Arden is 3 months!

What a big girl! Here are Arden's stats at 3 months:

• 10 lbs. 12 oz.
• 22" long
• Sleeps solid from 9:30pm-7:30am (sometimes even longer)
• Eats 7-8 oz. four times a day
• Lots of smiling, laughing,  and cooing

Here are all of her favorite things....

• Watching the moving mobile on her activity center
• Hanging her head upside down
• Her laughing duck
• Mobile in her crib
• Watching the fan
• Watching the trees blow
• Tummy kisses
• Air blowing in her face
• Musical frog attached to her car seat

I am enjoying every moment with her. She is such a good baby and I love her to death!

Mother's Day

This Sunday was my first Mother's Day. I was beaming all day but Mother's Day was not just about me. It was also a day that I celebrated the other important moms in my life (my mom, Ann, Mema, Meem, and Jane).

I hope that Arden feels the same way about me as I do my mom. We have such an unbelievably strong bond...always have. She is my best friend and someone that I have always looked up to and still do. We have been through a lot together...good times and bad, and I know that I'll always have the support and love when I need her. She is the "perfect" mom for me and couldn't lover her any more than I already do. Happy Mother's Day mom!!

Here is how I spent the day:
I woke up and sipped on some coffee, read a magazine, and spent time talking to Ryan. Arden was still asleep at 8:00am and we woke her up! Ryan was so sweet and took care of my most dreaded chore...bottle cleaning!

Ryan gave me a card from Arden with some sweet little messages with directions to open each of the three gifts.

• Message #1: "Mommy, when I'm a big girl in a few months and you take me to daycare, I want your car to be clean so other kids will like me". So funny!
• Gift #1: A book of vouchers to get my car cleaned inside and out! Love it!!

• Message #2: "I also want to make sure you have enough gas to make it back to pick me up!!"
• Gift #2: Gas card. I have been complaining about gas prices being almost $4.00 a gallon :(

• Message #3: "I also want you to know when to come get me because I'm going to miss you!! I hid your gift under my crib so go grab it. Hope you like it mommy!"
• Gift #3: A absolutely gorgeous Cartier Watch! What an unbelievable gift that I'll always cherish. Every day when I wear it I'll look down and remember my first Mother's Day and how special Ryan always makes me feel. *Note: I have never asked for such a gift. This was ALL Ryan. He picked it out and surprised me on his own.

After we got ready, we headed to League City for the first time since Arden was born. Ryan's parents had their annual Mother's Day pool party. It was so much fun spending the day with family on such a pretty day. Arden got to meet Ann's family for the first time.

Arden's grandpa heated the pool to 90 degrees so it would be comfortable for Arden to swim for her first time. He is the best! She liked swimming okay as long as she was in the shade. That girl does not like for the sun to be in her eyes. Ha! We plan on getting Arden in her grandparents pool a lot more this summer.

After all the food, drinks, sun, and visiting we could take, we headed home to relax for the evening. What a great day!

(I left my camara at Ryan's parents house, so I'll add the pictures later)

Easter

We had such a great Easter weekend. My mom and Chris got to stay with us so it was a lot of fun! On Saturday, we started the day off with Shipley's donuts and kolaches. We hung out all morning playing with Arden and opening some Easter gifts. After lunch, the girls went shopping and the boys headed to the driving range to hit some balls. After we were shopped out, the girls headed back to the house to pick up Ryan and Chris and head to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. We all ate way too much, but that is what it is all about!

 

On Easter Sunday we went to the 9:00am Easter service at the same church that Ryan and I got married. The Easter sermon is always my favorite. I never get tired of hearing the story of Jesus's death and resurrection. Beautiful! This year, Easter fell on my dad's birthday, so it was a day of remembering and celebrating his life too!

In our Sunday best

After Church we headed back to the house and my mom and Chris said their goodbyes before heading back to New Orleans. We enjoyed their visit!


We had Ryan's family over for Easter dinner, so we stared getting the meal ready. We cooked a Honeybaked Ham, green beans with almonds, home style mac and cheese, salad, and french bread. Meem brought her famous potato salad and Susan brought a delicious strawberry cream cheese desert! It was all so yummy.

Arden's outfit that her Grandparents (Ryan's parents) bought for her

After dinner we opened Arden's Easter baskets. She is so spoiled and got so much from the Eater bunny this year.

Arden with all of her Easter gifts!

After everyone left, Ryan, Arden, TJ, and I decided to go on a walk. It was so nice outside and I was feeling pretty huge after eating such a big meal. We walked to one of the nicer sections of our neighborhood for a change of scenery. It is so funny but every time we walk by some of the nicer houses, TJ always tries to go up to their front door. He pulls his leash so hard that sometimes he chokes himself. We think he is trying to tell us something...."I want to live here!" Keep dreaming TJ.

TJ and his dream house

We enjoyed the visit with all of our family this year and are blessed to have Arden with us to share all of these great memories!

Good Friday

On Good Friday we had family over for dinner and to hang out.


My mom and Chris drove in from New Orleans to spend Easter with us. My cousin Dennis and his family were also in town from New Orleans looking at houses. We were thrilled to hear that they are moving to Houston this summer. I got to meet their newest addition Gavin who is 5 and a half weeks old. He is so precious and it was fun getting Arden and Gavin together since they are so close in age. 


We also had my Aunt Nancy, Uncle Glenn, and Meredith over. They only had to drive 15 minutes instead of the 6 hours that my mom and the Caraway's drove.

April Fun!

Hanging out outside with her Gee Parents while the boys were boiling crawfish.

 

Her first playdate that she actually knew what was going on. She loved it! 

 

 Ready to go to Ivan and Bree's Crawfish Boil!

 

 PJ's are so comfie!

 

Pretty Princess

Look Who's 2 Months Old!

Happy 2 month birthday!

Arden is 2 months old! I can not believe that just two months ago we were taking home our 4lbs. 5oz. fragile little baby because now she is a sturdy.....9lbs. 4oz. We are loving each day with her and enjoying watching her grow.

Here are some highlights:

• Weight-9lbs. 4oz. (12th percentile)
• Height- 1'  8.75" (3.7th percentile)
• She drinks 5oz. every 3.5-4.5 hours
• Arden is starting to smile!
• She loves playing on her activity mat (especially staring and swinging at the yellow ball)
• Arden is still loving her baths
• She will find me in a room. What can I say....she loves staring at her mama!
• She is now sleeping 5-6 hour stretches at night
• She can hold her head up 45 degrees

Arden's 7 week photo shoot

We took Arden back to the same photographer for a mini session. It was a 15 minute shoot and we only got 3 pictures. So, here she is at 7 weeks...

Easter Themed Picture!

Arden's Garden Themed Nursery

Here are some pictures of Arden in her nursery. We decorated her nursery with birds and flowers, so I call it, "Arden's Garden". I didn't quite finish her nursery by the time she was born but finally have it pretty close to finished now.

Arden Leigh is 6 Weeks Old!

Arden Leigh 6 Weeks

Our little blessing has been with us for six weeks now and life is good! She is growing so fast and is probably 7lbs. Here are some updates on her life at 6 weeks.

• She can roll over from back to her sides and from her stomach to her back!
• She loves her head rubbed
• Her facial expressions are so cute. She can look like an owl by putting her lips together to make an "O" and she can raise her eyebrows really high crinkling her forehead.
• She is drinking about 4 oz. every 3-4 hours
• She is starting to get interested in toys and looking around the room
• She sleeps like a champ when out shopping or in the car
• She grips my shirt when being fed
• She enjoys being held while I dance around the room
  

Arden is 1 month old!

I can't believe that little Arden is 1 month old! Time flies when you have a newborn. Every day with her is a blessing and I love watching her grow. Here are some highlights from her first month.

• Weight: 5lbs 13oz.
• Height: 18 3/4 inches
• She eats 18ml. every 3 hours
• She loves holding onto your fingers and shirt when being held
• Her stretch routine is hilarious! It can last up to 5 minutes
• She likes her hand near her face at all times. Her hands will always seem to escape the swaddle
• She had her first bad diaper rash...blisters and all :(
• She still loves her baths

1 month birthday celebration

Arden's Newborn Pictures

When Arden was 9 days old we took her to get her newborn pictures. We loved our photographer who's studio is located in the back of an antique shop. It was such a cool space filled with exposed brick walls, old doors, and tons of antique props. She is the nicest lady and it was the most calm and laid back experience. I had the time of my life watching!


Arden did such a good job looking cute and slept nearly the entire time. She did get a chance to go potty on her daddy's hands during the father/daughter picture. Ha!


Here are some of my favorites...