Four Months!

Annabelle Joy...

You are 4 months old!

• You weigh 15 lbs and 6 ounces now and fit perfectly into all of your 6 month clothes.

• You love to smile and laugh especially at your daddy. It takes you a second to recognize him when he comes home, and then you break into the most beautiful smile. You are a daddy's girl for sure!


• You have become a cat napper....20 minutes a few times a day and you are good to go (or at least you think you are).
  
• You sleep about 12 hours at night, just waking up once to eat in the early morning hours.


• We take walks almost every day, and you love to be outside. You just stare at the leaves. I can't wait until you are old enough to lay on blanket in the grass and read books together!


• You have found your feet this month and you hold them in your hands when you lay on your back.


• We love rocking you and talking to you....those are the best times of the day.
  
• I think we are going to start you on some cereal in the next couple of weeks...you are always hungry!
  
• Your daddy is in charge of baths most nights - he puts on good music and sings & dances with you after you are dried off.


• You are still a little apprehensive around new people and loud voices, but you warm up to people quickly if they give you a few minutes.

We just adore you, baby girl! I would not trade one single minute of the time I have had being your mama...it is the most incredible gift in the world! We are so thankful that God blessed us with you...we love you to pieces!

Big Fun!

I was gone to a meeting this evening, and this is what was on the camera when I came home.

I am guessing that Annabelle and Jesse both enjoyed themselves...what do you think?!?

Weekend Update...

We had a pretty routine week around here...hence the lack of posts! Annabelle has had a few rough days with teething and what we think is a growth spurt. We have gone back to waking up a lot during the night...poor girl! My wonderful and wise mama friends from work recommended "teething tablets" and they have worked wonders! I went to school to have lunch with them on Friday after such a hard night and morning. It was just what I needed...it helps so much to have friends who love you even on your worst days. I came feeling like I didn't know what to do for sweet Annabelle, and I left feeling so much better! Thank you Ann, Sonia & Suzi!


Jesse's parents traveled to see us again this weekend. We put Papa to work with Jesse starting a big project at our house. We are putting in a small picket fence in our front yard so they started cutting and painting boards. I will post some pictures soon! Saturday we all drove up to my parents new house to have dinner.

Papa and Lola with Annabelle.

My world.

Getting some love from Grandad.

Mom and I were teasing the boys for being such dorks, and I just had to take a picture of them. Jesse and my dad are so similar and such good friends...I love seeing them together!

Tonight we spent some time relaxing on the deck enjoying the gorgeous weather! It really felt like fall - such a treat in the middle of this hot summer!

I don't know if all babies are this way, but Annabelle loves looking at the sky.

Hope you all had a great weekend too!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my Mom's birthday! She would tell you that it is her 49th (that has been her story for quite some time)...but the closer I get to turning 30, the harder that story is to believe! Isn't she just beautiful!

My mom is an incredible lady - loving, dependable, energetic, hard working, supportive, fun, & full of life! She is always the perfect hostess, and makes everyone around her feel comfortable and loved! We talk almost every single day (most days more than once), and we never seem to run out of things that we have to tell each other. How lucky am I to have a mom that is also my best friend! Jesse says all the time that he could not ask for a better mother-in-law, and Annabelle already adores her Nana!


For years mom has been telling me that I will never understand how much she loves us until I have my own children. Well, I am just starting to grasp the depth of love that a mother has for her children...the love I have for Annabelle overwhelms me. I can't imagine how it must feel after 30 years.

I could ask for no better example of the kind of mother I strive to be than my mom...

Happy 49th...ish Birthday, Mom!

Good Morning...

Annabelle has started to wake up in such a happy mood in the mornings...it might have something to do with the 12 hours of sleep she gets each night (can you believe it?!)!!! Don't worry - she still gets up to eat somewhere between 4:30a.m. and 6:00a.m.! I woke her up with the video camera this morning...

Sweet Girl!

Just some pictures of our girl at 16 weeks! She continues to be such a joy! We had some fun playing in the nursery this morning, and I thought I would share some of my favorites!

Seriously, who could resist that smile!

Such a big girl sitting in her bumbo seat!

Bald as can be, but so precious!

Sharing a laugh with her mommy!

Such a chunky monkey....I just adore these bloomers with her monogram!

Enjoying summer....

We have had a great weekend so far! Last night we went up to the neighborhood pool for a cook out with some of our friends and their precious daughter! We have been so lucky to make such wonderful friends here! Thanks, Mike & Cate, for a fun evening!

Jesse and Annabelle enjoyed some swimming...I think we might have a water baby - she seems to love it!

Sporting her new swimsuit from her Nana!

Tonight we went on a movie date while my parents stayed with Annabelle! The Time Traveler's Wife has been one of my very favorite books for several years now (I think I have read it four times), and I have been waiting for the movie to come out for ages. I was worried that the movie would be disappointing since I love the book so much, but we both really enjoyed it! It was wonderful to have an evening out with Jesse after he was out of town all week.

Ramblin Wrecks from Georgia Tech...

Look what arrived via the lovely fed ex man today! I am not even mad at him for ringing our very loud old-fashioned bell (the kind built into the door that you turn a key to make it ring) making the dogs bark and the baby wake up! He is just lucky it was such a great delivery!

Jesse is going to be so excited to come home to his beloved season tickets! Now that we don't live in Atlanta, we always talk about cancelling our season tickets, but we just can't make ourselves do it. I always love being back on campus during football games...it brings back such fun memories and makes us both feel old! Weren't we just in college?!? Jesse and I both went to every home game while we were students at Tech. I thought you all might like to see a picture from our past.

This was our last year of college, and our first year to be really great friends. I twirled baton and did a pretty good jazz run back in the day, and Jesse was a drum major that year. I won't pretend that I didn't spend quite a bit of time staring dreamily at the cute guy directed the band! Jesse was in love with me back then - he just didn't know it yet! Needless to say, Georgia Tech football is a special part of our history together! Hope our kids understand that will be their only college option! Just joking...(maybe)!

Our other girls...

Gabbie & Lucy turned 4 years old this week! They have been through a lot with us....two moves, traveling back and forth while Jesse and I lived in two different cities, and now a baby. We got them unexpectedly when they were 4 weeks old, and I can't imagine not having them now. They certainly aren't perfect dogs, but we think they are the sweetest dogs ever! They have adjusted to Annabelle wonderfully, and we couldn't ask for more than that! Here are a few of their puppy pictures to celebrate their 4th birthday!

Pictures, Pictures...

Just a little recap of our weekend...with lots of pictures of Annabelle.

We just can't help ourselves!Our girl wakes up all smiles...it is a treat to get her out of bed in the morning!

We started with a Friday lunch date at Rosie's, our favorite mexican restaurant. Can't go wrong with midday enchiladas!

A trip to Publix

First injury - poor baby scratched her forehead and made it bleed in the middle of the night. Those tiny baby nails are just too sharp!

A sweaty & tan Jesse after his Ultimate Frisbee tournament on Saturday.

Having a little chat with daddy!

Her favorite nap spot!

All smiles after her nap!

Playing in the nursery.

Getting a little snuggle from her protector, Gabbie!

Catching up with her zoo animals!

It has been too, too hot here, so we have been doing a lot of playing inside! I can't wait until the weather is a little nicer so we can get out during the day a little easier. Annabelle hates to be hot, just like her mama!

Oh how fast they grow...

It is just amazing that babies go from this...

to this...
in just a matter of weeks.

We are just a few weeks from the day one year ago that we found out that our marriage was being blessed with a baby. It is a moment that I will remember forever. Nine months seemed so far away, but here we are. Just one year...I can't believe how our lives have changed in only 365 days. We are no longer just a couple, but parents of this precious baby girl. A family of three. Life has never been so full...my heart has never been so full. I have no doubt that these are truly the best days...

Bless you!

Our baby girl has turned into such a little chatty thing over the past few days! We adore hearing her sweet baby noises, and she truly acts like she is having a conversation with us. We tried to capture some of it on video last night...she talked a little, but the best part is the end. The quality is terrible, but it was too funny not to share!

Weekend with Uncle Sam...

We had a great weekend at the Guthrie house! Jesse's brother, Sam, came to visit us and meet Annabelle this weekend. We don't get to see Sam nearly as often as we would like so it is always wonderful to have him visit!


He and Jesse spent all day Saturday and Sunday on the roof working on a little project that quickly became an enormous roof makeover. Ah, the pleasures of an old home. Any little repair turns into a huge ordeal as more problems are uncovered. Nothing says "welcome to our home" like a 12 hours of roof work in 90 degree weather. We promise you more fun next visit, Sam!

Annabelle got to spend today with her Nana while I went to work for several hours. I am so lucky to get to stay out of work for a few more months, but there is a lot to do for someone to take your place temporarily!

I don't know who enjoyed it more...Nana or Annabelle!