Halloween Flashback

Left to right: Leslie, Polly, and Will.

Yep. That's my siblings and I on a halloween long long ago. I think I was the tooth fairy or something.

Happy Halloween!

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Peekaboo!

We've discovered that Adelyn gets a good belly laugh out of a little game of peekaboo. See for yourself :)

httpv://youtu.be/Ei54AlDEM0U

Austin got in on the fun as well.

httpv://youtu.be/9umqQzfjZ8k

A few more fun pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Adelyn Pictures

Welcome to the shrine to my daughter.

I'm fully aware that the only people who truly enjoy posts like these are grandparents and loyal friends.

Oh well. On with the Adelyn Overload!

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Anniversary Surprise

My husband has pulled some good surprises on me. I usually know when he is up to something but today was an exception. I had no clue that he has been plotting an anniversary surprise for me for over a month now. I was 100% tricked not only by him but by my parents as well.

It began a few weeks ago when I got a call from my mom telling me they were coming in town for the Homecoming Mizzou game and wanted to swing by before to visit. I told them that would be great. Austin and I asked them if they would mind watching Adelyn while we went a grabbed a quick breakfast together somewhere. They happily agreed.

Well my parents showed up as planned this morning in their Mizzou game attire for a "quick visit." Austin and I darted out for a quick breakfast together. On the way back to the house, Austin told me to look in the glove box.

As my anniversary gift, he's been giving me a letter every day highlighting a fun memory of our first two years of marriage. (BEST GIFT EVER by the way. Can you believe this guy's thoughtfulness?) So I assumed the letter in the glove box was a continuation of those letters. Here is what I found.

If you can't read it, at the bottom it says, "You see, we're not JUST going to breakfast together this morning, we're going to Mount Pleasant Winery for the afternoon! SURPRISE!"

I was shocked.

"You mean my parents aren't here for the game?? You're such a good liar! And so are my parents! Oh my gosh! How fun!..."

So instead of heading home for a day of house cleaning, laundry, and taking care of a baby, Austin and I headed to Augusta, Missouri for a day of wine tasting and relaxing.

We had a great time. The weather was PERFECT. The leaves are just now changing so the view was spectacular.

We started with a wine tasting. We got to taste five different types with different types of chocolate. The gummy bears were to "cleanse the palate" if you're wondering.

After tasting the wines, we had lunch and then just walked around more.





Check out this shirt! Hahaha.



Like I said, the day was great. But it got even better when we got home and found out that my parents had done lots of yard work and cleaning for us. I guess Adelyn napped like a champ for them and they are the type of people who can't just sit around so they got their hands busy with projects that Austin and I haven't had the time to get around to.

Did I mention it was a great day!?

Four Months Old

Adelyn Grace Conner.

You are four months (plus a few days) old! You are getting more and more fun by the day. Little things you do melt my heart- like the way you love to grab my hands when eating or those flirty smiles you give us when we come to get you out of your crib. You're learning how to sleep a little better (finally) and you had your first official babysitter a few nights ago! Even though you didn't eat well for her, you did a good job going to bed.  You would still prefer to get up twice a night but we are working towards helping you stay asleep longer. You aren't very fond of our methods but we know it will be good for everyone when you figure out how to put yourself back to sleep!

I absolutely love taking you for walks. I'm pretty sure you like them too. In fact, you just love to be outside right now. If you're getting a little fussy, either Daddy or I will put you in the "football hold" and walk around with you outside. One of Daddy's favorite things to do with you right now is have you look and touch the mum outside our door. He loves seeing you figure out how to use those little hands. It's so fun watching you explore and learn about this world. I love how the simplest things are fascinating to you. The crunch of a leaf, the swirling of a ceiling fan, the crinkle of a package, the silly sounds we make for you, the wonder of a new face, and so much more.

You already get so many compliments on your big blue eyes. You love to smile back at people when they talk to you. You've rolled over quite a few times so far. I know you'll be on the move before we know it. When going to sleep, you still love to be wrapped up real tight and your pacifier. You also LOVE your jumparoo that Nana and Grandpa got you. Your daddy and I crack up watching you flail around in it.

Baby girl, you've changed my life. I'm growing into a different person because of you. Everyone tells me it keeps getting better and better. I'm looking forward to seeing you grow and change over these next few months.

Well, got to go. You just woke up from a nap and are letting me know you are ready to get up!

 

New Fence!

We got a new fence! No, this is not the new one. This white one is the old one. Doesn't look like we need a new one right? Think again. Lets look a little closer, shall we?

A combination of termites, moss, mold, and decomposed wood made up a lot of our old fence.

We had a few boards falling out here and there...

Oh, and don't forget the entire section that Chauncey punched out in his attempt to catch a squirrel.

Convinced yet? Yep. It was time to pull the trigger. Austin considered doing it himself but when taking into consideration the amount of time it would take and the very little time that he actually has- not to mention the amount of tools and manpower needed that we would have to scrounge up- we decided it was worth paying someone to do it.

So a few mornings ago, a bunch of guys showed up at my house to begin the fence demolition. I was inside but dying to see how they were taking out the old fence. I didn't want to be a creeper and hang out on my deck and watch... SO I was a creeper INSIDE and watched from the windows. And yes, I caught some of it on video. See below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIFwoi0DsEE

After the fence was taken out, they set up posts and the next day got the entire thing done. Here is the fresh, new, Chauncey proof fence.We plan to paint it white in the near future too.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Happy Two Years!

At this moment two years ago, I was at Uprise Bakery with all of my bridesmaids and close friends for a wedding day breakfast as a single woman. Two years later, I am in our home, in my pajamas, accompanied by two dogs, with a baby girl sleeping in the back room. Life has changed quite a bit.

I'm married to a wonderful man who loves me so so so well.

Looking forward to many many years to come. Happy two year anniversary, Austin!

Sleep Regression

I'll be honest. I thought we'd be sleeping through the night by now. In fact, I thought we'd be sleeping through the night around a month ago. Adelyn was giving us promising signs. At 6 weeks, she dropped from two night feedings to one. She was consistently sleeping to around 4- 5 am. However, we've majorly regressed. I thought it was a fluke but it's lasted over two weeks now. I'm pretty sure it started because she was eating small amounts during the day (thank you reflux). But now I think she's gotten back into the habit of eating at 1am. It's brutal to regress. At least it was in the beginning.

What's weird is that I've almost gotten used to it. Somehow my body has learned to cope with small stretches of sleep and frequent wakings. It's almost like I've forgotten what it feels like to not be tired and I've accepted a new normal. I've been told that we need to let her cry it out rather than feed her. I'm just not ready to do that yet. I'm not 100% convinced the reflux isn't bothering her or that she is getting the calories she needs during the day. I'm probably making excuses for her but I just can't bring myself to really pull the "cry it out" trigger. It's not like we rush to her aid the moment she cries at night. In fact, we've made a special effort to give her time to soothe herself back down (which I have yet to see her do...). So until something changes, we will continue to comply to our daughters request of a 1am and 5am visit.

I'm continuing to learn that my child is not a formula. I want to treat her like that though. I want to do "A" and get "B" as a result. But it doesn't work that way. At least not for my kiddo so far. She's a unique individual that God has wired differently than any other baby in the world. I can read all the books and talk to every parent out there and still not know exactly what to do. I have found that so hard for me but something I have to accept.

I know every mom says this about their baby but I really am learning to love her more every day. Her personality continues to reveal itself more every single day. We are learning what makes her smile, what surprises her, what makes her giggle, what makes her frustrated. It's so fun to see a little person evolve right before our eyes! I just would prefer to see the evolving in the day time hours rather than in the wee hours of the morning. :)

Well, better get to bed soon. Maybe tonight will be a good night... One can hope, right?

And for your viewing pleasure... A video from this afternoon!

httpv://youtu.be/qdFjAGuyIjk

Kylie's Wedding

What a great weekend!

One of my best friends, Kylie, who I have been friends with since kindergarten got married this weekend. I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever been to. I can't WAIT to see the photographer's pictures. I took some of my own but I don't feel like I captured the charm, thoughtfulness in every detail, and beauty of the weekend. The weather was perfect for an outdoor wedding too! Here are a few snapshots I took. I'll post more when the photographer's pictures come out.

This sign greeted people as they entered the reception tent.

These cake stands were made by Kylie's dad. How cool is that?!

Here are the stands with all the cakes on them. So beautiful!

This is the "aisle" that the wedding party and Kylie walked down. It was a vinyard that her brother started a few years ago.

The alter.

Another shot of the vinyard and alter.

They used hay bails as seats but they were all covered in quilts.

Instead of programs, they had these two chalk boards up front.

I loved this idea... instead of a gift table, guests placed their gifts in a canoe.

The party gifts were jars of homemade relish.

Aren't they adorable!?

So this is one of my favorite details. This is an outside picture of the woman's restroom. See the "Hers" sign on the hay bail?

Now look inside the tent. It's a porta-potty! Isn't that such a cool idea to dress up a porta-potty?

They even had a little vanity in there for the ladies.

Here is a picture my dad took of the ceremony.

Here's what Adelyn did during the wedding. She was great!

Here is Adelyn and I all snazzed up.

Nana and Adelyn

Here's a picture of all my old high school buddies. I'm amazed we all still somewhat keep in touch 10 years later!

And of course, horses were part of the evening. This guy watched the party-goers like it was his job.