5.30.2010

No Stopping him now!

He learned to go up and down the small stairs in grandma and grandpa's rec room Sunday. He also learned what a glass door was. Should have got that on camera, his nose was all smushed up on the glass-too funny. He really likes playing in their rec room there is so much room to crawl around!! But once he tried the stairs he went up and down and up and down!! Why do kids find stuff like that so amusing?!

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He is on the move!

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Let's try climbing stairs. . .

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. . . one stair. . .

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. . . two stairs!

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Can you see my mom and grandma in the doorway?

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Mom found a turtle out in the yard and thought for sure he'd be scared of it- Nope! He wanted to hold it! She had to take it back out, because he got mad that she wouldn't let him touch it. Ewww! I guess he is 100% all boy!

5.29.2010

Welcome baby Archer!

Archer William Johnson was born Friday morning and weighed 7lbs 4oz and was 20 1/2 inches! Stratton is so excited to have a cousin and we are very excited to have a nephew!! Archer and Jennifer are both doing great! Jennifer is bouncing back so quickly! Only a couple of hours after having Archer she didn't even look tired?! She's been up doing laundry and all sorts of stuff it took me weeks to be able to do! And Jennifer and Daniel are both handling new parenthood really well! Archer is such a great baby he is going 4 hours between feedings and at night will go almost 6 hours?! They have no idea how blessed they are!! 

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Nothing sweet than a sleeping newborn!

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Man! This family has sure grown in the last 5 years!!

2 weddings + 2 babies= one big happy family!

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Nan, and her boys

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Jealous, ya think?

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Proud Uncle!

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This is so funny! He's like, "Uh, Aunt Jen, you're supposed to be holding ME?!"

5.27.2010

Slow down!!

Ok, I knew once Stratton started to crawl things would never be the same, but I didn't expect him to go from crawling to pulling up and trying to walk so quickly! I thought he'd crawl around for awhile, but apparently not. He will walk if you hold his fingers and he will walk around the ottoman or other furniture anything that he can hold onto for a little support, which makes me really nervous! The lady at daycare said she wouldn't be surprised if he started to walk on his own in the next couple of weeks?! What??!!! I am so not ready for him to walk yet!

We have had to keep the pack and play up to put him in while we get ready in the mornings. It was just taking up way too much time trying to keep our eyes on him and keep him out of stuff he should stay away from or out of. We tried the baby gate, but even just in our bedroom he can find something to get into!

He will crawl over to this window and pound on the blinds until I raise them. Then he and the dog can see each other! It was cute. . .until Sadey started scratching and chewing the screen on the window to bits! We had to take it off!! She has also started chewing at the trim around the back door and my patio chairs, now too! Just when we think that she has been doing so much better at chewing stuff! I do not recommend getting a puppy while you have a baby. It's too much sometimes! Trying to "train" them both! And when I say "NO!" to the dog, I think I am confusing Stratton!

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[he beats on the window until she comes]

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[then he stands there and talks to her]

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[yeah, she's got a rough life!]

Unfortunately, Stratton is sick- again. The daycare called yesterday and said he had thrown up. Luckily Jarrod was in town and we were actually having lunch together when they called me. So, Jarrod took off yesterday afternoon and went and picked him up from Daycare and took him to the Dr. We decided to go ahead and take him in since he has still had a really runny nose and cough and we have a busy weekend planned, so if he was getting sick at least we might get a jump on it before it got too bad. Well sure enough, his ears were really red. So, they put him on more antibiotics- the third round in a month! And also gave us a decongestant. I hope it helps this time! He hasn't ran a fever or acted like he felt bad so hopefully it won't get worse before it gets better. And I didn't know this but babies throw up when they have ear aches and congestion, it's very normal. Since they can't blow their noses like we can to get rid of it, like we can a lot of times they throw it up- yucky!! Anyway, he went back to daycare this morning and was acting just fine! Kids have such a quick turn around. 

5.24.2010

Girls and Babies Weekend: Day 3

Sunday we got up and went to church, we skipped class. I was impressed that we were all fed, dressed and ready to go for church at 10:00am! We went to lunch at Fat City since neither Meghan or Kristen had ever been there. And we got back to the house and put the boys down for a nap and got to visit some more before they left around 4:30. We had such a good time. I am so glad I finally got to meet baby Ian, and glad the girls got to meet Stratton for the first time. And so glad that Ian and Stratton got to meet and become friends! I mean after all,  they will be roomies in college some day. . .the college they attend is still debatable, Harding or U of A. I guess it depends on where they get their football scholarships, I know their daddy's are rooting for these future Razorbacks but Kristen would have major issues with that- she is not a fan, and that is putting it politely!

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[Ian really liked Fat City, even though all he got was a bottle]

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[Group shot:: Take 1]

Meghan decided she needed to hold Sadey since K and I both had babies to hold, we were laughing so hard. Can you see that look on S's face?! He's thinking "these chicks are nuts!"

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[Group shot:: Take 2]

You can see what the boys were interested in!

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[Group shot:: Take 3]

No dog this time, but the sun was really bright!

We had such a good time this weekend. It went by way too fast, though. I think we could have talked non-stop for a week! But we did have a lot to talk about! I am excited for Meghan and her hubby who are moving into a new house this weekend and she is due the end of July (and they aren't finding out what they are having so that makes it extra exciting)!! And Kristen and her family will be moving again, back to D.C., in the next few months, so that is super exciting! Jarrod and I have no plans to move or have a baby- so we are the boring ones! I am so glad that the good Lord decided that our 3 paths should cross, these girls are such a blessing to me! I love when we get to spend time together, but it makes me sad that we don't live closer and could do it more often! It's very exciting to think that the next time we do this there will be 3 babies. . .hopefully 3 boys! : )

Girls and Babies Weekend: Day 2

Saturday morning Stratton got up at 6 am, which is normal so I fed him in our room and laid him down in bed with me (which I never do) and he went back to sleep and slept until 8:30-9:00am. I got up at 8:00 and didn't even wake him up! Jarrod left about 6:30 to go his fraternity's alumni association meeting that was in Conway so we had the bed to ourselves and I was glad he went back to sleep! For most of the day on Saturday we just hung out and talked. Both the boys took a couple of good naps so we had some good time to visit.  Jarrod got home about 4pm from his meeting. He offered to keep the babies so we could go out to eat and to the movies! (Do I have great husband or what?!)

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We went to Lazzari's for supper and then went to see "Letters to Juliet". We had such a good time! Then we ran into Target to pick up a few things, have you ever been to Target as they are closing? They start turning the lights off on you, creepy!!  We got back to the house a little after 10pm, where Jarrod had successfully fed both boys supper, changed Ian into his jammies and put him to bed about 7pm, bathed Stratton and got him ready for bed and put him down about 8:30! Not that I didn't think he could do it, he is great with kids and babies, but I was impressed!

Girls and Babies Weekend: Day 1

My two best girlfriends came to visit this weekend! Both are college buddies from Harding and we don't get to see each other very often! Kristen, lives in Tampa right now and we see each other on average about once a year. I think the last time we saw each other was last May. We were both pregnant! It's been a busy year for the two of us! And my friend Meghan lives in Memphis but she is a nurse at Le Bonheur and has crazy hours, so we don't get to see each other very often, even though we live so close!  Kristen and her baby Ian flew into Memphis Thursday evening (she left Kate at home this time) and Meghan picked her up and they stayed in Memphis Thursday night. Friday after a fun maternity photo shoot (Meg is about 31 weeks pregnant and Kristen is am amateur photographer) and a trip to Target to get Meghan's baby registry going they finally made it to Jonesboro- they only got a little lost. . .

We stayed in Friday night and I cooked supper and we just hung out. The baby boys cracked us up! Ian is almost 7 months and Stratton is 10 1/2 months. They acted like little boys act, I guess. Head butting like little rams and taking things from each other, and wanting to grab at each other.  Stratton was a little more aggressive than Ian, but then he is crawling and Ian is just on the verge, so he has a little advantage over him! Stratton loved Ian's hair. He wanted to pull it and touch it. I assume out of curiosity, Like "What is this stuff and why don't I have some?!"

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We put Kristen and Ian in Stratton's room, since there is a twin bed in there already. And set Meg up a room in the office with the wonderful airbed Jarrod bought while we were in the hospital during my pregnancy. And we put Stratton in the pack and play in our room. It really worked out well! I was surprised that Stratton slept though the night and we didn't wake him up when we went to bed.

5.20.2010

Yummy! I love a new twist on old favs!

I am SO trying this tonight!! Of course I won't follow the recipe, I will have to make a few changes to make it "mine"!

Mac & Cheese Cupcakes

Ingredients

8 ounces small elbow macaroni
Olive oil
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 cups sharp cheddar
Butter
Seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chives, snipped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cook the macaroni until tender. Drain, toss with a little bit of the oil, and set aside.

3. In a medium nonstick saucepan, whisk together the milk and cornstarch until well blended. Stirring often, bring to a boil over medium heat.

4. Stir in the mustard, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened.

5. Stir in the cheddar until it melts, then fold in the macaroni.

6. Butter two cupcake pans and coat with the bread crumbs. (Be sure to shake off the excess.)

7. Fold the chives into the macaroni mixture. Spoon the mixture into the pans and top with bread crumbs to taste.

8. Bake until golden on top, 15 to 25 minutes.

5.18.2010

It's just a couple of months away?!

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I promised myself I wouldn't let it happen to me. But gearing up for "Project-1st Birthday Party" is starting to take over my life! I have loads of ideas and could spend all day and night dreaming up decorations and party details. Unfortunately, I have job and a family and lots of other things to take up my time. . . so party planning will take a back seat for now, but it's fast approaching and will be here before I know it!

Playing outside

In between the rain- and we have had A LOT of rain these past couple of weeks- we have played outside some. Stratton loves to be outside! My dad (aka "Pops") bought him a neat wagon and he loves to go for rides in it. Last Thursday night we went for a LONG walk around the neighborhood. Jarrod pulled the wagon and I pulled the dog. No kidding, we wore Sadey out! She would want to stop and I assumed she needed to take a potty break- nope. She would just lay down?! I actually had to carry her for a few minutes because she would NOT budge! Makes me laugh. Oh, and I know it looks funny that we are playing in the front yard, but in the afternoon the front yard is so nice and shady we end up sitting out there instead of the back yard where the sun is blinding!

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5.12.2010

10 months old!

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I think my "baby" is no longer a "baby". He has grown so much in the past month! It has really been a crazy one! Between being us all being sick, a few tornado scares, Jarrod being gone for three weeks, Stratton learning to crawl, birthday parties, showers, mother's day . . . . it's been hectic to say the least!

Play: He is such a busy, busy boy now! He has already learned how to open drawers and cabinet doors, pull or push things off tables, he has head butted just about every piece of furniture we own-and has the bruises to prove it- and he is mastering the art of pulling up. . . . and falling over! He loves to be outside! My dad bought him a new wagon (like the one Carson and Olivia had that he liked) yesterday and took him for a ride yesterday evening, he said he loved it, so I guess we will be going for walks pulling a wagon now. He likes the cat and the dog, he gets so excited just watching them! He also likes books, well eating them anyway! We try and read to him every night, but it's hard when he is constantly trying to grab at them!

Sleep: Stratton usually goes down sometime between 8:30 and 9:00pm. And he is almost always bright eyed and ready to get up and go by 6:00am. And it doesn't matter what time you put him to bed he is always up early. I think we just have an early riser on our hands- great. Lately he wakes up and will play in his crib for awhile, he rarely fusses when he wakes up. He takes 2-3 naps a day. There have been a few days where he didn't nap at all- that makes for a fun evening. I know it must be hard to slow down and take a nap at daycare when there is so much going on, but he is so much more pleasant when he gets good naps!

Food: He is finally eating small pieces of food like a champ! I was amazed at how quickly he caught on to feeding himself! Anything he can eat with his hands he is into. He LOVES puffs and those yogurt melts, they are such a life saver!! Instant happiness for a fussy baby! He is eating 4-5 tbsp. of cereal in the morning along with a container of fruit for breakfast, a container of veggies and a container of fruit for lunch and the same thing for supper except depending on what it is we might give him some more cereal. We are in between stage 2 and stage 3 foods. He doesn't seem to be picky, except it doesn't seem like he like anything with tomato sauce, like the step 3 spaghetti or lasagna. He is still taking about 5-6 bottles a day, 6 oz in the morning and at night before bed and then 4 oz along with his meals and one around 3pm for a snack. He absolutely will not hold his bottle. My mom says I never held mine either, so maybe it's hereditary, I think it's just pure laziness though!  He really doesn't like the sippy cup-even the ones with the straws he might take a little water out of, but no way will he take his formula in one! In fact he gets pretty upset when you try to do so! But he at least he will hold those, so maybe someday soon we can get him weaned off those bottles!

Clothes: He is wearing mostly 12 months or 12-18 months. I am really glad it's time for shorts!! We can actually put him in 9 mo size shorts since his waist is so skinny. Pants in a 9 mo size however, look like man-capri's-not cool. So, those we have to buy the bigger size, as we have to in body suits and one pieces. His torso is so long that he needs at least a 12 mo for the length! I broke down and bought several things from Target a few weeks back. Going to daycare is really messy!

Miscellaneous other stuff: This kids LOVES to take a bath! I think he would stay in there for hours if we would let him!! He has 7 teeth, might possibly be working on #8 right now? He loves kids and likes to watch other kiddos running and playing. He has also just started to have a little bit of separation anxiety from me. I hear it's pretty common at this age!

5.11.2010

Hey, Soul Sister??

I seriously believe that Audrey Hepburn and I must share a kindred spirit, or at the very least would have been great friends if our paths had ever crossed. . .is the quote so "me" or what??

"I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in Pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing; kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles."

-Audrey Hepburn

 Audrey

And just some useless information. . . if you didn't know, May is Audrey Hepburn month, since her birthday was May 4th-she would have been 81 years old.

5.10.2010

Why?

So, it's been a hard couple of weeks for us, with Jarrod being gone and us being sick. But in comparison to what so many around us are dealing with, we are so very, very blessed. Is it just me or does it seem like tragedy, pain and death has just been overwhelming lately? Maybe, it's because I am getting older and I am more aware about these things, or maybe it's because my circle of friends and acquaintances is larger? There have been four deaths that have touched someone in my life in the past couple of weeks. One is, as some of you may or may not know, one of my best friends and college suite-mate, Sam lost her baby this past Thursday. She was 21 weeks along in her pregnancy and expecting their second child, a boy they were going to name Kellan. I can't tell you how much my heart aches and breaks for her and her family. They had the funeral on Saturday and all I could think about was what a horrible day Sunday, Mother's day, was for her. How do you even go about grieving for a child you never met, held or knew? Then I found out this morning that a girl I work with had a friend that just died. She was only 34 years old and has three kids, the oldest 10 years old and the youngest 3 months old. She was diagnosed with breast cancer while she was pregnant, so by the time she delivered and it was safe to take treatments it had spread and there was nothing the doctors could do for her. Wow. That's just so tough for me, I can't even imagine? I have a really hard time wrapping my brain around tragic events like this. I do know that God has a plan and we should see that there is some good that comes out of all bad situations, but I have to be honest, sometimes I wonder what the good is in times like these. Why do bad things happen to such good people? Life just seems so unfair sometimes.

I stumbled upon these song lyrics and thought that I would share:

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5.08.2010

Happy Mother's Day to ME!!

Jarrod and Stratton gave me my mother's day present Friday night, so that I could use it Saturday morning. . . .

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A Keurig Coffee Maker!! Yay!! And Gloria Jean's Hazelnut coffee! (My FAV!) Too bad I waited till about 8:30 last night to get it out of the box and try to set it up- turns out the one Jarrod picked up had been previously used and taken back to the store!! Just my luck! Also, they took the free box of sample coffee that came with it! Lucky for me I have the world's sweetest husband, who took it back early this morning and set it up while I was still asleep so I could have my coffee this morning! And let me tell you it was Amazing!! I have to be honest, I have been skeptical about the one-cup brewing system, how could it possibly make a great cup of coffee?  But to my surprise it was by far the best cup of coffee I have had outside of a coffee shop. (Sorry, Grandma. Your Bunn is still good, but you really need to get one of these!) It was so smooth and the perfect temperature, even though mine doesn't have a temperature setting and that worried me because I like my coffee stoking hot! And you don't have to be a coffee fanatic, they make K cups with all kinds of teas and hot chocolates, too! Anyway, I LOVE it and I think I have the best family in the world. Now, I think I am going to make make myself another cup of coffee. . . .

5.05.2010

More Crawling Videos

I am posting these mainly for Jarrod since he is in Little Rock and missed out on all the excitment yesterday. . .




Busy Boy!

So, yesterday was a big deal for our little guy! He has been on the verge of crawling for quite some time, he has even made a few "shuffles" but hasn't ever really moved more than a couple of feet. Well, yesterday he took off and has been on the move ever since! He also decided to pull the cat's tail while she was asleep- not his best decision ever. She scratched the back of his head pretty bad. I think he really scared her, she is usually really good around him and other kids, but I guess being asleep and getting "attacked" she just went into her natural defense mechanism! She knew she was in big trouble as soon as she did it though. I guess we will have to watch them more carefully now. Kitty might be getting de-clawed or put outside permanently if she can't control herself better! Then he pushed a plant off a table, opened a cabinet door and tried to pull up on the ottoman and office chair! Whew! It was a busy afternoon! I stayed home with him because he was running a little fever and even though I thought it was just from an incoming tooth, they still can't go to daycare with a fever. Ends up, after one dose of Tylenol he acted just fine the rest of the day and never had anymore fever. He did take three good, long naps which also might have helped him feel better and have so much energy! I am actually glad I got to stay home with him, otherwise I might have missed his first real crawling! I took a ton of videos since Jarrod is gone. I didn't want him to miss it!  I might post a couple more later so that he can see them tonight.

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[talking to his reflection in the glass]

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[all smiles after a good nap]

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[playing peek-a-boo behind the ottoman]

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[pushing the plant off the table]

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[leaves a mess wherever he goes!]

5.04.2010

He's on the move!!

This weekend he really starting "shuffling" but wouldn't crawl more than just a few feet, but today he took off, and has really been on the move this evening! I took off work today and stayed home with him since he was running a little fever this morning. I think he is just getting a new tooth. But throughout the day he has gradually gone further and further, so I am really glad I was home today to get his first crawls on camera!!

5.03.2010

Jennifer's Baby Shower

Due to the weather, we were only able to decorate about an hour before the shower, so it didn't get as much "tweaking" as I would have liked, but the main thing is that Jennifer had a great shower and got lots of great baby stuff and we were all able to spend the day together! Here are some pics of the table. I made the banner, cupcake toppers, candy bars, Hershey kisses and decorative tins. I also made the oreo truffles on sticks and pretzel sticks and cream cheese mints-all BLUE of course!!

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cupcakes

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Stratton looked so cute, I wish I had taken more pictures at the shower, but I was busy watching Jennifer opening all her neat stuff. And also watching my son be passed around! He was quite the attraction!

I think Jennifer still has one more shower at her school but she shouldn't need much! She got loads of stuff-and she got a good mix of both practical and cutesy stuff! She is due June 12th just 6 weeks away! It's weird to think when I was as far along as she is I had a baby?!