Fun Times with Ruthie & Annie

Mommy's Girl

2009-08-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Eating Big Girl Food!

2009-08-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Still Love Bath Time!

2009-08-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

My Little Water Baby

2009-08-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Annie and I did a water babies class together at Health Plus. It was wonderful and I highly recommend it! We sang songs and worked on kicking and "scoops" - too cute! By the end Annie was able to roll off the side and hang on by herself. Such a big girl.

Changing the world in our footie pjs

2009-08-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Annie has been a really good sleeper so far and I have considered myself incredibly blessed (of course for many other reasons as well!!!). Recently though she started waking up every 2 hours like she did in the very beginning. Well - for those who don't know yet I am now a single parent (will go more into that at another time) and getting up every two hours just isn't really working. I did some googling and found that a lot of moms had this same experience when their little ones were around 6 to 7 months. A lot of them figured out that it was because their babiesi were cold. Well - that's an easy remedy I could try. Last night was the second night we have sported footie pjs and let me just tell you sleeping is back on track! If anyone else is experiencing this GO STOCK UP ON FOOTIE PJs!!!! HAHAHAHA! Works like a charm ;) A friend of mine has my camera but when I get it back I will post a picture of Annie is some of her favorite new footies! If only all of life's problems could be solved by putting on a pair of footie pj's... hmmm... worth a shot?

Some of my favorite pics!

2009-07-22T14:18:00.001-07:00

6 Months and Lots of Updates

2009-07-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Annie just had her 6 month appointment and we have lots of updates! She got her first tooth last Wednesday! It was a tough day but she was a champ. It is a bottom tooth and she looks just beautiful of course :) Her appointment went really well. She weighs 17.5 pounds and is in the 75th percentil for weight. She is 26.5 inches long and is in the 90th percentile for height. She is so long she is still in clothes 3 months ahead. Boogie is also about to start crawling. She can get up on her hands and knees and rock back and forth. She will lunge forward to a toy too but hasn't quite gotten the hang of one leg at a time. She is very determined though and I know will be crawling any day now. I have baby proofed the house and we are ready.

Our latest update is that we are doing Water Babies at Health Plus Fitness Center. Annie absolutely loves it! One of the teachers also works at Annie's school and she recognized Annie immediately. It was so sweet. She said "hey Annie" and came right over. Annie makes us popular everwhere! haha! Who does that sound like? Grandaddy??? hahaha! We sing songs and kick and even go under. She loves it. Of course she loves taking a shower like a big girl afterwards just as much but that's ok.

Ok... off to make dinner and get ready for tomorrow. Boogie is worn out after her class and will hopefully sleep until 2... we'll see. My phone is broken as of tonight and I am going to get a new one tomorrow. So, I will be back in touch then. Good night!

Updates

2009-05-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been busy growing and doing new things! Annie is an amazing roller and has even gone all the way over onto her tummy a few times. It really surprises her every time she falls from her side onto her back and she sprawls her arms and legs out really far and looks shocked. It's so funny. As soon as I act all excited about what she did though and clap my hands it's all grins :) We had our 4 month appointment this week and she checked out great! She is 15 pounds 4 ounces and 25 inches long. She's in the 75th percentile for both height and weight... doing great! Doctor Fuller (we LOVE Dr. Fuller) also said it's time for big girl food. Annie had her first rice cereal last night and thought it was fabulous! It was so cute how she watched the spoon like a hawk to see if it would be making its way back towards her mouth then got SOOO excited when it did. Also excited to report that she slept from 8 until 4:30 after her big meal... woohoo! So exciting. I'm just so proud of her! She continues to be the happiest baby I've ever met. All smiles and giggles and loves to watch everything.... especially the tv and computer screen. It's so funny how she will stare in amazement at the screen. She is too much fun. I will post some updated pictures soon!

From birth to month 3

2009-04-28T19:43:00.001-07:00

I've taken a picture of Annie each month in our big green chair to document how much she is growning... here they are so far :)

Hold your head up high

2009-04-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

Annie is getting so big and strong! When I help her roll over on her tummy she can lift her head up and look around. What a cutie!

A few more Easter pictures

2009-04-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

Belated Easter pictures

2009-04-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little late but better late than never right? Annie had a great time on her first Easter. My mom came for the week before Easter and kept Annie that whole week while I was at work. I will forever be amazed that she managed to do an amazing job watching Annie while also cleaning my house, making me lunch, having someone come in to clean our carpets, and doing a little redecorating that looks amazing. I struggled to take a shower while I was home on maternity leave... hmmmm... I'm hoping mom passed these ridiculous multitasking skills down to me and they just haven't come out yet???!!! I will keep you posted but don't hold your breath. Anyways, Brad came over to for the later part of the week. Annie loved meeting her Uncle Bard and they became fast friends. We had an Easter party on Friday night when we died Easter eggs and gave Annie her Easter basket. It was really fun. Then on Easter morning we woke up and the Easter bunny had come and hid eggs all over the yard. Will helped Annie find them and then we headed to church. I love Annie's Easter outfit that I got at the Kid's Clothes Connection consignment sale... Aunt Jane found it of course! It was actually way too big and I was planning on having Annie wear the top as a dress but it was a tat too short so we when ahead and wore the giant pants giving her the effect of hammer pants. Of course she could pull it off though :)

Annie's Dedication

2009-04-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

April 5th was Annie's dedication at church. Mr. Jim took Annie up and down the aisles and introduced her to all the members explained that they will be her choir directors and Sunday School teachers and mission trip chaperones. Then we said a prayer and sang Jesus Loves Me. It was so wonderful and Annie did so good! She just looked around at everyone and was totally happy. I've heard Jim has a perfect record for no crying and Annie helped him maintain that... I was really nervous we would break it... wheeeew! Then afterwards Jane organized a beautiful lunch to honor the day. Thank you to everyone who was there and who helped. It was so cool to look around the room and see the people who will be there for birthdays and graduations and other special occasions for Annie. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.

Annie's first party

2009-04-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

Annie went to her first party last weekend. Our church hosted a party for all the babies and pre-schoolers at Town Creek Park. There were games and a moonwalk and snacks. We just socialized a bit as Annie's not quite ready for those things but had a great time! By the end she was pooped out. It was especially fun to hang out with Elizabeth, one of Annie's friends in her class and meet her parents Kathy and Jason. Annie has all girls in her class and it will be so fun to watch them grow up together!

Highwaters are awesome

2009-04-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

3 months what? Whatever! All of Annie's 3 month outfits are now highwaters... so much for those! They were adorable while they lasted!

My Flower Power Friends

2009-04-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to go to an institute about service learning last summer at Martha's Vineyard. I was of course thrilled to go because hello... it's Martha's Vineyard and I am passionate about the concept of service learning and was excited to learn more. I was a little nervous though because I was going for a week with four other people I hardly knew. Well, turns out we had an incredible experience and the other members of my team of some of my favorite friends. We ended up playing cards every night and implemented the flower power rule... would take too long to explain... and wore flower power Black Dog tie-dyes for our final presentation. When we got back my wonderful friends threw me a baby shower and Ralph got Annie her own Black Dog onesie. It is actualy sized at 6 months but little Annie is sporting it now. She looks so cute! Thanks Ralph!!!

3 months old

2009-04-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Annie is 3 months old today! She is laughing more than ever and loves to talk. She also loves her toys now. Anything that moves, lights up, sings, etc. is a big hit. It's so cute to watch her. She loves to play with her toys and will play for hours. She is also starting to realize she can actually control those things attached to her arms (aka hands) and we have reach the point of everything is better when it's in your mouth. I love it! We are working on grabbing things and rolling and we're making progress. Here are some more recent pictures...

Our New Church Family

2009-03-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am embarassed to admit this but Will and I have been incredible lazy for the past few years in settling into a church. I rationalized that being involved in a service group and giving back that way was enough and since we traveled so much on the weekends we couldn't really get involved anyways. The truth is though our lives were really lacking in not having a church family and now that miss Annie is here we can make excuses no more. We are so thrilled to now call First Baptist of Auburn our home and are ready to start getting involved. Annie attended for the first time this past Sunday. She stayed in the nursery with Ms. Gwyn and was great. I cannot say enough about Ms. Gwyn. Annie started to get a little fussy when we arrived... I think she was tired of being in the car seat and as soon as I passed her over to Gwyn she was mesmerized. I have met the baby whisperer of Auburn! Annie loves this woman and so do I! I can't wait to volunteer in the nursery and learn some of her skills :)

OK... Really Just a Few More

2009-03-10T19:30:00.001-07:00

Ok... Just a Few More

2009-03-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you were wondering... YES... I do sit around a contantly take pictures of my child. You would too... she's just that darn cute!

The Cutest Face I Ever Saw

2009-03-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Annie's little personality is starting to come alive and she is the best! She is so content and just loves to laugh and have fun. She rarely cries besides when she is telling us what she wants or needs. She LOVES to talk and laugh with us and she just likes to be with us no matter what we are doing. Her little laugh is so cute too... it usually comes out as either heavy breathing or a loud squeal both of which are so cute. I think she may be the happies baby ever... haha. She also likes to sing with me. When I look right at her and sing she will make noises along with me like she's singing. She especially likes all our old chapel songs! Thank you Les! It will be fun one day when we can put in a big mirror downstairs and sing karyoke (I'm sure that's spelled wrong!) and dance together.... two regulars Hannah Montanas! Here are some of my favorite faces :)

Water Baby

2009-03-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows us knows that we LOVE the water... love the river, the lake, the beach, the pool (especially those located in trailer parks :) ANYTHING involving water. It was one of the things that brought Will and I together. On our first date he dropped me off and saw my kayak in my apartment and was sold... as if he wasn't already... hahaha. I new because he even agreed to hang around for a while that night and watch the bachellor... that hasn't happend much since! It looks like Annie is my little water baby! She LOVES taking a bath. She would sit there all night if I let her. She likes to kick and wiggle around. She is just so content! I can't wait to take her swimming once it gets warmer. Auburn has a water baby class and we are all over it this summer!

Annie loves her Big Daddy!

2009-03-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

My father in law is going to be keeping Annie for few weeks for us while I transition back to work. AND he is our #1 babysitter. He has kept her for us several times now and Annie LOVES him! When she hears his voice when he walks in she starts smiling and looking around for him. So cute! Here are some pics of the two buddies napping :)

Annie's first snow!

2009-03-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

OK... I can't keep this week # up for the rest of her life so I decided I will just share fun stories from here on out. One of those is Annie's first snow. It's a miracle but it snowed in Alabama! We took the exciting opportunity to dress Annie up in her fleece bear suit (which while she is wearing she becomes "The Annie-bear") and head out for some pictures. She was so funny. She kept sticking her tongue out to taste it. She is so curious about everything (ceiling being at the top of that list right now) and also so hungry (which she comes by from both mom and dad :). My now 12 pound bundle of pure love was just adorable!

More Week 5 Pictures

2009-02-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

Week 5

2009-02-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

We had such a great week this week! Annie had so many firsts. She took her first big girl bath. She absolutely loves the water! She is holding her head up more now. She also sat in her bumbo chair for the first time. I think it's a little soon but the pictures are great. We will bring it back out in a few weeks... haha. We also went on a few outings when Ray and Jeanne came to visit. We went to lunch and to Target and Annie did so great! She is getting used to the car and is just precious. She continous to grow every day and it's so much fun getting to know her personality. Thanks to everyone for all their comments on our blog... it is so fun keeping you posted on what we are up to.

Week 4

2009-02-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

Here are some of our favorite pictures from week 4 :) She is getting to be such a big girl and starting to really interact. She loves to laugh and smile and is so funny. She especially thinks it's funny when we stick our toungues out at each other. It's been great having this nice weather so that we can go on stroller rides. I am loving the fresh air and it's so great to get her outside.

Week 3

2009-02-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

Three weeks in and loving being a mom even more! I think I have learned more over the past three weeks then I have over the past 29 years! Here are just a few lessons learned...

1) Always wait at least thirty minutes post meal time to do a diaper change. Otherwise you are guarenteed to change two diapers within about 5 minutes and throw an outfit change in there too if you're lucky.

2) The t-shirt you are wearing makes a great burp cloth.

3) When "they" say sleep when baby sleeps "they" make a great point. I love my dirty house and my naps :)

4) Take the baby bjorn on stroller rides because there is a good chance your baby will get tired and you will have to carry her back while pushing the stroller (fortunately we were only 10 minutes away... hahaha :)

5) NOTHING is more important then paying attention to my precious girl... I do promise to catch up with email and phone calls eventually though... I promise!

Week 2

2009-02-03T12:29:00.000-08:00

Well on Saturday Annie turned two weeks. Her second week was wonderful. She's continuing to eat well and gain weight. She's already passed her birth weight which I'm really excited about. We have gotten somewhat of a system down now where I even get to squeeze in a quick shower... yeah! Some of Annie's favorite things now are Bruce Hornsby (we have dance party in the baby bjorn every day), the paci, her light music machine from Ms. Peggy and Aunt Sarah, her swing from Jason and Heather, and taking naps on the couch with Daddy. She is just a doll and I am continuing to cherish every minute with her. It really puts everything in prespective as to what's important. I've accepted my house will never be straight again and I love it!

Some of my favorite Annie faces

2009-01-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

First Week

2009-01-24T11:22:00.001-08:00

Here are some of my favorite pics from our first week :)

Coming home

2009-01-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

We came home on Tuesday after an amazing stay in the hospital with the most incredible nurses. I don't know what I would have done with out all their help and all they taught me. By the time we came home we were doing pretty good with eating, swadling, and well... ok the we are still figuring out as every day goes by.... hahaha. It is an absolute joy though! Here are some pictures of our journey home. When we came home Grandmama (my mom) was there waiting and had cleaned the house, stocked the fridge, and a pot of chili waiting. It was absolutely amazing and I could never say thank you enough!

More friends :)

2009-01-22T17:59:00.001-08:00

Miss Popular

2009-01-22T17:53:00.001-08:00

Here are some pics of Annie's with her friends :)

She's Here and She's BEAUTIFUL!!!!

2009-01-22T17:38:00.000-08:00

Annie is finally here and she is just perfect! I went into labor around 3:30 AM on Saturday and we headed into the hospital at 7:30. The doctor decided to go ahead and admit us and by 3:00 they decided it would be best for me to have a c-section. So... by 4:00 PM our 8 pound 4 ounce bundle of joy was here! Hearing her and seeing her for the first time were the most amazing moments of my life. It's absolutely overwhelming how much you can love someone. We stayed in the hospital until Tuesday and many of our wonderful family and friends were able to come by and meet Annie. Thank you so much to everyone for your calls and visits :)

Maybe a January 22 Birthday

2009-01-14T18:57:00.001-08:00

Five days and counting until our due date and definitely a million and one lessons in patience :) I absolutely cannot wait to meet this little girl! I went to the doctor yesterday and I was still at just a cm. We both checked out as healthy though so waiting is not a problem (besides my lack of patience problem). So here we wait to see. Annie is projected to weigh at minimum 8 pounds at this point and so my doctor was comfortable discussing what would happen if I go past my due date. She agreed that we would induce on Thursday, January 22 if she isn't here by then. So we will see what happens now and keep you posted! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue this exciting journey and soon begin a new phase.

Still waiting...

2009-01-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Twelve days to go until due day and still waiting :) I feel like I am about to pop and I'm definitely about to go crazy with excitement to meet her. The sweetest thing is that Nellie must know it's soon because she won't leave my side and is constantly giving me kisses and even kissing my stomach! Animals are amazing aren't they. Jus twanted to give you an update... hope to have more news soon :) Here are some new pictures too with some of the beautiful women I work with :)

A wonderful holiday season...

2009-01-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

I am determined to make the last day of vacation last and not think about the fact that we go back to work tomorrow! I am excited to go back and start a new semester but I confess I will greatly miss sleeping in :) So, I thought I would post some pictures and think about what a great holiday season it was. We had the Payne family Christmas on December 21st. Big Mama made an amazing meal as always and it was so fun to just be with family and relax. Then Will and I had a quiet Christmas at home on the 25th. We woke up and gave Nellie her stocking full of stuffed animals. She gets SOOOO excited about it every year and it is one of the highlights of Christmas to me. After she has gotten all her new toys she gathers them up on her bed and just lays on them... so cute. Who knew some stuffed animals from the Dollar Store could lead to absolute bliss? Then my mom came the day after Christmas and stayed for a few days. We had such a good time cooking and shopping and just relaxing. It was a wonderful holiday season and I even managed to stay up to see the ball drop and see 12 o'clock Alabama time or "slow time" as Will calls it. I hope everyone had a great holiday and will embrace all the wonderful things to come in 2009!

Christmas at the Paynes

2008-12-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas is my favorite time of year and I couldn't wait to decorate! When my mom and brother came over for Thanksgiving, my mom was sweet enough to help me get everything set up! Now I can just relax and wait for the holidays to come. I love the carols and the food and all of it. Merry Christmas everyone!!! Wishing you the best this holiday season :)

Baby Update

2008-12-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

It has been forever since I've posted on the blog! It is about time. I'm now in the 35th week and Miss Annie is getting big! Doctor appointments are continuing to go well and we are getting good reports which is of course music to my ears. Thanks to all our wonderful family and wonderful friends we have most of what we need and are ready to go. I've posted some pictures of the nursery here :)

Man Deck

2008-10-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

I know I've told lots of you about Will's "man deck" that has become our spot for football Saturdays, which has been super fun. Will and Simon suspended the tv from the roof all by themselves. I'm so proud! Mom, I know you've been waiting to see the cushion covers too... thanks again for your help!

Nursery Started

2008-10-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mary's help and a trip to a few stores... and a little hard work of course... the nursery is started! We are going with a black and white damask theme with of course pink accents throughout. I am loving it so far and can't resist walking in Annie's room every time I walk down the hall. I had to include one of Nellie, hiding from the camera of course as always!

Don't make assumptions...

2008-10-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

So, we've been so excited that we are naming the baby after both her grandmothers. What we didn't check was how to spell those names! Will's mom was easy because she goes by Mary Carroll and we see her name all the time. Ann was my mom's middle name though and she took her maiden name so we never saw this name written down. I completely assumed she spelled it Anne and just found out the other day when I was talking to her that neither she nor my grandmother had an "e" on the end of Ann. So, I've been spelling her name wrong... hahaha.... and now it is officially Ann Carroll. I'm just glad we had this conversation before we were all at the hospital signing the birth certificate! And it made me feel better my brother thought there was an "e" too. Already spelling my child's name wrong... what next? hahahaha

10 Years Later and Look at Us Now...

2008-09-30T19:40:00.001-07:00

I was talking to my mom today about how crazy it is that my 10 year high school reunion is this weekend - thanks to Angela and Sharla... big shout out to you!!! I am disappointed beyond belief that I won't be able to attend but I still enjoyed taking a moment to reflect on our class. It's so exciting to think of all we've accomplished: many have finished different degrees, many have held the same job for many years, many have bought houses, many have traveled, many have gotten married (two even married each other ;) many have had children, and the list goes on and on.

All of these things are such wonderful accomplishments but my favorite is that we have all remained in touch. All the people I looked forward to seeing everyday in high school I still know what they are doing. Some I talk to a lot more than others and some I only keep up with through face book and blogs but I still think about you and send you well wishes all the time and I think we are all the better for it. It makes me really sad to think that some people don't have any friends from high school. I just think how much our lives would lack if we weren't connected to people who knew how awkward we were and the crazy things we thought about and did during adolescence and loved us anyways.

My high school friends are some of my dearest friends in this world and I am just so grateful for that! Something for us all to think about 10 years later :)

Another ultrasound today

2008-09-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

We did another ultrasound today to get the final pictures we needed. Last time she was very excited to show us her fanny but unwilling to face us... hahaha... boy are we in trouble! So, today was our extra ultrasound to get all the heart pictures they needed. She was very cooperative and posed for us in every direction. At one point she had the hiccups and held her little hand up to her mouth... so cute. She weighs a pound now and I can feel her and she can feel me. Apparently she is beginning to be able to hear too so Will can get her started on Panic songs... hahaha. We've decided to name her Anne Carroll after my mom and Will's mom, and we'll call her Annie. The next check-up is on October 3 and by that point I'll in the third trimester! Time has flown!

Pretty in Pink

2008-08-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

The day after we found out we were having a girl Aunt Jane came to my work and decorated everything in pink. Even the front of the building! We love you Aunt Jane!

It's a girl!!!

2008-08-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the real appointment where we got to find out that we are having a girl! She was moving around and doing all kinds of flips. She's quite the excited one (wonder who she gets that from???) but did get tired towards the end and curled up for a nap (so she is like her dad too :). It's amazing that something so small with see-through skin can be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen! We are so excited and I'm dying to go get something pink. Decorating her room will be too much fun! We go to our next appointment in two weeks for a regular check-up then just keep going from there. We are officially over the half way mark now and mom here is working hard to get her dissertation finished before the little girl makes her appearance. Wish me luck!

Payne Household

2008-08-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I've promised to send many of you pictures of our house and of course haven't in my usual fashion... so I thought I would post some. We have loved having many of you come and visit and look forward to future visits :) Come anytime... just call us on the way so I can at least make the house appear to be clean! hahaha!

And we wait...

2008-08-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Well, we went to the doctor on Friday for a regular appointment and all went well. I was thinking we would find out if Baby Payne is a little girl or a little boy though and we didn't. We did make the appointment for two weeks though. So, sorry to get everyone all excited! I promise to let you know in two weeks though. We of course would be thrilled with either and are only anxious about getting a report of good health. So, say a prayer for us and we'll keep you posted. Love to you all!