The Paper Mama Photo Challenge

This week The Paper mama Photo Challenge is Pets! I love this pic of my sweet boy and my first baby Lady Bird. They are best friends and it warms my heart!

Four Months

Dear Gracie,

You are now a big four months old. It is hard to believe you have been with us for that long. I

often still think of you as my sleepy little newborn, but you are far from that! Here is a look at what you are up to this month:

You love to sit up and often cry if we lay you down. You are so interested in everything and are constantly looking around.

You were waking up only one a night but now you are back to two. Although you are now sleeping full time in your crib so no more car seat! Yay for that! I am sure its just an adjustment and we can go back to the once a night wake eat and go back to sleep mode. (Fingers are CROSSED!)

You love your schedule. You eat every 2-3 hours and nap in between each feeding still. In the evenings you cluster feed and go down around 7-7:30. You have now started eating a little cereal at night and you seem to enjoy it. You have a smile on your face the entire feeding.

You smile and talk and laugh all the time and you are LOUD! We love it. You have so much to say and get so excited when we are interacting with you. Your smiles are full face smiles and they are so stinkin' adorable. You love smiling at your big brother the most!

You love being in your bouncy seat or swing. You are starting to like sitting in the bumbo alot more then you use to so when Noah and I are doing an activity you sit in that and watch watch watch!

You grab everything. You reach for toys and teethers and love getting them and putting them straight in your mouth. You love putting anything and everything in your mouth and you often find your shirt and suck on it till its soaked! Your hands are constantly in your mouth.

You get fussy and mad when you are tired or hungry and it is so funny and sad at the same time. You make the cutest pouty face and your daddy and me just laugh and laugh! When you are hungry, you get MAD fast!

You love your bath and especially now that you get to take it with your brother. You lay there and laugh and laugh at him and his sillyness.

You are wearing mainly 3-6 month clothes, but quite a few 3 month still fit you. You are SUPER long and are starting to chunk out which I LOVE!. I think you weigh around 15-16 pounds still, but you have your 4 month check up in a couple days so I guess we will see :)

You have added so much joy to our lives, Gracie. We love you.

I wipe your face to make room for all the kisses of tomorrow.

I have experianced being a stay at home mom twice now as well as a working mom. The first time I was home with Noah for the first six months of his life. By month six I was SO ready to go back to work. I needed that adult interaction. I needed the feeling of accomplishment outside of the home where people actually tell you that you are doing a good job. This time around I am dreading going back to work. I don't know if it's because I am older or a more experianced parent but going back to work to me this time I could take it or leave it. Im sure once I get back into the swing of things I will remember how much I enjoy my job and the great friends I have at work. But I will miss time with my sweeties. I will miss the cuddles, the days we don't get dressed, the days we just spend enjoying each other. I am much more comfortable being home and taking care of my kids then I ever was when it was just me and Noah. I get out of the house when I am feeling cooped up. I make sure to have "me" time so I don't recent staying home with them. And I am enjoying every minute because from experiance I know how fast the time goes. So for the next month I am going to hug, kiss and cuddle my days away.

Me by Plumb

haven't had
A chance to sleep
And when I wake
I wake with your dreams
I guess my pillow
Holds some kind of key
To your peace
Your peace

Me
I wouldn't trade your love for all the candy
In this great big world
Me
I feel so crazy blessed and oh so lucky
To be the place you go
When you need to feel safe
When you need a kiss
It's me

I haven't showered
And I tried to eat
But all your tears
Oh they needed me
I need some time, some time to think
But then I hear you
And what you need is...

Me
I wouldn't trade your love for all the candy
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com
In this great big world
Me
I feel so crazy blessed and oh so lucky
To be the place you go


I wash your face
To make room for
All the kisses
Of tomorrow
And every day
That I get to
Be here with you
Is sweet

Me
I wouldn't trade your love for all the candy
In this great big world
Me
I feel so crazy blessed and oh so lucky
To be the place you go
When you need to feel safe
When you need a kiss

Oh don't be afraid
Cause what you'll have is....
Me

Hot Yoga Baby!

My new obsession??? Sacred Hot Yoga. I had heard about this extreme yoga class from my bestie Angela but had always been scared to try it. Kim and I went a couple weeks ago to try out a black light class. When we pulled up to the front of the studio and saw all these people half naked we freaked. I said ok Kim lets get out of here! But Kim being her stubborn self made me go in. I can not thank her enough for having me take that first step. If you don't know anything about Hot Yoga let me explain some to you...

Sacred Hot Yoga includes the physical workout of other forms of hot yoga but with a stronger emphasis upon the spiritual teachings of yoga.

The Sacred Hot Yoga Method stresses during yoga practice conscious awareness of the body's alignment, breathing, and energy flow; and has the students set their intention for practice and use affirmations to direct the life force generated by the postures for manifesting healing and happiness.

The hot room allows increased stretching and flexibility which helps to prevent injury. With the combination of the heat, humidity and the yoga poses (asanas) you WILL sweat and burn calories. Your body will experience a huge detoxification. Drinking plenty of fluid before, during and after class is necessary. Hot yoga can help to improve flexibility, suppleness and strength. Hot Yoga can also help with the ability to deal with stress and to increase relaxation. Hot yoga can be a very effective way of losing weight and toning up.

Hot Yoga is practiced at a temperature of about 103 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with 40% to 60% humidity.

I got this information from http://www.cloud9divine.com/. This is the studio I currently practice at.

After going the last couple weeks I can say I can see a difference in my body and mind. I have lost about 5 pounds and 3 inches in my waist. I feel stronger and have more energy. The nights I go to class I sleep better then I have in years. I feel GREAT! I have not been to a class since last Thursday and my body is craving it! My skin looks better, my hair is softer. I am AMAZED at what this one thing has done for me. I can not wait to continue my Sacred Hot Yoga practice. And for those of you who are in Albuquerque and want to try a class... come with me! You will sweat and have a hard workout but afterwards you will feel like a million bucks!

3 year old madness!

It's been a rough couple of weeks in the Topley household. Not only with not sleeping because of the time change but Noah has really settled himself nicely into the makings of a three year old. All my girlfriends with older kids warned me. They said three's are the worst. I thought ya ya ok how hard can it really be. OMG! Some days I want to literally pull my hair out (or his!) He has an attitude of a 16 year old on hormones. One minute he is the awesome Noah that I love and the next a roaring psycho comes out. Here are some examples of both....

He loves Grace. He is so sweet to her. I will catch him kissing on her and loving on her when he thinks I am not looking. He tries to play with her and keep her entertained and if she is crying or just whining he always makes sure Daniel or I know that "gracie isn't ok." I love watching this and it gives a great image of how great of friends they will be. This is my sweet Noah I love.

He hates school and I mean hates it. He is a home body and would rather stay in his PJ's all day and hang with us. I do not tell him when he goes to school that Grace and I stay home. This would break him. But every school day is a battle to get him dressed, get his lunch made and get him out the door. He usually cries when Daniel drops him off. He misses his friends from "the baby school" and this breaks my heart. But now he is starting to act out at school. Just yesterday when I picked him up the ladies told me that he wouldnt sit for quiet time and wouldn't listen to them. This is defiantly not the Noah I love. His new thing to say is "you are not the boss of me" or "nope not gonna happen". I think he gets this from some kids at school and its driving me nuts. This is the three year old I dont like.

He got half of his trains thrown away for pulling attitude with me. I told him to pick up his room. He looked at me and said nope not gonna happen. I told him I would give him some time to get his attitude straightened out and he preceeded to tell me that I was not the boss. Needless to say my head almost exploded. I proceeded to pick up every toy that he decided not to put away and throw them in a trash bag. I have to say though that this worked. Every toy in the house was picked up and put into its place within record time. This is the three year old I don't like.

A postive thing right now is he loves to sing. He is constantly singing something. He often makes up his own songs about this he is doing which is so much like his daddy. It cracks us up. He will hear a song once or twice and know most of the words and tune soon after. His favorite song to sing this month is the goodbye song. He learned this at school and he loves singing it...at home, in the car, at the grocery store, to Grace. You name it! This is the Noah I love

I pray that this stage passes soon and doesn't last a year because I miss my sweet boy...come back to us Noah :)

A Love Story

I'm writing this blog to thank the one person in my life who has made my heart come alive and who is forever my rock. I do not tell him often enough what he means to me. We met at New Mexico State my junior year. He was only three months from graduating and moving to Dallas when we met. I remember the day he left I thought my heart would break in two. But we made it through a year and a half of long distance. We made at least one trip a month to see each other. I even rode a Greyhouse bus (hey I was a starving college student) to see him! Now that is love! I moved to Dallas away from the only home I knew to start a life with him. We were so happy in Dallas. We made some of the greatest friends there who we still often go back to see. Through all of the this our love grew and grew. We married in May of 2004. And moved back to New Mexico in 2005. He did this for me. He knew how much I wanted to be near our families. He sacrificed a job he loved and life long friends to make me happy. I don't think I ever told him how much this meant to me and how much I love him for this. He is such a kind and loving man. This is evident by how many friends he has and how many of them care so much for him. We had our first child (Noah Bruce Topley) in August of 2008. Our lives were forever changed but for the better. Our second child just joined us in August of 2011. Having children makes it hard to focus on your relationship with the one you started this whole journey with BUT it is my mission to make it a priority. Because although our children will always be around in the end it will always be just the two of us. I love you Daniel Bruce Topley more then words could ever say. God has truely blessed me in giving me a chance to love you!

3 Months

Dear Grace,

Today you are three months old. On one hand it seems like just yesterday you were born, but on the other hand the sleepless nights of waking up every 2-3 hours seem so far away. You have continued to bring so much joy to our little family this month. We love you so much! Here is a look at what you are doing at three months old.

You are smiling ALL the time. We can't get enough. Your smile is HUGE and contagious.

You like to "talk" to us by cooing and making all sorts of fun noises.

You also like to blow bubbles with your spit.

You are a very content baby and you are sleeping 7-8 hour stretches in your car seat. We found out a couple weeks ago that you have a little case of reflux and the only place you like to sleep is your car seat. We have tried numerous times to put you in your crib but you are not having any of it. Mommy is struggling with this but I guess if you are sleeping and happy I shouldn't care where it is :)

You go to bed around 7-7:30 and wake up around 3:30 or 4:00. Then you are up for the day around 7:00am. This is a great schedule for our family and you are starting to fit right in! I can't wait for the day that you drop that 4:00 feeding and just sleep 7-7. But in the mean time I am enjoying the middle of the night feeding bc it is really the only time we have quiet time the two of us.

You enjoy your bouncy seat, swing, and play mat. You tolerate your bumbo, but you don't love it just yet. You like to lay on your back and swat at your toys or you like being on your tummy and pushing up and looking all around.

You are not trying to roll yet which is perfectly fine with me...it gives me more time to swaddle you and love on you bc I know soon you will be on the move and not want cuddle time with mommy.

You are still wearing 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers. You are around 12.5-13 pounds.

You love sucking on your hands and arms and anything else near your mouth.

You LOVE your big brother! Your face lights up every time he comes in the room.

You got to sit in your high chair at the dinner table with us for the first time this month. We recline it just a little for you and you love looking around and talking to us while we eat. My favorite thing is when I smile at you across the table and your face just lights up! You are definitely a momma's girl and I am just fine with that!

You still love to nuzzle my face when you are tired and often fall asleep with my kisses on your forehead. You are the sweetest little girl and mommy is so excited to see what the next months bring.

Day Six- Outside my front door

This is the sight I wake up to every morning. Can there be anything more beautiful!

Day Five- Puppy Love

They love each other. He has to have her in his room for "quiet time" everyday or he cant sleep. I love it!

Day Four-Favorite thing

Im finding it hard to post everyday! Guess my life is crazier then I thought :) This is my favorite thing at the moment. I could not survive a day without my coffee. I love love love it! Did I say I love it? :P

Day Three- Youth

Nothing says Youth more then a boy and his dog!

Day two-Calm

I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday but this is my "calm" picture. I never thought I would think of our Lady Bird as calm but after having children our fur baby is the calmest thing in this house :)

Thirty Day Photo Challenge Day One

I am doing a thirty day photo challenge with one of my soroity sisters Kim. Everyday is a new topic. Todays topic is Halloween. We had a great Halloween with our sweetie Grace and our little Mavrick Noah. I love this picture of Noah...shows his great personality. Two lollipops for this boy!

Daylight Savings

I remember when Daniel and I were first married we would celebrate the "fall back" of daylight savings because we would get another hour of sleep. Now that we have kids I dread and I mean dread daylight savings time! An extra hour of sleep??? Ya right! And when you are trying to get a newborn to sleep through the night and she is almost there its just gonna screw it all up. So daylight savings time you and me are not friends! Not now and possibly not ever...well maybe in 18 years :o)

Letters

Dear Weather,

Please go away. I hate the cold and more then that I hate that the cold means I am that much closer to going back to work!

Love,

Me

Dear October,

Where did you go? Its all happening too fast...slow down!

Love,

Me

Dear Noah,

You are three. Like REALLY THREE! You are such a sweet, fun, crazy and precious boy BUT you are a three year old mess at the same time. You keep me on my toes. You are full of your own opinions and are more independent then a 16 year old. You remind me daily that you are a big boy now and do not need my kisses, but that keeps me in check that I hope this stage will indeed pass soon. I love you dearly even when I don't know how we will survive some of the meltdowns.

Love,

Me

Dear Grace,

Come back home mommy misses you so much (yes even at 3 in the morning!)

Love,

Me

Dear Rangers,

Please win the World Series tonight so I don't have to endure another night of floor pacing and jibberish talk.

Love,

Me

Dear Sleep,

I miss you!

Love,

Me

Dear GNO,

I can not wait for you. I need some time to be away and enjoy my girls! Please hurry!

Love,

Me

Friendships

My girls...
My Ang...
My Kimmy...

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.
Albert

Lately I have been really thinking about the word friendship and what it means to me. To me a friend is someone who listens and is there for you when you need them the most. They do not judge, they do not use you for their own good, they do not tell others what you have trusted in them the most. Almost all my life I have been better friends with men then women. I always said it was because men are not drama...they tell you like it is and you know straight out what they are thinking about stuff. I like those qualities in a friend. I don't want drama and overreaction. I don't want to be competitive in a friendship... thats not what its about. As I say that I find myself becoming friends with more women as I grow older.

I have a few VERY good friends that I trust with everything I am. One of those people just happens to be related to me...My sister Kimber is my rock. She is there for me whether I'm having a good or bad day. She has been there through all the major milestones of my life. We went to college together. We joined a sorority together. She was by far the best roommate I ever had. We just click and that's not very common when it comes to your family. She was there when I met and married the love of my life. And she was there through the births of both my children. I am so blessed that God let me have her as MY sister and best friend.

The other person I trust with everything that I am and love more then most is my best friend Angela. I meet this lively redhead the first day I started my first job in Dallas. I always joke with her that I went home that night and told Daniel I met a girl who I would NEVER be friends with. Who would have thought that we would become inseperable. We love to travel together and try to take at least one trip a year somewhere fun. She is part of my family and someone I hope to always have in my life. She is now further away then ever before and we are going to have our first year of no travel but I know through it all we with stay as close as we were before.

I have meet some great women since I have moved back to Albuquerque and feel the older I get the more I can put myself out there to trust. Im looking forward to enhancing these friendships for years to come. And I never thought I would say this but... I love my girls!!!

Opening my eyes...

I was reading a blog yesterday (obsessivly I might add!) about a women who lost her 4 month old baby to SIDS. This made me start to think and really appreciate what God has given Daniel and I. For the last couple of months we have had to lay in bed with Noah to get him to fall asleep. He was such a good sleeper until recently. We don't know if it's the transitions he has had to make in the past couple months (going to preschool, getting a new family member, sophia starting to be more active and wanting to play with him) but it is wearing on me and Daniel. Well last night was no different BUT after reading the blog yesterday I started thinking that really who cares if I have to lay with him...its not going to be forever! And in a couple years he's not going to want me to even hug him. So last night for the first time in months I relished in the time we had. We talked about what our favorite thing of the day was (his was getting to go to a wedding and dance...mine was getting to dance with my little love) we talked about what we were going to do on Sunday (fo fo's party) and then he layed there and cuddled. My heart was so full I thought it might burst! I hope to continue to remember and cherish the time I have with my kids because I know how fast it goes and no one knows what tomorrow will bring. P.S. Getting up with my baby girl at 3 in the morning wasn't so bad either :)

The start...

I love reading blogs especially those of my friends. This has inspired me to start my own. I want this blog to be a place that my kids can go back and read about how their mommy was when they were young...the good and the bad. I want them to know how much I love them but how hard it is to be a parent at times. I hope I can protray to them a little bit of me....