Life's A Payne

2011-06-10T09:50:00.001-05:00

"yea mommy! I put the sunscreen in the drain!"

Fire Truck (2)

2011-05-28T09:57:00.001-05:00

Fire Truck

2011-05-26T16:57:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, when B was riding his fire truck outside, a REAL fire truck came by and turned around in our culdesac. Brecken was very excited and got lots of waves from the firemen!

Big Boy Brecken

2011-05-26T08:43:00.001-05:00

My big boy is using a spoon to eat...usually! I'm not sure where he learned the "drinking" from his bowl idea, but he tries it with everything from yogurt to oatmeal to pasta. It usually just ends up on his face. :)

BFF

2011-05-21T12:11:00.001-05:00

I walk with my neighbor, Julie, a couple times a week in the mornings. Brecken and Sophia like to try hold hands while we walk. So cute! And they are constantly trading toys back and forth from stroller to stroller.

We're Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...

2011-05-21T12:09:00.001-05:00

We love the Nashville Zoo and on Tuesday, B and I were able to go with friends that I hadn't seen in 10 years from the church where I grew up. All the animals were up and moving around - I guess because the weather was a little cooler. It was great!

Brecken the Locksmith

2011-05-21T12:02:00.001-05:00

B was intent on unlocking the doors to the Children's Theater at the downtown library as we waited for them to let us in to see The Wonderful World of Mother Goose. He used my keys to "unlock" every door in the general vicinity.

Mr. Turtle

2011-05-21T11:57:00.001-05:00

Mr. Turtle

2011-05-21T11:56:00.001-05:00

We saved a turtle from certain death this morning by moving him from a busy road and releasing him at Beaman Park where we went to go hike and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Lefty?

2010-11-18T07:59:00.001-06:00

Brecken is starting to experiment more with utensils (he has his own little plastic ones, but this morning he insisted on my big metal spoon!) and he keeps grabbing them and feeding himself with his left hand. He has two uncles that are lefties...I wonder if he will be too!

Community Lunch

2010-11-17T08:14:00.001-06:00

My neighbor, Julie, kept Brecken yesterday while I went to the eye doctor. Julie and I walk in the mornings a couple times a week so Brecken loves her daughter, Sophia, who is just a few months younger than he. Julie texted me this picture of them eating lunch and he dots patiently waiting for the leftovers!! Looks a lot like our house, just our dogs aren't allowed in the kitchen while B eats (too tempting for him to feed them!) but they sure love being on clean up patrol! They come running in the kitchen as soon as I say, "Brecken, are you all done?". So funny!

Sharing the Love

2010-11-11T14:17:00.001-06:00

Brecken loves everyone...even the mannequin at The Gap. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T08:31:00.001-06:00

Dying Cow Toy

2010-11-09T09:39:00.001-06:00

B has this cheap little jack in the box type toy that he got for his birthday that he LOVES. When the top opens, a cow pops out, B laughs and then he presses the cow back down. It also plays music when he turns the knob. Musical toys usually don't bother me, but this one drives me crazy because all the notes are a little flat! It hurts my ears every time. Thankfully, because it's so cheap, the battery is dying already and we soon will be music free. In the meantime, the cow in the jack in the box sounds like he's dying a slow, painful death. Poor cow.

2010-11-09T08:59:00.000-06:00

We just bought some end tables for our living room but Brecken thinks they are just another toy to add to his collection! This morning, he kept opening the drawer and putting his dump truck in it. He's very into taking things out and putting things in right now. Unfortunately, he likes the taking out part more than the putting in so he leaves a little trail if destruction wherever he goes!

Dog Food vs. People Food

2010-11-09T08:56:00.001-06:00

Since we have two dogs, we normally buy the big 40lb bag of food at Costco which is so big that Brecken can't reach the top. Well, this time I had a Petsmart gift card so I bought a smaller bag there. My curious little boy of course discovers the bag and starts rooting inside. H watches us reach in and pull out a cup of food everyday so I guess he thought he would try! He kept trying to eat the food himself (not the first time and I'm sure won't be the last!) so I showed how to feed the dogs. So piece by piece he feed Sadie and Keely a little food. We taught my niece, Salem, how to do that a few months ago and it kept her from eating their food. She would, however, chase the dogs around the house with a piece of food in her hands trying to get them to eat it! Hopefully, B will learn the dog food vs. people food concept soon too!

2010-11-03T07:37:00.001-05:00

So I guess it's time to buy Brecken some toddler forks and spoons. Last night when we were eating dinner, he kept grabbing the fork out of my hand and trying to feed himself. He's been fairly unhappy with us feeding him most foods (unless it's ice cream!) for awhile, but has been generally content with using his fingers. He also wants to drink from our cups. The other night, he kept fussing and reach toward the table. He only calmed down once I gave him a sip from my glass. So I put some water in a smaller glass for him, and even though he spilled it everywhere, he was happy! He figured out how to use a straw right around his birthday and has been fascinated with them since. So I have to be careful now that if I'm drinking anything from a straw (like a Frappacino!) that I get a cup of water with a straw for him too! Such a big boy...

Mr. Giraffe

2010-10-26T14:48:00.001-05:00

Brecken's Uncle Patrick bought this giraffe for him before he was even born. We just put it together at his birthday and he loves it! We showed him how to sit and ride on it and today he figured out how to climb on and off of it by himself. A pretty talented feat considering he doesn't even walk or really stand by himself. He gets mad at it and pushes it away when he falls off though - which is really kind of cute because he immediately pulls it back and climbs on again. We've spent a good amount of time pushing Brecken and the giraffe around the house today. And the poor little guy's shirt is soaked from making the "bbbrrrrrrrrr" noise the whole time he's riding!

Learning to Flush

2010-10-18T10:01:00.001-05:00

Of course Brecken is nowhere near potty training, but he's definitely interested in the toilet. He likes to play the drum on the closed lid and today he figured out how to flush. He succeeded in flushing three times in the time it took me to take a picture! There goes our water bill!

Toys

2010-09-30T14:34:00.001-05:00

Who needs toys when you can play with cleaning tools? B can occupy himself for at least 15 minutes with the vacuum cleaner and about 10 with the Swiffer (not as many parts you know, so he gets bored a little faster). :)

Toaster

2010-09-27T14:22:00.000-05:00

Brecken is allowed to play in certain cabinets in the kitchen (i.e. those that don't have cleaning supplies). He's played with the toaster before, but today he found the knob on the toaster and kept turning it back and forth. And he is such a cheese! When I took the first picture, he heard the click of the camera and immediately turned around to flash a big smile! Hopefully, I'll remember to check the "brown" setting on the toaster next time I use it or I may end up with some burnt toast!

Good morning world!

2010-09-27T07:36:00.001-05:00

Preds Game

2010-09-25T21:48:00.001-05:00

We were given tickets to the Nashville Predators game on Thursday night. The seats were great and we had lots of fun! Brecken watched the whole first period, slept through the second period, and woke up again to watch the end of the game. He really was watching everything that was going on. Especially the zambonis! He LOVED watching them go around and around the ice. He kept craning his neck around to see them. I'm pretty sure it was just because they have wheels. :) Such a boy!

Painting Pottery

2010-09-25T21:40:00.001-05:00

Six years ago, Michael and I went to Brushfire Pottery Studio for the first time and painted a plate for our wedding. The day we went was Brushfire's birthday and they had free pizza and Maggie Moo's ice cream (which was how I convinced Michael to go). :) Well, it was a hit and we've been back almost every year since. Last year, we went while I was pregnant and painted baby plates for Brecken and Salem. This year, we had so much going on today, we didn't make it for the pizza and Maggie Moo's, but we did stop by tonight and quickly make a coaster to add to our collection. B did great while his hand was painted and then pressed onto the tile. It's going to be so cute!!

Booty Sleeper

2010-09-23T07:21:00.001-05:00

This picture doesn't do it justice, but this is how B sleeps...with his little booty up in the air and his feet tucked under him. He is the cutest thing ever (in my humble opinion).

Pancakes and PJs

2010-09-19T20:39:00.000-05:00

Last weekend when my parents were in town, our class at church did a "Pancakes and PJs" get together in the gym. It's a good excuse for the adults to socialize and the kids to play (i.e. run around like crazy). B had fun riding someone else's ladybug and bicycle. He looks like such a big boy in the bicycle pictures! He had fun riding around with Poppy!

Hiking

2010-09-19T14:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we went to Beaman Park down the road and did the 2 mile loop. We love this park because its so close, pretty, and shaded. B fell asleep and was OUT while we hiked the last mile.

2010-09-19T14:25:00.001-05:00

Watching football with Daddy and drinking from a straw (a new skill he just mastered)!

The Dishwasher

2010-09-16T15:06:00.001-05:00

B is fascinated by the dishwasher. This morning I had it open while he was running around the kitchen in his walker. I heard him playing and when I turned around, he had pulled the bottom rack out and was dragging it around the kitchen!

Change of Scenery

2010-09-16T15:03:00.001-05:00

Inside was getting boring and stuffy, so now we are sitting on the porch, playing with toys, listening to the rain, and getting (just a little!) damp.

Making A Splash

2010-09-14T15:55:00.001-05:00

Michael caught this picture of B playing in the water bowls this morning!

Mmmm....lasagna!

2010-09-13T19:00:00.001-05:00

Big Wheels!

2010-09-11T19:35:00.001-05:00

I've mentioned more than once that Brecken LOVES wheels. Tonight, we went to Arrington Vineyards with my parents and B crawled over to someone else's stroller to play with the wheels. After about 10 times of retrieving him, he decided to find another wheel. So this is the wheel he found! He was pretty excited about finding one so big!

Zoo

2010-09-09T18:53:00.001-05:00

I forgot the pictures!

2010-09-09T18:51:00.001-05:00

This afternoon, Brecken and I went to pick up the new stroller we bought on eBay (brand new and a steal!!). Afterwards, we were so close to the zoo, we decided to stop in to meet the new flamingos and try out the stroller. Let's just say that they are both (stroller and flamingos) amazing! I never knew that flamingos are so cool! They are much taller than I thought with very long necks. Welcome to Nashville, flamingos!

So Proud of Himself!

2010-09-09T13:11:00.001-05:00

Rollin' rollin' rollin'

2010-09-09T13:09:00.001-05:00

B has been eyeing the toilet paper roll for quite a while and I knew it was only a matter of time before he discovered how much fun it could be! He's quick too - had the whole thing unrolled by the time I got the camera out, took a quick video, and set it back down! Just like all his little mischievous conquests so far - he was very proud of himself!! Oh, and he's evidently ambidextrous too!

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-08T14:15:00.001-05:00

Mommy's Helper

2010-09-03T13:47:00.001-05:00

B wants so badly to help me unload the dishwasher. I turned around to put the plates away and my little monkey took that opportunity to climb into the dishwasher! Yesterday, he did the same thing, except he was standing up! Evidently, he's more like me than we originally thought!

2010-09-03T10:20:00.001-05:00

This morning, my neighbor, Julie, and I went to Beaman Park to hike with the babies in the backpacks. Beaman is great because its just a couple miles down the road, but it feels like I'm in the mountains! There's a 2 mile loop hike that follows a creek part of the way and is just really pretty. Evidently, riding in a pack is fairly relaxing, because both babies fell asleep about halfway through! So sweet...

Movin' On Up...Or Down

2010-08-30T20:47:00.001-05:00

After Brecken woke up from his nap this afternoon, he somehow fell and bumped his head pretty hard on the crib. Poor guy has a nice little blue bruise on his forehead. Anyway, I thought he might be trying to climb out, so we decided to lower his crib mattress again. The first two pictures are of B helping Michael with the wrenches. He loved that they made lots of noise when he banged them together. The third picture was a lucky shot of B standing up by himself!! He kept pulling up on Michael and this time he let go and just stood there for a few seconds! Oh my goodness...what a big boy we have.

Cruisin'

2010-08-28T15:36:00.001-05:00

Brecken is getting closer and closer to cruising around the house. He's taken a couple steps with his hippo (but of course stopped as soon as I tried to get video!) and when he stands while holding on to something, he keeps getting up on his tiptoes, which makes me think he's about to start taking steps and cruising any day now!

My First Toothbrush!

2010-08-28T15:32:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! I finally got my first tooth a few weeks ago (and my second and third just a few days after!) so when my fourth tooth popped through yesterday, mommy decided it was time to get me my very own toothbrush! I sure to love to chew on it...which then makes me drool everywhere! It has a hippo on it and matches the hooded towel mommy just got me at the Otter Creek consignment sale. :)

Oops...

2010-08-26T12:56:00.001-05:00

Meant to post a video if Brecken playing with the leash and dogs but posted the picture again instead. And I just deleted the video...oh well...next time.

Outside! (part 2)

2010-08-26T12:50:00.001-05:00

The Produce Place

2010-08-26T12:46:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we stopped by The Produce Place in West Meade. What a cool little store! They had lots of local and organic produce, meats, cheeses, and other goodies. Michael was holding Brecken who swiped a tomato and had it in his mouth before Michael even realized it! Our little shoplifter. ;)

Outside!

2010-08-26T12:41:00.001-05:00

It has been soooo hot here in Nashville this summer that we really haven't been outside a lot except for our morning walks and some in the evening when we would sometimes get a little heat relief. The past couple days it has been less than 90 degrees so me and B are enjoying some time in the backyard in the shade! He is sporting one of his favorite toys - the dog leash!

Midnight Moo

2010-08-25T14:25:00.000-05:00

There is a cabinet in my kitchen where I keep overflow items from my pantry and such. Brecken knows he's allowed to play in that cabinet, and since it's the first one when you enter the kitchen, its usually his cabinet of choice. The funny thing is, no matter what I put in front, B always pulls out the same thing - Midnight Moo Organic Chocolate Syrup from Trader Joes. He loves to play with it! I'll have to say, he has good taste!

2010-08-25T09:43:00.001-05:00

This kid LOVES wheels. We've been to two different baby showers where this stroller was a gift and he amused himself by playing with the wheels the whole time. If there is a wheel on anything (stroller, cart, ottoman, walker, toy) in a 50 ft vicinity, B will find it and play with it!

Bathtime!

2010-08-25T09:38:00.001-05:00

Brecken and I go for walks two or three times a week with my neighbor, Julie and her baby, Sophia. This morning, since the weather was a little cooler, I put B in the backpack and brought the dogs along, too. When we got home, B had a poopy diaper so I decided to let him go diaperless for a few minutes to cool him off after sitting in the backpack for an hour. He crawled into the kitchen and I gave him his sippy cup. He took one drink from that cup and immediately peed ALL over the floor! I think he surprised himself because he just sat on the flood staring at it in awe (such a boy!). There was nothing I could do so I just sat there with him and laughed. And now it's bathtime!

Panthers Game

2010-08-24T09:01:00.001-05:00

Saturday night Michael and I took LeeAnn and Chuck to the Carolina Panthers preseason game against the Jets. Unfortunately, it was a very defensive game so neither team scored a touchdown the entire game! Oh, well - we still had fun!

2010-08-20T18:42:00.001-05:00

Brecken is driving Poppy's truck! Evidently, before I came out there, he was making the "humma humma" noise that the diesel makes!

2010-08-20T14:51:00.001-05:00

This weekend we are in North Carolina to see a Carolina Panthers game. We took the babies to Costco today and they were so cute in the cart together! We had many people ask if they were twins!

2010-08-18T20:08:00.001-05:00

Last week my friend, Sarah Crump was in town from North Carolina and we went to the pool to hang out and try to cool off from the incredible heat! After chilling in the water awhile, B was ready for a snack so he and Sarah shared some goldfish. He's doing so well with finger foods now. Some times he will only eat if he can pick everything up himself. Other times, he's still content to eat from a spoon. On this day, he was thrilled to be able to pull the goldfish one by one out of the bag by himself!

2010-08-18T16:34:00.001-05:00

Brecken had a fever Wednesday that cleared up pretty quickly but then he was generally fussy the next few days and started waking up screaming in the middle of the night. My friend, Bonnie Jo, just graduated from PA school though so we had her check his ears since Michael doesn't have an otoscope. His ears and throat were a little red but no infection so we just decided to wait it out. Thanks for the check-up Bonnie Jo - you are a great PA!

2010-08-18T16:27:00.001-05:00

...oops...we are driving to NC for a long weekend and I'm trying to get caught up on some blog posts via my phone. Great idea, except we just hit a bump and I accidentally hit "send" in the middle of my post! Oh well...I'll fix that one later! In the meantime, this is what our little guy is doing right now...chilling in the back seat. He had started to fuss a little so we put his music class CD on he immediately calmed down. He LOVES that CD. Nothing else can calm him down in the car like, "I'm so happy to see Brecken...". We took the summer off from music class because we travel so much but we are going to start again for the fall session. One of B's favorite toys is the little maraca he got from music class. He loves to shake shake shake it! I bought him a Leap Frog music and learning table at a consignment sale and it's probably his favorite toy of all. This little boy definitely likes his music!

2010-08-18T16:19:00.001-05:00

This is what I saw when I went to pick up Brecken from his class on Sunday. He's still in the "bucket class" and is getting much more used to being around so many other babies. He used to be a sympathy crier and would cry any time another baby cried. That's one of the only times that he cries except for the obvious hungry, tired,

2010-08-18T16:06:00.001-05:00

Here's another picture from the pool the week before!

2010-08-09T16:18:00.000-05:00

This is Brecken's friend, Sophia. She lives down the street and is 5 months younger than him. Sophia's mom and I walk three mornings a week around the neighborhood with the babies. It's good to have someone that's depending on me to exercise because I definitely wouldn't make it out there three mornings a week if it were just me and Brecken! He's not very good about keeping me accountable. ;)

2010-08-09T16:15:00.001-05:00

Brecken evidently thinks that anything that is cylindrical like a cup is actually a cup that might have something to drink in it. This empty metal container holds stuff on his bookshelf but he pulled it off and kept tipping it up like something might come out of it! Its pretty cool thats he's understands that it can hold things and that it's similar to a cup. He also lives the cup we use in the bathtub. He fills it full of water and then tries to drink out of it - yuck!

2010-08-09T11:23:00.001-05:00

Brecken has figured out how to climb steps! On Saturday, Michael was playing with him in the bonus room and B just crawled right over to the steps and hoisted his little legs up. He's very proud of his new accomplishment and showed it off yesterday at church by climbing the steps to the pulpit! The two steps down into our bonus room are perfect practice for B since they are carpeted and he can only fall so far! Unlike our regular staircase that's solid wood and is now gated on both ends. Now he just needs to learn how to go down!

2010-08-04T08:06:00.001-05:00

Brecken is stuffing his face with peach. He's about to polish off an entire peach as his breakfast. This kid can put away some food for an almost 10 month old. Last night for dinner, he ate diced cantaloupe, black beans, half a banana, and a piece of bread. He's definitely into foods that he can pick up and feed himself now. He will very vocally let me know if he's not interested in us feeding him with a spoon. It's hit or miss. Sometimes he'll let us feed him but usually now he just wants to do it himself. He's starting to show a some independence in his personality (just like his momma!).

2010-07-29T16:55:00.001-05:00

Brecken woke up really early this morning and for some reason I just could not get myself awake enough to stay up with him. We have a twin bed in his room, so after I nursed him and got him a clean diaper, I closed the bedroom door, set him on the floor to play and I laid down on the bed for a few minutes. We don't have a clock in his room so a few minutes evidently turned into over an hour and when I woke up, It looked like a tornado had hit the room! The second picture is what his room looks like normally, with B sitting proudly in the center. Thankfully, his room is babyproof so I didn't have to worry about him getting into anything he shouldn't - just toys, books, and burp cloths! I was pretty amazed that he entertained himself for that long though!

Sleeping Booty

2010-07-29T10:29:00.004-05:00

(Pardon the pun!) This is how Brecken sleeps now and it is so stinking cute with his little booty sticking up in the air!

Baby's Best Friend

2010-07-29T09:07:00.002-05:00

Brecken just finished eating his breakfast and now he's fascinated by watching the dogs eat theirs. He loves our dogs, Sadie and Keely. They love him too! They are very tolerant of his hair and ear pulling while we teach him what "gentle" means. :) B also gets a ride every once in awhile on their backs or will crawl onto their bed to snuggle or play with them while they nap. It's very cute. He is also learning to "duck and cover" when he's had his fill of Sadie kisses. :)

I'll Have A Lime Please

2010-07-22T14:32:00.001-05:00

Brecken's first taste of a lime was a hit! Well, not exactly his first taste...I did let him suck on my Trader Joe's lime bar the other day...now THAT he loved!

2010-07-22T14:27:00.001-05:00

This morning after Brecken made a particularly large mess with his oatmeal, we did bathtime early. His normal hooded towel was dirty so I put him in his robe for the first time and he loved it! He crawled all over the place diaperless in just his robe - freedom!

2010-07-22T14:17:00.001-05:00

Brecken likes his hungry hippo (the mouth moves up and down when he walks) but he hasn't quid figured out how to make it move more than a couple inches on his own! He likes to hold on to the ears though!

2010-07-22T08:40:00.001-05:00

I...want...the...remote!! (such a boy!)

2010-07-16T12:24:00.001-05:00

The dogs have figured out that the area around Brecken's highchair is a landmine full of little tasty morsels. They aren't allowed in the kitchen while we are eating but they sure do like to hover around till we're done!

2010-07-15T12:42:00.001-05:00

Now if I could only find a bowl that won't turn over...

2010-07-15T08:50:00.001-05:00

I think B is a little confused about who is supposed to chew on a rawhide. :)

2010-07-15T08:31:00.001-05:00

Our alternative to Brecken playing in the dogs' water bowl.

2010-07-15T07:20:00.001-05:00

Oh I am soooo strong!

2010-07-14T20:22:00.001-05:00

Brecken is in the stage where he is fascinated and intrigued by everything...especially if it's shiny! It's so fun to watch him explore and try to figure things out. He is particularly interested in wheels, hinges, and knobs. Very much a boy!

2010-07-14T15:46:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday...bathtime!

2010-07-05T19:53:00.001-05:00

Could he be any cuter?? I think not. :)

2010-07-02T17:28:00.000-05:00

Brecken getting some Daddy time as they sneak in a little afternoon snooze in the recliner. So sweet.

2010-07-02T08:53:00.001-05:00

This is what greeted me when I went into Brecken's room this morning! Our little man has learned how to pull up to standing on his crib! Brecken is learning so many new things so quickly right now, its hard to keep up.

Into Everything

2010-06-30T09:04:00.002-05:00

He looks so innocent but this little man is starting to get into everything! Yesterday he was on crawling two "steps" at a time and then would stop. Today he's crawling/hopping his way across the floor into everything he's not supposed to have...like my laptop and the doorstop which is what he was playing with when I took this first picture. As I was typing this, he somehow managed to unscrew the doorstop and get it in his mouth. This is not a fluke. It's the third time he's done it! I didn't even know how those doorstops came off until I became a homeowner and my almost 9 month old can do it in 10 seconds flat!
Oh, and then proceed to put that (and everything else he's working on picking up with his new pincer grasp!) in his mouth. I need to start vacuuming a lot more...

Pool Time!

2010-06-29T21:30:00.002-05:00

We took the babies to the pool every morning at camp and they had a great time! We tried out Brecken's new hat and sunglasses and after a few attempts, he actually tolerated them as long as we flipped the hat up out of his eyes. My mom had to put an extension on the sunglasses band so it would fit around his head. :) He sure is one cool dude!
One morning at the pool, Brecken had evidently had enough because he fell right asleep in my mom's arms in the pool!

2010-06-29T20:19:00.001-05:00

Brecken started doing many new things last week while we were at Carolina Bible Camp! First, he figured out how to get himself into a sitting position from laying on his tummy. He still can't sit straight up if he's lying on his back, but he sure knows how to roll to his tummy and then get up! And he's very proud of it too - now when I go in to pick him up in the morning, he's sitting up grinning at me. Such a sweet smile! And even last night when he woke up in the middle of the night, I went upstairs and he was sitting up crying. This boy has no use for laying down anymore - as evidenced by the fact that it takes 5 minutes just to change his diaper because he's so wiggly! Brecken's second new trick is pulling up to standing on furniture and such. The first time he did it was when me and mom were giving him a bath in a Rubbermaid tub (since we only have stand-up showers at camp). He was so proud of himself! He got this big smile on his face and then we couldn't get him to sit down. The rest of the week he tried to pull up on EVERYTHING. Dad claims that at one point Brecken was holding his fingers and standing and he kept standing for a few seconds even after he let go! I haven't seen him do that yet - he's so wobbly because he's got so much weight to balance and support. The third milestone he reached last week was crawling! Granted, he's not flyin across the room yet, but he'll move one leg and then the other and then stop. Or he'll do a little frog hop. It won't be long before we won't be able to keep up with him! It's amazing that he reached all these milestones within days of each other but it's probably because he was trying to keep up with Salem all week! I can definitely understand why second children tend to meet milestones earlier - they have to keep up with older siblings!

2010-06-24T12:10:00.001-05:00

Having fun at the pool with Salem and Noni at Carolina Bible Camp!

Flood Cleanup

2010-05-08T10:05:00.002-05:00

A few of my coworkers sustained flood damage to their homes, but one was particularly bad so Wednesday, we all went over and helped them rip out the flooring and take everything out of the house. I backed the Pilot up under a tree and Brecken played with Lily and Alyxis while we worked on the house! He was great just hanging out and playing while we worked. They still have a long way to go on putting the house back together but I at least could help a little.

Multimedia message

2010-05-07T22:42:00.001-05:00

I forgot to add this picture to my last post. Brecken looks like he could eat Wyatt for dinner. :)

Baby Wyatt

2010-05-07T22:40:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Brian, Tara, Ty, and Ansley Petty on the birth of Baby Wyatt on Thursday, May 6th! He and Brecken are exactly seven months apart. We went to meet Wyatt at the hospital tonight. He's so precious and tiny. It's ao crazy to think that we were in that hospital room with B just seven months ago - seems like yesterday. Everyone tells you that the first year just flies by, but now that we are closer to one year than we are to when B was born, I believe it. Especially now that I seem how much he's grown compared to Wyatt who's already a pound more than B was when he was born. Periodically, people ask me how I like being a new mommy. The answer is always the same - I love it. It's amazing. There have been many times that I've looked at Brecken and watched him figure something out or learn something new and thought, I can't imagine only experiencing this once. I see why most people have more than one. I'm curious to see how many we end up with. It'll be a game-time decision.

Before we left the hospital, Michael and I stopped by the nursery just for kicks to see all the new babies. I jokingly said to Michael, "you ready for another one?". His answer: "sure, why not?". Why not, indeed.

World's Biggest Fish Fry

2010-05-07T09:57:00.002-05:00

Two weekends ago Michael was working so Brecken and I went to visit my first roommate from Lipscomb, Carrie. She lives in Paris, TN home of The World's Biggest Fish Fry. Brecken is wearing his fish fry t-shirt Carrie bought him when he was born! Since I don't actually like catfish, we didn't go to the fish tent but we did walk around the carnival and go the rodeo Saturday night! B slept through most of it but he did wake up long enough to watch some cattle roping and then he promptly went back to sleep. I think the aroma of our funnel cake woke him up! Even though it rained a lot, it was wonderful to spend some time with Carrie catching up and hanging out.

At Work With Mommy

2010-05-07T09:43:00.002-05:00

Last week I stopped by the office with Brecken to pick something up while I was in Green Hills. Brecken was pretty content sitting in Elizabeth's chair and playing with his shoes so we just stayed for 45 minutes so I could get some work done! Oh, and if you can't tell, the only thing B is wearng is a diaper, shoes, and a bib. Those were the only things we had clean in the diaper bag after he blew out his other diaper and made the biggest mess of his clothes. And my white capris! I knew it was a bad idea when I put them on that morning but decided to try it anyway. Oh, well. Poo stains come out (with a little bit of work!) but funny stories are forever.

Naptime

2010-05-07T09:36:00.002-05:00

Morning naptime. Such a sweet boy.

Bubbles

2010-04-23T16:06:00.002-05:00

Brecken has learned how to turn on the little aquarium-bubble-music thing that's in his crib. This morning when I came up to get him out of his crib (after he slept through the night till 6:45!!) he was laying there staring at the bubbles. Two nights ago when I laid him down, he stared at it in a daze until it went off and then he turned his head to the other side and promptly fell asleep! Thanks to Paisley Widmer for this great hand-me-down!

Shopping!

2010-04-19T23:11:00.002-05:00

B and I went on a little shopping spree Friday morning at Old Navy. I got there when they opened to take advantage of a sale going on and because I was one of the first 50 people (actually, I was number 50 exactly), I got 50% off everything in the store. I couldn't pass up this super cute hat for Brecken. He'll fit right in at Steeplechase in a couple weeks! This was my first time ever shopping for clothes with Brecken. We ended doing a diaper change in his stroller in one fitting room and nursing in another fitting room later. What a day!

Ice Cream Please!

2010-04-19T22:53:00.002-05:00

On tax day, after getting our $2 burritos at Baja Fresh, we stopped by Maggie Moo's to get some free ice cream. Brecken is getting more and more interested in our food as evidenced by his hand in Michael's ice cream above! B ended up with chocolate ice cream all over him (but amazingly, none in his mouth!).

Sleeping Through the Night!

2010-04-16T13:47:00.002-05:00

I don't want to jinx myself, but Brecken slept from 9 to 5:30 two nights ago and 8:30 to 6:30 last night - hooray!! Baby food, I love you - except for what you do to the aroma of my sons' poo.

Sticky Fingers

2010-04-15T22:10:00.002-05:00

Enjoying our free Maggie Moo's for tax day. Brecken had his eye on (and his hands in!) Michael's ice cream tonight!

Spring!

2010-04-15T09:10:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we enjoyed the beautiful weather by hanging out in the backyard on a blanket in the shade after Brecken woke up and Michael got off work. I think the girls were less than thrilled with their bath!

Napping

2010-04-15T09:05:00.002-05:00

B slept from 10 to 1 today and then fell asleep again at 2 when I set him down to play for a few minutes. He slept till 4! What's going on? He never sleeps like this! Must be the papaya. :)

Papaya

2010-04-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

Every Tuesday night, we go to Celebrate Recovery at our church, Harpeth Hills. We are on the leadership team and are committed to being there every week. Childcare is provided so Brecken has come every week since he was about 6 weeks old. Tuesday is my full day to work in the office and Michael keeps Brecken at home. My office is in Green Hills so Michael picks me up on the way to church so I can work late and we don't have to drive two cars. This week, I brought food to feed Brecken for the first time. It was our first experience with papaya and with eating on the go and he did really well! The papaya was a hit! (Don't tell anyone I didn't even know what a papaya looked like when I went to buy one at Trader Joe's - thank goodness for those brightly colored signs!)

So Behind...

2010-04-12T21:42:00.003-05:00

I'm so far behind on posting, I don't know if I will ever get caught up, but I'm sure going to try. There are so many things I want to post about that he's done in the last few months that I need to write down before I forget!

One thing that I know will help me stay on top of posting a little better is my new iPhone. My wonderful bosses bought me an iPhone to help me stay more connected and make it easier for me to work from home. It has been so wonderful - I sometimes wonder how I did without it for so long! Not just the iPhone itself, but all the capabilities I didn't have before. I mean, I was still using a RAZR with no text messaging. Having text has allowed and encouraged me to stay in touch better with friends and family. I may not have time to call and engage in a conversation with my sister, but I can send her a quick text to let her know I'm thinking about her, or that Brecken just did something cool!

I just set up mobile posting that allows me to post via text message and/or email (if I want to include a photo) which I can both do from my phone. I've been updating my Facebook status some from my phone, but this is even better because now I can send it straight to me blog instead!

Though I have wonderful intentions of getting caught up on the happenings of the last few months on my blog, in the meantime, I'm going to stop putting off new posts just because I'm not "caught up." Otherwise, I may never post again! So going forward, posts may be a little jumbled up date-wise, but the important thing is, they will be there (which is better than what I've been doing the last few months)! So here's to a cute baby and lots more posts in the near future...!

Six Month Pictures

2010-04-12T21:31:00.005-05:00

Brecken's half birthday was April 6th - two days after Easter. Michael's parents were here and the weather was beautiful so we headed out to Centennial Park to take some pictures. I'm so excited that we got some awesome shots!

A Family Vehicle

2010-01-30T21:43:00.003-06:00

October 17, 2009: They say that a woman becomes a mom when she gets pregnant and a man becomes a dad when the baby is born. Well, that statement manifested itself in Michael when Brecken was born and he felt the strong urge to buy a bigger, safer, family vehicle. Before Brecken was born, we owned a 97 Acura Integra, 98 Honda Civic, and 97 Mazda B2300 truck. All three were paid for so we initially shyed away from a new vehicle because we didn't want a car payment. We had talked about using the cars for a few months and then maybe getting a bigger car at some point.

Well, that timeline was pushed up a lot once Brecken was born. We came home from the hospital in the Civic and Michael took all back roads because he didn't want to get on the interstate in such a small car with our new baby boy. Within a couple days, Michael had researched vehicles and decided he wanted a Honda Pilot. We do not usually make big decisions rashly or even quickly so it took me a couple days to get my mind wrapped around the idea of selling the Acura and the Mazda and buying a new (to us) Honda Pilot. I'd never owned a vehicle that was less than 10 years old! I really had to stretch my thinking and remind myself that it would be okay (and probably really nice!) to own a bigger, newer vehicle with perks like leather seats, GPS, seating for 8, and a rear back-up camera.

So less than two weeks after Michael was born, we brought home our brand new (to us) 2006 Honda Pilot EX and we love it! I have to say, it sure is wonderful to have all the extra space, especially once we start traveling with Brecken and both dogs. We can just lay down the third row and there's plenty of room for the dogs and our luggage - perfect! I can't imagine trying to fit all of us, the dogs, and all our stuff in the Civic - miserable.