Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! We certainly did...except for Aubrey's bout with a stomach virus! She started coming down with it on Tuesday of last week and by Christmas Eve, it was full blown. Luckily she never threw up, but "the other" got pretty bad. Despite a sore bottom and tummy cramps, she was still all smiles for her first Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve with my family - we started the evening off by going to Christmas Eve service at my parents' church. (Aubrey made it through part of the service before Corey took her out to the lobby). Then we headed over to my parents house for supper and presents. After all of the festivities we headed home to wait for Santa to come to our house. Christmas morning we woke up to find a lot of goodies left by Santa for Aubrey Claire - she was definitely on the "Nice" list this year! Around lunch we packed up and headed down to Corey's parents house for more Christmas. Aubrey was really getting the hang of opening presents - she loved the tissue paper and the ribbons! By the end of the evening the three of us were worn out and ready for bed. All in all, it was a great Christmas...full of family and fellowship. As for the stomach virus - Aubrey is still trying to get over it!

Nana and Gigi

Sorry for the delay in posts - my internet was down for what seemed like forever! We're back up and running now, so I decided to do a quick post. Last week Aubrey and I went to my Ladies Bible Study Christmas Party. All of our friends were there including Gigi (Laurie) and Wyatt. Nana, Aubrey, Gigi, and Wyatt were sitting on the couch together and I just had to snap a pic!

This is what happens when Daddy is in charge...

How cute is that?!?

Corey's Birthday

Tuesday was Corey's birthday - He had a training class in Tuscaloosa all day, so I decided to make a special dinner for him when he got home. He loves my Beef Stew, so I made Beef Stew with French Bread. He's not a big dessert eater, but you have to have a birthday cake on your birthday, right? Baking really isn't my "thing", but I decided to try my hand a making a cupcake-shaped birthday cake. Baking the cake wasn't so bad...decorating it was a bit tougher. Oh, well! Its the thought that counts right?

After Corey blew out the candles, Aubrey looked like she wanted a big ole' handful of chocolate icing. Luckily Corey caught her before she stuck her hand right in the middle of his cake!

Happy Birthday Corey!

Happy Turkey Day!

This was our first Thanksgiving as a family of three and it was FABULOUS! We started the day off with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - Aubrey sat in her swing and watched it with us while Corey and I made sweet potato casserole. Around lunchtime, we headed over to my parents house for Thanksgiving dinner. My dad fried a turkey (YUM!) and we had ham, green bean bundles, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, corn pudding, deviled eggs, and two different kinds of pies! After indulging in all of the fabulous food and spending time with family, it was time to go home and take a nap! Isn't Aubrey just adorable in her turkey shirt?!? Friday morning my mom and I headed out bright and early for Black Friday bargains while Aubrey stayed home with Corey. We were at Wal-Mart by 5am and it was packed!! There were specific things that we were after so we went in, found what we were looking for, and left! Then it was on to the mall - it was pretty crowded too, but nearly as chaotic as WalMart. By 9am we were finished shopping and it was time to head home for a quick nap. Traditionally Corey and I have Thanksgiving dinner with his family on Friday - its just easier to split it up into two separate days. That way we get to spend more time with each family, we get to enjoy dinner twice, and we go home with twice the left-overs. So after a nap for me and one for Aubrey, we headed down to the Kennedys for another delicious Thanksgiving dinner. All in all, our first Thanksgiving with Aubrey Claire was very special!!

West Virginia here she comes!

About a week and a half ago, my mom, my dad and I packed up Aubrey Claire and headed to West Virginia to visit our family. My grandparents made a trip to Alabama the weekend after Aubrey was born, but no one else in my extended family had met her yet. So before it got too terribly cold, I wanted to make the 8 hour trip up to West Virginia to see everyone. We left out on a Friday morning and to be honest, I was a bit nervous. Aubrey had just gotten her first round of vaccinations the day before and I wasn't sure how that would affect her. Turns out I didn't have anything to worry about! Aubrey slept the entire trip. In fact, she only woke up when we stopped to feed her. Once we arrived at my grandparents house, we spent the next two days going around town visiting friends and family. Saturday we went to have Aubrey's pictures made with her Meme and Poppy (her great-grandparents). She's normally all-smiles and full of personality, but for some reason she wasn't in the mood to smile. Oh, well! We got a couple of good ones!! Next, we went to the nursing home to see my great-aunt Ruby. Aubrey loved cuddling with Aunt Ruby and I loved getting some pictures of the two of them! After a quick nap, we went to Uncle Rocky and Aunt Karen's house for dinner. There we visited with Amy, Missy, Patrick, and Jackson.

Sunday we had an early Thanksgiving dinner with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins on my mom's side of the family. It was so nice to get everyone together!! Everyone was able to meet Aubrey and we were able to meet my cousin's new baby, Lucas, who is just two months older than Aubrey. After dinner, we snapped this precious picture of Meme and Poppy and their three great-grandchildren.

After a great time visiting with our family, it was time to pack up and head back to Alabama (and back to warmer weather!). Again, Aubrey slept the entire time except when it was time for her to eat. One of our two stops was at a Cracker Barrel - Aubrey had her mid-morning bottle and we ate a yummy breakfast. On our way out, I snapped this pic of Aubrey and her Nana and Pooba.

Aubrey is such a good traveler - we'll definitely be making a trip back to West Virginia in the early Spring!

Trick or Treat!

This year Halloween started with a trip to pick Corey up from work. I used to work for the same company so we spent some time visiting all of our friends before we headed out for our first night of trick-or-treating. Our first stop was Granddaddy and Grandmommy K's house. Grandmommy K was helping with the fall festival at their church so we made sure that Granddaddy K took plenty of pictures of Aubrey in her Halloween costume. After a tasty bottle, we headed to Nana and Pooba's house. By the time we got there, Aunt Paige and Uncle JH had come over to see the little Tootsie Roll. Ms. Laurie, Mr. Jim, Leesa, Dan, Alexis, and Wyatt also came over to see Aubrey and to show off Dino-Wyatt. (Wyatt is 8 months old and looked absolutely PRECIOUS in his dinosaur costume) Once the mini-photo shoot was over, we walked Aubrey and Wyatt down to a couple of the neighbors houses to visit for a few minutes. Then it was back to Nana's to get the costume off and head home! Aubrey was such a trooper - she wore her costume for almost 3 hours without the first little whimper. And whats even better, that night she slept from 10:30pm until 7:00am!!! All in all, our first Halloween was a complete success! Here is Aubrey and her friend Wyatt - what a cute little couple!!!

Our Little Tootsie Roll

Aubrey's close-up...SMILE!!!

Cotton Candy, Sweet as Gold, Lemme See That Tootsie Roll!

Last weekend we went to a Halloween costume party at Brett & Elizabeth's house. They fixed a big ole' pot of chili, lots of snacks, and homemade candy apples (which were FABULOUS!). The adults ate while the kids played games, colored Halloween worksheets and carved pumpkins. We thought this would be the perfect dry-run for Aubrey's Halloween costume. She really didn't like actually putting the costume on, but once she was in there she loved it! Aubrey was a little tootsie roll (how cute, huh??), Corey was a cowboy and I was a deer hunter. My costume wasn't all that original, but Corey had some camo pajama pants and a camo pullover. Since my "real" clothes don't quite fit yet, I threw on the camo and a bright orange hat. Corey's Halloween costume on the other hand was very authentic - complete with leather chaps and one of his cowboy hats. He looked very handsome, if I do say so myself! And in case you are wondering what Aubrey is looking at in this picture...its a ceiling fan! She's absolutely amazed by them! Forget all of those fancy-schmancy mobiles...a plain ole' ceiling fan will do just fine. Check back later for more pics from trick-or-treating on Halloween night!

My Little Crafter

I normally stamp and craft during Aubrey's naptime, but on Friday she really didn't want to take a morning nap. We headed down to the craft room anyway! Aubrey sat in her little pink chair and watched me stamp for an hour. She nodded off a couple of times, but for the most part we sang songs and stamped. I was so excited!! You just wait, she'll be crafting with mommy before you know it!

The Nursery

Some of our friends and family have asked for pictures of the

nursery, so here you go!

This is our view from the hallway. (The rest of our house is painted in various shades of Taupe, so when the sun is shining there is sort of a pink glow that comes from her room!)

When I found out I was pregnant, I poured over magazines and catalogs looking for ideas for the nursery. I fell in love with the look of a bead board wainscot and knew that I definitely wanted that in the room. My mom and I found the bedding and bath set at Pottery Barn Kids. Some of the pieces were on clearance, so we snatched them up that day! Corey and I chose a bright shade of pink that matches the bedding. The glider and the ottoman were gifts from the company I used to work for - Corey still works there. The crib is convertible, so as Aubrey grows it will convert to a toddler bed and then into a double bed. It was a bit of an investment, but this will be her furniture for many, many years. (We still have a nightstand to pick up - it will sit next to the glider as a side table.)

Aubrey has her own bathroom off her room. Its painted a beautiful shade of celery green that also coordinates with the bedding and bath set. We received the wooden letters as a shower gift from a dear friend. I love the way the letters look, but I will say that Corey got quite frustrated hanging them. He ended up having to repaint that part of the wall!! But I think the final product was definitely worth it!

This is a close up of my FAVORITE part of the nursery. The miracle of life is undoubtedly a gift from God. Corey and I went through a lot trying to start our family and sometimes it felt it might never happen for us. After everything we went through to have a baby and now that our precious Aubrey is here, we know now more than ever what a miracle she is! God has blessed us with a happy, healthy baby girl!! How amazing is He?!?

War Eagle!

Last weekend Uncle JH and Aunt Paige had the whole family over to their house for the Auburn game. Corey spent the afternoon at the hunting camp, so Aubrey and I headed over there for a little tailgating. It was a packed house with Paige's parents, her grandmother, her aunt, her brother and his kids, my parents, Aubrey, and me. We had a great time visiting with everyone and enjoying all of the great food that Paige, her mom and my mom fixed for the afternoon!

We tried to get dressed up in out game day gear, but unfortunately its all still a little big right now. (A few more pounds and it will fit like a glove!) So Aubrey wore a little party dress. But don't you worry - she still sported her Auburn socks. Here is Aubrey and her Nana chillin' out during the game. WAR EAGLE!!

Aubrey and Baby Einstein

Once Corey gets home from work in the evenings, its all about Daddy-time. Corey and Aubrey play together, he feeds her, and then gives her a bath. Its really sweet to watch them interact - her eyes just light up when she hears his voice! The other night Aubrey and Corey played in her little Baby Einstein play area. Aubrey loved the light-up sunshine that played music. She laid there for almost 20 minutes and watched the sunshine change colors!

A Little Birdie Told Me...

That Aubrey Claire did not want to take a nap this morning! She fought and fought to keep her eyes open - I think she was afraid she might miss something exciting. After a few minutes, she finally gave in! But not before giving me a little baby birdie. It was too cute not to capture in a picture. Since the last post, we've been back to the doctor. Aubrey is up to 9lbs 3oz! Can you believe it? I can - she eats like a CHAMP! She definitely has her daddy's appetite. The doc said that she has great head control and will be rolling over before we know it! She's a healthy and happy little baby girl. Mommy did better this time around, too. It was my first trip out driving without anyone else in the car with me and we did great! Aubrey loved riding in the car - she went right to sleep. I packed the diaper bag with the right diapers AND I even remembered the wipes. Yay for Mommy!

Aubrey's First Doc Appointment

While we were in the hospital, Aubrey's pediatrician stopped by our room every day to check on her. Each time he said everything looked perfect - but we already knew that now didn't we?!? We went to our first in-office doc appointment just a couple days after we were discharged from the hospital. And again, everything looked great! Aubrey weighed 8lb 6oz - almost back up to her original birth weight of 8lb 8oz. She's a healthy eater (and therefore a good pooper, too!) Mommy, on the other hand, didn't do so hot for our first trip out of the house. When I packed the diaper bag, I packed the wrong size diapers AND I forgot wipes! Since our daughter is such a good pooper, of course there was a little surprise when it came time to strip down and get weighed. Luckily the doc's office had a stash of wipes and I was able to fasten the diaper extra tight to get us home without any accidents. We have another doc appointment this week...hopefully Mommy will do better this time around!

More Pics From the Hospital

Here are more pics from the hospital!!

This is a pic of Corey and Aubrey right after she was born! He carried her from the operating room back to our LDR room where all of our family and friends were waiting to meet Aubrey Claire! In the meantime, I'm still back in the operating room being stapled back together!

Since I had a C-Section, I was confined to my bed for 12 hours after the surgery. So Corey had to jump right in and take care of all of the diapering and swaddling. He did such a good job, too!

This is Aubrey and her Aunt Dani (Corey's sister)

This is Aubrey and her Uncle John Henry and Aunt Paige (my brother and his wife).

And finally, this is Corey getting Aubrey ready to go home! After 4 nights in the hospital, we were ready to go home and get settled into our new and exciting life!

My BIRTH-day

Well...after 40 long weeks (actually 40 weeks and 4 days), Aubrey Claire Kennedy is finally here! I was admitted to the hospital on Sept 3rd for an induction. Then 24 hours later at 4:26pm on Sept 4th, Aubrey made her way into this world. After 10 hours of labor - don't worry, the drugs came early and I never progressed enough to push - my doctor opted for a C-section. She is absolutely perfect! Here is a pic of Corey and I meeting our daughter for the first time. (That's Corey behind the mask) We spent 4 nights in the hospital and we got to bring her home on MY birthday - what a present, huh? Since then, we've been adjusting to life at home. Aubrey is making this transition relatively easy on us. She's very even tempered - feed me, change me, love me, and put me to sleep! I know it won't always be that simple so I have to brag on her while I can... We've been taking pictures like crazy so I'll post more later. Right now its almost time for another feeding!

Shower Time

Its been a while since my initial post, but things are progressing right on schedule...there has been some serious GROWING going on! Right now I'm about 35 weeks and counting - can you believe it?!? It seems like I've been pregnant forever, but she'll be here in no time! This summer has been a busy one for my family - my little brother got married in June. Since then, its been a non-stop baby frenzy. There have been quite a few showers (I have a fabulous group of friends that have gone out of their way to make me feel special). This picture is from my work baby shower. Corey and I work for the same company, so the entire office got together and threw us a baby shower! This was actually a couple of weeks ago (I think I was 30 or 31 weeks pregnant). This is my mother-in-law, me, and my mom. Compare that pic with this one from my shower last weekend! Talk about growing, huh?!? So far the pregnancy has been great. Don't get me wrong - I'm a bit uncomfortable at times, but its all worth it! I was recently able to start my "extended" maternity leave a little early. This is my second week of being unemployed and I'm lovin' it! I've been able to do laundry, finish getting the nursery ready, run all of my errands, and (the best part) take naps when I need them! Corey and I have also been attending our Preparing for Parenthood classes. Let me just say, there is such a thing as too much information when it comes to childbirth!!! So far we've watched THE video (yep, the one of a live birth), we've learned about drugs (yes, please!), and we've learned about breathing techniques and pain management. We learn about the C-Section - which I like to refer to as the modern medical miracle of the birthing process - next week. At this point, it won't take much to solidify my want for a c-section!! Thats about it for now! Once I finish getting the rest of the nursery and bathroom together, I'll post those pics. Until then, keep praying for a continued healthy pregnancy! Little Aubrey will be here before you know it!

Our New Blog

Hi there! Welcome to the Kennedy family blog! I'm starting this to keep all of our out of town family and friends (and our in town peeps, too) updated on whats going on with our growing family. Corey and I are expecting our first child - a little girl - in August. We are just over the moon about the pregnancy, we've been praying for this little bundle of joy for some time now. So far the pregnancy has been great. There was a touch of morning sickness (and afternoon sickness...and evening sickness...) at the beginning, but that went away by the 4th month. Other than that and the normal lack of energy and big, swolen ankles - everything has been great! We are busy getting the nursery ready. Actually, I'm busy making a list of things for Corey to do and he's busy doing them! When he's finished with her room, I'll post pics - he's done an AMAZING job! For now, I'll post on occasion when there is something to "report" - showers, nursery pics, ultrasounds, a few carefuly screened pregnancy pics, etc...But once she gets here, I'll be posting more often. Thanks for stopping by!!