THE luckiest girls in the world...

This past Friday afternoon, around 2pm, I put Ginger down to sleep and felt my back "pop". This isn't a new phenomena- I have had back problems since I was 17, when it was identified that I have 3 herniated discs. These discs sometimes bulge onto my nerves and create what's called sciatica. It is excrutiatingly painful, and I called Paul right away. Luckily, Ginger napped while I waited for Paul to get home, and from that moment until now, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world (Ginger does too).

Paul has picked her up, held her, rocked her, brought her to me to nurse, picked her up to burp, played with her, sang to her, bathed her, watched cartoons with her, and put her down for her naps. He has taken all overnight duties (except nursing, of course, but he brings her to me and then rocks her afterwards).

While Ginger napped, he has emptied her diaper trashcan, washed her laundry, loaded the dishwasher, emptied the dishwasher, cooked us T-bone steaks, and cleaned out three drawers in the kitchen. He has also brought in a favorite chair of mine into the living room (good for my back) and brings me ice packs every hour. He reminded me to take motrin on schedule to help reduce the inflamation. He has assertively stated for me to sit down and relax when I tried to help out around the house.

Ginger adores him. She and Paul will lay together on the floor, on her favorite blanket, and play with her toys while watching cartoons. He has taught her how to hold and shake a rattle this weekend! We all watched The Notebook together yesterday (my favorite movie, and he loves all the old cars/the era of the movie so he likes it too) and as I looked at my little family, I realized that she and I are the luckiest girls in the world to have such a wonderful husband and father. I feel truly, truly blessed.

2 month vaccinations...

Ginger took a trip to the doctor's office today, and received her first full round of vaccinations. Being a first time mommy, I decided to take along Ginger's godmother (and my BFF) Shanna, as she's a nurse so she knows what's normal, vs. not. I am pleased to share the Ginger was a champ, and shed just a few tears while taking the shots. Within minutes she was back to smiling at Shanna, and we were on the road. This afternoon after waking from her nap, she was definitely sore and unhappy, but a little tylenol fixed the problem and other than being a little sleepy, she's been fine.

Some other good news- this little girl weighs in now at 13.1 lbs. and is 23 inches long. That puts her in the 95th and 90th percentile, respectively. That makes mommy happy!!

Peace, Love, and Rock & Roll!

Today, Ginger made her first visit to Troy Lee Designs to see Daddy (and be shown off to all of his coworkers who've been dying to meet her), and we had to get dressed in an uber-cool outfit for her debut. So we decided she would wear the "hippie" onesie that Troy gave us, and gosh does she ever look cute! I am out of control with the camera- she actually will pose now that she spends so much time in front of it. But this little girl is soooo cute that I can't stop taking pics of her!

When she's smilin'.....

she melts my heart! Looking back at these new pics I took yesterday, I am quickly realizing how fast she is growing. She's two days shy of 10 weeks old and on most days, I wish I could pause time and keep her this size- She found her smile, giggle, and laugh, and it makes me melt!

Rockin' the Cowgirl boots...

proud to say we have two pair of these boots, in cowgirl pink, and signature green...because every little girl needs to rock the cowgirl look!!

Playdate with the Coveys

What a great playdate we had today with my good friend Jaime and her sweet baby Ryen. First and foremost- Ryen is a DOLL and is one of the cutest babies I've ever seen!! I am NOT joking, she has such a sweet smile and was so fun to watch with Ginger! Jaime and I have known each other since 1994 (wow!) when we first met in computer/typing class. If I recall, I (the freshman) sat down in class next to the cutest boy in the class (a sophmore) who just happened to be Jaime's friend and, well, all the girls had a crush on him so I think there was a little of that too! Needless to say, Jaime and I didn't hit it off that day, but became friends soon after and have remained close ever since. What I love about her is that despite waves of lots of communication, and then periods of busy lives, we still maintain a great friendship and we always pick up where we left off.

Anyhoo, here are some great pictures from today- seriously isn't Ryen just adorable?

two things i love...

Ginger found herself in the mirror today, and apparently liked what she saw, as she stared for several minutes! Mommy, toys, and spongebob all could not distract her from herself...i wonder if this is a sign of things to come...


WE LOVE HAND-ME-DOWNS! My good friend Jovita, her mom, and little Dixie came for a visit today, and brought me two tubs worth of clothing that Dixie has grown out of. This is the second round of hand-me-downs we've recieved from them, and I couldn't appreciate it more! I rarely have to buy clothes for Ginger- as some of the stuff is practically brand new!! Thanks Jovita- I swear I'm going to get creative and repay you somehow!

Baby Shower #2

When my mom suggested (way back when) that her friends throw me a baby shower after the baby was born, I graciously accepted, but wondered how it would play out. Well, today was the baby shower and it was fabulous! The food was great, the attendees all got to oogle over Ginger, and they brought some really wonderful gifts. All in all, it was awesome- I ended up fixing up my registry beforehand, now knowing exactly what we needed, so this "shower" after the baby was born now makes complete sense!

Here are a few pics from the day:
The amazing spread!


Ginger and I getting ready to celebrate:



Opening a few gifts:


3 generations of women!

Note to self....

1. Make sure the new size 1 diapers are secure around the thighs and tummy
2. Daddy, make sure Ginger stays upright after a feeding, when you are hearing lots of rumbles down below...

Family Time!

Hangin' with the Harrisons!

Uncle Mike came for a visit from Texas:


Auntie Julie came for a visit from San Diego:


Uncle Chris came for a visit from Glendora:


Auntie Rhona came to snuggle with Ginger too!


Going for a walk around the lake in her stroller:


Lovin her little outfit!! What a Rock and Roll Princess!

7 weeks old today!

My mom said it is totally appropriate to celebrate weekly birthdays until about 3 months, so that said, today is Ginger's 7 week birthday and we are having a great day so far! It's interesting, this mother thing- some days I feel like we're finally getting into a routine, just to be thrown completely off the next day. I can say that as each day passes, I feel like I'm "getting it" down a little bit more. Paul has been a huge help, thank goodness, as well as my family and his mom. We are so lucky!