The Zoo

Can I just say that I love zoos? I will never forget going to the Fort Worth Zoo as a little girl- it's hard to say what was my favorite part. I love zoos almost as much as I love parades, but that's a story for another day...

Little Miss Eden took her first trip to the zoo on Wednesday and OH WHAT FUN WE HAD!

Halloween

We took our great friends The Wilkins to Tyler for a little Halloween fun over the weekend. Cousin Garrett stopped by for a bit and then Eden & Johnna had a blast trick or treating around Brett's parent's neighborhood. Check out our little chicken...

Happy Birthday Brett

You make me happier than I ever dreamed possible. I hope your day was wonderful... I am so happy you were born and I am so happy God shared you with me.

This weekend we took a little trip to San Marcos and Fredericksburg for Joe & Casey's wedding. Driving through the Hill Country never does get old....

Yes my dear Aggie friends... Miss Eden had her first Freebirds burrito. She loved it of course. I am considering petitioning the AAP to make it a true developmental milestone.

Here we are all gussied up for the wedding...

Just Perfect!

We had our 19 week sonogram Tuesday. Babyboo looks just perfect! Weighs in at about 9oz and is about 6.5in long. The technician was EXCELLENT at concealing the gender, so no educated guesses here! I can't believe how much faster it is going than it did with Eden... I mean seriously, I am halfway there!

Look how beautiful!!!

We counted all 10 fingers and all 10 toes... These are all the toes in case it isn't clear!

A Couple of Firsts...

First Pigtails...
(As an aside, I included this picture because you can see the big 'ol molar coming in on the bottom right. He has brought along 3 of his friends and it has been a little rough. She really is handling it like a champ, but sleeping is a little rough and most of the time she just wants to sit and snuggle... so sweet)

First Chopsticks...

(Now of course she didn't actually eat with them, but when she saw us using them she tried to stack her food on the end of one- it doesn't sound nearly as funny as it really was.)

Happy Birthday Little Miss Eden!

Is it really possible an entire year has gone by??! It absolutely feels like a couple of months ago we were in the hospital in disbelief at the perfect little gift we had been given. It's hard to put into words how much she has given us... has changed us. It sounds corny and cliche, but life really is sweeter. I laugh more, I cry more, I love more deeply, I hurt more for others, I rejoice more for others, I treasure my family more, and I understand my God and Savior so much better... Thank you Eden, and thank you God for sharing her with us.


**Update 8/22/2009
We had a fabulous party for our little half pint today. Celebrating Eden was more fun than I ever dreamed. She loved every minute- of course having no clue it was all for her! Once again I'll share WAY to many pictures, and in case it's not obvious- the theme was polka dots!




The cake was PRECIOUS and SOOO yummy. Each layer was a different flavor! For any Granbury folks I highly recommend Jennifer May for all your special occasion cakery needs he-he :).

MMMMMM.... My little brother came in from Abilene just in time for the party and then turned around and drove right back. It meant the world that he was there!

Swimming (obviously). Eden has a game where she dips her little face into the water and this is how she looks when she comes back up. You'd never know it by the picture, but she thinks it's great fun!

I made a "special" little cake for Eden. Those of you who know me well know exactly what that means :).

No surprise... she ate it up!!

... And OH the presents!

It's so nice to have close family and friends all around!


I still can't believe it's been a year... a whole year! Oh, they're only babies for a blink aren't they?! I must say we are having more fun with her than ever before. Itis incredible how quickly they learn things! She is literally more independent everyday... a new word, a new activity, something is always new.

She now says (for my own record-keeping)- MaMa, Daddy, bye bye, night night, diaper (biper), uh-oh, nana (banana), all done (duh), book (boo), no-no (that one is pretty funny), hello (hiya-and only when she is "on the phone"), PaPa (my dad), hi, shoes (chzzz), up, baby (used for both babies and puppies) and I think she was saying Sassy (Brett's Mom) today. At least those are the words that I am certain she understands the context. She repeats lots of our sounds and words all day long!
She waves and says "hi" when she sees us. She loves to share things- her food, milk, pacifier,- and she thinks it's hilarious when we "partake".
She is very interested in putting things into or onto other things, so we find stuff all over the house in the strangest places...
She loves to dance and clap anytime there is music and knows exactly which toys will play songs.
She still loves to eat, although not quite as "crazed" as she once was. We have begun practicing with the spoon and she can use it to finish a whole bowl of yogurt- but it's not pretty folks, not pretty at all :).
She LOVES to play chase- both receiving and doing- and laughs harder than I've ever seen her.
She still signs "more", "eat", "all-done", and "bath". Those are really the only one's we've worked on- I really should do better...
She has become VERY interested in what we have and wants to have the same. Particularly with eating, which makes eating out very interesting. She will have the exact same thing in smaller bites on her plate, but she would still rather have mine- "MAMA" "MAMA" "MAMA".
She is so, so silly- just like her Daddy. It facinates me that she understands what that means, but boy does she. She will make a sound or a face or she will stick a toy on her head or you name it- simply because she knows it's hysterical. I can't tell you how much fun we have...
Oh there is so much more. I really just wanted to get some things down before I forgot them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Eden Marie. I love you sooooo much!

BIG NEWS!!!!

1. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a walker....

She took her first step on July 4 and was walking more than crawling by about July 18th. Oh how I can see the toddler emerging!!! Oh, and yes, she does sing as she walks most of the time. We are so very proud of her...

2. For those of you who haven't heard, may I present Baby Cain #2.
EDA 2/8/10.

We are beyond excited...

The Beach...

Where did June go!!! We have had such a wonderful summer. Eden is getting more grown up by the minute. Suddenly a little toddler is in front of me... She is talking more and more. She says MaMa, DaDa, Bye Bye, NaNa (banana), PaPa, boo (book), Bipe-Bipe (diaper) and her favorite word is Uh-Oh- and let me tell you, she knows exactly when to use it. It is so funny- anytime anything falls or we toss something on the bed or the sofa "uh-oh". I still can't believe how grown-up she is!

We took a fabulous trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama with Brett's whole family in mid-June. It was such fun! I highly recommend it for a great, affordable, family vacation. We really didn't do much, which is the best part, just a lot of pool and beach time. So, I'll just bombard you with pictures...

The first three days Eden was sick with a fever and sore throat, but with lots of prayer it left as quickly as it came!

No doubt these two are cousins...and both look like their daddies!!

First time on the beach!!! Our little strawberry was still feeling kind of puny, but how sweet does she look...

This is one of five, yes five bathing suits that mad the trip with us. A girl just can't have too many...

This is how Eden liked to enjoy the pool. Just kick back and float... she's just like her Daddy!

Miss Eden and her "Sassy" (Brett's Mom). Bathing suit #2!

Check out the shades... Bathing suit #3!

She LOVED the ocean! Try to ignore the "yes I'm a Momma now" swim suit.

My very smart friend Rosanne gave us the idea of putting a little pool on the beach to keep sand out of little eyes and little mouths. It worked like a charm!

Brett's brother Jim, his beautiful wife Tricia and Garrett, the best cousin in the world.

Daddies and their babies.

The whole family... Sarah (Brett's Mom), Me, Tricia (Sister in Law), Tony (Brett's Dad), Brett, Jim (Brett's brother), Eden, and Garrett

Us.

Sassy & Grandpa and the Grandbabies...

Us again.

My Loves.