Her first portrait

That is a view of her face from the front





This is her profile





Her feet and one of her hands

It's a Girl!

Well, this calls for changing my blue text to pink. We are having a girl! We are so happy and excited! She is healthy and has all her wonderfully, small parts. Thank you God for our healthy baby girl.

Tomorrow is Gender Day

Well tomorrow is the day we find out the gender of our lil baby. It is pretty exciting. I really don't care either way, but it will be nice to be able to call the baby a he or a she. It is funny all the things you think about before you know. For instance; I know Kevin was quite the typical little boy when he was young. He did all the bad things you think of when you think of boys. He still has a few of those bad habits today, but those are typical male characteristics, I believe.

I have always thought I wanted boys, but now that I really think about it, it is really scary. I grew up with 3 older sisters and now two of those sisters have little girls. My nieces are both very sweet, loving, and sensitive girly girls. If a boy comes into the family, is he going to urinate all over the house, run around naked, cuss at age 2, smoke at age 5, or flip everyone off behind my back? Girls don't do any of that until they are in high school and by that time parents are done being concerned with what their kids are up to.

I sit in church every Sunday and picture what our child is going to look like walking down the aisle to children's sermon, in front of the whole church. Scenario 1: A precious little red-headed little girl, wearing a beautiful, fluffy, yellow dress, with her hair perfectly brushed with a giant bow on top. Scenario 2: A red headed little boy wearing nice pants a nice shirt that is buttoned wrong and half untucked, cowboy boots that he wouldn't leave the house without, and kool-aid stained moustache. And of course he screams profanities all the way down the aisle. Of course everyone in the church laughs, but in the back of their minds they are thinking "his mother needs to get him under control."

So, that is what I have been thinking about for the last 4.5 months. Ok, I have been thinking about how great it will be to have either one too, but there are more concerns about a boy than a girl. I have to realize though that having a boy is the unknown and the unexplored for my family.

Those are my deep thoughts from Momma Cass. All my scenarios will be answered tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Tipper

Wow, how do I describe my Dad, Terry "Tipper" Butt? I wouldn't say he is a complicated man, but he is definitely hard to put into words. However, today is his birthday and I want to honor him on this day. It might be hard to describe him in words, but he is definitely worth honoring.

When I was little I wanted to be just like my Dad. I wore the tiny little wrangler jeans, red cowgirl boots, and a belt (with my name on the back) that held up a gigantic belt buckle that my Dad had won at one of his many rodeos. I wanted to ride horses, herd cattle, and chew tobacco just like him. Things changed of course as I got older. I finally realized that I didn't really want to be a cowgirl, but instead a cowgirl at heart. Oh, and chewing tobacco isn't that ladylike. That didn't mean that I didn't want to be like my Dad, I just didn't have to look just like him.

I love telling people that my Dad is a true cowboy. People think that is the neatest thing in the World. And it is. How many people have ever seen their Dad, or anyone for that matter, "break" a horse, rope a cow, doctor a cow, or ride a tractor? Not many people work with their hands or the land like my Daddy does. Sure he is the boss now and has people do most of the work for him, but believe me, he put in his long, hard days of work. Farmers and ranchers don't get a lot of respect or money for that matter. My dad and other cowboys are very overlooked for their dedication and hard work.

My dad is more than a cowboy though. He is a tough love, no bullshit, generous, loving man. He might look tough, but he still tells his daughters that he loves them and kisses them hello and goodbye. Although he has never had the chance (and hopefully never will), I know he would step in front of a bus for us or hurt anyone that hurts us. I'll never forget the way he held me and my sister the day our Grandma died. He knew how much pain we were in and he wanted nothing other than to let us know he was there for us and we could cry in his arms. There is nothing better than having your strong daddy embrace you and make you feel like you are protected from the World.

He was my basketball coach as a young kid; he came to almost every track meet, basketball game, softball game, spelling bee, or operation I had. We might not be two peas in a pod (I am a little bit more like my Mom than Dad), but I embrace every piece of me that is essentially him and am thankful for all the traits that I got from him. I hope that every year we will only grow closer and that I will learn from him all the aspects that make him who he is.

Happy Birthday Daddy! I hope it is a great one and that you know how much you mean to me!

4 months later

So, four months later and the lil baby is growing pretty well. I am sure my Mom will say that my little face is getting chubby too, because she loves to say that. I know she means it in the most loving way possible, but I guess it is the truth too. I will say though, that we took this picture right after I had a large sandwich for lunch, so that adds a little bit of girth in my belly too. Just pointing that out.

We go back to the doctor this week to hear the heartbeat again and then our next appointment will be to determine the gender of the baby. I hope we can convince our doctor to schedule the appointment before the Memorial Day, so we'll see. I will probably post the results on this blog when we find out the gender, so be sure and check it. I think we should probably start a voting for everyone to post what they think the gender might be. So, if you feel like joining in on the voting go ahead and post what your vote is and I will put up the results and some of you will have a 50% chance of being right. I will not vote, because I don't want the baby to find out one day that I though it was going to be one and it ended up being the other. So, I'll stay out of the voting. It'll be fun to find out what everyone else thinks though.

Kevin's parents have already said that they are CONVINCED that it is a girl. So there is their vote!

Another Big Birthday

Well, today, April 14th, is another big birthday for someone who I love very much. He is an amazing person with a heart full of passion, ambition, and lots of generosity. It is my lobster, Kevin Beckwith's birthday. The reason he is my lobster is because lobsters mate for life. Cheesey, yes, but that's how we are. We cheese it up in our household. I have always been a little cheesey and now I have someone to share my cheesiness with.

Kevin doesn't really like to go all out for his birthday, but now that he is married to me, I make sure that he remembers it is his birthday. This is a special day for me. If it weren't for the day of his birth, I would be all alone with no one to share my life with. At this point, I would be pregnant with no baby's daddy. That would be rough. However, today is the day of his birth and it is a celebration not only for me, but for him, our future children, and anyone else who knows and loves him. Kevin is one of those people that when he gets an idea in his head, he goes full throttle until that idea has become a reality. And you are one lucky person when that idea is to love and give to you as much as possible, because he never fails to do everything to the best of his ability. For the last 2-1/2 years he has been a wonderful husband and best friend. We have a lot of laughs, a few cries, and a lot of memorable moments. Our most memorable moments have yet to come and I am excited and grateful that I get to share them with him. Everything is more exciting when you feel like you can share it with someone who feels as passionate about the same things.

Kevin can be serious at times, but at home with me, he is fun and silly just like me. We really make each other laugh and that is one thing that I cherish most about him. I am not a real serious person and I could not stand being married to someone who doesn't fine humor in most things. I can't imagine what life is like for those who never laugh.

So, here's to you, Kevin Beckwith, on your birthday. You are a wonderful man with a lot to give to me, our tiny little baby, and the World. Your passion and ambition is contagious and you have inspired and taught many people, including me. Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Big Sis

Today on April 12th in 1979 my big sissie, Tara, was born. I wish my Mom could fill us in on the story of her birth, but maybe next time. My Mom is really good about that. Every birthday she calls me and tells me the story of my birth and I am sure she tells Tara and my other 2 sisters their story too. I don't know very many other people who know the story of their birth, so I definitely feel special.

Back to the birthday girl. She is tall with a dark complexion, beautiful smile, and a heart full of generosity and love. She is the one sister who I had most of my knock down, drag out fights with when we were younger, but she is also the sister who I have shared a lot of pain and tough times with, that has brought us very close. Not that the four of us sisters haven't shared a lot of pain and tough times all together, but Tara and I were the youngest and therefore spent more alone time with one another. I am not sure what I would have done without my 3 sisiters. God knew what he was doing when he gave Mom 4 girls. We needed eachother and we always will. A bond between sisters is so different than any friendship or relationship. Sure we might fight more than friends would, but I know we will always make up eventually.

We are all very similar and at the same time very different. Tara is very loving. She really knows how to care for those that might not be that great at caring for themselves. She works in a nursing home and I am sure she is very popular around there. She is also generous with her time, her love, and her support. She is one of those people that you can always count on to help you when you need it. She might not always get it back in return, but she'll never stop doing it. She might say she will, but she won't. She is also very fun and can get a little crazy. When the 4 of us are all together that is when it gets really crazy. I guess we just feel comfortable around eachother and we let it all hang out. Tara loves to have dance offs with the rest of us. She usually pulls out her dance moves that she has been keeping dormant until the right moment. It is quite a show!

So Happy Birthday Tara! I hope it is a great birthday and I am sorry I am not there to share it with you.