My Noble Friend, Mac

Peachy Lil' Mac. He has been my horse for about 20 years. Today, Ruben and Matt Knight took Mac down to College Station so he can be a member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Parson's Mounted Cavalry. We finally made the very difficult decision to donate Mac to the Cav, and believe it will be a great place for him for the next 5 years or so. It took me a while to come to grips with the fact that with the arrival of our precious daughter, the chances of me riding him much in the next few years is pretty slim. He has been on vacation for quite a while, and it really isn't fair to him to not have the attention he deserves. Mac is a great horse.

I went out to Weatherford to say "good bye" to him last night, and I am so glad I did. I am not sure most people would understand what I am talking about when I say that horses are good for your soul. I am a horse person. Always have been and always will be. Horses are strong, sensitive creatures, and I beleive are capable of a deeper understanding of people (at least more so than most would give them credit). Mac knew something was up, or that something was changing. He was especially sweet and stayed close to me as I brushed him out and untagled his wild, red mane. I didn't have my saddle or bridle with me, so I went back to my early horseback riding days and created reins with his lead rope and hopped on bareback. I had a feeling he would behave for me this evening. We took a stroll around the pasture like old times. His ears pricked forward and he strided out with his long thick legs. He was never the smoothest of rides, but I never minded. The sun was setting and the only sound was the chirping of birds and the rythmic thump to his hooves hitting the dirt. This is were I love to be. I wondered to myself if Emme was going to have that passion for horses that I was born with? I hope so. I would love to share with her these great creatures when she is old enough. I also thanked God for giving me parents who supported my passion for horses all those years growing up. My best childhood memories are those where I am on a horse, out riding by myself, probably riding too fast but loving every minute of it. It was a beautiful, poignant moment with Mac. I finished up my ride, and led him to the pasture to meet his bud, Chauncy. I gave him a big hug, he nibbled my boots like he has been doing since he was a baby, and told him that he was headed off to college again. When the Cav retires Mac, they plan on giving him back to us, so I didn't say "good bye", I just said "see you soon, good friend". He stood at the gate as I drove off, so thankful for my life and my time with Mac. That is what I mean about horses being good for you soul... Until then, Mac.

4 Months and Fabulous

Emme had her 4 month appointment yesterday with Dr. Audrey. She weighed in at 12lbs 13oz. (25th percentile) and was 25in long (90th percentile). Long and lean! Em checked out perfectly and was a brave girl with her shots. The doctor quizzed us on all of the "milestones" and Emme passed them with flying colors. How truly grateful we are to have a happy, healthy little girl.

We received VERY exciting news on the Pigg/Akins front. Molly and Lee announced to us that they are expecting a baby girl in December! YES, another girl for the family. Nan puts it best when she says that we "specialize in little girls". We don't need no stinkin' boys. Actually, Ruben really would love a little mini-Rube. Only time will tell. I was secretly hoping that Molly would have a girl, because I just know that she and Emme are going to be the best of friends. We have so many wonderful experiences ahead of us.

This weekend is the 4th of July. We plan on going to Granbury to celebrate with the Dorsey's and Faye and Tracy. Not to get overly political, but I wish the current administration would step back from their agenda for a moment and remember the history behind Independence Day, and what that exactly means for our country. America and its founding fathers had finally untethered from the dictatorial rule of England. We became a free country. Free! Why does it seem that everyday our freedoms are getting taken away and replaced by government rule? We don't want to go back to the time prior to July 4th, 1776. We want our government that was established "for the people and by the people". We do not want our government to RUN the people. Times are changing, and it scares me for our daughter and all of the future generations. I am praying that the conservative movement, the one that does not pander and bow down to the PC crowd and the "One", will gain strength and reunite to save and protect the America we once knew. Our government should provide life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our government should not run banks, auto companies, and insurance companies, nor should it tell us what we can earn, who our doctor should be and whether or not we deserve treatment. Wake up, America!

(But don't wake the sleeping baby, she is resting)

Summer Fun (and a poo story)

Down by the meadow in da itty bitty pool....That is the children's song playing over in my head like a broken record. I use to listen and dance to hip hop. But, Emme LOVES it when we sing her silly songs, so I will continue to do so. She is now a whopping 4 months old, and I cannot believe how the time is flying. I keep saying that in my blogs, but it is so true!

The picture to the left was taken about 20 minutes before what will now be known as the "Target Incident". I never really thought I would blog about baby poo, but the Target Incident is worthy of a mention. Luckily, my mom was in town all week for a Nan-cation (get it? a vacation for Nan)... So clever. Anyway, we were on our daily Target run when low and behold, someone needed a diaper change. I am not a big fan of changing diapers in public bathrooms. I know this is something I need to get over, but they ran one of those dang 20/20s on how dirty public bathrooms are and I have been scarred. That and motel bedspreads. Seriously, just toss those on the ground when you arrive and then sanitize your hands. Back to the poo. Sometimes there are no alternatives to public restrooms, so in we went. I had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. As soon as I took Emme out of the car seat I knew it was going to be bad. The smell alone could tell a story. To get the visual, picture me holding a yellow and green poo smeared naked child, from her toes all the way up her back, with one hand as my mom and I are furiously wiping and wiping and smearing and wiping to attempt to clean the poor girl. Emme was a trooper, a pooper trooper (I crack myself up) and tolerated the humiliating stance as we cleaned. Once we hosed her down and got her dressed my mom and I let out a big sign. I was actually sweating from the workout. What would I have done if my mom hadn't been around for this 2 person job? These kids... Luckily, this has been the only major blowout by Miss Em. I just jinxed myself didn't I?



Summer, thus far, has been a lot of fun. It is wonderful to have long evenings, and we are trying to take advantage of my reduced work schedule. Emme loves going to the pool, and we plan to do that all summer at Ridglea. Ruben is embarrassed we are members of a country club, so I won't mention it much, but it is great having access to a nice pool and tennis courts for the summer. Rube has convinced himself that if he starts playing tennis this summer he will be able to beat me on my birthday. Why my birthday, you ask? I honestly don't know, but that is his goal. I told him that I was hoping my 9 years of private instruction on top of 3 years of highly competitive 5A Varsity tennis would sustain me during this challenge, but we'll see. I am pretty confident, however.

This is my little Strawberry Shortcake. I just want to eat her up! Her Tia T found this suit for her, and we love it. She is living up to her Pisces sign and seems to really enjoy the water. We learn more and more about her personality every day. She is a laid back, very happy baby 99.9% of the time. The other 1% of the time, such as when you take her bottle away to burp her, watch out! She tells us in no uncertain terms what she does and does not like, and she does NOT like to be interrupted when eating. Definitely her mother's daughter!

We have a few vacations planned that are coming up soon. The first trip will be with the Pigg and Akins families to O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, OKLAHOOOO-MA! Apparently Oklahoma is Oklacool, according to the commercials. Not exactly the No. 1 vacation spot in the nation, but it was centrally located for us and the Tennessians, so we have rented a very nice cabin at Broken Bow lake. There will be some hiking, biking, golfing, fishing, boating, eating, etc. It will be Emme's first true vacation, so we will have it well documented with photos. The second vacation will be in Port Aransas with Ruben's parents and the Brightman's. This will be Emme's first trip to the beach, so I anticipate many Kodak moments to come.

Check back soon, and I promise, no more poo stories. Unless it is a really good one, and then I will have to share.

Well, Hello Again, Blog

I am back! Whew, sorry I have been gone a few weeks, but caring for a newborn really takes it out of you! Actually, I think I may have the world's best baby. Oh no, it just happened. I became a bragging mother. I knew I was susceptible to this condition, but I had no idea it would happen so quickly. Oh well, EMME IS AMAZING! Ahhh, that feels good. The past 11 weeks have been the best weeks of my life, even with the lack of sleep, having to go back to work and general craziness that comes with parenthood. Emme is changing and growing everyday and it is truly wonderful to watch. She officially started sleeping through the night at 10 weeks old, which has made me a new women. It is fantasitc. Ruben and I finally dug deep and took our hardcore pediatricians advice on how to get our baby to sleep through the night, and what do you know, it worked! (Isn't she beautiful?)

Emme's other baby tricks include lots of cooing and talking to her mom and dad, being mesmerized by her beautiful long fingers and hands, rolling from her tummy to her back and her back to her tummy, eating and napping on a great schedule, sitting in her bumbo, and adapting to her new school, Montessori at Sundance. She rarely fusses and has a bright and cheery disposition. We are all totally charmed by this special little girl. Just yesterday her teacher, Ms. Deborah said to me, "Meg, Emme is just amazing! She is such a quick learner and has that something special". Music to my ears. Not that we had anything to do with this... I think some people just get lucky, and me and Rube got lucky. It is like picking a puppy out of a litter. Sometimes you get lucky and pick the best, like Sophie, and sometimes you don't get as lucky and pick Belle. This analogy makes perfect sense for those of you that know Belle and Sophie. Thank you Lord for a Sophie!

I also think that Emme is turning into the neat little person she is because of all of the love and support from our family and friends. Her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends have all played a roll in these first 11 weeks. She is one loved little girl and I think that makes her feel confident and comfortable in her world.

The picture to the right was taken on Mother's Day. We had a wonderful day by going to the Fort Worth Zoo, which is one of the best zoos in the country. Then, Ruben grilled out and we sat on our patio with Emme in her stroller and enjoyed the evening as a family. As you can she, Em was in a great mood (as usual) and gave her mom the sweetest smile, which was the best Mother's Day gift I could have asked for. I also got a Spa Gift Certificate, which compliments the smile.

We have been having a great time with Emme and are looking forward to more adventures in the future. She has gone to her cousins' baseball game, dance rectials, pizza parties, birthday parties, and running errands all over Fort Worth. Also, she was give a special blessing at church on May 3rd. Ruben and I took her to the front of the church where Father Jambor introduced her to the congregation and then read her a beautiful blessing. Here is pic of that special day.

Emme's Baptism is coming up on May 31st. I will be sure to blog about that day. Our families are coming in and we have asked Chris and Meredith Miner and Warren and Christine Paddock to be her Godparents. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone and sharing such a special occassion with people we care so dearly.

I know I said this the last time, but this time I mean it. I will be better about blogging! Until then...

4 Weeks of Fun

Emme will be 4 weeks old tomorrow! The time has flown since she arrived on February 25th. She changes so much everyday, and I have not wanted to miss a minute of it (hence my lack of blogging). Emme wakes up with a precious smile on her face and loves to play on her jungle mat after breakfast. She is fascinated by the animals and particularly loves looking at herself in the mirror. Today Emme learned to flip from her tummy to her back. She is "so advanced" (family joke). Aren't all our children?

Nan just got to spend a week with us during her Spring Break. It was wonderful having her around. She got to bond with her first grand baby and also help take care of her first born. We ventured out of the house almost every day, which was much needed. The walls start closing in after a while. We went to the Ridgmar Mall, Hulen Mall, the Botanical Gardens, and Pappadeaux's. Emme is a perfect little traveler, and I am now comfortable wheeling her around town.

Here is our little Aggie. Class of 2031! Wow, that is scary. Nothing wrong with a little brain washing early on. I have a feeling she is going to go wherever her little hear desires. Deny our baby girl? I don't think so! That is unless she wants an Austin address. Burnt orange is not her color.

This weekend we have Bonnie and Brett's wedding to attend. Emme will make an appearance at the rehearsal dinner, but her Tia Theresa is going to babysit for her during the wedding. It will be me and Ruben's first outing without her. I will report back with new pictures and whether or not I have a meltdown when I leave her for the evening. Hard core lawyer no longer...

EMME IS HERE!

On February 25, 2009 at 8:00a.m., our lives were forever changed for the better with the birth of our beloved daughter, Mary Elia (Emme) Guerra. She weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 19 1/2 inches long and perfect in every way. Emme immediately stole the hearts of her parents, grandparents, many aunts and uncles and friends. I am writing this blog on her 13th day of life and am still on cloud nine. Ruben and I are literally floating with joy over our little girl. She is a true delight. Emme has been surprisingly alert for a newborn baby, and she amazes us every day with her curious and interested looks at this new world around her. Emme loves to eat, like her family, and has been sleeping wonderfully. It is undoubtedly the best time in our lives.

To recap the whirlwind that was her birth, my mom, Emme's Nan, came into town the Saturday before our scheduled delivery on Wednesday the 25th. We ran last minute errands, got pedicures, and ate some delicious food. I don't think I have ever wanted to share something more with my mom. She has been dreaming of a grand baby for years, and the time had finally come. Nan made the experience very special for us by doing all the little extras that I will never forget. Here is Nan holding her Emme for the first time.

My Dad, who we will call Hoot for now (still convincing him that is a good granddad name) was also thrilled with his new granddaughter. He definitely has experience with girls! Maybe one day one of us will eventually have a boy, but it might just be that we specialize in girls. Here is dad enjoying the newest member of the family. He cannot wait to teach her to hunt, fish, back-pack, play tennis and everything else he taught me to do.

Emme is the Guerra's, or Grandma and Grandpa's fourth grandchild, so they know the drill. They were wonderfully helpful and stayed with us for a week to help the transition at home go smoothly. We loved getting to share this experience with them. Emme is one lucky little girl to have two amazing sets of grandparents who are bound to spoil her rotten!

Emme not only has wonderful grandparents, she has a plethora of beautiful Tias (aunts) and Tios (uncles). On my side of the family Emme has Molly and Lee and Kate, and on Ruben's side of the family she has Monica and Steve and her cousins, Jessica, Alex and Ryan, Theresa and Matt and Jessica. I have babysitters galore! We loved getting to introduce Emme to her nice big family. This little girl is so loved already!

Our hospital room was filled with beautiful flowers, plants, cookie bouquets and well wishes. We had a number of visitors who wanted to meet Emme. It was a perfect experience. I had a c-section, which has been a piece of cake. I am in good health and so is Emme. Thank you Dr. Watson! On Saturday, February 28th we finally got to take Emme home. Me, Ruben and Jessica loaded our girl for her first outing, while the rest of the family anxiously awaited our arrival. When we drove up to the house, there were precious pink decorations everywhere (thank you Nan!). Emme was home. It was a very emotional experience bringing her through the front door and being greeted by her family.

This picture sums up everything for us. We are a family. Rube, Meg, Emme and our dogs, Sophie and Belle. Nan and Grandma bought a sign to hang in Emme's nursery that reads "What Did They Do Before Me?" It perfectly describes how I feel. My life up to this point has been a great journey, but now that journey has so much more purpose. Ruben and I are looking forward to this new chapter in our life with our precious little girl. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Six Days and Counting

We are less than one week away from meeting our first-born daughter, Mary Elia "Emme" Guerra! I am either delirious from excitement or lack of sleep, but nonetheless delirious. I have been very busy at work this week, attempting to wrap up any lingering deadlines prior to the start of maternity leave, but that has helped the days move along. Ruben has been doing the same, and any chance we get to talk about our excitement, we do.

The only slightly news worthy event that has taken place since the last blog was Valentine's Day. We enjoyed an evening in and Rube grilled out some delicious steaks, and I made an attempt at recreating white truffle oil mac n' cheese that Rube loves from our favorite restaruant, Lonesome Dove. I have to brag a little and say that it turned out great. I am not exactly considered the "chef" in the house, but I am totally fine with that. We also enjoyed some of our favorite mini-desserts from Central Market. It was a great evening together, and I bet you can guess what our conversation revolved around.... Miss Emme, of course! We cannot wait to be parents.

Last but not least, does anyone want a yellow lab? Belle must be sensing that change is in the air, because she has been a terror. Wednesday night, for instance, I had finally gotten somewhat comfortable and was sleeping pretty soundly when Belle decided to start barking and whining at 3:00a.m. Despite both of our efforts to get her to chill, she continued on until 6:30. When we got up, she was fine. The problem is that if we let her out of her kennel when she throws a fit we are teaching her that all she has to do is bark and whine, but we know she would probably shut up if we let her out, and I need the rest. Major pet dilema. Not to mention the fact that we are adding a baby to the household very soon. I really need the Dog Whisperer. Does anyone know him? Here is a picture of the yellow monster. She is attractive, but not a lot going on up top. Rube calls her the "Jessica Simpson" of the dog world. Bless her heart.

Time Sure Flies!

Sorry about the delay, folks! The Holidays, plus getting ready for Emme took a little more time than expected, and the longer I didn't blog the more I avoided blogging. I thought I better get back up on that horse before Emme arrives. The countdown is on, and Miss Emme should be here in 2 1/2 weeks! Rube and I are literally beside ourselves with excitement. Her nursery is stocked and all the baby items are washed. Here is a picture of her pink and chocolate haven:

I have completed additional decorating since this photo, such as big pink and chocolate letters that spell EMME (thank you Mom), but those photos are not downloaded yet, however I am sure you get the drift. We love her nursery. Ruben and his parents did an amazing job with the painting and chair rail, and my mom and sisters did an amazing job helping me decorate. We are so lucky to have such supportive and wonderful families.

During December my friends and I always try to get together for a special dinner and usually have a little gift exchange. My first Christmas dinner was with the college girls (Jenny, Bonnie, Debbie, Annie, Kristine and Tiffany), and three of us were pregnant! Since this photo, Annie had baby Emerson in January and Debbie just had baby Sadie. All are doing well. Sadie was born with a genetic syndrome that is going to require some surgeries in her younger years, but she is a strong little girl and is impressing everyone with her resilience. Debbie and Justin are amazing parents and are extremely strong for their little girl. We keep the Bonos and little Sadie in our prayers.

The second friend Christmas dinner was actually brunch at Bonnie's house, and the group was me, Chelsea, Faye, Melisa, Brittany, and Bonnie. The FoWo Girls! We had a lovely little brunch and enjoyed are gift exchange. Here is a pic of Melisa and Chelsea, or Toots if you will.

Christmas and New Years were here and gone before we knew it, but we enjoyed ourselves. Rube and I were on our own Christmas morning, because my parents were visiting Molly and Lee in Memphis and Ruben's parents were visiting relatives in Laredo. I was not quite up for traveling, so we opted to spend a quiet Christmas at home, and had a nice, relaxing vacation. Here is a picture of Ruben with his favorite gift from Santa. Yes, it is Guitar Hero World Tour.We rocked out on the guitar and drums to some classics such as "No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn" by the Beastie Boys. We are in our 30's and we love us some Guitar Hero. For New Years we went over to Dodd and Melisa Dorsey's house for some fajitas and a little Battle of the Sexes competition. I think the guys were ahead, but I will not concede they were the final winners. The game was interrupted for the countdown and we never got back into playing. It was a pretty wild evening. I actually lasted until midnight to ring in the New Year, and what an exciting year 2009 will be!

On January 24th we had a double shower weekend. My dear friend Bonnie Ahrens is getting married in March and we had a brunch wedding shower for her at my house with our friends Tiffany, Jenny, Anne Marie, Debbie and Kristine as co-hosts. We had a great time at the shower, and think Bonnie did as well. I want to thank Rube for all of the pre-shower chores he helped me with, such as planting pansies. I just couldn't have a pansy-less party. The second shower of the day was for me, Ruben and Emme. Once again, our friends Melisa and Dodd hosted at their house, with all my girl friends from Bonnie's shower co-hosting. It was a fantastic baby shower. Over 50 people showed up to celebrate with us, and we truly had a great evening with friends and family, not to mention the huge pile of baby presents I got to open. We are set!

Thus far 2009 has not disappointed. We are so excited to be welcoming Emme into this world, and feel blessed to have such a phenomenal support system to help us during this exciting and scary (yes, a little scary) time in our lives. The next time I blog will likely be after Emme has arrived and I will be sharing her first photos with you. Until then, I leave you with a picture of me and Ruben at our 1 year anniversary. From here on out our pictures are going to have plus one.