Lu: 7 Months Old

I definitely did not mean to let a whole month pass before updating, but here we are! Lula is now seven months old.

Here are some fun facts that I don't want to forget:

- Sitting up really well, for long periods of time
- Just cut her first tooth! ("O" - bottom left central incisor)
- Chewing on EVERYTHING (see above)
- Trying to say "Buck" all the time. (While this is cute, I would prefer "mamma" to be her first word. Buck is pretty apathetic towards her, so it is kind of sad to watch, haha.)
- Loves solid foods, especially fruit
- She loves her Mama the best... At least, that is my subjective opinion.

   May has been really good to me: I got to celebrate my first Mother's Day! We had a great weekend in Habersham with family.  The weekend before that, Zach's parents came to visit and helped paint our living room and kitchen. That was a fun weekend, too. I've been blessed with a lot of family time this month... I am home in Marietta as I write this!

   I fear that my blog posts all run together with phrases like: "It was so fun!" "It was so great!" "Lula was so cute!" But honestly, this time HAS been so great and so fun. Obviously, every single moment is not all sunshine and rainbows. There are some days that are lonely, other days that Lula is fussier than normal. Some nights are full of crying and bad sleep. But those moments are totally over shadowed by all these blessings, and I very quickly forget all the hard/tiring times of parenting. I am so thankful for these past seven months.

   That said - here are some pictures!

On a hike in North Georgia

Having fun. 

Reading with her Deddy

Lula & I on Mother's Day

Making sure her bathing suits fit.

 Playing dress up. (IS THIS NOT THE SWEETEST THING YOU'VE EVER SEEN!?)

 Seven Months Old!

  Looking forward to Memorial Day. Prepare yourself for "Baby in Lowcountry" pictures! 

Six Months Old!

   A few weeks ago, we finally had a weekend away in Habersham! For Christmas, Zach got tickets for the Jason Aldean/Luke Bryan concert at Sanford Stadium. At the time we got the tickets I thought, "Oh, Lula will be six months old. I'll be an old pro by then!" Um, not so much. I was so excited for the concert and to spend some adult time with Zach and friends, but I was DREADING leaving Lula. I had left her a couple of times... ok, literally I had left her long enough to need a bottle TWICE. For the concert, I would be leaving her long enough to need two bottles, and to be put to bed without me for the very first time. (Pre-baby me would be having a major, dramatic eye roll right now. LITTLE YOU KNOW, pre-baby Steph, LITTLE YOU KNOW.)

  Honestly, I think the week leading up was the worst. Once we got to Habersham and Lula's Honey & Big Mike got to work loving and playing with her, I felt so much better. I couldn't have left her with anyone else. I was worried I would spend the whole concert freaking out, but I had such a great time! People watching, great music, and friends? Doesn't get much better than that.

And since then, Lula has turned 6 months old AND started eating solids! 

She wasn't so sure about it at first, but now she LOVES eating. So fun! I wish it would all slow down just a teeeeny bit :)

Happy Easter

  I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! We stayed in Lexington this year and definitely missed our families. Next year, we will be heading to Georgia for Easter-egg hunts, family time, and proper Southern food!

  I am embarrassed to admit that I did not put together an Easter basket for Lula. The stress of the "perfect outfit" was enough to make me feel like a crazy person. (Are you knowledgeable in infant girls' fashion? Is there such a thing? YES.) I did buy candy to cope with the stress. And bake cookies. And banana bread. Anyways, by this morning I was heaping enough guilt on myself that I lost track of why we were even having a holiday...  and that would be Jesus. (If you are interested, here is the message we saw at our church, it was powerful.)

Please excuse all the pictures. I couldn't pick a favorite.

Love this face!

Not the most flattering picture of me, but we are all looking at the camera!

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said." 

Matthew 28:5-6

A Little Time in Marietta

    One of the many, many blessings of being a stay-at-home momma is having some flexibility to travel. Zach had to be out of town for a few days for work, so Lula and I went to Marietta. It was such a treat! We went to Barnsley Gardens in Adairsville, Georgia for an afternoon with my parents, Kara, and Willie. I would like to go back when everything is in bloom (only the daffodils were), but the weather was perfect!

    We also got to have lunch with friends and see the Underwoods, too! It was a great trip home... I wish it happened more often (better yet, that we lived in Georgia!)

    Lula is growing and growing! I can barely stand to look at pictures of her as a newborn. She is already FIVE MONTHS OLD! It is exhausting to think that for the rest of her life I will be exclaiming "SHE IS <insert age> OLD?! BUT I SWEAR JUST YESTERDAY HER UMBILICAL CORD STUMP FELL OFF!" I want her to be my little baby forever! I should stop now before I start crying. Soooo, picture time!

Barnsley Gardens:

One of our walks in Marietta. I love our house here in South Caroline, but we live off a gravel road which isn't very conducive to leisurely strolls. 

 Just hanging out!

I love the backing of this quilt. 

Lula's Five Month Picture.

Have a great weekend, y'all! 

Family Fun

The Underwood clan came for a visit this past weekend, and it was so great to have everyone here! We went to a Home & Garden show in Columbia, and just had a great time hanging out. I wish it happened more often. I got to play around taking pictures of Winnie, my brother and sister-in-law's sweet pup. Unfortunately, I didn't check my settings, and the best shots I took came out dark. Lesson learned!

Winnie.

 Love them:

 Enjoying some sun last week, while I cleaned out my car.

 Smiles.

Heading to Georgia this weekend... Cannot wait!  Everyone have a wonderful week!

Camera Ready

We have owned our Nikon D40 for almost 5 years, but it's only used to point and shoot... and that is assuming that I have it with me. So, I am trying to read up and at least learn the basics. And I do mean
b a s i c s.

Having Lula as my model makes it fun to practice!

I'm having fun learning a little about my camera, but when I think about editing I get overwhelmed. Does it look overexposed? Or underexposed or tinted weird or contrasted incorrectly? Did I even use those terms correctly?! *Deep breath* Baby steps!

Weekend Update

We have had some fun these past few weekends. Lula and I made a quick weekend trip to Clarksville, Tennessee. I didn't take into account that Lula isn't napping for long periods of time during the day anymore, so the 4.5 hour trip from ATL to TN was a bit of a stretch. (It took us 7 hours to get to Marietta). Sooooo, we won't be taking long car rides without Zach. Ever. Again. It was so worth it though!

Then, Grant and Lucy came for a visit! Lots of relaxing, eating, and movie-watching. We did managed to visit Aiken, South Carolina with Meg and Joe, too. It was a cute town, and I'd like to go back this Spring. I've been blessed to see some wonderful friends this month. Our small group starts up soon, and I've tried out a "mom group," so here's to hoping we can make some good friends here too!

Towards the end of the trip from TN, we were both in tears

Our old place!!

Of course, my only picture from our weekend in TN... but Lu got to meet Laura, FINALLY!

In Aiken.

Lula's four month photo. She's getting so big!