Grandma!!!!!!!!!!!

My mom came to visit at the beginning of December.   She was here for almost a WHOLE glorious week. 
We savored EVERY minute of it.

We shopped, cooked, watched TV, Liv got lots and lots of grammie cuddles, played games,

(notice who has to hold the poor little baby while she gets "poked")

talked, saw Christmas Lights, got ears pierced (Liv not me or my mom), made Christmas goodies........(and most importantly my mom got to witness our HORRID neighbors moving.  No more pit bulls!!!!!).

"If you think I'm ever letting go of her, you're CRAZY!" Said Little O.

 Chichasha Lights.  Next time I hope we're not in front of annoying hazard lights guy!

Homemade Toffee

There is something about this picture that is so tender.  It makes me tear up every time I see it.  My mom is just so amazing and special.  There's nothing she loves more than her family.

I treasure these visits with my mom. My mom said she was worried that Olivia would look at her and cry when she first saw her. Ummmm, I can officially say Olivia is OBSESSED with her grammie. I don't think she let go of her the whole time she was here. And she couldn't take her eyes off of her. It was almost like she was saying, "I remember you from when I was born, why did you leave me with these two?????? I don't think she'll ever have to worry about any of her grand kids not remembering her. They all simply ADORE her.
Thanks for taking time out your busy life mom to come see us on the prairie. We're counting down the days until we get to see you again!
We LOVE you!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Now if only some aunties would come visit...Ahem!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We had another great Christmas and New Year's here on the prairie.  While it was hard missing out on being with my family in Utah, I'm lucky to have Jeff and Liv and Jeff's family here to celebrate with.  We had such a great couple weeks with extra days off work and responsibilities.

Christmas Eve we went to dinner at Zio's with Jeff's family and Lana's brother's family (tradition).  We skipped out on the movie this year.  We didn't think Little O would appreciate it....and people in the theater wouldn't appreciate us for bringing her:)

Christmas morning Olivia opened her presents from Santa.  She is SO cute.  I think she mostly just liked ripping the paper!

Then the rest of the day was spent at the Hale's opening gifts, eating, playing games, and Jeff taking Olivia "sledding" with stiff objections from mama:)

It was a really great day.  I can't wait until Olivia gets older and understands how truly MAGICAL Christmas is.  I'm SO grateful to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  Because of him I get to be with my family Forever!

 

New Year's Eve outfit.  From grandma and grandpa Slade.  We HAD to represent:)

Olivia LOVES her Hale cousins.  Miss Haley is such a big helper with her.  And Olivia loves her!

On New Year's Eve we again went to the Hale's and ate appetizers and played games, then celebrated "midnight" with the East Coast.  I think if we had waited any longer Liv would have not made it.

 I was shocked she stayed up until 11:00......There's just something about being at Mimi's that makes those kids want to stay up:)

The next day I think we literally spent about 99% of it lounging in bed watching TV and taking naps.  Liv was a champ and took around 7 hours worth of naps.  I think she was worn out from the Holiday's!

I'm looking forward to the New Year.  I have lots to look forward to and be thankful for.

Milk

Taken a few months ago...                                                 

Taken today after a diaper mishap.....

 

 

 Milk.  It does a body good.

Am I a terrible mom that I can't stop laughing at the 2nd picture?  She looks like the Michelin Man!

Thankful

More than ever before I have SO much to be thankful for.
I'm thankful for my husband.  He's kind and sweet and BEYOND patient with me.  He can fix anything.  He fixes all my crafts that I start. He helps me cook and clean when I feel overwhelmed. He tickles my back every night.    He's an AMAZING father. He's a great provider.  He's my confidant, my best friend, he's my EVERYTHING.




I'm thankful for my beautiful daughter.  If I had known at 20 that having to wait 13 more years to be her mom would result in her, I wouldn't have been so impatient.  She was worth the wait.  Her smile undoes me.  Knowing that at times I'm all she needs completes me.

I'm thankful for my parents.
I'm thankful for my sisters/best friends.
I'm thankful for my brothers.
I'm thankful for great in-laws.
I'm thankful for friends both near and far.
I'm thankful for the gospel.
I'm thankful for my warm cozy house.
I'm thankful for my job that allows me to keep O with me.
I'm thankful for our car that still starts up every morning and allows us to get out of debt little by little by not making a car payment.
I'm thankful I live in America.

I'm just thankful.

Working Girl

When I first found out I was pregnant I was worried about what we would do about the loss of income when I would have the baby.  I've always know that when I finally became a mother I didn't want anyone else taking care of Olivia.  It was really important for Jeff and myself that we were the ones taking care of her.  I knew that that would mean a lot of sacrifices.  But I knew it would be worth it.

 When I told my boss that I was pregnant he right away said that I could bring the baby to work with me and that they would be flexibly with my hours.  It felt good that they wanted me to stay so much that they were willing to work with me.
On the other hand I'll be honest that I would rather be at home taking care of Olivia and my home and Jeff full time.  But we're working really hard to get out of debt (I'm now done to 1 credit card from 8 when we got married) so that I can stay at home full-time.
But at least I get to take little O to work with me and I'm the one taking care of her.    And she sure does make the work day go by faster.  When you divide your hours into every 2 there's a feeding, diaper change, playing and trying to get to sleep, it zips by!!
On Friday's I have Med clinic so Jeff usually takes her to work with him.  We've been extremely blessed we have flexible work situations so we can do this!

She is SUCH a trooper.  And everyone at both offices falls in love with her the minute they see her. 

She will pretty much fall asleep anywhere!  Thank goodness for the bassinet loan from auntie Kelli:)
And you'll notice we're training her to earn her keep early:)
She LOVES daddy's new office space!

It's FALL!!!!

Even though we hit digits in the 90's this week, the Oklahoma Hale's are officially decorated for fall! 


I think it was around September 1st (or possibly sooner) that Livy and I pulled out the Halloween tub from the garage and starting putting our decorations up. 
I introduced her to all our witch friends.  She loves them!



On my birthday Jeff took me Halloween shopping and we showed Livy a witch and she would laugh and smile, it was so cute.  We showed her a ghost and no reaction....This girl takes after her mama!

Last Friday started out as a horrible one.  I had to work about 9 hours and Jeff took care of little O.  It was my first time away from her for so long.  It was horrible! (this is a picture of the little stinker after she pooped her pants at papa's and daddy's office.  I couldn't stop laughing, she looks like she's ticked off at being in only a diaper, but don't worry she's still wearing her bracelet).

  But it ended up great because her daddy took us out to dinner and on the way home we found this:

It's the cutest little pumpkin patch place here in Edmond.  Jeff said they have been there for years.  I was literally squealing with delight.  We got there the first day they opened. 

We loaded up our wagon with pumpkins and mums (and a little baby).  We also got a bale of hay and a cornstalk for our front porch.

Little O even got her own pumpkin for free!

The best part about this place is that we didn't have our checkbook on us and they just gave us an invoice and told us we could send them a check!  I love small town places like this.  They've earned our business for years to come.

And for the first time I wasn't sad to not be in Boston for the fall.  Sure I miss it, but this is my home and look at the fun things we get to do right in our own little town! 

I'm glad we're making memories for our little family to look back on in years to come.

Here's a picture (taken through my car window) of our front porch.  I love this time of year!

Our Sweet, Funny little girl

Being a mommy to Olivia has surpassed any expectations I had before she was born  She has been such a love right from the start.  It probably didn't hurt that my mom stayed here in OK for the first 2 weeks of her life and then made the road trip to Utah with us to meet her Slade family.
Some of the highlights from Olivia's life so far.




Grandma!  My mom was a HUGE blessing the first month of Livy's life.  I wouldn't have made it without her.

Smiling!  Her first smile was at her Mimi within minutes of her birth.  She hasn't stopped since.
Sleep.  She is SUCH a good sleeper.  Her first night home from the hospital she slept for about 5 hours at night.  When my mom came to wake me up to feed her I couldn't believe how long she had slept! And at 5 weeks she started sleeping through the night!
Traveling!  Olivia has been to six states and 2 National Parks!  She even has her own Nation Park Passport.  A Hale family tradition. 

She was an AMAZING baby to take to Utah and back.  I don't even know why I was worried.
Cuddler.  She loves to be held close to mommy and daddy.  Some of my favorite times are after I feed her in the morning we snuggle up with a blanket together and go back to sleep for an hour in the chair that papa gave us.
Daddy Time!  Olivia LOVES her daddy.  Everyone morning Jeff comes and takes Olivia for an hour or so, so I can get a little more sleep.  He actually gets upset if he misses it.  And at night before bedtime he plays with her on the floor to tire her out.  Most nights he gets her ready for bed as well.  I could absolutely not imagine having another father for my daughter.  He's amazing with her.
Cooing!  Livy has started to Coo and talk.  I'm obsessed with it.  She's SO adorable.

Content.  Olivia is SO happy and content.  The only time she cries is when she is cold or hungry or tired.  The rest of the time she is such a lovie. 
I am BEYOND blessed to be her mother. 
I like to think Heavenly Father sent me this special spirit because I had to wait so long to have her. 
I'm completely in love with her.