The Grady's

2009-11-10T11:25:00.002-06:00

What beautiful weather we had this past weekend for the Arkansas game!
And we won, so that made it even better! After the game, James and I went to eat with some of my family at Copeland's in Rogers. If you go, you must try the spinach dip. It's so yummy and it is served with fried bowtie pasta. After dinner, we headed to the Promenade for a quick shopping trip.

We later joined some friends at Wasabi in Fayetteville (Yes, we ate again). The Sam's roll is amazing. They wrap the roll in foil and set it on fire. So delicious that we ordered another. Sushi isn't all that filling anyway IMO. After dinner was Willie D's and Fix. Such a good time!

I ordered this Christmas dress and spearmint ruffle pants for Ava today. Another from MomiBoutique. Love it! I am already in the Christmas spirit. Ready for Christmas music and decorations. In fact, I'm thinking of getting the tree out over the upcoming weekend!

Finally, thanks April for sharing this quick and tasty recipe with me! I made it for dinner yesterday. I will pass it on.

Salsa Chicken

(4) Boneless Chicken Breasts
(1) Jar of Salsa (I used On the Border-Hot)

Place frozen chicken breasts into slow cooker and dump in salsa. Cook on low for 8 hours.

The chicken was super tender and basically fell apart. I made chicken tacos and served with shredded cheese, black beans, and spanish rice. We will definitely have this one again! James loved it so much that he had like 5 tacos and then made chicken nachos after that. He's super picky so that is saying Alot!

Happy Tuesday!

2009-11-03T11:26:00.002-06:00

A few posts back, I had mentioned ordering Ava's fall dress for our family photo shoot from etsy seller, Momi Boutique. I sent her a few pictures from our session and they were featured on her blog. Again, she has super cute handmade dresses for girls. Her Christmas collection is out and I just love her candy striped ruffle pants! Check her out @ www.momiboutique.blogspot.com or www.etsy.com/momiboutique.

Jessica finished our photos and the gallery is up! If you would like to look at all of our pictures, head over to www.meinardusphotography.com (click on enter site, not blog) and select galleries. Our password is gfam09. Thanks Jessica for doing such an awesome job!

On another note, I'm in desperate need of a blog makeover. I really don't have the time or the skills to do it myself. Does anyone have suggestions of someone who does impressive blog makeovers that is reasonable?

My 100th Post!

2009-11-02T11:07:00.006-06:00

Halloween

We had a fun-filled Halloween with the kids. We first went to the trunk-or-treat at Goddard. Aden got lots of candy, went on a hayride, and played games. We stopped my mimi's (my mom's) and then went onto the Fall Festival at Grand Avenue Baptist. They had a Wizard of Oz theme with Horse of a Different Color pony rides, more games, candy, and cotton candy/caramel apple treats. They even had the Wizard of Oz movie projected onto the side of the building.

Here are the kid's costumes:

Aden the Pirate... I loved this costume. I procrastinated and ended up ordering it online from Costume Supercenter and had to have it overnighted. Of course, upon receiving it Friday, the hat that was suppose to come with the costume was left out! I'm actually glad that it was left out because we found this hat at the Halloween Boutique (next to Kohl's) and I think that it really made the outfit!

Ava Elizabeth - our little ladybug... I found this costume at TJ Maxx. It's a size 2T, but we just secured it in the back and the wings covered that up. I had planned on making something with a tutu, but I didn't really have the time.

Our Trip to NYC

We had a good trip to NYC, but were happy to get back home. We left FSM on Thursday the 22nd and ended up returning on the 27th (instead of the 26th due to a cancelled flight). Nothing seemed to be going our way the day of arrival. We woke up at 4am in Van Buren to get ready and head to the airport. It was pouring down rain, so that in itself wasn't a great start. When we landed in NYC, we hailed a driver. Note driver: not a taxi with credientials, just some random guy in a suit with an SUV. I wasn't thinking well with such little sleep the night before. Well, I preceeded to tell him to take us to our hotel - the Crowne Plaza in Times Square - or so I thought. We arrived at the Crowne Plaza and went to check-in. Conveniently, their computers were down so we had to wait in the lobby to check-in. The best part is we found out we did not have reservations there. Oh Yeah, I forgot that is where I wanted to stay, but we were actually staying at the Candlewood Suites Times Square 12 blocks away. Since we had already paid a guy $45 to drop us there, I suggested to James that we just walk it. That was one way for him to see Times Square I guess! You should of seen us walking 12 blocks through Times Square with all of this luggage and 20,000 people. I'm sure it was quite a sight!

Anyway, here are a few pictures from our trip:

Mime

Little Italy - this cart was outside of Ferrara's. We had an amazing coffee and dessert in the actual Ferrara's.

James' dinner in Little Italy at Caffe' Napoli.

Models posing outside of an agency near Herald Square

James and I @ John's Pizzeria in Greenwich Village. Highly Recommended!

James outside of a comedy club that we went to near times Square. It was pretty funny and we got the tickets for a meager $10/each, so it was well worth it.

Guys breakdancing to MJ

We found this little Theater District bar called "Don't Tell Mama". Some of the workers there were broadway singers and they actually sang there. It was really cool.

We stood in the cancellation line for almost 3 hours to get tickets to Wicked. We ended up with orchestra section seats and I thought that it was a great production. The costumes and special effects were outstanding!

Fall 2009

2009-10-19T14:33:00.011-05:00

Pre-warning: This is a long post!

A few things to share...

Things are still pretty busy around here. James is well into his last semester (cross your fingers) with a full load of 18 hours and an internship. I don't know how he does it! Graduation is fast approaching! James wants to go to Aruba in December to celebrate before he starts a job, but I'm still working on scheduling that in with Aden's birthday, Christmas, and graduation.

James and I are going to leave for NYC on Thursday and have 4 whole nights to ourselves! We'll have lots to see and do, although I haven't come up with official *plans* yet. It's been almost 5 years since my last visit to the city, so I'm slightly rusty on where to go. Whatever we do, I'm sure we'll have a great time.

We met with Jessica Meinardus Sunday to do our fall family pictures and I think she did a fabulous job! We first went to her new property in Alma to do some field/barn shots and then on to downtown Alma. She already had our preview up yesterday (see below). I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures! Check out her work over @ www.meinardusphotography.blogspot.com.

I'm completely obsessed with ETSY! I bought this dress for A from momi boutique. It is a reverse knot dress and ties in the back. She has the cutest handmade dresses and outfits! Check out her etsy store at www.momiboutique.etsy.com.

I also LOVE the new Matilda Jane line. This is one of the dresses we ordered at the trunk show.

We went to *Touch-A-Truck* at Chick-fil-A on Saturday. The kids were able to see all kinds of trucks, sound the horns and siren, and get inside of the vehicles. It was a pretty cool little event, especially considering that it was free. Aden was a little scared by all of the noise and poor Ava was terrified at times, but a good time all in all.

James and baby Ava

Family pic in front of the Jody's Wrecker Truck

A dump truck

And cement truck

And a school bus. I actually convinced Aden to go inside of the bus. We sat on a bench and the bus driver sang *Wheels on the Bus* with him. He also got a *good rider* sticker with a bus on it.

Getting ready for Halloween? I found this super cute lady bug costume at TJ Maxx for Ava. It is a size 2T, but it will work fine when secured in the back (which will be covered by the wings). I have yet to get Aden a costume... Aden and I went to Target on Saturday, but they were wiped out. Looks like we'll be ordering something online. Oh well, it's a lot more convenient anyway.

Aden's been doing well so far with full-time preschool. He's learning so much! He knows the alphabet; has been working on letters, sounds, and words; can say the pledge of allegiance; and can sing "My Country Tis of Thee". I cannot believe he will be 3 in a few months! Every month, Montessori posts a monthly photo album for his class. Here he is doing some of his *works* at school:

Supporting our Hogs!
(Although I must say that I'm still pretty upset over the game this past weekend)

Aden giving his usual cheesy smile!

I'm loving the enormus bows and flowers. Can you tell?

And we went to the Wild Things Farm Fall Festival... We visited the animals, had Bedford's take a fall family picture, and we each picked out a little mini pumpkin to take home with us.

It has been awhile...

2009-08-25T19:28:00.005-05:00

but we have been crazy busy lately! I'm so excited that Aden has started his first year of *real* preschool @ Montessori last week. The kids have their curriculum Monday to Thursday and then Friday is more of a fun day with art, music, Spanish, and catered lunch. James has also started back to school(his last semester - yea!) It is going to be tough for him though as he's taking 18 hours and doing an internship of 10 hours per week, while juggling a family with 2 kiddos.

Here are a few highlights since my last post:

*James 10 Year SHS Reunion - Adelaide Hall @ Varsity Grill*

James with his buddies Ely and Ryan (They were both the best men in our wedding)

After the reunion @ Papa's

*Linsey's Birthday*
We had dinner @ Emmy's and drinks @ Rib Room.

Ashley and Linsey

Me, Jennifer, Robin, and Linsey

*Branson Trip*
We spent an extended weekend in Branson with the fam, my mom, and Brenda, a family friend who has extensively helped us out with the kiddos over the summer. I hadn't been to Branson in years. We're not really big on the whole country theme, but it was nice to get away and I know that Aden had a blast. I found a condo that was located on Thousand Hills Golf Course and it was just perfect. We went to Silver Dollar City for 2 days, White Water, Dixie Stampede, and Branson Landing. Everyone was exhausted Sunday night when we finally got home @ 10:30 pm.

Brenda and my mom at SDC

Ava is 3 months old now! Such a smiley baby. Sara @ Oleo's in Van Buren made the bow. She does an amazing job. If you haven't checked out her store, you definitely should. She has upscale consignment (baby nay, baby lulu, etc.), carries new clothing lines, custom outfits available, as well as paintings, bow boards, etc.

Aden having breakfast at our condo.

Aden @ White Water

And again... Poor kid got stuck on a big curvy slide all alone. James sent him down it and there wasn't much water pressure. Now he's terrified for life.

Aden @ SDC. He was such a big boy and did really well on all of the rides (pre-white water). James and I even rode some big rides with him (Fire in the Hole, Lost River of the Ozarks)

Well, that is it for now. Hopefully, it won't be another 2 months before my next post! =)

Happy 4th!

2009-07-05T00:11:00.003-05:00

We celebrated our Independence Day cooking out and swimming at my mom's house with the kiddos, my mil, and her husband Gordon. The rain was unfortunate, but at least it let up enough for us to spend a little time outdoors by the pool. Aden had a blast in the pool with his daddy, nana, and Gordon. We decided not to attempt the firework displays this year, but had a great time nonetheless. Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday!

Little Miss Ava is 5 weeks and 4 days old now. My how time flies!

Aden had fun climbing and playing on the waterfall

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-06-29T22:34:00.005-05:00

Well, I officially entered my thirties today. =) We celebrated on Saturday and I must say, James did a fabulous job. He made dinner reservations at Emmy's German Restaurant for he and I, my mom, mil, and a few friends. If you haven't eaten there yet, you have to go. The food was awesome (I highly recommend the fried cheese for an appetizer and the cordon bleu as an entree)! For dessert, we had a yummy strawberry cake that James ordered from Confectionately Yours. After dinner, we headed to the Rib Room and Papas with friends. Despite the heat, we had a great time. I got some really nice gifts including a new MJ cd and gift cards galore. I picked out some new Dior sunglasses at Saks that James is ordering for me and mom is getting me a new iphone. Thanks to everyone who made my birthday extra special!

My pretty flowers from my amazing husband

Birthday Cake

James and I at Emmy's

Linsey and I

Hunter, Sara, Miranda, and Sean

Miranda, Jennifer, Me, and Sara

James and Matt

Washing the Car

2009-06-28T22:14:00.002-05:00

James and Aden got out in the brutal heat we had Saturday and washed James car. Aden had fun holding the sprayer (maybe a little too much). We eventually had to take it away as he wanted to spray the house and everything else. =)

Mom and Tot Class

2009-06-28T21:33:00.005-05:00

I started taking Aden to a mom and tot class at Didion Gymnastics here in Van Buren. Since Ava arrived, we have been trying to make sure that Aden gets plenty of attention. I thought this would be a good opportunity for he and I to do something fun. This past week marked our third class and I think that he's really enjoying it. James got to come with us this week, so I let him participate with Aden while I watched.
Aden and James

Aden's friend Madeline

Aden jumping on the trampoline

Another little friend, Hayden

Some others in the class at circle time

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-22T00:16:00.003-05:00

My kiddos are so lucky to have such a special daddy! We celebrated the day with a late lunch at Varsity (James' choice of course).

James and I had a date night on Thursday and went to see *The Hangover*. Although it was funny, we didn't find it to be as great as we had heard it was. Maybe our expectations were too high?

On Saturday, we went to Aden's little friend, Hayden's, birthday party. It was at the Adventure Zone at Eastside Baptist Church. The kids had so much fun. I think that we are going to do Aden's party there this year!

Hope that everyone had a great weekend!

Ava's Newborn Photo Session

2009-06-16T18:50:00.009-05:00

Just wanted to share some pictures from Ava's newborn session. These were taken at our house when she was 5 days old.

Happy Birthday Laura!

2009-06-14T22:25:00.003-05:00

Tonight we celebrated my sister-in-law Laura's 20th birthday. We had a yummy dinner at my mil's house. After dinner, we went outside and watched all the kiddos play. Hope you have a great birthday, Laura! Here are a few pics from our evening:

Cousin Madison playing

Cousin Mackenzie and Aden blowing bubbles

Baby Ava sleeping peacefully

Daddy and Aden

Ava is wide awake once we get home

Craziness

2009-06-13T17:41:00.003-05:00

Things have been a little hectic around here. Everyone's schedule is messed up. We started potty training Aden today. Let's just say it's not going too hot so far. I know he is ready, but he has absolutely no interest in using the potty. Aden will start preschool at Montessori in the fall and he can't go unless he is fully potty trained and no pull ups. He's in a super defiant phase right now too, so there are lots of no's being said at this house lately (on our part and his).

I am so thankful that I have had some weekday help with the kiddos. It has been a lifesaver. My mom has been coming over twice a week and then another lady is coming the other three days. That will continue throughout the summer, so fortunately we won't have to use a childcare facility this summer.

Here are a couple of recent pictures:

Ava's Birth Story (Long overdue, I know)

2009-06-02T16:48:00.003-05:00

On Memorial Day, around 2 or so in the afternoon, I started having what I thought to be contractions. Not having gone into labor before, I told James that I wasn't positive, but I thought that I was going into labor. Our plan was to having my mother-in-law come over to our house when I went into labor so that she could stay with Aden while we went on to the hospital. Nonetheless, I kept waiting, wanting to be sure that I was really in labor. When I couln't walk and was doubled over on the kitchen table, I knew it was time to go right away.

We met my mil at St. Edwards and got checked in around 4:30pm. I was dilated to 5 and was ready for some pain medicine. I was given a drug called NuBain until they could get in to give me the epidural. The epidural worked great for the contractions, until I started having back labor on my left side. It did absolutely nothing for that. I was in tears and finally they gave me a narcotic, which did help somewhat with the pain. The doctor broke my water and said that the baby had used the bathroom and that she probably had ingested meconium. Due to this, once I began pushing, I would be instructed to stop once her head was out, so that her mouth and nose could be suctioned. If she was to cry before they removed it all, she could develop pneumonia.

Although I was progressing as I should have been (about 1 cm an hour), my contractions were not as strong as they wanted. At this point, they decided to give me Pitocin (labor-inducing drug), to help my labor along.

I was ready to start pushing somewhere close to midnight. Once that began, things become a little fuzzy. The epidural did not take as it should have and did nothing during her actual birth. So, basically I delivered her naturally. I cannot even begin to describe how painful this was. James said that I turned into a demon, but I could have never imagined labor being so bad. Once she started crowning, the nurse told me to stop pushing because she wanted to wait until the doctor came in. Then she got up and walked around the room waiting for the doctor and I was beside myself. Once he arrived, I continued to push until her head emerged and then it was time to stop again. They were able to get most of the meconium out that she had ingested and we were very thankful for that.

After almost an hour of pushing, we were finally able to meet our baby girl. She weighed 8 lbs. and 13 oz. and was 21 inches long. I couldn't believe that she was so big, even though she was 9 days overdue. She has quite a bit of black hair. Several people have commented that her hair must have come from the Grady side, but suprisingly enough, I had black hair when I was born and James had light hair.

I've posted a few pictures below. Hopefully, I'll have more to come soon, but I've been having a tough recovery so far. I had second degree tears, followed by an episiotomy. I am feeling a little better and can't wait to get back to normal!

And STILL Waiting...

2009-05-21T11:42:00.002-05:00

I'm beginning to get rather impatient. No, but really, I have had enough cankles, swollen hands, legs, etc.; waddling around; indigestion; peeing every hour during the night (if not more). And I did not know my appetite could be so big (I literally eat everything in sight!)

My last OB appointment was this past Monday. I was dilated to a 4. She seemed to think that it would be that night or the next. Well, she was obviously wrong. She had me schedule an appointment for next Tuesday (the 26th) just in case we still don't get a baby before.

Today marks 40 weeks and 5 days! Please send some labor vibes my way. Baby Ava, we are ready for you to get here!

Awaiting Baby Ava

2009-05-12T00:54:00.002-05:00

Still no baby yet! I've been enjoying my time off of work before baby - trying to get plenty of rest, finish up a few last minute tasks, and spend some quality time with Aden. James is finished with school and finals and has a couple of weeks before summer session starts up, so baby Ava's timing will be just right. Saturday is the big day, when she is predicted to make her appearance, so we will see. My friend Miranda came over tonight and set up our new pack n' play. While she was here, she snapped a few pictures that I have posted below.

Kisses for baby sister

40 week belly shot

Just being silly

And her name will be...

2009-05-06T17:18:00.002-05:00

After talking and talking about names, we have finally decided! I'm glad to have that out of the way and settled. We had our 39 week appointment yesterday. I'm still dialated to a 1, but Dr. Rainwater said almost a 2? and my cervix is softening. She said I will have until 41 weeks to go into labor spontaneously and then after that, she'll have to schedule a c-section. Dr. Rainwater will be out of town the first part of next week, so I won't go for our 40 week appointment until next Thursday afternoon.

Update on Aden

2009-04-30T21:50:00.003-05:00

Aden seems to be doing somewhat better today. He still has the chest rattling and some of the broken breathing, but it is much better than Tuesday and Wednesday. I called Cooper Clinic Pediatrics this morning and they will NOT do second opinions. This is very frustrating to me because I'm not sure what options that leaves us if the breathing issues start up again. Change doctors? General family practitioner? Take him to a walk-in? I have been told that the newer River Valley walk-in is very good. It may very well just be allergies, but there are allergy related condions that concern me as well (ie. bronchitis stemming from allergies and allergy-induced asthma). Oh, and our current pediatrician is Dr. Cheshier. We have been happy with him, but Aden is normally a pretty healthy kid too.

I'm officially 38 weeks as of tomorrow and will begin my leave on Monday. My swelling has definitely gotten worse. Our next OB appointment is Tuesday, so we will see if I have progressed any more by then. James starts his finals tomorrow and he has 6! The last two are next Thursday, so baby needs to hold off at least until then.

Aden to the ER

2009-04-29T22:18:00.003-05:00

I came home from my hair appointment yesterday to find Aden having some difficulty breathing. His words were *broken* as though he wasn't getting enough air. I first tried to take him to an after hours clinic here in Van Buren, but they told me to take him to the ER, so off to Summit we went. They did x-ray, a breathing treatment, and gave him a shot of antibiotics. The ER doctor said that he believed it was severe bronchitis and to follow-up with our pediatrician today. Aden was prescribed some antibiotics and an inhaler with a mask for the breathing issues. It was also recommended to have our pcp order a professional grade breathing machine from a medical supply store for home use.

First thing this morning I called our peditrician and they worked us in at 9:45. However, the pediatrician completely disagreed with the ER doctor, saying that he thought it was allergies? I, by no means hold a medical degree, but am having difficulty understanding how allergies alone could cause breathing problems to this degree. But, again, who knows? I think we'll try for a second opinion. I'll be working on getting in to another peditrician tomorrow.

I'm so frustrated and really don't know what to do. I'm afraid that if it isn't treated properly, that it will turn into pneumonia.

OB Appointment

2009-04-20T22:18:00.002-05:00

Today we went for another weekly appointment. All is good and I am now dialated to 1 cm. That is such an uncomfortable and unpleasant experience for me! When I was pregnant with Aden, I was never checked for dialation. I think that it was mainly because I was put on bed rest at 35 weeks and scheduled for a c-section at 37 weeks. I am really getting nervous about labor since I have never experienced it before. From what I have read, vbac labor is the same as labor with a first pregnancy. But again, the vbac is pending I go into spontaneous labor by my due date.

My New Purchase

2009-04-16T17:37:00.003-05:00

Today I splurged and ordered the Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer. I never thought I would spend this much on a washer and dryer, but I did get the Whirlpool discount through my aunt and uncle, so they ended up being about half price. That makes me feel a little better! =) From what I have read, you save anywhere from 10 to 30% on water and electric and I'm hoping it works out that way. Several people have said they weren't sure if they would want a front load washer because of not being able to throw something in after the cycle begins. You can still do this - It is called the Add-a-Garmet feature and you have 7 minutes after the cycle begins. Anyways, I am excited about my new washer and dryer. I think I'm definitely getting old. =)

Yesterday, I had an OB appointment. I will be 36 weeks tomorrow. I have not started dialating yet and Dr. Rainwater seems to think I will go right around my due date. We shall see. Everything else looked good. No protein and blood pressure was good. My feet and legs are super swollen and I'm beginning to feel pretty miserable in general. I really don't want to work all the way up until I have the baby. I am going to take it a day at a time and see how things go. I will be going to the doctor every week from now on.

Easter

2009-04-12T21:52:00.003-05:00

Well, we had a pretty lazy Easter. Aden was up off and on until about 3am. He has been congested and just not feeling well overall. We did go to the Easter brunch at the Townclub with my mom and it was delicious! After brunch, Aden fell asleep in the car on our way back home. When he got up, we had to find his basket that the Easter Bunny left for him. He had left one at mimi's house too and he even put some money in that one.

I want to say a big Congrats to my cousin, Jennifer, who got engaged today. I know that she is super excited!

I'm so not ready to head back to work tomorrow. Hope that everyone had a great Easter weekend!

Easter Fun at Nana's House

2009-04-11T19:31:00.002-05:00

Today we went to James' mom's house for Easter lunch and festivities for the kiddos. Aden and his cousin Mackenzie dyed eggs and had an egg hunt. It was such a nice day. Thanks Sandy for the wonderful lunch! We really enjoyed it.

Aden giving me one of his infamous looks

Aunt Jennifer and baby Madison

Cousin Madison

Aden and cousin Mackenzie egghunting

Playgroup Easter Party

2009-04-06T11:50:00.002-05:00

Aden and I went to a playgroup Easter playdate on Saturday morning. We had a yummy lunch, followed by an egg hunt for the wee ones. It was such a beautiful day!

6 More Weeks To Go!

2009-04-03T11:03:00.006-05:00

...until we meet our baby girl. We've narrowed the name choices down, but just can't decide on one! Please vote in the baby name poll I created and let us know what you think!

Yesterday, I received this gift from my friend Miranda and her mom. It's the Graco Rittenhouse Pack n' Play and it is black and white damask. My mom bought us the matching infant seat.

I'd like to wish my cousin Jennifer a Happy 25th Birthday! Have a drink for me.

And Lastly, Montessori posted some new random winter pictures and I wanted to share my favorite. On Friday's they have lunch catered in. Obviously, they had spaghetti on this day.

Busy Busy Busy

2009-04-01T14:43:00.006-05:00

We've had a lot going on lately, so I have been slacking on posting to the blog. I'll start with last weekend.

On Friday, Aunt Carrie, Uncle Wayne, and cousin AJ came in from OKC to visit. Nana came over too and we all had dinner and a nice time catching up. Here is a picture of cousin AJ reading "Go Dog Go" to Aden. He just loves that story!

Sunday was my second baby shower. It was at the Bonneville House and hosted by friends-Miranda, Jennifer Jones, Jenny Julian, and my sister-in-law, Jennifer. Everything was so pretty and it turned out really nice. Thank you guys! I only managed to get a few pictures. I'm hoping that someone else took some too!

Here are a few pictures:

The cake. The color scheme of the shower was black and white damask with baby pink accents.

Food Table. I just love the table cloths.

Flowers. Miranda did these herself. She is always good at doing stuff like this. It is always super challenging for me.

My mom gave me this double stroller. It is called the Sit n' Stand Elite Double Stroller and was ordered from One Step Ahead. It has tons of features and is so versatile. I'm looking forward to using it (or learning how to anyways).

And, finally, I decided to stop in and have Aden's hair cut on Tuesday night when we went to Wally World. I just couldn't stand it anymore. We just had it trimmed and cleaned up though. He was sooo good. He walked right up to the chair and started climbing onto it. He sat perfectly still in the chair while the lady cut his hair and just cheesed at me the whole time. So sweet! He is getting so big!

Baby Shower # 1

2009-03-22T12:25:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was my first of two baby showers. It was hosted by my cousin Jennifer who lives in Chicago and one of my best friends, Linsey. It was very nice and I got some super cute things. Thank you guys!

A few pictures:

The food table

Cake from Rick's Bakery in Fayetteville - yummy!

Me

Grandmommy's to be

Sabrina & I

Winnie & I

Gift Table

Baby Uggs

Cute little onesie from Keep it Gypsy

Juicy Couture Pacifiers

Lots of Hair Accessories

31.5 Week Prenatal Appointment

2009-03-18T11:47:00.002-05:00

I had my 31.5 week prenatal appointment on Monday. Although my blood pressure looked better, they discovered that I am now anemic. So, I'll start taking iron supplements. I have been super tired lately, but just attributed that to the pregnancy.

We're making progress on Aden's new room. We have chair rail up. James and Aden's nana painted the bottom portion of the wall. Toddler furniture is in and assembled. All that is left is to arrange the furniture how we want it and finish the nautical decor. I hope to have pictures to post soon!

My first shower is this weekend and I am really looking forward to it!

Friends & Family Coupon - 30% off Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic

2009-03-13T09:08:00.008-05:00

Get 30% your in-store purchase now until Sunday, March 15th!

Click on the Title of this post to get the coupon.

Aden desperately needs some new spring clothes, so I'm go on a shopping trip to Old Navy this weekend. I so wish we had a babygap here! =( I don't think I have the time or the energy to drive to Fayetteville. Tomorrow James and I are going to be working on finishing Aden's new room, so that we can get the nursery ready.

Shopping problem

2009-03-11T22:42:00.002-05:00

I always knew that this would be an issue if/when I had a baby girl! I haven't even had any showers, and yet I continue. I will say that I have bought clothes mostly and I like to pick them out myself anyway!

Well, I found this diaper bag on sale at www.pureandhonestkids.com for only $38 (originally $90). I love damask, so I decided that I had to have it. I will have it monogrammed in light pink if we ever decide on a name.

Lovin' this weather...

2009-03-10T11:52:00.004-05:00

And so sad that it is about to come to an end. We've been spending some time outdoors lately. Aden *loves* to play outside. Here are a few pictures from the last few days:

Having Fun

The playhouse that mimi bought Aden

Getting Cleaned Up

We have a few outdoor projects planned at the house. We are going to double the size of our little backyard patio, have the backyard sodded, and buy Aden a swingset. After much research, I'm leaning toward the Step2 Brand Plastic Set. I love the look of the wooden sets, but the maintenance & set up seem a bit much. Then there is also the issue of splinters. Here's is a picture of the set I'm leaning towards:

29.5 Week OB Appointment

2009-03-03T09:59:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we went for my 29.5 week appointment with Dr. Rainwater. I have gained 26 lbs. thus far. Ugh! And still have 7.5 to 10.5 weeks remaining. The measurements and heartbeat were good. My blood pressure has started to rise a little, although Dr. Rainwater says that it is still within the normal range. I'm really concerned that I may be getting preeclampsia once again. With Aden, I was diagnosed with pre-e and put on bed rest at around 35 weeks. Due to the severe swelling, difficulty breathing, etc., I knew that something was wrong some time before the official diagnosis.

Anyways, I will begin seeing my OB every 2 weeks now, instead of four. I will keep you posted with pregnancy updates.

Ultrasound Comparisons & K-Mart Double Coupon Days

2009-02-25T13:21:00.002-06:00

I was looking back at Aden's 4-D ultrasound pictures to compare new baby's pics. You can look back at my previous post to see our recent ultrasound pics for baby girl. It seems Aden's face is a lot chubbier in his pictures. Baby girl's facial structures seem to be more defined and her nose appears to be more like mine. Anyway, Aden's pictures are below. Technology is just amazing, isn't it?

I also wanted to mention the double coupon days this week at K-Mart. They are doubling coupons up to $2.00. I was excited to see this as I have several $2.00 off diaper coupons, so it will be $4.00 off per package. I know that the Fort Smith K-mart is a participating store, but you can always call your local store to see if they are participating as well. Just thought I would share!

4-D Ultrasound of Our Baby Girl

2009-02-22T18:47:00.002-06:00

So, last Monday we had our 4-D ultrasound of baby girl. We are 28 weeks now! Only 9 to 12 more weeks to go and so much to do before then...

Smiling

Feet are crossed

And my favorite picture. She kind of looks like Aden did in this one.

Aden developed a double eye infection and ear infection over the weekend. James took him to the walk-in-clinic today, so that Aden could get started on some meds. Although it is obvious that he doesn't feel great, he has still been his busy little self playing around the house. We were supposed to go to a Chuck E Cheese party yesterday, but had to stay home because Aden was sick. I felt so bad as he has been talking about "going to Chuck E Cheese on Saturday" all week. =( We'll have to make it up to him when he gets better!

Our Valentine's Day Weekend...

2009-02-16T19:58:00.002-06:00

We had a very sad Valentine's day. My grandmother, who was 85 years old, passed away Saturday evening. She was like a second mother to me. I will remember her for her strength, her witty character, and dry sense of humor. We will miss her dearly and she will always hold a special place in my heart.

On a happier note, several things occured last week that I wanted to blog about. First, I want to say Congratulations to one of my best friends, Miranda, on her recent engagement. She and her finance, Sean, have been together 4 years. I am so happy for them. Her ring is absolutely gorgeous! The picture below doesn't begin to show how pretty it is.

Friday, Aden had his Valentine's day party at Montessori. I briefly stopped by the school and snapped a few pictures. They were working on a Valentine's day craft.

Aden showing me his finished product backwards. =) Every time that Aden is aware of my picture taking, I get this same cheesy face (squinted eyes and all).

Friday evening Aden had a patriotic-themed school program. The tots only participated in one song, "Yankee Doodle", but it was just really cute. We were so proud of him marching around the stage and holding his little flag!

Aden and one of his tot teachers, Mrs. Barrie

Aden's tot class

Happy Birthday James!

2009-02-06T21:09:00.002-06:00

Today is my hubby's 28th birthday. He had to work tonight, so we did a little mini-celebration last night with dinner at the house and a cookie cake. James wanted to go to the horse races in Hot Springs for his birthday, so we are leaving in the morning. It will be a nice little break for us and Aden will get to spend some time with his mimi and nana.

Aden has been doing very well. We received a progress report today from his toddler teacher at Montessori. Here it is:

James and Kelly;

I just wanted to update you on Aden's progress at school. He is very
social and loves being with the other kids. I just had a student add
Friday to her schedule, and he welcomed her with open arms. He is a very
loving young man. He has begun choosing his own work with more regularity,
and I very seldom have to suggest that he find a work. He is getting much
better at putting puzzles together. One of his favorite works is stringing
beads, and he LOVES books!

A few of the things I am working with Aden on is putting away his works
when he is finished with them. He has also been saying, "No," and "Can't"
quite often. I am trying to discourage those words and give him better
phrases to use instead of, "Can't" ("This is too hard for me, will you
help?").

I really enjoy Aden. He brightens my day when I see his happy little face.

Free Valentine's Day Cards...

2009-01-29T10:53:00.003-06:00

Scrapbooks, Etc., a photo website owned by Better Homes and Gardens magazine, is offering 6 free personalized Valentine's Day Cards with free shipping. There are 10 different Valentine's Day designs to choose from.

Here's how to do it. Go to https://stories.scrapbooksetc.com/landings/valentine0209.php

Click on "Create your Valentine's now" to get started. At checkout, enter coupon code "valentine" and hit recalculate before submitting order. Once on the next page, you do not have to enter any credit card information. Just hit submit order.

Here's Aden's Valentine Card. I thought this would be great for the grandparents!

Welcome Baby Ryder!

2009-01-27T20:16:00.003-06:00

Jenny had her baby boy on Tuesday morning and he weighed 5 lbs. and 14 ounces. They named him Ryder Maddux. What a cutie!

Freebie!!!

2009-01-20T18:54:00.003-06:00

Look what I got today for free at Dillards! It is Lancome's Virtuose mascara
(a $23.50 value).

Several makeup/skincare companies are settling a class action lawsuit by giving away over a million dollars worth of products to consumers at participating stores. These stores include Dillard's, Macy's, Saks, among others.

Our Dillard's here in Fort Smith had several products to choose from such as bath/shower gel, mascara, anti-aging creams and other skincare products. I was told that this will be going on until they run out of the products (which won't be long).

Just wanted to share this!!!

Planning Aden's New Bedroom

2009-01-20T11:52:00.003-06:00

Well, I have a gazillion projects going on at the house. This weekend we are getting our new laminate floors in the living room and hallway. I'm looking forward to see how it looks! I'm also in the process of organizing, clearing out the office for Aden's new "big boy" room and designing the nursery for our little princess-to-be.

I have decided to go with a nautical theme for Aden's new room. We're skipping the toddler bed and going straight to a twin. Hopefully, that will work out okay. I wanted to do something fun for him. I found a boat bed on pottery barn kids, but it is over a grand, so we are going to order the JC Penney version. Here are a few pictures:

JCP Boat bed and coordinating nightstand and chest. I will also be ordering the nautical mirror and prints.
Lighthouse corner bookshelf
Closer look at the nautical prints

I'm debating adding a chair rail and painting half of the wall a blue color. We may just leave them neutral (tan).

Week in Review...

2009-01-15T11:50:00.007-06:00

Well, I will start off my saying that my paternal grandmother, who is 85, was rushed to the ER this past Friday morning. She fell and hit her head sometime early Friday morning and was not found until some hours later. She lost alot of blood and was in critical condition in ICU, but is now doing much better and may even get to go to a regular room soon! Please keep her in your prayers. She is truly one of the strongest people I know. A very special thanks to Linsey, Miranda, and Aden's nana for watching him this weekend while we were away at the hospital!

Happy Belated Birthday Mackenzie!!! Our niece, Mackenzie, turned 3 on Tuesday. They grow up so fast! Tomorrow after work, we are heading to Russellville for her Minnie Mouse themed birthday party. Aden can't stop talking about going to Mackenzie's party (although he doesn't quite understand yet why every party is not at Chuck E Cheese).

Welcome Baby Owen! - My friend Sabrina from my mom's group had her baby boy yesterday. They started giving her pitocin at 9am yesterday and she delivered him at 12:49, so she had a relatively short labor. Congratulations!

And so the shopping begins!
I have already started shopping for our new baby girl. There is so much cute girl stuff! I can forsee this becoming a serious problem. I am working on designing the nursery. At this point, I have decided on light pink and cream toile. I am going to have a chair rail put up in new baby's room and we are ordering custom bedding from a lady in Greenwood. Aden is going to move into a "big boy" room that we are going to decorate in a nautical theme, complete with a boat bed. More to come on the rooms soon.

And no, we haven't decided on a name yet. We can't seem to agree on much. This is definitely harder than I thought it would be.

A few of my choices are:

-Katelynn Mackenna
-Addison Isabella or Addison Elizabeth
-Kennedy Addison

We both kind of like Adelynn Elizabeth, but I have been warned that she would be called "Addy" for a nickname and I really don't like that. James loves Ava (which I also like). I think Ava Claire is cute, but James doesn't like Claire. Ella is cute too. So, you see, it has been a lot of fun so far.

*Here are a few of my shopping finds:

That's it for now. Hope everyone is staying warm!

Jenny's Baby Shower

2009-01-04T22:38:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, I hosted a shower for my friend Jenny. We have known each other since junior high. She is due with her first baby (a boy!) on February 5th. The shower was at the Bonneville House. I think that it is a really pretty place. Congratulations Jenny! I am so excited for you.

A few pictures are posted below...

The mommy-to-be

Tea and Water Set-up

Jenny and I

One of the guests tables

flowers

The Cake... We did a fondant R on the top because she is naming the baby Ryder

Food Table

Group Shot

I have had two 4 day weekends in a row and have really enjoyed the time off. On New Years Eve, James and I headed for Missouri for some casino fun. We went to dinner and then on to the new Downstream casino. There were so many people there that we couldn't even find a place to spend money. So, after walking around for half an hour or so, we decided to leave and try to find another casino. We ended up at a pretty small place, but we had a lot of fun playing three card poker and even won a little money. We stayed the night in Joplin and ate at Johnny Carino's (yummy) before heading home. I think we both enjoyed the short time away and spending time with each other.

Friday morning I took Aden to Chuck E Cheese for a playdate. He has been saying "go see chuck e" constantly lately. We received an invite today for a classmate's birthday party next Saturday. So, looks like we may be going again next weekend. =)

I'm so not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. Hope everyone has a good week!

Our Christmas

2008-12-30T11:28:00.003-06:00

We had a really good Christmas this year. It was much more relaxing and enjoyable than last year's. On Christmas Eve, we headed over to my grandmother's house for sandwiches and gift exchange. We decided not to go to the candlelight service at church Christmas Eve because they don't have a nursery open during the service. Aden probably would not want to sit through it, so we didn't try it. Of course, we left out milk and cookies for Santa before heading to bed.

We slept in a little on Christmas morning, which was nice for a change. James opened up the envelope with the gender ultrasound picture and he just could not believe that we are having a girl. He said that he had hoped it was a girl, but thought it was another boy. After finishing up opening gifts with our little family, we went over to my mom's for a big Christmas lunch. Christmas night, my MIL and SIL came over for finger foods and gift exchange. I spent the rest of the extended weekend relaxing and being lazy.

James and Aden Christmas morning

Aden and I ready to go to mimi's house for lunch

Oh my, did santa bring lots of presents to mimi's!

Mimi and Aden

Aden's new tractor...

Train table with Thomas railway set...

And the Gender is.....

2008-12-25T12:06:00.001-06:00

It's a GIRL! Yea, so exciting. Now we will have one of each!

Hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Catching Up!

2008-12-23T10:30:00.002-06:00

We have been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to catch up on the blog.

Montessori had 3 caroling events for the kids last week, but we only attended one, which was at Chick-fil-A. It was "Spirit Night" and the kiddos sang Christmas carols. They even did Feliz Navidad completely in Spanish, which was pretty impressive (of course this didn't include the tots class). A percentage of the food sales were donated to the school during the event, so we had a quick dinner there as well.

I made my first tutu! It is a little Christmas gift for our niece, Mackenzie. Overall, I think that it turned out well considering that I had no clue what I was doing. And poor Aden had to try it on for measuring purposes (he and Mackenzie are close to the same height anyway). =)

I have been fighting the insanity of the last minute shopping. I think that I am almost finished!!! Sunday we had a Christmas lunch at our house for my inlaws that we will not see on Christmas and following that, Aden's birthday party was at Chuck E Cheese. We had a really good turn out. I can't believe that he is already 2! Time goes by so fast.

Yesterday, Aden had his 2 year well check with Dr. Cheshier. He's 31 lbs. and 36 inches tall. Three Feet tall seems really tall to me for his age; the nurse said that he is in the 90th percentile.

And today...is our big day to have the ultrasound. I can hardly wait! After work last night, James said that he wants to have the ultrasound tech write down the gender on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope. He wants to wait until Christmas to open it! I'm a very impatient person and just don't think I want to wait. I have waited long enough, right? Anyway, I may look and just let him find out on Christmas! We will see.

Here are a few pictures. I didn't get any good pictures from Aden's birthday party because I conveniently forgot to delete old pictures from the memory card so we ran out of space. James did take a few with my MIL's camera, so maybe those will turn out.

My first tutu

Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A

Cousin Mackenzie and Chuck E.

A shot of the birthday table

Playgroup Christmas Party

2008-12-15T21:52:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday afternoon we had our playgroup Christmas party (for the working moms). We had lots of snacks and a secret santa exchange. The kids really enjoyed playing with all of the toys. It was nice of Erica and Hayden to share their lovely home with us.

Aden ready to go to the party.

Some of the kids in the playgroup.

Enjoying some snacks.

Sweet Hayden

Moms

November Family Pictures

2008-12-12T22:11:00.005-06:00

We have already had our family pictures taken this year (jessica meinardus photography), and I did not plan on doing them again. My friend Sabrina in my meetup mom's group told me about a photographer friend of hers (Beaty Photography). We got such an amazing deal that I decided to go ahead and do pictures again. Aden has changed so much since our pictures were done in May and I wanted a current picture to use for our Christmas cards. It was super windy and cold, but they still managed to get some great shots. Aden is super hard to photograph because he is more interested in exploring. I picked our photo cd from Emily Beaty this week
and here are a few of the shots:

Townclub Luncheon with Santa and Fort Smith Christmas Parade

2008-12-06T19:37:00.005-06:00

Today James, Aden, mom, and I went to the Townclub luncheon with Santa. We had a late lunch reservation at 2:00, so that we could stay after and watch the parade from the balcony. Santa came to our table to say hi to Aden and gave him a few candy canes. Unfortunately, Santa left just before we were able to snap a picture of he and Aden in the den. After lunch, we watched the parade from the balcony. It was a little windy, but not too cold. Here are some pictures from our day!

Aden enjoying some pudding after lunch. My favorite picture of the day.

James, Aden, and mom on the balcony ready to watch the parade

Santa Float

Montessori Float

Care Bear Float

Our Christmas Decorations are finally up!

2008-12-05T10:59:00.005-06:00

Well, sort of. We have two of those little prelit trees outside on each side of the front window. The wind keeps blowing one over and I need to put some ribbon on them.

Aden has been pulling the ornaments off of the tree, but we're working on that.

We have a few things lined up for the weekend. While James is at work tonight, my mom, Aden, and I are going to go to the drive-thru Christmas exhibit at the Living Bible Church. They have live animals, so hopefully Aden will enjoy. And tomorrow... James, Aden, my mom, and I are going to the Luncheon with Santa at the Townclub. We may or may not stay to watch the parade. I should have some pictures to post from the luncheon as well.

My picture taking skills aren't the greatest, but I have posted pictures of our decorations below:

China hutch - sorry for the glare from the flash

Trifle bowl with ornaments

Mini Christmas Village in the hutch

Our tree

Little Personalized Snowmen Canvas - I have been enjoying www.personalizationmall.com

Nutcrackers and trees above the kitchen cabinets

Pantry Door

Planter Space# 1

Planter Space # 2

Stockings (Yes, there are four- I'm planning ahead)

Top of the armoire

Belated Thanksgiving Post...

2008-12-03T13:31:00.004-06:00

I hope that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday! Ours was good - a little hectic, but we managed. We got to eat lots of yummy foods. We have so much to be thankful for, but most importantly, our family and friends. Thank you for being a part of our lives.

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday with Dr. Rainwater. I just love her so far! She is super nice and answered all of my questions thoroughly. I didn't feel as though she was in a hurry to get on to the next patient. All went well - my blood pressure is good, no proteins in urine, and we listened to the baby's heartbeat. I set up my 20 week ultrasound for December 23rd. I am looking forward to finding out if we will have another boy this time or a little girl.

We have been super busy lately. James is consumed with preparing for his finals at school and working. I have been planning Aden's birthday, decorating for Christmas, and working on shopping for gifts. I am still not finished with my decorations, but I am determined to get it done within the next few days. Hopefully, I will have some pictures to post soon.

Sydney's Birthday Party...

2008-11-23T19:20:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Sydney's 1st birthday this afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese. We have been there several times lately. Aden loves Chuck E., so naturally he was excited about going to the party. We had a busy day and Aden didn't get a nap. He did very well considering. Here are a few pictures from the party:

The birthday girl

Aden riding the Barney train

Aden driving a car

Happy Birthday Miranda!!!

2008-11-22T23:35:00.001-06:00

Tonight we had a surprise birthday dinner for Miranda at 21 West End. There were 15 of us total. Miranda had planned on meeting James and I for dinner, but had no idea that we had a surprise planned. The food was really good and we finished it off with a chocolate and strawberry cake from Confectionately Yours. Here are a few pictures from our evening:

Miranda after she blew out the candles from her cake.

Miranda and Sean

James and I

Huff and Robin

Fall Family Feast

2008-11-21T12:30:00.003-06:00

This month's fabulous friday theme at Montessori is "Hat's Off to Helping Others". The kids were asked to wear a hat to school and to bring their gently worn clothing items to donate to those who are less fornuate.

Today was also the Fall Family Feast, so James and I joined Aden for lunch. We had turkey & dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and Pumpkin Pie. It was also nice to visit with Aden's teacher to hear about all the things he is doing and saying at school. Below is a picture of Aden eating his lunch today. He has really improved on using utencils with his meals. He thought that he needed to eat his roll with a fork. We tried explaining that it is okay to eat a roll with your hands, but he insisted. =)

Trey & Amanda's Wedding

2008-11-19T10:26:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday night we went to Trey & Amanda's Wedding. The reception was at
21 West End. Everything looked really pretty. Here are a couple of pictures from our night:

Jennifer, me, April, and Miranda

The hubby and I

A Party Filled Weekend

2008-11-10T09:25:00.003-06:00

Well, we had a pretty eventful weekend. Saturday evening James and I attended a couples shower. Sunday I went to a baby shower, followed by a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese.

We are also very excited to announce that we will be adding another addition to our family. I just made it to the second trimester and our due date is May 16, 2009. We will find out the gender next month. I have also found a doctor who is willing to let me do a VBAC, which has come to be quite rare here in Arkansas. So, I have an appointment with my new OB, Dr. Rainwater, on November 20th.

Although I didn't take any pictures at either of the showers we went to, I did manage to snap a few at Eli and Lauren's birthday party. Here they are!

Smiling in the Safari Jeep

And riding on the horse... Linsey and James making sure that he doesn't fall.

Some of the kids singing with Chuck E.

Aden and I

Our little monkey...

2008-11-03T09:43:00.004-06:00

Aden enjoying some chocolate at my grandmother's house.

So, Halloween didn't go exactly as we had planned. After work, I had a flat tire while driving home on the interstate. I pulled over on I-40 and called AAA. With that said, we got started a little later than I had hoped. Aden and I headed over to my grandmother's for trick-or-treating and visiting, while James made final preparations for his costume. I spent every evening last week decorating for the Art Center Halloween Fundraiser. James and I stopped by the event for a bit later on in the evening.

And finally, we have a home computer again. We received the shipment from Dell on Friday. Yea!

Happy Birthday Maddox!

2008-10-23T10:33:00.003-05:00

This is actually a very belated post. Maddox had his 2nd birthday party at McDonald's in the earlier part of the month. The kids had fun eating their happy meals, ice cream, and cake and playing in the playplace.

Miranda just gave me the pictures from her camera, so here they are.

The Birthday Boy

Ice Cream Face

Jackson

Pretty Sydney

James and Aden

Wild Things Farm Playdate

2008-10-21T11:52:00.004-05:00

Sunday we went to a playdate at the Wild Things Farm. We met with other members from the Fort Smith mom's group. I also asked Jennifer and Maddox to come along with us. Although Aden and Maddox were a little fussy at times, the kids had fun overall. Activities on the farm included a hayride, feeding and petting the animals, playing with water pumps, and picking a pumkin from the pumpkin patch. Here are a few pictures from our day.

Aden ready to go on the hayride

Jennifer and Maddox; Aden and I; Winnie and Madeline

Winnie and Madeline

Jennifer and Maddox

Aden watching Madeline pump water

Aden's turn

Friday on the Farm

2008-10-20T13:40:00.003-05:00

Aden's school hosted "Friday on the Farm" last week. The kids dressed up like little farmers. We bought Aden a pair of overalls and I sewed a hankerchief in the back pocket. It was really cute! Montessori also had a sheep and a pony on the grounds, so each class was able to visit the animals. After school, James brought Aden by my office and I snapped a few photos. Hope you enjoy.

Neumeier's Fall Festival

2008-10-17T09:08:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday Aden and I went to Neumeier's annual fall festival. Aden really enjoyed the playing in the pumpkin patch. We met up with my mom and several friends at the festival. It was a nice fall afternoon for some outdoor fun. I have posted a picture from our day below.

I have really slacked on the blogging. The hard drive on our home laptop conveinently decided to go out a few weeks ago. Needless to say, we are going to go ahead a buy a new one because it is about 5 years old anyway. Hopefully, this will happen in the next few days.

We have lots of things going on lately, so I hope to have more to post soon. Maybe even later today!

Go Green Day

2008-09-23T10:19:00.003-05:00

Friday was "Go Green Day" at Montessori. While the tots spent the week learning about the color green and some basic "green concepts", the bigger kids learned in more detail ways to help save the environment.

Montessori also caters lunch in every Friday, so Aden gets a special treat (and I don't have to pack a lunch =).

Here is a picture from his day and what a face I might add!

Game Day Fun

2008-09-04T14:52:00.005-05:00

Our friends, Sean and Miranda, came to Fayetteville with us this past Saturday for the first Razorback home game. We also had several other friends stop by. Here are some pictures from our day:

Our new canopy

James grilling out

New Tailgating golf game

Christina and Spencer

James and I

After the game, we headed to Powerhouse for appetizers and drinks. Then, it was on to Willie D's, a piano bar. We had lots of fun. Here are a few pictures from the evening:

Sean, Spencer, and Miranda

James and I

Sean and Miranda

I want this mouse OUT of my house!!!

2008-09-02T21:09:00.002-05:00

How do you have a mouse in a brand new home??? The fact that we live in the country (well, almost) greatly contributes to it, I'm sure. Since we moved in, in December, we've had visits from a black widow, a mole, a few tarantulas, a snapping turtle, and now this. My friend Jennifer who lives down the street had a water moccasin in her yard. There was also a fox who got runover in the street.

I am afraid to let Aden play outside. Any suggestions of how to contain this problem?

Montessori Back to School Swim Party

2008-09-02T13:16:00.004-05:00

Montessori held a back to school swim party on Friday at the Alma Water Park. We invited my friend Jennifer and her son, Maddox, to come along with us. They boys had a blast! Here are some pictures from the party.

Last Weekend

2008-08-29T13:28:00.003-05:00

Last Friday night we celebrated my friend Jennifer and Linsey's birthday. A group of us went to 21 to eat. Food was wonderful. Afterwards, we did a little bar hopping downtown.

Aden's first day at Montessori

2008-08-29T11:56:00.002-05:00

Aden started the tot program at Montessori. He is going there on Monday's and Friday's and then to the Goddard extended day MDO on the remaining days.

Montessori tots have music on Friday's. The music teacher is with the FS symphony. I actually went to high school with her. Small world.

Anyway, he seems to be doing well so far. He has messed up his clothes every day so far. They don't allow sippy cups there - I think that it is part of the whole independent learning method. So, Aden takes a small water bottle with him.

Here's a picture of James and Aden on the first day.

The Jamie Foxx Picture I promised...

2008-08-29T11:45:00.002-05:00

Well, here it finally is - Linsey and I with Jamie Foxx at the luau in Lahaina. Considering it was the only picture taken, I thought it turned out quite well. =)

A very active little boy...

2008-08-21T10:53:00.003-05:00

Well, we're back! We had a blast, but it's good to be home again. We missed our little punkin! I think that he was glad to see us again too.

Aden stayed busy while we were gone. His nana was nice enough to give us a few photos she took.

At the playground

Splashing around

Aden officially starts Montessori tomorrow. We are really excited about the program. James took Aden to drop-in orientation on Tuesday (I had to work) and he was really impressed with the teachers and how well they worked with him. Aden will be going to the Montessori school on Monday's and Friday's and to the Extended Mother's day out program at Goddard United Methodist on the remaining days. I know it's kind of a crazy schedule, but we will see how it works out!

Day Three

2008-08-12T04:59:00.002-05:00

Today we all got together after breakfast and attempted to map out the remainder of our vacation. I can't believe we are already half way through! I'm still not really adjusted to the time change, but it seems to be getting a little better.

The boys went to play golf in Wailea at the Old Blue Course while Linsey, Tiffani, and I went back to the "big beach". The sea was much calmer today and I decided to give the ocean another chance.

We later had a cookout by the pool and called it a night. We have a lot of activities coming up in our final days in Maui.

Day Two

2008-08-12T04:40:00.002-05:00

We started off day two with a few rounds of tennis at the Wailea Tennis Club. James beat me 4 sets in a row. =( After tennis, we went to the BCBG store and I found a few cute things there. We also went to the town of Kihei, where we visited a small Hawaiian market and some surrounding shops. Later on, we all went to the Old Lahaina Luau, which was a lot of fun. Jamie Fox was even there. Linsey and I had our picture taken with him, but it is on Linsey's mom's camera so I will have to get the photo and upload it later on.

James and I before leaving for our luau dinner show.

Linsey and I at the luau.

James, mom, and I

Casey and Tiffani

backside of Jamie Fox

Luau Dancers

Traditional Pig Roasting

Us with the hula girls

Day One

2008-08-10T15:41:00.003-05:00

We aren't adusting too well to the time change so far. We are getting up super early and going to bed super early. Maybe in a few days we'll get up to speed. We started our first day by going to breakfast at a wonderful little restaurant called Longhi's, followed by a trip to the grocery store to pick up a few items for the week. Once back at the condo, we went to the pool area and then "Big Beach" (aka Makena beach). The waves were so strong it was crazy. It was fun until I got pulled under and slammed into the bottom. It really is quite dangerous. There are many injuries and a few deaths that occur at this beach every year. James, Linsey, Tiff, and Casey stayed in the water for a bit and then one of the local surfers had to tell them when it was safe to get out (so they wouldn't catch one of the waves at the breaking point)! Here are a few pics from our day!

Casey and Tiffani on the beach

Our sandy feet

Pretty Maui Sunset view from our balcony

James and I at dinner

Finally Here...

2008-08-09T17:02:00.002-05:00

And it took FOREVER. We arrived at the Fort Smith Airport yesterday morning at
5:30 am. We arrived at our condo in Maui at about 1:30 am CST (which was only 7:30 here). Definitely glad to get here.

We flew first class from Seattle to Maui. Here's a picture of our dinner. We had 6 hours worth of wine, which made the time go by a little smoother. Also, don't waste your time with the movie, Leatherheads. It was absolutely horrible.

Our condo kitchen. We even have a wine fridge!

View from our balcony. The mountains in the background are breathtaking.

Our Wedding DVD Slideshow

2008-08-06T13:58:00.003-05:00

This DVD slideshow was played at our wedding reception in the corridor.

Summer Play

2008-08-05T13:23:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pics of Aden from the week. The first picture is of him relaxing on the couch. The latter picture is from swimming at his mimi's over the weekend.

Our First Anniversary

2008-08-05T12:42:00.000-05:00

To celebrate our first anniversary, we went to dinner and a movie. I picked the restaurant, Rolando's, so I let James pick the movie. He's been wanting to see the new batman movie, The Dark Knight, and surprisingly enough, I enjoyed it.

Happy Anniversary to my James Allen!!!

2008-08-04T00:00:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that one year ago today, we walked down the aisle together. I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful husband, who I grow to love more each and every day. Thank you for your patience, your loyalty, and for just being you! You are an amazing father to Aden. You are my best friend and my soulmate. I love you James! Happy 1st Anniversary!!!

What a week!

2008-07-27T11:38:00.003-05:00

Last week was a pretty tough week for all of us. I caught my mom's bacterial infection and was very sick from last Monday until Saturday. I was highly contagious so I couldn't touch or be around Aden at all. =( I had to quarantine myself in the bedroom and watch endless television (I'm not much of a tv person).

We are sad to have learned that Aden's sitter, Jessica, will no longer be keeping kids. She will be going to school full time in the fall. She has been great with Aden and we have enjoyed having her. We'll miss her, but we wish her the best! Aden will be starting the tots program at Montessori on August 20th. I am hoping that it will be a smooth transition.

James has been super busy with summer school and work. This week was extra tough because he had to take and pick up Aden every day and take care of him when he was off. I'm really proud of him - I know that it can't be easy going to school full-time, working, and being a husband/daddy.

We did get a new dining room table and chairs & a new matress this weekend. I will try to post pictures later of the dining room set. Our house is a big work in progress!

Less than two weeks and we're off to Hawaii!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

2008-07-20T22:01:00.002-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday. We won't say how old she is though! Unfortunately, she had to spend her birthday in the hospital. My mother-in-law, Sandy, came over to watch Aden while James and I went to visit mom. I had ordered a strawberry cake from Confectionately Yours (yum...) and so we took it to her. It's hard to shop for someone who needs absolutely nothing. We ended up giving her a pair of Coach Sunglasses. At least she can use them on our trip.

Outdoor Play

2008-07-18T14:38:00.002-05:00

The kids got to go outside and play today at Mrs. Jessica's. She was nice enough to post a few pictures. Hope that you enjoy them!

Casey's Graduation Party

2008-07-13T13:20:00.002-05:00

Linsey's brother, Casey, finished his masters. This is a picture of Linsey and I from the dinner party on Saturday.

Peanut Butter Face

2008-07-13T13:17:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when we get to eat peanut butter...

Happy 4th

2008-07-04T13:09:00.000-05:00

Mr. A is all boy

2008-06-29T01:19:00.002-05:00

Aden went to Dr. Cheshier's on Monday for his 18-month well check. He just keeps growing - 34" tall and 28.3 lbs.

He's so full of energy... This week Miranda watched him during my tennis league. She taught him "ring around the rosies". Aden just loves the 'all fall down' part. He got a little too excited later in the week and fell down on the tile. We ended up with a busted and bleeding lip.

He also had a climbing accident at Jessica's and bumped his little head.

Hawaii Bound

2008-06-29T01:12:00.002-05:00

Well, its official! We're going to Maui in August. James and I are both really excited. I'm not sure if baby A will be joining us or not. We are still contemplating the pros and cons. It would be such a long time to be away from him, that's for certain. James and I will be going with my mom and my friend Linsey and her family. It should be an amazing time and I can't wait!

Wild Wilderness Safari

2008-06-08T23:30:00.000-05:00

Today James, Aden, and I went to the drive-thru zoo in Gentry, Arkansas. For those of you who aren't familiar with the zoo, they also have a petting area. In the petting-zoo area, there were several baby animals that you can hold and play with. They even had kangaroos! Here are some pics from our day.

2008-06-08T23:15:00.002-05:00

More Animals...

2008-06-08T23:15:00.001-05:00

Kangaroo's! Can you see the baby kangaroo's legs hanging out of the momma's pouch in the second photo? Too cute.

Lazy Saturday

2008-06-07T22:47:00.000-05:00

We had a very lazy Saturday. I actually did try to work on the house some - organizing and cleaning out closet, but only left once to go to Starbucks. Here's a picture of Aden playing with his toys.

Houston/Galveston Trip

2008-06-04T19:15:00.000-05:00

We took a family mini vacation to Houston and Galveston 5/27 - 6/1. It was also Aden's very first air plane ride. We flew first class on the outbound segment, so that was a special treat.

Here is Aden at the airport and then with his "cat" on the plane.

We stayed in Houston the first night both because we had a late flight in and I really wanted to go to the Galleria the next morning. After spending several several hours at the mall, we headed to our condo in Galveston.

2008-06-03T21:37:00.002-05:00

Fun Outdoors

2008-06-03T21:23:00.004-05:00

Our condo in Galveston

Juggling

2008-05-23T11:46:00.002-05:00

So, lately I have been trying to juggle all of life's daily obligations (*working, mothering, playing wife) and adding a few more into the mix. I will be so happy once J is finished with school so that he won't be working nights anymore. Only about another year and a half.

Anyway, I found a great site for recipes and I'm looking forward to trying all of them out. There are a lot of interesting and yummy new things to experiment with. You can find a link to the blog at the bottom of my page. It's called Picky Palate.

Hope everyone is doing well. We're looking forward to next Tuesday when we head off for Houston/Galveston!

Meinardus Photography Photo Session...

2008-05-11T16:04:00.004-05:00

We had our pictures made on May 3rd. Here are some of the proofs from the session!

Outdoor Play

2008-04-26T17:19:00.005-05:00

It was so pretty outside today. We filled up Aden's water table and let him splash around. Afterwards, we blew some bubbles. He had so much fun!

More of Mr. Aden

2008-04-20T18:12:00.002-05:00

Here's some more pictures of Aden that Jessica took on Friday.

Dinner @ Nana's

2008-04-19T23:56:00.004-05:00

Aden and I had dinner at his nana's on Friday night. We got to visit with aunt Jennifer, cousin Mackenzie, aunt Laura, and Papa Winn and Grandma Arlene were in from Arizona too. Here's a picture of Aden and Mackenzie.

Aden has a new sitter...

2008-04-17T09:32:00.003-05:00

Aden started with his new sitter, Jessica, this week. He seems to be adjusting really well. Jessica has an informative childcare blog that fills us in on Aden's weekly activities. This is a picture she took of Aden this week.

Kelly's new handbag

2008-04-03T22:31:00.002-05:00

I was so excited to receive my newest prized possesion from Gucci yesterday. I went to UPS in Fort Smith afterhours in the pouring rain. Of course, the UPS driver had attempted to deliver while no one was home and the delivery required a signature. I will be carrying this for a long long time.

Goddard Easter Egg Hunt

2008-04-03T14:25:00.008-05:00

The church had an Easter scene photo op set up for the kids. Aden's not really into having his picture lately. However, he thoroughly enjoyed trying to steal the large plastic eggs from the scene. It was pretty funny.