Need a Baby Shower Gift?

If you are in need of a gift for an upcoming baby shower, please check out my friend's Etsy site:

Baby Boutique (babyboutiquecrafts.etsy.com)

Mandy finds the cutest fabric and sews her own burp cloths, nursing covers, and diapee bags. There are still several items that will be added to the store soon, so check back when you need a gift idea or something for yourself! All of the money she makes on this site will go towards their adoption expenses. You can do your shopping online, get a really cute gift, and help fund an adoption all at once! Does that make you feel good? :) Spread the word!

Blast from the Past

Does this look familiar to anyone?? I feel like I've seen that tiny face and huge glasses somewhere before.... hmmm......

These are Casey's BCG's (read: Birth Control Glasses.... yes, the army really does call them that). We had to take the pictures fast before Abby got a headache. :) Can we say, "Mini-Me"??

Is it really mid-March??

I hate to say it already, but.... I'm back on Facebook. NOT because I wanted to be, but apparently you can't function in the social world without having access to an account. No one sends actual invitations to things in the mail anymore, I guess. Within a matter of two weeks, I was accosted by several people wondering how on earth they were supposed to let me know about their children's birthday parties or see if I was available for (insert event here) if I didn't have a Facebook account?! So all of that being said, I have reactivated my account for those who feel they cannot reach me by any other means. ;) I am sticking to my original intentions and not wasting my life away by stalking people on it. I get on quickly to check messages and get right back off! So far, so good...

Casey is working nights and weekends right now delivering pizzas, and I am working a few days here and there at the gym nursery. It isn't nearly enough to pay all of the bills, but somehow God still keeps us afloat. We're still hoping to hear back from Searcy PD soon (they can't check his background forever!). If that doesn't work out, it looks like we might be heading back to the army.... please continue to pray as we search for God's plan for our family!

I hope you had a lovely St. Patrick's Day.... if you remembered that it was yesterday. :) I would not have given it a second thought, but my friend Joy let Abby borrow a dress to wear that her grandmother had made (she had two, so we got to wear one of them). Abby loves to wear dresses right now, and anything that involves a skirt/dress and tights means that she is a "pwetty pwincess." I haven't posted many pictures lately (or taken any, for that matter), so we'll end with a few recent pictures. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Abby picked this outfit herself--she wanted to wear the "turtle" (aka turtleneck) and "pwincess dwess" (aka skirt) with tights. :)

Daddy & Abby throwing pebbles in the creek at Berryhill Park

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Goodbye, Facebook!

Well, I finally did it. I deactivated my Facebook account. I have been considering this option for several weeks, and after discussing it with a friend from church, we both decided to free ourselves from the addiction. Do you know how many hours I waste looking around that site?? I can't even tell you... it's that embarrassing. Don't worry grandparents--I will still upload Abby pictures on Snapfish (and a few on here). I just can't justify spending so much time with a pointless social networking website and so little time with God! How much Scripture could I have studied in the amount of time I spent on Facebook last month? How many hours of sleep have I deprived my body of by staying up too late online? I can't even imagine...

So here we go. I am driven to prioritize my life. The struggle that has been before me recently is this: I know what is good for me physically, mentally, and spiritually. Why, then, is it so difficult to follow through and put thought into action? I am determined to transform my intentions into actions. These are the things I am currently striving to do to improve my life and that of my family:

• Get in bed no later than 10:30 p.m.
• Drink water. LOTS of water.
• Study my Bible every day.
• Pray with my child and husband every day.
• Incorporate more Christian music into our daily lives.

The Word of God speaks, and I have been spoken to:

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." James 4:17

***What has God been saying to you lately??***

Tara & Peter's Wedding Website

This is just a quick post to let you know that Tara and Peter have a website with details of the wedding. It includes the cute "About Us" and "The Proposal" sections, so check it out! (Make sure to read the "How We Met" section--it's my favorite.) :) Don't forget to sign their guestbook!

The Curtis/Snell Wedding

And for those who have Facebook, you can see their engagement pictures here:

Tara & Peter's Engagement Pics (by Amanda Kay Moore)

Catching up & Growing up

So here's the latest on the job situation:

• Casey has a part-time job delivering for Mazzio's, and he really likes it! It's usually just 3 hours a night, but he typically comes home with cash in his wallet from tips so that makes him happy.
• I was able to get my part-time job back at the gym working in the nursery. My schedule is anything but regular, but I am scheduled for at least 10-15 hours each week. The bonus: I get to take Abby with me. We've just gone once so far, but she had a good time playing with the other kids. It's amazing how much she has grown since I worked there last! She is able to reach so many toys now that she couldn't get to before. She has gotten a LOT taller in 6 months!
• Casey has been interviewing for a job at the police department here in Searcy as an entry-level officer. He has made it through interviews with the hiring lieutenant, major, and chief of police. They like him so far, so they are going ahead with the background investigation! If/when that clears (could be a few weeks), they will have him do a psychological evaluation. Then if that goes well and he fits their profile, he should begin training! Obviously there are still several hoops and hurdles to get through, but we're excited that they are considering him as a candidate!

Ok, now is the time where I ask for input from other moms who have been through (and survived) potty training. :) **If you have no interest in reading about my child's toilet habits, please stop reading now. You have been warned.** Here goes: Abby is a pro at going in the potty.... as long as we are at home.... and she is completely naked from the waist down. I don't have to worry about her having accidents around the house--she always runs to her potty in the bathroom when she needs to go. But the moment we put on a pull-up (princess, of course) or panties, she just goes in whatever she is wearing.

Question #1: Is this a developmental/she'll-do-it-when-she's-ready thing? Or is this something she has to learn and I'm just not teaching it well? I wouldn't have even messed with potty training this early, but the girl loves to go in the potty! She pretty much begged to be potty trained. So here we are.... running around the house half-naked, but wearing diapers when we leave the house. Which leads me to...

Question #2: Should I put her in pull-ups all the time now and just nix the diapers? Or do I keep putting her in diapers when we leave the house knowing that she will go in whatever she is wearing?

Question #3: What should I do if she has already figured out how to manipulate the reward system?! She will go pee in the potty, and then stand up and say, "Yay! M&M??" So we go get her an M&M. She will eat it and then go right back to the potty and pee some more! Same response--"Yay! M&M??" and she runs to the kitchen where I stash them. Seriously?! She is stopping mid-stream so she can get 2 M&Ms?!? *sigh*

Ahhh, the joys of motherhood. But I can't get too frustrated with her. Especially not when we have times like this:

Oh, and remember how I mentioned the insane increase in height? Here is Abby with her piano 10 months ago (right when she started walking):

And this was her yesterday:

I mean, really. It's just ridiculous. Also, the hair.... the hair! In between those two pictures being taken, the child has had seven inches of hair cut off! I know... I can hardly believe it myself.

I'll end here with an Abby funny of the day: I made blueberry pancakes this morning, and as Casey was helping Abby cut hers up, he said, "It's a blueberry massacre!" To which Abby replied, "Massacre da pancakes!!!" ..... I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. :)

My 18-month-old

For those who are wondering, Casey is still looking for a job. Moving on... :)

Abby is now 18 months old! Can you believe it?? Here are a few of her recent developments (so I don't forget them later!):

• Counting to 10--she'll go to 14, but she leaves out 12. :)
• Telling you her first and last name (Abby Cokwin!) & age
• Spelling "Abby"
• Naming the colors red, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and black
• Speaking in sentences (ex: "Whed Mommy go? Deh she is!")
• Finishing phrases in songs when we sing together
• Saying "no!" just because she can
• Pretending to talk with someone on the phone by saying, "Hewoh? Nana?? It's me!" She has started "calling" people other than Nana, so she's branching out. :)

Her favorite songs right now are "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," "A-B-C," "If You're Happy and You Know It," and "Jesus Loves Me." She gets a little more girly every day, and I am so glad we have moved from Elmo to Disney princesses. This might speak to what a horrible mother I am, but she will sit all the way through Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid without budging. She also loves Care Bears, Veggie Tales, reading books (especially Dr. Seuss right now), and building with blocks. Her favorite foods include avacado, lima beans, cheese, yogurt, and anything you can put in "dip" (aka Ranch dressing). Here are a few of the most recent pictures, including one of the snow we got today!:

Cooking in her new kitchen

Playing in the snow (end of Jan.)

Sporting her new Disney princess backpack

Working on her "tall tower" (yes, she did choose her outfit)

Our snow! This is the view outside Abby's window--so pretty!

And Happy 25th Birthday to my beautiful sister, Tara! She was stuck driving back to Searcy in the blizzard today, so I hope it wasn't an awful day for her. To celebrate the day, we'll finish the post with a picture of Abby with "Aunt Tawa." :)