Life with the Casto's

Busy Summer!

2010-09-17T13:10:00.007-04:00

Wow! It has been quite a while since my last post. We have had a very busy summer. Everyday is exciting with Sawyer. It has been so much fun watching her grow and develop in the last two months. Everyday brings something new whether it be a new skill or activity, a new food, a new word, or going to a new place. I love getting to experience the world fresh and new through her eyes! In just a little over a week she will be a year old. I can't believe it! We are getting very excited about her party. Here are some things we have been up to lately!

Sawyer is now WALKING! This picture was taken on the first day she took her first steps back at the beginning of August. Now, a month later, she is taking off everywhere. (Daddy says she took her first steps on this particular day because she was wearing her smart shirt...notice it is an Ohio State shirt!)

Sawyer has such a sweet spirit. She hugs all of her dolls and animals. She has started giving us kisses on the cheek too! I love it!

Meal time is quite exciting these days. Sawyer has been eating no baby food for almost 2 months now. She eats all solid foods. She is a really good eater and loves almost everything we give her. Her favorite by far though is fruit. She devours any kind of fruit we put in front of her. As you can see here, she likes spaghetti too!

Sleeping in with Daddy on Saturday morning!

In mid August we went to Nashville, TN for Ryan's family reunion. Sawyer got to meet a lot of family she had never seen before. We went downtown Nashville one afternoon, and couldn't resist getting our picture taken with Elvis!

Eating lunch in downtown Nashville with Grammy, Papaw, Uncle Chris, Daddy and Mommy!

Our family at The Stage in Nashville listening to some music!

Eating breakfast with Mawmaw!

While Great Aunt Glenda was at the beach, we checked in on her cat Gwinny. While playing with Gwinny Sawyer said cat for the first time! Now cat is one of her most favorite words to say!

At the end of August we spent a few days at the lake with CD and GeeGee for a surprise 16th birthday party for Uncle Dylan! Sawyer liked watching the lighthouse with Uncle Dylan.

It looks like she is asleep, but she is really just watching Uncle Ty play video games. If it were only that easy to get this busy baby to sleep!

Swimming with Mommy...Sawyer's first time in the lake!

Sawyer found a chair just her size and Mamaw and Papaw Wright's lake house!

Hanging out at the lake with CD!

We spent this past weekend in Rock Castle, WV at Ryan's grandparents' house. The have a 100 acre farm that Ryan loves to go visit and hunt on. Hunting season is now upon us, so we may be making lots of trips to WV this year since I am not working and can go with Ryan. On Sunday, Ryan and Sawyer went out scouting for deer. Sawyer loved being in the woods with Daddy!

Hiking with Mommy! She was asleep within minutes. Maybe we need to "hike" around the house at night.

Sawyer loves playing with dogs and cats. She really enjoyed petting and "talking" to Sophie while in WV!

Breaking beans with Pawpaw. I love this picture. I just wish I knew what she was trying to say to him. She talks up a storm all the time. We better get ready, I think we have a jabbermouth on our hands!

The magic of an old porch swing. Sawyer went to sleep almost every time we would swing in it.

Just a swingin' with Mawmaw and Pawpaw Casto in Rock Castle, WV!

Sawyer went to the NC Mountain State Fair for the first time. This was when we first got there and she would not look at me long enough for a picture because she was so into all of the sounds, lights, and people! She loves animals so we took her to see all the farm animals. She called almost all of them "cat"! She wasn't too sure about the horses but loved the smaller ponies. She loved all the other animals too! After the animals, we ate homemade peach ice cream. It was a great night!

Growing Up...

2010-07-23T21:46:00.004-04:00

Our baby girl is growing up right before my eyes. Every day is a new adventure and I am enjoying getting to experience the world with Sawyer! I can't believe that in less than a week she will be 10 months old!

Sawyer likes to share everything with everyone. Especially her food. A lot of the time she will take a bite and then try to feed me a bite. Here she is sharing her flower petals with Uncle Dylan. She is a sweetheart!

Meal time is becoming quite the event. We are adding more table food to her diet and she is starting to feed herself. She is very independent so she loves this. However, this independence creates quite the mess!

Can we say mess? But she is such a cute mess! Look, it is even in her hair.

Sawyer loves, loves, loves books right now. She will sit and look at them for longer than she will play with anything else. She flips the pages and points at all the things inside. I LOVE it!

Future Edneyville Elementary Yellow Jacket!!

This is one of my favorite pictures. Sawyer is such a happy girl. She giggles and grins all the time. She was making herself rock here and thought it was so funny!

She has been playing peek a boo for a while now by holding up a blanket or her shirt or something in front of her face. This week we worked on using our hands to cover her eyes. She gets it sometimes, but a lot of the time she puts her hands on her head instead. Such a sill girl!

Miss personality...she makes me laugh all the time!

Hello Again...

2010-06-28T13:34:00.003-04:00

My oh my the time has just flown by! It has been quite a while since I have updated. Lot's has been happening in the life of Miss Sawyer Julianne. She is growing and changing daily. It is so amazing to watch what new things she learns each and every day. I wake up each morning wondering what she will do that day. Let me fill you in a few things that have been going on with her...

Sawyer studies and takes in everything. It is amazing to me. Here she is trying to put the high chair latch together. She knew what to do, just wasn't quite strong enough to get it together. She is one smart cookie!

She has developed quite the personality! This is just one of her many many looks. She lets you know when she is happy and when she does not like something.

We had Sawyer dedicated at church in May! It was a sweet ceremony for our sweet daughter!

Sawyer loves animals of all kinds. Especially cats! She just watches them and then tries to get a hold of them. She loves Grammie's cat Coco. Luckily Coco is pretty patient with her. Here she was playing with Aunt Glenda's dog Josie.

She is pulling up on EVERYTHING that is "pull-up-able" (The teacher in me had a hard time typing that made up word) This is how she greets me each morning and after her naps now. She is also cruising wherever it is possible to go. We have some serious baby proofing to do now!

She is now drinking from a sippy cup like a big girl! She won't hardly take her bottle anymore either. We have been putting milk in the sippy cup too.

She has been getting in the crawling position for what seems like months now, but wouldn't crawl. We enticed her with everything imaginable. And this past Friday night...SHE CRAWLED!! Yay! Ryan and I were playing with her in the floor. Ryan was playing the Mickey Mouse Hot Dog song on my cell phone and that was it...she took off for the phone. It was so precious. Yes I had a little tear in my eye. My baby is growing up too fast!!

These are Sawyer's monkey lips! She does this all the time. It is so funny. She also gives fish kisses and can click her tongue!

She has been swimming in Mimi and Papa Ron's pool a few times. She loves the water. She just floats around, kicks and plays for as long as we will let her. She is not afraid of the water either. She sticks her head in and tries to get a drink. She can even blow bubbles in the water. Too cute! (By the way...I bought this bathing suit for her last summer before she was even born...I couldn't pass up cheetah print in my favorite colors. So glad it actually fit her.)

Relaxing in the pool with her cousin Lance! I just love this picture!

We went to the doctor today for Sawyer's 9 month check up. She is doing great! She weighs 18 lbs. 9 oz. (50th percentile) and is 28.25 inches tall(75th percentile). The doctor is just amazed at how busy she is and how verbal she is. As of now the only real words she says are Dada and Mama. Of course she says Dada all the time and Mama only when she is mad. But that's ok it is still a sweet sound to hear. It also sounds like she says Bye and Yay sometimes but we aren't sure if she has connected meaning to them yet. The doctor says she is making a lot of syllables and sounds and that she is quite the chatterbox. I guess she gets it honestly :) Another new development is that I decided to resign from my job and continue to stay at home with Sawyer. It is definitely hard financially and we make do with a lot less than we used to, but I know I will never regret it. I will never look back and wish I had lived in a bigger house or had new shoes. I will only look back and cherish all the sweet moments we spent together and all the priceless memories we made. She is such a blessing and I can't imagine my life without her!

Pictures of Sweet Sawyer!

2010-05-04T13:39:00.004-04:00

This past week we borrowed Uncle Chris' camera. It is awesome and needless to say I wish I had one like his now. But...anyway, we got some great pictures of our beautiful baby girl! She has quite the little personality!

Love, Love, Love this one!

Swimmin' and Swingin'!

2010-04-23T09:45:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, Sawyer got to do two new things...swimming and swinging! Here are some pictures of her adventures with both!

I'm ready to go dad! I just love those chubby legs :)

Daddy was telling her all about swimming. It looks like she was taking it all in too!

I'm not too sure about this yet! Sucking on her two fingers is her comfort thing. She does it when she isn't sure about something or someone and when she is sleepy.

Maybe I'll just chew on my suit a little bit!

Our little fish kicking away! She really had a great time swimming at Walker's 5th birthday party. I think she will really enjoy the pool at Mimi and Papa Ron's house this summer :)

CD and Gigi found Uncle Ty's old baby swing and cleaned it up for Sawyer. She wasn't too sure about it at first....(Notice the fingers in the mouth)

But then...she absolutely loved it! She had a blast and just giggled and smiled the whole time!

That was fun mom, let's do it again!

Wedding Weekend!

2010-04-12T16:00:00.005-04:00

This past weekend one of my roommates from college, Celeste, got married. I had the privilege of being one of the bridesmaids, so we spent the weekend in Charlotte for all of the wedding festivities. It was so great to see Celeste and my other roommate Erica! Ryan, Sawyer and I also had a wonderful time on our little weekend getaway!

The blushing bride Celeste!

Bridal Luncheon at the North Harbor Club on Lake Norman!

Sawyer chewing on her favorite toy, the ribbon, at the rehearsal!

Sawyer was enjoying her time with Daddy Saturday morning in the hotel before the wedding!

Daddy gave Sawyer a bath in the sink at the hotel while Mommy got ready for the wedding!

My roomie Erica and I get ready for the wedding! It was so wonderful to see her!

Erica and I with the bride and groom, Celeste and Phil, at the reception!

Our family enjoying the reception! It took me forever to find a dress for Sawyer for the wedding. I just couldn't decide what I wanted. But I finally found this one and I just absolutely loved it. I had to go to the church before the wedding, so Ryan had to get Sawyer dressed. He did such a great job. She looked perfect. I wish I had a picture of the bow he tied on the back of the dress. It was absolutely perfect!! Way to go Daddy!

The Happy Couple!

So sweet!

On Sunday after we checked out of the hotel, we headed to Concord Mills. Of course we spent some time at Ryan's favorite spot, The Bass Pro. Ryan loved showing Sawyer all of the fish!

Thanks for the fun weekend Mommy and Daddy!

Sawyer's First Easter!

2010-04-07T15:30:00.005-04:00

Happy Easter everyone!

Looking at the goodies the Easter Bunny left!

Of course she liked the wrapping paper the best!

The Easter Bunny left Sawyer a chick that you wind up and it hops around. She loves to watch it hop!

After church we went to my Dad's house to feed Sawyer and change clothes before the Dalton family picnic lunch. Sawyer was tired and hungry and was not into taking pictures but I had to get some of her in her dress. A lady my aunt works with made this dress for Sawyer. Sawyer is very into ribbons right now so she loved wearing it. All the ribbons and netting occupied her during church!

My mom has a picture of me on my first Easter that looks very similar to this. I love it! She looks so little and that is my favorite tree in the background. It is a weeping cherry tree in my dad's yard!

Our family on Easter! Sawyer was more interested in watching my dad's dog Lexi than smiling for the photo!

CD, Sawyer and I at the Dalton family Easter picnic. Sawyer was sporting her new hat. Doesn't she just look like Minnie Pearl without the price tag hanging down!

Gigi and Sawyer at the picnic!

Trying out the walker for the first time at Grammy and Papaw's house for Easter dinner. She did great in it. She could actually move around! My cousin made that headband for her for Easter. It is ribbons in the shape of a bunny. Too cute!

A week before Easter we took Sawyer to the Easter Egg hunt at church. It was pouring rain that day, so the festivities had to take place inside. Sawyer didn't care though. She enjoyed watching all of the other kids run around.

Sawyer did actually pick up a few eggs with the help of Mommy and Daddy, but she found it much more fun to play in the big tub of eggs after the egg hunt was over!

What else would you do with an egg the size of you? Of course you would eat it!! This just shows what Sawyer does with everything these days...chew on it!

Sawyer's First Trip!!

2010-03-16T09:00:00.004-04:00

Four Generations!

This weekend we visited Ryan's grandparents in West Virginia. They had not seen Sawyer since she was five days old and were very excited to get to spend the weekend wit her! Sawyer experienced many firsts this weekend. It was her first trip away from home. It was her first time being in the car for any extended period of time. She went through her first tunnel. She has now been in three new states...Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia! We had a Wild and Wonderful weekend in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia!

Just checking to see if it has stopped raining! It rained all weekend so Sawyer didn't get to go hiking in the woods with Daddy! If you look closely you can see her two bottom front teeth that have come through!

Happy Birthday Mamaw and Papaw!

Mamaw loved rocking Sawyer to sleep!

Yummy, yummy....eating my green beans in Rock Castle!

All dressed up and ready to meet new friends and family. Sawyer got to meet lots of family and friends in West Virginia. They were all so excited to finally meet her!

Sawyer was showing Mamaw and Papaw how to play the piano! Notice Chilly the penguin in the background. He is Sawyer's favorite stuffed animal right now and goes everywhere with us!

Mamaw was entertaining Sawyer with a gorilla that sang the Macarena!

Sawyer loved rocking and listening to Papaw stories!

Looking around...Another first was Sawyer got to see her first deer! (Live deer that is!)

On the road...It is a 6 hour drive to West Virginia. This was Sawyer's first long car trip and she did great. She slept a lot and played with every toy we brought with us!

A Super Sunday with Sawyer...

2010-03-07T20:47:00.003-05:00

Happy Happy Girl!!

After church we had to drop by Grammy's because Daddy loved Sawyer's outfit so much he wanted to show it off to Grammy! So funny to me!

I have to say I love the outfit too though! I think it looks like she is tap dancing in this picture!

This afternoon we went bowling for Uncle Ty's 10th birthday! It was Sawyer's first time in a bowling alley. She loved it...so much to see and hear!

Great Mamaw loves playing with Sawyer! And yest those are real Converse Chuck Taylor pink tennis shoes! I love them sooooo much! I can't wait to get a picture of her in her Chuck's and me in my pink Chuck's!

Sawyer has started trying to hold her own bottle. She can almost do it. She also loves to push it away and pull it back. She makes the cutest face when you hold the bottle in front of her and she really wants it!

Sawyer and Uncle Cody were watching all the bowling action!

Playing with CD! She chews on EVERYTHING now!

We Have A Tooth!

2010-03-05T22:43:00.002-05:00

Two teeth to be exact! I can't believe how those little pearly whites just seemed to appear over night. Sawyer has been drooling a lot more and chewing on everything, so we figured that teeth were on their way, but we weren't really expecting them so soon. This past Wednesday Sawyer and I were playing on the floor. She was chewing on my finger and I felt something sharp so I started feeling around some more and sure enough it was a tiny little tooth poking through. Then on Thursday I was feeling the tooth and it felt very wide, so I looked and sure enough it was a second tooth! It seems as if we have a baby Sawyer the Shark!!

Pictures...

2010-02-28T16:52:00.004-05:00

Her Bass Pro hat almost fits. We bought this for her long before she was born. I can't believe that she is now 5 months old and it almost fits her!

Where's Sawyer?

Give me that camera Mom!

Give me some of Daddy's pepsi Mimi! (No we really didn't let her have it.)

Such a happy girl in her bouncy seat!

She is looking at herself in the mirror. She will just stare at herself for few minutes then get back to bouncing.

Sawyer's first basketball game! We went to watch Uncle Ty play. She was so interested in everything that was going on.

Daddy found Sawyer an Easter Bunny! She was not sure what to think. I guess I would be unsure of a rabbit that was larger than me too!

Flying Baby! She loves for Ryan to fly her around.

Sitting on the couch like a big girl!

What's New?

2010-02-16T15:32:00.006-05:00

Wow! The past 4 and a half months have flown by! I can't believe how much Sawyer has grown. She changes daily and is learning so much. So....this is what is new with Sawyer....and some recent pictures!

Sawyer is now eating baby food! We have tried applesauce, carrots, peaches, and green beans. Carrots seem to be her favorite so far, but I think green beans come in at a close second. Surprisingly, she doesn't care much for peaches. Bananas are on the menu for later this week.

Sawyer rolled over! For weeks now she has been so close. She would roll all the way up on her side and be so close to over, but would never go all the way. We had the video camera out on multiple occasions trying to capture the big moment on tape, and we coaxed with toys and such, but she just wouldn't do it. So of course, when I left the room for 2 minutes that is when she decided to roll over. She was playing in the floor and I went quickly to the bathroom. She was on her back when I left, and when I came back she was on her belly! (I did get to see her do it tonight though! But Daddy is still waiting.)

Sawyer pats, scratches, and drums her fingers on anything and everything she can get her hands on. While she is nursing she pats on my face. So sweet!

Sawyer is now big enough to enjoy her bouncy activity center that she got for Christmas. There is a mirror on one side of it and when she sees it she just stares at herself. So cute!

Sawyer has started to try and mimic things we do. When I feed her, she wants to put the spoon in her mouth. When I hold her up to the mirror and pretend like I am getting the baby in the mirror she puts her hands up to the mirror like mine.

Sawyer has started to reach out when she wants to go to someone. She has only done it to me so far though. Ryan was holding her and she leaned forward and held her arms out to me. It just melted my heart!

Uncle Adam and Aunt Beth gave Sawyer Chilly for Christmas. She LOVES him! She likes to chew on his nose :)

Ryan loved this. He said she looked like a thug!

Dancing Queen!

Happy 1st Valentine's Day Sawyer Julianne!

Weekend Pictures!

2010-02-01T10:31:00.003-05:00

All bundled up and ready for some fun in the snow!!

Sawyer wanted to lick the snow. When we let her, she wasn't so sure about it anymore!

Mommy and Sawyer enjoying the snow!

Our sweet little snow family!

Our house all covered in snow!

Such a happy girl! I just love this picture!

Mmmm....Daddy! This stuff is good!
We went to Sawyer's 4 month check-up today and the doctor said we could start her on some baby food. Let the fun begin...

She just loves to stick her tongue out!

4 Months Old!

2010-01-27T21:45:00.005-05:00

Sawyer is four months old today! Here are some pictures of what she has been up to lately...

I love this little girl! What a sweetie!

Sitting up like a big girl in her new high chair!

Sleepy baby!

Chillin' on Uncle D's water bed!

Eating cereal for the first time! She loved it. She was like a shark
attacking the spoon. She can't get enough!

Mmmmm.....This is pretty good Mom!

Watching Sponge Bob with Uncle Ty!

Blue Jean Baby!

Beautiful blue eyes!

Look at her sitting up!

Riding Joanna's horse!

She loves playing with her feet. The funny thing is she will only do it when her pants and socks are off. It is like she thinks she can't move when she has her legs covered up!

And yes...she put her foot in her mouth for the first time today :)

Wow!

2010-01-18T14:35:00.004-05:00

Wow! Life can sure change in a year. One year ago today we found out we were going to have Sawyer! It was early one Sunday morning. I took the test and was very, very, very surprised to see those two pink lines. We had decided to start trying but had no idea we would be pregnant within the first few weeks of trying. We were so blessed. So, I woke Ryan up and told him to come look at something. He looked at the test and then said "So what does that mean?" HaHa! I showed him the box, he got a sweet grin on his face, hugged me, then sleepily went back to bed and said "We should probably take another test just to be sure." Well I couldn't wait, I took another one that afternoon and then two more the next day. We called the doctor and they estimated that I was 5 weeks pregnant, and as they say, the rest is history!

From this...5 Weeks Pregnant

To this...36 weeks pregnant!

To this...Our sweet baby! 3 1/2 months old

Sawyer's First Christmas!

2009-12-29T20:53:00.006-05:00

Opening presents at Aunt Glenda's house on Christmas Eve.

Mimie feeding Sawyer. Just look at those big,
beautiful blue eyes!

Christmas Kisses! This is my favorite of all the Christmas pictures.

Opening presents with my Great Nana. She eventually
tore this bow to shreds!

She loves her glow worm.
Our family! Sawyer was trying to see the tree.

Cookies and a letter for Santa! Santa wrote Sawyer a
note back too :)

Sawyer liked the wrapping paper more than the presents.

Santa left Sawyer a new bouncy play center.
Not long and she will be able to sit in it by herself.

Sawyer's first cell phone! As you can see, she loves it!

Chillin' with Uncle D on Christmas morning!

"Save me mom, take these awful Tarheel things off of me!"

"I'm ready for more presents!"

I love this picture. It looks like she is trying to ope the bag!

We love Fancy Nancy! Check out my fancy tights.

Rocking with Uncle Ty!

Yay! Thanks to bumbo she can sit up all by herself!

Daddy and our little snow bunny!

"Hey mom this snowman is bigger than me!"

Chrismas Time is Here...

2009-12-23T15:27:00.004-05:00

Baking cookies with Mommy! She doesn't look very happy about it!

Sawyer and I made reindeer cookies for Santa. They turned
out so good that we think it will become a Christmas tradition!

Mommy's little elf!

8 inches on the car after some melting!

Our front steps covered in snow!

I think we will have a white Christmas!

All that talking to Santa wore Sawyer out!

Talking to Santa for the first time!

"Hi Mom, let's get this show on the road!"
Waiting to get our Christmas pictures made!

She wasn't sure what to think about this new thing in
her living room.

Buying Sawyer's first Christmas tree!

All bundled up to pick out our Christmas tree!

My grandparents gave me this tree when I was little.
Now Sawyer is going to get to put it in her room!

Four Years and Counting...

2009-12-19T13:19:00.002-05:00

Thursday, December 17, 2009 Ryan and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. I woke up to find pink roses in my kitchen! How sweet! I can't believe it has been 4 years since that icy December day when we said "I Do." I am so blessed to be married to my best friend.

We planned to go out to dinner for our anniversary on Friday, December 18. My mom was going to keep Sawyer so we could go on a date. This would have been the first time Sawyer had been with someone other than Ryan or myself for any extended period of time. However the winter weather had other plans. Four years ago there was an ice storm two days before our wedding. Much of Hendersonville was out of power, including our reception site. Generators ran enough power to work the coffee pots and the band's sound equipment. We stayed warm by fire, and candlelight lit the evening. All in all it was a wonderful night with lots of fabulous memories! So, due to the 10 inches of snow we received yesterday, we had to put our anniversary plans on hold. But that's ok, we spent the evening watching it snow, cuddled up with our baby girl! Life couldn't get any better!

Two Months Already!

2009-12-03T19:27:00.007-05:00

Sawyer turned two months old on Friday, November 27, 2009!

I just can't believe she is already two months old. The past two months have flown by. I guess the old saying is true, time does fly when you're having fun. These past two months have been the best months of my life. I am absolutely loving being a stay at home mommy! I thank God daily for the opportunity to stay at home this year with my baby girl. Every day is a new adventure and every day is filled with Sawyer's firsts.
Mommy's Girl!

In the last few weeks she has changed so much and has started doing so many new things. She has really started cooing and smiling at us. You can just tell she wants to talk so bad. She tries so hard! Her smiles melt my heart. Especially when I get her out of her crib in the morning and she just grins at me as if to say "Good Morning mom, I'm so happy to see you." That is another new thing. She is now sleeping in her crib in her own room. We started that at about 8 weeks and she is doing great. I think it was harder on mommy than it was on Sawyer to move into her own room.
This is how she starts out in her crib.
This is how she is when she gets up in the morning.
Very active little girl, even in her sleep!
Hi Mom!
She is really alert and likes to watch her toys and even hits at them when she is close enough. She even watches TV! It is so funny. She will sit in our laps and just stare at the TV like she knows what is going on.
Talking to her bug while mom gets ready!
Watching TV with Daddy!
Watching Regis and Kelly with Mommy and the farm animals!

She has started drinking pumped milk from a bottle when she needs to. This has been great for more reasons than one. First of all, Ryan has really enjoyed being able to feed her. So have all the grandmas and other family members. Secondly it has allowed me to be able to leave her with Ryan when I have to go to the grocery store and such. I started going back to the young women's bible study at church, and that has been great. I even went Christmas shopping with my mom for a few hours last week. Don't get me wrong, I love taking Sawyer places with me, but sometimes it is nice, not to mention easier, to get to go on my own.
Drinking her bottle with Daddy at Atlanta Bread.

I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband who is also an amazing father. I knew he would be, but it is just so neat to watch him with her. Every night they nap together on the couch. It is so sweet. The funniest thing happened while I was gone shopping the other day. I called him to see how they were doing and he told me he had just given her a bath. Seeing as it wasn't the normal bath time, I questioned why, and this is what he said. " I know you have changed a lot of dirty diapers, but the one she just had has got to be the worst one ever (typical daddy thing to say huh?). It was up her back and even under her arms. I didn't know how to get her clothes off without getting it in her hair!" I just cracked up! It was so funny!
Relaxing on the couch with Daddy!

Needless to say, we are really enjoying life with our little bundle of joy. I look forward to the next two months with Sawyer Julianne!

Sawyer's First Thanksgiving!

2009-12-03T19:14:00.003-05:00

This Thanksgiving was wonderful! We spent the day with our great families and ate great food (even though I did not eat a lot since I was still on the dairy free diet). The best part of this Thanksgiving though was getting to spend it with our baby girl. We are so blessed to have her in our lives. I can't even remember what life was like before she was here. She is the best thing that has ever happened to us, and we are totally, uncontrollably in love with her. It is a love we can't even try to put into words. This truly was a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Our Little Turkey!
Sawyer borrowed Joanna B.'s turkey hat for a quick picture.

Yes everyone is thankful for you!
Ryan and I found this Thanksgiving outfit for Sawyer
the night before she was born.

Such a Happy Girl!!

Wonderful Weekend!

2009-11-16T14:10:00.005-05:00

It was such a beautiful fall weekend in the mountains. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and got out and about. It was wonderful to get out, and I think Sawyer really enjoyed it too! Saturday morning Sawyer and I met Lauren and Joanna at the mall and attended an infant massage class. It was a little different than we expected, but still very informative. Then Sawyer and I took lunch to Ryan at work. After that, Sawyer and I went to CD and Gigi's house for the afternoon. Some of our family and friends were having a yard sale there, so we got to visit. Some of them had not had the opportunity to meet Miss Sawyer yet, so they were very excited to see us! On Sunday we took Sawyer to church for the first time. I know it sounds terrible that she is 7 weeks old and we just took her to church, but we were really trying to stay away from all the sickness that was going around. Everyone was so excited to meet Sawyer and she did such a great job! Uncle Ty was mad that he had to leave to go to Kid's Worship because he wanted to sit next to Sawyer. He just can't get enough of her. After church we went home for lunch and then Ryan and I took Sawyer for a walk at the park. She slept almost the whole time, but it was still great to be out in the fresh air. Then we spent the rest of the day at home, just the three of us! It was so sweet just to hang out with my hubby and baby girl. What a wonderful weekend!

She woke up for just a few minutes on our walk in the park.

Strollin' with Mommy!

Daddy tried really hard to wake Sawyer up!

She was wide awake before we left for the park!

Mommy and Sawyer all dressed up for church!

She's so excited to go to church! It looks like she is dancing :)

So cute! I just love the tights and shoes. It is
like having a live baby doll! I love it!

Worn out from the yard sale. Sleeping with uncle Dylan!

Great Aunt Demarius fed Sawyer her bottle at the yard sale!

She is doing so great with the bottle!

Six Weeks Old!!

2009-11-08T20:52:00.005-05:00

Six Weeks Old!

This was an eventful sixth week of life for Sawyer. It is amazing how much she grows and changes each week as well as all the new things she discovers and all her firsts. These are just a few pictures of all the exciting things that went on this week!

"Hello Uncle Ty!"

Playing with Uncle Ty

Sawyer discovered her tongue this week!
Now she sticks it out all the time!
She has also started cooing and trying so hard to talk!

Sawyer kept Ryan's side of the bed warm in the mornings
while he was out of town!

Enjoying story time! I just love how she is actually
looking at the book this week! I guess Fancy Nancy catches her fancy!

Daddy fed Sawyer her first bottle this week!
She took to it like a pro and Ryan loved being able to
feed her. Can't you tell from that look on his face?

I'm lovin' bathtime!

Sleeping Angel!

Cousin Joanna came over for a visit!

Oh Hello! So sweet! They definitely made me smile!

So glad my daddy is home!

Ryan went to West Virginia to see his grandparents and to go hunting this week. He left on Wednesday and came back on Sunday. So, Sawyer and I were on our own for four days and nights. We missed him so much. Sawyer is so used to cuddling with him each night when he gets home from work. Each night she would just look at me as if she were thinking " I know you are not my daddy, he is supposed to be holding me right now." She was so excited to see him when he got home. Mommy was very excited to see him too!

Happy First Halloween!

2009-11-02T15:44:00.008-05:00

As strange as it may sound, Halloween is a very special time for us, and this one was especially special! Ryan and I started dating on Halloween. We had known each other for a while because his best friend and my best friend were twin brother and sister, but it wasn't until Halloween 1999 that we started dating. I was 15 and he was 16. We went to a bon fire with our friends' church, and ended the evening "going out."

October 31, 1999
Our first picture together!

Well...Ten years later, here we are, married with a baby! Who would have guessed it? So this was a very special Halloween for us. Ryan and I had officially been a couple for 10 years, and it was Sawyer's first Halloween.

We didn't do anything special. I am quite the germ-o-phob these days, so we aren't really going anywhere. Sawyer is still so small and I just don't want to run the risk of her catching anything, let alone H1N1. I know some people may think I am crazy, but I just can't stand the thought of her getting sick right now. So we spent our evening at home. Earlier in the week my mom and I had taken pictures of Sawyer in her multiple Halloween outfits. On Halloween evening, my dad, stepmom, and brothers came by to see Sawyer in her Halloween costume. Ryan brought me a pink rose and I gave him hunting magazines and airheads. (Strange as it sounds, to him, this is a perfect gift!) We drank sparkling grape juice and spent the evening playing with our baby girl. In my book, it was a perfect Halloween!

Our little Pumpkin Princess!

My mom found this little bitty pumpkin.

It looks just like the big ones that kids gather candy in.
It was just the right size for our Pumpkin Princess!

"How many pictures are you going to take?"

Our photo shoot wore her out!

Absolutely Purrrfect!

Mommy's little pumpkin!

One Month Old!

2009-10-27T18:49:00.003-04:00

4 Weeks Old

It is amazing to me that Sawyer is already 1 month old. I just can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. She has already grown and changed so much. Ryan said she made a deal with him that she would not grow up, but I think she is falling back on her end of the deal. :) We are so in love with her. Many nights we find ourselves just staring at her in awe. Sometimes it is hard to believe that she is actually here, and that God has given us the honor of raising one of his precious children. The love we have for her is unexplainable. It is a feeling I never knew existed. I love being a mommy!

Sawyer has not only stolen our hearts, but our bed too!

One night she was a little restless. We tried rocking and walking
and laying on Daddy's belly, but nothing worked.
Ryan laid her down on the bed while we were brushing
our teeth, and the next thing we knew, she was out!
We thought this was too cute!

Our first walk around the neighborhood!
She loved it! After about 5 steps she was fast asleep!

Sawyer is not a huge fan of tummy time.
She loves to lay on her back and play in the play gym,
but when she is on her belly she gets frustrated because she
can't see what is going on all around her. So on this day, she just
decided to fall asleep. I just love the little booty stuck up in the air!

We went for Saywer's 1 month check up today. She has grown like a weed. She is now 9 lbs 10 oz. and 22.5 inches long. She is in the 75th percentile for her weight and the 90th percentile for her height (which is amazing to me considering how short her momma and daddy are.) In three weeks she has gained 1 lb. 14 oz and grown 2.5 inches.

She has been doing a lot of grunting and has been very gassy lately, so we discussed this with the doctor. She thinks Sawyer may be reacting to dairy, so she wants me to eliminate dairy from my diet and see if it helps. I LOVE cheese, so this will be a bit difficult, but I will do anything to help my baby girl. Hopefully this will do the trick. She also told us to raise the head of her bassinet 15 degrees. I can't complain, Sawyer sleeps from 4-5 hours the first time she goes down to sleep, but many times it is a very restless sleep, so we are thinking raising her head will help. I am so glad that we chose a doctor who really listens to us and helps us try to find the answers.

Pics and Flicks!!

2009-10-19T14:44:00.001-04:00

As of yesterday, Sawyer Juliane is now three weeks old. WOW! Where has the time gone. It is flying by. We have taken so many pictures and videos of her. We just can't get enough. Here are some of my favorites...

I'm home!

Looking at my room for the first time.Sawyer's firs phone call! Talking to Papa Ron.
My first bath at home.
I didn"t like the bath very much but
loved getting my head rubbed to dry all of my hair!This is my big girl crib. I'm not sleeping in here yet though.

Having my nightly chat with daddy!

Watching TV with daddy!
Listening to mommy tell me stories!

This is my mean look. It makes mommy laugh really hard!

My cousin Joanna came for a visit. We are going to
have so much fun together one day!

We have been holding out on giving Sawyer a passie until she really had the hang of breast feeding. Well, feeding is going very well, great actually, so we decided to introduce her to the passie Saturday. She loved it! She really is a great baby, and I can't complain at all, but she had been a bit restless the past few days and was sucking on her hands all the time. After giving her the passie, we had a much more peaceful day! She is also wearing on of the many Halloween outfits that our loving family bought for her. So cute!

Papa Ron found a baby scale in his garage. (You just never know what you will find in there.) So, we decided to put it to good use. Sawyer gained 1 pound in 9 days! She is growing like a weed.

This was taken on our way to Sawyer's 2nd doctors appointment. Until today she had slept every time we put her in the car. She was wide awake the whole time and just stared out the window checking out her world!

A little bit of tummy time! My head is getting so much stronger.

The Birth of Sawyer Julianne!

2009-10-11T11:19:00.013-04:00

Our happy family!

Sawyer Julianne is now 15 days old and I am finally getting to post about her birth. Being a mommy is keeping me very busy, but I am loving every minute and wouldn't trade a single second with her for anything. It is the greatest job in the world!

I think it all started around 11:00pm of Friday, September 25, 2009. I was getting ready to go to bed and I felt like my water was leaking. There was no huge gush like you see in the movies, just a very small leak. I wasn't sure though. So I tried to go to sleep. After much tossing and turning and many bathroom visits, I called and spoke to a nurse at the hospital. She didn't seem to think that my water had broken and told me to get some rest and see how I felt later on. (Come to find out later, the nurse I spoke to ended up being one of my nurses when I delivered. She said that when she talked to me she thought I sounded like I was 12 years old and when I got of the phone, she went and checked my file to find out my real age! HaHa)

So, I went to sleep finally and slept until around 11:00 am. Ryan left early that morning to go golfing with the guys down below Lake Lure which is about 40 min. away. I made sure I had the numbers of the guys he was with and the golf course he would be at, just in case.

I got up and showered and ate and cleaned up the house a bit. The leaking continued and around 2:00 pm I started having what I thought were contractions. The contractions were approximately 9-10 min. apart, but since I thought my water had broken, I decided to call and talk to the on call doctor. She told me to go on to the hospital to get checked out, better to be safe than sorry we decided. I called Ryan and luckily he was on his way home. When Ryan got home he was soaking wet from playing golf in the rain. He showered and then we were on our way to the hospital.

Leaving for the hospital!

We will walk away as two and come back as three!

We got to the hospital around 3:45 pm. They put me in a non-stress room and gave me an outpatient wrist bracelet. I think they thought they were going to send me home. The nurse did a test to find out if my water had broken and she checked me. At that point I was at 2-3 cm and was 100% effaced. We had to wait about an hour to get the test back. In the meantime, they hooked me up to the fetal monitor and the contraction monitor. I was consistently having contractions 1.5 -2 minutes apart, which was quite surprising to the nurse who was convinced that my water had not broken.

At about 5:30 pm they came in and said my water had indeed broken...they should have believed me...and that we were moving to a labor room. It was officially game time! The only problem was that my doctor was not getting back into town from a speaking engagement until 6:00 pm and we weren’t sure if she was going to be the one to deliver Sawyer. We really wanted her to.

At this point, the contractions were manageable. I was really only feeling them in my back. However, around 8:30 pm the contractions began getting very painful. I was now feeling them in my back and in my abdomen. I got up and moved around the room some, but they were getting very painful. We asked the nurse about getting an epidural. She told me that they wanted to wait until my doctor, yes they called her and she said she was going to come in to deliver Miss Sawyer YAY, got there to check me before they made the decision to give me an epidural. They did offer me IV pain medicine, but I said no because I didn't want to feel drugged.

All smiles! We are staying at the hospital!

Trying to move through the contractions, but still smiling!

So, the pain continued to get worse and worse. Around 9:15 pm the on call doctor came in and said that since my doctor had not made it yet that she would check me if I wanted her to. I said YES PLEASE, since I was in so much pain and had not been checked since I had first got there. She checked me and I was at 5cm. She said it was time for the epidural. I told her she was my HERO! They started putting the fluid in my IV. I had to get 1 and a half bags of fluid in me before they could give me the epidural. So, again, I waited in much pain.

Around 10:30 pm I got the epidural! Immediate relief! It was AMAZING! Sign me up when I walk through the door next time. They checked me and I was at 9cm. WOW! We couldn't believe it. I went from 5cm to 9cm in a little over an hour. No wonder I was in sooooo much pain! It got a little scary for a few minutes though because the epidural caused Sawyer's heart rate to go down. They made me roll to my sides and put an oxygen mask on me. The nurse even rubbed Sawyer's head. They got it regulated though within a few minutes and everything looked great again.

My doctor came in around 11:00 pm. She felt I was far enough along to start pushing but since I had just got the epidural, I couldn't feel enough pressure to know when to push. So, they turned down the epidural and my doctor said we would wait 1 hour and then start pushing. The next hour was great. I was able to relax and not feel any pain before the pushing began.

At 12:00 am we began pushing. My nurse told me to be prepared for at least a couple hours of pushing. Needless to say we didn't have to wait a couple of hours. Sawyer Julianne Casto made her grand entrance into the world at 1:08 am. They laid her on my chest and Ryan and I were immediately in LOVE! It was such a wonderful feeling. I couldn't believe she was finally here.

Daddy is in love!!

Mommy's little angel!

All snuggly in my hat my nurse made for me!

After some skin to skin bonding, the nurses took her to assess her. She weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 20.5 inches long. (Yes, she was a bit bigger than they were expecting!) Her apgar scores were a 9 and a 9. She was a beautiful and healthy baby and we continue to thank God for that every day.

Hanging out in my bouncy seat!

Sawyer is now 15 days old and we are loving every minute with her. She changes every day and our new form of entertainment is watching her. We just can't get enough!!

Sawyer has Arrived!!

2009-10-02T16:02:00.002-04:00

After much anticipation...Sawyer Julianne Casto has arrived. She was born on Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 1:08 am. She weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 20.5 inches long. We are completely in love with her and are cherishing every moment! I will post more about her and her birth soon...

Still No Baby...

2009-09-25T10:11:00.001-04:00

And the waiting continues! Everyone keeps saying "Enjoy this time, Rest, Before long you won't have this kind of time." While I realize all those things are true, I am just so ready to meet our little girl. I am ready to hold her in my arms and see what she looks like. I am ready to see Ryan hold her for the first time. I am just READY! We have been walking like crazy and giving her pep talks trying to convince her it is time to come out and meet us, but she and God seem to have their own plan. :)

Still Waiting...

2009-09-22T14:27:00.003-04:00

Today is September 22, 2009. Our Due Date! However they say that only about 5% of babies are actually born on their due date. I guess we shall see what Miss Sawyer decides to do. I was a bit disappointed after our doctors appointment yesterday. My doctor had really gotten my hopes up that enough progress would be made for us to make some decisions. But, it wasn't. I was only dilated to almost 2cm. Not enough to break my water and she felt that if we decided to induce it would be a very long and drawn out process. So she wants to wait one more week. She really thinks that I am going to go into labor on my own, which is what I really hope happens too. But, if I don't, we go back to see her next Tuesday and we will then schedule an induction day. Until last week's appointment, I was convinced that Sawyer was going to come late so I am going back to my original gut feeling that she is going to be late! I am going to do a lot of walking I have decided. Ryan and I went and walked at the mall with all the little old ladies yesterday since it has been raining so much in Hendersonville. So for now we are still waiting...

Hopeful...

2009-09-21T12:51:00.003-04:00

It is official! I am ready to meet this little girl that has been growing inside of me for the past 9, really 10, months. I really feel like progress is being made, so I am hopeful about our doctors appointment this afternoon. We go at 4:00pm and according to what she told us last week, some decisions are going to be made. Either I will have made enough progress for her to send me on to the hospital and break my water, or we will schedule an induction. I am hopeful that I have made progress because I really don't want to get induced. But, whatever gets Miss Sawyer out of the belly and into our arms will be just fine. Last night I did not sleep well. I tossed and turned for hours. I had some irregular contractions and little one bounced around all night long. So as I sit here waiting to go to the doctor, I am HOPEFUL!!

The plan is that Ryan is going to twitter updates while we are at the hospital. So if you are interested in following us on this journey, the address is

http://twitter.com/ccasto

Sawyer's Room!!

2009-09-21T12:36:00.004-04:00

Ryan says she has more furniture, clothes, and closet space than he and I put together. Welcome to life with a little girl Daddy!

Look at all the shoes! Like mother like daughter!

Yes there is a drawer missing. Ryan has had it at the shop to match colors for the cradle and it hasn't come home yet. :)

I can't wait to hold her in my arms and rock her!

I just love it!

Bye Bye Belly

2009-09-18T17:30:00.003-04:00

It seems that this will probably be my last few days with the belly. If we make it until Monday then we will start discussing induction with the doctor. I am so so so excited to meet our baby girl but I have really enjoyed being pregnant as well. As I think back over the past nine months I know that I was truly blessed to have such a great pregnancy. The first trimester brought with it some sleepiness and nausea for a few weeks, but nothing major. My second trimester was amazing. I had energy like crazy over the summer while I was at home. My third trimester has been wonderful as well. I have got to watch my belly grow and feel my baby girl move like crazy. I think I have spent the majority of my free time over the past month or so just laying there watching Sawyer do flips and turns and kicks. It is such an amazing thing to watch! I have had no swelling, and only minimal tiredness this trimester. I know I will miss feeling her move inside of me. I thank God everyday for the opportunity and the honor of carrying one of his children. I have spent the last week at home just waiting for her arrival. While I am grateful that I was able to have that time, I am ready for her to come out and meet us now, and I think the time is drawing near. Soon I will be saying bye bye to the BELLY and hello to the BABY!!

Bags are Packed....We're Ready to Go!

2009-09-16T20:45:00.002-04:00

Well' we went for our 39 week doctors appointment today and got lots of encouraging and big news. We had an ultrasound to check the growth of Miss Sawyer. I had to see a different doctor last week since mine was out of town, and she wanted to do an ultrasound because she felt the baby was measuring small. Even though she has measured small throughout the pregnancy, I was a little nervous because I just want Sawyer to be healthy and happy. All is well though. My doctor says that everything looks perfect. Sawyer is measuring at about 6 lbs 15 oz and looks great. I was dilated 1 cm and am 75% effaced! That is huge progress from last Monday's doctors appointment. My doctor decided to strip my membranes to get things rolling even more. Since then I have been having a lot of cramping, so we will see what comes of that.

If Miss Sawyer has not made her debut by next Monday, we go back to the doctor and she says we will make some decisions. If I have progressed a lot more then they will most likely make me walk, walk, walk, and then possibly break my water, or if there is not a lot of progress then we will start talking induction. So, it seems as if we will get to meet our little girl within the next week!

Wow! I am full of so many emotions. I am excited, nervous, and anxious all at the same time. I can't believe that this time has come. I have enjoyed my pregnancy so much! But now, I am ready to meet our daughter. Ryan was so funny at the doctors office. He doesn't say much, but when the doctor got ready to leave the room she said "things are rolling along nicely." Ryan just got this big grin on his face and kind of shook his head. The doctor said "yes this is really real." I think it is finally hitting him that we are going to have a baby and it is going to be very soon. I can't wait to see baby girl in his arms. Yes, this is REALLY REAL!!

So Long 2nd Grade!

2009-09-11T17:35:00.002-04:00

Today was officially my last day teaching this year. I will be out for the rest of the school year. I was supposed to work up until Sept. 21, the day before my due date, but decided to go out early because of all the flu germs that are flying around. I have made it 38 and a half weeks healthy, and hopefully I can stay that way for the remaining days. While I love teaching and I am sure there will be some moments when I miss it, I am so excited about the new adventure I am getting ready to embark on. I can't wait to be a mommy! I am anxious, nervous, and excited all at the same time. But I have no regrets about leaving school a week early. I just know it was the right thing for me and my baby girl. I plan on taking it easy and enjoying every minute I have before Miss Sawyer makes her debut. So...let the nesting begin!

Enjoy NC Apples!

2009-09-08T17:35:00.001-04:00

When you live in Hendersonville, NC the greatest event of the year is the NC Apple Festival. It is a four day festival on main street celebrating our community's apple farming heritage. Craft and food vendors set up all down the street, there is live music at the old court house, and on Monday there is even a King Apple Parade. Each year since I was little, I can remember walking the hot crowded street with my mom and eating funnel cake. So of course, even at 9 months pregnant, I braved the hot sun and crazy crowds to walk the street with my mom and eat funnel cake! In celebration of the Apple Festival, my cousin Lauren, the artist of the family, decided to paint an apple on my belly. I love it! She did such a wonderful job. Forget NYC, this is the real "Big Apple!!"

Becoming a Blogger!

2009-09-07T16:00:00.000-04:00

So...I have decided to create a blog! After following some friends' blogs I have decided that it is a great way to keep in touch and share with those friends I may not get to see that often. I also think it will be a great way to share pictures and stories of Baby Sawyer when she decides to make her debut. So, check back to find out more about Life with the Casto's!