The Lawyer, the Teacher and the Babies

County Fair

2011-09-05T13:51:00.002-05:00

We took the girls to the Washington County Fair on Friday, September 2. We had such a great time looking at and petting the animals, watching the lights on the rides, listening to all the sounds, and eating some yummy food!

Katie loved looking at all the rides, and it was so nice to just be able to look and not have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for carnival rides!
There was a tent with stations set up for kids to enjoy - saddled bales of hay, animals to pet, baby chickens in the incubator, a cow to milk, etc.

Katie must've thought we were the coolest parents around. We let her eat Cheetohs for dinner :o)

Katie got to pet a real pig.

Miss Anna just enjoyed the atmosphere from the stroller. She alternated between sleeping and smiling!

Anna - 3 Months

2011-09-05T12:51:00.003-05:00

Anna baby,

You turned 3 months old on September 1, and I still can't believe it. You are such a sweet baby, and I'm so glad you're in our lives. You started at Oak Grove Montessori on August 29, and you are doing great. Ms. Deanna is your teacher, and she constantly talks about how sweet and easy you are. I wonder if you will always be my content, laid-back baby...

You love to coo at anyone who will talk to you. You also smile and giggle all the time. Your sister was always the happiest baby, but I think you may be giving her a run for her money :o)

You also stayed with Mimi and Papa overnight for the first time. You did really well, and they are looking forward to having you over again.

You are such a special baby, and I'm so happy that God chose me to be your mommy. You make my life so bright!

I love you,
Mommy

Katie and Anna Monthly Comparisons

2011-08-12T22:00:00.004-05:00

Anna at One Month...

Katie at One Month...

Anna at Two Months...

Katie at Two Months...

They really do look SO much alike, but it's hard to tell from these pictures because Anna is so much bigger than Katie was at one month and two month!

Anna Claire Fryar

2011-08-12T21:43:00.002-05:00

Well, it has been nearly 3 months since I last updated the blog. WOW!

Here's a picture of me the morning of my induction. We took this picture right before we left the house to head to Willow Creek. I, at the time, DID NOT realize just how big I was... Looking back, I can definitely see how I had an 8 lb 15 oz baby!!!

Our first picture with Anna Banana!!!!
Here's our beautiful Anna Claire at 3 days old... Beautiful!

My beautiful girls... Gosh, I love being their mommy!

AND... Here's Anna at 2 months. Gosh, time flies!

Anna's Birth Story

2011-06-21T22:05:00.005-05:00

Well, I'm about 3 weeks late in posting this, but.. Oh, well! Better late than never, right?!?!

It all started on Tuesday, May 31, at my 38 week appointment with Dr. Reiter. I went in like normal, weight gain was fine, BP was fine, measuring 2 weeks ahead (like normal)... Just a routine appointment. Dr. Reiter did my internal exam, and I was 3 centimeters dilated and about 70% effaced. While listening to Anna's heartbeat, he said, "We can induce tomorrow if you'd like." Matt's immediate reaction was, "Let's do it!" Dr. Reiter joked about that! The reason he did this was because of how ready we were to have this baby. Note: I'd been on bed rest for the last 4 weeks due to pre-term labor scares. So, I got dressed while Dr. Reiter contacted Willow Creek. When we walked out, the nurses were guessing how big the baby would be. **Their guesses were in the low 8 lbs.**

We left Creekside and headed down to Willow Creek to get paperwork and blood work taken care of before the induction. That took about 30 minutes, and we rushed to go pick up our precious Katie who was at my parent's house. When we got there, we told my parents what the plan was and OF COURSE they were thrilled. We took Katie home with us and enjoyed dinner and bath time with our angel. Once she was ready for bed, we took her back to my parents to spend the night. I cried leaving her because I knew things would never be the same...

We got back home and did last minute things.. Matt brought baby things down from upstairs. We repacked our bags. We cleaned the house. We enjoyed some cuddle time. We went to bed around 11:00, but I just could not sleep. I slept on and off until the alarm went off at 4:30 am. I took a nice, hot shower and shaved my legs. While getting ready, my mind was racing. Even though I had been through labor and delivery with Katie, I was still nervous and scared about the "What Ifs."

We left the house at 5:15 and arrived at Willow Creek around 5:25. We checked in and were given a room by 5:35. However, the nurse didn't come back in the room until 6:15. You can just imagine our frustration levels! During that time, though, we took a few last minute preggo pictures! The nurse (Sara) came in at 6:15 to get me in my bed and start my IV. However, she had real trouble and ended up getting another nurse (more experienced) after she failed two times. The new nurse got it in immediately, but it hurt quite a bit. Once the IV was in, they started the pitocin on a pretty low level and checked my cervix. I was already dilated to 4 cm and 75% effaced just from my appointment yesterday afternoon. Once the pitocin was started, my contractions picked up and were VERY uncomfortable. They let me labor for a few minutes while the nursing staff switched over.

My new nurse, Margaret, came in around 7:00 and introduced herself. Dr. Chase, the anesthesiologist, came in around 7:15 to give me my epidural (THANK GOODNESS!!). I had to lay back to let it all even out. While I was laying back, Margaret started taking my history. During this time, I started feeling woozy and had Matt answer the questions. It wasn't getting better, and I noticed I was having trouble hearing and was getting extremely hot and nauseous. My BP had dropped down to 70/40, and Anna's heart rate was dangerously low. I actually wasn't too sure what all was going on during this time, but I vaguely remember. A whole bunch of nurses came in, turned me on my side, and slapped the oxygen mask on me. One of the nurses was also doing an internal exam to try and stimulate Anna. The other nurse was trying to loosen the contraction.

After getting that all calmed down, she explained to me that my body was reacting negatively to the epidural by lowering my BP all while the pitocin was creating a constant contraction, not giving Anna a break in between. So, it was a scary few minutes in our little room. Thank goodness for a strong husband! After giving my body a short break, Margaret began taking my history again. I tried to sit up a little to answer her questions; however, within a few minutes, I felt very woozy again. They had to slap that silly oxygen mask on me to stabilize things again. I decided to just lay back for the time being.

Around 8:45, Dr. Reiter showed up to break my water. He checked my cervix, and I was still a 4 and on the lowest level of pitocin. He said that I would've gone into labor naturally within a day or two. Oh, well... I was ready to have my baby!

My mom and Sandy both arrived around 9:15. Dad brought the girls (Emma and Katie) up to visit for a little while. It was so nice seeing my sweet girl! Margaret came back in at 9:30 to check me again, and I was 5 cm. I was amazed at how quickly everything was progressing. Dad left with the girls around 10:15, and we all just visited while we waited.

At 10:30, Margaret came back in just to check if we were ok. She proceeded to stay and talk for 45 minutes about lots of nonsense stuff. I ended up falling asleep while her, my mom, Sandy, and Matt talked. It was rather humorous! They all thought I was faking, so she would leave. I wasn't, though. I actually fell asleep! She left and retured at 11:35 to check me again. This time, I was 7 cm!

Aunt Mischelle arrived at 12:00. I was in great spirits until 12:50 when I felt an overwhelming urge to use the bathroom - which usually means you're fully dilated. I only told Matt because I didn't want anyone else to think I was crazy :o) At 1:00, Margaret came in to check, and I was 10 cm and ready to push!!!! She left to go tell Dr. Reiter and quickly came back in with some not so great news. Dr. Reiter was down the hall sewing someone up who had an extensive tear. She said that he wouldn't be able to make it for at least another 20 minutes. So, I had to breathe through each contraction or urge to push. It was extremely difficult.

Dr. Reiter made it into the room at 1:30 and got everything ready to go by 1:35. I quickly started pushing. I only had to push through 1 contraction before I could see her crowning. The second contraction moved her even further down. With the third contraction, Anna baby was out!

Anna was born at 1:50 p.m. weighing 8 pounds 15 ounces. She was 20.75 inches long and had a beautiful head of dark brown hair! I ended up with a 2nd degree episiotomy because Miss Anna was on the large side! Giving birth this go round was SOOOO much easier than with Katie!

Pictures will come later!

Bed rest...

2011-05-17T09:32:00.002-05:00

Well, we've had an interesting last few weeks with this pregnancy... Interesting, to say the least! On Friday, April 29, we went to the BBQ cook-off and then to Patrick's to get a burger for dinner and were planning on coming home to prepare for the garage sale the next morning. We were having a great time. During dinner, I noticed some Braxton Hicks - which is fairly common for me. However, once we got home, I realized they were still coming, so I decided to time them. To our surprise, they were coming every 4-6 minutes and getting more and more uncomfortable. Plus, I was only 33 weeks 6 days.

So, after nearly 2 hours of regular contractions, we decided to call Dr. Pharr (my best friend, Jenn). She said that we should go on into Willow Creek and just let them check me. It's 9:15 on a Friday night, Katie's asleep upstairs, and we have to leave for the hospital. So, we call my parents. My little sister was having a sleepover, so my dad came on over to sit at the house with our sleeping angel.

When he arrived, we left straight for Willow Creek. I fully expected the contractions to stop on the drive there, but they didn't. We got to WC, checked into triage, and were told to go to bed #2. I got dressed, left my urine sample, and laid down. The nurse came in to hook me up to the monitors and sure enough there were those contractions I'd been feeling for the last 2.5 hours.

After talking to the ER doctor, they decided to start an IV. Let me just tell you. The IV is the WORST part about having a baby!! So, of course, I start freaking out inside because I shouldn't have to get an IV unless I'm actually having a baby. Well, the sweet nurse did a wonderful job, and I barely felt the needle going in. She said that they were hoping that with a couple bags of IV fluids that my contractions would stop. At this point, she checks me, and I'm only a fingertip dilated and about 30-40 percent effaced. After 2 bags, they weren't slowing down or stopping. So, they decided to do something else.

She checked me again, and I was now 1.5 cm. dilated and 50 percent effaced. They decide to "sedate" me to see if that will help. So, they give me two different medications - Demerol and Phenagrin. That Demerol was some crazy stuff. The room was spinning, and I felt awful.

Well, that didn't work either. So, they gave me a shot of Brethine. The Brethine slowed the contractions down but made Anna's heart rate and mine go WAY above normal. So, at this point, my contractions were now 10-12 minutes apart, but my heart rate was 140-150 and Anna's was in the 180s. Not good...

Our heart rates ended up going down to a more normal range, and they discharged us at 5:15 a.m with pretty clear instructions of bed rest and pelvic rest. So, we drove home, I laid down on the couch while Matt and my dad got the rest of the stuff ready for the garage sale.

Matt ended up doing the garage sale, and we made quite a bit of extra money! My parents ended up taking K after the garage sale and keeping her, so we could sleep. We slept so good!

So, that was Friday/Saturday... Sunday morning, around 9:00, the contractions started up again. We went to Willow Creek around 10:15 with contractions coming every 2-3 minutes. This time, I just knew I was in actual labor and was expecting to have a baby. I got to the hospital, got hooked up and those painful contractions I was feeling were barely even registering. I was so frustrated.

However, they checked my cervix, and I was now 3 cm. dilated, 60 percent effaced, and Anna was in the -2 station. So, they wouldn't let me leave. They did the exact same procedures as last time, hooked me up to ANOTHER IV, gave me Demerol and Phenagrin, gave me two shots of Brethine, and waited for our heart rates to go down.

Well, I am now 36 weeks 3 days pregnant, so I've made it nearly 3 more weeks being pregnant!!! However, I've been on bed rest which gets very lonely and boring.

Matt has taken over all household chores and taking care of Katie. Our church and my parents have provided meals for us about 3 nights a week - which is such a huge help.

While I'm very glad that Anna is staying put for the time being, I'm SO done with bed rest. I literally can't stand up without having contractions and am feeling very bad for everything everyone is doing for us. So....

Sweet Anna Claire,

Mommy knows that you tried to come out a few weeks ago, but we weren't quite ready for you then. You have now been in Mommy's tummy for longer than your sister was. So, feel free to make your appearance anytime, littlest princess! I love you so much and am VERY ready to meet you!

Love,
Mommy

Puerta Vallarta, Mexico!!

2011-05-06T11:47:00.004-05:00

I decided to participate in Kelly's SUYL - Favorite Vacation Spots today!! I love reading these and rarely participate, but I just couldn't resist talking about my favorite vacation..

Matt and I went to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico while I was 23 weeks pregnant with Katie! It was a "Congratulations, Matt for finishing Law School and taking the BAR," "Congratulations, Cori for finishing your first year of teaching," and a babymoon! We had the best time...

This picture was taken on our balcony...

A few beach sunset pictures... One of our favorite parts of each day was walking along the beach at sunset. Beautiful!

The Palace Resorts have some amazing food! This was taken at Mo-Mo-No-Ha-Na, an oriental restaurant in the resort. Matt was eating Tuna tar tar...

One of the days, we decided to take a tour around the city. This is Los Arcos.. A few famous spot for snorkeling, but we didn't do that because of how pregnant I was.

All in all, it was the best trip we have ever been on together, and we can't wait to go back!

Here's a link to the resort's website: http://www.palaceresorts.com/resorts/vallartapalace

We went to the Moon Palace Spa and Golf Resort for our honeymoon and then the Vallarta Palace for this trip.. We plan on going back next summer but haven't decided on which resort or location to go to next.. We were thinking Cozumel!

Easter 2011 (a little late)

2011-05-02T10:43:00.002-05:00

We had a great Easter this year even if it was pouring down rain the entire Easter weekend... We started the weekend out by going to Mike and Judi's house for a birthday/Easter celebration. Sarah's 21st birthday was the weekend before, so we celebrated this weekend instead. The Crowders got Katie a little Easter basket full of goodies. VERY thoughtful of them! Katie is very lucky to have such wonderful people in her life that love her so very much. After the birthday festivities, we dyed Easter eggs. Last year, Katie was too small to dye eggs. So, she got to enjoy it for the first time this year, and BOY was it fun!

She loved throwing the eggs in the dye and watching the dye splash everywhere.

She also LOVED putting her hands in the dye and pulling the eggs out instead of waiting on Mommy to get them for her!

All in all, we had a great pre-Easter celebration at Judi's house...

One of my favorite parts about being a parent is getting Easter baskets and stockings ready for the next morning. This year, Katie was definitely visited by the Easter bunny! I guess she'd been a good girl :o) She got a duck stuffed animal, bath markers, sidewalk chalk, Elmo crayons, and a mini Magna-doodle...

Because it was raining this year, we didn't get any good family pictures outside.. So, here is my princess in her beautiful Easter dress that Daddy picked out!
After church, we drove to Greenwood to have Easter with Matt's family. We drove in some pretty crazy weather... However, once we got to Greenwood, the weather was ok. The kids hid eggs for Katie to find, and she found them! It was funny! On the way home, we hit some REALLY bad weather and had to pull over at a Sonic and wait for it to pass. We weren't able to wait for it to pass because it wasn't supposed to stop or get any better for hours, and we both had to be at work the next morning. So, we toughed it out and drove home in the torrential downpour. We decided that we will not travel in that kind of weather again... Not worth it!

We had a great Easter this year and can't wait until next year when we will have a 2.5 year old and 10 month old!!!

Random A-Z

2011-03-23T11:10:00.002-05:00

I am borrowing this idea from my friend Carman!

A. Age: 26
B. Bed size: Queen, but I would LOVE a king!!
C. Chore you dislike: Laundry
D. Dogs: Cooper, 2 year old Cocker Spaniel
E. Essential start to your day: These days... Getting to the bathroom as quickly as I can waddle!
F. Favorite color: Purple
G. Gold or silver: I prefer to wear white gold, but my wedding ring set it yellow gold, and I love it!
H. Height: 5'6"
I. Instruments you play(ed): I took piano lessons for 9 years and can still read music pretty good!
J. Job title: 5th grade teacher at Lee Elementary
K. Kids: Kathryn Elizabeth "Katie" - 16.5 months and Anna Claire - due June 11
L. Live: Springdale, AR
M. Mom’s name: Debbie
N. Nicknames: I don't really have any nicknames.
O. Overnight hospital stays: When I had Katie!
P. Pet peeves: Bragging, Secretive people, people who are late!
Q. Quote from a movie: THIS IS SOOO NOT MY CATEGORY! However, the only quote I can think of at this moment is... "I'll be your Huckleberry."
R. Righty or lefty: Righty
S. Siblings: Emma - 9
T. Time you wake up: It depends.. If I shower in the morning then it's 5:45, and if I bathe at night then it's 6:15.
U. Underwear: Definitely Mommy undies!
V. Vegetables you don’t like: My taste buds are off when I'm pregnant.. Right now, I don't like spinach.
W.What makes you run late: Usually my husband...
X. X-rays you’ve had: My teeth, my foot (when I was in 2nd grade).
Y. Yummy food you make: I make a mean pot of chili!
Z. Zoo animal favorites: I love the monkeys!!

Spring has sprung :o)

2011-03-20T16:40:00.003-05:00

Today was the most beautiful Spring day... We took Katie outside to play two different times!! She found a dried-up wipe in her Cozy Coupe that entertained her the entire time. She cleaned everything in sight - her animals, the mail, the weeds, an empty Diet Mountain Dew bottle, Mommy's legs, the road, her face, etc... It was rather entertaining :o)

We also took her on a walk down the street. She refused to hold our hands because she's too independent. She loves to explore and discover things without the restraint of a hand. She loved picking "flowers" in the neighbor's yards (aka their weeds). She also enjoyed seeing a cat - from a distance. There was a man sitting in his driveway revving up his motorcycle, and she got a kick out of that, too! Little one even managed to scuff her knee up for the first time. She cried for about 5 seconds and was ready to go again. Our neighbors across the street have this little bench in their yard. Of course Katie HAD to sit on it and threw a huge fit when it was time to go!!!

Beginning Stages of Potty-Training

2011-03-13T11:52:00.004-05:00

Katie spent a couple days with her Grandma and Grandpa in Hot Springs a few weeks ago. While she was there, Grandma noticed that she would tell her everytime she dirtied her diaper. When we picked her up, we noticed her doing it, too.. So, we talked about it and decided it was time to go pick out a potty. When we got back to Springdale, we took Katie to Wal-Mart and let her pick out a little girl potty. She picked out a very cute pink one!

We took her home and asked her if she wanted to sit on the potty. She replied, "Yea." So, we did just that! We sat her on it with NO expectations. We just wanted her to know what it was.

Daddy read her a book while she sat there. She continued to sit there, and we finally had to ask her if she was done.

When she was done, she got off and THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND!!!! Our baby girl pee-peed and poo-pood in the potty!
Now, we have had QUITE a few people "inform" us that 16-month-olds are just not ready to potty-train. Maybe their 16-month-olds weren't ready, but I think ours is! Keep in mind, that we are BY NO MEANS pushing this on her. If she doesn't want to go, then we don't make her. We are still in the beginning stages.

We have, however, learned a few tricks... Keep the Pat-a-Cake book on hand, have either blanket, binky, or dog with her, and make a HUGE deal about seeing pee or poop in the potty! If there is pee and/or poop then we always take her to the big toilet and let her say bye-bye. That's her favorite part :o)

I am so proud of her! We have no set timeline on when we want her potty-trained. We know this could take 6 weeks or even 6 months to fully set in with her. Either way, we are still proud of her!

24 Weeks

2011-02-19T16:57:00.002-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 24 Weeks
Size of baby: 8.5 inches, 1.5 pounds (size of an ear of corn)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 9 lbs
Maternity Clothes: I am in pretty much all maternity clothes...other than the t-shirts
Gender: It's a girl!!! Anna Claire Fryar
Movement: AC is very active except while I'm teaching... I guess I bore her!
Sleep: I sleep great and never wake up!
What I miss: Being able to eat sushi!
Cravings: No cravings this week...
Symptoms: Really bad lower back pain, pain around my pubic bone...

Best Moment this week: Going to the doctor and hearing baby girl's heartbeat (and getting to show Katie off at the appointment)

A Valentine's Day Post...

2011-02-14T13:24:00.003-06:00

This has been a terrible Valentine's Day... Matt and I are sick with strep throat. We went away for the weekend for a romantic getaway for us only to get sick. We haven't seen our precious baby since Friday afternoon, and I had to go to Willow Creek ER because of how sick I was. YUCK!

However, upon reflection, I realized that there are many things that I LOVE and are constant in my life whether I am sick or not...

Jesus Christ

My sweet husband
My precious Kathryn Elizabeth

My unborn Anna Claire
My WONDERFUL family (I don't have a picture)

My beautiful home

And... Diet Dr. Pepper

So, Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Katie's Transition to "Big Girl" Room

2011-02-10T10:44:00.004-06:00

When we found out I was pregnant, we knew that we'd have to move Katie from the nursery to the guest room. It has been emotionally draining for us because this just means that our baby is growing up. We decided to suck it up and get her moved. We hired a friend of ours to paint the room (along with a few other rooms in the house) because we just really don't like to do it! After he painted the room, we ordered the furniture. We wanted to buy her all new furniture and let Anna use the furniture in the nursery. So, we went with white! We thought it was very girly :o) Just what we wanted for our princess! Since she's going to be in a crib for a while, we decided to let her keep her custom made bedding and buy Anna new stuff. So, here is Katie's big girl room...

We've yet to start in Anna's room, however, we have bought her bedding. We have a general idea of how we want it to look, but it will all come together with the help of a VERY TALENTED younger cousin of mine... Hannah!

10....

2011-02-03T15:17:00.003-06:00

So, I am definitely stealing this idea from my friend Renee's blog! Thanks, Renee!

This is a post for my beautiful princess, Kathryn Elizabeth...

10 prayers I pray for you...
1. I pray that you will learn to know and love God. I want you to have a personal relationship with him and love him first and foremost.
2. I pray that you will always be a healthy child.
3. I pray that you will go to school and love to learn. I want you to love school and succeed in your academics.
4. I pray that you will always have a sweet spirit and be nice to others.
5. I pray that you will always be a leader and lead others in the right direction. If you do not have the personality to be a leader, then I pray that you will always lead yourself in the right direction and not follow what other people are doing.
6. I pray that you will respect yourself and your body.
7. I pray that you will find a man that loves you unconditionally and will treat you with respect. I pray that the two of you will form a relationship that is centered around Christ.
8. I pray that you will always find the positive side of things. When things don't go your way, look for the bright light!
9. I pray that you will be committed to whatever you decide to do in life. I want you to find something that makes you happy and never want to give it up!
10. I pray that you will always learn from your mistakes. I know you will make them because you are human, but I hope you learn from them and let them mold you into a better person!

9 things you do that make me smile...
1. Your inquisitiveness... I love how you are so curious about everything. When you discover something new, I just smile!
2. I smile everytime you find something yummy because you smack your lips together!
3. The way kiss always brings a smile to my face. You are very into kissing right now and have to have your mouth fully open and make this "Aaahhh" sound as you are doing it!
4. You love to read books. I smile everytime I see you sitting with a book or carrying one to Daddy to read. I find it rather humorous when you get stuck on a book (i.e. Brown Bear, Brown Bear) and won't read anything else!
5. You love to climb in the corner kitchen cabinet. You've actually taken over the cabinet and made us move all the pans out of there! You go in there and shut the door behind you! I guess you need some alone time :o)
6. You love to tickle people. You will walk up to someone's feet or belly and say "Ti-le, Ti-le."
7. Your precious, gap-toothed, smile!
8. Your adoration for your daddy... He is truly your favorite person!
9. The way you dance everytime you hear a good tune! Your favorites are definitely the Clubhouse songs!

8 things that make you happy...
1. Your blanket.. You drag it everywhere with you!
2. Dog.. This little brown stuffed animal that goes just about everywhere that you and blanket do.
3. Diet Mountain Dew.. Your daddy introduced you to it at a young age, and you are quite obsessed - Thanks, Daddy!
4. Gerber Cheetos
5. Rough housing with your daddy
6. Kissing people
7. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - most definitely your favorite t.v. show
8. Going to school.. You are such a busy body and love to be at school with other kids!

7 of the best days of my life...
1. The day you were born. You came a bit earlier than expected, but I was so ready to meet you!
2. The day you got to come home from the hospital, and we became a true little family at our own home!
3. The day I married your daddy.. He's the best man I could have ever married, and I'm so lucky to have him!
4. The day we found out you were going to be a big sister! Well, maybe not that day because I was so scared, but that whole new time!
5. Your first birthday! I loved taking 1/2 day off from work and giving you all the attention you deserved!
6. Christmas morning 2010... It was so special seeing you wake up at your own house and playing with the toys that Santa brought you!
7. The day we took you to the Children's Museum of Memphis. It was so much fun seeing you explore all the little things!

6 places I hope to take you to visit...
1. Puerta Vallarta, Mexico - The Vallarta Palace... You've actually been there while you were in my tummy, but Daddy and I can't wait to take you and Anna Claire when you are a little older!
2. Washington D.C. - Daddy and I truly love this city and cannot wait to share it with you!
3. Europe - Daddy and I've never been there before, but we hope to take you there.
4. Disney World - Again, Daddy and I have never been, but we can't wait to take you someday!
5. New York City - I want to take you to Broadway and let you see something magical! I also want you to see Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
6. Branson, MO - So, this one may not be as exciting, but it's still such a fun place.. I know you will have a blast here!

5 foods you love to eat...
1. Mashed Potatoes
2. Applesauce
3. Chicken Nuggets
4. Waffle Fries
5. Yogurt

4 of your favorite songs...
1. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme Song
2. Hot Dog (from Clubhouse)
3. Forget You from the Glee Soundtrack
4. The B-I-B-L-E

3 places you have visited...
1. Memphis, TN
2. Hot Springs, AR - Grandma and Grandpa's House
3. Greenwood, AR - Auntie Shell and Uncle Nick's House

2 places you go weekly...
1. Coleman's Children Academy - You actually go here daily since it's your school!
2. Mimi and Papa's house

1 message to you...
Katie, you are the light of my life, and I can't wait to see you in the role of big sister. You and Anna are going to be the best of friends! You are such a beautiful, sweet, and smart little girl. You learn new things every day, and you never cease to amaze me. Sometimes I wish time would just stop for a little while, but then I realize how much fun it is to experience new things with you. I love you more than you will ever know.. Actually more than I ever even knew was possible!! I hope you always know that :o)

Love, Mommy
1.

Walkin' in Memphis..

2011-02-03T11:24:00.003-06:00

Last weekend was the Mid-Year Bar Meeting in Memphis, and we decided to take Katie with us. We figured she deserved a little getaway, too! So, we drove to Little Rock on Thursday and stayed with Tory. We had a GREAT time with her, and KK sure loved getting some snuggle time with Aunt Tor-Tor!

We woke up Friday morning and went to Babies R Us to get some stuff for Miss Anna Claire.. We bought her adorable bedding and even managed to come out with quite a few things for Katie... Go figure! Then, we went to ACH, so I could visit my sweet student, Alvin.

The drive to Memphis wasn't too bad.. Katie was extremely well-behaved and played in her carseat and slept. We got to Memphis a little early and couldn't check into the Peabody, so we drove to the mall and did a little shopping. We only bought a few things, but we bought Katie a set of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse figurines from the Disney store! HUGE HIT! Then, we let her ride the carousel in the mall.. She LOVED IT!!! She kept kissing us because she was so happy. We've got to find more carousels for this girl to ride.

That night, we met up with the other lawyers for a BBQ dinner downtown. Katie did pretty well especially since she didn't really nap all day! Then we went to the rooftop of the Peabody for a huge dessert buffet. YUMMY! Katie most definitely was well-behaved for this part (she got to eat to her heart's content!!).

We woke up Saturday morning, and Katie and I ate breakfast at the Peabody - YUMMY and way too expensive! Then, we drove to the CMOM (Children's Museum of Memphis). We had so much fun showing Katie such great and fun things. Daddy had A LOT of fun, too :o)

Katie LOVED the quack quacks at the Peabody and was very content just sitting and watching them!

And of course, a trip to Memphis just wouldn't be the same without a walk down Beale Street. So, we did what any good parents would do... We took out 15 month old down Beale Street... in the daylight! She had a BLAST listening to all the music and seeing all the people. I swear if she'd had a bucket in her lap, she could've made a killing! All the drunks loved oohing and aahing over the dancing baby in the stroller!

We had a GREAT time with our princess!!

Abu el Banat

2011-01-26T22:34:00.007-06:00

I'm a huge fan of West Wing and always enjoyed an episode where President Bartlet describes a trip he took to Egypt with his wife and three daughters. Their guide kept introducing him to people as "Abu el Banat," and the people always laughed and gave him free tea or snacks. He found out at the end of his trip that it means "Father of Daughters" and is a phrase usually said in joking sympathy because of the challenges that a man with several daughters will face. But I've decided to embrace the phrase: I am Abu el Banat, and I'm very happy about it!

I love having a daughter - Katie is just a daddy's girl! And now I am about to have another little girl - someone whose hair I can brush, whose little pink tennis shoes I can put on, who will look up at me with big eyes and long eyelashes, and who will give me the same feeling of overwhelming happiness that Katie gives me. With all the challenges (and expenses!) that will come from raising two daughters together, I am truly looking forward to spending the rest of my life as Abu el Banat!

My Beautiful Katie Beth

My Precious Anna Claire

Josh - 27 - Northwest Arkansas

2011-01-20T13:51:00.004-06:00

I would like to introduce you to Josh Garner - sports enthusiast, loyal friend, music lover, jokester, and general all-around good guy. Josh grew up in Melbourne, Arkansas, but now lives in Fayetteville. He has an associate degree in business and works in the loan center of a local bank. Josh’s three great loves are the Chicago Cubs, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and doing whatever it takes to put smiles on the faces of those around him, but he also has plenty of room in his heart for the right girl. He is 27 and is looking for someone with whom he can be himself but also with whom he can grow and develop as he experiences new things in life.

I’ve been Josh’s best friend for more than a decade, and I have seen every aspect of his personality. He is slow to anger, fiercely loyal, has the best sense of humor of anyone I have ever met (my wife makes fun of me because I can only try to be as funny as Josh), always up for a new adventure but also willing to relax and take life as it comes his way. Josh doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he does take his relationships with his loved ones as serious as anyone I have ever seen.

(Josh and my wife, Cori)

He is wonderful with children - my 14-month-old daughter absolutely adores her "Uncle Josh-Josh," and I know that he will be a wonderful father when that day comes.

(Josh and my daughter, Katie, as a newborn)

Why hasn’t Josh already met someone? I don’t know. He spent some time looking for love in all the wrong places and finally realized that he wasn’t going to find his true love and soul mate at a bar or concert. He is genuinely ready to settle down with a good, honest, sweet woman who will challenge him, love him, and give him her heart. Like a lot of people our age, though, he doesn’t know quite where to find that one special person. If you’re in the same situation and are interested in meeting this fantastic friend and wonderful man, send me an email at mattfryar@hotmail.com. I would be more than happy to introduce you to my best friend!

A Look Back on 2010

2011-01-02T13:17:00.007-06:00

2010 was quite possibly one of the best years of our lives!

January - Katie smiled for the first time. We got LOTS of snow! Katie started using Miralax for constipation (thank goodness). Went to Greenwood to visit Auntie Shell, Uncle Nick, Abi, Brandon, and Camryn. Celebrated Uncle Josh and Cooper's birthday. Mommy went back to work and Katie started staying with Nanny and Papa. Katie started sleeping on her tummy.

February - Mommy got two snow days!! Katie rolled over for the first time. Celebrated Valentine's Day. Katie slept in her big girl crib for the first time and moved to her nursery upstairs! Aunt Emma turned 8 and had a hip-hop dance party. Went to Hot Springs to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Ate oatmeal for the first time!!!

March - Went to Greenwood to visit everyone. Katie tried many new foods and LOVED every single one of them! Katie and Daddy spent the entire day together while Mommy was in Branson with friends. Got 10 inches of snow!!!!! Katie got her first ear infection - BOO. Mommy was on Spring Break! Celebrated Daddy's 26th birthday at Gusano's. Mommy got 11 inches cut off her hair and donated it Locks of Love. Grandma and Grandpa came to visit!! Katie laughed out loud for the first time!!!!!

April - Went to Greenwood for Abi and Camryn's birthday party. Katie's first Easter! Did lots of campaigning for Mike Moore for Congress. Mommy went to ONSC and had to be away from Katie overnight. Katie started sitting up! Katie's ear drum burst :o(

May - Had a garage sale and made some extra money. Katie turned 6 months old! Had Baby Dedication at church. Mommy celebrated her first Mother's Day with a baby in her arms! Katie spent the night with Mimi and Papa for the first time! Katie had her very first sno-cone. Went to the park and the Farmer's Market a lot!!! Katie got her first tooth!

June - Stayed the night with Mimi and Papa a few times! Mommy's last day of school!!!!!! Mommy and Daddy went to the Bar Meeting in Hot Springs while you stayed with Grandma and Grandpa. Mommy and Daddy celebrated their 4th Wedding Anniversary. Katie met Aunt Peggy and Uncle Jim for the first time. Started going to Toddler Time at the Library. Katie got her second tooth. Daddy celebrated his first Father's Day with his princess! Mommy and Daddy went to Dallas for 4 days.

July - Celebrated the 4th of July with family, food and fireworks! Katie started clapping and said her first word "Uh-Da-Da." Visited Daddy at work a lot. Took Katie to a Natural's baseball game. Mommy went to Literacy Lab in Searcy for 3 days.

August - Katie said, "Ma-Ma." Katie said, "No." Katie spent the night in Greenwood with Auntie Shell and Uncle Nick. Mommy's coworkers came over to celebrate school starting back. Grandma came to stay with you for a few days. School started back for Mommy. Katie started school at Coleman's Children Academy. Had a scare with a ridge on Katie's head and had to have a CT scan. Daddy started playing softball with the church. Katie got a bad ear infection in her right ear. Went to cousin Dexter's baby shower in Greenwood. Katie got her 3rd tooth.

September - Razorback football started back!!!! Spent the night with Mimi and Papa a few times. Katie got her 4th tooth. Katie said, "Dog." Spent some time in Greenwood. Katie still had ear infection in right ear. Found out that Mommy is going to have another baby!!!

October - Katie got her first haircut. Katie got two new teeth in one day! Grandma came into town to visit Katie. Watched LOTS of Razorback football. Katie still had ear infection in right ear and was referred to an ENT for tubes. Katie became an official walker! Mommy had her first OB appt with Dr. Reiter and got to see Jellybean on an ultrasound. Celebrated Halloween!

November - Katie turned 1!!! Met Dexter for the first time. Went to Hot Springs every weekend to go Deer Hunting - Daddy killed an 8 point and Mommy killed her first deer! Katie had surgery to get tubes in. Got to hear Jellybean's heartbeat through a doppler! Spent Thanksgiving in Hot Springs. Mommy turned 26!

December - Katie went to see Santa Clause and was terrified! We all got the Stomach virus. Kennedy turned 1! Went to see Aunt E at her first piano recital. Went to look at the lights on the square. Mommy was on Christmas break and got to be home for 2 weeks! Celebrated Christmas in Springdale! Katie got her very last bottle...

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T21:25:00.006-06:00

This was quite possibly the BEST Christmas Matt and I have ever had! Who knew that having kids during Christmas would be so much fun?!?! We had a couple of different Christmas celebrations this year... The first one started on Saturday, December 18, in Greenwood with Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Shell, Uncle Nick, Abi, Brandon, Cami, and Dexter. Here are a couple of pictures from that celebration!

Katie got some WONDERFUL presents from everyone.. Grandma and Grandpa got her lots of books and puzzles.. They also got her a big Fisher Price playhouse! We haven't put it together, yet, but there will be pictures to come!

Dexter preferred to sit in the boxes and play with the paper instead of open presents.. That's the fun part!

We happened to know EXACTLY what Brandon wanted for Christmas.. A Woody doll! Yep, we are the cool Aunt and Uncle!! Auntie Shell and Uncle Nick got KK lots of musical instruments and a cool doctor kit.

Our next celebration was with Josh and Jennifer. They came over on Tuesday, December 21. We made potato soup and enjoyed spending time together. Matt got a gift card to Ryan's Department Store. I got some cute snowmen serving bowls and a Houndstooth shirt. We got the game Apples to Apples. KK got some cute animals with wheels on them and a talking mailbox! She loves to put the animals inside of her mailbox!

She was also REALLY into passing out the presents and then going back to get them back from whoever she handed them to! It was SO cute!!!

On Thursday, December 23, we had our annual gingerbread house making party at Judi's house. This is one of my favorite things to do during Christmas. It's always a silent competition between Hannah, Sarah, and I... I ALWAYS lose, but I still have fun.. Katie even managed to decorate a cookie with Mimi. She much preferred to lick the icing off of her fingers and eat the M&Ms...

Then we did our big Christmas get together with Nanny, Papa, Mom, Dad, Judi, Mike and the girls. This was our first year to do a Secret Santa gift exchange, and it was a lot of fun!!! I had Hannah's name and LOVED buying for her. I got her a great smelling candle and a huge owl necklace. Judi had my name and got me a monogrammed purse from Thirty-One, a Yankee Candle reed diffuser, and $25. Matt had Nanny's name and got her a Willow Tree angel and a Bananagrams daily calendar. She, ironically, had his name! She got him the new John Grisham book and a book about history quotes.

Here is a sweet picture of Katie with her favorite person... Mimi! These are the sweet Christmas Eve pajamas they got K!

After the big get together, we came home to prepare for Santa... It was SOOOO much fun to spend the night at our own house on Christmas Eve and get to start traditions with K. We got a cookie and some milk for Santa and some vegetables for the reindeer and sat them on the mantle for our visitors!

Christmas Eve was the night we had decided would be Katie's last bedtime bottle. It was quite emotional, but I savored every second of this bottle with my big girl. I can't believe how big she looks in this picture... (on a side note... she has done fantastic without a bottle.)

I have a picture of Matt and Katie underneath the tree from last year and had to do it again this year.. What a change a year makes!

I couldn't leave Cooper out!!

It was SOOO exciting waking the princess up on Christmas morning and bringing her downstairs to see what Santa had brought her overnight. Look at that bedhair!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!! Look what Santa Clause brought our big girl.. A baby buggy and a baby doll! She couldn't get to that doll fast enough!!

After finishing up the Santa gifts and stockings, we drove over to my parents' house to open our actual presents and eat breakfast. Here's Katie and Emma showing off what Santa brought them.. Emma managed to get a discman and has taken it with her everywhere the last couple of days!

Seeing her Lady stuffed animal brought about as much excitement as her baby doll did!! She LOVED it!

Christmas breakfast, we had homemade waffles with the brand new rotating waffle iron we bought Dad! We also had bacon, sausage, and biscuits and gravy. YUM! Matt and I managed to get an AWESOME gift from my parents.. We got a weekend stay at a cabin in Eureka Springs over Valentine's weekend plus a steak dinner for two at a local steak house! WOW!! Mimi and Papa bought Katie a new rug and lamp for her big girl room, a sock monkey, and a puppy dog sleeping bag.

This is a picture of Katie after Christmas dinner. She is obsessed with her baby doll and is constantly kissing it and lugging it around with her.. I hope this is a good sign for how much she is going to love her ACTUAL baby that will come in June!

And, I couldn't resist this picture.. This was taken just yesterday as Katie managed to stand up inside of her baby doll buggy!

It was such a great Christmas this year... It was the first year we got to spend the night at our own house on Christmas Eve, and I loved it. There's just something about waking up at your own house on Christmas morning with your baby. WOW!

We are so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives that love us so much.. Christmas wouldn't have been the same without all of our wonderful celebrations!

I can't believe that next year I will have a 2 year old and a 6 month old!! That's crazy!!!!!!

16 Weeks!!

2010-12-24T15:35:00.003-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights**

How far along: 16 Weeks

Size of Baby: 4-5 inches, 3-5 ounces, size of an avocado

Total Weight Gain: 2.6 pounds

Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants, but I can still wear regular shirts

Gender: Find out on January 21st!!!

Movement: The little flutters have finally turned into gentle kicks and rolls.

Sleep: I wake up once in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Starting to get to the point where sleeping on my back is uncomfortable (VERY SAD)...

What I miss: Being able to stay up past 9:00.

Cravings: Baby tomatoes dipped in ranch dip, sour candy

Symptoms: Tiredness, Good hair!!!

Best moment this week: Sitting on the recliner while Matt and Katie were both sleeping and feeling the baby really move!

**Note to the 2 readers of this blog... I HIGHLY doubt this will be a weekly update, but I will update a few times!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2010-12-14T20:47:00.004-06:00

Saturday night (12/11/10) we went on a family date! We took Katie to one of our VERY FAVORITE restaurants from college - Hugo's. It was absolutely delicious...just like we remembered! The only thing missing was the grasshopper crepes, but we knew we were going for dessert later on. Anyways, after leaving Hugo's, we walked up to the Fayetteville Square to look at all the beautiful lights. It was absolutely FREEZING! Katie was well bundled, but we were not. Here's a picture of Little Miss all bundled up in her stroller.

Katie really loved the lights and people singing. Her favorite was the carousel covered in lights! We walked by it two different times, and she stared and stared! It was so sweet.

Matt and I were talking about all the times we had been to the square to look at the lights. Our most memorable trip was probably Christmas 2003. We had just started dating that October. I had been at Pomfret, and we decided to make the drive to the square to look at the lights even though it was nearly midnight and icy roads! We barely made it to the square (ALIVE), but once there it was the PERFECT trip. It started snowing, and we were just about the only ones there. It was beautiful, romantic, and freezing cold. Such a special night for the two of us!

Since this was our first time to take K, we had to have a family picture. We look forward to taking our kiddos every year and building those memories with them!

Pretty sure it doesn't get any more beautiful than this!

On the way home, K was all snuggled in her carseat. She ended up falling asleep. Such a special night for the three of us!

Things to be thankful for...

2010-11-25T06:14:00.002-06:00

1 - God
I am so thankful to have a God that loves me unconditionally even when I don't give him the attention and praise He so deserves. I am also extremely thankful that He brought the rest of my thankful things to my life!

2 - My husband
Matt is my rock. He is the person that I go to for everything. He loves me and supports me and cares for me. I am so incredibly thankful to be married to such an amazing man!

3 - My daughter
Katie is the best thing that I have ever done! Sometimes I wonder how Matt and I created such a wonderful, beautiful, loving, outgoing, smart, sweet little girl.. She is truly the light of our lives, and I am so thankful to be her Momma!

4 - My family
I am so incredibly lucky to have such an awesome family. My mom and dad are great! They have provided so much for me my entire life, and I am so grateful. My little sister is growing into such a sweet young lady (with her still awkward - dorky - 8 year old nature!!). I love her so much, though. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are also so sweet. My cousin, Hannah, and I have grown very close this last year, and I am so excited. She and I are SOOO different, but I enjoy seeing her perspective on things!

5 - My in-laws
I am so lucky to have such great in-laws. They do so much for Matt and I, and we both are so appreciative. They raised my husband to be the man he is today, even if that includes inappropriate jokes, nasty humor, and all the other strange things he does! He also is loving, kind, and hardworking.. Things they both taught him! So, Jim and Sandy, thank you for giving Matt to me!

6 - My job
I love my job! I truly do! There are days when my 5th graders drive me up the wall or the lesson planning and paperwork just get to be too much, and then I hear a non-English speaking child speak a full sentence in English or a student writes me a note to tell me that I am the best teacher ever. I am reminded WHY I am called to teach! Some people may disagree with me for working and not staying home with my daughter, and I have to say that it doesn't bother me anymore! I am a GREAT teacher and a GREAT mother!

7 - My best friend
Jennifer Pharr is truly my best friend! We met each other my freshman year of college when Matt and I started dating. She is a true inspiration to me... I am so thankful that God brought her in my life!

8 - Technology
I love having easy access to the internet and cell phones and all the other convenient things in life. I am thankful that our society has the resources and intelligence to create such amazing things!

9 - Health
I am so thankful that I am healthy and that the rest of my family is healthy, too!

10 - Money
I am thankful that Matt and I rarely have to worry about Money. It really is one of the greatest things. We make a decent living, but our desire to budget and save is so wonderful. At times it drives me crazy, but I am thankful to be able to buy the things we need and most of what we want!

There are SOOOO many other things I am thankful for, but I will stop here! I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and remember to be thankful for all those little things!

12 Month Post (2 weeks late)

2010-11-18T18:18:00.004-06:00

10/5/10 Grandma came into town
10/6/10 Stayed with Grandma at home
Lost Dog while on a walk with Grandma
10/7/10 Stayed with Grandma at home
10/8/10 Had a great evening with Mommy and Daddy just playing in the floor
10/9/10 Went to Mimi and Papa’s while Mommy and Daddy worked up at Lee
Visited Aunt Jenn at Willow Creek
Watched the Razorback game with Mommy and Daddy
10/10/10 Took a nap through church!!
10/11/10 Went to doctor (21 lbs. 3 oz.) – still have an ear infection; trying new antibiotic
10/12/10 Took 7 steps in a row!!
10/13/10 Ate dinner at Aunt Jenn’s house – pizza and ice cream
10/14/10 Went to Marshallese Literacy Night with Mommy and played with lots of people
10/15/10 Went to the Craft Fair and Las Margaritas with Mommy and Daddy
10/16/10 Stayed with Daddy while Mommy went to a workshop
Ate Chick-Fil-A for the first time (3 nuggets and 6 waffle fries – WOW!)
Played with Tory and Mark for a while (met Mark for the first time)
Mimi and Aunt E came over so Mommy and Daddy could go to Shakes
10/17/10 Went to Emma Breaux’s birthday party at Fun City (ate ¾ of a cupcake)

10/20/10 Went to Mommy’s first OB appt for Jellybean and enjoyed seeing Dr. Reiter and Vicky
Got to see the baby on the ultrasound!
10/22/10 Officially a walker!
10/23/10 Spent the night with Mimi and Papa while Mommy and Daddy went on a date
10/24/10 Stayed with Mommy and Daddy during Care Group instead of going to nursery
10/29/10 First Halloween Party at school – Daddy came!
Went to Lee’s Fall Festival and enjoyed walking around and showing off
Went to Aunt Judi and Uncle Mike’s house for Chili
10/30/10 Went to Trunk-or-Treat at Sonora – Papa LOVED walking you around
10/31/10 FIRST HALLOWEEN!!! Dressed up as Minnie Mouse (of course!)
Went to Trunk-or-Treat at Elmdale
Went trick-or-treating with Mommy, Daddy, Mimi, Papa, and Aunt E
Helped Daddy pass candy out at the house and LOVED it!!
11/2/10 Went to Ye Olde King’s Pizza with Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Joshy, Ms. Sharon and
Mr. Jim – LOVED Ms. Sharon
11/3/10 IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Mommy and Daddy took the afternoon off – we went to Chick-fil-A, Bliss Cupcake
Café, Sams, and you got your birthday present (the cozy coupe), ate chicken nuggets,
tator tots, and macaroni and cheese for dinner

Kathryn Elizabeth,

I cannot believe you are 1 years old! That just seems absolutely unreal to me. It literally seems like yesterday that Daddy and I were waiting in the hospital room waiting for you to arrive. And then I remember giving you your first bath. Watching you projectile vomit. Cuddling with you in the middle of the night. Gosh, you stole my heart little girl.

You are walking everywhere and are so full of life. You love people and love to be the center of attention. That doesn't surprise me at all! You are your mommy's child! You are such a sweet and content child, and I am so proud that you are my daughter. Little one, you are the light of my life...

Love,

Mommy

Happy Birthday, Princess K!

2010-11-04T08:37:00.002-05:00

Well... It's official: Our little girl is 1. We are both constantly amazed at how quickly this year has passed!* Yesterday was Katie's birthday, and all three of us really enjoyed it.

We both took the afternoon off work yesterday to spend time with Katie on her birthday. We went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch (K loves the waffle fries!), to the Bliss Cupcake Cafe (what little girl doesn't need a cupcake on her birthday?), and to Sam's (one of Katie's favorite places). After a two and a half hour nap, Katie got her birthday present - a cozy coupe! She LOVED riding around in it (pictures to come). After playing outside for a while, we went back in to have all of Katie's favorite foods for dinner: chicken nuggets, tater tots, and macaroni & cheese.

Needless to say, it was a special (and bittersweet) day for us, but we are also so proud of Katie and the sweet, kind, funny, loving, friendly kid she is becoming. She has the cutest personality and is so inquisitive about EVERYTHING! She loves her Momma and Daddy, but she is also happy to be with other people or to be interacting with other people (including complete strangers in stores and at restaurants). She is also very active, both physically and mentally. Once she mastered walking, there is no stopping her! There are also times when she's looking at a book or touching something she's never seen before, and you can just see the wheels spinning in her little head as she processes it and stores the information away for later.

We have truly enjoyed this past year and are looking forward to the next few months that we have to spend alone with Katie. Then Jellybean will be here, and we'll have a whole new set of adventures to muddle our way through! We've also enjoyed sharing this past year with our friends and family and are so thankful for all the love and support they've given us.

We'll post our monthly update in a couple days, but until then: Happy Birthday, Princess K! Momma and Daddy love you very much!

*Before people comment and tell us that time will only speed up from here... Don't. We don't want to hear it for the 100th time! It's sad and depressing and makes us want to find a way to bottle Katie up and slow time down so that we can experience each moment with her a dozen times over. :o)

New Addition!!!

2010-10-10T20:36:00.002-05:00

Yep, I'm pregnant!

Happy 11 Months, Sweet Girl!

2010-10-09T14:46:00.005-05:00

9/4/10 Went to the Clothesline Fair in PG
Watched Razorback game on t.v.
Ate an entire chocolate chip cookie (threw up in the middle of the night)
Ate deer meat
9/5/10 Went shopping with Mommy and Daddy
Uncle Josh, Aunt Jenn, and Brad came over for a cookout
9/6/10 Labor Day
9/10/10 Stayed with Daddy while Mommy had a girl’s night with Aunt Jenn and Tory
9/11/10 Went to the Farmer’s Market
Visited the U of A campus to see our names on Senior Walk
Spent the night with Mimi and Papa because Mommy and Daddy went to Polo in the Ozarks
9/13/10 Mimi picked you up from school
9/14/10 Mimi picked you up from school
9/16/10 4th tooth broke through (top right)
Went to a PTA meeting at Lee
9/18/10 Went to Sunset Grill with Mommy and Daddy for breakfast – LOVED the pancakes and eggs!
Learned a new word “Dog”
9/20/10 Took first step (two another one later)
9/24/10 Stayed with Mimi and Papa while Mommy and Daddy worked the SSAF Chili Supper
9/25/10 Spent the day in Greenwood, so Daddy could help at the vet clinic
9/26/10 Slept until 9:00 a.m.!!!
Went shopping with Mommy
9/27/10 Went to pediatrician – 21 lbs 7.5 oz – ear infection in right ear
Watched both of Daddy’s softball games and was out until 9:15!!!
9/30/10 Mommy picked me up from school an hour early
Ate dinner at Red Lobster with Mary Claire – loved the shrimp and bread
10/1/10 Miss Bethany’s last day as Katie’s teacher
10/2/10 First haircut (cut the rat tail)
10/3/10 2 Teeth came through (two teeth next to the top middle two)

My dearest Katie,

You are the light of our lives! You are so active and so close to walking. I used to think that since you crawled and pulled up so early that you were going to be an early walker. Boy, was I wrong! It doesn't bother me a bit, though. I love watching your little booty when you crawl. So sweet. You are also quite the talker. We have been told by many other parents that you are extremely advanced linguistically. You like to say: what, dog, mama, dada, tan (Tanner, Grandma's dog), book, boy (that's what we call Cooper), and that. I am one proud Mommy!! You also love to eat table food. We have you try nearly everything we eat, and you will eat almost everything! These past few months have flown by and the sheer thought of you turning a year old in less than a month just breaks my heart. You are my little angel! Daddy and I love you so incredibly much.

Love,

Mommy

Saturday in Greenwood

2010-09-28T20:39:00.004-05:00

Matt had to go help his dad install the air conditioning unit at Nick's new vet clinic in Greenwood, so Katie and I spent all day with Grandma, Aunt Mischelle, and all the cousins.

Katie loved getting to play with Abi, Brandon, and Camryn..

Katie enjoyed getting to play with some new toys.. Some of her favorites included a Disney Princess tent, a walking toy that plays music, Cozy Coupe, and the playhouse. Katie doesn't have anything like this at her house, so it was fun!

We took the boys some lunch at the clinic and got a tour of the new place. It's going to be one good-lookin' clinic once it's finished... Dr. Coston, you did good! I love this picture of Uncle Matt-Matt and Brandon!

Mischelle and Nick are adopting a little boy, Dexter from China. He turned 1 on September 23, so we celebrated by singing happy birthday to him and eating some cake! Dexter, we can't wait to meet you very soon!

The kiddos all got to take a bath together, and Katie enjoyed getting a book read to her from her oldest cousin, Abi. I know Grandma enjoyed giving all 4 kids a bath at once ;o)!!

After a fun-filled day in Greenwood, it was time for the Fryar family to pack up and head home.. Miss Priss was exhausted and slept the entire trip home and didn't wake up until 9:00 the next morning!!

Girl's Night/Morning

2010-09-16T21:32:00.006-05:00

What a fabulous weekend we had last weekend.. Tory came into town, and I decided it was about time for a girl's night. So, I got Katie to bed on Friday night and went over to Jenn's house to wait on Tory. When she got there, we went to Steak and Shake (nearly 10:00 p.m.) and had so much fun. We felt like we were in college again since we were going out that late at night. After Steak and Shake, we drove to Starbucks to get some caffeine in our systems.

The young man at the window at Starbucks was the biggest goober, EVER! He was just acting strange, and he probably thought it was weird for middle-something, twenty year olds to be out that late on a Friday night!!

When we got back to Jenn's, we couldn't resist the movie... "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days" One of the best movies ever made.. I think all three of us could quote that movie word for word. The movie is awesome, but THIS is the REAL reason we wanted to watch is.. WOW!

Here's Tory starting to poop out on us!

We ended up piling up in Jenn's bed and talked to 1:00 a.m. then Tory went to bed and Jenn and I continued to talk til nearly 2:00 a.m.! It was so nice to just catch up and be girls again... LONG OVERDUE!

The next morning, Matt came over and met up with us. We introduced Katie to Tory's dog, Juno. Juno is a BIG dog, and I thought Katie would be timid. Not at all. She loved Juno.. I think Juno was a little timid of Katie, though!

We then went to the Farmer's Market on the Fayetteville Square like most Saturday mornings. We ate breakfast there and just enjoyed being outside!

Katie got to play in the water on the square, and we even managed to make it over to Bliss Cupcake Cafe.

Once we left the square, we drove to campus to check out our names on Senior Walk. On the way there, I think Jenn enjoyed her flowers a little too much! Katie enjoyed the attention that Tory gave her, too!

We showed Katie all of our names and talked about how we couldn't wait for our kids to go there someday and show them all around campus!!

All in all, it was one of the best nights! I miss Tory, and I loved taking K to a place that has so many memories for all of us...

Katie - 10 months

2010-09-07T20:21:00.006-05:00

***It is so hard finding the time to blog now that school has started back.. You know what, though?? I am still going to try!*** 8/4/10 Stayed with Mimi while Mommy went to work in her classroom
8/5/10 Went to lunch at Guidos with Daddy, Mommy, and Uncle Josh
Mimi came over so Mommy and Daddy could go work in Mommy’s classroom
8/6/10-8/7/10 Stayed with the Costons while Mommy and Daddy chaperoned a youth trip
8/7/10 Went shopping at the Promenade and enjoyed being outside
8/8/10 Mommy’s coworkers (Mr. Joey, Ms. Kim, and Ms. Suzanne) came over with their families for dinner
8/9/10 Bought “First Day of School” outfit from Gymboree
8/10/10 Woke up with high fever (102.8)
Sick child doctor’s appointment with Dr. McCord (21 lbs.) Rosiola Virus
Stayed with Nanny and Papa while Mommy got her haircut
Aunt Jenn came over while Mommy went to dermatologist
8/11/10 Last day home for summer
Grandma got here
8/12/10 Mommy’s first day back to work for the 2010-2011 school year
Grandma watched you
8/13/10 Grandma watched you
Mommy had a social to meet her new students
8/14/10 Went to the Farmer’s Market
8/15/10 Watched Daddy practice softball at the field
8/16/10 First day at Coleman’s Children Academy :o(
Watched Daddy play his first softball game
8/17/10 9-month check-up – 20 pounds 13.5 ounces, 26 inches; Daddy showed the nurse practitioner a ridge on your forehead, and she ordered a CT scan
8/18/10 CT scan at Fayetteville Diagnostic Clinic – it was very traumatic because Daddy and the tech had to hold you down while Mommy watched through a window

Went to lunch with Mimi, Papa, Aunt E, Mommy, and Maureen Brogden
8/21/10 Went to the Farmer’s Market with Mommy and Daddy and enjoyed a cupcake from
Bliss
8/22/10 Went to Dexter’s baby shower in Greenwood
Hung out with the Costons and Grandma and Grandpa
8/25/10 Grandma’s birthday!
8/26/10 Went to see Dr. Livingston to discuss CT results – NORMAL!!! (20 lbs. 13 oz.)
Have a bad ear infection – on antibiotics
Stayed home from school because of fever
8/27/10 Went to eat at Mad Pizza with Mommy and Daddy; the Crowders happened to be there, too! We took Aunt Judi home and she rode in the back with you…
8/28/10 Went to Reid and Lilly Scott’s birthday party
Went to Frisco Festival with Mommy and Daddy
Went to eat at a NICE restaurant – Copeland’s
8/29/10 Mommy and Daddy got to work in the Caterpillar room (Katie’s room) at church!
8/30/10 3rd tooth (top left) cut through!!!
Watched Daddy’s softball game

9/1/10 New word - "what?"
9/2/10 Went to Rhea Lana’s with Mommy and Mimi
9/3/10 Stayed the night with Mimi and Papa so Mommy and Daddy could go to the drive in

Kathryn Elizabeth,

You are the light of our lives! Daddy and I "fight" over who gets to go get you out of bed each morning because you literally melt our hearts every single day. Your newest word is "what," and you love to say it ALL THE TIME! The other day, Daddy was trying to get your attention and you looked at him and said, "Dada, what?" We both laughed so hard because you are so smart! You are doing so incredibly well at "school" and are definitely one of the most popular babies. It doesn't hurt that your mommy used to work there and knows quite a few of the workers. It wouldn't matter anyways because you are just so happy and so content. Everyone wants to be around you! Baby girl, I cannot believe that it has already been 10 months. You are growing too quickly, but I love the little girl you are becoming...

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Not sure what to title this...

2010-08-19T22:03:00.003-05:00

Well, I once said I was going to post EVERY picture from my 365 day photo challenge. Well, I am changing that because it is too hard to post it on facebook and then come to the exact same thing over here! So...... here is the link to my facebook album with all of the pictures in one spot - GENIOUS! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2268866&id=20600968&saved#!/album.php?aid=2268866&id=20600968&page=2

Onto more important topics!!

Katie's first day of school

Her precioius giraffe outfit from Gymboree! Doesn't she look so grown up?!?!

Mommy and Baby right before we left the house.

Katie and her new teacher, Ms. Bethany! She is very sweet and Katie adores her!

Katie's CT scan

During Katie's routine 9 month checkup, we brought up a concern we had with the ridge on her forehead. The nurse practitioner was concerned and went to talk to a doctor. We were then told she had to have a CT scan right away because it could mean one of two things... One of the things was really bad and one of the things was perfectly fine. It came back neither of the two. The plates in her skull are not fused together yet (GREAT NEWS), but they are overlapping which is causing the ridge. So, for the next 3 months we cannot let her sleep on her belly (which she does everytime she sleeps) and they will check it again at 12 months. So, just keep praying that her skull develops properly!

My new class

For those of you that don't know, I struggled all year last year with my class. I had some serious behavior issues and a few really great kids that just got caught in the wrong crowd. So, I was very glad when the school year ended. ON A SIDE NOTE, there were a few kiddos that I loved very much and will greatly miss them! However, today was my first day with my new class, and I already love them!! I do have a few talkers and one child who is severely emotionally disturbed. Other than that, though, I have a fantastic class, and I'm so excited!!! One of my very favorite students, Maria, that I had in my first class is now a 7th grader, and I have her younger sister, Abril in my class! I am so excited to have Abril and SO excited to have their mother back in my class!

Katie is 9 months old!!!

2010-08-05T14:51:00.003-05:00

How did my baby grow so fast???

What Katie's month was like....

7/4/10 First 4th of July (celebrated at our house with LOTS of family, food, and fireworks)
7/5/10 Went to Mimi and Papa’s house while Mommy and Daddy went to see Eclipse!
7/6/10 Stayed with Mimi while Mommy went to a workshop
7/8/10 Went to doctor (19 lbs. 5 oz.) blisters on your upper, inner thigh caused from Pampers
7/9/10 Started clapping
First word – “da-da” (says “uh-da-da”)
7/9-11/10 Went to see Grandma and Grandpa in Hot Springs
7/13/10 Stayed with Mimi while Mommy went to a workshop
7/14/10 Went to see Nanny and Papa since they were back from their month long vacation!
Toddler Time at SPL
7/15/10 Mommy accidentally cut your gum with her diamond (lots of tears and blood)
7/16/10 Lunch at Daddy’s office
Climbed a stair at Daddy’s office
7/18/10 Went to Sonora to see Aunt E get baptized
Went to dinner at Pattaya with Mimi, Papa, and Aunt E
7/23/10 Lunch at Daddy’s office
Showed off for Mr. Crouch
7/25/10 First Northwest Arkansas Naturals Baseball Game! Stayed through 4.5 innings
Last day in bed babies during nursery
7/27/10 Mommy went out of town for a workshop, and you spent the afternoon with Mimi and Emma and then had Daddy/Daughter time all night (he took you for a walk)
7/28/10 Mommy was still out of town. Daddy took you to Toddler Time at the Springdale Public Library, and then you spent about 45 minutes at his office before Mimi came to get you. You were at Mimi’s house all afternoon and then had Daddy/Daughter time all night (he played in the pool with you). In the middle of eating your supper, you said “Mama,” but you wouldn’t say it again.
7/29/10 Mommy was still out of town. You had a babysitter for the first time – Audrey Rogers. Daddy came home to eat lunch with you, you spent all afternoon with Mimi and Emma, and then you had Daddy/Daughter time all night (he took you on another long walk).
7/30/10 Mommy was still out of town. Hannah spent the morning with you, and then Mimi and Emma kept you until Mommy got home from her trip.
Mimi’s 46th Birthday
7/31/10 Went to Caleb Todd’s baby shower
8/1/10 Promotion Sunday in the Nursery – you got moved from the Baby Bloomers to the
Caterpillars.
Lunch at Mimi and Papa’s house to celebrate Mimi’s 46th birthday
8/2/10 Ate lunch with Mimi and Aunt E at Subway and learned how to drink through a straw
8/3/10 Aunt E came over while Mimi went out with friends

Kathryn Elizabeth,

We cannot believe how grown up you are getting to be. You pretty much crawl anywhere you want to go. You can walk along anything (even a wall - very funny). Your newest favorite snack is Mum Mums. YOU LOVE THEM! You will stop whatever you are doing when you see them. You eat pretty much any table food as long as it is cut up small. You are getting to be a PRO at picking your food up and getting it in your mouth. Daddy and I are still amazed at this! You love music and still loved to be sung to. If you are upset, I can sing a song and you will immediately stop crying. Baby girl, you are our pride and joy. We love you more than there are stars in the sky.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

A Few Days Worth...

2010-08-03T09:39:00.002-05:00

Day 9 - July 31, 2010
Pontiac Coffee House was having a half-off Scholastic book sale (a teacher's dream). So, we loaded Katie up and went to pick out some books. The funny part was that both of my teammates - Joey and Kim - were there getting books, too. I spent $200 and got so many great books for my classroom library!! I can't wait to read them and book talk them to my kiddos this year.

Day 10 - August 2, 1010

Today was promotion Sunday in the nursery at church. My tiny little baby was moved to the bigger class, the Caterpillars. She is no longer a bed baby :o( So, when we left, she got to take a balloon home with her. She had so much fun with this purple balloon.

Day 11 - August 2, 2010

Katie learned to "strawberry" her food everywhere and this was the result! Though, I think she only does it with food she doesn't like because she didn't do it with any other food.

Sorry so late!

2010-07-31T11:41:00.002-05:00

I had to go out of town Tuesday-Friday for my second year of Literacy Lab. The workshop was held in Searcy. I had a great time spending time with my great co-workers, but I didn't have the best time during the workshop. I felt like we were pretty much read to the entire time, and I didn't learn anything new. HOWEVER... We had a presenter come and introduce us to a softward for your classroom library - AMAZING! We all pretty much felt like we were in teaching heaven. I don't know about all the other teachers out there, but I have struggled with trying to find the best way to handle my classroom library (checking books out and in). With this software, you scan all the books you have and it automatically enters them into your personal software. Then, it is handled just like a regular library. You know when a book was checked out and who did it. You also know what kinds of books the students like to check out and how many books each kid checks out. It is quite possibly the BEST thing I have ever heard of for a classroom!

Anyways, onto the photo challenge!

Day 5 - July 27, 2010
I let Katie play by herself in the playroom this afternoon. She LOVED banging her pots and pans together and climbing on the play kitchen.

Day 6 - July 28, 2010

Mommy had to go to a workshop in Searcy for a couple of days, so baby girl got to stay home with Daddy. Daddy took her to the library for Toddler Time. It was his first time to take her and her last time to go this summer.

Day 7 - July 29, 2010

Katie had her very first non-family babysitter this morning - Audrey Rogers.

Day 8 - July 30, 2010 (Mimi's Birthday)

Cousin Hannah came over and watched Katie this morning. Katie loved spending time with her older cousin, and I'm pretty sure Hannah enjoyed the Katie time, too!

Days 3 & 4

2010-07-26T17:21:00.003-05:00

Day 3 - July 25, 2010
We took Katie to her very first Naturals game. She had a BLAST just people watching and clapping when others around her did. I'm not so sure we would have made it without her "snacks." This little girl managed to eat 2.5 Mum Mums, about 15 cheetohs, and about 25 puffs. She was an EATING MACHINE! She was so well behaved and made it halfway through the game. We finally took her home at 7:30 because she was getting sleepy. What a WONDERFUL family memory :o)

Day 4 - July 26, 2010

Today, I had the honor of spending an entire afternoon with one of my most favorite former students. This young lady brought a smile to my face everyday, and I hope that Katie is sweet like her. I will miss you next year, sweet girl!

Day 2 - July 24, 2010

2010-07-24T19:58:00.002-05:00

Day 2 - July 24, 2010

Today, Daddy put Katie's swing up in the backyard! She loved swinging in her new swing and even sat in it without being pushed while Mommy and Daddy cleaned out her pool. Check out those ADORABLE little feet :o)

365 Day Photo Challenge

2010-07-23T16:58:00.002-05:00

I noticed quite a few of my Facebook friends doing the 365 day photo challenge, so I decided to check it out. It is basically a way to capture your life in a year with only one photo a day. If you'd like to check it out, you may: http://content.photojojo.com/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/

I may not update my blog every single day, but I will post every photo I take along with a caption! So, here's to my first day of the 365 day photo challenge...

Day 1 - July 23, 2010
This is Katie and her friend Blake Meesey. Blake's mom, Jenny, and I met in college and became great friends. She has another son, Hayden, that is 3. Blake is only 6 weeks older than Katie, and they have a blast together. I thought this picture captured our day perfectly! Jenny brought the boys over to play today, and Katie and Blake had so much fun. In this particular picture, Katie had just stolen (yes, my daughter is a binky stealer... what can I say???) Blake's binky, so he decided to steal her Tylenol bottle. It was VERY cute!

Eating Machine

2010-07-20T22:35:00.005-05:00

I remember the months when the ONLY thing Katie wanted to eat was Mommy's milkies.. Not anymore, I tell ya! This little girl wants anything but her mommy's milkies. She is still nursing 3 times a day, but on top of that, she is eating 3-4 jars of baby food plus snacks.

Her favorite jars of baby food are beef and mixed vegetables, chicken noodle dinner, macaroni beef tomato dinner, turkey rice, bananas, and applesauce. She is in Stage 3 foods and the occasional Stage 2 with a little rice cereal to thicken it up.

She has tried most of the baby snacks and loved all of them! The ones we keep around the house are:

She also LOVES Motts for Tots. Aunt Jenn's boyfriend, Brad, works for Dr. Pepper/Motts and supplies us with Motts for Tots and Katie is very grateful! She has learned to hold her sippy cup up enough to get the juice out. It is so cute watching her tilt it this way and that :o)

On top of nursing, baby food, snacks, and juice, Katie manages to "sneak" in a couple of big girl foods, too. Her favorites are crackers, ice cream, spaghetti noodles, rice, grilled chicken, green beans, pineapple, mushrooms, black olives, and OF COURSE Two Two's Butterfinger cake!

A funny story about her that I just have to share. The other afternoon Matt was sitting on the couch eating some leftover pizza, Cooper was laying by the fireplace and Katie was playing in the floor. Within one minute of sitting down, Cooper made his way over to the couch to beg (like usual). Matt gave him a small mushroom and told him to go on his way. Within another minute, Katie had crawled over to the couch to beg. She was standing against her daddy's legs, flapping her arms wildly and making loud noises. So, Matt gave her a small mushroom to chew on. This, in turn, led to more begging from Cooper. The two of them ganged up against Dad and managed to steal quite a bit of his pizza.

Top 10 of Summer

2010-07-08T10:23:00.002-05:00

I am copying this from a fellow friend's blog (www.pruittplace.blogspot.com). There are so many great things about summer, and here are a few of my favorite things:

1 - No work!

2 - Playing in the water with Katie

3 - Fresh Tomatoes

4 - Farmer's Market Saturdays

5 - Able to stay up later

6 - The sound of kids playing outside

7 - Sno Cones

8 - Vacations

9 - Flip Flops

10 - Grilling out!

July 4, 2010

2010-07-06T16:40:00.003-05:00

We had a fabulous 4th of July! We started off the day by going to church and Sunday school. Katie was dressed very patriotic like with her red, white, and blue plaid dress and big, red, flower bow. She was absolutely precious! That afternoon we rested and gave Katie long naps, so she could have fun during the evening and nighttime activities. We hosted 4th of July at our house last year and had a great time, so we opted to do it again.

We had a wonderful appetizer of BBQ grilled sausages and pepperjack cheese. We got the idea from another friend. For dinner, we had hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, corn on the cob, and chips. For dessert, we had a patriotic cake and a yummy ice cream cake!

Here's a sweet picture of Katie playing in the fireworks.

While dinner was cooking, Josh helped entertain Emma. They played paperdolls! SO... Any of you single ladies out there want a great guy?!?! Just let me know!

Hannah's 23rd birthday was actually Saturday, but we celebrated it during the 4th! Happy Birthday, Nanners!

Papa got to give Katie her first bite of ice cream! She didn't just get a bite :o)

Katie loved all the attention she got from her cousins and aunts!

We laid blankets down, so she could crawl around on the grass. She was definitely the pre-show entertainment!

Katie loved hanging out with Aunt Julie, but she always loves giving a smile to her Daddy!

Mommy, Daddy, and (sleepy) Baby

I don't know why this picture keeps showing up sideways on here! It isn't like this on my computer, but oh well! We were watching fireworks down the street! She loved the bright colors.

Katie didn't really make it to the actual fireworks because she got too tired, but she wasn't scared! The ones she did manage to watch and see, she enjoyed. Aunt Judi was kind enough to take her inside and put her to bed. It was a GREAT holiday, and I can't wait until next year!

Happy 8 Month Birthday!

2010-07-05T12:11:00.003-05:00

6/4/10 Went to Mommy’s school to say goodbye to her students
Went to Tyson to hear Aunt “E” sing at Tiger Pride
6/5/10 Went to Farmer’s Market
Stayed the night with Mimi and Papa while Mommy and Daddy went to the drive-in
6/6/10 Went to church with Mimi and Papa
Grilled outside with Mommy and Daddy
6/7/10 Mommy’s last day with her students!!!
Went to Mimi’s afterschool so Mommy could get her room ready
6/8/10 Mommy’s LAST day of school!!!!!!!
6/8/10-6/13/10 Hot Springs Trip (stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Fryar for the first time)
6/10/10 Mommy and Daddy’s 4th Wedding Anniversary
6/12/10 Went to the lake and played in the sand and water
6/14/10 Stayed the night with Mimi and Papa
Met Aunt Peggy and Uncle Jim for the first time!!
6/15/10 Went to Monte Ne Chicken with Nanny, Papa, Aunt Peggy, Uncle Jim, Uncle Frank, and Mommy and Daddy (ate mashed potatoes for the first time)
6/16/10 Went to Fun City and rode the rides!
Ate dinner at Aunt Jenn’s
Second tooth (bottom left)
6/17/10 Visited Hannah at work
6/18/10 Dinner with Papa for early Father’s Day
6/19/10 Dinner at Aunt Judi’s house
6/20/10 Daddy’s first Father’s Day
6/21/10 Pulled up on couch and took 5 steps along it!!!
TOOK FIRST STEP!!!!!
6/23/10 Toddler Time at SPL
6/24/10-6/27/10 Stayed with Mimi and Papa while Mommy and Daddy went to Dallas
6/24/10 Went to VBS at Sonora
6/25/10 Went to VBS at Sonora
6/28/10 Had lunch with Daddy at his office
6/29/10 Sick child dr. appt with Dr. Livingston – First Stomach Virus (19 lbs. 8 oz.)
6/30/10 Toddler Time at SPL
7/1/10 Aunt Jenn came for dinner
7/2/10 Moved to Stage 3 Baby Foods
Spent the day with Bogles!!
Dinner at Nanny’s with the Bogles and Crowders
7/3/10 Farmer’s Market with Mommy, Daddy, Crowders, and Bogles

KK,

We have had the best month! Mommy has been home with you nearly all month long since it is summer vacation, and it has been so great! You have truly become an adventurous little girl this month. You love to explore new things and new areas. You have also started trying new foods. You absolutely love any bread product - you are your mother's child! You are the happiest baby and love everybody. I always prayed that I would have a baby that loved to smile and made other people happy just by a single smile. You definitely do that! You will go to anyone as long as they pay you some attention.

We love you so incredibly much and are constantly thanking God for letting us be your parents.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

The Things You Do for an 8 year old!!!

2010-07-01T09:47:00.002-05:00

Wear Silly Bands...

Play Beauty Shop...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T21:40:00.002-05:00

A Letter to Katie

2010-06-23T14:53:00.002-05:00

Dear Katie,

We just wanted to write a letter to you to let you know how much we love you. Daddy and I are going out of town for a couple of days while you stay with Mimi, Papa, and Aunt E. We are going to miss you so so much, but I wanted to let you know why we are going on a trip without you. Your daddy and I love each other very much, and sometimes Mommies and Daddies need some good, quality, alone time together to show each other just how much they are in love. We hope to always set an example of love for you so that someday you will find a husband that you love very much.

You are going to have so much fun with Mimi, Papa, and Aunt E! Just so you know, though.... It is PERFECTLY alright to miss us! We are going to miss you so much, and we can't wait to hear about all the fun stuff you did while Mommy and Daddy were out of town!

Baby Princess, Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we will see you on Sunday!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

A Father's Love

2010-06-20T09:49:00.006-05:00

Matt,

You became a father on March 23, 2009, but you became a Daddy on November 3, 2009. You fell in love with our wonderful little peanut the day you found out I was pregnant, but I don't think you were even able to fathom the love you would have for her once she was here. To see you with her just makes me smile. You adore that little girl, and she adores you!

Since today is Father's Day - your first "official" Father's Day - I wanted to show you some sweet pictures that I love of the two of you!

From the moment you first saw her, you loved her!

You have always known how to put her to sleep... I'm not sure if it is the way you hold her, or if she just feels safe and secure in your strong arms.

She LOVES when you read to her... She becomes so intrigued. I think your love for reading is going to rub off on Miss Katie.. At least, I hope so!

She can always smile at you!

Especially when you give her Diet Mountain Dew! NOW... Whenever she sees a Diet Mountain Dew can, she thinks she has to have some ;o)

She LOVES to play with you - at the park, in the living room floor, in the backyard, or laying in the bed!

Happy Father's Day, my love... Katie is so incredibly lucky to have you as her daddy, and I look forward to watching you guys build that strong Daddy-Daughter relationship. I have always loved you so much, but I think seeing you with a little girl makes me love you even more.

Love,

Cori

What are we getting ourselves into?!?!

2010-06-16T15:58:00.002-05:00

Matt and I will be starting p90x this week. We have heard such great things about it, and we both really want to get fit. Yes we know we could just go to a gym, but we don't want to leave Katie 5 days a week. With this, we can do it once she is in bed. Just wait.... We are going to look JUST like the people in the poster above! Well, maybe a little :o)

"Beach" Baby

2010-06-14T20:57:00.002-05:00

We took Katie to the "beach" at Crystal Springs on Saturday. She absolutely loved it!!! Here she is with her Daddy. Notice she is sucking her thumb... Silly, silly girl!
Her cousin, Abi, made her a sand pool for her to play in. She loved walking in it.. I could just squeeze those chubby thighs ALL DAY LONG!!!

Can you get any more precious than this?!?! She has a fist full of sand and proceeded to eat it shortly after this picture was taken.

She loved her fishy floatie! Her favorite part was twirling around and around and swimming back and forth between Mommy and Daddy.

Here's a picture of her eating the sand!

Feeling the sand between her toes!

We had such a good time taking our little girl to the lake for the first time. We can't wait to take her back next time we are in Hot Springs!

7 Months Old (A little late!)

2010-06-07T21:48:00.005-05:00

My sweet little princess is 7 months old! UNBELIEVABLE... It seems like just yesterday that I was admitted into the hospital for high blood pressure and told that I wouldn't leave the hospital without my baby girl in my arms. Katie has had a GREAT month as far as milestones go - she crawled, pulled up, got her first tooth, and stayed the night away from us for the first time.

Here is her 7th month:

5/7/10 Went to Aunt Jenn’s new home for the first time
Ate at Red Lobster with Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Jenn, Gene, and Cindy
5/8/10 Went to craft fairs
5/9/10 Baby Dedication Sunday!!!
Mother’s Day – you are the best gift, ever!
5/13/10 Aaron Matthew Bunch born at 8:00 a.m. 8 lbs 5oz.
Mommy nursed in public for the first time at TaMolly’s
5/15/10 Aunt Jenn graduated from Medical school
Spent the night with Mimi and Papa for the first time
5/16/10 Went to church with Mimi and Papa at Sonora
5/17/10 Rode in a grocery store buggy for the first time and LOVED it!! Smiled at everyone!
5/18/10 First election!!! Helped Mommy and Daddy wave at passing cars…
5/19/10 6 month doctor appt (2.5 weeks late) with Dr. Livingston – 17.5 lbs (75th%); 25.5 in (15th%)
5/21/10 First sno-cone!!!
Went to Murphy Park with Mommy, Daddy, and Coop – looked at baby ducks, rode in a swing, and played with my toes.
5/22/10 Went to Farmer’s Market
Ate lunch with Aunt Judi and Uncle Mike
Played outside in the water!!!
5/23/10 Had a picnic lunch at Murphy Park with Mommy and Daddy – looked at baby ducks again and went down the slides with Dad
Fell asleep while on a walk around Pinewoods
Baby shower for Baby Boy Anglin
5/24/10 Went from a laying down position to sitting up!
Officially crawling :o)
Pulled up to a standing position!!!
5/27/10 Went to Aunt ‘E’s school for the annual BBQ
Ate dinner at Aunt Jenn’s new house!
5/29/10 Cookout at Mimi and Papa’s house
5/30/10 Cookout at Aunt Carol’s house
5/31/10 First Tooth!!!!!!!
Cookout at Aunt Judi’s house

Sweet Baby Girl,

This has been the BEST month so far with you... You have experienced new things and learned to do many new things. You amaze me every single day! I've been trying to figure out what my favorite thing about you is. I can't decide if it is how excited you get whenever you see me or the way you are SO persistent when you are trying to do something new or that goofy little sound you make that sounds like an 80-year-old smoker! I guess I don't really have to decide - I love everything about you. Kathryn Elizabeth, you are the most perfect baby girl, and I love you so much.

Love,

Mommy

Our Little Water Baby!

2010-06-06T16:19:00.004-05:00

Katie absolutely loves to play in the water!! She will play on her sprinkler mat, in her baby pool, or even in Mimi's big pool! This next week, she will be staying with Grandma and Grandpa Fryar and will get to swim in a REALLY big pool :o)

Isn't this little butt so cute?!?!

One of my all-time favorite photos of her... She is SO happy!

Here's a video of her going down the slide in her baby pool. She wanted to do it again and again and again and again!!

Splashing in the water...

Trying to crawl to Mommy's lap in the pool!

e s

Crawling

2010-05-25T06:20:00.003-05:00

Check out this video of Miss Katie crawling (just ignore Cooper - he wanted to be on the blog, too)!!! She goes everywhere now :o)

Fun in the Sun

2010-05-22T20:13:00.003-05:00

We had a fabulous day!!! When we got up this morning, we took Katie to the Fayetteville Farmer's Market. She loves being outside, so we knew she would enjoy it. She rode in her stroller while we walked around the square looking at flowers and vegetables. She also heard numerous types of music playing. She had a blast...

She also got to get in her bathing suit and play out in the water. Her Aunt Mischelle bought her this really cool splash mat. It is the perfect size for my precious baby. At first, she wasn't too sure about the temperature of the water. She is used to hot water from Mommy's baths! So, she cried and fussed for about 2 minutes until she got used to it. At that point, there was no stopping her. She wanted to lay on her belly and splash. She even tried to crawl in it, but her feet kept slipping out from under her. She loved the feeling of the water splashing through her fingers. It is such a neat experience as a Mommy to get to see your children experience things for the first time. Truly rewarding...

She was exhausted after such a fun day...

6 Month Doctor's Appointment

2010-05-21T16:26:00.003-05:00

Well, we took Katie to the doctor for her 6 month appointment on Wednesday. She weighed 17 lbs 8 oz (75th%) and was 25.5 inches long (15th%). Needless to say, my little princess is short and round :o)

She is developing just nicely according to all the questions they ask! Dr. Livingston looked in her ears and said they looked perfect - which is such a relief after two ear infections. He also checked her teeth and said there is no sign of her getting a tooth anytime soon. Oh well - just means I get to keep her my little baby a little longer!

She also got shots and did well with those. Her daddy swooped her up the second the nurse was done, so she didn't have long to cry. She was great for about 1.5 hours after the shots. Then, she got cranky... not just a little cranky... she got as cranky as a toddler who doesn't get M&Ms in Walmart. It was a horrible evening, night and next morning.

Overall, though, she is doing so well, and we love seeing all the new things she can do!!

Here's a picture to leave you with:

WONDERFUL Weekend!!

2010-05-10T17:09:00.003-05:00

KK (Katie's nickname) has been SO mobile lately. About a month ago, she started rolling everywhere she wanted to go. Then about two weeks ago, she started scooching anywhere she wanted to go. Now... She is starting to crawl!! Time is just going by so fast! I must tell you that the thing she is crawling to in these pictures, is none other than....

Daddy's Diet Mountain Dew!!!!

On Saturday, we got up bright and early to go to some neighborhood garage sales (COMPLETE BUST!), but we didn't find anything. So, we drove around until it was time for the craft fair at the Convention Center to open up. We had such a good time pushing KK around, looking at all the crafts. We ended up buying some fudge, a cute dress for Katie, a crinkly book for her, and some doggie soap. She is such a people watcher and had a blast just looking at people. Of course everyone noticed her, which made her smile and coo and babble. She is such a ham, and I LOVE IT!!!

A little bit later, Matt's parents came into town. We went to the War Eagle Craft Fair... There wasn't much there at all, but it was so nice to just be outdoors in the sunshine. KK had a blast at War Eagle. She, of course, loved the people, but she also loved the music playing and the river. She even managed to eat a cracker for the first time. She only choked once, which I thought wasn't too bad for a first time! She loved it and cried when it was gone! We are going to go to the store and buy her some of those biter biscuits.

Then on Sunday, it was Mother's Day! Last year, I was about 10 weeks pregnant with Miss Priss, and this year she was over 6 months old! CRAZY! Anyways, it was Baby Dedication Sunday at church and most of our family came to see Miss Katie get dedicated to the Lord. Our little ham managed to sneeze twice while we were up there and of course everyone laughed! She has a way of making people laugh :o) After church, we went to lunch at AQ. It was a lot of fun to be with everyone on Mother's Day. Katie was a little fussy at the restaurant, but overall, she was pretty good. She had such a good time with her Mimi, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt "E", Aunt Mischelle, Uncle Nick, and cousins - Abi, Brandon, and Camryn. She loved playing with Grandma and Camryn. She even managed to give Abi some kisses! I even think that she talked Aunt Mischelle into giving her some of her Chicken and Dumplings!!! KK even got me a present! She got me Twilight and New Moon on DVD. I think she is almost ready for a Twilight marathon... Don't you?!?!Overall, it was a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to Mother's Day every year!

6 Months Old - UNBELIEVABLE!

2010-05-05T17:49:00.005-05:00

Happy 6 Month Birthday, Sweetheart!

4/4/10 First Easter (slept through the Easter egg hunt)
4/5/10 Stayed with Ms. Nancy
Ate Chicken and Chicken Gravy – DID NOT LIKE IT!
4/6/10 Stayed with Ms. Nancy
Went to Mommy’s school for a parent night
4/7/10 Stayed with Ms. Kori
Stayed with Daddy while Mommy went to BUNKO
4/8/10 Stayed with Ms. Kori
Put Crib Bumpers back in because you kept hitting your head and getting legs stuck!
4/9/10 Stayed with Ms. Kori
Went to Mimi and Papa’s while Mommy and Daddy did a fundraiser at Lee
4/10/10 Went to Chick-fil-A for the first time and REALLY wanted a bite of Daddy’s Chicken

Biscuit!
Bought a high chair!!!
4/17/10 Stayed with Mimi and Papa while Mommy and Daddy went to the Republican debate!
Celebrated Aunt Jenn’s birthday with a cookout at the house
4/18/10 Went to a political lunch to support Mike Moore for U.S. Congress (was told that I was

the best guest there!)
Had to buy a big girl car seat because the one in Daddy’s car is just too small :o(
4/24/10 Rode in big girl car seat for the first time
Sat in big girl high chair at Sunset Grill and ate breakfast (Peaches and Bananas)
4/26/10 First night away from Mommy (ONSC) – Daddy’s first night alone with Katie!
4/28/10 Started sitting up!!!
4/29/10 Mimi came to babysit so Mommy and Daddy could go on a date!
4/30/10 Went to see Dr. Livingston (16 lbs. 14 oz.) because of leaking ear fluid - ear drum burst

Went to BBQ contest at the convention center
5/1/10 Had Garage Sale
5/2/10 Went to Abbi, Baylee, and Meaghan’s BDAY Party

Dear Princess P,

This has been such a fun month with you. I know I say that every month, but you just keep doing new things! I love it! You have really become mobile this month. You roll EVERYWHERE - under your crib, across the living room floor, up next to the fireplace - pretty much anywhere you aren't supposed to be. You have started sitting up and love to be looking around at things. You LOVE to eat... You now get two meals a day of jarred food, and you love just about everything that you get. Your favorites right now are Apples and Blueberries, Turkey Rice Dinner, Squash, Sweet Potatoes and Turkey, Chicken and Vegetables, Mixed Vegetables, Applesauce. Oh, and Daddy let you try Diet Mountain Dew this month, and you didn't really like it. I am sure you will someday, though. Mommy let you try a graham cracker, and you really liked that!

We love you sooooo much and cannot imagine life without you. You are our Princess P!!!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Fun times with a new friend

2010-04-21T17:40:00.002-05:00

One of Matt's best friends from law school now lives and works in Washington D.C. (Mary Claire). Well, she had never met Katie, so this past weekend while she was in town, she came over to meet Miss Katie.

At first, MCYork was a little timid with Katie. She thought that she was going to break her. She just wanted to "poke" her instead. She kept saying over and over, "I just want to touch and squeeze those thighs." --referring to my daughter's overly chunky thighs.

Throughout the evening, Katie and MCYork became the best of friends. Mary Claire stopped poking and actually started holding.

Katie is a very happy baby anyways, but she just smiled at EVERYTHING Mary Claire did!! It was soooo cute.

Matt made Mary Claire feed Katie her dinner. I think it was MCYork's first time to feed a baby (though, it doesn't look much different than how she looks after we feed her). Just take a look at Katie's face - rather orange!!!

Mary Claire, thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to come see us and play with Katie. She loved you, and we sure enjoyed visiting with you! Next time you are in town, please come over.

If you are still in D.C. when Katie is older, we will bring her to see you!

Spring

2010-04-14T20:03:00.002-05:00

I am absolutely in love with spring this year. I don't know if it is just because we had a really long winter or what, but I am just so happy.

I have always loved spring, but I love it even more with Katie. We go on a walk nearly every afternoon around the block. We lay on a blanket in the grass and watch Daddy work in the flowerbed. We sit on the back deck and just enjoy the sunshine on our skin. I love seeing Katie in little onesies because she has the CHUBBIEST little thighs :o)

I can't wait to give her a popsicle and see her reaction. I look forward to putting her in a little bathing suit and letting her experience the swimming pool for the first time.

This time of year is just so nice.

Happy 5 Month Birthday, Sweet Girl!

2010-04-04T17:44:00.002-05:00

Things that happened this month:

3/5/10 Stayed with Mimi while Mommy went shopping with Aunt Mischelle

3/6/10 Went to Greenwood to see Abi cheer and to hang out with the cousins

Took a bath in a real bathtub and loved it

3/7/10 Ate avocado and LOVED it!

3/10/10 Ate asparagus and LOVED it!

3/12/10 Went to Mimi and Papa's while Mommy and Daddy went on a date

3/13/10 Ate dinner at Mr. Harwell's house (Daddy's boss)

3/14/10 Rolled onto back while taking morning nap

3/15/10 Ate squash and LOVED it!

3/17/10 Ate carrots and LOVED it!

3/18/10 Went on a walk with Nanny and Papa

3/20/10 Stayed with Daddy ALL DAY (7:45 a.m. - 8:45 p.m.) while Mommy shopped in Branson with her friends

3/21/10 10 inches of snow!

Ate applesauce and oatmeal and LOVED it!

3/22/10 Went to doctor and had ear infection (weighed 14 lbs. 10 oz.)

3/22-26/10 Mommy stayed home everyday because of Spring Break

3/23/10 Daddy's 26th Birthday

Mommy got 11 inches of hair cut off

Got pictures taken at Bedford's

Ate bananas and LOVED it!

3/24/10 Ate lunch at Daddy's office

3/25/10 Ate lunch at Daddy's office

Ate peaches and LOVED it!

3/26/10 Ate pears and LOVED it!

3/26-28/10 Grandma and Grandpa came to visit

3/27/20 First time to go to garage sales!

Ate prunes and LOVED it!

3/28/10 First out loud laugh

Held bottle for the first time

4/1/10 April Fool's Day

4/2/10 Aunt Jenn and Uncle Josh came over for dinner

4/3/10 Abi and Camryn's birthday party

Dyed Easter eggs and Aunt Judi's house

Katie,

I cannot believe you are already 5 months old. You are just the best baby in the whole world. You smile at everyone that pays you attention - definitely a little ham! You are also very independent and love to be by yourself in the floor and roll around. You have just recently found your feet and love to pull your sockies off. You love to play in your exersaucer and watch t.v. Most of all, though, you love to play with Mommy and Daddy! We love that part of you :o)

We love you more than anything, baby girl!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-29T18:09:00.006-05:00

Everyone always said that I would look at Spring Breaks, Summer Vacations, etc. differently now that I have a child. I sure did! I could've cared less about sleeping in because I wanted to spend all of my time with my precious Katie. We had a GREAT Spring Break this year. The first Saturday of Spring Break, I went to Branson with some friends from church and did A LOT of shopping. It was so nice to spend some time with great friends, and I know that Matt enjoyed the one-on-one time with Miss Katie! The next day, we ended up getting about 10 inches of snow - CRAZY! Here is a picture of what our neighborhood looked like.

Cooper LOVED playing in the snow. Check out the video of him "hopping" through the snow!

That same weekend, we were "puppy sitting" Cooper's cousin, Bella. She and Cooper had the best time playing with each other. They ended up tearing Coop's turtle apart from their tug-of-war!

Cooper also had a GREAT time with Katie! He doesn't usually get this much time with her, and I think he enjoyed having someone in the floor to play with him.

On the 23rd, Matt turned 26! We ate dinner at Gusano's Pizza and came back to our house for cake. Matt wanted an ice cream cake from Maggie Moos - YUMMY!

Katie also got her Easter pictures taken, and I got 11 inches cut off of my hair! I don't have any pictures of those on my computer, though!

Katie spent a great deal of time on her playmat and in her exersaucer. Daddy even "hooked" her baby doll up to the bars, so she could look up at it. She enjoyed watching Dora while sitting in her exersaucer. She even learned to stand up while holding onto her excersaucer!

Katie took some really good naps and even started sucking her thumb and slept with her lovey!

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit the last weekend of Spring Break, and Katie had SOOOO much fun with them.

Sunday afternoon, Katie did 3 great things!!!! She held her own bottle for the first time, she giggled out loud (on camera), and she rolled over from her back to her tummy!!!

We really did have a wonderful Spring Break, and I am now counting down the days until summer vacation... 49 days!

Sick Little Girl

2010-03-24T10:52:00.002-05:00

So, I had to take Katie to the pediatrician on Monday for her awful cough. She had the same thing in December, and the doctor said it was just a cold and gave us an inhaler to use if it got worse. So, this time around, I was all prepared. I had the inhaler, we did steam baths, etc. On Sunday, it still wasn't getting any better. So, I made an appointment and took her to see Dr. Livingston. He listened to her lungs and didn't hear any wheezing (RSV symptom). So, he decided to check her ears and sure enough.... She had fluid on her right ear creating an ear infection. There wasn't any pressure, though. So, she isn't in pain. The infection has caused the stuffy nose and awful cough. My poor baby has to take Amoxicillin 2x a day for 10 days. YUCK! Actually, she doesn't seem to mind it :o)

Other than her constant coughing and runny nose, you would never know that my little princess is sick! She is still laughing, smiling, and playing like her normal self!

She also weighed 14 lbs. 10 oz!!! She is getting to be so big! I LOVE IT!!!

One Year Ago...

2010-03-23T13:50:00.002-05:00

One year ago, today, Matt turned 25...
One year ago, today, I took 4 pregnancy tests...
One year ago, today, we found out I was pregnant...
One year ago, today, our lives were forever changed!

Saturday Morning With Dad...

2010-03-13T10:37:00.003-06:00

This morning, I went to aerobics and left Matt to tend to Katie... Needless to say, they had a blast together!! Katie jumped in her jumperoo and played in her exercauser! Daddy managed to take pictures and capture some sweet videos of her discovering things on her exercauser!

SO SWEET!!!

Sunday Afternoon Stroll

2010-03-13T10:32:00.002-06:00

It was an ABSOLUTELY beautiful day last Sunday - sun shining, 60 degrees, birds chirping - so we took Katie for a stroll in her Jeep Stroller! SHE LOVED IT!!! Check out the pictures from our stroll :o)

Fun Saturday with the Cousins

2010-03-13T10:21:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday, we spent the day in Greenwood with Katie's cousins - Abi, Brandon, and Camryn. We went and saw Abi at her last basketball game... She was a cheerleader! (See below)

While at the game, Aunt Mischelle was trying to give some love to her favorite niece, but her own little one (Camryn) became very jealous. So, here is a sweet picture of them...

Then, we went back to the Coston house and hung out for the afternoon. Daddy and Katie took a nap on Aunt Mischelle and Uncle Nick's bed...

After naptime, we all went outside and played on the swingset. Katie got to swing for the first time and loved it!!!

Then, Aunt Mischelle and Uncle Nick left, and we babysat the 3 Coston children. Abi was such a big helper and wanted to be with Katie the entire time. She was so sweet with her. She held and cuddled her, played with her, and helped bathe her. I love this picture because Abi is focused on the camera and Katie is so focused on Abi. I think Katie is always going to look up to her big cousin!

Happy 4 Month Birthday!

2010-03-03T20:09:00.003-06:00

Things that happened this month:

2/4/10 Went to Addison Eggers’ baby shower at Mommy’s school
2/5/10 Went to La Huerta with Mommy and Daddy (I didn’t cry the whole time!)
2/9/10 Snow Day for Mommy!!!
2/12/10 Spent the afternoon at Mommy’s school for the Valentine’s Party
1st Daddy/Daughter Dance at Lee
Rolled over for the first time!!!
2/13/10 Went to Mimi and Papa’s house, so Mommy and Daddy could go on a date
2/14/10 First Valentine’s Day!
2/15/10-2/17/10 Parent Teacher Conferences: Daddy picked Katie up every day
2/17/10 Stayed with Ms. Nancy because Papa had surgery on his PaceMaker
2/18/10 Slept in big girl crib for the first time
2/19/10 4 Month appt with Dr. Livingston – 12 lbs. 11 oz. (40th %) 22 inches (10th %)
2/20/10 Emma’s 8th birthday party at Dare 2 Dance (she got very sick)
Aunt Mischelle, Abi, Brandon, and Camryn came to visit – went to Fun City and Braums
Ate Oatmeal for the first time and LOVED it!!!
2/24/10 Aunt Emma’s 8th birthday
2/25/10 Slept from 8:00-5:30!!!
2/26/10 Went to Hot Springs for the weekend
3/3/10 Stayed with Ms. Kori
Ate green beans and loved them!

Katie,

You are getting to be such a fun baby! You are ALWAYS happy and will smile at anyone that will pay you any attention. You absolutely LOVE to be held, but you also really enjoy your alone play time. You still love to take a bath with Mommy, but you really enjoy bathtime in your little bathtub, too. Daddy and I absolutely love feeding you every night. We look forward to that special time all day long! You have brought so much joy into our lives these past four months! Thank you for being our daughter!

We love you,

Mommy and Daddy

Our baby girl is an eating machine!!!

2010-02-20T20:41:00.006-06:00

So, Katie went to the pediatrician for her 4 month checkup. She weighed 12 lbs. 11 oz. (40th percentile) and was 22 inches (10th percentile). Her pediatrician, Dr. Livingston, told us that she was ready to start rice cereal. However, with her bowel issues, he is having us use oatmeal instead. So, we mixed some up tonight, thinking she would only take one bite and spit it out. NOPE... She learned how to open her mouth when she wanted more. She took bite after bite after bite before we finally had to stop her. She would've eaten the entire bowl if we had let her!

Here are a couple pictures of her eating:

And here she is afterwards:

And just for those of you that are interested... Here are a couple videos of her eating:

Good Morning, World!

2010-02-18T16:34:00.004-06:00

- Part One -

- Part Two -

She CAN ROLL OVER!!!

2010-02-14T14:46:00.004-06:00

Emma and Katie had a sleepover on Friday night. I was getting Emma into the bathtub while Katie was having tummy time. I walked out of the room for maybe 30 seconds, and when I came back she wasn't on her tummy anymore. I went into the kitchen to ask Matt if he rolled her over, and he said, "Nope.. She just rolled over." I couldn't believe that he didn't like scream and yell or something. I missed her first rolling over, but Daddy made it in the room just in time to see it. Emma also got to see her do it.

Check out the video of her rolling over!!!

EXCUSE the wild laughter at the end.. It was my first time to see her, and I just couldn't help myself!

3 Months Old

2010-02-02T20:06:00.003-06:00

Katie is 3 months old!!!

Things that happened this month:

1/4/10 Woke up to more snow on the ground
1/5/10 Moved up to size 1 diapers
1/7/10 2 month doctor appt with Dr. Livingston – 10 lb. 2 oz. (25%) and 21.25 in. (10%)
Got 3 shots and 1 oral (you screamed so loud – Mommy cried, too)
Used Miralax to help with constipation
1/8/10 Woke up to a major poo blowout. You got hosed down in the sink! Thank you, Miralax!
Went to Mimi and Papa’s house while Mommy and Daddy went on a date
Stopped nursing with the shield
1/9/10 Went to see Abi cheer
Went to Brandon’s 4th birthday party – pirate theme
1/10/10 Stayed in church nursery for the first time – Mommy was only buzzed once!
1/11/10 Sat in exercauser for the first time (I ended up falling asleep!)
1/12/10 Went to dinner at La Huerta with Mommy’s M.A.T friends (Reid, Lilly, and Kennedy
were there, too)
1/14/09 Uncle Josh and Cooper’s Birthday
Playdate with Camden Randall (and Ms. Lyndsey)
1/15/10 Registered at Coleman’s for next fall
1/16/10 Stayed with Daddy all day while Mommy went to a workshop
Went to Nanny’s house for dinner to see Aunt Julie
1/18/10 Mommy’s first day back to work
First day at Nanny’s
Moved to 4 oz. bottles
1/23/10 Moved to size 2 diapers
1/25/10 Moved to 4.5 oz. bottles
Major blowout at Mimi and Papa’s house – had to take a bath in the sink while Mommy
ran home to get a diaper and clothes
1/28/10 2010 Snow Storm
Mommy and Daddy had a snow day!
Lowered pack n’ play mattress
Started OFFICIALLY sleeping on tummy at night
1/31/10 Played out in the snow (we got 5 inches)
2/1/10 Mommy had a snow day!

Dear Katie,

You have blossomed into such a fun and sweet little girl this past month. It took you a while to start smiling, but you never stop now! It is just so sweet. Mommy absolutely loves to bring you into the jacuzzi tub with her. Even though Mommy goes to work now, she never stops thinking about you. You are constantly on both of our minds all day long - you are our pride and joy.

We love you, little one!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

2010 Snow Weekend

2010-01-31T20:40:00.002-06:00

We have had a FABULOUS snow weekend! We were supposed to get another ice storm, but we got 5 inches of snow instead. It was so nice to be home with Katie :o) Here are some of the things we did over the weekend.

Daddy played with Katie a lot - she adores him, and he adores her!

Katie loves to look at her black and white flashcards on Mommy's laptop. Daddy likes to explain to her what the shapes are (or what he thinks they are).

Daddy tried to make a snow angel with Katie, but she screamed the entire time.

We all bundled up and took Cooper for a walk - he loved the snow, and we enjoyed getting out of the house for a bit.

Just a sweet picture of Mommy and Katie all bundled up!

Pretty sure we made every possible silly face/noise to get this little girl to smile - her smile just brightens our day!

We read a lot! This was actually while the power was out and we had to read instead of watch t.v.

Mommy sat by the fireplace and enjoyed the heat!

So did Katie :o)

All in all, we had the best snow weekend ever. We also made orange snow cones and snow ice cream, but we didn't take pictures of those :o) Oh, and we slept until 10:00 every day, but we couldn't really take a picture of that either!

A lot of the teachers were complaining about having to go to school late, but I don't care because that was just one extra day I got to spend with my precious, little baby :o)

Back to Work

2010-01-23T20:27:00.002-06:00

So, I managed to be a working mom all week long. It was a long, hard week. On Monday morning, Matt and I took Katie to Nanny's (my grandma - Katie's great grandma) early Monday morning. We walked in the door and Katie immediately started smiling at Nanny - what a reassuring feeling for Mommy.

Katie had a GREAT day Monday, a rough day Tuesday, and GREAT days Wednesday-Friday. Nanny also managed to get Miss Priss on a schedule :o)

Her new schedule:

6:30 - Wake up time

6:45 - Nurse

7:15 - Arrive at Nanny's, Play time with Nanny

8:00 - Morning Nap

10:00 - Bottle

10:30 - Playtime with Nanny and Papa

12:30 - Bottle

1:00 - Afternoon Nap

3:30 - Mommy arrives (she has to wait on Katie)

4:00 - Wake up and Nurse then go home!

6:30 - Nurse

7:30 - Bathtime

8:00 - Nurse

8:30 - Bedtime

10:00 - Dreamfeed

It is going really well! I am enjoying being back at work and back on a schedule. I miss Katie so much during the day and have learned that "bribing" my students with getting to look at Katie's pictures is such a great incentive :o) Plus... Mommy gets to see pictures of her beautiful girl a lot!

I am going to have to figure out how to get the lesson plans, grading papers, and getting things together for school plus spend time with Katie. It is hard, but I think I can handle it. My principal is being very leniant with my requirements these days!

Just a sweet picture of little miss :o)

She's SMILING!!!

2010-01-14T19:00:00.002-06:00

So, it took 9 weeks for her to really start smiling, but she does it all the time now! I love it :o)

2 Months Old

2010-01-04T20:47:00.002-06:00

Katie is 2 months old!!!!

Things that happened this month:

12/5/09 Baby Shower at church

12/7/09 Nursed without the nipple shield for the first time!!

Went to Mimi and Papa's while Mommy and Daddy went to CCCH's Christmas Party

12/8/09 First smile to Mommy (didn't do it again until later on)

12/10/09 First playdate with Blake Meesey

12/11/09 Slept in big girl crib for afternoon nap

Daddy gave bottle at 4:00 a.m.

12/13/09 Kennedy Brown was born

12/14/09 First sick child doctor's appt (weighed 8 lb. 14 oz. - 20th percentile)

12/16/09 Projectile vomited all over daddy

12/17/09 Used inhaler for the first time

12/18/09 Went to Mommy's classroom Christmas party

12/20/09 "Made" gingerbread houses at Aunt Judi's house

12/21/09 Sat on Santa's lap and slept through it

Had a MAJOR blowout while out to dinner at OK China Buffet

12/23-26/09 Christmas in Hot Springs

12/27/09 Daddy put a suppository up my bottom because I was so constipated

12/28/09 Stayed with Aunt Jenn while Mommy went to the doctor

12/31/09 Drank prune juice to help with constipation

1/1/09 Had New Year's dinner at Mimi and Papa's house

1/2/09 Smiled again and hasn't stopped!!

Went to Uncle Nick and Auntie Shell's house

1/3/09 My First Snow!!!!

Dear Precious Katie,

We can't believe you are already 2 months old. It seems like yesterday that we met you for the first time and now you are smiling at us! You have made these last 2 months so special for us. We love everything about you - your smile, your fussiness (though, we wish we could help you more), your mohawk and mullet, your little fat rolls, your crossed eyes when you are too close to something, your fascination with your hands, and just your sweet face.

We can't wait to see what all will happen next month with you! We love you so much, little one :o)

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

What an EVENTFUL year we had

2009-12-31T11:42:00.007-06:00

2009 was definitely an eventful year for us... Here are some of the major things that occurred in our lives this past year:

We welcomed a cocker spaniel puppy into our lives. His name is Cooper, and he is full of energy. This was a picture of him when we first got him back in March. He will be one-year-old in January! We love you, Cooper!

Shortly after we got Cooper, we found out we were pregnant!!! We named our little baby "Peanut."

Matt graduated from Law School in May.

Which is also the month in which we bought our first home! It is a beautiful 2-story home, and we look forward to living here for many, many years.

Cori said goodbye to her first group of students. They were the best group, and she misses them everyday!

Cori and Matt celebrated their 3-year wedding anniversary on June 10!

Matt took the Bar Exam in late July and passed with flying colors!! Once he got his results, he became an associate attorney at Cypert, Crouch, Clark & Harwell in Springdale.

Cori and Matt went to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, and had a GREAT time!! Definitely a much-needed vacation after Matt took the Bar Exam and Cori finished her first year of teaching.

Cori and Matt had many baby showers for baby Katie! There was one in Springdale, one in Hot Springs, one at Elmdale Baptist Church, one at Care Group, and one at Cori's school! Katie is very blessed :o)

For Halloween, Matt painted Cori's pregnant belly to look like a jack o' lantern. Cori was on bedrest during Halloween and missed going to the Razorback game.

Kathryn Elizabeth Fryar ("Katie") was born on November 3 at 6:26 p.m., weighing 6 lb 8 oz. She was 19 inches long with a head full of beautiful hair!!

We brought Katie home and introduced her to her big "brother" Cooper!

Cori celebrated her 25th birthday with a baby in arms :o)

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a 3-person family!

Baby Katie turned a month old on December 3, 2009!

We celebrated our first Christmas as a 3-person family!!

It was an amazing year, and I'm not sure if 2010 can get any better. We are, however, looking forward to seeing what the new year holds in store for our family!

Katie's First Christms

2009-12-28T15:36:00.005-06:00

Katie had a wonderful first Christmas. We traveled down to Hot Springs on the 23rd and stayed through the 26th with Grandma and Grandpa (Matt's parents). Katie got to spend lots of time with her Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Shell, Uncle Nick, and three cousins (Abi, Brandon, and Camryn). She had a great time...

This first picture is of the three girls on the couch.

This is a picture of Katie sitting in her Daddy's old carseat on Christmas Eve. She loved sitting in there!!

Here is our sweet little family on Christmas Day at Auntie Sherial's house (Matt's aunt).

Mischelle and I decided to dress all the kids up in Santa costumes for pictures! They were definitely a hit!

Here is Miss Katie in her Daddy's lap on Christmas morning. He was reading her one of the books that Santa brought her :o)

Two of Katie's favorite presents were her Musical/Glowing Seahorse from "Santa" and her first Cabbage Patch doll from Grandma. She loves them both very much!

Even though little miss was only 7.5 weeks old on her first Christmas, it was still one of the best holidays yet. She slept through a lot of it, but I know she enjoyed every minute - especially all the loving and cuddling she received from various family members! She is one blessed little girl.

We sure enjoyed getting Katie's presents ready for Christmas morning and carrying her into the living room and letting her see what "Santa" brought her. It was such a special day! I am really looking forward to the coming years with Miss Priss... to see her crawling, walking, tearing open presents, making cookies for Santa, and all the other fun stuff that comes with Christmas time. Matt and I adore Katie so much and feel so blessed that God allowed US to be her parents.

Best Friends

2009-12-14T13:16:00.003-06:00

So, Matt and I were sitting in the living room floor playing a game yesterday when we looked over and saw this...

PRICELESS...

A Mother's Thoughts...

2009-12-09T11:01:00.002-06:00

As I was nursing Katie at 3:06 this morning, I was so tired and just wanted to go back to bed. However, I realized just how lucky I am to have a beautiful, healthy child in my arms. Yesterday at 3:18 in the morning a mother lost her beautiful child to leukemia, and I doubt she just wanted to go back to bed. There are so many things that we, as parents, take for granted (middle of the night nursing, screaming gassy babies,etc) that this mother will never get to have again.

This mother was a true example of a godly, faithful woman. She left her daughter's health and life in the hands of her true Father. She showed me how I need to be with Katie everyday. I need to leave things up to God because he has a plan.

During my 3:00 feeding this morning, I began to ponder what God's plan was for taking precious Hannah Grace, and I then realized that it was different in the eyes of everyone around them. For me, as a bystander, it was to see how faithful and obedient I should be as a Christian. As a new mother, I know I must give my baby girl over to the Lord and have faith that He will do with her life what He needs done. I am her mommy and Matt is her daddy, but he is her Father.

My heart goes out to the Crumby family for the loss of their beautiful little girl, but I know that God had a plan for this family. They sure helped me...

2009-12-03T16:09:00.003-06:00

Happy 1 Month Birthday, Katie!!!!!

Kathryn "Katie" Elizabeth Fryar

11/3/09 6:26 p.m.

6 lb. 8 oz. 19 inches

Things that happened during Katie's first month:

1 Week appt with Dr. Denton - 6 lb. 3 oz.

Traveled to Hot Springs to meet Daddy's family

2 Week appt with Dr. Livingston - 6 lb. 13 oz.

Went to Care Group with Mommy and Daddy 11/22/09

Went to babysitter (Mimi) for first time 11/23/09

Helped Mommy blow out candles at her birthday party 11/23/09

Went to babysitter (Mimi) so Mommy and Daddy could go see New Moon 11/25/09

My First Thanksgiving and Mommy's 25th Birthday

Went to Mimi's, so Mommy and Daddy could go shopping at 3:45 a.m. on B.F.

Watched my first Razorback Game and slept the entire time!

My Due Date 11/28/09

Went to Church 11/29/09

Slept for 6 hours :o) 11/30/09

Rolled over from back to tummy 11/30/09 (I haven't done it since)

Celebrated Papa's 46th Birthday 12/1/09

Katie,

Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know. The day you were born, you forever changed our lives... for the better. You are our little princess!

We love you,

Mommy and Daddy

Got my first bottle - Daddy gave it to me 12/1/09

First Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T14:08:00.003-06:00

We got to celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a "family" this year! Katie was here!!!! Here are a couple of our little girl's first Thanksgiving. We were with my family this year...

Mommy, Daddy and Katie

Aunt Julie holding her great niece

All the girl cousins on the Moore side
L to R - Courtney, Sarah, Katie, Me, Aubrey,
Emma, Madeline, Hannah
We had a great Thanksgiving!

'tis the season to be thankful...

2009-11-24T20:39:00.002-06:00

After reading Carman's blog, I decided to create a list of the things I am most thankful for in life...

**Jesus Christ** I take my relationship with Him for granted, but I am so thankful that I do believe and am able to have a relationship with my Savior. He gets me through each day.

**Matthew** I have a wonderful husband who works so hard to provide for us. I know without a shadow of a doubt that he loves me so much and that that love continues to grow each day.

**Katie** Katie is only 3 weeks old, but she has become the center of our world. She is a healthy, beautiful, and perfect baby girl.

**Family** I have wonderful parents who raised me to be who I am today. My in-laws are also wonderful and would do anything for us. My little sister (even though Katie is here) is one of the most important little girls in my life. My sister-in-law is wonderful - she is full of knowledge!!! My neices and nephew are such sweet kiddos, and I just love watching them grow.

**Friends** I have been blessed with an amazing best friend - Jennifer Pharr. She is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most generous person I know. She is such an inspiration! Matt and I have never really been very social, but we joined a Care Group at our church and have become such good friends with the couples in our group. They are all wonderful, godly people.

**Cooper** We have a precious, 10-month-old Cocker Spaniel puppy. He is full of energy and love! Now that Katie has joined our family, Cooper has been put on the back burner. HOWEVER, I try every day to give him the attention he deserves.

**My Job** I absolutely love my job! I think I have one of the greatest careers, ever. I get to work with 5th graders every day. They constantly find new ways to make me smile (and sometime pull my hair out). Getting to teach young kids on a daily basis and impact their lives is something that I will always hold dear to my heart.

**Our Home** Matt and I were fortunate enough to get to buy our first home this past May. It is a beautiful home, and it provides us with a roof over our heads. We are creating memories in our home that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Oh, how I love...

2009-11-22T23:56:00.003-06:00

the look of her face in the dark living room.

the sound of her snores.

her cute little farts (way too big for a newborn).

her long, skinny tongue.

her crooked toe.

her adorable belly button.

her mohawk and mullet.

the way she looks on her Daddy's chest.

the feel of her on my skin.

the sound she makes when she is nursing.

the feeling I get when I pick her up out of her pack n' play.

the look on everyone's face when they see her.

her alertness.

the way she looks at the Christmas lights on our tree.

her sweet double chin.

when she sleeps for 4.5 hour stretches.

her coos.

this little girl with all my heart.

Nighttime

2009-11-22T09:14:00.002-06:00

Just wanted everyone to know that my princess slept so good last night! She had two 4.5 hour stretches during the night.. One of those stretches let Mommy and Daddy sleep until 9:00! YEA KATIE!!!!

Is it possible...

2009-11-19T12:43:00.003-06:00

to love this baby

girl any more??????

Look at her!

She is precious :o)

Pictures of Little Miss

2009-11-12T10:51:00.006-06:00

Cooper loves his new little sister... Wherever she is, he is also!

Katie's first visit to the pediatrician! She looked precious and was very good :o) She gained 1.5 oz back from her discharge weight. Dr. Denton said she looked VERY healthy!

Yes, Katie is sucking her big toe! Tory, a good friend, was holding Katie very snuggly. Katie kept curling up into a ball and eventually managed to get her big toe (same big toe as Mommy) into her mouth! PRECIOUS!

Daddy and Katie's hand... Priceless :o)

One of my absolute favorite pictures of little miss. She is so alert and beautiful!

This was Daddy's first day back to work, and we wanted little miss to be all dressed and pretty for Daddy when he got home. I think she succeeded :o) Daddy's smile was priceless when he saw her!

Yes, that is bedhead! She gets it rather often!!

Katie's favorite place to be - Daddy's chest. The instant he puts her there, she falls asleep! I love it :o)

Katie is such a good baby... She is also the most beautiful thingI have ever laid eyes on. Sometimes I just catch myself staring at her wondering how we created such a wonderful little being. Amazing...

Katie

2009-11-12T10:51:00.001-06:00

Maternity Pictures... a little late :o)

2009-11-10T07:24:00.004-06:00

Maternity Pictures...

2009-11-10T07:24:00.001-06:00

And then there were three...

2009-11-09T07:12:00.002-06:00

On June 10, 2006, we became a family. A small family... but a family...

And on November 3, 2009, we became a family of three. We welcomed our precious baby girl into the world. Kathryn Elizabeth Fryar "Katie" was born last Tuesday at 6:26 p.m. weighing 6 lb. 8 oz. and measuring 19 inches long. We are madly in love with this little girl!

Almost time...

2009-11-03T05:23:00.002-06:00

Well, we have been at Willow Creek since 1:00 yesterday afternoon. They decided to go ahead and admit me since my BP was continuing to stay high. I got my IV and it was nothing compared to the horror stories I had heard about. They wheeled me to a room around 2:30, and I have been in that room ever since. I am getting pitocin started at 6:00 a.m. with the breaking of my water to happen shortly thereafter.... I will try my best to keep this updated! Be on the lookout for news and pictures of our precious little girl :o)

Matt and I have been calling these last few weeks "the Twilight of our B.C. years" with dawn fixing to break on a new era... A.C.

I want to take this time to remind myself of how truly blessed I am. My husband is the most amazing husband that I could have ever asked for. He cares about me and does most anything I ask him to do. We have sure enjoyed our B.C. years.... Here are some of the things we have enjoyed doing - camping, hiking, geocaching, playing with Cooper, lounging around on the couch, watching tv, going on dates, and many more things. I have enjoyed our BC years, but I am truly looking forward to the AC years, as well!

Things I have learned on bedrest...

2009-11-02T11:32:00.002-06:00

1 - I have a VERY lazy dog. He sleeps all day long.
2 - There is nothing good on t.v. during the day.
3 - Facebook isn't near as fun when you are on it 8 hours a day.
4 - It is very difficult to "nest" when you have to be in bed all day.
5 - I never realized just how much I love my job.
6 - I am so not an introvert.
7 - Books aren't as interesting whenever reading is pretty much all you can do.
8 - It isn't as much fun to shop online as it is in the stores.
9 - I miss going to Wal-Mart.
10 - My doctor is off on Monday mornings.
11 - I much prefer to wear clothes instead of pajamas all day.
12 - Halloween candy is addictive. BAD BAD BAD!
13 - I prefer Sweettarts over chocolate.
14 - I am ready to hold my little girl.
15 - I have the best husband in the entire world.
16 - I have the best mom in the entire world.
17 - Don't watch Marley and Me while pregnant.
18 - I miss cleaning my house.
19 - I don't like being dependent on others.
20 - Don't ever act scared on the phone while your husband is at Wal-Mart or driving a vehicle.

This list will more than likely grow over the coming days, but I can only think of 20 things I have learned in 5 days...

First L & D Experience :o)

2009-10-29T11:44:00.002-05:00

So, Matt and I got to experience L & D for the first time Tuesday night. We went in for my 35 week appointment to find out that Dr. Reiter had to leave to deliver a baby. His nurse, Vicky, did not like my BP reading or my swelling, so she sent us over to L & D to have a preeclamptic workup.

I was very nervous because this was all very new. I was also a little frustrated because I didn't want to be one of those women who has to go to L & D before they deliver.... Oh well... So, we went. They had me change into a gown and crawl up into bed. I had to give a urine sample which was hard because I had just given one at my doctor's office. I managed, though, and crawled back into bed and was immediately hooked up to a fetal monitor, the contraction monitor thing, and a blood pressure cuff that went off every 15 minutes. Within an hour, the lab tech was in there to draw blood (not fun). She couldn't find my vein due to the swelling all over my body, so she had to "dig" around to find it. It really wasn't that bad, but Matt's face made it worse! The whole time I am laying down, I am having contractions. I just assumed, though, that they were just Braxton Hicks. They weren't and they were coming 3-6 minutes apart for 4 hours. The doctor on call told the nurse to check me to see if my cervix was progressing. She checked me, and I was 1 cm. dilated and 75% effaced!! This excited me because I figured I would be one of those women who never dilated or progressed! I am 35 weeks and already 1 cm and 75% effaced!

After 4 hours, they discharged me!! They didn't give me any clear instructions about my preeclampsia except to call my doctor the next morning. So, I ended up going to work yesterday to find out at noon that it was my last day at work. Dr. Reiter put me on mild bed rest - no work, no grocery shopping, no walking around for more than 5-10 minutes. Things like that!

My first day of bed rest has been great because I have been laying in bed watching movies, and I even had a visitor who brought me lunch from Marketplace (thanks, Nancy!).

Impatience Abounds!

2009-10-26T10:27:00.002-05:00

Cori and I have found ourselves more and more often looking at each other randomly and saying, almost simultaneously, "I want Katie to get here." We are both so impatient right now for that little girl to get here so that we can give her all the love and attention that she deserves! We know that the longer she stays in utero, the healthier she will be when she gets here, but at the same time, we just really, really, really want to hold her!

The date is getting closer and closer... Wednesday will be exactly one month from Cori's due date. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon and hope to get an idea at that time as to whether Dr. Reiter thinks Cori will need to be induced early due to her blood pressure. We're hoping for a 38-week induction date (somewhere around Nov. 17). We'll update this and let you know!

We appreciate all the prayers and well-wishes that we've received, and we can't wait for all of you to meet Little Katie Beth when she gets here!

Really? REALLY?!?!

2009-10-09T07:27:00.003-05:00

Barack Obama was given the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. Really?

The Nobel Committee cited his "efforts" at bringing about world peace through open channels of communication. Really?

What has he done to deserve a Nobel Peace Prize? More to the point... What has he done since being elected president?! He hasn't done ANYTHING in the last nine months... Pay attention, world!

Sorry... I'm done now. And I feel much better.

--Matt

Pregnancy Progression

2009-09-23T21:57:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to share my pregnancy progression... This first picture is the day we found out I was pregnant - 5 weeks!

And then there is now... 31 weeks... WOW! That belly is big, and it is just going to get bigger!

I think our daughter is going to be slightly larger than "average" when she is born :o)

On a Roll...

2009-09-08T10:31:00.002-05:00

Cori and I haven't updated our blog in a while, so I felt like a brief recap of the last couple weeks was in order... As the title to this blog posting suggests, we've had some good stuff going on!

Cori's class is calming down, and I think she is starting to enjoy her second year as a fifth-grade teacher. She is teaching reading, writing, spelling, and social studies this year... Wish her luck as she learns new and inventive ways to bring those subjects to life in the minds of her students!

I received the results of my Bar Exam on Friday afternoon... I passed! Though I haven't received my exact scores yet, I'm not too terribly concerned with anything other than the fact that my name was on the list of people who passed the Bar. After a three-day weekend of celebration at my parents' house, I am back to work this morning. I went down to the Washington County Courthouse this morning and was sworn in by Judge Martin, and I'll go to Little Rock on October 23 for a ceremonial swearing in by the Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Finally, after two weeks of worrying, we found out this morning that Cori does not--as her OB believed was probable--have gestational diabetes. She passed her sugar test with flying colors and is looking forward to being able to have a piece of cake at each of baby showers!

So - the Fryars are on a roll, and we are completely ready (or, at least, we tell ourselves we are) for whatever comes next!

New Class 2009-2010

2009-08-22T09:52:00.002-05:00

Many of you know how much I loved my class last year... So, I was very nervous to be starting with a whole new class because my "babies" went off to middle school. I definitely had 28 kids, well maybe 24-25, that I would have claimed as my own last year. That is how much I loved that group.

Anyways, I woke up Wednesday morning very excited to meet this new group. I got dressed, Matt took a picture of me on heading out the door on the first day, and headed to school to make sure that everything was prepared. At 7:45, the bell rang and all the kids headed to their new classrooms. I saw all their new, very timid, faces as they were lined up outside my classroom. I was their calm face because many of them were very nervous to be in a new classroom with a new teacher. There were a few that were an exception and took to their new classroom and new teacher with ease (maybe a little too much!). I directed them all to their seats and explained what they needed to be doing with their supplies. At this point, they are all being so cute and nervous, and I am thinking that this is going to be another great year. About 45 minutes into the day, a few of my new students began showing their true personalities, and I was astonished! Last year, none of my students began showing their true colors until second semester.

Needless to say that by the end of the day, I was thinking that I would go ahead and take my maternity leave a few months early and just not come back! Matt calmed me down, and I went to school on Thursday with a much better attitude. My kids were great! I left feeling very refreshed and excited about my new class.

Here is a breakdown of my new kiddos:
16 girls
7 boys
4 Marshallese
6 Caucasian
13 Hispanic
4 SPED (including 1 autistic)
23 very sweet kids!

Clear Waters Are on the Horizon!

2009-08-20T11:08:00.006-05:00

As with, we assume, all expecting parents, we have been constantly worried about possible problems with Cori's pregnancy, including the possibility of Katie arriving before she was ready. I did a little research yesterday and found the following table of Survival Rates for Premature Babies:

23 weeks - 17%
24 weeks - 39%
25 weeks - 50%
26 weeks - 80%
27 weeks - 90%
28-31 weeks - 90-95%
32-33 weeks - 95%
34+ weeks - Almost as likely as a full-term baby

Cori is, today, 25 weeks 5 days... It is such a great feeling to know that she has almost carried Katie long enough that if she was born today, she would have an 80% chance of surviving to get to come to her home and be a part of our family! In just a couple weeks, we'll have a 95% chance of that dream being realized...

So - as far as our current worries, clear skies are on the horizon. I'm sure, though, that as first-time parents, we'll find plenty of other things to worry about in the coming weeks and months!

Puerto Vallarta

2009-08-12T21:00:00.008-05:00

Cori and I are home from Mexico and are both happy and sad that the summer is over and we're getting started on the very busy year ahead of us! Our vacation was absolutely perfect - we could not have asked for a more amazing trip... The weather was perfect, the resort and beach were beautiful, and the company was fantastic!

While we were in Puerto Vallarta, we spent most of our time by the pool, though we also spent plenty of time in the ocean. I learned how to boogie board, and Cori loved floating through the waves. We went into the city one day. And because the resort was all-inclusive, we had all authentic Mexican food that we could hold!

There was a different show at the resort each night - the Mexico show, the Latin Dance show, the Comedy show, the Circus show, etc. One night was a Karaoke Night... Cori and I both performed - Cori sang "Hopelessly Devoted to You" by Olivia Newton John and "Honey, I'm Home" by Shania Twain. I sang (appropriately) "Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House" by Garth Brooks. It was a lot of fun!

The best thing about the trip, though, was the view! We were surrounded on three sides (north, east, and south) by mountains, and the beautiful Pacific Ocean seemed endless to the west. We took a walk on the beach almost every night to watch the sunset.

Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Cori and I on the beach

The beautiful Pacific Ocean with the sun shining down on it

The Pacific Ocean with the sun starting to set

The amazing sunsets - it was this perfect every night
The view of our resort from the beach

Bar Exam and Mexico

2009-07-25T08:23:00.002-05:00

After three years of law school and two LONG months of studying for the Bar Exam, Matt is going to Little Rock next week to take the test that decides whether or not he gets to practice law. Talk about pressure!!! While Matt is in Little Rock, Cori has a workshop with several of her coworkers in Searcy, which will be a lot of fun.

On Thursday night, the Fryars will reunite at one of the hotels near the Little Rock airport and, at 6:15 a.m. on Friday, will fly to Houston, where they will get a connecting flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. For eight days and seven nights, the lawyer (hopefully) and the teacher will be doing nothing but laying on the beach, reading, and enjoying all the benefits of an all-inclusive resort! Check out where we're staying:

http://palaceresorts.com/Resorts/VallartaPalace/Index.asp

We fully intend to be computer-free for a couple weeks, but you can definitely expect to see picture of our much-needed vacation when we get back! Until then - adios!

A Day at the Park

2009-07-23T20:54:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday night, Emma spent the night with us. It was a lot of fun to spend the evening with a rambunctious seven year old! On Sunday morning, after going to Sunday School, we decided to take Emma and Cooper to J.B. Hunt Park. It was an absolutely beautiful day! Matt, Emma, and Cooper played on the playground for a little while, then we went for a walk/bike ride around the park. Emma, who is still learning to balance her big bike, had a great time, but I think Cooper had an even better time! He never stopped sniffing all the crazy smells around the trail, and he even saw and chased a squirrel (he chases birds all the time, but this was his first squirrel).

By the time we got down to Lake Springdale (really just more of a pond, but whatever), Cooper was really, really thirsty from all his running and smelling, so Matt decided to let him take a drink from the lake. Well, as you will see from the pictures below, that one drink quickly turned into a full-blown swim! Once we finally got him out of the water, we came across a small (and much cleaner) creek that we let him and Emma play in for a little while. It was a great day at the park, and we already can't wait to go back!

Matt, Emma, and Cooper rode on the swings - Cooper loved it!

Cooper turning his drink from the lake into a swim!

When we got to the creek, the first thing Cooper did was lay down in the water...
Emma decided to pick him up, but then she just got all wet, too!
It was a great day at the park, and we will definitely be taking Cooper back to play in the creek soon!

I love simple nights...

2009-07-17T20:43:00.002-05:00

I truly do. I love getting dressed up for no reason. I put on a dress and straightened my hair to go to Bassett Furniture, OK China Buffet, and Wal-Mart. You know what? It was the perfect night. I love my husband very much. We had great conversations and talked about all the places we want to visit. We also bought a couple of things for our little girl because we, well I, just couldn't resist. The sweet thing is... my money-conscious husband didn't even hesitate! He just let me get what I wanted. You want to know what else? He took a picture of me before we left because he just thought I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. How lucky am I?

The Newest Photo... Enjoy!