Here's what we've been doing

Celebrating Christmas has made for such a fun weekend (and several more days it seems). Enjoying the excitement of the season has kept me from updating my loyal blog followers (read with extreme sarcasm) and for that apologize (for both not updating & making that terrible joke!) There are too many pictures to share here, so a good sampling are in my December album.

Jack & I spent early last week with some friends at the new Babyland General in Cleveland. And shame on you if you didn't know that was the birthplace to millions of Cabbage Patch Kids until after clicking the link. Anyway, the new hospital is enormous and was jazzed up for Christmas. I wasn't sure how interested Jack would be in the baby dolls. He seemed to gravitate towards the stuffed animals and loved it when we spotted an Elmo doll. His second favorite part of the tour was probably the giant Cabbage Patch doll, Noel. Her fuzzy outfit was irrestible to him! I also managed to get him to sit on Santa's knee, which was a huge accomplishment! He loves Santa from a distance. As you can see, he wasn't exactly thrilled about it, but there were no tears...so I deemed it a success.

On Christmas Eve, we headed to Athens to celebrate with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. Jack had a great time at Mema & Pop's house. He loved his new camera...he's still learning, but looking forward to keeping up with his mommy and his Pop in the photo department! He was over the moon for his new bubble mower, courtesy of Uncle John & Aunt Lisa. We headed to my grandparents for dinner with my cousins. It was a fun night, and Jack stayed awake all the way home!

When Jack woke up (after 8, which was a nice treat), we saw that Santa had come. He left the most fun surprise for Jack...a shopping cart that he has been pushing around for days! Jack finished the morning with a bubble bath with his new Elmo bubbles, a gift from friends!

That afternoon, Josh's parents and family joined us for dinner and more Christmas fun. He loved his talking Elmo and Little People racecar track. He also got his very own rocking chair. We also enjoyed "sort-of" surprising Josh's parents with their gallery of family photos from our shoot with Sue Ann back in October.

The next day, Josh's aunt & uncle and cousins, as well as my parents, all joined us for lunch and a little gift swaping game...which remained pretty tame. I love Nathan's expression in this photo of Ryan opening a set of TV trays! We don't get to see them as often as we'd like, so it was a real treat to get to spend the better part of the day catching up. The kids had a blast. We are looking forward to ringing in the New Year in a relaxing fashion tonight. See you in 2010!

Basketball Diaries

So, Jack & I headed down to Athens yesterday to take in a UGA women's basketball game with Mema. Jack loves reading his Hairy Dawg book, so we were pretty sure he would enjoy the hoopla and fun that comes along with a college game. Since taking him to a football game is still a little risky...not sure anyone would really enjoy themselves, we opted for the basketball court. We had a great time. They gave away Santa hats, which Jack insisted on wearing right away (despite the fact that it was way too big!) He kept his eyes on Spike (the inflatable volleyball mascot) a.k.a. "BIG Dawg" and of course recognized Hairy Dawg. He had his picture made with both and shared high fives with both Dawg celebrities. He seemed to have a great time. We sat right next to the pep band, so each and every timeout was like an audition for "So You Think You Can Dance." Below is a video of Jack bopping to the beat and yelling "Go Dawgs!"

Yum-O!

Here's what I've been up to in the last week. Yes, I have baked about 20 dozen cookies for 3 different cookie exchanges. I'm afraid I've eaten my fair share of Chocolate Chip S'mores cookies this week too!

Word-free Post (well mostly)

So, here's what we did last week. Celebrated Jack's birthday with his buddies at school. Broke in our new train table (a b-day gift from Jack's great Aunt Cindy & Uncle Roger). Finally, had a complete meltdown at the thought of having to get anywhere near Santa after waiting approximately 20 minutes in the freezing cold outside the Mauldin House. Oh, well! I did manage to get him to give St. Nick a high-five.

How did we get here?

Yes, I'm perplexed. In so many ways, it's hard to remember Jack not being a part of our family. It just seems like he always been around. In other ways, I'm awe-struck to think at how quickly the last two years have flown by. Just over two years ago, Jack was born and so was a brand-new mom! Some days it all comes together...child fed, clothed, a day at the park or trip to the store and dinner on the table. But, most days I still feel like that brand-new mom who is still figuring things out as I go. I'm hoping that's typical!

Anyway, here's a walk down memory lane (whether the lane seems long or short is dependant on the day!)...

How did we get from here*....




to here*...

and finally here*?


Yes, our boy is two and will soon add big brother to his list of accomplishments. Can you believe it? The smallest things these days remind me of what an incredibly fun journey it's been. I remembered the other day that he used to say "coo-coo-key" for cookie. He clearly pronounces it "cookie" these days and I don't even remember when it changed. He still has some pretty cute ones like "Cookie doc-ter" for "cookie monster," "Buff" for "Jeff" and one of my favs "Mom-us" for "Thomas." Before long, those will become crystal clear too...in the meantime this mom will keep figuring it out as I go. But, what a fun learning experience it's been!

*Each of these pictures were captured on November 28.

Cute Little Indian

Jack's preschool hosted their annual Thanksgiving program today at school. All the parents came to watch the kids sing songs, and everyone enjoyed a meal together. I managed to snap a few shots of Jack grinning ear to ear and also shushing a crying classmate. He seemed so proud of his headress.




Once he realized the buggy had passed his mama and he wasn't permitted to get out, it was full blown misery. Here he is wailing in agony to get down and crying for his mommy. It was a bit comical. As soon as he was safe in my arms he was all smiles again...clapping and dancing along to the music. Can't believe this baby of mine will be two in just about 9 days now!!

Scenes from the week

We spent last Monday at the park with Gus, Mack, Davis & Carson. Oh, and their mommies too! It was a great day to be outside. We have been having such wonderful weather these last couple of weeks. Our time at the park was full of play, picnics and laughter. I wanted to pick up a few things at the grocery store while we were out. As you can see, despite the fact that Jack got his standard free cookie from the bakery...it was just too much to stay awake!




We're staying busy getting ready for the holidays, and Jack has a birthday coming up. So, we are gearing up for a Choo Choo Train party.

Showing off the lungs

So, as I previously mentioned we spent the day in Athens on Saturday. After the game we had dinner at my parents' house and sat around and enjoyed some more football. Jack has finally gotten to the point where he can say "Go Dawgs" pretty clearly. So, Saturday night he had an audience and some of Pop's sweet tea and was feeling it. Here's the result...notice the passion in the last one (or at least the last one I recorded...I was giggling so hard at the fact that he had spit on himself!)

Nevermind, the dawgs weren't even playing in the game he was yelling at!

Family Times

What a beautiful weekend it was...in more ways than one. The weather was wonderful, and we had the opportunity to spend it with family. Josh's family journeyed over from Rome on Friday evening, and we all traveled to Athens for the game on Saturday. Jack enjoyed some time with Memaw and my sister joined us at the game.

Afterwards, we grilled out at my parent's house. It was a great chance for Jack to chase his cousin Sean around the yard. It was so nice to be able to relax and enjoy the company of those so close to us. Here are some snapshots from the weekend.

Enjoying a game of football with cousin Sean

Getting a photography lesson from Aunt Kristy

Peek a boo!

Here I am!

Boo!

It's been a week full of costumes, unpacking, packing, flying and so much more. Thursday was costume day at Jack's preschool. He dressed as a turtle. At first, he wasn't a huge fan of the costume, but he warmed up to it. He wore it again on Saturday to the fall festival at my sister's school where I hear he enjoyed some fun games. According to his grandparents, he was a busy boy all day long barely stopping to nap.

Josh and I flew down to Jacksonville to catch up with old friends and catch a football game. Other than our already late night flight being delayed about an hour, the trip was pretty smooth. We had a blast seeing Mike & Liz, some friends who live in Charleston that we don't get to see enough. The Walshs are expecting their first child in December. Ironically, Liz & I had on the same UGA maternity shirt! We were quite the pair. We also joined up with my cousins Paul & Tammy before heading into the game. The tailgating was fun; the game not so much...but I had pretty low expectations. Overall, we were still glad we made the trip since we had such a good time seeing friends, and it's always nice to getaway. The last time UGA won (in 2007), I was pregnant...so actually it was kind of a relief that we didn't win (lol!) So, in case you are taking notes me being pregnant does not automatically mean Georgia will beat UF.

Tonight Jack helped me with dinner. Last week, I was looking for a way to get him involved with dinner and thought he could help mash the potatoes. He had such a good time that I made them again tonight. He is great at putting in the butter, sour cream and pouring in the milk. His absolute favorite part though is the salt and pepper. Here he is in action (and just in case you were wondering we didn't put NesQuik powder in the potatoes.)

Also, I just finished catching up on some of my photo uploads. There are new photos for the month of September (warning: I didn't take many pics in September), the month of October & even Project 365 (captions to come).

By the numbers...

I thought I'd try one of those fun by the numbers posts to fill you in on the last week, but I must confess most of the numbers will be completely made up in the event that I can't actually recall how much of something took place.

7 - loads of laundry completed; this one may actually be a conservative estimate(beach laundry, linens, clothes and more)

3 - trips to the grocery store in the last week; I rarely remember or think to make a list until I'm walking in the store, so I usually end up returning a few days later, but I'm okay with it. I only had to take Jack with me once so that means two more bakery cookies hopefully found another home.

5 - the number of meals and or dishes prepared for people other than my immediate family. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons were spent helping prepare this week's Wednesday Night Supper at church. On Thursday, I took dinner to a friend who had a baby a couple of weeks ago. Friday & Saturday mornings I made dishes for MOPS and a baby shower, respectively. Sunday afternoon, I prepared and delivered dinner to another friend who had just had a baby. (Yes, I know a lot of pregnant people.)

2 - doctor's appointments I had this week. One to have my eyes and vision checked, the other a prenatal visit.

1 - doctor's appointments that I arrived at the appropriate time for. Yes, I'm blaming it on the pregnancy brain and my multiple trips to the grocery store.

5 - number of sweet friends that we accompanied to Goldbrook pumpkin farm on Wednesday. Jack loved the train ride and hayride with Andrew, Carson and Davis. Mrs. Andrea & Mrs. Jenn were pretty fun too!

2 - photo shoots I participated in. The first on Tuesday for Initials, INC's Spring & Summer catalog; and the second with the Garrett clan in Dillard on Saturday.

732 - photos I've taken during the month of October. At some point I promise to sort through them and post a folder. When? If I could quantify I would certainly include it in this list.

20 - dollars I won Thursday evening in our monthly Bunco gathering. I also snagged one of Kim's super cute homemade door prizes.

14 - hours (give or take 3) spent cleaning, moving furniture and basically readying our basement for occupancy. With some much appreciated help from my mom & brother, as well as Josh's dad who helped get the cornices in place. It's starting to take shape down there.

Back home

We are back from the beach and had such a wonderful trip. There is so much to share, but I will most likely recall it in bits and pieces and share a lot of photos. We returned home to very chilly temperatures and a basement that is practically complete. Since we have been waiting so long, Josh & I were eager to get some furniture (that had been sitting wrapped up) into its proper place. Before that, some cleaning had to be done. We got one room sort of in place Saturday night and another Sunday night. There is still much to be done, but I'm sort of seeing a light and thinking we may actually enjoy a football game or two down there soon.

The beach was so much fun; and the weather was fabulous. I had my doubts about whether we would be able to set foot in the ocean or the pool outback, but we couldn't have asked for better weather. It was overcast a couple of days, which translates to longer beach time with little ones. We rented a house with some great friends, the Shaws and Yorks and our boys had a grand time swimming, running, jumping, singing and just being boys! When Jack and Andrew weren't plunging into the pool they were in the shadow of the "big boys" Tate & Brit. I took so many pictures, which I will eventually upload, but there is still so much catching up to do they will have to wait. So, here are just a few to wet your appetite!

For all my locals...

Okay, for all my local readers (I know there are about 4 of you...lol!), I wanted to give you a heads up about a wonderful opportunity coming up in a couple of weeks. If you do indeed read my blog, you've read about Sue Ann Holland, a friend of mine from childhood who takes wonderful photos. Well, as you all know...we live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country (the North Georgia mountains or at least the foothills of said mountains). Well, Sue Ann knows a good setting when she sees one and will be taking portraits in nearby Dillard on Saturday, October 24. The sitting fee is very reasonable and you get so much more than an online proof gallery...think matted print, Christmas cards & VIP pricing! Take a look at her blog for more info and samples of her work. You won't be disappointed.

It's a brother...

Yesterday was the big day. We took Jack along to see "pictures of the baby on tv." He seemed to enjoy watching the big screen and even pointed out the baby's nose, ears, mouth and eyes (with a little help from Daddy). The technician asked us if we wanted to know the sex and we said we did. She immediately got a clear shot and said, "can you tell?" I said, "looks like a boy to me!"

So, we told Jack he was getting a brother. He practiced saying brother some of the afternoon. We made calls, sent texts and emails...unfortunately, I'm just now getting around to updating the blog! Anyway, hope you enjoy this shot of little brother. We're in the process of thinking of names and have enjoyed several interesting suggestions! Thanks for sharing this excitement with us.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Okay so they weren't in the pennant race and had no chance of reaching the playoffs, but we had tickets to the final Braves game of the season on Sunday. It was a great day to be at the ballpark. It was a bit overcast, not too cool, not hot at all (unlike the HOT day of football the day before). We did endure a couple of sprinkles of rain a few times, but nothing a baseball hat didn't take care of. Jack seemed to enjoy himself. There was plenty of room around us (not as crowded as the Braves v. Yankees game we took in earlier this year). He got his first Braves hat (big enough to grow with him) and loved the peanuts and cracker jacks. We stayed for 9 innings of fun, but left before the "free baseball" began. Jack had grown a little weary of the game by then.

In order to make it in time for the game, we left church early and hurried home to change clothes. For some reason, Jack decided to grab his burger king crown on the way out to the car and wore it all the way to the stadium. He even managed a one-hour nap with his crown perfectly in place. In fact, he was a little miffed when we made him leave it in the car to head into the game.

Tomorrow afternoon is my 20-week ultrasound. If all goes well, we should be able to tell if Jack is welcoming a little brother or sister. We'll share the news as quickly as we can; after calling all the VIPs...lol!

A day at the farm

Jack & I spent yesterday morning with our sweet friends Erin, Gus & Mack (or "Dus" & "Ack" as Jack calls his friends) at Jaemor Farms. We roamed the pumpkin patch, the farmer's market, a small corn maze and even received a tour on the tractor. Of all the exciting parts, I think Jack's favorite was just running around with Gus. They chased each other through the kid's corn maze and then up and down the porch of the farmer's market. We came home with some yummy apples and beautiful pumpkins.

Here's what you get

So, I've completely neglected by 365 project. It's become a sad and pitiful album of photos longing to be joined by others, but I just haven't been that diligent with my camera lately.

As far as things around here go, we are getting so close to completing the finishing of our basement. I'm actually starting to think we may actually may be able to sit on a piece of furniture down there in the next couple of weeks. Most of the loose ends should be tied up this week (carpet, touch up paint, hardware, etc.) Here are a few pictures of the progress:









Also, we are gearing up for a trip to the beach. We didn't take a family vacation this summer. Instead we opted to join a couple of friends on an October trip. I hope we will have good weather and a safe trip. Who knows...maybe I'll actually take some pictures of us while we are there!

Everything deserves a proper "Goodbye"

I've noticed over the past couple of days that Jack has taken to saying "bye-bye" to anything and everything. At church he points out the "teeple" & then says "bye-bye" as we drive away. Yesterday he was drawing a picture with a pencil & paper when it was time to leave. I told him it was time to go to church and we needed to put our things away. He gave me his supplies and promptly said "bye bye" to the pencil and the paper.

We pass the high school & the construction site for the new high school almost daily. He loves to point out the "ba-ball" (football) stadium and the "tra-tors." Of course, they both merit a daily "bye-bye" as we move along on our journey.

Here's a picture of him saying bye bye to some rice as he inhales it. What? You didn't know that it tastes better if you put your whole hand in your mouth? Well, now you do!

Jump, jump, jump!

Jack is officially a jumper! Yes, he can get both feet off the ground and is airborne. I tried to get some video, but he wasn't ready to share his talent apparently.

Here is a photo of Jack & Josh playing RockBand at Best Buy on Labor Day. I think he's ready for a set of drums...JUST KIDDING, grandparents! Don't buy him any drums!

Oklahoma!

No, not the musical...the actual state of Oklahoma. It's where Josh & I spent our Labor Day weekend. We flew into Oklahoma City and drove over to Stillwater for the Georgia v. Oklahoma State game. Although the dawgs lost, we had a good time on our getaway. Josh's folks came over to watch Jack for the weekend, which Jack of course enjoyed.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Oklahoma, but figured it would be pretty flat and corny, but the region which we had the pleasure of driving through was much more hilly than I imagined and a lot of beautiful pastures. We saw a lot of livestock and oil derricks. It wasn't as mountainous and tree-filled as our North Georgia home, but it was a pleasant trip. We also had the opportunity to catch up with some old friends who were up from their home in Texas. The best part of the weekend was still probably our hugs and kisses from Jack on Sunday.