13 months old

This post is several weeks past due but better now than never as they say! From here on out I am going to post Blaykleigh's milestones and whatever else might be of interest, so it will be a little different from how I did it in the past. Enjoy! 

At 13 months, Blaykleigh ...

• is on a perfect nap routine as of late; one 1hr nap in the AM and one 2hr nap in the PM - happy momma, especially with school starting back up for myself. 
• doesn't like for me to leave her, she will hang on to me with the tightest of grips and cries as we part ways - makes me so sad!
• took her first long distance road trip from Corpus all the way up to Wichita and did great!
• got to meet all her Kansas family finally!!! Everyone just loved her, she definitely stole the crowd.
• learned how to do the "fishy" face in no time flat thanks to her Nani. 
• hasn't really added any new words to her vocabulary. But she seems to like impersonating animal sounds. There is the cow, monkey, cat and dog. Lately, I hear her barking in her crib in the morning when she is ready to get up - it never fails to make me laugh!
• gives kisses and hugs pretty much on demand if not all on her own.
• drinks out of a straw like a pro and always wants whatever you are drinking.
• calls the cats by clicking her tongue and rubbing her fingers together - monkey see, monkey do! 
• has the tightest little curls all over the back of her head, they are so very pretty.
• is fascinated by the cats water bowl, always playing in it and getting water everywhere!!!

Friday's Letters

Saw this link-up on a blog I just recently started reading. It looked like fun, something different to do so I thought I might give it a try for a bit. So here we go! 

....

Friday's Letters 

borrowed.

Dear Vacation, you could not have come at a more perfect time - I welcome you with open arms! Dear Husband, 9 days of good old fashioned family fun are ahead of us!!! Let the good times roll. p.s. I love you! Dear Horrific Colorado Wildfires, I am heartbroken. Hasn't enough precious land and life been consumed by you? You are ruining a place so dear to my heart. Dear Chipotle, it's been a long time since I enjoyed your impeccable tastiness ... but tonight, that all ends. Dear Table Rock Lake, I have heard many great things about you and tomorrow will be graced by your presence for 5 wonderful days. Dear Blaykleigh, mommy is so thankful that we got good news back from your ultrasound. I was a bit worried there for a few days but you are a healthy little girl!!! "Everything looks normal" - best three words I heard all week.  

the fires.

... if this isn't sad, I don't know what is. A friend posted this picture on facebook, it made a lump in my throat. 

 I lived in Colorado for 16 years and I don't ever remember this many wild fires which are destroying so much all at the same time.

My heart is incredibly broken for all the people affected, all of the animals in danger, all of the beautiful land that has now become engulfed by flames.   

Prayers are needed. Lots and lots of prayers. 

summer days

I like summer, I really do but it's not my most favorite season of the year especially when it's so ridiculously hoooot out - 105 degrees of muggy, steaming heat to be exact! I do my best to avoid the outdoors at these temperatures because it's just not a pleasurable experience but when water is involved I am game! So when a friend invited us to go to the splash park and then walk around the aquarium I was all in. 

Up until today, I had yet to take Blaykleigh to the splash park because she isn't walking and I didn't think she would be able to do much; I was wrong to say the least. This little girl of ours l-o-v-e-s the water! She had such a fun time getting to play and I had a blast watching her explore - and the water cooling us both down was the icing on the cake. OH and what is a hot day without a little dippin' dots treat?! I love those tiny beads of cryogenically frozen ice cream; Blaykleigh now shares the same love of dippin' dots! Like mother, like daughter. 

After our little splash park escapade it was time to hit up the aquarium for a bit before heading home. Blaykleigh mastered the fish face (thanks to Nani for teaching her the essentials amongst the animal kingdom) and thought the dolphin show was just the funniest thing she had ever seen. I honestly haven't ever heard her laugh that hard at something without being tickled, it was really cute!  

So there you have it. Our fun summer day! Thank you Heidi for the invite. 

THE COLOR RUN

I really want to do this sometime in the near future. 

Closest city - Austin. 

... that is all! 

Insta-Friday

Summer days...

splishing and a splashing!

We met Jason for lunch at Johnny Carino's for Blaykleigh's real birthday!

Then she was smothered with birthday kisses by all. 

 Nani feeding B some birthday gelato.

YUMMMM.

 Nani kisses are some of the best.

We can never get enough ....

especially 

when those kisses have to travel exactly 1,076 miles to get here!

 While my mom was in town we spent one afternoon in Rockport and had a tasty lunch at Charlotte Plummers! Where we also got attacked by Sea Gulls (those things know no boundaries - just food)!

"Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine" - courtesy of Finding Nemo

All thanks goes to Aunt Marty for feeding them that one french fry to begin with!

 After lunch there was antique shopping to be done!!!!!

 Blaykleigh went to her first tea party! 

It was her friend Jordan's 1st birthday party.

 All the little girls there were so darling in their tea party attire. 

 A few "mini" bell peps from our garden! 

 Spent one morning last week at the mall where B enjoyed playing at the play area. 

There was a sweet little girl there that was around 5 that followed her around the entire time 'helping' her climb up all the sea creatures; it was really quite cute! 

 She was also fascinated by the fish tank at the play area. 

 Barnes & Noble ... we get Starbucks and B gets to test drive new toys.

 Cheap, easy entertainment for her & a little caffeine pick-me-up for us! 

Win, win.   

 Blaykleigh's friend Caleb came and spent the day with us. 

Went for a nice afternoon walk - this double stroller is the way to go if you have more than one kiddo that is for sure! 

 Puzzle time anyone? 

Jason & I bought a 1,000 piece puzzle while we were at Barnes & Noble the other day. After two nights of working on this we finally finish only to have ONE piece missing!!! (look to the far right about halfway down - the big black spot) Not the least bit frustrating. Nope, not one bit. 

 Black Sheep Bistro

My birthday dinner of choice. :)

I wanted to go to someplace new and this place was super delish. 

 Smile! 

Happy 26th Birthday to me. 

Gah, why does 26 sound SO much older than 25???

 Our little neighbor Jade came over for a bit the other afternoon! 

Her and Blaykleigh play so well together 

annnnnnnnd 

were both mesmerized by Baby Einstein's The Farm for this pic.

 Happy Father's Day Daddy! 

Didn't Blaykleigh do an excellent job on making his 

gianormous 

golf cupcake! (wink, wink)

 Okay so November 26th, 2015 will mark Jason & I's 5th Wedding Anniversary! 

And in celebration of that, we have decided that it would be SO much fun to wait a few weeks and spend it in NYC ringing in the New Year! Super exciting right? Well I am, so much so I have already marked it on my calendar. Only 3 1/2 years to go :) 

Let the countdown commence! 

slow-roasted tomatoes

Having a garden is simply wonderful! But one problem we are running into is an overproduction of certain vegetables and herbs, one being cherry tomatoes. Not wanting any to go to waste, I decided to roast some of them. Kind of like a sun-dried tomatoes ... only better! 

The process was as easy as it gets. 

I preheated the oven to 200 degrees.

Sliced the tomatoes in half.

Tossed in some fresh basil and rosemary from our garden along with chopped garlic.

Then drizzled some olive oil over the mix, enough to coat the tomatoes.

And popped them in the oven for a little over 3 hours. 

...

Simplicity at it's finest. 

Once they cooled down I put them in a jar with some more olive oil to help preserve them and stuck them in the fridge! I can't wait to try them on salad, pasta or even as a quick snack.

12 months old

You're officially a one year old my busy little bird!!! And my oh my how you've changed since the first day your dad and I laid eyes on you. Looking back over the past year, it's hard to even imagine what life was like before you came along but your presence in our lives has been nothing short of a true blessing. You are the sweetest little thing with a glimpse of a wild child shinning through you these days. You're always on the go and getting into everything you can get your hands on. You're not yet walking but I honestly am in no hurry; I am savoring your littleness because once you start walking you will be that much more of a 'big girl'. You get compliments all the time on your beauty by complete strangers and it is true, you are so beautiful my sweet darling. And as you grow-up, always remember that real, genuine beauty comes from the inside! This past year you have given me so many special memories that I have forever tucked away in my heart, you are so so precious to me Blaykleigh. I am excited to see how much you grow and become your own little person in the upcoming year.

...

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

At 12 months old, Blaykleigh ...

• weights 21.2 lbs and is 28.5 inches in length
• is very, very vocal these days ... if she is not saying the words she knows then she goes around the house repeating "ya-ya-ya-ya" with different fluctuations in her voice - such a silly girl
• often times thinks she is a cat, always "maooow"-ing, playing with the cat toys and tormenting the cats
• does not like her food to be mixed up, tofu nuggets stay with tofu nuggets and sweet potato fries stay with sweet potato fries - no "if's and's or but's" about it
• has 6 top teeth (including her 2 first year molars) and 3 bottom teeth
• still loves her evening bath time and to have her teeth brushed
• dislikes peas, real chicken, mac and cheese, green beans, fish (unless it is a fish stick), potatoes (unless it is a sweet potato fry) and noodles of any kind - if you give her any of the above, she so daintily picks up the food and drops it to the floor
• loves all fruit, american cheese, greek yogurt, tofu nuggets, oatmeal, cheese crackers, honey graham crackers, pb&j and her puffs
• just started to stand up for more than a few seconds at a time (with help from us of course)
• knows where her toes, nose and eyes are
• will dance whenever she hears music
• is excellent at sharing anything and everything she has (hope this stage lasts)
• thinks it is so funny when you chase after her as she desperately tries to crawl as fast as she can away from you
• loves playing with the other little kids in the nursery on Sunday and Wednesdays 

a family portrait

Several weeks ago we had our first professional photo session as a family. I figured that since it was approaching Blaykleigh's first birthday, it was the perfect time! We woke up super early on a Saturday and met our photographer at Blucher Park in downtown Corpus Christi, where we spent about an hour smiling into the camera. Our photographer did such a wonderful job at capturing such sweet moments of us - I will forever cherish these pictures! The ones below are only a select few which I chose to put on the blog but there are soooo many more (which I may end up posting at a later date)! Hope you all enjoy!

those lips!!!

photographer: annalavonne

June.

(borrowed.)

It's June!!! 

....

16. my birthday

17. father's day

21. first day of summer

28. leaving for vacation - table rock lake & wichita 

** first & last full month of no school!!! come july i'll be back at it.**

lots of exciting, easy going days ahead of me!

i ((heart)) june.  

Blaykleigh's 1st Birthday

We had Blaykleigh's first birthday party last Sunday and it turned out spectacular!!! I was so glad to have my mom here; her creative touches are always the best. Everything came together perfectly and we had a house-full of wonderful people that came to celebrate Blaykleigh's first year (Thanks again everyone). It was definitely a bitter sweet moment for me -- my little baby bird is growing up before my eyes. 

The decorations. 

I made a lot of them which was fun; got to put my sewing machine to use for the banner! And the party hats turned out perfect -- think I may start a new homemade party hat 'tradition' for all of B's birthdays. (Of course I say that now, I am sure several years from now when her party guests reach the double digits that idea will be out the window-ha!) 

The cupcakes. 

Vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting -- delish!!!

The birthday girl.

The most beautiful birthday girl around at that.

The "Thank You" gifts. 

Adorable bathtub books I found & bubbles for Miss Tate-I think she is past the bathtub book stage. 

The 'little' party guests.

The Gifts.

Little miss got tons of wonderful birthday presents. 

All the little ones were wanting to help B open her gifts, it was really cute. 

Daddy & Mommy with the birthday girl! 

(I can't believe my mom came all the way from Colorado to be here for B's birthday and I didn't even get a picture with her and the birthday girl!) OH! And doesn't Blaykleigh look thrilled ;)

The SMASH cake. 

She so delicately picked the tiniest pieces off her cake at first. 

Then Jason showed her what a smash cake is all about!

She was one messy girl!