Shopping Saturday

Just wanted to post some pictures of our day -

{from Aunt Amy}

{from Nana} ... {she has one other outfit that she's wearing to church tomorrow}

{some new flowers & headbands from her Mommy}

{got this Snugli off Craigs List for $5!!!}

{Nana feeding her some pears}

We just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Weekend! Hope you all are staying warm!

How I spent my Friday

Today, I finally cleaned our room. We usually pick up the rest of the house, but never really bother with our bedroom because nobody sees it, besides us. Well, it had been a while since it has been cleaned and it was out of hand. Trust me!

{lotion,wipes,saline spray,nose sucker,book,lovey,socks,paci clip,sleeper,wipe holder,...}

This next picture was from my 'fit' this morning. I had to run to the grocery store for a few things. I had Kaidence ready & sitting in her carseat(in the living room)while I put on a different shirt. I could not find one..so, I threw everything in the floor.

{Don't Judge Me! It's not usually that bad!}

I am so glad it's finally clean. It feels so much more peaceful & relaxing!

Of, course I had the cutest little helper today.

While I was cleaning I was dreaming about this ...

{No, not the pork loin. THAT twix bar!}

I have been fasting sugar for almost 21 days. And, let me tell you, come Sunday morning I am going to finally get to eat that little piece of deliciousness.

Tonight for Dinner I used a recipe from Kelly's Korner for beef enchiladas! And, boy were they tasty! Josh was a little skeptical at first, but he loved them!

Tomorrow, Josh has to work but my mom(Nana) & sister(Aunt Amy) are coming to visit.

Words added.

Yesterday, after my random post, we all took a much needed nap and then I cooked the tomato basil soup. Oh my word! It was delicious. Not only that, it was super easy & super cheap. So score, score, score! We went to church last night and for the first time ever Kaidence was actually 'good' during the service. I took her to the nursery the last 5 minutes or so because she was fussy because she needed a diaper change. I am so proud to not be "THAT MOM" that lets her baby scream during the entire.church.service!

Today, me & K are just taking it easy. Hubby is at work, where he will be until 7:00 pm! He is on 7-12s - not fun! However, that does give me & K lots of time to watch 'Praise Baby' - ha! We are actually going to go for a walk after I finish this post.

{**This contains TMI! Do not read if you don't like hearing about baby poopy!**}

As stated in my last post, she has a problem pottying. I hear some people say their child goes 2 - 3 times per day. NOT Kaidence. More like once every 2-3 days. Her pediatrician knows, but he's not worried because when she goes it's not "rabbit balls". To help her go, we give her lots of sugar water. I gave her some yesterday, but she didn't go. I knew she hadn't been in a few days, though. SO, I gave her 1 cube of homemade applesauce & 1/2 jar of pears. Boy Oh Boy! Mistake! ha!
She was swinging this morning & I smelled this horrible smell. I let her finish & when I got her out ... I saw it. EVERYWHERE!

{edited out her business, but that is seriously how much was on there. YUCK!}

I loved that sleeper, too. I have it soaking in some hot water right now. Hopefully, that will help it not to stain.

Tonight I am cooking skillet ravioli. I posted the recipe on my recipe blog. It's also delicious & super easy!

Random Things

Yes, I have a lot to put on here. But, I am too scatter-brained to type. ha!
Therefore, here is a good ol' random post! :)
- Operation "Get Kaidence Up Out My Bed So I Can Sleep" is in full swing. She actually napped in her own bed today.

-Kaidence is getting better at using her sippy cup, but she prefers somebody to hold it most of the time.

-We only give her juice or water from her sippy. But, when she has water (actually sugar water because she doesn't potty regularly) she gags! Can we say DRAMA QUEEN!

-K has also started getting her gums brushed during bath time. She LOVES it! She is cutting teeth, so I'm sure it feels good on her swollen gums!

-Josh has been off work since Friday. Bless his heart it kills him to sit still for 5 minutes. As I speak type he is in the shed putting a power cord on a dishwasher we're selling on Craigs List.

-Speaking of Craig's List, I ♥ Craigs List! We put 6 or 7 things on there and the same night we had already sold 2 things & 1 thing is "pending". Woo-hoo for getting rid of clutter!

-I'm not too sure what happened yesterday, but I was S-I-C-K! I hate being sick, and it's even hard with a 4 month old! Thanfully my precious Hubby let me nap & he cooked dinner.

-Tonight, I'm cooking homemade tomato basil soup. Yum!

-Kaidence is becoming quite the Little Piggy. She loves homemade applesauce! She likes the jar pears too, we're trying jar bananas as an afternoon snack.

-That's all for now. Sorry for all the randomness.

A real post will be tomorrow, for sure! :)

Top 2 Tuesday

Taylor over at Jimmy Choos & a Baby Too is doing a new link-up called "Top 2 Tuesday"! This weeks theme was recipes: this is two of our easy favorites!

Cheesy Hamburger Loaf:
Ingredients:
1 French Loaf
2 lbs hamburger meat
1 small onion
1 small bellpepper (we leave this out!)
1 8oz can of mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 teaspoon worsteshire sauce.(we leave this out, too!!!)
LOTS of shredded cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Brown hamburger meat, onion, mushroom, & bellpepper.
Drain meat.
Mix meat, soups, and worseshire.
Cut the bread..we cut out the center, you could cut in half. (Just do what works best for you)

After we cut out the center, we put cheese on the bottom, add the meat, put more cheese, put the top you cut off back on top, and top with MORE cheese! (We love cheese!)
Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted!


This is a Paula Deen Recipe, but it's great if you like shrimp!

Wild Rice & Shrimp Casserole
Ingredients:
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoon butter
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and divined
1 (8 oz) package wild rice
2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F.
Cook the rice according to package directions minus 1/4 cup water. Let cool.
Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.
Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9 inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7 inch glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

We have a small recipe blog. We are putting together a few recipes to post on there. So, follow that blog for some easy, delicious recipes!

Answers Part One!

Sarah asked:
When do you want to have another baby?
We want to wait until Kaidence is about 2 or 3. I don't want there to be a big age difference, but I also don't want to have them too close where I feel like I've just "stayed pregnant".
Top boy and girl name for baby #2
Boy - Carter
Girl - Bayleigh or McKenzy
Does little baby girl drink from her sippy yet?
Kaidence does hold her sippy cup & attempt to drink from it, but she's not always successful - ha! She is getting much better at it though!

Annie  asked:
What did you do before you were a SAHM?!?
I never really had a "career", but before I got pregnant with Kaidence I worked at a call center as a customer service rep. I wasn't a telemarketer, people called us!

M asked:
What is your favorite day of the week?
Honestly, our favorite day of the week is Sunday. We love going to church and then spending time together afterwards.

Elizabeth asked:
Where do you see yourself and your family in five years?
I see us with two kids, a golden retriever, and being happy. I think we will be more involved in ministry by then, too. Also, Kaidence will be in SCHOOL - yikes!

Anonymous asked:
What is your's & Josh's story?
Josh & I started dating 09/05/2003 - so, that's a whole different blog post to come! ;)
What is yalls favorite & least favorie foods?
Ashley -
favorite: Hibatchi...I love it. Like, I could eat it EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!
least: Rutabagers(spelling?) and Brussel Sprouts.
Josh -
favorite: His own grilling. He would seriously grill everyday if he could.
least: Corn!
Kaidence -
favorite: Similac Advanced w/Early Shield
least: homemade banana baby food!
How did you decide on your daughter's name?
Josh is a drummer, so we liked the name Cadence. But, I wanted to spell it different because 'Cadence' is becoming very popular. I couldn't decide if I like Caidence or Kaidence better - honestly, I picked spelling it with a 'K' because monogrammed 'K's are so much cuter!
It's funny though because people understand/realize when you spell it 'Cadence', but 'Kaidence' gets pronounced as 'Candice'. Older people seem to have a hard time understanding what we are saying! A man at our church calls her KAY-DEX..yes, closely similiar to FEDEX! And, last night, a lady called her ... RADIANCE!!! - ha!
What is your pregnant/birth story?
I'm actually going to just do a post on this, too.
I saw a picture of a drumset in a music room. does josh play drums? If so, what's his story?
Yes, Joshua is a drummer. He has been playing since he was 10! He is a great drummer, too!
He plays at church and has been in a few bands. His mom always says "Drumming was his first love, Ashley is his true love" - ha! I am seriously thinking about getting a vinyl sign made with that saying on it! :)
How many kids do you want to have?
2 or 4. Neither of us want 3, not sure why but we never have. We really want only want 2, though!
Will you tell us about your parents & siblings?
Ashley's Family:
My Dad passed away 05/03/2006 during my Senior year in highschool.
My Mom lives in a small town. And, is tickled-pink over Miss K & being a first time Nana! :)
I have two sisters. Heather is engaged and getting married in May. Amy is a highschool math teacher!
Josh's Family: (in his words)
My Dad is a very busy business man with a big heart for his family and grilling, too!
My Mom is an ex-hairdresser so she saves us TONS of money :) She is finally accepting the fact she is a Grammie and she loves it, too!
I have two brothers. Justin is in college. Aaron is in the 6th grade and loves x-box!
Why do you blog?
I started it so our families could keep up with us and to have as a "record" of what Miss K is doing/accomplishing! Now, though, I have become addicted - ha!
Josh says "To the anonymous commenter..now that you know my life can I atleast know your name?


**Keep the questions coming, I like this! :)

Our 'Charm' is a Sleep-Fighter!

Yesterday we decided to visit Oasis Church with Josh's cousins. It was a good service, but just not our regular church! We love our little church :) We feel like God has us there for a reason, which is a great feeling! Last night, though, we were back at our church. It was great! I love the feeling of being in God's will. It's a wonderful feeling!
Nana, Aunt Heather, & Blakely went home yesterday afternoon. After that we tried to take a nap. Too bad Kaidence didn't want to participate. She has been on this "fighting sleep" spell. IT.IS.NOT.FUN!
I'm not too sure where she got it from, because it surely wasn't from her Mommy & Daddy!
You can tell she is so sleepy because she rubs her little eyes until they are red, she can barely hold herself up, and she is ILL! I try to rock her, but she tries to tear me to pieces. Seriously! She pulls my hair, pinches, and if she can ever get ahold of my lip or nose, it's over! She grabs it and snatches. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
All day yesterday she might have slept 2-3 hours. But, that was through 15 - 30 minute "cat naps". I pray this is just a stage and will be over very soon. If not, I may be lip-less very soon!
Thankfully, though, she did sleep from 10:00pm - 5:00am in her swing and not our bed. She even did it without a pacifer. Which is great because if she has a pacifer it makes it hard for her to sleep. She wants to pull it out, then when you put it back she wants to suck it, her hand, and her lovey. All at once!
I don't want to sound like I am complaining because I would still love her and be greatful for her if she only slept 2 hours a day. (Not that I want that, just saying!)
We finally got her settled enough for us to have dinner & watch the last 3 minutes & overtime of the Saints vs. Vikings game. And, the Saints won! I told Josh Kaidence was a 'good luck charm' since Alabama had a great seasons as well as the Saints!

We had left-over philly cheesesteak meat, so we made omelets. And, let me tell you, that were a-mazing!

Today, has been a typical Monday. Josh is at work, I'm trying to do laundry, and Kaidence is fighting sleep.

I have also been trying to get stuff together for taxes - blah!

And, of course here is some pictures of Miss Kai-Kai. She is wearing one of the outfits her Aunt Heather got her at BabyGap. I think she looks adorable!

She has that face because she was wondering where her bow was.

But, don't worry Mommy the perfect one to match!

See, she is happy now.

She has her perfect matching bow :)

Too bad she is cursed with a 'Thames Head'

and the 3-6 month bow is squeezing her brains out too tight!

We settled for this look instead..

Our Friday Night & Saturday.

Josh was off Friday, so of course we did our usual grocery shopping.

He offered to cook, and I didn't mind!
We had philly cheesesteak sandwiches and they turned out great!!

Nana, Aunt Heather, & Blakely came down Friday night too.

It was very late. I was actually already asleep on the couch and really don't remember much - ha!

Today, we have been shopping!

Of course, Kaidence was looking super cute with her leggings :)
We went to the flea market first.

Then, went to Lambert's in Foley for Heather's birthday lunch.

After that we went to the Tanger outlets.

Kaidence rode like a "big girl" for the first time.

{isn't that new flower bow too cute?}

Her Nana & Aunt Heather got her some super cute things from Baby Gap

{from her Nana}

{from Aunt Heather}

Kaidence also found a clutch purse she I liked in Baby Gap.

I'm sure she would have liked it too, if she would have been awake ;)

We are back home now.

Kaidence is finally asleep after a long day of fighting it.

And, we're about to watch some of the Law & Order SVU marathon!

Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!
And, don't forget to ask us questions on this post.

Questions.

I have seen several blogs doing this, so I decided to join in

Post a comment asking anything about me, Josh, Kaidence, anything!

If if you don't have a blog or if you aren't a follower, you can still ask a question!

 I will answer them Tuesday.

And, I couldn't do a post without one picture of Miss K!

She loves her "lovey" from Aunt Linda! :)

And, she loves baby food.

She is so messy!

4 Month Pictures, Sippy Cup, & A Birthday Wish!

Out takes:

Kaidence did much better today with pictures.
I realize she has grown alot, but I realize it even more when I see pictures.

She is turning into such a little growny! :)
She is almost sitting by herself.

And, she is already holding her sippy-learner cup. She can't hold it high enough to drink out of it for a long time, but she is on her way!

{she is on a pile of clean clothes that I was in the process of folding}

Kaidence has one more thing today...

She wants to wish her Aunt Heather

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

{Heather got her that cute onesie & hairbow for Christmas!}

Out takes:

4 Months Old

Kaidence - you are FOUR months old today!!!

I know, we can't believe it either!

What are you up to these days???

-You now weigh 15 pounds, 15 ounces (95th percentile). You are 25 inches long (75th percentile) and your head is 17.25 inches (100 percentile/off the chart-ha!)

-You are getting to be a big girl :) You have lots of squishy rolls. But, they have the best "sugars"

-You are quit the "grabber" these days. You are always pulling on someone's clothes or hair when they hold you.

-You have started laughing out loud. It is the cutest thing!

-You love to smile, too. You are such a happy baby! We can talk to you and you get the biggest grin, I just love it!

-You are responding very good to Mommy & Daddy's voices. Your little eyes find us so quick when we are talking to you.

-You still love your paci, but are getting very fond of your two fingers since you are teething.

-You have actually started to tolerate tummy time. Only if you have all of your toys singing, though!

-Bath time is your favorite. You sit there like you are in a spa or something - ha!

-You have rolled over. Which is great, but makes it very difficult to change you/get you dressed because you are trying to roll everywhere!

-You are constantly talking or "growling". Everybody says you have a "raspy" voice - it's cute though :) Maybe you will be an alto singer!

-You are also starting to play "copy-cat" - I love seeing what all you will do.

-The mirror is you best friend! You give yourself these silly looks and then check yourself out. It's too funny!

-You are still wearing some 0-3 months, but mostly 3-6 month clothes and 6 month sleepers.

-You are now in a size 2 diaper.

-You love to eat, which shows ;)

-You take about 4 ounces of formula with rice/oatmeal every 2-3 hours.

-You are also taking about 1/4 a jar of baby food mixed with rice/oatmeal in the afternoons.

-You have also started drinking more juice. Pear is your favorite!

-Today we got your first sippy cup! :) It's a learner cup. You can hold it already, too!

You are changing so much everyday.

I am so thankful God gave you to me & your Daddy.

You are the joy of our lives.

We can't wait to watch you change more as you continue to grow into a beautiful little lady! :)

I didn't get a good "4 month photo" of Kaidence today because she had 2 shots :(
These explain how she was feeling...

{4 month photo shoot retake tomorrow!}