What was I thinking?

I remember when I registered for baby items I actually picked out a swing, bouncy seat and a few other baby items that "matched" my decor. Sage green and light aqua blue. I actually thought they would just blend in and that the appearance of our once clutter free living room would remain somewhat adult like. It did, for about 2 or 3 months. Well gone are the days when that was the case!

Fast forward to present day...

My living room now looks like a corner of Toys R Us during it's Christmas sale! So much for my attempt at blending baby items in with everything. They are blended all right. The living room looks like one big Kitchen Aid mixer tossed up everything from a duck on a stick to his 120 peice train set, (which he has no idea what to do with except pick trains up and throw them...) Just throw in a few tomatoes and we'd be good to go~ Yeah, fun! It is so much fun watching my new little toddler wobble around like a duck and turn my once "oh so perfectly clean and clutter free place" into his playground. I say that, half meaning it, half being sarcastic.

But you know what? I wouldn't want it any other way! For those of you without kids yet... enjoy and savor your precious little quaint, tidy homes. Things are soon to change! Even if you say it will never happen to you....never say never. I never thought I would be okay with toys growing out of my ass but you just come to realize that toys equal sanity. The more toys they have the more you get done. I mean, if it wasn't for Baby Einstein we wouldn't eat!

Oh the joys of toddlerhood! We have a automatic trash can that opens as you wave your arms above it, compliments of my brother in law. It is pretty cool. Everyone that comes over is fascinated, especially 2-4 year olds. It is every kids favorite toy when we have play groups over here. Well, after I started missing various items around the house because R. figured out how to open it and that you can throw things in it, I was forced to put it in the closet! Don't you hate when you move something and it takes like 2 weeks for you to remember. I've almost dumped left overs and dirty diapers in the floor, forgetting that I moved it.

Gotta go for now! Hubby wants me :)

Ryder and I

I think it was really rainy this day and we were playing around taking pictures of ourselves!

Walkin Around The Christmas Tree

Ryder is DEFINITELY walking! Yes, yes, yes! Today he walked all around the tree with 2 ornaments in his hand the whole time... He wasn't sure what he wanted to do with them but he was just happy holding them. He went forward, backward, and even did a 360! I'm impressed and just laugh every time he gets up to take a stroll. It really is pleasure to my eyes and I can't get over the fact that my little baby is not really a baby anymore. I actually packed away all of his bottles yesterday and almost started crying!
So here is a video of him walking today~ Go baby go!

My little drunk

R. is taking more and more steps everyday. He has been taking little steps since October. We thought for sure he would be walking at Thanksgiving and then we thought Christmas. Looks like he might make the Christmas deadline! This morning he went like 8 feet before plopping down. It's so cute to watch b/c he looks like he had one too many drinks. He almost falls backwards but then catches himself. So Cute!

Our Moms Night Out Party was a success! We had so much fun. I was super impressed with the things some people made. A few of the creative ones were homemade blueberry jam, homemade cd's of favorite music, bottles of beer, and hot chocolate cups. I took the easy way out and drove thru the Starbucks drive thru! 8 gift cards please! We said the party would be a tradition every year. I'll have to start thinking of something more unique to bring to the next one!

Well today I am making Winter Chocolate and White Chocolate Bark. One of those last minute ideas. I always think I"m done shopping/baking but then decide to do one more thing. So I'm off to bake and then to pack to go home for the holidays! I don't know why I still call it home but I do. I guess your parents house always feels like your house, especially if you live there til your 26!

Baby hates Santa!

Mommy makes everything better!

Old slideshow

10% larger my ass

I love it when I beat my husband at something and tonight I did it! See, I've been trying to beat his score in this game called brain quest... like an IQ game. Tonight I used 13% of my brain and he only used 11%. So despite the fact that the male brain is 10% larger than the female brain, they don't always use it to the best of their capabilites. I'm so lovin this feeling!!! It's not often, except when it comes to dealing with Ryder, that I know more than him. But tonight I'm on cloud 9!

I am SO excited about tonight! It's our Moms Night Out night and I've planned a really fun event... It's an "Our Favorite Things" party where every one bring enough of their favorite thing to give as gifts to all the girls attending. Then we are going to feast on our favorite foods! I wanted so bad to make Chicken Marsala... I thought about ordering from this yummy Italian place down the road but then Key Lime Pie popped into my thoughts. It is my fav of all time dessert and Publix has a rockin version! So that is what I'm bringing and I also bought Starbucks gift cards for everyone. They have THE best Peppermint Mocha Frapachino right now for the holidays! So that is my night tonight. I'll let you know how it turns out. Hopefully I'll sample some scrumptious dishes!

Earlier in the day I went to work out and thought I'd go to this class called Muscle Works because last time I was sore for weeks it seemed like. (Which I like by the way) If your sore that means it worked! Well today it was a different chick teaching and I felt like a moron doing these exercises she did. I thought she would quit eventually and go on to something a little more demanding and less ridiculous looking. We had to march in place and then step to the side and raise our arms and then march around this bench. It was so silly. That's why I never go to aerobics because I feel like such a gooney bird doing the exercises. I know that some aerobics classes are great and you probably get a good workout... I just prefer spinning or more body toning classes like body pump.

Anyways, we continued doing these moron looking exercise for like 3 or 4 songs. I came to the conclusion that the whole class would probably be a waste of time for me so I left. Good thing too! Just in time! I went upstairs to run on the track and it circles the workout room I was just in. She had them hopping like bunnies! I swear! This guy ran by me and said, did you have enough of that workout? I was like, "yeah, I felt like an idiot and it was too easy." He said, "yeah, she has them hopping like frogs now." I was like, "I know! Glad I left when I did."
So I continued to run and actually broke a sweat without amusing onlookers.

After the gym I went to Publix... yeah, really sweaty and stuff. I was looking for Chicken fries and this guy offered to help me find them. He lead me to a different isle where I found them and he goes, "you could be a model, you're so pretty." Ha, ha.... he must of been on the nail polish isle, before I asked him to help me, sniffing fumes. I guess it's nice to get a compliment like that occasionally. Even if it is kind of creepy coming from a stranger in the frozen food isle.

Baby just woke up~gotta go!

New tool bench video

Ryder so excited about Christmas!!

We have a ghost in our house!

So I totally do not believe in ghosts. C. loves to look at pictures that supposedly have ghosts captured in them... I think it is a bunch of crap~ until last week!
A little background... I had a best friend for almost 10 years growing up. From 6th grade until college we were practically attached at the hip. We talked everyday, could complete each other's sentences, we said we would get married on the same day and just knew our kids would grow up to the best of friends as we were. She passed away at age 21 from cancer. It was really a terrible time in my life. I felt as if I had lost a sister, not just a friend.

So on with my story... I had wrote a poem to Christy and had framed it and it was in her room for the longest until she passed away and her mom gave it to me. I have had it for 9 years now. Well last week I made something as a gift to give my parents for Christmas from the baby. I needed a frame and thought I would use the one that I had put Christy's poem in. I was going to just save the poem of course in a safe place. I think this made her made or stirred her spirit or something.

Well, strange things began to happen. Three things to be exact! The first happened the day after I had removed the poem and replaced it with the present to my parents. I woke up and the frame had a crazy looking scratch on it. On the inside of the frame so it's not something that would have happened had it fallen. Weird!

The next thing was I woke up with a almost rug burn on my elbow. I know I didnt' do it the day before. The only thing was it could have happened while I was asleep but it was just really odd timing. I think Christy did it! Just to mess with me becasue she knows things like this scare me!

The next day was the freakiest! I was on the phone with a friend explaining the things that had happened and as I walked by the staircase and got into our living room the Christmas bells at the end of the staircase rang. Not just a little "ding" but as if someone had them in their hand and shook them! Every hair on my scared shitless body stood up! So I was like, this is too weird and at that point I had to go somewhere for a little bit! Ryder and I went to the gym I believe it was.

Then, 2 nights ago I was removing the gift I made my parents from the frame to clean the glass. As I replaced the backing to the frame, which slid in from the bottom, it became lodged and stuck as if it was too tight to go back in! Of course I kept pushing it in like a dummy and the glass busted~ so I had to throw it away.

I think Christy got her way. She didn't want any other thing in that frame so she ultimately caused it to break. Creepy huh?

BUMP

This shirt I wore when preggo

I have a great new subtitle :

BUMP
(Baby Using Mommy's Patience)

Amen to that, right ladies :)

A dozen cookies later

Yesterday my MOMS group had a cookie swap. So we each made 5 dozen and we each went home with 5 dozen. We HAD to sample them before we decided which ones we wanted. Anyhow, yesterday I think I ate about a dozen and a half cookies! Once I got home I couldn't stop eating these sugar cookies with icing and also these chocolate homemade truffles~ YUM! I'm telling you, I was like a cookie garbage disposal.

So needless to say I couldn't wait to get to the gym today to work out my cookie ass, especially since there was a 45 minute Wednesday spinning class! I figured I could atleast burn off 1/2 a dozen maybe? Well I was on the bike for no longer than 2 cookies worth when the door opened and shined a stream of light thru our otherwise dark spinning room. Oh no I thought! I knew exactly what she was going to say, "Ryder won't quit crying for you." She said he seemed like he was about to throw up he was crying so hard. (Which he does sometimes... it's really not a big deal... he just has a strong gag reflux)

So she says "We don't mind him crying as long as you don't." I said "Well, I don't mind that he cries because I know he is not in any pain and only wants me to come get him." She then says, "Well just so you know we will have to put him down and can not hold him the hold time because we have other kids we have to take care of." I said "Yeah I understand that." She also says, "And sometimes parents come in and wonder why we are ignoring Ryder by not picking him up when he is upset." So then I'm thinking, "geez lady, which one is it... you don't mind him crying or you do?" So I say "Well, let me come down there and see him." So I follow her down there and when we get to the nursery she tells the lady holding Ryder, "His mom doesn't care if he crawls around all day crying." Oh my gosh! That's not what I said at all! So I was like, "Well I don't want him to cry the whole time he is here... and I don't want him to think I"m going to come rescue him everytime either... we'll just go home for today."

Can you believe she said that! I couldn't... so that is why I'm venting on here. I am so tempted to call and talk to the head of the nursery lady again. But I'm trying to refrain from talking before I cool off. Man I'm pissed! I think I"ll go eat another cookie ;)

14 reasons to love a 14 month old

Pucker Up and Give Me a Kiss!

Things I love about my new little toddler:

1. Determination~ to get what they want. Milk out of a sippy cup? You must be shitting me mommy! " Where is that bottle?" he's thinking as he knocks the cup down and rolls it as far out of his sight as possible. You would think I was trying to feed him V8 or something... but it's the SAME milk~ just not in a bottle! Frustrating to me, but funny!
2. Toilet paper~ he loves the stuff. He is currently enjoying ripping it into a bajillion pieces whenever he manages to get into the bathroom. I swear he tries to see how tiny of a piece he can rip off just to make it harder for me to pick up!
3. If there is ever the slightest opportunity to squeeze thru the gate he high tails it thru there like a prisoner escaping Alchatraz! His little butt wobbling back and forth as he speed crawls to the Christmas Tree. Then he plops down, sits back, grasps both hands into a praying like position, looks up at the tree and says a 5 second "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" with all of his breath. It is so freakin cute!
4. He points the remote to the TV as if he actually knows how to change the channel.
5. He puts the phone to his hear and says "Abakjaclikaboo." Which means "hello?" He pretends lots of things are phones: the remote, his cracker, a block~ whatever.
6. He sticks out his tongue when he thinks.7. As we drive down the road he must inform me that we have driven by a truck... everytime! "ruck! ruck!" he shouts.
8. His love of rearranging my drawers... One of his favorite things to do these days is open a drawer and proceed to take out every item one by one... he may or may not put them back in.. why should he? Thats what mommies are for...
9. This kid loves music. I swear he's going to be in a rock band one day or a dancer one. The second he hears music with any kind of beat to it he grasps his hands in front of him and does this little hip twist action~ yesterday it was Jay-Z he enjoyed getting down to. He seems to like hip hop the best!!
10. Messes~ he likes to make them. I think alot of it is he likes to see things bounce and make racket. Yesterday after my bath he threw every bath toy he owns into the tub, one by one (like 30 of them) and laughed hysterically after each one banged and bounced off the tub sides. I think I have a little fireball on my hands! Or maybe it's just the boys?
11. Messes part II~ He really likes throwing his blocks behind the bench and hearing them cling and clang against the window and wall. We are definately going to need to repaint before we move!
12. I have another name~ Mt. Killamanjaro, or better yet... Mt. Killamommy . He loves climbing over me, up me, on me~ whatever. As long as it is me he doesn't care. I think I'm going to have to hire someone to wrap my Christmas presents because it seems like an impossible task this year! The presents look like they have been carried crosscountry by a postman on horseback in the rain when I finally get them wrapped!
13. He says "Mama"~ and it is so sweet to hear. He said it before but now it is VERY clear. Anytime I leave his presence... "Mama, mama!" is what I hear. Love it :)

14. After he has said mama for the 500th time that day and is pulling at my leg late in the evening~ the best part of having a 14 month old comes next. He takes a bath, puts on his jammies and I rock him to sleep. He drifts off to sleep and then with his eyes closed he grins. In that moment all the work I did that day was worth it because he had a good day.

Gobble Gobble!

So our turkey day vacation was many different things. Fun, relaxing, exhausting, and at times overwhelming. I always look forward to being home with family and friends. I am usually looking forward to my next trip home the moment we get back into Birmingham. However, what I often forget is how crazy and demanding the trip home can get. With that being said, I wouldn't trade a moment we shared with parents, grandparents, and friends. Although I did not get to see any of my friends this time but plan on it in December.

Family photo op

We found out Chads brother is having a boy! Yeah! Rye is so excited to be getting a brand new boy cousin. I can't wait til they can run around together making mischief... Hopefully they won't be as destructive as their daddies were!

It's a boy!

We had our first family photo's done and they will be on Christmas cards so everyone will get to see them! I am NOT looking forward to the ones my mom put on her's though~ I look stressed out or constipated one. It could have easily been either one honestly~ I don't even know why I ordered some of that pose because it is never going to hang up anywhere for anyone to see!
Oh, Chad and I had our 4th wedding anniversary on the 28th. We celebrated by going to dinner with this dude C. works with/for and drank 2 bottles of wine between the 4 of us! It was super tasty and C. said super expensive! He brought it from his wine cellar. Yeah, I don't get why someone would pay that for wine but it was the best freakin stuff I've ever put in my mouth! I usually despise wine and until recently would not drink it because I thought people made it by squishing it with their feet...
Here are some shots on Thanksgiving...

Ryder made it to the top of the staircase~ Something he was trying to do all night.

Our family by the Christmas tree at Dustin's

Riding on the lawnmower with Papa

Uncle Jeff


Ryder with his Grammy

Our field trip to the Christmas Tree farm was fun. Ryder saw Rudolph the reindeer and got to sit in Santa's sleigh with his friends.

Going to see Santa!

Ryder and I are going to Pine Hill Farms today to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus. It is a farm and they have live reindeer, you read stories with Santa, and take a wagon ride~ Should be FUN! I may just sit on Santa's lap and tell him what I need while we are there... I'll post some pictures and update our Thanksgiving trip when we get back!