Just a quick peek...

At all the fun Fox and I had in Orlando...

Crazy Eyes

Decent post forthcoming...(read Vance's post to tide you over.)

Grabby McDroolybuddy (or it's all our fault for naming him Fox)

Our son has proved to be terribly stealthy about his ability to roll over. Previously, we only saw the results of Fox's craftiness by finding him on his back in the crib when he wakes up. Little stinker would only roll over when no one was looking. Last week, he rolled a few times while Vance was watching. BUT NOT ME! This morning, Fox is playing on his back in his play gym. I step into the kitchen to make my oatmeal. I'm out of sight for an entire 45 seconds and the little monkey manages to roll on his tummy. WITHOUT ME SEEING IT. AGAIN.
Then he rolls over again for Vance while I'm working on dinner. I MISSED IT AGAIN. This makes about 10 times that I have not seen my son, who I am with almost 24 hours a day, roll over.
Finally tonight after Vance left for band practice, my patience was rewarded. Fox was on his back. He very determinedly grabbed his feet, swung himself to his side, and rolled onto his tummy. And I SAW THE WHOLE THING. I guess if you're gonna name your kid Fox, you have to expect him to have some sort of sneaky, stealthy habits, right?

Back to Grabby McDroolybuddy. We used to be able to hold him on our lap while we ate. Not so much anymore. Fox now tries to grab whatever we are putting in our mouth, or anything too close on the table. He's also drooling like it's his job. Thus, Grabby McDroolybuddy is his latest moniker.

When I got back home from band practice tonight, Fox's "Aunt Barb" was watching Steel Magnolias on ABCFamily. That movie has some of the most quotable lines ever. One of my favorites - "I'm not crazy, I've just been a very bad mood for the last 40 years!". I hadn't seen it in years. I didn't get to finish it, since LOST was coming on.

I am so thankful...

...for our awesome friends who came over tonight and helped Vance make forward progress on the fence.
I am so thankful that Vance ran to Wal-Mart after everyone left and got the parts he needed to fix the cable that was cut so I could blog now and work tomorrow.
I am so thankful for the amazing friends God has blessed us with.
I am so thankful that almost all of the dishes fit into the dishwasher.
I am so thankful my son managed to go back to sleep by himself when he woke up at 11pm.
I am so thankful that it's time to go to bed now.

Irish Macaroni...big surprise!

Aight, the masses have spoken. But I mean it, next time, I'm making something different.
See you at 6:30...or earlier if'n you wanna bang on the fence with Vance.

Dinner Monday Night

We're hosting this week, and I have no idea what I want to make. I'm just doing this because my house is seriously clean after my mom was here.
So, in the spirit of "American Idol", we'll go with the popular vote.
I'll make whatever gets the most individual votes. You can vote via email or comment on the blog. The winner will be chosen after Ladies' Bible Study tomorrow night and revealed here and on the website.
Each person with a valid email address may vote once (no having your kids vote unless they can type their own email)...
Okay, let the fun begin! If you need ideas for suggestions, let me know. I'm just taking the lazy route to deciding tonight.

Loudest Baby Ever...

I went to visit my friend Sarah to see their new baby, Collin. Fox, predictably, screamed for half of the trip down to Southwood. When we arrived, he was wailing at about a 7 (he has cranked it up to 13 on occasion). It was great to see Sarah, KC, and their daughter Emily, and meet little Collin. After awhile, Collin got tired and began fussing, making these tiny little cries. I observed for a bit, and then asked Sarah if that was as loud as he got. She replied that yes, he was pretty upset.
I shook my head, realizing that Collin's 'pretty upset' ranked about a 1 on Fox's scale of mad.
We have the Loudest Baby Ever.

Such a happy boy...

Anna told us a story about something she heard at an infant massage therapy workshop. Apparently, there is anecdotal evidence that babies whose mothers ate chocolate have happier babies. Here are some pictures to back up that theory...





And yes, I totally ate A TON of chocolate. Good thing!
As always, you can see the rest of these pics here...

Slacker me...this is going to be a long one.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. So much has been happening, I'll try to recap.

Let's see. Our trip to Arkansas for Bonnie's wedding in December was awesome. All the prayers must have made a huge difference, because we had the world's best traveling baby with us. He was happy and/or sleepy the whole trip, and only fussed when it was time for him to eat.
We visited with Bonnie, Justin, and Bonnie's family the night. They were all so excited to meet Fox! The next day we were up for the complimentary breakfast at 6am-when it started! That would never have happened before we became parents.
It was also our 5th wedding anniversary. We celebrated in style, eating two meals at McDonalds and visiting the Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas (right across the street from the enormous Home Office!) After that we headed to the Wal-Marts ; ) to buy the necessary ingredients for the Wedding Night Basket 'O Fun I put together for special people when they marry.
The wedding was beautiful. I only cried a little, not like the huge racking sobs I busted out with at Shannon's wedding. It was amazing, getting to be a part of such a special time.
Fox was awesome the whole time. What a blessing!

Christmas was beautiful. We enjoyed seeing both sides of Vance's family in PC, and celebrated with our Canopy Roads family Christmas Eve. The next day we joined the Theobalds for Christmas Dinner and Jesus' birthday cake! Wow, I think that may have been the last time I had chocolate. (We figured out that chocolate upsets Fox's tummy. Yeah, it sucks.)

My folks came up for a few days shortly before the New Year. It's so great having them here with us. Fox got way too much stuff (I know, it's just going to get worse each year) and we all ate too much.

We went to Flager's for New Year's Eve, but left around 10 to try and get the Little Man to sleep.

January was an eventful month of milestones. On the 12th, he let out his first big belly laugh. Ironically, he was strapped in his car seat at Smokey Bones while Vance and I enjoyed lunch with some of Vance's coworkers. The next day we took him over to Julie's house for his first set of pictures. They turned out so great! We, of course, bought one of each one she took! (So did the grandparents). The next day was Sunday. I went into Fox's room to get him up for church. The sight that greeted me was Mr. Fox on his back. He had rolled over and I missed it! Four days later, he slept throught the night (9:30pm to 7:30am with two wakeups) without a feeding.
February has been exciting too. Last week Fox slept all night (no waking) three times. He woke up twice last night, but is on par to make it all night again. This morning I went in to get him up for church (it was his debut for drama-more about that later) and once again, he had flipped himself onto his back. That makes it 4 times that he's done it - AND I HAVE MISSED IT EACH TIME! Little stinker won't do it when he's with me, just when he's waking up. And each time, when I come in for him, he has the biggest, sweetest grin on his face. He seems quite proud of his latest little trick.

So now about the drama. Fox played my son (I know, a stretch) in a powerful piece about a family who is on the verge of splitting up due to the parents not appreciating each other, and losing sight of why they got together in the first place. Fox stole the show when he started cooing and blowing raspberries into my mic. But the point was made. I think a lot of folks were touched today, and it was an honor to be able to help facilitate that.

So what's been going on? Well, Fox still loves standing up, but now he's liking to sit up too. He's able to stay upright for about a minute and a half before leaning over and toppling. He thinks its just great, and then tries to eat his toes as he tips over forward.
We have the happiest baby (most of the time). He's much less fussy, and when he does get fussy, he calms down when we take him outside or hang out in front of the radio. Vance has made him a playlist with lots of funky grooves so we can dance around the house. He has the best laugh. Vance gets him going better than I can. Everyone we see comments on how smiley Fox is.

I've gone back to Irish Dancing. It was easier than I though to just jump back in and pick up where I left off 7 months ago. I really missed my friends from the group, and it's a good break to get out of the house and do something for 'me time'.

I think that about covers everything I can think of. I'd better sign off so Vance and I can catch up on '24'. We're a year behind, but we're going to finish!

New Pictures

Check 'em out here.

New Me...

Just in case you haven't seen me in awhile, I got my hair cut. Alot of it. Enough for Locks of Love. I think it wound up being about a foot (you know, 12 inches?)

So here's what I look like now. No makeup, nursing tank top and the little man.

I promise, a decent, detailed post is forthcoming in the next few days.

New Post - Video!

Go to Vance's Blog to see what Mr. Fox has been up to...

It's that time...

I should be asleep. I've packed all our things for our trip to Arkansas, my hair is washed, dried, and straight, the kitchen is clean, and I'm blogging.
I would go to bed, but I know as soon as I do Fox will want to eat. He and Vance are asleep on the couch, and have been for about 3 hours.
I love my family. My son is so adorable, I sometimes just stare at him, amazed. How can something so precious scream so much? He's only 2 months old, what does he have to be that mad about? He is learning and growing each day. Today, he realized that when Vance rubs his finger on his mouth and he 'talks' to us, we crack up. Kid's already hamming it up. Last weekend he discovered that when he kicks his legs in his bouncy seat, the animals move. This week he started batting at the animals and smiling even bigger.
Vance is about to have his work cut out for him. I'll be pretty busy with wedding stuff this weekend, so SuperDad is on full-time duty.
I can't wait to see Bonnie. It's been since...February? March? I can't remember. Terri hemmed my bridesmaid dress for me, since I waited till the absolute last minute to have it altered. I don't know what we'd do without the Halls.
I'd better try and relax enough to sleep. We've got a long day ahead of us, and we're praying for a cooperative little man. (Or at least understanding folks on our two flights!)

Sleep

Sleep. I've missed it. I'm heading to bed now.
We're trying to get Fox to sleep more regularly. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is the latest (and hopefully last) sleep book. It was really hard, but tonight we put him down and let him rest on his own. Cute little bugger was cooing and talking to himself for about 10 minutes, then realized we weren't coming in to play. This apparently made him mad. So he cried. And he cried. Vance came out of his office after 10 minutes and gave me a pouty lip and a stern look. I didn't like hearing it either! But, 2 minutes later he stopped crying. He looked up at his monitor, and then fell asleep! It's been 20 minutes. I hope this does the trick.
Sandra came over today to give me a break. She said his crying reminded her so much of Ranen. I told her that if that means Fox is going to be that much fun, then I would survive this colic.
She held him while I cleaned the kitchen, and then when he really got going, I held him and she cleaned the kitchen floor. I have the best friends. Thanks a bunch.

Sleep. I've missed it. I'm heading to bed now.

New Picture for my profile?

Blogger didn't like the old URL for this picture, so maybe this one will work better.

Let's see...

...how fast I can post these pics from the hospital 7 weeks ago...




















Whew. Fox went back to sleep once I gave him his paci.

This was Dylan's first meeting with his new cousin. Right after he 'kissed' Fox, he bopped him in the head. It was hysterical.

7 weeks ago my water broke.
7 weeks ago I was 27 and huge.
7 weeks ago I could sleep for more than 3 hours at a time.
7 weeks ago I could eat when I wanted.
7 weeks ago I had no idea what being a mom was really going to be like.
7 weeks ago I didn't know I could be peed on, puked on, screamed at, and love him regardless of all that.

Fox is having a fussy period. His acne has cleared up, but I think he's getting cradle cap. Poor kid is so over his car seat. It took us almost 7 hours to get home from Orlando after Thanksgiving. Being at home with my parents was awesome. I was slightly worried that they wouldn't be as nuts about Fox as they were about Dylan ('cause they were really NUTS over Dylan), but I had nothing to worry about. My dad was cracking me up with his insistence that we take pictures of him holding Fox so he could take them to work. My mom told me that he was worried about how much Fox screams, and that we should take him to the doctor and make sure there's nothing wrong with him. Mom had to remind him that I used to scream for 5 hours a night. ; )

Momma, Granny, Shannon and I went out for Black Friday. I got almost all of my Christmas shopping done. Killer deals out there. The fun part was pumping in the car in the parking lot, trying to hide what I was up to. Vance and I dashed out for an hour and left Fox with Momma and Daddy. It was kind of weird. First time we've both been away from him.

He's starting to chunk up a little bit. His face looks rounder, and he's starting to get some rolls on his arms and legs. He's still in the Newborn diapers though. We have tons of size 1 diapers, just waiting for him. I tried one on him Sunday, and it practically came up to his armpits. Hopefully he'll grow into them soon. We keep buying 40 Newborn diapers at a time, hoping each pack will be the last. He looks so much longer now, lying in his crib. It's amazing how calm and peaceful he is when he's not screaming. His cries have changed too. He sounds older somehow.

We're praying for a smooth trip to Bonnie's wedding next month. I'm a bridesmaid. We're taking our two month old baby to Rogers, Arkansas in the middle of December. It could be snowing. Are we nuts? Probably.
I've been watching all these birth shows on Discovery Health. I guess I'm in the minority for not having an epidural.
Well, I'd better go ahead and post this before Fox wakes up again.

Smiley Baby

I know, I don't post enough pictures. So here are a few of my smiley fella. We're totally expecting him to bust out a giggle any day. He is so sweet in the mornings after his first feeding.


Vance is such a great daddy. Fox just loves him. I always knew that Vance was good with kids, but seeing him as a daddy has made me love him even more.

1 month...wow!

What a month its been. Our son is a month old, and so amazing. He's smiling at us, and tracking things in front of him, and turning when he hears a toy on one side. Vance has posted more pictures here at his Picasa site. He also posted a review of our voting experience on his blog here. I just love his Photoshopping ability.
Our lives are settling into somewhat of a routine. Mondays we walk around the street and then go to Monday Night wherever it is. Tuesdays and Thursdays we walk again. Wednesdays we go to the Breastfeeding Support Group at Best Beginnings and then Vance meets us at Subway for lunch. Fridays I walk with Kelly and Gina with our 5 boys. I try to get out of the house at least once a day so I don't go crazy.
I hate to put it into print, but we may have a colicky baby. Apparently I used to scream from 5pm-10pm as a baby, so his fussiness isn't as bad as it could be. I guess we didn't petition quite hard enough for him to have Vance's temperment.
Fox and I are heading to a Family Reunion in Charleston, SC next weekend. Vance is stuck here, he and Jeremy have a big project to do at work and will be working through the weekend. So Fox and I will meet my parents in Jax, one of them will hop in with me (I'll probably let them drive so I can sleep) and then we head to Charleston. Shannon, Jay and Dylan will meet us up there. My dad is so excited about having his two grandsons at the same time. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again. All of my cousins will be there. It's weird now, we're all parents.
So, this stay at home mom thing can be pretty isolating. I spend a lot of time at my house with Fox. (well, duh.) I haven't been able to keep the house clean or really cook a meal for Vance and I yet. Whenever I try to be 'a good housewife' I wind up totally exhausted with a grumpy baby. Sometimes it's hard to get out of the house, but I know I need to. I miss the interaction and open air. It's just a gamble on keeping Fox happy. I never know if he's going to have more gas problems after a feeding session. Vance and I joke that we have a bipolar baby. I'm sure most parents wonder the same thing.
Well, I'd better get some sleep. Last night Fox slept 5 1/2 hours before waking up for his next feeding. Let's hope for another night like that! I'll clean up in the morning. I should have plenty of time. Vance's parents are coming to visit in the afternoon after Vance's dad plays golf. It will be his first time seeing Fox, and Vance's mom's first time back after she was here for his birth. My mom is so jealous that they only live 2 hours away.
My mom has started reading our blogs. I'm glad...I know there are things I forget to mention that I post, so now she'll see them.
Okay, it's really time for bed. Hopefully I'll be there awhile!

Picture Albums...

Here is a link to the Picasa albums Vance has set up. Enjoy!

Just a few quick pics...

I am totally not biased about my cute kid...
I went for my first decent walk today. Just about a mile, I walked over to the Conrad's house and back. Got caught in a light shower shortly before the end. It was refreshing. And yes, I closed up Fox's stroller so he didn't get wet.
Well, back to Thank-You Note duty...we have so much to be thankful for.