as time goes by....

MY BABY IS 4 MONTHS OLD!

I just can't believe it.

At 4 months she:

babbles like crazy
loves when mommy sings to her (apparently pitch and tone mean nothing to her)
holds her head up and loves to watch the world around her
is fascinated with mommy brushing her teeth
Loves driving in the car
Is starting to laugh, especially when tickled under her chins
Loves to sit in the warm water and just kick
recognizes mommy

at birth


1 month


2 months


3 months


4 months

give me one moment in time...

First off I just wanted to say thank you for everyone's willingness to help me out watching Qiana. I am overwhelmed with the love, and thank you all.

A couple little things this week.

Last Friday Qiana joined us girls at the Big Bend basketball game. She was so fascinated with everything for the longest time, but when she wanted to go to sleep she wasn't super excited about the whistle. she would open her eyes like "seriously?" every time. So we left at half time so she could get comfortable. But it was so much fun hanging out with my girls.


My little girl is a ROAD WARRIOR like her mom. She loves just looking out the window in the car, and when she gets done with that she quietly goes to sleep. She likes to be in motion though, and isn't a super fan of sitting in her car seat in the car if it's not moving (ex. long lines at the bank). She wants to be driving somewhere and have something to look at. The other day I opened the door to get her out and she looked so adorable. these pictures don't capture it enough but she had her hand pressed under her chin, and just gazing out the window.



Now do you remember a month or so ago when I posted Qiana's faces during tummy time? Well my girl is making major improvements, and it makes me smile. I don't want to pressure the girl, but who wants the "slow child" right? Anyway, look at my little miss.



Tomorrow is her 4 month mark, and time for more shots. yippee... (do you hear the sarcasm?)

I want you to want me...

WANTED:

Someone caring and trusting to watch my little girl this Thursday from 8am-2pm (time can be adjusted). My lovely babysitter had to go and get herself sick and is having surgery (j/k nena), and I need to work since I'll be on vacation next week. If nobody can do it, I understand but I thought I would put it out there. She is really easy and just needs you to feed her, change her, hold her occasionally, and let her sleep.

let it rock let it rock let it rock

Have I mentioned how much I love the "QUEST CREW" on ABDC. Here is this week's performance. Jc and Lil' Mama (with her ridiculous outfits) have no idea what they are talking about, so if you want to hear the comments just fast forward to when Shane Sparks talks. :)

sleep....baby sleep....

So this week I decided to make a big step and put Qiana to sleep in the porta-crib. Ever since she grew out of the moses basket (about december) I have just been putting her to sleep in the bed next to me... I know I know.... some may say it wasn't the best decision, but it's a queen bed, it's only me in it, and I don't move when I sleep, so we pretty much both just stayed on our own sides. But this week I decided to start getting her used to a porta-crib since I have some vacations planned, and she is getting older and gonna roll over soon. Well I set up the crib as a bassinet first, thinking maybe if I didn't have to put her all the way in the crib she would be less likely to wake-up...

I WAS WRONG!

Man, the first couple nights were rough. She was up every hour, and not a very happy girl. There were times when I really just wanted to put her back on the bed and get some sleep, but my stubborness wouldn't let me. Then last night I decided to take out the bassinet part and just see if the normal crib would be fine. the bassinet just kind of hangs from the top of the crib and slightly moves each time the baby moves, and i thought that is what was waking her up...

AND I WAS RIGHT!

she slept great in her crib last night, only waking up once to eat and then going back to bed. I even had to wake her up this morning to feed her and get her ready for the day.

YIPPEE!

So now I have to decide....do I buy an actual crib or stick with the porta-crib. and if I stick with the porta-crib do I buy one that will match her bedroom theme, or just get over it and use what I got?

The music has magic, you know you can catch it...

What ever happened to TV show theme song....with lyrics! I miss those days. Not that I don't get super excited when I hear the heartbeat drum pounding of the House m.d. theme, or the scream in the opening of Cold Case, but I miss the times when I could sing to a theme song. I still know a lot of the words to my personal favorites and they still get me happy....do you still know the words to your favorite theme song?



here's a little quiz: (sorry for all you youngin's you may not recognize most of them)

1.I bet we been together for a million years,
And I bet we'll be together for a million more.
Oh, It's like I started breathing on the night we kissed

2.Believe it or not, I’m walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so free.
Flying away on a wing and a prayer.
Who could it be?
Believe it or not it’s just me

3.Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn’t you like to get away?

4.Come and knock on our door. We’ve been waiting for you.
Where the kisses are hers and hers and his

5.I’ve been searching my soul tonight
I know there’s so much more to life
Now I know I can shine a light
To find my way back home.

6.I don’t need you to worry for me cause I’m alright
I don’t want you to tell me it’s time to come home
I don’t care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, and leave me alone

7.New boy in the neighborhood
Lives downstairs and it is understood.
He's there just to take good care of me,
Like he's one of the family.

8.I know my parents love me, stand behind me come what may.
I know now that I’m ready, because I finally heard them say
It’s a different world form where you come from.

9.What ever happened to predictability?

The milkman, the paperboy, evening TV.

10.In West Philadelphia, born and raised
On the playground is where I spent most of my days.
Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin all cool,
And all shootin’ some b-ball outside of the school

11.Goodbye gray skies, Hello Blue, 'cause nothing can hold me when I hold you.
Feels so right, it can't be wrong. Rockin' and rollin' all week long.

12.If you're out on the road feeling lonely, and so cold,
All you have to do is call my name and I'll be there on the next train.
Where you lead, I will follow anywhere that you tell me to

13.Well we’re movin on up, to the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up to the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie

14.Desmond had a barrow in the market place
Molly is the singer in a band
Desmond says to Molly, "Girl I like your face."
And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da

15.Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage,
This I tell ya brother, you can't have one without the other

16.You can count on me. No matter where you go.
I’m standing by your side. I’ll be right behind.
No one loves you more than I do, Put your hand in mine.

17.Baby, if you’ve ever wondered,
Wondered whatever became of me,
I’m living on the air in Cincinnati

18.So no one told you life was going to be this way.
Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, you’re love life’s DOA.
It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear

19.And if you threw a party invited everyone you ever knew
You would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend

20.As long as we got each other
We got the world spinnin right in our hands.
Baby you and me, we gotta be
The luckiest dreamers who never quit dreamin

21.When I wake up in the morning
And the 'larm lets out a warning
I don't think I'll ever make it on time
By the time I got my books I give myself a look
I'm at the corner just in time to see the bus slide by

22.Life is a race and I know I can win it,
Cause I'm learnin' the rules of the game.
If I could stay on the ball take it minute, by minute
I just might make the hall of fame. What can I say?

23.Just the good ol’ boys,
Never meanin’ no harm,
Beats all you’ve ever saw, been in trouble
With the law since the day they was born.

24.Sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit, these men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune.

25.Hangin’ out
Down the street
The same old thing
We did last week.
Not a thing to do
But talk to you
Whoa . . . yeah

tiny bubbles....

Oh Qiana makes me laugh on a daily basis. She does the simplest silly things and I just think it's so cute.

She has now taken to pulling out her binky with one finger and then holding onto it

in the crook of her finger.

She will hold it there forever, and then finally drop it when she gets bored. she hasn't figured how to put it back in though...oh that would be nice.

I also have a sneaking suspicion that she may be teething, if not now, then soon cause the girl is a freakin bubble and drool factory and can't keep her hands out of her mouth.

She pretty much is a walking wet t-shirt contest cause, all her clothes get drenched around the top from her endless supply of drool, and she even coughs or gags sometimes on the wetness. nice.

but she thinks she's so funny when she makes the bubbles come out of her mouth, and that makes me laugh, so for now I will just have to be okay with the wet shirts.

check yourself before you wreck yourself...

for all those "so you think you can dance" fans that aren't watching america's best dance crew on mtv....you need to start! this season. the quest crew which is made up of dominic, hok, and ryan from sytycd and their friends are going to tear it up!

holla back youngin....

To all the EARL GIRLS if you read blogs but don't read your emails....

CHECK YOUR EMAIL! important info. thanks.

Thinkin how could I get some dead presidents...

So here is my question to anyone who knows about tax stuff. cause I have NO CLUE when it comes to this stuff. In my 32 years of life I have never had to fill out anything besides the 940 EZ form for my taxes. Well since I not only bought a house but had a baby in 2008, I'm thinking I may need to use something else. right?

HELP!!!

What info do I need to make sure I have before attempting to fill out a tax form?

I'm so nervous I'm going to mess things up, or not get what I should be getting. Usually my taxes only take me a couple minutes online...I don't know what I'm doing here.

anyway. just thought the blogasphere could help with this dilemma.

i want money lots and lots of money..

So about a month and a half ago I bought a new couch.

It was a tough decision as I have loved the gold couches that I inherited through the family but they just didn't give the support that I needed anymore and my back was just killing me all the time. I have had those couches in my possession for 6 years now (although they have been around since like the 60's/70's), so it was time to make a grown-up purchase and get new couches. Kim and Aaron had a great sectional that i fell in love with during thanksgiving, and so I purchased one similar but in a different color. Well they had to special order it and this past weekend Ryan was kind enough to help me go get it....and we just love it!

oh man it has changed my world. and it fits so nice in the space. Plus now it matches the glider that I had gotten, and it all just goes together which i love. I'm so happy.



another favorite purchase of mine is Qiana's new pajamas. She looks so cute in them, and they are the perfect mix of funky modern, with a twist of old school. gotta love them right?

ice ice baby...

Last week I took Qiana to the mall to get her ears pierced.


I was well aware that this little adventure may be somewhat traumatizing for her so I was prepared with a bottle to soothe her when she finished and lots of love....but apparently that was all unnecessary. Yes she cried, but she was easily soothe with just me holding her, and in a few minutes she was just as smiley as ever. phew! she just looks even more adorable and I love it.

She has yet to even play with them or anything, so I think all is well.

let's get together whatda ya say?

This past weekend was a big weekend for the Bates crew. Mitch came for a visit, Carson got baptized, and we blessed Qiana.

I had such a good time hanging out with Mitch and Qiana took to him so quickly. Usually if i am in the room she doesn't give much attention to anyone else...but man she would follow mitch around with her eyes anytime she heard his voice. she loved him being around. I was also part of the lucky few to get a tasty dinner made by mitch. oh so delicious. it was an all day process with layers of flavor being put into the meal. we had ox tail stew (with meat that pretty much fell off the bone in warm deliciousness), sweet potatoes seasones with bay leaves, and sauted brussel sprouts (yep i said brussels sprouts...and i have converted to their awesomeness). I really loves having mitch around and felt lucky to get some one on one time with him, he's a really cool guy and i was very sad to see him go.


with mitch here and kim & aaron up for carson's baptism it felt like the perfect time to bless Qiana. I had been thinking about it for awhile, but felt a little awkward about it since she didn't have a father to bless her, but i realized that she had plenty of family that loved her and would love to share in that experience with her. So everyone who came down for carson's baptism got a two for one special. I asked aaron to bless Qiana and he did a wonderful job. His words were from the heart and she was surrounded by love, and is was just beautiful.

I love hanging out with my family and we had such fun together.





Grandma made us a yummy spaghetti dinner and toast and jam the next morning, we had a house filled slumbar party, and the boys got to play "conquest of the empire" and pretty much become total dorks PROTECT YOUR CAESAR AT ALL COSTS!".

it's been awhile...

Sorry i haven't posted in a week or so. it's been crazy. I am now trying to play catch up. I have my new years eve post up, and my year in review post. This week I will work on my family time this past weekend including qiana's blessing.

let's get the party started...

So my friend/co-worker Rhonda was nice enough to watch Qiana for me new year's eve so I could attend a little function with my friends.

me and em keeping it real

my cool relatives...

just proof that earl girls can't do normal faces in pictures

me and the coolest kids on the block- brigham and nick

the singles ward staple...mike wright in his classic pose...oh man you scared me mike!


The singles ward spent the night partying at Time Out Pizza in E-town, with free food, dancing, and games.

the first part of the night I just chilled with the posse


Then I spent the rest of the night in the dance section having fun with all the cool people.



Emily played the jams while we danced away.


that dance face must be genetic...

all my single ladies...all my single ladies...

nice moves?

it's called the cupid shuffle...

just bust a move...

ummmmmmm.....?

she moves her body like a cyclone...


Midnight came and went with not much excitement for me


but i think some others got what they were there for....

hey randy, something tells me he wasn't down for it... :)


and then I headed home to my baby.

no thanks brigham i think i'll just drive...


When she woke up around 2:30 for food she was so excited to see me and couldn't stop babbling...apparently she had an exciting night and had so much to tell me. funny girl.