Favorite Things Friday

Well, I saw a few people post their favorite things and I thought I would join in.

1. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Extreme nail polish in Purple Passion.
It dries super fast, doesn't chip for a really long time, and the color is my favorite!


2. Snyders of Hanover Chocolate covered pretzels
I could eat an entire bag of these in 5 minutes! They are ridiculously good!


3. Netflix
We decided after spending $40 dollars on rentals last month while Matt was sick with strep throat that it made more sense to get Netflix and watch whatever we wanted all the time. We can stream instant movies on our XBox and PS3 plus order brand new releases to be sent to our house. So far, we are catching up on all the Office Episodes. I love that show!



4. Modern Family is one of our new favorite shows. It is so funny! We watch at least one tv show every night. I record several shows and watch them when I get the chance during the day.



5. Glee is my absolute favorite show on TV right now. It makes me happy to watch! It's totally unrealistic, but it is so great!



6. Michael Buble' has a great voice. I especially love "Georgia on My Mind" on this CD.


7. Paramore is a great band. This CD is really good. "Brick by Boring Brick" is the best song on the cd and I could listen to it over and over again.

Long Time No Blog

Okay, I thought that I would take some time to blog since it has been such a long time! I love to read other people's blogs, but I never write anything on my own blog! For a while, I thought I didn't want to blog because I didn't want to put up pictures of Blakely. Then I thought about all the great moms out there who blog and how much I love to read about their lives. I have learned all kinds of neat things from other moms and other friends out there. I decided that I may not have a lot to add, but who knows who might actually get something out of my blogging. So...here I go again...

I read a lot of blogs. It makes my day to open my google reader and see new blog posts to read. I read about people I have known for a long time, I read about people I just met recently, and I read about people that I do not know, but I feel like I do. I guess I am a blog stalker. (It kind of sounds creepy when I put it that way.) I honestly love to see how other people live. People watching is one of my favorite things to do. I could sit in the food court at the mall and watch people for hours. Blakely is like this too. She is extremely observant. She will just stare at people. Of course she smiles and laughs and interacts, but sometimes she will just stare people down no matter what they try to do to make her laugh. It cracks me up. I think this comes from my side of the family. The Reddens have a way of staring and being so serious. At least she got something from me. She looks absolutely nothing like me. She's adorable. She is crawling and rolling and pulling up and making all kinds of crazy sounds and giving kisses on command (to family only because that's just the rule for us). She also has major "don't take me away from my mama" and "don't leave the room without me mama" anxieties. I am so glad she knows me and loves me, but it makes me feel bad for the people she cries and screams at. She is a very happy baby other than that. She weighs 22lbs right now. Her rolls crack me up. She has some seriously chubby cheeks and thighs. Our pediatrician (who we absolutely adore) says Blakely is her favorite kind of baby with all her rolls and bluish-hazel eyes. Of course things aren't perfect. We are struggling with trying to switch over to formula. She absolutely hates it. She screams, cries, and gags when we try to give it to her. She will drink water and apple juice without batting an eye, but don't try to give the girl formula. You would think we were trying to poison her from her reaction! It's just a battle that I can't decide if I want to fight or not. When she is one she can go to whole milk. What's just 4 more months of breastfeeding? Does anybody out there have any suggestions on this? (Does anyone still read this thing?) Next up on the agenda in our household...moving Blakely to her own room. This is totally my problem and not her problem. I am pretty sure she would be just fine, but I still struggle with her being so far away from me. I have an awesome monitor that I use when she naps in her bed. I just can't imagine sleeping so far away from her at night. I know I am not the only one that struggles with this. I know that she will be just fine and we have plans to put her in her bed soon. It helps me to read other blogs and see that those moms have put their babies in their cribs at a much younger age and everyone is just fine. I just need to do it. My excuse for tonight is that she just got her swine flu shot and she may not feel good and she may need me. (She needs me every night lately anyways.) The girl is a terrible sleeper. She takes 30-45 minute naps 3 times a day and then she wakes up every 2-3 hours at night just like a newborn. She was an awesome sleeper until she was about 4 months old. I don't know what has happened. I have heard all kinds of suggestions and opinions, so go ahead and give me yours if you want. (Yes I know that she might sleep better in a real bed instead of her pack n play.) Bring on the advice, if I am willing to put myself out here, I might as well be willing to listen to whatever people have to say.

So...there you have it. That's my blog for the moment. I might even blog again about some of my most recent favorite things in a little while. I like to see this on other blogs, so I might as well share what I like too!

Here is a picture of the Goose. (That's what we call her around here and the funny thing is, she will turn around to it more than when we call her name! Oops!) I will try to be better about taking pictures just for the blog. I have just been taking pictures with my iphone and uploading them to facebook. If you want to see more pictures, check out my facebook!

Catching Up

It is amazing how I am so consumed with Blakely. I could sit and stare and her sweet face (with the chubbiest cheeks ever) for hours and hours. She is so precious! She makes the cutest little noises and the funniest faces. Next week she will be 2 months old! She is already wearing 3-6 month clothes! I am glad she is a chunk! I love her little rolls that cover her arms and legs! We are having a great time being parents so far. It has been a challenge to figure out how to leave the house and remember everything a baby needs! Going to the store is hilarious because we have to push either the stoller and a basket, or we have to use two baskets! Of all the raving reviews I read about her carseat, one thing no one mentioned was that it doesn't fit across the basket seat at the grocery store! ANNOYING!!!! I have read a lot of blogs that gave a list of must-haves for babies and I am going to try to do one for the things I have come across so far that I think every mother should at least try out! So, here goes...

1. Aveeno Baby Wash


I have tried several different types of soap and shampoo and this is by far my favorite! Our little bit has super sensitive skin and this is the only soap so far that hasn't irritated her skin! I also love the way it smells...so clean and soapy, not sickeningly sweet and fruity!

2. Baby Aquaphor


As I mentioned before, my sweet little baby has the most sensitive skin EVER!!! Her sweet little behind has to be wiped with a wet rag! We can't even use wet wipes or she gets a rash!!! We started putting the Baby Aquaphor on her at every diaper change and it has made such a difference!

3. Pampers Swaddlers


These are the softest diapers! I am sad because they only go up to size 2 and she has just started wearing that size this week! I don't know what diapers we will use once she has outgrown these! The way she is growing, that could soon!!!

4. Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle 'n Swing


She loves to watch the mobile on this swing. When it isn't turning, she starts breathing heavy and flapping her arms as if to say, "Hey guys, get moving!!" She also falls asleep in it very quickly! At first I thought it was too fast, but I think she just needed to gain a little more weight to help it slow down. We still only use the first speed, but she loves it!!!

5. Boppy Bouncer



This is Blakely's seat when I am showering and getting ready. She sits in it and slowly falls asleep while I shower, blow dry my hair, get dressed, etc. I don't know if she likes the music or not, but one day she will hopefully appreciate the songs I make up to the tunes while I am getting ready. If anyone ever actually heard me sing these silly made-up songs, I would be mortified, but I think they entertain her and that's all that matters!


Right now, that is all that I can think of that we just absolutely cannot live without! We have a front carrier that we are working on getting used to, but so far, no luck. I think I am just too short for it to be comfortable for both of us. Hopefully we will get that figured out so things can be easier when we go to the store. Here are some pictures of my sweet girl for those of you that aren't on Facebook!

She's Here!!!!!

Blakely Emerson Copeland is here!! After pushing for about 3 hours, we had to go have a c-section. Blakely is perfect!!! She weighs 8 pounds 14 ounces and is 20 inches long. She is gorgeous!!! The doctor said she is very healthy!! Here is what you all really want to see...pictures!!!

Resting Up

Well, after my appointment this past Wednesday, my doctor put me on couch/bed rest. I was actually sent straight home from my appointment. I had planned to work until today and to spend today telling my students good-bye! It made me sad to just be finished. Matt said it was probably best because otherwise today would have been so stressful and draining. I agree, but I still feel funny that I was just done without telling my kids anything. I go back to the doctor in about an hour to check my blood pressure and weight to see if being off my feet has helped. I am pretty sure it has because the swelling in my feet, ankles, and legs has gone down a ton! I can actually see where my ankles stop and my feet start. Around here, everyone seems to have put themselves on bed rest. Allie is sleeping in my chair, Bruiser is sleeping on his bed, and Matt is working from home in his comfortable clothes. I think the dogs know they need to rest up because things will not be the same around here in just a few more days. Matt brought home a bunch of movies for us to watch on Wednesday. Then he went back and got more last night! We watched the new James Bond movie, Bolt, and Twilight. I loved Bolt, thought James Bond was okay, but I was so disappointed in Twilight! I wanted it to be a little bit more like the book. They rushed through so much of it. They also didn't make it intense enough. It's not any different than the Harry Potter movies. They always leave out so much or change just enough that it irritates me. People already don't read the books because they say they can just watch the movie, but they are missing so much because the movie people don't put in all the important things! I know that no one wants to sit through a 5 hour long movie, but the audience deserves the whole story!!! Okay, that is my opinion for today. I obviously do not have enough to do right now! Keep praying for our family as we wait for Blakely to get here! My doctor said she might come this weekend, but if not we are still on for inducing on Tuesday!

~Stef

The Pictures I Promised!

Wow, I know you are impressed because I am blogging two days in a row! Here are the pictures I promised yesterday!

Oops...

I know, I know... it has been an extremely long time since I have posted. I really thought that now that I was having a baby I would post all the time. Part of me really wants to and the other part of me says that so much has happened that there is no way to catch up without spending 400 years in front of my computer screen. I have decided that I am just going to skip all of the things that have happened since November. Here is what has been going on the past few weeks...without pictures...sorry. First, I gave my resignation so that I can be with Blakely. I am going to be doing some work starting in probably August or September, but she gets to come with me. I am really excited about not having to take her to daycare or have someone else keep her. I am sad about not teaching anymore though. I really do like my job. It isn't easy, but it's hard to imagine doing something else. I only have 5 more days of being a teacher for now. I can't believe it! Maybe I will look into teaching a Sunday school class at church or something in a few years. Yesterday I found out that I am going to be induced on March 31st. I am a little anxious and also incredibly excited! I am so ready for Blakely to be here and to not be pregnant anymore. I told the nurse at the Dr.'s office that I wasn't saying I was done having kids forever, but I was done being pregnant for now. My body feels like it just can't take much more. I know there are so many people out there who are desperately trying to get pregnant (I know, because I was one of them once). I am not saying I am not grateful for this experience, but I am ready for the reason I wanted to get pregnant...my baby! I haven't had too rough of an experience until the last few weeks. My heartburn has been out of control, I have been swelling up like the Michelin Man, and every single one of my joints hurt. I know, complain, complain, complain. Every bit of this will be worth it in less than 12 days. Moving on... When Matt comes home tonight, we are going to finish hanging up the wall decorations and then I will take pictures and post them. I love her room. I could sit in it for hours. It makes me happy just to walk in there. Well, this has been a weird post, but at least ya'll are caught up for now. I am thinking about taking a nap. I have to save up my energy for work next week and for when Blakely gets here!!! Check back for pictures of her room!