Newshoeitis

Who knew that these

Could make you do this

And more of this

The cure for newshoeitis, you ask?

Stare at your ginormous belly

And strip down to a diaper.

Voila! Works every time.

"Mom, seriously, what were you thinking?"

As you can see I finally did bite the bullet and buy Isaac new shoes. I was so proud of my purchase. A shiny new pair of adorable red keds and a new pair of sandals ready for the warm summer months. However, I don't think Isaac was as happy as me. Of course I probably shouldn't have placed them on his fat little feet right before morning nap time. I mean during morning nap time... But, who could pass up the cuteness of seeing him in his new shoes!? Definitely not I.

As he watched me push his chubby little toes into the shoe and tie the laces, he probably wondered why momma looked so excited. This didn't look exciting at all. I then tried to stand him on the ground. He just stomped his feet and began making grunting noises. The kind of noise Steven makes when he is really hungry... or when I'm really hungry.

Anyway, long story short he sat on the ground and cried and cried for twenty minutes until I took them off. Don't worry folks, the story does end well. After his afternoon nap I reluctantly placed the red keds on his feet again and we ventured to his favorite place. The back yard. Eventually he came around and realized what a delight shoes are when you have to walk in dry sticky grass or stand on hard cement. And now, I'm happy to say, we can't get him to stop walking.

I'll get more of him walking in his new shoes this week. I know, I know, you all may lose sleep until that time. But it will be here before you know it.;)

And one more question. Why is my baby growing up so fast??

Dear winter,

Dear Winter, I am breaking up with you.

It's not me, it's you.

You make me miserable.

I think it's time I start seeing other seasons...

How do I put this.... I just like spring a little better.

Love, Isaac

P.S. I still want to be friends...

Traveling with the girls and life in March

It seems like a long time since my best friends from high school took a trip together. This year we had a perfect place to go...and not to mention very inexpensive lodging mixed with the best tour guide one could ask for. There's four of us. Three live in Birmingham and one in Charleston, NC so you can only guess where we opted to travel this year. That's right, one of the oldest cities in the south. Charleston. Its always a blast from the past with these girls, from talking about our late 90's glory days to laughing hysterically over something only we find funny....its always an adventure. Our ten year reunion is coming up this summer so the girls quizzed me on high school people on the 7 hour trip up...there was a lot of laughter involved. I can't remember anyone's name!

I had fun with my new camera. I have decided that I really do need lessons with this thing, that's the only way I'll understand it. I've also realized that the more you start enjoying photography the less likely you will be pictured in a picture.

As fun as our trip was, I did miss my little buddy tremendously!! He stayed four days with CC and Papa Spray down at the lake and had a wonderful time. It was harder leaving him this time because I had just left him for our beach trip. I wish I had the long awaited reunion of the two of us on tape. It made my day! He couldn't stop smiling and looking at me for five minutes. It feels great to be loved :) and be a mommy. I wouldn't trade it for the world right now.

Things are definitely picking up this month. Steven is on ER rotations for the next two months. We love ER rotations because this way I am able to see him everyday and of course, he loves it because its what he wants to do long term.

Isaac is doing great and it feels like a he is getting so much older. And I know that sounds like a obvious comment but there,s something about his personality that is changing. Older acting. Unfortunately, he is getting a lot more clingy these days. He even will shy away from Steven when I'm holding him. He only has eyes for momma right now. Which is great of course, but also can get a little tiring.

Even though he wants me a lot, he still loves to play on the bed with daddy! I love these pictures of the two of them.

There's nothing better than a nice pair of baby legs.

He continues to enjoy eating.

Although once you put anything green down on his tray (green beans, broccoli, peas, etc) you can forget about it.

I even tried dousing the greens with honey but he saw straight through my tactics. Any ideas from my mommy friends on how to get them to eat their greens??

And of course after a big helping of spaghetti he still LOVES his bath time.

Last night Steven made Isaac laugh in the tub and I had to capture his huge smile on camera. I could eat this boy up with a spoon...

Spring just continues to tease me. I see beautiful buds all over the trees but the cloudy skies and colder weather just confuse me. I know it's only a matter of days.....

Doughnuts are yummy

I'm afraid this mishap with our laptop has taken a toll on my blogging rhythm lately. That and Steven's week of vacation. And don't worry about my cold fingers and toes as I type in the guest room (i know you were), it has actually warmed up considerably due to warmer weather outside. Imagine what my blogging will be like this summer when it's actually pleasant to be in this little room! Oh dear, I hope it won't be too hot then! Steven says I can be high maintenance sometimes. I don't know what he is talking about...

Like I said before, Steven had a week of vacation time this past week. Two words--MUCH NEEDED. We went to the beach for 5 days while my parents so graciously kept little buddy for us! I missed him like crazy and even cried when giving him up, but the time together with the hubby was oh so relaxing and wonderfully perfect. Unfortunately the weather wasn't warm enough to lay out or swim but that didn't stop us from getting in the hot tub!

And the weather didn't stop us from reading a whole lot.

And it definitely didn't stop us from eating chocolate covered doughnuts

(I would have taken the picture myself but I couldn't put my donut down)

If you are looking for a great book to read I recommend "Same kind of different as me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It definitely makes you take a look at your own life and ask yourself, how am I serving others today? At one time I was crying away in the hot tub while reading. Nothing has made me cry this hard since the last pages of "The Kite Runner." But, don't shy away from the book because it made me cry. Don't be fooled, it is wonderful and definitely a quick read for all you busy mothers out there.

One last thing. I thought you should know that I have improved immensely with my new camera. I'm not kidding. I have even impressed myself at times. The quality of my work is outstanding and hard to compare. Let me stop talking, I mean typing, and show you some examples. Here are few shots of Steven and I that I took on the trip.

This is us in the hot tub of course, right after I swam away from my camera real fast like to pose next to Steven. Steven made me nervous because he kept telling me not to splash the camera on my way into the arm holding, but I told him not to mess with a professional.

And onto my favorite of the week. A superb picture of us before going out to dinner. What? I don't see anything wrong with it.

Well, if you must know, I'm sure my pictures of the two of us would have eventually been superb if my hubby would let me take two. "You only have one chance" he tells me. Man, I need to practice more...

Here's to a relaxing vacation!

Walking!

Isaac's been walking for a little over two weeks now. However, only when he wants to. Don't ask him to walk if you want to show people near by, or if you have your camera out, or if he's grumpy... He has confirmed to me many times that he will walk on his terms and his terms only. So if you want to see it, come on over and stay awhile. Eventually he'll show ya. He uses the walk/crawl combinations interchangebly. I tried to post a video last week but of course my computer is often like my son and only does things when it feels like it. Let's try again....

This really isn't the best video to show you but it will have to do. Kids always seems to know when the camera is out, don't they. If this video doesn't work, I'll just have to try again later...

Howe

Unexpected blessings...

Yes, we are still around. Still here. I just haven't posted in a while, and for good reason. You see, our precious little one year old was parading around the room a few weeks ago and stumbled upon our laptop sitting on the arm of the big chair. When mommy's back was turned he found the cord with pure delight and quickly, like a flash of lighting, pulled the laptop off the chair and onto the hard tile floor below. As I opened the laptop (not even a year old laptop mind you) the screen was covered in beautiful multi colored lines.

To make a long story short we are using an old 1990's monitor (thanks to my sister in law) and projecting our laptop onto the standing monitor in our guest bedroom. The only problem is, just like I said, its a STANDING monitor in our guest bedroom. And I forgot to tell you that our guest bedroom stays cold....I mean really cold in the winter time. Not to mention Steven thinks the chair is really uncomfortable... :) So you really have to have a strong desire to get on the computer now....

The reason I titled this post "unexpected blessing" was because little did we know what a small blessing the laptop breakage would be. There were many days when I would get on the computer when Isaac would be taking his nap, comfy cozy on my plush couch, and not get off of it until he woke up. I'm embarrassed to say. No one tells you this little box will be so addicting when its so easily accessible. Often times when Steven would get home from work and want to wind down right away he would open the laptop, no fault to himself, and spend lots of time looking at whatever. Okay not whatever...Alabama football stuff.

But who can blame him!! Again that laptop was so easy to get to, a comfortable setting, and continuous web searching.....

Well, since the "crash" as I've come to call it our communication has improved since he's been home and we spend more time together during the night. Don't get me wrong...our marriage wasn't falling apart or anything but we did enjoy taking turns looking at the computer when Isaac went to bed and the TV was on. And of course this can lead to not saying too much the entire night....

okay, okay, so you get the idea. We are sad our dear laptop has crashed but thrilled all at the same time! Isn't it funny how God helps us out even when we don't see it ourselves...or I should say, don't want to see it ourselves.

Enough about the laptop.

I haven't been using the camera as much lately. I get tired of my house setting... please oh please get warmer so we can be outside!!

Saturday was beautiful so we went for a walk.

Even daddy got to come!

We you can't find your paci why not use the foot of your bunny!? This is how we find Isaac many a day.

I will be better at posting from now on. I just have to bundle up first and prepare my gluteus maximus for some hard sitting.

Oh, another good thing about the laptop breaking. I've been working out almost every morning. This is very unlike me. I am a runner, not a weight lifter. But since it has been so darn cold outside and I don't want Isaac to suffer I've been doing some things in doors. Hopefully by this summer I'll have a super cut body. Here's to dreamin'....

Wrestling an alligator!

Trying to change Isaac's clothes is quite the adventure. And often leaves me panting for breath and sometimes, I hate to admit, a little sweaty. I usually have to do it alone....but tonight, I had help!

Life

We went to Isaac's one year appointment on Friday. Here are the stats. (I'm so glad I have been typing these out because I haven't been keeping up with that good old baby book)

23.5 pounds (70%)

31 inches long (80%)

And who really cares about the circumference of their head??

I have the most fun with this little boy! He has the biggest grin that definitely melts my heart many a time.

He is doing GREAT at table food. I left the baby food in the dust and went straight to the goodies. He loves lots of things from chicken, turkey, broccoli, peaches, bananas, squash, sweet potatoes, cheerios, etc.....and...you will never guess. AVOCADO! yes, this boy actually likes the stuff. I was planning to video him on round #2 of the avocado taste test. Mainly to bring a laugh to me and my fellow bloggers. But, to my surprise he actually liked it. Oh well. I guess no laughing at my expense and more protein for this growing boy!

There is one slight delay in this toddler's diet. He doesn't get the sippy cup. Oh, he will drink from it alright but only if mommy holds it for him. If I'm not there to hold it for him he either plays with it, bites it, or chunks it across the room. Oh well. I guess things could be worse. Yes, much worse. He is doing great with whole milk so thats a plus.

He took his first steps the other day too! Only about three or so but he's doing it. Steven and I are trying to work with him but the majority of the time he thinks it just a game and laughs at his silly parents. So, he's either crawling or standing while pushing something. He loves to wrestle on the bed with Daddy! I'll leave you with some "wrestling pics."

Can I get a hoo ha two times Tuesday on DESIRING IT TO BE WARMER!!! (hoo ha....does anyone remember this stupid pizza commercial?) Steven and I occasionally use the term when were feeling extra cheesy. Anyway, back to the warmth. I cannot wait until spring time when the sky is blue and the weather is beautiful. Then I'll use my new camera more... Until then i'll try to stay less depressed inside and dream of summer.