A May Shower brings a JULY BRIDE!!!

A couple of weekends ago I headed to Oologah, OK to host my cousin's bridal shower. I am one of three matrons of honor that threw her this shower. She is getting married on July 9th with a vintage wedding theme. I am very excited for her and can't wait for her big day!

This was also a very BIG weekend for me because it was my first weekend away from Easton! I must say that we both survived, however my boobs were another issue. I am still nursing which meant I had to pump all weekend long. And my left boob flat out sucks at pumping. I am lucky if I get an ounce after pumping for an hour. Needless to say by the time we got back Sunday I thought it was going to explode. Josh and Easton spent the weekend hanging out and he had no trouble with her. Well, except Friday evening when she wouldn't let him put her down. So while Daddy was putting up Easton's clothes, Easton hung out in the baby back pack. Josh sent me pictures and videos regularly so I wouldn't miss my little girl too much. I was pretty proud of myself for not shedding a tear. My family was also surprised at how well I was handling being away from Easton. But you gotta remember that this past winter Josh stayed home with Easton several days a week when the construction industry slowed down. Also Josh is fabulous with Easton so I really didn't have any worries. Though I missed my little girl dearly it was nice to hang out with my mom, cousin, aunt and memaw! Oh, Josh did call and me Saturday evening and began the phone conversation with "Don't worry we are alright!" Seriously who does that! I respond with "What are you talking about!" Come to find out the sirens were going off and Kansas City was receiving bad weather. Who does that to a Mom who is away from their baby for the first time. Husbands! Can't live with them....can't have babies without them. On to the shower pictures!





These are my cakeballs. I must say they were adorable and YUMMY!


I took a old wood window and used picture mats to make each pane a frame for a picture.

The gorgeous BRIDE!

All smiles while opening gifts. Can you see the wood window in the back ground?

Family picture! The shower was a cute tea house called The Pink House in Claremore, Oklahoma. It was super adorable and fit the vintage theme perfectly!

Group picture!

10 Months and Terrific!

Shirts: She can still wear the majority of her 6-9 mo. tops, but I am getting ready to wash her 12 mo. clothes.

Britches: Her waste fits 3-6 mo. pants, but her long legs need 9 mo. pants.

Diapers: size 3

Food: Stage 3. We have not given Easton any table food. For a couple of reason... 1. She doesn't have any teeth and 2. Once you start giving table food majority of babies will refuse to eat baby food. Easton still gets boobie juice and since I am still nursing and pumping, Easton will receive breast milk until she is 1.



Height: 28"

Weight: 17 lbs. 12 oz. Yep, she is getting a little belly on her.



On the go! That describes Easton through and through. She crawls so freakin' fast and gets into way too much stuff! She is cruising the furniture like crazy and shows signs of walking very soon. In fact this past Sunday we went out and bought her some walking shoes from Stride right. And they are so stinkin' cute it is ridiculous! She wears them all day long except for naps. She is a high pitched squealer. It is the funniest cutest thing, well at least for right now. Easton waves hi and bye to people on command and loves when you sing patty-cake so she can do the motions.



On the go=No longer hold me. Snuggle times are strictly reserved for bedtime these days. When you are holding her she is twisting, turning, grabbing and want down to explore. Her personality is beginning to shine through and I do believe it is a combination of Josh and I. She has Josh's laid back happy go lucky attitude and Mommy's gotta go, gotta move, gotta be busy brain. Like I have said before she is such a wonderful, smiley, enjoyable baby.



When it comes to sleeping schedule and habits, Easton is a champ. Two naps a day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. We do bath at 7:30 pm, nurse right after and we lay her down at 8:30 pm. Every night when I or Josh lays her down she does the same thing every time. Immediately rolls to her belly and pulls her blanket up to her face. It is so cute.



Like I said she is on the move and is a quick little stinker. Which means we had our fast stair tumble. Of course, once again, I was in the shower this past Saturday morning. Josh and Easton were down stairs watching TV and playing. While in the shower I heard a thump, thump, thump, but just figured the dogs were playing around. I was wrong. Josh walks in the bathroom.



Josh: Momma, we fell down the stairs.

Me: Well is she Ok? Anything look broken or swollen?

Josh: No, I don't think so. ( Josh's hands were shaking, because once again, our daughter decided to scare the crap out of him)

Me: She isn't crying now. Did she cry at all?

Josh: Yeah, but not too long because as soon as I heard the gate "click" and thumping, I flow out of my chair so fast I think I meet her at the bottom of the stairs.



I got out of the shower and did a once over on Easton. No broken bones, no bleeding, no bruises... she is one tough cookie. Next I checked on Daddy. He was a little shaken, but he too survived. He did ask Easton why she keeps doing these things to Daddy and not Mommy.






One of my favorites. She looks like a little old lady waving!

Can you see her walking shoes!

Over the River and through the Woods... To Memaw and Papaw's house we GO!

Like I said in the previous post, we headed to Arkansas over Mother's Day weekend for this guy's graduation from college!

Congratulations Kyle Lavone Bryant! We are very proud of you!


Easton of course hammed it up for the camera and the graduate!

Below are some pictures from our trip. The first, Nana and Easton check out the pond and geese.

Memaw and Easton play Patty-cake.

My Memaw has three bay windows in her living room that Easton LOVED. They were super low to the ground which made them just the right height for her. She would stand in the window and chit-chat away.

Easton also had her first tractor ride while in Arkansas. Here she is the Memaw and Papaw.

Family photo of the Bryants.

Here she is with her Papaw!

Checking out all Memaw's flowers

Riding on top of Papaw's shoulders.

I was really worried about Easton's routine while we were in Arkansas and how she would adjust. The drive down there usually takes us 7 hours, but with Easton it takes 8. We left at 6:00 am and arrived around 2:00 pm and Easton did awesome on both the drive down and the drive home. She really didn't sleep very much during the drive times to and from, but instead played and chit-chatted with the person in the back seat. Even down there there were a couple of mornings she didn't get her morning nap, but it didn't phase her one bit. She was her normal happy go lucky self. She loved all the attention, hugs and kisses. Each night she went to bed without any tears and slept through the night, just like we were at home. Being in Arkansas not surrounded by familiar things really didn't effect her sleeping habits or her happy personality.

Momma's First Mother's Day

In honor of my first Mother's Day here are a few thoughts....

I never thought I would be on all fours crawling out of my daughter's room just to avoid her waking up and seeing me.

I never thought I would be thrilled to spend my Friday and Saturday nights with my favorite little gal.

I never thought I would make it this long nursing. My first goal was 6 months and 10 months later here we are enjoying every minute. I couldn't be prouder of the two of us.

I tell people ALL THE TIME that we have the world's greatest baby! Seriously... I know I am a little bias because I am her Mom, but she really is the happiest, smiliest, lovable, self-soothing, best eating, greatest personality baby I have ever seen. She is just so happy go lucky and is all smiles 99% of the time. (can you tell I am one proud Momma!) We are VERY blessed to have such a wonderful little girl.

Those are just some of my Mommy thoughts there many more stuck in my head, but I will save them for another post.

On to Mother's Day.... I am such a brat! Really, but it all could have been avoided if my lovely husband went a different route. The story... My cousin's college graduation was the Saturday before Mother's Day in Conway, Arkansas. This meant Easton I would be in Arkansas with my family for Mother's Day while Josh was here (he couldn't get off work). So we decided to celebrate Mother's Day the Sunday before. Well that Saturday before we celebrated Mother's Day Josh tells me I have a receipt from Wal-Mart, but I can't give it to you because it has stuff on it you can't see. My thoughts to his comment "What the hell do I want from Wal-Mart for Mother's Day? Geez" Welp Sunday evening rolled around and after dinner Josh took Easton down to the garage to gather my gift. Five minutes later he comes up the stairs holding Easton who has 3 DVD movies and two cards piled on her. Alright here is where the brat comes out.... Instantly I think to myself... " I barely have time to watch 30 minute shows how the hell am I going to watch 6 hours of movies!" Then I tried my damnist to put my big girl panties on and fake excitement and thankfulness. Apparently I sucked at it because Josh makes the comment as he is walking out the door to go mow "Don't look so disappointed." I think to myself, "How do I not look disappointed when I am crushed. This is my first Mother's Day and you get me movies!"Of course I only respond with "Well I thought you would get something more Motherly." Josh heads out the door to mow. In times like these what does every Mom do? Call there Mom. I grabbed my cell phone....

Me: Mom, I am so disappointed.
Mom: Why? What happened?
Me: Josh got me movies for Mother's Day!" (now the tears are flowing)
Mom: Melissa, he did the best he could. You gonna have bad Mother's Days where you just don't get what you expect.
Me: But he didn't do the best that he can. That is the thing he can do SO much better. He just wasn't thinking and rushed out and grabbed something.
Mom: Melissa, it will be ok.
Me: I am just so disappointed in my first Mother's Day.
Mom: They will get better, Especially when Easton gets older.

I got off the phone and gave Easton her bath. Josh opens the door and says " You know Mother's Day isn't over. Its not even here yet!" Me being the Wiseman/Bryant that I am reply with " Well anything you do now, I know you are only doing it because I didn't really like my first gift and you are trying to make up for it." I went to bed that evening disappointed with the day and a little annoyed with the situation.

And now why I say I am brat.... Mother's Day rolled around and low and behold Josh sent a gift down with my parents. And it was THE BEST MOTHER'S DAY EVER! The entire time I was throwing my Momma fit he had a wonderful gift already made for me and waiting to be opened on actual Mother's Day while I was in Arkansas. A couple weeks prior to Mother's Day he had asked Mandy (daycare lady) if she would help him and Easton paint me a canvas. It was the best, most motherly, beautiful present I had ever received. And I felt like a jerk for my prior shenanigans. If this this situation where I am in one state and Josh is in another for Mother's Day ever happens again... we are waiting to celebrate after I get back not before.


Momma and the Artist!



4 Generations of Blondells


Momma and Easton on Mother's Day!