Confidence in Motherhood

Kelly wrote a wonderful post on being confident in choices you make as a mom.  I literally could have written that post myself...it was like she was reading my mind!  I wasn't ready to be a mom until my early thirties....what I didn't know was that God wasn't ready until I was 37!  It was such a painful few years.  A few years I was just assume forget about.  BUT, I have the sweetest, most beautiful baby girl now and I do have a hard time remembering all the painful stuff.  It was a season, and I believe God sends us through different seasons to make us stronger and more thankful.

The choices I made with Reese are mine.  I am mostly confident in them.. Now, I'm not saying I don't ask friends about what they did in certain instances but I still decide for myself.  Breastfeeding was my first choice I made...but I went into it with the mindset, if it worked, it worked.  If it didn't, I'd switch to formula.  Luckily, Reese nursed wonderfully until 7 months.  I tried not to be consumed with "breast milk is best" because I was a formula baby, and turned out fine.
Kelly made a point that she could not let her girls "cry it out"...I was so relieved to hear that!  I CANNOT do it either!  I loved to rock Reese as a baby, and I still do!  That is part of our routine that I love!  I will rock her when she's 13 if she'll let me!  Ha!  She sleeps pretty decent, goes to bed around 8:30 in her crib in my room, she wakes up around 12 or 1 for a little "swig" of warm milk and she's out again.  At this time, she may or may not end up snuggled up next to mama in the big bed!  I know, I know, most of you are shaking your head but as a friend put it to me, "you only have her for 18-20 years then she'll be gone."  So basically, if she wants to sleep with us until then, we're fine with that.  The biggest thing about that is that Clint is fine with it too, if he didn't want her in the bed, we'd figure something else out.
Taking the bottle and sooby (pacifier) away is something I haven't faced or thought too much about, to be honest!  I dread the day.  She gets so excited when she sees me making her bottle and  I just can't stand that thought of her having to give up something she loves so much.  I am confident we won't go to Kindergarten with it though!  HA

Girls Clothing Sale, 0-12 months

I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner today for her clothing sale.  Kids grow out of cloths so quickly and Reese is small enough, most of what I have she only wore once or sadly, not at all!

Comment on this post, list the # of the picture you want, first come, first serve.  

Shipping will be 2.00 for first item, add .50 per item after that.  Leave paypal email also please!

SOLD

SOLD

Gymboree...6-12 mo....3 piece set...15.00

SOLD

SOLD

#6  Baby Gap.... size 0-3 months......worn once......5.00

#7  Baby Gap.......size 3-6 months.....5.00

#8  Children's Place......size 12 months......8.00

These boots are made for ALMOST walking!

Miss Priss is SOOOO close to walking! She has taken 2 steps two different times!! I figure it's just a matter of time before she takes off!! I can't believe it's that time already! I love watching her learn and experience new things but I want her to stay a baby a little longer!

I could just eat those little fat baby thighs UP!!!!

Plans are underway for her 1st birthday extravaganza!! I want her day to be so special! At Reese's 9 mo check-up, our pediatrician made the comment that the next time she sees us, Reese will be one. She said it was time to start planning the party and to remember, keep it simple, because I would be doing one a year for the next 18! Clint piped up and said, "Oh, we're way past simple ALREADY!!" Such a comedian!

Bluebonnets

We went to Sam's and out to eat on Saturday in Sherman. They always have the prettiest bluebonnet fields over by Lake Texoma Dam. I took my camera along to take Miss Priss's picture. We got a FEW good ones, needless to say, she was way to busy picking thier little heads off! I said Lady Bird Johnson would NOT be happy the way Reese treated her bluebonnets!!

You can see a little mischief in her face!!!

This one is my favorite!! I had to move her three times because she was stripping the blooms quicker than I could click!!!

I love this little girl so much!!!

Easter Weekend

We had an incredibly busy Easter weekend!  McKenna was in a high school baseball tournament here in town so we started Saturday morning at the ball park!  Reese loves watching any kind of action, so having a brother that plays it all is perfect!  

She is a very enthusiastic fan!!!  Can't wait until she starts talking, we may have to get a muzzle!!

Before the game was over, I had to go over to the children's park and start decorating for our churches annual Easter in the Park.  We sponser the event for our community and have well over 500 people come out with their kids to hear the "real" Easter story, hunt a few eggs and eat lots of goodies!!  The Easter bunny  usally make an appearence!!  

She went after those eggs with a vengence!!  Haha....She really would have been happy with just ONE egg, as long as she could get what was inside!!

She was perfectly fine with the Easter bunny as long as Daddy was right there!!  Oh well, maybe next  year!!

I just LOVE this picture!  She looks so big to me!  I can't believe she will be  ONE in just a few months!!

Sunday morning we got up for church, Easter in our house has never been about bunnies or candy, even growing up, my Mom didn't let us get to wrapped up in all the "hoopla."  We do give our kids a little bit of goodies but I want my kids to remember Easter as always going to church, fellowshipping with our friends and having a wonderful dinner with family as we celebrate that our Savior is ALIVE!!!

McKenna is a wonderful brother!!!  He was 3 when Clint and I married and has been like my own child.  He is very protective of Reese and loves her very much.  She loves him too!!

My precious girl desroying the basket that Granni and Pepaw brought her!!  She loved the grass!!

Farmer's Daughter

So, as I watched the Super Bowl tonight, the Dodge commercial aired about God making the American Farmer.  I AM a farmer's daughter and CANNOT be more proud of the fact!  The commercial was my Grandfather and my Father to a "T."  Everything the commercial stated, I have witnessed my Dad do, nurse a calf or colt all night to watch it die, put in a 40 hour work week in by Tuesday and proceed to work 72 more hours for the week, get up at 4 a.m. and work all day THEN go to town and stay at a school board meeting until midnight (or later!) love the land, love the work and want to pass it on to his kids!  That commercial was THE BEST ever and KUDDOS to Dodge!!

Now I'll leave some pics of my "farmer's daughter".  We took Reese to check the cows today for the first time... She was a little unsure of the big, black mamas coming up wanting a nose rub!!  I hope and pray someday she is SO proud to be apart of an American Farmer's family!!!

Christmas Eve

We celebrate Christmas Eve with Clint's side of the family..this year it was at our house!  We had a great time.  Usually, we just do munchy type foods, snacks and such, but this year I wanted to do mexican.  We had sour cream/chicken enchiladas, beef enchiladas, taco bar,cheese dip/chips and tortillas rolls.  My mother in law made a Christmas cake and had tons of candy she had made.  It was all so good!

Reese was so excited when we set her by the tree!!

Can I open JUST one??

Reese is the BEST Christmas gift I have ever received!  A few seasons ago, I wasn't sure I would ever get to be "Santa" to my own child.  Don't get me wrong, my step son and daughter were such a blessing to me, they taught me things a lot of Moms don't get to experience, but having a child of my OWN is a dream come true!

Our nephew, B.J. and his wife, Ray-Lee and son Rhyler

Rhyler really enjoyed opening his gifts!! 

My mother in law helped Reese open her gifts while I snapped pictures!!

Later that evening, my brother and sister in law came over to spend the night with us.  My Mom and Dad and `Delena's Mom and Dad and Grandmother were coming over the next morning to see what Santa brought Reese and McKenna and have brunch with us (that post will be tomorrow!)