I wish I may, I wish I might!

I apologize for how sloppy this post is...i literally threw this together in like 10 minutes, trying to finish before the girl wakes from her morning nap! you know how it is!

I have had so many friends and family ask me what Leighton wants for her birthday and I hadn't even begun to think about it! SO I told them I would throw a list together and put it in my blog! So here ya go!

{1} SHOES! My child has NO shoes! Seriously...im not kidding. She's walking now, so we are in desperate need! These are the training shoes, they squeak ( so annoying i know ) BUT the sqeeks are removable, so when she's up and running I promise I will take them out! HA! You can find them here OR for all my Abilene peeps you can get them at Buckethead kids! She's a size 5! They are really fun, the bows are removable, and you can buy all kinds so they can match outfits, holidays etc! I really want the close toed ones, but those brown sandals are so cute to!

{2} These are both TOMS. The little burlap cordones are so stinkin cute! And every girl needs a silver glitter pair! These will be great for fall to!!!

{3} Whoever buys me Leighton this new bag wins the prize of best present ever and gets a kiss from the b-day girl, and me to, if you want one..which might be weird? I have been staring at this bag for FOREVER and we need need need it! We would love it in the cream leather with orange straps and monogram. I think those colors work best for all seasons! In case you didn't know L's full name is Leighton Erin Gibbs ( for monogramming purposes ;)

{4} STILL loving this mini back pack! This is an ETSY find, but you can pretty much get them anywhere! It would be really fun in turquoise with pink lettering...just an idea!


ALL THE TOYS BELOW ARE FROM TARGET....

{5} Little girls=baby dolls. Unless your me and then you want some new soccer t-shirts and a baseball bat? But Leighton is normal, and loves baby dolls! So this will always be a safe bet!

{6} This drum set is our #1 toy want! She has an empty coffee container she bangs on like a drum and she lovvvvves music so all the goodies inside will be great! We will have so much fun with this toy i just know it! Daddy, I'm sure will want to throw it out the door. :)

{7} This shape sorter is to cute. AND its an elephant, I think I could probably stop there. But in all seriousness we need a shape sorter, and this one is the one we want!

{8} I know I'm not alone here in saying i had one of these as a kid! Nostalgia alone should be a good enough reason don't you think? Well this one has been modernized at least, theres a push or pull option, and many more sounds that come with this new age version!!

{9} I love this little music player, and for my dancing machine baby its a perfect match! I can just see her bee-bopping through the mall listening to it. So cute!

{10} Leighton loves the picture magnets on our fridge, butt since she's little miss distructo, she can't play with them anymore. Her cousins had one like this when they were little and they loved it. It will be a good way to learn the letters, and sounds they make, and will keep her off of my legs while I'm cooking.

CLOTHES!

In the Gibbs household, clothes, are always accepted!! We love some retail therapy, and nothing makes me more excited than sweet clothes on my little girl! I will say we are NOT the fur-fru type girls you all thought we were. We like soft, easy things! L is in size 12-18 months! To be on the safe side I would lean towards the 18 month pieces, and fall clothes would be amazing! We are on dress OVERLOAD in this house!! We also like small bows and flowers for our headbands, L's forehead is very small ( a blessing later in life! ) so the big bows just look crazy!

{11} & {12} Both of these pieces are from Nordstroms. They are really just a example of what I like! Although if someone snags that Splendid pink stripe outfit you can have a kiss to! ha!

Hope this helps all of you who have been asking! Of course gifts are NEVER necessary! We just hope you can all join us in celebrating her precious little life in August! LOVE!

the big 10!

I really feel like i JUST wrote Leightons 9 month post. No joke it literally could have been last week in my mind. I feel a whole month passed me by, things are just happening so fast around here i guess i lose track of time...surely I'm not the only one :)

So 10 months! WOW! I have a 10 month old! geeze...its so weird to think of when i first met taylor, my FRESHMAN year of high school, that this is where we would be today. Every morning when Leighton wakes me up at 7am by clapping her hands and bouncing up and down in her crib its like a big giant slap in the face, a HELLO MEGAN, LOOK AT HOW BLESSED YOU ARE slap. Those are the best kinds :)





There really hasn't been to many changes since her 9 month post..but ill try my best to think of all the fun stuff!

At her 9 month checkup she weighed in at 21Lbs...so I'm thinking were pretty close to the 22 mark. Which will put us in size 4 diapers for the day and move us to size 5 diapers for the day! eek! We are also totally done with 6-9 month clothes, they are all coming out of the closet and going to cousin Hollyn today. Happy 6 month birthday sweet Hollyn! HA! 12 months really fits the best, but we do have a couple 12-18 month things that fit too! She has just gotten SO long.

Were still working on our top teeth, her top left "fang" tooth came in ( fang is all i know, I'm no dentist...clearly ) its still just peeking through her gums, but once that baby pushed out all the fussing stopped, I'm thinking it must have relived the pressure from all 4 teeth pushing down. We still use the Hylands teething tablets like once or twice a day if she's fussy.

Everything is still going straight into her mouth. Im wondering when this will end, Erin and I were talking and we've both never seen a baby who puts things in her mouth like Leighton, and between the two of us theres 6 years spent working at a daycare, so that says something.

Getting more confident every day with learning to walk, she wants to do it SO SO bad, and just bails out every time..not to far from now she will be bouncing off the walls. Taylor says she's like lighting. She really is. She comes into a room, does a quick scan of everything within her reach, and literally bolts for something...usually something she can't have, and almost always beats me to it. Her favorite "no no" things are toilet paper, the dog food and water bowl, any cell phone, and any type of dirt of pebbles etc that may have been tracked in.

Last month i said she was weird with finger foods..well no more of that! She eats alll dayyyy lonngggg. Im thinking growth spurt or something. She does do some funny things like she will rub her food with her hand then lick her hand to see if she wants to eat it haha, or she will put the food up to her lips and flick it with her tongue..her personality is starting to really shine and i crack up at every meal.

We've tried so many foods i can't even remember...but our daily menu looks a little like this...

breakfast: bottle, a whole banana cut up, a bowl of cinnamon oatmeal and some applesauce

lunch: bottle, half a peach or mango, steamed carrot chunks, several chunks of cheese, and some yogurt

then she usually has a snack while were running errands.

dinner: veggie pasta, chunked avocado, squash or zuchinni, and whatever yogurt was left over from lunch.

then a bottle before bed.

we still haven't tried meat..maybe this month...maybe ;)

still my little power sleeper! we had a week or so of early wakings, but for about a week were back to 7! it looks like this...


7:00 wake
9:00 nap
11:00-11:20 wake
1:40-2:00 nap
4:00 wake
6:50ish bed

theres a little more play in our schedule now which I'm loving!

Firsts: there weren't TOO many firsts this month...we did go to the country club pool and of course she loved it. They have a baby pool that slopes down like a beach with little fountains sticking out of it, leighton kept sticking her face in the fountains drinking the water. The people sitting around it loved her, she was flirting pretty hard with one older gentleman haha and he just ate it up!

She's slowed on her talking, which is pretty common at this age, so I'm not to worried about it. She's always been quiet..im sure when she's 2 this is a trait i will be thankful for ha!

I think thats about all for this month...were in full blown party planning mode so look for more posts on that! ill leave you with some pics of the big girl...

I need HELP friends!

SO, I'm asking for a little help with the outfits for Leightons FIRST birthday, and yes, i said "outfits". I am a party planning freeeeak. I don't know why, but simple will just never do! If you know me at all, i mean even in the slightest, you know this is my element. So of course L will be having an over the top 50's theme swim party. Only there will be no real pool, just 5 plastic pools in the yard for all the tiny babies coming haha. How cute will that be...like little ducks. :)

Ok getting off topic, I have been searching and searching and now i have TOO MANY options. I want Leighton to have a swimsuit, and present opening/playing outfit. Cake (or sugar free banana muffins? haha ) will be eaten naked, my messy girl.

So I need your opinion on what to do here! I have three swim options, and two playing options. Some are cheaper than others, but I'm not SUPER concerned with that at the moment....ask me in 3 weeks when Taylor locks me away for ordering to many things ;)

Swim #1...this is a custom bubble swim suit with her initials monogrammed on the front..i would get this mint blue with red letters..




Swim #2...this is a Penelope Mack swimsuit from Dillards..its cream with gold flecks, I'm thinking a red and mint headband/bow and little red sandals or something...



Swim #3...this really is a terrible picture, but it wouldn't let me steal the others ;) its a red white and blue gingham Mud Pie...




ok..so which of those?!


Onto the play/present outfit.

Option #1..We actually already have this, her aunt and uncle got it for her baby shower, its also by Mud Pie and this picture doesn't do it justice either..the back is open with a big black bow...



Option #2..this is another Etsy find..a cute little bubble romper..she can also make it in black and white which i think i prefer to the pink...not for sure tho!









ok..there it is...my craziness all laid out for everyone to see! HA! now don't leave me hanging, i need some advice!!!



ok...someone needs to ban me from the internet! i found 2 more swim ideas..here they are..





i mean cherries and gingham?! ah!
and the other is navy...it looks black here

Its a crazy life

We've been busy busy people around here! Let me tell you, I am FAR more exhausted with an almost 10 month old than I ever was with a newborn! Maybe its just my kid, but Lord she is into everything, all over the place, allll theeee timeee! I LOVE IT! She is so determined to do everything, theres no "waiting period" for this kid, she realizes she can do something, and theres no testing her new skill, or working on it for weeks on end, she just DOES it. Athletic? yes..thank goodness! HA! Right now were standing, all day long she stands. She can stand and squat down to grab something and right back up she goes. She tries to take steps and gets so excited she falls. I think she already knows walking is next...i won't give it to long, we will have a walker soon, I'm fairly confident in that!

Heres a random picture dump of everything we've been up to!

Grandpa bought the girls matching dresses, they are the cutest together. Shayne bossing, Leighton hitting, Hollyn wondering why were doing this to her...oh cousin love, its such a blessing :)









That last one kills me. All with little sour faces. So funny

Ive noticed that I haven't been very good about documenting Leightons life through pictures unless its a monthly photo shoot, so I've been snapping away at random times of the day now. And she's just so cute why not?



reading books....



standing....



sumo?

Taylor and I went to a wedding this past weekend, its our second one in 2 months, tis wedding season! My mom watched Leighton for us, she really is the best! It was a lot of fun, I lost an earring if that gives you a little insight :/

Johnny Carino's Recipe

Johnny Carino's Spicy Romano Chicken



Sorry, that is the ONLY picture of the dish that I made a couple days ago, had I know that 100 people would want the recipe I would have taken better pictures! HA! I found the original recipe on Pinterest, OF course, but made a couple changes to it.

The sauce looks a little thin in the picture, I made more pasta than normal so it wasn't as thick as it normally is...next time ill add more cream...my husband likes to eat, ALOT.

The ingredient list and steps can look a little daunting, but don't worry it really is easy to do! :) Im going to break the list down into two groups, since there are two separate steps to this meal!

{Ingredients}

List 1:

10 OZ package of bow tie pasta. While whole grain is best for you, it won't taste the same..just use the regular and make up for it later haha
1 Pint heavy cream (16oz)
4 TBS butter
2 TSP salt
1 TBS pepper
1/4 C fresh grated romano cheese ( buy it fresh and grate it yourself! SO much better )
1/4 C parmesan cheese
2 TSP cayenne pepper ( i add a little more, i like it spicy! )
1-2 TSP red pepper flakes ( i do 2, like i said, spicy! )

List 2:

1 1/2 TBS buter
1/2 C mushrooms, buy the package and cut them in bite size pieces.
1/4 C green onions chopped
1 small jar of artichoke hearts, drained
1 7-8 OZ chicken breast
1/8 C sun dried tomatoes ( i buy these in the jar in liquid )
1 OZ heavy cream


{Directions}

From list 1..
-Melt butter in a saucepan, add cream, salt, and pepper.
-Bring to a slow boil, stirring frequently
-REMOVE from heat and fold in romano and parmesan cheese.
-Add cayenne

-Cook pasta according to directions on package

From list 2..
-In large skillet, over medium heat melt the butter, then add mushrooms, green onions,
and tomatoes, stir for one minute
-Add artichokes, and chicken (chicken should be precooked in the oven and sliced thin)
-Stir in cream, and 1/2 of the sauce you've finished. Stir in the pasta, followed by the rest of the sauce.

And voila! Told you it was easy! Hope you like it as much as we do! :)

9 Month Pictures!

well...there a little late...but as promised, here are the 9 month pics!

by the way..taking pictures of a 9 month old is WORK!..seriously we were worn out! ha!







Her aunt Michelle got her this amazing little outfit...L spent 50% of the time trying to eat the feathers...go figure haha!







Were just so amazed by this little angel every day...

Mothers Day Fun!

THIS was my very first mothers day, weird to think i will celebrate this day every year from here on out!

Taylor and little miss got me a cover for my kindle! Sadly, he bought it for the kindle touch, and i just have the e-reader. But hey its the thought that counts haha!

It was a busy busy day! We went on a long morning walk.

I had a last minute photo shoot booked that morning so I was busy with that until 12! Then at 2 we went to Shaynes dance recital, which let me tell you, was a fiasco!

It was so cute watching her and all her little friends up there shaking their little tutus with absolutely NO clue what they were doing! It was the stinkin' cutest thing! I can't WAIT to watch L up there some day! But NOONE had more fun than Leighton..the lights went off, the music came on, and my child lost her mind! She was flailing, dancing, screammmmming with joy, clapping her hands. It was precious and exhausting all at once! HA! By the end of the 2 hours i felt like she ripped out half my hair, had drool all over my, bruising on my stomach and legs from her feet jumping and digging in me...but it was all worth it to see her have so much fun! She was for sure the show within the show haha!

Sweet Shayne in one of her costumes. This girl has had my heart from the minute we met! I just love her so much sometimes she feels like my own. I LOVE watching you grow shayney-boo! -someday that will embarrass you, but i don't care :)

Then we went to dinner with my moms side of the family, and by the end we were all BEAT! ( No pictures sorry )


I will cherish my first mothers day forever. It will NEVER be like this again. Just in awe of the love I'm surrounded with daily. Thank you Lord :)