moo baa la la la.

The title of baby P's favorite book. The cow says moo. He loves to read. You say "book". He goes straight to one of the many bookshelves in our home and picks up his selection and brings it back to you. Then he crawls into your lap and patiently listens. What can I say? He comes from a family of avid readers. Taylor and I would much rather read then watch tv. We sometimes go three or four days without turning on the tv. At all. Weird, huh? Personally. I enjoy the peace and quiet. There is never anything on anyway. I do watch Grey's Anatomy and the news. Sometimes Jon and Kate Plus Eight. But that's about it.

The sheep says baa. Sandra Boynton is probably our favorite author of the week. Her books come as board books, which is important for the following reason....



They are also short and sweet, perfect for baby P's short attention span. Three singing pigs say la la la. (That is his favorite part. He starts laughing as soon as you turn to this page.) No, no, you say. That isn't right. The pigs say oink all day and night. Yes, I know the words by heart. Scary. If you are looking for some good books for your kiddo, Sandra Boynton is great! We also love The Going To Bed Book and Blue Hat, Green Hat. Short, simple, and catchy. Perfect books for little ones.



It was a great day. I worked late. Taylor watched Phoenix. They spent the afternoon baby-proofing the kitchen cabinets. Lysol and Dawn are not appropriate beverages for baby. It was definitely time. I wonder if it will really snow tomorrow. You never know. It's Georgia.

raining cats and dogs.

It was a rainy, gloomy, and dreary day. Before baby P entered my world, I loved rainy days. That has definitely changed. Eleven month olds have a minimum daily requirement of outside time, and when it rains like it did today, that requirement is not met. No outside time = unhappy baby = unhappy mommy. You other moms out there know exactly what I'm talking about, right? I did my best to keep baby P occupied so that he wouldn't miss the outdoors. We visited our usual Jonesboro Rd. stores, including Target, Pier 1, Marshalls, and Chik-Fil-A. He got in some good ole' Yukon play time while I chatted on the phone with my long lost friend Emily. He loves to play in the car. We do this more often then we should. If we are parked, I let him explore the car. He loves it! And it keeps him occupied while I eat my lunch or chat on the phone. I know, we spend way too much time in the car. What can I say, I like to get out of the house! Anyway, after we got back from shopping, Granny came over and we put together seven miniature wagons for baby P's upcoming birthday party. P helped, of course. He was super excited about having eight wagons. I took him on an indoor ride in the big daddy wagon and then he pulled each and every baby wagon around the house. Then we played some great games, like "tour the house" and "this little piggy". For a rainy day, it was a pretty good one. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, too. Thank God Taylor is watching him tomorrow while I'm at work. Taylor has a whole new set of games to keep him entertained.

Here are some pics from the other day. Phoenix went back and forth between me and the wagon at least 50 times. He thought it was hilarious!
Phoenix, where's your wagon?


Now, where's mommy? Can you tell he was running!?!



Over and over again. Silly, but fun. At least it wore him out.

steal of a deal.

Today we headed up to Marietta to check out an awesome consignment sale that is underway at the Smyrna Community Center. Baby P is growing so fast, I can't keep his wardrobe stocked. I feel like I am cleaning out the small stuff every other day. The sale only accepts boutique clothing, so all of the items are good. I never thought I would buy second-hand clothing for my kiddo, but my cousin Rachel got me hooked. Six of the seven items I bought are new with tags! Seven adorable pieces for eighty bucks....you can't beat that! We also went to lunch with Rachel at Panera Bread. She is going through a lot right now. Her cervical cancer has returned and is now in the abdominal muscle in two separate places. She is having a second surgery next Monday to remove the tumors. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. She has a husband and an eighteen month old daughter that need her at home. Things like this really make you think. I cannot imagine what Rachel and her family are going through. Rachel, we love you so much and want you better soon. Keep fighting. We are here for you if you need anything.

11 months.

Phoenix has changed SO much in the past month. He is evolving from a baby into a little boy. He is much more independent and is beginning to understand the world around him. My little man is growing up!


Phoenix feels a little left out lately because mommy has her own Facebook page with her own Facebook "friends". I guess he wanted to feel included in the Facebook community, so he created his own "25 Random Things About Me" and left it on my computer. I thought it would be an appropriate post for his eleven month birthday.

25 Random Things About Me
1. I love my pj's. Only footed pj's. If you put me to bed with my feet exposed, I will wake up early and cranky.
2. I have a love-hate relationship with the vacuum. I cry when you turn it on. I cry when you turn it off.
3. I can talk to myself for hours in my crib after I wake up. When I hear someone coming to get me, I turn on the faucet.
4. I am the official tour guide of my house. I will lead you around and show you each and every room. But, you have to let me hold your finger.
5. Abbie and Duke are my best friends. We visit through the glass of the back door every day. I talk to them. They talk back.
6. Peaches and bananas are my favorite foods. Second to puffs.
7. My name is very unique. My dad tells people that I have a family name so people will quit asking questions. I think my name is the bestest name in the whole world.
8. I love animals. If you let me touch a dog, cat, or horse, or even make their animal sounds, you will be my best friend forever.
9. I always get my way. My parents are suckers for a cute baby with big blue eyes.
10. I can hold my own bottle and sippy cup and I can put my paci in my mouth right side up. But if someone will do it for me, I pretend I don't know how.
11. I love baths.
12. One day I went outside and rolled around, fell down, and bumped my head. That was a good day.
13. I need the paci to go to sleep only as long as my parents are around. As soon as they leave the room, I spit it out.
14. I sleep with a light on. I am afraid of the dark.
15. My daddy is my hero. When I grow up, I want to be just like him.
16. I love to brush my teeth. Mommy does the hard part, then I get a turn. Secretly, I just like to eat the toothpaste.
17. If my mom would let me, I would eat, sleep, and play in the nude. I hate clothes.
18. I am fascinated with stairs. I am always aware of the status of the baby gates. Are they open or are they closed? I take advantage of the gate being open and move extra fast in an attempt to climb all 16 steps. Mom always stops me dead in my tracks.
19. I am an excellent dancer. I love to break it down when I have an audience.
20. Music makes me happy. My favorite songs are "Itsy, Bitsy Spider", "If You're Happy and You Know It", and "Old MacDonald".
21. Walking is my primary mode of transportation. I avoid crawling at all costs.
22. Do you need something moved? Like a chair or a table or a rug? I will move it for you free of charge.
23. I am hot natured, just like my daddy. Please don't dress me in layers or put a silly hat on my head. I am hot!
24. My mommy still rocks me to sleep. I will pretend to be sleepy just so we can spend some quality time together in the rocker.
25. I love the outdoors. I don't need any toys. Just let me play in the dirt and I can entertain myself for hours.

Well, I think he described himself exceptionally well. Happy 11 months, buddy. It has been the greatest eleven months of my life. I look forward to what twelve months brings. I love you so much!

best buds.

We met Jill and Jackson at The Kids Spot today so that the boys could play and the girls could chat. Jill and I didn't get much chatting done....we were too busy chasing the boys around. They are fast little boogers! It was still a lot of fun! Although Jackson and Phoenix are 5 months apart, they are more and more alike every day. The second we stepped in the front door, Jackson was pulling Phoenix along, encouraging him to play. They are so cute together!

Here is a picture of Jackson. Isn't he adorable? He has this olive-toned skin that is just gorgeous!


And here's one of baby P.


They both loved the ball pit. But why do kids put everything in their mouths? And I'm sure baby P is not the first one to slobber on the toys today. Yuck!



We had a lot of fun with Jill and Jackson today! Let's do it again next Tuesday.

mister meltdown.

I have come to the realization that Phoenix will not stay a baby forever. Very, very sad, but true. And with this realization, I am also learning that my parenting skills are about to be put to the test. Big time. Today was a good example of this.

My mom watched baby P today while I was at work. She said he was very good. They took a stroller ride to the park, a wagon ride down the street, and they cruised around the cul-de-sac in his firetruck. Lots of outdoor time for baby P, which he LOVES! I get home. Granny leaves. Baby P comes over to me, grabs my finger, and "walks" me to the garage door. He's a smart little cookie. He knows what he wants and how to get there. He wanted to go outside. No, buddy. Not now. It's time for dinner. (Why does mommy always have to be the bad guy?) Big mistake on mommy's part. A complete and total tantrum ensues, which I have yet to witness one this hysterical. Wow! Let's just say baby P has a slight temper. Head flails back, then forward, then back again. He lays on the ground with his head down and continues to scream. I go into the living room, hoping he would calm down. Nope. He stops crying long enough to follow me into the living room, then he breaks down in another tantrum. What do you do? My parenting skills are about to evolve. Quickly. I guess I better start reading those parenting books, huh?

bye-bye.

We had a great weekend at the lake. Always bittersweet when we leave. I was ready to get home and get back to our everyday routine, but sad to leave the relaxation and peacefulness of the lake house behind. Back to reality.

Phoenix really perfected his salutations this weekend. "Hi" is becoming much clearer and "bye-bye" is his new favorite phrase. He still doesn't wave, but he will tell you "bye-bye" a gazillion trillion times. This evening we were all playing in P's playroom and I left the room to go downstairs. Phoenix walked to the baby gate at the top of the stairs and looked down at me and said, "Bye-bye, mama". It just melted my heart. I love this boy so very much.

digging, dancing, & daffodils.

That pretty much sums up our day at the lake today. Taylor and Granddaddy Rice worked hard all day building a retaining wall at the bottom of our infamous "Heron Hill". We rented an auger for the day and they dug at least twenty four-foot deep holes for the posts of the retaining wall. Beme came over to hang out with us while the boys worked in the yard.
Phoenix loves his Beme. He would not let go of her finger for this picture.


While Taylor and Granddaddy dug, we danced, took wagon rides, and discovered a bed of daffodils in the neighbor's yard.



Today was absolutely freezing! Maybe tomorrow will be warmer so we can take the boat out for a spin. No lake trip is complete without a boat ride, so let's hope for a warm front.

daddy's little helper.

We are at the lake house for the rest of the week. We made the 2 hour drive into a 5 hour adventure. We took a slight detour through Eatonton to do some shopping at Lake Oconee. Baby P was great on the drive here! He took two naps, and when he wasn't sleeping he was either dancing or having a very in depth conversation with his bottle. I wonder what they were talking about? When we finally made it to the lake, P had had a blast exploring each and every room of the house. He crawled under every piece of furniture he could fit under and he picked up anything and everything he could get his hands on. He really is intrigued by new places. Of course, we have a long list of projects to do while we're here, and P is up for helping us out.
Here is Daddy and P putting together a new table. How cute are they?


Phoenix just had to stand in the table top. He loves to be right in the middle of everything, the center of attention.


Hopefully, it will warm up a little this weekend so we can take the boat out for a cruise. Happy Thursday!

yen & yac.

Today, aunt Yen (aka aunt Jenny) and uncle Yac (uncle Zac) came over from Douglasville for a visit. We don't get to see them very often, so it was great to do some catching up on some good ole' family time. My sister is my best friend. She and my wonderful brother-in-law live in Douglasville and are both teachers. One perk of their job is that they get lots of random breaks during the school year. Random breaks that they should come spend with us. (Yes, I am a little needy. I miss my sister!) Our outdoor plans were thwarted by the cold weather, so we decided to take baby P to Pump It Up, a cute indoor playground for kids.
We had a blast taking P down all of the slides.




Uncle Yac is a major trooper! He played just as hard as the rest of us.


We finished off the day with dinner with the whole family. Baby P was not on his best behavior, so dinner was cut a little short for us. Poor P....he was exhausted!
We had a blast today with Yen and Yac. Come back to visit us soon!

one fish, two fish....

red fish, blue fish. Baby P loves this classic book by Dr. Seuss, so we decided to take him down to Bass Pro Shop to see the big aquarium full of fish. (Plus, Taylor loves this store, so it gave him a good excuse to make the trip.) Phoenix was hilarious at the fish tank. He kept pressing his nose and lips against the glass, and he talked and talked to the little fishes. He called every single fish a "dog" and laughed hysterically as they swam by! He also rode IN the cart, standing up, which mommy would not have let him do, but daddy was there, so he got away with it. It was well worth the hour drive to BPS, because P cracked us up. And we left with a few souvenirs....a BPS hat and t-shirt for the little guy.



 

We also met Beme, Granddaddy Rice, Uncle Blake and Heather for dinner for Beme's birthday, which is tomorrow. P just loved this gate outside of the restaurant. I had to post this pic because it is just too cute! Happy Birthday, Beme!

 

loves of my life.

This year I had two Valentines. I'm one lucky girl. I love my two boys more than words can describe. Love. The word has a brand new meaning for me now. My life is so wonderful and complete. I wish time would stand still for a little while.

Baby P had a good Valentine's Day. We gave him one of the greatest toys of all time, a Mr. Potato Head. Actually, a Cupid Mr. Potato Head. Even better. Isn't it funny how some toys are just so classic? They were around when I was a kid, still around now that I have kids, and will probably be even more popular when I have grand kids. Crazy.


Taylor and I got a kick out of Phoenix playing with the wipes. He'd pull one out, wave it around, smile, throw it down, then repeat. Funny boy.



Granny and Grandpa came over to watch Phoenix so Taylor and I could have a date night. We went to Pasta Max on the square in McDonough. Good food, great wine, and wonderful conversation. We've been needing this. This was the best Valentine's Day ever. Thanks boys. I love you both so very much!

little daredevil.

Baby P has become quite the little daredevil. His favorite thing to do is to jump or dive out of his PBK chair. Of course, we are sitting right next to him, so he jumps into our arms. But, still. He makes me so nervous! I don't think babies have a developed "fear factor". Or maybe, they just don't care. Who knows.
Here's baby P in one of the BIG adirondack chairs at the lake.


It didn't take long for him to look for an escape route....Crazy little boy! Goodbye to the "sitting still" days. P is on the move!



Let's hope this phase will pass. Soon. My little boy has enough bumps and bruises.

two front teeth.

Sorry, everyone. Long time, no post. I'll do better. We had a long and crazy weekend, but overall, it was good. Here's a recap of our past 3 days.
Friday was a long, hard day for me and P. He has been teething, ferociously, for about a week. One of his top front teeth came through last Tuesday without too many problems. The second front tooth has given baby P a heck of a hard time. Poor baby! Friday was definitely the worst. I tried everything to take his pain away....wagon rides, cold ice cubes in his mesh feeder, Orajel, dancing....nothing was cutting it. He just sat on my feet all day, sobbing. So sad! I guess he finally realized that I had nothing left to offer, so he went looking for his best daddy. Sorry buddy, daddy's at work. Here's what Phoenix did for the next hour....

 

Excuse the lack of pants. But when you have a screaming kid, the last thing that you want to do is try to put pants on the poor thing after every diaper change! So, he went pantless most of the day. He doesn't mind being pantless, at all. He actually reminds me of his dad in this picture....button up shirt, underwear, and argyle socks. Nice. Don't you just love those chubby legs?

Saturday was much better for baby P. Tooth #4 is still being stubborn, but P is dealing with it much better. Taylor watched the baby while I went to Atlanta to do a little shopping and relaxing. It was very nice! Thanks again, Tay! Beme and Granddaddy came over Saturday night to watch Phoenix while Taylor and I went to the Chamber of Commerce banquet. It was nice to get out of the house, enjoy a good dinner, and see lots of friends. Taylor presented an award and did a wonderful job speaking in front of an audience of about 350. He is fearless! Tony Moye won Henry county Citizen of the Year award. Congrats, Tony! You deserve it! Especially when they said you serve on over 30 boards. Whoah! I thought Taylor was involved!

Today, we just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful 70 degree weather we are oddly having in February. We went to the park and let Phoenix get in some serious play time. Then we took a much needed and highly anticipated trip to my favorite place....Target. I could spend hours in that place. Taylor has figured out that the longer I'm in there, the more money I spend on things we don't need. So, he served as the shopping police, to stop me before things got out of hand. Overall, we had a wonderful weekend. I just wish those teeth would quit giving P a hard time. Goodbye Sunday, hello Monday.

just dance.

Granny swears up and down that baby P knows how to dance. I have not witnessed P breaking it down, so I just chalked it up to his wiggling being mistaken as dancing. I guess, in other words, I didn't believe Granny. Until today. Me and P went to lunch with Granny at Atlanta Bread Company. P was in his high chair and me and Granny were enjoying our lunch. As soon as the music came on, Phoenix looked at Granny and smiled and started swinging his right arm like crazy!! Granny kept saying, "dance, Phoenix", and he would just swing his arm even harder. Then later we were playing in his playroom and one of his toy's music turned on. His arm got to swinging again! Even though it looks like he's going to a hoedown, it is the sweetest and cutest thing ever!

pic-a-nic.

Today we went down to the lakefront park in our neighborhood for a picnic, complete with chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, and chips....and puffs for baby P. It was a beautiful day and it was nice to get out of the house. We had a blast playing with Phoenix and watching him crawl through the grass. As you can tell, he was covered with grass....it was in his nose, ears, mouth....we even found grass in his diaper! Here are some pictures from our pic-a-nic playdate.