Our BIG Girl!

Tonight Abby went potty in her potty chair for the first time! I am such a proud mommy!! It's funny how things like that can make you so happy. No, we aren't going to start potty training already. I believe in the "all or nothing" approach and we're traveling a LOT over the next few months, so I don't want to push the potty training until I know we're going to be home more (or at least not in the car for 10 hours ~ to Texas for Thanksgiving).

Anyways, I haven't been good about keeping the blog updated, and I apologize. We've been busy and are enjoying our family time. I can't begin to describe how wonderful it is to have Jordan home, but here are a few pictures of the last few weeks...

Abby and Mommy

Daddy and Abby being silly

Jordan refused to shave for the first two weeks he was home

Abby and Daddy eating edimame with trainer chopsticks!

Abby with her bunny ice cream from the ice cream truck

Licking the stick!

Kisses for Daddy!!

Handmade gifts...

Jordan and I were discussing Abigail's upcoming birthday and CHRISTMAS (how can it be so close?!), and I realized this little girl really has everything that she could need... she has plenty of jeans, jammies and coats for this winter (because I like to bargain shop AND we have amazing friends who gave us some great hand-me-downs). She has a doll house and at least seven (yes, seven!) chairs and is too little for Barbies.

Abigail really enjoys playing in the small kitchen she has now, and can often be found sipping from her tea cups. She's becoming quite the little chef :)  So, I was searching online last night and decided I'm going to make her a bunch of felt food and enlist Jordan to help me make her a new, and bigger, kitchen. Homemade by Jill made her son a really neat kitchen and Sweetie Pie Bakery sells patterns for felt food, plus there are tons of free tutorials and downloads on the internet.

If anyone has and sites with helpful links or free tutorials, I would love to have them!

Jordan's Home!

I have looked forward to this post for some time and finally, I can say it! Jordan is HOME!!

We picked him up in Jefferson City on Sunday. At 1300 they had a Welcome Home ceremony and the Governor and some senators spoke. Overall it was an okay ceremony, I think everyone knew that the soldiers just wanted to get home to their families.

Abigail did great with everything. I'm not sure what I expected...

She wasn't too sure of Jordan at first. She wanted him within her line of sight, but wasn't sure about him holding her. When we arrived he was getting lined up, but we found him. There were kisses and hugs, but we quickly went to find our seats. Well, Abigail kept asking for "Abby Daddy", so we walked back to check on him twice. She would stand about a foot away from him and just look. At one point knelt down to talk to her and she copied him. It was really cute. When the ceremony started she kept wanting to go find him and would yell "Daddy" and "Abby Daddy". It was adorable and he said that he (which means probably everyone) heard, but who cares?!

We loaded all of Jordan's totes into the Tahoe and then he had to run back in and sign for the gun he bought. When he ran back inside Abigail had a little pannic attack. She was worried he wasn't coming back, I think.

Then, in the car whenever Jordan and I would touch she would say "No, Mommy! Abby Daddy!". Last night we went to dinner and she said the same thing. I'm not positive how long this is going to last, but we're trying to stress that we both love her, but we love eachother, too and she doesn't always get all of the attention, and we have to/get to spend time with eachother. I think that's goign to be our biggest trouble spot.

After the ceremony we went to Les Bourgeois vineyard outside of Columbia. It was a bit warm, but we had a good time chatting with both of our families. My parents and Allison and Tim came down as did Jordan's parents, Megan, and Renie and Kennison.

We are SO happy to have Jordan home safe and are enjoying our time together!

Summer Catch-Up

I have been horrible at keeping the blog updated this summer. I have good reasons ~ we have been crazy busy! Without my other half to keep Abigail occupied all of my time is devoted to her, and if she's sleeping, there's a decent chance that I am, too (or I'm relaxing).

I have tried to take lots of pictures, but I'm not always the best at that, either. Here's what I have, that you haven't seen:

Relaxing in her recliner after the pool

Hi Mommy!

The beautiful flowers Jordan sent Abigail and I because we had "one month left!!"

Abigail wanted to be a big girl and sit at the table. So, I put her on a phone book! :)

Mason's 2nd birthday! 

Eating with Papa Jim at Mason's party

The clothesline I made for Lisa's baby shower

(I have been sewing this summer, I promise!)

Abigail on Czech Days

I made her skirt and a friend of the family made the vest

I hope to get better pictures soon

I'm hesitant to write this (because I don't want to jinx anything), BUT Friday night (about 11PM) Jordan called and was stepping off an airplane in INDIANA!! He is finally in the USA! Hopefully that means he'll be home with us in about two weeks! Thank you, everyone, for your continued support ~ Abigail and I couldn't have made it through the last year without all of you!

Top 2 Tuesday...

My friend Amber participates in "Top 2 Tuesday" every week (or almost every week) and I decided to join her this week (hopefully every week!)

This week's topic: Top 2 perfumes/Colugnes...

1! Acqua Di Gio

This is Jordan's colugne, so right now I might just be longing to smell him (it has been at least 4 months), but I have to admit it smells pretty amazing, even if you smell it every day.


2. DKNY's Be Delicious

I LOVE this perfume! It's light and fresh and overall really great. It's my go-to.

Pictures, as promised...

I'm a little late, but better late then never, right??

Eating fresh corn on the cob from Grandma and Grandpa Tyser!
She loved it!!

In her Lil Blue Boo Bubblicious dress

*Note her piggies

After I took the piggies out, feeding her pig

She LOVES to feed the pig!!

In her LBB Lady bugs outfit!
LOVE it!!

~*~ CHEESE ~*~

This weekend I'm working on a surprise for Jordan... stay tuned for pictures!! :)

My big girl...

This post is a little sad for me to write... it seems that Abigail is growing up, and I'm not completely positive I like it. Let me explain (there's two BIG reasons)...

Due to changes in KS laws, Abigail can no longer sleep in a pack-n-play at daycare, even though she's still in a crib at home. Next week she is starting the transition to sleeping on a cot. Friday afternoon I received an email from her babysitter, it went something like this "Once I have Abigail transitioned to the cot our routine will be: lunch, diaper, then (this is the part that got me!) she'll help me make up her bed, she'll nap, and then help me strip the bed so I can wash everything" What?! Is my baby girl really old enough to help (and I know it'll only be help for awhile) make a bed and then un-make it?? I guess so...

Story 2:
This morning I was putting my lunch together and Abigail wanted something to eat (note: she eats breakfast every morning at daycare) so I gave her a piece of banana. Well, because mommy was putting her snacks (aka carrots) in a little ziploc bag, Abigail wanted her banana in one, too. Okay, that's cute, she wants to be like me! (instert really happy smiley face!). Well we're a couple blocks into our drive to daycare and I look back (yes, I'm the bad driver who has her rear-view mirror flipped down so I can see my child in it, instead of the cars behind me), and she has her banana gone. THEN she says "Mama, I want more, please". Again, What?! This was her first, fully, completely understandable scentence. AND, she was polite! I won't lie, I got a little teary-eyed. When we walked in the door at daycare she said, "Hi Mo! Hi Reece!". Okay, my little girl is not only polite, but greeting people? Usually she says "MO!" as she points to him (that's our babysitter's husband, who she loves by-the-way).

So, yeah, since Friday I've come to the realization that my babygirl might not be such a baby anymore... *tear*

(pictures to come ~ I promise! I have a ton)