JenniferPants

What happened?

2011-04-07T23:07:00.003-04:00

Ha! I am no good at blogging! I've been absent! I've been neglectful! It's ridiculous! I will stop.

Now that that's out of the way, we can get on with the show. For my first foray into blogging in months, I will show you a few pictures of (surprise!) my beautiful baby. Ok, no, he's not so much a baby anymore. But, he will always be my baby. And here he is doing something that is utterly adorable. Sitting on his own miniature lawn chair, wearing my sunglasses, sunning himself by the fish pond and sort of feeding the fish. A set up that he made happen all on his own. When I walked out the back door and saw this, I cracked up and then immediately ran back inside for the camera. Ok, enough build up. Jeesh.

We have had several sunny days here this week and since it's officially spring break!! Cooper and I have been as lazy as possible. We spent two whole days in bathing suits in the back yard like a couple of mother-son rednecks and played in the baby pool/buckets/hose. We made it official and pulled out looootttss of beach toys and some sunblock. Basically, it was awesome. The only thing that was missing was Daddy. Too bad adults don't get spring break, too.

Happy weekend, friends!

PS- I'm not making any empty promises but hopefully I will be back around here again soon. :)

Christmas 2010

2011-01-25T15:09:00.004-05:00

Well, my dear, you definitely LOVED all things Christmas this year. From the moment we pulled out the first decorations, you were on board for a happy, fun December. Some of the things you loved most of all this year: candy canes, a prwismas lights (christmas lights), and the advent calendar.

We got our usual two Christmas trees this year- purchased on possibly the coldest, windiest day in December- brrrr! Our Caribou's were cold the instant we stepped out of Daddy's truck. But, we had fun picking the trees out and all piling into the truck and kicked off the start of Momma's favorite holiday!

Tree Picking:

Cold Boys:

Proud New Owner of a Tree:

Your first Advent Day was a little late, but you were excited none-the-less. It was such a fun thing to do with you this year. The buffet where the calendar lived became your favorite spot in the house. You were very patient and only had one or two booboo's when you opened a door too early. I was so proud of your self control and how well you listened. (As a side note, I see you still have a paci here! We were all very brave and decided to give up the pacis after the dog chewed up the last of these cheap replacement ones. You asked for a paci only a few times after we gave it up. Usually it was when you would see yourself with one in a picture. You've been "clean" now for over a month and I can't believe it!)

Christmas morning! Opening your first present. You had been really anxious before the "big day" to open any and all presents that were sitting under the tree for family and friends. You were happy to finally be allowed to go crazy! You really did enjoy opening your things and also liked to pass out presents to others and tell them that you got them something! :) So adorable.

Your new drill and goggles:

Daddy opening your airplane:

The present opening madness ends. We're left with this:

We couldn't believe our eyes as it starting snowing on Christmas night. It was beautiful and fun. We took a few golf cart rides around the yard at Pop and Gee's house. It was hilarious for some reason to be pelted in the face with wet snowflakes.

You sitting at your favorite spot watching your Christmas snow globe:

Your Santa pic this year:

You eating lunch on a barstool in front of your favorite spot. Gotta keep a close eye on that Advent Calendar:

We had so much fun with you! You make the holidays even more fun and special than I ever thought possible. Seeing the world through your eyes is one of the best parts about our life.

Oh, one of my favorite things that you said this year-
Me: What do you want for Christmas, Cooper?
You: Uh, candy canes!
Me: And what else?
You: Uh, prwismas lights!

Done. Love you.

Snow!

2011-01-11T13:49:00.005-05:00

We are heading into day 2 of snow here in Georgia. It started Sunday evening around 8pm and continued through the night into Monday morning. We think we had around 3 or 4 inches at our house. We've had chilly temperatures and it's managed to keep the snow and ice around for another day. The roads are icy and we've pretty much been homebound!

We've had quite a bit of fun playing in the snow. We even did a little sledding last night on a scoop shovel. I swear one of these days I will actually remember to buy a sled! Though I will say that the shovel worked pretty well. Cooper takes after his Momma and really gets into snow! Here's a look at what we've been up to:

All bundled up and ready to go! Cooper still fits into the same coat and hat from last year, unbelievably. Although, it's starting to look a little tight.

Can't resist this beautiful face.

Our little fish pond in the back yard. Those poor little fish! Brrr!

A little fun with Dadda.

Works for sand OR snow!

A good picture in the middle of a bunch of "no Momma, don't take my picture!"

Good thing we haven't taken down the Christmas lights yet. We had to turn them on just for the occasion. :)

A little hot cocoa to warm up. Cooper thought it was really fun to say 'hot cocoa'.

Happy New Year everyone!

How I love you...

2010-11-07T21:24:00.002-05:00

That's all...just wanted to say I love you.

Retrospective

2010-11-03T19:50:00.003-04:00

Last year at Halloween

This year at Halloween

I would just like to say, "Whaaaa??" How did my baby get so big? (And, yes, Cooper is splashing in his Pop and Gee's fountain in late October. It's been slightly warm here. Til yesterday.) When did this happen?

I would have posted a pic of Cooper carving a pumpkin this year, except, we did NOT carve our pumpkins this year! OMG! We got caught up in finishing up renovations of the upstairs bathroom (pics to come- it's amazing) and didn't make time for pumpkin carving. Oopsie. Maybe we can carve some fall-type decorations on them??

Anyway, can you believe how big my baby is? Is he even still a baby? Probably not...

Halloween

2010-11-02T15:19:00.005-04:00

We really milked this holiday for all it was worth! You got to wear your triceratops costume 3 times! Once for the pre-k parade, once for the trick-or-treating in EAV, and then on actual Halloween. I was happy that you wore the head piece that went with your costume- even if I had to bribe you with candy. Hey, you were gonna eat it anyhow. You looked absolutely adorable and we had so much fun trick-or-treating with you. Mimi, Gee and Pop came to our house to have chili and pumpkin bread and then we all escorted you around our neighborhood. This was the first year we actually went in our own hood and it was totally fun. Lots of neighbors ready and waiting with giant candy bowls, costumes, jack-o-lanterns and decorations. We all took turns taking you to different doors and allowing you to say trick-or-treat and thank you. You were very polite and not greedy. :) We were all surprised at how well you handled some of the scary costumes we encountered. Quite a brave little dude. Happy Halloween...now on to Turkey Day!

Picture Story Book

2010-10-20T23:16:00.002-04:00

Snapping a quick one of my quick one (well, one of my quick ones): Sadiebug

Decorating for Halloween. Cooper shows more than ample enthusiasm. He gives a very breathy, "wow!" to all things Halloween. And when I pull out more Halloween decorations, he says, "a more Haween stuff!" That's my boy.

My happy and very capable chef. I was surprised at how much his patience and listening has improved since our last baking effort. He held all of the measuring devices and poured all of the ingredients into the bowl.

He can use a spoon! So talented. My prodigy. And look how clean his pants are!

Mmm. Chocolate cookies with Reese's chips. These were sooo easy (a two-year old can make them) and delicious!

Went to the Little 5 Points Halloween Parade with Momma, Daddy and Mimi. Yes, Cooper was a tad bored by all the gore and freak. Ho hum.

Well, except for when he got to eat candy off the dirty, dirty ground.

He spent a good portion of his time looking like this.

But look at these amazing superhero costumes! Maybe he perked up a little when they walked by...

Sunday we took a drive to the North Georgia mountains. Ellijay Apple Festival.

They have bouncy things! Suddenly Cooper was not so into bouncy things! Oh well...

He definitely was into being chased by Momma...

and by Dadda.

And there was lots of this. Oh, how I love. this. smile.

Look at the thrill on his face! It's tangible. Daddy, I love how you let me do crazy things that Momma is too fraideycat to let me do.

Red, red, red. Love, love, love.

All this running has to make you thirsty!

Oh, why yes it does, thankyouverymuch. Fresh from the apple farm apple juice. Refilled *2* times on the way home with gas station Juicy Juice. Eek. Hey, it's Sunday. We were indulging a little.

Self-portrait of the Momma and Dadda.

And there you go. Amazing weekend spent reconnecting after 3 (Three!!!!) weeks of the sickness in our house. I love you family. xoxoxo, Momma

2010-10-12T00:25:00.005-04:00

Been in a bit of a bloggy slump lately, here's my exercise to get the gears turning again. A list. The ever-useful list. I shall make one this instant.

Randoms...

-Today was a happy day. A visit with two of my favorite ladies, some lazy surfing on the internet during naptime, an evening stroll with my little boy through the retail district (hand holding, smoothie sipping, and kitty cat watching at the pet store), and some way past bedtime wrestling and silliness in the living room with Daddy.
-I love fall. The cooler weather is simply refreshing. It makes me want to stay home, bake, and spruce up the house. And take long walks. Deep breaths.
-Lately, this ever-changing role as Momma has me turning the mirror on myself. I'm trying to strengthen my own character for the sake of his. Finally figuring out that if he is to be strong, I have to be as well.
-I love all of the talking with Cooper these days. His vocabulary is expanding by leaps and bounds. I love knowing that he can understand me and he can tell me what he's thinking about.
-One of my favorite things that you said a few months ago that I consider your first sentance, "I hear something. A noise." Spoken while I was trying to get you to please go to sleep. :) I had to smile.
-Crossing my fingers that the sickness stays out of our house for at least a few weeks. We've been bogged down with viruses for weeks now. Darn that preschool.
-Cooper is *starting* to be okay at pre-k now. Part of me wishes he still cried all day so I could take him out and keep him home with me. Part of me likes the time apart for him to learn from others and me to accomplish a few to do's.
-I cut my hair short.
-I'm painting the upstairs bathroom and we are finally headed down the road of finishing the whole room. It's been waaaaaaay too long. Can't wait to take my first shower in there and brush my teeth in the new sinks....aahhh.
-Sadiebug is settling in to our family nicely. Cooper adores her. She needs TWO walks a day. :)
-Cooper is going to be a Triceratops for Halloween. Can't wait til the costume arrives this week.
-What shall I be for Halloween? What will you be for Halloween?

Sadie shall be a punkin.

Chocolate cookie dough face, garage sale jacket. Love you baby.

Happy fall everyone!

First Day of School

2010-08-31T23:37:00.003-04:00

This is a day that I had imagined would have happened when you started kindergarten. However, the stars have aligned and now you're in a little preschool/daycare two mornings a week. I have had a billion mixed emotions about this step, but I am hoping that it turns out to be fun for you and that it helps you figure out the world around you. Your school is an adorable little old-fashioned place. It fits our neighborhood perfectly and makes me think of my own childhood. I hope you love it there eventually.

I had butterflies driving you to the school this morning. I was nervous for you, for me. What on earth would I do with my 4 hours of alone time? I knew I was going to both miss my little buddy and feel like the world was mine for a little while. When we got there, you seemed intrigued and the second your saw your buddy, the two of you ran to the train table in your classroom. That comforted me and made me think, "Silly mommy, he's going to have a blast!" I came over to you after settling your things into your cubby and kissed you bye. You gave me your usual, confident "bye Momma!" and I headed out. On the way to the car, I fought back the tears. I kept telling myself things to make myself feel better. It's only for a few hours a few days a week. He's going to learn so much. It will be good for him. And you. He's going to be fine. Etc etc.

I spent the next few hours running errands and wasting time, alternately. Part of me wanted to get a billion things done and part of me wanted to wander around Marshall's like I was 19 again and buy bunch of crap I don't need. I think I struck a fair balance between the two. :)

So, I picked you up from school, teary-eyed and missing your Momma. I think you were tired and probably a little bit confused as to why I had left you with all of those strangers. Honestly, as out-going as you are, I thought I'd pick you up and hear that it was cake for you. Easy-peasy. But no, you had cried on and off while you were there. Poor Booboo. Not quite sure what to make of your day. To make it all better, we indulged in a little mid-day ice cream from our favorite spot. Maybe Thursday will be better.

Here's some pics of your first day. You're too cute for words in your backpack. It was so heavy that you were wobbling a little bit. Too many ice packs in your first-day lunch. :)

I love you big boy. Happy first day of pretend school. xoxo, Momma

Pals

2010-08-26T22:56:00.003-04:00

I know one day soon you'll be inseparable best buds. For now, you're pretty much just inseparable litter mates. Biting, fighting, pinching,hitting, running, jumping, kicking, hugging, squeezing and...the occasional restful moment. Here's one of them:

I hear your grown-up voice in my head, someday saying how much you love Sadie. And it makes me happy knowing that you'll have her through the years. To snuggle, to confide in, to have at the foot of your bed, and to teach you all of the wonderful lessons that come with having a dog.

Please just try not to hurt each other too bad in the mean time...

xo,
Momma

Goodnight Train

2010-08-25T21:47:00.005-04:00

"In bed at last. Tucked in and snug. The engines snores a final chug." As one of Cooper's favorite books says, here I am, at last. It's been one of those days. You know, the kind that starts out all wrong, continues all wrong, but maybe ends a little bit ok. The kind of day where I wish I could go back, erase all the angry moments, the yelling, and the little (big) fights between me and Cooper. I'm not sure what it was about today, but I did not do my part as patient mother today. It started with waking up a tad too early after a not-so-restful night's sleep and then an early morning battle over wether or not a nose syringe could in fact be a toy. I feel ridiculous even typing that because normally, YES a nose syringe is indeed a toy. But not today. I didn't feel like picking up the shredded syringe an hour later after Cooper would have, no doubt, left it laying around for Sadie to devour. So I said no. And not gently. Like I sometimes do when my patience wears thin. I just wish it hadn't worn so thin, so early. That was NOT his fault. It was mine. And so the day continued, with both of us acting like two-year olds. I'm suppose to be the adult, right? I'm not sure why but some days I just can't climb up on top and see what really matters most. Like being a thoughtful, respectful and patient mother to Cooper.

And tonight, just as I excused myself from the nighttime routine, to put myself to bed early, Cooper brought me "our" book (My Truck Is Stuck). Momma read (sounds like from his lips- "amomma wreah"). And my heart is simultaneously melting and breaking into a million pieces. He's so forgiving, so adorable, so elastic. It's like all of the yuck from the day never even happened. He's moved on. So I read, and I try to move on. The anger has all washed away and I'm sitting there holding him, breathing through the hair on top of his head. Loving every bit of him. I can't imagine why on earth I'd ever raise my voice at my little guy. The reality is, is that it happens. Because I get tired, frustrated or stressed. Real or imagined. And the impatient momma comes out.

I'm grateful for the bedtime that we had this evening. Thanks for being so forgiving, little man. Tomorrow is another day. And I promise that I will always keep trying to be a better Mom than I was today, yesterday or the day before that. I love you.

You. Adorably eating a pah-ooh-oohl.

Play Doh

2010-08-08T22:38:00.003-04:00

I have been too scared to get any play doh for Cooper until recently when I decided that it couldn't be worse than going outside in this Georgia HEAT. I'm glad I decided to give it a try- Cooper seems to love it and I was impressed with how long it captured his attention. Both Bryan and I have had fun sitting down with him and making things. It took mere minutes for me to get over the fact that the colors will not be staying separated. Here's the little dude making red and blue into purple...

I don't have it captured in a picture but my favorite part was when Cooper had the thought to use the little plastic scissors to cut a spaghetti string of play doh off of the spaghetti-maker. Completely his idea and so totally smart and adorable.

PS- Fall, if you're out there listening, please make an early appearance this year. I mean, I love staying indoors and watching tv and eating bonbons all the time but enough is enough.

Me House

2010-07-25T00:30:00.004-04:00

When Cooper shouts, "Me House!" it's time to get to work on building a couch house. Sometimes it degrades into a couch trampoline. This is one of those times. My living room has never looked so well-kept as on this day.

Wee-ha! This was fun...

We need these moments during this time of frequent and highly frantic tantrums. Lately, Bryan and I have felt a little like we're living in a toddler war-zone. Yikes. It's moments like these that make me want to do anything in the world for him. I mean, look how happy he is! :)

Pooch

2010-07-25T00:12:00.003-04:00

One week ago today, we welcomed a new pup into the Kelley fold. There's a million mixed emotions that have gone along with adopting this new creature- but decidedly, she's been a wonderful addition. As sweet as pie and in love with Cooper. Meet Sadie...

Many thanks to the animal loving folks at Atlanta Pet Rescue for bringing her into our life. Check us out here.

My Big Boy

2010-07-17T00:29:00.003-04:00

This morning my heart almost melted into a giant pool on the floor. I loved the little goodbye we had this morning on your way to the sitter's/ mine and Daddy's way to work. Daddy had you headed out the door with your arms full of toys you couldn't leave behind- a dinosaur, a train, puh-e (puppy), and your sippy cup. Almost more than you could wrangle. You happily kissed me bye on the front steps and followed Daddy down the driveway to the truck. I hollered after you, "Bye! I love you!" And you hollered back, "Bye Momma! I uh ooh!" I'm so proud of you for a million reasons. One being how confident and brave you are when we take you to the sitter's on Mommy's work days. You are as cool as a cucumber and I'm so grateful for that. Grateful that I don't have to have a completely broken heart when I go to work and grateful that someday your confidence will help you navigate the twists and turns of life. You are a wonderful little dude and I'm so glad you're mine. xoxo, Momma

Grateful for You

2010-07-01T22:12:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to say that today I feel so lucky to have you in my life. Where would I be without you? I don't even want to imagine. Thank you for coming into our lives and being the wonderful little boy that you are. Sometimes, I get wrapped up in a place in my head and forget what I have around me. The last few days have been that way and when I got you out of bed this morning, I was like, "Oh! Hello, You!." There you were, all sleepy eyed and looking for your paci (well, you call it hassy). I asked you if you wanted to get out of bed and you said, "mhmm". I love you little pumpkin. You're just what I need. Thanks for waking up before I left for work today- I needed to see your sweet little face.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T23:35:00.003-04:00

To the wonderful men in my life-

I love you so...

Happy 2nd Birthday

2010-06-01T23:18:00.006-04:00

Two candles for our big boy...

A day that was all about you...
This morning, Daddy and I got up with you to hang out before Daddy had to go to work. You were greeted by a birthday banner and a few presents at the table. We had breakfast together- banana pancakes and cream cheese scrambled eggs. Mmm. A monkey cup and plate- robbed from the party supplies for Sunday. I wanted your morning to be special. I think you liked it. You tried several times to say 'Happy Birthday Cooper' when you pointed at the banner. Very cute. You even gave breakfast a fair shake- one whole pancake and about half of your scrambled eggs. Oh, and of course the entire glass of Mango OJ. :)

After breakfast, Daddy headed to work and you and I went to the bookstore to have some fun and search for books. You met a cute little girl that was fascinated by you and you two played together for a while. After the bookstore, we made a quick stop at the playground (park! as you call it). You had sleepy-face from the moment we set out this morning, so we had to go home for a snooze (me &you!) before having more birthday fun.

After nap, we had lunch at Chick-fil-A (complete with very delicious strawberry milkshake) and then went on an adventure to Leaping Lizards- the jumpy place. You were very good at lunch- ate lots and had fun with some people that were sitting nearby. Your smile and silly attitude is hard to resist. Needless to say, you had a blast at the jumpy thing. We went down slides, jumped in all of the bouncy things and just acted silly. I loved being able to hold your hand as we went down the slides together! It was so much fun.

This evening, when Daddy got home, we watched Shrek, ate dinner and went on a walk in your rain boots and new umbrella. After bath, we sang to you and opened one last present. You were so adorable sitting in front of that piece of cake with the candles on it. You looked truly happy and tried your best to blow the candles out. So completely amazing. We are incredibly grateful to have you in our lives. You are so much fun. We love you. Happy Birthday!

Can't wait for your big party on Sunday...

First Haircut

2010-05-31T23:18:00.004-04:00

Today was the day! We finally decided to sit you down in Mommy's chair to cut the baby mullet. I love your beautiful little blonde curls so I didn't cut too much off- just a good shaping. You looked adorable afterward and you actually sat pretty still during the cut. Thankfully, you were not interested in the scissors and comb. That would have made it super difficult. Two suckers and a few minutes in the haircutting chair and voilá! Cute new 'do!

Both still smiling in the end! We did alright!

Mommuh! Mommuh!

2010-05-09T23:14:00.003-04:00

Today you were in one of those moods...hollering my name just to see my face turn to yours. A little ham, wallowing in the (nearly) undivided attention of your parents. You are so cute- it's hard to find the words to describe how your little personality and your very being, make our hearts melt. You and I didn't have many "alone" moments together today but the one we did, when I was changing your diaper tonight at Gee and Hop's, I thanked you for giving this gift to me- of allowing me to be your Mother. You've made me a better person, made me strong, made life unbelievably magical. Thank you for every day that you've given me with you. To love you, to teach you, to hold you- and for you giving all of that back to me. You're the best son a mommuh could ever dream of having.

Things We've Been Doing

2010-05-08T21:34:00.007-04:00

The last few weeks, we've been keeping busy. It's made for lots of fun little memories. I just wanted to write a little something to keep the days from slipping from me. One of my biggest worries (who me? worry?) is that you'll grow up and I'll look back and say, "where did it all go?" So, part of me writing all of this is to be able to go back and re-live your growing up again someday. I try to make every day as special as I can with you- without spoiling you too much. :) Here's some of the fun stuff we've done lately, Booboo. I love you, little pal.

In random order...

A trip to the zoo on the day we purchased the season pass. I was worried we wouldn't go enough to justify the cost or that we'd go once and decide that the zoo was some place that only needed to be visited once. I was wrong! We had a lot of fun and we went back again last week and had a unique and fun experience. We'll be going many times this summer. You love running right up to the flamingos when we first enter the gate. Then, on to the "ephants". This is you in front of the elephant statue.

This is the Friday that you, me and Daddy went to ride bikes on the Comet Trail. We took the day off of work (well, Mommy took the week off of work!) and headed to the trail late morning. You napped on the way there and we stopped and ate Chick-fil-A in the car before we got to the trail. When you woke up, you ate your ice cream and chicken nuggets. We rode bikes for 4 miles, you in the wagon, and then we stopped for ice cream #2. Your first push-pop. You were a fan. You did a great job of riding in your wagon. Every couple of minutes you check to make sure we are still there, "Mommuh! Daddah!" It was a fun ride and a fun day. I'm glad you like riding bikes with us.

You being silly with our umbrella. Birthday present idea #1 is born. I'm on the hunt for a Cooper-sized umbrella.

Lunch with Daddy at our favorite spot, La Fonda.

One of our first days at a new park that opened near our house earlier this year. We just started frequenting this one a few weeks ago. It's always empty but has fun equipment and a really springy ground under it. You met a little girl the first time we went and she loved playing with you. She let you shove her down the slide over and over. You let her climb up the slide in front of you every time. Fair is fair. :)

You helping me make dinner. You're getting to be pretty well- behaved in the kitchen. You have started pushing your chair up to the counter and playing with the things we set you up with. Gone are the days of grabbing ALL of the spoons, can openers, wine openers, etc out of the drawers and scattering them about the house. Thank goodness...eek, one of my least favorite things you loved to do. Oh yeah, this is the face you make when we tell you to "smile" at the camera. It's hilarious. Squished up nose and squinty eyes.

Rolling out sugar cookies one day for a fun activity. You called the dough, "kee doe", for cookie dough. Very cute. The cookies were not. But, they tasted good! And you did an excellent job of rolling the dough.

Our evening fun as of late- you, me and Dah, hanging out in your bedroom before night-night. There's diaper changing, pajama putting-on, book reading, and...wrestling!!!!! It's so much fun and you really get a huge kick out of it. We love playing with you and making you laugh. Here's a few pics of you and Daddy spinning to make you so dizzy you fall over when you try to stand up on your own. Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Love you, little babe. I look forward to more of this.

Homework with my Partner

2010-04-12T13:58:00.005-04:00

There's a vibe in our household right now that has been pushing us to complete projects that we have been working on for a while. So, this weekend, needing to busy ourselves a bit, we finished a few things around the house. We have been working on a master bedroom suite in the upstairs of our house for some time now and we finished the trim in our walk-in closet on Sunday! Yay. Bryan did an excellent job and I am spoiled by the amount of space we now have to store our clothes and bedding. Here's a few shots of the final look:

While Cooper napped and Bryan worked on the closet trim, I painted our outdoor furniture. The weather was really nice and it was good to be outside working on something. We've had this old wicker furniture for years and it's been through many coats of paint. Here's the latest version:

There has been a lot of moments over the last 5 months that have been less than ideal. I find myself clinging to the parts of our life that make me the happiest and trying to squeeze every bit of happiness from life that it will allow, despite the rough spots. Our home is one of those things for me that really makes me feel good. I love the little life and the little home that we have made for ourselves. The last couple of weekends have really reminded me of how amazing my husband is. There's no better partner to hold the hand of through the good and the bad. He holds me up when I cannot manage on my own. He comforts me when I am feeling sad. He makes me laugh when there is just no other way to be. We are like a puzzle that fits together in the best of ways. Each having a piece that the other needs to become whole. I adore you, I need you, I like you, I love you. Thank you for everything that you are to me- which is both one thing or a million things, whatever I happen to need. I love the life we make together.

Celebrating a Life

2010-04-03T13:34:00.005-04:00

I'll just speak to you as if you could read this, because I'm not sure else how to write it...

I love you, girl. A true friend and companion, loyal, loyal, loyal to those nearest to you. Especially your Papa and me. This weekend, we are going through a really tough thing with you. Probably one of the most difficult and painful experiences of our lives. You're not feeling very good. There's a tumor. We found out yesterday that we don't have long. It happened so fast that we are doing our best to keep you comfortable for this weekend, for just a few days. We need to love on you and to feel you near, at the base of our chairs, the foot of the bed, and by our side on just a few more walks around the neighborhood. We want to catch a few last glimpses of the girl we've loved over the last eight years. You're a huge part of our life and our love. You were the first thing that was your Dad and I's together. You're our first baby.

I want to thank you for all of the happiness, the laughter, the love and the lessons you've given us. It's been a true joy to know you. One of the things about you that is so amazing is how much you like to be with us. You've traveled to places near and far because of this. There's not a car ride you wouldn't go on. From the very first week we had you, I started taking you to work with me at Pop and Granny's store. You were this tiny little black fluffball whom napped under the bolt bin and on the bottom shelf of the parts counter. You sniffed for balls under the parts bins, barked away at many a customer whose gait irritated you or whose voice tweaked your ears the wrong way. :) From the outside looking in, I think people thought you were cranky (and maybe you were), but from my point of view, every bark was for us. You just wanted to protect what you loved best. Thank you, girl.

I think what I love best about you is how you are always near us. You are like a little shadow, a pal that needs to be where the action is. This was true from the moment we brought you home- no crate for you. I had to sleep on the floor with you at night until I convinced your Papa that having a dog in the bed was a good idea. :) And I'm so glad you made it there. Having you at the foot of the bed is always a comfort to me. I've loved having your warmth and sleepy body to wake up to in the morning. Morning, girl. With a little rub on your velvet forehead.

There are so many little things that I want to always remember about you. The way you mashed every couch cushion we've ever owned because sitting in the window was where it's at. Barking at any little thing going by. The way you hate to go outside in the rain. Your little princess feet could not get wet. It's silly, but the way you spin in circles to find the perfect spot for pooping. The way you LOVE to play ball. The way you get that wild look on your face and in your eyes when we are pouncing our hands on the floor at you. How you LOVE to take walks around the neighborhood and sniff and sniff and sniff. How you learned what bag was yours at Christmas and would stick your head through the tissue paper and snort at whatever was inside (raquetballs, tennis balls, a new collar). The way you know when we would get off of the interstate to go home and you would jump in my lap as we make the u-turn on to our street. Yes, I will miss you riding in the car with me so much. My little co-pilot.Drinking pond water. Following your Dad from back to front back to front, when he was working in the yard. You're a food beggar. Big time. And I swear at Thanksgiving, when you steal a billion rolls from the hands of all the kids, your tummy is as big as the ocean and made of steel. How you always carry the empty cat food cans under the dining room table and lick them clean. How you and your Papa share peanut butter and he lets you lick the empty jars clean.

You are wonderful, you are our girl. Big fluffy. Babs. Babette. You are loved, a million times over. Our hearts are inextricably tied to yours. We love you, girl.

Cooperisms

2010-03-02T22:05:00.003-05:00

I wrote this on March 2nd and never finished it. I've decided it's done enough to post anyway...

Today when you said something totally adorable, I decided it was time to write down a few of the cute things you say, before I turn 40 and you turn 10, and I forget all the cute Cooperisms. I love that you talk and I love how you pick up on all that is going on in our world. You are learning to say so many new things every day. Here's a sample:

Last week, you pulled out your rain/snow boots and kept saying, "h-now, h-now, h-now". You wanted snow. You remembered snow. From two weeks ago. That's amazing.

Today, I realized that I must ask you a lot, "are you ready?", because you started answering me, "rae!" It's so fun because you seem so proud that you answer and always with much enthusiasm.

You love your Pop and call his name, "Hop! Hop!"

You love your Granny and call her name, "Gee, Gee!" (Is it possible to rename a Grandparent after 5 other grandchildren?)

You love to answer all questions with "yeah". Except when you answer, "nuh".

Your Dad and I have a habit of singsonging, "we're ho-ome" when we pull into our drive way. You have picked up on this and now say "ho-ome" in the same singsong voice we do.

**I love you. I love you. I love you. A thousand times over. You talking is the best thing ever.**

City Life

2010-02-28T23:00:00.003-05:00

One of the things I think about a lot is how raising a child in the city is different than raising one in the burbs (or *gasp* on a farm- as I partially was). One of the things I really enjoy about the city is that it forces me to not be a hermit. If Cooper needs a change of scenery (which is often- due to our tiny house and bo-ring yard), I take him to one of the many local parks. Here's one of our park outings from last week. Cooper was being extra silly and cute which made it so fun to snap his picture.

Bath Time!

2010-02-23T13:30:00.007-05:00

When you're a kid, there's more to bathing than just soap and water. For Cooper, there's pots and pans, dishes and bowls, cups and lids. Here's what happens when he has all of his favorite things in the tub. (Yes, there was lots of water on the floor, too.)

(Thanks Daddy for getting Momma a new camera that takes the most amazing photos. xoxo.)

Snow Day

2010-02-14T23:18:00.004-05:00

Last week, someone said that they were ready for spring and I said, "just one more snow and I'll be ready." Well, I got what I wished for. And it was amazing. The perfect snow day- at home, nothing to do but stare out the window at our wintry white. It was beautiful and peaceful. And I think I found the perfect partner who loves snow just as much as me.

He was in awe. He was delighted. His heart sang. So did mine...

I'm still here

2010-01-20T22:29:00.004-05:00

We survived December although I have no idea how. I'm not talking about a December filled-with-so-much-Christmas-fun-you-just-don't-know-how-you're-going-to-fit-all-the-parties-in-December. I'm talking about a December filled with so many rough patches I thought I'd lose my mind. I definitely lost my Christmas spirit. I'm looking back now thinking, "can I have a do over?"

Mid-December brought the news that the salon that I worked at was closing down. In three weeks. It came as a surprise even after months of rumors and speculation among our staff. I never thought I'd cry when I was told it wasn't happening anymore. But I did. It's hard not to feel a little attached to something that you've spent 5 years of your life building. I knew in my heart that it was for the best but my head was spinning at the thought of trying to find the perfect job, my new home, in a mere 3 weeks over the holidays. Merry Christmas, you're fired.

Almost exactly one week later, I miscarried a baby that we had been hoping to tell everyone about on Christmas day. Our hearts were broken into a million pieces. I'm not even sure where to begin to talk about that here. But, it happened and I think most of you already know about it. Life had to go on- at a breakneck pace- whether I was ready for it or not.

I spent the remainder of December scrambling to get a job and get settled enough to take my clients who were already scheduled on January 2nd. I ended up sort of starting my own business- which was a huge, complicated and awesome experience. Something I'm still working on.

New Year's Eve was a blur. We spent it at home with a few friends and our sweet boy. New Year's last year with him was so fun we HAD to spend it with him again this year. I did make it to midnight and fell fast asleep soon after. Wooh, made it to 2010.

Every day since January 2nd has gotten better and better. Life has and is slowly returning to its normal pace. The past week I feel like I am finally waking up from a long winter's dream. I see my boy again and take deep breaths of his sweetness and remember how great our lives are. The show is going on. Life is going on. And I couldn't be happier about it.

Advent Day 1!

2009-12-01T22:38:00.003-05:00

This year, we are starting a new holiday tradition- an Advent calendar. I found one last year on clearance at the bullseye when my Mom and I went day-after-Christmas shopping. It's a pretty silver box with shiny numbered doors and it's going to bring a lot of fun to our December, I've already decided. So, Bryan and I are taking turns each day and putting a surprise behind every door to be opened each morning. I'm odd days, he's even, we share the 25th. So, this morning Bryan and Cooper opened the first door and found 3 snowflakes and a little note that explained that we would be kissing under mistletoe today. Well, Cooper feel asleep in the car on the way home, so he'll get his kiss tomorrow. But, here's a pic of his parents sharing a Christmas kiss...

Happy December! And HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Today's Accomplishments

2009-11-20T21:35:00.002-05:00

*Woke up early to get your day started (6am)
*Learned a new word during breakfast (toast)
*Decided 6am was waaay too early to wake up and took a nap at 8:45am (yay)
*Played and played with the sitter
*Took trash out for Mommy (I tie it up, you drag it out the back door- good job)
*Learned how to use your mini fishing pole in the bathtub (good work)
*Downed a shot of Motrin to fight of the aches of your cold

Night baby boy. Love you so much.

Tomato Soup Recipe

2009-11-02T13:07:00.003-05:00

I promised a friend I'd post the recipe for the soup I made last week. I made it again today- Yum! (Yes, those are Christmas muffin papers. I'm all sad since I packed up Halloween stuff last night. Gotta move on to the next-ish holiday.)

Tomato Soup

1 32oz carton of lower sodium chicken broth
1 10.75oz can of Hunt's tomato puree
1 14.5oz can of diced tomato (I use either plain or fire-roasted with garlic)
1/2 cup half n half or whole milk
1 small onion, diced
1 Tb. olive oil
salt, pepper and dried basil to taste
garlic powder (if the diced tomato is plain)

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. (Sometimes I use the hand blender to puree the soup while it is simmering.) Make a box of Jiffy Corn Muffins while the soup is simmering. They make an excellent soup companion! :)

Toddler Bed

2009-11-01T22:19:00.001-05:00

Is it time?

Bottles and Tears + Halloween

2009-11-01T20:08:00.007-05:00

Your Dad and I have washed them a MILLION times. We've assembled their many parts so many times we can do it blindfolded. We might have cursed them on more than one occasion. But tonight, as I packed them away until the next baby, I cried about them. Well, I cried about you never needing one again. The bottles. It really started because I tried to remember the very last time I fixed you a bottle and gave it to you. I couldn't. And I bawled. Because that means that I forgot something about you. I know it's a condition of the brain, to remember some things but forget most, but it's just not okay with me when it comes to you. I want to remember every moment. To be able to conjure any experience we've had together. To know that you are right there in my thoughts when I need you.

Things seem to be moving at a breakneck pace since you were born. You are growing up so very fast. The experience of raising you is the best thing your Dad and I have ever been a part of. Every day you bring a joy to our lives that we are so grateful for. Last night we were talking about you over our dinner date and both of us were just brimming with pride and wonder over what a happy, curious and smart little boy you are. We had just been trick-or-treating earlier in the night and you were so into it. We were impressed at how quickly you caught on and how thrilled you were to pick out candy from the bowls of neighbors. You were delighted and you were a delight. You were the cutest skeleton around. We love you.

Here's a photo representation of our Halloween trick-or-treating!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-28T21:53:00.007-04:00

I'm a lover of fall and Halloween. Tonight we carved our pumpkin that we will set on the front steps to beckon the trick-or-treaters Saturday night. This year, we decided to go with a Jack Skellington theme. I think he turned out pretty cute. Plus, Cooper was all about helping this year, which made it extra fun. (Sorry, the pictures are in reverse and I don't feel like switching them!)
Completed pumpkin after Cooper was in bed

Pajama and milk break!

Cooper helping with his own marker. (Dry erase wipes right off of pumpkins BTW.)

Whoa, this comes off!?!

Yes! I get to use a knife!

Happy Halloween!

Cold Weather, Tomato Soup and Cornbread Muffins

2009-10-21T13:40:00.003-04:00

It's gotten quite chilly here (in the mornings, at least) and so I'm thinking about cooking and baking a lot. Cold weather makes me do that for some reason. Today, I made a Tomato Bisque and a batch of Jiffy Cornbread muffins. Yum. I've tried a few different cornbread recipes lately with a bunch of different soups I've made. Nothing compares to this 33 cent box of Jiffy Cornbread mix. Seriously. It's the perfect balance of savory and sweet and perfectly moist. Mmm.

This afternoon when we got home from a work meeting, you did the most adorable little grown-up move. After I put you down from carrying you in from the car, you started peeling off your jacket with both arms. Where did you learn that? It seems like everyday for the last couple of weeks, you are doing things like this all the time. I'm definitely seeing the little boy emerging from your baby-shell. I feel like I try to enjoy all of the precious time we have together, but I just feel like time is going too fast. How can we slow this ride down?

Can't wait til you wake up so we can eat cornbread together and play outside. Love you, little boogoola arugula.

A Day in Pictures

2009-10-08T11:09:00.003-04:00

I love the days we have together that I don't have to go to work. Yesterday was so fun and so all about you. Thanks for being my buddy...

Turning Over a New Leaf

2009-10-05T22:33:00.004-04:00

Today I was reminded how quickly a baby can change. I've been struggling with Cooper's, let's say, curiosity, over the last, um, 6 months. Seriously. He's one of those babies that people call busy, which we've figured out pretty much just means that he's into everything. Cooper is highly motivated by the possibility of getting his hands on anything that he might be able to take apart (destroy). Truthfully, I am grateful that he is so interested in exploring and learning. I don't want to squash his energy and interest. However, the neat-freak in me has been on high alert ever since he learned how to walk from here to there. Some days, I feel like I am just following him around the house, picking up mess after mess. Four forks and three baby spoons strewn on the kitchen and dining room floor. Twenty five clean diapers thrown about his room. A box of toys spilled on the living room floor. The contents of the bathroom shelf tossed artfully around the base of the toilet. You get the idea.

But, today I saw moments of a little boy who gained a little self-control. A baby morphed into a toddler who took his snack cup from his Momma, happily sat on the couch (his own choosing), and ate his Cheerios (feeding a few to Babs) as quiet as a mouse while I washed dishes. What? I kept checking on him because I couldn't believe that he was actually sitting still by himself. It was downright adorable seeing him in the living room, afternoon light pouring in the window behind him.

They change so fast. Every step is just that. A step. And today was one of those little reminders that he is an ever-changing boy. So, I'll try harder to not be so concerned about the messes he makes and to be more interested in helping him find his way. One mess (or ten) at a time. I love you little buddy.

Man, that was exhausting. Anyone need a seasonal dishtowel?

2009-10-04T22:35:00.007-04:00

I feel so behind on blogging that I don't really know where to begin. So, forgive me if you're confused but I'm just going to start right where I am. I've been sitting here typing sentences and then deleting them. Enough of that...

Last weekend we had a great Sunday. Really, the best thing about it was just being together for the entire day but it was also packed with fun things we did. It's one of those days that I'll be thinking of when I need a little pick-me-up.

In the morning, we went on a walk around the neighborhood- Cooper, Babette, Dadda, Momma. The weather was just gorgeous- crisp and clear. After our walk, we headed out to one of my favorite places Stella, for a late morning brunch. The food was tasty and the baby was happy. You know what I'm sayin'! Eating out these days is a gamble and this time we won! :) Cooper was on his best behavior and since the weather was so beautiful we decided to head across the street and take a stroll in historic Oakland Cemetery. I am typically creeped out by any sort of cemetery activity but for some reason this one doesn't make me feel like running the other way. We walked around, read headstones and generally allowed Cooper to stomp on people's graves. Hey, I have no control over him. He particularly enjoyed running down this "hill" we found:

Thanks to my great baby-catching skills, no one ended up with a busted lip or skinned knees.

The rest of the day we spent driving up to the Blue Ridge Mountains to meet some of our family for apple picking at a local farm. It was pretty fun. Cooper LOVED the tractor pulled wagon ride. He could hardly concentrate on apple picking for trying to get himself back to that tractor. But, he managed...
Grandpa with the assist

Sunny face

Adorable niece with her apple

Oh, they're my favorites...

Finally, back on the wagon. Ha.

Of course I had to make Apple Crisp during naptime on Monday. Yummy stuff with all those fresh apples. An ode to a wonderful day...

And today brought a fun treat from Granny and Pop:

Best find ever at a garage sale! Cooper is in love...with a tricycle on which he can't reach the pedals. Soon enough, my little man.

Hair

2009-10-02T23:43:00.002-04:00

He's finally growing some...

Where'd I go!?!

2009-08-17T21:15:00.006-04:00

I've melted in the summer heat? I've been chasing around a wild toddler? I've been busy with life?

Yes, all of the above and a little more. Honestly, I knew it had been a while since I had written on my blog but I really didn't know it had been THAT long. Sheesh. I'll be surprised if any of you are still waiting around to see if I would ever resurface.

Hmm, I think I'll do one of those list thingies to cover the events of the late spring and summer...

Things We Did This Summer (Sort of in the order in which they happened):

1. Went to the beach, just Cooper, Bryan and I. Cooper took his first, real steps the second we set him down in the condo for the first time. From that moment on, he hasn't stopped moving. Our trip was sunny and fun! Cooper's favorite part was the bathtub for some reason.

2. Went to the beach with just my girlfriends, no Cooper or Bryan. That was the first time I had ever been away from Cooper for more than 24 hours. Fun times with my girls but I was MISSING him badly by day 4. I think I drove 95mph the entire way home. My favorite part of the trip was the first day- we woke up, ate a leisurely breakfast, drank Mimosas, got a mani/pedi and shopped until late afternoon. So relaxing that I was like, what? Doesn't somebody need something from me?

3. Celebrated Cooper's First Birthday!!! I'm pretty sure no baby/toddler has ever enjoyed their first birthday as much as Cooper did. The boy loves an audience and he surely had one at his party. Every time I saw Cooper, he was toddling from one guest to another just hamming it up. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate! It was a blast!

4. Spent a week alone with Cooper while his Dadda went on a work trip. We did just fine but we sure were glad when he came back! The summer heat was really starting to sink in while he was gone, so we spent the first of many days on the back deck with the water hose. Cooper loves a garden hose so much that he points out every single one he sees on our morning walks. Hooo! Hoo! Hoo!

5. Went on a roadtrip to Ohio to visit family, just Cooper and I. I know, I want to smack me, too. Actually, it was a little crazy but we had a good time and got to see lots of family. Ok, I could have used some help in the car. Yes, I've lost my mind. Cooper had his first piece of Cassano's Pizza sitting in his Grandpa's lap. For the record, he loved it as much as his Momma does. Yum.

6. Celebrated Bryan's birthday, took a week off of work, spent some of that time in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains. It was a beautiful drive up to Tennessee and we had some really yummy BBQ at some place called Mickey Piggs in the middle of nowhere. Also, we hiked the Appalachian Trail. For like, 5 minutes. :) But seriously, we went on a couple of hikes in the mountains and I am a total convert. I've never been interested in anything but the beach for vacation, but I really enjoyed the peacefulness of the forest and all of that delicious fresh air.

7. Branched out in my career and accepted a job (in addition to my salon job) doing hair and makeup for television spots. I loved every moment of my first freelance job (except the waking up at 5am) and I'm flying out to Seattle for another spot next week. It's exciting.

8. Celebrated the marriage of one of my best friends. Her wedding was this past weekend and we spent the weeks before her wedding prepping and making things for her day. I had forgotten how much fun weddings are and I totally enjoyed spending time with everyone that was around for the wedding. I'm especially glad that my friend Joy was in town!

Well, I'm sure I am leaving something important out but I'm too sleepy to think of it now. I leave you with some pictures of a cute baby and his family...

Fun Day

2009-04-22T22:07:00.005-04:00

Just a little note to tell you how much fun you are...

Today, Momma had the day off of work. Yay! I feel so relaxed when I am home with you for the whole day. When I come and get you out of your crib for the day, I imagine the whole day ahead of us and all of the fun we will have, all of the little moments that just you and I will share.

You really woke up on the right side of the crib today and we had a day filled with smiles and welcome adventure. You, working the crowds wherever we went (to work for a short meeting, to the post office to send a present to baby Jack). Me, loving being your partner for the day.

We wandered around the house, playing with toys and electrical cords (your fave, unplugged- of course), we waved hello to Babette and Sam and you threw the ball for Babette. We went on a few walks, we ate lots of yummy snacks (strawberries, mac-n-cheese), we delayed the afternoon nap to do some lounging in the backyard on a blanket (soaked up the warm afternoon sun), we pulled drawers out of furniture to make a boat.

You're just so darn cute right now. I enjoy you so much. More than a few times in the past week, people have commented on your sunny personality. Last week, Papaw said he hoped you would stay this way because you'd have lots of friends in life. Today at the post office, a lady in line was chatting you up and then told you to stay "just like that". You ARE such a joyful little guy and you make people smile when you catch their eye (and you force them to wave at you). I'm so proud of you.

3 Toothbrush Family

2009-03-30T22:29:00.005-04:00

The sight of this:

almost melted my heart earlier tonight. Cooper has been getting a mouthful of teeth in the past few months so he has graduated to his very own toothbrush. And there it is- I will bore you no further with the details of his toothbrushing. It's just cute. That tiny little tb.

Spring's warm weather has breezed through several days this month- I'm ready for the real deal. Enough of this moping around indoors and digging through the fridge...

and standing around playing the piano...

and giving kitty a hug...

and trying to put on Daddy's shoes...

The real kick-off to warm weather happens in about 4 weeks when Bryan, Cooper and I head down to Destin for a little beach vacation. Our first, just-us, little family vacation. Can't wait!

Pictures, Pictures

2009-03-05T22:38:00.003-05:00

I figure I've been MIA long enough here. Time to post some photos and a fill-in on our lives...

We've been holding steady here. Valentine's Day was really fun. I worked that day and Bryan surprised me in the afternoon with two dozen roses, chocolates from a local bakery, and a little baby boy dressed like Cupid in a handmade costume. Yeah, he broke every single girl's heart when he walked into the salon that day. Including mine. He always does the sweetest things for me on holidays. Especially birthdays and Valentine's. I'm a lucky girl. We had the evening to ourselves while Bryan's Mom kept Cooper. We spent our time moving our clothes to our new closet upstairs. Exciting, I know. And then we went to dinner at our favorite spot, Agave, in Cabbagetown. We had our rehearsal dinner there (almost 6! years ago). I proceeded to drink more than my share of margaritas...oops. But, hey, it was fun!

Bryan has been working quite a bit. Me, quite the opposite (well, at paying work, anyhow). Cooper was sick last week with a stomach bug and this week his nanny has been sick, so we've had a few extra days together this week and last. It's been really fun- despite the tummy virus. I mean, I considered doing an entire post on the worst day of Mommyhood yet, but somehow the worst day of mommy to Cooper is not near the worst day I've ever had. Twelve poopie diapers in one day? Diaper rash out (and in) the yin-yang? A baby face that says "why are you hurting me like this, Mommy?" Bring it on. Anyway, this week and last week we had five days in a row together. Little guy is SO much fun right now. I am really just enjoying his personality and all of the interactions we are able to have. He is starting to understand things I say to him (NO!) and to have a response (SMILE!). Ha! Wow, learning language and comprehension. His human body/mind never ceases to amaze. Yesterday, Cooper surprised me with a new talent. I was in the kitchen and thought to myself, "hmmm, his voice sounds weird, like he's in a room I've never heard him in." Uhh, two seconds later I find him FOUR STAIRS into climbing his way to the top! Whoah, baby. And, Whoah Mommy. Pay attention, please. I'm use to our entire downstairs being baby-proofed and a free space for him to roam. I guess that will now include a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs. Reminds me of the time he almost launched himself out of his bouncy seat, which was sitting on top of the kitchen counter (I know). Hey, he was a total lumpus until that very moment. I'm laughing now, but trust me, I wasn't that day. You gotta stay on your toes around these babies, I tell ya!

Anyway, on with the photos. The first one here is Cooper exploring his Valentine's present- a swing for outside:

Last Monday (before the nonstop diarrhea ensued), the baby boy became a star. He's going to be making an appearance in some sales tapes for TLC. He was fantastic on camera. Here's a still taken in his room with the camera:

Sunday was THE magical day in Atlanta. It snowed. If you didn't hear, it was a LOT and it was FUN. Here's us soaking up the fun, fluffy stuff:

Booboo rummaging through the lazy susan and eating his finds. Scotch-Brite, anyone? I hear it tastes practically as good as bananas and oatmeal...

Five seconds before trying to play with the space heater in his room:

Enamored with opening and closing anything:

Looking forward to a weekend of fun after a tough. long day of pay-work tomorrow! Have a great weekend!

Love Lessons

2009-02-13T22:49:00.004-05:00

While writing a little love note to the newest man in my life- Cooper- I was thinking about this: There are many days I wonder what I am teaching my son, what I should be teaching my son. I spend a good deal of time thinking about being a purposeful mother. I know that it is inevitable that he will turn out like me in many ways, but what are the good things he will learn from me? What are the qualities about me that I should try to keep him from assuming? How will I know if I am even steering him in the right direction? There are a lot of things about being a Mom that I will always wonder if I am getting "right", but I realized that I've got one thing going that I want Cooper to learn from me- love. For all the "what ifs" of motherhood, I feel certain that he will grow up knowing he is truly loved. I hope that he takes the love that we give him and uses it for all that he can. To feel secure, to feel important, to feel worthy, to know that there is always something worth living for, and to give it away as it is given to him.

Happy Valentine's Day! Tell someone today how much they mean to you!

Staying Motivated

2009-02-03T12:18:00.002-05:00

EAV 5k 2007

Isn't that one of the hardest things? This morning was my first day back at FitWit after a week's worth of turning the alarm off and going back to sleep. Aka, me not going to bootcamp. Just wanted to put that out there and be honest.

I think that staying motivated is a tough thing for a lot of people. I start out strong, move along and make a little progress, but inevitably something goes awry and a set-back takes the wind out of my sails. This time, it was going out on the weekend (on a much needed date with Bryan) and eating and drinking things I should not be having while trying to lose weight. Four margaritas, anyone? I won't even add up the calories. Ugh. But anyway, the important thing is to not lose sight of the goal, to remind myself why I started this journey in the first place, to think about how good I will feel 20 pounds lighter, and to continue on the path I started. So, today I went back, pretty much as scared as the first day of camp. It was hard, but it wasn't unrealistic. And I felt great afterwards. I can do this. I will do this.

Me and Hef at the race

Birthday Week

2009-01-31T22:18:00.006-05:00

It's been a week chock full of birthdays for some of my favorites. Happy birthday to Bill- my wonderful stepdad, Joy- one of my best friends, and today- Babette- our first baby. We love you.

I tried to find a few older photos to put in here but most of my old ones are on Bryan's computer- long before the days of my laptop.

On with the birthday party people:

Like Father, Like Son

2009-01-24T14:57:00.003-05:00

If there's any doubt as to whom the father of my child is, I present to you the following information...

Bryan's Mom brought these old photos of Bryan over a few months ago. We all thought it was pretty amazing how much father and son look alike when they were about the same age (6 months-ish). When I saw the picture of Bryan concentrating on the toy in his hand, I immediately thought of the picture I took of Cooper with an almost identical look. Anyway, been meaning to post these for a while and now I'm finally doing it! Thought everyone would enjoy seeing the comparison.

Practically 8 Months

2009-01-23T12:01:00.003-05:00

Baby Boy! You're almost 8 months old. Where has the time gone? Into naps, chasing you around the floor, feeding you bottles and oatmeal, wearing you on walks around the neighborhood, taking you on trips to see your extended family, lugging you and all of our stuff to work, grocery shopping, Targeting, snuggling with me and your Dad. That's where, I guess. When I think about it, it seems both a long time since you were born and just like yesterday. We have been so entertained by your emerging personality as of late. You seem to be understanding some of the things we say to you, which is just fascinating. I always try to talk to you like you know what I'm saying because I know one day it will just click for you. Which, by the way, has led me to look like a crazy person when we are not together because I am in constant narration of my actions. Habit.

When you wake up in the morning, we hear you on the monitor either crying or nnn nnn nnning to be attended to. When I come in your room, I flip on the light and walk up to the crib, sometimes bending down to peek at you through the slats. You are always way excited to see me and your whole body shows it. You dance and laugh a little, usually while sucking ferociously on the paci. You sure have come to love the paci for hating it so much when you were first born. I'm scared for the day when we must take it away from you.

Mornings with you are especially fun. You are pretty much always cheery and smiley. I try to soak up every minute, especially on the days when I head to work at 9:45. We change your diaper, feed you a bottle, pass you between the two of us while we shower and eat breakfast, you crawl around the house harassing the dog and cat, and we feed you oatmeal and bananas. If I have to go to work, I kiss you a million times before I get out the door. If I get to stay home with you, we usually head upstairs after Daddy goes to work and we play on the only carpet in the house until you get sleepy for naptime.

We keep lots of toys upstairs in our bedroom, strewn all over the floor, but your favorite things to play with are never your toys. It's the not-quite-attached vent on the wall, the billion power cords your Dad has under the bed, the baby monitor near the top of the stairs, or random boxes of construction-what-nots. Most of it is pretty harmless and I pretty much let you play with those things, but I have to admit it raises my blood pressure just a little bit. I worry. It's my job. I'm fairly certain it doesn't phase Daddy but Mommy's job is to worry about you. Check.

You've been crawling since the week of Thanksgiving. It took no time at all for you to get to top speed crawling and now standing with the help of furniture or the occasional pant leg. I felt sure you'd be walking by the end of January but I think I underestimated how tough a task it is! :) You're trying but seem a little hesitant. Maybe another couple of months?

We've reached yet another milestone for you in the past week. We tried dry cereal. The first time I put a piece in your mouth, it was not a happy occasion. You looked like I had just put a chunk of dirt in there. (Maybe that would have been better?) However, when you tried it for the second time, you had a change of heart. Puffs are yummy. It's really neat to see you eat them. I think I just like seeing you think about it and then act upon your desires. My favorite way you try to get the cereal in your mouth is like a person chugging a beer. You pick it up, toss your head back and put your hand over your mouth. Quite funny. Oh, but I also love the lazy man's cereal-eating. You slide the puff to the edge of the table, bend your head down to the edge and scoop that baby in there. I admire your creativity, little man. This weekend, we'll be venturing into the world of cheese and little bits of cooked carrots and peas.

You're the light of our lives, Cooper. Your Dad was right when he predicted that you'd only make us stronger and bring more happiness into our life. We love you to pieces.

Recipes

2009-01-18T22:18:00.003-05:00

I realize that my blog is taking a weird food turn lately, but I promise it won't last. Here are two of the recipes I've adapted and give my stamp of approval on...

Whole Wheat Banana Bread
(adapted from a recipe in my ALL TIME favorite cookbook The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook)
1 3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c turbinado/raw sugar
1/4 c egg beaters
4 med extra ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
1/2 c skim milk
1/4 c canola oil

Mix all ingredients and bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes (12 muffins) or 20-25 minutes (3 mini loaf pans). A toothpick should come out clean when you poke the bread.1 serving=1 muffin or 1 serving =1/4 mini loaf. Calories= 160 per serving. (Original recipe had 217.)

Banana bread is possibly the easiest thing to make in the world. Seriously. Go make it, it's good for you. And, it's really yummy, too. Sara, I'm sure you can handle it. :)

The next recipe is for the Swiss Chicken I was talking about earlier. It's the dish I took to Cory and Kelly after Ruby was born. I left out all the butter and it's still quite yummy. Our neighbors brought us this dish after Cooper was born and we yummed it up! I found this version in a cookbook at my Mom's house. Can't remember which one. Next to Banana bread, this is the easiest thing to make ever. It actually might be easier than the bread. It's also so yummy and tastes bad for you but isn't too bad. But please, eat a side of green beans or something because there's not a vegetable in sight in this dish. Must be why Kelly liked it so much! ;)

Swiss Chicken Light

6 (4oz) chicken breast halves
cooking spray
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 c shredded swiss cheese (reduced fat if you can find it, I could not)
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1/2 c skim milk
3/4 c reduced sodium stuffing mix for chicken (Stove Top)

Place chicken in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder and pepper. Top each with cheese. Combine soup and milk in separate dish; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with stuffing mix, lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake, covered, at 350° for 50 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove cover for last 5 minutes of cooking to crisp the top. Makes 6 servings. 243 calories per serving.

Personally, I think 4 ounces of chicken is a laughable portion. So, really, you could eat 2 of the servings and still be only eating under 500 calories. That's doable in my book. Pretty yummy for a casserole. Even Bryan liked it and he hates casseroles as a general rule.

G'nite!

Saturday Night

2009-01-17T21:48:00.003-05:00

I'm having a crazy night! Sitting in bed, drinking a glass of wine, and surfing the internet! Who says having children cramps your style? Not mine...

Anyway, just wanted to share a few pictures and random thoughts before going to sleep. I enjoyed reading your comments from the last post. It's just nice to know I'm not alone in the weight-loss/food struggle. I'm going to do my best to try to post the recipes here that I come up with and keep updates on how things are going. It will help keep me on track and maybe help you, too. I've made two things light so far- Swiss Chicken and Stuffed Peppers. Both tasted bad for me but weren't. That's a good thing!

Bath time. I love how Cooper is trying to drink bathwater here. Apparently, he has never smelled his own feet. I personally would not be drinking any water that came near them. Eww.

Someone has a paci addiction.

I *LOVE* this photo because it is SO Cooper. Big smiles.

Daddy sporting his handy Kelty backpack baby. Cute. My two favorite boys.

FitWit Update

2009-01-16T15:44:00.002-05:00

We just finished week two of six. It's going really great despite the fact I've had two mornings where I COULD NOT get out of bed. One for being partially sick and the other for baby being up too many times, too many nights in a row. That'll wear a girl out, coupled with getting up at 6:15am to go to workout. Otherwise, I work hard when I'm there and I feel good about it. It's a work in progress.

The first three days were once again the hardest to get through. It's just a lot of sore muscles telling me that I've been relaxing for too long. I kinda figured that when I was having dread for picking up a laundry basket! that I needed to get back to exercising. Oh, muscles, I missed you. So, in the short time of two weeks I've built enough muscle to make the everyday tasks a lot easier- picking up toys off the floor with a 20 pound baby in my arms, picking up a stuffed laundry basket, bounding up the stairs to the bedroom, etc. It's all a lot less tiring now. It feels good to notice improvement this quickly. It's motivation for fighting the good fight. I'm still not a fan of getting out of bed THAT early in the morning, though. The only bonus is that it gets it out of the way for the day. If I have to think about working out all day, I'll just come up with about 5 billion reasons why I can't. So, there ya go.

In the last few days, while sticking to my healthy eating, I've had a big aha-moment. I realized that while I do a decent job of minding the calorie count, I don't do a good job of preparing food that is a realistic long term solution to dealing with my utter love of food. I've never been a fan of starving myself thin, but I eat really boring things that I know the calorie counts on (egg beaters scramble made with Pam, side of 100% whole wheat toast, "spray butter", and low sugar jam- 300 calories) but that I probably wouldn't jump to eat if I weren't watching my food intake carefully. So, while it is painful for me to read a cookbook while on a calorie-restricted plan, I've decided that I need to scour my books to find recipes that I can adapt and enjoy for the rest of my life. For the rest of my family's life, too. It's not all about me anymore. I'm not leaving Bryan and Cooper to fend for themselves while I eat a single-portion veggie/lowfat/low-cal whatever for dinner. It's not right, it's not fair- for me or them. So far, I've made one dish! It turned out yummy and I'm hoping to make at least one new dish a week. The point is to create that lifestyle change that has eluded me thus far. I can stick to the calorie counting for a long time, but it's not the permanent change I need to make with my relationship with food. Yup, I'm that person that has a relationship with food. Gah.

Enough about that. Just needed to put it out there. If you feel like it, write a comment if you're working on or thinking about working on eating/exercising. I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Holiday Picture Fun

2009-01-08T14:49:00.007-05:00

Instead of cleaning my house, I'm sitting on the computer! I've been wanting to share some photos from the recent holidays. SO, here goes. Random comments as they come to me...

Cute baby boy.

Musical genius playing Beethoven's 5th. Seriously.

Thought this was cute. Like father like son, apparently. TV captivates them both.

Cooper helping his Dad put the RadioFlyer walker-wagon together. Shortly after completion he slipped and hit his gums on the handle. Waaahhh! Not good.

Cooper's stocking. As you can see, he made out like a fat rat, as my Mom says. Bryan's a good stuffer but I did a crappy job of stuffing his this year. Poor guy only got a one sad bag of xmas M&M's.

Ignore how I'm wearing glasses and look a'mess. I like the family photo of xmas morning anyhow.

Cooper getting presents. I went a little overboard. Wonder who I learned that from?

Give the boy any old electrical cord and he's happy. No, it's not plugged it, thankyouverymuch.

Baby New Year. Gosh, I love this little boy.

Our first holiday with baby boy was fun. It seemed rushed and I vow to start shopping earlier this year. This December, I'm going to bake and drink hot cocoa by the tree. And wrap presents. That I bought in September. :) We'll see about that.

Don't freak out

2009-01-05T21:56:00.002-05:00

I know, two posts in one day. But, don't get too excited either because it's just a little follow up to my earlier post.

I was just reading one of my regular blogs and came across a post that I thought goes nicely with my post about making change in my/your life. I know it's a Mom blog but this woman has sound advice for anyone out there- Mom or not. Go ahead and click it!

Two Years

2009-01-05T12:39:00.003-05:00

This morning, I finally did it. I got myself out of bed at 6am and put on my running shoes. And then, I drove myself back to FitWit Bootcamp for the first time in one year and three months. I've been threatening exercise for, oh, about five months now. It's been a struggle and a learning process about what my needs were after the baby was born. I knew that I wanted to get back to exercising as soon as I could, but I didn't realize how difficult it would be. In hindsight, I wish I had just eased up on myself and trusted that I would go back when the time was right. I think I was just scared I'd never go back or that it would be years later and 20 pounds heavier, ya know?? But, with breastfeeding behind me and a baby whom usually sleeps through the night, there was nothing in my way but a little fear of the unknown. Will I be able to get myself out of bed? Will my abs split in two upon completing a sit up? Will I be able to run? At all?? Will I fail?

So, exactly two years after starting my weight-loss journey with FitWit for the first time, I am back at bootcamp. I'm proud to say that even after having a baby, I am still 20 pounds lighter than when I started the first time. Trust me, that makes running a WHOLE lot easier this time around. It's encouraging that the hard work I put in before the baby has lasted this long. I still struggle with food; I guess I always will- but at least I've learned that about myself.

A lot happens in two years, but it sort of seems just like yesterday that Heather and I started this thing. I had to go back and read my blog entries about starting bootcamp in 2007. This is one of the reasons I love keeping a journal- it helps me have a little perspective on my life. It's good to go back and hear yourself in the past. I'm using those words as encouragement for myself this time around. Starting at square one is tough, but I did it before- and I will do it again. Besides, the hardest part is already done. Getting started.

So, good luck and strength to any of you who are facing this challenge, too. It's a rough one but a journey worth working for. Happy 2009!

Picture Motherload

2008-12-08T21:50:00.003-05:00

Here's the photos from Thanksgiving that I promised! Take a seat. There's lots of pictures to see!

Here's us with our *2* trees this year. Are we bourgeoisie or what? But, really, there had to be a tree in the new NORTH wing of our home. Ha.

Here's my little booboo in his bear bundler. Oh, so cute.

Baby boy snuggling his Mama during the Macy's parade. We were much cozier than those fools on the street in NYC.

Eva with Cooper and his first Christmas presents, ever! Courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa in Ohio. This picture makes me smile. Big. He just looks so giddy.

Proud Pop. Cooper studying a feather during craft time on Turkey Day. We made little turkey pins.

Granny and her boy.

This cracks me up. Cooper LOVES to pull hair and this is him going in for the kill. Mouth open, ready to receive handful of hair. Yum! Good thing Mimi loves him so much. Pretty sure she'll forgive him.

Winter hat. He sure is hard to photograph now that he's on the move! I think I took about 30 photos of him in this hat- 28 of which were useless.

Cooper with Great Grandma Siders. She's so proud of him. I love seeing her hold him.

Emily & Eva, Me & Cooper, Sara & Isabella.

Kelley/Mote clan. It's hard getting everyone to cooperate when there's a baby involved! :)

Grandpa and his first Grandson. Proud as a peacock!

Us with the husbands. Too bad the kids are all looking at the wrong camera. Or are the adults looking at the wrong one?? Clearly, there must have been something interesting going on where the babies were looking.

Self-explanatory cuteness.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Next year, I'll be eatin' turkey and mashed potatoes!

Written a few days ago while riding in the car...

2008-12-01T22:02:00.004-05:00

Well, as I write this we are on our way to our third Thanksgiving. So far, we had an early one at our house on Sunday and one at my Dad and Linda's farm in Ohio. We are now headed to Bryan's Grandmother's home in Tennessee. It's always a whirlwind tour but also a lot of fun. I'm glad we can spread it out over the week and don't have to be rushed everywhere.

Not that I'm bragging or anything, but the turkey Bryan and I made this year was SO good. Really, I'm sharing this information because I want to direct you to the recipe that I used. Every year I brine the turkey but this year I decided to do a little research to find out if brining even really makes a difference. I went to the Cook's Illustrated website because they usually are a great reference for scientific testing of things like this. Sure enough, they had a whole article describing the testing of roasting a brined turkey, a turkey soaked in plain water, and a turkey straight out of the package. The turkey that was brined lost the least amount of weight during cooking, thus making it the juiciest. I wholeheartedly agree. To read the article, you have to be a member of their website, sadly (and it's not free). I also recommend the use of a digital thermometer for your turkey. I bought mine at Target and it has worked awesome, three years in a row. There's no doubt about when the turkey is done and will ensure that you don't dry it out. Gross. Dry turkey. Anyway...maybe I should start a cooking blog...jeez. Here's the cooking directions I used (my brine is a little different but I don't think it matters):

ROASTED BRINED TURKEY
Serves 10 to 22, depending on turkey size. Published November 1, 2004. Cook's Illustrated
We offer two brine formulas: one for a 4- to 6-hour brine and another for a 12- to 14-hour brine. The amount of salt used in each brine does not change with turkey size. If you’re roasting a kosher or self-basting turkey, do not brine it; it already contains a good amount of sodium. Rotating the bird from a breast-side down position to a breast-side up position midway through cooking helps to produce evenly cooked dark and white meat. If you’re roasting a large (18- to 22-pound) bird and are reluctant to rotate it, skip the step of lining the V-rack with foil and roast the bird breast-side up for the full time. If making gravy, scatter 1 cup each of coarsely chopped onion, celery, and carrot as well as several fresh thyme sprigs in the roasting pan at the outset; add 1 cup water to keep the vegetables from burning.
INGREDIENTS

Table salt
1
turkey (12 to 22 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets and neck reserved for gravy, if making
4
tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
INSTRUCTIONS
. 1. Dissolve 1 cup salt per gallon cold water for 4- to 6-hour brine or 1/2 cup salt per gallon cold water for 12- to 14-hour brine in large stockpot or clean bucket. Two gallons of water will be sufficient for most birds; larger birds may require three gallons. Add turkey and refrigerate for predetermined amount of time.
. 2. Before removing turkey from brine, adjust oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 400 degrees for 12- to 18-pound bird or 425 degrees for 18- to 22-pound bird. Line large V-rack with heavy-duty foil and use paring knife or skewer to poke 20 to 30 holes in foil; set V-rack in large roasting pan.
. 3. Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Tuck tips of drumsticks into skin at tail to secure, and tuck wing tips behind back. Brush turkey breast with 2 tablespoons butter. Set turkey breast-side down on prepared V-rack; brush back with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Roast 45 minutes for 12- to 18-pound bird or 1 hour for 18- to 22-pound bird.
. 4. Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven (close oven door to retain oven heat); reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees if roasting 18- to 22-pound bird. Using clean potholders or kitchen towels, rotate turkey breast-side up; continue to roast until thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes longer for 12- to 15-pound bird, about 1 1/4 hours for 15- to 18-pound bird, or about 2 hours longer for 18- to 22-pound bird.   Transfer turkey to carving board; let rest 30 minutes (or up to 40 minutes for 18- to 22-pound bird). Carve and serve.

I do think it is important to start the bird breast side down. I think it made ours much juicier.

The Thanksgiving at our house was totally fun and was just one of those days where everyone was so relaxed and in a great mood. We made food, we chatted, we drank wine, we played with the babes, we crafted turkey pins, we ate ourselves silly. It was a great day. Hope yours was as happy!

Yesterday we had another good one at Dad and Linda's. We did much of the same (a little less wine drinking- y'all know Daddy D isn't down with the fermented grapes!) and got to see Grandma (91), my Aunt, and my cousins. It was so great to catch up and relax on the farm. We took a photo with all of the cousins and babies but I haven't uploaded them yet- you'll have to wait. It was really neat to all be together. Cooper was in his usual cheery mood while we were in Ohio and it's such a joy to have everyone say how smiley and happy he is. It's true- he's a people person and will do pretty much anything to get someone to smile at him. So cute. We are so lucky.

I guess I'm just in a general mood of thankfulness and feeling content for all the people and love that we have in our life. It's not something I ever want to take for granted and I know it's not something everyone has. So, to all of you out there reading this, I'm thankful for you. You are what makes a life special.

Now, on with Christmas!

Pictures of the holiday to come...

Happy Baby

2008-11-16T00:19:00.005-05:00

Today was a fun day. It was just an ordinary day, but you were in a wonderful, fun, playful mood all day long. Maybe it was because it's Saturday, or you just woke up on the right side of the crib, or you love it when both Mommy and Daddy are home to simultaneously adore you. Who knows, but we had a great day. You were all smiles and laughed at all of our "jokes". Me tickling you starting at your toes and ending at your neck. Daddy saying COOP!!! ERRR!!! Us popping our heads out of random places to surprise you. It all worked. It was so wonderful to hear you laugh all day. You were even a good napper today. Normally, you fight sleep like it's a crazed lion ready to gobble you up. We all took an hour-long siesta this morning and woke up refreshed. Then we went on a brisk walk up to the village in the cool autumn air. We dressed you in a hooded shirt that I had pulled from your "new things" drawer this morning. Your Dad and I both agreed that you were the cutest thing we had ever laid eyes on. We took you to the mall for the rest of the day. I had a coupon that I "needed" to use so we packed you up and away we went. Again, you were just as content and happy as you could be. You napped in the stroller, you woke and sucked on your paci, you happily bounced around in the ergo. I love it when you are in the carrier and you lean back to get a good look at who's carrying you around. You lean, stare your pack-mule in the face and wait. As soon as we look, you light up. It's one of your finest qualities. Your smile. It consumes your whole body and peaks with your arms. You just seem tickled. It's wonderful. Daddy was shopping for some clothes in Express tonight and you and I danced around the store to Björk. It was totally fun. You loved it. So did I. You're fun. Thanks for a totally great day. You really are the best baby. Love you, sugar.

50th Anniversary

2008-11-12T23:46:00.002-05:00

Last night marked my 50th post here! I decided to celebrate with a little sprucing up around the place. I am enjoying the new look. I was happy to see that it's easy as pie to add a photo to the header. These Blogger people are geniuses. It also made me realize that I have very few recent pictures of myself and/or myself and Cooper where I look decent. Eek, I've been sporting the Mom hairdo (aka crappy ponytail) way too much lately. Seriously, people, I'm embarrassed to call myself a hairstylist some days. Maybe now that I'm coming out of the newborn funk I can find a little more time to sass up my 'do. But, I digress...

So, yay, new blog. Last night I was considering starting a new blog; one that would pretty much be for writing to Cooper. I think I have pretty much decided against it, considering that I have enough going on these days without the added pressure of a separate blog dedicated to my darling. I had considered it for two reasons: I want to remember as much about his life as possible and I want him to read it someday, and, I fear that not everyone wants to read so much about my baby (you know, because a blog about JUST ME is so much more interesting, ha). Ultimately, I really can't and won't deny that Cooper is a HUGE part of my life- so on my blog, weaved into my blog, dominating my blog he shall stay.

Speaking of anniversaries, my maternal Grandparents celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary yesterday. That's longer than some people get to live. They are from Ohio, children of farmers, farmers themselves, and ran off to get married without their parent's consent at the tender ages of 16 and 17. I've asked my Memaw about the circumstances of their marriage many times and every time I find out something new. Last night, she told me that my Papaw really never proposed. He had been drafted for WWII and while on their very first date he mentioned that he didn't have anybody to "come home to" after the war and that he wouldn't mind getting married if he could find someone. My Memaw told me that she promptly said, "Well, I'd marry you." Ha! So, 11 days after their first date, they ran off and got married. Kids...

Highlights of the day with Cooper:
Today I ran home from work while my client was processing to grab my scissors (thanks a lot, Mommy brain). When I walked in the door, you were all upset and crying your little heart out. Kristen was having a time getting you to calm down because you hadn't napped well all day. It broke my heart to see you like that. I grabbed you and snuggled you for a quick couple of minutes before I had to run back to work. You take after your Mommy and Granny in the tears department. You will never be able to hide the fact that you've been crying. You grow a little red mask. Circles around your eyes and little splotches on your forehead. If it weren't so sad, it'd be pretty cute. I was really bummed that I couldn't stay and comfort you longer. I wanted to quit my job right then and there. I love you, little buddy. I'll always do my best to comfort you when you are upset.

Somebody found their feet...

2008-11-11T23:55:00.003-05:00

I'm not naming any names but here's his picture...

Oh, the milestones, how you are blowing right through them. I love seeing you grow but it is definitely bittersweet. On Sunday, we had to put your swing out by the street because we had burnt up the motor and couldn't find a replacement to fix it. It was a wonderful hand-me-down from Uncle Seth and Aunt Emily ( no, you didn't wear it out all on your own. I'm no child abuser!!) I happen to walk into the living room and look out the window at the very moment a stranger was loading it into their car and I started crying. I made eye contact with the seat of the swing- the very spot you had spent many hours sleeping- and I got really sad. Sad that you were too big for it anymore, sad that I would never be able to see you in it again, sad that time flies by so quickly. You are not a newborn anymore. You are a beautiful, growing baby boy. For that, I am sad but glad. I'm your mother- this is my job to be so sentimental. I love you.

Here's a couple of us on Halloween. Cooper is a dragon and Eva is a fairy. So cute. Here's Cooper and his Mimi (Bryan's Momma):

Granny, Pop and the little Dragon:

Cooper, Eva and I:

Eva devouring a yummy Halloween cupcake:

Cooper and Daddy carving the pumpkin. I forgot to get a picture of the pumpkin when Bryan finished it. It was glorious. Trust me.

Hope your Halloween was as fun as ours!

2008-10-26T20:59:00.010-04:00

Today we had a baby shower for Kelly! This is her 2nd- this time a baby girl, so we had to give her a little sumthin'. Ok, a lotta sumthin'. It's hard to get a bunch of women together, buying presents for a sweet baby girl, and not buy like a billion cute little outfits and girly things. She got lots of great stuff and it was so fun to get together and catch up with the girls. Bryan gave me a free day today and I enjoyed the adult time hanging with the ladies (plus cutie Simon!).

Last night I got to experiment with my new cake decorating supplies. I wanted to make some cool cupcakes for Kelly's shower. This time around I thought I'd try upgrading my tools from a ziploc with a tiny corner cut off to an actual pastry bag with metal tips. It was a lot of fun experimenting and I think the final design turned out pretty if I do say so myself. Her daughter's name is going to be Ruby Kathleen. Ruby and Simon. So cute.

It's weird to think I've been writing this blog long enough to see Kelly through 2 babies. I was skimming over my really old entries the other day and read an entry I had written right after we had a baby shower for her and Simon. That one was a lot of fun, too. I seem to remember the shower lasting until like 1 in the morning because we were talking so much. I love my girls. You all are so important to me. We missed a few of y'all today. Huhhm... Joy, Lauren.

Speaking of people I miss, I tried the pesto recipe- Joel and Jessica. It turned out tasty! Bryan really loved it but damn we had some serious dragon-breath after eating all of its garlicky goodness. We ate ours with ravioli and grilled chicken. The Italian grandmother probably would not approve but it was yummy anyhow. Here's our rendition:

I've enjoyed reading the 101 cookbooks blog where they got the recipe. I love how she makes so many different things and gives little tips and sort of cheers you on by saying things like, "for those of you who think tarts are too fussy - as far as tart-making is concerned, this is about as unfussy as they get." Makes me wanna make a tart for some reason. I can do this!! Lots of yummy ideas- check it out.

In other news, we have spent the last week in somewhat of a personal hell. I woke up last Sunday morning with a stuffy nose and sore throat that turned into a full-blown head cold by Monday morning. By Tuesday night, all 3 of us were sick. I couldn't believe Cooper had gotten sick. It's an awful feeling to hear your baby all snotty and having a hard time breathing. I really kinda panicked when I first realized he was sick. I just felt TERRIBLE for him. We spent the rest of the week trying to keep Cooper as comfortable as possible-humidifier, Johnson's Vapor baths, saline drops, vapor plug-in, sleeping upright in car seat/swing/bouncy seat/babybjörn. Needless to say, no one got much sleep over the last week. It's hard going back to what feels like the newborn phase all over again. Broken sleep, hours on end of rocking, walking, singing, paci-holding-in, butt-patting. At 4am. And 6am. And sometimes all night long. Anything to put the Boy to sleep. At one point, I resorted to pushing him around the house in the car seat/stroller combo making lots of teeny tiny u-turns all over the place. I thought to myself, "If someone looks in my front window they will think I've lost my mind." And I sort of had. All the routines for nap-time and bedtime have gone out the window. I'm hoping we will regain normalcy when he's all better. Today, he seems like he's feeling a ton better. Back to cooing and squealing so I'm pretty sure he's on the mend. Yay. And we are finally better. Sayonara, snot. Please stay away long enough for me to forget how much I hate you.

Now, on with the Coops. I've got lots of sweet little pictures to share with you all. He's growing like a little weed without my permission. FIVE months on November 1st. Jeez.

Here's the family unit:

Baby Boy in his hat:

What Cooper does while Mommy gets ready for work:

He <3's NY:

Uncle Bennie and his charge:

Flashback Wednesday

2008-10-15T22:38:00.005-04:00

Wow, I accidentally clicked backwards in iPhoto and came across this photo taken at Bryan's birthday party in 2002. Oh my goodness, we are so young! Looks like we are having a pretty good time! I love how Joy is all scrunched up at the bottom. For those of you who weren't able to make it to this party- that's me, Jennifer, Heather and Joy.

And then there's this:

Yeah, me, Bryan and Babette. Babs was only 6 months old in this photo! My fluffy princess.

This would have been within the first year we lived here in our house. I was just thinking today that this month marks 7 years that we've been in our home. There are so many memories here (and so many layers of paint on all the walls). Not that we are moving any time soon, but I know that when/if we ever do it will be really hard to leave this house behind. We've gone through a lot of big life events here- partying through our twenties, marriage, the birth of our first baby, and everything in between. What is a home? A safe place where you can really be yourself, somewhere to have friends and family, a project for making your own, a place to lay your head at night. It has our smell. It's our slice of the pie. I love having a home. Especially since it's filled with a wonderful life. I'm so grateful.

Cooperzen of the day:

Pictures

2008-10-01T22:54:00.005-04:00

Just a few pictures on my baby's 4 month birthday. I love you, baby boy. You make every day better than the last.

Wearing your "I like dirt" shirt at Granny and Pop's

You in your Dino jammies. You are adorable in these!

You and Daddy in your room.

You at the beach wearing your hat like Grandpa Siders use to. He'd be proud of you.

You, me and Dad getting blown away by hurricane Gustav in Destin.

You and Daddy smiling at eachother. I love this photo.

September Ramblings

2008-09-09T23:26:00.006-04:00

My son. Learning things.

Wow! September!?! Are you kidding? I guess I've been lost in baby-raising land for the last 3 months. I can't believe it is already fall but I am so ready for it. The summer here can be scalding and the cooler temperatures of fall are such a nice feeling. Bryan and I have both noticed the *slightly* cooler temps over the last two days and today I finally thought about how it is actually September. We have some nice days ahead of us. I love summer but, man, Georgia really knows how to make you sick of sunshine! I'm definitely crying uncle here.

I've been in a reflective mood over the last few days. I've been trying to finish Cooper's/My pregnancy journal. It's a book I bought on the recommendation of my cousin, Sara, when I first got pregnant. I am so glad I kept the journal and it has been fun to review as I have written the last few entries and printed out pictures to finish it up. I have no idea if he will enjoy it or be embarrassed by it (surely) or if his wife will one day enjoy it- but I am glad I made it and hopefully he will be, too. There are a couple of sections in the book that are designated for journal entries, so I decided to print out some of my blog entries to add to the book. It's been really fun to go back through my entries for the past year. I am always guilty of thinking I'll always remember a moment but then when I go back and read it, I surprise myself with my own words. Was that me? Is that who I was? A person is in constant change, day to day. A journal is one way to capture that person, that feeling. What other ways are there? Video? Pictures? What else? I can say that I've been re-inspired by my own blogging to keep on blogging. Sounds self-important, but I just want to be able to remember.

So, summer is winding down. Seems like such a busy time for everyone- but in a good way. Seems like it stays busy with fun things like vacations and going to the pool. Fall brings the start of family time and holidays. I really love fall for that reason. I LOVE holidays- especially Christmas. I love decorating, dressing all festive (Halloween, Xmas red, New Year's sparkle), and the general hubub of holiday shopping, parties, etc. I can't wait to see Cooper through all of his first holidays. Granny bought him a Thanksgiving onesie on Sunday. Little Turkey. So cute. Holidays, here we come. What will Cooper be for Halloween? There's a cute costume in a catalog I got that is a dragon/dinosaur. Maybe that...

Anyway, I hope to be better at posting here. I hope you enjoy reading as I enjoy typing.

Pictures from Our Road Trip

2008-08-10T13:01:00.004-04:00

Here's some pics of our trip to Ohio and Tennessee. We took Cooper on a family tour to meet his other Great Grandmas. He was such a good little traveler. Everything went very smoothly and the family loved seeing him. Cooper has 4 Great Grandmas. I think that's pretty amazing. These pictures are all from Ohio because I haven't uploaded the pictures from Bryan's camera which have all the Tennessee photos. I'll post those soon so you can see both Grandmas. Enjoy!

Grandma Siders with me and Cooper (who is not happy!). Grandma is 91 and Cooper gets his middle name (Beck) from her maiden name.
I didn't get one single perfect shot of the cousins here. This is my cousin Sara's baby, Isabella. Neither of them was cooperating and I didn't have the camera in focus. Oh well!
Sara and I with the babies. I like how happy we both look here. Proud mamas!
Random shot of Cooper and his Daddy. Both sleepy!
Here's one of my friend Beki and I. She just had her baby on August 4th. A little girl named Phoebe Marie. Congrats to her!
A cute one of Cooper laying on the floor at Grandma and Grandpa's. He's such a cutie pie and getting so big! He weighed 12 pounds 3 ounces at his 2 month check up. That's almost a 5 pound gain since birth!
My Dad is totally in love with this little guy. Cute, huh?
We went to the county fair while we were in Ohio. We're standing in the Midway by all the yummy fair food. I ate a BBQ pork chop sandwich and a waffle cone with homemade ice cream. Yum, I love fair food.
Isabella, Cooper and Grandma. So cute.

One for the girls...

2008-07-26T10:09:00.003-04:00

I've got a couple of photos I want to share. This first one is for Aunt Beth- who loved this outfit when she saw it in Cooper's drawer before he was born. Size 3-6 months- I can't believe he is wearing it now. He looks like such a cute snugglebug in it. There's just something about a baby in pajamas that I can't resist.

The next couple are for Aunt Joy. A few photos of our shared fun weekend on July 11th. I am so glad you came to visit. It's always so good to see you and reminds me even more of why I miss you so much. Thanks for making the effort to come visit and always making time for us. We love you.

And the last one here is for cousin Sara. We are loving Cooper in the outfit you sent. He looks darn sharp in his polo! Can't wait to see you next week and get some photos of the babies together. I hope we can get one of them together on Grandma's couch (like the ones of us as babies). Too bad they are not both girls or we could get them matching knickerbockers with red tights. I guess we'll have to settle for coordinating instead of matching. Bummer.

My Cutie

2008-07-19T15:10:00.002-04:00

I just received this outfit in the mail. I won (aka paid for) it on eBay. I am not sure what I was thinking as this is a winter outfit and I ordered it to fit him now. Oh well, we'll just take lots of cute pics with him wearing it! I think my new obsession is going to be buying cute hats for the baby to wear. I mean, really, how adorable is this??

I decided that I am going to try to use Bryan's fancy pants camera instead of my little Canon Powershot (which takes kinda crappy photos). Yesterday was our first experiment. I forgot to focus in some of them! Haha, I need some practice. But, I was happy with a few of them. This one is cute:

A couple more...

2008-07-14T22:14:00.004-04:00

Oops. Forgot these...

Love it. Kelly took this one.

Cooper at his first festival. Gay Pride 2008.

Bryan's a cute husband.

Cooper Pics

2008-07-14T21:32:00.003-04:00

I realize this blog is becoming very baby heavy. Sorry people if that's not what you're in to. :) Someday I'll probably write more about something else, but for now, this is what ya get. My cute baby!!

Here's a little photo montage of what me and the baby have been up to lately:
Aunt Beth and her new nephew. She's in love. Me too.

Baby boy in my favorite sleeper and blanket. Green is his color!!

We learned to use the bouncy seat about two weeks ago. He likes it for about ten minutes on a full belly but then he wants to snuggle. Can't blame him. Snuggling beats bouncing by yourself any day.

Me and Cooper after his bath time.

Cutie Pie in his bath robe in Granny's arms. The bath robe is adorable but his face is more adorable.

Thanks for keeping up with us here. I miss those of you who I haven't seen in a while. You out of state, out of country folk. Things are mellowing out here in the Kelley household. I keep feeling better and better everyday which really helps me feel like I am able to do my job as a Mom so much better. It's a lot easier to take care of someone else when you are feeling well yourself. Cooper is really growing by leaps and bounds. We took him for a one month check up two weeks ago and he was weighing ten pounds then! He's really filling out everywhere. I didn't realize how skinny he was when he was first born! I have three weeks left until I go back to work part-time and I am trying to soak up every minute of being home with him. It's starting to sink in that I won't be with him every minute of the day. I have mixed feelings about that. I know it will be good to be at work (and it's only part-time) but I am really going to miss him even for those few hours.

We threw Bryan a surprise 30th birthday party on friday night. It was a success and I can't believe we actually were able to surprise him. I am terrible at keeping secrets from him so I figured I would blow it at some point. But I didn't!! We had quite a crowd at the house and proceeded to drink ourselves silly all night. It was pretty fun! Bryan's Mom kept Cooper at her house that night. It was his first night away from us ever. It went pretty well. I only cried a little. Ok, a lot when I got really drunk but I survived. Bryan and I went to dinner together before the party and it was really nice to get to spend time together. We miss each other!

Well, gotta feed the baby! Thanks for reading!

PS- More pictures to come of this past weekend. Joy was in town to meet the baby and to come to the party. It was wonderful to see you Joy!! Can't wait to upload the pictures we took. There's some cute ones!

Cooper's Birth Story

2008-07-03T23:24:00.003-04:00

This is a story I need to tell for my own sake. It is a memory I never want to forget but already is fading. I hate that about memories. Somehow, you can never get back the moment. Here's my best attempt at keeping the memory alive. A memory I hold tight and close to my heart.

The few days before labor started I was getting pretty anxious. I started having random contractions on Wednesday and finally experienced my water breaking on Saturday evening at 11:15pm. I pretty much had the whole family on pins and needles all day Saturday because I couldn't contain my excitement and I kept saying that I felt like he would be born any minute! So, on Saturday we spent the day waiting around and busying ourselves with last minute end-tying. I felt the need to put the bassinet and bouncy seat together. So, I slowly, pregnantly opened their packages and assembled them. I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that we'd soon have a baby to put in these accessories. As much as it was real, it still really was hard to grasp.

Mom, Bill, Cathy and Bryan milled about the house working on the upstairs, watching TV, playing with Eva and helping me finish the nursery finally. I hadn't slept much for a few nights and tried to nap a little. I really never succeeded I think mostly due to the anticipation. I just knew in my heart it would be soon. Had I known then how sleep-deprived my life would become after baby, I would have been sleeping like a ROCK that day. Seth and Emily brought pizza over for dinner and everyone finally decided to head home for the evening. After they all left, I decided I wanted to leave the house since we had been home all day and I was getting antsy just sitting around WAITING! So, we decided to go see if Smoothie King was open- no it wasn't. Bryan suggested we go to the grocery and get the fixings for a smoothie to make at home. At this point, he knew it was best to satisfy the prego's cravings. Especially when she's waaay pregnant and anxious for baby to arrive! :)

When we got home, I made a yummy smoothie and we settled in for some movie-watching. About 11:15pm I jumped up off the couch realizing that my water broke. I said to Bryan, "I think my water broke!!" And he ran to get a towel and threw it at me. I was surprised at the amount of fluid and said, "it's a lot!" To which Bryan responded by getting another towel and tossing it at me. It was quite funny and we obviously both were really excited and nervous all at the same time. We both were running around the house like crazy people- talking about what we needed to do and how this was it. I was so worked up that my body was shivering. I decided to hop in the shower to warm up and calm myself down. It worked like a charm and I felt much better when I hopped out! Let's go have a baby! Bryan had called the doctor and he told us to come on in to the hospital. I remember walking out the door and looking back and thinking about how when we came back home we'd have a baby. It was really crazy and exciting. Again, really hard to wrap my mind around. I kissed Babette and felt a huge pang of guilt for knowing her world was about to be rocked. She was my first baby and I didn't want her to be hurt.

The ride to the hospital went well. I really wasn't having too many contractions so I was pretty comfortable. We called family and friends on the way. Everyone was excited! When we got to the hospital, we parked in the parking deck and walked in to labor and delivery. At this point I realized that our birth story was unfolding right before my eyes. I told Bryan that I had wondered if I would be able to walk myself into the hospital. In our birth class, they told us just to park and walk in if we could. With pillows and suitcase in tow, I walked myself right in there! We checked in to the hospital at midnight. The nurses nonchalantly walked us to our room where I was told to undress and put a gown on. They hooked me up to the fetal monitor and contraction monitor. When we walked into the room, I was struck by the fact that this room would be where our baby would be born. His bassinet was already there, waiting for his arrival and first exam. It was surreal. Over the course of the next 12 hours that room transformed many times for me. It was a place to labor, a place to rest during the long night, a place where friends and family gathered, a place to push my baby out, and finally, the place where Cooper made his entrance into the world.

Mom and Bill arrived shortly after we were settled into the room. There was no way my Mom was missing one single moment of Cooper's arrival! She was so excited to meet him and wanted to be there for me. Even though Cooper is her 6th grandchild, her excitement is just as much as for the first. The contractions got stronger and closer together and I made it until 3am before giving in to the epidural. I really wanted to wait it out as long as I could so that I could dilate as much as possible in case the epidural slowed my labor. Also, I just wanted to know what contractions felt like. They hurt! Really bad! :) I was pretty nervous about getting the epidural. Just the thought of a needle in my spine made me want to throw up. However, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined and I felt so much better after I had it. I can't imagine going through labor without one. By the time I had the epidural, my contractions were pretty strong and coming about a minute apart. The hard part was that the pain really never went away. The rest in between contractions was not what I would consider a rest. It was still incredibly painful. After the epidural, I was able to relax and try to get some rest. Bryan slept a little on the couch in the room and I dozed off every now and then. It was so hard to sleep because I was so excited. By 6am I had dilated to 6 or 7 centimeters and the nurse said we'd probably be ready to push around 9:30 or 10am. I was relieved that I was progressing steadily and that the baby's heartbeat remained strong all through the labor. Both Bryan and I were happy that everything seemed to be going so well and it wasn't as scary as we know it could have been.

Family and friends started showing up around 6am. By 8am we had a full on entourage in our room! It was fun to have everyone there. The contraction and heartbeat monitor were a constant source of entertainment. Everyone kept saying, "ooh, you're having a big contraction!" and I couldn't even feel it at all. I had called Dad and Linda right when I went into labor so that they would hopefully have time to get to the hospital from Ohio. They drove all night and made it around 8:30am. I was really glad they could make it. I really wanted them to be there when he was born. Here's a list of all who came to the hospital: Mom, Bill, Cathy-Mom, Dad Linda, Dave, Carla, Beth, Chad, Seth, Emily, Eva, Aunt Pam, Uncle Jerry, Jocelyn, and Heather. Thank goodness our labor and delivery room was huge!

Around 9am the labor nurse came in and moved me and the bed up to a sitting position. It was nice to be moved since I had been laying in basically the same position all night and my legs were numb and losing circulation. By around 10am we were ready to start pushing. It was not nearly as dramatic as I had imagined. The nurse basically was like, "ok are you ready?" So, everyone cleared the room and we started pushing. Just like that. No big deal! Bryan held one leg and my labor nurse held the other. The epidural was still working its magic and it was incredibly difficult to tell when a contraction was coming on. So, Bryan would keep an eye on the monitor and warn me when one was coming. I had to push when there was a contraction and rest in between. Bryan was such a good coach and helped me so much to maximize my breathing and pushing. It was tough to tell how hard I was pushing because of the epidural. I don't think the nurses would ever tell you that you weren't pushing enough. They are really focused on telling you how good you are doing and encouraging your progress. I felt like the blood vessels in my face and neck were going to explode I was pushing so hard! After about 35 or 40 minutes of labor, the doctor made the decision to use the vacuum extractor to help pull Cooper out. His heart rate had started to fall a little bit and he wanted to get him out quickly. I think it was about 15 minutes or so after that that he finally came out. He was born at 11:17am. Bryan said that it was pretty crazy seeing him come out. I chickened out on using the mirror so I didn't see him immediately. I could kind of see my reflection in the TV screen on the wall and could barely handle that so I figured a full on mirror might make me freak out. I'm not much on the whole blood thing- especially when it is mine. So, the order of everything else is a little blurry, but I think they took him over to the baby exam table to do the Apgar and then bundled him up and brought him over to me. I could not take my eyes off of him. I watched intently as they examined him and just couldn't believe it. He was finally here. I just held him and stared at his face. He was all wrapped up in a blanket and I just wanted to peel him open and see the rest of my little baby. I was wondering what the rest of him looked like! It is very hard to describe the intensity of emotion that we were feeling right after he was born. I was utterly speechless and enamored. It was the best feeling in the world. I was shocked and in love all at once. I felt like we were in this bubble there in the delivery room. Just me, Bryan, and the baby. I never wanted it to burst. It was such a special time- something I will never forget. I tried to feed Cooper a little bit and then we decided it was time for everyone to come and meet him. After all, they had been waiting a long time!!

Everyone held the baby and we talked a little about what he looked like. The nurse brought me peanut butter and graham crackers which tasted like the best food I had ever eaten! I was really hungry but having a hard time thinking about eating anything. The nurse kept trying to get me to order food but I basically couldn't even read the hospital menu. I was too excited! It wasn't long before we were ready to be moved to our postpartum room where we would spend the next 2 days. On the way down the hall, Bryan got to press a button at the nurses station that made a song play over the intercom in the hospital hallways. It was to let everyone know that a baby had been born. I loved hearing that song at random times every day we were in the hospital. We said our goodbyes to our family and friends after we made our way to our room. It was a little sad seeing everyone go, but I was happy to be able to try to feed the baby and to be able to spend some time just looking at him and discovering what all of his little parts looked like. I was completely overcome with tears and happiness holding him outside of the blanket for the first time. It was like he was being born all over again. I was so amazed at him and knowing that we made him. All of his parts were right there in front of my eyes. The parts that we had spent so long wondering about. The parts that poked me in the belly. The parts that would grow into our little boy. I was so happy to see him. Bryan took some pictures of me and Cooper as I was crying and feeding him then. Those are some of my favorite photos because I was just SO happy in that moment. A wonderful feeling that I will always treasure.

Once we were settled, the exhaustion took over! Bryan and I hadn't slept in a really long time and we were basically sleep walking at this point. Nap time! Bryan slept in his Dad chair- which thankfully reclined into a flat pseudo-bed. The next few days we had several visitors and spent time getting to know our newborn. We ate hospital food (which I actually enjoyed- probably because I felt like I was starving all the time), fed the baby, learned how to care for him, and fell in and out of sleep. I was sore but it wasn't too bad. The worst part was realizing that my tailbone had been broken during delivery. That has been pretty painful to recover from. By the time Tuesday morning rolled around, Bryan was really ready to get home. I was a little hesitant. The time had flown by and I think I was a little scared to go home and be alone. Just us and the baby! I was a little teary as we packed up and got everything ready to go home. We took photos and dressed our little guy in his going home outfit. He looked pretty darn adorable and so tiny in his car seat. Once we were ready, Bryan pulled the car out front by the hospital doors and the nurse pushed me and the baby out to the car. Everyone in the halls oohed and ahhed at us. We were special. We were going home with our brand new baby. I was proud.

Pictures of Cooper

2008-06-16T20:53:00.010-04:00

As you requested...here's some pics of my baby!
The first three are photos taken by my good friend Kelly. She's an awesome artist and takes beautiful photos. I can't wait to see the rest of the pics from our newborn session with her. The picture of the three of us is taken in our new upstairs bedroom. We are loving it up there even though it is not fully done yet. I'll try to get some progress shots up here for you to see how it is going. Cooper and I take lots of naps on the new king sized bed. Lots of room for us to spread out and snooze!

Earlier today in his cute little onesie:

Cooper's first sponge bath at home. He looks relaxed here but that soon changed when the temperature wasn't just exactly perfect. He's not a fan of temperature fluctuations. He really hates wet wipes. It makes diaper changing a blast! :)

Bryan with his first Father's Day card. I went out of the house for the first time on my own on Father's Day to pick up a card for Bryan. That's why he got the bottom of the barrel teddy bear card.

Cooper's first stroller ride in his fancy-schmancy Bumbleride:

Sugar-plum:

I love how he's sleeping here:

Bryan went back to work today. Eeek! Cooper and I survived our first day alone without to much craziness. We even managed an outing together to pick up Babette from the groomer. I get pretty scared when I have to take him out of the house. Especially by myself! But, we did ok and he slept the entire 15 minutes we were out. Ha! I can't believe leaving the house for 15 minutes takes so much preparation and worry. I know it will get easier but it is so hard for me to imagine that at this point. I get worried that he will get hungry, that he will cry inconsolably, that he will dirty his diaper, that I will drop him in front of a crowd, etc, etc. All pretty much things I could handle, but still...

Enjoy the pictures!

Life With Baby Boy

2008-06-09T17:36:00.003-04:00

It's incredibly hard to get anything done when you have a baby! There's lots of things that go by the wayside until there's a moment of calm- where the baby is fed and changed, the parents have had a decent amount of sleep (1 or 2 hours?- yeah that's plenty), we've eaten something to nourish our bodies, the kitchen is clean (we can see at least some of the counter top), AND it isn't time to start the whole process over again. Here's that moment. I thought about laying on the couch and blankly staring at the TV but, then I thought better of it and wanted to post a little something here.

I don't think I have time to go too deep into the story yet. I might start and then get called away by my little sugar plum. So, I will write what I can...

Life with Cooper is an adventure. Bryan and I have been students of baby care 101 all week long. Each day brings new challenges, new successes, and new love. By far, the first day home from the hospital was the hardest. I still was recovering from delivery pretty seriously and we had to learn how to take care of our newborn while sleep deprived and hormone-crazy (me). Every day we seem to get the hang of parenting a little more. I have no idea how any woman can do this job on her own- especially in the first week. I am the luckiest woman in the world to have a husband that takes care of the baby just as much as I do. He's a natural- Cooper loves being held by his Daddy. And how many women can say that their husband has changed just as many diapers as they have- possibly more? I can! Yay! Bryan is my rock- in this situation as in any other. Holding my hand and gently reassuring me as a new mother.

There's no way I can describe how much we love this little guy. He's just an amazing little thing- his perfect little body, his curious eyes, his flailing hands, his little bird-mouth (ever searching for food, fingers), his sweet yawns and coos. It's enough to just sit and hold him. I miss him when I'm napping. I love him so much. So, without further ado, here's some more photos of our son. Enjoy!

Also, for more photos please visit Bryan's flickr page. Just go to www.flickr.com/photos/brizmo

Cooper Beck Kelley

2008-06-02T13:35:00.003-04:00

It's gonna be short but sweet...

June 1st, 2008
11:17am
7 pounds 4 ounces
21" long
blue eyes

Our baby was born yesterday, June 1st at 11:17am. He is the most amazing thing. There's so much emotion going on right now that I can't even explain. We are so happy and feel so LUCKY that we have had such a wonderful birth experience and now have such a beautiful, healthy, happy baby. I am overfilled with joy. I cannot take my eyes off of him. Here's some photos so you can see what I mean!!! :) More news later when we recover a little more. Thanks for all the well wishes...

Tick Tock

2008-05-31T18:45:00.004-04:00

So, I'm having the longest labor anticipation ever. I started having contractions Wednesday night right after I posted my last entry. It has been a waxing and waning experience ever since. The pattern goes: contractions for most of the night about 10 minutes apart and 20-50 seconds long, contractions subside in the morning. However, today is a little different. The contractions were a little stronger last night and they have stayed all day today. I have had periods of rest today with no contractions and it seems that now they are getting a bit stronger. We'll see! I keep getting excited/scared out of my mind and then they subside. At least I've had some time to mentally prepare a little bit (as much as I possibly can for something I know nothing about!). I'm thinking we will be making the trip to Piedmont in the middle of the night or early morning and he will be born sometime tomorrow. But, who knows, because this baby is on his own time...

I thought I should finish his room since I'm in labor. :) Here's some photos of his little cozy spot:

I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out! I can't believe I waited until today to finally finish everything. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. I credit that behavior to my Siders genes. Always late...

Joy crocheted the green blanket in the last photo. It is adorable and such a sweet thing to have for him. I can't wait to wrap his little naked but in it. Thanks Auntie Joy! We love you!

Well, I hope I'll be posting pics of our little bebe next time I'm on here. Wish us luck!

Waiting

2008-05-28T20:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I went to my 39 week checkup. For those of you who don't want the gory details of a pelvic exam- stop reading now. :)

I think this was the only time I'll ever be excited about getting an exam from the OB-GYN! I have been very curious for the last few weeks to see if there is any progress toward delivering this baby, so I was actually kinda looking forward to it. Much to my dismay I am not dilated at all. Not even one measly centimeter. Ugh. The appointment overall turned out to be a little emotional and scary. My doctor sent me to have an ultrasound after measuring my belly and finding that I measured small. Which could have either meant he was not very big or he didn't have much amniotic fluid left. I immediately freaked out, of course. I was excited to be having the ultrasound so that I could get a little peek at my babe but I ended up barely being able to look at the screen because I was on the verge of passing out. That's what happens to me when I panic. I sweat, my mind races, I can't get a grip and I pass out. I couldn't think why on earth, the baby of two tall, not small people would be small. I was really scared for him- for us. But, everything ended up being fine. In fact, my doctor was completely off. Our little baby is actually quite a BIG baby. He already weighs 8 pounds!!! And showing no sign of moving out until at least his due date or possibly later. Also, he has plenty of amniotic fluid. I was really relieved to hear the good news but it took me half the morning to mentally recuperate. As I sat there waiting to hear the results of the ultrasound, I wondered how many times in his life I'd be worried out of my mind for his safety. I thought about how I really needed to be a strong Mom for him and handle it. I thought about how much I love him and desperately wanted him to be ok. I am so thankful he is. This Mom thing is gonna be tough.

So, I feel like the last couple of weeks has been loooong! I really don't want to rush him getting here but I am feeling really anxious. I am curious when I will go into labor, what it will feel like and how I will handle it. I am a little scared. I am also excited about meeting him.

3rd Birthday for Eva Diva

2008-05-19T23:08:00.004-04:00

We celebrated Eva's upcoming 3rd birthday with a pool party yesterday. I was really hoping I wouldn't go into labor before her big day--I made it! Eva has been excited about her birthday for, oh I don't know, 6 months or so. She takes after her Aunt Jennifer in that respect. Birthdays are fun!
Seth and Emily gave her a really cool pool party, complete with crazy green Dora/Care Bears (special Eva request) cupcakes and candy-filled Dora piñata. I think the party lived up to the 6-month hype. Here's a few pics of the birthday girl.

We aren't quite sure what happened, but the pool had drained itself to about a 2 foot depth on the morning of the party. Worked out perfectly for the kids. A giant size kiddie pool!

I just got a few pictures sent to me from the last baby shower. Here's a shot of me and Mom:

That's all for now...

Cupcakes are Grrreat!

2008-05-14T22:25:00.003-04:00

I didn't even eat one but I know they were good. Today was Bryan's boss' bday so I made him some fun cupcakes. I've been kinda obsessed with making cupcakes for the last couple of months. I really like decorating them- it's so much fun. Here's some of them:

I am going to try to post a little more often here at the end of my pregnancy. I only have 3 weeks left until my due date and I am getting a little anxious. In a good way, though. Bryan and I both are just really excited to meet him. I keep having these BIZARRE dreams about giving birth to him in various ways. Last night, I dreamed I was both the physician and the patient- two different bodies. My doctor self gave my pregnant self a c-section and when the baby came out he was really tiny and fetus-like. After I wiped him off, he turned into a normal looking baby. See, that's why I had to put bizarre in all caps.

There's still a lot of stuff I need to get done before the babe arrives. I keep putting off getting my car serviced and cleaned. And that means I keep putting off installing the car seat. This makes me nervous. I should just go get it done! Then I would feel better. For some reason, I feel that the baby cannot possibly be driven home in a dirty car. I realize this is somewhat ridiculous but nonetheless, I must have the car completely cleaned professionally. Otherwise, I did decide that it was time to pack the hospital bag last night. I'm mostly packed but I will have to wait til the last minute to throw in a few things. Don't worry- I've made a LIST! Some other things I'd like to do: get a few last things for the baby's room, make a few frozen dinners for post-baby, get the upstairs bedroom finished so we can move up there, put together the bouncy seat and his bassinet, put a few last photos and words in my pregnancy journal, finish prepping a first-year scrapbook for Cooper, get pregnancy photos taken by my friend Kelly. You know, just a few minor things...

Well, I'm kinda sleepy so I can't think to write anything coherent or interesting! I'll post some photos and an update on the baby's room and the upstairs in the next couple of days. We are getting close!

Here's a photo of me at 37 weeks:

And, happy Momma's Day to all my Momma's out there: Mom, Linda, Kelly, Sara, Beki, Jessica, Emily, Melissa...Love y'all and thanks for walking me through this motherhood thing.

36 Weeks and Some Fun Photos

2008-05-06T23:46:00.003-04:00

Just thought I'd post a recent belly picture. It getting LARGE and I am getting rather uncomfortable. It is especially bad when I eat more food than I have room for- which is pretty much every meal. When will I learn?

Here's a silly picture of me and Bryan this past weekend:

And some decorations I was working on for the babe's room. I decided to nix the dots. I thought they were cute but not quite right for the room. He's too sophisticated for dots. :)

The family has been working overtime on the upstairs. It's coming along great and we are really getting excited seeing it all come together. We've imagined it so many times and it is just awesome to be getting so close to finished! I think we will be ready to paint this weekend and have carpet installed in the bedroom by the following weekend. Can't believe it! Here's Bryan working on the cabinet where all of our media components will be stored.

Here's Mom and Babette playing in the construction dust!

Have a great week!

I've been Tagged

2008-05-05T23:03:00.003-04:00

Tagged by Sara
maybe i should...pack my bag for the hospital
people would say that...i’m compassionate
i don’t understand why...people are cruel to animals
when i wake up in the morning I always...roll over to see if Bryan is awake and then bring the dog close to snuggle
i lost my willpower to...continue to exercise while pregnant
life is...an adventure meant to be taken one day at a time
my past is...what brings me to the present
i get annoyed when...I'm tired and can't deal with anything
parties are...something I love and look forward to
dogs...are such good companions and soul soothers
cats ...are finicky
tomorrow ...is an opportunity to live another day and experience something new
i have low tolerance for ...people who are dishonest
i’m totally terrified of ...loved ones passing away
i wonder why... my TO DO list never gets any shorter
never in my life did i ...think I'd be this happy at 30 :)
high school ...was fun but I'd never want to go back!
when i’m nervous...I get sick to my stomach and get cold sweats. If it involves hospitals or doctors I just might pass out.
one time I ... ate an oyster and thought it was disgusting
take my advice: enjoy your life; it is the only chance you get
making my bed...only happens when we have company! Shhh, don't tell anyone.
i'm almost always thinking about...our baby
i’m addicted to...strawberries
i want someone to...be my personal trainer and get me back into shape after I have this baby!

I kinda like these things because it makes you sit and consider your thoughts for a minute. Hope you enjoyed! If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! If you wanna play along copy and paste into your blog. Have fun...

We're no Rothko but we are trying

2008-04-22T22:43:00.005-04:00

I've lured Bryan into making a little art for the baby's room. It is something I have been thinking about for a while but I was a little hesitant because things I make (that involve paint and canvas) tend to fall short of the vision in my head. Clearly I'm no painter but that doesn't stop me from trying. Bryan, on the other hand, knows a thing or two about design and painting. So, I've enlisted his help for this latest attempt at art. I started this project yesterday before he came home from work- $12.00 a piece canvases at my mercy. Yikes. Good thing he came home shortly after. I pretty much was hating what I had done to the first of three canvases and Bryan came in and helped me find a direction. Yay! It has been a lot of fun learning from him and having him help me decide how and where to put the paint. It's a many-day process because we are making abstract-ish pieces that have lots of (dried) layers of paint. Kinda inspired by the artist Mark Rothko. Even though apparently Rothko hated being called an abstract painter. But he was- anyway...Here's our work so far:

Bryan's is the darker one on the right and mine's the one with all the teal. JLWS- I know you love teal! But it won't be teal for long. Just 'til the next layer goes on. I'll keep you posted and hopefully the end results will be baby-wall worthy!

Two weekends ago we had a really fun baby shower at the home of Bryan's boss. We were lucky to get a few loved ones in town from Texas and Ohio for the weekend. Now Lauren knows my Dad and Linda way more than she ever thought possible. We spent all day together and then went to dinner. She's such a good sport! Here's some pics of the visitors:

We had a really good time mixing friends, family and co-workers at the shower. Lots of fun and good food! If anyone out there has pictures- please email me some because I have none! My camera stayed in my purse all day.

Here's your moment of Zen for the day. My pup loving on a jar of Skippy PB. She LOVES PB!

34 Weeks

2008-04-17T20:00:00.004-04:00

I finally feel like my pregnancy is coming to a close. I have about 6 weeks left. It seems kinda like a long time but not really. Today I said my first goodbye to a client that I won't be seeing until after the baby is born. Weird. Next time I see her I'll be a Mom and Cooper will be on the OUTSIDE! It seems not long ago that I was thinking,"I'll be seeing all of my clients two more times before I am out on maternity leave." Now, I am seeing everyone for their last visit. It is exciting but a little scary. I guess I have gone through different stages of reality sinking in and this is another in that long line of realizations. I'm actually going to have a baby. I remember my good friend Kelly saying that there is a reason that it takes 9 (10) months to have a baby. It prepares you for what lies ahead. It would be alarming to just wake up one day and have a baby in the house. Imagine if it was as quick as taking the pregnancy test. "Congratulations! Your baby will be here in five minutes! Good luck with everything!" Haha. I've enjoyed this experience- even the heartburn, the morning sickness, the uncomfortableness. I've needed these 40 weeks to mentally and physically prepare for our son to be a part of our family.

In the spirit of pregnancy, here's a Top Ten List of things people have asked me as a pregnant woman. I could answer these questions in my sleep (if I was actually getting any, that is).

1- Are you excited? YES!
2- Do you know if it is a boy or a girl? Boy-as far as we know.
3- What hospital are you delivering at? Piedmont, hopefully. :)
4- Is this your first baby? Yup.
5- Do you know what you are going to name him? Cooper Beck Kelley.
6- Do you have the nursery all ready/ what's the nursery like? Sort of/ baby boy pastels- blue, green, cream, brown.
7- Is your Mom excited? Of course!
8- Is your husband excited? YES!
9- Are you going to breastfeed? MYOB. Just kidding. I plan on it.
10- How are you feeling? Depends on the day. For the most part, I can't complain.

I get these questions a lot being that I work with the public. My clients are always curious and I love sharing with them. I especially enjoy the conversations with my girls that are having babies now, too. It's good to feel validated and to hear women tell their birth story when it is so fresh in their mind.

The weather is beautiful here in the sunny south. Today was crystal clear and pleasantly warm. Bring on the warm weather! I love spring! Tank tops, flip flops, margaritas (after the baby, of course), pool time, walking the dog, tans, sunglasses, no jackets. Mmmm. Can't wait to push my baby in a stroller.

Our Big Weekend

2008-04-03T21:43:00.006-04:00

Yay, we had a full weekend of getting stuff done! Bryan actually had the whole weekend off from work so he and Bill went full steam on the upstairs remodel project. It was awesome, especially since I am exempt from heavy lifting. Bryan and Bill really got a lot done (thanks!!) and we are not too far away from having the drywall guy come out to finish the walls. This will be the first time we have EVER hired out work on this house. We have done everything ourselves (with much help from family) and it seems strange to let someone else work on our baby after all these years. But, drywalling is for suckers! That we pay! Anyway, it is so cool to see it all come together and we are so excited about having this brand new space that we designed to live in. When it is completed, we will have an additional 730 square feet of master bed, bath and walk-in closet! Bryan designed and built a beautiful and functional shelving system for the closet and it will be so nice for organizing all of our clothing and bedding. Our house was built in 1950 and our current bedroom closet is ridiculously small. Apparently people didn't have as much crap to store back then. Our new bathroom will also dwarf the current one. So will the new bedroom. See folks, this is a major step up for the Kelley family! Bigger, better, newer, awesomer! Here's a view of the progress: Don't know why it looks like it is snowing in our bedroom...

The ladies spent the weekend working on the baby's room. My Mom and I picked up some more of his furniture and washed and folded all of his baby clothes. So cute! This boy has so many clothes already. Here's me removing tags and sorting into piles for their first wash in yummy Dreft. That stuff smells so good. Babies. Yum.
Diapers I've bought on sale. It's my new obsession. This isn't even 1/3 of it.

I couldn't get over the sight of this:
How tiny and adorable. I love baby socks.

Bryan and Mom opening the boxes of glider and dresser. I already LOVE the glider. I could take a serious nap in that thing. Thanks Dad and Linda!

Here's a drawer full of clothes. Ok, so maybe I went a little overboard on the onesies. But, they are just so darn cute! And truthfully, only like 2/3 of that drawer is onesies. I swear.

I almost cried when we were done washing all of his things and it was all put away in his dresser. I'm not sure if I can even explain why. I just felt like it was something I had been anticipating and was excited about doing and then it was all done. His clothes are no longer brand, brand new and sitting in bags with tags waiting on his arrival. It just made me a little sad. Time marches on and I realize that all of this waiting for him to be here will soon be gone and it will seem like it happened in the blink of an eye. He'll be born, he will grow up. It is happening too fast already and he's not even born yet. I have really tried to enjoy my pregnancy and relish the moments when he is flip-flopping inside me but I feel like it won't be enough. Enough to remember, to never forget how amazing and special this is, enough to forever be thankful for the opportunity to carry him.

Here's a little update on my body. Try not to stare at my huge mams too long. Good golly I hope they don't get too much bigger.

For my own memory, I am 32 weeks in this pic.

Cooper's Baby Shower and Easter

2008-03-23T20:06:00.005-04:00

It's been a really fun (and tiring) weekend! We started out on Friday night having my niece, Eva, spend the night. She is almost 3 years old and is such a little ham. I know everyone thinks their family is the best, but she really is so well behaved and a lot of fun to be around. We spent the evening playing games and wearing ourselves out. Eva invented the "flashlight" game with Uncle Bryan's LED headlamp. We spent about 30 or 40 minutes in complete darkness in the house so Eva could get full use out of the flashlights. :) I showed her how to put the flashlight up to her mouth and make her cheeks glow. I loved doing that as a kid. Bryan and I got a little practice reading stories for bedtime. It was really fun and funny. We tried out different methods: I read a page, you read a page, I read a word, you read a word, etc. The every other word method was least successful. Kinda hard to understand what was going on! :) We read Tikki Tikki Tembo and Guess How Much I Love You. Lots of fun.

I had Saturday off of work. Yay! I love having Saturdays off. It is such a treat. I only have two other Saturdays off before the baby arrives and I will be spending those at breastfeeding and child birthing classes. I can't believe it is getting so close. We are definitely starting to feel the crunch and have scheduled two work weekends for the upstairs remodel project. We really aren't that far away from finishing the bedroom but we have a good bit of work left on the closet and bath. I'm excited to see it finished. I hope we can do it before he gets here!

I took a two hour nap in the afternoon and then headed over to Heather's house to hang out with her and Joy while they were getting ready for my baby shower. The girls came up with a robot/futuristic theme and it was adorable. I now want to decorate his toddler room in robots! The shower was so fun. I was really looking forward to it and it was everything I had hoped and more. I couldn't help but think about all of the women that were there (and a few that weren't) and realizing how much Bryan and I are loved by them. A wedding or baby shower is a way that we express support in our culture. We are telling the person or couple, "we are here for you, we care about you, we are excited for you". And, of course, "here's a present for you!" But, seriously, I guess I am all emotional because I'm pregnant, but I love these women and I know that they love me. They love my unborn baby. They support us unconditionally. It's a wonderful feeling to know that we are loved by so many people.

Joy drove all the way from Virginia to come to the shower- thanks Joy! I love you. It was so nice to hang out and it always seems kinda like she never left Atlanta. I miss her tons. I also got quite a surprise when I walked into the condo and saw my friend from high school, Jeni. She lives in Louisiana and so I was really shocked to see her! The girls didn't tell me she was coming- I'm glad- it was fun to be surprised. We all spent the evening eating, talking and opening gifts. Jennifer made this amazing robot cake.
How cute is that? I got TONS of stuff for the little one. Jumperoo, stroller, bouncer, boppy, monitor, mobile, clothes, books, pacifiers, bottles, toys, play yard, gift cards, etc! Thanks everybody! We love our things and Daddy didn't even get upset at the sight of the nursery already filling up! He's not a fan of clutter and mess so this baby with all of its "things" is going to be an adjustment. :) So far, so good. We woke up Sunday and I showed him all of our new goodies. We couldn't resist testing out our fancy Sony monitor from Aunt Emily. It works great and we each took turns pretending to be the baby in the other room. Very funny. I also had to break out the mobile and stick it on the crib. Actually, I wasn't able to figure out how to attach it but Bryan came to the rescue and it looks so cute! Now all we need is a cute little baby to put in there. Thank you everyone for making my shower special! I'll post more pics of everyone as people send them to me. My camera didn't get used much that night! I was too busy talking!

We spent Easter Sunday at my Mom and Bill's in Fayetteville. It was a beautiful day and the kids were all running around like crazy- hopped up on chocolate bunnies and jellybeans. We had a fun egg hunt around the lake and ate ourselves silly on ham, mashed potatoes, macaroni, and various sweets. Yum!
Cooper got an Easter basket even though he is still in utero. You know his Granny couldn't leave him out!

Auntie Em! It's a twister!

2008-03-20T00:45:00.005-04:00

This past weekend we had some crazy weather here in Atlanta. I came home friday night to a home with no electricity due to the tornado that tore through Atlanta and our neighborhood, East Atlanta. We really didn't know what was going on until the next day. It's amazing what escapes you when there's no connection to the outside world. Our house and our street went relatively unharmed. We had a little debris scattered in the yard and a small, dead tree came down in our backyard. No big deal, especially compared to what happened in the rest of the area. Our neighborhood has a ton of huge, old trees and lots of them were lost in the storm. There were SO many houses with trees fallen through the roofs. Crazy! Amazingly, there were no fatalities here. Saturday brought more storms and the biggest hail I have ever seen in my life! It was incredibly loud as it hit the house. Thankfully our cars survived with not so much as a ding! Here's the hail that accumulated in the yard in a matter of minutes. So bizarre!

My Mom and I spent the entire weekend (and then some) working on the baby's bedding. We picked out some really cute fabric a few months ago and got to work designing the bedding from scratch. We had no idea what we were in for when we decided to sew this set ourselves! My Mom is a very experienced seamstress and this was even a challenge for her. However, it was worth the effort because it turned out so adorable! I'm sure my Mom will think so when she gets to see it on the crib. For now, I think she's still recovering from 30+ hours of sewing her grandchild's bed set. Now we know why some of the crib sets on the internet are priced so high ($400 and up)! Here's a little sneak peek.
I can't wait to decorate the rest of the room. I've been thinking of trying to enlarge pages of vintage children's books for art for the wall. A little trip to Kinko's and some cute frames and walla! Baby art!

My first baby shower is this weekend and I am so excited! It's an all girls party that is being given by my good friends Heather, Kelly and Jennifer. I am also excited to give each of them this:
It's a secret but I'll share after this weekend.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Getting ready for junior

2008-03-11T19:38:00.006-04:00

It's all about the nesting. This baby is moving at the pace of a freight train and I gotta get his stuff ready! Nah, actually it isn't quite that fast but I am definitely trying to get things together for him. Two weekends ago my Momma offered to come up and paint the boy's room. Of course I said yes! His room is what use to be our office (always a disaster) and we had to clear it out before we could begin painting. Here's the disaster area before we moved everything out.

In my house-keeping defense, a lot of that clutter is actually Cooper's new baby things. I admit the ofice is normally messy, but not quite this bad. Eeek!

One major issue is that we need to finish our upstairs remodel before we can move our bedroom up there and subsequently the office to our current bedroom. So, currently our dining room is a bit of a temporary storage unit- ugh! The house seems so cluttery and small when it isn't picked up and neat. Can't wait to get everything put in its new place. Anyway, Mom worked her little behind off and did a beautiful job on the walls. She even perfectly patched all the nail holes. Bryan came home towards the finish line and rolled the final coat while Mom edged. Here's my little contractors working diligently. This pregnancy thing is starting to pay off...

The walls are a nice steely, pale blue. I love how it turned out. I'd post a pic but it doesn't look like much with nothing in there. I picked up the crib that weekend also. Bryan is a mechanical genius (I'm so lucky to have a capable husband) and put that sucker together in about 30 minutes- despite the directions being written by someone who had clearly never put this crib together before. It looks beautiful in his room and I love peeking in there and imagining his little sleepy self laying in that crib. Here's my man doing the manly job:

I am still waiting on two dressers and the glider/ottoman to come in. I am hoping they will be here by next weekend so I'll finally have a place to put all of the clothes I keep buying. Also, I have my first baby shower on the 22nd. Yay! I am so excited. It's at my friend Heather's house and it is all-girls. Can't wait to sit and chat and ooh and aah over cute baby things. Joy- can't wait to see you!

Here's a belly update. Actually, this was about 3 weeks ago so I am even bigger now. This belly is outta control!

I went out!

2008-02-25T23:27:00.003-05:00

That's right, I went out. To a sort-of bar. Ben played a show this evening at a local Tea Bar (thankfully non-smoking) and I mustered up the energy to go. I didn't realize until I saw all of our "bar friends" that it has been a really long time (6.5 months) since I have been to any bar. I guess I didn't miss it that much (since I didn't really notice) but it was weird and a little sad to be there and to know that it will never be the same again. Awww, drinking and waking up with a hangover- I kinda miss you. :)

It was fun to hear some live music. Ben has a friend that plays violin on some of the pieces and it really sounds beautiful. I realized that I love the inherent sadness of the violin. All the more sad set against Ben's lyrics, I guess. I don't know why, but sad, sappy music is my favorite. I love the emotion of it, maybe? I'm feeling very JLWS saying I love sad stuff. :) I love you JLWS.

Everyone was happy to see me tonight and asking about the baby. I always love having people excited about him. It is a lot of fun. I got a laugh out of hearing a friend of a friend say, "you must be the pregnant friend!" It's nice to know I am still remembered even though I can't hang out! :)

Today was a good day off. I went to the doctor this morning and had a check up. Everything looks good and Cooper's heartbeat sounds great. I still look forward to and love hearing his little heart beat. It always makes me think about how important that little organ is and how it will not stop beating until he's old and gray. It is just amazing. My belly was measured for the first time today. Supposedly, the belly (from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus) measures in centimeters the number of weeks you are pregnant. I'm 26 weeks and my belly measured 25cm. Pretty neat math in nature, huh? I now will see the doctor every 2 weeks (as opposed to every 4) and I have to take the blood-glucose test next time to see if I am gestational diabetes-free. Hopefully I am!

I spent a little time today looking for an outfit for the baby to wear when he comes home from the hospital. I like this one and this one plus orange hat so far. Zutano has some really cute sets that are made just for their little newbie bodies. So precious! I can picture his royal cuteness in one of those little sleepers now...

Life Update

2008-02-21T21:53:00.003-05:00

It's been raining all day here. And I mean ALL day. Which has been great for the extremely dry state of Georgia. I am really hoping for more rain this year- mostly for my poor parents who own a lawnmower retail store and repair shop. Last year was a major bust and it has been a long, hard year for them. I don't think I have ever seen them so stressed as they are right now. Crossing my fingers for an early, wet spring for them.

Work has been particularly slow since I got back from vacation. It has been kinda depressing. I just keep thinking about when Cooper gets here and how I will NOT want to sit at work all day with nothing to do when he is here at home. Even when I have no clients I am required to stay at the salon all day. Grrr. It is frustrating that the salon doesn't seem to be getting much busier 2 years into the process. I keep thinking it will get better. Maybe it will...

My friend and ultimate baby-having helper,Kelly, helped me this past weekend to finish up my baby registry. What a relief! Thank you, Kelly! I knew I was spending a lot of time obsessing over the perfect items for Cooper but I had no idea how much it was weighing on my mind. Pretty much every night before bed I would spend 2 or 3 hours reading reviews of products online and hesitating waaaay to long before adding to my registry. I finally topped off the whole review process by devouring a 500 page book in 3 days called "Baby Bargains". Very helpful book BTW but, oh my goodness could I obsess any more? Needless to say, once the registry was done, I felt a tremendous sense of relief and accomplishment. I guess I am just weird like that. I needed to have that giant check mark to relax a little bit. The other thing I did this week was decide on a stroller. Yet another baby item I had *really* researched way too much. I get to see it in person tomorrow when I get to Fayette Mower and I am really excited! A reason to get to work on time for once. :)

I can't believe how much my belly is growing every week. It is completely ridiculous. And I still have 15 weeks to go! Time does seem as though it is passing a lot faster now, though. This week is my last in the second trimester. It seems unreal. I am still feeling pretty good, though I am not sleeping well at all. I think I woke up every 1.5 hours last night from 10pm until 9am this morning. Jeez. I know, I know, it is nature's way of preparing me for waking up with the baby. But, hey, I think I could use a few nights of uninterrupted sleep BEFORE he gets here, right?

Thought I'd end with a few pics of my sweet niece, Eva. Seth and Emily are lucky to have this little cutie. Here she is at my salon wearing a color apron I tied up for her.

Bryan and Eva at the bowling alley. She loved it.

Wrapping up the Last Hurrah

2008-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it is Saturday night- the last evening of our vacation before this little turkey is born. We have had an amazing time and really have gotten to relax. I think this is the most active we have ever been on a beach vacation, though. Besides all of our water-sporting, we must have walked 50 miles or more this week around the island. Goodness! We have walked EVERYWHERE!

We ended up getting detoured a little bit for the Dry Tortugas day trip. There are 2 companies here that make the trip out there every day and the one we picked ($50 cheaper) happened to blow an engine about 30 minutes into the trip Wednesday morning. Luckily the boat had one engine left that was able to get us back to "the Bight". We had to go on the more expensive boat the next day. But, we did get a free sunset sail trip that night for our trouble- so that was pretty awesome. We enjoyed watching the infamous Key West sunset from a boat perspective and Bryan got to drink free booze! Yay! And I got to drink free gingerale!

Here's my belly compared to the sun setting on the horizon- it's huge!

The Dry Tortugas trip was interesting. The main island has a huge fort built upon it. It is the largest manmade brick structure in the western hemisphere. The impressive thing is that it was all constructed by hand and that there is absolutely NO fresh water anywhere on the islands. It sounded like a pretty miserable experience in paradise(?). For a little history lesson and to see the islands click here. We enjoyed the boat ride-2 hours each way-and the snorkeling around the island. It was pretty interesting being in such a remote area and knowing that civilization was so far away. There was really NOTHING on the island other than the fort. The snorkeling was good but we both had expected more fish. I didn't have the stamina to snorkel out way far into the ocean so I think we missed a little bit because of that. But, overall the adventure of it was just fun. I've realized that I am a pretty adventurous girl for being 6 months pregnant!

On to the food: After eating a few so-so meals, we decided to start following the recommendations of our innkeepers. They have compiled a short list of places that are off the beaten path of Duval Street (the main road in Old Town Key West). The first place we tried,Ricky's Blue Heaven, was an instant hit with me. I was sold the second we sat down and I saw baby chickens and their mommas running around the outdoor area where we were seated. So cute! The atmosphere was quirky and fun and the food turned out to be amazing. I had a Key West Pink Shrimp melt made on their homemade bread. It was really, really good! Since I can't imbibe these days, the food has gotta be good. We got to try out a few other spots on the list over the next few days and all turned out to be spot on. Bryan had a Key Lime Pie Martini last night that was so good we wrote down all of the ingredients to try to recreate it at home. That was at a place called Camille's. Can't wait to drink one post-baby!

This morning we ventured out for our final water sport- kayaking. We went on an eco-tour through a mangrove and on the open ocean with a small group and guide. It was pretty neat. Bryan did most of the paddling (thanks, babe!) so I felt like a little princess in the front of the kayak. We got to see all kinds of ocean creatures and even hold them. I didn't squeal once. Not even when I held a sea cucumber or a sea urchin. The mangroves were beautiful. They have little "rivers" that run through them where you can kayak and see all of the little animals that are living in there.

Well, I am getting sleepy so I'll have to finish this later. Here's some coconut ice cream in a coconut for your midnight-snack viewing pleasure. It was tasty in case you were curious! It is only one of nine hundred desserts I've eaten on this vacation. Most of the others were Key Lime Pie. Night-night!

Marathon and Key West

2008-02-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

***I fixed it- here are the photos I promised! My fault of course...***

Hello from Key West, Florida! Bryan and I are just relaxing in our B&B watching a little TV. I thought I'd post a little something about our trip so far. We are having a really good time and relaxing a bunch. No agendas, no rushing anywhere, and most of all no work!

We flew into Miami on Sunday morning and rented a car for our adventure down to the Keys. Since this is our last little vacation for just the two of us we decided it would be best if we rented a red convertible Mustang. UPGRADE! We were laughing at our own frivolousness for at least the first 30 minutes of our ride out of Miami. But, we really have enjoyed it and it has made the sight-seeing and the sunshine most enjoyable on the way down.

The first beach we visited was on Bahia Honda Key. It is about 45 minutes north of Key West and about 10 minutes from Marathon Key where we spent our first 2 nights. We stayed in a cute little cottage at a place called Tropical Cottages. It had a very vintage feel and was owned by an incredibly sweet couple who treated us like family while we were there. Bryan would like me to mention that he heard a monster outside of our cottage the second night we were there. :) Something was shuffling on 2 feet in the leaves and had a cackle like no other animal he has ever heard. He was quite disturbed- luckily I was sound asleep because this would have not gone over well with me, either. Otherwise, Marathon was a pretty sleepy town with not a lot of action- especially compared to Key West. We saw a lot of bad hair-do's and bad tattoos while we were there! :) We got a real feel for the locals when we ate breakfast the first morning at a place called The Stuffed Pig. We had A LOT of pork products that morning. Too bad we didn't have the camera with us...

Here's Bryan digging us a sand chair at Bahia Honda Beach. It was very beautiful and natural. Not your average combed beach but beautiful in its own right.

Bryan and I saw a lot of Portuguese Man O Wars washed up on the beach. At first, we had no idea what the heck these things were. Neither of us had ever seen one before this trip. We had to google it to be sure of our conclusion. Here's me holding one like a dumb-dumb.

Yesterday we packed up our things and headed the rest of the way down to Key West. The drive was beautiful all the way down. Nothing quite gives me a happy, peaceful feeling like the tranquil blue waters of the ocean. Ahhhh. We are staying at a beautiful, friendly B&B in the heart of Key West called The Tropical Inn. Our room is comfortable and peaceful. When we woke up this morning (to no alarm, might I add) all I kept thinking about was how peaceful the room looked in the morning light. The yellow curtains give the room a really nice soft glow. It's nice. And breakfast is 5 paces out the bedroom door- served poolside. I hate to brag, people, but we are really enjoying ourselves.

We spent the day exploring a few touristy sights and then laying on the beach. Here's me petting a polydactyl cat on Hemingway's bed and then Bryan and I at the Southernmost point in the continental United States.

More to come in the next few days. We will be here until Sunday! Tomorrow we are taking a day trip out to the Dry Tortugas- an island 70 miles west of Key West that is a beautiful National Park where we will be snorkeling.

22 Weeks Pregnant

2008-01-30T22:40:00.000-05:00

Here I am! And there's little Cooper!

I thought it was finally time to start documenting the size of my belly. It is just now really starting to poke out there! It's pretty neat to watch my belly grow and to know that he's getting bigger. I don't know if this is a universal pregnancy feeling- but sometimes in early pregnancy I had a hard time believing I was actually pregnant. I mean, I know what the tests said, but I just found it hard to fathom that there was a little growing human in there. I can remember an early doctor's appointment in which I had a blood test performed and the doctor came in and said, "well, it is negative". For some reason my first thought was she was telling me I wasn't pregnant anymore. My heart skipped a beat and then I realized that was not what she meant! Now, with a growing belly to prove it, I can hardly deny I am pregnant. So, for all my friends and family out there that don't get to see this thing growing- here it is!

Bryan and I are gearing up for our trip which starts on Sunday. I went out on Monday to try to find a swimsuit that fits my gigantic baby boobs and I found a killer deal. I think my thrifty cousin, Sara, will appreciate the price of this swimsuit: $3.97. I haven't found many deals such as this in my entire shopping career- especially not on maternity clothing! For anyone who has ever been pregnant, you understand my excitement at finding an inexpensive maternity item. I was pretty excited, as this suit was not only cheap, but cute as well. Hopefully, I won't look too much like a moose on vacation and I'll post some pics in my cheap and cute suit! :) For those curious as to where one would find such a deal, it was Old Navy Clearance CLARENCE Clearance (as my sis-in-law says). Actually, for you bargain hunters, I've found this same type of sale at many other stores this past week: 50% off original price and then 50% off the clearance price. Go check your favorite stores for a great deal! And, in the spirit of sharing a good deal, check out this awesome website that is dedicated to finding great deals for baby and kid necessities. I'll never pay too much for a diaper or a wipe thanks to this site!

I hope all of my readers are well. I miss you out of state chickens and hope to see you soon.