2 months, a Sip & See, Tinkerbell & the beach

Ok, let's face it.  I'm a terrible blogger.  I admit it.  I have all of these things I need to post but somehow end up getting too busy to do so.  I don't know why.  It's not like I'm chasing around a toddler and caring for an infant.  Ha!  Please forgive any grammatical errors!

July was a very exciting month.  We decided to to go Biloxi the week of July 4th.  Chuck's mom's side of the family has a little house there so we packed up and went for a week.  Wasn't the nicest beach I'd ever been to but it was a great little family vacation.  Chuck was off work and in town for the week so it was very special getting to spend so much time with him and the girls all at once.  The most exciting part of the trip was when Charlie and Chuck got to go out on a boat with our dear friends, Drew, Kate & Webb.  Mr. Tommy let Charlie drive the boat back up to the dock where I was picking them up.  We didn't quite think it would be appropriate for Avery to be out on a boat all day so she and I had a glamorous trip to Walmart. 

Captain Charlie

Avery turned 2 months old on July 5th.  She has started smiling and talks to us ALL the time.  Wonder where she gets that from?  Probably her big sis, who chats NON-STOP.  Ha!  She's sleeping really good.  She goes down around 8 or 9 and sleeps until about 5 am, eats then goes back to sleep for a few more hours.  Can't complain in that department!  We are still working on our nap schedule though.  She seems to take cat naps throughout the day.  She also loves her paci but likes to play the paci game by spitting it out every 5 seconds.  She likes for me to hold her paci in her mouth for her and she'll hold my hand.  It's the sweetest thing but very frustrating when she's going to sleep at night.  I'm still nursing but also supplementing with formula.  Avery also loves to sit in her Bumbo seat and watch Charlie entertain us.  Charlie is still the best little helper.  It amazes me how fast babies grow!

My wonderful Aunt Barbara and cousin Dena threw Avery a Sip & See party on July 9th.  So many people came!  The food was wonderful and it was so good to see friends that I hadn't seen in a while.  Avery also got so many amazing gifts that were totally unexpected.  I dressed the girls in matching outfits, which I LOVE to do.  Charlie did a great job introducing everybody to her little sister.



Charlie went to Tinkerbell Dance Camp this month.  I grew up taking dance from when I was 4 until 13 years old.  I loved it and wanted to Charlie to have the same experience.  I came across this dance camp, which I thought would be a good idea for her to go to see if she'd like to continue.  We signed her up!  My sweet little angel will be taking tap and ballet lessons beginning in August! 

We also just got back from Orange Beach.  We had the best time.  It was me, Chuck, the girls, my parents, brother, his girlfriend, my aunt & uncle, my father-in-law and sister-in-law.  Talk about a big fat family vacation!  Charlie has become a great swimmer.  No more floaties and she's learned how to flip forwards and backwards under the water.  I showed her how to do it and she's been doing it ever since.  She also flipped off the side of the pool.  About gave me a heart attack but at the same time I was so proud.  She also loved the beach until she got stung by a jelly fish.  But she got right back in the next day.  The jellies were pretty bad this year but I'm not really a fan of getting in the ocean other than to cool off.  I'd rather lay in my chair soaking up every ounce of sunshine I possibly can.  Avery did really good too.  I'd take her down for a few hours every day.  Chuck and I would switch up taking care of her.  We cooked dinner every night except one or two.  I think I gained 10 lbs. while we were there.  I can't wait to go back next year.  I'm already missing my toes being in the sand!

So that just about sums up our month of July.  I'll post more exciting news tomorrow!  I've put it on my list of things to do.  Can't live without my list and if it's not on there it won't get done. 

Welcome, Avery Carolyn Trayal

WELCOME BABY AVERY!!!
On Thursday, May 5th, 2011 at 9:12 am we welcomed the newest member of our family: Avery Carolyn Trayal.  She was 19" long and weighed a whopping 9 lbs!  Chuck and I joke wondering if Avery really is our child because she is so quiet.  All she does is eat, sleep and poop.  She'll wake up crying but as soon as I feed her she settles right back down.  We keep wondering how long this will actually last knowing she's bound to "wake up" soon.  The recovery was much different than the first time around also.  I had a repeat c-section and ended up going home a day early because I was feeling and getting around so well.  I just had one little bump in the road, which was getting that terrible infection from a clogged milk duct, but some antibiotics took care of that and I was on my way!  I think it helps having to take care of a tator tot as well as a newborn. 

AVERY'S FIRST BATH:  OUR LIL' REBELETTE

Speaking of tator tots, Charlie has been the biggest little helper.  She likes to help change Avery's diapers and will give her the occasional bottle.  Charlie has however made the comment, "Just let her cry, mama" when she doesn't want me to give my attention to Avery at that moment in time.  My biggest struggle is making sure Charlie doesn't get too bored so I've been trying to do something fun with her everyday, whether it's riding our bikes in the cove (Avery parked in the stroller at the end of the driveway), or going to Pump It Up, the playground, story time at the library or the Farmers Market.  We also planted a garden this summer, which has sprouted, but I'm afraid the heat will not allow anything to actually come out of it no matter how much we water it.  But that's okay, it gives me and Charlie something to do together. 


I WANT A PAIR OF THESE!



OVER AND OVER...



MY SWEET ANGLES

NASHVILLE I DO'S
We did go on our first family of four trip to Nashville this past weekend to celebrate my friend Pam's wedding.  She looked absolutely amazing and we had the best time catching up with a few of my other friends.  When Pam first asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding I wasn't pregnant and it just so happened that exactly after a month of giving birth was the date of the wedding.  Talk about motivation to get this baby weight off!  Well, I haven't gotten nearly all of it off yet but I surely have been trying.  You can only imagine the looks I was getting in David's Bridal 6 months pregnant trying on bridesmaids dresses.  Ha!  Me and two other high school friends were bridesmaids and Pam's sister was the maid of honor.  It was a bit of challenge having both girls there and still nursing Avery but we did it and we had a blast.

PAM & SHAG:  THE HAPPY COUPLE

DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE

THE BRIDAL PARTY

TRAVELIN' MAN

Finally, Chuck has started his new position within McKesson, which consists of him travelling every four out of five weeks for a special assignment he was hand picked for. He should be able to come home most weekends and it's only for 18 months so me and the girls will be holding the down the fort.  I am very proud of him for working so hard and accepting this position as it is a bit of a sacrifice for our family right now but will hopefully be well worth it in the long run. 

DADDY'S GIRLS

Just the 3 of us... but not for long!

With the pending arrival of Miss Avery I wanted to spend some quality time with Charlie.  I took a little over a week off of work before my due date to spend with her.  She is a mama's girl so I wanted to make sure I was able to give her some good attention before we welcome a newborn into our house.

Despite the storms, she and I have had a wonderful time together.  It started with Easter.  I felt like a

kid all over again getting up and being so excited to see what the Easter Bunny has left for Charlie.  She's at such a good age that she really understands what is going on.  He left her a basket full of goodies and a swing!  We thought we'd never be able to have a swing since our backyard is on a hill but the Easter Bunny managed to hang one from a tree that even had Charlie's name on it! 

We were also fortunate to eat lunch with both sides of our families at the Germantown Country Club on Easter Sunday. 

Since Easter, when we haven't been spending time in the hallway when the tornado sirens are going off, we have visited the new playground at Shelby Farms a couple of times, picked strawberries, went to the eye doctor to find out Charlie now has to wear a patch over one of her eyes along with her glasses, painted canvases and picture frames, visited with friends, and helped daddy work on the jeep. 

Avery is expected to be here no later than Thursday, May 5th, which is just two days away and I still have some things planned for me and Charlie to do.  I am so thankful that I was able to spend this time with her before we become a family of 4!

Never enough things to do...

It seems like every weekend we have a ton of stuff going on.  I don't think we'd rather have it any other way but at times it sure does wear us out!  This past weekend was one of those where we were constantly on the go. 

Charlie posing by the azaleas in front of our house.

Club LB

It all began Friday night with Club LB, a fundraising party for the Le Bonheur Club, downtown at the Train Station.  I must say I had the best dressed date there!  I love it when Chuck wears a bow tie.  It's not often these days!  Notice the Michael Kors bag sitting on the table?  Thanks to Peter Poole Jewelry all club members received a Michael Kors watch for attending.  Gotta love that!  I thought I might go into labor early during the live auction, which Chuck started bidding on a crawfish party for 30 but thankfully he got outbid.  We had a great time with our friends and I can't wait until next year's big party. 



Me and my best dressed date!

Beth, Rachel & me

Big Sister Class

Miss Avery should be here in just about 2 weeks so we took Charlie to a sibling class at the hospital where I will be delivering.  We took a tour of the labor and delivery floor where she got to see newborn babies in the nursery.  She LOVED that.  She also learned how to change a baby's diaper, which was quite interesting considering she unknowingly grabbed a boy baby doll.  Thankfully, no questions were asked because I was not ready for that conversation!  There were different stations set up around the room where she got to make Avery a birthday card, taste baby formula, and get her face painted. 

Changing the baby's diaper.

She's going to be a GREAT big sister - FINGERS CROSSED!

            

The Woman's Exchange of Memphis



Charlie loving on her Great Granny Jeanne!

 After the sibling class I took Charlie to the Woman's Exchange for a girls lunch/tea party with several members of our family.  They are one of my clients and I absolutely love that place.  They are open a few Saturdays this month to increase sales for their huge consignment sale they are having. 

Bess, Charlie and Great Granny Jeanne sitting outside
The Woman's Exchange.

Happy Birthday, Chuck!

We arrived at church Sunday morning and discovered that the Easter Bunny was where we normally take Charlie to Sunday School! We had no idea there was going to be a Easter Egg Hunt either so Chuck ran up to Schnuck's and got Charlie an Easter basket so she could join in the fun with the other little tator tots (toddlers) running around.  She only found one egg filled with jelly beans but had the best time.  She was quite interested in the Easter Bunny as well.  She showed off her Easter egg dress to him as well as her bunny purse.  At one point she did ask us if it was somebody dressed up as the EB but we insisted that it really was the real Easter Bunny even though his costume didn't quite close in the back and you could see his tennis shoes under his bunny slippers but somehow she was convinced. 

After our Easter Bunny adventure we went to eat crawfish for Chuck's Birthday.  I'm not a big fan of the mudbugs but he sure is.  Charlie and I made him a birthday cake and we celebrateD with our families and friends.  I am looking forward to celebrating MANY MORE birthdays with him. 

Charlie helping daddy blow out the birthday candles.



We ended up having a wonderful weekend.  We got to spend a lot of time with our family and friends.  I can't imagine our lives any other way!





In Sickness and In Health

My mother-in-law, Carolyn Trayal, has lived practically her entire life with multiple sclerosis and on the morning March 17th she went to live with Jesus and the angels in Heaven.  Diagnosed with MS in her early twenties, she graduated from Ole Miss, married my father-in-law, raised two children and was a teacher until about 10 years ago when the disease was beginning to take over.  She was a breast cancer survivor but the MS ended up taking her life in the end.  I only wish I had known her as the strong, caring, energetic, healthy woman that everybody talks about.  I just know she and I would have gotten along great.  I can see the two of us getting things ready for the Grove every week or going shopping for the girls. 

I'm very thankful that my daughter, Charlie, was also able to get to know her Nana over the past 3 years.  Charlie would sit by her bed and read to her every time she went over there.  She'd crawl all over Nana, they'd take naps together, and would always be singing and dancing for her.  The last time we saw Nana was Sunday, March 6th.  Charlie was so exciting that she had mastered writing her name and was showing it off to her.  Nana was very proud.  So naturally, it broke my heart when Chuck was telling Charlie that Nana went to live with Jesus so she wouldn't be sick anymore.  I'm also not sure how much a 3-year old actually understands about death so I've decided to put together a picture album of all the pictures I have taken over the past 5 years of knowing Ms. Carolyn for Charlie so that she'll always remember her Nana.

The one person who I worry about most during this difficult time is my father-in-law, Mr. Chuck Trayal.  He and Ms. Carolyn truly have a unique kind of love for each other.  They met while at Ole Miss and Carolyn graduated early just so she and Mr. Trayal could get married.  They had two children together; my husband, Chuck, and Liz Ann.  I am sure most men would have put their bed ridden wives in a nursing home a long time ago and had already moved on by now but not Mr. Trayal.  He took his vows seriously and took care of her until her very last breath.  He would always make sure she was presentable when company was coming over; put her jewelry on her, her makeup and would even paint her nails.  I am so thankful that my husband has a role model like him to look up to.  The words "In Sickness and In Health" make me think about my in-laws and the true love they had for each other the entire 35 years they were married.

This picture was taken of me, Carolyn and Charlie on Mother's Day in 2009.

Obituary:  http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/commercialappeal/obituary.aspx?n=carolyn-hayes-trayal&pid=149403370&fhid=3693

Happy 9th Birthday to my first born!

I cannot believe my sweet Maddie is 9 years old today.  I got Maddie the summer I turned 21 while I was in school at Ole Miss.  She is the most beautiful and kind spirited black lab I have ever met.  She has been through it all with me, including starting and growing a family of our own.  Can't wait to celebrate Maddie's birthday tonight!  Happy Birthday, sweet girl. 

Let's start from the beginning...

I have been wanting to start a blog FOREVER but have never gotten around to it.  So here it goes! 

My husband, Chuck, and I both went to Ole Miss but did not know each other until we both had graduated and moved back to Memphis.  We met at Brookhaven Pub on July 2nd, 2005.  We both were wearing the same red colored pants/capris, which was a great conversation starter.  He offered to buy me a drink and four months later he proposed to me in the Grove before the Ole Miss vs. LSU game.  We got married August 19th , 2006 at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where I went to highschool, and had our reception at the Gibson Lounge.  Dr. Zarr & the Amazing Funk Monster played and we had the best time.  We had our honeymoon in Jamaica and I can't wait to go back!  Here's a link to a little more of our love story...  http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2006/sep/24/well-hello-ole-miss/

We had our first daughter, Charlie Ann, on October 30, 2007.  She is the most beautiful thing ever and keeps us entertained daily.  Looks just like her daddy but has her sassiness from her mama!  We are expecting our second daughter, Avery Carolyn, May 6th.  Poor Chuck has already started plans on the bomb shelter he will be building to escape from all the girls! 

We live in Cordova and have two dogs:  Maddie, the most beautiful black lab in the world and Patridge, the Bassett Hound I married into...

So here's to me finally starting a blog and sharing with you everything (well, almost everything!) about the Happy Trayal family!