From This Day Forward.....The Richardsons

Summer is coming to an end and fading into FALL!!!!

2011-08-24T18:44:00.001-04:00

I cannot express how much I LOVE fall....the cool air, the pumpkin-flavored "everything" (especially Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte!) and just how wonderful living in the south is during the season of fall. Of course I happen to live in Vol country, yet I tend to be the black sheep among our friends due to the fact I am a die-hard Ohio State Buckeye fan. Go Bucks! I am the type that likes the "fun" aka dressing up, dinner and commrodory of football games, but I couldn't tell you a whole lot about the game of football. My grandfather is probably rolling over in his grave right about now ;-)
Ok...enough about fall....onto catching up. Hadley and I went out to Arkansas a few weeks ago to visit my daddy. We had a fun time and took a trip to the Memphis Zoo and had lunch at Rendezvous. Yum-o! Here are a few pics from our trip out there:

Little Miss Priss

She loved going to the zoo- as we went to different exhibits, she made all the animal noises! :-)

Memphis is a really neat city. The homes over near the zoo were incredible-wish I had time to have snapped some pics. We enjoyed our first trip to Rendezvous. I indulged in the BBQ nachos and Hadley had the famous cheese sandwich ;-) All my pictures from the restaurant were blurry :(

Hadley and I have tried to stay cool most of the summer- just too darn hot to be outside for too long. Our pool days are coming to an end, but there is so much to look forward to with the impending, fabulous, fall season ahead!

Miss Sassafras was pretty spunky after her nap

My homemade salsa that I was unbelievably proud of!

My other summer culinary go-to: foccacia bread from a local bakery with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and fresh mozerella...oh so gooood

That's all folks! :-)

Random Ramblings and Blog Bracelet Exchange.....

2011-07-11T15:50:00.000-04:00

Hello all! Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend last week and everyone recovered from traveling, eating, etc. :) We have had several busy weeks and I am thankful that I got some alone time on Saturday thanks to my hubby. it is hard to chase a toddler constantly and not feel exhausted every now and then. I was able to multi-task, and while having alone time I found a few things to give Wylie for our anniversary. I know that he reads this from time to time so I will hold off on spilling the beans ;-)

Alright- here comes picture overload:

A super special friend of mine, Sarah Cantrell, hosted a princess birthday party for her daughter, Caroline, in June. Here is Hadley in all her Cinderella-glory ;-)

Princess Hadley


Miss Sarah reading Beauty & the Beast to all the princesses


Watching Beauty & the Beast


Miss Sarah- aka Hostess with the Most-ess ;-)

The snow-cone truck came!! So fun!

Every year on the 4th of July weekend/holiday, Wylie's dad's family gather for their annual family reunion. This year, his aunt and uncle came in from Idaho a day early before we headed up to Pigeon Forge for the long weekend. We had a craw fish boil that was so yummy!

Of course she had to wear her smocked crawfish dress ;-)

Daddy in his element....

Me and my whole world

We didn't leave for the mountains until Friday. Of course my child got sick while we were out of town and started running a high fever late Friday night. By Saturday morning we had called in antibiotics and spent all day Saturday and some of Sunday quarantined to our room. It some aspects it was nice to have baby girl need me. We rested all day Saturday and snuggled. She was pretty pitiful :( The rest of the weekend perked up when the the medicine finally kicked in. Hadley got to play with her precious cousins and we ate, shopped and spent time catching up with Wylie's family.

Feeling better

Our view the whole weekend

We had roughly 40 people in one cabin- hence all the tables and chairs ;-)

Hadley and her cousin Ensley

At the candy store in Gatlinburg

Watching the taffy being pulled

The weekend turned out to be wonderful despite the rough start. Hadley did great playing with the other kids. Mommy was a little worn out, but that was to be expected! :-)

Really cool, fun blog activity that I participated in- bracelet exchange! Michelle over at Micha Bella initiated the bracelet swap. I just got these beauties in the mail Saturday. They are from Ann Taylor Loft- LOVE them! A big thank you to Megan over at Everyday Nonsense!!! :-)

Hope everyone is having a super great Monday!! Can't wait for my other bracelets to come in- I will feature the ones that I made for my blog friends soon :-)

Lindsay

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T21:21:00.000-04:00

It's amazing now that I am I mother how I look back and remember the things my parents told me and taught me. There are things that I have taken to heart and hope to instill in Hadley and any future children that we may have. One of the things that I can always fall back on is the fact that my parents loved me unconditionally- no questions asked. I could go on and on and on about my momma, but since today is Father's Day I will focus on my dad. I have always known that my daddy loved me no matter what- no matter how bad I screwed up or if he was ever disappointed in me- he loved me. I will always be grateful for his support and love. It is so so so important for a daughter to know that she has her daddy's heart and that he loves her and I always had that. Now that my dad lives in Arkansas, we don't get to see him as often as we'd like, so we make the best of our time. He came in last week for business and spent the night with us. I love our time together :-) I want Hadley to love her Gramps like I love him.

Now, onto the hubby. What a wonderful Godly, man that I married. Not only is he the leader of our household, he loves me and our daughter so much. Wylie would do anything in the world for us. Hadley has turned into quite the daddy's girl lately, which I know he loves ;-) Prime example: I picked Hadley up from the Walkers class at church today and as soon as she saw me walk in the door, she said with a confused face' "Dadeee???"- like where is Daddy and why isn't he picking me up?? :-) She loves him so much and I love it!!!

They are so precious to me- my whole entire world. He makes me complete and I am thankful to the Lord above for being able share such a sweetie with him.

I am forever thankful for my heavenly Father- the Giver of life, the one who sent His only Son for me. It is a relationship that I see through totally different eyes now that I am a mom. What better gift in the world than to know our Father personally. He can fill my voids and make me happy when no one else can.

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I wanted to surprise Wylie with a little treat for Father's Day. The man loves strawberry pies and I never seem to have the time to make the poor boy a pie. So, he finally got his pies. I used his grandmother's recipe and it turned out pretty darn scrumptious!

I used pre-made crusts (I know, I know....not the real thing!) But they were pretty decent I might add. Topped off with a little whipped cream, Wylie was quite the happy camper! :-)

Here are a few pictures of Miss Hadley- she is so funny these days. We tried our our first pigtails this week and surprisingly, she did really well with them.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Lindsay

Toms- A Love/Hate Relationship

2011-06-14T21:44:00.000-04:00

I have had my eye on these for quite some sometime. People either love them or dislike them- I will say now that I finally have a pair in my possesion (thanks to a family member who kept their eye out for them- they have been sold out several places since I began looking at them back in January for my birthday), they are SOOOO comfortable AND a child without shoes now has a pair to keep their little piggies safe. My "silver glitters" are just that: sparkly and glittery :-) They make me smile and I enjoy having them on my feet!

Lindsay

Clean Up, Clean Up....Everybody Do Your Share!

2011-06-13T12:57:00.000-04:00

Last night I have no clue what got into me. I put Hadley down for bed, checked a few of my favorite blogs and decided that I needed to clean out my cabinets above the fridge and the cabinet where I store all of my baking supplies and spices. Wylie came in from church and I think he was thought I had lost my mind! I had junk EVERYWHERE. But hey, I got the job done! I was able to purge lots of "old" cooking supplies (aka. stuff that was waaaay to old to consume) and make all of Hadley's and our snacks accessible and easy to get to. Here are a few of my own tips for snack storage. Bear these things in mind for any type of food storage in the kitchen:
1) Purchase clear containers that seal well- no kid likes stale vanilla wafers ;)

2) Make the storage "pretty"- what I mean is buy containers that fit the decor of your space Example: apothecary jars- I keep Hadley's animal crackers and fish snacks in these for easy access, but they look super in my kitchen! :)

The majority of our summer has consisted of playtime- inside, outside, poolside...

We decided to see how we would do with an orange Popsicle after we returned from the pool. She woke up from her nap and we sat outside on our little patio. Hadley LOVED it. She chatted up a storm and scarfed down the delicious treat. Gotta love sticky hands and little girls in cute bathing suits!! :)

Hope everyone has a super great day!

:-) Lindsay

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That.....

2011-05-06T21:18:00.004-04:00

Hey friends and family! Just an update on what the Richardson gang has been up to lately.....
Hadley is in full force toddler-hood :-) She is a busy little bee and love, love, loves to be outside. We frequent the local park as much as possible- she loves to slide and swing. Her tastes are becoming more and more finicky. She would eat animal crackers constantly if we let her. The good thing is she loves her "mee-ulk" aka milk. Her vocabulary is expanding by the day. I am really enjoying this stage- the beauty of this stage is that she is sleeping through the night and momma and daddy can get some sleep!! ;-)
Wylie is busy as ever. His work keeps him on the go constantly, but we manage to squeeze in our "us" time and family time when we can.
I am so ready for summer to be here- ready for pool time, grilling out and relaxing. Tonight is my monthly girls' night out- woo hoo! I have a close group of girls that I have grown up with (all of whom were in our wedding) and we get together once a month, cook, chat and catch up. I love our time together and I am so excited to see them all tonight ;-)
Short and sweet folks. I will be back with some of my favorite summer beauty products and a few scrumptious recipes for the upcoming summer days!

Happy "Heart" Day!

2011-02-14T16:23:00.003-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day all! Today is one of those holidays that I love, love, love. I love the pinks, reds and whites that embody Valentine's Day...the candy hearts...the puffy pink marshmallows that fill my pretty, glass apothecary jars...and most of all of love that I have a big Valentine and a little Valentine to share it with :-) We have been studying God's loyalty/love to & for us in our Sunday school class. (Btw we LOVE our class...couldn't ask for a better group of folks to open the Word with each Sunday!) Our recent lesson was out of Hosea and talked about the ways God demonstrates loyalty to His children and how in return we respond back. In Hosea, God loves the unlovely. He instructs Hosea to have a wife who is unfaithful and not worthy of his love. There are so many parallels to this relationship just like our relationship with God. Here is some scripture that I have been meditating on: " Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, and He will heal us; He has wounded us, and He will bind up our wounds. He will revive us after two days, and on the third day He will raise us up so we can live in His presence. Let us strive to know the Lord. His appearance is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the land." Hosea 6:1-3- He is out ultimate Valentine. His love endures forever & ever & ever. Our lesson in our "Life Matters" study explains, " It wasn't Hosea's love for Gomer but his love for God that enabled him to endure all that he did. God's love and loyalty to Hosea allowed him to endure and obey even the toughest requests that came from His friend, His Father, His God." Thanks be to God!

Unfortunately, we are all battling sickness at the moment...yuck..nasty...gross colds and the list goes on. Hadley has a nice, little ear infection that has reared it's head. Mommy can't rest because she has been tending to little bit all day long. Oh I need some goooood sleep. So...we will be spending our Valentine's Day evening with lots of hot tea and kleenex. The true meaning of "in sickness and in health" comes to light, right? ;-)

Hadley- First Birthday and Christmas :-)

2011-02-05T13:22:00.008-05:00

Ok....here are pictures from Hadley's first birthday party, Christmas, and her actual birthday!! Enjoy!!

Life and Laundry

2011-02-05T11:52:00.003-05:00

As you can see, life simply gets in the way. Sometimes it can be a good thing and sometimes not so much! As for blogging? Well.......my last post was in July! :-) The Richardson household has been on the go for quite some time now. Our baby girl has now moved into a "toddler-ish" stage and tends to stay busy herself. Walking is now her primary mode of transportation and has been for the last 4 months. What a life altering thing when your child can walk! I love, love, love to get down on her level and try to see things from her perspective. Of course at 13 months, everything is new and fresh to her. Hadley's new thing is to bring you her toys, books, food, or whatever because that is her way of "sharing". Of course she immediately takes it back from you, but hey....whatever makes her happy :-)

Baby girl is napping as a type this, hubby just got home from a meeting, and I am working on the massive pile of laundry that has accumulated over the last week. Let me tell you, working, taking care of a home, husband and child are soooo rewarding but very tiring sometimes! I truly value my downtime these days. 5 years ago, if you asked the hubby, he would have said I stayed on the go every chance I got. So true. Now, the quiet, simple life is what I crave the most. God has done a wonder in that regard. I would much rather sit and listen to my daughter babble while playing with her toys along with the dryer whirring in the background than anything else these days. I find peace in the simplicity of that. Performing housework doesn't bother me nearly as much now as it did when we were first married. It can actually be soothing and a way to relieve stress. Some of you may think I am crazy, but I get totally in a dither if I can't keep my home in somewhat of a decent appearance (Wylie is probably laughing hysterically as he reads this!) Here is a super fun link to Fly Lady- GREAT was to organize your cleaning routine..... http://www.flylady.net/ Let me know if you change your mind about having the dryer or washing machine perform music to your ears! ;-)

LOADS (no pun intended!) of pictures to come soon!

Richardson Family Reunion/ Fourth of July

2010-07-10T10:58:00.008-04:00

Wylie's family (his father's side) always gets together over the July 4th holiday every year for a good ol' family reunion. We always have so much fun catching up from the previous year and talking about the new things we have planned for the next year. There were a total of about 40 people that stayed at his aunt and uncle's house in Clarksville, TN. The family farm is also located there and this year was actually the first time I was able to see it in person. Here are a few pictures from the weekend......

Happy Fourth of July!! Let's just say sweet pea didn't hit the hay until reallly late that night....

Playtime with Daddy-O.......

Auntie Lori and Hadley

About to cross the river on a ferry to get back to the house after a day at the petting zoo and pool....

View from the other side of the river....had to cross a ferry to get there....fun!

Crockett and Lori....bro/sis-in-law

Madelyne and Ridge (Wylie's cousin, Jennifer's little boy) cutie pie!!

Rivers...Wylie's cousin Jennifer's little girl....so sweet!!

Beach Pictures

2010-07-10T10:45:00.007-04:00

Oil Clean Up :( We were in Orange Beach....it wasn't too bad while we were there but as the week went on the cleanup got a little more concentrated.

Sweet girl! There was this old lady that kept talking to her at the pool and she would just laugh and laugh at her....

Hadley and her auntie Liz! She loved the water and usually ended up falling asleep while we were playing in the pool all week ;)

Sarah and Baby Sophie's Shower

2010-07-10T10:32:00.003-04:00

A dear, precious friend of mine is expecting her first, a baby GIRL, in August. I am so excited for her and ready for Sophie to get here. I helped host a shower for her right before we left for the beach and these are just a few snipets from the afternoon. We had such a good time catching up and helping Sarah get ready for her little bundle of joy!

Beach Baby!

2010-06-23T20:31:00.009-04:00

We have been cruising right along this summer just enjoying our families and enjoying out time as a family at home. Wylie has been super busy with work, which can be a curse and a blessing sometimes :) Anyone who owns their own business knows what I am talking about! The past several weeks have been filled with lots of activities and various events. Vacation Bible school took up most of our free time 2 weeks ago. I helped a precious friend from church teach the 2 year old class. Let me tell you....two workers and 14 two-year olds were a bubbly and tiring combination! :) I loved helping with that age but I was tuckered out when I got home for sure! I guess I have a pretty decent glimpse as to how the mind of a two year old works now.

Last Sunday, I helped host a baby shower for one of my dearest, most precious friends. Sarah Holmes and I have grown up together- grade school, junior high, high school, went to the same college, in each other's weddings- and now she and her husband Jake are expecting their first in August. I am so excited to meet little Sophie and can't wait for she and Hadley to grown up together. We had so much fun catching up at the shower (and I love throwing a great shower!) The gracious and lovely Judy Bivens let us host in in her fabulous new home. Sophie is already loved!!!

Last week, Hadley and I went to Orange Beach with my family. Unfortunately, Wylie wasn't able to come due to obligations with work. We had such a wonderful time and Hadley sooo enjoyed the sun and the sand. She loved raking her little fingers through the sand, patting it with her hands and eating it too! She and I did alot of pool time. I got really cracked up because it seemed like anytime we were in the pool for a longer length of time, she would just fall asleep on my shoulder. Needless to say, we took many naps beach-side and pool-side.

Hadley is on the brink of crawling.....oh help us!! The fun has just begun! She loves getting up on her hands and knees and rocking back and forth. It is hard to watch her sometimes and not laugh because she gets so mad if she doesn't "go" anywhere. We have hardwood floors and I know that it is difficult, as well as uncomfortable for her not to be on something softer. We have started discussing baby gates and various other safety measure that we need to take. I imagine it won't be too much longer before she's on the move! She is sitting up pretty well on her own now. This is great because she can play on the floor and seems more content being able to reach for toys and pick them up a little better.....sorry this may be really boring to most, but I am trying to document some milestones a little better!!! ;-)

Pictures are coming shortly.....I have actually been able to BREATHE this week. We have had a really packed schedule the last few weeks. I am so glad to be home and back on our normal schedule.......

Easy Blueberry Crumble

2010-06-07T00:39:00.003-04:00

Here is a VERY quick and easy recipe for some yummo blueberry crumble....goes great with a frest scoop of vanilla ice cream ;-)

1 1/2 to 2 cups of Bisquick
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water
(Mix all three above ingredients until "crumbly" and set aside....depending on how many blueberries you have will depend on how much "crumble" you will need.)
1 pint of fresh blueberries, washed

Layer blueberries in a 12x12 (or bigger) baking dish...sprinkle with a little sugar. Next, crumble the "crumble" mixture all over the top of the blueberries until covered. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and brown. Optional: I sprinkle just a bit of cinnamon and sugar on top of my crumble before I bake it.

Enjoy!!! Great summertime dessert......

Summertime, Oh Sweet Summertime

2010-06-05T16:34:00.006-04:00

Long time no post....here's an update on my clan. We have been very busy with various activities and such. I started working part-time so I am home with Hadley two days a week (woo hoo!) and LOVE it! We have caught up on our playtime together, as well as some rest :-) Here is an up to date list of things that she is currently impressing us with at her 5 month mark:

- Rolling over and over and over and over....you get the picture. She loves to roll over and has been for several weeks now.

- LOVES playing with her feet and hands. I don't know how a kid can entertain themselves that long with their appendages, but she can!

- She has really "chunked" up the last few weeks. We started her on some rice cereal and she seems to like it.

- Hadley loves her bathtime....it's almost as thought she looks forward to it. Our nightly (sometimes every other night) ritual is great for relaxation and calms her down before bedtime.

- Overall, Hadley is a very happy baby. The protein allergy is under control, as well as the reflux (thank you Jesus!!) She loves to be talked to and played with. We may just have a little social butterfly on our hands :-)

The littlest sis graduated high school two weekends ago thus ends the Borris legacy at McMinn County High School. Lainie will be attending Tennessee Wesleyan College on a soccer scholarship. We are very proud of her and wish her all the best!

I love this time of year for the simple fact that things get lazier. Living in the south allows for lazy days and long summer evenings that I intend to enjoy to the fullest this year. My hubby loves to cook so I have really been spoiled the past several nights by his cusine. Tonight I get Shrimp Gumbo....yummmm. We are all about some cajun food....;-)

Here are some pics of Had's first time in the pool this weekend and a SUPER cute bib my mother-in-law got her from Thirty One (just had to show it off!!)....we are headed to the beach in another week and I am so excited to get her little piggies in the sand. I have some great summer recipes that I will post either this evening when she goes to bed or tomorrow. Stay tuned....:-)

Spring and Sickness

2010-03-23T18:30:00.004-04:00

So Spring has officially sprung! Or at least we hope it stays that way.....I love our little area out in front of our townhouse. All of the owners around here do a great job of keeping things "pretty" and it is so nice to come home to at the end of the day. I hope that the weather stays this way so we can get Miss Hadley out a little more for walks and to play! The sunshine always does a body good and I know after being cooped up all winter it will do our whole family justice to get some well-needed sunshine!

And that brings me to sickness.....blah! Poor Had has been running a low grade temp all weekend and then started with the coughing and runny nose yesterday and today. Bless her little heart, I can tell she does not feel well at all. I stayed home today with her and took her to the pediatrician.....verdict: a bad cold. We also had a follow up with her GI doctor in Chattanooga yesterday. We may be dealing with a protein allergy unfortunately. I will continue to nurse her when I can and we are switching her to a special formula to see if it will rule out an allergy and see if it helps her reflux. Poor kid has been through the ringer already!

Short but sweet today......my baby girl needs me!

~Lindsay

Life as a Working Mom....

2010-03-12T10:04:00.003-05:00

I went back to work last Wednesday and let me tell you, other than giving birth to my daughter, leaving her was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I had been dreading that day from the time I found out I was pregnant. It is a feeling that is hard to describe, but the best I can do is to tell you it physically hurt inside. Leaving her was MUCH harder on mommy than it was baby, but we survived! My prayer is that I can be home with her in the very near future. We are just waiting patiently that things will work out in God's time. I know in my heart God hears my plea and will honor that eventually. She is staying with a very sweet lady who keeps children in her home. Hadley is the smallest of the bunch, but has seemed to adjust very well to not being with me all day long. I LOVE picking her up at the end of the day and can't wait to get home to be with her. I know her Daddy feels the same way too. After a long week at work, my office manager was kind enough to let me have today off. I guess she could tell that I was WAY worn out and needed a day of rest. I am very thankful for it!!! This morning, Hadley and I have just played and enjoyed eachother's company. Becoming a mother is not only a physically demanding job, but it can be emotionally draining and rewarding too. I LOVE being Hadley's mom. There is nothing better in the world and I thank God everyday that He blessed our lives with her. But, working and being a mother is very taxing let me tell you. I have to pray each day that God will carry me through the day and home again to my husband and daughter. I know He is and will continue to.

Tonight, Wylie is taking me on our first date since Hadley was born. I think we are going to head to Chattanooga for dinner. Not sure where yet, but I am really excited! My mom is going to come and keep Hadley for us. I am so thankful that we have family close by and she has all of her grandparents here. Today's picture is from her sleeping so sweetly in her swing. I think she is going through a growth spurt because she is napping alot, as well as nursing more/longer.

Happy Friday to all!!!

~Lindsay

These are a few of my favorite things! Baby and fun!

2010-02-27T12:16:00.014-05:00

Here are some of my favorite baby and fun things! Enjoy!! This is a Shrimp and Lobster bishop dress from the new children's clothing line that I am now a rep for....LOVE IT! Miss Hadley will be sporting this dress this summer. There is nothing more southern and sweet than a little girl in a smocked dress!!

My new favorite perfume....DKNY Be Delicious....smells sooo good! I like a sweeter smelling perfume and I love that it lingers throughout the day.

THIS is one of my fav-favs!! Got it from a friend as a gift, but it can be found on ETSY. This lady hand stamps the sterling silver charms. One is my monogram, one is Wylie initial, one is my initial, Hadley's name and our wedding date. I absolutely love it and can't wait to get more charms for it.

Southern Living!!! I LOVE getting my new magazine in the mail each month. It has the best recipes, tips, travel ideas, and great decorating tips. This month's features Charleston which is one of our favorite places to go. Can't wait to get back there again and try some new restaurants thanks to this month's suggestions on places to eat!

My Baby Bjorn....couldn't live without it right now. It allows me to get things done around the house, as well as put Hadley in it when I need to run a few errands in town. This way I don't have to drag out the stroller and she is close to me. Ours is the chocolate brown color which is great because I will be able to reuse it with any future babies.

This is Had's favorite! It has a neat little vibration feature that usually relaxes her enough to get a nap in! It plays music and entertains her for quite awhile. She loves it and so does her momma!

Sara Bear diaper caddy.....a precious friend of mine got this for us a baby gift and filled it with things we would need to have in arm's reach all the time. I keep it downstairs in our living room so I don't have to go all the way upstairs to the nursery just to change a diaper. It matches our decor too I might add! :)

And last but not least, the infamous Boppy. Love it....have used it since this day she was born. I have several different covers which are great if one is being washed, spit up on etc.

Hope you enjoyed a few of my favorite things!

~Lindsay

Our First Hospital Stay, New Pics of Hadley and Shrimp & Grits Kids Clothing

2010-02-16T15:53:00.007-05:00

Wylie and I have been cruising right along on the road of parenthood. So far, I would say that Miss Hadley is an easy, cheesy baby. She normally fusses when she's hungry, has a dirty diaper or gets tired. It is just one of those motherly things that you pick up on. You learn their cries and what each one signals. A gift from God in my eyes :) Friday morning we woke up and started the day with our normal "chat" (smiles and funny noises) while Daddy was getting ready for work. She proceeded to spit up and it was dark brown....totally freaked me out. I then went to change and check her diaper and it was not pretty....very black stool. I knew right away that it had to be blood from some of the books I had read. I grabbed my phone and dialed my mom who then called our pediatrician for me. Thankfully I had my mom to keep me calm and since she is a Physician Assistant had the medical knowledge to have an idea of what was going on. Long story short, we made a trip to our pediatrician and then we were sent immediately to TC Thompson Children's Hospital. We had to spend the night after waiting in the ER from 3:30 to 10:30!!!!! Not happy campers by that time. The next morning she had a test done where she swallowed barium and they watched it go down her GI tract. That came back perfectly fine except for a diagnosis of reflux. We thought she would have to have an endoscopy and have to be scoped, but thank the Lord she didn't. The pedi-gastrointerologist said that it looked like a viral infection of her GI tract and that combined with the reflux is why blood was showing up in her spit up and stool. SO....we got to come home late Saturday night with our baby girl. She was completely tuckered out! :( She goes back in a few weeks and praise be to God that it wasn't anything more serious than that.

I am a new rep for Shrimp and Grits Kids clothing

(Knoxville/Chattanooga area).....check it out! http://www.shrimpandgritskids.com/

They have the cutest smocked clothing for boys and girls, sizes 3 months through 7. I am totally in love with the precious little dresses for the girls! Let me know if you ever want to do a catalog order!!!

On a happier note, Hadley is growing up WAY too quickly. Her facial features are changing daily and she is starting to take on her very own personality. I love capturing her sweet little moments throughout the day, so I try to keep the camera very close by in order to do that. The shots above are from the past couple of weeks. Enjoy!

The Dreaded Going Back to Work Thing :(

2010-02-04T10:32:00.003-05:00

Miss Hadley is napping away so I thought I would fill everyone in on our time at home together. We are trying ( and I mean TRYING) to get some sort of a schedule established for her. She eats pretty much on the dot every 2.5 to 3 hours which has been great. As far as her sleep/nap times, those aren't so on the dot. The past two nights she has slept a good 4.5-5 hour stretch so that has been great. I think we may transition her to her to her crib possibly next week for naps and then start putting her there at night. She currently sleeps in a bassinet next to us in our bedroom, but she likes to make cute little noises while she is sleeping and her arms are so long that if she wakes up she smacks the sides of the bassinet with her arms and wakes herself up! So....the schedule adventure will continue! :) I love it though.....
And that brings me to maternity leave....I have been so blessed to be able to stay home with her for 2 months. I go back to work on March 2 ( in full swing of tax season!) I am dreading the 2nd with everything in me. I can't bear to think about not being with her during the day, watching her, playing with her and just being her mommy. I know that lots of women go back to work and leave their children with caretakers, daycare, sitters, etc. but this will probably be the hardest thing I will ever do. I am praying that God will, in His time, provide a way for me to be home permanently with our child(ren). Gotta pay the bills! :) But I secretly hope and pray the day comes very soon....like by March 2. Of course I can't force anything or will it on my own but I can only ask and pray!
I am savoring each day I have left with her and just enjoying my time home. I love my job though and all the great people that I work with, so it's not even the job that I am dreading going back to. Life is life....gotta make lemonade out of the lemons!! :-)

More pictures....

2010-01-22T18:00:00.003-05:00

Here is her poor little arm all wrapped up..... :( We did this so she wouldn't move her arm too much and be in pain with her fractured clavical bone.......

More pictures of Miss Hadley......

2010-01-22T17:55:00.002-05:00

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.....Hadley Reagan Richardson is here!

2010-01-22T17:31:00.002-05:00

Thought I would update the blog....seeing as it's been since SEPTEMBER!! Bad me....lots have happened in these few short months! Our "surprise" baby was a precious BABY GIRL!! She entered the world on December 29, 2009. Hadley Reagan Richardson weighed a whopping 9 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20 1/4 inches long. She is pure joy.....I cannot imagine life without her now. Wylie and I just sit a stare at her ALL the time....we are so in love with this little girl already! God truly blessed us with a heathly, beautiful child that we can call our own.

Short version birth-story for ya......

I went in at 6:30 am on the 29th for an induction. We decided to go ahead and get things moving along ( I was READY at this point!) and she her weight had been calculated at 8 lbs. 13 oz. the week before so I didn't want to get too much bigger. So, we went in to the hospital and got situated, they broke my water at 8 am, and we just sat back and let the lovely pitocin do it's job. Let me say...IT DID IT'S JOB! :) I got to 5 cm on my own and by then I was hurting pretty bad and asked for my epidural. BUT, I had to wait another hour for them to come and give it to me. They were backed up with surgeries that day. That was literally the longest hour of my life....it couldn't come quick enough! :) My fabulous mother and super husband helped my get through my contractions until they doctor could get there. I seriously couldn't have done it without them. Finally got the epi and life was good. By 5:30ish I was at 9.5 cm and started to push at 6. I pushed for almost two hours and she finally made her big debut at 7:42 pm that night. Unfortunately, Hadley fractured her clavical bone (collar) during the delivery from being so big but she has handled it like a champ. She is almost 4 weeks old and it takes about 3-4 weeks to heal all the way.

The staff and my doctor were so wonderful. We couldn't have asked for a better experience in having a baby. They were so kind and helped us in every way that they could. LOVE all of them!

Hadley is such a great baby....sleeping and eating good. God really blessed us. I am so excited to watch her grow into a beautiful, Godly young lady (I just don't want it to happen fast!) I want her to stay little like this ! I know it is selfish of me, but I can't already stand the fact that she will grow and get bigger. Her baby days are numbered and I am cherishing each of them as best as I can.

Our prayer for her is that she will come to know the Lord at a young age and learn to love her family, friends and blossom into the wonderful lady we know she will be. There is only so much that we can do as parents for her. We can guide her and pray for her but ultimately she is God's child and He will do with her as He pleases. We are putting her in God's hands and I am comforted in knowing that He will take better care of her and guide her in the right direction better than we ever could~

Baby R Update....and some Pumpkin Muffins!

2009-09-21T11:36:00.005-04:00

I am actually sitting at my mom's office as I am typing this (the benefits of having a Physician Assistant as my mother are nice!) and thought I would fill everyone in on Baby R. I am waiting on the results of my glucose tolerance test. Hopefully I will pass this one-hour test with flying colors and not have to do the three hour test. :( It wasn't as bad as people make it out to be; just a REALLY sugary drink that tastes like Sunkist with extra sugar in it. Baby R is doing great; measuring in right where he or she is supposed to. Unfortunately, I am measuring bigger than I would like in the weight department :) I know I am alot taller than most women, but I had my pity party about my weight and decided that my body needed some of it but that I need to kick it into gear about being better with my exercise and eating.
I cannot wait to meet this child! Last night, Wylie and I were laying in bed and he leaned over to kiss me goodnight and there was silence. Then he said, "Doesn't it feel like there are three of us in this room now?" I wanted to cry.... so sweet! I said, " Yes, it does honey." It's such a neat feeling to be bringing another human being into the world....scary but thankful God has allowed me the opportunity to become a mother. I have always wanted children and would play for hours with my baby dolls. I even pretended to be pregnant and would stuff blankets under my clothes and then momma would find me dozed off during nap time with my belly bulging like I was pregnant :) Just simply cannot wait to see, smell, hear and hold this baby......
Pumpkin Muffins......I am so ready for fall! I have been trying to find an easy, heathly recipe for some pumpkin muffins and I think I found one. This is from http://www.cooks.com/. Hope you enjoy....I am trying this one out this week!

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

3 1/3 c. flour, 2 tsp. baking soda, 3 c. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon,1 tsp. nutmeg,1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Mix dry ingredients and add:
1 c. oil, 4 eggs, 2/3 c. water, 2 c. pumpkin
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Prepare muffin tins by greasing with vegetable oil or butter and sprinkling lightly with flour. Shake out excess.
Fill muffin tins three-quarters full and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Days of Sadness...

2009-09-10T14:24:00.002-04:00

I write this entry with a very heavy heart. Our dear bud Santiago Snellgrose has gone on to a much better place. I don't know where to begin because I have never experienced such a loss before in my life other that my grandfather. Santi was in a boating accident over Labor Day weekend and God decided to bring him on home. Santi or "Sandman" as we lovingly called him was one of my brother's best friends. They were always goofing off, laughing at one another or reciting some crazy joke or movie line. That is what I have been trying to remember these past few days...the good times that we had with him.
Sandman was a great kid. He truly had a passion for soccer and for his family. They were everything to him. He gave his best in all that he did and had a drive for life that steered him everywhere. Santi had the best eyes....so beautiful and clear. He was a cute little dude that could make you smile or light up a room in an instant.
I was looking at his baby pictures just the other night and hope that our sweet baby will come out with the same head of thick, black hair that Sandman had. We shall see in a few months ;-) I just ask that everyone join with me in lifting this family in prayer. They need it. These days that are ahead will be hard for them and they need us as friends and family. ~LR

Random...Belly Buttons and Updates

2009-08-13T14:01:00.009-04:00

Hello all! I am such a slacker...it's been a whole month since I posted last! Lots of things have been going on so I guess I am going to give a somewhat "brief" update ;-)........

Baby R is growing!( Just take a look at the picture and you can tell!) I will hit 20 weeks next week and pretty much be at the half-way point. It is so hard to believe that this baby will be here in approximately 20 more weeks!! We are slowly but surely preparing to bring this baby into the world. Wylie and I have been clearing out our spare bedroom for preparations of it becoming a nursery. We decided to keep it the color that it is (chocolate brown) and add in cream accents. This will be perfect for our gender neutral plans for the room. Most of the bedroom furniture that we have is actually Wylie's from when he was an infant. Everything is in super condition and I thought it would be great to use his baby furniture.....sentimental reasons of course!

Tomorrow is our big ultrasound! Can't wait to see the baby....I guess if things are clear enough then we will just have to turn our heads so we don't see what it is :-) Lots of friends and even some family have been disappointed in us not finding out what we are having but we figure it's one of life's few surprises. I made a deal with Wylie though: this is the only child we will not find out! I am too much of a planner!

Last night I was putting lotion on my tummy, a nightly ritual now, and sat down on the couch to look at my growing bump. I started looking at my belly button and began thinking about when it may pop out...hopefully not any time soon! I would prefer to have an "innie" as long as possible.

But, the longer I examined it the more I thought back to when I was inside of my mother's tummy. Of course I have no recollection of those 39 weeks and some odd days I was developing inside of her, but I thought about how I was attached to her. She nourished me for that period of time, was careful of the things she ate, and how much she exercised. She protected me and did what she could to make sure I came out happy and healthy. My belly button is a memento of my "womb" time.....and I thought...."our kid gets to have a memento too!" So, I won't look at my belly button the same ever again. Our belly buttons are all different shapes, sizes, etc. but we all have them as reminder of that special time we were growing in our mother's tummies :-)

Last Friday, I FINALLY got to go out for a girl's night with some of my dearest friends! We met up in Cleveland at Chili's for some good food and catch up time. All of these girls are so precious to me (all were in my wedding!). It's hard, but we all try to make an effort to stay in touch and keep up with one another. We decided to start a monthly night out (ie. going out to eat, just vegging at someone's house, etc) so we can make sure we don't loose touch. I was the first to get married and now the first to have a baby....I told these girls they need to get one the ball! :-) We had a really great time and can't wait until our next gathering. ~LR

Summing up the past few weeks.....

2009-06-17T13:07:00.003-04:00

So... the past few weeks have been super hectic, but great. I have been pretty tired and plan on recuperating this weekend and catching up on some well needed rest ;-) It's amazing since I have been pregnant how exhausted I am by 3 o'clock in the afternoon. My brain wants to keep going, but my body tells me I need to stop.
Wylie and I had the "honor" of teaching 3 year olds for vacation bible school at our church. Let me tell you...they were angels! We had a sweet little class of about 9-10 kids each night. They all played great together, listened (as well as 3 yr. olds can!) and learned about the word of God. We also learned lots of fun kiddie songs for the musical they performed on Sunday after the week was over with. I told Wylie on several occasions that we needed to get ready for this type of thing. His reply was " well our kids will learn these kind of songs AND learn some George Strait, too!" Go figure...my husband the biggest George fan ever WILL teach our kids his songs. Our son or daughter will be singing " I cross my heart...." before we know it!
This past weekend, I traveled to "C-Bus" aka Columbus, Ohio for my little brother's graduation from The Ohio State University. We had a really great time and enjoyed his big success of graduating college. Ryan took a job back in the fall with The Pinnacle, an upscale golf course in Grove City, which is just a few minutes outside of Columbus. He majored in Turf Grass Science and Management. His dream is to own and operate a golf course one day. Let me tell you, anything you want to know about growing grass, or weeds, etc....Ryan can tell you ;-) I am very proud of him and all of his accomplishments. Hopefully he will come back this way eventually because I miss him a lot AND he will have to be around to teach his niece or nephew how to golf :-) Pictures coming soon!
Wylie and I have this week off (free of other duties or extra-curricular activities) before we fly out to Idaho for his family reunion. I am excited but nervous to travel right now. I know we will have a great time once we get out there!
Have a super week everyone! ~LR

Baby Richardson....ETA: January 7th, 2010!!!!

2009-06-03T16:58:00.004-04:00

Ok...most people have heard by now but I wanted to cover my bases for anyone who may read the blog. Wylie and I are finally expecting our first baby!!!!! We are thrilled, happy, scared, elated, nervous, etc. etc. all rolled into one ;-) There is so much to think about and do in the next several months that it can get overwhelming if you think or ponder on it alot. It is a remarkable thing to know that I have a human being growing inside of me for the next 7.5-8 months. This is totally a God thing because there is so much happening from day to day inside (and out!) of my body and these are only things that God can make happen. The baby is growing pretty rapidly over a 9 month span and there are lots of details that occur. Our prayer has been that we have a heatlhy and happy baby who will grow up to know and love Jesus with every ounce in them. Boy or girl....we really don't care....we just want to have a sweet, healthy baby in our arms in the end. Please pray for us as we adjust to the upcoming journey of parenthood. Some of you have already experienced this and have many, many years under your belt! I am so excited to become a mother for the first time and want so many things for my child already and he or she is not even here yet! ;-) I already love this baby so much and I can't wrap my mind around the fact that God created him or her in His image; from every finger and toe to the hair that will grow on their little tiny head! Praise be to God for our precious gift from above! ~LR

Amber "Bam" is Getting Hitched!!

2009-05-20T14:28:00.004-04:00

My dear friend Amber, or "Bam" as we lovingly call her ;), is getting married in three weeks! I am so excited because I am actually doing her flowers/bouquets for her. It is so fun to put together floral creations....and I am honored that she let me do it for her! This picture is from the shower that my mom, Kim, Jona Garrett, Michelle Crafton, Kate Bledsoe and I threw for her at Keith MUMC. We had a great afternoon and she and James got some really super things for their house. She is such a beautiful young lady and I know that she and James are perfect for each other. Her wedding is quickly approaching on June 6th and there are lots of things to be finished and accomplished before the big day. Please say a prayer for her and for everyone that is involved...most of us remember the stress that came with planning our own "perfect" weddings. No doubt she will be stunning and have a handsome husband to grow old with when it's all said and done! ;-)

Recipes Galore!.... AllRecipes.com

2009-05-18T15:05:00.003-04:00

Here is a new website I found while searching for an easy meatloaf recipe.....totally great for dinner menus or finding an appetizer for a party or gathering. The neat feature that I found is you can enter how many servings you need above the recipe and it will re-calculate the amount of ingredients to coordinate the amount of mouths you have to feed! So cool! This is great especially for people like me who usually cook for 2 but then may have a party and need to increase the recipe. Check it out; you will not be disappointed ;-) www.allrecipes.com

Coupons! Coupons!

2009-05-01T15:11:00.004-04:00

I love to save a buck every now and then -the hubby likes it too ;-)- so I have started heading to http://www.coupons.com/ , you can print out coupons ranging from .30 cents off to a whole $2 bucks off! This week they have coupons for contact lens solution, toilet paper, California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizza and olive oil!!! Talk about cha-ching! It is especially important in today's economy for all of us to save a buck or two and what better way than with coupons.....there is a pretty big selection out there but I love the set up of this website....quick and easy!

Spring Cleaning...Clutter-Free!

2009-04-28T12:47:00.004-04:00

Over the past few days I have had the sudden urge to "purge" our house of junk...anything that has not been touched or used in a year is bound for the dumpster! We have a spare bedroom that has been taken over by "hunting" goods. This is going to be my first priority. I can't and will not stand to look at it anymore....Wylie is going to be thrilled when I tell him it is time to find a permanent place for the camouflage or else ;-) Another "small" task is my glorious closet. I have decided to get rid of anything I haven't worn in a year. My new quote is going to be "less is more". I guess I feel like I need to make things simpler or something because I have always been somewhat of a neat freak, but the only way I think I can have peace of mind is to take one room at a time, tackle it and conquer!!!! One thing that I already have in place is some super cute jute baskets that line the tops of my closet. These have been super great for storing purses, scarves, and even some shoes that are too fancy or do not get worn all the time. I have a few more ideas for some organizing tactics, but wondered if anyone out there had some crafty or clever little things that they use when performing a BIG clean.....let me know! ;-)

My mind is in Charleston........

2009-04-23T11:46:00.003-04:00

So........ I am totally wishing I was in Charleston today. Do not know why...... just daydreaming about being there again....Wylie (who I affectionately refer to as "The Hubby" ), my sis-in-law, Lori and bro-in-law, Crockett, all made trip there this past fall. We had a fabulous time and managed to stuff our faces the entire weekend. I don't know if I am longing for the food or the slow-paced atmosphere. The days were spent walking and touring the city and I loved every minute of our time there! One place that we ate at was Poogan's Porch (anyone familiar with that place ;)?) So quaint and had a great brunch. Deep down, I think I just want to unwind and I was really able to do that while we were there. The hubby totally fell in love with the place years ago while attending a district attorney's conference over there. I told him I would move there in a heartbeat and he said "Sure you would!" with a little smirk on his face. A close childhood friend of mine went to school there at the College of Charleston and she always talked about how great Charleston was. She has since moved but I know she loves going back there from time to time. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we will be able to go back for another "vaca". By the way, I took this picture while we were there. I tried to capture the Southern Living spread that was published back in September, I believe. I guess for now I will just daydream about being there again! ;-)

2009-04-22T11:19:00.000-04:00

Ok.... so a little late on this but I was able to go to the Natalie Grant concert on April 17 here in Athens. Let me tell you, the gal can put on a great concert! It was such a wonderful time of worship with local people that I didn't even know! I went with my sis-in-law, Lori and my niece, Maddie. I guess you could say it was a "GNO" or Girls Night Out :) We had so much fun together! Luckily, I was able to get last minute tickets for us at a whopping price of $7 a piece. Our local chamber of commerce did such a super job of keeping the cost down thus they had a sold out concert! ~

New Beginning.....Tax Season is Over!

2009-04-21T15:50:00.001-04:00

So I am back to the grind of work (post tax season) again after a one day break....loved every minute of it! So peaceful to have time just to yourself and with nothing to do! I am going to try this blog thing again....didn't work so well so I am going to give it another shot!
Had a wonderful lunch today with a sweet, sweet friend...Joy Finch. She caught me up on some of the Bible studies that I missed. It is so wonderful to be surrounded by genuine, Christian women who share a heart for the Lord like I do. I have truly enjoyed my Sunday afternoons in her beautiful home ;)
This week is somewhat cool, calm & collected. Not a whole lot to do in the evenings which is nice. I hope to spend some better quality time with the hubby this week. He deserves my undivided attention sometimes. God has really shown me over the last year how important it is to keep our lives simple.
My goal for today: to walk a couple of miles in the beautiful weather we are having!!
;) Lindsay