Dear Everly...

Dear Everly,

As we listened to your favorite lullabies tonight I danced with you in my arms and held you tight. I wanted to soak up every sweet second with you before bed because it feels like time is flying by so quickly. You are growing and developing into such an amazing little person right before my very eyes. I am in constant awe of your strong will, your sweet spirit, and your independence. You light up the room with your big dimples and your giant toothless grin. I melt every time you look at me.

As I sit here typing this letter I can actually hear your precious little coos in the next room as you lie in your bed and put yourself to sleep. Yes, Miss Everly Lily you are already confident and secure enough at 2 months old to soothe yourself to sleep in your very own bed. No rocking and singing for you! No 'mam! All you need is the quiet hum of your vacuum cleaner CD, the classical sounds of Beethoven, and the soft glow of your mobile in the background to help you settle into dreamland. When I peeked in on you a few minutes ago I had to snap this picture because I want to remember this moment forever.

I am so proud to be your Mommy, Everly. Always remember that the journey is most definitely the reward. Be sure to appreciate all of the wonderful blessings in your life, focus on the positive, and give more than you take. Sweet dreams, sunshine. I love you to the moon and back!

Love,
Mama

Namaste! Greetings from the Mini Yogi

Everly attended her first yoga class at the ripe old age of two months last week and is officially a mini yogi now. It's funny when I think about it because I've never jumped on the yoga bandwagon until now. As a matter of fact I actually got bamboozled by Danny about 4 years ago when he talked me into taking a yoga class because it was supposedly relaxing and good for stretching. Yeah, right! Let me tell you, the class we took was anything but relaxing. I had images of downward dog, deep breathing, and meditation poses and what I got was nothing short of torture. Needless to say, that was the last yoga class I considered taking until I saw a flier for a baby yoga class a few weeks ago. Since cabin fever was getting the best of me I decided to conquer my fear of going out in public with Everly alone and dig out my yoga mat from the back of the closet and see what this class was all about. I am happy to report it was quite the opposite from my first experience with yoga. This class was amazing. There were kids ranging in age from 2 months - 2 years old in the class and Everly loved it. She really enjoyed all of the stretching and was completely mesmerized by the movement and sounds of the other children, the flowy scarves, the singing, and the calm and soothing tone of the instructor's voice. She made it through an entire 45 minute class without one crying episode or meltdown. And in case you were wondering..."Everly's Mom" loved the class too! I even broke a sweat during all the stretching and moving around. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I was sore the next day either since the most exercise I have had the past few months consisted of shoveling food into my mouth, strolling at a leisurely pace around the neighborhood or bouncing on an exercise ball to calm Everly when she is fussy. Overall I would say that the class was a success and we will definitely be going back. Until next time... Namaste Y'all!

Funny side story: At first it took me a minute to realize the teacher was talking about me when she first referred to me as "Everly's Mom" when talking to the other kids and parents. I was like, "Hey! That's Me! I am Everly's Mom". Have you seen the show "Up All Night?" If so, you will get the reference to "Everly's Mom". If not, you should definitely watch that show.

Evelry's Visit with her Fairy Godmother

A year ago this week our family suffered a heartbreaking loss when my Uncle Jimmy passed away unexpectedly. This tragic loss caused many people in my family to step back and examine their lives and remember what is important in life. In fact, it was this loss that prompted Danny and I to start a family. And much to our surprise, a little over a month after we lost Uncle Jimmy, Everly was conceived. Our family believes that God sent Everly to us to bring some of the joy and happiness back that we lost the day Jimmy died. Everly is often referred to as "the angel baby" in our family and we are all convinced that she met Uncle Jimmy in Heaven before she was sent to Earth. I personally like to think that he is her Guardian Angel and that he watches over and protects her. Interestingly enough, a few weeks ago, on The Day of the Dead, Everly and I were talking about her Uncle Jimmy (well I was talking and she was listening very carefully). After we said a prayer for his soul, Danny said to Everly, "You already met your Uncle Jimmy in Heaven didn't you? He was a rascal and you are going to be a rascal just like him, aren't you?" On cue, Everly started to coo and smile, almost as if to say, "You bet I did! And let me tell you he is fabulous!"

I have always been close to my Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Mary, and their children (my cousins), Tracy & Trent, so when it came time to choose Godparents for Everly, Tracy and Trent were the obvious choice. When we were kids they were like the little brother and big sister I never had. Some of my fondest memories with Tracy include going to the beach (I will never forget the trip to Ft Walton and the Penthouse, teaching our Dads to play "Quarters" & "Chandelier", and rowing the boat at Salty's), hanging out in her room with her and her friends, cleaning out the trailer behind the Hitching Post so she could move in it, and letting her dress me up and do my hair and makeup. Trent and I have our fair share of memories too. From childhood birthday parties, trips to the beach, playing with match box cars and building roads out of crayons, swimming every summer and sliding down the hill while the pool was filling up with water, riding the scooter all over Hidden Hills (and a few places we weren't supposed to go) rolling our high school teacher's yard and getting caught, shenanigans in Indiana, and our many adventures in Chicago, there is certainly no shortage of stories that we could tell.


Back in July Tracy started traveling to Los Angeles for work and as luck would have it she was in town the day Everly was born (coincidence? I think not!). Since Everly's birth she has been back for work twice and last Sunday we were lucky enough to spend an entire day and evening with her before her work week started. After dressing Everly in her most fabulous outfit, we drove downtown and picked her up at her hotel.

After hanging out at the house for a few hours and soaking in all of Miss Everly's wonderfulness, we took a trip to the Grove. After a great dinner at Wood Ranch BBQ, we wandered around the Grove and took some pictures. Everly slept through most of the outing but we sure had fun showing her off in public.

It is really heartwarming to see the special bond that Tracy and Everly are building. I can already see that they have a special connection. From the moment they met Everly was comfortable in her arms. It makes me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside to see them together. I can hardly wait for Trent to meet her next month when we go home to visit for the holidays and for her baptism.

While the pain and sadness of losing Uncle Jimmy will never go away, we are indeed comforted by the amazing gift that God has given to us in Everly. I know that Tracy and Trent will be wonderful role models for Everly throughout her life. I cannot wait to watch as their relationships develop and grow over the years. I am proud to call them Everly's Godparents. I know Uncle Jimmy is looking down from Heaven and smiling too.

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet, Give Me Something Good to Eat!

Everly's first Halloween was a huge success. Of course she had no idea what was going on but Danny and I sure had a great time! We started the evening off by dressing her in her Bumble Bee costume and taking her to the Grove for dinner.

After an uneventful dinner at Cheesecake Factory (she hung out in her car seat during our entire meal and did not make a peep), we walked around the Grove and took a few pictures.

When we got home it was starting to get dark so we all bundled up, put Everly in the Baby Bjorn, and headed out for a little trick or treating in our neighborhood. Of course we took her up to a few houses and collected some candy on her behalf. We figured that we might as well get some goodies while showing off our Prize Piggy! ;) Of course she was a hit at every house.

If I would have had my wits about me this year then Danny and I would have dressed up as the Bee Keepers and Bama would have been the honey. Cute, right? We can hardly wait for next year. We have already started tossing around some ideas for a family costume theme (Bama included!). Will we go with the Alabama football theme - Danny as the quarterback, Everly as the football, Me as the cheerleader, and of course Bama as the coach? Or will it be the Nintendo theme - Danny as Mario, Everly as Toad, Me as the Princess, and Bama as Bowser? Who knows...I have a year to think about it and plan it so whatever we decide it will be over the top!

Getting our Groove Back!

I am hesitant to even write this post because I don't want to jinx it, but something is definitely different about this week. Everly seems to be finding a rhythm and our lives are starting to feel somewhat (dare I say) normal again. She hasn't been nearly as fussy the past week and as a result this has given us the courage to go out in public with her. This makes me very happy because turning into a hermit family was not at all what I had envisioned when we decided to start a family.

Our adventures started with a simple walk to Starbucks (yes, after 36 years I have started drinking coffee), with a side trip to my favorite little boutique Veronica M. Now granted, Everly was sleeping in the Baby Bjorn the entire time, but in my book that still counts as a victory. Maybe it is because I am a first time parent but the thought of going out of the house with Everly alone terrifies me. I am not sure why I am nervous about her having a melt down in public because I know it is bound to happen sooner or later. Plus, I figure that since I have been observing and listening to other people's kids wreak havoc on a quiet restaurant or over crowded airplane for years it is our time to shine now. :) Just kidding...one thing you can always count on with us is that we will NEVER be those parents who sit back and pretend to be oblivious to the fact that our child is terrorizing an entire room with a screaming fit or inappropriate behavior (like crawling all over the floor at a restaurant or talking/screaming during a movie). I am wise enough to know that ALL children (even our sweet little Everly) will melt or misbehave at some point or another when we are out and about, but I refuse to let that behavior disrupt or ruin other people's experiences in a public place. If we can't get it together then rest assured that we will pack it up and leave.

After my mini-victory with the Starbucks trip, Danny and I decided that this weekend we would leave the comforts of our family room and become active members of society again. Our Saturday afternoon adventures included a trip to the pumpkin patch and ended with a late lunch at the Grove. Everly was awake while we were at the pumpkin patch but dozed off shortly after we got back in the car to drive to the Grove. By the time we arrived at the restaurant she was in dreamland which made me a little more comfortable when we sat down to order. We made it through an entire lunch without any hiccups. She slept the entire time in her car seat! We even watched some football and enjoyed an adult beverage. It was nice. I beamed with pride as I looked across the booth at Danny and Everly. I remember thinking, "I am so proud of my little family."

Since Saturday was such a huge success, we got brave and took our little angel to church on Sunday, followed up with a trip to Denny's for breakfast. Everly slept soundly throughout the entire church service, cooing at times and even opening her eyes for a brief second when she heard the Hallelujah song that she always danced to when she was in my tummy. At one point Danny asked me if I wanted him to hold her and I told him that I was OK. There was no way I was going to give her up before we went to Communion. Ever since I was a little girl I have watched new mothers carry their new babies up to Communion at church and I could not wait to walk Everly up that aisle for her first blessing.The gratitude and joy I felt as I walked with her to the front of the church is hard to describe. At that moment everything in my life felt complete. I thought I was happy and complete before Everly, but now I know that was not entirely true. Everly has added a new level of love and happiness to our lives that we never could have dreamed of before her arrival.

Danny and I both thrive on routines and we enjoy creating little "traditions" that we can look forward to in our lives. Before Everly was born we went to church every Sunday and after church we always went out for breakfast. We are both creatures of habit, so after trying many overpriced brunches and fancy schmancy cafes (all with sub-par food), we soon found ourselves going back to Denny's each week for our weekly breakfast treat. The food is good and cheap, and the atmosphere is about as non-pretentious as you can get. Since we made it through an entire church service without any outbursts, we were a little hesitant to tempt fate and go out for breakfast too but we figured, "what the heck", let's just roll with it. By the time we got in the car after church Everly was good and awake (and starting to get a little fussy). Since it was about time for her to eat we fixed a bottle and took it into the restaurant with us. This calmed her down immediately and we were able to get through another meal (with her awake this time) without any problems. Since Danny has mastered the one armed multi-task challenges, he fed her while I assisted with tasks like cutting the waffles and putting ketchup on the hash browns. What a team! :)

I cannot even begin to describe how happy it makes me to be a part of society again. I have always been a social person and I enjoy getting out of the house. If I had to guess, I think Everly is going to be the same way. I know this weekend is the first of many exciting weekends with my little family. I can hardly wait for all the adventures in our future. Look out world...here we come!

P.S. - On a side note, Everly has also decided this week that bath time is not such a bad thing after all. This brings me such happiness and relief. I kept telling her that no one likes the stinky kid on the playground so it looks like we might have avoided the nickname "Pig Pen". :)

Look Who Is Hiding in the Pumpkin Patch!

Halloween is by far one of our favorite holidays. Every year Danny and I dress up and celebrate like we are still kids. Every year our Halloween shenanigans include a trip to the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, overindulging in candy (white chocolate Kit Kats are the bomb!), decorating the house, burning "pumpkin spiced candles", baking sweet treats, watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown", and of course dressing up in costumes. Some of our past costumes include Charlie Brown & Lucy, Britney Spears & K-Fed, & Strawberry Shortcake & Purple Pie Man.

For as long as I can remember I have thought about how much fun it would be to have a little one to celebrate Halloween with each year. This past weekend we took Miss Everly on her first trip to the pumpkin patch. Even though she had no idea what was going on, it gave us a good excuse to dress her up and take photos! Check out some of our pre-Halloween adventures below and stay tuned for more Halloween pictures. We have plans to take Everly & Bama trick-or treating in their costumes on Halloween night!!! :) I can hardly wait.

It Takes a Village!

Not gonna lie...life with a newborn is tough! I don't think anything can ever prepare you for becoming a parent. I used to say that owning a puppy was good training for parenthood but I would like to retract that statement now. Raising Bama was a piece of cake when you compare it to the work that goes into caring for a baby.

Since Danny and I are so far away from family the transition into parenthood has added an extra layer of stress. Thank the Lord for wonderful friends! Throughout this pregnancy and since Everly has been born my awesome friends Lisa, Heather, Kristine, & Michelle have been lifesavers. They spoiled me throughout my pregnancy with little gifts, words of advice, weekend getaways, and shoulders to lean on when I was feeling down. And now that Everly has arrived they have continued to spoil us rotten by stocking our freezer with food after we arrived home from the hospital, visiting and making weekly phone calls/texts/emails to check in, and offering to babysit so Danny and I can find time to recharge and reconnect. I swear we were about to crack under all of the stress and pressure last week when my dear friend Lisa offered to come up and babysit so we could have a few hours out of the house together. I am 100% positive that just a few hours away added at least 5 years back to our lives. Even though we missed every second away from little Miss Everly, it was nice to feel like ourselves again for a few hours.

In addition to our wonderful friends, I honestly don't know what I would do without my amazing husband. He has always been the "dream partner" and there was never a doubt in my mind that he would also be an incredible father. He is so "present" when he is with Everly. I often catch him holding her and just staring down at her while he talks to her about her day. You can tell that she already adores him too because she lights up when he walks in the room. She turns her head when she hears his voice and he even got the first real smile out of her last week. I cannot tell you how much it makes my heart melt to see the two of them together. I firmly believe that little girls need a strong male role model in their lives and Everly definitely hit the jackpot in that department. There is no doubt that every man she meets is going to have to measure up to her Daddy's standards, which won't be easy! I can only pray that one day she will find a man as caring, loving, selfless, brilliant, and hard working as her Daddy.

He is always here to give me a break and take care of Everly whenever I need to step away too. In fact he insists that I get out of the house and take time for myself every few days. He never complains and is always willing to step in and help before I even have to ask. And even though he is working every day he helps out during the night so that I don't lose my mind. In fact we have created a little system to help make the sleepless nights more manageable. He is responsible for Everly if she wakes up before 3 a.m. and I am responsible for her after 3 a.m. Even though neither one of us is getting more than 5 or 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep during the night, it works for us right now. We are both counting down the days until she sleeps through the night though!

Even ole' Bama is taking her role as big sister seriously. She is in LOVE with Everly. It is crazy to watch how protective she is over her already. The other morning when Everly woke up I walked in her room to find Bama lying on the rug in front of her crib barking, as if to try and make more noise so that one of us would wake up. When Everly gets really upset she also barks at us like we are not doing enough to help her. Every morning when I get Everly out of her crib I have to let Bama sniff her to make sure that everything is OK. before I can change her diaper or feed her. She also has a role in the night shift job. She goes to bed with me at 10 and gets up with me after 3 a.m. when Evelry wakes up for a feeding. One night she accidentally got locked in the bedroom with Danny and he said she stood at the door and whined until he got up and let her out. He thought it was so funny that he walked in the living room and announced, "Captain Lewis reporting for duty!" as Bama came barreling through the door and jumped on the couch (*Lewis is one of Bama's many nicknames).

Like I said earlier the transition into parenthood is abrupt and hard. No one can prepare you for the journey, so it is critical to have a strong support system in place to help you as you adjust to all of the changes. Danny and I are very lucky to have each other, our amazing friends and family, and our spirited girls (Bama & Everly). Now I truly understand what is meant by the saying, "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child".

"Did You Give Her a Starbucks on Your Way Here?"

Week 4 Round Up!

This question asked by our pediatrician sums up the Week 4 Round Up! Little Miss Everly turned a month old last Tuesday and she is growing and thriving. She weighed 8 pounds 14 ounces and was 21 inches long at her one month checkup. She is definitely starting to notice the world around her and she appears to be more than ready to get moving in the world. Everly might just squirm and wiggle more than any newborn I have ever met. She moves when she is eating, getting her diaper changed, when she is lying on a blanket hanging out on the couch, when you are holding her, and most of all when she is sleeping. She even managed to roll over on her back during tummy time this week (what???). If she isn't wiggling around then she is squawking. Sometimes she coos and oohs, but here lately she also screams a lot. According to all the books Everly is what the experts like to call a "spirited" or "intense" baby. She definitely has an opinion and is not afraid to share it. She has also started to have intense crying episodes when she gets annoyed, frustrated, or uncomfortable. When this happens it is difficult to soothe her or calm her down and sometimes the crying spells can last over an hour at a time. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by her temperament since the nurses at the hospital were calling her the CEO of the nursery on her 3rd day of life. However I would be lying if I said this phase wasn't challenging. I have been reading several books to help us understand how to deal with her outbursts and so far "The Happiest Baby on the Block" has proved to be the best resource. We have been using his techniques a lot (5 S's - swaddling, shhhshing, swinging, side/stomach position, and sucking) and have had some success in calming her down when she gets upset. So far her fits seem to be worse at night (when we are the most exhausted - hooray)! This behavior also fits the textbook definition of colic and according to the books spirited babies are more likely to go through a colicky phase than calm and easy going babies. Danny refuses to accept that it is colic. He says that she is just passionate (like her mama & daddy). After all you shouldn't expect to get a Labrador Retriever after two Doberman Pinchers mate, right? Nope! Instead you get a little "Min Pin". Either way, the books all say that colic is normal behavior for some babies and that it will pass by the time we hit the 3 month mark. Hallelujah! One month down...two to go!

Cuddling with Cousin Claire


Defeated Sausage! The Woombie Wins Again! :)

Video of Everly rolling over!

Houdini has been beat!

Until yesterday Everly hadn't met a swaddle that she couldn't beat. One of her new nicknames is Houdini because every time we swaddle her with a blanket or one of the Swaddle Me wraps or Halo sleep sacks she finds a way to bust out of the top or bottom of the wrap.

Even though many of the experts agree that swaddling is best for newborn babies because it simulates the living conditions in the womb, Miss Everly does not like to have her arms confined down by her side and as a result she fights the swaddle until she successfully breaks free. I can't even count how many times Danny and I have stood over her crib and giggled as we watched her perform her escape act. It is actually quite a sight to see. She really kicks up a fuss when she is trying to find a way out of the swaddle. She grunts, kicks her feet, shimmies her body, wiggles her head from side to side, and flails her arms until she finds a way to bust out of it. After she breaks free the loose fabric from the blanket or swaddle wrap presents a suffocation hazard which terrifies me to no end. I am constantly going in to check on her while she is sleeping to make sure she is ok.

Trying to wrap her in a swaddle is a completely separate battle within itself. Little Everly is strong and she fights with all her might when we try to swaddle her. This always makes her extra fussy when we try to lay her down for a nap. Not a good combination for parents or babies who need sleep!

Most people would probably say, "Well don't swaddle her then. She clearly doesn't like it." However, we have found that if we don't swaddle her then she constantly wakes herself up with her flailing arms. Either way it is a lose lose situation.

In an attempt to find a solution I started searching the Internet for other alternatives to swaddling and that is when I discovered the Woombie! The Woombie is the answer to my prayers. Basically the Woombie is like a sleep sack that does not have arm holes. It zips up and is made of a spandex like material that allows for movement and stretching while sleeping. We have been using it for the past 24 hours and I have seen a noticeable difference in the amount of time Everly sleeps during her naps and at night. She also does not fuss when we put her in it and it does not matter how much she wiggles and squirms there is no way for her to break free. Most importantly it allows her to have her arms in a position that is most comfortable for her and there is no way for the material to get close to her mouth or nose while she is sleeping.

Score after Day 1 of using the Woombie:

Woombie: 8 - Everly: 0

Horray for the Woombie!

Week 3 Updates!

Dear Everly,

We can't believe you are already 3 weeks old! You are growing and changing so fast that we want to hit the pause button. Before we know it you will wearing make up and going on dates! In the last week you have really started to become more aware of your surroundings. When you are awake you love to just sit back and observe everything around you. We love it when we catch you looking at us with your giant baby doll eyes. You seem to be studying our faces so carefully and we always wonder what you are thinking. You are also getting really good at holding your head up when you are resting on our shoulders. The other day you even tried to hold your bottle when your Daddy was feeding you. Those little hands of yours are always moving and grabbing at anything that comes within your reach. You are also starting to make more sounds. You make the sweetest coos when you are happy and the funniest grunts when you get excited. We always laugh because you sound like a little baby pig. You are already showing your independence by falling asleep and sleeping soundly in your bassinet and crib when it is time for naps or bed time.

We are still working on establishing a sleep schedule and a daily routine but for the most part every day seems to be getting a little easier. I have been reading any book I can get my hands on in an attempt to learn more about how newborns operate so we can help you adjust to life in this big crazy world (and so your Daddy and I can get more than 3 hours of sleep at night). We have learned that swaddling and white noise are essential to helping you fall asleep and stay asleep. Swaddling has been a little challenging because you are so active. We can't use blankets to swaddle you because your arms and legs bust out of them, so swaddle wraps with Velcro have been a lifesaver. We call it your mummy suit.

Your Daddy and I are mesmerized by every move you make sweet Everly. It is so cool to see the different traits and mannerisms you inherited from us. You stretch just like your Daddy every time you wake up and you make the funniest little face that we call "turtle". You stretch your neck out, close your eyes, push your lips together, and and lift your nose toward the sky. It is our absolute favorite face that you make. We have been trying to catch a photo of it but it is so hard to capture. You also make the same serious face (some might call it a frown) that I make when you are concentrating or deep in thought.

Not one day has passed that we don't look at each other and ask, "Can you believe we made her?". We know that you got the very best of both of us and that you are going to become the most independent, thoughtful, kind, and amazing young lady.

We love you little dolly,
Mama & Daddy