Grandma Pops and The Dance Recital

Even with a newborn life didn't slow down. I am so glad my mom was here last week to help with everything and everyone. It was so nice having her here and the girls absolutely loved it. Ellie kept calling me grandma after she left. Thanks for everything Mom!! My dad flew in for the weekend to see Logan and attend the dance recital for the girls. He and Ryan also put up the chair rail in Logan's room, it is finally coming together. Photos to come soon.

Saturday was the dance recital that the girls have been waiting for. They both did awesome. Ellie's dance was to a Circus song and Bailey's was to a version of Be Our Guest. They looked really cute and were so excited and nervous, it was a fun day. They loved getting flowers and being a part of it all. Logan was good he just slept the whole time, but I of course told the girls he thought they did great.

Meet Baby Logan

Here are a few more pictures of Logan. I have to give a big thanks to my sisters for being here and taking such great care of the girls and for of course updating the blog!! We really appreciate all that they did. Thanks again Jenn and Mel!! Logan is pretty much the perfect baby, we are waiting for the bad days to come, but so far so good. He sleeps well, eats well and really only screams when you change his clothes. He has already brought so much joy to our family. We aren't really sure who he looks like, we see both of the girls in him, and Ryan so I guess he is just a great combination. I always feel like you can't really capture what your kids look like in pictures, but here are a few of my best attempts.

These were both taken in the hospital,

the 2nd one is right before we went home.

He loves to have his hands right up by his face, so it is hard to get a good picture of him without his hands covering him up.

He is also not a fan of any bright lights, he will try to turn away from them at all costs.

This is his Carolina outfit!!!

Ryan wanted to make sure to get him started off for the right team.

Logan Ryan Payne

Logan arrived last night at 7:05 after a long day. He weighed 7 lbs 8 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long. He has brown hair, and is VERY cute. He and Andrea are doing great. They should be home sometime this afternoon.

One Last Activity With Our Current Family.....

With things being so crazy lately, I thought for family night tonight it would be nice to just go enjoy each other. I am being induced on Wednesday so the time has finally arrived. The girls had a good time just eating pizza and hanging out. I always get sad right before a big change because I realize that I am really happy with where I am in my life, but I know this change will be a good one and that we have some great and crazy times ahead.

It was the perfect night for a pizza picnic. The weather was great.

Ellie drinking the butter sauce, and Bay loving the pizza.

This is the final photo before the big day. I am ready to stop feeling like I have a basketball shoved up my shirt. Hope everything goes well.

Lately...........

These are a few of the things we have been up to lately. It has been pretty crazy trying to get everything ready for the baby and keeping up with all of the girls stuff. I am actually ready for things to slow down a little, but I am not really sure that happens with a newborn. At least I will be able to bend over and pick things up without grunting.... I guess I will look forward to that.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

I hope all of you mom's enjoyed your day. It was nice to reflect on the reason that I am here. I am very grateful for my family. They were so well behaved that day too! To bad it only lasted for the one day : )

My friends Kari and Kami had a baby shower for me, it was really nice of them everything turned out great, and a lot of my friends came. It was so nice to have support from so many great people. Thanks again everyone.

I had been saving my gift certificate for a pedicure that Ryan got me for Christmas, I was able to go with my friends who gave me the shower, it was great. Such a nice place and so nice to have a little pampering. It is essential to have cute toes for the hospital!

Bailey's school held their annual carnival. It was a fun night. The cotton candy and face painting were the most exciting things of the night.

Last year they ran out of cotton candy, so this year we decided to get it first!

Last Wednesday Ellie's preschool class took a field trip to the zoo. It was fun to be able to go with her. They had a great time, they don't really look like it in this picture, but they did. It was fun to watch them interact with each other outside of the classroom. Ellie's friend Shelby rode with us and the two of the chatted and laughed the whole way there, it was hilarious to listen to.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIE !!

Today our little Ellie turned 4. I can't believe it has been 4 years since our 9 lb. baby entered this world. She was very excited for her birthday this year. She wanted a cupcake party this year. On Saturday she had a party with some of her friends from church and the neighborhood, it was a fun party. We played pin the cherry on the cupcake, decorated cupcake coloring pages and cupcakes that I made, and had a pinata. She had a good time and was sad when everyone had to leave. She also got some great presents from her friends, she loved them all. Lipgloss, High School Musical, and Princess stuff, oh and lipgloss, or lipstick, or chopstick (not a missing spelling that is what she calls it) these all make Ellie happy and she got some of each of them. Spoiled girl!

The party invitations

The treats, favors, and cupcake paper goods

The Pinata

The Friends

This Ladybug landed on Ellie's cheek, she was good about letting it stay there, later she said "I didn't know the ladybug wanted to come to my party."

Today she was excited to see the decorations when she came downstairs and Bailey couldn't wait to give her the gift that she picked out, Tinkerbell sunglasses, so I let her open them. Bay was also excited to wear hers that she bought herself I told she had to wait until today.

Bailey had just as much fun as Ellie, she loves a b-day party


After we got Bailey off to school, Ellie went to dance class, and then we went back and picked Bailey up so we could all go meet Ryan for lunch. Ellie wanted to go to the pasta place, so we went to Olive Garden for lunch. They were really nice to her and brought her a cake and sang to her. I let her open a few of her presents while we were there. She opened her "pink sparkly shoes from Target" which were a request for her birthday. After she opened them she said "i knew you would get them mommy, I knew you would." And while we were waiting for our food she kept looking at her feet and saying "I just can't stop looking at my feet." I guess they were a hit!!

The spaghetti and the SPARKLY SHOES

After we dropped Bay back at school we went to the store to pick up the cupcakes for the "cupcake cake" (her request) and it took them 1/2 hour to find them and then they were not exactly what I ordered, but they gave them to me for free so we made them work once we got home. She still thought they were great, so that is all that matters. After Ryan got home she opened the rest of her presents and we had some cupcakes and bubble gum ice cream, it was a perfect day for a little girl who loves pink, purple, and cupcakes.

The Cupcake Cake

Some of the gifts, HSM lipgloss with carrying case

Pinkalicious Book (love love this book)

All the goods, I think she was a little spoiled

Thanks to everyone who sent her such great stuff, she honestly LOVED it all!

Things we love about Ellie...................

• Her big blue eyes and round little cheeks
• The way she scrunches her nose and nods her head when she is trying to make a point
• That she calls short sleeve shirts "summer shirts" and long sleeve shirts "winter shirts" and she always wants to wear summer shirts!
• Her daily hugs, cuddles and I love you's
• The fact that she LOVES her big sister and wants to be just like her
• When she blesses baby brother in mommy's tummy everytime in her prayers
• Her memory, I am surprised she doesn't remember the day she was born.

Things Ellie Loves................................

• Spaghetti, cheese and butter
• SHOES !! (this honestly was her first real word)
• Her lunchtime regular: peanut butter and jelly with a pickle and caltage (cottage) cheese
• To look at books, especially when she is suppose to be sleeping
• Her dance class
• Music: her favorite songs right now are Bubbly and If the Savior Stood Beside Me
• LIPGLOSS (when I have some on she will kiss my lips just so she can get some on hers)
• Nail Polish (which I can't stand her having, she has already ruined 3 shirts and lucky for her it came out of my carpet)
• Bubble Gum (which she sticks anywhere when she is finished with it)
• Her family, not only us, but her aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIE JO JO

WE LOVE YOU!!!

Cinco de Mayo and Girlscouts

On Friday Bailey's class had a Cinco de Mayo party, all of the families were invited to join in the feast. It was fun to see the cute hats they made and to listen to Bay explain why Cinco de Mayo is a holiday. Ellie loves anytime she can go to Bailey's class so it was a great time had by all. Bailey even ate some of the "chladas" this is her word for enchilada's and for those of you who don't know, she detests "chladas" but for some reason the ones at the party weren't so bad, probably because she knows I didn't make them :)

Later that night her girlscout troop had a dinner/party to celebrate how well they did selling cookies. The girls made us dinner. They really did do most of the work and it all tasted great. The made sloppy joe's, fruit salad, baked apples and veggie tray. They each had a little part explaining what they had done this year in their troop and then they each got some new patches and a cute picture and frame. Their troop leader is awesome and I am grateful for all of her hard work. Thanks to all of you who bought cookies, their troop made quite a bit of money!!