Quote of the Day

It's been a while since I've posted one of these (or anything for that matter). I really like this one.


"Experience is what you get...when you don't get what you want."

-- Dan Stanford

Update - Sick baby

Good news and bad news, Tripp.

Good news - No ear infection for you. Yay!
Bad news - You have RSV. Boo!

Good news - At least you are not a preemie or a newborn with RSV. It's much more dangerous at those ages. Dr. Hardin also tested you for a pnemounia, and you don't have that. Phew!
Bad news - You still have a fever of 104, got a breathing treament that you hated at the dr., have a low red and white blood count, and need to have the inhaler 4 times a day (4 puffs) for the next few days.

Good news - You should be happy and healthy by Christmas!

Hopefully this will be my last post about you and Sophie being sick. I'd like to get on with updates about what we've been doing when you haven't been sick - like our trip to Florida and Disney, our trip to the mountains in October, your first Halloween, and your first visit with Santa. I'd like to get caught up in the blog soon. Love you baby boy!

Sick baby X 2

My poor little babies, you are so sick! Let me start with you Sophie. I thought we made it through Tripp's croup and ear infection without you catching anything from him, and maybe we did, but boy did you get sick last week, terribly sick.

I had to pick you up from school early on Tuesday. Mindy and Brandy asked Roxanna to take your temperature because you were warm and you weren't yourself. They said you were acting very tired and "out of it", not your usual playful self. Roxanna told me that the first time she took your temperature it was only 99 degrees, but when they brought you back for a recheck it was already up to 102. They called me and I was at school in about 30 minutes. I picked you up and you were on fire. I asked Roxanna to take your temp again and this time it was 104. I couldn't believe it got so high so quickly. Your fever hung around from Tuesday to Sunday. It go so high on Thursday that we had to take you to the urgent care. Of course, it reached 105.1 after the drs. closed. 105.1 just seems scary. We gave you some tylenol, took you to the urgent care, and by the time we arrived your fever had broken. Dr. said you just had a bad cold. Ears looked great, no strep, just an extremely bad viral type infection. You just had to let it run its course. And it did, you were finally better this past Monday - nearly a full week of sickness.

During the week you were sick, you were so clingy, so lovey, so sweet. You are so active these days that there really isn't much cuddle time with you. Of course I would never wish you to be sick and I felt terrible that you were feeling so poorly, but I cherished the moments that you laid on me, hugged me, and just loved on me. It's sweet when a baby needs her mommy. Truth be told, you loved on daddy more, as I would expect you to, but I enjoyed the time I got as well. And you even laid on the couch and watched t.v. That's a first! You are finally feeling better and I am so glad!

Now on to Tripp ... poor sweet baby, you are sick again. I'm going to take you to the drs. tomorrow to make sure you don't have a lingering ear infection. I suspect you might. You may just have what Sophie had, but I'd like to rule out an ongoing ear infection. Your fever has been 104 for the past 2 days. Seems to get that high at night. You have a hard time staying asleep once I put you down, but once I give you Tylenol, whether you have a fever or not, you sleep very peacefully. I just feel like you must be in pain for that to happen. I hate to give you medicine if you don't need it, so I'm trying not to, but it seems you do need it. Hopefully you do not have an ear infection, or anything else serious for that matter. You are just such a little baby and so sweet and fun and playful, you just shouldn't get sick! I'm getting mad about it, too. You are still nursing and that is supposed to be the best medicine for you ... your not supposed to get ear infections and colds when you are nursing. I'm trying to do my best to keep you healthy, little dude. You stayed home with me today. You were very fiesty when it was time for a nap. You needed it, but you fought it. Other than that, you were really tired and also out of it for the most part.

I love you kiddies both and I just want you to be happy and healthy. Hopefully the sickies will be gone before Christmas.

Tripp at 9 months

This post is a little late, but I wrote the majority of it just after his 9 month WBV so it's pretty accurate in terms of his development at 9 months.

- Personality: observant, athletic (already, I promise!), smart, sweet, rough, cuddler, dominant.
- Weight: 21.5 lbs (50% - 75%)
- Height: 29.25 lbs (75% - 90%)
- Head circumference: 44 cm (10% - 25%)
- Wears 12 - 18 month clothing and some 18 month clothing, size 3 shoes, and size 4 diapers.
- Crawls, pulls up, stands up using things and has started to stand for a few second at a time without holding on to anything.
- Tripp still really loves his mommy! :-) He’s a momma’s boy and I absolutely love it! Just today when we were out to dinner he was fussy so I went to the car to get his paci and he started crying immediately when I left the table. When I came back he was fine. Oh the joy of being loved!
- Eats breastmilk (3 bottles and a sippy or 3 to 4 nursing sessions per day). I am extremely proud of this accomplishment! Tripp is such a good nurser and I love our silent moments together! I know we’ll make it 3 more months and I’m sure I’ll be terribly sad when it’s time to wean him.
- With that said, he is learning how to drink from a sippy. We should have started giving him a sippy earlier, but to be honest we just started about a week ago. Today was the first day he really drank from a sippy while holding the cup. He has caught on really quickly!
- Eats solids - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. The only baby food (jarred food) he gets is prunes and oatmeal every few days to help keep him regular.
- Tripp absolutely LOVES solid foods. He eats everything. Just today he ate grilled cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and pears. Sounds weird, I know, but that was a sampling from mine, John, and Sophie’s dinner. Seems he may not like mashed potatoes. Who doesn’t like mashed potatoes?
- Still uses pincer grasp. It has become somewhat of a weapon. He likes to use it to pinch, pull, and scrape anything and everything.
- Seems to favor using his right hand.
- Sleeping well, but less well than last month. He was sleeping 12 hours but that has decreased to 10 – 12 hours. I think it has a lot to do with teething.
- Has 6 teeth. 4 on top, 2 on bottom. There is one bottom left tooth that is going to poke through any day.
- Napping is pretty hit and miss. At home he always takes a morning nap, anywhere from 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Sometimes he takes an afternoon nap around 2. At school, however, he’s been fighting naps. He naps later there and usually only once. Maybe he’s consolidating naps already!
- Takes all of his baths with Sophie. Still sitting in his bath seat, still crazy when he’s not in it. Loves showers with daddy! Daddy says he likes to try and grab the razors that are hanging on the wall. Sounds really safe.
- Loves to scream. Well, I’m not sure scream is the correct word. Screech maybe? It’s an ear piercing scream and it makes us crazy when he does it!!
- Although he yells and makes noises, he talks a little less than he was originally talking. Hasn’t officially said a word yet. Syllables include “d”, "a", "g.”
- Hates to get dressed or get a diaper change. It’s pretty much a nightmare trying to do either. I just can’t believe he has such an opinion about either thing at such a young age. He is so strong that it’s actually difficult trying to put his arms in his shirt. He fights tooth and nail to avoid getting dressed. I actually had to start putting him back on his changing table to change him and dress him. It sort of contains him – sort of!
- Tripp has actually started to play peek-a-boo on his own. He pulls the napkin up, puts it down, pulls it back up again. Pretty cool! Laughs hysterically when you play with him.
- Still doesn’t like books at bedtime, although he’s starting to show a little interest in them by grabbing them and turning the pages. We’ll get there!
- Likes to be chased around the kitchen island. He, of course, crawls, we crawl, too, and Sophie runs.
- Like to hang upside down. He throws himself backwards when you are holding him. Also likes to do the downward dog yoga pose. He’s silly!
- Finally likes the pacifier. Oh great. I knew if it was given to him enough times he’d start to like it – just like his sister did. I’m not sure if he just likes it now because he’s teething and when he chews on it it feels good on his gums or if he just likes it. I don’t give it to him except at night and in the car if he’s crying. Daddy, on the other hand, always gives it to him.

Sick baby

Hi baby!

I didn't get a chance to post this earlier so I'm posting now. I wrote it a few weeks ago, the day after you 9 mo WBV. You are feeling better, thank goodness!
______________

Yesterday I took you to the doctor for your 9 month WBV. You haven't been feeling well the past few weeks, so I called the dr. at the end of the week last week to see if I should bring you in. They basically told me not to bring you in because they figured you had a cold on top of a cold on top of the croup you had on top of the original cold. A lot of sickness, but rational thinking. However, it was odd for them to say not to bring you in because they generally want to be on the safe side. That's why I love your doctor - they are pretty cautious. I actually would have suggested I bring you in, but I called on Thursday and I knew you had an appointment on Tuesday so I let it slide.

Well, they were wrong. I should have brought you in. Guess why? You have an ear infection. Poor baby! This is your first ear infection and really the first ear infection for either you or your sister. You've been a trooper and I hope now that you are on you antibiotics (Amoxycyillin) you are feeling even better. Daddy and I just hate to see you sick.

Here are a few pictures of you sick. We took them Monday night just after you got home from school. Your appointment was the next day. I'm sure you can see how we knew there was something wrong! You never sit still and you never zone out like this. You don't fall asleep in our arms at 5 pm. You are much to active for that! I'm sorry baby for not taking you to the doctor when I felt I should have.

Happy 9 month birthday, baby!

Hi Tripp! Happy 9 month birthday, baby! I can't believe that you have only 3 months to go before you reach the "big" birthday. What am I going to do? You are growing up so fast!

So this was a big month for you! You mastered crawling, learned to stand in your crib, sat from a laying position, sat down from a standing position, and learned to crawl up a few sets of stairs. You did most of that about 1 week right after I typed the "happy 8 month birthday" post. Now you are on the move, there is nothing stopping you! Not even a really tall ottoman that we put in your way to keep you contained in the family room! HA! You are busy, busy! You are a pretty amazing little dude and a fast learner!

You visited North Carolina for the first time, went on your very first hike in a National Forest, saw your first snow, celebrated your first Halloween as a Monkey, had your first fall down stairs, caught you first real cold that turned into croup, decided to start boycotting afternoon naps and you are learning to drink out of a sippy. Oh, one more thing! You stood up in place without holding on to anything. You've only done that twice, so hopefully it was a fluke and it doesn't mean you are going to try and walk soon.

The picture below is from school today. I took it when I picked you up to go the doctors. You were having a fun time in the exercauser, which is surprising because generally you will not sit in it. Look at all your fuzzy hair! Love you baby boy ... and Happy 9 month birthday!

Quote of the Day

If you can't say something nice, say it anyway. Brutal honesty is more supportive than disingenuous praise.

- Alan Weiss

Interesting quote! Never hear a quote that tells you to say something even if it's not nice. LOL

Quote of the Day

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

-- Beverly Sills (1929-) American Opera Singer

Quote of the Day

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

- Helen Keller (1880-1968) American Writer

Terrible Twos

Sophie girl, you are one sweet and spirited little girl! On most days you are happy, spunky, talkative, and big on the hugs and kisses. On other days, however, not so much. That is why I think we've finally hit the terrible twos.

I've read that the terrible twos actually happen before a toddler is 2. Since you are past 2 I thought for sure we were skating right past the terrible twos, that we were going to be those lucky parents that didn't have to deal with a tantrum. Hahahaha ... what was I thinking? LOL I also read the other day that tantrums are a sign that the baby loves the parents so much. If you didn't love us that much, you wouldn't have these strong emotions that cause tantrums. Aw, that makes us feel better about your tantrums :-)

These days, like I said above, you are generally the sweetest little girl ever. You make me smile every day and you are so fun. I laugh at least 20 times a day at something you say or do. I love the morning when I put you in the car to go to school, because you and I play the kiss game. I buckle you in your seat, kiss you, go to Tripp's side of the car and give him kisses, and then you say "mommy, more kisses" and I run back to your side of the car and give you more kisses. We do that at least two more times, you giggle the entire time, and I just love it! Tripp even gets in on the giggling. That's because your laugh is infectious, I promise you that! You really are a silly girl. But boy oh boy, you can throw a tantrum with the best of them.

I hate to say it, but me and daddy are kinda getting used to them so we've started ignoring you, which you hate. Your tantrums usually just consist of crying for a short period of time. Occasionally you throw yourself on the kitchen floor in the midst of crying, but usually you just stand in place and cry. It's actually quite funny, but I try not to laugh because it makes your more mad and it gives you that attention you are trying to get. So I guess all-in-all your tantrums aren't terribly bad, they just involve a lot of crying.

So why the tantrums? We don't know! We wish you'd tell us :-) Generally you have your meltdowns (I like to call them this over tantrums) when you get home from school. You are tired, hungry, and thirsty and you just want to eat and be held. We can't always hold you and you definitely do not like that. You run after us crying and yelling "daaa-ddyyy" or "moommmyyy" ... poor baby! You just want to sit on our hip, but we can't always pick you up. You are 2 for pete's sake. You can sit and stand and run, play with your toys or your brother, but you just want us. You've been like that since you were just a baby and Tripp is pretty much the same way (God help us if he stays this way! I only have 2 hands ... I can't hold everyone and cook!). I think it's adorable that you want us to hold you, but I seriously can't do it all day long. I wish you could understand that. Instead, you just cry.

I know it's just a phase so I try to enjoy all this cuddly, holding time, because I know there will be a day when I want to hold you and you won't let me. But my goodness, I hope the accompanying crying goes away ... and soon! I will say that you haven't had a meltdown in public yet. You've been on the verge and you've done your share of yelling and crying, but you haven't actually had a meltdown. You don't want to ride in carts any more and the stroller is ok until you kick your brother in the head from the back seat of the double stroller, but you definitely just want to be carried by daddy in public places. That too shall pass, I'm sure.

Even with these little tantrums, you are still the sweetest little blonde-headed brown-eyed girl out there, if I do say so myself. I love you pumpkin. Here's a sweet picture of you. We took it at Justin's birthday party a few weeks ago. You are so happy just playing. I can't believe such a little angel can sometimes cry so much! :-)

Quote of the Day

A lot of people have the will to win; very few have the will to prepare to win.

- Bobby Knight

My First Post

Okay, okay. I'm a little late but at least I'm here. Tammie has been doing a great job with keeping this blog up to date and recording all of the little and big moments of our kid's lives. She's such a great mom and wife. I've been a little lazy by not contributing to the blog but I will start. Tammie will probably always be the main poster but I promise that I will give my perspective.

Tripp hates the car! Sophie loved it as a baby but Tripp screams his little head off. Mostly it's when he's really tired but sometimes he'll just cry... and cry.... and cry. It's all good though because Tammie and I can carry on a conversation like it's not even happening. We're kinda used to it. We're going down to Florida in a couple of weeks so it should be interesting. I'm positive that he'll be done with this little phase by then and he'll be perfect the whole way down.

We aso just found out today that we need to bring some finger foods in for him at school. His teacher told us that he crawls over to the high chairs while the kids are eating and picks up the leftovers as they fall. Now that's funny! Somehow that is really easy to envision in my head.

Sophie bosses me around now. She tells me "Daddy sit!" and "Daddy get it!". Do I do whatever she says? Of course because she is somehow still really sweet and I think she just considers me her best friend. I love it.

OK, that's all for now but I will definitely be back. This is kinda fun.

Quote of the Day

While we try to teach our children about life, our children teach us what life is all about.

-(author unknown)

I read this quote on a blog I visited the other day. The blog was very touching. I really love this quote. It's so true, isn't it?

Sweet Kisses

Tripp - You are such a little lover! OMG, you melt my heart. I can't even explain it. I taught you to give "kisses." You gave me your very first kiss about a week ago, but I'm not sure you really knew what you were doing. You certainly know now and you think it's so funny! Last night we had a kissy-fest. HA!

Your kiss is really just you opening your mouth and moving towards mine and touching my lips. It's wet and slobbery, LOL, but I LOVE IT! It's so sweet. I say, "Tripp, give mommy kisses" and you do! The best part is after you give me your kiss you laugh. Your laugh is priceless. I'm trying to get it on video because it cannot be explained, but it's contagious. We just can't help but laugh when we hear your laugh sweet boy! Anyway, after you give me a kiss you sometimes repeat it over and over - like a pecking chicken - and sometimes you just bury your head in my shoulder and give me the "oh so you snuggle." I say "oh so you" because I've never had a baby snuggle with me like this. You bury your head into my neck and shoulder, wiggle it around, stick your butt in the air, and give me what I can only imagine is your version of a hug. Again, it melts my heart. I think daddy was jealous because you were only giving me kisses, but this morning you gave him a big wet one. His eyes got really big and he shot me a big smile as to say "see, he loves me, too!" LOL. Great, we are fighting over your kisses. Haha. No worries, he gets extra snuggles from your sister. She's certainly in love with her daddy!

I'm really enjoying you at this age. I know this snuggly sweet innocent baby stage will be gone before I know it so I'm really trying to take it all in. When Sophie was little like you, she wanted daddy more than me. You want me more than daddy. It feels great that when I walk in the room your face lights up. It feels wonderful that when you see me you crawl over to me as fast as you can. It is amazing that when daddy has you and you see me, you reach your arms out for me and fuss until I can get you. This morning I was holding you and daddy put his arms out to get you and you literally turned your body around and faced the other way so he couldn't get you. We both got a laugh out of that because it reminds us so much of what Sophie would do to me at your age (and still sometimes does now). It's not like Sophie didn't want me, she did. But if she had her choice she picked daddy. You pick me! I always thought that it was so sweet that Sophie loved daddy so much and it didn't bother me. I want her to love daddy like that - I want her to be "daddy's little girl." I guess it's true what they say about daddy-daughter and mommy-son relationships. You are such a momma's boy and I love it. I just adore you Tripp! I can't wait to see you this afternoon and get some more baby kisses from you! :-)

Quote of the Day

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.

- James Dean

It's cold!

Our heat is broken again. This is the second time in a month, not to mention the A/C was broken a few months ago. I wish there was a lemon law for HVAC units. I'm hoping after this problem Weiland will step up and give us a new unit. I'm sick of this. Tripp is still so young that we aren't supposed to have blankets in his bed with him. He was probably so cold last night. Sophie is another story. She has 4 blankets in her crib, not one of which stays on her! I work from home and I'm sitting in the family room just so I can sit by the fireplace. I'm trying to be productive, but it's hard working on a couch. Thankfully, the repairman is supposed to be here today with a new part that should fix the heater. Hopefully it won't cost us an arm and a leg!

My computer is dead. That is why I have not been able to post any pictures lately. The internal power supply broke. Gateway estimated that the part alone will cost around $500. $500? Really! If this one part costs that much, how do they sell the laptop for $700? I don't understand that at all. It doesn't really make sense to get the laptop fixed for that price. It will actually cost more when the shipping and labor is added in. This is so annoying. Good thing is that my hard drive should still be intact. A friend told me you can now buy a contraption that you place the hard drive in and then attach to your computer and it reads from the drive. Pretty cool. Bad thing is now I have to use a really old laptop that is probably slow as molasses in January (as my mom would say).

I have some great pics to post and stories to add to the blog. We went to Chattanooga to visit friends, NC mountains with some friends, the Pumpkin Patch and Amicalola Falls, and of course trick-or-treating. I need to hurry and document these things or I'll forget what we did and I won't be able to discuss the trips. As soon as I get the hard drive working, I'll update what's been going on.

Quote of the Day

The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.

- Vincent Lombardi

Five Things - John

Five Things I was Doing 10 Years Ago
1. Junior at West Georgia.
2. Working at The Sports Shoe in Douglasville.
3. Living in a house with 6 other guys. We had a huge house with an awesome pool!
4. Was driving a Honda Civic.
5. Having fun with my frat brothers.

Five Things on My To Do List Today:
1. Get some work done.
2. Grab some lunch
3. Do some research for a meeting tomorrow
4. Play with the kids (everyday).
5. Grill some chicken and eat some awesome red beans and rice.


Five Snacks I Enjoy:
1. Halloween Candy!
2. Cheese and crackers.
3. Pigs in a blanket (Tammie just made some the other day).
4. Imitation crab meat (Tammie loves when I eat that).
5. Ice cream.

Five Things I Would Do If I Were a Millionaire:
1. Help my and Tammie's families out.
2. Set up trusts for the kids.
3. Buy a new house and probably a few others around the world.
4. Donate to local and national charities (mostly for kids).
5. Travel around the world with the family.

Five Places I Have Lived:
1. Hollywood, FL
2. Atlanta, GA
3. Orlando, FL
4. Carollton, GA
5. Canton, GA

Five Jobs I Have Had:
1. Dishwasher at a country club.
2. Stock clerk at Publix.
3. Sporting goods store (sold sneakers).
4. Internship in college supporting computers and networks.
5. Systems engineer at Motorola.

More Teeth

Saturday morning I woke up to Tripp being extra fussy. You have to understand that when I say "fussy" and am speaking about Tripp and Sophie it might not necessarily be the kind of fussy you are imagining. People sometimes look at me like I am crazy when I say Tripp is being fussy, because compared to lots of other babies out there he's really not. It was the same with Sophie. Both babies are very content and always have been (except Sophie now that she is 2 ... but that's so another post!).

Believe what you want, but I'm being honest when I say Tripp is fussy sometimes. For him, a little squealing and antsiness is fussy. I can usually just tell by looking at him that something is wrong. He really wears his emotions on his sleeve and he shows visible signs of uncomfortableness when he doesn't feel well. He complains with a few yells and grunts, sometimes a cry here or there, but generally that's the extent of his fussiness. Well fussy is what Tripp was on Saturday - all day. He wouldn't nap at all, which didn't help matters any. Sunday morning he woke up pretty early and was still fussy. I eventually found the culprit, well beyond the initial culprit, his croup. He cut another tooth! This makes 6.

He finally is getting the matching tooth to his 1st tooth - the bottom center tooth. The new one is on his right. It also looks like he's going to be getting another 1 or 2 on the bottom any day. I think a few "symptoms", if you will, to his teething are red cheeks, earlier wake up times, no napping, and sticking just one finger in his mouth on the side the tooth is going to come in on. Tripp was definitely more fussy than last with this teething session, but I'm not sure that had to do with just the tooth. Little dude was sick with croup and teething. That's tough on a sweet little 8 month old. Poor little guy! Love you Tripp!

Five Things About Me

I've been tagged again by Veryll. I think this is a pretty cool "get to know me" thing. Thanks, Veryll!

Five Things I was Doing 10 Years Ago
1. graduated from UCF with my Bachelor's Degree
2. I was teaching a finance class at UCF as a Teaching Assistant
3. I was really skinny! :-)
4. adopted my beloved kitty, Daisy
5. had little to no resposiblities and loved every moment of it! I loved going clubbing!

Five Things on My To Do List Today:
1. clean the kitchen
2. watch Days of Our Lives
3. relax
4. update my blog with pictures from NC
5. make dinner
(ps - I'm not usually such a slacker. I have the day off! LOL Today is a bank holiday - it's Veteran's Day.)

Five Snacks I Enjoy:
1. oreos
2. apple slices
3. chili cheese fries
4. canteloupe
5. chocolate shake made with vanilla ice cream

Five Things I Would Do If I Were a Millionaire:
1. start an no-kill animal sanctuary for all the homeless pets out there.
2. pay off my parent's (and John's parent's) house
3. pay off all our debt
4. invest for the kids' future
5. take john to Europe - he's never been!!

Five Places I Have Lived:
1. Port Orange, FL
2. Gainesville, FL
3. Orlando, FL
4. Tampa, FL
5. Atlanta, GA (and Smyrna and Canton) :-)

Five Jobs I Have Had:
1. Score Keeper for the Rec Dept in Port Orange (I was like 14)
2. Cashier at Publix
3. Waitress at Sweetwater's
4. Teaching/Graduate Assistant in the Finance Department at UCF
5. Credit Analyst (SunTrust, Nexity, CoastalStates Bank)

I tag John, Ally, Stacey, and Tracie B.

Quote of the Day

Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.

- Abraham Lincoln

10 Things I Love

This is from my friend Ally. It's a difficult "assignment" to complete, especially since I was given the letter "J" and can only use that letter to describe 10 things I love. It's supposed to continue through friends, however I have a feeling it will stop with me. Most of my friends are on private online journal sites and have already done this, but I thought I'd put it in my blog anyway.

If you comment, I'll give you a letter; then you have to list ten things you LOVE that begin with that letter. Afterwards, post this in your journal or blog and give out some to your friends.

1. John - I'll list this general name just one time so as not to cheat. But I love "Johns", I really do, that's why I listed John as #1! I'll show you how much: I love my husband, my son, my dad, my brother, and even my father-in-law. Yep, you guessed it, they are all named "John." A little ridiculous, isn't it? Now you know why I bequeathed my son, John, with the name Tripp (for a III). LOL! Just too many "Johns" :-)

2. Jack Johnson - OMG how I love Jack Johnson! His music is amazing. His stance on the environment is fresh. They way he lives his life is peaceful. In fact, one of his songs inspired the new name of my blog.

3. July - I have a love hate relationship with July. I love it for the 4th of July, once my favorite holiday, but I hate it for the heat. Overall I love it more than I hate it so I'm including it.

4. Juice - As in "mommy juice." This is what Sophie calls my glass of red wine and I love it! :-) She is so smart - she came up with "mommy juice" all on her own.

5. Jamie - She is one of my dearest friends. I have known her for so many years. Since high school, maybe even middle school, I don't even remember. I was friends with her sister first, but became close to Jamie in college. She is funny, beautiful, smart, loyal, caring, and maybe one of the silliest people I know (that's a good thing!). She makes the perfect friend! She was in my wedding and I was supposed to be in hers, but I was 9 months pregnant and not allowed to travel. She lives in Florida and I miss her dearly. But through it all - the laughs, the distance, even the few and far between disagreements - we have remained the best of friends. I love her!

6. Jessica - Jessica who you might ask. Jessica Simpson. I don't love her, but I love her hair. My hair has potential to look as good as hers. It's definitely thick enough and has natural wave. Oh, if only I could have a professional stylist style my hair.

7. Jammies - Pjs are another word you might use in place of jammies. They are the first thing I put on when I get home at night because they are so comfortable. I don't always have matching jammies, but I call them jammies nonetheless.

8. Justice - You get what you deserve. I firmly believe that. I love when justice is served.

9. Jambalaya - Zatarain's Jambalaya to be exact! Yummy! With kielbasa only (beef kielbasa, of course). Add a little tomato sauce to the mix and it's delish! It's one of the few meat dishes I eat.

10.Journals - I have some great girlfriends out there that keep journals. I love journals because they help me keep up-to-date with these girls that I love dearly. Life is so busy for all of us and journals help us stay in touch. Look at this blog - point in case!

Quote of the Day

Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out.

- Michael Burke

Quote of the Day

The CFO at my company sends out a daily email with a quote of the day. I think this is pretty awesome! When is the last time you heard of a person in a high position at a company taking time out to inspire others? Sometimes these quotes are very intelligent, others are just common sense. I've decided to chronicle some of my favorites here in this blog in my very own version of Quote of the Day. Since I'm only posting my favorites, there probably won't be a quote every day. The first quote will follow.

Croup

The cough that comes out of the mouth of a baby that has croup is just crazy. It doesn't seem like a sound like that should come from a baby. I remember hearing about a barking cough that sounds like a seal, but I always thought that description was probably a little bit of an exaggeration. Nope! I have first hand experience with this barking cough, first when Sophie had croup and again now that Tripp has croup.

I have come to realize that I am the mom here. Not John, me! I gave birth to these babies and I know when they are sick and I'm always right when I say they have a fever. It's one of those "motherly instincts" you get when you have kids. You just know. So why I ask John to validate me when I think they are sick is beyond me. He never thinks they are sick, he always says they do not have a fever ... but this is the one time I am always right. Of course, I think I'm always right (and shhh... I usually am) but when it comes to sickies, fevers, and the kids, John will tell you I am always right! Seriously! Ask him if you don't believe me :-)

I say all of this because the other night Tripp's breathing got a little out of sorts. He was wheezing, coughing, barking like a seal, and he sounded like he was losing his voice. John, on the other hand, didn't see it like that. He thought Tripp had just gotten a little excited because I had some girlfriends over and they were holding him and playing with him. The symptoms came on very suddenly, so I can kind of see why he thought that. It all happened in a matter of an hour. I had taken him for a flu shot earlier in the day and other than a runny nose he was fine. We gave him a bath and he seemed fine, but all of a sudden he wasn't. I thought maybe he was having a reaction to the shot he had gotten earlier, but then I realized that these were not typical symptoms of shots and I didn't even think the flu shot had symptoms anyway. I became a little flustered because of the abnormal breathing and wanted to call the doctor, but I agreed to let John give Tripp his bottle and put him to sleep. If all went well we would just call the doctor in the morning if the symptoms were still lingering.

Morning came, symptoms were still here, I called the doctor and she told me to bring him in. Yep, I was right! I love saying that, just wish it wasn't when the kids are sick. Tripp had a severe cold that turned into croup. They said he was handling it pretty well, but that croup gets worse at night hence the breathing and barking that came on suddenly after bath time. The doctor prescribed a steroid for Tripp to help ease the swelling in his throat. He has been running a very low grade fever and until today seemed to be taking the sickness in stride. Today he was a little fussier than normal and definitely more tired although his cough seemed better. I hate seeing my little baby boy sick. He's so sweet and innocent and all he wants to do is crawl around after anything you don't want him to get. LOL Watching him try to be so active when he isn't feeling well is sad.

I have to add a disclaimer really quick - I am being a little silly about the "I'm right" part, but John read the top part of my post as I was writing it and laughed at it. He said it's so true! Sophie had a fever the other day of about 102. He had been carrying Sophie around just before I picked her up and didn't notice she was blazing hot on her face. I picked her up and as we were playing I happened to touch her cheek with mine. I immediately knew she had a fever. I pretty much had to force him to take her temperature. When he came downstairs after taking her temperature, he conceded. If only I could get John to admit I'm right about so.many.other things ... that would be perfect! :-)

I guess I have only one thing to say - don't mess with me when it comes to knowing when a kid is sick or has a fever! I have some kind of talent and I always know LOL :-)

Poopy in Potty

Can you guess what I am going to say? Yippee!! Sophie went poopy in the potty today! We are so proud of her and, more importantly, she is so impressed with herself!

This is a pretty impressive moment. We aren't really actively trying to potty train Sophie. As sad as it may be, we just haven't had a whole lot of time to dedicate to potty training. Plus, truth be told, the logistics of potty training just kind of freak me out. Like when you are traveling, where do you stop to let the kids potty (a gas station?)? What if they have to go multiple times, do you stop multiple times? If you do, how long does that extend your trip/driving time? Or when you are at Target and there is an emergency and you have both babies - what do you do? Yuck - public restrooms and germs! Ew! Just gross. I'll get over all that, I'm sure. LOL But for all those reasons, plus we have the little baby to worry about, we haven't really been trying to potty train her. That's not to say she's not trying to potty train herself. She's a smart one, I think that is what's going on!

Every day at school she sits on the potty when it's time for a diaper change. She never potties. She does come home from school saying "I pee pee (or poopy) in the potty mommy." I'm not sure if she thinks she is going in it or if she just says it because she has sat on the potty. Here at home I do sit her on the potty when I change her diaper or when she says she has to potty, but she never potties. Thing is, she knows when she has to go, at least the poopy part because she tells us she has to go and she usually tells us just before she actually goes. Not usually enough time for us to get her to the potty and she usually runs once we get up to take her, but she definitely knows when she has to go and we take her if we can get to her before she goes. I only say we aren't actively training her, because we don't ask her if she has to go and we are consistent about taking her unless she requests the potty.

So today I heard this conversation:

Sophie: "I have to go poopy in potty daddy."
John: "Ok, let's go potty."
John (yelling): "Hun, come here! Sophie's pooping! She pooped in the potty!"

I ran in there to see what all the excitement was about. There was John holding Sophie on the big potty and Sophie just smiling from ear to ear. We were clapping for her and telling her she did a great job. She kept saying "I poopy in potty Mommy." I never thought I'd be so excited about poop or a potty, but I was. So once she got off and we cleaned her, she looked in the toilet and said "Mommy! Look! Poopy in potty!" It was so funny. She just sat there and stared in the toilet saying "Look at poopy!" until we convinced her to flush the toilet. The excitement on her face was priceless! I probably should have taken a picture, but I thought this was kind of a private moment so I didn't :-)

I have always been told that it's tough teaching the poopy part of potty training, so for her first potty experience to be poopy it just seems so random. I'm just amazed that out of the blue Sophie just poopied in the potty. I hope it's not a fluke! I just thank God we've taught her to stop calling her girly parts a "birdie". I wish I knew who taught her that! LOL

History has been made!

This is a tremendous day for millions of Americans. Barack Obama overwhelmingly won the bid to become the 44th President of the United States. The electoral votes were something like 337 to 163 (I'll update this later). This is an amazing day. It's going to be weird saying President Obama instead of President Bush, but I'll get use to it! LOL

Obama has become the first African-American President of The United States. I think this is wonderful! I look forward to watching this country unite and embrace all races rather than to continue and divide between them. This opens so many doors for our children and probably our country in the eyes of the world. I've witnessed history and I like it! Think about it, Obama will be written about in history books all over the world. One day when my children are studying U.S. History I will be able to tell them I was part of this history! So cool! It's like my dad telling me he remembers exactly where he was and what happened when the country learned of JFK Jr.'s assassination. Not a happy part of history, but nonetheless a part of history. I've lived though some history making events - Princess Diana's passing, the Space Shuttle Challenger accident (which I watched outside at school with my very own two eyes), a few wars, September 11th - but as you can see none are happy days for America. This defining moment, is a happy day, a day to be celebrated!

As I said in my post below, it's hard to believe any man would want to take office in this environment. Obama has a tough, tough road ahead of him. He faces some very tough critics, an economy in a recession, people who want more for themselves and their countries, and international affairs that are very fragile. May God Bless him in his endeavours and keep him safe and our country safe while he fights for this country.

I like what Obama said in his speech last night. He said something along the lines of "For those of you that wondered if America was still the land of opportunity - here is your answer." Amazing! I love that he embraced this country and reminded people that America is still a place for all people and all people can still build and watch their dreams come true.

God Bless America and God Bless the new President of the United States of America - Barack Obama!

Presidential Election 2008

This is an extraordinary day! A day filled with events that I feel I should record for my children to read in the future. I can imagine that one day when they read this they'll be amazed that this day was a "first" in American history, a first that we lived through and participated in. I can imagine that when they are old enough to vote, the political dynamic will be so different, with women holding high positions and diversity of race in power. But, today, we do not and have not had that dynamic. However, at the end of this day, we are going to have a first in American history and it is so exciting to witness it. At that end of today, the United States of America will have either an African-American President or a woman as Vice President. Older generations probably never thought they would see the day that either of these victories would come true.

I voted today. I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin. I voted Republican. I wouldn't say I am a Republican, I just believed in the Republican Party in this election. I have voted Democratic in the past. In fact, if you take my views and align them with the politicians, I align with Hillary Clinton first followed closely by Barack Obama. However, I would not have voted for either in this election. I am sitting here watching the live election news coverage and realzing that my candidate is going to lose. This is a first. In every election I have participated in, my candidate has always won. We have the "Electoral College" that rules in this country and not popular vote. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win - right now Obama has 207 and McCain 138. Looks like the Democrats are going to take over. Why don't we count the popular vote? I don't understand that.

The Democratic slogan is "Change We Need." I agree, we need change, I'm just not sure it's Obama we need. I'm not sure it is McCain we needed either. In fact, I honestly feel there is probably somebody else out there that is better and more qualified than these two running now. But I digress. We are talking about the President of The United States of America here. I will support whoever wins. I will. We do need change and maybe, hopefully, Obama will bring positive change.

The thing about politicians is that they never give a straight answer. I tried to weed through what was important to me and vote based on that. At the end of the day, I felt like I couldn't trust Obama but I could trust McCain. I really wanted to vote for Obama, I like what he had to say, I like most of the change he wanted to bring about, I just wasn't sure he could get it done. He seemed a little overambitious, which isn't a bad thing by any means. But I wanted someone a little more realistic. We are in tough times here. Plus, Obama really has aligned himself with people that I wouldn't say are "good people." I feel like he isn't experienced enough and his international experience worries me. His wife has made less than stellar comments, comments that make me feel like she would not make a proper First Lady. I was embarrassed by some things she said. However, I do know that both are well-educated and are extremely smart and I trust can and will represent this Country well if elected. I just chose not to vote for them for many reasons, only a few which I listed.

McCain is proven and he fought for this country. He hasn't hidden anything, at least not to my knowledge. I don't agree with some of his life choices and I am not a fan per se of his wife, but she seems harmless. I just feel like he is the better choice with clear policies, or at least more clear than Obama, ideas that I think can be reached, and he has extensive experience which this country needs right now. I will say, however, that I don't think choosing Palin as his running mate was his best choice. Not by a long shot. It's awesome that she is a woman, but she's so conservative and her views are not aligned with mine. I don't think I could ever vote for somebody who would like to over turn the Roe v. Wade decision. Not that I support ProChoice, but I do think it's a woman's right to choose (in the early weeks of pregnancy) in certain incidences like rape or if the pregnancy is a threat to her life. She has a proven track record in Alaska, but that didn't sell me on whether or not she was ready to be President. It was scary thinking she could become President if McCain passed, but I was willing to bet on that not happening. I did consider not voting for McCain because of Palin. I wanted to vote for Obama, but like I said I just couldn't get there. I just didn't trust or believe he could get things done, at least the list of things he said he would. After watching all of the debates I decided on McCain.

Either way, I just want to reiterate what a historic day this is for our country. In the state of the economy we are in and the happenings all over the world, I'm not sure why a man would want to hold the position of President of The U.S. Ok, I know why, but it's a tough road ahead for whoever wins. God Bless both McCain and Obama for runnin. I'm proud to be an American and I am proud to support whichever candidate wins this election. We need change and hopefully the new candidate will bring that with him. The new candidate will bring something new, something historic - either the first African-American President or the first woman Vice President - but even more, hopefully he'll bring about a better economy, better health care, a better country. Hopefully we'll end tonight with a united country - one that is happy about witnessing this historic day!

Tripp at 8 months

Lots of new things going on this month. Tripp has learned to pull up, sit from a laying position, and crawl. He is so mobile now. As a matter-of-fact, he just will not sit still! He also moves his head back and forth like he is saying "no" and claps his hands. It's so incredibly cute!!

Before I get into the other things that Tripp is doing right now, I have to say that he really loves his sister. As in adores her. Each day I can see how much more he loves her. He laughs at her, stares at her, and just wants to be near her. If she comes over to play with him, he starts clapping and kicking his feet. Sometimes when we are driving in the car, they start what I call a "laughfest." Sophie will make a face at Tripp, he'll smile, she'll laugh (usually a fake laugh), he'll laugh, she laughs louder, he laughs louder ... you get it ... they just laugh at one another over and over and over again. Now that Tripp pays more attention to Sophie and she has decided that she enjoys entertaining him, car rides have become a little bit more bearable. Sophie - thank you for entertaining your brother in the car!

- Personality: Observant, antsy/always trying to move, smart, sweet, and when he wants to be, he is still a cuddler.
- Based on my home scale, Tripp still weighs 21 lbs.
- Wears 12 - 18 month clothing and some 12 month clothing, size 3 shoes, and size 4 diapers.
- Tripp really loves his mommy! :-) It's the best! If he sees me and I do not walk over to see him, he starts to cry. He's still a momma's boy. Yay!
- Eats breastmilk (4 to 5 nursing sessions/bottles per day)
- Eats solids - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Doing much better eating solids. Doesn't really have a favorite food. Even if he protests, he still eats pretty much anything we give him, including green veggies!
- Starting to do some self-feeding. Likes cheerios and biter biscuits. Had lima beans the other night and really seemed to enjoy them.
- Uses pincer grasp pretty well. Can pick small objects up with these two fingers (like cheerios).
- Reaches his arms in the air when he wants to be picked up.
- Sleeping well, generally 12 hours. Sleeps on his tummy with his tooshie in the air.
- Is really sweet when he wakes in the morning. Just talks to himself and rolls around in his crib. These days he is sitting up and sometimes trying to pull up. We had to lower his crib to the lowest setting a few days ago. He also likes to play with the video monitor transmitter that is sitting on the crib. Sometimes when I push the on button to see what Tripp is doing in the morning, his face is right up in the monitor and all I can see is eyes and a nose. Love it!
- Has 5 teeth. 4 on top, 1 on bottom. It does look like the other bottom center tooth will be coming in any day now.
- He's like a monkey. No joke. He uses his feet and legs to wrap around things. Makes us laugh.
- Still has an amazingly strong grip. Crazy strong!
- Doesn't nap well. Takes 2 - 45 minute naps if we are lucky. Morning nap is easier to get him down. Afternoon nap is hit or miss. If he falls asleep for even just 5 minutes in the car, he will not take his afternoon nap.
- Takes all of his baths with Sophie and they both love it! We had to start putting him in a bath seat because he was trying to stand up using the side of the tub and he was diving into the water and at the toys. Crazy in the bath! He did take his first shower yesterday.
- Talks much more now. He officially said "da da" although he didn't say it in terms of daddy. Has also uses the syllables "a"and "g".
- Extremely hard to change is diaper or dress him. He screams and cries and rolls around. He's freakishly strong and can actually straighten his arm out so that you can't put a shirt on him.
- After all this time, he still does not like the exersaucer, jumperoo, high chair, car seat, stroller, etc.
- Tripp is very ticklish. Specifically on his bum, inner thighs and neck. When he gets going with his laugh it sounds so funny, like he can't really get an entire laugh out. It's adorable.
- He loves banging things. Doesn't matter what toy it is, he picks it up and hits things with it.
- Loves to be outside.
- Likes to sit and ride on the little red and yellow push car we have outside.
- Gets upset if a toy is taken away from him and looks for an object that has been dropped.
- Likes peekaboo! This is neat because Sophie never seemed to like it.
- Tripp is not interested in books. In fact, reading a book before bed is not even in his bedtime routine. I try once or twice a week to incorporate reading, but he just isn't a fan.

Happy Anniversary!

I'm a day late with this post because we were out of town yesterday, but Happy 5th Anniversary honey! Love you :-)

Crawling

Tonight I watched Tripp crawl for the first time. Wow! I thought I might feel a little overwhelmed by it all when it happened, but instead I felt very excited. It was only a few movements forward, but it was definitely crawling.

John had just given Tripp and Sophie their baths and I had Tripp all wrapped up in his towel. I took him into his room like we do each night to give him his massage and put on his pjs. He hates the putting on of the pjs routine and tonight when I set him on the floor he immediately rolled over - I'm sure to stop me from putting them on. He's actually very hard to diaper and dress, but that's an entirely different post! As soon as he rolled over, he got on all 4s and went forward. He moved both knees forward - twice! He wanted that bottle of lotion so badly! LOL

So I don't know if all this means he's a "crawler", but it looks like he will be that any day. I swear over this past weekend, Monday to be exact, I saw him crawl. Nobody else saw it or really seemed to believe me so I'll still consider today the day he first crawled. After he did it first as I described above, I got John in the room and Trippp showed his new skill off to him as well. Awww, my sweet baby is going to be mobile any day now. These pictures aren't the best. They were taken Monday when I saw him crawl but nobody else did.

8 Months Old

Hey handsome little man. You are going to be 8 months old tomorrow. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: time is flying by! I can't believe you are already 8 months old. The picture I have posted is from our visit to Amicalola Falls yesterday. We went there after we went to the pumpkin patch at Burt's Farm. You went on your first hayride, saw your first waterfall, and played in your first pile of leaves. How exciting! You also sat up in your crib for the first time today. It's only a matter of time before you stand up in there. We are lowering the crib right when we get home from vacation! We are going to NC tomorrow, so that will also be a first for you. You also officially crawled backwards today. You are doing so much these days! You are one active little guy and are not happy when you are sitting around. Not happy at all! Happy 8 month birthday, baby!

7 random facts

I never participate in these types of emails or requests. Don't know why, I just don't. Most of my friends that have blogs or journals always post these things about themselves so I know many random things about them, which I love, but they don't know these things about me. I've been tagged by my good friend Veryll and requested to write 7 random facts about myself. So here goes!

1. I'm am totally obsessed with taking pictures! I'm not ashamed of it either. I'll make John and the kids sit through 100 pictures if I have to so that I get one really good picture. One day they'll thank me for the great pictures!

2. I ran my first 5K when I was 10 or 11 weeks pregnant with Tripp. I despised running, but I wanted to lose the last few pounds of baby weight that I gained when I was pregnant with Sophie. John and I ran together, which was a blessing to me because that is the only reason I kept up with running. He really motivated me (thank you honey!). John would keep pace with me, mo matter how slow I ran, and he would push Sophie in the jogger. I actually got to the point where I started to like running. That is when I signed up for the 5K. I ran for a solid 2 months and worked my way up to 3 miles just before the race. The weird thing was that I wasn't losing weight and I still had a little belly. Then ... then I found out I was pregnant again. Well, that explained why I hadn't lose weight and still had a pooch. Good times!

3. I don't know why, but John loves this little fact about me. Sometimes he teases me about it. I was a Safety Patrol in 6th grade. We monitored the halls and also acted as crossing guards at the front of neighborhoods near the school. So what, I was nerdy and followed the rules when I was in elementary school! I think my brother was one, too! Nothing to be ashamed of LOL!

4. My dream job would be as a professor in the business department of a top university. I taught 2 weekly breakout sessions for Finance 101 from the time I was a Junior at UCF until I moved to Tampa (so thru my first semester of my MBA). There were 30 or so students in each of my classes. I absolutely loved this job - my favorite job ever! I did really well and was actually rated the best Teaching Assistant (TA) and Graduate Assistant (GA) that UCF ever had. Pretty cool! Always thought I'd continue on and get my Ph.D., but those plans are by the wayside now that I have 2 little babies.

5. To celebrate my 25th birthday I went skydiving! It was AWESOME! What a thrill! If I remember correctly, I jumped from about 13,500 ft. Everyone should do it once.

6. The terms "social butterfly" and "motor mouth" have been used to describe me on more than one occasion. But, I'm not as social as people think! Attending large parties is not necessarily my idea of a night of fun. Surprised? Being the center of attention is cool - sometimes - but I can do without that these days. Concerts, movies, clubs, bars, crowds for that matter - fun - but been there, done that, and I'm ready for smaller gatherings and quiter nights out. More importantly, I hate talking on the phone for extended periods of time (or any time for that matter!). I'm really good at email though - do I get credit for that? Most of you know that by now. :-)

7. I don't eat a lot of meat and rarely do I eat meat in restaurants; however, some of my favorite foods are meat! Weird, I know. This little fact really throws friends off. My two favorite dishes are panang chicken (Thai) and filet mignon. Some people like to call me a "vegetarian," but I'm not. These days the PC term is "flexitarian." Got it? LOL Friends never know what to feed me when they have me over for dinner. Take note - I'm easy, baked potatoes are always good for me!

That's it! There are 7 random facts about me. I'm supposed to tag a friend so they can continue this. So here's to you, Tracie!

Stone Mountain

We had a great weekend. It was one of the first weekends in a long time that we were home together and able to spend time as a family. John was actually out of town for a few days, but flew in Friday late morning. Sophie was so happy to see him! Of course, Tripp and I were also. It's tough when he's gone. Not just for me, but for the kids also - well Sophie mostly. Every morning she wakes up and goes through a list of things. If I get her in the morning, the list usually goes something like this: "Hi mommy! Hi mommy" ...."I want to see Twippy" ... if she's lost her paci she says, "Mommy, paci, right der" ....then "I want eat cerweal" and then "Daddy! I want to see Daddy!" She's a motor-mouth in the morning! When John's out of town I have to try to explain that he's not here. She runs to our room to check to see if he's there. Once downstairs, she runs to the office to check. She finally gives up and stops looking, but it breaks my heart to see her searching so hard for her daddy to no avail. Needless-to-say, she's completely thrilled when she gets to see him. It's that daddy-daughter thing, I'm sure!

So anyway, part of the reason we had such a nice weekend was that Johnny, Lori, and Lola (my brother and his family) were here visiting from Florida. The last time we saw them was at Tripp and Lola's baptisms in May. Typically that much time does not pass without us visiting Florida, but Tripp is such a pistol in the car ... by that I mean a lot of screaming, yelling, and crying ... so we haven't been brave enough to try another road trip to Florida. We haven't flown because we have to pay for Sophie's ticket now that she is 2. It was so good to see sweet Lola (you, too, Johnny & Lori) :-). Lola is my niece and is cute as ever. She'll be 2 in February. Sophie is only 5 months older than Lola. I imagine that they would be best buddies if we lived closer. That's the sad part. We see each other so rarely that I'm not sure Lola really remembers us. I hope to change that soon!

We all went to Stone Mountain for the Pumpkin Festival along with one of my brother's best friend and his family (Mike, Nicole, and Lilly). We had a great time. We took the kids on their first train ride and they all loved it. The train ride ran into nap time for all the kids and Lilly & Lola actually fell asleep on the train. It was precious. Sophie had such a blast. She was so excited and her facial expressions said it all. I think these are the moments that parents love - just seeing their kids so innocent and truly happy. It was like Christmas Day for Sophie and she was just riding a train. I loved it! I loved watching her smile and gasp with excitement. She's such a little sweetie (with a mind of her own these days). When we got off the train she said "Bye bye twain, bye bye." She's been asking to go back on the train each day, too. Tripp also had a good time and smiled a lot, but by the end of the ride he too was sleepy.

Once the train ride ended everybody except us headed home to put the kids to sleep. We, or should I say I, wanted to make sure we got to see the pumpkin patch. You would think for $25 a pop and a park theme called "Pumpkin Festival" that the pumpkin patch would be a grand event. Nope. Nadda. No. There were like 20 pumpkins. It was weird. Really, hardly any pumpkins and they were just kinda pushed off to the side of the walkway (see pictures below). They did give out "mini" pumpkins to the kids for free and had a little painting station set up for them to paint their pumpkins so that was nice. Sophie picked her pumpkin to take to school and one for Tripp as well. Oh yeah, there wasn't even a hayride. Apparently this was the first year with no hayride. Just my luck! I will say, though, that the train ride made the day and was worth the money. I just wish we could have stayed longer and taken the kids to the laser show.

I'm going to follow this post with another post to include pictures of my brother, Lori and Lola. I'm so glad we all got to share this trip together!

Great family picture of us on the train. Thanks, Lori!

This was Sophie's first train ride. She was ready for the train to start moving!

Tripp is ready, too! Hold on!


Train is moving. Sophie & Daddy are enjoying the ride.

Tripp is just such a cutie. Love him! Look closely, you can see some of his teeth.

I just love this picture.

Tripp & Mommy posing for a picture by the huge fake pumpkin. Stone Mountain is in the background. That's kinda cool!

Hmmm .... which pumpkin should I choose? Or is she thinking "Hmmm... mommy has the camera. How much longer can I avoid her?" This is also a cool picture because you can see Stone Mountain and the carving of the Generals in the background.

I'll take this pumpkin ... and then I'll eat the dirt! Seriously, he was more interested in the pinestraw and dirt.


Sophie picking out a mini pumpkin for her and Tripp to take to school.


So sweet! We were walking back to the car.

2 babies, 2 standing

Tripp has hit another milestone - he is standing! He first stood on 10/16/08, so he was 7.5 months. I can't even believe it. It seems like he is doing things sooner than Sophie did, probably because I don't want him to do them! I'm sure crawling will be next. He's been getting on all fours and rocking back and forth. Sometimes he moves backwards a few steps and then sits. Sometimes he lunges forward and then falls. Most of the time he reaches as far as he can, sits back into position, and somehow scoots and turns himself in different directions. I hope he takes his time with crawling. I'm not ready for a crawler or a walker. I can't imagine this household with that much action!

Here are the pictures in sequential order of Tripp standing. I got the camera late, after he stood for the first time. He stood first, fell, and stood again. He was so proud of himself. His mommy and daddy are proud of him, too! His face just lit up. It was neat to watch. One thing I can say about Tripp is that he is a determined little guy. Determined and feisty!

First time standing

So proud of himself

Oops! He fell down
Trying again

Look at this face. Truly determined!

Pulling himself up

And he's up again!

He's a pro now. Standing and playing.

So happy, so proud of himself. What a sweet little boy!

Letters to Catherine

I sent an email to family and friends yesterday asking for prayers for a little baby girl named Catherine. In case somebody reads this blog but did not get the email, I'm posting the email below. I'm praying for this little baby. She's definitely a miracle and I really feel God is right there with her, he'll get her through, and he'll answer all our prayers for this sweet baby!

https://www.letterstocatherine.blogspots.com

"hi - i'm sending you this email to ask you to pray for this family. i don't know them personally, but someone sent me the link to this blog and i've been following it pretty regularly. the blog is public and the parents feel blessed to have so many visitors to the blog, so don't feel like you are invading their space. i think this family needs our prayers and they have mentioned how thankful they are to all the people who are praying for them, most of whom they don't know. Sophie and i pray for this little baby Catherine nightly and i hope you will each do the same even though you don't know the family either. i'm requesting that our church pray for baby Catherine as well.

this story is very touching to me. i feel so blessed, words cannot even described how blessed, to have two healthy babies. i can't imagine what it must feel like to go through a pregnancy wondering if your baby will live and then once she is here wondering if she'll make it. these are young parents, much like many of us, so i know that you will understand where i am coming from. i hope and pray daily that their little girl will make it. i just feel very deeply about it. i feel like i'm witnessing a miracle every time she takes a step forward, because apparently the drs. didn't even think that baby Catherine would live once she was born. i think at one point or another, we've all needed prayers said for us, so if you can find it in your heart, please say a prayer for baby Catherine. i really do think she needs all the prayers she can get. also, please forward this to anyone else that you think might be willing to say a prayer for this baby and her family. thank you so much!

love, tammie"

Good job, Honey!

I just have to give a shout out to John really quick. He was awarded "TA of the Quarter" last night at his division's quarterly meeting. I'm so proud of him.

John truly is an asset to Motorola. I have never seen one person work so hard while never complaining - he's truly a team player. John is always being asked to join in meetings he wouldn't normally attend, or give a presentation he created to other divisions, or help with a technical aspect of another team's deal. Basically, John is the "go to" guy because he's so dependable, smart, and he knows his stuff. I'm so proud of him! Oh, and the bonus he "won" wasn't bad either.

Good job honey! I'm so proud of you. You are amazing!

First Family Hike

John and I took the kids on our first family hike last Friday. We had a great time! At first Sophie was a little hesitant to walk by herself, but after the first 0.5 mile of me carrying her she finally warmed up to the idea of walking. Thank goodness! My legs were starting to hurt. LOL

We went to Red Top Mountain in Kennesaw. We picked this particular location because we were looking for something free to do while staying outside because the weather was beautiful. I remembered someone telling me that this park had great trails. We just wanted to find something where we could push Tripp in the stroller, because we don't have the gear to actually hike with him in a pack. This park has a 0.75 mile loop that is paved that meanders through a semi-wooded area and alongside Lake Allatoona.

I really enjoyed this day. We haven't had a nice, relaxing family day like this in a long time. Makes me very thankful for family time, much needed family time! John had the day off, I think, or maybe it was just lack of cell coverage, but either way we didn't have any cell phones ringing or emails bothering us.

Although Tripp does not like the stroller, he seemed to enjoy the nice ride outside. Sophie was amazed at all the water around her. She had a good time running from us down the trail as we yelled, "wait, Sophie! don't fall down the hill" LOL She's crazy and the way she runs is just too precious. You'd just have to see it to appreciate it. Trust me! :-) We packed a picnic and found a nice spot in an open field overlooking the lake. Now that I think about it, this was also our first family picnic. Neat! A nice old couple walked by while we were eating. They were old, but they were newlyweds! The love between those two was really an inspiration, it was just radiating off them. Might sound cheesy, but it's true! Anyway, they were sweet enough to offer to take a picture of us, which was perfect because it's the only family picture we have from this day.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!




Boys will be boys - eating dirt. Yummy! LOL


Sophie running far, far way from us ... and surprisingly fast!


Sophie climbed her first tree! Ok, not really, but still ... she looks really cute up in the tree, doesn't she? A bit apprehensive, but she was having fun. I promise!


Such a beautiful, peaceful place. Nature at its best!