neighborhood fall festival

While I was playing a 3.5 hour tennis match, Keith and Tate walked up to our neighborhood fall festival last weekend. Tate rode his first pony and wanted to pet all of the animals (that's never happened before). I was disappointed that I missed it, but happy that they had such a good time. I was also happy that they had hand sanitizer....

what do you get when 2 giraffes collide?

A giraffic jam!

Sorry, that was the best giraffe joke I could find. Here are a few pictures of my sweet baby giraffe at the annual daycare Halloween parade...

what's in a name?

Only everything! Naming a child is no easy task...

If you select something too common, your child could become one of many Jacobs or Taylors in his class and could possibly get lost in the shuffle. If you choose something too strange, your child could become the target of ridicule and bullying, requiring years of therapy to rebuild his/her self-esteem. Plus, if this is not your first child, you have the added complication of making sure that the names of siblings match in terms of style and sound. (Ruling out the names Gates or Kate for our future children)

We are making life-long, future-shaping decisions here - talk about pressure!

In summary, here is our naming criteria:

1. Must be unusual, but not weird. (no made-up names)
2. Must not be used by any family or friends. (this applies only to the name he will go by - not both the first and middle names. Fortunately for us, Keith forgot that his good friend Shane has a son named Tate)
3. Must not be on the "top 100" name list. (again, this applies only to the name he will go by)
4. Must sound athletic. (on the mound tonight is....)
5. Must also be able to easily follow after "the law office of..."
6. Must not end with the letter "n". (just a personal preference since our last name is Golden)
7. Must find a name that is not associated with any bad experiences Keith has had in his 10+ years of teaching and coaching more than 1000 kids. (this one can be tricky)
8. Since Tate goes by his middle name (William Tate), we'd like to stick with the same naming strategy for #2.
9. Must be 2 syllables. (again, personal preference - sounds better with Tate)
10. No nicknames on the birth certificate. (i.e. Name him Charles if you want to call him Charlie)
11. Must not lend itself to obvious jokes or teasing. (i.e. Collier Golden sounds like you are calling your dog. We will also not be naming #2 "Tot" as several people have suggested)

Whew. See? Just a few simple rules.

So, with all of that in mind, it's kind of amazing that we were able to narrow it down and decide on a name at all. After several naming conversations and a long lists of rejects, Keith and I discovered our name at the most unlikely of places...the soccer fields across the street from our neighborhood. As one boy called out to another by this particular name, I did a quick mental scan through my criteria and my eyes lit up thinking maybe this was "the one". I cautiously approached Keith with the name, hoping he would like it as much as I did. Much to my relief, I was met not only with a huge smile, but a high five. A true sign of success. Done!

Without further ado, we are excited to announce that we'll be welcoming James "Bayer" Golden in the spring. Little Man Tate can't wait to meet the Golden Bear.

Editor's Note: I like the names Jacob and Taylor, as well as many names that end in "n"....even ones that end in "n" on the top 100 list. This post reflects my opinions about naming our child and by no means is meant to offend anyone who does not conform and adhere to my stringent naming convention. You may have noticed that I am type-A and slightly OCD. You may also not like the name we've chosen. That's fine, too. :)

"my life in piles" - a haiku

Piles of stuff on the
Counter, bed, desk and sink. Big
Sigh, slowly exhale.

These need to be paid,
Those to be shredded. Poor trees
Died to be junk mail.

Those clothes are dirty,
That pile is clean, I think. Sniff,
Sniff....hmm, maybe not.

That needs to be wrapped,
Those don't fit. Where's the receipt
for the pants I bought?

Notebooks from work saved
In case my boss asks what we
Discussed in July.

Piles of Cheerio
Crumbs on the rug. Hard to see,
But bare feet don't lie.

This pile goes upstairs,
That stuff goes down. A trip to
Goodwill for the rest.

Toys to your knees, piles
Of leaves in the yard, poo from
A dog I detest.

Dishes from dinner
Left in the sink, it's your turn -
Remember? I cooked.

Discarded clothes strewn
On the floor. Close the door, please,
So no one will look.

Magazines to read,
Long lists of "to do's",
And piles of thoughts in my head.

These things can wait, my
Family cannot, so I'll pile
Them with love instead.

(Note: Haikus, by definition, don't rhyme. Mine does. So there.)

midtown arts festival

I just came across these pictures from the Midtown Arts Festival a few weeks ago and they made me laugh. I'm sure the guy in the penguin costume was annoyed that I kept calling him a chicken. (but, seriously. It looks like a chicken.)

fun on the farm

Yesterday, we spent a fun afternoon at Cagle's Dairy Farm in Canton, GA with the McArthur family. Since it was 80 degrees and the boys were restless, we opted to just do the farm tour/hayride and save the corn maze for another day. Wise decision. Here are a few shots from our fall outing....

18 months

A year and a half...wow! In some ways, it feels like yesterday since we welcomed Tate into our lives. And in other ways, it seems like such a long time ago that it's hard to remember what life was like before him. Here is what our sweet boy is into these days:

• Excitedly points to any large or red truck and says "fire truck - woo woo woo!" (his best siren imitation). Fire trucks are his favorite thing right now. Leaning towards a fire truck birthday party unless something new comes along between now and then.


• Recognizes and says "schoo bus."


• Loves tractors and MUST sit on it if we happen upon one. Surprisingly, we happen upon a lot of tractors.


• Points to planes and helicopters, but doesn't really have words for them yet.


• Still obsessed with bikes and now says it correctly. I miss "bikey".


• Says "car" and "beep beep", and lately says "Tate dri" and tries to get in the front seat. (Remind me to always hide my keys- that last one scares me)


• Knows and points to "mommy's car", "daddy's car" and "nana's car". Says "bye car" if he sees a neighbor's car pulling out of their driveway.


• Talks about "boats" and happily read a boating magazine while we waited for his 18-month check-up. Pointed to every bikini-clad model posing on the boats and said "mommy?" (yes, baby, that's me!)


• Uses sign language when he says the word "more". It's my favorite thing.


• My other favorite thing is that he now gives kisses. (although not on demand - it has to be his idea and on his time) The other night, he climbed on the couch, grabbed my face with his chubby hands and alternately planted a kiss on each cheek. How do you top that?


• Likes to play "golss" (golf). Gets his 3 plastic golf clubs out of his little plastic golf bag, keeps one for himself and gives the others to mommy and daddy (or nana when she's in town) and then we are instructed to play "more golss". Which means, "get up and find all of my golf balls so that I can hit them under the furniture and you must stay standing and you cannot put down your golf club or I will get upset." :)

• Loves "bay ball". We'll pitch to him, he swings with his plastic bat and then pretends to run the bases. Imitates a pitcher's wind up when he throws.


• Also loves "fu ball" and gets excited when he sees it on tv. Likes to crouch down and do "down, set, hut" and then run around the house. Says "go dawgs!" and "touch down!

• Knows "teen ball" and will bring me a racquet and a tennis ball so that I can dribble and do tricks for him on the hardwoods in the kitchen. He also likes when daddy juggles the tennis balls.


• And, have I mentioned he is a lefty? Uses a left-handed swing for golf and baseball and throws with his left.


• Has not yet grasped the concept of catching the ball. Will get his hands ready, but it just hasn't clicked yet.


• Loves his stuffed animals and is now very particular about which ones sleep with him. Scout the dog sits on his pillow, and then he has 2 monkeys and a little blue bear that actually get to sleep next to him. And his blanket. None of these friends have specific names yet...just "monkey" (for both), "bear", and "blanket" - all of which he can say pretty clearly.


• Likes to sing the ABC song, the Wheels on the Bus and Itsy Bitsy Spider. Claps at the end and says "more, more!" He also makes sure everyone is singing and will call you out if he can't hear you.


• Pitches a fit about wearing jackets and hats, but very interested in shoes ("froos") - both his own and trying to wear ours.


• Smiles, waves and says "hi" to everyone we meet.


• Doesn't like to get dirty. Says "yucky" and "may-ess" (mess) and wants to wash off his hands if he gets stuff on them.


• Takes one 2-hr nap in the middle of the day and generally sleeps from 8pm - 8am.


• Watches Sesame Street, Barney, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny, and enjoys books.


• Good eater, not too picky. Eats lots of fruit, some vegetables and likes chicken, pork, hot dogs and fish. He tried beets for the first time this week and seemed to like them.

• Says "peas" and "tank you", mostly without being asked.

• Tells our cats "NO KEE!" all day long. They usually deserve it. It's good that he's the boss of something.

• Has picked up some not-so-favorite words, like "ME!" and "MINE!" at daycare. He's mostly sweet, but starting to test boundaries and throw tantrums when he doesn't get his way.

• Likes school and talks about his teachers "Mimi" and "Barbara". Knows the kids in his class. Said "Bye AJ" to a little girl in his room when I picked him up the other day.

Do you feel a year and a half older after reading this ridiculously long list? Sorry, I guess this post was more for my documentation that your reading enjoyment. In summary, life with an 18-month old is lots of fun! Our little guy is 100% boy and I'm excited that he will get to share his adventures with a little brother very soon....

jacksonville zoo

One of the highlights of our recent(ish) week in St. Simons was a day trip to the Jacksonville Zoo. Not counting a visit to Zoo Atlanta when Tate was 8 months old and too little to care, this was his first real zoo experience and he loved every minute of the 7 HOURS we were there. (It actually took that long to see everything) His favorite thing, of course, wasn't any of the animal exhibits, but the "cool mist zone", as you can see from some of the videos below.

"Down, set, hut"


Running through the "bubbles"


Tate and the komodo dragon


"Fiii-iiish"

Pregnancy Quiz - Week 14

I stole this quiz from a friend's blog. I've enjoyed reading hers throughout her pregnancy, so I'll do my best to update this every month or so until #2 arrives in April.

How far along are you? 14 weeks and 4 days. (although I look MUCH further along)

How big is the baby? babycenter.com says he is 3.5 inches and weighs 1.5 ounces.

Maternity clothes? I finally gave in and am wearing maternity clothes full-time now. With Tate, I was able to wear my regular jeans, with the Bella Band, up until 18 weeks! (sigh)

Weight - Loss or Gain? In total, I've gained around 6 lbs.

Stretch marks? No new ones from this pregnancy, but plenty from the last one.

Sleep? Pretty normal, except for the occasional trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Sampras (the cat) now sleeps in the garage, so that's helped to eliminate the nightly 3am wake-up call for attention.

Any movement? I am pretty sure I've been feeling him move for about 2 weeks now. The movements are subtle and fluttery and mostly in the evenings after dinner when I'm sitting down.

Food Cravings? Juice (any kind) and green olives. I am particularly fond of cheddar cheese, olive and mayo sandwiches at the moment. I craved this with Tate, too.

Food Aversions? Onions and garlic - can't deal with the lingering effects of either.

Gender? Early signs indicate that we are having a BOY! I thought for sure this one would be a girl, but the ultrasound on Oct 5 was pretty convincing. Dr. Stone correctly predicted Tate was a boy at our 13 week appointment, so we'll see if he's 2 for 2 at our next ultrasound on Nov 2.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What do you miss? Energy. It's slowly starting to come back, but I'm still pretty much exhausted all the time. Growing a human being and having a toddler is a lot of work! I am also sad to miss the Decatur Beer Festival this year.

What are you looking forward to? The upcoming holidays with Tate. I have never, ever decorated for Halloween before and we have lights all over the front of our house this year. Christmas will be even more fun. It's exciting to revisit these holidays through the eyes of your own child.

What was the BEST part of this week? Shopping! I now have stuff to wear! I saved all of my maternity clothes from last time and based on the sheer lack of clothing, I'm not sure at all what I wore with Tate. Probably the same outfit every day. If so, I'm sorry.

What was the WORST part of this week? Monday was a very stressful day at work. I hosted a Webinar with 620 participants on a brand new platform and was faced with one issue after another while live on the call. Considering the circumstances, I handled it ok, but I definitely could have used a glass (bottle) of wine afterwards. Also, took Tate to his 18-month well visit on Wednesday and he had to get 3 shots. That's never fun, but we both survived.

Weekly Wisdom? I try to remind myself daily to cherish these moments with Tate. Even when I'm tired, achy, just want to go to bed...I try to remember that these are the "good old days" that we'll look back on and I want to live and enjoy his childhood to the fullest.

Milestones: No milestones for me or the baby, so I'll just share Tate's 18-month stats:

• weight - 26lbs, 2oz (52%)
• height - 32.75 inches (58%)
• head - 50cm (94%)

new kitchen

After six years of talking about it and putting it off... and then talking about it and putting it off, we finally remodeled our kitchen! The new granite countertops, stainless sink and faucet and subway tile backsplash all look great, but I have to say that my favorite feature is the raised bartop that Keith fought so hard for and I didn't think was necessary. While Keith is basking in his "you-were-right-ness", we are both enjoying the finished product. What a difference! Here are a few before and after pictures.

Before: White laminate countertops and the "temporary" fake stainless backsplash I put up in 2007 after removing all of the tiles from this wall while Keith was out of town one weekend. In case you missed it, I said 2007.

Before: The fruity tile that I removed from the wall above, but that remained on the opposite wall. It was a good look.

During: Work is beginning on the raised bar. Had to build a 40 inch wall before the granite could be installed.


During: Wall base has been built and the old countertops and sink have been removed.


During: New countertops are installed


During: Sink and granite on the bartop are installed.


During: Side view of the raised bar that still needs to be painted. Thinking about staining it a dark mahogany to provide some contrast. Haven't fully decided.


After: Final view with tile and faucet installed.


After: The opposite side.


We'd still like to do some additional work, like replace the kitchen light fixtures, change out the drawer pulls and add glass to the upper cabinets. So, be sure to check back for pictures in 2016!!