49th Annual Cousins by the Dozens Reunion- FIESTA Theme!

After our little vacation to Corpus we came home and then packed it back up again to head to Wimberley for the 49th Annual Cousins by the Dozens Reunion- FIESTA Theme!



My Grandmother was raised by her Aunts & Uncles because my Great-Grandmother died in childbirth and with the Spanish Flu (remember on Downton Abbey when Matthew's fiancé passed away... that was what my Great-Grandmother had). So family was also so important to my Mimi. Her cousins were more like her brothers and sisters. Our family is so unique because my 6th/7th cousins are more like 1st and 2nd cousins... Our family name is "Espy." These are the original family members of that family unit that would begin the family ties that we have today. This picture is from the 1800's.

They look so serious! The far left woman on the bottom is my Great-Great Grandmother, Henrietta Victoria Espy Jones.



From this family unit, my Great-Grandmother, Emma Angelina Jones Session would then have my Grandmother, Marietta Session Martin, and that was where the reunion was started. So, 49 years ago the very first reunion was held and it was tradition for all the women cousins on my mom's side to gather together for a WEEK and be together. They would eat, play games, pull pranks, and of course laugh. Every year there was a different theme... so we've kept up the tradition! Except now it's only for a weekend :) This year was especially unique because it was Charlotte's first time to go.

I had been anticipating bringing her because last year I was pregnant and didn't even know I was expecting a girl! I found out the day after we got home from the reunion that I was having a girl and at the reunion last year everyone kept making guesses on what I was having. With the wonderful invention of facebook, everyone has been able to see pictures of her but not actually meet her so we were thrilled to bring her and introduce her to all her crazy lovable cousins that love her so much already. Drew, my dad & brother-in-laws didn't go... so it was just the girls: my mom, sisters, niece and baby C.

We had so much fun dressing up for the theme for Friday & Saturday night! On Friday, we got in just in time for dinner. It was a short evening that night because everyone was pretty tired. On Saturday, we shopped around town, told stories, pulled pranks, ate delicious food, had a dance party and even did the Harlem Shake! Haha... you can find it on youtube :) We also took family pictures. Sadly, I didn't get one of all 53 of us dressed up but I did get some of our immediate family. On Sunday before everyone left, we worshipped together before saying our goodbyes until next year.

Can't wait till next year cousins for the 50th!!!

Ready to meet my cousins!

Her Aunts were so excited to see her! Aunt Amy

Aunt Katherine

Schedule of events for the weekend



Lunch at Marco's on Saturday... she's loving sitting up like a big girl :)



Me and my girl on Saturday night :)

Grammy & Charlotte

The girls! Best picture we could get... Katherine's eyes are closed!

Family Picture time outside

Charlotte & Me with our sweet cousin, Betty Jack

Hanging with Zane

My mom and her sister, my sweet little aunt :)

Kaitlyn and me

3 sisters... 3 mamacitas

Probably a favorite of me and my mom! Haha!

 

My cousin Matt leading worship when his precious little boy Samuel wanted to join him :)

Samuel and Charlotte playing at church... they are EXACTLY one year apart

Ready for next year cousins!



 



The BEST Day!

Our last day in Corpus, Gina and I had been planning on spending the day together just the two of us with the girls. She came over to my MIL's house and we let the girls play on the floor and then we dressed them up and had a little photoshoot! By the end I think they were thinking... "Okay Mom, enough pictures already!" I will cherish these forever!

I'm sad it came out blurry.. but it was the best one we could get.

She loves her best friend

This just had happened yesterday... sitting up all by herself!

Hi Annabel! I love you!

5 weeks apart!

Happy as can be!

After our little photo session, we headed to the mall to shop around for a little while and then we met Lizzie and Ginny at the Yacht Club to swim! After swimming, we met Natalie and Heather at the Surf Club for dinner. Gina and I had been craving their shrimp wraps! Mmm! What a fun day we had!! I will sure miss seeing Annabel and Gina. August... hurry up!!!

Headed to the mall

Just two girlies shopping :)

Annabel ended up taking a nap poolside...

Indulging :)

AB & C in their matching dresses! I had gotten AB one when my Mom and I went shopping for them in SA.

Surf Club! C was so exhausted from swimming that she took a little snooze :)



Babies, Babies, Babies! The Ultimate Playdate!

The day after the "dream date" with Ginny and Annabel, Charlotte and I had another fun playdate planned at Kylie's house... We named it the "ultimate playdate" because there were so many babies. A large portion of my girl friends were so fortunate to all have babies around the same time and we had all by dying to get them all together... especially since Gina and Annabel were in Texas. Kylie and Lauren live in CC, while Kara and I live in Katy/Houston and then Gina in VA!

Kylie hosted at her house and we had lunch and let the babies again play on the floor and roll around. Kylie has a two year old, Charlie, but besides him... Kara is the only one with a boy right now! Little Aidan sure is the ladies man :) He will have lots of girlfriends to choose from someday! What a fun day girls!! Can't wait to do it again next time we come to CC.

We are just loving all this time with our besties

Kara & Aidan, Gina & Annabel, Me & Charlotte

Charlotte (6 1/2 months), Aidan (4 months), Isla (11 months), Annie (8 1/2 months), and Annabel (5 months)

the best we could get with all of our babies... oh thank you self timer!

Genevieve, Annabel & Charlotte... The DREAM Playdate!

Gina and I have been best friends forever but we've recently included a new bestie into our little duo! Lizzie is also a Corpus gal and had sweet baby, Genevieve (Ginny), 3 days before Annabel was born. What's even more fun is that Lizzie married Gina's cousin so Ginny & Annabel are now cousins.

Since I had Charlotte first I started this whole mom journey by myself and then a month later Lizzie and Gina began. Since they've their girls we've literally been on a "3 way text" all 24 hours in a day. It got me through some pretty rough times being able to text these two girls about ANYTHING! And I mean a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g! Breastfeeding and all the joys and pains that go along with that, sleep, napping, sleep training, milestones, solids, cutting teeth, what to do when they get sick, what type of sleep sacks to use, should we still swaddle?, traveling with a baby... I could literally go on and on. These two mamas have become my lifeline. I don't know where I would be in this whole scheme of motherhood without them and their support. SO... with that being said they are basically my everything. The most sad part about our trio is that none of us life in the same city!! Lizzie still lives in Corpus and I've mentioned before Gina lives in Charlottesville, VA! We've been DYING to get our baby girls together since we all were pregnant at the same time and the time had finally come!

And sadly I'm the only one who actually looks pregnant! Haha

We planned our little dream playdate for Monday, Memorial Day. I had been secretly slaving away on the sewing machine at home making surprise matching dresses for the girls. We had soooo much fun letting the girls play and roll around on the floor. And of course all of us mamas were snapping away on our iphones and cameras. Sorry for all the photos but I couldn't help myself :)

Three sweet mamas... three sweet girls!

Together at last!

Ginny wanted Charlotte's bow

In order of birth...

 baby triangle

there's nothing cuter than naked babies :)

modeling the dresses I made!

 cuties :)

my girl on memorial day

Annabel's Baptism/Trip to Seguin

Well the time HAD finally arrived.... my best friend Gina and her precious baby girl came to TEXAS!!!! I've literally been counting down the days for their arrival since Annabel was born. My Mom had come to Katy for a few days to stay with us so we followed her home to Seguin to stay with her since Gina would be in San Antonio for the weekend for Annabel's baptism.

We woke up early on that Saturday and drove in a record breaking rainstorm to witness the baptism of precious Annabel Fontaine Langford. As her Godmother, I was so proud to be there to witness it! Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of the ceremony because my mom was on "Charlotte" duty at the back of the church while I was at the front for the ceremony with Gina and Brian and Brian's brother, Michael, who is Annabel's Godfather. I was so disappointed that Drew wasn't able to make it because his work schedule has been crazy, but he was there in spirit :)

After the baptism, we headed over to Brian's parent's house who live in San Antonio for a nice lunch. Both Passmore Families came from Houston and were there along with Gina and Brian's families. Can you believe that all of girls had all GIRLS!?!

Taryn with her girls, Felicity and Josephine (she was only a week old!), Gina and Annabel, Jessica with her girl, Mia Beth and her bun in the oven due in October and me and Charlotte.

Finally reunited... with our precious girls!

Future besties :)

Oh Mom! Is this for real? No more facetime with AB??

Hey there Charlotte!

I just LOVE this of Gina and Charlotte

After the lunch, my mom and I headed to downtown San Antonio to go to the Mexican Market. We were in need of some Mexican dresses for our reunion that was coming up the following weekend (more on that soon!) We met my Dad for dinner that night and Charlotte experienced her first time sitting in a high chair at a restaurant and sipping water from a straw. Look how cute this girl is! We also had a photo session with Grammy in the parking lot... you never know when those photo sessions are going to happen :) Haha

Eating a mum-mum of course

Just LOVE these two!

She loves her Grammy :)

The next day we packed it up and Charlotte and I headed to Corpus for the next 4 days for the ultimate playdate of a lifetime! A picture dump and post on that coming up next :)



Seven Months

Little Miss C,

Your personality is just the cutest thing ever. You laugh and smile at everyone and everything and it's just the best. You are Daddy's and my light of our lives. We don't know what life would be like without you in it. I'm so thankful that God blessed ME and Daddy as your parents. What a gift you are! "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

Love you forever,

Mama

7  month Stats

Weight: 19.5 lbs

Length: 26 1/2 inches

Head: 16 1/2 inches

Eating: nursing exclusively 5-6 times a day. Continuing to eat breakfast every morning and dinner every night. You've now had: pears, apples, bananas, mangoes, sweet potatoes, peas, avocado, blueberries, peaches, butternut squash, carrots, winter squash and green beans.

Bedtime: Still following bedtime routine. In the past month you have slept a few nights 11 hours straight!! Mama was so happy (and well rested!) On an average though you sleep 8-9 hours straight, nurse and then go back down. We do start our morning around 8:30 or 9.

Awake: You are awake so much more now and it's so fun to see you interacting more with your toys and sitting up. You also are taking in everything. Soo observant! When you are awake you are either playing with your toys or going on errands with mama. I love you being my little sidekick.

Naps: Still napping like a champ. You take 3 naps a day. Morning nap is always longer around an hour and a half and afternoon naps are around 1 hour to 45 minutes. You will nap the best in your crib but you will still nap in the stroller or carseat.

Diapers: size 3

Clothes: 6-12 months in most brands, 9 months in Carter's and although you still fit in your 9 month jammies we just bumped you to 12 month tonight to give you more room in the toes.

Favorites: You love to sit up! Since it's one of your newest tricks you want to do it all the time now to play. It makes it so much more fun because you can see everything so much better. You love bathtime and splashing. You also love the pool! (We just finished swimming lessons so I'll update on that soon!) Still loving your toes and holding onto them whenever you can. You love love love Lucy! You just pulled her tail for the first time yesterday! So cute but poor Lucy!!

Latest Tricks: Still smiling all the time... my happy smiley baby. Sitting up like a big girl is the best! You also love to splash whenever you are in water. You got me SOAKING wet the other night and it was hilarious... you just laughed and laughed at me! The best trick though is giving "kisses." We say, "Charlotte, give me a kiss." And you will lean over and plant a big slobbery one with your mouth open wide on our cheek. It just totally melts my heart! I love those sweet kisses.



Oh me? I'm 7 Months?

Cute as can be!