always hug your hairstylist!

Brady's 1st Haircut:

pinterest

Ok, I'm addicted. I was slow to jump on the Pinterest bandwagon, but I'm totally obsessed with it now. Just in the 2 weeks that I've been on, I've found tons of projects that I want to do around the house and I've already completed a few of them. Such simple, but brilliant ideas for decorating and organizing:


Sticks from the yard decorated with ornaments



Collections of photo cards from past Christmases

Shoe rack for cleaning supply storage

8 months

I wish I had more time to keep up with this blog - cute things happen on a daily basis that I know I'm not going to remember. Here are a few highlights from the past few weeks though...


Tate - 2 yrs, 8 months


Me: Tate, did you know that God made the mountains and the trees and the oceans and the sky? He made everything!
Tate: WOW!!!! Good job do all that, God!

I noticed that he was scratching his face the other day and asked what he was doing. His response, "getting all of these freckles off!"

Says "yours" and "mines"

Knows his left and right and speaks in complete sentences, such as.. "Daddy, see that bridge out my window to the left, way over there?"

Can recite lines from "Beauty and the Beast", his baseball movie "Everybody's Hero", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", and "Follow that Bird".

Stayed at my parents house in SSI for 4 nights all by himself and did great! He was very happy to see me, Keith and Brady when we got down there for Thanksgiving. Told me that night while I was putting him to bed..."Mommy, I missed you sooooo much."

After I read him a book, he'll tell me it's his turn and he'll try to repeat the story. I usually like his version better.

He's pretty much potty trained. Wears underwear most of the time and only has the occasional accident. If it's just pee-pee, he can do the whole thing himself...lights, potty, pants, washing hands, etc.

Still loves to get his hair cut. We go to Great Clips now instead of Pigtails and Crewcuts (closer and cheaper) and he does fine sitting in a normal chair rather than a airplane or fire truck. I'm pretty sure he just endures the whole experience for the 2 lollipops that he gets at the end. And they have to be orange. All candy, vitamins, ice cream have to be orange.

Remembers everything. Like, walking by a park in SSI in November, he remembered that he ate hot dogs there back in February. "That's the hot dog place." Knows and recognizes places around town, too, as we are driving...his school, our ice cream place, my gym, our neighborhood, Chick-fil-a, etc.

When he sees a cell tower, he always tells me "Mommy, airplanes land on those."

He says his l's funny. (tutorial: pretend you are sticking your tongue out at someone. Now open your mouth just slightly and say "l".) It's hysterical. The other day we were driving and a yellow leaf fell onto our windshield. From the back seat, Tate says: "Did you see that little yellow firefly?" Not normally funny, but VERY funny when he says it.

During Thanksgiving dinner, the conversation turned to football and Keith said something to Dan related to a potential scenario if a team scored a certain number of points. Tate immediately starting laughing and said "Daddy said the wrong words!!!"

Keith and I joined Peachtree Road UMC back when Tate was a baby and attended fairly regularly up until Tate was 15-18 months and would scream when we would leave him in the nursery. Not wanting to put him through that trauma, we stopped going for a while. The other night, we were watching a movie and he accidentally hit the remote and changed it to the church channel. I reached for the remote to change it back and he stopped me. Said he wanted to watch church...and so we did. For an hour. He sang, he repeated back what the preacher said, he stood up when the congregation stood up...and so, I decided maybe we were ready to try again. This past Sunday, I dropped Brady off in the nursery and Tate and I went in to "big church" together. He was perfect! Sat the entire time - listened a little, colored a little, played on the iPhone a little, but barely made a peep. We got several compliments from people around us afterwards. I'm so proud of my boy, and happy that we can get back into a church routine again!

Brady - 8 months

Brady is crawling, pulling up and cruising and is thisclose to walking. He's mastered the walker at school and paces back and forth across his room all day. When he's cruising, he'll let go and stand on his own for a few seconds before holding on again or falling down. He has taken a few steps...but I'm not sure whether I'm ready to call them his "first steps" yet. He's close though.

He's also climbing. This started in SSI when he learned he could climb into this plastic Toy Story chair that my mom has for Tate. He now likes climbing our stairs (with me right behind him). We never used gates with Tate, but we'll have to see with Brady. It was easier to corral one kid. I may have to get the gates this time around just for peace of mind.

Brady has 2 bottom teeth, and his two top teeth are growing in slowly and painfully. He can now eat finger foods...we've tried puffs, cheerios, and yogurt melts. Had a scary yogurt melt incident a few weeks ago where Brady started choking. I did a finger swipe (bad idea) and pushed it further down, but fortunately he recovered after a few seconds. The next day I noticed he was wheezing pretty badly and took him to the pediatrician, who referred us to Scottish Rite for x-rays. Everything turned out fine and clear, and although it was a whole day ordeal, I was glad to know for sure that he was ok.

Sits up in the tub by himself now and likes to splash and make a big mess.

He thinks everything Tate does is funny. I love listening to them in the back seat. Tate loves an audience and Brady loves him. It works out perfectly and makes for the best laughter.


That's all I can think of for now. Definitely enjoying our 2 little guys more and more each day!

cake pops

So, over the past few weeks I seem to have stumbled upon a hidden talent/passion for creating bite-sized cake on a stick. I got a magazine in the mail shortly before Halloween with pictures of some cute pumpkin, pirate and mummy cake pops that I wanted to try for Tate's school fall festival. Not only were they a huge success, but they were so much fun to make -- edible art!

After posting a few pictures on Facebook and getting a few orders, I'm interested to see where this might lead. Just in case I eventually decide to open a shop on Etsy, I've started taking some better quality pictures. Here are the latest creations:

brady and his baby

School Halloween Parade

6 months

A quick update on Brady at 6 months (well, 6.5 months)...

Weight: 20lbs, 15.5oz (90%)
Height: 28.25in (91%)
Head: 45.5cm (86%)
Teeth: 2 bottom teeth
Diapers: Size 4
Clothes: 12month pants, 12- 24month shirts
Activities: Crawling, sitting on his own, spitting up on everything, laughing at Tate, chewing on Tate's toys, and he just started pulling up.
Food: Fruit in the morning (bananas, pears, apples) and vegetables in the evening (green beans, squash, sweet potatoes). Takes 7oz of Similac 3 times a day and still nurses 1-2 times in the evenings.
Sleep: Generally sleeps from 7pm - 7am with one feeding during the night.
Talking: Laughs, squeals, grunts, growls, and just started saying dadadadada.

the fair

The North GA State Fair is in town. We went last year and had a great time, even though Tate was too small to ride any of the rides. I mentioned it to him...asked if he remembered going ("yes")and told him he'd probably be big enough to ride some of the rides this year. He said some stuff and then I said some stuff, which eventually led to me telling him that he was going to grow up to be big, just like his Daddy. His excited response:

"I know!! And, then I can dress up just like Mommy!!"

And that's how I knew we weren't talking about roller coasters anymore.



In unrelated news, I found an iPhone app that puts mustaches on people when you take their picture. Two-year-olds (and their mother) find this to be hysterical.

lately

Two cute videos of my boys captured over the past few days. Tate has finally mastered "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and Brady is very close to crawling...

five months

Five months ago I couldn't imagine loving another child as much as Tate, but this little person has claimed our hearts and it feels like he's always been a part of our family. He's growing and changing by the day...

Latest Milestones:
- Holds his own bottle (YAY!!!!)
- We started real foods this month. So far, he's tried bananas and pears and loves them.
- Not crawling yet like Tate was at this age, but he's found a way to inch around by pulling himself with his head. As far as actually crawling, he gets his legs underneath him and pushes himself up, but then collapses under his own weight. I have a feeling he'll figure it out and be on the move very soon.
- We pulled out the doorway bouncer recently and he will stay content in that thing forever.
- Wears size 4 diapers. Size 3 fit him, but are just a tad snug so I moved to the bigger size.
- Wears Tate's 18 month clothes. I've already packed all of the "baby" clothes away - even the 12 month stuff is too small!
- He may also have his first ear infection. We are headed to the doctor right now - wish us luck.

Here are some recent pictures of our sweet second child...

guitar lessons

Tate had his first guitar lesson with Uncle Dan last night where he learned how to strum the strings with a pick, and then fetch a dropped pick from the middle hole-thingy.

A quick Google search reveals that the middle hole-thingy is actually called a sound hole. So there's your guitar lesson. (you're welcome!)

the lake

We had a great time at lake Oconee with our friends Allison/Torsten and Jin/Jason this past weekend. Tate and BeBe (10 months apart) are now old enough to play together, and had the best time riding in boat, running around the house, bouncing in the blow-up water park, driving their electric cars, etc. Allison's twins, James and Isabella, and Brady (6 weeks apart) enjoyed sleeping and looking at each other.

I took a lot of pictures - hopefully, I'll get motivated to upload all of them soon. Until then, here's a few highlights...

good jeans

In 2003, I bought my first pair of Seven jeans. Going into Neiman Marcus, spending $150 and having my jeans hemmed for the first time ever was a life-altering (and butt-altering) experience.

Not only were they the best-fitting jeans I had ever owned, they signified (in a small way) that I had made it, and that I somehow fit into the Buckhead lifestyle I adopted early in my professional career.

Those jeans and I were inseparable. They accompanied me on my bachelorette weekend in Hilton Head, my honeymoon in St. Lucia, a cruise to the Bahamas... and they made thousands of pilgrimages to much more mundane locations over the years.

Eventually, the style changed. Light-washed jeans were replaced by darker, more sophisticated shades of denim, and my favorite, go-to article of clothing was folded neatly and placed at the top of my closet.

Occasionally - during a random spring cleaning - I would pull them down and try them on. You know, just to see how they (we) were holding up. Over the years, they became tighter and tighter during those brief fittings, and they stopped fitting altogether in 2008 - the beginning of my child-bearing years.

Despite their now tattered hem and the small hole in the right inner thigh that was acquired during their heyday, I still couldn't bear to part with them, and back to the top of the closet they would go.

Last night, I tried them on for the first time in ages - ready (and expecting) to reluctantly toss them into the Goodwill bag and finally say goodbye after all these years of being unable to wear them.

Instead, I can now add "dropping my kids off at school" as the latest adventure my favorite jeans and I have shared.

A tad overly sentimental? Yes. But, what better way to celebrate a milestone in post-baby weight loss than with a cherished old friend. :)

mommy confession

So, I forgot to pick up the kids from school yesterday. Completely. Forgot. I'm still a little in shock over it myself.

I worked from home like usual. Keith came home around 4:30pm and went upstairs to take a nap, and I jumped in the shower around 5:15pm so that we could meet friends in downtown Roswell at 6:30pm for the monthly Alive After Five event.

After my shower, I remembered that I needed to send one "quick" email. The "quick" email involved a complicated subject and I totally lost track of time.

I remember looking down at the time on my computer. And I remember thinking... "oh wow, it's 6:20pm. Let me run back upstairs and change clothes so that we can go."

I went upstairs, Keith was still laying in bed... and that's when it hit me: HOLY @%^#!! I FORGOT ABOUT THE BOYS!!! (Keith thought I had already gone to get them - didn't realize I was still downstairs. He was lying there waiting for me to get home.)

Keith dashed out the door like a madman and I called the school to let them know that we were, um, running a little late. He got there at 6:40pm (10 minutes after they closed) and retrieved our poor, forgotten babies who were standing by the front door with the teacher who was ready to lock the building and turn out the lights.


My guilt and self-loathing were somewhat eased when two little happy faces came through our front door. Tate ran and gave me a big hug, and Brady was all smiles, so I suppose all was forgiven.

But, seriously, what kind of mother forgets about these two?? A tired one, is my only explanation. I think the weeks of sleep deprivation are finally getting to me!!!!!!

look what I can do

I told Tate this week that I wanted him to just stay little forever. His response:

"No Mommy. I get big and play baseball. I hit the ball, and run, and slide, and ride on the bus, and you say 'goooo Tate!' I not stay little."

Me: "Well, ok then. But, you'll always be my baby no matter how big you get. Ok?"
Tate: "Ok. And you be MY baby, too."

And, since we got all of that figured out, he decided to do a lot of growing up this week. New accomplishments include:

• Going to the potty at school! He's been going 3-4 times per day at school and going regularly at home now, too. I take off his diaper at home and put on his Toy Story underwear. I told Keith that this is it and I'm not buying any more diapers (except for nighttime) once we run out. Wish us luck!


• Somersaults. We showed him how to do one a few weeks ago and helped him over a few times. Randomly last night, he said, "watch me!" and did it perfectly by himself.


• Brushing with toothpaste. For 2 nights in a row, we've had a spitting lesson at the kitchen sink and then I've let him have just a dot of toothpaste for brushing. He likes the spitting part and asked me this morning when he woke up if he could come spit in the kitchen. Hopefully, he's not spitting everywhere at school today.

I'm enjoying my little boys more than I ever could have imagined. Too bad they refuse to stay little....

keith golden!!!

I sent my dear, sweet husband outside on Monday night to grill steak kabobs for dinner.

He got a little distracted.


So, I guess we're getting a new deck!

the brady-boo

The boo had his 4-month well visit today and did great. Happy, laughing and just a little crying during the 3 vaccines. He's a healthy 18lbs 3oz (91 %) with a 43.6cm head (75%) and 25.75 in (67%) in height....so, short and stocky. I'm so glad he is my 2nd child and that we already have a full wardrobe in every size, because the kid is difficult to shop for...he's wearing anything from 9 month clothing all the way up to 2T! He's also currently wearing size 3 diapers, but we'll be moving to size 4 once we run through our supply. (We just moved Tate into a size 5 diaper from a size 4 a few months ago if that gives you any reference - ha)

Speaking of Tate: Let's take a brief intermission from Brady's update to announce that Tate went to the potty at school for the first time yesterday. Yay! This could be the start (or re-start) of something big!

Back to Brady... he gets rice cereal or oatmeal in the morning and evening, 6oz of formula or pumped milk every 3-4 hours and he's still nursing in the morning and evenings (and unfortunately, once in the middle of the night.) Dr. Jennie wants me to try to just comfort him briefly when he wakes during the night and put him back down to sleep without feeding him. I invited her to come over tonight at 3am to see how that goes. She thought I was kidding. :)

Anyway, here's a video and picture of my sweet boy during his appointment.

little people

One of the perks of our zoo membership is special, members-only events throughout the year. This weekend, the Fisher-Price Little People musical was in town. Tate has several of the LP toys and movies so we thought it would be fun to take the boys. Tate was a little nervous during the show, but told us later that he really liked it....

all the proof I need...

I have a hidden talent that I don't often share with people. (I don't like to brag) But, it's pretty amazing.

If you were to blindfold me... and put me in a room with Brady and 20 other babies... and they all had poopy diapers...I could pick Brady out in less than 2 minutes flat.

Because his poop smells like buttered popcorn!

And if that's not proof that God exists, than I don't know what is.

Because only He would know that in the event that I were ever blinded and accidentally separated from my child....my first and natural instinct would be to go in search of a buttery, popped treat.

real names

Lately, Tate has been very interested in our "real names". This is the conversation that we have over and over again.

Mommy, what's your name? Whitney
What's daddy's name? Keith
Keith? Yes.
What's Tate's name? Tate
What's Brady's name? Brady
What's your name? Whitney
(laughing)
What's daddy's name? Keith
Keith?
and on and on it goes...

Poor guy is already so confused. Just wait until I have to explain to these two that their names are actually William and James!