Unpredictable bliss

First time moms...

2012-01-24T05:19:00.000-06:00

As a first time mom, I get a lot of "advice" that I've had to learn to take with a grain of salt.
There are a lot of expectations that we put on ourselves as moms and when our children don't grow up as planned, we blame ourselves. I've had this feeling too many times to count in the past 19 months.

I have two sister in laws that make being a mother to multiples seem effortless. I often think if I'm capable to mother more children and still be a good servant of Christ, wife, friend as they are.

I love being a mother, but I have to constantly remind myself that I'm not in this alone. Sure there are a slew of other first time moms going through the same thing I am, but what we too often neglect to take advantage of is the fact that we have a heavenly father to guide us in parenting.

As a mom I'm supposed to make sure my child is fed, clothed, and sheltered. That she wears a jacket when it is cold. That she drinks extra fluids when sick. That she learns to share. But there is so much more to it. I'm constantly worrying. Does she weigh enough? Is she growing, walking, talking, playing appropriately.

I feel like it is much easier to get caught up with those issues when we have just one child (which, psychologically can cause issues for the the child later on in life that I won't even begin to try to address).

However, whether you have one child or nine, we need to be reminded that we all have the same concerns for our children and Christ is with us.

I read this article the other day and breathed a sigh of relief.

Why should we waste our time worrying about things that we can't even control instead of praying to the God who can?!?!

Of course, this is easier said than done and something I struggle with daily.

So, she requires a few extra calories, or some encouragement using her words. Isn't it all for the glory of Christ? And the only way I know (at this point) to glorify Him in this trial is to lean on Him and trust His plan for my sweet Emmy (and subsequent children).

So, this is just to remind me to give the big stuff to God and enjoy motherhood at each amazing stage.

2012-01-18T21:35:00.000-06:00

I had a photo shoot the other day and during it we saw this!

So, if you've had a bad day just think, at least you're not this dog!

A Valentine Surprise!

2012-01-15T09:48:00.000-06:00

This week has been extremely busy. I haven't had to work in three weeks, but somehow my times gets filled pretty quickly with to do lists and dropping whatever I'm doing to talk to Caleb when he calls (we never really know when during the day it will be). Lately I've been planning two baby showers and a bridal shower, giving Dixie meds for an inflamed cervical vertebrae twice a day, and trying to find the time to train for my first race (yes, I signed up for a 5K - my first... don't laugh).

Then everything stopped when I got the best news ever - Caleb is coming home on leave in two weeks!!!!

After he told me over the phone I didn't say anything because I was in shock. I think I still am. I'm actually going to see my husband?!?!?!?

I am over the moon excited! We plan on just hanging out as a family. Playing at the park, going to the zoo, having family dinners, watching The Office, date nights, and lots and lots of Emmy tickling. I can hardly wait!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2012-01-14T01:16:00.001-06:00

~ Freshly washed sheets

~ scoring cute finds for Emmy at Goodwill like these:

At $3 an item, I'll take it!

~ Planning my best friend's baby shower!

~ Mornings when Emmy sleeps till 9 or later!

~ J'adore perfume! I don't own a bottle yet, but I'd love to. It is heavenly!

Emmy Love

2012-01-07T23:10:00.000-06:00

This post is all about Emmalyn.

She has been busy lately growing up!

On New Years Eve a group of us ate at Carolina Wings before heading home to play games until midnight. She ate like a champ that evening. She even had her first chicken wing.

I think she liked it!

A few days ago Emmy and I were playing outside and I thought she looked a lot like a little girl than a baby (it finally hit me) so of course I had to grab my camera and take some shots for Daddy.

#cutestpantsever

Then yesterday we visited the zoo with the Butt cousins (that's their last name) and Ellasyn. Emmy and I had not been to the zoo in a while, but I think she likes it more and more the older she gets.

Before we left, I got up the courage to try to "fix" her hair. I usually just pick a bow out that matches her outfit, but wanted to see if she would tolerate pigtails. She did such a good job while I combed and combed her extremely thin hair. She is much like me in the fact that she has a sensitive head, so I had to be gentle and the part isn't anywhere near being straight, but she's still so adorable!

She's growing so fast, but she's still my little baby!

I love her so much! It really does break my heart that Caleb isn't around to see this, especially when she climbs on the couch beside me to cuddle as she did numerous times today.

#bittersweetmommytears

12 goals of 2012

2012-01-03T07:59:00.000-06:00

I've never really made a new years resolution and don't really plan on it. I do, however, feel like making attainable goals is both constructive and motivational. So here are my 2012 goals.

1. Cook more - having Caleb gone has made me not really feel like cooking much. I love to cook, especially when it is for a hungry man, but without him around to eat and appreciate a hot meal, cereal just seems like a ~~quicker~~ better alternative to cooking.

2. Go to bed before midnight - right now it is 0032... Goal #2 - 1 Me - 0 I think this might be easier once I start working more (boo!) and Caleb is actually living with me.

3. Count my blessings - This is a continuation from 2011. So often we complain about what we don't have, but don't see what we do have right in front of us. I may not have brand new furniture (or even a house for that matter), or designer jeans, or a three carat diamond on my left hand, but I have a husband that I am super proud of and that loves me *almost perfectly, I have a healthy daughter that lights up my life every day, friends that I can laugh and cry with, and most importantly I a savior that is sovereign and loves me despite my ugly sin. I want to be happy with just that. I don't need anything else, but so often I get caught up in the envy of others instead of what really matters.

4. Get out of debt - this one may not completely happen this year, but we are working hard toward it! It kind of gives me a rush seeing the credit balance decrease. I love knowing that more and more of our hard earned money is going in the bank account instead of to someone else because of interest.

5. Not use so many exclamation points in my typing! <---------- ha ha!

6. Be less concerned about the mess and focus more on the memories - if any of you know me at all, I'm a clean freak. I actually really love to clean (most of the time). But Caleb gets on to me often about being so focused on how our house looks or cleaning up that I miss out on fun.

7. Dig more in depth into my faith - I'm a christian. I know the basics. But I want to know more. I want to be able to defend this man that gave me life and was put threw torture so that I may live as a sinner and still sit with Him in heaven. I'm excited and a little apprehensive at the same time. I have some books lined up to read and some sermons to listen to that will give it to me straight an in words I can understand : )

8. Actually make the things I pin on pintrest instead of just pinning them - I have found so many awesome things to do from pintrest. However, not having my own home to live in, kind of limits what I can do at the moment. I guess I should start small and work my way up to the big stuff like turning an old dresser into a bookshelf!

9. Get outside more - I love being outside... when the conditions are perfect. This doesn't happy often. So I need to just bare it and get out there. I'd love to start a ~~very~~ small garden and purchase a couple adirondack chairs for Caleb and I to relax in with our new fire pit.

10. Coupon more - I'm starting with my all time favorite store, Target. I got their debit card as get 5% off every purchase (which really does add up because I go there for EVERYTHING). I also get weekly emails with their specials and coupons, but would like to venture out more and see if there are better ways to save money. With our income declining substantially when Caleb returns, I think this would be beneficial to us!

11. Grow my hair out - I did like the short haircut I got after Caleb left, but I was going through old photos the other day and I really think I look more youthful and also more like a woman at the same time (if that's possible) with longer hair. Caleb also like long, dark hair. With my mom who owns a salon and does hair for a living, it is sometimes hard not to want to just experiment, but I'm going to try to refrain from any other than the periodic trim. **** I still reserve the right to color or highlight as I please!

12. Be a better wife - honestly, I think it is going to take me a little while to get back in the groove of being a wife when Caleb returns home. I haven't cooked a meal in over two weeks and obviously haven't been doing wifely bedroom duties (TMI? - you'll get over it). There is so much that comes with Caleb's return. Just thinking/writing about it makes my heart beat faster.
When I was in middle school, I use to think "how in the world could you stay with someone for a lifetime and still love them more than you did the day before?"
I know now that it all comes from Christ, and that it is possible.
That doesn't mean I'll be good at it, especially after not having him around for a year and not knowing when I'll get to talk to him next. Being the wife of a deployed soldier is very strange. There is a lot of trust that is given to me by him and even more so now that we have a daughter that I'm raising while he is away (he often jokes that if she is "messed up" it is all my fault because he wasn't around! : ).

With this goal, I hope to be more encouraging instead of nagging like a dripping faucet. I hope to be more submissive and allow Caleb to take his stand as the leader of our home (this could be challenging after not having him around for so long). I hope to serve him the way Jesus served/s his people (cooking, rubbing his feet, holding down the home front so he can concentrate on bringing home the bacon : ). I hope to love him in his love language more instead of my own. I hope to continue to keep myself up kept (getting out of my pajamas before 2pm and staying fit) so he has a wife he is proud of.

I love my husband, and I am so blessed that he loves me, but it does take work and I'm so ready for the work!

So there's my 2012 goals. I'll try to give an update on how I'm doing with them periodically. This may have been the most boring post to you, but it helps me to write it out!

2011 at a glance

2011-12-30T14:19:00.000-06:00

This year has been busy and looking back at it makes me realize how fast it all went!

Our year started with family coming to visit us in Alabama for Emmalyn's dedication and Caleb's flight school graduation.

Nice wings Wilkes!!!

Once all of that was over, we had to say our goodbyes to our beloved flight school friends. There were so many!! These are the girls that got together for bible study/tea/yoga once a week!

Then we moved back to SC. It was nice to be so close to family again, but we knew the deployment was coming up so we tried to spend as much time together as a family as possible. We went to the zoo, picked strawberries, and watched a lot of movies!

Then Caleb left for training at Fort Hood. But I had a lot on my plate with trying to find a job, visiting friends and planning Emmy's first birthday party.

I spent my first real Mother's Day in Atlanta with Ashley.

Our friend, Sarah, came down from Illinois to visit and help with Emmy's party. And boy did I put her to work!!!

The party was a success and Caleb even got to skype with us through the whole thing!

on July 2nd, Emmy and I took our second plane ride together (along with Crissy) to visit Caleb in Texas. Seeing Texas was great, but getting to have time with Caleb was amazing! I will cherish the memories from our first family vacation forever!

A little while later my other bestie, Katie Beth, revealed that she was pregnant! What an answer to prayer!

At the end of July Emmy and I joined my parents and brother at Myrtle Beach for family vacation. Fun times!

About a month later Caleb got to come home for 3 days to visit before heading overseas. I tried to enjoy the 3 days we were given without letting the eminent good bye overcome my emotions. I savored every moment that weekend! That was the last time we saw Caleb.

Then it was time to send him off.

Emmy didn't let the somberness last long though. A few day later we took our first (and probably not last) trip to the ER when Emmy knocked her front tooth up into her gum after catapulting into my bedside table because she was jumping on the bed!

A few weeks later my Aunt Cindy and cousin Maribeth came to visit us from Minnesota.

And on September 20 my parents had their 25th wedding anniversary! I planned a big get together (with a lot of help from Crissy) to celebrate with all of their friends. It was a blast!

Between all the chaos, we filled our time with play dates, time spent with grandparents while I started my new nursing job...

And watching Daddy reading books to Emmy that were sent via DVD. I swear she's not going to know what to do with him when he is home in the flesh after seeing him on my computer, the TV and talking to him on the phone!

Finally fall came and my bestie, Ashley and her sister came to spend the weekend with us. I took Emmy to her very first Gamecock tailgate. From the photo I'm pretty sure she had a good time!

And what's fall without the SC State Fair? We went with Crissy's family one cloudy day. Emmy loved the pony ride and elephant show!

Then we picked out pumpkins and carved them with Crissy!

And got all dressed up for a night jam packed with Trick or Treating.

Somewhere in there Katie Beth found out she and her hubby were expecting a baby BOY!

In November, we got word that Caleb had been promoted to A Chief Warrant Officer! HOOAH!!!

And went to watch the Gamecocks beat up on the Citadel Bulldogs with some fellow 1-151st wives!

And we ended the year decorating our tree that we picked out with Crissy and having a fantastic Christmas with family!!

WOW! What a year!

Now 2012 is just a day away and I could not be more relieved. After ten years with Caleb, I'm more excited about what this year will hold for us than ever before!!!

Our Christmas fun

2011-12-28T08:29:00.000-06:00

Christmas for us is still going. We will have family in town all week but the fun started on Christmas Eve.

Emmy is so blessed to have both sets of grandparents close to us. We spent the better part of the day at Ama and Bop's house making Christmas cookies. Emmy loved it! Ama had a child size apron just for Emmy and let her stir the batter for the sugar cookies and taste them!

That night we went to Ama and Bop's Christma Eve church service. Emmy had not napped all day long and ended up walking into the church like this:

She tried so hard to be good, but the more tired she gets, the faster she goes even in church. The service was great and Emmy really liked when we lit all the candles.

After the church service Emmy and I headed to my parents' to spend the night and Christmas day. Justin went with me to pick up Emmy's kitchen which was boxed and had to be completely assembled. You know the uncle has to take over daddy responsibilities when daddy isn't around!!!

My brother was such a big help this Christmas. We stayed up until 2am putting the kitchen together while laughing about Christmases past and watching The Santa Claus. Good times!!!

I woke up around 8am on Christmas morning. Once I woke up and realized what day it really was, I got the same feeling of excitement in my stomach that I did as a child on Christmas morning. I was so excited to see Emmy's reaction to her kitchen I could barely stand it, so I ~~not very quietly~~ walked in the room Emmy was sleeping in and she woke up!

When we walked into the living room she looked a bit confused on why we were all so excited and crowded around a play kitchen that was clearly not there the night before. So, I sat her down in front of it and started showing her all the bells and whistles on it. She eventually got over the fact that it was all a little strange and started playing with it herself. Then there was no stopping her!

Here she is talking on the phone while cooking. She may have seen this done before : )

In addition to the kitchen and a ton of other amazing toys, she got a motorized Disney princess four-wheeler. She will need some more practice with the steering!

After exchanging presents we ate an amazing dinner cooked by mom and dad and spent the rest of the day lounging around and having fun watching Emmy play with toy after toy!!!! And this wasn't the end of our Christmas fun!!!

The next day we went to The Wilkes's house to celebrate Jesus's Birthday! We exchanged presents, ate a ton of junk food, made forts with all the cousins, cuddled, and enjoyed the crisp outdoor air.

This is the first thing Emmy and Anna did when they saw each other!

After watching some tv and cuddling with Anna, Emmy thought it was time to beg Uncle Jo Jo for a snack.

Every year, before we open presents, we read part of the Christmas story and the past two years the kids have been getting involved by acting out the verses. This year, Micah was a shepherd.

Then it was time to open the gifts!!! Our family got Micah a telescope (he is really fascinated about space). He loved it!!!

Ama got all the kids a huge box of books and Great Ama got them all Christmas blankets. Once Emmy opened both of those, she took them to a corner and cuddled up to read. It was so darling!

Our Christmas fun isn't over yet! The Wilkes family will be in town for a few more days so there is more fun to be had!!!!

I'll Be Home For Christmas, If Only In My Dreams

2011-12-18T01:17:00.000-06:00

This Christmas will be the first in ten years that I will be without my better half. Although it does sadden me to not have him here for such an important day, the past nine months (and the next four) have made our marriage so much stronger. I think of how many marriages wouldn't make it this long being so separated.

Anyway, with the almost 4000 mile distance between us giving presents to each other this year was a bit of a challenge.

Caleb asked me numerous times what I wanted and I really couldn't come up with anything because all I really want is him home safely, but the thought of something special anyway.

After Caleb got home from basic training in 2008 I had a trip planned for us to go to the Biltmore for a weekend. After not speaking for eleven weeks we really needed a trip together. We got there on December 27th so all the Christmas decorations were still up. It was the perfect weekend. We toured the house, the grounds, went to a wine tasting, and ate at a few of the restaurants that are on the grounds.

This is a photo taken while we were at dinner one night.

After our wine tasting, we purchased a couple bottles of our favorites. We savored those bottles of wine aka they lasted a while!

So for Christmas this year, Caleb ordered more wine (3 bottles to be exact) from the Biltmore for me and our family. So thoughtful!!! He told me to take one to Christmas dinner, keep one for Crissy and myself, and save one for when he returns home.

Have a I mentioned that I love this guy??!?!

My gift was a bit more challenging because Caleb doesn't have a lot of space to himself to keep things, nor does he have access to a lot of technology so I had to get creative.

After much thought and some guts on my part, I finally decided on a gift.

Don't laugh.

Boudoir photos.

I mean, what would be better for a married man who is 4000 miles away from his wife?

Then I had to choose a photographer - These aren't exactly photos I could take myself.

I chose Jawnie Holsker. She is also an army wife so she was very understanding and made me feel very comfortable. Not to mention she's a great photographer!

I can't show most of the photos, for obvious reasons, but here are a couple that I could.

I will say that Caleb was very pleased with his Christmas present this year!

While we're on the subject of Christmas, I wanted to share some horrible snapshots of what Christmas looks like around our place.

Christmas card display

Gotta love chalkboards!

And the Christmas tree!

Now, if I could just sit myself down long enough to wrap the rest of the presents!!!

2012 = oh so sweet!

2011-12-16T07:50:00.000-06:00

Well, after taking almost two full days off from all three of my jobs (mom, nurse, photographer) due to the stomach bug, I'm refreshed and back to the working grind! I seriously do not know what I would do without my family being near! My in laws took Emmy for a night so I could rest and so she (cross my fingers) doesn't get the stomach bug. I missed her so much!!! I kept hearing her calling me in my sleep. I'm oddly thankful for the pre-holiday crash diet though.

I also haven't worked at the hospital for ten days! It has been amazing and I've loved staying with Emmy working on potty training and getting Christmas shopping done.

Editing has pretty much taken over my nightlife. I'm so glad I took two days off though, because now I'm excited to edit the hundreds of photos I need to! God is GOOD!

Since I was sick, Crissy and I could not go on our girls' night as planned, but tonight my parents kept Emmy while she and I went to see New Year's Eve. It was AH-MA-ZING!!! There was a "surprise" part in it that made both of us boo hoo like babies (if you've seen I'll give you one guess as to which scene it was).

The movie made me so excited about 2012 because...

~ The sweetest homecoming I'll know (until Jesus comes back!)
~ my best friend has her first child!!!
~ another move for our family (#7 in 5 years!)
~ our first family vacation - just the three of us!
~ My brother turns 21 - I can finally buy him a beer!
~ Terrible twos (at least Caleb will be around for this!)
~ half a decade of marriage
~ And who knows what else!!!!

18 months/1 1/2 years/closer to 2 than 1 year old!!

2011-12-13T22:34:00.000-06:00

I now have an 18 month old. That's crazy!!! These days she is so fun! I'm praying every day that Caleb's unit will be granted leave to come home for a couple of weeks so he can see first hand how amazing she is!!!

Emmalyn's 18 month Stats

Weight - 19lb (Not on the charts!)

Height - 30 3/4in (9th percentile)

Head - 18in (3rd percentile)

Size of clothes - 12 months

Eye color - very brown

Sleep - 8-10 hours a night

Food - Emmy likes lots of things, but we have been ordered to continue to push calories even more! Some days are better than others. I find it hard to increase her calories without sacrificing certain food groups like fruits and veggies. I do have a few recipes to try in the coming week, so only time will tell if it will help.

Some foods she's loving lately:

peanut butter

sweet tea

pretzels

pancakes

hummus

cheese

bananas

bread

gummies

mac & cheese

ground burger

muffins (chocolate chip)

nutella

guacamole

quesadillas

grilled cheese

spaghetti

pizza

Milestones - We are currently working on potty training. I have to put her on it, but know if she needs to pee pee or not because she will stay on it or will walk up to it herself and open the top. Once she is done she gets off and points to make sure I see that she pee peed or pooed in it. So cute - I know that might sound weird. My goal is to have to potty trained by the time Caleb comes home, but I'm not pressing the issue. I'm proud of how much she does now!

She can point to every part of her body and will wash it if I tell her a specific part.

Current words:

hot

daddy

momma

Bop (what we call Caleb's dad)

stop

uh oh

thank you

dog

look

Bubba (Uncle Bubby aka Justin)

She makes owl, cat, dog, cow, lion and bird noises

Favorite activities -

*Coloring

*climbing all over Huey (Crissy's chocolate lab)

*chasing the dogs - she thinks it is the funniest thing when they run away from her

*brushing my hair - she'll do it for about 20 minutes and is very particular about it!

*bringing books to you and climbing in your lap to read them - she is getting more and more patient and now will sit while I read an entire story without rushing me

*reorganizing the bottom cabinets in the bathroom and kitchen - Crissy and I often find things in them that don't belong there, like our shoes and her toys

*dancing

*running from me every time she needs her clothes changed

*helping in the kitchen aka making a mess

*helping me put the groceries on the conveyor belt at the checkout and then put them in the trunk of the car - such a big helper!!!

*calling the dogs to come inside after being out for a while

*looking at photos - both grandparents have photo books that she will bring to you and sit with you while you go through each photo. She often brings me a certain photo of her and Caleb and one of Caleb and me from our wedding day to look at. I've also caught her staring at it alone a couple of times and it makes my heart happy. I really wonder what she thinks when she sees photos of Caleb - I'm not sure if she understands how to "miss" someone yet, but I'd like to think she does miss him.

*She mimics everything anyone does! The other day we were coloring and I was lying on the floor on my stomach. Once she noticed, she proceeded to get on her belly and color right beside me in the same position. Precious!

*She also likes to run and squeal at the same time. Such a girl, but it is so cute!

These are the most recent photos I have of Emmalyn. I've been rather slack with taking photos of her lately because I've been taking so many Christmas cards pics of other families, but will get to it as soon as I have some time.

Camouflage and Christmas Lights

2011-12-12T22:17:00.000-06:00

So, I've been pretty selfish lately being all sad about not having Caleb here for Christmas, but didn't think about how he was actually going to spend his Christmas in Kuwait.

Here, I've got a big tree that smells amazing, I'm surrounded by our families, I get to eat our favorite foods made with love by our mothers, and I get to see Emmy wake up on Christmas morning and open her presents. Caleb will be doing what he does everyday. Other than a turkey and dressing dinner, Christmas won't be any different for him this year. Another reason I need to thank God for a many blessings I over look and take for granted.

I know it is hard for the families to have a missing piece of their Christmas, but the soldiers are missing all the luxuries that we get. Please remember them while you are drinking hot cider and watching Christmas movies with your family or opening presents in your warm pajamas.

May 1, 2012 cannot come soon enough!!!!

Camouflage and Christmas Lights

I love this kid!!!

2011-12-08T23:45:00.000-06:00

Note: This post has no real purpose other than to share some snapshots of Emmy that were taken one morning after her bath. Enjoy!

Before: I get upset when my hair is a hot mess too, Emmy!

After: And a little oral hygiene

Emmy decided that clothes were overrated after her bath this particular morning so she started cleaning with me - half naked.

She is such a big helper! I mean dusting is fun right?!

After cleaning she decided it was a good time to put on some make up

Then I finally put some clothes on her and headed downstairs for a mid morning snack - a chocolate covered granola bar.

Within the ten minutes it took her to eat it, she grew a chocolate beard!

So bath #2 and a new outfit was warranted.

The life of a toddler is awesome!

2011-12-06T22:15:00.000-06:00

Check out the latest post on my photography blog!

http://kaylawilkesphotography.blogspot.com/2011/12/sister-sister.html

Our Thanksgiving

2011-12-03T00:26:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving week was full of family, travel, phone calls from Iraq, and decorating for Christmas!

Emmy seemed to enjoy the two Thanksgiving dinners we had...

She loves pumpkin pie!

After eating all the yummy food that grandmama made, she got pretty tired.

After the holiday, Crissy, Emmy, and I ventured out to find a Christmas tree. It was really cool out, so I had to bundle Emmy up.

Once we found the perfect tree and it was being tied to the car, I let Emmy run around a bit. She thought it was so fun dodging between trees to try to run away from me!

Then we took it home, got some grub, took a bath, and started decorating.

Emmy did a pretty good job of putting the ornaments all in the same spot on the tree and she loved helping!

Playing Catch Up

2011-11-29T20:55:00.001-06:00

Emmalyn and I have been two busy girls lately! I guess while daddy is gone, busy is the best way to be though! We had a great Thanksgiving with both my parents and then later on Thanksgiving with Caleb's family. Emmy is now eating with forks and spoons by herself and loves it! Here she is eating pumpkin pie and chocolate pudding. I think that smile says it all!

On Friday we had a birthday party for the youngest in our family (on the Wilkes side), Abby. We did things a little different and made cake pops for the occasion to have after lunch. They we a hit!!! Please don't judge the horrible icing job!

Yep... They were yummy!

Abby's official birthday is December 2, but her family will be moving to NC on that day so we decided to do the party early.

On Saturday we played around outside at Ama and Bop's house (Caleb's parents). They have a HUGE yard with a pond and their neighbors have a lot of exotic yet tame animals so it is perfect for kids! While the men were seeing the animals, the girls went for a walk.

I started taking photos, and Anna got interested in the Camera. She started hamming it up with the poses and I even let her take a few shots.

Image capture by Anna Karis Wilkes!

Total ham - so cute!

Then Anna asked me to take some photos of her swinging. She made all kind of faces at the camera, but I liked this one the best. This face is so Anna. She is playful and doesn't get sad often. She is very lively and adventurous. I felt like this face expressed that - and love the fact that her mom and little sis are in the background waiting to push her higher!

And I had to add this photo of Emmy. Taken on auto ( just as a snapshot), but I love her smile! She looks so much like her daddy here. Makes me happy and miss him more, all at the same time!

Yes, life is busy but grand indeed.

From Scrooge to blessed

2011-11-26T01:09:00.000-06:00

Latley, I really feel like being a scrooge. This is my favorite time of year, but I just can't seem to be happy about my life when half of me is in another country. I know we signed up for this, but I honestly didn't think I would get physically sick missing my husband.

With that said, life has to go on and I need to count my blessings to realize that I have so much to be thankful for, even if it isn't all on the same continent as I am.

In an effort to count my blessings and not be mood killing scrooge I made a list of the things I'm most thankful for. Here are my top five.

1. My salvation. God's love, grace, and mercy continue to amaze me every year! If it weren't for Him, I wouldn't have anything to be thankful for!

2. My husband. I love that I've gotten to watch him grow to become a man. I love that the majority of major events in my life include him. I love how manly he is, but also how considerate loving he can be. I love how great of a daddy he is (even from Iraq). I love how he knows me better than anyone else. I love that he is a patriotic man and loves the country and the people enough to put his life in danger to sustain it. I love that even though he is a man's man, he lets God take charge and trusts Him and obeys Him.

3. My daughter. I love her more and more everyday. She is the perfect combination of her daddy and me. I love that she makes me stop and appreciate the little things in life. These days she is my best bud, my partner in crime. Her recent unexpected hugs and kisses make my day!

4. My Family - meaning my extended family. I would not have gotten through the past nine months of having Caleb gone without their support and constant love. My parents and in laws help keep Emmalyn any time I have to go to work or a photo shoot and even when I just need some "Kayla time" while not being "Emmalyn's mom." My sisters in law help to keep me sane without a husband around. My brother has really stepped up to help with the things that Caleb would usually do (yard work, fixing things, lifting heavy things etc). He is also a fantastic uncle to Emmalyn - and she loves him so much!

5. My friends. There are so many to be thankful for! Crissy, fellow army wife, Emmalyn's Godmother, and the person I come home to at night. She allows me to talk about the frustrations of being without a husband, she cooks for me when I don't feel like it (which is more often than I'd like to admit these days), and she helps me with Emmalyn so much! Living with her allows me to do things I wouldn't be able to do living by myself during this deployment and I was thinking the other day how I truly feel like living with her has been so much better than the alternative of living alone.
My best friends, Katie Beth and Ashley. They call to catch up at least once a week and make sure that I'm doing well. Even though most of my friends haven't and won't have to experience months without their husbands, they make it a point to support me by letting me know they are there for me.
Bethany and her son, Porter have been a blessing on more than one occasion. Emmalyn and Porter love playing together (most of the time) and I can talk to Beth so easily. We were hanging out the other day and as Emmalyn and I were at the front door to leave Porter ran over to Emmalyn, stopped about a foot in front of her, smiled and then kissed her... ON THE LIPS!!! You should wish you could have seen the smile on his face after he kissed her! #littlepimp. (When I told Caleb this story, he was less than ecstatic, but I'm not too sure Porter will know what a rifle is for yet : )
Elizabeth and Ellasyn. I've blogged about our play dates before. Its great when we get together because our girls love to play and we love to hang out. We've even managed to hang out without the girls some lately. I don't think about how lonely I am when I'm with the Neal girls!
Kim. Another fellow army wife who also loves Jesus and co led my bible study. She is the cutest little momma and so sweet and real! I'm cherishing this new friendship.
My small group. This group of ladies makes me want to be closer to God. They are amazing and so special to me!

I guess with so many people to be thankful for, there's no excuse for me to be a scrooge!!!

Not a simple Saturday

2011-11-20T21:56:00.000-06:00

This weekend was jam packed!!! I've known for a while that Caleb's unit was being honored at the Carolina/Citadel game so I started looking for tickets. A sweet college friend gave me two of her seats for FREE! You can't get any better than that! So on Saturday, Crissy, her dad, Kim and I headed to Williams Brice!!!

A fellow army (almost) wife, Staci and her family have an awesome set up for tailgating. They invited us to join them and even gave us a free rock star parking spot. All the food was amazing! I didn't get a photo of the spread though (because I was too busy eating it!!!)

We decided some photos of all of us was definitely needed.

If you notice in the photos below, we are all wearing yellow ribbon pins. Crissy made them for all the army wives so we could show our patriotic pride for all soldiers (but mostly for the one that put a ring on our finger : )

Crissy did such a great job on them. The photo of the apache is actually one from our husbands' unit!!!

Some of the 1-151st wives

More wives

Two of my favorites!!!

To start the game off, the 1-151st ARB's commander (Col. Davis) introduced himself and the soldiers before they started the "GAME COCKS" chant.

Then the Gamecocks whooped up on some Citadel boys.

The halftime show was packed with patriotic songs, balloons, American flags, men/women in uniform and even an F-16 fly by!!

After the game, Crissy, Kim, and I ate some mexican and shopped a little.

Then my time playing hookie from being a mom was up, so we headed to pick Emmy up from my parents' house.

Apparently while she was with my parents and brother she got brave enough to go down the neighbor's slide by herself and she was pretty proud of herself for doing it! I must get this on video for Caleb to see but it was too dark to get one at this time.

At the end of a good day, coming home to this smile and a big "I missed you mommy" hug is priceless!

CW2!!!

2011-11-13T11:55:00.000-06:00

My husband is now a Chief Warrant Officer!!!!

I'm one proud army wife!

He looks so happy!

as of late..

2011-11-12T22:19:00.000-06:00

I've gone through four seasons of Friday Night Lights in about two weeks. I'm in love with this show! And I love that Netflix has the seasons on their instant que! #howtowasteyourtime

I'm trying to not waste all of my free time by reading more. I got this book (for free!) from Amazon and started it tonight. I've been told to prepare myself mentally and emotionally before diving into it. I'm hoping God is molding me into a magnificent wife while Caleb is gone.

With all the work I've been doing lately, my back has started hurting again. I really feel like an old lady lately! I'm hoping to find some time (and a babysitter) in my busy schedule to get a massage. I'm also pondering whether I should see a chiropractor. Any advice?

The week ahead is my busiest of the month. I'm trying to keep my head up and take it one day at a time.

170 days till I see my hubby's face again!

The Four Ls

2011-11-12T21:06:00.000-06:00

Emmalyn and I spent much of last week with Caleb's sister and her family. They currently live in Tennessee, about nine hours away from us. The trip there and back took about twelve hours. We made many rest stops so Emmy could stretch her legs. Some friends of ours also let me borrow their DVD player so Emmy would be entertained during the trip (it was a so great to have!).

I haven't been to Sara and Keath's since Lynsey was born seven years ago. Caleb and I weren't even engaged! A lot has changed in just seven years!

Sara and Keath have four daughters. Yes... FOUR!

Lynsey

Laurel

Liya

Lidia

Emmy got to spend time with each of them, and I got to know my nieces better. It was a wonderful four days!

Lynsey is the oldest. She is incredibly smart and so sweet! She's most like her mother. She was very in tune to Emmalyn's wants and needs while we were there and helped me so much! She loves horses, drawing, reading, and my favorite, photography!

Laurel is five. She is a free spirit and was my little model for the visit. She loves girly things like makeup, hair accessories, and getting her picture taken. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was little

Liya is a hoot! She speaks her mind and loves being the center of attention. She gets all dolled up, but then runs outside to climb trees!

I've loved watching these three grow up!

Then, came a sweet surprise... Lidia!

Lidia is quiet and tolerant. She observes she sisters closely and seems to just enjoying being the baby of the family at the moment.

On our last night, the girls decided we should have a makeover party! So, I bought them some E.L.F makeup and we had a great time making each other over.

After our makeovers we cuddled up to watch Despicable Me. I promptly fell asleep on the couch as every one else watched the movie. Five girls is tiring!

I'm so happy to have had this time and the memories with my sister in law and nieces.

Happy Veterans Day

2011-11-11T07:09:00.002-06:00

To say life has been busy lately is an understatement. I guess being crazy busy is better than the alternative of being lonely and just watching the days pass by slowly.

I've been super busy visiting family in Tennessee, photo shoots, editing photo shoots, working at the hospital, taking care of my little toddler, and making time to talk to my husband whenever the opportunity arrises.

Its sad, but the only days I really want to get myself presentable are skype days. I love seeing my soldier's face on the computer screen. I treat as kind of our once a week date.

Today is a skype day: )

Saying "good bye" to Caleb over skype one afternoon

Today is also 11/11/11 - Veterans Day.

A day set aside to reflect on our safety and freedom and the men and women who serve our country to provide that safety and freedom.

I have a lot to blog about, but today I only want to use this post to honor the past, present, and future of our US military and their families.

I'm especially proud of my husband. He sacrifices months away from his growing daughter to live in the desert and work 72 hours a week.

I'm also proud of myself for making it halfway through our first deployment without going too crazy!

Be sure to show appreciation to the people of this country who sacrifice time with their loved ones and stare war in the face so you don't have to!

2011-11-06T20:40:00.000-06:00

A beautiful family on a perfect fall day in Tennessee!

I got to tag along with my sister in law on a photo shoot. We had a blast tagging the shoot together! She has taught me so much and I was honored that she wanted me to go along with her.

My Little Ladybug

2011-10-31T01:01:00.000-05:00

Last year I put together a ladybug costume for Emmalyn but had no where to take her plus she was pretty young, so it didn't get used. This year, she was a big too big for it, but I still wanted her to be a lady bug so I searched for a new costume. I found the body of her costume at TJ Maxx. It is a bit on the babyish side (because I got the 6-12 month size) but I do love how adorable she looks in it.

I tried it on her yesterday just to make sure it fit and so she could walk in it a bit before her first trick or treat outing tonight. She didn't mind all that went into getting her dressed at all. I think she knows she looks cute whenever I get my camera out and girl hams it up too!

On to her ladybug adventure!

Can't wait to take her trick or treating!

2011-10-27T01:00:00.000-05:00

Check out my newest photo shoot posted to the photography blog!

http://kaylawilkesphotography.blogspot.com/2011/10/tracy-ashley.html

You know you're a mom when...

2011-10-25T00:38:00.000-05:00

~ You can't fit your groceries in the trunk of your car because it is full of baby gear.

~ You shower with bath toys at your feet

~ You find yourself saying "uh oh!" whenever you drop something even if a toddler is no where in sight.

~ Having a meal by yourself sounds more amazing than lame

~ You've had to replace not one, but two cell phones due to toddler mishandlings

~ Your "out the door" checklist now consists of: sippy cup, snack trap, diaper, wipes, and oh yea, car keys

~ You know the morning line up The Disney Channel

~ You feel naked if there isn't a child attached to you in some way

~ You give weekly manicures and pedicures, but not to yourself - and they are not pleasant

~ You've read certain books so many times that you don't even read them anymore.

~ Most outings require strategic planning

~ Your daughter has a better wardrobe than you do

~ Your mood depends on how your child(ren) are acting.

~ You are constantly monitoring and very in tune to what's on television or the radio

~ You are dreading the teen years and even more... college.

I love being a mom. But more so, I love being Emmy's mom.

2011-10-22T23:12:00.000-05:00

Check out my new photography post!

http://kaylawilkesphotography.blogspot.com/2011/10/bridal-shoot-amanda.html

IT'S A...

2011-10-18T06:29:00.000-05:00

My best friend and her hubby found out the gender of their first little bun yesterday and had a gender reveal party last night. I was so excited to be able to be there with her on "the best day of her life!" and celebrate with the happy couple along with their families.

Her sister in law is also pregnant with a boy!

The EXTREMELY happy daddy to be!

I love these two and little Hilton!

Move around like you just don't care...

2011-10-16T20:43:00.000-05:00

Cause we're headed to the South Carolina State Fair!

I have very fond memories of going to the fair with my parents as a small child, with friends after school in middle school, and with Caleb when we were dating in high school, and this year I got to introduce my first born child to it! Even though daddy was not with us, the gang we went with took lots of photos so he could see our experiences and laugh with us!

We started the day off early - getting to the fair at 1030! Crissy (my housemate) her parents, sister, and sister's friend tagged along with Emmy and me.

On the way there, rain and dark clouds seemed to follow us, but after a few light sprinkles the sun showed up along with a breeze that was heavenly.

Emmlayn was mesmerized for the first hour, just taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells.

She enjoyed seeing some of our gang high up in the sky twirling around and around aimlessly.

Then we let her loose!

We chased her around for a little while then I thought it was time to try out the kiddie rides.

We ventured to the tug boat and got all set to go when the kid in front of us started freaking out and climbing on his mom. Emmy had a very terrified, concerned look on her face by this point as she watched the child scream in terror. Not the best start to her first carnival ride. Once it started up she kept looking at me to make sure I was okay. I think she was a little scared, but once she saw that I was smiling it calmed her down.

Then we watched the grown ups ride a few more high intensity rides.

At one point we ventured away from the rides to see the animals. Emmalyn absolutely LOVED it! We went face to face with cows, rabbits, pigs, and ducks. There was also a petting zoo complete with goats, donkeys, and monkeys.

I think the best part of our experience from the day was Emmalyn getting to ride a pony. I let her pet them first and choose which one she wanted to ride on. She chose a black one, but he was a bit tall and she wanted to be able to hold on to me while riding so I put her on the white one which was a little smaller.

Emmy was a little skeptical at first but for the most part she enjoyed it.

After all the excitement, she was exhausted!

As she slept Dani (Crissy's sister and I) rode Karen the elephant.

Then she woke up just in time for the elephant show, which was great!

The day was so good - but the whole time I was thinking about how much I wished Caleb was with us! Maybe next year!

A few reasons I'm happy

2011-10-13T00:55:00.000-05:00

~ Today I got to talk to Caleb for an hour! We talked about our future together, our family, our future children, how we've grown through the ten years we've been together and how much we love and miss each other. It was great! I'm so blessed that God provided me with such an amazing man to spend my life with. I'm still so in love with him and it only grows each day - even when we aren't on the same continent!

~ I have loved being a mom this week. I have the week off which was very needed after nursing eleven, yes, eleven patients last week! Even though Emmy has had her moments of drama this week, I absolutely love being her mom. It is amazing, especially when she wants to do things like mom!

~ I got crafty tonight. I haven't done a lot of crafts since Emmy has been born and since I don't have a home of my own to decorate at the moment. I forgot how fun it is to be creative.

~ Emmy and I got the sweetest note in the mail today from her dentist. They took a photo of her (as they do for all of their patients) and sent two of them to us - one for us to keep, and one to send to Daddy. That small effort really meant so much to me - to know that even though most of the population doesn't have to go through or understand what it is like to have a spouse gone from you for months at a time in an area of increased risk, they try to show they care in other ways or try to help those who do go through this for the freedom of this country. It just spoke volumes to me. Sorry about the soap box - I'm just a proud army wife and American.

~ I watched a great movie tonight - To Save A Life. If you get a chance, watch it.

~ I love my church. I started going to a bible study with a small group on Wednesday morning that really helps get my mind back to Christ mid week. I love that most of the people are so real and the teaching is bold but true.

~ I'm loving taking photos. It really makes me happy and even if the whole business side of things doesn't take off, I'm so glad I have a hobby that I love and that I can offer to people. It is also amazing to be able to capture God's beauty in a snapshot. Seeing a child's smile, a couple in love, or even big fluffy clouds - all God's beauty, and having a small part of it in our hands is just awesome! And we still have no idea what beauty lies ahead of us in heaven!
Speaking of, be sure to look at my photography blog to see the sweet beauty that I just posted!
http://kaylawilkesphotography.blogspot.com/2011/10/sweet-baby-ava.html

Things I'm loving lately

2011-10-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

1. Pinterest - I wish I had more hours in my day to spend on the site and then actually do the things that I find to do from it!

2. New Girl - laugh out loud at each episode. I love how kooky Jess (Zooey) is.

3. Wild Smiles - Emmy's dentist appointment was today and went well. The news was not what we expected, but I really enjoyed the staff and how much time and effort they put into making Emmy and me feel comfortable. I highly recommend them if any mommies are looking for a pediatric dentist in Lexington.

4. one week off work! Much needed because I totally feel like this while I'm there!

5. Hand written letters from my soldier - I love him and these are the best I get of him right now.

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

Our first trip to the pumpkin patch this year did not exactly go as well as we hoped.

It was a group even complete with Ellasyn, her mom, our friends Amanda, Clory, and Jenna and I got to meet Jenna's son, Eli, for the first time... Finally.

The first thing that wasn't right about the day was the temperature. It was hot. Not exactly get-in-the-mood-for-fall weather.

Then, as Elizabeth got Ellasyn out of the car she yelled to us that little Ellasyn just projectile vomited all in the car (sorry for the visual, but projectile is a lot worse than just a little spit up).

We concluded that having a snack that included milk right after her dance class could have caused the sudden illness (we hope that's all it was), so Liz changed Ellasyn's clothes and the girls started running around the farm and seemed to be doing well.

Ellasyn seemed to be doing okay, but then Emmalyn started getting tired and when she gets tired she gets selective hearing and just does her own thing. I spent a lot of my time chasing her.

Meanwhile, Liz was hosing off Ellasyn's carseat and Jenna was changing Eli's diaper, rocking him, feeding him, ya know, newborn stuff.

In between the chaos I managed to get a few good photos (I'm hoping Liz got a few too). However, my child didn't want to sit with me long enough for us to get a good pic together which upset me more than it should since the only time I get photos with her is when we are with other people because daddy isn't around to work the camera.... but I digress.

I present to you...

Pumpkin Patch 2011

The shirt was made by Liz's neighbor and a fellow LHS alum, Katie!

Emmy with Amanda (looking might chic I might add).

Baby Eli!!!!

Emmy exploring

I think this is such a sweet picture

Ellasyn trying out the mechanical horse (we didn't turn it on though)

Apparently Emmy needed a break so Ellasyn joined her

Overall it was good to catch up with friends and get outside some.

Maybe we'll go again when the weather is a little more crisp.

funny faces

2011-10-04T21:39:00.001-05:00

The many faces of Gamecock football (any Gamecock fan will appreciate this)!

Cocky! Game's about to start! Get excited!

Very intense first half!

And half time... Pretty excited to be ahead!

Wait! What is Garcia thinking?!?!?

Better late than never...

2011-09-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

So I know I'm a week late on posting this but last Saturday one of my best friends, Ashley, and her sister, Shannon, came to visit! After they got to Lexington, we headed downtown to tailgate with some other fun people.

Tara was one of Ashley's roommates in college and I got to know her pretty well. She is sweet as can be! After becoming a pharmacist, Tara moved to Nashville, TN to start her adult life. As she waited in the airport for her flight to return to Nashville after visiting family in SC she met a guy named Joe and they hit it off. Coincidently, he was also heading to Nashville. They have now been dating for six months and I finally got to meet him at the tailgate on Saturday. I loved him! He was great with Emmalyn, treats Tara well, and is very friendly and charismatic. Now, we are just waiting on the bling (hint, hint Joe).

Once we got to their tailgate the sky opened up and it poured! So we all piled underneath the tents and waited it out. Emmy thought we were all crazy but went with the flow (pun intended) anyway.

As we waited on the rain to stop we snuck in a few pics!

After playing in the rain Emmy decided she needed a snack. A chocolate chip cookie would do.

After eating her cookie she noticed something. A guy with tatoos covering his left calf. Not knowing what it was she walked right up to him and attempted to wipe the drawings off. Funniest. thing. ever. I'm glad the guy took it well. Mostly because his calf was as big as she is! Once she realized it wasn't coming off she needed a break...

Then I put my camera to rest and let Joe take the shutter responsibility. I felt and look pretty frumpy next to these tall, thin beauties, but I love them!

And... Touchdown! Enough said.

I was so happy to be there while Emmalyn experienced at least part of Gamecock football. I'm hoping next year Daddy will be with us as we experience Emmalyn's first Williams Brice game!

Oh Baby!

2011-09-26T23:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I attended a baby shower for a fellow NICU nurse, Kim. I took her maternity pictures and posted them on my photography blog a few weeks ago. You can view them here.

The shower was so fun and big success. Seeing my old coworkers was great (and made me sad that I'm not with them anymore).

When I wasn't chasing Emmy around I was shutter happy and here are the results...

Cutest pregnant lady laugh!

The NICU ladies know how to spoil a momma! They built the diaper cake around a bottle of Arbor Mist. Amazing! Kim, just don't drink too much at first because 9 months of no alcohol can make you a light weight!

Are these not some BEAUTIFUL ladies! It's almost sad that only preemie/sick babies get nurses like these!

Babies added

Kim, Khloe, Emmy, and the hostesses.

One loved little girl!

15 month stats

2011-09-25T01:38:00.000-05:00

Emmalyn's 15 month Stats (better late than never)

Weight - 18lb 6oz (5th percentile)

Height - 30in (5th percentile)

Head - 17.5in (10th percentile)

Size of clothes - 6-9 month to 12 months

Eye color - very brown

Sleep - 8-10 hours a night

Food - getting a little more picky. One day she will like something (ie. chicken salad) and the next day she won't. If I try giving her the same thing a week later she'll eat it. I usually have 2 or 3 options in my head for meal times in case she decides she doesn't want my first choice. I guess she is just a girl changing her mind on a whim.

Some foods she does love:

peanut butter

sweet tea

pretzels

pancakes

hummus

cheese

bananas

bread

Milestones - she now runs instead of walking. She's still a little slow on the verbal skills, but communicates well with sign language. She knows her body parts and can point to them (she thinks it is so fun). She is able to follow more complex commands like "go get another book and bring it to mommy so we can read it" and "put it in the trash can." She also now walks to the car when we get ready to go somewhere instead of me carrying her (I'm kind of sad about this one!).

Current words:

hot

daddy

momma

Bop (what we call Caleb's dad)

stop

uh oh

thank you

dog

She makes owl, cat, dog, cow and bird noises

Favorite activities - Running around telling the dogs to "stop," walking outside (she loves the outdoors!), "helping" me cook, playing with make up, rearranging the clean clothes that I just folded, trying to fit in the smallest place that she can, putting tops back on things like bottles and cans. She will hand you a bottled drink for you to open a give her some. She loves to climb on and off the couches and plays a new game that I've (very intelligently named) "up down" wear she sits in your lap and stands up and waits for you to say "up" then she sits back down and waits for you to say "down" and repeats this about twenty times.

And here are some recent pictures.

Last week our neighbors got a puppy named Sonny. Emmy is not too sure about him because he likes to gnaw on her pants, hands, shoes, you name it.

She got really good at telling him to stop though.

Like I said before, she loves to play outside! I think this is why she is so attached to Bop because he takes her outside a lot and lets her roam around on their spacious property.

Her new outfit came from a thrift store that Ama (Caleb's mom) found!

One of my new favorite photos of her.

This is Emmy blowing like the wind.

What kid doesn't like bubbles?

reading along with Daddy as he reads a book he sent from Kuwait.

Daddy's on tv!!

A Rude Awakening and Surprise Party!

2011-09-19T00:11:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday I threw a surprise anniversary party for my parents. Well, the surprise was mostly for my mom because my parents planned a trip to Disney World to celebrate and I wanted to make sure I three the party when they would still be in town.

Then Friday came. As I was cleaning the house a belt on my vacuum broke (thank goodness I live with another woman who has a vacuum too!). After trying to fix it for an hour then giving up and using the other vacuum to finish cleaning and having a sick toddler running around me and four dogs to tend to I was pretty tired. I waited up for Caleb to call, talk to him for a few minutes and headed to bed. About thirty minutes later every smoke alarm in the house started alarming. Talk about a rude awakening! I spend another hour trying to get them to cut off. Called my dad, Crissy, and the police department for some guidance, but didn't get much from my half asleep father, no answer from Crissy (who was in G-Ville with her family), and a "maybe its the batteries" from the officer. Thanks. Finally I made the decision to pack a bag and head to my parents' for the remainder of the night. However, waking Emmalyn up after 7 hours of sleep made her think it was morning and she didn't sleep AT ALL for the rest of the night. So, as the party started, I was functioning off of 1 hour of sleep!!! Good thing my child is cute! HA!

Oh, the adventures of an army wife during deployment. I should totally write a book!

So, now that you have the back story we'll start with the pictures.

Here is table set up. Emmy got hungry before the party started so she taste tested everything first!

I had a family friend make the cake. The same girl that taught me how to ride a bike without training wheels. She is a special lady and a great baker!

The framed invitation

The spread

My parents finally arrived and my mom was really surprised.

Eat. Drink. And Be Merry...

And watch Carolina Football!

During half time mom and dad cut the cake. I love how Emmy didn't want Grandmama to put her down so she ended up with a front row seat to the cake cutting.

Being the only grandchild at the moment, Emmy got to taste the cake too.

Group shot (thanks Crissy)

One of my dad's oldest friends and his wife looking at my parents' wedding album

My bro finally made it from work so we had to get a family picture (minus Caleb and Emmy)

And the lady that helped me pull it all off!!! She was so helpful! We throw a mean party together!

My Best Friend with the BUMP

2011-09-16T00:32:00.000-05:00

Katie Beth woke up the other day and found something new...

A BABY BUMP!!!!

It's teeny but the little bugger is growing.

15 weeks down, 25 left to go.

I love you KB and your little bump!

2011-09-15T19:15:00.000-05:00

Being on your period (TMI?), tired, having a husband deployed and watching movies like Remember the Titans is a recipe for a tearful night!

Oh, hormones... How I loathe you!!!

I might need some ice cream.

The Very Busy Day

2011-09-13T12:46:00.000-05:00

We started our day out pretty lax. Running around in our underwear. Actually, just Emmy ran around in her underwear but I stayed in pj's for a while. We spent the last night at Caleb's parents' house and Emmy found some fun stuff of Ama's to play with.

She's starting to get interested with wallets and purses. Daddy really needs to come home now because I'm not going to be able to support these habits for long by myself!!

Then we finally got ready and went to visit Grandmama (my mom) at her salon before going to Emmy's 15-month appointment. Emmy found that she could get a better look outside if she stood on this ledge. We were careful to watch her closely, but how can a cutie like that not bring in more business - even if she hasn't even had a haircut yet in her life?

After her appointment (we will get to that later) we went home for a nap - ya gotta nap after getting a shot in both thighs (poor baby). After waking up feeling not-so-refreshed, we headed to Ellasyn's house for a play date.

The girls (and their mommas) had a really good time. After snacking, reading books, playing with blocks, riding push toys, and awing over the dogs it was time for the girls to get a bath.

They had the best time in the bath together squealing, splashing each other and their mommas, throwing the bath toys outside the tub, and posing for photos (for the snap happy moms).

Here the girls were having fun playing "splash wars"

I think this is hilarious! No, my kid is not about to vomit - just a squealing face.

Ellasyn is such a great poser for her mom!

Once they were squeaky clean and in pj's they found finger puppets, books, and sunglasses to play with.

Ellasyn found a bedtime story and from her facial expressions it was riveting!

Even her mom thought so! Ha ha!

Even though Emmy's arm is in the foreground, I couldn't help but post this sweet Ellasyn smile!

Emmy found some sunglasses and brought to life "I wear my sunglasses at night"

Then she decided to wear them like mom does - so cute!

Around 9pm the girls fell asleep and Liz and I relaxed while watching the Miss Universe Pageant.

It was a busy day but so great!

PS - we missed you Amanda!

We Will Not Forget

2011-09-10T17:39:00.001-05:00

The happenings on September 11, 2001 hit me pretty hard, but it is affecting my family more today.

Because instead of being home with us, my husband is deployed. Fighting for so much. And instead of seeing him everyday I get photos like this once a week.

However, I feel very thankful to still have my husband alive. So many families lost their loved ones on that horrible day - So, I remember to count my blessings.

I also wanted to use this remembrance post to let you know how Home Depot is honoring soldiers. Home Depot has no idea that I'm doing this...I just think they should be recognized for what they are doing for soldiers and their families.

I love how companies and people use their talents and resources to help the military. I'm learning quickly how big of a sacrifice being a part of the armed forces really is and it means so much to see others trying to make the lonely times more bearable by providing what they can.

http://homedepotfoundation.org/

There is also a Facebook group that was formed by a high school classmate and now client of mine that you should check out as well.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/153084471424650/

Please take a moment tomorrow and pray for the families who lost loved ones ten years ago and remember those who are fighting today and their lonely families sacrificing precious time from their soldier. It is a lot harder than anyone led me to believe.

However, to leave on a comical note, I saw this bumper sticker while still living in Alabama and laughed, but now it is very prevalent to my life (no more babies here for a while!)

Army Wife:

Sexually Deprived for Your Freedom

recent happenings

2011-09-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my best friend and I had some girl time! We had so much fun catching up and shopping. Later we met up with two of our besties from college for dinner. It was just like old times - except we are now older! These girls are the reason I made it through nursing school and kept some sanity!

While I was with the girls, Emmy was with her Ama and Bop (Caleb's parents). When I went to pick her up we took a walk outside because it felt great (I think it is so sad that 85 degrees feels "good" to me). I got a few photos of her. I think she is starting to expect the camera and knows it as the norm now.

I just love this stage!! She has so much personality but she keeps me guessing because she can't say many words right now but knows what she wants so we are constantly developing our dialect with each other.

The next two are my attempt at getting a self portrait of us. Note to self, I don't have arms long enough to use the 50mm lens for this!

However, I do love Emmy's face in these!

Well, that's all I've got for today! I'm getting excited about a maternity shoot with an old friend tomorrow!

Back to school - Target style

2011-09-06T22:23:00.000-05:00

This commercial makes me laugh every time I see it.

Dip-dip

2011-09-05T23:44:00.000-05:00

My daughter's grandparents (not just one set; both sets) have introduced Emmalyn to dipping sauces. She is not obsessed. She loves it all! Ranch, ketchup, honey mustard etc.

She very delicately dips her fry, chicken nugget, bread into the sauce and devours.

I have to admit, it is kind of cute.

Best. pick me up. EVER

2011-09-04T17:55:00.000-05:00

Rush's Hot Fudge Cake

And I didn't even feel guilty afterwards.

A pity party that warrants some retail therapy

2011-09-03T23:01:00.000-05:00

Caleb is now en route to Iraq. I haven't talked to him since Friday. Even though it has only been a few hours, I'm still sad and miss him dearly. I don't know how, but I do feel the extra distance between us and we have 240 days left until we see each other again (unless by some miracle his unit is granted an R & R which isn't looking great at the moment).

On top of the more difficult communication with my husband, I'll be working my first night shift in a year and half tonight. Bad timing on my part.

I am liking my new job more and more though. The people are great and very personable.

To make myself feel a little better I got a few fall decorations and fall scented candles to celebrate the (hopeful) change of season.

Also to help keep my sanity, my wonderful mother in law kept Emmy for a few hours while I ran some very and some not so very important errands. I got a ton done and had some time to do a little retail therapy. Actually, I didn't get a lot but I did find a white pitcher that I've been wanting for a while. It was cheaper than the one I had my eye on at Target. Now, I just need some flowers to put in it.

Movie Anticipation

2011-09-03T02:30:00.000-05:00

Last week my mom mentioned that she wanted to see The Help. I also wanted to see it so I thought it would be a good mother daughter outing. Emmy stayed with my dad and brother while we chowed down pop corn and laughed at the hilarious antics of the "help" in response to their ungrateful employers. The movie was great and one I'd recommend.

I have an infatuation with movies. I love having a good laugh or good cry whenever I need it and I love how some movies make you appreciate the little things in life and how I hugged Emmy a little tighter after seeing The Help. You get to escape your life for a couple of hours and live in someone else's and its complete with background music and, if you're at home, a pause button.

So, now with the hubby gone and my chronic insomnia I get to catch up on movies that I've always wanted to see (thanks to netflix) and look up movies I'm looking forward to seeing.

I have found three other movies being released in the coming months or already out that I would be interested in seeing.

I just don't see how one could go wrong with this cast.

One relationship, 20 years. I love love stories like this!

Channing Tatum. Enough said.

J/k - its about two people who are very in love and get into a car accident and the wife loses her memory so hubby exhausts himself trying to get her to fall in love with him again. #tear.

Now, I just need a babysitter!

Just Emmy

2011-09-03T00:28:00.001-05:00

Some rent photos of Emmy.

This is what not counting calories looks like! Taken after she devoured a peanut butter and nutella sandwich.

This is what a trip to the ER looks like after returning home. #snaggletooth.

This is what a happy, clean baby looks like.

This is what an army brat looks like. Talking with daddy. #suchaham!!

The Dailey Girls

2011-09-02T22:48:00.000-05:00

I was blessed to be able to spend part of this week with my dear aunt and cousin. My aunt Cindy was 18 when I was born and took care of me a lot when I was younger. Her daughter was born when I was 13. We have all been very close so my mom and I were sad to learn that my aunt and cousin would be moving to Minnesota last year.

My mom, Emmy, and I went to Minnesota last year when Emmy was three months old. I was my first time on a plane (and Emmy's too). So, Cindy and Mari Beth (my cousin) haven't seen Emmalyn in a year. We had a lot of time to make up for in just a few days, so we did what the Dailey women do best... SHOPPED!

Having all the girl time this last week was great! Before they headed back to Minnesota, we grabbed some photos outside my mom's shop.

They both have the same expression in this photo!

So, I'm the oldest of the Dailey grandchildren, but I'm also the shortest of everyone is my family! NOT cool!

Gotta love the 5 points graffiti in the background!

Emmy high jacked the security golf cart!

I'm sad to see them go, but hope that Caleb, Emmy and me can visit them up north once he returns.

This stuff happens in threes right?

2011-09-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

So after Emmalyn's little incident that put her in the ER things have just gone down since.

On Monday I drove into a ditch. Yes, you read that right. I was only going about 5 mph and was trying to park on the side of the road to drop off a cd to a friend and didn't realize I was driving into a ditch. Everything was fine once we got the car out, but it was a little scary and quite embarrassing.

Then Emmy got a virus complete with runny nose, cough, no appetite, fever, and uncontrollable irritability. I decided to take her to the see the pediatrician to make sure her ears weren't getting infected. Once we were there we found that she's lost weight. The Dr. said we should push calories at this point. Any calories.

Here I was worried about getting the right foods in her like fruits and veggies and good meats like fish and chicken and now I'm supposed to give her peanut butter and honey as a snack and ice cream at least once a day (because she won't drink milk).

By the time of her 15 month appointment she needs to gain a pound or two to avoid further testing. I don't quite know what this testing will tell us and honestly I've been too scared to research it.

Also, while we were with the doctor, he mentioned that we should see a pediatric dentist due to the tooth that was knocked out.

I sure hope this bad news streak is ending soon. In the NICU we always said that things come in threes so we should be done if the rule applies here too.

I promise I will have a more entertaining post soon (complete with photos), but need to get back in a regular schedule and take care of all the extras that were thrown at me this week.

On a brighter note.....GOOOOOOOO COCKS!!!!!!!!!!

Some new additions

2011-08-28T21:56:00.000-05:00

I mentioned a few posts ago that I had rearranged Emmalyn's room to include a reading nook and got rid of the changing table. Well, I finally got around to taking some photos.

The bins hold diaper changing things and some toys. She also had a toy bucket full of stuffed animals that is sitting to the left of the rocking chair. The chair was my mom's when she was little and then it got passed down to me and now it is Emmy's. I painted it to match her room and she loves it. She's pretty good at getting in and out of it now.

Also, note the toy apache helicopter on the right that gets its own cubby.

I hung the paintings that our fellow army wife friend hand painted for her.

But my Emmalyn's new favorite addition is her hand sewn owl from Crissy's sister. She made it especially for Emmalyn. We are quite fond of animals in our house, and the new trend of owls everywhere is pulling us in!

Also, the pink basket in the center of the top was a fab find at Ross for $2!!

I also got a new addition to my room. This lovely monogrammed pillow. I'm hoping to get ambitious one of these days and make an upholstered headboard. We have a headboard but it's very low and our mattress is so plush that the pillows hide it.

Maybe once I catch up with life I'll start some new crafts to show off.

Hope you all have a great week!

The Very Unusual Day

2011-08-27T08:11:00.000-05:00

What a day we had yesterday!

I started the day off playing with Emmalyn. She is cutting more molars and is very clingy, which I loved since I was away from her a lot this week from work.

When we was napping I cleaned out the car and installed her new convertible car seat. I know it isn't a big deal, but I was pretty proud of myself for getting it in just right.

Then the fun started...

As we were getting ready to spend some time with Grandmama, Emmy decided to try to walk while on the bed. She tripped and fell right into the nightstand. I picked her up before she hit the floor but wasn't quick enough. There was blood coming from her mouth and she was screaming. I wiped and wiped and wiped but it just kept coming. Finally I realized that her lip wasn't cut so I started looking inside her mouth. That's when I saw her very swollen gum, only half of her right front tooth, and more blood.

I called Caleb to let him know we were headed to urgent care and I'd keep him posted.

Emmy was great. She had a little white coat syndrome while there but overall she was great.

My parents, brother, and Crissy were there with us and I think the attention helped her stay distracted.

The doctor took a closer look and determined that her tooth was chipped off at the gum which caused the bleeding. We are not yet sure how this will affect her adult tooth that is under the surface but for now we are just thankful that it wasn't worse.

After getting looked at by the doctor we all went to dinner and Emmy was more than happy to get some food. She was even taking fries off my plate to eat and this morning she is her normal happy, silly self... Just one tooth short : )

early morning walk

2011-08-25T14:47:00.000-05:00

So much is going on lately and having just 15 minutes to take a walk with my baby on such a beautiful morning puts things into perspective and makes me remember how blessed I am.

Hope you are having a great week!

FYI Q&A

2011-08-23T09:09:00.000-05:00

Okay guys, I'm giving you the opportunity to ask me anything! What do you want to know? You can send questions to my email so they are anonymous and I'll answer them in a new post next week. Get creative!

Email: mrswilkes07@yahoo.com

The many faces of Abby

2011-08-21T21:09:00.000-05:00

This weekend we are visiting one of my favorite families for their youngest daughter's baptism. Abby is the youngest, eighth grandchild on Caleb side of the family. I saw her last at around four months (too long ago). She is full of personality now at eight months and actually watches me a lot (probably because her mother and I looking strikingly alike).

During our trip Abby's first tooth decided to break through and she has taken very hard. Lots of tears, which is not like this girl at all! But it did allow us to spend some extra time with her tonight while the other three kids were fast asleep.

Sucking on her cold wash cloth and smiling at the same time.

Feeling a little better... after tylenol, mylicon, and a cold wash cloth to gnaw on.

She loves to stick her tongue out!

So precious!

Funniest Abby face... EVER!!!

1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion

2011-08-21T13:37:00.000-05:00

Caleb's in there somewhere.

Please join with me in praying for my husband and the 470 other men and women who will be fighting beside him over the next nine months.

2011-08-16T20:43:00.002-05:00

1 down, 260 to go

2011-08-15T22:01:00.001-05:00

Our weekend with Caleb came and went... fast!

We started our three days off in Charleston with a lunch at Caleb's favorite place... MOE'S! Then we went to the South Carolina Aquarium which Emmalyn loved!

Once we got back to Lexington we arrived at Porter's first birthday party. With the whole Smith clan in attendance, there was a lot going on! All the kids (including the adults) were having fun: ) There is never a dull moment with this family!

And of course Daddy got to hang out with Porter's dad too!

After partying it up it was time for a bath and bedtime. Daddy got to help with potty time, bath, and even read Emmy a new bedtime story. I could help but get a snapshot of this sweet cuddly moment.

The next morning started out slow. We took our time getting ready in the morning and then took a nap while Emmy napped. Once she woke up, Caleb wanted to get her but he was gone for a long time so I went into her room to see what was holding him up and found this...

I just had to grab my camera and get a photo. However, after taking the photo I held my breath as Caleb struggled to get out of the crib in fear that it would break but it didn't... Good to know!

On Saturday night we met my parents for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday. I'm pretty sure Emmalyn thought all the celebrating was for her (that's how the only grandchild gets treated!)

Once we were done with dinner we went to the arcade to play some games. While my parents entertained Emmy for a minute, Caleb and I played a friendly game of skeet ball, which I WON! Caleb would tell you I was just lucky, but I'm sticking to it being all skill!

Sunday was another lazy day spent with Caleb's parents. After church we had steak and potatoes for lunch and read books with Emmy. She loved showing us the animals.

After relaxing while Emmy napped, we took a walk around the pond and played outside.

That night, while Caleb's parents stayed with Emmalyn, we got to spend some time together alone. We went putt putting at Frankie's Fun Park and then to dinner at Yamato's! It was so great to be alone with him and not have to be concerned with another person. I felt like we were back in high school!

Then Monday came.

The entire morning I felt like my stomach was in my throat and I was nauseous. However, once we got to the airport I felt peace and was just thankful for the extra time we got to spend with Caleb before he headed overseas.

Emmy was so tired at the airport that she was delirious and it was so funny! She would be in my arms and then launch herself to Caleb and then back to me laughing the whole time. She lifted our spirits and made us laugh during a very tense time.

Even though we were crying as we kissed good bye we know God has this all under control and we can only trust Him.

Being an army wife really makes you cherish the small moments even more and I'm looking forward to the next time we get moments like this... whenever the army decides that will be.

And they're off... 1 day down. 260 days to go.

Thank you all for keeping us in your prayers and for supporting the soldiers and their families. The words of encouragement mean more than you know!

MIA

2011-08-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today I will meet my husband at the airport and my daughter will walk up to him. Today I actually get to hold his hand and hug his neck. I am beyond excited! Needless to say, I'll be living up the little bit of time I get with him for the next four days and won't be thinking about much else. So, I'll be back on Tuesday to tell you all about our weekend together! Have a great weekend!

Saturday Morning Dance Party

2011-08-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

This is what we do on Saturday mornings...

Yes, dance to Sesame Street tunes with our pj pants on our head. What?! You don't do that too?!

Looking forward to: Fall tv

2011-08-03T14:11:00.000-05:00

So, with no husband around to rag on, one has to find other things to be excited about. My best friend, Ashley and I have a love for "our shows" and have been tv buddies since college. Now, my roommate, Crissy, is the same way and its great! The line up this fall looks pretty enticing so I wanted to share the shows that I'm looking forward to, to help pass the time away ya know?!

One of my guilty pleasures. Don't know why, but I love this one!

I started watching How I Met Your Mother as reruns late at night when I was up feeding Emmy. Now that I get the story line, it is kind of interesting - but geez, could we meet the "mom" already?!?!?

I love Zooey Deschanel. I first noticed her in Failure to Launch (with the bird that wouldn't let her sleep) and Elf (epic Christmas movie!) and now she has a new show! Zooey once a week? Yes please!

And the other new show I'm looking forward to is Up All Night. First of all, the cast seems great and poking fun at the hardships of parenthood is always a blast!

Of course there will be the usuals, like The Bachelor, Army Wives, and American Idol (all starting in the winter).

**Note: I was a nursing major. Although I know how to speak english, writing is a different story and even though every one of my english teachers would cringe to read this, I still have no idea how to properly write movie/show and/or book titles. Do you italicize or add quotes or underline? Anyone want to enlighten me with an english lesson?

New Babies and New Friends

2011-08-02T01:39:00.000-05:00

After getting home from my beach trip, Crissy and I decided to have a girls night on a whim. We went to dinner and a movie with three other lovely, fun ladies!

These girls have been friends since high school!

Finally got a photo of Crissy and myself!

This pretty lady and her bun that she is cooking always put a smile on my face!

And this professional golfer is hi. lar. i. ous! I've known her since high school, but we were a year apart and never got to know each other... until now. I'm loving this new friend!

After dinner at the always delicious, Copper River, we went to see Friends With Benefits.

Funny story: As the five of us waited in line there was a group of nine high school girls in front of us. We hoped they weren't going to see the movie that we were and overheard them buying tickets for Harry Potter. However, when we got into out theater we realized that the girls were under 17 and had snuck into Friends With Benefits (I'm pretty sure there were more than a few scenes that they did not need to be seeing).

Before the movie started, one of the girls turned around to ask me if I knew when the movie ended. Umm... No. Apparently, they had a curfew and rushed out to meet their rides as soon as the closing credits started.

Good. Laugh.

On Monday afternoon, Crissy and I headed to Spartanburg to visit with the new parents of Elijah Carter. Both his mom and dad went to high school with us. They are the sweetest people to be around and their son is absolutely adorable!

I took some newborn photos for them which didn't go as well as I had hoped because little man was HUN GRY!

Emmy was very concerned with him at all times (when he was crying, when he was swinging, when he was eating - unless she was eating too : )

After getting a few good photos of the family outside their apartment, we caught some of Eli and Emmy.

NOSE!!!

then I finally got my hands on the little guy instead of snapping photos, but Emmy was getting tired and needed her momma so I got both kiddos at once.

I just thought this next photo was so funny and shows how silly my child can be! Boy do I love her!

Christmas in July??

2011-08-02T01:12:00.002-05:00

I've always hated that statement. Christmas is such an amazing time of year and everything that goes with it like the snow (in more northern states), big coats, scarves, caroling, lights, hats, fires, you get my drift. And July is unique in its own way. The hottest and longest days of the year occur in July. It's typical beach bum weather and smells of sun screen fill the humid air. Also, I turn a year older every July.

So, I started thinking. If we can have Christmas in July, why can't we have New Years in August? I've been thinking and praying for myself lately. What do I want to do with my life - or better yet, what does God want me to do with my life? Is this it? What more can I do/be?

~ Be more frugal

~ Smile more

~ Offer more selfless services

~ Write more thank you notes

~ Call old friends more often

~ Thank God more often

~ Workout

I start my new job on Monday... Finally! I'm excited and nervous. It will get me out of the house for more than to just spend money and will allow me to reach a whole new variety of people to share God's love with. Prayers are needed/welcome.

Thanks for reading my thoughts today. I know it wasn't the more interesting post but I'll keep you posted on my "August Resolutions" and I promise the next post will be full of recent photos!

Myrtle Beach 2011

2011-07-30T06:41:00.000-05:00

Our beach trip is coming to an end. Emmalyn was surprisingly quite the fan of the beach and my parents had the best time playing with her all week.

We spent our days by the water relaxing, our nights eating great food (I probably gained 10lbs this week ... EEK!) and having some laughs as a family.

I love sandy toes!

Please excuse the grossness that is the person holding my daughter! HE HE!

Emmy used her cuteness to get Uncle Justin to do things like this:

And when she was done being pampered in the pool we snacked some more in a lounge chair.

One night we went to dinner and sat a table that overlooked this:

And grabbed a few photos of the fame while we waited.

We had a great time but are very ready to get back home see our favorite people again. However, this momma is not looking forward to unpacking!

Top Ten from the Weekend

2011-07-25T11:06:00.000-05:00

In no particular order...

1. I found a fellow arm wife to attend the Taylor Swift concert with me!!!

2. Tried these:

They aren't the best, but they get the job done

3. packed up and ready to head to the beach!!!

4. Caleb and I have decided to get Emmalyn a dresser that works. A bigger one (more than three drawers) and start turning her room into a place for a toddler instead of a newborn. #bittersweet

5. MONOGRAMS!!!

6. Laughing out loud at late night sitcoms

7. Singing with my baby in church

8. seeing my daughter walk for the first time

9. getting lots of sleep - only because I didn't feel well, but it was very needed.

10. BABY ELI making his arrival...Today...some time. I can't wait to get my hands on him for a newborn session!!

Big news today!!!!!

2011-07-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

Emmy walked!

Momma cried.

She is growing so fast! I love her personality so much! She is very intuitive, sensitive, silly, busy, playful and determined.

She has been the picture perfect child since the day she was born. It makes me want ten more just like her. Caleb and I have been back and forth with the idea of having another sooner rather than later (from the time Emmalyn was three months old). She's that good!

Obviously unless some miracle happens during the three and half days that Caleb will be in SC next month, there will be no sibling for Emmy for quite some time. For now, I'm fine with that. God knows what is best for our family and His timing is perfect. Honestly, it doesn't matter to me if I become a mother of two in nine months or two years or never. I love the life that God has given me and the child He has entrusted Caleb and me to raise.

So, for now, I'm enjoying the time I get with my one and only daughter. And praying daily for her to know our wonderful Christ and for Him to be with all three of us, whether we are together or miles apart.

With that said, here are some recent photos of my now, slowly walking child.

Snack time

My brother said she looks like Tommy Pickles from Rugrats in this "outfit"

Emmy's best bud, Huey. He goes everywhere she does especially when she has food. He lets her climb all over him and she hugs him and pets him and even grabs his tail and he doesn't do a thing. He is so good with her. I think he has something to do with the fact that she loves animals.

I was editing photos one afternoon while Emmalyn played. I peaked around the couch and this is what I found. I love how Dixie is asleep under the table.

Whoops, I got caught.

So busy

After baths last night we put in The Little Mermaid and gave Emmy a snack.

Then this morning she expressed interest in playing the piano. She sat and banged around for a lot time and even played some for Daddy when we had our family skype date. I guess I need to pull out my old books and starts sharpening my skills if she is this interested already!

Some rambling

2011-07-23T09:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I was sick all day yesterday and my darling daughter woke up so happy and in a very adventurous mood today (aka the sleep fairies gave her baby crack!). This combination was not good. I think she sensed that I wasn't feeling well because she was very loving and even hugged me for a good minute at one point.

We also talked to Daddy yesterday. I love how happy she is when she hears the skype sound on my computer. And seeing his proud Daddy smile just tops it all off. I keep saying I'm going to video tape a skype conversation one day, but it is also the only time I get to see him too.

On another note, Emmy and I are going to the beach for a week with my parents and brother in two days.

I haven't started packing at all. But I am excited about having people there to entertain her while I play around with my camera and hopefully get some good lasting shots of her first time really being able to interact on the beach. Last time we went she was two months old and I kept her in the car seat the whole time with the cover up so she was completely shaded.

I'm excited mostly because Emmy is at such a good age for the beach. At least that's what I think right now, it might change after we get there. But really, she understands a lot and is getting better and better at letting me know what she needs/wants and at this age babies are so curious. Everything is new and it is exciting to see them realize something for the first time.

It will also be nice to have a change a scenery for a while and maybe be able to stand the outdoors for more than five minutes at a time since there will be a sea breeze (yes, I'm a weeny when it comes to high temperatures).

Now, I just need to get packing and gather all of the sunscreen bottles in our house to cover my ghostly white skin.

2011-07-22T13:30:00.001-05:00

New photos of Emmalyn are posted on the photography blog.

http://kaylawilkesphotography.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-little-munchkin-at-13-months.html

I Wish...

2011-07-21T11:45:00.000-05:00

~ My child didn't scream when I try to put shoes on her.

~ I could go to the Taylor Swift concert in November - anyone want to go with me? Yes, I enjoy T. Swift.

~ the weather was more cooperative with a running schedule. Due to the extreme heat, the early morning hours is the only time I can bare.

~ I could keep nail polish on my finger nails for more than a day without it chipping

~ Could bottle up the hugs and kisses I get daily from Emmalyn because I know they won't last forever

~ My dogs didn't appease my child so much and she think that feeding them her chicken nuggets at lunch was the best thing!

~ sweats were completely acceptable attire for well... everywhere!

I've got a Secret!!!

2011-07-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

My Best friend is going to be a mommy!!!!!!!!
I'm over the moon for one of my best friends, Katie Beth. She is growing a baby inside her!!!!
I was honored to be with her when she broke the news to her family and grabbed a few photos while it was happening. The moment was priceless and I loved being a part of it.

This is KB's sister getting excited about seeing everyone's faces when she tells them. At this point KB had only told her husband's family, two friends, and her sister.

She's so happy!

To break the good news to her family, KB gave her dad and belated father's day gift since she didn't see him the week prior.

Showing off the pee stick.

Her dad reading "pregnant"

I LOVE how her brother, Chase, reacted. Such a happy bro! Mom and Dad are still a little in shock. Her mom even thought it was a glucose monitor at first and that KB was letting them know she was diabetic. Whew! So glad that wasn't the case!

OH! She's PREGNANT!!!

His "Baby Girl" is going to have a baby!

Love this family's smiles!

Again, Chase is still excitedly clapping

WOO HOO! Grandchild #4!

What a good mama she will be!

Katie Beth, I'm so excited to be able to be with you as you go through this journey and all the changes that are going to happen. You deserve this so much and God has truly answered prayer!

Praise the Lord!

Please start/continue to pray for my best friend, her very excited husband, and the life that God is weaving inside her.

Photo shoot

2011-07-19T01:19:00.003-05:00

A sneak peek of my latest photo shoot is now posted to the photography blog!

http://kaylawilkesphotography.blogspot.com/2011/07/porter-pounder-1-year-old.html

A Day of Birth

2011-07-17T22:57:00.000-05:00

So, Saturday was my birthday. It was a great birthday other than the fact that my husband wasn't here. One of my best friends, Ashley, came for the weekend to celebrate with me, and my housemate and fellow army wife extraordinaire, Crissy, planned an intimate dinner with some close friends at at local restaurant. Afterwards we hung out and caught up and had so much fun! All the while, my in laws took care of Emmy which was such a blessing to not have to worry about someone else for a little while (and she had a blast with Ama and Bop!).

Every year on my birthday there are a few things I can always count on. The 10:58 am call from my mom (the exact moment I was born) and the annual shrieking-pitched "Happy Birthday" sang by my best friend, KB. I love it all!

But this year was also different. I had a a happy, bouncy baby girl that greeted me in the morning. Last year she was still so small and honestly I was still trying to get use to being a mom, but now, my little one has a striking personality and I'm more rested (ha!).

Despite the fact that this is the first birthday in ten years that I have spent without Caleb, it was a memorable birthday. And I'm glad to be reunited with my sweet daughter after our night apart!

Emmy's new pet(s)

2011-07-14T21:07:00.000-05:00

I had to make a trip to Walmart to get a few things and my brother tagged along. While we were there Justin pushed Emmalyn over to the fish.

I don't know how it happened, but a few minutes later I was buying four fish. And Emmalyn was all smiles!

They are placed right by her crib (with enough space between so she can't reach them) but she can see them and I make sure she is with me every time I feed them.

We've named two of the four so far. The black one with white speckles is Betsy, and the translucent one is Flo. Any ideas for the black and gold one?

Baking with Emmy

2011-07-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

I've been itching to do some cooking lately so I decided to bake some cookies. I decided to get Emmy involved and she loved it. She started off by using the wooden spoon to help me mix the ingredients. Once it was mixed up and we started putting the dough on the cookie sheet Emmalyn figured out that it tasted really good so instead of trying to help me place the dough, she started eating it! Of course Ama being there was not helpful since she was allowing her to take handfuls of it to eat - but what are grandparents for?

Our finished product...

Random thoughts from today

2011-07-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

~ Man, it is really hot! Our kitchen floor is constantly being occupied by the dogs instead of the carpet.

~ I get to see my best friend on my birthday this year! So excited!

~ Doing photography research gets me motivated, but it's really hot outside, so I'm trying out new things indoors.

~ I'm planning an anniversary party for my parents' 25th anniversary in September and the ideas are just flowing. I can't stop them. I'm so excited! Oh, the things I could do!

~ Hummus is my new favorite food.

~ I have an extremely silly child that I really should take more videos of

~ I'm obsessed with organizing. My next victim is the garage... When it cools off a bit.

~ Suddenly, I want everything to be monogrammed!

~ I greatly dislike my hair these days. Its at an awkward length and looks horrible when I don't wash it so I feel like I have to wash it everyday. This is a pain. Do you wash your hair everyday? Have you used a waterless shampoo that you LOVE? Ideas, people!

That is all for today.

2011-07-12T00:54:00.000-05:00

After leaving my husband in Texas I got a little down. So I've spent two days just recuperating my heart. After sitting around in pjs one whole day and cleaning, having some "spa" time and snapping a few photos the next, I feel much better!

Obviously life has been ~~nothing worth blogging about~~ pretty drab since we returned from vacation #1 of the summer so I'll just post some of the photos I took downtown. However, my birthday is coming up so we will see what excited that brings... If any.