The Toney's

Raylee Kisses

2010-04-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

The video speaks for itself....Raylee loves to kiss everything, even the pages of books!

Easter Pics!

2010-04-30T12:05:00.001-07:00

We had a great trip to Missouri for Easter...spent lots of time with my family, including my sister's two new foster kids. Here are some pics!

Holy Week

2010-03-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, it is way too easy to get caught up in the craziness of Easter and forget the true significance of this Holy Week. I found this great website that walks you through each day of Holy Week and the experiences of Jesus and his disciples during this "ordinary" week that ends with the resurrection that changed the world. Please don't get so caught up in eggs and bunnies that we miss the opportunity to celebrate the greatest miracle of all...salvation.

http://www.pcbc.org/holyweekdevotions

Easter Egg Hunt at Church

2010-03-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Our playgroup attended the annual Watermark Easter Egg Hunt last Thursday. I wasn't really sure how it was going to work, since Raylee (and most of the playgroup kiddos) aren't walking yet. They had a great time, though. I just love our playgroup!

Bon Anniversaire, Raylee!

2010-03-14T12:38:00.001-07:00

So, for Raylee's first birthday I did a French Bakery (la petite boulangerie) theme. It turned out so cute....thanks for the inspiration from ModernEve and Penandpaperflowers. I did petite pastries, petite chicken salad sandwiches, cheese and fruit, french fries, cupcakes, and tomato basil soup. Raylee had her own petite gateaux (little cake). It took her a while to really dig in, but she eventually realized what she has been missing out on for the last year. We had a lot of special guests including family from Missouri and Texas, playgroup friends, community group friends, and other friends too! invitation

Valentine's Day Party

2010-02-15T20:20:00.001-08:00

My sister-in-law hosted an amazing Valentine's Day Mommy and Me party, where the kiddos decorated cookies, played, and ate lots of sugar! Raylee had a ton of fun spending time with the twins and some new friends. We stayed after the party and had a wonderful dinner and a few laughs at the girls in the bathtub. Here are a few pics of the day!

SNOW!!!

2010-02-15T20:13:00.001-08:00

We got a record breaking 11 inches of snow in Dallas last Thursday. It was crazy! Michael built Raylee a little snowman and we tried to get some really cute pictures. Raylee was not a fan at all! So, here are two cute pics.

New Blog Design!

2010-02-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

So, for my first Mother's Day, my good friends Lavender Lily and Modern Eve got me a gift certificate to have my blog redesigned! It was a very thoughtful gift! So, I finally cashed in on my new blog design courtesy of Penny Lane Designs. I told her I wanted an Old Hollywood feel to the blog, with my favorite color scheme...black, red, and white. I know I am not super original, but I love how it turned out...very classy! Thanks friends!

Cruisin'!

2010-01-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

Raylee cruisin' along our fireplace!

A little preachin'

2010-01-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

Today is my four year wedding anniversary! Yay! So in light, I thought I would preach just a little to whoever may be reading...

In my four years of marriage I figure I may just have picked up a few bits of wisdom and truth. Now, I am no expert, but I firmly believe that your philosophy on marriage is the second biggest determining factor in life (second only to who God is). The covenant I made with God and my husband is binding for life. When you really take the view that marriage is permanent, it changes the way you view the fights, the struggles, and the challenges. Knowing that this is my one shot at marriage encourages me to make it the best it can be. Marriage isn't always easy, in fact, it can be downright hard sometimes. The only way this marriage will work is if we first submit ourselves to Christ, and then to each other. I believe that everyday I must fight my selfish desires to put my husband first. I'm sure you have heard the old adage, "love is a verb." You must literally choose to love everyday...even when the feelings wane. Don't get me wrong, I love (with feeling) my husband so much...but even days when I don't feel love, I try to love (with action). My younger childhood was filled with love and Christ, but my adolescent years were also filled with divorce, infidelity, deception and heartache. I know that the best foundation I can shape for Raylee starts with a strong marriage between Michael and me. Thankfully, Michael believes that marriage is forever as well, and he serves as a great example of selflessness.

Here is a pic from four years ago!

Bad Blogger, Good Christmas!

2010-01-04T15:03:00.000-08:00

So I have realized that I am a much better reader than I am writer...I just don't really love blogging, but I think it is worth the time, so I am going to try to be better (please ignore my wordy, runon sentence).

We had a great Christmas season, with lots of celebrating. We had multiple Christmas' with a wedding thrown in as a bonus. Raylee was a flower girl at my sister's wedding, and since she can't actually walk, or throw flowers for that matter, she rode in a sleigh. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen!

Enjoy the pictures!

Amy Columbus Photography

Thanksgiving!

2009-11-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving with the Toney family this year, plus my sister-in-law's sweet family. It was so fun with all the kiddos and lots of fabulous food. I made stuffing and it was a huge hit (which is pretty incredible since I am a virgin stuffing maker and I don't even like stuffing!) We watched a lot of football and ate a lot of food. Here is the famous pic!

Update: Cliff's Notes Version

2009-11-23T20:13:00.001-08:00

Our lives have changed a ton since my last posting...so here is the very short list of updates.

new house (actually old house, new remodel)
moved twice (from old house, to Kaufman, to new house)
never ending house projects
Raylee: four teeth, crawling, eating finger foods, walking with support
visited Missouri for Rachel's shower and bachelorette party.

Here are a couple of new pictures of Raylee

Mourning growing up...

2009-10-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

It has been a very long time since I last posted. We are still living in Kaufman while our house is being remodeled, so no pictures. We are hoping to move in November 1st! PRAY!!!! My b-day is November 3rd, and that is all I want.

Anyways, I have been a little sad lately, mourning the inevitable process of my daughter growing up. I know God gives us children to slowly enable them to become independent of their parents and dependent on God, but it stinks. So, a week and a half ago, Raylee began biting me while breastfeeding. As I thought I was getting it under control, my body decided to come down with mastitis (an infection) and stop producing enough milk. I am a huge believer in breast feeding, and I wanted to make it to a year. However, Raylee just hasn't been getting enough, so we have had to start supplementing with formula. I know it isn't the end of the world, and I can keep nursing in the mornings and before bed, but I am a little forlorn thinking of her growing up and not needing me anymore. This feeling of sadness and neediness is probably confounded by the fact that I am a little bored and dissatisfied with living in limbo (without a home...although I am grateful for my in-laws hospitality!) However, I know there will be many instances where I have to give Raylee her independence. I am dreading the first day of Kindergarten...AH!!! So I guess I thought I would slough off my sadness with this post, and try to cherish everyday I have with her. I truly do love each new stage...but you can't help but look back and miss the newborn stages as well.

Proverbs 22: 6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Homemade Baby Food

2009-09-28T15:22:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been a long time since I last posted. We are in the 2 month long process of moving. We bought a new house and sold our old house, but the new house isn't ready yet because we are completely remodeling the entire house. Therefore, we are very blessed that Michael's parents are letting us live in their house in Kaufman. Long story, but they have two houses on their property so we are living right next door to them. I don't have access to my computer, so no pictures. However, I did want to post on one of my latest favorite websites. I have been making Raylee's baby food, and I am now a huge proponent of homemade baby food. It is healthier, cheaper, and tastes better (I know...I have tried it!) Anyways, this website called Wholesomebabyfood.com is amazing! It answers all your questions regarding how to make it, how to freeze the food, and in what order to serve certain foods. I love it! So far I have made all these foods:

sweet potato
butternut squash
avocado
carrots
green beans
peas
pears
apples
mango
banana

While we are displaced from our house I am going on a small hiatus and buying regular baby food, and I have to tell you it has been a bit disappointing. First of all, it is really expensive, and second of all it isn't that great. If you are a mom, I highly recommend you try it. It is a bit time consuming, but once a week I just make a big batch of food and then freeze it. All you need is a food processor. Some people use blenders or mixers, but I find the food processor to work best. Give it a try, and then let me know how it goes!

Play group!

2009-09-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

They're holding hands!

I just thought I would post a shout out to my playgroup! I am so thankful for these women and their adorable babies! Every Thursday I really look forward to seeing all these smiling faces! Here are a couple of pictures from last Thursday. Raylee always seems to pee on her cute playgroup outfit, so she is in her "back-up" onesie! HAHA!

Raylee's Six Months Old Today!

2009-08-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Happy half birthday!

Baby Dedication

2009-08-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we dedicated Raylee to our Lord and Savior. It was a beautiful ceremony! Our good friend, JP, led the service, which we had outside with our friends and family. Raylee wore a very special dress that her cousin, Grace (who only lived 7 weeks) was baptized in. My mom flew all the way from Missouri to participate in the ceremony. Thanks to all our friends and family who participated.

Throughout our struggles with miscarriage and infertility, I fervently prayed for a child. Then when we did get pregnant we had many ups and downs as Raylee was again and again diagnosed with multiple health issues. On Sunday, we praised God that he healed her in so many ways before she was even born, and we symbolically gave her back to the Lord. For she is merely on loan to us; she is always in the hands of God. I have included some of the scripture that spoke to me during this process.

In 1 Samuel 2 Hannah says to God “As surely as you live, my Lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give this child to the Lord, for her whole life will be given over to the Lord.”

Proverbs 22:6 “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Here are some pictures from Sunday.

Patsy Aiken Trunk Show

2009-08-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hey friends, with children, grandchildren, neices, friends with children! I am hosting a trunk show at my house on Saturday from 4-6! Patsy Aiken has adorable clothes for boys and girls! There will be fun, food, fellowship....and of course clothes! Please feel free to stop by with your kiddos, and bring your friends. If you want to come, please let me know at erikatoney@gmail.com, so I can prepare food. You can check out the cute clothes at www.patsyaiken.com.

List of Fun Summer Activities for Moms and Babies

2009-08-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

As a stay at home mom I am always looking for fun ways to interact with Raylee and stay busy! I am not the kind of mom who can sit at home all day every day...I would go crazy. I have, however, learned that some moms find "outings" to be very stressful (and I have learned to never judge these women because they are most likely fantastic mothers) but for my own sanity I need to get out sometimes! Here is a list of fun Dallas activities (many of them free!) that my church put together. I thought I would share them!

1. Rattle and Reel-Landmark Magnolia Theatre-3699 McKinney Ave Dallas 75204
The Magnolia’s Rattle and Reel program offers parents of infants a chance to see first-run movies with their babies. ongoing each Monday. Ages 0-3 at 11:00am cost is $6.50; infants are free
214.764.9106 for movie titles

2. Kids Train Museum-Museum of the American Railroad-1105 Washington St Dallas
Model train layout, steam whistle demos…all ages open from 11am-4pm…cost is $3-6

3. Slappy’s Puppet Playhouse-Galleria of Dallas-13340 Dallas Pkwy Dallas 75240
A marionette performance-ongoing each Friday @10:30 / Saturday @10:30 or 1pm / Sunday @ 2pm. Age is 3-12 Cost: Adult -$9 & child $8.

4. Dallas Children’s Theater-5938 Skillman St Dallas 75231
Ongoing productions Friday @ 7:30pm / Saturday @1:30pm / Sunday @ 1:30 & 4pm
Cost is $12-$22 Call for performances (214) 978-0110or www.dct.org

5. The Stockyards Championship Rodeo-121 E. Exchange Ave Fort Worth 76106
Buckin’ Broncos, calf roping, bareback riding & more
Ongoing each Friday and Saturday @8pm-all ages…Cost: adults $9.50 children $6
Contact 817.625.1025 or www.cowtowncoliseum.com

6. Pottery Barn Kids-3228 Knox Street Dallas 75205
Storytime Tuesdays ongoing @ 11am. Cost is Free. Ages 0-5. 5 visits and you get a free $10 gift card to use in the store.
Contact: 214.522.4845

7. Dallas Library Activity Series-Northpark Mall
The Dallas Public Library's offers story time and music for small ones.
Located underneath the AMC theatre by Forever 21
Baby Bounce: Mondays/Thursdays 12:30 Cost is Free... Ages birth-2
214.361.6345

8. Quiggly’s Clayhouse-1344 E. Beltline Rd, Richardson 75081
Painting pottery. All ages… cost is relative to pottery piece you buy.
Contact # 972.234.2644

9. Dallas Museum of Arts
First Tuesday of the month is free for child and adult. Crafts and storytime.

10. Dallas Nature and Science Museum-3535 Grand Ave Dallas 75210
They have an interactive children’s museum(ages 0-7) along with IMAX and Planetarium. Open all week 10-5pm. Cost varies based on what exhibits you want to do. Tickets are less than $10.
Contact: 214.428.5555

11. Thunder bird stroller-skating
Thursdays @9am
3200 Thunderbird Ln Plano 972-422-4447

12. Destination Maternity has free Mommy and Me Yoga. Check out their website for times.
http://www.destinationmaternity.com/

13. Dallas Aquarium or Dallas Zoo

14. Dallas Arboretum

15. Dallas Splash Parks

NYC

2009-08-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Michael and I went to NYC last weekend and we had a blast. We went with our friends, the Rowlings, and it was great to have some much needed "adult" time, although we really missed our little Raylee bug! We went to see Chicago (the musical...not the city), walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, ate amazing food, and the list goes on! Here are some pics from the weekend!

Times Square at night
Brooklyn Bridge

Chicago!

Most amazing candy store ever!

We had brunch at the famous Plaza Hotel

Statue of Liberty from the Brooklyn Bridge

Central Park

Omni Hotel...fabulous!

It rained a lot, but we made it fun!

China Grill
Rockefeller Center This is what we got to come home to! We bought her this New York Princess onesie on Canal Street!

A MUST READ for NEW MOMS!

2009-07-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Lately, I find myself wondering why no one told me how the Back to Sleep Campaign, trendy new baby toys, and cradling my baby could cause her to develop plagiocephaly and torticollis...I thought all these were good things. No, I am not encouraging babies to sleep on their tummies, but I had no idea that there were negative consequences to having my daughter sleep on her back. After buying the swing, the bouncer, the saucer, and many other fun baby items, I have been told the best position for baby's playtime is ON THE FLOOR! Wow, I could have saved a lot of money! If you are confused, tune in! Apparently there has been a significant increase in the incidence of plagiocephaly (basically misshapen head syndrome) and torticollis (literally means "twisted neck"). Many times babies are born with a slightly misshapen head due to cramped quarters in the uterus, or a small birth canal mixed with a large head. Often times, if parents aren't overly conscientious, the baby takes the path of least resistance and exacerbates the problem by turning the head to accommodate the issue. Some babies are simply on their backs so much that their head becomes flat. Raylee's problem started because she had a tight neck, and would tend to always roll to the same side. This caused one side of her head to become flatter, and the cycle continued. This caused her to have some slight facial asymmetry, which really frightened me. After being told we were a candidate for the DOC band (a helmet which runs about $3600!), we then sought a second opinion. The physical therapist said that she had a very minor case, and everyone has some sort of asymmetry. She recommended we take an aggressive approach to repositioning and stretching for 6 weeks. Therefore, we have discarded any toy that causes her to put pressure on the back of her head. We have to hold her upright or with the football hold, and she has to have tons of "tummy time." We also have to do a series of neck stretches 4-5 times a day. Whew! All of this is a much better alternative to the helmet, but it is a little exhausting policing how everyone holds and positions her.

If you want more information, read this article! http://www.mybreastfeeding.com/index_files/Torticollis.htm

Great article on the support and importance of breastfeeding!

2009-07-21T08:02:00.001-07:00

http://www.phdinparenting.com/2009/07/19/can-breastfeeding-promotion-learn-something-from-drunk-driving-ads/

Trip to Missouri!

2009-07-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

The three of us fought the crowds at the airport to fly home for Fourth of July and my cousin, Chelsi's wedding. We had a great time! My aunt from Chicago flew in for about 24 hours to meet Raylee! I think Raylee was a little overwhelmed with all the new faces and the busy weekend, but it was well worth it. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Wedding in Colorado Springs!

2009-07-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

I recently went to Colorado Springs for my high school friend Meghan's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful, and I had a blast getting to know her friends and new husband! I felt a little silly due to the fact that both Meghan and her husband (plus all their friends) are in med school, but hopefully I was able to exude happiness about being a new mom and sacraficing my career for my family. Here are some pictures!

Raylee laughing at Aunt Rachel

2009-07-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

I will post more about my 4th of July trip later, but here is a funny video clip of Raylee laughing at her Aunt Rachel's "ahhh booo." Very Funny!

Father's Day

2009-06-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

Michael, Raylee, and I had a fabulous first Father's Day on Sunday. We went to church, where we saw an amazing video of little kid's describing why they needed good daddies...number one reason was to show them Christ...it was a pretty powerful message and made me very thankful for Michael! Then we headed out to Kaufman, where we spent the day with family and close friends. We had burgers and went swimming...ok Raylee didn't actually swim, but it was fun anyways. It was great to spend time with Michael's parents, Stephen, Ashley, and the twins. I didn't take very many good pictures, but here are a few. We were exhausted after a long day in the hot Texas sun, so our evening plans included a nice relaxing dinner with some friends.

In light of Father's Day, I started to think of all the reasons why Michael is such a good daddy!

He is a great husband, and one day Raylee will know exactly what type of man to look for.
He is willing to get right in and change poopy diapers!
He wants to pursue Christ in order to raise his kids to love Jesus.
He is a great provider, who balances his work with his family (not to be taken for granted!)
He dreams of what her future will be like.
He asks about her when he calls everyday from work.
He gets worried and checks on her while she is sleeping.
He goes to doctor appointments with me.
He loves to make her laugh...super baby anyone?

Thanks, Michael for being such a great husband and daddy! Raylee and I love you!

Jewelry Design!

2009-06-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

So, I recently offered to help a friend find jewelry for her bridesmaids gift (and yes, I am a bridesmaid). My friend is in Med School and super busy...and I am not. Therefore, I thought it would be a great project. Well, the dress is beautiful! It is a Bari Jay dress that is a chocolate brown halter. Usually, brown is accessorized with gold, but the dress has a small silver and rhinestone brooch (doesn't sound great, but I love it). Finding jewelry that is silver and brown is tough. I spent a lot of time looking on the internet and at several stores. I had almost given up, when I discovered this wholesale bead and gemstone store at the Sam Moon Shopping Center. I found these beautiful stoney quartz gemstones, and decided to have the necklace and earring sets made. I think they turned out great! Here is a picture of my latest adventure (ok, not such a huge adventure, but when you have a three month old, everything new is an adventure).

The Shack

2009-06-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to finishing The Shack, and if you haven't read it, you should. I am still not exactly sure if I love it, or I think it is a little over the top. Nevertheless, there are some really deep philosophical/theological points that I think depict my exact sentiments on things like evil, forgiveness, and the trinity.

On the question of evil "God" (in this book at least) states that, "Nobody knows what horrors I have saved the world from 'cuz people can't see what never happened. All evil flows from independence, and independence is your choice. If I were to simply revoke all the choices of independence, the world as you know it would cease to exist and love would have no meaning. This world is not a playground where I keep all my children free from evil. Evil is the chaos of this age that you brought to me, but it will not have the final say. Now it touches everyone that I love, those who follow me and those who don't. If I take away the consequences of people's choices, I destroy the possibility of love. Love that is forced is no love at all."

The book definitely gave me a lot to think about...check it out!

Preview of Raylee's 3 Month Pictures!

2009-06-17T19:38:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures from Raylee's latest photoshoot! More to follow soon...

http://amycolumbusphotography.com/blog/dallas-baby-photography-miss-r-returns-for-her-3-month-photos/

http://amycolumbusphotography.com/blog/ (you can't see all of her pics on the other link, so click this one and scroll down)

Summer fun!

2009-06-02T16:12:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we took Raylee to her first pool party at my friend Brittany's house. We had a great time, and I was thrilled to get to put Raylee in her adorable swimsuit. Here are some pics! Raylee is growing up so fast and she can really control her head now, and is starting to sit up with support. I can't believe how fast she is growing up.

I am just loving all the time we get to spend together, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to stay home with her. I have been cooking a lot lately (seeing that I have a lot more time on my hands). I have made some great dinners that have all been low-calorie (still trying to loose the baby weight)! I get a lot of my healthy recipes from kraft.com. Here are a couple of my favorites!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Salmon Dinner w/ Carrots

Cheesy Bean Burritos (I used turkey meat instead of ground beef)

These are the next two on my list to try...

Spinach, Chicken, and Cheese Manicotti

Italian Spinach Pie

Way behind...short post and pics!

2009-05-21T19:23:00.001-07:00

Thanks Aunt Ashley for the new outfit!

The Toney Family is growing!

Grandpa and Raylee at the Arboretum!

So, I haven't blogged in a while, but there are some great pics of Raylee that I wanted to share. My dad was in town last weekend, and we also had some Toney family time this week. Enjoy!

Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

My first Mother's Day was wonderful! Michael planned a surprise day for me and it turned out perfect. He let me sleep in while he bathed and dressed Raylee. He then gave me a beautiful card that "Raylee made." Then we headed off to the Warwick Melrose Historic Hotel in Dallas. They had an amazing brunch, including every type of food you can imagine...so I started with breakfast and a mimosa, then continued with lunch, and dessert! They had live music and beautiful flowers. We had a wonderful brunch and definitely overindulged! We enjoyed the rest of the day by looking at houses (one of our favorite past times!), and then layed around the house and played with Raylee. I am so thrilled to be a mom, and I am absolutely in love with my daughter and my husband! Being a mother is one of the most difficult yet rewarding challenges I have ever faced. I worry everyday about the mistakes I will make, and pray that the Lord will protect her from those mistakes. However, I can't imagine my life without my little Raylee. She makes me smile even in the worst of moments. I feel so blessed to be in exactly my position, and I thank God for her health and the miracle of her life. Here are some pics that I took to document the day!

Brittany's Wedding!

2009-05-11T14:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was a bridesmaid in my good friend Brittany's wedding. It was beautiful, and we had a great time. I really enjoyed seeing all my college friends, and I miss fun times with "the nine!" Here are some pictures from the weekend!

2 Months!

2009-05-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Last week was a busy week as we had Raylee's two month checkup and a visit from her great-grandparents! After her first immunizations, Raylee cried for about 3 hours straight! I cried right along with her... :( I feel so thankful to have a relatively happy baby, and I pray for those parents that have a colicky baby. We also got a great report from the urologist who checked on Raylee's kidneys last week! She is perfectly healthy! Praise God!

On Tuesday, Grandma and Grandpa arrived and even though it rained almost the whole time they were here, we still had a great time! We went to the Dallas Arboretum and had a picnic! We all really enjoyed it! In fact, Raylee and I even got a membership. We also got to go to Kaufman and have dinner with the in-laws, which was really nice. Pictures forthcoming...

My grandparents are THE hardest working people I know, so of course they found little projects around our house to work on. My grandmother put some finishing touches on the nursery, so here are some pics for her to see. Thanks grandma and grandpa for everything!

Bitter sweet...

2009-05-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

So, I know it has been a long time since I posted, but I recently returned my work laptop and it has hampered my computer time. It is much more difficult to post when I have to come up to my office with little Raylee. The reason I had to return my work laptop is that I have officially resigned my position as teacher and cheer coach. I titled this post "bitter sweet" because this truly reflects how I feel about resigning. I am so thrilled about the opportunity to become a stay at home mom and be fortunate enough to watch my little girl grown up. I am not so naive to think that everyone has this opportunity, and I am confident that this is the right decision for MY family. However, this doesn't mean that I am not just a little bit sad to leave my love of teaching and coaching. Having a child, and making the decision to stay at home has changed my life completely. While many of the changes are welcomed, sometimes I am just not sure who that leaves me to be. I have always found my identity in my achievements, and I feel as if I have to now find a new identity. I am definitely a people person, and working with high school students was extremely rewarding for me. I will miss my students and cheerleaders terribly. As I resigned last Wednesday, I saw many sad and surprised expressions on my students faces. I am one who hates to disappoint, so this made me have a twinge of regret. My principal had only well wishes for me, and I know that I left an impression on my students and the faculty at my high school. I know I worked hard and even influenced a few special students, so it is hard to leave it all behind. I know the Lord has a great plan for my family, and I will trust in Him to find my new identity. Next to God, and my husband, Raylee is the most important person in my life, and I want to look forward and not backward to the blessings she will bring to it.

Blooming Bows!

2009-04-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

Part of the fun of having a little girl is getting her all dressed up in frilly dresses and bows! My new favorite bows have all come from bloomingbows.com! Check out their website! My favorite bow so far is the one Raylee wore for Easter. It is pink (but comes in all different colors) and has maribou on it (think feather boa!)

The Resurrection is the only thing that matters!

2009-04-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! Well, our Easter has been a little low key, as the entire Toney family is sick (except for us) and so we cancelled our family get together. My sister is in town, so the four of us (Michael, Chandra, Raylee and me) went to church and to brunch. This made me a little sad, because I am use to big family holiday celebration, but it also made me realize that the reason we celebrate Easter has nothing to do with Easter egg hunts, Easter baskets, or really even family celebrations. It has everything to do with Jesus! As our pastor said this morning, "The resurrection is the only thing that matters!" Our entire faith is built around this one occurrence, and there is factual evidence to back up our beliefs. For those that don't believe that Jesus is God, then it is false and rather presumptuous to claim that he was just a "moral leader." If Jesus was only a man, then he was either a legend, a liar, or a lunatic. He could not have been just a moral teacher, because he claimed his own divinity, and liars are never considered "moral." He wasn't crazy, or he wouldn't have been respected, and he wasn't a legend because history (secular history) proves he lived. Therefore, he is our Lord! This is THE most important decision we can make in our lives...our faith. If you haven't taken the time to consider and ponder this concept, please take this holiday and find some time to figure out the real reason behind our celebration. Most of my ideas here were taken from the Watermark sermon by Todd Wagner (watermarkcommunity.org). You can check out his other sermons (or this one) on the website.

Ok, so I am done "preaching" and I now I want to brag on my little one. We went to church for the first time since she was born (six weeks ago) and she was so great! She slept the whole time, and was also adorable in her Easter outfit. Here are some pics!

Fun with cousins!

2009-04-06T11:57:00.001-07:00

On Thursday night, Raylee and I went to stay with Mamarae while daddy and PapaJ were in Las Vegas. We had lots of fun addressing baby announcements. Below is the announcement we are sending out. Amy Columbus was our photographer and she did an amazing job! Check her out at amycolumbuspphotography.com. Then on Friday we had lunch with Auntie Ashley and Uncle Stephen and the twins, Ava and Cambrie. We had fun with our cousins, and I am so excited for Raylee to have cousins so close to her age! I was really close with my cousins and aunts and uncles growing up and I really want that for Raylee. Here are some pics of the girls and one of my own cousins! The last pictures are of us dressed up to go to a wedding.

Thoughts at one month...

2009-03-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

Well, today Raylee is one month old! I can't believe I have been a mom for four entire weeks...yet, I also can't picture my life without her. She is such an angel (ok maybe not when she is crying at 4 am), and I can't even begin to describe my love for her. While awake last night from 2 -4 am, I did a lot of thinking about this first month...some of my random (not always comprehensible) musings that came to me at odd hours of the night...

-I desperately want her to know God and seek His guidance throughout her life.

-It scares me to death to think of something bad happening to her.

-I want to cherish every moment (even the crying) because you never get this stage or day back.

-Michael is the best daddy! I love to watch him stare at her.

-I am already praying for a future husband for Raylee. Marriage is such an important determiner of life, and I want what Michael and I have for her.

-Michael and I have the most amazing support system of family and friends. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by people that already love and care for Raylee.

-I get sad thinking that my family won't be able to see her weekly, but I love their extended visits!

-I think the nights get worse before they get better...:(

-Life is completely different for me than just a month ago.

-Nothing is more fulfilling than watching your three week old daughter roll over for the first time (she is such an overachiever, just like her mom!)

Here is a picture of Raylee at one month! She only has 2 pair of pants (because we were prepared for casts!) and it is cold today!

Link to video of Raylee!

2009-03-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=59444199329&h=WzvyT&u=8JpED&ref=mf

Top Five Baby Items

2009-03-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite baby items!

(in no particular order)

Bright Starts Infant Seat

This is the most amazing infant seat. Raylee slept in this for the first two weeks, and it instantly soothes her! It vibrates, plays music, ect. It is great because it is a good height compared to other bouncing seats. Thanks Mamarae for this wonderful lifesaver.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2864758

Boppy Tummy Time Play Mat

Raylee loves her tummy time on this cute mat. She loves the boppy pillow!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2574116&moduleName=Brand+Name+Secondary

Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipe Warmer

This wipe warmer is great, and easy! The only problem is when I change her without using the warm wipes, she always seems surprised by the cold!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2919723

Magic Moon Glider

We spend a TON of time in this glider. It is so comfortable! I love the matching ottoman, but our nursery is too small. Thanks again Mamarae!

http://themagicmoon.com/

Baby Trend Expedition LX Jogger and Car Seat

I love my jogger stroller! The car seat fits nicely into the jogger so you can use it as an infant as well. Thanks Grandma Glenda!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2980786

Aunties and Uncles!

2009-03-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

This post is pretty outdated now that I am actually writing, but things like mastitis and other breastfeeding woes seem to have gotten in the way. Last week was a week filled with aunties and uncles! My sister Rachel came in town for the week on her spring break, and while it wasn't a spring break in Padre, hopefully she had as much fun as Raylee did. We took lots of walks, cuddled with Raylee, and even got to go get pedicures (sans Raylee). On Thursday we had another fun evening with Aunt Ashley and Uncle Stephen. They were kind enough to bring us all a very tasty dinner, and an even tastier fruit tart for dessert! We had a great time as you can see from the pictures. I was very fortunate to be extremely close to my aunts and uncles throughout my childhood and even now, so I feel blessed that we had this time together. The week ended with SUSHI (first time in about 9 months) and more family. (I highly recommend Flavor if you are ever in Lake Highlands craving Asian Fusion food). Mamarae and PapaJ took us to dinner and then watched Raylee while we went to see Duplicity. The movie was only sub-par but the company was absolutely delightful!

Job 9:10

2009-03-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

I was reading in Job this morning as little Miss Raylee listened to her Praise Baby music, and I came upon this verse, "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. " I want to remember everyday what a miracle God has performed in Raylee. She is doing so well, and I can't believe how the Lord has blessed us with this healthy baby. My own disbelief leads me to think that I need to work on having faith that God can create miracles! As I was working on a post yesterday, Michael said that I should use this outlet to reach out to others with infertility/miscarriage/complicated pregancies ect. My friend Erin (blog Lavenderlilly) said that she found out someone had searched for "scripture for complicated pregnancies" and had found her blog, and she was touched that someone was searching for comfort in her blog. I have found such comfort in scripture when times seemed so challenging. My church offers a ministry called Shiloh (http://www.watermark.org/ministries/care/shiloh-infertility-miscarriage/) that caters to women who have had dealt with infertility/miscarriage. It gets its name from 1 Samuel and the story of Hannah (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=9&chapter=1&version=31). This ministry truly changed my life! In all of the challenges that have come our way, I always recite Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." What a comfort that the Lord already knows the plan for our future!

Blessed by Friends and Family

2009-03-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Over the past two weeks, Michael, Raylee, and I have been extremely blessed by all our wonderful friends and family. We had many visitors at the hospital, which was great considering I love to be surrounded by friends and family. We have also been blessed with many meals! I think we have had a fabulous meal almost every night since returning from the hospital! (How am I going to loose the weight with such great food?) My good friend Brittany set up a CareCalendar http://www.carecalendar.org/ for us, which is designed to organize meals for families with big life changes (babies, illness, ect.) This has been such a blessing! Check out some pictures of all the fun visitors Raylee has had!

Check out the sneak peak of photos of Raylee!

2009-03-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

We took Raylee to have her pictures taken on Thursday with Amy Columbus! She posted a few pics as a sneak peak, and they are adorable. I would highly recommend her as a photographer! She was great with Raylee and had a lot of ideas. I am so excited to see the full photoshoot soon.

http://amycolumbusphotography.com/blog/

Welcome Raylee!

2009-03-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

After a very difficult pregnancy, we welcomed Raylee Michelle Toney into the world by c-section on February 27th, 2009. She weighed 7lbs and 13 ounces, and measured 20 1/2 inches! In utero Raylee was diagnosed with clubfeet and when she was born it did seem that she was going to need to have her legs casted in order to fix them. However, after being referred to Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (specializing in clubfoot) they informed us that she does NOT have clubfeet! What an answer to prayers! We really believe that God has truly healed her! The high risk specialist told us multiple times that she would definitely have clubfeet, and now it seems that with time and stretching her feet will be perfectly fine!

Nursery

2009-03-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

Raylee's nursery is extremely special because my grandmother put hours of time into creating the beautiful room, all from 550 miles away! My grandmother is an amazing woman who has a special talent for decorating and interior design. My grandmother puts all her time and energy into her family (which is getting larger by the week). She is an incredible example of a Godly woman who knows how to prioritize the ones she loves. All her grandchildren admire her strength, endurance, and love for her family. I was fortunate enough to have her come and visit this week and I wish she could have stayed longer! Here is a small glimpse of her creative vision! Raylee is extremely lucky!

Life before Raylee

2009-03-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

This blog is really the result of the desire to share our little girl with my family, some of which lives very far away! However, I thought I would post some pictures of what life was like before Raylee was born to show the contrast. Life before Raylee was filled with work, which I loved. I love my students at school, my varsity cheerleading squad, and the high school sports which consumed much of my time. I can't believe that three years passed so quickly at MacArthur High School. I can only hope that I touched a few lives and taught my passion for history and cheerleading. Here are a few pics of my cheer squad! I am so proud of those girls, many of whom are going off to college after they graduate from high school.

Last summer, Michael and I went to Europe along with some of our friends (The Griffins and the Andersons). Here are some of my favorite pics! We were so excited to be able to take this trip, and it was one of the things on our "list" to do before children.