The Williams'

Our new life...

2012-01-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

Michael, Emerson and I spent the 2 days following her arrival in the hospital. Gage stayed with his MeMe and made several trips to see us. Every time he would walk in the hospital room his face lit up and he quickly asked "where's Emerson?". We would point him in her direction and he would make sure to hug and kiss her and tell us how much he loved her. There aren't enough words out there for me to express how happy it makes me that he loves her so much! He is the sweetest Big Brother and so gentle with her!

We had lots of visitors in those 2 days. Most of the family came to meet Em, along with lots of friends. We were and still are so blessed to have so many loved ones and that is something I never want to take for granted!

Because neither of us had much sleep in the past few days and Emerson was having some trouble with her formula, Michael and I decided it would be best for her to go to the nursery both nights we were there. We didn't do that with Gage, and it seemed so sad to send her, but we both felt it was the best thing to do. We knew we needed to get some rest before we took her home. Although it was so hard for us, I'm so glad we made that decision. We were both able to get a good nights rest (as good as possible in the hospital) and felt much better because of it. By the time 6AM rolled around, they were bringing her back to us and we were able to love on her again!

On Friday, January 13th, at around 11AM, we left the hospital and started our new life as a family of 4. For the first time, Michael and I had not only one, but two kids to take care of. Two kids were our responsibility...forever! I can remember being a bit overwhelmed for a little while after we left. I knew everything would fall into place and we would figure everything out, but it was still a tad nerve-racking. How in the world would I ever give two kids enough attention for them to know how much I love them?

It seems strange to me, but I always thought that once you raise one baby, you surely wouldn't have any problems raising two. Everything was bound to come naturally...you know, kind of like riding a bicycle. Once you do it once, you never forget it. Boy was I wrong. I seemed like taking care of Emerson was equally as stressful as it was with Gage. I think you just forget how tiny they are and how much care they really do need. I absolutely LOVE having newborns. I love their smell. I love the way the grunt when they move. I love everything about them really. However, I still find it difficult to do every day activities from time to time ;) I had forgotten how hard it was to get myself bathed, my hair fixed, my makeup on, and a baby dressed and ready in order to be somewhere on time. Add a 3 year old to the mix and I guess you just get used to it...your going to be late! I'm pretty sure I have been pushing the clock to every appointment I have been to in the past couple weeks! Hopefully this will get better and I'll get back to my old ways of being places 15 minutes early. We shall see!

Finally, a family of 4!

2012-01-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

Sometime around 7AM, family started pouring in and our "Little Man" finally made it to the hospital. He came dressed in his favorite attire (I had no doubt he would) that included a cowboy hat that has been to Hell and back, jeans and his cowboy boots. I really wasn't sure how he would act, seeing me in a hospital bed with all those wires coming from my arms. He wasn't sure what to think at first, but after we explained to him that I wasn't hurt and that "Sister" would be here soon, he was fine! This is picture Sunny texted me before they left the house! He was SO ready to see her!

Around 8AM, the anesthesiologist came in and started all his paper work. Dr. Matthews is a client and friend of Michael's and had promised us months ago that he would be there when I had the baby. To be honest, I appreciated the gesture, but I didn't expect him to take time out of his busy day to make sure he was there. When he walked in the room, I was thrilled and completely honored, to say the least! I knew at this point, I was in great hands! He started spilling his guts to me about the risks involved with a c-section. Risks of blood transfusions. Risks of having to be put completely under. Risks about EVERYTHING! I didn't remember doing this the first time around, so I was ~~a little~~ a lot worried! It seems like I signed paperwork, pretty much signing my life away if it came to that, for forever! At this point, my plans were out the window. I just wanted to meet my Baby Girl...quickly!

In just a few minutes I had met with everyone who would be attending my surgery. Several of them I requested. One of the nurses, whose name is Brooke, has been a friend of mine for a long time and I asked her to be there with me. She was, and I was once again thrilled! Two other ladies, one being a scrub-tech and another being from the nursery, were friends of my Mom's from High School. We had no idea they would be there, but I was happy they would. I didn't know them from Adam, but the fact that my Mom knew them, seemed to make me more at ease. It turned out that, in a round-a-bout way, I knew every single person (with the exception of an Anesthesia student) that attended the birth of our Baby Girl! What a blessing! They got everything ready to go and down the hall to the operating room we went.

Now, you remember from the last post that my fear of needles is unimaginable and the next step was another of my fears coming to life...the spinal block. If you've ever had one of these, you know that it's a tad bit freeky. They stick a needle in your back with medicine in it that makes you able to feel nothing from your chest down. FREEKY, to say the least! Dr. Matthews talked to me the entire time he was doing the spinal. He was seriously the sweetest, most caring man I have ever dealt with...other than my husband, of course. Even though I knew all the risks involved, I still felt at ease with the situation.

When the spinal was done, they laid me on the table, let Michael in the room and started the procedure. When I had Gage, I can remember being scared completely to death. I didn't speak a word. Didn't move my arms. Nothing. This time was a different story. I feel sure they were probably wishing I would stop talking so that they could concentrate ;) I just had so much I wanted to say and so many question I needed the answers to. So, I asked them! Within minutes, I remember hearing one of the nurses say, "there she is" and I knew it wouldn't be long before I would hear her precious little cry! I couldn't wait!

When they finally got her completely out, I heard the most beautiful sound in the world. The sound of my Baby Girl!! Michael got up to go meet her and take pictures and I just laid there and listened. It seemed like she cried forever, way longer than I remembered Gage crying. It was music to my ears!

They got her cleaned up a little and Michael brought her to me! She was absolutely beautiful. She had chubby little cheeks, a tiny pug nose just like mine, and the sweetest face ever! She looked exactly like Gage did when he was born...exactly! I knew then, that my life would never be the same. Somehow, God had blessed me with 2 perfect children that I know surely didn't deserve! I can't tell you how complete I felt that day! At that point, we were officially a family of 4! What more could I want? My perfect plan happened just the way I had hoped it would...perfectly!

Dr. Rutledge finished sewing me up and they wheeled me off the recovery. I think I was in recovery for about an hour or so. After they got Emerson weighed, measured and cleaned up, they brought her to me. She weighed 8lbs 12oz (1oz more than her Big Brother) and she measured 19 1/2 inches. She was the most cuddly little thing ever and I couldn't get enough of her! Here is Gage seeing her for the first time through the nursery window! The look on his face is priceless and something I will cherish forever!

When my time in recovery was over, we requested that we have a few minutes with her and Gage alone. I wanted the day to be as special to him as it was for us. They brought him in the room to meet her and you could tell he loved her already. He was SO sweet to her and must have hugged and kissed her a million times! He knew just how to melt his Momma's heart!

After we let Gage see her for a few minutes the rest of the family came in to meet our new bundle of Joy! Emerson was one loved little girl that day!

I will post about our next few days later. It's time for me to go rock my babies!

A FAMILY OF 3

2012-01-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

Sometime around 20 weeks, my doctor and I scheduled the day that I would have my c-section to bring our baby girl into this world. I knew it was really early to be making such plans, but I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted to be able to schedule my clients so that they wouldn't have to miss any hair appointments. I wanted to work until the very last possible minute. My family thought it was crazy that with 20 weeks still left to go, I already had a date set. You see, I'm a planner. A bit of a control freak, as my husband would say. I knew ultimately I wasn't in control of this one, but I took it as a chance to try to be ;) I spent the next 20 weeks planning for Emerson's arrival. Working my normal schedule and making sure I saw each and every client one last time before she came.

On Tuesday, January 10th, my family of 3 spent our last night with just us. We had dinner and finished up some last minute things around the house. I can remember my mind racing all evening. I knew my life was about to change, I just wasn't sure how. I wondered how Gage would act when "Sister" finally got here. We had been telling him for months that she was coming and I'm pretty sure he stopped believing us sometime around the 7 month mark! He loves babies, but for one to be in his house and never leave was sure to be different. I worried my self sick about having another c-section. The first one was a breeze (compared to the 20 hours of labor prior to the surgery), but it seems like everyone wanted to tell me horror stories about having c-sections and why I shouldn't have one, like it was really my decision. But, that's a while 'nother story. I just wanted everything to go perfectly. The way I had planned them!

My cousin, Sunny, came over to spend the night so that Gage could sleep the next morning. I figured there was no sense in him being at the hospital with us at 6AM. Chances are, he would've been removed from the premises anyway ;) Most of the time he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed...kind of like his Momma!

We finally got everything ready and Gage in bed around 11. I decided I would probably not sleep very well, so I took the longest hot bath in history. I thought surely that would relax me enough to get some rest. I WAS WRONG!! I didn't sleep a wink that night and was beyond thrilled when the clock finally said 4:30AM, as strange as that was! We got up, got my make-up on and my hair fixed, and headed that way. I was determined that i would not look as if a train had hit me in all the pictures this time around! So far, everything was going great...just as I planned!

When we got to the hospital, my Mom was in the parking lot waiting for us. I'm feel sure she didn't sleep a wink either and there is no telling how long she'd been sitting there waiting. She did the same thing when I had Gage. She was there before we even left the house ;) I can't tell you how much it meant to me for her to be there. Most of time, she can keep me calm when no one else can. I needed that! The three of us went upstairs and started what was about to be another of the best days of our lives!

In less than 5 minutes, I was given a room and one of those lovely hospital gowns. You know, the ones with no back side. Yeah, I love them and I'm sure if you've ever worn one, you can sense every bit of sarcasm in my voice! The nurses came in and quickly informed me that since I was having a 2nd c-section, there were several risks involved and I would be getting not only one, but two IV's. This, my friends, is where my plans started flying out the window. If you know me at all, you know that my fear of needles if ridiculous. Until this pregnancy, I have never even been alone to have my blood drawn. I usually get someone to be with me so that if and when I pass out, there is someone there to catch me ;) Pitiful, I know. I'm 27 and I've watched my 2 year old son do better with needles! Anyway, 2 nurses came in to start my IV's. I immediately warned them of my fear and asked them please not to dig for a vein and if they couldn't get one, to find someone who could. Bless their hearts, I'm sure I had them scared to death before they even got started! Needless to say, neither of them got a vein the first time and they didn't exactly obey my wishes. I could feel them digging and the sweat started to pour! I ended up with a fan blowing under my sheet, towels around my neck, and probably a bad attitude, to boot! After 6 or 8 failed attempts, I finally got angry enough and they called someone who could get the job done. This angel of a nurse stuck me one time and it was over! Thank goodness! Probably half the sleepless hours the night before were spent in fear of getting a silly IV! I can remember telling Michael that "if this is any indication of how the rest of the day is going to go, it wasn't going to be good". He had nothing to say except, "everything will be fine, Babe". All the while, I was thinking "what in the world happened to my perfect planstarted getting my fluids and getting even more ready to meet my Angel!

Because this post is going on so long, I'm going to divide it into several posts. I know most of you don't care about all these details, but I don't want to forget anything and this blog is my only way of documenting!

She's here...

2012-01-21T14:14:00.001-08:00

I said I would post as soon as my baby girl made her debut, but honestly, I never dreamed my hands would be so full! When Gage was born, I can remember being able to do a few things around the house and take care of him at the same time. With Little Miss Emerson, not so much. She is a good baby, and as sweet as can be, but she is definitely high maintenance! I am going to post a few pictures for now, and later I will post about her entire Birthday! So, here is our sweet girl...

Miss Emerson Kate Williams

8lbs 12oz and 20in of absolute perfection!!

I'll be back shortly with all the details of our big day!!

It's almost time...

2012-01-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

After 9 long months of anxiously waiting, wondering, and wishing, the time has almost come. Tomorrow, at 8am, I will go into surgery and bring my baby girl into this world! Michael, Gage and I are beyond excited, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a nervous wreck! When Gage was born, the plan was to be induced and several hours later he would be there. Things didn't go as planned and he was delivered via c-section 20 hours after my induction started. This time will be SO different and I'm SO anxious! Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare to meet Emerson! I will have someone update as soon as she gets here!!

Not just for girls...

2012-01-07T09:15:00.001-08:00

Several months back, my cousin Kyle gave Gage something very special. He gave him a pair of Chaps and a Vest that our Aunt made for him when he was a little boy. I remember Kyle wearing them all the time and had no idea he even knew where they were at this point. Since that day, gage has put them on and taken them off a million times. If you don't know what chaos are, they are the pant things that cowboys wear that are usually colorful and have tins of fringe hanging from them. Little Man loves them! He may be the cutest "Bull Rider" I've ever seen! As a matter of fact, I know he is!

Along with the Bull Rider, we also have a Rodeo Clown costume. It is quite a sight! Cute as can be, but quite comical don't you think?

All this time I've been thinking that dressing up was for girls...I guess I was wrong!

Here comes Santa Clause...

2012-01-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

Just as I thought I was finished posting about Christmas, I realized I hadn't said anything about our experience with Santa! Back in the beginning of November, Michael and I took Gage to Branson for one last vacation before Emerson is born. While we were out shopping one evening we came across Santa and Mrs. Clause. They were set up in the cutest little house and I just knew Gage would go sit with them so that we could have a Santa picture for the year. He has never been afraid of him before, so I didn't figure this year would be any different. Typically, there isn't much he is afraid of. Well...I was terribly wrong. He threw the biggest fit you have ever seen and WAS NOT going to sit in Santa's lap. I was heartbroken!

So, for the next 6 weeks, he talked about Santa every day. He talked about him coming to our house. He loved seeing him in peoples yards at night. He had a Santa figurine that he played with. We read books. Watched movies. You name it. So, every year his baby sitter has a party for the kids and Santa comes to visit. We talked about the party for several days hoping that we could get him good and warmed up to the fact that we would be seeing him in real life again and secretly hoping he would be fine with him. The day came and this is what happened...

Now, if you know Gage at all, you know that he LOVES peppermints! I mean LOVES them! Just so happened that when Santa came in the door, he started handing out candy canes and from that point on, he loved him! He climbed right up in his lap and talked with him for several minutes. I was thrilled to finally get a Santa picture for the year!

Before he left, Gage gave him hugs and thanked him for the candy!

Thank You, Santa! See you again next year!

Christmas...Part 6

2012-01-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Another tradition I have had my entire life is going to my Dad's parents on Christmas Day. As a kid, my entire family (at the time there were 10-12 of us) would all sit around the living room and open gifts one at a time. It took several hours to open them all and was probably one of my favorite parts of the day. Now, we only do gifts for the kids and it just so happens that Gage is the only one. He is the center of attention, for sure!

My Aunt made him a new belt covered in cow hide that he has been begging her for! The only problem with it is, he doesn't want to take it off...ever! It's a fight every night to go to bed without it ;)

He got lots of new bucking bull toys too and my other Aunt bought him another back pack. It was exactly the same as the other one he got, but he acted as if someone had given him more gold. He has both of them filled with his things and he takes one with him everywhere he goes. Crazy kid!

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the floor playing with new toys and enjoying the last leg of our Christmas journey for the year!

I'm sure, if you aren't one of my family members, you are tired of reading about what we did on Christmas. Good news is, this is my last Christmas post until next year. As for the family, I hope I have showed you enough pictures to get by!

We had a wonderful Christmas and we are incredibly BLESSED! Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas...Part 5

2012-01-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I'm 27 years old, and on Christmas morning, I have the mentality of about a 5 year old! I just love it and having a child, makes it even better! Both of my parents and Michael's Dad come over to eat breakfast and spend the morning watching "Little Man" open his gifts and see what Santa left. This year, my parents got here around 7 and of course Gage wasn't awake yet. Probably the only day this year that he has slept past 6:30...go figure!

We finally decided to wake him up around 7:30 and tell him that Santa had been to visit. He was thrilled! He jumped straight up (not like him at all) and got out of bed to see what he left! Once he made it into the living room, he was shocked to see that everyone was here and got a little bashful (not like him either).

Finally, his Daddy talked him into seeing what Santa had left in his stocking and the bashfulness flew right out the window! He opened all his gifts and spent the rest of the morning playing with his new things!

Stay tuned for Part 6...

Santa Claus coming to town...

2012-01-07T06:53:00.001-08:00

After all the Christmas Eve festivities, we came home to do the norm...put out Santa's milk and cookies! Gage was really into it this year and wanted to make sure everything was perfect! We left chocolate chip cookies and milk for Santa. Gage and Daddy made chocolate milk and left a little something extra for the reindeer...

We have had the hardest time with Gage's paci's, as he thinks they are the best thing since sliced bread. He has been in love with them since day 1 and we haven't been able to get away from them. And one more thing, before you judge us for allowing an almost 3 year old to have his paci, remember that you, believe it or not, aren't the perfect parent either and I'm sure there are things that you do that I wouldn't agree with. Just had to get that one out before I start getting rude comments about my son and his paci. I mean all of this in the nicest way possible, but if you can't tell, I'm a little fed up with opinions ;) Anyway, we decided that maybe, just maybe, we could give the paci's to Santas reindeer because "they will be sad when Christmas is over". So, we got them all together, explained to Gage that they wouldn't be back and put them on the plate with the rest of the loot.

Gage did well. He went to bed without them and woke up the next morning without asking for them. I thought we were good to go. Little did we know, the dreaded stomach virus would hit our house on Christmas night and he would ask for them again. How in the world do you tell a sick kid no? If you can, your tougher than me! Needless to say, we got the paci's back from the reindeer and we are hoping to pass them down to Baby Sister in a few days. We shall see!

Stay tuned for Christmas Part 5...

Christmas...Part 4

2012-01-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

After spending the morning and most of the afternoon at my MeMe's house, we headed over to my Uncle's house. My cousin, Jennifer, had a little girl in March, so Gage wasn't the only kid this year. It's so nice that there are more kids around these days to spend the Holidays with! It seems to make the Holidays so much more fun! Here is Gage with his cousin, Kinsley! She is such a little doll and he loves her to pieces!

This is my Grandparents with their children, grand children, and great grandchildren. It is usually a nightmare to get my Grandma to be quiet long enough to have her picture taken, so this is the best we could get!

It was great to spend the evening visiting and watching the kids play and always such a relaxing way to wind down before Christmas Day! Thanks so much, Uncle Tony and Aunt Judy, for having us!

Stay tuned to see what we left for Santa...

Christmas...Part 3

2012-01-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

Since I was a tiny girl (my parents divorced when I was 2 and I'm guessing it started then), I have always spent Christmas Eve with my Mom's side of the family. My grandparents come over to my Mom's, we eat some lunch, and open gifts with my Mom. It is always a fun time and such a special time to me. I've always loved it! This year, Mom and Gage opened a gift a little early. I was so anxious for my Mom to open what we got her, that I couldn't sleep the night before. Let's just say...she loved it!

We got there around 9, ate a small breakfast and enjoyed each other's company for a few hours until my Grandparents made it there. When they arrived, we opened our gifts and ate the chili my Mom had made for lunch. As Gage opened his gifts from his MeMe, he acted as if every single one was just what had always wanted and they probably were. Here he is opening his Lincoln Logs. I remember my brother having these as a kid and loving them so there was no doubt Gage would too. And let me just tell you about this "bullrider backpack". He acted as if she had given him a ton of Gold!

Every year, MeMe gets Gage a couple Hallmark ornaments to put on his tree and a Hallmark recordable book. This year one of his ornaments was none other than "I-Story", AKA Toy Story. He was so excited when he opened it, but not really sure why we wouldn't let him play with it. One day he will understand...maybe! He was so amazed that his book had MeMe's voice in it. I guess this was the first year he was actually able to notice!

Christmas Eve was just as much fun as I've always rememebered it being. We finished the afternoon off with a good nap and headed to Uncle Tony's.

Stay tuned for Part 4...

Christmas...Part 2

2011-12-26T15:28:00.001-08:00

On Friday, we spent most of the day and evening at Michael's moms. She lives next door to Garvan Gardens, in Hot Springs and it was so much fun to go there and see all the lights! The kids loved it and the weather was perfect!

When we got back, we opened gifts, ate dinner and visited! It was great to have a low key evening and be able to enjoy family!

Grams got Gage a farm set and he was thrilled with it! It is crazy how much he loves farms and farm animals!

Our nephew Colson loves trains and dinosaurs and the boys had tons of fun playing together with all their toys!

Thank You Grams, for a wonderful Christmas and we can't wait to do it again! Stay tuned for Part 3...

Christmas...Part 1

2011-12-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

If you have been a follower of my blog for any amount of time, you know that the Holidays are crazy for us. We have several places to be so we try to split the, all up within a few days. For that reason, I'm going to post about Christmas by the day.

Michael and I decided that since we had so many places to be on the weekend, that we would go ahead and open our gifts from each other on Thursday night. I am seriously, the most impatient person EVER and knowing that I have gifts to open gets the best of me. I think Michael just gave in because I begged for them very single day until he did ;)

Gage opened a few of his too! He was SO much fun this year and SO different from the years in the past. The excitement in his eyes, as he opened each gift, made my heart melt every time!

I loved having our Christmas together, just the 3 of us, and I can't wait until next year when we will celebrate Jesus' Birthday as a family of 4!!

Stay tuned for Part 2...

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011

2011-12-17T11:43:00.001-08:00

Now that all my cards have been sent out for a couple weeks, I feel like everyone already has theirs and I can post them on here. I didn't want to ruin the big surprise for anyone who would be getting one in the mail ;) Typically, when I design our cards, I try to do something very non-traditional. I like for ours to be completely different from any card I've ever seen or designed! I was THRILLED with how ours turned out this year!! What do you think?

If you like what you see, feel free to visit me at

www.asimplysassydesign.com

I'd love to design something special for you!!

Until next time,

MERRY CHRISTMAS

FROM THE WILLIAMS FAMILY

35 weeks...

2011-12-15T18:59:00.001-08:00

It seems crazy, I know! I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You see, I don't do well with the whole pregnancy thing. I actually have great pregnancies (so I shouldn't complain) but I tend to be a little on the thick side, as it is, and 30 pounds doesn't help much. And to be honest, the constant "you look like you're about to pop" comments that i hear nonstop, wear me out. However, I love feeling her move around and it has been neat to see the difference from this pregnancy and my pregnancy with Gage. I cant wait to see how different (or similar) they are when she gets here! I have less than 4 weeks until my scheduled c-section and I CANNOT WAIT!!! I have been horrible about taking pictures this time and this one is far from great, but here it is! The 35 week belly picture. And before you say it, I already know, I look like I'm about to pop ;)

Family Pictures 2011...

2011-12-10T12:40:00.001-08:00

I think maybe, since September was the last time I blogged, I should probably do a little catching up and get back on my blog game. I was 23 weeks pregnant then and had recently found out that we were expecting a little GIRL! Now, I am almost 35 weeks pregnant and have never been more ready to meet her! I am feeling great, and for the most part I have had an awesome pregnancy. I have only had a few days when I thought I might not make it through these 9 months ;) I have been terrible about taking belly pictures this time, so I thought I would share some professional pictures we had made a few weeks ago! I am beyond thrilled with how they turned out and so glad I went ahead and had them made. For some reason, when you weigh 25 more than usual and your belly sticks out a foot from the rest of your body, you just don't feel great about having your pictures made ;)

Gage is so ready for his little sister to get here! He talks about her all the time and always asks when we are going to get her. I cannot wait to see the look on his face when he finally gets to meet her!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

This was Gage's 3rd Halloween and completely different from the years in the past. We are always so run down by dark, because we have so many people that want to see gage dressed up in his costume. This year we decided to have chili at our house for everyone in hopes that we could see everyone and still have time for trick or treating. Our plan worked out perfectly and Gage enjoyed having everyone here! This year, he decided on his own costume. For those of you who know him want be a but surprised...he was a Bull Rider!

And a cute one, if I do say so myself ;)

Emerson Kate Williams

2011-09-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've come to realize that my days of blogging every day are probably about over. I am always busy lately and when I have time to sit down at the computer, I don't actually have time to blog. Maybe an iPad would come in handy here ;) Anyway, last time I blogged I was 14 weeks pregnant and still very nervous about the next few weeks. Back in the Winter, I lost a baby at 12 weeks, so at 14 weeks I still wasn't in the clear.

I am now 23 weeks pregnant with a sweet little GIRL!!! So far everything is going well and the pregnancy has been great! I was very nauseous the first few weeks but never sick...THANK GOODNESS! I am not a good patient ;) I am feeling great now and looking forward to the next 16 weeks passing by QUICKLY!! I'm so excited for the Holidays to come. This time of year always seems to fly by for me!

Gage is beyond excited about having a "stister"! He talks about her often and asks about her every single day! I think he will be such a great big brother!

I would like to introduce to you...Emerson Kate Williams!!!

I have a scheduled c-section date for Jan. 11, 2012 and I can't wait to meet her!!

2011-07-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

How Far Along: 14 weeks, believe it or not ;) They say the belly comes faster the second time...they were right!
Weight gain: 2 pounds...I realize I look like I've gained much more, but I wasn't able to eat much for the first 12 weeks, so I actually lost a few during that time. I feel quite sure I'll make up for it ;)

Maternity Clothes: I wear my normal Summer clothes from last year for the most part. It won't be long and I'll be having to move on, I'm sure!

Gender: Don't know yet!

Movement: None so far. Sometimes I think I feel flutters, but it could be wishful thinking!

Sleep: I had a few sleepless nights, but nothing like when I was pregnant with Gage. Hopefully I continue to sleep well!

Symptoms: For the first 12 weeks, I was extremely nauseous, but I never got sick. I feel much better now!

What I miss: Nothing so far!

Cravings: Anything salty or sour. Absolutely nothing sweet!

Best Moment this week: To be honest, this week hasn't been the best for us. We have had the stomach virus. That, on top of being pregnant, wasn't so fun! This week should be better!

What I am looking forward to: Finding out what we are having in a few short weeks! We should find out the 2nd week in August!

2011-07-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been scolded, by my Mother, that I need to start blogging again. To be honest, I have been wanting to get back to it anyway, but it just isn't the most convenient thing ever. I seem to never find the time.

In other news, Michael and I are expecting a baby in early January!!! We are beyond excited and thrilled to have another baby to love on soon! Gage isn't too sure what to think yet, but I'm sure he will come around. He loves babies and I know he will be the BEST Big Brother! We should find out what we are having sometime around the first of August and I can't wait to share the news!

The Summer has been so hot here that it really isn't even enjoyable. I'm not fan of warm weather and certainly not a fan of 100+ weather. However, we have managed to take Gage to Big Daddy's to go swimming several times already. He loves the water!

His favorite thing to do is jump off the "dina cord". I think these pictures of him jumping are just priceless!

Hopefully I will be able to get back to my regular blogging and I'll be talking to you soon! I'm going to do my best!

2011-04-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Gage is really into "Shoo Shoo Shrains" lately! He carries them around with him everywhere he goes!

He loves this cute little hat too! I think it is so funny to see him wearing a hat that is obviously WAY too big for him! I usually covers the tip of one ear! SO CUTE, I tell ya!

The last couple weeks have been pretty nasty here, but before that, the weather was perfect for playing outside. I was able to get some really cute pictures of Gage on his play set!

He's such a little monkey!!

2011-04-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Kristi and I took the kids to the Little Rock Zoo. If you've ever been there, you know that it really isn't that great, but the kids like it anyway. I really wish our zoo was a little better :( Anyway, I had my doubts that the day would be incredibly enjoyable with 4 kids, but I was wrong! They were all 4 perfect that day! We couldn't have asked for better kids!

As you can imagine, we didn't have much time to take pictures. We were both pushing a double stroller and the kiddos were constantly yelling, "wanna see a-nuder one". However, we did get a couple right before we left. Here are all of the kids together!

And this is Gage holding "Baby Kin", otherwise known as Kinlynn ;)

We had a great day and I can't wait to do it again!

I'm back...again!

2011-04-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

This month has been very crazy for us (hence the absence of my posts)! The past few months have been, actually. We have decided to sell our house, Gage turned 2, Michael has been playing lots of softball, and I've been crazy busy designing things for some very special customers! As a result of all this, I haven't had any time to blog! I guess I'll start by posting some pictures from Gage's Birthday Party...

To begin with, I went to pick up Gage's cake on the morning of the party. Leaving the cake lady's house, I had to hit the brakes and the rest was history. The cake went flying into the floor of my car and pretty much destroyed all the icing. I went back to Nikki and she did her best to fix what I had messed up. This would be the reason the cake is covered in cracks and the orange icing doesn't exactly match! Oh well, it was still delicious!

Gage opened lots of gifts from lots of sweet friends! I have had to put some of them away in the closet to bring out as the year goes on. There was absolutely no way we would have a place for all of them if they were all opened. This child is WAY too spoiled!

After opening gifts, Gage blew out his candles. He thought that was pretty neat!

Here is our only family picture from the day! I think he was enjoyed eating his cake way too much to mess with us!

I ordered these cupcakes to give to Gage's little friends and made the labels for them! I thought they turned out really cute!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my little man! I cannot believe he is already 2 years old! He is such a joy in our lives and we love him so much!!

My Angel...

2011-02-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

If you are a regular follower of my blog, you probably knew that Michael and I were expecting a baby in August. As of last Tuesday, I was 12 weeks pregnant and feeling great! I had no complications, very few days of sickness, and I was looking forward to seeing the changes in my ever-growing belly. Unfortunately, on Thursday, our lives were turned upside down.

Michael and I went to the doctor on Thursday morning for our regular pre-natal check up. We went through the normal things you do there and headed to the ultrasound room. I had a terrible knot in my stomach and I had a feeling something wasn't right. As soon as the doctor started the ultrasound, I knew my feelings were correct. The baby had no heartbeat and measured to be about 7 weeks. My heart completely sunk, as I knew my Angel had gone to Heaven.

My days are really tough and my nights are even tougher. Often times I find comfort in knowing that my Granny Lou is spending her days rocking my sweet baby, until I'm there to take her place! God is good and I know eventually I'll see his blessings in this tough situation! Thankfully, I have another little Angel keeping me pretty busy and my mind (somewhat) off of things!

Thanks so much for listening and please keep us in your prayers!

Snow Day...

2011-01-11T15:53:00.000-08:00

If you are one of the 3 followers of my blog, I'm sorry I've betrayed you. Last time I got on here to blog, I could not upload pictures and I just got fed up with it! I'm going to try again, but I'm not going to backtrack any. Let's just start on what's new. What do you say?

On Sunday, our local meteorologist had been calling for snow for several days. To be honest, normally when they call for snow, we never see it. I figured this time would be no different! To my surprise, I took a nap with Gage at 1:30 on Sunday and when we woke up at 3 it had started to snow and it was coming down quickly!! Shortly after, this is what we saw...

you got it! 6 inches of snow and it was still falling! This wasn't Gage's first snow, but it was the first one he was really able to enjoy! He had so much fun playing and all he could do was scream!

We didn't have any gloves for him to wear and the snow was still coming down pretty hard, so we decided we would go back in and wait until Monday morning to make a snowman. Little Man wasn't too happy about going in, but we promised to take him out again and he was fine!

Monday afternoon we went back out to play! He and Daddy threw snowballs for a while and I worked on his first Snowman. I knew he'd be so excited when it was finally done! He LOVES snowmen!!

He wasn't too sure about the snowman wearing his hat at first. It took him a minute to decide he was ok with it!

We made the mouth out of life savers that ended up falling off as soon as we put them there. Gage found them and couldn't let them go to waste. Oh the joy of being a child. I could never get away with that ;)

Apparently blogger is going to act right now! I hope you have enjoyed a little glimpse into Gage's Snow Day! Be back soon...

Day 2...Pensacola, Fl

2010-10-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

By the morning of the second day, the rest of the family had made it and we were all in Pensacola. The kids couldn't wait to go to the beach, so around 9am we headed out there. The weather was beautiful...the perfect day for the beach! The little boys played with their sand toys and the big kids built a sand castle...

Perhaps they get their sand castle building skills from their Uncle Michael ;)

Gage threw more sand and got a little taste of it, too!

Big Daddy buried his legs and he thought that was pretty neat! Actually, he thinks everything Big Daddy does is pretty neat!

This picture cracks me up every time I see it. Tammy (Michael's Sister) was trying to get Colson to sleep and I looked over to see this. The wind was blowing something terrible and it had blown her umbrella inside out...she had no idea!

To end the morning with a bang, Michael took Gage swimming in the ocean for the first time. He loved splashing around, but the taste of the water...not so much!

Late that evening we took the older kids crab hunting. I didn't have a big enough flash, so there are no pictures of that, but we did get these! Some of my favorite ones of the entire week...

I hope you enjoyed a small recap of our 2nd day at the beach! Check back later for Day 3!!

Pensacola, Fl...Day 1 (cont.)

2010-10-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

(Sorry it is taking me so long to tell about our vacation. I wrote this post several days ago, but Blogger and I haven't been good friends, so my pictures wouldn't upload. Honestly, I am just about at my wits end with the silly thing)

Mid-morning of our first day at the beach, we started seeing dolphins jumping in the water. It was so neat to watch them and they stayed out there for what seemed like hours. I was lucky enough to get a couple pictures of them. *I left my zoom lens in the room, so these aren't great, but they'll do!

Daddy and Gage spent the majority of the morning playing in the sand. Apparently, Gage was under the impression that the sand was there to throw. That's about all he did!

He and Daddy played in the water a bit and then, for the hilight of the day ;)

Michael attempted a sand castle and realized quickly, that wasn't his deal. I got tickled at all his castles falling as soon as he would pick the bucket up!

After a long day of playing, I looked over and this is what I saw...

Sleepyhead! It wasn't long before he was out like a light. He slept behind the chair for a while and he was up and at it again!

This is the end of our first day...stay tuned for the rest of the week!

Pensacola, FL...Day 1

2010-10-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday night, we started the much-anticipated trip to Pensacola, FL! Michael's Dad and Stepmom invited us to go with them for the week, along with his sister and her family. We couldn't wait to get there, but we weren't too sure about traveling with a 19 month old. We decided it would be better to drive at night and worry about sleep later, so we did. Gage did really well on the way there and only woke up a few times. We finally made it there at around 5 in the morning on Wednesday and were able to get a couple hours sleep in before he woke up for the day. This was his first time to see the beach or the hotel swimming pool, and he said "iss-tha-water" about a thousand times!

He loves the water and he loves to play in the dirt, so there was no doubt in my mind he would love the beach! Here are those tiny toes in the sand for the first time! He loved it!!

Daddy finally took him to the water, but he wasn't too sure about it! I think it was just a little cool for him!

No more time for now, but I'll be back later to finish up our first day!

To be continued...

2010-09-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

Last week was fair week in our town. As a kid, I always loved the fair and had so much fun there. This year, we took Gage and he loved it! We only rode the Merry-Go-Round a couple of times, but he loved seeing all the people. I think he's going to be a people watcher like his Momma!

And of course, the week wouldn't have been complete without getting to see Rance. Gage loves Rance! I mean, who wouldn't? He gets to go for a ride every time he sees him. Rance is the perfect babysitter ;)

Unfortunatly, that's all the pictures I have. Michael was the photographer, and that's not his deal! Maybe next year we will do better ;)

2010-09-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

If you've read my blog for long, or you know me personally, you probably know that I LOVE to go the Zoo! All year long I wait for the perfect Zoo weather so that I can take Gage to see the animals. Last Saturday, my Mom called to see if we wanted to join her family (JD, Laine, and Laine's sister, Allie) for a trip to the zoo. So, of course we went. The weather was wonderful, the animals were out and about. And Gage seemed to enjoy it!

Gage wasn't in the mood for pictures, apparently, but I got a few good ones. I love this one of him and his Daddy! Michael is such a good Daddy, and to me, this picture shows it!

The monkeys and gorillas were in full force that day. I don't know that I've ever seen them show out so much!

This little lady brought her baby over to show us. She sat right under us for probably 10 minutes showing off her new bundle of joy!

Gage, Allie and Laine fed the Donkeys! I honestly think Gage could stand there and feed the Donkeys and Ponies all day long. It is by far, his favorite part of the Zoo!!

See, not interested in pictures in the least! He gets his crankiness from his Daddy ;)

If you're wondering how I got these pictures of the bear to look so "up close and personal", that's because I was very "up close and personal"! There was nothing between me and Betsy Bear except a clear piece of glass. I was standing no more than 2 feet from her when she walked up and put her nose on the glass. Kind of an eery feeling, but at least I got some good shots!

Before I go, I have one more thing to say about our dear Little Rock Zoo. Michael and JD went to the snack bar to get drinks. They brought back 4 drinks and a reciept and probably, a sick feeling in their stomach. Hold on when I tell you this because I almost passed out when they told me...the 4 drinks cost them $63! And no, I'm not joking! So, moral of the story...when you go to the Zoo, do your best not to get too thirsty, or take a loan out to buy drinks!

This ones for you, MEME!! We love you and thanks for the day at the Zoo!!

Playtime Pizza...

2010-08-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night, we decided to go with some friends to Playtime Pizza! Our original plan was to go on Friday night, but thanks to my wonderful hubbs, we changed plans. The place was SO calm and the boys were able to play without getting trampled by big kids. Gage loved all the games, and he especially loved the big blocks!

He helped his Daddy play Deal or No Deal and couldn't get enough of the button pushing.

Apparently he did a good job with it, so they tried a few other things. Gage has so much fun throwing the basketballs into the cage. It won't be long before he will be able to shoot it all the way to the basket!

This is Gage and his buddy Aaron. They were born on the same day and Gage has always been much bigger. I think Aaron wanted to let him know that just because he's little doesn't mean he's a weenie! Look at him bowing his chest at Gage! So funny!

All in all the boys had a lot of fun and I'm sure we will be going back soon!

And by boys, I mean ALL of them...big ones included ;)

Sprinkler fun...

2010-08-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

I told you I'd return with more pictures from Gage's fun in the sprinklers and I am. I thought I'd spare you a story and let these pictures do the work...

If this doesn't make your heart smile, we aren't friends anymore ;) Just kidding, but it sure puts a smile on my face (and in my heart)!!

Photo Editing

2010-08-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here lately, I have had several people ask me about my pictures that I post of Gage. I have had numerous questions about them, but for the most part they are pertaining to my editing-not my actual picture taking. Now, I am by NO MEANS a photographer. I love to take pictures and I love playing with them, but I'm not a professional by any stretch. One of my favorite things to do after I take the pictures is to edit them. I think it's a fun way to make a basic picture look really neat!

...and here it is after I fiddled with it a bit...

I thought they all turned out pretty neat!

I'll be back tomorrow to show you more pictures from our fun night in the sprinkler!

2010-08-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

The Arkansas heat has been so terrible this year. It seems like every year it gets hotter here and more humid. I have never been a big fan of Summertime and certainly not when it's this hot. One day last week, Gage cried all day to go outside, so the next morning I took him out before the heat set in. He had so much fun playing with his trucks!

I could just pinch those little chunky legs!

He loves to make the "vroom" sound with his lips...its so cute!

I have never seen a child who loves to "rock-rock" as much as he does. He sits in every chair he sees and says, "rock-rock, rock-rock" over and over again!

These little eyes melt my heart everytime! What an Angel I've been blessed with!

Is anyone else ready for fall?

2010-08-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, we got a call with some devastating news. Michael's Mom called to tell us that his step-dad had cancer. Of course, when we heard the news, we never guessed that a few short weeks later we would be saying "good-bye" to him forever.

Unfortunatly, Grandpa Louis passed away this weekend. He was such a sweet man. He was very gentle, very loving, and always had a hug waiting on us when we saw him.

We spent the majority of the weekend with Michael's family. Although it wasn't the "ideal situation" for the family being together, it was nice to see everyone and visit. I think the kids ate about 100 popsicles and I couldn't help but take some pictures of them.

Michael's Mom has a long road ahead of her, dealing with the loss of her husband. Please keep her and the rest of the family in your prayers!

Until next time, I'll leave you with a picture of one handsome little man!

2010-08-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

After LOTS of thought, I have finally taken a step...I bought a new lens today!!! If you read my blog much, you know that I absolutely love photography. Most of the time, I have the same subject-GAGE-but I could take a million pictures of that little guy and never have enough! I have been reading...thinking...reading...thinking...about this lens for quite some time now and I finally broke down today. So far...

Gage has had his picture taken with it hundreds of times and I love it!

I love the blurriness behind him and it was exactly what I wanted in a new lens!

I'll be back later with more pictures, I'm sure! That new lens will be worn out before the sun sets ;)

2010-08-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Mom and I took Gage to the grocery store to pick up a few things. When we walked in, Mom sees a cart with a plastic car on the front for kids to ride in. As you can already imagine, Gage rode around the store in this silly car. When the trip was over, we took him out and he threw the biggest fit imaginable. In the middle of the store. With people everywhere. I was completely embarrased, but Mom, not a bit. Her response to the tantrum was, "go by Wal-Mart and I'll buy him one of those cars". I didn't do it, but I knew it wouldn't be long before she did.

Sure enough, an hour later, Michael, my brother, and 2 of Michael's friends are assembling a Little Tikes car in my living room. Gage already has one of these at MeMe's house, but apparently it was necessary to have one at home too.

I like to give MeMe a hard time about spoiling this little angel, but really I appreciate everything she does for us sooo much!

Gage does too!!! We love you MeMe, and Thank You for the new car!

2010-07-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Our home has been invaded by the dreaded BELLY BUG this week. Gage has been sick since last Thursday, and has just now caught a break. I have felt so sorry for him and so helpless. I can truly say that the worst thing about being a Mom is the helplessness you feel when the little ones are sick. There's just simply nothing you can do to make them feel better. So...

Last Christmas, Gage got so many toys from family that I decided to put a few things up until he was tired of playing with what he had. I had really planned on bringing them down before now, but those grandparents of his won't quit buying new toys to replace the old ones. Anyway, since he has been so sick and I have felt so sorry for him, I got his Little People farm out for him. He LOVES animals so I thought it was only appropriate!

He drove the tractor down both our legs numerous time making the "vroom" noise!

Turns out, I should've got it down months ago...he loved it!

Blogging Challenge

2010-07-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

So, I've been blogging for a couple of years now. From time to time, I tend to get discouraged from it and forget for a while. I very rarely have comments on my posts, and I very rarely comment on other peoples posts. Blogging seems to be a waste if no one is listening, giving advice, or just simply letting me know they've been there.

This week, on Jenna's blog, she's having a challenge for everyone to comment on atleast 10 blogs per week. I'm so excited about this and I hope it gives me reason to do better myself.

So, with all this being said, let me know you've been here and I'll do my best to hold up my end of the deal ;) Talk to you soon!

a little man in the tub...

2010-07-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

I cannot even begin to explain to you how much Gage loves bath time. Every night when we get finished with dinner, he goes straight into the bathroom and pulls back the curtain. The first few times we thought it was coincidental, but we soon realized that this was very much on purpose. I guess there's nothing better than a good bath before bedtime!

Usually by the time his bath is over, there is a huge puddle of water in the floor and water splashed all over the walls.

At least he doesn't fight me when bath time rolls around!

Another of his favorites is running around naked when he gets out. When he was a baby, he had a terrible diaper rash and the doctor told us the best thing for it was air. So...to this day, Gage still feels the need to "air out". Usually the airing out lasts about an hour and luckily we haven't had any accidents on the carpet...yet!

I feel quite sure that's the cutest naked booty I've ever seen!

Puppy Love...

2010-07-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

When Michael and I met, I had a dog. She's not your ordinary dog though. As a matter of fact, she thought she was a human. She followed me everywhere I went and stayed inside most of the time.

When Gage was born, her poor little life changed a bit and she grew to be second in line. She has never been the friendliest of dogs, and I really wasn't sure about having her around a baby.

Needless to say, Roper and Gage have developed into being pretty decent buddies. She isn't big on him being rough with her, but just like always, she loves the attention. Last night, I caught him giving her hugs...

and isn't that sweet?

Outside, Momma...

2010-07-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

Gage has learned a new word this week, and he feels the need to use it quite frequently. Apparently the heat isn't as bad to him as it is to me because he can't get enough "outside".

He loves it out there! I don't think we've ever spent money more wisely than the money we spent on the playset!

He loves it and he's even learned to climb the ladder by himself! Scary...I know!

One of his favorite things to do is to stand at the bottom of the slide and jump off. To be honest, it scared me to death the first time he did it. I felt certain he was going to break something and I feel sure there are injuries to come. They say its just part of raising a boy ;)

He falls head first everytime...

I guess it's good thing he's tough!

2010-07-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

I had a few more pictures of our day at the ranch that I wanted to share. Pictures certainly don't do this place any justice, but I had to post them anyway!

This is the creek Gage was playing in! It is such a beautiful place!!

And here's Papaw perched on the creek bank!

This is such a neat picture to me. You can barely see the cows ears above the grass. Those things watch every move you make!

I feel so sorry for this little lady. I think she's quite possible about 12 months pregnant ;)

Last but not least, the men in my life! I love them more than life itself!

I hope you have enjoyed a "mini-tour" of Dad's ranch!

Have a great rest of the day!!

Visiting Papaw...

2010-07-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

Michael, Gage and I went to see my Dad yesterday. It was so incredibly hot, and we weren't sure what we would do when we got there, but we went anyway. It is still so hard not having my Dad living 15 minutes away anymore. We spent the majority of the day inside visiting and playing with Gage, but when the weather cooled off, you had better believe we were outside.

I have been wanting to take Gage to play in this creek since the first time I saw it. Every other time we have been there it has been too cold, but yesterday it was perfect!

He LOVED the water!!

I never dreamed I would be one of those Mother's that would allow my son to be absolutely filthy the majority of his life. The truth is, there's nothing cuter than that little dirty face when he's having fun! As long as he loves it, so do I!!

He would bend down, pick up a rock, throw it back, and do it all over again! SO CUTE!!

This little boy melts my heart!

Thanks for having us, Papaw!

2010-07-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's hard for me to believe how fast my little tiny baby is growing up. In fact, he's not a little tiny baby anymore at all. He's getting bigger by the minute and running around so fast I can't keep up with him.

His Daddy has taught him a terrible thing...he now climbs UP the slide! Not good...not good at all!

He thinks it is really fun to climb up and go down...face first!

Yeah...lovely huh?! The thing is, it's really hard to get onto him when he turns around and does this! He is so excited, he can't quit laughing!

He has learned to do the "motor" sound with his lips. He does it everytime he sees a 4-wheeler, golf cart, motorcycle-mainly just anything that has a motor. His face is so cute when he does it!

I love this little dare-devil with all my heart!!

Some more 4th of July...

2010-07-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Big Daddy had a 4th of July party on Monday, so we spent the day there. MeMe and Paw joined us and had a good day playing in the pool!

For dinner, Big Daddy cooked Crab Legs and shrimp...it was YUMMY!!!

Happy 4th of July and I hope it was good to all of you!

Until next time...

4th of July...

2010-07-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July weekend was a lot of fun this year! This was our first year to actually be able to enjoy the fireworks and all that goes along with celebrating the Holiday.

Sunday, Mom and JD invited us to the lake for fireworks. We had plans to spend the evening with Brian, Kelea, and Joe, so we just took them along with us. This is Gage's buddy, Joe. He is the cutest little thing, and as country as he can be! I just love his little accent!

We got to the lake a little early so the boys could play and I'm so glad we did! They loved the water, and of course...Laine! Gage loves Laine!

This is such a neat picture of Brian and the boys! They loved playing in the sand!

It didn't take Joe long to realize that Laine was a pretty cool guy!

He got up in the middle of the fireworks to sit with him.

Gage sat with his MeMe and was passed out before the show got started good. It was a long day for a little boy!

I ended up getting some great shots of the fireworks!

We had a great time and can't wait until next year!

Simply Sassy Designs

2010-06-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

So...for a couple weeks now, I have been working on some new things in the "design world" and I have posted some really neat designs! Please visit Simply Sassy Designs to see what I have going on! I would love to know you've been there, so feel free to leave a comment!!!

2010-06-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." - Clarence Buddington Kelland

Happy Father's Day to a very special Daddy in my life! Words can't describe how wonderful it feels to have married such a wonderful man and role model for my son! Never once have I doubted his love for Gage and I, and for that I am so thankful! Michael, Gage and I love you with all our hearts! I hope this Father's Day was the best one yet!

2010-06-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

As I told you before, my Dad moved away a few months ago and I hardly ever see him anymore. Well, since this Sunday was Father's Day, I figured there was no better time to go see him. The entire family went to see him, actually!

Growing up, my Mom used to tell me, "you think you're Daddy hung the moon". My parents were divorced and I'm sure her saying that wasn't always a good thing, but I didn't know the difference. I'm sure she couldn't have meant it to be too terrible! The truth was, I did think he hung the moon. He was never wrong in my eyes and I loved him dearly! As it turns out, I still feel sort of the same now, at age 26! He still hung the moon, and I love him dearly...but, as I've gotten older I have figured out that, on occasion, he is wrong. Sorry Dad ;)

Anyway, on with the story. When we got to Dad's house, he had something extra special for his favorite little man...a swimming pool! And guess what...Gage loved it!

I have never seen a 16 Month old that loves to have water splashed in his face so much!

Are you ready, Mom? Ready...

get set...

GO! The water takes his breathe every time. But he loves it!

We spent the hottest part of the day playing inside. What is it with kids being so fascinated with shoes that are way too big for them? I don't know, but it sure was cute watching him play with them!

Until next time, here's a little goodbye kiss for you!

Happy Father's Day to all the special Daddy's out there!

2010-06-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

If you remember, a few weeks ago, we took Gage to Big Daddy's for the first time this Summer. He wasn't too sure what to think about the water, and wasn't a fan of being in it. We did our best to make it fun for him, though. We taught him to splash and kick his feet. And we threw his ball back and forth hoping it would show him how much fun it could be.

Since that day, every time we put him in the bathtub, we have to tell him to "sit down" and "stop splashing so much, you're making a huge mess". He soaks the entire bathroom and makes huge messes!

Anyway, I have been really bothered by the fact that Gage doesn't like the pool, because I think the worst thing for him is to be afraid of it.

Last night, we tried it again. And to our surprise...

HE LOVED IT and wasn't afraid at all! Maybe a little too unafraid!

He splashed everyone in the pool and made a special attempt to put his face in the water!

I'm not sure, but I think I have my hands full with this child!

2010-06-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Mom and JD invited us to go to the "beach" for a while. About 15 minutes from my Mom's house, there is a lake with the neatest little beach area that was the perfect place for Gage to play.

After eating lots of sand and making mud-pies, he finally decided it would be fun to go out into the water to play for a while.

He and MeMe and Paw had lots of fun splashing in the water!

But, then again, what don't they have fun doing?

Happy Birthday...

2010-06-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

When Gage was born, I knew that my "ranking" was going down. I didn't, however realize that I was going to fall off the face of the earth.

Monday night, my Mom cooked dinner for my Birthday. I requested Tacos and of course-that's what I got! BUT...when we walked in the living room, Mom said "look what MeMe got you", and she wasn't talking to me! Just take a look at what Gage got for my birthday!

Yep...it's a new car! And he loved it!

(Just so that you won't feel too sorry for me, I did get a gift of my own. Mom got me 2 new Girly Girl t-shirts and some flip-flops...And I love them!)

Memorial Day: Part 3

2010-06-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

On Monday, we spend the day at Big Daddy's swimming in the pool again. It took Gage another 30 minutes or so to warm up to the water, but eventually he did!

Tammy and Jayson (SIL & BIL) came over with their kids and swam with us! Gage and Colson had a blast splashing around in the water together!

They were so cute and I can't wait to do it again!

I have a feeling these boys are going to have lots of fun together!

I had to put this one in the post somewhere!

I think this little face is priceless!

Memorial Day: Part 2

2010-06-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Michael's softball team made it to day 3 in the tournament, so Gage and I decided to join him. Now, if you know me very well, you know that:
#1 I hate to be hot and
#2 I don't like to miss any time at the lake (especially for a softball tournment...we have those every week).

But, this weekend I made an exception. I hate that Michael never gets to go to the lake with me, so I just spent the day at the ballpark. I figured Gage might last 30 minutes before it was too hot for him, but to my suprise, we got there at 11 and he made it all the way to the very end of the tournament at 5pm. We played in the dirt...a lot!

We built mud pies!

And by the end of the day, he was filthy and a perfectly good shirt was runined! I guess that's part of having a boy!

When we left the ballpark, we went to Big Daddy's for some much needed time in the swimming pool!

Little Man wasn't too sure about it at first, but after a few mintues, he warmed up!

Yay for swimming season!!! Can't wait to go back!

Memorial Day: Part 1

2010-06-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning, Gage and I went to the lake to spend the day with some family. Michael was playing softball and wasn't able to go, so I decided to tackle the nerve-racking event on my own. I had a lot of family there, but it still made me a nervous wreck to have little man out on the water.

He loved "driving" the boat, but it didn't take long for the hum of the motor to put him right to sleep!

We tried several time to get thim to swim, but he wouldn't have it. He pretty much sat on the boat all day long. Thank Goodness for a covered party barge ;)

2010-05-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

I was looking back through some pictures and I realized I had not posted any of these.

A few weeks ago, my Dad came by on his way back out of town to see Gage. He usually comes by every Sunday to see us before he goes back home. I am really having a hard time dealing with my Dad living so far away, but it helps that he comes by once a week or so.

Papaw taught Gage how to mow the yard...

and blow BIG bubbles!

And Gage taught Papaw how to drive a "real" truck!

The two of them had a blast laughing at eachother!

Come back soon, Papaw! We love you and we can't wait to see you!

2010-05-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

I decided that since my blog header had snowflakes on it, I would make a new one! What do you think?

2010-05-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that Summertime has finally come! Although I'm not a huge fan of the heat, I love to be by the water. I mean...in the water! Last week, we took Gage to Big Daddy's for his first swim of the year.

The water was still way too cold for him to go swimming, but he loved splashing around with his feet!

When the sun went down, it started getting a little cool outside, so we decided to go inside. Gage wasn't a fan of the idea :( I think we have a little water bug on our hands!

Summertime...here we come!

GIVEAWAY...

2010-05-06T11:51:00.003-07:00

In honor of my 2nd Anniversary, I am giving away 20 Recipe Cards! Go to my website at http://www.asimplysassydesign.com/ for more details! You could be the lucky winner!

WALKING: POST 3

2010-05-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

For a couple of months now, Gage has been taking a few steps here and there. It started before his first birthday and really didn't progress very quickly (or much at all). To be honest, when he turned 14 months old and wasn't walking yet, I really started to worry about him. I didn't mention it to anyone, but I was worried. He would kick one leg out to the side and it caused him to fall every time.

Every Wednesday night, we go to my cousin's house to eat dinner. There are always 10 or 12 people there and Gage loves to play with all of them. Well, last week while we were there, Gage decided he would start walking to everyone instead of crawling to them. As thrilled as I was, something still didn't seem right to me. That leg just wouldn't stay straight. The next morning, he woke up. Took a step. Then several more. And he hasn't stopped since. I guess there was nothing wrong after all! THANK GOODNESS! What a blessing it is to have such a healthy ~~baby~~ big boy!

The moral of this story...Gage is WALKING!!! Way to go, Brother!!

ZOO DAY: POST 2

2010-05-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do, when the weather is nice, is go to the zoo. Last weekend, Mom and I took Gage to the zoo for the first time this year. The weather was perfect and the animals were all out and about.

I have seen the "Lorikeet" exhibit several times, but never once have I ever wanted to go in there. I mean, a cage full of birds flying around my head has never interested me in the least. Well, Mom just had to go in there to show Gage the birds, so off we went.

Unlike my mother, I was extrememly nervous. Just something about the birds didn't set well with me. This one climbed up her arm and into her hair. It was lucky to find it's way out of there ;) Sorry Mom, I had to.

There is a new lion at the zoo this year. I'm not too sure what his name is but he was really pretty.

I caught him mid-yawn!

It has been years since I have seen a Rhino at our zoo. I'm not sure if they just got them again, but there were 2 of them there. I was able to get a close up of this big guy! He was pretty neat!

A few weeks before Gage was born, Michael took me to the zoo. This baby monkey had just been born and the zookeepers were there telling us all about him. He was tiny then, but he's getting close to his MaMa's size now. Funny how kids grow so quickly ;)

We got up close and personal with the giraffes this time.

Sadly to say, they really aren't that cute when you get this close.

One of my favorite animals at the zoo is the tiger. They are such beautiful creatures!

If only there were just a little sweeter!

Of all the animals at the zoo, Gage liked the Donkey the best. He fed him tons of Cheez-its and laughed every time. He is going to have to have one of these for sure. HA!

We had a great day at the Zoo, and we can't wait until the next time!

Thanks again for taking us, MeMe!

TROUBLE: POST 1

2010-05-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

I went to my grandparents house yesterday to visit for a while. While I was there, I was told that I really needed to get back on the blogging bandwagon. I don't have many followers, but one follower that I do have is my Nana. She loves to see pictures of Gage and see what we've been up to around here. So, now that I've been "scolded", I'm going to do better...maybe!

I have a lot of catching up to do, so I'm going to seperate it all into several posts. Hopefully I can get caught up and stay caught up ;)

Over the weekend, we went to visit my Dad at his new job. He is now taking care of a 2000 acre ranch about 1.5 hours from home. He has about 500 mama cows and almost as many babies. It is certainly a full time job for him. Although I hate the fact that my Dad is so far away, I know he loves his new job! This was the first time we had ever gone to visit and I could not believe my eyes. THE RANCH WAS AMAZING!

These frogs were sitting on a pond right beside his house. You could hear them croaking from forever away and they were HUGE! I have never seen frogs so big in all my life!

After we checked out the frogs, we headed off on 4-wheelers to check out the rest of the place. Gage had never been on a 4-wheeler before, but I think after this trip, we will have to get him one. He absolutely loved it! He sat in front of his Papaw and never made a peep!

There was a creek with the most crystal clear water flowing through it I have ever seen. It looked like it was coming straight from a faucet. This was a waterfall coming into the creek. How beautiful!

If you are a Mother, you know that I wasn't a big fan of crossing this creek with Gage. I knew my Dad would take good care of him, but I couldn't help but hold my breath as they crossed. This is Michael crossing ahead of them. Look how far the water came up on the 4-wheeler!

After our 2 hour ride around the entire ranch, we went back to Papaw's house to play with the rest of his "toys". Gage LOVED the John Deere tractor. He cried when we took him off of it! I guess he'll be needing one of those too, Papaw!

And, last but not least, we played with Rock! Rock is a dog that lives on the ranch with my Dad. He looks terribly mean and he has the biggest teeth I've ever seen. I thought for a second he was going to eat us, but it turned out, he was just smiling. I've never seen a dog smile, but this one does. Gage liked him too!

We had such a fun time at Papaw's house, and we all look forward to going back again soon!

Happy "Belated" Easter...

2010-04-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

If you are a follower of my blog, you know that when Holidays roll around, I'm a big ball of stress. We always have so many places to be, in so little time. I'm not complaining though. I actually like the hustle and bustle, and I love spending time with family. However, Michael...not so much. He gets himself all worked up into a tizzy because he just wants to "rest". That's another story in itself.

This Easter went quite well. My Mom is always so good about accomidating us, so that we are able to spend plenty of time with her and you can't imagine how much I appreciate that! THANKS MOM! Anyway, we spent all day Saturday at her house. We hunted eggs, ate, visited, ate, and visited some more.

Gage spent the larger portion of the day riding in his new wagon that his Papaw bought him. He loved every minute of it, but I'm not sure he loved it as much as his Papaw did. My Nana says Papaw never loved any of us like he loves Gage! That's just fine with me, incase you wondered :)

Sunday afternoon, we went to my grandparents house and spent the day there. The weather was amazing and perfect to sit outside. Too bad the good weather doesn't last long around here. Gage wasn't feeling 100% that day, but he still had fun!

Little Man ever practiced his walking for us!

You think he's proud of himself?

Michael's parents were both out of town, so we weren't able to see them. Maybe next year we will!

MY NEW BUSINESS!!!

2010-04-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

Just in case you haven't already noticed...a few days ago, I posted a button on my sidebar. I had good intentions of explaining it, but never did. I have opened a new business, SIMPLY SASSY DESIGNS, and I am so excited about it. Please come visit my website and let me know what you think!

*Mention being a follower of my blog and recieve
FREE shipping on your first order!!*
(offer expires 5-1-10)

Wye Mountain...

2010-03-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, Mom and I took Gage to Wye Mountain to see the Daffodil fields. I took Gage to daycare when he woke up, got some things done that I had on my list, and went back to pick him up. When I got there, he was asleep and Bridget said he had been asleep for about an hour. I thought surely this meant he would be in a great mood and would love the Daffodils. WRONG!!! He fussed the entire way there (about an hour) and wasn't much better when we got there :(

For some reason, he WOULD NOT put his hands or feet down. He held them up the entire time so that the grass wouldn't touch them.

He and MeMe picked a few flowers and blew some bubbles. He loves bubbles!!

Right before we left, Mom finally got a good picture of Gage and I. I'm so glad because the flowers were beautiful and I desperately wanted a picture to frame!

Thank You so much for taking us MeMe! We love you!!

Is it Springtime or what?

2010-03-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure who agrees, but I've been a little confused with this weather. One day it is 70 degress and one day its 40. You can't predict what in the world to wear, you can't make plans on anything to do outside, and you certainly can't depend on the weather men to tell you what's really going on. I'm a little agrivated with it, to be honest. Hopefully the real Spring will be in full bloom soon!

Yesterday was one of those "Spring" days. The weather was beautiful, the birds were chirping, and Gage was beating the door down to go outside-not too hard though because I wanted to go out as well ;)

The swingset has proven to be a great investment. It gets used quite often and I can see it being played on a lot more when Little Man can walk and climb up it himself.

The slide is BY FAR his favorite. We put him on top and he grabs the sides and slides down. Daddy catches him at the end and we start over. I love watching him play with his Daddy. They are so sweet together!

Our dogs, on the other hand, have a love-hate relationship with Gage. Roper loves him...Tubby ~~hates~~ strongly dislikes him. He's never mean to him, he just doesn't get too close. Tubby isn't too terribly fond of having his ears pulled or being loved on. Roper on the other hand- I feel sure Gage could sit on top of her and she wouldn't budge. She is a lot better with him than we thought she would be.

See what I mean...Gage decided to give her a kiss, so she kissed back!

Hopefully these next few days will be sunny and warm. We have plans to go see the Daffodils tomorrow and we're praying Mr. Weatherman knows what he's talking about this time! I suppose we will find out soon enough!!

Whoa! It's been a while!

2010-03-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

If it seems that I have abandoned by blog and I may never be coming back, I haven't and I will. I knew it had been a while, but I didn't realize how long it had been since I've been on here until I started looking through pictures on my camera. A lot has gone on in the past couple of weeks. Nothing serious or major, just stuff!

We went to Nana and Papaw's one afternoon and Gage rode around in the wagon with my grandpa's dog, ~~Rowdy~~ ~~Rocky~~ Rascal...I'm not really sure what his name is to be honest. Everyone calls him something different ;)

MeMe and I took Gage for his one year check-up and to get his shots (hence the bandaid on his arms). He weighed 26lbs 3 oz (89%) and he was 32.5 in (98%). He's still a big boy, in case you were wondering!

Gage has learned to throw kisses and does it quite often.

It is one of the cutest and sweetest things I've ever seen!

Daddy played softball a couple weekends ago. Gage seemed to enjoy the ballpark a little, but by the looks of this picture, he enjoyed it about as much as I do. HA!

We were within less than a mile of being blown away by a tornado one night and it left our entire town without electricity. Michael hooked up our generator and Lindsey brought her family down to enjoy our lights with us. There is nothing more agrivating than having no power with kids in the house!

Colson and Gage played well together and Hudson played with Michael.

There is something about him that kids love!

I got a new washer and dryer (and apparently a new helper)!!!!! Michael has enjoyed this the most I think. For some reason when you have to dry every load of clothes 3 times, it takes the desire to do laundry completely away. We should have invested in these years ago!!

And...last but certainly not least, Gage has a new front tooth! This makes #3!

I was beginning to think he was going to have to gum his food forever!

I'm not making any promises, but I'm going to attempt to do better at blogging this time.

We've been through this before, remember!

Gage's Invites...

2010-03-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

I just sat down to read some blogs, and while reading through my own, I realized that I hadn't posted Gage's Birthday invites. I designed them and had them printed with good intentions of showing all of you after I sent them out. I have been working with Justi on some designs for her and I would love to do some for you as well! If you have anything you need an invite, thank you card, announcement, etc. for, just let me know! I'd love to help!!

I made Gage's invites front and back so that I could put his one year picture on them! I think they turned out super cute!!

Happy Birthday Gage!!

2010-03-05T06:06:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe it has been a year, but it's true! Last Saturday (yes, I know, I've procrastinated a bit), Gage turned ONE YEAR OLD! I spent the entire week planning so that everything would be just perfect, and I think it all turned out great! We had about 50 people there and Gage had a blast! I thought I'd share just a few pictures from the day!

I thought the cake was amazing and Gage agreed! He got more gifts than we will ever know what to do with. We appreciate each one of them so much!!

For his "Big" gift, Michael and I decided a few months ago that he needed a swing set. I always had one growing up and it was so much fun to play on. Both of my parents, my grandparents, and Michael's Mom all helped out with buying it for him and we had it set up just in time for his party. The weather was beautiful and perfect for the kids to play outside. Gage LOVES his swingset!

I figured the day would be pretty hard on me. I'm not normally one of those mothers that can't seem to grasp the idea of my baby growing up, but him turning one was really a little bittersweet. As much as I love watching him grow, it's hard knowing that he isn't a baby anymore. Much to my surprise, I never shed one tear and his party was so much fun!

Thank You so much to those of you that came! We had a blast and can't wait to do it again next year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN! MOMMY AND DADDY LOVE YOU!!!

(ALL PICTURES WERE TAKEN BY JUSTI HEATH PHOTOGRAPHY)

Justi Heath Photography

2010-02-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, I was in the market for the perfect photographer for Gage's 1 year pictures. I had used several photographers in the past, but this time I had some different criteria. I needed someone with a studio. I needed someone who was reasonably priced. And, I needed someone who would sell me a disk with a copy of all the proofs.

Well...I found her! I booked our appointment for a couple of weeks in advance and unpatiently waited for our time to come. I always get so excited to have family pictures taken, but I really love having Gage's taken as much as anything! If you ask me, it is just a "have to" kind of thing when you have a sweet little angel, like I do...but, maybe I'm biased ;) If you ask my husband, it's ridiculous! Anyway, I always win that battle and we have our pictures made a few times a year!

When I met Justi, I knew I had made the right decision. She was very sweet, very professional, and by the looks of the pictures she had all over her house, she was a great photographer!

Before we left, I asked her if it would be possible for her to e-mail me a couple images to put on Gage's birthday invites that I was working on. Apparently that struck a nerve with her and she started asking me questions about "designing" my own invites and possibly designing some for her. We talked for a while about it and in the midst of our conversation, I mentioned putting some of her work on my website as well. She agreed that she would send me the proofs and I agreed to give her credit for her work. At this point, I had no idea that I would be talking to her almost everyday from then on.

The next day, I got the proofs and finished "little mans" invites. I also put the proofs on my blog and emailed her to see where I credited her for her GREAT work! When she saw my blog, she asked me to help her with one of her own. Now...all this being said, I designed a blog for her, and I would like for you to check it out. Go to http://www.justiheathphotography.com/ and let us know what you think!

Valentine's Day...

2010-02-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

For the most part, I'm not extremely crazy about the holiday. To be honest, I would much rather Michael do something sweet for me "just because" than to do something for me becasue it is some special day. Usually, we get eachother some little something and call it good. This year was a little different. On Saturday, Michael and I booked a hotel room in Hot Springs. It is only about 30-45 mintues away from our house, but we knew if we stayed at home, we wouldn't do anything different than we ever do. Mom kept Gage for us and we spent the weekend away. We did some shopping, lots of eating, went to bed early and had good intentions on sleeping in on Sunday. Well, as it turns out, when you get up early every morning, it is hard to sleep in. I would have never guessed it, but that's how it works I guess! We got up, went downstairs for the lovely contenintal breakfast, and spent the rest of the day at the horse races. I'm not a huge gambler, not at all actually, but I LOVE to go watch the horses run!

We had a lot of fun with just the 2 of us, but Valentine's Day wouldn't have been complete without a date with our SWEETHEART. We left the races, picked Gage up, and took him out to eat for a special Valentine dinner...Applebee's! Although it really wasn't anything special, it was special to us because we were back at home with our little man!

When we got home, we gave him his little gift we found for him on our "trip". We got him a new football and a chair to take to the ballpark when Daddy plays softball. He loves balls, so we knew he'd love it, but we figured the chair would be a while. Surprise...he loved it too!

Happy Valentine's Day to our special VALENTINE!! Mommy and Daddy love you!!!

MeMe, thanks again for taking such great care of Gage for us! We love you too!

What a week!

2010-02-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

This has been a pretty fun (for the most part), but crazy week around our house.

The not so fun part...On Wednesay, we got a call from Michael's Mom telling us that his Granny had passed away. She hadn't been sick at all, and there weren't any signs...just very sudden. We spent most of the weeknight with the family. I always love getting together with family, and I wish it hadn't been for such an occasion, but it was nice to be able to visit with everyone and watch all the kids play! WE WILL MISS YOU GRANNY AND WE LOVE YOU, ALWAYS!! This is a picture of Granny and Gage the day after he was born. SO SWEET!!

Friday, when I picked Gage up from daycare. Bridget pointed this out to me...can anyone guess what it is? It is right between his eyes...

You got it...it's another bite mark! For the second week in a row, my little man has been bitten, by the same little girl, at daycare. Either she really loves him, or she really hates him. I'm not sure which, but I guess it's a good thing he's tough ;) Although I get so upset when someone hurts him, I just keep telling myself, "don't say too much or you may be eating your words one day". I try to be a pretty understanding parent. I realize that kids do things that they shoudn't do, and it is part of growing up and learning. Now, if I could just convince my heart, I'd be in good shape ;) Thankfully, we have been blessed with a wonderful babysitter and I know she will do her best to take care of the situation so that I don't have to worry about it!

When MeMe heard of this, she couldn't help but to come over and check on her "Angel Boy". Who would have thought she would come with a huge bag of goodies in hand? She says it was for Valentine's Day, but I'm pretty sure she thought he needed a "get well soon" gift. Either way, he loved it!

They sat in the floor and opened all the goodies, while I took advantage of trying out my new camera (more about that later)!

Thank you, MEME, for the goodies! I LOVE YOU!!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you from Gage!!!

Visiting Colson...

2010-02-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we went to Tammy & Jayson's (SIL & BIL) for dinner and so that the boys could play.

I'm sure you can remember me talking about my nephew, Colson. Tammy found out she was pregnant with him on our wedding night and I can remember being SO excited that I would soon be an aunt! Gage and Colson are 6 weeks apart in age and COMPLETELY opposite. It is so funny to see them together because when I say opposite, I MEAN OPPOSITE! Colson is very quiet, very bashful, he goes to bed early, he's a picky eater, and he doesn't know what to think of Gage. Every time we are around them, he looks at him like "Dude, why are you so dang loud?". Despite the definite differences, they played really well together tonight! They were chasing a ball here...looks like they were racing!

At home, Gage has several walking toys, but he won't ever walk behind them. I saw this toy sitting there and decided I'd stand him up behind it. I was shocked when he started walking around the living room! YAY little man! It won't be long now!!!

Colson has the same 4-wheeler that Gage has. We sat both of them on it together and they were a hoot! Colson grabbed Gage's hand and pulled it around his waist, as if he was helping him hold on. What little dolls!

Aren't they just too sweet?

Right before we left, we found them both behind the chair "talking". I'm sure Gage was probably doing most of it! He's the "mouth of the south"!

I'm so glad we were able to get the boys together tonight! Thanks to Aunt Tam and Uncle Jay for having us over!

We made it...

2010-02-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday when Gage woke up from his afternoon nap, he was acting a little strange. Normally, he only takes about a 30 minute nap (if that) and he's ready to go! When he woke up yesterday, he crawled straight over to his Daddy to be picked up. When Michael sat him on his lap, he immediately laid his head down on his Daddy's chest. Although I thought it was really sweet, I knew there had to be something wrong. Michael felt his head and sure enough...something was wrong. We checked his temp-102.5. Seriously, a fever again! We just got finished with a round of antibiotics for these demon ear infections he's been getting and now it is something else.

At around 3am, his fever finally broke. To be honest, I blamed it on his teeth. He's bound to be cutting some since he's almost one year old and only has 2 teeth ;) Anyway, I sent him on daycare. He was acting fine, no fever, chasing his Daddy all over the house. Nothing seemed to be wrong.

Think again...after lunch Bridget called and said he was pulling at his ears and wouldn't stop crying. He hadn't had a nap all day, and wouldn't eat or drink. So off I went to pick him up. When I got there, he looked horrible. His eyes were red and puffy and he has 2, yes TWO blisters on his lip. I had no idea babies got fever blisters, but with this child anything is possible, right?

Michael took him in the doctor today and to our surprise, his ears looked great! THANK GOODNESS!! Bad news...he has "viral stomatitis". It is an infection that causes fever and sores on the inner surface of the lips, gums, and throat. No wonder the poor child won't eat or drink!

Another bad thing about all of this is the fact that he had his first Valentine's Day party at daycare today and it was going to break my heart for him to miss it. Good news is...it is only contagious when fever is present. He had no fever! So, against Daddy's better judgement, off we went! I was so happy he wasn't going to have to miss it!

We had so much fun at the party! Thank you, Bridget, for taking such great care of my baby boy! We love you!! Hopefully this will clear up soon and we can get back to normal. Until then, keep my little man in your prayers! And Mommy may need a few too ;)

Meet Peepaw...

2010-02-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

I'd like to introduce a really good friend of mine! He's a really sweet fellow that I met about 11 1/2 months ago. From the second I met him, I loved him. The only thing is-he apears to be a little old for his age.

He only has 2 teeth.

He has to hold onto things in order to walk. Often times, he falls and hurts himself. He says the same things over, and over, and over. He has to have his food torn in small pieces so that he doesn't choke.
He drinks milk like it's going out of style.

Peepaw is sometimes known as Gage, but I think Peepaw fits him a little better ;)

One Year Pictures...

2010-02-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

A few months ago when I started getting Gage's birthday party together, I decided I needed to have some one year pictures made to put on the invites. I know several photographers around here that have done a great job for us in the past, but none of them have studios. I HAD to find someone with a studio! A friend of mine suggested someone to me, so I decided to give her a try. You know how it goes though, you never know about a photographer until you use them.

Well, it turns out that I "loved" her the very second I met her! Her name is Justi Heath and she owns Heath Photography in Sheridan, AR. She was very profession, but fun too. She was great with Gage. Her prices are very reasonable, AND I already have 4 proofs to use on his invites!! If you live around here, you should give her a call!

We had Gage a little smash cake made for his pictures! As you can see, he had no problem "digging in"!

I think he has a little sweet tooth like his Daddy and MeMe! He cried when we took the cake away :(Thank You so much, Justi, for the amazing pictures of our little man! You did a great job and we will be back to see you soon...no matter what Daddy said ;)

Snow Day 2010...

2010-01-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

For some of you, this probably doesn't qualify as a "snow day". For us, we take what we can get!

We started getting a little sleet and rain Thurday night. I didn't have any appointments scheduled for Friday, so I decided Gage and I would probably just stay at home out of the weather. Friday morning when we woke up, we realized that for once, our weathermen had predicted correctly and we did, in fact, get some ice and snow. Not much snow, but a little. We spent the day laying around the house in our pj's. I have to say, it was nice...until today. After 2 days of being stuck in the house, we were both a little stir crazy!

I made a pot of Homemade Brocolli Cheese soup and some Chicken spaghetti last night so that I wouldn't have to worry with cooking today. My Dad called this morning and had been at home alone for the past couple of days so we invited him over. I'm sure it was nice to be able to have someone to talk to! He got here right before time to have lunch with us! Gage enjoyed having his Papaw here to spend the day with. He can "get away with murder" when one of his grandparents are around! They went outside just for a second to see what Gage thought of the snow...

he wasn't too sure about it!

Around 2:00, my Mom called and was coming by as well. I think she had gotten a little stir crazy herself. She "needed" to go to Target, so Gage and I went along for the ride. Thank Goodness she came by and got us out of here for a while. We were likely to go nuts if someone didn't save us ;) A snow day wouldn't have been complete without some pictures of Gage and his MeMe, so we went outside one more time!

This is my favorite picture! Doesn't the best one always seem to turn out blurry? Ugh...drives me nuts!

I hope everyone had a wonderful day playing in the snow. If you got any, that is!

11 months...

2010-01-29T10:35:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I'm saying it again. I cannot believe Gage is already this old!

We have only one more month until the big day. The day that I'm sure will make me sob like a baby. Gage will be ONE YEAR OLD! He has grown and changed so much in the last month or so, and I know he is only going to continue to do more. As excited as I am about every little thing he learns to do, I'm sad as well. I catch myself looking forward to each new thing and each new step he takes, and when he does it, I think to myself, "he's growing up right before my eyes"! Maybe one day I'll get a grip with reality and it won't get the best of me anymore ;) But then again...who am I kidding?

Enough of the sob story and on to something much better. My little man is now 11 months old!! Have I said that yet? He is crawling (the right way) all over the place. He is into everything. He makes more messes than I can possibly keep picked up. Yet...I love him more everyday!

I have started planning his birthday party, and I can't wait to share all the details! I think I'll wait until it's over to do that, but who knows. Maybe I'll change my mind!

Handsome little man...

2010-01-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

Recently when Michael and I have taken Gage out in public, we have had several people tell us what a cute little girl we have. Yes...girl! Now, never have I ever dressed Gage in anything even remotely girly. He doesn't have earrings (hopefully never will), and he is always dressed in boy colors. I never really think too much of it, but Michael always "gets his panties in a bunch" over it. It absolutely crushes him that Gage's sweet little curls remind people of a girl. And to be perfectly honest, there is nothing that drives me more crazy than little boys having hair that is long enough to put in a ponytail. I don't know, maybe I'm a little old-fashioned. Anyway...tonight was the big night. The one I haven't been looking forward to that couldn't get here fast enough for Daddy. I have never been one of those to have some crazy attachment to hair, but I really thought I would have a hard time cutting Gage's, in fear that it wouldn't grow back curly. His MeMe assured me that it would, so we went ahead with it!

Here he is before. You see, he was sort of getting the Bozo the clown look! As much as I hate to say it, it was getting pretty ridiculous!

I wasn't sure how this First Haircut thing would go at first. I never do them (unless they are for a REALLY good friend) because I am always so worried I will cut the poor kid. Kids aren't good at sitting still anyway, and certainly not when you are messing with their head. We thought maybe Daddy could hold him while I cut. WRONG. He wasn't having it and I almost gave up before we even got started!

MeMe took over-cookie in hand-and everything went better from there. I think he thought things were too serious when his Daddy had him.

He fought me for just a minute, but only until I let him have my comb ;)

All in all, I thought he did GREAT! He didn't cry. He didn't try to jump out of the chair. AND...I didn't cut him! Here we are after all the action took place!

And finally...an after shot! Isn't he the most handsome little man you have ever seen?

Later tonight, we both got in the bath and I put some finishing touches on the cut! I am so thrilled with how it turned out and even more thrilled at how he handled it all!

Gage, you made me a very proud Mommy today! I love you buddy!!!

Sickly Little Man...

2010-01-22T21:37:00.000-08:00

Finally...I've found some time to relax...a little!

Wednesday afternoon, I got a phone call from Bridget (Gage's sitter) telling me that Gage had thrown up in the play room and he acted as if he wasn't feeling well. At the time, I had just made myself a sandwich and was sitting down at the computer desk to blog a little. Here I am, 4 days later, blogging a little. Ha!

Back to the story....So, I leave lunch sitting on the desk and rush off to pick up my sick little guy. There is nothing better than your Mommy when you are sick, so I knew I had to get there quick ;) When I got there, he was a little warm, but seemed to be feeling ok. I got home. Checked his temp. It was 100.3. To be honest, I didn't think much of the fever. He has been teething, so I figured it was nothing more than that. Now, the throwing up, I wasn't so sure about. As the day went on, I noticed him having a terrible cough that continued to sound worse. A runny nose that I couldn't seem to catch. And...he didn't have much appetite...NOT NORMAL FOR HIM!

We had a pretty rough night Wednesday night. He had a little fever, but not much more than 102 or so. Yes, Mom...he slept with us ;) We were both up most of the night flipping and flopping and trying to get Daddy on his side of the bed. By the time the alarm went off, we were both exhausted and able to sleep for an extra hour or so.

Mom and I had planned on having Sushi for lunch on Thursday. I called and cancelled the plans and instead she came over for a few hours so that I could rest. Thank Goodness for that! Only problem was, my jewelry order came in and I was entirely too excited about that to sleep.

By bedtime last night, he was feeling pretty rough. His fever had been at 102+ for a few hours and didn't seem to want to budge. He had thrown up a few times, but nothing major. I think the main problem was that the cough was choking him. We started giving him Tylenol and Motrin hoping the fever would go away. At 9:30 I woke him to give him some medicine, only to find that his temp was 104.5! OMG...I freaked! I called my Mom, the doctors office, and my friend Beth trying to figure out what the heck to do. We decided to keep an eye on the fever and take him in to see Dr. Nolen this morning. Once again...severe double ear infection, one antibiotic shot, five days of oral antibiotics, and one tired Mommy!

We gave him, yet another, lukewarm bath earlier and his fever has finally stayed down for the last couple of hours! Please pray that it stays that way!

Mom took off work early to be with us today! Once again...Thank Goodness for that! She is always so good and keeps me from panicking when I shouldn't be. Also, Gage LOVES for her to be here! His MeMe is pretty high up on his list ;)

And another thing, for MeMe...

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP AROUND THE HOUSE AND WITH GAGE TODAY!!!! I will forever owe you for all you do for me!

Now then, I'm all caught up and headed to bed for a few hours. I figure after all the sleeping Little Man has done over the past couple of days, he surely won't want to sleep in on Saturday morning ;)

Double Trouble...

2010-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Today, Gage and I have done a whole lot of nothing. He decided to wake up this morning at 6:30 instead of his typical 7:30, so needless to say, we've had some time on our hands. As much as I would have loved the extra shut-eye, I got a lot done today! By noon, my house was picked up, Gage had been fed twice, I had been to the bank and to run a few more errands. There aren't many days that I get that much accomplished before noon.

This afternoon, we had some special play dates come to see us. Kristi brought Brittyn & Lexyn to play with Gage for a while and we visited. It was a lot of fun catching up with what is going on with the kiddos. Her girls are 18 months old and cute as can be! Gage is half their age and double their size, so it is always neat to compare the 3 of them!

They played really well together-for the most part-and had fun taking each others toys! At one point Gage tackled one of the girls to the ground. I realized then, that he is certainly ALL BOY! I have my hands full for sure! My Mom came by to visit and brought Ice Cream for all of them. I'm sure you can imagine how much fun that was!

All in all, we had a great day, and I can't wait for the girls to come back and see us!

(P.S. I know you are probably thinking, "Anna, did you not think get your son out of his jammies before company came?". To be honest, I really didn't think about it until I started taking pictures. Forgive me for this one ;))

What a mess...

2010-01-08T14:28:00.000-08:00

I can remember-before having Gage-I would go into people's homes who had kids thinking "good grief this kid has toys everywhere". I never thought it was a bad thing, but I was pretty sure my house would never look like Toys R Us has exploded in my living room. Well...guess what? I think Toys R Us exploded in my living room!

I'm sure you remember in one of my previous posts where I talked about how much Gage loves this train. I'm pretty sure it isn't the train that has him so intrigued, though. It is the $2 set of blocks that came with the $50 train. Isn't it funny how kids don't have time for expensive things, but give them something cheap and they will play with it for hours? Bad thing is, at about 13 (or younger) all that changes ;) I can't tell you how many times a day I watch this little hand pick up all 26 blocks and throw them all over the living room floor. I wish I could tell you that when it is time to start learning the alphabet, all 26 blocks will still be there, but I can't! I'm pretty sure we have lost some already and we've only had the silly things for 2 weeks ;) All joking aside...we found this at Wal-Mart when we were looking for Gage's Christmas gifts and I thought it was the neatest thing. It has blocks with each letter of the alphabet and on the back it has an object that starts with that letter. When you put the block in the train, it tells what the letter on the block is and says what starts with that letter. Although Gage gets tons of use out of the blocks now, I really think he will love it for a long time. It is also a riding toy and you can take the trailer off and push the train! If you kids don't have it...I suggest it! They would love to!!!

First of the year, firsts...

2010-01-03T18:00:00.001-08:00

Wow! I realize it is only the 3rd day of the year, but it has already been an eventful one for us! I think Gage is afraid his first birthday is going to be here before he gets all his "firsts" out of the way ;) The day before Christmas, we started noticing that you could barely feel a little tooth starting to come in. We were starting to think Gage may never get teeth! Just kidding about that, but I have been wondering where they were. A couple of days ago, it finally poked all the way through. Sorry about the lovely mouth full of food, but this is the only way I could get a picture of that little guy. Gage keeps him hidden from us unless he is eating.

Last weekend Little Man had a terrible runny nose, a nasty cough, and an oozing eye that wouldn't go away. On Tuesday, I took him to the doctor to see what in the world was going on with the poor guy. To be honest, I didn't think it was anything other than the nasty Arkansas weather causing all this, but I would have felt pretty silly if I'd have been wrong so I took him in. Turns out he has another ear infection and is on another anti-biotic for 10 days. Isn't this a sad little face? Even though he didn't feel well, he was still pretty chipper! I'm so blessed to have such a sweet baby. I just love these Paul Frank "jammies"! I thought maybe they would make him feel better if he wore them ;) I decided that before I start back on my diet, I would make one last batch of homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies! I took them out of the oven. Walked out of the room to do some laundry. Came back in the kitchen, and this is what I found. You got it...Daddy and Gage had already demolished half the cookies! I couldn't help but take a picture of Gage eating his first cookie! (Mom-I realize you give him cookies when I'm not looking, but I'm pretending I don't know ;)) I decided that since I can't seem to keep Gage out of stuff, I had better rearrange all the cabinets so that he wouldn't get his hands on anything dangerous. I cleaned out one of the bottom drawers and put all of his "tupperware" in it. I'm pretty sure he thinks he isn't supposed to be in there which is why he loves it so much! Mom called this morning asking if I wanted to go to the movies with her. I haven't been to the movies in forever, so I couldn't pass up the offer. I debated for hours about taking Gage with us and finally decided I would keep Daddy on stand-by and go for it. I was pretty nervous about how he would act, but I felt sure the movies wouldn't be terribly packed on Sunday afternoon. WRONG!!! We went to see It's Complicated and I'm not sure there weren't many empty seats. The movie was great and Gage was great...until the last 5 minutes. He slept for about an hour and when he woke up, he decided he would turn around and try to talk to everyone behind us. Needless to say, I had to take him out! I was still really proud of him for being so good! I'm leaving you with one last picture for the night. Kyleman bought Gage this dancing tower for Christmas and HE LOVES IT! The little bear on top dances in circles and keeps him entertained for quite a while! I just love that little smile!!

Happy New Year...

2010-01-03T17:33:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it is already 2010? I mean, 2009 was over and gone before I could blink my eyes! I was a great year for us, just really fast! I'll bet you can't guess what my favorite thing about 2009 was...yep, you guess right! GAGE!!!! I am amazed every day by how much joy he brings to my life. I know I have said that a million times before, but honestly, I'll probably say it a million more!

Mom volunteered to keep Gage for us on NYE and we took her up on the offer! My family has a NYE party every year and it is always a lot of fun. I LOVE to dance and it turns out that my Dad is the best dancer EVER, so I look forward to getting to do some dancing on occasion. I wish I had some pictures to share, but I don't :(

Unfortunately my new year didn't start out as well as I planned. I have (had I guess I should say) an iPhone. I loved that I phone with all my heart and used it for EVERYTHING! Instead of dealing with an appointment book at work, I used my calendar in my phone. I have always been so good about backing it up on my computer in case something happened. Well, guess what...I hadn't backed it up since December 4th and it was stolen from me at the NYE party. I was and still am sick about it! Hopefully that isn't any indication of how my 2010 is going to be! Keep you fingers crossed please :)

On New Years Day, Nana cooked dinner for the family. We stayed there a pretty long while playing games and catching up! Here is Gage with one of my cousins, Justin. I have never seen Justin around kids and was shocked to see how good he was with little man. Gage seemed to really enjoy playing with him too!

I hope all of you have a wonderful 2010! I look forward to another year of blogging!

Christmas Day...

2009-12-26T15:06:00.001-08:00

CHRISTMAS DAY...Santa came!

On Christmas morning, my parents, my brother, and Michael's Dad and Stepmom came over for breakfast and to watch Gage open his Santa gifts. It didn't take him long to realize he had new toys on the floor before he started crawling over to them!

Santa was good to Gage this year, just as I knew he would be. After all, Gage has been a good boy! He brought him several Leap Frog toys, Barney DVD's, pacifiers, socks, sippy cups, and a huge stuffed puppy! Of all the toys got, he loved the passys and sippy cups the most...imagine that!

While my Dad and Stepdad were cooking breakfast, my Mom played in the floor with Gage and his toys. I'm pretty sure she had as much fun as he did!

After breakfast, my Dad got in the floor with him. It is so funny to me to watch my parents play with him. They act like kids again!

Gage thinks his Big Daddy (Michaels Dad) is such a funny guy. I think it may be his deep voice.

Gage was in a great mood all morning and played really hard with the grandparents! He's a lucky little guy!

CHRISTMAS DAY...Granny Peg & Paw's

After breakfast, we went to my Grandparents house to have Christmas with my Dad's family. We have always gone at the same time every year for lunch and gifts. This year, Gage was the only one who got gifts and boy did he rack up! This is one of my favorite pictures from Christmas. Gage was having fun sitting on Kyle's shoulders!

Kyleman (my cousin) got him a 4 wheeler and a Vtech Dancing tower. He is always so sweet about getting gifts for Gage, but has a hard time stopping ;) I think he buys him everything he sees! Gage LOVES his new 4 wheeler and laughs like crazy everytime he gets on it. The problem is...Mommy is terribly out of shape and has a heck of a time pushing it ;) Granny & Paw got him a Little People Tractor and Barn! He loves all the noises the animals make! They also got him this Dunk & Cheer basketball goal! It took him about 10 seconds to figure out that if you dunk the ball, it cheers for you!
Aunt Waynell & Dan got him a rocking bull. It is the funniest thing to watch him ride it! Aunt Welda & Uncle Gary got him a set of blocks and a See N Say game! I will be hearing animal noises in my sleep ;)Paw (my Dad) got him a Tonka truck to ride on. It has a steering wheel with blinkers, a horn, and a motor! I have a feeling with all these riding toys, my cabinets don't have a chance! It took them forever to put the silly thing together, but it was quite entertaining to watch!

CHRISTMAS DAY...Grams & Louis'

The last place we went was to Michael's Mom's house. We left at about 6pm to head out there and Gage had already started getting cranky. I really hoped he would sleep on the way, and HE DID! Thank Goodness! It took us about an hour to get there and he slept the entire way. When we got there, he was in a great mood!

He sat with Grams for a while and opened gifts. He got some bath toys, balls, stacking cups, Vsmile Baby and games, pajamas, and some Christmas ornaments.
He had a great time with more new toys, but his favorite was the paper! He thought it was so funny to play peek-a-boo with!

We are so blessed to have so many people in our lives to spend the Holidays with and to love our little boy! We are often so busy during the holidays that we forget to enjoy ourselves, but we are doing our best to do better! Gage made Christmas so much fun this year and I know it is only going to get better! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Now, my friends, I'm off the find a place for all these toys ;)

Chrismas Eve...

2009-12-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

I'm going to apologize now for the next few posts being so long. I realize I don't have to tell every detail, but I don't want to forget anything. I would love to be able to show you every picture I took, but the problem is...I took over 500 of them during the last 2 days!

CHRISTMAS EVE...MeMe & Paw's
Because we have so many places to be for the Holidays, we split everything up into 2 days. I have always loved the Christmas season so much. This year was no different...as a matter of fact, it was better! This was Gage's First Christmas! I have been looking forward to it for months!

Our first place to go on Christmas Eve is to my Mom's house. We always go out there around noon or so. We open gifts, play games, eat, and tell lots of stories. I happen to have a pretty entertaining family ;)

Nana and PaPaw got Gage this horse. I had one of these when I was a kid and my parents said I loved it. I saw this at Babies R Us one day and just knew we had to have it! I was right...Gage had a blast on it-while it lasted :( For some reason the horse wouldn't go together properly, so my brother took it apart to fix it. We soon realized that it had some missing pieces and had to be exchanged for another one. I'm crossing my fingers I can still find one! They also got him some clothes, a Playschool walk n' ride car, and A CASE OF DIAPERS!!!

Nana & Papaw never look at the camera, but this is a good one of them and Gage!

MeMe and Paw got him lots of new toys too! My favorite thing they bought him is this...a Little Red Wagon! I had one of these as well...just not quite as fancy! Gage rode around in it for a while and had a lot of fun sitting and playing in there! I know this will come in very handy at the ballpark this Summer!
They also got him a Leap Frog musical table, some clothes, a couple tree ornaments, and one more thing...this book! It is the story of "The Night Before Christmas". When you open the book up, you hear my Mom's voice reading the story. It is recorded and we can read it every year on Christmas Eve! I'm so excited to be adding a new tradition to our Christmas! All the gift opening wore Gage out! He took a little cat nap and woke up just in time to play in the paper before we trashed it! I think that may have been his favorite part of the day!

CHRISTMAS EVE...Big Daddy's
When we left my Mom's we stopped by Big Daddy's for a few minutes. There, we exchanged gifts with our nieces and nephews and let them play for a while. They had a lot of fun, but I know they will have so much more when they are old enough to play together! They are still at the age where they are a little rough and not too sure about each other!

Big Daddy and Granny Karen got him the V-tech Alphabet Train! He loves all the blocks that go with it! It seems like there are about a million of them all over the house ;)

CHRISTMAS EVE...Aunt Vicki & Uncle Rusty's

Our 3rd, and last stop for the night was at my cousins house. The entire family gathers there on Christmas Eve for a huge dinner and usually a poker tournament. I'm not a fan of playing cards, but they always have a good time with it! We had to leave early this year because Santa was coming! This is us with the cousins...Gage, Rance, Me, Michael, Kyle, Raine, Jodie, and Sunny. Jodie is one of my friends from HS. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding and met Raine there. They have been dating ever since! They are all some of my very best friends, and they all think Little Man hung the moon! Truth is...he is pretty fond of them too! Raine and Jodie (guy in the Arkansas hat and the girl in the red shirt) got Gage a Disney Bedtime Storybook! I am going to collect all the books in the collection for him!

When we got home and got Gage in bed, Michael and I opened our gifts from eachother. We set the timer on the camera and took this one of ourselves. I love it! I hope you have enjoyed the first day of our Christmas! We had a lot of fun and can't wait to share the rest with you!

Lazy weekends...

2009-12-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

For the past few days, I have spent most of my time at home with this little monkey! Daddy has been working a lot of overtime so Gage and I have been home alone. I can remember a time in my life (actually, my entire life until Gage was born) I would have been extremely angry to have been at home for 2 days without leaving the house. I was such a busy body and sitting at home simply wasn't up my alley, and the thought of nothing to do would have put me in a deep depression. These days, however, things are completely different. The fact that we had nothing to was music to my ears, and I loved the fact that we didn't have to get ready to go all weekend long. I mean...I LOVED IT!

It seems like overnight, Gage decided to start getting into EVERYTHING! Last week, I could somewhat keep him contained in one room. He would sit in the living room and play with his toys for hours without even making a peep. This week, he won't stay in the living room for 5 minutes without getting into something he isn't supposed to. I have a feeling my hands are going to be full with this child ;)

As much as we enjoyed being in the house all weekend with nothing to do, it was nice to get out today. Michael took Gage to Bridget's this morning so I could start getting the house ready for Christmas. We are having some family over and the house looked like a tornado had passed through. I spent the day cleaning house, washing clothes, running errands, etc. Thank Goodness all that is finished and we are ready for the Holidays at last!

7 days...

2009-12-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

I'm not believing that I'm saying this, but Christmas is only one week away! I realized today that I hadn't taken any pictures of Gage in front of our Christmas tree. I knew if I waited until Christmas Day, all the presents would be gone and it wouldn't be near as pretty. You know, the sparkle just kinda goes away when all the gifts aren't the anymore :( I was at home by myself, and to be quite honest, I figured trying to take pictures by the tree would be a mess. Thankfully, our tree is behind the couch so Gage hasn't gone back there much. He wasn't too sure what to think at first, but it didn't take him long to get into things.Hopefully I haven't created a monster and he will stay out from behind the couch for one more week! Apparently he thought the bows tasted terrible...ha! I just love those little cheeks!Only 7 more days...I'm getting more excited by the second!!!

Here comes Santa...

2009-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night Gage got to meet Santa for the first time ever! I was really worried about how he would act with him. I have seen so many kids be terrified of Santa and I was really hoping Gage wouldn't be. To be honest, before we got there, I told my Mom and Michael that it wouldn't surprise me if Gage tried to pull his beard off. I realize he is only 9 months old, but I'm telling you now...the child is a mess!! He is always doing something mischievous and looking at us like, "I don't know what the big deal is". He must get this from his Daddy because I'm pretty sure I was a perfect child ;) I'm also sure my Mom is laughing as she reads this! Judging by the pictures, I'm sure you can tell Gage wasn't afraid of Santa. He kept looking at him with the strangest faces, but I think he was just curious as to why he was wearing all that "garb".This is Gage's babysitter, Bridget. I have known her and her family for as long as I can remember. My Mom babysat her when she was a kid, and she babysat me when I was a kid. She is so wonderful to Gage and the rest of the kids and we are extremely lucky to have her! I love this picture of Gage and I. For some reason, I don't have many pictures of us together. I think it is because I am the one who is always behind the camera. I'm going to do my best to change that soon!

This is a good one of Gage and Daddy too! He is starting to look more like me, I think!
Instead of buying gifts for all 7 of the kids at Gage's daycare, we drew names. We drew Bella's name this time. She is the sweetest little girl and is always a mess! After we gave her the gift, she decided to thank Gage for it with a kiss! I think Gage liked it! How funny are kids these days?

After the party, Gage went home with MeMe so that Michael and I could go to a Christmas party. I'm sure they spent more time playing with his new toys from the party! Thank You so much for helping us this weekend MeMe! We love you more than ever!

I hope you all had a good weekend too!

Can you believe it is only 9 days until Christmas?

More Traditions...

2009-12-12T11:19:00.001-08:00

In my last post, I wrote about the traditions that I have and have had with my family. Every once in a while I start reminiscing on my childhood days and I can't help but think about all the traditions we are going to start with Gage. I am so excited to be opening a new phase in life with him and my very own little family! This will be our very first Christmas as a family of 3 and I'm so very thankful!At this time last year I was about 7 months pregnant with Gage. When we went to my Mom's to open gifts, I realized that from now on Gage would be the "golden child" and the tree would now be surrounded with things that he "needs". Who am I kidding? The child "needs" nothing! However, I am more than ok with Gage being the golden (grand)child! As a matter of fact, I would have it no other way! Anyway, the first 3 things I opened were Hallmark Christmas ornaments for Gage. I had no idea, but MeMe decided that every Christmas she was going to buy him ornaments to hang on next years tree. When we have enough to fill up his own tree, we are going to do so. For now, they are on the big tree! I think all of these ornaments are so cute and they mean so much to me! I'm looking forward to seeing what MeMe has in store for this year!If any of you have Traditions that you do every year, I would love to hear about them! I'm always looking for new ideas!

9 Month Check-up...

2009-12-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

Today was Gage's 9 month check-up with Dr. Nolen. When we first got there, he started getting a little antsy, so I sat him down beside this play table. Before I knew it, he had pulled up and was standing beside it playing. He stood there for a good 10 minutes and was having so much fun!

We weren't scheduled for any shots, just simply a check-up so I went by myself. I have never been along when he gets shots because I just simply didn't think I could handle it. When we got there, the nurse asked if he had all his flu shots and I told her he only had the first half. You know where this is going I'm sure. Yep...he had to have the other half of both them. I thought I was going to pass out, but I'm proud to say I didn't! He only cried for a minute and did well with both of them.

He weighed 23 lbs 14 oz (90%) and was 31 inches long (98%). Dr. Nolen said he looked great and was doing well in everything! Thank Goodness!!!

Up we go...

2009-12-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

Until this week he has never pulled up. I guess I should say, I have never seen him pull up. Well, Sunday night we put him to bed just like always. Usually when he wakes up we hear him "talking" to himself on the monitor. We go in his room and he's usually laying on his back playing with his passy. Monday morning, instead of hearing his usual talking, we hear a horrible thud, followed by a scream. Michael ran into his room and found Gage laying on the floor :( We hadn't moved his mattress down yet because we didn't think we had any reason to. Gage tends to be pretty lazy and never took any initiative to try to pull up at all. Apparently he thought the middle of the night would be a good time to practice. As soon as his Daddy picked him up he instantly stopped crying and gave him the biggest grin ever! I assume he thought his "trick" was pretty funny...I didn't think so! It scared Michael and I to death! He is now pulling up on everything and loves to stand up! I guess he was waiting until his "tricks" were perfected before he showed them to us! As bad as I hate to say this, I have a feeling we are going to have many more years of things like this to come! Gage is a very mischievous little boy who is afraid of NOTHING, and I'm not sure he feels pain. If he does, I've never been able to tell. I suppose he has inherited his Daddys clumsiness and his Mommas pain tolerance. HA!

Just so you know, we have moved Gage's mattress down as far as it will go!

Growing up...

2009-12-04T06:34:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday the 27th, my little man turned 9 months old :( I can remember when he was born thinking I wouldn't be one of those Moms that always wished their kids hadn't grown up. Guess what...I kinda am! Every month when I sit down and type his birthday post, I almost get tears in my eyes because he's growing up so fast. When will it ever stop?

He is wearing 18 months clothes and it won't be long before we move up to 24 months. He is still in size 4 diapers, but barely. The next case will definitely be size 5!

This month has been one of the most exciting months yet. He has taken off into a full blown crawler. As much as I love seeing him get around and go places, he is wearing us out trying to keep up with him. He is one of those babies that is very mischievous and there is scared of NOTHING! The rougher you play with him, the more he likes it. I guess he's going to be a big, tough guy like his Daddy ;) His favorite thing to do is play ball. We roll it to him, and he throws it back at us, clapping the entire time!
For some reason, Gage still doesn't have a single tooth. It is absolutely driving me crazy to still be giving the poor child baby food, but there isn't much else he can eat without teeth. We have started giving him some solids, but not many. Thanksgiving Day was the first time he ate an entire meal of solid foods. Needless to say, HE LOVED EVERY BITE! Since then we have been trying to feed him more "people food".

He started waving "bye bye" and clapping a lot lately! He waves and says "bye bye bye" to everyone he sees and often waves at his toonies, AKA cartoons. He gets excited about everything and everyone he sees and is constantly clapping about it! It is SO cute! I hope he stays this friendly forever! He must get his friendliness from me. I have never met a stranger! He is still VERY sweet and loves his Momma! That's most important right ;) Actually, I think he is still a Mommas boy, but he LOVES his Daddy just as much. The very second he sees Michael, his eyes light up and his arms go out! I guess he's more fun than me. I wouldn't have it any other way!

The stockings were hung...

2009-12-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to be joining Kelly's Tour of Homes again. I originally posted this yesterday, but decided to make a few changes and join in on the tour. Hope you enjoy!

Mom put our tree up, but left the rest up to me. Sadly to say, I'm not the best at decorating or getting seasonal things done before the season is almost over. However...I love Christmas so much that I can't wait to start getting things up. Anyway, here's our finished tree! I LOVE IT!!! Thanks again MeMe!!!

I usually hang our stockings on the mantle where they belong, but this year it just didn't work. Our tv takes up too much space so there was no room for stocking hangers and I'm pretty sure my Dad would have killed me for hammering nails into the mantle he worked his tail off to build for me. Can't say I would've blamed him ;) So this is what I did. We have a bar that overlooks our living room and the stockings hang perfectly on the edge. I think it looks ok. What do you think?

One thing I don't like is a tree with no gifts. I don't have many bought, but I thought I had better go ahead and get the ones I have, wrapped. While I was wrapping, I looked down and this is what I saw... hmmm...at least he was having fun! His Daddy will be so proud when he finds out he was playing with bows ;) I finally got the bows I needed away from Gage and got the presents under the tree. Sad thing is...Gage and my friend, Jodie, are the only ones with gifts. I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean they were the only ones that acted right ;)

I hope everyone else is loving the Christmas season as much as I am! I feel like a kid again!!

Happy Birthday...

2009-12-02T17:08:00.002-08:00

Yesterday was Michael's 32nd Birthday, so Gage and I went after work to get the rest of his gift. I bought him a recliner a few weeks ago thinking it would barely be here in time for his birthday. Turns out it came in 3 days after I ordered it so he got it early. It seems like every holiday or birthday we have around here, someone gets an early gift and has nothing on the actual "day".

That in return, leaves me looking for something last minute so there is at least a gift to open. Michael has been asking for a new wallet, so guess what he got...a new wallet! He liked it a lot, but I think Gage liked it more. Perfect to chew on!

We took him out to eat at Applebee's for his birthday dinner. A friend of his (Uncle Adam) went with us, and we had such a good time! Gage ate Macaroni and Cheese for the first time and LOVED it! He acted as if I was giving him ice cream or something...don't worry, that came later!

When we got home, our interior decorator, AKA MeMe, was here decorating our tree. I have to admit, I was a little worried about how the lime green mesh would look, but it turned out looking AWESOME! Mom is so good at things like this and I'm terrible so I usually talk her into taking on the task. I'm pretty sure she was worn out after she finished. I hope it was worth it! Thanks so much for decorating our tree MeMe! You did a great job!

Happy Birthday to the best Daddy and Husband EVER!!! We love you!!!