How many kisses is too much?

I am soooooo in love! My sister’s baby is the most precious thing I have ever seen, and on top of that, she is incredibly sweet! It has been such a blessing being able to spend time with this new little addition to our family. I have held her as much as I was allowed to (yes, for some reason, I had to share!!!) and showered her with kisses almost every second! Her skin is soft and fresh, her scent is sweet, and even her little cry is cute…

I just love babies; they are one of God’s precious blessings! I know she isn’t mine, but yes, I have already asked if I could have her! (Ironically my sister said no!) Being her aunt will have to be enough for now!

Funny story I have to share… The other day I was changing Sloane out of her nightgown and into her day clothes. (Of course clothes are my obsession and playing dress-up is a favorite past time of mine, so it is not surprising that I love dressing the little Diva up! And let me tell you, since she already has so much hair, I have put a bow in her hair every day!) As I was changing her, something fell on the ground with a thud. I looked down and noticed it was her umbilical cord! Of course I ran in the other room (with Sloane in my arms no less) and told my sister who was in the shower getting ready. I informed her I would put it on top of her dresser, and that’s where I left it. On a side note, the nurse had closed a clamp around the end of the cord before it was cut and forgot to take it off. None of us could get the clamp open, so it stayed on the end of the cord. So when my sister comes in the room tonight and asks me where I put the piece of the umbilical cord that was attached to the clamp, I was curious what she was talking about! Apparently, her dog Lilly (a weimaraner) got up on the dresser, opened the clamp (even though none of us could) and ate the cord, leaving the clamp on the floor by her bed! DISGUSTING!!! We all laughed so hard and Lilly just looked at us like we were crazy! EWWW!

Here some photos of the "Little Diva"....enjoy:

Shae's big o'l belly days before Sloane arrived...

She had the "glow"
In the nursery...

A painting from her Auntie Britty

Another painting I did for my precious niece
I did the letters too! I got a bit excited and wanted to decorate the nursery...and of course I wanted to make everything myself.
Then...she FINALLY arrived!
In the above picture you can see the little clamp on Sloane's belly that was on the umbilical cord...the one Lilly opened herself!
Mommy and baby!

Auntie Britty finally got to meet her! Love at first sight!
Look at those eyes looking at her auntie....I think she likes me too!
Even though she is still tiny, I had to get some pics of her in the nightgown I bought her...it says, "My auntie loves me" and the huge bow I made for her (both are a bit too big right now, especially the bow)!
Break your heart cuteness!
Me, bubba and my sister with Sloane!
4 generations! (My sister, her baby, my mom and her dad) My aunts drove my grandfather over to meet his new great granddaughter!

A bit big, but I had to put it on her and get a pic!

Love those bows!
Getting ready for her doctor's visit...
So cute! The socks I sent Sloane as her first gift from her auntie, the day after Shae found out she was having a girl!
She's such a stretcher, and so long limbed!
Love, love, love!!!

Things that I will miss...

Right now I am in the Great State (otherwise known as TEXAS) and I have a few confessions to make:

1st- When I crossed the border into Texas, I got a bit teary eyed!

2nd- When I arrived in Norman, Oklahoma a few days later, I was engulfed with memories of college and the days of Nick and I dating and got teary eyed again!

3rd- When I saw the picture of my niece for the first time I got REALLY teary eyed!

4th- I know when I leave here on Saturday I will be bawling!

Not only will I be driving back to Florida in a few days- back to work, back to school, back to my husband...but I will also be leaving Texas, my home and my new niece, whom I have already fallen in love with!

Despite my very busy schedule these days, it was clear for more than one reason that I needed to take off of work for a couple of weeks and head back to my roots. Not only was my sister having a baby, but a very good family friend, who is also the mother of the 2 kids I nannied for in college, was having surgery to remove cancer! So last week, I got in the car and drove the 17 hours to Austin, Texas to see my sister one last time before she delivered her little miracle, and then off to Norman, Oklahoma to keep the kids for my friend. The week in Norman was very tiring, but such a blessing. Not only did I get to see the kids who I helped raise (I was their nanny for 3 and 1/2 years and there when both of them were born; I feel like they are my own!) but I got to help out a very dear friend, and see one of my best friends/sorority sister! However, when I left Oklahoma I had the realization that very soon, I would be leaving....not just a few states away, but across the world to Japan! I got punched in the stomach with the knowledge that there was a lot of things that I would really really miss when we move overseas!

Because I was in Oklahoma, I missed the birth of my sister's baby. Therefore, I had to see her for the first time through pictures. However, when I did arrive in Austin a few days later, I met the cutest little girl I have ever seen, and immediately I fell in love! I am undoubtedly going to miss her, not just next week when I go back, but for the next three years that I will be away!

Let me also say that I am not trying to wine or complain! Nick and I are so very excited to be moving to Japan. We chose Japan, and were more than thrilled when we got it as our next military destination! However, as the months are passing, the move is getting closer and closer to a reality. Therefore, lately I catch myself getting emotional about little things that I will miss.

(By the way, I got here and realized that I left my camera cord in Florida, therefore I will have to post the rest of the photos of the baby when I get back....)

Bye 2009, Hello 2010!

Christmas came and went as well and like Thanksgiving, Nick and I spent the holidays apart. Because this was our last Christmas in the states before the BIG move, we decided (or actually our parents decided for us) that spending the holidays with each of our families was probably the most fair. Therefore, Nick was in Cali and I in Texas for Christmas. Spending time with each of our families was a blessing, and something that we would have liked more of. Then we were able to spend New Year’s Eve in Dallas with a group of our college friends, a reunion that was much over-due!

The New Year began and we both took off at full-speed...Nick has been busy studying and flying and I have not had time to stop with work, school and doing my teacher intern. The months are passing and preparations for Japan have begun.

Despite my hectic schedule, I have been making time (as in loosing sleep) to run. I am training for another ½ marathon that I will be running in early March! Also, my sister is due any minute and Nick and I soon will be an aunt and uncle! So excited!

Yikes has it been that long since I have blogged!

Yes, I am alive! I have zero free time to blog, but I had to get on here to verify that I am in fact still breathing! However, I am so engulfed in work, studying, student teaching and in my free time training for a half marathon, (in which I will probably do very poorly on due to the lack of free time...) that I do not have much time for anything else! Yes, my social life is severely suffering......but only a few more months to go and I can come up for air again!!!

Busy Holidays!

I apologize...I have been a very bad blogger! Most can sympathize however, tis the season for holiday hustle and bustle!

Thanksgiving has come and gone! Nick and I spent the holiday apart this year :( This was the first time we have had to do this since we got married, and it was a bit difficult. However, since this is our last Thanksgiving in the States, my parents made it very clear that I had to be in Texas for Turkey day! I was thankful for the time with my family. I got to do the traditional things I have done every year, which I will not be able to do for a very long time!

After all these years, I have never made dressing (or stuffing, whichever you call it), I have always left that feat up to my mother or Grandmother. But again, since I will be away for the next few Thanksgivings, it was crucial that I learn how to make my Granny's delicious stuffing! On the big day, I helped my mother make the dressing, took pictures of each step, and wrote down everything I must do to make this delicious stuff.

Even though I don't have the antique pan that my mother makes it in, I think I am ready to make it on my own in Japan next year!

While I was home, my mother, sister and I went and registered my sister at Baby's R Us and Target for her baby showers. It was fun, and I was thankful that they waited to do that with me! I got a little carried away with the registry gun and put a bit too many things on Shae's list! It is not every day that my big sister has a baby! (Hello, this is my very first niece!)
So, of course, I had to buy that little girl a few things from her Auntie Britty. I cannot wait for that little Diva to arrive!
Shae is so cute, with her big baby bump! I was so excited to finally get to see it! Naturally, I took many pictures and bought quite a few baby gifts!

The day after Thanksgiving, it is a tradition in my family for the girls to get up (at the crack of dawn no less) to go Holiday shopping! On this day, as most know, the stores have crazy deals and are a blur of people fighting to fill their Christmas lists. We are always right there with them! So this year, was no different, and though it was a very long day, I got almost all of my shopping finished!

While I was away, being busy with my family, Nick was back in Jacksonville completing an amazing feat himself. Nick's schedule did not allow him enough time to make it to Texas and back with enough time to make it worth the drive, so we had initially decided to stay in Florida for Thanksgiving. Since we were going to be without family, we decided we would run a 1/2 marathon on Turkey day instead. I ran my first 1/2 in April, but Nick has never run one before. It worked out because I went home and he still ran the race, so now we both have one under our belt!

Don't worry, he wasn't alone. Another couple from Texas, who are our very good friends, and whom will be in Japan with us for 3 years, ran the race on Thanksgiving with Nick! I apologize because there are no pictures to share of this event. When I ran my race, I carried a camera with me while I ran, just so I could document the event. Nick however, is not as crazy as me, and therefore did not have a camera with him and did not get pictures. However, he did awesome! I am so very proud of him. He would have left me in the dust, had I ran it with him.

All in all, it was a very busy Thanksgiving. Since then, we have both been busy with work, school, holiday parties, and life in general! It is such a busy busy time, but I will attempt to get on here again as soon as possible!

Until then, hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!

Halloween with the Holmans

Happy Halloween! Beretta getting her costume on....not really liking it! Kinda mean, torturing our dog to wear a costume, but oh well, it only happens once a year!

Nick and I hadn't dressed up in a couple of years, and due to both of our busy schedules, we had to put together costumes at the last minute. Here's what Nick came up with...

Octo-mom and her paparazzi! Pappa Pappa Razzi!

Where the Wild Things Are!!! Such awesome costumes!

Baaaretta! Such a Lady!

Todd and Stacey, Sexy Teacher and a Red Neck!

Nick just wanted to carry his knife...boys and their toys!

Laughing at ourselves...it's what we do!

(It looks like she is hitting my babies with that ruler)

Please....No More Photos!

Loved it...Snow Girl and her Shadow

The shadow's kinda creepy!

Learning's Hard!!!

I graduated from college 3 years ago this December, but this August I started back to school. Nick on the other hand didn't get a break and went straight into Flight School right after college graduation. Now we are both studying in our free-time, which is no longer "free." We both work and then come home to study! I teach children in the day how to learn, then go home to learn how to teach children! Ironic!

Besides studying to be a teacher (me), and how to be a helo pilot (Nick), we have decided to get ready for our big move to Japan by learning (or trying to learn) how to speak Japanese! And darnit if that isn't a very very tough language to learn! We purchased Rosetta Stone so that in the next few months we can prepare ourselves for life in Japan! I know that you can get around Japan without knowing how to speak Japanese, but how much easier will it be if we at least semi-know what they are saying???!! However, when the computer tells me how to say something in Japanese, I continually mess up the words and they come out of my mouth in a jumble of jibberish! Boo! I must get better! Luckily, we still have several months to keep learning!

So the learning goes on! (and on and on)