Queen of the BED...

Taryn is over 6 months old and still hasn't slept through the night, so this week we have been trying to let Taryn cry it out when she wakes up...let me tell ya this is one of the hardest things I have done since I have become a mom. Saturday night she cried on and off for about 45 minutes until she was finally out. Sunday night it was an hour and a half...Robbie is the one I send in to check on her and reassure her that she's ok and we're still here. But he had dosed off and I couldn't stand it anymore so I went in and as soon as I said your ok and started to pat her tummy she looked up with the biggest saddest tear filled eyes and grabbed my hand...like I could let her cry more after that!!! So as soon as I picked her up she calmed right down and I sneaked her into our bed and she fell right asleep cuddled up next to me. She's only going to be a baby once and want to cuddle in my arms for so long, so why not let her be the queen of our bed! I love nothing more than waking up to her smiling face!

Formal Thanksgiving Feast

We had a "Formal Thanksgiving Feast" at the Schraders house this weekend and it was SO good! I think we all over ate...but it wouldn't be a Thanksgiving dinner without doing that!



The set-up - Natalie is quite the Martha Stewart!


James slicing up the turkey


Natalie, Loni, and Amber


The gang




Mike and Kim


Natalie and Loni looking fabulous


Brian and Amber

I met spider-man!

Robbie's younger brother bought the latest spider-man DVD and it came with a spider-man mask...which I'm guessing should have been for a 5 year old, but of course Robbie put it on, with a lot of effort! Then I made him do spider-man poses!! Ha, I love my spider-man!!!






Trying to get the mask off...it took awhile


Ok, so I put it on too!

I love little girls...

My good friend Kim has a little girl, Ava, who is 2 and she absolutely LOVES Taryn. Kim said she is constantly asking, "Where baby Taryn?" If they ever go shopping or to the mall Ava says, "Where Shawna and baby Taryn?" She wants to give Taryn her full attention by making sure her blanket is on her, that her binki is in her mouth, and she is happy at all times. Kim is expecting their 2nd this May...for Ava's sake I hope it's a little girl! Ava loves babies and everything about them, I think it is so cute how little girls are automatically programmed to love babies and nurture them. It's so sweet!


Unfortunately my camera died after this picture and I only got one, but Ava was kissing Taryn's cheeks and making her laugh, it was so funny!

Taryn definitley is her mothers daughter!

When Taryn was about 2 months old I had her laying on the bed while I was getting dressed and the TV was on...She wasn't even facing the TV, but when I turned around her head was tilted back to see where the sound was coming from. I wondered what her reaction would be if I turned the channel to a kids show and sure enough as soon as that big purple dinosaur, better known as Barney, started dancing and singing she kicked her legs and flailed her arms in excitement. I hate to admit it, but I have always loved my shows...when I was little I loved Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, and does anyone else remember Today's Special???



I also could watch The Sound of Music OVER and OVER again! So besides the fact that Taryn resembles her mommy's looks, she also can be entertained for a long period of time by watching the tube! She likes Baby Einstein, Sesame Street, and she loves Barney (which Robbie is very embarrassed to say that I can sing along to almost every song) No worries though, I only let her watch about 30 minutes in the morning while I feed her rice cereal :)

Family picture time...say cheese!

My wonderful friend, Young Womens leader, used to be Boss, and now sister-in-law-in-law? (My sister's husband Brett's sister - did ya follow that!) Heather took some amazing family pictures for us this past Sunday and I can't wait to get them up and hanging on our walls!

I'm an addict

Ok, so I've joined the crowd and became an addict to the Twilight series. I would have finished all three books in three days but I have a little person who only gives me a couple hours a day to read...so I'd stay up WAY to late until my eyes could not stay open any longer... falling deeper and deeper into the life of Bella and Edward. The only other books I have gotten this addicted to are Harry Potter so that says a lot for Stephenie Meyer (the author) she really has a talent! Poor Robbie was awaken to me gasping, sighing, laughing, and crying! I'm bummed that I have to wait until May for the fourth book to be here! I checked out the website and they are making a Twilight movie...the author doesn't get a say in who the actors will be, but if she did she said these are some of her favorites.....


Henry Cavill as Edward - I set this as my background on our computer and Robbie thought I had lost my mind


Emily Browning from the show Lemony Snicket's as Bella


Rachel Leigh Cook as Alice - I say perfect


Charlie Hunnam as Carlisle


Tyler Posey as Jacob

Go Wolverines!

Last night we headed down to the "happy valley" to watch my brother-in-law Jordan play some Bball @ UVSC. Taryn had fallen asleep on the way there and the roaring crowd took her way off guard, but she warmed up and had fun watching the commotion.


Carrie, Nonnie, Margo, Tarbug, and Brookie


My favorite pary of this picture is the dude behind Robbie pickin his face - ha




Jordan making a free throw - he also made a sweet dunk, but our camera would have been way too slow for that one!

Could this gal be ANY cuter - I think not

I just had to post these pictures that I took yesterday when Taryn and I went for a walk...she looked so cute with her little beany and blanket all bundled up! I know every parent says this, but I really have to say I think I have the cutest baby EVER!!!





She loves this baby!

ONE PINK SOCK

Let me begin by saying there is nothing more annoying than losing one of your child's binki's, hair bows, and last but not least...socks. You know it's bound to happen, and yet when it does it still drives you nuts! Last week I was out to dinner for a girls night out get-a-way and I brought Taryn along. Of course I had her all dolled up with a cute outfit with a coordinating pink bow, some pink socks, a bling bling bracelet, (and binki for that matter except her dad wanted to see if he could bite hard enough to make a hole in her ONLY pink one! - and he succeeded) Anyway...we had a great time eating and chatting away at Citris Grill - if you have not been I highly recomend it! Everything is yummalicious! Taryn was being great just looking around at the new setting but after an hour or so got bored and started fussing so I stood up with her not ready to leave my gal pals quite yet and did the mommy and baby dance...bouncy bounce, sway side to side, shhh shhh...you're just fine. We finally went our separate ways and when I pulled Taryn out of her car seat once we got home...dun dun dun...only one sock remained on her cute little feet. Urg! Would it be super lame of me to call up Citrus grill and ask them to look for a tiny pink sock and keep it standing by for me...it would cost me more in gas to go get it than it would to just buy a new pair!! So I get over the annoyance of losing her first sock (which I'm surprised it took so long to happen...unfortunately I think she got her Dad's feet so she probably needed the 6-12 mo. size anyway rather than the 0-6...) So fast forward to today...sorry Taryn, you only had white, purple, and green socks to get you through the week! At least, those are the only colors I have that will fit her feet! We made a stop at Target and I had get pink socks on my list...so I try on the 6-12 mo. size, even though I probably should have just bought them before trying them on because I had to rip the little annoying plastic string thing that you can never find the other end to after you pull it apart basically making it "used" so no one else would want to buy it because it's already been "opened" but they fit, so it was ok and I put them in the top part of the cart next to Taryn's car seat. After strolling the isles for anything else I just couldn't live without...who can go to Target and buy one item less than $2? We head for the check-out line and I stick everything on the moving counter and pay for my items...then as I'm getting out the doors I notice the socks that slid under the car seat that I didn't pay for - WWJD?? Being the wonderful honest best example of a mom person I am, I go back to the cashier and inform her of this little mishap and she gladly rings my up. We then go about our day as usual, then when we get home I bring the Target bags in the house but leave one with a few random things in it (including socks) sitting on the table. Fast forward again to 8:30 tonight, I'm tidying up the house and pull my random buys out of the bag and say look hun (Robbie) I got Taryn some pink soc....ks! What there is only ONE! Check the bag, the other one has to be in there!! Dun Dun DUN...why me? Why me pink socks? Do you want me to go crazy? If I hadn't ripped the STUPID plastic tag thingy, I would have two beautiful comfy right size socks to put on my babies adorable little toes, but no, like any noble sock, it had to disappear! Probably found by a little kid roaming the isles of Target with his mom who obeyed the common courtesy rules of not ripping the little annoying plastic thingy. Maybe one of these days I will be blessed for being honest by paying full price for my almost two socks and walk out of the store really with two in my hand...but for now it's back to white, purple, and green.