Heidi & Dan's Journey...

Quinn is 18 months old!!!

2012-02-12T16:37:00.006-07:00

It's February already???

The first (almost) two weeks of February FLEW by. Wow. Not sure where the weeks went, but here we are - February 12th...My sweet girl turned 18 months old today!! And, what an amazing 18 months it has been! Quinn is the sweetest, most loving little baby I could have ever imagined. We are so incredibly lucky to have her in our lives.

I wanted to celebrate her turning 18 months old today. So, I gave her a big piece of stretched canvas that I had painted a solid red, for her to make into art. She did an awesome job coloring and creating a beautiful piece of art for the house. I love it and will keep it forever!

Little miss creative girl...

The finished piece...To some it may look like a bunch of scribbles. To me, it is the most beautiful piece of artwork I've ever owned.

The weather here was weird this weekend. Yesterday, it was 58 degrees and gorgeous outside. This morning, we woke up to several inches of snow & hail! Quinn loves to sit in the window sill and just look outside. Today, with the snow falling so hard, she was mezmorized.

HAPPY 18 MONTHS OLD TODAY, QUINN PARKER. YOU ARE THE LIGHT & LOVE OF OUR LIVES!

Dinner with Chris and Elizabeth

2012-01-29T00:47:00.002-07:00

We went to dinner at 3RB Pizzeria tonight with Chris and Elizabeth. We had a great time, laughing and telling stories.

After dinner, they came back to our house for a beer and to hang out. Chris tried to get Quinny to walk! It was quite funny. She didn't follow directions very well. But we all had a good laugh over it. Quinn really likes Chris & Elizabeth...she kept going over to Chris to show him her baby doll. It was very sweet. Then, she would cruise over to Elizabeth to say hi to her.

Quinn's 1st Fort!

2012-01-29T00:31:00.005-07:00

What a fun Saturday! Dan made us a delicious breakfast...french toast from his homemade bread and coffee! One of mine and Quinn's favorite breakfasts! :)
After breakfast, we made a fort for Quinn! She loves getting under blankets, so we thought it would be fun to make a huge fort for her to play in. Dan arranged all the furniture and blankets so that we had a pretty cool fort. Quinn couldn't stop smiling!! She was going in and out of the fort, laughing and making funny noises.

The fort!

So much fun!

After playing in the fort, Dan decided we should get out one of our tents too! Quinny did like it, but it was definitely not as cool to her as the homemade fort!!

Our vacation in Boulder...

2012-01-28T22:43:00.020-07:00

We decided to take a little family vacation to Boulder. It was Quinny's 22nd & 23rd flight (coming and going). She was a little angel, making everyone on the plane laugh. We sat in the front of the plane, and she waved & said hi to everyone that passed our seat. Cutie.

We got into Denver and got our rental car and headed to Boulder. It was a short drive, maybe 45 minutes. We checked into our rental house and let Quinn crawl around and explore everything. It was a really cool house - they called it the "Penthouse" because it was on the 3rd floor of this house. And, it had 2 decks with amazing views.

The house

The entrance

Kick ass kitchen

Does this door open?

Living Room

Quinn's Room

Mine & Dan's "Room" (a King bed in a nook off the living room)

The view in the morning from one of the decks

And, the "bathtub art" on the deck. Quinn didn't think this was as funny as we did!

The house had a record player and like 200 vinyls for us to play. They had a sound system built into the walls throughout the house, so you could hear whatever record was playing from any room. It was a really cool feature of the house.

Once we settled in for a bit, we headed out to dinner. First dinner in Boulder?? ITALIAN!! We went to this place downtown called Jay's. It was absolutely delicious! One of the best caprese salads I've had.
Here's Daddy and a very serious girl coloring before dinner...

After dinner, we went back to the house and played some records and relaxed. None of us slept well that night though, because there were 70 mile per hour winds all night. At one point I was sure the roof was going to blow off. It was scary.

The next morning, we made a fresh pot of coffee and drank it while taking in the beautiful views from the deck. The weather was beautiful - no winds! We all got dressed and walked a few blocks to this restaurant called "Lucille's." It's a little cajun restaurant downtown that serves an incredible breakfast. Dan had the rice and beans, I had a spinach & tomato ommlette and Quinn had yogurt, toast and some of my breakfast. Wow is all I can say...we felt like we were in New Orleans. Seriously. We walked around for a while and then headed back to the house. We put Quinny down for a nap and relaxed ourselves.

Goofing around at the house...

That night, we went to dinner at a place called "Med." They were known for their tapas. We probably got 15 different tapas! They were really good. Not as good as Sugo back in Georgia, but still really good. We had a great time at dinner, laughing at Quinn - who was the hit of the restaurant. She was waving to everyone and giggling.

Heading to dinner...

The winds were back at it again that night, but we all slept a little better I think.

The next morning, guess where we went for breakfast? Yep, Lucille's! Of all the many choices of places to eat, we just HAD to go back to Lucille's again! I know we probably should have tried a different place, but we just liked it so much we wanted to eat there again. If it's possible, I think it was even better! I had the ommlette again, Dan had crawfish etouffee and Quinn had french toast. Sooooo good. Took some pictures this time, so we could always remember it. :)

And, my favorite picture from Lucille's...cutie drinking her juice

After breakfast, Dan took Quinn for some Daddy/Daughter time and I went shopping!! I walked at least 2 miles up and down Pearl Street, going in all the cute little shops. I stopped to listen to the street performers, I got a much-need MASSAGE, and got a very delicious organic chai latte. My favorite shop all day?

BLISS...

This store wasn't even that big but I probably spent at least an HOUR in there. It was a lot of vintage-looking stuff. Loved it! I bought Elizabeth something for watching my kitties, I bought Quinn an owl and I bought myself something.
After my massage, I walked back to the house and relaxed listening to records with Dan while we waited for Q to wake up from her nap.

We decided to do a popular brewhouse for dinner, "Mountain Sun." One of the locals swore that this place downtown had the "best beer in the world." So, we figured we just HAD to try it! :) I had bought Dan a small growler from there while I was shopping that day for him to try. He liked it a lot. So, we got there around 6:15pm and this place was JUMPIN'!! They were already on a 30 minute wait. We went into a few shops while we waited, so the time went by fast. They were SO nice to us, having a stroller, needing a high chair, crayons, etc for Quinn. They were so accommodating and it really made for a great dinner. Dan tried several beers & we ate lots of good food. Quinn tried everything we were eating, and really liked the french fries, salad and veggie chilli.

The next morning, we went to "Foolish Craigs" for breakfast. What is it with the food in Boulder??? IT'S ALL SO GOOD! This place was no exception. We had bagels, lox, cream cheese, eggs, potatoes, coffee, cheese grits.......and Quinn's GIANT order of crepes!
These were off the KID'S menu. What kid can finish this amount of crepes???

A few pics of Quinny at Foolish Craigs...

Listening to the waiter talking to her...

After breakfast, we packed up and drove to Denver to take back the rental car...

When we left the Denver airport, it was 65 degrees. When we got off the plane, it was 28 degrees and snowing hard!! We picked Sargie up from his doggie daycare and started the drive back home. We had to go 20 miles per hour for at least half of the trip because the roads were a sheet of ice and it was snowing so hard!! We were bummed because we thought we would be able to make it to Quinny's friend, Braiden's, 1st birthday party...But, nope...the weather caused us to not get home until after 7pm.

Thanks for a great trip, Boulder!

Daddy's in the crib!

2012-01-28T22:37:00.003-07:00

Every time Dan and I put Quinny into bed each night, we always say, "Man, I wish I could just jump in there and snuggle with her!" Well...

She loved it! She was clapping and laughing and thought it was the funniest thing ever. :)

Wearing Mommy's shirt!

2012-01-17T00:52:00.005-07:00

This means so much to me. My mom saved some of my clothes from when I was growing up, incase I ever had a daughter. I am SO glad she did that!! Oh, I wish my mom was here right now to see this!! This shirt was mine and I wore it when I was Quinn's age. I think I will frame these pictures. Thanks Dad, for finding this shirt!

And, a few more of Quinny in the shirt...

My beautiful mom and me in 1974...

We were so excited that Quinn decided to take her first baby steps in Mommy's shirt. :)

Mom, I wish so much that you were here to see Quinn grow up. I miss you so much. I promise to always tell her about you.

Sunglasses are COOOOOOL

2012-01-17T00:37:00.003-07:00

Quinn needed some sunglasses. Purple & sparkly, she's a rockstar.

Daddy had fun playing Elton John to make Q laugh. :)

New chair (and other stuff)

2012-01-16T23:41:00.004-07:00

I ordered this chair from Pottery Barn Kids with the money Mom & Dad gave us for Christmas. I had NO idea Quinn would love a chair this much!! She is so cute with it. She grabs a book off her bookshelf and then gets up on the chair, reads the book and then goes to get another book to read. It's quite adorable. It even has her name on it.

Thanks Mom & Dad. She loves it!! And it's big enough that she will have it for many years.

So...we tried bows again. This one lasted about 14 seconds.

Our sweet girl playing a little piano before bed...

January 2nd - getting rid of the tree!

2012-01-16T23:30:00.001-07:00

So, Dan had a great idea of how to get the Christmas tree outside without leaving branches all over the house. TAKE IT OUT THE WINDOW!! So......

While Daddy was getting rid of the tree, Quinn found a way to get rid of the candy canes (noooo, we didn't really let him eat them!)...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2012-01-16T23:03:00.010-07:00

New Year's Eve was just what we wanted...everyone laying around the house in pajamas, eating, playing & laughing.

Quinny loves to color. She colored for at least an hour on New Year's Eve.

And, what do you do after you color? Why, sit in a duck and watch cartoons of course!

I did my favorite thing...SHOP! I bought this really cute new rug for the living room...

Dan and I put Quinny to bed and stayed up to kiss at midnight. We opened a bottle of champagne (the bottle the hotel gave us on our 10th wedding anniversary).

At midnight, we kissed each other and then each of the animals. And then went into Q's room to quietly say happy new year and give her a kiss.

New Year's Day, we did more lounging around the house, coloring and playing. It was a fun day.

The laziest dog award goes to...

Quinn got a new coloring book and some big crayons

She loved them. :)

Wearing the monkey pajamas Santa brought her...

HAPPY 2012 everyone! I hope you have a beautiful year filled with peace, love & happiness!!

P.S. I had an organ removed...

2012-01-10T22:27:00.002-07:00

I guess I was so excited to post our Christmas pics that I forgot to mention that I had my gallbladder removed a few days before Christmas. It was awful, to say the least. But...the hospital was great. They were really nice and did everything they could to make me comfortable. I had to spend the night and half the next day there. That was tough because all I wanted to do was relax & sleep and that's the LAST thing you can do staying in a hospital. The nurses were very nice and the surgeon was super funny, which made things better.

Therapy dogs came into all the patients room both days, so I got to hang out with some dogs on my bed after my surgery! That was really hilarious.

Anyways...am I feeling better since having my gallbladder removed? Unfortnately, no. :(

Christmas!!

2012-01-10T21:52:00.008-07:00

Our Christmas was wonderful...My hubby, my beautiful daughter, my animals and me...a quiet and peaceful day. We got up, had coffee and a delicious breakfast and then couldn't wait to watch little Quinny P open her gifts! We lit up the tree, gathered up Sargie and the kitties and started opening up presents!

Santa was here!

Reading a card and opening a gift from Mommy & Daddy

Santa left some presents for Sargie, Lola & Maybe too...

And......Quinny's favorite present from Santa. The shopping cart!

We got to Skype with Papa later that afternoon. He and Quinn played peekaboo and laughed and laughed. It was really cute.

And, we ended the day with Japanese take out!!

Putting up the tree!!

2012-01-01T16:26:00.007-07:00

We let the tree fluff out for a day and then put it in the house to decorate! Quinn had a blast going through all the ornaments. We showed her each one that Dan and I had bought each other over the years. It was really cool to share this with her.

Quinny gets to put the angel on the tree (with a little help from Dad)

Pulling the bows off each present!

Having fun pulling the ornaments off the tree!

Looking through the presents!

Mom, these are all for ME??

Our Christmas Tree!!

2012-01-01T16:11:00.007-07:00

Since we've lived in New Mexico, Dan and I have always gone out to find our Christmas tree and cut it down. It's become a tradition for us. This year, we didn't have to look long - we found it right away. In New Mexico, there aren't really live trees that look a ton like a Christmas tree, but they are close enough. :)

In the car - ready to go!

Found it! This is the one!

Taking a photo break before cutting down the tree!

Sarigie had a blast running around while we looked for the tree!

Cut it down!

Ready to take it home!

ATLANTA!

2011-12-22T13:41:00.007-07:00

Quinn and I went to Atlanta to help my dad after his back surgery. It was quite a long trip because there were several complications with the surgery and we ended up staying longer than we'd planned. We couldn't see as many friends as we'd wanted to, and that was hard for me. I'm so proud to show Quinn off to everyone and unfortunately we didn't get to see everyone we wanted to. But, still, it was nice to see my dad and the few friends we did get to visit with.

Some pics from the trip...

Hanging with Papa (at his house and the hospital)

Skyping with Daddy

Ashley & Jax came over and brought us Chinese food! It was great to see them!

Christy, Alex & Holden came by too! The boys were so cute with Quinny. :) They all had fun playing. Christy made my dad a casserole to freeze for him to eat after we left. Very sweet.

Got to hang out with Staci, Emma, Latte, Lela and ther new dog Cooper! What a cutie. Quinn loved playing with all the dogs!

We went to the Brickery for dinner to see Kate and then met her & Max at Pinkberry for some fro yo!

Got to meet baby Liam and see Buck & Bets...

Uncle Chris came over with Mexican food and made everyone laugh!!

Yvonne came over to play with Quinn too!

And YAY! Baby Dylan must have known we were in town because he decided to be born while we were home...almost 2 weeks early! It was so great meeting him and seeing Amy, Chad & the boys!

It was so great to see everyone. There were so many more friends that we wanted to see, though. Next tim for sure!

Mini vacay in Durango...

2011-11-23T23:18:00.005-07:00

Dan had to work in Durango, so Quinn, Sargie and I went with up there him the night before. We stayed at the Rochester, the favorite hotel of all us locals. Since we had Sargie with us, we got the "pet friendly room" which is not actually IN the hotel. It's an old apartment that is behind the hotel that they bought a few years ago. They use it as their pet friendly room - but it is the COOLEST little place! Much better than a hotel room! Took some pictures :)

Outside - Daddy & Quinn
(the hotel is on the right and our little apartment is on the left up the stairs)

The entrance

Bathroom

Bedroom - Sargie & Q

Christmas came early!

2011-11-23T23:15:00.002-07:00

So, I admit - I buy Quinn waaaaay too many toys. But, I can't help it! She's so sweet and appreciative! I intended for this one to be for Christmas, but I just couldn't wait!!

Happy 38th Birthday to Me!!

2011-11-23T22:50:00.010-07:00

My birthday was AWESOME. I woke up to streamers all over the house!! Dan is so silly!

When I walked downstairs, THIS was laying on the coffee table! BEST.GIFT.EVER!!!!!!!

And beautiful lillies on the dining room table...

Quinn was extra smiley when she woke up. I think she knew it was mommy's birthday. :)

At the door a few days before was a cool gift from my dad! A bread maker!!!!

Homemade bread!!

Dan brought me lunch from one of my favorite restaurants - Costa Vida! Then, he went back to work and Q and I played the rest of the day. She is such a fun baby to hang out with! Dan came home for dinner and we went to KB Dillons. It was DELISH!!!!! They even gave me a free dessert. :)

Guess who loves my new iPad2??

When we got home, Dan gave me this cute little ice cream cake! The ice cream cone on it was my favorite - sorbet!!

Lots of friends posted on FaceBook, called and sent emails and texts too. What a great birthday!!!!

Quinn's new stocking!

2011-11-10T23:51:00.003-07:00

I ordered Quinny a Christmas stocking from Pottery Barn last week. It came today and it is SO CUTE! This picture doesn't really show how great the fabric is, but in person it is really nice. The main part is corderoy and it's thick material. Very nicely done, Pottery Barn!

I cannot WAIT for Christmas Day to see her go through her new stocking! I have a pretty good feeling that Santa will fill it with lots and lots of presents!!

Happy Birthday to Daddy!

2011-11-05T15:18:00.007-07:00

My sweet hubby turned 38 years old yesterday! He just gets better with age. :)

Quinny and I went out during the day and bought him a cake. I let her pick it out. She picked this one...

Dan got home from work and I had dinner ready. I tried something new! Tofu sausages wrapped in a dough and baked, served with mustard. They were really, REALLY good!

After dinner, we gave Dan his cards and presents.

He got 3 pairs of pants, a shirt, a bunch of stuff for his bike, and.......a sweet potato?? When I asked Dan what he wanted for his birthday, he told me "vegetables wearing funny hats." It's a quote from one of Q's cartoons. Well, if that's what you want.....

Then, CAKE!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HONEY! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Miss Cow with her pumpkin & candy!

2011-11-05T15:07:00.003-07:00

Quinny picked out the perfect pumpkin! OK, Daddy helped her.
How cute is this baby?!

She had a blast going through her candy! She didn't eat any, but loved playing with all the wrappers!

What a fun Halloween!

The pumpkin Patch & Trick or Treating!!

2011-11-01T22:42:00.012-07:00

Dan and I took Quinny to the pumpkin patch on Sunday. The weather was beautiful!!

The pretty drive there...

Quinn was mesmorized by all the kids. She especially liked watching the little rides they had.

The pumpkin patch!

Hanging with Daddy

Picking out just the right pumpkin!

Quinn's favorite thing to do - take off Mommy's sunglasses. This never gets old to her! :)

After picking out the pumpkin, we went to the store on the farm to get some fresh green chiles. They had these corn things there and we got 2 bags. DELISH!

We were all a little hungry and so we stopped by the Purple Cow Cafe for some lunch.

We had a great time at the Pumpkin Patch! I can't wait for next year when Quinny can run around with all the pumpkins!!

Last night was Halloween. We took Quinn trick or treating! Last year, she was just too little to go, so this was her first year really celebrating Halloween. Sheput her cow costume on again and off we went! We went to two different neighborhoods (mainly because Dan wanted more candy! hahaha). Quinn had a great time, and so did we. We met a lot of really nice people, who were giving out candy at their homes.

Here's Quinn Trick or Treating at her VERY first house!

I get all that candy, Daddy???

Q's next house with Mommy!

Of course, Quinn's favorite houses were the ones that had dogs!

Why is there only a little bit of candy in her pumpkin???

Because Daddy ate it all!!

HAPPY 1st TIME TRICK OR TREATING, BABY QUINN!!!

Photoshoots, photoshoots & more photoshoots!

2011-10-27T21:33:00.007-07:00

I have been SOOOOO busy lately with photoshoots and just realized that I haven't put any on my blog for several months. So, here ya go!

Spaghetti and Pigtails

2011-10-24T01:34:00.005-07:00

I didn't think it was possible for my daughter to get any cuter. But...she just might have...........with PIG TAILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night was the first time we let Quinn eat spaghetti on her own. It was HILARIOUS! She was so funny!

Laughing at Daddy!

Skype-ing with Papa!!

2011-10-20T00:15:00.002-07:00

My dad is such a sweet grandpa! He loves Quinn so much. He's always sending something he made or bought her. It's hard to live 2,000 miles apart, but thank goodness for Skype! With Skype, Quinn & Papa get to talk to each other and play peekaboo. It's really cute.

Quinny sat on her little picnic bench this afternoon and I put the laptop out there and she and Papa got to Skype! He made her laugh and she just clapped and was so excited to talk to him. Papa even sang to her and that made her so happy! I got some pictures...

We love you, Papa! We can't wait to see you - hopefully soon!!

Dinner with Elizabeth!

2011-10-20T00:08:00.003-07:00

Quinn and I picked Elizabeth up last night and went to dinner. We had a great time talking and laughing. And, Quinny was such an angel. She ate, laughed, played peekaboo with Elizabeth. What a sweet baby! She was fascinated with Elizabeth's rings. So, I had to take a picture!

We left dinner and drove Elizabeth home. We sat in the car and talked for another 45 minutes and Quinn just sat in her car seat and listened to us talk, talked a little herself and laughed a good bit too. She's such a great baby!! We had a lot of fun and are planning on getting together with Elizabeth again soon.

Let's color & play music!

2011-10-19T23:53:00.003-07:00

Little miss Q LOVES to do artwork and play music! We went to the store to buy groceries and when we passed the school supplies aisle, she just kept looking at the markers and smiling. So, I bought her some washable markers. :)

They also had a little art smock, so we got that too. We came home and got out her giant pad of paper and the new markers & art smock and started creating a masterpiece! OK, so it looks like scribbles, but to me it is beautiful. I am going to frame it. How adorable does she look in her smock??

I bought Q this little upright piano last week and it makes a great sound, unlike many of the kid's musical instruments they make these days. It's a 2-octave C to C piano and just the right height for her! So, after we were finished drawing, I gave the piano to play. She loves it and has had a great time playing all week!

What a fun and artistic night with my babe!

Dan is the BEST Dad ever!

2011-10-16T22:52:00.008-07:00

Dan is absolutely the best dad in the world. I woke up today and went outside to the sweetest thing! He had made Quinn a tiny picnic table!! It's so cute!!!! I didn't know he was making it, and it was such a sweet surprise. Quinn loves it. I'm sure she will have lots of fun with it - eating, drawing, painting, tea parties with daddy. :)

Dan had to go out of town today for work today. :( Quinn decided to get in his suitcase to go with him.

She's finally pulling up to standing on her own!!!!! We are so proud!

We finally fulfilled Quinn's dream...to eat breakfast with her kitties!!!! She was so happy her baby kitties ate with her. She smiled even more than she normally does!

After daddy left for the airport, Quinny and I played and then cleaned out the refrigerator! She helped. :)

Quinn and I went on a Mommy-Daughter dinner date tonight. She was a perfect little angel and SO well mannered. She ate a lot, it was cute. She had steamed veggies, spinach ravioli, spianch & artichoke dip, some of a grilled cheese sandwich, apples and milk!! She was a happy & full baby when we left!
I bought her two really cute trays to eat on...we didn't use them tonight, but will hopefully use them tomorrow night at dinner. Here they are:

Park Therapy!

2011-10-14T17:07:00.005-07:00

Quinn & I met Tammie and Braiden at the park today for our usual park therapy! The weather is gorgeous right now!!!! I call it park therapy because I always feel refreshed when I leave. Tammie and Braiden are so fun to hang out with and Braiden is SUCH a sweet and easy baby! He and Quinn will always be good friends, I'm sure.

Took some pictures, of course. :)
(Tammie, let me know if you want this photo of Braiden - I'll print it out for you. Click on it to see it bigger)

Tammie even took one of Quinny and I, but Q isn't looking. :)

Can't wait for another visit next week!

Ohhhh Frieda!!

2011-10-12T23:51:00.003-07:00

Elizabeth walked over to our house tonight with Frieda. Or, shall I say Frieda walked Elizabeth. Hahaha. What a funny dog!! Frieda is a sweetheart...and hilariously crazy! She and Sargie played, sniffed each other a lot & ate treats together. We ordered pizza and had a great time just talking. I hope she brings little Frieda back over to play soon!

A picture I took of Miss Frieda while they were here tonight. :)

Vintage owl lights!!

2011-10-12T23:37:00.002-07:00

My friend Holly gave me some really cool vintage owl lights from the 1960's! Quinn and I stopped by her house on Monday to say hi and visit with her and her daughter. We had a nice visit and the weather was beautiful outside! The owl lights are awesome. They could be put up on the RV awning when we camp...or outside of our house on the porch. I'm not sure where we will put them just yet, but here's a picture of them hanging in our living room. So cute!

Toys please!

2011-10-12T02:19:00.001-07:00

I just love seeing my daughter playing with her toys. This is a cute picture. :)

New high chair, piano lesson with dad...

2011-10-12T01:52:00.004-07:00

We've been moving Quinny's space saver chair back and forth from the dining room to the living room for months now. So, we finally decided to get a real high chair that stays in the dining room. What a great decision that was!! It is so much more convenient to have a high chair always there. And it even has owls on the cover. :)

I usually give Quinn piano lessons, but Daddy wanted to today. They had a blast playing and singing. Quinn was clapping her hands and laughing and playing along with her Dad. So cute!

Peekaboo!!

2011-10-12T01:43:00.002-07:00

One of Q's favorite things to do is to stand on the couch and play peekaboo with the kitties. The kitties love to sit on her jumper (because there are usually blankets on it and it's super comfy). It sits right behind the couch and Quinny climbs up the back of the couch to see them. It's really sweet.

Miss Bookworm

2011-10-12T01:26:00.003-07:00

Quinn loves books more than any kid I've ever known! We started reading to her the day she came home from the hospital, and have read to her every day since. If she has a choice between a book or a toy, she almost always wants the book.

She has several baskets filled with toys around her room. She crawls to each one of them all day and takes out whatever toy she wants to play with. But, her favorite basket is the one with the books! She takes out EVERY book in the basket, spreads them all around her and "reads" every one!! It's so cute! I finally got a picture of her and her books yesterday! I love my smart girl! I sure hope she still loves books in college!

Poor kitty

2011-10-08T20:16:00.002-07:00

Our little kitty Maybelline had to have a dental procedure on Tuesday. :(
I was really nervous about it! But, we knew we had to have it done because she had an absessed tooth. My poor baby!!

She did great in the procedure. They ended up having to pull 3 of her back teeth, plus two little ones in the front!! When she came home that afternoon, she looked like she felt a whole lot better already! Her body temp was a bit low, so we kept her on a heating pad the rest of the day and night. She loved that!

Goooooo DAWGS!

2011-10-08T19:58:00.003-07:00

Papa sent Quinny a UGA onesie and she looks so cute in it!! Gooooo DAWGS!!

We had a great weekend. The Bulldogs won on Saturday! And the weather was beautiful! Sunday, we played out in the yard again - Quinn loves doing that! I brought a blanket outside on the grass and we played with her toys. She wore another onesie that her Papa sent her. He always buys her the cutest clothes.

Beautiful day at the park with our friends!

2011-09-30T22:50:00.004-07:00

Today was a GORGEOUS day! Tammie and Braiden met Quinn and I at the park. We put blankets down and just let the babies play while Tammie and I talked. We got a great spot in the shade by a big tree. We had a great time. Braiden is such a sweetie!! And, Quinny is too. :)

I took a few pictures, of course.

My beautiful girl - not sure what she's looking at, but look at those beautiful blue eyes!!!

Tammie playing peekaboo with Quinn

Tammie & Braiden

Quinn's ONE-YEAR check up!

2011-09-27T22:34:00.005-07:00

I thought I posted this last month, but I didn't! Quinny had her one-year check up August 22nd. She is very healthy and smart, says our wonderful doc!! She had to get 6 SHOTS!! Three of which were intermuscular! My poor baby! She cried for about 45 seconds - and then was fine.

Weight - 23 pounds
Height - 29 1/2 inches

Waiting to get her check up...

Our sweet nurse, Miranda

Our awesome doc, Dr. A!!

Right after the shots :(

We are so thankful for the great staff at our clinic, and especially Dr. A. She answers our plethora of questions anytime and is very thorough. That is such a comforting feeling!!

A visit to see our docs!

2011-09-27T22:27:00.003-07:00

I had to go in for an appointment to see my OB yesterday. It was great getting to show off Quinny to him and his nurse. They hadn't seen her in a few months, so they couldn't believe how much she'd grown. 13 months old...still can't believe it!

These aren't the best pics of anyone, but they are still important to me.

Reading, waiting for the doc to come in...

A picture with mom after the appointment...

Photos with Braiden!

2011-09-25T22:35:00.003-07:00

Tammie & Braiden met Quinny and I at the park on Friday. I took my camera and we got some cute shots of Braiden!!

One of mine and Tammie's favorite shots...

And some photos of the two friends together. :)

Hoping to visit with them at the park again really soon!!

Quinn's 1st haircut

2011-09-25T22:17:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I've cut Q's hair several times, but this was her first PROFESSIONAL haircut. :)
August 2011 - right before she turned one...Thanks Brit!

Quinn's 1st canoe trip...

2011-09-17T22:39:00.006-07:00

Dan was so excited to take Quinny on her first canoe trip last week. We went to the lake about an hour before sunset. It was beautiful! We weren't sure how Q would react to the giant life vest, but she did really well. She didn't like it at first - It really is bulky and I wouldn't like wearing it either. But once she realized she was floating in a canoe with ducks swimming by, she had a great time. I am going to try and find a life jacket for babies that's a little more comfortable, though.

Daddy & Q, looking at the water, getting ready to canoe!

Showing off her new life jacket!

Here we go!!

Hold on!!

Looking at the duckies

After the canoe trip...

Albuquerque in September

2011-09-11T00:39:00.011-07:00

Albuquerque is a great city anytime of year. But September and October are my FAVORITE times of the year to be there. The weather is perfect. Dan, Sargie, Quinn and I went for the weekend. I had a doctor's appointment on Friday, so we went down Thursday and decided to make a weekend of it. We stayed at Dick & Susan's casita. It was nice to get away from here for a few days and relax and eat good food!

After my doctor's appointment, we went to lunch at one of our faves. Annapurnas - It's a vegan Indian restaurant downtown and absolutely some of the best food in town. Quinn tried several things and really liked them. We're trying to introduce her to all sorts of different foods so that she will be able to go to any country, any restaurant - and find something she likes. Then, for last night's dinner, Quinn got her very OWN meal for the first time. Usually she just eats some off of mine and Dan's plate, plus I always have extra food for her with me. But, last night at Flying Star downtown, she got her very own little kid's dinner. It was a momentous event! :) She got a Buhda Bowl, which is brown rice, steamed broccoli, bamboo shoots, tofu, carrots and lima beans. She liked it - her favorite part...the tofu! That's our girl!

So, believe it or not, I didn't have my camera with me at Flying Star last night...but I had it at Anapurna's for lunch. We sat out on their patio on a beautiful day and really enjoyed it!

Eating...

Did I drop something??

Delicious meal!

Taking pictures in front of the beautiful giant Indian artwork outside. We call Quinn the "glasses stealer" because as soon as Dan gets close to her, she takes his glasses. SO, Daddy didn't get a good picture with her this time!

Mom & Q

This child makes me weepy sometimes with how beautiful and sweet she is. I honestly feel like my heart will just burst sometimes with the love I have for her.

Back at our lovely, peaceful & zen rental at Dick & Susan's. Just some photos of the outside...

And a look inside - although our stuff is everywhere!

My sweet babies...

Ohh, just eating my spinach ravioli and then getting some playtime in before we have to drive home...

Great trip -wish it could have been longer. See you again soon, Albuquerque!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS!

2011-09-11T00:30:00.002-07:00

Quinn finally got to wear the UGA outfit that Aunt Christy bought her when she was born. As cute as she is in it, we LOST the game!!! I cant believe we lost. Ugh. My bulldogs need me to come home! They haven't been doing very well ever since we moved to New Mexico. Hmmmm, coincidence?

Anyways, thanks Aunt C for the super cute outfit!

Practicing her cheers!

Frog Butt!!

2011-09-11T00:23:00.004-07:00

One of my oldest and dearest friends (Heather) sent Quinn three adorable onesies. They look so comfortable!! I love all three, but I think my favorite one is the princess and the frog. A tiny princess on the front, and a giant frog on the butt! SO CUTE!! And, since Q sleeps with her tush in the air, this was a perfect shot of her napping in her new onesie. :)
Thanks, Aunt Heathie!!!

Painting & Peekaboo!

2011-09-10T22:18:00.006-07:00

Quinn LOVES to paint! She also loves to play peekaboo. These two things shouldn't be done together. :)

Here's a few pics from last Sunday, having fun painting outside on the porch.

You know, tearing up the paper is far more fun than painting!

Peekaboo BEFORE the real painting begins...

Green paint is fun!

Split seconds before playing peekaboo with green paint on her hand...

Annnnnd, afterwards (the lips are green because she tasted the paint. Yes, of course it's non-toxic!!

So much food!

2011-09-10T22:03:00.005-07:00

Quinn isn't a picky eater...so we thought! She will eat anything you give her. BUT...when she has HER OWN choice, she always goes for the yogurt melts. Then, you have to ask her to eat anything else!!

Hmmmm, what to choose, what to choose...(apples, yogurt melts, sweet potato puffs, bananas and carrots)...

YOGURT MELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now what?

Apples!

The lake with Sargie and Quinny P

2011-09-03T02:05:00.007-07:00

Quinn finds it absolutely hilarious when Sargie jumps into the lake to catch his frisbee. He does look rather silly soaking wet. The lake is always a fun time with them!! We went a few days ago and it was so nice!!

Sargie's two favorite things - swimming and frisbees...

He always brought it to Quinn. I don't think he's figured out that she can't throw it yet...

Photo Op with my girl...

Watching Sargie swim...

Daddy & Q...

Papa's leaving :(

2011-09-03T01:53:00.004-07:00

We had a great visit with Papa. We even got to take him to the hospital twice to help him make his back feel better. The day after he got here, we had a consult with the spinal specialist. Then, the day before he flew home we took him to the hospital to get an epidural. Unfortunately, it only made his back feel better for about 9 days.

He was feeling good after te epidural, so we got some cute pictures of him and Q...

My dad's plane was early the next morning and we knew Quinn would still be asleep. So, he had to say goodbye to her the night before. He cried. :(

I'm excited that we are going to get to see Papa again soon, but unfortunately it's because he is going be coming back for spinal surgery here. This surgeon is the best, plus we will be here to help him recover. And he will have his room, bathroom and kitchen all on the same floor, which is a MUST after back surgery! At his house in Georgia, everything is on differet levels, so there is no way he can recover there.

Thanks for coming to see us Papa! We miss you and will see you soon!!

Gifts from Quinn's party!!

2011-09-03T01:09:00.020-07:00

Yes, this deserves it's own post!! Quinn got so many awesome gifts for her 1st birthday that I just had to take a picture of each one!! Thanks to everyone! You are so thougtful!

Here's what she got and from who...

from Amy (9 tiny adorable books)

from Anna & Kim (a super cute onesie and dress from Ralph Lauren)

from Christy (Q's first purse)

from Daddy (a life vest so they can go out in the canoe and a sock monkey-in-the-box)

from Elizabeth and Chris (an awesome piece of art that E made for Quinny's room)

from Grammy & Grampy (5 onesies, a book, a toy and a plate)

from Heather, Clint, Brody and Caroline (percussion stuff in a drum, baby einstein books and 3 really cute rompers - rompers not pictured because they came a week later - will take pictures of those soon)

from Holly (a Virginia is for Lovers T-Shirt, 2 adorable owl frames and these cool wooden owls)

from Kara (cool toy - shapes that you fit into a box)

from Katie, Sammy & Max (an owl photo album, a cute bird shirt, bath toys and a 'whack-a-ball' toy)

from Mommy (here are a few things - I'm embarassed to say that this isn't even HALF of what I got her. But, so what - you only have a first birthday once! Oh, and I'm addicted to buying her stuff! Hee hee)

from Papa (he made her a cool whirlygig and a name plate, and also bought her a cute little dress, some new tennis shoes and gave her money)

from Peggy & Jerry (a VERY soft pink blanket for the winter)

from sam and amy (a hilarious doll that talks when you feed her)

from shawntay, jalon & darius (a walker to help her walk, a book and a cute teddy bear)

from yaya (a stuffed doggie)

from Tammie (a learning dog that will help her talk and an adorable outfit)

Thanks for all the great gifts everyone!

Quinn's 1st Birthday Party!

2011-09-03T00:22:00.004-07:00

Quinn had a great birthday party! We had about 15 people over, and cooked out, drank, and laughed. It was a really good time. The party had an owl theme, so I went a little crazy on owl everything. But, hey --- she's only gonna have a 1st birthday party once!!

Quinn got her own cake, and then we had cupcakes for all the guests - each cupcake either had a Q, and owl or a 1 on it. They were very cute, and delicious! (Click the photo so you can see it bigger)

The tables, food, gifts and a few decorations...

It was so beautiful that many of our New Mexico (and Colorado) friends came over to help celebrate Quinn's big day.

The owl pinata...

Dan got a little attached to it.

Quinn was a little overwhelmed by the big cake...(she actually didn't like the candle, funny enough). But, she was also teething - 3 teeth coming in all at once!! So, she cried througout us singing Happy Birthday to her...soooo unlike her to cr or even be upset. Once I gave her a little Tylenol, she was a happy baby the rest of the night!

So, we ended up giving her one the cupcakes instead Once she realized that chocolate actually tastes good, she REALLY liked it! :)

I had made everyone a party favor - a little candle with an owl on it...

The wind was really strong that night, so I was really bummed I couldn't put out this photo collage I had been working so hard on!! I printed out a photo of all of Quinn's "firsts" - her 1st Thanksgiving, 1s Christmas, 1st time eating food, etc - there were about 25 of these, so I just put them inside so people could look at them there.

I had also printed a photo from each month of her life and wanted to display that outside - but the wind didn't let me. So, I don't even have a picture of that. :(

Sargie had a great time, because EVERYONE played frisbee with him at some point, I think. So, he was a very happy boy!

Thanks to everyone who came over to help Quinny celebrate her very first birthday! And thank you for all the great gifts! It meant a lot to us that you were there. Especially Papa - flying all the way from Georgia just to be here for his grand daughter's 1st birthday. :)

We tried to give Quinn her cake the next day, thinking...different day, maybe she will like it. We lit the candle again and sang to her. Hilarious AGAIN because she cried until we blew the candle out. I guess the girl won't be a firefighter. (and this picture was taken AFTER we blew the candle out!). Ohhhh, I love my little drama queen!!

But, once Daddy showed her how to eat the icing and she realized that sugar tasted good...well, then she was MUCH happier!!

Sugar = Goooooood

It was a wonderful day and a really fun party. Quinn is an amazing human being and we are lucky to have her in this world. Happy 1st Birthday, Quinny girl. We love you baby!!

Quinn Parker is ONE (and Papa's here)!!

2011-08-22T16:46:00.012-07:00

Wow, my baby girl is ONE! I can't believe it. She's ONE!!!!!!!!
It honestly feels like I just gave birth! What an amazing year it has been. And, what an incredible human being Dan and I have been blessed with. Quinn is the sweetest, smartest, kindest, most beautiful child we could have ever dreamt of having. We are beyond lucky.

Papa flew out to see Quinny for her birthday! What a great present!! He flew into Durango Wednesday night. Quinn and I picked him up from the airport. I had made him an appointment with my spinal surgeon in Durango for the following morning, so it made the most sense to just stay in Durango. So, we stayed at our fave, the campground! Dan had to work and couldn't come with me in time to get to the airport, but he drove up later. My dad checked into his cabin and Quinn & I checked into ours. Everyone got settled in and then about an hour later Q & I picked my dad up and went to dinner. When we came back to the cabins, Dan had just gotten there, so they got to visit for a minute.
The next morning, I picked Papa up early the next morning and we drove to the hospital. Quinn and Dan stayed behind to sleep in. :)

Drinking coffee and eating banana nut muffins before his appt...

The doctor unfortunately said he would most likely need spinal surgery, with a fusion. He wanted to try an epidural, 2 joint injections and 6 weeks of physical therapy first, though. So, we scheduled the epidural and injections for the following Monday.

Back at our cabin to wake up Dan and Quinny P!

Quinn, Papa and I drove back home. We picked up Red Brick on the way back so we'd have some lunch. Dan went to pick up the cake and cupcakes for Quinny's party. Then he went to the ranch where we bought the hamburgers and hotdogs (and beautiful flowers). Both of theses places were just outside of Durango, so it worked out well that we were there that day.

Dan got home with everything. The flowers were GORGEOUS!!!! Wow! They were hand-picked on the farm that morning and the lady did an incredible job. We gave her our budget and an idea of colors we wanted and let her pick what she thought we'd like. They were PERFECT! They made 3 huge bouquets (one for the food table and two for the tables people sat at). Then we put the HUGE sunflowe in it's own vase to display.

The cake wasn't exactly what I asked for, but it was still cute. The cupcakes were adorable and delicious.

You couldn't really read Quinn's name on her cake...

So, I went over it with some brown fudge icing. MUCH better!

We got everything ready on Thursday night & Friday afternoon for Q's party. It was a lot of fun to see everything finally put together! Next post will be of the party!!

A visit to see miss Angie!

2011-08-06T01:32:00.002-07:00

Quinn, Dan and I went to my old perinatologist to visit the nurses. Brenda wasn't there, but Angie was!! It was soooo great to see her! She was so supportive during my pregnancy.

Vegas, baby!

2011-08-06T00:29:00.017-07:00

Dan, Quinn and I took a weekend trip to Las Vegas for Amy & Mike's wedding! It was a blast!! Quinn is such a great little traveller.

Flying and reading her book...

Flying over the Grand Canyon!

LAS VEGAS!

We got there Friday and easily grabbed a taxi to the hotel. We stayed at New York, New York. They upgraded us to a better room (with a great view of the strip), sent up a crib for the room and a refrigerator at no extra charge! Whoo hooo!! The weekend was already off to a great start!

In front of the hotel...

Checking out the view from our room...

We ate lunch at a little cafe downstairs. It was great timing - Quinn was ready for her nap as soon as we finished lunch. So, Dan took her back to our room and got some work done while she napped, and I went to GAMBLE!!

When Quinn woke up from her nap, we fed her and decided to take her to see the flower display at Bellagio. She was MESMORIZED by everything. It was so cool to see her get so excited.

We walked back to our hotel and relaxed for a bit. Then, Dan headed out to Mike's bachelor party and Quinny and I ordered room service and played with all of her toys (we had brought an entire suitcase filled with her favorite toys)! It was a nice end to a wonderful day!

Saturday, we all slept in late and then went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant at the Monte Carlo. The party bus picked us up there for the wedding, and we headed to the chapel!

It was super hot, so miss Q had her own fan. :)

The wedding was really fun. Elvis sang several songs and we all had a great time! Then the party bus took everyone to the Vegas sign and I snapped a few photos there...

Then, we went to the wedding reception at Lowry's. It was DELICIOUS!! Quinn was a perfect angel ALL day, even in the crazy heat! And during dinner, she was also so awesome. She just sat in her high chair and played with her toys. We let her try mashed potatoes and cheesecake for the first time! She REALLLLLLLLY liked both.

After dinner...

Back at our hotel Saturday night. It was such a fun day, but we were TIRED!!

Since we had Quinny out all day, we decided to stay in the hotel room and just relax, let her play and sleep. :)

Sunday, Dan wanted to ride the roller coaster, so we went to the Coney Island on the top of our hotel. Before he rode the roller coaster, he won a ball for Q...

Daddy rode the roller coaster and then we went to the delicious Mexican restaurant in the hotel.

Little princess fell asleep...

Guess hat happens to you when you are a princess AND you fall asleep in a Mexican restaurant????? Yep, you get a tortilla crown. :)

It was a really fun day. Monday morning, we ordered room service for breakfast. It was really good.

We packed up and got a taxi to the airport. We checked in and got home around 4pm. It was a really fun time!

Jerry Seinfeld and a trip to Albuquerque!

2011-07-17T16:21:00.016-07:00

I bought Dan tickets to see Jerry Seinfeld, live in concert in Albuquerque, for Father's Day. We saw him 2 years ago and he was SO funny! We headed to ABQ Wednesday night, and went straight to our casita rental. This little casita has a very special meaning to us...it's where we stayed almost every time we were doing fertility treatments. We've stayed here a LOT. It's a little one-bedroom place, but a great yard/patio for Sargie to play. And, it's right across the street from the big dog park!

After dropping ou stuff off at the house, we went to dinner at Flying Star! We love that place because they have a patio (called a petio") and they encourage dogs to come eat with you. So, we ate outside and had a nice dinner.

Thursday, we slept in late, fed and played with Quinny for a while and then headed to the fertility clinic to visit Dr. C! It's always such an amazing experience taking Quinn to see him.

In the parking deck, about to go in!
Mommy & Q, making the same face!

A few more pics before going in...

By the time we got to his office, Quinn was really tired and when she gets tired, she doesn't like to be held - she just wants to lay down and sleep! So, her pics with Dr. C this time were pretty funny.
Starting to get tired...

OK, now REALLY tired!

Amanda said, "Let me try!" Nope, Quinn was too tired to be friendly today!

We headed straight back to the casita and put Quinny down for a nap. She slept for 2 hours and wokeup super happy rested. :) We walked around Old Town for a little bit and then grabbed a bite to eat at Church Street Cafe.

Outside of the toy store Quinn loved...

One of the little shop areas in Old Town...

Church Street Cafe

We went back to the casita and got ready for Jerry Seinfeld!!!!! Our wonderful friend, Jayme, came over early to hang out with Quinn while we got ready. Quinny hadn't seen her since she was 5 months old, and we wanted to let them hang out for a bit before we left. Jayme is awesome. She was our IVF nurse/coordinator for the majority of the treatments we did in ABQ. She and I became very good friends and I just love her. She gave me such strength going through everything we went through. Every time I would find out I was having a miscarriage, she would sit and cry with me. We talked just about every day on the phone, and she was a huge support. And Quinn LOVES her too! In fact, Quinny didn't even care that we were leaving when we left for the show. She and Jayme were playing and Quinn just waved goodbye to Dan and I when we left. I think I missed her way more than she missed me!

A quick photo of D & I on the way to the show!

When we were at Dr. C's office, we actually talked him into coming to Jerry Seinfeld too. We couldn't get seats together, since Dan and I had had our tickets since May. But we met at the bar before-hand. :) It was really fun to see him and his wife, Kelly, outside of the office. We had a drink together and then went our seperate ways to our seats for the show. He tried to pay for our drinks but I insisted, since he gave us a BABY and all! That's the least I could do!!

Jerry Seinfeld was HILARIOUS. He actually wasn't as funny as when we saw him 2 years ago, but he was still REALLY funny. I only had my cell phone, (no cameras allowed) - and no flash photos allowed. So, this is the only picture I got - very blurry...

We saw Dr. C and Kelly after the show, but say goodbye quickly because we were ready to go back to the house and see our girl! Jayme said she did really great. She played the whole time and never cried at all! YAY!!!

A few pics with Jayme...

Thank you, Jayme!! We love you. You are the BEST!

Dan and I realized how hungry we were! We hadn't eaten since lunch! So, we headed to the only place we knew that was open late...Frontier!!!!!!! It's right by the hospital (across from UNM) and pretty much a college hand out. But they have delicious, greasy food at 10pm! So good! We slept well that night!

The rest of the time in ABQ, we hung out and just RELAXED! It was a really fun trip. Got a family photo on the porch at the casita...of course, as soon as Sargie is looking, Quinn isn't!

On the way home, we saw a ton of smoke from a fire...

We had a great trip! We'll see you again next time you come to ABQ, Jerry!! :)

Quinn's first 4th of July!

2011-07-11T21:22:00.003-07:00

Dan and I had no idea how Q would react to the fireworks. She loves things that light up and make noise, so we figured chances were pretty good that she'd like them. We are very lucky to live on top of a hill, with a balcony that has a fantastic view to the city's firework show. This was our fifth July 4th in New Mexico, and we always do the same thing. Sit up on our roof balcony with a bottle of wine and watch the show! This year was no different, except that we got to put out THREE chairs instead of two. :)

Quinn was mesmorized with the fireworks show. She giggled and made noise the entire time. She loved it.

Of course, as soon as she saw my cell phone, she forgot all about the fireworks!!

My In-Laws are Here!!

2011-07-10T22:37:00.017-07:00

Mom & Dad came to see us for a few days. We had a great time! They got here Thursday night. We had a great dinner at St. Claire, and then went to the new frozen yogurt place next door afterwards. Friday, Dan went to work and then we all met him for lunch at Red Brick Pizza. He & his dad went back home, and Mom and Quinn and I went to the grocery store. We got stuff to grill out for that night, plus a few things for breakfast and lunch the next day.

When Dan got home from work that night, everyone hung out outside and grilled some of the veggies.

Quinn had a blast with a box of rubber gloves. She kept taking them out of the box and putting them back in. It was cute.

After dinner, Mom & Dan went for a bike ride. Mom wanted to try out Quinn's future bike.

Saturday, we woke up and I cooked breakfast - blueberry pancakes, and coffee!! The pancakes were pretty good. I made two batters - one was gluten free. :)
We did a LOT of frisbee playing over the weekend. Sargie really liked that. Mom would always get a few of her throws on the roof! So, I had to snap a picture of that!

PICTURE TIME!!!!! I was excited to get some photos of Quinny with her grandparents.

Grammy & Quinn

Everyone (except the kitties)...

A few more photos with Daddy

And, one of Mom & her pup

A little reading after pictures!

Saturday, I made tuna sandwiches & chips for lunch. The rest of the day, Mom, Quinn & I just hung out and relaxed with the dogs. It was nice to spend some time with her. A for Dad & Dan, they worked ALL DAY wiring some stuff for the garage. I know it was a lot of work - thanks for helping, Dad!

Sunday, Mom and I went to TJ Maxx and she bought a bunch of birthday gifts for Quinny. It was very sweet of her. Quinn is growing so fast, so she bought her 5 onesies, shorts and a little shirt! And two books and a toy. Unfortunately, Quinn was taking a nap when we got home and Mom & Dad had to leave. So, Q didn't get to open her gifts in front of them. But I know she will love them! We brought Taco Bell home for everyone for lunch. After lunch, Mom & Dad said goodbye and left. It was sad to see them go.

Here's some pictures of them leaving. My favorite one is of Grampy quietly saying goodbye to Quinn while she was sleeping in her crib. So sweet.

Bye Grammy & Grampy!! Come back and visit us soon! We love you!!

Ahhhhh, DURANGO!

2011-07-10T21:35:00.008-07:00

We stayed in Durango two weeks ago for Dan's job. Durango is basically our 2nd home. It's such a cool little town, and since we spend so much time there, we've gotten to know a bunch of nice people. Dan had to work there for 8 days in a row, so we decided to camp so he wouldn't have to drive back and forth. It was fun. We ate out a lot at our favorite restaurants...although, because of me not being able to eat gluten, it's not quite as enjoyable anymore - to say the least! Our favorite place (East by Southwest) is difficult for me because I LOVE their calamari, but I can't eat it...for now.

Lunch at one of our favorite Mexican places...

Walking around downtown. Quinn waves at EVERYONE that walks by. So cute!

Enjoying our dinner at East by Southwest

We camped at the KOA and had a great time. My favorite night was cooking out at our campsite. We roasted corn on the cob, carrots, potatoes...watermelon for dessert.

We went to the pool several times. It's a very nice little pool & Quinny LOVES the water!!

Back is the RV after swimming...showing off her new toofers. :)

Quinn LOVES the kitties

2011-07-03T23:24:00.004-07:00

Quinn laughs every time she sees our kitties. Maybe decided to jump in the crib with her the other day. I don't think I've ever seen Quinny get so excited!

A new swing, a car and a beach chair!!

2011-07-03T23:08:00.006-07:00

I got this swing for Quinn a few weeks ago. Dan installed it on our porch. SHE LOVES IT! This is the best $20 bucks I may have ever spent! We go out several times a day, and she swings whileI play frisbee with Sargie. It's perfect!

Yep, I think she likes it. :)

We also got her a little car. It's pretty cool because it makes car noises with different buttons, and it steers too. It's got sides on it, so she has a little support. Dan has been wheeling her all over the place!

Her Papa got her this cute chair for when we go to the pool. Thanks, Papa!

Sargie boy!!!!!!!

2011-07-03T23:04:00.002-07:00

I love these pics of Sargie catching a toy. He's such great puppy.

Dan's 1st Father's Day!!!

2011-07-03T22:51:00.008-07:00

HAPPY 1st FATHER'S DAY, DADDY!!

Father's Day was awesome! Quinn got her dad the bike trailer he's been wanting for so long!! He was beyond excited! They went for a ride and Q loved it...

Daddy seeing his trailer for the first time!

Gotta be safe and wear a helmet!

Best friends

Getting ready to go

Aaaaaand, they're off!

I got Dan tickets to see a show, for being such a great daddy. :) I think he had a really good 1st father's day.

Catching up.....AGAIN!

2011-07-03T22:42:00.004-07:00

OK, the last post was in May?? Oops, sorry. I've been super busy! I can't possibly catch up with all the photos I've taken and things we've been doing for the last 6 weeks, but I'll try and post a little bit...

A few cute pics of Quinn the weekend we got back from Denver...

The new sunhat we got in Denver at Janie & Jack...

DENVER ~ Days 3 & 4

2011-05-21T14:49:00.010-07:00

We woke up Thursday morning and snuggled in bed! Quinn is such a snuggly little baby, especially in the morning. :) As I got dressed, I let her sit in front of the full-length mirror. She had a BLAST! Omg, soooo funny! She would stare at herself and then crack up. She kept trying to give the baby in the mirror her toy. Then she would put her mouth to the mirror an try to kiss the baby. It was really, REALLY funny!

After we got dressed, we headed to the lobby for my morning coffee! Even though we had a great coffee machine (and coffee) in our suite, coffee shops just make it better! We talked to the coffee shop guy and were off to the Cherry Creek area! The Cherry Creek area is an ALL-SHOPPING district just 3 miles from downtown Denver. It was awesome! They had all the stores I love...Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, the Gap, Janie & Jack, Lucky & 3 of the major department stores (Neiman Marcus, Macys & Nordstrom). But, our first stop was Verizon. I had to return the iphone - I really didn't like it at all! I had bought it the day before when we were shopping on 16th street. What the guy didn't tell me was that it didn't have the main feature I needed...voice-activated navigation! I asked if it did, and the sales guy had said yes. Well, it did not.

I got the Droid Incredible 2...So far, it seems similar to the droid I had before, but I definitely don't like it as much...yet.

We shopped around a bit. I bought Quinn some clothes at Baby Gap, and a sun hat at Janie & Jack. Then, headed to Gymboree and bought some things there. She grows out of clothes SO fast! Plus, I love buying her clothes!!!!!

Lunchtime at CPK! I love their pizza. Quinn ate while I was ordering. By the time my lunch came, she needed something to do so I could eat. So, I put her in the highchair and let her watch Baby Einstein on her portable DVD player. The waitress and everyone around us were cracking up because she was laughig so much! She thought it was so cool to watch her DVD at the restaurant.

After shopping, we went back to the hotel to relax for a bit. Quinn and I played and then I put her in fron of that mirror again. She just cracks herself up!

I wanted to take Quinn to another aquarium and I had heard that the Denver one was pretty cool. So, we went - it was only like a mile or so from our hotel. It was REALLY cool! It was kind of like you were in a jungle of some sort. Very interesting. Quinn seems to be interested in fish because she loves her aquarium at homme (the Baby Einstein soother - not a real aquarium), and she will pick her "sea creatures" book out of ALl her books for us to read to her at night. We walked around and saw everything. She got especially excited with the stingrays that you could feed. Of course, I took tons of pictures!

It was around dinner time after we had walked around the whole place, so we decided to eat at the aquarium restaurant and I'm SO GLAD we did!! They put us down in the "fish bowl" section. It was just three tables right in front of this HUGE tank with sharks & giant fish swimming right next to our table! Quinn was mesmorized!!!

Waiting for our table at the restaurant...

Here's the restaurant...

On the way down to our section, there were these things on the sides like mocked coral reef stuff. Quinn LOVED touching them.

Our table

The DESSERTS!!!!

The one I chose (keylime pie)...But, I took one bite and was too full! So, I got a to-go box and got distracted looking at the fish when we left that i FORGOT IT!!!! I was so bummed. I couldn't wait to eat it later on in the hotel...oh well, I guess I saved myself th calories. :)

On the elevator back to our hotel suite. Tired from a wonderful day!!

We hung out and played in our room until we went to sleep. What a great trip!!
The next day, we slept in late. Unfortunately I got a phone call at 8am that woke me up! It was my nurse at the gastro doc - my biopsy came back abnormal...don't know what that means because I was half asleep to ask any questions! But, all I got was 'abnormal results - go get labs done in Aztec Monday morning.' And then something about stomach atrophy. Ughhhhh! I'm not very happy about this!

Anyways, we checked out of the hotel, said goodbye to all the friends we'd made at the hotel and headed to the airport.
Quinn was a hit going through security. She was SO funny - waving to every person that passed by. And smiling so big! She's such a sweetheart!!!!

In line at security...

Getting on our tiny plane

Inside the plane. There were only 3 other people on it. You can tell how small it was...we are sitting in the very back. :)

What an amazing creation! The portable DVD player!!!! Quinn doesn't get to watch TV, but we let her watch baby Mozart because it's good for her brain.

Quinn and I had an incredible time together!! I am so lucky to have that little girl in my life. I can't wait to show her the world!

DENVER ~ Days 1 & 2

2011-05-21T11:21:00.008-07:00

I love traveling with Quinn! She is such a great little flyer. I decided to take her to Denver for a few days, just for a Mommy/Daughter trip! We had a BLAST!!!!!

We flew on the tiny little plane - easy and fast! It's only an hour flight! We got into Denver and took the bus to the rental car place. Got our car and headed to the hotel. I like trying out different cars because I'm looking to buy a new one soon, and renals are a great way to try them out without buying them. So, we got an Eddie Bauer edition Explorer. It was fully loaded and AWESOME! I really liked it a lot. Only downside is that it is really expensive to fill it up! I forgot to take a picture of it until we were filling it up at a gas station on the way back to the airport. Here it is...I'm not crazy about the color, but it was a really fun car to drive.

We went to Babies-R-Us to look at strollers. I want a lightweight umbrella stroller to use when we go to festivals, shopping, etc. The one we have is great, but it's really big to stroll around. We found the one I want! It's a Chicco and comes in a cool orange color. It is very lightweight, has a 5-point safety belt and reclines! Most umbrella strollers don't recline, so this is a great feature!

We headed to the hotel to check in. WOW, WOW, WOW is all I can say! The hotel itself was awesome - it's downtwon, right in the heart of everything. The staff there were probably the nicest people I've ever met! From the front desk to the valet guys to the room service staff...all SO nice & helpful! As soon as I checked in, the guy saw I had a baby with me. He said, "Ya know...you booked a standard room, but since you have a baby you might want more room. I would like to give you our best suite, at no extra charge!!" I was like, WHAT??!! OK! So, he gives me the keys, helps with the bags and then gives me maps of everywhere cool to go! OK, loving this place so far!! We were on the 10th floor in a corner suite with 3 seperate rooms and windows. The views were different from each window! Here are some of the views...

The suite was awesome. I took a few pictures, but they don't even do the room justice. It was much nicer than these pictures show...

The hotel at night

The hotel had it's own coffe shop in the lobby, which was SO nice! I got to know the coffee shop guy pretty well. :) He made a delicious Americano.

The restaurant was good. Breakfast buffet was DELISH!

We ordered room service a few times too.

.....annnnnnd, WAAAALA!

Wednesday, we woke up and headed to the class I had signed up for. It was a music class for babies ages 6 months to 15 months. It was at "Gymboree Music & Play."

The room was set up with little green fuzzy mats around the room. And they put a big drum in the middle.

We wre the first ones there, so Quinn got to play the drums all by herself. She LOVED this!!

I know I'm posting a lot of pics from the class, but Quinn loved it so much, and she was SO adorable with her new little friends! This other baby (Emmy Lou, 11 months old) showed up next and Quinn thought she was hilarious! This baby could crawl and kept getting on top of the drum. Quinn thought this was HILARIOUS!

Then, all the others showed up. It was a really fun class! Quinn had a blast!

After the class, we headed back downtown to the pediatric neurosurgeon. It was a really cool office. It was on the 7th floor, I think? And, instead of regular exam rooms, each room had a theme and had NO exam tables. It had kid furniture and cool rugs for them to sit on.

The neurosurgeon came in and sat on the floor with us to exam Quinn! I thought that was really cool, and much more personal than regular doctor rooms. Also, I think it made Quinn feel more comfortable. The doc examined Q and said she was just fine. She said she had no worries about her 90th percentile head size. Phew!! She hung out with us for a while, just talking. She was very nice. Ends up, she asked ME a bunch of medical questions!! She is going through the egg donor process right now and had lots of questions. It was really cool to bond with her through our infertility. Nice lady!

After the appointment, we walked around downtown - 16th street mall. It was very cool, but super rainy, so we didn't stay out long. I bought an iphone. We went back to the hotel, ordered room service for dinner and just played in the room for a while.

Then, we headed down to the indoor pool and Q got to go swimming for the first time!! She LOVED it! I couldn't bring my camera in the pool, but I did take some pictures before and after. Her little bathing suit is SO CUTE!!!!

A very fun-filled first day in Denver!!

Quinn's 9 month check up!

2011-05-21T11:06:00.005-07:00

Quinny had her 9 month check up on Monday, May 16th. she got a clean bill of health. Thankfully, she didn't have to have any shots! The 9 month visit is one of the ones they just get examined, with no shots! On May 16th last year, it was my baby shower in Atlanta!! One year later, I have a beautiful, healthy 9 month old!!

Some pics from her check up...

We weren't able to see Q's regular doctor because she was out that day, but we ran into her in the parking lot later that day. She said she reviewed Quinn's growth curves and said her head size was still in the 90th percentile. She said it wouldn't be a bad idea to look into that a little bit more. So, since we were already going to Denver the next day for a little Mommy/Daughter vacation, I called a pediatric neurosurgeon there to ask if they could fit us into their schedule while we were visiting Denver. They were so nice and got us in for Wednesday! (more on that in the next post)

Anyways...a few pics after her check up...

We went to lunch after her appointment

On the way home, we stopped at one of the many parks in town.

My Endoscopy!

2011-05-14T14:28:00.005-07:00

I had to have an endoscopy Thursday. We dropped Sargie off at his doggie daycare, and headed to the doc's office. The endoscopy went well...the IV wasn't that bad, they sedated me, did the procedure and then it was over! I wasn't nervous at all because Quinn & Dan were there to hang out with me.

After the procedure, I was HUNGRY! I hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours. I ate dinner at 8pm Wednesday night. Then, wasn't allowed to eat until after the test, which was finished at 5pm. We picked Sargie up and headed downtown Durango for dinner. We sat next to a nice couple, who had an 8 year old little girl. They kept commenting on how adorable Quinn was. Well, I have to agree. :) As we were leaving, the lady asked if we wanted a family picture. SURE! It's not good of me, but oh well...

A few pics walking around after dinner...

On the way home, we stopped at Vanilla Moose (ice cream shop) to get Sargie a puppy ice cream cone. They give mini vanilla cones to dogs. He loved it!

The PARK!!

2011-05-10T23:47:00.002-07:00

Tammie and I are trying to make it to the park to walk every week with the babies. Today, she picked up lunch for us at Schlotsky's. It was a beautiful day! It started out a bit cold, but ended up to be perfect. We ate and talked and laughed! Braiden and Quinn just hung out in their strollers. After lunch, we walked and then sat on the grass and talked (and took some pictures). We always have a great time. :)

Mother's Day Weekend - Part Two

2011-05-10T22:40:00.013-07:00

Wow, Mother's Day was awesome!! I had dreamt of this day for a long, long time. I know it sounds cliche, but it was even more perfect than I had ever imagined.

Always wearing my beautiful Quinn necklace that Brandy made for me.

We celebrated it all weekend! It was great. Saturday, we packed up the RV and went camping in Durango. We got to the campsite around 7pm, got settled into our spot, let Sargie run around for a bit and then headed to dinner.

Hanging out in the RV

We went to one of our favorites...The Palace! It's always good, but it was exceptionally good this night! Maybe because I couldn't stop smiling, looking at my sweet baby.
Quinn laughed all throughout dinner, and the server kept coming over to see her.

At dinner:

Sweet girl!

After dinner we went back to the campsite and hung out. We played with Quinn and Sargie and then went to bed.

Sunday morning - MOTHER'S DAY! What a great way to wake up...next to my beautiful daughter! Since we can't fit the pack-n-play in the RV, she has to sleep with Dan and I. We never sleep with her at home, so it's really fun!

Goooooooood morning everyone!

Dan snapped these great photos of she and I before we left for brunch.

Better put Mommy's sunglasses on, Q! It's bright out there!

Brunch was wonderful. We went to our friend, Suzanne's, restaurant. It's always a great meal! I had an omelette with tomatoes, mushrooms & cheese. SO GOOD!

After brunch, we hung out in the RV. Dan & Quinn gave me two gifts. A hard drive for my computer to back up all my photos and videos. I needed this soooo badly! The other gift was for a massage later that day! My hubby is so sweet!

helping Mommy open her gifts.

My favorite massage place...

The room...

During my massage, Dan drove Quinn & Sargie back home. I had my car there, so I got to stay and SHOP!! I went to all my favorite little shops, and got a tea and cookie from Durango Coffee while walking around. It was wonderful!!! I shopped a few hours and then headed back home.

I bought some finger paints and paper for Quinny while I was shopping. So, I wanted to let her paint when I got home. She LOVED it! She was so adorable. She would put her fingers in the paint and then look at me. She really had a blast with this! We'll definitely paint a lot!

Mother's Day Weekend - Part One

2011-05-07T11:43:00.003-07:00

Quinn, Sargie and I went to Durango yesterday. We dropped Sargie off at his day care so he could play with his little puppy friends. He loves going there to play! Then, Quinn and I went to my doctor's appt (the gastro doc). I've been nauseous since Quinn was born and it's just not getting better. So, the doc is doing a procedure next week - an endoscopy. Ugh! Another IV...definitely NOT my favorite thing.

Then, Quinny and I went downtown to lunch and did some shopping. Lunch was fantastic. And, shopping was great too...I bought a pair of yoga pants - they are orange and SO comfortable!! I don't look very good in them, but I don't care. I like them too much not to wear them. :)

The wind was a little breezy - so, my girl's hair was crazy! I love that she has hair just like mine!!

We picked Sargie up and headed home. We were actually packed to spend the night, but the hotels were booked. We forgot it was Wine Festival Weekend. Had a great day with my baby & dog. Life is good.

A few pics of my beautiful girl...

2011-05-07T11:05:00.003-07:00

I can't stop taking photos of her!! She's just so pretty and adorable!!!!!!!

New toys!!

2011-05-07T10:59:00.003-07:00

Exersaucers are AWESOME! I bought Quinn a new one last week. It has a jungle theme...an iguana that sings, koalas, monkeys & an aligator that counts. :)
She LOVES, LOVES, LOVES it.

My dad sent her a xylophone and drum, so she can learn to play jut like her mommy. :) She tries to play the xylophone likea piano - she doesn't quite get the mallet thing yet.

Photoshoot with Braiden!!

2011-05-07T10:47:00.005-07:00

My friend, Tammie, brought her beautiful boy over for a photoshoot. Quinn LOVES him. At the end of the shoot, we put them together and Q tried to hold his hand the whole time. It was PRECIOUS!

And, my FAVORITE picture of Mommy & Braiden...

Quinn & Braiden...so cute!

I know Braiden and Quinn will grow up to be great friends. :)

Catching up...

2011-05-07T10:13:00.009-07:00

Wow, the month of April FLEW by! I can't believe I haven't updated my blog in a month! Lots going on here...

I don't have time to catch up on the entire month, but here are a few things...

Quinn's Easter pictures were fun. She LOVED being in the basket, but hated the jacket I had on her (she doesn't like hoods). As soon as I took the jacket off, she was cool.

Jacket on

Jacket off!! Happy!!

I did a photoshoot with a high school senior. He was a lot of fun! I photographed his older brother 2 years ago. So glad his mom kept my name/number!!

Did another photoshoot at an 80th birthday party...The lady was very sweet -she wanted pics of EVERYONE in the family - 26 people and a dog! I think it went very well, especially for that many people in a tight space.

Then, they wanted photos with different groups within the family...it was probably 15 different groups. Here are a few of the groups...

Lots more going on the month of April, but I took too many pics to post them all!! :)

Unfortunately, on a sad note, our friend Chris's dad passed away last week. We're planning on bringing him and Elizabeth dinner one night so they don't have to cook. I feel so bad for him. I know how it feels to lose a parent...it sucks. :(

Durango - Day 2!!

2011-04-05T21:45:00.012-07:00

Last night we played monopoly until after minight! Dan was drinking lots of beer, so he kept just GIVING me his properties and money. So, long story short, I won. :)

So many games to choose from!

Decided on monopoly...

Today...what a FUN day! I slept in super late, which was so nice. Dan ran to work for a few hours and was home by the time I was getting ready. I got Quinn ready before me and she hung out with Sargie while I got dressed. He is so nice to her. She was pulling his hair and tail!

Um, hey...can you not do that?

OK, can I just use you as a foot rest then?

Dan came home with a bike trailer for Quinn! He rented it for the day at the local bike shop. He's been dreaming of this moment for a while! :)
She fit in it very well, but once we got her in there, we thought it might be more secure to put her in the car seat until she's a little older.
So many pictures...

OK, so now she looks secure!!

We went for a nice bike ride around town. Dan pulled Quinn and I rode alone. We realized she was getting a little bit of sun on her face, so we rode to the drug store and bought some baby sunscreen.
Then, headed to breakfast...THE CREPE CART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's literally a little cart in the middle of town with a French guy who home-makes the most delicious crepes. SO GOOD!!

We rode around some more after breakfast. Quinn LOVED it! We put a blanket over the top, so she was completely shaded with the breeze coming in the mesh top...lucky girl!

Of course Sargie wanted a turn! So, Dan took him for a ride...

He definitely didn't like it as much as Quinn did.

Photo opp with 2 of my loves...

Durango!

2011-04-04T15:40:00.006-07:00

We love Durango. It's really our second home. So laid back and fun, great food, cool people. It's one of our favorite places to hang out. We rented a house downtown. It's a cute little one-bedroom house. It was built in the late 1800's...creaky hardwood floors, old stove, no dishwaher, huge trees in the yard...We love it! It was stocked full of old books and board games too. We're gonna play something tonight - either Clue or Sorry. :)

I took a few pics for the owner because her pictures online made the place look really tiny, which it's not.

Inside...

Our view of the back yard...

Happy girl, anywhere she is!

Last night, we went to a bar and split a pitcher of beer and had some dinner. I don't drink beer that much but it was really good! Pitchers were 1/2 off!!

Today, we slept in til about 10:30am, fed Quinn and then headed out to breakfast downtown. We took a nice, long walk with her in the stroller and Sargie on his leash. It's a little chilly, but feels great in the sun. We took a family pic after breakfast...

Then, we walked to the railroad station and Dan got a photo of Quinn, Sarge and I. It's a photo that means a lot to me because it's the same shot we took a year ago...except Quinn was in my belly! Now, I can actually hold her in my arms, which is my dream come true.