{little cruiser}

She has become quite attached to her lamb... it doesn't have a name yet.

On the go.

Miss Peppy is mobile!  One evening Joe and I were sitting on the floor playing with her and all of the sudden she just decided to crawl across the room.  We were amazed... so fun to see something just "click" in their mind.  After the first time,  she just did it randomly but it's increasing more and more as she gets more comfortable with it.  Just today,  Joe and I were talking on the floor of her room and looked over and she was crawling out of the room down the hall!  Oh my goodness... the trouble she will get into now!  Naturally,  I didn't get a good picture... so the one posted is the best I have... ha.  I can't believe she is growing so fast!

{remember... dakota?}

This is what I see when I look to my side most of the day

She looks just like Joe here... look at those little curls on the back of her head.

Elmo truly disgusts her.

I told her if she wanted me she would have to come get me!  She wasn't thrilled.   

Remember a dog named Dakota?  Well,  there were lots and lots of pictures of her before little Miss Pepper Mae came around.  She was our first child, right?  For all of those worried,  she is still here... alive and toy in hand as usual,  just a little more persistent!

Some of you might not know this,  but we literally live a street over from my mom... and a street over from my grandmom.  Turns out,  this has been such a blessing!  Gives Pepper Mae a good change of atmosphere during the day when we walk over for a visit... plus they have new toys to interest her!  


She is SO close to crawling.  I think she's the type of person that believes if she's going to do it,  she's going to do it right... no playing around with this gal!  She's got the stance just right,  she just needs to make the plunge!  One milestone she hit a few days ago was being able to sit up by herself from her stomach.  This opens up a whole new world for Miss Pepper Mae! 

{live your dream, & wear your PASSION}

So, I had come upon this on a blog a while ago and loved it so I saved it to my computer.  Months later,  I come upon the same quotation on a different blog!  It reminded me that I needed to share it.  Of course,  I wrote it out again my own way in photoshop.  I couldn't say it any better myself,  and it's so true.  I LOVE this... and I hope you do too!

{to mom, love baby}

"Look what I got you, Mama!"

Love. Love. Love Her.

She LOVES PawPaw... and thinks he's so funny.

Five candles means how old?

Precious.

Look at those two bottom teeth.

So my first Mother's Day weekend came and went... and I enjoyed every minuted of it!  We spent Sunday with my family and all the mother's celebrated together,  along with Jamie's 50th Birthday!  Here are just a few of the photos we took,  hope you enjoy!

{shocking... and sweet}

Okay,  I've got to share what happened today when I was out getting my mom her Mother's day present.  There is no good way to start this,  so I'm just going to get into it.  Pepper Mae and I went to Hannah's Garden shop to innocently pick up a Hydrangea for my mom.  After we checked out,  we ended up standing around in the middle area where you pay to talk to my friend Lorraine from high school.  So let me set this up for you:  It's me (I'm holding Pepper Mae)... Lorraine is standing in front of me and we are just talking away.  All of the sudden,  this tall, heaver set guy comes in from my right side,  and proceeds to pull down the front of my shirt (I was wearing a v-neck) and is looking over me straight into my chest.  Yes,  I don't have to repeat myself... my bra and chest were exposed.  So,  the first thing that runs through my mind is... okay,  I MUST know this person and he's playing a prank on me.  Shortly after that thought,  shock set in that I didn't know this person,  and I yelled "What Are You Doing!?!"...  

Okay,  now it's time to lessen your shock.  Lorraine looks at me and says "He's special needs.  He's special needs."  Then, his caretaker comes and grabs the guy and takes him away.  Lorraine and I just looked at each other like,  what the crap just happened... and we walked to my car.  The more and more I think about what happened... I feel so violated!  I realize he didn't know any better,  but thats seriously the craziest thing that's happened to me.  Ever. 

On a more normal note,  here are some pics of my first Mother's day flowers from Joe and Pepper Mae.  So beautiful!  I had pointed out the vase in Anthropologie last time we were in there... matches my house perfectly!  

What are your plans for Mother's Day tomorrow?  We are going to have a lunch at my mom's house and my stepdad Jamie is going to cook out on his new grill (it's not only Mother's Day but his birthday as well!).  They just had their backyard newly landscaped and now everyone can enjoy it.  We opted for this plan, instead of the craziness of going out to eat... with Pepper Mae.  Ha.  Hope you have a great Sunday!

{recent happenings}

Recently,  Miss Pepper Mae has been quite clingy,  given her ear infection {right before Easter},  awful cold {Easter for over a week},  then... double ear infection {today}!  So when does this girl get a break to just be a baby!  Needless to say,  she literally hasn't let me put her down, so she hasn't had much time to practice crawling!  Though she does do this scoot thing,  and ends up reluctantly going backwards across the room.  When she gets there,  she gives me this look like... "Well,  are you going to come get me?"  And of course,  I do.

One other development is Pepper picking up these little organic "puffs" and eating them using her 2 front {half grown in} teeth.  It's just about the cutest thing you'll ever see.  Also, she hasn't been a fan of riding in her stroller for walks,  so we have resorted to hanging out at the lake on a blanket while she plays after her last nap of the day.  She loves it! {if an "old" person doesn't walk up,  of course}

Lastly, operation plan Pepper Mae's first birthday party is well underway!  Four months in advance,  you may ask?  Umm... I started planning for Easter four months in advance,  so why wouldn't I plan her first big birthday bash that far ahead!?   This is my chance to be as creative as I want without her having an opinion yet... and I'm going to take full advantage of that as many years as I can!

{Pibb or Pepper?}

Well,  Miss Pepper Mae is 8 months old... where has the time gone!  Everyone tells you it will go fast,  and I'm here to tell you it sure does.  

If your wondering where all the Easter pictures are... well,  we don't have any!  Three Easter dresses and NO pictures to prove it.  Pepper woke up with a fever Easter Sunday morning and after we got home from church it had escalated and we ended up doing nothing... but staying at home and caring for her!  She was quite lethargic and obviously didn't feel good at all.  The fever lasted about 3 days then transformed into an awful cold that she is starting to slowly get over.  But alas,  we will get those pictures... this week!  I am determined to get pictures of her with her Easter basket, so stay tuned!

Time for a quick update on what we have learned about Pepper Mae in the last month:

--  She is what we call a "wild woman".  I don't know if all babies are like this,  but she gets really hyper and really excited... really quick.  You know it's hit her when she's flailing all her limbs with her mouth wide open as fast as she can.

--  She loves to practice "crawling" by putting her front two arms on our legs and pulling herself up on her knees,  then swaying back and forth.  Why doesn't she do this on the floor?  I have no idea... she must feel safer about it by using our legs as a crutch!

--She has TWO front bottom teeth coming in now... very slowly but very surly,  and enough drool to prove it.

--She does this thing where when she gets excited or wants to get your attention she raises her arms into the air and just  h - o - l - d - s  them there,  daintily rubbing her fingers together.  { see middle picture }

--She is increasingly become scared of "older" people.  When we go on our daily walks if we encounter anyone with a hint of "old" {which it's hard not too considering Greystone Farms might as well be a retirement community} she immediately starts crying if they even dare look at her.  I don't know if it's there voice,  white hair, beards, etc... but she flat out doesn't approve of them acknowledging her.  This poor lady smiled at her behind us in the check out line of Whole Foods the other day and Miss Pepper Mae got this awful look on her face and started wailing.  

Thats all I can come up with for now!  Hope everyone has a great coming up week!