Merry Christmas

That's right I said it, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Can you believe it? It is already that time again! This year would have been like any other Christmas for us but; this year we have Taylor to celebrate with! She seems to make everything better, more exciting and overall fantastic! I can't believe in a little over a week she will be 7 months old! Growing up I learned to never expect a lot there for I wouldn't be let down. I don't want Taylor to have that mentality; I want her to expect the best and that is what she will get! Zach and I want to start traditions with Taylor that will hopefully carry on to her children! Every year I want to buy her a special ornament for the Christmas tree, we want to take her to see the gingerbread house display at the Grove Park Inn. I want her to have things to look forward to every year! That all being said, so far we have bought our first Christmas presents for her =), picked our first Christmas tree and decorated it together (she has her first ornament on it now <3), and she has tried pumpkin pie!!!! Next weekend we plan on attending the Black Mountain parade and of course the Toy Run! The following weekend we are going to take her to the Grove Park Inn to get her first peek at the gingerbread houses! I want to continue this traditions with her. I want to fill her childhood with good memories, I want her to look back and want to smile and laugh verses cry over things she didn't get to do! I hear people say that having a child can bring your childhood back; but I feel like I want to discover the childhood I should have had thru making her's the best that it can be! All in all to me it isn't about the gifts or the trips or the experiences it is all about the LOVE and then intent in which things are done and/or given!

Have you missed me?

It has been a few weeks since I have posted a new post! Things in the Russell house have been BONKERS; Zach started working new hours so he isn't with us much during the week he leaves home about 4:20p and comes back around 6:00a Monday thru Thursday so he sleeps until at least 2:00p everyday! During all of this I got a pinched nerve in my neck along with a pulled muscle in my back and neck, so needless to say I wasn't exactly fulfilling my wifely duties! Laundry was usually washed and dried but; that is as far as it made it, most of the time it was in the dryer or on top of it. Dishes piled in the sink until we ran out of silverware; meals were instant or sandwiches! Ugh it was horrible!! I went to the chiropractor and it was amazing! He popped my neck and told me to rest and praise God it worked! I try not to tire my back out because it is still healing but; I have been back to my some what old self! The only thing I am truly missing is wearing Taylor in her ergo; I am tired of just having her set in her car seat when we go out!  Speaking of Taylor, my little baby girl has morphed into a huge little girl! She is 6m old and weighs 19lbs and is 27.5in long!! She is the normal size of a year old! I think that she must have gotten one of the many updates that I receive via e-mail to let me know her development for the week. Because once she turned 6 months old she started hitting her milestones faster then she could finish one she was on to another! She started rolling from tummy to back and then a few days later she rolled to her side and then she started sitting up unsupported, then rolling back to tummy and a tooth is coming thru on the bottom! WoW she is just growing up way to fast! Ugh; anyways I can not WAIT for black Friday/ Thanksgiving night! I plan on being at wal-mart at 10:00p when the sales start, I already know exactly what I am buying and boy am I excited! We get to buy Taylor's first Christmas presents and somethings for the house! We have a busy week next week, we will celebrate Thanksgiving and then do our shopping outing then that weekend we will buy our first Christmas tree as a family and decorate it! I am just so stinking excited I feel like I am 5 years old again! Anyways...that is just to catch y'all up a little bit! Until next time....<3

Question of the day! "What are you feeding her? Miracle grow?"

My little baby is growing up so fast! She is turning into a not so little baby!!! She is 5m 4d old and she can say hey to Taylor in the mirror by touching it! She smiles and giggles when you tickle her feet and tummy! She knows who Mommy and Daddy are and will look around and find us! She is also growing like a weed! I know most parents say this but; seriously....this kid is GROWING like I have water her nightly with miracle grow! She is just over 5m old and is already in 9m and 9-12m clothes! She is so long that clothes for her age range don't fit! Granted she isn't exactly skinny, but she is perfectly proportionate with her height and weight both being in the 95th percentile! She loves country music and defiantly has an opinion as to how everything goes!!! She takes a sippy cup like a champ, she can eat off of a spoon better then most men I know =) ha ha ha! Long story short it is amazing how when we are growing up waiting on your birthday to get here seems like it takes forever! I feel like the past 5 months has flown by in the blink of an eye! Now I see how my parents felt; I wish I hadn't wished my life away I wanted to be 13 because then I was a teenager then it was all about becoming 16 so I could have my sweet sixteen, then it was about being 18 because that meant I was an adult, then it was 21 so I could be legal to drink. Now I look forward to each day, I look forward to watching Taylor grow! I savor every moment with her, I no longer wish the year would go by faster but quite the opposite I wish the days would slow down so I can have more time to enjoy my sweet girl! She makes my world go round!

Like a good neighbor state farm is there....with a pause button please!

Today my little baby has turned into a big girl! It saddens me to know that she is no longer my itty bitty baby! However I am so excited and happy for her becoming the independent little girl she wants to be! She sat up in her high chair today for the first time; she enjoyed a healthy bowl of formula and rice cereal! She actually ate it instead of spitting it out! It was adorable; later in the evening she took a sippy cup and at first she just chewed on it but then she realized she could get stuff out of it if she sucked on it! Her eyes crossed with excitement at this discovery! What a day; I don't know about my Tay Baby, but her Mommy is one tired girl! <3 <3 Sometimes I wish there were controls in life just like a DVD player has a little square for stop an arrow pointing left and right for rewind and fast-forward two little lines for pause and a sideways triangle for play....if only life were that simple! I just thank the good Lord for every second I get with my sweet girl, thru the spit ups, the colds, the poops, the blow outs, the snuggles and all of her firsts! I love her so much!

The PERFECT outfit

When leaving for a trip around town I always make sure I am all dolled up! I do my hair up really nice, with a pony tail holder and a headband, I do my make-up with some concealer to hide my dark circles under my eyes. I check my shirt to make sure my beautiful accessories are in place; spit-up is my accessory of choice! I put my pregnancy jeans on because I haven't had the time or money to buy new jeans for me; plus the stretchy parts help hide my post baby body! I make sure to grab my bag; preferably one that is as big as I can get; stuff it with all of my essentials; diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, a change of clothes for us both,chap stick and of course butt cream! Life as a Mommy has changed me so much! I have went from caring about the way I look to proudly sporting the Mommy look! I don't have time for me anymore; which is FINE with me! I love that it takes me longer to get Taylor ready then myself, she is the perfect accessory for me!

Unwanted Advice

When you have a child; you WILL get advice....LOTS of it! Some of it you will like and use some of it you will NOT! One thing that absolutely drives me INSANE is to receive advice that is SHOVED down my throat! For example: That I am a weirdo for buying Taylor a hippie teething anklet, why can't I be like a regular Mother and give her some Tylenol! I don't want to give my child drugs that she doesn't need! Why do you hold her so much? She should be independent! You shouldn't wear her in that thing...she can fall out don't you care about your baby? You should make her do tummy time even if she screams! Crying is good for her! I being the Mommy bought her an anklet because I don't want to drug her up regardless if it is just some Tylenol, it can damage her little liver. I hold her because I love her and I want to be close to her. She is SAFE in her wrap she is more safe up against me then in a stroller or car seat! Tummy time is only beneficial if the baby isn't burying their face down trying to commit baby suicide, if she is miserable then she is not going to stay there! Crying may be okay sometimes; but when she is sobbing to the point she is loosing her breath and taking down air that gives her gas and makes it worse SHE WILL NOT CRY IF I CAN PREVENT IT! Your not her Mommy stop trying to be! I love the way I raise my daughter because it is MY choice! I understand that people give you advice with their best intentions MOST of the time; but don't question my parenting...consider your thoughts before you judge! Because this Mommy Bear is starting to bite back.....HARD!

New Directions!

Everyone is growing up, getting married, having babies and buying houses! Well I guess we have already done 3 out of 4 of those. So we are looking at buying a house! Nothing special just something for us to call our own! I am nervous, excited, happy and sad. I feel like everything is happening so fast; but I love it! I love that Zach and I got married so young and that our daughter is here with us! All I can do is pray about the new directions on our path thru this crazy life! We have never been able to do what we want with our "home" because we have always rented! But; now our options are ENDLESS, we can paint the way we want and hang pictures where ever we want!! If we don't like a wall we can TEAR it down! I am so happy with my life as a Wife and Mommy and pretty soon I can add HOMEOWNER to that! I can't wait to have a dishwasher, I hate hate HATE hate doing dishes! I wish they made a laundry robot because I would SO buy one ha ha ha =). So if you read this; please help me pray, that the Lord helps us decide on this big adventure! <3 Thank you ALL <3