Big changes after a year

Well things are finally winding down after a busy month. Hopefully March isn't as busy. Alyssa had her one year check up on Monday, she is at 24.8lbs (95th % ), HC 47 (95th %) and 29 inches for length (50%). She received three more shots which these ones she didn't like at all! The nurse said they were going to sting pretty bad and Alyssa let out some big yelps. She was done with it in a few seconds and just stuck her lower lip out.

Cory and I have started her GET account. It's hard for me to believe that we are already starting her college fund!! We had a hard time trying to decide on the options. I think we did the right thing and the most important thing is we got locked in and it's for a good cause. I highly recommend doing this for anyone who has children and who can afford to.

Alyssa had her modeling job and she did a good job. It was interesting seeing how it would all work and seeing the pictures after. I don't know if I went to much into it, but I did it for a favor for my good friend. She works for a company that sells party supplies and costumes. She was working on the catalog and needed a girl baby model. Some of her pictures are going to be used in the catalog along with one of her birthday pictures so I will be sure to let you all know when it is out. They have an on-line site to which I'm sure they will be used there as well. After Alyssa receives her check from them we are going to go and open up a savings account for her and when she is old enough will be able to spend that money on whatever she sees fit.

A funny little story that happened a few days ago. I was going out with some friends for dinner and before I left was at the lap top and had left a soda next to it. Alyssa was a sleep when I left and I didn't think anything of it. When I was coming home I checked my phone and noticed Cory had called several times. I immediately called him back and he informed me how lucky I was. He told me that he heard what sounded like rain hitting the coffee table and he came into the living room and saw Alyssa pouring the pop out onto the table! Luckily Cory had moved the lap top into the other room because he was uploading music, but the camera and our wedding pictures were there. There was no damage to either one of them thankfully! Another disaster diverted!

Cory and I are going to the Brad Paisley concert tomorrow. I am so excited for this. He puts on such a great show. Hopefully he is feeling better. Him and Alyssa both have colds, knock on wood that it stays clear away from me! Today I am going to be disinfecting the house!

A big congratulations to my nephew and his wife on the arrival of their second son Robert! I love you guys and can't wait to see you! Hugs and kisses!!

Birthday weekend

It was finally here, Alyssa's first birthday! Boy the year had flown by. Cory and I had got Alyssa a little hot pink Kawasaki Quad for her birthday along with a few outfits and another little toy. She loves it. It makes all kinds of noises. We had got one for her cousin last year.

Cory and I had debated for awhile what to do for her birthday or I should say what kind of party. We ended up having a quite dinner on her actual birthday, Friday, with just the Grandparents and her aunt and uncle and cousin here at the house. It turned out very well I think. The kids had fun playing together, I made G. Grammy's special spaghetti, and we had dessert and opened presents. I made Red Velvet cupcakes that I had been craving, which boggles my brain because I have never had them before. It was also kind of a last minute thing. I hadn't thought about doing dessert but than thought it was her actual birthday and she had to have something!! So anyhow that's what she got and I think she enjoyed them a long with everyone else. My friend from the south gave me the recipe that she swears by. Thank you Stacey!!! Everyone was so generous to Alyssa, she received the best gifts, but most of all it was wonderful that the family was all here for her.

On Saturday we had her big birthday party. We invited a lot of family and good friends. I didn't really have a theme but it was kind of princess with pink/brown. I think it turned out wonderful! I had got personalized m&m's with her face on them that everyone enjoyed. The weather was PERFECT! Our house isn't the biggest so I was somewhat nervous about having so many people in the house at once. The sun was actually out and for some of the time was actually warm. The kids got to play outside, running some of their energy off. The only problem was the bakery spelled Alyssa's name wrong on the cake! No one noticed it for awhile until my sister made a comment about she was spelling her name wrong. I was so disappointed but thought oh well. Cory was able to fix it on one of the cakes. He's the best! Other than that everything went well. I was very happy with the cake, I am not a cake fun but this one was the best! I will definitely go back to get another from the bakery. I have to also give a huge THANK YOU! to Amanda for cleaning the kitchen Saturday morning and all your other help as well to my sister Lisa and niece Nicole for their assistance too!

Sunday was G. Grammy's actual birthday and we went to Palisades to celebrate her birthday and G. Uncle George's b-day which was at the beginning of February. It was fabulous. This weekend I realized how much Alyssa really loves her G. Grammy. It was the cutest thing. If Grammy would get up Alyssa would follow and Grammy was pretty much the only one she would go to and not be upset with and was content just sitting on her lap. Those two have a special bond.

I will post more photos from the party later. There are so many that I love and to choose from it's hard to narrow it down! I want to thank everyone who was there for making her special day one that Cory and I will never forget!

Birthday....

Again one year ago from this very moment I remember I was laying in the hospital bed completely exhausted and visiting with a friend of ours and holding our beautiful miracle. Now let me go back 16hrs or so ago.

Cory and I woke up that morning and showered got ready as if we were going to work, breakfast, almost anywhere. We I think were making kind of small chat in the car and once we made it onto I-5 I remember looking at him and asking him if he was ready. He had said something to the effect that he wasn't going to be ready until she was actually hear. We continued to drive to the hospital chatting and making a few phone calls to see where people were and so on.

We got to the hospital, checked in and the fun began! I'm crazy and this kind of stuff was kind of exciting to me. I think mainly though because it was a good experience and I wasn't actually in labor yet. The nurses did all their stuff, paper work, questions, IV etc. They broke my water and I wasn't sure what to expect and after they did it I thought oh that wasn't gross or weird. A few minutes later I felt a large rush of fluid...Yuck! Than the contractions came. I told them I was going to hold out as long as possible, this was at 8-8:30. Around 10 or so I told them I had enough! That's when my best friend came in and gave me an epidural! That to my knowledge is the best thing that's ever been created besides my daughter, husband, friends well OK you know what I mean.

Everything went pretty smooth for the next few hours. I was having contractions, dilating and at 5:30pm the doctor was called in and was having me push. She was putting on gloves and I had a pretty big contraction and Alyssa literally popped out. The doctor hurried up to grab her and it was over. It was so fast and an amazing moment! There were more details, but I don't want to bore people again with the info! So at 5:45pm our daughter Alyssa Renee came into this world!

At exactly that same time tonight her and I shared a moment of our own and I gave her a kiss and hug and told her I loved her. She smiled up at me.

One year ago

One year ago today we got the news that we had waited anxiously for and that was, it's time! I remember this day like it was yesterday. We went in for my weekly appointment which would probably be my last before I went into labor. I was feeling "done" with being pregnant and my feet were the size of Fred Flintstones and was hoping and praying that at this appointment she would say that I was going to have the baby today. I was still six days out from my due date. After getting weighed and all the fun stuff the doctor came in and examined me. She had informed me that I was 4cm dilated and was wondering if I was having any contractions, which I wasn't. She saw my feet and rubbed them and said that she was sorry. At that point she looked at us and gave us two options.

Option #1 was she would break my water at that very moment. My heart skipped a beat and I remember asking "will it hurt?"

Option #2 was we could come back the next morning and get admitted to the hospital and have our little girl than.

Cory and I were looking at each other pretty stunned for we still had a week left of freedom. We opted for #2. Being the planners that we are, this worked the best for us. There were more details, but I wont bore everyone with that.

We were able to come home get Harley boarded, make the necessary phone calls etc. That evening was pretty weird. As excited and nervous as we were I think the both of us just stared at the television in shock. This was really going to happen. We did go to bed early that night. I can't say either one of us got a whole lot of sleep.

The next day was one of the best days of our lives and we will never forget the events of it.

It's been awhile.

It's been awhile since I have posted anything and I thought that I would get everyone all caught up.

Alyssa has been changing on a daily basis, the synapses are connecting. She is making more and more animal sounds. She tries to gobble like a turkey and does her version of a cow. She is playing with everything except HER toys. She grabs Harley's toys when he is playing with them and I do make her give them back to him because I don't want to start that war! Her molar teeth have been coming in. She got three teeth in less than a week and more are coming in. She was a champ through it all. A little crabby but not too bad. We found a food that she doesn't like to eat, asparagus. She put it in her mouth and immediately spit it right out. That's going to be a tough one because we eat a ton it it. Oh well. She is crawling and pulling herself up onto everything. She has started to try and take steps but scares herself and gets into the crawling position.

For Valentines day the family headed to Cannon Beach and rented a cabin with some friends. It was a great time. The weather was beautiful and it was the R&R that everyone needed. I was just sad to leave. The place we stayed at was beautiful and is for sale. I wished that we could afford the place I would take it in a heart beat! Valentines day was great. The guys went golfing and us ladies went shopping. We came back and the guys made a fabulous surf and turf dinner for us. Our last night there Cory, Alyssa and I went for a walk on the beach at sunset and it was beautiful. The weather was perfect! I could have stayed out there all night. Next time we will build a fire down there, we weren't prepared this time.

We have a busy week ahead of us. Alyssa's birthday is on Friday with family all arriving and her party on Saturday. My sister Lisa is coming up and I can't wait to see her and spend time with her on Thursday and Saturday. Sunday we have a birthday brunch to celebrate G. Grammy's 89th b-day and George's 95th b-day at Palisades. Alyssa has her one year check up on Monday and she also has her first job. My good friend needed a baby model for work and called to see about possibly using Alyssa. Of course my answer was YES!!! There are no guarantee's that she will actually be used but she does get to go in and get the pictures taken and get paid for it! So we will see.

18 days until......

Wow, I can't believe it's only 18 more days until Alyssa's first birthday! Boy the year has flown by. I look at her everyday in amazement and think what a wonderful daughter Cory and I have. How much joy she has brought us all.

The other day we went out to lunch with my friends Dawn and Mandy and had a very good time. I wished I could see them more. Mandy brought her son Owen along who is I think two months younger than Alyssa. He is one of the cutest and most behaved little boys I have seen. I can't wait to get those two together somewhere and let them run a muck.

Mandy took some great pictures of Owen sitting on Alyssa's lap. Kind of backwards but Alyssa was already in her car seat. Thanks Mandy for taking those and sending them to me! You're the best!!!!!! Even if I do blame you for tearing our office apart : )

I'm on count down for Cory's and mine trip up to Bellingham. I love it up there soooo much. We have out favorite places we go and the weather is supposed to be very nice!