All in a year's time

In honor of the first anniversary of my 30th birthday, I'm recapping how our life has changed...

On this day last year- this is what I woke up to

This year-


Last year- I was 6 days pregnant. Pregnant, you say?


This year-I have a 3 month, 2 week, and 5 days old baby boy.


Last year- these were some of my accessories
(my sister and my boa)

This year-
(my super fab diaper bag and many, many, many "burp" cloths--I don't know if I'd call what Everett does into those things 'burping.' Just sayin')



Last year--I went out to a Japanese restaurant in Mexico and had a glass of wine
This year--I'm going to Soul Shine for pizza and a beer (Why Soul Shine you ask? It's quiet enough to not be annoying but loud enough that noone notices if my son loses it in the middle of dinner!)

Last year--my Saints ended the season 8-8
This year--


(and btw--though I'll always be a "Bless you Boys Believer", if you'd have shown me this picture last year, I'd have asked, "Is that a smaller headed Peyton Manning?" or, perhaps, "Why did Tom Brady let Drew hold his trophy?" But NO--we spanked both of those future Hall of Famers. WHAT?)

Last year--my Mom had just had her surgery to remove the initial tumor and was about to start chemo at MD Anderson. Lindsay and I alternated flying to Houston (to give Bert a break) almost every other weekend for about 2 months. She was 2 months into her one year life expectancy.

This year--my Mom is meeting with a thoracic surgeon at Vanderbilt today exploring the possibility of removing the final spots left in her lungs. If possible, she won't even have to be on chemo until they grow back. It's a long shot but one that we'll take!

(Sorry, Mom, I know you don't like this pic but I do and TODAY, it's all about me!)

Last year-- My number one life goal was to be a good wife.

This year--my number one life goal is to be a good wife.

"The greatest gift you can give your children is a happy marriage."-Anon.

I guess things haven't changed too much.

Oh, that smell...

One day, when I die, I think my Heaven will smell like spit up mixed with Johnson & Johnson's "unscented" (that stuff SO has a scent!) baby body wash. I heart that.

The Unanswerables

I know I shouldn’t but sometimes I wonder, “Why me?” I have a friend who is a GOOD person. She really is. I’m talking Christian, caring, sweet, fun-loving, just all around good girl. In the last two years, she has suffered more loss than anyone I know. Among other things, she has lost two children (though painful, I’m not even talking miscarriages) in one year. They had a beautiful, red-headed girl and a handsome, petite little boy. She carried them both the full 9 months and then lost them before she could even “complain” about the trials of parenthood.
When Everett was a baby and needed to be nursed every 3 hours (or less) night and day, I would think how grateful she would be to have to wake up and tend to a baby. Anyway, she’s one of the strongest people I will ever know. But that’s it…What makes me able to watch my healthy, happy son grow and smile and she never will? I did nothing to deserve this more than she does and it pains me that she can’t have this (for right now, I’m holding out hope that one day she will have a child to love.)
I look around at my life. We may not have the biggest house or the nicest things, but all that is so unnecessary. My life is so full and I try to remember that everyday. I have a wonderful husband that is the best teammate in marriage and parenthood. I have a healthy baby boy that has the smile thing down pat and has just recently started laughing. It’s a hiccupping sounding thing that seems to surprise him when it erupts from his belly.
Anyway, why do I get all these things and she has to suffer so much? I know there’s nothing I can do about it but whenever I talk to her, I feel like my words are beyond inadequate. I love her so much and want her to be happy but I cannot imagine continuing to be positive in the face of all that she’s been through. All I know to do is be thankful for my blessings. I just pray that one day, she will get the family and children in which she has dreamt. On this cold, (still) snowy Valentine’s Day, be grateful for all that you do and don’t have. I know I will.

Lunch Break!

I am sad to say that the happiest, most exciting, most anticipated time in our "work day" is when his Daddy, my Homet comes home for lunch...

To me, this indicates two things:

1)I would suck at being a stay at home mom. It's gotten so bad that I don't dread laundry anymore. It's just something else that keeps me busy. WHAT? I walked or ran 15 miles in 4 days this week with Everett just because we had nothing. else. to. do. Our stroller is t-i-r-e-d.

2)It's time for me to head on back to work. Surely the PICU needs me more than our dirty socks.

Fist Love

Our boy started his life as a thumb sucker. It was quite endearing, I must say (as I was one myself.) However, now that he's "grown up" to be a big, almost three month old boy, he's decided he must take on a bigger feat than one simple finger. "Thumbs are for babies", he says.

My little overachiever has wholeheartedly taken on the habit of sucking his. enitire. fist. I'm torn between, "Awe, that's cute. At least he's happy." To (immediately after he nurses) "Oh, crap. I think he's gagging himself."

That big boy does LOVE

THAT

FIST.

Get it, Big Boy.

Picky Sleeper

Why is it that as soon as Everett is in the sling, carseat, or stroller, he immediately falls into a blissful slumber? However, whenever I attempt to place him in his crib (the device we purchased with it's sole purpose being---to sleep in), he wakes right up.

Betty Homemaker, table for two

I've always loved any arts/crafts project. When I was little, my most prized possession (well, second to my mini Saints football) was my 150 count Crayon "briefcase" with TWO built-in crayon sharpeners. Typing that makes it sound really dorky but it was totally cool. Trust me. As I've grown, I've realized that while I love crafts, I'm not actually any good at them. I'll stick to nursing. However, I still LOVE to try. My Mom, on the other hand, is a sewing and quilting whiz. Quilting doesn't do it for me but I want so bad to be good at sewing. I don't mean taking classes and such, I want my Mom to teach me. Mom is quite the willing teacher too which works out well. I used to look at adorable patterns for children's clothes when I was pregnant. Well, two problems... There are ten times more girl's patterns than boy's. Another problem that most Southern women deal with is the hub's opinion. There are few metrosexual men in the South, which is just fine but try dressing your son "cute" and most men go nuts. That's another post all together though. Right after I had Everett, my Mom bought an embroidering attachement to her sewing machine. It's not been the most economical purchase ever, but it sure is fun to use! Check out the fabulous bib and burp cloths...

Yes, to Aunt Lindsay, Everett will probably be referred to as 'Baby Rhett' until he's 40. Anyway, the other day, I visited Mom for my first baby clothes sewing lessons. First off, F-U-N. Second off, next time I've got to bring Wade so that he can hold Everett because he did not want to be put down. That made for some difficult sewing. Here's him when I finally gave up and just held him while I worked.

"These are deplorable sleeping conditions, Mom!" Sorry, Son, you wanted to be with me so this is what you get!

Anyway, here's my first project. While it's a cute little romper which my husband would probably not approved of, you throw a few tools on it and WAA-LAA, he loves it! The embroidery machine also does appliques. This is the beginning of some serious clothes making if I could find anyone to hold that sweet boy while I work!