My "In Between" Day

Today I'm celebrating my "in between" day, that is, the day between Mother's Day (my first!) and my Birthday. My birthday has always fallen at a great time of year because it was never combined with Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any other holiday. Well, that is until this year. Fortunately because of leap year, my birthday never actually falls ON Mother's Day, but it has always been around it. I used to say I was my mom's Mother's Day gift.

Yesterday Kyle was supposed to work, but he used a pay day so that he could be with us all day for my first Mother's Day. I got cards from Zachary and Kyle in the morning before church, and Zachary presented me (okay, well Kyle AND Zachary) with my gift. Daddy had very bravely taken Zachary and had him make his handprint on a canvas and added the following poem to it for me:

"My Handprints"
My little hands play patty-cake.

They peek-a-boo and wave.

They catch me while I learn to walk,

And splash me as I bathe.

My little hands reach up to you

For hugs before I sleep,

And fold together when I pray,

"The Lord my soul to keep."

My little hands are tiny now,

But yours will serve to guide me.

And when I'm grown I'll still reach out

And know you're right beside me.

~Unknown

Zachary and Mommy on Mother's Day

After Sunday worship and Bible class, we went over to Mom-mommy's house for a big family Mother's Day lunch of grilled burgers, baked beans, macaroni casserole, and homemade strawberry ice cream--YUM! (The burgers were Mom-Mommys choice). After lunch Zachary was in very much need of a nap so we came home.

Also, Mother's Day marked 3 years ago we took home our two, precious and crazy kitties. Can't believe they've been part of the family for so long!

Cinnamon and Sugar, the night we brought them home. (Mother's Day 2006).

Well, today for my in between day, we had a busy day full of appointments and spending lots of money (unfortunately). I had a check-up Doctors appointment this morning and after that we went and dished out some of our savings to buy a new stove, because our oven part quit working a few weeks ago. :( Then we headed to HH Gregg where we bought the exact same stove we had when we lived in Texas, so we already know we like it. Then it was to Babies R Us to buy a 2nd car seat for the Civic, some things for our beach vacation, and baby gates because SOMEONE is CRAWLING now.

Zachary, crawling after his kitties. He hasn't caught them yet.

After that we grabbed a quick bie of lunch at Steak -N- Shake and rushed to Zachary's 9-month check-up appointment. And, YEA!, no shots today! Although, he did have to have his finger pricked to check levels in his blood which was absolutely NO fun and Zachary was NOT happy to wear a bandaid on his finger, even for a few minutes. (BTW, his blood was fine). Zachary now weighs 20 pounds even and is 28.5 inches long, average in height and weight. Everything checked out great, so hopefully we don't go back until after he turns 1 year old!

We'll see what tomorrow holds in store for my birthday (besides getting older!)

Great News!

This will be a short, but sweet entry. My Mom had a follow-up appointment today with her chemo Doctor and he says her numbers look good and he doesn't plan to see her for 3 months for blood work! Mom thinks she is feeling better, but is ready for school to be over so she can rest a little better. It is so good to finally hear some positive news from the Doctors about my mom because most of it has been bad in the last year.

Also, I got a call from my youngest older brother today and it turns out he will be making a trip up from South Carolina to come see us this next week because he has a job interview here! (Well, not here, but in East Ridge, which is also a suburb of Chattanooga). My brother has been without a job for awhile because his last job asked him to report incorrect numbers and so he was let go. Then the economy took a nose-dive as we all know. So, this is a great opportunity for him and hopefully it will work out. It would definitely be weird to have some of my family in town, but it would also be good for Zachary to have more cousins in town (his cousin Evan was 1 in November).

What I've Been Waiting For...

Today I got something I've been waiting my whole life for...Zachary's first word! And it was...Drumroll please....MAMA! (What else did you think it would be, Dada?!) I had just picked him up from spending the day at his grandparents and he just started babbling like crazy! He has been a big talker for a while now, but not so much with the babbling. Then all of a sudden, we heard it: "Mamamamama!" Of course as soon as I got in the car I had to call Daddy and brag, and then next important was to update my Facebook status (of course!) and share with the world my wonderful news. Now, mind you he hasn't said it again tonight, but that is beside the point! It was definitely the best Mother's Day/Birthday present he could have ever given me...music to my ears!

Speaking of music to my ears, I am looking into signing Zachary up for Kindermusik this fall as part of his birthday present. Kindermusik is a great program that introduces children to music at all stages of early life, and involves Mommy (or whoever wants to tag along with baby). I got a coupon to try a free class, so we are planning on going at the end of the month when the summer session starts up. My best friend does Kindermusik with her 2 year-old and they love it. So, hopefully I will have nothing but good to say about our preview class later this month!

In other Zachary news, I think he is ready to be weaned....off of baby food! (No, I am not ready to wean him off of me just yet!) He is getting very good at eating all sorts of finger foods I have given him over the last week: bread, pasta noodles, green beans, more bread, Cheerios, and did I mention bread? But by far, his favorite was PANCAKES. Over the weekend I made some and thought I'd let him try it after he'd already finished his oatmeal and fruit. Buddy, he GOBBLED those pancakes bites up! So I think we will be taking up stock in Bisquick soon!

Eating some "O's."

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful for my healthy baby boy. We have been blessed that Zachary has been so healhy; the worst he has had was that short case of croup a few months ago. But no ear infections, stomach viruses, or anything! Thank God! I am especially thankful because a few weeks ago, a girl from college gave birth prematurely to her little boy, Daniel. Please keep them in your prayers, and check here www.caringbridge.org/visit/danieldodd for more updates on the Dodd family.

2. I am thankful for my in-laws. They take such good care of us and help with Zachary so much. I'm pretty sure we'd be living in a cardboard box withhout their help!

3. I am thankful for FREE People magazines. This is the second time I've gotten something in the mail giving me a free 6 week subscription.

4. I am thankful that the leak in our roof is fixed (thanks Kyle, Kevin, and Ken!)

5. I am thankful that my mom makes all of Kyle's boxers, it saves us a TON of money! Oops-just gave away the answer to boxers or briefs, huh?

6. I am thankful that I have been able to nurse Zachary for almost 9 months now, and that he has grown and developed so well because of it! (Even if it is like wrestling an aligator at times--see previous post!)

7. I am thankful that Kyle and I got to have another date night last Friday--two in one month! Kinda helps that he has been on his weekends off right now, though.

8. I am thankful for my work, who gave me a giftcard to use at Ghengis Grill for "Professional Assistants Day," which we used on said date last week!

9. I am thankful that we finally broke down and let Zachary cry-it-out because he has been sleeping so much better since, which means we have, too!

10. I am thankful that tomorrow begins the month of May-my favorite month! Spring is in full, bloom, my birthday, my first Mother's Day, and WE ARE GOING ON VACATION! More blogging on those events to come...

What are you thankful for?

My 25 (In Other Words, I Spent WAY too Much Time on This Blog and PLEASE Someone Waste Your Time Reading IT!)

No, this is not the "25 Random Things About Me" post that everyone started a few months ago, although I have done that...maybe I'll post it another day. However, if you're on Facebook at all, you've probably recently seen these Top 5 lists that people keep doing. Sometimes I see a list someone else has done and create my own top 5, just for the fun of it (and random memories).

So, in honor of my 25th Blog, I now present you with My Top 5 "Top 5" Lists: (BTW, it would not easily copy and paste over from Facebook, so I am painstakingly taking the time to re-create them. Yes, because I really have THAT much free time, haha!

5 Jobs I've Had:

1. Picture Framer-My very first job, Jessie's Art Gallery and Custom Framing. I learned how to frame pictures. It was awesome. Definitely not your typical first job. After my first week I had a bandaid on every finger and some with two from cutting myself on the glass. But I got a lot of cool things framed while I worked there. And they had a store next door that selled Beanie Babies, which at the time was a great way to blow my paycheck. I had to quit because we moved. :(

2. Winn-Dixie cashier-THE. WORST. JOB. EVER! Thankfully I only had to work it for a summer (the summer before I left for college). All I remember about it are the cheesy training videos they made you watch that were from at least the 80's and the dreams, or should I say, nightmares? Rolling conveyor belts full of hot dogs, beer, and icecream, rolling in my brain, over and over and OVER.

3. Daycare Center Assistant-Ok, this is a job I've had more times than any. First, I volunteered almost every day for a year at a daycare. Then, I worked another daycare one summer while I took classes. Take a group of kids to Chuck E. Cheese...go take a final 30 minutes later...UGH. I also worked at both preschools at my college. These were much more pleasant experiences, and those kids were absolutely precious!

4. Kindergarten Teacher-3 years. 1 bad experience, 1 good (well, except for being incredibly sick most of the year due to the growing fetus in my uterus!) ALL precious children, even little Jose who spat on me, cussed at me, and kicked me. I often had, still have a love/hate relationship with teaching. I'm sure I'll go back one of these days...maybe...

5. Accouting Assistant-My current job. Most days, I have NO idea what I'm doing. But, I do know a lot more about how to read a bank statement and can even reconcile your bank account, although I have no idea what that really means!

Top 5 Places I Have Lived:

BTW, this is not a list of ALL the places I have lived, only 5 that have had the most significance or importance in my life.

1. Mathis, Texas-This is the first place I ever lived, and also the first placed I lived after I got married. Same house, too.

2. Peterborough, England-This is the longest I ever lived in one place (7 years!)

3. St. Albans, West Virginia-The awkward teenage years occurred here. But I have so many great memories despite that, and I still keep in touch with a lot of the people.

4. North Augusta, South Carolina-Although I technically only lived here 1 1/2 years, it is the place where I graduated from High School AND my parents still live here, so we do return some.

5. Ooltewah, Tennessee-Obviously my current location. And where I plan on staying for a LONG, LONG time. It's also the place where Kyle grew up.

Top 5 Toys from My Childhood:

1. Barbie Camper-The best Christmas present. EVER. The camper came apart and transformed into a jeep with REAL seatbelts. There was also a REAL dinner table in the camper with REAL kitchenware. I would seriously give anything to have this back. Oh, and it was PINK.

2. My Little Pony Castle-I spent many hours playing with my ponies in this castle.

3. Puppy Surprise-How many puppies are there inside? There can be 3, or 4, or 5! Boo ya-I got ALL FIVE PUPPIES! I feel bad for the people who only got 3, they totally got jipped!

4. Sylvanian Families-Don't know if this is only an English toy set or not...they are small, figurines or different animals that made up different families in a community. Kinda like Richard Scarry books, but different.

5. Quints-These dolls were like 3 inches high, and no, you couldn't get jipped on this toy because everyone got 5, that's why they call them Quints, people! The best thing about this toy was when you gave each Quint his or her bottle (with REAL water) they would pee and the number they were (1-5) would show on their diaper. And it would be wet.

5 Movies I Grew Up Watching:

1. The Sound of Music-Only the best movie ever. Honestly, I learned to use the VCR as a child because of this movie. This was back when it was on 2 VHS tapes. As soon as the almost 3 hour movie was over, I'd rewind it and watch it again. Did I mention I was 3? I would love to have a daughter and name her Liesel, or Gretal.

2. Mary Poppins-Do we see the Julie Andrews theme? She is my idol! And Mary Poppins is a close 2nd. It is the perfect combination of childhood splendor and grown-up themes. I still break down like a baby at the end when Mr. Banks finally takes the children to go fly a kite. Seriously. I lose all control.

3. My Fair Lady-What can I say, I love musicals! Did you know Julie Andrews was the original Eliza Doolittle? But, Audrey Hepburn did a great job, too! Another movie that takes place in England, I could probably relate. But why was a 5 year old watching this movie and enjoying it?

4. Top Gun-This is my brother's doing. He was obsessed with flying and airplanes, and I knew Tom Cruise was doing something dirty in that bedroom, but I had nooooooooooo idea back then what it was! Oh, and I read today that the "girl" he was in the room with is now a lesbian. Wonderful.

5. Dirty Dancing-Okay, technically I was not allowed to watch this movie growing up, but I somehow found a way to sneak in when my older brothers were watching. Because nobody puts baby in the corner.

The Final 5....these were not posted on Facebook. I just made them up. So there. My Top 5...Yearbook Pictures!

1. Senior Year-Okay, this is actually probably the only good one I'm going to share. The rest are a joke.

2. 4th grade-Don't you love the big ribbon bow ON THE SIDE OF MY HEAD?!

3. 6th grade-Gotta love those big BLUE glasses. Yeah, I did, too.

4. Preschool/Kindergarten-Not really sure what "year" this was, because I was still in British schools then. But check out my right eye. Lovely, puffy red from my giant cornea scratch that has literally scarred me for life.

5. 5th grade-Yes, I am guilty. I took the scissors to my hair. What can I say? I wanted to be a hairstylist for a day.

And because I can't figure out how to delete a picture and it's LATE, you get a double shot of the bang trimming gone bad!

Happy Blogging!

Today I Wrestled an Aligator...

Yes, it's true, folks. I officially wrestled an aligator, and his name is Zachary Moses. You see, a few months ago my sweet, calm little baby disappeared and in return I was given a wild, baby aligator. Seriously, why do parents practically beg their children to hurry and learn to crawl, pull up, etc.? Don't they know that once this occurs your life will change FOREVER?! For example, giving a bath to Zachary=wrestling an aligator. Getting Zachary to sit still for a diaper change=wrestling an aligator. Getting Zachary to sit still for a diaper change AND clothes on=wrestling TWO aligators! Getting Zachary to nurse uninterrupted=THROW ME INTO THE SWAMP!

Seriously, trying to nurse Zachary these days is impossible! He is constantly doing one or more of the following: sitting up every .02 seconds; talking to himself, me, other people in the room, or his kitty cats; trying to pull up on me (sometimes by biting my shirt); sometimes just biting my shirt, or the chair arm, my arm, whatever he can get his teeth on; or sometimes he even will not lay to nurse, but insists on sitting up, facing forward to nurse, and then twisting his head so his mouth is angled correctly on the boob. Luckily, this still only takes about 10 minutes and he usually gets his full SOMEHOW in between all of that. Oh, and he also likes to stick his fingers in my mouth and feel my teeth.


This often makes me think back to the early days of nursing and how HARD it was. This week I checked out a book from the library called It Sucked and I Cried written by Heather Armstrong, who apparently is like, THE original Blogger or something. Anyway, despite her REALLY bad language (she grew up Mormom and then like, completely revolted after college) I am really enjoying the book, and can totally relate her on so many levels. I particularly liked the way she described the early weeks of breasteeding. (I will not describe it here, if you want to know, go read the book!) Anyway, we've definitely come a long way since those early days when all I wanted to do was sleep and why in the WORLD did I have to wake up every two hours to feed Zachary AGAIN when I knew it was going to hurt so bad I'd end up crying. Seriously, some days all that kept me from giving up was the fact that I am NOT a quitter and when someone asked me if I breastfed I was NOT going to say, "Well, yes, I tried, but it hurt too bad and he ate all the time so I quit." (Not to mention that I knew breastmilk was best for Zachary). But, just like they said it would, it got better. And now I'm wrestling an aligator 6 times a day. Well, really 5. Our bedtime feeding is the only one where he will just sit and nurse and be so content. They used to all be that way (well, once we got the hang of it and I wasn't in agony anymore).

In other news, Zachary has been pulling up in the bathtub since last week, and this week he decided it was much better to bathe standing up the ENTIRE time. And today he has figured out that he can pull up on other things besides the bathtub. Currently, he has just pulled himself up on the Cruise and Crawl. Thankfully he has not figured out the "cruising" part yet, but buddy, is he CLOSE on the crawling part. He no long goes backward, but can move himself forward, just only a few "steps" at a time, then stops and sits up. And then he does it some more. So I'm pretty sure we are going to have to ourselves get on our hands and knees this weekend and look for everything we think he can possibly get into because that day is coming quickly.

Well, it's time for me to go wrestle the aligator...

A Day In The Life

Sometimes being a stay-at-home-Mom is hard, and I work part-time, so I'm not even home 7 days a week! There are some days when it's all I can do to make it through the day, between horrible naps, grouchy teething, and fussy nursing, and clingy-baby-syndrome--sometimes all in one day!

Most of the time, though, it's a happy, busy, playful day, though sometimes quite monotonous. Here are some pictures of a typical morning at our house.

One of our favorite shows on PBS, Sid The Science Kid. We don't get cable, and sometimes that can get really boring. But PBS does have some cute, and even educational shows on. I'm not a big proponent of letting babies watch lots of TV, but I'm not one to never use it, either. This show is so weird and funny all at the same time and just makes me laugh a lot. Especially at the fact that there are only 4 students in the class who are all perfect angels...

Our messy house with toys EVERYWHERE. Oh, and Sugar, the kitty, bathing. Self-explanitory.

Laundry. Another story of my life. Who would think only 3 people (and one who wears a uniform everyday) could make so many dirty clothes?! Unfortunately, our couch often looks like this because we are always working on folding something, and I don't have the luxury of a big laundry room.

Zachary with his messy toys, watching Sid. What is not so typical about this picture is that he is practically laying on the floor, watching TV. Normally he is sitting up, scooting all around getting into things.

And there you have it--my typical, sometimes boring life. It took me a long time to realize that while there are days it's important to be at home and have these kind of days to get things done, it's also important (for my sanity's sake) to just get out of the house.

Some days, I just have to remind myself of these words, from a Trace Adkins song:

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back

You're gonna wish these days

Hadn't gone by so fast.

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know it now

But you're gonna miss this.