memories of firsts: red & black….

the FIRST georgia game i ever went to was in college. i know. i had basically been deprived by entire life. but i don't blame my parents, because they just didn't know any better. and before i went to college at UGA, my brother went to another measly little school in our area…. {GaTech} but that's neither here nor there. ;-)

jeffrey and i went to our FIRST georgia game together in 2001. babies, y'all. we were babies! want proof? (besides the obvious young, well rested faces in the picture)? this photo was not taken with a cell phone. or even a digital camera. it was taken with a disposable kodak camera that i dropped off at the one hour photo after the game. those were good times, my friends. 

14 years and many georgia games later, we decided to raise our girls right and with an esteemed knowledge of SEC football. so libbi attended her FIRST UGA game when she was three years old. selfishly, we wanted to wait until she could walk so we didn't have to carry her all the live long day. (although that didn't work out so well) the FIRST time she went to sanford stadium, she was in awe. and rightfully so. she was also able to ride her FIRST "school bus" and have her FIRST experience with "tailgating"….. at chick-fil-a. ;-)

she enjoyed her FIRST experience at the georgia game so much that we decided to take her back the following year. again, she had a blast. she's a true dawg fan through and through. although for the FIRST few years of her life she did call them the "borgia gulldogs" - bless her. it's easy to get a little tongue tied. 

when libbi was four years old, jeffrey decided to take her by herself for the FIRST time. it wasn't the original plan, but i may or may not have been "banned" from attending games with him that season. 

before i was banned, i did go to the FIRST home game that season with jeffrey. it was a bit stressful because it was the FIRST time i had left liza (she was about 7 weeks old) and she still wasn't taking a bottle. so i'm pretty sure i became one of the FIRST fans to bring a breastpump with me to the stadium. but we won that game so it was worth it. all went well with liza, so i decided to make another trip to athens with jeffrey. but it all went downhill (for me, not the bulldogs) at the LSU game that year. we got everyone set up at my mom and dad's and headed out to athens. it's safe to say that game was a pretty "big" game. we spent the afternoon in athens having fun and seeing friends, but then for whatever reason right before game time, i started feeling pretty sick. so sick that i didn't think i could make it through the game. so about fifteen minutes before the biggest game of the year, we gave up our tickets to a young couple right outside the stadium. and let me tell you, that game didn't disappoint. it ended up being one of those games that is just all around unforgettable and everyone talks about it for days. bless jeffrey's heart. he never said a mean word about me getting sick, giving up our tickets, or having to miss such a huge game. but he did ban me from attending anymore games with him that season - ha! so libbi was able to go to another game that 2013 season, thanks to me! :) 

(this was pre-LSU. notice the smiles….they weren't so evident post-LSU)

libbi and jeffrey continued the tradition last year with going to another home game together. 

laney will have her FIRST experience eventually, but as of right now, her legs "quit working" all too often. laney may be able to make it through the FIRST quarter, but i can guarantee we'd spend more money on snacks than we would on tickets to the game. liza hasn't had her FIRST game day experience just yet, but she and laney both have been sporting their red and black since their FIRST football seasons. 

libbi will be attending the FIRST game of the season this year with jeffrey (while the little girls and i cheer from home) and maybe just maybe laney will get to go to her FIRST game this year as well. (but i'm not holding my breath….sorry, lane). at this rate, liza may go to her FIRST game before laney goes to hers - but truthfully,  i don't think she minds…. now if they sold gummies at the stadium, laney would be all over it. thankfully, she has an endless supply of fruit snacks at home, so she's happier here. ;-) 

the tippins family is looking forward to the FIRST game of the season! happy september FIRST and Goooooo Dawgs! 

to see more "memories of firsts…" posts, click HERE

memories of firsts...

where did the month of january go?! february is upon us and i'm hopeful that things can only get better from here… which brings me to my "memories of firsts on the first" post:

today, we have our FIRST stomach bug of the year and my sweet FIRST born is the (un)lucky recipient. bless her heart, she also had to experience sickness of that kind for the FIRST time at church today. and of course, it just so happens that i was taking all three girls to church by myself this morning. isn't that the way it always happens? we walked into the front doors of the building and walked right back out about five minutes later. i'm sure the FIRST time visitors and members alike really appreciated what they saw FIRST thing upon entering the church. thankfully, they're a forgiving bunch ;) 

i'm praying that poor libbi is not just the FIRST to have the bug, but the LAST! 

here's to a happy, HEALTHY, love filled month…. happy february FIRST friends!

UPDATE: laney is now the FIRST one to follow in libbi's footsteps. Victim #2....

to see more "memories of firsts on the first" posts click HERE.

memories of firsts: walking...

big things are happening at the tippins household…. liza girl has started walking!

i would love to say she took her FIRST steps towards me….but that's not the case. i had just flipped on mickey mouse and she popped right up and took off.  liza loves her some mickey and minnie mouse!

libbi took her FIRST steps the day she turned 11 months old. laney waited a bit longer to take her FIRST steps - she was just shy of 13 months. and liza girl waited even longer and took her FIRST steps at 14 months.

i caught a quick video of one of liza's FIRST attempts. a small warning, you may want to turn the volume down. unless you'd like the dogs in your neighborhood to start barking in response to my high pitched scream. sorry…. i was excited :)

and of course i had to go searching for videos of my other girls' FIRST steps. i found libbi's, but couldn't find any of laney. so sorry, laylay. we do love you. and i know i have some sort of footage of your FIRST steps….somewhere. i'm just not sure where at the moment. just don't let this be the FIRST thing you bring up in therapy, mmmkay? ;-)  #middlechildsyndrome

here's a small clip of libbi's FIRST steps.

again…. the volume. my screaming. apparently the excitement was just as great the FIRST time around as it was the second and third.

and even though i can't find the video of laylay walking - here's a picture of one of the FIRST times she stood on her own. i can't leave out this sweet girl. :) 

it's going to be a busy month for the tippins girls! 

happy october FIRST, friends! 

memories of firsts; introductions....

today is august first. 

i'm writing my first "memories of firsts" post as a momma of three girls. 

so far, so good. :) 

the first time libbi became a big sister, she was a little timid. 

the first time she met liza, and became a big sister for the second time around - she was still a little timid. 

the hospital can be a scary place at first. 

the first thing libbi asked on the way to meet liza was, "how will we know which baby is liza?" sweet, smart, little love. 

the first thing she asked when she actually saw liza was, "why is she nekkie?!" ha! 

the first thing laney said when we told her she was going to visit liza, "baby why-za"

the first thing laney said upon seeing her new baby sister was, "awwww....so cute!"

when laney became a big sister for the first time, she was a little more concerned with the whereabouts of buddy and mimzy out in the waiting room than with her new little sister in the hospital room. ;)

the first day we brought laney home from the hospital, libbi was a little unsure. she had just woken up from her nap and....surprise! there was a new baby at home. 

the first day we brought liza home from the hospital, libbi was full of confidence and ready to hold her. 

laney on the other hand, was certain she was meant to hold the baby. at all times. it reminded me of the way libbi used to stretch out her arms and try to hold laney. :) 

the first time i saw libbi and laney together, i was certain there was nothing that i could possibly love more.... and then two years later, i saw all three of my girls together for the first time and my heart just burst. 

i'm sure there will be many more "firsts" with all three of these girls, but i pray that they will always remember that they were each other's first friend. 

to see more memories of firsts on the first posts, click HERE

Happy August FIRST!!

memories of firsts; 1st bday edition...

laney's FIRST birthday feels like it was yesterday and five years ago all at the same time. and don't even get me started on libbi's FIRST birthday! 

it's crazy to think that the FIRST party laney attended was libbi's 2nd birthday party, and now she'll be celebrating her own 2nd birthday in less than two weeks! 

how is that possible?! 

i remember when i started planning laney's FIRST birthday, i knew i wanted it to have a little birdie theme. i used her bedding as inspiration and everything else took off from there.

on the day of her party, the FIRST (and only) thing laney wanted to do was.... 
hold on to her daddy for dear life - ha!

fortunately(?) this wasn't the FIRST time she'd behaved that way and we were well aware by this point that laney wasn't much of a "people person." bless her. ;)  

the FIRST (and only) thing libbi wanted to do at laney's party was....
jump. and jump. and jump. 

although, at the FIRST mention of "cake" both of my girls were open to changing their plans. they are their momma's daughters, for sure! 

when we sang happy birthday to the birthday girl, no one had any idea that the FIRST thing she would do was grab the candle. she wasn't hurt, but she definitely wasn't happy, either. 

laney's FIRST birthday was a success as far as FIRST birthday's go....cake, presents, family, and friends (of course not in that order) ;-)

we're excited to see what her second birthday has in store.... and in case you're curious, here's the FIRST sneak peek of what to expect:

for more memories of firsts on the first, click HERE. 

happy may FIRST, friends! 

memories of firsts.... fripp island

we spent the weekend at one of our favorite places...fripp island. there will be more posts coming with all of the fun memories we made, but FIRST - a fun little look back, because i recently realized that all of our babies have been to fripp island before they were born. how fun! :) 

libbi's FIRST trip to fripp island...

{around 26 weeks}

laney's FIRST trip to fripp island...

{around 33 weeks}

baby girl #3's FIRST trip to fripp island...

{around 23 weeks}

such wonderful times with all of our girls...can't wait for many more to come!

happy april FIRST! 

to see more memories of firsts on the first click HERE.

memories of firsts; introductions...

in honor of my sweet babies and my emotional pregnant self, today's "Memories of Firsts on the First" post is all about the FIRST time i met each of my girls and the FIRST time they met each other. 

i remember the FIRST time i held libbi, the FIRST thing i said was, "oh my gosh. she's so heavy!" and i was terrified that my dr. was going to tell me i had just birthed a 15 pound baby worthy of the tabloids. 

as FIRST time parents, we were scared to death. ha! we had NO clue what we were doing and felt pretty sure that it was glaringly obvious. 

the FIRST time we put libbi in the car to take her home, i sat in the backseat with her and jeffrey drove. i don't think we really even talked or breathed for that matter. i know he more than likely had two hands on the wheel at all times and i'm pretty sure that we even pulled over once just to make sure everything was okay. (we live about 7 miles from the hospital) - ha!

having laney was a completely different experience. we didn't have any of those FIRST time jitters. my main concern was how laney's arrival would effect my FIRST baby. i was a nervous wreck about libbi feeling left out or neglected. 

when i held laney for the FIRST time, it was not too long after we heard, "it's a girl!" for the very FIRST time. 

when our FIRST baby arrived to meet our newest baby girl, she was very timid at FIRST. 

these pictures make me smile, because they are just "so libbi." she's not overly affectionate or cuddly. she's just very observant and assessing every thing about the situation and the new baby. i laugh when i see these, because they are a perfect depiction of libbi's little personality - even to this day. 

even though she wasn't smothering her sister with kisses the FIRST time they met, i knew without a doubt that they would one day be the best of friends. after all, a sibling is your FIRST "true" friend (whether you like it or not - ha!)

when we brought laney home for the FIRST time, it was very different from our experience with libbi. i totally forgot to sit in the backseat. and we didn't stop on our way home to make sure everything was okay, but we did stop through the drive-thru at chickfila - ha! ;-)

i love that i have these precious moments of FIRST introductions to look at forever. it makes me so thankful for my babies and even more excited that not too long from now we'll be meeting another sweet baby for the FIRST time! 

happy march FIRST, friends! 
to see more "memories of firsts" posts, click HERE.

memories of firsts...

the tippins girls have been busy during the month of january! instead of posting our usual "memories of firsts on the first" post i've decided to just share some of the firsts that we experienced during the month of january....

laney had her FIRST day of school! she and libbi go to school together every monday and friday (libbi goes solo on wednesdays). even though they're not in the same class, libbi wasn't too thrilled about laney attending "her school" at FIRST, but we soon realized it was mainly because she thought she was going to have to share her lunch - ha! ;-)

laney still screams as they pry her out of the car every morning, but by the time she reaches the building, she's a happy, happy girl. she's gotten great reports every day and she loves playing with all the "babies" 

libbi had her FIRST day of ballet and gymnastics! she is such an active climber/flipper/acrobat that i really wanted to get her involved in gymnastics. however, she was ADAMANT that she wanted to do ballet. (her idea of ballet and actual ballet are a little different...)

i was so thrilled when i found a combination class! she takes 30 minutes of ballet in the dance studio, then they move into the gym for 30 minutes of gymnastics. to say she loves it is a serious understatement. she counts down the days until she goes to ballet again. she wears her leotard non-stop. and just as much as SHE loves it, i love watching her even more! unfortunately, laney doesn't feel quite the same. it's pure torture for her to watch libbi out on the gym floor and not be able to join her. maybe one day laylay!
i'm sure there will be lots more posts in the future on our ballet and gymnastics adventures. 

laney had her FIRST haircut in the month of january. i finally bit the bullet and had her little baby mullet cut. it was not nearly as traumatic (for either one of us) as i expected it to be. candy is a wonderful thing. and laney will do just about anything for it. 

libbi also had her hair cut and while it wasn't her FIRST one, it was the FIRST time she's had her nails done at the "salon." she thought she was big stuff. and she totally picked out sparkly purple and neon pink. go big or go home, right? 
thank goodness that stuff was peeling off before it was even bath time - ha! 

{i spy a little hand trying to swipe her own polish? ;-)}

and finally, i can't mention the milestone FIRSTS of the tippins girls without mentioning one for the biggest tippins girl...ME! and my "FIRST" of the month of january is a bit of a confession...
i was pulled over for the FIRST time (ever!) yesterday - ah! i am so mortified. and want to know what makes it even better??
jeffrey had just called our city police station a few days ago to report lots of speeding and running of stop signs on the main street in our neighborhood. the officers agreed that it is a problem and told him they would put patrol cars out to monitor. guess who was the FIRST person they pulled over?! that would be me; the wife of the complaint filer. how's that for ironic? :) 
apparently i did not come to a complete stop at the four way stop. i "yielded" instead of stopping. the officer was very kind and gave me a warning... in between all of his laughing. guess i'm the hoodlum all my neighbors need to watch out for. oops. 

january was full of FIRSTS for our family and we're looking forward to a february full of LOVE! :) 

happy FIRST day of february, friends!

to see more memories of firsts on the first, click HERE.