~ 4 Months ~

Drew Baby ~

You are 4 months old now and such a big boy! It makes me sad, but excited at the same time that you are technically no longer an infant. You had so many firsts this month that I don't even know where to start:

First Christmas!! You weren't really in to opening presents what-so-ever, but mama had fun doing it for you! You did like to chew on the wrapping paper though. You got lots of clothes that you have time to grow into. Some books that I can't wait to read to you! And lots and lots of toys that you will have so much fun with in just a few months. Especially Chuck the Truck that your Uncle Charlie gave to you.. you are already enthralled with that one, you just need to figure it all out :) You'll get there soon.. I have no doubts.

First snow!! My life long dream has been to have a white Christmas and we got pretty close this year. We got about 2 or 3 inches the day after Christmas and took you out to play in your new snow suit that Auntie Nanny (Kathy) got you. I don't think you cared less about it, but I'm glad I got some good pics!

First bowl of Rice Cereal!! Umm you kind of loved it. We didn't really have to teach you how to use the spoon.. it's like you've been eating your whole long life. We couldn't get it down your throat fast enough and had to stop and give you the bottle. Lesson learned Mister.. next time we'll give you the bottle first.

First time meeting lots and lots of people. You met your Uncle Steve, Auntie Mimi, Cousin Addy, and tons of friends. At first you didn't really know how to handle it. You weren't too sure of the chaos of everything. You cried a lot the first day... especially around Addyson because she is such a loud little monkey. You warmed up to her real quickly though and you were both very sweet to each other.

You do not know a stranger.. if this keeps up you are going to be quite the social butterfly. You smile at every single person that you see. Such the flirt! I love it! You seem to have a preference for blonds.. you stare very lovingly at your Uncle Charlie's girlfriend Vickie.. he better be careful!

You are wearing all size 3-6 month clothing and size 3 diapers.

You have a very strong grip... everybody comments on how strong you are.

You can hold your head up very well.
You'll stand up with us helping you and hold yourself up very well.

You are so close to rolling over!! You can get your little legs up and over and just need figure out the top half of your body.. so close buddy!

You love TV. It's not something that we've purposely got you doing, but you are obsessed with it. I take comfort in the fact that for now.. I'm pretty sure you are just interested in the bright colors and movement.

You rode on your first plane!! You were very well behaved and only cried one time and that was when another baby cried. You are very much a sympathy crier.. sweet boy.

We are not home to do your comparison picture, but when we get back home we will take that and go to your 4 month appointment!


We are more and more infatuated with you by the day. I can't ever stop cuddling and snuggling you and you like it more and more. You are the best thing that ever has happened to us and I thank God all the time for your existence. We love you!

Blogger's Block

I have severe, severe bloggers block. Partly I guess because I kept myself insanely busy this week and I also just don't have much to talk about.. shocker!

But I figured I'd spit a little something out while Trey is SUPER cleaning the entire house. I tried to help, I really did. But he's doing such a deep cleaning.. everything from the kitchen is in the living room right now and it's like my mind spiraled out of control and I start panicking. I don't do well with chaos and that's what this seems to be right now. My kitchen is well on it's way to being cleaning enough to eat off of every single surface though! Good job Trey. Sorry I am a spaz and can't handle it. ADD kicks in big time. It got bad enough that he told me to just sit down and chill.. sooo.. here I am. Good husband!

I'm getting less stressed about our trip home and more excited. I've made mine and Andrew's packing list (Good God.. Trey is now dusting the kitchen chairs!!!) and that helps a lot.

I can't friggen wait to show him off to everyone! In just one weeeekk... ahhhhh! He's so much fun right now, which I know I've said 100000 times, but I just can't get enough of him. His laugh is so contagious and I kiss his cheeks enough that they should be chapped! I can't help it. If those chubby cheeks are within 3 inches of me, I will be loving all over them.

Let's randomly switch subjects, shall we? I had a much needed night out with a new girlfriend Wednesday night. Why Wednesday night you ask? 1/2 off bottles of wine at Carino's. Good reason for me! Some other girls from Centering were supposed to go, but I think everyone is really busy because of the holidays. The two of us had such a good time.. chatting, laughing, and even crying! It is SO nice to have finally met someone that I really click with! Fun Fact: our babies were born on the same day, in the same hospital. We were laboring at the same time. If I've already mentioned that then forgive me, it's so cool to me.

That's all for now. Maybe I'll go play with Andrew some more while Trey finishes scouring the house. We're going to see some Christmas lights tonight that are supposed to be pretty amazing :)

Week in Review

I'm sitting here with a bit of free time since Andrew is sleeping on Trey's chest (which never fails to make my heart patter) and my camera battery died on me. I was attempting to erase all the pics from the past year that I don't plan to print out.. the memory card is almost full. I don't think I've ever done that before. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the 1 thousand million pictures I've taken over the past three months. I felt the deep need to blog, but after about a half hour went by without a decent subject popping in to my head, I figured I'd just come on here and ramble. That seems to be the norm lately.

So let's see..

This week flew by in my eyes. I did good keeping us busy.. mostly just with errands spread out over the week with bits of fun here and there.

Monday we went grocery shopping at Target and ran into my friend Sheila. I got to meet her little Andrew for the first time! He is 6 weeks old. Nothing too exciting there.. just a fun day at Target.. Andrew's favorite place. Promise.

One of my favorite pics to date ~ starting to look more like mama ~

We had our first play date with Andrew's friend Zoey on Tuesday. I met her mommy, Michelle, at the mall but I promise it was a play date for them, not us :) Zoey and Andrew were born within a few hours of each other at the same hospital. We went through Centering together and then ended up being in labor together as well. I'd say there is a bit of a bond there, don't you? We have another play date lined up for next week... Zoey wants Andrew to come over and play in her princess room. We won't tell daddy.

Thursday, we went to the Commissary and dropped by to see the Stitchers girls while we were on post. Andrew was a doll and sat and smiled at all the ladies. Flirt. That night we went to the HHB Christmas party and Andrew got to meet Santa for the first time. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves :) One thing I can say is that he is such an easy little boy. He's so compliant and I hope that lasts. It was past his bedtime and he wasn't mad at us at all for keeping him out. Didn't fuss at all and was just taking everything in.

Friday, for the most part, I went on strike from any cleaning or errands. I wanted to soak up as much time getting all of those giggles and smiles in. I have to remember to take days like that. Andrew is not going to remember how clean his house was growing up. I know that is not what is important in the long run. I mean, I'm not going to let the roaches and flies come in, but it's okay to let the dirty dishes sit for a bit. I want my son to remember his mama taking the time to get on the floor and play and laugh with him!
He went to bed around 6:45 that night. Just in time for Trey and I to watch the Friday night movie on NBC together. I guess Family Movie Night is coming back (remember that growing up?) and they showed A Walk in My Shoes. Such a great feel good, remember what life is all about movie. I loved it! Hopefully, they keep up the good movies.

This has been a lazy morning so far, enjoying our coffee and some College Gameday! Carolina is playing in the SEC Championship game today, and I can't speak for Trey, but I sure am excited! I'd love to win the game and be champions of the SEC, but if we win there won't be an SEC team in the National Title game, which there should always be in my opinion! We shall seeee. I know if we win, it's going to be a crazy night in Columbia!

Tomorrow we are heading up towards Las Crueces, New Mexico to head to a Pistachio and Wine Farm. More on that later. Off to enjoy the weekend! Sorry for the semi-boring post... that's all I have in me :)

~ 3 Months ~

Happy 3 months my  little lovebug!!

You continue to light up our lives day by day sweet boy. I can't imagine what our lives would be without you now that we have you. You make me laugh and laugh, like genuinely laugh out loud. Most of the time (if you're fed and not sleepy) we can just look at you and you'll give us a huge grin in return or you'll laugh at us! You are SO MUCH fun and provide constant entertainment to us!

Here's what you've been up to:

You are wearing size 3 diapers and 3 month clothing. I've already put away all of your newborn and 0-3 month clothing!
You are also growing out of your swaddle blankets, but you don't sleep very well if your arms aren't locked down so we're trying to find some kind of resolution!
You have more control over your neck and will hold your head up on your own now. It's still a little wobbly, but you are doing great and we can sit you in your Bumbo seat for little bits at a time.
You still hate tummy time and will not pick your head up if I lay you down for it. You do a great job at it though if it's on your own time! I think you'll be stubborn like your mama!
I'm guessing you have discovered your hands, although I never did catch you staring at them for long periods of times like other parents say. You have them in your mouth constantly! You would put both of them in there at the same time if you could! You put your pointer finger in a little hook and suck on it vigorously. We can hear you making sucking noises from another room away!
You drool like there is no tomorrow!
You love for us to clap your hands together and stomp your feet around and laugh incessantly when we do.
You also laugh when we tickle your neck and tummy. I LOVE that you are ticklish. It's the cutest thing!
You talk up a storm now. No more just the little coo here and there.. you are cooing and blowing raspberries and OOOOing nonstop!
Just today actually, you held your bottle on your own for ohhh... about 3 seconds. Just a little bit of time, but you are trying!
You love when I stick my tongue out at you and I can tell that you are trying to do it back.
You LOVE watching the TV already! I think you just like the bright colors, but it is funny to see you and your dad on the couch together "watching" football!
Sometimes when you smile, you tilt your head to the side and put your hands up to your face like you are bashful... adorable!
You sleep like a champ! You like to go to bed a little earlier now (between 6:30 and 7:00) and sleep until between 4 and 5, then go back down until about 8. Last night you slept for 12 hours straight.. 6:30 to 6:30. Thank you!!
You are eating between 30 and 36 ounces a day. You go all night without eating so you'll do 6 ounces every 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours during the day.
You fit in your big boy stroller much better and love a walk!



I can't believe I have a 3 month old!



Think... Thank.. Thunk

Random thoughts for the night:

I have not been as relaxed as I am right now IN A VERY LONG TIME. The lights are out and the room is lit dimly with Christmas lights. Trey is playing NCAA football on his PS3 and I am free to roam Internet land for as long as I want, sprawled out on the couch under a Christmas blanket. Andrew has been sleeping soundly for 2 hours now.

It's Trey's night to get up with Andrew.. if he wakes up. Sweet!

We put a different blanket on our bed and it's heavenly. (Mum and Ashleigh, it's the one that was on your bed when you stayed) It's so warm and comfy. It makes it hard to get out of bed in the morning. If there wasn't a promise of a laughing, talkative baby and yummy coffee, I probably wouldn't. I look at our bed longingly when I pass by during the day now.

I really would like to get an advent calendar this year.
I like Skype because it allows us to see family and them to see Andrew as he is growing, but at the same time, it really annoys me. I feel like there is always a quality issue. I had to hang up with my family on Thanksgiving because I was so aggravated. Everything was so muffled.


I don't know that I will even attempt to breastfeed with the next baby. People can throw their stones at me now, I don't care. I love the simplicity of formula.. I don't however love it's cost.

Trey and I have been so obsessed with watching Dexter. I love it so much that I want everyone I know to watch it.

I love football more than is normal I think. All of the rivalry games are on tomorrow and I am incredibly excited.

I really think my son (that's still sounds strange coming out of my mouth) is the cutest little boy I've ever laid my eyes on. I know all parents feel like that, but come on.. he's the most handsome thing ever. And his little laughter and squeals.. ahhhh... I love it. I can't wait to take him home for Christmas. I love to show him off. Trey and I did good work.

I feel beyond blessed that I get to stay home with that little bugger and don't have to put him in daycare. I know I am lucky and I thank God for that opportunity every day.

I am very unhappy with the way I look right now. I had this vision of myself getting right back into shape after I had Andrew. Honestly though, I have no place to complain about it because I'm not really doing anything about it other than the *maybe* two or three times a week I walk with him and the occasional set of crunches. I wish I had time to go to the gym, but I don't. I could technically enroll him in CYS and pay for hourly daycare on post, but I'm a little nervous to do that. Plus I haven't changed my eating habits. For instance, I enjoyed a nice big milkshake tonight.

Charla, if you're reading this, will you do a bra fitting for me? I keep forgetting to ask you, but it just crossed my mind. I got fitted at Soma a few weekends ago and didn't believe the sweet lady so bought whatever size I thought I needed. But now I don't feel like they fit right and think maybe she could have been right. I just don't see how it's possible. Please help!

Fun fact for you Ashleigh? I misspelled your name above by accident and spell checker knew how to correct it :)

Food Coma

Is it possible to still be in a food coma the day after Thanksgiving? I don't know what is wrong with me! I am so tired that I swear, if I didn't know any better, I would say I felt like I was in the first trimester of pregnancy again! *Just for the record, I'm NOT. The thought of being pregnant again right now makes me want to jump out of a 10th story window.*

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving here in the Norton house! Last year, we started the tradition of having our own little holiday and I love it. Yes, we miss our families, but if we still lived at home we wouldn't have the option to spend a holiday just the three of us. I cannot wait to get home to them for Christmas, but let me tell you, there is something to be said for a quiet, stress free, just the three of us holiday! There was a point during dinner where I just felt overwhelmed with happiness ( and no, I had not just taken my Welbutrin) ;). I felt so lucky to be sitting there with my little family. I just felt so loved. It doesn't sound like a big thing when I actually write it down, but my heart was completely full. You can't ask for much more than that!



Look at my belly!

Andrew sat up on the table with us in his bouncy seat. I think he like the new view. Lots more to discover! Much to my mother's disappointment, we did not have a full turkey. She about fell over when she found out I wasn't cooking a "real" turkey or stuffing for her son-in-law and if she didn't have her own boys to cook for, I'm pretty sure she would have taken the next flight out. She made sure to let him know that she will be cooking a proper turkey for him over Christmas. The two of us do not need a huge bird, plus HE picked it out! We did have homemade mashed potatoes, mum, don't worry. And gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, biscuits, pecan pie, and apple crisp.

Such a big boy sitting up! His head is still a big wobbly, but he's doing great!

We spent the rest of the day decorating the house for Christmas, which makes me even more happy! It's my favorite time of the year! All that's left to do is put the lights up outside and sit back and watch the Iron Bowl (Alabama/Auburn game) ROLL TIDE!

I melt

D-Day

Ahhh.. my first private blog post. It's actually kind of freeing to know exactly who will be reading this. I think I'll like it.

The word Deployment has been coming up an awful lot in our house lately. No, my husband's unit isn't set to deploy for another three years or so, but he's planning on volunteering (yes, you read that right, volunteering) to go with another unit that is going in 2011. Let me explain...

When Trey joined the Army, he couldn't wait to deploy. He wanted to get out there and help. To accomplish something meaningful in his life. I knew he was all about going over when he left for Basic, so I've had a long time to prepare myself.. if that is even possible. When he finished with BOLC II, we were given a list of places to pick from to be stationed at. Ft. Bliss appealed to him because they did the type of stuff he wanted to do (I clearly don't know what that was) and the unit was at the beginning of a deployment and he thought he would go and join them. When we got here, he was told that they were coming home early and he would be part of (or Commander) of Rear D (the people left behind from the deployment). SO not what he wanted to be doing. He had resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn't be deploying for a while and was so disappointed that he was even contemplating getting out when his 3 years was over. That was until...

Someone informed him that he didn't have to wait for his unit. He could volunteer to go with anyone else that was deploying. From anywhere and at anytime. He started talking about that a month or two ago and I really was just brushing it off. He kept going back and forth. Yes, he still wanted to go. But Andrew changed everything. He couldn't (and still can't) bear the thought of leaving him for a year. What am I, chop liver?? ;)
Over the last couple of weeks, I put my foot down. I couldn't take the indecisiveness. I'm a planner, which goes great with the Army lifestyle, doesn't it?? I hate not knowing about anything in the near future and will obsess over it.

After lots of conversations, we both came to the conclusion that it will be best for him to go. Yes, I'm willingly sending the love of my life away to war. Am I crazy? Maybe. But I also adore and respect him and know that he needs to go. Just like when I agreed to him joining in the first place. I knew that if he didn't at least commit a few years to it that he would spend the rest of his life regretting not doing something that he'd always wanted to do. Same here. This is why he joined in the first place, number one. Two.. it's going to help accomplish our financial goals. No, I'm not being selfish. We both want ALL of our debt paid off. In his eyes, he doesn't have the option to walk away from the Army even if he wanted to until all of our debt is paid off.. or most of it. I can tackle most of it during a deployment. Third.. it's as simple as knowing that for his career, he needs to do this. He can't go to Captain's Career Course without a deployment patch. Yes, people do that.. I'm sure it happens a lot. I, personally, don't think there is anything wrong with that. My husband's pride will never let him do that.

Am I scared? A little. I don't want to spend a year away from him. I don't want him to miss a year of Andrew's life. There will be a lot of firsts in there that Trey won't get to experience, but thankfully, Andrew won't remember any of it. I don't want anything to happen to him. I also believe though, with all of my heart, that when it's your time, it's your time. God has our lives mapped out. Nothing we can do or not do will change that. I know I've mentioned this before, but he had a gun put to his head during a robbery when he worked at Arby's. He could have just as easily died right there.. doing something he hated.. as he could doing something he will be proud of.

If this really does happen, I'll be going home for the year. I always said I wouldn't do that, but again, Andrew changes everything. There's nothing to keep me here and all the reasons in the world to go home. I have the opportunity to give him a chance to spend a whole year around family. For him to get to know them and vice versa. Once he starts going to school, I won't be able to do that. I want to take advantage of that time while I can. 

 After the holidays he'll start asking questions, and as long as they say they need him, he'll be going. Of course, this could change a million or trillion times before he actually goes, if he does at all. They could tell him, no, they don't need him, right? But as of now, he said to just plan on him leaving so that's what I'm doing. I'd rather prepare myself and then get a pleasant surprise than not be ready at all. I'm being as supportive as I can be. I'm encouraging him because I know that's what he wants from me. I also made sure he knows that I would be A-OK with him staying as well.. HA! In the long run, he needs to know that I'm okay with it and that he won't have to worry about me. I may be kicking and screaming on the inside at times, but he will never see that.

I'll be fine. He'll be fine. We'll get through it and it will go by fast. I've never been more proud of him.

A First

Dear Andrew,

You brought tears to my eyes today! (your mama is a little emotional, but you'll learn that, don't worry!)

You have a little play mat that you love to lay it. It has all kinds of fun, bright stuff hanging down for you to look at. Yesterday I noticed that you were playing special attention to a little spider that hangs down. When I put you back down there today, I saw you reaching for Mr. Spider. I put you closer to him and you reached out to grab a toy for the first time! You have been laying there for about 30 minutes now, batting at him, smiling, cooing and laughing at him.

You are making my heart SO VERY happy!

But I am questioning if you are going to be anything like me. You are terrified of your sweet, cute little dog named Scout that even says things like, "I love you, Andrew", but you're obsessed with a spider. Great! I hate bugs.

~ I've been taking down all of your email addresses. Will probably switch to private sometime tomorrow. If you just left your email address without letting me know who you are, and there's not even a blog link for me to click and get back to you, I probably won't be adding you. Sorry! ~

Going Private

I've been debating this for so long, and have made the decision to make my blog private. It's really been on my mind for about a week or so, but after a friend talked to me about a book she read called The Predator, I knew I had to do it! Felt like a sign... yes I believe in that kind of crap. I just don't feel comfortable anymore with pictures of Andrew out there for anyone to see.

I know that will make it hard for you girls to follow me, and I hate that, but I hope you'll remember to check on me every once in a while! If not, I'll nag you mercilessly with comments ;)  Please send me your email if you'd like to continue to read about this little life of mine.

I'm going to make the big switch by the end of the week.

It Took Me 6 Days to Write This

This post will be a little hard for me to write. Well, not necessarily to write, but to click that Publish Post button on the bottom. I've had so much on my plate lately and all of these things I've been trying to sort through in my mind. They haven't necessarily gotten better per say, but I'm coming to terms with everything. I'm not putting all of this out there to get sympathy.. I don't do well with sympathy really... I just want to be honest with my blog and not just write about the "unicorns and glitter stuff". I don't usually write about the bad stuff.. who wants to look back and remember the bad? Not I! But this is all big stuff and a real part of my life that I'll remember anyways..

I had a pretty hard time after Andrew was born. I wouldn't necessarily classify it as Post Partum depression, I think it was just coincidental that life decided to throw up on me at that point. After a couple weeks of feeling out of control of my emotions, sad and overwhelmed like I've never felt before, I decided to bring it up to my doctor at my 6-week checkup. She agreed with me that I have a tad bit of depression after talking for a while and we decided to start me on a prescription for Welbutrin. At first, I was ashamed. I've always been able to brush things off my shoulders and look at the bright side. I would definitely say that I am a glass half full kind of girl. But those hormones after pregnancy are no joke. I think too many people try to ignore symptoms of depression, but if more people would just talk about it, maybe it wouldn't be such a hard thing for women to admit. It's better to realize you have a problem before it gets out of control and you start having thoughts about harming yourself or your baby. It doesn't have to get to that point. So, on with my point... on top of those crazy hormones:


He looks how I have been feeling!

I was feeling homesick like never before. I was dealing with being away from family before Andrew came along. Sure, I missed home and got down about it from time to time, but now I have a son. My parents and Trey's parents have a grandson and it makes me incredibly sad that they are missing out on all of his little milestones. I have a very real sense of guilt. I know that is irrational. Nobody makes me feel guilty, I do it to myself. I feel like I'm taking a special time in life away from my mom. The thought of Andrew only seeing extended family a few times a year (if Trey decides to make a career out of the Army) tears me up. I need to get these feelings under control and I feel like time *and medicine* is helping. The whole "bloom where you are planted" thing is starting to really sink in with me. Sure, I would LOVE to be around our family and friends all the time, but I can't waste life away wishing for something that isn't possible for now. I'm going to make the best out of the situation we are in and appreciate the opportunities we wouldn't have had otherwise!

I second, triple, and quadruple guessed myself about sharing this, but again, I'm sure we're not the only ones going through it in this economy! We came to the realization that we have to let go of our house in SC. We've had renters in it since we left, but 1) the county raised our taxes by an ungodly amount because it is an investment property now. That starts in January and there is NO WAY we can afford the increase. 2) The renters helped with the situation of course, but they decided they wanted out last month. So, we're barely holding on. We couldn't rent the house for as much as it will be going up anyways. Best case scenario - it will sell in the next 2 months. We dropped the price drastically, so we'll see. Second best - the bank will approve a short sale which we're in the process of going for. That won't hurt our credit quite so badly as a foreclosure would. Hopefully, it won't get to that point! This was all very hard for me to come to terms with. It's embarrassing, ya know!? I know, though that it's not something we could control. We'll do whatever we have to do and move on from there. Safe to say that we won't be buying a home again until we are done with the Army and can settle somewhere!



Not a happy camper!



Remember this post and this one? About my Uncle Ronnie who had a scary time with seizures? He ended up being put on seizure medication for what was supposed to be 6 months. Well a couple months ago he had another seizure. While on medication. Not supposed to happen! He went in for more tests and to make a very long story very short... turns out he had a tumor on his brain. He had surgery last week and they were able to remove 95% of it. It is stage 3 cancer, but the doctor seems to be pretty optimistic about his survival chances. He will be starting 6 weeks of chemo and radiation soon, every day except weekends and holidays. I've been a praying fool for this man lately and I truly believe in my heart that everything will end up okay, he has a lot more life to live! It's been such a scary time and I wish more than anything that I could be in Massachusetts with my family.. it's been hard and scary for me. I can't even imagine what they are going through. I'm very thankful that I have such a tight knit and positive thinking family that will make the best out of any situation they are put it. I know they are all helping each other through it.

I know I am putting all of our dirty laundry out there for all to read, and I feel slightly crazy for doing so. But I wanted to be real. If anyone of you may be going through the any of the same things and feelings, I wanted you to see that you're not alone. If you are dealing with depression, it CAN get better. Take some time to invest in yourself. Talk to a doctor. Make a stronger effort to focus on the things you have in life to be thankful for. It helps and there are ALWAYS things you can feel blessed about. You may have to dig deep and start with small things, but the positive thinking will come easier to you, I promise!
I'm completely aware that I sound like an After-School Special. Sorry about that.

Remember to smile!

*Before you make your Shutterfly cards...*

Ahhhh I almost just had a heart attack!!

After spending.. ohhh... an hour probably getting our Christmas cards made on Shutterfly, I excitedly click checkout. Head on over to my email and copy that code they gave me to get my cards FO FREE, paste it onto the enter codes here box, and SAY WHAT?? Code does not apply, says Shutterfly.

I start sweating a bit and try to click around and figure out what's going on. I was about to give up and planned to call customer service tomorrow morning and give them a piece of my mind when I saw something up top that says something about click here to chat live with a Customer Representative. So I clickety clicked away and started chatting with Veda (in America, I'm sure) and our convo went a little something like this:

Thank you for choosing Shutterfly. A representative will be with you shortly.

You are now chatting with 'Veda'
Veda: Hello, welcome to Shutterfly! How may I help you today?
Visitor: I had a code emailed to me that is supposed to get me 50 free Christmas cards. It's not working, saying that I have already used it, but I haven't.
Veda: I am glad to help you with that.
Visitor: okay thanks
Veda: Have you placed 5x7 stationery cards in your cart?
Visitor: Yes
Veda: May I have your Shutterfly email address?
Visitor: sure.. nortonj07@hotmail.com
Veda: Thanks. Please give me a moment while I look that up.
Veda: I find in your account that you have the credit for "50 free 5x7 flat stationery cards " or "50 free 5x7 folded greeting cards ".
Veda: I see in your cart you have 5x7 photo cards to which the credit cannot be applied.
Visitor: I think I was sent the wrong code because when I entered it in, it gave me 20% off
Visitor: Why can't the credit be applied?
Veda: Photo cards are different from stationery cards.
Veda: Since you have already placed the cards in the cart, I do not want to trouble you in starting the new project all over again.
Veda: As one time accommodation, I can swap the credit.
Visitor: So the 50 free cards doesn't apply to the photo Christmas cards?
Visitor: Ohhh thank you so much!
Veda: Please give me a moment.
Visitor: I know of a lot of bloggers that are a little confused about this
Veda: Please give me a moment.
Visitor: Sure, thank you
Veda: I have swapped the credit in your account.
Veda: Please sign out and isgn in back to view the credit.
Visitor: Okay is there a code I need to know?
Veda: *Please sign out and sign in back to view the credit.
Visitor: How will I view the credit when I sign back in?
Veda: You need not enter any promotion code to avail the credit.
Veda: You can check your current special offers by going to the "My Shutterfly" page, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking the "View my special offers" link.
Visitor: Great, thank you very much for your help!
Veda: You're welcome!
Veda: Is there anything else I can help you with today?
Visitor: No, that's all
Veda: Thank you for chatting with us. We value your feedback. Please click the “Close” button at top right to answer a few questions about your experience with us today.
Visitor: I will

I'm sorry to say that I didn't trust little miss Veda and copied the whole convo just in case it didn't really work and I had to talk with someone else. No need though because I signed back in and turns out she wasn't just trying to get rid of me. My account showed a zero balance. Plus, Shutterfly emailed me a copy of our conversation.

So, make sure you take the time to go about making your precious photo card (which I want mailed to me for giving y'all the heads up.. and just because you love me) and then chat away with HOPEFULLY Veda! She can't say I didn't warn her about y'all!

You're welcome! Merry Christmas!

An Update and a Recipe

My one demanding and slightly annoying ( I kid, mum) reader has requested a blog update. Not that I don't talk to her 3 times a day or anything with every single update of my life imaginable... but here it is nonetheless.

I've been super busy with Andrew. Not busy enough that I couldn't find 15 spare minutes in my day to write a blog post, but the thing is, I don't feel like I have anything interesting enough to write about. What I have to keep in mind though is that I want to be able to look back on this and maybe print out all the posts about pregnancy and his first year and put each of them into a little book of some sort. So while everyone may not find it extremely interesting, I'll be thankful I have it one day! Plus, it's always stuff a Grammy (a.k.a Mizzy from here on out) will enjoy :)

Andrew had his 2 month appointment last week. He's a growing boy (11lbs 10oz and 22.8 inches long) and the doctor was very happy with his development. The shots where horrid. Everyone was lined up to take their kids in for immunizations so for about 45 minutes I heard each and every child screaming their lungs out. I felt like I was in line for the electric chair. He of course hated them, cried so hard his little face turned purple, but forgot all about it as soon as I picked him up.. he then just wanted to eat of course!
We're getting into somewhat of a routine. He's a much happier baby now that he is on formula (yes, he loved it. Had one taste of that and wanted nothing to do with my breast milk) and I'm a much, much happier - if not more broke -  mama! Now I know when he is crying he is either hungry or tired and for the most part it is just that easy.

Last Saturday there were not many good games on (read Alabama had a bye week) so we went out to New Mexico to the La Union pumpkin patch. Clearly Andrew will never remember this and it was just a trip for me to take pictures!


Andrew's first pumpkin patch 10-30-10

Trey had a long weekend this week because of Freedom Crossing (our amazing PX area and is like a mini outside mallish type thing) opening. We went on Friday afternoon. They had all kind of vendors, live music, and beer on the sidewalk... can't ask for much more. Oh  - wait - yes I can. This week is only a 3 day work week for him. He gets Thursday and Friday off for Veterans Day. Yipee!

Perfection



All of my teams lost this weekend... Bama, Carolina and the Patriots. Booooo.

And lastly, I wanted to share a new recipe I tried tonight. It's nothing special, but sure is delish! Perfect for a cold night or a football game!

Italian Sloppy Joes

• 1 lb Italian Sausage
• 1 lb hot Italian Sausage
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (I left that out)
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 2 T minced fresh parsley (I used 1T of not so fresh parsley)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp fennel seed
• 8 to 10 rolls (I used hoagies)
• 3/4 cup shredded mozz cheese ( I forgot to use this, but have plenty for leftovers so I'll have to remember tomorrow night!)

1. In a large saucepan (really large) cook sausage, garlic, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until sausage is cooked, drain.

2. Add tomato sauce and seasonings, bring to a boil (there was not enough liquid in mine to bring to a boil, but still good). Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Scoop some of that yummy goodness on to your bun and sprinkle with cheese. Toast your bun for even more deliciousness.

Enjoy!

Now it's time for me to say good night. That little angel will be up before I know it wanting to be fed! *yes, I know babies shouldn't sleep on their tummies. But mine does when I'm watching him.. and he loves it..so there*

The One Where I Piss Off Le Leche League

This post may be a little TMI for some so proceed at your own risk.

My boobs are officially my own again after 11 whole months. I'm done pumping. Completely over it.
It wasn't a decision I came to easily. I've been strug-A-lin for a few weeks now, but didn't want to admit defeat. Mainly, I didn't want to feel like a failure. I finally came to terms with the fact that this just wasn't for me when Trey woke up the other night and came out to find silent little baby tears strolling down my cheeks as I'm pumping quietly in the dark.
Ouch Charlie is all I have to say! Pumping full time is not so easy! Over the past 2 weeks I've been having serious problems. My nipples (Lord I can't believe I said nipples on my blog) would start to bleed and crack so I would spread the pumps out relieve them, which in turn would cause clogged ducts. Those really hurt like a mother, let me tell you! It was this big viscious cycle and was making me miserable. I dreaded the every few hours that I had to do it. I was just plain bitter by the middle of this week.
After a long discussion, we both decided that it just wasn't the best thing to do anymore. Breastfeeding should be this wonderful, rewarding experience and THIS TIME, it just wasn't for me. I'll try again with the next kid.
I don't buy in to the whole idea that because I'm now giving my baby formula that he won't be as smart or healthy as breastfed babies. I know it's most ideal to breastfeed, but Andrew will not be inferior because of it. Trust me, I know this for a fact. How you ask? I was breastfed. My youngest brother was not. I was mediocre at best in school and didn't try very hard. My brother... such a smart kid and has a great head on his shoulders! I've been worried because I know switching over is hard on their little tummies and he has been a little fussy with it up until today. My mum made me feel much better though when she asked my brother if he remembers her switching, and he has no recollection ;)

I know people are very passionate about breastfeeding, but please don't use this as a forum to be ugly to me about it. I've already had my share of meanie pants comments about it, but KNOW that I am doing the right thing for my baby and I. Trust me, I'm a much happier mum and that's important too!

~ 2 Months ~

I'm a day late Andrew, but you are now 2 months old!! I can't believe it (I'm pretty sure I'm going to be saying that every month for the next year and then every year for the rest of his life. Just so you know.)



Welp, he's slouching in two months and I guess I need to sit the dog the same each time to get the full effect, but at least he doesn't look petrified this time!

Andrew, you have changed so much this month! You are growing like a sprout right before my eyes and I love watching the new things you discover every day.

• You are definitely more independent than you were last month. You'll lay on your own for a few minutes on your own here and there. You LOVE your play mat! I think it's so funny to see you looking at all the bright colors and smiling at the toys like they are your best friends and you are so glad to see them again. You also like your bouncy seat now, which is very convenient for me as I can get a few things done here and there now. All this said, these things really only buy me about 10 minutes tops and you are ready for me again. Yes, I love you too, but seriously?
• You are such a little piglet.. you're eating about 5 ounces every 2 hours (except at night), but there are some changes coming I'm afraid. We are in the middle of switching you over to formula (no hateful comments please) and you are not too thrilled with it. You will get used to it though!! More on that for another post.
• You sleep so well most of the time! You are ready to go down around 7:30 most nights and don't wake up to eat again until 3:00-3:30. One night this week I woke up at 4 and I still hadn't heard a peep from you. I panicked and made sure you were still alive. You were clearly and woke up at 4:30. That was a fluke!
• You smile ALL the time! You seem to be such a happy baby and will smile anytime someone smiles in your face. It's the most precious thing and you look a lot like your Grampy Yetton when you do. My favorite time of the day is when I come and get you out of your crib in the morning and you smile like you are SO glad to see me! Me and daddy actually fight over that time :)
• Your hair is filling in just a little bit where you were bald and it's still dark. Your daddy wants you to have blond hair like him, but I think you will be gorgeous with dark hair and blue eyes!
• You've grown out of all of your newborn clothes and you're now in 0-3 month. We had you weighed last week and you were 10lb 13oz and 22 inches long. We have your 2 month well baby appointment on this coming up Monday though, so we'll see how much more you've grown!

You are the light of your dad and I's life! I NEVER imagined that we would feel the way we do no matter how many people told us we would. It's a love that can't even be described and I never knew what we were missing until we had you!

Back to My Old Self

The past *almost* two months feel like an absolute blur to me. The first month I'm sure I was running off of pure adrenaline and nerves. This month I've been trying to get into a groove with this whole mommy thing and I feel like I've done a great job. Now I'm trying to incorporate being a wife in there and spending some time on myself.

I fail a lot of the times still in being the kind of wife I want to be, but I'm working at it! I want to take care of my husband, not because I think it's my duty (I'd never survive as a 1950s kind of wife) but because it makes me feel good to know that I'm helping him when he works so hard to provide for our family. He allows me to stay home with our son, plus I love the look of appreciation when I do something a little out of the way to make his life easier.
My first step is spending a little more time in the kitchen. A little less frozen meal to stick in the oven and a little more home cooked goodness. For instance, tonight we are having a pot roast (never mind the fact that it's from Costco and all I have to do is boil it for 20 minutes in its bag of juices.. hey.. it's REALLY good), but I AM making mashed potatoes that ARE NOT from a box. And not just plain ol' mashed potatoes. It's a new recipe I'm trying called "Fancy Mashed Potatoes". Mmmhmmmm..
I'll probably slack a little for the rest of the week, but Sunday I'm trying Apple Stuffed Chicken Breasts.. we'll see about that one! If it's any good I'll post the recipe.
I know he would LOVE it if I were to get up a little early and make him a smoothie for breakfast, but let's just take it one step at a time here. I'd love for him to get up earlier and make me a cup o joe. This should work both ways, right??

I'm trying to take better care of myself as well. I've done better with getting up and putting some effort into my appearance. You know.. like an actual outfit, possibly a little makeup, and maybe even brush my teeth? It does wonders for my mood! And yesterday, I took the big first step and started a new workout plan. I dread workout time every. single. day, but hopefully my body will start to thank me in a few weeks! I have a wedding to be in in March (my SIL is getting married and I'm the MOH... thank you for giving me another reason to HAVE to fly home) and I'd love to be able to rock that little dress! There's my motivation.

So there you have it, this will all be keeping me a busy little bee, not to mention playing, changing diapers, feeding, pumping, repeat. And here I am.. still finding the time to blog! Wish me luck :)

Christmas Fevah!!

Trey has the day off from work today! Don't ask me why, but all of 2-3 does and I'm not complaining! We were planning on going to the pumpkin patch to get some sweet pics of Andrew, but good thing I looked online before we drove out there - they are closed during the week! So instead, what are we doing? Andrew taking a cold winters nap (I know it's probably 80 something degrees out there.. roll with me, okay?), Trey is playing football on the PS3, and I am daydreaming about Christmas! We may or may not have just been singing Christmas songs (Holly Jolly Christmas and I'll Be Home For Christmas) together and both got a little giddy. What better time to start looking at designs for Christmas Cards. Little Andrew now gives me an excuse to do the cute picture cards :)

I've never done this before, so I'm using the ever trusty Shutterfly for my first go round! I've just spent the past hour looking at all of the options.. so many.... and finally narrowed it down to the winner. I wanted more than one picture, but not picture overload so it's perfect! I'll show you all when I get them mailed out one day! But it's clean and simple which is right up my alley. I can't wait to see the final outcome!

Here are a few links if you'd like to check out some of what they have to offer!
Shutterfly's Website
Holiday Cards
And even Address Labels!

Want to sweeten the deal? They are now offering 20% off of all of their holiday cards! Just click here to get started!

The Babysitter

I knew the time would eventually come. As much as I dreaded it, I knew the hubs and I had to get out for some US time. Good thing the first time was forced on us or else I'm not sure I would have ever willingly left my son in someone else's care!

Last night Trey and I had a function to go to for his BN. It was called the Gunner's Salute and was a welcome home get together for all the soldiers that came home from the deployment. I completely missed the deadline for childcare (good thing.. ummmm 97 kids to 3 care givers? NOT OKAY. I don't know that I will ever use child care for an Army function! I'd much rather have someone I know and trust watching our little lovebug!)

Our friend Fritz offered to stay with him so we took him up on it! Yep, that's right... a grown man, big tough soldier with no kids of his own offered to stay with a 2 month old on a Friday night! To say I was nervous was an understatement. Nothing to do with him, but I was leaving my baby for the first time. But I put one foot in front of the other and got in the car.. I may or may not have been fighting tears on the way to post.

We both did good though in the end! I only texted once to see how they were doing and Fritz handled a massive dirty diaper and they were asleep on the couch together when Trey and I got home. He even sent me a few pictures... sure does know how to make a mama happy!

Here is the little stinker in action...

Now that's a look of pure concentration!



And a happy baby with a clean diaper :)

I think we found us a babysitter!

I Believe...

... That everyone on this planet should get to feel the joy and love that I feel from holding my son. Or from seeing my husband coming through the door everyday with that smile on his face. It's indescribable. Having kids isn't for everyone, I know, but I wish this feeling for everyone no matter how they get it.

... That money should absolutely grow on trees. And that there should be hundreds of those trees in our yard.

... That my relationship with God is nowhere near as strong as I want it to be. I feel like I talk the talk but don't walk the walk. I want to change that SO VERY badly. Pray for me (and my husband) if you'd like.

... That if you need help with anything, whether it be medical or something as simple as with the dishes. Ask for it. I've spent too much time dealing with stuff and trying to be strong when I just needed a little help. It makes life so much easier.

... That I shouldn't feel guilty for asking Trey to help with feeding Andrew in the middle of the night just because he has to go to work. (speaking of asking for help). But I do feel so guilty. But I do it anyways. I have to pump once during the night too.. so it would take me hours to go back to sleep. He starts the changing and feeding and when I'm done doing my thang, I take over and let him go back to sleep.

... That pizza should be eaten (ate?) in my household once a week.

... That I desperately need a haircut. (I know Kristy and Charla.. I'm going to call him ;)  ) I haven't had once since April (gasp).

... That my box fan is my best friend and I couldn't live without it.

... That true friends are very hard to come by. Once you have them.. don't let go for any reason.

... That people shouldn't be judged or harmed or criticized for their sexual orientation. Who are we to judge? It doesn't make you comfortable? You're not the one living their life. Let them live it. I know the Bible said marriage is between man and woman. I'm afraid it also tells you that it is not your place to judge.

... That my father and husband and the two funniest (and greatest) men that I know.

... That my son is the most precious thing I have ever seen in my life :)

Just Another Day

We don't have much going on over in the Casa de Norton, but I figured if I didn't write while I had the chance (nap time), then I never would. Plus, I wouldn't want that Anonymous commenter to get bitter again with the lack of pictures!

My brother is here staying with us for the rest of the week! He got in on Saturday and we've been loving hanging on with him. He is SO great and sweet with Andrew. Charlie's big thing has been getting him to sleep at night and it's the most precious thing. He is a wonderful Uncle! I'm just a little worried that he's been bored out of his mind as I don't lead the most glamorous life!


Uncle Charlie and Andrew's first day together

I can say that I do not deserve the Mom of the Year award this week! I called our Tel-a-Nurse line over the weekend with concerns of his ongoing congestion that he's had for about 3 weeks now. The last time I called they said it wasn't much to worry about and would probably go away on it on. Welp, it hasn't. We have an appointment tomorrow but that is neither here nor there. When the sweet nurse asked how fussy he has been I told her he has been extra fussy over the past few days. After a long conversation, she suggested I go from feeding him 4oz at a time to 5 or 6. HELLO?! Why didn't I think of that on my own. He was sucking down the 4 ounces no problem and then I was wondering why I couldn't make him happy. I've been starving my child! I know, I know, not really, but he's definitely been ready for more food. I uped the food and I have my sweet happy baby back :) I think I overthink things and look for serious problems.. I need to remember that his needs are very simple. hey.. I'm learning as I go right? Wa wa waaa... 

6.5 weeks old



<>

7 weeks old after watching a Patriots win at Buffalo Wild Wings

*I do have an amazingly cute video to upload of the babe, but after about and hour of leaving this up while it was "uploading", blogger decided there was an error and didn't want to cooperate. Don't worry mum, I'll email it to you :)

Baby Necessities

I've seen a few other mama's out there do a list of things they found they just couldn't live without once baby came along. I know it helped me quite a bit... especially when I was putting together our registry. So here I thought I'd add a little bit of my two cents! Feel free to add to this in the comments, I'd love to hear what genius products you've found!

First and foremost ~ The Itzbeen Timer! This thing is pretty much attached to my hip at all times and I've made it my life's mission to make sure all new mom's know about this. You can check it out my clicking on the link, but basically, it's a simple little gadget that helps you keep track of how long "itzbeen" since your baby last ate, had a diaper changed, since they've slept or have been sleeping, and then a miscellaneous button you can use for whatever. I use it for pumping for instance. If they're sick you can use it for medications. You could also set timers.. so if you needed to give meds every 4 hours or so.. you can set a timer to last however long you want it for. It also has a little Left and Right switch if you are breast feeding to remember which tata you left off on. TRUST ME.. you will not remember these things on your own! You can find this at Target or BRU for just around $20.

Speaking of pumping... my little monkey never did take to me, so I've been pumping constantly for the last 7 weeks. Yeah.. it's about as fun and convenient as it sounds. But I have found a pump that I really like that isn't as expensive as the Medela and Ameda brands. I can't speak for those two.. so I don't really know for sure what I'm missing out on, but I have tried a Playtex brand that was more expensive than mine and I like mine much much better. So.. if you're thinking about buying a pump and you want to spend about $140 instead of $300, the Lansinoh pump is wonderful! It's much quieter than the other one I tried, easier to clean (which you have to do after every pump), and expresses more milk. Winner in my book! Plus, their customer service rocks. I did have a problem with the base this week. When I called them, they asked if I was a strictly pumping mom and since I was they sent a new one out to me immediately.. I had it the next day. KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS!

Baby Einstein music! If you're only planning on listening to it in the home, don't bother buying the cd's. Get onto the Pandora website and search for it. It's a great station, it's FREE, and keeps Andrew entertained for quite a while. He loves it!

Swaddle Blankets (any brand as far as I know)! We weren't planning on buying any, but when we realized we had a ninja for a baby, we went ahead and got some. My husband is an expert swaddler. He would wrap him up as tight as could be but within 3 minutes, Andrew would have his feet and arms out wailing all over the place and wouldn't stay asleep. Swaddle blankets.. problem solved!

Pampers Swaddlers diapers and wipes. We've found these to be the best and have tried them ALL! He seemed to have much more leaks with Luvs and Huggies and the Parents Choice brand from Walmart was just cruel to put on his little hiney! Not such a good material and not worth the money you save. Huggies wipes were too coarse in my opinion and took more to clean up the mess!

That's all I can think of for now! I hope this helps some of you :)

Can't we all just get along??

This post is inspired by a recent.. ummm.. conversation (?) that was had on my Facebook page about college football.
It's no secret that I am passionate about it. We live and breath it every weekend (and Thursday and sometimes Friday) during the fall. And those that have been reading my blog for a while know that I am a firm believer in the SEC. I personally believe that no one out there can compete. I've been a S. Carolina fan for years and years and over the past few years have been persuaded by my husband to route for Alabama as well.. it's hard not to, right? But this is less about our conference as a whole and more about one particular team... OHIO STATE.

Please, ladies, please... let me know if I'm wrong! Unless you live in the state of Ohio.. most people don't care for (or may have some stronger words) Ohio State Football. I've never run into anyone that isn't from Ohio that actually likes the team. Well I have family that lives in Cleveland, Ohio and are huge fans. I don't hold that against them ;) but there has been a huge stink caused on my FB page (seriously.. like 60 comments long) over the fact that I don't like them (the team, not my family).

They say it hurts their feelings that I don't like them and sometimes vocalize my feelings on the subject. And they are REALLY worked up about it. Really? It's nothing personal, says I. I could care less if anyone in the world.. no matter how close you are to me had something bad to say about any of the teams I pull for. To each his own! Say whatever you want and I'll be glad to have a little friendly back and forth banter with you. Why does it have to be so serious? Of course I never want to hurt any one's feelings.. especially friends and family, but to make matters worse - All of this was started over a conversation that was had on my MIL's fb page. They don't know her. Shouldn't be able to see what was on her page. Clearly, I have the right to discuss football (or anything) in whatever fashion I want when it's not directed at them, right?

Here are the reasons I do not care for Ohio State:
I don't have much respect for them as a team. I feel like they play cake teams all year round and don't deserve to be ranked where they are. Come on down south and play some real teams instead of Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern. See how you hold up.
They value a coach (Woody Hayes) that smacked a student player (from Clemson) by still having his name on the stadium. I understand that happened years ago.. but it's all about tradition and history.
They call themselves "THE Ohio State". Isn't there only 1 state of Ohio? Grrrr

There are lots more that gets under my skin about them, but Andrew is starting to stir and need to finish up my point.

Basically.. I love my family, I do. But I will NEVER love or like Ohio State Football and don't see why this has been made out to be such an issue. Don't let it hurt your feelings.. embrace it and lets have a good ol' fashion family rivalry and pray we play each other in a bowl game or better yet.. National Championship!

I'm still alive!

I've just been super, super  busy. And sick :( 

We've had some pretty crappy germs running through our household. Starting with my husband, who oh so lovingly passed it on to me. You know.. the congestion, sneezing, coughing, headache (I feel like a Dayquil commercial), and I, unfortunately, passed it on to our sweet boy who now has congestion and diarrhea. We're both miserable because of it.



Our first family photo... at a wine festival



Anywho... what's been going on in my world? Well I just mentioned most of it, but we had a WONDERFUL weekend! The Storey's (two of our best friends from back home) flew out to visit us! I can't tell you how much that meant to us and how happy it made the both of us. It's so hard being away from family and friends. For those two blissful days, it didn't feel like we were so far away. Thank you Matthew and Ashleigh! I'm so happy that they got to meet Andrew.. Ashleigh got lots of practice and is going to be a fantastic mum one day! Annd the two extra pairs of hands? I loved it!! We watched lots of football on Saturday (y'all.. nothing gets in the way of Football Saturday). Sunday we took them to Taco Cabana (it's the Norton mission to make sure everyone on the planet eats here) and drove out to New Mexico to check on the La Vina Wine Fest. We had a great time and this little mama got a little tipsy over a few samples of wine.. not gonna lie! It was hard to send them back home the next morning and I almost kidnapped them and made them stay forever... lucky they have a sweet pup to go home to!



Ashleigh and I - October 2010



Monday night I watched the Pats.. FINALLY!! They scared me in the first half but came back swinging in the 2nd. That's my boys! I hear now that Moss is leaving to the Vikings. We'll do just fine without him is what I say...

And this week I've just been taking care of a sad, sick baby. Thanks, girls, for your napping advise! I found something that works and have been getting in a nap a day. I curl up with him on the couch when he falls asleep and sleep with him on my chest! I know I'll have to stop doing this with him in the next few weeks so I don't start any bad habits, but for now, I'm cherishing it. It's the sweetest thing to feel his baby breath on my neck and feel his little fingers wrapping around my arm to curling on my chest. I know that I will miss these little moments!

I'm really looking forward to .. ahhh... 4pm or so today. Hubby will be off and he is coming home to relieve me! That's right.. I get some ME time :) I'm heading off to find some clothes that actually fit me!! I'm in this horrible in between stage where I'm nowhere close to fitting in my pre-pregnancy clothes, but the maternity stuff doesn't quite work anymore either. Any suggestions?

And thank you God, it's a 4-day weekend! I was talking to my cousin last night and she mentioned that she had a long weekend, but wasn't sure why. So thank you Christopher Columbus. Thank you for getting my husband a 4-day :) We'll be enjoying some downtime (watching the Carolina-Bama game.. yessss I'm going for Bama! Don't call me a traitor.. I can't help it) and each other's company.



Look at my little man looking fly in his Bama jersey (courtesy of the Storey's)



Tomorrow.. I put up my fall decor. Can't wait. Time to start lighting that Autumn Leaves candle!!

No Sleep For the Weary

One piece of advice that every hands out like candy when you have a newborn is, "sleep when he sleeps". Really, I wish I could.

I've never been a big napper. There are so many other things that I could be getting done while he is not attached to my hip.. or chest really and my brain never fails to remind me of all those things. It never shuts off.

My house, by NO means needs to be sparkling clean. I'll never be one of those mothers with the perfect child and the spotless house to match. You'll never starve when coming to my house, but you may see a little dust. But, I cannot stand to have junk laying around everywhere. So instead of napping, you'll find me straightening up the living room, doing laundry, emptying or loading the dishwasher, cleaning bottles, pumping (grrrrr), etc.

Now that I have this pesky little cold, I'm finding myself wishing more than ever that I could just lay down and get some rest! I tried multiple times yesterday, but then I'm just fighting a overactive brain and a stuffed up nose. No win situation.

I will, however, be trying extra hard this afternoon though... I may or may not have been reduced to tears in the middle of the night last night when my precious child woke up around 4 and wanted nothing to do with going back to sleep...

Any napping tips??

~ 1 Month ~

Wow! I can't believe I just typed that.. has it really been exactly a month since I've given birth to this beautiful boy?? All of you mommies were right, time does fly!

My little Drew baby:

As of your two week well-baby appointment you were 7lbs 6oz and 20.5 inches long. We don't go back until you are two months old though.. so who knows at this point
You measured in the 50th percentile for height, weight, and head circumference.. just perfect!
You are wearing newborn clothing, but they don't fit perfectly. They fit your little body just right, but most things are too short for your long legs. We joke a lot that you're wearing carpis instead of pants!
You really enjoy eating.. imagine that! You're usually eating about 4 ounces now.. around every 2-3 hours during the day.
You're also a great sleeper, which means you don't eat much during the night. For the past week, you've been going down around 9 at night and not waking up until between 2 and 3. Then you gets up again between 6 and 7 and goes down one more time, usually until 9.
You're not really cooing too much yet, but I think your smiles are starting to mean a little more than gas. You sometimes smiles when I kiss all over your cheeks or rub your cheeks or chin lightly.
You love looking at the lights... fascinates you!
You do not like to be put down.. you love your mama! I feel okay with this for now because I've read that you can't be spoiled at this age. You'll go in your swing for a bit, but only for 10-15 minutes tops.. then you're wanting back in my arms! You're lucky I love you so much :)
You don't like tummy time too much, but your neck is so strong as it is. From the time you've come home, you've been able to pick your head up from off of my chest.. now you'll even pick your head up and look at me in the face. It's the cutest thing!

Andrew, you are the best thing that could have happened to your daddy and I. We are so thankful to have you in our lives.. I can't even begin to explain to you how blessed we feel to have you! We love you more than you can imagine! I look at you and try to picture what your life will be like. There are so many possibilities, I just pray that you are always happy with the decisions you make and that you know we are always your number one fans!

You know you're a mum when...

1. You bounce your laptop lightly in your lap.. true story. Happened last night.

2. You go to Target for a few necessities and realize once you get home that you left your bags at the register. Yup. Didn't pick a single one up. It's called sleep deprivation.

3. You've had a horrid morning and he will not let you put him down. You can't have breakfast or shower. He finally goes down right around lunch and you only last about a half hour before you want him in your arms again!


That's all I have for now, but I'm sure there's more to come.

Yay for the friggen weekend! Our guests have left for now. I had a great time with my in-laws. They spoiled us all mercilessly and wore me out. We did a lot and got out of the house lots, but it was a good thing. They got me out of my comfort zone with the babe and now I think nothing of toting him around town. Between pumps of course... I digress.


Things I'm ready for?
A weekend full of football. Hopefully we'll be able to watch the games we want to this time (Bama is playing Arkansas.. seriously? You have to show that one ESPN. And it would be lovely if I could watch a Pats game.. just sayin.. I'm having Welker withdrawals.)
I'd also like to fast forward to next weekend when The Storey's come and visit us. Yayyy.. more visitors! They are long time friends of ours and I can't tell you how excited we are to have them out here for the weekend! And we are just floored that they are coming all the way out here to see little ol' us.. who am I kidding.. I'm pretty sure it's to get their hands on this little monkey:

And thennnn... my brother comes out for a week on the 16th. We have some pretty amazing people in our lives and I'm a lucky girl!