"Mama"

Today started out kind of rough. I woke up at 6:30 to the sound of Dakota crying over the baby monitor. I rushed into her room to put her binky back in her mouth, hoping that she'd fall back asleep. It worked for 5 minutes. *sigh* That's the way EVERY mom wants to start her Monday morning right?? Not so much. So here I am, frustrated that I can't get more sleep...and anticipating the pot of coffee that is brewing. I packed my husband's lunch and saw him off to work, while Dakota was in her swing. She started finally drifting off to sleep, so I decided to pick her up and put her in her crib. We live within a block of the fire department, and its a rarity that the firetrucks put on their sirens...not this morning though! Needless to say, Dakota woke up. I hadn't had my coffee yet, and I was hoping to get some quiet time to read my Bible and catch up on emails before she was up for the morning, so I was quite frustrated (especially since she woke me up at 6:30). I tried putting her back in her swing when all of a sudden she looked at me with big eyes and said "Mama". At the moment, time stood still. I couldn't believe what I just heard! And then she said it again. "Mama" :) It puts a smile on my face, and in my heart just thinking about it. My little girl is growing up right before my eyes.

Here are a few pictures that I took of her yesterday. I started using this website called "Picnik", where you can edit the pictures (It's WAY easier than Photoshop). Enjoy.





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"Happy Birthday" Translated: Happy to be alive

Today is my birthday. It's the day that everyone celebrates the day that I came into the world. For me, It's the day that I realize just how happy I am to be alive, and to be as blessed as I am.

I love this time of my life. I'm 24 years old, I've been married to my best friend for almost 3 years, and I'm the mommy to a beautiful 6 month old who makes my heart smile. Every morning I wake up with excitement, to see what God has in store for Dakota and I for the day. Being a stay at home Mommy is the life that I've always dreamed of. I always try to see things in Dakota's prospective, where everything is beautiful, interesting, and exciting. :) I just feel so blessed to be Dakota's Mommy. Yea, it's a huge responsibility to have a baby...but I see it as a huge honor to be the one that takes care of her, to meet her needs, to walk her through life, and I'm excited to share Jesus with her. Now that she's 6 months old...she can sing to me, smile and laugh, and sit up all by herself. She's growing so fast, and I want to enjoy every moment as it comes.
I never knew what it meant to be a mom until I held her for the first time. It's amazing how I was so overwhelmed with love for this little person that I had JUST MET. It's really awesome how much having my own child changed my relationship with MY mom. (That's my mom and Dakota and my nephew Liam) My mom and I have become friends. I see her in a different light. We just got back from having lunch, and I can't help but feel blessed to have such a great relationship with her. She's the person I can call when I have questions about weird colored poopy diapers, and the person I can talk to when I'm having a rough day and just need a little encouragement. All that to say, I love being a Mom. I love my life as I know it.

I'm blessed, and happy to be alive.

Wait, You want me to spend this money on.....Myself?!

So my 24th birthday is just 2 days away. My grandma and my parents both gave me a cash gift, and specifically told me to spend it on myself. I know to Many, it's an easy task to buy youself something...but for me, not so much. After getting married and having our own bills, discovering I was pregnant, quitting my job to be a stay at home mom, and Jeron going through a layoff last year...let's just say, I learned how to be a simple minded person, and to enjoy the finer things in life. It's funny to say, but I can't exactly remember the last time I actually bought myself something other than a special herbal essence bottle of conditioner (using a coupon of course!). My mom asked me a couple of weeks ago what I wanted for my birthday, and you know what my answer was? New bath towels. Is that typically what 24 year old women want for their birthday?? Hmm...
I'm determined to buy myself something. I'm forcing myself out of the house...to go shopping. Not for necessities for the house, not for Dakota or Jeron...but for MYSELF. *sigh* why is this so hard??

6 Months already?!

I can't believe that my little Dakota is almost 6 months old already! It seems like just yesterday, that I was walking around our block in the freezing cold, trying to induce labor! I never really believed anyone when they said "They grow so fast! Enjoy every second that you can!", but now I know exactly what they mean! (And yes, I too find myself telling the same thing to new mommies with newborns!)
I really wish I would have started blogging when she was just born, so I can look back on the little things that I was learning, like her quirks on how she likes to be rocked to sleep, and how she would just stare at things, trying to discover her world. It's so weird to think that in a matter of months, Dakota has gone from a itty bitty 6 pound baby, who slept all the time...into a beautifully chubby 15 pound baby with rolls on her thighs, who can sit up and grab toys! She has definately made my life complete :) I told Jeron the other day that I can't even remember what life was like before Dakota.

Her new adventures are: Discovering how to crawl...I'll put a toy infront of her, just out of reach, and she'll find a way to push and scoot herself forward to grab it. She also LOVES getting blankets, clothes, burp cloths, or anything else that is soft, and putting it on her face! She starts kicking and laughing everytime she does it...but after a couple of seconds, she starts panicking that she can't breathe. It's kind of funny how she ALWAYS manages to grab something of the sorts in a matter of seconds. Needless to say, I have to keep a very watchful eye on her at all times!

She is napping at the moment, and I want to get the dishes washed before she wakes up.