Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

Today while riding in the car and listening to Christmas music, I heard the song from Sound of Music...I know it is always played at Christmas, but I am not sure why because it doesn't seem very Christmasy - Christmasy may not be a word and if it is, it probably isn't spelled right...

Anyway- I started to list some of my favorite things to myself and I thought I would just go ahead and share a few...

~ when I overhear Jeremy and Libby "conversing" through the baby monitor, it is pretty sweet. It's also funny when he is changing a diaper that is fuller than expected...I keep waiting for them to mention a Christmas present for Mommy - but that has yet to happen...

~when I walk in Libby's room and she has her head up looking for me, usually I am singing so she is all smiles until she spots me and then she gets really excited...I never knew an infant could make me feel like a rock star...

~my small group girlfriends - we call it bible study, but it is much more than that. The group has been around for awhile and it has changed. People have come and gone and regardless of the faces that are there this small group has been so great for me over the past few years. I have grown in so many ways. The other night we had our second annual PJ party and ornament exchange - It was a pretty good time...nights with the girls are very refreshing and I am thankful that I am a part of such a group...and also thankful that Jeremy understands how much I enjoy this time and he is always excited to spend quality time with Libby so I can have a night every now and then.

~ a Christmas card especially one including a photo...

~tradition -this is the first year we will spend the night at our house on Christmas Eve and I am pretty excited about Santa coming and starting a few traditions.

~Libby's grandparents - Mimi & Pop and NaNa & Papaw - they are so generous with their time and I really appreciate all that they do for us and I know Libby does too...

Libby also has a new favorite...see the video below - please excuse Hagan's nose...

Santa Claus is coming to town...

We have been pretty busy lately with Thanksgiving and now preparation for Christmas. I am way overdue for an update.

We loved seeing Julia, Maggie, Jane and Wyatt over thanksgiving, but hated that the stomach bug attacked them as well...Libby loves her cousins (especially Julia - she could always manage to make her smile)

We also had our 4 months shots and checkup. Libby is doing great and right on track. The shots of course were tough, but after a little love she was just fine. She weighed in at 14 lbs. 3 oz. and is 26" long (or as we like to say, 2'-2")

We are in the 95th percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight.

We put up our tree last night and it is finally starting to feel like Christmas around here.

We are very excited about Santa coming to our house this year and our first Christmas with Miss Libby Lu.

While decorating last night, Hagan stood and watched - we had decorations everywhere and there was really no place for him to lay down...Little did I know he was plotting his next move...I finally looked up to see him with Libby's rubber duck in his mouth...I remember him watching intently during our bath - I had no idea he had zoned in on a victim. Libby's rubber duck is now tucked away safely, Hagan knows it is the bathroom so now he goes in there and sits and whimpers - We have decided Santa needs to bring him his own rubber duck.

See the pics below of all our latest adventures....

If I stand real still I bet they won't notice this hot pink rubber duck...

Okay - If I promise not to destory it, can I just hold it in my mouth??

Before enjoying my delicious single grain rice cereal...

after...Thanks for the festive bib Papaw - just wearing it makes me feel jolly...

Momma's little elf - looking very much like her dad in this picture...

Baby, it's cold outside!

Did someone say Santa?!?

Julia & Libby

Julia playing in the leaves - before the stomach bug hit...

30 minutes later - after the episode...so sad...

Mom - all I want for Christmas is a huge mirror and some of this crinklely paper - the Doctor's office is so fun!

Libby's Laugh

For those of you who know me well and I mean really know me, then you have heard my laugh - the type of laugh you get when someone holds you down and tickles you...it is much like a farm animal in distress (not one of my proudest features). Anyway- looks Like Libby might take after her Mom in this category. Trust me when I say it is much cuter when she does it. Enjoy!

(please ignore my singing - Libby is the only one who appreciates my non-existent talent)

**we are all feeling much better this week and are back to life as usual!

***also I forgot to mention that the star that sings in the last post is compliments of NaNa, Thank you NaNa - Libby loves him!

Another one bites the dust....

Libby and I are both back to normal (for the most part). She is still having a few interesting diapers but she is much more herself and has much more energy. She is out of routine with being sick so we are having to re-learn how to fall asleep in her own bed again...I have had a couple of long night this week.
This morning Jeremy left for work as usual and then returned home about an hour later...I think the bug caught up with him. At the moment Libby is napping and so is Jeremy...looks like I will have another patient to tend to. At least we are getting it this week and not the day of Thanksgiving, it would be a sin to not eat all of that great food next Thursday.

Doctor, Doctor, give me the news...

This week has been quite a different story for us at the Given household. The week was off to a great start until Tuesday around 1 a.m. I came down with a very miserable stomach bug. It was not fun at all. I had the same bug last year on Christmas Eve and it took all the fun out of the festivities. Not to mention I was pregnant so, that made it even worse. This time I have Libby here and that is even harder. I mean, what mother has time to be sick? not me... So, Mimie came to pick up Libby so I could rest...I have never been so bored in my whole life...such a strange feeling to be at the house alone without Libby around, but by the afternoon I was feeling better. Libby on the other hand was not. She had a fever and was sick to her stomach so we started the Pedialyte and all the other measures to keep her hydrated. Today we are doing better and she is sleeping alot but keeping down milk and Pedialyte which is good news. I think it will take longer for her to bounce back to her old self...so until then we are experiencing our first illness which is so hard to watch. We will be sure to keep you posted on our progress...until then enjoy the latest pictures!

My favorite place to nap - every kid needs a fuzzy car seat...

I am not posing, I am just this cute....

Fun with Daddy! - notice the spit up in his hair...I think that is the last time he will try that trick for awhile.

Hagan trying to "fit" onto this folded blanket without much success

Libby Lou looking very much like our founding father, George Washington in this attire

This is my new favorite toy - I love him so much I want to eat him up after his performance of twinkle twinkle little star!

3 years has come and gone...

3 years ago on November 12th Jeremy and I tied the knot! It is hard to believe that we have been married 3 years...my how time flies! Here are a few pics of a younger/more energetic version of Jeremy & Elizabeth.

It's been awhile -

It has been a little while since our last post, so much has been going on that the blog has been put on the back burner. Libby is now rolling over like a champ and holding her head up very well. She also has started to laugh a little - or at least she is making a very good effort to. It is so cute.

I started back to work last week and it was tough. For those working mothers out there that work a 40 hour week...I don't see how you do it. Just being back to work part time is going to take some getting used to. But once we get into the routine of it all we should be alright.

We also took our first road trip. Mom and I went to Mistletoe Market in Jackson to start our Christmas shopping. We had a lot of fun and got a lot of goodies, Libby is a great shopper. She also attended her first football game at Millsaps where her Uncle Russell plays basketball. Jeremy may have been slightly disappointed that her first football game was not at Mississippi State, but with the bulldogs record this year I don't think he minds...See the pictures below of all our latest adventures.

*no one warned me about the logistics of traveling with a baby and staying in a hotel room...interesting- with each little event I come to appreciate Moms more and more and I know why God gave us the abilty to multi-task...

L for Libby

Ashley & Andy came to visit & Andy got to practice his Daddy skills.

Pocahontas on Halloween

Pocahontas at the Halloween Party on our street - obviously having a ball...

At the football game with Uncle Russell

Posing with Mimie & Pop - Libby hates the wind, but loves her Mimie and Pop.

Having a snack with my Daddy.

Lunch with Mimie & Pop

Looking nonchalant with my uncle

Watching the game

Telling Pop how the world works...

This is my favorite blanket, Mimie knit it for me...rumor is she whipped it up in two days with no trouble at all. Eat your heart out Martha...

Mimie showing me her mad knitting skills.

What a weekend...

With Halloween just around the corner there were lots of fun things going on this weekend.
On Friday night we took Libby to Zoo Boo at the Memphis Zoo. It was alot of fun and as you can see from the pictures Libby loved every minute of it.

This is a picture of all of the kids that were actually awake for the festivities. Brittany, Sims, Mari Lampton & Gates

March & I made a picture - not sure how this happened when all we seemed to dothat night was try to get the perfect picture of all the kids...

We also got together with some friends and watched football and all the kids were very festive in their Halloween gear...we had alot of fun but the costumes didn't stay on for long, just long enough for show and tell and this photo op

Jeremy's photo skills

Elizabeth's photo skills...which one do you think has had a photography class?

Libby Lou loves bath time

She looks a little bewildered, but trust me she loves a good scrubbing!

We also tried our first episode of baby Einstein. She was intrigued for about 15 minutes...just long enough to clean the kitchen...but we will take what we can get...

My, how you have grown!

Libby will be 3 months old tomorrow & it is so hard to believe!
I thought I would attach a few comparison pics to show how much she has changed.
The first one is the day we brought her home from the hospital and the second one was just the other day when we were going to run errands.

This week...

Here are just a pictures of Libby that I took this week...So many people say that she looks like Jeremy, but sometimes when she makes certain faces, I see me, especially when she wrinkles her forehead...

This tummy time stuff is seriously overrated, half the time I am licking this dang blanket...lucky for mom, I took a break to pose for this photo.

I am the cutest little pumpkin on the block.

This is the window that my friend, Veronica painted...we Love it and it looks great in the nursery! It took us a while to figure out how to hang it. Jeremy talked me out of suspending it from our plaster ceilings with chains...definitely glad that we did this instead.

A close up view - notice Hagan made it into the painting!

Milestone #1

Libby rolled over this week! It did take a little coaxing from a toy that she had never seen before that was just a few feet away from her on her blanket, and after about 30 minutes she went from back to tummy...there is always that pesky arm that seems to add to the ordeal, but she finally managed to get around it.

I would have video taped it, but it took so long, I think I will wait until she really masters it...

I have a slight fear of missing out on the big milestones when I go back to work in November, so I was happy that I got to witness this "first" for myself.

*just a little side note to Mimie & NaNa who will be watching Libby for me...if she does do something amazing, and I am sure she will...just don't tell me about it. When I see it for myself and call you to tell you, please act shocked (like it is something you never dreamed would have happened). That will make this whole working mom lifestyle much better for me. :)

Communication 101

Libby - has found her little voice and has started "talking" to us daily.

Too cute not to share!

one little, two little, three little indians...

I am realizing that I need to take advantage of Libby's first years and have fun with her wardrobe, I know the days of putting her in what I want are numbered so - this Halloween, I had lots of fun...and I think she likes it too...

After making the curtains in her nursery - I thought how hard could a Halloween costume be? So, after a trip to Hancocks and a few sketches I got to work. see pictures below (not pictured - her shoes and accessories - still under construction)