Cheeeeese

The new face we are making for picture taking-cheeese

Cheeeeese

Buddy.....

"Daddy"?

"Yes, buddy?"

"Buddy, buddy, buddy"

--------------------------Next time he calls daddy:

"Buddy?, Buddy?"

----------------------------

Now, I am a little partial but this could be the cutest thing ever.......hearing my son go around and call his daddy buddy. Ready to go, buddy?....Buddy, do!! It's so cute!!! It's so amazing he picks up on that stuff so quickly. He is full on talking and saying sentences.....mind you we only understand half of the sentences but get the idea what he is talking about most of the time.



We put up and decorated the Griswold family Christmas tree this weekend....It seriously is a monster. Every year daddy lets me pick a big tree because I love a big tree. For three years we had dinky spanish trees or no tree at all so I am having fun getting huge trees. This year let's just say I went a little overboard.....Daddy turned down the first 4 trees I suggested and now I know why. I have no ability to relate how big these things are when they are standing next to each other......so after little man chased the puppies at the tree farm and we took pics on the sleigh we picked a tree..not sure why I couldn't see this when the tree was next to daddy and much taller but hey it was getting dark and I was hungry and pregnant in my defense. So, we got the tree and somehow got it out of the car......correction.....daddy got it out of the truck from where it was poking out the back end. Then after hacking away at the bottom in the freezing cold the sweet husband I have discovers I have picked such a big tree that it is bending the tree stand. That's right! So , next morning he gets a new tree stand for "up to a 10' tree" ---which by no means does this mean I can ever have a 10 foot tree, unless of course we move to the white house :) Anyway, it finally comes in and we have the cutting of the netting fully expecting to blow out a few windows and a squirrel to come popping out at us a la Clark Griswold, thankfully that didn't happen but it was a beast to get decorated and we barely had enough ornaments to cover the three sides that are showing and we have A LOT of ornaments. So, we are enjoying the "dree" as little man says and have discovered it is almost 9' tall. A little ridiculous I know but I was blinded by hunger and darkness :)
Needleess to say my tree privileges have been revoked in the years to come......

December is almost here......

The little lemon to the left (yes, I know it's upside down) and remembering this time last year w/ Little man

I love Christmas....everything about it.....the hustle and bustle of the shopping, the lights, smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree, eggnog....pretty much all of it. I am looking forward to little man's reaction to all things Christmas this year. Daddy already hung our lights outside and we had a dramatic plugging in of the cord at sunset a la Clark Griswold although thankfully there were no damaged Santas and Reindeer as a result nor was cousin Eddie in the driveway as a surprise either ;)

It's such a special time of year to be with the ones you love and share all those fun traditions but with it can come such stress. I look around and see all my friends leaving to go home to family and how stressed they are about upheaving the kids and how exhausted they will be running around to see everyone.....it's sad but true. Every magazine you pick up has tips on how to keep all the family happy at Christmas and I think , what has this come to? It makes me sad to see people so stressed out to go home and see family for Christmas but I can say I truly understand how they feel about it.....pulled in 50 million directions.....EXHAUSTED........kids are cranky and out of their element not to mention all these new people......did I mention Exhausted? It is great and wonderful and I know everyone means well but it's sad when people are having anxiety attacks over going home.....I have had a few myself I must admit. Logistically trying to work the schedule is a nightmare and you can always count on getting sick after flying so pad time in there for that. I figure this is my blog and I can talk about what I wanted to talk about today and it's the Christmas good times and the stress......it just is sad that people can't be excited about going home and sharing the holidays with their loved ones. I can remember as a kid being pulled in 50 directions and feeling that pressure as a kid......little man and baby will not feel that if I can help it.

Okay , I am off my soap box and on to talk about more funny things ......

like the fact that he says "booty"...Mommy messed up and said sit on your booty and now it's his favorite word and is saying it everywhere, doctor's office, grocery store.

He helped me make oatmeal cookies tonight and I could only think of this picture of Daddy when he was little helping his mama on a chair make cookies or a cake and it's too cute. He loves to help me measure and sort out the ingredients and then to taste as it goes along. I am not sure how butter and sugar mixed together taste but to him it was pretty tasty. He climbs up in his chair to help and says "I big boy" in the big boy chair. Last night I started crying after kissing him goodnight because he looked up and said love you mommy......man how I love that child. My grandma keeps telling me I will never have another one this sweet and maybe she's right but I'd like to think it's my wonderful childrearing ;) that made little man this way so maybe baby 2 will be this way too. Speaking of Baby 2 I felt it move..... a little flutter in my belly when I settle down at night and since this is old hat I know what I am feeling this time and it's not hunger pains or other issues we won't discuss. It's exciting to think Daddy will be home this time to feel the first kicks .....he had to wait several weeks before he felt it for the first time last pregnancy b/c he was gone so we are thankful for that little blessing. AND......Beau did have cancer but it was same as last time and we caught it and will be on the look out for more.....another blessing and prayer answered. BT's scare was a reaction to penicillin injection and has gone away so "it's not a tumor" in my best Schwarzanegger voice. Anyway, happy holidays to all.....don't stress too much and take some time for yourself and to remember what it's all really about anyway.....and it's not us :)

Scary.......

Let's touch on a few things......pee pee not happening anymore. We are not pushing it but encourage it and he gets on the potty but nothing happens , even with Reeses Pieces involved but singing itsy bitsy spider while on the potty is a must.....oh how I love to see Daddy sitting in front of a boy on the potty singing itsy bitsy spider....it's so cute although daddy doesn't think so.

He is talking so much it's crazy. I am so proud of him. Lovey is his favorite right now because he carries him everywhere. ***WArning****** if you don't want to hear about my pregnancy sickness skip this section although it will have a funny story at the end.

Another funny thing he is doing is copying me puking. We stood in the bathroom the other day and as hard as I try not to let him see me sick he does sometimes and let me add that that sweet baby comes and rubs my back and lays his head on me and says "mommy? " as if to ask if I'm okay. One of those memories I will never forget, it's burned in my brain because it's so sweet.....anyway......as we are in the bathroom he goes to the toilet and we say no, no and he says okay and then turns around and says "blaghhh" into the toilet just like mommy and looks at daddy and says "Mommy , blaghhh". Daddy nearly fell out laughing so hard and I said did he really just do what I think he did? Oh yeah, we have a fake puker on our hands now........too funny.

And on the last note, again please pray for our Beau because again he has some moles to be removed which look just like his melanomas from last time and we are hoping at least it's contained and hasn't spread. He is such a sweet dog and not sure what I'd do if I had to see him in pain....he just had his 8th birthday along with Mattie and he is aging fast.

On a lighter note does anyone watch DWTS, seriously what is going on with that show, deaths, stunning exits, fainting, etc. It's a whole different season. I don't know who I want to win....Love Jennie Garth, Scary spice rocks too but Helio is so darn cute with that huge smile (does he remind any of you VQ people of Geo?) Too funny!

Pee pee

YEAH!!!! We have been trying each night before bath time to get little man to use his new potty. Tonight it finally happened.......Normally when he sits on it he automatically says all done. We were trying to be casual about it and no pressure and so I turned my back and did something else really quick and he did it. At least now we know he gets what is supposed to happen. We made a huge deal and he got a fruit "nack" as a reward. Maybe you aren't supposed to do that either but oh well. So excited......

Last night we took him to a Halloween party on base for kids and he had a ball. That was his trick or treating. He dressed up a as a puppy dog , what else, right? He ran around with his gang and had a blast. Unfortunately daddy couldn't make it he was still at work .....don't get me started on how hard they are working the man. Shore tour, huh? What's that?? It will be more like 10 years in a row on sea duty........we'll see. Praying for patience and understanding......and again we all know patience isn't a virtue of mine but learning with little man . ........He has taught me a lot about myself and life in general. Sometimes I look at him and cry because I love him so much. Daddy thinks I am just hormonal right now.....maybe but we are so blessed to have him and he is so precious we are soaking up every second right now. Alright, I am now weeping so I will go get a shower and stop rambling about my son and how wonderful he is . I am now one of those moms :)

MMMMmmmm....

What a beautiful day it was here in the Northwest......I swear it reached the 70's.....like summertime. Beautiful calm waters, a light breeze and enough sunshine to give me a little pink tint to my cheeks. So not normal for October here either so maybe this is a good sign of the winter to come and maybe it won't be as harsh......maybe :)

Little man did something so funny today (or gross depending on how you look at it) I gave the dogs some leftover chicken vegetable soup and they each got a turn --when it came to be Beau's turn I had to hold the other two back to let him get his veggie fix.....while doing so little man snuck in behind me and I hear mmmmm. Yes, that's right ...... he was sharing veggies with beau....carrots mostly that all the other dogs had probably had their mouths on as well. Now, I can freak out because I am a germ freak or I can laugh because actually those veggies probably have less germs than the toys we played with at the library today. He was so proud to share with Beau and loved every second before I stopped him.

He got his beloved tractor in the mail today from Mimi's house and he was so happy he carried it all around with him......he got it as a present at the beach and he was so happy to be reunited with it it hasn't been out of his sight. He showed it to Lion or "nine" and Mammy. We took Mammy for a walk with little man in charge of the leash today but only to the mailbox and she was pretty good for him......until she saw a bird but luckily mommy grabbed the leash just in the nick of time.

It's off for teeth brushing with our new electric spider man toothbrush.......

Oh, how the time flies.....

Wow, every day is flying by and I love watching the little man grow. We are staying really busy with playgroups, meetings and getting outside as much as possible. He is saying so many words now ........newest one is plane or "lane" everytime he hears one and that is a step up from the last way to say plane which was "dis" not sure where that came from but was plane for several months. My heart is breaking because he is losing his southern drawl and saying bye bye instead of by by---please tell me yall understood that .....he is enunciating the "i" sound . But we still have "dawwwg" so that is a relief. :)
He is drinking from a cup when he isn't filling it with his squash and carrots to watch them sink to the bottom and giving me that devilish grin as if to say I'm so proud of myself. His other latest thing is to pass gas and say "whoa".....such a boy....bet girls don't do that!
This week the dogs are running for their lives as he is chasing them with any type of moving/ pushing apparatus he can get his hands on including the swiffer......poor guys. They are being very patient but I am getting longing looks as they stand by the door and say with their eyes " please let us out...even if it is subzero and windy and raining ....at least we can get some peace out there" :)
We are gearing up for several halloween parties. He has a puppy dog outfit from last year that still fits so we are going with that. Can we talk about halloween costumes? RIDICULOUS!!! Next year we'll put the sewing machine to good use and make one no way we are paying those prices.

I know. .......I know......

Wow, it's been a while.......where do I start. The little man is off and full on running ....away from Mama mostly with the remote, a telephone or keys ....all of which he isn't allowed to have :)

We had a great time visiting home and learned that the little man is likely to be a farmer or at least have someone ride him on any kind of apparatus that moves. Everyday he got a ride on something. As soon as paw paw came in the door he grabbed his shoes, paw paws shoes and said "do, do" ( go go ) to ride something. We wasted a lot of fuel but got in some good naptime too on the tractors. He had a great time at the beach as well as some of the photos will show. I will try to attach some good pics so you can see how much he has grown. He also caught his first fish with his Scooby Doo "fi po" .........too cute. It was fun to visit, Pcola, the Beach, Dothan and Jacksonville and see everyone's little ones.......they are either all growing up too fast or we are all getting old.....okay maybe it's both :)

It was hard to come from 80 + weather to 60- big jump but we have started to put away all the cute summer clothes and break out our parkas for the winter here. He is talking so much and we are having so much fun with him......he calls Mattie "Mammy" and points to them and says"no" or dad dog when they get in trouble. His favorite word is tractor and he enjoyed the hayride and pumpkin patch the other day although he wanted to drive the tractor.

Mommy and Daddy are settling into their winter routines of watching one show we have tivoed each night......CSI (any) , Greys, Dancing w/ the stars.......(you go Jennie Garth)!! and NCIS.

Well, little man is up from what was a terribly short nap but oh well......I was hoping for more time.....

friends, family and the beach

pictures from our trip home.....little man loves the beach....made sand castles with daddy and is a big fan of the pool as well....an outdoor pool that is. We have been having fun running around like maniacs and visiting friends and family. AND the little man has learned to say no....the spanish version!!! Very emphatic.....enjoy the pics

latest pics......

Can't say enough about how cute the little man is right now......last night he found his duck puppet and put it on his hand by himself, chased me and daddy and the dogs and "got us" with the puppet. Very cute! (Notice this is a variation from pc) I am amazed at the changes every single day. Now the dogs get told with a pointing finger "do do" also known as no no around here and "dedow" --get out. He just crawled up in my lap for a cuddle before saying "nite nite" meaning he wants a nap.....how sweet is that?
Enjoy the pics!

red, white, blue and camo baby....

I love my fish sippy cup

Mattie B.'s open house

Dumped

We've been dumped........not really dumped, but the little man's regular sitter can't take him anymore b/c she needs to get a full time slot filled . Why does this bother me so much? Because it's the end of a great relationship ........a relationship she probably didn't know she even had. I feel such affection for someone whom I trust my child with so completely and feel such a bond with her and she doesn't even know it. Mind you I won't tell her because she will think I am a complete freak, but I really will miss her and I know the little man loves her to death. I almost cried standinig in her entryway today as she was telling me this disastrous information............why? I am not sure why I am so emotional about it but maybe it's because I also look so forward to cleaning the house on Tuesdays and sitting down for a few minutes without a screaming boy ripping through the house. It is nice to sit down to a devotional, a cup of tea or unload the dishwasher without little hands grabbing at knives...........So, it's the end of an era and we'll start searching for a new once a week appt.
We are beginning to prep for going home.......or I am ........daddy will pack the day of and be fine with that.......drives me crazy. Although it's probably b/c daddy can do that b/c he doesn't ever have to get the little man's stuff ready, just his own. He never can understand why I don't have time to shower before we go somewhere........well, I dress the boy , feed the boy , prep snacks and diaper bag for the boy while daddy is getting ready and then everyone is ready to go. Not really daddy's fault but he does get rather luxurious showers which we have managed to cut down to 20 minutes or so......which trust me is AMAZING. The man must sleep in there.......and we have a slim window of getting in the car and driving with the little man where he isn't unhappy or hungry......did I mention he is ALWAYS hungry.....nummy, nummies, nanny, etc. all words for food and said all the time :) Anyway, we are headed out .....the sun came out finally for the first time in a couple of days. I guess summer is officially over here in the great state of WA....with this 60 degree weather.......

Duu-Duu

Little man is trying to say Duck ---which is now du -du. Love it.....but not sure where he got that pronunciation. We have all been busy --daddy with work---dogs getting into trouble--little man getting into trouble-- mommy working on her new business--wow, busy two weeks.

Just some random thoughts and notes.......pray for safety and calm as we prep to travel and we all know how I get when I travel. Little man is now telling the dogs bye with his hand palm out to them (which translates to mommy and daddy's stay) but it's cute when he does it. He even raises his eyebrows like we do to indicate we mean business. He already needs a haircut and we'll get one before he goes home but it's getting shaggy..not cutting the curls as long as we don't have a mullet back there I am good.

Another random thought: Pray that my dogs are good while we are gone and they are with a dog sitter.....ahhh.....you all know how i am about that too. I am trying not to leave 15 pages of notes for the poor girl.....maybe only 10--just kidding. I always forget since we haven't been in europe that we are reachable by cell if she has any questions. It's not like we are going to Namibia and can't use phones. Better get to cleaning.....will post new pictures later.

Mattie B.'s Monogramming

Mattie B.'s is officially open for business. I just started up a new in home business. I will do monogramming and working on starting personalized stationery. Check out the new website which is still a work in progress but it's up and running......www.mattiebees3.com. Enjoy!

Army wives

Anyone seen Army Wives? It is my new fave summer hit..It is so ridiculous at times, but so true at times. The cattiness and backstabbing is so true......unfortunately. The rank issues are true..again .....unfortunately....don't we all know a Lenore Baker??? A friend and I were discussing it and said it is definitely dramatic but we have seen and heard far worse stories so in reality the drama is real....as my friend said....you can't make this stuff up. Won't get into the details of all that but many of you know what I am talking about.
But along with all this crazy life throws at you and all its ups and downs are the many blessings you get along the road. My blessings have come in the way of friends who have picked me up when down and vice versa. The military family becomes your family, especially for the wives who are home alone so many nights.....this family you are thrown into becomes just as close as your real family.....heck I consider some of these people like brothers and sisters at this point. They will stay on the phone with you when you are a million miles away and have a sick relative at home, are available on a moment's notice when you go into labor and no one can find your husband, stay on the phone again or come over when your dog has gotten himself trapped in the neighbor's fortesss in the middle of the night in Spain ---I hear some of the wives who can't wait to get out and have a "normal" life......yeah, we all wish what is best for our husbands and hope they follow the path they are supposed to follow--civilian or military---but even after all the schedule changes, postponed reunions and homecomings, late work nights and seperation I wouldn't trade this because I have made such great friends along the way who have taught me so much. And I have found out along the way who my true friends are during the years apart. This life makes me stronger and I like to think (even though I complain) that it makes me tougher than I ever thought I could be......sometimes, and some of you would agree, a little too callous, but stronger nonetheless.
Okay, off my military wives soapbox......just wanted to share some thoughts I had after the last episode of Army Wives....made me think of the stuff we military wives put up with and handle most of the time with grace and dignity.....except for when we get on the phone with each other and rant and rave ....... ha ha---that's why we're here for each other right? Til the next time......

Oh, I wish I were in Dixie.....

.....away, away........it's in Dixieland......anyway, That is my serenade to the fact that I am going home. Yeah, that's right. We booked tickets today and we are going home. Here we come crickets chirping in the evening, here we come humidity and sweltering heat, here we come good southern food and Sonic...and here we come beautiful white beaches with no rocks to cut my dogs feet all up. (of course the dogs won't know this b/c they will be here stuck in WA --which I know is not fair but at least it's the prettiest month here......Beau will smell Mimi and Paw paw's farm on me and be very upset when I get back). Oh, I can't wait for the little man to experience a swimming pool in the summer heat, running around everywhere and finally talking to all the relatives although as it is some variation of Mandarin I am not sure whether they will understand him. :)
Right now the little man has been sick for several days but is fever free currently and mommy got it ....yeah, how great so my throat is three times its normal size and according to the doctor "has stuff growing on it" sounds pleasant. So here we go with a dose of pennicillin which is not tasty by the way on an empty popsicle and chicken broth stomach. Let's just all pray I don't infect daddy or the little man again......

Mr. Beauxjangles part dos

So it was cancer......something called melacytoma or something like that. Good news: They feel the extractions got it all and it's not as aggressive as regular melanoma so unlikely it spread acc. to the pathologist or whomever. Bad news: again likely to come back and we have to be vigilant about checking him and any unusual spots and getting bloodwork done as well. That, we can do!!! So for right now little man has his Beau Beau around a little while longer. YEAH!!! Sweet Beau , for those of you who have known and loved Beau.....and that's a lot of you...thanks for your thoughts and prayers. We have made it through this and we are grateful. Daddy especially as he is his dog.

The little man is out of control.....we must learn to pick up after ourselves. Every room he leaves it's as if a tornado of grand proportions came in and swept everything around. It's so funny I have another friend who has a blog and the boys are days apart and going through the same exact things at the same time.....so that means they will just teach each other the bad habits in the years to come......which means the mommies may go clinically insane :) So yeah, the little man is a daredevil to boot. I pulled out the stepstool this am and he just climbed right up to the top like nobody's business and started trying to unlock the front door. WOW.....how did he know to do that. He has been reaching for handles for a while but this was a whole new level. I can't believe how fast he figures things out or copies things....he now copies daddy sneezing and blowing his nose and HOT, blowing on things that are hot. He is a full on little boy now, no baby at all. Alright it's naptime....... and P.S. Not hot anymore.......it didn't last long!!

It's hotter than a pig in mud in summer......

.....or something like that(heard it yesterday on Army wives which I tivoed). I am loving this weather......after a long winter, spring and summer so far we are being blessed with a heat wave. The Lord is giving me something to smile about after so many months of bleak rain and clouds. We have broken 80 for the past two days...WOOHOO!! The little man is running around in a diaper or swim diaper and sometimes a t-shirt. Now he knows what it's really like to be in AL.....wearing just a diaper. We still have a lot less humidity but the sun and heat are wonderful. The locals are dying here.....Okay , seriously. This is not heat, just a nice spring day where I'm from. Alright, I understand that the homes have no a/c here and that your body is conditioned to the mild climate but really? It's wonderful. For the first time the little man can get out and not freeze in his wading pool. Kids just ought to know what swimming outside is like.....it's a rite of passage every summer. Your summer isn't complete without having several great days/ weekends swimming in an outdoor pool. Anyway, today is a praise day for the sunshine and warmth. On days like this with our house here overlooking the water I am so grateful for being here.....and still working on being grateful for the other 9 months of the year here. It's a daily struggle but days like this make me see there is potential for this place to earn a spot in my heart because with the boats passing by constantly and the cliffsides across the cove it reminds me (just a little) of the French and Italian coastlines. Who knows what the Navy has in store for us but if Daddy has to come back here he might be on his own except for the summers like these :) D.- out

Mr. Beauxjangles

Well, Beau has some suspicious moles again... we went to the vet to have them checked out . The vet and we feel they need to come out regardless and get a biopsy. So, he is due for surgery Monday morning and we are hoping for the best. The moles are in his scrotal area and popped up fast and aggressively and given his history of melanoma we are taking every precaution. So keep Beau in your prayers this week and hope for the best. Best case scenario we are all wrong and it's not melanoma....worst case , it is melanoma and has spread beyond the moles . Just a quick update on us and the dogs.......we have had a low key weekend so far and daddy returns tonight from his trip. Jackson's new best friend has been Beau lately b/c he learned to say Beau Beau so he goes in search of him and yells his name....it's pc. The other two are just DAWG still.......we'll keep everyone posted.

p.s. an anonymous prayer request please for a friend and her family.....just pray for healing and strength as they are going through a test of strength right now......thanks

Can you pass on OCD?

Okay, yall all know I am OCD, crazy about cleaning, organization, etc. but you must know this as well. I have a Monica closet.....actually several monica closets, drawers, cabinets and about every 6 months I organize the chaos in my monica closets (for those of you who don't know what a Monica closet is ---first shame on you :) and second reference season 9 of Friends.... Anyway, I have this condition picking up , cleaning compulsively, etc. Daddy keeps telling me it would be okay if the house were a little messier......so I noticed today that the little man is grabbing a rag and wiping the floors....ay yay!! What have I done?? He also has to have his sippy cup in the cup holder on the tray of the high chair. If you move it out of there he will move it right back. And right now he is OCD about hats and putting them on everyone, strangers, Beau (who is now Bobo---love to hear him say it), mommy, daddy, the Lion.....everyone! But alas, I am sure the hat thing will pass and I will be sad when it does and we will say remember when .....like the other day when daddy and I remembered when he used to take a few steps between us every night and practice walking and we would clap and get all excited. We don't do that now because it's old hat. I hope we are capturing enough memories b/c there are so many I feel like I am forgetting something.............already!!

Mommy the vampire slayer

WOW.....teething can be so difficult. I all of a sudden have little Dracula on my hands here. We were at playgroup and he tried to bite a playmate and now that is the new preferred method of releasing all frustration. What? You say no, to me?? Charge with mouth open, like a bull in Pamplona only without the horns. Daddy has yet to see much of this behavior b/c he dare not bite daddy.......so I am the vampire slayer trying to keep him from biting everything and everyone. I am waiting on him to try and bite one of the dogs and realize it doesn't taste so good :) He had a grand time playing in the sprinkler here yesterday while we had nice weather and then the temp changed in 5 minutes to 15 degrees less so we had to go inside.
Poor daddy came home to total chaos yesterday. The little man goes around in the evening moaning until it's time to eat and especially with the teething.....very annoying.....so he is doing that following me around and banging on the door to go outside even though he is dripping wet and it has suddenly changed temperature as if Ice Man has come through.....a dog is puking outside .....then another.....the other one is just barking to come inside and eat (while I am trying to get to fixing her special wet food b/c she has just had a tooth extracted) and I am trying to fix our dinner. Daddy walks in and it's like a tornado......welcome to my world. I know he needs to decompress but yesterday he didn't get to....actually those days were over when the little man entered the world. But I think it's okay with him when the little man beams and says daddyz all the way down the hall following him when he comes home. By that time he is so sick of mommy he can't stand me.......Anyway, hopefully will be having a ladies night out this weekend.....we think we have conned the guys into taking the kids so a few of us are hitting the town....actually probably just dinner but hey it's sounding good to me. If this works out maybe we can hit them up for a spa day later......doubtful but maybe :0

Could men handle childbirth????

Daddy and I have had some sort of stomach bug that we managed to give to everyone we know....sorry yall :( and I had it this past Sunday, tired, achy, vomiting.....the whole nine yards, you get the picture. I managed to take a nap and recover a little and still do stuff with the little man and help take care of him. Now, let me get this out first before I start my rant.....Daddy is a big helper, he is great with the little man and I didn't want him contaminating the little guy anyway.........BUT.......... apparently men can't handle it quite as well when they are sick. He does turn into this big baby. He used to not be so bad and would buck up but lately he has not been handling it as well........I thought he was dying as I heard him wretching in the bathroom. I ran in there ......oh , he's just puking no big deal. It WAS a big deal......OH how I must love that man to clean up after him. I know this is too much information but I am getting to a point. My point is I distinctly remember him saying to me at the end of the pregnancy when I had a few problems and was in a lot of pain b/c the little man was sitting directly on top of something he shouldn't have been.......I distinctly remember him saying shortly after I gave birth.......and did I mention I was taking Percocet (sp) and having contractions through it all until I was dilated 5cm at home.......like I was saying he said to me that he thought I was faking it or being dramatic. DRAMATIC????? Yeah, it was dramatic considering I should have been doped up but was still in a lot of pain called contractions. I do love him but my point to all of this is to ask the question.....after all of his moaning and groaning and being sick could he really carry a child for almost 10 months and deliver it, probably not :) At the height of my morning sickness I was sick at least 7-8 times a day and we took a trip to go skiing (daddy really wanted to go skiing) and on the drive up there I puked several times into a ziploc bag and proceeded to do so for the two days we were there. It was not a pleasant trip but he got to go skiing.......again I love the man with all my heart but it's just so funny how when guys get sick (and ladies you know we all talk about this) how the world must stop and they are SO sick.....and he was bless his heart,........ I'm just saying is all...... Okay I ranted enough today about a silly subject and when he sees this he will inevitably want to kill me for sharing personal business and may never speak to me again but what else do we have to do but laugh at ourselves ......I am sure I can post enough emberrassing things about me to fill up a whole page or two......like the time I had tp hanging out of my maternity pants and went through the line at Target and no one told me......I couldn't see it for goodness sakes b/c my belly was too big. somehow it had gotten trapped in there when I put my pants back up. Oh , I can laugh now but was mortified as I walked out to the car and felt something tickling my arm and discovered it was tp.....yeah, wondered why all the cashier's were laughing.

On another note the little man is saying so many words and going through a hat phase , wearing any and all hats he can find. Fascinated with them. Yesterday he said ball and out, he also chased BT and Mattie around with beads to put on their necks.....Mattie retreated to the sick room choosing to be with the puker in the bedroom rather than be subjected to the little man's torture and BT looked at me as if to say "Seriously" how humiliating? Oh how I love that child with all my heart, when he pokes his bottom lip out it rips my heart right out. I always wondered if I would be a good mom and I think I am still learning but I love him so much I must be doing something right........ :) D-- Out

A week in review......

Well, we have had a pretty nice week looking back.....the little man did have a runny nose to start the week and had some teething pain which meant sleepless nights for me but he made up for it by sleeping in until 8:30 one morning.....yeah. We had a playdate with some friends and BT tried to kill one of their puppies.....a sweet Dane pup who now may be turned into a ferocious dog b/c of BT. That is my theory, he now is traumatized for life due to BT and we are going to have to pay for our friends to do a Cesar intervention......maybe not but it was ridiculous. The BT is just getting too big for his britches.
We also went to the Farmers market and enjoyed some Indian Frybread and truffles.....yum. The little man enjoyed getting carried in his backpack carrier....he loves looking around. We had a BBQ sat night which turned into an indoor event due to inclement weather.....IMAGINE THAT....REALLY? Here?? Okay, I am off that soapbox for the next 15 minutes at least. :)
The little man has been doing this thing where he points to tell the dogs to "get out of the kitchen" b/c we say that a lot so when we start a sentence w/ get or out he points for them to leave.....WELL..... while playing on his castle yesterday I told him to be careful.....as he challenged me by dipping his foot over the edge and losing his balance several times. All I could see was a head first dive into the carpet.....so as I kept repeating this he proceeded to stand one legged and try to climb to the highest reaches of the castle by putting his feet in the windows and hoisting himself up. Finally I sternly said "that's enough, sit on your bottom" to which he gave me the pointing finger telling me (just like the dogs) to "Get out" . Daddy and I cracked up!!! What comic relief! What are we gonna do with him?

Exhausted......

Will I recover from this exhaustion of chasing a 12 month old around? I guess I should say that Billy Blanks had a hand in today's exhaustion.....yeah, that's right , watch out I am doing TAE-BO. Okay, so I am not nearly as efficient as I'd like to be yet, but it's a great workout. Anyone who knows me knows I am not so coordinated and there is a good reason tennis was my only strong suit. (Annie I had flashbacks of Regina in Spain and the core class) But alas, I am working on it and hopefully can stick with it.
The little man has been so cranky I have wanted to just lock myself into a closet. He is FINALLY getting more bottom teeth but along with that has been 4 days of not sleeping well, cold symptoms(which he gets everytime he teethes) and cranky crankerson. Maybe I will just call him CC this week, or is that a little too Poison-esque....or was that Motley Crue......either way that was a long time ago. He has been PC lately (refer to previous posts for decoding of PC) with new words...everything is a nana or dawg, flowers, fruit , grass, people......but let me clarify ......the PC isn't outweighing the CC these days. I told someone the other day that this sure seems like a lot of pain and trouble for a little baby to go through just to lose all of these stinking teeth in a few years. Well, better get some sleep now because CC finally went down with a mouth full of orajel.... :)

And we're off.......

The little man is off and running......he is walking mostly now and a little crawling. We had a playgroup today and he was much more interactive with the other boys than before which was good to see.....although there are some issues with sharing, imagine that. Daddy has been working a lot this week and we haven't seen him much so we are making due in the evenings by reading and playing with the dogs. It's cold again here so we are inside today awaiting the next burst of sunshine to get outside and soak it up. We are gearing up for Father's Day...daddy got a pair of shorts from Old Navy (btw: having a 40% off sale for guys stuff) and a card early from all of us. We plan on getting him some of his favorite chicken lasagna from a local shop (take and bake type of thing) which is much better than my lasagna and one of his favorites. Been working on the embroidery machine doing little projects for friends. The hopes are this will turn into a business and something I can keep doing while moving around. Easy home based business type thing but we'll see. We'll keep you posted......BTW ANyone have any thoughts on our next candidates for 2008? As you know I am a die hard republican but not sure right now......it's interesting to say the least on the right side.....did find an adorable website that a friend sent me w/ republican elephants smocked onto john john's and rompers.....yeah moms if you need that link I can forward it.....don't think Jackson won't be sporting one for election time!!! D-- Out

If the shoe fits......

......the little man is trying to put our shoes on his feet. It's so cute that he knows where they go and same with sunglasses, loves sunglasses. Today he found the toilet again within seconds....he is getting better at walking everyday. We had a lazy Sunday after church with the rain today. It's pretty much been a lazy weekend. Even the little man lazed around with the dogs on their bed.....yes, we do let him get up there with them. Can't really stop him, he doesn't understand or care that he will get dog hair on him.....that is why I change the sheet covering the dog bed so many times in a week. There are worse things I suppose! He loves his dogs so I won't stop him from loving on them!
I am working on embroidery projects with my new embroidery machine. It's fun and frustrating at the same time.
We'll see what tomorrow brings!

My little baby is no more

I can't stand it! Every time I look at him I think how my baby just disappeared overnight. I don't know why I didn't let Daddy cut his hair, but I didn't. We went to a lady and she did a great job but it is her fault he is so grown up now b/c she cut the curls away. Now don't get me wrong I didn't want him to have a mullet (daddy's biggest concern)...b/c we have seen some baby mullets and they are none too cute but alas we did the first haircut and it is fine but he looks so much older. Walking everywhere now, pointing at things with his hand in the air and nodding at you....as if to do that southern " 's up" thing. Yall know what I am talking about....it's pretty cute. Enjoy the pics.

Lovey in the trash??

We are working on a new nap schedule....trying to go down to one since he woke up at 7 am today. Yeah!!!! Trying to hold off on a nap until after lunch. Ha, not sure if that will happen. He's pretty cranky and just got mad and put Lovey in the diaper champ. Not a good sign.
We'll see if we can hold out until after lunch.......on a different note he is walking without assistance from one place to another now but only if you pretend you aren't looking. It's pretty cute....I say that a lot but I think most everything he does is pretty cute...maybe I should just start calling him PC.....

Rainy Wednesday

So, it's raining today....but at least it's not the hurricane force winds like yesterday combined with the rain. Yesterday, the little man learned the help me put clothes in the dryer. As I took them out of the wash he stood by at the dryer door and when I placed the clothes on the dryer door he pushed them into the dryer...so cute...he is getting so big boyish. He even helped pick them up off the floor and put them back in the dryer.
The little man is at the sitter this am so I can clean uninhibited or without him chasing me and the vacuum cleaner. I have put the pack n play away( so nowhere to stow him away for a few minutes) although he still enjoys it because we got a lot of stuff for his bday and had nowhere to put it all. We save the pack n play for real emergencies like washing the cars or when he needs to be contained so I can make some coffee..like the last two days. Ok moms, what to do when they are waking all of a sudden and won't go back to sleep for hours and everytime you leave the room they scream. That's the past two nights. We are trying not to pick him up b/c my theory is he is manipulating us to pick him up and lay down with us...daddy doesn't care about that, just wants sleep. He did get up with him two nights ago and lay on the couch for a few hours of quiet but last night we let him cry it out and went in every 5-10 minutes. Finally he went to sleep....any advice appreciated b/c I feel terrible about it but I know if I pick him up he will think SCORE, I won! and we have created a bad habit. Maybe I give him too much credit. :) Okay, off to scrub some toilets and mop the floors :)

I really did have a puppy.......

So daddy comes in this evening to tell me that the little man found a dog bone which he normally picks up and gives to one of the dogs..right..no big deal...this is a fun game they play with him. Well, instead today he decided he needed to taste the bone himself and as daddy walked around the corner he saw him playing with other things in his hand and holding the bone in his mouth like a dog. We are in trouble if he is imitating them......hope he doesn't decide it's okay to hike his leg or squat somewhere.....just kidding of course!
I did hear this whaling cry earlier and ran in there where he and daddy were playing and he had fallen into the toy box--head first--none toohappy about trying to get that veggie tales book out.
Oh well, the adventures with a toddler are neverending...wouldn't trade it for anything :)

On a different note I wanted to share with some of you some of the things I miss about being in the South this time of year and things I am learning to like up here....
I miss vine ripe tomatoes on a blt and sweet tea, Waffle House (yall love it too, admit it)

I miss hearing crickets every evening and seeing the Gulf Coast beaches at sunset...swimming in a pool outdoors because it's hot and you want to cool off....it makes me sad that Jackson misses out on so many of the things his daddy and I grew up with.....fresh Gulf shrimp and crab...sorry but it's not the same up here.
Okay, enough south reminiscing....from time to time that will happen.....my southern ramblings so I apologize to my friends who are tired of hearing that stuff.
I am thankful for the sunsets here on our back porch.....you can watch the sunsets here without being carried away by mosquitoes and sweating buckets. Moderately warm temperatures that allow you to still wear capris and put a light jacket on in the evening. Thankful for all the fresh fruit here..every berry imaginable, cherries and the fall pumpkin patches are beautiful. Rambled enough, going to bed now.....

Long year or short year?

So, here we are a year later, still in Whidbey Island. I must say it is getting better with the summer months and we are discovering new parks and trails and meeting new people , making new friends. Most of our VQ friends have moved on and are in different locations......and Jackson is 1 year old.....WOW! Time flies, but it's been a long year(translation Winter) here but everyone keeps saying it was the worst winter in about 20 years .....they said that the year before too so I am not holding my breath for the next two.
Okay, so Jackson is a year and saying mama (only in distress), daddys (while looking for daddy.) and dog with a really cute southern drawl--DAWG! Oh yeah, and he barks back at dogs....imagine that! I did have a puppy :)
Yesterday, while cleaning up the house ---daddy was vacuuming--- and keeping his eye on Jackson while I tooled about the house doing various things......when I heard this wonderful splashing noise. Keep in mind daddy knew the boy was in the bathroom.....so of course he thought it was funny when the boy was splashing in the TOILET!!! So we antibacterialed his hands and arms and moved on while daddy was still vacuuming and laughing :)

We had a big John Deere Bday party with friends and family. The little man had a fun week with Mimi and Paw paw and all his new toys. Cake was good, food was good , and fellowship was good so we had a great day and then went to another birthday party the next day. It was a big Memorial Day weekend but we all had a blast. I will post more pictures later of the little guy....

Can't believe I did this.........

......I am so technologically challenged I can't believe I could do this. My friend did one and I thought what a great way to stay in touch with friends and family and show off the billions of pictures I take of Jackson a week. No, I will not post all one billion but maybe a million :) Okay, so I will keep trying to find the time to update this and getting new pictures up.