It's The Little Things...

Today was a very good day!

We slept in (as much as Eden allowed).  Dustin made eggs and bacon.  We relaxed for a bit.  And then we decided to go swimming.  So we loaded up beach towels, fishing poles, snorkel gear, the pit, two dogs and a baby and headed out to some land that my family owns about fifteen minutes from our house. 

We swam and ate guacamole dogs (they're the best!) and watched the dogs run around, and then while Eden napped, Dustin and I snorkeled around the tank and watched the fish.  On the way out, we saw a bunch of deer and fed them some corn.

There was nothing extraordinary about today.  But it was a fantastic day.  Eden obviously will not remember anything about today, but I hope that there are many days just like today in the future that she will remember. 

I have big stuff planned for her... trips to the zoo and waterparks and one day Disney World.   I want to make sure she sees all fifty states before she graduates high school like my parents did with me and my brother, and I hope she gets to go beyond the United States many times as well.  And I hope she has wonderful memories of all those things.

But I hope she has wonderful memories of these small days too.  Today was special in it's unspecialness.  It wasn't planned.  It didn't cost any money.  It was a little on the redneck side.  But it was perfect.  And we were happy.  And it's days like today that I want Eden to look back on and remember when she thinks about her childhood.  I want her to know that things don't have to be big and fancy and expensive to be special.  The big things are great, but it's the little things that count.  Just a lazy Sunday afternoon spent with your family can be amazing.

Eden - Six Months

Say it ain't so!

This is a hard one, people!  I've been watching this day get closer and closer on the calendar and dreading it.  On Monday, Dustin mentioned that she was turning six months old in two days, and I told him we had to stop talking about it because I was tearing up.  Don't get me wrong... I love my six month old.  She is so much FUN!  But I can't believe my newborn is gone!  Our days of spending hours on the couch with her asleep on my chest... over.  I can't help but be a little sad that she's growing up so quickly.  Wasn't I still pregnant, like, yesterday or something?

But then I get over it, and I just remind myself to soak up every single moment.  So six months old...  Eden has two teeth!  She can sit up for a few seconds at a time.  She scoots and rolls and army crawls and always ends up in a different place from where I put her.  Example:  Here she has decided that she is done taking pictures and is just going to get off of her lamb.

After that she spent a good fifteen minutes sliding around the wood floor.  It was great fun... she laughed the whole time.  She's obsessed with our dogs, and the mere sighting of one can make her stop crying in an instant.  She loves all dogs.  I took Eden to a friend's house, and their black lab walked up, and Eden just giggled and reached out and grabbed his fur.  One day we will have a talk about making sure it's a friendly dog before we pull it's fur.  Swimming seems to be her favorite.  She kicks, kicks, kicks and moves herself all over the pool/tank/wherever we are.  She sits in her bumbo in the bathrooms in the mornings and chews on a make-up brush while I get ready.  She lays in her nap nanny and watches me when I bake or cook.  She plays on the bed while I fold clothes.  She's my world.  I take her with me wherever I go.  Today I had my Grandma Jan go with me to get a haircut so that I could take Eden with me and have her watch her.  One day I won't take her with me everywhere I go... but that day is not yet. 

She's such a happy baby.

Oh how I love that picture!  I have plans to blow it up to a ginormous size and frame it. 

And so, just like I did when I was sad about Eden turning one week old and made cupcakes, I made a cake (half a cake) to celebrate Eden turning six months old.  Cake in any form always cheers me right up.

Half a cake for half a year.  (Cake decorating is NOT my talent!)

Dustin is making us a nice little meal, and tonight we will toast to six months of Eden.  Best six months ever! 

I know I will always be sad about all the phases we're leaving behind.  But I really am excited about all the ones that are ahead of us. 

To the next six months... here we go!

Baby Painting

Today's weather:  RAIN!  Glorious, GLORIOUS RAIN!

So we needed an indoor project to take the place of baby pool and dog-watching time.  After searching on Pinterest (of course), I found baby painting!

Eden had a blast. 

Baby Paint
2 cups water
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
food coloring

Mix the water, flour, salt and sugar together in a sauce pan and heat on medium-high.  Stir until there are no more lumps and it thickens.  Separate into bowls and dye the colors of your choice.  Place on cardstock and let your baby go to town!

Eden's first masterpiece is currently drying in the window and shall be hung on the fridge presently. =)

A Wee Bit O' Celebratin'

Well we were down for a few days after Dustin had to have an emergency appendectomy (scary!  but I'm happy to report that he's a-okay now!), but we made up for it at the beginning of this week.  (And thank you again to my mom who came to stay with Eden so that I could be with Dustin at the hospital!)

First up - July 2nd - my 26th and Dustin's 27th birthdays!

Dustin was still pretty sore, but we had a nice little family outing to eat lunch in Houston, and then we came home to enjoy our cake!

Next - July 3rd - my grandpa's 80th birthday!

Pops didn't care about blowing out his candles; he wanted Eden to enjoy his cake instead. 

And enjoy it she did!

I love this picture of Pops and his two boys on his birthday!



With the exception of Dustin, of course, those are my favoritest men in the whole world!

And last - July 4th - America's birthday, of course!

Eden was adorable decked out in her red, white and blue, and we had Dustin's parents over for hamburgers.

...and another picture, just 'cause...