Opinions Are Like.....

Insert Fleetwood Mac singing...."You can go your own way, go your own way!" LOL!

Opinions are like.....well you know the rest of the saying! I'm not sure what it is about having a baby, but as soon as you do people start dishing out opinions and advice (both warranted and unwarranted) left and right! I've been given one piece of good advice since having Maggie Kate (from ladies such as my mother Laurenda, Hope Brookes Moore and Tara Carroll) and I feel it's worth passing on to other mommies! It goes a little something like this, "You are her Mommy, you know her best, and trust me you will know what to do. You just know". Such a good piece of advice for a new mommy. I think the Good Lord gives a new mommy a special feeling or connection in which she will "just know" what to do! It is a miracle, it is amazing, and it is very true. It is the only way I can explain how I just knew to wake up and look in Maggie Kate's bassinet the morning she was choking and burgundy faced, but without sound! It is the only way I can explain that feeling I get when I'm in the laundry room, and I just know she is awake and as I turn the corner to our room, there she is wide awake.

Which brings me to this, my own mother was given some bad advice / a poor opinion once. And I am so glad she listened to her own "Mommy knows best" voice and "went her own way" with things.....

Bruce Dale Norris Jr.

When my brother was struggling through 1st grade at a local public school, the teacher called my mom in for a meeting. He was on the verge of not passing, and she just didn't think he could be taught. So she suggested to my mother that she and the resource teacher felt he should be placed in a special education class. I remember my mother sobbing that night, because even though he was dyslexic, deep down she knew he didn't belong in that class. I am so thankful my mother didn't listen to one person's opinion! After a few years at Camperdown Academy http://camperdown.org/ (where they believed in B.J.) he over came his learning disability. The little boy who once spelled DOG, "G-O-D" is now an excellent reader and writer. B.J. is now a senior in high school, on the A/B Honor Roll, a member of the student government, Beta Club, and most recently The National Honor Society. I am so very proud of him! So below are a couple of pictures of my B.J. (aka nanny Bruce)! Love him! And I love the fact that, one person's opinion could have made his life so very different, but his mother, my mother, knew better and followed her heart. She, by the grace of God, "just knew".

My first "rave", B.J.'s senior picture (above) was taken by Related Images Photography

Check them out at Related Images Photography

Yee-Haw, It's Fall!

I absolutely love this time of year. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, give me a holiday and I'm a happy momma! We recently took Maggie Kate and Ayda Lynn to have their first Halloween/Fall pictures made together. So begins my next few rave's and fave's! First of all, Gena Murphy Photography is who I selected to take the pictures of our girls and I was so pleased with them. More than pleased! She worked so well with the girls, so here are a few pictures. Enjoy! I know I did! The last picture is a BONUS, one I dug up of me and my Crystal-bell from a Halloween way way back! Hee hee hee!

Have you ever seen a cuter pig and spider? I think not! (my opinion though, and you know what they say!)



Good times, good times! The dalmatian is Crystal and I am Cruella Deville!

(Thanks to Marty and Chad, this was their costume creativity!)

Now for the details from the above pictures! The photographer is Gena Murphy and she can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GenaMurphyPhotography. Check her out, I absolutely love her outdoor work! The costumes came from Chasing Fireflies, http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/, they also offer personalized pajamas, children/baby clothing, and my personal favorite, personalized soft leather baby shoes (see picture below)! Margaret now has 2 pairs! And finally, the matching hot pink "Hoot Owl" applique dresses came from Monkey Doodle Monograms, http://www.facebook.com/MonkeyDoodleMonograms. I found out about her through Nolan and Kim, and I have been in love with everything she does, ever since! Check her out on Facebook!

http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/personalized-light-pink-baby-shoes/productinfo/29433/

This is Halloween....this is Halloween.....

Here are a couple of pictures from Halloween night 2011! Enjoy!

Annual Merritt home treat bags!

Napkins!!! I get most of my party napkins personalized now, if you need large quantities (50 or more) it's actually cheaper than the getting them from the store! I get them from "For Your Party"! They're great! That's also where I got the matching treat bags! Here is a link to their website, http://www.foryourparty.com/.

Paula Deen's Cheese ball Goblin! Isn't he fantastic? And he tastes good too! Bonus....he's a delicious easy to make cheese ball, so don't decorate him and serve him at any other party too! Here is a link to the recipe, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cheese-ball-goblin-recipe/index.html. Enjoy!

Grandma Teresa holding the angry Pig!

 Baby Besties Maggie Kate and Tegan!

Maggie Kate and Daddy! (Love them!)

Aunt Marty, Noah, and Thomas Cole stopped by! :)





The Maggie Update

Margaret Kate Merritt went for her 6 month check up on Oct. 10th, and here is the update. Drum roll please.....she now weighs 22 lbs 9 1/2 oz, she is 29 inches long, and her head circumference is 45 cm. She is in the 99th percentile in all categories, which our sweet Dr. Nesbit says that means she is very well proportioned, and as always she still maintains Maggie Kate is her Champ! :) And oh how we love our Dr. Nesbit of the Christie Pediatric Group (http://www.christiepediatricgroup.com/)! Maggie's temperature still drops in the 97 degrees area at night, but Dr. Nesbit says she believes that's just the way she is and she doesn't feel it's anything to worry about! And in another update, there was no more signs (or sounds for that matter) of the innocent heart murmur that was heard at our 4 month check up! Praise the Lord!

So far Margaret.....
- has two "half" teeth on the bottom (Love it!)
- rolls everywhere she needs to go
- wears Size 4 pampers (that's right I said 4's)
- tries to get up on one knee
- says Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da, ALL the time now (totally thrills Nathan!)
- wears Size 18 month clothing (that's right I said 18 month clothing)
- slobbers profusely
- sits up, almost completely unassisted
- and still hates riding in the car, but only in the evenings (Thank the Lord for the little things!)

BabyLand General Hospital

Some of my fondest memories are my summer's spent in Georgia visiting my Papa Satterfield's "people"! At the end of every trip my mom and dad, Mama Satterfield, Papa Satterfield, Crystal and her mom and dad, sometimes all of us, sometimes just a few of us, would take us to BabyLand General Hospital and let us adopt our very own Cabbage Patch Kid! It was a magical place, and as it turns out, it still is!!! Nathan and I took Maggie Kate for her 1st trip (but certainly not the last) to BabyLand General a couple of weeks ago, and even though she won't remember it, she LOVED it and so did this momma! It is much bigger and better than it used to be! And may I just say, if you've never taken your little one, YOU SHOULD!!!! It is an experience that every little kid should have! Below are a few pictures! Enjoy....we sure did! PS....all the dolls there, are handmade, right there in good ol' Georgia! LOVE IT!

Doesn't Maggie look like she belongs there? Our Aunt Crystal-bell said from day one Maggie Kate was her sweet Cabbage Patch Doll! :)

Look! Daddy found himself a friend too! LOL! There's nothing this man wouldn't do for Maggie and I, and oh how we love him for it!



"Dr. Matthews" after delivering Maggie's Cabbage Patch Kid from Mother Cabbage!

Myself, and my two Margaret's after signing the "adoption papers"! Yeah, we were excited! Margaret and Margaret kind of favor don't they?!

And here it is BabyLand General Hospital! Below is a link to their website!

http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com/

Til' Next Time.....

I'll end this blog with a couple of pictures Betty Ann gave me of Nathan and Nolan when they were little. Confirmation that our sweet girls, Ella and Maggie Kate, look an awful lot like their daddies! Which makes their Momma's love them even more! :) So below are 2 pictures of Nathan and Nolan, and below those are 2 pictures of Miss Ella and Miss Maggie Kate at a recent photo shoot for Ella's 4 year pictures and Maggie Kate's 4 month pictures! Just so you can see for own eyes these "Daddy's Girls"! Enjoy! Ps....Susan Brewer Photography took these photos, and she did an excellent job! So below the last picture will be a link to her website and Facebook page, make sure and check her out!

Such sweetness! Crazy, it looks as if little Nolan is holding a "blue shirted" Maggie Kate!

More sweetness!

http://susanbrewerphotography.com/

Susan Brewer Photography Facebook

Farewell! And I leave you with this, hope it helps whoever reads it, as it did me....

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."  ~  Ephesians 4:32

http://www.thedailybibleverse.org/

Ch...Ch...Changes

I'll begin this blog by saying there is a lot of ch...ch...changes (insert David Bowie's Changes song playing here) going on in our house! Some good, some bad but necessary.

The Girls

The year before Nathan and I got married we drove all the way to Goose Creek, SC to pick up two full blooded Siamese kittens who we named Mimi (Mimi Mai Ling) and Lucy (Lucy Lui Long Legs)! I have wanted a pair of Siamese cats ever since watching Disney's "Lady and The Tramp". Remember the two Siamese cat sisters that sang, "We are Siamese if you please, and we are Siamese if you DON'T please"? Loved them! Mimi and Lucy were the most loving kittens/cats (despite the "bad rap" Siamese cats get)! What we didn't know at the time, was that Nathan was severely allergic to animal hair/dander. Cats, dogs, even horses, Nathan can't pet them without sneezing and his eyes turn bright red and itch, bless his heart! But he put up with it for me, for 6 long years. After we had Maggie Kate, I no longer had the time to play and love on the girls like they desired and deserved, and Nathan couldn't. So we had been talking about finding them a good home, but just talking about it. Shortly after discussing this, I had Maggie Kate upstairs with me one day (near Mimi and Lucy's rooms), and she started sneezing and there was some "goo" in her eyes. I realized then, that it looks like Miss Maggie Kate is gonna take after daddy in more ways than looks and it seemed to me that she could have pet allergies as well.  :(  So Nathan and I decided we had to find them a good home soon! Fortunately for us a friend of ours, Kim Hoke, did lots of research and found a cat rescue organization.  In this cat rescue organization out of Easley, SC there was a woman who only rescues Siamese cats and she had 2 openings! Not only that, but she didn't think twice about taking Mimi and Lucy.  So with a heavy heart and some tears, Nathan took Mimi and Lucy Saturday, August 20th to Jo their new foster mom! After a couple of sleepless nights and some tears, I'm okay with the situation because Nathan called to check on them and they are doing fine and loving all over their foster mom! I know that they will now get all the love and petting that they need and want! So below is a few pictures of the girls growing up and the last 4 I took the day before they left us. They will very much be missed, but will always hold a place in our hearts.  (Ps....Nathan told MK he sure was sorry about the whole pet allergy business he may have passed on to her, but he promised her a goldfish one day or maybe a reptile of some sort--- EEK! Sweet Nathan, always thinking ahead, we love our Daddy and I am so glad I married such a thoughtful man!)

Mimi & Lucy the first day we brought them home (October 2005)

Mimi & Lucy's First Christmas 2005

Lucy Lui Long Legs

Mimi Mai Ling

Mimi & Lucy the day before we said goodbye (Aug. 19, 2011)

"Thank you for being a friend..." (insert Golden Girls theme song playing here with a few sniffles)

The Maggie Update

Dr. Nesbit...."Have 'we' told you lately that 'we' love you?" (insert Rod Stewart singing here)  :) 

We went Monday August 22, 2011, for Maggie Kate's 4 month check up at Christie Pediatric Group! And may I say one more time that they are a fave of this momma! We love our Dr. Nesbit, and she even posed for a picture this visit with Miss Maggie Kate!

Maggie Kate & Dr. Nesbit

Christie Pediatric Group

And now for the results of our visit:  (insert drum roll here please)

Weight:  17 pounds 13 ounces

Height: 25.75 inches

Melon Size:  43

MK, on average, is in the 95th percentile for her age group in her height, weight, and "melon" size, and very well proportioned might I, and Dr. Nesbit add!

But on another note....Dr. Nesbit did tell us that she heard a small "innocent heart murmur" while listening to Maggie Kate's heart.  She said it was very common in infants and that we shouldn't be concerned. She let us know that Maggie Kate should "grow" out of it, and to not be surprised if it was gone by her 6 month check up, but that she will keep a check on it just in case! So, her daddy and I have decided we will just add that to our prayer for Maggie Kate each night, and we will leave it in His Hands! But I would ask that you too, say a little prayer for Miss Maggie Kate's heart, and hopefully everything will be fine by our next visit! Other than that Dr. Nesbit said Maggie Kate was doing great, and she still calls us her "champ"!

Apples......

We tried our first Stage 1 Apples not so long ago, and Maggie Kate was not so sure about them!  I decided it was time after Maggie Kate was chasing my spoon with her mouth one day! Our first attempt didn't go so well, so we decided she wasn't quite ready! So we tried again this past week and she did so much better, and she now acts like she enjoys them!  Below are a few pictures from the first and second attempt at apples! Enjoy.....Maggie Kate is quite the drama queen!

1st attempt!

2nd Attempt!

However, Dr. Nesbit said the apples might be a little too strong (since she makes the funny faces) so we have went back to oatmeal cereal for breakfast every morning....and she LOVES it! After a couple of weeks of oatmeal we're going to try a Stage 1 vegetable! 

Til' Next Time......

I'll finish this post up with a couple of recent pictures of Maggie Kate, who now holds her head up very well. So well that Dr. Nesbit congratulated mommy and baby on all of our "tummy time"?! To which we replied, "Thank You"! We never let on that Maggie Kate HATES "tummy time" with a passion and we do good to get 5 minutes in each day! Ha ha! But our 5 minutes must be working!

(Ps - the dress in the picture is so soft and was a gift from Bob and Virginia Norris, whom we just love, and it came from Bella Bambino's on Batesville Rd. and HWY 14 in Greer, SC. Amanda Steading Turner monogrammed it for me and did a fantastic job....Thanks Amanda!)

I think she looks just like my Nathan in this one, which makes my heart smile!  :)



It's Been A While....

Since it has been a little while since my last post, like the last, this could get lengthy! But as follows you will see all my updates, rants, raves, ramblings, and faves!


Sisterly Love....Well Sort Of!

God did not see fit to bless me with a little sister. Instead he sent me Bruce Dale Norris, Jr. (B.J.) who I would not take anything for! I love him, and the 10 years between us has allowed me to "mother" over him now that I'm older and he is one of my best friends! But fortunately for me, I did have a "Crystal Bell" growing up and she has turned out to be all I ever needed or wanted in a sister! To say we grew up together, would be an understatement. We were dressed in matching clothes by our mothers (itchy matching clothing might I add) and always had our pictures made together, in such mentioned itchy matching clothing! But I am so glad they "tortured" us, because now we have tons of pictures of us growing up together that are so fun to look back on! Crystal and I have hit one another, hugged one another, been to each other's graduations, been in each other's weddings, and now finally we have held each other's babies just as sisters do! And I wouldn't have it any other way! She is the closest thing to a sister I will ever have or need.  I pray that Maggie Kate and Ayda Lynn will be as close as we were and still are! So below is my sappy story in pictures of me and my "Crystal Bell" growing up!

Where it all began....



First Itchy Dresses As Mentioned Above!



We shared bath time....



We shared Papa Satterfield and jewelry...



More Itchy Clothing....




We shared blankies and a love of sucking our thumbs.....

We shared good times....(LOL at this pic)



We shared beach trips.....



And more beach trips.....



We shared, and still do, a love for our Mama Satterfield....



We shared Halloweens....(PS the cutie in the cowboy hat is Bryan)



We shared in celebrating graduations....




She was my Maid of Honor in my wedding....





And I was her Matron of Honor in her wedding....



I helped throw her a baby shower and shared in that excitement.....



She helped throw me a baby shower and shared in that excitement....



And finally, I held her baby for the very first time.....



And she held my baby for the very first time....

And as I cry just a smidge, at all the things we have shared over the years, I now share with you a recent, very first photo shoot (but certainly not the last) of my 2 month old Maggie Kate (a product of Nae Nae) and my 2 year old Ayda Lynn (a product of Crystal Bell). I pray they share just as much with each other as we always did, and I can see it in the sweet way Ayda Lynn hugs Maggie Kate that they too, will be bestest of friends, maybe even "sort of" sisters just like me and Crystal are!

My first "rave" for this post will be Mandy Mayfield of Mayfield Photography! She took these photos and did an excellent job! I just cried like a "silly mommy" the first time I looked at them all! So right above these pictures you will find a link to her website....she's great....make sure and check her out!

http://www.mayfieldphotography.net/

(alright, alright....instead of "mini" Nae Nae's and Crystal Bell's they are really "mini" Nathan's and T.J.'s! But that makes their momma's love them even more!)

Oh and by the way.....the dress Ayda Lynn has on below matches the jumper Maggie Kate was wearing, and they are, get this....REVERSIBLE! How fantastic, right?! So my next "rave" is a very affordable children's clothing boutique in Boiling Springs / Spartanburg, called Tickled Pink! I love this place, they also did the monogramming on the girls outfits and can generally have the monogrammed item back to you the next day! Go check them out....they're going to make me one broke, but happy, momma!

The Maggie Update.....

Maggie Kate now sleeps back in her bassinet directly beside momma's bedside (with the exception of the occasional night when the momma just can't stand it and lets her sleep with the momma "just one more time" ;)   ).  But I just couldn't get her to sleep on her stomach or side (which I preferred).  After finding out the baby "sleep positioners" had been banned (much to my dismay) I did some research and discovered The Zaky Hands! They are great, you can heat them in the dryer so they are warm like momma, and you can even sleep with them so they smell like momma! And they keep Maggie on her side, for the most part! So they are a "fave" of this momma! Check out Maggie with her "Hands" below during nap time, God Bless Them! Below the picture you will find a link to their website check them out!

The Zaky Hand!

http://www.zakeez.com/en/home/thezaky.php

And the latest update on my Maggie Kate is....yep....we're a thumb sucker!  I had been thinking things were headed this way, but today, on Thursday July 15, 2011, we figured out how to suck our thumb and she hasn't looked back for that paci yet! And the momma and the daddy are okay with that, hey who are we to condemn? We both sucked our thumbs/finger! So here are a few pictures we just had to get, because we can't help but think it's too cute! (And yes....we're aware it won't be this cute when she's 9 and still sucking her thumb, but they're only little once and we'll cross that bridge when we get there!)

The End....well for now at least....

I leave you with my favorite family photo and a hilarious (but also favorite) family photo at a recent photo shoot by Kim Hoke! She will be my last "rave" / "fave" for this post, she does an awesome job! I hate to put her info on "blast" like this without her permission, but hey, they don't call it a blog for nothing! So check her out on Facebook her name is Kimberly Price Hoke and you can find her under my "friends" list.  She does an excellent job, and we happen to love her and her work! 

Favorite Family Photo Taken By Kim Hoke:



Ha Ha Ha! Next Favorite Family Photo Taken By Kim Hoke:

(ps...make sure and take a good look at Miss Maggie Kate in this one!)