The Herbert Family

Happy Valentine's Day (a little early)

2012-02-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

Makayla and I have been busy, busy making Valentine cards, cupcakes, and goody bags! I love that she is old enough to actually help me now instead of just playing with everything. She made all of her Valentine cards and she helped me make goody bags for my students.

Posing in her new heart shirt

Some of our finished Valentines

Writing notes on her Valentines!

This one is for her "boyfriend" Miles. Yes, she did it all by herself!

Putting on the finishing touches

She had to taste test all of the candy

Helping put together the goody bags for my students.

Writing notes to my students. :)

The finished goody bags!

Helping make cupcakes!

Mak's yummy cupcakes!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Day 2- words

2012-02-03T18:02:00.000-08:00

I meant to take a picture of a paper heart that one of my students made for me. On the front of the heart, it said "You are our heart." On the inside, most of my students signed their names. It was so sweet. But, since I forgot, here's a picture of what I'm making for my students for Valentine's Day.

Also, here's another cute picture I found on Pinterest!

Photo a day!

2012-02-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, I guess I'm joining in on the "photo a day" adventure! Who knows if I'll remember to do this every day, but here goes nothing.

(I borrowed this from Journey for a Lifetime)

I'm getting started a little late so, here's my day one picture of my view. Pretty good view if I do say so myself! :)

Makayla loves playing on her LeapPad!

Our New Year

2012-01-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd share how things are going for us in the new year! Enjoy the pictures!

Don't let this sweet face fool you!

Being a big girl while getting a hair cut!

Going for a ride in Katie's jeep

Mak loves her babies!

Such a big girl!

She finally learned how to ride her big girl bike

"Just because" flowers from my sweet husband!

That's it for now. I'm sure there will be more very soon! :)

Perfection

2012-01-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

Today is what I would call a perfect day! A Monday off of work to spend with my favorite little girl, perfect weather, and a day at the park! Mak and I had lunch with daddy since he had to work today and then we headed to Northshore park. The weather was perfect: 78 degrees and overcast! There were LOTS of people at the park enjoying the day off and the weather. But, we still had a great time feeding the ducks, swinging, climbing and sliding.

Mak loves feeding the ducks!!

Climbing like a big girl!

Mommy and Mak!

We had such a wonderful day! I wish every day could be like this!! But sadly, we must return to the real world tomorrow.

"Ring"ing in the New Year

2012-01-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

I know it has been forever since I've blogged, but I really thought this was blogworthy!

My sweet husband gave me this beautiful ring for my birthday/anniversary/Christmas. It's a beautiful three stone ring which represents past, present, and future! I love the ring so much. It was such a thoughtful gift.

Makayla loves my ring too! Every time I wear it, she says, "Oh, pretty ring." And if I don't have it on, she says, "Where your new ring, mommy?" I guess she thought it was so pretty and shiny that she should see what it tastes like. Yes, that's right! She decided to eat my ring!!

I took a quick shower like I always do when we're home alone and I left her on my bed watching cartoons, as usual. When I got out of the shower, Mak was holding my empty ring box and crying, "mommy's new ring!" She told me she was playing with it and she dropped it by the foot of the bed. I searched my entire bedroom a hundred times. I took everything out and searched and searched. I kept questioning her on where she dropped it but I kept getting the same answer. I called Jeff at work and he said, "I bet she swallowed it." I was like, no way! I didn't think it was possible for her to swallow something that big. So, I kept searching the entire house. I finally decided to take her to urgent care to get an Xray. Here's what we saw:

The urgent care doctor said we needed to go to the hospital to have it removed. She said they would sedate her and go down and get it. I was hysterical, to say the least. She called the hospital to let them know that we were coming. The pediatric doctor on call at the hospital said there was no need to go in and get it. We should just let it pass. I felt a little better that we wouldn't have to go to the hospital. They gave us a little catcher to put on the potty...EWWWWW!!! This all happend on Friday, December 30th. She started having a high fever and vomitting on the 31st so we went back to urgent care for another xray. The ring was still there and had only moved a little. We were told to contiue to monitor and that it would pass.

So, I began my job as a "poo sifter." It was not fun at all! I looked and looked and looked some more but couldn't find it. We went back for yet another xray just to make sure I hadn't missed it. It was wonderful news to hear that it was still there and my searching through poo wasn't all for nothing.

Finally, on Saturday, January 14th, I found a little surprise in Mak's pull up! I was so excited and so disgusted all at once. I cleaned it and soaked it in soap and water. And yes, I took it to the jewelry store to have it cleaned. Sorry, dude and Zales that had to clean it. :) We didn't tell him where it had been. It now has no smell and is just as beautiful as it was before. One day, Makayla will hear about this story and laugh! And I'm sure when she gets older, I will "pass" the ring down to her.

In training

2011-07-29T03:05:00.000-07:00

POTTY training, that is!

*NOTE* I started this post back in June and never posted it for some reason...so this info is a little dated.

Makayla has finally decided that she's too big for diapers anymore...thank goodness!! She's 2 1/2 and started wearing pull ups a couple of weeks ago and she's doing great! It helps that one of the little boys she stays with is now potty trained. They cheer each other on so they can get their "potty treats."

She isn't fully trained yet, but we're getting close. Now that I'm home with her all day, I'm able to work with her more. She thinks she's so grown and loves to wear her panties on top of her pull ups. She refers to her panties as "big wear." I'm so proud of my munchkin and can't wait to be free of diapers!!

We have been brave enough to venture out of the house once or twice without a pull up and Mak has done great! And let me just say how much I HATE public restrooms now that we're potty training. I think I've been to every restroom in every business in all of Houston in the past 2 months! Every time she sees a potty she has to go! I hope this gets easier. :)

I graduated!

2011-05-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

I did it!! I am officially a graduate of Sam Houston State University with a Master of Education degree. I never thought I would ever finish! And now I am crazy enough to think that I want to go back to school to get a doctorate. Who knows if that will ever happen but we will see!

Jeff's dad drove in from Birmingham on Thursday, May 12th and my mom flew in on Friday morning. We spent the day hanging out together before we got ready to head up to Huntsville, Texas for graduation. Graduation was wonderful, (even though it was Friday the 13th) and didn't last too long. Makayla sat still for most of the time, I was told.

On Saturday, Mom and I got to spend some time shopping, although we didn't really buy anything. But it was so nice to just be able to spend the day with her. Makayla had a great time getting lots of kisses from her Nana and Grandpa Ken. All in all, we had a short but sweet visit.

As I sit here now and type, Makayla is in her room watching Toy Story, Grandpa Ken is back in Alabama and Nana is on an airplane somewhere between Texas and Alabama. :)

Finally

2011-04-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

I started working on my Master's Degree way back in 2006 and I am FINALLY almost finished. Yes, I know it shouldn't have taken me almost 5 years to finish but I did have some obstacles to overcome. Since I was teaching, I could only take one class at a time, so that automatically set me back. Then in 2008, I was put on bed rest with my precious baby girl so I had to resign from school. After taking a year off to take care of my baby, I got back into the swing of things. So, after all of my hard work and dedication, I have turned in my portfolio for review and I am now waiting to hear from my professors to see if I passed. Hopefully I will find out this week and then I will go in for the interview. I pray that everything works out and I can finally graduate. I have my cap, gown and hood ready to go for May 13th! And yes, I will be walking across that stage to receive my diploma. I thought about not walking but I changed my mind...I have worked too hard not to walk. So, I will keep you updated on graduation. Wish me luck!

Have you ever wondered....

2011-02-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

what EXHAUSTION looks like????? Well, here it is!

1. Being mommy to a two year old (that's exhausting all by itself!)

+
2. Working full time as a third grade teacher

+
3. Teaching extended day until 5:00 two days a week

+
4. Teaching Saturday school from 8:00-12:00

+
5. Working on my internship project (powerpoints, papers)

+
6. Working on my portfolio that's due in April so I can graduate in May

+
7. Trying to keep my house clean and laundry done (notice, this is the last thing on the list)

=

E X H A U S T I O N ! ! ! !

I can't wait until June gets here!

Snow day!!

2011-02-04T17:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, well, we didn't get any snow but we got lots of ICE so we had a day off! Makayla and I got to stay home and be lazy while Jeff had to go into work. We played all day, snuggled and watched cartoons. I love days like these when I have no place to be and can just hang out with my little (big) girl. We had a very uneventful day...just as I had planned! Thank you mother nature, for a much needed snuggle day with my girl!

I really need to do better!

2011-01-30T18:49:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I blogged last! How sad! I guess that goes to show how busy and crazy my life was in 2010...and still is. So, let's recap 2010 all in one post:

1. Makayla Ann turned two years old. We had a wonderful party for her here in Texas (maybe I'll blog about it later)

2. I got a new teaching job at an awesome elementary school that I LOVE! I love my co-workers and the kiddos! I'm still teaching third grade.

3. We got a puppy! I had been talking about wanting a puppy so one day, Jeff showed up at home with one. He was so tiny and cute. He's still cute but not as tiny. His name is Tiger and he loves Makayla as much as she loves him.

4. I continued working on my Master's degree which took up most of my free time. I graduate in May...FINALLY!!

5. Oh, and I forgot the mention that I got "Teacher of the Year" at my school this year! It was such a great honor.

6. Makayla and I went to Alabama for Christmas. Jeff had to work so Mak and I had to go alone. We visited lots of people and had lots of fun.

7. This actually happened in 2011, but Jeff went to Arizona to watch Auburn play in the National Championship game. He met his dad, step mom and brother out there. They had lots of fun and were so excited about the win!

I guess those are the major things that were happening with us over the past year. I can't believe how fast Makayla is growing up. Is is so not a baby anymore. She's a big girl. She talks and talks and talks non-stop. Everything isn't always clear but I can pretty much figure out what's she's saying. She is so sweet...most of the time! It's so cute how she carries her baby dolls around and rocks them and changes their diapers. She's such a little mama. I think we have finally gotten the time out thing down pat. She knows when she's in trouble and goes straight to time out. Sometimes it doesn't work for me, but if Daddy starts counting to three she takes off to time out or does whatever it was she was supposed to do. Ok, enough about Makayla. :)

I hope to blog weekly, if I can come up with anything to say. My days consist of teaching, working on grad school work and playing with Makayla. So, we'll see!

This and that

2010-03-05T16:27:00.000-08:00

My friend, Michelle, FINALLY had her baby boy on February 27th. She was almost a week overdue and so ready to be able to hold him, as was I! We've been waiting on this baby for a long time. Now Makayla has a boyfriend...she doesn't mind that he's almost a year and a half younger! I went to visit Michelle and Tyler in the hospital the next day. I wasn't able to take Mak with me due to hospital policy, so she will get to meet him this weekend. Since Mike, Michelle's husband, went home to shower while I was there, I had the privilege of changing Tyler's diaper and clothes. I was a little nervous since it has been a while since I've changed a little baby, and the first time to change a boy's diaper, but I handled it!
Such a big boy! 9lbs, 2oz!

In other news, my sweet baby girl that used to love to sleep and would cry for us to put her in her bed, has decided that sleep isn't so important anymore! I put her in the bed and she cries and cries. I try to leave her, hoping she'll cry herself to sleep but no...she just cries louder. So, Mak and I have been sleeping on the couch this week which means I haven't been sleeping much. I don't know what's going on with her but I'm hoping and praying that it's just a phase and she'll be back to her normal sleep schedule very soon. Even though she keeps me up all night, I still think she is the sweetest little girl I've ever seen. She's growing up so fast and has the sweetest personality. She loves to hug her babies and give them sugar and it just melts my heart. One of her newest tricks is opening doors. She stands on her tip toes and pushes the handle. So now I have to really keep a close eye on her to make sure she's not playing somewhere she shouldn't be...like the toilet! I have found a few toys in there already.

I have officially begun the countdown to spring break. Just one more week and I have a whole week off of work. I really need it too because my third graders are driving me bonkers. I love my job and my kiddos but we all need a break! On the 13th, we are picking up my mom from the airport. We are so excited to have Nana come spend a few days with us! I'm sure we'll find lots of things to do and probably do a bit a shopping since that's what mom and I do best when we're together.

Well, I guess that's it for now.......until next time!! :)

Baby Shower fun!

2010-02-14T16:52:00.000-08:00

My best friend out here in Houston, Michelle, is expecting a baby boy any day now! Our friend, Tonie, and I decided to work together and host a baby shower for Michelle and her husband Mike. She and I worked together a few years ago to host Mike and Michelle's wedding shower as well. We work well together! We had the shower at their house so they wouldn't have to take all of their things back home. We had a wonderful turnout! There were about 30 people that showed up! We played the smelly diaper game, which was a hit! I think everyone had a great time and enjoyed the food and games! Here are a few pictures from the shower and all of our hard work! :)

Yeah, it's been a while!!

2010-02-14T12:12:00.001-08:00

It has been a while since I've posted. I blame it all on laziness!! I'm not in school this semester so I can't blame it on that. And Makayla goes to bed at 7:00, sometimes 6:00 every night so I can't blame it on that either! I've just been plain lazy. I guess I'm getting caught up on my rest for when I do have to start back to school and write a thousand papers a week. :)

Well, things are pretty much the same around here. We work, come home and play with Makayla, eat dinner, and then it's time for bed. Makayla is the funniest little girl when it comes to going to bed at night. At 7:00, or earlier, if she's really grouchy, we ask her if she's ready to go "night night." If she is, she cries and walks to her bed and stands there until daddy picks her up and puts her in the bed. As soon as her head hits the bed, she stops crying and is out for the night. I think we're pretty lucky to have such a wonderful little sleeper!

We're also trying to get used to Makayla's new found freedom since she is now a walker. She thinks she's so grown and can do anything. She gets into everything and runs when she knows she's about to get into trouble for getting into something she shouldn't be in. We have also been experiencing the terrible two's even though Makayla is only almost 17 months old. She has such a temper already! When I take something away from her that she shouldn't have, she pitches the biggest fit. She will find something to pick up just so she can throw it down. I guess she wants to make sure I know she's mad! I have no idea where she gets it from. But, I have to admit that she is the sweetest little girl, most of the time. She loves to carry around her "purse" and put things in it and she loves her baby dolls. And the sweetest thing of all is how she gives kisses. She'll walk up to you with her mouth wide open to get a kiss. She gives most of her kisses to her daddy, but that's ok.

Oh, I almost forgot one of the biggest milestones of late. Makayla got her ears pierced! I've been wanting to do it for some time now but Jeff just didn't think we should. So, last weekend, we were out shopping and he said, I think we should get Mak's ears pierced now. So, we headed over to the mall and went to Claire's. She didn't cry when the lady did the first ear. She just sat there and looked at her like why are you touching me! But, when she went to do the second ear, Makayla screamed as loud as she could. She cried for a few minutes but that was it. She looks so cute and I'm so glad we finally got it done.

Well, I guess that's all that's been going on with us for now! Hopefully I'll post again soon and not wait 2 months. Here are a few more pics of my big girl!

Happy 15 months old!

2009-12-29T12:49:00.000-08:00

Makayla Ann is 15 months old today! I still can't believe it! She is still the love of our lives and the most wonderful little gift from God.

Her newest developments consist of WALKING, eating and getting into everything! She started walking just a few days ago and now she is unstopable. She smiles and laughs as she's walking like she just discovered the coolest thing ever. It's so cute watching her walk around because she just gets so excited.

She gets into everything! She only has about a million toys but she would rather play with anything but toys. Her favorite things are still cell phones and remote controls. Her alltime favorite thing to do is to eat. It seems like all she does these days! She loves any and every thing....she's not picky at all! She pretty much eats whatever we eat and then some. When I ask her if she wants a "bite, bite" she licks her lips...too cute! Sometimes she acts like she hasn't eaten in forever which is never true.

I'm sad that she's growing up so fast but I'm looking forward to all of the fun times ahead. Now that she can walk I'm sure we will have lots of fun!

Polar Express Party

2009-12-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

On the last day of school before the Christmas break, my students and I had a Polar Express party. They wore their pajamas, robes, and slippers and brought their blankets and pillows. The students found a comfy place on the floor to watch the movie as I made hot chocolate for them!

After watching the movie, it was time to party! We made Snowman ornaments, ate pizza, chips, cookies and LOTS of candy! Then it was time to exchange gifts. We played a game to see which gift they would open. We had a great party and a wonderful day. I think it was my best Christmas party yet!

Let the fun begin...

2009-12-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

Makayla has officially learned how to walk. She started taking a few steps here and there the week before Christmas but she really began getting around while at my mom's on Dec. 23rd and 24th. Since I left my video camera at home, I captured a video of her walking and chasing daddy around when we got back in town. I really can't believe she's walking! She's definitely not a baby anymore! :(

Thanksgiving Break (Better late than never!)

2009-11-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

I know this post is a little late but I've been so busy with school so I'm catching up!

One of the greatest things about being a teacher is the long breaks we get for the holidays. This year we were so blessed to have a whole week off. It consisted of visiting with family, shopping, going to see Santa, my birthday, visiting friends, more shopping, cleaning, being lazy bums and going to Galveston to see the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens.

The first weekend began wonderfully as my mom and Tom came into town to visit. They drove all the way from Alabama just to spend a few days with us. We spent most of the time just hanging out at our house so that Makayla could spend time with Nana and BudPaw. We also did some shopping because Nana and BudPaw think they always have to buy prizes for Mak! :) Since I wouldn't be home for Thanksgiving this year, mom decided to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for us and it was wonderful. We had turkey, ham, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, rolls (I think that's all) and Jeff made his yummy pecan pie! On the day that they had to leave, we decided to take Mak to see Santa. I was so afraid that she would scream but she was so good! She sat in Santa's lap like a big girl and the pictures turned out great. I was so sad to have to say good-bye to mom and Tom but I was so glad that they were able to come see us.

On Tuesday, Makayla and I decided to stay home since it was a rainy day. We stayed in our PJ's and were lazy all day. On Wednesday, Mak and I did some shopping and then we went to visit our friends, Christine, Abbie, and Caleb.

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, our friends Kareen and Aaron invited us over for dinner. Mak played with Kai and Dorian and had a great time. We are so grateful to have such wonderful friends to spend Thanksgiving with since we weren't with family this year.
Friday was also spent at home cleaning and being lazy. On Saturday, Jeff, Mak and I headed to Galveston to go to Moody Gardens to see the Festival of Lights. We went down early so that we could go shopping on the strand and go out on the beach before going to see the lights. We had a great day just being together. The lights were pretty awesome too!

Dance Fever

2009-11-24T07:40:00.000-08:00

Makayla's favorite thing to do these days is to dance. She will dance to any music on tv or the radio. She even dances to her toys that play music. Her favorite show to watch is So You Think You Can Dance! Here is a video of my little dancer. She's still in her pajamas but that didn't stop her!

Remembering Oct. 31st...one year ago

2009-11-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

This Halloween was a lot different from last year. On this day last year, we brought our sweet baby girl home from the hospital. It was the happiest day of my life. I was finally able to bring her home after 5 LONG weeks of staying in the NICU. I got very emotional just thinking about this time last year. I know I keep saying this, but it's crazy how things can change in a year. I got a little teary eyed thinking back to this time last year and thinking about how little Mak was.

Leaving my baby girl in the hospital was the hardest thing that I have ever done. I cried and cried the day I left her there. It felt so strange coming home the first night without her. Somehow I felt as it were my fault that I couldn't bring her home with me. I know it was where she needed to be since she was born at 30 weeks but I wanted to take her home with me so badly. It just didn't seem fair to have to leave her there. I am so grateful for all of the nurses and doctors that took care of her when I couldn't be there. They will always hold a special place in my heart. They took such good care of her. I am also grateful that I was able to spend as much time with her as I wanted. I went up there every day and stayed and held her almost all day. I just couldn't seem to leave. When Jeff got off of work, he would come and we would stay until it was time to go home and go to bed. The nurses were so good about letting me be hands on and do most of the diaper changes. At first I was afraid because she was so tiny, but I caught on quickly. The nurses felt like family to me. They were always there for us. I also was able to hold her as she ate through her IV in the beginning. But most of all, I count my blessings that she was healthy. She wasn't sick at all, just too small. So many things could have gone wrong and she could have stayed in the hospital a lot longer than she did.

On October 30th, the doctor came in to check her as I was holding her. She checked her chart and asked me if we wanted to stay the night to do care by parent and then we could take her home the next day. I was so excited and scared all at once. That night we stayed in the care by parent room with Makayla and we didn't have any problems. We got up in the middle of the night and fed and changed her. She did a great job. The next day, we were able to leave. It was so surreal being able to walk out of the hospital with Makayla in our arms. October 31st will always be a very special day for us!

Makayla has come such a long way since that day, one year ago. She is now a healthy 1 year old and no one would even know that she was only 3 lbs 10 oz at birth. Here are some pictures of Makayla one year ago.

Zoo Boo

2009-10-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

Makayla and I attended Zoo Boo with our friends Christine, Caleb and Abbie. We got up early to head to the Houston zoo. We met Christine and the kids so that we could follow each other there since I have only been there a couple of times and couldn't remember the way! :)

We got there at 9:00 and the parking lot was already getting packed! I'm so glad we decided to go early. Once we got inside, we stopped at the first booth that was set up to get the kiddos zoo boo tattoos. The girls got theirs on their cheek. It was so cute. Caleb got his on his hand.

We went to the children's petting zoo next. Makayla was NOT interested in touching any of the animals. I thought she might like them though, since she loves dogs, but she wanted nothing to do with them. We walked around and looked at lots of the animals. I think Makayla was more into watching the other kids that were there instead of looking at the animals. Next, we went to the pumpkin patch so the kids could pick their own pumpkin to decorate. While inside the pumpkin patch we decided to take some cute pictures of the kiddos sitting with the pumpkins.

We also saw a dance performance from the Aldine Dance Company. It was so neat because that's the school district that Christine and I work for. They were dressed up as animals and they performed to the song "thriller." It was awesome! Makayla really enjoyed the music and dancing since she loves to dance!

We spent a couple of hours looking at all of the animals. It started getting very crowded and we could hardly walk around. Once it got that crowded...it was time to go! We had a great time before everyone else in Houston decided to get there. :)

Here are some pictures from our fun day at the zoo!

It's FUN to be ONE!

2009-10-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Jeff, Makayla and I headed to sweet home Alabama on October 1st to celebrate Mak's first birthday with our family and friends. The plane ride was an adventure, as usual! Mak is just not into sitting still for 2 hours. She would rather get down and play. She cried and screamed most of the time (I apologize to the other passengers). However, we did survive. We arrived in Birmingham at 9:30 p.m. Grandpa Ken (Jeff's dad) was there waiting for us.

We spent all day Friday visiting family and just relaxing. We got together with all of my family Friday night, at Nana's house, for dinner. It was great having everyone in the same place. All of the kids had a great time playing together. And of course Nana had a present for Makayla to open!

Saturday was spent with my mom shopping for birthday party supplies. We went all over the place trying to find the perfect party decorations...and we DID! I was so tired when we were finished but I love going shopping with my mom no matter what we're shopping for. We always have a great time and I miss it so much.

Of course Saturday night was spent watching the Auburn game. We all went over to Jeff's dad's house. Dinner was great and so was the game! WAR EAGLE!

Sunday was the day of the BIG party! We got up and got everything together. We met my mom in Hueytown to get the few last things we needed and to get all of the balloons blown up. After that, we were off to Grandma Ann and Papa Bob's house to decorate for the party. We didn't really have a "theme" for the party but we had a pink and brown color scheme. Everything was pink and brown...tablecloths, plates, napkins, balloons, even the cake! Her dress was supposed to also be pink and brown but I couldn't find one I liked, so it was pink and black...complete with a beautiful hairbow from Aun JenJen. We started setting up the tables outside on the deck and of course...it starts raining!! The tables looked great so we decided to move them inside. We were still able to set up the food table on the screened in porch and it looked great! I was hoping it would stop raining but it just rained harder and harder. I was disappointed to have to move it indoors because I wanted the kids to be able to play outside, but it was still a wonderful party. We were so glad that so many of our family and friends were able to come! Although I was so sad that my sister was sick and couldn't make it.

Before eating, we decided to go ahead and open presents while everyone was still there. Makayla wasn't really into opening them, so Abby, Morgan and Reese were able to help us! Makayla wasn't sure what was going on but she loved all of her gifts! She got lots of toys and lots of clothes. We had 4 boxes full of toys to ship back to Texas! She got a push behind walker, a push behind baby doll stroller with a baby doll, books, a ball pit with balls, a cabbage patch doll, more baby dolls, puzzles, and lots of cute clothes. She got so many toys, I don't even remember them all. :) She also got a very special gift from her cousin, Abby...a picture that she colored just for Makayla!

After opening presents we ate the yummy hamburgers and hot dogs that Jeff's dad grilled. Next, it was cake time! The big cake was in the shape of a 1. Nana had it made at Edgar's Bakery. It was so cute and it tasted so good. She also had them make a little cake for Makayla that also had a 1 on it. We sang Happy Birthday to Makayla and as soon as I set the cake down in front of her, she picked it up and took a big bite out of it. It was so cute. She really did a number on that cake. She ate almost the whole thing. She had cake from head to toe! I think that was her favorite part.

After getting her cleaned up, it was time to start saying good-bye to some of our guests. It was still pouring down outside! Even though the rain changed our plans, we still had a great time and are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends! Makayla was so tired after her party. She fell asleep as soon as we got in the car to leave.

Monday, we spent the day relaxing and getting all packed up for the trip back to Texas. We headed out of Birmingham at around 5:00. Makayla did better on the trip back because she had her own seat. The plane was almost empty, so they let us use an extra seat so she would have more room to move around. We were so very tired when we got home but we had to get ready to go to work the next day.

Thank you to everyone that came to the party and made it a special first birthday for my sweet baby girl!!

WAAAAR EAGLE, HEY!

2009-09-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

Jeff, Makayla and I are so excited that it is once again football season. It's our favorite time of the year! Makayla was sporting her "My first Auburn shirt" that Grandpa Ken got for her last football season...it finally fits her now! And of course, no outfit would be complete without a hairbow from Aunt JenJen!

It's crazy how much things can change in just one year. Around this time last year I was pregnant and we were surviving through hurricane IKE. Hurricane Ike hit on September 13th and I remember how miserable I was with no power for a week. We couldn't find an available hotel room anywhere, so we survived with a generator! A week after Ike hit, I was hospitalized for high blood pressure and the long journey began! I spent a week in the hospital and I remember everything like it was yesterday. On September 27th, Jeff and I were at the hospital watching the Auburn-Tennesse game. During the game, the nurses and doctor continued to monitor my high blood pressure. I wasn't actually watching the game because I was in and out of sleep but I'm sure Jeff was intensely watching the game. At some point during the game, my doctor decided that enough was enough and it was time to induce labor to relieve my high blood pressure. I vividly remember them having to change my IV and giving me magnesium to reduce my chance of seizures. It was horrible but the Auburn game was still on and I'm pretty sure Jeff was still watching. :) (by the way, Auburn won!)

I was taken to the labor and delivery room and labor was induced. After nothing happened the entire day on the 28th, the doctor scheduled my c-section on the 29th and Makayla Ann was born at 10:35 a.m.

So, as you can see, football season is very special to us. We have always loved Auburn football, but now it is even more fun with Mak Mak around. She wasn't too interested in the game but I'm sure she will be one of the biggest Auburn fans ever!

Here is a picture of Mak a year ago when she was born on Sept. 29th

And here is a picture of Makayla, almost a year old (notice her first pair of "big girl" Nike tennis shoes)

WOW, HOW THINGS CHANGE IN JUST ONE YEAR!!!

Countdown to the big ONE!!

2009-08-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

Makayla Ann turned 11 months old yesterday!! We are now starting the countdown to her first birthday. We are so excited about going to Alabama to party with our friends and family.

Mak's developments this month:
She is still "walking" by holding on to any and everything. She loves to stand by mamma's bookshelf and throw all of the pictures and books in the floor!

She is learning how to drink out of a sippy cup. It's not her favorite thing right now but she'll drink her apple juice out of it but her milk HAS to be in a bottle or she won't drink it....we're working on it!

She finally started crawling the right way! She no longer does the military crawl. One day she just started using her knees and now she is so fast!

Mak is now saying, "Ma-Ma", "Da-Da" and "Ba-Ba"

She loves to dance when there is music on. I think she learned this from her friend Abbie. It is so cute!

While playing with her toys by herself she will just start laughing out loud! I don't know what she's laughing at but it is too cute!

She loves to eat! She has been eating more people food lately. If we're eating, she thinks she needs to be eating as well. Even if she just ate!

For some reason, Mak has been waking up a couple of times each night. She was sleeping all night long during the summer while I was home, but now that I'm back at work, she's waking up! Hopefully this doesn't last long!

Makayla is getting bigger and more beautiful everyday. She is finally getting some hair and can start wearing more hairbows that Aunt Jen Jen makes for her.

We are so blessed to have such an amazing little girl in our lives. I really can't believe it's been almost a year. Time really has flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in the NICU holding my baby girl in my arms. We truly are blessed. I love her SO MUCH!

Untitled from Amy Herbert on Vimeo.

Much Better!

2009-08-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

After lots of hard work

So, after working in my classroom for over a week, it is now almost completely finished. I still have a few little things left to do but I'm pretty happy with how it looks. I'm excited about getting in there and teaching my third graders!! They come back on the 24th so wish me luck!

The Madness....

2009-08-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Before pictures

This is what my classroom looked like today when I went in to work! I'm hoping that I can post a nice "after" picture by the end of the week! That's what happens when you change classrooms 5 years in a row! I have a LOT of work to do before I can teach any kids in that place! :)

I had to take Makayla with me today so here is a picture of her make-shift playpen!

ALMOST ONE

2009-07-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

Makayla is ten months old today! Only two more months and my baby girl will be one year old. I'm feeling better about her getting older than I was before. At first I wanted her to stay a little baby forever but I'm looking forward to all of the fun things we can do as she gets older.

These days, Mak is able to get around just about anywhere she wants to go. She loves to stand up and play with her toys. She has pretty good balance as long as she's holding on to something. She starts to cry if she loses her balance, even if she doesn't fall. She sometimes gets a little too brave and tries to walk from one toy to another and of course, she falls down! She has mastered pulling up on just about anything. She loves to walk up and down the couch, too. She is pulling up on the couch to help me type as we speak! Her favorite toy is the computer! She just deleted the last sentence that I had typed. She also loves the remote control. Daddy gave her an old remote that she can play with and chew on but of course she still wants ours.

Makayla now has 3 teeth! Two on the bottom and one on the top. She loves to eat real people food now. It's hard to take her to a restaurant these days because she loves to scream when she wants another bite...I'm just not fast enough for her. She will eat just about anything! And she thinks that if you're eating, she is supposed to be eating, even if she has aleady eaten! She still eats her baby food but I have been trying to introduce her to other foods such as mashed potatoes, carrots, apples, and bananas.

She has also started trying to say words instead of just squealing all of the time. She says ba-ba most of the time. It's so cute! I can't wait for her to start talking.
Nap time has become an issue within the past week. She has decided that she doesn't need to take naps. She gets so tired and just crawls around crying but she will not take a nap. Every time I put her in her bed, she just stands up and cries until I come to get her. Yesterday, she was so tired, she fell asleep in her exersaucer. Even though naps aren't that good for us anymore, she still sleeps all night...thank goodness!

I have enjoyed being home with Mak for the past month! I love watching her grow and discover new things every day. I wish I could stay home with her forever, but I also love to teach and must begin working in my classroom next week.

Here are some videos of Mak playing and walking up and down the couch.

On the go! from Amy Herbert on Vimeo.

Just playing! from Amy Herbert on Vimeo.

Family, friends and fun in Alabama

2009-07-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

Makayla and I took a trip to Alabama to visit family and friends. Jeff's dad and grandparents came out to Texas to visit us for a week. We had a wonderful time! Since they drove the motorhome out here, Makayla and I decided to ride back to Alabama with them. We left Saturday morning (July 11th). The drive took about 12 1/2 hours. Makayla did such a good job. She had to stay in her carseat unless we were stopped. When we stopped, she was able to get out and crawl around for a few minutes. She was SO GOOD. She hardly cried at all and just slept most of the time. We were so tired when we got there. We stayed at Jeff's dad's house that night and went to meet my sister the next day. We were able to see baby Hayden for the first time. She is so tiny and so sweet. She really looked little next to Makayla! We spent a lot of time hanging out at Nana's house so that all of the kids could play together. Jordan and Abby had such a good time playing with Mak. Abby especially loved to "mother" her. She's such a good helper. Mak loved having them around to play with. We were also able to get together with some of my friends from college that have never met Makayla. One of my friends, Jennifer, has a 1 yr old daughter so they played. We met them at the Summit to eat lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen, which was yummy!! Then, we went to Jennifer's house so that the girls could play and we could catch up. The girls had fun playing and we had a great time too!
One afternoon, we went over to Alison's house to visit. Alison was able to practice her mommy skills since she's due in March! We decided to go for a swim since it was such a nice day!
We had a WONDERFUL time visitig our famiy and friends! We took a lot of pictures so here's a slideshow! Enjoy!

Happy 9 months old...already!

2009-07-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

I know, I'm a little behind but I've been so busy with school. My little baby girl is growing up! These past 9 months have gone by so fast but I've had so much fun watching her grow. She weighed in at 16lbs, 4.7oz at her check-up the other day. She did such a good job letting the doctor check her...she usually cries but not this time! They even pricked her finger to check her blood and she just sat there and laughed and played the whole time. She's such a happy baby....MOST of the time! Makayla is the most amazing little girl. I'm so blessed to have her in my life! I think about how little she was and how much she has grown and learned so many new things. She is not even a little bit delayed like I thought she might be after being born so early.
Here are her new developments:
She is now "crawling" all over the house! She doesn't crawl using her knees for some reason but she uses her hands and pulls herself and uses her feet to push. I don't know what kind of crawling it is but she sure knows how to get around! I have to chase her all over the place. She is also learning how to pull up and stand. She pulls up on the couch and just stands there. The other day, she crawled into the kitchen where I was doing the dishes and pulled up on the dishwasher. I guess she was trying to help me. She always finds her way to whatever she wants. She's so smart! I had her exersaucer blocking her from the kitchen so she decided to crawl through it to get to the kitchen. I think I'm going to have my hands full with this little munchkin. She has also learned how to make lots of noises with her mouth. She thinks it's so funny. My favorite thing that she has started doing is sleeping in HER bed ALL night long! I put her in her bed at 9:00 every night and she sleeps all night. I love it!
Here are some pictures of my girl!

Summer fun

2009-06-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

Makayla got in the baby pool for the first time this weekend. She and the neighbor's kids, Madison and Katie had a good time "swimming" and playing in the water together. At first, Mak wasn't too sure about it, but after a few minutes, she was splashing around and having fun. Here are some pictures!

They don't stay babies forever!

2009-05-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

As Makayla turns 8 months old today, I have come to the realization that she won't stay a baby forever. It makes me a little sad to think that in just a few more months, she will be one year old. However, I know we will have so much fun as she gets older. She is getting bigger, sweeter, and prettier everyday.

Makayla is still trying so hard to crawl and she is almost there! She is now getting on her hands and knees and rocking. Her babysitter thinks she will be crawling any day now. Even though she isn't crawling, she still manages to get anywhere she wants by scooting and rolling. Every time I look up she's in a different spot on the floor. I'm worried about what it's going to be like when she does actually start crawling. I'll be chasing her all over the house, I'm sure.

Now that she is a big girl and can sit up on her own, she loves to play with her drum that sings and all of her baby dolls. She LOVES to play in the grass. Any time we get the chance, and it's not too hot, we go outside and sit in the grass. I think she would stay out there all day if I would let her.

Makayla has such a sweet little personality. She is always laughing and smiling unless she is tired or hungry, of course. She makes all kinds of noises with her mouth and thinks it is so funny if you make the same noise. Her favorite thing to do is play on the floor with daddy. She is totally a daddy's girl. When daddy is home, she has to be watching everything he is doing. It is so cute.

These days, EVERYTHING is a toy to Makayla. And of course, toys go straight to her mouth. She loves to get the remote control and my cell phone. Oh, and she thinks she knows how to use the computer already. She loves to push buttons when daddy is using it. She is still a great eater. She loves her fruit but is starting to not like vegetables. I have to trick her into eating the veggies by mixing it with her fruit.

I guess that's all that's new with Makayla for now. I will definitely update when she really starts crawling. Check out the video of Makayla trying to crawl. It's a little long since I was waiting for her to show me her trick but the end is the best part.

Untitled from Amy Herbert on Vimeo.

Makayla's new trick

2009-05-21T16:23:00.001-07:00

Makayla has learned how to sit up by herself!! I am so proud of her. She loves to sit and play with her toys. She is also working so hard on crawling. Here is a video and some pictures of my sweet girl!

Untitled from Amy Herbert on Vimeo.

WOW, 7 months old!!

2009-05-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe that Makayla turned 7 months old last Wednesday, April 29th. I am amazed at how fast time is flying by. People always say that it goes by so fast but I had no idea it would really be this fast!!

I am loving every second of being Makayla's mommy, even when she wants to wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning. I'm hoping that she outgrows this phase very soon. She was sleeping all night but I think she's waking up now since she's teething. However, she did sleep all night last night so maybe it will continue. Although Makayla is teething, she doesn't have any teeth and I don't feel anything in her mouth to make me think that she might be getting a tooth soon. She loves to chew on everything and she is a non-stop drooler! Hopefully she will get some teeth soon.

Makayla's favorite thing to do is hang out in her exersaucer. Now that she is tall enough to reach the bottom, she likes to bounce up and down and play with her toys. She is so alert and laughs all the time. There is no mistaking when she is in the room. She lets us know by screaming with joy and growling. She makes a growling sound and laughs so hard when you do it back to her. I think she just does it to see if you will do it back. When not in her exersaucer, she likes to be on the floor rolling around and trying so hard to crawl.

She is such a little piglet! I never thought that such a little baby girl could eat so much. She eats two packs of baby food for lunch while at the baby sitter's house and she eats two packs for dinner with me or her daddy. Of course, she also has her bottles throughout the day and at bedtime. Her favorite thing to eat is anything with bananas. She would much rather eat fruit than any kind of vegetables. I guess she takes after her mommy and daddy when it comes to eating. The other night while feeding her dinner, she was so tired and fell asleep in the middle of eating. Here's a picture....so cute!

Having Makayla in our lives is such an adventure. I can't wait for all of the fun things to come, even though I really don't want for her to grow up! She is so precious and such a daddy's little girl already. We're in big trouble! :)

I just wanna crawl!!

2009-04-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

Makayla has been trying to crawl for the past couple of weeks now. I think it's so funny how she gets up on her knees and feet and tries to push herself along with her head on the floor. She just hasn't figured out how it all works together. But, I think she will catch on pretty soon. So, I thought I would post a video of her trying to crawl. The first video is just of her playing with her toys and the second one is of her trying to crawl.

Untitled from Amy Herbert on Vimeo.

Trying to crawl from Amy Herbert on Vimeo.

Play Date

2009-04-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

Makayla had her first play date on Sunday. My friend Christine has a 5 1/2 month old baby girl named Abbie. I will never forget Abbie's birthday for two reasons. One, because she was born on Halloween, and two, because that is the day that we brought Makayla home from the hospital. Although we have visited them, this was the first time that the girls actually played together.

It was a beautiful day so we put the pack n play outside and let the girls play. At first, they didn't know what to think about somebody else being in their space. Makayla tried pulling Abbie's hair and Abbie just wanted some space to roll over!!
After playing outside for a while, we took the girls inside to play. Abbie knows how to get around by rolling over and over and over! Makayla just stays on her stomach once she gets over, so I was hoping that Abbie could teach her how, but she just watched. They played on the floor and then of course, we had to get some bumbo poses. As you will be able to see, Makayla was not impressed. She was tired and ready to go home.

We had a great time on our first play date! Hopefully next time, Makayla will be able to crawl. She's trying so hard. She now gets up on her knees and tries to push with her feet but goes nowhere. She gets so mad, poor thing. I'll post a video of her soon!

By the way, Makayla has an orange bumbo because her daddy bought it! Everything must be orange or blue...War Eagle! :)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

Makayla's 1st Easter weekend was spent visiting with family. Jeff's dad and grandparents got here on Thursday and stayed until Sunday morning. We had a great time hanging out with them. Makayla really enjoyed all of the extra attention she was getting. There was never a moment that she wasn't being held by her grandpa or her great-grandma Ann.

After watching The Masters on TV, the guys decided to see who was the best golfer on the Wii. Makayla sat and watched them play like they were crazy. It was funny watching them play. We had a good laugh!

We spent Easter Sunday at home, just the three of us. It was a stormy and rainy day so we stayed in. We're looking forward to next year when we can hunt Easter eggs!!

Roly Poly!

2009-04-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would post the video of Makayla rolling over from her back to her stomach!

She is such a little roly poly now! I can't put her down on her back without her flipping right over. She has gotten even better since I've taken the video.

Rolling from back to front from Amy Herbert on Vimeo.3

Alabama FUN!

2009-04-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know I'm a little behind with this post but since I'm a late blogger, I'm going backwards a little.

Makayla and I took a trip home to Alabama in February for Rachel and Bret's wedding. This was Makayla's second air plane ride. She is so good at flying!

We stayed at Nana's house and she kept Makayla for me while I was enjoying the wedding festivities with all of my girls. We had such a wonderful time! Rachel's gift to the bridesmaids was for us to get our make-up done at MAC. I was SO nervous because I don't really wear make-up. All of the girls turned out beautiful! It took some getting used to, but I actually liked how I looked. We had so much fun just being together again and had many laughs thanks to Alison!

The wedding was absolutely gorgeous, even though it rained non-stop from morning to night. We didn't let the rain get in the way of the fun. Rachel was a beautiful bride! Everything was amazing!

Nana brought Makayla to the reception so everyone could see her. This would be her first time meeting her Aunt Tiffany. She had already met Aunt Rachel and Aunt Alison at Christmas. Makayla had a good time even though she slept through most of it. She really enjoyed the music! Here are some pics from the wedding.

Happy 6 months old!!

2009-03-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

My little pumpkin head, aka, Makayla is six months old today! She went for her 6 month check up on Wednesday and was given a clean bill of health! Her doctor is always so impressed with how well she is growing and that she hasn't been sick at all since she was a preemie. She weighs 12 pounds, 9.6 ounces now! It's crazy to think she has come this far when she was so tiny at birth.

Sidenote: Makayla is taking a nap in her bouncer right now and is laughing out loud in her sleep! I love to hear her laugh!

This month, Makayla has learned how to roll over both ways. Last month she was rolling from her stomach to her back but she just learned to roll from her back to her stomach. She actually just did it for the first time yesterday. I laid her down on her mat in the floor to fix her a bottle and when I came back, she was on her stomach! She started rolling over and over and over! I think she will be crawling soon. She already tries to scoot when she's on her stomach.

One of my favorite things that Makayla has started to do a lot this month is laughing! She will giggle and giggle when you tickle her under her chin. Her little laugh is so contagious. I could listen to her laugh all day. She is such a happy baby girl! She is now eating like a big girl too. She eats sweet potatoes, squash and carrots. I think her favorite is squash. We tried giving her green beans the other day and she HATED them. She started gagging and making faces. We thought she might just be tired so we tried them again a few days later. We got the same reaction from her, so we have decided that she isn't a green bean lover.

I am looking forward to the new things that Makayla will learn in the months to come. I am hoping that her next new trick will be sitting up on her own. That way she can really play with her toys.

Mommy and Daddy love her so much!! We couldn't imagine our lives without her. She brings such joy and happiness to our lives everyday. Here are a few pictures of our 6 month old girl!

Beach babes

2009-03-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

Jeff, Makayla, and I took a weekend trip down to Galveston, Tx. Makayla and I had been home all week for spring break, so we were ready to get out of the house and have some fun! Jeff took off work on Friday so we left that morning and headed down to the beach. The drive should have only been about an hour and a half but the traffic was horrible! I think it took us a little over two hours to get there.

We stayed at the Hilton and it was so beautiful! We got checked in and got Makayla all ready for her first trip down to the beach.

Once we got down to the beach, we let Makayla put her feet in the sand. She LOVED it! Here are a few pics of her first sand experience!

After enjoying the sand for a while, we decided to take a stroll down the seawall. Makayla was enjoying the sights and sounds all around her, but not for long! She was so tired and fell asleep in her carrier.

The next day, we went to Moody Gardens to go to the Aquarium. We had a wonderful time looking at all of the different fish. However, our favorite was watching the penguins jump and swim around. Makayla really enjoyed all of the sights. You could tell that she was really into it. She watched the fish swim all around and would "talk" to them when they got close to the glass. Here are some pics from our aquarium adventure.

We had a wonderful time in Galveston, even though it was pretty crowded since it was spring break. The weather was beautiful and Makayla loved her first beach trip! We can't wait to go to Gulf Shores this summer.

I can't believe I'm blogging

2009-03-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see, I have decided to start a blog. I want to be able to share all of Makayla's developments with everyone since we're so far away from family and friends. My goal is to post a new blog at least once a month, if not more. I also want to go back to the beginning and share everything that has happened since Makayla's birth. I know that it will take a while to accomplish this but, I want to make sure I have it all written down so that I don't forget anything! Makayla is growing so fast and doing new things everyday. I hope you all enjoy reading about my baby girl! Check back soon for new posts!