Life in Lessons

Words of a 2 Year Old

2011-02-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

Sloan has been saying the most hilarious things lately. I thought I would try and document a few of them.

This comment came on Saturday morning as the garbage truck came down the street.

Sloan: (Hearing the garbage truck coming) What's that?
Me: It's the garbage truck.
Sloan: Yes, he's coming to take my poopy diapers.

This comment came as I was getting dressed to go to work one morning.

Sloan: "Mom, you are wearing brown shoes. They are so pretty!"

This comment came as Sloan was sleeping in our bed at 3am because she woke up and wouldn't go back to sleep. Lee was rolling around trying to get comfortable. Ever time he moved Sloan would say:

Sloan: "Honey, stop it"

We took Sloan to Build a Bear for Valentines Day. As we sat and ate ice cream at the mall food court afterwords, Sloan turned to me, gave me a high five and said:

Sloan: "Mom, you're the best"

This comment came again as we were laying in bed in the middle of the night sleeping and an airplane flew overhead:

Sloan: "Mom, do you hear the airplane? I better go get it."

Sloan had a sleepover at Grandma's house and woke up in the middle of the night. Grandma went in her room and asked her why she couldn't sleep to which she responded:

Sloan: "Well, Grandpa is snoring too loud so I can't sleep"

And now my personal favorite...
This is a conversation that happened between Sloan and Grandma as they weeded the yard together:

Grandma: "Oh no Sloan, I can't get this weed out. It's stuck."
Sloan: "It's okay Grandma, all we have to do is say 'Oh Toodles'"

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-20T11:10:00.001-08:00

I want You-To Turn 2

2010-11-07T18:32:00.000-08:00

Sloan turned 2 September 15th. I have to say first and foremost, Saying good-bye to flying for free was especially hard since we travel to Utah to see family often. But also, I can't even believe she is already two! I know I will blink and she will be an independent teenager taking on the phone and wanting to hang out with her friends more than her family. But right now she is an independent two year old who wants to do everything by herself. She is incredibly funny and says the cutest things like "hey, what's the big idea" when something happens she isn't quite sure of. Or "no, I don't think so" when I ask her to do anything she doesn't want to do. She has been able to say and recognize her letters since she was about 18 months old. But now she also knows and can say the sounds they each make. She can count to 20 by herself and 30 with some help. She also knows tons and tons of signs. She caries on a conversation like she is 4 and is very, very clear with exactly what she wants. She is very determined and if she wants it she won't give up until she gets it. But she is also very rational, listens well, and is very obedient (most of the time). All in all she is an amazing little girl and I am so glad she is mine!!

Playing with her new kitchen!

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY SLOAN!!

Just Some Pics

2010-10-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post some cute pics of Sloan and what she's been up to lately.

For some reason Sloan decided to stuff her shirt full of all the fruit and veggies from her grocery basket. Not sure where this idea spawned from, but I thought it was totally funny.

Utah Part 2

2010-08-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun in Utah! We are sad to be back home and back to work. I forgot how beautiful Utah really is because I always manage to travel there when it is 20 degrees and covered with snow. I am glad I finally took a summer trip and got a break from the 116 degree Arizona heat. Here are pics of the great things we did while in Utah.

I was able to have a fun girls night catching up with old friends from high school.

We got to see Grandma Nae, Papa Jer and lots of cousins. And I got to hang out with my sisters (although not pictured together, we really did hang out. Guess we were too busy taking the pics to be in them)!

We got to play on the beaches of Bear Lake

We swung on the giant tree swing (and by we I mean Sloan and her cousins)

And most importantly Sloan and I got to spend a whole week of fun together!!

Thanks Grandma Nae and Papa Jer for letting us come visit. And thanks Shalice and Brandon for letting us stay with you at your cabin in Bear Lake. It was so much fun, we can't wait to do it again!!

Having Fun in Utah!

2010-08-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Sloan and I are having lots of fun hanging out in Utah with our family. My mom took this really cute pic of us so I wanted to post it. More pics to come!

Oh The Difference A Year Makes!!

2010-07-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

4th of July 2009

4th of July 2010

It isn't until you put a picture side by side that you realize how much difference a year makes! It has definitely been an interesting year with lots of changes, but none of the changes are quite as apparent as the ones Sloan has made!! So crazy how fast they grow and how quickly they change!

Hope you all had a great 4th!

Pool, Pool and More Pool

2010-06-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

The summer has already been filled with good times at the swimming pool. I am convinced Sloan is part fish because she would rather be in the pool (or water of any sort) than anything else. We have spent every Saturday for the past three weeks in the pool. The water is much warmer now, but even that first week, when the water was icicle cold, Sloan didn't care. Her teeth were chattering and her lips were blue but she didn't want to get out and had a blast anyway. Here are some pics from our summer so far.

And here is just a random pic of Sloan watching TV in her sunglasses. She would probably sleep in them if I would let her.

Spring Has Sprung

2010-04-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

I love spring, minus the horrific allergies I am plagued with for 3 straight months, it is my favorite season. Here in Arizona the weather is perfect. It is the calm before the 115 degree storm. Here are a couple of fun pictures from our spring so far.

Sloan had her first Chuckie Cheese experience. We went with some good friends that have a daughter that is a week younger than Sloan. Despite my constant desire to sanitize everything in sight, Sloan had a really great time.

When I get ready for work in the morning, Sloan likes to help me. Often times she empties out my drawers and puts every single headband I own on as a necklace. It is very funny. Here is a cute picture of the result.

Random Pics and Subtle Hints

2010-03-07T19:39:00.001-08:00

I was having a moment of feeling like everyone must be really sick of seeing pictures of Sloan. Then I realized there are really probably only three people that read my blog (my mom and two sisters) and they like my picture updates of Sloan. So for my three readers, I love you and miss you. Here are some cute pics of Sloan and a subtle hint to update your blogs because I miss all my cute kiddos :)!!

Getting a life size Minnie from Grandma.

Doing what she does with everything stuffed...giving it a big bite on the nose.

All tuckered out.

Yes, this is how she sleeps. Notice "White Bear" is not so white from the neck up? That is because Sloan is obsessed with biting his nose and ears. She actually bites and shakes her head, much like a dog with a chew toy. I can't tell if it is out of love or if she is getting her pent up anger out. Either way, as you can see, poor White Bear takes the brunt of it.

Helping Grandma get ready.

She Didn't Learn This From Me...

2010-02-16T19:33:00.001-08:00

I won't name names, I'm just saying Sloan didn't learn this from me!

Zoo Train

2010-02-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

As I have said many times, Sloan is obsessed with Signing Time. One signing time, called Zoo Train, is a particular favorite. A couple of Saturdays ago we decided to take Sloan to the zoo. We weren't sure if she would really get it or appreciate it, but she totally did. We told her she was going for a few days prior and all day Saturday she kept saying "zoo, zoo." When we got to the zoo Sloan signed all the animals she knew and imitate the sounds of all the rest. We had a lot of fun. Not to mention how great it is to be able to go to the zoo in the middle of January (don't be jealous all my Utah and Charlotte friends). Here are some pics from our outing.

She's a Smartie

2010-01-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

It seems like overnight Sloan has started to pick up on all the things we have been trying to teach her. I guess the endless hours of reciting our ABC's, 123 and our constant signing are finally paying off. Here is some really cute video of Sloan showing off a few of her new "tricks."

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-23T10:29:00.001-08:00

Yep...that pretty much sums it up! Hope you are all having a lovely holiday season!

Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas

2009-11-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Because I am a slow blogger, I decided I would combine all three holidays into one post. Well I take that back, I am sure there will be multiple Christmas posts, but we can consider this part 1.

HALLOWEEN

For Halloween Sloan was a cute little bumble bee and Lee was the bee keeper (what was I you ask? I was a party pooper...I hate Halloween). We only visited one house and mostly it was for "effect" to say we did it. But since Sloan doesn't eat candy we decided one house was more than enough.

Despite the fact that I am the Halloween Grinch, we did do some fun things.

We went to the Pumpkin Patch and picked out pumpkins.

We carved the pumpkin.

We went to a Halloween party.

And we went trick or treating.

My cute little Bumble Bee.

THANKSGIVING

It is really hard for me to be away from my family for Thaknsgiving. But we did have a really great time with Lee's family. We ate lots of yummy food and I even did a little bit of the cooking (shocking I know!).

Christmas-Part 1

After Thanksgiving we helped Grandma Sally decorate her Christmas tree. Since Lee and I have always lived away from family, we always spend the holidays somewhere else. Because of this, in our 71/2 years of marriage, we have never had our own Christmas tree (sad I know!). But this year, we wanted to start the special tradition of decorating our Christmas tree. Since we are living with Lee's parents right now, we had to make do with decorating their tree. We bought Sloan her own ornament and let her put it anywhere on the tree she wanted (well with my help, she is still a little young to totally grasp the concept). We had a really great time decorating the tree and Sloan thinks all the sparkly lights are pretty awesome. It was great kick off to my favorite season of the year! Now the fun of trying to keep a one year old from touching the shiny, sparkly, tempting tree begins :).

Walking

2009-11-16T20:35:00.001-08:00

Sloan has been walking for a couple of weeks now, but as usual I slack. I am pretty convinced that much like me, Sloan needs to be the best at whatever she does. I think she waited so long to walk because she wanted to be really good at it first. She really had the ability to do it over a month ago, but just didn't want to. One day she just decided out of the blue that she was going to do it and she has been really good at it ever since.

Sloan is also signing a ton and talking a lot too. She says mom, dad, dog, dee (odie), frog, socks, shoes, choo choo, plane, bird and her new word of the night is ho ho ho (we thought we would teach her that one for Christmas but she caught on much quicker than I anticipated). She is really good at listening and repeating. Guess it's time to start watching what we say.

Sidenote:
I have tried to upload some really cute video of Sloan walking for like a week (which has made this post even later than it originally started out being). So one day, when I become slightly less technically stunted, hopefully I will figure it out and be able to post it.

A Year In The Life

2009-10-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

This is the little video I did for Sloan to celebrate her first year of life. I played it during her birthday party, but wanted to post it here for everyone else's viewing pleasure. It is 15 min long, so I anticipate no one will watch it. But I wanted to throw it on here because it is really cute and a lot of work went into it. If you have an extra 15 minutes...enjoy :)!

She's One!

2009-09-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

My baby turned one! Well actually it has been about two weeks now, what can I say, I am slow. I can't believe it has been a year. I feel like Sloan was just born a day ago. Every day Sloan becomes more and more of a little person and less and less of a baby. She has such a personality all her own. I love every moment I get to spend with her.

Sloan's birthday was September 15th. We had a small family party with Lee and I on the 15th. We opened presents and enjoyed birthday time with just the three of us. Here are pics from our family party.

Sloan and mom on Sloan's big day.

Sloan got a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse train. She loves it and rides it and pushes it all day. When she turns a nob the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song comes on and Sloan dances to it. It is so cute.

Then on Saturday we had a party for family and friends. Most of our family and all of our friends came to celebrate. It was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who made the journey to celebrate our exciting day.

Sloan getting ready for the big party.

Opening her presents and loving all things cuddly.

So anyone that knows Sloan knows she is obsessed with two things. 1. Signing Time and 2. Her stuffed Brown Bear. Anyone that knows me knows I DON'T cook in an way shape or form. I decided to do what good mother do and bake a cake for Sloan's birthday. I made this Brown Bear cake because Sloan loves her Brown Bear. Personally I think it turned out pretty good!

So here is the cake story. It is customary to strip your child down to her diaper and let her dive into her birthday cake. I personally don't like messes, so I wasn't keen on this idea, However as a good mom I decided I needed to do as all "good moms" do and let Sloan go to town on her cake. I stripped her down and placed her in her highchair. Sloan stared at the cake, slowly put her hand in her cake, immediately removed it, looked at the mess on her hand, started to cry and threw her hand out to me to wipe it off. She didn't want anything to do with getting messy. While everyone at the party was thinking how sad it was that I wouldn't have messy cake face pictures for posterity, I was secretly proud of my little girl. Why you ask? I know that Sloan couldn't possibly get this trait from anyone but me. What can I say, my child hates to be dirty. A girl after my own heart! So while most people were disappointed, I was secretly beaming with pride at my clean child!

This is Sloan crying about her mess (notice the one tiny hand print on the bear's nose).

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl. In one short year you have shown us the meaning of true and unconditional love, you have made us laugh harder than we have ever laughed, and shown us that life is truly about so much more than we could have ever imagined before we were blessed with your life! Happy Birthday!!

Here are some fun stats for Sloan at age one.

Weight: 22lbs 7 oz-75th Percentile
Height: 30.25 inches-80th Percentile
Head: 18 inches-50th Percentile (looks like she may have inherited my freakishly small head...sorry baby)

Sloan has really left baby phase and turned into a little toddler. She has a total personality and at times even a little "tude." She is very aware of what is going on and is suddenly a sponge when it comes to learning. She lifts up her feet one at a time for me when I am putting on her socks and imitates things we do. She knows that she can cry and get what she wants (although I am trying to not give in to that one). She is a great eater. She transitioned seamlessly to cow's milk. The world still stops when Signing Time is on, and she has officially and consistently started to sign her first two signs (video to come). She also really likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins. She still doesn't sleep in very much (dang you three hour time change), but does sleep until about 6:15am now instead of 5am. She does the funniest things and makes me belly laugh at least twice a day. Overall Sloan is full of life, love and happiness. When I think back over the year I can't believe how blessed we are to have this little girl in our lives. Sloan, thank you for making me a mom and allowing me to experience what love really is. We love you more than you will ever know. Happy birthday baby girl!

What Happens While Moms at Work?

2009-08-05T20:02:00.001-07:00

I found this picture when I was downloading everything off the camera. So this is what dad and Sloan do all day while I am gone.

The Many Sleeping Positions of Sloan

2009-08-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Sloan is pretty funny when she sleeps. Here are some pics of the various ways my daughter sleeps.

"The Boy I'm Really Tired"

"The Bum in the Air" (This is her position of choice most often)

"The Bear Cuddle"

"The Blanket Snuggle"

and finally

"The Get Me Outta Here"

The other day Grandma went to get Sloan from her nap and this is what she found...

If you can't tell that is ring of crib paint on her lips from her gnawing away at her crib. Apparently her crib is yummy!

Summer Fun

2009-07-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of fun this summer. It has been really nice to be in the land of the swimming pool (and let's face it, when it is 114 degrees outside really your only option is to be in a swimming pool!). Here are some pictures of the summer thus far.

4th of July

Lee's brothers amazing and fun pool. There is a little shallow area with spontaneous fountains perfect for Sloan to crawl and play in. There is a huge twisty tube water slide that goes through a waterfall hill. There are multi level diving rocks and a diving board. Seriously it's like resort quality!

The Fam

I love Sloan's rolly, squeezy, chubby thighs and the way that she is looking at me.

Seriously the girl LOVES the water!!!

More Pool Fun

I know this picture is blurry, but I love Sloan's expression...so sweet.

Suddenly so somber, she must be getting tired!

I can finally put Sloan's hair in a little piggy tail. I have seriously been waiting for this day for so long. Although she was born with a thick head of black hair, it all fell out (tear). It is finally long enough to do something with it...I mean barely, but still so cute!

9 Months Old

2009-06-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sloan is 9 months old (well two weeks ago...what can I say, it has been a little crazy around here). I can't believe she is nine months. The ironic thing is the nine months I was pregnant crept by at snail pace, but the first nine months of Sloan's life flew! I sure wish pregnancy would go that way, maybe then I would be more excited to be pregnant again. Below are some cute pics and stats for Sloan at nine months.

20.2 pounds - 75% percentile
29 inches - 90% percentile
Head 18 inches - 75% percentile

Favorite Things:

Sloan's most favorite thing in the world is watching signing time. I mean it doesn't matter what is going on or how happy or sad she is, the second she hears "It's signing time with Alex and Leah" the world literally stops. Sloan is really busy all the time, but she will watch 30 min of signing time cuddled in your arms without making a movement. I don't use Signing Time as a babysitting tool, I use it as a cuddling tool. I try not to watch them with her too much, but man I just love the snuggle time!

Sloan is has become an expert crawler and she can get from one side of the room to another in not time. We have definitely waved good bye to the easy days of one room entertainment.

Although she will pull herself up in her crib, she doesn't try to pull herself up on anything else. She is REALLY cautious with everything and doesn't want to do anything unless she knows it is safe. Hopefully that will continue throughout her teenage years!

Sloan loves to drink cold water. Not sure what it is, but she is obsessed with it.

She is a good eater, but doesn't love baby food. She loves table food though, and I think she may turn into a piece of watermelon. She can't get enough of it.

Sloan is such a girl. She loves anything girly! She will watch me get ready in the morning like she wants to retain every detail so she can do it herself one day. Grandma Sally gave her a big necklace the other day and she put it right around her neck like she has always known just what to do with one.

She waves me good by every morning when I leave and loves to give high fives.

She is still the biggest ham I have ever met and loves to get her picture taken. The second she sees the camera come out she totally poses and turns on her smiles.

In the last few weeks Sloan has really started to show her personality. She is very strong willed and won't give up until she gets whatever she is after. She is a little dramatic but so sweet all the time. She isn't afraid to voice when she wants something. She jabbers all day long and loves to sing and hear her own voice. She laughs at herself in the mirror and loves to give herself mirror kisses. Mostly Sloan is so sweet and loving and she makes never fails to make me belly laugh at least two times a day. I love you so much Sloan and I can't wait to see what you're doing in 9 more months.

Putting on Grandma's necklace.

This is how we watch Signing Time.

This is what Sloan does the second a camera comes out.

I love you so much sweet girl!!!

Sneaking a Snuggle

2009-06-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

Every night at Sloan's bed time, I nurse her and she usually falls asleep in my arms. This time has become my most favorite time of the day. I look forward to stealing a moment of time with her. I lay back and hold her on my chest and just stare at her. I try to study everything about her, her smell, her little dimpled chin, her perfect button nose, the way the light makes her hair look different colors, her little baby breaths...everything. I think about how much I love her and how happy she makes me. I let my mind wander to what I think she will be like as she grows up and I think about all the hopes and dreams I have for her. These moments give me a glimpse into what I think Heaven will be like. I picture all my children gathered round with their heads on my lap as I play with their hair and tickle their backs. We talk about our life's adventures and how silly were were in thinking that everything else was so important when really the important things were right in front of us all along. I lay on the bed and soak in the moment because I know that tomorrow it will be a little different. She will be a little older, a little less cuddly, a little more independent. Every night I hold her longer and longer because I want it to last forever. I try and file these moments in my memory because I know I will need to remember them when Sloan is 3 and throwing a tantrum in the grocery store, or when she is 10 and wants to hang out with her friends instead of her family, or when she is 19 and dating a guy I am not exactly thrilled about. So each night I sneak my snuggle and take it all in because I know it is a fleeting moment that I won't be able to get back. It is the little things in life you need to hold on to. It isn't about money or fame or career success, it is about moments like this. These are the things you can hold on to and the moments you will look back on with fondness. So I plan to sneak my snuggles for as long as I can because I realize how blessed and lucky I am to be able to have them!

Baby Ironies

2009-06-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

As I sit here enjoying my much too short weekend of no work with Sloan, I thought to myself, someone should write a book about baby ironies (maybe someone has and I just don't know it?). Life with a baby is just so funny and entertaining to me. So I thought I would post a few of the baby ironies in my life and I am sure the life of many other mothers.

Baby Irony #1: Why is it that you can go to the store and spend $50 on new toys and when you get back home your baby loves the packaging far more than any of the actual toys?

Baby Irony #2: Why is it that your child can do something so cute 10 times in a row, but the second you turn on your video camera to document it, it is like the cute trick never even existed?

Baby Irony #3: Why is it that it can take a mother a good 7 minutes to mesh, mold and squeeze a shoe on her babies foot but it only takes your baby about 7 seconds to kick it off?

Baby Irony #4: Why is it that your baby can completely ruin your TV settings on your TV with one push of a random button in the 2 seconds they sneak over and grab it and it takes a parent 20 minutes to figure out which button they pushed and how to get the TV back to normal?

I am sure I will think of more to post. Feel free to add your own. Who knows, between us all maybe we can come up with a pretty funny book to publish!

Got Teeth?

2009-05-30T19:32:00.001-07:00

Sloan officially has 4 teeth and two more that are about to cut through. Now everyone knows that teeth totally change the look of your baby, but Sloan's teeth are special. Why you ask? Well see for yourself...

Zoom in real close and you can catch it. I mean could the gap between her two top teeth be any bigger? I mean you can fit a whole other tooth in there! It is so funny. I guess she takes after her mama. For now it is just about the cutest thing ever. But I guess we better start the orthodontics fund. Cute when you're 8 months old, maybe not so cute when you're 18!

What's The Best Birthday Present in the World???

2009-05-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

THIS IS!!!!

Happy birthday to me! The best present I got you ask? Sloan came to visit me at work (obviously this isn't a picture of that moment as I didn't have a camera). Can't think of anything else I wanted for my birthday!

8 Months Old

2009-05-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? We made it to Arizona and through the first few weeks of the new job. Although we are missing dad, and he is missing lots of fun moments, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We think Lee should be out her sometime mid June (hurry up and get here quick).

Sloan is 8 months old, I can't believe it. She has hit some major milestones over the last month including her first day in the pool. That is one of the good things about living on the sun here in AZ...you can swim in May. Here is a list of the fun things Sloan is doing at 8 month old:

1. She has 3 teeth (two on the bottom and one on the top) and 4 more that are coming soon.

2. She can go from laying down to sitting up all on her own.

3. She is in the crawling position and can move backwards and is just on the verge of being able move forward.

4. She can clap and wave and I am pretty sure she can do a few signs like milk and more...but I may just be making that up in my head.

5. She loves to jabber and make this high pitched squeal (usually at the most inopportune times like during dead silent moments at church). She says dadad and babab and a few others,

6. She loves to blow raspberries and does it pretty much constantly, especially right when she wakes up in the morning.

7. She loves her baths and really enjoyed swimming. I think this will be a summer filled with some serious pool time (since it is right in the backyard).

8. She loves to hold her hands behind her back. Her Grandma Sally thinks this is hilarious and we have lots of pictures to document it.

All in all she is just a happy, smiley little girl. I have loved every second of the last 8 months and can't wait for all the fun milestones that will fill the next 8.

D.C.

2009-05-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Before I left Charlotte, Lee and I went to D.C. to visit Lee's sister. We had such a great time. We saw all the sites and museums and Lee's sister watched Sloan pretty much the whole time so we could go everywhere and not have to worry about naps etc. We were able to go to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Most of the Smithsonian Museums and the Holocaust Museum. It was so much fun. Thanks to Jill and Rich for letting us come stay with them and for watching Sloan while we had lots of fun. Here are some of the highlights.

Washington Monument

Lincoln Memorial

Potomac River

George Washington's House-Mt Vernon

Famous Georgetown Cupcakes...they were YUMMY!

Hangin' on the grass at George's house

Sloan and I at Jill's house

6 Times in 7 Years

2009-04-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

6 times in seven years...the trend continues...we are moving yet again. For those that haven't heard, it is true, Lee and I are moving back west...again! The job market here in Charlotte isn't good sadly. Although neither Lee or I have officially been laid of, we aren't waiting for the inevitable. I have been interviewing for jobs in AZ because there just hasn't been opportunity here for either Lee or I. Too many unemployed bankers battling for the small handful of open positions that are out there. Needles to say I was offered a job with Wachovia/Wells Fargo in AZ and Lee and I decided it would be best for us to move back. There are more opportunities for both of us in AZ since this is one of Wells Fargo's main headquarters, so it just makes more sense. I have to be in AZ the first week in May and Lee will be here in Charlotte until he gets his notice and wraps up everything with the sale of our condo and the transfer of our stuff out to AZ. We will probably be apart for a few months, which will totally suck, but we will make it work. It is all about sacrifice in this day and age. Who would have though two years ago that we would move across the country only to move back in two years? I can tell you NOT ME! Well I have always been an overachiever, I mean we don't do things small in our home. Our motto is go big or go home I guess since we like to move from one side of the country to the next...more than once! So here is to yet another move. Hopefully like our move out here was, it will be for the best.

When Lee asked me two years ago if I would move to Charlotte, I completely shut down the idea. I had no desire to move, I loved AZ, my house, my friends, my job etc. When it came down to it and Lee was offered a job out here I bawled my eyes out. I didn't want to go, leave my comfort zone and family and friends. It was so hard to pack up and move across the country to a place I had never even seen. Not to mention that this was the 5th time in 5 years we had moved. But I went and it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to us. Not to mention all the nastiness we avoided in AZ with the job and housing market, but I absolutely fell in love with Charlotte.

I am really going to miss it here. Needless to say I cried when I came and I am going to cry when I have to leave. Here are the things I am going to miss the most:

1. Living in the city. Anytime I had to leave the city, and was driving back home, the second I saw the city come into view this decision was reconfirmed for me. It was an amazing feeling that never got old. I especially love driving into the city at night. This is probably the thing I will miss the most.

2. Being able to walk to any restaurant, sports or theater event, museum, and work in 5 min or less.

3. Experiencing life outside of the "Mormon Bubble." Not that this bubble is bad, but I love being the exception, not the norm. I was able to share my beliefs with lots of people because the second I said I was from Utah, the next questions was ALWAYS "are you Mormon?" It is also a lot less critical outside of the bubble.

4. Southern hospitality. I have met some of the nicest people here in the south.

5. Working with a great and might I add eclectic mix of people.

6. My ward out here. The people are amazing. It is the first time I have actually really connected with a ward family and I will really miss all of them.

7. The amazing green trees EVERYWHERE. It is like driving through a forest any time you leave the city.

8. Ron, Odie's amazing groomer. I know it is silly, but I LOVE him. I want to pick him up, put him in my pocket and bring him with me to AZ. He is a poodle fanatic and the only person I have ever met that loves the breed more than I do. I think he owns one in ever color.

9. My doctors. I have an amazing "baby doctor" (the doctor that delivered Sloan) as well as an awesome pediatrician that I love, love, love.

10. Most of all I am going to miss one of the best friends I have ever had. I met Jen pretty much the day I moved here since she works with me. I had no idea at the time, but she was going to become the most amazing and best friend ever. I hate more than anything that I have to leave her. She is a true friend, the kind that you only find once in a lifetime.

11. Second most of all I am going to miss Sarah. She took such AMAZING care of Sloan and I will love her forever for loving Sloan almost as much I do. She was such a great nanny and I wish I had lot's of money so I could move her and her family to Arizona with me...because I totally would!

I could go on and on for days about the things I will miss here, but these are the basics. So it looks like it is an official two year itch, because every two years we move. Even though I always say "this is the last time" it never is. I guess I should admit that I kind of like moving. It is kind of a really expensive way to see different places, meet new and amazing people, and experience new cultures and lifestyles. So while I bawled my eyes out when I learned I had to move to Charlotte, I am definitely going to bawl my eyes out when I leave. It has been a great two years and I wouldn't change living here for a second. Every experience has been awesome and Lee and I have been able to accomplish a lot of our life goals here. I am so sad to leave, but it is on to new adventures and a new chapter in life for us.

Happy 30th Lee

2009-04-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

It is official, Lee is 30 years old. I can't believe he isn't in his twenties anymore. I think I am having a harder time coming to grips with it than Lee is. It's just the thought of not being able to say "I am twenty____" that really freaks me out. I am just glad I have three years and one month (don't forget that month) before I have to come to grips with this myself!

I planned to do a big surprise party for him, but then realized that we don't really have that many friends here...LOL. Plus I wasn't sure if I was even going to be around for his birthday due to the interviews I was having in AZ. So we kind of did a low key 30th celebration. I planned to take him to Chima, a brand new restaurant in Uptown. Chima is a Brazilian steakhouse, you know the ones where they walk around with the big skewers of meat. It was really amazing food, but I ate more than I think I have eaten in a few years combined. It was definitely an experience, but I was slightly nauseous when it was all said and done.

Since I didn't spend lots of money on a party, I surprised Lee with a trip to San Diego to go to Comic-Con. I know, please contain your laughter. for those that know my husband, you are surely aware of his Garbage Pail Kid obsession. I think 95%of the worlds Garbage Pail Kids are housed in my 900 square foot condo (can you sense my excitement about this?). We've got cards, boxes, sets, posters, pins, art, wacky packs and even a full set (or two) of cheap toys! Anyway, Lee has always wanted to go to Comic-Com, but I spent years convincing myself it was a phase he would grow out of. Fast forward 7 years and he were are...a 30th birthday spent at Comic-Con...guess it's not a phase. So anyway, happy birthday Lee. I am so glad you were born 30 long years ago.

Should I Be Concerned???

2009-04-05T10:45:00.001-07:00

Sloan has always loved TV. I think when she was younger all the lights and flashes were stimulating to her. Pretty much from birth she has loved watching (or at least looking at) the TV. Even when she couldn't really control her own movements she would go out of her way to crank her body around to see a TV if one was on in the room. Recently I have discovered that Sloan LOVES cartoons, particulary Sunday morning episodes of the Care Bears. I really try not to cultivate this new found love as I don't think it is appropriate or mentally good for a 6 1/2 month old to watch full episodes of the Care Bears....but I will say, it is totally funny. I guess she is a girl after my own heart! Let's just hope her love for Care Bears doesn't turn into a love for The Bachelorette...you gotta draw the line somewhere right!

6 Months Old

2009-03-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Sloan is 6 months old. That is half a year!!! I mean that is such a long time. It is weird, it seems like just yesterday that Sloan was born, an adorable little blob that I had no clue how to take care of. At the same time I can't remember life without her. I feel like she has been around for years. I think maybe I feel this way not because I don't remember life without her, but because I love her so incredibly much that I can't imagine life without her.

So here are some stats and milestones for Sloan at 6 months:

Weight: 15 pounds 15 ounces
Height: 26 inches
Favorite Thing to Do: Look at herself in the mirror (She thinks she is hilarious)
Least Favorite Thing to Do: Eat Veggies
Newest Skill: Almost mastered the art of sitting
Other Skills: She is a proficient roller and rolls everywhere she wants to go
Favorite Toy: Exersaucer
Favorite Song: Popcorn
Misc: She can grasp, pick up and hold everything. She feeds herself her own bottle. She is still the happiest most smiley baby ever!

Sloan Eats

So we finally started to give Sloan food. I waited until the last dire moment because I am not ready to be done nursing and I didn't want solids to affect Sloan's desire for nursing. We started Sloan on rice cereal about a week ago and then veggies on Sunday. Sloan likes the cereal, but the veggies...that is a whole other story. Let's just say that the first few spoonfuls resulted in a shiver face, followed shortly by dry heaves. The funniest part of the story is that it didn't stop with the dry heaves. So if anyone knows my husband they know he is kind of a picky eater. In fact when he was younger his mom used to make him eat certain veggies that he didn't want to eat. So what would he do? He would eat them and then puke...just to show his mom he really didn't want them. Well guess what, today Sarah tried to feed Sloan some peas and she didn't only dry heave, she puked...actually puked. So if anyone was wondering, she must be her fathers daughter!

Here are some pics from Sloan's first food.

Well first, like I said Sloan is proficient at feeding herself her own bottles. The other day she was in the middle of eating and it must have just been far too tiring because she fell fast asleep. Bottle in hand and milk dripping down the side of her mouth. I had to throw this one in there.

Rice cereal....GOOD

Green Peas...not so much!!!

March Madness

2009-03-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

March has been kind of all over the place. This has mainly been manifested by the weather. Two weeks ago it snowed about 4 inches, the most I have ever seen it snow in Charlotte. It was freezing for about three days and then suddenly it got warmer and by the weekend it was 79. I blame all this craziness for the reason I keep getting sick. I mean one day we are in our winter parkas and the next we are busting out the shorts and flip flops. So in the midst of all the craziness here are some pics and updates from March.

One day snow...

Next day sun and walks in the park (or cemetery, hey when you live in the city you find grass where you can).

Here is Sloan getting ready to crawl. Actually she isn't even close, but hey pushing up on your tummy is step one right?

Sloan is really good at holding her own bottle now. She has been doing this for a while with Sarah, but since I rarely feed her from a bottle, this is the first I have been able to get a picture of it. She is just getting so big.

2009-03-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the rest of the month of February, and also because my sister asked me to post some more.

Sloan has her first friend. Our nanny Sarah has a daughter who is about 3 months older than Sloan. Sarah took this picture of Sloan and Emmaline playing the other day. I mean how funny is this picture? I can't believe Sarah actually captured this moment. As you can see, Sloan usually spends the day in her jammies...oops. Don't mind the blue little boy jammies she is wearing in this picture, they have dogs on them so we had to buy them.

Sloan and her lovey that she always cuddles with.

5 Months Old

2009-02-15T18:39:00.001-08:00

I can't believe my baby is 5 months old. It is crazy how fast time flies (how come it didn't go this fast when I was big, pregnant and miserable?). This is Sloan's first Valentines Day. I am actually not really a huge fan of this holiday, but it gave me an excuse to dress my babe up in lots of cute pink clothes.

So here is Sloan's 5 month update. I don't have a well check this month so I am not sure of her exact stats, but I think she weighs around 15.5 pounds. She rolls over and in the last few days has become very proficient at getting her arm out from under her and even rolling back the other way. She is still the most smiley baby on the planet and has just started to really giggle (although I still have to work pretty hard for it and it tends to be short lived). She loves to play with toys and grab on to them and put them in her mouth. she is definitely still not sleeping through the night (some nights are better than others), but she only wakes up to eat and then falls right back to sleep. However she does sleep a lot since she goes to bed at like 6:30pm and sleeps until 7:00 or 7:30am the next morning. She is really good when we go out to the mall or dinner or whatever and mostly just hangs out and looks cute so everyone around us will comment on how cute she is (I tell you, she is a ham and loves to play it up for a crowd!). I just love her so much and am so blessed to have her in my life!!!

Valentine's Day in her Bumbo (actually it is our Nanny's Bumbo that she leaves at our house, thanks Sarah!).

I realize pretty much every picture I have of Sloan is in this same position on the couch, but when your child can't sit up you are pretty limited for options!

Sloan and her dad on the couch just hanging. She will literally hang with him and watch him work on the computer just like this.

Just an extra bonus pic, too many good ones to chose from. She is so scrumptious!!!

I love you sweet baby girl, thank you for coming into my life!

What's The Deal?

2009-02-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

Alright, so all of the sudden there are like 3 or 4 people who's blogs I check regularly that just made it so you have to have permission to view their blogs. Now I don't check everyones blogs every day or anything, but I check them often enough that I thought I would have seen them say they were going to go private. But I guess I must have missed it. So anyway, if you have recently blocked your blog please give me access because I am so sad I can't keep up on what is going on in everyones life. Pretty Please?

Moments You Wish Would Never End

2009-02-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

The other night Sloan must have been really tired because she suddenly became very cuddly. We sat in the rocking chair for like an hour and she just laid her head on my shoulder. Sloan isn't what I would call a cuddle bug. Sometimes she has her moments, but for the most part they don't last for more than a few minutes. But for some reason in this moment she just cuddled with me for like an hour. I seriously took it in and enjoyed every last moment of it. I didn't want it to end!

I had to throw this picture of Odie in. Odie doesn't have a problem just helping himself to anything he can find. This was a Carmel he found on the table, wrapper and all. He just held it in his mouth, he didn't try to eat it or anything. I guess since he couldn't figure out the wrapper he decided to just hold it there. It is moments like this I bet Odie really wishes he had an opposable thumb!

Happy Baby

2009-01-30T17:21:00.000-08:00

If anyone was wondering, I have the happiest baby ever. I feel so lucky to have such a good baby. She is so chill and will just hang out with me pretty much all day. If she does get unhappy over something it is really easy to just talk to her or sing her a song (she loves patty cake and popcorn) and she is happy again. I know that in a few months when she starts to want to move and can't I might be eating my words. But as of today, I have the happiest, most well behaved baby! Just in case you don't believe me here is some proof.

Pictures after church.

This is Sloan just hanging out with her dad. I should also mention that even though she is only 4 months old she turns into a total ham the second the camera comes out.

I had to throw this picture in. I have started to swaddle Sloan with one arm out because she rolls over in her sleep too easily when she is totally swaddled. The other night I walked in to check on her and this is what I found. Totally dramatic even in her sleep. Now I don't think Sloan will grow up to be quite as dramatic as her cousin Lyza, but she may have a gene or two of drama in her family line that has been passed down to her.

4 Months Old

2009-01-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

Sloan is 4 months old! Here are her updated stats:

Weight: 14 Pounds 12 Ounces
Height: 25 Inches

She has been trying for a while now, but she finally succeeded in rolling over. She is also the happiest, easiest baby ever. She is finally starting to giggle more, but I do have to work really hard for it and it doesn't happen often. All in all she is the BEST little girl ever. If I could be guaranteed that they would all come out just like her, I would have 100 kids!

SNOW!!!

Also, it snowed here. Well I don't know if you can really call it snow as much as a really thick layer of frost. Needless to say, it has been abnormally cold and on Tuesday we woke up to this. This is the view of the park off our balcony as well as our street. I would like to note to all my Utah friends and fam that although it doesn't look like much...the city pretty much shut down. Many people didn't show up for work, there were a million accidents and it was like the number one news story of the day. Obviously they don't get snow in Charlotte often.

The value of amazing friends!

2009-01-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post a pic of Sloan and her new best friend Laila. Although they have never met they are destined to be best friends. This is my best friend Kaylene's new baby. As you can see from Laila's very petite size, Sloan will probably be about a foot taller than Laila. However this is fitting because that is how Kaylene and I always were too!

Kake I am so happy for you and Jon and I love Laila! Can't wait for her and Sloan to meet and be the best of friends. If they grow up to have anywhere near the amazing friendship we have had over the years then I consider them both very blessed! I love you guys!

3 Months Old...A While Ago

2009-01-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

I know this is almost a month late, and Sloan is now almost 4 months old...but I was kind of out of service for the last month since I was in Utah and Arizona. This is Sloan's 3 Month/Christmas picture. I can't believe she is already so old. I plead with her every day to stay this age forever...she must have inherited selective listening from her dad because she keeps growing despite our little talks. I just love her so much I can't even explain it. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is so beautiful and fun. She makes me want to have 100 babies as long as they are all just like her :). So happy 3 month birthday to my sweet little baby cakes!

On a not so exciting note I have to go back to work tomorrow. The river of tears have already started to flow and I am sure will continue throught the day and possibly week. I told Lee I have a bi to be as sad and unhappy as I want to be tomorrow. I know it will be more rough on me than Sloan. I am trying to think of the positives like how lucky we are to have someone I trust coming to our house so she doesn't have to go to daycare, and how I am lucky to have a job and income in this crazy economy. So anyway I am off to join the rat race once more, although in a much different state of mind than when I was there last. I will keep you all posted with how it goes.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-20T20:39:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Sloan's Blessing Day

2008-12-16T19:17:00.001-08:00

Sloan's blessing was on Sunday. It was such a special day and she looked so beautiful (thanks Sally for the amazing dress). Lee gave her a great blessing and it was so fun to be here in Utah with my family surrounding us for this special day. Here are some pictures from the day. There were so many cute ones so I apologize for the overload! I just can't believe how beautiful Sloan is inside and out. I just love her soooooo much!

My sisters and I were all pregnant at the same time and here are the babies. Ava (5 months), Seth (6 months) and Sloan (3 Months).

Baby Announcement

2008-12-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I just got Sloan's birth announcement and am ready to send them out. I would love to send them to all my friends but I realized I don't have most of your addresses. So if you would like me to send you Sloan's announcement (it is really cute), please e-mail me your home address. I have set up an e-mail account just for this purpose:

Sloanannouncements@yahoo.com

Please e-mail me your address and I would love to send one your way!!!

Doctor's Orders

2008-12-05T17:59:00.000-08:00

So Sloan got her first taste at being sick. Last night she woke up at about 10:30pm with the snottiest nose ever. She could barely breath and it was draining into her throat and making her gag and gasp for air. It was really scary! She did this all night about every hour, so needless to say neither of us got any sleep. Even when she was sleeping I was awake straining to hear every little breath to make sure she was still breathing. I called my Charlotte pediatrician in the morning and she told me to try and get in to see a pediatrician here. I made an appointment with my sisters pediatrician...we will refer to him as Dr. McHottie (no wonder you take your kids to him Shauns :) ). McHottie tested Sloan's oxygen levels and they were fine. This was my biggest concern so I was happy to hear it was all okay. Mostly she just has a bad case of post nasal drip and I have to shoot saline up her nose every few hours which she hates and makes me feel like a bad mother.

The funny part of this story is that while Dr. McHottie was checking Sloan's ears he said "Your daughter has beautiful ear canals." Apparently most babies have small, awkward ear canals, but not my little overachiever. I know most mom's are biased and think their children are the best at everything, but this very unbiased doctor told me my daughter's ear canals were exceptional. In fact he said "now you can go home and blog about it," so that is what I am doing, just following doctor's orders. So here's to something any mom would be proud to say...my daughter has beautiful ear canals!!!

There's No Place Like Home

2008-12-02T16:24:00.001-08:00

I am finally home in Utah and loving every second of it. I love being with my family and eating good home cooked meals. Traveling with a baby is definitely much more of a process than it was when it was just Lee and I. Sloan did awesome on the plane though. This is how she spent most of the ride...

She has also handled the time change amazingly. She has stayed on Charlotte time for the most part and goes to bed at about 5 or 5:30pm Utah time which is her normal bed time in Charlotte. She sleeps until about 3am and then goes back to sleep until about 6am. After her morning feeding she sleeps until about 9 or 9:30am, so no complaints here. (If we were in Charlotte she would be sleeping through the night!) So all my worry was for not. I should have known, she is such a good baby, I shouldn't have doubted that she would be able to handle it so well.

First Thanksgiving

Here are some pics from Sloan's first Thanksgiving

My sisters and I were all pregnant at the same time and here are the new babes. Shaundee had Seth in May, Shalice had Ava in June and I had Sloan in Sept.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

My Little Wiggle Worm

2008-11-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

Last night I put Sloan to sleep at about 7:30pm. I always lay her in the top middle of the crib. I came in to check on her at about 8:30pm and this is what I found...

She truly is my little wiggle worm!

She's Two Months Old

2008-11-17T16:57:00.001-08:00

Sloan is now two months old. I can't believe how fast they grow and how much she has changed in just two short months. I stole the idea for this photo from some of my friend's blogs so I hope they don't mind.

Two Months

12.2 Pounds (50th Percentile)

23 1/2 Inches (90th Percentile)

Very Smiley

Best Husband In Town

2008-11-13T18:00:00.001-08:00

Because I have lived in states other than Utah, I have been able to see "So You Think You Can Dance" every year it has been on tour. Since I just had a baby I didn't think I was going to be able to make it this year and I was so sad. I read on all of my Utah friend's blogs about how amazing it was and I was so sad to have to miss a year. Well SYTYCD was here last night at the Bobcats Arena which is right up the street from our house (one of the many benefits of living in the city). My loving husband walked up to the stadium and found me a really great ticket for pretty cheap from a scalper. I was a bit hesitant to go and leave Sloan (although Lee is a completely capable and great father I still feel guilty leaving her, it makes me feel a bit selfish), but Lee encouraged me that I should. I put Sloan to sleep and Lee stayed home with her while I went to the concert. I went by myself and it was actually really refreshing. I completely enjoyed being there by myself and just enjoyed some much needed me time. It was so amazing! The talent of the dancers never ceases to amaze me! They are even better in person than they are on TV. I loved every second of it and I am so glad I was able to go. So thanks so much to my amazing husband that made it possible for me to have a really great night and get away from it all for a few hours. I love you babe!!!!

Another Break Through!

2008-11-10T09:44:00.001-08:00

So it may just be a fluke, but Sloan has been taking naps in her crib for the last three days. She has been sleeping in her crib at night since she was about 4 weeks old, but for some reason she won't sleep anywhere but in your arms during the day. When we tried to put her down she would immediately wake up no matter how long she had been asleep. I am not sure how long this will last, in fact I probably just jinxed myself and she will stop doing it. None the less I am super stoked about this new development. It makes a world of difference to have a few moments of time during the day to be able to shower and get a few things accomplished!

I am so excited that am I going home soon. I wasn't leaving until the 6th of Dec, but my loving husband decided we might as well go to Utah for Thanksgiving too. Now I am leaving on the 23rd and will be in Utah through the holidays. I am sooooooo excited to see my fam and especially my sisters and their kids. I am a bit hesitant though, there is a two hour time change between North Carolina and Utah. I am not sure how Sloan is going to handle this. A few weeks ago when we had daylight savings it did a number on her. She doesn't really have a schedule yet, but even still it was really hard for her. Now I know I can get her on Utah time after I am there for a few days, but when we get back to Charlotte I have to go back to work and won't be around to help her get back to her regular routine. I don't want her to have to adjust back to NC time and have me gone all at the same time, I am afraid she will be traumatized. Do any of you have any suggestions on how I can make this transition a smooth and non painful one?

Yesterday we had our first professional picture session with Sloan. I have been meaning to get pictures of her to make announcements to send out, but with getting sick so many times as well as the stress of figuring out how to be a mom I have slacked. Finally I decided we needed to stop procrastinating, so we got an appointment with a lady in our ward that is a photographer. It was a very unique experience to try and get a good picture with a newborn, but I think we got some good ones. Hopefully I will have an announcement to send out to all of you soon!

I know I post a million pictures of Sloan, but I just love this girl so much I have to document every amazing moment. So for those of you who aren't completely sick of seeing the same thing over and over, here are some more pictures.

Sloan is usually swaddled when she sleeps, but when I don't swaddle her she just totally sprawls out...I love it!

Totally sitting on the couch like an adult!

This is the evolution of Sloan waking up in the morning...

I have to document this because it is so cute!

Asleep in our bed...we cuddle after her morning feeding.

She's awake

So happy to see us that she just smiles away! She even ignores the fact that she is hungry and probably has a poopy diaper!

More Pictures

2008-11-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures!

This is how we bundle up to take Odie out when it is cold outside (although it has since warmed back up again).

More Smiles!

Sometimes eating is a tiring job for her.

Don't mind the now shower, no makeup as neither of these seem to happen as much these days...sleep always seems to win out.

She's a Sleeper & A Smiler!

2008-10-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Although she is now sleeping in her crib every night (yea), every morning Sloan and I have cuddle time and she sleeps in the bed with me. This is obviously way more for me than her, but I like to think she wants to bond with me as well. Yesterday Lee plopped her on what he calls my "throne of pillows" (I sleep with 6 pillows surrounding me every night LOL), and she fell right to sleep. I don't blame her, I also feel my "throne of pillows" is very cozy!

Sloan has been smiling for a while, but I haven't been able to attribute it to me until the last few days. I think in the past it has been more of a gas thing, but I now know for sure she is smiling at me. I tried to capture how dang cute her smile is, but my camera is slow and I never got a really good smile picture. Here are a few of the better ones, but still none of these do justice to how cute her smile is!

The only time in life where a toothless smile is acceptable!

Breakthrough!

2008-10-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

So my pediatrician recommended the book "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp. This has been the best book I have read (and I read a lot of them to get ready for the baby). I wish I would have known about it before Sloan was born as it has made the world of difference. I have gone from Sloan sleeping on my belly all night long to her sleeping in her crib. She also used to have a really fussy time from about 6-10pm and she is no longer unhappy at this time of night. She naps really well and just as of today I have gotten her to nap in her swing during the day so I can actually shower and get some things accomplished, including blogging as you can tell from my 3 new posts (it is amazing to have some extra time on my hands, I never thought that would happen)...HOORAY!!! This book has really changed everything and made it so much easier for me to know what to do to calm Sloan down and make her happy. Please if you are going to be a new parent, or if you have a fussy baby and you don't know what to do, read this book. It may take a second to master the "5 S's" but once you do it really works. I don't even have to use all 5...mainly just swaddling (which I thought Sloan hated as she always fought it, but then realized I wasn't swaddling her tight enough), and rocking or swinging. It truly is amazing! Tomorrow may bring a whole new set of issues and frustrations, but as of today we have had a breakthrough!!!

More Pictures

2008-10-20T17:52:00.001-07:00

For those of you that aren't completely sick of seeing pictures of Sloan, here are some more. I know I am a little obsessed with posting pics, but it is mostly for my family that is sadly missing out on her first few months. Anyway, here are some more pics of my adorable little babe!

Sloan's preferred method of sleeping.

She spends a lot of time in the Baby Bjorn.

First day at church.

First family pic...using a timer doesn't always produce the best product.

Sloan loves to stretch!!! I mean how cute is this?

THANKS!!!

2008-10-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

What would we do without moms and mother-in-laws? I wanted to post to say thank you so much to my amazing mom and mother-in-law. Lee's mom Sally (also Sloan's namesake) came to Charlotte shortly after Sloan was born to help us out. She did pretty much everything from cooking to cleaning to taking the baby whenever I needed. She planned to be here for two weeks and the day she was supposed to leave I got my first case of mastitis. Being the amazing person she is she changed her flight to stay here and help out. She stayed in the hospital with me for two nights and three days. There is NO WAY I could have done it without her! She ended up staying for three weeks and I was so sad to see her go.

Then my mom came out and stayed with us for a week. Luckily she was here for my second bout of mastitis so she was able to help with the baby while I was feeling like crap. She cooked and helped me clean out a bunch of closets (which was a huge deal as I am starting to feel really cluttered in my tiny house). We also got to hang out and take the baby on her first shopping trip. I am sure it will be the first of many to come! It was so sad to see my mom leave. We had so much fun.

So thank you to amazing moms that helped me to keep my sanity through the last month! There is no way Lee and I could have done it without you both. We love you soooooooo much!

Suggestions Please?

2008-10-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

So my beautiful baby girl has a few small issues. She hates pretty much everything that every normal child enjoys. The only way I can get her to sleep is if she is being held on my chest in a somewhat upright position. She HATES, and I mean hates her crib, bouncer, swing, car seat and stroller. Anything where she has to lay down, she hates. She loves the Baby Bjorn though (because she is being held in an upright position). I love holding her and cuddling and would do it all the time with no complaints if I never needed to accomplish anything in my day, or shower, or sleep at night. Basically I can't really put her down for more than about 10 min. I was hoping someone out there has had a child like this and might have a solution. I have never met a child that doesn't like driving in the car. Isn't that really strange or do I just not know what is normal and not??? Oh, and she also hates a pacifier so I don't have anything to sooth her when she is upset.

The other thing is she doesn't love to sleep, and when she does it is kind of a half sleep. The only time I can get her to really sleep is if I am walking her around in the Baby Bjorn. I think I may get her to sleep for about a combined total of 2 hours a day on a good day. I really don't think this is normal for a newborn (or is it?).

Anyway, just thought I would throw these few things out there if anyone has any ideas. I am open for anything so just let me know!

A few More Pictures

2008-10-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

It has been really crazy and busy around here. I got mastitis again in my other side (no hospitalization required this time as I caught it pretty much the second I felt it coming on). Anyhow, since I haven't had a ton of time I wanted to at least post a few more pics. I will post more as soon as I have time to download them from my camera!

My New Weekend Home

2008-10-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

So I have a new vacation home where I like to spend my weekends. It is an all inclusive (the food is amazing), 4 star location. This last visit I even got a room with an amazing view of the city. It is pretty expensive, but you are waited on hand and foot. No, it isn't a Sandals vacation resort in the Bahamas...it is the hospital. I really like it there, I can't seem to stay away. I have spent the last three weekends there. In fact since I have had Sloan I have spent more time in the hospital than at home. Last Sunday night at about 3am I woke up very sick. I had uncontrollable chills and a fever of 103.9. I new immediately I had mastitis since I have heard my sisters horrible mastitis stories many times. I called and got an antibiotic and started taking it. The medicine wasn't helping and by Sunday late afternoon my temperature was still 103. I called the doctor again and she asked me to go to the hospital. Long story short they admitted me once again. I was given an IV (I mean they didn't even have to make a hole since I have a permanent one from the last two visits) and pumped a bunch of antibiotics and fluids. After 24 hours of nothing working and a fever that was still spiking to 104, the doctors decided this was more than just mastitis. They think I may have gotten some kind of bacterial infection. The doctor said once in a while there are rare cases of mastitis that are abnormally bad. If there is a way to get a "rare" case of something, leave it to me to get it! So I spent two nights at my home away from home and finally got to go home on Wednesday. The most frustrating part is that I pretty much lost all my milk supply I worked so hard to build up. So we are back at square one of doing everything I can to get my milk to come back in. Who ever said child birth was hard obviously didn't breast feed their child. I have never worked so hard at something in my whole life!!!

Man She Is Cute!!!

2008-09-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pics of Sloan. I have some pretty cute video too. Once I get technically smart and figure out how to post videos, I will post some.

Here is a little update. Everything is going really well. It was pretty rough before my milk came in. Sloan lost a pound and was slightly jaundice. The pediatrician told us we had to supplement some formula until my milk came in. Luckily my milk started flowing on Saturday and the world got a lot easier!!! Sloan is eating well and is almost back up to her birth weight. The doctor said she is looking great. The last few nights she has only woken up about every three hours to eat (which is great seeing as it was about every hour and a half). It may just be a fluke, but I have definitely enjoyed it for at least a few nights.

I can't believe how much I love this little thing. She is so alert and I love to just stare at her. She looks around and can totally hold her head up on her own. She is constantly moving and gets the hiccups at least three times a day...so not much has changed since she was in my belly. I can't believe how beautiful she is. I just want to cuddle with her all day long, and well, I pretty much do. My sisters say you can't spoil a newborn, so I am going with it. I really can't explain how much I love her. I don't want her to ever change from this moment because she is perfect!

The Big Day!!!

2008-09-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

So before I give you the rundown on the whole day's events, I thought I would just post a bunch of pictures. Since most of you won't care to read the birth story I thought I would put the important stuff first. The rest is more just for those who are interested and for my "journal keeping" sake.

Sloan is about the cutest thing I have ever seen. I know I am slightly biased, but I think even if she wasn't mine I would still think she is the most beautiful thing ever. Here are a bunch of the millions of pictures I have taken.

Right before I went to the hospital. Big belly with a big baby in it!

Lee, a very proud and loving father!

Sloan going home from the hospital.

Very relaxed at home in her crib.

Odie really enjoys the boppy. Oh, and for those of you that are wondering, I still love him just as much!

Sloan's first bath.

I mean could she possibly be any cuter???

So here is the story...

I was scheduled to go to the hospital on Sunday the 14th to get induced. That morning I woke up and was having some contractions. They were slightly stronger and definitely more consistent than they had been in the past. I made strawberry waffles and Lee and I kind of hung out all day. I didn't have to go to the hospital until 7pm, so we passed the time by watching movies. Throughout the day my contractions were getting a lot stronger and closer together. When my contractions were about 7 min apart I felt I needed to go to the hospital, but we decided to wait until our 7pm appointment. We got everything together and headed off to the hospital about 6:45pm. When I got to the hospital they admitted me and checked me and I was dilated to a 3. I was supposed to get cervigel (I think that is what it is) to soften my cervix and then I was to get induced on Monday morning as that is when my doctor would be on call. The on call doctor for the night, Dr. Hardy, thought I was looking good and decided to wait and see what happened. Well my contractions got stronger and stronger. At 11:45pm I had a really strong contraction and felt a pop and whoosh, my water broke. After that my contractions started getting really strong. I asked for my epidural, but they told me my contractions although strong were still about 7 min apart so I needed to wait. Looking back this was my biggest mistake, I should have said nope, I want it now. Instead I waited and waited and my contractions got more intense and more intense. I really have NEVER felt pain like this before. Finally at about 2:30am they checked me again and I was at a 6 (I could have told them that). The anesthesiologist came in and gave me the epidural. I was pretty scared, but the doctor did an awesome job. And let's face it, at that point they could have stuck a pitchfork in my back and I would have been okay with it as long as it took away the pain. It was almost instantly that the medicine kicked in and man, that was an amazing moment. To anyone that is questioning the epidural I say get it, it is definitely a life saver! It wasn't much longer after that that I started getting an intense urge to push. I knew the contractions would hurt, but I didn't even think about how badly this part hurt. At about 3:15am the nurse had me start to push and gave me a mirror to give me some motivation (which by the way I said I would never do, but it really did help). The first thing the nurse said was "your baby has a LOT of hair." Sure enough when they brought out the mirror that is about all I could see. I only pushed with the nurse for about 15 min and she called in the doctor. The doctor had me push and I could feel the head starting to come out. At this point all I knew was I needed to make this really strange feeling go away so I decided to just push as hard and as long as I possibly could because this was the only way I could make it go away. Everything during the night is slightly fuzzy to me as it was all just really intense. However I do vividly remember this moment. Lee was holding my hand and my leg and every time I pushed he would join me. He did this a few times and I looked at him and said "Lee, stop pushing with me...I need you and if you keep holding your breath like that you are going to pass out." For those that know my husband he is really weary with blood and needles so I am surprised he had made it to that point without fainting. He did really well though and was so supportive and I couldn't have done it without him. He even cut her cord which he said he wasn't going to be able to do. Anyway, I pushed for about 30 min and at 4:04am Sloan was here. She was 9 punds and 21 3/4 inches long. They put her on my belly and it was amazing. I was so glad it was over and I could finally meet our beautiful little girl.

Sloan is amazing and I love her more than I ever imagined I could. All in all my birth experience was good (minus getting the epidural so late in the game). I really prepared for the worst and was amazingly surprised that although child birth was the most intense, painful and tiring experience I have ever had, it wasn't as bad as I had built it up to be. And I will say it now for the record that I would totally do it again. I am so excited to be a mom and Lee has been an amazing dad. I can't wait for all my experiences to come! I am so grateful for this experience, and I thank Heavenly Father every day for giving us this amazing, beautiful, healthy little gift!!!

I'm Here!!

2008-09-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

Baby Sessions made her arrival yesterday September 15, 2008 at 4:04 am! Sloan Sally Sessions made her debut weighing 9 pounds, 21 3/4 inches and with a full head or gorgeous hair. Both baby and parents are doing GREAT!!!

I Must Have a Really Luxurious Womb!!!

2008-09-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

So today was my due date and I've got nothing, no contractions, no dilating, nothing. I figured I would probably be late, but thought I might get a sympathy contraction or two. My doctor is going to induce me on Monday if I don't have the baby this weekend because she can tell she is going to be big and doesn't want to wait until she is 9 pounds (if she isn't already). I am showing no signs of labor so it looks like Monday will be the day. I am definitely ready as I have never been quite so uncomfortable in all my life. For now it is looking like inducing will be the only way to get me to go into labor, but we will keep you posted.

Two Days in the Hospital...Still No Baby

2008-09-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

So I just spent two days in the hospital and left with a belly as big and uncomfortable as the day I was admit ed. Here is the long story for anyone that is interested.

I was at an offsite all day meeting for work on Wednesday just doing my job like any normal day. Suddenly at like 4:00pm I started feeling really sick. The meeting got over at about 5:30pm and luckily Lee was there to drive me home. The car ride was bad and by the time I was home about 20min later I was really sick. I was achy and freezing cold and my back was in a lot of pain. I tried getting in bed with a sweatshirt and all my blankets over me and I was still so cold my teeth were chattering. About an hour later I suddenly got really hot and sweaty. This cycled for a while and all along I was just really achy and couldn't really walk. I tried to get some sleep and almost woke Lee up to take me to urgent care. I decided to stick it out until the morning and I would go see my normal doctor. Finally the morning came and I was able to get a quick appointment with my doctor. When I got there she did some tests including a blood test. She told me the test came back and my white blood cells were elevated to 20 when they should be about 9 or 10. She called my OBGYN and they both agreed that I needed to go to the hospital immediately. I was pretty stressed since my house was a mess and I hadn't showered for a few days. I had no overnight bag and nothing to bring the baby home in if for some reason they told me I needed to have her. This was not the way I was picturing our little girl coming into the world. We went to the doctor and I was admitted and immediately given IVs and put on fetal monitors. It was a little scary as I didn't really know what was going on. The doctors came and ran lots of tests on myself and the baby. A specialist came in to do an ultrasound and it was determined the baby was fine. This was the biggest relief as this was my major concern. I could deal with whatever I need to as long as my baby was okay. They said I needed to stay overnight to be monitored and wait for some tests to come back. If anything came back positive they said they were going to have to induce me. After many hours of tests and IVs and a long night on a very uncomfortable bed the doctor said she felt I was okay to go home. I was elated to leave the hospital, but at the same time I was a little disappointed they decided not to induce me. I was a week a way and when I got the ultrasound the doctor said that my baby was big...at least 8 pounds. I thought this plus the fact that I had some unknown illness would motivate them to say let's just go ahead and do it. However our hospital has a strict no induction rule unless it is a medical emergency. So Lee and I left the next day just as uncomfortable as we came.

I am so glad that the baby is okay and that I am feeling a little better. In the end they found a small bacterial infection. Who knew bacteria could make you so sick? However I will say that I am pretty disappointed we left without our little girl being born. I mean I was there, I had the IV and let's face it, my child is ginormous. But I guess they want her to sit and float in her little haven and eat lots of food so she can be at least 9 pounds when I have to push her out.

So, we will continue to keep you posted but thus far it is looking like it isn't going to be any time all too soon. And although I have decided that when the stretchy maternity clothes no longer fit it is far past time to have a baby, I guess I will have to wait for her to decide she is really cramped and uncomfortable in there and wants to come out. And if I were her I guess I would want to stay in there as long as possible too!!!

Ode to Odie

2008-08-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Anyone that knows us knows that our dog Odie is our child. He is incredibly loved and very, very spoiled. Our life revolves around him and he is the center of attention. Well Odie has about 2 weeks left of being our #1. I know that once we have our baby he is going to become slightly less spoiled and probably slightly more ignored. Although everyone tells me that my intense love for my dog will change once I have a child, I am sure that it won't. So before our little girl comes into this world and becomes the #1, here is an "Ode to Odie," our first born child.

This is Odie as a puppy. Apparently we hadn't found a groomer yet!

Doing what he does best...sleeping and relaxing! He must take after his mom and dad.

This is Odie's favorite thing to do since we moved to Charlotte. There is a park behind our house that is full of squirrels. Well Odie has become a squirrel hunter. He loves to stalk them and chase after them. Good thing he isn't that fast, who knows what would happen if he really caught one!

Charlotte Shower

2008-08-16T07:35:00.001-07:00

So my best friend here in Charlotte threw me a really nice baby shower. It was at her mom and dad's Coutry Club about 30 minutes south of Uptown. Thanks Jen for all the effort and time you put into this. It was so awesome and I loved it, you truly are an amazing friend! And thanks to all my friends from work that drove to come hang out for the afternoon, I really appreciate it!

Jen and me at the shower. She will hate that I posted a picture of her, but I think it's cute.

Jen had this awesome diaper cake made for me. She also had the beautiful mums flown in from California...they were gorgeous.

All my friends from work. From top left to top right: Jen's mom Melissa Hodge, Ruth Gavin our receptionist, Joanne Dang, Tracy Douglas, Julie Harman, Laura Leung, me, Jennifer Hodge, Rhonda Bradley & Jennifer Sproul. Thanks everyone for coming, it was so nice you have you all there!!!

A Time to Vent & My Prediction

2008-08-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

I precursor this blog entry with the fact that I am so grateful to be pregnant. I can't wait to meet our little girl and I know everything you go through in pregnancy is 110% worth it. But hey a girl does need to vent every once in a while right?

So for posterity and my sisters, here is my big belly at 35 weeks. It must be large compared to other pregnant people's bellies because everyone at my work keeps saying either

A: "You are really ready aren't you" or

B: "Are you sure your doctor's haven't miscalculated, you look like you should be much closer than 4 weeks!"

I really love both these comments...they make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. As if it isn't enough that I can't get comfortable to get any sleep, I wake up at least 7 times a night to go to the bathroom, and the most painful part of my day is completing the simple task of putting on my socks, apparently I look miserable too.

I think it is all the little things you don't expect that intrigue me the most about being pregnant. You expect the big belly, but no one tells you about the fact that you will gain so much weight your thighs may rub together when you walk. Or the fact that you may retain so much water that you won't fit into any pre-pregnancy shoes you owned. Or that your bones "down there" separate (who knew?) so it will probably be pretty painful to walk. Or that your face has the ability to pretty much double in size.

I will come clean on one thing I have learned being pregnant. I always told everyone I would never waddle no matter how pregnant I was. Well I have learned that the waddle is inevitable. There is just nothing you can do about it as it hurts far to much to walk regularly. So I say bring on the waddle!!!

Anyhow, I am now done venting. I have 4 weeks left and I can't wait to forget all the bad parts of being pregnant and only remember the good. I also can't even describe how excited I am to meet my daughter! It is like the excitement you feel when you know you get to go to Disney World soon...but a million times better!

The Prediction:

So in conclusion I want to make my prediction, just for the record so I can say I told you so. I predict that although I am due in 4 weeks, I will go into the doctors around my due date and won't even be close. My doctor will proceed to tell me that I look like I am on track and my baby doesn't seem big, therefore no need to rush things. Then 2 weeks later I will finally go into labor and our beautiful little girl will weigh 9 pounds 4 ounces. Just putting it out there...hopefully I am wrong but we will see!

The Nursery Nook

2008-08-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

So since we live in the city, we live in a one bedroom condo. This was never an issue until I found out I was pregnant. Trying to figure out where to put everything that comes along with a baby in such a small space has been very overwhelming for me. Well, it has taken a lot of moving, organizing, consolidating and I am not going to lie, frustration, but we finally made it work. We created what we like to call "The Nursery Nook." We couldn't create a nursery room, but I wanted to have a space for out little girl to call her own. So here it is...the pictures don't really do it justice, but I wanted to share it with everyone because I love it. Even though it is a tiny little nook, I love how it turned out. Just a side note, I may have gotten a little carried away with the pictures, but I wanted to document everything for my own sake.

San Diego 2008

2008-06-22T12:12:00.001-07:00

So we just got home from our yearly San Diego trip with Lee's family. I really wonder why it is that vacations go by so fast when work weeks go by so slow! It felt like we were there for 2 days even though we were really there for 7. Lee's parents rent a really nice beach house right on the Boardwalk of Mission Beach. Last year I was a little skeptical of how much fun this would really be, but I was very surprised. This year I went in with a much better attitude and again it was a great week. Traveling from Charlotte to San Diego is no small jaunt, especially when you are 28 weeks pregnant and already very uncomfortable all the time. It is crazy to think we could have flown to Europe in about the same time it takes to fly to San Diego. Once we were there it was a lot of fun. Usually we go over the 4th of July so the weather is a little nicer and there is more going on. However this year we had to go a few weeks early so the weather wasn't quite as warm and sunny. It was definitely a well needed break from the 99 degree 150% humidity we have been experiencing in Charlotte lately! Most of the days consisted of relaxing on the beach and just hanging out. Lee and I really tried to keep sleeping like we were in Charlotte's time zone, a 3 hour time difference may not sound like much, but it is a killer when you get back home! Other than that we did a lot of shopping (more for Lee than myself...it just isn't the same trying on clothes when you are 7 months pregnant and really retaining water!). We also went to Sea World which was really fun. I haven't been since Shalice was pregnant with Kason, so that was like 11 years ago. I will say I do have problems with Sea World and the fact that these animals are kept captive and forced to preform 3-5 times a day. However once I got past that it was really awesome. The shows were amazing, the fact that they can train pretty much any animal to do really cool tricks baffles me. I can't even teach my dog how to not bark at the neighbors! Another thing that was really great was digging a whole in the sand on the beach so that I could pretend for 10 min that I could lay like a normal person (it was very exciting). All in all it was a great week and I was sad to come back to reality. Below are the top 10 things I want to always remember about our trip!

Top 10 Things About San Diego
(In no particular order)

1. Needing to wear a sweatshirt when the sun went down.

2. Eating ice cream at Mr. Frosties pretty much every night.

3. Lee catching a really huge fish within the first 30 seconds of his deep sea fishing adventure.

4. Seaworld!

5. Being with Lee's entire family at one time.

6. The beach and the sun (I don't need anything more than that really).

7. Coming home with about 4 new giant stuffed animals and a bright red elmo hat...this is what Seaworld carnival games and $50 can get you too (but as long as you had fun babe, that's what counts)!

8. Sharing pregnancy stories with my niece that is about a month further along than I am. Oh, and surprising Lee's family with the fact that I was 7 months pregnant (since no one but his parents knew).

9. Sunset walks on the beach and boardwalk.

10. Spending uninterrupted, relaxing, quality, no-work time with my husband.

And here is a picture of my belly at 28 weeks for those who would like to see it. Bathing suits while pregnant are pretty unforgiving!

Now That's Love

2008-06-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

So my husband did probably the cutest thing ever. I have been missing Arizona a lot lately, mostly the weather and the food. I am a Mexican food lover and Charlotte has NO Mexican food...and when I say none, I mean Taco Bell is my sole Mexican food option! So Lee went to Arizona to visit his family and I was so sad I couldn't go with him. He ate at my favorite Mexican food place called Gecko Grill and I was so jealous. My sisters and mom can attest that this is probably the most incredible Mexican food ever. When we lived in Arizona Lee and I ate there at least once a week, and that isn't an exaggeration. Well my cute husband went to Gecko the night before he left and bought me my favorite burrito. He immediately put it in the freezer so it would be frozen when he traveled home. When he got home he gave it to me and after heating it up it pretty much tasted like I had just ordered it from the kitchen. I mean even if it hadn't worked as well as it did it still would have tasted amazing. Let's face it, when you have been deprived for so long that Taco Bell tastes good, you know anything will be a step up! Even more than how good it was, it just made me realize that I truly do have the best husband. He was so sweet to think of me and go so out of his way to make me happy. I love you babe, you really are the best husband a girl could have!

Also, I know I haven't posted much lately, but I am currently in San Diego at the beach with Lee's fam. I should have a good post coming soon!

Happy Birthday To Me

2008-06-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

So I have learned that as you get older, birthdays are much less fun than they used to be. When I was little I looked forward to my birthday all year. My parents always made birthdays such a big deal. They made you feel so special all day, and they always surprised you with good presents. You would go to school and everyone would know it was your birthday and you would always have plans to get together with your friends to celebrate. Well 26 years later I am an adult that gets to spend my birthday at work where no one even says "hope you have a great day." My family and friends all remember and usually give me a call, so that is nice...but it's just not quite the same. So needless to say I had quite an uneventful 26th birthday.

Lee and I did plan a nice dinner out however, not much longer we will be able to do that without getting a babysitter. We went to this really nice restaurant in Southpark called Oceanair. They have amazing seafood. The best part is Lee ordered king crab legs and they were actual crabs from one of the boats on that Discovery Channel show "The Deadliest Catch." Of course they were a little pricey, but sooooooooo good. Probably the most amazing crab I have ever had. The chunks of meat you pulled out were the size of my wrist. I know you aren't technically supposed to eat shellfish when you are pregnant, but I decided I could splurge a little just once. It was delicious! I captured the moment just for this blog, nothing like a grown man in a bib! Needless to say it was a very fun night. So here's to being another year older & 6 month pregnant...gotta love it!

Baby on the Way

2008-05-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it took us 6 years, but we finally did it! I was a little surprised how fast it all came about, and as you can see it took 3 pregnancy tests to convince me of the results, but now that it has sunk in Lee and I are so excited. Although I am really far away from my family, I am so glad that I get to share this experience with my sisters. I am so happy that my children will have cousins so close in age. Lee and I know our lives are about to change and that this will probably be the hardest thing we have ever done. But we also know it will be the most rewarding and we couldn't feel more blessed or excited to be starting our little family!

24 Weeks

I know my sisters really want to see a picture of my belly...so here it is. Keep in mind it is Saturday and I didn't really get ready. I promise a much cuter picture in the near future!

So it Begins...

2008-05-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

My family has been asking me to start a blog FOREVER! I never really felt I had a reason to blog since I lead a rather boring life. However living across the country and not being able to be in constant contact with friends and family has made me decide I need to do it. So here it is, The Sessions Family Blog. Boring or not, at least it will help me keep in touch with everyone as well as give you all a little glimpse into our lives.