Bippity Boppity Boo

Kate's Fairy Godmothers came to town this past weekend! Tricia, Heather, and Lindsey all drove from the coast (Mobile, Hattiesburg, and Gulfport) to visit with the newest member of Kappa Delta 2027 (yes, Tricia figured that out on the drive up). Kate was so happy to meet them, and I even let them babysit. Luke and I both had weddings to attend, and the Fairy Godmothers held down the fort. I returned home to a quiet house, but never fear, the pics tell it all! Sleeping Beauty after a meal! Sleeping Beauty has pretty dresses...so what do Fairy Godmothers do? They dress her up, of course! "But look how cute I am! Take my picture!" declared FG 3 to FG 2. "Why, look! There are enough bonnets for us all to dress up," exclaimed FG2! "Whew! Sleeping Beauty is back asleep!" "Oh! Props!" said Fairy Godmother 1. And then FG 3 got jealous of the attention not being on her: I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends and I miss them already. My friend, AFS, describes college friends perfectly. Because I am math/science oriented, I am stealing her lines: I really treasure the friendships where we really know each other...our fears, our insecurities, our families, where we grew up, our core beliefs, our long strings of boyfriends. That kind of knowledge really helps each friend be a better friend to the other, but that kind of knowledge only comes with time. Anywho, I truly love it when my out-of-town friends come. It may sound weird, but one thing I really love is the music we girls make when getting ready to go out - hairdryers blowing, the clatter of makeup brushes and compacts, girly chatter, laughter, switching into countless outfits, swapping shoes, spritzing perfume and hair spray. It is one of the sounds I miss most as a married girl. It is a happy symphony of sounds and scents, and it signals a night of memories in the making. Does that remind anyone else of the KD house?? If you want to see more pics of Kate, check out Tricia's website.Click here~ I am so proud of her and her new business!! So, what else is new in the Cantrell home? For Earth Day, we celebrated with a new COMPOST BIN!! I started one at my parents house years ago and have really missed having one since I have been married. The cutest boy in the world built me one with two sides. It is so convenient, and I have already begun to fill it up. We have red clay instead of soil, so it will really help my garden grow next year! Also, there is a new member in the Bousson household! Joey and Cassie welcomed Baby Will a week ago! He was 9 lbs 5 oz and 21 1/4 inches long. We took Kate up to visit, and she loved her new cousin! She started crying though...I am not sure if it was because she liked being the baby of the family, or because she was afraid he was going to sit on her :) He is beautiful and Mama and Baby are both doing well at home!

Merryweather: It's pink! Flora: Oh, lovely shade, isn't it? Merryweather: But I wanted it blue. Flora: Now, dear. We decided pink was her color!

In Full Bloom

(walking into the hospital)

Kate is four weeks old today (almost to the very minute)! I can't believe that she has been a part of our family for a month. She is staying awake longer during the day, but still spends most of her time sleeping and eating. She nurses about every 3 hours, and she is starting to outgrow some of her newborn clothes! Last week at the ped, Kate weighed 8 lbs 2 oz. That is 9 oz in 1 week! Her little tummy is getting rounder, and she looks longer to me! She really enjoys bathtime, and her Daddy singing to her. Overall, she is an absolutely perfect baby! Here is our family of three on Easter: And some close ups of her precious dress: In other news, Jake was baptized on March 29. I am so proud of my precious little brother. What a wonderful day! We also celebrated several birthdays! My mom's bday was March 27, mine was April 5, and my grandfathers was April 6. We enjoyed lots of cake, some crawfish, and good times hanging out with my family and friends. Luke and I have been working in our flower beds, and have enjoyed landscaping our new home. I have loved every minute of being at home with Kate! Luke and I going on a date for my bday: (you can see the landscaping we did for my mom for her bday in the background!) WE'RE DEBT FREE!! We have been working on the Dave Ramsey plan since March 2007. We paid off our last student loan last June, and then instead of paying off the Yukon, we saved because we were not sure about how much it was going to cost to have Kate, and her expenses, etc. The money to pay off the Yukon completely has been sitting in our account since about November. It has been burning a hole in my pocket, so we decided to go ahead and pay it off! We are so excited and a little proud of ourselves, too! :) So, we can now officially call into the Dave Ramsey Show and yell WE'RE DEBT FREE!! until August, when... Luke might be going to law school. He has been looking for new job options for about a year and took the LSAT and the air traffic controller test. He wanted to have a few options, and he excelled on both tests (such a smarty-pants!) He went to LA and interviewed to be an air traffic controller and got a tentative offer based on, get this, a psych eval. This is hysterical if you have ever met my husband. He is the most normal, laid back, not stressed person I have ever met! Anyway, he passed that part too. In the meantime, he had applied to *cringe* Ole Miss' law school and gotten accepted. It is only 45 minutes from our home, and he went a few weeks ago to visit. Please keep us and his decision in your prayers. I am not sure what he will be doing in a few months, but I know he will make the right decision for our family. I think that is all the news that we have for right now! I am loving this spring weather! When you work at night, you really don't enjoy the changing of the seasons. I am really appreciating it this year!

Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes, He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever, with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Almost three weeks old!

We went to the dr last Wednesday, and here are her stats: Weight: 7 lbs 9 oz (10.5 %) Height: 21.5 inches (75 %) Head: 35.5 cm (25%) (We go back this week to check her weight again) She eats every 2-3 hours, and sleeps in between! The last few days, she has definitely become more alert and is staying awake for a little longer in between feedings. At night, she usually goes right back to sleep in her cradle after getting her tummy full. The biggest issue is filling up the little piggy's tummy! She has her mama's appetite. Kate loves her passy most of the time, but usually doesn't take it at night. When she does have it in her mouth, she is sucking 90 to nothing! Being a mom is the best job in the world. It is also so nice being home when Luke is home. I have seen more of him in the last three weeks than in our whole marriage!