Beauty and the Mess

home again, home again, jiggity-jig...

2011-12-21T22:13:00.001-05:00

a picture-less post. sorry. just wanted to update with a word or two before i'm completely overwhelmed with packing and unpacking...

next friday...WE'RE OUT OF HERE!!! yay, yay, triple YAY!!! who knows for how long...but for now, we are headed HOME!!! so, for those of you keeping up with addresses...it's the same SC address as before...

THIS friday, we're headed to elkhart. (it was really hard for me NOT to write "home" in reference to elkhart, but it's not home anymore. weird. i think this is the first time that i've felt that elkhart is not "home" anymore. weird.) we'll be there for a quick Christmas visit. because we're MOVING HOME to SC!!! can you tell??? i'm so super-duper excited TO GO HOME!!!

so what i haven't blogged is big girl zoey's FIRST birthday, Christmas cookie baking with the mister, and a little bit of here and there. AND i made a super cute felt Christmas tree that i saw on pinterest...because i have a pinteresting problem...SO CUTE...i'll post pictures. anywho...i haven't blogged those things because i packed the camera cord and i can't transfer pictures to the computer without it. darn...cause the birthday pictures are SUPER CUTE!!! and jackson was AWESOME with the cookie baking.

so, as soon as i dig my way out of the moving mess i WILL get 'er done.

ooo, wait...i'll post the reject pictures from the Christmas card photo shoot...cannot get enough of them!!! i used "picnik" to edit the pictures...love 'em!!!

even the rejects are completely ADORABLE!!! thanks, kiki, for having a smarty-pants phone that plays music and keeps their attention...

chick-a cheek...

2011-11-03T21:26:00.000-04:00

the cutest little choo-choo man you ever did see!!!

chick-a-cheek!!!

zoey was happy with the fruit snacks she got before we ever left the apartment...

a little piece of watermelon heaven...

we did some janky trick or treating at the mall...LAME!!!

and then the real thing!!! ring the doorbell..."chick-a-cheek"...CANDY..."thank you!"

"anybody home?"

"this one looks good, momma."

zoey, you got sick of being carried, you can't really walk, so we decided to let you try driving. you're pretty good at it actually...

SOOOOOO much fun!!! AND super big double bonus...aunt kiki was here to go with us!!! that aunt kiki, she's a LOT of fun!!!

we cut him...

2011-11-03T21:08:00.001-04:00

the pumpkin...we cut him...and jackson, you were disgusted and screamed like a girl when we made you touch his guts. zoey, you loved his squishy-ness...THRILLING!!!

you wouldn't look at mommy for pictures so i went outside and got some blurry ones through the screen door...better than nothing...

awww...the love!!!

jack...

pumpkin patch 2011...

2011-11-03T20:58:00.000-04:00

that's the one you wanted. that's the one we got.

you would not get off of the pink tractor.

zoey, you LOVED the corn box...not sure how much you swallowed...

daddy thought you'd enjoy a train ride...

and since it was his idea, he got to go with you...

one of the last warm days...

2011-11-03T20:36:00.003-04:00

THE HAIR!!!!!!!!

2011-11-03T20:29:00.003-04:00

turning two is AWESOME!!!

2011-11-02T12:11:00.001-04:00

dj jackson ROCKS!!!

ice cream cake...

HOTWHEELS...

happiest of birthdays to my sweet little miracle baby boy!!! you are the exact baby boy that i waited for...so happy that you're mine!!! love you so much, mister!!!

part 10...the part where mommy gets sick of vacation and we go home...

2011-11-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

our last stop...

yellowstone was absolutely amazing!!! BEA-U-TI-FUL!!! we'll have to go back when you can truly appreciate it...this trip, you two just tried to be good sports...LOTS of riding in the car and looking out the window...

not too sure about the grass...love the face!!!

this one, too...

our little family...awww!!!

this guy was just trotting down the road...as free as you please...not at all fussed at the cars passing him by...

um...car seat??? we were stopped, i promise.

A BALD EAGLE...mommy just happened to spot him as we were driving by...

the bubbly mud place...

old faithful...we accidentally got there right before they predicted it would "go off"...YAY!!! we waited and waited and waited...got sick of waiting and started to walk away...and it "went off"...it was cool.

saw lots of these...

but these guys were your favorites, jackson...you called them "buck-a-lows"...it was so cute!!!

we looked and looked for bears...never saw any...bummer.

this was mommy's favorite spot...perfect.

this wasn't supposed to be our last stop but at this point, mommy was sick of vacation...living out of suitcases, packing and re-packing suitcases, setting up two pack and plays, finding missing toys/articles of clothing, cleaning up blow-out diaper mess...we'd seen it all and it was time to GO HOME!!!

part 9...i promise we're almost done...

2011-11-01T12:58:00.000-04:00

we decided to have a birthday party while we were in MT...just a little bit early, but what a FUN DAY!!! the theme? YO GABBA, GABBA, of course!!!

we went back to whitefish ski resort...to go on the alpine slide...jackson, you had SO MUCH FUN!!!

here you are heading up the hill with daddy on the ski lift...mommy was TERRIFIED that you'd fall off...you were not scared at all...

mommy and daddy went zip-lining...you stayed at the bottom of the mountain with grandma miller...

one more ride down the slide...with mommy this time...

PARTY TIME...

rainbow cupcakes...with gabba friends...

TWO...i can't believe it...

sissy partying it up...

blow em' out, buddy...

here you are introducing gabba friends to everyone who doesn't know who they are...which was everyone...

HIPPOS!!! they were a hit!

happy second birthday, jackson!!! you are the sweetest boy EVER!!! love, love, love you!!!!!!!

tomorrow: part ten...the part where mommy gets sick of vacation and we go home...

part 8...oh yeah, the hikes...

2011-11-01T12:24:00.002-04:00

on a saturday...

hike along the river in big fork...

jackson, you fell asleep while daddy was carrying you on his back...

zoey, you just chilled when it was your turn on daddy's back...such a good little hiker!!!

on a sunday...

whitefish ski resort...mommy and daddy hiked to the top with daddy's cousins carrie and scott...

part 7...flathead lake boat ride...

2011-11-01T12:09:00.002-04:00

part 6...glacier

2011-11-01T11:49:00.002-04:00

a few pictures of our day...not much to say about them...we saw most of the park from the car. national park with two kids under two...in and out of car seats 5,387 times...not so much fun. BUT it was a bea-u-ti-ful place!!! hope we can go back again when you're older and see more.

part 5...the part where jackson eats the profits...

2011-10-31T13:30:00.005-04:00

daddy's aunt and uncle own a cherry orchard on flathead lake in montana...and when we got there, cherry picking had just started, so we got to help and eat and help...but mostly eat...

sunset vista cherries...aren't they BEAUTIFUL?!!

jackson eating sunset vista cherries...

aunt lynn and uncle bruce were very generous and let you eat as many as your little hands could stuff in your mouth...they would have made a killing if they'd charged us per pound consumed. mommy worried about all of the seeds you were eating...she soon discovered that her worries were unnecessary...everything came out just fine. :-)

"TRUCK, TRUCK, TRUCK!!!" when you heard the four-wheeler start, you would run your little self over to make sure you got to ride. SO. FUN.

little zoey, you were just happy to be near the action...

daddy spent some time picking cherries...NOT an easy job...he was determined to get all of the one kind of cherries mommy liked. (can't remember what they were called, but they were the yellow and red ones...YUM!!!)

we spent our evenings in the back yard...eating dinner, throwing the balls for the dogs, wrestling on the grass, roasting marshmallows for smores...

you found some kitty friends...

lucy found some doggy friends and proceeded to be the boss of the balls...

after picking, aunt lynn took us down to the water...we found some SUPER cool rocks and you went swimming in the FREEZING cold water and would not get out even though your teeth were chattering...LOVE.THE.WATER.

over exposed picture...but still cute...

BEAUTIFUL!!!

up next...the hikes...

part 4...the part where we lose our minds and take two babies on a 28 hour road trip...

2011-10-24T21:52:00.002-04:00

we left on a thursday night...wanted to try a night drive to see how it would work...it worked...you slept and we were able to get 6 hours of driving out of the way without you even noticing...

we drove through the badlands...very weird pretty...

we stopped at wall drug...thrilling. jackson, you got a face full of water at the random squirt water floor part of wall drug. it was funny.

we have a picture of daddy on this same jack-a-lope just a few years earlier...see???

and then...dum-da-da-daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

THE WATER PARK HOTEL...personally, i could have ended the vacation here. because we had such a good time with you two in the water...

jackson, as soon as you saw water, you took off...into the water...and wouldn't have looked back...but mommy caught you and ruined your good time. you spent many happy hours floating around the lazy river and going down the water slides with mommy and daddy. you went on the kiddie water slides AND the big kid water slides...you didn't scream or cry on the way down...you just giggled while mommy screamed on the way down...

zoey, you were a HOOT...we plopped you into this little floater thing and you went around and around and around and around the lazy river...you almost fell asleep...but you did NOT want to get out. you climbed around the splash pad and got many face-fuls of water, but you're a little trooper and didn't seem to mind...

so sleepy...

the fetterman battlefield...i have no idea what the significance of this battlefield is...guess i should have read the sign...it was significant to me because it was the site of our first blow-out diaper of the trip...it was epic. mommy even had to change her shirt when it was all over...

and finally...after 6 days...MONTANA...

interlude...

2011-10-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

one of the happiest moments of my day...opening the door of your room in the morning to see your cute little face...

love, love, love you!!!

part 3...family reunion

2011-10-24T21:15:00.002-04:00

so. after 6 weeks in SC, we locked up the house & loaded up the car & made a super annoying trip to TN...super annoying because there were traffic jams and two screaming babies in my van...a trip that should have taken 3 hours stretched out into about 5 hours. not.fun.

annoying trip, but worth all the hassle and frustration--because we were in TN for a halsey family reunion...at the top of the steepest driveway i've ever driven up. i have never been so scared to drive in my whole life. i don't want to drive up that driveway EVER.AGAIN.

BEAUTIFUL view from a rickety-rack porch...

hot-tubbing it with papa...

dancing it up with cousins sarah and brooke...

checking out the real estate prospects with uncle matthew...

smiling the most precious smile...just because...

eating as many apples as i can before i'm caught...

posing at the top of a super steep walk up to the top of...i can't remember what in i can't remember where...

your job was easy...sit in a stoller while others huff and puff you up to the top...haha suckers!!!

auntie kiki got to steer you down...if she let go for even a second you were in for the ride of your short little life...

you two don't know it yet, but you are super blessed with oodles of people who love you!

lucky ducks!!!

part 2...

2011-10-24T20:53:00.000-04:00

while in SC, auntie kiki came to see you and she put your hair in piggies...SO CUTE!!!

and she brought this super cutie-pie outfit...one of mommy's favorites for the summer...

you learned to pull up on furniture...you learned to fall gracefully after pulling up on furniture...not easy to do with hardwood floors...

mommy found you and jackson behind the couch many days...this particular day you two were just looking at each other and laughing hysterically...it was precious!

see my sweatshop curtains??? LOVE them!!!

how we spent our summer vacation...part 1

2011-10-24T13:25:00.000-04:00

as promised...pictures from summer...starting with our time in SC...HOME...jackson, you spent most of your days in the water or begging to be in the water...too bad it was so doggone hot!!! had to find an umbrella to shade the back patio so that you could spend more than 20 minutes in your pool...

oh, how you loved your "nemo ball"...had to have "nemo ball" at all times...and when "nemo ball" blew away in a storm, mommy chased him down and brought him back because she knew you'd be heartbroken if he was lost.

my little water bug...

you weren't too sure about the sprinkler at first...mommy had to run through a couple of times with you before you wanted anything to do with it...

the hair...

2011-10-11T10:15:00.002-04:00

oh, the hair...

i don't know what to do with it...

it's getting big.

i don't want to cut it, but maybe...

poor girl has a mother who doesn't even know how to do her own hair...

LOOK at this face!!! i'm pretty sure she doesn't care what her hair looks like at this point...

so maybe i shouldn't either. i'll start practicing my braids, zoey. i promise.

so, it's been a while...

2011-10-05T10:01:00.000-04:00

for many reasons:

1. i haven't really been home (missouri) since june because i went home (south carolina) for a month and a half...BECAUSE...we were SUPPOSED to be back in SC FOR GOOD in june, but people quit matt's project which meant we had to stay...biggest.bummer.EVER!!! i'm still pretty bitter about still being HERE...but whatevs...get over it already. ANYWAYS...we had planned some work to be done on the house before we got home...had it scheduled and all...so i went home...to make sure it got done...finished. it did. and then some. mom came for a few weeks and i PUT HER TO WORK!!! ran my own little sweat shop...she sewed and sewed and sewed until i had curtains in the living room, curtains in the bedroom, curtains in the kitchen, a dolly in zoey's arms, and two SUPER cute quilts in my babies' beds. (i'll have to look for pictures...) then it was on to a family reunion in TN...which is why i stayed in SC an extra long time...no reason to go ALL the way back to MO to drive ALL the way back to TN in a two week period. the driving with the children...not my favorite thing...i don't want to talk about it.

2. when i got back to MO, our computer crashed. what seemed like a simple repair ended up being a total loss...hard drive...FRIED!!! thank you, Jesus, that i had backed up my pictures and music...didn't lose anything. BUT the computer was out for the count...couldn't focus on that because...a week after getting back to MO...

3. we got BACK into the car for a 25+ hour trip to MT to visit matt's family. the trip there...good...despite the DAILY blow-out diaper situation. (and matt scoffed when i wanted to pack laundry soap and dryer sheets...he knows better now.) the time with family...SOOO GOOD. the trip home...i really don't want to talk about it...it was just time to go home...after three weeks with two kids in a car, out of a suitcase, without our "stuff" and "space"...ya think?!

4. HOME...FINALLY...even if it is MO and not SC. ordered a new computer...that was backordered...we were given a really specific delivery window...between september 19th and october 1st. it's best that i don't talk about this either. phone calls are made, orders are cancelled, new computers that are NOT backordered are looked for...and i know i said i didn't want to talk about this but i have to say this: we ordered from schmestschmy.com (changed the name so as not to defame the company...can you figure out which one i mean???) and were told the computer was backordered-as mentioned before-and after cancelling our order online we went to the store to find one that wouldn't be backordered and WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT?!!!! LO and BEhold...there's the computer...THIS computer...the one i'm typing on...the one that was backordered. there. in the store. schmest schmy is NOT my favorite place right now...i don't want to talk about it.

i bought the computer at the schmest schmy store and now i'm connected...hooked up on the intranet.

so, enough chitter-chatter...you didn't come here to listen to me yammer and complain...you came here for the pictures...and they're coming...i'm gonna go back to the "beginning of summer" pictures...but not in this post. i'll just leave you with a few....

more soon...i sorta promise.

we're off...

2011-06-14T15:59:00.002-04:00

peek...

his favorite feature of the new van??? the dvd player. my favorite feature of the new van??? the dvd player. HOPEFULLY it saves the TWELVE hour trip we're about to take...didn't i just vow i would never ride in a car with these two alone again?!!

say a little prayer for us...i'm sure we'll need it.

i'm hoping to get half-way tomorrow...then the rest of the way on thursday...please Jesus, help us!!!

lovely, lovely, love my family...

2011-06-14T15:55:00.002-04:00

that's a hug...he's a very thorough hugger...

the sitter...who sits...

aw yeah!!! ridin' double...

2011-06-14T15:23:00.002-04:00

this is the new "face"...sucking of the lower lip...she's sitting. sitting. self-taught sitter. i turned around one day and there she was...sitting.

yes, she's always THIS STINKIN' CUTE!!!

poor boy...has no idea that his sassy days are numbered...sassy goes at two...them's the house rules.

see??? THIS STINKIN' CUTE!!!

swingin'...

2011-05-31T14:16:00.001-04:00

aaannnnddddddd...we're in the water again...

2011-05-31T14:03:00.003-04:00

went in to answer the phone...came back to find him licking the window...

conducting important business on his cup phone...hello???

who knew the fun that could be had with a tub of water...he would stay in that tub of water all day if i would let him...

all jumped out...

2011-05-31T14:00:00.002-04:00

piggie...

2011-05-31T13:59:00.000-04:00

just one...right in the middle...CUTE!!!

hold onto your hair...

2011-05-31T13:48:00.003-04:00

spent a weekend with the batchelors in kansas...WINDY, WINDY kansas...

one of these children just doesn't belong here...might it be the little red-head???

jackson and zoey were in heaven...it was like spending three days living in a toys-r-us!!! the batchelors are HOOKED UP!!!

gross...but cute!!!

we even managed a few parting gifts...BUMP, BABY, BUMP!!!

thanks, batchelors, for a great weekend!!!

we will be back soon for another weekend of kart...matt owes you a baby daisy...

just eat it...

2011-05-31T13:34:00.003-04:00

these two pictures perfectly summarize zoey's attitude towards solid food:

at first, LOVE!

then, confusion and indifference...

this week, we'll add veggies...

she needed a new coat...

2011-05-31T13:21:00.003-04:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

have been meaning to do this since i bought it...four years before jackson was born...

sanded her down, sprayed her with several coats, then banged her up again because she looked too new. she's a beauty.

spray painters out there??? there's this fancy new attachment that clamps onto the tops of spray paint cans and SAVES your finger the pain and cramps of holding down the spray nozzle...with the attachment, the can sprays like a bottle of windex...TOTALLY worth the $6!!!

zoo...

2011-05-31T12:55:00.003-04:00

yep, he's trying to get into that nasty, algae-filled/tinted pond...

mommy stopped to feed zoey...and when she caught up with daddy and jackson...THIS is what she found: her son shirtless and soaking wet. nice, daddy.

good thing mommy had an extra shirt...the shorts? they were stripped off and jackson had to run around the zoo like a white-trash baby in a diaper...for a while...until they dried...

CHOO-CHOO!!!

LOVED this part just as much as the water part...

the animals??? the reason you go to a zoo??? don't really remember seeing any...oh wait, the ducks while we were eating lunch...jackson thought they looked a bit hungry and so he fed them his hot dog.

GOOD DAY!!!

handsome fella and little lady...

2011-04-25T17:10:00.002-04:00

2011-04-25T17:05:00.001-04:00

He is risen...

2011-04-25T17:02:00.004-04:00

yes, i know...Easter is not at all about eggs and baskets...i'm still thinking through how we will ultimately and appropriately celebrate Holy Week...so, for lack of a good idea right now...we colored Easter eggs and i made Easter baskets...because i wanted the candy...

two.

2011-04-25T16:57:00.002-04:00

does not like the jumper. tolerates the jumper.

my grandpa's hat...he wears it all the time...loves it.

cuppy-cake...

2011-04-25T16:55:00.000-04:00

books on the bed...

2011-04-25T16:52:00.000-04:00

every girl needs...

2011-04-25T16:13:00.003-04:00

PINK socks with bows AND ruffles!!!

they're back...

2011-04-25T14:02:00.003-04:00

STRAWBERRIES...and this is what i do with them:

strawberry dessert:
1 yellow jiffy cake mix
1 quart of strawberries
3 c. milk
8 oz. cream cheese--room temperature
2 small pkgs. of instant vanilla pudding
1 tub of cool whip

1. bake cake according to directions in a 9x13 pan. cool.
2. rinse and cut berries and spread them over cooled cake.
3. mix cream cheese with 1/2 cup of the milk until smooth. then, add remaining milk and pudding. beat for one minute.
4. spread mixture over fruit.
5. top with cool whip and refrigerate.

best of fridays...

2011-04-22T09:39:00.002-04:00

found this on another blog...decided to copy it to mine...hope she won't mind...it's from a lutheran prayer book...lutheran prayer book??? gasp! no, i haven't converted. TRUTH has no religious boundaries...so what's true for those lutherans is true for this religious mutt. yep, that's my new "category"...not baptist, presbyterian, evangelical, etc. just a mutt believer that has no hope of heaven apart from the sacrifice of a perfect Lamb of God...

O Christ, Lamb of God, slain for the sin of the whole world, with penitent heart I come to Your cross, pleading for mercy and forgiveness. My sins—and they are many–have added to the burden of Your suffering and have nailed You to the accursed tree. For me You have tasted the agony of the utter darkness that I might not perish, but have everlasting life. Have mercy upon me.
O Christ, Lamb of God, embrace me with Your love, and forgive me all my sins. Your death brings healing to my soul, peace to my mind, cleansing to my heart. If You would mark iniquity, I could not come for my hands are unclean, my lips are sullied, and my heart is blackened by sin. But beholding You bleeding, despised, forsaken, dying, pierced, I come to be cleansed and forgiven.
O Christ, Lamb of God, grant that I may hate sin and wickedness more and more as I behold You in Your great agony. My grateful heart today finds hope in Your words, comfort in Your promises, and salvation in Your finished work on the cross, by which You have overcome sin, Satan, and death.
O Lord, have mercy. O Christ, have mercy. O Lord, hear my prayer.
Amen.

apparently...

2011-04-15T21:26:00.001-04:00

blogspot does not recognize when you type actual paragraphs with spaces in between...sorry about the LONG run-on seeming paragraph below...

on the day she was born...

2011-04-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

zoey's birth story...it's as perfect as she is... i started having regular contractions around 9:30 pm...the kind of contractions that you can kind of ignore...they're there, but not too bad...the kind of contractions i had been having for WEEKS...i went to bed--determined they would not trick me into thinking "THIS IS IT!" three hours later, i woke up having contractions that i could NOT ignore...but decided not to wake the house...i wasn't going to go back to sleep, but others might as well sleep through my misery--misery doesn't love company? when i'm miserable...no...i don't want company...leave me alone. i timed the contractions for about two hours...they were regular and felt like they were slowly building in intensity...my back HURT! i took a shower--so that i could shave my legs because i hadn't in a long time and didn't want to be embarrassed when i got to the hospital and my business was everybody's business, got dressed, woke matt and told him to go and sleep on the bed...(don't ask why he wasn't in the bed with me...it has something to do with a cranky pregnant woman and a loudly snoring man)...so that i could turn on the tv to take my mind off of the contractions. did you know that there's not much on tv at 3:00 am? there's not. at about 5:30 am, i woke matt and told him it was time...it was TIME. now. it's time to go to the hospital. i also had to call mom and dad because they were coming to take care of jackson...they were in town, but staying at a friend's house. so...wait for matt, wait for mom and dad...in the mean time--jackson wakes up and wants to be fed...wait, wait, wait. as we wait, my contractions hurt. HURT!!! i'm breathing like an idiot because i never took the class that teaches you how to breathe NOT like an idiot. FINALLY, matt is ready...mom and dad arrive...i practically run to the car...between contractions. the car ride...let's not talk about it...it was AWFUL! and i wasn't nice. we're at the hospital...we park where my doctor tells us...in a parking garage...there's even a spot RIGHT next to the entrance marked for maternity patients...how nice! we were told to go to the emergency room and someone would be called down to get us. a parking spot right next to the entrance? a ride up to the maternity floor? HOW NICE!!! what WASN'T nice was the three mile walk from the parking spot to the emergency room...seriously...it felt like THREE miles!!! everytime we would come to a corner that we couldn't see around, i would think, "just around this corner. i'm sure it's just around this corner." NOPE. matt started going ahead of me to see just how much farther it was...i would hear him laugh and know that...NOPE...it wasn't around THIS corner. and of course we're passing all these glass-walled offices with people in them gawking at the disturbed woman clutching a pillow, banging her head against the glass after every few steps... finally...emergency room...and that ride i was promised... upstairs, in my room...and then...a nurse is throwing a gown and plastic bag in my face telling me to change into the gown and put my clothes in the bag. and then...the spanish inquisition begins...same nurse asking all of the questions i answered on that handy-dandy pre-registration form i sent in MONTHS earlier. listen, hospital people, if you don't care to read the answers i gave on a form YOU said i should fill out to save time once i got to the hospital...why should i now REPEAT all of those answers...when i'm breathing like an idiot and DON'T REALLY FEEL LIKE TALKING?!! and really...does it matter when i had my wisdom teeth out and whether or not any of my relatives have high blood pressure??? 1998 and they all do. THEY ALL DO. i should stop right here and say that weeks prior to going into labor i made a decision...maybe out loud i was still waffling back and forth...do i want an epidural or should i try and go natural? in my heart--decision MADE...in my body--decision DEFINITELY made as soon as the contractions ramped up a bit...i wanted an epidural... (and epidural-lovin' ladies, let's just stop feeling bad about it...let's just stop judging ourselves. hello, my name is amy. AND I WANT AN EPIDURAL!!!) and i wanted it as soon as i stepped foot onto hospital property...it would have been nice if they had met me at the car with the epidural "stuff"...would have made the walk to the emergency room a bit tricky...okay, the epidural "stuff" and a wheelchair... anyway...spanish inquisition...questions answered...questions HAD to be answered BEFORE they would start the epidural...i'm checked at this point...5 centimeters. epidural...ahhhhhhhhhh!!! in LOVE with the epidural man...the epidural man i could not understand...he, too, was asking a million questions...and i'm understanding not a one..."huh?"..."what?" matt's laughing and translating what he's asking and i'm just hoping that we're collectively understanding what he's saying...cause epidural questions seem infinitely more important than family medical history questions. i want an epidural...AND i want to be able to walk after and for the rest of my life. anyway...epidural--check and double check!!! it is now 8:30 am...and the next few hours pass uneventfully...numb-ly...i'm checked occasionally...i can't sleep...but i'm comfortable. around 1:15 pm, i start to push...at 2:20, zoey isabelle pops out...face up. she had gobs and gobs of hair, ten fingers, ten toes...perfect. i held her for a few minutes and then she had to go to the nursery to be observed...because there was poo in the water...that's just the simplest--not the nicest--way to say it. mom and dad brought jackson to meet his little sister a few hours later...and he was so not impressed. not even sure that he looked at her. guess that's better than him looking at her and deciding to punch her in the face...which is kinda what i expected him to do. the first hours...she just stared at us and didn't make a sound...SO quiet, SO different, SO zoey!!! we spent the night at the hospital and would have left first thing in the morning, but we had to wait for the mandatory hearing screen and 24-hour pku. so, we didn't end up making it home until early evening. and now that i think about it, we should have stayed another night...but i hate hospitals and missed jackson...i just wanted our little family all in one place. zoey was here...she was here and she was happy. i kept waiting for her to be angry about being born...but she wasn't. she was here and she was happy. and that pretty much sums her up...happy, content...from day one. and she has the coolest birthdate: 12.11.10. zoey, you are the sweetest, cuddliest baby and i cannot get enough of you!!! thank you, God, again and again and again!!! i am so blessed!!!

just checkin'...

2011-04-04T11:27:00.000-04:00

yep, it's still there...

longhorns and train tracks...

2011-04-04T11:00:00.002-04:00

went to TX.

took jackson and zoey to TX.

a TEN+ hour car ride to TX.

with jackson and zoey.

with jackson and zoey alternately screaming/pitching fits.

loved seeing college friends.

but...

NEVER.

AGAIN.

posse 2012?

i'm flying.

alone.

heard that they drive longhorns down the main street of the fort worth stockyards...wanted to see it/thought it would be fun to take the little lovies to see it...envisioned a STAMPEDE...a SAFE stampede...of longhorns with cowboys...

there were longhorns.

ten.

ten longhorns.

there were cowboys.

three.

three cowboys.

the whole stampede took 60 seconds.

60 seconds.

jackson laughed and pointed.

zoey...i'm not even sure that the stroller was facing the street...and even if it was, i'm sure there were people standing in front of her...oh well...next time, zu-zu...

it was all worth it.

because we ate riscky's bbq after.

yum.

train tracks.

this boy's favorite.

happy to be where the people are...

the posse children minus 5 1/2...

nose scratches and chapped cheeks...

2011-04-04T10:54:00.002-04:00

messed with my camera settings so i didn't get too many good ones...they were all over-exposed or blurry...wish i had a fancy-pants camera...maybe someday...

she's still a precious little angel-baby...with a nose scratch and indiana-chapped cheeks...

LOVE that quilt?!! me too!!!

just say no...

2011-04-04T10:53:00.000-04:00

to a little crack...

just so darn cute...

2011-04-04T10:48:00.002-04:00

those legs!!! give 'em a little squeeze and the most delicious baby, belly-laugh comes out of those chubby little cheeks!!!

daddy's brilliant idea...

2011-04-04T10:39:00.002-04:00

boredom+sink full of water and bubbles=one happy little boy

testing the waters...

drinking the waters...

FULLY enjoying the waters...

things from home...

2011-04-04T10:33:00.002-04:00

little red chairs...the PERFECT size for this little boy...

and my bookshelf...i think it needs a coat of green paint...

another generation of use...not exactly family heirlooms, but i'm glad to hand them down to my littles...

green river...

2011-03-11T08:18:00.004-05:00

my babies are sick...so sick. jackson has a river of snot flowing freely down his face at all times, he's just about lost his voice (which sounds ADORABLE!!!), and he has a barking/croup-y cough that sounds absolutely miserable. BOO church nurseries!!!!!! and DOUBLE BOO to parents who don't just stay home with snotty, cough-y kids!!! zoey doesn't go to church nursery, but has caught "the crud" anyway. she was beside herself with "what has happened to me?!?" ALL NIGHT LONG...with a matching river of snot. and of course they're both too young to take over-the-counter cold medicine...rats! so, let's just not think about how sick and miserable they are...

jackson managed to change the settings on our tv and it seems these changes are permanent. matt and i both spent well over 30 minutes trying to get things back to normal--even made a phone call to the cable company--no luck. matt was irritated...i was impressed...what a smart boy!!!

jackson is obsessed with going "bye-bye"...he asks, first thing, EVERY morning, "bye-bye??? bye-bye???" he won't stop asking until we "bye-bye"...and even then, when we're out and about, he still asks "bye-bye???" and i have to tell him THIS is "bye-bye" we ARE "bye-bye".

jackson is a climber...i find him in zoey's bed, on top of the changing table, and he's quickly learning that he only needs a little boost to make it almost on top of the kitchen counters.

he loves to read, he loves to make lucy bark, he loves to collect sticks/rocks/mulch/leaves, and he loves to DANCE!!!

zoey is an awesome sleeper and always wakes up with a smile...a smile that melts my heart...she is SO HAPPY to see me in the morning and after naps...such a boost when parenting frustrations seem overwhelming.

zoey has learned to roll from her tummy to her back...which is making the sleeping a bit more difficult because she is a tummy sleeper...shhh, don't tell the pediatrician that she sleeps on her tummy. but still, awesome sleeper!!!

zoey talks all day long. ALL. DAY. LONG. it is the most precious sound of my day. and this girl GIGGLES!!! GIGGLES like she knows what's funny...great personality AND great sense of humor??? can't get any better than my zu-zu belly!!!

the sickies will pass...i will forget all about the miseries of this week...but i do not want to forget the sweetness/cuteness/preciousness of these two littles that i am so lucky to have living in my house!!!

even when they are miserable little pickles...even when they are overflowing with snot...they are mine...happy, happy me!!!

beautiful girl...

2011-02-18T13:25:00.003-05:00

2011-02-18T13:10:00.001-05:00

not that i love seeing her cry, but i LOVE this picture!!!

2011-02-18T13:05:00.001-05:00

cause one is not enough...

2011-02-18T13:04:00.000-05:00

interlude...

2011-02-08T15:19:00.003-05:00

whilst waiting for the cookies to bake, jackson finally convinced mommy to let him get in the swing...he's been faithfully trying since i got it out for little zoey to use...she HATES the swing...so, why not...

and...lo AND behold...HE FELL ASLEEP...could not believe it. the boy who bounces in his bed for at least 25 minutes before falling asleep...asleep within 5 minutes of getting into the swing...unbelieveable!!!

being back in the swing must have taken him back to his baby days...when the swing was the only thing that soothed him...

baker man...

2011-02-08T13:37:00.003-05:00

we made cookies this morning...oatmeal raisin.

yes, i let jackson "help"...yes, i know how a one-year-old "helps".

i HAD to...i HAD to get over the mess it would be...i HAD to let him help...it was therapy for me...a person who does not like mess, a person who likes to do things quickly.

when his hands began to find their way into the mixing bowl, i did not scold...he looked at me as if to ask, "is this okay? or am i going to be sent to the corner?" yeah, it's okay...your nutty, mess-free mommy is going to relax and let you have messy fun...

a grab...

and a taste...

and since she's not fussing...i'll try an ENTIRE RAW COOKIE...

i didn't let him eat the whole thing raw...i took it away...and YES...i put it back on the cookie sheet to bake...and YES...he did lick just about every other raw cookie before i was able to get them into the oven. no worries...you're NOT invited for milk and cookies...but the next time you are, it might be a question worth asking..."did jackson lick the cookies?".

enjoying the finished product...

week one...

2011-02-08T11:48:00.003-05:00

no tv...have to admit...i am still a bit itchy to turn it on...but...

my house is REALLY clean...i mean, REALLY CLEAN. i'm not saying that i would eat off of the floors or anything...because it's snowy here and sloshy, messy feet are constantly tracking in the salty/slushy goodness from outside...but you can certainly eat off of the counters.
my house is organized...OR.GAN.IZED...the closets and drawers and cupboards...really, come and see...it's ridiculous...even for me.
jackson is no longer asking for the tv to be turned on in the morning...instead he asks for music...and i happily oblige. we host regular dance parties...you're all invited!
i've read four 300+ page books while the little ones are napping. shame on me for ever saying that i just don't have time to read anymore....hello, dummy, turn off the tv!!! i did...and it's the best thing i've done for myself.
i've indulged a crafting itch...while perusing blogs, i was inspired to try my hand at something i saw on http://megduerksen.typepad.com ...she had a crafting weekend with girlfriends she met through her blog...how fun is that?!! anyway, scroll through her posts...to pictures of that weekend...and look at the hoops...FUN!

i decided to do mine a bit differently...frames instead of hoops.

confesssion: i actually had a panic attack in the process...i gathered everything together...had it all sitting out in front of me...and had a panic attack that i would start being crafty...and i'd do it wrong...and it would be ugly...and i would hate it and throw it in the trash...and that would be a HUGE waste of money. silly, silly me. something that was supposed to be fun and creative...almost ruined by over-thinking it...silly.

so, i got over it and just started...and here's the result...

what i used:

fun, bright material

rick-rack

embroidery floss

the fabric that you use for cross-stitching

fabric glue

white frames i found at target for $3.99

all stuff you might have around the house...go find it...don't have a panic attack...get busy and have fun!

next crafty-craft: tissue paper pom-pom flowers...wanna make some to hang over zoey's crib.

no tv??? okay...TRUTH...we still watch some...about 1/8th of what we used to watch...it's off all day...we record what we want and are able to watch the shows we love in about half the time by fast-forwarding through the commercials...yay, DVRs!!!

so, correction to the beginning of this post..."some tv"...baby steps...

hymn-singers, part 2...

2011-02-06T16:59:00.001-05:00

one of grandma matchette's favorites:

DAY BY DAY

day by day and with each passing moment, strength i find to meet my trials here. trusting in my Father's wise bestowment, i've no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives to each day what He deems best, lovingly its part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest.

every day the Lord Himself is near me with a special mercy for each hour. all my cares He fain would bear and cheer me, He whose name is Counselor and Power. the protection of His child and treasure is a charge that on Himself He laid. "as your days, your strength shall be in measure," this the pledge to me He made.

help me then in every tribulation so to trust Your promises, o Lord, that i lose not faith's sweet consolation offered me within Your holy Word. help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, ever to take, as from a Father's hand, one by one, the days, the moments fleeting, till i reach the Promised Land.

one of grandpa matchette's favorites:

I'D RATHER HAVE JESUS

i'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold; i'd rather be His than have riches untold; i'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands. i'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand than to be the king of a vast domain and be held in sin's dread sway. i'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

i'd rather have Jesus than men's applause; i'd rather be faithful to His dear cause; i'd rather have Jesus than world-wide fame. i'd rather be true to His holy name than to be the king of a vast domain and be held in sin's dread sway. i'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom; He's sweeter than honey from out of the comb; He's all that my hungering spirit needs. i'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead than to be the king of a vast domain and be held in sin's dread sway. i'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

when i asked what their favorite hymns were, their first answers were identical to grandma and grandpa halsey's...VICTORY IN JESUS and FACE TO FACE...

LOVE THESE GRANDPARENTS!!!

la-la...aka elmo...

2011-02-05T11:54:00.000-05:00

covered in elmo stickers...jammin' to the "peanut butter and jelly" song...LOVE THIS BOY!!!

hymn-singers...

2011-02-04T12:16:00.001-05:00

hymns...make me think about sunday nights at mc coy memorial baptist church...when we could call out a hymn number for the whole congregation to sing. as a little girl, i felt so "in charge"...i got to decide what we would sing. my favorites? heaven came down and wonderful grace of Jesus. last weekend, i bought a hymn book...because i'm forgetting the words...i start singing a hymn to jackson and zoey...and have to stop because i can't remember the next verse...sad. i LOVE a good worship song...but i miss hymns. SO. MUCH. (sidenote: i'd love to get my hands on an old, green mc coy memorial baptist church hymnal...because the new hymn books have WAY TOO many praise choruses and not enough of the old hymns.) hymns...make me think of my grandparents...because they haven't forgotten the words...and on those hymn sing sunday nights i was usually sitting with one set or the other singing my little heart out.

just a few years ago...one of the most precious memories of my life...singing hymns with grandma halsey and grandma and grandpa matchette...in g & g matchette's living room. they certainly didn't need hymn books to remember the words...

one of grandma halsey's favorites:

VICTORY IN JESUS

i heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how He gave His life on calvary to save a wretch like me. i heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning. then i repented of my sins and won the victory.

i heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing, how He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see. and then i cried, "dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit," and somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.

i heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory, and i heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea; about the angels singing, and the old redemption story; and some sweet day i'll sing up there the song of victory.

o victory in Jesus, my Savior forever! He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood. He loved me ere i knew Him, and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

one of grandpa halsey's favorites:

FACE TO FACE

face to face with Christ, my Savior, face to face--what will it be when with rapture i behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me?

only faintly now i see Him, with the darkling veil between; but a blessed day is coming when His glory shall be seen.

what rejoicing in His presence, when are banished grief or pain; when the crooked ways are straightened and the dark things shall be plain.

face to face--o blissful moment! face to face--to see and know; face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ who loves me so!

face to face i shall behold Him, far beyond the starry sky; face to face in all His glory, i shall see him by and by!

LOVE those hymns!!! MISS those grandparents!!!

must ask g & g matchette what their favorites are...i'll post those, too...

wanna a good read???

2011-02-04T11:21:00.002-05:00

more like...wanna a disturbing/cringe-worthy/can't-put-it-down read???

very well-written, very thought-provoking, VERY good books!!!

finished all three within days.

so glad i didn't find them before all three were written and released...

they're meant for young adults, but i really enjoyed them...kinda violent...kinda graphic (descriptions of violence, not sex stuff)...with a love triangle thrown in for good measure.

i recommend...

OOPSY!!!

2011-02-03T10:48:00.002-05:00

***OOPS!!! i put sugar down twice in the banana crunch muffin recipe...see below for correction!!!***

hope no one has tried to make the muffins...or you had good sense to find my mistake...or you called me, like katie did, to ask about it.

SEE?!! this is why i shouldn't be allowed in a kitchen...

M-MM-MMM...

2011-02-01T14:14:00.003-05:00

banana crumb muffins:

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

3 mashed, ripe bananas

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. melted butter (5+ T.)

crumb topping:

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 T. flour

1/8 t. cinnamon

1 T softened butter

1. preheat oven to 375

2. mix muffin ingredients and spoon into cupcake papers or a greased cupcake pan

3. mix crumb topping ingredients and sprinkle over muffins

4. bake for 18-20 minutes

YUMMMMMMMY!!!

zu-zu...

2011-02-01T14:12:00.001-05:00

LOVES to lay in her bed and stare at her animals...HAPPY, HAPPY baby!!!

snow day...

2011-02-01T14:10:00.001-05:00

love the pant leg...

the boob tube...or tv...or my bff...

2011-01-31T11:40:00.009-05:00

i love tv. i LOVE tv! I.LOVE.TV!!!!!

there. i've said it...admitted what causes me no small amount of shame...hello, my name is amy and i'm addicted to tv. more specifically, i am addicted to the tv being on...i don't necessarily sit around all day watching tv...but the tv is on ALL. DAY. it is company...a constant noise that every once in a while will catch my attention, i'll watch for a few minutes, and then it's back to the task at hand. yes, i do DO things...my house is not a mess (in fact, quite the opposite...come on over and use my bathroom...i won't be embarrassed)...the dishes are done, the beds are made, the kids are fed, bathed, and most days clothed. tv doesn't keep me from being productive...it keeps me company.

i love to hear paula deen prattling on about butter in her southern drawl...i love to hear the neely's banter back and forth in their most flirtatious way as they make the most delicious looking ribs...i love to see which house the house hunters choose, how the wedding/birthday cake looks when it's finished, and what happens to the poor stupid teenage girl when her boyfriend realizes that HE can leave and she's left to raise her baby on her own.

last week i was feeling especially guilty about the tv being on so much...i decided one morning to NOT turn the tv on...i got jackson his milk and began to feed zoey...when jackson starts making the "please" sign and pointing to the tv. uh-oh. when i tell him "no, we're not going to watch tv this morning", there was an actual fit pitched...and that was it for me. no doubt about it, my addiction was now affecting my very impressionable one year old...crap.

i know exactly what must be done...DO NOT want to do it...but i must...break up...with the tv. it won't be a complete departure...we'll still be friends...it just has to be the end (or the limitation) of a very unhealthy addiction/obsession.

SO...

in an effort to watch LESS tv/keep the tv off, i've been trying to think of things to do and ways to replace the temptation that tv is to me...and now is to jackson...(oh, the sins of the mother!)...

cleaning...already do that

reading...could be tough to do with two little ones, but i LOVE to read. another embarrassing confession--i read with the tv on...i know--WHY?!!

crafting/decorating...not practical or necessary in my current situation

cooking...um, no thank you--i like to watch other people doing it--for me, it should remain a spectator activity

exercising...YES, definitely will be doing that when the weather warms up

blogging...yeah, i could probably keep things more current without having to post THREE months of pictures in one day

listening to music...YES!!!

jackson loves music...dances to EVERY commercial and theme song he hears...

***SO embarrassing***

(this is jackson listening to the ipad commercial...about twenty times...because we have a dvr and can rewind tv...his FAVORITE commercial--a one year old should not have a favorite commercial...if you watch long enough, you will see him begin to pitch a fit because we do not want to rewind it ONE MORE TIME)

why not listen to REAL music? why not listen to music that edifies? learn to count, learn the ABCs, learn "school-ish" stuff? OR what about all those sunday school songs...yeah, that would be good...cause they're about Jesus...and what's more important than learning about Jesus?!!

the songs that came to mind are the "hide em' in your heart" songs that steve green put out many, many years ago...the bible verse songs...would be good for jackson...and for his mommy who has such a difficult time prioritizing scripture memorization. found them this morning...on itunes...and...no offense, steve green, but if i have to listen to those songs all day, every day i'll go crazy. so itunes, being ever-so-helpful, suggested some other albums i might like and i found...

these are songs that i can actually listen to without wanting to pull my eardrums out. maybe you've already heard of them...they're super great...several different volumes...the website is linked below...

http://www.seedsfamilyworship.net/

so, replacing some tv time with scripture memorization and worship is a good place to start...but by no means the end to my quest to occupy my time with something other than the boob tube...

the mama says "no, no"...

2011-01-26T13:49:00.004-05:00

jackson is learning animal sounds...SO super cute!!!

what does a cow say? "MOOOOOO"

what does a kitty say? "mow, mow" (meow, meow but sounds like mow, mow)

what does a bear say? "ROAR!!!!" (REALLY gets into this one and is the "go to" sound when he doesn't know what sound the animal makes)

what does a pig say? not quite a sound, yet...wrinkled nose and a head bob...hasn't learned to snort

what does a birdie say? "weet, weet"

and for fun one day i asked, "jackson, what does mommy say?"

his reply??? "NO, NO, NO"

hilarious.

she's a supermodel...

2011-01-20T18:04:00.002-05:00

2011-01-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

pretty in pink...

2011-01-20T17:56:00.000-05:00

cutest outfit EVER...

2011-01-20T17:33:00.001-05:00

my FAVORITES...

2011-01-20T17:24:00.001-05:00

one more...

2011-01-13T17:53:00.002-05:00

favorite position...

had the kids' pictures made...went to sears thinking that i'd go to a cheap place since i didn't know how they'd do...didn't want to waste a bunch of money for a "meltdown" kind of a day...no meltdowns, but it took forever...and then we discovered that sears is NOT a cheap place to get pictures made...after ALL THAT WORK of getting jackson to stay in one place and smile...after ALL THAT WORK of getting zoey to look at the camera without looking totally cross-eyed...cheapest package: $150!!! umm, no thanks. so, i ordered a few good ones...but you can see all of them at sears.com...

www.sears.com

find the link to the photography studio

click on "my pictures"

enter session number: 137847

enter password: JTXV3

a good before the haircut shot...

2011-01-13T17:51:00.001-05:00

yep, it was time...

first haircut...take 2...

2011-01-13T17:44:00.003-05:00

on our way...no idea what is about to happen...

started out just as badly as the first...

...but this lady was prepared for the tears and snot...

with bubbles...
with "yo gabba gabba"...
with a super fun spaceship to sit in...

...and mommy was prepared

with french fries...
and chocolate milk...

and once he forgot that she was touching his head, he was able to watch his favorite TV show...he actually even smiled and laughed...

he looks like such a big boy...and SO HANDSOME!!!

not black and white...

2011-01-13T17:42:00.001-05:00

hope realized...

2011-01-13T17:35:00.002-05:00

these are the outfits mentioned in a long ago post...a post written before our first IVF attempt...i bought them to "be positive"...who knew at the time what their story would be...

miracle #1

"popsicle" and miracle #2...can you believe that this one was frozen for a year and a half???

if someone told me two years ago that i would have TWO kids in TWO years, i would have punched them in the face for being so insensitive to my infertility...

beyond what i could have asked or imagined!!!

first bath...

2011-01-13T17:30:00.002-05:00

not too many to post...since most of the shots show how dirty my kitchen sink is...

she's very calm during baths...a good thing because she gets lots of them...with that much hair and mommy constantly kissing the top of her head and jackson constantly petting her...all signs of a well-loved baby...

christmas morning...

2011-01-13T17:18:00.002-05:00

how much longer will we be able to...

...put candy that matt and i like to eat in his stocking?

...give them gifts that we return the very next day because they take up too much room?

...not buy them gifts because they'll never remember getting nuttin' for christmas?

thank goodness aunts, uncles, and grandparents aren't such scrooges or it would have been a sad little christmas in the miller house...

christmas jammies...

2011-01-13T17:00:00.002-05:00

he thinks he'll keep her...

2010-12-20T11:57:00.002-05:00

he's been surprisingly sweet and gentle with zoey...loves to hold her hands...

she's here...

2010-12-13T11:35:00.002-05:00

Zoey Isabelle Miller

December 11, 2010

7lbs. 13 oz.

21"

2:20 pm

more pictures...

www.bellababyphotography.com

click "view photos"

password: 1211zoeymiller

what you don't want to see...

2010-12-01T11:04:00.002-05:00

the man's hands shaking uncontrollably as he cuts your baby's hair for the first time...

all those pretty curls...gone. so sad.

what a nightmare experience: was gonna take him to the girl who cut my hair, but that was 30 minutes away and daddy was threatening to get out the clippers...NO WAY!!! so i went to a salon in the mall...how bad could it be?! just wanted someone to trim up over his ears and take a little length off the back. it went something like this:

set jackson in a chair so that i could get out my camera for a "before" shot.

SCREAMING little red head!

camera battery turns out to be dead...almost decide to forget it because his first haircut won't be documented properly.

SCREAMING LOUDER little red head!!

put jackson on my lap and started shoveling a cookie COVERED in frosting into his mouth.

SCREAMING SO MUCH LOUDER little red head!!! wait, a cookie? maybe i'll calm down...

man with shaky hands (who, by the way, doesn't speak english very well--does he understand what i want him to do???) brings his scissors to take the first snip.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME--SCREAMING THE LOUDEST EVER little red head!!!!

mommy pins his little, flailing body to her 8 months pregnant body and holds on as tight as possible telling the man, "just even it up if you can"...mommy now COVERED with snot and hair and cookie and frosting.

only "after" pictures and a single curl in a plastic bag...i think i'm going to pretend that his first haircut never happened and try again...when he's 5.

his little spot...

2010-12-01T11:02:00.001-05:00

if it's quiet and i'm not sure what he's up to, i'll usually find him here...in his favorite wagon in his favorite corner of his room...

baby, it's cold outside...

2010-12-01T10:56:00.001-05:00

no, she didn't get a chunk of his hand...and he thought it was funny...

angry flower...

2010-10-31T20:27:00.000-04:00

once again, not happy about the costume...

"C" is for cookie...

2010-10-31T20:10:00.003-04:00

"jackson, wanna be a cookie?"

"um, no thanks."

and finally...sweet cooperation...

"if i wear this, i get candy?!!"

four lousy houses...that's all we could find...good thing he quickly forgot the candy, enjoyed the wagon ride, and was completely happy with a leaf from the ground...

i bought FIVE bags of candy...FIVE BAGS!!! and we've had a total of ONE knock on the door...matt's taking the rest to work...next year, forget it--we're putting jackson in the car and hitting a fancy neighborhood like everyone else seems to do...

to great matchette's house we go...

2010-10-31T20:03:00.002-04:00

on our way...sure are cute when they're sleeping...

went on lots of walks with grandpa...

at the park...

LOVE IT!!!

afraid hair cut is in his near future...too many people refering to him as "her"...

pumpkin patch...

2010-10-19T10:04:00.001-04:00

it looked like pumpkin patch '10 was gonna be a lot like pumpkin patch '09...lots of tears and sadness...UNTIL we found some fun things to do...

sandboxes filled with corn...

TRACTORS...by far the favorite...

2010-10-19T09:59:00.002-04:00

pony tire swing...

pickin' a pumpkin...

and running away from daddy in the hay maze...

30 weeks...

2010-10-01T12:10:00.002-04:00

had a few contractions during church last sunday...not the squeezy kind, but the HURTY kind. thought i should finish getting things together...just in case...

we're ready for you, baby girl...10 more weeks then you have to promise to COME OUT!!!

overalls...my FAVORITE!!!

2010-10-01T12:01:00.002-04:00

new favorite: ELMO...LOVES ELMO!!!

old favorite: BOOKS!!!

is there anything cuter than a little boy in overalls?!!

CHEESE!!!

2010-10-01T11:48:00.001-04:00

THIS is what you get when you say "cheese" to jackson...he won't EAT cheese, but he'll certainly give you the cutest "cheese" face ever!!!

because you can never have too many tubby pictures...

2010-09-10T10:09:00.003-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACKSON!!!

2010-09-10T09:39:00.005-04:00

these pictures are all out of order...and didn't necessarily all take place on his actual birthday...oh well...my brain is not smart enough to figure out how to load them and then post blogs in sequential order...and really--who cares???

these are all AFTER party pictures...

a radio flyer wagon from grandma and grandpa matchette...LOVES IT...it sits in his room because we don't have a garage...and i often go in his room and find him sitting in it...LOVES IT!!!

look at that hair blowing in the wind!!!

tonka dump truck from mommy and daddy...find him sitting in this, too...wants to be pushed and pulled back and forth...

CAKE!!!

2010-09-10T09:36:00.001-04:00

jackson really wasn't into his cake...AT ALL...we were pushing his fingers into it...NOT interested...

snickerdoodle and strawberry cupcakes...YUM!!!

didn't like the hat on his head...so...

we took a picture of it on the counter...

2010-09-10T09:33:00.001-04:00

first, tentative touch...

THIS is as messy as he got...how boring!

a sip of milk to wash it all down...

PRESENTS!!!

2010-09-10T09:30:00.001-04:00

most impressed by the SIZE of this one...

a wagon...YAY!!! just what i wanted!!!

noisy hammer...having a hard time figuring out how to GET IT OUT...

2010-09-10T09:21:00.001-04:00

racing cars...

dump truck...love those eyes!!!

NOISY dinosaur from aunt katie...noisy, but at least it plays a new song or two...we--mommy and daddy--were getting sick of the songs his jumper plays...nice to listen to a new one...4,000 times a day...

john deere tractor from grandpa...

POOL!!!

2010-09-10T09:08:00.003-04:00

best pictures i could get...wasn't looking at me in any of them...was too focused on the WATER...LOVES the water...crawls out of this floating contraption and tries to go face first into the water...still has not learned NOT to do that...even after countless nose-fulls of water and coughing/sneezing fits...after a visit to the pool, i spend the rest of the afternoon worrying that he's going to drown in his sleep...did you know that can happen??? IT.CAN. if you get water in your lungs, you can drown hours later...it's true.

he flirts with all the pretty girls he sees at the pool...smiles and babbles to them until they tell him how cute he is...little ladies man...