BOB and Other Happenings.

Ok ok so I've totally slacked off on the blog.  Well, this blog, anyway.  I've been busy as a little bee with regards to my business blog.  Hopefully you've checked that one out because I've had 3 photo shoots since we got back from vacation and I've got one scheduled tomorrow.  That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
I'm so thrilled that my photography business is taking off.  I had my first OpLove shoot a few weeks ago and finished up the pictures just in time for the sweet young couple to view the slideshow the morning he was being deployed.  I just can't fathom saying goodbye to my spouse for an entire year, especially with a little 4 month old son.  My heart breaks for them, but I am also inspired by their strength, love, and faith to get through the separation.  I didn't realize how much I'd be affected by volunteering for OpLove.  It made me realize how much our servicemen and women and their families sacrifice for this country.  It also makes me hug my husband and my baby girl a little longer. 

So other than snapping off pictures, what have we been up to?  Well, Kurt had a week-long trip to San Francisco for work, so Grandma came to stay with us.  Sarah Beth had an absolute blast with Grandma.  They sang silly songs, played with fun things like shoe boxes and magazines, and snuggled up on the couch for naps.  Most importantly, Grandma taught SB how to S-H-O-P.  We had a 3 hour excursion to SouthPark Mall, in which Grandma showed Sarah Beth the finer points of shopping.  How to check the tags for sale items, which purse is the most stylish yet versatile, and how to take a break for refueling mid-shop.  Grandma bought our little shopper a beautiful dress, a super cute top with fishes on it, and the piece-du-resistance, a bright green tutu.  I can't wait to take pictures of her in this tulle sensation, but I am so behind I have to finish going through her birthday pics before I take another shot of her.

This week did not go as planned, thanks to a computer crash, 2 visits from CPI to fix the security system, and a $650 visit from the plumber to unclog our pipes.  Ouch. I don't think our pipes have ever been snaked based on the look of this guy but the time it was over.  That's 47 years of, um, build-up.  At any rate, plumbing is flowing, computer is restored, and the perimeter is once again secure so life is good.  We had a fantastic walk today at the park with our new BOB stroller.  Oh wait, I didn't talk about BOB yet, did I?  I've been too busy.  I need to devote a whole post to BOB.  Write a poem, in fact.  You may remember my previous post about the BOBs.  Well, B.O.B. stands for AWESOME, as are our fairy Grandparents in TX who bought it for us for SB's birthday.  Yay!  Had we known how truly fantastic this piece of machinery was, we would have bought it months and months ago.  This jogging stroller is da bomb.  (Yes, I went there.)  It's true.  I heart it.  Why?  First of all, SB loves it.  The faster you go, the more she kicks up her heels with delight.  It's comfortable for her and she thinks it's fun to speed, which you can actually do with this stroller.  I can run like the wind and BOB keeps up no problem.  It doesn't wobble or shake like my crap-a-doo Graco stroller did.  It handles amazingly well and really motivates me to get out there and jog.  Oh, and I look cool like those other mommies at Freedom Park.  Granted I'm huffing and puffing and sweating a little more than they do, but give me a few weeks and I'll be cruising along with my pearls and evian water and BOB like a pro.  So thank you TX Grandparents for this gift that keeps on giving!

In baby news,  despite all Grandma's attempts to get SB walking, she is still cruising along the furniture for the most part.  She has taken a few wobbly steps from the chair to her Momma but that's it so far.  She's so adept at furniture surfing, I expect her to be walking on her own any day now.  She continues to practice the piano on a regular basis.  She eats everything you give her, and I mean everything...her latest favorites...pesto, ravioli (she's had sweet potato and goat cheese & sun-dried tomato so far), rosemary bread, and lemonade.  I was drinking a glass and she wanted a taste, and I created a monster with one sip.  She went crazy for it.  Oops.  No more sugary drinks, Momma.  So she is eating well and sleeping great.  Finally, she goes down for bed without any tears and usually wakes up 12 hours later.  She is pretty good about naptime, too, however there have been a few no-nap days lately.  At the end of those days, Mommy is the one who is exhausted, not baby.  Go figure.  We're having lots of fun playing and exploring the big exciting world.  I hope to find some little friends for her to play with soon so she doesn't think Mommy is as good as it gets as far as playmates go.  Maybe we'll start going to storytime at the library soon and pick up some cute 1 1/2 year old there.  I think she likes older men. 

Well  I must get back to editing but I will try to update sooner than every three weeks and avoid all the hate mail. ; ) Heehee.  Have a great Sunday everyone!

Oh and here's another peek at SB's first birthday shoot.  I can't leave you without at least one picture of the prettiest blue eyes you've ever seen...

Birthday Pics

Just a sneak peek of Sarah Beth's 1st Birthday Photo Shoot we did today.  I'm exhausted from our 10 day mountain vacation but couldn't wait to share just a few of our cutie pie. 

We took them at the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest.  What a cool place!  We have to back soon to take some more pictures - we got there a little later than we had hoped.  

Grandma picked out this precious dress.

 

Love the bow - and love that she has enough hair for a bow finally!

More to come...

To Sarah Beth on her First Birthday

From this...

To this!

How can I put into words what joy you have brought into our lives, little one?  Since the moment you arrived you have given us indescribable happiness.  I can’t wait to wake up every morning to start another day with you.  So much has changed since last year!

You were a week late, little girl, and you didn’t want to come into this world on your own.  I guess you were just too comfy in Mommy’s belly.  So we had to go in and get you, but once you arrived, you certainly seemed happy to meet us.   Your Daddy cried when he first saw you.  You had his heart from the very beginning.  He was so excited and nervous the first few days of your life.  You were tiny and precious and we couldn’t believe you were really ours to keep and protect.  Once we got to know you a little, we weren’t so petrified of you and started to have fun with our little bundle of joy, watching your gentle movements and listening to your sweet baby gurgles and grunts.  Now, we are watching you march around the coffee table and listening to your cackling laughter and boisterous “DA DA DAs.”    It is amazing how much you have grown in twelve short months!  Mommy couldn’t bear to miss a moment of it, so now you have a full-time Mommy to adore you 24 hours a day.  And I couldn’t be happier. 

You are so funny!  You love making silly noises and doing things that will make us laugh.  Most recently, you have started head-butting your Daddy and you think that is the most hysterical thing ever. 

You greet every morning with a big smile.  You are delighted with everything you see and touch.  You look at new objects and experiences with wonder.  You like to test out the world with one little finger, and then jump in wholeheartedly with fists, feet and soul.  Just this week, you got in a swimming pool for the first time and thought it was pretty cool.  You floated around in your deluxe baby boat with canopy, kicked up your feet, rested your arms on the sides and nearly feel asleep as we paddled you around, you were so relaxed. 

You have a slight obsession with cheese.  All kinds, you do not discriminate.  You also love eggs, yogurt, and bread (with cheese on it, naturally.)  Beef and chicken also appear on the menu.  You like avocado, carrots and potatoes too.  Oh, and gelato.  We just served up some watermelon gelato this week and boy did you approve of that!  When you have enough, you push away the spoon and if we persist, you cross your arms over your chest and look at us as if to say “I am done, give it up!” 

You love people watching.  You like nothing better than to sit in a restaurant or cruise around the grocery store and check out your adoring public.  Of course most everyone makes a fuss over our big blue-eyed baby, and those who don’t clearly have something wrong with them.  You are very interested in everything going on in the world and don’t miss a beat. 

You are such a delight to be around, Sarah Beth!  We have rarely left you over the past 365 days because we just love being with you!  We never thought a baby could be so much fun and completely fill our hearts.  You make us want to be better people.   You make us want to make the world a better place for you to grow up in.  We will do our best to show you all that is good with the world and protect you from the dangers and ugliness that life can bring.  You amaze us every day, proof that God is real and He loves us so much to give us such a beautiful blessing.  We will work every day to be worthy of this gift.

We love you, sweet Sarah Beth.  Happy First Birthday!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Move over Mozart...

She's standing up now and loves playing the piano.  And in my completely unbiased opinion she is a musical genius.

The piano, however, does not hold a candle to my iPhone, which she is holding below.  She loves that thing.  Fortunately there is a piano keyboard app on the iPhone so she can have the best of both worlds.

Happy and Safe 4th Everyone!  Check out my New Shoe Blog for another SB pic and some info on a great organization I just joined.  

P.S.  Is she not the cutest girl ever?  (Again, in my completely unbiased opinion.)