Our Vacation Top 5: May 25 thru May 27

Another week has gone by! I know this summer is just going to fly with as fast as April and May have gone. This week was a week of firsts for little miss. Here are my favorite moments from this week.

1. We went on our first vacation together to St. Louis. We were meeting one of my best friends and her boyfriend there since it is about a 5 hour drive for each of us - they live in Nashville. Clarissa hadn't met Sawyer yet and was so excited about it. Clarissa and Larry had come up for Christmas fully expecting there to be a bitty baby to play with, but they had to head back home December 26th - just two days before Sawyer made her appearance into the world. What could be better than two of my favorite girls meeting for the first time?

Double Smooches for Clarissa and Larry

2. I know there's no possible way for a 5 month old to remember any of the things that we do with her, but I'm so thankful we got to do so many fun firsts with her this weekend! A first for both of us was going up into the St. Louis Arch! I had a difficult time in the elevator pods though. I think once you have a baby, your instinct is to not put them into any type of danger, or any situation where something could go wrong. My brain kept going all "Final Destination" falling elevator scenes on me, but we made it. Safe and sound!

3. We couldn't go to St. Louis without seeing Jon's favorite team play so we packed up and headed to a baseball game! It was 99 degrees in St. Louis on Saturday with absolutely no breeze. Sawyer was a trooper through it all! Once the sun finally hid behind the stands, we were able to sit as comfortably as possible in our seats and Sawyer streaked in the 8th inning! That will only be acceptable for so much longer. :)

4. I was most excited to go to the zoo. I'm not a huge animal person (except for dogs) but I like to look at them. From behind high walls, nets, and cages. Sawyer slept through a lot of the zoo. I know she'll be more interested next summer since she cracks up everytime Ellie walks near her. The hippos and elephants were the fan-favorites of the day. But who wants to see pictures of animals? Not me! So here are some great shots from the day!

Love our little family

Sweaty but happy baby (of course!)

Smooches from Dad make me feel better!

5. As we were driving home from our mini-vacation with the best friends we could ask for, I sat in the back and talked to and stared at my baby girl. She had been drooling an awful lot while we were gone and Clarissa said numerous times "You must be gettin' a toofer!" Having just felt her mouth the day before, I didn't think there would be anything there, but felt again anyways. Sure enough - her first tooth had sprung through! Our baby girl is growing up too fast! It's a catch-22 isn't it? Wanting to raise a healthy, happy baby into a healthy and happy grown up, but at the same time wanting them to stay little forever? We are truly blessed.

*****

To Auntie Clarissa & Unky Larry,

Thank you for going on my first vacation with me! I loved every minute. You both are so funny and make me smile soooo much. And as far as cool goes, I think you're the hippo's roar, the cat's pajamas, the bee's knees! I'm so glad I got to finally meet you. I get a lot of smooches every day, but yours rank right up there as some of the best. Thank you for singing to me too! "Call Me Maybe" is one of my favorites! Unky Larry, thank you for taking such good care of my Auntie. I know it makes my mommy feel a lot better knowing that Auntie Clarissa is happy! Keep it up! Oh, and I hope I get to dance to "Single Ladies" at your wedding very soon. (No pressure, but I'll be able to dance in a year.) Auntie Clarissa, I wanted to thank you for being such a good friend to my mommy. She always talks about you and has a big smile on her face when she does. Which makes me laugh! I wish you lived closer so we could all laugh together more. Please come visit us soon!

Love you beary much!
Sawyer

My Top 5: May 14 - May 20

I've been trying to come up with ways to make myself write. Whether it's a Top 5 of the week or a Kardashian-esque Pit/Peak of the week, I need to take full advantage of this blog. So for today I've decided that it's a Top 5 Moments of the week round-up. Next week it could change, but here goes my first attempt.

1. My favorite thing that happened this week was getting to experience something brand-new with Sawyer. She's getting to the age where she's ready to try solids. She's definitely a big girl - 17lb 7oz. at her 4 month check-up (free-weights anyone?) - and starting to become more and more curious in what Jon and I eat. So I set up her high-chair and put her in there. She loves to be upright and be able to see everything that's going on around her. I made up some rice cereal. It's absolutely disgusting in both smell and texture, but the point of it is to learn. When Jon feeds her, he's very conscientious about making sure her face is clean. But with this, the mess is half the fun!

2. On Saturday we had a cookout at Jon's Dad's house with his sister's family for his niece Rylee's birthday. She's 5 going on 15! Both Rylee and Addy love their cousin. They love to touch her and talk to her and say "Hi Baby Sawyer!" in their baby-talk voices. It's so cute! And Sawyer just lights up when they talk to her. She also loves to watch them when they're busy-bees. You can tell they'll be the best of friends!


Rylee, Sawyer, & Addy

3. On Monday the 14th (wow...May is already half over!), my Dad got my Grandpa Charlie's tractor back. For those of you who know me, you know that my Grandpa was my favorite person in the whole world. We were close and I loved spending time with him. When he passed 3 years ago, it was very hard on all of us, especially my dad and myself. My dad got his old tractor and wanted to re-finish it. His intentions were to have a piece of his dad with him always and to have something to take his grandkids on rides on during parades. :) I know he wishes he would have done it before Grandpa passed, but I know Grandpa sees it and is very proud. Sawyer got to sit on it and model it for us!

4. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this past week. No rain. No wind. Just sunshine and warm temperatures! We played outside almost every day this week. Sawyer loves it outside. On Tuesday she went to watch her cousin play t-ball. I just love this little outfit! She's going to be a hat girl - just like her mommy. Notice the hippo rattle? That's our current favorite toy.

5. Last but not least, I got my Mother's Day present! I was so excited to get home and see the box waiting for me on Thursday!! Most would think a diaper bag isn't much of a gift, but that's how you know you're really a mom - when on special occasions the only thing you want is baby-related! It's a Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack bag and the print is Misted Marseille. It's sort of a grey, white, and green. I'm completely in love with it!

Don't mind Ellie. She's just jealous.

That was our week in review! We hope you all had a fabulous week as well! We've got a lot coming up this weekend. Our first vacation, first time swimming, first big-league baseball game, and MORE! Stay tuned!

My First Mother's Day

Today was my first Mother's Day. It's wonderful waking up to Sawyer's smiling face every morning, but today was especially amazing. She's the reason I get to celebrate this holiday. Sawyer is one of the happiest babies I know, and anyone who knows her can confirm that statement as well. We had a fabulous day as a family. We woke up and played. Jon took us out for Brunch at the Linden House - it was delicious!

Sawyer and I went and hung out at Grandpa & Grandma Bryan's house as we waited for Grandma Sammi to get home from work. Dallas got home from college yesterday. We've really missed him, and I know he's missed getting to see his niece every day as well. It was such a gorgeous day outside. Perfect weather for relaxing. We played outside all day. First in her exersaucer and then Grandpa Kelly and Jon put up her new sing. She absolutely loved it. She will definitely be an outdoor baby.

All the playing wore her out, but she fights sleep. She does not want to miss any action so she'll huff and puff and muss and fuss until she finally gives in to sleep. We got the cutest shot of her actually sitting up, asleep, leaning into her pacifier. She was worn out.

And as I look back on my first Mother's Day, it was absolutely perfect. Family is the most important part of my life and I'm so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful family. Happy Mother's Day to all of the mommy's out there! You are fabulous!

She did it!

Sawyer rolled over April 22nd and I was #1. lucky enough to see it! and #2. fortunate to be able to record her very first roll. There's no stopping her now! Grow, baby, Grow!

A look back at the past four months...

Just Born	First Week Home	1 Month Old
Bibs like Great Grandpa Charlie	First Smiles	2 Months Old
The BEST Part Of Our Day	The "Brow"	She LOVES Bathtime!
First Easter - 3 Months	Pretty In Yellow	Big Girl at 4 Months

To our daughter...

The day you were born our lives changed forever. We were blessed beyond measure and we are eternally grateful for the gift God gave us in you. The love we feel for you can't be put into words, it can only be shown. It is our hope that you know how much you are loved every day.

We have so many dreams for you, baby girl. We pray for health and happiness, first and foremost. We hope that you know that even on days where happiness seems to be far away, that we are always there for you. Even when you grow up and move away, you can always come home. We pray that you will grow to be a strong and independent young woman. We want you to dream for yourself and to dream big. There is nothing that you can't do. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

We hope you learn the importance of family. No matter how far you spread your wings, it is so very important to remember your roots. Family will always be there for you. Some of your most special relationships will come from not only your Mommy and Daddy, but from your grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. These relationships will be the foundation of the woman you will become. Cherish them.

We hope that you develop a relationship with God. We will do everything we can to teach you about the Lord and all the wonders of life. Even though life will get tough, and trust us, it will, it is so very important to believe in something. "Belief is a beautiful armor." Remember that.

We can never tell you enough that we love you. Remember, every day we love you. So if ever a day goes by where we don't utter those words to you, know that we do. More than you could ever imagine. Now it's your turn to shine, baby! Grow. Learn. Laugh. Cry. Dream. Love. Believe.

We love you. Forever and Always,

Mommy & Daddy

Life leading up to December 28, 2011...the day our life began

I know if I don't soon document every moment from this day, I'll forget bits and pieces and I want Sawyer to know just how much she was loved and wanted from the beginning.

We found out we were expecting shortly after I played what I thought to be a quite hilarious April Fools joke on Jon. "Congrats Daddy! Can't wait for Baby Oz!" Little did I know, that wasn't exactly a false statement. Three tests concluded that Baby Oz was in fact on the way!

The first few months were lonely for me. Jon was working out of town and I only got to see him once a week, if that. The first trimester exhaustion led to a messy house and eating baked potatoes for supper. Every. Single. Night.

As the weeks went by, we got more and more excited at the thought of finding out if we had a little boy or a little girl peanut on the way. Around this same time, my Grandma Thompson had a stroke. It was such a bittersweet time for us all - being excited about a new baby coming into the world and the possibility of my grandmother leaving it. She said all along that she thought we were having a girl. She just knew it. We planned a big gender-reveal party and sure enough...

 Grandma Thompson was right...Baby Oz was a GIRL!

More weeks went by and the belly grew and grew. I wasn't much for belly shots, but I did take a couple. No matter how little or how many pictures I took, this baby was loved. Spoiled rotten, but loved. We could wait!

As my due date (December 17) got closer, I was showing no signs of progressing into labor. And after crying at numerous Dr. appointments (which is quite embarrassing) I was finally scheduled for a c-section December 28 at 12:00pm. We were so nervous. Did we have everything we needed? Is the carseat installed right? Is the bag packed? I glanced over her room many times that night knowing that in just a few days there would finally be a little occupant in there. My heart was racing as I went to sleep that night.

The next day seemed like a blur, but there are a few moments I do remember very clearly. I remember the song that was playing as we drove into Grinnell. "It Won't Be Like This For Long" really hit home. I was crying in the car thinking that soon we would have a daughter to relate some of my favorite songs to.

We arrived in the hospital and began the entire process. Grinnell Hospital took great care of us. Dr. Coster and Dr. Ferguson are fabulous as is all of the staff there. We felt very much at home there. Family members came in to wish us good luck and they all patiently waited for the newest little Osborn to make her entrance.

Sawyer Madelyn Osborn was welcomed into the world at 12:29pm on December 28, 2011 weighing in a 9lb 11oz and 21 inches long.

I still remember Dr. Coster referring to her as a "Whopper" as he lifted her out of me. And she was! But she was beautiful and perfect and ours. 10 tiny fingers and 10 tiny toes and the cutest double chin I've ever seen. We fell in love.

There's no feeling in the world like being a parent. The love I have for my daughter is stronger and more intense than any other love I have felt. I look at her most days in amazement and wonder why God gave me such a beautiful gift and I'm so grateful! Now the fun begins...

Hello World!

Hello again! After a long hiatus and some motivation from my brother, I've decided to take up some blogging again. Not that any of you missed me, but I sure missed the outlet of writing and the ability to document some amazing moments in my life.

I'm 24 now. That's 168 in dog years. Man, I'm old. Here's the run-down on my life as I know it...

I began dating this wonderful man back in 2010. I can't believe it's been two years already. He's handsome, funny, and loves life like no other. He was a dose of medicine that I so desperately needed. He makes me feel good about myself and that I'm worthy of so much more than I gave myself credit for.

In December 2011, a beautiful baby girl named Sawyer Madelyn became the center of our universe. We love watching the new things she does and how she changes from day to day. People say your lives change forever when you become a parent, and that's so true...but it changes for the better!



So this is our life. This is our love. Enjoy!