I was playing with my camera today and thought I'd share some of the cuteness I captured.

*also, I've started watermarking the pictures for added safety of Teagan and any others featured on the blog*

Can you spare 2 clicks and vote for us? Thanks!

Teagan & Matilda

Teagan and Matilda go to school together.  They've basically been together since day one (give or take a few days).  They've rolled over within days of each other. They've stood up within days of each other. They took their first step within days of each other.  They have both been the smallest babies for a while.  They both love shoes. They both have the cutest smile. Matilda has more hair then Teagan and Teagan is starting to increase the height gap between them.  They've started looking for each other in the mornings and can't seem to understand why the other isn't there if somebody is running late.  Another special thing they share is their birthday.  Sweet huh?
The only problem was...the birthday parties. 
Matilda's mom and I didn't want either one of them to miss the other's birthday party. After all, they turned ONE and it wasn't their fault they were born on the same day! So, Matilda's party was at 11:30 and Teagan's was at 2:00.  We made the trek to Matilda's house and back in time for Teagan's party and Matilda & her mom made the trek to Teagan's b'day party after Matilda's was over. 

Here are some pictures from Matilda's party:

Dearest Teagan

Dearest Teagan,
This weekend was an exhausting and exciting blur.  Sunday after church we were able to slow down just a little while.  Your daddy was helping Grandpa and it was just the two of us.  You played while I ate lunch and then I was thankful when you got sleepy because I'd wanted a true Teagan cuddle all weekend.  Usually when you nap I will put in a movie or something but not this time.  We laid back on the couch and you cuddled up into the nape of my neck like you have always done.  I rubbed your back and you tugged my ear and you quickly fell asleep.  I spent a little time thinking about the last year.  Thinking of the anticipation I felt after your due date came and went.  The exhilaration and strength I felt when the contractions started.  The fightening feeling when I found out I would have to have a c-section.  The pure joy I felt to my core when Dr. James lifted you above that awful blue curtain, I saw your face and I heard you cry for the first time.  I remember my first real scare when they said you were losing more weight then you should and they kept us an extra day.  I remember getting ready to go home  and laughing because we didn't have any proper fitting clothes because they said you'd be bigger then you were.  I remember laughing when after my milk came in you gained 13 ounces in a week and they were definitely not worried about your weight anymore! Over those first few weeks you taught me so much.  Unconditional love, patience, a longing to meet your needs before mine even crossed my mind.  Your daddy was amazing during this time.  It's like a switch flipped on and he was instantly transformed into super dad.  You showed me how to love your Daddy in a whole new way.  Through this last year I feel like I have grown a lot with you.  In the past there were times when things would get tough or frustrating and I would run.  There have been a lot of tough and frustrating moments this first year but it never crossed my mind to leave or run away.  Looking back Little Bear you have helped make me a better and stronger woman.  Over the past year I have grown to appreciate the little things.  Like your first smile, laugh or attempts to roll over.  Even as I type the words "appreciate the little things" I laugh.  Because honestly, those weren't little things.  Those were big exciting things and you amaze me with new big exciting things every day.  Sometimes there are days I can just give you every second of my attention gladly and other days that go by in a blur and I feel like I haven't seen you enough to give you all the kisses and hugs I wanted to.
This letter could go on for pages and pages.  Single spaced with no line skipping.  So, I'll end it.  I only hope that you will remember that even on those blurry days that I love you with a love so pure and unconditional.  I love you to the moon and back Little Bear.
I am excited and anxious to see what toddlerhood brings us.

Love you Forever and Always,
Mommy

Winner of the Kind Sign!!

And the winner is.....

Becca!

Becca said if she had a "Mommy sign" it would say: "Yes I appreciate you complimenting my daughter but I do NOT want to stand and have a 20 minute conversation with a complete stranger about her!"  Too funny, Becca! Congrats on winning your kind sign!

Step to it!

Teagan took her first step today. She took one step three separate times.  We are so very proud of her! Look out world, here comes Teagan!!

This sums up our day. 

We are guest blogging over at Getty Owls blog today.  Why don't you check it out?

New Years Resolution #2

My first resolution was to read a book a month.  So far I've accomplished 1/12 of my goal.  I finished reading Wicked and I'm going to start my second book of the year after this week. 
My second resolution is to get healthier. Mind. Body. Soul.
In years past I have wanted to lose weight, some times at any cost.  In years past I have vowed to go down a size in clothes.  I've declared I'm going to read my Bible more. I've declared I'm going to have more quiet time.  There are so many things I was just determined to do but for all the wrong reasons.  I've wanted to to them for vain reasons.  I wanted to look good. I wanted to be skinnier. I wanted to be better for Me, Me, Me.  It had nothing to do with health.  Obviously, vanity is not the best foundation for anything and so most of those attempts have failed.  This year my goal stems from wanting to be healthy. 
I've decided to look at it in a whole new light.  I want to be a healthy and confident woman.  I want to be genuinely okay with the way I look.  How I think and who I am.  I want to set an example for Teagan.  For the woman I want her to grow up with and look up to as she becomes a woman.  My aim this year is to be more like the Proverbs 31 woman.  For those of you who don't know the reference just crack open your Bible or Google Proverbs 31 vs. 10-31 and take a minute to read it.  To sum up the idea of the Proverbs 31 woman she serves her God, her family and her friends while being able to clean the house and cook a good meal and manage the household.  To be quite honest it sounds a little daunting but I think it's more about priorities.  I think if my priorities are in order then the rest just kind of falls into place.
Here are a few comparisons of the Proverbs 31 woman and how I pledge to put them into play:

The Proverbs 31 woman's husband finds her capable and he is fully confident in her.  She encourages her husband and loves him.
*my pledge is to encourage my husband more daily.  to think about what I say before I say it and remember that what I say has more meaning to him then I sometimes admit.  just because I've had a bad day doesn't mean I should bring it home and take it out on him.
The Proverbs 31 woman is a hard worker.  She makes meals for her family that are healthy and good for them.  She makes wise decisions for her family in her purchasing and homemaking.
*my pledge is to continue to find ways to bring healthy food into our home.  since Teagan is eating more table food I have be sure to bring in healthy to continue her incredible food intake.  I pledge to make wiser decisions in the money that I am responsible for.  I have a tendency to see the word sale and instantly want to buy, buy, buy.  I pledge to cut more coupons and be more conscience when it comes to spending our money. 
The Proverbs 31 woman is a giver to others that are not just family.
*we are working on this.  we want to instill the value of giving in Teagan but I pledge to increase our volunteer and giving tendencies too.  I also take this as keeping up and maintaining friendships.  I don't want to let my friendships fall in the cracks. So, I pledge to nurture new and old friendships of mine.
The Proverbs 31 woman is a sewer and a clothes maker.
*this is one aspect of the Proverbs 31 woman that I'm not planning on attempting to be like.  Sewing is not my forte and it only frustrates me and makes all those other things not happen or at least not happen happily so we're pushing the sewing aspect aside. For now at least.
The Proverbs 31 woman loves her God, cares for her family and her friends.  She is a woman that her husband admires and her children respect.
*I want to set my priorities in order.  I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman. 

The Proverbs 31 woman is somebody who carries herself like a woman should.  She didn't worry about her fashion being the latest or most expensive but she looked fashionable anyway.  Her thoughts were doing for others and not selfishly doing for herself or doing things with herself in mind.  My resolution is to take this woman and look at her as an example of how I should be and how I want others to see me.  I want to be strong. I want to be confident. I want to be healthy. Mind. Body. Soul. 
      

I'm in LOVE with baby clothes but refuse to pay a lot for them.  What is the point when they grow out of them so fast?  I also don't want Teagan to have the same clothes everybody else has.  I like her to be unique.  Let's face it...my fashion life is lived vicariously through her. I can be daring with her clothing choices when I would shy away from them myself.  Just because I'm too self-conscience.
I wanted to share a few cute items I found when looking around for an idea for Teagan's birthday dress.  Luckily we didn't have to purchase it because Josh's mom is FREAKIN AWESOME and is making Teagan's dress....I cannot wait to see the finished product!

From one of my favorites, Miskabelly!

These two are from AdaLou.

*Teagan has a long sleeved number similar to this navy/white polka dots one. It's ADORABLE.*



I can imagine this dress, found here, on Teagan when she is big enough to twirl in her white patent leather shoes on Easter day! 

I love putting dresses on Teagan.  They are so versatile. You can dress them up or down even on a baby.  Some of our favorite dresses Teagan has she has gotten too long for so we throw them over skinny jeans or leggings, add a cardigan and she's good to go.   Now if only we could work on Mommy's wardrobe...

Getting to know Getty Owl.

Over the last few months Getty and Teagan have been getting to know each other.  Getty's mom, Kate, and I have been doing the same.  Let me just tell you that I have grown to love this family already.
Teagan asked me a week or so ago if she could ask Getty some questions and have me type them up and put them on the blog.  She wanted to know some different things about Getty but she really wanted other people to know more about her new friend.  Teagan wanted to write a little something herself.  So, without further ramblings from her mom here is Teagan in her first blogging debut.

Hi bloggy world!

I'm Teagan.  The one my mom tends to talk about a LOT on here.  My mom "met" Getty and her family first and introduced me.  Now Getty and I are friends.  My friend Getty has a disease called SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) which is what she is "known" for around the internet.  I don't really think about that part when I think about my friend.  I think about, well, my friend Getty.  I wanted you all to get to know her too.  So, I asked my mom to type up some of my questions and Getty's mom and dad helped her answer them.  Neat questions like her favorite color and why she is called Getty "Owl".  Also some kind of important questions about SMA and what it's really like. One of these days I hope to get to see Getty in person.  I bet we'll both be wearing tutus and cuddling up with our stuffed animal owls while watching a funny cartoon together.  Because you see I love owls too.  That might be another reason why we're such good friends!
Well, I'll let you read the questions I asked and the answer she gave now.  Goodnight bloggy world!

Love,
Teagan

1) Why do your mommy and daddy call you Getty "Owl"? Because when I was born, mommy thought I had a wise old soul. I didn't fuss, I didn't complain, I was happy to be here. Mommy and Daddy taught me how to "hoot" when I was two weeks old and I have been hooting ever since. I have have big blue eyes like an owl. 
2) What is your favorite color? Blue, like my eyes.
3) How many owls do you have? I have over fifty friend owls in my room. We talk all the time.
4) What is your favorite book? Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, my mommy reads it to me every night.
5) What is your favorite thing to do with your mommy? We like to talk about all kinds of stuff.
6) What is your favorite thing to do with your daddy? We like to sing together. Daddy sings me songs all the time.
7) What is SMA? It is something I was diagnosed with when I was even smaller than I am now and it keeps my muscles from getting strong. But it also means I get lots of extra special love and attention from my mommy and daddy.
8) How do you eat exactly? Can you taste stuff? I get to eat through a tube in my tummy. Mommy let's me suck on fruit once in awhile and I like that.
9) How do you take a bath? Mommy and I take baths together. She holds me while I get to move my arms and legs around. I like when mommy moves me back and forth in the water, I feel like I am swimming.
10) What is your "brother" like? Cooper is always around making sure I am safe and happy. He licks my face all the time and it makes me giggle. He also likes to cuddle with me.
11) Do you have a favorite doctor? Dr. Givant, she is silly and she always makes noises with me.
12) Are you scared when you have to go to the hospital? No, not at all. All the doctors give me lots of attention and they take good care of me.
13) What kind of music do you like? I enjoy when mommy and daddy sing to me and I also like Edith Piaf. I don't know what she is singing about because it is french, but I always sing with her.
14) What do you want people to know about SMA? I want people to know that with enough money for research, it can be cured.  Even though I have SMA, I am a happy girl that loves to live every day right next to my mommy and daddy.

Weaning for this dummy.

When and how to wean are probably the two most loaded questions when it comes to breastfeeding.  When do you stop and how do you stop?  Do you breastfeed for 6 months? 1 year? 2 years? When you start weaning how do you do it? Cold turkey? Gradually? Really gradually?
When I started breastfeeding I hoped I could do it for a year; no more and no less.  That was the game plan but if I couldn't then it wasn't going to be earth shattering to us.  We would chose the best formula and just go with it.  I've been lucky and we're going on a year come January 23rd.  We have had to supplement with a little bit of formula because I work a full time job and pumping just wasn't making it by itself.  I'm okay with that.  Teagan is still as healthy as a horse.  No harm no foul. 
Now comes the weaning part.  To be quite honest Teagan started weaning herself around 10 months.  She started losing interest and wouldn't always stay latched long enough for a let down.  She became more interested in real food and less interested in Mommy milk.  Surprisingly, I was okay with that.  Her body was starting the adjustment of getting more of her nutrients from real food and less from me.  Which is what it needed to do. Things just seem to fall in place for our weaning attempt. Teagan was preparing to move up at "school" and needed to get on that class's schedule.  This meant eating real food at 11:00 instead of me going to nurse her like I had been.  This was harder for me then I thought it would be and took a few days of lunchtime tears from me but she took it like a champ and we got over it.  Starting in January I stopped pumping at work and started Teagan on organic whole milk in her sippy cup for school (this was only after making sure she wasn't allergic and getting permission from her doctor).  My milk supply has been a mixed blessing for me over the last year.  My body adjusted to giving Teagan just what she needed but it wasn't too keen on making extra.  That was hard during the time I was pumping and needed more.  It has also made weaning easier, less leaky and less painful then some of the experiences of others I know.  Basically no cabbage leaves for this nursing mama.      
Now comes the hardest part.  Weaning in the mornings and weaning before bedtime.  My sweet child likes to get up anywhere between 4am and 4:45am for a morning snack and then she'll go back to sleep for a few more hours.  I decided to tackle this nursing time first.  Frankly, it has been a nightmare.  Not the not nursing part but the getting Teagan to not still wake up at 4:00am part.  It has been hard to not just nurse her and put her back down in the mornings.  Even though we've been doing this for over 2 weeks, Teagan's carpet has a permanent mommy butt impression from where I've sat as she has cried herself back to sleep in the mornings.  Obviously we are still working on the going back to sleep part in the mornings but she hasn't nursed in the morning for over 2 weeks.  So I consider it a semi-success.  Next will be the night time feedings.  This one is going to be a little hard to give up but Teagan has basically given it up for me.  She is nursing maybe 5 minutes at night and doesn't go down asleep anyway (we've not put her down asleep in months) so I don't think it will be too bad.  We've got a set schedule and plan to incorporate a little snack (that way empty belly is no excuse) before teeth brushing, reading and bedtime.
Do you have any suggestions when it comes to weaning? How long did you breastfeed? What was the weaning experience like for you? Was it hard or were you ready? I'd love to hear your experiences.



If you don't mind, give us a vote while you're at it?  Thanks!

Have you heard of a "kind sign"?

I remember being so excited to take Teagan out to share her cuteness with the world when she got here.  I can also remember being very anxious about sweet grandma ladies wanting to touch her face and give her "sugars".  I wasn't sure how I was going to handle it then but I know how I would have handled it now.  I would have ordered and used a Mama Bears sign.  I came across this product by  Mamabears.com  called "Kind signs".  They are little rubber signs that you can attach to your stroller or your car seat that basically say "KEEP AWAY" or "Look but DO NOT touch" but in a nice way. 

Here is an example: 

 Picture via.

The nice folks over at Mamabears.com  were not only sweet enough to send Teagan's ride a sign but they are giving a lucky reader one too!
Here are the rules to enter:

If you could have a "Mommy" or "Daddy" sign, what would yours say? 

Extra entries include: 

Follow Mamabears.com (Mamabearscom) on Twitter

"Like" Mamabears.com on facebook

"Like" Teagan Tales on Facebook

Follow me (RiCiReid) on Twitter.

Vote for Teagan Tales on Top Baby Blogs by clicking the brown box to your right.  (This is an I'm trusting you entry)
Comment with each thing you do so you can be sure to get your entries in! 

The give away will be open until the 21st of January! 

We are TEAM GETTY!

We were TEAM GETTY before but we are official now!

We sport our TEAM GETTY bands everyday! (Teagan's is on my key chain for safe keeping). 
Look for Teagan's first blogging debut soon...she asked to interview Getty and Getty said okay! We are so very excited!

I was going to sit down and blog while Teagan played but she wants to play with me and I'm going to cherish that while I can because eventually playing with Mommy won't be cool.  Going to play with Little Bear.  I'll blog when she goes to bed tonight. 

Our Christmas in Pictures...

I just realized I didn't do an actual Christmas post.  We had a wonderful and laid back Christmas.  Teagan could have cared less about opening presents (even though it involved ripping paper) because he favorite "toy" of the moment is our TV cabinet.  She loves to pull out all the dvds and show them to whoever will watch her.  Josh and I tried to redirect her attention a few times to her presents and away from the TV cabinet with no avail.  Oh well, there's always next year! We had a blast anyway!
Instead of going into major detail I figured I'd just do a picture post because I've been pretty slack in the picture area lately.  And Teagan is just too darn cute in a Santa hat not to share...

I am in love with these pens from Marvy.  I couldn't find them anywhere but Josh, my forever knight in shining armor, found a whole pack of them at Hobby Lobby! I could just write with them for hours.  They make my handwriting lovely...so lovely that I wrote the last blog post out before I typed it....

Bringing in the New Year with amazing friends.

Our New Years Eve and Day were spent just the way we wanted.  With family and friends who are considered family.
We had a sleepover with The Heavner's to ring in the New Year in.  Our attire consisted of PJs.  Our spread was wings, salsa and fried pickles.  The babies crawled around the house playing together and chasing Addie Bear, who was amazing in spite of having two squealing babies to tend with.  We even let the babies stay up until 9!
After we put the babies to sleep, same room. different bed.  We put in Horton Hears a Who with every intention of watching it.  Josh was the only one who stayed awake and thankfully was able to wake us up with a few minutes to spare before the ball dropped.  We shared sleepy kisses with our amazing significant others and headed to bed. 
We are such parents now...but boy do we love it that way!

New Year's Resolution #1

I've been accumulating a list of must read book suggestions for this year.  I love to read but don't have near enough time to read.  My reading time consists of right before bed, where I usually end up falling asleep or in the bathroom.  So, in order to have a resolution I can keep I've decided to choose just 12 books this year.  One a month and if I get through more then that then yay me.  Otherwise, 12 is a good number.

Here are the books I have so far:

January- Wicked
February- Holiday on Ice
March- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
April- Of Mice and Men
May- The Last Block in Harlem
June- The Hunger Games trilogy
July- Love Walked In
August- Bending Toward the Sun
September- Graziella
October-This is Where I Leave You
November- need suggestions
December- need suggestions.