hiatus

I plan on drinking up every last drop of time with my little man this weekend. I'm going to miss him so much next week.

This face lights up my heart.

Unless something monumental happens {and I'm ever so hopeful it won't}, I'll catch you next week!

restriction

I didn't think we'd have to do this for many, many years. This morning we had to take the cell phone away from Reese. Lofton and I were awakened very early this morning to a little voice over the monitor saying "Hello!" and "Goodbye", as Reese opened and shut the phone repeatedly.

I'm not sure who he was trying to call. Maybe his Daddy Buck. He's the only person I know coherent enough to have a conversation at five in the morning.

Lofton laughed and said that it's ironic we will be having this EXACT same problem fifteen years from now. So true.

(New post below)

shopping spree

We outgrow clothes at warp speed in this house. Sometimes Reese only wears something once or twice before it's too small. With at least two more months of warm weather upon us, new clothes were a necessity. I've enjoyed dressing him up in fancy clothes this summer, but that's not going to work when he goes back to school full time.

It's IMPOSSIBLE to find school clothes around these parts, so yesterday the three of us headed to Columbus, Georgia. I wasn't sure if it was worth the trip, but my sweet friend Laura (mama to the cutest twins ever) had recently gone and assured me I would find some stuff.

And find some "stuff" we did. I loaded down Reese with enough clothes to make it through the summer months and enough stuff to make it through the fall and winter too. It was OUT OF CONTROL. All the summer clothes at Carter's were on clearance for $5.99 plus an additional 20% off. The fall clothes were on sale, too. Shirts were six dollars and was more than 12. I was in heaven.

I'm shallow enough to admit that I like little man to look cute even when he's at school. Super cute. I also HATE laundry, so it is imperative we can make through at least a week without me washing clothes.

And because no blog is complete without a picture of my baby. Feast your eye's on this little man, who is gnawing on a lego and thrashing his head around growling. Where did he get this personality? Surely not from me. He is going to be quite the toddler if he keeps this up!

Only a few more days of summer left. Feel sorry for me this week, okay?

nine (and 3/4) month check-up

We finally made it around to going for our nine month check-up. There aren't any shots with this visit so I wasn't in a big hurry to go. I really didn't plan on taking him at all, but I had some questions about food and bathroom issues.
The vital stats:

Weight: 25 pounds, 10 ounces
Height: 31 inches
Head: 19 3/4 inches around

I thought for sure his weight and growth had slowed down. Clearly I'm delusional. This train isn't stopping anytime soon.

Dr. Greer gently admonished me for not switching him to regular formula like he told me to do three months ago. He said we really need to introduce lactose into Reese's system BEFORE we make the switch to whole milk. Or else.

Gas. Bloating. Lack of Sleep. Let's just say the picture he painted didn't sound pretty. I believe his exact words were, "How many college freshman do you think still drink Similac?"

I get it, Doc. Anyway, our bathroom issues are probably tied to the lack of lactose in his system. So maybe we can kill two birds with one stone here, if not, we will soon find out.

Also on the bill, a discussion about food. I have made the leap to only feeding Reese "people" food. I guess the technical term is "table" food. For the last two weeks we have been baby food free. He eats peaches, pears, applesauce, sweet potatoes, green beans, yogurt, cheese, bread, zucchini, squash, chicken, hamburger meat, shredded pork, and pretty much anything else I give him. Other than bananas-- we seem to be doing great with the transition.

And speaking of transition. The big elephant in the room around our house has been the rapid end to summer. I start back to work in a little more than a week. I'm not doing well.

I cried for a while last night. And again today when I went to meet Reese's new teachers at school. We have the double whammy of him going back to school AND moving into a new room.

To be perfectly honest, I'm just not good with change.

Lofton feigned support last night. He just doesn't get it. "What if you had never had these two months off," he asked, "Do you think it would be easier?" I don't know, Mr. insensitive-to-my-feelings. He goes on to say if that's the case, maybe next summer I can just get a job, so we don't have to go through these feelings again.

Thanks, husband. I appreciate the thought. Maybe you should keep them to yourself.

We are off to Columbus tomorrow in hopes of finding clothes for this beast of a child. Wish us luck!

wishing wells

I wish on pennies and stars. I pray nightly. I believe in miracles. And for the past few months I have hoped upon hope for all of my prayers and wishes to come true.


This is my dad. You may have seen him around here before.

Not only is he a great father and grandfather, but he is an amazing teacher as well. A third grade teacher to be precise. {Are you seeing a trend?}

The year before last, his school closed. Not because it did anything wrong. They were just a little fish in a big political pond and the cards didn't fall their way. My dad made a rash decision and took a teaching job at a school in the same hood {literally}. It has been a hard year. As a teacher myself, I know the importance of having friendly colleagues and a supportive administration. My dad had neither.

We have agonized over the right path for him to take. Move to middle school? Change professions? Suffer?

But finally, FINALLY our prayers have been answered. His former principal {the one from the school that closed} is at a different school across town. She called yesterday and offered him a job teaching third grade. He met with her this morning and enthusiastically accepted.

Thank you, Lord. We are so blessed!

ouchies

We had our first accident today. Well, our first accident with visible injury. {Our REAL first accident was two weeks ago when I let him flip forward out of the chair in his room. I was trying to take pictures for the blog:)}

We were busy, busy this morning getting dressed, making the bed, and straightening the house. Reese was doing his usual thing-- crawling around our room, pulling up on any and everything, when he had a little tumble. Face first. Into my dresser. And the drawer was cracked.

Ouchie for baby. Guilt for Mama.

I tried my hardest to convince him he was fine, but the swell above his left eye convinced him otherwise. A little ice in a washcloth dulled the redness and pain, but a faint bruise {and knot} is still visible. It is probably the first in a long line of ouchies if this boy is anything like his daddy.

What else could make us feel better but a lunch date and shopping trip with Lofton's Aunt Linda. She came from Montgomery to take the three of us {Reese and I, plus Lofton} to lunch. Then she, Reese, and I went to do a little shopping. She got Reese some adorably cute outfits for school. He is going to be such a stud.

We had a fantastic time, and once again, I neglected to take pictures! Little man stayed awake for the whole trip, flirting shamelessly with all the sales ladies. He promptly crashed for a nap when we got home. Aunt Linda and Uncle Dick are headed to Ohio tomorrow for a little vacation and we hope they have safe travels!

sunshine and swings

The weather was amazing this weekend. Cool in the mornings and perfectly warm in the afternoons. We spent an ample amount of time porch dwelling.

We had great company. My parents.

Maybe I'm biased. But they take great care of us.

They are generous with their weekend time {and gas money}, and they bring gifts.

Books! A whole container full of old children's books. Most were mine, some were Jackson's, and a few actually belonged to my dad when he was a little boy. It warmed my heart to go through them and brought back so many childhood memories.

They also brought toys. Reese has a new favorite!

Little man eats up their attention when they're here.

He loves Daddy Buck's music.

But, we are always pitifully sad when they leave. Come back soon, okay?

vertical maneuvers

Uh-oh. We are in trouble.

Hide the toys, put up the dogs, move the furniture and the plants. Our baby boy has a new trick up his sleeve.

Yesterday he needed my knee to perform, last night and this morning, not so much. We spent forty five minutes practicing this morning, before exhaustion set in and one of us needed a nap.

I'm excited, but I'm nervous. Am I ready for this???

Look I can stand up all by myself!

And I get really excited because my mama and daddy start squealing and clapping!

And then I fall over and get really mad!

man's best friend

I took these one day last week. Reese loves his canine companions. Good thing. They are not my favorite children these days. Dog hair+fleas+crawling baby= not so much fun.

Luckily, Reese is oblivious to their flaws. He likes to crawl up next to them and snuggle when he gets sleepy. Too cute.

happy

As I mentioned last week, I bought Reese a swing at Walmart. Sweet husband installed it on the front porch yesterday. Somebody is in love!





Coincidentally, Reese's shirt says, "Loving Life." He clearly is.

hard times, rising prices

We had to go to Kroger this morning. It was an ill-timed trip, too close to Reese's nap, and I needed too many things that were not "usual" shopping items. I set us up for failure.

Let me confess; I love to go to the grocery. I organize my list by aisle and I shop in an organized manner- once a week. Lofton and I are having Rich and Ashley over tomorrow, so to save myself from having to go back to the store on Monday, I decided to do all my shopping this morning. Huge mistake.

I had to buy stuff for next week, stuff for tomorrow, and I'm making crock-pot Mongolian Beef for dinner with homemade egg rolls. Bottom line: I needed LOTS of stuff.

If you know me, you know I like to grocery shop early in the mornings so I can avoid seeing anyone I know. I don't like idle chit chat when I'm trying to get stuff done. I am easily annoyed.

Obstacle number one this morning occurs as I'm trying to buy some rolls. A few men are re-arranging the display and discussing when school starts this year. August 8th? 6th? They aren't sure. One of the men catches my eye. I smile politely and he jumps right on in to my business.

Aren't you a teacher at Northside? My daughter went there. When does school start?

{Great I think. Do I know you? Have you heard bad things about me?} Yes sir, I am. I believe school starts on the 10th of August this year.

He then wants to tell me about his daughter that was in fifth grade last year, who really struggled in school, and now wants to be home schooled. He hates the middle school and thinks 8th graders should be kept far, far away from 6th graders.

Okay. I just want some rolls. Not a convo on the state of Opelika City Schools.

Incident number two was major. We have been in the store for almost an hour. Reese is rubbing his eyes and growling at me around his pacifier. Classic signs that he is T-I-R-E-D. There is ONE check out line open, the line is at least six people deep.

We wait patiently, me making the best funny faces and noises I can muster to keep Reese entertained. Finally, it's our turn! Normally, I am vigilant about watching the groceries being scanned. You'd be surprised at how many mistakes people make. Today, I was a little occupied with my sleepy son.

Imagine my surprise when the lady told me me total was $240. WHAT?!?!?!? I quickly scanned the receipt and realized she had charged me for 71 bunches of celery at a cost of $132. Even worse, she didn't know how to fix her mistake. It took another ten minutes of number punching, calling for managers, and rescanning my card.

Unbelievable. And totally something that would only happen to me.

Happy Friday!

Nine Months

I am officially the mom of a nine month old. It's crazy.

A year ago this week we had our 4D ultrasound. We saw his sweet little face, his balled up fists, and his adorable button nose. Of all the pictures, these look most like our Reese, even one year later.

Seeing his face we were filled with such anticipation. Who would this little boy be? So many of those questions are being answered as we enter this new phase of his life.

I have said this so many times {so yawn if you wish} but this new phase of parenthood is so different. Reese is moving and learning and testing the boundaries of his world. It is fun and frustrating all at the same time.

I would love to be able to carry him around, protect him from falling and bruising that pretty face, but it's impossible. He is a man on the move. In the blink of an eye he can be standing up on the couch or pulling open a drawer. We are in full baby proof mode.

I love to dissect Reese's personality and think about which of his traits come from Lofton and which come from me. He is easily frustrated and easily irritated {like me}, but curious and flirtatious like his daddy. To illustrate what a perfect mix of us he is; Reese sleeps on his belly with his butt in the air {like me}, BUT with his arms above his head and his feet crossed {like Lofton}.

My favorite part of the day is getting Reese out of the crib in the morning. When he looks at me with his sleepy grin and lifts those long arms, I melt.

Happy 3/4 of a year, little man! I'm so blessed to be your Mama.

Nancy Drew

In my younger days, I wanted to be an FBI agent. I read a lot of books about serial killers and crime solving, and thus decided the FBI was a perfect fit. We even looked into a training camp in Virginia that high school kids could attend. There were a few flaws in my plan, though. Number one, I hate guns. Shooting one sends me in to a full blown anxiety attack. Number two, I scare easily.

Just one more career axed off the list of possibilities. Other’s? A marine biologist {I don’t like animals and I REALLY don’t like getting my face wet.} and pediatrician {Not such a fan of blood and I’m not so great at math and science.}

I digress.

Although my FBI career didn’t pan out, my desire to be a detective has not waned. I am quite clever and sneaky, and Lofton likes to boast that I can find anything on the internet.

That brings me to today.

Bright and early this morning, Reese and I headed out to our neighborhood Wal-Mart. {I know, I know, I hate Wal-Mart. BUT school supply season is upon us.} Driving down Opelika Road, we approached the light at Hardee’s {if you are familiar with the area this will help your mental picture}.

As I sat at the light, a Builder’s First Source truck turned onto the access road that leads to the restaurant. That’s odd, I thought. Surely Hardee’s isn’t receiving a delivery from the store.

The light turned green and Reese and I headed on our merry way. Wal-Mart was a bit of a disappointment. All of the school supplies were not yet out. Instead I bought a swing for Reese, some peanut butter cookie Luna bars, printer ink, and some Baby Mum Mum’s.

When we left Wal-Mart and headed home, I happened to notice the BFS truck was still at Hardee’s. Seriously?!?

What’s a girl to do? Call her husband, of course.

“Honey,” I asked, “Do y’all make deliveries to fast food establishments.”

“No Elizabeth, we don’t.” {He sounded very busy and not at all interested in my games.}

“Okay, because one of your trucks has been at Hardee’s for at least thirty minutes.”

Long story short... that driver is no longer an employee of Builder’s First Source. Do I feel guilty someone lost their job? Maybe a little. But I also feel like Lofton spends so many hours of his time cleaning up other people’s messes. He works harder than anyone I know, and when other people don’t do their jobs, he has to do them. That’s time away from my family, which is my priority.

Super sleuth, I am. I even offered to drive around tomorrow and see if I could catch other people wasting time on the clock. Just call me Nancy Drew.

missing

I've lost my words, they just won't flow. I'm trying to work on a nine month post... it's coming soon.

Until then, will you help me?

I'm missing my baby.

I looked across the table last night and saw this little boy--

He most definitely does NOT look like my baby.

Tear, sniffle.

kitchen aide

Fourth of July

Home.

Semi-unpacked? Check. Cleaned the house? Check. Washed the dogs and the baby? Check.

We got back around lunch today. It took us a little less than six hours to get home-- about the same as it took going. Today's return trip was much more successful because I rode in the backseat to keep little man entertained and did not get a migraine (which I did get on the way down, yuck).

We had a great time at my aunt and uncle's house. Reese was thoroughly amused by everyone. Lofton and I are at a loss now that we are here by ourselves.

I won't bore you with details of our trip. There was a lot of food, a lot of laughing, and some fireworks thrown in for good measure. The in-the-street-potentially-could-lose-a-hand-kind. Reese missed them. That early curfew is rough.

So what did we do for three days?

Read some books. This one is a favorite. Danny Duck is yellow and fuzzy.

Made some funny faces. Banana? Still not a fan.

Met a new friend.

Jeremy came to meet Reese. We have been friends since birth. We went to dinner with he and his sweet girlfriend, Emily, while my mom/aunt watched Reese.

Chillaxin at the pool.

The Fourth of July stud. How much do you love the hat?

the part

Last week Lofton and I were talking about Reese's hair. It's wild and most of the time totally out of control. I try to brush it right when he gets out of the tub. That's the only chance i have on taming the faux-hawk.

I had gotten his hair brushed and was reading him a story when Lofton came in with his bottle. He gives us a funny look and says that something is wrong with Reese's hair. I can't tell that there is anything wrong so I asked for clarification.

Lofton tells me Reese's hair is parted on the wrong side. No it isn't, I tell him. Reese's hair parts on the left. That's not right Lofton says, his hair {Lofton's} parts on the left, therefore all hair parts on the left. What?!?!

Every one's hair, Lofton? Really?

My husband is a nut.

Sweet baby boy, with his crazy hair, snoozing in our bed this morning.