and that's a wrap.

lordy, this week has been crazy.
super busy, and super busier.

TGIF!

hallelujah!

thank ya, Jesus!

with all the craziness this past week, aislynn and i headed to the park to chill with the ducks, soak in some sunshine, enjoy the breeze, and just simply relax.

we brought a blanket.
sat in the shade.
ate chick-fil-a.
fed the ducks.
read a book.
swung on the swings.
pointed out the differences in each duck. (hilarious, if you really sit and do this)
and then headed home.


the day was beautiful!

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

-- Psalm 118:24 

Faith & Love, 

Casey

i dont want to raise a GOOD child.

not being able to sleep has caused me to browse my facebook newsfeed a zillion times over and over until my eyes cross and i fall asleep... something about scrolling and seeing the same status over and over again, sometimes does the trick.  other nights, i "like" just about everything anyone posts.  and other nights, i actually read each article that pops up.

2 nights ago, in particular, i came across this article:
http://devotions.proverbs31.org/2012/03/i-dont-want-to-raise-a-good-child.html

this mama needed to read it, and read it, i did.

aislynn is something else... a hoot and then some!
she isn't your "average" child, and although she is sweet and caring, she is a complete free spirit.
her independence gets stronger the older she gets.  i mean, she was only 6 months old when we took her off the bottle, and i'm sure our persistence as parents had something to do with it, but her little tiny ambition sealed the deal, and we were soon purchasing sippy cups instead.  

these days, getting her ready for kindergarten is a task, much like i knew it would be when she was only 2 years old.  the independence just drives her.  however, sometimes, i believe it hinders her ability to learn more.  #1 reason i'm excited for her to be going to school this upcoming fall.

jr and i both, although yin and yang, have very strong personalities, and boy when she does something, we're quick to say, "oh! that is definitely YOUR child!" and then nod in agreement.  my mind was/is more creative and flowing, while Jr's was/is tightly knit but very much full of "eyes on the prize"... and then, at times, we switch!

her imagination is nothing like we (or others) have seen in any child... its pure crazy at times, i will tell you, but i will also tell you, mine hasn't always been the sanest, either... i just never voiced it much like she does and has done.

anyway, i could go on about her special little personality, but the real reason of this post, is the real meaning of the posted link above...

yeah, Aislynn is crazy (she's actually adopted the name "Crazilynn Aislynn"), but she is also so very sweet and caring. yeah, she's bold in her words and thoughts, but like many others in the Bible, that's a lot of what propelled them to bring outsiders to Christ. this was one of their many gifts given by God to do the works of His kingdom. "be not afraid..." -- Jeremiah 1:8

some days, she'll misbehave, and when misbehavior includes talking back or catching attitude, no, there is no excuse. (this, we are working on) HOWEVER, there are certain ways of dealing with it... every parent has their tactics.  i think it just boils down to knowing exactly which tactics to pair with your child's personality, and knowing this, can be done through prayer...

we are all fearfully and wonderfully made... each unique. God loves us all the same, yet He knows exactly HOW to love each of us individually.

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

-- Proverbs 22:6 (NIV 1984)

Faith & Love,

Casey

old times and new beginnings

this has been on my mind so much, lately....
i know i possibly can't be the only mother who has thought these very thoughts, but i can't help but wonder.

aislynn and i have been hanging out since the day she was born.
pretty much every.single.day.

we have little inside jokes, and quirkiness that can only be shared between the two of us.
aside from her 15 yr old attitude and her lack of filtering her words (ha!), she is such a blessing.

this child....
she is sweet and kind.
she's selfless and loves everyone... always reminding herself and others that Jesus loves them, and made the toy they are playing with (we tell her Santa and Jesus are very close friends)
she neverrrr colored on the walls when she was small (except once. promise, i'm not lying)
she's never spilled any drinks on the floor... we've always left everyone home with nice and clean carpets.
she's thoughtful.
she makes her bed in the morning and cleans her room, everyday.
she says, "please, thank you, and excuse me"

i could go on and on...
i always get compliments on what a little lady she is.
(sometimes, i wonder if they're referring to my child or the kid behind me. ha!)

i guess i'm a little biased because she is mine after all, but i've never treated her like a baby...
she's always been so grown up....
even the way her mind works... it amazes me, and amazes others.

but, i can't help but wonder...
what if Bella isn't like this?
what if she colors alllll over the house, and throws food at me and on the floor?
what if she pushes and shoves other children and/or calls them names?
what if she terrorizes our pets?

i know when Bella comes, its not just going to be Aislynn and I anymore...
we're no longer going to be the tag-team duo we are now.
we won't be able to sing crazy loud in the car to OUR song, or will we?

so many questions...

has anybody else ever felt the same?
would LOVE to hear your thoughts and experiences!

Faith & Love,
Casey

Week 5 and a Sesame Seed.

Geez. 

This week has been something else.

Preggo.
Sick.
And Preggo.

It hasn't been the start of the pregnancy that I envisioned, but it is what it is, and I am just grateful I am able to stay home to rest and recover.  However, it hasn't been as easy as it sounds.  I'm used to getting up early and getting my day started, and keeping it going with everything under the sun to-do.  I'm used to having dinner cooked and ready for my husband when he gets home.

This past week has been a much different story.

The tv has been on longer this week than it has the entire YEAR.
My bed hasn't been made; not once.
The clothes are piling up along with the dishes.
I haven't gotten dressed and left the house, besides sitting on the door step watching my dogs prance outside in our backyard, enjoying the much needed cooler weather. 
I can't enjoy food. 
I can't kiss my hubby or Miss A.
My dogs feel neglected.
My nose is chapped.
My throat is sore.
I've had to cancel my photo sessions, and meet-ups with good friends. =/

ahi.

I'm sooo ready to feel BETTER!  I'm beginning to feel LAZY, and GUILTY for all that I haven't done this week, and for all that I am now, behind on.  With Jr working much over time this week, its just been me and Aislynn, and she has been THE sweetest helper.  Blessed!

2 nights ago, she also lost her VERY first tooth!  Stay tuned for that post, tomorrow! =D

Today, I am 5 weeks and 6 days!

How far along? 5 weeks and 6 days.
Maternity clothes? No.

Stretch marks? Besides the ones I already have from the 1st go round, nope, nothing... YET.

Sleep: Huh?? What's that??

Best moment this week: Aislynn losing her very first tooth!

Miss Anything? An appetite.

Movement: None yet.

Food cravings: Not this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The taste of phlegm with this cold.
Have you started to show yet:  Does being bloated count??

Gender: ? Jr and his co-workers think we're having twins! ha!
Labor Signs: Um no. ha
Belly Button in or out? In, and it better stay that way. =P
Wedding rings on or off? On... for now.
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, other than being sick and feeling boo boo.

Looking forward to:  My first ultrasound this month on the 21st! WEEHOO!

Size of Baby:  Sesame Seed

Faith, Love, and Cupcake! 

Casey

Shamu & The Fam!

This week was JAM packed with pure goodness!! Wednesday, we found out we're expecting. Thursday, we saw Chris Tomlin in concert  (that's an entirely different post).  And Friday, we headed to San Antonio for the weekend! 

We left kinda late, thanks to me, and this not so lovely tiredness. BLAH! I just feel so lethargic, and prenatal's aren't exactly helping.  I'm not used to do nothing, and to "resting".  I need to be active and taking care of business. SO, basically nothing was packed until about 20 minutes before we headed out the door.... which was the beginning of our Griswald trip.  Of course, it wouldn't be a trip without some Griswald drama! ha!

On the way there, we could have made a list of stuff we had forgotten, it was horrible.  Soooo, as usual, we made a trip to Wal-Mart as soon as we checked into our hotel. 

Now, now... I love Houston, but I don't LOVE Houston.  The traffic and the heat; 'nough said.  But San Antonio... wow.  Major major change of pace.  As some of you know, half of my family lives in NC, and its like night and day between here in Houston and there in Dunn, NC.  However, I LOVE it, and I'm used to it.  I expect it when I go to visit... I expect to not be in a rush, and to well... stop and smell the roses.  But on our trip to San Antonio + my new raging hormones, it wasn't pleasant, and it was rather annoying, really.  I couldn't believe we sat in the drive-thru line at McDonald's for 20 mins for a mere 3 Happy Meals.  And the traffic lights... oh geez.  So yes, moral of the story.... We are spoiled Houstonians. ha!

Except we don't have Sea World, or really, anything close to Sea World.  Yeah, our Zoo rocks, but I love marine life, and I literally could sit in an aquarium the entire day in amazement. Call me a dork, but its true.


So, we got to Sea World, and it was a GORGEOUS day!!  BEAUTIFUL! The sun was shinning, and the wind blowing!  Shamu was happy, and so was Miss A! 

ps. I will say, the last time we went was about 3 years ago... Yeah, we've gotten older since then, because we were BEAT when we left.  Plus, strolling around a 50+ child up and down mini slopes wasn't exactly a "walk in the park". hehe

At the hotel. 

The Shamu you see in the bottom left hand corner isn't real (lol), its the elevator doors.

 

 Arriving at Sea World!

 When we rented this stroller, I immediately thought "recession" and that thing had gotten smaller, but then I remembered "yes, recession, but yes, Aislynn DOES indeed GROW." ha

 The Ayala's. <3

Trick or Treating! 

Miss A got extra goodies bc it was her birthday weekend!

 Sea World and Halloween!! 

I wonder what's its like for Christmas!

Shamu show: "One Ocean"

Disclaimer: These were all taken with my point and shoot.  If they look "unprofessional", its because the "professional" took a weekend off.  hehe

Faith, Love, and Shamu!

Casey

1, 2, 3, 4, tell me that you love me more!

I do!  I really do!!  Just when you think you can't love your child enough, they turn another year older!  I can't believe 5 years ago today, God brought my beautiful baby girl (ahem diva) into the world!  At first it was umm scary, and no, not because it was Halloween, but it was real life scurrry.  At just 20 years old, I was a newbie at just about everything, but quickly, I began to love this little being more than anything my heart could ever imagine!


Then (October 2006):

 The very first picture we took, together.  

And yes, with a camera phone! ha

 2 days old.

She had me at "hello." <3

@ the Hospital (Women's Hospital of Texas):

 Someone is anxious.

 Chunky cheeks. 

 Right after daddy changed her diaper for the first time. 

 Girlfriend was so long, her newborn $20 Jordan booties didn't fit her! 

 She still looks the same when she sleeps... Much wilder of course (ha), but still such peace.

 Twinkies.

 Daddy's Princess.

<3

Today (October 2011):

@ 5 years old:

* Height- 42 inches tall.

* Weight- 52lbs.

* Clothing Size: 7/8.

* Shoe Size: 13.

* Favorite Cartoon Character: Barbie.

* Favorite Movie: Tangled and The Little Mermaid.

* Favorite Activity: Singing, coloring, and puzzles.

* Current Fact: She has a couple of loose teeth! EEEK!

Favorite Food: Mac & Cheese.

Favorite Word: "Fabulous".

Halloween Costume 2011: US Marine.

My dearest sweet Aislynn Love, I love you more than I can ever say, because words just cannot express!  You are my heart, my sunshine, my rainbow!  You are my first sweet love!  You are my treasure from heaven, and my little angel from the Lord!  Mommy will love you forever and ever!  

~ Mommy

Happy Birthday to my sweet Aislynn Love!

&

Happy Halloween to you all!

ps. Stay tuned for Pt. II of this blog post, later on, today. =]


Faith, Love, and Halloween Baby,
Casey

A Mini Beach Getaway.

This past weekend, I held my first annual Beach Mini's in Galveston, TX.  It was bittersweet, and only because I'm pretty sure this was the very first (and hopefully) last time I will go to the beach, and not be able to feel the water rush to my feet or the sand between my toes.  Due to surgery, I had to sport some Nike's. Boo.  And oh oh oh, it looked so so tempting, but I'm not even sure I'm allowed to be walking in the sand, much less walking bare foot in the sand. =/


We originally set out to the beach on Saturday afternoon to take pics of my Aislynn Love in this super adorable dress that I purchased ages ago at Forever21, and has been sitting in closet waiting for the "perfect" time to make it's debut. 

Well, once we got there, the idea of it all flew right on by just like the seagulls overhead.  ::waa waa::

I did manage to capture a few in the entire 5 minutes she allowed me to photograph her... other than that... we just sat back, and enjoyed the sunset, breeze, and beautiful colors (yes, even for Galveston).

 

Andddddd, that was that! ha!

Now, time for some fun in the sun!

And yeah, I HAD to post this one! Poor girl! Her hair was everyyywhere! ha!

She's got wild hair just like her mama!

This was about all I got... the sun was setting quickly, looked peaceful, and mama just wanted to relax.  

And a good relaxing tis was. =]

Faith, Love, & the Beach,

Casey

Bedtime Blues

Aislynn is chillin' in our bed coloring while I do some late night work.  She then asks me if she can "spend the night" in our bed.  I politely say, "no", and then proceed to ask her to pretty please color me a picture.  I later go to look at the picture, and it looks like a 2yr went Crayola crazy.  um, can anyone say RUDE??  Remind me how old she is again??  Oh yes.  4 going on 14.  Right.  Gotcha.

So basically, Aislynn sleeps with us just about every night.  Okay, every single night.  Don't get me wrong, it doesn't start out that way, but somewhere in the middle of the night, she tiptoes across the hallway and sneaks into our bedroom, and then squeezes her little tush in between Jr and I.   And let me tell you, King Size bed doesn't mean anything when you have a 6ft husband who tosses, turns, and snores.  Then you have a 4yr old who is 3ft '10 who also tosses, turns, snores, and then occasionally slaps you every once in a while.  Plus, me, well, I have sleep apnea, and my particular case is similar to someone waking you up every 30 minutes.  (they have breathing machines for this, however I'm super claustrophobic, and I'll die with that thing or anything for that matter on my face.)  So you can already imagine what my night of "sleep" is like.  Talk about draining.  Oh, and not to mention, I still have to be conscious of my feet, as I don't want someone accidentally kicking them, so I sleep with them propped on a pillow to avoid any potential harm (harm to Aislynn and Jr; not so much my feet).

Something about robot bunnies, and monsters hiding under her pink frilly bed.  I won't lie, I slept with the covers over my face until I was about 17.  Yes, you read right, 17.

But, how I overcame these fears (not including the one above), I don't know, and I surely don't remember.  So how am I supposed to encourage and reassure Aislynn that monsters don't exist, and that robot bunnies are well... only seen in Veggie Tales? 

A peaceful slumber is top ranked on my bucket list, but somehow, I don't see scratching that off anytime in the near future, and as much as it saddens me, I'm pretty sure it scares me every more.  I simply want to sleep.

These were taken roughly 2 years ago for my first photo class final project.

So, anybody have any suggestions on making my dreams become reality?  What would you do?  What have you done?  What have you heard that works?   Do tell!





Faith, Love, and Sleepless Nights,
Casey

Painting and Praise

This past Friday, Aislynn and I sat down for some painting and Praise!  If she isn't coloring, she's painting.  She can't get enough of it!  And if she isn't talking, she's singing. <3

 That is a 3D light catcher. So fun!

While painting, I decided to turn on some itunes, and Jesus Culture came on... one of my favorite Christian bands!  This song playing isn't played nearly as much as some of my other favorites, and Aislynn isn't too familiar with these particular words, but she sure acted like it!  Enjoy!

Painting & Praise from Casey Ayala on Vimeo.

Again with "The mouth of concentration syndrome", again. hehe

Happy Friday, and Blessed weekend, everyone!

Whatever you're doing, ENJOY it!

Faith and Love, 

Casey