The Smiths

Just Cute.

2012-02-03T15:37:00.001-08:00

NomNomNom

2012-01-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

Swing!!

2012-01-24T14:07:00.001-08:00

Mommy and Me

2012-01-24T12:15:00.001-08:00

Keller's school has been closed the past two day because of a nasty stomach virus. Apparently most of the teachers and kids were infected and they decided it was best to let it run it's course and have time to sanitize everything. Luckily little man shows no signs or symptoms (knock on wood). So we have had an unexpected two days together, and it's been wonderful! Yesterday morning we ran errands in the morning and then walked up to the park and swung for a bit. The weather is unseasonably warm but still a little windy. (ignore the pants tucked into the socks;)

Then we laid the blanket out on the ground. This was really the first time he has ever touched or experience grass. He was very interested.

Then we rolled around a bit and soaked up the sunshine.

Today we got up and went to story time at the library. Keller was the youngest one there but LOVED watching the big kids sing and play. At the end the teacher got out a big box of all kinds of different balls and he was in heaven. Scooting towards one batting it away and scooting towards another. I'm sure our collection of balls at home will only grow.

Wake Up Call

2012-01-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

The best way to start a day...

Keller 6 months!

2012-01-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

Keller is half a year old!!

It is unbelievable how quickly the time has passed. You are a rolling machine. I have a little mat for you to play on but very rarely do you stay on it. You have started to belly scoot and I'm sure you're not to far away from crawling. You can sit but still need someone there with you because you still tip over. You would rather be mobil than just sitting but we will get there. You are still loving school and have yet to experience "stranger danger". You are always happy when I leave you and I hope it stays that way. Night times are still a little rough. You go to sleep great and sleep for a few hours but it's getting you to stay asleep that we are still working at. Some nights are better then others and you are such a great baby in all other ways I'm not too worried about it or pushing it too much. Your 6 month check up went great. Clean bill of health weighing in at 17.5 pounds (50th %) and 27 inches (75th %). You have tried a few foods. A taste of bannana, avacado, and grape. So far you like everything. We will start feeding you "dinner" in a few days.
Fingers always in your mouth but no teeth yet.

Always into everything.

Can't wait to see what the rest of your first year will bring!

Christmas WrapUp

2012-01-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

We had a great first Christmas with our little man. He got lots of great toys, clothes, and books. We just kept thinking about how different things will be next year with him running around. Crazy how quickly time goes by.
Christmas Eve we went to church then to dinner at my parents house. Keller wore his "candy cane" shirt.Christmas morning we went to Coby's brother's house, then to my parents for the day, then to Coby's parents for Christmas night. Of course the majority of the pictures are of little man.

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T12:48:00.001-08:00

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Keller rolled and rolled until he made it to the tree to play with the ornaments.

So many Santa's!

2011-12-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

Our church had it's Christmas Village last Sunday. There were crafts, cookies, music, a petting zoo, and train ride. Can't wait for Keller to enjoy all the activities but for now we will stick to Santa. Another sucessful visit!

More 5 month pics

2011-12-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

Santa Baby

2011-12-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

We were invited to a Santa party last week and it was so fun. Hutch is in Keller's class at school and Coby works with his dad. The Santa was the real deal. Lots of kids and limited crying equals a good Santa in my mind. I was a little worried about how Keller would react but obviously I had nothing to worry about. I stood back with him for awhile and let him just watch the other kids. Then it was our turn.

He was in awe. Just kept staring at him until Coby got his attention.

The Santa was so great. Wanting to make sure we got all the pictures we wanted.

This was such a great idea. Much more laid back than standing in line forever then being rushed by elves at the mall.

This is Hutch and his mom. It was like the boys knew and recognized each other. They just kept reaching out for one another.

I found my Voice!

2011-12-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

Keller 5 months

2011-12-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

Keller you are 5 months!

I can't believe you are almost 1/2 a year old! I can't say enough what a good baby you are. You only fuss when you are tired, hungry, or bored and we can usually fix the problem quickly and then you are happy again.

You play great by yourself on your playmat when mom and dad have things we are needing to do around the house but you also like to be entertained.

We have been reading a lot lately. It's so amazing how well you already attend to, listen to, and enjoy a good book. I think right now "Chicka, Chicka, Boom Boom" is your favorite. You start kicking like a wild man when we read it and love to hit the pages with your hands.

You are rolling front to back and back to front now. You can sit up well with a little support and will sit independently for a few seconds.

Everything you get ahold of goes into your mouth but no teeth yet. You love your bath. You kick like crazy and love to be splashed. School is still going well you. You are always happy when I drop you off and pick you up. All your teacher tell me how happy and content you always are. You are now getting to ride in the wagon they have at school and sit in the jumpers and exersaucers. Such a big boy.
At home you are really starting to notice the dogs. You think they are so interesting and love patting then on the head. We also got you a Johnny Jump Up. It will entertain you for a little while.

Kellers Baptism

2011-11-29T13:38:00.000-08:00

Keller's baptism was last Sunday and he was perfect through the whole thing. He didn't make a peep and ended up falling asleep during the end of the service. Everyone complemented him on his behavior. We'll see what they think a year from now if he has to sit through and entire service;)

Afterwards we had lunch and cake at my parents house. Coby made lasagne, my mom made salad and bread and my friend Dee made a wonderful cake. There wasn't a slice left.

Lots of church friends and the pastoral staff came over to eat. It's so great to have such a supportive group of friends.
Two peas in a pod

Always with his hands in his mouth.

Grandma and Pa.

The whole family.

Go Hogs!

2011-11-26T14:34:00.001-08:00

We took Keller to his first Razorback game last weekend against Mississippi State
. You were enthralled with everything. You didn't cry once. You watched everyone an everything. I don't think we will brave enough to take you next year when you are walking.

1st Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

We spent a lazy Thanksgiving at my mom and dads house. We played, ate, and napped. A perfect Thanksgiving day.
You wanted some turkey...

You didn't get any but I did let you taste some mashed potatoes. You weren't quite sure about it.

We love our little turkey!

Keller 4 months

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Keller you are four months!

I can't believe how fast time is flying and how quickly you are growing. You smile at everyone and everything. One of your teachers at school call you 'Ole Smiley. They say you are great at school and the same is for home too. You really only fuss if you are tired, hungry, or bored. You coo and babble and let out a good giggle every now and then. You can still roll from tummy to back. I think you could roll back to tummy if you wanted to. You will roll all the way to your side and when I try to nudge you over you push back onto you back. It will come soon enough. You grab and reach for everything and most of the time it goes to your mouth. You've started riding in the wagon and sitting in the jumpers at school. We don't have one for you at home but maybe Santa will bring one.
You can sit up with some help and have started playing with your toys. You are starting to understand cause and effect and will push buttons and pull toys.

The next few months will be busy ones with the holidays. Can't wait to spend them with you big boy!

Some More Of Mighty Mouse

2011-10-31T16:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

From Mighty Mouse!

Our Weekend

2011-10-30T13:58:00.001-07:00

Friday night we didn't do much. We watched game 7 of the world series, Go Cards!, and went to bed early. Saturday morning I took some pictures of my friends 2 week old baby. Coby was out getting a part for our broken washing machine. Yay for a $6 part instead of having to buy a whole new machine.
We watched the Hogs pull out an ugly win over Vandy and Keller tried out his activity center. His face tells all. It wasn't his favorite. He's still a little small for it.

Saturday night Keller went to bed and Coby made us homemade pizza and we watched a movie. Something we haven't done since Keller's been born.
This morning we got up and went to church then to lunch.
The boys took a nap on the couch.

Our churches fall festival is tonight. We've had cookies in the oven all afternoon for the cake walk. Keller will wear his Halloween costume but I'll save pictures of that for its own post.

Giggle Box

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

YouTube Video

Just a swinging

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

The other afternoon Keller and I went on a walk. We stopped by the neighborhood park and watched the big kids play. Then I decided to see if he was big enough to sit in the bucket swing. He fit right down into it. He seemed to enjoy it. He never really smiled while in it but he didn't scream either which I took to be a good thing. Maybe he was just taking it all in.

Playtime

2011-10-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

Keller is developing so fast it's unbelievable sometimes. He's finally begun to realize he can hold onto things and actually manipulate his surroundings. He has always loved his play gym and the music/light toy that is on it. He would lay there and watch and talk to it but would get upset when the music turned off. Now he realizes he can grab ahold of the rings and toys and hit and grab them. The other day I was in the kitchen and I noticed the music was off but that he was perfectly content playing and entertaining himself for the first time. Who knows what he'll be doing next.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Thursday Kellers school was out so I took off. It just happened that our friends Dee and Weston were going to the pumpkin patch that day. We met up at Chick-fil-a for some lunch then headed to the patch. We were able to see pig races. Weston enjoyed them and I bet Keller will too, next year.

We went on a hayride. Keller stayed in his carrier for most of our time there. See the little ears of his owl hat poking out?

We saw some farm animals.

And finally we got to pick our pumpkin.

It was a great day. Keller took a good nap when we got home. Cant wait for next year!

Many faces

2011-10-23T11:47:00.001-07:00

Saturday Morning Scene

2011-10-22T09:07:00.001-07:00

My boys watching football.

Woo Pig!

2011-10-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

Daddy and Me

2011-10-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Day in the life...

2011-10-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

Typically during the week...
6:00-7:30 a.m. Keller wakes up and eats a little then goes back to bed. Coby and I get up and get ready. I get Keller out of bed, diaper changed, and ready. I feed Keller a little more before school then Coby takes him to school and goes to work. I finish getting ready and head out the door.
7:30-4:00 Keller at school. Mommy and Daddy at work.
4:00 p.m. Either Coby or I pick Keller up from school. Whoever gets off work first.
4:30 p.m. Wash bottles, pump supplies, get dinner ready.
5:00-6:00 Dinner, dishes, playtime (sometimes we have an evening activity i.e. church that throws our day off)
6:15 p.m. Coby cleans kitchen while I give Keller a bath and get ready for bed.
7:00 p.m. Whole family heads to our bed. I know we are old. I feed Keller and we play a little.
8:00 p.m. Keller goes to bed.
8:00 -10:00 p.m. tv/computer time
10:00 p.m. I try to pump before bed.
10:00 p.m SLEEP
1:00/2:00 a.m. Keller gets up and has a quick nap and quickly goes back to sleep. I pump.
4:00 a.m. (sometimes) Keller eats a little and goes back to bed.
Weekends are a little different. We sleep a little later on Saturdays (usually with him in our bed). Keller usually takes a nap around 10, 1, and 4 and goes to bed at 8. Sunday mornings we go to church.
Would love to have "play time" more during our day but there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day.

Keller 3 months!

2011-10-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

So I've only posted one time in the past month! Things have been so busy. Keller starting back to school, me back to work, and a change of seasons has really filled up our days. I got a message from a friend the other day saying how she hadn't talked to me in awhile, 3+ weeks to be exact. I seemed like I had just talked to her. Life is flying by.
I can't believe you are 3 months today. You weren't to interested in taking this picture. It looks like you are loosing some of your hair but I think it's just brushed over. It is getting lighter though.

We went downtown today to have some professional pictures taken. The photographer kept saying how laid back you were. This has always been your personality. You are usually content unless you are tired, hungry, or board. I think I have figured out your cries. Super mad when you are hungry, you fuss a little when you are board, and you have short loud cries with your eyes closed when tired. You haven't developed a "stranger danger" fear yet. Going to school might have helped that, but as of now you will go to just about anyone and smile and coo. Your teachers at school always comment on how you are so observant, and have so many expressions. The other night at church an older lady was talking to you and you were just hamin' it up. Talking, cooing, smiling. She got a thrill out of it and said "why his entire head turns into one big dimple when he smiles!".
You are still tolerating tummy time fairly well and are able to hold up your head for a good amount of time. You are still rolling tummy to back but haven't mastered back to tummy yet. You can sit in your bumbo chair for a short period. You head control is pretty good but your bottom slips around in it. I got it out the other night when we were in the kitchen watching daddy cook dinner.
I'm sure this won't be the last time you are in the kitchen with daddy.

You are starting to notice your feet although you are reaching out for them yet. This afternoon you were in my lap, looked down, saw your foot and started to move it around and track it with your eyes. It was like you were saying "oh look, there's my foot, oh look, I can move it from side to side". Too cute.

You still love your bath time. You love for water to be poured on you and to kick and splash.

You are sleeping pretty well during the night getting up about once to quickly eat and go back to sleep. I think you might sleep through the night but I haven't really pushed it. I have been letting you sleep on your tummy during nap times. This is how I found you today.

You are wearing size 0-3 month clothes for the most part. 3-6 months sometimes but this is still a little to big. Your school let out early last Friday so daddy kept you for the afternoon. This is what I can home to. All my boys in the bed watching a movie.

Daddy was feeding you a bottle and you were almost holding it all by yourself! This was surprising to me because I hardly if ever see you take a bottle (you are still nursing at home).

Tonight we are watching the Arkansas vs. Aurun game. As of now we are ahead, GO HOGS. You really like to watch tv but I try to no let you. It's scary how mezmorized you get. I keep telling your daddy how it will turn your brain to mush but we do make an exception during the game sometimes.

I can't believe how fast you are growning little man!

First Day of School!

2011-10-03T19:59:00.001-07:00

Keller has been at school for 2 weeks now and I am just getting around to posting about it. Things have been so busy. Work is crazy. Try starting the beginning of your school year in the middle of everyone else's. It's fall and there are lots of fun events, dinner with friends, and crafty projects I'd like to get done but for now let's talk Keller's school. I prefer to call it school instead of daycare. It makes me feel better about leaving him. Like he is getting something out of being there. Not just food and sleep. And I think he is. He is going to Ati'Day. It's at the Jewish temple in town. It also happens to be where I attended preschool. We love his teachers. They are very inviting. I always feel welcomed to visit whenever. They keep a good track of when he sleeps, eats, and poops. He seems to be on a good schedule there and is always happy when I leave or when I come to pick him up. Here are some pictures of his first day.

Although I would rather be at home with my little man I feel good about our situation, and very lucky to have a job and a safe place to leave him.

Keller 2 Months!

2011-09-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Keller, yet again, I can't believe how quickly you are growing! You have changed so much over the past month. I ask you every day where my little newborn baby went. You are so expressive now. You laugh and coo so much. You love when I make silly faces at you and sing songs. One of your most favorite things is the fan. You love to lay under it and just talk to it. Since you enjoy it so much I got you a mobile for your crib and you love it just as much. I can put you in your crib to watch it and you are content long enough for mommy to get a shower and get ready for the day. You have started to take a morning and afternoon nap around 10:00 and 1:00. You sometimes take another late afternoon naps. And some days you just cat nap all day. I'm thinking you will start to get on a better nap schedule when you start school. You go to bed between 8:30 and 9:30 depending on how tired you are. The only times you really cry is when you are tired, hungry, or bored. When you are tire I just swaddle you and you are usually out within a few minutes. You eat every 2.5-3 hours and will start fussing when you are hungry.
You don't mind tummy time to much as long as there is something to entertain you and you aren't too tired. You are good at holding your head up and looking around while on your tummy and have even be consistently rolling over from your tummy to your back. You like to sit or stand and look around. Your legs are so strong and you can really get to kicking when you lay on your back.
Here you are looking at daddy's iPad. You love this position.

When we went to the doctor two weeks ago you were 10 pounds 9 ounces but I bet you are 11 pounds by now. You are really starting
to pack on the thigh rolls;) your two month appointment is not until the end of the month. I'll have to come back and update your stats.
You are wearing size 1 diapers and mostly 0-3 month clothing. You did fit into a 6 month outfit but Ralph Lauren runs small and I might have shrunk it a little in the wash.

Here are some pictures from your second month.

Me and you. You were not happy:(

Sometimes I will put you down for a nap. I'll leave the room and you'll be asleep. 10 minutes later I'll come to check on you and find you like this...
(you usually sleep on your back but this day you were wanting extra cuddles so I let the boppy pillow love on you)

When I get ready in the morning you are so good to just hang out in your crib and watch your mobil. So grateful for this and will be even more grateful when I go back to work next week.

You smile and laugh for your daddy more than anyone else. Mommy has had some church meetings and other things so you and daddy have been spending lots of boy time together. He always takes such good care of you.

Here are some pictures of your pretty face...

Labor Day

2011-09-07T19:19:00.001-07:00

We had a great 3 day weekend. Friday Keller and I headed to Hot Springs to meet our friend Dee and her son Weston. We went to lunch then to the Museum of Discovery. Keller is still a little young to enjoy the museum but he did like walking around and watching the other kids and napping in his stroller.

After the museum we went back to the lake house, the boys to naps and Dee and I just chatted and watched tv. We then headed out to do some shopping. A new Home Goods opened in Hot Springs. Lovpicked on our way to pick up a pizza for dinner both boys had MAJOR melt downs in the car. Both were hungry and tired. It was a glimpse into the further of having two kids:) Saturday we woke up had breakfast and then went swimming. It was the first time i tried to get Keller in the water. The weather wasn't too hot and the water was okay for us but a little cold for him. I think if it was warmer he would have loved it. Instead I sat in a pool float and held him while he slept. I didn't get a picture because I didn't think my phone was safe on the dock with us. But here's a picture of him in his swim suit. It's a 0-3 month but still a little big.

Weston was such a good helper. Can't even begin to think of Keller being this big next year.

While we were in Hot Springs Coby went camping and hiking and came home with a mean case of chiggers. Poor guy is miserable but I think it's getting better.
Saturday was the first Razorback game of the season. It was pretty much a blow out but we listened on the radio and watched some other, more exciting, SEC games on tv (from our bed).

Cheering on those Hogs!

Sunday night we drove back to Hot Springs to have dinner with Cobys parents and grandparents for Papaws birthday.
Bubba enjoying her great-grandson.

Monday was full of a whole lot of nothing! And we loved it!

Baby item love

2011-08-27T20:33:00.001-07:00

Some things that have helped us survive the first month or so.

The Fisher Price Newborn Rock and Play Sleeper. This has been so handy. It's a quick assembly, very portable, and folds/unfolds with one hand. Keller slept in this when he was still in our room and during the day I moved it into the den for him to nap in. We also take it to my parents so he has some thing to sit in and took it to Branson. So much easier to transport and set up than a pack and play. I even have one at work that he sleeps and plays in while we are there. It's also slightly inclined which would help a kid with bad reflux and it will rock on it's own when on a non carpeted floor.

Infant mittens and pjs (gowns) with fold over hands. We used these a lot during the first few weeks. Keller constantly kept his hands at his face. His nails grew super fast and even when freshly cut they were still pretty sharp. Everyone said "oh poor baby he doesn't like those mittens on his hands" but really he could have cared less and it was a quick lesson on crazy things people say when you have a baby and how to ignore them.

The Gentle Giraffe. A noise machine with four different settings. They make a sheep too but I like the giraffe because you can position him to help hold in a paci. People will have an opinion about this as well, "he'll smother", but you already learned your lesson about the crazy things people say (see above), right?

Onesies. This might be a given but as a summer baby Keller has lived in these. Just make sure you have enough.

Avent pacifiers. We went through two different types and I though he just wasn't going to take one. We finally tried a 0-3 month Avent and he likes it best. He still isn't a huge fan but it helps when he is really fussy or hungry and we are trying to get to a place where he can eat.
Side note: Avent has 0-3 month and 0-6 month pacifiers. Anyone know what the difference is? You would think it would be 0-3 month and 3-6 month.

Medela breast pump and my boobies. For obvious reasons. Breastfeeding has gone really well for us (knock on wood) and I am truly grateful because I have heard how difficult it can be. The pump has been great (after a quick visit with the laceration consultant). I can't imagine using a hand pump especially when I go back to work.

Summer Swaddlers from Target. These have worked best for us. The Velcro works great and keeps him contained but not to tight. They are also quick and easy to get him into. We have a miracle blanket but just have not used it as much, he is able to wiggle himself out of it. One downfall is that the Velcro is pretty loud during a middle of the night diaper change.

Gauze blankets. I use these to swaddle him during nap time and they are also great covers while inside. Not too hot for the summer time but also keeps him from getting chilled in the air conditioning.

And last but not least our stroller, its a BOB. We had to wait a few weeks before it came in because it was on back order, and it's a little pricey but totally worth it. I researched, a lot. I knew we would be using it a lot for walks and some for indoor shopping. This stroller has been great for both. It turns in a small radius, has shocks for bumpy surface and for bouncing when he's fussy, and the canopy pulls down very low. It fold up and unfolds within seconds. It it a little big when folded but I've come to realize that most strollers, with the exception of umbrella strollers, do take up some trunk space. This will be our one and only stroller and will last us until Keller refuses to get in it. It will also hold some resale value in a few years. Over all though we LOVE this stroller and would buy it again.

Some advise (from a rookie mom) on baby item purchases. Get the basics. Onesies, diapers, wipes, blankets. You can purchase other items with gift cards as the need arises. Lots of the items that seem like a really good idea probably won't get used but a few times. When making big purchase really think about your needs and what your baby will like. We ended up buying a swing and a bouncy seat after he was born but he still doesn't love them. I got both on sale so not that big of a deal but both do not have enough movement for him. If I had to do it again I might look into a mamma roo. Again think of you and your babies needs and spend a little more on an item that will really be used. Buying a bunch of other items will add up quickly.

Friday Fun Day (sorta)

2011-08-27T10:05:00.001-07:00

I'm really trying to get some of this pre pregnancy "overweight weight" and post pregnancy weight off. A week after having Keller I was down 50 lbs which sounds like a huge number but really it was mostly water weight. But that did put me at about 10 lbs lighter then pre pregnancy. The sad part is I could still stand to loose another 30-40 lbs. If I wanted to be at college weight it would be 60 lbs but that is a dream I have given up. I have traded in working out for two hours a day and eating salad for 90% of my meals for real adult life. So 40 lbs down would be great.
Now that I am feeling more like myself after delivery I've decided I need to keep the ball rolling. So I signed up for Stroller Strides. and so far I'm loving it. I wanted to do something but again was struggling with leaving Keller and finding time. This is perfect. I take him with me, have a good workout, and get to meet other moms.
Speaking of strollers have I mentioned out much we love ours? It's a BOB and totally worth it. I plan on doing a baby items post later and will talk more about it.
Anyway, Keller and I went to the park on Friday morning to workout. He spit up a few times which he doesn't normally do. When we got home he was having some trouble breathing. Not turning blue or anything, but breathing quickly and loudly like he was struggling a little. I called the doctor a few times, it got a little worse and so we finally went in. They took some blood and a chest x-ray. Everything came back normal. The doctor seems to think he is developing some reflux and the stomach acid might have irritated his esophagus. A few hours later he was sounding like normal again and he is now on reflux meds. So glad everything is ok but it was scary there for a awhile but it makes me so thankful for a healthy baby. I can't imagine the stress that parents of really sick children are under.
After an eventful morning and a good nap everyone was feeling much better. The weather was amazing outside so we decided to take Keller to his first Travelers baseball game. We sat on the berm in the outfield. I just kept thinking about how fun It will be to take him when he is a little older and can run around and eat hot dogs and cotton candy. But for now we'll take him like this.

Saturday Morning Scene

2011-08-27T08:15:00.001-07:00

Adjusting to the day after a good nights rest.

And the little one said roll over

2011-08-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy week. I went to book club on Tuesday night. (We read "Little Bee" and it was good.) Although it was enjoyable before it's even nicer now to be able to get out for a little on my own. Even if it's only for an hour or two. I've left Keller with Coby a few times now and feel so lucky to have such great husband who encourages me to get out on my own. At first I felt a little guilty. I suppose all moms do. "what if he gets hungry" "what if he cries" "he'll only be this small for so long I don't want to miss anything". But then I realized how much better I felt when I have a little alone time. My mind is so much clearer and like they say absence make the heart grow fonder. When I get home to my boys I realize all over again how lucky I am.

Coby had to work late on tonight so Keller and I hung out all evening and had a good time. We played and played and talked and talked.

YouTube Video

And then it happened. Keller rolled over for the first time ever! Now I know it was kind of a fluke, totally unintentional, and he probably won't do it again anytime soon but it was still exciting. Of course I didn't catch it on video the first time but did get him to do it again (with a touch of help) before he got too mad.

YouTube Video

This boy is growing so fast and I want it all to slow down but it's also exciting to see him learn new things.

Branson

2011-08-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

We decided to head up to Branson on Friday. Didn't have any real plans. Coby didn't want to go the the Kewpie Doll Museum or to see the 3 Redneck Tenors ;) so we just did some shopping and went to the HUGE BassPro Shop.
Keller did great on the way there and back. He slept the whole time and slept well at night. We did some shopping at the outlets, which aren't really outlets, and went to Branson landing. It was really nice. A little hot but there were good shops and a nice atmosphere. Friday night we ate at a local seafood place. Saturday we ended up ordering pizza. I guess that's what happens with a one month old. But for our first family "vacation" it went really well.

On our way home we stopped by the Buffalo River. On the way there we saw some pigs and goats.

Keller was sleeping but we got him out and let him test the waters anyway. He was upset at first. I think because it woke him up but then he enjoyed it. It was a little cold but the water was so clear. It was beautiful.

Picture Dump

2011-08-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Love It!

2011-08-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have this color on my toes right now. (sorry for horrid pic). Its a little bold for me but I like it. Think it would be better during early spring. It's Nichole by OPI from Target, Make Mine Lime.

I really love this. Found it on pinterest. Great fall color and did you know OPI makes a matte finish? Great way to double your polish collection. Found it at Sephora, which is another thing I'm currently loving. Especially their iPad app.

As for my hair, Kodi at Bevelle Boulevard did a tutorial on no heat curls. I tried it and IT WORKED! I have tried tons of ways to get my hair to curl and this is by far the easiest, quickest, and most successful.

I am also loving the Goody Spin Pin. It's a quick, easy way to pull my hair back without using a ponytail holder. Make a cute messy bun.

Lastly, and most importantly, I found these...

If you like coconut stop reading and go to the grocery store NOW! So yummy and only 130 calories per bar. Creamy enough for an ice cream craving but much better for you!!

Baby Here, Baby There

2011-08-15T08:15:00.001-07:00

Sunday musings

2011-08-14T18:25:00.001-07:00

We've had a pretty good weekend. Friday night we went a returned a few gifts then went to dinner. Saturday Coby got up and went hiking at Pinnacle Mt. And Keller and I slept in. We stayed around the house the rest of the day and got some laundry done. Coby made purple hull peas and corn bread for dinner. Sunday we got up and went to church and Sunday school. Keller did really well and slept the majority of the time. Next week he will be 6 weeks and can go to the nursery. I think we will test it out during church. I don't think it will be a problem. After church we went to lunch with my parents then headed home.

My boys, Coby, Keller, and the dogs took a nap while I went to the grocery store. Coby went to a work function tonight so its just me and little man for the evening. We took a bath, ate dinner and played a little. This is what Kellers hair does after a bath...

I usually brush it out because if I don't it dries like this...

I'm ready for it to get longer and actually curl when it dries instead of just stick up everywhere.
Kids in our area start school tomorrow. I feel so lucky to work in the school district and be able to take maternity leave when school starts. If not I would have had to start back to work next week, instead I have until mid-September to spend with him. We've got a few things on our agenda for next week. Hopefully I can remember to take pictures and blog!

Superstar 1 month

2011-08-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos of Keller from his first month.

YouTube Video

This one is of you throwing a little fit. It's so pitiful it's cute. I just love the the pouty lip you give.

YouTube Video

Keller 1 month

2011-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Keller Cruz...you are one month old!

Crazy how time flies! You are such a good baby. I know all parents say that but you truly are great. We went and got you weighed the other day and you were 9 lbs 13 oz. Almost one pound heavier than your birth weight. You are probably about 22" long. You cry just the right amount. When you get hungry or when you are tired. You also cry some when you get your diaper or clothes changed. The rest of the time you are pretty happy and content. We are working on getting you to stay in your swing or on your playmate for longer periods of time. You are enjoying it now more that you can track and watch the different toys and lights.

It does seem like you get bored sometimes and when you are held you like to be talked to, sung to, and played with. Sometimes you like to be cuddled, especially if you are tired.
You still sleep in mom and dads room at night but take naps in your crib. We will work on sleeping in your crib at night once you start sleeping through the night. Ever since you have been home you have slept pretty well. At first it was about 4 hours at a time. Now you go down at night around 9 and lay there awake for .5-1 hours before you go to sleep. You usually sleep until about 2:30 or 3 to eat real quick then go back to sleep until about 8 or 9.

I am shooting for you taking a nap in the morning around 10 and then another in the afternoon around 1. We are trying to find a happy medium between you being on a schedule and you being flexible enough to go and do with us during the day. You usually sleep when we are out and about. When you start daycare I'm sure they will get you on a good schedule. Your daycare called a few weeks ago to check on you and make sure you were still going to start in September which made mommy feel pretty good about sending you there.
You have really started to hold your head up during tummy time and even when mommy is holding you.

Your facial expressions are so funny and you have just started to have these wide mouth smiles and babble a lot more.
You get so mad sometimes and make the funniest pouty face. But as quickly as you get mad you are hsppy and content again.

One of you favorite things is listening to toddler radio on Pandora. Mommy let's you listen while she gets ready in the morning and you love it.
I can't wait to see what your second month of life holds for you little boy!

Keller 3 weeks

2011-07-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Baby boy you are growing up so fast!! This week we have been busy. I took you up the the hospital to get some insurance and maternity leave things finished. Your stoller is not in yet and I didn't want to carry your car seat around so I just carried you around. Good thing too, because tons of people stopped me and wanted to "see the baby". At least with me holding you I could keep their germy hospital hands off of you. We also met some friends at the farmer's market down town. We ate breakfast then did some produce shopping for the week. I have got to get better about taking pictures of us out and about instead of just at home. We also went to work for the first time for a few hours today. You did great. You just slept or laid there awake in your rocker. All the kids just loved looking at you, and you seemed to be very interested in them. You were well entertained all afternoon and hardly fussy at all. You went to your first birthday party for a little girl at church. It was a swim party but I think you are still a little young to enjoy the pool but I can't wait for the day you can. Friday we saw the doctor. He wanted to follow up with your billirubin levels. When we got there they didn't even see the need to draw your blood because you looked so good. They weighed you and you are 9 pounds! You like playing on your mat and being in your swing. Here are some picture from this week.

Keller you are really such a joy! You are a good baby, hardly fuss and
sleep pretty well at night. They days are going by too quickly. Momma has got to remembember to take more pictures!

Keller 2 weeks

2011-07-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Things are still going great with you little man. This weeks has been super busy. We took you to church for the first time and you were so good. Slept the entire time. This week is also the first time just you and I have been out by ourselves. You usually sleep anytime you get in the car so it's pretty easy to get out with you. I took you to my work and everyone said how cute and sweet you were.
We kind of have a sleep routine down. You are usually able to sleep for 3-4 hours at a time and wake up to eat. Sometimes you like to be swaddled sometimes you don't. Sometimes you like a paci sometimes you don't. I've started putting you in gowns to sleep in because the hands fold over and keep you from scratching your face. Daddy has already cut your fingernails twice!
I got your playmat out this week. You like it okay but only for a short amount of time. We will keep working on it. The first time I put you on it Tasso thought he needed to play too.

Tasso also likes to snuggle.

This week was also the first time mommy "fixed" your hair. I didn't get a picture when I first did it. This is the morning after look.

The other night you were laying awake in our bed. Daddy was talking to you and you made your first "coo" sound. It was so exciting. You have done it a few times since. I love to hear you but I also makes mommy a little sad because you are growing so fast. I also love it when you finish eating and I look down at you and you have milk dribbling out of your mouth and you have such a content look on your face. So sweet.
Funny story: The other night I gave you to your daddy while I was getting ready for bed. He was laying down with you on his chest. You were hungry and a little fussy. You began rooting and sucking on anything you could find. You ended up latching onto his neck and gave a hickey! Then you spit up on him. I told daddy it was like a bad date!
We love you sweet boy!

Keller 1 week

2011-07-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

You are one week today big boy! It has gone by SO fast!

Saturday you had lots of visitors. I think at one time I counted 9 people in our room just to see you.
Here you are with your cousin Gray.

The rest of our time in the hospital was spent just getting to know each other and resting.

Sunday we were told we could take you home from the hospital. We were so ready. I got you all dressed up in you going home outfit.

Then the nurse came in said that your billirubin levels were high and that the doctor was going to have you stay in the hospital and I would be discharged. She said that I could "room in" but that you would have to be in the nursery for 3-4 hours at a time under the phototherapy lights. Your hormonal mother might have had a slight breakdown. Then the nurse came back and said that the doctor was going to allow us to go home. Hopefully the nurse learned to confirm the doctors orders before causing major motherly distress next time. So after packing up and giving out the rest of our treats to the nurses we headed home.

We were sent home with some formula to supplement your feedings with and instructions to keep you in the sunlight to try to get your billirubin levels down.
The formula did not sit well in your tummy and you spit up 80% of the time after eating it. Thankfully we have been able to phase out the formula and you are doing great on breast milk.

We went to the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday morning to get your blood drawn. You did pretty well with the sticks. You screamed for just a second to let them know you did not like what they were doing then you were okay. The levels rose just a little but the doctor wasn't to worried and things had evened out by Friday.

Friday I mentioned to your doctor that I didn't think you were moving your right arm correctly. I felt like I was being a little over reactive but mentioned it anyway. He looked at it, agreed, and sent us for an x-ray. Sure enough. A broken collar bone. He was surprised that I picked up on it but said there is not much you can do but let it heal on it's own. It's something pretty common that happens with bigger babies during delivery. We are just tring to not let you lie on your right side.
You had your first sponge bath and did pretty well. You like having your face and head washed but then you are pretty much over it. Especially when we take your diaper off.

The first few nights you slept in mommy and daddy's bed because I was nervous about you spitting up from the formula. But then you started sleeping in your rocker. I have been having to wake you up every 2 hours or so to feed you since we want you eating as much and often as possible. Here you are with daddy after a bath and crazy hair.

Everyone has asked about you and the dogs. They have actually done great! Every time they hear you cry they come running to sniff and check to make sure you are okay. Chox even sat in the living room barking one night until I finished giving you a bath. You were crying the entire time. I am so happy about how well they are adjusting and hope things keep going well. You all are going to be best buds sooner than later.

So our first week has been filled with doctors visits, visitor, great people from church bringing us dinner, and we even got out and ran a few errands as a family. Things could not be better with you, little man. We love you so much and can't wait to see what else is to come.

Keller's Birthday!!

2011-07-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have Keller in our lives. Here's a recap of his birthday! We went in Thursday evening (7-7-11) to start the induction. I had planned on trying to go through labor naturally but that pitocin stuff is not to be messed with. I ended up having an epidural and all was good.

By Friday at around 9:00 things were ready to get going. I pushed for a little over an hour and Keller entered our world, screaming.

The doctor was surprised at his size. At one point on of the nurses said 10, 11. I thought oh my goodness! He weighs 10 pounds 11 ounces! No, that was the time he was born. He weighed 8 pounds 15 ounces, 22 inches long. Still a healthy boy. I was such a sureal feeling. Coby was sure I would cry when he was born but I didn't. I think I was in such shock and on an endorphin high. After they got him cleaned up Coby and I were able to spend a few minutes with him and I was able to feed him.

The nurses were amazing!!

Then the welcoming comittee came in to meet and greet Keller.

By the time everyone left it was after midnight. We were moved into our post partum room around 3:00 a.m. and ended up resting pretty well.
This all sounds short and sweet and really it was. We were very lucky to have a smooth and uneventful delivery.
What an amazing experience is all was, and to think it was just the begining;)

JULY 8, 2011

2011-07-10T18:07:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post to say that Keller is finally here! He was born on Friday night at 10:11 weighing 8 pounds 15 oz and is 22 inches long. We are both doing pretty well. I just wanted to give a quick update and some pictures.

More to come;)

Sleep?

2011-07-06T00:57:00.000-07:00

Do I even know what that is anymore? I seemed to have developed quite the case of insomnia these last few weeks. Sleeping in maybe 3 hour stretches. I think it's probably Gods way of preparing me for a newborn as well as that wacky summer sleep schedule I get on when I don't have to get up for work.
So at 3 in the morning as I was reading some blogs I came across this contest.
http://www.reluctantrenovator.com/2011/06/our-first-video-and-serta-icomfort-sleep-system-giveaway/#comment-473
You had better believe I entered. A brand new Serta mattress! Yes please. Our mattress now is not that old but it's a pillow top and doing Cobys back no favors. Hopefully we'll catch a break and will. Go enter you have until tommorrow.

Keller's Arrival...

2011-07-05T13:53:00.001-07:00

...is still pending. Just wanted to give a quick update. I'm still 5 days away from my due date, but we all know babies rarely come on their due date. I've been feeling less than par these last few days. Swelling in my legs have gone down seeing as how I spend most of the hours of my day in bed. But my legs have now started to break out in a nasty, tortuously itchy rash. Gross I know. Dr seems to think it's from all the swelling. All I know is it's miserable. My reflux is still there as well. Thought I could make it these last few days without Prevacid but caved and bought a new bottle today. All this being said the dr went ahead and scheduled and induction for Friday morning. She is worried about my blood pressure continuing to slowly rise. This was not in my plan. I had been preparing my self to go into labor naturally and to attempt labor and delivery with no drugs. But after getting out of the house today to get to the dr and really not feeling great after all that activity I'm beginning to think it's the best option. So we are going to the hospital on Thursday evening to spent the night and start the induction early Friday morning. Still not sure about having an epidural, but I'm making up my mind now to just go with the flow and be happy about a healthy baby no matter how he gets here. All that being said...Keller will be here sooner than later. It is exciting and good to have a light at the end of the tunnel!!

Watermelon

2011-06-29T15:56:00.001-07:00

How do you like it? Coby graciously went to the grocery store for us yesterday and came home with a beautiful watermelon. I LOVE them! Probably my favorite fruit for many reasons. You can only get the good ones in the summer making them a "hot" ;) commodity. Good cold or room temp. You just slice and eat. I personally think that the more seeds the better the melon. I have never had a really good seedless watermelon.

I cut ours up this afternoon. It was a juicy mess but sooooo gooooood!!!

Now I just have to restrain myself so I don't eat the whole thing in one sitting.

Dogs life

2011-06-29T15:29:00.001-07:00

So we have two dogs. They are our babies, the reason we met, fell in love, and are now expecting a baby. Most people ask how we think they will do once Keller is here. Chox, the brown one, can be a bit needy. He enjoys attention and being petted. He will lay next to you IF you are giving him lovins', if not he could care less. He has been know to get jealous of Tasso, i.e. will bite his back legs if Tasso is getting petted. He has also been know to chew a few non-dog items if he is mad at you. But he is funny, smart, entertaining, and generally obedient. I am not really worried about him and Keller. He might take a toy that does not belong to him but other than that he will be fine if we set, and enforce, the rules right away.
Tasso is the opposite. He is a lover all around. He loves his tennis ball and the water, but he loves Coby even more. He is his shadow. If Coby goes outside without him he will watch out the window and whine until he comes back in. He always lays next to Coby in the bed, (don't judge, it's a whole other post), with his head on his chest. BUT, Sunday night he jumped into the bed a made a little spot next to me and laid his head on my chest. In three years he has NEVER done this. I thought surely he knows something I don't. I was hoping he was thinking I was going to go into labor. Now I think maybe he knew my BP was a little high. Who knows? But he has not left my side. Even when Coby is home. He follows me around the house and even into the bathroom.
Next to me on the couch. It's hard to get a good picture of him since he is so black.

This is what I see when I roll over in the morning.

If only he could talk!

Practice Run

2011-06-29T15:11:00.001-07:00

We had a doctors appt yesterday (38 weeks 3 days). She checked me and much to my dismay there was no progress. My blood pressure was, what the nurse called, borderline, and my feet and legs are still swelling like crazy. As in turning a slight shade of purple at some points during the day. I had also expressed some concern that Keller had not really been moving much that morning or the day before.

Sunday night he was kicking and punching a ton but I rarely felt him all day Monday. Very unlike him. He did get the hiccups twice Monday night and I also got the doppler out and I knew everything was ok. Just a little concerned because he was not acting like himself. Funny how he is not even here but I know his patterns and a little of his personality.

My doctor decided to play it safe (which I appreciate) and sent us to labor and delivery to be monitored for a few hours. After a mini breakdown, mostly because I was unprepared, we were at L&D. I never thought we would stay, it was just surprising to be in the place we would soon be having Keller. On the plus side I now kind of know what to expect when the real time comes.

After they got me hooked up Keller, obviously, started moving like crazy. Making momma look like a crazy person. I should have known. He does NOT like having anything rest on him. If I rest a bowl, plate, or even my iPad on my belly he will instantly start kicking on it until I move it. He didn't not like the monitors strapped on "his house" and started kicking. The nurse said he looked great the whole time. Coby was fantastic. Stayed with me the whole time. And might have even got a mid-day snooze in;)

My blood pressure went down just a little once I was laying down for a while. I think the highest it got was ~133/87. My doctor released us asking me to take it easy and not go back to work. I was only going in for a few hours in the afternoon so not a big deal. I've been laying around today. Trying to get a few things around the house finished but taking plenty of breaks. Coby is stopping by my parents house before he comes home tonight to pick up a blood pressure monitor just to be safe.

We are REALLY ready for you to come now Keller!!

Sunday School Shower

2011-06-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

Anytime now baby Keller. We are ready for you!! I did my last camp training session of the summer on Wednesday and VBS just wrapped up last night. Those were the last two items on the agenda that I was holding out for, but now those are finished Keller can come anytime. We went to the doctor last Monday and not much was happening. Our next appointment is Tuesday morning so we'll see.
I've been up since 4:30 this morning. Couldn't go back to sleep but it's just now 8:00 and I've completed half of my to-do list. Left on the agenda today is to get Keller's car seat installed, finish up some laundry, and write some thank you notes. The girls in my Sunday School class gave me an amazing shower last weekend. We made personal pizza and had salad and yummy cake. Keller got tons of cute clothes and some really great practical things as well. I still can't believe how blessed we have been. Here are some pictures.
Here I am offically "full term" before the shower. 37 weeks.

Some of the girls.

Adorable diaper cake!

Burp cloth!!

Hopefully the next time I post it will have a picture of our sweet baby boy!!

And So It Begins...

2011-06-18T11:54:00.001-07:00

And not I'm not talking about labor. I'm referring to those last stages of pregnancy. The ones that people keep warning me about. "I was so uncomfortable that last month", "Are you miserable yet? No? Well you will be", "I bet that baby can't come soon enough". Up till now I have felt pretty good and really feel like I have been very lucky. I'm not saying I'm absolutely miserable but I will say I'm glad I only have a few weeks left. My legs, ankles, and feet continue to swell, esp. on days when I'm pretty active. At night they feel so sore like someone has beaten them with a bamboo cane and left them black and blue. The bigger I get the harder it is to move around, get out of the car or roll over in bed. I'm even to the size that I have to straddle the toilet in most public restrooms just so the door has enough room to swing in. I can't imagine how those ladies who have litters of babies must feel. All of that being taken into account I still consider myself lucky and all these "issues" are par for the course. The worst, most unbearable problem has been heartburn, indigestion, GERD, reflux, or whatever you want to call it. I'll call it third degree acid burn of the esophagus. You might think I am over exaggerating a touch but really I'm not. It started during the beginning of the second trimester and has continued. I started out with Tums then got the ok from my dr. to start taking Prevacid daily. It was ok as long as I was taking it but if I missed a day I knew it instantly. A few days ago I ran out of my magic pills and was feeling pretty good so I did not buy anymore. I thought that Keller had dropped a little and in turn the reflux had gone away. I was wrong. I went to dinner with friends last night and made the poor, poor choice of enjoying some Bang, Bang Shrimp at Bonefish. As soon as I laid down in bed I knew I was in for it. Coby had been going since four in the morning and didn't get home until 11:00. I had taken a few Tums, but was still in pain.

I fell asleep for about an hour then woke up and tried to sleep, unsuccessfully, in the recliner. At about two in the morning I headed to the store for some Prevacid. Apparently Walgreens is not twenty-four hours so I drove all the way out to Wal-mart where I made this purchase...

Almond milk, my friends, is like nectar from the gods for a bad case of reflux.
By the time I got home the Prevacid had kicked in and a glass of milk made my throat feel much better. I was able to sleep for a few hours. I know this sounds dramatic, and I really am not trying to complain. I would endure this again with no meds if it meant getting Keller here.
As I was in the store I notice the expiration date on the milk.
8-10-11

I took me a second comprehend. I have been so focused on 7-10-11 (give or take a few days ;) that I realized, at 2:30 in the morning at Wal-Mart, that the days will continue to pass even after Keller is here. Things will continue to happen, like this milk will spoil after he is here. Such a weird yet exciting thought.

Keller's Room

2011-06-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

We are finally about finished with Keller's room!! Here are a few pictures. There is still a little organizing that needs to be finished.
View from the door to his room.

Opposite wall with his crib.

Back wall with closet and chest of drawers. I need to find a mirror to hang above it.

DETAILS:
The huge bean bag with with stuffed monster I made.

Canvases with silly monsters I made.

The rug. I found 3 small ones at Target and stitched together to make a big one.

Hope he loves it!

Week 35!!

2011-06-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

About two weeks away from full term!!!People keep asking me "aren't you hot what with this weather and being pregnant?". Truthfully everyone is hot. I'm still feeling pretty good. Sleep is getting to be a little more inconsistent. Harder to get comfortable and bathroom breaks at least 3 times per night. My feet are starting to swell quite a bit. I think it's mostly from the heat and being so busy lately. I thought my blood pressure might be little high yesterday morning but when I checked it again it was normal. I don't think the machine monitor at Kroger is very accurate. Hopefully with school being over I can now get some last minute things finished. I need to finish up his laundry, get our bags packed, get the car seat in the car, and I'm sure some other things I'm forgetting. We went for another 3-D ultrasound last week and will go again next Friday. Keller is ~6 pounds already!!They say it can be 10 oz either way so we'll see!! The nurse also said she could see some hair. I have had the worst indigestion which they say is a sign of a lot of hair.

Isn't he a pudge?! Coby says he will be the arm wrestling champion of the world;)

On the Other Side

2011-06-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

School is finally over!!! These last few weeks have been so busy. I feel like we had something almost every evening and our weekends had been all booked up. I've been working on some committees at church, and starting to do some training at Camp Aldersgate. Besides the crazy schedule it's been HOT! Here are some pictures of what we've been up to.
A few Saturday's ago some of my best friends threw me a wonderful baby shower. We got lots of great things.
Jenny, me, and Dee.

Lindsay and me.

My mom and me.

Some of the cute decorations and food.

I also had a shower thrown by my coworkers at the place I do contract work. I was great but wasn't able to snag any pictures. Next Friday the girls in my Sunday school class are giving me one as well. We are SO BLEST!
Last weekend was Weston's first birthday. Can't believe he's already one!

Last night I went to a birthday dinner for a friend that I work with, and I made this yummy peanut butter cheesecake.

Hopefully things will start to slow down and I can enjoy a few weeks before Keller gets here!!

Finally!

2011-05-13T16:48:00.001-07:00

I feel like so much has gone by and so quickly that I haven't had time to write about it. It's the end of the school year which makes it a crazy time where I have meetings on all my kids and a schedule that is out of my routine. Add on baby things, church things, and family things and my life feels like it's flying by. Since my last post we've had Easter and Easter egg hunts, birthday parties, baseball games (Travelers, and nephews), book club, mother's day (Coby cooked me a wonderful breakfast in be but I accidentally erased the photo :( ) nursery decorating, and I've had two showers. We are so blest to have so many people care about Keller. My fellow OT's and PT's gave me a wonderful shower and I received lots of cute things.

And one of the schools in my district, the one I spend the most time at, gave me another shower. So nice of them and I got some diapers, wipes, onesies, and other cute things. Here's the loot.

We are also really working on our budget. Most of our issues come with eating out. I am glad to say we haven't eaten out in about a month and by just eating what we have in the fridge and freezer we haven't even been to the grocery store in 2 weeks. We've been using Mint.com and so far it's working great. Coby made homemade pizzas last week. They were so good and much cheaper that ordering. The trick to a good crispy crust? Crank the oven up as far as it will get.

As far as baby stuff the nursery is getting there. Just a few decorating/wall deco stuff left. Also organizing as we have more showers. I also have daycare and the pediatrician lined up. That is a HUGE relief for me. Daycare was so stressful but I am pretty sure I have found the perfect place and we also have a spot reserved!! We are now to our two week appointments, AND we have childbirth class tomorrow at the hospital. It's getting close...

Baby's first photo!

2011-05-09T17:46:00.001-07:00

I am way behind on blogging. Been real busy but just had to share this. We went for a 3-D ultrasound today and it was amazing. They were suppose to record it on a CD but we got home and it was blank. Good thing she printed off this picture. The u/s is part of a research study and we will go back in two weeks to get another one. Hopefully we will get a CD next time.
Isn't he the cutest? His nose is a little squished because she was using the probe (?) right over his nose. Just love his mouth. He also looks like a chunk. We could see rolls under his neck on a profile view. The nurse also thought he might have some hair. They judged his weight to be about 4 lbs (+\- 10 oz). This would be in the 56%tile.

Can't wait for you to be here little boy!!

3 years

2011-05-02T17:28:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to take a second to tell my wonderful husband how much I love him.

You are my world and I can't wait to see what the next 50 years has in store for us!
Love you big time!

28 Weeks!

2011-04-20T17:44:00.001-07:00

So I am officially 28 weeks and a few days. Here is a pic. One day I will use my actual camera to take a picture but for now you will have to live with this poor quality one.

I had another moment of unbelief. I don't want to say panic, because I'm not panicked just anxious. Anxious to meet Keller and in complete shock that he will be here in a little over 2 months! This has FLOWN by! I am enjoying my pregnancy so much that, even though I can't wait to meet the little guy, I will miss him not being with me 24/7. I love that I know his sleep patterns and how he likes to lay in my belly. He has ALWAYS been on the right side. I feel a kick or two in the left every now and then but I thinks it's just from him stretching. Then he curls back up in his nook below my right ribs. I'm going to ask the doctor next week what position she thinks he's in, head up or down. He usually wakes up for a few minutes before I get out of bed in the morning, sleeps and then wakes back up around 10, then around 1, then around 4, then before I go to bed around 9. This is not always exact but he definitely has a good pattern going on. Maybe that will translate into a good sleep schedule when he gets here. He is definitely active though. Last Saturday afternoon he moved around (with only a few minute breaks in-between) for almost 4 hours straight! I don't know if I just noticed it more because I was just laying around on the couch but gracious he was active.
I continue to feel really good. I'm not really that fatigued and still feel like I'm getting around pretty good. I do realize I have a few more weeks to go and all this could change but as of now things are going well. My only complaints are the carpal tunnel symptoms I am having in my right hand (just numbness of my thumb and pointer finger), and the swelling of my ankles and feet that seems to have struck right at the beginning of the third trimester. This is how I will probably spend my evenings these last few weeks. Feet propped on the wall.
(Do you love the pj pants? Goldfish in bags! I've had them since college. Coby despises them. But as long as he keeps his cut off sleeve t-shirt I'm keeping the goldfish pants)

I also found out that my belly is now so big that it can be used as a table top for my cereal bowl (or may be ice cream bowl;)

I also keep trying to take a quick video of my belly moving when Keller kicks, but of course he stops right when I get my camera out. Probably a taste of what's to come;)

Living Proof Weekend!

2011-04-17T19:26:00.001-07:00

Thursday some storms with very high winds and even possibly tornados blew through around 2:00 in the morning. The sirens went off, we herded the dogs into the bathroom, and then we lost power. Luckily we had no damage or really even limbs down but we were without power until this morning. Two and a half days without power could make for a miserable weekend, good thing I was able to spend most of it seeing Beth Moore! It was amazing! She talked about finding you life goal/ mission goal and how much community and relationships play a role in this. Scripture was from 2 Timothy 4. I was so lucky to go with some girls from church. I totally recommend going to see Beth Moore if she is ever anywhere near you. I will definitely be looking for opportunities to go again the the future. Here are some very poor quality pictures. The music was amazing!

So Friday night and Saturday morning was spent at Beth Moore. Saturday afternoon I met some friends for lunch and then we went to get pedicures. I was long overdue for one. The lady doing my feet was in awe and quite surprised at how swollen my feet were. I had been on my feet for most of the morning. And because I know you are curious here's a picture from tonight. They were even worse yesterday.

Our power had come on for a few hours Saturday afternoon. So my incredibly helpful husband put the sheets in the wash. There was just enough time for the machine to completely fill up before we lost power again. Being as those are the only pair of sheets for our bed I proceeded to ring them out and put them in a trash bag when I got home. Then we headed to my parents to wash them again and watch mindless tv for the night.
Sunday we got up. I took an ice cold shower then we went to church with me looking like a ragamuffin with wet hair. And of course I was teaching Sunday school. I'm glad my Sunday school friends are so accepting;) It's also times like this that make you really appreciate hot water and think about all those people who live with no running water in their homes.
After church we went to Jason's Deli for lunch. Free ice cream cone, yum! Hallelujah, the power was on when we got home. I cleaned the house and got caught up on laundry. Then I finally got our tax stuff finished and sent to the accountant. SO SO glad to have that finished. Taxes really are one of life's most stressful chores to me.
I have a few new things going on in Keller's nursery but will leave that for another post.
Have a good Monday!

Saturday Morning Scene

2011-04-09T12:06:00.001-07:00

It's things like Saturday mornings that I want to remember so I decided to link up today.

Waiting for dad to get home from Saturday morning errands.

Is it summer yet?

2011-04-08T16:14:00.001-07:00

I am so ready for June! Work has been crazy and some of the parents of my kids are really not helping either. This year has been much more trying than years in the past. Just so ready for summer and for Keller to get here! 13 more weeks! I can't believe how quickly this has flown by. I have friends starting to plan showers and it seems so surreal. I keep thinking I need to decide what food to take and what gift to get then I realize it's for me! Crazy!
The nursery is also coming together. I finally found a rug. Turns out it's three rugs. I found them at Target and have stitched two together. I plan on adding the last one on this weekend. It's a perfect size (I might add a fourth if I can find any more at Target). I ended up paying $20 per small rug. That's $60 and an hour or two of stitching for a great rug. Can't beat that.

I also have a few more projects that I can hopefully get to this weekend. The house is clean and Coby is getting better by the day. So excited for a pretty weekend. Hope yours is great!

Week 25

2011-03-31T19:15:00.001-07:00

Just sitting here watching "Perfect Couples". Have you seen this show? So funny! Anyway, thought I would do a quick pregnancy update. Things are going well. The only two annoying "symptoms" is this indigestion that is controlled pretty well by daily medication, and what I think is the beginning of carpal tunnel. Right now it's just my thumb that is numb all the time and hopefully this is the worst of it. I got an appointment today for May to participate in a simple neonatal study (obviously noninvasive or dangerous) at a local hospital. I am mainly doing it to get the free 3-D ultrasound. They will let you bring a CD to record it. I also have my glucose screen tomorrow. I am dreading having to drink that stuff but hopefully everything will turn out alright. Leaving you with a 25 week belly picture. It's not the greatest quality, taken by my tall husband, and my gray shirt kind of blends in with the wall. Not that that makes my belly look any smaller;) And please pay no attention to how big the girls have gotten. Ridiculous!

Happy Friday Eve!!!

Spring Break 2011!!

2011-03-27T14:17:00.001-07:00

Yes, last week was spring break around here. What did we do you ask? Well, Coby had his back surgery on Thursday of last week. So our week has been spent at home trying to heal and get some rest. He went in Thursday for a two level disc replacement and spinal fusion. His surgery was scheduled for 2:30 but it didn't actually start until 4:00. The surgery lasted about 3 hours and everything is going well so far. We spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night in the hospital and were able to go home on Sunday afternoon. His pain level is okay most of the time but nights are the worst. He gets real stiff and sore if his goes to long with out getting up and walking. He was also running a low grade fever for a few nights. Needless to say neither of us has had more than 2.5-3 hours of straight sleep in a week. I just keep telling myself that this is just training for when Keller gets here.
Other than napping and handing out pain meds this week a few other exciting this have happened. We got the new iPad 2. I am actually typing this post from it now. So far I love it. I finished my first book on it this morning, "The Help". Any suggestions for my next one?
Keller's bedding also came in. I think it looks really great.

I haven't even started any of the decorating ideas I had for his room. I had planned on at least painting the letters of his name that will hang above his crib. I also have had some other cute ideas that I need to get started on. But the good thing is all the furniture is in and now its just the fun decorating things left. I am also on the hunt for a navy rug. I don't know why rugs have to be so expensive!
We ventured out of the house today and went to eat fish at my parents. Coby still has two more weeks off from work before the doctor will released him. I, on the other hand go back to work on Monday. Only about 3 months left! Keller will be here before we know it. I!ll be 25 weeks tomorrow. Maybe I'll post a belly picture sometime next week, when I actually get out of my sweatpants;)

Nursery Furniture

2011-03-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've really got into a bad habit on waiting until late in the week to recap the weekend. I think it's because we have been so busy on the weekends that it takes me that long to recoup. Friday night we put together the rest of the nursery furniture. It only took us about 2 hours too put both the crib and changer together. I am really happy with the way it all turned out. Can't wait to get the matress and the rest of the bedding in.
Here are some low quality iphone pictures. I promise to take some with my good camera once everything is put together.

Saturday we got up, got the house cleaned and then ran some errands. We went to eat lunch then to look for a rug for the nursery. I found one that matched perfectly at Target but it's a little small. So I am trying to figure out if I can some how get two and stich them together. I also found some online but afraid to order any incase the colors don't match.
Then we came home and Coby did the yard and I went to the grocery store. By Sunday I was exhausted! We met my parents for a quick lunch then I crashed for the rest of the day.
Coby is having his back surgery tomorrow. A lower lumbar spinal fusion. This has been weighing on us for awhile now and we are ready to get it over before Keller gets her. It's a fairly involved surgery. It should last about three hours and will probably be in the hospital for 2-3 days. He will be off work for 3 weeks with very limited activity. We scheduled it so I can be off with him next week during spring break. Please keep us in your prayers that everything goes smoothly and that this will relieve all his pain.

Meal Plan Monday

2011-03-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

I haven't been so great here lately about post meal plans but I'm since I'm thinking about it I'm going to go ahead and post it.
tomato soup and grilled cheese
chicken quesidillas
homemade pizza
shrimp and grits
chicken spaghetti
steak, potatoes, green beans
I don't assign a certain meal to a certain night of the week. I could never stick to it. For instance Coby was going to grill steaks last night but was to tired so I ended up making grilled cheese. He grilled the steaks tonight and the chicken for the rest of the week so I won't have to worry about taking the time to cook that when I get home from work. He also sauteed my vegetable for the chicken spaghetti. Just one of the perks of being married to a chef. It really does help to do what "prep work" you can while you have time so you just reheat or assemble the dish and heat during the week. Just a little "chef' wife" tip;)

22 Weeks

2011-03-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

We had quite a day yesterday. We had a painter scheduled to come out and paint Keller's room. He said he would be there early, and he was. He showed up at 7:00 a.m. NOT my usual waking hour on a Saturday. But it was nice to get up and get some things done. I cleaned the house, caught up on laundry. Sidenote, does laundry seem like the neverending task to anyone else. As soon as I put the last load in to catch up a little laundry monster comes and dumps a whole new load in my basket! I was then able to get to the grocery store. All before 10:00! Coby was up and ran to work for a few minutes. He had the great idea of checking Walmart to see if the nursery furniture was in. Turns out only one piece was there (eventhough the girl said all pieces were). He picked up the dresser and brought it home. We had some lunch and then started putting it together. Getting the pieces out put me into a slight panic. The wood color looked like it had a lot of red undertones. It was supposed to be espresso colored. But we are also looking at it in direct light. Once we got it into the room the finished looked much better. THEN, Coby pulled out a the top of the dresser and the molding was broken off. Cue tears, panic, frustration, and a 15 minute bout of searching the internet for another set of furniture. The only other set I had found that was in our price range and I liked was "unavaliable at this time". So we decided to stick with what we had. It was an easy repair, just a little wood glue. I also looked through my "Baby Bargin" book and the brand we bought, Graco, got an A. So I was afraid of what another brand would be. Once it was put together I really liked it. It was heavy and sturdy. We moved it into the room and turns out it's about an inch to wide for the place on the wall I wanted to put it. I'll just have to wait until we get all the furniture in to see if there is another arraingment that would work. If not I guess it will have to work.

I am also really happy with how the paint turned out. It's hard to get a good picture and I'm sure everything will look a lot better once everything it put together, but here's a picture.

I also wanted to mention the "Baby Bargin" book. A co-worker recommended it to me and it has been so helpful. I list brands, price, safety rating of ever baby/toddler item. I have used it as a guide when purchasing and registering for everything. So helpful. Would be a nice little gift for anyone starting this journey.

Everything on the actual pregnancy home front is good. We went to the doctor on Friday. She said everything looked good. Listened to heartbeat and mentioned how much he was moving. I have been feeling him move a lot more and stronger. I can feel patterns of when he is awake during the day. Usually early morning, around 10 in the morning. around 1-3 in the afternoon and before I go to bed. Coby still has not felt him. I think it's just going to take patience. But today was the first day I could see my belly move from the outside. I was laying on the couch with the remote on my stomach. I felt him move and could see the remote move when Keller did. So I lifted up my shirt and sure enough I could see little kicks. That is such a fun feeling. The doctor also gave the the sugar drink for the dreaded glucose test next time. They let you drink it 30 min prior to your appointment so you don't have to sit there for an hour which is nice.
Hope everyone has a had a wonderful weekend!!

Boy oH Boy

2011-03-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

I was telling Coby the other day how he was so lucky this little one is a boy because we would have to refinance the house to afford all the cute girls clothes I see. I had always heard people say how much easier it is to find cute girl clothing but never realized how true it is until I started looking. Cute and stylish boy clothing is so much harder to come by. Most of it is plain or has some sort of cartoon on it. To each his own but I have always said that my kids would not wear character clothing (i.e. Bob the Builder, Transformers). I'm sure I will eat my words later. So far I have only picked up a few (2) outfits for Keller. On was from Target and is a green polo shirt under a cute pair of "train conductor" overalls. I LOVE little boys in overalls!
I have been scouring the intranets for some crafty boy ideas and it just so happens that Dana at MADE started her Celebrate the Boy 2011 the week we found out we were having a boy. This site is great and she always has wonderful ideas, great tutorials, and links to other crafters.
I have also been looking through Etsy and found lots of cute things.
Here are some pictures and the shops they come from...
OVELO

I love little boys in hats and beanies. I think it's the boy version of the bow.
Princessboutiq

CoolBeans1115
This one is definitely on the wishlist.

I also think these little jon jons are cute but I just don't know if they are my style or if Coby would let me get anywhere near his boy with the intentions of putting this on him.
Shrimp & Grits Kids
As you can see most of the items I love are more like accessories.
MOMS OF BOYS. IS THERE A BRAND, ONLINE STORE, REAL LIFE STORE YOU LIKE TO SHOP AT? PLEASE SHARE!

21 weeks

2011-03-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

Can you believe I am actually posting during the week! I have a few things to catch up on. Here are some more ultrasound photos of Keller...
It's a BOY!! (he's going to be so embarrassed in 15 years;)

The top of his head with his hands up by his face.

His arm and hand. I love this one!

Spine and ribs.

His face. Kinda resembles Skelator here, but you can see some chubby cheeks! Wish we would have gotten a good profile picture.

His legs all stretched out. This is another one of my favorites.

And finally a belly picture of me at 21 weeks. This is the best picture of about 20 that Coby took while saying "work it girl, work it". Hence this might be the only belly pic we will get.

We have picked out paint for Keller's room. We have a painter coming on Saturday!Green as an accent wall and taupe color for the rest of the walls. The green in the picture looks a little much but I promise it isn't so yellowing, neon in real life. Both the green and taupe match the colors in his bedding.

An here is a picture of the car seat we got. I know it's still early but I found this online at Albee Baby. I had looked all over for the Graco Infant Snugride22 and could never find the color or fabric I liked. I wanted something easy to wipe down and a solid color (no Winnie the Poo print please). I figured the car seat is one of the most used and seen baby item for the first few months so I went ahead and got what I wanted while I could.

Well I think I am about all caught up. Now I have to go figure out what we're having for dinner. I had planned for chicken tacos but forgot to defrost the chicken.
P.S. You like the new layout? I did the header myself (after 2 hours of panic that I had deleted my whole blog).

Catch Up

2011-02-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

I feel like we have been so busy on weeknights here lately. We've had friend's birthday parties, work meetings, and bible study. We went out for dinner with Coby's parents for his birthday last night and had a good time. In other news Coby will be having back surgery in mid-March. He's had budging discs and ruptured discs and has been in a lot of pain for the past few months. We figured he was going to have to have it done eventually so we figured we had better get it done before Keller gets here. So we will be dealing with that during the beginning of spring. Hopefully he will be healed up pretty well by July and will have a huge reduction in pain.
In baby news I have been feeling good. Sleeping well at night, no big food cravings, but I was having terrible heartburn that has hopefully been cleared up by a round of Previcid. Keller is moving around during the day but Coby has yet to feel him. That is something I can't wait for. We went and registered last weekend. I thought it was something we needed to go ahead and get done. With Coby's up coming surgery I didn't think he would feel like walking around all afternoon anytime after. We have also found the crib, furniture, and bedding. I went ahead and ordered the bedding just so I could match paint and other decorations.
Here are some pictures of what we have picked out.
BEDDING:

CRIB:

DRESSER:

CHANGER:

I have lots of craft projects going though my mind and plan on working on those over spring break.
I know I still need to post some pregnant belly pictures and some more pictures of the last ultrasound. I will get to it eventually.

And so it is...

2011-02-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

Today day is my most wonderful husband's birthday. And in celebration of that I would like to tell all of you (1 week later) that my most wonderful husband will have a baby BOY in July!!!
Yep, we found out on Valentine's Day that we are going to have a sweet, mudpie makin' boy. We went in for our ultrasound at 2:30. She looked at all the parts of the baby, legs, abdomen, spine, heart, (all looked good) and finally asked again if we wanted to know the sex. Then she said "I think I saw something earlier, let's see if I can find it again". I could barely believe it. I had told everyone that I would be so surprised if it was a boy. Sure enough after moving around a little (his legs were squeezed tight) we saw this!

So there you have it. We are so excited! His name is Keller Cruz Smith. When Coby and I went to San Francisco we ate at two of his "dream" resturants, Fleur de Lys, and The French Laundry. The last name of both of the chefs is Keller. Cruz was decided upon by Coby. It was something we had both discussed and liked but ultimatley it was his decision. Come to find out that Keller means companion and Cruz is Spanish for cross. Companion of the cross has a nice ring to it.

Winter Woes

2011-02-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

I felt like I was coming out of hibernation today. After 3 days of being snowed in Coby took me out on the town today. We took the dogs to play ball then to lunch and Target and I actually got dressed and put on make-up! Crazy! We actually ended up getting a good 6 inches of snow here on Wednesday and yesterday afternoon it finally started melting off. We did a lot of this... I also got the house cleaned and got caught up on laundry. Then I got my Christmas present from Coby out and am about halfway finished. I didn't get out in the snow at all but the dogs did. Chox gets a little crazy when he can't be out all day.

We plan on getting up tomorrow to head to church and then lunch. Bible study also starts tomorrow night. We are doing Beth Moore's Daniel. I really enjoyed Esther and how she took us through the entire book. Hopefully Daniel will be just as good.
Next week should be busy. I've got to get my tax stuff together, I've got a birthday dinner for a friend, and I just might have to go to work a full 5 days next week!
Here is our meal list that we have been working though. Have a good week!
Baked ziti with salad
Beef fajitas with guacamole
Slow cooker chicken sandwiches with baked zucchini fries
Southwest chicken roll-ups
Salmon with orzo and veg
Slow cooker jambalaya with rice
Pita with tabbouleh and feta and hummus
Vegetable noodle soup with bread
Black bean burgers with sweet potatoes

Let's get crafty

2011-02-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

Just realized that I never posted picture of my new craft area. I did have all of my stuff in the guest bedroom/junk room, but that is going to be the baby's room so we are working slowly but surely to get it cleaned out. I ordered a craft table off amazon and my wonderful hubby put it together for me one Saturday.

I rearranged our walk-in closet and put the table under the window.

I cleaned out one side of our shelves and placed all my fabric and supplies in rubbermaid bins. Then I used my sillouette machine and vinyal to label them.

I haven't been in there much. I didn't make some cute onesies for a coworkers new little girl but I forgot to take pictures. They were cute though, one with a skirt and matching burp cloth, and one with ruffles on the bottom. I'm sure I be in there soon enough. Making lots of cute things for the little one.

Things I'm Loving This Friday

2011-02-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

A surprise snow day!! I don't think anyone, including the weatherman, thought we'd get much in the way of precipitation today. But one of my co-workers texted me at 4:30 this morning saying schools were closed. There was nothing on the ground yet but the snow came rolling in around 9:00.

I went back to sleep and then the doctor called around 7:30. We had an appointment today at 2:00 but they wanted to move it up to ten.
So we went in and heard the baby's heartbeat and had some blood drawn. Although we have our own doppler at home there is just something reassuring about hearing the little one's heartbeat with someone else there to say "yep that's a heartbeat!".

Other things I'm loving.
I saw these boots a few weeks ago but thought they were too expensive and I would not get very much wear out of them. I kept thinking about them. Especially after the last big snow where I wore my rain boots and almost lost my toes to frost bite. We went back the other day and they were on sale. White was not my top choice but that's all that was left. I decided to get them and got to wear them for the first time today. My toes stayed toasty warm, even when purposefully walking through the snow to test them out. I can't wait to wear them with the little one and play in the snow with him/her.

This lotion. I have had such dry itchy skin lately. Gross I know. I thinks it's a combination of the weather and preg hormones. I have tried everything and finally found this. It's a little more expensive than other store brand lotions, but not more that a little tub of body butter I got a Bath and Body Works which did nothing. A little goes a long way with this, it's not greasy at all, and soaks in fast. But best of all the itch goes away fast and stays away. (I sound like a Gold Bond commercial, don't I?)

A clean house. I did a once over of the house when we got back from the doctor. So nice to know we have the rest of the weekend and everything is clean and laundry is caught up. (It's also fun vacuuming with our new dyson;)

Swiss Miss hot chocolate with the little marshmallows. I wish they would sell those teeny-tiny dehydrated marshmallows by them selves. Wonder what would happen if I tried to dehydrate my own mallows? A big mess I bet.

The wrist braclet I got in the mail the other day to go see Beth Moore in April!!!

The chocolate chip cookies I just made.
Except the pregnancy brain that got in the way. I was scooping out the batter and
kept thinking something wasn't right. Hello Liza, add the chocolate chips!!
I always use our silpat when baking or cooking anything in the oven. Nothing sticks and its so easy to clean. You can buy knock offs that work ok, but not as well as the real thing. If you do any sort of baking I suggest you get yourself one. They are easy to store. Takes up no room. They also my dough mats.

Happy Friday!!!!

Week in Review

2011-01-23T10:35:00.000-08:00

This past week has been anything but normal. We were out for MLK day then I had a continuing education course on Tuesday and Wednesday and it snowed some on Thursday causing school to be let out an hour early. I feel like I still have not gotten into a post Christmas routine yet and it's almost February! Friday night Coby worked late and I laid in the recliner all night. So unproductive. Saturday Coby got up and ran errands and took the dogs to the park while I worked on a Sunday School lesson. I got caught up on laundry and went to the grocery store. I also got started on some baby shower presents. (I'll post about them when they are done.) Today we got up and went to church and I taught Sunday School. Then we went to lunch. Planning on spending a low key afternoon at the house then heading to Coby's parents for dinner.
I am still feeling good as far as this pregnancy goes. My hips and back are achey at times but I figure it's just stretching out and making room for the little one. I can also tell when I think the baby is having a growth spurt. Every few days or so I will be ravenous, eat a good meal, and then be starving 5 minutes later! I'm 16 weeks today. It's hard to believe that in five weeks or so we will be half way there! It is fling by! We have a doctors appointment a week from Friday and then they will schedule a radiology appointment within the next week or so for a good quality u/s. Let's just hope that the little one is wiggly and not too modest. I have been looking at nursery decor ideas. I like the darker brown crib sets but I just keep coming back to the modern looking white crib. I've got some really great ideas for a boy or girl and all of them go along with this type of crib. I have also found some Ikea furniture to go with it. Another bonus is that it is the least expensive option and I feel like the other furniture could be used for a long time. We'll see. I'm trying to hold off on making any big decisions until after we find out if we have a he or she.

In other baby news I ordered a fetal heart rate doppler off Amazon.
And I LOVE it. Some friends gave me other type/brand of heart rate listener but said they were never able to get it to work. I decided to spend a little extra and get a good one. I figured since I have tons of borrowed maternity clothes I could splurge and then share the doppler later on. It is totally worth the $70!

We also made another big purchase. After some research we decided to invest in a new vacuum cleaner. We figured with the baby coming and the dogs that we needed a good vacuum, not to mention the fact that our old one was smelling like burnt hair every time we used it. We decided on a Dyson and got a really good deal on ebay. It came in yesterday and we tried it out right away. So far so good.

P.S. I know my layout and header look a mess but the place I got my old one from changed servers and did not have new codes to my old layout. I don't feel like really messing with it right now and I am debating paying someone to make me a good one. Any ideas or suggestions on who does good designs?
I am still adding to my weekly meal database. It has meal ideas, ingredients by meal, and instructions. Most of the meals are super easy and don't have instructions. Let me know if you want me to e-mail you a copy. I also read about these on Org. Junkies blog. She is giving away one and you have until Jan 27th to enter! It looks like a great project that I might get to one day, one day.

Meals for this week and last:
coconut chicken with side and veg
salmon with side and veg
chicken quesidillas
mongolian beef with brown rice
bison burger with green beans and scalloped potatoes
flat iron with okra and mac and cheese
homemade pizza
chicken and orzo pasta
cod with roasted potatoes and asparagus
blt with chips and pickle

Prego Update- 14 weeks

2011-01-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

No belly pictures yet. I still don't think I'm showing yet, just look a little more pudgy than usual. I will tell you I am ready for an actual bump and not just an extra pound or two. My friend Jenny was kind enough to lend me a whole lot of maternity clothes. I picked them up on Friday. I will probably start wearing the maternity jeans for more comfort. I can still button my regular jeans but it's definitely a snug fit. I was lucky enough to feel pretty good during my first trimester. A little nausea here and there and the only two times I got sick was around 9 or 10 at night. Just before bed. Once I was starving to Coby made me a grilled cheese and I gobbled it down. Stating the whole time how it was "the best grilled cheese ever!". Not 2 minutes later was I in the bathroom over the toilet. I will tell you it was NOT "the best grilled cheese ever" coming back up. Other than that though things have been going well. Still having crazy dreams and my hands seem to go to sleep a lot when I am sleeping. But as far as sleep there has been no lack of it. I have never had trouble in that department. For awhile I was getting up at least once a night to pee but have been able to go the past four nights with no interruptions. As for cravings I was was going through a bag of clementines (Mandarin oranges) a week then moved on to Fuji apples. I am also loving baked potatoes and ANYTHING mint chocolate, as in mint chocolate chip ice cream. Yum.
We went to the doctor on Friday. No u/s but we did hear the heartbeat. 156 beats per minute. I need to call next week to schedule an u/s in four weeks at the radiology department for the big u/s!! Can't believe we are so close to finding out what this little baby is!! I keep going back and forth from girl to boy, can't decide. The first trimester has flown by. I have small moments of panic thinking that all this is going by so quickly but I know towards the end I will think differently. I can't wait to feel the little one kick. I thought I felt a little thump and flutter a week or so ago but it's still early so I don't know if that's what I actually felt.

25 weeks
6 days
12 hours
8 min
till due date!!!

Here comes the snow. Let's eat!

2011-01-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

So the prediction for the first snow of the year is anywhere from 2-4 inches in central AR starting around 3 this afternoon. We'll see. Part of me wants lots of snow so school will be cancelled but the other part of me knows that those snow days will just be added to the end of the year. We went to the grocery store yesterday morning to stock up.
Meals for the week...
chili
white beans and corn bread
bison burgers with okra and baked potatoes
chicken tostatas and guacamole
spaghetti
spicy black bean burgers in a tortilla with sweet potatoes
I have been a little behind on posting meal plans lately but I have been doing them and we haven't been eating dinner out very often. I try to post meal plans so later I can go back and get ideas or even copy weekly menu during a busy week. Hopefully it also gives you some ideas. Thinking of weekly meals is one of the things I dread most. I am going to try to put together a menu book with recipes, and shopping lists before the baby is born. I think this will make the weekly task much easier. Once I finish I'll let you know and will e-mail copies to whoever wants one. Maybe I'll start on this tomorrow while the snow falls;)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

2011-01-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

It's over. It's done. It was fun while it lasted (75% of the time). The Sugar Bowl. The lead up to the game was fun. The hype, the spirit. It was electric. The game was, well, it was nail biting. At first it was a bad, real bad. Then it got better. Then we had a few attempts to pull ahead in the last few minutes and just couldn't do it. It was dissapointing to say the least. I know it is a big deal that our Hogs actually made it a BCS bowl and we are proud of them for that. I think, for me at least, it's just the fact that I've seen our team play much better than they did last night. Oh well. It's just a game right?

That's about all that has been talked about around here for the last few days. Not much else going on except trying to get through our first week back at school. We have a doctors appointment on Friday. She probably won't do a u/s but hopefully we will get to hear a strong healthy heartbeat and learn when we will get to find out the sex! Can't believe it is getting so close. Happy hump day!

365

2011-01-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

I remember people talking about this last year and thought it was a good idea. Then I completely forgot about it until Whitney talked about doing it. What better year to begin than this one so, I will try to participate. This entails taking one picture a day. Might not sound like a lot but for one who forgets to take picture at nearly every important event it sounds like a huge commitment. But, I'm going to try. I feel like this will really make me pay attention to the important parts of my day and make my days seem a little more significant. I might make it a weekly or daily post. We'll just have to play it by ear. Anyway here picture 1/365...

2011

2011-01-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

It's officially 2011. 2010 was a good year but I am so excited to see what 2011 has in store for us. Speaking of baby (you know that's what I meant, right). Here are some new baby things.
My parents gave us this Razorback bib for Christmas and I got this monkey at a gallery during an after Christmas sale. I am leaning toward these colors for the nursery if it's a boy.

These are some Christmas goodies my cousin Audrey sent. Love Dr. Seuss!

We went out yesterday to look at baby furniture. I have found a few sets I like but we are trying to decide wether to get am ok set, that I would be happy with, for less, or to go ahead and splurge on a really good bedroom set that he/she will have for a long time. Any suggestions?
Just one more day of break then I head back to work, work, work. Only half a year left though! Well I'd better get cooking. We are having black eyed peas, and corn bread, fried potatoes, and greens for dinner, along with apple skillet pie. Not the most healthy but definitely a new years tradition.

A year in review

2010-12-31T20:00:00.000-08:00

January was...snowy and cold.

February was...snowy and cold too. So much so that our roof leaked. My super hubby not only shoveled snow but he also made me a romantic Valentine's Day dinner.

March was...culinarian. Coby cooked in Diamond Chef AR and the Chef's Ball.

April was...spring.

May was...lake days, baseball, and our two year anniversary.

June was...lots of yummy farmer's market food and the birth of sweet little Weston.

July was..San Francisco and Napa!!

August was...crafty.

September was... New York.

October was...fall and pretty nails.

November was...a great update on Rani!

December (and November) was...the best news of our lives!!

That, my friends, was 2010!

Before the old year ends

2010-12-30T16:32:00.000-08:00

I am behind in posting what's been going on around here and I figured I'd better get our Christmas post in before the new year. I've been on Christmas break for the past week and half. The joys of working in the school district. We had a great Christmas but I failed to take any pictures. We went to Coby's parents on the night before Christmas eve. The whole family was there. We ate and watched football and had a great time. On Christmas Eve we ate dinner at my parents then went to Christmas Eve service at church. Christmas morning we woke up, got ready and headed to Coby's brothers house for breakfast. This is always a fun but crazy time. About 25 people and all the kids are so excited about their Christmas gifts. I some how always get roped into putting together someone's toys. This year is was my nieces zu-zu pet tree house. I really like all the excitment of Christmas morning but think that we will end up spending most of our mornings at our house from here on out. It would be nice to be our little family in our little house on Christmas morning. I got lots of good presents. Coby got me a jigsaw puzzle and some books. Exactly what I had asked for. I was a very nice, warm Christmas.
Today I really cleaned the house, got caught up on laundry, and rearranged our closet. We are starting to get the nursery cleaned out. Right now it is the junk/craft room. I am hoping to move most of my craft stuff the the closet and get the room cleaned our before we find out what we are having. Which should be around late January/early February. Then we can get started decorating. Here is a picture from the last appointment we had. Little baby at 9 almost 10 weeks. He/she is looking straight at the "camera". He/she looks like he/she has Coby's chubby cheeks. Too cute.

We have our next appointment a week from tomorrow. She probably won't do an u/s but hopefully she will at the next appointment, I will be almost 18 weeks, and we can find out what it is. I'm not really showing yet. But once I have an actual belly I'll post a picture or two.
Coby has tomorrow off. We plan on running some errands. Looking at baby furniture, and baby bags (part of my Christmas) and then going to see True Grit. We don't have any New Years Eve plans. When I asked Coby what we were going to do he said "what we do every year". Which is watch a movie and go to bed at 10. We are old!
Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!!

Thanksgiving recap

2010-12-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for you sweet comments. We are so excited about this new chapter and can't wait to see what is in store for us!!
I've luckily been feeling pretty well. A little nausea here and there and being prettly wiped out at the end to the day, but other than that I feel good.
Now for a little catch-up. Thanksgiving was good for us. I made sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, and an apple, pumpkin, and chocolate pie for lunch at my parent's house on Thursday. We went to dinner Wednesday night at Coby's aunt and uncle's house and had a nice relaxing time. Last night we went to dinner at Terry's Finer Foods The Resturant, it was delicous, and then to The Repretory Theater and saw A Christmas Story. It was nice to have a date night. Something we haven't done in awhile. This morning we did the Advent reading in church then came home and got the grocery shopping completed for the week. Tonight is our churchwide dinner and Christmas carols. I am definatly getting in the Christmas spirit. I have completed and wraped about 75% of the gifts and the tree is up.
I've got to go cut the brownies I made for dinner tonight. Hope everyone has a nice, warm, and relaxing Sunday evening!

Baby's First Things

2010-12-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

Flowers from my dad the day after we found out.

Baby's first teddy bear from my mom. SO SOFT!!

Thanksgiving onesie for next year. I was on $3. How could I pass it up?

A little-bit news...

2010-12-05T03:50:00.000-08:00

After 2 years and 3 months of trying to conceive, clomid cycles, IUI cycles, and a failed fresh IVF cycle we are proud to announce...

I'm pregnant!
It's still surreal to me but we are super excited. It is still very early so please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
I'm going to write out a time line of what has happened so far just for personal memories.
October 22 we went in for a frozen embryo transfer. It was a different doctor from the first (failed) transfer and he utilized a different method. We both felt much better about this experience. They gave us and ultrasound picture of the exact moment they transfered the blastocytes.

Do you notice something?

We didn't at first. It wasn't until a few days later that I passed quickly by the photo (it was on the fridge) and I saw the profile of a baby! Do you see it? Is that not the weirdest thing ever?
I went in for a blood test on the morning of November 1. Coby and I had planned on taking the afternoon off. Last time we got devastating news and so this time we just wanted to be together to hear the results no matter the outcome.
I got home a little earlier than Coby. (Last time they did not call until 3 in the afternoon). I was watching tv when the phone rang. I saw it was the doctors office and thought it was the insurance lady. She said she would call and it was still early. I answered the phone and it was the IVF nurse who right away said "IT"S POSITIVE!". I was in shock, thrilled, and relieved all at the same time. She then told me some numbers and my next blood test date but I barely heard any of it. As soon as I got off the phone I ran to the bathroom to take a pregnancy test. I had taken so many that had turned out negative I just wanted to see a + sign on one.
I waited an agonizing 40 minutes for Coby to get home. I was waiting on him with this.

The positive test and this onesie I bought 2 years ago and had always planned on giving him when we got pregnant.
His face was shock and disbelief. He said "What is that?" "Are you for real?". I was glad that I got the news first because I had always dreamed of the time I could tell him "I'm pregnant", with out just getting off the phone with a nurse. It was great. After we recovered from the shock we went and had Mexican for lunch. Of course;)
Then we went off to find grandma/grandpa bibs for the grandparents. They knew we would be getting the results that day and we wanted to try to surprise them . The plan was to just put the bibs in their mailboxes. This worked for my parents. But Coby's dad was home so we went in and gave it to him and left the grandma one for his mom. Needless to say all grandparents were ecstatic!
We told a few close friends that day. Audrey (my cousin) texted me soon after we found out and I couldn't keep it from her. She was the second to know after Coby and I. Then I told my two closest friends Dee, and Jenny. Both were trilled and so happy. Later that day we told our brothers and Coby told his grandparents.
We had another blood test on November 3 and everything looked good.
Our first ultrasound was on November 17th (6 weeks 3 days). Just one little baby in there. We got to hear the and see the heart beat. So amazing to think that there is a little pea sized baby with a heart beat in me! Crazy. He gave us a due date of July 10th.

This past Wednesday (December 1) we went back to the doctor for another ultrasound and bloodwork. Every thing looked great. The baby's heartbeat was 16o and he released us to my regular obgyn. We have an appointment with her on Friday.

Coby has told some people at his work and I plan on telling my work before Christmas break.
And I am telling all of you now! So now pretty much the whole world knows. Like I said it is still early but I have a lot of faith and hope.
When we started trying I had a feeling about 3 month in that this was not going to be an easy road for us. People kept saying "it just takes some people longer", but I really felt like we were going to have to go above and beyond to get our baby. Now I have a feeling that this will all be okay. We have relied on God. Prayed everyday, every night for this blessing. He gave it to us in His own time. That is the biggest lesson I have learned from all of this. This was always meant to be our journey that He cleared the path for. Had we not followed this path, and tried to follow someone else's, we would be so lost. We have grown in faith and love and know that whatever comes next will be easier to handle because of this journey.
I am not in control. He is. And for that I am grateful.

Busy Bees

2010-11-17T14:46:00.001-08:00

The past few weeks have flown by! Justtwo days next week then it will be Thanksgiving! Then three more weeks until we are out for Christmas! Can you tell I am counting the days? We've been to our nephews conference championship football game, a party for the centinial celebration of our local library system, and Coby has been working a lot. I also went to see Wicked last week and it was amazing. That witch could sing!
It's been getting dark so early lately that I just want to come home from work, eat dinner, and go to bed. I feel like we don't get anything done in the evenings. So this weekend my only plan is to get the Christmas decorations up. I will feel so much better and more in the holiday spirit once it's up. I will be sure to post some pictures.
I also finished this baby blanket for a co-worker. She had a son in August and for her baby shower we all did a simple stich picture. Her other sons even drew a picture and I stiched over it. I roughly sewed it all together and I think it turned out real cute and some thing he will have forever.

Compassion

2010-11-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give you all an update on Rani, the girl we sponsor through Compassion. I have received another letter from her telling me all about her school and friends. I also received an updated picture and my how she has grown!
Here is the first picture I received. It was taken when they were looking for a sponsor for her. I'm not sure how old she was here.

Here is the more recent picture. She is 8 here. She looks so much older. She almost has a smile and her eyes look a little more alive, not so scared. I love it!!

I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed this experience. I get so excited when I get something in the mail from her. I recently sent an extra $20 for Christmas. The local Compassion center people in Bangladesh will get her a present she will enjoy. I also found some paper dolls at Barnes and Noble that I plan on sending. You can only send things that can fit in a regular sized envelope so I thought this was a good choice. I have also been sending pages out of a girls Bible and coloring sheets.
If you are interested in sponsoring a kid go here. I know it is a huge commitment so if you aren't quite ready for that you can become a prayer partner or even just make a one time donation for Christmas time. Compassion makes sure all of the kids in all of their programs get gifts during Christmas even if they don't have a sponsor.
Just a little something to think about.

Pumpkin Spice Candles Are Burning!

2010-10-30T12:17:00.001-07:00

I've been a little absent from the blog lately. Fall is in full swing and we have been busy. A few weekends ago we went to Walnut Ridge to watch our nephew's homecoming football game then we spent the rest of the weekend at the lake with his family. I didn't take my camera to either, by mistake. I'm really going to try hard to take it to important places with me more often.
Last weekend I took some picture of my friend, Dee, and her family. I thought they turned out ok and it was good practice. Here are some of my favorites.

This weekend has been low key. Friday took the dogs to the park then went for pizza. We had plans to see The Town but were too tired to make the 6:50 show. That would mean we wouldn't get home until after 9!! Ridiculous, I know. We ended up coming home. I watched Legally Blond while Coby slept in the recliner. Poor guy has been working hard lately. Today Coby went to work for a little in the morning and ran some errands while I went to the grocery store. I finally bought a pumpkin. I usually have all of my Halloween decorations up at the beginning of October but I just couldn't find the motivation this year so I felt I at least needed a pumpkin.
I spent the afternoon in the kitchen preparing for dinners this week and making some chocolate coverage apples. I'll post our meals and recipe links for the week at the bottom. The Razorbacks play at 6:00 and I am making red beans and rice and curling up on the couch to watch! I am so glad fall is finally here!

MEALS FOR THIS WEEK
Red Beans and Rice
Shrimp PoBoys
Leftover White Beans and Cornbread
Greek salad, Hummus, and Homemade Flat Break
Butternut Squash Soup and Cheese Bread
Baked Ravioli and Salad

The Pumkin Patch Adventure (that never was)

2010-10-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today has gone by so quickly. We got up this morning and headed out with the dogs for Coby's surprise. I figured out in the car that we were going to a pumpkin patch. I hadn't been to one since I worked respite weekends at camp in college. We always took the kids in the fall. Coby had seen a sign near his work and thought it would be something fun to do. A wrong turn, a spin out of the truck on gravel, almost hitting two dogs in the road, and a snake sighting later we made it. But no dogs were allowed and they were charging $5 per adult to get in. Has anyone else ever been to a pumpkin patch where they charge to get in? I wasn't planning on buying a pumpkin and just wanted to walk around a little. We decided it wasn't worth it and ended up taking the dogs to the park to chase the ball. When we got home I was able to get some laundry started, make a shopping list, go to the grocery store, make tuna sandwiches for lunch, and make homemade banana pudding.

It turned out really well and was pretty easy.
Side Note. This weeks meal list:
pulled pork (from the crock-pot) sandwiches with okra
confetti spaghetti and salad
flat iron steak, mac and cheese, veggie
meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
(left over) pork tacos, black beans, avocados
spaghetti with left over (frozen) sauce
I also watched the Hogs pull out a win against Texas A&M. I repainted my nails and now am waiting on Coby to finish dinner. He said he would be in charge tonight and he's grilled steaks and green beans, with baked potatoes. I am also making the Pioneer Woman's rosemary dinner roll. Yum!

I had plans to take some pictures of my friend, Dee, and her family this evening but she had to cancel. Oh well, we'll have to reschedule. Coby has to work all day tomorrow so I plan on organizing the craft room and finishing up laundry for the week.

Whew...

2010-10-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last 2.5 hours cleaning the house. Aside from doing the normal cleaning of the bathrooms and floors I wandered the house with my bucket of warm water, vinegar, and baking soda. I cleaned baseboards, doors, and walls. This is something that only gets done about once a year but probably needs it about 5-6 times a year. Does anyone else's walls get dusty? Strangest thing, but I am blaming all the dust on my 1942 house, not my lack of dusting.
Coby went to his nephew's football game tonight about 3 hours away and won't be back until late tonight. After cleaning I made a makeshift dinner of carrots and a quesadilla and turned on "Say Yes To The Dress". Nights like this remind me of when I was single. Not single in college, but single and an adult, with an adult job, and an adult house. I would find myself spending evenings alone wondering if I would ever have anyone to spend them with. Now I am just so thankful for nights alone but to know that the love of my life will be back in a few hours. Just one of those things that you look back on and realize how truly fortunate you are now. Speaking of my love. Coby says he has a surprise for me tomorrow morning. I am the worst with surprises. I ask, and ask, and ask, but this time I have tried really hard to leave it as a surprise. Wonder what it will be??!!
I plan on doing some organization of the "craft" room tomorrow afternoon before the Razorback game. Then I am going to take some pictures of my friend, Dee, and her family.
Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Fall is in the Air!

2010-10-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Why do I feel like I live for the weekend and then they just fly by? I had a super busy day at work on Friday. I had planned on cooking dinner but we decided to go get Mexican instead. After dinner we went to the North Little Rock football game. It was such good football weather. Saturday I woke up a got to work cleaning out the closet. I feel like I just did this but it's such an easy place to dump stuff and not put things up like we should. I organized, dusted, and vacuumed. I even ended up cleaning off the ceiling fan. We've been talking about putting our house on the market. Just talking so far, but we have lots of things around the house that need to be fixed or spruced up. I guess the cleaning of the closet was a start. Saturday afternoon I went to Hobby Lobby with my friend Dee and her baby son Weston. Then we went to scope out some places for picture taking. She had asked me to take some fall picture of Weston next weekend and we wanted to find a good scenic spot. Today we got up a went to church then to lunch with my parents. Once back at home I started work on a fall wreath I had seen here.
This is what I came up with. I wish I had used a different color to wrap the wreath but it's ok.

I am usually all about decorating for Halloween and then in November I switch out all my stuff to fall decorations, but I just can't get inspired this year. I think I might skip Halloween decorations and just go with a fall theme.
I also entered the dogs in a photo contest through our local newspaper. The top prize is a new camera! Click here if you want to vote. Here's hoping.

Something else random but exciting (to me at least). My new nail polish color. I never paint my finger nails. My toes are usually some shade of red but I have never liked any color on my finger. Until I saw this. I decided to give it a try and LOVE the color. It's great for fall. Not too bright or distracting. Coby thinks it's "goth" but he's a boy. What does he know?

Tonight for dinner I made potato soup which we will probably be eating off of for the up coming week. I haven't gotten around to making a menu and this week is looking like a busy one. I hope everyone has a good Monday!

Meal Plan Monday after a Loosing Saturday

2010-09-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Welp. We lost. It was a hard loss. And in true Razorback fashion we pulled ahead in the first half and let is slip away in the second. But it was against a very good #1 Alabama team. I think we played better that anyone expected us to and proved that we are a team to be contended with.
I was disappointed but not as disappointed as my dear, poor hubby. I decided to get out of the house right after the game to head to the grocery store (Monday Meal Plan at the end of post) and to my surprise he decided to join me vowing to not let the loss ruin his night. The grocery store was pleasantly calm compared to it's usually craziness. We had a good trip, came home and unloaded the car and then watched Boardwalk Empire on HBO. It's set in the 20's and is about the mob. Entertaining but a little gruesome. Tonight is the second episode.
I woke up this morning with a terrible sinus headache and a painin' in my ear. I'm feeling better and am thinking that it's just allergies. I have spent today doing a whole lot of nothing except catching up on laundry. Tomorrow it's back to work. It was crazy before I left and I'm pretty sure things have not got much better. Oh well, 60 more days until Thanksgiving!!

This week's meal plan...
Spaghetti
Shrimp and Grits
Tacos
Potato Soup and Sandwich
Chicken breast with Veggie and Mac and Cheese

WHOOOOOOO!

2010-09-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the BIG day!! Hogs vs. Alabama (crimson tide/elephant-weird mascot combo?). Oh I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. Here are some pictures of the game from last weekend here in LR.

The game will be aired on CBS. My parents are going up to Fayettville but we are staying here and watching it on tv. I would have been fun to go but they are sold out and I like watching from home. I can keep up with what is going on much better.
Here is a story about how crazy hog fans can get.
WHOOOOO PIG SOOIE!!!!

New York Day #1

2010-09-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here a recap of our trip. I really wish we could have stayed longer but I'm counting it as an orientation visit to our future trips.
Sunday, after we got in a settled we headed to the subway so we could make our way to Brooklyn where we had dinner reservations. We had some trouble figuring out what kind of card we needed and how to get it. The attendant was less than helpful. After deciding that we had maybe made the right choice we hopped on and made it there with only a few mistakes. It got much easier by the end of the trip. Once in Brooklyn we stopped at a little bar and had a drink then walked around the neighborhood. I really liked this area. It was quite and had a very neighborly feel to it. Then we went to dinner at wd50.

This is a picture I took of the chef, paparazzi style, from the bar across the street. His name is Wylie Dufresne. He has been a judge on Top Chef and competed on Top Chef Masters.

The food was really good. He does all these techniques to "trick" the mind. At one point I was munching on these tiny (smaller than bacon bits), cruchy, brown things thinking these are really good and I know the flavor but just can't place it. They were potatos! At another point I thought there was a scallop on my plate and it turned out to be a pineapple. The meal was really differnt and fun.

New York Day #2

2010-09-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Monday I was on my own. I was nervous but ended up having a really good day. I never felt unsafe or really got lost. Thanks goodness for the iPhone! I used the map (the gps was a little sketchy b/c of all the buildings and poor reception) and a subway app. I know I would not have survive without these. (I also used the "knocking" app to give a quick tour of some of the places I went to with some friends at work. If you don't have this app you should look into it.) I made my way to Times Square. It looks so big on tv but in real life it doesn't look so big. Now don't get me wrong, there where a lot of things going on, bill boards, shops, buildings, people, just not a big as I expected. For instance, that little dot on top of that building is the New Year's Eve ball. Just not a big as I expected. I also saw a group of women with hog shirts on. It's a small world after all. After wandering for awhile I made my way to Bryant Park. I loved it there. There was a huge fountain in the middle. Lots of little tables and chairs around, a huge lawn, and even a carousel. This might be my favorite spot in the city. I sat at one of the tables and had a bagel and coffee. From my table I could see the empire state building. The NY Public Library was also across the street. There was lots of beautiful architecture. This might be one of my favorite buildings.

After breakfast I walked over to the library. I mainly curious because this is where Carrie and Big WERE going to get married. It was a beautiful building. I seemed to be mainly research rooms. I never did find the "book" section. Funny I know, but the place was HUGE. I did find the children's section and I must say that the children's section at our Main Library is MUCH better. But the building was impressive with most of the walls and floors being made of marble.

After the library I walked down to see the Empire State Building. I didn't go into it because I heard the line was forever, plus it's probably not the best place for an acrophobic like myself.

I also walked by Grand Central Station.

Then I braved the subway by myself and went to Central Park. I walked around a little. I wish I would have had more time to explore. There were lots of horse and carriages, and some sculptures.

I also spent a good 30 minutes stalking outside a hotel where multiple police, and window tinted sedans and SUV pulled up to the front. Another lady sat next to me, she was from Ireland and visiting her grandchildren. She was very nice, again from Ireland not NYC. Turns out the UN was meeting and it was probably an international diplomat. Never saw anyone go out or in. Here are some picture I took while I was stalking with my Hipstamatic iPhone app.

After the park we went back to the hotel and took a quick nap. Then we went to find dinner. Coby ended up eating part of a HUGE deli sandwich at the famous Carnagie Deli. I passed on the sandwich as I am not a huge fan of deli meat or sandwiches. And I was saving room for the gelato we planned on getting later that night. We walked back through Times Square just to get the feeling of it at night.

Here is a picture of us eating our gelato on the steps of Madison Square Garden.