On Friday, Abi and I got to go spend the afternoon with Cousin Travis and my cousin Jill. We had a great time letting the babies play together and comparing notes and accomplishments. Travis is rolling over now and can spit like a champ (those silly boys!). While Abi is starting to get a few teeth!! (Early I know, but mom says I got my first two teeth at 3 1/2 months). They both have about the same amount of hair -- NONE!! Although what they do have is red, or reddish, on both heads. Jill's friend Crystal came over with her son Brayson, who was due on Abi's birthday, but was born 2 months early and is thriving! He got fussy and had to leave before the photo shoot (which was too bad cause his mom is a professional photographer!), but we all had a lot of fun. My quiet Abi wasn't too sure what to make of those noisy boys, but we had a great time and can't wait to do it again. I wish they lived closer!!!!

Here is Abi playing in her bumbo. She has definately found her hands, but she hasn't quite figured out how to suck on her thumb. She has gotten close a few times, but so far, no go, thank goodness! --

Here is Cousin Travis chilling in his bumbo --
Here is Abi having a blast in her boppy as usual. She is such a happy baby! --
Here is the comparison shot of the two of them in their bumbos. They are about the same length, but Abi is as skinny as Nic was at this age. One of these days I'll have to post some comparison shots of Nic and I as babies next to Abi.
Here is a picture of them the first time they met when Abi was 4 days old. They have grown SO MUCH in just 3 short months!!
I can't wait to watch the two of them grow up together. Jill and Kaci and I had so much fun at Grandmommy's every summer when we were kids. Even though Travis is a boy and Abi is a girl, I hope they know each other as well as we did. (And for those of you who read Jill's blog also, sorry for the double pics. I, of course, forgot my camera -- as usual! BAD MOMMY!!)

FINALLY!! I was saving some pictures to my mom and dad's computer when I came across these pictures of Abi's nursery. I was planning on doing a photo shoot for some pics when I finally get back to Branson, but now I guess I don't have to! My cousin Robyn painted the mural of the frogs and animals on the wall, didn't she do a great job? (For those who are interested, I'm sure she would give you a quote to have her paint your walls for you!) My mom painted the walls, helped Nic put up the chair rail, and she and I put together the furniture. Abi still doesn't hang out in there very much, but someday she is really going to enjoy all the hard work that went in to this room!!

This is the chair she got from her great-Mimi. It matches perfectly!
Here she is hanging out on the bedding her Nana bought for her in the crib from her Bebe.
This is the bookcase/dresser/changing table with all of her books. The stuffed frog on the lowest shelf is the very first gift that Nic and I bought for the baby.
Painting the ceiling was mom's idea. So was turning the light fixture into a sun. It turned out so cute that when Nic offered to buy a ceiling fan (the room is so HOT!) I said no, because I liked the sun too much!
And here is an idea of how old these pictures are: These were taken the day that my mom headed back to AR after Abi was born. She was 4 days old.

We had a great time in St. Louis when Nic had to go up for a party weekend. Wyndham put us up at the $300/night Ritz Carlton, gave us $80 tickets to watch the Cardinal's lose, and we got to eat at my favorite restaurant The Cheesecake Factory twice (bad for my diet, but oh so yummy!).

Here's Abi on the way up there. So happy to get a carseat break! --

Traveling is hard work, right daddy? --
Hiding in the shade with Auntie Windy (6 months preggo with baby Titan) til the sun went down. When it finally did, the temp in the stadium dropped 25 degrees! It didn't bother Abi, though, she slept through most of the game, and ate thru the rest. --
She woke up long enough to cheer with Daddy, but it didn't help. --
Mommy, Daddy, and Abi at Abi's (and mommy's) first Cardinal's game! --
We had a great time and this is only the first of many vacations we can't wait to take with Abi!

Well, it has been an action packed 11 weeks. Having a new baby around is a LOT of work, but a TON of fun, too. It's so awesome to be here to watch all of her firsts. We are so blessed that we can afford for me to be a SAHM. I don't want to miss a thing!!! Here are a few pics from the last few weeks:

Abi's 2 month b-day --
Passed out at Nana's house --
Sleeping with her Nana (Can you tell I like sleeping baby pics?) --
We had to get a floatie like Travis's, cause Abi was way too small for her other one. Floating around the lake all day is hard work!! --
Her first tme in her Bumbo. She didn't know what to think about it at first, but she kinda liked it before we had to take her out cause she was getting droopy! --
I have more to post soon of our "vacation" ( Nic had to work in St. Louis and we tagged along and took Abi to her first Cardinals game!). We had a lot of fun and I think Abi did too!

Abi's first Fourth of July! It was great to get to go down to Grandmommy's house for the first time to get to see the whole family. My grandmommy had all of her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids there all at one time. We had a GREAT time!!

This is Abi's 4th of July outfit--

Abi and her Nana --
Abi is very interested in her great-grandmommy --
Our 5 generation picture-- Abi, me, Dad, Granddaddy, and Abi's Great-Great-Grandmother --

These are out of order which bugs me, but oh well.

Abi at one month old:
Abi's 1st church service on June 3,2007. She was 6 days old. Everyone thought Dad was going to preach while he was holding her!!
Abi's 1st time swimming in the lake. She didn't like it at first,but she got used to it.
Sleeping with daddy....they do thaat alot!!!
Abi's 1st trip to the park. She's about 2 weeks old:

Here are some odds and ends pics to get us current:


Abi's going home outfit. She is 2 days old in this pic:
Abi at about 1 week (We've got to fix our camera so it puts the date on!):
She is about 1 day old here. The hospital took this pic:
She looks like she's posing doesn't she?
Almost a smile!!

First timers:

Nana's first time holding Abi:
Papi's first tme holding Abi:
Bebe's 1st time:
Papa's 1st time:
WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?
(taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of her own. They like other people's.
A grandfather is a man & a grandmother is a lady!
Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on "cracks."
They don't say, "Hurry up."
Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
Grandparents don't have to be smart.
They have to answer questions like "why isn't God married?" and "How come dogs chase cats?".
When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.
They know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time and kiss us even when we've acted bad.
A 6 YEAR OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT AND WHEN WE WANT HER WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''
GRANDPA IS THE SMARTEST MAN ON EARTH! HE TEACHES ME GOOD THINGS BUT I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM ENOUGH TO GET AS SMART AS HIM!
It's funny when they bend over, you hear gas leaks and they blame their dog."

May 28,2007 -- Memorial Day

It's a girl!!!!
Abigayle Elizabeth Byers
born @ 4:29 a.m.
7 lb 9 oz, 20 inches long


This is me celebrating cuz I am actually in labor...I get to stay!!!
Abi's first pic: daddy cutting the cord and mommy's 1st time holding Abi
Daddy's 1st time holding Abi:
All by herself:

I haven't uploaded the pictures from Abi's 4D ultasound, so this is to save a place. I'll add them later.

Here are a few pictures of the pregnant mom:

Theser first two are in February so I was about 5 months along:

Me while in Atlantis
Packing for Atlantis
This was taken on March 16th. I was about 6 months:

Here I am at th very end. May 26th. I went into labor the day after this was taken.

I really meant to keep up with this, but never really got around to it. So....

Let's play catch up!!

This is Abi at 11 weeks:

This is Abi at about 24 weeks:

We never found out what we were having, so we don't know what the baby is at this point.

We went for our latest ultrasound on Jan. 22. Everything looked normal as far as they told me and as far as I could see. We told the nurse we didn't want to know the sex of the baby, so when she got ready to look where we might be able to see, she said "I'm going between the legs now!" so Nic and I could both look away (AND NEITHER OF US CHEATED!).