Happy Happy New Years!

Oh hey 2014! Where did you come from?!

I seriously cannot believe it is almost January 1st and another new year is about to begin! 

2013 was a year filled with so many blessings, that I truly cannot

 wait to see what 2014 has in store for us! 

I have never been one to make new years resolutions and don't intend to start this year.

I just try to live each day one day at a time

and whatever happens, happens. 

So what happened in 2013…

I began by ringing the New Year in with good company and a special bundle brewing inside me.

I sadly left my first real job as a dental hygienist,

but gladly so I could move back home and deliver/raise my daughter close to family. 

I became a first-time home owner.

I survived an entire nine months being pregnant,

delivered a beautiful healthy little girl,

and became a mom.

I turned 27.

I went to Colorado to see/help take care of my Grandma while she was in the ICU. 

(And by Gods wonderful grace, she is getting better each and every day! We love you Grandma!!)

Lastly, I celebrated this holiday season by watching my daughter experience her 

first Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

What a wonderful and blessed life! 

With that being said, I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Years eve 

and that 2014 is everything you could hope for! 

Here are some pictures of us during the holiday season! 

1st Thanksgiving 

Her little tutu I made

On My Birthday! 

Christmas Tree Hunting

My attempt at a family photo.. fail 

Daddy and His little Bear 

We found our tree! 

She isn't so sure about this.. lol

Playing with the lights 

Such a fascinating thing 

On our way to Colorado 

Passed out before takeoff! She did amazing both flights! 

Off to her 1st Christmas Party 

Annual Damore Christmas Party! 

All tuckered out 

Her Christmas Dress

Headed to Church for a wonderful Christmas Service

Someone's Ready to Party again! 

Annual Christmas Eve Party w/ these lovely ladies! 

Tegans Christmas outfit I made her 

Loves her Auntie Kristina 

and Grandpa Rick 

Lounging with Uncle Rickey

The first present she got to help open! 

Doing Yoga stretches with Auntie Danielle 

Dancing around with Grandpa Jeff 

Merry Christmas! 

Mommy helping out 

Auntie D helping out 

Grandpa's turn 

Books from Anna!

I'd say your 1st Christmas was a success! (Plus you got even more the next day!)

Spoiled cutie in her Christmas Jammies

Wt: 14 lbs 2 oz (50%) Ht: 24 3/4 in (50%)

So now that Tegan is four months old, she has: 

Rolled over from front to back, as well as back to front.

Prefers to be upright instead of laying down, so she can look around. 

Chats up quite a storm.

Went on her first airplane ride. 

Sleeps in the playard section of her pack-n-play. 

Uses her little abs to try and sit-up, yet she is nowhere near sitting on her own. 

Is getting better with her hand-eye coordination.

Reaches for things and most always brings them to her mouth to suck/chew on. 

So long newborn, Hello infant!

That's right..

We're moving on up! 

Tegan is three months old today and each day I fall even more in love 

with the little being that she is becoming!

She has developed quite the personality, makes me laugh on a daily basis, and 

she has quite an array of faces she can make. 

Every morning I'll lay in bed with her, side by side, and we chit-chat, swap kisses, 

smile and just spend time loving on each other.

I love that she totally knows who her mommy and daddy are; yet she can be 

content with whomever is holding her. 

I am so excited for her 1st Thanksgiving and Christmas

 and I can't believe it is already right around the corner! 

I have been working on putting together some festive little outfits for her and I love
the fact that Randy appreciates how much I love to

dress and take care of our daughter. 

Sometimes I think I may be overboard, but then he is right there backing up 

my decisions and telling me it's okay. 

Anyway, something else that is right around the corner… my 27th birthday!

Ahhh!! How did that happen?!

It's so funny.. I totally remember when I was still working up North, 

right around this time of year all the college kids would come in for their cleanings

 (since they were on break for the holidays)..

I remember chatting with them and feeling like I could totally relate to them;

and then reality would hit me.. 

I was almost 10 years older than these kids!! 

I always ask myself, when did I go from looking like a teenager to suddenly looking like an adult?!

 I still feel like I look the same, but I know I totally don't! 

And now I'm a mom to top it off! :)

So what's on the agenda for my birthday? 

Well, I kept going back and forth, back and forth. 

I thought it would be fun getting fancied up and going out to dinner with 

family and friends..

but then I kept feeling overwhelmed by the idea. 

I guess I'm just not ready to do something extravagant, 

while still having to care for such a little love bug. 

Instead, I think I will lay low-- eat some left overs from Thanksgiving, 

possibly craft it up, and get ready to bust out the Christmas decor! 

Maybe if I get lucky, I'll end up seeing Catching Fire! 

Well enough about me, let's get back to my girl! 

It's fun to look back on these photos and really see just how much she has changed in such a short period of time! 

Just born          One month          Two months

Three months 

As for Tegan, this month she has: 

Started to giggle (melt my heart).

Smiles pretty much every time she is given any attention. 

Will suck on anything that comes close to her mouth, thanks to teething. 

Has the saddest, yet sweetest little whimper when upset. 

Loves to jump up and down and use her legs!

Is about ready to transition out of her bassinet.

Can almost roll over.

Newborn photos

I cannot believe how big my little girl has grown since this photo shoot! 

She was only 14 days old here. 

If you are ever looking for a great newborn photographer,

please check out: 

www.whitneysummers.com

Whitney is seriously amazing at what she does and she is so easy to work with!

We had so much fun during our session 

and each and every photo she captured just melts my heart!

xoxo

Holidays

I have always loved the holiday season

and as most know, Fall is one of my favorites
(as I am absolutely obsessed with pumpkins)!

With that being said, I can say I love the holiday season 

even more now that I have my daughter!

It makes me look forward to so many things like:

Pumpkin patches, trick-or-treating, harvest parties..

Decorating the christmas tree, making ornaments, and watching classic christmas cartoons. 

(These are just a few things out of list of things to mention).

Even more so, the biggest thing I am looking forward to is making new traditions 

with my family and watching the excitement on my daughters face 

when doing these things. Although she is too little now, 

I am already SO excited for next year!

The time is going to fly! 

I mean my daughter is already two months old now! 

It is so crazy to think that I have officially been a mom for that long. 

It is still so surreal. 

And when I think I couldn't love her anymore, she does something new and 

exciting and I fall in love all over again, plus some! 

So now you may be wondering what we have been up to this past month?! 

Well...

Tegan has been growing and growing each and every day!

She now weights 11 lbs, 2 oz and is 22 1/2 inches long. 

She is in the 50th percentile for both categories 

and is as healthy as can be! 

Earlier this month, we went on our first

 road trip to surprise my old friends and coworkers up North. 

Tegan did so amazing on the drive and it was such a great time seeing most everyone.

I wish it could have been a longer trip so I could have met up

with all my friends, but unfortunately we only had one night to stay. 

Aside from that, October has been a pretty mellow month for us. 

It has actually been really nice.

Each day Tegan and I mainly just hang out (if it isn't a run errands kind of day)..

We will usually wake up anytime around 8:30-9:30 am.

Occasionally, we are super lazy and sleep in until 10:00 am. 

Once up, I get Tegan dressed for the day and we usually hang out in bed and 

play, read books, or do tummy time until she is ready for her first nap. 

Once back asleep, I will try to get things done around the house..

I will admit though that I am guilty of letting Tegan nap on or by me and just lounging 

on the couch or catching up on some DVR. 

I truly try to cherish every moment I have with her as I know it won't be long 

before she won't want to nap on me at all any more. 

For the rest of the day, we will continue through this cycle of feed, play, and then sleep. 

Once daddy is home from work and all showered up, 

she then gets daddy time while I make dinner. 

It absolutely melts my heart watching the two of them interact. 

When it comes to bedtime it is a fairly easy routine. 

I am so lucky that Tegan never had her days and nights mixed up. 

We start the process around 7:30 pm if it is a bath night, otherwise she gets her last feeding around 

8:00 pm. I usually have her down and asleep in her bassinet by 8:30 pm.

The next few hours then become ME time. :)

I usually get the kitchen and dishes from dinner cleaned up, 

do my workouts, and then lately I have been crafting. 

Since Tegan has started going longer stretches between her nighttime feeds, 

I no longer feel like I need to go to bed at 8:30 pm when she does. 

Usually now I only have to get up twice to feed, which is so nice!

(around 1-2 am and then again around 5 am).

From here on out, I plan to blog at least once a month until Tegan's 1st birthday. 

At that time, I then plan to have this blog published into a book

that she can keep and look back on forever.

Of course some months I will blog more when there are special occasions.

I am so thankful to have started this blog and I never imagined
I would have as many viewers as I have had. 

Thank you for coming along on my journey of becoming a mom and raising my daughter Tegan. 

As for Tegan, this month she has:

Discovered her voice and loves to "coo".

Makes spit bubbles nonstop.

Has found her hands and has quite the grip. 

She loves to grab my hair and/or pinch me.

 Licks everything and has almost given my arm a hickey a time or two.

Has gained quite a bit of neck control.

Is starting to recognized different colors and patterns, 

which sometimes leads to overstimulation.

Is starting to fill out her newborn clothes and will

soon be in size 0-3 months.