So Much To Do...

I feel like such a slacker for not updating sooner, but as you are about to see, that is far from what we have been up to. I'll start with Spring Break, just hope my post pregnancy brain can remember all we did, the pictures do help a little to refresh my memory.

The kids rode with their cousin to Dallas to spend a few days and left Eric, me and Max at home. Brandi, Chuck and the girls joined them and they had a fun filled week! The weather didn't cooperate for them to go to Six Flags, it was snowing. This is the third year in a row we tried Six Flags and it was cold and windy. Never had snow before though, that was a shocker. They ended up at the mall and Abbi found plenty of bounty of course. Tyler took a little nudging but finally found a few things, socks were his big splurge I think. Do all teenage boys love the mall this much? I can't fathom going to the mall and only finding socks, batting gloves and one pair of shorts when my Mom says get what you want. Oh well, Abbi picked up the slack on the shopping trip.

They stayed at Great Wolf Lodge after that. When I started getting those pictures I was super jealous, it looked like so much fun. Mommy and Max aren't staying home ever again and missing out on the fun. I was so proud of Abbi for riding down the big yellow slide and of her big brother for riding with her. Brandi and Chuck are brave for taking all the kiddos to a gigantic indoor water park and hotel, and taking on a mommy who stayed at home and wanted picture updates every 5 minutes. Thanks Brandi for indulging me. Needless to say I was glued to my email and too involved with getting pictures of the big kids to take any of the little one at home or update the blog. I don't even remember what we did that week, except for Mommy, Daddy and Max went to eat at TaMolly's. I LOVE IT! After Dallas the kids got to go to stay the night with Grannie, I again, wished I was there.

Thursday Brandi and the girls came up to stay with me and Max while Eric was gone to a coaching clinic in Alabama. We had a blast and shopped until we dropped, literally, my back was gone by Saturday night but it was worth every muscle spasm. That might be a little dramatic, but it did hurt. I might would have lost some weight if we hadn't eaten at every fabulous restaurant in the area. This week it is bootcamp time, I must get ready for summer and need to fit in more than 2 pairs of jeans and few tops. The week left me wanting more fam time so we will be making our traveling debut soon, should be an interesting post after a 5 hour trip with a teeny tiny baby. We started out this week with a visit from Pappa and Susan, it was short but super sweet and will tie me over with a family fix until I make it to El Do.

Yesterday Max and I took Abbi and her friend to play putt-putt. It was a beautiful day and they had a blast. Max slept the whole time. Just a few funny Abbi stories and I must try to lay my angel down so I can get a few things done, yes, I have typed this entire post holding him. I am a mulitasker to say the least.

A couple of weeks ago Abbi asked me if Max could talk English yet. I said no, and she said, You mean he can speak Spanish? Funny, I said no, he speaks nothing right now but he will speak English soon as he is learning from us. Apparently she thought if you don't speak English you must speak Spanish.

Abbi was going to a friends to play and asked if she could watch a scary movie with her friend. I told her no, it was PG 13 and had bad words in it. She said that's not fair, I hear Eric say bad words. I said he does not, what did you hear him say? She said, Period. I said what? She said he says it to Tyler all the time. I laughed, I told her Abbi that isn't a bad word. She asked what it meant. I told when Eric tells Tyler to do something sometimes he argues with him so Eric says, do what I told you, period. It means quit talking back and don't say another word. Good stuff. We are blessed.

You Can Spoil A Newborn

For those of you who think you can't spoil a newborn, I have proof you can and can give you step by step instructions. Max is in my lap now as I type. I have laid him down about 10 ten times today and it is only noon. I think the longest amount of time he stayed down was 30 minutes. He has a very strong someone isn't holding me radar. I let him cry about 5-10 minutes thinking he will get tired and go back to sleep, not happening. Oh well, we will keep trying. At least next week is spring break and it won't matter if I am exhausted because I will have no where to go. The house will be so empty without Abbi and Tyler! My amazing sister and brother-in-law are taking them to Dallas with their kiddos. They had plans to go to Six Flags, but for the 3rd year in a row the temperature will drop and wind will pick up the exact day they plan on going. Then Brandi and the girls are coming up here for a few days, I am ecstatic!!!!

Abbi has had fun this week getting to play with her cousin Lowery. It has been wonderful to have someone over to play everyday and entertain Abbi. They have been so good and really had fun yesterday out in the sunshine. It was so pretty. We took Max for a walk, we got about halfway done and they both had to go to the restroom. Needless to say we made quick time getting back to the house.

I gave Max his first real bath this morning. Can you tell if he liked it by looking at the picture? He takes after his sister and brother, they aren't thrilled about getting a bath either. Of course their reason is they have much more important things to be doing like getting in last minute texts or playing spy. He recovered quickly though and smells so sweet now.

He acted pretty sweet Wednesday night. We all went out to eat and he slept through the entire meal. I wasn't sure we would all fit in my car though! Since Tyler is a grown man now, it is definitely a tight squeeze in the back seat. Time to bite the bullet and get a vehicle with a third seat. I was hoping to wait and pay mine off first, but we won't make in my little car to El Dorado and I am anxious to make the trip.

Ketchup

What did the big tomato say to the little tomato? Ketchup. That is just one of the many jokes Abbi and her cousin Lowery were telling each other yesterday. And it was perfect for my blog today, I have a lot of catching up to do! (pardon the corniness :)

Friday night Abbi and I had girls night out. She chose Marketplace to go eat, super yummy! She really wanted a friend to go, but we kept it to us two and I think she had a little fun with her Mom. She beat me in tic-tac-to and checkers and enjoyed the amazing Chocolate Mess. It will put you in a happy coma quick. She gave me the best foot rub ever when we got home, just like Jansen and Tyler did once on the way to Florida when they were little.

Tyler had fun at a birthday party and spent the night with a friend that lives in the cool neighborhood. I wish we lived there. I always wanted to have a home like we did growing up. Everyone was always at our house and Mom always had snacks like Rochelles for us. I want our kids to have the same. I started looking for houses last night, there is a perfect one of course, but I am sure selling ours would be tough. Oh well, maybe someone will walk up to the door today and ask to buy ours.

Saturday Eric's brother Tommy and his wife Amanda came to visit. It was great getting to visit with them, we don't see each other as often as we should considering they are one of the closest relatives to us. Speaking of close relatives, Steve, April and Lowery are here this week!!!! We are so excited. April and Steve stopped by yesterday and let Lowery stay and play, thank you! Abbi and Lowery had so much fun telling jokes, singing and playing fairy godmother. Very entertaining for all.

Max made his fist appearance at church yesterday and was so good. The only peep he made was a big yawn. He really seemed to enjoy the music. This week is my first week alone during the day. So far so good. Max rode with me to take Abbi to school and was hungry. Abbi entertained him on the way but he was fussy on the way back. I remembered how he liked church and turned on the xm praise station and turned it up. It worked! After eating he slept in his swing in the bathroom while I got ready. He had a shocked look on his face when he woke up and no one was holding him. He is in my arms now and keeps peeking to make sure I haven't put him down again, little stinker.

I added a little bonus picture, he reminds me of my Pappa Teede in this one, gotta love the cotton pants. We are blessed!

Sibling Rivalry

When pregnant with Max, I was so worried Abbi and Tyler might fell left out. I expected a little sibling rivalry between Abbi and Max for attention, but I didn't prepare myself for Abbi to create a competition with Tyler. This happened last night, Max loves Tyler more than me, Abbi said. You see, Max was on his play gym in the floor with his brother and sister around him and apparently Max was looking at Tyler more than Abbi. I tried, to no avail, to explain to her that it wasn't possible for him to love one or the other more, especially now. She would be his favorite sister and Tyler would be his favorite brother. I asked her if she remembered anything from when she was his age. Her response of course was no. We had a little mommy lap time and all was better, until the next time Max stares at someone more than her. At least she loves him and wants him to love her, better than trying to get rid of him. Tyler of course was very supportive and didn't agitate her at all, no smirking or continuing to get Max to favor looking at him...yeah right. He is a perfect angel, but also still a big brother who loves a little healthy aggravation. Notice Abbi isn't in the picture, if Max wasn't going to be looking right at her then she would have no part of capturing the moment.

This morning all was well. Max was extra hungry last night and slept a little restless so Mommy is a little tired. Abbi woke up in a great mood and was excited it was hat day. Her school has this every once in a while to raise money for various charities. Today was for a local family who lost their Dad. Please pray they raise enough to meet their needs and for peace and comfort.

I finally remembered to get Eric to take a picture of Tyler when he picked him up at a friends house. He looks thrilled to be getting his picture made, not embarrassing at all. He has a birthday party tonight and is spending the night with a friend. Abbi and I are going to go out to eat to have a little extra Mommy time. Eric and Max are TBD on attendance. They might want to spend the night in and get a little extra Daddy time. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We are blessed.

Mommy's Day Out

Yeah! Max and Eric made it while I went to get my hair done. Max took his bottle very well and Eric survived like a pro. He and Tyler got in some baseball time when I got home while Abbi played with a friend. Max is having tummy time and supper was delivered. Good Times! We are blessed.

Go Hogs!

Well Pap-pa, I think Max is ready for the Razorback games! I put his little Razorback outfit, hat and booties on and he was so excited. I could barely get a picture for all the kicking. We had a good day yesterday, lots of naps for Max and Mommy. Today is a big day, Mommy has a hair appointment and Abbi has gymnastics. Max will get his first bottle (pumped of course) so wish us luck. Hopefully he will make it through at the salon. Eric is going with me, he was a little amazed that it would take 2 hours. What can I say, beauty takes a while.

Abbi had fun playing with the jogging stroller last night. It was her emergency vehicle and she was picking up her babies that were loading up their diapers. She said she was a professional because her babies didn't cry when she changed their diapers. I think that was a little jab at me for Max waking up her in the middle of the night :). We moved the changer into our room last night and changed him in there with the door closed. Much better I think. I am off to get ready for our big day, we are so blessed.

Mommy's Mojo Is Back

I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to conquer the world! Max slept for 4 1/2 hours straight. Thank you for your prayers, they worked. I am happy and minimal hormonal today. Last night our friends the Carters stopped by. They just had a baby too, Ford is 2 months old. He is so cute, and so much bigger than little Max. His brother JC is precious, such a little boy, full of life. I can't wait for Max to be running around full of energy and asking a million questions. Well, maybe I can wait a little bit. I remember when Tyler was little he was like a bull in a china cabinet. He was very well behaved and always had manners, but man was he a little boy, always full of energy and ready for anything.

This morning when we woke up I let John Maxwell have some play time under his little gym Aunt Sara got him. He really liked the lights and music part. Eric left to get the kids about 1:30 so I thought what a perfect day to take a short walk around the neighborhood. I got a picture of him (can you find the tiny baby head in the stroller?) then Max and I set off on our little adventure. And boy what an adventure it turned into. We were walking away from the sun and I noticed some smoke. Figured someone was burning leaves and didn't want Max to breathe it so we turned the other way. It was then I started hearing sirens. The first thought that popped in my head was oh no, I set the alarm when I left and it has gone off, how embarrassing. Then they rounded the corner. It was fire trucks, 2 of them and a police car.

Apparently someone wasn't burning leaves, their yard was on fire and their neighbors and their neighbors and a fourth neighbor. What an exciting first walk! This was of course a big deal for a sleepy little neighborhood like ours. All the neighbors came outside and were walking by and driving up if they lived far away. Quite a scene. They had the fires out shortly and everyone had their water hoses out to help the fireman. Max never knew anything was going on. He enjoyed his few minutes outside.

This event instantly brought back a memory from my childhood. It was a quite Sunday afternoon. Mom and Dad always took naps and we lived pretty far out in the country so Brandi and I were limited to a couple of channels the antenna would pick up and the Atari. We had our windows open upstairs and suddenly noticed plumes of smoke drifting inside. We ran downstairs to find Dad was burning the grass had put it out and came in to take his nap. The fire wasn't out though and had caught the bushes around the house on fire, right under our bedroom windows. He moved pretty fast to put it out. I don't think he went back to sleep.

My friend Julia is bringing supper tonight, pork chops, yummy! We have chicken enchiladas in the freezer from Mom and a sweet lady from church is bringing supper Tuesday. I am set until Thursday since Wednesday is disciple night at church and the family eats there. I love sitting down to supper as a family, even more when the meal is already prepared.

Well, I am on Nascar watch duty for Eric so I better pay attention so I can send an update. Can't wait for the kids to get back, we are blessed.

Mommy's Hormones

Sorry I didn't updated for a couple days but I had forgotten about the post-partum hormones than can play havoc on your emotions! Grannie had to leave Friday to go back home and work and I cried all day. I think I even cried because I was crying. It is so tough being far away from family that you have been with all your life. Brandi and I have raised our kids like brother and sisters so this is a different experience to adjust to. I am counting on them visiting a lot more and I definitely will be making the trip down south more often. I'll have to get her and Grannie a gas card. I am much better this morning, a good shower and getting dressed always makes you feel better. Plus I finished off the potato soup Grannie left, definitely comfort food. We do need to get an estimate on adding on a room, I think that will help lure them up here.

Well, I will catch up on our activities now. Abbi has been begging to have a friend over since she can be a car rider now. We had her friend Eddy over Thursday after school and they had a ball. They took turns holding Max and then they were off to jump on the trampoline. She really enjoyed getting to have special Abbi time. Tyler got to go to his friends house after school and play as well then he and Eric went to Ruby Tuesdays for quality guy time. I should have sent a camera with Eric to get a picture for the blog, next time. Mom stayed up with Max all night and I slept like a rock! It was so wonderful to wake up rested.

Friday the flood gates opened and I was a basket case. Abbi didn't feel good so I let her stay home. She has a sore big toe, I believe she said it was from jumping and rolling off the chair. Who would have thought you could get hurt doing that? Eric and the kids and Grannie left about 2:45 and Max and I napped until 6. He was really good last night. He has his fussy, need to eat close together time about midnight then usually sleeps until about 4. After that he sleeps until 8 or 9, not bad at all. Today is a new day and I can't wait to see what the future holds. God is good all the time and we are blessed.

Mommy went to Walmart

I got solid sleep last night for 4 hours! Thank you Grannie. I slept in my bed for the first time last night, Max prefers for me to hold him and I've always heard for the first week to just bond and not worry about sleeping rules. Next week, I am going to try out the BabyWise book that helps you create a schedule to help line out sleeping, playing and eating habits. I'll let you know how it goes, right now I don't want to put him down but I know one day I will need to be able to.

After I got done with my post from last night (posted this morning) Eric did rub my feet. My swelling is almost completely gone in them now, YEAH! I can actually see my ankle bones now. Thank you honey, we better keep the foot rubbing going so the swelling doesn't come back. He also took my car to get the oil change and promised a detail tomorrow, I even went to get the supplies for him. No excuses.

Grannie and I took a trip to Walmart today, who knew something as simple as a shopping trip to Walmart could make you so happy. It was so fun walking around the aisles with Mom and taking our time. We got my jogging stroller, thank you Dad. Guess that is the first step to getting my body back. Baby steps, maybe in a couple of weeks I'll be able to make it down the block. I feel really good, but I get tired super easy. I had to take a nap when we got back. Eric got to have daddy time while we were gone. I think they made it just perfectly, we got back and they were laid up on the couch taking it easy.

After Walmart I went to get Abbi from school and Grannie had a fun diaper change. She was changing Max's diaper and got the spray treatment, well actually Max gave himself the spray treatment, and the couch. She said hit his forehead and went back to the couch arm. Got to be quick on the diaper switch. I remember Tyler getting Aunt Brandi several times. Funny stuff, when it isn't you of course.

Abbi's in bed and Tyler is rubbing his knee down with ice. I think they are worn out from the dance show they had earlier with Eric. When American Idol is on you never know what kind of show you are going to get in here. Sign of a happy well adjusted family, wouldn't want it any other way. We have a friend Mr. Mike who likes to visit every once in a while, but he can only stay about 10 minutes. We over stimulate him, I think he might have mentioned memories of the circus. We told him if he would visit a little more often he would acclimated to the fun.

Max is laying down in his napper and has lasted an hour and a half! I am writing a really long blog to resist the urge to grab him up and squeeze him. Maybe eating an ice cream drumstick will delay the urge, there is fudge in the middle. A fabulous day of Walmart, funny memories and dancing ended with a chocolate covered ice cream cone with fudge in the middle. We are blessed.

Mommy's First Blog

I can't believe it! I said I would have a blog up today and here I am. I am going to post my email I sent yesterday to some family for my first blog and make sure everyone is up to date. I'll update with pictures and stories, so don't miss a day, hopefully it will keep you entertained, smiling and in touch with our family adventures.


Yesterday was so fun, Abbi went back to school and it was dress as a book character day. She went as Harriot the Spy and had a little note pad, binoculars and a magnifying glass. She enjoyed getting back in her routine and wanted to stay at after school and play for a little while. Right now she has Tyler's guitar to his playstation out and is performing Bad to the Bone. We have a superstar on our hands, hopefully she won't go full on rock on us.


Tyler and Eric had football practice this morning then Eric came back home. He is off for 2 weeks, I need to make a honey-do list while I have a chance. He cut wood today, tomorrow it is oil change day, maybe I can talk him into a detail inside too. Wish me luck. Tyler went to a friends yesterday and played for a while, but today was back to work out after school day. I think he may have 1% body fat. I think I have his other 99%, breastfeeding helps though and when the fluid finally leaves I will be a new person. No more cankles. Tyler is on the couch now holding Max. Eric is sitting next to me, dying to rub my feet. I'll let him when I am done.

Max had his first doctor's appt today. He was perfect of course. The power of prayer. After I picked up Abbi from school, Grannie, Max and I got to take her to gymnastics and it is so fun watching her. When we got home Mom had roast and potatoes and carrots ready in the oven. YUMMY! The food is so wonderful, last night we had chicken enchiladas and for lunch I got potato soup. It is going to tough to follow her when she leaves. Eric and the kids loved my food before, but I am afraid her restaurant might be a couple stars ahead of mine.






It is feeding time, so I better sign off. I'll update tonight when I have more pictures and stories to tell. We are blessed.