Nap time Stripper

I never really know how I'm going to find Perri when I go in to get her from her naps. One time I went in and she was standing up with no diaper on. She had ripped it off and strewn it across her crib. Today I went in and saw this.




No idea how on earth she did this. We used to call her Houdini, though, when we wrapped her in the straighjacket sleep sack swaddler and she'd somehow manage to get both arms out, flailing them over her head and screaming bloody murder.

She never ceases to surprise me though.

Attempt at some fall pictures

Perri and I went to Arkansas a couple weeks ago to visit my parents and while we were there my mom and I tried to get some pictures of Perri out in their front yard. Last time we did this she couldn't crawl yet so we could sit her wherever we wanted and she stayed put. Not so this time. As soon as we sat her somewhere she'd crack up and take off. Here is a glimpse of our photo-op.

She busted it haha.


Our attempt at a pic together. Didn't happen. She was more interested in eating the grass and leaves.

Blog Award!!

Guess what? Sara awarded me with a blog award (not sure why, I'm horrible at blogging!! But excited, nonetheless haha)



So here are the rules:
1) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
2) Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving.
3) Share "10 Honest Things" about myself.

And the awards go to............. drumroll please..... because I know everyone is itching to get an award from me and just can't wait to hear..... (haha yeah right, but humor me)

1. Schmidt Family Blog
2. Brody Francis
3. Awful Beautiful Life
4. The Gottes
5. The Ebright Family
6. My Aunt Tori
7. Kelly's Korner, though I'm sure she's nominated all the time hehe


10 honest things about myself.

1. I love to run. My favorites are early morning runs in the dark (think 5:30am). I like them chatting with a friend or just me and the iPod. Love it. Something about running in the dark in the early morning is refreshing to me.

2. I eat each section of my meal, one at a time. Always vegetables first then meat last. For example, one of my favorites it broccoli, baked sweet potatoes and grilled chicken or pork loin. Broccoli first, then sweet potato, then meat. Not sure why I do this but its a habit. This results in me always having to reheat my meat because its always cold by the time I get to it. Cold food that should be hot grosses me out.

3. I love coffee but cannot drink it in the summer because then it makes me sweat. And I hate to sweat. (But love running and working out so I have to get over it at those times of the day). I only drink brewed decaf with three Splenda. YUM

4. Craig is my best friend and has been for 7 1/2 years. We've been married 2 1/2, together 7 1/2. He still makes me laugh all the time and is a wonderful husband and father. We actually broke up for a few months because I was stupid and didn't know what I wanted but then I was at a friend's and he was there with her brother and we ended up talking again and got back together. Thanks Molly and Zach! :) And yes, I guess you can say we were "high school sweethearts" Or maybe not, since Craig wasn't in high school when we were dating but I was?

5. I miss tumbling. I started gymnastics when I was 5 and took it up through high school. I totally took for granted what my body could do back then and wish I could tumble like I used to back in the day. There is actually a gym in Houston that has adult tumble and I'd love to go but I am afraid I'd really tear myself up. So maybe I can just live vicariously through Perri when she tumbles. Yes I did say when. I can't wait to get her into gymnastics!! (Though watch her totally be un-athletic. This would kill her mommy and daddy but we'll still love her :)

6. Craig and I have a pretty equal relationship. We share all the cleaning as well as cooking and doing the dishes (he grills so that is his cooking.) I am SO thankful for this and know I am one lucky girl to have him be so helpful and willing to do things, most of the time without me ever asking. He will come home from a full day at work and start dusting and vacuuming and after dinner start doing dishes. We just have our certain things we have kindof taken over to clean and each take care of those. He also always offers on the weekends to let me go out alone and shop or bum around and he'll stay at the house with Perri. Thank you so much Craig!

7. Craig and I eat dinner every night after Perri goes to bed. I know soon we will need to start eating earlier and as a family, but this is probably both of our favorite time of the day, when it's just us and we're able to sit down to a meal together and talk and watch our shows. Though, family mealtime is important to us and we will have to change this up soon.

8. I love my cat and dog, Amos and Emma, but since having Perri, they have seriously taken the back burner and really, now are "just another thing" to deal with. I know before kids everyone says their pet will always be their baby and it won't change, but I promise you, it does. You learn they are just animals and that kids are way, way more demanding and time consuming and animals are kind of an annoyance. (And I absolutely LOATHE sweeping several times a day and all the dusting/vacuuming that is required due to Emma's shedding.)

9. I still like getting new clothes and shopping for myself but shopping for Perri is so much fun and never gets old and girl clothes are just so darn cute! She definitely has way more clothes than me!! (Thanks in part to her Lu Lu and Pops who supply a hefty portion of her wardrobe- thanks, we appreciate it!!!)

10. I research EVERYTHING before making a decision or purchases. This ranges from an iron to a car seat to books to recipes to vaccines ... everything. I check all reviews of things before I buy them (not groceries haha but most larger than normal or not your every day purchases).

Pumpkin Patch Fun!

A couple of days ago Perri and I went to Dewberry Farm with our playgroup. It was a lot of fun but in the 90s and really windy so my hair looked like a tangled mess and I wasn't thinking and wore jeans, which stuck to me like spandex due to me sweating profusely. Not at all a nice crisp fall day at the pumpkin patch. Anyhow, it was fun.

We rode in a wagon on a hay ride.



Chewed on a pumpkin. Well, Perri did, I didn't.



Gave the pumpkins some pats.


Climbed the pumpkins.


Ripped off the vine and chewed on it.


But wouldn't sit still and smile at me for a picture if her life depended on it.

Hopefully we can go back on a cooler day on the weekend when Craig is home and give it another go. So for now, I am stuck with side shots of her head and action shots of her on the go. Story of my life right now.

What we've been up to

Playing in Emma's water bowl


Climbing the stairs


Looking out the window with Emma


Getting kisses from Emma


Finding daddy's guitar books and tearing them up


Curious about EVERYTHING


Chewing on the window sill


Throwing some fits


But being stinkin' cute!

Perri's New Ride

After church on Sundays we always run errands and bum around before we come home and that usually includes my favorite place, Target. We ventured over to the toy aisles, as we so often do now, and found this cute little toy. You can ride on it as well as turn it into a walker where she can push it around. She isn't loving the walking idea with it but has somewhat figured out that she can push herself around with her feet when she's sitting on it. Though, she's much more interested in the toys on it than anything else!

Perri is turning into such a little sweet heart but also has quite the mischievous streak. Any time she is getting into something she shouldn't be and I say her name, she cracks up and takes off, and will then stop and sit and give me the biggest grin, then take off again. It melts my heart when she smiles at me like that but it's so funny that she knows she shouldn't be doing something and takes off when I get onto her. She's such a smiley, happy little girl and is one of the most ticklish babies I have ever known. She will belly laugh anywhere you tickle her, from her back to under her arms, under her chin, even her little legs. It is so funny!

Sometimes, she will be playing, or eating, and all the sudden start looking at her hands and turning them over, just mesmerized. She'll then wiggle her fingers back and forth, turn her hands over some more, then go back to playing. It's hilarious. I wish my hands were that entertaining. And yes, if you look closely, that is a piece of cheese stuck between her eyes.

And here is what happens every time after I get Perri out of her high chair. Scavengers! Emma hits up the seat while Amos gets what he can thats leftover on the tray. Don't worry, I clean it afterwards!!

Back from the Dead

(Please excuse the soaked neck/chest area and scraggly hair..)

We are alive, I promise!! We've just all been sick this past week and now recovering and back from the dead. The week before last I went in and got Perri in the morning and as I walked into her room, got a whiff of something not-so-sweet. I walked over to her crib and there was Perri, laying down, happy as can be, but covered head to toe in red throw up, as was her entire crib, bumpers and sheet. Needless to say, she went straight to the tub and the sheets and bumper covers went in the wash. (The red was from something she ate the day before with tomato). I wish I would've gotten a picture of it but it was so disgusting and Perri was completely covered in it so I didn't have time to run grab my camera. She must have done it in her sleep because she never cried out or fussed in the night. After her bath I went down and nursed her then sat her in her high chair to feed her her breakfast. Then she threw up again. And again. But, she was acting totally fine and didn't have a fever so I was baffled. I went ahead and called the doctor and they suggested that we come in since we were planning on going to Arkansas the next day. We went in and they said it must just be a stomach bug and there wasn't much to do. Big waste, I know, but I was just being on the safe side. You would've never known she was sick because she had the best time in the waiting room playing with toys and trying to climb in the blinds.

Since she was acting fine and didn't throw up anymore, we decided to head on to Arkansas. We made it there fine and then that night I woke up in the night feeling awful. Thankfully mom had some medicine that knocked me out until the nausea passed. Mine lasted a few days and just when I started feeling better, my mom and dad both got what we had, but much much worse. Then, Craig came on Wednesday and by Saturday he was super sick as well and is just now starting to feel better.

So, that is my excuse for a lack of blogging and updating more on little girl.

But now that she is well, she is keeping me on my toes and is into EVERYTHING and when I get onto her for getting into something that she shouldn't be into, she takes off as fast as she can, cracking up the whole way. It's pretty funny but not so funny that she thinks its hilarious to get in trouble.

Checking out what's in the bins in her room.


She has also discovered the stairs. Baby gate shopping is on the agenda for the weekend.

Off she goes


Tackling the first step.


This isn't so hard!


Piece of cake!!

Anyone have any suggestions on baby gates? I have been looking into them but we really don't want to have to screw a baby gate into the stairs but the ones available that don't bolt to the banister are limited. And I can't seem to find any that don't bolt and get good reviews.. annoying.

And anyone have suggestions on dealing with separation issues? No, not for me, but Perri haha. She loses it when I leave the room or someone takes her from me and going to the gym is proving difficult as she does not want to be left and some days will cry the whole time I am working out and they end up getting me, only for her to turn into a happy, smiley little girl as soon as I go get her. I understand it is normal, especially since I stay at home with her, but does anyone have any suggestions on working on this? Thanks in advance, we need it!!