Our day at the park!

Today, Amelia was invited to her first birthday party at the park! One of our friends from church were celebrating their son's 1st birthday. So, we decided to take advantage of all the fun things a park has to offer! We attempted to swing, slide down slides, and just enjoy the fresh air. Amelia LOVES being outside. Something about the wind blowing in her face makes her laugh! It's actually starting to feel like fall here in Alabama! Thank goodness! We love the fall! Amelia has been a little "under the weather" the past few days...but she is starting to feel better. It's hard to believe that she is 5 months old! She is trying so hard to sit up on her own, but I believe her chubby little cheeks keep pulling her back down! Nonetheless, she's getting stronger by the day!

I figured that when Amelia starting crying every time she saw the camera, that was code for..."ENOUGH WITH THE PICTURES MOM!" *Sigh* oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

Camera, lights, action....

We sanitized the bowl and spoon, secured the pretty, clean bib, and made a perfectly measured bowl of rice cereal. Both cameras are in place and mommy and daddy await anxiously to see the reaction on Amelia's face when she tasted food from a spoon rather than her mommy!! We quickly realized this spoon feeding thing is not what it's cracked up to be! I'm not sure how much got into her tummy. Instead she decided it was more fun to let it drip down her chin than swallow it! I know, I know... it's all part of the learning process! Then I could just imagine her thinking..."My fingers are more fun than this....and in they go!

Well...maybe I'll give it another try!

I think I'm getting the hang of it!

Our first time feeding experience was great overall! The true test will be to see if she sleeps through the night tonight! That would be great! Amelia will be 5 months old next week. She is growing like a weed! She has developed quite a personality too. Little miss drama queen... I can't imagine where she gets that from!?

Of course we captured a clip of this fun moment on video to share with all of you! Enjoy!

Bon Temps Rouler...Let the good times roll!

Vacation time has come and gone but we soaked up every minute of our visit with family and friends. This was such a refreshing time for Matt and I! Amelia did great on her first vacation! She made new friends and lots of new discoveries...like Muffalettas and Beignets! YUM!













You never realize how much you love a place till you leave it! We definatly realized how much we missed Louisiana! Allow me to recap our week for you. It all started with a trip to Lafayette for my friend Janna's wedding! I have to admit, I was a little nervous about Amelia fussing in the middle of this beautiful ceremony. But not our little girl! No, she wouldn't fuss... instead.... PASS GAS! She's a true Donley alright! Everyone in the row in front of us just turned around and smiled! The phrase "welcome to mommyhood" was flashing through my mind. We then headed to Destrehan to spend the rest of the week with my mom and brother. We ventured to Baton Rouge for some shopping, ate all of New Orleans fine cuisine, including my mom's amazing cookin'! We even attended our first crab boil! Talk about an experience! I've lived in Louisiana my whole life and have never been to a crab boil. I didn't have a clue how to peel those suckers! I eventually got it...well sort of... I ended up eating the meat that everyone else picked for me. I guess they felt sorry for the poor cajun girl who couldn't crack the crab! Nonetheless, they were tasty! For a north Louisiana boy...Matt did a much better job than me with those crabs! Amelia wanted to play with claws but mommy didn't let her get too attached to those pinchers. Our week ended with lots of laughs, new memories, and a few extra pounds from all that good food! To all our friends and family back home...It was great to see everyone! We miss you already!

Can I get a band-aid?...

...And a sticker, and a sucker!! We took Amelia to the doctor today to get her 4 month shots! Definatly not the highlight of my day. I dread shot day!! Last night I tossed and turned over the thought of Amelia getting shots and both of us crying inconsolably! However...I managed to make it through the day without shedding one tear!! GO ME! Amelia did great and is getting so big! She weighed in at 13 lbs. and is 24 1/2 inches long! Last night, my sweet hubby put together this exersaucer that was given to us by my grandparents! This thing is unreal!! Our child is overwhelmed with all the fun toys on this thing. It will take her a while to figure out how to play with everything on there! Talk about a great baby sitter! Here is a picture..

We are gearing up this week to head back to Louisiana for our vacation! I can't wait to go home and visit with friends and family! Matt and I desperatly need a break! Blogging will probably be put on hold till we get back, but I'll make sure to take lots of pictures and share them with all of you when we get back! Until then, enjoy this little video of our squealin' baby! =)

Tiger Mania

We had such a blast this past weekend! College football season is in full swing and the Donley's are lovin all the fun that it brings! We love the friends, the cheers, purple and gold, and of course....the food!! Amelia was officially initiated into the Tiger fan club this weekend. She experienced her first big Tiger game with us and our friends Brandon and Danielle....who happen to be Bama lovers...but we won't go there! Fortunatly for us, the Tigers beat Auburn...GEAUX TIGERS!!! Our family is usually the odd man out around here. Everybody is either for Alabama or Auburn.... so we love it when LSU beats those teams! Here are some pictures we took to capture our "tigeriffic" weekend! ( Ok...now I'm getting carried away) = )

Our little Rolly Poly!!

Recently, our little Amelia has decided to experience the fun of rolling over! Every time I put her on the floor to play, I hear her grunting with great effort to lift her head up as she finds herself no longer on her back but her stomach!! It's really funny to watch! I was able to capture this milestone moment on video and wanted to share with all of you faithful readers! Amelia will be 4 months old on Saturday! Time flys when your having fun...and rolling over!

Remembering Summer 2008

Wow! What an incredible summer this one has been. Now that the summer is drawing to a close, I'd like to reflect on everything that made this summer so special. So here it goes.....

Our family of two became three when we welcomed Amelia into this world. Need I say more! With her grand entrance came the welcomed visits of so many dear friends and family.

There is something so special about the glow in their eyes when they saw Amelia for the first time! Here are a few of my favorite moments....


Seeing the look on my mom's face when she held Amelia for the first time. It had been a while since I had seen that smile!

Watching Amelia sleep in her uncle Paul's arms

Nonna and Papa's amazement with Amelia.


Mimi demonstrating her "beautiful" vocal skills to bring a smile to her little audience of one.

Grandpa Bob's tender smile and hidden tears that didn't want to say goodbye.

Mammaw's crazy voices that always makes Amelia laugh.

Pappaw's strong arms that always seem to bring comfort

Granny's rendition of Amazing Grace that always seemed to put Amelia in a peaceful sleep

Josh's amazment that something so cute could come from his brother!

Neesie's efforts to capture every moment on camera and showering her with kisses!



Thank you to everyone who made our summer so memorable. Matt and I have never been more in love with life and each other! God has truly blessed us with a wonderful family and we look forward to all the memories we will continue to create together.

Here are some of my favorite photos to recap the summer!