It's just a phase...

"it's just a phase"... I keep telling myself this. I am always telling myself this these days. I am trying to be strong. I know I have to keep strong. Right now... I am sitting in silence... for the first time in nearly an hour. It started around 12... actually, more like 12:30. I decided to give Gracie a bath at noon today, in hopes that it would calm her down and help her get a well needed nap. So, we bathed her, I rubbed her down with that wonderful smelling lotion that is supposed to help relax babies. Got her in a nice new outfit, and then I did it... started the screamer in my child. I laid her down, in her bed that she has been happily sleeping in for the last several months, with no complaint, and she started screaming!

These days... if she even feels us moving towards her bedroom(even when she is SOUND ASLEEP), she wakes up and starts whining! I feel as if I am literally losing my mind. I keep telling myself, it is just a phase. She will grow out of this. She is just getting to that age. But... inside, I just don't believe it! I really can't understand why a child that has been the model for the perfect baby(and I know that no baby is perfect, but she hardly ever cries, went to bed without issue, and slept through the night from the time that she was 3 months old!), is all of a sudden turning into medusa when it is nap/bed time. I need help... I know that I need to stay strong, but this is really hard. I know that motherhood is not easy, but this has no words for it. Thankfully I have friends that are telling me that I am doing the right thing, because these days, I feel lost in this. Confused is not even the word!

Ok... enough of that. I am tired and GRace is quiet.... I am going to give myself a treat. M&M's... here I come. Don't worry... I have the points for them! LOL! :)

4 years ago today...

I married my best friend. The day was perfect... him in his tux... me in my white dress... surrounded by friends, family and in front of God. It was beautiful.



Our story started the August before, online if you can believe it! We chatted for a month, then we met, then a week after my birthday(December 2nd is my b-day), he officially proposed. It was reallly cute... we were in my kitchen and he got down on one knee. Actually, he was trying to get me to look at some ring books so that we could try to figure out what I liked, but all along... he had it in his pocket. He said later that he was going to propose on my b-day, but something got messed up. Anyway... So, here we are, 4 years later! We have our rough days, like anyone, but we still love eachother as much as the day we were married...

By the way... Doug has made me a deal... when I get to my weight goal, he is going to marry me all over again! We are going to have a Vow Renewal down in Gatlinburg, me in my dress, him in a tux! I can't wait! :) My goal is to lose approximately 3 lbs a week for the next year... I know that sounds like a lot... but for me it isn't. Anyway... It gives me something to look forward to! :)

SOooooooo EXCITED!

So... today is my 4 year wedding anniversary and last night Doug and I went out to get "our" gift that we are going to share. I am so excited and have been waiting for this for a long time! I, uh-um... rather, we, got a brand new Nikon SLR D-40 camera! I am soooooo excited! I am an aspiring wedding photographer and this is one step close to being able to be considered... "professional". I had a really bad experience last week. The mother of the Bride of the big wedding that I had scheduled for August called and said that they decided to go with a "professional" photographer. WHAT??? That just crushed me. You wanna know why... because she said that the "real" photographers were going to have backup cameras and they assured her that they would have backups incase a problem occured with the first camera. This is exactly what I told her I would have, which is true, and I was only charging a FRACTION of what they will probably be charging her. I was livid. I really wanted to go through the phone and shake her. I got off the phone and cried my eyes out. Oh well... they are now wanting up to do the video for the wedding and they offered to pay me the same amount that they were going to pay me for the photography. I just can't bring myself to say yes. First of all... that is a lot of money for just a video. Second of all... I am not a videographer! My mom usually does video for family, but this is nothing professional. I am tempted to take it, take the money and just give them a crappy video... but I have a conscience. So... I am not sure what I am going to do. I guess I will take it. Videoing will be a lot easier anyway... I won't have to tell people to "stand still" or "smile". Ok... this started out about my camera... not my encounter with a Bridezilla! What a creep! LOL! ANyway... I have said it.. now I will forget it! :) Sorry for the rant....

David Won!

LOL! OK... I know that was dumb... of course a David was going to win! I am excited to say that David Cook took the main prize tonight.

What an exciting moment! I really and truly did not really care for him in the beginning. I really liked David A. and wanted him to win... but then a strange thing started, I began to be really impressed with this rocker boy. He was original and made the songs his own. I am happy of the outcome... of course, I still like Archie, as they call him, but David Cook really deserved it! Congrats David!

Dontcha wish you had legs like these?

Ok... so I have an adorable child! I just have to share these ridiculously cute pics that I took a few weeks back. I just love these shoes... and feet! LOL!

Yes... those are pink Dorothy slippers!

Bathing in the Sink

I think... at one time or another, mom's grandbabies have all had their bath in her kitchen sink. It was Gracie's turn... here are a few cute pics from the event! :)

Amazed by the water!

Playing Peek-a-boo with mammaw!
Look at that smile!
No truer words have ever been spoken...
Love the "doo"!

Just want to share...

I have got to share a pic of my family... this is from my nephew's b-day at Chuck E. Cheese. Actually... I can never just share one pic at a time...

Here is my ultra cute nephew with good ole' Chuck!(Ian is the short one on the left!LOL!)

Here I am with my Sister in law Jess,

and my adorable niece Carly Mae(Mae-Mae for short)

Doug and Dad being kids...
Here is Carly with little Gracie!
Awww.... Gracie really loves her cousin Ian. By the way... Gracie's nickname is Cutie Pie, given to her before she was even born by none other than Ian... It has stuck... she is affectionately known as Cutie Pie! Here is my brother, Brad... who is that basketball headed baby he is holding?
Awww... just Mae-mae sinking a basket!
Here is the whole lot of us... from left to right:

Dad, Brad, Carly, Jess with Gracie, Mom, Ian, me and Doug. We are a gnarly group! LOL!

Here is Brad and his family outside of CEC!

So... that is the lot of us... we are a group, indeed.