inches
weight- 10 pounds 12 oz.
head circumference- 14 3/4 inches

her facial expressions are hilarious

how can she sleep like this?

with this wonderful 60th day of my babe's life came an AWFUL requirement... her first set of shots! i totally held it together in the doctors office, and cried on the way home. to see her face as she realizes she's just been pokes with a needle was the worst thing i've ever seen. she cried so hard for 3 minutes that she fell asleep before we even got out of the room. i immediate called my better half and requested he take her for her 4 month shots.

as i was putting her back into her carseat i whispered that i'd cuddle her all afternoon and i didn't care if she had another restless night because i felt terrible for her getting the shots. they use cute bandaids, but who are they kidding. a cute bandaid won't make a baby/kid feel better after they get poked. ya know shots are an inevitable evil, but i guarantee you moms are stronger than dads when it comes to seeing their little angels cry. if ryan does take E for her next shots, i put money on it that he cries too {wimp :)}.

she basically slept all afternoon and each time she woke up, poor baby cried out. i think her legs are sore. she's so tiny and if her legs hurt like my arms do after a shot, then she has every right to sleep all day. lately she has really started to l.o.v.e. her baths, so we let her relax in the tub longer than usual tonight. i wanted to end this blog with this picture... i am obsessed with this little girl. she has my heart.

haha, her face says it all- she's in heaven

tara

holy tornado warning, batman

2011-05-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

what an eventful day-before Emarie turns 2 months old! a tornado warning in KC. i've lived in the midwest almost all my life (short and heavenly hiatus in college while on a student exchange to Colorado, then a year in oregon), so this isn't my first {tornado} rodeo. i haven't experienced bad weather as a mom though. a friend put it best yesterday on fb, she said, "tornado's aren't cool when you have kids", and this is SO true.

today started pretty much like any other day, well except that ryan woke up on the couch, due to the weather last night. the craziness started about 11:15ish with this loud beeping in my kitchen. i realized the 30 bucks i spent on an all-weather radio yesterday (yes, just yesterday) was notifying me of a tornado watch. i turned on the news station and didn't see anything. soon the new station had started giving warnings and information. i was watching all these funnel clouds forming in south KC. and i started calling ryan at work. he didn't think it was so bad, but he agreed it'd be a good idea to get things together just in case (smart as a whip that one is). BUT what kind of things... i've never done this. do you strap a baby into their carseat, maybe you grab their diaper bag, how about extra clothes, food, a paci? i don't know, all their possessions? if i could have, i would have taken her entire pack-n-play to the basement. not sure why, but i would have. in the end, i only grabbed two pillows, a blanket, the dogs, and her diaper bag. and her, strapped to my chest with the baby bjorn. once i was sitting under the stairs and waiting for a loud train-like noise (that's what people always say it sounds like), i realized neither E or me had shoes on. she was in a t-shirt, pants, and no socks for gosh sakes. OMG! if a tornado was to come, we were to survive it, we'd be screwed afterwards. what kind of mother am i... a brand spankin' new one, i guess.

next thing i know, i hear the sirens going off and the radio upgraded the tornado to a warning. thunder is crashing, the dogs are nervous; am i painting a good picture? i even heard the trash/recycle truck go down the street. (and people say some city workers are lazy, ha, not the ones here). i've actually never gone to a basement to take cover from a tornado. we didn't have basements in OK, just a closet under the stairs, a bath tub, or in the hallway, if you were unlucky enough to be in Mrs. Jamison's first grade class at Peters Elementary in 1986-87. why did mother nature brew up a tornado today, while my husband was at work. doesn't she know i need help here.

obviously we are okay since i'm blogging about it, but there are people all over MO, KS, OK, and AR that are not as lucky as we are. my heart goes out to the people that are rebuilding, mourning the loss of a loved one, and all the volunteers that are still looking for survivors.

with E turning 2 months tomorrow, i documented this nerve-racking event so she can ~~appreciate~~ chuckle at my parenting skills later on. our family is thankful for our safety and we are thinking and praying for those people that have been affected by the devastating midwest weather these past few days. (some pics were taken on the iphone and aren't that good)

scary clouds from my back door

from my front door

closer up from my back door

here we are, taking cover

yes, i strapped my kid to my chest

under the stairs to the basement

not sure how safe we really would have been...

tara

this is a BIG DEAL!!!

2011-05-21T10:07:00.001-05:00

so as i sit and drink my morning coffee {fully loaded :)}, listening to the dishwasher run, watch E in her swing, and see the neighbor's dog poke his head through the already broken screen door, i have to say, this is shaping up to be a GREAT DAY! it actually started last night {mom's will know what i mean}, E went down after her now routine bath at 8:30pm and {Hallelujah} slept until 1:37am, to be exact! for those mathematically challenged, like myself, that's 5, count them, F.I.V.E. hours!!! and if you thought it couldn't get any better, she fell right back asleep after eating until about 5:15am. another good stretch. figuring she'd be up for the day i braced myself to get up. all of a sudden i realize my neck is killing me. i've slept wrong and now with each turn of my head i'm in a lot of PAIN. darn you temper-pedic-pillow-top-mattress-thing-that's-supposed-to-be-awesome, you stink! but ryan loves you. i digress, struggling through the neck pain and feeding a baby was tough. i even lashed out at ryan...oops. can i get a free pass, i was {still am} in pain? after E was done eating, i thought, lets see if she will go back down. wrapping her back in her swaddling blanket and laying her back in her pack-n-play, i tip-toed slowing back to bed... she stayed still. no squirming, grunting, or crying. again, this perfect {so far today} baby fell back asleep. THANK YOU JESUS!!! {side note: thank you also for not letting today be the end of the world}.

she woke up about an hour and a half later, but that was fine with me. now, i'm rip-roaring-and-ready-to-go. i sincerely hope this will become a regular occurrence. it's a happy saturday at this house.

my life with baby...and other issues

2011-05-18T12:07:00.000-05:00

melt-down mania... that's what happened at my house last night. and the melt-down didn't happen to our 7 week old- it was ME! bless ryan's soul for loving the crazy side of me. i am the kind of person that appears to have her business in order ALL the time, however, like many women, i do not. i do great {almost} all the time, but last night was one of those nights. i talk everything, i mean everything, out with ryan (again bless is soul), and it helps, but it also makes me realize how not-level headed-i-am. i get so anxious about the most random things and sometimes i feel like i need to go on one of those retreat workshops on how to say no (some of you reading this will know i'm a big people pleaser and some of you have even talked to me about the lack of strength in my backbone). so this post doesn't get out of control, i'm not going to have a personal therapy session on here. some of you might know exactly how i feel, but i'm deciding to take my {flaws} and turn them into {quirks}. i might be a softy or not able to say no, or scared to disappoint people, but maybe, just maybe, that means i have a huge heart! and not someone without a backbone. it's all how you look at yourself, right.

ok, so my baby update. emarie is a great kid. i'm sure that's what all parents say. so the real story is that i don't have her on a schedule just yet. to all of you "baby-wise parents" try to keep your advice to a minimum, i'm not a follower. i believe all kids are unique and i'm going to parent by doing what {works} for my family. if you have some friendly advice, i'm all ears. here's how it's going in my world: emarie eats, plays (and by plays, i mean looks around, kicks her legs a bit, or tries to crawl up my chest), and sleeps. pretty normal. since she's almost 2 months old, i thought now is a good time to try to implement the dreaded schedule...muuuuaaaahhhhaaaahhhaaa (evil laugh)!!! so starting two days ago, we started our routine bath and bedtime activities. i start slow. thank you, mandy kraft, for telling how this changed your life. i hope it, too, changes mine :)! emarie gets a bath every night at 7 (haha, well really sometime between 7 & 8, see i told you i start slow), then a good lotion rub with j&j's lavender lotion (sorry aveeno, you gave emarie a rash), and then some food, and a good rock in the rocking chair. it's been exciting to see if i notice any changes... so far, no. but i'm hopeful i will over time. it's only been 2 days, right. i couldn't get any of this done without ryan. he's not big on giving the baths. sometimes emarie doesn't like it and her daddy can't bear to see her cry. he's there for the grand finale with a warm towel just out of the dryer (thank you for this idea, heidi). if it were up to her, the lotion step would be dropped. she doesn't really like that part either. come to think of it, she really just likes the eating and rocking parts.

we also took up swaddling again. i think there is something to this part of baby wise. emarie does seem to calm down, sleep heavier and longer when she's all wrapped up like a little papoose (i'm indian, so i can use this term). i stopped because she seemed to like being "free" and i didn't want to fight her or over-heat her. live and learn. it seems to work, for now.

lastly, i took christian's advice about the Playtex VentAire bottles. $5.09 at walmart (that's with tax) compared to the ones i registered for at $11.99 each (eckum...tommy tippee) that drown her. some "slow flow" nipples aren't really slow flow. the Playtex bottles have my endorsement... for whatever it's worth.

now, the things i love: watching emarie sleep, this is when she practices her smiles. she also looks at the same things over and over, but each time it's like she's seeing it for the very first time. the fan is probably her favorite. hearing her toot. it's so loud for a tiny creature, and i giggle each time she does it. mature, huh. this love of the simple things makes me realize my {other issues} don't really matter. my family is what matters.

{this is what matters}

with all the advice, it really does take a village to raise a child. thanks!

Tara

Our New Baby Girl

2011-04-27T21:35:00.001-05:00

Emarie Ann Hybarger was born March 26th, 2011 in Liberty, MO. She weighed 7 pounds 0 ounces and was 17 3/4 inches long. Considering how scared we were that she was going to be small, her early arrival has been the biggest blessing to our lives. Ryan and I can't count our blessings enough. She's perfect.

Her name is a combination of both our mothers middles names, Marie is my mom's middle name and Ann is Ryan's mom's middle name. We simply stuck an E on the front of Marie to get Emarie (pronounced Emery). We'd been anticipating her arrival since the second pregnancy test showed double lines. If you've ever been pregnant, you know you can't trust just one. All the anxiety of a healthy baby is now our reality! We truly thank God for this little miracle. It's a wonder that 16 year old kids can become mother/fathers, because conceiving isn't that easy. We experienced a miscarriage prior to Emarie, and as sad and disappointing as that was, it REALLY makes me see her as a gift. God will give you the child you were meant to have. I wonder what the first baby would have looked like, or was it a girl or boy. We lost him/her around 6 weeks, so we didn't know anything about it. I have to say, I prefer to have the miscarriage I did, because such an early loss was easier to recover from. I was able to see that something wasn't right with that embryo, and I'm glad God didn't let things progress. Now I have this perfect little girl, and Ryan and I have a sweet little family.

Here's her first picture:

I plan to continue to post about Emarie, so one day I can show her this blog/diary of her life. Since she's already a month old, here's an updated picture:

What I've learned by staying at home

2011-03-22T09:12:00.008-05:00

My husband ROCKS! I don't know if I can say this too many times, and I hope I am not "sicking" anyone out. I know there are other great husbands out there, but Ryan is the BEST thing in the world. He talked me into turning in my two weeks early, since we decided together I'd stay home when Emarie arrives. I thought having a week or two before she gets here would be plenty, but I'm glad I listened to the "Ol' Wise One". I've been able to get some rest (not so much sleeping, but relaxing), put final things in order for the baby, and catch up on the blogs I follow. I have learned some things:

You can watch too much TV
My dogs sleep practically ALL day
Not a whole lot goes on in my neighborhood during the day
One can only clean so much
I'm still too tired to craft... but I like looking at fun projects
Ironing isn't as awful as I thought it was
Mid morning is a perfect time to go to the store
How thankful I am to have such a supportive husband

(I was going for 10, but it's only been about a week and 1/2, since I haven't gone into the office.)

I'm thinking about Emarie a lot and trying to predict when she will be here. On Thursday we go back for week 37 check. If she's still breech (which I think she is) then we can plan for her arrival 1 week early. I'm getting more nervous about being a parent, but I have all the confidence I can do a good job. I hope to learn patience, compassion, and acceptance in the next few weeks... is that too much to learn? Patience with how different Ryan and I will parent, compassion toward those (our moms) who will be helping a girl out, and acceptance that I can't be a super hero and do it all.

I will post again later this week, when we know more about when Emarie might arrive. Also, Happy Birthday to Bryce Allison Kraft, my friend Mandy's little lady! She's two today. Another friend, Rachel, is set to have her 2nd little girl, Reese, today. Sending love to all the moms out there, especially mine!

Part 3: The BIGGEST project of our lives... ok, Ryan's life (so far)

2011-02-17T09:58:00.007-06:00

The final installment of the Biggest Project of our lives...

The grouting- Ryan went after it like a champ. As he fought through the lower back pain, he perfectly grouted both areas of tile.

The vent is back in and the door is back on. Some unexpected encounters were how exactly to tile around the vent, and oops, the door needs to be sanded down, so it will open all the way. Again, Ryan to the rescue. He figured out an easy way to tile around that still looks good, and he sanded the bottom of the door, so it'd open without dragging. Guess we didn't measure the height too good.

Despite the above mentioned issues, the final product is wonderful. I'm so proud of him for doing this all by himself. The project was so successful that I can't wait until he tackles the bathrooms! Thanks for following our first major DIY project!

Part 2: The BIGGEST project of our lives... ok, Ryan's life (so far)

2011-02-13T11:39:00.007-06:00

And we begin with Ryan taking part of the baseboards off. A regular handy-man. Not one was broken! So far, so good...

This little tool was a great purchase. It's a rotary tool (I think) that you can put different blades on and make awkward cuts. It came in handy so we could fit the tile under the dryer vent and door jams.

Now, the backer board is down and all screwed in. By this point Ryan has been working on this for about 6 hours. I lost track between cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming, and watching TV. I know, it's been a rough project.

Instead of making it easy, and laying the tile out side-by-side, I wanted this look. Thanks Dear!

With the design agreed upon, Ryan set out to get it done. I appreciated the slow going, because I knew he was taking his time and making sure it was right. I know, it's not my project, it's his.

And here comes the fun part- the wet saw! I'm slightly (ok, really) jealous that I am not the "contractor" on this project, because I don't get to use the tile cutter. Ryan seems to be happy with the way it cuts, so again, money well spent.

I'm already thinking about a project I can do so I can use it.

I'm sure all you professional DIYers already see something we did wrong... yep, we didn't take the door off. I hope this is the worst mistake we make. But as you can see...

... the door is off now. Day 2 has begun slow, but he's taking a couple more measurements and cutting the last few pieces of tile to fit under the door jams and around the vent. We will have to wait until the mortar is dry to grout, but I hope to have the final pictures up tomorrow.

PART 1: The BIGGEST project of our lives... ok, Ryan's life (so far)

2011-02-12T16:00:00.009-06:00

Ryan and I have been talking about doing this project since, well... since we bought the house in January '09. (Drum Roll) And Friday night we bit the bullet and made a trip to Lowe's to get what we needed. We are tiling the garage entry and laundry room! By we I mean Ryan, I'm pregnant remember. Here are a couple before pics of the areas, and the builder grade linoleum that someone thought was a good idea.

I know what some of you are thinking... you two are doing this project all by yourselves? Yikes right. Don't worry friends, if it doesn't go well, we won't continue on to the other places we want to tile. We'll consult a professional.

From watching HGTV, you are supposed to set a budget before starting... uh, I knew we forgot something. Oh well, right. This project has turned into our Valentine's gift to each other. Weird right? Well, let me explain. It's a gift for me, because I wanted the linoleum gone. I win! It's a gift for Ryan, because we agreed to get all the manly tools needed for this (and other projects down the road). Plus, I've been 'trying' to let this be his project and not adding my 2 cents when it's not asked for. Probably not doing as good of a job as I think I am. :)

I'm doing this post in stages, because I've taken lots of photos. It's like Ryan's first day of kindergarten all over again. Come on, this is a big project. I have to document it. Stay tuned for Part 2 and 3... I hope I can keep it to that.

Final touches... I think

2011-02-06T12:41:00.006-06:00

Thought I'd share some of the updates we recently made to Emarie's room. Ryan talked me into the curtains I really wanted, but didn't want to pay the Pottery Barn price... I'm glad I gave in. The little three knob coat hanger, I got with my mom in Gruene, TX several years ago. It's nice to find something to use you already have. The duck outfit is one of my favs, thanks Laura and Keath. We are both really happy with the room. Hope she is too.

Emarie's Nursey

2011-01-08T09:24:00.009-06:00

Yesterday we had fans installed in all the upstairs bedrooms! Yay! Ryan supervised the process, while I relaxed in our bedroom. I feel I get in the way, and probably make people nervous by standing over them. After the fans were installed, we decided to finish decorating the nursery. We picked out the furniture from Nebraska Furniture Mart (Stratton), the bedding is from Babysupermall.com, Como, and wall paint is Olympic with Sherwin Williams color: Banana Cream. My mom gave us the picture frame that says, "All because two people fell in love" and the stencil that says, "Every child is a story yet to be told". The mirror is from Lowe's. We just need some curtains and we will be in business. We still have 13 weeks left until Emarie gets here, but decorating has been a lot of fun! Looking forward to April 11, 2011.

A tonsillectomy....

2010-07-10T13:06:00.004-05:00

So it's day 8 of Ryan's tonsillectomy and it's getting worse not better. Since last Friday (July 2nd) we've hardly slept at all, he's moody, he's lost 9 lbs (and counting), I've got cabin fever, and we've been to the ER! This kind of sounds like how my friends explain Parenthood! I'm ready to have my husband back.

On a lighter note, I've decided I need to take up some hobbies. Some of these things I used to do, some I want to start doing...

Learn photography (jump on the bandwagon, right.)
Crochet more
Scrapbook (I have a cricut)
Learn to Sew
Cook more

I will probably add and take things away from this list as I start my new hobbies. Wish me luck.

March 2010

2010-03-21T19:27:00.003-05:00

So again, I let months go by without posting something. I'm really bad at this. I guess Ryan and I don't have much to blog about. The four of us are doing well in KC. Rudy and Izzy are just as ready for summer as we are. I'm looking forward to getting out in the flower beds and grilling out.

Some things we've done the last few months to the house...
1. Painted the kitchen (again...)
2. Had stone put on the front of the house.
3. Bought new light fixtures for the outside.
4. Put up new curtains in the kitchen and the master bath.
5. Laid stone at the bottom of the deck to prevent muddy paws.

Ryan and I have also become close to our neighbors the Coleman's. Keath and Laura moved in behind us last April, and Ryan and I have spent many Friday nights hanging out with them at their house or ours. It's been fun!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T22:04:00.003-06:00

We're celebrating Thanksgiving with my parents this year, and it's been pretty low key. Last month my grandfather passed, so the first holiday without a loved one is a little hard. I'm really thankful for my family and friends this year. It's been a crazy year with buying our first home, surviving our first year of marriage, and losing my grandpa. I have to wonder what this next year will bring.

I'm going to get better about posting, but I kind of forgot how to post, and just realized I was entering the wrong password. I will also post more pics, but I think Mandy and Katie are the only ones that visit this site. :)

Today I got one of those Cricut Expression machines that lets you create all kinds of cool things for scrapbooking. I've been playing with it most of the evening, and I will put pics of my creations on here too. Well...once they get good. I'm going to make our Christmas cards this year, so I better get on it.

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving, and were able to spend time with loved ones!

Life in Kansas City

2009-08-06T19:27:00.000-05:00

Ryan and I have been married for 1 year and 2 month. We've settled down in Kansas City, and now are living the dream! Ok, maybe life's not always a dream, but we really love our house and where we are at right now as a couple. Sometimes we wish we lived in Colorado, but our compromise is to take lots of trips out there. We have two great dogs, Rudy and Izzy, so while others are putting up pictures of their new babies, our blog will be pictures of our puppies!

Ryan has a great job with a Commercial Insurance Broker here in KC, and I am working as an Admissions Representative for an online University. We LIVE for the weekends and playing outside. Our lives have been going 100 miles and hour since our wedding, and we are so excited to discover what the future holds for us.