Saying goodbye

Last week we moved from the house we bought just months after getting married. So we were almost there 5 years. It's been a bittersweet trip. It all happened so fast, my head is still spinning! I don't think I've really processed it yet.

Packing in progress




Ainsley's room was the hardest for me to pack up. I used to sit in there while I was pregnant and just breathe and think about the precious spirit on her way to join our family.


The moving truck we hired was the only reason i survived the move!


Our pile of stuff to go to DI, along with some of our neighbors left overs from the yard sale we had that Saturday.


Fred checking out the newly empty spaces.

Quality Control Check Person

Tom and I want a king sized bed in the new house. We went shopping for some, and Ainsley was helping us test them out.

Random Acts of Cuteness

Sleeping beauty and Belle


Wants to make sure she doesn't get left behind in the big move


Wishes we were movin' to Seasame Street


"check out my sweet mohawk!"


Bathing Beauty


Lovin' her lil Squirt Pool

Wheeler Farm - Festival!

Friday we had a great day.

Wheeler Farm had some kind of festival going on.

Ainsley took her first train ride.

Kirty, as always, was my fun companion :)

That's her, Hallee, and Quentin ahead.

There was a Clown there, doing some fun things with Balls..

Ainsley loved the balls.. but wasn't so sure about the clownThey had a few huge bounce houses, Ains and I gave it a try
She was cracking up almost the whole time!

Tatum, Cole & Ethan, and Janell, Kaysen, Addie & Sadie also came. I don't have any pictures of Janell and her kids, because we couldn't find her until the very end. Recently her 1 yr old Sadie threw her cell phone down the stairs, so once she left her house, we had no way of getting a hold of her..
i have no idea how people can function in the world today without cell phones!!

Ethan & Ains... Stroller Buddies


Kirty, Danielle, Tatum


It was such a great time with so many great friends. We wanted to get our faces painted and Sweet & Sassy had a booth doing hair
(not that it would've been much use for Ainsley),
but both lines were too long, and we decided it wasn't worth it, even so, it was great!

The price i paid...

BOXES NEEDED!

Hi All Friends and Family that live close enough to be bothered by me :)
We're starting the major production of packing our house, and are in need of any boxes you may want to get rid of. :) If you happen to have any, I'd love to come pick them up!
Thanks!!

Our First Real Owie

Poor little Ains, who is trying to figure out this whole 'walking' stuff she keeps hearing about, was working her way along the side of the couch, when she lost her grip and fell face first onto the next part of the couch.. which is normally a perfectly safe soft cushion, but at this moment happened to be supporting her daddy's laptop. At first we thought she'd just scared herself.. until the sippy cup mouth we'd given her to try and calm her, came back out covered in blood.

It looks like she'd busted the skin on her gums right above her front teeth. Her teeth were all covered in blood.. it was a sad, scary sight. As the mean mom that I am, I tried to take a picture, but she didn't really cooperate. But if you look closely you can see the blood around her mouth.. poor lil lady. The blood stopped after a minute, so we think she's ok. Man, having a toddler is gonna be scary.

Oh, and in other news, we had her one year check up yesterday.
She is 29 3/4 in tall, putting her in the 75th percentile for Height.
She weighs 17lbs 8oz, putting her in the 18th percentile for Weight.
So our goal now is to fatten her up. I was a scrawny little baby when i was little, so it could just be genetics, but we're gonna try and get some meat on those bones. Her suggested diet is full of things I'd love to have on mine. :) In all other respects she is a normal, healthy little girl.

The Party

the birthday girl in her rockin' hat


Admiring her tower of presents.


So many great friends came!
here's Brooklyn, Ains good girlfriend from the neighborhood


Ainsley's boyfriend Zack came.
Here's Zack and I snuggling while Ains pats his head.


Quentin in his awesome butterfly Antennas
and Ains with a funny look on her face.


Cleaning up the treats from the pinata!
Kirty, Ains, Clark, Quentin, Lauren and Hallee


Here's my very first every cake decorating results!
Green Butterfly! Huzzah! Just for Ainsley :)


Lemon and Chocolate Cupcakes for everyone else
(note the missing lemon cupcake at the top.. it was me.. i ate it.. but don't tell any of the people I forbade from eating any before the party.. hehe)
Thanks to Tatum for making the great butterfly candies on the top!
And Thanks to Kirty for baking them! How could i pull off anything without you?!?


Ainsley enjoying her cake.. she started off very dainty, picking little pieces and eating them, but after a while she got into it and grabbed some big handfuls


We had family as well as friends come to celebrate the day
Grandma Cinda came up from Cello


Grandma Cinda and all her daughters


Grandma Kathryn came up from Vegas


Grandpa Thom found the party extremely exciting.


Uncle Scott and Uncle Alexander had a lot of fun with the pipe cleaners we used for the butterfly antennas.. maybe a little too much fun.


Decorations and a Pinata


All in all, i think it was a fun day. Ainsley woke up in a great mood, and was happy all day. It was so nice to see our friends and family, and Ainsley loved having all the kids around, and of course the cake.. and really, it's her day.. so that's what really matter :)

Last Day

Today is the last day of the first year of my baby's life. It has been so exciting to see her grow. Every new thing she does has been cause for celebration, and awe and wonder. She has changed so much.. from this tiny little barely 6lb bundle in my arms to this laughing little monkey that chases me around the kitchen. :)
My next post will be all about her party and appreciating this wonderful new stage, and how, yes, I am glad she is still healthy and happy and growing. But today, in this post.. I am giving myself permission to be sentimental and a little bit sad to say goodbye to my little baby. It's not only the end of her first year, but my first year as a mother. I am so grateful that i got this opportunity. That Heavenly Father trusted me with such a special spirit. I have LOVED this year.. there have been tough days, and hard hours, and terrifying moments.. but i wouldn't trade it for the world.
I'm sitting here trying to analyze why it is that I have this sad feeling of loss.. and i think a big part of it is that every step she takes now, is a step towards more and more independence.. and a step a way from me. She used to be inside of me.. a part of me.. and then she was out, but still needed me constantly.. but someday, which i know will come sooner than i can imagine, she will be off in the world, not looking back.

Why can't they stay small and helpless just a little while longer??

Thanks for letting me be nostalgic and wistful and weepy (yeah, that's right, i'm weepy, deal with it).. how fast fly the years.. sigh.. and now I will end with my favorite quote, it comes from a very wise and trusted source..

"Sometimes, said Pooh, the smallest things take up the most room in your heart"

Happy Birthday Tom!

Yesterday my darling, silly, funny, hard working wonderful husband turned 29! One more year to the big 30. I love you Thomas, thank you for taking such good care of Ainsley and me, and being such a good sport with all the craziness marrying me brought into your life. I hope you had a Happy Birthday. I'm so glad I have you in my life.