Gabriella's First Birthday Party

I'm pretty sure I don't have to explain too much of the story because I posted about it (exactly) a year ago.

But i'll do it anyway. :) 

On this day of last year, at 10:59pm, my angel was born. This year was full of so many great accomplishments for me and Gabby. She taught me responsibility, how to be a woman, she kept me pushing for everything and anything I wanted to do because it all in the end was gonna be beneficial for her as well as myself. I cannot believe a year has flown by so fast. This is the kind of stuff that makes me want another baby. Lol

I started off my day bright and early at 9am. I was up ALL night preparing things for the birthday party. (I am so sorry that I did not blog about the planning. I'll explain everything very soon in a post about what was going on) I got favors ready, put each decoration piece in separated bags, EVERYTHING you can possibly think of that a perfectionist OCD party planner would do for a party, I did it! Lol. So I started my day of course with a pretty girl shower, and Gabby with a birthday girl bubble bath. We called up daddy and told him it was time to go pick up our last minute items for the party. We went to Party City and Dollar General to get everthing we needed. Then we went to go pick up the cake. 

The cake situation was kind of a sticky one. We had ordered a half a sheet cake for the guests to eat and a mini cake for Gabby's smash cake. When we picked up the 1/2 sheet cake, the design was PERFECT, but it was the wrong size! It was half of a 1/2 sheet! So I definitely had to change that as quick as I could. They fixed it for free (thank God) and we were able to walk out with a fresh new cake. 

We got to the venue just in time to set up and decorate. Guests of course were late but we still had a great time with whoever was there. We ate Papa John's pizza, played Pin the Nose on Elmo, blew bubbles, colored, ate lots of cake and opened lots of presents. 

I cant believe an entire year blew by so quickly. My baby! My Gabriella! Shes a toddler now! :'( Sometimes I wish the baby days lasted a bit longer. But I'm glad shes growing up to be a healthy little girl. Because of course, she will always be my baby in my eyes and heart. 

My Picasa web album is up to date. So you can see the photos here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/101355210162957472197/GabriellaSFirstBirthday02

I'm so sorry that I went MIA after I promised that this blog would be awesome. I promise i'll explain everything that happened and I will definitely catch you guys up. 

I am obsessed with social media so I post almost everything on: 

Blogger.com/KortneyOfficial

Instagram.com/KortneyOfficial

Twitter.com/KortneyOfficial

Keek @KortneyOfficial

Kik @KortneyOfficial 

Follow me for more fun! 

Happy first birthday Gabriella! You'll always be my precious little baby girl. 

~Kortney (Mommy) 

Woo Hoo!!!!!

I am officially caught up with all of my posts! Finally! Haha. I am very happy that I am because I know alot of you have seen me go MIA and slacking when it comes to posting but have no fear! I downloaded the Blogger app and I am definitely using it :D

I can't wait to continue sharing with you guys :)

-Kortney 

I'm adding a new "series"!

Hey guys!

So as you may all know, I'm currently attending esthetician school. I'm learning so many new things and ways to take care of your skin that I just feel the need to share it with you all. After all, if you've been following this blog for a while, you know that this is what I always talked about. Beauty and how to maintain it. So i've decided that I am going to continue that and start my new blog series "All about..." I'll tell you guys all about good beauty habits, skin care tips, beauty services, and reviews on products. 

Have no fear. I will STILL post about me and Gabriella (and I'm still trying to get around to updating and catching up on past posts that I've missed). 

Also, more exciting news, I have finally managed to fade my stretch marks so that means I am ready to model again! I'll let you guys know about any events I have coming up and so much more. 

This blog is about to be thebomb.com!

<3

-Kortney

Upcoming Event!

Please come out and support me and my Estheticians at Ogle School of Hair Skin and Nails Dallas by coming to our fashion show! Its going to be this Friday at 6pm! Don't  miss out! 

"Its not what you look at that matters. Its what you see." ~ Henry David Thoreau 

A Big Apology...

Hello my very lovely followers,

As you may have noticed, I have been slacking alot to post any blogs. With me being out of high school, starting beauty school, Gabriella growing up so quickly, events happening all out of the blue, its been a struggle for me to get to a computer. But I am here to tell you great news. Now that Gabriella is crawling, I can easily put her down on the floor to play while I blog, that way I can type without her in my lap reaching for the keyboard or the mouse lol; and I have access to a computer at my job, so I can blog on my free time. I used to have the Blogger app, but I didn't like it...it was garbage. So hopefully they have upgraded it and if they did I will definitely blog through there.

As far as me updating past events, I may or may not do them.We'll see. But keep in mind, of you want to see whats going on on a daily basis, follow me on my Twitter and Instagram @KortneyOfficial

I love you!
-Kortney

Gabby is 7 months!

Happy (omg) 7 months for Gabby! Time is just going by way too fast. Where did my tiny baby go?! :'( 

Happy 7 Months Sweetie Pie!

-Kortney 

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday to the greatest Dad in the world!!!

You are labeled as my stepdad but in my heart you ARE my real father. You have been there for me since I was 4 years old and you have never let me down since. Through all the disappointments and the happy times you have always been my rock. I love you daddy! Happy Birthday! 

Love your granddaughter Gabriella and me Kortney!

"Fathers be good to your daughters. Daughters will love like you do. Girls become lovers who turn into mothers. So mothers be good to your daughters too." ~ John Mayer 

I am all dried up :(

Its a very sad day for me right now. 

I am officially done breastfeeding. :'( NOT BY CHOICE but my milk just stopped completely. I really wanted to keep breastfeeding until she was 1 year. But things happen I guess. It makes me sad to even talk about it. 

No more milk :'(  Oh well. My other future children will get breastfed as well. At least Gabby went 6 months which IS the  recommended minimum. Some is better than none right? :) 

-Kortney 

"Breast is always best." 

4th of July 2013!!!!

Happy Birthday America!!!

This fourth of July was so special because I got to spend it with some very special people. And what made it all better was that I had my baby girl there with me! Last year, she was in my belly and I was engulfed with hormones and ate up by mosquitoes. Lol so you can guess it wasn't the best fourth of July last year. But since she is finally here for holidays, we spent it special! 

My family from Louisiana came down and that made it extra special because last year thats who I wanted to spend it with the most. Our morning started bright and early and the BBQ cooking quickly went underway. But Claud (as usual) told me at the last minute that his family was having a cookout that day too. So we spent an hour and a half at his family's house just so we could say hi and then came back to my house to actually eat. After we all ate, my friend Breanna Gurley came over and it was a fun night. We all packed up in our cars and drove to the park in Duncanville for the fireworks. We even brung along our dog Pippen! We met up with Armoni and we watched the fireworks in celebration of our beautiful country's independence! 

God Bless America!

-Kortney

"Expose yourself to your deepest fear. After that, fear has no power and the fear of freedom vanishes. You are free." ~ Jim Morrison 

Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day to all you sexy Canadians out there!!!!!! I love you guys you are so cool.

Yea that's all I had to say lol.

Sexiest Canadian alive. :D

Love ya!

-Kortney

"Happiness is a mood, not a destination." ~ Unknown

My First Day at Beauty School!

It's Kortney Official!!!
I started beauty school! I'm working to get my esthetics license so I can be certified to give facials, skin treatments, waxing services, eyebrow and lash tinting, eyelash extensions and makeup!
I'm sooooo excited.
I can still give services as a student and I'll let you guys know what my prices are on here later.

Love ya!
-Kortney

"I see myself as sexy. If you are comfortable with it, it can be very appealing and classy." ~ Aaliyah 

Gabriella is 6 Months! (1/2 Birthday)

I cannot believe it!!!!!!
My baby girl is already halfway there! She is 6 months! This can't be happening!
This time last year I was pregnant and eating everything in the kitchen and complaining how hot it was. And it seems like just yesterday I was on here blogging about how I couldn't wait to see her and how swollen my feet were. Time goes by so fast. I still can't believe how fast she is growing :'(
Happy 6 months Gabriella! Oh yea and happy half birthday my sweet girl! Haha ;)

Speaking of half birthday...
It's time for me to start thinking about her first birthday party! You guys know I'm too festive for my own good. Lol.
I definitely have some great ideas in mind. I was thinking maybe a circus theme! ;)

You'll just have to wait and see what comes out of my sleeve ;)
-Kortney

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." ~ Unknown 

Graduation!!!!!!!!

I cannot believe it happened. I'm done.Officially done.

My day started off with rehearsal. I have no idea why they would do something so stupid as to put the rehearsal on the day of -__- But hey that's my school for you. We were so excited that it was finally happening. This is it. Like Michael Jackson, this is it. After today our lives will never be the same.

My aunt Ashley was crying the entire time while I was getting ready. She has seen me grow up and has been there since I was born. So of course this was an emotional time for her. Unfortunately due to the stupidity of my school having our rehearsal 3 hours before, I was rushed and my entire pre-graduation vision was ruined. -___- Dummies. Lol oh well. We all rushed to get ready and I passed out everyone their tickets so they could get in. We sped back to downtown Dallas which was a good 30 mins away and we laughed at how ridiculous schools were making a big deal out of everyone MUST have a ticket to get in. The entire ride there was full of laughs. When they dropped me off, the place was already packed and which meant I was already late. I reminded my family of where I would be seated and told them try to find a parking spot if they can and then I rushed inside to find my class. When I got there, I went down the stairs to where they told us to meet. And there they were. My classmates. It looked as though we were getting ready for some type of show. Which is how we always looked lol.

Omg. This is our last "show" together...

I saw all of my friends and we were all nervous as hell! Lol but we sure did look good. ;) Our excitement and nerves held back our tears as we were ready for our final show together. Before we knew it, it was time to line up to get ready to enter into the auditorium where we would be graduating. It all just seemed too quick. As we were lined up, I couldn't help but look back at everyone because even though I sometimes wanted to kill these people, they were my family when I needed them to be. And that's all that matters. The music started and we walked in.

I think to all of us it felt like a really big production. Our last performance together.

We sat there and heard all the speeches, some sounded very theatrical and some from the heart, and we watched what every cluster had to show for our last hooray and our progress over the last 4 years.

And then... it was time to line up for our walk across that stage. We walked down to the stage and were all so nervous. We waited for Ms. Rietz to finish her speech...and a very scary yet omg silent pause came across the entire room... Then she said the first name of the first student to get their diploma..."Ramian Ackerman"....and I think by then we all shat bricks because we all got squirmy and said "omg, omg, omg!" Lol

The rest is an experience that I will never forget. After we all got our diplomas, we went back to our seats and just basked in the moment that we were ALUMNI now. We were done! We yelled and screamed and some cried. Our excitement followed us all the way outside and we chanted and cheered and yelled sooooo much. It was good energy that night.

I was the 7th person to graduate. I seriously didn't know what to do. I have no idea where my mind went but it was like I was walking in an illusion. After it was handed to me, I felt as if I had been released from everything and I was finally on my own.

Picasa Album ---> :)

My Graduation

Finally free!
-Kortney

"It happens to everyone as they grow up. You find out who you are and what you want, and then realize that people you've known forever don't see things the way you do. So keep the wonderful memories, but find yourself moving on." ~ Nicolas Sparks 

Baccalaureate

Most students don't care too much for Baccalaureate only because not all are really and truly about religion. To me, Baccalaureate is about people coming to speak to high school students about life and how to succeed, which is kinda pointless because we've been hearing that for 12 years throughout our entire school life, and its a chance for family members who cannot attend graduation get to see you in your cap and gown. But I still honored the moment and took it seriously.
Though I was a so late, that I almost missed the entrance, I was sweaty, hair was puffed, and my heels were about to break, I ran to Armoni who had already saved a spot for me in line ;) I love my friend.
Our speaker was a Jewish man who is also a radio host in New York City. He told us great personal stories and left us with some awesome advice... Don't be a dick! The speeches seemed long but it really went by fast. After it was all over, we preceded into the reception area where we had nachos and dessert. So many of us took pictures with our families and of course I took pictures with my family and my baby girl :)

After we left, we went out to eat at Olive Garden. Claud's cousin graduated that day so they of course had a party. I went with him and we had fun as usual. :) 

Graduation coming soon!

-Kortney

"Faith in God includes faith in his timing." ~ Unknown 

Seniors Last Day!!!!! =(

It was a very short day. Very dead day. You can tell that the school was missing a heartbeat. A certain kind of energy running through the halls and the classrooms. Very quiet. We came to school to pic up our cap and gowns and tickets. Then we just left. But before I left, I had a mini moment haha. I sat in the middle of the foyer and yelled I am done! Lol my friends were doing it with me. This very foyer I walked in when I was an 8th grade hopeful just trying to make it in and here I was now, walking out and saying my last goodbyes to the school that I have forever called home. It was a bittersweet day for all of us. We are done. Officially.

Last time in these halls.

(Awesome quote!)
"The past can hurt, but the way I see it; you can either run from it or learn from it." ~ The Lion King 

-Kortney

"Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't." ~ Steve Maraboli 

Senior Awards Night

So today was our last day. Not officially but it was our last class day ever. It was amazing. We would never have to see a high school classroom ever again. It's tradition at my school that we have "Senior Scream" where we go out into the school's foyer 10 mins before school lets out and we just scream our class number, hold up signs, yell, go crazy, and just bask in the moment that this would be our last time we hear that bell. It was soooooo much fun. We threw "gold dust" (Gold glitter. Because our class song is "Gold Dust" by DJ Fresh dubstep remix), shook tambourines, threw streamers and silly string, had some drums going from the musicians, and just yelled so much because we were done! (Video will be uploaded)
After all that awesomeness, it was time for the Senior Awards. First we broke up into our cluster awards.
Dance cluster had ours in the studios (of course) and we had BBQ for dinner. Ms Weiss had our baby pictures as centerpieces. It was too cute seeing everyone as babies. Some of us look exactly the same lol. Me. During the passing out of the awards and tassels, Ms Weiss said something special about each and every one of us. She said that I was the student who was the strongest. Whenever a problem hit me hard, I would always find the strength to keep pushing forward. Thanks Ms Weiss :)
After all awards were passed out and tassels were given, we sang our last chant.

Listen, Listen, Listen to my hearts song. (13!)

Listen, Listen, Listen to my hearts song.

I will never forget you, I will never forsake you

I will never forget you, I will never forsake you 

I will never forget youuuuuuuuuuuuu!

I cried and so did others. It was our last time saying that chant ever. That chant has brought us together every single time we do it. We showed love with that chant, we kissed with that chant, we passed roses with that chant, we cried with that chant. And we no longer get to say it :'( 

If I could write a letter to those studio floors, I would say Thank You. Thank you for welcoming my feet and my body when I first stepped onto you when I was just a freshman. Thank you for feeding my curiosity and my imagination. Thank you for pushing me out there when I was scared to. Thank you for catching my tears and my blood and sweat. Thank you for ripping my skin and breaking my bones. It was all worth it. Thank you for being my muse when I was feeling happy or depressed. Thank you for being my home when I needed one. You have showed me how to be an artist and even though some days I hated you for doing all those things to me, I will always and forever love you and one day I will come back. Thank you for everything. 

So much has happened in those studios for the past 4 years. Now I must find myself and represent for the "home" in which my talent was bred. 

You are a product of your education.

-Kortney

"Sometimes you want to give up the guitar, you'll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you're gonna be rewarded." ~ Jimi Hendrix 

Gabby is 5 Months!!!

It doesn't even seem like its been 5 months. It seems just so much more shorter than that. :( My baby girl is growing up so fast. OMG..... Just realized next month, she will be halfway to 1 year. 0__0

Can't you tell the difference from 1 month old to now?! 

Please stay my little baby!

-Kortney

"What you allow is what will continue." ~ Unknown 

My Prom Night

Excuse me as I try to recover from prom night and try to write this.
Lol don't worry. I didn't get hammered or high. I didn't need that to get happy this time =P
It was such a long day. I went to school for the first 2 periods of the day just so I could get counted as present for the day. After that, I ran to Gurley's apartment to get ready. I had already dropped off my things at her house that morning before I left to go to school. I took a shower and I ate some food, and we waited for the makeup artist to get there. Melissa was first to get hers done then it was me. I decided to just give in and go with the theme which was "Old Hollywood". I had problems with my dream dress and stuff so I had to settle and borrow a dress from a friend. Its all good though. I still looked sexy ;)

By the time Gurley got in the chair, all the dates and parents were there. We (kinda sorta) tried to speed up the "getting dressed" process but Gurely likes to take her time lol. We were almost late trying to gather everyone up to go and take pictures. We were definitely on "colored people" time. Lol. After we FINALLY finished taking pics, we were on our way to prom! We all rode in our own cars and as we pulled up, it was already do many people there. We were in for a shock because nobody knew we had to pay $6 for parking for our own prom. Oh well. The complaints to the school are definitely coming.

When we walked into prom, it was so glamorous. Gold decorations and red carpet blinded our eyes lol. We checked in and walked into the ballroom which was all silver with GORGEOUS, big, chandeliers as centerpieces. We sat our things down and ran to the dance floor. We didn't leave it for a very long time. It was so much fun. After about 10:30-11pm, we winded down because the dj got boring after that. He only played 1 slow song and it wasn't even the right time to play one when he did. And all the rest were a blur of dubstep and techno songs. Which I love but it became too much. I felt like I was at H2O festival instead of prom. But that's my opinion. Still had fun though. We then took pics in the photo booth, got hundreds of lemonades, a bowl of mac and cheese, ice cream and took bathroom selfies. Lol
We left about 30 mins early to get ready for our little group after party at Chelsea's house. When we got there, Chelsea's mom had made tostadas and had bowls of skittles, m&ms and chex mix out for us. She also made smoothies and ice cream for us. We played Apples to Apples and talked and laughed all night until we crashed out around 4am.

My prom was very memorable. I really had so much fun and this sets the countdown until graduation officially. Starting this week are our senior activities and our last "class" day is Thursday! I cannot wait! Be looking for lots and lots of blog posts, instagram photos and tweets about everything!

I'll post my prom pics later on my Picasa album. I have to go finish some last minute projects and homework. :)
Later!
-Kortney

"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day." ~ Vincent van Gogh 

My (First) Mother's Day 2013!

I had the best first Mother's Day ever. It started off on Saturday because Claud wanted to have enough money to spend on his mom too ;) We went to Red Lobster for dinner and it was his first time eating there. For once Gabby participated pretty well (besides the spitting up all over me after I fed her). So that was my little day before mother's day dinner with my babies. After that we went to Claud's family's house to play games and just hang out. It was a pretty fun day.

Red Lobster

Sunday, actually Mother's Day, I didn't expect Claud to do or take me anywhere because we had already did something Saturday. My original plan was to just stay at home, do some work, try to do some laundry, and watch the Sprout Channel with Gabriella in my pajamas all day. Which by the way I got the cutest first Mother's day cards from her. At daycare, they made a construction paper card with her foot prints on it and I got another card "from her" that was too cute! I put both of them on my Instagram ;)

Later on, Claud surprised me on the phone saying that Gabby and I should get dressed because we were gonna go out. I asked no questions and got dressed since I didn't really want to stay at home anyways. Lol. After all, this day is all about mommies and I am now officially one of them. ;) So our first stop was at his cousins house where everyone was at, playing cards as usual, and we ate and watched Men in Black 3. After Claud finished eating and Gabby played with her cousins and granny and auntie, it was time to stop at Uncle Donny's house. Donovan is Claud's best friend and Gabriella's godfather. We went to his house and had a great time. Everyone was there just having a good time, smoking cigars, sitting by the pool and making s'mores! Gabriella was being held and cooed at by other people. I've found out that Gabby really likes being outside. Haha little Capricorn baby. Claud melted my marshmallow for the s'more for me only because that fire was serious and I have a little fear of big fires. Especially when we have a little ass stick to work with lol. But it ended up being really good. Before the mosquitoes came out, I decided to go ahead and go back in the house, feed Gabriella and watch National Treasure with others. More of Claud and Donovan's college and high school friends came in and they all had "man time" upstairs. So Gabby decided to take a nap while it was quiet downstairs for the people who were interested in the movie. After like 45 mins they all came back down and woke Gabby back up lol. Then people started to leave or go back outside on the pool deck to smoke more cigars and talk it up. Donovan's mom decided to go to bed and all that was left in the living room was Me, Gabby, Claud, Donovan, and Donovan's brother CJ. They decided that they would do what any other group of guys would do... XBOX! They played Fusion Frenzy for an hour and Gabby fell asleep again. It was way past her bedtime. After they finished the game it was time to go home. We stopped at Sonic for late night drinks and then went home. Claud kissed Gabby goodnight and we said we'll see each other Friday. My prom night! :D

Pure Bliss.
Happy Mother's Day!

Upcoming Events Alert!
MY PROM!!!!!
May 17, 2013

"To the world you are a mother but to your family you are the world." ~ Pinterest 

Body Progress: Month 3

FINALLY!
I've found something that actually does work for stretch marks!!! It's pure African Shea Butter! Nothing else added in it. Just make sure it's 100% PURE. You can get it on Amazon.com for $4-$10 for a huge block of it, or you can get it from the Vitamin Shoppe or Target or any other store but make sure it says Out of Africa Pure Shea Butter (this is the one I use). I discovered this stuff when my friend Chris, a drummer for the dance ensemble, had a bucket of this stuff and I read the front label of it and saw everything that it helps (yes not just stretch marks), and he said that they also use it for blisters, scars and cuts they get from drumming. I asked my friend Ethan who was standing next to him who is also a drummer and said to both of them "Does this stuff really work and heal all of these things?!" And Ethan firmly said "I am a FIRM believer! If it can work on my blisters, I'm sure it can work on your stretch marks." So I immediately used some of his and told him that if it looks at least 10% better tomorrow morning i'm buying some! And guess what...the next morning, it looked 20% better! Since then, I've been using it for 3 weeks now and my stretch marks are increasingly getting lighter and lighter each week. Very Fast! I'm almost positive that these will be gone in time for Senior cookout day.
Chris also told me that it works even better with African Black Soap. So yea I bought that too lol. It smells soo good too.
So far so good on my body progress for the month! :) Its just in time! It's pretty much May and its almost time for everyone to bust out the skimpy sexy clothes!

I'm ready!
-Kortney

"We never notice the beauty because we are so busy trying to make it." ~ Unknown 

My Last Month of High School! :(

I can't believe that starting Wednesday, it will be my last month of high school. It feels like not too long ago I was in the 4th grade imagining my high school senior year. Now it has finally come to reality. With a few exceptions and changes to that reality lol. I didn't know that I would be going to an arts school, and I definitely never expected to be a high school mom. But all those unexpected things are what makes my life better than expected :)
In this final month, there will be so many activities we will be doing so keep checking back later!

Hugs and Love!
-Kortney

"Tough times don't last. Tough people do." ~ Unknown 

Gabriella is 4 months old!

My big girl is 4 months today!!!
I feel like crying. As a matter of fact I did. Lol. I can't believe that I'm already "looking back" at her old pictures and videos from when she was a newborn. Now she is just growing by the minute and I thought I was prepared for these moments but it looks like I'm not. I'm already starting to think of her 1st birthday lol. Can't tell the thoughts and ideas of those yet :P
This week is an exciting week. Since Gabriella is now 4 months old, she has to get her second round of immunizations. So this Friday we are going to the doctor. And then Saturday we are getting ready to develop her next milestones... starting rice cereal and crawling. :) We're going to take a trip to Babies R Us and buy her a highchair and some baby jumpers and walkers! I'm strangely excited for this new stage in both of our lives. She's become more aware and used to how her new world works. No more swaddling!

Sorry I haven't been posting that much this month. There just hasn't been alot of exciting things going on this month. But remember to follow me on Twitter and Instagram for even more fun!

-Kortney

"Raise your words not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~ Rumi

Happy Easter! 2013

HAPPY EASTER!
This year we decided just to remain low key with Easter only because its Gabriella's first! Shes still too young to enjoy the Easter bunny and eat candy although she did get an Easter basket. We spent our Easter (mostly) at church (all day) and ate a nice dinner. Very low key indeed.
Maybe next year should be more fun because she will be older.

Happy Easter! Baby's first Easter! 

EVENT ALERT! 

April 6th and 7th is Dance for the Planet at Booker T. HSPVA and I encourage everyone to come out to take FREE master classes or enjoy hundreds of dance performances. 

Also...

April 9th and 10th I will be performing for the first time in over a year, at the Montgomery Arts Theater at BTWHSPVA in Dallas. Yay!

Happy Easter Everyone! He is Risen!

-Kortney

"Though our feelings may come and go, God's love for us does not." ~ Unknown 

Body Progress: Month 2

I'm definitely getting somewhere! I am finally getting my tone back and my stretch marks are slowly but surely fading away. SO proud of myself! My goal is to at least have the marks faded by May... so I really only have 2 more months to get it back! I need it back by May only because Senior picnic which is when all the seniors go to the lake, and I start back modeling in early June. Whew! The Pressure!

Keep Going!
-Kortney

"Beautiful people are not always good, but good people are always beautiful." ~ Unknown 

Spring Break 2013!

My spring break 2013 was great!
Technically, I had 2 weeks of spring break instead of one. I counted 2 because Claud's spring break was the week right after mine. SO it was kinda like have 2 weeks of amazing spring fun.
My week started off with Rent-A-Senior day at my school. Traditionally, the day before spring break is senior skip day. So our school has this "new" tradition that underclassmen can "Rent a Senior" for the entire day and have them do whatever they want. But since half of my class is truant and at risk of not graduating because of attendance, the majority of us participated in rent-a-senior which is 10x funner anyways. I was rented by Sinclair, a junior in the dance cluster with me, and I was her pretty kitty for the day. She painted me a cat face, put my hair in cat ear buns, and dumped glitter all over me. Every time someone said my name I had to sing the "meow song" and if someone touched me I had to purrrr. It was fun while it lasted but I swear if I hear another meow or the meow song anymore, I'm going to hit somebody. Lol
Alexis was a whore (her renter stole my idea because that's what I did to my senior when I was a sophomore -.-), Chelsea was a Sparkle Fairy Pixie Dust..... it was hilarious, and DJ was a male fairy who threw sparkles on everyone. Rent-A-Senior day was soooo much fun. This marks the beginning of our senior activities. This means we are so much more closer to graduation.
Sunday, we made our trip to Shreveport, my hometown. This was Gabby's first time travelling.

Gabriella and her cousin McKenzie.

While we were in Shreveport, we did the usual. Just chilled out and ate good food. Also while I was down there, we went shopping. OMG did we shop! We had to spend at least $250 on just shopping alone. It was crazy. And the majority of the items were all for Gabby. Yeap, she is definitely spoiled like her mommy by her mommy. :) 

When we came back to Texas, I had an appointment to get my hair colored. I've been waiting for forever to get my hair re-colored. My new hair color is now Chestnut brown and I love it. So does everyone else. When I was getting my hair done, my mom had Gabriella and watched her at home for me. Since Claud was now back in Texas too, I wanted to see him right away and he wanted the same. After I was finished with my hair, he picked me up from the hair salon and...well yea.....we spent some time together ;) It was nice to be with him again since I haven't seen him since January. After we spent our time, it was time to see his growing baby girl. When we got back to my house, she was waiting for us downstairs with my mom holding her. I grabbed her and I brought her over to Claud and the biggest and best smile ever came across his face. He finally saw his little baby again. It was so cute because he didn't wanna let her go. 

For the rest of the week, we just did some really fun stuff. Monday we took Gabriella to the doctor and then just drove around to see some people. I loved missing school that day because it just feels so good to just be with your man and your baby. Wednesday we just sat at my house and watched TV as our little family. 

Thursday we went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse which is the best damn steakhouse in the entire world!!! It was my first time going and I swear I will definitely be going back.Friday we had a crawfish boil at my house with some of his family. And Saturday.... well since the Christening had to be cancelled, we just had a gift exchange since so many people had already bought gifts. It was really nice but too much like a baby shower which kind of made me uncomfortable but I am very grateful for the gifts and clothes that Gabriella received. After the gift exchange, me Claud and Gabriella spent some time together before he had to leave this morning. We aren't gonna see him again until May 8th. 

So in a conclusion, my spring break was great. Spent alot of time with family and spent alot of money on clothes lol. I also found myself again. My new hair color brought back the real Kortney again. I feel great. 

Watching March Madness before going to Texas Roadhouse.

Happy Spring!

-Kortney

"Some days you just have to create your own sunshine." ~ Unknown 

Gabriella is 3 Months!

Gabriella is 3 months old!
She's getting to be a big girl. I'm freaking out because she is starting to pop out of her newborn sized clothes. This is also a good thing because this is a sign that she is growing well. 0-3 months sizes here she comes! This past weekend, all I did was organize her basket full of 0-3 month clothes and next weekend I'll start washing them and mixing them in with her newborn clothes that are already in her drawer, and slowly put away the clothes that I notice are getting too tight. Shes definitely getting to be a big baby. She now eats 4-5 ounces and is sleeping well. Only 3 more months until she is 6 months and that means she'll be a half year old! I'm definitely not rushing things because its so unreal to think that only a few months ago she was just born and a little tiny thing. Everyday I see her personality come out more and more. Its so exciting.

My big  baby!

As for me, I got my mojo back! Lol. I just recently went through a change to my hair color, my stretch marks are going away, my body is coming back, my dance technique is back, I'm starting to do my daily walks (every Wednesday) again...I feel back to the old me. I'll talk about it more in my spring break post. ;)

Stay luxurious! 

-Kortney!

"A change in behavior begins with a change in the heart." ~ Unknown

Christening Planning: Emergency! SOS!

I can barely enjoy the rest of my spring break. :( The pastor who was supposed to do Gabriella's christening ceremony will NOT get back in touch with me at all. So I called Mrs. Karen and she said that her father in law could do it, but he hasn't gotten back in touch with her either. Ugh the stress!!! So here we are with one week left until the actual Christening and no minister or church to do the ceremony. The invitations aren't even sent out. I still have to order them from Shutterfly.com. Ugh! This is getting stressful. But we will fix this. Things will work out eventually.  They always do.

Stressing!
-Kortney
"When you have nothing left but God, then for the first time, you become aware that God is enough." ~ Maude Royden 

Body Progress: Month 1

It's been a month since I started my postpartum toning and fitness journey. So far I do look a lot better. I do have stretch marks and my skin still looks like a wrinkly puppy's butt, but it looks way better than what it did look like. I am still using cocoa butter and scrubbing with sea salt and using my Daily Workout app.
Looking good! Maybe i'll have a pic ready for you guys next time.

Kisses!
-Kortney

"What matters most is how you see yourself." ~ Unknown 

Christening Planning: Getting the Basics Together

As I explained in the last post about planning Gabriella's christening, I am in charge of the ceremony and all things before.
Before I get started, I just want to explain what a christening is. Some people call it a baby baptism or a dedication. To me they are all the same meaning. After the birth of a child in a christian home, the parents are then responsible for raising the child according to God's rules and principles. Now of course every church, family, home, denomination, and lifestyle are different. Everyone is unique in every way and I am obviously a somewhat nontraditional person and I like to make my own traditions. But either way the goal of a christening, dedication or baptism, is to declare in front of family and friends that you will raise your child by the ways of the Lord.
Godparents are friends (sometimes family) that will help the parents along the way to help raise the child as well. It takes a village! :) Gabby has alot of Godparents. Alexis is my best friend and her godmother. As you see, she was even named after her. And her godfathers are Donovan, Claud's best friend, and Devin, my good friend. When either of them gets married, their spouse will become godparents too.
According to christening etiquette, christenings and baptisms are rarely an elaborate affair. Well screw that tradition! Lol. As for fabulous people, they are very big! Almost like a mini wedding. So planning is a must. First things first... saving the date.
You want to always choose a date that fits into your schedule. The date that we chose is Saturday, March 23. Claud is away in college and he wont be home until March 17 so that weekend will be perfect because he will be home. The time will be late afternoon around 4 because we wont be able to rent out the reception hall until 5:30.
After you get the location and time locked down and set in stone, its time to move on to the invitations. There are millions of invitations out there that can all be good themes. Since the colors are pink and silver, I am ordering the invitations from Shutterfly.com. I got a gift card from the hospital where I delivered her at for 50 free prints and a $20 off purchase, so of course I wanted to use it. As everyone knows, I am the biggest Party City fan and I always get my supplies from there so this time I decided to give it a little rest. But I am in love with party city so I will definitely be still using it for other events. Since the invitations will be custom made, I'm gonna put her pictures on there. It's gonna be so cute.
We already have her dress and we are just waiting on her custom made bow done by her fairy glam mother William T. Ford who is the designer of WTFashion. :) I also have my outfit and look ready, and the favors will come later when we get closer to the big day.

I'm so excited!
-Kortney

"The closer a person is to God, the closer he is to people." ~ Pope Benedict XVI 

Gabby Gets Her 2 Month Shots

I don't know who was nervous more; Me or Gabriella. But today it was time for Gabriella's 2 month vaccinations. I was nervous and felt sorry for my baby because I hate shots and I knew that they will not feel good at all to her. And she would be very unexpecting of it.

The calm before the storm. 

Since the doctor hasn't seen Gabby in a while she had to check up on her to see how she was doing and developing. The news that I heard was very unexpected. Gabriella has always been a spit up baby ever since she came home. I thought nothing of it but since she is also fussy, Dr. Robinson said that she has reflux disease. It is curable and all I have to give her is some medication. But that wasn't the only bad news I got. Since her last visit, Gabriella has only gained 1 pound. This worried both me and her doctor very much. It is possibly due to her reflux disease since she can never really eat anything without spitting it back up; Or it can be due to her not eating enough. I thought that she was eating just fine because I eat well enough to produce healthy breast milk and she eats 2.5-3 ounces which is good for her age and its just simply how much she eats. Or it can just be genetics, since I am a small person too. So Dr. Robinson wants to check back with her in 2 weeks and during that time she wants me to add an extra feeding and occasionally add a tiny teaspoon of rice cereal to her bottles that she takes to daycare. My poor baby. :(

After the checkup and the long talk, it was time for her shots. It was so sad to see the nurse come in because at first, Gabby was smiling. She really didn't know what was about to happen. But then the nurse sat down the kit that holds her vaccinations, and she had an idea what was up. The first vaccine they gave her was a liquid one so she sucked it through a tube. Then it was time for the needles...
I had to hold her arms down and I hid her head with mine while she got the shots. Her screams pierced the entire clinic's ears. It was so loud and high pitched, I felt so bad for my little baby. But she had to get them because we want the baby to be healthy!

One of the risks was that she might get a fever. Well, she did. They said I could give her infant Tylenol drops. Since, she caught a fever, she couldn't go to daycare so we stayed home and just cuddled all day. 

Make sure you are all vaccinated! Keep the world a healthy place!

-Kortney

 P.S.  Sorry I keep changing the name of this blog. Just haven't found the right fit. 

"Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door." ~ Coco Chanel 

Christening Planning: Getting Started

This Friday will be the 1st of March. That means it's time to start planning Gabriella's christening! I'm so excited because this is obviously my first time planning one and this is another party being planned. As you may know, I always find any excuse to plan and throw a party! I just love doing it. I even thought about becoming a party planner before. But back to the matter at hand!
Since this is my first time planning a christening, I am getting help from Claud's mom, Karen. Together we have split the responsibilities. I am in charge of the ceremony stuff and everything before it, and she is planning and in charge of the reception. Which means my responsibilities consist of:

-Booking the church and officiant for the ceremony.
-Getting the Godparents together.
-Making the invitations.
-Getting the photographer.
-Buying Gabriella and myself outfits.
-Buying all the things needed during the ceremony.
-Favors for the reception.

And so that leaves her in charge of:

-Selecting the reception space.
-Getting all the guests together.
-The decorations.
-The menu.

The fun stuff. Lol

We have already discussed some simple things such as the colors will be pink and silver, the date is March 23, and also we are gonna use the reception as a chance to get Gabby things for when she's 6 months and up. So any gifts given must be 6 months and up.

I'm so excited! I have my checklist ready and my money saved!

Another fabulous and luxurious event underway!
-Kortney

"Don't forget to pray today because God didn't forget to wake you up this morning." ~ Unknown 

Gabriella is 2 months and Happy Birthday Samantha!!!

Gabriella is 2 months today! My baby girl is getting so big. It makes me wanna cry to see her growing so fast. It seems like just yesterday I brought her home. Now, shes just a happy, smiley and cute little 2 month old. She has outgrown her Newborn diapers and now in size 1. But her Newborn clothes still fit her and she hasn't grown into her 0-3 month clothes yet. I seriously wanna cry. Haha I already want another baby because I just don't want it to end. But I will be waiting for a while until I decide to have another one. Lol.

2 Months

Gabby's month marks always fall on special days. Today is also my best friends birthday. Happy Birthday Samantha! We have been best friends since the 6th grade and have been through so much together. We are pretty much like sisters. I love you and Happy Birthday!
Also Happy Birthday to all the Pisces out there. You all are amazing and you are all so sweet. All of my good friends have been Pisces and my first love was even one. ;)

Love you!
-Kortney

 "Love is individual to each person and I don’t think you can define it before experiencing it because it isn't going to be the same for everybody." ~ Zooey Deschanel

Valentine's Day 2013!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
I hope you all got what you wanted and/or got anything at all. ;) If you didn't, it's OKAY! Promise.
But this year was a really great Valentine's Day. The best one I have ever had. I have only had 3 Valentines in my life and all of them were either very cheesy or very fake. Ugh! I can't even believe I dated so many losers! But whatever! Live and learn right?
Well my day went excellent. It seems like everyone was receiving gifts. It was so lovely to witness that. My friends got lots of things too. Chelsea got a bouquet of flowers and a charlie brown card; LaDarria got a Valentine's puppy from Build a Bear and some stuff from Bath and Body Works; Gurley got chocolate covered strawberries from Shari's Berries. Of course some of my friends are single. But the single ones who were still positive about Valentine's Day actually ended up getting stuff, while the ones who proclaimed it "Single Awareness Day" didn't really get anything. See...it pays to stay positive.
 My main Valentine was Claud. Since he is far away in Arkansas, his plan was to originally send me something in the mail. But he instead had his dad pick up his gift and give it to me. Not too too thrilled about that but hey...he at least remembered and at least tried. I ended up getting a HUGE pile of gifts for me and Gabriella.

All the V-Day Gifts

What I got him was something so funny, yet so sexy and so perfect for Valentine's Day. As you may know, I am a Scorpio so everything we do has some sort of sex appeal to it. What I got him for Valentine's Day was a book....a sex positions book. Lol. It was hilarious. He liked it though. He really likes my sense of humor and he gets me. That's what I love about him. Can he handle me though? Of course not! No one can ;P Lol

Gabriella was also my little Valentine. I got so many kisses from her!

This years Valentine's Day was great.
Happy Valentine's Day!
-Kortney

"Never chase love, affection, or attention. If it isn't given freely by another person, then it isn't worth having." ~ Unknown

Winter Ball

Winter Ballin!!!

Saturday was my school's annual Winter Ball. Pretty much like a mini prom or as some people would like to call it, a winter dance, school dance, blah blah blah. Lol. Since my school doesn't have homecoming (nope, we don't have sports. it's an arts school.), this is our "close to it" type of function. Everyone looks forward to Winter Ball. 

Out of my four years of high school, I have sadly only been to 2 Winter Balls. My freshman year, I couldn't go because I was grounded (for a very stupid reason if you ask me). The theme that year was Roman Empire and took place at Fair Park Hall in Dallas. They said that it was soo fun. My sophomore year I didn't go because I had pageant things to do. The theme that year was an Elegant Ball. Everyone said that one was boring. My junior year I finally went. I can't remember what the theme was. It was pretty fun but only because I had a date...now that I look back on it... I hated him. Lol. This year, my senior year, my last and final, the theme was just simply Winter Ball. This year by far was the best. 

I have been planning for winter ball to be my first party after I had Gabriella so this was so much fun getting ready for. I ordered my dress online 2 weeks in advance, and I planned out my hair and makeup. I decided to go with Alexis since we both live close to each other. Out of all 4 of my friends, Me and LaDarria were the only ones with no dates. So we were each others. The ball took place at EM the Venue in the design district of Dallas. I felt so great walking in. I felt like I was back to my original sexy self. The night couldn't have went any better either. I immediately went on the dance floor after saying my hellos to everyone. I felt great dancing again. I just felt soooooooo much like KORTNEY lol. It was amazing. Dancing and having a good time with my friends and classmates. Our school is so small. Only 800 students compared to most high schools that have 1,000 something students. So everybody knows everybody and even though we all have our differences and opinions, we all get along so well. Especially my senior class. We are just one big dysfunctional family. I couldn't have asked for an even better night. 

I'm not going to get into too much detail because all we did was dance, sweat, talk, take pictures, dance, sweat  dance, dance and did I mention dance? Lol. Overall it was a great night. I drove home with Alexis and we did have plans to go to IHOP but those got ruined because she was running out of gas. I came home, took a quick bath, nursed a sleepy Gabby and looked through all the videos and pictures that I took. Earlier, Gurley. LaDarria, Alexis and I were sitting down and said...."You guys this is it...... We only have one semester left until this is all over..." I almost wanted to cry. This really IS it. I have been daydreaming and imagining my senior year since the 6th grade. It may have had a few "unexpected additions" but that's completely fine with me. I'm so happy with my life right now and I am so happy and excited for these next 4 and final months of high school. AWWWWW I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry....

This is definitely the start of my final high school journey and I'm just making as many memories as I can. 

Memories that last a lifetime...

Make every moment count! 

-Kortney

"Life is short, live it. Love is rare, grab it. Anger is bad, dump it. Fear is awful, face it. Memories are sweet, cherish them." ~ Unknown 

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Today is my mother's birthday! Happy Birthday mommy!

Isn't she pretty? I get it from her! 

My mom is the ultimate trendy girl and very youthful. It's always so hard for me to choose a gift for her because she pretty much already has everything. So I got her a few candles from Bath and Body Works and a card signed by all of us including her granddaughter.
Her plans are to just go out and eat with her friends this year. Next year will be her 40th birthday so i'll definitely be expecting something more extravagant.

Have Fun Mommy and Happy Birthday
-Kortney

"Youth is something very new. Twenty years ago, no one mentioned it." ~ Coco Chanel 

Gabby goes to Daycare

Today was Gabriella's first day at daycare. Unfortunately my mother wants to go back to work so she can't keep watching her all the time. It crushed me because I trust my mom over any daycare or babysitter.
When I dropped her off, it was pretty bad. Maybe a little worse than when I left her for the first time with my mom. It's because I'm leaving her with people I barely know and that she barely knows. And its some crazy crazy people out there so of course I was scared. I had to be sort of quick when I dropped her off because I couldn't be late for school. But I left a list of things that they should know about her while taking care of her.
While I was at school, I felt pretty anxious. I was just thinking to myself what was she doing, was she okay, was she being ignored, was she being taken care of.... a million questions were running through my head.
When it was time for me to go pick her up, I wanted to hurry up and leave. When I got there, I could hear her crying and I rushed to her room and saw my baby girl finally. I could feel the look of relief when she came back to me. Her caregiver said that she just has to get used to a new environment and she'll be fine.I missed my little girl so much.

After I picked Gabby up, we headed to the mall and shopped for both my mom's birthday gift, and Claud's, my boyfriend and Gabriella's daddy, valentines gift. You'll have to wait and see what I got them ;)

Good Day!
-Kortney

"Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring and integrity, they think of you." ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.

"I wanna see you work out for me, work out for me..."

I love that song. Lol
But it's that time...
Time to melt away this belly!
Since I dance pretty much all day at school, that's going to be my cardio and I come home and do workouts on the workout app that I have.
So keep up with me on this journey! I want to get back to my pre-pregnancy shape by Spring Break which is March 11! And if you want to do this with me, you can download the same app that I have which is My Daily Workouts app for iPhone (not sure if Android has it but you can look), and you can do what ever cardio you choose.

My starting weight: 112 lbs.

This isn't really about losing weight, more about toning my body. And I guarantee that if you stop thinking about the "weight" and focus on telling yourself that you are "toning", you will see better results.

Good Luck (to you and me)!
-Kortney

(My favorite quote)
" I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." ~ Michael Jordan 

Back to School!

Wuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I don't wanna go back to school!!!! :(
But I had to.
Today was my first day back and it was so hard. I woke up and did my usual routine that I was used to for so long, before I had Gabby but this time it  just felt different. It felt as if I shouldn't even be doing it. I wanted to wake her up and nurse her but I had to go :( My mom is going to take care of her for the next couple of days so I was a little relieved by that because I don't have to send her to daycare right away.I gave my mom instructions on how to take care of baby and then I kissed Gabriella at least 3 times before I walked out the door and held back my tears.
At school, the entire day everyone was so happy to see me back to my old self. (I wore heels of course to show that I really was back). People who were new or have only known me for a semester, was like " OMG I have never seen you not pregnant before. I'm so used to seeing you pregnant." Haha it was pretty fun. But all day, all I could think of was my little baby.
I rushed home after school. Even though I made a quick stop to get my eyebrows threaded with Alexis, I was in a rush to get home. When I got there, my angel was asleep but I didn't care. I wanted to hold her! I picked her up, asked my mom when was the last time she ate, she said 3 hours ago because that's how long she was sleep, I went to my room and I nursed her right away. I missed her sooo much!

Snuggling up with my angel

For the rest of the evening, even though I had some homework, I took care of her and never let her out of my sight. I was so happy to see my baby and cuddle with her again. 

Madly in love

-Kortney

"Let distance be another reason to love harder than anyone should." ~ Unknown

Postpartum = I'm Done

My Awesome Dr. Weix. Thanks for everything!

Yesterday was my 6 weeks postpartum checkup. It was the last doctors visit of my "pregnancy stage". I'm done! My 9 month pregnancy is officially over. Now my true motherhood begins.

My recovery was somewhat between average and quick. Since I had an episiotomy performed, I had to get stitches. So as soon as my epidural wore off, I felt EVERYTHING :( But as the weeks went by, it of course healed and the more the pain wore off. My poor kitty :( lol! I was not happy about my doctor having to cut me at all. That's what all the Kegels were supposed to prevent...guess not.
The next couple of nights in the hospital, I got zero sleep. I chose to co-sleep with her in my room instead of sending her to the nursery. I chose to do that because she is breastfed and I thought it would be good to prepare me for the no sleep anyway. It did. Very well.
In the hospital and when I got home, the baby blues hit me pretty hard. It wasn't the sad baby blues but rather the very emotional one. I cried just by looking at her. I loved her so much. If a song came on and the word baby was said, I would burst into tears. I cried when we left the hospital and on our way home. It was because we were both entering a new world. We were in a place of transition, which was the hospital and we were finally off to start a whole new life. All I could think to myself in the car ride home was that, now... life really begins. I was so excited to bring my baby home. My little sisters stood outside with a sign that said "Welcome Home Gabriella!" as we pulled up. It made me cry even more. Yea, those postpartum tears turned me into a big cry baby!

So it's safe to say that I had a pretty easy and fast recovery. My stomach is still kind of flabby though. But not as bad as it was the first couple of weeks. Now I am off to pick up where I left. I go back to school Monday and I am not really excited about it. Only 40% of me is ready to go back just because I miss everyone and I miss dancing. But the other 60% just wants to stay at home and take care of Gabby because I know I will miss her more than I miss my friends.

Healed!
-Kortney

"Never love anybody that treats you like you're ordinary." ~ Oscar Wilde 

Happy Birthday Amber and Gabby is 1 month!

Today was a really special day...
First off I would like to say Happy Birthday to all Aquarius' out there!
And secondly, Happy Birthday to my little sister Amber!
Amber turned 12 today and shes just getting so old. It seems like yesterday she was still 9 years old. Now shes my big preteen girl. I always tell her that she and her friends remind me of myself and my friends when I was her age. Its so true.
I always spoil people who are close to me on their birthdays...when I have the money of course. ;) So for Amber's birthday this year she wanted a self portrait of herself. She originally wanted someone from my school to do it for her but since I am not at school at the moment, I had to re-think. So I looked up online for someone else to draw her if I sent her picture in. I found this great caricature website that could do it for only $40 which is good and the cheapest I could find. It isn't here yet but it will be her birthday present from me. I also got her a birthday card signed by our baby sister Kamryn, our dog Pippen, Gabriella and myself; I gave her a birthday crown and birthday pins; and I also decorated a dollar to pin on her shirt and 5 dollars for her birthday pin to start off the money flow.
Happy Birthday Moo!

Gabriella with her Aunt Amber aka the Birthday Girl 

Today was also special because today Gabby is 1 month old!

Its all just going by so fast! :'(  I can't believe a month ago I was in the hospital with her. Time is really flying by.I was looking through her pictures in my phone and she already looks so different than her newly born self. Before I know it she will be 1 year... ahhhhhhh its so scary yet will be here before I know it. 

1 Month!

Life goes by so quick!

-Kortney

"The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things." ~ Unknown

And my search for Gabby's daycare begins...

I can't believe that I only have 2 weeks until I have to go back to school. I'm trying my hardest not to think about it though. Well since I do only have 2 more weeks, my pregnancy case manager said that now is a good time to start researching daycare centers. I really hate that I have to send Gabriella to a daycare center but my immediate close family is either 3 hours away in Louisiana or they all work. I have my scares about daycare centers because I was sent to one my entire childhood and I hated it. The smells, the so called "teachers" with bad attitudes that barely watched what children were doing, and the dreaded germs. EEEEHK! Hmmmmm but I have to send her to one. And that's why I am looking for the best one possible that fits my (somewhat high) standards. Only the best for the best, right? ;)
So far I have picked out 4 centers and I have already crossed out 2. Thanks to the state's list of daycares on their website, I was able to see the centers deficiencies and violations. What I am mainly looking for in a good daycare, is that there are not too many children for the caregivers to handle, make sure that they have background checks, a safe and healthy environment, focus on learning and development, and I also want to make sure that me and whoever will be taking care of Gabriella is on the same page with me. I don't want any conflict or disagreements. So far, I am pretty confident in just one center. Its close to my school, I can get to her easy and the hours are great. The other option is just a last resort.  Its closer to my house but very far from my school which is where I am at most of the time.

Well,  wish me luck hunting!
-Kortney

"They cant scare me if I scare them first." ~ Lady Gaga

Happy New Year!!! 2013

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope you all had some kind of fun. I pretty much just stayed at home and watched TV with my baby girl and kissed her at midnight  =)

Well, 2012 was very much a year of change and transitions for me. I had to adjust my life and plans to fit my baby in. So pretty much you can say that from January to April 2012 was very wild, and everything after was chill and all about baby. But as a part of my resolutions in 2013 I plan on getting back to my real self again. 

I found out that the best way to keep your new years resolutions is to write them down. So in addition to me writing them down on a piece of paper and putting it on my bulletin board, I'm going to share with you all my resolutions for 2013. That way even you can see if I am actually gonna keep them. At the end of this year, I will revisit them and see for myself what all I have done. 

1. Be a good mommy to Gabby. 

2. Buy a car! 

Yes its true. I still don't have a car. 

3. Get back into pre-pregnancy shape. 

I'll definitely be posting blogs about this.

4. Graduate!

5. Get back to modelling.

6. Go to beauty school.

Since college really isn't for me, I've decided to take this route since its something I love doing anyway.

7. Stay organized.

8. Keep praying and blogging.

Shouldn't really have a problem with this one ;)

If you really want to have the bragging rights of being able to keep your resolutions  I highly suggest you write them down and put them somewhere where you see it every day. 

Ask, believe and receive in 2013!

-Kortney

"Hope is wishing something would happen. Faith is believing something will happen. Courage is making something happen."~ Unknown