On our way to TWO!

I guess it's time for an update! I changed our family website so update your bookmarks!! I am really going to make an effort to try to update this more often...

Georgia will be TWO next Sunday (May 24)!! We cannot believe it. In one sense time has truly flown by, but in the same breath I know Doug and I have taken full advantage of every moment we have had her. I am glad I feel as though I look back on her short life and I know I haven't missed one special moment with her.

I think the last update we sent on her babysite was around Christmas time and so much has happened since then. We took our first family vacation together driving 14 hours to Grandma Linda's home in New Mexico. The car ride went much better than expected. On the way there we only had a small fit from Georgia around nap time, and the way home barely anything! We had so much fun hanging out and hiking with Doug's Mom, Stepdad, Sister, Brother-in-Law, nephew, Sharon and Jonathan. It was a great to spend time together and be able to RELAX!

Since then we have been going, going, going! Georgia and I took a trip to Austin where I helped host a baby shower for a great friend, Emily, who is having her first baby boy next Friday! We cannot wait for Brock to get here!! Then Doug, Georgia and I went back to Austin a few weeks later for a friend's surprise party and Georgia and I stayed over a few days to visit with Emily and her husband Joe before Brock arrives.

Georgia is talking up a storm lately. Last week she said "I Love You" for the very first time and my heart completely melted once again. "Mom" is now an active word in her vocabulary (FINALLY!!!) and every time I hear that word it brings a smile to my face. (well...almost every time!) She is trying to talk in sentances. She is calling most of our family by name and has named both of her cousins "Eli" although one of their names is Noah. She also has a favorite puppy whose name is "Puppy" and there is a frantic "PUUUUUPPPPPY" over and over again if she can see the puppy but not reach it.

We took a trip to the Frio river with my Dad, Mary, Laura and her family last weekend. It was great to get out in the water and be in the sun! We had another relaxing trip, but for my sister's family part of the trip ended up in a trip to the ER when Eli fell off the bed and cracked his head open! After a 30 minute drive to the ER he was just fine and escaped with a single staple in his head. The story is he didn't even cry.... the staple was removed today and everything looked good- Thank God!

This summer we plan on being in the water as much as possible! We are still looking for a house which seems like a never ending journey, but I know eventually we will find the perfect home to continue our family in. Hopefully the perfect home has a pool...

We hope to see you all sometime soon this summer and with any luck I might actually update this on a more regular basis!

Love,
Melanie, Doug & Georgia

Moving on...

As many of you all ready know Georgia is going to be a Big Sister in 2009! Doug and I are thrilled and can't wait to meet our newest family member. We have so much to do before he or she arrives but I know it will all work out in the end. Top priority on the list is moving!! In order to accomplish this we must figure out just where we want to move! Doug and I took a trip out to the Woodlands this weekend while my mom came over and stayed with Georgia for the day. While we don't like the fact it is so far away from our family we do feel it is the best place to raise a family. They have so much to offer. 164 miles of hike and bike trails lots of kids activities and while not as many shopping opportunities they aren't lacking by much at all. We have narrowed it down to 2 different houses we like. One is in the actual "Woodlands" and we met the neighbors when we were at the open house they have a 3 year old son and a 4 month old daughter....perfect! The second home on our list is less than a mile outside of the "Woodlands" area. It is brand new and on a little lake. Not sure which (if any) we will end up with but hopefully we will be deciding soon! First things first though- I started Real Estate classes last week so I need to finish that up before we buy or sell!

Georgia is growing up so much lately. She is talking more, running around everywhere and will copy everything you do. Just yesterday Doug filled a cup with water for me using the water faucet from the fridge which we never use. After I drank the water Georgia wanted to play with the cup. Next thing I knew she was standing by the refridgerator trying to fill the cup up just like she saw Daddy do. It blows my mind that she is picking up on things like that so quickly.

She is quite the little show off as well. Anytime someone comes over to visit she gets super excited and begins running aroung playing and showing off each and every one of her toys. She will squeal and laugh and run to bounce wildly on her zebra, then off to push the stroller around- pausing only for a second to pick up a baby doll and give it a hug. On to the kitchen where she crawls through the "door" and plays all the musical parts. Back to the Zebra again. Then a swim through the ball pit. It is so funny to watch her in "Full Show Off Mode"...wonder where she got that??

We have taken a break from our gym class. I don't think she was that into it this past semester as out last class she spent the entire time running from the entry to the exit door trying to escape. We might pick it up in a month or two. We had been going for almost a year straight so a nice break might spark her interest more when we go back. She still LOVES her music class though and we have so much fun! I will be sad if we do move to the Woodlands and have to give up our music class. I think she has learned so much from it.

I really enjoy and treasure every minute I get to spend with my daughter. I worry about how things will change once a new baby joins our family, but I think Georgia is going to love being a big sister.

Fall

Well it's been quite awhile since I've sent out an update on Georgia and our family. Actually 6 months since I never got around to her one year update. We had her birthday party which was so much fun we really appreciated everyone who came and celebrated that milestone with us! Since then we have been busy, busy, busy!

Georgia and I started taking two different Mommy and Me classes together over the summer and we have continued them now through the fall. On Tuesdays we go to The Little Gym for a baby gymnastics class. Georgia is of course the star pupil and the instructor always wants to use her for demonstrations! She can do a forward roll, a stradle roll a back loop-de-loo and she can walk on the beam now with just holding one of my hands! She doesn't really care for the bar but loves to run around with the balls at the end of class and play with the bubbles.

Thursdays we go to a music class which is lots of fun. They have different song collections for each semester and this semester is the Giraffe collection. We have learned so many fun songs to sing together and Georgia loves to hear the music play in the car when we are out and about. She "sings" along with everyone and keeps the beat!

She is talking more and more every day and we are beginning to potty train her.