Last Dinner

Last Friday night the Castleman, Blanco and Culbertson families joined together for our last get together. Scott made some truly amazing burgers and we enjoyed just hanging out. There were some tears shed and laughter as well. Arianna and the kids left for Miami the following Sunday and are now awaiting the arrival of Baby Blanco #3. We move in about 2 weeks so Rebecca will be in Gulfport without us (although I am sure she will survive). I cannot imagine our lives not mixing on a regular basis anymore. These two women have helped me so much and are truly wonderful friends. I will miss them both dearly.

I Swear It's A Dinosaur

Jeremy and Gabe decided to do some cloud watching the other week. I could hear them outside laughing and yelling so I grabbed the camera and snuck up on the. They were laying in the backyard and just laughing at the sky. I heard Gabe say several times, "No Daddy, I swear it's a....". He kept naming all these different animals. It was so hilarious to hear him excitedly correct Jeremy. Here are a few pics. Also, check out Gabe's lovely black socks and orange shorts. He is a stylist in the making-yeah right.

Confusion

Last night the ladies got together for a night out at a new place in Gulfport called Confusion. It reminded me of a place the gals from Sex And The City would go (well, as close as you can get in Gulfport, MS). The specialty drinks were so yummy and the food was amazing. We enjoyed a bottle of champagne and stayed for almost 3 hours. The staff was so ready for us to leave. It was so wonderful to get out and have some fun adult conversation. We all dressed up and everyone looked fantastic. I will miss these women so much when we move.

Moving

Well, we have been told by Jeremy's new company that they need him in Texas in 30 days. I can't believe it. I am so sad and excited at the same time. I don't think I'll really believe we are leaving until the moving truck is hauling our things away. We are more than likely going into another apartment-ugghh. But, at least San Antonio has lots to do and we can get out and enjoy the sites. So, the Culbertson family will soon be off on another adeventure. Hopefully, this will be the last one for a while. Well, an adventure that has to do with moving. We hope to travel a lot once getting there and settled. I have never been out west to vacation am anxious to see the grand canyon and the rockies. But all in good time.

Bathin'

Oh, how Gabriel loves his baths. The child can sit in a tub for hours if we let him. Even if the water becomes cold, he does not care. The other evening Jeremy decided to let him play with some bath paints. He had used them before but never like this.

Shelby Sitting Up

She seems too little to be doing this already. It's too cute.

Gabe's 3rd Birthday

Gabriel had 2 days of celebration for his birthday this year. Jeremy's parents came for Gabe's actual birthday and we had a really nice time. Gabe loved all his gifts, but his favorite was the play-doh. He was also excited about the Little Einteins Rocket and characters. He played with his new toys for the rest of the afternoon and kept making animals out of play-doh. Grandpa worked tirelessly to teach Gabe how to roll out the doh and use the shape cutters. It was a wonderful QUIET way to enjoy the day.
The next celebration happened this past weekend. We had lots of Gabe's friends over and enjoyed some yummy crawfish and beautiful weather. Jeremy made a dinosaur cake, which was just incredible. I told him he should think of making a career change. Gabe absolutely loved it. It was really wonderful to see my cousin and her famil as well. Her little boy is not even 2 yet and almost as big as Gabe. The 2 of them had a blast playing rough together. And even Shelby was able to enjoy some of the festivities. Unfortunately, both kids are sick now, but I think Gabe would say it was worth it. He had a smile on his face the whole day.

20 Weeks Old

Shelby has definitely come a long way in 20 weeks. This little girl will be trying to crawl before I know it. She is doing the airplane thing every time her belly hits the floor and has just begun trying to scoot. She has dicovered her feet this week and is now always grabbing for them when she is on her back or sitting up in her Bumbo chair. She is eating fruits and vegetables, which is very evident by her orange colored nose. I am trying to keep orange foods to a bare minimum, but it doesn't seem to matter. Gabe had the same thing happen and I think it's kinda cute.

Shelby gets the biggest kick out of Gabe. Last night he was dancing for all of us and Shelby fell onto her side she was laughing so hard at him. I really love watching them together and how Shelby seems to look at Gabe with awe. Gabe has gotten a bit testy with her now that she is starting to reach for his toys. And I know that is just the beginning of sibling rivalry. I try to explain why she is doing it, but of course he doesn't really understand which is okay. He is so great with her the majority of the time, I have no complaints. Shelby is still taking 3 naps a day and sleeps about eleven hours. She and Gabe are still sharing a room, which is hard soemtimes. But she loves her pack n' play and will not sleep in anyhting else. I am really looking foward to the summer and watching Shelby grow even more.

Another Baby Shower

Since we started the mom's group here, there have been 5 babies born. Arianna is due May 28, but will not be living in Gulfort. They are going back to Miami. So we threw her an early baby shower last night. We wanted to get her something to remember us by, so we purchased a Walter Anderson print for the nursery. He was a famous artist of South MS and his family carries on his business. We also got her a few things for baby including a onsie for a little girl (keeping our fingers crossed for a baby girl). We had a mexican fiesta party and it was lots of fun. We played a few games and enjoyed some yummy margaritas. I am so sad that soon Arianna will be leaving, but now we know we are leaving as well. I believe everyone had a great time including the mommy to be.

Shelby's Dedication

We had Shelby dedicated this past weekend. It was a nice little ceremony at the Presbyterian Church we attended in Gulfport. The Pastor is a good friend of Jeremy's and his wife is one of my closest friends here. Arianna's family joined us as well, along with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins. Shelby wore our family's babptismal dress that has been worn by 3 generations. She looked so beautiful and sweet in this dress. We are hoping to have all the intials of everyone who wore it sown into the slip. I am so glad we did this before we move again.

Gabe and His Shoes

This little boy loves to wear other people's shoes. He walks around in my tennis shoes, heels, flip flops, sandals and slippers. He loves to put on Jeremy's work boots and tell me "I'm goin to work wit daddy". My mom came to visit this last weekend and Gabe really liked her knee-high boots. He wanted to wear them so bad so mom finally put them on him. It was hilarious watching him try to walk in them and act normal. We all got the giggles and he couldn't walk anymore.

Silly Girl

I know that in the video I say "you're a silly girl" about 50 times, but it was the only thing that made Shelby laugh that way. Enjoy the pure giggles she got the other night.

4 Months

Shelby continues to amaze me. My daughter is so happy. I try to think that I am the reason, but it's probably unlikely. Oh, I am sure Shelby loves me (she will only eat for me which is sweet but frustrating). When I walk by her or even glance in her direction she smiles at me. When Gabe approaches her she begins to laugh and "talk" to him. And she stares seriously at Jeremy whenever he holds her and then shows that cute toothless grin. But I think Shelby is just content. At 4 months old she is eating cereal and fruit from the bowl and is an outragously messy eater. She has begun to flip herself onto her back and this is usually the way I find her waking up from her naps. Shelby loves music and smiles whenever we sing to her or she hears music from her toys. She only fusses when she is tired and will lay right down to sleep. I am continually surprised by this peaceful behavior and wonder how Jeremy and I could create two very different children. Baby Shelby is showing classic signs of teething and drools on everything. She is starting to reach for toys in front of her and loves to be on her belly. Weighing in at fourteen pounds and 24 inches long, Shelby still looks small. But she is our little bundle of sweetness and I can't wait to see what the next month brings.

ABC's

Gabe usually refuses to sing any songs with me, but I finally got him to sing his own unique version of the ABC's.

Shelby in the Exersaucer

Here is a short clip of Shelby workin' out in the exersaucer. It's so funny to watch her in this thing.

Mardi Gras Parade

We attended the Diamondhead parades today and it was really a lot of fun. Shelby enjoyed the fesitivities for a little while, then passed out in the sling. Gabriel was amazed by all the floats and beads but got a bit overwhelmed from all the noise. It was so cute watching him hold his little hands out and trying to say; "Hey throw me something". About half way through the parade though he was ready to go home. We caught lots of beads and other things and Gabe seemed satisifed with his treasures once he got home and comfortable. We went with my aunt, uncle and cousin and always have a great time with them.
Jeremy took the babies home for a nap so I could enjoy the rest of the parade. The weather was beautiful and it was a great day for being outside.

Shelby's Giggle

Here is a little video from TN. Mom was the only one who could get Shelby to do this while we were there.

A Surprise Trip

We went to Tennessee last week to visit my parents. This was a surprise trip since Jeremy had to take his extra vacation by the end of January and found out last week. So we rushed around like crazy and hopped in the car for a 7 hour drive. The babies did well in the car and we were pooped by the time we arrived at 3 a.m. Jeremy got to spend two days doing nothing but guy stuff with our friend Doug. I spent some time with my friends and it was really great to be home for a little while. While we were there, Gabe spent all his time with Bebe and Poppy. He even decided to try a bit of makeup while Bebe was getting ready one morning. Shelby was great and entertained everyone with her sweet personality. Here are some photos from our trip.

12 Weeks Of Life

Shelby turned the big 12 weeks and is so full of life. She is laughing some, trying to roll over and loves being on her belly. She is sleeping 11 hours at night now and taking 3 consistent naps daily. She is holding her head up very well and just seems really content and happy. That smile of hers is too cute and she definitely melts our hearts. And she is beginning to interact with Gabe a bit more every day. This morning he was pulling on her and she looked right at him and let out a high pitch shriek. Gabe was so shocked he hugged and told her he was "so so sorry". She is sleeping in the pack n play for now because she was scooting all over the crib and getting stuck on the side. We have started feeding her a bit of rice cereal from a bowl and her facial expressions are priceless. It is so much fun to watch her grow and change.

Gabe and Shelby Hanging Out

Gabe's Growin' Up

There have been a few big changes in Gabe's life lately. We decided right after Christmas that he finally needed to get out of the crib. He never once tried to get out of it and I guess it was my way of keeping him a "baby". Well, Bebe bought him a twin bed and he loves it. He has only gotten out one time in the middle of the night and that was last night, he had a fever. Now that Shelby is in the crib, Gabe takes his afternoon nap in our bed which is too sweet. He looks so small in the king bed. We also began potty training. This task has not been easy and I think it's just going to take him a while before he feels comfortable with it. But at least we are sticking with it this time. I decided to also try and take the pacis away, but that seemed a bit too much for him. So he still has those. Gabe's 3rd birthday is only a few months away and I can't believe how much he has changed. Having Shelby has definitely made me appreciate the baby stages and I am happy the two kids are far apart in age. Gabe is such a joy to be around, but he knows how to push all our buttons. Sometimes I am shocked at the amount of energy this little boy has.

Shelby Talking

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8 Weeks Old

I cannot believe how fast and slow these past weeks have been. Shelby has changed so much in such a short amount of time. She is holding her head up and smiling and cooing at anybody that comes around. I gave her some tummy time on the Boppy the other day and she was just wiggling all around. The past few nights she has slept eight hours straight and seems to be taking better naps during the day. She is still in Newborn clothes but weighs a little over 11 pounds. She looked like she was losing her hair for a few weeks, but now it's coming back and it's brown. Once she is consistantly sleeping that long stretch we will be putting her in the room with Gabe. And speaking of Gabe, he has been such a great big brother so far. He gets a little rough sometimes, but Shelby doesn't complain much. He does kiss her a lot and tells her he loves her all the time. Jeremy and I are certainly in need of alone time but are just happy to have two healthy and happy children. And shelby already has Jeremy wrapped around her teeny pinky.

Tis the Season

Well we had a great Christmas with my family this year. Gabe got some awesome gifts including a pirate ship, Elmo Drill, remote control truck and a huge chair for him to lounge in. He was hilarious unwrapping all the gifts. If it was a box that he couldn't see what was inside, he would just throw the box and open something else. Shelby slept through the opening of presents (of course). We went to my Aunt and Uncle's house for lunch and we had a wonderful feast. There were eleven of us total including the two babies. We played games, watched The Grinch (who's idea do you think that was?) and Home Alone. Shelby was overwhelmed from all the action and decided to nap in the "Peanut". Gabe had to go home and nap for a while as well. By the time the day was over, we had all eaten too much and laughed so much our bellies hurt. It was really a fun holiday and I am so glad we have these two wild children to remind us how exciting it can be.

Gabriel's New Vocabulary

Over the past month Gabe has really begun to speak more clearly and put sentences together. It is amazing to hear his speech change. I can carry on a small conversation with him now and some of the things he says are so hilarious. He repeats lines from his cartoons or something Jeremy or I have said to him. I think it's so crazy how fast children grow and change. I can tell when his little brain is working really hard to come up with something to say. And the cutest thing of all is that he tries to carry on a conversation with Shelby. He will tell her what he is doing or watching and ask if she likes it. He explains the book he is looking at or the page he is coloring. I am so glad that we were able to give him a sibling. Even though soon I know he will be mad that she is touching his things. But for now, I am enjoying watching him be a great big brother.

The Six Hour Nap

I had no idea that babies could do this, but my daughter did yesterday. She fought going to sleep all morning and then at twelve she finally gave in. I woke her at 2 to eat and she fell back asleep until 6. I had to wake her then too. I couldn't believe it. And the only reason why I didn't freak out was the pediatrician had told me at our last visit that some babies do this. I didn't really believe her, but Shelby proved Dr. Harper right. And thankfully she still did her regular routine last night. Hallelujah for babies that sleep.

Crying, Crying, Crying

Wow. I had almost forgotten what it feels like to have a baby that cries a lot. Gabe cried most of the time he was awake until 3 months old. I have lucked out with Shelby until now. The past few days she has been extremely fussy in the afternoon and evening. She will go down for her nap only to wake a little while later and cry. Then she falls asleep for a bit and wakes up crying again. AAGGHHH. She will sleep in the sling I have but she is getting heavier everyday and when she is in it for a long period of time my back hurts. I hope this is just a phase and she will begin to sleep better. On a positive note, she is sleeping longer at night. Last night she slept from 12:30 to 6. Hopefully this time will begin to get longer soon. But for only being six weeks old, she is doing well. Thank goodness Gabe is a good sleeper. He is still taking his naps and sleeping until 7 or 8 in the morning.

Shelby's First Photo Shoot

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1 Month Down

Shelby has certainly changed our world in just one short month. We are getting much less sleep and having a crying baby once again sure does bring on some stress. But she is such a happy baby too. We went for her checkup and she weighs 9 pounds and has grown over an inch. She still fits into newborn clothes, but I am sure that is soon to change. She is smiling at me and lifting her head, which is great. She is also tracking us as we walk across the room. The pediatrician says she is behaving more like a two month old, because of her motor skills being a bit farther along. This is all good news. Jeremy and I take turns during the night getting up with her so we are both pretty worn out. But we know this stage won't last forever. This is our last week of meals being brought to us so we may be eating lots of Peanut Butter sandwiches (which I know Gabe won't mind) and our little house usually stays pretty messy. Our little man is adjusting remarkably well. He really loves Shelby and is always asking where she is and making sure I am taking care of her. He is listening less to us, but that is to be expected. We are putting him in a big boy bed very soon so when Shelby begins sleeping longer at night they will share a room. We'll see how all that works out.

Welcome Shelby

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These were taken a few hours after Shelby was born.

Pirate

Gabe did not want to have anything to do with a Halloween costume this year. And since we were in the hospital, we figured it wouldn't be the best idea for Jeremy to take him Trick-or-Treating and have a ton of candy for when we came home the next day. The child is truly obsessed with candy.
But Gabe did attend a birthday on Halloween that was Pirate themed. He loves pirates and got a great party favor. Here he is showing it off. He walks around the house saying, "Aargh, I a pirate". He even got Jeremy to put on the hat.

Baby Dolls Already

My Mom brought down some of my sister and I's old Lego's for Gabe to play with. In the container were a few Cabbage Patch figurines. Gabe saw them and immediately took them over to Shelby. He laid them right in a row beside her little hands. It was so adorable. Every time he gave her one he said, "Here baby Shelby". I think it's so interesting he gave her the dolls and not a Lego block or truck. I know that he doesn't understand the difference in the sexes yet, but it still surprises me that he would choose those to give to her.

Shelby's Entrance

Well, I never expected to be able to say that I gave birth the old natural way. But that is exactly what happened. We went in the night before to receive medication to soften my cervix. By 4:30 a.m I was having contractions but they were not registering on the monitor. At 6:20 I was dilated to 2 and began a low dose of pitocin. The contractions began coming 2 minutes apart and were extremely intense. The pitocin was turned off 20 minutes later due to Shelby's falling heart rate. At 7:20 I was allowed to stand and asked why the contractions were not showing up on the monitor still. I thought maybe I was being a baby about the pain. My nurse moved the monitor on my belly and immediately the contractions showed up and were spiking all the way to the top. At 7:35 I asked for my epidural, was checked and my water broke I was dilated to 5. About two minutes later I felt the need to push. At 7:50 the anthestesiolgist showed up and I was dilated to 9. So I could not have any medication. My doctor was performing an emergency c-section at another hospital and never made it. My nurse was prepared to deliver Shelby, but a mid-wife happened to be on the floor and came in to do the job. I pushed four times and Shelby was born at 8:14. She weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and was 20 and 1/2 inches long. It all happened so fast and was just incredible. The pain was so intense but I am truly glad that it happened this way. I was able to have Shelby on my chest when she came out and we were only apart for a little while afterward. I am amazed at the love I feel for her and the more love I feel for Gabe.
Jeremy was absolutely amazing. He was so calm during the whole process and really kept me in check. He told me afterward that he was so scared when they said I could not have any medicine. But I never saw his fears. It is so sweet to see him hold his baby girl. Since we have been home Gabe has been great. He loves on her, gives her the paci, rubs her feet and just watches her. I know that this won't last forever, but he is not behaving jealously at all.
Here is a little clip from earlier today. Enjoy our little brown haired girl.