Holiday Fun

This year was BY FAR the best Christmas of my life. Never has it meant more to me than it has this year. We were able to really feel the meaning of Christmas by having our baby girl in our home. I could have cared less about the gifts- we had our gift! Mollie! (We did love and appreciate the gifts though!) We loved seeing the day through her eyes, even though they were just a little over 4 months old. Merry Christmas!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

A morning chew.

Ready to open presents!

What's that fun thing?

I like this whole present thing!

Paper? What's this all about?

Our musical baby!

We gave Mollie "The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly".
We sang it to her while she turned the pages.

A librarian, perhaps?

Yes, I put a bow on my baby's head.

Silly face!

Mollie's "big" gift from Mom and Dad: the Baby DJ Walker, of course!

Daddy shows Mollie how to really mix a song.

Christmas breakfast.

Christmas smiles!

Mollie hunts for something in her stocking that my Mom made her.

Mollie knows that her Uncle Matt is crazy!

Checking out her Aunt Heather.

Family Photo!

Photo time with Grandpa and Grandma Carow.

Mollie loves hanging out with her Great-Grandma Bombino.

So cute in her gingerbread dress! I got it at the YMCA consignment sale.

Santa Baby!

Mollie looks a little wild in her Santa suit!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!
May you enjoy countless blessings this holiday season.
Love, David, Rachel, and Mollie

Blessed

I am warm.
I have a roof over my head.
I have a loving husband.
I have an angel for a baby.
I have a great family.
I have food.
I have clothes.
I have a great doctor.
I had my baby in a wonderful hospital.
The tree is lit.
The gifts we have we are given to share.
Share love and kindness this Christmas.
Let's all find a way.
What would happen if we all found a small way to do that?

The stereo is playing Claire de Lune, and my baby rocks safely in her swing. This song will forever melt my heart when it comes to Mollie. It was the first song she heard after her birth- the first song we heard as a family. It probably played a hundred times in my hospital room. I am so lucky. Christmas has never meant more to me and my husband. We are so blessed. To think how long it took- every moment was worth what we got in return. We have a little slice of heaven to love.

So Thankful!

I always knew that my perception of holidays would change once I had a child. I had no idea how much. I want everything to be simple and perfect for Mollie. I want to be with her. I want to be with her Daddy. I want her to feel loved and feel how much her parents love each other. That right there is what the holidays mean to me now.

On Thanksgiving, we spent the holidays with both of our parents and families. It was nice getting to relax and enjoy the day together. Mollie slept for a good part of the day and made faces across the table while we ate. She had a smile for everyone.

I am already looking forward to her first Christmas. I don't want to rush the days leading up to it at all, but there is so much to look forward to. We can't wait to see her yank at Santa's beard, rip wrapping paper- which I am sure she can already do, laugh at a holiday wind-up toy, stare at the lights in amazement, put on her Christmas dress for church, and I really can't wait to hold her on Christmas Eve and let it all sink in. Last year, being pregnant, Christmas took on a new meaning for me. Now, having a miracle baby of our own, I know it will just be unbelievable. I can't wait to really, really feel that meaning of Christmas.

3 Months and Lots of New Tricks

Last Saturday, the 14th, Mollie turned 3 months old. I can't believe it! The last 3 months of my pregnancy were incredibly slow, and these past 3 months definitely made up for it. It is amazing how much Mollie has grown both physically and in her abilities.

She can now smile at ANYTHING, laugh so hard it makes us cry laughing, hold a mallet and hit a lollipop drum, play a frog guiro, play a keyboard, play a small toy piano, sing, participate in a nightly "concert" with her daddy for 45 minutes, hold her head up, roll from her stomach to her back, roll from her back to her side, prefer to try to sit-up, turn the pages of a book, play in her exersaucer, sleep through the night- oh, wait... I'm dreaming that one up, reach out to touch things, sit in her bumbo seat, pull toys and objects to her mouth to chew on them, and occupy herself with toys for a fair amount of time. She also met Hairy Dawg, met Uga VII, and marched with daddy (or should I say "on Daddy") in Sanford Stadium during Alumni Band.

I love to snuggle with my baby girl!

Mollie is cozy with her daddy!

The more fun and adventure, the better!

Did I mention her ability to make great faces?

The Lengths a Parent Will Go To...

This is my dinner. A delicious butternut squash and bartlett pear soup. It is in a blender in our bathroom. My baby is asleep in her bouncy seat in the kitchen. These are the lengths a parent will go to in order to keep her baby asleep!

End result: a tasty dinner and a happy baby.

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Lawn Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Lawn Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Back to Work

I have had twelve weeks to prepare myself for tomorrow, yet I am in shock. Tomorrow, I am going back to work teaching music at my elementary school. Throughout my maternity leave, I have tried to not think about November 2nd. I wanted to savor every moment with Mollie- even the ones where I was so tired that I tried to nurse the pillow laying beside me in the middle of the night. I cannot believe that I will get up tomorrow, leave at 7 and not get home to see her until 3:30.

I feel very fortunate that she will be with my mother. I trust her, and I know she will do what is best for Mollie. There are just so many variables that are stressing me out:
Will she melt down when I leave?
Will she freak out when she wakes up from a nap, and I am not there?
Will she have enough to eat?
Will she take 3 or 4 bottles during the day when she has only had one bottle at a time in the middle of the night?
Will my Mom be able to interpret her cries?
Will she sing to her?
How will pumping at work go?
Will I get enough milk?
Will I be able to hide in my closet without a fifth grader opening the door?
Will I be able to eat my lunch and pump and have enough time in lunch break that is less than 30 minutes?
Will I have time to pump while utilizing my planning time?
Will I have time to pump at the end of the day too?
Will I get to have some "happy awake time" with my baby when I get home, or will she be fussy and mad?
AND Will I be able to keep my mind on doing a good job at work in the middle of all of it???

I will be so glad when I am home tomorrow afternoon with my baby girl snuggled up in my arms. I have to think of that and not everything else. Wish me luck. I need lots of happy thoughts and prayers.

Boo!

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I LOVE having an excuse to put on a costume and eat candy. Since my birthday is October 30th, my Mom managed to have my parties on Halloween a lot when I was a child. My friends wore costumes, and the entire group went trick-or-treating together. It was so much fun! This holiday has taken on a whole new meaning now.

Mollie has two Halloween onesies, two costumes, and two bibs. It just happened that way! She started out as Baby Bear (we were Mama and Papa bear), but she got hot quite quickly.

Today, we ditched the bear costumes for Redcoat paraphenalia. David and I wore UGA/Redcoat shirts, and Mollie wore her amazing Redcoat uniform that my cousin Rebecca made. I must say how talented Rebecca is. I think she could make anything out of cloth. Anything! She made the bustle for my wedding dress that seemed to have an AWOL bustle when we bought it. She can make amazing costumes. I'm just in awe of her ability. Thanks, Rebecca!

I will always remember sharing my favorite holiday with Mollie for the first time. I have enjoyed watching her study the orange lights, smile at David in a witch's hat with a green wig, and not seemed phased at all by the scary monster heads with light-up eyes.

Laughter and Smiles

I always thought it was precious to see a baby smile. Everyone wants to be the one to get a big toothless grin shot their way or hear a silly giggle erupt from a tiny body. We have been anxiously awaiting those occasions. Mollie started smiling a few weeks ago, and we receive each smile like it is a prize.

When Mollie first laughed last Sunday, October 25th, it was almost unbelievable. It just happened. Now, each laugh is like a giant seal of approval. When Mollie laughs, we know we have made it. We know we are actually doing something right for her. Parenthood is such a struggle. That sweet little chuckle is enough to make the worst sleepless night a dream come true. Now, if only we could stop embarrassing ourselves by acting ridiculous so that we can get more laughs from her! (I.E. making raspberries with our lips as I did in this video.)

Becky Mae Poppy Fields Necklace and Earring Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

This site has some beautiful things and giveaways!

Becky Mae Poppy Fields Necklace and Earring Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Vote for Mollie!!!

Mollie entered the Gap Casting Call contest. Here is the link to our favorite photo. There is a fan favorite competition that you can help us win! Please vote and send the link to your friends!

http://family.go.com/gapcastingcall/entries/rosborne81/824437428/

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Limoncello Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Limoncello Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Pumpkin Patch, October 20th, 2009

We took Mollie to the Milledge Avenue Baptist Church Annual Pumpkin Patch to pick out a pumpkin and to take a family photo. My Mom has gotten quite good at using my Nikon D-200 SLR camera. Last year, she took a great photo of us on Thanksgiving. Notice how Mollie is looking at the camera!

Mollie had a great time being photographed! I took photos of her to enter in the Gap Kids baby photo contest. I made sure to dress her in one of their outfits! She was quite content sitting in her Bumbo seat and looking at the cars zipping down Milledge Avenue.

I must admit that I am trilled that I was able to take some photos of my baby actually looking at the camera. I know it is very hard to photograph children, and it is even more difficult to get photos of them looking at the camera and not at the ground. She was more interested in looking the opposite direction, where people were picking out pumpkins. I can't believe how big she has gotten!

Grandma Carow came did such a great job taking our family photo, that she needed a photo with Mollie too. Two Mollies in one photograph! I love the look on our little Mollie's face.

Of course, there must be at least one melt down. I don't know who looked more upset:
Daddy or Mollie.

Mommy loves her baby girl!

What a sweet baby! She has grown so much in 10 weeks! Here she is just 9.5 weeks old.

Hopefully, Mollie will love October and Halloween as much as her Mommy does.