Walking in...Nashville (close to Memphis!)

Little Miss Payton Joy decided to walk all by herself today! Michael was playing with her and goading her to walk from him to the couch and then, all of a sudden, she stood right up from where she was sitting (without our help OR our suggestion) and balanced on her own two feet! Michael saw her and started chanting, "Go, PJ, go!" and off she went! Up...step, step, step...down. Then up again, five or six steps, then down again. After about 20 minutes of that same activity, she realized just how strong and capable her sweet little chubby legs were and she gained loads of confidence! We caught it all on video...so here you go. PJ's first day of walking in...Nashville!

P.S. Today is Tenley's birthday - so happy birthday, TRH! PJ decided to give you a special birthday treat today just by walking all alone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYrO4MZXSpI

Flu Season...pptthh!

Well, PJ has contracted her first REAL viral infection (or so I'm assuming that's what type it is). She started coughing and having a runny nose on Saturday. This morning, her temp spiked to 100.9 - apparently, that's not high enough to warrant a doctor's visit. My pediatrician's nurse was super helpful over the telephone with me and told me that I was doing everything right (yay, me!). It just really hurts your heart when there's *nothing* you can do for your baby once you've done everything...ya know?

She is a trooper, though! Once the baby ibuprofen kicked in this morning, she attempted to push around her stroller or play with her toys for about 45 minutes. That was all she could handle, and then she was back in my arms. We've been reading a lot of books over the past few days because she doesn't feel like being active. It's a nice break for me since I don't have to watch her like a hawk, however, it means I cannot get anything "done" in the house. I told Michael last night, "She's only sick for a few days (God willing) and then life will go on...everything else can wait if my being here for her (to hold, to cuddle, to read, to suction her nose countless times) is what she needs then that's what I'm going to do!" He just mumbled in agreement as he nodded off to sleep...and then today, I sent HIM the grocery list. HA! :-)

So please say a prayer that our little PJ gets better sooner rather than later. Thanks!...oh, and I want to send a big shout out to my pal, Tenley Hardin. HAPPY BIRTHDAY on February 5th! :-)

Sharing the big news (2008)

Okay, this might be almost a year late in sharing but I came across this video today and got such a kick out of it!! This was Chrystal's and Rachel's reaction to the news of our pregnancy (PJ) last spring 2008.

It's Official

Payton Joy has weaned herself from breastfeeding. They say the best way to wean a baby is for it to happen naturally, so I guess I really cannot complain. She has been just fine - maybe a little more clingy to me than usual, which is normal - but she hasn't even tried to nurse again since Monday morning.

Around Thanksgiving, I started supplementing her nursings with organic milk-based formula, which she happily accepted. My supply had been diminishing, so I think she was excited to get more milk in general. So perhaps that addition made the weaning occur because now, barely two months later, she is not wanting to nurse at all.

I think this is harder on me than on her!! Breastfeeding is a very special relationship between a mother and her child. One that cannot necessarily be explained or ever duplicated. Losing that bond is a little sad but watching her gain independence and maturity is exciting. Our baby girl is growing up!! Our first year was perfect...and very special. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to nurse PJ as long as we did, and I feel confident she is healthier and stronger because of it.

So if you think of it, please pray for ME during the next few days ahead (because PJ seems perfectly happy!). I know I'll be fine...and I know it's just one more milestone for all of us. She will be 13 months old next week, and I believe she is on the verge of walking...she's already taking 4-5 steps between Daddy and Mommy, and she gets SO excited!!

Love to you all~
Christy

Happy New Year!

It's 2010, and it just sounds weird to say the year out loud. It's so futuristic sounding and kinda freaks me out. But alas, it is where we are right now. This is 2010. I hope and pray that you all have a great year ahead of you that is full of contentment, excitement, joy, peace, health, prosperity, and LOVE. Of course, I would be remiss to ignore the Source of complete and perfect LOVE, which is our heavenly Father God Almighty. I pray that you know Him in a very personal way and if you don't, just call out to Him and ask Him to be in your heart and soul. That's all it takes, really...the next step would be to start reading the Bible because that is where you'll learn about the many beautiful and amazing attributes of God and how much He loves and adores you!

My last blog update was in October. Shew! A lot has happened since then which is why it's been rather difficult to make myself sit down at the computer to write and pick out photos to post. It's such a time consuming project but one that I thoroughly enjoy!

Michael's birthday was October 24th, and we celebrated at the house by opening gifts first and then we went out to dinner at The Outback (one of his favorite restaurants). PJ really got into opening gifts...












She was 10 months old and experiencing all of her "firsts" such as the pumpkin patch, Halloween, a new car seat, and beautiful fall leaves:




















On December 17, 2009, our little girl turned ONE YEAR OLD! We had her birthday party on the Sunday before (Dec. 13th), and all her friends and cousins came except for Jackson and Maxwell who were at home sick. We really missed them! Michael and I purchased some fun play house-like items and the kids had a blast! Michael hung white tarps over the screen porch windows and put space heaters out there. It felt like we were inside another room in the house. It was perfect! I had prayed for a warmer day, and it was around 53 that day - thank you, Lord! We were touched by all the family and friends that celebrated PJ's special day with us.


It's a bit unreal to think she is one year old - that first year really DID fly by! But it's been a beautiful experience, and I hope the next year will be just as amazing. She is a wonderful little girl who is full of joy and silliness. She gets so many hugs and kisses every day from both of us that prove to her how special she is. We thank God for her every single day!!

We spent Christmas in my hometown of Springfield, MO. Payton Joy was doted upon by all her aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and even a few in-law's and friends that aren't even related!! Aunt Becky & Uncle Steve threw another birthday party for her after Christmas, and she got to spend the evening playing with her cousins, Evan and Andrew and ALL of the Westerman's (Becky's family). It was really wonderful to be with family, and I'm happy that PJ's pseudo first Christmas was a good one! (She was only 8 days old last Christmas).

I want to thank you for reading my blog and staying apprised of PJ's first year!! I will continue updating it as time allows. Michael and I love you and value your relationship, and we wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Is it October already!?!?

My goodness, it's just getting more and more difficult to update this blog!! So much has happened since my last blog.

We had an amazing photo shoot in July when PJ was 7 months old. Granny Linda and even Maya joined us. Check them out here!

Tenley came to Nashville to see all of her old friends and meet the new babies - Payton Joy and Jackson! We spent several days catching up, eating and drinking too much, and laughing a LOT. It was wonderful to see her! She just started her PhD program this fall, so it will be awhile before she visits again. The next time I see her, she just might be Dr. Tenley Hardin!

We went on our first "family" vacation with PJ to Capistrano Beach, California at the end of August. She did amazingly well on the 4.5 hour flights there and back. I'm learning quickly that she is quite resilient in spite of frequent disturbances to her otherwise typical schedule/routine. We celebrated with our good friends, Michael & Samantha Wynns', for his 40th birthday and we got to meet their new son, Jonathan! He is 16 months old and running all over the house with gusto! It took him a while to warm up to PJ - another BABY in his house and playing with HIS toys - but after a couple days, they became fast friends. Point your browser to Ghaffari Photos to view photos from our trip.

On September 26, my eldest niece, Kristin Renee Forell, married her long time friend, Ian Miller, in Springfield, MO. Their story is such an inspiring one! They were good friends in high school and quickly became more than friends after she graduated. It was quite surreal to attend her wedding - my first niece who I've seen grow up before my eyes. What an honor and privilege it was to participate in such a special moment in her life. Payton Joy was the miniature bride, and I sang in the wedding. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Springfield, which was Payton's FIRST time in my home town. You can view wedding photos at Ghaffari Photos, too.

Lastly, here are a few photos just of PJ so you can see how big she is getting! She is 9 1/2 months old and changing just about every day. It's amazing how fast babies change! She says "dah dah", "mah mah", and "nah nah" quite regularly. She even tries to say "bah" for ball. She knows Maya is a DOG, and she knows how to clap and kick her leg! She is eating just about any kind of food these days as long as it's easily mushed in her mouth and not too seasoned. We're still breast feeding but only about 4 times a day. My baby is swiftly becoming a toddler. I love it...I love HER. She is the sweetest treasure and blessing in our lives. We love being parents! God bless you all. We love and appreciate you, our friends and family.

Payton Family Reunion (June 13 & 14, 2009)

The Payton family met for our reunion in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the birth place of my Dad and all his siblings. My cousin, Debbie Liles, coordinated the event, and she did a fabulous job (as usual). On Saturday, we met at Craighead Forest under a huge pavilion, and we ate catered BBQ and tons of homemade desserts (thank you for helping me gain back a little of the baby weight I had so diligently worked to lose!). The day was scorchingly hot and humid – good ol’ Arkansas style! It was a wonderful time of reuniting and catching up with long lost family members (and then some).

We all ended up back at Debbie’s wonderfully accommodating home where we continued to dine on leftovers (again, those darn desserts could NOT be ignored – okay, so maybe I’m a little weak).

Payton Joy had her very first experience in the swimming pool that day. She absolutely LOVED the water! Cousin Lauren was splashing around with us along with several other people.

I was putting PJ down to sleep when Debbie gave out all the awards of the weekend, but I quickly learned that Payton Joy won the “2nd to the Youngest” award. Sir Maxwell Luke Payton (son of Jeremy & Kimberly Payton) won the youngest award. They are only three months a part! I plan on putting that cute little certificate in her scrapbook!

My cousin’s new wife, Jana, offered free eyebrow waxes to anyone who was interested (she is a hairstylist by trade & I'm sure she would've accepted money if anyone had offered - ha!). Aunt Betty (or was it Wanda?) kept saying, “Once you begin waxing eyebrows, you’ve gotta always wax them because they grow back thicker…don’t do it!” But the younger folk shunned that notion since it’s totally trendy to do it these days (me included). Even Brooke Shields shapes her gorgeous brows, and she used to have REALLY thick ones, right?!?! To our surprise, several of the guys actually jumped on board! It was mostly because someone began teasing that they weren’t man enough to endure the pain…I do believe Jana’s husband, David, started the trend mostly because he’s been her guinea pig for a couple years now (you go, David!). Then Kristin’s fiancé, Ian, let her wax his…toes!?! (he’s a drummer and he plays barefoot). Brittany’s boyfriend, Andrew, got his eyebrows waxed, and acted like it didn’t hurt one iota (that’s punny). Garry’s reaction, however, was the best…he hooped and hollered like his entire forehead had been ripped off!! I guess it was the Forell family who reaped the largest benefit from the waxing episode…because Shelley, Kristin, and Brittany did it, too! I only have this picture, though, as Jana and I were posing for the camera to make it look like it was really painful (but it's not).

Sunday morning, anyone that was still in town convened for brunch at Ryan’s Eating Trough – oh, excuse me – that’s Ryan’s Grill & Buffet. We had the entire back room reserved for our group, and there were quite a few people! We took many photos as you’ll see here.

Dad was "shooting from the hip" with his camera!

Much to my excitement, my two best friends from Springfield, Chrystal and Rachel, drove into town that morning (4 hour drive) to meet up with us! I was overcome with appreciation that they’d make the effort to come see us. It was Chrystal’s first time to meet Payton Joy, and Rachel just had to get another dose of her. We went back to Debbie’s house for the afternoon and took way too many photos.

It was a wonderful weekend with my immediate (and extended) family and MY good friends. Dad and his new wife, Patricia, Stephen & Becky (with Evan & Andrew), Shelley & Garry (with Kristin & Ian, Brittany & Andrew), Cavin & Anne (with Caitlin & Coty), and Chrystal & Rachel came to the reunion…it was PJ’s first time to meet many of them, and it was very special (Amy was the only one who couldn't attend, and we missed seeing her). After driving home to Nashville, I immediately started missing all of them…wishing we could have spent more time together. We will reunite on September 26^th for Kristin & Ian’s wedding in Springfield, and I’m counting down the days until that special event!