This one is for my mom...

I have recently started putting bows in Kate's hair out of frustration that even in all pink, people still ask how old "he" is, and because I think they are sweet/funny. My mom loves the bows but she was sad she didn't have any pictures of her with the bow... so here it is.

Things I Will Always Remember

These are the loves of my life!

I was thinking last night about how our life is right now, and how it will always make me smile. This time last year, we did not have a child (one on the way, but not here yet), I was working a full time and part time job (AKA: income), Brandon was home a lot more, and I could pick up and go anywhere on my days off. BUT- I still would not trade my life now for that if I had the chance! We were so excited to have Kate when we did and I could not be happier to be home with her! I told Brandon before we had her that I would make any necessary sacrifices just to be home with Kate, and I meant every word! The other night, we had been discussing finances and other fun things, and it was bathtime for Kate. Once she was in and having a ball with her duckies, I could not stop smiling at how happy she is and how happy she makes me. I looked at Brandon and asked him if he ever thought he would be this happy, and of course he could never have imagined being so happy and so content. People think that free time and money is everything, but I am here to tell you that is not true! I wanted to share a list of things that make me smile now and I know I will always remember when...

1)I used coupons at Quiznos (as if it is that pricey to start with)

2)We emptied the change jar to have a Strawberry Limeade date at Sonic (half price happy hour from 2-4)

3)We received money as a gift and used it for diapers and wipes, and Bailey's vet bills

4)I refused to spend more than $2 for a pair of pajamas for Kate (consignment sales are awesome)

5)I split a $6 sandwich with a friend so I could afford to go to lunch twice instead of once (so glad Katie C. knows the importance of a cheap meal and the much needed lunch outings)

6)I made a side dish of caramelized onions because it was cheap and Brandon went on and on about how delicious it was

7)I stole the coupons out of the Sunday paper from my parents' house because I don't want to pay for the paper but I want the coupons

8)I waited until Winn Dixie had their mega meat sale to buy fresh meat and stocked my freezer until the next meat sale

9)Our dates were watching movies or our favorite shows we had on the DVR after Kate went to bed

10)We were so happy with what we had, not wishing we could have anything else!

I had someone say to me at work one time, "You should be cancelled, you are married to a doctor and you can afford it." Of course I corrected her quickly and said that he is not a doctor yet and that we in fact OWED money in student loans. I pray that one day when we do actually EARN money, we will be able to live as simply as we do now. This is not a complaining entry, just a little note to share how happy we are and how thankful I am to have my family and the ways we have figured out how to have cheap fun!

Our Valentine

I know Valentine's Day has come and gone, but we are celebrating this weekend because Brandon was gone most of the day Thursday and I had a cold. Kate got some Valentines this year, so she already loves this holiday! I made cookies and she got to eat a bite as her gift from us, she got a real valentine (you know the cards you gave everyone in your class) from her sweet friend Porter Finley, she got a card from her great grandmother, and a new toy from her Papa G and JoJo. Kate gave me and Brandon cards and big kisses. I have to say, I didn't care much about celebrating on Thursday because I felt like I had been hit by a truck, BUT, something about sweet Kate jumping up and down all day and saying "Mamamamama, Dadadadadada, and Bababababa" just made me so happy and I felt more loved than you would imagine by such a tiny little girl. Brandon thought ahead this year, he knew he would not be home, so he brought me flowers the day before. And, he knew I didn't feel good, so he came home and cooked dinner Thursday night. The biggest gift was letting me sleep a little later this morning while he got up with Kate and played for a while.

Papa G and JoJo came in town this weekend and we had a girls' afternoon yesterday. Jody and I got our hair cut while Kate played with us and everyone else in the salon. I hate it when Kate is staring at someone and "talking" to them and they completely ignore her. It seems like everyone could at least smile and then look away, but there was one woman who would not even look in our direction. I cannot help it when Kate stares, she gets her people watching skills from me, and she also turns her whole body so she can see them... there is no stopping it! When Brandon got home, we went to dinner with Papa G and JoJo and they got to see their first dining out experience with Miss Busybody! Kate's hands are everywhere! We had to move all silverware out of the way, all drinks out of the way, and definitely all plates out of reach!

Kate's new toy from Papa G and JoJo is a Walk and Ride Car. It is so cute, it is bright and has little toys all over it, and Kate has already had fun playing with it. It can be a car for her to ride on or to stand behind and push so she can try to walk. It moves a little faster than her feet can keep up with, but I am sure she will be moving that fast in no time! Above are a few pictures of her playing with it this morning.

Our First Weekend Away

Brandon and I went to a marriage retreat this past weekend through Briarwood Presbyterian Church. We went with a few of our friends through CMMA, which is the Christian Medical Ministry of Alabama. This ministry has been huge in our life since we have been at UAB for medical school. Notice I said "we," because I feel like I have been in school too! Anyway, we went to the Marriott Shoals hotel in Muscle Shoals, and it was so nice! We went from Friday afternoon until Sunday around lunch time. Kate stayed with Brandon's family, her Papa G and JoJo. She had a blast! This was our first weekend away from Kate, and we did better than I thought we would! I limited myself from calling more than twice a day, and I actually stuck to it. Kate did decide that she didn't want to sleep well for them on Saturday night, but we think she just does not like sleeping in her pack-n-play.
Brandon and I got to sleep through the night and wake up to an actual alarm clock instead of our human alarm at home! Brandon did a little studying on Saturday afternoon while I read my book, took a nap, and then took an uninterrupted bubble bath! I can't even remember the last time I had a day like that. The organizers of the retreat put on a candlelight dinner for us on Saturday night, and it was very nice! We loved getting away and learning how loving each other more allows us to love Kate more. It is such a simple message, but sometimes it takes getting out of your everyday circumstances just to remember it. We were thrilled to come home to our sweet girl on Sunday afternoon. I felt like it was Christmas morning on Sunday. We were getting ready and I said to Brandon, "We get to see our baby girl today!" How could you not love coming home to such a sweet little smile?
I posted these pictures because they are the most recent pictures we have. In the first one, Kate is being sneaky, trying to use her toys to get her closer to the table so she can stand up and play with the remotes. The second one is Kate loving on Bailey, our other baby. The third is Kate crawling through her aquarium tunnel. She loves it because there is a fish that plays a song on the outside, so she will crawl all the way through just to get to it. She is getting more mobile everyday! Yikes!