Halloween

At work today, Flo joined a big band of hippies!

 This evening we participated in our first Trunk or Treat at church and we had so much fun. Since we had a cute little alligator to wrangle we decided we would be none other than the swamp people.

Here is our vehicle...oh, and the alligator we caught.

 Handsome little boy!

 Mommy and daddy with our prize trophy!

We had so much fun at Trunk or Treat seeing all the cute little kiddos! We bought a ton of candy and came home with zero. We are definitely looking forward to next year!!

Happy Halloween!!

Independent play

On the mornings that I am home with Wyatt (I in no way expect this while his grandmas are keeping him!) I encourage independent play. After his first bottle, I sit him down with toys all around and let him play by himself. He starts out sitting there and either he tumbles to his tummy or I get him there so he can wiggle around that way after about 15 minutes. His total time for independent play is about 30 minutes and I all I do during this time is usually pick up the house. I pop in and out of the living room keeping an eye on him and talking to him if he looks at me. Other than that he's all on his own. I have the tv with Nick Jr on playing in the background, but Wyatt has never shown any interest in the tv. (Not complaining!)  I think this is very important for him because I want him to be confident in entertaining himself.

Like I said it's no more than 30 minutes and by that time I'm ready to begin playing with him!

Obviously, he is a fan of teethers...

Friends...

Oh dear...mommy's done got to thinking too much...

I am very, very lucky to be able to provide exceptional childcare for my kid. I only work 24 hours a week. I am there with my baby for 4 solid days in a row each and every week. I am unbelievably blessed because of this. On those days that I don’t get to be at home my baby gets exceptional care because his grandmas keep him. He spends Monday and Wednesday mornings with my mom and the afternoons of those days as well as all day Tuesday with Ryan’s mom. He gets the absolute best care and spoiled beyond belief. Not only does he get to spend time with his grandmas he gets to spend all that time at his own home, with his own bed, with his favorite toys. It is a great system that we have going on and I am very thankful for our mothers.

What is not so wonderful about all this is that my sweet little boy doesn’t have any friends. ISN’T THAT TERRIBLE SOUNDING?! Okay, I realize I am being super dramatic, but it just sounds pitiful. I said to Ryan last night, “I need to find the baby some friends. Don’t you think he needs friends?” His typical male response was “He’s  6 months old. He doesn’t need friends.” Really?  Gah. He’s just not seeing it as I am. I came back with, “well not real friends, but play buddies because he is old enough to interact with them.” He then agreed with me. I guess that’s what happens when you have babies that are watched by a private babysitter. I plan to let Wyatt start daycare after he turns one so he can begin learning outside of the home and developing social skills, but that’s not for another 6 months! I’ve seriously got to figure something out so my baby can have someone to play with. Do other moms feel this way? That somehow they are cheating their kids or have I developed this inside my head? My husband doesn’t see any problem with it that Wyatt’s primary interaction is with his family. He needs a baby(ies) to stare at and grab for and “play” with… At least I think so. What do you think? And if so, how do I go about finding these cute little babies for Wyatt to play with?! Haha! Parenting is so awkward! It’ll be nice when Payton and Emma are here and in about 6 months we can have playdates and my little Wyatt can entertain their babies!

See, I'm too cute just to hang with mommy all the time!

28 weeks

Yesterday before work we had a little photo shoot with one happy baby!

Our internet was down yesterday, so here they are today. I didn't forget our weekly picture...technology just had another idea

Oh you didn't know?

Babies are expensive. Point blank. That’s what we were told at least, so we kind of knew what we were getting ourselves into. What is surprising to me, however, is that during Wyatt’s first 6 months of life he actually wasn’t that expensive. In fact, expensive isn’t even the word for it. I’d go even further to say that it was rather cheap. Formula was our most expensive item, but I even figured out how to beat that system by testing formulas and eventually going with Target’s Up and Up. We started with Enfamil Newborn formula, but the vitamin D in it made Wyatt spit-up horribly. We transitioned to Enfamil infant and he did great on it, but he drank a lot…like 8 oz bottles 5 times a day so it was getting pricey so I started researching other formula. We decided to try the equivalent in Target’s Up and Up, asked the pediatrician about it, and went ahead with it. Wyatt did great on it and we never looked back. So now, I buy formula once a month as well as wipes. With diapers, I subscribe and save with Amazon Moms so I don’t ever think  about whether or not we are running short on diapers because I know they are delivered the 3^rd day of each month for us. I get enough diapers (and our favorite Pampers) for $30.74. Bargain, right? Yes!

What we are discovering now is how expensive Wyatt is truly getting. By this, I mean toys. If you’ve never had to buy baby toys be ready for a shock. Every time we go to Walmart (which is probably every two weeks) we pick up a new toy. Or, truth be told, I make special trips to buy toys for little man. The cheapest of toys is right around 10 bucks and I usually only buy the cheaper ones when Ryan is with me. I can get away with the $20-$25 ones when I am alone much easier. I get so excited when Wyatt gets to play with said toys. No joke. I can’t wait to see how he interacts with it. The only saving grace to the madness that is toy buying? Chances are we will be able to get away with buying zero toys for probably the first year of the second baby’s life. Well, if we have another little boy which I’m hoping is the case. If we do have a little girl, I guess we start the vicious cycle all over again and say goodbye to bats and balls and all things blue and start with the frilly pink baby dolls! Thank goodness Christmas is approaching soon so all the grandparents can start splurging on Wyatt too!

Saturday Laughs

1. It happened...that moment I was unsure of what to do...how to do it...why I was taking so long to do it. My precious little Wyatt pooped. Normal, right? Yes. But in his high chair...after some fruit, yogurt, and milk...while dressed in a white onesie...while I was folding laundry...and I was in actual normal cute clothes for once. It was a disaster. I picked him up after I caught a smell of it it and for some strange reason I knew not to hold him on my hip. Instead I carried him out in front of me making him laugh all the way to the changing table. I laid him down and caught the first glimpse of what I dreaded...the blowout. Poop was everywhere. I didn't know where to begin really. I started taking the onesie off and quickly realized it was all up his back.I think I panicked for a second wishing that Ryan was home because the only other time this has happened was when he found the surprise and we tag teamed it. Today was different...I had to make the decision of what to do and it became very clear to me after I kept getting more poop on him once it got all over the changing table cover. Off to the bathroom we went with our diaper still on...(clearly I wasn't thinking because normally I would have proceeded to remove diaper and clean up as best I could). I got him to the bathroom (and this is where I hang my head in shame) ripped off the diaper and set my naked baby with poop on him into the bath and started the water. Do you know what happened when you put an unwiped booty in the tub? Poop goes EVERYWHERE. Luckily, I had enough sense to not plug the water. After I was in the midst of letting the poop float around in the tub I realized I was wearing a cute shirt that I planned to continue to wear the rest of the day., Of course I didn't want poop on it so I immediately took it off and threw it on the counter and continued washing Wyatt until he was glistening and smelling like pure deliciousness (you know there is nothing better than a fresh, clean, baby). So, it turns out I gave my little baby a bath in just a bra. I am so weird and should be ashamed. But once it was all said and done (and I was fully clothed) I couldn't help but laugh and the ridiculousness of what just took place. This is motherhood...and I can't get enough.

Post afternoon bath!

2. Babies take tumbles. Ask Ryan. Wyatt sits up good but sometimes he falls over. The key to no tears is having him sit in the center where if he does fall he is completely padded...not on the outskirts where padding is almost non-existent. Ridge, Erin, and Haley were over on Thursday and Erin was sitting on the blankets with the boys and all of a sudden I heard it. THE thump. The unmistakable thump that signifies your baby has just fallen over on the outskirts. The thump was immediately followed by "I didn't do it!!!" from Ridge. At least he was honest. I know Erin felt horrible, but what Ridge said was down right hilarious. I quickly picked up Wyatt, let him cry, and soon all was well in the world again.

3. My kid wears a size 4W. That is a size 4 WIDE. We went shoe shopping yesterday. By the time he is 2 we will be shopping in the Big and Tall department.

4. Wyatt has started sticking out his tounge and blowing spit bubbles. It's really cute actually. What makes it funny is when he does it while eating mixed fruit and food goes flying everywhere. He's just so proud you can't help but laugh.

A visual sans-fruit.

5. Is it mean to purposely make your kid cry for you? Okay, good. I thought I was alone. Wyatt has started crying when I leave the room. We learned this when I left to go wash dishes and Ryan couldn't get him to stop. As soon as I reappeared he stopped. It happened again that night when we were getting him ready for bed. That's when I decided to make my kid cry intentionally and we kept seeing if that's really why he was crying and it was! We got a good laugh out of it and proceeded to call him a momma's boy. We are beginning to sound like bullies I realize.



I am linking up with The Mommyhood Chronicles.

6 month check up

This morning we had Wyatt's 6 month check up.

Here are his stats:

Weight: 21.6 lbs (95th percentile)

Height: 27.5 in (90th percentile)

We've got us a pretty big boy, but we already knew that!

Here's me and baby...excuse my just woke up look/hair. Ryan and I caught up on 5 weeks of Revenge (my new favorite show!!!) and didn't get to bed until 12:30 and I was certain I had set the alarm for 7. Instead, I woke up at 7:45 and we rushed around to get out of the house by 8:20...we made it at least!

 Daddy even came this time! I think his heart broke just as much as mine when he saw Wyatt getting his shots. I've taken him by myself for the shots but daddy came this time. I'm sure it will be his last!

Wyatt was sweet enough to share some milk with daddy...in the form of spit-up, but whatever. That's love.

The shots weren't near as possible this time around. Wyatt cried for maybe 3 minutes (seemed like 30) and then he was okay. He was snoozing before we even got to the stoplight leaving the doctors so we went to Chick-Fil-A to get some breakfast. Yum! He is snoozing soundly in his bed right now and I can't help but keep peeking in on him just to make sure he's okay.

We are so blessed to have a healthy, thriving little big boy!!

27 weeks

I prefer to focus on my pup rather than some carrots...

Birchbox 2

Friday I got my 2nd birchbox. I got mints, organic face wash (that I LOVE), lip exfoliator, blinc mascara, and Redken Shine finisher.

I really like the face wash...I'm considering buying a big tube of it. The smell kind of gets to me, but the way it cleanses is great. I also have the moisturizer that I really like from last month.

I haven't tried the lip exfoliator yet or the blinc mascara. I'm a big fan of trying out mascaras so I'm pretty excited to try it.

I have also tried the Redken finishing spray and yah, I guess my hair looked shinier but the smell was kind of gross...maybe it will grow on me. Who knows.

This was well worth the $10. I guess it's official I will continue to keep my subscription!

Wyatt says...

Today, Wyatt would like to tell you:

Hope you're having a great Sunday!!

Pumpkin Patch

Last Sunday we took Wyatt to his (and our) first pumpkin patch. We were actually surprised at how much fun we had. Pictures tell this story a lot better than I can.

Here is Wyatt with his first pumpkin!

Next year will be a lot of fun because he will be bigger and be able to do the hayride. I just love having a baby to do stuff like this with!

Here are all of our pumpkins from the patch...

 I gussied up the tall one. I think it's so cute next to our front door.

I wish

1.I could have another night like this:

Two of these pretty ladies need to pop out their babies already so we can possibly do something to this extent again… Okay, okay. Let’s be honest. A night out in the bar singing karaoke does sound really, really fun…but I know how we are now. We are old, married or seriously committed, and have (are about to have) off-springs or fur-babies so more like a girls night in with lots (and lots) of rum and tequila and ooohing and ahhhing over our babies and sharing stories of our dear husbands would be more like it. The night would end approximately 10 o’clock but no later than 11 when our significant other picked up us and drove us home and we told them just how much we love them in our most adorable slurred speech. Yes, that does sound like a fun night don’t you agree? The last baby will be born in February…I will start trying for baby numero dos about that time so really I have a very small window for this fun night on my wish list to happen. Crap. I guess this is why it’s a wish list.

2.There was a cleaning fairy that visited me once a week. Okay, maybe not even a fairy but a person (read: husband) that for one entire week didn’t make me clean the house not a once. Wouldn’t that be marvelous? Now don’t get me wrong, Ryan helps me tremendously around the house but I have to ask for the help and on occasion he will do something on his own. I would love, love, love to not do any dishes, laundry, dusting, bathroom duties, nada for a week. Let’s actually go farther than that and say 5 days. I have 4 days off every week so I would like to at least give my fairy a break with 2 days off. See, I can be nice. While I probably will never have a fairy I am okay with this because in reality said fairy would never do it the way I wanted it.

3. That I didn’t just have to pay $5 so that my blog could have pictures.  I’m good for a year people…an entire year until next October when I get to pay another $5. To rationalize I tell the hubs that it’s less than .42 a month. Genius, no? He loves my blog so he quickly agreed that the $5 purchase is in fact worthwhile.

4. I could go golfing with Ryan soon. Ideally before the year is over…but weekends are for family time and going golfing with a baby isn’t really fair to Wyatt. I don’t think.

5. I felt more comfortable letting Wyatt stay at least one night with his Nana and one night with his Mimi a month.  Currently, Wyatt stays only one night away from home each month and it alternates between my mom and Ryan’s mom. This month his Nana (Ryan’s mom) got him and next month his Mimi (my mom) gets him. We always know which weekend little boy will be away from us and it’s usually when we have something planned, but I’d like to start making it one night for each of the grandmas because I know just how much they adore having him spend the night…But I HATE being away from Wyatt and miss him terribly by the time we go pick him up. We will see. We may start the in January. Along with this, I wish I didn’t feel the guilt that I do feel when we let him spend the night. Mom guilt is always there people. ALWAYS…even when you know you are doing something beneficial for your kid like letting him stay in a different environment occasionally and letting his grandparents get extra lovin’s on him.

6.I had my long pretty hair again. I am SLOWLY growing it back out. Having a baby and losing a ton of hair months after I had him and this re-growth crap I’ve got going on is ridiculous. However, I can tell by pictures that my hair is in fact getting longer. I just have to have patience. I’d like to grow it out, enjoy it, chop it all off again, and donate to Pantene again.

7.The cold weather would show up and stay. I hope that by the time we take family pictures for our Christmas card that it’s maybe a chilly 60s degrees. Is that so much to ask for?

8.Some people weren’t so awkward, but then again being  an awkward moment’s number one fan it’skind of okay. We occasionally have to be around said people and it’s usually quite interesting. We always joke about whether they “will know us this time or not.” We always get a good laugh out of it after the fact. Some people will never change though…glad the hubs finally sees it now.

9.My baby wasn’t growing up so fast. I want to cry with each passing month. It is seriously such a love/hate thing I’ve got going on with it. I love seeing him blossom and grow and develop, but I also miss those cute, cuddly, newborn days. I’ve decided to have 4 kids…did you know that? While my uterus and I are on the same page the one person that I get these babies from put his foot down. H-E-L-L-O that would mean 4 cars, 4 college tuitions, 4 weddings, etc Um…how about no. Guess he is right. Babies are just so addicting though…the exact reason my needs to stop growing at warp speed!

10. I knew the difference between when to use “me” and when to use “I”. I seriously suck so bad at it and then I try and learn it and I get it and then it’s gone a week later because I get myself all sorts of confused. However, I am not perfect. To my husband, yes. My baby, yes. My parents, yes. Okay, so I totally lied about that…but whatever. Like I was saying, I’m not perfect and I do allow myself some mistakes and the proper use of those two words isn’t on my big list of knowing what is proper and what is not. I like to think I am in the majority when it comes to lack of proper use of them. Is that right? Do you know how to use them? Like really use them or just let yourself believe that you know how to use them? I have a college degree…I should know this right? It should be on some sort of exit exam for the 7^th grade along with the proper spelling of vacuum. (For me, the only way I remember to spell this with two “u”s is that uuuuuu are more important. You’re welcome.) Word tells me when to use the right one. What does word know? I know some people reading this are disgusted, but you know what? I don’t care…don’t read if it bothers you that much.

Those are some of my wishes…what are some of yours!?

6 months

-Size 3 Pampers

-Shoe size 4

-Clothes are a few 6-9, but mostly 9, 9-12 month

-weighing I'm guessing 21-22 lbs? Checkup is next Friday so I'll post that then

-Still are eating every 3 hours. We finally finished up all the veggies and then all the fruit so now we are on to stage 2 foods. You take 5 bottles a day and solid food with 3 of those bottles. You despise peaches, but absolutely love bananas. You also really like the yogurt. You will open your mouth so wide when we give you it, it's precious.

-Still sleeping 8pm-8am without a peep.

-You "crawl" in circles and backwards.

-You do what we call "push-ups" which is when you lift your body in the push up position. It is so adorable and always gives us a good laugh.
-You are all over the house in your walker. We limit your time in the walker so you will perfect your crawling, but it is so fun when you are in it during that little bit of time. You get so stinkin' excited.
-We are beginning to baby proof the house. Everything on the tables get pushed back because if not you are a crazy grabbing fool. You think that everything is yours.
-Still doing really good with your sippy cup.
-You are a big time wiggle worm when we hold you.
- You have mastered sitting up by yourself even better but you still occasionally take a tumble
-You've started reaching for us but mommy is your go to person
-Paci baby only in the crib still
-Started holding your own bottles but still need some assistance

 Also, our first time to play with pots and pans. Presh!

26 weeks

26 weeks old and I've got one cute little booty!

I love that he's starting to pop that little booty up in the air when he sleeps! So stinkin

 cute!

Weekend Recap

Saturday we went to a wedding in Scott at the Marlsgate Plantation.

It was absolutely beautiful there. I only wish we could have gone inside the house.

Someone was excited...

Okay, so maybe not that excited, but at least he made me happy by taking this picture.

I love this picture of us! Clearly, since it is currently on my header.

Nothing really exciting to report regarding the rest of the evening. We left the reception and stopped in Conway for dinner and some drinks before heading back to Russellville to stop at some friend's house to finish the game against Auburn. We wish we could have made it, but it is what it is. Hopefully we will get to watch a really good exciting game when we go in a few weeks!

Sunday Wyatt experienced his first pumpkin patch, which I will post later this week!

P.S. I will encourage you to wear orange on Wednesday. Why? It's Unity Day in the fight against bullying. You can read about it here.

SUYL: Marley Phoenix

Anyone remember this little guy?

His name is Marley and every now and then I like to mention him because he was in fact our first born baby...our "practice" baby if you will. I got him one month before I met Ryan so it's like he has always been our baby. We did everything with Marley. Well, Marley did everything with us. He went on all trips that he could and if he couldn't he had very loving grandparents that would keep him. He is the sweetest little dog.

When I became pregnant I often wondered how Marley would do with a sibling. It was clear that Marley's world was going to be turned upside down, but I wasn't sure to what extent. He was so sweet during my entire pregnancy and even became my baby during those 9 months. He would lay with me and not his daddy which was a very rare occurance.

The day I had Wyatt we wrapped him up in a receiving blanket we had brought from home. That blanket soaked up all that newborn sweetness and we sent the blanket home with my parents who were keeping Marley until we came home from the hospital. Mom said Marley sniffed the blanket out of curiousity and ended up laying on it whenever he decided to lay down. I'm sure I cried over this when I heard about it.

When we brought Wyatt home Marley was there waiting for us...as soon as we set Wyatt down on the floor in his carseat to meet Marley his big brother eagerly ran up and gave him a big kiss on the mouth. It was seriously the sweetest thing. Minutes later when we got him on the couch I caught this on camera:

I then knew that Marley was going to be a great big brother.

As Wyatt gets older and much more curious about Marley you can see their little relationship blossoming. Wyatt gets so tickled at Marley and Marley...well, he tolerates Wyatt pulling on his ears and trying to eat him. Marley is never too far away from us when we are playing with the baby and still very willing to share some mouth kisses with Wyatt. I love our little dog...even if he is just that...a dog... and no longer our main love.