The Torgersons

Spring MEGA-Post!

2010-04-20T21:27:00.023-05:00

Who can believe that our beautiful Heidi Grace is now 2 years old? Her Mom and Dad certainly cant! She is such an amazing, sweet, smart, loving and funny little girl! We had a low-key birthday celebration and went to Chuck-E-Cheese! This was Heidi's first time, so she was totally loving it!

Here she is with her adorable "Birthday Princess" hat on eating her own mega-huge piece of birthday cake (which Mommy made!)

Here she is saying "hi!" to Uncle Scott through the plexi-glass of the jungle gym.

Here she is lovin' her friends the Weissmann girls

I had to inclue the obligatory blowing out the candles pic too, of course!

(Isn't it sooo cute how Daddy's is holding her up to blow out the candles!?!)

And now for a little perspective, let's look at how much our little princess has changed in just one year! Ahhh, how much difference a year can make!

(My goodness, she was unhappy about eating her birthday cake at her first birthday party!)

(She was MUCH happier at her second birthday!)

And then we celebrated Easter! The family got up early and went to church and then we came back home to have a lovely brunch with our great friends' the Masseys and Heidi had the most fun hunting for eggs!

Heidi loved crawling on Daddy's back!

Look at that face!

Heidi loves baby Emmy!

and in closing, doesn't Heidi look sooo cute with her bunny ears on!?!

"That's my Momma!"

2010-02-18T09:28:00.003-06:00

Heidi is really growing up! {Tear} Its so amazing to see how every day she is less of a baby and more of a little girl. Although Dad and I are fighting it by still referring to her as "the baby." Its so funny to me how, as parents, our number one objective is to guide these precious little monkeys to grow up and be the best they can be - what ever that may be - yet, are in a way fighting it along the way. I find myself thinking, Ah, this is the PERFECT age, I wish I could freeze time and just soak this up a little longer! Well, I'm doing it again, because Heidi is starting to form short sentences... and it is melting my heart! She is talking and babbling virtually all of the time now, but unfortunately I don't understand 90% of what she is saying. Last week I was pretty sure she said "I want my Papa" while we where up in Montana. Ahhhh, so sweet. Then a couple of nights ago Brian, Heidi and I were at the mall. Brian and Heidi were letting me have a little alone time at the Clinique counter (its bonus time!) when all of the sudden Heidi came running up to me and the sales girl and exclaimed, as clear as a bell, "That's my Momma!!!" Every one within earshot collectively sighed, "ahhhhh" and once again my heart had melted! As Heidi is becoming more of a toddler/diva I often become nostalgic for those times when she was an infant, but am realizing more and more that the best is yet to come, and it is such a wonderful ride!

Heidi Got a New Friend Today!

2010-01-13T21:09:00.005-06:00

What an exciting day we all had! Our dear friends The Massey's welcomed their daughter, Emerson, into the world today! Heidi has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new friend for 9 months now, and she was sooooo excited to finally meet her today! Okay, okay, maybe I'm exaggerating her understanding today's momentous events, but I have to say she was really, really excited! Emerson is more gorgeous than we had even expected, and her mom and dad did an amazing job bringing her into the world. We all lover her already. Yay for new babies!

2009-10-05T12:06:00.002-05:00

It is so hard to believe it, but Miss Heidi Grace is now 18 months old! To celebrate her half-birthday, the family went to the park to play on the juggle gym. Heidi had soooo much fun climbing up the jungle gym all by herself and sliding down the slide. Weeeeee! Here are some adorable pictures :-)

Isn't this just too cute!?!

The Family's First 5K!

2009-08-17T08:35:00.005-05:00

We all had such a great weekend! We all participated in the charity run benefiting the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. It was the first 5K for all of us! Mom ran alone, but Dad was a total rock star and pushed Heidi in the jogging stroller! This would have been a very impressive accomplishment on its own, but considering that the coarse was pretty darn hilly (is that a word?) Dad got rock star status for the entire weekend ;-) And Heidi, what a trooper! She loved it! There was so much excitement in the air as all the runners gathered to start the race (we think there were a little over 550 runners in the race) and Heidi loved every minute of her super fast ride in the stroller!

Not only did Heidi, Mom and Dad run, but Uncle Scott and Aunt Tasha did as well as Mom's friend Adrienne and her boyfriend Ven.

Aunt Tasha finished first with a time of 30:30, Mom came in just behind her at 30:53, with Heidi and Dad just following behind at 31:15 (we all know that Dad would have smoked us all if he weren't pushing the jogging stroller!), and Uncle Scott was just behind that, finishing a whole 6 minutes faster than he did in his last 5K. We all had so much fun that we are looking into more runs to participate in ;-)

Blink Lady photos

2009-07-04T10:11:00.001-05:00

We had Heidi's one year portrait...and family portrait done recently by The Blink Lady. She is such an amazing photographer! This one is my favorite of Heidi...just looks so angelic.

Not always happy, but always beautiful!

2009-06-14T10:54:00.003-05:00

Mom and I met LaTara and her son Greyson at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens again for a mini photo shoot. LaTara is a burgeoning photographer and loves to take beautiful pictures of beautiful babies. So with all of the best intentions, we all met up to take some pics. Well, little did they know....I was so not in the mood to have my picture taken! Despite the fact that I was sooo not in the mood, LaTara still got this shot. Look at those beautiful blue eyes! Gorgeous! Mom thinks it is good though...we will need to remember that although I am a beauty...I'm not always laughs, giggles and smiles. ;-)

Just Plain Cute

2009-06-14T10:51:00.000-05:00

Flirty Face

2009-06-14T10:47:00.002-05:00

I am such a flirt these days. Mom just loves it when she catches my flirty face on camera. Here's one of her recent ones. I'm flirting with Uncle Brad at The Mont in this one ;-)

2009-06-01T07:02:00.001-05:00

This picture is from Mothers' Day. We went to 5 Points for breakfast, and Mom got the chance to snap a few pics of moi wearing the outfit she made for me.

Swiiiiing!

2009-05-29T12:07:00.004-05:00

The whole family went to Reeves' Park last weekend. Even though I was tired, I loved swinging on the baby swing! Look at that smile!

I am so ready for Summer!

2009-05-27T21:55:00.003-05:00

and I LOVE wearing my cute, cute, cute sunglasses!

Pretty, Pretty Princess

2009-04-12T21:45:00.000-05:00

Dad thought I needed some pretty princess dress up time today...I think he was right!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

2009-03-31T17:47:00.004-05:00

Heidi is one today! This has been the most exciting, heart-warming and wonderful year! Heidi has brought more to our lives than I could have ever imagined. She has taught me the true meaning of unconditional love and the unique love of a parent to a child. Heidi is an amazing, loving and intelligent little girl. She loves her Mom and her Dad and her doggie sisters Roxy and Coco. When she was a newborn she wanted to be swaddled and held at all times! Today she still loves to cuddle, but she's definitely on the move now! She has grown so much over the past year, and we can't wait to see how much she will grow and develop over the next!

I'm Walking!

2009-03-30T10:24:00.003-05:00

I'm a walking girl now! I took my first steps to Mommy on Thursday, March 26 right before Mom and Dad left the house to go pick up Gigi Redda from the airport (she came into town for my birthday party). Mom and Dad have know that I was close to walking for weeks now, and were so super-excited to see me take my first steps! I'm not that steady on my feet yet, but every day I take a few more steps and get a little more steady.
Here is a video from last night...I'm so proud of myself after I successfully make it to Mommy!

I just love this magazine!

2009-03-19T22:08:00.003-05:00

I finally like my sippy cup!

2009-03-19T20:33:00.001-05:00

Mom has been trying to give me water in a sippy cup for months and I have inevitably pushed it away every time...until tonight. I finally like it. Yay!

Heidi - Photo shoot with LaTara

2009-02-13T13:59:00.003-06:00

Mom's new friend from work, LaTara Johnson, is an amateur photographer. She is working on her portfolio, so she offered to take pictures of Moi (said like Miss Piggy) at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Here they are! Feel free to let me know which one you like best.
If anyone wants LaTara to take their picture - ask Mom and she will give you her contact info...she's looking for more babies pictures to add to her portfolio.

Mom's 30!

2009-02-13T13:31:00.004-06:00

I can't believe that I turned 30 this week! What a milestone birthday. Surprisingly, I am quite happy about it. Don't misunderstand, there is a part of me that feels nostalgic for my twenties...I mean what an eventful decade! When I think back on my 20 year old self, I am amazed at how much I've grown and matured.
Although I didn't realize it then, I certainly had a lot to learn and experience. This "learning" and "experiencing" was not always easy, but wow was it worth it! When I reflect on my twenties I can't help but associate those years with many wonderful moments, but also a lot of hard work and growing pains. In my twenties I worked 40+ hours a week waitressing while going to college full-time... and I paid for every bit of it myself. This is when I really learned the value of a dollar and the value of hard work. I remember how I could almost never bring myself to go shopping for anything superfluous because I would always calculate how many tables I would have to wait on to earn enough money to buy it...I almost always concluded that it wasn't worth it! I felt an enormous sense of pride when I graduated from college knowing I had truly earned that diploma. Then I moved on to law school. Wow, what a change of pace! I traded in my waitress' apron for a suit and schlepped my way through full-time law school and clerking at a law firm. It began to occur to me that this wasn't going to be as glamorous as I had imagined all those years before.
I "re-met" my husband and had the greatest time as we courted one another, and it was in no time before I knew he was "the one!" I got married to my wonderful husband. I began learning what it is to be a wife (and I know this will be something that I will continue to do - learn - for the rest of my life!). I relocated to a new state with my husband and faced many challenges stepping out of my proverbial comfort-zone to make this new town a home, and I couldn't be happier with how well we were able to do that. I began my career as an attorney - again I began to realize that this wasn't quite what I had always expected it to be. And finally, the most amazing and wonderful thing that has ever happened to me, and will ever happen, is that I became a mom to my wonderful, gorgeous daughter. She is my greatest joy and I could never adequately express my love for her ... but I will spend my life trying!
My twenties were a wonderful time, and I am so happy with the many blessings I received in those years. It is for this reason that I feel that I can truly embrace being 30, and I look forward to the many events and joys I have yet to experience.

~Missy

Baby's got Bed-Head

2009-02-09T09:37:00.004-06:00

As you know, I am not one of those babies who has a lot of hair. What I have is beautiful, but there isn't much there...yet. It is growing though! I now have enough hair that when I wake up from a nap its all crazy! Here's a pic Mom and Dad snapped when they came to get me up from my nap recently. I know its too cute!

Most Popular

2009-02-02T10:50:00.003-06:00

Mom and I went to the grocery store yesterday to buy a few things to make dip for our Super Bowl watch party. The grocery store was packed with others doing the same. I mean, it was as busy as it is the day before Thanksgiving. Packed! Well, Mom thinks I was the most popular girl at Publix! We couldn't go 2 feet without someone wanting to stop and talk to me. Here's a picture of me in the shopping cart Mom took with her phone...can you imagine why everyone thought I was so cute?

2009-02-01T12:20:00.002-06:00

I'm 10 months old now! Mom and Dad can't hardly believe it. I love to crawl around the house and explore now. The other day was a beautiful day, so Mom had the back door open. I crawled up to it and watched the birds flying around in the back yard. I'm definitely getting Spring Fever now!

Yummmm

2009-01-31T09:51:00.005-06:00

I just love my oatmeal...its lip smackin' good. Smackin' my lips is my newest trick, and for some reason Mom and Dad think its HILARIOUS when I do it.

I'm a growin' girl!

2009-01-26T09:54:00.002-06:00

I was playing in the kitchen yesterday, and Mom was so surprised to see that I'm taller than the kitchen island stools. Look I'm a couple of inches taller! I love to crawl into the kitchen and pull up on the stools, then squat back down, and then stand back up. I could do this again and again ;-)

Feeding the Dogs

2009-01-19T11:44:00.003-06:00

I've discovered the dog bowl! How fun! I love to crawl over to the dog bowl and help Roxy and Coco eat...because I know they want my help!

2009-01-19T11:39:00.002-06:00

I definitely should have posted Christmas pictures before now! Forgive me, please. My first Christmas was great! I had so much fun, and got some super-great toys.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful gifts!!!

Santa!

2008-12-08T10:37:00.005-06:00

I met Santa this weekend! Mom and Dad took me to meet Santa Claus on Saturday. I sat on his lap and he said "Ho, Ho, Ho...Merry Christmas!" He told me that he knew that I had been a very good little girl this year and asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Oh, it was sooo much fun!

Meeting Santa for the first time was so wonderful!

What a great Thanksgiving we all had!

2008-12-01T09:51:00.004-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving day with our good friends the Masseys...and it was so much fun! I got to eat Turkey for the first time (Nature's Best of course!) and I got to sit at the table with everyone for Thanksgiving dinner. All the grown-ups (ha!) wore paper crowns that came from the Thanksgiving poppers Aimee gave everyone. After we ate I chased after the Massey's doggie-daughter Maya...she didn't know what to think, but I sure thought it was fun!

I'm Crawling!

2008-11-27T10:50:00.004-06:00

These videos are a couple of weeks old...but we've been experiencing technical difficulties! I'm really going now, but these videos show how it started. I've developed my own unique crawling style now that helps get traction on our slippery hardwood floors. More to come...

My Diaper Bag Doubles As A Swing!

2008-11-11T09:48:00.002-06:00

Dad gave me a ride in my diaper bag...talk about fun! Look at how good I am at holding on ;-)

New Trick

2008-11-11T09:46:00.000-06:00

I was taking a nap this weekend when I decided to show Dad my new trick...pulling up! Dad came in to get me from my nap (Mom got to go Christmas shopping at the Christmas Village) and when he came in I was standing up in my crib like a big girl. Of course, Dad had to take a pic ;-)

Note: The Parents have since lowered my crib mattress. Safety first!

We Voted!

2008-11-07T08:10:00.000-06:00

How exciting...Mom, Dad and I voted together on Tuesday! Look, I even got two stickers from the sweet poll workers (don't worry, I didn't vote twice!). Mom, Dad and I got up early so that we could all go vote as a family on Tuesday morning. We knew there would be a long line...and there sure was. We left so early that Mom didn't even finish getting ready (we all know its not like her to go out without a single stich of makeup...but she did on this day). I was exhilirating though. There was such an excitement in the air that no one minded that they were standing in line at 6:30 a.m.! No matter what party affiliation...It was great to be a part of this historic election.

Halloween was so much fun!

2008-11-05T07:26:00.001-06:00

Here I am in my poodle skirt...I was a little '50's girl for Halloween.

Sweet

2008-10-30T18:48:00.000-05:00

Look at my super-cute tutu. Isn't it cute?!? Hopefully this will help make up for the fact that I haven't blogged in such a long time.

I'm ready for my first Halloween!

2008-10-30T18:46:00.000-05:00

I'm sooo excited for my first Halloween that I dressed up in my pre-Halloween outfit. Yay!

A Note from Mom

2008-09-15T09:31:00.001-05:00

I came across this quote today, and it resonated with me, so I thought I would share:

"We worry about what a child will be tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today."
~Stacia Tauscher.

Awe, so sweet!

2008-09-14T11:12:00.000-05:00

This is me

2008-09-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

Now that the summer is coming to and end, Mom is dresssing me up in my cute dresses almost every day...I should get to wear them at least once before its too cold! Now that I'm sitting up on my own, Mom and Dad let me hang out on my fur rug (faux of course!). When I'm hanging out by myself...I love to suck my thumb. So cute!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...

2008-09-05T18:29:00.000-05:00

This is a pic from the first time Mom found that I can now roll from my back to my tummy. Mom put me down for a nap, on my back of course, and when she came in to get me here I was on my tummy. Mom said "stay there, Heidi!" and ran out of the room to get her camera. She came running back in...all excited. Wow, this lady is easy to impress! Little did she know, I had done this several times before at Ms. Rita's house, but Ms. Rita didn't want to tell Mommy because she knew it might make her sad to know she missed the first time.

I can sit up!

2008-09-05T18:22:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited...I can sit up on my own! How fun!

Bathtime Fun

2008-08-24T08:34:00.004-05:00

I had so much fun taking a bath last night! I lounged in the tub and played with my rubber ducky . It was a great time!

Heidi's very first time eating ceral ;-)

2008-08-23T09:55:00.003-05:00

So, mom and dad (and Dr. Godsmith, my pediatrician) decided that since I'm such a big girl now, its time for cereal. Here's a video of the first time mom and dad gave it to me. What an interesting new experience! I wasn't quite sure what to do with this mushy food the first few times the parents gave it to me, but I've got it pretty well figured out now, and I love it!

Happy ... and on my Tummy!

2008-08-11T12:32:00.000-05:00

I'm starting to like tummy time a little bit more than I used to (don't get me wrong though, I still only want to be on my tummy for a few minutes at a time). Today mom and I played a little on my lamby and the sisters (you know, Roxy and Coco) watched. Roxy and Coco always want to be near me ;-)

Glamour Girl

2008-08-10T11:13:00.002-05:00

Don't I look glamorous in my new swimsuit and matching hat? ;-) We've been going to the pool every weekend and I love it! Gigi Redda and Tompa got me this fabulous swimsuit when they were in town a few weeks ago. I love it!

4 Months old Already?!?

2008-08-01T19:36:00.004-05:00

I can't believe that Heidi is already four months old (her 4 mo. b-day was on July 31). The past four months have been absolutely amazing! I look back on those first couple of weeks and cant believe how far we've come. The first few days home were amazing and terrifying at the same time. Thank God Brian's parents were here to help (seriously, thank you so much!) We were so clueless! I didn't read a single baby book before having Heidi. My thoughts on the issue were that having a child was a natural thing and I didn't need some PhD or whatever telling me how to raise my baby. Then we came home. I remember wondering "what have I done?! I just squandered the last 9+ months I had to do my research...and now I don't have the first clue!" I got on Amazon asap and ordered several baby books. You know Babywise, The Baby Wisperer, etc. I took one and gave Brian his assigned reading as well; I mean, we had a lot of catching up to do. After skimming them over, and not really implementing any of the principles, I came to the realization that, for us, we did the right thing in the first place....meaning, it came naturally...we actually did have natural parenting instincts. I know its only been four months, but we've transitioned into a family and parenthood pretty well if you ask me. Heidi is doing great...thriving in fact, and so are Brian and I. I feel blessed, truly, with life and I'm so thankful for all that we have as a family.
Although I still feel clueless at times, a lot of the time actually, I have more confidence now that we will figure things out as they come.
So, happy 4 month birthday Heidi...you really have made our lives so much fuller and more meaningful! We love you!
Mom

Shout out to the Uncles

2008-08-01T19:34:00.000-05:00

I love my uncles so much that I insisted that I rock my My Uncle Rocks onesie with my wicked-awesome baby legs. Love you guys! Now, send me presents asap ;-) Just kidding

Smiles, giggles and kisses

2008-07-11T12:17:00.006-05:00

Mom is really trying to get my giggles on camera, but it seems that every time she holds the camera up, I am so interested in it that I forget to show everybody how cute my giggles are. I promise, I giggle all the time when the camera isn't in front of me. Even Roxy gets into the action here ;-) She loves me sooo much!

Such a Good Sleeper!

2008-07-11T11:54:00.003-05:00

I have become such a good sleeper that mommy can hardly wake me up in the mornings! I am sleeping through the night virtually every night now, and I can tell that mommy and daddy are sooooooo grateful ;-) Here is a video of mommy trying to wake me up this morning.

We went BPA free

2008-07-11T11:33:00.002-05:00

After all of the news that has come out about the terrible effects that the chemical BPA can cause, we went BPA free. Unfortunately, many baby bottles are made with BPA, so we decided not to take any more chances and make the switch. Luckily, Dr. Brown's now offers BPA-free plastic bottles. Heidi is doing great with them, and Brian and I feel a lot better about eliminating this chemical from Heidi's daily routine!

Talking to Daddy

2008-07-05T11:13:00.002-05:00

Heidi and Daddy having a great conversation

4th of July was FUN

2008-07-05T11:03:00.001-05:00

The parents and I had a fun 4th of July. I'm having fun here playing in my bebe-pod seat ;-) Dad had to work some of the day, but luckily he got home in time for us to go celebrate the 4th with the Diaz'. I had a lot of fun at my first 4th of July party...and let's be honest, I was the most popular girl at the whole party. I think it has become my mission in life to convince all my parents friends that they want to have little munckins too ;-) I'm ready for cousins and friends!!!

Happy Birthday America!

2008-07-04T09:38:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to celebrate my first Fouth of July...just look at the smile on my face. Mom tells me that the 4th is a super-fun holiday because of all of the great food and fireworks. I can't wait!

I'm sitting up!

2008-07-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

Look at me sitting up in my bebe-pod! I'm getting to be such a big girl!

Dad babysits

2008-07-04T09:31:00.000-05:00

Dad is such a good babysitter! Mom had to go run a few errands, so she left me at home with dad. When she got back home this is how she found us...so cute! Dad was sooooo tired from call the night before that I decided to be a good girl and take a nap with him. Don't worry though, I'll keep him on his toes next time!

I have thumbs!!!

2008-07-04T09:28:00.000-05:00

I found my thumb! So, I discovered that I have a thumb last week, and now I've become quite proficient at sucking it ;-) This is my new naptime position. Mom thinks it is sooooo adorable, don't you?

Play Date

2008-06-29T14:10:00.002-05:00

Caroline Weissmann and Heidi have a play date!
Ann and I got to bring our girls to work on Friday, so the girls got to have a play date. Don't they look like they are having fun?!

Heidi's First Trip to the Pool

2008-06-29T13:59:00.001-05:00

Heidi had her first trip to the pool ;-) She is a regular Esther Williams already. Mom and dad were a little nervous about taking their precious princess to the pool for the first time, but decided it would be a ton of fun so we went for it. Of course, Heidi was bathed in spf 50 before we headed out. The water was perfect and Heidi was a champ. Dad kept telling mom that he was going to take her under water, but mom refused. I don't think he was kidding! Mom will definitely have to keep an eye on that daddy.

Heidi's Birthday

2008-06-29T12:15:00.005-05:00

Heidi Grace officially joined our family on March 31, 2008 at 1:26 pm. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 inches long. She has a little bit of blond hair and beautiful blue eyes. She is a whopping 13 weeks old now! We can't believe how wonderful these last 3 months have been. Heidi is an amazing little girl and is the light and purpose of her parents lives. She is more than 14 pounds and 25 inches long now, and her doctor says that she is "off the charts." :-) Not huge surprise looking at her parents ;-) She loves to coo, smile and laugh now. Diaper changing time and bath time are her favorite times of the day. Tummy time....not so much, but we are working on that!