Daisypath Anniversary tickers

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The one and only Wyatt!

This past Sunday, I finally got to meet Eden and Keev's sweet Wyatt! He's every bit as adorable as I expected and more. Wyatt is so incredibly blessed because he is surrounded by love. I can tell that she and Keev are doing a beautiful job with Wyatt and are going to continue to be great parents. It is so special to watch my best friend with her first baby and first experience as a mother. I am so excited to watch him grow up.

A week after Wyatt was born, the Keevers did a photo shoot with the same photographer that did Eden's maternity shoot. She did a beautiful job and I cannot wait to see the rest of them! Click HERE for a link to the blog with more photos, but below is a preview!




Monday, July 28, 2008

Our sweet girl, Miley

Miss Miley has been so much fun to have around. When she gets really playful, she can make me laugh so hard that I cannot breathe. It's wonderful. haha. She is developing such a little personality. The other night, she found her tail and spun around in circles chasing it! (see pics) We are also very impressed with how smart she seems to be. Miley is really learning her manners. She's learned to sit at the door to wait for an invitation inside.... sit to wait on her potty treat.... sits to wait for her food... all without being told to anymore! I also think it's so neat to see how breeds of dogs have such innate behaviors. A retriever mix, she has started retrieving the tennis ball on her own! It's very cool :)

After 4 days of throat shots in a row last week, she is finally on an antibiotic to get this resp infxn taken care of. The meds seem to knock her out! Saturday night, she climbed up in Claire's lab and passed out!She seems to be coughing more, but Josh and I think it's a good sign that the meds (which she fortunately loves to take!) are working, b/c they are "productive" coughs. She also has another bulge (herniated spot) by her spay incision that we're watching. Dr. Okin said to check back with him about it in a week to let him check it out again. I think he will ultimately end up going back in to clean up the shabby job the Humane Society "vets" did on our poor puppy's spaying. We also get to give Miley her first bath on Thursday b/c the 10 days of waiting after her spaying will be over. That should be interesting. Ha ha. I'm just so ready to get her well and for her to finish her initial shots so we can take her to see other doggy friends and on walks outside of our yard! I can't wait :)
We put some creamy peanut butter in her Kong and she was a BIG fan!
My cousin, Laura, brought over some of her dog Macy's old puppy toys last week and we are so grateful! So far, Miley's faves are a ball (in bkground of pic), one of the ropes, and this AKC duck toy that Macy broke the squeaker inside. Miley will shake that duck like crazy! Claire and Brian also brought Miley some tennis balls and bones. She is all about retrieving the tennis balls!She also sleeps in crazy positions and squirms around in her sleep like a kid! Miley will sleep with me, but her favorite is to snuggle up with Josh in his "spoon spot." This Sunday, we blew up the aerobed in the living room for some family snuggle/relax time and Miley was a big fan because she's actually allowed on the aerobed! Most mornings, Josh will get up early to take her out and then they will nap together in the living room on the floor. I have been really proud of Josh and the way that he has risen to this new responsibility. This morning when I was about to head out the door for work, I overheard him tucking her into her crate and telling her "Bye Miley, I love you." It was one of the SWEETEST things I've ever heard and makes me excited for when we have our real babies one day. I know the love he has for Miley cannot compare to the love he will have for our babies. He is going to be a fantastic and loving father one day.... in the distant future ; ) haha. For now, I will continue to enjoy watching him with our puppy daughter!
When I was little, it was not uncommon for me to sleep with my fave toy of the moment.... apparently my sweet Miley has the same approach to napping and toys...

Thursday, July 24, 2008

"She's just being Miley..."

Bless her sweet heart... Miley had a long day yesterday. She was in a new place when she woke up... (Chez Gamble) then had to be in her crate for a few hours while we were at work...(I get off at 12, thank goodness) then she went to our family vet, Dr. Okin, at Valleydale Animal Clinic. GREAT place. Everyone loved her and thought she was the cutest girl, of course. She is currently 8.25 lbs and they expect her to be about 50-60 lbs full grown. Poor baby, she has an upper respiratory infection (resp infxn), which isn't serious now, but must be treated aggressively so it doesn't become something worse. She also has a little bulge by her spaying incision that we're watching...he gave her a shot to help it go down, but might end up having to go back in to fix it. The Dr. did not seem concerned by it... kinda like her resp infxn, just want to get it taken care of now so it's not a big problem later. I had to bring in a poop sample so they could check it for parasites, etc...(could make her sick or even us!) and her poop scan was clear! YAY! Miley ended up getting 4 shots, one of which was directly in her throat! :( It was to help her resp infxn and will run into her lungs. We have an appointment again today at 3pm for another one. Apparently it's not a fun one, b/c they made me go out to start the car and turn on the AC so I wouldn't hear her cry when they put her on her back and gave her the shot. :( I didn't like leaving her, but am glad I didn't hear my ''baby" be upset. Here's a pic of our sweet girl sleeping in the car on the way to the vet...
Last night was much better than the first. We are crate training, so I got online to research some suggestions-particularly for bedtime. 4 websites in a row suggested putting the crate in the bedroom so they will feel like they are "sleeping with the pack." Well, that's not the case...b/c they really just feel like they can see and hear the pack, but are tortured b/c they cannot be with them (us). While at the vet yesterday, I spoke to Ashley, one of the vet techs and practically a dog guru, a lot of questions I had about raising a puppy and how to do the best job possible. She suggested we move the crate to the laundry room, where she'd be close to the door and far from us when she's trying to go to bed and we're still awake. That way, she can't hear us as well and we can't hear her cries for rescue. Eventually, she'll learn to love her crate as her home and it won't be a problem...but, for now, it's nice not to hear the crying when we put her in there for bedtime, b/c it breaks my heart to hear it and I cannot give her positive reinforcement to the whining/crying in her crate. It seemed to work really well last night. Miley cried for a little bit, but eventually sacked out. This morning, she even went in the crate for a few seconds on her own, which shows me that she's learning it's not a bad place... it's her room and safest place. *Other than my arms, of course. :)

Miley is just the sweetest, cutest girl. She's found her reflection a few times in the mirror in the dining room... when you take her outside, she prances around with joy... and I can tell she adores Josh and me already, which makes my heart so happy. I have to admit, I was a little anxious about getting a dog, (me? Taylor? anxious about change? never... haha) but I am so glad we did it. She's such a little blessing to us already, bringing us joy, happiness, and teaching us more responsibility. It's funny how having a puppy around makes you want to clean your house so they don't eat stuff off the floor, etc. Definitely will be a good thing for me so I'll clean more often haha. Aunt Paige (who helped name her) came over to play for a little bit yesterday, as well as her friend, Anna. Miley was very glad to have visitors!

Like I said in the 1st Miley Jean Gamble post, she is a Retriever Mix...but the question is, a mix with what? Josh and I have been thinking maybe German Shepherd or Rottweiler... and the Vet didn't have a solid guess, but thought both of those were great possibilities. She definitely has features of both... I found this picture of a Rottweiler-Retriever mix yesterday and it really makes me think more Rottweiler. It doesn't really make a difference to me either way, I'm just curious. I love her no matter what breed she is and I guess we'll just have to wait until she grows up to get a better idea.... or we could fork up a bunch of $$$ and get genetic testing... but I think we'll just wait and see... haha.

Maybe?

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

It's a GIRL!

Josh and I are parents! Well, puppy parents :) This afternoon, we brought Miss Miley Jean Gamble, a precious Retriever mix, home from the Birmingham Humane Society! Due to her coloring and stance, we think she has some Rottweiler or German Shepherd in her, too. She is almost 2 mths and 1 week old. Bless her heart, she got spayed yesterday...and fortunately, has her microchip and has had some of her shots. Sadly, we can't take her to community dog places until she's finished her shots, but it'll be worth it for her to not get sick. Josh and I have been wanting a dog for a long time, and are so excited to have her! Her eyes and nose won us over... and man, her tail goes 90 to nothin'. I also love her two beauty mark moles on either side of her face. She's already working us hard. haha. At my parents' house, she peed on the floor 3 times... nice, Miley. The first of many, I'm sure because the first thing she did when we set up her crate... walked in and peed. I'm seriously hoping she's a quick learner....she's definitely a sweetheart. She fell asleep in my lap while I was typing this... with her head on the desk... PRECIOUS!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Home... finally!

Josh and I have really started to feel all of the traveling we've been doing lately. We are glad that we've made the executive decision to stay in town next weekend. This weekend we went to visit my Aunt Retha and her partner, Stephenie, in Asheville, NC. Josh and I have been trying to make it up there to see them for a while and were so glad to finally make the trip. They live in a gorgeous house up on the mountain. I'm particularly grateful to have the opportunity to visit my Aunt Retha because she is now going on her 4th year of surviving cancer! It seemed like a quick trip, but we had a great time visiting, shopping, and eating at great restaurants with them in Asheville. Asheville is a beautiful city, and I look forward to going back again to see more of what it has to offer. Even though we had a great trip and enjoyed our visit, Josh and I were so glad to get home to sleep in our own bed tonight! Some exciting things to which to look forward..... less than a week until Eden, Josh, Buck, and baby Wyatt are in Birmingham for a little bit while they look for a place in Montgomery!..... less than 2 weeks until my sweet sister Grace who has been serving at Beach Project in Ft. Walton Beach, FL this summer will be home briefly... and finally, I have mixed emotions about it, but less than 2 weeks until my last day of work at NMFN.... I'm sad to leave, but happy to leave.... I'll miss all of the great people there... and I really do enjoy the work I've been doing.....on the other hand, I'm excited about the new change of pace and seeing where God leads me on this new path... Should be exciting :) Hope everyone had a fun, safe weekend! I'm off to finish Army Wives!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Truck Duck...

After I got off work today, I went by Brookwood Medical Center to visit sweet Anna Patterson Harris and her new baby, John Brooks Harris, Jr. A Southern Belle knowing better than to show up empty handed, I stopped by B.A.M. and picked up 2 little books: "Truck Duck" and "Guess How Much I love You." Since I was going to be at BWMC, where my sweet daddy works, I gave him a call to see if he had time to meet up with me. He did, and we met in the main lobby. We got to visit for a little bit and then headed up to see Anna. Much to our surprise, it was Anna herself that opened the door! We were very impressed b/c she'd only had her c-section yesterday. She looked fantastic and so happy with motherhood. My daddy could only stay for a few minutes, but I got to stay and enjoy visiting with Anna and her mama for a bit. (Brooks had run to the store, I believe). I am so happy for the Harris family and this wonderful way that God has blessed them. Seeing these new mommies with their precious new babies keeps fueling my excitement for when God blesses Josh and me with our own babies one day :)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Precious nephews....

Buck Goulet and Wyatt Timothy Keever
I'm gonna just put this out there..... I have the sweetest, most adorable nephews EVER!

Congratulations, Anna and Brooks!



Another friend of mine from high school, Anna Patterson Harris, (aka: one of the cutest pregos ever!) welcomed her son, John Brooks Harris
(jr? III?) to the world this morning. After a night of labor, he was ultimately delivered by c-section. It was an extra-exciting morning for Anna and Brooks because they chose not to find out the baby's sex until the birth! What self-control! haha.
A huge congratulations to them on this wonderful blessing!
Another proud aunt: Aunt Sami!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Hotlanta




If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE weddings and would happily plan them for a living, if given the opportunity! This weekend I had the honor of being in my sweet college friends Katie and Eric's wedding. Josh and I headed over on Thursday evening. After dinner with the bride and groom-to-be, the groom's parents, and MOH Lara, we went to visit and have a drink at a local Irish Pub. Josh and I spent Thursday night at the bride and groom's condo and then Friday, while I was doing bridemaid duties and events, Josh moved us over to our reservation at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North. (Yay for a king size bed!) It was a fun weekend full of visiting with friends that we haven't gotten to see in a while.

It was a beautiful wedding weekend. They said their vows at Dunwoody Methodist Church and celebrated at a Ravinia Club reception. Katie used some family heirlooms, which I adore b/c I'm very sentimental. She carried a family bible, wore a gorgeous family lace veil, and carried eric's family handkerchief. With small lace accents at the top, her dress went with the veil beautifully.


I really liked our bmaid presents: clear glass Pottery
Barn pitchers with our monogram etched into the glass. A creative gift and I love a good monogram! Thank you, Katie!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Proud Aunt Tay...

Well, he's just beautiful!!! I'm so excited baby Wyatt is finally here. I cannot wait for the Keevers to get to B'ham in a few weeks so I can kiss those sweet baby cheeks!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Precious baby Wyatt is finally here!!!!

My sweet friend Eden and her husband Josh welcomed Wyatt Timothy Keever to the world this morning at 10:07EST. He weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and is 21 inches long! I think he's absolutely beautiful, but I might be a bit biased! Ha ha! Baby and mom are great. God has answered many prayers. Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful and healthy baby boy, and thank you, friends, for your prayers for the Keevers, too!
More pictures and details to come!
--Aunt Taylor! :)

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Ready or not, here he comes!

I am very excited and proud to announce that tomorrow morning, Eden and Josh will welcome baby Wyatt Timothy Keever to the world! His arrival has been anxiously anticipated and we are all thrilled that he'll finally be here! As a tribute to this pregnancy, I've included a little photographic montage of Eden's pregnancy. Goodbye belly! (Hello boobies haha) She's such a cute pregnant lady :)


It a
ll started with a kiss...














Then came peanut~! 10 wks














We thought this was big.. haha. 12 wk 5 days




















14 weeks...




















14 wk 5 days We really thought this was huge...







17 wk 5 days. please ignore the hair. she was fresh out of shower haha.




















18 wk 5 days. It's a boy! Eden was so glad she was able to find out the sex before Josh left on his month-long deployment in February. I was also glad, b/c I was going to visit her in March and we needed to know the sex to do some shopping! haha.





















21 weeks (that is not her belly button in sideways picture. Just a well-placed plate in background.)




















23 wks 5 days




















29 wk 5 days



















29 wk 5 d



















About 34 wks.
This was the bathing suit Eden's mom wore when she was pregnant with her!





































35 wks 5 days! With a cute new 'do!



















Almost 38 wks. Wyatt's uncle is an olympian!






Stay tuned for pictures of sweet baby Wyatt!