Auburn Review

Last week Paige and I tagged along with Brad to Auburn.  He gets to go every year for graduation and for his faculty retreat.  Here are few a pictures to recap our week...

While Brad was off doing his thing, Paige and I hit the streets of Auburn.  We had a great time eating at all of my favorites (Amsterdam's, BBQ House, Chappy's Deli, Niffers, Mike and Ed's BBQ - AU has the best BBQ, and Veggies to Go) and Paige was so good to let me eat.  I think my favorite part of the trip was strolling Paige around Auburn.  It brought back so many great memories.  The day we walked around campus, we walked by Samford Hall at the perfect, at noon when the bells chime the fight song.  I could not have timed it better if I had tried. We also visited one of my college friends, Jamye, who had just had a baby.  Here is Morgan, Jamye's daughter, sleeping.

We got to enjoy some family time just hanging out in the hotel.  This was Paige's first stay in a hotel.  Let me just say it is a lot different than home.  Paige was great but I was always worried when she would start to cry.  I was afraid housekeeping would come get me for child abuse because she wouldn't stop crying (she didn't cry that much so I really didn't have to worry, the thought was just always in the back of my mind).

And we got to visit Brad's great aunt, Aunt Mary.  She was so happy to see Paige!

No trip is complete without checking out the stadium and we had to grab a picture since it was Paige's first visit.  We told her this is where she would enter when she was a cheerleader in about 20 years.

A Special Gift

I am about to pull in the driveway yesterday and I notice we have a package on our doorstep.  We weren't expecting anything so I was eager to find out what it was.  I opened the package and found this sweet quilt.

The quilt is from my Aunt Janet, Uncle Sam and their 3 boys.  As I read the card, I started to realize how special this quilt was.  Not only did Janet make this quilt but she used fabric that my Grandmom Lois (my mom's mom) had given her.  Janet's mom also helped with the quilt by hand-stitching around each square.  How neat is that?!? 

Grandmom Lois passed away almost 2 years ago and I so wish she could have met Paige and even more that Paige could have met her.  She was so fun and always making me laugh, especially when she was acting like "Lois".

As Brad would say - we are all 3 alike - triplinkies (and with Paige that means quadraplinkies)

I call this onesie the "Grandmom Lois onesie" because it has the XOXO on it.  Grandmom always signed her cards with XOXO (hugs and kisses) and seeing Paige wear this reminds me of all the love my grandmother shared with us.

Thank Aunt Janet for the special quilt; we will cherish it forever!

Mother's Day

All of the other bloggers have already written about Mother's Day...well not this one!

My first Mother's Day was so special!  I got to spend it with my mom and my daughter -does it get any better than this??  It was also special because we had Paige's baby dedication at church.  I have come realize I love posting pictures.  I am trying not to post too many, but what can I say, I love posting pictures of my family!

Putting on booties before the baby dedication.  I love how she is looking at me just so attentively.

And then we start to giggle

Paige and Daddy before the service

Me, Paige and my mom

More Huntsville...

As you can tell I am way behind in posting.  I wanted to share a few pictures of Paige as she got to play with some of her Huntsville friends. 

Here's Paige enjoying time Katie Lane and Miss Rebecca.  I think it is so cute how they just looked at each other.  Paige hasn't really been around any other babies so I love seeing how she interacts - she loves taking in new things like this.  Paige was a trooper and stayed out late so I could visit with Rebecca (shoot, Rebecca was a trooper too because she had to go to work the next day - ha!).

Paige with Kate.  They were too cute together.  I can't wait for Paige to be able to roll around and grab like Kate!

We can't leave out Ben with Ellie and Madi (that is what he calls the dogs he has in his hands - I love it!)

You would think after being in Huntsville we would have been able to visit more friends, but the time flew by and was filled with eye appointments.  We will be back in Huntsville soon and I can't wait for Paige to meet more of her friends!

Family Ties

I love it when Paige gets to be around family and friends (doesn't matter if she has met them 100 times or if it is the first).  While we were in Huntsville we got to do just that, spend time with family!

Aunt Joanna with Paige.  Joanna had the magic touch to get Paige to sleep that night. (In case you are wondering what she is wrapped up in, it is a swaddle sack.  It looks like a miniature straight jacket but it is the best thing for getting Paige to sleep - along with rocking, laying on her side and sucking on her paci for awhile.  We do whatever works!)

Uncle Wayne with Paige.  Uncle Wayne is Papa Joe's brother.  He and Aunt Saundra live in Mississippi but were in town so they stopped by to meet Paige.

Paige with Aunt Saundra

 Paige passed out in Aunt Christina's arms.  I thought this was just too cute!

Great Grandparents

While we were in Huntsville Paige got to meet her great grandparents for the first time!  I don't know who was more excited - Brad and me, Nana and Papa Joe or Ma-Maw and Pa-Paw.  I just loved that Paige got to meet her great grandparents!

4 Generations:

Nana, Brad, Pa-Paw, Paige and Ma-Maw

Ma-Maw holding Paige while Paige grabs Pa-Paw's finger

Pa-Paw was so excited to meet Paige.  You can tell by the way his eyes lite up and by the smile on his face.

He Can See!!

Brad's vision has never been great; poor thing couldn't see the alarm clock in bed.  So, when our optometrist (and friend), Jennifer, told us in December he could have lasik he was estactic and was ready to have it done right then.  Long story short, we decided to have the surgery done in Huntsville and the beginning of May would be the time to do it.

So, we go for the pre-op appointment.  We both thought the appointment would take 15 or 30 minutes.  2 hours later we left and it was not because we were waiting to see the doctor.  It was because the doctor was giving Brad so much attention.  He had a bunch of tests and scans run to make sure everything went well.  When it was time to talk with the doctor he presented 4 options to us.  1) stay the same 2) lasik 3) lasik with something else and 4) an implantable contact.  Jennifer told us about the contact before but wasn't sure if Brad would be a contact.  I thought this option was really neat and if it was an option Brad may want to consider it.  Turns out he was a candidate and the doctor thought it would give him "a better quality of vision" (whatever that means).  After thinking about it and talking with Jennifer, Brad decided to go with option 4, the implantable contact.

What this means is that Brad had a contact implanted in his eye.  Lasik shaves away your cornea, but with the implantable contact, they do just that and implant a contact.  When we changed procedures, we changed our time frame.  Originally, we would have the pre-op appointment Thursday, lasik Friday, follow up Saturday.  Instead, we went for the pre-op as planned, went back Friday for a procedure that involved a laser being shot in each eye, then Tuesday Brad had the left eye done (actual surgery and then came back for follow up), Wednesday the right eye was done (follow up done that afternoon) and the final follow up with the eye surgeon was Thursday.  At that appointment Brad was seeing 20/15 out of the left eye and 20/30 out of the right eye.  We are going to see Jennifer at the end of the week to see if the right has improved to 20/20. 

Brad before the surgery

Brad just after the surgery was done.  He was supposed to wear this fashionable plastic eye patch but opted for sunglasses as we enjoyed chips and cheese dip at Little Rosie's while waiting to go back for one of the follow-up appointments.

I am so excited for Brad that he can see without glasses or contacts!!

3 months

Paige, you 3 months old today!!

* You weigh just over 12 pounds, are still in a size 1 diaper, and are still in 0 - 3 month clothes.  I have a feeling we will be moving up in both diaper and clothes here pretty soon.

* You still do not have much hair and your eyes are still the blue/gray.  If you look at your eyes in the right light they look like they might be changing.  I can't tell if it is brown or hazel, but it looks like they will not be staying gray forever.

*You have become attached to your Momma and Daddy.  If you are around others for long enough you warm up to them but it takes a little time.  I have to say that it melts my heart that I can make you stop crying in an instant, but that means your first few days at daycare are not going to be fun - for either of us (and that day is coming way too soon)!

*You have spoiled us with your sleeping - so much so that when you do not sleep good we wonder what is going on. 

* I feel like you have changed so much over the past month but at the same time I feel you haven't changed at all.   You are still the same fun loving, happy baby.  People who meet you tell me how much they love your smile and tell me about your big eyes.  You only seem to get happier as the days go on.

* The list of firsts...went to Momma's work, attended your first Auburn function, met your great grandparents, had your baby dedication and took Mother's Day to a new level for me.

We love you!!

Craigslist

Has anyone everyone ever sold stuff on Craigslist?  Last year I explored the idea and never acted on it because I wasn't organized enough.  Then Justin and Christina were telling us how they sold a desk using and Craigslist and how it was pretty simple.  So, I decided I would try it out and it was simple!! 

I listed 3 items.  2 of them I listed very late last Wednesday night.  In the end we had over 15 responses for one of the items and over 10 for the other!  I ended up having to write people and say, "if I don't hear from you by xxx I will assume you are not interested".  How crazy is that?!?  And to make it even better, they came to the house and picked the stuff up.  One guy was willing to come pay me on Thursday and then pick it up Friday because he wanted to make sure I held it for him.  I told him not to worry about it, that it was his and he could pick up and pay at the same time.

The other item I listed Wednesday afternoon and then relisted it Friday.  I didn't hear anything all weekend and finally yesterday someone sent me a message saying they were interested.  I was able to sell them the file cabinet and bookshelf, which was not even listed.  Wahoo!  He came and picked up both things yesterday and now we have a little extra cash in our pocket.

I am all about some Craigslist now!   Here's to finding more stuff around the house to sell!

Paige and her new footrest, aka Madi