Carli's Name Sakes...

As many of you know - we named Carli Lynn after her two granddads. If you haven't read about why, you should check out this post in July: Carli Lynn.

Well, God must have thought she was her Granddaddies's granddaughter, b/c from behind there is definitely a resemblance! We have a new poll going - which granddad does Carli take after these days...

Pa and Carli

Pappy and Carli

Don't forget to cast your vote!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Carli Lynn just want to send out a quick - HAPPY THANKSGIVING! The Hays family has much, much to be thankful for this year - most of it includes this little angel!

Why I Choose Keith

So tonight Keith and I decided to completely clean off my laptop and reinstall everything hoping to get it to perform to its peak ability...and in doing so I found this word document. Before we got married Kyle Wade asked us to send him notes about why we choose each other. This was mine - it's only been two and a half years of marriage - but it is still fun to sit back and re-read what I was thinking in those days before we married. Hope you all enjoy learning a little about us!

I really can’t say that I had much to do with choosing Keith. Keith had been in four of my business classes and I really hadn’t noticed him until one of my good friends told me she had a crush on him; but she didn’t know that much about him. Being the friend that I am (ha!), I told her I would scope thinks out for her. Funny how when I look back at things, I that God must have been laughing at my naivety…which I’m pretty sure is a constant source of humor even today. So, the very next day Keith and I were put in a group together in one of our classes. This was my first real chance to get some dirt for my friend. At the first group meeting I showed up having read the case and outlined the problem. Keith showed up. He didn’t prepare for the meeting at all! I reported back to my friend that while he may be cute, I wasn’t impressed because he was lazy and was mooching off of my hard work…I was such a nerd. I’m pretty sure God laughed at that one.

After that my relationship with Keith started to grow into a friendship. I knew he was a man of his word and good natured when he lost a flag football bet and wore my bright orange “Some Girls have all the fun” intramural shirt for three days. I really don’t think orange was his color b/c on the last day he claimed he had a migraine and didn’t show his face on campus!

From there, my friend lost interest in Keith, the semester ended and we all went home for Christmas break. The next semester Keith and I had two classes together. The fact that Keith came and set by me in one class didn’t register anything with me. And when our professor came by and said something to us about a budding romance, I quickly set him straight saying we were just friends. The professor just smiled, winked at Keith and told him he had a lot of work to do. I was a little surprised by the professor’s bluntness, but again nothing registered with me. God probably was starting to wander how many opportunities he was going to have to give the two of us before something finally happened. Turns out it was a lot. We went through the whole semester talking off and on. It never occurred to me that he may have been interested because to me he was off limits as my friend had liked him, plus my first impression was still playing in the back of my mind, he was a city boy that drove a Chevy (I come from a very strong willed country Ford family) and loved Garth Brooks…really, I didn’t think he was my type.

However, God certainly was smarter that I was, and apparently knew me better than I knew myself…The semester was coming to a close, we had only 6 weeks left till graduation. I stayed after class one day to talk about a project with my friend Amber. When we finally left we could see Keith slowly walking to his truck. That’s when the fog of naivety cleared and it clicked. Here Keith had been walking with me after class every Tuesday and Thursday and I had honestly never thought that it was more than just two ppl going to their trucks in the same parking lot. Uh huh…Keith had started parking his truck in the same lot as me a long time ago. So as Amber and I watched, Keith got to his truck, glanced back at the building and left. Yep…things were about to get interesting…but I had avoided the awkward situation for the time being and I wouldn’t see Keith until after the wkd. But alas, God had another plan. That night I sit down at my computer to check my email before going to bed and I had an email from Keith. Sure enough, he was interested. I was taken aback, flattered and not real sure what to do. I did know that it took a lot of guts to write that email, so I couldn’t leave him hanging. So I responded with my friends blessing and the heaven’s let out a huge sigh of relief.

Keith and I went out that Friday night, March 26, 2004 and saw each other every night there after. So, as you can see I really can’t say I choose Keith…perhaps circumstance threw us together…but I’m pretty confident that God picked him out just for me and then had to work nine months to get me to see the perfect man that I would eventually spend the rest of my life with.

I’m not really good at saying mushy things…or any of that kind of stuff. So instead, I will just write what is in my heart; if it comes out mushy…it is purely coincidental. J Keith is my best friend. He is the one I can tell anything to, I cry on his shoulder, I get mad at him for no reason, and he doesn’t care, he loves me anyway. Keith is my first thought in the morning and the last person I pray for every night. Keith is the one I want to share every exciting moment with and the one I want at my side when I have butterflies in my stomach and have to stand in front of a bunch of people. Keith is my everything. I cannot imagine going through life without him. We’ve been through so much together in the last two years, it sure seems like it has been longer.

My Grandma has always told me that you could tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mother. Keith’s relationship with his mom is amazing. There is an amazing amount of love, respect and genuineness between them. And I look at his parents, and I see the love that they have between them, and I am so thankful. I know in my heart and without a doubt that Keith will always love me. We have been so blessed to have such wonderful examples of love in both our parents, and in our grandparents. God has truly blessed us.

Keith’s faith in God is inspiring because he is so humble. Keith is not very vocal about a lot of things, but I love to sit next to him in Sunday school class and watch him contemplate the discussion and every once in a while throw in a comment. He is very well versed in what the Bible says, but more so he is always trying to live it. Our prayer time together is always something I look forward to. It is a time when I am so blessed to hear what is really on his heart, and with God Keith never withholds what is on his heart.

I suppose I could go on and on about what Keith is to me. But it is all summed up in a few words. Keith is God’s Chosen One for Me. I have never been more confident in anything more than I am that I love Keith Hays, and I am excited and very ready to commit to him for the rest of my life and his. Keith is my best friend, my confident, my soul mate, my partner and as of May 20, 2006 is stuck with me forever! J

Hair pics

Okay - I'll be brave - I don't like these pictures, I look tired! But, I promised pictures, so here they are!

Before - Bedraggled...ha!

After - they always fix my hair straight (not sure why)

After - hair is normal. Sorry for the green tint

(I used the webcam to take this one)

Fast Learner...

This is by far the funniest thing ever...

Sunday night we went over to Eli and Amy's house to watch the Cowboy game. Carli got almost as much attention as the Cowboys did! Tori is our friend who teaches first grade here in Whitehouse - and she put her teaching skills to good use last night. She taught Carli how to stick out her tongue! It is so cute! I tried and tried to get a picture of it - and I did finally - but first watch the video. So cute!

Check out my tongue!

Working with Tori on my new trick!

Exhausting work! Amy put me right to sleep!


Eli is in denial - he does have baby fever!


>
I did get my hair cut - I'll post those pics later in the week. Unfortunately - the hair cut didn't do anything about how tired I look! ha! :)

Our week in Pictures

Well, I didn't do well keeping up the blog this week - so now I am resorting to telling you about the week in pictures...

First - Carli helped me cook dinner one night. She doesn't like to be cradled in the "Moby Wrap" or held close to me - but she prefers rather to face out and see what is going on. I have a feeling when she starts moving on her on, she will be into everything. This picture is at 5.5 weeks and she pretty much holds her head up without any help from me. And if I do try to help her out - it makes her mad!

Then last Saturday Aunt Betty and Dionna came to visit! They timed it just right b/c Carli had just woken up from her nap and was ready to eat. She was having trouble nursing that day b/c of drainage in her throat, so I was pumping and feeding her with the bottle. Aunt Betty got to feed and burp her.

Then Cousin Dionna got some good one on one time with Carli. Carli was showing Dionna how big she was and could hold her head up!

What happens when a baby doesn't nap ALL DAY LONG? It means she sleeps for 8 hrs at night and no amount of moving, massaging or tickling will wake her up!

Bath Time! Shea has taken on the job of protecting "her baby" from all intruders, including those phantom ones that only she can see. Whitey Tighty still thinks the pack-n-play belongs to him and occasionally jumps in it to nap or look out the window or check on Carli (who is in her car seat usually). So Chuy decided he must have a job too - and it is bath time. Every time we give Carli a bath, Chuy joins us and lays on the bathroom floor the whole time. When we are done, he leaves...after all his job is over!

Speaking of bath time - Carli LOVES to have her head washed. You talk about a relaxed baby!

Today was the first time she saw herself in the mirror of her floor gym - may have been because I got her close enough to it with her wedge. She talked up a storm to herself all afternoon! It was super cute. She also figured out if she could control that arm of hers, she could hit the thing and make it move!

We got the bumbo chair out this week - she can't really sit in it by herself b/c after about a minute she is tired of holding her head up - but today at lunch she had to show Daddy what a big girl she was. See Shea? She isn't too sure the bumbo chair is okay for Carli to sit in. It got a full sniff over when we took Carli out.

Carli and her daddy getting in some bonding time during his lunch break. See her "little old man" hair? :) She isn't completely bald - actually she has blonde hairs on all the bald looking spots. The darker hair is the hair she had when she was born and everything I read said that will eventually fall out too. Oh - and this outfit was meant for the ruffles to be on her butt...funny b/c they are about an inch about her butt! But the outfit isn't too small - it swallows her! She is just long bodied and short legged! Kind of like her Uncle Andy! :)

Finally decided she could take a nap today - but it took an hour to accomplish. Plus, this is another cute "ruffled butt" picture. :)

Such is our week in pictures. Tomorrow and Sunday we will spend letting me catch up on my work while Carli and Daddy bond! :) Plus, I am going to get my hair cut, maybe. I have an appt tomorrow at 10:30. We'll see how it turns out. But don't worry, my hair has never been shorter than shoulder length and I don't plan on breaking that trend now!

Caught on Camera...

A SMILE! Yes, it took a lot of missed smiles, almost smiles and funny faces - but we finally got that first "caught on camera" smile! She loves to smile at her daddy - isn't she just precious?!

Carli's One Month Celebration

Carli spent her one month old celebration meeting one of her Daddy's best buds - Michael. Michael and Keith have known each other since the 4th grade - crazy! Michael was the one that encouraged Keith to ask me out - he took our first "couple" picture for us and even followed us to Arlington! :) They are about as close as two buds can get - and I think that is pretty awesome. I had the great privilege of keeping Michael's son, Ryan, for about 5 months when he was a baby. He was about 9 months old when Keith and I moved to Whitehouse - crazy how much the kid has grown, he will be 3 in March! He was barely crawling when we left and now he runs all over the place! ha! Michael and Ryan drove down last Saturday to meet Carli for the first time...

Ryan with Carli (she dressed up for him!)

Michael holding Carli

(He was so busy admiring her, he forgot to smile for the camera!)

Thinking about holding Carli's hand
Me and my buddy Ryan

Carli's birthday weekend wasn't over once her company left - nope, she had a big day on Sunday too! She went to church for the first time. She did really well - she only let out a scream once when she thought it was time to eat! She even cooperated and went out to eat with the whole gang after church, came home to take a nap and then went to small group. She was a huge hit at small group - we even had a volunteer to change her diaper! It was great!

Ready for Church

Church made her happy...kind of

After her big weekend, it wore a girl out! I laid her here, while I was fixing a bottle for Keith to feed her (we are getting in a routine, where I will fix Keith a bottle to feed her when he gets home and I will go to the gym, then they get some good father/daughter time in!). She was so fussy and just couldn't believe I laid her down - and within two minutes she was sound asleep! It was super cute!

Other big milestones this week included going to Alto with me for the first time by ourselves, refusing to take a nap ALL DAY LONG two days this week - and then sleeping 7 hrs straight that night! Coming to terms with our car seat and actually falling asleep instead of screaming at it. And finally - mastering the art of a two way blow out diaper - yes, both up the front and back - now that is talent!

Waking Up is Hard to Do!!

Here is a video we took Saturday morning when we were trying to get Carli to wake up...this is only appx 3 minutes of the 45 it took to finally get her to open her eyes! When she sleeps, she takes the job seriously!

Carli's First Halloween

Happy 1 Month birthday to Carli!! We have a big day planned...our good buddy Ryan and his Dad (Michael) are coming to visit us today. I kept Ryan when we lived in Arlington - hard to believe his 2.5 years old now!

For Halloween, our neighborhood becomes a mini-Canton. No kidding, people from all over Whitehouse show up and trick or treat in our neighborhood. Being the social butterflies that we are - we loaded up the whole family, dogs included and drove to Jacksonville to meet Grammy and Pa for some dinner at Chili's! ha! We had to take the dogs, or they would go absolutely bonkers listening to all the people in the neighborhood! It seriously took us 5 minutes just to drive out of the neighborhood, it was crazy.

Anyway, below are pictures of Carli in her Halloween outfit. Many thanks to our Amber for the awesome Halloween gear. She sent Carli some socks, bibs and the cutest cat hat! So, we tried to get Carli to cooperate and take some cute pictures for us...let us know how we did! :)

Shea checking out Carli's outfit

Like my "costume?"

What a happy baby!

Needing a little comfort...

Explaining why we dislike having our picture taken today...

Finally - a picture where she isn't crying!

Picture of our "costume" - but she refuses to look at the camera

NO MORE PICTURES!!!