Weekend update

We had a nice weekend at home, but it FLEW by. I have no idea where Saturday went except for our 3 hour stint to Wal-Mart (aka hell), Home Depot and Kroger. I made the mistake of telling Daniel I would just do the grocery shopping at Wal-mart since we needed to run by there and would be on that side of town. I told Daniel to slap some sense into me the next time I say that. It never fails that Wal-Mart doesn't have like 3 crucial things I need for my grocery list! So I end up going to Kroger anyways. NEVER AGAIN!

Sullivan tried his first 'meat' this weekend. I use the term loosely for chicken and broth baby food in a jar. Looks and smells just like dog food. Sullivan has enjoyed every food he's had so far...until this one. I don't blame him. I wouldn't eat that crap. So, Bailey got to enjoy some pureed chicken and broth. I'm going to have to find the time to make my own meat baby food apparently. Suggestions from other parents out there? I have some ham, beef, and turkey, but I can't imagine those are any better than the chicken. So nasty. So anyways, you can see from his face below, how he felt about it. It was so bad he didn't even want his sweet potatoes or juice after that.


Trying to get the taste out of his mouth:


I finally got Sullivan some shades. They aren't for babies, but he needed something to help when we go for walks/strolls. He looks like he knows he looks good! :)


Sunday we had some co-workers/friends over for lunch. Their son, Alistair, is just 2 weeks younger than Sullivan. (although he should have been 2 weeks older!) Wasn't much of a playdate. For the most part Sullivan stared at Alistair, while Alistair stole whatever toy Sullivan was playing with at that moment.



Worn out from all the playing!


Sullivan may not enjoy chicken, but he LOVES some prunes and carrots! I tried to find him one of those baby art kits, but wasn't able to. He loves to 'finger paint' with his food these days! Messy boy, but oh so happy!



This week already looks like it will be a bad one as far as work is concerned, but I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize of a long weekend! Can't wait to get down to the Coast Friday night and visit with family in Ocean Springs and Mobile!

A Yard Post

So I totally didn't take pictures of my azaleas or roses in their prime a few weeks ago, but decided I better try and capture a few other things that are blooming. Are you excited for a non-baby post? :)

My hydrangea is doing so well this year, and getting so big! I keep meaning to get more of these to plant, so maybe that will be a weekend project. Last year they were much more purple and pink in some places. I guess that means maybe the potting soil that was added when these were planted is gone? Or my soil ph is just changing for the fun of it!



I have no idea what this flower is called. Jenny Harris gave me a transplant from her yard last year and it seems to spread like crazy. I like it, so I think i'll move some of the babies around to different spots. anyone know what it's called?


Magnolia is blooming, but I couldn't reach some of the prettier blooms to take a picture. I wonder if Sullivan will one day enjoy opening (read destroying)new magnolia blooms to get to the 'matches' inside? Fran Haaga and I spent many an hour in the giant magnolia tree behind her grandmother's house doing this. Note to anyone who has never done this, it will stain your hands orangey brown. And, if you do this on the day of your older sister's sixth grade graduation, your mom will make you sit on your hands during the ceremony.


Rhythm and Blues Petunia. I planted lots of petunias this year- something new for me.


My newest pride and joy, my pear tree! I can't wait to eat my first pear!



And, ok, who do I think I'm kidding here? I have to have baby pictures! I snapped these just as Sullivan was waking up from a nice nap on Daddy's tummy.


I wish this one wasn't kinda fuzzy cause I love that little smile!


Daniel must have made a funny noise before this one or something. Sullivan definitely has a look of surprise on his face. I'm biased I know, but he's so freaking cute!

finally the videos

Crazy blogger. So, I have no idea why, but today videos are posting just fine. Here are the two giggly videos from last week? Not the best, but enough to tied over some relatives I hope!

I'm a big kid now!

We've officially upgraded Sullivan from his infant car seat to a new 'big boy' car seat that we can use until he's 50 lbs! This one looks so huge compared to his little infant seat, but actually fits better in our car because it's not layed back so far. He'll, of course, have to remain rear facing until he's a year old. The requirement before he can face forward is 20 lbs and a year old. We've just about got the weight requirement covered, just have to wait 6 months now! Anyways, boring post to most I"m sure, but so far, I'm happy with our new car seat. Had some friends recommend it and lots of positive reviews, so hopefully will be good to go.



On a venting note, one month until vacation, and it can't get here soon enough! Work has been insanely busy lately! Working 12 hour days sux! Trying to keep my eyes on the prize though!

Laura Loo and a new video too!

My cousin Laura Loo stopped by for a quick visit last night! It was wonderful to catch up! She got to see Sullivan eat and take a bath and she even gave him a bottle! We love visitors who love to help out! Have fun at the Nanty and we hope to see you again soon before you head back to Colorado!

**Can't get videos to upload- I'll try again later from home **The video below finally captures Sullivan laughing some. Daniel always makes him laugh like crazy, and it was nice to catch a little of it on video! I had originally tried to post the video that I posted to facebook, but maybe it's too big or something, but I couldn't get it to upload. Trying this smaller one for now.

In other Sullivan news, he has really started playing with his feet and toes this week! He has previously stared at them and used them to kick stuff and all, but this week he is grabbing his toes and spending lots of time in 'happy baby' pose! (which reminds me I need to get back to doing some yoga!) I think he must be in a growth spurt as well, because he is eating and drinking constantly! I really thought with us increasing his cereal and food that he would not want as much milk, but it hasn't slowed him down at all!

I wanted to share this photo below because this is the very first thing I bought for Sullivan before I knew whether he was a he or a she!

6 months old!

Sullivan celebrated this 6 month milestone with a weekend at the cabin! Although the weather turned unexpectedly cold, we still enjoyed our time on the porch and visiting with everyone! We went to the pediatrician yesterday for his 6 month check up and last round of shots until he's 1! Yay for that! Below are his updated stats. They said he looks great and went over new foods to try etc. I still can't believe he's old enough to be eating all these different baby foods, yogurt, fruit juice, etc! He hasn't met a food he doesn't like yet, but he's still not crazy about the sippy cup. I've tried two different styles, but he makes a face every time he takes a sip out of either. I'm open to suggestions on this front!




The bath pictures are from this weekend at the cabin. It was his first time using his 'sit-up' bath chair, so of course, I had to document it! This boy LOVES his bath no matter what! We finally went and bought him some new bath toys, so I hope he'll get alot of play time out of those. We looked up his astrological sign again (Scorpio) and verified he is a water sign! Sure hope he's as crazy about the cold pool in florida!

Length: 25.7 inches
Weight: 18 lbs.
Head: 18 inches

I had a lovely first Mother's Day (post uterine). Daniel and Sullivan gave me the beautiful McCarty's bowl below! I can't wait to fill it with something pretty or yummy! Becoming a mother is certainly life changing! I never imagined how much I could love someone until Sullivan! I also never imagined how terrifying motherhood can be! I try not to focus on negative thoughts, but there are just so many things to worry over! I'm constanly going over worse case scenarios in my head! I really have to tell myself to just give it to God. As much as I want to have control, I don't. I can only do the best I can with what God has given me and treasure every moment He has blessed me with!


The picture below is a photo of my gift 'from Sullivan' that the daycare gave me! It came with a little handmade card with a poem about Moms in it. This photo of Sullivan really cracks me up and this was such a wonderful surprise! My firt official Mother's Day gift from Sullivan! I look forward to many more! The ladies at the daycare also gave all the Moms a "Whispers of Encouragement for Moms" book. It's filled with devotionals geared towards challenges that Moms face. The card attached talked about how they understand how hard we all work as Moms and they appreciate that we trust our precious children with them each day. I've been SOOO happy with Sullivan's daycare, and this really sealed the deal for me. I just love the ladies in Sullivan's room!


Please take a moment to say a prayer for Nott Wheeler, Jr. He's in grave condition in St. Dominic's in Jackson. His lovely family have been family friends and members of my church in Cleveland all my life!

I love to sing!

Sullivan had a stomach bug this weekend and has still not fully recovered, so I'm working from home this morning with him. I have my healthy you in Tupelo this afternoon, so he and I will be making that trip after lunch. I'll have to say, stomach bugs are no fun. He had no fever and has seemed to feel pretty good, so it definitely could have been worse! Our first foray into cleaning up vomit and constantly changing both his clothes and mine was not exactly fun! Thankfully, he seems to like his pedialyte, so hopefully that will help him. The video above is from this morning while Daniel was occupying him while I attempted to get some work done! My stupid crackberry has been having issues recording videos, so I'm thankful we finally have a new one to post! So frustrating to think you got a great video and then to realize the crackberry didn't actually save the recording! AHH! Anyways. This weekend we will be meeting Bebe and FredDaddy at the cabin for a hopefully beautiful weekend! I think we could all use a little more sunshine! Hope you are all having a good week so far!

Flash back!

Daniel and I attended an 80's Prom fund raiser for Leap Frog last night and had a great time! Corinne organized the event, and it was super fun! They had Airships DJ'ing, corsages and boutonnieres for sale, and even a photographer taking prom pics! They took all the photos to 1 hour photo development, so had them ready for us before we left for the evening! Corinne won prom queen by getting the most donations! She looked awesome as you can see below! I managed to squeeze myself into my Mom's 'Peggy Sue' dress that she wore in the 80's. I remember being IN LOVE with this dress growing up! I also recall seeing photos of Mom dancing barefoot on stage with the Cracker Jacks' at Charity Ball in this dress. I'm going to blame that on the dress since I ended up dancing barefoot for about 2 hours straight last night! Can't beat some great 80's tunes! Although I was in bed by 11, I still feel pretty worn out today. Work has been sucking it up lately! I've been going in early, working through lunch, and coming home late. I'll need to work this weekend some too, but I'm looking forward to spending some down time with Sullivan and Daniel! I'm also including below some photos from this year's Double Decker. Sherri and the girls were supposed to come up to attend, but with the crazy bad weather and DD getting postponed until that Sunday, only Mom was able to come up! It was nice to have her here though!




Double Decker:



**Sullivan updates: rolling from tummy to back frequently, almost rolling from back to tummy, but that arm usually stops him. he's successfully eaten peas, green beans, carrots and sweet potatoes. tomorrow we'll introduce apple sauce or bananas! yummy! sleep is improving, although, i've just totally jinxed it by typing that. he is getting sooooo big! i'm anxious to hear his 6 month stats at his next dr. appointment. we are still completely smitten! what did we do before we had him?

4 years of wedded bliss!

Where does the time go? Daniel and I are celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary today. I can't believe it's been 4 years, and I can't believe how much things have changed in the last year! I can honestly say, I've grown to love Daniel even more since Sullivan's birth. His capacity for loving and caring is amazing! I'm so glad I have him to share the adventures of life with! I suppose we will continue our tradition of watching our wedding videos tonight and will have a nice dinner at home! Sounds like a fantastic evening to me! I love you Daniel!

More videos for the grandmas!

These videos aren't the greatest, but considering how I have to sneak and hide to get much of anything on camera....!!!

Oh, we tried carrots yesterday and he really liked them! I'm going to have to just start stripping him down to his diaper before feeding time though. Man, it's messy! Added a few more that Daniel took.

Sweet Peas for my Sweet Pea

Sullivan has ventured into the messy world of baby food! Under the advisement of our Pediatrician, we started him with a nice green veggie instead of a lovely fruit. Although he would make a face when we switched from cereal to peas, he really didn't seem to mind it much that first day. By the third day, he actually seemed to prefer the spoonful of peas over cereal?! Daniel did the feeding for this first time, hence the no bib and gigantic mess. Sullivan also wants to stick his hand in his mouth every time the spoon is coming. We should have no problems when it's time for him to start picking up foods to eat. He knows hand to mouth = food!

He's had a bit of a stuffy nose this week, so might not have been the best time to determine how he likes peas, but no hives or noticeable adverse reactions! I think I will switch to something nice like carrots or sweet potatoes for our second veggie. Doesn't seem fair to stick him with two green veggies in a row! As recommended, we are doing 3-4 days of a single veggie (or fruit) to make sure there are no allergies, etc. Going to take us a while to get through all the different kinds of fruits and veggies we bought, but is all for the best. I've got to get MY veggies in the ground this weekend, so I can start making some homemade baby food! I'm really going to try and get some new video this weekend if I can figure out how to hide to catch him performing!



P.S. to any of you that haven't received a thank you note from me, I apologize. I just re-remembered a stack of thank you notes I wrote and never mailed while I was on maternity leave because I needed addresses! So if you get one and it talks about Sullivan from like 3 months ago, I'm super sorry! Better late than never, right? Happy Friday!

5 months

This is crazy! My baby is almost half a year old! Where is the slow down button! On that subject, Daniel and I decided we better get some pictures of Sullivan in his Christening gown before he outgrows it! We ended up taking lots of pics over the last few days, but below are a few of my favorites!

this one just makes me think of a glamour shot or olan mills or something the way his hands are held and his head is turned just so. We didn't pose him though! He's a natural!


I believe this is his 'WTHM' face. (what the heck Mom) This was one of the first pics in his gown, so he hadn't quite figured it out yet.


"a dress and a lacy bonnet?! i draw the line here mom!"


My boy loves his bath! And I love his smile!



I don't know what it is about this one, but it makes me laugh. I think he really looks like a little boy in this one! Thank goodness his head wasn't that big on November 8, 2009! Of course, it takes a large head to hold his super smart brain!


Easter Sunday in his finery! Thanks to Corinne for this special outfit! What I wouldn't give to have his skin! Love my beautiful boy!


I'll be tackling some new milestones today and this weekend! Tonight we are having our first non-immediate family babysitter keep Sullivan while we attend an Engagement Party/dinner. Saturday night, I will be spending the night out at a bachelorette party! I'm more than a little nervous about a whole night away! I know it will be fine, but it's a big deal!

Sullivan is still eating cereal with breastmilk, although, I plan to try a veggie this weekend! He is great at eating and if I give him his own spoon to hold while I'm feeding him, he'll stick it in his mouth at the same time I stick my spoon with cereal in there! If it weren't for his tendency to put the spoon a little too far in his mouth, this boy could feed himself! He's still regularly holding his bottle, but wasn't crazy about our first attempt at a sippy cup. He drank for a few seconds before he realized it wasn't a bottle and then kept making faces when he would feel the hard cup instead of a soft nipple. He is still getting up twice a night, but I've really come to love our time together. I know before long the breastfeeding will be over, and I'll actually miss it! NEVER thought I would say that! Not after the struggles of the first two months, but we've got the hang of it now and it's our special time together. Where is that pause button again?

I got mad skillz

Sullivan is getting so much better at holding up his big ole head! Daniel caught these many and varied facial expressions yesterday afternoon.



Raising one eyebrow just like Mommy does! Only he does the left and I do the right!




Our after work routine consists of playing until about 6:30, eating cereal, bath time, reading books, and then bedtime. Daniel and I take turns doing the bath and bedtime routine, and I have to say, Sullivan really seems to enjoy reading books with Daniel. (please ignore all the laundry and any other messes captured in my photos)




I really have to take a moment to praise Daniel. He is the best daddy ever! He is so involved and loves every minute of it! I can't imagine doing this without him!