Rollin' rollin' rollin .... kind of

At approximately 11:35 a.m., Travis rolled from his tummy to his back.  I immediately got out the video camera to see if he would do it again, but no such luck.  His dexterity is improving daily.  He kicked his daddy in the throat yesterday.  He packs a serious punch for a little guy.

These photos represent a reenactment as no footage is available from the actual roll.  :)

We could not be any prouder.

Xoxo,
Gara

Baby's First Thanksgiving

I was even more popular than the turkey today!  I was passed around like a sack of potatoes and loved every minute (well, almost every minute).  I spent my first thanksgiving with my mommy, daddy, pepper, lovey, pop, great-granddaddy, uncle blake, aunt kimmie, great aunt terry, great uncle billy, great aunt shawna, second cousins: brittney, kelli, makenna, & nikki, and my sugga (my mommy's special friend from work).  Grandpa and my great uncle mickey will be here tomorrow.  It was a great lunch (even if my lunch was dairy and soy free)!  Uncle D's aggie basketball team beat Clemson, Pop's cowboys beat oakland, and daddy's aggie football team was tied when I went to bed (daddy said they looked great even though it was a loss).  Lovey said I can be in charge of crushing the cornbread for next year's dressing.  I can hardly wait!

Passed out from the tryptophan,
Turkey Travis

Giving Thanks

Today (and every day), I am thankful for Travis, Brandon, our amazing families, this great country, our armed forces, all of the Lord's blessings, grace and forgiveness, peace, and lifetime friends.

Celebrate your blessings today and always.

Xoxo,
Gara

Happy 3 Month Birthday!

Travis spent this morning at the allergist.  We were able to confirm that he is allergic to dairy and soy so I am going to be going dairy and soy free for a while.  The allergist was confident that he will outgrow these.  It is going to be harder on me for a while, but so worth it to be able to continue breastfeeding him.

You may have noticed that Brandon and I have each written him a little note on his birthdays.  We are branching out now so you'll see each of our folks, siblings, etc. writing them from here on out.  I know that they will be something for him to cherish forever.

Here's his 3 Month Picture(s):

Click for his 1 Month Pic and his 2 Month Pic!

My dearest Travis…

When you can read this you will already be such a big boy. I know you will grow up to be handsome, kind, funny, wise, sensitive, interesting, and very smart. Your Mom and Dad are all of these things and they will show you and teach you amazing things…all the good things…pay attention. I know you will be a strong, incredible person with lots to give the people of the world. I hope you put all of these wonderful things you possess to make yourself and the world around you a better place to live. I wish you a wonderful happy life!

You will have some bad days, yes. But that’s ok, it will make you appreciate the good ones. You will have disappointments and failures but that’s ok too as you will have all the right skills and tools to be able to handle them.

I will pray for you everyday, and you will be so blessed in so many ways. Take all those blessings inside you and share with others that have less than you. Take care of the land, the trees, the sky and all God’s creatures - they will need someone like you. Be a loyal friend; one people can count on and trust. Work hard in everything you do - it’s good for you and will keep you out of trouble. I hope we will always be close.

Travis, I love you with all my heart and I promise you that I will …

Always be there when you need me, always be ready to defend you,
Always hold you when you cry, always keep you safe and warm,
Always hug you really tight, and always tell you what I think,
Always want better for you, always give you what I can and teach you what I know,
Always dry your tears and calm you fears, always kiss away the pain,
Always be your number one fan and cheer really loud, always be proud of you,
Always show you new things, always be someone you trust and be your friend,
Always protect you, be patient with you, and always cry for joy,
Always make you smile, giggle, laugh and sing silly songs,
Always be a big part of your life, and always try hard not to embarrass you,
Always have a dog for you to chase and a place for you to run and play,
Always let you be a baby, let you be a big boy, let you do it,
Always be just a phone call away, always wait for every new picture,
Always make it better, always listen, always hold your hand and let you sit in my lap,
Always take you to neat places, make funny faces, and always have cookies,
Always pray for you,
Always love you.

Always,
Lovey

Aggieland & Papaw's Bday!

Travis made his first trip to Aggieland on Saturday.  He was such a good boy.  We strolled around campus with our family, and Travis and I watched the game at the Association of Former Students where it was warm and dry.  Travis didn't much care for the ride home.  His nighttime routine was a bit messed up and that was his first time really traveling in the dark so it is understandable that he was little Senor Crankypants for a while.  He was fine once he got home and swaddled up and in his crib.  All in all, it was a great trip.  Aggies won 38-3!

Happy Birthday Papaw!

Xoxo,
Gara

Things I've Learned...

• It's okay to pray for patience - multiple times a day.
• It's okay to spend half of your day (or more) in the rocking chair with the baby.
• It's okay to pass the baby off to daddy at bedtime so that you can take a shower.
• It's okay to drop crumbs on the baby if you are having to keep the baby in the sling during dinner time.
• It's okay to still be sporting maternity wear three months postpartum.
• It's okay to go to bed at the same time baby does even if it is 8:30 p.m.
• It's okay to take the baby and the bouncer into the bathroom so you can poop.
• It's okay to giggle when the baby cries.
• It's also okay to cry when the baby cries.
• It's okay to take every poopy diaper into better lighting for a thourough examination.
• It's okay to stare at the video monitor for half of the night the first time you put baby in his crib in his own room.
• It's okay to have your pediatrician's phone number memorized and know the nurses by name.
• It's okay to miss being pregnant even though you complained about how miserable you were at the end.
• It's okay to praise God every minute that He sent the baby to you.
• It's okay to love the baby so much that you would kill or be killed in order to protect him.

I borrowed this from a blog I stalk - thanks Blair.  I'll remember it every time I'm agitated that I'm stuck in the rocking chair again.  I know it won't be long before he might not let me rock him.  Instead, I'll take that time to pray over him and love him and sniff him and smile with pride and just continue to work on getting him to be a better napper.

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby. Babies don't keep.

~Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Xoxo,

Gara

I'm Twelve Weeks Old!

Today I am 12 weeks old, and life is pretty good here.  I have finally made the move to size 2 diapers, and I appreciate the extra room and storage space - if you know what I mean.  I'm doing pretty good controlling this big ol' head of mine.  I get lots of practice "sitting" in my mom or dad's lap or slung over the side of the couch.  I'm trying to go a little easier on my mom and usually give her one 5 to 6 hour stretch of sleep at night.  Of course, she needs to go to bed at 8pm in order to take advantage of the whole amount.  I eat twice during the night and have been waking up at 7 am.  I prefer to do all my napping in the arms of someone who loves me.  Mommy and Daddy moved me to my big boy bed on Friday night.  I have figured out how to ooch my way 90 degrees and stick my feet out the slats already.  I'm a very fast learner.  I am really smiley when I first wake up, and I'll smile extra big for the person who springs me from my crib in the morning.  I'm looking forward to my first trip to Aggieland on Saturday.  From the looks of it, this will be my first of many trips to that special place.  Beat the heck outta Baylor.

Don't be hating on my Hugh Hefner robe and my personal carrier (aka dad)!

Out,

T-Bone

Last Weekend

Lovey, Pop, Aunt Momo, Pepper, and Great Aunt Terry all came to visit at different times during last weekend.  Travis had a great time getting lovin' from all his family members, but he especially thought Aunt Momo was hilarious!!!

What an amazing family we have!  Praise God!

It was just the three of us this weekend.  We didn't do much of anything which is always nice too.

Xoxo,

Gara

Live United

Brandon serves on the Executive Committee for the United Way Young Leaders Society in Tarrant County.  Through our involvement, we have made several great friends that work for the United Way.  This outfit was a special gift from our friend, Cassie.  Travis was proud to sport it, and I think he looked pretty cute doing so!

Xoxo,
Gara

TAG

I have been tagged by my Aggie friend Katy. She and Brandon were involved in Student Government together, and we randomly reconnected after I spotted her at the Alamo Bowl a few years back while she was pregnant with her son, Jack. Katy is a great mom and is expecting a little girl in a few months. Katy (and Jack and her hubby, Keith) just moved back to Texas so we are looking forward to hanging out with them soon!

Here's the deal with this tag: share five things you're obsessed with and then pass the award on to the five most fabulous blogs you know.

- My Family: I live for my family. Brandon and Travis are my everything. I talk to my mom and my dad at least once a day on the phone and several times via email. They are the most amazing parents. I try to send them a pic of Travis daily just so they can watch him grow. I know that they love getting their daily emails. I am so blessed to have such an amazing family!

- Blogs: I have a small obsession with a set of blogs that I check daily. Most of them deal with pregnancy and parenting. The authors don't know me from Adam, but I still feel like I would hug them if I ever met them in person. Weird, I know. I also love keeping up with my real life friends this way.

- DVR: I am not sure how I ever survived without this item. I'm a bit of a tv junkie and this allows me to watch my shows when it is convenient for me. Some of my faves are Glee, Grey's, and Private Practice.

- Photography: I love taking pictures. I've done a couple maternity sessions, several family and engagement sessions, and I'm photographing my second wedding later this year. There is something so rewarding about capturing memories for someone. Of course, I love snapping pics of my little guy, too. I hope that he has a ton of albums to cherish one day.

- Food: I really can't think of anything else. For those that know me, they know that I don't miss a meal. I have always enjoyed eating and have been blessed with pretty good metabolism. From the looks of it, Travis is going to get his love for food from me!

I am tagging 5 wonderful Moms or Moms-to Be whose blogs I enjoy reading:

- Katy (friend from college)
- Alicia (friend from law school)
- Emily (friend from law school)
- Jane (friend from law school)
- Aimee (friend from a friend)

Family Portraits

Since we have moved to the metroplex, I have been blessed with several forever friends, i.e. friends that you will have for the rest of your life.  One of such friends is Francie.  Francie and I met at UTA while we were taking photography classes.  We hit it off instantly, and she has been a great resource for me as I've progressed in my photography hobby.  Thankfully, she doesn't live too far and has been gracious enough to do some photo shoots for my family.  She is a blessing, and we will treasure these photos forever.  Love ya, F!  Here are some of my favorites!

ONE MONTH SHOOT:

This is the same outfit that Brandon came home from the hospital in - Thanks to Pepper for hanging on to it all these years!

TWO MONTH SHOOT:

This was Travis's first shoe experience.  I love this one!

Thanks Francie for capturing these special memories.  I hope to take advantage of your photography talent for as long as you'll let me.  :)

Xoxo,
G