Attn: Producer(s) of "What Not to Wear"

Dear Sir or Madam:


Need I say more?

Finally, a Morning Nap!

After spending the weekend re-training our itty-bittiest to sleep in the day and not just at night, I think we have succeeded.

A Little Helper

It happened overnight. Ryder has learned the art of vacuuming. He knows his Mama is crazy obsessive compulsive when it comes to vacuuming and he is ready and willing to help me out. Even asking, "Pleeeeeease!!!!" to vacuum the entire living room. God Bless You Sweet Boy!

Answered Prayer

He just answered my prayer. No, He does not put that stipulation on the gift of two children. All you need is a Bathroom with an Exhaust fan. Waa-Laa, there is two sleeping children....one in his bed, one on the bathroom floor.

Just asking...

Dear God,

When you grant the Beautiful Blessing and Gift of two children do you do this with the stipulation that neither will sleep at the same time during the day? Do you then also stick in a disclaimer that possibly one or both will not sleep at all during the day? I'm just asking. Be reassured that I still offer up All of my Love and Thankfulness for the Beautiful Blessings you abundantly make in our lives each day-

Mmmmm...Yum!!

Ryder says...."Mmmmmm Yum!!". Thank you Grandma, for my delicious ice cream cone and the delights of your backyard this warm January day!

I made another "Mmmmm, Yum!!" dish for dinner. We were watching TV after both the boys were in bed Sunday night and I saw a Cream Cheese Commercial. Kick your normal spaghetti recipe up a notch by adding half a block of cream cheese and some Parmesan to your sauce right before pouring over your spaghetti. It was AMAZING!!!!! Or maybe it was only amazing to us because we've been Weight Watchers strong for three weeks now, but I think even if we weren't it would have still been just as delicious to our little taste buds!

This new little guy was yummy to hold today, too! Our good friends welcomed their newest addition yesterday. Welcome to the World Baby Kade...we can't wait to get to know you!

And of course this little man is "Mmmmm...Yum!!!!". Look at the grip he has on these toys. Learned quick that if he doesn't hold on tight a short little blond, about 2 years of age, will snatch them away!

The Doctor's Circus

I was positive that there was something seriously wrong with Rustin today. Fussy is an understatement. He is never fussy. I sat at my desk trying to work while Ryder was gone. Instead, I ran scenarios through my head of all the horrible possibilities. I decide that I must get him into the Doctor immediately. I call and he has an appointment an hour later.

Now before you label me as an overly dramatic worry of a Mom, remember he is just getting over RSV with a Double Ear Infection and a side of Bronchitis. AND...through all of that he never fussed. Struggled to breathe? Yes, but no tears.

I pick up Ryder and the fun begins.

Dramatic Pause.

Please tell me I don't have the only 2-year old who is a nightmare at the Doctor's office. Even if I do, just lie. Flat out lie to me. It really will make me feel better.

I promise he is not a bad kid. I promise their office staff feels otherwise. I promise they tell each other that I need a visit from the Super Nanny. I promise that there is something in that office screaming at Ryder the moment we walk in..."Act up!!! Get into everything you can!!! Scream at the top of your lungs when the Doctor talks to your Mom!!! Lick the Floor so you can pick up any germs that might be left over from the previous patient!!! Dig through the trash for napkins and used up tongue depressors!!! Climb over the Nurse so that you can stick your head right in the middle of your brother's legs while she tries to insert a catheter!!! Scream to your Brother that its O.K. and then melt down when he won't stop crying...after all two kids crying is much better than one!!! Grab my leg and continually tell me that your need to use the Potty when you and I both know you really just want to go play with toilet paper "...I could go on, but I won't.

The Verdict: Absolutely, positively not a thing wrong with Rustin. Maybe he just has some gas or his reflux was unusually bad or maybe he was just having an off day. After all..we all have them every now and again. Sigh.

It feels like a circus around here most days. Its reassuring to know that one day I will look back and laugh, missing the pitter-pattering feet of my little angel with a slightly crooked halo.

Clean Slate

Alright folks...lets just wipe the slate clean and pretend I haven't been absent since Christmas! Yikes... I don't know what is wrong with me. I feel like I just can't keep up and when I finally have a chance to sit down and catch my breath that is exactly what I do.

Life has been a blur ever since that September day when Rustin made his arrival. I constantly tell myself that things will slow down next week, but they never do. I seriously have to keep a notepad pinned to my side just to jot down thoughts of things that need to get done or I will forget. I am only 32...short term memory loss isn't supposed to set in this early...or is it?

So here is a little catch up on our January:

1. I am trying to make organization a priority in my life since it is resolution season. Baby steps for this girl though. My goal is to organize one space every day. I haven't made it happen every day, but I have made some progress. I went through the Kitchen Cabinets on Sunday which hadn't been touched since I put everything in them five years ago.

2. We are trying to shed some pounds around here, too. I need it more than Matt. Everyone told me how much easier it is to lose the weight after the second baby than the first. Not my experience. When Baby 1 arrived, I didn't have all kinds of toddler snacks laying around the house. I really started monitoring my diet after the first of the year and noticed how it is almost second nature for me to give Ryder a handful of Teddy Graham's and then take a handful for myself. Being in what I like to refer to as "survival mode" these first few months of having 2 children ages 2 and under, I found that I never sat down to have a meal. I instead grabbed handfuls of this and that as I moved around the house. Problem is, this and that were never anything healthy. Primarily, it equated to eating cookies all day long.

3. Matt is moving right along on his little cancer center project at Baylor. O.K. I am being slightly sarcastic when I say little...


I was in Dallas for work yesterday and decided to drive by. I was shocked at the progress since I had last seen the site.


I drove through downtown Dallas on my way home...I always love the view driving between all the buildings. Not really sure why, but it is always mesmerizing to me. Ryder always seems to be asleep when we do this, but I'm sure he would be fascinated too!

5. Ryder is loving Rustin more every day.

From this picture I don't know if we can say that the feeling is mutual, but I have faith that Rustin will learn to love his brother. I can't believe that he is not that itty-bitty thing that curls up in a ball on your chest anymore. Sometimes I wish we could just push the pause button on life so that we could cherish little moments a tad longer, but that is just not how God planned it.

I'm going to try and work on a little project I saw on another Blog this evening! I'll post some picture updates and a link to the Blog a little later!

We're Re-emerging!

Thankfully, we are slowly re-emerging from our sick induced state. RSV successfully contaminated every single person living here at Camp Smith. I am happy to report that we are all on the road to mend and should be up and running at full speed by the weekend. Our little "Plus One" took the hardest hit, but he is very resilient and doing tons better!