Never a Dull Moment

Kylee's Princess Party

2010-03-15T10:07:00.005-04:00

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Happy 3rd birthday to Kylee! We had a wonderful time at her party on Saturday! It was at Silverjax, a gym for cheerleading and gymnastics. They had a bouncy house and lots of other fun things to do. Aydan learned how to climb up to the slide all by herself, which is no small feat even for big kids. I was so proud of her! (Although I'm still going to pretend she needs help when we go to Monkey Joe's...I have as much fun as she does!)

Picnic at the Zoo

2010-02-22T10:38:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was the PERFECT day for a picnic at the zoo! The weather was gorgeous, and Matt skipped his baseball game to go with us! : ) We had a wonderful day! More I will post more pics from the zoo later this afternoon.

Baby's First...SNOW!!!

2010-02-13T14:29:00.005-05:00

Aydan saw her first snow yesterday! We ended up getting 9 inches, which is the most I've ever seen in Columbia. It wasn't slushy or icy, it was nice and powdery! Aydan really loved the snow...especially when she discovered she could eat it! We couldn't play long, but we had great fun!

I've been so bad!

2010-02-08T14:05:00.016-05:00

Sorry I have been so neglect in updating our blog! We have been busy busy, but I promise I will do better! For now, here are a few pics from Christmas!

Lil Punkin'

2009-10-19T09:36:00.012-04:00

We visited a pumpkin patch yesterday, and Aydan had the best time! She was running all over the place! It was really cute! We bought an enormous pumpkin for our front porch and a little tiny baby pumpkin for Aydan. It was perfect "pumpkin patch" weather...chilly, but very fall-like!

Checking in...

2009-10-06T08:53:00.005-04:00

I know it's been a while since our last post, but we have been so busy with school starting, football season, etc. The fall is such a busy time of year. We are loving the cooler fall weather and spending lots of time outside. Aydan loves being outside!

I know this isn't the best picture, but I need to post something and this is all I have right now. We are planning to do another photo shoot soon. This is Aydan "helping" mom fold the towels. She's such a good helper. She is crazy about socks and shoes right now, and she wants to wear them even if she's not wearing anything else! They love the simple things, don't they?

We are just plugging along and doing great! Aydan has surpassed walking and prefers to run most of the time, and she is talking up a storm. I can't believe how big her vocabulary is and how she uses her words in the right context. To mom's dismay, one of her favorite sayings right now is "No way," and she says it all the time. We all have to be very careful what we say now, because she's a little parrot!

I promise we will check in again soon, and in the meantime we will work on taking some new pictures.

Aydan's 1st Birthday

2009-09-01T09:42:00.013-04:00

On Saturday, August 22 we celebrated Aydan's first birthday with our family and friends. It was a great day! We ate BBQ, watched Aydan devour her cake, and opened presents. As you can see, Aydan really liked cake! It was the first time she's eaten anything like that, so she couldn't get enough. Everyone was so kind to come to the party, and you should have seen all the gifts! Aydan is so lucky to have so many people that love her!!

She LOVED it when everyone sang Happy Birthday to her! We had to sing twice, to her delight, because mom forgot to video the first time!

The party theme was pink and green ladybugs, and I may have gone a little overboard. There were pink and green polka dots everywhere! We chose ladybugs as the theme for a couple of reasons. First, when I was pregnant I saw ladybugs everywhere (I normally never see them), and for some crazy reason it made me think I was going to have a girl. Then, after Aydan was born and we named her, we started calling her Aydie Bug, so it's just a silly little theme we've had. I chose pink and green to make it more girly. I made her cake in the shape of a ladybug and made the adult cake with green and pink dots. Here's Aydan's cake...

and the adult cake...

I also made her a bib for her cake with white terry cloth and hot pink backing. It had a pink polka dot applique and her name in green. I made her a pillowcase dress with green ribbon and a cupcake applique.

Here are some more pics from the party...

Wild Dunes '09

2009-08-31T23:07:00.004-04:00

I know this is very late, but just haven't had time to get all these pictures organized since school started!

We spent the first week of August on a fabulous vacation with my family at one of my absolute most favorite places in the world...Wild Dunes (Isle of Palms). Nuni, Papa, Taylor, Britney, Aydan and I were there all week. Mamo and Babs were there part of the week, Matt came down Tuesday after work, and Russ, Barb, and Ashley were there Friday through Sunday. The house was gorgeous and was big enough for us to all fit comfortably! Look at how great this house is...

One of my favorite parts was waking up bright and early with Aydan and jogging around the resort every morning before everyone else got up. (I remember doing the same thing last year when I was 8 months pregnant and thinking about how I couldn't wait until this summer when I would be pushing my baby girl in the jogging stroller all around the resort, so it was really cool to think back and remember how excited I was and to know that it was as fun as I thought it would be.)

Aydan totally loved the beach! She was walking much better than when we were in Florida earlier in the summer, which made it easier. She also wasn't as intent on eating the sand, which definitely reduced my stress level. She loved picking up shells and walking around the beach. As before, she had no fear of the ocean and would charge toward it.

We relaxed a lot, cooked dinners, played on the beach, went out to dinner, read books...all the fun, relaxing beachy things. The guys even played a couple rounds of golf on the Links course. It was a wonderful, relaxing vacation! I can't wait to do it again next year!

Happy Birthday, Aydan Claire!!!

2009-08-22T21:37:00.006-04:00

My sweet baby girl is one year old today! I can't believe this time last year I was just a few hours from meeting her (and in some serious pain!)! People always tell you how fast it goes, but it is still hard to believe she's already been with us a year. It has been an awesome (and tiring!) year. Aydan has changed and grown so much. I am amazed each day by how smart she is and how much information she retains. She is an absolute joy, and I feel so blessed to be her mom (and lucky that Matt is such an amazing dad!) She will officially be one year old at 11:59 pm. Hopefully we all be asleep by that time, though!

Happy Birthday, Aydan Claire! We love you so much!

Photos of the big birthday party soon to come...

Our First Family Vacation

2009-07-20T13:33:00.011-04:00

We just returned from our first official family vacation, and we had a wonderful time! We started our vacation at Tidewater (Cherry Grove/N. Myrtle Beach) where we took walks, played on the beach, swam in the pool, and did a lot of "chillaxing." This was Aydan's first time at the beach, and she loved it! She was not at all afraid of the ocean, but instead crawled right into it when we put her down. She also liked to "jump" over the waves, which consisted of hiking her leg up to step over every wave that came to her. It was so cute! As you can see from the picture above, she especially liked eating the sand...to mom's horror! The best part was getting to spend uninterrupted time together. We rarely spend time together with just the three of us, and it was really nice to hang out and relax together as a family!

On Sunday, Micah, Amanda, Kylee, and Camdyn joined us! We went to restaurants, shopped at the outlets, played at the beach, and had fun juggling three different nap schedules! It was lots of fun! Amanda made the girls matching shirts for beach photos...aren't they precious?!?

From there, we traveled to Daytona Beach, FL to join Matt's family on their annual beach vacation. MiMi and Ganddaddy were very happy to have Aydan there and spent most of their time playing with her. We hung out on the beach, went bowling, and shopped. We had a great time!

First Steps!!

2009-07-06T19:34:00.006-04:00

It's all over now...Aydan has started walking! She took her first steps last night, and here is a video of today's steps. She's catching on very quickly! The video quality isn't the best, but we will add more soon! Can't believe how fast she's growing up!

Happy 1st!

2009-07-05T08:36:00.003-04:00

My dad and Taylor had to work on the 4th, so my family celebrated July 4th on July 1st! We hung out at the pool and cooked burgers and dogs. It was a fun day! Nuni, Papa, Mamo, Babs, Ashley, and Taylor were here to enjoy the fun. Aydan had fun with everyone and learned to drink from a straw for the first time! We had a fun and relaxing day! Here are some photos...

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T22:55:00.002-04:00

We have had a great 4th of July! Our dear friends Jaime and Steve Foushee came to visit on their way back from the beach. Micah, Amanda, Kylee, and Camdyn and Wes, Kelbe, and Jacob came over and we had a pool day and grilled out burgers and dogs. After dinner we went to the lake to watch the fireworks. One thing is for sure, Aydan does NOT like the life jacket. Like, she really, really doesn't like it. Hopefully she'll grow out of that and learn to like it. We had a great day with our friends! Hope you all had a great day! I can't believe it's July already...the summer is going by so quickly!! Here are some pics from our day...

Our Little Fish

2009-05-31T09:43:00.007-04:00

We put Aydan in the pool for the first time yesterday! MiMi, Granddaddy, Nuni, Papa, and Aunt Ash came to watch. We thought she would be scared or at least not like the cold water, but she loved it!! She loved to splash her hands in the water, and didn't even mind too much when it splashed her in the face. She even "swam..."

and floated on her back....

I think we definitely have a swimmer on our hands. It was such a fun day! We are going to have lots of fun in the pool this summer!

The Best Thing

2009-05-27T09:23:00.012-04:00

I can't believe how long it's been since we've updated. We have been so busy and so much has been happening! However, the best thing is that Aydan has started giving kisses! She does it on command and even gives a few on her own! It is the sweetest thing, and I just LOVE it!

Let's see, what else has been going on...she's copying things we say now, and loves to say "Hey Sophie" when she sees Sophie, although it sounds like "Hey Zozie!" Yesterday she clapped and said "Yay" after she kissed me. We had her 9 month appointment last week. She weighs 17 pounds and is 28 inches long. Dr. Mac says she is growing just fine and is very advanced for her age. She has one shining tooth down at the bottom, but more are sure to follow soon. We also found out she has an ear infection, but we can't complain too much since she went 9 months without getting sick! She's on antibiotics and seems to be doing better.

My family bought me a sewing/embroidery machine for my birthday, so I am very excited about that!! I will be posting pictures of my creations!

We are almost finished with the Kid Cave! We just have to put on the finishing details, accessories, etc. Matt has worked really hard and done an amazing job! I will post before and after pics as soon as we put on the finishing details!

I will try to do better with my updates. Summer vacation starts in 9 days, so hopefully I'll have more time on my hands! : )

Biker Chicks

2009-04-20T10:59:00.005-04:00

Matt and I rode the motorcycle with some people from Trinity Baptist on Saturday. Micah and Amanda of course were there. We rode to Shealy's BBQ in Batesburg-Leesville, and it was a beautiful day! Aydan didn't go with us, but did pose for a pic! Such a cute biker babe! Mom and dad look sweet in our helmets, I know! Safety first!

It's our Anniversary...

2009-04-20T10:47:00.005-04:00

Matt and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary on Wednesday (Tax Day)! Matt surprised me with dinner at Ruth's Chris. We had a great time and enjoyed having a "grown-up" dinner on a school night! Matt ate a big steak while I enjoyed the grilled portabello mushrooms (I know, there's probably a law against eating mushrooms at a famous steakhouse). We have had three WONDERFUL years of marriage, and I pray we have many, many more. Each year just gets better and better, and I would gladly marry him again! I am a very lucky girl!

Spring Update

2009-04-13T20:47:00.024-04:00

Well it has been a little while since my last post but a lot has happened. First, Aydan had her first Easter and was so cute. We had a wonderful Easter day, and the Easter bunny came to see Aydan three times...our house, MiMi and Granddaddy's (aka Hogger), and Nuni and Papa's. She certainly has no shortage of love and attention!

We started the day by going to church and Aydan finally stayed in the nursery for the first time. We immediately found out she would be moved from the squirrell class to the rabbit class due to her advanced skills. After church, we had Easter lunch (and Ashley's birthday celebration) at Nuni and Papa's house where the easter bunny left Aydan a big bunny of her own. Aydan immediately took to the bunny and continued to wrestle with it for about 1o minutes. She was beyond adorable with her new friend and proceeded to show her love by covering the rabbit in slobber.

Secondly, my little daughter wore her first pair of booty shorts while enjoying the spring weather. While she was cute...she better enjoy it now while no boys are chasing her.

Happy Birthday to Aunt Ashley!!

Movin' and shakin'

2009-04-03T09:14:00.006-04:00

We are officially crawling! It all "c licked" yesterday. It was so funny how one day she was still trying to get the hang of it and the next day she was crawling like a pro! She also pulled herself up to standing all by herself (see above pic) and said "da da." It was a big day!

Here is Aydan in her model pose...she does this all the time and it's hilarious!

I have spring break next week, so I am so excited about spending all day with Aydan each day! We are going to go visit Dad at work and who knows what other exciting adventures we'll find!

The playroom, which has officially been named the "Kid Cave" is coming along. Matt, Taylor and I worked last weekend and almost finished the built-ins. I'm sure Matt and I will work more this weekend. It is coming along nicely and will be a great room for Aydan and her friends and future siblings! We just love home projects! We'll post more pictures soon!

Legs

2009-03-26T10:10:00.004-04:00

I guess I should explain what happened to my legs. I have stress fractures in both ankles. I'm not completely sure how it happened, but I think it was from running. It happened the first week in February. I had been running for a few days and noticed I was a little sore around my ankles, but thought it was due to the new sneakers I was wearing and it would go away when I got used to them. I kept running even though the pain got worse. The next morning I almost fell down when my feet hit the floor out of bed. It was really sore, but I still thought nothing of it. I thought it was tendonitis and just tried to rest them. They eventually started swelling and were throbbing even when propped up. Fast forward to two weeks later when I could barely walk. Thankfully, Matt finally made me go to the orthopedist, and an after-hours visit, x-rays, bloodwork, and an MRI later, we discovered I have stress fractures in both legs. He said between pregnancy, nursing, and not eating dairy for 6 months (made Aydan's colic worse), I am in temporary osteoporosis. Who knew?!

I am staying off my feet as much as you can when you teach and have a baby at home. Hopefully they'll heal soon! I have started incorporating dairy back into my diet and taking more calcium. It's not a cool story, but there it is. I told my students I was trying a new snowboarding trick...and they believed me! Hehe!

7 Month's Old

2009-03-23T11:41:00.000-04:00

Not much to report other than Aydan reaching the 7 month mark yesterday. She is now saying bah-bah-bah all day long and continues to learn how to wave. She is also very close to crawling and while we are all excited for her to get moving...watch out when she does. As soon as she can crawl, she will be a non stop terror (in a good way of course).

In addition, we have started another project at the Vaughn house. My former man-cave (I have a newer and bigger one now) is getting turned into Aydan's (and any future baby Vaughn's) playroom. We are planning on tearing up the carpet and putting down some new floors, building some built-ins with a toy box, shelves and cabinets. We are also going to paint and make one wall a huge chalkboard. I will take some before pictures and post the progress as we move along.

In everything give thanks...

2009-03-23T11:13:00.001-04:00

I am trying hard to live out 1 Thessalonians 5:18--"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." This kind of goes along with a lesson from Cindi Wood's "The Frazzled Female" Bible study I did a few months ago that challenged me to take a 24 hour fast from negative thinking. I was shocked at how many negative thoughts run through my head all day! Each time I caught myself thinking negatively, I would try to replace it with something positive. Applying this to 1 Thes. 5:18 just takes it a step further. Not only should I think positively about everything, I should praise the Lord for it! So, I should thank God that I have two casts on my legs? I should praise God that I have the flu? I should thank God for middle school students who drive me crazy all day? YES, YES, and YES!

I decided last night that thankful living will be my new endeavor. I'm sure I failed much earlier than this, but the first time I realized my failure was on the way to work this morning when I made a comment about not wanting to go to work. I immediately recognized my thankless attitude and followed-up my statement with "I'm just kidding...I'm so thankful to have a job." Sure, it was forced, but it's a start!

I don't know how long I can keep this up, but here are some things for which I am truly thankful!

Thank you, Lord, for these casts on my legs--I can't drive, so Matt has to take me to work, and it offers us 15 minutes of good quality time together. I am going to miss it when I am able to drive again! He makes me laugh! : )
Thank you, Lord, that Aydan was up twice last night. It gives me the chance to snuggle and spend time with her.
Thank you, Lord, for my job that keeps food on the table and a roof over our heads.
Thank you, Lord, that I have a wonderful family that I can't wait to go home to at night!
Thank you, Lord, that I have co-workers who care about me, lift me up, and make me laugh!
And for the tough one...thank you, Lord, for giving me the flu. It allowed me to rest my mind, body, and legs!
Thank you, Lord, for pollen, because it means spring and beautiful weather!! : )

It's My Turn

2009-03-19T12:01:00.001-04:00

Well since Lindsay has been out of commission with some sort of Flu like bug the past 3 days, I decided to give blogging a shot. There is not much to report from the Vaughn household other than the sickness, but there still seems to never be a quiet moment. Aydan is learning to wave and it is so freakin' cute. She is so amazing at how quickly she learns new things and changes from day to day and even more amazing is the fact that she will be 7 months old on Sunday. I have added one of the images from our 6 month photo shoot so that you can see the cute little booger. I am sure that as soon as Lindsay is feeling better she will continue to blog, but until then, you will probably have to starve yourself of the "captivating" moments from the Vaughn family.

TGIF

2009-03-13T10:33:00.000-04:00

So happy it's Friday (even if it is Friday 13th)! We have a nice weekend planned. Kylee Merchant is two years old today--YAY!--and we will be attending her party tomorrow. Aydan is being dedicated to our church on Sunday, and we are so excited about that!

I went to the orthopedist on Wednesday to what I thought was the appointment to get my casts off. Unfortunately, they did more x-rays and saw that the bones have not completely healed yet, so I have to wear them 2-4 more weeks. Yuck! Oh well, that just means more quality time for Matt and me as she takes me to school each morning! : ) I almost like being chaufferred around...less stress!

I'll add a photo of me in my casts and I also need to add some of Aydan's most recent photo shoot! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I'm blogging!

2009-03-09T11:22:00.001-04:00

I can't believe I'm actually blogging! I've always wanted to do it, but always used the "no time" excuse. I guess time will tell if I actually have the time or not!

We had a wonderful weekend and loved the nice weather! It has definitely given me spring fever. We had a photo shoot with Aydan at the park on Saturday. I will post some of the pics soon.

Aydan is going to be dedicated to our church on Sunday, March 15, and we are very excited about that!