the tuckers

Summer Snippets

2011-07-01T11:57:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it is already July 1st! We've been out of school on summer vacation for a month already, but it seems like we just started! Jason and I spent the first three weeks of summer going to Troy for grad classes everyday, Monday through Thursday. I am happy to say that we are both finished with our many visits to Troy University. We are both taking DVD courses through Phenix City and finish those in a couple of weeks. Riley and Macy are growing so fast. Macy will soon be two and Riley will be five! I know I'm a little biased, but I have two of the sweetest, most beautiful angels! I love seeing Macy's personality emerge as she gets older and Riley's imagination continues to grow and grow. I couldn't be more blessed!

The other night I went to check on Macy in her room because she had gotten really quiet in there. When I went in, I found her inside of her toy box! She is so funny! It is amazing to Jason and I the differences we see in Riley and Macy. She can be perfectly content playing in her room with babies and books, while Riley prefers to be chased or have you build something with him, or play hide-in-seek. Anyway, here's our Macy!

Here's Riley all dressed up, "riding" around the living room. A typical summer morning, before 7:30 am!

I was proud of the Easter bunny cake I made for Riley and Macy this past Easter. Never attempted anything like that before, so I think it is pretty cute! :)

Also, I have been playing around with editing photos in iPhoto. Here are a few that I've "enhanced."

I hope you are all having a great summer!

Catching Up...Happy Halloween! :)

2011-03-03T20:24:00.004-06:00

Still trying to catch up, thought I'd post some pictures from Halloween! Here's a couple from our pumpkin carving fun!

Riley's first "field trip" was to the Pumpkin Patch with his class at daycare. He was so excited, this was the first time he had ever ridden on a bus!
Well, I wanted to upload more from his trip and Trick-or-Treating, but Blogger is having trouble tonight!

Riley's Fourth Birthday

2011-01-23T07:45:00.005-06:00

Riley was soooo surprised by his new trampoline in his backyard! I can see "the wheels turning" as he looks at it!

He had a fireman themed birthday party. It couldn't have turned out better!

We love you Riley!

Macy's First Birthday Party

2010-10-08T19:07:00.004-05:00

I meant to come back after Macy's party and post some pictures, and as you can see two months later, I'm just getting around to it! I could go on and on about what I've been doing, but I'll just make it short and sweet...grad school and football season as a band director's wife keep us very busy!

Here are some pictures from her special day:

Happy Birthday Macy!

2010-08-12T21:16:00.004-05:00

One year ago today, my sweet Macy Cadence came into the world! I can't believe how fast this year has gone! It has been so much fun seeing her grow. She has been walking for about three weeks now and is really on the move! I love how cute her clothes are on her now that she can walk! We are having her party at our house on Saturday with mostly family and a few close friends. Can't wait to share pictures of her special day! Happy Birthday to our beautiful little girl! We love you Macy!

Here's a few pictures from the past year:

Happy First Birthday!

The Last of Our Summer 2010 Photos

2010-08-01T19:05:00.006-05:00

Earlier this summer, we went on a camping trip with my parents to Wind Creek State Park on Lake Martin. Actually, Riley and Macy went a night earlier than Jason and I because of grad classes, and we enjoyed a "date night." These kinds of nights are very much appreciated...I thought I was busy with one child, I think with two, I must be TEN times busier!

Anyway, on our first day of this mini-vacation, we traveled a bit further north to DeSoto Caverns. I had not been since I was about 4 or 5 years old. I knew Riley would love going in a "deep, dark cave!" I enjoyed hearing the history behind DeSoto discovering this cave because he is part of the explorer unit I teach in fifth grade.

Here are a few pictures from our day:

Our Family

My Sister, Mom, and Me

My Parents

Riley and Macy

Naked Riley Story:

So, Jason was taking pictures of me and my dad in front of a water wheel when I hear my mom shriek and I turn around to see this! What you can't see, because I cropped it, :) is a sprinkler area like the one at Destin Commons. He knew he didn't have his swim trunks and decided he wanted to get wet, so very quickly stripped down, butt-naked, to play! As you can see, he isn't a bit modest. I managed to get him clothed again just as a dad was walking up with two young girls! You never know what to expect with this little guy!

"Working Man Riley"

Clothed again :) and waiting to enter the Cavern.

After touring the caverns, there was a small amusement park area. The neat thing was that 80% of the rides were self-propelled! That's great for "going green," but the cost seemed a bit high, especially since you had to provide all the power!

Here's Riley with some paddle boats.

My dad and Jason racing G0-Carts which they peddled themselves! :)

Just before we left, my mom and dad bought Riley some collectable rocks and put them here for Riley to "find!" He was so excited and keeps them in their special pouch.

Also this summer, Riley took swimming lessons from Mrs. Candy. He loved being at her house with her boys! It is definitely boy heaven there! He cried everyday afterward and didn't want to leave!

Getting a little one-on-one instruction.

Jumping off the side - no floaties!

Showing his muscles to "pump himself up" for the BIG jump from the diving board!

Last, here's a few "left-over" pictures from our fun summer.

Slip-N-Slide at Nana and Papa's

Riley's idea to drive his car down it!

Swing Set at Granny and Papa Tucker's

Four-Wheeler Riding with Uncle Daniel

Sparkler on the Fourth of July

Had a hard time waiting until dark!

Dress-up Fun

Riley found his REAL Army hat and Backpack that his Papa Tucker gave him. He decided to put them on and go for a walk. I absolutely LOVE how big the backpack is compared to his little body! You might also notice he is in his pajamas AND his Black and Decker Handy Man vest! Most days, we never know what he will come out of his room wearing; he has super hero costumes, army clothing, and handy man clothing!

We officially go back to work starting tomorrow! This summer went by soooo quickly! I am happy to say that we did have many memorable moments even though we were busy with grad school! Time to get the kids to bed and get ready for a whole work-filled week!

Summer's Almost Over!

2010-07-28T09:21:00.005-05:00

I can't believe this is our last week of summer before we have to return to work! We've had a great summer, even though it has been our busiest one yet. Jason and I both took grad classes during both summer sessions at Troy. The hard part was that they were at completely different times, so Jason and I made separate trips every day Monday - Thursday for most of the summer! In the midst of all the grad classes, we tried to squeeze in a little fun throughout the summer. I'll probably have to make another post later of more summer events, but here are a few.

One of our trips to the beach: The Gulfarium

He's looking at a shark here.

Loving the touch pool!

Our little pearl!

The Dolphin Show

Riley's Reaction

Fun at the Commons

Here's what we do when we are hanging out around the house:

Macy's First Cereal Bar

I think she loved it!

We worked in Riley's room a little. Here is a display for his artwork from his Granny Tucker. I love how it matches his room perfectly!

Macy has fallen in LOVE with Riley's Gitty-Up-N-Go Pony! Anytime we are carrying her through the house she will look for it and point and clap. The problem is it won't back up, so you have to pick it up and turn it around, it is heavy, but she loves it!

Macy playing in her room before church Sunday morning.

Looks like she's praying!

A little pool time at Granny Tucker's!

I have alot more I've taken and not posted! I promise to put up more pics from our summer later! Kinda sad to see it come to an end, but I'm excited to meet my new group of fifth graders really soon!

Red, White, and Blue... Fun with Two!

2010-07-03T19:58:00.004-05:00

We had a great day today preparing for tomorrow's festivities. First, we had to make a quick trip to Wal-Mart, who am I kidding, a quick trip is no less than an hour and a half! I also had to stop by the shoe store and get Riley a new pair of tennis shoes. Can you believe less than a month ago I bought him a size 10, and today I bought a size 12! Then, my sister helped Riley and I bake red, white, and blue cupcakes. Riley was in charge of sprinkles. He did an excellent job! After all the baking in the kitchen, Daddy decided it would be fun to head to the pool at his mom's, for an afternoon swim. It is always nice to take a break in the pool on a beautiful day! Once we got home, we gave Riley and Macy a bath and I decided to go ahead and try on their Fourth of July outfits for tomorrow. Since they were already in them, I couldn't resist taking them outside for a few pictures! I've learned that getting ONE great picture of TWO children is a lot harder than just one at a time! So, as you will see, most of them were taken separately. We hope you have a safe and happy Independence Day tomorrow!

Granny's Little Tigers

2010-07-01T21:10:00.003-05:00

Although Jason and I both work for Andalusia City Schools, Jason's mom works at Straughn. She bought Riley and Macy this matching set of tiger pajamas and wanted a picture for her desk at work. I, myself, graduated from Straughn, so I didn't mind a bit, but Jason graduated from Andalusia. Here is what I came up with to show off our little "tigers." (Jason has mixed feelings about this! hehehe)

Super Dupe & Lady Bug

2010-06-15T06:42:00.016-05:00

Before I begin with Super Dupe and Lady Bug, here are some pictures from my birthday last month. My mom and dad went camping. We joined them for my birthday. Riley loves being outside, so this was the perfect day for him!

Introducing....SUPER DUPE! Yes, Riley has a new super hero costume and he decided to name himself "super dupe." I thought that was the cutest name! Here he is showing his muscles! Is it just me or does this remind you of a WWF wrester? LOL!

Last week was a very busy week. Jason is taking four daytime graduate classes in Troy and I am taking two night classes (Mon - Thurs). We celebrated making it through the week with a trip to the Dream Park on Friday. We didn't get many pictures of Riley, he was too busy for pictures! This one is his first time down the pole by himself. Up until now, he has been afraid to lean out and slide down. You can tell by his smile that he is proud of himself!

We took the opportunity to take a few pictures of Macy while Riley was playing. Here she is with mommy and daddy.

Riley decided to have a picnic with his "Old McDonald's" happy meal in this gazebo before we went in to play. Here is what Macy enjoyed doing while Riley had his lunch!

Here she is posing for the camera. I think she is adorable in this outfit. Everyone that saw her that day called her a little ladybug!

Last week Riley also got to go to the LAAC Art Camp. He had the best time! The week was centered around "portraits," so the first day they learned about Picasso. Then, they did a drawing activity with Mr. Potato Head. Here is Mr. Potato head in crayon and pencil. :) The word of the day was "portrait."

The second day they began a self-portrait project. He learned how to mix primary colors and the word "palette." Here he is beginning his self portrait. He had his own mirror to look in while working.

The third day they created a frame for their self-portrait. Here is the finished project!

Here is another piece of artwork he created using modeling clay. How cute!

And finally, a 3-D piece. We love this one!

To wrap things up, here is a picture of what I got to come home to after a long day in Troy last week. Jason's mom bought this pajama set for Macy. I think it is adorable! What sweet sleep!

Mother's Day and More

2010-05-13T20:51:00.006-05:00

Let me begin by catching you up a bit. I haven't posted in a while because I've gotten new camera and it takes forever to upload the pics. Any hints, please comment!

Here are a few from a couple of Sundays ago. Here's Macy modeling two new dresses that mom made. She just finished a matching top for me and dress for Macy. I'll be sure to post pics of that really soon!

This is one of my favorites! I love the look of the ruffles in the back!

Here's another dress my mom made! I love the colors of this one! She is so cute sitting on my ottoman like a big girl!

What a beautiful smile!

Of course, Riley is pretty handsome himself all dressed up and ready for church!

Now, on to Mother's Day...I had a wonderful day celebrating with my family! Riley, Macy, and Jason let me sleep in a little, then woke me up with breakfast. Jason got me a new Vera Bradley Frill purse and wallet. Riley and Macy got me a monogrammed notebook/portfolio and polka dot pen. I loved the card from Riley and Macy...on the cover, there was a little boy about Riley's age sitting in the bathtub. He has huge eyes and suds on his head. The caption on the front says, "Hope everone pees where they're supposed to today." I loved it...it is so true to my life right now! With a boy, there's no telling where he will be peeing next!

We've been keeping an eye on a bird's nest in one of our bougainvillea hanging baskets on our back porch. That morning, we went with Riley to take a look and saw that the eggs were hatching! How appropriate for Mother's Day!

Later on, we got ready to go to church. Jason sang the song, "One Little Heartbeat at a Time" as part of the anthem. I knew I'd cry, so I sat with my mom in the congregation instead of sitting in the choir loft. I pretty much cried through the whole service!

After church, we all went to CJ's for lunch, prime rib, yum! That afternoon, we went over to Jason's mom and dad's to celebrate with his mom. Jason and his two brothers cooked dinner: grilled steak, fries, green beans, salad, rolls, and bread pudding! What a treat! We had a great time outside and were able to get lots of pictures. Here are a few from our afternoon at Jason's parents house.

Hope you had a great day as well! There's no greater blessing than to be a mother!

Sunny Day Fun!

2010-04-14T21:50:00.004-05:00

We decided to make our Spring Break beach trip just a one day adventure this year because Riley had his tonsils and adenoids removed last Tuesday. He is doing pretty good, but he does still complain about his throat hurting and we have to take it easy for two weeks. Well, as easy as a three year old boy can! Anyway, we went to Destin today for a little fun in the sun.

We started with lunch at Joe's Crab Shack, YUM! While we were there, the staff danced a couple of times and Riley got up to shake his little booty some too! They took our picture and said it will be uploaded onto their website later in the week. I'll be looking for it to share!

Then we went to the mall. Here are some pictures of my babies enjoying The Commons:

Our last stop was the beach. We had a great time. Macy loved exploring in the sand. The only problem was that she kept trying to EAT the sand. I had to keep her pacifier in her mouth to keep the sand out!

We brought Riley's Spiderman kite. Here he his having a blast flying it on the beach. Look at how small he looks! He is so sweet!
Riley and Macy hated the water this time, probably because it was super cold! Here they are wrapped in their towels just before we headed back to the car. As you can see, Macy is wiped out! She was actually falling asleep in this picture. They both slept most of the way home!

Our beach trip was a short one, but better safe than sorry! We had a great family-filled day anyway!

Easter Sneek Peek

2010-04-04T21:10:00.002-05:00

Ok...I tried to upload a few pictures on here of our Easter, but it is taking forever....not sure if the file sizes are too big because I took them with our new camera or if blogger is just slow! Anyway...here is a link to our pictures I published on facebook earlier tonight:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=285125&l=c3b43fb238&id=100000124223033

Happy Easter!

Playground Playtime

2010-03-22T19:49:00.004-05:00

Over our long weekend, we had a great time enjoying the beautiful, warm weather. I decided to take Riley and Macy to the playground at our school last Friday. Here are a few pictures of them enjoying an afternoon outside.

This one is my favorite! I think I have one of the cutest little boys ever! I love those dark brown eyes and his blonde hair!

Macy has been enjoying getting to sit up in her stroller and going for walks. Here she is watching her brother play.

Riley got a little tickled here!

I think he looks so grown-up here!

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend as much as we did!

Cookies, Characters, and a Night Off

2010-03-16T20:28:00.000-05:00

First things first, I haven't posted pictures of Riley and Macy at Cookies with Characters from a couple of weeks ago. They both had a great time and we will definitely plan on going again next year.

Here's a picture of Macy modeling her new outfit from Nana. I picked out the fabric and my mom worked her magic! This is one of my favorites! I just love her cute little smile, I can't believe she is already seven months old!

Here's a picture of Riley and Jason before church on Sunday morning. I wanted to take their picture in their pretty spring shirts. (Of course, Riley apparently has a little juice on his!) I really can't wait for Spring much longer! I am loving the warmer days we've had lately.

Here's my happy little Macy playing in my bedroom floor on Sunday while I was getting ready for church. This is her favorite thing to do right now...sit up and play. She also has been busy shaking her head "no" and saying babababa. Today she started making a clicking noise with her tongue. Riley calls all of these "Macy's new tricks."

This afternoon we had a great time at home as a family. We went outside and played kickball with Riley. We also got out the sidewalk chalk and Jason drew Riley several dinosaurs. Macy enjoyed playing outside on a blanket. Then I took Macy in for her dinner while Jason and Riley went for a walk. We ended the night with freshly baked cookies and milk. We don't have many nights at home as a family because of me in grad school and Jason busy with church music rehearsals and band. We were all very happy to be at home tonight. I am about to call it a night now and enjoy getting to bed a little earlier than usual!

Macy's 6 Month Picture

2010-02-27T05:45:00.003-06:00

I haven't had alot of time to post lately, but I wanted to share a picture I took of Macy at six months old. We have a 16x20 picture of Riley very similar to this hanging in our bedroom and we wanted a matching one of Macy. I love the way it turned out!

Snow Day in A-Town!

2010-02-12T18:13:00.005-06:00

Wow, what a day! I know that the weather reports have been saying snow for several days, but I guess I just didn't want to get my hopes up, because I never thought I'd see our home and yard covered in several inches of snow today! I woke up this morning at 1:00 am and turned on our flood lights over the backyard and only saw rain. Then, I checked again around 3:00 am and saw the same thing. After we all got up this morning around 5:45, yes, early I know, but that's life with a 6 month old and a three year old, we noticed a few flakes starting to fall. Before we knew it, the day was dawning and snow was sticking to the ground! Oh my! At that moment, it hit me that we might actually get some serious snow! I started running around the house looking for warm clothes for Riley and Macy and myself. Jason was trying to find his hat and get the camcorder and camera out and ready. Riley got super excited with all of the commotion at about 6:15 in the morning. Once we were all bundled up and ready, we jetted outside for some family fun and happy memories.

Here we are, just as daylight is approaching. We only had Macy out for about 1 minute at a time because she has been fighting congestion and wheezing for about a week now. We wanted to get her picture in the snow, but we wanted to be as safe as we could. She had to have Xrays and bloodwork done last week to be sure she didn't have pneumonia. Thankfully, not, so we wanted to keep her warm, even though the snow had arrived. Here she is taking a quick pic with daddy!

As you can see, I was super excited to be in the snow myself, but even more so for Riley!

As the snow fell and tickled his little nose, he just didn't know what to think!

Here is Jason and I sharing our first snow adventure together!

I saw a facebook post this morning saying, "Take lots of pictures of your little ones, because they may be grown up before this happens again." That made me think about the last time my picture was taken in this much snow. I think I was ten or eleven. Sad to think that Riley and Macy may not have snow again at home for that many more years.

Here is our first family snowman! We are very proud of him. We decided to use Riley and Macy's toys to decorate him. He is complete with Riley's Spiderman hat and Macy's stackable bowls for buttons. His eyes are some of Riley's play golf balls. His nose is a blue plastic nail from Riley's workbench. His mouth is made with five of Riley's bolts from his workbench as well.

Riley was so happy about his snowman until we put his arms on. We used his rake and shovel from our summer gardening. He was not satisfied with this choice at all because he said they didn't match!
Here we are as a family with our snowman friend. I love the pines in the background.
Later in the afternoon, tons of family members arrived at our house to have a giant snowball fight and to take pictures. Macy and I ran for the warm indoors before the fight got really crazy! I believe the average snowball being hurled through the air was at least a foot in diameter! Riley came in and said, "That snowball fight was AWESOME!"

Here is Riley throwing a snowball in my direction!

This is me after being hit right in the face with a huge snowball thrown by my wonderful husband. Would you call that love? Not me!

I am so thankful to have spend the day at home with my family enjoying our winter wonderland. These are the memories that last a lifetime.

Happy February!

2010-02-07T20:21:00.002-06:00

Jackpot!

2010-02-06T17:31:00.004-06:00

Well, I've definitely hit the jackpot! My mom has been sewing up a storm for Macy. Here are her latest gifts! I am so excited that she can do this for us. The best part is that I get to have tons of fun picking out fabric. I have to keep her well stocked...I wouldn't want her to run out of things to do!!!

Catching Up

2010-01-20T20:23:00.004-06:00

I know it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted anything new. I've been really busy adjusting to our new schedule since I started working on my master's degree this semester. Thankfully we are all well at the moment. It seems that since I've returned to work, we've had one sickness after another. Tonight I decided to skip choir practice and stay at home with my babies. We all got into our pajamas and had grilled cheese on Mrs. Dansby's homemade bread for dinner. If you've never tried it, divine!! Here's a picture of Riley enjoying his grilled cheese and milk while watching an episode of Bob the Builder tonight.

We had the best time! Riley and I put together puzzles, played with his Hotwheel cars, played with his Winnie the Pooh dominoes, and sang lots of songs. His two favorite songs right now are "The Cuppy Cake Song" and "Do Your Ears Hang Low?"

I did manage to break away from Riley for a bit and take a few pictures of Macy in her new outfits that my mom made for her. I am sooooo excited that my mom can make these for my little girl! This one is a pillowcase dress with matching ruffle pants.

Here she is with her new yellow dress on. My mom picked out the fabric and I downloaded the pattern from Etsy. My mom said she wanted to make her a yellow dress. I think it is because she has some cute pictures of me as a baby in a yellow dress. The dress is a little big, so I think she will be able to wear it into Spring. I think that it is adorable on her!

Here she is with it in her mouth. She is five and a half months right now and she has two teeth that have broken through on the bottom. Needless to say, she is chewing on everything! Notice she is also sitting up by herself!

Speaking of chewing on everything....one of her favorite new discoveries is her feet! Riley saw her the other day and ran up to me and said, "Mama, Sissy is biting her own toes!!!!" Here she is enjoying her new discovery.

To wrap things up, here is a picture of Riley and Macy playing together in the bathtub. Notice how wet Macy is....I don't think she was prepared for Riley and all of his splashing fun!!! One thing is for sure, Riley loves his new "Sissy!"

Sew, Sew Cute!

2010-01-03T20:50:00.004-06:00

We have had a lot going on around the Tucker house lately! We've been on our two-week break from school/work and I'm sad to say that today officially ends our mini vacation. We had a wonderful Christmas. We just had Christmas with Jason's family this past Wednesday because we were waiting for Jason's brother, Daniel, to get home. Here are a few pictures from the day:

These days, Macy is a much easier subject to photograph than Riley. Lately, he doesn't want his picture made and we resort to "action" photos.

It seems that we have been living in the doctor's office recently. Riley has had strep throat three times in the past few months. At three months old, Macy had chicken pox. Then, a couple of weeks ago, she developed thrush in her mouth. Last weekend, she started wheezing a little and we took her to the doctor this past Monday and she has RSV. We've been doing breathing treatments three times a day since then. Riley had RSV when he was two months old and it seemed to be a lot worse on him than what Macy is going through. We take her back to the doctor tomorrow to see how things are going with her breathing. This virus sensitizes your lungs to weather changes and can lead to asthma. Riley, even at three years old, still takes breathing treatments when the weather changes because he will begin wheezing. Whenever he does this, he will say, "Mama, me want to breathe," which means he wants to take a breathing treatment.

Jason and I have enjoyed watching a few movies during our days off. We hardly ever get to watch a movie with a three year old and a four month old! (unless it is a "Land Before Time" video, Riley LOVES dinosaurs!) The other night, we watched "Julie and Julia" and I loved it! I love to watch the Food Network, so this was right up my alley! After being inspired, I tried my hand at poaching eggs for homemade "Egg McMuffins." They turned out great! I surprised myself and Jason! Who knows what will be next, maybe Beef bourguignon! Maybe not! :)

I bought my mother a new sewing machine for Christmas. I must admit, I did have my own interest at heart! I ordered patterns for Macy some clothes from etsy. I downloaded a pattern for a reversible pinafore dress, a pillowcase dress, and "mighty" ruffle pants. On Saturday, my mom and I went to Singer's and bought some fabric and we've (mostly mom) have been busy ever since! I can't really sew, but I can cut out patterns and make bows! We (mostly mom) worked yesterday afternoon and a little while today and finished Macy's first outfit. I can't believe how good it turned out! My mom can really sew! She makes it look sooo easy! Here's a few pictures of our finished product. I plan to put a long-sleeve onesie underneath the top, but we just had to go ahead and try it on her, even though we were at her house and didn't have an undershirt. As we speak, mom is working on a pillowcase dress with matching ruffle pants. I can't wait to see it next! I may never buy clothes again! I told you I had my own interest at heart! Hehe!

Front

Back

Macy modeling it for us!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T21:26:00.003-06:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas day. Here are a few pictures from our day.

Macy had a great time this morning in her jumperoo. She, however, is gonna be a "sleeper" and after a few minutes of Christmas morning, she was ready to go back to sleep!

Here is Riley playing with his "Elefun" game. It is sooo cute. Butterflies float up and out of the elephant's trunk and then you catch them with a net.

Riley had a great time on his Radio Flyer tricycle, here he is speeding down a hill at my mom and dad's house!

This is sooo cute! He got this from my mom and dad. He put everything on and said, "We've got work to do!"

My sister and brother-in-law got Riley this desk/easel. Here he is working on his "art."

Macy enjoyed her bath tonight with new bath toys.

Here is Riley playing with his new activity table. He is so funny, now, when he is playing and using his imagination, he talks in a really low voice. He is doing it here, saying "all aboard."

This picture is for my friend and co-worker, Kay Ingram. She got Macy this stocking and a matching santa hat that says, "Baby's First Christmas." The hat was a little too small, but here she is with her stocking after her bath tonight.

We had a great day! I'm sure there will be lots more pics later of all of their other presents. They have a ton! Also, next Wed, we will celebrate Christmas with Jason's family. We are waiting on Uncle Daniel to get home. We can't wait to see him and spend time with the family. Have a great night, we are headed to bed earlier tonight. Santa kept us up until almost one this morning!

He Knows When You are Sleeping....

2009-12-24T23:06:00.008-06:00

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Clement Clarke Moore
or Henry Livingston

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly,
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Here are a few more pictures from our day. We visited with Jason's grandmom and then my parents. Needless to say, we had to make three trips home to unload toys. We have three stops tomorrow and one more on the 30th when Uncle Daniel gets home. I hope to get all of their new toys together in one picture....you can't imagine how many they have already!!! Have a great night!

"All Aboard" to Christmas Fun!

2009-12-21T23:16:00.003-06:00

This afternoon we decided to make one last quick trip to Destin to purchase the last of our Christmas gifts. Riley, Macy, and my sister, Jennifer, joined Jason and I for the trip. We had a great trip to Destin Commons. Riley had a blast riding the train around the mall with Jason, while my sister, Macy, and I went to Victoria's Secret to get a great deal on body spray and lotions, etc. Here's Riley on the train.

Next, Riley spotted "Spiderman Mountain" and, of course, had to climb in Spiderman's web! He was even appropriately dressed in his Spiderman hoodie. He had a great time.

Last, we went to Bass Pro Shop to let Riley see the "reindeer." They were actually stuffed moose(s), you can see them in the background of this picture. He really liked all of the stuffed animals in the store. He also got to see the fish in the indoor aquarium.

Santa happened to be hanging out at the Bass Pro Shop as well, here is Riley and Macy with him.
We had a great time and now we are all really tired and ready to go to bed. Just a few more days left! Have a great Christmas!

Holiday Hustle and Bustle

2009-12-14T21:06:00.003-06:00

Hello, everyone! It's been a while since I've posted because the holiday season has definetly arrived. We have been very busy lately, but I'll take a minute to update you on what's been going on with The Tuckers!

Last Thursday night, Jason had his middle school band concert. For the first time, I wasn't able to be there. I was being inducted into the Kappa Delta Gamma Teacher Society. His concert went great, nonetheless. I'll be able to hear most of the songs when they come to the elementary school on Thursday. I can't wait! He does a great job.

On Sunday, we had Macy's baby dedication service. Here are a few pictures of Macy in her dress. As you can see if the first picture, she has started teething and wants to chew on everything! My sister took some pics for me during the service, but I haven't gotten them from her yet. Hopefully there will be some better ones of her pretty dress. The service went very well and she received a small pink Bible with her name engraved on the front.

That night was our Christmas Musical at church. Macy played "Baby Jesus." She did a great job! Here is a picture of her with Callie Marie and Nate. It's captured from the video we recorded, so its not the best quality, but I wanted to share anyway.

Riley had a great time at home tonight. His new favorite thing to do is turn upside down on the couch. His new catch phrase is: "That doesn't make sense!" He says it all the time. He got the movie, "Polar Express" last Christmas and didn't watch it very much, so we put it on tonight to see if he liked it. He was glued to the television! He loves trains and so the movie was right up his alley.

He also loves finding his elf, Buddy, every morning. Here he is telling Buddy that he was a good boy today.

He really does look like a good boy in the next picture!

And of course, Macy has been a good girl too! Here she is in one of my favorite Christmas outfits!

Hope everyone is enjoying this season as much as we are. Let's all remember the true reason for Christmas, Jesus Christ. He has blessed me with so much, I am truly thankful for all He has given me. Merry Christmas!

...These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

2009-11-29T19:45:00.003-06:00

Jason and I have spent the last week getting our house ready for Christmas. Here are a few of our decorations, including our new 12 foot Christmas tree!

Riley and Macy both have a tree in their room. The first one is Riley's. His is red and green. Next is Macy's. Her's is pink and green.

Hope you have a great Christmas season!

Roll Tide!

2009-11-27T20:37:00.003-06:00

Here's a picture of Macy in her Alabama attire! There's also another one of her that I played with in Piknik. Enjoy! Sorry, still no new ones of my Riley, he has a boo boo on his face. :(

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T19:30:00.003-06:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted! We've been very busy lately. Macy got chicken pox a couple of weeks ago and I also had my gall bladder removed last week. Now that we are all better, I've got some new pictures to share.

Here are a few pictures of my sweet little Macy today at Jason's Grandmom's house. I always wanted a little girl to dress up like this! She was adorable! I am also very proud of myself, I made the bow to match her outfit!

I didn't take alot of pictures of Riley today because right after we arrived at Grandmom's, he fell on the sidewalk and scraped his nose and face really badly! Here is a really good picture of Jason and his brothers, of course, Riley is busy exploring, as usual!

When we got home today, we noticed that Santa had sent us a special book and soon discovered he also sent a very special friend. Our "Elf on a Shelf" will be with us until Christmas Eve night. He will be watching Riley and Macy to see if they've been good and every night he will go tell Santa. Each day we will have to look for him, because he likes to hide from us! Riley is very excited about his special friend! Tonight, we found him on top of our pantry in the kitchen!

That's all for tonight. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day! We all have so much to be thankful for! Thank you God for my beautiful family. Your blessing outpoured on my family continue to amaze me. I am truly thankful.

Say Cheese!

2009-11-08T21:38:00.003-06:00

Here's a couple of pictures of Macy enjoying a little rice cereal...she actually doesn't seem to like it that much, but she loves it when she has all the attention, especially when I talk to her while I'm feeding her!

Here's Riley all dressed up for Homecoming at our church. Is it just me, or is he the most handsome boy you've ever seen?

Trick or Treat!

2009-11-01T21:18:00.002-06:00

Here's pictures of the Tucker babies on Halloween night. We decided not to dress Macy in a costume this year, but she was festive none-the-less in one of her Halloween outfits.

Here's our Spectacular Spiderman all ready for a night of trick-or-treating at a few of our family and friend's houses. As you can see, he had an exciting night!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-01T21:05:00.004-06:00

Jason and I picked up a pumpkin for Macy and Riley about a week ago. Well, on Halloween morning, we finally got around to carving it with Riley. I think we've started a Tucker family tradition. He was so proud of his "punkin."

The County Fair

2009-11-01T20:48:00.002-06:00

Our fair was in town this week, so Friday night we took Riley and Macy to their first fair. Riley had a great time. There were so many kid rides! I guess you never notice until you have little ones. I was so proud of how brave he was, he really enjoyed himself. Little Macy had a fun time in her stroller as well, she loved seeing all the lights and flags blowing in the wind. We had a great time!

My How You've Grown!

2009-10-29T21:08:00.004-05:00

Looking through some of my older pictures, I came across some of Riley's previous costumes! His first halloween, he was only a few weeks old, so we didn't dress him up in a costume.

This is from Halloween 2007, my cute little pumpkin!

These are from Halloween 2008. He was really into Curious George and turned out to be an adorable little monkey!

This year, you guessed it...he'll be Spiderman! Pictures to come...

I got magic, Alakazamakazoo

2009-10-29T20:48:00.003-05:00

Saw a kid at school this week and decided to make them for Riley's class at daycare and for my students at school. I think they are so cute! They're witches' hats! They were so easy to make: a hersey kiss, a dollop of icing, and an upside down fudge striped cookie.

Fall Festival

2009-10-29T20:39:00.003-05:00

Riley had a great time last night at our fall festival! Here are a few pictures of him enjoying the bounce houses!

Macy's Fall Fashion

2009-10-27T19:48:00.003-05:00

I love all the new fall clothes for this season....it is so fun being able to shop for a girl! I was always so disappointed when shopping for Riley's clothes as a baby because there's just not alot of cute boy clothes out there. Needless to say, I've been to Dothan the past two Saturdays and have had a blast shopping for Riley and Macy. Here are a couple of cute outfits. The first one we got at a shower before Macy was born. The second one is of her before church Sunday morning. We got that dress on Ebay from JoJo Designs.

I like alot of the JoJo outfits, here are two more things I've ordered from them.

It has been alot fun playing dress up with all these girly things!

My Little Pumpkins

2009-10-19T20:42:00.001-05:00

Macy is Two Months Old

2009-10-12T20:24:00.003-05:00

Here's pictures of Macy yesterday, napping a little before church. Can't believe two months have gone by already! She gets cuter every day!!

Spectacular, Spectacular Spiderman!

2009-10-10T21:18:00.004-05:00

Today we had Riley's third birthday party at Beef O'Brady's. We decided to have a small party with mostly family this year. As I mentioned before, Riley just loves Spiderman everything lately. So, of course, Spiderman was the theme of the party. Here's a picture of the room and cake before he arrived.

We found out that Meredith's Miracles offered characters for rent throughout the year, and were so excited that Spiderman was available! Jason and I were so anxious for him to arrive and see Riley's reaction. It was absolutely priceless! Once Spiderman walked in the room, all else faded away. We could tell that to Riley, it was just him and Spiderman. He was in Heaven!!
Spiderman even brought Riley a present - two Spiderman books which he gladly autographed for us!

Once Spiderman had to leave to "fight the bad guys," Riley was happy to see his friend Kaylee. Here he is telling her all about his visit with Spiderman and his new books!
Here is Riley getting ready to dig into birthday cupcakes!
And, of course, last-but-not-least, presents!!

He had a great day, I couldn't ask for a better three year old. His dad and I are overjoyed that he had such a great day, he deserved it!!! We love you, Riley!!!!

Decisions, Decisions!

2009-10-10T21:06:00.003-05:00

I decided to let Macy wear one of her Halloween outfits today. The bodysuit fit great, but her candy corn pants were too long, so she is wearing a little white ruffle skirt. Then came time to pick out a bow for her headband. Her Granny Tucker had gotten her two Halloween bows and I decided to try them on. When I put the first one on, I just died laughing. It was bigger than her head!!!

Since we were in silly picture mode, Riley decided to hop into the picture with his sunglasses on!

Ok, so that bow was obviously too big...next I tried another bow....still a little on the large side.
Finally, we settled on a nice black and white polka dot, perfect!
Happy Fall to all!

Happy Birthday Riley!

2009-10-06T20:12:00.005-05:00

Today my little sweetie is three. I can't believe three years have gone by so fast. He has been such a blessing to Jason and I. He has the sweetest little personality. I am so proud of my little boy. We are having his party on Saturday, so I'll be sure to post pictures of that later.

This morning we let Riley open his birthday card and a little present. We are saving the rest for Saturday. Lately, he has been obsessed with spiderman. He opened his spiderman birthday card this morning. It plays the spiderman theme song and immediately he started dancing around and singing along. He also opened his new spiderman shirt. So, on his way to daycare this morning he was sporting his new shirt and of course had to wear his spiderman underwear! He wanted to take his card to show his friends. They must have all really enjoyed it, because it came home all tattered and torn! He also got to enjoy birthday cupcakes with his friends.

Tonight he had a small birthday cake after dinner. I put three candles on it and we sang happy birthday. I couldn't even finish singing the song for tearing up! He had the biggest smile and was so excited it was his birthday. He is just the cutest thing.

I wanted to put up some of his baby pictures, but I don't have them on this laptop and I couldn't find the CD we burned them on, so I'll just share a few of my favorites of him that I have already uploaded. Some you might have seen before, but he's cute nonetheless!

Happy Birthday Riley! We love you!

Smile!

2009-09-27T20:16:00.003-05:00

This morning I dressed Macy for church and she looked so cute, I just had to take some pictures. Little did I know she decided to smile for mommy!!! I love this picture!

Here are a few more of her cute outfit. Jason bought her this farm animal dress on e-bay before she was born. This was the first thing he "won." After that he was hooked!

Go Bulldogs!!

2009-09-26T16:17:00.004-05:00

Jason bought Riley a jersey from the Sports Shoppe last week. Here they are sporting their new Bulldog attire. Riley's jersey was way too big...I had to pin the shoulders onto his undershirt to keep them up and we had to tuck it into his shorts!! He should get to wear this for several football seasons!

Speaking of things being too big, here's Macy sporting her football bow. It was so big, the headband couldn't hold it in place, and it kept flopping backwards!! Here she is at 6 weeks. Gotta love that double chin!

Ok....mama....picture time is over!

Aunt Candace's Birthday / Macy Turns One Month Old

2009-09-16T15:38:00.006-05:00

Last weekend we celebrated Aunt Candace's birthday at Open Pond. She and Daniel were camping there and invited us to a cookout. Riley had a great time playing baseball with his new friend Kaylee. He also made an interesting discovery. I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Here he is making the discovery.

Then he has to bring Aunt Candace to check it out.

Here's what he found!

He did eventually have quite a collection until, of course, he decided to stomp them!

Here's Granny Tucker and Little Miss Macy enjoying the cookout.

On Saturday, Macy turned one month old. Here are some pictures I took of her. Unfortunately they aren't the best because she was having major spit up issues on her dress!
Here she is after removing the dress to clean up the spit up and toss in the dryer! My favorite part of this outfit was the big pink flower on her diaper cover.

Orange & Pink

2009-09-10T15:18:00.003-05:00

Here's my little Macy at four weeks old. I took them yesterday before meeting Jason for dinner at CJ's. Unfortunately, she did not look this peaceful there....she got hungry we had to cut our dinner short. But she was definitely cute in her pink and orange!

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-08T09:51:00.006-05:00

We had a great Labor Day weekend! On Saturday, we went to a cookout at Point A with family. Here are a few pictures we took on the lake.

This would be a great photo, but as you can see, Macy is not into having her picture taken at the moment!

Here's a few of us with Riley. This was his first boat ride!

And...best of all, I talked Jason into tubin' for the first time! Here he is before we started pulling him...yes, he is smiling, but I see nervousness on his face!

And, here we go!!! Hold on!!!!

Here is Macy last night. This is her first bath in the baby tub! I think she really enjoyed it.

Here are my two favorite boys at last Thursday night's AMS football game. Go Bulldogs!

Riley & Macy at Bedtime

2009-09-03T11:00:00.003-05:00

Riley wanted Macy to "play" with him in his bed last night before he went to sleep. Here they are together. He is so proud of his "sissy!" I know they will have so much fun when she can really play with him.

Macy has gotten really good at picking her head up, at least while I am holding her on my shoulder. I put her on the boppy pillow to see if she could do it while I took a few pictures. It was a little harder for her, but she did get it up!

Here she is beforehand.

And it's up!!

Now she is frustrated!!! Hang in there girl, you'll get it!!

Birth Announcements

2009-09-02T10:38:00.003-05:00

We had Macy's newborn portrait session with Vicki Popwell last week. Here are her birth announcements....I'm having a hard time deciding which one is my favorite!!!

Macy at Two Weeks Old

2009-08-27T15:29:00.002-05:00

Here's Macy yesterday - all ready to go meet daddy for dinner at CJ's. Riley also enjoyed the afternoon. His Granny Tucker picked him up from daycare and he got to spend the afternoon with her. After eating dinner with Jason, Macy and I, along with the help of my sister (for backup) ventured to Wal-Mart. This was the first time I'd been to Wal-Mart since she was born. I felt like a real person again! Everything is still going great...Macy is sleeping through the night except for two feedings and she even let me sleep late this morning. Riley absolutely adores her. A couple of nights ago, we went out to eat as a family of four for the first time. We decided Pizza Hut Buffet would be a good first choice, quick and easy! Riley sat in the booth by me, when Macy was ready for her bottle I picked her up to feed her and sweet brother decided to rub her head. He had been eating crackers, so of course cracker crumbs wound up all over Macy's head! Jason and Riley are planning on going to Friday night's game against Straughn. I really, really, really want to go, but I don't think Macy is quite ready for a football game, and I'm not ready to leave her for that long yet either. I do hope to make it to at least a few home games before the season is over! Well, that's about all of our excitement for right now.

Macy's Birth Photobook

2009-08-25T09:35:00.002-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Macy is One Week Old

2009-08-19T20:51:00.005-05:00

Well, it has already been a week since our little Macy came to see us. Here's a picture of her at one week old.

Also, I found several pictures of Riley that I loved on my mom's camera, so I uploaded them to share. These were all taken over the summer.

My Little Ones

2009-08-17T20:40:00.003-05:00

Maybe its just my hormones out of whack today...but I am overwhelmed sometimes by how much God has blessed me with my two little ones and my wonderful husband.

Anyway...here's a couple of pictures of Macy all ready to go with us to my doctor's appointment today.

She looks like she's smiling here. (She was napping.)

Here's Riley before bedtime showing off his "tall tower" that he and Daddy made.

A Great Weekend!

2009-08-16T21:20:00.003-05:00

Our family had a wonderful weekend at home. We had several visitors and got to spend alot of time with family. Macy has been such a good baby and Riley absolutely adores her. I love watching him talk to her and console her. He wanted her to sleep with him tonight...I told him not yet, but one day.

I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family. Jason has helped me so much since my c-section. He is constantly doing things around the house and helping me up and down, etc. He gets the Husband-of-the-Year Award! Also, my sister has come over for two days in a row and cleaned up around our house and helped to take care of Macy and Riley. She even mopped our whole house...something I haven't been able to do in months! Our parents have been making sure we have plenty of food and taking care of anything we need. We have really enjoyed our first weekend as a family of four. What would we do without all of our friends and family?

Tomorrow I go to Dr. W to have my staples removed...definetly looking forward to that. Everyday gets a little easier to move around and I am feeling better and better. Well, Riley and Macy are both asleep and I am definetly ready to go to bed as well. I'll end with a few pictures from our weekend at home.

Macy's Grand Entrance

2009-08-14T21:12:00.004-05:00

We are thrilled to say that our little girl has finally made it into the world. She is beautiful and completely healthy, weighing 8 pounds 12 ounces, and 22 1/2 inches long. God has truly blessed us with our two children. Riley is so excited to have his "sissy" home with him tonight. Now that they are both sleeping soundly, I want to share just a few pictures before daddy and I go to bed as well.

Me - the morning of our c-section.

Super Dad - ready for delivery!

Daddy introducing Macy to her big brother.
Riley is so proud of her!

All bundled up with her teddy bear from Riley.
Riley having a snack in mama's bed...I was so proud to be able to get out of it!
Our little girl in her going home outfit.
Just too precious!

Striking a pose!
Well, its off to bed for now...but I'll have tons of pictures to post later. So glad I can finally show her off!

Lovin' Ebay

2009-08-09T10:51:00.000-05:00

Just won on ebay and had to share...$6.99!

A Few More Days...

2009-08-09T09:11:00.000-05:00

We are counting down until Wednesday!

Dr. W did a quick ultrasound on Friday and everything looks great. As he was checking the amount of fluid and placenta, he paused and looked at us and said, (very seriously) "I thought you said it was a girl?" Jason and I were both just staring at him like, "what?" Then, he smiled and said, "Just kidding!" So, thankfully, he reassured us that she is a girl! What a scary thought!

Anyway, we spent the weekend getting a few last things ready. I have one last doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Then we are supposed to be at the hospital Wednesday morning at 6:00 to prepare for a 7:30 c-section.

Here are a couple of pictures of some artwork I finished last week. The first one is for Macy's room. I saw a small version of this at etsy.com and decided I could do this myself and make it much larger. The dark raspberry color matches our cushions on the glider rocker and looks great.

Here are two canvases that I painted for Riley's room. His theme is Trains, Planes, and Trucks by Olive Kids. They look great with his bedding.

Well, that's pretty much it for now. Just waiting around until Wednesday. Can't wait to post pictures of our new addition to our family. Please pray that all goes well and Macy is healthy!

A Little Disappointed

2009-07-31T13:01:00.000-05:00

We went to the doctor today and found out that we were not able to schedule our c-section for next Friday, the 7th. It is scheduled for Wednesday, the 12th instead. I was hoping that next week would be the last...but it looks like it will be a little later. Unless, of course, I go into labor before then, which at this point would be great! I plan to get some more "crafty" supplies to get me through next week! Boredom has definitely set in! But, for everything, there is a reason and it will all be worth it when we get to see little Macy for the first time.

Look at Me!

2009-07-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Riley swimming at his Granny Tucker's house yesterday afternoon. He had a great time and, with the help of his floaties, was able to let go and swim a little on his own.

(To view a larger image, click on the picture above.)

A Couple of Weeks Left!

2009-07-26T09:45:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to update everyone on how the pregnancy is going. I had two visits with Dr. W last week and my blood pressure and protein levels were great. I don't have to see him again until next Friday. We have set the c-section date for Friday, August 7th. We are excited to be nearing the end and can't wait to see little Macy! We are thankful for everyone's prayers and support, what could have been another round of pre-eclampsia seems to have turned out not to be. We will keep everyone posted!

Fun Pictures of Riley

2009-07-14T15:37:00.001-05:00

Since my sister uploaded some of her pictures to my laptop, I thought I'd share some more of my favorite pictures of Riley from her camera!

Not that Water!

2009-07-13T13:29:00.000-05:00

Well, with all the resting I've been doing lately, I've been saying that I am ready for something exciting to happen, like my water breaking or something. Well, God must have a sense of humor and know what is best because we came home yesterday after eating lunch with Jason's mom and discovered that we had a broken water pipe in front of our house. I guess I should have been more specific about which water I wanted to break!

Anyway, we had a wonderful weekend! My sister, mom, and mother-in-law gave us a wonderful shower and we received a ton of cute clothes, among other things! Macy's closet is getting pretty full!

Here are a few pictures of Riley and I acting silly. They were taken by my sister earlier this summer while we were at Beef O'Brady's.

Quick Update

2009-07-09T10:12:00.000-05:00

We went to Dr. W this morning. I had a trace of protein in my urine and blood pressure was up a bit, but still better than it was. He thinks we're still on the right track and I will see him again next Thursday. Just have to keep resting!

More Pictures from Macy's Nursery

2009-07-08T20:31:00.001-05:00

Here are a few pictures of some projects I've been working on for the nursery. A few days ago, Jason and I went to Singers to get some border for the canvas pictures I painted, and while looking, I came across this beautiful tassel border that matched Macy's bedding perfectly! Although I really can't sew very well, I did manage to tack it to her valance and it really dressed it up!

Here is a picture of the canvas artwork that I painted.

I actually found this wall plaque at Wal-Mart behind the jewelry counter. I saw a set of three of these before I knew we were having a girl. I thought they would be really cute in a girl's nursery. This is the one that matched her bedding the best.

On a separate note, our church family has really been spoiling us lately! Since my last post, we've received a meal from Janet Brantley, Our Sunday School Class, and yet another meal from Jennifer Dansby! We feel so blessed to be part of such a caring church.

Also, Riley was really funny yesterday. Jason told me that he and Riley were gonna "run" to the store to pick up a few things. Then they both got their shoes on and got ready to leave. When we walked outside, Riley said, "Come on, Daddy, let's run!" Although it was raining, Riley had heard Jason say "run to the store" and took him literally. He was pretty upset when Jason told him they had to take the truck and couldn't run all the way there!

Tomorrow, I go for another visit to Dr. W. We hope to get good news about the protein, blood pressure, and so I on. I'll keep you posted.

Yum, Yum!

2009-07-01T19:29:00.001-05:00

I've just finished a wonderful meal prepared by the famous Jennifer Dansby and Stephanie Boyd. Jennifer brought us a meal last Thursday and then another one tonight! Jason and I are both stuffed! Jason, though, is burning his off on the elliptical machine and I, on the other hand, am sitting on the couch blogging!

I got a great report from the doctor yesterday. I actually had no protein in my urine this time, my blood pressure is great, and still no swelling! They expected the protein to remain the same or go up, but, thanks to everyone's prayers it did go down to normal. I am still instructed to rest as much as possible with my feet up, but I am excited that it is seeming to get better, not worse.

I've had a few craft projects going while I've been resting. Yesterday, I finished a hair bow holder for Macy's room. I painted it in colors to match her bedding. I've started working on wooden letters that spell her name, but haven't finished them yet. I also have four small square canvases to paint. Here's a picture of her hair bow holder, I'm proud of how it turned out!

Also, FYI, I found several of these bows at hairbowgalore.com for $1.00 -$1.50 each. You can pick what style, the kind of clip/fastener, and the type of knot. They have several color choices and sizes. For those of you with girls, you might want to check this out.

Speed Shopping

2009-06-30T09:10:00.000-05:00

As mentioned before, I was only approved for a "quick, 1/2 day" shopping trip to Dothan. So, Jason, Riley, and I went yesterday and were able to "speed shop" through Babies "r" Us, Old Navy, and Target. We had a great time and Jason made sure I followed the doctor's orders. I even sat in the back seat with Riley on the way back and I let down the front seat so I could put my feet up.

Here is one outfit I found that I thought would be really cute this winter.

This is a lady bug outfit that daddy picked out.

Our nursery isn't quite ready for pictures yet, but here is a picture I found online of the bedding that we chose for her room. When we built our house, we decided to paint both kid's rooms yellow. We thought it would be easy to find boy or girl bedding with yellow in them. When we found out that we were expecting a girl, I started looking for bedding and it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to find cute bedding with yellow!

And, I can't leave my Riley out...so here are a few pictures from a while back of him "painting" in the bathtub.

I have a doctor's appointment today at 1:00. Hopefully, I will get another good report! I'll let you know!

More News about the Pregnancy

2009-06-26T12:57:00.000-05:00

We returned to Dr. W office today for our second visit this week. I still had +1 protein in my urine, but my blood pressure was really good and I am not swelling. He said that I do not have pre-eclampsia yet and that I should continue to rest as much as possible. At this point resting is key to holding off the pre-eclampsia and helping my blood pressure. I will see him again on Tuesday. I did ask if it would be possible to go to Dothan on a shopping trip for Macy :) He initially said no, but then he said I could go for a short 1/2 day trip if I came home afterwards and put my feet up for the rest of the day. I promised I would, so I am looking forward to going to Babies "r" Us and a few other places on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Today's Doctor Visit

2009-06-23T15:04:00.000-05:00

Today we had our regularly scheduled visit with Dr. W and found out that I have +1 protein in my urine...which is a sign of pre-eclampsia. Because I had this with Riley also, they are going to keep a close watch on things and I will now be visiting the doctor's office every Tuesday and Friday until Macy arrives. For now, I was instructed to stay off my feet, drink lots of water, and restrain from salt. We will go back Friday for more information.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-20T21:28:00.001-05:00

Here are a few words Riley and I came up with to describe his daddy...

"Water Slide" Adventure

2009-06-18T19:31:00.001-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, Jason bought us three Live Oak trees to plant around Riley's swing set for shade. Tonight, he and Riley went out to water them and Riley wanted Jason to wet the slide as he went down it, a trick he learned at Granny Tucker's house! Here are a few pictures and a short video clip of him enjoying the afternoon.

Our Newest Addition

2009-06-11T20:53:00.001-05:00

Here's a collage I made with a few pictures of Riley and his new "best friend," Buddy! You can click on the picture to see it larger.

Macy's 4D Ultrasound Images

2009-06-06T21:13:00.000-05:00

Friday we had our 4D Ultrasound appointment in Montgomery at Images of Life Studio. We had a great time getting to see our little Macy move and kick. She spent most of the time with one arm up playing with her hair. How much hair... we will have to wait and see! We were also happily reassured that she is definitely a girl. Here are some of our favorite images.

Riley's First Fish

2009-06-01T08:34:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Riley on his first fishing trip. He caught three fish with Papa, Daddy, and Uncle Jamie.

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him/her the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in." - Rachel Carson

Weekend Getaway

2009-05-05T19:55:00.001-05:00

Jason and I decided to head to Destin last weekend for a quick shopping trip and a visit to the beach with Riley. We had a great time as a family. The slideshow shows Riley having a blast on the beach.

Riley's First Lizard

2009-04-26T20:50:00.001-05:00

While hunting eggs at my grandmother's house, Riley caught his first lizard. He liked holding it until it latched onto his finger. Then he threw it down and said, "Dat lizard mean!"

Vicki's Pictures of Riley

2009-04-21T13:58:00.000-05:00

We are so thankful to have Vicki as a friend and a photographer. Thank you for these wonderful keepsakes! Congratulations on your two new little ones! We love all of you!

Easter 2009

2009-04-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Easter. Some were taken at grandparents' houses and some at the FBC Easter Egg hunt.

Easter Morning: Look at my bunny ears!

FBC Easter Egg Hunt

Is this the 10th or the 11th time I've spilled my basket?

Maybe if I jump a little higher...

Am I cute or what?