Happily Ever Mock

8 Months of Hallie Anne

8 months!? Before I know it this kid is going to be learning to drive and then graduating! I love my sweet girl though! She may be teeny, but she is still getting so big in my eyes! 

  • Age- 8 months! (Seriously…getting too too close to one for Mommy’s liking!)
  • Weight-  We were excused from a weight check this month, but I would guess about 13.5 lbs
  • Length- Long and skinny still! No check up this month.  
  • Size- Size 1 Diapers! Onesies- 3 month or 3-6 Months Ts!  Pants- the waist on the 3-6 month are too big, but the length on the 3’s are too small…LIMBO!  PJs 6 month for length..though they are still big and when she crawls in them, sometimes she get’s the “Mermaid Tail” 
  • Eyes- Still blue! Yay!!! 
  • Hair- Getting longer and lighter each month! 
  • Sleeping- Usually 10-12 hours.  She has been waking up once in the night scared and doesn’t like being alone, but will normally go back to sleep…most nights! 2-3 naps a day.
  • Eating- 26 oz a day. And anything else she can get her hands on! She wants EVERYTHING mommy eats! Loves yogurt, pasta, bread, rice, chicken, veggies, avocado, turkey, berries and puffs!
  • Milestones- Crawling and pulling up on EVERYTHING! She can even walk holding on.  Loves singing and dancing. Still no teeth! 
  • Words she can say: Hi, Hey, Mama, Dada, Bye Bye and “Ey-ya”- Which means “Stella” because she will shout it at the dog!
  •  Memorable outings- Playgroup, Valentines Party and Luna’s first birthday! 
  • Favorite toys/activities- Prayer Bunny Still loves her turtle which we have named Dewy, Taggie elephant and princess dolly.  Also: Puppets and loves books! A girl after my own heart! We read before bed every night! She got a Children’s Bible for her Baptism, and we always do that before bed with a prayer. Also loves the rhymes we do at story time! Particularly (Tick Tock,Horse named Ron and Patty Cake!) Loves to play with Stella.  DANCING! She loves to shake it! Especially with Daddy! She also really enjoys listening to music. WALKING with help! Seriously it makes her sooo happy! Loves dressing up! Beads and shoes! She is SUCH a social butterfly and loves to play with her friends! 
  • Nicknames- I call her sweet pea, peanut, peanut butter, sweet girl or Hal…Daddy likes to call her Daniel son when I put headbands on her…but other than that sticks to a generic sweetie or cutie!
  • Funny moments- When I am eating, she like to open her mouth and get close to mine…I guess she thinks I am going to “baby bird” her the food…lol not happening! 
  • Looking forward to- Each minute with her! She is growing up WAY too fast! Trip to Houston to visit Auntie Callie and her boys! 
Daddy’s Baby Blanket
<3 Kelly and Hallie

Hallie’s Partner in Crime

Well Hallie’s partner in crime/BFF turned 1 this weekend! It makes me sad, because soon that’s going to be my girl! On Saturday we went to help Luna celebrate! Hallie had so much fun playing with her baby friends!

Jean Jacket- Carters Similar Here
Donut Skirt- Britt and Brooklyn 
Rose Gold Moccasins- Freshly Picked 
Luna’s cake (Her Daddy made it! Amazing, right?!)

Sweet Luna girl!

Of course the Birthday Girl had a wardrobe change! The skirt we got her from Britt and Brooklyn 

Best Buds!
Slide!

Hope everyone else had a fantastic weekend!
We’re cooped up today after the freezing rain overnight! (Oh yeah, that’s what scares us Texan’s off the road! Seriously all the schools are closed!)
xoxo <3 Kelly

Oh hey, “thank God for” Friday!

I don’t know about you, but this week has worn me completely out! I am in need of a weekend! This weekend will be especially fun! Hallie’s little bestie Luna is turning one!!! So big! We will be celebrating with her on Saturday! Fun fun!

So on to Oh hey, Friday business! Here are my Top 5 favorite pics from the week:

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!
<3Kelly

Tutu Cute

I LOVE when I catch Hallie doing things that resemble ballet! It makes my retired dancer heart so happy, that maybe one day she will follow in my footsteps! I will always tell her “Good job baby, first position” or “Yes that’s a tendu”. Yes, I know that’s not what she is actually doing, but, reinforcement goes a long way! Ha!

Yesterday it was perfect! I had her in a tutu and her cute Rose Gold Freshly Picked Moccs that kind of look like ballet slippers (aka the reason I chose them) and that kid was a little ballerina!

She always pulls up on the closest thing she can find, but yesterday it was too tutu cute! She started pointing her little toes! I was one proud momma!

That little Tutu Tushy just kills me! 

I’m still here!

Good morning everyone! Just wanted you to know that we are still here and well! We’ve just been busy spending some family time together! Yesterday was the Husband’s birthday and we spent the majority of the day with him relaxing at home.  After work we took him out for a yummy dinner at the Cheesecake Factory! They were so nice! We asked for our cheesecakes to go, but they still brought a little treat with a candle for him to blow out!
This morning we got up early to go to Church for Ash Wednesday, then Hallie and I went to story time. 
Later it’s Pretty Little Liars Night! (We always watch on Wednesdays) Did you here the exciting PLL news??!! Big A will be revealed March 24th! Ah!!! FINALLY!!!!! 
I thought this was funny!
Anyway, just a little update on what’s been happening around here! 
Take care!
Kelly 

Hallie’s First Valentines Day

Happy Monday!! I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s weekend! We did! Here’s what we were up to!
Saturday Morning, Daddy had to work, which actually worked out because there was a lot of prepping still left to do for his birthday party! 
I got up at 5 to finish the heart cookies and Hallie joined me around 7:30.  She ate her breakfast!

 After Breakfast, we got ourselves ready and went to deliver Valentines to my parents!

                                     (Cleo and Sadie’s Valentines from the Day before)

                                             Valentine’s for my parent’s house

Then we opened Valentines with my parents

Hallie and Cousin Matt

 After spending the morning with my parent’s we went home to finish Daddy’s cake. Memi came over to play (kicking myself for not getting a picture of Hallie and Memi playing!! It was too cute!
Then we brought over some more Valentines to family! We then went over to Christopher’s Dad’s for his birthday party.

Hallie gave Memi her Valentine 

Since Daddy was at work when Hallie got up we exchanged Valentines when he got there!

Daddy’s Valentines

Hallie’s Valentines (I had to settle for Wizard of Oz because Romeo and Juliet was sold out) 
Hallie and Uncle Adam 
Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

It was such a fun day!
What did you do? 

Oh hey Friday!

Linking up with September Farm!

Hello all and Happy Friday!!! I hope you all have some wonderful Valentine plans! Hallie and I will be celebrating Valentines Day and Daddy’s birthday with family! Christopher’s birthday is on Fat Tuesday next week! Hallie and I have some awesome surprises ready for Daddy and we have some sweet surprises ready for Miss Hallie!

Yesterday we had Hallie’s play group Valentine Party and it was so much fun! All the babies were too cute and the Mommies went ABOVE and BEYOND to make sure the babies and Mommies had a great time!

(Excuse the crappy cell pictures) Hallie Made special Valentines for her buddies:

I brought my delicious Cookies which I think everyone liked.
and Hallie had so so much fun with her friends and made out with all kinds of Valentine loot!
On to my 5 favorite pictures this week:

Seriously this kid is getting too big! Happy Weekend everyone!!
<3Kelly

Famous Valentine Linzer Cookie Recipe

(Disclaimer to family and friends reading this: You will get your cookies in due time, but this batch I made for play group! There is plenty of dough left! Patience!)

Excuse my disclaimer! These cookies are just that good! As soon as someone hears that I have made some, a mob of people (cough…Dad…cough) are salivating and offering up the shirt on their backs just for a taste!!! For the Friends Fans out there…it’s like Monica and the candy!

So finally I am offering up this tasty recipe! It is one I found several years ago on Pinterest and have perfected over the years to make it even more delicious!
You ready?
Ingredients for 6 dozen (I know it sounds like a lot, but you can freeze the dough) 
-6 Sticks of Unsalted butter softened (yes my friends call me Paula Deen)
-2 Cups Granulated Sugar
-2 1/4 ts Vanilla
-2 eggs pre-beat
-7 cups of flour 
-1 3/4 ts salt 
-1 jar of your favorite jam (I use raspberry for Valentines Day, but have experimented with Strawberry, Blackberry and Lemon curd) 
-2 cookie cutters of the same shape one large one small
-Powdered Sugar for Dusting
I wasn’t kidding!!
Steps: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. In a large stand mixer or bowl (I mean LARGE) cream the butter and sugar together
2. Add beaten egg, vanilla and salt
3. Slowly add flour cup by cup mixing well after each cup
4.When thoroughly mixed start rolling out dough on a floured surface a little at a time (like I said you can freeze or refrigerate what you don’t use)  about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Cut out large hearts first and then cut holes in half of them using the small heart 
6. Add excess dough to unused dough 
7. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned 
8. Cool on wire racks
9. Add jam to whole cookies and top with the ones with hole in center.
10. Dust with powdered sugar

11. Chill until ready to serve.
12. Enjoy!
Hope everyone enjoys this recipe! It is a labor of love but everyone will go nuts over them…seriously! 
<3 Kelly

Currently February

Good morning everyone, sorry for my tardiness…we are all sort of down for the count here this week…it’s been a little bit crazy! Sinus Infections, allergies, sleep separation anxiety, car troubles..almost putting the babies yogurt in my coffee…yep that’s been my week! 
Aside from the troubles here is what we have been up to lately!


Reading: I have been meaning to pick up a book, but this month has been a little nutty and Hallie and I have missed out last couple story times! Any suggestions readers? (Not a sci-fi fan though…) 


Watching: Big Bang Theory and Pretty Little Liars! I am looking forward to trying out the new “Odd Couple”- anyone else excited for this? I just LOVE Matthew Perry!

Working on: Finishing up the Valentines! And prepping for the husband’s birthday! I have all of Hallie’s playgroup friends Valentines done, but I still have to do my homemade valentines for friends and family! Especially my 2 buddies whose birthday’s fall around/on the holiday! I also am planning on making my Linzer cookies tonight! Oh and I need to get Christopher a birthday gift and bake his favorite chocolate cake!!!!
Last Year’s Homemade Valentines!

Looking Forward to: Feeling better, car being back to normal and for things to quiet down! Also excited for Hallie’s Play Group Valentine party tomorrow! 


Loving: That my baby girl said “Momma” this morning! She can also say “Hi” and “Hey”…on those bad nights we had recently where the sleep anxiety was at it’s worst and Momma was feeling extra icky, we let her sleep with us…and for a whole hour she would tap us and say…”Hi! Hey!” I love that she is learning…I just wish she would pick a better hour! lol

10 years!

Today marks 10 years that Christopher and I have been together! In so many ways we have grown up together.  We met so young and have stayed together through the many struggles and triumphs of becoming adults.  Finishing school, job changes, losing loved ones, buying a home, getting married, and the birth of our daughter, we’ve seen each other through thick and thin.

Today I want to thank my sweet husband for being a great friend, boyfriend, husband, and now father to Hallie! You are always my rock and I love you so much! Here are to many more tens!