Celebration of the Little One turing the Big 1!!

What a whirlwind of a weekend!

Josh's parents arrived the Friday before her birthday, and my family arrived that Saturday afternoon. Noelle had so many people eager to love and spoil her. It was so fun having everyone here - but there was one part I did not anticipate...My people-loving child wanted to be a part of the party 24/7. So sleeping was verrrry difficult. Bad naps, a hard time going down for bed, you name it!

On top of that she was battling some sort of illness in the days leading up to the weekend AND appeared to be working on potentially 4 new teeth coming in. Ouch.

So then it was finally party day and the big birthday on Monday. She refused her morning nap, but ended up having a fantastic two and a half hour nap in the middle of the day. I thought it would be perfect! She would be well rested and ready for the festivities.

Wrong.

She was CRANKY and CLINGY.  My normally always happy baby had chosen her big day to be extra crabby. Hey - if you can't be crabby on your birthday, when can you be crabby? She really took that song "it's my party, and I'll cry if I want to..." to heart.

All in all, everyone had a great time, even though the guest of honor wasn't having the best day.

The funniest part was that after everyone left - she couldn't have been happier. She played with her new toys and had an absolute blast!! I think she likes to be a spectator more than she likes to be the center of attention.

I'll have more good pictures from Josh's dad later and will post more - but here are a few fun ones from my camera!!

Welcome to the party!

Backyard set up, complete with posing "G" :)

Festive Faces of Noelle thanks to CC & G!!

Welcoming festive wreath 

Yummy patriotic strawberries!

The singing wasn't so bad...she tolerated it...

The happy baby who hated cake!

Seriously guys, I don't like this!

I don't like the cupcake EITHER!!!

Can I get out now??

The cupcake tasted much better in Mama's arms...

Cutie cupcake face...

She mostly hung on to her outfits from the McCarty's the WHOLE time we opened presents. She really liked the hangers :)

The best part of present opening was that her buddy Ian decided to take his first steps!!! Look at his Mom's face and then Megan to the right cheering him on!! Fantastic!!

Noelle didn't like her new pool from CC and G either. Poor thing!

But Noah thought it was awesome!!

Noelle ended the party by encouraging Ian to walk some more by showing him how she does it :)

We tried so hard to get our chair picture for our 1 year shot...and we failed miserably. She was so cranky during the day and then wouldn't sit still at night!

It was much more fun to stand UP in the chair

Maybe even do some clapping while standing in the chair...

And then of course laughing when we plopped down on our bottom :)

Blink and it's a Year!

I will post separately about Noelle's birthday party and the celebration of her turning one, but here's the nitty gritty and probably the last "monthly" post you will see on this little bundle of joy!

Favorite Food: She still really likes almost everything. The staples and favorites seem to be - yogurt, fruit of any kind, mozzarella cheese sticks, ritz crackers, graham crackers, and chick fil a chicken :)

Favorite Toy: Books & balls at the moment! (pre-birthday presents, that is)


New Tricks: I have been trying to teach her to blow kisses, but we have not yet succeeded. She is still awfully cute though :)

Milestones: Walking!!! She is getting more and more adventurous with her new skill every day!

Surprises: Still no top teeth!  They are getting closer, but nothing poking through just yet.

Words: So last month I talked about how we thought she was trying to say "bird" ...it turns out she has totally been saying "bird" since March, and through a survey of other moms I have come to realize that it most definitely has been her first word. I didn't know how you "counted" first word, but now I know. It was BIRD. So she says bird all the time - especially when we are outside, or anytime she hears chirping for that matter! And she also says "ball" alot. Very very cute.  She also appears to be saying something else I think...it comes out as "doe" but I am not quite sure what the word is to her just yet. Time will tell!!

I can't wait to share with you the details of her party! And I can't wait to see how she likes her cake!

Happy birthday to my sweet baby girl :)

This is a very small preview from the party...this was AFTER everyone left and she got to play with some of her new toys :)

Pictureless Friday - When it gets crazy.

Sorry Friends...

No Picture Friday. But let me just tell you - we are on the verge of a slew of pictures because of the big birthday up ahead. So we'll get there, I promise.

This week Friday just snuck up on me!  In fact, I partly forgot it was actually Friday today!

Josh was out of town this week, then Noelle has had all manner of weird issues that have gotten us out of whack.

It started on Tuesday night. She decided to have one of her "episodes" in the middle of the night...she picked 11pm that evening...where she wakes up for unknown reasons and is tired, but not tired, and is restless and agitated for approximately 2 hours, before she decides to go back to sleep. 

Well, I obviously let her sleep as long as she liked after her losing 2 hours in the middle of the night, only to horrifically find her in a crib full of vomit Wednesday morning. She didn't seem too upset about it, but I was horrified that I didn't know my baby had gotten sick in the middle of the night.  I wasn't sure what could have happened, since she hasn't gotten sick in her sleep since November (and that was due to too much mucus with a cold).

Then after she breastfed that morning, she surprised me with returning it all back to me just an hour later.  So I completely rearranged my schedule on Wednesday because I was sure I had a baby with a stomach bug. Well, she didn't eat much that day, but she didn't vomit again at all. She took MAJOR naps though, which I thought was because she wasn't feeling well.

And then Wednesday night she decided that she really was done sleeping at 3am...she took a little cat nap at 5am, but was ready to start the day by 6am. I was so thrilled to have another night of messed up sleep.

Don't I have an almost 1 year old? Not a 1 MONTH old?!?!

Thursday was a fabulously normal day, and I was even able to make up my missed work hours on Wednesday.  But still she decided to disturb Mama's sleep and to be awake from 1am until 3:30am. And I had to be at work at 8am today.

So, I'm pretty out of it...and then she proceeded to get sick again with her Daddy this morning.

These are truly the joys of having an infant who can't tell you what is wrong.

Possible scenarios include:
(a) a virus
(b) too much mucus from a cold screwing up her tummy
(c) teething (she has what looks like LOTS of pressure on her top gums, potentially 4 teeth coming in soon)
(d) add to all of that potential stuff, you have developmental milestones which can disturb her sleep

Besides the lack of normal sleep patterns and the vomiting, she is pretty much her normal happy self. So there is no telling what on earth could be happening.

I just hope it doesn't ruin the weekend for all the family coming to celebrate her!!

This concludes the end of my Mama rant for today :) So how are YOU doing? :)

The Waiting Game

A year ago today, we were waiting.

Noelle's due date was May 15, 2012.  But due to Josh's work schedule and some important events at church, I was bound and determined for that little baby not to come out until at least the early morning hours of May 21.  I know not many women would ever wish to be a week late, but I was still very comfortable up until the actual the labor process.  We had loads of people praying and praying that she would wait that extra week. 

She was a very obedient child in the womb :)

Then obedience turned into stubbornness. When we finally hit May 21, I realized just how much of a ticking time bomb I was.  I had 4 other friends that had all been due in May/early June. Per our due date orders, I was #2! By May 21, I was the only one without a baby in my arms. The waiting for labor to start is pretty incomparable to any other experience in my life.

Each night I would go to bed hoping and praying - maybe tonight! And each morning I was sorely disappointed that nothing had happened. I really really didn't want to be induced, because lots of first time moms don't have the best experience with it (there are plenty who do). Luckily my doctor was more than supportive of me going as natural as possible, and would only do anything if I begged.

My mom came in town that Monday (may 21), and we used that time to do anything and everything we could think of to be 100% ready for Noelle's arrival. We also took ridiculously long walks each evening to try and force the child out. Nothing, nothing, nothing worked. And by the end of the week, we had completely run out of things to do and prepare for.

Looking back though, the waiting wasn't so bad. It was one of the most memorable weeks of my life. I wouldn't even trade it back for an extra week with my sweet baby - she needed to keep cooking. 

I had 2 non-stress tests that week to make sure she was ok, and each time everything came back beautifully. That Thursday before she was born, the doctor said my time was up. If I wasn't in labor by Saturday  I would come into the hospital at 6pm to be induced. The eviction notice was served.

A year has passed since that week started. Instead of waiting to meet a little baby girl, I'm planning and waiting for her first birthday party. The little baby is thoroughly in the midst of becoming a little toddler. 

I feel like I write this alot on here - but I had NO IDEA how incredible becoming a parent would be. I thought I did, but it was such a teeny tiny sliver of what it actually has been. I'm so excited to countdown this week and celebrate one amazing and successful year for Noelle Madeleine Watkins!!

Me at 40 weeks - I don't think I took a 41 week shot!

Walking is fun!

Noelle took her first steps this Sunday, May 19!

She had woken up from her nap and was a little fussy. We had some snacks and then I decided to play on the floor with her. I had her standing up while I sat on the floor and made her "dance" while holding her arms/hands. Then I decided to let go to see if she would just take a step or two into my arms. I was so excited when she did - and my excitement made her think it was really fun. So we kept doing it and I kept putting her further away.

Here's the fun that Josh captured when he came home about 15 minutes later:

She is not what I would call officially "walking" - but she is definitely taking steps when she feels like it. Crawling is still her preferred mode of movement. 

All in all, it was a very fun afternoon and I can't wait to see this little girl really take off with her new skill!!

Picture Friday: Rub-a-dub-dub

Josh and I gave Noelle a bath together on Monday night - normally it is a Mama job, but we welcomed Daddy into the process. He contributed by taking amazing pictures as any video-minded dad would :)

She loves playing in the tub, but she also will stand up and let me know when she is done. One of the funniest parts is after the bath when I wrap her up in the towel. I quickly dry her off here and there while she sits on the closed toilet seat, and you can tell she is waiting for it. She is waiting and waiting for me to pick her up, spin her around, and look into the mirror. It's hysterical, and she loves it.  She is far too easy to please!

Lovin' the water

Look at all that hair!!

Life is better with 2 wash cloths

Who needs bath toys when you have these two pretties?

That tongue is almost as expressive as her eyes!

Almost ready to get out!

This is my favorite part!!!

Mama, the anticipation is killing me!

There I am!!!

Look! It's me!!

Yay!! Thanks for coming to my bath time :)

Nifty and Sixty!

It's mother's day, but also another special day in our family.

Today my Dad turns sixty!!! That's right - the big 6-0.  There is no denying that he is a certified senior citizen now :)

Dad has always been an "under the radar" birthday kind of guy. He doesn't need a big fuss and I can only remember one or two special birthday celebrations over the years.

Mostly he just requests his meal of choice for dinner (which 9 times out of 10 will be one of Mom's Italian specialties - this year, eggplant parmesan) and we would sing happy birthday, followed by some gifts.

There are many years that his birthday lands on Mother's Day, so he shared the holiday willingly and celebrated Mom just as we celebrated him.

Dad - I wish we could be there to celebrate with you, but at least we will see you at the end of the month and celebrate Noelle's birthday together.

Thanks for sharing the spotlight today and I hope you feel really celebrated and loved. You're my favorite Dad I have ever had (wink) and I wouldn't trade you for the world. Thanks for being such a great Dad...here's to the next 60 years!!

Wish I could remember what was so funny :)

Loved getting to surprise you with tickets to a UK game!

The proud grandpa :)

Dear Mom...

Dear Mom,

I always knew you loved me. I always knew you would do anything for me. I always knew you would be there for me in every and any way you could.

But I never knew the depth of your love. I never knew the extremes you would go to in order to make sure I had what I needed (not what I wanted necessarily) to thrive and grow. I never knew just how far you would go to be by my side whenever I needed you most.

Now, I know.

I know what it means to have a piece of your heart living, breathing, walking and talking OUTSIDE of your body. I know just how much I can sacrifice myself for the well being of someone so small and dependent. And I know that you wouldn't take back one day, one hour, one minute, or one second of the time you spent sacrificing for Meagan and me.

I only have a start to understanding it all, but even just with my toes in the water, I have a glimpse of what this thing called motherhood is all about. I know that it is going to flash before my eyes, just as it flashed before yours. I am so grateful for  Noelle, and I am determined to treasure her for the priceless gift from God that she truly is.

If you're a mom, you know all of this. If you aren't a mom but you want to be someday, get ready for the most amazing experience of your life. If you have a mom or have a wife who is a mom, hug her extra tight today and know that she loves you and/or your kids more than you will likely ever know.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Who do we love? MOM! Oldie but a goodie.

She was so excited to get rid of me :)

Almost twins...26 years apart

The best part of being a mom...the chance to be a grandma

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Picture Friday: B roll

I skipped picture friday last week because we were on our Staff and Family retreat!! Every few years, Pastor Pete takes the staff and their families away for lots of fun bonding time - and we had a blast! Noelle was exhausted and we made lots of fun memories that we will treasure for years to come.

I wanted to mix up picture friday this week. You guys always see the best of the best...the cream of the crop if you will. But Noelle isn't perfect. Each photo isn't perfect either. And sometimes you get the duds. But I love ALL the pictures of her (I know, I am biased).

Anyway, I thought I would give you all a glimpse into reality :) They are mixed up and from all different times!

this looks like a "duhhh" face!

She most definitely was swinging here and just letting out long "ahhhhhhhhhhs"

I call this little old granny face

First attempt at cereal - DISLIKE!

I HATE Thanksgiving!

 ~use boston accent~ Uhhh, Ma? What do ya want me to do wit dis bread? 

I'm not sure what's going on here. But the crazy hair and multiple chins is a nice touch.

Yawn part 1

Yawn part 2.

Noelle during her meditation time?! Or maybe she is pulling what we call an "Aunt Susie" and can't keep her eyes open for a photo no matter how hard she tries.

Do I have any boogers up my nose?