savoring the moment

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that football season is here. For a coach's wife like myself, that means I'm a single parent 95% of the time. Sure, I have the hubs' support all the time, but physically? He's basically unavailable until December. It's really, really easy to let myself get overwhelmed by this, but instead I've been making an honest effort to enjoy almost every moment with my baby girl. Everyone says it, and I know that I'll blink and Jaqs will be walking/talking/off to school/graduating/getting married/etc. I don't want to look back and think, "I should have spent less time doing ___ and more time just being with her." For a type-A personality like myself, letting go of schedules and plans isn't easy, but I've been trying to be more flexible and forgiving of myself when things don't go just right.

If baby wants to be held a lot one day? So be it.

If the house is a wreck because I was holding her? Fine.

If she wakes up twice in the middle of the night for no apparent reason? Well, uh...okay...

If I have to change both our clothes three times due to bodily, ahem, eliminations? Part of it.

If I don't put on make-up/get dressed or leave the house? It's all good.

If our "outing" consists of wandering around Target AGAIN? Success!

You see, I'm almost certain no one has ever looked back on their kids being little and said, "I should have dusted more often." I constantly remind myself how BLESSED I am to be able to spend my WHOLE day with the light of my life. Not everyone gets to say that, and I'm grateful that I can.

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that I will miss this part of our lives, but I'm giddy thinking about all the fun years to come with Jaqs and whatever siblings she may have in the future. We're just getting started here! :)

bye week

This last week was our bye week, so we didn't have a game Friday night. Rob was originally supposed to scout, but we found out that day that he didn't have to which meant we got to have a family night ON A FRIDAY in the FALL! It was so nice to have some uninterrupted time with our favorite guy :)

don't they look so excited to be together? love them.
 We didn't do anything truly noteworthy, just dinner and some shopping. It was a treat just to be together, really. We stopped in at Old Navy, and Jaqsy girl was loving the Old Navy mannequins. She was talking and smiling so big at them...too funny!

social girl

Rob also had off Saturday, so our friends from home, Jerrod & Julie, came to see us! We always have a good time with them, and this weekend didn't disappoint :) We had lunch when they got here, hung out, played games, and just got caught up with each other. It was so fun to have them come stay with us again! Thanks Carroll's for making the trek to Temple! Can't wait to do it again!

is the outfit julie got jaqs not ADORABLE?! love.

We also celebrated an awesome 11 year old this weekend. Lyssa is my friend, Cassi's, daughter, and she had a paint party with her girlfriends! How great of an idea is that?

 Roxanne did a guided paint with the girls, and their canvases turned out SO CUTE. Each of them were unique and beautiful. Us big girls are thinking we need to do this now too :)

How blessed are Cassi and I? Just look at these gorgeous girls...

puts a smile on my face to see Lys loving on J

I'm so thankful for the renewed spirit that a bye week brings! It was wonderful to have some extra time with Rob, and now we're ready to start district this week! 

scarf swap!

Scarves are definitely one of my favorite accessories when the temperature finally drops here in TX, so I decided I had to participate in Meredith's annual scarf swap again this year!

I was paired with Amie who is mama to some beautiful kiddos and a photographer. We chatted via e-mail about our tastes and likes, and she nailed it with the scarf she sent me!

Beautiful, soft, blues, grays, and greens! Loving my new infinity scarf!

via three bird nest

And just for fun, here's the scarf I sent Amie:

via etsy

Thanks for the fun Amie & Meredith!! :) 

Now I'm ready for some fall temps so I can get cozy in my new accessory!

cool down

It is FINALLY cooling off a little bit here in Texas...praise the Lord!!

Jaqs and I can actually go outside in the evenings and ENJOY it! Baby girl really loves being outdoors...she will almost always calm right down if she's cranky which means that outside is a great place to be during that "witching hour" before bedtime.

Last night it was a cool 82 degrees, and it felt so nice...we were both in heaven!

loves being on her tummy now...go Jaqsy!

the ever-adored, football man

OBSESSED with those feetsies

*heart exploding*

Ahh, I have a feeling we will be spending a lot more time rolling around in the grass and strolling through our neighborhood now that fall is showing its gorgeous face! :)

under the weather

 Oh hey, blog! I've missed ya.

We had a sudden shift in weather last week, and it left Jaqs feeling a little crummy. I still don't know if it was allergies or a cold, but the girl was not herself for a couple days. Thankfully it didn't last very long, and our happy baby is back!

only wanted to be held...is that not the most pathetic face you've ever seen?

daddy kisses always make us feel better!

Grammie swooped in on Friday, and I'm so glad for that because I started going downhill by Saturday night. I woke up feeling worse Sunday morning, so my mom took care of my grocery shopping for the week...BLESS HER! Unfortunately she did have to go back home Sunday afternoon, so it was back to just Jaqs and me since daddy was at work. I had another bad day Monday, but I feel back to normal today! Thank goodness. Taking care of a baby when you're sick is hard, but the hardest part was not kissing her all day long like I normally do...talk about TORTURE! 

Anyway, alls good in the hood now, so I'm back! :) Hope you're having a great week!

fall fashion

I'm pretty sure everyone is thrilled that Fall is on its way, and I'm certainly no different.

I love, love everything about this time of year! Of course we're still nearing 90 degrees every day, but that feels AWESOME compared to what it has been! Hopefully I can bust my skinny jeans, leggings, sweaters, and boots out very soon!

Here are a few things I came across on Pinterest & Fashion Worship that I'm loving...

love that chunky, striped sweater

denim

i'm always obsessing over leopard!

loving chambray!

casual...this is closer to what i'll actually be wearing ;)

i think i NEED this shirt! it's on etsy for $20!

Hoping to replicate some of these looks this season!

And a question...how do y'all feel about white AFTER labor day?

The Today Show tells me that the old rule is out and that white can transition into Fall/Winter now. What do you think?

better late than never!

 Friday night was a BIG night for the Temple Wildcats! It was Texas high school football's game of the week against {previously} ranked #8 in the state, Austin Westlake.

I think it's safe to say that our kids were seriously underestimated going into this game as Westlake is known for it's winning history, and we weren't ranked before this HUGE win.

3 amigos: dunnam, galusha & berna

 The game was back-and-forth...equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking, but the kids stuck together, played their hearts out, and pulled out an AWESOME win: 49-42 was the final score.

proud coach

Everyone was pretty amped up after this sweet victory! We have another thrilling game coming our way this Friday night...can't wait!

the better other halves of the 3 amigos

Saturday morning Jaqs and I got to have breakfast with some girlfriends and fellow coaches wives that were in town from Abilene. It was so good to catch up!

That evening we had friends over to cook-out and hang out....FUN times, as always!

Sunday mornings are always good around here because daddy is home! We just wake up slow, drink coffee, and PLAY with baby! Simple pleasures for sure.

sunday morning scenes

We even had a little "cool" front blow in over the weekend, so we broke out the baby legs for Jaqs again...safe to say I'm obsessed with those things. They're adorable on her chubby leggies!

 Here's to another week! Hope your's is awesome!

stop that!

 I can tell a certain little girl is gearing up to roll from her back to her tummy...

She has been obsessing over her feet this week! Hardly lets them go from the time she wakes up until the time she goes to sleep. I have a feeling they'll be in her mouth soon :)

Yesterday she also decided she wasn't feeling like eating her bottle while I held her...I put her down and tried again about 10x before I finally put her in the swing and propped her bottle up. Wouldn't you know, she went to town and sucked the thing dry.

Just what do you think you're doing little girl?

It's okay though, she still needs me sometimes...

This mommy business is so very rewarding...seeing your baby grow and do new things every day is so much fun. Luckily Jaqs has an awesome daddy and wonderful grandparents that never tire of the pictures I send! I mean, I have to share my joy with someone, and something tells me my friends might get annoyed if I sent pictures every.single.day.?

5 months!

Well, here we are again...another month! 

Once again, I simply can't believe it; I think this has been the fastest month yet. Jaqsy, you are getting to be such a big girl and learning new things all the time. You keep us on our toes in the best possible way, little lady!

hands are ALWAYS in your mouth!

such a ham these days!

you have the cutest expressions :)

At 5 months old:

• You've had a lot of changes in the feeding department this month. We still battle the reflux, I'm sad to say, but your Zantac seems to keep it under control and manageable. You had your first taste of formula a few weeks ago, and now you're mostly eating that. You still have some breast-milk in your diet from what I had stored, but I quit pumping. This has been really hard on me, (a post all its own) but I'm starting to let go of the mommy guilt. You don't seem to care one way or the other, and I know it will be fine. You will be on just formula by 6 months.
• You had your first taste of REAL food, and you're loving it! I'm making gluten free oatmeal for you in case you have Celiac disease like your mama, but I'm praying this is not the case! I don't want you to have to worry about these things later on, but we've definitely got the gluten free diet down should that be the case.
• You also tried your first veggie just this week: PEAS! You gobbled them right down without hesitation, so I think it's safe to say you LOVED them! I'm proud of you as I am not a fan of peas on their own ;) We're excited for you to taste all kinds of veggies then fruits in the coming weeks/months.

• You usually take 5 bottles (28-32 oz/day total) a day, but sometimes you sneak a 6th in there. You eat oatmeal and now a veggie at dinner time!
• Your bedtime routine is still the same, except you've moved it up a bit on your own. We usually get things going around 7:15, and you're asleep by 8. You are a DREAM baby when it comes to going to sleep at night, and we're so grateful for that...please don't ever stop, okay? You have still been getting up around 5 a.m. ready to eat, but you always go right back to sleep when you're done. You're usually up for the day between 8 & 9.

this was after 12 hours with no wake-ups....PROUD!

• Bath-time ends in mommy and the kitchen floor being soaking wet now. Wow, baby girl, you can SPLASH! You end up with half the water you started with!
• Napping....hm. Well, it's hard to say what you're up to with this because it's been SO inconsistent. I'm working hard to get you in a routine, but some days, you're just not having it. You take 2-3 naps a day, but how long they'll be is anyone's guess!

your latest nap-time trick ;)

• I'm starting to wonder if you're working on something in that mouth of yours because you have really been pulling at your gums lately. I suppose it could be that you just discovered them...only time will tell!
• You are rolling from tummy to back, but you don't do it all the time. You are also starting to work on rolling from back to tummy; you throw your legs to one side or the other and end up halfway on your side!
• You found your toes! Your feet are up in the air and kicking ALL the time! You can kick pretty hard, actually. Your favorite things to kick are the toys attached to your play mat, which you're still enjoying, by the way!

• You still love to stand, so the jumperoo is getting plenty of use! You are getting really good at hitting the toys to make the music and lights come back on!
• You have become such a little HAM, and I love it! Everywhere we go, you're smiling at strangers, and you're giggling all the time. It's adorable! We can pretty much get a smile out of you any time we want...which is all the time :) This is perfect for the hundreds of pictures I take of you!

• You have also become pretty ticklish. We know your tickle zones and we "get you" all the time!
• You spend a lot of time on your tummy these days, and you push up so high off the ground! Shockingly enough, you seem to enjoy your tummy now! Such a big girl.

• You could take or leave the paci a lot of the time, but you do want it to nap some. You do like playing with it, though!
• You love the same toys as before, but I have to monitor you when you've got a hold of the rattle. You've bonked yourself in the head and made yourself cry a time or two :( It's quite pathetic!
• You don't have another doctor appointment until next month, but according to our scale at home, you weigh 14.2 lbs. I think you're probably 25ish inches long.
• You're still in size 2 diapers, but we'll start buying 3's when we run out of what we have. They're getting pretty snug on your chunky legs!

• You're still in mostly 6 month clothing and 9 month sleepers.

We're overwhelmingly grateful for you, angel baby. We thank God every day for the blessing that you are and the joy you bring to our lives!

operation: lighten up!

No, this is not a post about weight loss or personalities ;)

This is a post about bathrooms!

Kids bathrooms to be exact.

I've been wanting to lighten up our guest/future kid bathroom, so we did just that several weekends ago. Before it was super dark:

sorry, terrible picture, but you get the idea

The inspiration was the BRIGHT, fun frames I found at the ever trusty, Hobby Lobby.

I didn't want it to be over the top with these bold colors, so everything else went from chocolate brown to white or got a coat of spray paint! Easy peasy.

Ah, it feels so much happier now! I love what a little color can do!