American Beauty

I hope that everyone had a fun Memorial Day!  We sure did, until the rain came in.  K had to leave early yesterday morning to go get his parents from the airport, so Chloe and I decided to go to the pool a bit early, and stake out our seats for the day.  We were not going to let anyone take the best seats for soaking up the rays on Memorial Day.  So, we started out our morning by getting her all decked out in a Memorial Day outfit, bows and shows included!  Here is our American Beauty.
And, here is a close up of her shoes, because we all know that unless you have red flip flops with stars on them, you are not a true American!

After we got dressed, we headed to the pool. The closer we got to the pool, the darker it got. All I was thinking is that our day is going to be ruined. I mean, we had the bathing suit, the American Flag outfit, the bows, the shoes....... and the weather was going to ruin everything. We got to the pool 30 minutes before it opened, we went in, got our seats, and here came the rain. So we packed up our stuff (left towels out to reserve our seats), and moved into the covered patio to play. Chloe made some friends that she had fun with, and we played with bubbles. It only lasted 30 minutes, so everything turned out okay. Here she is surviving the rain storm. It did not seem to phase her.



Towards the end of our 30 minute wait, she did get a little bit frustrated because the sun was out, rain was gone, but the lifeguards were still not letting us into the water. She kept walking towards the pool, she wanted in, and it did not matter that she was not even in her bathing suit yet. Finally, K showed up, we were allowed in the water, and all we had to do was get Chloe in her bathing suit. I am just going to go out on a limb here and let ya'll know that she was the only little girl at the pool in an appropriate Memorial Day bathing suit! Here she is soaking up some rays.

We did remember to bring her some toys to play with, however she was much more interested in everyone else's toys. Once again, she had a blast in the swimming pool.




And just before it started pouring down rain, we packed up and headed home. The sun just zapped her energy!

Fun in the Sun!

Well.....the season is here!  Chloe got to go swimming for the first time this year on Sunday.  K and I were not sure what she would think about the water, because it was freezing.  She loved it last year, but then again all she did was lay in our arms or sleep at the pool, so this summer is going to be much different.  I'm thinking.........SHE LOVES THE WATER!!!  It did not matter that her teeth (or gums) were chattering, or that her lips were blue, or that the water was 75 degrees below Zero, she loved every minute of it.  And she played so hard in the water, that she was worn out when we got her in her car seat to come home.  Here she is at the pool on Sunday.  We went right after church, so first thing on the itinerary was to get something to eat.  Here she is eating at the pool.  Now, most of you know, Chloe loves to eat, but not on Sunday.  All she wanted to do was get in the pool.  And by the way, she has decided that French Fries are her real passion!


Did I mention yet how cute she looked with her bikini on, and her belly full of fries showing??


After we finished eating, K eased her into the water.

And once she got used to the idea, she splashed, played on the side, and sat all the way in, having a blast.




Then we moved on into the "Big Girl" pool, and jumped in repeatedly for about 30 minutes. And every time she jumped in, she was just as excited as she was the first time she did it!






HAPPY SUMMER!! Stay tuned for Memorial Day pictures!

Ballerina Girl

"Ballerina Girl......You are so Lovely!"

~Lionel Richie

My Little Diamond Girl

Last night K and I decided that it may be fun to take Chloe to her very first Nashville Sounds baseball game.  Any why not, Chloe had a baseball outfit in her closet that was screaming her name!  I picked up this little outfit at a boutique sale, JUST IN CASE we ever needed it, and it is a good thing I did, because what would she have worn if I did not have it?   I am not trying to place blame here, but K misread the schedule and told us that the game started at 5:00 pm, and in reality the game started at 6:00 pm.  Needless to say, because of this error, we had PLENTY of time to let Chloe explore a baseball stadium.  She loved it.  She REALLY loved it when the Sounds mascot "Ozzie"  came out.  



Because we were there SO early, K and I thought that it would be so cute to get a picture of Chloe on the field. However, there was one slight problem called.....the rules. But hey, what are rules made for? I did go and ask the security guard if it was okay if we just hopped out on the field for a quick photo session. He said no, but when he found out that it was Chloe's birthday (I did not tell him her birthday was really Feb. 15) he could not turn us down. So without further discussion, we went to the field. I am not sure what the problem was, there were like 6 people in the whole stadium, because as I mentioned earlier, we were there an hour early! Chloe was not really into the camera, because she was too busy looking at the dirt and the field. Here she is on the field.



After a little bit more exploring, K decided that since we were allowed on the field, no one would have a problem if we just decided to hop right on top of the dugout. Besides, what good is the dugout if you can's capture a picture of your little girl sitting on it?

After I was finished snapping pictures on her on the dugout, a security guard came and got on to us for being on the field and the dugout.  Oh well, too little too late.  Some people take their jobs way to seriously.  When the game started, Chloe took her seat, and clapped her hands every time anyone clapped their hands.  She loved sitting in her "Big Girl" Baseball seat!

Because we got there so early, we left in the 3rd inning because Chloe was very tired, and it was almost her bed time. But, everyone knows you can't leave a sporting event without a funnel cake. So, Chloe got her very first taste of funnel cake! Her she is with a funnel cake that was the size of her. And before you people start judging me, she only got one small bite!!


Next time we go to a Sounds game, we will have to double check the time, so we can actually stay for the game. It was a fun night, and we will be back.

Strawberry Shortcake

This weekend was than Annual Strawberry Festival in the big town of Portland, TN.  I never thought that I would be able to say, that yes, I have been to a strawberry festival, but today I can finally say those words.  "YES WORLD, I WENT TO THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL!"  And let me just tell you, there are some interesting people in that town.  K and I decided that people obviously did not have mirrors in their houses, because there is no way they would want to look the way they did!  The average amount of teeth that a Portland resident has is......3.  Anyway, as you can imagine, we had fun watching people, and Chloe had fun looking at the balloons, clapping to the music, playing games, and eating a foot long corn dog (or at least a bite of the corn dog).  I will tell you that the week of the Strawberry Festival makes Portland a happening place.  There is even a beauty pageant.  Imagine carrying the title of "Little Miss Strawberry" with you for the rest of your life!  It can't get much better than that.  In fact, when we were getting some lemonade someone asked us if Chloe was 2008's "Little Miss Strawberry."  I mean, if we would have entered her she would have won.....just look at her!

The strawberry hat was only present in one picture, because it was 79 degrees, hot, and quite frankly, it was easier to keep a hat on her last year when she was much less mobile! But the pigtails are just as cute, they only had to be re-done 657 times in a 2 hour time frame! She discovered how to take them out on the way to the Strawberry Festival. So, when we first got there, we headed out into the big metropolis of Portland, TN, and Chloe was just staring at everyone and everything. It seems that in Portland, you do not put your lawn chairs on the grass, you put them on the sidewalk in EVERYONE's way so that nobody can maneuver through you. And if you have a stroller (like we did), you are out of luck. People just look at you, and the thought that they may be in someone's way does not even cross their minds. It is unbelievable. Chloe was looking at everyone like they were crazy. She is used to people moving for her. What can I say, she may be a bit spoiled.

As we made our way to the "Carnival" area, we saw the perfect photo opportunity, and Chloe instantly became a fireman. She is just a jack of all trades.

After that excursion, we let Chloe experience her very first "Waste of Money Carnival Game", BUT, since it was rubber duckies, and she loves rubber duckies, the $2 was well spent just to see the smile on her face. And guess what......she won this beautiful flower! All in a good day's work!


After the game, we headed to get a drink and a corn dog for the bargain price of $10. It is okay though, because this was Chloe's First Strawberry Festival, and everyone eats corn dogs at festivals. This is America, you know. Nothing like fried fat coating a hot dog.


After eating, and booty bouncing to the hip hop music, we headed home. It was a fun day, and a great experience. Cannot wait until next year's Strawberry Festival! It looks like Chloe cannot wait for her bed!

It's Hard to Believe How Big She is.....

Today, baby Chloe turns 15 months. What a fun time this past fifteen months have been. This morning, Chloe had to go to her "oh-so-dreaded" well baby check up. In just three short months, she has hit an unbelievable growth spurt. I mean, I knew she was getting heavy, but man oh man.....she is REALLY filling out. One thing is for sure, she has caught up in weight 100%. So hear is the outcome of her 15 month check up: Weight- 23 lbs. 13 oz, Height- 28 1/2 inches long. Since her 12 month visit she has gone from the 5th% in weight to the 50th%. Yes, you read this correctly. That is NOT a typo.......the 50th%. My sweet 4 pound baby girl has caught up, and even though I am so happy that she has caught up, it saddens me because she has gotten so big, so fast. For her height, she is still in the 5th%. Bless her heart, she is short and stocky. Or as I like to call it..."stout." At 15 months, the only thing Chloe is behind in is walking. She can hold my hand and walk, she can hold on to the table and walk, but she decides that she can get places faster crawling. Other than that, Dr. E says that "she is perfect!" I agreed, and then it happened......the nurse walked in with the shots. It was all downhill from there. Chloe was perfectly happy until the nurse rubbed her first arm with alcohol. Then the shot came, then it was repeated on her other arm. This was not a pretty sight. See for yourself!

So here it goes. I am going to list 15 things that I love about Sweet Baby Chloe:

I love the way she wakes up in the morning and I can hear her talking and playing in her bed. When I go back to pick her up she is so excited she jumps from one side of her bed to the other, always with a huge grin on her face.

I love the way she dances whenever music comes on. She will stop what she is doing if she hears music, stand up, and dance.

I love that way she says "DaDa" and smiles when K walks in the room.

I love the way that she gets her tea pot and tea party dishes out, and brings me a plate and a fork so that I will have a tea party with her.

I love the way that no matter how hard our day is, her laugh can light up our faces.

I love the way that no matter what she is eating she shoves three or four pieces in her mouth at a time. She uses her hand to make sure nothing falls out of her mouth.

I love the way that when I pick her up from day care, she is so excited to see me that she immediately starts laughing and crying at the same time until I pick her up.

I love the way that she is so well behaved (right now) that we can take her everywhere.

I love the way that she can sit and play with her toys for hours, and everything always seems new to her.

I love the way that she waves and says "hi" to the golfers when we are outside playing. She makes sure that the golfers hear and acknowledge her.

I love the way that when she is tired, she just looks at me and rubs her eyes. When I take her to her bed she just cuddles with her lamb immediately.

I love the way that she tries to pet the dogs. She will slowly hold out her hand and extend her arm and barely touch one of our dogs. If they do not move, and she touches them she is ecstatic.

I love the way that she loves her daddy.

I love the way she finds comfort is me.

I love the fact that God loves her.

I cannot wait to see what the next fifteen months has in store for our family.

Happy Mother's Day!

I love being a mom! I love everything about motherhood. I love everything about sweet baby Chloe. It has changed my life, and I thank God every day for the best gift in the world.....my baby girl! This is my second Mother's Day, and it was 100 times better than last year. I cannot wait to see what next year has in store. Last year on Mother's Day, we took it easy at home, and then ate dinner with everyone in K's family. This is last year:

I know, I know.....I am NOT in the picture on my first mother's day. That is K's family standing with him and Chloe, and they wanted me to take the picture.  We pretended that K was the mother for just a minute!  I was there, I promise. After it hit me that I had no pictures on my first Mother's Day, K went outside in our backyard with me, and snapped a picture on me and Chloe. Here it is!

For my first Mother's Day, Chloe and K went and bought me a new kitchen table. I love it, and am so glad that I have it. This year, Chloe and K went to get me an iMac, which is why I even know how to do this blog. THANK YOU BABY GIRL and BABY DADDY! I have had the best day just hanging out with ya'll. After church, we went to lunch with some friends, and for dinner we had a fun dinner for three at the mexican restaurant. Chloe loves mexican food, and so does her momma! Here is a picture of me and Chloe on my second Mother's Day.

Also, just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to my mom in case you are reading this! I love you, and will see you soon.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!