Mother's Day

Mother's day was pretty low key this year, but that was just fine with me because it meant spending quality time with my two favorite people. Brennen started the day off with making me breakfast in bed, and then we spent the next hour or so the three of us laying in bed together looking at pictures and videos on our phones. Avalynn loves to watch videos of herself and it was fun to look back on the last 17 months of our life as we watched videos from birth to now. As we reminisced I was humbled at the privilege I have to be Avalynn's mother. I feel a very big responsibility to teach her the things she needs to know in the gospel, as a daughter of God, and intellectually, because I know she has a great mission on this earth. Words can not begin to explain how much I love her!!

I failed to take many pictures on Mother's Day, but here are the ones I got.

Avalynn wanted in on the luxury and ate my toast laying in bed next to me!

I may or may not have started crying when Avalynn handed me this coaster with her hand on it that she made in nursery! Just melted my heart!!

Mother Moments: What I Wish I Would Have Known

{Notice the cute silver shoes in this picture}

On several occasions in the last 8.5 months I have thought to my self, "I wish I would have known that sooner" or "why didn't anyone tell me that before!". I have been going through clothes that Avalynn has outgrown and deciding what I should keep and what should be sold or given away. Knowing that I love shoes, it's probably not a shock to see Avalynn has quite the array of shoes herself. But why didn't anyone tell me that the shoes just fall off their feet? I would have saved myself a whole lot of money not even buying the dang things! The shoes I have been most excited about, naturally are the ones that don't stay on for 2 seconds. And not because she pulls them off, she is quite good about keeping all her "accessories" on, they just fall off....obviously shoes not meant for a baby. So store designers, please stop making ridiculously adorable shoes that I can't resist only for them to sit in the drawer collecting dust.

Oh What Do You Do in the Day Time?

{Image Credit}

With all of our APX girlfriends and kids gone Avalynn and I have been trying to keep ourselves entertained every day and sometimes without a car. We do the usual things, eat, take naps, sing songs, read books, play with toys, go on walks (ok like 5 min walks, because the heat is ridiculous!) but we are both going a little stir crazy. So to all you SAHM's what are some fun things you do with your kids during the day, that also don't make YOU go crazy?

I Am a Mother

{Mother's Day 2010}

I have been a

house cleaner

day care worker

summer camp counselor

ice cream scooper

nanny

janitor

car sales woman

restaurant hostess

waitress

gym worker

secretary

sandwich maker

but the best job I have had by far is being a

Mother

I feel so blessed to have been entrusted by Heavenly Father to care and rear this precious little child of his. My heart is so full with love and care for Avalynn, and I am so thankful to be her mommy!

A Few Things

1. We found out today that we are going to be selling in Austin, TX this summer! I am so excited! For some weird reason I have this thing that I have always wanted to live in Texas, yet I have never even been there! Anyone been to Austin and have some good recommendations for shopping, eating, etc?

2. Shantay let us borrow her DVD of the Dunstan Baby Language and it is seriously AMAZING! We watched the DVD last night and just in the last 12 hours I swear Avalynn has cried 10x less than normal because we are able to tell right away what she needs. If you haven't seen it you should defiantly check it out!

3. My sister, Cami, is a Fashion class this semester and her teacher has encouraged them to participate in "Fashion Week". If she gets other people to participate as well she gets extra points applied to her final! So I thought I would help her out and pass the info along if anyone wants to help her out. Here is what she said in her e-mail:

"Hello my friends and family!

I am taking a fashion fundamentals class this semester and from this Tuesday the 19th through the Tuesday the 26th is FASHION WEEK! whoot whoot :) This means that I get to dress up all 8 days for the purpose of improving my image and building confidence. I am contacting you to ask you to join me. Sorry i should have sent this yesterday to give you a few days notice but I didn't so please forgive me. So if you'd like please dress up with me...if you do the incentive for me is that I get a point on my final for each person who participates and the incentive for you is I will be a better friend to you! great deal huh?

So dressing up means...kick it up one notch from what you usually wear. example...church dress everyday

Don't go buy anything new, just use what you got. Use makeup everyday, accessories, those ties boys, and nice shoes!

If you'd like to participate...awesome! If not no worries, i will still be your friend!

Hope you have a great week! Email or text me YES i will participate in fashion week with you Cam!

Thanks all! Love ya lots!

CAMILLE

p.s. if you think of anyone else that might want to participate please forward this email and then have them let me know please! camillestagg@gmail.com"

I told her I am doing my own version (I'm not wearing church dress everyday), I guess you could call it "not wearing mom clothes"! I decided to wear nicer shirts, heels (not slippers!), jewelry, and do something extra with my hair everyday. So for me thats stepping it up a notch because I would rather wear a sweatshirt everyday! If you want to play along for the week you can leave a comment here as well and I will pass it on to Cami!

Matching

So I think it's fun to match with the Little Miss, I figure I might as well do it now while she doesn't have a choice! Brennen should just be glad I don't make him match us as well!

Calling All Moms!

Pic from HERE

As the time to have this little one gets closer I am starting to get a little nervous that I may not have everything I need and in order. I'm pretty sure I have almost everything that I will need for her, but am wondering if there is something that you wished you would have had that didn't know about. Also, I have heard several people say they packed way to much in their hospital bag and didn't really use any of it. So what are the absolute necessary items that you are so glad you had? Any other last minute advice or tips would be greatly appreciated too.... like how to make your baby want to come early!

On it's way!

I found the stroller I have been dying to get on sale, which I have never seen since I have been eyeing it, so I took the plunge and ordered it! I can't wait for it to get here... ok, I can't wait for her to get here to be able to use it!

Baby Shower

Shantay threw me an awesome shower today filled with lots of sweets and treats! If you know me well you know I love candy so the theme was very fitting. I was defiantly spoiled by wonderful friends, thank you to all who came!

Jenna made the darling cake

Cortney and Ashley, the cute girls who helped Shantay

Kids Consignment Sales

After living various places around the country I have to say that I am defiantly a West Coast girl. But one thing the East has that the West is defiantly missing out on are Kids Consignment Sales. The relief society president in our ward told me about these sales they have here for baby/kid clothes, baby equipment, toys, books, shoes, etc. I have been to several now and I don't know what I am going to do after her first year for clothes. I have found some AWESOME deals and all the clothes are in excellent condition, some even still have the tags on them! What's even better is the last day of the sale most items are 1/2 off. So of course I had to stop in today to one of them at 1/2 price and see what I could find. Now I know people keep saying I will have a baby shower, etc but full outfits for $1-$3 now you can't pass that up!

Here are my findings today-

5 Dresses

4 Two piece outfits

5 one piece outfits

4 Sweaters

1 Sleeper

Total- $31

Pregnancy Joys and Woes

This is totally how I am feeling right now... FAT! Not pregnant, but fat. I guess I'm in that in between stage and I am ready to be done, at this point I would rather have a little bump than a little extra baggage! 

So for now here our my joys and woes:

Woes-

-HEADACHES- Please tell me they will go away! Waking up with one is the worst.

-Sleeping for 9-10 hours at night and then 2 hours after getting up being ready to go back to bed.

-A sudden urge of hunger and then NOTHING sounds appetizing

-100 trips to the bathroom a day

- Having to get up in the middle of the night to pee

-Crying over the stupidest things

-Feeling fat

-Having the desire to do NOTHING but lay in my bed all day long!

Joys-

-Seeing Brennen excited about things related to the baby

-Having an amazing husband who has tolerated the house being a disaster and less than amazing meals

-Having an "excuse" as to why I need new clothes

(that might be stretching it!)

-Knowing that on Dec. 10th (hopefully sooner) it will all be worth it,

 and the joys will far out weigh the woes!

Latest Wish List!

Baby Ames Due

December 10, 2009!!!

Mother's Who Know

I really liked this talk when Sis. Beck gave it. Even though I don't have children it made me think about the things I am doing now as I prepare for them to come to our home. I will keep this talk handy as the motherhood years come as a reminder of those things my children will need spiritually.