Garrison & Davis

Bye Bye Daycare

2012-02-02T22:36:00.000-06:00

As the title implies, the boys are no longer going to daycare. I've been struggling with them being at school and getting sick so often. We were seriously in the doctor's office almost every other week. Seriously! It was just getting crazy!

And not to mention the fact that they are both still so young...especially Davis. I just really wanted to find another solution that would allow them to have a more relaxed day at home. And voila! The answer fell into our lap. Our sweet next door neighbor is a stay at home mom with kids that are now all in elementary school. When I mentioned that I was looking for someone to watch the boys she said she'd do it! I couldn't believe it!

She started watching the boys yesterday and so far so good! The boys seem very happy and so are we!

So true...

2012-01-18T21:14:00.000-06:00

I read this great article after a particularly rough evening with the kids. You know the kind of night where your husband is working late, your toddler won't take a bath - instead, he's jumping out of the tub at every chance and running around the house screaming. The shrieks wake up the baby, who I'm not actually sure ever went to sleep in the first place. So then I have these two cranky kids AWAKE at 8 PM and I'm SO over it. Well I finally get them both to sleep, sit down to relax with my laptop and see this article that made feel so normal. Parenting is hard and it's easy (at least for me) to feel like I'm not doing it "right" or not as good as other moms. Apparently I'm not alone :)

Don't Carpe Diem

By Glennon Melton

Every time I'm out with my kids -- this seems to happen:

An older woman stops us, puts her hand over her heart and says something like, "Oh, Enjoy every moment. This time goes by so fast."

Everywhere I go, someone is telling me to seize the moment, raise my awareness, be happy, enjoy everysecond, etc, etc, etc.

I know that this message is right and good. But, I have finally allowed myself to admit that it just doesn't work for me. It bugs me. This CARPE DIEM message makes me paranoid and panicky. Especially during this phase of my life - while I'm raising young kids. Being told, in a million different ways to CARPE DIEM makes me worry that if I'm not in a constant state of intense gratitude and ecstasy, I'm doing something wrong.

I think parenting young children (and old ones, I've heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they've heard there's magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it's hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up.

And so I think that if there were people stationed, say, every thirty feet along Mount Everest yelling to the climbers -- "ARE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF!? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE! ONE DAY YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU DIDN'T!" TRUST US!! IT'LL BE OVER TOO SOON! CARPE DIEM!" -- those well-meaning, nostalgic cheerleaders might be physically thrown from the mountain.

Now. I'm not suggesting that the sweet old ladies who tell me to ENJOY MYSELF be thrown from a mountain. These are wonderful ladies. Monkees, probably. But last week, a woman approached me in the Target line and said the following: "Sugar, I hope you are enjoying this. I loved every single second of parenting my two girls. Every single moment. These days go by so fast."
At that particular moment, Amma had arranged one of the new bras I was buying on top of her sweater and was sucking a lollipop that she must have found on the ground. She also had three shop-lifted clip-on neon feathers stuck in her hair. She looked exactly like a contestant from Toddlers and Tiaras. I couldn't find Chase anywhere, and Tish was grabbing the pen on the credit card swiper thing WHILE the woman in front of me was trying to use it. And so I just looked at the woman, smiled and said, "Thank you. Yes. Me too. I am enjoying every single moment. Especially this one. Yes. Thank you."

That's not exactly what I wanted to say, though.

There was a famous writer who, when asked if he loved writing, replied, "No. but I love having written." What I wanted to say to this sweet woman was, "Are you sure? Are you sure you don't mean you love having parented?"

I love having written. And I love having parented. My favorite part of each day is when the kids are put to sleep (to bed) and Craig and I sink into the couch to watch some quality TV, like Celebrity Wife Swap, and congratulate each other on a job well done. Or a job done, at least.

Every time I write a post like this, I get emails suggesting that I'm being negative. I have received this particular message four or five times -- G, if you can't handle the three you have, why do you want a fourth?
That one always stings, and I don't think it's quite fair. Parenting is hard. Just like lots of important jobs are hard. Why is it that the second a mother admits that it's hard, people feel the need to suggest that maybe she's not doing it right? Or that she certainly shouldn't add more to her load. Maybe the fact that it's so hard means she IS doing it right...in her own way...and she happens to be honest.

Craig is a software salesman. It's a hard job in this economy. And he comes home each day and talks a little bit about how hard it is. And I don't ever feel the need to suggest that he's not doing it right, or that he's negative for noticing that it's hard, or that maybe he shouldn't even consider taking on more responsibility. And I doubt anybody comes by his office to make sure he's ENJOYING HIMSELF. I doubt his boss peeks in his office and says: "This career stuff...it goes by so fast...ARE YOU ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT IN THERE, CRAIG???? CARPE DIEM, CRAIG!"
My point is this. I used to worry that not only was I failing to do a good enough job at parenting, but that I wasn't enjoying it enough. Double failure. I felt guilty because I wasn't in parental ecstasy every hour of every day and I wasn't MAKING THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT like the mamas in the parenting magazines seemed to be doing. I felt guilty because honestly, I was tired and cranky and ready for the day to be over quite often. And because I knew that one day, I'd wake up and the kids would be gone, and I'd be the old lady in the grocery store with my hand over my heart. Would I be able to say I enjoyed every moment? No.

But the fact remains that I will be that nostalgic lady. I just hope to be one with a clear memory. And here's what I hope to say to the younger mama gritting her teeth in line:

"It's helluva hard, isn't it? You're a good mom, I can tell. And I like your kids, especially that one peeing in the corner. She's my favorite. Carry on, warrior. Six hours till bedtime." And hopefully, every once in a while, I'll add -- "Let me pick up that grocery bill for ya, sister. Go put those kids in the van and pull on up -- I'll have them bring your groceries out."
Anyway. Clearly, Carpe Diem doesn't work for me. I can't even carpe fifteen minutes in a row, so a whole diem is out of the question.

Here's what does work for me:

There are two different types of time. Chronos time is what we live in. It's regular time, it's one minute at a time, it's staring down the clock till bedtime time, it's ten excruciating minutes in the Target line time, it's four screaming minutes in time out time, it's two hours till daddy gets home time. Chronos is the hard, slow passing time we parents often live in.

Then there's Kairos time. Kairos is God's time. It's time outside of time. It's metaphysical time. It's those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them.

Like when I actually stop what I'm doing and really look at Tish. I notice how perfectly smooth and brownish her skin is. I notice the perfect curves of her teeny elf mouth and her asianish brown eyes, and I breathe in her soft Tishy smell. In these moments, I see that her mouth is moving but I can't hear her because all I can think is -- This is the first time I've really seen Tish all day, and myGod -- she is so beautiful. Kairos.

Like when I'm stuck in chronos time in the grocery line and I'm haggard and annoyed and angry at the slow check-out clerk. And then I look at my cart and I'm transported out of chronos. And suddenly I notice the piles and piles of healthy food I'll feed my children to grow their bodies and minds and I remember that most of the world's mamas would kill for this opportunity. This chance to stand in a grocery line with enough money to pay. And I just stare at my cart. At the abundance. The bounty. Thank you, God. Kairos.

Or when I curl up in my cozy bed with Theo asleep at my feet and Craig asleep by my side and I listen to them both breathing. And for a moment, I think- how did a girl like me get so lucky? To go to bed each night surrounded by this breath, this love, this peace, this warmth? Kairos.

These kairos moments leave as fast as they come- but I mark them. I say the word kairos in my head each time I leave chronos. And at the end of the day, I don't remember exactly what my kairos moments were, but I remember I had them. And that makes the pain of the daily parenting climb worth it.

If I had a couple Kairos moments during the day, I call it a success.

Carpe a couple of Kairoses a day.

Good enough for me.

Baby on the go!

2012-01-14T22:22:00.002-06:00

Well Davis is starting to move and it's so exciting! He hasn't mastered the crawling thing BUT his little "worm like" moves really get him places. See him in action...

It's only a matter of time before he's chasing after his brother!

Sitting up and so much more!

2012-01-06T14:42:00.000-06:00

Davis is doing so many new things! He can officially sit up all by himself as of last week. He's been almost there for a while but now look at him!

He is also getting up on all fours and rocking...

And he and Garrison are starting to play together!!

He also eating quite a few different solid foods. Over Christmas he ate mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and even some cornbread dressing!

Here he is flashing a gang sign after his meal...haha!

And he has become quite the Daddy's boy. It is so sweet to watch Bryan with him...

And guess what his first word was...DADA!

Oh and he can drive now too...

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-24T11:06:00.001-06:00

Our little guy's personality

2011-12-13T21:59:00.000-06:00

Davis has the cutest little personality! Here he is having some fun with Daddy...

And another just random video...

Playin at the playground

2011-11-23T11:44:00.000-06:00

6 months already?!

2011-11-18T23:03:00.001-06:00

Well time is seriously flying by. Davis is 6 months old! He weighs 17 lbs. 12 oz. (55 %) and is in the 80% for height (I don't have the actual length - I forgot the sheet at the doctor's office). He's getting to be such a big boy and just precious as ever. He laughs all the time and we think he has a fantastic sense of humor :)

He's rolling over both ways, babbling up a storm, sleeping through the night (for the most part) and getting up on all fours a bit. I'm certainly not in any hurry to have 2 mobile kids, but I don't think it will be too long! Davis is not a big napper - he only sleeps about 2 hours during the day (which just seems crazy to me). The kid just fights sleep and doesn't want to miss a thing! The other night while playing in the jumper he finally just gave up fighting sleep and this is what we saw...

We're going to start him on some solid foods this weekend and we're looking forward to him joining us at the dinner table :) He's been wearing 9 month clothes for a few weeks now and is in a size 3 diaper (Garrison wears a size 4!). D had his first trip to the ER last week with a bad eye infection and RSV. Poor little guy was a mess! Thankfully, this week has been much less eventful.

He's also teething like crazy. His little gum are so hard that it won't be long before those teeth are poking through. Here is exhibit A - always chewing on something...

We love our sweet Davis so much!!

My little dragons :)

2011-10-31T22:11:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween! We went trick or treating in my sister's neighborhood and had so much fun! The boys looked SO cute in their little dragon/dinosaur costumes. Garrison got the whole "Trick or Treat!" thing down and was super excited about all the candy he got. Davis fell asleep about half way through but I'm sure he enjoyed a bit of the excitement :)

Here are some pics of the night..

The fam...

Gigi and G...

Sleepy D the dino...

D got his fair share of candy...

Yum!

Garrison gave his brother a kiss...

Cuties!

4 Month Check Up

2011-09-25T22:09:00.000-05:00

Well our sweet (baby) boy is 4 months old. I took him to his check up last Friday and here are his stats:

Weight - 16 lbs. 6 oz (76%ile)
Height - 25 in. (50%ile)

Davis continues to be such an easy going, happy little guy. And I am seriously so in love with him!!

And here's are a few pics with his big brother...who he ADORES!

3 Months Already!

2011-08-26T16:20:00.003-05:00

Well, no more iddy bitty newborns around this house...we have a 15 lbs baby on our hands! And he is the sweetest thing ever. Seriously! He just smiles and coos all the time and rarely cries...what a precious boy!

Right now he has his first ear infection and I just feel so bad for him! He's been a trooper throughout it all but I know he can't be feeling well :( And the poor kid apparently got my ears because I had a TON of ear infections growing up. Lucky him!

Davis had other firsts as well...his first time to the beach! We went down to Galveston with my side of the family at the end of July and had a blast! It was sooo nice to get away and have a change of scenery. Davis has also started rolling from his back to his tummy. And he's started laughing...one of the best sounds ever!

So I went back to work 3 weeks ago and the transition has gone pretty well. Davis has done great at school...which I really wasn't worried about since he's so laid back. Garrison is still adjusting...he moved up to the 2-3 year old class when he came back. We love the teacher and a lot of his friends moved up with him, so I'm sure he'll be adjusted soon enough. I think he just really enjoyed being home with Davis and I full time. And it hasn't really helped the situation that both boys were home sick all last week...no consistency yet!

And Garrison is just becoming more and more of a character. Seriously, this kid is FUNNY! I'm going to have a post dedicated to him in the next week or so...I just have to share all the funny things he's saying and doing. Love him!!

And I wanted to post some pics...but blogger is giving me an error message! Errr. Does anyone know an easy way to post pics on blogger?

Funny little guy

2011-08-02T17:57:00.001-05:00

So Garrison is pretty hilarious. Here's a few funny things he's saying these days:

Sarrison - Garrison

tornado - tomato

gramra - camera

weazer - weed eater

ham - hammer

nalmonds (normans) - almonds

2 Month Check Up

2011-07-20T21:13:00.003-05:00

Davis is 2 months old and quite the big boy! Here are his stats from his check up yesterday...

Height: 23.5" (72%)

Weight: 13 lbs. 2 oz. (82%)

Head: 15.51 (35%)

He also got 3 shots and I'll tell ya what...it seriously breaks my heart to 1) watch it happening and 2) know that I am the reason he's in pain. Now I know it's a good thing in the long run but I just hate it!! He did really well with them though. However, last night was a little rough because he definitely wasn't feeling well. Poor little guy!

On another note, we moved D to his room/crib this week and he started sleeping 6 hours in a row. Wahoo!!! This makes me oh so happy :)

Overall, Davis is just doing fantastic. This sweet little guy is such an incredible addition to our family. So content, laid back and just really sweet. It seriously amazes me how much I can love someone that I haven't even known for very long. I love you Davis!!

And not to forget about Garrison...he is doing fantastic as well. This new role of big brother really suites him. I feel like he is just really flourishing right now. Becoming so independent, talking up a storm and turning into a little boy right before our very eyes. He seriously has the funniest personality - such a great sense of humor and so silly! He now has a VERY active imagination, which I just love to watch in action.

Now it's not all roses with G...he also is definitely in his "terrible 2's" and can be quite the handful. He is quite demanding, bossy and STUBBORN. Being home with him this summer has taught me LOTS of patience. One of the best things my pediatrician told me at his 2 year check up was that when kids are acting unlovable it's when they need our love the most. So when he's in the middle of one of this tantrums I tell him I love him and want to hug him. It may sound crazy, but it's working for us!

Here are some pics from a recent visit to Picture People...

So chill

2011-07-11T16:31:00.008-05:00

Well Davis is still such an easy baby...very laid back and has such a great disposition. And thank goodness for that! We know we are super blessed :) So other than his fabulous personality, he is getting to be such a big boy. I mean seriously guys, I'm pretty sure he's going to be 13 lbs at his 2 month check up (next week). He is already out of 3 month clothes! I mean, I'm still stuffing him is some because he basically skipped that size and there's some cute outfits he's gotta wear!

We don't really have a routine down yet...we're just going with the flow. This summer has been so nice and laid back and I really like it that way. I'm just doing on demand nursing while we can...we'll have plenty of routine coming up when I go back to work! And I'll be back (part time) in mid-August. I'm not even dreading it this time because I know it's only part time and I'll still get time with my boys. And I'm thrilled because we get to keep the boys in the same school that Garrison's been going to - they don't normally do part time but are making an exception for us. Thank goodness!!

Here are a few pics over the past couple weeks...

Wearing the hat Caitlin made for him (2 weeks)

Meeting the Fleetie Sweeties!

Playing in the play gym! (3 weeks)

Cuties snuggling on the couch (4 weeks)

First "real" bath (4 weeks)

Wearing his special onesie for Father's Day (4 weeks)

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Brotherly love

Daddy got bored 1 night and "posed" me (5 weeks old)

Handsome little guy!

Smiley boy! (6 weeks)

Smile!!

2011-07-01T08:36:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty sure there's nothing sweeter than when your baby smiles at you for the first time. Well Davis did just that this week and it was awesome!! He actually gave Bryan the first few smiles but I got a couple too! As soon as I get a picture I'll show ya that precious gummy smile :)

Growing!

2011-06-23T21:47:00.004-05:00

Davis is 5 weeks old and 9 lbs. 13 oz. I can't believe he's already gained 2 lbs. since birth! It is seriously crazy how fast babies grow.

This sweet boy is such a joy. Sometimes I get tears in my eyes just looking at him. I love him!!

And Garrison has become such a great big brother. It's awesome to see him kissing and loving on his brother. I wish he wanted to kiss me as much!! And becoming a big brother has made him want to be even more independent. His newest phrase is "By myself!"

I've been sooo enjoying my days with these little guys. I am so incredibly grateful to have this time with them!

And I'm clearly waaaay behind on my posts but here's a few pics...

Brothers!

Snuggling each other!

Davis' first bath!

Davis is here!

2011-05-24T05:30:00.002-05:00

Our newest addition arrived last Wednesday at 12:08 pm...Davis Bryan DiCarlo. He weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and was 20 inches long. He is such a sweet boy and we love him so much! He is a seriously EASY baby - sleeping a ton and crying very little. I'm actually getting a good amount of sleep because he just eats and goes right back to sleep during the night feeds. Well, he also does that during the day too!

The adjustment of being a mom of 2 has been relatively easy so far since Davis is such a good sleeper. He really gives me the opportunity to give Garrison the attention he needs (and that I want to give him!). Now I know this will be short lived as D get's older (like next week!) but at least the initial adjustment has gone well.

The only thing that is really stressing me out right now is a messy house. Garrison is sooo good at making messes...toys EVERYWHERE! I'm trying to let go of this for the time being, but it's really hard. But the fact that I just had major surgery is forcing me to relax a little about this. Thank goodness Bryan is cleaning up every night too!!

I'll post some pics soon. For some reason blogger isn't letting me upload them!

He's almost here!!!

2011-05-16T20:23:00.003-05:00

Well here I am...37 weeks pregnant! I mean geeze, my belly is HUGE.

On a brighter note, this is the week we get to meet our sweet boy! I seriously can't believe I'll be looking at his face in less than 2 days. Just amazing!! All the sheets, blankets and clothes are washed. The room is set up, the bassinet is by our bed. The big brother gift is wrapped and waiting for Garrison to open. We have TONS of diapers (thanks to my friends and co-workers!). We are ready for this kid!!

2 Year Check Up

2011-05-12T14:34:00.002-05:00

Garrison and I headed to the pediatrician today for an early 2 year check up. Here are his stats!

32 lbs - 90%

34 1/2" - 57%

My little (BIG) man is doing great. I know I haven't updated the blog in FOREVER so here are a few things he's up to these days:

Talking up a STORM! He's a little parrot...soaking it all in. He's saying sentences that have up to 8 words. Pretty awesome!
He has a great sense of humor. Loves to laugh and be silly :)
He's sleeping in a big boy bed (although we still haven't mastered the whole bedtime routine in the new bed...some nights he's up WAY too late battling us!)
He loves riding his tricycle and uses the pedals now too.
He loves climbing...pretty much anything.
He still loves balls and can identify whether it's a basketball or football (his 2 favorite balls).
He's a big helper (well sort of) around the house...loves the broom, vacuum and REALLY LOVES Daddy's tools.
He also loves construction vehicles, garbage trucks and really any kind of truck. He's such a boy!!
He's a great eater...eating pretty much anything.
Something not so fabulous is that he's quite aggressive. He definitely does better with older kids...he can't push them around as easy! Consequently, he has LOTS of timeouts at school and home. I'm looking forward to him growing out of this phase!!
He's excited about being a big brother! He brings up baby all the time in conversation...although I'm still not sure he knows exactly what's about to happen!

Well I'm sure I'm leaving out a ton but those of some of the things that stand out the most for me. Overall, he's just an awesome little guy...constantly cracking us up!

Long over due...

2011-03-11T14:10:00.003-06:00

Okay, well I've obviously been a horrible blogger...sorry!!! Not sure if anyone reads this anymore, but oh well! :)

So I'm 28 weeks pregnant. Here's a self portrait of the belly...

We are getting soooo excited! Yesterday I went the doctor and he said everything is looking great. We were even able to schedule the c-section!!! May 18th!!! I just couldn't wipe the smile off my face after getting that on the calendar. Just 2 months and 1 week away!!!

We also settled on a name BUT we will be keeping it a SECRET :) It feels so good have the name pinned down as opposed to last time naming Garrison after he was born!

Now all we need to do is transition Garrison into his "big boy" bed, move the crib into the nursery and we are set! I can't believe it!!

And since I haven't posted a pic of G in a while, here he is "helping" me pack. Oh did I mention we moved last month?!

Rockin' and Rolling!

2011-01-30T13:41:00.002-06:00

Well our sweet little baby in utero is just kickin' away! Within the last week Bryan can feel the kicks (which he just LOVES). And just a few days ago I was looking down at my stomach and saw the kicks from the outside. So awesome!!

I seriously can't believe I am 5 months along...this pregnancy is FLYING by!! We've got about 16 weeks left until we get to meet little man #2. Can't wait!! Well actually, I can because we have a lot of preparing to do before he gets here. We are moving in 2 weeks and sooo looking forward to a couple more bedrooms and a big backyard. Our boys are gonna love it! And so are mama and daddy!

We also went for our 20 week ultrasound a couple weeks ago and everything looks great - healthy and normal. He was measuring at 10 oz. We got some great 3D pics (which apparently is standard now!) and this little guy is already looking so cute :) I really want to share the pics but our scanner is not working at the moment. I'm hoping my handy husband can work his magic and get it up and going again!

Well that's it for now...hoping everyone is having a relaxing weekend!

Me and the boys!

2011-01-10T12:00:00.001-06:00

This Christmas was a very special one. We had a present under the tree that contained either pink or blue balloons revealing if baby #2 is a boy or a girl.

And what do you know?! BLUE balloons!! We are super excited and can't wait for Garrison to have a little brother. I have to admit though, that I was pretty sure it was a girl since I was sicker with this pregnancy. BUT I was not disappointed at all. As soon I got over the initial "OMG it's a boy!" I just had this feeling of "Yeah, this is totally right." Just me and the boys!!

18 Month Check Up

2011-01-08T16:30:00.000-06:00

This is a little late, but I still wanted to post about Garrison's 18 month check up. He did great!

He totally failed the autism test (yay!), didn't cry with the shots, and was just generally cute. While we were waiting for the doctor he said "hi" to everyone that walked past our room. He's quite the social guy! Then at one point he made a break for it and ran down the hall with just his diaper and some socks on. The doctor couldn't help but laugh (either could I!).

Here are his stats:
Height = 2'10 (90%)

Weight = 29 lbs (between 75 and 90%)
Head Circumference = 18.27" (between 10 and 25%)

This past weeked we also asked our friend Lisa to take some pictures of the little man. She is so talented, as you can see...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T13:57:00.002-06:00

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy 2011!!!

On a side note...I'm going to try to be better about blogging! See ya soon! Eat some black eyed peas today :)

Garrison's gonna...

2010-12-06T19:15:00.000-06:00

be a BIG BROTHER!!! Yep, I'm preggers :) Looks like the little nugget will be almost exactly 2 years younger than Garrison. We are so excited about our growing family and can't wait to have another baby to love on!

So that's why I've been like the most horrible blogger ever...I'm EXHAUSTED! Seriously, this baby is sucking every ounce of energy out of me. I remember being tired with Garrison, but GEEZ! This seems to be so much worse. Oh well, it's TOTALLY worth it! And did I mention I've had morning sickness? YUCK is all I'm gonna say about that.

I don't think Garrison really has a clue what's going on because when I say that mama has a baby in her belly he looks down at his belly and looks a little confused. I mean, his belly is probably big enough to have a baby in it, but still :) I'm sure he'll figure it out sooner or later. I'm just so excited for him to have a new life long buddy. I know I'm going to love watching their relationship grow and take on a life of it's own. Too cool!!

So I've actually been updating a private blog post over the past few months to document this pregnancy. I'll be posting it soon!

What's new?!

2010-11-06T20:53:00.003-05:00

So I took an unannounced blogging hiatus and now there's so much to update I don't even know where to begin! First, Garrison is great!! He is just such a cute and cool little person. He's talking up a storm now. Most things we don't know what he's saying, but he says it with such conviction! His favorite words are CAR, BALL, UH-OH, and of course MAMA and DADA.

He loves to watch Elmo, or Melmo if he says it :) He is totally obsessed with cars which is really funny when we are on the highway. He just keeps yelling "Car!" "Car!" He still loves balls, balloons, and just being outside. Things he hates...diaper changes, coming in from outside, and going to bed.

As for me, I started my part time job last month and am LOVING being with Garrison more. I think he can feel the difference and Bryan and I can also. He and I have been checking out different parks in the area and it's been so fun just being able to play with him during the week. We also love having leisurely mornings where we can just hang out. It's awesome!!

Here are some recent pics:

More pics to come!

Fall is here!!!

2010-09-27T20:10:00.003-05:00

Ahhh...the weather today was AhhMAZING! To celebrate the nice weather, Garrison and I went to a playground and hung out for a while. It was so nice! No sweating or feeling uncomfortable...we loved it :) I am sooo ready for this change all the fall weather.

On an unrelated note, Garrison has 3 molars coming in!!! THREE! And he weighs 27 lbs. 11 oz. He is a quite the stocky boy!

Here's some pics of our boy with the many faces...

I think he was looking at Bryan in this pic...he looks shocked at whatever he's doing. Sadly, this is a look he gives Bryan quite often :)

Blue steel...

This one CRACKS me up!

Knives and other "baby" toys

2010-09-15T20:39:00.001-05:00

So my kid likes playing with all kinds of things that are not your typical baby toys. I mean, he is seriously DRAWN to dangerous things. Let me explain...if I'm unloading the dishwasher I have to watch him like a hawk because it never fails that he immediately reaches for the knives. What the heck?! He also loves metals poles (specifically the one that goes to the steamer) and actually anything that is metal and heavy. Weird!!

He also loves batteries (apparently the taste is delicious), electrical prongs (of course they go in the mouth too...lovely!) and razors. Yes RAZORS. AND HE LOVES TO PUT THEM IN HIS MOUTH. It's like as soon as he get's his little hands on one, straight into the mouth it goes! Yesterday I had to jump out of the shower and chase after him when he grabbed Bryan's razor.
I mean, seriously?! Gone are the days of take a relaxing shower...atleast when Garrison is awake :) This kid is quite the handful!! We sure do love him though!

I'm sure this post may want you to call CPS on us...but I promise we really do keep him safe!! :)

Bath time!

2010-09-12T12:39:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of our bathing cutie...

Smarty Pants

2010-09-11T08:38:00.006-05:00

Well it turns out that Garrison is a pretty smart little kid. Almost everyday that I drop him off at school, his teacher tells me how smart he is! Did I mention that I love Ms. Olivia? She is seriously amazed at all the words he says and how he uses them. He's even putting words together ("Garrison fell down!") which apparently is quite advanced for his age. I know I'm totally bragging, but I think it's awesome! I mean, we really didn't have a clue since he's our first so it's nice to hear from someone who is around children his age all the time. Pretty neat!

So this morning we were all hanging out and I had a napkin that I needed to throw away. Garrison picked it up and I told him that it was trash, thinking that he would put it down. Well he didn't...instead he went over to the pantry, opened the door and put the napkin in the trash can. He is a smart kid!! So I guess he not only got Bryan's looks, but his brains too...maybe we have another scientist on our hands!

Here's some recent pics:

Sitting at the table like a big boy...

Sometimes he likes to not only eat his food, but shampoo with it too!

Our kid has the best morning hair. I mean seriously!

Eatin' cake for Aunt Julie's birthday...

One of his favorite toys. Yes, a swiffer...

Garrison and Flip...

Awww!

Flip was so good with him!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

One step closer...

2010-09-09T13:57:00.003-05:00

to being with my baby more!! So I put in my notice at my current job this week (which was totally nerve wracking!) and it went well. They are of course sad to see me go, but understand that it's not personal. But I still feel like I broke up with someone...so hard!

I'll be starting my new position next month and am so excited! I mean, financially it's COMPLETELY scary, but it's totally worth it to be able to spend more time raising Garrison. Money just doesn't compare to time with him....so very precious! And kids are only young for so long, ya know? I just don't want to live with any regrets and am SO glad I am taking this step :)

I'll post some recent pics of the little guy this week!

Life is good...

2010-08-31T09:13:00.003-05:00

Over the past few days I've just been in so much gratitude for where my life is today. I feel like God just continues to "hook me up!" Now this isn't without it's fair share of pain and fear and heartache. But through all that comes the light on the other side.

This is an awesome song that kind of sums up how I'm feeling...

I hope that your day is filled with joy too :)

A blessing AND a curse

2010-08-26T15:52:00.003-05:00

On Monday I got the new codes for the Web Monitoring system in Garrison's new class and I can't stop watching him!! Now I have to admit that this happened before when he was much younger and so I stopped watching all together. It just made me miss him so much! And now that he's a mover and a shaker it's so much more fun to watch him. I can barely get anything done at work! Ok, it's not that bad...but seriously, I am obsessed!
So even though I'm totally for web monitoring, it is a curse too! I guess I must exercise some restraint...

I hope everyone is having an amazing day!!!

A new face

2010-08-24T20:05:00.002-05:00

Garrison has started making this face and we think it's so funny! What a little cutie...

Movin' on up!

2010-08-17T13:16:00.006-05:00

Well Garrison moved into his THIRD classroom at his daycare. He is really movin' on up! FIrst it was the itty bitty baby room, then when he was 9 months old he moved to the next room that had lots more room to play, and now he's in a room with 1-2 year olds. I met with his teacher this morning and she told me about all the cool things they do. First of all, they have a much more structured schedule, which I think will be really good for Garrison. Here's what his day will look like:

7:30-8:30 - Free play

8:30-9 - Breakfast

9-9:30 - Play outside on the playground...G LOVES it out there! That a post in and of itself :)

9:30 - All the kids come inside and line up (yes, apparently my 1 year old can line up!!). Then the Ms. Olivia washes each child's hands and face.

10 - 11 - Circle time...singing songs, learning shapes, colors, ABC's & 123's

11 - 12 - Lunch

12 - 3 - Naptime/quiet time (G now sleeps on a cot instead of a crib and he's doing GREAT!)

3 - 3:30 - Snack

3:30 - 5:30 - More learning and playing

Here is a little snipit of his 1st day's "Daily Report"....

Apparently he was very ready for this transition because he is adjusting very well :) And his new head teacher, Ms. Olivia, just couldn't love her job anymore than she does! She is just wonderful with her kiddos and they learn so much!

So even though I'm not thrilled about him being at daycare so much, I do love the environment he's in. And it helps that he's happy every day when we pick him up :)

One year ago today...

2010-08-11T20:46:00.004-05:00

I went back to work. I can't believe it's already been a year!!! Being a workin' mama has been the hardest job(s!) I've ever had. It is so tough being away from my baby all day. And recently I'm really not sure I'm doing the right thing. I am just feeling like I am not raising him. I don't get to spend enough time with him to really parent him the way I want to. It is seriously heartbreaking.

SO we are exploring our options and there may be some changes happening soon. I just know that I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for not being there for him the way I feel I need to be.

And I hate even posting something like this because it is such a controversial issue. But I really believe that it is a very personal one and there are many "right" answers out there depending on the people involved, circumstances, that sort of thing. I'm not saying that working full time is the wrong thing to do. I just feel like it's not exactly right for me. Ideally, I'd love to work part time. Still get my adult/me time but also have lots more time with Garrison. I'm praying that God will guide us in this decision and make thing possible. He does know my heart though, so I have a good feeling :)

Anyways! Enough about that. Here are some cute pics of me and my boy today and 1 year ago...

August 11, 2009:
He's so itty bitty!

I'll keep ya posted!

My son is weird

2010-08-04T19:18:00.004-05:00

So Garrison is a weird little eater. He LOVES fruits and vegetable and turns his nose up to "normal" kid food. I'm talking chicken nuggets and hamburgers people! That is wierd!! I mean I really shouldn't be complaining because it is really AWESOME that he loves healthy food but it's seriously shocking when he picks around the "yummy" food for the veggies.

Another "weird" food thing about G is that he likes the hot and spicy Cheez-It's! I was eating them one day and he was hovering and so I gave him one thinking he would hate it and leave them alone, but NO...he kept coming back for more! I guess all those jalepenos I ate while pregnant with him gave him the taste for spicy foods :)

Here are some pics of my funny food eater...

"Give me more mama"...

Just a cute pic of my cutie...

Birthdays!

2010-07-29T14:24:00.003-05:00

Well today I turn the big 3-0 and strangely I am totally okay with it. Who would have ever thought?! I guess now that I'm old enough to turn thirty, I realize it's not really old at all. Besides, I am quite comfortable with myself these days, so the number doesn't really matter all that much. And man am I happy I can say that. I really thought I would be bummed when I turned 30, but it's actually quite the opposite! I am really enjoying celebrating a "big" birthday. It kind of gave me permission to make a big deal about it! Love it! And I am feeling quite loved by everyone in my life. I really have some AMAZINGLY wonderful family and friends. God has certainly hooked me up for the first 30 years....I wonder what He has in store for the next 30?!

Other than my birthday, we went to my friend Lisa's son's birthday party last weekend. They had a big sha-bang (I'm allowed to say things like that because I'm in my thirties now) complete with a petting zoo and pony rides. Let me tell you, it was FUN! Garrison loved all the animals and Bryan and I enjoyed seeing all our friends. Here are a couple pics that Lisa took:
I absolutely LOVE this one. Couldn't you just eat him up?!?!

Photobucket??

2010-07-28T13:40:00.000-05:00

Okay, what the heck is this Photobucket thing on my blog?? It just popped up there recently and I have no idea where it came from! Has anyone else experienced this? Help!!

The kid loves balls!

2010-07-26T19:51:00.000-05:00

Garrison loves balls. I think we've been over this before. I mean, his 3rd word was ball. Mama, Dada, then Ball. He literally wakes up and the first thing he says is Ball. What can I say? The kid loves them! Well my friend, Kathleen, has a son that loves balls just as much so she knew that Garrison would LOVE this toy for his birthday...

I just love how excited he gets when they pop out! My boy is so cute :)

Oh no you didn't!

2010-07-24T19:19:00.001-05:00

*Disclaimer: this is not a post to read for the squeamish*

Well, we had our first BIG nasty accident today. Not the kind involving blood or bumps...the other kind of YUCKY. I'm sure you'll see where this is going soon. So we went to a birthday party today for Garrison's buddy, Will, and I guess the corn dogs and cupcakes where a bit much for his tummy. When we got home I started the bath and stripped him down and let him run around naked (as usual) for a few minutes. Well it started in the bathroom where he crouched down and peed and left a few pellets but oh no, it did not stop there as I thought it would. He then ran into the livingroom on the CARPET and left a nice runny puddle that he then ran through. GROSS!!! Thankfully, I got the job of cleaning the boy and Bryan got the job of cleaning the carpet. What an amazing hubby!

I could seriously do WITHOUT this kind of accident EVER. AGAIN.

Out in the country

2010-07-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

Several times a year we get to take a trip out to Anahuac to the family house where my MIL grew up. It's so beautiful and peaceful and just perfect for kids. Here are a bunch of pics from our last trip over 4th of July weekend..,

Garrison LOVES his cousin Perry! She is so great with him...

Chunky monkey!

One of his favorite toys...a water bottle!

Happy boy...

"Hey!"

Our All-American boy with his football riding around in a little red wagon...

Cuteness...

More cuteness...

His new thing is to point at things and say "This?"

More pictures from the rest of the weekend coming soon...

Fun in the hamper

2010-07-17T17:39:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we put Garrison in the hamper and push him around the house...he loves it! Recently, Bryan decided to pile up a bunch of toys while he was in there. At first he didn't really know what to do with all of it but then he decided it was fun. Check out the cuteness:

Lazy

2010-07-14T12:42:00.000-05:00

I'm totally being a lazy blogger! I will get out of this rut soon...for there are pictures to post!

Have a wonderful day :)

1 year check up

2010-07-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

Last week Garrison finally went in for his year check up. It took forever to get in to see the dr. because we had to change pediatricians and then the new one was so booked up with summer check ups. Anyways, the check up went well. I really like the new pediatrician and I think she'll be someone we can go to for many years. She has 3 young kids of her own so it's really nice to have someone that is so in touch with what's going on.

The worst part about the appointment was definitely the shots. FIVE OF THEM. Yikes!! It was seriously horrible...for both of us. I just hate when he's hurting and can't do anything about it. Especially when I'm holding him down so the pain can be admistered :( But he's such a little trooper...after he finally calmed down he was good to go for the rest of the day. He really is a tough little guy :)

We also got his stats, of course. Our son is a little chunker!

Height: 29" - 10-25%
Weight: 24 lbs. 7 oz. - 50-75%
Head Measurement: 18 1/2" - 50-75%

Who's team are you on?

2010-07-01T08:31:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I have to admit that until last night I had never read a book or seen a movie in the Twilight series. To be honest, it just never appealed to me even though the hype was SO BIG. Well, a good friend of mine had a birthday yesterday and for her party she invited a bunch of her friends to go see Eclipse. On opening day. HOLY CRAP. I was surrounded by die hard fans and didn't have a CLUE what any of this was all about. So I sat next to the birthday girl, Caitlin, and she gave me a quick run down of everything Twilight that I needed to know right before the movie started. Of course, I still had questions throughout the movie but I don't think I ruined the whole movie experience for her :) And really, even if I did know what was going on I'm one of those annoying people that asks those questions (Why did he do that? What just happened?) during a movie anyways. Makes you want to invite me to the next movie you go to, huh?

Anyways, back to Eclipse. I'm not gonna lie, I LOVED it! I've jumped on the bandwagon! When I got home I told Bryan that I was going to start reading the books and he was like "Oh God, another obsession." I kind of get a little into things sometimes :)

Ok, well that's my confession of the day.

Oh, and I haven't decided if I'm team Edward or team Jacob. Must do more research...

2010 Family Pictures

2010-06-29T19:43:00.000-05:00

So remember a couple weeks ago when I said I was crazy for getting family pictures taken? Well, it turns out that if you have a really great photographer, she can work magic with whatever she's given! And I mean, Garrison being as cute as he is sure doesn't hurt either :)

Take a look...

LOVE this one...

Family photo #1...

I love his expression in this one! I'm sure he's saying "Ball!"

Look how excited he is! He loved the water!

Family photo #2...

Me and my boy!!

We were watching Garrison (of course!)...

Photos by: Jane Foster Photography :)

Location: Discovery Green

Boys love their Mama's

2010-06-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

When we found out we were having a boy I was so excited because everyone knows that boys love their mamas. Well, Garrison is no different except for the fact that until recently he was not the snuggly type AT ALL. Remember the micro snuggle comment a couple months ago?

Well, a few weeks back my sweet boy started wanting me to hold him more...and let me tell you, I LOVE IT!

Here's a couple pictures to document the progress :)

All I have to say is AWWW! I sure love him!!! Oh, and he gives kisses now too...big slobbery kisses! Love it!

Pony ride!

2010-06-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

So yesterday Garrison's school had a petting zoo complete with pony rides. I really wish I could have seen it because I heard Garrison just loved it! That kid LOVES animals!! When I came to pick him up, I stopped by Trudy, the director's office to see how everything went. She said Garrison was a pro on the pony! She asked if he had ever riden a horse before! I told her no but then I started thinking and told her that he does have a rocking horse that my parent's gave him that kind of looks real. I've put him on it a few times so he must have used his skills on the real thing! Apparently he grabbed the reins and was kind of jumping up and down (while sitting on the sadle) and yelling "GO! GO! GO!" I seriously got the biggest kick out it!!
Maybe I'll have to take that kid out to a ranch when it gets a little cooler. I remember as a kid going out to Oil Ranch for field trips and it was sooo fun. They have all kinds of cool stuff for kids...and pony rides. I seriously gotta see this in action. It was too funny hearing about my little cowboy!!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a very Happy Dad's Day!!

I am so very grateful that Garrison has such an amazing Dada! Check out some pictures of the pair that were taken a couple weeks ago...

*Pictures by Jane Foster Photography

Spaghetti!

2010-06-17T21:07:00.000-05:00

I'll let these pictures speak for themselves...

I think he liked it...what do you think?!

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks!

2010-06-13T20:57:00.000-05:00

Over Memorial Day weekend we went to an Astros game with our friends Lisa, Colin, and their adorable son, William. It was so fun! We got to sit in a suite, which, if I had it my way, would be the ONLY way we went to a game ever again. Too bad those tickets aren't always available!!
Seriously though, it was so nice because the boys could run around and play on the floor and generally do a lot more than if we were sitting in regular seats. The free food was a nice touch too!
I was not very good about taking pictures, but here are a few cute ones. Heck, I think any picture with Garrison is precious!

G hangin' out on the floor...
William checkin out the action...

And my fav...

Pink

2010-06-12T19:54:00.000-05:00

Eye! YUCK!! Poor Garrison woke up this morning with puffy, goopy eyes :( What a way to start of the weekend, right?! Good thing we had medicine left over from the last time he had pink eye so we started using the drops this morning. Hopefully tomorrow will be much better! I'll spare you a picture of the little guy today. You're welcome :)

New word...

2010-06-10T19:40:00.000-05:00

While Garrison is quite a vocal little guy, he doesn't say many things that we can actually understand. Well this week he started saying a word that we knew! And it's not surprising that this word is one of his very favorite things.

Check it out...

Family Fun!

2010-06-09T08:33:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend Bryan, Garrison and I headed down to Discovery Green to take some family pictures with Jane. I'm really interested to see what she got because I really don't think we gave her much to work with! "Family photos" with a 1 year old is kind of a joke! I know I had good intentions...but what was I thinking?! And I really can't believe I got Bryan to go along with it too. Lord knows he did NOT want to!! What a good husband :)

Pretty much all the pictures of Garrison include his new favorite toy - a basketball. Have I mentioned that Garrison LOVES balls? For his birthday we got him a sports ball set - football, basketball, and soccer ball. Well I brought the basketball with us in the diaper bag just in case we needed something to entertain him with. And what do you know?...he grabbed that ball out of there before we even started taking pictures and wouldn't let it go for most of the session! Oh well!

Despite the difficulties of getting a very independant, active 1 year old to cooperate we managed to have a good time watching him run (Yes, I said run!) around this really cool park we have right in Downtown Houston. He especially loved the area where the water shoots out of the ground. At one point he stood right in front of this one spray of water and let it just hit his chest as he laughed...sooo cute!

I really can't wait to take Garrison back to Discovery Green. It was such an awesome place to hang out as a family...and it's free!

Monkey See...Monkey Do

2010-06-08T08:06:00.000-05:00

I just thought this was too cute not to share. So this morning on our way to daycare we were stopped at a light and I was messing with my hair and I look in the back seat and Garrison has his hands in his hair "fixing" it too. Ha! I just love that he's at the stage where he's trying to copy us. It is really cute!!

Lack of Vocabulary + Frustration = Tantrums

2010-06-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

Well, we are officially in the tantrum phase. Not only have Bryan and I been experiencing these *fine* displays, but it was confirmed with an email from babycenter...subject: 5 tips for taming toddler tantrums. It's so hard because we hate seeing him get so out of control (i.e. back arched, screaming at the top of his lungs, whatever's in his hands being launched across the room) but then at the same time we totally understand that he's frustrated and has no way of really communicating that fact other than doing what I just described. Fun stuff, huh?!

Here's what babycenter says...

Why your child has temper tantrums
A temper tantrum is the emotional equivalent of a summer storm — sudden and sometimes fierce. One minute you and your child are in a restaurant enjoying your dinner, the next minute he's whimpering, whining, and then screaming at the top of his lungs because his straw is bent. Children between the ages of 1 and 3 are especially prone to such episodes.Though you may worry that you're raising a tyrant, take heart — at this age, it's unlikely that your child is throwing a fit to be manipulative. More likely, he's having a meltdown in response to frustration. Claire B. Kopp, professor of applied developmental psychology at California's Claremont Graduate University, attributes much of the problem to uneven language skills. "Toddlers are beginning to understand a lot more of the words they hear, yet their ability to produce language is so limited," she says. When your child can't express how he feels or what he wants, frustration mounts.

So this morning Garrison had a total meltdown when I was dropping him off at daycare. I think part of it was that he didn't want to be confined to the play area - he likes be be boundary-less. I mean, don't we all? And then the fact that I was leaving just excalated the whole situation. It was BAD. And SUCKY. And just NOT GOOD. Get the picture? The good news is that the episodes are short lived and then he's fine. Like it never happened fine. Don't ya wish that was still the way things were? That you get mad and then 2 seconds later, you're just over it? Those were the days that a shiny (insert object) could totally help you forget the "trauma" that just happened.

Just a few more, I promise!

2010-06-01T20:06:00.000-05:00

And you just thought the birthday pics were done, didn't you?! Just a few more and I promise we can move on to different events/topics :)

Here we are opening presents!

Garrison was very excited about his cool dump truck Great Aunt Laurie and Uncle Bruce gave him...

And the construction worker guy...

Lookin' sharp in his special birthday outfit and new shoes...

Here's Garrison and his 2nd cousin, Charlotte. She loves him!

Garrison shared the birthday celebration with another May birthday...Layla turned 6!

Just hanging out that evening...

Me and the birthday boy...

All tuckered out after the big day!

The end!

Lots of LOVE

2010-05-31T09:33:00.000-05:00

This weekend was packed with lots of love. We went to a gorgeous wedding on Saturday night (yay for Louise and Drew!) and yesterday was Bryan and my 2 year wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful day celebrating...we even went on a date!

We started out our anniversary celebration at the same place we had our very first date (Starbucks!). Here's a pic of the 2 of us there...

Last year we had a brand new baby to celebrate our special day. This year was a little different, but equally as wonderful :)

A little birthday cake...

2010-05-28T19:06:00.000-05:00

I think one of the funniest things about a 1st birthday is watching the birthday kiddo eat the cake. What a mess! And it's just too cute watching their faces as they enjoy the goodness that is cake.

Here are a few (and by a few I mean quite a few) from Garrison's birthday cake eating experience...

Here's a before shot of the cake. Isn't it CUTE?! My sister-in-law, Missy, got it and I just loved it.

Okay, so there's about 20 people watching him...so that may explain the scared look on his face:

And he's goin' in!!

He was trying to share the mess with his cousin in this pic, but Perry wasn't having it! I wonder why?!

Of course he had to take a break and suck his thumb and savor the taste...

And then we went straight to the kitchen sink for a good scrubbing!

And here is the aftermath...

Mission accomplished! This kid is a natural!

More birthday pics in another post...I didn't want to totally bore you with them ALL :)

Birthday morning pics

2010-05-27T06:57:00.000-05:00

Well, just as I suspected, I did take about a hundred pictures IN ONE DAY. Yikes! I downloaded the pictures from Sat through Mon and there were 127. If the number of pictures taken of my child = the amount of love I have for him, then I guess that means I love him A LOT! So needless to say, I haven't had a chance (hello, I'm a working mama!) to sift through and post them.

BUT, I thought I'd give ya a sneak peak. Here are some from Garrison's birthday morning...

He was looking at Bryan in this one...Lord only knows what Dada was doing!

He was saying "Dada" in the one...

Then he and I went to the store to get him a special Birthday balloon. He was so excited! He didn't let that thing go all morning.

Here's Garrison and his balloon having some breakfast...

And of course one with his thumb in his mouth...

More to come!

So many changes

2010-05-24T16:02:00.000-05:00

With Garrison turning a year old, so many changes go along with this milestone. Wait, have you heard my son has turned one? Oh yeah, you probably have :)

Anyways, here's what's new in Garrison's world:

no more bottles (YAY for mommy and daddy!!!)
drinking whole milk out of a sippy cup
facing forwards in his car seat (I'm pretty sure he thinks it's awesome)
he's taking baths in the big bathtub with nothing supporting him
he started waving
and pointing (really cute except when he's mad at you and you get the pointer finger waving at you...okay, that's pretty cute too)
and he knows how to say "quack, quack" except it's more like "guack, guack"

He has also started wearing shoes more regularly now. His Gran got him some really cool shoes that are great for new walkers. And they're stylish too! You'll see when I post pics from this weekend. Hope you're having a good Monday!

The BIG birthday

2010-05-23T09:02:00.000-05:00

Well yesterday was Garrison's first birthday and it was awesome. I think he totally knew that it was his special day too. I just had so much fun celebrating my boy and making it special for him. I'm pretty sure I had more fun yesterday than on any other birthday. And it wasn't even mine! Who knew?! This parenting stuff has opened my eyes to a joy I never dreamed of.

Speaking of that, yesterday I was filled with so much gratitude and humility that God would choose us to be Garrison's parents. What an incredible, beautiful gift. This past year has truly been the very best year of our lives, starting out with the happiest day being his birth. Thinking back to that day just makes me smile. It's weird to think that I loved him so much then and now I love him SO much MORE. I guess my heart has just grown!

So I took literally about a hundred picture yesterday and will post them this week. Of course I won't post them ALL. That would be one LONG post!

Happy Happy Birthday to my sweet boy!!

And here are some pics from Garrison's very first birthday...

1st Haircut!!

2010-05-21T20:23:00.000-05:00

Well the time finally came for Garrison's first hair cut. Lord knows his baby mullet was asking for it!! So we headed over to Kid's Kuts and here's what happened:

He looks so excited, doesn't he? Okay, not really...

"Well hello little froggy"

All done and lookin' sharp!

And this is what happens when the boys are home alone

2010-05-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

So I called Bryan on my way home this evening from hanging out with the girls and he said he had taken some picture that he thought I might like. I'll just let you take a look...I think they speak for themselves.

Aren't those awesome?! They sure gave me a big laugh!! I think it's so funny how he strategically is holding his blankie over his "man parts." He's so modest :)

The snuggler

2010-05-19T09:28:00.000-05:00

Not our boy! He can barely sit still for 2 seconds! When he does "snuggle" with us (and I use that term very loosely), we call them micro snuggles. He actually starts to freak out a little if we are trying to hug him for too long. I think he may have a little case of claustrophobia!

Seriously, the last time I got a good snuggle with him was when he was REALLY sick. I guess when he's not feeling well, it's not all that bad!

9 Months Pictures

2010-05-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

Back in February, Garrison and I met up with Jane at the Japanese Garden for some 9 month pics. They are just too cute not to share! If you want to look at other pictures she has taken of G you can look here and here and also here. Oh here too!

Seriously, does it get any cuter than this?!

Big boy standing up!Bryan and I just love his expression in this one!

And of course, this is one of my all-time favorites!

Holy cow milk!

2010-05-17T11:22:00.000-05:00

In just a few short days, Garrison will be drinking cow milk! No more bottles?? What ever will we do?! I can tell you one thing, we'll have A LOT more counter space. Those bottle drying racks have become a part of our kitchen decor and I will not be sad to see them go!

And although I'm ready for this next phase, it has been so nice to be able to breastfeed Garrison throughout most of his 1st year. (I recently stopped because the milk ran out!) I know not everyone has a positive experience with BFing, but I really loved it. Of course, in the beginning, there were definitely some rough moments, and the pumping was not what I would call fun either. And then there's trying to coordinate my schedule so that I could pump or BF every 3 hours. That is a challenge!!

It's a labor of love, but something that I am so glad that I did. The bonding I felt when feeding him was just wonderful. It was his little happy place where he felt safe and comforted and of course loved. And to know that I was providing him with the nurishment for what he needed was really amazing too.

I do have a funny BF story for ya though. So when Garrison was about 2 months I took him out to eat with some of my girlfriends. I was really hoping that he would sleep the whole time, but I knew that if he woke up he was going to be HUNGRY. Well about halfway through the meal, he wakes up and he's READY to eat and definitely letting me know it too. Lots of crying. In the MIDDLE of the restaurant. AWESOME. So I get out my hooter-hider and convince myself that I can feed this baby. IN PUBLIC. I get all situated, he's latched on, and we're doing good. Of course I'm sweating, nervous, and flustered, but that's besides the point.

Then, this guy at the table next to me, who I think may be the manager of the restaurant, tries to get my attention. "Ma'am, excuse me, ma'am?" And I'm thinking, OMG, he totally knows what I'm doing and he thinks it's inappropiate and he's going to ask me to stop. Jerk!
So I say "Yes?" And the guy asks me "Does it calms the baby when I put him under the blank?" And I'm thinking...is he trying to give me a hard time? Why can't he just leave me alone? So I tell him "Umm...I'm feeding him." Then the poor guy gets SOOO embarrassed turns away and apologizes. I told him it was fine and both tables had a really good laugh about it. So now my friends and I call my hooter-hider the "Magic Blanket." Works like a charm!

Busy weekend!

2010-05-16T15:46:00.000-05:00

This has been a busy weekend! One of my best friends from college came in town to visit and we had so much fun. She got to meet Garrison for the first time, which I was so excited about. Of course she absolutely loved him! And he was a big fan of hers too :)

He came out to eat with us today and was so good...just sat in his highchair and shared some of my food. Another friend of ours brought her baby (that is 2 weeks older than Garrison) and that was extremely helpful because he was all the entertainment Garrison needed!

Unfortunately I didn't take any picture with my own camera (LOTS on her's!) so I have nothing to show for all the fun. I do have a random picture from when G was 2 weeks old. He looks NOTHING like this anymore!
And I guess I should mention that we are now 6 days away from the big birthday. 6 days people!! We contemplated getting him a haircut today since he's totally sporting a baby mullet, but decided to wait until he's actually one. Did you know that you're not supposed to cut a baby's hair until they're one? I think it's an old wives tale, but we're goin' with it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I know I did. Wonderful friends are such a gift.

Object Permanence

2010-05-14T11:48:00.000-05:00

I'm sure that in the grand scheme of things, learning object permanence is a good thing...but right now I think it SUCKS. Now when I leave the room, ANY ROOM, Garrison cries. I mean, I guess I should be flattered because he doesn't do it for anyone else, but really it makes me feel bad! Especially when I'm leaving him at daycare. Before this week, there was no crying when I dropped him off. He would just start playing and totally forget about me. I'd give him a kiss on the head and walk out the door, no big deal. Well, not the case this week!!

Now he watches my every move when I drop him off. As soon as I even glance towards the door, he throws his head back and cries. Then I'll go over to him and pick him up, get him settled again, and try to make my move again while he's distracted. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Mostly NOT. TOTALLY SUCKY. So then I leave feeling bad and sad for him...and for me. And the thing is that I'm sure 1 minute later he's totally fine but of course I don't get to see that.

So yeah. That's why I majorly dislike this whole object permanence learning phase.

On a brighter note...TGIF!!!!!!!

Wild hair

2010-05-13T06:47:00.000-05:00

I not gonna lie, my kid's got some sweet hair. It just naturally wants to go into a punk rocker kind of look. Not sure if that's telling of the future, but for now, it's really cute!! When he was a little younger, his hair would NOT sit flat. I would get it wet and comb it in the morning and it would just pop right back up. So for many months, he went to school with CRAZY hair. More recently, it's gotten long enough that when I do his hair, it will actually lay somewhat flat.

I wanted to share a few pics of my son's awesome bedhead hair before I attempt to tame it...

Side view close up!

A natural mohawk...what more could you ask for?

Here's another morning of wild hair pics. I mean, you'd think I'd be too busy to take pictures in the morning with getting both him and I out to door for school and work...but NOPE. Mama never misses a chance to take some pics of G!
Close up!

Side view! Did I mention he likes to knaw on the side of his crib?? Yes, yes he does.

Good morning sweet boy! FLASH!!

This time last year

2010-05-12T08:32:00.001-05:00

I looked like this!

Seriously, I look like I have a freakin' torpedo trying to escape through my belly button!! This was taken when I was 36 weeks pregnant...13 days before the little man made his debut. I sure do like him on the outside better!! But I would do it again in a heart beat. I sure love my baby boy!

Happy Birthday Sissy!!!

2010-05-11T08:31:00.000-05:00

It's my sister's birthday today, and no, her name isn't Sissy, but that's what we've called each other forever. We hope you have a wonderful day!! Love you!

And I just had to take this opportunity to post an adorable pic of Aunt Kristi and G....Look at how cute they are...I think Garrison was like 2 weeks old!

Be careful what you say...

2010-05-10T08:38:00.000-05:00

Garrison started saying a new word…well, I’m not sure if it’s a word or a phrase. ANYWAYS, it’s CUTE. Now the little man says “Uh-Oh.” But he doesn’t say it like I say it. He says it more manly, in a low tone and kind of monotone. I think it’s so neat that he just kinda picked up on that and started saying it. What else is he going to pick up on? I better watch my mouth!! Remember “Meet the Fockers” when Ben Stiller’s character says a$$ hole in front of the baby and then he starts saying it? Yikes!

Garrison would like to say...

2010-05-09T08:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!
We hope you have a wonderful and very special day...especially if you are a Mom!

Here's a really cute thing I'd like to share (with a Mom theme of course!):

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers? 1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is. 2. Mostly to clean the house. 3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers? 1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us. 2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring. 3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used biggerparts.

What ingredients are mothers made of? 1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nicein the world and one dab of mean. 2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly usestring, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom? 1. We're related. 2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom? 1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff. 2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be prettybossy. 3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him? 1. His last name. 2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he getdrunk on beer? 3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad? 1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats alot 2. She got too old to do anything else with him. 3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house? 1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball. 2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed. 3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads? 1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work. 2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them. 3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at yourfriends. 4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time? 1. Mothers don't do spare time. 2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect? 1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind ofplastic surgery. 2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? 1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that. 2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me. 3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Dang it!

2010-05-07T08:28:00.001-05:00

So I was opening the mail last night and Garrison had gotten something. And since he still can't read, I have to read his mail for him. Much to my dismay, it was a letter from his pedatrician saying that they were closing their doors as of May 28th. WHAT?!? Apparently overhead costs keep rising, insurance reimbursements keep dropping, and with the new healthcare it will only get worse. So they decided to cut their losses and close up shop. DANG IT!!! Do you know how hard it is to find a great pediatrician that you feel totally comfortable with?? I mean Dr. Margaret Payne is AWESOME. We almost never had to see anyone else...she was always there, always consistent, very conservative, and very knowlegeable. She was sooo helpful with the seizures too. And of course, she was great with Garrison. I felt so comfortable with her and really trusted her. And after all we went through with our first pediatrician, it was such a blessing to have found her. If you don't remember, you can read about it here.

So here we go again...on the hunt for another wonderful pediatician. I may consider our runner up in last time's search, but I think I'll also look around. If anyone knows a great, conservative pediatician please let me know. And I say conservative because I don't want one that will just perscribe G with something that may end up being unsafe for him. So many doctor's are quick to perscribe when really, the best thing to do is let whatever it is run it's course. I want someone "by the book" because there's a reason why there is a book!! Okay, I'm getting off my soap box now.

Other than that bit of bad news, I am soooo happy it's almost the weekend!! 2 whole days with my boys. I LOVE IT! And we have a really fun weekend planned, so I'm even more excited than normal! Happy Friday!

Everything changes...

2010-05-05T20:14:00.000-05:00

So they say everything, and they mean everything, changes when you have a child. We have found that to be true...our schedule, priorities, what decorates our livingroom. Yep, our child has changed the way our rooms are decorated! Now, a whole corner of the living room is littered with his toys. And because he is standing, we've really had to make some changes. Here are some pics of our new set up. Garrison loves his little play corner!

The kid always blink during the flash! Reason #356,249 that he is Bryan's child :) Not that there was a question! Haha...

Hard at play...

And did I mention that we love almost all the changes that parenthood has brought? We are enjoying this point in our lives so much!

Garrison's first official "photo shoot"

2010-05-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine from highschool, Jane Foster, started her photography business about the same time Garrison was born. It's been so awesome to have her take pictures of Garrison throughout his 1st year. You should definitely check out her website...she's so talented!

Here are a couple pics from his very first "photo shoot"....

Isn't this just the sweetest!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! Eat some chips and queso!

Random pic

2010-05-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

My little guy when he was just 4 months old...

He's changed some much! But still just as cute!!

Daycare

2010-05-03T12:38:00.000-05:00

Oh how I love Garrison's daycare. I am SOOO happy that we were refered to it. I really don't think I could have continued working had we not found such a wonderful, loving place for our baby. It's awesome because it's privately owned and run by a husband and wife. Their 2 adult daughters work there as well...Laura is the Infant Teacher and Vivian is the Program Coordinator. They are just the sweetest family. You can tell they are good people. And they love kids! All the other teachers are so wonderful as well. They kiss on Garrison and are just so loving to him and the other kids.

The building used to be a church and I think it totally has good "vibes" because of that. It's also in a residential neighborhood and I really liked the fact that it is tucked away.

And I know Garrison loves his school too. He has so much fun playing with his buddies in his class. He's the type of kid that needs that interaction and stimulation. He is definitely a people person! When I drop him off in the mornings he barely notices that I'm gone...he's too busy playing! He's only cried a couple of times when I left, and let me tell you, it BROKE my heart! But I know he was over it a couple minutes...gotta love how easily distracted kids his age are :)

I just got the schedule of the "Summer Fun" planned and I am so impressed! Every Wednesday they will set up sprinklers and have Splash Day. Can't you just see it...a bunch of toddlers running around in the water. I love it! I'll definitely have to get some pics to share. They also have a bunch of activities planned: petting zoo, a visit from Elmo, a visit from Dora, 4th of July Parade and party...I could go on! Isn't that cool?

So even though it sucks that I have to be away from him all day long, at least I know he's in such a wonderful place. And the fact that he's happy when he's there make me happy :)

One of my favorites

2010-05-02T11:46:00.000-05:00

So we've been wanting to check out a church closer to us for a while and well, today we finally did it! It was pretty awesome. I kind of knew that the worship leader/band was one of my favorite bands, but wasn't expecting to see them today. And there they were! It was amazing to worship to my of my very favorite songs that they sing and I thought I would share it with you. I hope you like it too!

So Garrison was pretty good through about 1/2 the service, and then he went a little crazy! He DOES NOT like being constricted, held, anything like that. Needless to say, we had our work cut out for us! He would have been totally happy roaming around the new surroundings, but of course that wasn't going to happen. We managed to get through it with just a few LOUD outbursts but if we go there again we may need to see if they have some child care :)

Reflecting

2010-05-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

Well here we are...in MAY. Last year this time I was enormous. I mean HUGE. My belly felt like it weighed about as much as 2 bowling balls. Men's bowling balls. Oh wait, it DID weigh that much! I was just looking at my post from the beginning of last May and it brought back so many memories...the excitement and anticipation of meeting our little guy, all the wonderful baby showers...what an amazing time in our lives. And I have to say that it has just gotten better and better.

What a blessing this past year has been. So many changes, ups and of course downs too. I've grown and learned more about myself this year than any other year. I feel changed in so many ways from becoming a mother. I've learned what it means to put someone else first, always. I've challenged myself to become a better, healthier person because that's what my son deserves. I've made choices, some very difficult ones, because that is what is best for him.

Being a mother means everything to me. It is the thing I always knew I wanted to be when I wasn't sure about anything. I am so very grateful and feel so privileged to be Garrison's mom.

Happy Friday!!

2010-04-30T08:39:00.000-05:00

One of many book eating instances...

We hope you have a wonderful start to your weekend!!

Mmm! Mmm!

2010-04-29T11:52:00.000-05:00

That is the sound you will hear from Garrison when he is eating. Well, I should clarify...when he is eating real food rather than most of the baby food. I don't blame him! It is really funny though how much he LOVES food. He is so animated in letting you know it too!

I am a major food lover as well, so this trait, he definitely gets from me! (Yay!) And let me tell you, he is serious about his food. It's so funny when he's in his highchair eating, he gets his "game face" on and cannot be bothered by anything other than the food on his tray. And don't even think about sitting him in there if his food is not ready. He gets MAD! When he is ready to eat, he is ready to eat...and I can totally identify with that!

Garrison is multicultural when it comes to food too. He likes Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Middle Eastern (hummus), and of course good 'ol American. I think his favorite is Mexican though...that's my boy!!

He also loves vegetables. Pretty much any veggie I put in front of him, he gobbles up! He especially likes broccoli and baby carrots. Hopefully he will not loose this love of vegetables.

Now I don't want you think that he only loves healthy food. He also LOVES, I mean LOVES ice cream. And although I love ice cream too, I think I have attribute this love to Bryan's genes rather than mine. Hmmm...maybe we'll do ice cream cake for someone's first birthday...

Children's Museum

2010-04-26T19:54:00.000-05:00

Over the Christmas holidays, we went to the Children's museum and checked out all the cool stuff. Seriously, that place is amazing!! I think we could go there every week for at least a year and still not see all the stuff! So while we were there we went into the "Science" area and this is what happened...

He looks a little scared and confused but kind of excited too...maybe he'll be a scientist like his Dada!

By the way, this morning before we left the house, I had to go back into our bedroom and Garrison followed me in. As soon as we got into the room he said "Dada!" I think he's really calling us by name now. So cool!

Another side note...he is really walking now! Slow and little baby steps, but definetly walking! Oh and he's no longer eating "baby food." He has officially graduated to eating all table food. I know he's excited! I'll have to dedicate a whole post to my childs love of food...

We know when Garrison is tired when...

2010-04-26T19:35:00.000-05:00

he makes this noise:

Isn't that funny?! He really isn't a very fussy guy, so I'll take this over crying any day!! He started doing this about 3 months ago...one of his many quirks. Love it!

10 steps and counting

2010-04-25T19:18:00.000-05:00

It's only a matter of time before Garrison's crawling days are over! This weekend he was a lot more adventurous with the walking. And he looked a lot more stable. I just love how excited he gets when he walks!

It is so fun watching him grow and change. Have I mentioned lately that I love being Garrison's mom? It's pretty much my most favorite thing I've ever been.

Zoo!

2010-04-25T17:22:00.000-05:00

Today was a fun day! Spur of the moment, we decided to go to the zoo. It was just so gorgeous AND we only live 10 minutes away! It was a brilliant idea from Bryan...I really can't take the credit. Anyways, we really enjoyed it. Garrison loved the elephants! He wasn't really too impressed with most things if they weren't moving (at least fast enough for his attention span). The elephant just happened to be right by the fence and it was eating...too cool! He also like this tiny little monkey that moved pretty quick. He was trying to talk to it!

Here are some pics from our day...

The last time he went to the zoo he was only 3 weeks old...

P.S.

2010-04-24T08:24:00.000-05:00

Don't call him Gary. Ever.

Thanks!

And now for the cutest dinosaur ever...

Naming our child

2010-04-23T13:20:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure everyone knows the story about how we came up with Garrison's name, so I thought I'd share. Well first of all, I'm totally a "planner" so I started looking in the baby name book and online from the beginning of the pregnancy. Bryan, on the other hand, was a lot more relaxed about it. We would toss names around every once in while, but I had a whole spiral notebook full of options. We both really liked the name Jackson, but it was getting so popular and we really didn't want anything in the "top 10" most popular category. We also liked Tyler, but wasn't completely sold. We knew somewhere in the name we'd use Bennett because that is Bryan's middle name and his late grandfather's middle name. We thought about using that as a first name but again, we couldn't decide.

And we couldn't decide.

And finally it's the week that my C-section is scheduled AND WE STILL DIDN'T have a name picked out!! I was getting STRESSED. So 2 or 3 nights before the surgery we were sitting on the couch watching TV and I was on babynamegenie.com (or something like that) and I was just throwing names out to Bryan and Garrison was one that I said. We both liked it but moved on to look at other names.

So the night before the C-section Bryan said that he had made his decision...Garrison. Well at the time I was in pretty painful labor (yes, I went into the labor on my own the day before the surgery...crazy!) and couldn't think, much less make a life long decision like naming our child. So still no final name for the child that was going to be born in less than 12 hours!! Let me tell you...I NEVER thought I'd be in this position! I thought I'd have the name picked out months in advance. I guess Bryan and I both were afraid to committ...it's a really big decision, ya know?!

Well 9:30 am the next day our son was born...with no name. Once I got into recovery and I'm holding my sweet boy I'm like "Okay, we gotta name this kid." And Bryan said "I already told you my pick...what's yours?" And at that moment I just knew that this little baby's name was Garrison Bennett. And maybe it was also the fact that I had just gone through 18 hours of labor, surgery, and hadn't come up with anything else on my own. No but really, I love his name and it's just perfect for him.

Happy 11 months!!

2010-04-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

1 month from today our boy is going to be ONE!! Where did the past 11 months go?! It has seriously flown by. Bryan and I were playing with Garrison last night and he looked at me and said “Where is our baby?” And it’s true…G is no longer a little baby…he’s turning into a toddler! He’s doing so many cool things now and has his own little personality. Is it bad to say that I think I like having a baby this age rather than an itty bitty baby? I just love how he can interact now…it’s just awesome!

So I am going to try to do a post every day leading up to the big birthday. I’m thinking pics throughout the past 11 months and just random things about Garrison. Hopefully I can do it!!

Here's the 1st random thing about him...

* He loves to EAT books. Sometimes he’ll look at them, but he’s WAY more interested in knawing on them. Our bedtime story time is really not much of a story time anymore!

Here we go!!

2010-04-18T16:11:00.000-05:00

I think my life as I know it is never going to be the same again! Over the past few weeks Garrison has ventured to take between 1-3 steps pretty regularly. This weekend it jumped to 5-6! He is on his way to being a walking boy! Here's a video to document the progress...

Other than the walking, he's gotta be cutting some more teeth because let me tell you...he has been CRANKY! Give him a teething biscuit or anything out of the freezer or fridge and he is much happier. I feel so bad for him...I know it's gotta be miserable. And on top of that when he woke up from his nap today his cheeks were bright red and he felt hot and sure enough, 101 fever. So it looks like we'll be going to visit our beloved pediatrician tomorrow.

Yesterday we had a fun day...a friend of mine brought her dog over for us to watch while she moved. Garrison just loves dogs so it was awesome to see them in action together. Here are some pics and video...

I'm not really sure what kinda move you'd call this one but it did catch little Flip attention...

So every night at least once...okay more like 2 or 3 times, Bryan and I go into Garrison's room to sneak a peak at him sleeping. And sometimes he just looks so freakin' cute we take a picture. Well last night was one of those nights. I mean look at him! Just precious!! He was soooo tired! We just love how he's totally sprawled out laying on top of his blankets.

Easter eggs hunts and more!

2010-04-09T20:13:00.001-05:00

Garrison's first Easter was a good one! The holidays are so much fuller and more fun with him in our lives. So the festivities started with an Easter egg hunt at his school. It was so cute watching the 6 ten month old boys that make up his class crawl around checking out the eggs...

My little thumb sucker...

Garrison and all his buddies. And yes, he's crying because I put him down to take the pic :)

Then we went to Anauhac to the family farm house. It was nice and relaxing and lots of fun! I think my abs were sore from laughing so much!

Here's Garrison Easter morning checking out his Easter basket...

"Whoa, that's a big basket"

My little cutie!

"Do you think I can eat my way through the box to get the chocolate?!"

"Let me at it!!"

"Thanks Uncle Carter for giving me a taste of the bunny"
"I think I can take it from here.."

That bunny didn't have a chance...

What a mess!
Mmmm...

I love this pic! He was such a mess!!

After all the candy, Garrison had a GOOD nap!

Here he is in his "Easter-tastic" outfit. Bryan let me know that under no normal circumstances would our son ever wear this sweater vest. I think he looks dang cute!!

My boys...I love 'em!!

My son LOVES balls...

Here we are hanging out with the Easter eggs...

This was a special basket ball Easter egg...Garrison thought it was pretty cool!

I'm sure next year he'll be running around with his 2nd cousins, Layla and Jacob, during the Easter egg hunt...

And last but not least, a cute little video we took of the little man eatin' a peep...

We hope you had a great Easter too!!

A whole week with my boy!

2010-03-10T15:07:00.000-06:00

So I got a new job and decided to take a week off to regroup and relax and OF COURSE hang out with Garrison before starting the new gig. It has just been awesome so far!! It's kinda fun pretending to be a stay at home mom!
Garrison is my little buddy and definetly my favorite little person to be around. He is just getting more and more fun! We can play games and he plays right along. And he just follows me around from room to room. Too cute...except I can't even go to the bathroom alone anymore!
It's been really nice to take some time to hang out with him. It's so hard to be a working mom and trying to fit everything into a 24 hour period. Most days I don't get to spend much time playing with him. Most of our time together on the week days is spent feeding him, changing him, bathing him, ect. So this week I'm trying to just be present and not worry about all the stuff I could or "should" be doing and just hang out with my little man. Of course I'm still doing the feeding, changing, and bathing too!
He is just the most special thing to me and I am so grateful for a whole week to just soak him up! I love you Garrison!

9 months!!!

2010-02-22T14:04:00.000-06:00

Can you believe Garrison is already 9 months old?! In a weird way, it seems like it has flown by but also like he's been in our lives forever. These past 9 months we've gone through so many wonderful and exciting changes with him...he's not our itty bitty baby anymore!!

Here are some things he's up to these days...
*crawling EVERYWHERE
*climbing to a stand
*cruising (holding onto furniture and walking)
*standing on his own for a few seconds
*saying Mama & Dada (let the records show that my smart boy said Mama 1st!!)
*putting EVERYTHING in his mouth
*cutting teeth - his bottom 2 are in and his top right just cut through the gums...looks like he'll have 4 top teeth in no time!
*eating finger foods - cheerios, banana, blueberries, broccoli...really anything I give him!

He loves...
*his soft blue quilt blankie
*bathtime
*when Daddy puts him on his head
*this litte piggy...
*practicing walking...he gets SO excited!
*balloons

Here are his "stats" from his 9 month check up...
*18 lbs. 13 oz. - 25%
*28 in. - 50%
*Head 17.5 in - 25%

We just love our little boy head to toe!!
I love my Valentine's day present!

Hangin' out in the big high chair...

Check out that hair!

My little Valentine!

I just won't let go of this balloon!

December pics

2010-01-31T08:19:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm behind on the picture updates...here's a bunch from December. They're in random order for some reason, so just go with it :)

I think this pic is actually from January. Garrison's hair is so wild we decided to mohawk it one day. I like his attitude in this pic! He loves his Jumperoo!

My little cutie all bundled up in the car...

Looks like he's posin' "Olan Mills style"

Just eatin' my bath toy...

Here's my boy with his buddies, Gracia and Olivia...

Havin' some fun...

Their beautiful mom, Julie, her other daughter Scout, and I...

New Year's Eve we headed over to Wally and Lisa's for our traditional pizza and pie celebration...We even gave Garrison a taste pie...Mmmm!

My favorite guys on Christmas Eve...

Aunt Kristi came over and delivered lots of presents for Garrison!

He was our favorite gift all year!

Mmmm...that paper was delicous!

My first visit with Santa!

That baby food is so good I like to lick the bowl!

We went to the Children's Museum and had so much fun!

Lots of cool toys!

Garrison found a Santa just his size!

I just love the look on his face...

This was a new trick of his back in December...pull down the bumper pad and look for Mom and Dad. Too cute!

My friend, Cate, was in town from D.C. over the holidays and she finally got to meet Garrison...

Just loungin'...

Such a ham...

Still lovin' the jumperoo! Opening up Christmas presents...

Hangin' out with Kylie...
And Shelby...
Dad bein' silly...
Christmas morning photo op!
Well that's it for today! Can you believe my little man is going to NINE months soon??

Too cool

2010-01-28T10:53:00.000-06:00

Is it weird that I totally cried while watching this video?

I just LOVE being a mom. I just love what this video says about being a mom. AWESOME.

On the move!

2010-01-17T19:07:00.000-06:00

Just a 3 weeks ago Garrison was doing the army crawl...

And now look at him!

6 Month Pics!

2010-01-10T08:01:00.000-06:00

My friend, Jane, took Garrison's 6 month pics back at the end of November. I think they turned out GREAT! I was waiting to post them because these are some of the pics I used for our Christmas card.

Isn't he a cutie?!

Goodbye 2009...hello 2010!

2009-12-31T17:37:00.000-06:00

What a year 2009 has been! Lots of ups, a few downs but such a wonderful year over all. I've been kind of introspective over the past couple of days and have just been feeling so much gratitude for where I am and what my life looks like today. My heart feels so full. God is so good.

I am going into 2010 excited for what it may bring. I have a feeling more changes are coming, but isn't that every year? I'm looking forward to seeing Garrison change and grow. I'm looking forward to Bryan and I growing in our marriage and as parents. I'm looking forward to growing in our faith. I'm looking forward to deepening our relationships with family and friends. I am looking forward to continuing in our journey to become the people that God wants us to be.

I hope that each of you have a very happy New Year. 2010 is going to be a great year!