On Our Side of Life

HOT Fun in the Summertime!

2010-12-01T20:50:00.004-05:00

I have had to be realistic with myself and have come to the conclusion that the time travel is over. I just cannot catch up on everything we have done, period. Downright impossible and the thought is overwhelming me and stressing me out---something the blogging is not supposed to do! I am going to give you some highlights this post and the next, and then I'm going to start where we are! Here are some things that kept us busy this summer (besides the obvious!) and these are in no particular order.....

Lazy days at the Sandbar....this trip we met our friends Stephanie, Jason, and Anna.....

This was McClure's first trip to the HL pool...one of many future ones I hope! He slept through nearly the entire event which I cannot understand b/c it was Labor Day Weekend and they had a DJ, pool games, and tons of screaming children! We were lucky enough to be invited by our friends Kevin and Kristin to go with them and their 2 boys. Unfortunately, Kristen ended up having to stay home b/c one of her boys came down with pink eye :(

This is not Labor Day...just another day at HL...sweet Harper in the background

Another first for McClure...the beach! He is so laid back that he doesn't care what he does as long as he has a place to nap and he doesn't miss a meal (clearly...right!!!). This trip was with my friend Kristin (different one than from the pool!) and her kiddos Aiden and Nell. Her mom rents a house on the island every year and we were lucky enough to be invited out!

Shade-bathing!

Me and my boys!

Ladies...he's taken

We enjoyed the fountain at the new beach park! We were smart and waited until most of the vacationers were gone for the season...not that I have anything against vacationers. It is just it gets very crowded! We met Lauren and Jackson there for some fountain fun!

McClure slept in the stroller during the fountain experience..love the double stroller...if your trying to decide on one consider the Phil & Teds Explorer...you won't regret it!

There you have it, the Best of Summer! I am working on individual posts of the boys as well as a Best of Fall that includes Oatland Island, Pumpkin Patch, Halloween, Wofford Homecoming, etc..

Bear with me, I'm still working from the dinosaur and no, I have not yet figured out how to blog from the iPad. My friend Kim said "Isn't there an app for that". Yes, but then you have to figure out the app and I have never been technology savy!

Getting Closer to the Future!

2010-10-15T21:02:00.004-04:00

August was quite the month, but quite honestly it seems like every month is! The biggies of the month were a birthday (on 8/15) and if you ask Anderson how old he is, his answer will be "2"! Also, Brad and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary! I feel as if I might be leaving something out...but that is pretty normal these days! Anderson had all his little buddies and lots of family to celebrate at his birthday party and we had all hands on deck to put the gig on. My parents, Paige, and Charlie were all there to help, thank goodness b/c it would have never happened. I have no idea how you can plan something for so long and then when it is go time, nothing seems to come together how you want. Brad told me that I shouldn't let perfect get in the way of good, but I can't help it! I could never, ever be a party/event planner! We had the party at our neighborhood pool house with all sorts of water activities...sprinkler, bounce house, water table, and the pool!

The birthday sign that Paige and I made...inspired by my friend Ansley who made one for her son's birthday and walked me through the process!

Anderson in the bounce house

Singing Happy Birthday. He had the sweetest smile on his face during the song and I only wish I had gotten it on the Flip..no such luck!

His favorite thing in the whole world (besides gummies!)

McClure enjoying many willing arms! Anderson had a t-shirt to match but I never got a shot of the 2 of them. Anderson was peeling off his clothes the minute we got to the pool!

Me and my Birthday Boy

Photo Essay.

2010-09-12T20:41:00.000-04:00

Here is my attempt to share June/July! June was pretty much a complete blur to me and I don't think I really came out of the clouds until mid-July! We filled our time with tons of fun things, many of which I took no pictures! We had dinners out, margarita night, parties, swimming, and cookouts galore! Below is my June/July Photo essay with captions......

Anderson learned how to pick blackberries right off the bush! Many more went into his mouth than the bucket...doesn't get any more organic than that!

Check out that shiner....boy meets coffee table and loses.

This little fella joined the family!

Family pool party at my momma and daddy's house.

This The Big Green Egg also joined our family this summer...our friends Andrew and Ginger have one and ever since Andrew prepared a beef brisket on the egg, Brad was hooked.

Pool playdates at Hampton Lake--otherwise know as our private paradise! We are so fortunate to be able to take advantage of b/c of friends that are property owners out there!

The 4th of July with the Colvins--Anderson's first sparkler!

Sweet Mary Kate on the 4th.

Ready, Aim, FIRE!

My, how he has grown up before my eyes!

Lazy days at home playing with little brother!

Coloring with Big when he stops by!

McClure enjoying a little peace and quiet when big brother is napping. There are only certain times during the day when he doesn't have to worry about a 2 year old in his face or toys landing on his head!

The Dinosaur.

2010-09-09T21:44:00.004-04:00

I can honestly say that time is the reason my blog is suffering. Oh, it's not that I can't find the time, because that I can do. It is the time it takes to actually blog on our dinosaur that we call a computer. I am not kidding when I tell you that it takes FOREVER to do anything on this thing. Brad recently bough an iPad which is a neat little toy, but we can't figure out how to blog on it. Frustrating. I tried to do a post about June/July on our laptop and it took me an hour and I finally gave up b/c I had to get ready for the 3-ring circus that happens when Anderson and McClure awaken--at the same time, of course!! The straw that broke the camel's back? Brad sat down to do bills and budget and it took him 45 minutes to pay 2 bills. Yes, 2 bills. What a waste when time is so coveted! Next on our list is getting rid of the antique computer. Out with the old and in with the new. Until then, I guess it will just have to take me 12 hours to do a post!

The Graduate!

2010-08-30T21:07:00.000-04:00

With May came lots of crazy happenings for us---bedrest for me started first week of May and if any of you have ever experienced it then you know in theory it sounds fantastic until you go week after week after week...add a toddler in the mix--oh my. As a result, I was told that I could not attend Paige's graduation from nursing school. It wasn't one of those deals where I could just go and my MD wouldn't know. He walks past Brad's office everyday on his way to make rounds, deliver babies, and whatever else MDs do when they aren't in the office. I would have never gotten away with it. Don't think I didn't think about it. I was devastated that I could not go and cheer Paige on. For those of you who know me personally, you know that this has been a long road for my sister. She worked hard over many years to get to this point and it wasn't easy. She is super smart and was the type that never had to study and I think learned my osmosis. I mean it, she could sleep with a textbook under her pillow and wake up the next morning and ace the test--thus the cum laude designation she earned! Anyway, I sobbed and sobbed when I called her and told her that I was on bedrest and couldn't come to see her walk across the stage. Again, for those of you who know me---I'm not a crier so this really broke my heart into pieces. She, of course, being as gracious as she is completely understood and made it her mission to make me feel better! I called/texted my entire family during the entire weekend trying to get a play by play!

Paige A. S*******a, BSN, RN

Almost official!

Charlie, Meme Love, Daddy, Paige, Momma, and Meme T.

Look at all those cords!

My whole family couldn't be prouder of her! Just a few short weeks later she took her boards and passed and is now working at BMH in the PCU!

Back to the Future.

2010-08-29T20:58:00.002-04:00

As promised, I am getting geared up for some major posting! I was not sure if I should just start from the here and now and not worry about the summer, but there were many fun things we were able to do and worth posting. So.....I am going to start in May and work our way back to the future!

Excuses, Excuses!

2010-08-16T21:15:00.002-04:00

I am shocked to see how long it has been since I published a post, it is criminal. You will just have to trust me when I tell you it has been a roller coaster of a summer and I have legitimate reasons for neglecting the blog. Seriously, there is just too much for me to even try to explain how bizarre it has been. Plus, it sounds too much like a sob story that I would be afraid that what readers I do have left would think I either made it all up or I had the poor, pitiful me attitude. So, I hope to steal some time to catch everyone up on the happenings on our side of life....soon, I promise!

Little Brother!

2010-07-14T14:01:00.003-04:00

We might have to start calling McClure "younger brother" b/c I have quite a feeling that he is going to give Anderson a run for his money when he gets older. The boy is much bigger than Anderson was at this age and already weights nearly what Anderson weighed at 4 months and this angel is only 6 weeks! Gracious! Our fave photographer (Janet from Silly Goose Photography, of course!) came out over a month ago and took these precious shots of my boy. I was so excited to use his gauzy white muslin blanket with the tin tub that I had gotten from Brad's grandparent's house about 2 years ago! In true form, he was so sleepy all day until Janet arrived and then to him it was time to party. Janet was so very patient and waited, and waited, and waited---I am not exaggerating about this---until McClure was ready to have his photo taken. Being as gracious as she is, she titled her posting of our session on her blog "well.worth.the.wait". Me, I certainly thought so!

These are just a few of my picks...you can look at them all by clicking here and I can't forget to mention that all the credits go to Silly Goose Photography. Anderson will have another turn in a month when I get his 2 year old shots taken...I absolutely cannot wait!

Table for 4, please!

2010-07-03T15:24:00.006-04:00

It is very hard for me to believe that an entire month has already gone by. I have been gently asked by many when I am going to update my blog with more pictures...which is always preceded by "I know you are busy, but...". Typical Southern comment, the only thing that is missing is "bless your heart"!!! Life has been up and down lately, the boys are doing great but I have had some postpartum issues that have set me back--but I am on the mend and making progress in the right direction :)

Anderson was so much happier than he looks!

Could I really have 2 boys??

Anderson reading his new book from McClure

Enjoying a snack that the nurses gave him

Future medical professional...sort of runs in the family..

Anderson w/ Carla. She was my L&D nurse for both boys! She is one of the most caring and kind individuals I know--exactly the kind of nurses we need!

Carla w/ McClure

I WAS Born Yesterday!

2010-06-03T22:05:00.003-04:00

Our sweet boy was born yesterday! Bradley McClure made his grand entrance into the world June 2nd at 4:10pm weighing in at 8lbs, 1oz and 20 inches long! Everything went perfectly and we are all doing great! We are just so thrilled to have our newest member of the family here and are so thankful that he is a healthy boy! I have so many pictures that I wanted to share--after looking back through them some, in my opinion, were just not fit for the blog!

Proud Dad, Our wonderful OB/GYN, and baby McClure

The experience was a whirlwind and I was glad that Brad reminded me to try and remember the day as best I could b/c with Anderson I felt as if I couldn't remember a thing. The story was much the same this time as well...I went in for my regularly scheduled appointment, my blood pressure was elevated, and I was sent over for an induction...and now baby McClure is here!

A Change of Pace.

2010-05-21T13:57:00.002-04:00

This has been me the past 2.5 weeks. Not by any choice of my own and this couch potato looks a whole lot happier being a bum than I have been!!
Some pre-term contractions and elevated blood pressure has confined me to bedrest orders for the past 2.5 weeks (and counting). It sounds a lot worse than it is and I can get up and move around but need to stay off my feet as much as possible. Fortunately, the resting and a medication I have been taking have helped tremendously and our goal now is to get to 38 weeks. The worst part of this is just being so sedentary. I wanted to spend these last weeks w/ Anderson enjoying the warm weather and spending time with him since his whole world is getting ready to change and he has no idea! Thankfully, "Grandma Judi" (she watches Anderson when I work my 2 days a week) is able to come over in the mornings and then my dad comes in the afternoons to care for him until Brad gets home--boy has he been a lifesaver!! We have had so many kind friends who have brought us meals, come for visits, and offered to help us. We are grateful for all of it and it truly has made life easier for us! Quite possibly one of the next posts could be about the newest family member!

Spring Flingin'

2010-05-14T22:45:00.000-04:00

We have done tons of fun things this spring and makes me excited for what summer is going to bring (beside the obvious newborn!!)! We did most of these things in April...May has been a slow month...more on that later!

The first swim of the season in the nice heated pool...such a great thing!

Anderson has been really interested in animals lately and absolutely loved the petting zoo at Lawton Stables. He is used to being able to be close to dogs and horses, so some of the other animals fascinated him!

We got him a watertable and it has been one of the best investments we have made when it comes to toys!

I got to spend some time w/ some of my oldest friends from growing up! I only wished that we all lived closer! At least all of our parents still live in BFT!

Justin, Christie, Me, Jodie

Boat Beauty!

2010-05-10T14:31:00.003-04:00

I stole the blog title from our wonderful photographer, Janet, at Silly Goose Photography. Once I saw her blog post I couldn't think of another title for my post! You can see her post on Anderson's shoot here. I asked Janet to take some 18 monthish (I say "ish" b/c he was 18 months in February!) pictures of Anderson and, as always, I was so pleased with the results and how she captured my sweet boy! Here is just a sample of what we got...you can click here

to see all the pictures! I was a little hesitant to actually get in some of the pictures too. It was a serious flip-flop, I did and then I didn't. We ultimately did...but I made sure that we were in the background b/c it was him I really wanted the shots of, but also liked the idea of parents faded some in the background. Janet was great w/ incorporating the wooden boat into the shoot. Brad's grandfather made the boat and it was actually used! Poor Brad had to drag the boat into and out of the salt-pan/marsh and did so w/o any complaints! I am already looking forward to what I am going to do for his 2 year old shots and thinking about newborn shots in a few short weeks!!

The INNsanity!

2010-05-05T21:55:00.003-04:00

A couple of weekends ago was the annual gathering of my BFF's from OT school! We rented a beach house for the weekend---appropriately named the INNsanity! Maybe the name would have been a little bit more applicable 5 years ago, but I think we still got it! Sure some things may have changed such as, we have 7.5 kiddos between us now and our mode of transportation was a minivan all weekend, but hey, details, details!!! We had all intentions of enjoying the beach the whole weekend; however, mother nature was not down with our plans and rain we had! Poor Rachel comes all the way from Boston and didn't even step foot once on the sand. It didn't matter and we moved onto plan B and found plenty of things to do to entertain ourselves! We even had a special guest--- 5 month old Miss Sarah Jane join us for the weekend! What a lucky little missy b/c her 2 sisters had to stay home! The girls also put together a surprise breakfast in honor of the newest boy to join the crowd here soon...how lucky I am that these girls were in my OT class!!

Me, Shelley, Rachel, Melanie, Kasey (minus Holly in this one b/c she had to attend a wedding for a few hours). Can you tell which 2 of these lovely ladies had twins??

Kasey, Holly, Rachel, Melanie w/ Sarah Jane, Me, Shelley

Tourney Time!

2010-05-02T13:04:00.004-04:00

I am so back logged with posts that I want to do and have vowed to start to catching up b/c we have done some fun things this spring (despite those nasty germs that have come to infect us back in March and early April)!! It was golf tournament time a few weeks ago and and Ginger and I spent a day during the Pro-Am down there just enjoying the outdoors, playing at the playground, taking our time, and eating a nice lunch. Ginger was so sweet and treated me to lunch b/c it also happened to be my birthday as well!

Mary Kate and Anderson on the 7th green

By the time we got to the 18th fairway! Notice Mary Kate's hand in the snack trap!

At the playground--this would have been such a cute picture had his eyes been open!

That is what happens when you try to take shots w/ your blackberry and are used to the D40!

Anderson went to camp BeeGee and Big Daddy while Brad and I went to the tournament for the entire weekend. The weather was perfect and I am so thankful that the hospital had the hospitality box b/c you can bet I did a lot of sitting on my hind end! We enjoyed dinner out with friends and even braved some of the after tournament hoopla at the marina on Saturday evening. A bit more effort for me this year, but well worth it!

Enjoying Friends!

2010-04-19T21:04:00.004-04:00

Our friends Stephen, Lindsay, and 7-month old daughter Caroline were here last month to visit. Luckily, it was before Anderson got sick! It seems to be a tradition that is being started for them to come in March so that Stephen and Brad can turkey hunt since the season starts 2 weeks earlier here (that is like 2 years to those guys). Friendship w/ them is so easy and we have just fun when we get together--like we never missed a beat!

Anderson rediscovering all his old toys...did a great job sharing!!

Cutest Boat Captain Ever!

Dads w/ sleeping kids...why can't that happen to the mommas?

A Sad Goodbye...

2010-04-12T21:15:00.002-04:00

We had to say goodbye to our good friends Richard, Ansley, and baby Jack--we had a little going away dinner to mark the occasion. The whole thing happened so fast that I did not have time to properly process the change. Literally, a matter of a few short weeks. Richard received a job promotion and while we are proud of him and happy for the their family, them not being here is very evident and it hasn't even been an entire week yet! They have only moved to our state capital so they are at least within driving distance and visit we will!

Lauren (sweet Jackson was sick), Ansley w/ Jack, Me w/ Anderson, and Ginger w/ Mary Kate

Easter Eggstravaganza!

2010-04-07T21:28:00.005-04:00

We are well again....and hoping to stay that way!! We had to go back to the pediatrician's office Monday before Easter b/c Anderson started to run a fever again over the weekend. After an antibiotic switch, we finally started to see some results and after 24 hours he was a new child. After 3 weeks, he slept all the way thru the night which makes for a happy household! It kills me to think how awful he felt for so long :( I imagine I will always carry that burden! I am very grateful that he got well just in time to enjoy some Easter activities!

First up was our little playgroup egg hunt. He caught on quickly to what you were supposed to do!

He enjoyed playing with eggs all week long--taking them apart and putting them back together.

Later that week we went with his buddy Jackson to a larger egg hunt and all he wanted to do was pick up the wood chips and put them in his basket!

After church on Easter Sunday he got to dig into his Easter basket filled with treats! I know this looks like a lot of stuff, but I am having fun going a bit overboard since he doesn't know the difference. I justify it b/c these holidays seem to fall right when he needs some more developmentally appropriate toys! Next year it will be just what can fit in the basket! The slinky and see-n-say were the big hits.

We went to brunch at the SCYC and got our family photo op! This might be the only pregnant picture you see of me...it is hard to post pics of yourself when you feel like a balloon!

He was intrigued by the Easter Bunny and was wide-eyed....I was not sure exactly how he was going to react.

After brunch we headed up to BFT to spend some time with family and enjoy the beautiful weather!

I hope you and yours had a Happy Easter!

Frolic in the Daffodils!

2010-03-31T15:15:00.006-04:00

On one of Anderson's "well" days in the past few weeks, we met Amanda and Harper at the daffodil farm. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and the scenery! As usual, I was way more excited about it than Anderson was and he was much more interested in the dirt fields surrounding the flower fields and large sticks and other treasures he could find than the pretty yellow flowers! I was able to coax him in for a few pictures at least!

Anderson was over the flowers by this point!

Later that day Anderson decided that the grass clearly needed mowing! It is also apparent that did not have the camera on the proper shutter speed--thus the blur!

Sick and Tired.

2010-03-26T16:48:00.002-04:00

Of being SICK and TIRED!!! Ever since November, I feel like we have not been able to stay well. It has been horrible, and I know that we are not the only ones, but I still get to complain. These last 2 1/2 weeks have been the worst. All of us have fought cold, after virus, after blah, blah, blah. Poor Anderson has caught the brunt of it and had has cold virus w/ fever...was "well" (I guess) for about a week and a weekend...then got a coughing virus w/ low-grade fever that turned into a congestion something or another that we are still having a war with and wakes him up in these coughing fits 2-3 times per night...if that were not enough all the congestion settled into his left ear and he spiked a fever and was diagnosed w/ an ear infection yesterday. Yikes. None of us have been getting much sleep and if you have been reading my blog for a few months, you know what happens when Anderson gets a fever. I am sorry if I have not been able to return phone calls, emails, requests, and had to cancel on invitations recently---we will be back in the game soon...I just know it! In the meantime, keep us in your prayers b/c we need it!

Conversations with Anderson.

2010-03-18T21:34:00.001-04:00

Anderson is starting to communicate more and more using words and it is so adorable! He can say several words---yeah, eat, bye, hi, mama, dada, door, more, boy, there, ball, dog, and an approximation of thank-you that makes me smile every single time he says it! His father is very proud that he can say "deer" and point to the mounts on the walls of his office. His vocabulary is expanding so fast and it has made both Brad and I very aware of ours! Here is a example of a conversation that we had recently when I went to get him out of his crib one weekday morning:

Me: Good morning Anderson!

Anderson: Eat!

Me: What do you want to eat for breakfast?

Anderson: More!

Me: Eat more of what?

Anderson: There!

Me: You want to go over there?

Anderson: Door!

Me: You want to go to the door?

Anderson: Yeah!

I can only imagine what future conversations will be like with him!

I Heart Chick-fil-A!

2010-03-15T21:12:00.003-04:00

I love Chick-fil-A and when fast food is called for, I will choose it over any other establishment without a question and also have been known to go out of my way to go there! I must tell you that recently my love for Chick-fil-A has hit an entire new level....

Last Friday, my friend Ginger (and the kiddos) went to a children's clothing show in a nearby town. While on the way to the show, we spotted the local CFA and decided that is where we would go to lunch after we were done shopping. As we approached the restaurant, we realized very quickly that we were not the only ones who had this idea! The parking lot was slammed and as we pulled in, we noticed they had a parking attendant directing traffic and allowing cars to back out of spaces and directing you to empty ones. We gather our gear and head into the restaurant where an employee was opening the door for the customers--nice, since I was carrying Anderson, a diaper bag, and my purse. First on our agenda was to use the restrooms and as we walked that way another employee asked us where we would like to sit so she could get us some high chairs. After we ordered, the cashier said that someone would bring out our food to us and to go ahead and go have a seat! WHAT! At this point I am thinking I will drive to this Chick-fil-A to eat even if it is 40 minutes from my house! Not only did they bring our food, but they put disposable placemats on the tables for Mary Kate and Anderson and brought us napkins, straws, forks, condiments, etc..and then asked if we needed anymore assistance all while making the nicest small talk. Um, I think they about covered it! When we were done, they saw us cleaning up and came to us telling us to leave it and they would take care of it. As if that was not enough, the door opener asked if we needed help w/our bags to the car! Now, that is what I call service!! It really made the entire experience completely different. We went in there thinking it was going to be a hassle (due to the crowds and the kids in tow) and to have the opposite was a pleasant (and welcome) surprise! The only thing that we had to do while we were there was to enjoy lunch! Now, if only our local Chick-fil-A would catch on.....

The Promise!

2010-03-10T20:06:00.001-05:00

It has been such rainy fall/winter this year on the island. I seriously feel like it rains every other day here! Recently, after yet another raining afternoon, Anderson and I were on the way home from running some errands and this rainbow looked as if it was coming right from our house! It was one of the most beautiful and brightest rainbows that I have ever seen! Although I know he was too young to comprehend, I just couldn't help myself and explained to him that the rainbow was God's promise to Noah, his sons, and all of the animals in the ark that the earth and all things living on it would never again be destroyed by a flood!

I just love the little things, don't you??!!!

Dinner Party!

2010-03-06T20:51:00.003-05:00

Our friends Andrew, Ginger & Mary Kate and Richard, Ansley & Jack came over for an informal dinner party last weekend. The kids were so cute playing all around and entertaining themselves...well, to a point and enough to where we could at least socialize and visit! Brad lit up the iron pig fire pit and even turned on the outdoor fireplace for the event! The next one is right around the corner and we can't wait!

Anderson sharing his toy banana with Jack!

Sweet Mary Kate riding the horse!

Andrew supervising the block tower competition.

Oh's and Ah's over the start of a new tower!

Coupon Q & A.

2010-02-26T15:02:00.001-05:00

I have had so many questions about this couponing thing and more people are interested in it than I ever would have thought! I have gotten calls, emails, texts, etc....asking how to get started, tips, deals, general questions, and some successful shopping trips that I thought I would post some of the ones I have gotten in case it might answer a question you have!

Please let me just say that I am no expert at this at all and have only been doing this since September. Most everything I have learned came from just reading the SouthernSavers website and practice!

*1* Is couponing really worth it?

Based on my receipts, what we have in our pantry, what we eat for meals, and the excess in our budget for groceries/household items that I don't spend that answer is a resounding, yes. I personally have been happy with it and will continue to do it! It does take some time at first, but over a short period of time you get an "eye" for it and the process goes much more quickly and becomes second nature. For all you finance and numbers people take a look here at this Wall Street Journal article---it might make you think twice about it!

*2* Do you always have receipts where you save more than you spend?

Technically, not always. What I mean by that is they are usually within a few dollars of what a spend vs. what I saved. That includes the special sales in conjunction with coupons. This week I spent $67 and some change and saved $87 and some change. Our bill was slightly higher than normal b/c I had to get some items that were not on sale and usually never go on sale!

*3* Where do you find the best deals on diapers?

Usually, I get them at Target b/c they will allow you to stack a manufacturer's coupon and a target store coupon. Every few weeks they will have a special where you can get a $5 gift card with the purchase of two diaper packs and that is when I stock up. Typically, I have Target Baby Club Coupons for Pampers and a manufacturer's as well. I will also hit up Publix when they are one sale b/c they allow you to stack a Publix coupon & manufacturer's coupon. However, if you can time the drugstore deals right and have the good coupons-- then I have found that is the way to go. I did the Rite Aid diaper deal and got 286 Pampers Baby Dry diapers for $32.14. This was using a combination of $5 off $25 purchase coupons and manufacturer's coupons. Final price factored in the $2.oo in rewards (check mailed to you) and a $15 Visa Gift Card due to a special promotion. Since I have been doing this, I have never run into a deal like that and it is not b/c I haven't been looking! Also, we don't have a local Rite Aid and I just happened to be going to my parents to drop off Anderson for the weekend and they have one near their house.

*4* How do you know what is the best price?

I use the Southern Savers "Buy Price List." I have found that her prices are similar to the prices here on the island (there are a few exceptions). She is based out of Columbia, so it will be close just about anywhere in the southeast. Click here to see how it works.

*5* Do you go to multiple stores to get all the savings?

Nope. I have no desire to spend all my time running from grocery store to grocery store. I am certain that this adds to your savings, but I am just not up for it. I stick to Publix, CVS, and Target, and I am usually not running to each one every single week to get the sales. I try to get to CVS once a week b/c the amount of free stuff you can get there is crazy and usually a register coupon prints a $5/25$, $10/$30, etc...coupon that the Publix I shop at will accept as a competitor coupon. There is a CVS near Anderson's MMO program so I stop by there on my way to the grocery for the weekly run after I drop him off.

*6* How do you organize your coupons?

I do not clip the coupons every Sunday. I have an accordion file that I label the date the coupons came out and stick them in there. When I go to do my grocery list, I look to see the date of the coupon match-ups and go to the section and look. When I go to the store(s) I have a Vera Bradley Pocket Organizer that momma got me and it has my list w/ coupons, receipts, and well as any gift cards that need to be used. I am famous for sticking things in my wallet and forgetting about it and then rediscovering it to see that it is expired!!

*7* Do you save on other things besides groceries?

Absolutely! You can pay rock bottom prices for household items as well. I save on toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, cleaning supplies, batteries, personal care items, and health care items as well. I used to think that getting those things at Target or Wal-Mart or buying in bulk is cheaper, but I quickly found out that with the coupons they take at Publix and using them when they go on sale is a much better deal!

*8* Isn't buying in bulk better?

No way. Look here for a short explanation---scroll down to #7 on the list.

*9* Do you sign up/register when required to get a coupon and do you get tons of emails?

It really depends on what the product is. If it is something I buy all the time, then yes b/c they will send you more coupons every so often and they are usually a higher value than in the paper. For instance, I signed up for Cottonelle to get a coupon--I love this toilet paper and will wait for it to go on sale (if I really needed it I would pay full price!). They send me a $1.00 off coupon about once a month. I have signed up for others as well and really haven't gotten tons of emails at all. Some other sign-ups that have yielded great coupons/offers are Publix Baby Club, Target, Proctor and Gamble, Pampers, Huggies, and ConAgra Foods.

Good Luck and Happy Couponing! I would love to hear some success stories!

Artist at Work!

2010-02-23T15:17:00.000-05:00

Anderson is doing so many new things now that it is hard to keep up! He is enjoying his mother's morning out program and now just runs in the room to play without looking back, which is how I would prefer it! One of his new things is looking at books and "reading" and coloring. He won't sit too still for you to read to him, but when all is quiet and he over playing at his activity table (that is now our coffee table!) you can bet he is sitting beside it and looking at all of his books that are in the storage shelves under the table. It is so stinking cute! Because of this, I really wanted to take him to the lapsit program at our local library (well, it is not on the island and I have to cross a bridge--gasp!--I know that is unheard of for all you locals reading this or even the BLUFF folks who won't cross the bridge from the other side!). There is storytime, singing, and playing with all sorts of props like scarves, shakers, etc...he won't sit in my lap the whole time but I do think he does get something out of it!

Coloring after storytime!

He is really concentrating!

Time to change colors!

The finishing touches!

He likes coloring at home too and we have recently decided it was time to get a proper table and chairs for him b/c he tries to sit on the plastic storage bins that I keep some of his toys in. He will color in his coloring book and then wander over to his easel. He has been pretty good about coloring only on paper--but, from time to time he does try to color a puzzle piece, a toy, the activity table, etc...if I can keep him away from my walls that would be great!

The SEWE weekend!

2010-02-19T21:13:00.005-05:00

Last weekend Brad and I dropped sweet Anderson at BG and Big Daddy's house and headed to Charleston for the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE)! This is one of Brad's favorite events and he sincerely enjoys every minute of it! This year we planned to go all out and stay downtown at the Charleston Place Hotel and be right in the thick of it! For Christmas, Brad got a Benefactor Package that got us into every single event of the Expo and access to just about anything. The events are set up across the peninsula at the Francis Marion Hotel, Embassy Suites, Mills House Hotel, Gaillard Auditorium, Marion Square, Charleston Place Hotel, and Brittlebank Park. We arrived at 11:30am on Friday and had plenty of time to run some errands, grab lunch, and catch the first Jack Hanna show and roam around the Gaillard exhibits. It was raining by the time the show was over so we headed back to the Charleston Place to see the exhibits there. We had plans to go to dinner at Magnolia's with our friends Rob and Ginny, but their babysitter called in sick and they were unable to get a replacement. That was probably for the better b/c the snow later that evening would have made it difficult to get back home to Mt. Pleasant. Since snow happens here once in a Blue Moon --- we are not sure so how to drive in it or deal with it in general! Lucky for us, our former neighbors in Park West were staying downtown (they both are big time SEWE volunteers) and joined us. I just adore them and it is always a treat to be able to see them and spend some time w/ them. Our friends Ginger and Andrew came up on Saturday w/ their daughter Mary Kate so we were able to hang out with them some as well!

The rest of the weekend we spent visiting the exhibits and I mainly followed Brad around where he wanted to go next! Saturday night we attended the SEWE Soiree which is a big oyster roast and wild game dinner at the Bus Shed. I know some of you are wondering how he was able to get me to agree to go to the SEWE---well, he did dangle a nice restaurant and hotel in front of my face :) In all honesty, he enjoys it so much and it was nice to see him relax and not think about work for a weekend. He works so hard for our family and deserves a break from it all.....the other stuff was just bonus.

This was one of Brad's treasures from the weekend. A official signed SEWE poster came w/ his package--when we got there they were offering an "upgrade" to a framed copy for an extra charge, of course! This won't make the wall in our house, I am afraid. Brad has taken it to his office at work. For those of you who know Brad...he dreams about deer with a rack like this (see I do know some hunting lingo)!

Forgive the fuzzy pictures. We did not remember to bring a camera so my Blackberry had to do. If you look close, you can see the snowflakes in my hair!

Parking Lot on Market Street w/ a blanket of snow!

World's smallest snowman on Market Street!

The weather stations were all calling for snow, but I feel it is always predicted and then nothing ever happens so I was just sure we would get zero snow. In true form, Anderson got his first taste of snow without us! Momma took him out and she said he liked it until he tripped and his hands went into the snow--after that the snow escapade was over and he wanted nothing to do with it! She tried to get him back out there and get more pictures, but he was over it. She did have his hood on him but he kept taking it off. We don't even own gloves for him--it just doesn't get that cold!

I love Charleston and loved living there and was sad to see the weekend come to an end, but I missed Anderson more that I thought possible. It is nice to be sans responsibility for a little while, but you just knew that something was missing. Brad and I always wonder what we did with all of our time before we had him--my parents would tell you that we were busy moving about the country (4 rimes to be exact!).

WHO DAT?

2010-02-10T21:51:00.003-05:00

It sure was a proud day for all those Saints fans out there! While we are Panthers fans by default, we do have a soft spot for the ole' Saints since our stint of living in Pass Christian, Mississippi and we were happy to see them win the Superbowl!

Amanda and Allen hosted a fun Superbowl party and I think it was one of the first Superbowl parties that I have been to that most people actually watched the game. I tried to watch some with one eye and have the other on Anderson--which didn't work so well so I was constantly asking Brad what happened!! I lifted these pictures from Amanda's blog...I hope she doesn't mind!!

Anderson and his Da-Da

Anderson and Harper in a fierce game of connect four!

Harper is getting serious!

A Complete 180 Degrees...

2010-02-05T14:59:00.002-05:00

This was Anderson about 5:00pm on Saturday....

--At 6:00 we were next door (more like across 4 lots and over a fence) at the neighbor's house getting ready to enjoy nice steaks on the grill.

--At 6:30 Anderson threw-up all over their floor..... hello, stomach virus....

Y'all, this stuff was rough and victimized our entire household. Anderson on Saturday night, me on Monday night, and Brad on Tuesday night..even despite our best efforts to disinfect, wash hands, and sanitize like crazy. We are all still recovering and I think a lot of the problem is lack of sleep. Last night was the first night since this started that Anderson slept the entire night w/o waking up several times b/c of fever, coughing, and just plain not feeling well. Brad has not taken a sick day for as long as I can remember and he was out 2 days to help me and then recover himself. Anderson still does not have his appetite back completely and is still feeling puny. He wants to be held and snuggled most of the time which I don't mind b/c I love me some Anderson snuggle time, but my back is killing me and I would much rather have the jumping boy on the couch from above.

From my blog readings, it appears that we were not the only ones down and out this week! I hope that everyone is feeling better and on the mend!

Now, does anyone have any ideas for a "sorry my son threw-up all over your floor" gift? Did I mention that we were not the only ones there.... I was mortified, even though they all understand!

Extreme Couponing!

2010-01-28T21:07:00.000-05:00

How much did I pay for this entire grocery cart full of loot?

A) $53.09 B) $84.93 C) $136.94 D) does this have a point?

Back in September, I was volunteering in our church nursery with a friend of mine. We chatted about this and that and at a point during our conversation she asked if I clipped coupons. I told her I would glance at them and if I saw a product that we used, I would cut out the coupon. She proceeded to tell me about this great website she was recently introduced to called Southern Savers that showed her how to coupon--used as verb here--and she had cut her grocery bill by 50% or more. I thought she had to be joking me, but Paula just wouldn't mislead anyone like that! I decided to give it a try b/c I had nothing to lose and at least 50% money savings to gain, and y'all, IT REALLY WORKED!!!

We would spend on average about $350-$400 a month on groceries. Now we spend maybe $200-$250 and that is if I buy things that are not on sale and/or do not have coupons and we have more food than we ever did! It does take a little time, but not much and well worth the savings you get for the amount of food you leave with. Does mean that you might not be able to get Cape Cod chips and you get the Lay's that are on sale, you pick up the Keebler buy 1 get 1 free special on cookies this week instead of Oreo's, or you get split chicken breasts instead of boneless skinless---yes, but it never has really mattered to me thus far! I tailor what we are going to eat based on the specials that week and it is much easier than I thought it would be. Now, do not allow me to mislead you. If we decide that we are going to have company over and grilling steaks is what we have decided to do, then we go get steak. However, I must tell you once you know what a good price is, it does ring in the back of your head "I just paid this for that" when it was on sale last week!! You have to do that though to prevent burnout and stay sane b/c this can be addictive!!

Back to my question from above:

A) $53.09 is what I paid for the entire contents of that grocery cart
B) $84.93 is what I saved
C) $136.94 is what I would have paid for the groceries without matching coupons/sales
D) Do you get the point??!!

Click HERE to read how/why this whole gig works---you won't be disappointed! You should also look at how to "CVS".....I likely will never pay over $.32 for a tube of toothpaste again!

Now the only question is what should you do with that extra money.....donate to your favorite charity, tithe more, put in savings, pay off some debt, college fund, nice dinner out or, even better, maybe a weekend getaway!

It's Honey-Do This, and Honey-Do That!

2010-01-19T14:31:00.003-05:00

I have a list nearly a mile long of things that I want done in our house! Even though our house is custom built and brand new...it was not built by us so there are things that I would have done that were not. The good news is that most things can be done w/o major construction and most can be done by the hubs. Poor Brad. He sure does his work cut out for him and with hunting season over until mid-March, I figure that leaves quite a bit of time to start crossing those things off the list!

First Project:

Easy enough right? Yes, that is when you can get all the correct parts. Anderson is famous for pushing/pulling his lamp off the table beside his glider rocker. It hasn't broken yet, but each time the light bulb blows out. To remedy the situation, I asked for a light kit to be installed into fan and just have an overhead light. After 3 trips to Lowe's with purchases/returns and some frustration on why the darned light would not turn on, we decided to go the lighting showroom where they sell the casablanca fans that we have throughout our house. We bought a lighting kit that goes w/ the existing fan--well, we ordered it b/c it would be too easy for them to have it and us walk out of the store with it. The one pictured it not what we bought, I wanted 4 individual lights instead of a dome light and the fan is all white. However, while we were there, Brad decided we should go ahead and get the additional fan for our upstairs den (another item on the list!!). As luck would have it, we walked right out of there with the same model fan as the others in the house! Brad spent Monday afternoon, after a nice lunch out w/ my parents, installing the fan---while I napped! I could get VERY used to that :)

Sugar and Spice and all Things Nice....

2010-01-12T13:51:00.002-05:00

During the day on New Year's Eve, we made the short trip to visit Aunt Deb to find out if baby #2 is a girl or boy! Everyone should have an Aunt Deb...it grants you the ability to find out early who is living in there and unlimited chances to see your baby! My feeling was hands down it was a GIRL (I also felt this way about Anderson and was wrong!)!!

SO....was I surprised when I heard this???.........

It is true that I nearly fell off the table! Albeit surprised (um, I think shocked is a more accurate description), I am absolutely thrilled that Anderson is going to have a little brother to play with!

No "Sugar and Spice and all things nice" around here......for us it is "Frogs and Snails and Puppy-dogs tails"!

I'm officially outnumbered now and loving it!

School Days!

2010-01-07T22:13:00.003-05:00

Anderson started a Mother's Morning Out program at our church 2 mornings a week! His first day was Tuesday and he did fabulous! He cried when I dropped him off, which was heartbreaking--of course! I know it is developmental and sign of good socio-emotional health, but it is still hard on a momma's heart. I went to the church library and spent my time doing the bible study homework for Wednesday night (Beth Moore Study = lots of homework). About 10:30, Lisa, the children's ministry director came and told me that Anderson was doing fantastic and was having a ball playing! That did my heart a world of good. For me, it is hard to have time to myself and feel good about it if he is miserable. Thankfully, that does not appear to be the case! To get ready for school, Santa brought him a personalized pre-school backpack from Pottery Barn! It is so darn cute!

Hello 2010!

2010-01-03T20:57:00.005-05:00

We spent New Year's Eve at a dinner party hosted by Ansley and Richard! Andrew and Ginger were there and Ansley's brother and sister-in-law. Kiddos were invited, but we did try to find a babysitter (without any luck) for the evening. So, we got him ready for bed and just said we would stay until he was tired and fussy or put him down in Jack's pack-n-play. He sure surprised us and stayed awake and happy for nearly the entire evening! I think he had been feeling bad for so long that he was happy to finally feel good! Ansley bought lots of party goodies and I took a picture of the confetti from the party poppers going everywhere, but it was taken w/ my Blackberry and turned out fuzzy!

Practicing for the ball drop!

My little angel didn't quite make it!

Not too much different from last year........

Happy New Year!!!

Santa, STOP here!!

2009-12-30T14:59:00.004-05:00

And he sure did! Things started off a little bit iffy, but it all worked out in the end--funny how things have a way about doing that! Here's the skinny of the situation we were facing. Anderson had been fighting this weird digestion issue for about 2 weeks leading up to Christmas. It finally got the best of him and lead to a Christmas Eve visit to the pediatrician--we were literally the last patient before they closed up shop for the holiday. I was concerned b/c it was becoming more difficult to get him to eat/drink anything which is very unusual for buster. We were told he had a virus, we had to let it run its course, and it should get better. It did, but it got worse before it got better. Christmas Eve, just as Brad's parents arrived, he threw up about a gallon all over me and him and anything else unfortunate enough to be in the way. Coupled with the digestion issues, the little fella just was pitiful. Needless to say, there was no Christmas Eve service for us. Christmas morning he tried his best to play with his presents, but ultimately he sat in my lap with his taggie blanket and sucked his thumb. The pictures I got from the morning were all taken in about a matter of 5 minutes. By some miracle, he bounced back after an afternoon siesta and was a new child! We had considered cancelling our plans to go to my parents and then grandmother's house, but we were able to go after all! He really did rally and did not fuss the entire time we were gone and even stayed up until 9:30 when we finally made it home! I was so thankful that he was feeling better and could enjoy some Christmas!

First smile of the day!

We enjoyed spending the holidays with just about all of our family! We had a dinner with my dad's side of the family on the Saturday before Christmas, enjoyed time with Brad's mom and dad, my immediate family, and my extended family as well! I hope y'all had a Merry Christmas!

A Saviour is Born!

2009-12-26T14:37:00.004-05:00

Our Christmas did not go at all as I thought it would--more on that later. As I read all my friend's blogs, it seems as if I was not the only one that felt a little sad that things did not go as I had planned them to or had a similar experience as I did. What it did allow me to do was remember that it was the day of the birth of our Saviour and think less about all the other "things" that go along with the Christmas season. Recognize these people from last Christmas? Not anywhere near close to the original (AT ALL!!), but I think it illustrates the point I am trying to make here!

I say all that to say this, I hope that you had a moment to remember why we celebrate Christmas!

Need a Little Christmas!

2009-12-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

I have felt like this (and every other year I guess!) December has slipped through my fingers and we have not had as much time to enjoy the season. I am sure I am not alone in this one! Brad has been putting in late hours and not getting home until after 7 and also working some on the weekends--as a result we didn't even get a Christmas tree until about a week ago! The nausea really hit me hard this time and it lingered around until nearly the end of 14 weeks (I am 15 weeks, so it only finally left a few days ago). With that, I have been a bit of a scrooge and had a bah humbug attitude. Mostly to Brad's credit, we did get a few Santa's out, got the tree decorated, managed to put some garland on the mantle, and hung the stockings. The outside garland for our railing, not so much...maybe next year. I haven't even hung the wreaths! Perhaps that will get done today (maybe). Oh, and thank goodness for online shopping and free shipping! Anderson has not been as curious as I though he would about the tree. He will go over to it from time to time and touch it. I thought he would try to pull it, grab the ornaments/lights, etc..but he hasn't. We did only put ornaments on the top 1/2 of the tree, but he hasn't even made an attempt to try and reach any. I know I should count my blessings! The first night we had it, he was feeling it with his hands and then decided to put his face in the limbs. That was fine until it poked him in the eye! Bless his heart y'all, but his reaction and facial expression was priceless. Almost like he was betrayed by the tree. He never did cry, which is good b/c it would have made me feel horrible for holding back laughter!

Sunday we went with Richard, Ansley, and little Jack to see the Dove Street Lights. It is a short street on the south end that every house decorates to the max! It literally took us .5 seconds to walk down the entire street, but it does put you in the Christmas spirit...especially when you get to bundle up and even see Frosty!

Frosty didn't bother him a bit, but we are taking him to see Santa tomorrow and I am hoping for the same cool as a cucumber attitude...we shall see!

He was all snugged up in there!

Dear Santa,

2009-12-16T21:28:00.002-05:00

I know that Christmas is not at all about giving and receiving gifts. We have done a lot of giving this year to various worthy causes, Anderson and I made a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, and participated in adopt-a-family with some of Brad's co-workers. It truly is better to give than to receive--and I mean that! But, alas, I can't help but make a list for Santa...hey, it's all in good fun...and fun it is, I do not expect to get any of these things!!!!!

This would be a great addition to my collection...they have an adorable loop as well..

Only problem here...I do like the green, but do I want black?

I NEED THIS! Toss it in the above purse and I can get some fantastic footage of little Buster while we are on the go!

Brad is famous for getting advice from David on gifts (he sure has it figured out!). I have the hematite pendant and would like one in yellow or blue....or both!

The Boy of Many Names.

2009-12-10T19:54:00.002-05:00

We have come up with so many nicknames for Anderson that I can't keep them all straight! It all started when he was just a newborn and he would "squeak" while winding up to cry. It was the cutest thing ever and that is how the name "squeaks" was coined. From there there have been many variations like, and you can't laugh, "sir-squeaks-a-lot" and "boo squeaksly". Silly, I know but very funny at the time! And we can't forget "sweet baby" and "boo"! Well, he has a new nickname that is probably going to be the one he loves the most.........

BIG BROTHER!

That's right---around June 14th, 2010!

Starting Christmas Off Right!

2009-12-08T17:08:00.003-05:00

Saturday we went to a breakfast pre-party for the Christmas parade! Andrew and Ginger were brave enough to host a crew of people and the mess of kiddos as well. Everyone brought a dish for the feast---certainly the best breakfast I (and my family!!) have had in quite some time! It really was a great way to kick off the Christmas Season and Andrew and Ginger did a great job reminding us of what the season is really all about. It is a real blessing to celebrate with others that appreciate the real meaning of Christmas!

We did not make it to the parade b/c Brad had to go into the hospital. We were in such a rush to get out of the door that the thought the drive separately did not even come up! I was sad to miss it b/c I really enjoy parades (no matter how cheesy)..but the good news is that there is always next year!!

A few of Anderson's pals

Anderson wishes he had a playroom!

Perhaps the only time most of the kids were in the same place!

Um, must be nice!!

My sweet boy!

Who are these people?????

Later that same night Brad and I had the hospital Christmas party. I got to hunt for a new cocktail dress and get all dolled up for the event....I was sweating it when it was time to zip up that dress, but that is another post!

A Season to be Thankful!

2009-11-30T14:23:00.006-05:00

This time of the year makes it easy to remember what all we have to be thankful for. I have a list in my head that grows by the minute--more than I deserve, that I am certain! We went to BFT for the afternoon to have lunch and stuff ourselves beyond the point of return! We had a small crowd of the 3 of us, my mom and dad, and my 2 grandmothers. We do not have a large family so when just a few people are missing is seems like so many more. Paige and Charlie were in St. Louis with his family and now everyone has to go a million different ways to be with spouses families, boyfriend/girlfriend's family, etc...the opportunity for everyone to be in one place at the same time for a holiday is nearly impossible! We were grateful to spend time with those we could and hope to see everyone else real soon!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to share one thing I am thankful for. It has been a rough month for little Anderson and I am just thankful that my little buster is 100% healthy and back to his cheerful, happy self with smiles, laughs, and squeals of delight!

This was my fall display...soon to be replaced w/ all things Christmas!!

Loved all the treasure in Big Daddy and BG's backyard!

I love, love his Where the Wild Things Are t-shirt and I make him wear it all the time!

It was a Graveyard Smash....

2009-11-25T15:51:00.000-05:00

It is almost too late to post this I think, but some things are better late than never! Halloween night we had some fun of our own dressing up! Our friends Emily and Evan hosted a party that started out as just a Lowcountry Boil but then after Emily had a conversation with our friend, Babs, it turned into a costume party. I balked about it b/c I hate dressing up and did not want to participate in the least!! Emily hounded me to make sure we got costumes and did not pull the "we couldn't get a babysitter, sorry!"....not that I would ever do that...well, maybe!! After it was all said and done, I have to admit that it was fun!

What says Halloween better than eating utensils??

A few of the gals..note: Marge, Babs as Rainbow Bright, Emily as Richard Simmons!

**Jennifer**

My makeshift signature b/c I accidently deleted mine and have no clue how to get it back!

Giraffe with an Identity Crisis!

2009-11-15T20:36:00.002-05:00

Our church had its annual Trunk or Treat Carnival the Wednesday before Halloween and Anderson had a hayday. There was so much to see, the little guy did not know where to go first! His giraffe costume was made for nearly sub-zero weather, it seemed, and I was afraid he was going to be hot---especially with the fast speed he was moving! Cute costumes for little boys his age were hard to come by in this town. I wish I would have been able to find a lion costume instead b/c right before Halloween he caught on to respond with "ROAR" when asked "what does a lion say?"

The roaring giraffe!

Carnival Games!

Learning Cornhole!

He found out when you touch the shoes, the ghost dances!

Brad playing Bible trivia with Dr. Keller!

He got 3/3 correct!

The new fire chief after a brief visit to the firetruck--there was and emergency so they had to shoo us away!

His buddy Jack (Batman!) as fire chief w/ momma Ansley

On the Mend!

2009-11-11T17:33:00.004-05:00

This is now one of Anderson's favorite toys? The paramedics gave it to him on the way to the hospital and he loves it. I would just as soon make it disappear b/c it reminds me of the whole incident, but that would be cruel. Maybe he will forget about it at some point, or maybe I can get him a better toy that he will fall for?! Brad would say I am just being dramatic, perhaps he is right. Nonetheless, Anderson is much better and nearly back to his old self. When he started getting into the cabinets again and everything else I prefer him not to I knew we had turned a corner. He still has a slight cough, some runny diapers b/c of the high dose of antibiotics that he will finish tomorrow!!, and a little bit of a runny nose. I have kept him home and away from others for the most part just b/c I want to make sure he is completely better before we re-enter the world---I might be overdoing it a bit, but better safe than sorry the way I see it. We did venture out to Target on Monday and he was in a trance like I have never taken him out before. It was cute, he just sat in the buggy and looked around for the better part of the hour we were there. They had so much Christmas stuff out and that sure lifted my spirits! I am so excited that the holidays are fast approaching!

We sincerely appreciate all the calls, emails, text messages, texts asking if it is ok to call, and visitors that came! Most of all, we are so thankful that we had so many fine folks praying for sweet Anderson! It worked!

Was this a Dream?

2009-11-02T19:39:00.002-05:00

I have so many great things to post about, but it will all just have to wait. It might be Thanksgiving before I get Halloween posted, but eventually it will get done. I am sad to report that little Anderson is a sick, sick little boy. To make a long story a little bit shorter, Anderson has had a clear runny nose since about Wednesday--did not seem to bother him at all. Friday he started in with a wet cough so I made an appointment with the pediatrician in the office that day and took him b/c I did not want to go into the weekend with any issues and was told he had a cold--which he did. Friday he was ok, Saturday he was ok, Sunday afternoon he was not ok. He started running a fever that went up very high in a short amount of time. There was some vomiting involved as well as a febrile seizure that earned us a ride in the ambulance to the ER at 11:30 on Sunday night. The seizure about scared the life out of me, and I am still trying to recover. It is a common issue with kiddos with fevers, but no matter how common they are it still is a SCARY experience and one I do not care to go through again. Our trip to the ER revealed that he has pneumonia and it is getting the best of him right now. When we arrived he had a 104.6 fever so he was given lots of fever reducers, flu test (negative), chest x-ray (confirmed pneumonia), and a hefty dose of injection antibiotics. He was better this morning, but the fever started to rise this afternoon and he was nearly inconsolable. We went to the pediatrician and he was given another shot of antibiotic. We have to go back tomorrow to assess his progress. I am just praying that he does not have to be admitted to the hospital--let it be known that it is just one of a zillion things I am on my knees about right now.

I am having a hard time sleeping. Every time I close my eyes, the entire scene is replayed in my head like a horror movie. We have a video monitor and I have been glued to it when he is in his crib and quite frankly I am terrified to put him anywhere that is not within my arms reach. I tried my best to sleep when we got home very early this morning, but I was waking up every 15 minutes in a panic reaching for the monitor. My dad came today which was a great relief. I napped when Anderson did this morning b/c I knew daddy was watching him. Thank goodness he is also coming tomorrow and the rest of the week if I needed him I am sure! I know this will all go away, but it will certainly take time.

There are many of you reading this that I wanted to call personally and let you know what is going on, but I just have not had the chance and the time to devote to calling. I only had time to call to cancel engagements and let people know who would be expecting me places this week that we would not be there. Sorry for that and sorry that you have to read about it as a blog post.

Pray for my little Anderson.....I need him to make a speedy recovery!

I will be back soon :)

To the Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-25T20:32:00.005-04:00

On Friday we went to the pumpkin patch with Kristen and Aiden! The pumpkin patch is in a nearby town about 40 minutes away in what I would certainly consider the country for sure! It would be easy to get lost getting there, but once you see the huge satellite dish painted as pumpkin you have arrived! It is hard to get into the fall event spirit when it is 85 degrees with 99% humidity---didn't seem to bother Anderson at all, the boy got his pumpkin and even a green tractor as a souvenir!

Anderson and Aiden getting ready for the hayride!

He found his pumpkin!

He went from pumpkin to pumpkin trying pick each one up. It was a hoot watching him try and pick up the ones that weighted twice as much as him! He settled one that was just his size and he did not let go of it!

Who Needs a Bathing Suit?

2009-10-16T21:08:00.003-04:00

I know I have mentioned this before, but one of Anderson's favorite things to do is explore the salt pan. He pulls at the pickleweed, picks up saltmarsh periwinkles, and digs in the mud to entertain himself! These were taken a few weeks back and it was quite hot--even though just last week we had some unseasonably high temperatures!! We actually just walked down to see Brad and Charlie fishing the salt pan and not to swim in the outgoing tide, thus the baby in the buff!

Picking up treasures he finds!

He has a periwinkle in his fingers!

Muddy Baby!

Fishing for Redfish!

A Big Time!

2009-10-10T20:44:00.004-04:00

Anderson had a big time last weekend! We went to his buddy Cooper's 1st birthday party in BFT and as you can see from the below picture, the cupcake was a big hit!

After the party, I dropped him off at BeeGee and Big Daddy's house to spend the night! Brad and I had a party to go to and since I was already in Beaufort and knew about the birthday party and our need for a sitter that Saturday night and I was able to "book" my parents for that night! You have to make an appointment with my parents, they are ALWAYS on the go!

Anderson is now mobile on 2 feet now! Just last week he really started to take off. He was been taking steps here and there for about 2 months, but always preferred to crawl. Last week I think he decided that walking really does get me from point A to point B pretty fast. He has that cute "frankenstein" walk going! There was plenty of new things to explore at BeeGee and Big Daddy's and he had a ball :)

It was nice to be without child responsiblities for 24 hours, but I was so excited to go and pick him up on Sunday afternoon!

Life's Better Outdoors!

2009-10-05T22:00:00.005-04:00

2 Saturdays ago, we went to BFT to a educational/promotional event that DNR Dad was volunteering. The Department of Natural Resources brought their virtual fishing trailer and a table full of educational materials about the outdoors & DNR freebies! We also used this opportunity to catch-up with some BFT friends---Chris and Katy and their 2 kiddies :)

The shark slide inflatable was HUGE!

The back of Daddy!

Charlie fighting a marlin (I think)--he was working hard!

Brad and Chris supervising.

Chris and Anna Kate give it a go!

Charlie and Anderson!

Anderson and Cooper!

Anderson is enjoying entertainment by ketchup packets!

My Poster Child!

2009-09-26T21:41:00.010-04:00

I absolutely love Anderson's 1 year pictures and I look at them more than is probably considered normal! I bought the rights to all the pictures taken b/c it would have been an unrealistic expectation to have me just choose a few to have! I did order many of my favorites in different sizes for around the house and now just need to decided where to put them. Here is a sample of some of my favorites and what you might see on our walls, on mantles, shelves, and any other flat surface!

****************Credits for all of the above pictures: Silly Goose Photography***************

Dork Induction.

2009-09-24T14:18:00.006-04:00

Congratulations to Paige who was inducted into the Nursing Honor Society on Sunday! We drove to the mid-state for the "dork induction" as Brad so affectionately dubbed it--just a joke...we are always taking friendly jabs at one another!

Later that afternoon, we visited with our friends Stephen and Lindsay. They had a baby girl, Caroline, about a month ago on 8/18/09. She is such a doll!

Baby Caroline @ 4 weeks

Me, Lindsay, and Caroline..I need a haircut something awful!

Brad and his boy.

This picture could fool you--he never sits!

Taking a breather--he did not get a proper nap all day!

Playing with his hot wheels car he got at Mickey D's on the way up!

We stopped about halfway to get gas and lunch and we ran into Brad's former boss, Elizabeth, and her husband, Randy, at the gas pump! They were stopping to eat too, so we were able to lunch and catch up at the McDonald's attached to the gas station. Glamorous, I know. I was the only one all dressed up in the whole joint. Everyone else, I think, was traveling home from football games!

Island Nightlife!

2009-09-22T09:40:00.003-04:00

I was chatting it up on the phone the other day with a friend of mine and she asked if I had been out recently to check up on the nightlife now that most vacations are over, kids are in school, and most are getting into the swing of fall. I told her that as a matter of fact I had! Just last week some of us enjoyed girls night. Although this fine establishment was actually off island, a couple of weeks back Brad and went to a wine bar on the south end with some friends and it was not crowded at all!

Amanda and Laura

Amanda (another one!) and Ginger

Ansley, Me, and Amy

I did not get a picture of everyone that came b/c some came for dinner and did not come to the afterparty and some joined us later after previous plans--- I had already tucked the blackberry back in my purse. We had a blast and there was even a celebrity sighting (old school one), a mysterious bottle of champagne that ended up on the table, and one late night! My friend Kara gets the lucky award as she had to wake up her daughter at 10:30 the next morning, while the rest of us had to get up normal time (7ish for me)! That is why I should get home before 1am! We had all Friday to relax and met up with some of Anderson's buddies for lunch and playing at the sandbox. That's always a good day!

Better than a Swimming Pool!

2009-09-18T09:30:00.000-04:00

The salt pan is one of the many treasures you get to experience living in this area. Good ones that do not have oyster shells, don't have a lot of pluff mud (I don't hate on pluff mud--it is another treasure for sure!), and have some large sandy areas can be tricky to come by...fortunate for us we have a perfect one to play in! On days when we don't have much to do and the tide is high, we have fun in our own backyard. I load Anderson in his stroller, the bike trailer, or his Kettrike and we make the 30 second walk/ride to the salt pan and I and let him go to town! There is so much for him to explore, touch, and feel---as well as put in his mouth, which I try to discourage, but a little salt water or marsh grass isn't going to hurt anyone! We have played out there from the time the tide was coming in until the tide was rolling out and we are left with just puddles! When the masses of fiddler crabs start making their appearance is when I call it quits. Small crustaceans, in mass quantities, in one place kinda freaks me out---but I can appreciate from the wooden boardwalk with no problems. I can remember loving swimming in the salt pans as a child and lucky for me, one of my childhood friends had a salt pan in her parent's backyard that we could swim in at high tide...it was always so much more exciting than a swimming pool!

How I love the salt pan!

Did I mention I love this??!!

oooh, a treasure...

not quite as tasty as I thought!

Home Improvement.

2009-09-15T16:40:00.004-04:00

****This is a longer post, so if you don't have a few minutes, you might want to read later****

Last week around here was absolute chaos. A couple of weeks ago we had the entire exterior of our house pressure washed in preparation to paint some some of our columns and rails that were in desperate need of repainting. Well, as it turns out, our huge pine doors that we have---all 14 of them--were not sealed properly at the top when the house was built. Water seeped down at the top of the doors and caused the doors to essentially swell and expand. As a result, every single pine door in the house would not open AT ALL. When I say at all, I mean those suckers were stuck and would not budge!!! That left us with only 1 way in and 1 way out of the house-- in and out of the only door in the mudroom/laundry room that is not pine. As they dried, they did actually open but did not open/close all that well and the doors did not seem to "fit" anymore. Last Tuesday, the contractor and his crew (not the guy who built the house---him and his wife split and thus why we ended up with this brand new home that was supposed to be for them) came with all sorts of equipment. I thought it was a bit more equipment than needed to lightly sand some doors to make them open and close again, but my brain is wired medical/science, so what do I know, really? I thought that this was a one day deal, boy was I wrong. They were here all week and ended up sanding, staining, refinishing, etc...every pine door in the house. I knew that they were going to do the front doors, but once those were done it really made all the other doors look neglected and decrepit. Brad and I decided that we might as well go ahead and do the rest of the doors to and get them done properly. This is a glimpse of what we have been dealing with.....

Plastic, very interesting to a one year old

Plastic on every door!!

No more dog scratch marks on the bottom of the door from Flash

It is hard to tell, but the ones on the bottom are done, and the ones on top are not

I am very happy that this is being done, but had planned on spending this money for home improvements we had budgeted on new furniture for the TV room! Chalk it up to home ownership. I cannot complain at all about the guys that are here. They are nice, courteous, and very professional, but it is the nature of the work frazzled me and this is why (1) I hear sanders and other power tools in my sleep (2) Anderson's naps were nearly non-existent (3) it was lukewarm in the house all week b/c the doors were open a lot (4) the floors are disgusting and it not even worth it to mop until they are done (5) I had to keep Anderson away from all the plastic and tools around (6) we had no place to go in the house that did not have a pine door (7) we had to stay at the house all week! #7 is the worst part of it all. Prisoner in my own home.

In the midst of all the chaos, it just seemed that annoying things just kept happening. The ones that in a normal day would not bother me at all, but coupled with the above just made me want to scream. But in true form, we also had some great things (awesome, actually) happen! Let me share the fun things (and keep the annoying ones to myself).....

(1) Anderson took his first few steps last Tuesday....9/8/09!! Still prefers to crawl, but we are
making progress!

(2) He started using a spoon. Let me clarify this...I put the food on the spoon and hand it to him,
then he brings the spoon to his mouth, and then puts the spoon on his tray. Many posts ago,
wrote about Anderson learning how get down once he gets to standing and how we worked
for an entire day on this and he got it. I got an anonymous commenter that said I should not
rush my child. Negative, anonymous commenter's annoy me. If this person knew that I
have a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy and my sole practice area is pediatrics,
maybe the comment would not have been made. So to any readers out there who do
not know me personally, I know EXACTLY what I am doing and unless you have an
expertise in this area to rival mine, please keep your comments to yourself. Sorry, it had
to be said, and I am not trying to be ugly, I just would never dream of leaving a comment
that was not positive on a stranger's blog.

(3) Brad was playing with Anderson after he got home from work on Friday and took the
spatula that he likes to play with and did a karate chop move while saying "hi-ya". Anderson
looked right at him and said "hi-ya" as clearly as I have ever heard anything! Too funny!

(4) He finally clapped his hands!! This little thing has been stressing me to no end. I knew that
he would do it and there was no underlying problem. He would bring his hands to midline and cross midline all the time, but would not clap. Now he will, and will do it when I say clap:)

(5) He learned his first football referee move. Brad taught him to raise both his hands in the air
when he says "it's good" for a field goal. One of the cutest things ever!

I think all of this was God's way of letting me know that all is well, and that the chaos in the house is nothing in comparison. Point taken. I went to bed Sunday night thinking, this week is going to be GREAT! The workers will be working on the outside after the noon hour and all my doors will be closed, finally. I woke Monday morning after a good nights sleep (something that was rare last week) refreshed. Then Brad says to me that we got an email early, early that morning alerting us of possible fraudulent charges on my AMEX. No way, this is NOT the way this is supposed to happen...this is a GOOD week. Brad got it handled, the charge was taken off, and my card was closed--b/c, of course, it was on my card. Not having my AMEX is not a start to a good week, but whatever! A new one was overnighted and arrived today!

I look at the paper this morning and on the front page is an article about the congressman and how people are changing their travel plans b/c of his outburst on Wednesday night (the aftermath of that was on my annoyance list). Then I get in the car to meet some friends at the beach and I hear the very same thing. Music to my ears since I live in the resort side of this county. Go ahead and cancel your plans, that means I don't have to waste 30 minutes of my life waiting on a table at a restaurant or sitting in traffic. Don't worry about the economic impact, those of us who have been in hiding will come out and spend money again now that the crowds are gone!

This blog post was a little heavy, sorry, but I sure do feel better now! This really is a therapeutic tool!

Gone Fishin'

2009-09-13T14:16:00.000-04:00

The saltwater pond has provided endless entertainment this summer! It has produced several big ones recently....don't worry, no animals are ever harmed during this activity and we are strictly catch and release!

Charlie's Black Drum

Paige's Redfish

Close-up of Paige's Redfish

Charlie gets another Black Drum

Clip n' Snip!

2009-09-10T21:27:00.004-04:00

Brad and I took Anderson to the barbershop get his first haircut the Friday before he had his 1 year pictures done. It was seriously overdue b/c he had a few curls in the back and was really starting to sport a baby mullet....we will have no business in the front and party in the back hairdo around this house! He sat in Brad's lap better and longer than I thought he would, but I did have to hand over to him my coveted blackberry to get through the last few minutes! Poor Mr. Jeff did get a work-out chasing his head--the scissors is what made me nervous! When it was all said and done, there was not much hair on the floor, but he looked so much different. Really, so handsome and like a little boy--I think my eyes may have started to water??!! He is changing so quickly and right before my eyes!

Sweet Summertime!

2009-09-08T08:46:00.001-04:00

I always think of Labor Day Weekend as the unofficial end of summer, even though the official last day of summer is September 21st. Summer coming to an end is slightly depressing, but I am also looking forward to all the new things that Anderson will be able to do this fall that he could not do last year! This Labor Day started off with Momma's birthday and me, Brad, Paige, and Charlie took her and daddy out to celebrate!

In honor of the unofficial end of summer (we still intend to enjoy what we have left!!), here is a small sampling of the things we did to keep ourselves entertained--we did some of these this weekend too! Beware...lots of pictures!

Swimming in the pool on Tuesdays with some of Anderson's buddies!

Swinging in the swing that daddy hung!

Outlet shopping!

Swimming in the pool at BeeGee and Big Daddy's

Playing in boxes when Aunt Paige comes!

Acrobatics at Dolphin Head!

Fun in the salt pan!

The Sandbar---a favorite!

Boat Rides!

Riding in the buggy!

More buggy riding at the farm!

The beach!

Riding in the bike trailer!

Loved the garden hose!

Playing at the Sandbox!

You Can't Photoshop That!

2009-09-04T13:57:00.004-04:00

Sweet Anderson had his 1 year old pictures taken on Tuesday! I am more than pleased with the outcome and cannot wait to order and get them here! His blue eyes still mystify me....a trait he gets from his daddy :)

Here is a link to a post about his shoot that has a few pictures:

http://www.youcantphotoshopthat.blogspot.com/2009/09/asoneyearpictures.html

If you have a bit more time you can see them all here: click on galleries and look for Anderson!

http://www.sillygoosephotography.smugmug.com/

We can't forget to wish my momma a happy birthday! Happy Birthday Momma!

Chore Boy.

2009-09-01T09:35:00.001-04:00

Who knew that blogging could make you feel so good? I received such sweet comments about my smocking project and they all just made me smile...I know some of the BEST blog commenter's ever! How does it all get done?.....chore boy!!...(PS: these are blackberry shots)...

Why walk behind the push toy when you have a vacuum?

Always willing to help with the dishes!
Just a little light dusting to be done...

Yes, those are my flip flops he put in the dryer!

In all seriousness, I do not have it all together as the previous blog post might have made it out to be. What I did not tell you was that that dinosaur project took 2 months and I had A LOT of coaching from Katy! On a daily basis, I too feel like I cannot keep up with everything that needs to be done and truth be told it just doesn't! Brad is great about helping out, even though I do not tell him enough, and I do have help every other week with house cleaning. When I went back to work 2 days a week we decided to do that so that neither one of us had to spend our weekends cleaning all the time. Maintenance alone between cleanings just about does me in. School started back a few weeks ago and it is plucking on my last nerve. I have 2 excellent elementary schools that are connected by a breezeway with an office/treatment room. That means I do not have to travel and carry my supplies from school to school--both scenarios have positives and negatives. I have had technology issue after technology issue and cannot, for the life of me, get into a program I need desperately to do my documentation and write new OT goals for upcoming IEP's. I love technology and just recently I was talking on my home phone, uploading pictures to blogger, and checking my email on my blackberry all at once! And I frequently line up our babysitter via text! When things go sour with it, forget it, I am lost big time. My caseload is absolutely out of control with too many children to see and not enough time to get done what needs to be done in a day. The kids are great, albeit some are challenging, but that comes with the job. When I left last Thursday afternoon, I thought seriously that maybe I just need to put in my notice and be done with it--it is not worth the hassle when I could be at home in my pj's with Anderson playing peek-a-boo and cracking him up. On the short 3 minute ride home I remembered why I love being an OT and could not possibly just give up that easily---however tempting at the time! I might as well mention that I also have not had a haircut since my sister got married in May and my toes look like they got caught up in a piece of heavy machinery! Sorry to disappoint...I have no secrets to share, and I assure you I struggle too....you just don't see it on the blog!

Smocking 201.

2009-08-30T14:21:00.001-04:00

After success with the smocked geometric designs, I decided to tackle picture smocking with the go ahead from my patient teacher who thinks I am doing great for a beginner! It took me a while and several trips for some help getting started with reading the patterns, making the stitches go the way they needed to go, and then finally learning to turn the garment upside down to do the cable stitches on top of each other. Then just as I thought I was finished, the pleats were popping out of line after the guidelines were taken out and I was told I then needed to do this thing called backsmock to keep the pleats in line. I thought backsmocking was certainly something that I would never be able to do. Thankfully, all it meant was do a few rows of cable stitches on the back of the insert! After 5 rows of backsmocking, at last, it was completed! The dinosaurs are not perfect---but I am getting there!!

Anderson wore it to church a few weeks ago and after the service we were invited to lunch by a fellow church member to one of the clubs around. VERY nice invitation, but my plan was to get him home and out of the outfit before eating lunch! I was paranoid the entire time that he was going to get something on it and it was going to be stained/ruined! That did not happen, but I sure was sweating it!

Tuesdays With Big Daddy.

2009-08-26T19:33:00.006-04:00

On Tuesday, the retired guy (Big Daddy) came down to spend the day with us! We enjoyed the pool--really, pool does not give this place justice all all. A place with a huge playground, splash park, lakefront beach, lazy river, etc..can hardly be called a pool. But anyway, we are fortunate to be able to go on a weekly basis and love doing so! I have learned that my Blackberry takes just as good of pictures as my point and shoot does and is quicker too--I have been spoiled horribly with my Nikon, but it is too risky to whip it out near large bodies of water. All the below are Blackberry shots!

An attempt at a swimming lesson!

Of course the shower is more entertaining!

Big Daddy & Anderson's buddy Harper

First taste of watermelon--the child ate his weight in it!

Even though we might not get every Tuesday with Big Daddy, we were sure glad he came this one! I got to sit down and eat my lunch and Big Daddy entertained him most of the time (NICE!). I also was able to go to the grocery alone while daddy stayed home with him after we got back from the pool! It's the simple pleasures.

The Nona and Granddaddy Show!

2009-08-24T14:38:00.002-04:00

Brad's mom and dad came down from the upstate to help Anderson celebrate his birthday weekend! In the 10ish years that I have know Tap (Brad's dad) he has mostly been the all business type w/ a great personality (I mean this in a good way!). I had NO idea that he would turn into quite the comic and silly guy when he plays with Anderson and it is hysterical. Anderson gets the biggest kick out of him and just belly giggles. Kathy (Brad's mom) can hardly contain her laughter and along with Brad and I enjoy watching the show :)

Love this face!

With his da (we can't get dada)!

I could not resist--I feel like I am always behind the camera!

Singing to Anderson!

Is this guy for real?

Here they are making the grand exit! All part of the show----they have the top down at the beach! Actually, that they have a convertible at all is fantastic and I something I never expected! Next time I am going to see if they will let their favorite daughter-in-law take it for a spin (oh, and Brad is an only child!) Details, details :)

Forever Young.

2009-08-22T22:14:00.001-04:00

I took Anderson for his 1 year old well visit on Thursday afternoon! All is well and it was noted in his chart that he is quote a "healthy boy!"!! He weighed in at 20lbs 2oz (10-25%), height 29" (25%), and head circumference 18 1/2" (50-75%). I really thought that his height % was going to be higher b/c I feel that I have noticed more that he is taller. My friend Katy stopped by when she was running errands on this side of the county earlier today and she even said that is what stuck out for her from the last time she saw Anderson. Nonetheless, he is perfect to me! He is very busy these days and crawls at lightening fast speed. He still has not taken that first step yet but his static standing balance is great, he bends his knees to crouch instead of plopping, he can bend and twist while standing, and his balance when walking behind the chomp and clack push toy is great too. When he finally gets up the courage to put one foot in front of the other there will not be much of a learning curve I am afraid :) His toys are more and more entertaining to him and he will play with them for longer periods of time. He likes to push buttons, will push a ball back and forth with me, gives high-fives, and pushes toys with wheels across the floor the correct way! He is not drinking from the bottle at all and now drinks milk and all his water/juice from his sippy cup. The boy loves to eat and has had all sorts of new things the past week. He is also enjoying car rides in a whole new way...

I had intended on keeping him rear facing as long as possible, and it turns out that a year was all I was going to get. He was running out of space so we made the switch. He really likes to ride and when I look in the rear view mirror he is just looking out the window most of the time.

My favorite part is that his little personality is really starting to show through. He does have his moments, but most of the time you will catch him smiling :) It is so much fun to play with him and introduce him to new things. He is learning so much so quick I have taken some recent advice (Kelly, you leave some of the best comments!) and have tried to focus more on the firsts. After all, he won't be young forever!

I also made a trip to the MD this week and I am happy to report that my foot is completely healed and the orthopaedic surgeon said I do not have to wear the post-op shoe anymore! That was music to my ears. That thing was seriously starting to irritate me! Only restrictions now are no running (um, not a problem b/c it is doubtful you would catch me doing that anyway!) and no high impact sports like tennis for a month. He did mention, with a smile, that I should still need help w/ cooking, cleaning, and childcare. I would settle for a pedicure :)

Do the Cake and Ice Cream!

2009-08-18T21:05:00.009-04:00

Anderson got a birthday card with music that summed it all up for me..."smoosh the cake, eat the cake, and get it in your hair! Get it on the the birthday outfit momma made you wear!" The song goes on about make sure you grab more and this is what birthdays are for, but it was pretty spot on for the day. I dressed him in his smocked birthday jon-jon which, of course, had to be washed in the afternoon b/c he had a huge blow-out that got everywhere and required changing his clothes and the his crib linens too! I seriously thought that something like that just had to happen so I was already half expecting it! I had fun decorating his chair, found a great birthday hat, and pulled out the special birthday bib for the big day. My friend Jennifer, that I work with, made him an adorable smash cake (last minute I must add). Luckily, she was already making cakes for another friend of mine so she was able to whip something up from the extra stuff she had! And I must add, I gave her no direction at all and only told her to make it boyish...she did a fantastic job! We had a small family party on Saturday afternoon with hamburgers and then it was cake and ice cream time--my personal favorite part! All I wanted for him was for him to destroy the cake and get messy which he did :) Just a warning that there are quite a few pictures...

In the chair that Brad sat in at his grandparent's house as a child

The birthday chair!

The smash cake!

The cake from Signe's for the rest of us, although we snacked on the smash cake too!

The bib!

The hat!

Opening his presents!

He finally got the hang of it!

Almost birthday cake time!

He did eat quite a bit of the cake!

My messy 1 year old!

My Birthday Boy!

2009-08-15T21:37:00.000-04:00

Anderson had a big day today turning 1! He was so sweet and was his smiley, happy self! I have a ridiculous amount of pictures to sort through and am looking forward to posting about his birthday party!!

In the meantime, I have found my mind wandering thinking if it is possible that he has gone from this........

To this......

In just 1 short year???!!!

Happy Birthday Buster...we love you :)

T-Minus 2 days and Counting....

2009-08-13T20:32:00.000-04:00

Anderson is going to be 1 on Saturday! On one hand I feel that in some ways this has been the longest year ever, but on the other hand I feel that I blinked and it was gone. This week has been particularly fast! I went back to school (students start Monday the 17th) and I am trying to adjust to the new back to school schedule and being at work my two days a week. It has thrown me for a loop. Perhaps some of my problem at this point might or might not have been the girls night out last night that kept me out way later than I needed to the night before I had to be dressed and out the door the next morning---worth it, but I think some bad influence might have encouraged me to go to on past when I should have (umm, I won't mention any names!)! It will take a few weeks for me to get used to this and on track! All this week I have thought about how on Saturday Anderson will be 1 and about the "lasts" I have done for him---I made his last batch of babyfood about 2 weeks ago, bought his last can of formula, and bought his last box of bottle liners! His baby tendencies are really fading away and he is acting more like a little boy. He doesn't want to drink from a bottle (I could not be happier...but sad too), he would rather finger feed than be fed from the spoon, he squirms in my arms to get down when I am holding him, and has started to play more appropriately with his toys. A few examples.....he likes to put his bath toys on the ledge of the tub, he will reposition the push toy to get it moving again, and he will put smaller objects in others. His balance is great when standing and more and more he is standing near something while using both hands to play with a toy. I am just waiting for him to get the courage to take those steps! I know these birthdays come every single year without fail, but he will always be my baby!

A Trip Back...

2009-08-10T21:43:00.002-04:00

Our trip back to Charleston was jammed packed and way too short! We had a laundry list of things we wanted to accomplish and it was mighty lofty considering that we headed home late Saturday afternoon. Not everything was crossed off the list, but it at least makes for a great reason to go back soon!

The first stop of the trip was to Meme Love's house, who lives just outside of Charleston. We got to visit with Meme twice in 2 days since she treated everyone to lunch on Thursday in celebration of daddy's birthday. I will post pictures of that event when I get my hands on some of the pictures taken!

Then it was off to do some shopping and then meet up with our friends Rob and Ginny and their son Ford who is just shy of 2 weeks younger than Anderson (we visited with them back in November--click here for the post). They were (and still are!) some of our good friends when we lived in Mt. Pleasant. They so graciously hosted us in their home Friday night and showed us exactly what we are missing out on not living there anymore :)

Anderson and Ford

Ginny and Me

Rob and Brad striking a pose?

Ford and Anderson "playing" together

Look who was caught standing on his own!!

Our boys!

Saturday afternoon, we went to the old neighborhood and had lunch with our old neighbors--Debbie and Dennis. Dennis cooked a pirlieau (also known as chicken bog in some places) with field peas and mac-n-cheese! I love his pirlieau and always stuff myself to the gills!! Their granddaughter, Murray, was also there and I was so glad to see that little girl. I posted about Dennis and Debbie several months back--click here to read some history.

Anderson playing on Murray's trampoline!

Anderson and Brad on our old dock.

Murray, Me, Anderson and Brad on the bench near the property line of our 2 houses.

In the background, behind the bench to the left is the dock that we shared with Dennis and Debbie. The grassy area behind us to the right of the dock was our backyard. It was a little sad to see our old house. As silly as it sounds, it seemed so lonely and lifeless. The yard was poorly taken care, bushes were overgrown, and overall looked horrible. Brad and I took such good care of that house and to see it in its current condition was disheartening. I hope that house is sold soon and brought back to life (we sold it to the company--click here for the post).

After lunch and visiting a while, we had to start making our way back home. We had a great time and there will be a trip back!

"Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy!"

2009-08-07T13:16:00.001-04:00

That is how it all began--allow me to explain! Brad and I met in Septemeber of 2000! I was a senior at the College of Charleston and Brad was a first year graduate student at MUSC. One night in a fine establishment in downtown Charleston, Brad asked me to dance to one of th Tams greatest hits (hint: mentioned in the title!!)! 4 short years later on August 7th, 2004 we were married!

Me and some of the girls with Little Red from the Tams! Brad and I had our first dance to the very song that started it all sung by none other than the Tams!!!

We have another reason to celebrate August 7...it is also my daddy's birthday!!! HAPPY BDAY!

The retired guy and his birthday cake---the small one to the left of the wedding cake

These are pictures that I already had on my computer and were taken by Brad's Uncle Daniel. I have tons of professional pictures but they are actual prints I would have to scan and I do not have have time to locate them or sort through them for that matter! Brad, Anderson, and I are going to be leaving for Charleston shortly to shop and visit with some family & friends :)

From the Coast to the Country!

2009-08-04T21:21:00.000-04:00

We made the best of our Saturday last weekend! Even though there was a chance of rain and pop-up thunderstorms, I talked Brad into taking us out in the river early to meet up with our friends David and Lauren and their 2 boys at the sandbar. We are so cautious (maybe a bit too cautious) about the weather for fear of getting caught out there in a squall with Anderson with us. It has happened with just myself and Brad out and it is not fun at all--not to mention just a bit scary at times!

He has no fears at all of the water!

He is always covered in sand!

No river outing would be complete without a visit from a friendly marine mammal!

Later that day, for the sake of compromise, I then allowed myself to be talked into riding up to the hunting property that Brad calls the "farm". Hunting season for deer begins August 15th--which ironically coincides with Anderson's birthday! How appropriate! Even more funny is that August 15th is always opening day--no matter what day of the week it falls on. It is a little cheesy joke in my family that Anderson was the first buck of 2008 season! Brad needed put corn out and also check his trail cams near his stands. So, I dressed Anderson in his camo shorts, to fit the part of course, and we rode in the buggy while Brad took care of the farm business. I must admit, that is one unique thing about our great state---you can go from beach to the middle of BFE, nowhere in a matter of 53 minutes!

Shorts are a little long, but he is still cute :)

Fun on the buggy!

Will be driving the buggy before we know it!

Daddy and his button buck!

"That's All Folks!"

2009-08-02T21:25:00.002-04:00

On Friday, July 31st at 4:00pm my Dad and Uncle Gary closed the doors to Auto Transimission Center for what my dad refers to as a permanent vacation! Daddy has retired from mechanics and the automotive industry--something he has been doing since he was a teenager. It is hard to believe that this day came and went and Monday morning he will not be going to the shop!

Daddy in the building room working on one of the last transmissions!

The final once over and inspecting one of the last cars!

Later that night myself, Brad, Paige and Charlie took momma and daddy out to celebrate! We enjoyed dinner, drinks, and cake at Pepper's Porch in Bluffton!

Momma and the newly retired guy!

Momma, Me, and Daddy

The yummy oreo cake :)

Brad, Momma, Me, Daddy, Charlie, and Paige

Daddy is not wasting any time at all---they will be leaving for the Keys on August 8th for a just under a week! They will be back just in time for Anderson's first birthday :) We are very proud of daddy and his accomplishments and hope that he can find something meaningful and enjoyable to do with all of this new free time!

Latest Fashion Trend....

2009-07-30T20:28:00.005-04:00

THE POST-OP SHOE!!!

Many of you have been subject to my complaining about my foot hurting the past 3 weeks after a unfortunate crush injury to the top of my foot! I went to the orthopaedic surgeon today and it seems that my 3rd metatarsal on my left foot is fractured. The course of treatment is this lovely post-op shoe that I have to wear for the next 3 weeks. It will force me to walk flat footed and will put the metatarsal in a better healing position. Good news is that this type of injury takes 6-8 weeks to heal and I already have 3 behind me!!! As hideous as it is, it really has helped to relieve the pressure and has helped with the pain!! I can go about my normal day w/o many restrictions which is great, and the good doctor even gave me a spare shoe to wear in the water for our weekly pool play dates, trips to the beach, and boat rides!

My favorite part the daily restrictions is in the comments section above and reads "will need help with cleaning, cooking, and childcare." Sorry honey.....doctor's orders......be a dear and get me a glass of water.

"Why don't friends with kids have time?"

2009-07-28T21:37:00.001-04:00

Here recently I have had a few conversations with friends, both with and without children, and thought this article might explain things much better than I can. I can't take credit for finding the article--my friend Lillian posted this on her blog a good while ago and I thought it hit the nail on the head. It explains perfectly many questions including "what do you do all day?". This comes from Carolyn Hax of the Washington Post. Scroll past the article to read the text so you don't ruin your vision from squinting....

Dear Carolyn:

Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . . Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.
Tacoma, Wash.

Dear Tacoma,

Relax and enjoy. You're funny. Or you're lying about having friends with kids. Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them. Internet searches? I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed. So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.
It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.
It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.
It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.
It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.
It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.

I couldn't have said it any better!

A Balancing Act!

2009-07-26T21:42:00.006-04:00

I finally got Anderson a push behind toy. This is something I had been avoiding b/c I am really not a big fan and feel that they are more of a safety hazard than a help. He has been pushing around anything he can including, but not limited to, cardboard boxes, laundry baskets, my small kitchen stool, and his toy basket. So, I broke down for the sake of the hardwood floors! I studied them on the internet for days before finally deciding on the Melissa and Doug Chomp and Clack Alligator push toy. It is sturdy, has some resistance pushing forward and backwards, and has a non-skid strip on the wheels---it is my hope that these features will help with the concerns I had of the toy slipping away from him and the toy falling both backwards & sideways b/c he is still working on his balance---and so far it has. If push toys scare you, I recommend this one! Once he figured it out, it did not take him long at all to get a move on!

He is really cruising the furniture fast now and lets go very frequently and will just stand there several seconds before grabbing for something sturdy! No attempts at any independent steps yet....but I know it won't be long :)

A bit of Waterfestival!

2009-07-23T21:30:00.001-04:00

Saturday night, we ventured up to Beaufort to enjoy a little bit of the Waterfestival. It has been several years since we have gone to any Waterfestival events. But, there was a time when there was absolutely no way I would miss it and would go to great lengths to ensure that. The objective back then was to party at the sandbar in the Beaufort River all day long--regardless if the sandbar was up, mind you. In that case, you just tied up and made a huge floating party deck and hopped boat to boat visiting until the tide went out, time permitting, or it got dark! Maybe, and just maybe after that you would rally and make it down to the waterfront--to the bars just outside the gates, really! Those were some fun times. This year, we did not brave the sandbar and were content paying the admission to actually go into the park and sit in front of the stage in our tailgate chairs listening the tunes of General Johnson and the Chairmen of the Board. We have seen them countless times at Alive after Five & Party at the Point in Charleston and they did not disappoint this time and put on a entertaining show! What is not to love....Carolina Girls....Down at the Beach....Give Me Just A Little More Time....One of my all time favorite beach bands, second only to The Tams, of course!!

The waterfront park w/ a sea of tailgate chairs!

Me and Brad

Vacation Destination---Take 2!

2009-07-21T22:58:00.002-04:00

Last Friday we had more friends in town that were on vacation down here! Hamp & Kim and Travis & Erica all live in the upstate, but were down here over the past week to enjoy our fine beaches! Hamp was the first person that Brad met at college. They were both on the cross country team and moved in early for pre-season training. Brad, being the wonderful guy he is, had already moved in the dorm earlier that morning and offered to help Hamp when he began moving in the afternoon. They have been friends ever since---even though Hamp transferred after freshman year. During rush, Travis, Hamp, and Brad all ended up in the same pledge class. Fast forward a few years later.....Brad, Hamp, Kim, and myself all end up at MUSC together--although we did not all start at the same time. Brad in healthcare administration, Hamp in dental school, and myself and Kim in OT school! Erica is a good friend of Kim's from college and gets an introduction to Travis and the rest is history!

Enjoying dinner prepared by Brad!

Anderson soaking up attention from Hamp & Kim

Me, Kim--who is expecting twins!!, & Erica

Travis, Brad, & Hamp

Anderson playing w/ his new toys that were gifts from the gang!

We were so glad to see everyone and appreciate it when people take time from their vacation to visit and spend time with us! We will cook you a hot meal and have plenty of sweet tea vodka--although it seems like we might need to get a new bottle :)

Go to Harbourfest!

2009-07-17T17:59:00.000-04:00

Since we live south of the broad river in the county I grew up in, we are lucky to have lots of friends and family that still live north of the broad. Consequently, whenever someone ventures this way to enjoy our shopping venues (like Target, Tanger Outlets, and World Market) we get some visitors! It is such a treat to have people swing by b/c they are in the area and it really means a lot when the extra effort is made! THANKS! Some folks have more business over here than others, like my friend Katy. Her husband, Chris, is a talented musician and plays regularly in the summer at places like San Miguel's and the Quarterdeck. This past Wednesday she came with her daughter (minus her son Cooper who is 6 weeks younger than Anderson) and her in-laws to San Miguel's and invited us to tag along! Brad had the hospital board meeting, so Anderson was my date for the evening :) San Miguel's is in the Shelter Cove Harbor and every night in the summer they have a festival like atmosphere and on Tuesday nights there are fireworks! It really was entertaining!

Wearing Anna Kate's silly hat from the children's performer

Anna Kate and Anderson--the point and shoot was not quick enough!

Anna Kate dancing to the beat of her daddy!

Anderson was quite the night owl and made it well over an hour past his bedtime and he was still awake when we got home! I think I might have heard him sigh with relief when I put him in crib!

Slight Change of Plans!

2009-07-15T09:37:00.005-04:00

This time last week, I was thinking that I would have lots of fun pictures to post about our trip to Sullivan's Island. Well.......we did have a change of plans and instead of heading up Hwy 17, I (along w/ the mini and sister Paige) was heading up I95 and I26 to our state's capital. I had planned on making this trip maybe closer to the end of the month, but there is no time like the present!

We had lunch w/ my friend Lindsay who is going to have baby girl Caroline late August or early September. I could not attend her baby shower last month so I wanted to deliver her gift personally to her! Her and her husband, Stephen, came down in March to visit (click here to refresh your memory). I brought my camera inside the restaurant w/ the intention to take a picture and I never did :(

After lunch we ran a few errands in the area. Paige wanted to check on her apartment and I wanted to stop at this children's store that Lindsay had talked about. I was looking for an outfit for Anderson to wear for some pictures. I had an outfit that he was going to wear last month for them and the shoot was cancelled (photog was sick) and now he has outgrown the outfit!!! Of course, I can't find the exact same outfit in a larger size, that would be way too easy. No luck on a new fit, but I did get him a birthday bib! It will go w/ his smocked birthday jon-jon! No, I did not smock it b/c it would have never been done in time! I am, however, nearly finished with the dinosaur project that I will post very soon.

Then it was off to visit baby William Heyward! My good friend Kasey from OT school had her first baby at the end of June and I was dying to get my hands on him!

Anderson was that tiny???

Me, Kasey and our boys!

I am hopeful that we might be able to re-schedule our trip to Sullivan's Island for next month maybe. One of my pals in Charleston invited us to come and stay at her parent's beach house for a few days. I jumped at the chance and I had been looking forward to it for about a month. I called to firm up plans and was hit with some heartbreaking news-- --please be in prayer for my friend who is coping with the physical and emotional effects of a failed pregnancy.

Our Future Dentist?

2009-07-13T07:37:00.002-04:00

Big Boy has 3 teeth that have popped through the gums--1 on top and 2 on the bottom! They have caused him some grief, but overall it really hasn't hindered him all that much so far and we have not experienced some of the horrifying teething symptoms (yet, at least!!). Since he now has a little more than just teeth nubs, I thought it was time to get this boy to brushing his chompers! It was a hit and he will just sit there and let me brush his teeth and gums. He, of course, wants to hold the toothbrush so I let him "brush" his teeth after I do it! It is so cute to see his little toothbrush and toothpaste sitting on the sink in his bathroom :)

He already has such good brushing form & technique :)

Do you think he might be my child??!!!

Fun at Island Playground!

2009-07-11T15:19:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we met up with a couple of Anderson's pals for lunch and then some play time at Island Playground! I just knew that he was going to love crawling in the huge inflatables!

Aiden & Anderson...other buddy Logan was around but he was fast!

He was giggling so much that he had trouble keeping his balance! I think his face might have hurt after leaving b/c he grinned the entire time :)

While in the Sick Bay.

2009-07-09T10:26:00.001-04:00

While Anderson was in quarantined in the sick bay (aka: our house) getting over that cruddy summer virus, I had to pull all my tricks out of the bag to keep the kid entertained! I really took extra caution to keep him away from other babies, children, and susceptible adults b/c it was confirmed that every single baby in the nursery during VBS got sick. Not only that, but the sick babies gave the virus to all of their siblings. Yikes! We stuck close to home and gave the stroller and the buggy good workouts over the last week. I am happy to report that he is 100% healthy now and I am positive that he is virus free :) Here are a few things we did to keep ourselves sane..um, busy....

Play with all his toys and things like water bottles & yogurt containers!

Helping with the chores!

Riding his Radio Flyer Pony!

My doll baby!

Riding in the stroller up to the stables to pet the miniature pony!

Taking the buggy to visit the new baby horse--picture is a bit blurry, I had the wrong lens.

Look closely, he appears to be blending into his momma!

Swinging in the new swing that Brad hung!

Swinging at the salt water pond! Again, wrong lens!

Walking on the board walk to explore the hummocks!

The Red, White, and Blue!

2009-07-07T15:51:00.000-04:00

I love summer holidays and the 4th of July is no exception! Anderson was feeling better and Brad had off on Friday so we enjoyed a day out on the boat and playing on the sandbar. Going out on the boat is one of my favorite things to do. It does not matter if we just ride around in the creeks, go to the sandbar, or anchor somewhere and swim! It is my hope is that Anderson enjoys it as much as we do, so I am making sure that he gets an early appreciation!

Playing w/ seaweed--he is so curious!

Really liked that seaweed!

The captain and his first mate!

May as well learn how to operate a boat!

On Saturday we did not do all that much. I really wanted Anderson to get both of his naps in so that he would in a good mood for the Annual July 4th Picnic hosted by the Hudson's! Lowcountry Boil (it is Frogmore Stew, people!!) with all the fixins' you would expect for a summer picnic. 40 lbs. of shrimp this year--good thing they have a seafood connection! Anderson did not make it long enough for the fireworks which was disappointing b/c I also love fireworks!! Good thing there is always next year!

Oh, The Places We've Lived!

2009-07-05T13:55:00.003-04:00

We have been in our house for a year now--we moved at the very end of June 2008 and it hardly feels it! My grandmother and I were chatting recently and she mentioned that I should put a picture of our house on the blog--- so in honor of our 1 year I will do just that and throw in our 3 other houses too! For those of you who know me, you most likely already know that this is move #4 for us in 5 years of marriage....yes, 4 moves in 5 years. I have not regretted living so many places and we gained great friends along the way, experienced how things are done in other parts of the country, and have visited places that we might not have. Now with that said, it certainly has not been easy and this last move was particularly hard on me for many reasons, which is ironic b/c it should have been the easiest. This place is more familiar that any of the other places and my family and many friends are a mere 40 minutes away in the next town north. Nonetheless, here is a mini chronicle....

Pass Christian, Mississippi....

front of house

our dock in the backyard

We had so much fun with this house and it sure was pink! We bought a flat bottom boat and we would ride all around all the bayou's and also take the short ride out into the gulf whenever we got a chance! Unfortunately, this house was leveled during hurricane Katrina. But fortunately, we were not living in it at the time. Brad lived in Pass Christian about a year before we got married. I moved there in August of 2004 and 4 months later in December we moved to Memphis.

Memphis, Tennessee....

front of the house after a snowstorm--it was on a corner lot

back deck/porch overlooking the 14th green

We lived in a suburb of Memphis called Cordova, which is adjacent to Germantown, in the Cordova Country Club. It snowed the week we moved in--which it had not done in like a 100 years. Go figure. Our house was on the 14th green of the golf course. Behind the house there was a small pond that was part of the course, tons of ducks lived there and they would come into the yard when we started throwing the bread every day! We also got our fair share of golf balls in the yard, on the back deck, and one through the window! Eight months later it was off to Charleston.

Charleston (Mt. Pleasant), South Carolina....

front view

Our backyard

We lived in a neighborhood off Highway 17 North called Park West---in the Wheatstone Subdivision. Our house was on Toomer Creek which feeds into the Wando River. We had the best neighbors, I posted about them a few months ago--click here to read the post. Brad and I lived in Mt. Pleasant for nearly 3 years before moving to the island.

The Island...

front of house

back of house

The house style is called "Coastal Farmhouse". This a fairly new neighborhood and we are 1 of 4 houses that are built--I am sure you have remembered me mentioning our lack of neighbors! These pictures were taken before we moved in so things have changed just a bit--always a work in progress!

No plans to move as of yet, but it appears that there could be major changes to healthcare coming...

The Hot Zone.

2009-07-01T10:01:00.003-04:00

Anderson has a virus. We visited the pediatrician's office yesterday and he has "one of those summer viruses". Coupled with the fact that 3 teeth have burst through the gums in two weeks makes for a poor little Anderson. It is difficult to discern what symptoms are teething and which are the virus, but the MD did say that he should not have had a persistent fever (low-grade) for 5 straight days with teething alone. As I suspected, he agreed that he probably caught something at nursery last week when I was volunteering...3/5 the five days he was with the mother's morning out crew which added 5 more babies to the mix instead of the 3. Overall, he has acted fairly normal. He is not eating as much as he normally does & tires more easily, but he is still pretty happy when he is awake! Until I try and suction his nose, which is for his own good! The saline treatments with the bulb syringe are not his favorite part of the day which unfortunately for him comes with every diaper change. Looks like we will continue take it easy, stay away from others, and have a low key 4th of July weekend. We have already had to bail on our swimming date, dinner out w/ friends, and a very important birthday party...but, it is all worth it to get back my healthy Anderson!

Stairmaster!

2009-06-29T13:50:00.000-04:00

As Anderson has become more and more mobile, he has also taken an interest in trying to climb anything he can (and can't, of course). After seeing him try and climb Lulu, I finally broke down and showed him where the stairs were a few weeks ago. The stairs are not located in his primary play area so he had never really noticed them before. Rest assured that he knows where they are now and makes a beeline when he can!

Lulu was waiting at the top of the stairs--she is so tolerant!

Dog tail, a delicatessen in some countries....

When I went to take the above picture, he had the best grin on his face and only had her tail in his hand. By the time I brought the camera to my face to take it, this is what I got! He was not impressed at all and already had made the "That was so not worth putting in my mouth" face and moved on.....I promise that I do not let him torment the family dogs!

Anderson is now cruising the furniture very fast, he will transition between pieces of furniture while remaining standing, he has taken to banging things, will let go and stand for longer and longer, and his two bottom teeth are really popping up! This weekend he developed a cough, low-grade fever, and a runny nose :( I am not sure if it is from teething or if he caught something when he was in nursery all week during VBS? One of his little friends that was there is also sick. He acts fine though and is as happy go lucky as usual. I called the MD office today and spoke to a nurse and she said give it a few more days and treat w/ Benadryl and Tylenol and if it does not get better then bring him in. I hope the funk is gone in a few days! We kept Anderson in most of the weekend and subsequently had to cancel our short trip down to Beaufort Sunday to eat fresh lobster that Charlie brought back from Maine when he was out flying the C12 this weekend :(

Notable Events....

2009-06-27T09:45:00.004-04:00

We have done many things recently that I have not had a chance to post about...here are just a few!

One of Anderson's pals, Aiden, had his first birthday party a couple of Saturday's ago. Jeff and Kristin made the most delicious dinner for everyone!

Anderson, Harper, and Aiden (birthday boy!)

Kristen, Aiden, & Jeff

Father's Day weekend we took a trip to Savannah to visit the Bass Pro Shop and Toys-R-Us. Brad and Anderson both needed some new toys....

Enjoying toys that Brad would give to him as we went down the aisle!

One of the Toys-R-Us purchases...he really likes this table!

This week I helped with Vacation Bible School at church so that kept us pretty busy from 8:30 to 12:30 everyday! I had a lot of fun helping with the Kindergarten class, but my main focus was to help w/ a precious little girl with cerebral palsy participate in VBS! I could not have thought of a better way to spend my time! Anderson played in the nursery with his Sunday school friends. Poor little guy had his second bottom coming in all week and finally broke through yesterday...that coupled with the fact that he missed his morning nap all week made for a few tough times--but he pulled through like a champ!

Thursday I went to a calligraphy class taught by Natasha Lawrence, a calligraphy and lettering arts instructor from Charleston (www.charlestoncalligraphy.com). I have been wanting to take a calligraphy class for as long as I can remember, so I was glad that this opportunity came up! I learned how to hold the pen, tricks of the trade, and basic lettering strokes. Let's just say I have a lot of practicing to do!!

I am glad I have been busy this week, because it has kept me from watching FOX news too much and watching the Governor Sanford saga unfold. The situation just makes me sick...that is all I am going to say about that.

Anderson's First Run-In with The Law...

2009-06-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

A couple of Saturday's ago, we loaded up and spent the better part of the day on the boat! We had just anchored to have lunch, minding our own business, and a Department of Natural Resources Boat with two officers appeared to be cruising by........but wait.....they start making the turn to come over to us and as they got closer who did we see......

Officer Big Daddy!!!

Daddy is a volunteer Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Deputy Officer and he spends a few days a month with DNR patrolling the waters, wildlife management areas, etc. Brad and I could tell it was him before he realized it was us and they were nearly right next to us before it hit him! Just a disclaimer here: Anderson had his lifejacket on up until we were stopped--even though it is not a requirement for boats over 16 feet. Oh, and we passed the random boat check!

Vacation Destination!

2009-06-23T21:02:00.001-04:00

One of the best things about living in a resort town (or island in our case!) is that people we know actually vacation here! Last week my great friend Shelly, from MUSC, was here on vacation with her family. They have been coming to the island every summer since she was a child! It was fun to hang out with her all week and we hit the beach, pool, we went out to dinner, and they came over to our house for dinner one night. What a fun week and I almost felt like I was on vacation too!

Katelyn and Anderson

Putting him in a hole allowed me to sit for all of 10 seconds, but I'll take it!

Completely motionless (rare!!) after a long day at the beach!

Can you tell that he ate his fair share of sand??!!

Anderson really took off at the beach this go round. He liked it the last time we went with his buddies Harper and Aiden a few weeks ago, but I guess it was more familiar and he just hit the ground crawling and exploring.

Anderson, Aiden, & Harper a few weeks ago

Brad, my momma, and grandmothers were all worried about me putting enough sunscreen on Anderson! To put all of their minds at ease....he was well protected and we nearly went through a 1/2 a bottle of waterbabies lotion and I also had the spray kind that I used throughout the day on him! For those of you who will be enjoying fun the in sun all summer like us... Walgreens brand Continuous Spray sport SPF 50, Coppertone Waterbabies Lotion SPF 50, and Target brand (name changed to Up & Up) Sport Continuous Spray SPF 30 all were named/rated a consumer reports best buy!

One Special Daddy!

2009-06-21T21:28:00.004-04:00

The old saying that tells you that anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a daddy is so very true! We celebrated Brad's first father's day today, and as an added bonus, I got to spend some time with my daddy too! Brad has been talking about wanting to go crabbing, so we loaded up and headed down to my grandmother's house in Beaufort. She has the perfect crabbing place and we used to catch so many crabs off that dock when I was growing up! Today we also got a show from a couple of dolphins who were feeding near the banks---it is amazing to watch and it is only the second time I have seen it during all of my years living in these parts!

Anderson had a ball with the garden hose in the baby pool, helped catch some blue crabs, went on a boat ride, played with BeeGee & Big Daddy & MeMe, and crawled in the yard until he was exhausted!

Dolphins feeding near the bank!

Swing Time!

2009-06-17T21:49:00.001-04:00

Swinging is now one of Anderson's favorite things to do! He smiles ear to ear and laughs big belly laughs--the kind you cannot help laughing along with! I am planning on ordering a swing in the next few days for Brad to hang. Sandy and Kevin, our closest neighbors that live in a house bordering the horse paddocks just outside of our neighborhood, have a swing set and have graciously left the baby swing on there for Anderson to enjoy. You do have to scale a fence or walk around (gasp!) to get in their backyard and in this heat....we are both soaked before we get there! These pictures were taken several weeks ago at the playground on the beach at Port Royal Plantation.

Blog Buttons.

2009-06-14T21:27:00.000-04:00

Since entering the blogosphere, I have encountered many blog buttons that support causes, people, places, etc... I could not possibly give each one the attention they all deserve, so I picked 2 that have been on my heart.

This is Jonathan, who is the brother of a dear friend of mine---Jodie, who BTW has some exciting news to share!! He is currently doing a tour in Afghanistan and from the updates I have been reading, he is adjusting very well over there! As most of you know, Charlie, my brother-in-law is a major in the Marine Corps. What you may not know is that he did a extended tour in Iraq just about a year ago! I have mentioned this time and time again, but in honor of flag day today I though it appropriate to thank our military and especially Charlie and Jonathan for all they do and sacrifice for our freedom! Support our Troops!!!

This is Jonah, I am not honestly sure how I came across his mother's blog (Patrice)! He was born with an extremely rare genetic skin disorder called epidermolysis bullosa. You will have to check out Patrice's blog for all of the details about baby Jonah and their story, but be sure to have some Kleenex handy, b/c it will bring a tear (or many) to your eyes. I think I am drawn to Jonah b/c he is not that much younger than Anderson :)

When you navigate around in the blogosphere, you will undoubtedly come across many of these blog buttons....click on a few of them...I think you will be glad that you did!

Time with the Family!

2009-06-12T07:06:00.000-04:00

As close as we live to my parents and sister & brother-in-law, we do not see them nearly as much as we should! It was a treat to have my parents come up on Sunday afternoon and then Paige and Charlie came and spent the night on Tuesday night! Paige has been watching Anderson for me quite a bit this week b/c I was asked if I could work extra days the past 2 weeks to help out. Anderson has gotten plenty of QT with her and I am glad that she is around until nursing school starts back up in the fall!

Driving the buggy!

Dad and Brad trying to land a big one in the saltwater pond!

Enjoying the Boathouse!

Bad Hair Day!

2009-06-10T06:37:00.000-04:00

After a long, hard night's rest and I imagine spending most of the night with is head up against the crib bumper......Anderson woke up with some very wild hair! I could not get it to stay down for anything! I wet and combed it and as it dried it would start sticking back up again!

I guess we are going to all have bad hair days from time to time!

Wedding at Old Sheldon Church Ruins.

2009-06-08T22:15:00.000-04:00

A good family friend was married at the Old Sheldon Church Ruins on Saturday afternoon. I have passed the Ruins time after time riding down Old Sheldon Church Road without a second glance. Brad is a history buff (he is very well-rounded!)and particularly enjoys SC history and I was excited to visit it again (I remember briefly going there on a elementary school field trip) and appreciate the history behind it. It was originally named Prince Williams Parish Church, erected in 1745-55 and it was burned twice. Once during the American Revolution by the British and again by Sherman's army and the walls still refused to fall--what is there now is what is left 120 years later! No doubt about it---it is an absolutely beautiful place to have a wedding ceremony! Maggie (the bride) is such an easygoing person and she did not let the fact that the bottom fell out right before the procession, the wedding party walked down the aisle with umbrella's, and her couture gown was dragging in the mud bother her one bit. The punchline from her dad at the reception was that the "roof leaked"---take notice that there is no roof!

Entrance to the Ruins

The Voices of El Shaddai

Inside the Ruins

Canopy of Umbrellas

Brad was recently invited to plink around with his metal detector on some property in Beaufort that has some tabby ruins.....thanks for the invite Silvia (and Lou too!)....being at the wedding has gotten his wheels turning and he has already started to do some background research!

9 months and counting!

2009-06-05T06:57:00.000-04:00

Anderson had his 9 month appointment the Friday before Memorial Day! Yes, it has already been 9 months. Hard for me to swallow also! He showed all of his new tricks including crawling on his hands and knees, half-kneeling, pulling up to standing, and making all sorts of vocalizations like "ba", "blah", "brah", "ahh", "ya", and "ma". I have heard him say "da", but my sweet boy prefers to say "ma"....you think he might be a mamma's boy??!!

His 9 month report card---

Weight: 18lb, 13 oz (10-25%)

Height: 28 inches (25-50%)

Head Circumference: 18 (50-75%)

He will eat anything we put in his mouth and loves his food and not so much the bottle---it is a struggle to get him to take it sometimes. He can finger feed and is a pro at cheerios, gerber puffs, banana, green beans, peas, and carrots. We have started meats now and he has had some of a chicken nugget and some ground up turkey. He surprised me recently and drank some juice from a straw!

He crawls all over the place now and pulls up on anything he can (and some things that he should not!). He will cruise on the furniture very slowly and has let go and stood on his own for about 4 seconds a few times. He likes to bang things together, put his index finger in holes, and take everything out of his toy basket. I am looking forward the near future when he is all about putting things IN the basket :) In the past few days, he has taken to throwing a toy and then going after it.

Big Stuff!

Taking a rare break in his pack-n-play

Another place to look if you can't find him---under the table!

Playing with the tupperware

He is such a good natured little boy and we are so blessed to have him--- we thank the good lord every single day!

Water Babies!

2009-06-03T21:09:00.003-04:00

Late afternoon on Sunday we went to a pool party at Hampton Lake! It was great to finally get all the husbands together as most of us girls do things during the week w/ the kiddos. We had lots of yummy food and I had my cooler with cold Coronita's.....it was such a nice way to spend the evening and I hope that we are able to do it again soon!

Aiden, Anderson, and Harper

Beach Bum!

2009-06-01T20:03:00.003-04:00

Last Friday, Anderson and I went to the beach with some of our friends Amanda & Harper and Kristin & Aiden. This was Anderson's first time on the beach! He was in heaven with endless crawling area--and I was happy too b/c there were no lamp cords to pull! He, of course, sampled the sand and tried to eat some shells and dead marsh grass! He splashed in the waves and crawled in the sand until he was plum worn out! This is an outing that I am planning on doing quite often this summer!

He kept his sunglasses (a gift from his grandaddy) on for almost the whole time--- his cute monogrammed sunhat was not so lucky! Kristin got a few pictures of 3 boys together and I think she might have gotten them all looking at the camera :) I will post those when she sends them!

TA-DA!!!

2009-05-30T09:21:00.004-04:00

I completed my first smocking project! I am still in disbelief that I actually did this!! Katy, one of my BFF's from growing up, has been my very patient teacher and mentor on this project. She has recently been starting to work on her amazing sewing skills so I am thinking if I play my cards right, I might be able to convince her to teach me to sew one of these days (wink, wink!!). It has been so fun and I am excited that I have a new hobby!! There is only 1 obvious goof (that I can see)---so if you can't tell, then I won't!!

Here is my next project: An adorable lime green microcheck overall bubble that is going to have a little dinosaur smocked on it! I have found a wonderful lady who will make custom ready to smock items any color/pattern/fabric/size that you want. If anyone is interested, I will pass along her info!

Anderson's Wedding Debut!

2009-05-26T08:58:00.009-04:00

Anderson wasn't a participant in the wedding, much to my sister's disappointment. He was (and is!) just too young and Brad and I thought it way to risky to have him part of the events. But he did make it down for a photo shoot so we could have him in some formal shots with everyone all dressed up! These pictures were captured on Aunt Bobbie's camera :)

The Bride!

Our little family!

Me, Daddy, Paige, and Momma

My boys!

Anderson practicing his piano skills :)

Exploring the choir room.

The wedding weekend, Anderson stayed home and was spoiled rotten by Aunt Bobbie! She flew down from Virginia Thursday night before the wedding and stayed with him the whole weekend so we would not have to worry about him at all! It was the perfect situation and we are so grateful that she was here!! She had to leave poor Uncle Daniel at home b/c he got the flu.

Anderson and his Aunt Bobbie!

Rain on My Parade!

2009-05-25T20:40:00.007-04:00

I spent all weekend at our big glass doors pouting and just hoping that the rain would STOP! My friend Christie and I had plans (Jodie was supposed to join us but she could not come back again since she had just been down a couple of weeks ago) to go out to her in-laws beach house for the long weekend for months now. It just rained, rained, rained. The sun did come out on Sunday about 11:00 for a brief 45 minutes and I thought this is it!! As quickly as it came out, it was overcast and drizzling again. I was just certain that I was going to catch a break that I actually kept my car packed just in case. Not so much. There is not much to entertain the kiddies out there so it was a no go and we were forced to take a rain check. I was so disappointed it did not work out for the weekend. Christie did bring the kids over and we went to Wild Wings and attempted to go to the indoor inflatables place--but so did everyone else. We had to settle on the playplace at the mall...Anderson went home w/ his daddy and napped instead!

Today it ended up being a nice day, but TWC kept calling for afternoon thunderstorms and 60% chance of rain and after the weekend, I believed them. When it was still bright and sunny at 2:30 we decided that we were going to go out in the boat and take our chances! This was going to be Anderson's first *official* boat ride! He smiled ear to ear today! Brad and I were so excited b/c we both love going in the boat and hope to spend a good bit of time on it this summer. He was not wild about his life jacket, but thankfully he got over it!

Anderson and Brad

Poor little buddy stuffed in his life jacket!

Enjoying the scenery!

The Wedding--Major and Mrs. CSS

2009-05-22T14:56:00.009-04:00

And they lived happily ever after......

Riding off into the sunset!

I did not brave taking my camera into the reception, so I will have to wait until the professional photos are done and maybe I can get permission to post some of them on my blog. The reception was at Dataw Island Club --it is such a great place to have an event! The band, Soul Fish, did an outstanding job! I did not get a chance to eat or even have cake (which most of you know is my favorite part of the wedding!). After my matron of honor toast/speech I was too nervous to eat! I have gotten some emails asking if I was going to post my speech, and I don't know if I will or not...I will chew on that one!

Isn't she beautiful!