4-H Camp and Remotes

I feel like a lazy mommy because I haven't posted in a while! Things have been really busy around here getting ready for 4-H Camp and 4-H U. I will be so glad when the month of June is gone! Natalie is eating so much more! I am still worried she is getting too much baby food and not enough formula but she is growing out of diapers and clothes so I assume that she is growing enough! She is moving up to size 3 diapers and is already in some 6-9 month clothes! Amazing!

I had to leave her for the first time last week. It was HARD. Mama kept her while I was at 4-H camp and I didn't get to see her for the whole week! I was so happy to see her on Friday! I leave for 4-H U aka Short Course next week. Steven is going to be on his own so I am little worried but he should do fine.

Natalie's new thing is electronics. She throws a fit if I won't give her the remote and/or my cell phone. She is also so much more wiggly and active! She flipped herself right out of her Bumbo yesterday and smacked her head on the book she was holding. Thankfully I was right there to catch her before she fell out comepletely! She is in love with toys which could be anything from the expensive toys Steven has to have for her or just simply playing with the diaper while I am getting ready to change her! She is so delightful! I know that is a cheesy old lady word but that is just about the only word I can think of to describe it!

She is also laughing out loud like everything is hilarious! She grabbed for a chocolate cupcake the other day (and almost succeeded) and the only way I could think of the get the icing off of her had was to lick it off....well apparently that was the funniest thing ever! She belly laughed! HARD! It was the greatest sound in the world!



My work load has been heavy lately and I can't wait until this month is over and I get some down time! July means slowing down and vacation for me. I also want to take a trip to Biloxi soon even though its kind of gross! But we don't get to go to Florida this year so its the best I get!

I also lost my paternal grandfather this Sunday. I have been very down about it because I am not going to be able go get up to St. Louis for the services. Between work and not wanting to take Natalie on a 12 hour trip by myself, I just can't swing it. Luckily my family understand and we are going to have a little service in July when we are able to get up there. I will miss him a lot. I think I am the most upset because Natalie won't be able to meet either one of my grandfathers. Mama says that we will just have to keep his memory with her by telling her stories and showing her pictures. I know that this is all a part of life but its still hard.

Well now that I have spilled my guts for now I will let you get back to your life!

Natalie's first trip to Camp Grant Walker

Smiley Becnel!


Mugging for the Camera

Going for the foot

Wearing her bikini bottoms on her head!

5 Month

Well Natalie...we made it 5 months! In just the last few weeks you have grown so much its incredible! You are such a good sitter and its only a matter of time before you can sit all by yourself! You still hate to be on your tummy....we may just have to skip the crawling thing! You are so smiley! It doesn't matter what anyone says you think its funny! For some reason the funniest thing in the world to you is when I have the handle of your paci in my mouth and I talk to you! It cracks you up everytime! You LOVE swimming! It doesn't matter how cold! It must be very relaxing because your body just relaxes and you go to sleep after a while! You had your first major sickness this month. You had to get a big bad shot for a respiratory infection after a friendly encounter with a fluffy cat, but we made it through!

Your daddy is really starting to catch on the this whole parent thing! He holds you and plays with you more and you love him so much! Everytime he walks in the room you stare him down, especially when he is in his uniform! You are so much like him! He can't ever deny you for sure! You look like him and you act like him!

You are really taking to solid foods. So far you LOVE the sweet potatoes and applesauce, the pears and the squash are ok but you at least tolerate them!

Unfortunately you are developing a little attitude. You are now throwing fits...its kind of funny to watch and I just let you do it because you eventually calm down...another daddy symptom I'm afraid!

I can't believe its almost been half a year! I love you!

Mama

With her Papa

Princess Crown

Thats HILARIOUS!

Daddy is being weird again!

Posing for the camera

Sweet Potatoes and White Trash Weddings

I am really stinking as a blogger these days. I really have nothing to write about...just lots of work! Natalie likes Sweet Potatoes if anyone cares :) I think they are making her gassy....I will have to look that one up. My mama said my papaw used to say to make sure to roll the toots out of the sweet potatoes...hmmm...ok....I am performing my sister in law's wedding ceremony this weekend. She is remarrying her ex-husband....yea I know but they already had the big wedding and now they are trying again. I went online and got ordained. I think it is going to be pretty cool. It is a white trash theme like Heidi Klum and Seal did to renew their vows! It keeps getting worse and worse every day! She calls me with more details and all I can say is...oh Lord! Hey at least there is going to LOTS of free crawfish! I am putting Natalie in her camo and overalls so she will match the theme....I haven't decided what I am going to wear yet. This whole thing came about because I whined that I wasn't going to get to be a bridesmaid so I might wear my bridesmaid dress from Jessamy and Beau's wedding just to make it extra trashy! Wish me luck! Hey maybe I will be so good at it that I can start charging people! Why not....this is Louisiana! Nothing exciting coming up....maybe I can get some good pictures of Natalie now that she is slightly cooperating! Until next time....

Natalie - 4 Months

Dear Natalie,

You just turned 4 months old and I can't believe another month has passed! You finally rolled over which was the greatest thing yet! I was so excited that you did it that I yelled and scared you and made you cry! I'm sorry about that but I was so excited I couldn't help it. This past month it doesn't seem like a lot of big milestones but if I really think about it you have developed so much! You are really smiling now and LAUGHING! You love to laugh at me and your daddy and anyone else who will make a face at you! There are many degrees of your laugh, from the actual HAHA to the sucking in air squeak it one of the greatest sounds in the entire world! You also have become a lot more willing to play. Even though you would rather be held you will lay on the floor, play in your bouncy seat (finally) and play in your activity center. You are holding your head up so well! Papa says that you are losing your case of the Stevie's! You also had your first rice cereal! You still hate it but we are working on it! I know in the next couple of months you are going to be transforming into a baby instead of a small infant that can't really move on your own. I love you more and more every day and I can't wait to see what the next month brings! I love you bunches Punkie!

Love
Mama

Nat's First Rice Cereal

Well....I thought I was going to wait until Natalie turned 4 months to give her rice cereal....but I thought the Friday before wouldn't make that much of a difference. We were at Ashlyn's and I decided to see what she would do....it was an interesting experience. At first she screamed....I think it was that I put her down before she was good and ready...so we tried again after a few minutes and it actually went quite well. She ate it pretty well but didn't eat very much! She actually opened up her mouth a couple of times. She mostly spit it out but I don't think it was on purpose. She really doesn't have the whole eating off a spoon thing down yet. We have been practicing every night and maybe by the time she is actually supposed to be eating it she will have it down! She is very close to rolling over...she just can't get her big Becnel butt over the hump! She is going to the Dr. on Friday so I will have an update of "stats". That is....if I make it through Achievement Day on Wednesday!

We also put in our new floors this weekend! Yay for no more disgusting carpet! I hope we increased the value of our house and not decreased it by doing it ourselves! No it really looks great! I am super excited! I can't wait to show it off!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from the Becnels! We had a pretty exciting weekend! Mama, Daddy, and Carly (Nanna, Papa, and Caca) came for the weekend and Natalie didn't touch her swing the whole time! It was a record I think. We finally bought our floor and I am super excited! I slightly stroked when the man told me the total for everything but other than that I think I am liking the floor more than I am missing the money! I only have to wait two more weeks before it actually gets installed by my hopefully proficient father in law and step father in law!

Papa helping Natty make his classic picture pose...the peace sign

We went shopping for a dress for Natalie for my cousin's wedding in a couple of weeks. She has lots of cute stuff but nothing really weddingey. We found a really cute cotton dress in a pretty green that looks fantastic!

Nanna with the cutest little Easter Bunny in Louisiana

Today we ate an early lunch with everyone and headed over to Steven's mom's house. Thank goodness we had already eaten because when the oven beeped that their ham was ready Steven went to take it out and realized the oven was off! So finally they ate at about 4. We bought all of the girls bunny ears and they all loved them....Ava only loved hers for about 30 seconds but hey...I take what I can get. We got Nat an Easter basket which I am sure was lost on her but I got some good pictures of her with it and the huge lamb that Nanna brought with her! It amazes me daily how fast this child is growing!

Natalie checking out her Easter Basket

I can't believe she is coming up on 4 months in a couple of weeks! Judging from her legs I still think she is going to be tall! I told Ashlyn today that hopefully if she grows up to have her daddy's body at least she will have a pretty face! She is reaching milestones like crazy and her personality is shining! I was getting ready to go this morning and I had already strapped her into hear seat...hoping she would fall asleep before we left and when I came back around the corner I heard her laughing...I walked in the living room and she was watching Madagascar.....intently....and laughing at the Zebra! She loves TV and I know you aren't supposed to let them watch TV until they are 15 or whatever but its all she wants to do! It warmed her daddy's heart that she loves cartoons. I have had to tell him more than once that she is too young to buy movies for but now there is no stopping him!!

Now Natalie is pooped and sleeping in my lap. Its pretty hard to keep up the charm all day! All in all it was a great weekend without being super tired at the end! Until next time!

Our Second Anniversary

Dear Steven,

We have been married for 2 years today! Its hard to believe it has been that long! This past year has been the best! It seems like that first year was so long and difficult and I thought we would never make it, but on April 1st 2008 it seemed like something clicked and we were in our 2nd year and things were automatically better. This year we have settled into our lives, our home, and our jobs. You also helped me create the most beautiful girl on this earth and for that I will love you forever (even when you eat the garlic from the crawfish). Here's to many more great years with you and Natalie! I love you!

Love

Emily

One of our first pictures together

Engagement Picture

Our wedding

Our first Anniversary

Our Natalie

Us Now