Just for proof...

See, Piper, Avery really does love you even though she always bites you. It must be her love language.

SnapChat has become a favorite thing to do with Brady and Avery. The problem is, it's never enough. 

We love this sweet girl!! 

Long's family beach week(end)

Each year, for as long as I can remember, my dad's parents have hosted a Long's Family Beach Week at our family beach house in Garden City Beach. I remember when it was just Ashley and me and our 2 cousins, Chris and Brian. And then Lauren and Daniel got old enough to come. Now, our work schedules prevent us from all being there at the same time, but it continues to go on. Ashley and I decided to go down this year for the last weekend. Dad and Cyndi, Cross and Ethan, and Gillis and Ashley were going down as well and staying at a nearby hotel. With small kids, Ashley and I decided to find a house (so we could put the kids down and enjoy a glass of wine in a separate room) and we found one in Debordieu.

Cross took Brady and Avery down Thursday morning and Grant, Piper, Ashley and I joined them in Garden City first thing Friday and Ben came later that afternoon. We spent all day Friday and Saturday on the beach with the big family and it was so much fun! This was Piper's first time on the beach and she seemed to love it! Which really means that she didn't seem to mind it. She was impartial, I guess. She did have some of her best naps on the beach by the ocean so I guess the real thing is better than her sound machine.

Who doesn't love matching outfits??

 Debordieu is about a 30 minute drive to Garden City so we all piled into one car on Saturday to head down. All 3 kids were on the middle row and Ashley and I climbed in the back. Brady got his first bottle experience and did not disappoint. It is amazing how much Brady and Avery LOVE Piper. It really does make my heart so full!

 Beach naps are THE best! Well until you roll off your blanket onto the sand out the back of the tent. To say Piper was sandy would be an understatement. Since we were only going to be gone 2 nights and Piper normally only gets a bath every other night I didn't bring her tub. I realized quickly she had to have a bath and I realized even quicker how big my baby is that she now can't even fit in the sink.

Avery and Ben even enjoyed a nap in the tent! 

 We had such a great weekend with Mama and Papa, Gma and Gpa, and all of our aunts and uncles! Piper Grace- you are loved beyond belief and you make us all smile!

5 beautiful months

Piper's 5 month milestone has come and gone, but not without some amazing memories. We have been so busy this summer. Just when I thought having a child would force us to slow down, I'm starting to think the opposite. We go as much now as we ever did. It's different, but busy nonetheless. Time isn't mine anymore, it belongs to Piper (and my pump and her bottles). The funny thing is that time used to be (and still is) my most coveted thing....it runs out and runs out quickly.  And here we are and I'm more than happy to give as much of it as I can to my sweet Piper. In fact, she can have as much as she wants. G and I got a date night last night (thank you to my MIL, Gigi, for surprising us with a night out) and we sat up at the bar at Cola's and enjoyed feeling 'normal' again. Our conversations were great and to probably no one's surprise we talked mostly about our sweet miracle and how the past 14 months have brought us joy, sadness, tears, joy again (most know my crazy pregnancy story), nervousness, excitement, pain!, exhaustion, love, happiness, love, smiles, love, and true love.  Piper- you are the child every parent wishes for. You are so easy going (just like your daddy and NOT your momma), you sleep good, you rarely fuss, you always welcome me home with a huge smile, you love your sitter Katbird, you can entertain yourself, you love your bath, you love your dad, you make funny sounds and smacks with your mouth to copycat us, you like the sound of the blowdryer from your bouncy (no one likes a blowdryer but this girl), even when you cry it sounds like 'arrreeebbbba', you go down to sleep like a champ, you meet me with a big smile when I get you out of your crib each morning, you love jumping in your excersaucer that hangs from the door, you seem to like the pool, you love watching your cousins (even though Avery bites you every single time she is alone with you), you have loved every food you have tried, you are sitting up, you simply are perfect!

Perfect to daddy and momma and we love you more than could ever be expressed with measly words. 

July 6th- We went to Downtown Church, met Gigi, Pappy, and Gavin for brunch at Thirsty Fellow and then we went and visited my Mama and Papa (my dad's parents). Papa absolutely adores Piper and it makes my heart so, so happy!

Our sweet girl has become quite the drama queen...especially at night during her last bottle. 

'I'm exhausted, mom, it's all I can do to eat this bottle you are feeding me'. 

On Friday, July 11th, we enjoyed a Friday afternoon and evening by the pool at Birdie and Bogey's house. Piper dipped her toes in the water and enjoyed mimicking her daddy . She now 'pops' her lips all of the time. She loves it! 

 We all slept in on Saturday (Piper even fell back asleep on me in the bed...that NEVER happens) and then we enjoyed visiting friends. We dropped off milk for Leo (I'm currently pumping for a sweet boy with SMA who requires breast milk since Piper does fine on formula) and then visited my best friend Caroline, her daughter Collins and her new TWINS, Graham and Thomas. They are cutie pies. Tee-tiny cutie pies!

And then the 3 of us enjoyed lunch on Lake Murray at Liberty's.

Aunt Anne, Katie and Keaton (Mom's sister and 2 of the 4 of her kids from Austin, TX) came and visited for a week. Ashley came down and stayed with me for the week and 'dumped' the kids at my mom's. It was a great/exhausting week as we stayed up too late because we were having too much fun. The kiddos enjoyed it as well!

 Avery showed off her new puppy purse to Piper (those slippers!!). Brady made flags for the World Cup final on Sunday. Piper posed for lots of pictures and snapchats. You name it, we did it. And we had lots of fun all-the-while.

 We enjoyed swimming in the pool. Brady has become quite the fish this year and Avery does not fear the water at all. She doesn't seem to understand that she doesn't know how to swim and will sink, but it makes for fun when she does get her swimmies on before getting in the water.

 

And then there was the 'shoe swap day' 

 Piper had a stomach bug most of the week which made her a little fussy, not want to eat, and extra snuggly. I found out quickly that I don't like my baby being sick. Really don't like it. I don't like not being able to fix it. The stomach bug has passed and she is now back to herself again and I do not look forward to that again. The snuggles are wonderful, but not worth Piper not being Piper.

Happy 5 months you sweet girl. You sure know how to spoil your parents. You helped us be greeters at Downtown Church on July 13th. You got lots of compliments on your dress (from Gma) and you tried to eat lots of programs. But you're so cute that I think they will have you back any week to greet at our great church! 

Her 'normal' schedule at 5 months...we were often off by as much as an hour or two, but we still try to follow Moms On Call as much as possible. I'm still breastfeeding her in the morning, but I think that will end tomorrow. She simply isn't getting enough so we now get to let daddy help with the morning feeding. Yipee! 

Belly laughs

Piper's belly laughs are my favorite and they happen more and more these days!

 (June 25, 2014- 4.5 months old)

Happy Birthday, USA!

We celebrated July 4th (Friday) at Ashley and Ben's house in Charlotte as they hosted a party at their house expecting about 50 people including kids. It was such a beautiful day and unseasonably cool. Piper had many 'July 4th outfits' so we started celebrating early in the week.


*Almost* 5 months old and always a smileypants!

Me and my girls! Love these two! 

'Piper, someone called you'

Avery loves her Piper so much!

Piper made many outfit changes, but our favorite was one made by my college roommate, Amy Dupree (see below). I love how much she and her Daddy love each other! 

 

 Avery is such a ham. I can't wait until she and Piper are playing dress up with my scarves regularly. Ashley bought them matching outfits. LOVE the matching outfits!

'MY seat, MY sunglasses, MINE'

What a great celebration! We had so much fun celebrating July 4th with our family! 

Piper was exhausted (literally) when we got home. #dramaqueen