Wordless Wednesday- How She Fell Asleep Last Night....

(Yes, she can still breathe...)  :)

Friday 5

Well, another week has come and gone.  It feels like it went slow, but in retrospect it flew by!  I can't believe Avery's birthday has come and gone already....anyways, before I get too sappy, here's 5 things that made me happy this week.  It no particular order:

1. My baby girl turning 1  (there will be a post soon with more pictures and details of her birthday.  More to come!)

2.  I got 3 layouts done last night!!!!  I was on a roll!  Hopefully I can get them photographed and uploaded this weekend.

3. I am all settled in and unpacked at mom's.  Everything is in the storage unit and out of the apartment!  I can breathe a sigh of relief. :)

4. I'm taking my Bug-Bug to the Tincaps game on Sunday for the Vera Bradley company picnic.  I hope the weather cooperates and it isn't so dang hot like last time...

5. I will have blogged 3 times this week. :)

There you have it.  5 things that have made me happy.  Some of them may be little, but they mean a lot to me.  :)

Have a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday- Let There be Birthday Cake!

:)

A Year Ago Today....

I was headed to the hospital in labor.  Wasn't sure if something was wrong or it was actual labor, because I was still 3 weeks away from my EDD.  I was admitted around 9 AM, and 5 cm dilated.  Nervous as heck.  Tired from being up all night with contractions.  But excited as ever.  I was finally going to meet the little person who was living inside of me, moving around, kicking me and giving me heartburn. :)  1:30 PM I was given my epidural, and that slowed EVERYTHING down...but I was still progressing, which was great!  At 9:10 PM I could start pushing...and I did.  I pushed, and pushed...cried, grunted and pushed some more...and finally....

There she was.  Be still my heart.  All 6 lbs. 3 oz., 19 in. of her.  Full head of jet black hair (which she would soon lose, and then grow back light brown hair...).  My daughter, Avery Janice Marie.  The most beautiful thing I have ever seen. 

Even though I was too exhausted to cry from happiness, my heart was (and still is) overflowing with contentment and joy.  This is the moment my whole life was leading up to.  My life had truly begun at that exact moment.  I am no longer "just Hollie"- I am "Hollie, Avery's Mother".  And that's the best title in the whole world.

One year later, here she stands...looking at me with her beautiful blue eyes on her 1st birthday.  And I feel even more overjoyed and happy than I did one year ago.  She's my world.  My love.  My heart.  And I am so happy that she's mine. 

I love you, Punkin!  Always.  xoxo
Happy First Birthday, baby girl!!

Friday 5

So, yeah....it's Friday again! :)  And time for another Friday 5 post.  This one is 5 things I can't live without in the summer time.  Hereyougo :) 

1: Old Navy Flip Flops in any color.  Seriously!  They last for, like, 5 summers and feel oh so good on my feet.  I need these in my life.  Period. :)


(serious love for these....mmmmmm.)

2: Victoria's Secret PINK Supersoft Lotion in (my FAVORITE EVER) Sunny & Happy



3: My girl

4:  My teal maxi dress from alloy.com (the dress I bought last year isn't there anymore, but they still have a cute selection!).  And basically any cute maxi dress that calls to me.  LOVE them.

5: My Beauty Rush lipgloss in Strawberry Fizz



There you have it, folks. :)  Ingredients for my perfect summer days.  :)  Hope you all are staying cool, and have a wonderful weekend!!!

xoxo- H

This Girl...

I can't believe that I'm 2 weeks away from having a 1 year old.  I'm not gonna lie, it makes me sad.  She's my first- it feels like this past year was the fastest (and definitely the hardest) year of my entire life.  SOOOO many things- good and bad- have happened....I have laughed, cried good tears, cried bad tears, learned many lessons, forgave, sang songs I never thought I would sing (Elmo's World, just an example. HA!), met new people, lost friends, cried some more....the list could go on and on.  But the most important thing is that I am cherishing EVERYTHING along the way.  Something is always learned from every experience.  Whether you knew it was coming or not.  And I am thankful every day for the littlest of things, because I know how quickly it can be pulled out from under you.  I am most thankful for this girl...

She is my light in the darkness.  She's the best part of me.  And I want to cry every time I think about how much I really, truly love her and would do anything to make sure her world is safe and happy.  Saying "I love this girl so much" is an understatement.  And it's the BEST feeling in the whole world.  She's made me the happiest person, even when there's nothing to smile about. 

I hope everyone is having a great Monday.  I know I am! :)

Currently....

I am:

Thinking: about my punkin girl.  And how much I miss her.

Feeling:  a little down.  Trying so hard to fight my way out of this funk I'm in.

Drinking: a nice cold Diet Coke in a can.

Eating:  (just got done eating) a chicken salad sandwich on wheat.

Listening:  to Glassjaw radio on Pandora.  More specifically a Thursday song.

Doing:  Excel spreadsheet work.  Wrapping up loading a trailer for a new retail store shipping out tomorrow.  Deadlines, deadlines...

Watching:  Forklifts drive by...

Wishing:  that everything would fall into place sooner rather than later.

Needing:  a hug (and a candybar. heeee.)


Ugh.  Patience, prayer and positivity....

Friday 5

Trying something new today....I'm going to start doing my own "5 For Friday". :)  But in pictures...We'll see how long this lasts. Ha!  Here we go...

1. Can't wait to see this girl tonight :)

2. I'm loving this pin from Pinterest:



(so true to my situation right now...)

3.  Loving the Bruno Mars radio today on Pandora.  Kinda want his new CD:



4.  Finally getting the wedding pics back from Carol's wedding I took.  One of my favorites:

5.  3 Rivers Festival starts this weekend!!  Unfortunately, I don't think I can take Avery to the parade, because I might have to work tomorrow. :(  Here's the Vera Bradley Bee we are retiring from the parade:



Well, I could go on and on, but it's only Friday 5. :)  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo

Wordless Wednesday- Watching the Fireworks

:)

Our First Tincaps Game

Last weekend, Avery and I were invited to tag along with my mom and her husband Allen to a Fort Wayne Tincaps game.  It was my first time going, and Avery's, too. :)
We had a blast!  It took Avery a little bit to get used to the heat (it felt like it was about 95* out), and we had to move her to the shade because she was overheating a little.  But caking the sunblock on her was worth it, because she didn't get burned! :)

The few photos I have are from my iPhone, because I haven't had the chance to edit the pics from my camera.  But they turned out fantastic!  It was a perfect day for a baseball game.

Avery liked the little squishy baseball she got when we entered Parkview Field:

Aren't her pigtails precious! :)  They kill me.

And she liked watching the game through the rail in front of where we were sitting:

And she loved checking out the flowers in the landscaping when we were waiting on Allen to pull the car around:

She also learned how to clap!  She finally put 2 and 2 together and figured out why we clap.  So everytime we say, "Yaaaaay!!!" she starts clapping. :)  Cutest. Thing. EVER.

We had ice cream, good food, fun, laughs and the atmosphere is so great. 

The other photos will be in a blog post later on, because I really want to share them.  We had such a great day at the ballpark, and hopefully more fun games ahead.  :)


GO TINCAPS!
Happy Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

perspective.

Last Friday I was forced into starting a whole new chapter in my life.  The rebuilding process.  I am going through a HORRIBLE time financially right now, and to make matters worse, I have no car.  This is such a challenging time in my life right now.  I know, KNOW it will get better.  How much time that will take, I have no idea.  But it WILL.

Avery will always be my main concern though.  Is she getting everything she needs?  Does she have enough diapers?  Food?  Is she feeling OK?  Myself and my emotional mess are no match for this girl.  She will forever and ALWAYS come first. :) 

I made this layout a couple weeks ago about some things I was worried about as far as making sure she has the guidance she needs from me.  I love how it turned out:

I used my May Lawn Party kit from Studio Calico.  Gotta say, that kit is my favorite kit to date so far!  I've been a subber since September 2010.  :)

Catching Up....

Wow....What a whirlwind last few days I have had.  Working, being sick for 3 days and then Avery getting yet another ear infection I have only worked one whole day so far this week.  So this will probably be a very short post as I can't breathe out of my nose, feel dizzy, can't eat because my stomach is in knots and I'm so sleepy.  I have a TON of laundry to do tonight when I get home.  Dishes need to be loaded into the dishwasher.  Clothes need put away in my room and A's room.  My bathroom needs cleaned.  And all I can think about doing when I get home is laying on the couch under my Cubs blanket having a Friends marathon with the cat snuggled up on my lap.  But I have to get the chores done, because Avery will be with me this weekend and I want to spend as much time with her as I can. :)

So with all my complaining :) I will leave you with a few sunburst pictures (because I've been practicing, you know...):

Have a wonderful Thursday!

tgif :)

Friday is finally here, and June is already halfway over.  I can't believe it.  It's going to be another busy weekend, but at least I can find a little time to relax.  Overtime tomorrow, Father's Day and a graduation Sunday and some impromptu family time in between, I predict.  :)  My mom left for Cabo today with her best friend for some much needed girl time.  I wish I was on that plane right now...

I scrapped a little the other night and made my most favorite page in a long time.  I absolutely LOVE how it came together:

I used the June Studio Calico kit Paper Moon (which is still available!).  I wasn't sure about that kit at first, since it was VERY boyish, but I must say, my pages are coming together very easily!  The other page I made was for the Sunday Sketch on the blog:

 

I love participating in those!  So fun!  Gets my creative juices flowing. 

Speaking of scrapping, it would be so nice if I got time to do it tomorrow, but I think I might be held hostage by housework. =/

Have a WONDERFUL weekend everyone!  What are YOUR plans? :)

10.5 Months

I thought that I would share some little highlights about Avery's growth lately.  Here are some things about my sweet girl you might like to know.  :)

She:

-Is wearing between 9-12 mo. clothing
-Still loves squash and bananas, but is not liking peas so much anymore.  It's funny, the faces she makes now- sometimes she even does that shiver thing. :)
-LOVES books!  She points at pictures, turns the pages and could "read" the same book for 45 minutes
-If we are walking around the house, she has to stop at every door hinge, handle and drawer pull so she can investigate.
-Is crawling like a champ! 
-Is pulling herself up now.  It's the cutest thing!  She has to head butt and get right up to it before she reaches up.  So cute!
-Loves the baby apps I have for her on my cell phone.  Favorites include Bab Bab and an interactive farm yard with a fish pond and chickens you have to tap on to hatch.
-Taps on EVERYTHING.
-Has 3 teeth.  2 on the bottom, 1 on the top and 1 about to break through on the top.
-Only holds on to 1 hand when we are walking.  Her balance is amazing!  When she was walking on her own the other day, she stopped, turned around and came back to me with no help!  So close....
-Loves being outside and taking walks. 
-Loves being around other kids and babies.  She gets so excited!
-Says "momma", "dadda" and I thought I heard a "hi" the other day. :)
-Will crawl up to me, climb on me and sit in my lap if I'm sitting on the floor with her.
-Is so outgoing and friendly!  She will let just about anyone hold her, and anyone is welcome to walk her around.  She still gets really shy though, and clings to me if she's not comfortable.
-Loves looking at herselk in the mirror and giving herself kisses.  She even loves to see her face in my phone when I take her picture.
-Instantly smiles when I start singing "If You're Happy and You Know It". :)
-LOVES bath time.  She is so content in the tub.  Splashing, playing with her toys, soaking. 
-Has enough hair to make a ponytail now!!!!  I'm VERY excited about this. :)

-Points at things a little bit now.  When I put something in front of her on her tray, she scoots it around with her index finger before she picks it up. :)
-Constantly flails and flaps her hands/arms around.  When she gets mad, excited, happy....you name it.  Those arms are always going.

Well, I think that's it for now.  If you made it this far, thanks.  :) 

She makes me smile.  That's the best thing of all. :)

Wordless Wednesday - Practicing my Sunbursts :)

Confession....

I have a confession....I am going through a really hard time lately.  My personal life is a little messy.  My financial situation is a WRECK.  Work is stressful.  My boyfriend and I split, and the visitation schedule we have set up is KILLING me.  I miss my daughter like you wouldn't believe...she's my world.  I hate not having her in it every day.  But in spite of all that, I am trying my hardest to fix it.  I know that it isn't going to work out over night, but I am optimistic that it will work out evenutually.  And I'm trying to stay that way.  It's very hard.  Especially right now, when I have to come home to an empty apartment every 2 days.  There has been a lot of scrapbook therapy, though.  I came up with this page a couple weeks ago:

I used my Who's Who January kit from Studio Calico.  I was just using up some scraps when this page was born.  I'm really trying to remind myself that this feeling (hopefully) won't last forever.  I just need to breathe and clear my head when I start stewing about it.  The best thing I can do for my daughter right now is to stay positive and know that it won't change if I don't try.

Sorry about the mopey post!  Hopefully I will be back later this week with some more scrappy pages. :)

I hope you have a wonderful day!  It's nice outside here in IN.  Maybe lunch in the shade outside is what I need today. :)

A Quick Hello + A Layout

Hey there!  Just popping in to say hello, I hope you are having a wonderful Saturday and ask that you wish me luck today- I'm shooting my co-worker's wedding.  :)  I'm soooo nervous.  I hope that she's happy with the photos I take.  It would definitely help the word-of-mouth advertising!

Here's another layout I made using the Who's Who (Studio Calico) kit.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE it?? :) 

I love the way this turned out.  Much better than what I had in mind.  Don't you love it when that happens?!  I misted the background with Piglet and Barnwood Mister Hueys.  I cut out the circle design using my Silhouette SD.  That machine has really changed the way I scrapbook!  Not kidding.

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!  I will try to check in tomorrow, but my sister's baby shower has been highly anticipated. :)

Busy Weekend Ahead + A Layout

Good Friday Morning!  :)  It would be nice to say that I was just relaxing this weekend, but alas, I am not.  Actually, this will be the busiest weekend so far this year.  I have a cookout with my mom, brother and his family tonight, and a house to look at (I thought I was interested when I made the appointment, but I found out it's only 818 sq. ft.  I need WAAAAY more space than that!), I am photographing a co-worker's wedding tomorrow (more to come on that) and my sister's baby shower on Sunday.  I can't wait!  Lots in store this weekend. 

I am so excited to be adding more to my "resume" as an amateur photographer.  I'm hoping that I can take some classes in the future.  I would love to learn the manual settings on my camera- a goal for me this year. :) 

The other day, I finally broke into my Who's Who kit from  Studio Calico, and I must say, I don't know what took me so long!  I LOVE it!  Here's one of the layouts I made:

I stamped the background cardstock with the bookshelf stamp (which is sold out- sorry!) in Malted Milk  JBS Ink.  I love the way it turned out!  One of my favorites, for sure.  And I love that I got this story documented.  Avery loves being read to, and she LOVES to turn the pages of the books.  She's even pointing to pictures and giggling.  It's the cutest. :)  One of the many wonderful things about being a mommy. 

Well, I hope you have a great weekend!  I'm off to finish work and then the jam-packed weekend.  :)

Hello World...

I'm welcoming myself to the blogging world. :)  Figured I would give it a try...what's the harm?  If you have any tips or tricks, please feel free to share, as I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing.  :)  Ha!

But, for now, I will leave you with this picture of me and my daughter for her first zoo visit- it's nice to meet you!