Reasons why we love home...

1. Simplicity

2. Hanging out with Super Nanas and Great Grandmas

3. Swimming

4. Getting Dirty

5. Blackberry/Blueberry Picking

6. Hanging out with Family

7. Running around naked

8. Junk Food
(hence the Dr. Pepper and the Oreos)

9. Stress Free...only laughter and smiles

10. Being surrounded with a constant group of people who love to LOVE on your babies

What a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend we had...my next post will be longer with a TON of pictures!

A Month...Already?!

Here are 4 little pictures taken from our family session that we had done after Emerson was born. I have a great photographer that I have used several times and I love her. www.lerinwheeless.com
She is the sweetest ever and she loves my kids.
I think I am allowed to use this on my blog since they have her mark on them...if you are reading this Lerin and I am not...just let me know and I will take them down. ha!
It's not my fault that her work is so good and I want to share!! :)

Miss Emerson celebrated her one month birthday yesterday. I can't believe a month has already gone by...I feel like we have adjusted quite well.
We have learned so much about little Emmy over this past month.
She is definitely her own person, and is nothing like her sister.
Emmy, you are such the sweet little snuggle bug.
I have not slept in my bed for an entire month because you will not go to sleep unless you know momma is right beside you. We are definitely working on this...but I love the fact that you want me right there.
You have had a little issue with reflux lately (as every baby seems to have now a days) and the doctor advised that you have some rice cereal in every other bottle. This has worked...and it is allowing you to go a little longer every other feeding. Right now you are a teeny tiny little thing...but I have a feeling once this rice cereal picks up...your weight will pick up as well.
You are very chill. Very. Which I like to think you get from me.
Except when something makes you made and oh girl, do you have a temper. You get that from your daddy. Nothing that I do will calm you down...you have to calm yourself down.
You are doing quite well on your schedule. We eat every 3-4 hours, and you are awake for 1-2 hours at a time.
You are currently eating 3 and a half ounces at a time.
You enjoy bath time, and you love your paci. We have had an issue with you keeping your paci in your mouth, but every day you are getting stronger and stronger.
You have the biggest lips on a little girl that I have ever seen, and I love it so much. You let me kiss on them, and even though I know you aren't really giving me "kisses" you kiss back...which I love.
You have to be swaddle or else you will NOT sleep...and you love to go to sleep listening to some sort of sound. You do not like it quite...thank goodness.
You have a little stork kiss (birth mark) on your right eyelid. The pediatrician said it should go away soon, but it keeps getting bigger and darker...I guess this is your special little mark.
The one thing that I am worried about is the fact that you HATE the car. This is a little bothersome as we are going to make a 5 hour road trip next week home to visit you Lalee, Pops, Uncle Tucker, Super Nana, Super Poppy and Great Grandma...and a lot of other family. Hopefully you will just sleep, but I have a funny feeling that you are going to make yourself known in the car, but that's ok...we will just have to deal with it.
It's so funny, but I honestly don't remember our family without you. You just fit right in. What a perfect balance you are. I love the fact that you are so go with the flow...and just so calm. You definitely are my little blessing and we thank God every day that He chose you to be a part of our family. Even though I am sleep deprived I wouldn't take it back for a moment.
I can't wait to see what the next month has in store for us.
We love you little Emmy....and to us, you are perfect.
(I am still going to take monthly pictures of Em by the frog...however, I am trying to take other pics as well..I am still in the process of perfecting them.)

For Emerson's one month birthday momma and daddy took her out for a little birthday lunch celebration. It was nice to be able to go to lunch with just the 3 of us. Not that I don't like going to lunch with Eloise, but...this was a nice little change. :)
I guess being a teacher my entire career you definitely forget that other people actually do get a "lunch break." I was completely surprised by how many people actually go to a restaurant for lunch...and that they actually have time to do this.
Maybe we will make this a monthly celebration...in honor of our sweet little baby love.

lunch was too much for her...it was time for her to take a nap.

Your sweet daddy is so happy to say that you are his daughter. He is so proud of his girls.
Have you ever seen a hotter daddy? Yeah...I didn't think so.

You have brought me so much joy.
You haven't brought me a lot of sleep...but the joy definitely outweighs that! :)

Here is Miss Em with her newest little toy. The WubbaNub helps her keep that paci inside her mouth...thank goodness for Murphy the Monkey!!

and in Eloise's world...
she has a little water mat that we have played with lately...
because it is so hot
and humid
here in Houston.
BLAH.
But...E loves to play in the water, and has had fun in the afternoons soaking up the sun...
and the outdoors.
She is such a little ham.
a little ham, with a rather large belly.
But... we all love this little belly, don't we?

Fun times with Aunt Lauren and Uncle Spencer

Eloise loves it when Uncle Spencer and Aunt Lauren are around...as you can see here.

Does life ever slow down? I have a funny feeling that the answer to this is, NO....and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Things seem to just get busier and busier...Aunt Lauren and Uncle Spencer came into town to see Eloise and meet their newest niece, Emerson, last week. We had such fun with them, and love when they come to visit. What help they were as well! Aunt Lauren even took some of the nighttime feedings so that I could sleep just a little..thank you Aunt Lauren!! We went to the pool so that Eloise could try out her swimming skills, but little did I know that we had our own personal swim instructor with us! Lauren used to teach swimming lessons, so she just took Eloise into the water and they took off!! I think we have a little fish on our hands...and I will be enrolling her in swimming lessons soon! It was so fun to watch them swim together, and Eloise just LOVES the water...and Aunt Lauren!!

omg, that tummy...i just want to give it a zerbert every time i see it!!

look at her face...love it!

doggy paddle

wheeee...soo fun!!

thirsty after a hard day of swimming

Uncle Spencer was so great...he sat under the patio with little Emerson while we enjoyed some time in the pool. He is such a natural and will make a wonderful father some day. But for now...he is the best Uncle. :)

we then got all cleaned up and ready to go to dinner...daddy was even able to meet us there for some good ole' mexican food....

so thankful for my brother

the next day we got up and hung out around the house for a little while, then uncle spencer wanted to treat Miss E to some frozen yogurt...which she LOVED....here she is being a little stinker...

mmm...she loved Tutti Frutti's yogurt

and this is literally what E did once Spencer and Lauren left. She was pooped!!
Thank you so much for coming to visit...we can't wait for our visit!! xoxox

On Saturday the entire Bass Family got all dressed up to go to a going-away party for one of my dearest friends. Beth is someone that I have worked with for the past 2 years. Her family is moving to the Big Easy because Michael, her husband, took a job there. I will miss her so much!!
We had such a wonderful time at the craw fish boil and everything was so nice!! It was so great to be able to hang out with my girls!!
I can't remember the last time I actually got dressed up to go somewhere....so I felt pretty good about myself!!
I love this picture that Walt took of me and Miss E....I love how she is looking at me here...like she just loves her momma so much!!

Me and Beth...
I Love You Rose...
and I will miss you more than you know!
xoxo

you'll notice that my hand is on my hip in every. single. picture.
I was told that this makes you look skinnier...and hey,
right now...I need to look as skinny as I can...
don't judge.

Eloise LOVES her Sarah...
I think Sarah might love E just a little bit as well.

This girl was having a ball...
she was just walking around everywhere,
and talking up a storm.

Eloise and Carson were having so much fun with the ice.
Look at sweet E...she is sharing with her boyfriend.

The littlest attraction at the party...
what a pretty little girl...
so perfect.

me with the lady that planned it all!
MY Emily...I tell you what...I see some party planning in her future.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this girl.

Miss JoDee and me!
She doesn't know it yet...but one day we will be related..
Eloise was playing with her son in the picture above (Carson)
I would be totally ok with JoDee being Eloise's mother in law.... :) Personally, this is one HOT date.
love my babies' daddy.

It was 9:00 and we were headed home...
here was my sweet love, just hanging out...
ready to party even more!

Emerson had so much fun at the party...
when we got home, I asked her what she thought about it...
she said, "OH momma..so FUN!"

Sunday was spent with just the 5 of us..
We LOVE to go for walks...
but we have soon realized that if Eloise CAN'T walk Gracie she screams the entire time.
We even have a "fake" leash that we attach to our real leash so Eloise thinks she is walking her.
When she actually gets out and walks Gracie it is SO cute...but makes for a VERY long walk....

After taking 3 times as long as our walk should...we put Eloise in the stroller...
she did NOT like this...
She screamed and screamed...

and if you look closely sweet Emmy was tired of hearing her big sister scream...so she decided to cover her ears..
smart baby. takes after her momma.

and the one thing that I have really struggled with, with two kids..wait, 2 babies
is dinner time.
It never fails...they both get hungry at the same time and with Walt working extremely long hours it is hard....so i've let Eloise start experimenting with self feeding...haha
she LOVES it..I hate it, but what's a mom to do?
whatever works, right??

and someone turns ONE MONTH on Thursday!!! stay tuned!!!