Matt and Shelby

2/14/12 heart

2012-02-14T12:35:00.001-08:00

I heart my valentine's day gift from the hubby. A pretty citrine necklace.

2/13/12 blue

2012-02-14T12:18:00.001-08:00

Photo assignment for today: blue. I happen to have on a blue jacket and I have blue eyes.

2/12/12 inside my closet

2012-02-14T12:17:00.001-08:00

Its a mess and not a walk in so, any how. It's a disaster.

2/11/12 makes me happy

2012-02-11T18:14:00.001-08:00

No explanation necessary.

2/10/12 self portrait

2012-02-10T14:21:00.001-08:00

Well Margaux I'm glad to say is feeling much much better. Her virus is on the mend. However her mommy has now acquired the bug. It really is an uncomfortable one, but at least I can take better drugs than children's Advil. I took a sick day today in an attempt to rest and head this thing off.

2/9/12 front door

2012-02-09T19:05:00.001-08:00

Front door to the church I married Matt in.

2/8/12

2012-02-08T13:47:00.001-08:00

Photo assignment "sun". Not much real sun and baby still not feeling very sunny. Wish she felt up to playing with her toys like this.

2/7/12

2012-02-07T09:31:00.001-08:00

Button. This is a cute pair of shoes that the second button has now popped off of. A more appropriate button would be the snooze button. Margaux has been sick so I haven't slept well since Friday night. Saturday night was just because of the hotel not the sick baby. But anyhow, it's been rough. At 5 this morning I finally just started sobbing because I had only a few hours to try to squeeze in some sleep. Luckily it happened. I really wish I had a job that allowed for some sick days.

2/5/12 10 am

2012-02-05T08:04:00.001-08:00

Today's photo challenge assignment is 10 am. Well, it's 10 am on feb 5 and we are on our way back from lake Cumberland. M is snoring like a champ in the backseat after having me up at 5. Mommy did not sleep well at all so I'm dragging and considering dozing off myself if I can manage it.

Stranger 2/4/12

2012-02-04T14:22:00.001-08:00

Hello stranger! Long time no see.
Todays photo is "a stranger". We are at lake Cumberland in KY today. I haven't been here since I was 16 weeks pregnant with margaux. She has already been in the pool and is having a blast.

2-3-12 hands

2012-02-03T05:32:00.001-08:00

So the photo challenge subject is hands. With work, motherhood and just life in general these hands seem to put me under the most pressure.

Words

2012-02-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't a photo, but she is the source of my favorite words. Excuse the bouncy video the kid was grabbing at the camera.

Also, did you notice "Elmo P"! hee hee hee!

My view

2012-02-02T08:49:00.001-08:00

Franklin Street and the courthouse. Feb 1, 2012

Little Friends

2012-01-31T08:13:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Margaux got to play with her little buddy Sophia two nights in a row. She was pumped. Sophia will be three in May and she is one of the brightest children I've ever known. On Saturday we carpooled to Nashville for a friends Birthday dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I haven't been to the Cheesecake Factory since before I was pregnant with Margaux, and Matt heard the magic words "Cheesecake" and was in.
On the way to Nashville Sophia asked to hold her Daddy's hand, but he was driving so we suggested she ask to hold Margaux's hand. And that is just what they did off and on the whole ride to Nashville.

Margaux’s Christmas Program

2012-01-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

Her class sang Deck the Halls andMargaux was not a happy performer. She was standing there like a zombie and Istood up to take a picture. She got a glimpse of Momma and then… started tobawling and pointing for her Momma. It was hilarious.

Margaux has been doing so well atPreschool. She loves her teacher and she will holler out “Leslie” when you talkabout her going to school. I used to leave her in a crying mess, now you sether down and she runs off to sit at the table and play with the other kids. Shewill look and waive and say “bye bye Momma” and blow me a kiss. She’s such abig girl now.

Gut wrenching performance of Deck the Halls.

A tad bit late

2012-01-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

So it’s long over due because nextweek is the beginning of February, but here is the post about our Christmas. Ihad a HORRIBLY stressful Christmas this year. My sister and her family were infrom out of town and although I enjoy seeing my niece and nephews it is alwaysa little tough running back and forth to see them. And then there is the normalHoliday shin-digs and get-togethers that take place. It was too much this year.I will not have another Christmas like this one again if I can help it. On topof it all… My parents lost their precious dachshund on Christmas day.

Marguax had a great Christmas. Sheloved her gifts. She hated Santa. She pointed at him and said, “NO” “no no” and“don’t touch”. She did learn to say “Ho Ho Ho” by the end of it all. She hadthe best time playing with the family and getting to stay up later than usual.

Here are some pictures of her fromthe Holidays.

while your waiting for a good blog

2012-01-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I really am behind and I haven't even posted any Christmas info yet, but I've been super busy. Then sick with the terrible stomach bug that is going around. Then busy again. I'll get to it soon. Promise!

Hand print tree for the Grandparents for Christmas 2012. Matt's hand, my hand, then Margaux's on top.

Scrappy Valentine's Day wreath made out of scraps I had.

braided scarf now a girls night project for February with my Bunco Group.

toy bucket made by request for a baby shower gift. The Zebra was a Christmas gift of Margaux's and was used for photo purposes only.

Like father like daughter

2011-12-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

I have had this picture of Matt for awhile at my office and I've been meaning to scan it and make a copy. It is so funny how she can look just like him and times. This face is definitely a Daddy look alike face.

water baby

2011-12-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

Margaux's curls create a terrible sight of bed head when she wakes up in the morning. So I usually have to spray it down with water to reshape the curl. She LOVES the water bottle and will snatch it. She loves to have her face sprayed. She laughs and laughs.
Other signs she loves the water. Freak out and try to climb in the bath with all her clothes on when she hears the bath being drawn. squeals of delight when its time to wash her hands or brush her teeth. She loves to brush her teeth.
Things she does not love... Well right now Santa is at the top of that list. He came to her preschool and she told him "NO" "no-no" and "don't touch". I'm thinking we might forego the whole trip to the mall thing.

here is a video of Margaux and the spray bottle. And yes she says "Nekkid".

Christmas Crafting

2011-12-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

Spoiler Alert if your last name is Cole and you are my friend do not look at this until Sunday.

Of course I have been crafting for some of our Christmas/baby presents and Holiday decor this year. And just like the last time I made a quilt as a gift for someone I have told my Husband if I mention making Christmas presents for people next year have me start in June or July or tell me "No".

Here is a picture of the basic day one of a wall hanging I made for a friend. and the second is a finished product minus ribbon I added for hanging it. I saw the idea on Pinterest and then saw where another friend made one that turned out so cute. I figured my friend would really like this and it only took me two afternoons to finish. If you notice, one ball is blank. She is expecting a girl in February and that one is reserved for her.

This is an advent calendar for Margaux. Right now she is still too small so I'm using it for Christmas cards this year. The sucker is huge. I was not expecting it to be so big. I painted clothespins covered them with ribbon, and glued them to what was left of a drawer front from where we made Margaux's changing table out of an old dresser. This had started out as a girls night project idea, but now I know that it is WAY too time consuming for a single girls night.

Spoiler Alert if your name is Beth and you have an adorable little girl don't look at this because you are getting something similar.

These are some headbands and ear warmers for another friend that is expecting a girl. I got on a bow making frenzy one evening because I didn't think Margaux had enough color variety in her bows. Lets just say she is now stocked up!

sick little girl

2011-12-08T17:32:00.001-08:00

Well as you can tell from the previous post, MaGoo has been sick. It started the week after Thanksgiving with a hacking cough. To the point she would throw up slime from drainage. The doctor said this was normal and one of their only ways to get rid of it. She continued to hack, not eat, not be able to sleep, and then she started running a low (99-100) fever. By Friday Mommy and Daddy had enough. So we took her to the doctor and she had apparently caught the RSV virus some where and had rattling in her chest. She has been taking the albuteral breathing treatments and an antibiotic. She is a whole new gal and doing great. I've been letting her stay home from preschool and rest up (even though she is feeling much better). She is doing so well now and we are all thankful to have a healthy happy little girl back. Unfortunately now Gimme, Momma, and Daddy are all feeling icky.

Breathe deep!

2011-12-07T05:29:00.001-08:00

Longer post to come but this breathing treatment has been a new part of our daily routine

In addition to warm ears, I also have a warm neck

2011-12-02T19:16:00.001-08:00

I really like scarves. Infinity scarves in particular. I just think they are so easy and instantly add so much to a simple outfit. Last year after I had Margaux and was still way to big for how long she had been out of my body I made one. Let's just say I did not bounce back quickly and I still have at least 5 lbs before I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight. Anyhow, my wardrobe left a lot to be desired and I just needed a little something to spruce it up so I made this houndstooth one.

This year I saw a leopard one that was paired with some great solid colored shirts and was inspired to make another one. I'm in love with it and wear it on a regular basis. I always feel so chic in it.

source: http://bittersweetcolours.blogspot.com/2011/10/color-of-day-green.html#more

**Please excuse the lack of make-up. It was a lazy weekend at the office.

But I still feel put together in my jeans, Tee and scarf!

sharing the giggles

2011-12-01T09:12:00.001-08:00

Margaux gets a little loopy at bedtime some nights. Other nights she is grumpy, but I am a big fan of the nights she is pure silly.

Sorry folks... I deleted the video. it played automatically when I went to my page and it drove me crazy.

Yard sale wreath

2011-11-30T18:33:00.001-08:00

My mother yard sales and she bought a bag of christmas decorations that I would not have looked twice at. I must have said I would take them for some reason because my dad brought them down to my house one day a few weeks ago. So I sifted through the bag and found strands of pearls that you are supposed to put on the tree. Here was my idea inspired my something I had seen on pinterest.

I had some burlap covered wreath forms left over from a previous girls night project. A little wrapping. Some hot glue. And topped off with a ribbon. Seeing that it does not scream Christmas I anticipate it will be hanging in the house for quite a while.

The ladies have warm ears!

2011-11-29T10:00:00.001-08:00

So I found this tutorial on pinterest (My new obsession) formaking ear warmers. Over Thanksgiving I had a few evenings that I could really just relax so they were on my to-do list. I made myself some out of some fleece purchased from theremnant bin at Hancocks. I bought it for just a dollar or so a remnant with Veteran's Day sales going on. I really thought mine turned out cute and I made it in a about an hour. See look.

But of course I thought they would be really cute onMargaux. She looks cute in everything. So… I measured one of her headbands and added some extra for seamallowance. I believe it ended up being 4 inches wide and 16 inches long. Ifollowed the basic idea from the tutorial for adults. Then I finished it with afabric flower made from the same fleece and sewed it on. I despise using hotglue and cut it out of the process whenever possible. Here was the result.

Look at the face on my spokesmodel! She is totally giving the camera some attitude!

TOOCUTE! She wore it out this weekend and got tons of compliments.

Happy Turkey Day!

2011-11-28T08:17:00.001-08:00

We have had a really busy past two weeks but I’m so glad thatthere was a holiday in there. Last week Matt and I made a trip to St. Louis foran Ag and Technical Education conference. Matt made two presentations and to hissurprise he received an award from OTT (a national masters and above honorsociety) for most outstanding thesis work from a Master’s student. I have knownabout it for about a month, but Matt didn’t know. It was a real honor andreally validated a lot of the work he put into his masters paper and research.He really wants to get his doctorate, but we are still weighing the pros andcons of it.

This week was yet another short week because of thewonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. The weather was great!! We were able to spendsome time outside and had a lot of fun. We met my parents, grandparents andgreat aunt and uncle for breakfast at Cracker Barrel on Thursday morning. We have done this thepast few years and it has been so nice. We then followed it up with a hugelunch at Gimme and Poppa’s (Matt’s parents). Friday Matt and his father workedon the farm and I stayed in with Margaux. Saturday Matt joined some friends for a bike ride. Margaux and Imet up with them for a few minutes while they enjoyed a bite at Blondie’s indowntown Clarksville. Later that day we took family photo’s and ventured outnear the mall for a few stops and some dinner. Sunday we did some chores aroundthe house and Mommy took a good long nap.

We had a really nice laidback holiday. I hope everyone elsehad a great Thanksgiving too. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Margaux and Grammy/Gimme

Bad week!

2011-11-14T10:01:00.001-08:00

Thank God I don't have many weeks like the one I had last week. It started with running over my computer with my car. Yes, you heard me correctly. I ran over it with my car. I was loading packages into the car and I got distracted talking. I loaded what was the last package and forgot to put my work bag in, backed up and crush. Needless to say the Apple Macbook will not survive being run over by a Jeep Liberty. I made an emergency trip to Nashville to purchase a new computer (oh! and the one I ran over was just purchased in February of this year). I went to two different places and both said that my hard drive was damaged and the data can not be recovered in a conventional setting. I can send it off for a ga-zillion dollars and have a professional do it. Ugg! No thank you I'll just be retyping.
Matt or I had something planned EVERY night of the week after work!
I misplaced $200 I had in an envelope. The mail lady called on Wednesday and informed me I had accidentally put it in the mailbox with a stack of outgoing mail. So glad that made it back.
Matt's students had a fundraiser on Thursday night and I had hoped to go help and come home early. I got out a little after 9:00 p.m. and still had to stop by my parents, so I got home at 11:00 p.m.
And I wrapped the week up with breaking my toe with a crockpot.

Funnier story from Sunday before the flood gates opened. I had a light fixture that was only halfway working in our entry room. I called my Dad and tried my best to fix it. I think I may have even been the one to install the thing. Anyhow... I wiggled wires, receptacles, bulbs and ended up with the whole thing no longer working. And Dad coming to fix it. I told him I had heard varmints up there last winter and I think they had chewed it and damaged it. He said, "oh no. That isn't whats wrong." He took the fixture down and started locating the wires that were hanging down. One wire sticking out was unaccounted for, so he tugged on it and proceeded to pull a mouse out of the hole and swing it in front of my squealing face.
Of course he gave me crap for squealing, but I couldn't tell for a minute if it was alive or dead. It was dead. Surely if it had been alive it would have put up more of a fight.

Bye-Bye October! Hello November

2011-11-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

October was a crazy month here at our house. A lot of things have been going on. First off in Shelby news, I have started my own practice. I no longer work at the law firm that I was previously at and decided to go on my own. It was a TOUGH decision. I really contemplated on it for quite a while, seriously considering the pros and cons. And in the end, I decided to take the leap and go out on my own.
So far it has been a month and I really do enjoy the change and feel it was the right decision for me. I'm still trying to figure out what area of law is where I need to be. Being on my own, I feel that every dollar, every hour is an investment in ME! If I chose to hire someone to help with my billing (which I have done) it benefits me. Whereas if I had done that before, I would have been paying someone out of my pocket to bill (produce more money) that I would have had to pay a percentage of to the firm. It just didn't make any sense. Anyhow... it has been a really good change thus far.

Margaux is growing like a weed! She has battled allergies and runny nose problems for weeks now. She has cut quite a few new teeth and she has weathered her very first ear infection. All in all, since September she has been well for about 2 weeks. She currently has contracted yet another runny nose and sneezy spell that I'm hoping we can head off before it gets too bad.
She talks up a storm. She says just about anything she wants to now, or at least she tries. I have to be careful, because you never know when she's listening and what she will decide to repeat.
I love to hear her say her name. Its my favorite! She really pronounces the two syllables, "Maaa-Go!" It just warms my heart to death! My other favorite thing is when she starts singing her baby talk words. Ba ba ya ya laa la ya ya! It is too cute! one day she was doing that and threw in a "Baby rock"here and there. Apparently she likes "rock a bye baby". Last night and this morning she said, "Bon-ju" and tried au revoir. Matt thought she should say Bonjour.
She loves to be chased and play "Get you" she will run up to you and laugh and squeal and say "get you!" instead of Get me. She still loves the animals, the "Baa Baa's", the "Moo Cows", "Mee mee" (our cat), Bee Bee (our dog Biscuit), and "Ban-deet" (Bandit the dog). She enjoyed trick-or-treating as an owl with her friend Fee-Aa (Sophia), and loves to talk about Gammy, Nanny, and the Pa Pa's. She has a plethora of animal noises she makes when asked, she blows kisses, she says "Thank You", and she loves to be coy with folks.
We are still working on table food with her. She isn't a fan and can't seem to get that you have to chew things. She has a real issue with the texture of food and if she doesn't like it she'll gag. She loves tea and although I've never given her coke, she will look at a glass and say "coke". If it weren't for goldfish, nutri-grain bars, and chicken I think she might not eat anything by yogurt. Maybe when the rest of these teeth come in I can report she is eating more table food.

invasion:)

2011-11-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is one of the reasons I love reading my cousin Holli's blog. The following is an exert from her post about Halloween (which she goes totally out for).

"I looked up at one point and the street was jammed with vehicles and the entire width of our driveway from stoop to street was crowded elbow to elbow with little candy zombies. It was a horde. Yep. A horde. There was a small roar of kid voices when you stepped outside. It was like a one night invasion of human cicadas. They were running everywhere. I see now why they are made mostly of cartilage."

Human Cicadas! I love it! I chuckled out loud at my desk.

Happy Ha-OWL-oween!

2011-11-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Margaux loved this Halloween. She still didn't really know what all was going on, but she knew to chase her little friend Sophia (aka Ladybug) from the wagon to the door.

I love the face she is making at Wes!!

My owl and her daddy with the loot!

and to rhyme with loot, Margaux is such a Hoot!

On Saturday we visited with my parents and my side of the family, and on Sunday we dressed up for Matt's family. Margaux ran around with so much excitement. I can't wait till see what she does next year.

Halloween projects

2011-10-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

So this fall I have made a few little crafty things that I'll share.

First... Margaux's owl costume.

The wings are felt with a little interfacing. I got the pattern for them from Martha Stewart. I tweaked things a bit for ease and for personality. The beanie I made out of an old tank top of mine that was in the goodwill pile at my house. The original owl costume called for goggles. Margaux would probably rip those off in a heartbeat, so they got the axe and the beanie came in. besides the beanie there was very little machine sewing, mostly I little hand stitching.

Next... My plate turned door decor.

I found this plate at Big Lots for $0.80. I cut out some vinyl with my silhouette cutter and put it on the plate. I then drilled some holes in the plate and used floral wire to wire it to a frame I spray painted green. I added some ribbon and a little gem and the project was done.

Lastly... Some little pumpkins.

When we built the deck I had some left over little squares of wood in a pile. My original idea involved christmas and making little presents to sit about. But I figured I had enough to make some pumpkins too. I painted the blocks orange. drilled a tiny hole in the top. Then I gathered and cut some twigs from the yard. I glued the twigs in the hole with some hot glue and added the ribbon. These will be sitting around my house through Thanksgiving too!

Award! Good thing there is no runner up or they would totally take it back.

2011-10-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my good friend Fran and Mary, I have received my very 1st Blog Award!

It is the Liebster Blog Award!

What is this you ask?

The Liebster Blog Award is given to an up and coming blogger who have less than 200 followers.
Liebster is a German word meaning dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.To keep this award going, pass the award along to 5 other new deserving bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

The rules for the Liebster Blog Award are:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love, too!

*Disclaimer!! I can't say that I'm following the rules to the fullest, but I do have some favorite blogs that I'd love to share with some folks. So I'll here's my attempt to participate.

Here are my 5 blogs:

1. Holli- Simply Absurd

Holli is my cousin and I love her dearly. She has a wonderful writing style and a unique sense of humor. She probably wants to kill me for the lack of grammar in my posts. She is blunt, straight forward, a geek, and down to earth. She had a baby not long after I had Margaux. Her baby Vivian is gorgeous and happy. Their family has traveled a road with bumps and turns. One of which was a heart condition that Vivian was born with. But this family is strong. And the family will be one more strong this spring with a new baby boy on the way!

2. Beth- Birds Eye Photography

Beth is my close friend from college. We laugh together, cry together, vent, and contemplate the challenges of motherhood and life on a weekly basis. She takes wonderful photos and shares them on her blog. She is a mother of a beautiful baby girl and an art teacher.

3. Lindsey-Happenings of the Carney Household

Lindsey and I have known each other for many years. We went to high school and played basketball together. She has a beautiful son name Hudson whom joined them from Russia. She also has a surprise blessing named Hollynn who just turned 1. Lindsey makes a living doing what she loves. She trains horses and gives riding instruction to youth.

4. Mary- Just passing thru

I met Mary and Mark when I was in college. Mary was in a sorority and so was I. Both of our husbands are in the same fraternity. Mary also has a baby around a month younger than Margaux. She loves to host and share about her family. She too is expecting another little one any day now.

5. Matt-Silvey Farms

Well, I know this guy pretty well and he'd be super bummed if I didn't tap him. He will occasionally get on a kick and post and update about things on the farm. We are so busy and he works so hard so sometimes there is quite a span between posts. I appreciate all that he does for my family.

Fall Pictures of Margaux

2011-10-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

I found this rust colored tulle in the clearance bin at Hobby Lobby right after Margaux was born and knew the color would look great on my little redhead. So last spring while making some dresses for a friends children to wear, I made Marguax a quick version as practice. About two weeks ago she let me put it on her and snap a few pictures. She is very nice to let Mommy play with her so.

They turned out precious. Even if she had chocolate on her face and she wouldn't stop pulling the top down:)

Honeysuckle Hills

2011-10-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

The weekend of October 15th we had a weekend of parties and family fun. On Saturday two of Margaux's little friends had their first birthday parties on the same day. We had a lot of fun and Margaux played herself out. It was a beautiful day for getting together with friends.

On Sunday we went to Honeysuckle Hills farms in Springfield. The farm is owned and operated by one of Matt's students family. We met his father who runs the show. We watched the pumpkin cannon, the pig races, and meandered through the corn maze. It was a fun day, again beautiful weather and a great chance to support one of Matt's students.

Riding with Daddy

Enjoying the Corn Maze

Picking herself a wee little pumpkin

Pig Races!

Beach (take two)

2011-10-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

A lot has been going on the past few weeks. One thing was a trip to the beach with some friends. WE HAD A BLAST. I have definitely learned a valuable lesson about babies and the beach. They either need to be too small to be very mobile or walking OR… over the age of one. Margaux was night and day from when we took her to the beach when she was 10 months old. It’s amazing how much she has developed and changed in the past 4 months. She loved the beach. She would walk out on the sand and point at the water and scream “BEEeee!” She scampered around and ran in the sand. She played with the other children. She didn’t make herself miserable with rubbing sand, sunscreen or saltwater in her eyes. She was a regular beach baby. . The biggest problem we had this time was trying to keep her from eating seashells. I had to trick her into coming into the shade for a while. Having a fair skinned little redhead I’m constantly worried she is going to burn to a crisp. It somewhat consumes me. She wears a little scuba looking swimsuit that is 50 spf. I think she is going to be doomed to these swimsuits until she is 16!

We spent all of Thursday on the beach followed by a fire S’mores and fireworks. Margaux fell asleep but woke up and watched the fireworks with me from the deck of the house we stayed in. Friday we shopped at Appalacacola and headed to the beach. Saturday started out chilly, so we took the kiddos and the men folk to the bay side. The kids played on the playground and the men played on the paddleboard. Sunday we made the long trek home with a stop in Dothan to have lunch with Monica and Jay.

It was a wonderful trip with great company. It was so needed.

*Funny Margaux story from the vacation. She is very into animal noises. Anything she can associate with a cow she does, if its big, if its round, if it has spots, etc. Matt had a hat with a bear on it and Margaux would point at it and say “Moo”. Well… Margaux walked in while Mommy was putting on this bathing suit

pointed at me and said, “Moo”. I laughed and laughed and warned Margaux that if she were a little bigger Mommy may have been offended.

Vote for Margaux!

2011-09-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: she is not running for president... Yet :) just a little modeling/casting call. Honestly... Mommy would like a discounted pair of some of the only shoes she wears well. They aren't cheap!

http://www.pediped.com/castingcallgallery.aspx

You'll have to enter the name Margaux into the search box!

Thanks in advance!

Projects (Part 2)

2011-09-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Chalkboard

I purchased this picture and frame at goodwill months ago for $2.99.

Spray paint and chalk board paint and now she has a very girly message board. I’m thinking about doing something smaller to hang by our front door and write welcome on it.

Earrings

Scrapbook button brads (purchased cheep cheep on clearance) and jewelry earring posts and clamps. Add Some epoxy and now I have way too many pairs of earrings.

wearing them here

Projects Projects Everywhere (Part 1)

2011-09-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

So seeing that we actually had no plans weekend before last, I was able to get some house work done and work on some of the many little projects I have going. Here are a few:

Garden Flag

Since we finished (finally) our landscaping, I have been wanting to make a garden flag for our front entrance. So I picked up this hand towel at the dollar tree for you guessed it $1.

I little iron on hem tape, left over craft felt from a girls night project a few months ago, and some time to hand stitch an “S” on and presto! Monogramed garden flag.

I already have some ideas for making another one for Halloween.

Stepping stone

For Margaux's first birthday Auntie Mo got Margaux a kit to make a stepping stone and she and I finally got around to making it. Pay no attention to how many fingers my child has. We decided to make it more impressionistic. You try making a clean handprint of a one year old.

Now over Labor Day weekend we weren't at home as much and all that house work went to crap! Bummer! More Project posts to come!

Warpaint

2011-09-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

Tonight we will be showing our lambs for the last time this year. Margaux loves the sheep. She is absolutely crazy about the "Baaa Baaa's". She loves them and being outside so much that she has mastered the ability to throw a tremendous fit when she is made to come in from outside. She could gather all the walnuts on the ground, which she calls a "ball", all day.

Right now we have a ram and a small buck visiting our ladies in hopes of having award winning lambs again next year.

This is a picture of Margaux and the small buck, "Warpaint".

My Morning Scene

2011-08-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

This was yesterday morning. She definitely helps me start my day with a smile. She does her routine of Kitty (meow is one of her favorite words), Sheep, Chicken (which she says "cocka, cocka" because Cockle Doodle Doo is too hard), puppy dog, mamma, dada, pappa and nana. She seems to have forgotten horse. She used to say "nee" or "neigh" but instead she said one of her other favorite words... "no".

Anyhow enjoy!

Morning Margaux from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

Wrapping up August

2011-08-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

We have had so much going on here lately. I’ve had a lot going on here at work, Matt has started back to school, and we have been pretty busy on the weekends too.

Matt actually got me on his paddle board last weekend. It’s pretty fun I have to admit. It is supposed to be a great work out, but I didn’t really venture out in the water to far on my maiden voyage.

Matt also celebrated a birthday and we made our second visit to Fontanel for brunch. They have a bruschetta omelet that is fantastic. One evening we will have to make the trip for dinner. Margaux of course had the best time. She enjoyed the live music and the attention she received from fellow diners. When the weather cools down, Matt and I want to hike the trails out there.

Last Thursday I had the difficult task of judging two beauty pageants. The girls were 5-7 and 8-11. It was SO HARD! Every one of the girls were adorable and some of them were little hams having the best time. Just precious little dolls. It was seriously hard. But luckily there were two other judges. I was a little disappointed in a winner that made the statement, “I knew I was going to win. I don’t know why you all even came “ to the other contestants that were congratulating her. I know if Margaux were to make a statement like that, that crown would have come off her head so quick. I hope I raise her to be better than that. I know that kids go through phases, I had mine, and she will have hers. I hope this little girl is in one.

Speaking of Margaux, she is getting so big so quickly. I see that she is about to get some more teeth here soon. She also will start going to a preschool 2 days a week here soon. I know that the Grandmothers will miss her those days, but she will enjoy it I hope.

2011-08-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Margaux has been developing, both physically and mentally, at a rapid pace since she turned one. At her one year check up she was 33 inches tall (in the 99%) and 24 lbs (in the 91%). She has hit pretty much all the motor skill development marks. She doesn’t just walk, she runs. Her doctor asked me if a realized that she was a very “charming” baby.

She definitely has a ton of personality. She loves people and animals. Whenever someone makes over her she eats it up. Often she “holds court” jabbering and waving and getting the attention of those around her. As if the red hair isn’t enough of an attention grabber. She says, Momma, Dadda, Poppa, Nanna/Nanny, Mee Mee (This is for Meeper, our cat) and Hot. She will say other things, but most of the time she is just mimicking. She knows where your nose is and will point to it. She knows that a Kitty (or Mee mee) says Meeow, a Cow says Moooo and a Sheep says Baaa. She waves and says “bye bye” She likes to squeal/scream just for the heck of it and then smile and giggle. She has the grandparents wrapped. When she hears Matt’s dad’s loud diesel truck pull up in the driveway to feed the cows she will jump up and holler out “poppa, pop, poppa!” I was trying to change her diaper the other morning and she was trying to leap off the table because Poppa pulled up.

She is very cuddly and lovey. She will hug and snuggle her babies and give them kisses. She gives mommy and daddy and anyone who request kisses. She loves books and being read to. I have started back at weight watchers here recently to help with the last of the baby weight and then the pounds I put on before I got pregnant from the Bar Exam. I took her with me to a meeting and while the lady was leading the group and discussing a book, Margaux ran up to the front so she would show her the book. She likes to sit with Momma while I get ready for work in the morning. She isn’t happy until she gets to see herself in the lighted make-up mirror and gets a brush or tube of mascara. She is all girl, but she isn’t sold on bows yet.

She is sleeping really well as usual. For quite a while now she has really accepted bedtime and easily gone down in the evening. In the mornings she loves to wake up and play in her crib for sometimes an hour or so. She will jabber with her bear and stuffed lamb.

And of course she loves the heck out of Meeper. And Meep is a really good sport. Margaux lays on her, smashes her, pats her, grabs her hair/tail, and tries to engage her in a multitude of ways. Here is a one of the many meepy moments.

playing with meeper and reading her a good book:)

10 years already!

2011-08-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my 10 year High School Reunion and I had the best time. The venue for the reunion was a super cool rooftop right on Broadway. Nashville Music City everywhere. The views from the rooftop were fantastic!

We had about 250 in our graduating class and we had maybe 28 people show up for the reunion. I had so been looking forward to seeing more folks. Maybe it was the price of tickets, maybe it was because it was located above a bar, maybe it because quite a few have small children, maybe it was because of the easy access to catching up with folks on facebook and not actually having face to face contact. I don’t know. I have seriously wondered why more people didn’t attend. I tried my best to speak to every person there and take a photo of every person there. I missed a few. Literally I saw one girl get off the elevator, I walked by her, came back later wanting to say hey and she had left. I asked one girl where someone (we’ll call him J) was and she told me he had changed his mind about coming. I then asked about another friend who wasn’t there and she replied that he was actually the one that talked J into not coming because it was “lame”. (Insert sad Shelby face here)

Apparently I’m lame. I know everyone has their reasons. I can’t say I loved High School but I can’t say I hated it either. I can say that many of the things that happened in that 4 years helped make me the person that I am today. While eating dinner with some classmates I told someone that I could care less if people are successful, a stay at home mom, or whatever. I just hoped that they were all happy. I know lame. I’m terribly lame for wanting to see that. It doesn’t matter what they are doing. Take me for example, I’ve spent 8 of the last 10 years in school. I’ve only been gainfully employed in my profession for 2 years. Some folks have been working and making money for the past 6-10 years, bought homes, built homes. I haven’t done that. Some people have been lucky enough to spend time at home with their little ones or travel around. To me it really didn’t matter at all. I know… Lame. Or as Dusty Collins Hudgins would have said “LOSER!” (Dusty you cracked me up). Maybe it is the ability to see whom you want on facebook. Know about their jobs and families, but avoid actual face to face interaction.

None the less I had a great time. I look forward to the next one. The classmates I did see appeared to be doing well. Most of us hadn’t changed much. We were supposed to pick someone who had changed the most, but I had a really hard time picking anyone. I know I have a good extra 20 lbs (thanks Margaux!) but for the most part I look the same. I have my fingers crossed the next 10 years are as good to all of us as the past 10!

Jovanna and I at High School Graduation

May 2001

Jovanna and I 10 years later

July 2011

Post Party Laughter

2011-07-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

So after everyone cleared out from Margaux's party, I had her inside trying to get her to sit and actually eat. She did, cleaned it all up. Then we preceded to have a funny noise and giggle exchange that was quite lengthy. This is just a small portion of our session, but you get the picture. Our home has been filled with this wonderful noise for a whole year now! It's the greatest thing.

*sorry about the focus going in and out. When I film with my point and shoot camera it does this

One year of giggles from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

Margaux's party

2011-07-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Margaux had her first birthday party this weekend and well… we survived. We had an outdoor party on the new deck/pavilion. It was a huge and stressful project to get the deck built as well as all the other projects that needed to be finished up. But everything around the house looks really nice. The deck is great. We are going to enjoy it a lot. Especially when it cools off in a few months. I’ve got some ideas for some get togethers.

We had it early in the day trying to beat the heat. Margaux had the best time. She absolutely loves being with all the other children. Everyone fed the goats and took a spin in the new wagon Margaux received from her Nannie and Grandpa. I’m pretty sure my mother was pulling around 70 pounds in that wagon at one point. Nannie’s arm is going to be hurting tomorrow. Margaux loves the wagon. In fact, she cried last night when I took her out of it in order to go in and prepare for bed. She has loved all the new toys and books. My child LOVES books. We hung up all the swings and the kids enjoyed some swinging. I made a photo backdrop for the kids to take pictures in. Matt and I still need to have our picture taken in it.

It was a fun and festive day.

One Year of Awesomeness!

2011-07-19T06:37:00.000-07:00

One year ago today at 3:10 p.m. I met the most wonderful amazing little person ever! Happy Birthday to my precious little one who makes everyday more thrilling and rewarding! You are my greatest accomplishment and a blessing to Matthew and I. We love you more than we could ever tell you.

Welcome Baby Margaux from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

Fourth Fun

2011-07-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

I know that the Fourth was quite a while ago, but I’ve been meaning to post about it. We’ve just been SUPER busy around the house. Getting things together to have folks over for Margaux’s birthday next weekend. Matt started a building project that had to be completed. We had a pretty good Fourth of July this year. My niece and nephews headed back to Texas so things returned to normal for a moment. Matt made plans on the 2nd to go Canoeing with some guy friends. So Margaux and I took some girl time and went to the Trenton Yard Sale and festival on Saturday. Trenton, KY is so interesting to me. A majority of the folks at the festival were Mennonite. Margaux loved watching the families come down the street in their horse and buggy or in tractors with wagons. I was pretty into it all too. She would hear the hoofs on the road and get to twisting and turning in her stroller to see.

Margaux and I had homemade ice cream from the quilt shop. The picture I have of us, she has her hand in the cup of banana ice cream. It was delicious. I got a few squares to make her a new ultra fem shabby chic-ish blanket.

On the fourth we had lunch at Matt’s parents and then we went to our friends’ the Coles for some dinner and fireworks. We had a wonderful fourth for the first time in a long while.

Having Margaux really made it special.

Trying to stay cool in Trenton

Hanging with Daddy on the Fourth!

cousins

2011-07-08T07:41:00.001-07:00

Margaux's cousins recently came into town for a long visit. My sisters kids visited for 3 weeks and I had a wonderful time with them. They always seem to have a great time in TN too. Margaux loved them to death. She giggled and played. She loved my niece and would let her tote and hold her.Matt, Margaux and I tried to get to my parents to spend as much time as we could with them before they go back to Texas, grow another foot and come back next summer. We rode the gator, we rode the mini motor bike, we fished with my nephew, and I spent some quality time with my niece who is now 13 and growing into a wonderful young lady. She and I painted pottery, shopped, and saw a play. The month of June was totally crazy. We were on vacation for a week, the kids were in town for 3 weeks, 3 of the other attorney were on vacation for a week and I was the only attorney at the office, and... BAM! Its July! My house is a wreck for lack of cleaning because of all the running around and craziness, but totally worth it.

here are some photos.

Margaux and Peyton

All the cousins

Me with my fish!

I don't like to touch them

Dinner time

Parker and Peyton in the field on the minibike

Welcome Elyza

2011-06-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well, baby Elyza is finally here. My best friend Beth's baby girl has arrived. She was 7 lb 6 oz and 19.5 inches long. Elyza was fashionably late. She has beautiful dark hair, and she and Mommy are doing fine. Beth has now joined a the small number of folks that I know that have had a good inducement story. Many of the people I know that were induced ended up with C-sections. Beth did really well and she and baby are getting settled in.

Margaux, Matt and I went to visit her in the hospital in Nashville. Margaux was good for the most part. She was unaware of the baby until the baby cried. Then she would stare at her and look very concerned and confused. She and Elyza are going to have the best time together!

Congratulations Beth and Michael!

row row row your boat

2011-06-27T13:09:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went on a Canoe trip with some friends. Quite a few friends actually. Much fun was had, there were a few injuries, but for the most part everyone made it out in one piece.

Ferry Princess

2011-06-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here is video of us on the ferry ride to Dauphin Island from vacation.

Ferry to Dauphin Island from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

First Father's Day

2011-06-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Margaux and her Dad had a really great first fathers day together.

We had brunch at O'Charley's and Margaux wore a really cute dress her daddy bought for her with the university he received his masters from. Speaking of... Matt's thesis was chosen to be presented at an Ag educators conference later this year and it has a good possibility of being published in a journal. In fact today he is working on another submission that will hopefully do well also. We are so proud of him.

Daddy and Grandpappy at brunch

The rest of father's day was filled with an impromptu trip to the Lane Car Museum in Nashville. They have free admission on Father's day for Dads. I totally recommend it to folks. Matt gawked talked about the features, history, innovations and special characteristics of the cars. Mommy just commented on how pretty some of them were. We definitely had a good time.

Margaux and Daddy playing with cars

there's a pretty baby in that car

Beach Cap

2011-06-20T18:35:00.001-07:00

Well the beach trip was a lot of fun. Margaux loved the sand and loved the water. However… she would rub both in her eyes and then it was over. She totally wanted to do her own thing, but she doesn’t understand to let Mommy wipe her hands. She absolutely loved the indoor pool that was at the place we stayed and Mommy loved it because my little redhead needs to stay out of the sun. She liked the outdoor pool, but we waited super late before we headed out there. We lounged, we shopped, we ate like pigs, we went to Mobile (uggg… don’t go).

Poolside from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

The beach trip was our first family trip. A lot of lessons were learned, but we had a really good time together.

beach baby

2011-06-08T18:52:00.001-07:00

Testing out some of the settings on my camera! Nanna... I promise your little puddin wasn't tossed high. It is just the angle of the shot.

Margaux's first trip to the beach!

2011-06-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

She likes it!

Memorial day and Margaux!

2011-06-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

Well, over Memorial Day I shucked responsibility (because I really should have stayed home and got some things done) and went to visit my friend Beth before she gives birth to baby Elyza. I think she is going to go early. Not real early, but like a week early. I’ll be jealous if she does. Margaux stayed right up to her due date little stinker. And speaking of jealous. I totally miss being pregnant. I enjoyed being pregnant. Well… up until the last 2 weeks. Maybe I’ll be ready to go there again soon, but not too soon. I’d really like to not be in our current house when we have another baby. We barely have enough room as it is.

Beth and I introduced Margaux to the swimming pool for the first time. It was kind of a dry run for our beach trip coming up. She LOVED the pool. I sat on the steps with her and she splashed and slapped and giggled. Beth twirled around in the water in front of her and she found that quite funny.

Margaux is also showing signs of her top two teeth. She may actually have enough to eat a piece of her first birthday cake. She is crawling around the house like a champ. She has mastered the two stairs we have in our house. She is in need of restricter plates on her walker she’s moving so fast. She is standing alone for short periods of time. She terrorizes the cats if she can get a hold of one, pulling out handfuls of fur or yanking their tails. She says go go. I think she is focused on the last part of her name, which she hears really often. She has a FIERCE pinch. Oh Lord she can pinch. She tries to eat anything off the floor. She often gets told No NO. If it is for trying to put something in her mouth, she will shove it in there real quick and look at you like “what?”. And she hates the security sweep of her mouth for foreign objects. Margaux will probably be getting a new car seat after we return from vacation. She is so big and long that the newborn carrier just won’t do. And to end this little summary of Margaux lately… She and her Daddy are enjoying some quality time together this summer since he is out for summer break. He has been soaking up some snuggles!

mirror mirror on the wall!

2011-05-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

So I finished up and delivered my friend Cindy her wedding present. I refinished a mirror and monogrammed it with her new last initial. I purchased this mirror at goodwill. It was white. first I painted it brown and it looked terrible.

Then I painted it a champagne color. The picture makes it look gold, but it isn't.

Then I used my vinyl cutter to add the frosted glass monogram.

Ta Daaa!

I love my vinyl cutter! here is margaux's toy bin.

Looking forward

2011-05-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

We are so looking forward to the long weekend coming up. I feel like we have been going going going and I’m looking forward to some home time. I’ve got quite a to-do list prepared and if I get a few of the items on that list done, I’ll be a happy momma.

I’ve been trying to get together some ideas for Margaux’s first birthday coming up in July. I’m really trying to not let things get out of hand. I started with a guest list, then I looked at it and freaked and re did it. Part of me wants to invite everyone and their mom to celebrate my sweet girl, and another part of me realizes she’s not going to know if we even had a party or not. Therefore, I shouldn’t make it an adult party more for me and my friends. I’ve decided to invite a couple friends with kiddos, some close friends, and the grandparents. And honestly they don’t even have to bring any presents. My house is small and Lord knows the child is not in need of anything. The past year with her has been the best gift ever!

Funny Family

2011-05-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Cindy got married a week or so ago at another friend of mine's house. It was a wonderful backyard wedding (despite the cold and rain). I made her flower girl dresses and her birdcage veil. It all looked great. However... she could have worn a white trash bag as a veil and looked stunning. Here is a picture of her veil.

And also a funny photo of the family. I had tried to get Margaux to wear the chicken beak, but she was not having it!

my little addiction... to crafting.

2011-05-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

I led a craft night with some girlfriends last week and had a fun time. My friend Amelia was really nice and let us meet at her house. I definitely did not haveenough room for us to spread out to do the craft. We made colorful summer wreaths. The fabric was super bright and we embellished with felt flowers, buttons, and ribbon. I think we all had a good time. The decoration on the wreaths can be changed out easily and I have one I have changed out numerous times on my front door made out of burlap. Here are some of the girls from the groups post on their blogs. FRAN and MARY.

I'm not sure what we might do next time if the girls are interested in doing another crafty night, but I have few more ideas banked.

Speaking of crafty things... here is a picture of a few of the things I've made lately.

Ice Cream Cone Tee for size 24 months

One of my bestest of friends is having a baby in June and here is the quilt I made her. This picture was taken right before I finished it up. Of course my friend cried when she opened the present!

Can't wait to meet baby Elyza!

Another gift for Elyza. A personalized toy bin.

Fabric flower pin for Elyza's mom to wear at her baby shower.

Grandpa!

2011-05-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

On Mother's day I made it a point to snap a picture of Margaux with her Grandpa! So glad I did because they are cute! In fact, Grandpa kept her all day for me while I worked one day last week. Nannie had to go to work and Grandpa came through. They had a wonderful bonding day, just her and Grandpa!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

This time last year I didn’t feel much like a Mommy on Mother’s Day. I was still pregnant and felt that I had not yet achieved that title. I had wanted for so long to be a Mommy. I bided my time to finish college and then law school and then to pass the bar exam. I was happy, yet jealous of my friends with children and loved every moment of snuggling with theirs.

I was right in my assumption last year too. I had no idea what all was about to come. Now I’m a Mom. I’m truly a Mom. Out of all that school and all that I’ve done, I have to say I’m proudest of Margaux. Everything about her, her snuggles, smiles and giggles light up my heart. Matt was playing with Margaux in the floor the other night and I asked him if he wanted another one. Of course he said yes. I asked him if he still wanted three (which he has mentioned before). His response... that honestly he'd like four but knows I wouldn't be on board for it. Your absolutely right bud! FOUR! Nope! not happening! absolutely not! never in a million. NO.... No.... no! Two yes! any more will have to be evaluated after number 2.

I struggle with guilt on a regular basis that I’m not doing enough for her. That she isn’t getting all that she needs from me. And fear that I’m not doing a good job. Who knew that sweet baby I gave birth to last year was accompanied by so much guilt? As soon as I had her I wanted so much to do everything right. Sadly being a first time mom, I had no idea what right was. Or that the fact that right/perfect didn't exist. It took awhile. A long while. Hell... maybe I'm still trying to realize that.

I try everyday to be the best Mommy that I can be. Tears well up in my eyes every time I think about all the hopes and dreams I have for my child. I want so much for her be a vessel in which I can place all that is good in me.

My little Ham!

2011-04-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have been dying for Margaux to get big enough for me to piddle around with taking pictures of her. I had a good time with her christmas photo, but now she really does some cute things that I can capture.

Anyhow, this was a practice session when she was fussy one afternoon. She loves being outside and she apparently loves the camera so you can't tell that only moments before she was a pill. My mother bought this old doll bed at a yard sale. It was gross and she cleaned it up and showed it to me. I admit, I thought I was going to hate it. Why you ask. I heard yard sale and was expecting not to like it. However... She did really good on this find. I love it! I think it is really charming. It has an antique sticker of a bear on the side that you can't see in the photos. I'm excited about trying some more pictures using this adorable prop with a lot of character. My child has a lot of character too so it is a good match.

Little Pudding is 9 months!

2011-04-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

She is pulling up all by herself and standing. Most mornings when I go in to get her she is standing up and jumping with excitement. She will transition from laying down to sitting up on her own. She will also sit there and play with toys. She crawls more now and loves to go after the cat. The remote and Mommy and Daddy’s cell phones are the best toys ever! Margaux loves water and would rather eat food and drink water than have formula now a days. She laughs and cackles at the most unexpected things. We were in Toys R Us the other day and Matt and I started bouncing a ball back and forth. The child got hysterical. So of course we now own a bouncy ball. She loves other children. She still can’t play with them but loves to watch.

I've really been wanting to take some spring

pictures of Margaux and I finally got

a a chance last weekend. This one was one of my favorites!

She had her 9 month check up and she is a tall drink of water. She is 30 inches tall putting her in the 96 percentile for height. She is 21.5 lbs putting her in the 90 percentile for weight. She is close to the size her daddy was at a year old. I knew she was getting big because she is KILLING my back. I really need to start using the stroller and baby carrier more often to spare me some pain.

She is growing wonderfully. And I’m so happy to see her thriving. She has the best sense of humor and I’m thrilled everyday to see her grow and progress. It’s been a wonderful 9 months and I can’t wait to see her new developments.

2011-04-19T07:54:00.001-07:00

Happy 9 Months!

stinker

2011-04-08T13:00:00.001-07:00

So Margaux does this when she gets excited and it tickles me. However... Her Nannie (my mom) told me she thought Margaux was in pain. I told her she wasn't and that she was just excited about her food, the cats, whatever. Then I demonstrated that she will mimic it. Now her Dad thinks this is hilarious. One of my co-workers said, "yeah, its cute now. But it won't be when she gets older." Ummm good point. But right now... its pretty funny.

arrr! from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

Teeth Photo take 2

2011-04-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

Scoot scoot and boogie!

2011-03-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

booty scooty! from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

Teeth

2011-03-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

I have been asked to post a picture of Margaux's teeth. Well, I have to tell you... getting her to show her teeth is dang near impossible. She will either refuse to open her mouth or stick her tongue out over them so you can't see. They only way to get a good glimpse is to maker her smile. That she has no problem with.

Update on Doggie: Well, Doggie stayed in our pen for a few days just to make sure he was doing better. However, he would howl day and night. When he showed up he had a collar on but with no id and when he would come around we'd try to feed him, but he wasn't hungry. After day two of howling I had the thought that Doggie had a home near by that he was used to returning to and I was keeping him from it. So we let him out. He played for a few minutes with us and then made a beeline down the hill. He returned last week for a day, but I haven't seen him for awhile. Hopefully he is home, with his family and they have decided to put up some sort of containment device for him.

Doggie (and Japan) need your help!

2011-03-15T14:32:00.001-07:00

This is Doggie!

Doggie needs your help. He showed up at my house last week, and has been making the rounds between mine and two of my neighbors houses. He’s super sweet and we have been waiting for someone to come and claim him. He has a collar but it doesn’t have any information.

Monday March 14^th, while hanging out on our front porch, Doggie was attacked by a pit bull at our front door. My husband just happen to be home from school for spring break, heard the noise, and clubbed the pit bull over the head until he let go of Doggie. Literally this happened right outside our front door.

Doggie is okay, he’s doing just fine and doesn’t seem to be too sore from what happened. However he still needs help. He needs a home. Matthew and I don’t plan on keeping him, however we are trying to keep him safe in our pen for the time being. We want him to have a good home, this is where I’m asking you or anyone you know, if they may be interested in loving Doggie full time.

Here are things you need to know about Doggie:

He is super sweet!

Doggie is a Chocolate Lab.

He appears to be house broken. He stayed in our shed all night and there was no presents. As soon as we let him out in the a.m. he did his business.

He also did not chew up a single thing in our shed! Our previous lab would have chewed up everything in sight if we had left her alone. Our neighbor confirmed that Doggie did not chew up anything in her garage.

Doggie will sit on command.

Doggie seems to understand the dangers of vehicles. Another thing our lab had issues with.

Doggie does not play fetch… yet. Maybe you could teach him.

Doggie seems to really like other dogs.

Doggie is a male and it appears he has his bits and pieces.

Did I mention Doggie is super sweet!

If you, or anyone you know is interested in taking Doggie in let me know. Feel free to forward this information to other friends.

Thanks, Shelby, Matt, Margaux and Doggie

How Clever!

2011-03-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

My's new necklace that Margaux's Grandmamma gave me after seeing Margaux grab and try to chew my's pearls. How clever! I thought it was a stone, but it is actually a silicone ring. I plan to replace the nylon cord with something else.Margaux approves!
Hopefully she won't choke me out!

March- in like a lamb!

2011-03-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

It’s been awhile, but we haven’t had too much going on around our house. Margaux has begun coming to the office with me a bit more lately, maybe once a week on a day that is slow. She does really well, I think she misses all the toys she has at home, but we make due. Her little tooth is showing more and more everyday, and she has a lot of new friends that have been born recently, and more on the way in the next few months.

Matt is working really hard lately and doesn’t get home till after she has gone to bed most nights of the week. It’s pretty tough on him, but we are definitely able to put back some money.

I recently took a knitting class with some girlfriends for a monthly girls’ night. It was fun. I’m attempting to complete my scarf. At this rate it may be finished by next winter. I’m going to keep at it though. The knitting teachers found our group to be quite funny. We picked and joked the whole time, and had a blast. We've all decided we are going to have wonderfully jacked up scarves next winter.

We have added 2 more ewes and their twins (yes 4 lambs) to our flock of sheep. Apparently someone we know was looking to downsize his numbers and they came to live with us. I just go with it. The new mommas are named Dolly Pardon and Carrie Underwool. Dolly is SUPER sweet, and ends up competing with our other love bunny Sally Pearl for attention. Matt will be working on some fencing and farm projects on his upcoming spring break. An attorney I work with’s daughter is going to show one of the lambs in the 4-H sheep show this summer, so they came out to look at the girls. Of course, of all the times to have a birds and bees moment on the farm, a bull and a heifer got their freak on right there in front of his innocent sweet little girls. All we could do was laugh (aren’t we mature).

Here’s a video of the climbing bouncing lambs.

Lambs Are Too Cute! from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

Snow, Cold, Warm, Snow, Cold, Warm, Ahhh!

2011-02-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

Sunday I ran outside. Monday Snow, buckets of it and ice. Tuesday melted a little. Wed Snow again, covering the ice that I've tried really hard not to bust it on. Forecast for this weekend looks like I'll be able to run outside again.

In Margaux news... She is cutting a tooth. Its on the bottom and feels sharp as glass. People had told me her gums would feel bumpy. nope. All I can say is... we quit breastfeeding at just the right time. So far I haven't seen the nastiness that people have informed me that teething would involve. Just a little whiny-ness. She will now occasionally parrot "Ma,Ma,Ma" but other times she just flaps her lips to mimic with no noise what so ever but the sounds of her lips popping together. Still super cute. In sleep news, I'm blessed at night, but she only naps for about 30-45 minutes 2-3 times during the day. At night she goes down about 6:30 or 7 and is out till 6:30 or 7. Much like momma she enjoys her sleep.

In farm news... we had a lamb that didn't make it. Lamby Gaga's baby came on Wed during the snow and it just didn't make it. Lamby is okay and we are all pretty bummed, but maybe next year. So we are done with lambs for this year.

After sharing something sad, I have to share something upbeat. I've posted a video of Margaux's new entertainment. Waving! With Daddy or I's help she has a blast waving back and forth.
Enjoy the giggles and screams of delight!

More Margaux squeals and giggles from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

Felt Food

2011-01-31T11:06:00.000-08:00

One of the many reasons God felt it necessary to gift me a baby girl. An outlet for my creative tendencies!

Margaux got two of the cutest tea sets when she was born. Of course it will be awhile before mommy lets her play with them (because they are glass and gorgeous) but while we are waiting, Mommy has made her some felt food, and she can play with that whenever she wants.
You should have seen the lady at the fabric store when I told her I was buying supplies to make felt food. After I explained, her face returned to normal.

Here are two pieces of cake a waiting their first tea party! Strawberry cake! one of my favs!

six month family check up

2011-01-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

Margaux’s 6 month check up went well. It snowed, so her dad was home to go with us to the doctor. She got some shots, and I have to say this was the first round of shots after which she was an upset girl. She was crabby and she had the poops. Which led to diaper rash bottom. Poor girl.

She is growing well. She is in the 86 percentile in weight, 88 percentile in height, and 63 for her head size. Cognitively she is developing really well. She’s very curious and has hit a lot of the milestones she needs to hit, some early in fact. She’s a sharp one. I hope that she keeps up the good work now that Mommy is no longer the food source.

As a family we are doing pretty well around here. Matt is teaching one college class again this year, as well as teaching at the High School. We have joined the gym on campus and I’m trying to squeeze in some workouts. The sheep are doing well. Lamby Gaga is starting to show signs that she is preparing to lamb, and the other babies recently got their tales docked. All is good out here on the farm.

Lambs!

2011-01-25T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well here are a few pictures of the second batch of twin lambs. Hannah Montana's baby girls.

bea- EWE-tiful weekend!

2011-01-16T08:09:00.001-08:00

We had a very eventful weekend last weekend. Fun, but busy busy! I went to a baby shower on Saturday that was absolutely cute! Lots of fun baby girl stuff. Margaux went with me and was pretty good, except for a short stint when she needed to go down for a nap.
Then we had dinner with some friends that night. Margaux wants to play with the bigger kids so bad, but right now she is settling for watching.
When we returned home, my father-in-law (Pappy/Grandpappy) knocked on the door to tell us our first lamb was born. Matt got dressed and went to the barn. Sally Pearl had a baby girl. They laid her on her side, and low and behold a baby boy! Twins!
The next day, Hannah Montana had lambed. Twins again! This time two girls. Our original flock of two sheep is now six! Both Momma's are being good Mommas. Babies are healthy and starting to hop around. They are so cute and soft and cuddly. They are Suffolk/Dorsett mix. Suffolk sheep are solid black at birth, but Dorsett's are white. That is why the babies are speckled. I have video and more pictures to come. Our new ewe, Lammy Gaga, has about 6-8 weeks left before her lamb (or lambs) arrive.
Sunday and Monday was consumed with us purchasing a new truck. Monday I also was able to visit a friend that welcomed home a precious baby boy. Her son Austin is adorable and it is so crazy how quickly I've forgotten how small Margaux was just 6 months ago.

me and Sally's baby girl

Momma Sally Pearl, baby girl on left, baby boy milking on right.

My little Jumping Bean!

2011-01-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

Now that Margaux has been introduced to the jumparoo she can enjoy at least a good hour of jumping. She is a jumping fool. She is so proud of herself, has tons of fun, feels independent, and gets out some energy.
I was cleaning out a closet in our TV room this weekend and she found it absolutely hilarious when I would get down on her level and peek out from behind some little shelves I had pulled out. Her laugh is instant sunshine for my soul! She truly is a happy baby the majority of the time. We took her to Loews this weekend and one of the sales people commented that we had one of the happiest babies he'd ever seen.

Jumping Bean from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

what a 2010 it was!

2011-01-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

2010 was a fabulous year. I started practicing law. Matt finished his Masters, got a job teaching, and we had a baby! The last three all happened within 3 weeks of each other. It was an exciting and pivotal year for us. However, I’m looking forward to a good and less eventful 2011. I finally feel like we are making headway on all the things we had wanted for our family. With all the schooling, it seemed like we were stuck in one place for so long. Our future just seems so much brighter now. Its been hard adjusting to just being. Previously there was always something coming up, a graduation, a job, a baby. Now we are able to just live, without counting down the days until ___ (fill in the blank with what ever). I've had a ticker running for so many years. It’s weird at times, but I like it.

I did not make any resolutions for 2011. However I would like to get back to feeling like Shelby. I have quite a bit of baby weight that is hanging around, and I still don’t feel quite like myself yet. I decided to kick my own butt last week on the treadmill and seriously did a whammy on my back. I’m going to have to ease back into things a little slower than I would like. Mentally I’m ready to have a good hard workout, but it seems my body isn’t quite there yet. And with my little one, I can’t afford to do that again, and be unable to bend down and pick up my sweetie. Seriously I had to call for Matt's help to get her the morning after I overdid it. Slow and steady I guess.

Here’s to a wonderful 2011!

Easily amused. Me not Margaux.

2011-01-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

Mommy is SOOOO funny to Margaux from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.

My happy little baby! She has the sweetest little giggle and she thinks her Mommy is really funny. Sorry about the one handed camera skills. I have to hold my head out to the side of the camera, otherwise she just stares at the camera with a very perplexed face. I never know what I've recorded till I play it back.

Margaux's new/old bear

2011-01-01T20:47:00.000-08:00

Well of course we had a wonderful first Christmas with Margaux. I can' t believe it has already passed. Margaux received some adorable presents. Some new and some old. By old, I mean they previously belonged to her father. She was passed down a blanket that had been made for Matt by his grandmother. She also received a bear that Matt parted with years ago. Apparently a friend of his mother was visiting with her children one day when Matt was little. One of her daughters was crying, and Matt went up to his room and came back with his favorite bear to give to her. My mother-in-law ask Matt if he was sure that he wanted to give her his favorite bear and he said yes. The girl he gave it to kept the bear for all these years. She even took it to college with her. She returned it to our family this year for Margaux. My Husband is still just as sweet, kind, and caring. I’m sure this bear isn’t all Margaux will inherit from him.

Santa Baby

2010-12-26T19:27:00.001-08:00

Margaux's first snow

2010-12-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

Our little snow bunny!

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

where did the time go?

2010-12-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

Long time since my last post uh. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas have become a complete blur! I was so worried about getting a card out to my sister quickly, I forgot to sign it and sent her a completely blank card, no return address, with the picture of my child featured below. wonder how many family members got the same thing? I send my family the actual printed pictures at Christmas and order cards for my friends. I managed to get presents for most of the family, except for my niece and nephews in Texas. I’m going to have to get their Christmas to them late. And Matt, poor guy, is going to have to get his gifts after Christmas too. I have a pretty good idea what I’m going to get him, and hopefully we can just plan a trip to the mall after the holidays.

Margaux is doing great! She is getting bigger and bigger. I'm cutting back on the breastfeeding and she is starting to take at least one big formula bottle a day.Most days, I'm so over the nursing. Other days, I feel guilty or bad about wanting to quit. I’m also trying to change her sleeping pattern a bit. She is a wonderful sleeper. Her schedule was from 6pm to 5am, early but do able. However… she has decided to tweak it to 6 pm to 4:30am. I can not hang with that. Especially since she has been sleeping in our room because of how cold the house has been getting at night. For the past few nights I have been keeping her up until 7:30 and we are working on making wake up time at 6am. My mother envisions our bedroom looking like a refugee camp. Margaux on one side of the bed, biscuit (the dog) on the other, us (and maybe a cat… or two) in the bed and a electric space heater. Ahh, the memories.

In farm news: our sheepy girls are back and bred. We will be expecting lambs in the next few months. I am so pumped! Hannah Montana and Sally Pearl came home on Saturday. It appears that Sally is going to be the first to lamb. We also acquired a new ewe too. It was quite funny to see all the animals reunite. The goats (Snickers and Peppermint) put on a show jumping, head butting, and walking around on their hind legs. The new ewe stomped her feet at all her new friends. She had happy feet. I think we have decided to name her Lammy Gaga!

Any way… I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a wonderful Holiday!

Our Christmas card this year

M's First Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

Well, one of the 3 Thanksgiving pictures I took actually turned out cute. This is Margaux and her Grandmamma Molly!
Also... I have been needing to get a video of Margaux to my niece in Texas. I'm posting it on here. If you happen to watch it, I apologize for the southern draw and the baby talk. Its a combination that I now think is worse than nails on a chalk board. I was trying to elicit smiles. unfortunately the baby talky high pitch seems to work. Please ignore my babbling and my one handed recording skills.

Happy Thanksgiving from Shelby Silvey on Vimeo.