And she has found her thumb….

We had Eleanor’s 3 month pictures done a few weeks ago!  Our photographer sent me a sneak peak and I just LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I want to blow this one up really big and hang it on my wall for everyone to see.  ha! 

Right now I feel like our little peanut girl is changing more than ever.  Everyday it seems she is doing so many new things.  I keep jotting things down on a piece of paper cause I don’t want to forget all her firsts.  Later I plan to write everything down with pretty handwriting in her book! :)

She turned 4 months last week.  And I guess at 4 months she has decided that all she wants to do is suck her thumb!  Oh my! She is seriously obsessed with it and there is no stopping her.  When we get her up in the morning…..thumb in.  When we get her out of her car seat…..thumb in.  It’s nuts! 

I absolutely stinkin LOVE LOVE LOVE being Eleanor’s momma!!!!!!! 

Our days with her have been so precious and special.  And I cherish every second. 

Thank you Lord for my sweet girl.

A family outing.

I love picnics.

A quilt, the lake, snacks and relaxing with the ones I love! 

It is definitely one of my favorite activities. 

We took E on her very first picnic last weekend!  She loved it.  The weather was so pretty.  We just relaxed, played with E and talked. 

In case you were wondering….yes my daughter wears a lot of strawberries. :)

Above is probably my new favorite picture!

Cheers!

And then she had enough picnic-ing and took a nap!

I absolutely cherish these times with my family. 

Totally recommend going for a picnic if you have some time this weekend. :)

xo,

Amanda

Bullet Points

Thoughts for today.....

*We went on a picnic last weekend (I LOVE PICNICS!) and it was the sweetest time ever.  Precious time with my husband and Eleanor.  And gorgeous weather too. 

*I have a 4 month old! What? Every single day with E is a blessing.  I knew I wanted to be a mother, but I never knew how incredible it would be.  I thank God everyday that He gave Eleanor to us.

*Since I'm at home during the day several days a week....I have discovered daytime tv. ha! I don't really care for much tv, but I am loving Dr. Oz. hahah! Anyone?  I have started implenting some of his healthy eating guidelines.  

*I look forward to coffee everyday.  Sometimes when I'm going to bed, I'm thinking about the coffee I get to have when I wake up.  It's the little things. 

*Speaking of coffee:  the Keurig has changed our coffee life.  Insanely awesome!

*Everyday is truly a lesson in worry for me.  I have mentioned it before, but it is something I continually have to keep myself in check about.  I really like the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up."  I remind myself to just talk to the Lord when worry hits.  This is just really relevant in my life right now, so I'm sharing! :) 

*Tim and I are looking forward to football season sooooo much! Yep, I just said that. He has totally turned me into a sports enjoyer.  (not a word, but i'm not a sports lover.)  We love fall mornings....here is a scenario: wake up to coffee and the windows open, turn on college game-day, enjoy breakfast together, pumpkin candle burning, and best of all...Eleanor is with us this year!  You better believe she will be in her Mizzou Tiger wear.  

*Finally......

Look who's sleeping in her crib like a big girl! Yep, we made the transition from bassinet to crib a few days before her 4 month birthday.  She made the transition flawlessly.  Which I am super duper jazzed about!  She has been sleeping very soundly.  And I must say, all of us are sleeping soundly! yay for peanut!  I did cry the first night.  Well, because change is hard for this mama.  But it's all good now!  

*Next up....begin the process of unswaddling.  One step at a time!

Have a blessed day everyone!  
Lots of love from the Shepard Fam! :) xo

A special day for my number 1

We celebrated Mr. Tim’s birthday this week! 

We keep meaning to go out on a date night….but it has yet to happen! ha!  It’s not that we have lack of babysitters, it’s just finding an open time slot.  But I know that my relationship with my husband is my top priority (other than my relationship with the Lord!) so we have to find the time. 

On that note….I am sooooo looking forward to our first date night since Eleanor joined us.  It will be so special.  I don’t think we have gone anywhere alone since we went to get our adult whooping cough shots 2 weeks after E was born.  haha!  How romantic.

Eleanor helping daddy blow out his birthday candles! This picture melts my heart so much!  And I must say…..my husband is sexy!!!!! 

Oh yes, I just said that on my blog.

My husband is anything but ordinary….so he doesn’t like your typical birthday cake.  No, he must have Not Yo Momma’s Banana Pudding (recipe from the lovely Paula Deen). 

And lastly, Eleanor all dolled up for her daddy’s birthday!  She is ADORABLE and looks just like her daddy. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET HUSBAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Me, Peanut and Maddie love you all the world.

The Adventures of E & M

I love looking back through Eleanor’s pictures from the first 3 months of her life!  The tears just FLOW!  But….I can’t help but laugh at all the pictures we have of Eleanor and our first born….Maddie.  Everywhere E goes, M is right behind.  It is so precious. 

Maddie has done so great with her sister!  The only thing she has really struggled with (and still struggles with) is taking Eleanor’s toys.  Maddie just can’t figure out why she can’t play with them too. 

Both girls just hanging out on a Saturday morning….

Maddie bringing her toy to Eleanor.  She wants Eleanor to throw it!  ha!

Jealous that dad is holding sister and not her!

Hey….I want in the pictures tooooooo!

Helping with tummy time!

That looks like a fun donut pillow.  I like donuts…..

And the last picture is of their first interaction with each other!  That was Eleanor’s first week home. 

Just melts my heart! 

Well, I have a sleeping baby and a sleeping fur baby at the moment.  So I think I’m off to enjoy a cup of coffee! 

xo,

Amanda

My favorite thing to photograph….

I had been asked to share some more pictures of miss Eleanor!  I then realized I have hardly taken any pictures with my good camera.  They are basically all cell phone pics.  I guess with a little one, you only have time to grab your phone really quick when a photo op arises!  That is one of my goals….to take more pictures with my good camera. 

E after her bath! 

E looks so tiny in this picture!  She has really gotten big compared to this… but I looooooved this outfit! :)

E LOVES playtime under her activity gym!  This entertains her for a very long time.  It’s stinkin cute to watch her!

This is definitely my most favorite picture of E!  She looks like such a little diva!  And she was totally asleep under those shades. ha!

Shortly after that picture, her headband fell down her face and I didn’t realize it for awhile.  We have no idea how long it was like that! haha!  A little sleeping mask!

And I just think this picture is the sweetest!!!!!  We have the college students from church over a lot and E just gets passed around and normally loves it! 

Speaking of pictures….miss Eleanor is getting her 3 month pictures taken this Friday.  Her first professional pictures! :)  I’m so excited.  But also nervous because I hope she is in a good mood!  ha!  We are doing them outside…and as you know the midwest is in a heatwave!!!!  We plan to leave the car running so we can take AC breaks during her shoot. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!!!!! 

Oh don’t you think the Olympics should be on all the time?  It is basically all we have watched!  The benefits of being home during the day….you get to watch the more interesting sports.  Currently white water rafting is on.  I find it rather exciting!

Hugs!

Amanda