Presley's First Halloween!

Helping daddy pass out candy!

Going to town on a Baby Ruth (still in the wrapper)!

Momma and Presley the Lady Bug!

Presley's first Halloween!

Fall Photo Shoot!

Today, my dear friend Dawn was sweet enough to go out with Presley and I and take a bunch of fall photos! Presley was fairly good for most of the pictures, but she was easily distracted so it was hard to get her to look at the camera to smile! Here are my favorites! Oh, and don't mind the crazy layout of the pictures, I can't figure out how to make it normal!

Happy 1/2 year birthday Presley!

Six months ago today, the piece of me that had always been missing was finally put into place. I cannot believe how quickly 1/2 year has passed since Presley was born. It has gone way too fast, but at the same time I feel as though I have known her forever. She truly is the greatest, most wonderful that has ever happened and will ever happen to me. I could not have asked for a greater gift in my life.

Miss Presley is such a funny, happy little lady! She wakes up smiling and cooing every morning! She is now mobile, rolling from here to there in no time flat. I expect her to be crawling any day now (which means I need to start baby proofing my house)! I think that she will be an early walker because she can't stand to be still and she always wants to do things on her own! She loves the fact that she can sit up by herself; you can tell that she is so proud of herself! She loves banana oatmeal, fruit rice cereal, sweet potatoes, squash and mixed veggies! I am going to move on to fruit, I just want her to have a good palate for the vegetables first. She is still breast fed and I think that we may reach my goal of 1 year (but lets wait and see what happens when she gets a tooth)!

Here are some recent pictures of Presley, all taken within the past 2 weeks!

Smile

I love this new song by Uncle Kracker. It makes me think of Presley every time I hear it!

You're better then the best,
I'm lucky just to linger in your light
Cooler then the flip side of my pillow, that's right
Completely unaware,
Nothing can compare to where you send me,
Lets me know that it's ok, yeah it's ok
And the moments where my good times start to fade
You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed,
Sing like bird
Dizzy in my head,
Spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold,
Buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Oh, you make me smile
Even when you're gone, somehow you come along
Just like a flower poking through the sidewalk crack
And just like that, you steal away the rain just like that
You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed,
Sing like bird
Dizzy in my head,
Spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold,
Buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Oh, you make me smile
Don't know how I lived without you
Cuz every time that I get around you
I see the best of me inside your eyes
Oh, you make me smile

5 months old!

I cannot believe how fast the past 5 months has flown by! Presley is getting so big! She rolls all over the place and almost sits up by herself (her balance is still a little off). She talks almost non-stop, laughs, eats cereal now. Ugh, its going way too quickly! Here are pics from the past month!

Goodbye Johnny Castle

Yesterday, one of my most favorite actors lost his nearly 2 year battle with pancreatic cancer. I don't know that I have ever cried over the death of a celebrity, but when I heard that Patrick Swayze had passed, I have to admit that I had to wipe away a few tears. Sure there have been celebrity deaths that have shocked me (Phil Hartman, Princess Diana, Michael Jackson), but none that made me sad, as though I personally knew them.

My mom purchased the movie Dirty Dancing when I was 8 years old. I was absolutely captivated by the amazing dance numbers and I fell madly in love with a character by the name of Johnny Castle. Nearly everyday for at least 2 years, I would cue up the movie to the very last dance scene; I had all of the moves down, even though I did not have a partner to dance with. I would try to convince my boyfriends to do the "lift" with me at the swimming pool. Whenever my friends and I would play pretend, I ALWAYS insisted that we pretend it was the summer of 1963 and everybody had to call me "baby". My moms wedding dress was nearly identical to the dress that Jennifer Grey wore in the final dance number, so I wore it everyday as I spun around the living room to "Time of my life." To this day, I have that movie memorized, line by line. Not kidding - ask Jarrod. I would guesstimate that I have watched it at least 500 times in the past 22 years.

Then when I was 11 years old, I fell for a ghost by the name of Sam Wheat. Ghost is another one of my favorites, and though I may not have the entire movie memorized, I do watch it every time I come across it on television. Patrick Swayze put so much of himself into each role that he played, he made each character so real. Even in Too Wong Foo, he was an absolutely gorgeous woman! He could do not wrong.

Today, I keep thinking about his beautiful wife of 34 years, Lisa. I can't imagine what she is going through right now. I watched the Barbara Walters special that they were on earlier this year, and it was obvious that they are soul mates. But even with the sadness of this loss, I am thankful that Patrick is no longer in pain and can be at peace away from the paparazzi and tabloid gossip. Rest in peace Patrick, you will truly be missed.

30 years of life!

Snuggling with my baby on my birthday!

Luckily, Jarrod only put 2 candles on the cake!

Yummy cake!

Eating dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory!

"I think I 'll take a moment to celebrate my age; the ending of an era and the turning of a page. Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here; Lord have mercy on my next 30 years." (Tim McGraw)

Yep, on August 25th I turned the big 3-0! It was a nice relaxing day spent at home with Presley and Jarrod. We went to dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory with Dawn and Scott and then came back home for some yummy Strawberry Cheesequake Blizzard cake!

I remember when I thought that 30 seemed so old and distinguished; funny, I don't feel that way! Thinking back to my expectations of where I would be at 30, I actually have done all I had hoped to do. Married, kids, beautiful home in a great neighborhood, amazing friends, wonderful family, and happiness! Cheers to my next 30 years!