Random Thoughts

1. For some reason, Brooke has taken to calling me "Gus" lately. Gus is the chubby, not-so-bright mouse from Cinderella. Scot thinks it's hilarious. It's giving me a complex.

2. I have been playing around with photo editing lately. It can waste an entire hour before you even know it. Where are the kids and what are they doing? I don't know, but check out this picture I took of a swan at the park:

Original

After



Cool, huh?

3. On a related note, I am really getting interested in photography. "Interested" meaning I would like to learn. I'm not sure how to get going, though. I think I could (maybe?) teach myself a lot using the internet. If anyone knows anything about this topic or has a camera suggestion, I am all ears.

4. I downloaded some awesome praise music the other day by Travis Cottrell. His "In Christ Alone" is amazing, I highly recommend.

5. Nathan's party is in a few days, and I am so excited I can hardly stand it! We're having the grandparents over for a little BBQ. Nathan is just about to walk. I know enough this time around to enjoy having a non-walker, but how great would it be if he started by this weekend??

6. This sentence has come out of my mouth twice today: "Brooke, stop riding Nathan!!!"

7. Nathan had his one-year checkup today. He's 34 inches tall, which puts him above the 99th percentile. That means that if there are 100 babies...well, I don't know what it means, but he's tall. Pretty much knew that going in.

That's all. Bye!

A Year Ago Today

...I looked like this.

My family looked like this.


And then we looked like this.


I got up early that morning. Really, really early. I couldn't sleep. The combination of being 9 months pregnant and knowing you're going to have a baby in the morning will do that to you.

The c-section was cake. They got the IV in on the first try (it took 9 TIMES with Brooke!) and the surgery prep went quickly. Before I knew it I was lying on the operating table waiting for Scot to come in. We looked at each other and tried to talk but we were both just too nervous, waiting for our baby.

I don't know when women typically bond with their babies, but for me it's at the first cry. Everything is a little surreal up until that point, and no number of ultrasounds or baby kicks changes that. I waited to hear Nathan. I felt lots of pressure, like my lungs would burst. Scot held my hand.

Hearing Nathan's cry was one of the two most amazing moments in my life. Nathan cried. I cried. I loved him instantly with the same fierce, mama-bear love I have for his sister.

Amazing.

He was 8 pounds, 11 ounces and 21 inches long.

I got to see Nathan very briefly in the operating room before the nurses took him out. I went to recovery and wouldn't get to see him again for another hour. A clock on the wall slowly ticked the minutes away. Both of our families were there and came in one by one to see me and give me updates.

Finally, the hour was up and we got to know our boy.

Happy first birthday, Nathan!


Love, me

Field Trip

This weekend we took the kiddos to see the Arch. Brooke is always fascinated by it, so it was time to see it up close. Real close.





There was a really long line to get in and we didn't think our two could wait that long. We just walked around outside.

Nathan did his little Nathan-thing, and took everything in from his stroller. A few Goldfish bought us some more time.



Brooke's favorite part was not the Arch, of course. She loved watching the train and running around everywhere.

Tweet, tweet

We have a bird nest! It's in the bush in our front yard.



We didn't tell Brooke about it until the bird grew up and the nest was empty. She'd want to climb right in there with it. See?


Here the bird is, almost ready to leave the nest.




It's ugly, isn't it??

You know his mama still thinks he's the cutest little bird ever. She probably has a blog about him called "Empty Nest." Or maybe she tweets about him on Twitter.

Well, that's just about enough from me.

Have a great weekend!

Nathan Now

The little dude is almost ONE!! I can hardly believe it.

Nathan's crawling like a crazy man, but not walking just yet. He loves to practice, though.


He's got a few little words, too. He says "hi," "baba," "uh-oh," "Dada," "Dixie," and moos like a cow. His little baby voice is the sweetest! Every now and then he'll throw out "Brooke" or "Mama" but those are a little more rare.

He brushes his hair with his brush and throws and catches a ball. He picks up Brooke's little toy airplane and flies it while making a "shoosh" sound like she does. He loves to try to feed us his food. Pretty sweet stuff.


I can't believe how he's already trying to keep up with Brooke. At the playground, he's up the slide, crawling through the tunnels and riding the animals right next to her.


Back off, I can do it myself! A preview of the 2's??

4th of July

There are some holidays that don't stick in my head from year to year. The 4th is one of them. I mean, I can remember a few things about last year. I was really (REALLY) pregnant. We watched the fireworks from our deck. Brooke, not yet 2, paid absolutely no attention and I spent most of the night waddling around after her. But that's pretty much all I remember. And I don't think I took any pictures. (Gasp!)

I'm writing this one down. That's what this blog is about, right??

So this year, Scot's parents came up and we started the day at church. We sang some old, patriotic hymns--some of my favorites.

After church, naps, etc., Grandma and Brooke made homemade ice cream. I don't think I've had it before, but it is GOOD! Definitely a fan. Brooke was just thrilled to crack eight eggs at once and lick the paddle.



Then outside. Popper-thingies and glow bracelets...


...and trains??

Uh...where's Nate??


Then a little BBQ with burgers, beans, corn on the cob and chips. Nate did this to his hair entirely by himself.


Hi. I smell like baked beans.

After dinner, Brooke's buddy came by and they were seriously pumped for the fireworks. We have a great view of the town fireworks right in our backyard. They ran around yelling "I'm so excited!"

They are about to burst!

Of course, once the fireworks started they didn't watch. See, we have such a good view of the fireworks that the entire neighborhood shows up in our yard to watch. Little Miss would rather chat up the new people than watch fireworks. I couldn't see her because it was dark, but I could see the blur of her glow bracelets as she fluttered around chattering nonstop.



Brooke got to stay up until 10:30. (We paid for that one the next day.) A snuggle with Papa and off to bed.


We won't forget this one. :-)

10 Things About You

Soon-to-be three-year-olds say and do some random stuff. I'm always thinking I should write some of it down for Brooke to read someday. So I did.

So, Brooke, here are 10 funny/sweet/weird/cute things that you're doing right now. I think I could have listed 100. Anyway, here goes...

10. You eat all the bread we take to feed the ducks.


9. You pray and thank God for birthdays, cupcakes, and, with some encouragement, Mommy, Daddy and Nate, "and they can have cupcakes, too!"

8. You're obsessed with trains and cars despite my every effort to make you a girly-girl.

7. You stop in the middle of throwing a fit to tell us you're throwing a fit. (Um, yeah. Thanks for the update.)

6. You think I know everyone's name, what they're doing and where they're going.

5. Playing with Play-doh equals handing me a wad of it and ordering me to make you things. ("Make Lightening McQueen! Make wheels on him! Make him a smiley face!")


4.Two words: DRESS UP!!


3. Your outgoing social-butterfly personality. (You can thank your dad for that one!)

2. You beg to sit in Daddy's car in the garage and listen to his I-Pod.


1. You're a mommy's girl through and through--far and away my favorite. :-)

That's just a little bit of you today. I love all of it and I love you, too, little girl.

Love, me