islebehere

dear Monkey,

2010-03-30T10:42:00.003-05:00

so, it's been a smidge over one year since you blessed us with your presence. there are so many things you've learned in that short time. at first, sure, you were just a bump on a log. but now? NOW?? we can't get you to stop moving! it's pretty scary and wonderful all at the same time. especially when you're being "little Hercules". yes, i know you're strong but you don't have to prove it by picking Daddy's shovel up and almost hitting me in the head. that's really not necessary.

you've got the "toddler" thing down, for sure. you walk around like a little mini Fred Sanford. hence the other nickname, "little Sanford". your cousin Kenny thinks we should now teach you to say, "it's the big one, elizabeth!". but your cousin Kenny's a damn fool. KIDDING! but really, we're not teaching you that. let's get Mama and Dada down before we go into multi-word sentences, shall we?

one thing i absolutely adore about you - you are super loving! my favorite part of the weekends or days off, is when you're winding down. you like to crawl into my lap with your sippy or bottle and just chill. LOVE! THIS! it's all good for about 20 minutes and i soak it all in before you realize, "hey, i could be outside playing".

Aunt S1 says you always look like you're mad and you never laugh. i disagree. it's not a "mad" look. i tend to believe it's a look of determination. you have the wheels turning up there and they won't stop until you find "that thing", whatever it may be. you're an explorer. an engineer. plus, she's just not funny. =)

your new obsession is cars. i took you to a birthday party this weekend and all you wanted to do was scoot around the floor, the ground, the concrete (whatever it was and no matter how many holes it was putting in your cute little jumper) and push the cars around. it was the cutest thing. your first addiction. not unlike Daddy's. i see many days in the garage, with your Daddy, in your future. your other new obsession, and this goes back to the "being a toddler thing", is running away from Mommy. not cool.

i'm hoping you will be "reading" soon. you've shown an interest in books (and not just eating them any more) and we're trying to nourish that. Nana is showing you dvd's so you can learn words. i think if you had an attention span longer than two seconds, it just might work. before you start reading, though, i will give you credit for learning to sign. this is totes cool! you now know the sign for "all done". this is nice and much better than throwing your food on the floor when you're finished eating. not good, however, when Mommy's trying to change your diaper and you throw up the "all done" like it's a gang sign or something. never gonna work, 'cause dude... have you smelled your diapers? they need to be changed. but i appreciate the effort in using it in the right context.

Love,
Mamamamamamama

Happy Birthday, Monkey!!

2010-03-03T21:57:00.091-06:00

Today was Monkey's birthday! look at him all growed up in his birthday boy shirt. ready for a full day of fun!!

we started the day off with Daddy. he took us to Denny's for a big birthday boy breakfast. they even sang Happy Birthday to my little monkey boy.

after breakfast, we went to the Children's Museum for two whole hours! he played with his new friends from the mommy group - all around his age. it's so amazing watching Monkey at the museum. he's figuring out so much! he wants to know how it works and if he can't figure it out, he gives it me to show him. of course, he takes it right out of my hand as soon as he sees it's working again. after he was all played out, we had lunch with our new friends then headed out to see Daddy.

after our Daddy visit, Monkey had a nap on the way home (he was pooped). when we pulled up to the house he was still asleep so i sat in the driveway for a little while, checking email and catching up on facebook. one of the mommies posted a visit to the park so away we go.

after the park, a bath was definitely in order. he LOVES baths! i hope it stays that way. oh, and he loves his new "toy". let's just hope he doesn't rip it off... because, trust me, i think he's trying to. yikes!

learning skills

2010-02-23T08:19:00.002-06:00

he's trying more and more to put things where they fit.

he doesn't know the sign for "all done" but that doesn't mean he doesn't have his own way of letting us know when he's done. usually, at the point of him throwing food to the dogs is when he's done eating. he's got his own signs. hey, at least he's not throwing up gang signs!

he loves Ringo. he loves to pet Ringo. or slap him... whatever. and now he "snaps" to get Ringo's attention. he saw me snapping to get Ringo and so now he tries it. how cute is that??

he also LOVES baths. ohmigod, do not get him out of the tub when he's not ready! total meltdown until you finally get him to his crib.

he really likes his trampoline. i'm not sure if it's the jumping or the fact he can crawl right into the bean bag from the trampoline. either way, it's a winner.

weekend update/recap

2010-02-22T14:25:00.005-06:00

let's just talk about Saturday. because Saturday we did the most. we played outside all day. helped Daddy with the lawn. ate some dirt. YUM! after nap, helped Daddy more outside. after we came in, there was bath time then nap. then Mommy forgot to feed me!!! how do you forget to feed your kid??? ask Mommy. *(for S1) you gotta be a special kind o' stupid to forget to feed your kid!

Mommy here: get off my case, kid. you ate some stars in the car!

saturday nite - we went to Senior Serve. Senior Serve is where you get hardly anything to eat and are expected to "tip" the seniors serving you. it was a fundraiser for Project Graduation and it was fun because my kid was an angel during the whole thing! i know i'm totally jinxing myself here, but i have to say it. he was GOOD! the whole time we were there! even starving! j/k! i fed him. eventually.

i can't even tell you how excited i was. it was his first night time outing, after bed time (excluding Christmas Eve and that didn't count really cuz he was getting sick). needless to say, first outing: a success.

you tell me... does this look like a cranky baby to you?

i think not.

Happy Valentine's!

2010-02-14T09:19:00.005-06:00

_________________________________________________________________

we leave tomorrow!

2010-02-04T21:54:00.002-06:00

we are ready to go. i already miss my Monkey and we haven't even left yet. there were a few topics i wanted to go over this week but every time i thought of one, i didn't write it down and now i've forgotten.

i do remember one was to talk about how my little explorer is moving around a lot more now. he's figuring out the mechanics of sliding doors... clapping and dancing along with music (so cute when he does that)... saying mamamamama... and taking a lot more steps!

this weekend the Monkey will be breaking up his time between the grandma's. two nites with Mamalane and two nites with Nana. what can i say? i got a popular kid. packing for him was harder than packing for myself. good god, this kid needs a lot o' stuff!

i'm kinda just rambling at this point. i need to get some sleep. it's 10:00 now and our flight is at 6:40am!

weekend update/recap

2010-02-01T14:57:00.002-06:00

friday - had dinner with Nana. we weren't in a real rush to get home, but i was starving, so she fed us. by the time we got home, there was a little playtime with Daddy then off to bed.

notice, i have nothing else to say unless it involves the kid. you don't wanna hear about my day at work. trust me.

saturday - we were stuck inside all day. nasty weather makes for a really long day with baby. so, we played chase and attempted more signing and i swear he said, "Mom"! we had a good time.

sunday - Monkey and i planned on going out to the WUWU, but it was way too cold to get him out of the house. i went alone. as much as everyone was happy to see me, they were equally upset they didn't get to see him. that was the whole point of going, after all.

since he wasn't there, i helped out. Pollie is getting her share of bananas so i better be tasting some banana nut bread in my near future. it's a passing tradition. the shelters won't accept any of the fruit so we all divvy it up. i made out like a bandit, this year - animal crackers, two loaves of bread, hot dog buns, two crates of bananas, other stuff to snack on for the year!

oh, and p.s. - he took more steps! he's on his way. just a matter o time before he's running away from mommy kisses. =(

one trick pony

2010-01-29T13:35:00.004-06:00

okay, so he took a few steps. he's done. no more. Nana brought him home last nite and though we didn't really try to get him to walk, he sure as heck wasn't doing it on his own!

at one point, right before dinner, he was standing in front of the island and i was by the sink. i asked him to come to me but he clung to Daddy's legs instead. his safe zone of sorts. any time we play peek-a-boo in the kitchen, it's Daddy's legs he hides behind.

i'm sure he doesn't understand the concept of "hiding" just yet. it's so cute, though. he thinks if you can't see his eyes, he's hidden. his whole body is gone. like, "poof", it's magic. you can't see me. when in all actuality, he's just right inside the doorway, blocking my way to the restroom.

communication breakdown

2010-01-28T14:44:00.003-06:00

so we're now into the "eh eh EHHHHHH" stage. he won't sign and he refuses to talk. i can't help him. KIDDING! i'm still working on the signing (AND the talking, S1) but he's really just content to scream and throw a fit if he doesn't get what he wants. lucky me, right?

in other baby news, he took his first steps last night! did i see them? NO! he was at his Nana's. i was so upset i missed it. she did get it on video, though, and sent it to me promptly.

i'm not gonna mention any names... but somebody needs a new phone that takes better quality video. just sayin.

how charming of you to say

2010-01-26T10:44:00.001-06:00

so i had my charm party. two mommies showed up. S1, Princess, and Mom were there also. though i expected more people, it was perfect. it was still fun and i learned more about another mommy, J. apparently, we went to the same high school (11 years apart, but whatever) , i know her cousins, her cousins were living in my hometown for a while (weird).

i think it was fun. and it was cool watching Princess help S1 and her Nana with jewelry making techniques i had taught her. i think mine came out the cutest, of course. but you wouldn't know this because i forgot to take pictures of everyone else's! i had my camera out and forgot. DOH! i really wish i had remembered. they were all so cute. and the charms were all really cute. they all brought some really cute ones. we had:

hot red lips
engagement rings
various metal hearts
red "be mine" and "kiss me" hearts
lock and key charms
album cover charms
shrinky dink ipod charms
red/pink/blue heart beads
and monkey faces (those were mine)

though many people didn't show, i'll do it again. maybe for Halloween. that would be cool! just think of all the charms for Halloween!! next time i'll do an evite, though. invite friends outside the mommy group just so there's a good mix. nothing against the mommy group... i just didn't know that kind of thing was allowed. i know better now.

update - the shack

2010-01-22T11:15:00.000-06:00

we just got another update from PapaTom and Mamalane. we now have walls.

hey, Princess, looks like that birthday beach weekend is looking like it's gonna be do-able, after all. you may start worshiping me, now. i know i have nothing to do with it getting to the actual point of being live-able, but if you wanna use it, you'll have to go through me... so, you're gonna have to do some serious sucking up between now and your birthday. maybe some baby-sitting services... hmmm???

charmed, i'm sure

2010-01-22T11:00:00.001-06:00

so last nite i was up later than i would have liked. 9:45, but still. i like to go to bed with the chickens now a days. since Monkey had a sleepover at his Nana's, i had some time to get things together for the charm party i'm having on Monday. i got all the bracelets put together with heart toggles. sidenote: i really need to start taking more pictures again. because they were really cute with nothing on them. imagine how cute they're going to be AFTER we put all the charms on them! anyhoo, all bracelets ready. all my "bought" charms have jump rings on them. almost everything is ready. almost.

i wanted to do something "special" for the women coming on Monday so i still have a bunch of charms to make. it shouldn't take too too long. but you know how it is when you have a kid under foot and a husband with a list of chores he wants to accomplish... i'm hoping i can do some stuff after he goes down tonight. crossing fingers

i want to make this fun and i think the charms i'm making will help add to that. i imagine, when they see them, they'll say, "ohmigod, how cute! these are SOOOO perfect." at least, that's how it's going down, in my head, right now. so wish me luck tonite and over the weekend, praying i'll be done with everything by Monday, 7pm.

i'm so excited!

2010-01-21T15:44:00.002-06:00

and i just can't fight it!

i'm getting ready for my charm party this weekend. YAY!

i'm so ghey.

weekend update/recap

2010-01-18T13:32:00.005-06:00

so this weekend was pretty uneventful until Sunday. we didn't do much of anything at all, Friday. i picked up a pretty sleepy and cranky baby, but that's about it. always fun.

saturday - we were supposed to have a play date with a few of the mommies. cancelled. not because of me or my kid, but cancelled none the less. it worked out for us anyway. we went to Hobby Lobby for last minute "charm party" stuff then headed up to meet Woz at Berryhill.

it was good catching up and planning out the events that would unfold on Sunday. of course, now that we have a kid, there's really no use in "planning out" anything because (A.) you will never be there on time or (B.) you do not have enough energy to try to be there on time. my kid slept late and i wasn't waking him up. more on that later.

saturday evening - i headed out to Babies-R-Us for a new car seat. my Monkey is getting VERY uncomfortable in his seat... all stuffed into it. poor thing. so i got him the My Ride 65 convertible, because he still has to face backwards. i didn't get him the one i wanted, because we would have to order it and i don't think he would last another day in his old one. i didn't wanna wait. the My Ride is nice. it looks like a mini lazy boy for the back seat. plus, it has cup holders! not that he cares. he's cool with throwing his bottle across the back seat or shoving his snacks under his pants. not that he does that on purpose (the snacks that is. i think he totally knows what he's doing with that bottle), but that's where they all seem to end up. we have a car with a kid in it... and it shows!

sunday - marathon day! we're going to see "Uncle Monkey" aka BA run the Houston Marathon. the marathon start was at 7am.... pa-shuh! right??? Monkey slept late and momma slept right along with him. when we got up, i really didn't want to rush him. i thot we could wing it until nap time then he'd sleep on the way.

so i made my boys some pancakes and strawberries for breakfast. Monkey loves him some strawberries! we ate, got ready and got on the road. nap time. damn, i'm good. =)

we got to the finish line about an hour early so we walked around for a bit. checked out everything going on. Monkey was having a blast. you wouldn't know it by looking at that always serious face, but he was. trust me. plus, he was on Daddy's shoulders and he LOVES that!

we got to see BA cross the finish line! YAY!

afterwards, we met Frisky and Albert & Shannon out for lunch. that was fun and a whole 'nother story. man, i love my friends!

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

if at first you don't succeed...

2010-01-15T11:36:00.000-06:00

might as well give up 'cause he's never gonna sit and watch the damn thing!

i tried sitting with Monkey last nite to play with his little vtech toy he got for Christmas. it says "9mos+" but, COME ON. who are they even kidding with that?? my kid would not sit still for more than two seconds. it doesn't help, the toy has this bright blue on/off button that he'd rather be playing with. or the fact there are new wires coming out of the tv and "ohmigod, where did THOSE wires come from? i haven't seen THOSE wires. i wanna play with THOSE wires!". because partially pulling the dvd player out with the other wires isn't enough for him.

i'm not a bad mom. i'm not a bad mom.

2010-01-13T11:38:00.000-06:00

i keep thinking if i repeat it enough, i might actually start believing it.

i feel awful. it's time to look at daycare. i don't want to. i really don't. but he's needing more attention than i'm able to give him, while at work. i would love for him to stay here with me and play all day, but that's just it. he wants to play all day, but he wants me to play with him. which i do, sometimes, but it's not enough. i knew we should have had twins! at least they'd be able to entertain each other. am i right??

so we need options. options that aren't going to bankrupt us, preferably. i've been doing searches in our area, on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website, but when i call they're either "not doing child care anymore" or i just don't like the way they sound. there is a neighbor down the street who watches kids, but she keeps "teacher's hours" and i would need to change my hours to make sure i pick him up on time. which, i don't think would be a problem but i'm not sure she has any openings. i'm still waiting for a call back.

wish us luck on this endeavor and ya know, just kinda tell me i'm not a bad mommy when you talk to me next. that'd be great!

one step beyond

2010-01-11T21:19:00.000-06:00

he took a step! okay, he took two steps with the same foot and he was kinda going in a circle... does that count?

my Monkey wants to walk really bad. he's standing for longer periods of time now. he's even squatting and getting back up without holding on to anything. he'll be walking by next month, i'm sure. for a while there, i wasn't so sure. he was cruising along like he wanted to walk but then decided he would get there faster if he crawled. my kid's smart like that.

he's still not signing, but then again we're not being real diligent about teaching him. we really need to be. i'm going to see if he'll sit with me after dinner and watch the little "learn and sign" thing Uncle Psycho and Aunt F gave him. because now it's just pissing me off, reading other "mommy" blogs and their kids are signing at 10.5 months. that should be my kid! =)

new year, new site

2010-01-10T21:03:00.007-06:00

Happy New Year to you all. All two of you who regularly read this, that is. we have a new site. you can now find all our info in one place - http://flavors.me/mwh. it'll change up a bit, here and there. i'll add some more stuff, but for now, you can see our flickr pics, my tumblr, yourdailywill, videos, and sunburn alley on facebook all in one place. the videos may be a bit wonky, until i can get them all crossed over.

this blog (islebehere.com) will not be linked from the new site, however. it was started for my dad and will stay for my dad.

in other news, i know i haven't posted since before Thanksgiving. there's been a lot going on. we lost the family matriarch when Granna passed away. it is very upsetting to me that Will will never know her. she was a strong woman with a lot of spirit. sure, he'll know her from pictures, but she was so much more than a picture could ever convey. a force to be reckoned with is what i liked to think of her as. and always spoke her mind.

i will definitely put more effort into posting more. i have so many stories. so many pictures. so many milestones Will has hit. this little boy who has brought so much sunshine to my life. how ghey am i? lol

we're right now at the edge of walking. he's standing for more than 10 seconds at a time, but he's still afraid to take that first step. and at this point, he's figured out he can get there faster if he crawls! more on Will, later. for now, i'm going to bed. it's 10:00pm and already two hours past my bedtime.

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

first haircut

2010-01-07T10:55:00.002-06:00

countdown to next Thursday

2009-11-19T07:33:00.007-06:00

i'm going to Mamalane's for Thanksgiving.. and i'm gonna wear my Thanksgiving pj's!

Monkey Music

2009-11-18T09:11:00.014-06:00

Free Little Bird - Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell

the song above is one that i just love and was playing over and over in my head while we were at the Children's Museum a couple of weeks ago, watching my big boy crawl all over the place exploring everything he could. since then, my internet BFF got me the cd so we can listen to it all the time. that is, as soon as i put it on the ipod.

the lyrics below belong to a song HM sings to Monkey every nite before he goes to bed. he tells me it's an old WWII song his mom sang to him. "a song for your sweetheart back home" is how he describes it. i found a video of one version on YouTube. trust me, you do NOT want to hear that one. there is a version i kinda like (it's just not as good as HM's voice singing it) and you can hear that if you click on the imeem playlist in the sidebar.

also included in that playlist are songs i like to think i can sing to my Monkey and other songs we listen to during the day.

I See The Moon

Over the mountain over the sea
Back where my heart is longing to be
Please let the light that shines on me
Shine on the one I love

I see the moon the moon sees me
Down through the leaves of the old oak tree
(Please)
Please let the light that shines on me
Shine on the one I love

Over the mountain over the sea
Back where my heart is longing to be
Please let the light that shines on me
Shine on the one I love

I kissed the rose the rose kissed me
Fragrant as only a rose can be
(Sing a little louder miss)
Please take the kiss that comforts me
Back to the one I love

(Everybody altogether)
Over the mountain over the sea
Back where my heart is longing to be
Please let the light that shines on me
Shine on the one I love

(Everybody once again)
Over the mountain over the sea
Back where my heart is longing to be
Please let the light that shines on me 
Shine on the one I love.

update:  some of the songs in the playlist are only 30 second
clips because some artists are greedy and don't even want
you to enjoy STREAMING music.

the big move

2009-11-17T13:28:00.003-06:00

so we made the move. we moved our bedroom upstairs and the game room downstairs. unnecessary? maybe. does it give me peace of mind? definitely. don't know how long it will last but we'll see. it's been two days and it's working out so far. after dinner, we're now giving him his bath upstairs. you know, kinda to get him in the mode of "it's close to bed time now". he's still not going down on his own, of course. baby steps, people!

we're still having to put the place back together, tho. so Nana's going to come over tomorrow morning so HM can do some stuff before he leaves for work and she's watching him tomorrow nite while we try and do the rest. we're having "Friends" Thanksgiving on Sunday. we really don't want the place looking like crap when everybody comes over. silly us.

i'll post pictures when everything's all said and done.

hip hop elves

2009-11-10T16:02:00.002-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

disco elves

2009-11-10T15:57:00.002-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

classic elves

2009-11-10T14:58:00.002-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

weekend update/recap

2009-11-09T11:16:00.002-06:00

i don't even remember half of what we did, but i think we had fun doing it.

friday - Booger's last high school football game. my god, where has the time gone? he'll be in college next year. i can still remember the little runt who used to want to go everywhere with me and Addie. now, not so much. but i have those memories, dammit, and no one can take them away!

i would show you pictures, but since S1's battery died in her camera i had to give mine up. and guess who hasn't posted the pictures yet??? hmmmmm???

saturday - woke up early to meet a couple of the mommies for breakfast. Monkey's going through a new phase... let's act like a raging banshee in public! yeah, that's a cute one. NOT! he doesn't want to stay in the high chair, he doesn't want to stay in my lap. he wants to get down on the floor and crawl around on everything that is nasty! blech! he so takes after his Daddy. i'll admit, i'm a little less OCD now that i have a kid, but not so much i'd put my hands on a restaurant floor. ick!

after breakfast, we had a nap and waited for Nana. we did some Christmas shopping at C&D, had some lunch then went to the Children's Museum. Monkey had a BLAST at the Children's Museum! i got more video than pics so i'll have to put that up pretty quickly. i'll bet have the video up before S1 gets her pictures up. just sayin'.

anyway, he climbed stairs! he climbed real stairs AND cushy stairs, all by himself! he played nice with the other kids. and he has a deep fascination for steering wheels. go figure. he also went through this thing with stairs, humps, and an incline. all the way through! he was a little scared going down the incline, but he did it. he also climbed through a tunnel. he likes tunnels. we need to get more tunnels at home. and play mats. and cushion stairs. that place was awesome. we'll be going back often. i think Shaggy would like it, too. we'll have to take him with us next time.

he passed out as soon as we got back in the car. he sorta made a friend but he was mostly exploring on his own. my kid's gonna be a loner. great...

sunday - we had planned to see the girls' games but it started drizzling. we invited Mamalane and Papatom down instead. as per usual, Monkey was napping when they got there. he was in a pretty good mood when he got up, though, so he was up for playing. Mamalane was more than happy to oblige.

hey lady, get outta my box!

sunday evening - we all wound down pretty early. Monkey went down around 5:00 and since reading all that about night terrors (him possibly being overtired), i was not waking him up. he got up on his own around 10:30, stayed up with Daddy for a couple of hours then slept thru the nite. oh, but he was up bright and early at 4:30! seriously, he can't just give me that last 30 minutes??? good god, man!

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

from the ew file

2009-11-05T11:58:00.001-06:00

so we're talking pedi's the other day... pedicures, not pediatricians. 'cause once you're a mom, you apparently have to clarify that kind 'o thing.

Honey Bunny: why aren't you wearing your flip flops, Aunt T?

me: oh, it's a closed toe shoe kind 'o time for me right now.

HB: haha! why?

me: i need a pedi. big time.

HB: it can't be that bad.

me: (pulling my foot out) you see that "V" right there on my big toe?

HB: yeah.

me: y e e a a a h... that used to be an "X".

laughter ensues!

realizations of my day

2009-11-04T14:24:00.004-06:00

i need a new camera - vimeo is in HD, Monkey is not.

i have no money for said camera

i could start a fundraiser - "See your Monkey in HD!"

nobody would contribute =(

such talent

2009-11-03T15:20:00.002-06:00

he's figured out doors. as in opening and shutting. it's just a matter of time before his poor little fingers get smooshed. =( though, it was kinda cute just watching him open and close the bathroom door while Daddy was in the shower this morning. cool breeze in... cool breeze out. cool breeze in... cool breeze out.

the doors in the office are too heavy right now, but he's getting there. i half shut the conference door this afternoon and he completely bulldozed it with his walker. "nobody keeps Baby out of the conference room!".

in other news, Daddy called this morning to tell me our kid is a klingon. yes, i had to verify whether he meant super clingy or Star Trek ugly thing. one i can handle but if that kid starts leeching onto me it's a whole other story! KIDDING!!

weekend update/recap

2009-11-02T13:24:00.008-06:00

friday - we actually went out. we met some friends out for happy hour. Monkey was a big hit! but when isn't he, honestly? i met some old friends of HM's. one of them has a 6 month old and they're around our neighborhood every now and then. i'm hoping they'll call next time they're near so we can get the babies together. he seemed like a pretty cool cat and his baby was a chunky monkey. she looks like she's frowning in all her pictures because gravity is pulling down on her poor cheeks.

saturday - long day. Monkey got up at 5am. guess who got up with him? me. HM usually lets me sleep in on the weekends but he got wise to me doing it both days and cut me off one day so he could get some sleep. selfish much? j/k!

after a trip to the grocery store, we made some dirt cake (he loved it) and went outside with Daddy to watch him wash the truck. our little explorer was all around the front yard. even had his first handful of dirt! yep, dirt. in. his. mouth. i about died. bleh! of course, it's much better than what Daddy let him put in his mouth the nite before. you don't even wanna know.

saturday evening - off to Aunt S1's for Halloween. Princess made kitty litter cake. BLECH! i can't even eat it. i don't care what's in it. i can't do it. it was a good time. our little Monkey got dressed up and went trick or treating for a little bit. we had hot dogs, popcorn, desserts and line dancing! yes, line dancing. it's hilarious to watch all the trick-or-treaters join in on the dancing.

sunday - went back to S1's for shrimp and fish. YUM. i'm actually surprised i was invited after the prank i pulled on BIL1. good thing i got the kid. everybody always wants to see him. i'm just glad i still get to tag along.

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

(click on any picture to see it bigger)

punk rock bather

2009-10-30T12:24:00.002-05:00

not his first bath, but definitely his cutest!

he's getting so big and his hair is so long. i don't want him to grow up anymore. =(
these pictures were taken just mere hours before my sweet little monkey turned into son of satan!

we're going thru a phase right now. and it's not a good one. are there ever any good phases? really? anyway, we believe he's gone into his "i'm gonna see if i can keep Mommy and Daddy up all nite and play... or listen to me cry... whatever". it was not a good nite. you'll get more on that when i get more sleep and can type in complete sentences again.

who's gonna drive ya home?

2009-10-29T10:18:00.003-05:00

so my boy's got a thing for steering wheels. we took him to Mr Gatti's after a day at the pumpkin patch and he loved the coin-operated boat with steering wheel. it swayed from side to side. ah, i can only imagine the temper tantrums he'll throw, in the future, when it's time to go home. can't wait!

we went to Shaggy's bday party this weekend and he found another steering wheel. he sat with Aunt S1 and Uncle BIL2 for a while before he was ready to leave. here's some video of that.

my big boy

2009-10-28T13:58:00.009-05:00

my monkey - 6 mos

it's been a long week already

2009-10-28T13:42:00.002-05:00

so last week, we had to bury one of my uncle's. it wasn't the most pleasant thing to do mid-week - loss of family, traveling with baby, missing work, etc. but out of that, came some good. i have vowed to keep in better touch with my cousins. i am happy to report, it's working.

i gave them all cards with my email and phone number. Ashlee was first to friend me on Facebook. then, Kenneth. then, i got an email from Gaylon. just waiting on something from Stephen now. these are all cousins from Terrell, TX. they're sending me pics soon so i can see how the whole family has grown up and changed. i don't know why i'm so excited about this. i haven't seen them since i was 10, you'd think i'd kinda be "over it" by now. but nope, i'm totally excited about reconnecting!

i found out they sometimes make it down to the island so now they can call me when they do. i told HM that i wanted to make a better effort at keeping in touch and would like to invite them to stay with us here and there. he was all for it. we'll see how it goes. i'm sure none of this will happen until next year. it's gonna be crazy busy for both of us over the holidays!

not as gross as it sounds

2009-10-27T13:43:00.000-05:00

so we found out a cousin from my mom's side of the family is dating a cousin from my dad's side of the family.

ew.

what was that like when they found out?? i can only imagine the conversation went something like this...

Boy Cousin: hey, you wanna go out tonite?

Girl Cousin: i can't. i'm waiting on my cousin's to call. they're in town for the weekend.

BC: really, where from?

GC: TC.

BC: no way! i have cousins in TC.

GC: for real?

BC: yeah! who are they?

GC: J, M, .....

BC: ...T and V?

GC: uhm, yeah. how did you know?

BC: uh... cuz they're my cousins, too....

i only hope they weren't making out while this was all going down. double ew.

after a very cool (secret) conversation with Andrea

2009-10-15T15:08:00.001-05:00

islebehere: DUDE! i so wanna be in my 20's again

islebehere: and this time, actually LEAVE home

aaonvimeo: hahah

family reunion

2009-10-14T10:56:00.001-05:00

signs, signs, everywhere there's signs

2009-10-14T08:52:00.003-05:00

so we've been learning how to sign... as in sign language. i was a proud mommy last week when Monkey showed me the sign for "milk". unfortunately, we worked on that one so much he's using it for everything now. HM thinks it's how he says he's happy. i say he wants something but i'm not sure what. he's using it for when he wants milk but still does it a LOT more than what i'm sure is allowable milk consumption per day.

we're now focusing on signs for Mommy, Daddy, Eat, More, and All Done. in the near future, we'll work on Please, Thank You, Play, and Friend (when he gets one).

in other news, things are still working out with bringing him to work 2-3 days a week. don't get me wrong, it's definitely trying some days, but it works out. i love being able to see him all day and not miss anything new he does. once he starts walking and all the newness wears out, we'll re-visit. KIDDING!

Monkey got to see his Grandpa & Grandma this weekend along with other cousins he'll hopefully see again. S1 and i have decided we need to take over planning the "C" family reunion. i think we'll send out surveys first to see what everybody would enjoy; games, activities, etc. something appropriate for all ages. don't get me wrong - it's great listening to the guitars and Psycho Brother's really bad singing, but there could be more.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-05T11:05:00.002-05:00

Pumpkin Patch
Originally uploaded by islebehere

i can stare at this picture all day long and still not believe this kid is MY son. i still can't get over it. ... doesn't help that he still looks nothing like me.

orphan blog

2009-08-27T07:46:00.002-05:00

hi blog. i know i haven't seen you for a while. i've missed you.

i thot i would have pictures to post or something better than just this short post to acknowledge i remember you, but alas, i do not. i do not have my camera with me.

just wanted to let you know i haven't forgotten you and i will be back. with pics and vids.

until then, i'm sweet t and you're not.

testing

2009-07-02T09:57:00.001-05:00

i'm a mommy now

2009-07-01T10:06:00.004-05:00

so i wrote before about joining the Mommy Group, right? well, i can't talk about them now because, duh, some of my cards had this website on them! KIDDING, Ladies! the second group i joined was great! my kind 'o girls. Stacey, she's a teacher and funny as all get out. Ava, a SAHM with three underfoot, but not one complaint. she's an awesome mom and always pleasant. Sarah is a sweetheart. Ashley, the southern belle. and Giselle. i'm not sure how do describe Giselle, but i loved her immediately. she has my same warped sense of humor. bonus!

they're a fun group of moms who put their kids first but make sure to make time for themselves. i like that. as a mom, you need time for yourself. you're responsible for "this, your baby's" life, but you can't forget who you are/were because of it. look at me, all growed up now. =)

so far, it's been a lot of fun. i'm really hoping to form friendships from this group of girls. HM could use some new male counterparts to hang out with in our area, too. maybe he can meet some of the husbands later. i don't want to scare him too soon.

for my dad

2009-06-16T12:28:00.001-05:00

beach weekend

2009-06-02T12:09:00.000-05:00

well look who finally got a picture with their baby cousin

2009-05-26T11:36:00.000-05:00

Monkey spent the day with Aunt S1 and family. Aunt S1 was about to get her butt kicked when i heard she wanted to put Monkey in the pool. she forgets i can still "take" her skinny ass.

weekend update/recap

2009-05-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

friday - didn't do much of anything. Nana and Princess kept Monkey for me today. i got a lot done at work, that's for sure.

with a baby that does nothing but eat, sleep and poop, there's not a whole lot of excitement just yet. sorry for being so boring lately.

saturday - Nana offered to keep Monkey so i could finish shopping. with a $150 Macy's gc burning a hole in my pocket, i was ready to go.

GOOD GAWD, MAN! Macy's is expensive!! no wonder i shop at Target. i got two pairs of pants, a really cute black and white embroidered shirt thing (it'll look cute with leggings, i think), and some really sexy hawt shoes (note to self: can not hold kid and wear said shoes at same time). and still had $20 left on the card. not for long, tho. i still needed summer lipstick. with lipstick, liner and gloss, i got my free gift with purchase.

i got the blue one. very cute. i can definitely use it on our beach weekend coming up.

after shopping, i got the okay to get a mani/pedi. this will be the LAST time i ever go to a new place! the toes look good, but she almost killed me. geesh. and my manicure polish is ALREADY peeling off! she only put one coat of clear on top. loser. and i know she was talking about me cuz i wasn't all chatty. i wasn't there to make friends... i just wanted a manicure! i had to get back to my Monkey.

sunday - ohmigawd! Sunday was the best day of all! i turned baby duties over to HM and BA and i CLEANED OUT MY CLOSET! my closet hasn't been this clean since we first moved in! can you tell i'm excited about that? i had two full lawn bags of clothes and shoes... all going to the clothes donation center in the Target parking lot. i put all my maternity stuff away in Big Red Bag and put it in the back of the closet. HM would rather me burn it, but we'll see.

i got all my new clothes washed and put away and i'm super excited that i got into my last pair of pre-pregz capri's! all my shoes are lined up again, meaning Rosco needs to find another place to sleep. i still didn't get to the top of the closet, but that's all t-shirts that either need to be thrown out or re-purposed somehow. i'd really like to make some kind of quilt out of all my old cycling t-shirts that i got when we had the team going. i also saw a tutorial on how to make sleepers for babies, out of old t-shirts. pretty neat but i doubt i'll do that. just not that talented. or motivated. whatever.

sunday afternoon there was a big storm rolling in. HM took Monkey outside to check things out.

after that, we both got baths and got ready for Nana's. his FIRST sleepover! i was skeered. we went to Aunt S1's first and i learned a very valuable lesson of always being prepared... because sometimes your mother is not where she's supposed to be!

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

what i wore

2009-05-20T12:46:00.000-05:00

as i mentioned, i went and did a little shopping. yesterday, i wore all new stuff and it felt goooood. Target shirt and shoes with JCP perfect jeans.

i gotta admit, i looked good. i felt good. i felt sexy with my big tall shoes. and definitely had better posture. the shoes are going to take some getting used to. the jeans are perfect only because they have a tummy flattener. i didn't know this when i bought them. i just thot they were a little snug and i'd have to lose a little more before putting them on. ha.

and, of course, there's no getting dressed without the yummy tummy! Mamalane got this for me after i delivered. best! present! ever! i was undecided at first because it made me think it was pulling it all in so i didn't have to "suck it in". not so much. but it does help. i've decided i like it and can not live without it.

i have no friends

2009-05-19T12:24:00.004-05:00

so, we've been in our house almost four years now and i have ONE friend on the block. she's really cool, don't get me wrong, but she's got grown kids already graduated from college and she's more like an aunt who loves on your kid.

that's all leading in to this: i joined a "mommy" group. i need friends, dammit! i need friends in my area. all my friends are 40 miles north and 40 miles south. i barely know my neighbors and after meeting them, not sure i wanna get to know them. i need to hang out with cool peeps that have kids, too. i mean, seriously... they don't even need to have kids. i just need other women to hang out with. that maybe i have something in common with....? maybe?

you know... all this could be avoided if Addie would just hurry up and move back to Houston!

weekend update/recap

2009-05-18T08:25:00.003-05:00

thursday - Addie's here!! yay!! she'll be shopping tomorrow while i'm working. Nana came over, too. she'll be taking Monkey for me, tomorrow. HM will be leaving tomorrow, for Indy. =(

friday - it's amazing what a 5 minute difference will do for drive time to TC. i took the beltway and got there in no time at all! i went to pick Monkey up. i could tell Nana was a bit razzled and more than ready for me to pick him up. and she wants to quit her job to do this? ha!

Addie was responsible for dinner. she found a place that specializes in ready made meals. you just take them home and finish the prep. they weren't too shabby. it wasn't a late nite and i think we were in bed by 10:00. how exciting am i?

saturday - full day planned. Addie wanted to do more shopping. but first, we were meeting Michelle for sushi. YUM! i haven't seen Michelle since about 1997 or '98. it was really great catching up with her. same Michelle i remember; funny, classy, always so together. she and DZ have two kids now, nine and seven. totally cute! one looks like her. the other like him.

afterwards, Addie and i went to Target, Academy, Marshalls, and probably some where else i can't remember. it was Monkey's first really long outing. i mean, without going to someone's house. we were just out and about for almost six hours! he did really well. we fed him at sushi and again in Academy. he was great!

got a couple of pairs of summer shoes. i think my foot grew a half size with the pregnancy... not sure. now that i'm back in pre-preg size i got a few new things as far as clothes. i'm really happy with everything i got. i just need about two more pair of capri's and i'm done. great... now i gotta keep the legs shaved.

we watched Doubt then turned in for the nite.

sunday - got up at 5am and never went back to sleep!! that's okay, though... i got a lot done around the house. well, the kitchen. i started dinner in the crock pot, emptied the dishwasher, washed all bottles and nipples, and was going to start on the dirt cake until i realized i didn't have anything to put it in. S2 had my trifle dish.

once Addie got up, we all got dressed and went to "the new Nop's", Mi Abuelita. same cooks, same food. heaven. AND they give you TWO tortillas with your meal. GIANT tortillas!! so good.

got home and made the dirt cake for neighbor's grad party. she was so excited when i took it over there. it made me feel good. =)

i have to thank Addie for all the help this weekend. i couldn't have done all that stuff without my P.I.C. (partner in crime). she was awesome with feeding him in the truck, while we were out running errands. and SHOPPING! only for Addie. =)

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

Monkey at work

2009-05-13T09:41:00.006-05:00

at first i thot he was scared of the snail... turns out, he was just taking a poo
Originally uploaded by islebehere

weekend update/recap

2009-05-11T12:09:00.002-05:00

friday - Nana was ready to hand him off as soon as i got to her place to pick him up. i told you he was getting stubborn about his naps! then off we went to pick up a twin bed from S1. we now have an extra bed in Monkey's room. this will work out well for when he starts sleeping in his crib. i can stay in there with him if i want and the grandmother's can stay in there when they sleep over, too.

we didn't do much when we got home. he was hungry and then went down for the nite. my little Monkey's so sweet.

saturday - we made an attempt to go shopping. yeah, that didn't work out so well. as soon as the basket stopped moving, he started with the crankiness. i had enough time to try on a bathing suit, trunks and two more things that didn't fit. i hate being in between sizes. the bathing suit actually did fit, so now i have something to wear to the beach in a couple of weeks. yay! i'm so looking forward to that. it'll be Monkey's first trip to the beach. i hope he loves it as much as i do.

saturday evening - HM and Uncle Topher took over Monkey duty so i could get some real shopping done. a mother's day shopping trip, if you will. i got a couple of things for work. it feels nice to not wear maternity jeans every day. it feels even better to get back into pre-pregnancy clothes! ahhhhhhhh...

sunday - my first Mother's Day rocked! Monkey got me a new charm (a baby bottle) with his name and birth year on it. he also got me flowers and cards. i'm going to James Avery today to get the charm put on. we had turkey burgers for our moms. Nana and Grammalane both made it over. it was kinda funny watching them both "fight" over grandbaby time.

i got myself something for Mother's Day, too (besides the clothes). it hasn't come in yet. i'll post a picture of it when it does.

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

2 month update

2009-05-06T12:51:00.003-05:00

Monkey had his first round of shots yesterday. i cried. the nurse actually checked on me before we left. he weighs 11 lbs 6oz, which puts him in the 50th percentile for his weight and 22" long, which puts him in the 15th percentile for height. i'm gonna have a short kid.

he's holding up his neck really well but he still needs practice. he's getting more stubborn about his naps. he's talking a LOT more. and he's completely fascinated with his hands. he hasn't quite figured out how to use them yet but when he hits his toys in his bouncer, his face is one of wonder... like, it's moving... how did that happen?

weekend update/recap

2009-05-06T12:01:00.004-05:00

friday - after rushing home, i got ready for "date nite". it was our first real nite out since baby. we went to Keels & Wheels which was supposed to be a really big thing for HM, but Carroll Shelby was too sick to travel. it was still pretty cool to see all the old cars.

afterwards, we went to Carrabba's for dinner. good stuff. we even saw one of our Pappadeaux bartenders waiting tables there. rumor is 'deaux will be open in 10 months. not so sure how true that is. they still haven't even started clean up at the location.

saturday - Monkey and i hung out while the boys (HM & BA) went back to Keels & Wheels. we were going to take a trip to the park for the neighborhood meet up thing but we napped instead. we had a goooood nap. much needed as my kid has decided to sleep thru the nite on weekends only.

saturday nite we boiled crawfish. S1 and family came over and we devoured a 40lb bag together.

man, is this the most boring post or what?

sunday - hung out with baby. he's "talking" a lot more now. he's also being more stubborn with his naps. is it wrong to want to put your kid in day care??? just askin'.

until next time... you know the drill

100 Best Movie Lines in 200 Seconds

2009-05-01T15:40:00.000-05:00

week 3?

2009-04-29T15:37:00.003-05:00

this is the third week to have Will in the office with me. so far, so good.

there is a countdown, however. 25 days until Gisella is on Summer break and wants to watch baby a couple of times a week. i have no problem with that. she's really good with him and she loves him SO much. so, she'll have him twice a week or every other Monday. Nana will have him on Fridays and i'll bring him to work the other two days. works for me.

where else could i get that kind of support/daycare that's not outrageously priced??

weekend update/recap

2009-04-27T15:26:00.000-05:00

not a whole lot happened to report on.

sleepy time

2009-04-23T08:49:00.003-05:00

Will's been sleeping more at nite now. he goes down between 6:30 - 7:30 and doesn't wake up again until between 12 -2. this is awesome for Mommy! not so awesome for Daddy. Daddy's been closing the store, meaning he doesn't get home until after 7:00. last nite, we needed stuff from the store so he went after work. i did everything in my power to keep Monkey up. we played, washed dishes, folded clothes, and even had a bath. he was still out by 7:45. Daddy missed him by 15 minutes.

this morning Daddy had tears in his eyes because he misses play time with Monkey. he was even trying to keep him up to play and all Will wanted to do was sleep. =(

don't worry, Daddy, you'll get all the play time you want this weekend, cuz Momma needs a pedicure!

quotes

2009-04-22T08:40:00.000-05:00

i look forward to hearing about the crappy retirement home you get put in

-Miller, after seeing this picture

all is well

2009-04-21T11:58:00.001-05:00

Daddy kept baby yesterday. they are both still breathing. all is well.

he had a trip to Academy which i'm sure was a fun adventure out. and he was outside with Daddy when i got home. he was pooped, tho. Daddy didn't follow the schedule so Monkey boy was tired. i got home, fed him and he was out by 6:30. he didn't wake up to feed until 11:30! my boy was tired! of course, after that, it was every two hours and no sleep for Mommy. Daddy got up and took over around 4:00am. thank god for Daddy's!

he's back at work with me today. my boss and coworkers can not believe how good and quiet he is. my boss says if this works out, there's no reason not to keep him with me until i want to put him in some kind of pre-k, or something similar, a couple of days a week. seriously, this is some crazy opportunity! i'm so grateful.

p.s. he finally smiled for Daddy yesterday.

weekend update/recap

2009-04-20T08:06:00.000-05:00

friday - well, after it took me TWO hours just to get home from work!! i still had to pick up baby 20 minutes away. i called my mom to see if i could just stay the nite so she could help me and i could get more sleep. first week back at work has been a killer. i'm exhausted. i didn't really think it would be this bad, but it is. plus, the doc gave me zoloft, so i'm not sure if that doesn't have something to do with my tiredness.

Monkey boy was amazed at Nana's house. he was way over stimulated... too much to look at, all at once. lol i never noticed it before but good gawd she's got a lot-o-STUFF to look at!! poor thing was so tired when i got there. Aunt S1 finally got him to sleep by rocking him. i was conked out by 10pm. it would have been earlier but i was really trying to stay up until he fell asleep. Nana stayed with him and i got some sleep until the morning. yay!

saturday - after Nana made breakfast and we saw Aunt S2 and family, we made it home before the monsoon hit. it was so dark, his timing was all screwy so we napped all day.

Mamalane and Papatom braved the torrential downpour and flooding to see the little Monkey. again, i was exhausted. i went down around 8pm and didn't get back up until 10am the next morning. Mamalane was more than willing to get up with Will for feeding. man, i love my family!

sunday - a whole lot o' nothing. HM took care of Monkey so i could take a nap. man, why am i so tired? the rest of the day was spent vegging out. all three of us. Aunt S1 was going to come by but i had just got him down and he had been fighting it all day. it was best not to jack with him.

tomorrow, Daddy's taking care of the Monkey. we'll see how it goes.

until next time, i'm sweet and you're not.

GIVE ME BACK MY FILET-O-FISH

2009-04-17T10:41:00.003-05:00

so today is my first day away from the Monkey. i'm doing okay so far, keeping busy with work. i'm just really pissed that i left my phone at home!!! now i'm all freaking out, thinking what if something happens and my mom can't call me and other ridiculous thoughts. she has my work number.. and HM's number and the pediatrician's number. it's just me being a nervous wreck since i can't see him and what he's doing.

mom said he was smiling at her this morning. i know i'm cranky because of the lack of sleep but i can't believe how lucky we are that our baby is such a good baby. he's a happy baby. he's got such a good disposition. very very lucky! knock on wood that it continues.

Mommy misses you, Monkey. kisses.

smile for the camera

2009-04-16T12:12:00.003-05:00

he's smiling at me now. and not just cuz it's gas. he's smiling at me cuz he likes me! it's the most awesome thing.

if i could only get him to do it when i'm taking a picture, that would be cool.

we got pics!

2009-04-15T08:38:00.001-05:00

"peek a boo"

"sup, ladies?"

"who's a sexy man?"

hi ho, hi ho

2009-04-09T17:02:00.003-05:00

i'm going back to work next week. i start back on wednesday, with baby in tow. I KNOW!! my company is totally awesome! when i told them i was looking for daycare near the office, they asked, "why not just bring him in with you"? can you say, "huh"??? i was floored. they've asked me to let them know what i need in regards to changing tables, etc. how amazingly awesome is that??? please cross your fingers for me in hopes that it all actually works out.

in other news, we're going to see all the cousins for Easter, this weekend. Monkey Boy's going to meet all his second cousins for the first time. and of course, get to see all his first cousins, too. this will be his first long trip. let's hope we can make the 2.5 hour drive without any baby catastrophes. we're planning on getting up, feeding him, then taking off. hopefully, we can make it there before his next feeding or before he completely spazzes out on us.

he really has been a great baby. spazzing is not a common thing for him. thank gawd! he's not a big cryer...yet. he's still in the cycle of eat, sleep and poop. that's about it. and i'm totally okay with it!

ah crap! i just turned off my pump and woke him up. gotta go. until next time.

peace out

2009-04-03T19:54:00.003-05:00

enjoy your weekend!

hi! how ya doin?

2009-04-03T19:40:00.003-05:00

i know it's been a while since i've updated... and i really need to post more pics of my kid. but dayum, it's hard! i have a newfound respect for Stay-At-Home-Mom's now, that's for sure. how the hell do they do it??? i was almost losing it the first 3 weeks. i'm okay now. mamalane has come and stayed with us a few nites. and my mom has been over once a week to take care of the middle of the nite feedings. also, my neighbor, Gisella comes over sometimes after she gets off of work. she comes to play with Monkey Boy while i shower or clean or eat. they've all really been a great help.

it's getting better and definitely easier now that i'm getting the hang of things. yes, i can leave his side and he'll be fine. i guess i can also talk on the phone while he's asleep, i just choose not to (i don't want to risk waking him up with my loud self). my usual talk time was in the car (hands-free of course). now that i'm hardly ever in the car, i'm not talking to anyone a whole lot. family and addie, that's about it. i can gather i won't be on the phone much when i get back in the car if Monkey Boy is with me either. to me, that's our time. our personal time. sure, a quick "pick this up" or "on our way home" but not full on conversations. i can't stand to see people on the phone with their kids in the car looking bored out of their minds.

anyway, i'm working on taking more pictures of MB. i'll do my best to put them in my daily photo on flickr. so there's something to look forward to, right?

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

FIRST BATH

2009-03-31T16:31:00.001-05:00

p.s. i did not wait a whole month to give him a bath!

baby will is here!

2009-03-07T20:26:00.002-06:00

7 lbs 1 oz, 19.5" long

lovin' my birthday prezzies!

2009-02-27T12:27:00.000-06:00

the ipod classic from HM. the speaker thingy from S1. LOVE!

Dear Baby Will,

2009-02-27T11:00:00.000-06:00

please come out and play. I know you’re comfy and warm, but Momma wants to hold you in her arms and not her cootch. Love, Michelle”

—	Loonachic, via txt message

Baby Will's room

2009-02-26T11:44:00.000-06:00

it needs a rug. S1, be on the lookout for one.

i'm still here

2009-02-25T11:45:00.000-06:00

in baby news: we're still baby-less. no baby yet. he ain't comin'. i have another appt on Monday.

in other news: SBW came over to snap a few pics of my pregger belly. some of them came out really nice. good silhouettes in black & white.

in rodeo news: my husband is mean. he won't take me to the cook-off to see Cowboy Mouth, even though he can get free tickets. i already missed their show on Tuesday. he doesn't understand that all the movement will probably help the baby come out! maybe he'll be a nice husband and make it up to me with crawfish.

in shower news: all showers are over and done with and thank-you's have been sent out. all except for the ones i don't have addresses for and am waiting on S1 for those!!!!! but it feels good to have the other ones mailed out already. whew!

for now, we're still in "wait" mode. i'll let 'cha know as soon as something happens.

wer really need to plant some trees in the back yard

2009-02-20T12:20:00.000-06:00

happy mardi gras!

2009-02-20T11:28:00.000-06:00

clockwise order... somewhat:

1. Pollie & Manny
2. SBW
3. BA
4. HM & Manny "doin' the butt"
5. Pollie
6. BA
7. Me & HM
8. Aly & frendz
9. sexiest man alive!

shower pics

2009-02-19T11:16:00.002-06:00

1. Woz
2. Pollie & Manny
3. Baby Leah
4. Pollie, Addie & Frisky
5. opening gifts
6. Me, HM, and Baby Will
7. Mardi Gras parade!

fear factor

2009-02-18T11:19:00.000-06:00

soooooo, call me crazy but i'm a little scared that we waited so long to have a kid, we're all set in our ways, our routines, our schedules, that we're going to forget the kid somewhere. maybe at home, maybe in the car, i don't know. it just scares the bejeezus out of me!!

HM says we'll be fine and if we leave the baby at home, the dogs will take care of him. not all that comforting. he says if he leaves the baby any where, it'll probably be on top of the car... still not any more comforting.

doc appt - 38 wks 4 days

2009-02-17T12:55:00.000-06:00

well, crack doc didn't have a whole lot to say different. i'm still not dilated, i'm still not effaced, and the baby is definitely going beyond his due date. inducing now will only cause fetal distress and a possible emergency C-section. don't want that.

crack doc did get a kick out of me asking how soon i should call/come in after i started labor. DUDE! THIS IS MY FIRST KID!! like i know this info?!?!?

Baby Will is now over 7 lbs. i have another appt next Monday in which we'll talk about "how long after the due date do i want to wait before inducing?". i don't know. like i said, this is my first kid.

weekend update/recap

2009-02-16T12:29:00.000-06:00

friday - don't remember doing much of anything except LAUNDRY!! and i can't even do that, right! HM has to get the clothes out of the washer for me because i physically can not. so that's all i did; laundry and baby stuff.

saturday - all day lamaze class. HM loved it. NOT. i'm glad we went, tho. there were some good points and honestly, there were only two women in there that were not planning on being drugged during the whole process. and good gawd, man, those are the scary ones.

we scored a changing table and some baby boy clothes from one of the other classmates. that was nice. it's missing the bottom shelf but i think HM can fix it somehow or find something to fix it so it's more sturdy and i have extra storage for diapers and what not. he's handy like that. he can do it.

if you're wondering, we did celebrate a little bit of Valentine's. we had lunch at Pappasito's and chocolate covered strawberries. i paid. cuz i love my honey like that.

saturday nite - like idiots, we drove through the rain to get to Mardi Gras... me, HM, and BA. cuz, you know, what is Mardi Gras if we don't take BA?? it wasn't raining when we got there, thankfully. we had a good time at the parade with Pollie and Manny. and i held the cutest little 3-year old. he was so precious. he was scared shitless from all the noise and crowd, but precious none the less. he lay on me, shivering. poor thing. i like to think that i helped calm him down a little. he wasn't shaking as much when i gave him back to his mom.

after the parade, we headed downtown. i wanted to see everybody... and i wanted everybody to see me! how often do you get to see a pregnant Sweet T??? uh...never. we made our rounds down The Strand and up The Post, stopped for sushi on the way and ended up passing out at SBW's. yeah, i passed out, too. not from drinking, but from walking and all the excitement of being down there and seeing every one. it was really awesome. i miss the island.

sunday - S1 and Princess came over to help me put things where they belong. we put the mobile together and S1 hung things on the wall and put one of the baby's swing things together. or bouncy chair thing, whatever. we divided up what needed to go back, what needed to stay, what needs to go in what car and how many of what to keep. we literally did have about seven first aid kit thingy's. i still have clothes to go through from what the lady in class gave me, but that can wait a few days.

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not. have a nice flight.

to drug or not to drug....that is the question

2009-02-12T12:38:00.002-06:00

so last nite, i went to my breast feeding class. which i'm grateful i went to, because now i feel so much better about breastfeeding and i'm confident i can handle it. however, i do not feel so good about wanting the drugs, during labor, now.

the lady teaching the class said they don't do the spinal anymore and only the epidural (with who knows what kind of cocktail of drugs they put in that). studies show babies are slower to latch on, after delivery, when medicated during labor. is this bad? it sounds like it is. i have no clue, it's my first kid. Mamalane says the lady teaching was just "one of those natural birth loonies" and not to worry about it.

i mean, i am having a boy. he is his daddy's son. and if he's anything like his daddy, i shouldn't have any problems. TMI?

phone chats

2009-02-12T09:16:00.002-06:00

Princess: what are you doing?

me: i'm in a class

P: what kind o' class?

me: a breast feeding class

P: ewwww, gross!!

me: well, you asked

P: my mom said it hurt. her nipples were bleeding and cracked.

me: but I'M gross?

on this day

2009-02-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

39 years ago, at 9:42 pm, i was brought into this world.

you may call and wish me a happy birthday now. =)

dr appt - 38 weeks

2009-02-10T11:59:00.000-06:00

i just wanna say, whatever that man is smoking before our appts... i want some of it when i go into labor!! just sayin! we're back to, "going full term". Baby Will's just not ready. he's very comfy. and why wouldn't he be? all rollin' up on my utero like he is. i'm sure there are a lot of soft spots down there for him.

my doc says he'd like to see me get more rest and get my feet up more. i wanted to ask if he was going to come over and do all the baby's laundry. i! am! busy! man! we've got two weeks til the actual due date and still stuff needs to be done. i need to pack my bag. i need to get his clothes washed. i need to put songs on the ipod... you know, for focus and all during delivery. i gotta charge all the cameras AGAIN. i want to make sure we have everything ready for his homecoming.

speaking of packing, i can't find the big granny panties i just bought for the hospital stay. damn. i really need to find those.

weekend update/recap

2009-02-09T19:15:00.000-06:00

OMG! another busy weekend.

friday - i went to work. Woz and Addie were at the house prepping for the next day shower. scaring me a little bit. Frisky and BA showed up later to do their parts. there were decorations going up and roux cooking on the stove. everything was falling into place. i tried to stay up and rally but seriously, i was in bed around 10:00.

saturday - SHOWER DAY!! YAY!! got up early. more prepping. charged up all batteries for all cameras. took a nap. got up to get pretty for the party. i will have pictures and video for you soon. it's all on the cameras and i haven't plugged in my laptop this week.

it was a fun shower! about 20-25 people were there. good food! we Baby Will got all kinds of good stuff, including the stroller/car seat/lock in thingy from the hosts of the shower! awesome! we also received about seven or eight first aid kits among all the showers together. i'm guessing our friends and family know us pretty well. none of them will go back. we'll have one in each bathroom, both cars, his room, our room, kitchen and living room!

our friends could not have done more for us. it was an awesome shower with awesome food and awesome decorations and awesome people. did i mention how awesome it was?

sunday - Woz and Addie wanted to take me out to a breakfast brunch. they had a really nice thing planned at Bailey's, but me being the ruiner i am, chose to eat at a lower key place so we could sit outside and enjoy the day. it was a really gorgeous day!

afterwards, we all plopped ourselves on a sofa and watched Max Payne and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Max Payne i could have done without, but how can you not watch a Marky Mark movie??? N&N, very cute. funny moments. Michael Cera is always a favorite. i liked it.

after everyone left, i think we ended up going to bed around 7:00. we're lame, i know. it was a busy weekend. crazy weekend. people in and out of the house all weekend. it was time for sleep. well, what little sleep we could get with all the snoring and the waking up.

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

P.S. Happy Birthday to the Stepmonster! i'm sure you're having a better time in Vegas than i'm gonna have at my Breast Feeding class on my birthday!!

no sleep

2009-02-05T17:42:00.000-06:00

we're running on zero sleep these days. i'm not sleeping because the unborn child pushing down on my utero is causing me to wake up every 5 minutes! and HM's not getting any sleep cuz our mattress is so squeaky, he hears me every time i get up. that, or one of us is snoring keeping the other one up.

so here are some things that are going on:

in office news: i think it's really sweet that every morning my boss asks me how i'm feeling. and he actually waits for me to answer. like he's really interested.

in other news: my arms look like the michelin man's. all fat and rolly. ew.

in better news: the frendz shower is this weekend. Addie and Woz are coming in tonite and they're setting everything up and cooking tomorrow. Woz is making a king cake. BA is making crawfish etouffee, shrimp etouffee and crawfish pie. Addie and Frisky are decorating. well, they're following Woz's orders on how/where to decorate. i'm so excited!! it's gonna be really cool.

in baby news: the dresser came in. i'll be picking that up today. everything is falling into place. his room is coming together nicely. i wish we could get a day bed for his room, tho. cuz if i know Mamalane (and i think i do), she won't care if there's a bed or not. the woman will sleep on the floor just to be near that baby! we'll see what the budget can handle. it may be just a queen blow up for a while.

in completely totally unrelated news: my internetz frendz got their own show on MTV! set your dvr's for the College Humor Show, Sunday nite, 8:30pm Central. MTV is touting it as a reality show but i assure you, it's all scripted. the New York Times even gave it a good read! Sam Reich, director of original content, came from Vimeo. a user with a comedy troupe of three, called Dutch West. since CH and Vimeo are in the same offices, he got noticed. and now look what he's doing. how cool is that? these guys are really funny! you should check it out.

my frendz!

2009-02-04T11:48:00.001-06:00

aaonvimeo: how's your belly

islebehere: BIG!

islebehere: my doctor's on crack

aaonvimeo: what do you mean

islebehere: first, it was "let's induce". then, it was "you're going full term". now, it's "i give you another week before you pop"

aaonvimeo: hahha

aaonvimeo: these decisions aren't easy for docs i bet

islebehere: not when they're smokin' a bowl before coming into my appt

aaonvimeo: hahaha

aaonvimeo: that would be awesome

don't let me down

2009-02-03T15:27:00.002-06:00

Baby Will's really diggin' this cover of the Beatles tune, Don't Let Me Down. it's a good one... from the Across The Universe soundtrack. i really need to watch that movie again.

Dont Let Me Down - Dana Fuchs

dr appt - 36 weeks 5 days

2009-02-03T11:48:00.003-06:00

i seriously do not think this man even looks at the charts before he comes in. or maybe he does, and he's just weird like that. anyhoo, now, unlike last week when i was going FULL TERM BAYBEE, he says Baby Will is in ready position. he tells me he will not go into breech position at this point and i’ve had a really great pregnancy thus far. i'd have to agree.

i’m not dilated and my cervix isn’t ready (?) but he said he gives me another week to pop this puppy out. i’m not due for another three. also, he’d like to see some contractions first.

HM's ecstatic at the thot that he won't have to sit thru an all day lamaze class. i don't even think he cares that we already paid for it and may not get a refund. he just doesn't wanna go. i'll tell you what, if he doesn't want to go to class, he best be readin' up on how to make momma comfortable in delivery!!! i'm talkin' massages and all!!!!

weekend update/recap

2009-02-02T11:44:00.003-06:00

friday - finished making "thank you" labels for the soaps i made. CUTE! if i do say so myself. also, got together the hostess thank you's for everybody giving the shower. big hit. i think. unless they were faking, i think everybody liked it.

saturday - SHOWER DAY!! YAAAYYYYYY!!! OMG! Baby Will got so much stuff!! Nana and Felix got the activity walker we wanted and Uncle Jim & Aunt Kathy got him a pedal car fire truck. BOTH very cool! Aunt S1 got him a monkey easter basket filled with goodies and Aunt S2 gave him a basket full of stuff!! this baby has clothes out the ying-yang!! i never thot about the laundry this little sucker is gonna produce... good gawd, man! i was up taking tags off all sorts of things that needed washing. ugh.

sunday - got up, at 5am, for the 8th annual WUWU. another rider from the team has taken it over this year. she's turned it into a fundraiser for rescued dogs. for being the first year she did it, she did pretty good. there weren't as many riders this year what with it being rainy and superbowl day and all, but it was still a very good turnout. she made her goal and that was good.

met the family for brunch. ALL the family! i really like it when everybody's in town and we all meet for breakfast. it's cool. note: do not let GG pick the place we eat next time.

afterwards, i headed out to Babies-R-Us and got Baby Will a mattress and ordered his chest of drawers. all those clothes are gonna need a home! HM stayed home and cleaned out the "star wars" closet. it was the baby's closet. he also took all his tools and paint stuff out of the armoire so i could put things in there until the chest comes in (in 7-14 days).

this week will be full of activity as well. we've got to get all of Baby Will's stuff upstairs and get the downstairs clean for the "friend" shower this weekend. did i mention four single peeps are giving us a mardi gras themed baby shower? yeah, that's happening this weekend. it's gonna be coooool.

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

cribs

2009-01-29T11:25:00.001-06:00

Baby Will has a place to sleep now!!

check out that floor!!

baby will has a floor to play on!

2009-01-28T08:11:00.003-06:00

here's a vid of HM and BA putting the "finishing" touches on the floor... or so i thot.

complete 180

2009-01-27T21:10:00.005-06:00

we had our 35 week ultrasound yesterday. i wanna scan the picture and show you my baby's big head but i really don't feel like going upstairs right now. sorry.

my doctor... not thinking he really knows who his patients are and what he tells them. two weeks ago he was talking about inducing. yesterday, complete opposite! i was finally totally onboard with the whole inducing thing!! now, he says i'm no where near ready! something about my cervix being too small. i'm going full term, bay-bee!

i told him of my concerns about being at work, on the other side of Houston, and going into labor. he told me that even if i went into labor at work, on a friday, in 5:00 traffic, i would still have more than enough time to get to the hospital. that did not make me feel any better.

this is going to be a bumpy ride.

p.s. Baby Will weighs 5lbs 10oz right now. that is more than HM weighed at birth!

weekend update/recap

2009-01-26T10:02:00.000-06:00

friday - made soaps! i thot it would be a good idea to make baby soaps for everyone at the family shower, as a thank you. they came out really cute, if i do say so myself. i made mini ones, clear ones, blue ones, and turquoise baby blue ones (i liked those best). now i just have to come up with the packaging. which i'm pretty sure i can take care of this week. i'm pretty sick so i've been useless. we'll see how the rest of the week goes.

saturday - got up and got a pedi. i'm sure Dave Ramsey would not approve. then again, Dave Ramsey was not feeling my claws on his legs when i went to bed. Cutsthesheetsasaurus Rex was out, in full effect! BA came down and helped HM put the floor down in the baby's room. i'm really glad BA's able to help him with all this stuff. as i said earlier, i'm pretty much useless. the floor looks really good!!

sunday - baby shower! yay!! oh yeah, i was supposed to go for pregger pics in the morning. didn't happen. it was not a good day for shooting. and ohmigod, after i saw what i looked like in the shower pics... ew. not sure i want pregger pics taken now. hopefully, SBW would do a much better job of getting my "good side". so back to the baby shower... it was so cool seeing everyone that still cares about me and Baby Will and HM. i didn't even cry. shocker, i know! but i didn't. i got the high chair and the play pen and all kinds of clothes that probably aren't gonna fit him. we got a swing and a bouncy chair and a boppy pillow. all very cool stuff! i'm so glad they did that for us. and it was so much better than the boring office showers anyways!

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

RSVP

2009-01-22T11:07:00.004-06:00

so, 20 peeps have RSVP'd for my UTMB shower. how cool is that? i'm kinda looking forward to seeing everyone again. it's been two months without any visual. we've kept in touch through email and IM, but it's not the same. i really miss them. well, some of them.

i'm really kinda shocked that many people are coming. there are less than 50 people left in the office. the ones out of the office aren't really keeping up with their email so i don't expect a whole lot of them to show up. i'm just excited they're even doing something for me.

in other shower news, Goldi (freeek) is helping the sisters and cousins out with the family shower. dude, she's already started on corsages and gift stuff. she's crazy. but it was really nice of her to offer her services. apparently, she's the original crafty chica. she had all kinds of ideas and was flooding S1's head with them. my family shower is gonna be COOL! i can't wait for that one!

hold me...i'm skeered

2009-01-21T12:29:00.001-06:00

Monday is our next dr's appt. i'm scared he's going to say, "let's induce". Mamalane says i have a choice. i can tell him i don't want it. i dont' know if it's good or bad. i suppose it's good. smaller baby. not so much stretching out of the crotchtoral area. then again, the way he's talking, i could have it before Valentine's day! i don't want no Valentine's baby! ew. plus, that's the day of our lamaze class!

if it is induced early, that might mean another Aquarian in the house. i'm not sure HM would go for that. he says one is enough. i don't know what he means by that. we're not a bad people. i think he's more worried our son will be some artsy-fartsy flighty guy instead of a get down to work money maker; therefore not able to put us in a good senior living facility. i got news for him... at the rate we're going, we'll probably be ready for the nursing home way before the kid is old enough to work!

maybe he'll be born on the cusp.

weekend update/recap

2009-01-19T20:54:00.005-06:00

friday - got off early to pick Dad up from the airport. yay! came back to the house, made some dinner and waited on Tony & Goldi and the rest of the gang. S1 brought the family, S2 brought the family, even A.Martha even came out.

it was so much fun having everyone here. i loved it. i had such a good time. hearing stories, watching the kids play, laughing all nite. i was up until 3am! Dad, Tony, and A.Martha were up until 5 in the morning! ack! i felt like i had a hangover the next day. ugh.

saturday - got up and ate everything Goldi made in my kitchen! the woman was spoiling us. seriously.

saturday nite - everyone came over again. this time for dinner. S1 and S2 also recruited Goldi into baby shower planning. she is on cloud 9! seriously. she is so excited to be a part of it. she's going nuts. she's already started on the "grandma" corsages. i can't wait. it's gonna be great!

there was more story telling, more guitar playing, and karaoking. fun nite.

sunday - got up for breakfast. saw Dad, Tony & Goldi off. rested. =)

awesome weekend. can't wait to do it again. until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not.

note to my love

2009-01-15T12:54:00.000-06:00

thank you for everything you do for me! i love you!

note to self

2009-01-14T07:53:00.002-06:00

seatbelts were not designed for pregnant women in winter coats. find extender... or a smaller coat.

dear baby will,

2009-01-13T12:40:00.001-06:00

you're getting way big! yesterday was our 33 week dr's appointment. not much longer to go now. he says you're positioned great but you're growing so much he might want to induce early.

WTH?

he said it would make the difference between a 6lb baby and an 8lb baby. well, sure it would, but i didn't think 8lbs was a really big deal. 6lbs seems so delicate. 8lbs you can start dressing in really cute stuff straight outta the hatch. maybe the doctor thinks mama is a delicate flower and couldn't take the strain of a big boy. or maybe he just remembers seeing your father's head and being scared for me.

weekend update/recap

2009-01-12T21:12:00.002-06:00

i did NOTHING! and thoroughly enjoyed it!

we caught up on sleep this weekend. much needed sleep. i didn't make the Peter Cetera show. i'm lame. i know. i just wanted to rest. and i did.

this weekend and every weekend following, will be much busier. Dad and Little Tony are coming in Friday nite and Marisa & Aunt Martha are coming over. everybody else will probably be here Saturday. maybe do some grillin.

until next time, i'm sweet t and you're not. =)

baby will's first christmas gifts

2009-01-08T22:31:00.000-06:00

Pollie and Manny gave Baby Will bibs and onesies. Mamalane got him his first ornament. how cute is this stuff???