Laina's first trip to MU!

Over Thanksgiving we decided to take a trip to the Mizzou Campus and show Laina around to her future school. (Obviously if she chooses.... but she will... oh yes, she will.) It was a beautiful day so we were able to get some good pictures of her in the cheerleading jumper. Here she is exploring the campus map. We also took some great pictures at the columns. The campus almost looks the same as when Dan and I were there. I love reminiscing. College was so much fun.

Timber!!

This past weekend the Shepard Family went hunting for a worthy Christmas tree to adorn with the few ornaments we have. Luckily there was a place right up the road. It was pretty cold and windy but my little trooper Laina hung in there.

Then I of course proceeded to place her in front of it and take tons of pictures of her.

I am really excited for our first Christmas with our new addition. I know she's not quite old enough to appreciate all that the holidays offer with friends & family and food of course... but it's just going to be so much more special with her there. I always get very sentimental as the years come to close. Maybe it's because the holidays make me realize how lucky I am or the excitement of a brand new year and a chance to accomplish something great in life. I think for 2009 we didn't do too shabby in that department. For now I'll just enjoy these moments, hope you do the same!

Turkey Day Coming Up!

Laina is now 5 months old and I"m realizing how behind I"m getting on many things (including blogging). I won't blame it on her but it does feel like my lack of time really began in late June... hmmm...

Anyway lots of exciting things have been happening in the Shepard household lately. We are very blessed with another little nephew that will be joining us in early April! Julie is due April 8th, 2010. So this Turkey Day we will be giving thanks for more than just our beautiful family but also the future ones who will join us. Unfortunately Laina will have to wait another year before she partakes of the turkey... just rice cereal for now but I have a feeling some one will slip her some mashed potatoes when I'm not looking. Hope your holiday season reminds you not only of what you have to be thankful for but also what lies ahead.

Laina & Dan on Halloween!

R.I.P Matt Miller (second cousin)

Recently a distant cousin of mine died of cancer at 28. He lived in D.C. with his family and I met him only once when I was in college while visiting with my grandparents.

He was an extraordinary juggler and even performed at the White House.

Below is a video dedicated to him. Such a horrible thing to lose your child, my heart goes out to his family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT-jaC2TiwA&feature=player_embedded

3 Months Old!

Happy 3 Month Birthday Laina!

I'm so excited that Laina is now 3 months old. I know I should be crying in my coffee that she's growing up so fast but she is really a ton of fun now. She is starting to get over the crazy amount of crying she was doing and she loves to play. We can sit her in her bumbo chair with a rattle and she's pretty entertained now. She also really enjoys babbling to us as we listen in our pretend conversation voices "uh, huh? oh really? what else? tell me more!". I swear you become a different person when a baby is around but she seems to enjoy the conversation so I'll keep doing it!

So I couldn't resist getting out the baby pictures to compare and see who she looks like... what do you think?

Man I was such a chunky monkey when I was little! Can't wait to see what she looks like in a few more months.

Labor Day Fun

This year we got the whole family together (minus Bret since he decided to grow up and have a job... sheesh) for Labor Day down at the lake. It was a great weekend. Little brother Josh brought along a friend from college and some of our other friends stopped by as well. See fun pics below!

Doug cooking WING O FIRE - YAH!

Doug & T-money (Tristan) on the seadoo

This is Justin & Sara posing next to Josh's friend. Seriously, this is what we do to outsiders... if you ever get invited to join my family down at the lake, be warned... we will destroy you. Any inclination you may have that you can hold your own when drinking will be crushed. This young man was quoted saying "your family drinks too much" when we finally took him to bed... after taking many pictures of him passed out of course.

Case in point: Jackman (middle) let it be known that it was his birthday... wrong choice. Bix (left) and Doug (right) chose to also torture him. He didn't make it. Passed out shortly after this picture was taken. Good Times.

Off to see the Wizard... or daycare

Laina started daycare last week and I'm happy to report that she loves it. She comes home every day in such a good mood. I don't know if she's actually that different but maybe since I don't see her all day, she seems happier because I'm happier. Either way, daycare is going well. She is going to a friend's house who I've known for a long time and has the best, sweetest kids ever... so I just said "do what you did to them to her...". haha.

Here's a picture of Laina the first morning. I didn't cry, even though everyone indicated to me that I should or would... I didn't. My sister says it's because I felt more comfortable with who she was going to than most people do but I also think I have a crunchy outer shell to my heart.

The other day I also whipped out the camera to take some pictures of Laina since she's getting close to that 3 month mark. She's really "turning the corner" that the Dr. promised she would with the crying. She is going to bed easily and stays asleep until I wake her in the morning, about 9-10 hours! I have to admit, I feel really lucky in that respect. She also holds her head up all on her own like a champ and reaches out for things. The other day she put the rattle to her mouth and chewed on it. It's really amazing how entertained I am with the little things she does.

As this year progresses more and more of our friends are having babies. I think you go through so many amazing phases in your life, graduations, weddings and now children and I'm happy to say that this phase has been the best one yet. It's good that I feel this way since I've heard that this phase is the one that never ends. :)

2 Months Already!

Well it happened... I blinked and already Laina is 2 months old. She is smiling more and more, though I still haven't caught many on camera. She now weighs 11lbs 13oz and is 23" long! She's 75% percentile in all categories, so she's very proportional. Dr. Jeff says she's already showing signs of development that they would see in a 4 month old! My little overachiever. :) I still can't believe she's mine sometimes and keep reminding myself that no one is coming to pick her up to take her home... she's staying with us forever! It's pretty wild. I got a new video camera to start catching all her little moments in High Definition... so stay tuned, I'm sure I'll have some fun videos pretty soon. For now, happy 2 month birthday little girl! Enjoy the rest of your summer, it's going fast.

The First Smile!

On Thursday, August 6th we got our first smile from Laina. It was right after she had eaten and then I'd changed her diaper. We knew she was getting close but this was the first real open mouth joyous smile and it nearly brought me to tears! I quickly got my camera and tried to recreate the moment but I only caught a partial... still, you can tell she's close. If there was ever any doubt that we are wrapped around her little finger, it is sealed now. She hasn't give us a smile since but instead has enjoyed watching us do everything under the sun to entertain her and get another one. It must be nice being a baby and watch adults act like idiots.

Below is the partial smile picture. I'll post the full meal deal once I get it on camera. She's so cute. :)

Lake Baby!

I'm excited to report that Laina LOVES the lake. She relaxed and slept almost the entire day on Saturday. She loved the breeze on her face and fell asleep almost instantly when I sat in the porch swing. I never knew a baby could sleep so much and still sleep through most of the night...

Cousin Tristan LOVED her sunglasses.

Julie holding Laina while she sleeps the day away on the dock.