Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving from Team Burton!

Hope you enjoy the next several photos of Kate and family...we had a blast at home over Thanksgiving, especially Kate!

Hey Mamaw and Papaw!

See my handsome Papaw!

nanadana................

and nananana!

Me and mommy...what a pair!

Ahhh...I love my Aunt Stacy!

Catching some shut-eye with Daddy on Thanksgiving morning

Happy Thanksgiving Mamaw and Papaw Burton!

The Russell gang is here, too!

Snoozing with Uncle Adam...who's cuter????

Kate Update

Remember when Zach could stop time on "Saved by the Bell"? Kelly would be just about to kiss Slater and all of the sudden everything and everyone would freeze...except Zach, of course. He would move Slater out of theway and place himself smack-dab in front of Kelly. Sometimes as I sit and watch Kate sleep or eat or laugh or cry or even make her poopy face, I wish I could do that--just stop time for a little bit. Just long enough to memorize every wave in her hair, every part of her curled grin, every little wrinkle in her chunky little thighs.
But, alas, no can do. Our baby girl is getting bigger everyday, and I can hardly keep up with all of the changes. Today was her 2 month check-up. Two months! She's over 12 pounds now and 23 inches long. Her jeans look more like high-waters everyday and her little onsies are growing tighter and tighter. She is one cute porker!
Stephen and I are both very glad to see that Kate has taken a liking to her swing...it makes dinner time in the Burton home a bit easier than before. She has apparently lost interest in her bouncy seat. That was so 2 weeks ago! She's becoming more responsive every day, as witnessed any time her Daddy talks to her. Two months old and already a Daddy's Girl! Of course, she's cuter every day. I keep thinking, this is it...she can't get any cuter than this. But, sure enough, the very next morning...the cutest thing you've ever seen!

Confessions of a First-Time Mom

During my pregnancy, people would sometimes warn me of how my life would change post-baby. No more nights out on the town (which in our case means a few hours at Starbucks and a quick run to Blockbuster), no more moments to myself, no more carefree Saturdays...
And they were right; my life has changed. But I would gladly give up my caramel machiatos and Friday night rentals for the incredible opportunity to be Kate's mom. I can't describe this overwhelming love I have for her, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway.
You've heard it all before...how the love for your child is instantaneous, how the first look in her eyes gives new meaning and purpose to your life. It's all true. Truer than I could have imagined. But, for me, it's much more than the cliches, despite how true they may be. To be honest, I felt a little awkward when I first met Kate. Despite carrying her for nine months, she was a stranger to me at first, and though I loved her intensely, I didn't really know her. Needless to say, we became fast friends, and my love for her grew more and more overwhelming each day. This I expected. What I didn't expect was for Kate to change my perspective on so many other things. God, for example. My understanding of his love has been made clearer by two things...First, my love for Kate is unconditional. I would throw myself in front of a bus for her, and there is nothing that could diminish my love for her because she is mine. That must be how God loves me. Secondly, Kate is one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. And given all of our recent news, I'm realizing more and more how amazing it is that we have her. So not only does God love me because I belong to him, but he gives me these great big wonderful blessings, too. A line keeps popping into my head from a song in The Sound of Music. It's when Maria and Captain Vontrap finally reveal their love for one another. They gaze into each other's eyes and sing, "Here you are, standing there, loving me, whether or not you should. Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must of done something good." I feel like that sometimes when I look at Kate...I must have done something pretty terrific to deserve her. But I haven't. It's simply God's goodness, and that is stunning.

All I want for Christmas...

Kate met Santa for the very first time and the two clearly hit it off! What was on Kate's wishlist? A trip to North Carolina to see her grandparents, of course!