We Finally Drank the Water !

Cirque Du Soleil

2009-11-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

Forget crawling, that's on the back burner compared to this cool "Daddy-Daughter Trick!" No broken bones or black eyes occurred during the taping of this stunt.

Watch, and be amazed!

Four Generations

2009-11-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

Wow...people have often told me I look like my mother but I really never saw it....uhhhhh, until now! Here we are with Granny and Mom, what a good looking group!

Crawling...or at least we're pretty darn close!

2009-11-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

So Saffren has been showing all the signs of a baby wanting to crawl. She's been rocking on all fours for some time now, so we thought we'd entice her with a little thing we like to call, "Our favorite iphone app." (Actually, it's just the screen saver on Garrett's phone but that little shiny screen was all it took to get her to "crawl!")

In Daddy's Arms

2009-10-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, Saffren is happy to go right to bed but sometimes she needs just a little more time with Daddy. Here he is using his magical charm to put her to sleep!

Is she sweet or what?

2009-10-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

Next time someone asks, "Why haven't you updated your blog?" I'm just going to show them this picture....I mean, what does a girl gotta do to get some face-time with the laptop?

Me and my Cuz

2009-10-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

What a pair of cuties! Here's Cousin Emmie and Saffren....upon seeing each other for the first time they acted as though they had been friends forever! Emmie didn't stop giggling at the sight of this little person that was just her size...errr, uhhh, or slightly bigger!

Double the Fun

2009-09-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

To all my avid readers....ahhhh hummmmm, well, to the few who may still be checking this blog for some glimmer of life, WAIT NO LONGER! Yeah, it's been about 5 weeks since my last post, but this cute video will make up for my blogging negligence!

For those of you who don't know, Garrett's brother Cody and his lovely wife Kara, (I just LOVE that girl,) had their own little pink bundle of joy just one month before Saffren made her debut. Cousin Emmie was born March 24th and Saffren was April 27th ! Now, the only sad part to this "too sweet" story is that our girls are thousands of miles apart since little Emmie and her parents live in Cary, North Carolina. (We keep trying to convince them to move back to the great state of Texas but our efforts have failed, and frankly, after seeing the breathtaking North Carolina landscape, I can't blame them!) Garrett and I were able to make a trip up to N.C. right before school started (like the WEEKEND before school started) to be there for Emmie's baptism. It was a family affair. Garrett's Dad, his wife Becky, and Garrett's Mom all flew up for the special occasion. When seeing each other for the first time Saffren and Emmie acted as though they were the best of friends, it was super cute! Here is a little video Garrett put together to mark their first "Cousin's Reunion!"

Jumping Sassafrass!

2009-08-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

We thought we could channel some of Saffren's never-ending energy and her love of bouncing through the help of this "jumper"... the result? She was a little caught off guard at how much she liked it, (as seen by her expression in this picture.) BOING, BOING, BOING...jump away sista! God bless the genius who invented the Sassy Jumper!

MUST sss..sssl...sleep

2009-08-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Sure, it was all fun and games staying up until 1:30 last night, but today, this "night owl" is paying the price. She just couldn't take it anymore and decided to catch some Zzzz's in the middle of a diaper change!

Bank of America, here we come!

2009-08-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

To break up our "sleep, play, poop, eat, summer schedule," we often go to Daddy's Bank to pay him a visit. Saffren is a big hit among the tellers at the branch. Sometimes we take Daddy lunch and sometimes we just swing by with a Sonic drink.

Three Months Already!

2009-07-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, our little Saffren is already three months old! Do you realize that's a fourth of the way to being a year old?!? AHHHHHhhh! Yesterday was her "3 Month Birthday" and we celebrated with a little photo shoot. I'm tracking Saffren's growth with the help of this pink teddy bear, given to her by her Great Grandmother "Mammie Pearl." Each month, on the 27th, we'll take her picture and watch how our little one changes!

Now that she's a whopping three months old, Saffren enjoys sucking on her fingers (NOT her thumb, that would be too easy. She can get her three middle fingers in all at once!) She's laughing each time we sing certain songs, like "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and when daddy counts to three, and she has a major crush on the ceiling fan in our bedroom...(she smiles and coos each time she sees it!)

2009-07-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Saffren LOVES playing with her Daddy when he comes home from work. They often "wrestle" on the floor!
Our little one is becoming more and more VOCAL...she's learned to express herself through happy screaming! (A video will shortly follow...I just need to get it uploaded!)
Now, this is serious ...Daddy and Saffren seeing eye to eye!

2009-07-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

Check out those zebra socks! Here's our little lady, pretty in pink!

4th of July

2009-07-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

So, you may or may not know this about me, but my all-time FAVORITE holiday is the "4th of July!" A little weird, I know, but I guess my love for the fourth all started back in my hometown of Seguin, when the entire town would gather for a huge red, white, and blue parade. We would pack a cooler of cokes, prop up our lawn chairs in the bed of Dad's truck and spend the morning watching the homemade floats drift by. I fell in love with all of it, the togetherness, the time spent with family, and the sense of patriotic pride.

This year, we celebrated with our good friends, David and Tiff Miller, along with their three terrific kiddos, Jack, Gwyne and Liv. We did it all...we all wore our red, white, and blue, went swimming, enjoyed a good ole American BBQ, and finished off the night with beautiful fireworks! Enjoy this video of our Frisco Fourth!

2009-07-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Destined to be a Tomboy? At 7 weeks, Saffren began focusing on her hands, grabbing keys and reaching for toys. Her Daddy is convinced that this is a sure sign that she is destined for a future in M.M.A (Mixed Martial Arts) or women's boxing.

To all you Rocky fans out there, here's a little video we like to call "Saffren's First Boxing Lesson!"

2009-07-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

Garrett and I recently went to a "Frisco Grooves" outdoor concert at Warren Park. The band was a lot of fun! They took some old school tunes, like the ones we used to jam to at the skating rink, and put a new spin on them. Here is Garrett and Saffren doing the Hokey Pokey!

Ode to Daddy!

2009-06-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

Check out this video...just so you know, Garrett's not the ONLY tech savey one in the household! Sure, I put it to a song about a guy and his SON, but I still love the lyrics...oh, except for the line about "it didn't work out between me and your mom." Just ignore that line and don't worry, Garrett and I are still on!

So, enjoy this little "Ode to Daddy." He is one very special guy! I don't know how I got so lucky!

To all you Dads out there, Happy Father's Day!

Following in Mom's Artsie Footsteps

2009-06-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

Being the daughter of an art teacher has it's advantages, and disadvantages. For her first official art project, Saffren had to put up with cold wet glaze applied to both feet. Garrett's mom and I made a trip to "Color Me Mine," a ceramic studio where you can make your own pottery. We both painted a plate with Saffren's footprints in the middle. After screaming through the foot printing torture, my little angel got even with a major explosive diaper.

Check out the final product to the right! - - - ->

One Month Today

2009-05-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today, May 27th, marks Saffren's one month birthday. Since it is never too early to start working on one's resume we thought we might share her current skill set. Here it is, in no particular order:

Mastered the arts of

1. grunting,

2. hiccuping,

3. the double sneeze

4. and double poo

(this last one took some learning on our part...we now know to wait for the second squirt before changing a stinky diaper.)

5. Fluent in baby cooing, particularly the word "aaaahhhooooo" Translation from the Mommy dictionary: "I love YOU"

6. Nutrition timing expert - This is the 6th sense that Saffren has developed. She can sense precisely the moment Mommy is sitting down to eat, and at that moment, she begins to cry. All of those people who tell you that you'll lose weight by breastfeeding are just pulling your leg...the REAL reason you lose weight is because you never have time to eat!

7. Saffren's seventh skill that she and Daddy are still perfecting is the use of nun chucks...this poor pink teddy bear has no idea who he's dealing with.

That first bath was a doozie...I mean DOODIE

2009-05-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

For her first bath Saffren let me know exactly who was in charge. Luckily Garrett was there to catch it all on video.

P.S. There were NO sound effects added or enhanced in the making of this video.

Big Birthing Hips Totally Failed!

2009-05-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Anyone with a ghetto bootie or a figure that is made for "Apple Bottom Jeans" will agree with me on this next statement. I think there should be some sort of doctor code of procedures which measures the circumference of your hips, and if that measurement is particularly round, a C-section should be out of the question! I mean, what good are large birthing hips if they fail you in the delivery room?!? Well, that's exactly what happened after 14+ hours of contractions...we ended up in the operating room.

Garrett and I checked in to Baylor Medical Center in Frisco on Sunday night, April 26th. Our little angel was due the 19th and after she didn't show any signs of coming out of hiding, my doctor decided to "serve her an eviction notice!" They started me on some meds, Garrett created a make-shift pallet on the floor (labor and delivery rooms didn't have a bed for Dad,) and we watched some football documentary on the "Mighty Mites."

The next morning was a typical rainy Monday...Garrett had a three course breakfast fit for a king and I was allowed to eat an orange popsicle. Fun. They started me on Pitosin to help with contractions. At first, I had to be told I was having a contraction...I seriously couldn't feel anything. Mom and Dad arrived later in the morning and the waiting game began. By noon, I had only dilated to a 2, a few hours later it was "almost a two and a half." By 5:00 I was only at about a 4 and my doctor made some NOT FUNNY joke about how we might have an early morning delivery the next day. A hour later, the doctor broke my water and shortly after that I had an epidural. Drugs are amazing by the way, don't let anyone tell you any different! One cherry, and one grape popsicle later, thing still hadn't changed much and the clock just kept ticking. By 9:00, I was still only at a 5 and the nurse said that the baby's heartbeat was slowing. They started me on oxygen and flipped me from side to side several times to get the baby in a better position but when her heart rate had trouble coming back up the doc made the call. Into the O.R. we went. In a matter of minutes I was under the enormous U.F.O.- like lights, my hair was pulled back in a blue hairnet, and my arms were strapped down to the table. I was a little scared but Garrett was right by my side and was thrilled that he was going to be able to watch them cut me open. He thought the whole process was "really cool."

The next thing I heard was an ear-piercing angry scream...boy had we ticked off that little bundle of joy! Check out the video...Saffren's proud Daddy put it together!

Making Copies

2008-12-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

While at the doctor's office, the most awkward moment after finding out that we have a little girl on the way, was when the sonographer described this photo as "sitting on the copier." She said, I know it sounds terrible but that's the best way to picture the angle we're looking at. To which Garrett responded, "It's fine, she just better not do it again when she's older!"
Then I think he muttered something under his breath like, "I'll bust her butt."

Our Daughter The Donkey

2008-12-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

So, a week ago we found out that this "bun in the oven" is a precious baby GIRL! (I was convinced all along but it is good to hear a doctor tell me I'm right!) While we were getting the sonogram pics the sonographer (sp?) measured the baby's head, we looked at the 4 chambers in her heart and got a glimpse of the "railroad track" backbone. All was well and good with our sweet little one until she decided she had had enough of the poking and prodding and decided to retaliate with a mule kick! As we watched her on the screen she positioned herself on all four and started kicking up both feet behind her...it was hilarious! My first thought was, "Oh Lord, she's going to be feisty!"

She must take after her Mom. Garrett says I don't know how to gently turn over when I'm under the covers, instead I flop and flail. Baby Hand must have done the same when we so rudely interrupted her beauty sleep!

Generic? Or Name Brand? That is the question!

2008-11-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

Upon arriving at the Ruidoso Wal-Mart, I headed to the aisle I have visited many a time...the pregnancy test aisle. I don't know if the grocery costs in Frisco are just ridiculously overpriced or what, but I was elated to see that I could get THREE pregnancy tests for under $10.00! Of course, these were the "Equate" brand, but I had tried so many different kinds and the average price I had paid in the past was twelve bucks a pop...so I quickly snatched up the generic box! Amber met me at the check out counter and said, "Are you sure you want to get that kind? Is it going to be accurate?" I assured her they were all the same and I walked away a very satisfied customer. I thought about going back to buy 4 or 5 more boxes before we left town, at that cheap rate, I knew I needed to stock up!
So, the next morning, I skipped the instructions in the little pink and purple box and took the test. I place the cap on and set the test strip on the counter and began to freak out! The window, that was supposed to be a plus or minus sign was a complete purple circle! I quickly opened a second test, dipped it in my little sample...(I know, there is just NO lady-like way to say that I peed in a cup and took the test that way!) AGAIN, the entire circle began to turn purple. It was only then that I picked up the instructions and read that what I was seeing was "normal." I just had to wait for the results. At first a minus sign appeared and I opened the bathroom door to tell Bonnie, who had her video camera in hand, that it "was another no." I kept one eye on it and the other on the clock, waiting for three minutes, and sure enough, a faint little vertical line appeared over the minus sign! Not just on one, but on both! I stood looking at the barely plus sign and waved to the others to come take a look. I needed a second opinion. We all stood, staring at this little plastic strip and debated about the accuracy of it's results. Then the teasing really began. I believe Kris' exact words were, "I know you are cheap Jen, but I can not believe you bought the generic brand for something like a pregnancy test. You would think that for something that is going to determine the REST OF YOUR LIFE, you could leave it to the First Response People!" Then the girls broke into a forum on what generic buys are excusable and which ones you should only trust to the name brands. We all laughed but then headed to Wal-Mart to buy a "Clear Blue Easy" test. I honestly, didn't think it had happened, I wasn't convinced, yet! The next morning, same song, second verse, but this time Bonnie was actually filming the little digital hour glass as it turned over, (showing that it was working.) I said, "Bonnie, it's going to be three minutes, so you may want to..." She interrupted me with a big gasp...she was the first to see the word! I shot over to the counter and looked...there it was, the word, "Pregnant." Kris ran in followed by Amber and while I did a little spartan move cheerleader jump Amber blurted out, "YOU'RE PREGNANT!" It was loud enough for the neighbors to hear I'm sure!

It took a girls trip...

2008-11-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

It all started with a little Girls trip to New Mexico...well technically, it really started July 26th, but I didn't know it at the time!
The hubby and I had been trying for the last year and four months or so, to "start a family" with NO SUCCESS! We finally went to an infertility doctor in March who ended up being a total jerk and basically misdiagnosed both of us while charging us out the wazoo! I couldn't stand to go any longer so I marched in to get my medical records (they wouldn't hand them over, but I DID give them a nasty little letter telling them just how horrible they had been!)
We called another doctor, a friend's recommendation, and were able to get in right away. He was fabulous and told Garrett and I that nothing was "wrong" with either of us...it just hadn't happened yet. We booked our next appointment for August 11th and went on our happy way.

The next time I thought about it I was on my way to Ruidoso, New Mexico with my three closest college buds, Bonnie, Amber and Kris. I finally spilled the beans about trying to get pregnant and we stopped at Wal-mart to pick up a pregnancy test, (just for fun!) I didn't really think I was pregnant, I just knew that my nose had been extra sensitive...like the time I walked into Frisco Resale and swore that it smelled like a dash of garlic mixed with a dirty diaper!