Florida Fewkes

Elsee in January

2012-01-31T21:27:00.000-05:00

It’s safe to say we have well over 3,000 photos of Elsee, who as you know is just barely 3 months old! We can’t help it, we want to capture every moment of her life! Which I’m pretty sure we are very close to accomplishing thus far. I am sure it will eventually fade (even though we hope it doesn't!) so for now I’ll plan to throw a few (or 20) photos together at the end of each month so we can really remember every moment!

Watch Me Grow- THREE MONTHS

2012-01-29T15:12:00.000-05:00

THREE MONTHS

ONE MONTH

Made it to 12!

2012-01-27T22:52:00.005-05:00

Elsee Joy Fewkes

January 21, 2012

12 weeks old

Weight: 11 pounds 8 ounces

Height: 23 inches long

My life at 12 weeks old:

Most of my newborn size outfits still fit, however my 0-3 month outfits are fitting me a lot better now! I am even too big for a few of my first outfits!

I wear size 1 diapers and have used a total of 673 diapers.

I am most happy in the mornings! Maybe I will be a morning person, like daddy.
I love to watch the ceiling fans go round and round and stare at the lights.
I am a light sleeper, unlike my mommy and daddy who could sleep through anything!
Being bounced on the large purple exercise ball calms me and give mommy and daddy a nice workout (and backaches!)
I got to meet Papa Bob and Nini and spend a whole week with them!
I am getting better at sucking my binky,
although I prefer my entire fist in my mouth to suck on.
I get the hiccups...a lot.
I spit up...a lot.
I drool..a lot and can even make bubbles.
I toot and burp like daddy.
My hair is growing, mainly in the back.
Sneezing makes me feel good.
I love to smile.
I love when mommy gives me a tummy massage.
My daddy makes up songs and sings them to me. I think they are funny.
I love going to work each day with mommy.
I love being outside. I've heard the weather isn't this nice everywhere we will live.
I am trying to grab things I see.
I love to make noises, I have giggled a few times.
I hear Jilly is coming again very soon to visit me!
I sleep better with white noise, so mommy gave me her old iPhone!
I am very squirmy.
My eyes get really wide when I hear a loud noise or when I am scared.
Around Weeks 9 & 10 I think mommy was having a rough time.
Mommy talks to me a lot! I can't wait to talk!
I just discovered a large picture of myself in the bathroom and love to stare at it!
I like to hold the neck of mommy's shirt when she holds me.
I still like to be swaddled, but mommy lets me have one arm free, I like that.
My mommy and daddy call me Tiny.

Big 5 for Huds!

2012-01-22T16:26:00.000-05:00

We were sad we couldn’t make it to Hudson’s Phineas & Ferb party…so we had a little celebration of our own!

Happy Birthday Huds! We Love You!

Look at these awesome cakes Abby made for the party!

What a great mom! Just one question- "where's Perry?"

ONE little Monkey!

2012-01-17T18:40:00.000-05:00

Benzy is ONE! I can’t believe it. Can’t wait for Elsee to meet him! They are going be besties! Most likely Thing 3 & Thing 4!

Happy Birthday little monkey! We love you!

Sunrise

2012-01-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

Something cool we like to show our visitors…

So when Robbie’s parents were here we, (well those of us that aren’t up in the middle of the night) woke up early to see the beautiful Florida sunrise!

Beach & Lights

2012-01-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

Papa Bob and Elsee before church.

We have a 30 minute drive to/from church on Sunday’s. So I try to have Elsee fall asleep on the way there and again on the way home. I usually hold the binky in her mouth and cover her up with her car seat cover. When I looked in a few minutes later to see if she was sleeping this is what I saw.

It made me laugh! She didn’t seem to mind. I figured it was probably better that more light was shut out. Don’t worry, I did take it off her eyes!

We got to the beach a little late last time, so we wanted to make sure to go when it was light out.

We had a nice little stroll along the beach. We saw a lot of fun things!

We drove around to try to show Robbie’s parents everything we possibly could. We stopped by the Lighthouse.

Downtown the lights are pretty cool, so we hit up the Lightner Museum and went for a walk downtown. Saint Augustine made the National Geographic Top 10 places to see Holiday Lights! Don’t get me wrong, it was pretty cool to see the article, but makes me wonder why Temple Square didn’t make the list! Here is the list if you are interested in seeing the others.

Fun smiles from the back seat!

Love this little girl!

Orlando Day Trip

2012-01-14T22:02:00.000-05:00

Saturday we took Robbie’s parents to Orlando and had a great time! We started the day off at the Orlando Temple, then to IKEA, the Florida Mall and Downtown Disney. We had so much fun!

Woody & Buzz were about 5 feet tall and made out of all Legos!

The dragon behind us in the water was all Legos as well! It was HUGE!

Like usual, I had to include some of my favorites from the back seat!

Fountain & Fort

2012-01-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

There is so much to do in our city! The only problem is Robbie is busy in school and we are just doing our normal day stuff so we haven’t been able to see EVERYTHING St. Augustine has to offer…yet. Luckily, visitors give us a good excuse to go out and see more.

Robbie gets out of school fairly early on Friday’s, so we took advantage of the afternoon and went to the Fountain of Youth (first time for us, and hey residents are FREE! Even better!) It was pretty cool, I am sure we will go back, there was more to see than we had time for.

They had the water there in little cups to taste from a real mineral well. I heard it was pretty nasty, so I passed…Robbie and his parents tried it…yep! It was nasty!

The walls are made of coquina and tabby. I probably should have taken a photo of them, but if you care to see it we had our Christmas family photos taken right out front of the wall. You can see what the wall looks like here.

Thought he was kind of creepy.

We walked along a pier which was pretty neat. There were also a lot of peacocks just roaming around.

After the Fountain of Youth we went to the Fort. This was mine and Robbie’s 3rd visit to the Fort, but it’s still pretty cool. So much history there! We planned it right so we could show Bob & Debra the live cannon firing.

I had to share my favorite photo of Elsee of the day!

Second Christmas!

2012-01-12T21:03:00.000-05:00

Robbie’s parents brought us Christmas presents when they came! They are very generous, and I couldn’t believe that Debra made almost everything!

Blanket/Play mat and a shopping cart cover.

Pillowcase and burp cloths! (can’t have too many of those!)

Cute little outfits.

While she was here she also made these cute little barefoot sandals for Elsee.

I LOVE them! They are so adorable on her little feet!

She made more flowers so we can trade out the colors.

I also did Deb’s hair while I was here.

We went to the beach the first night and ate at a yummy restaurant, Beachcomber’s. It's RIGHT on the beach. It was a fun night, pretty sure we will be back! It was nice Bob & Deb let us celebrate with them on their Anniversary!

We ate Gator Tale…and they were delish!

Meeting Papa Bob & Nini!

2012-01-11T21:12:00.002-05:00

On our way to the airport to meet Papa Bob & Nini (Robbie's parents).

After a long delay in Denver due to snow they made it! Luckily no snow here! Actually, it's a lovely 70 degrees, if you were wondering!

We are so excited to have them here visiting us and especially for Elsee to meet them!

Back to Reality

2012-01-09T21:09:00.006-05:00

Robbie started his second semester this past week and I “went” back to work. I have been so lucky to be able to work from home since we have moved here and feel so blessed to be able to make it work with baby Elsee. There is no way I would be able to leave her everyday! It definitely is the best of both worlds. After more than two weeks I think Elsee is finally over her cold. Which worked out just in time for us to get into a routine and figure out our daily schedule. So far so good.

Here are some photos of Elsee and I at the “office.”

Sometimes she’s right next to me…

She loves to hang out on her play mat

She loves to sit right on my lap. (luckily I don’t have to see the keyboard to type!)

And when I am lucky she even sleeps on the job!

Another great thing is our Snugli. She loves to just hang out in it and it makes it really easy for me to be hands free.

I know it’s just the first week, but this seems pretty manageable to me and I am really looking forward to continue to work. The only challenging part is I am not always able to pick up my phone to call someone or to answer when it rings. I just know the one time I risk it, my baby will let out a loud scream…so still working on that part! That’s another reason e-mail is so great. The person receiving the message doesn’t know I am holding my baby while typing! One advantage is the time difference, even though Robbie won’t be home until 5:00pm most days it is only 3:00pm Utah time. I am sure there will be hard days and each stage will be different and we will need to adjust, but for now it’s been pretty relaxing just hanging out all day. I just happen to be at the computer.

Daddy’s Do Differently…

2012-01-08T21:36:00.001-05:00

Robbie and I are very different—opposites attract, right? We like to have things our own ways and have learned how important it is to compromise and not sweat the small stuff in order to make each other both happy (& sane!) Over the years I have learned there isn’t just one way (aka my way) to do things, not that I have 100% accepted this teaching, I am just aware. Well, come to find out Robbie and I do things different when it comes to Elsee…

I usually get her ready to sleep like this…

Robbie likes to just let her be, so when he puts her down for a nap she looks more like this…

Looks like she may need a king size bed when she’s older!

One thing I have been extremely grateful for is the lack of pride in our home with Elsee. Robbie and I both do like things “our ways” but when it comes to Elsee Robbie has been SO good! He asks for my opinion and asks questions before assuming anything. He never gets upset if I suggest another way, or bring things to his attention he may not have noticed. I am trying so hard to be consistent with things for Elsee’s sake (or maybe just mine?), so it is really nice that Robbie is willing to do things the same way, even if it is “my way.” Likewise, Robbie is helping me be a better mom as well! I love how involved he IS and WANTS to be!He only had to wait 7 1/2 years for this…but she was totally worth the wait! Oh, and don’t think he isn’t already taking about baby #2! I think we are a good team and if we both work hard with any luck Elsee will turn out to be the perfect child everyone hopes for…right? haha…

Good Morning!

2012-01-07T21:39:00.000-05:00

I am so lucky to be able to wake up to this happy face every morning!

Maybe she is just what I need to be a “morning person.”

Cupcake for Haidy Lady!

2012-01-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

Today is Elsee’s cousin, Haidyn’s birthday. Haidyn LOVES cupcakes and Elsee just happens to have this little outfit that she wanted to wear to celebrate Haidyn’s Birthday---2,000 miles away!

Happy 3rd Birthday Haidy! We’ll be there to celebrate with you for your 7th Birthday! (wow! that’s a long time!)

I spy…

2012-01-04T21:52:00.001-05:00

For Christmas my parents got us the baby monitor set I had by eye on. It’s the best thing ever, not only can I hear her, I can see her anytime I want!

It has a little camera you can place anywhere you want and it shows up on a little mini screen (5 inches) plus it has sound. We also have another sound only one we can have on in another room. It’s very portable we can move around if needed.

I can see her when she is sleeping…

and…when she’s not sleeping!

I swear she knows I am watching her. Sometimes she just looks right at the camera and smiles or makes faces! Lots of times she will just lay their quietly and eventually fall back asleep. I think if I went in and saw she was awake (and she saw me!) she would want out. It’s also very reassuring to a new paranoid mother to be able to SEE that her baby is okay! I love it! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Happy First Year!

2012-01-02T15:06:00.002-05:00

Elsee is ready for her first year! We are looking forward to an exciting 2012!

3 Baby Tools!

2011-12-31T14:12:00.007-05:00

So...yes I know I have only been a mommy for 9 weeks but I wanted to share the three most helpful baby tools I have been using to make motherhood enjoyable, like it should be! Don't get me wrong, I have had a lot of great advice from my wonderful mom, sisters, and friends, which is nice to hear (well most of the time), but it's even better to have these tools in one place as an immediate reference and I'll explain why. I would never complete this post if I told you EVERYTHING about each one of them, so I will try to share the highlights of each. They were all recommended by wonderful mothers, so they've got to be good, right? I hope other moms can benefit from these like I have! I couldn't decide of an order of importance, so they are listed in the order that I got them.

First off, I am the last person who wants to pick up a book and read it. I think I might have read one book all of High School and maybe a couple in Jr. High. I am so not a reader! Just so we are clear, I do know HOW to read, I just don't enjoy it. The only thing that goes through my head while I am reading is "this is such a waste of time, there is so much stuff I need to be doing!" So, I am not one to "curl up with a good book" so they say. You will find me doing anything BUT reading. So with that disclaimer I will introduce the first baby tool.

1st Baby Tool- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

This book was referred to me by my friend Brandy. She is an amazing mother and I have always been so impressed by how well her kids sleep, both with naps and during the night. She is a mother of four and each child is very different, but somehow this mom has managed to get it right! I may be wrong, but from my observation the most sane other's are those whose kids actually sleep! I am hoping I can be half as good as she is with the naps and bedtimes for my children.

I purchased this book several months before I had my baby, which was good, because it has 503 pages! Yes, I was scared, but started reading it, very slowly and learned a lot in the first few chapters; why healthy sleep is so important, sleep strategies, bedtime routines, and sleep problems and solutions. The best part about this book is you don't have to read this book cover to cover. It is sectioned off for the ages of your children. It not only prevents sleeping problems it solves already bad sleeping habits children may have developed, so it can be used for any ages. The author, who is one of the country's leading pediatricians, has a step-by-step regime for instituting beneficial habits within the framework of your child's natural sleep cycle. He also goes into detail about why they are doing certain things and shares several patent's stories. If you never care to read this book I leave you with the MOST valuable piece of information I have learned--2 hours of wakefulness. I couldn't believe it, but he is right! My baby is rarely up for more than 1 1/2 to 2 hours during the day (at least this young) before getting very drowsy and the need for sleep!

2nd Baby Tool-

Your Baby's First Year- Week by Week

This book was given to me by my friend Jennie at my baby shower. She LOVES to read so I wasn't surprise when she gave me a book. As I opened it I said "I don't read!" (which she already knew). She assured me that it's not really "reading" and that I would love it. Sure enough, I do! This book as been extremely helpful to me. It covers just about any little thing you can think of and gives you assurance that your baby is "normal" or on track. It has been extremely helpful to have the index to look up random questions that pop into my head. For example; how long does those little bumps on her nose stay there, how far can she actually see right now, what type of toys are appropriate at a particular age, or how much should she weight? I could go on and on about all the useful information in this book. When my husband asks me a question and I can usually find the answer in this book. It is such a great resource and I love it! If you plan to purchase it, start reading it before your baby is born, I opened it up when we got home from the hospital and realized I was already 22 pages behind! There are several other books out there that are similar, which I haven't read, but this one is the best, just ask Jennie! (I wouldn't be surprised if she's read the others as well!)

3rd Baby Tool- Total Baby App

This last tool was recommended by a new mother, Cory whose baby is only 4 months older than mine. This tool might not be as easy to come by as the above books. This tool requires you to have an iPhone. I have also discovered there is an App for other smart phones called Baby ESP, which is VERY similar. Yes it is $4.99, but can I just tell you it's the ONLY app I have ever paid more than 99 cents for and it was worth every penny! With this baby tool it tracks EVERYTHING! The most common ones I use are feedings, diaper changes, and sleeping. Along the top (see the photo) it will show you how long it has been since the last entry. I am able to use the "two hours of wakefulness" rule by simply looking at the top to view how long she has been awake. You can keep track of anything you can think of. You can enter items as a timed event or as a one time event as well as your baby's growth. Once you have everything input you can also see a chart of all the data. Those of you who know me know I love charts and graphs! This app make it easy for me to see her sleep patterns so I can estimate when a good time to do something is. Time goes by SO fast or extremely slow some days and I have really appreciated having something else keep track of all the time. When my baby cries I think "I just fed her" or "I just changed her diaper" and I look at my phone and see "oh! duh! it's time for her to sleep!" The same thing happens when I think I just fed her, but actually sometimes it has been three hours since her last feeding! It's also been very helpful when purchasing diapers. I know exactly how many diapers she goes through each day and can get a better idea how how long each box will last. It makes sense to think "oh a box of 100 that will last a while." When in reality if she is going through 8 (or more!) diapers per day you'll be back at the store in less than two weeks! Another great thing about this app is that you can keep track of milestones, diary entries, doctor visits as well as all the vaccines she's been given. You can sync as well as export and e-mail the data to yourself. You can really customize and add anything you want to this app! The creator is constantly working to make it even better. In fact I e-mailed a suggestion to them this morning. It's everything about your baby and it's all in one place! It's amazing and I LOVE it!

There are so many products out on the market for baby's these days. My friend gave me her list of "top ten" baby items and I think I am slowly developing my own favorite items and am hoping to post my "top ten" soon.

Honestly, was this helpful or do most new mother's already know everything?

2 Month Check Up

2011-12-30T21:51:00.004-05:00

Today Elsee had her 2 Month Well Visit.

Weight: 10 pounds 11 ounces (50th percentile)

Height: 22 1/2 inches (50th percentile)

Head: 15.75 inches (75th percentile)

So looks like Elsee is pretty average size with a large head, which obviously translates to big brain which equals extremely smart, right?

Something about the stethoscope that makes Elsee smile.

She must be ticklish!

Yes and the shots were today…I was really scared for Elsee! But I didn’t need to be, she wasn’t! She did SO good. The first one she got really wide eyed, the second one, she whimpered, the third one she cried but stopped seconds after we picked her up! She is a tough girl! Lets hope she’s okay when we go back for another round in February!

While the nurse was checking out Elsee, she laid there staring up at the nurse and the nurse said “she seems like she wants to talk to me!” She’s my girl! Like mother, like daughter- Tough & a Talker!

Watch Me Grow! TWO MONTHS

2011-12-29T19:22:00.001-05:00

TWO MONTHS

ONE MONTH

ONE WEEK

Robbie’s Girls

2011-12-28T19:28:00.000-05:00

Darcy & Elsee

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T20:16:00.000-05:00

I got up just before 7:00 to feed Elsee…my plan was to go right back to bed…but Robbie was a little too excited on Christmas morning…by the time Elsee was done eating there were three separate piles of presents on the couch, one for each of us. I didn’t even get a chance to take a picture of the presents under the tree!

Elsee is only 8 weeks old and is already spoiled!

She got a cute onesie from her “awesome auntie” Haley and books from the Hartman’s.

Lots of books and DVD’s.

She’s our little Sleeping Beauty! (for now at least!)

I made this book for her of photos of her first six weeks. Someday hopefully she will like it as much as I do!

My mom got her these cute little boots! Aren’t they adorable? Can’t wait until they fit her!

She’s not quite sure what to think about all this!

Robbie scored pretty big this year as well!

Tie from Haley, Shirts and cologne from Darcy, and oh…is that an iPhone? Actually…it’s not…just the box. But he gets to go pick one out this week! I didn’t know if he wanted white or black and didn’t want to risk it!

“Hey! Where’s Perry?”

“oh there you are Perry!”

Robbie’s favorite little friends!

Robbie, Ferb, Perry & Phineas

Elsee got this for me!

I hope she always thinks of me as her bestie! I know my mom is mine!

I got lots of great stuff! My mom and dad got us a video baby monitor! We love it! I also got a couple pair of shoes, a necklace, lap desk, CraftArtist software, and a new phone case.

After presents Robbie made a yummy breakfast for us! My favorite part was the smoothie. He makes the BEST smoothies!

On Saturday the ER doctor let us know he wanted us back for a recheck…so on Sunday we headed back to the ER. Luckily they didn’t have to do as much and we weren’t gone nearly as long.

Robbie and I were grateful to spend all day together as a family. Our first Christmas together, our family of three.

Robbie made a delicious dinner for us. Steak and baked potatoes!

She really is the “best gift ever!”

mERry christmas

2011-12-24T21:01:00.005-05:00

Have you ever noticed the letters ER in mERry? Well..that’s just where we spent our Christmas Eve. Can I just tell you there is nothing mERry about the Emergency Room!

A few days earlier we had noticed Elsee coughed a few times. Of course we noticed it, but didn’t think much of it. We just thought something must have tickled her throat. Until Saturday that is…we noticed she was coughing more and it was usually followed by some gagging. We were really worried when it kept happening. We called the on call doctor and when he called back he gave us some advice and suggested if it got worse to take her to the Children’s Hospital ER in Jacksonville. Elsee took a pretty good nap and when she woke up she was even worse. Very congested and mucusy. By this time we were really worried, we decided to head to the ER. It was about 40 minutes away, so we decided we didn’t want to wait until things got even worse since it would take so long to get there.

Elsee is such a happy baby that it is really hard to tell that she isn’t feeling well. Robbie and I can tell, but to others she probably doesn’t seem sick at all. This was the case when we got to the ER. The nurse laid her down to weigh her and was using her stethoscope to check her lungs. Each time she would move the stethoscope Elsee would look at her and smile. She must be ticklish! The nurses all thought she was so cute and couldn’t help but smile when they looked at her.

We then got to our room and she got to wear this cute little gown.

I couldn’t believe after I looked at this picture! She looks JUST like Robbie! First time I have seen it!

They did chest and stomach xrays. (which she hated! especially since the nursed bonked the back of her head on the machine!)

It was so hard to see the nurses and doctors poke at her! It’s so hard to have a sick baby, she’s only 8 weeks old!

Luckily her chest and stomach looked good and the test for RSV was negative. Doctor said she had a cold…estimated it would last 3 or 4 days. I sure hope he’s right!

She was so exhausted after a long day/night in the ER. I’m glad it’s nothing TOO bad, but I still hate seeing her sick. She doesn’t know we have to do it all again tomorrow.

Before going to bed we read a Christmas book my mom and dad sent us, The Spirit of Christmas. It was so cute. It even made me cry. I think my mom wanted to make sure we missed her--yep! It did the trick!

Life at 8 weeks old

2011-12-24T09:39:00.005-05:00

Elsee Joy Fewkes

December 24, 2011

8 weeks old

Weight: 10 pounds 6 ounces

Height: 21 1/4 inches long

My life at 8 weeks old:

I still fit in and wear my newborn size clothes, however I do like wearing my 0-3 month jammies, they are big and comfy on me.

I wear size 1 diapers and have used a total of 472 diapers.

I get extremely exhausted and need several naps a day, like daddy.

I love to lay in my room and stare around at all the fun colors and things! Mommy & Jilly wonder if I am ever going to be able to fall asleep in there.

I love all my soft blankets and love to cuddle.
I have red hair, just like mommy.
My eyes are still the blue/grayish they were when I was born, still not sure what color they will be!

I don't really love when mommy puts headbands and bows on me, but I am getting more used to it.

I love baths, but I don't love being naked and wet, outside of my bath.

I make lots of cute noises.
I am a happy baby and smile a lot!

Mommy and Daddy just stare at me most of the time and say I am the cutest baby.

I like to go on walks and ride in my stroller.

I think I am suppose to be excited for Christmas tomorrow, not sure what that's all about, but I know there are a lot of presents for me under the tree.

I love to Skype and see all the people that love me.

Jilly, Grandpa and Brandy have met me and I am excited for Papa Bob and Nini to meet me in 18 days!

My mommy and daddy love me.

Family Pictures 2011

2011-12-22T14:22:00.000-05:00

I love this street! I have been thinking it would be a great place for photos, so when we were ready to take family pictures this year this is where we went! My friend Brandy, who is a great photographer took them for us while she was here visiting. I waited until I sent out our Christmas cards to post these. Here are some of our favorites!

I love our little family of three!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-20T10:11:00.000-05:00

We want to wish you a Merry Christmas and give you an update on our little family.

2011 was a very exciting year for us! In March we took an incredible trip to Beijing & Hong Kong. It was a once in a life time opportunity & we are so lucky to have gone. In May Robbie graduated from the University of Utah with his Bachelors in Athletic Training. In August we took the long trek across the country to our new home in St. Augustine, Florida.

We were able to visit some great places along the way as well as visit family and friends.

In October we welcomed our beautiful baby Elsee into our family.

Robbie is currently attending the University of St. Augustine where he will receive his masters in occupational therapy and a doctorate in physical therapy. It will be a long road, but we know it will be worth it and look forward to the experiences we will have here. Ironically, the three dreams he had when we got married all happened in the same year; visiting China, being accepted in physical therapy school & having a baby. Robbie is such a great daddy and really loves it!

Darcy continues to work for the Salt Lake City law firm she has been with for the past four years. The best part is she is able to do it from home! She loves it and it has been such a blessing to our family to be able to make it work.

Any spare time Darcy had this year she spent organizing & preparing for baby Elsee!

Her creativity side has really started to show! Being a mom is even better than Darcy thought it would be.

Elsee was born October 29, 2011. She is such a beautiful and extremely happy baby. We love to see her smiles and hear her little noises! We are so lucky to have her as a part of our family. Elsee brings so much joy into our lives. She is perfect and we love her!

We love Florida! It has been quite the change for us but we are enjoying every minute of it.

We love visitors and would be happy to show you around our new city!

We have been so blessed this year and are grateful for the gospel in our lives. We are thankful for such great family and friends. We appreciate your love, support and friendship.

We are grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and his example. We know he lives and loves us.

With Love, Robbie, Darcy & Elsee Fewkes

Jilly's Christmas Party

2011-12-18T21:44:00.013-05:00

Elsee was pretty sad that she couldn't make it to Jilly's Christmas party. They made gingerbread houses and got a present from Santa...without her!

Elsee REALLY wants to go next year!

You'd cry too if you saw this picture of all your cousins and you weren't in it!

Annie, Hudson, Haidyn, Camdyn & Benson

Footprints

2011-12-18T18:41:00.000-05:00

Robbie had a cute idea to make a tie with Elsee's feet! He wore it proudly to church!

Brandy Visits!

2011-12-13T15:52:00.001-05:00

One of my best friends, Brandy came for a visit! All the way from Colorado! I couldn’t believe it! We were so excited that she was coming! You may be thinking, what’s the big deal…well the big deal is Brandy has FOUR kids SIX and under…and she came all by herself! She’s such an amazing mom and I am always amazed at what she can juggle…especially this!
Even though Brandy came to help us I wanted to make sure she had a relaxing trip while she was here. It’s not every day you get to go to Florida by your self! Unfortunately the few days she was here it rained…and rained…and rained! There is SO much stuff to do here, but most of it is outside. Luckily we were able to do a couple of the indoor things I had planned.
Picking Brandy up at the airport.
Brandy LOVES chocolate…so I wanted to make sure and take her on a tour at the Whetstone Chocolate Factory. Apparently Brandy looks young enough to get the child admission!
Have you seen the Chocolate episode of I Love Lucy?
If not, for a laugh, watch it here: http://youtu.be/0YGF5R9i53A

Some Sunday photos.

Monday morning we dropped Robbie off at school and I gave Brandy the car tour of the entire city! It was fun. It was pouring rain, the streets were rivers! It made me a little nervous to drive! Our tires were completely submerged in water!
Later that day we went at got massages! I was so lucky that Elsee slept the entire time!
That evening the rain stopped long enough for us to walk around downtown. The lights are so beautiful and fun downtown!

We planned to go to dinner at Osteen’s and then get ice cream at one of our favorite places, Cold Cow. Well, turns out both Osteen’s and Cold Cow are closed on Monday’s and Brandy was leaving on Tuesday! Maybe next time!
We woke up early enough on Tuesday that Brandy could take our Christmas family pictures before Robbie’s final and Brandy’s flight! She did such a great job! I love them! I’ll post those at some point!
We had so much fun with Brandy! We were lucky to steal her for a few days! I loved just chatting with her and learning so much about being a mom! She’s the best and I am hoping to someday be as wonderful as she is!

Tampa Trip

2011-12-05T18:28:00.001-05:00

Over the summer my cousin, Gabe found out his soccer team was going to Nationals. The tournament would be in Tampa, Florida in December! My cousins live in Pennsylvania and we don’t get to see them very often so the thought of them only being a few hours away from us was really exciting! We didn’t make any set plans until we knew for sure we were able to make it, since Elsee would only be a few weeks old. When the time came everyone was healthy and happy…so we went!

Elsee’s little suitcase (of course we had her stroller, diaper bag, car seat, and pack-n-play so even though she’s little, she takes up a lot of space!)

Elsee meeting her cousins!

Kate, Cameryn & Olivia with Elsee

We couldn’t believe how big everyone is getting!

Cameryn, Elsee & Kate

While Gabe was doing this…

Elsee was doing this…

Beebe Family

Back: Robbie, Elsee, Darcy, Stacey, Olivia, Christian

Front: Kate, Luke, Cameryn

Us with Gabe, the celebrity!

Somehow we missed James….so he got a solo picture.

We had a lot of fun in the short time we were able to spend with them. Gabe did a great job and so did his team. The last day we were there we went to Orlando on a swamp air boat ride. It was pretty fun!

It was pretty loud, so we all wore these head phones. Elsee pretty much slept through the entire tour.

So she missed out on seeing these guys!

On the boat

Kate & Robbie Stacey & Cameryn

Robbie & Elsee Cameryn & Elsee

Cameryn was so cute with Elsee. She kept putting her hand on there and peeking underneath her blanket to make sure she was okay.

Darcy, Elsee & Robbie

After the boat ride we met Oscar the alligator and even got to hold him. (The photos aren’t the best because I wasn’t really suppose to be taking photos…one of those things that you buy them for $20 after—you know, a total rip off!)

Luke & Olivia

Christian & James

Robbie & Elsee

I guess Elsee is a true Floridian…already holding an alligator at 5 weeks old!

We had a great mini vacation, thanks Beebe’s!

Jilly Time

2011-12-01T16:36:00.000-05:00

My mom was able to come and spend TWO weeks with us. We LOVED having her, but wish she could have stayed even longer. Time went by way too fast! She was so helpful. She cleaned, cooked, and helped out with Elsee. Of course, her favorite part was being with Miss E. Elsee’s favorite thing was going on a walk almost every day with Jilly!

Jilly loved snugglin’ with Elsee.

She couldn’t stop giving her kisses! Elsee loved it.

We went downtown to see the lights and shops. Elsee LOVED the lights, she couldn’t stop staring at them!

Tree is up! (believe it or not!)

2011-11-30T22:41:00.000-05:00

Most of you probably know, much to my mom and sister’s dismay, I am not one who loves to put up Christmas decorations like they do! I love how it looks, but I hate to put them away, what a chore. Also, finding a place to store all the decorations one collects is not something I am ready to master…so…

Luckily my mom was here and put up our Christmas tree for us!

Doesn’t it look so cute!

Now I should probably wrap our presents to finish off the look…I guess that means I need to go buy some!

Now the question is will I take it down before my mom comes back in February…or will I let her do it?

Watch Me Grow! ONE MONTH

2011-11-29T21:26:00.002-05:00

ONE MONTH…compare to one week below!

ONE WEEK

First Adventures for Elsee

2011-11-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

While my mom and dad were here we took them around the city and showed them a few sites. Before they came Elsee and I didn’t get out much, so this was a big deal! We had a lot of fun and Elsee was so good!

We rode the trolley around and got the full tour of the city of St. Augustine. It included 22 stops of great places to visit.

We went to the Lighthouse. Robbie, my mom and dad walked the 219 steps to the top! It’s a beautiful view of the city from up there!

Elsee isn’t tall enough yet so her and I waited at the bottom.

(above right - middle of the photo)

We had to visit the beach. Hard to believe it’s mid-November!

Walked around the city.

Visited the Oldest Drug Store and…

sat on Santa’s lap!

We took a tour of Flagler College, which was originally the Ponce de Leon Hotel.

We also visited the Lightner Museum and took a walk around the courtyard.

We also did some shopping and ate at a couple good restaurants! We had such a great time with my parents. It was so fun to have them visit and meet Elsee! I can’t wait until my mom comes back in February!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T23:41:00.000-05:00

My dad joined us on Thanksgiving day and spent a week with us.

It was fun to have him join our party!

Eating our Thanksgiving dinner! Delicious!

We didn’t want Elsee to miss out on her first Thanksgiving, so we pulled the ottoman up so she could join us!

I am thankful my mom and Robbie were here to cook everything so I could just hang out with Elsee! We had a great Thanksgiving!

First Bath

2011-11-17T16:05:00.000-05:00

Elsee’s umbilical cord finally fell off so we got to give her a real bath in her own little tub.

Jilly was even there to help!

& I can’t forget to show this…

Jilly Arrives!

2011-11-16T17:32:00.001-05:00

Look how excited she is!

Elsee & Jilly

Elsee’s First Doctor’s Appointment

2011-11-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 (2 weeks, 3 days old)

Weight: 7 lbs 13 oz - Height: 20 3/4 inches - Head: 14.17 inches

Daddy & Elsee watched “Bugs Life” in the waiting room. Taking measurements

Head: 14.17 inches Height: 20 3/4 inches

Doctor says she perfect!

Elsee & Dr. Cline

Before & After

2011-11-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

I LOVE Before & After Photos--so far this is my all time FAVORITE "after" result!

First Stroller Ride

2011-11-09T22:31:00.000-05:00

Elsee LOVES to be outside.

I am so glad we a will be able to take her on walks all year round!

Newborn Photo Shoot!

2011-11-06T23:04:00.000-05:00

This was the first of many photo shoots for baby Elsee! Thanks to my friend Brittany Stoddard for taking them and being so patient! She did a great job and I love all of them! I think this one is my favorite! So pretty in pink!

Mommy & Me

Lots of people love me and I was lucky enough they made me a blankey! I love all of them!

Nini made me all THREE of these ones! (Grandma Fewkes)

One of mommy’s best friends, Erin made me this cute blanket with a fun print on the other side. She even made me matching burp cloths!

Mimi, Erin’s mom, made this quilt for me!

Mommy’s other best friend, Riley made me this blanket!

I am such a happy baby!

Jilly made me this soft pink blanket, it has yellow on the other side.

I LOVE to wiggle my arm out of my blankey when I sleep. No matter how tightly wrapped I am!

Some other favorites!

I already LOVE playing dress up! I can’t wait to go to Utah and play dress up with my cousins!

Daddy & Mommy LOVE me SO much!

Our little family!

Watch me grow!

2011-11-06T19:20:00.000-05:00

I have picked a laundry basket and Elsee’s “E” to document her growth from month to month. Here is the first one when she is only a week old.

ONE WEEK OLD

2011-11-05T23:09:00.000-04:00

After just five days home Elsee already filled up an entire sack of diapers!

1st Outing

2011-11-02T23:14:00.000-04:00

Elsee’s first outing was to Hobby Lobby to get a notebook so I could record everything about her! Hope I remember to do that!

and…

Cold Cow for some yummy ice cream!

Count Down!

2011-11-02T22:03:00.000-04:00

Look how many days until Jilly & Grandpa get to meet me!

I can’t wait!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:25:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween from Perry the Platypus and our little pink skeleton!

Our little pink skeleton even glows in the dark!

Official Announcement!

2011-10-30T19:06:00.000-04:00

Elsee’s BIRTH day!

2011-10-29T14:22:00.003-04:00

(feel free to just scroll down to the pictures!)

It all started Wednesday evening…at that point I knew this baby wasn’t going to wait much longer to make her appearance! I had contractions all through the night on Wednesday, about 20 minutes apart. They weren’t totally painful, just very uncomfortable. About 4:00am I did what people have said helps; I took a warm bath and drank a lot of water. Well, if they did slow things down, it wasn’t much…Thursday during the day the contractions were still there, just not as frequent. Luckily I found a free app for my phone and I could accurately keep track of when they occurred. I worked Thursday and at night went to a baby shower my ward gave me. I didn’t want to be one of those people that told everyone I was in labor and then not have my baby for another couple of weeks. Besides I had never been in labor before, I wasn’t quite sure what it felt like! Thursday night I went to bed and the contractions continued, much worse than the night before, but still tolerable. By this time I had taken three warm baths in a twenty four hour period. Robbie had no idea what was going on next to him all night. To be honest, I didn’t want him to get too excited that this baby was coming. I woke up exhausted Friday morning since I'd had very little sleep. I had four to six contractions an hour all night, so still not ready for the hospital, but they sure weren’t stopping! I continued to work on Friday and tried to get organized in the event I didn’t last until Monday. I was so tired and just wanted to sleep. Again, during the day the contractions weren’t THAT bad; as it got later they got worse. Around 5:30 I ate a tiny bit of dinner, but just didn’t really feel like eating anything else. I really wanted to go out with Robbie on one last date that night, but I really didn’t feel up to it. While I laid in bed he ordered Chinese and watched a movie. I Skyped with my friend to help keep my mind off the contractions. By this time I was extremely exhausted and told myself that if I had X amount more contractions over the next couple hours I would go to the hospital. Well it was just after 11:00pm and they weren’t stopping. The only problem is that three or four contractions would be really close together and then the next one would be 7-12 minutes later. They weren’t the 3-5 minutes apart like everyone said they needed to be. I then got out of bed, made sure everything was ready, walked out of my room and asked Robbie if he wanted to go to the hospital. Wow! Was he excited…but being the person I am I made him help me clean the kitchen and front room before we left. I told him not to get too excited and that I wasn’t totally dying of pain it was just the fact of having to go a third night with no sleep I just didn’t want to do it. So…we were off!

We got to the hospital just after midnight. Robbie ran and got me a wheelchair (please I could walk!), but he insisted. Then I realized it wouldn’t be a good idea to just stroll on in to labor and delivery, they would probably think I wasn’t “ready.” So the wheelchair was good, thanks Robbie! We went through the emergency room (since it was after hours) and the lady asked me what I was there for. One thing I wasn’t prepared for was what to say when they asked me that…I sort of stuttered and said “uhh…I just need to see if I am ready to have a baby.” She then asked me how far along I was (which made me laugh), and the security guy escorted us up to the 2^nd floor, Labor & Delivery. I then pressed the button for them to let me in, and was asked the same question…again my response “uhh…I need to see if I am ready to have a baby.” I guess that answer was good enough, since they buzzed me in. They put me in the room that Robbie and I called “you think you are ready, but we’ll tell you if you really are” room. The nurse came in shortly after to check me. Sure enough I was dilated to a FIVE! She said she was pretty sure they would admit me, but they needed to call my doctor. She then came back and said just to make sure I am progressing they wanted me to walk around for a little while. (which was something I avoided, my plan was to be in bed until Tuesday!) I thought, okay I can do that. She then said “okay, so walk around for an hour and come back.” AN HOUR! Are you kidding me? It was 12:30am and I was exhausted as it was…but being the obedient person I am Robbie and I walked the halls at the hospital, yes in the lovely blue gown, for an entire hour. Robbie was in charge of my phone and keeping track of the contractions. Within that hour I had a total of 18 contractions—yep! pretty sure I was progressing! We got back and they admitted me. I told the nurse that wasn’t very fun, and she replied “at least you did it, most of the time people just go out there and sit on the couch for an hour.” Oh, I didn’t know that was an option!

They went ahead and ordered the epidural at that time since it would take a little while for the anesthesiologist on call to come. They took me to my room, hooked me up to the machines, I signed all the papers, and shortly after my epidural had arrived! It was about 3:30am when things were actually “ready.” At that time I was able to actually sleep for the first time in days! About 5:15am they came in to check me and my water broke. I was dilated to 6 centimeters by that time and by 8:30 I was only at a 7 ½. They had hooked up the pitocin to speed things up, but at this time realized there was a little kink in it, so it wasn’t doing what it was supposed to. Once they unkinked it I was at a 9 by 10:15am and a 10 by 11:00! At 11:20am I started pushing and by 12:22pm she was born!

My doctor had come in periodically to check me that morning, but the first thing he said when he walked in was “Hey! It’s not November 11^th!” I just laughed and he said “I had a feeling I would be seeing you this weekend.” He did great! I was so nervous about finding a doctor since I only had about 10 weeks left by the time we moved here. Luckily I had a friend that was able to refer me!

Now that I have written out the story, here are some pictures to illustrate it.

Hooking me up and getting me ready!

One of my favorites, and first nurse, Brandy.

Robbie just waiting…

Getting things ready for baby!

I’m at a TEN! Do we look excited or what?

Setting up Skype for my family…Dr. Dhas meeting my mom!

Jilly, Annie & Camdyn are ready to see Baby Elsee.

Here we go!

Here she comes!

                                              Born at 12:22pm

Robbie cutting the cord!

Just seconds old!

Love at first sight!

First family photo!

Beautiful Baby Elsee!

Me: Oh yeah….Robbie do you want to hold her? (he couldn’t take his eyes off of her!)

Robbie’s first time holding his baby!

Us & Dr. Dhas

Texting everyone we know!

Meeting Jilly and family via Skype

Off to take a bath and get checked out!

Again, Robbie couldn’t stop starring!

First Bath!

Elsee Joy Fewkes – 7 lbs 8 oz, 19 inches long

                                   Head: 13 1/2 inches                      Chest: 13 inches

Welcome to the world baby Elsee, We LOVE you!

Welcome Elsee!

2011-10-29T14:22:00.002-04:00

Baby Elsee was born at 12:22pm on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

She weighted 7 pounds 8 ounces and was 19 inches long.

She's perfect and we just love her!

More photos coming soon...

Bags are packed...

2011-10-29T01:11:00.007-04:00

Our bags are packed....

and we're ready to go!

I'm standin' here inside the house,
I know you've been waiting for me to say it's time.

The time has come, it's late at night,
Contractions are killin', she's ready to come,
I'm in so much pain I could die.

So kiss me and smile with me,
Tell me that we'll be okay,
Hold me like you'll never let me go.

'Cause we're on our way to have a baby,
don't know what life will be like now,
Oh, babe, I can't wait see!

There are so many times you've wanted this,
So many times I've said not now,
I'll tell you now, I can't wait to now be three!

Every place I go, I think of her,
Every thing I do, I do for her,
When we get back she'll be in our arms.

So kiss me and smile with me,
Tell me that we'll be okay,
Hold me like you'll never let me go.

'Cause we're on our way to have a baby
don't know what life will be like now
Oh, babe, I can't wait see!

Now the time has come to start our family,
You've been so patient with me,
From now on it will always be us three!

Dream about the days to come,
When we'll have little one,
About the times that I get to say ...

Oh, kiss me and smile with me,
Tell me that we'll be okay,
Hold me like you'll never let me go.

'Cause we're on our way to have this baby
don't know what life will be like now
Oh, babe, I can't wait see!

'Cause we're on our way to have this baby
don't know what life will be like now
Oh, babe, I can't wait see!

But we are leaving for the hospital
and
We'll have a baby when we get back!

Diaper Cake!

2011-10-27T23:58:00.001-04:00

Shortly after we moved to Florida my new ward offered to throw me a baby shower. At first I was a little embarrassed because my previous ward gave me one as well as my family! I was definitely not in "need" of anything and told them it wasn't necessary. Not to mention no one even knew me! My friend Brittany was too nice and insisted so her and another friend, Julie gave me a great "necessities" shower! Everyone stocked me full of diapers and wipes! It was great! It was a nice way for me to get to know some sisters in the ward. For the first time in seven years I was the "new" girl! This ward has been great and I am really looking forward to getting to know more people here! I forgot to take pictures but I am glad I got this one.

Isn't it so cute! I love it! Brittany made one for another lady in our ward last month and I was secretly hoping she would make one for me!

Baby Elsee’s Room!

2011-10-26T23:57:00.001-04:00

It’s so fun to walk into her room! Something Robbie and I do at least daily!

My mom made the entire bed set!

Quilt, bumpers, and crib skirt! I love it!

Changing Table & Baskets

(I added the strip of fabric to each basket)

Dresser, Lamp & Awning

(Awning made by Robbie & my mom)

I’ll take credit for this one, even though my mom did help me and it was her idea.

She has a few bows….

TA-DAH!

My mom created most of the room, isn’t she great? I LOVE it! Don’t think I didn’t do anything, All my work is hiding, it’s the organization! Everything is organizing in her dresser, baskets, and closet! Did I mention I LOVE it?!

We will show her her room when she gets here, but she will be hanging out with us for a little while…Robbie got it all set up and ready for her!

I still have lots of finishing touches in her bathroom, but in case I don’t get around to doing it for a while here is a little sneak peak.

Do you think her first words will be:

“Mommy…I see spots!”

Week 39 is here!

2011-10-26T19:47:00.000-04:00

Already? It’s so hard for me to believe, but she really is coming, whether I am ready or not! I have been feeling pretty good these days, I have some very exhausting days, and then full of energy others, so it evens out. As time is getting closer I realized (over the weekend) that my initial plan (way back in October 2010) of having a baby on 11/11/11 might actually be a possibility! I am all about numbers, especially 11:11…it’s always had a special meaning to me. Not only would it be the coolest birthday for her, school is extremely hectic for Robbie right now. He has four tests next week, a conference Friday and Saturday, and a couple of tests the following week. On Friday, November 11 he is out of school, which would be perfect to have a baby, so we are home by Sunday, he goes back to school Monday and my mom arrives Wednesday! Now wouldn’t that be perfect? I was totally set and REALLY thinking I could go over my due date 8 days…no biggie, right? That was until this morning when I woke up feeling “different” and then I went to my doctor’s appointment. I asked him if I could be induced on the evening of November 10 (to hopefully get a little ahead of all those crazy people scheduled on 11/11/11). He of course addressed the concerns he had with going more than 6 days over your due date, but agreed that if I was still pregnant by then he would do it. In case you haven’t heard I have been told at more than one appointment that I have a “favorable cervix” (I took that as a compliment!) and he said he would actually induce me at 39 weeks if needed (which is right now!) but he is certain that I will go into labor spontaneously and I show no signs of major complications during labor. (Let’s hope he’s right!) I was nearly dilated to a THREE today, and have been progressing pretty well over the last few weeks. It’s probably because of my favorable cervix, you know? I scheduled my appointment for next week and as I left my doctor said “see you next week, if not before.” I still haven’t given up on 11/11/11, but I guess if she doesn’t want to wait that long she might as well come on 11/1/11, right? Robbie happens to get out noon on the 1st, so even though two tests on the 2nd, he’s open for the 1st. I guess we will see soon enough, even if it’s sooner than I want. One thing I accepted when we decided to start a family is that I have given myself plenty of time, 7 1/2 years to be exact, and now it’s not what I want, it’s what she wants. I am ready to give all my time, love, energy, whatever it takes to this sweet little baby girl that will arrive any day!

Can’t wait to meet and hold her. Come when you are ready!

Maternity Photos- Florida

2011-10-23T10:49:00.000-04:00

My friend here in Florida is a great photographer. She offered to take some maternity photos for me, and even though Linsay did some before we left I thought it would be fun to get some more! She did a great job and I had a hard time not picking ALL of them as my favorites! Oh, and if you are wondering why I am so huge, it’s cuz I am nearly 39 weeks along!

Of course we had to do some at the beach!

Conference at the Pink Castle

2011-10-22T19:59:00.000-04:00

Back in March my boss asked me if I wanted to attend a conference in St. Pete Beach in October. At the time my pregnancy wasn't "out" and I hadn't had my first doctor's appointment, so I wasn't exactly sure when my due date was. I agreed to go and was really excited for a fun little mini trip while in Florida, hoping the baby could wait. Sure enough! The time came and she waited! On Tuesday I drove to St. Pete Beach to attend the conference that started on Wednesday. I was able to stop and visit the Orlando temple for the first time since we have been here. It's about two hours away from us. So it was a good half way stopping spot. I love the temple!

This was the hotel I stayed at:

The conference was at this awesome pink (hotel) castle.

We had lunch out on the patio each day and I enjoyed the great view while sitting in class. It was great to catch up with my boss, since it has been two months since we've seen eachother.

I really enjoyed the conference and excited to go again next year! The only thing that would have been better is if Robbie could have missed class to go with me.

I couldn't resist dipping my feet in the Gulf Coast.

We went to a great Italian restuarant in Tampa one night and on my way home I was able to stop and do some shopping and ice cream eating Tampa.

So far I have LOVED every part of Florida I have seen!

I'm excited to check out the South in May!

2 weeks to go!

2011-10-18T15:46:00.002-04:00

This picture is a little early from my official 38 week day. I am headed to a conference for work in St. Petersburg for the week. It's about a four hour drive, not sure why everyone is nervous about it, I still have at least 2 weeks to go! I went to the doctor this morning and he said I am not quite dialated to a two...so I am slowly coming along. Robbie went with my to my doctor appointment so he could meet my new doctor.

Robbie and I went with our birthing class last night to tour the hospital I will be delievering at. It's recently been remodeled and is REALLY nice! I can't believe how close this is really getting!

Cold Cow!

2011-10-16T00:37:00.000-04:00

We found our new favorite ice cream shop! COLD COW! Not only is it good, it's such a cute place with cows all over!

We couldn't decide which of the 70+ flavors to try, so we went with the Ultimate Pot Luck Bowl! They picked four random flavors and toppings topped off with whipped cream.

We had a scoop of butterscotch, moosetracks, raspberry truffle, and strawberry cheesecake. Topped with reese pieces, gummy bears, sprinkles, and oreos! Delicious! Can't wait to go back!

40-37=3 weeks to go!

2011-10-13T19:42:00.000-04:00

37 weeks! Feeling great!

36 weeks!

2011-10-06T20:56:00.017-04:00

I am now in my final month! I can officially say I feel pregnant. Not that it has been a breeze, but I can deal with discomfort and what not, but now, wow! I have experienced a whole new set of limitations and things. Here we go...just a little bit longer.

I am REALLY excited, but I think the scariness out weights it! I am probably one of the few that don't want my baby to come early! She can stay in there as long as she wants. (I am sure I won't be saying that in a couple weeks!)

Robbie and I started Birthing Classes and they have been great! I wasn't really set on going, but I am glad we are. It has made me think of things I didn't even know. Also gives me reassurance that things I am feeling and going through are "normal".

Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?

2011-10-02T22:10:00.000-04:00

One thing I have noticed here is that turtles are very important creatures. Cars swerve to miss turtles and they are just well respected around here. Robbie is no exception to this...we were on our way to our friends house and Robbie noticed a turtle trying to cross the road. He quickly turned around pulled off to the side of the road and picked up the turtle and walked him across the street. What you can't tell by this picture is that there were cars backed up waiting for Robbie to get the turtle across the street. You may be thinking "well duh, he's in the middle of the road, of course they are stopped" but we are pretty sure they were stopped for the turtle!

Later in the week Robbie came up with the great idea to get a large fish tank to put along one of the walls in our house as well as getting a turtle to put in it. Didn't sound as much fun after I told him it would be really stinky and he would need to constantly be cleaning it. Who knows...maybe someday we may be a turtle owner, but for now, we will just help them cross the street.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-09-28T23:22:00.004-04:00

I wasn’t able to go to my dad’s birthday party this year, probably the first one I have missed…well since I have been alive! Crazy to think he will be turning 61 the next time I will be there to celebrate with him! I just wanted everyone to know that I have the best dad in the entire world! I have so many great memories with him. Here are just a few of the more recent things we have done together.

Dad- if you are wondering, yes I did get you a present, but it’s still sitting on the counter…mailing has always been a rough thing for me! I imagine you accept gifts year round, right?

A few things I love about my dad:

always nice and thinks of others first (especially his family)

very generous

forgiving

he took us, and continues to take us, on the best vacations. I have seen so much and have been taught so much by him.

smart

hard worker

easy to talk to

we share a lot of the same interests

has always taken care of me and our family

he can relate a song to most stories, or just interpret the meaning of a song

willing to help with anything (including driving us across the country!)

his love for baseball, especially the Giants- did I mention we planned a Miami trip and a San Diego trip for the upcoming year? Oh, the Giants just happen to be in town that week? What a coincidence!

honest! extremely honest! have you heard the story about the drink refill at In & Out Burger?

love for the gospel and Christ

knows something about just about everything

love of learning

he has always been there for me. I don’t think he has ever missed one of my school, sporting, or any type of events- big or small!

patient

and

that he loves me!

I could go on and on about how wonderful my dad is and all the great memories we have had together.

Happy Birthday Dad! Hope you had a great day! Miss you! I love you!

-Love your favorite daughter.

I can’t wait for our baby girl to see how great her grandpa is!

Robbie's First Clinical!

2011-09-27T20:50:00.000-04:00

This semester Robbie has Clinical rotations every other week. His first one he went to Gainsville, which is about two hours from us. To prepare he went and purchased his first pair of scrubs! I wasn't surprised when he pulled RED ones out of the bag! He had a great time. His next one will be in Palaka.

Forget Me Not

2011-09-25T19:55:00.002-04:00

I always enjoy going to the annual General Relief Society Broadcast. This year was just as good, just a little different. For the first time I attended somewhere other than Utah, which meant a time difference. It didn’t start until 8:00pm and the Stake Center was not just around the corner. My new friend here, Brittany and I went together. We were able to go a little early and participated in the craft they had. Hopefully I will finish mine up in the next few weeks and share. Since our stake boundaries are about 2 hours from one end to the other it’s a big deal when we get together. They had a great dinner for us as well. The men served us. I went over to get a couple lemonades and one of the gentlemen said “we are serving you, where are you sitting and I will bring it to you.” It was very nice. It was also nice to meet a few other sisters from our ward. Our new ward is great and we’ve really like it.

It is always nice to hear from the General Relief Society Presidency. We also got the privilege of hearing from President Uchtdorf, which is one of my favorites! He used the example of a forget me not flower and picked five things to represent each petal.

I really enjoyed it and hope to become a better person because of it!

Much Better!

2011-09-25T19:28:00.001-04:00

Great news! Cookies were delicious tonight! Just a little tip—fresh shortening works much better!

Kambrey Lynne Griffith

2011-09-24T15:01:00.001-04:00

Kambrey Lynne Griffith was born to Josh & Aubrey (Robbie’s sister) on September 24, 2011 at 1:37am. She was 7 lbs 1 oz and 19 1/2 inches long.

Another cute cousin for our baby girl! So excited to meet her!

34 Weeks!

2011-09-21T21:45:00.000-04:00

Today I am 34 weeks along! Time is flying by! I am SO excited to have a baby, but SO nervous and scared at the same time. I have been really blessed to be able to have a baby and be so healthy during my pregnancy. Of course it’s not the easiest thing I have done, but I try not to complain. I feel like after a while the way you feel turns into “normal”, so you don’t notice it as much. Maybe that’s just me. We are just about ready for her to come, just a few final things to do in her room as well as a couple more items we need to purchase. I am hoping to put together a “to go” bag for the hospital in the next little bit. It’s all so real! I can’t believe it. I feel like we are just about ready, but not sure that I am ready! We are SO excited to meet her, but as of now I am hoping she stays in there at least 6 more weeks…maybe even 7? :) Then she can come play forever!

I also had a doctors appointment today. I was really worried about finding a good doctor here, but he’s been great, I really like him. (well at least the 2 times I have gone!)

I'm official!

2011-09-21T21:30:00.000-04:00

Today I am officially a Florida resident! After bringing in 5 types of identification I got my Florida's drivers license! My license expired in May, so I was ready for a new one. I was dreading it, but it was the best experience I have had at the DMV! Of course I walked in and took a number, turned around to sit down and they called my number. I was in and out with my license in hand in about 15 minutes! Utah could learn a thing or two about Florida. A couple things I noticed different between Florida and Utah-

1) Your weight isn't published, which was good, because I was already planning to lie. Like I was going to have my near end pregnancy weight haunt me until 2020! (can't believe it is valid until then!) and

2) It was $55 plus a "convenience fee", isn't that a lot? Maybe that's normal, but for some reason I had $25 in my head. I should have expected it, still waiting for SOMETHING to be cheaper here, really!

P.S. Robbie is REALLY jealous I have a Florida License and he doesn't.

P.S.S. Now I can get the Florida resident discount

on DisneyWorld Annual passes!

Not quite right…

2011-09-18T23:13:00.000-04:00

I really wanted some yummy cookies, or maybe just the cookie dough, either way we decided to make cookies. Robbie has decided to only have one treat a week, usually on the weekend, and these cookies were it!

We used the same recipe…but when I tasted the dough it didn’t taste quite right. I kept just having a little bit more to see if it was just a bad bite, nope, no lucky, it was all yucky. We decided to bake them to see how they tasted…still not quite right. In fact, Robbie spit his out after just a couple chews! Bummer it was Sunday night and Robbie couldn’t choose a different treat.

Robbie’s guess was the shortening…didn’t really think shortening went bad, but maybe after be boxed up, on a truck for several days in the heat might have altered the flavor a little. Tasted even a little dusty maybe, anyways…so even though they look delicious, don’t be fooled. We’ll have to buy some new shortening and give it another try!

Kalaya Kay Baxter

2011-09-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

Kalaya Kay Baxter was born to Tyson and Shere Baxter (Robbie’s sister) on September 13, 2011 at 2:52pm. She was 7lbs 1 oz and 20 inches long.

Isn’t she precious?

Big brother giving her a kiss!

We are excited to meet her someday!

Even more excited for our little one to have a cousin so close in age, not only Kalaya, Robbie’s other sister is expecting her baby girl any day!

Hugs!

2011-09-13T20:23:00.001-04:00

This little cutie sent me hugs this morning! Made my day!

How precious is she? Love you Haidyn!

Date Night!

2011-09-09T20:47:00.000-04:00

For our Friday night date Robbie and I decided last minute to drive up to Babies R Us in Jacksonville and purchase the stroller I have had my eye on for a few months! Thanks to gift cards from awesome friends we hardly had to pay anything for it!

Now just a few more items to purchase and we are all set!

Robbie Palooza!

2011-09-02T18:01:00.001-04:00

I am always jealous of Robbie's Birthday. More likely than not it falls on Labor Day weekend. This year it was on a Friday--
so we had FOUR days of hanging out together!

Friday night we went to dinner at Harry's Seafood downtown.
It took a while to find a parking spot. It's rough not having access to a parking garage downtown, like I have for the past 6 years!

then we ate this delicious Mud Pie!

When we got home these cute little kids Skyped us so they could sing

Happy Birthday to their favorite Uncle Robbie!

They sure are cute!

On Saturday morning we (Robbie) made a cheesecake. I was really planning on doing it for him, but he REALLY wanted to do it,

so I told him I would clean up and help him eat it.

putting it in the oven

ALL DONE! Look how yummy!

What you can't tell from the picture is the crust isn't the typical

graham cracker crust, it's peanut butter oreos! SO yummy!

While it was chilling we had some friends over to play!

Kambree - Chris - Brittany

Landon & Robbie

Brittany & Kambree

Addie - Chris - Landon - Robbie

We are so lucky to be just a few steps away from a gorgeous large pool!

After swimming we had pizza and enjoyed the delicious cheesecake!

I had mine topped with carmel, chocolate, and peanut butter oreo crumbs!

Robbie had chocolate and strawberry topping on his!

Landon likes his ice cream more...

Day 2 I had peanut butter and chocolate

and Robbie strawberry!

It seriously was the BEST cheesecake I have ever had,

and I'm not just saying that. It was PERFECT!

Happy 29th Birthday Robbie! I Love You!

First Day!

2011-08-31T17:30:00.000-04:00

Robbie's FIRST day of Graduate School!

Isn't he cute?

Baby Furniture

2011-08-25T12:17:00.000-04:00

My mom and dad wanted to buy us a crib while they were here. Of course, the stores were out of stock of the ones I really liked...so we went ahead and ordered one online...and we couldn't resist getting the matching dresser and changing table. The furniture came SO fast!

Luckily Robbie hadn't started school yet, so he could put it all together!

Good thing he LIKES doing that, cuz I sure don't!

Her cute crib! Thanks Mom & Dad!

The adorable quilt and bedskirt my mom made! I LOVE it!

Her changing table!

I still need to find some cute little baskets for all her goods!

(The ziploc box is FULL of headbands & bows! Hopes she wears them!)

Her dresser!

What you can't tell from the picture is it's COMPLETELY full!

Oh yeah, and her closet is pretty full of stuff too!

Thanks everyone for all your great gifts! We really appreciate it!

(& so will she!)

A little sneak peek of her room!

More to come when I get all the little details complete!

Hope she LOVES it as much as I do!

First Good-Bye

2011-08-23T23:27:00.000-04:00

After spending 18 days with my parents (staying at their house, traveling in the car, at our new house) we had to say goodbye, for now. It was sad to see them go! We LOVED spending so much time with them and they were such a HUGE help! One rule we did make is that they aren't allowed to leave unless they have their next reservations to come back! Which luckily, they did, so we let them leave. They will be back in November! I can't wait! I have the best parents in the world and love them SO much! Looking forward to their many visits in the future! Miss you already!

Bye for now, see ya soon!

Our New City- St. Augustine!

2011-08-23T19:59:00.000-04:00

My parents were our first visitors! (obviously!) We spent most of our time unpacking, organizing & decorating--which I am SO grateful they did, our place would still be a mess without them!

Luckily we were able to take a few breaks and show them around our new city! We will just have to show them more the next time they come! (in NOVEMBER!)

St. Augustine was founded in 1565 and is the Nation's oldest continuously inhabited city! Lots of history and fun places to see here!

We took them to the Castillo de San Marcos. This fort is the oldest masonry fort in the United States. The fort changed ownership several times and was used for various reasons. The fort was held by the Spanish until 1763 and then by the British from 1763 until 1783. The United States acquired Florida in 1819 and renamed the fort to Fort Marion. The fort then served as a military prison holding Native Americans from 1835 to 1842 during the Second Seminole War. Then during the civil war Fort Marion held Confederate Soldiers. The Castillo de San Marco has never been defeated.

This was pretty cool, talks about "John Davis"

We also made it to the beach a couple times, one time to just stroll...

and collect sea shells....

The second time was to SEE this...

and DO this...

and we couldn't help not doing this...

Robbie found this little guy...

NOTHING like a Florida beach!

Week 30

2011-08-23T19:30:00.000-04:00

Week 30: