One thing people don't really talk about before they have kids is how much you sacrifice for them. Presley is only 5 1/2 months old and I have already sacrificed a ton! I am not saying that this is a negative thing, just something I have never thought about. First-you sacrifice your body (try as you may.. it will NEVER look like it did before!) 2nd- you sacrifice sleep (sleeping in becomes a faint memory). 3rd - (at least for me)... my sanity! And the list continues: me time, date night, long relaxing baths, free time, extra cash, sick days, hanging out with friends after 9 pm, doing anything quickly, and eating spicy foods or dairy (they upset Presley's stomach). These are just some things I thought of off the top of my head. Nothing is about you anymore! The moment your baby is born it becomes all about this new little person in your life and immediately your focus shifts from being completely selfish to completely selfless. On days when I am exhausted and dragging myself out of bed, or I am missing out on hanging out with friends b/c I have to be home for Presley's bedtime... I look at her and can't imagine my life without her. I would sacrifice everything for her! When I think about it like that, they don't seem like sacrifices anymore.

The past couple of days have not been super exciting. Presley went to the doctor, she weighed in at a hefty 18lbs. 9oz. (96th percentile) She got 2 shots, which was a huge ordeal for me. When Presley was first born I had decided she was not going to be vaccinated at all. But after talking with BT, he said he would feel more comfortable if she did get her shots. He brought up very good points. We do travel out of the country.. etc. Me being the submissive wife that I am..(haha! I think that would make BT laugh:) I agreed that for us, that would be the best decision. On a side note those of you that don't know BT very well, he is very laid back and doesn't express his opinion very often. He knows how much joy I get out of being in charge so he just sits back and lets me make the decisions... that being said.. when he DOES express his opinion, I KNOW that it must be important to him and I take it seriously! However, Presley is on an alternate vaccination schedule. She didn't get any shots until she was 4 months old.. and she will only get 1 or 2 per visit. Deciding that this was the best option for us does not make it any easier. As a parent, seeing your child in pain is the worst possible feeling in the world! When it came time for Presley to get her first shot, I started feeling very dizzy and nauseous. BT was like, "I can't watch this!" So I held her hand and watched her scream louder than I ever have. I wanted to take her pain away, but I couldn't. I knew that in the long run this would benefit her (keep her from getting sick) but she didn't know that. I am sure in her mind she is thinking why would mommy just sit here and watch this happen to me, doesn't she see that they are hurting me? I wished I could explain to her that I was trying to keep her from further pain. I wonder if God feels the same way? When he allows things to happen in our lives that are painful. We don't see the big picture. We do not see how this pain or struggle will benefit us in the long run. We just sit there and ask God how he could allow this horrible thing to happen to us. I am sure God hates to see us in pain just as any father or mother hates to see there child in pain. But He knows that this momentary pain will benefit us in the future.

I'll be the first to admit it... I am a negative nelly.. a glass half empty kinda gal. I can find the negative in ANY situation! The most amazing thing can happen and I will find the one less than perfect detail and focus on that. I am not proud of this at all.. I have tried and tried to fix this character flaw..... but it is really hard for me not to complain and focus on the bad. The worst part is.. I have absolutely nothing to complain about! God has always provided for all my needs. I have never wanted for anything! I grew up as a pastor's kid, then became a missionary kid, and now I am a pastor's wife... We needed something and God provided it. I have witnessed and experienced the provision of vacations, money, cars, houses, friendships, and jobs. Growing up, I never knew that we didn't have a lot money.. no clue! We had everything that we ever needed! However, I still found a way to complain.. "Ugh! My blow dryer won't plug in at this hotel in Paris!" (ridiculous I know!) Every now and then, God reminds me that I have NOTHING to complain about. I have an amazing family, house, church, friends, health, a car and a God that provides for all of my needs. I will continue to pray that my half empty glass becomes half full.. that my negatives become positives and that I become the type of person that can ALWAYS find the positive in every negative situation!

Ugh! I hate winter, I hate snow, and I hate to be cold! In Northern KY where I live, it is all those things now.. FREEZING cold... and a foot of snow. The bad thing about living in the north, not only is it SUPER cold in the winter and snow alot.. but when it DOES snow... life keeps going! Down south, you so much as see a flurry and schools shut down, offices close and life gets put on pause. Everyone FREAKS OUT! Up here.. they pour a little salt out, run the snow plows and say "be careful out there!" They EXPECT you to get out in this stuff! It is simply miserable! You get out of the car and get snow ALL over your pants.. that snow turns in to water once you finally get into a heated building.. then you are drenching wet! Your clothes are wet, your hair is wet and you can't feel your nose so, more than likely, you have snot running down your face! Not fun.... or attractive! I like giving myself snow days.. when it snows, we stay in, watch movies and Presley and I stay nice and warm. I am ready for it to warm up, so we can get outside! Walk around the neighborhood, go to the park, swim... all the fun things that spring and summer have to offer! As I am writing this, I am sitting on my couch, with a blanket and a heater pointed right on me.. Praying for warm weather! :)

"You better enjoy every minute, they grow up so fast.... Next thing you know she'll be graduating high school" that has always sounded like such a cliche to me..something I heard a million times while I was pregnant and I just nodded politely and smiled... but now I am acutely aware that it could not be more true! Presley is 4 and a half months old and has already hit so many milestones.. smiling, talking (gaga, mamama, nanana.. not real words of coarse!) laughing, reaching for things, holding things, lifting her head, holding her head up, sitting up, standing (assisted) recognizing voices and faces, putting her paci back in her mouth on her own, and physically growing! We tend to take all these things for granted! Yes, we acknowledge them when they happen, but after that it becomes the norm. Presley has just started wearing size 3 diapers. This was truly traumatizing for me.. she has gone up 4 diaper sizes in 4 months! As I put on her last size 2 diaper I was tearing up.. my little girl is growing up so fast! In my mind she might as well have been pulling out the driveway on her way to college! It is like Christmas.. (i know this is weird.. but stay with me) Every year.. in October as I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR.. I always say to myself, " this year I am going to REALLY enjoy Christmas. I am going to make the most of it.. soak in every minute, live it to its fullest and make this Christmas more special than any other year! I don't want to look back at Christmas and be sad that it passed by too fast" And so you know what happens? Every year, December 26th rolls around and I'm like dangit... I didn't soak it all in... Christmas came and went and I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have! I blinked and it was over! That is how I feel about Presley.. I have the best intentions of making the most of every day, celebrating every milestone and memorizing every moment.. but next thing you know.. I turn around and Presley is 5 months old and I haven't enjoyed every second as much as I should! It is just the daily grind that I am trying to get through with my sanity still intact! I don't want to look back and regret taking my days with Presley for granted. I fell so incredibly lucky that I can stay home with her and actually be a part of every milestone. So from this point on, " I am going to REALLY enjoy every moment with Presley, soak in every minute, live it to it's fullest, not take it for granted and make every day more special than the day before!" I hope:)

: )

It has been a hectic couple of days to say the least... On Friday, BT, Presley and I traveled to Louisville for the night for one of BT's friends 30th birthday. We had a great time! Presley made all of BT's friends want to have babies.. she has that effect on people b/c she is so happy and easy going! We had to hurry back on Saturday b/c BT had to get to work. He is a youth pastor at 7 hills church and he was baptizing for the first time.. so he needed to practice:) Once we got home, me, Pres and my mom went shopping for a new couch. I am giving my couch to my sister (the one getting married in May) I want a darker one so as not to show all the spit up and etc. I am a little bit OCD about dirt, and my current couch is really light, which was fine for me and BT, but not super kid friendly.