pajama party!

I love Meredith's idea of a social network pajama party because WHAT mama doesn't love seeing their munch in adorable, seasonal jams?! They're irresistible!

Jaqs' personality is REALLY coming out lately! I don't even know what to say
about her expression in the bottom left picture...such a SILLY girl!

Head over to The Tichenor Family blog to link up and check out all the precious Christmas kiddos!

1st Christmas list!

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I figured I'd start up with the Christmas posts :) It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!
When Jaqs was born, her first Christmas seemed so far away, but somehow, we're almost to it. I can't believe it! As hard as it is, I'm trying not to go too overboard. I want the focus to always be on the birth of our Savior, but gifts will probably always be a part of our tradition, too. I love finding the perfect gift for the ones I love!

Wondering what's on J's 1st Christmas list? You've come to the right post ;)

Bodysuits/Shape-Sorting Cube/Owl Hooded Towel/Critter Sherpa Hat/ Ella's Kitchen Organic Baby Food / Boon Pod Bath Toy Scoop/Chiffon Flower in Red & White Stripes/ Plum Organics Super Puffs/ Lil' Gripper/ Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection

• Baby girl has outgrown all of her little infant towels, and how cute is that owl?
• We're working on our book collection, so of course we have to add the classics!
• Since J is growing like a weed, she could always use the next size in necessities. Can't go wrong with Old Navy.
• Another Old Navy gem...love this little hat! If it'd ever get cold...
• Jaqsy only has one cup right now, and we'll need an extra as she starts using it more.
• Jameson Monroe headbands are ADORABLE. Love them all, but this one is particularly festive and would be perfect for Valentine's Day, too!
• Another classic...every baby needs a shape sorter! I prefer the wooden variety over plastic just for aesthetic reasons.
• Bath toys aren't too far in our future, and we'll need a place to store them all!
• I make J's food, but we LOVE these pouches when we're on the go. We haven't really ventured into the world of finger foods yet, but it won't be long.

Even though I know that Jaqs will mostly be interested in the wrapping paper this year, I'm excited about the memories we'll make and the traditions we'll start!

1st Thanksgiving (and a picture overload)

Oh, HAAAAY! I've missed y'all!

We went home-home for the entire week of Thanksgiving, so I took a little blog break to spend time with friends and family. We had such a great week, and it was awesome to get to enjoy so much family time! Ready for some cuteness?

We left last Sunday morning and made the 3-hour trek back to Abilene. Jaqsy girl was a traveling rockstar; she slept about half the time and chatted me up the other half. 

I have a feeling this won't be the last time I'll see those eyes conning me into something ;)

angel eyes

Grammie welcomed us with a hot lunch, and we just spent the afternoon playing and napping! G-Pop came home from work that night, and he got to be off with us for the entire week, too! Poor Grammie had to work the first half of the week, but we were pretty lucky to have so much time together.

We spent Monday and Tuesday having lunch dates, visiting with friends and Rob's family in between baby naps, and running errands to get ready for Thanksgiving!

On Wednesday, my dear friend, Kaila, came over to finally meet Jaqs! We've tried to get together several times, but she's an Okie now, so it's not like she can just drive down any ol' weekend! I had SO much fun catching up with her. She's one of those friends that I can pick right back up where I left off with, and I adore that about our friendship! I'm happy there won't be as much time until our next visit :)

I think J was pretty excited to see Kaila, too!

 Thursday was, of course, Thanksgiving! We have many things to be thankful for each year, but this year was especially sweet with the addition of our baby girl. I can't even imagine my life without her; she brings us unending joy and has taught me a lot in her almost 8 months of life. God is so GREAT for providing me this blessing.

We had a small Thanksgiving with my side of the family this year, but my momma still cooked up a feast! I wasn't as helpful this year as I usually am, but I tried in between chasing my babe ;) We had a DELICIOUS meal, and Jaqs even got to try some mashed potatoes; she much preferred her old favorite, sweet potatoes!

My cousin, Jessica, has a baby girl, Kenlee, who is about 6 weeks younger than J, and they came over to play after lunch! Jaqs was napping, but Kenlee hung in there until she got up. It was so cute to watch them together! They were just grabbing at each other's outfits and hands/faces. It was pretty adorable, and I think these 2 are going to have a lot of fun together as they get older!

3rd? cousins!

my Nana, dad & the girlies!

Jessica and me with our babes!

We went over to Rob's grandparent's house that evening for their Thanksgiving! We missed their meal because it was the same time as our first one, but we got to have dessert and hang out with everyone, so that's what we really cared about :) Jaqs LOVED watching their dogs run around. We don't have any, so it was all new to her. Rob held her and chased them around, and she was CRACKING up! It was hilarious and so precious, but much to my hubby's dismay, I stand by my no-pet policy for now! HA!

Grandma Galusha & Jaqs

After the Galusha festivities were over, we came back to G&G's house to wind down. Jaqsy Pea is all about rolling around nekkidies before her bath-time! Freedom!

giving mama paci sugars

On Friday morning, I went shopping with my mom & her BFF. It's tradition, and it is always a blast! I know a lot of people think that Black Friday shoppers are CRAY, and some of them are, but we just do it for the fun. I love being able to get a ton of gifts purchased and marked off my list in such a short amount of time. Bonus? I got some awesome deals this year, and I'm nearly done with my shopping! Whoooooop.

That night, our family friends came over for pizza and football, so I got to spend some time with my Nattie girl. If you've been reading for long, you may remember her, but I claim her as my "niece" even though we're not related. I just love that girl and can't believe she's FIVE now. I've loved watching her grow!

Jaqs & Natalie got some QT in also

On Saturday morning, we had to get up and get moving because we had a mini-photo-sesh with Megan! Of course it was the one FREEZING cold morning of the week, but Megan has a little girl, so she wasn't phased by the occasional whining of my girl. I've only seen a few teasers, but I'm anxious to get them all! I just know she got the perfect picture for our Christmas cards :)

mmmm, breakfast + GG lovings + practicing our new growling trick

J's outfit + teaser from Megan!

it's safe to say we're OBSESSED with this little lady

We headed back home on Sunday, and once again, the pea was a near perfect traveler! This time she decided to stay awake the entire ride, but she was happy the whole way home, so I'm thankful for that. Once we got home, Jaqs conked out at 6:45 and slept until 8:30 the next morning, so I think she was worn out from her week of FUN!

 Thanks for always being the BEST hosts ever, Mom and Dad!

Can't wait to do it again at Christmas :)

I think I'm all caught up now and can get back to 'regular' (whatever that is for me) blogging. I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving and are filled with joy during this magical season!

"snowball" winter wreath

Y'all know me well enough by now to know I love a good Pinterest craft, right? Right. I've also been loving making wreaths for our door with the changing seasons, and with winter in the near-ish (looking at you, crazy TX weather) future, I decided it was about time to get my craft on again! This project was inspired by THIS pin. There weren't any tips or anything included, so I just picked up a 14 inch foam wreath, 400 count jumbo cotton balls, and I had Mod Podge on hand.

 I poured the glue in a paper bowl, and just started dipping and sticking the cotton balls all over the wreath. Once I got it covered, I decided to add some jingle bells for a little something extra. Then I tied it up on our door with some fabric scraps I had on hand...

I have to say, I'm not entirely sold on this. Maybe it's not full enough? Or it needs something hanging in the center? Possibly tied up with some different fabric or ribbon? What do you think I should add? Or should I just throw it right in my dumpster?

 The good news is that this little project took all of about 45 minutes and only about $6, so even if it doesn't stay, it's no huge loss of time or dolla-dolla bills!

So, yeah, some Pinterest crafts rock while others? Suck. Better luck next time?

Linking up with Katie and Stephanie for Saw It. Pinned It. Did It.!
Next time, I'll be sure to bring my A-game! ;)

slipping away...

 TIME, that is.

What is it about becoming a parent that makes time move at lightening speed? I don't understand it, but it's continuing to fly by around here because my tiny 6 pound newborn that I just brought home last week officially has her first tooth coming in! WHAT?!

Yep, it's true.

Starting last Friday, Jaqs was unusually whiney, and I couldn't really figure out what it was she was wanting. I've been thinking teeth could be coming for awhile, so that was in the back of my mind. The whiney-ness and extra long naps continued through the weekend. Don't get me wrong, we could still squeeze some smiles and giggles out of her, but mostly there was a lot of this:

hehe...her 'mean' face is stinkin CUTE

Lo and behold, the tiny teether woke up with a sharp little tooth tip poking through on Monday morning!

Y'all. I cried. I know this is what happens, but I just want her to stay little. Is that too much to ask?! I'm going to miss her gummy smile, but she's going to be one precious snaggle-toothed angel too :) She's already trying to show her new tooth off....

 She's been all smiles now that it has cut through.

I don't have any experience to compare this to, but I think the pea has been a pretty easy teether for our first rodeo. She's been kind of restless at night, but we're hanging in there! Thankfully I read THIS before I gave Jaqs any Oragel, and we've been using Hyland's teething tablets here and there. I guess they're helping? I can't tell!

Do any of you seasoned mamas have any other secrets for us??

And while we're talking milestones, J tried some greek yogurt for the first time Monday as well! I mixed it with pumpkin to take away the sour cream taste, and she gobbled it right up. She's loving her new fall-ish breakfast ;)

happy eater!

It seems like I'm having a lot of these "Is she really mine?" and "I get to keep her?!" moments lately. I've thanked God for this blessing every single day since the day I found out I was pregnant, and I know I will continue to do so for the rest of my life. This love is so overwhelming and all-consuming. Every night I go to bed thinking I couldn't love her any more, and every morning I wake up doing just that.

It takes my breath away that my Heavenly Father feels that for me.

Thank you, Lord, for showing me Your love in a way that I never knew possible!

gluten free for the holidays

My first gluten free Thanksgiving and Christmas back in 2009 were a little tricky, but my mom and I have it all figured out now. We didn't have to change much, and I continue to eat  my way through the holiday season ;) Mmmm!

My family essentially does the same meal for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's always been that way for us, and I love it because it's hard to beat a traditional turkey dinner in my book! Here's a glimpse at our feast...

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Sweet Potato Casserole: we pass it off as a side dish in the South, but it's more like dessert! It's a favorite in my family.

There is ALWAYS an olive tray, and we are all adamant about which are the best. My pick? BLACK all the way. I can't stand green olives!

Sweet Tea: it's not turkey dinner without it.

The Bird: it only comes twice a year, and it's always worth the wait. We usually stuff it with onions, celery, apples, and whatever else we can find then roast it in an oven bag. It turns out perfectly browned and moist every time. Oh, and please, no butterballs! For traditional turkey gravy, we boil a saucepan of the juice then stir in several tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in an equal amount of water.

Cornbread Stuffing: My mama always made both cornbread and regular stuffing, but cornbread with cranberries is my favorite. To make it gluten free, I make a batch of Bob's Red Mill cornbread a couple days in advance and let it dry out, then follow recipe as usual.

Pumpkin Pie: We always use Libby's recipe, and it's never failed us. The filling is already gluten free, so we just use a gluten free crust to make it safe for me. Don't forget the whipped cream...that's a MUST!

Green Bean Casserole: my brother's favorite! The traditional recipe is chock full of gluten, so this was the biggest change up for us. I haven't tried this particular recipe, but it sounds like a winner to me.

Other favorites:

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Mashed Potatoes

Buttermilk Pie

Friday Randoms

Hi y'all! I know everyone is singing Friday's praise right now, and even though our weekend is completely up in the air, I'm no different! Love me some Friday.

I thought I'd take a cue from my friend, Mateya, and take part in a little "Friday Randoms" action.

So, the reason I don't know what's happening this weekend? 

We had a game last night, and WE WON! 63-56 (track meet!) Whether or not we're continuing on to play-offs will depend on another game in our district tonight which means I don't know whether the man will be working or at home. Phew. We shall see!

GO CATS!

Moving right along...Jaqs' new favorite activity while I'm trying to change her diaper? Yep, rolling right on out of it. She is a major busy body these days! The leg chub is coming along nicely though, right? I love a good baby bobo picture, but I don't want to embarrass her too badly ;)

don't worry-it's clean.

And just for good measure, here's another adorable picture of my baby doll. The little smirk on her face paired with her foot kicked up is enough to due me in. I could die of cuteness overload. Not partial at all over here ;)

How I feel every single day:

I know many of you are probably feeling the same way I am about all this political business...OVER IT. Isn't it great how everyone on FB becomes an expert? Oh wait, no.

So this will be the first and last you'll hear from me about it:

lady in RED.

I also wanted to mention that I'm hosting an online Scentsy party for Mateya, so if you're interested in shopping that, we'd both greatly appreciate it! :) Plug-in warmers and refill packs would make perfect stocking stuffers!

shop HERE

Hope you lovelies have a wonderful weekend!

day in the life--football season edition

I always love reading those "day in the life" posts by other people because, well, I'm nosy. 

I like to know how other people spend their days no matter how "boring" or exciting they may be! Mine probably falls in the "boring" category to most of you, but I kind of love it. I have dreamed of getting to stay home while I had a little one(s), and now I get the privilege of doing just that! I'm one blessed momma.

I wanted to document what an ordinary day looks like around here for memory's sake because I know life won't always be as simple as it (usually) is right now. God willing, we'll add another monkey or two to our family; we'll have kiddos to run around from this practice to that party, and so on. But right now? Things are pretty free and easy. Not insinuating that having babies is "easy" by the way...simply saying that our days aren't constrained by any school drop-offs and pick-ups or anything like that.

ANYWAY. Here's what a typical Wednesday looked like this week:

5-5:30 a.m.-Rob is up and leaving for work. I'm only partially aware of this because I'm practically unconscious.

7:45 a.m.-Jaqsy girl starts to wake up and "talk" in her crib. 

Wake-up time is 8 a.m. around here, (as much I wish I were, I'm not a morning person) so she bounces around in her crib until I go in at 8.

I then change her diaper and sing (poor girl) "Rise & Shine" & "This is the Day"

8:15 a.m.-Jaqs drank her bottle while I watched part of the Today Show.

When she's done, we play on the couch for a little bit while she sat on my lap/pulled my hair/squeezed my face/got attacked with kisses.

8:45-9 a.m.-Jaqs ate her breakfast. 1 oz each of peaches & pumpkin on this particular day.

She then sat in her high chair and played for a few minutes while I loaded and started the dishwasher and got a load of laundry going.

just getting some work done at my "desk"

9:30 a.m.-We took it to the living room for some tummy time. I got her situated and got my own breakfast. I always sit in the floor to eat now, and she mean mugs me the whole time I'm eating like I haven't just fed her.

10:15 a.m.-Baby girl is starting the rubbing of the eyes bit, so I get her in a dry diaper and put her down. She rolls to her side and goes right to sleep.

While she's napping, I drink some coffee while perusing Pinterest. After about 20-30 minutes of that, I start more laundry, then take a shower and get myself ready for the day.

12:00 p.m.-Jaqs is awake, so I get her up and out of her PJ's (don't judge) then feed her another bottle. After she's fed, I feed myself some lunch while she plays on the floor. Again I'm getting the mean mug. Stinker ;)

When I'm done, we read a few books together, then I put her in her happy place: The Jumperoo. She jumps, and jumps....and jumps while I fold the laundry from earlier and unload the dishwasher.

We play with various other toys until she starts showing signs of being tired again.

jumping is my favorite!

2:30 p.m.-J goes down for her afternoon nap.

I pick up the living room that looks like Toys R' Us has barfed all over, then tidy up the rest of the house and get the prep for dinner done. After I'm satisfied with the cleanliness of our home, I park it on the couch for some Ellen and stuff my face with White Cheddar Cheese Balls. Seriously. I wish I were kidding ;)

3:45 p.m.-I start to get antsy, so I rearrange the living room. No lie.

4:30 p.m.-The girl is awake! I go in and get her, we "talk" while I change her diaper, then we settle in for another bottle.

5:00 p.m.-We have somewhere to go, so Jaqs eats her dinner a little earlier than the norm. Tonight, butternut squash is on the menu....mmmm!

5:30 p.m.-Daddy has a random Wednesday JV game, so we pack it up to go see him before his game starts at 7 p.m. We hang out with him for about 15 minutes, then some friends show up, so we hang out and play with them for awhile, too!

looking a little like a precious baby boy ;)
we have to be sporty for games!

7:00 p.m.-Bedtime is looming, so we head home from the stadium.

7:15 p.m.-We Facetime with Grammie because Jaqs hasn't seen her in 2 days, and obviously, THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! :)

7:30 p.m.-Bathtime! Jaqs kicks around and splashes in the tub while I read her bath books and scrub her noggin. After her bath, the Pea gets a lotion massage (yep. jealous? me too) and her last bottle! I pray over her silently while I feed her because she's SO DISTRACTIBLE these days. If I speak aloud, then she smiles at me and wants to play. Ha!

8:00 p.m.-Bedtime! I kiss Jaqs and tell her I love her about 47 times, then lay her down. She talks and squeals for a few minutes then falls asleep.

Once she was in bed, I cooked dinner, (chicken fried rice tonight, if you're wondering) washed bottles, pacis, and dishes, then sat down on the couch to eat and watch a show from the DVR.

9:00 p.m.-Hubs gets in, so he eats while we talk about the game and the rest of our days. We watch another DVR'd show together, and he goes to bed around 10:30.

I spend the rest of the night typing this up and reading blogs, then go to bed somewhere around midnight. Yep, I sleep 8 hours a night...don't hate me?

So, there ya have it! That's our ordinary "football season day", and it was a pretty perfect day in this SAHM's world. Good naps? check! House chores accomplished? check! Homemade dinner? check! Outing to see other ADULTS? check!

Of course, we have different activities, errands, and appointments some days, but there are many days where we don't have a whole lot happening.

On days where Rob doesn't have games, he usually makes it home in time give J her bedtime bottle. On the weekends, he usually just works 8 hours, so we get more time with him then also.

Now, tell me, was this not your most riveting read of the day???? ;)

Happy Thursday!

7 months!

Is it just me, or does SEVEN months old seem so much bigger than six? I mean, you're closer to being a year old than being a newborn. Time is flying right on by, but life just keeps getting sweeter with you! You keep our hands busy and our hearts FULL!

BIG girl!

not feelin' the pictures this time

don't mind the drool

are we done?

At SEVEN months old:

• Your night sleep is the same except you've been waking up for no apparent reason in the last couple weeks. You (usually) don't stay awake for long, but I sure wish you'd stop that! ;) You still go to bed at 8!
• You've officially dropped your 3rd nap. You normally take about a 1-1.5 hour morning nap and a 2-3 hour afternoon nap. Your nap times are usually 10 & 2.
• Last month I said you stayed on your back all night, but now you've started to sleep on your sides. You turn circles in your crib ALL night long!
• You are now on a 4 hour eating schedule, and it is so nice! It gives us more freedom in the day, and you eat better because you're hungrier. You take 4 bottles of 6-8 oz and 2 meals of solids each day.
• You are now off reflux meds! Woohoo! 
• We just recently started the solids at breakfast, and you have warmed up to the idea now. At first you weren't interested at all, but you've got it now! You usually eat about 2 oz of fruit for breakfast and 3-4 oz of veggies for dinner.
• You tried a baby mum-mum for the first time last week, and you loved it! It was gone in about 30 seconds.  

• We still haven't come across a food that you haven't enjoyed. Some new favorites are: bananas, butternut squash, apples, peaches, pumpkin, and broccoli. The broccoli didn't set well with your tummy though...made you gassy!
• You LOVE getting to drink water now! Your cup keeps you entertained if we're at a restaurant or something too, so that's an added bonus ;)

• You can now sit up on your own! YAY! We still can't leave you alone sitting up because you topple over after a minute or two, but you can sit in the boppy all day.
• Since you're sitting up so well, you can eat in your high chair at home and at restaurants, and you can sit in the grocery cart too! So much more convenient than lugging the car-seat around.

• You're trying so hard to get up from laying to sitting on your own. Your abs are probably getting quite the work-out!

• You've started to scoot backwards some, but you're not showing a ton of interest in crawling just yet. Fine by me! ;) You're a pro at turning in circles!
• You move from the time you wake up to the time you fall asleep. It's very rare than you are still or cuddle with us. Too much to see and do!! You get yourself stuck from being such a wiggle worm :)

• You still love your jumperoo! I don't know what we'll do when that toy fades!
• Still no teeth to report in your little mouth, but of course, you continue to gnaw on anything and everything in sight!
• You jabber pretty much all day. You "say" ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba constantly! Of course, we have our ears open for ma-ma and da-da ;)
• You still love playing peek-a-boo, and you wait for us to say "Where's Jaqsy?" before you pull the towel off your face.
• You continue to be a smiley girl, and you like to ham it up for most anyone that talks to you. You make us work a little harder for the giggles, but playing peek-a-boo gets you almost every time!
• You had your first Halloween! We went to a little carnival thing downtown which you weren't too impressed with. Maybe next year!

• I have the hardest time keeping a bow in your hair these days...you pull them out almost immediately. I won't give up that easy though! ;)
• You have turned into a little bucking bronco lately when I'm trying to change your diaper or clothes. You think it's a lot of fun to kick your legs to bounce yourself on the bed or floor. Silly girl!
• You love to play with anything that makes noise or that you can tear up! Paper, cardboard, crinkly bags/bottles, etc. Who needs real toys ;)
• You weigh close to 18 pounds and are about 27 inches long.
• You wear 6/9 month clothes, 12 month sleepers, and size 2 shoe.
• You are in a size 3 diaper, and I think we need to move you to a 4 at night because you are soaking wet in the morning.

We love, love, LOVE you, Jaqsy Girl! 

You brighten our world and make it a pretty happy place to be :)