Happy Half-Birthday!

We love you, Shelby!

Merry Christmas!

I think Shelby had a wonderful first Christmas. Well, we had a wonderful first Christmas with her, anyway. We left Saturday and drove to Jackson to see Jeremy's dad and step-mom. We had a great dinner with Stephanie's family that night. We got up the next morning and made it to Sacrament meeting. We only stayed through Sacrament though, because we wanted to get back to J's family before we had to leave. We left Sunday and drove down to Hattiesburg and spent Sunday and Monday nights there. Shelby loves being there with everyone. It is so nice that his extended family is all so close. We had a great time with everyone.

We drove back last night, and thanks to lots of leftovers from lunch, had a nice quiet Christmas dinner at home- just J, Shelby, Roxy, and me. Shelby then got to open her presents from Santa.

It was one great Christmas for the Jordan family!

What toys?

Foreshadowing of Christmas morning? Shelby has a whole basket of toys and what does she want to play with? The basket! Shelby amazes me more and more each day as she learns how to do new things. It makes me sad to realize how quickly she has become a big girl, and even though I never thought she was a tiny baby, I realize now she was just this tiny little thing that needed me so much. As she gains more and more independence it makes me yearn for that sweet little bundle to hold again. I start thinking about #2...but then Shelby starts whining because she is teething, and I quickly am brought back to reality and realize I couldn't handle that right now. Not with everything else that is going on. I often look at all the moms at church and always feel so inadequate. I don't know how they do it. All of them with these kids so close in age, and their husbands, being doctors, are gone so much. And yet they seem so perfect- everything always in order- and I always seem rushed and disorganized. Once I am no longer working, hopefully I can be like them. For now I just have to deal with the guilt and settle for doing the best I can do with the situation. Anyway, here's some pics of Shelby sitting up and playing. Jeremy will be especially proud to see that she loves to play with the TMNT.

Happy Baby

 

I love this little girl- crazy hair and all!

Jabber-Jaw

Shelby has become quite the little jabber-jaw. For a while now, she has been saying "Maaaaaaa" in her rantings, but I never counted it as her first word because I could tell it was purely accidental (and I didn't really want to be called "Ma"). Yesterday, however, on the way home, Shelby was in her carseat looking out the window, and all of a sudden she let out a clear and distinct "Mama". I was so shocked and excited I almost pulled the car over right then. When I got home, I texted Jeremy (since he was in training) to tell him. I could tell he was a little bummed that a) her first word was "Mama", and b) he wasn't here to hear it. But she didn't leave him disappointed too long. Last night, as I was changing Shelby's diaper, she all of a sudden says, "Dada". I just looked at her in amazement. She hadn't even uttered one "d" sound until then. So I quickly called Jeremy, and he was able to hear her say "Dada". It was great.