19lbs 26 inches-WOW!

Yup you heard me right! Seth and I took Elem in for his 4 month check up last Friday to get the unfortunate 4 month shots and got the big weigh in! Elem seriously weighed in at 19 lbs!!!!!!! and he is 26 inches long! So the breakdown is that he is in the 95% for weight, 75% for length, and his little head is in the 45%! So I guess what I am saying is at least he didnt measure in with a big head, right?

But what is even weirder, is that one of my BFFs -Brittney, I know you are readin this, but her little girl weighed 19lbs at 1 year!!! I am like holy cow, my baby is gonna be a giant child! Anyways, I am just glad he is healthy and happy. The doc said he was perfect and everything looked great. He said since he is breastfeeding, you cant really over feed a breast fed baby. But he did suggest that we introduce some oatmeal cereal to possibly help out with his constipation. (Elem sorry to write that if you are ever reading this one day) but its true, he has only been pooping like every 4-5 days, so he said that would help. So we tried it out!

Mommy givin the first taste of the oatmeal cereal....


Mmmm, mmmm good!


I wanna do it myself yo!


I have a nice grainy cereal face


All gone. Like a good boy


haha. I guess you could say it went pretty smooth. I had to lay him down and play some of his music toys for him to get distracted and actually eat the dang food. But overall it was successful!

Other than that the poor little man got 4 shots in his legs-two in each, and an oral vaccine! Gosh why do they have to give them so many at once!!! He ran fever all night -it was actually like the worst fever he has ever had. We staid up all last friday night and he still had fever on till Sunday. My poor baby. It was soo pitiful! AND he still has a knot on his left leg where they gave him one of the shots! Its like the nurse shoved that thing in there way too hard! :(:(

But he is good now, and all vaccinated up. Sage got her shots last weekend too! haha. So the whole fam is good to go! He is crying so I gotta go!

hard days work

man, I feel like I have kinda been avoiding writing about my job, but I think it will make me feel a little better if I just go ahead and jot down a few things on life at the shelter. First things first, I love my job. I really really do. I mean I am touching the lives of so many people by being there and providing their kids with a safe and consistent learning environment! But my goodness, I do not know how some people have been blessed with children. As aweful as that sounds. I am for real.

For example, the other day I was at work till like 7pm waiting with these two little 2 year old brother and sister for their mom to come and get them. Yes we close at 5. And the crazy thing is, she never showed up. And she LIVES at the shleter. So then I left them with the supervisor of the shelter cause I was like I have a family I want to see my baby. So I go home and am on the phone with DHS and the police until about 9:45pm. Finally, DHS shows up and takes the kids, but what do they do? Go and pick up the mom from work and bring them right back to the shelter. Her whole thing was that she thought that someone else was watching them. How in the WORLD do you not know where your kids are??>? She didnt even know they were there!

I guess I am just spoiled in the fact that I love love love kids and love my family even more. It jst breaks my heart to see some of these kids just getting the run around. Some of their parents dont care anything about them. Now please dont get me wrong. Some really do and are doing everything they can just to make their lives better for their little ones. But it takes all I have not to bring all these babies home!

Anyways, there is some venting. On a good note, I gave a presentation to the board on Monday and it went fab! They loved everything that we are doing in the daycare and with the afterschool program. I finally got a weekly menu up, a weekly curriculum-this week we did body parts!-and a parent info board, lots and lots of pics of the kids and so much more! And did I mention that the kids are learning sooo much! It is almost crazy what a little routine and a lot of love will do for a 2 or 3 year old!

Elem has been going too! he is coming in with every day around 9am and stays about 2 hours till his poppa comes to get him. That way he is learning to be around other people and not just wanting me! Well he actually is kinda going through this phase where if I am around, he just wants me, (and selfishly I kinda love it) but he needs to learn that other people love him too. And that its okay to go to them! He is doing great though and tomorrow Ill post some pics of him at school playing and all. He even did that art work the other day that I posted, which I am so proud of! haha.

Well he just woke up from his nap so I gots to go get him. Cant let the little fella cry too long, cause it is just pitiful!!! Peas-

Stroller days are here again

Yes! It has FINALLY cooled down enough here in good old Arkansas to take my little dog and Elem on a walk around the neighborhood again! It has been crazy hot here, and since it is so freaking humid, and there is usually no hpe of catching a little breeze, the fam has had to avoid the outdoors pretty much completely for the last few weeks. Which sucks, because Elem and Sage both love being outdoors! And so do me and Seth, but seriously, it has been like when you walk outside the door, you immediatley start sweating. No fun. And definitly no fun for baby.

But now, that it is officially fall, -the stroller days are here again!


Like I said, Elem LOVES being outside, and goodness knows I need to be taking some walks around the the block to get some exercise. :)

SO after we got home on Thursday, me, sage, and elem went for a little stroll! It was so much fun and I decided to take some pics. In case I havent mentioned it before, Elem has THE best stroller ever! Thanks to B for filling me in on what a great stroller it was, I registered for the same one when I found out I was pregnant! And of course good ole moms hooked me up with it for the BEST baby gift ever!

Its the Chico one. I think that is how you spell it. But Elem loves it and totally doesnt flip out from being strapped in or anything, and it has really good shocks on it so those on board get a nice smoothe ride, if you will. :) haha.

Again, there are lots of the same kind of pic, but dang they are so cute. And it almost looks like he is posin for some. So enjoy!

Hey mom, you ready to go?


Yay! Its stroller time! I'm a happy baby!


So many pictures, so little time. Lets go!


Ohhhhh. you see those birdies? They are my favorite!


Hey, you not a birdie...you a mommy...


hehehe! Lets blow bubbles till we go.


I said lets blow bubbles till we go! yo! I wuvs you mommy.


okay okay, enuf! gimme the camera and lets get to walkin!


we had such a great time and I cant wait to go again today. lets hope it doesnt rain. I gotta run. The little man is up and daddy needs to play Madden he says. haha. Guess Im on duty till the football games start today! Ill try and post another here in a few to update you all on his doc appointment.

More friend bloggers!

Yay I do have time for one more shorty! I just want to say that I am sooo happy that more of my friends are starting to blog! My friend Kylie said it best in her blog-her very new blog I might add-that our friends are literally moving farher and farther away! Its like all the peeps I was best friends with just a few years ago have drifted on to bigger and better! Which is fabulous! But I feel like I am missing out on all their lives! So I am so happy to say that some old friends have busted out with some new blogs that are so great! I love reading up on their fam and daily happenings and seeing pics . It makes me feel like I am actually there to keep up with their life.

Its so weird, its like blogging is somewhat addictive. My own little online diary, where I get to brag about my family and Elem and everything and anything that comes to mind, and no one cares! Everyone is just happy to see whats going on! So to my new blogging friends-thank you and I cant wait to keep up with your daily updates! And to those who have not yet started a blog, you totally should do it! Stephy-my sis-mom-anyone! I would love to be able to just plop down at the computer and see what you have been up to by just reading your thoughts in a matter of minutes! Okay love you all!

Elem and his first artwork at school!

I am totally going to try and squeeze in a little blog before Elem gets up from his 30 minuute evening power nap. As most of you know Elem has started going to work with me every day now. We get there around 9am, unless I have to go in early, which means we get there at 7am, and his Poppa picks him up around 11am. So for now, he is just getting "broken in" to the daycare scene. Which I am totally happy that he doesnt have to stay all day, because the few days that he has had to stay pretty much the whole day, has just worn him out. Stressed him out. And just made for an over all hard day for the little dude. Which means it makes for a hard day for me too!

But today, he did sooo good! And he actually did his very first artwork at school! I was so proud that I had to take some pics! I know I know-I am a little too picturecrazy, but geez it is soo cute, I was just dying to put it on here! So as you will see below, he is very talented:):) hehe.

First of all here is his little bed at daycare!



ANd then here is his name on his bed! Very cool I know.


Da da da da! Ta da: His very first art work!


And up close of the foot prints just to ensure you see how well he did!


Can you believe it?? SO perfect! I am so excited. I can not wait to start collecting all the things he is going to be doing over the next few years! I can already tell I am going to be one of those moms who save every single thing he does! But why not. Its sooo awesome to look back and see this sort of stuff. I totally remember having this massive art folder every year in elementary that I kept all my art work in. And seriously, I remember that I was very fond of rainbows and always drawing them and painting them, and being sure to put those little clouds at the each end! You know what I am talking about? haha. Anyways, I am so excited to start gathering all this stuff. Hopefully, the fridge will begin to be covered with his fabulous artwork very soon. I am like a nut about the kids doing two projects a day so it is time for Elem to get right in there too! So we will see. Okay gotta run for now. Peas-

Nap time play by play-as told by mom

Am I alone, or are kids just not the cutest when they are waking up from their nap? Its like they are so peaceful when they are sleeping and then as they are waking up they are even more sweet. Although Elem has his moments these days if he wakes up and cant see anything or wakes up too fast or something. For the most part he is just too sweet for words when he wakes up. So I caught every few minutes of it on camera. It is adorable. Look at this sweet little baby boy!

And please be sure to check out his outfit. No those are not baby leggings -although he does have some. Those black things on his legs are what his poppa sent him home in one day cause he said he was cold! so I left them on and just thought it was so sweet. Anyways, this is how the nap time went the other day.

i go to pick him up from grammy and poppas and he is oh so sleepy. So we go home at about 6pm, he eats, and then he drifts off into sleepy time. I must warn you, you are about to see like 20 of pretty much the same pic, but there just werent any that I wanted to leave out!

Oh so peaceful, sleepy baby on the couch.


rollin' around cause I think I want to get up.


Oh I feel happy cause I gots good sleep


Good, the tv is still on, i need to see sumthin'


hi mommy, what you doin?


I had a good nap, mommy


oh, whats that? i heard sumthin?


Well could you feed me? i think i might be hungry...


O I see Sage, shhh


I still sleepy


You still takin pics huh? here is a smile


okay I think thats enough yo!


MEgots my froggy


Peace out!

Blogging on a Friday night

haha yes its true, to all our friends and party-ers out there, I am spending my Friday night with the fam and blogging! But it is some much needed me time so I think it time well spent! Since my last blog so much has happened! First of all, we went on our first road trip with Elem last weekend! All the way to memphis. Hung out with my mom and dad and my sis and her hubby! It was soo much fun. We thought for Elem's first road trip we would go somewhere not too far and stay just a day. Which turned out to be just enough. It is insane traveling with a 4 month old if no one has ever told you that before! We had to pack so much freaking stuff! You know just like a zillion diapers, cause you never know exactly how many you are going to need. And then like too many outfits, cause again you never know what might happen. And blankets, bibs, everything! But like I said, it was so much fun and he got to sleep in his crib that my mom had all fixed up for him -which was actually mine and my sisters old baby crib! And it is super cute. I wish I would have gotten a pic of it! But I forgot. Anyways, so he had a nice place to nap and sleep-for some of the night, but for the rest of the night he slept with us. Which of course I always love.

And then to top it off, my sis who just found out that she is about 10 weeks pregnant got to just love love love on the baby and so did her hubby. I think he was a little nervous at first to hold him maybe, but he did good! i can not freaking wait till they have their baby. It will be like the complete opposite of Elem-teeny tiny petite and white! haha.

Here is my sis and mom with Elem having breakfast



Elem getting some special love from his Aunt Becky


And a little more


How cute!


It was a great weekend and it went by a little too fast! Its crazy how fast the weekend goes when you drive somewhere you know? Hopefully we can go back more often once Elem gets to be a little bigger! For now, I think his traveling days will be kept to a minimum due to the severity of the screams on the way back! Have you ever sat in the back seat next to an infant screaming at the top of his lungs for about 20 minutes at one time? You should try it, it will change your thoughts on just running a quick errand or getting out of town for the weekend real fast!

I have lots more to post that I will try and do by the end of the day! Love youall.

FINAL nursery pics

Okay so kinda weird that I am JUST now posting the final pics of what the nursery looks like. But it has just now finally come together. It seems like until now, there was always like one or two more things that I needed to get, or hang or something. So I wanted to share the final pics with you so everyone could see for themselves! I am so excited because I absolutly LOVE our nursery! It could not be any more perfect for Elem! Lets hope when he gets a little older he lokes it too! But I think he will. Anyways, enough talk-check it out for yourself! Let me know what you think!

Here is the shot from when you walk in through the door. Kinda he overview of the room!


This is the little curtain over the only window in the room. It really brings the both sides of the room together and ties it all in!


The bed on the right side of the room.


My mom made all the bedding and the curtain so it makes it even more special and we picked out the designs on the walls so I love that too! Its our very own design and not something that we bought from a store you know? And it totally shows me and seths personality coming through bright and shiny! haha! If you know us you can tell!

Changing table on the left side of the room-on the circle side if you will!


The curtain again, this is a little bit better pic!


The dresser to the left of the window! I loves this little corner! We just added the pics on the wall. One of Elem swimming and then one of the fam swimming!


Here it is up close.


The wall to the right of the window. In case you cant tell, I spelled out his name with the blocks and his birth date too! :) And then those little frames on the top are his foot print and hand print from when he was almost one month!


One more of the bed-kinda crooked! Sorry!


And then the little baskets I got the other day to keep his toys in! I love these too! makes the toys not seem like they are cluttering so much! :)



I think that about does it! I know there are a lot of pics, but I wanted to show what every little bit looked like. Its actually a pretty small room, which is why I wanted it to be very neat an organized so it wouldnt look all junky. I know most kids rooms have so much stuff everywhere that they always just end up looking really junky to me and I totally didnt want that. I really wanted it to be soothing and calm for Elem and everything to have its place! And for now it does! I am sure it will begin to get cluttered up, but for now! It is sooo lovely! Okay gotta run!

4 months old!

Wow Elem is actually 4 months old! The time has gone by so fast I can not even believe that I am saying that! He is such a big boy and I fell like just yesterday I was bringing him home from the hospital! I have noticed even over the last two weeks or so a calmer disposition in our little man, although he is going through this constipation phase which is making everything a little bit more difficult. I am sure that is the very last thing that he would ever want me to write about, but seriously its like over the last month he has been soooo constipated. And only going to the bathroom like every 4-5 days. So we have had to give Elem like 3 suppositories already! So sorry Elem if you are reading this later on!

But seriously, when your baby doesnt go to the bathroom on a regular basis, they are liek a different kid! he isnt as happy or as calm or anything! But for now, I wanted to document al his milestones like I have been doing every month to ensure that I am documenting everytihng !

So here goes it-at 4 months Elem is:

-totally aware of his surroundings-likes to watch what people and things are doing for extended periods of time
-recognizes familiar voices-like mine and seths and turns when you begin to talk to him
-LOVES to play in his exersaucer and look at the toys in front of him
-notices and likes the flashes on TV
-reaches for any object in front of him
-grabs items in front of him with both hands and can actually pick it up and hold on to it
-likes to lay on his back and watch things going on aroudn him
-can lay on his stomach on the floor and push up on arms and elbows
-holds head up steadlily with no problem
-can hold bottle when feeding pretty well
-humms or "talks" all the time- especially when you humm to him. he likes to do it with you
-loves to look at the computer or phones-likes the bright lights
-laughs and smiles when he is happy
-loves when you blow bubbles on his cheeks and will actually laugh at you
-likes to make bubbles and blow at any time with his lips
-smiles when he ses people he recognizes
-stays up for the majority of the day ad only takes about 2 naps during the day-1 long one
-somestimes sleeps from 10pm - 5 am
-is content with a toy in the car or at home -plays by himslef
-is wearing 3-6 month clothes-more 6 months clothes
-notices hand when moving it in front of his face
-opens and closes hand with ease-does not keep fists clinched like previous months
-enjoys car rides for the most part
-goes to sleep while breastfeeding, but will go to sleep on on, if made to cry it out only after about 3-7 minutes
-can sit and be content in a chair or on a lap in a restaurant


Okay so there are tons more things, which I will probably add tomorrow but that is all I can think of tonight! How about all that stuff!!! Can you believe it? Our little baby is getting so big! I will add some more pics tomorrow ehen I actually have some time to sit and do it! But for now, the little guy is doing awesome and is just now drifting off to sl;eep/ he staid up super late tonight! Love you all! Peas-
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How bout' them HOGS?

Thats right peeps, it is that time of year again. Time to get out yout hog gear and call those HOGS! In true fashion we were sure to get Elem started off right this year seeing as Saturday was the first Hogs game of 2007 and Elem's first Hog Game ever! So we got him all dressed up and went to Seths parents to meet his fam for a little first timers' hog celebration with the cous-little C! If you are from Arkansas you know we are all true fans and supportin' the HOGS is a big deal around here. So I think Elem will be happy to see how he and Celilia spent their very first Hog game day ever!

This is Cecilia, Elem's big cousin!Even though she is three months older, he still seems to be bigger!


Elem on Grammy gettin ready to PARTY! A little drool as usual.


They love each other!


Cecilia getting her first razorback!!!


And Elem checkin out his first razorback!


Okay now here you can see where I overdo it just a little. Yes I wanted a photo shoot, I mean why not right? So I did set up a nice little area, to which we laid out this fabulous Razorback quilt that this lady Joy from Elem's grammy's work made for him! It has his name and birthday on it and everything. Now talk about a perfect gift! He can take that to his first game. Actually he can take it to all the games! hehehe. But for now it is making for the perfect backdrop!

Okay kiddos now lets sit together and have a nice razorback photo! Elem hold that pose! He likes the piggies.


Cecilia is growing a little annoyed of my idea here! As you can tell. But she is tryin.


The little man -again, just happy to be here. he must know it was going to be a win for the hogs! :)


And then kickin it with Uncle Dustin. Elem loves him too!


Seriously, okay so the game didnt actually even come on tv. Which sucked. but it was on the radio so we were sure to hear it. I can not wait toill they kids get bigger and we can take them to the games and they can run around before hand and play outside in a tent that we set up while people tailgate. It will be so much fun. Everyone around hee is such big hog fans I think it is inevitable that they will be cheering ASAP. Maybe it will be in the first group of words, huh? You never know.

But Ill leave you with this pic, how much cuter does it get than this...a couple of cous's chattin bout them hogs on game day. Now that is to die for!


Ill try and do another post from this weekend tomorrow! We went to memphis and had tons of fun! It was a short pic but at least we got to go! It was Elem's first trip out of state! ha! So Ill see what I can get uploaded. But until then-we love you all!