14 Weeks

 This big boy has had a rough week, or maybe just his parents.  This week Jett Boy decided he didn't need to sleep through the night and that 12 and 1 and 3 would be awesome times to spend time with his parents.  

 He weighs 14 lbs. 7 oz.

He is quickly outgrowing his 3 month clothing.

He is finishing up the last of his size one diapers and will begin his first pack of size 2 diapers by the weekend.  He wears a size 2 at night.

He rolls over every time Sadie wants him to.

He is almost a hip baby, he loves to be sitting up and even tries to stand up if he is holding your hands to sit up.  

This face tickles me and melts my heart at the same time.  

Double Decker A Year Later

A year ago I was walking the Double Decker 5k with my friend Kim and that Saturday was ending a pretty terrible week.  Earlier in that semester I had begun a fitness regime of eating right and walking, I even titled it 40 days of Fitness, but the week leading up to the Double Decker 5k was an odd week.  For the purpose of documenting this beautiful life, I am going to blog about this week, about God's goodness, and his grace to his faithful.  The weekend before Double Decker at the prompting of a friend I took a pregnancy test...and I saw a faint line.  Monday and Tuesday of that week I was still unbelieving and was dealing with an awful cold and still faint positive lines.  On Wednesday I was determined to get better and get to the bottom of the possible baby news, so I went to Student Health, since I was a full time student.  They did a blood test to check my white blood count and I asked them to check my HCG level just to make sure I was in fact not pregnant.  And my friend's sweet mom, said Oh YES, I definitely was.  I was reeling with emotion and couldn't think of how I would break the news to Cullen.  So I did, and he was surprised and shocked and happy...and the next day I started spotting and our baby news was not so good news.  I was determined that I would not mourn or slow down, I would be okay.  And so on Friday after the senior picnic I had helped to organize, I went to interview for the job I now have, with the administrators I now work with.  And the entire time they were asking me questions I was fighting back tears, and I was thankful for a cold where I could claim watery eyes and a hoarse voice as the cause.  That night I went home and cried and went to bed early, and the next morning I woke up determined to be okay and determined to walk the Double Decker.

I did, and a year later I walked that same race.  The weather was not as nice as the year before, but the company was so nice, and my mind was not racing like last year with fear of infertility or issues or emotions. This year I walked with two friends who kept me laughing the entire time.  We laughed because Mrs. Babb moved at a snail's pace 'cause as she said, "I've been sick you know?"

We cut the race short after the 400 pound people passed us, and the police car nipped at our heels and finally at our prompting passed us.

 No, we weren't racing with the most physically fit, we weren't racing for a purpose, we raced for fun.  It didn't take too long after we detoured to make sure we had our race bibs concealed and we were on to shopping for shoe deals and art for ourselves. 

 A Year Later I left Double Decker with a determination to make it home to my bouncing baby boy before his nap time.  Our God is good.  His plan is perfect and his timing is precisely what we need when we need it.  

Turtle

Text From My Mother

I won't try to explain her issue from Walmart on the previous text. But mid day Friday I get this and burst into laughter. I must say that I LOVE that song and when I looked I had 3 country classics on my iPod from the late, great Mr. Jones.

13 Weeks

 He is getting BIG.  He weighed in this week at 13 lbs. 14 oz.  He is getting to be more and more fun every day.  This weeks big accomplishment was trying to sit up from a laying down position in someone's lap.  

Twins

Leslie and I had full intentions to walk this week, but when we saw these babies together we had to host a mini photo shoot.  Sarah Cullen happened to have this little outfit that matched Jett's, so I handed it over to Lily James and they look like twins.

They are a month apart but Jett is only about 2 ounces lighter that Lily James, he is about an inch taller I would say.  They are changing so much.

Let Him

 Let him sleep for when he wakes...

He will move mountains.

Surrounded

This little fella is surrounded by love and adoration by his two precious grandmothers.

Polka Dot Process

I got a wild hair to attempt a Polka Dot Cake.  Of course I got the idea from Pinterest and I thought I had to make one, just to see if I could do it.  Once I saw the cake pop pan on clearance at my favorite store, T.J.Maxx, it was as good as done.

Here is my sad attempt a tutorial on the process.  You will need two cake white cake mixes.  Make one cake mix and divide half of it into several bowls.  Add coloring to the bowls of batter and blend.

 Using my new cake pan, I sprayed them generously with Pam, both top and bottom and the outside top, too.  Fill the bottom pan to a little more than full.

 Bake for about three minutes less than advised on the pan.  Take them out and you will notice they have a little ridge around the middle.  Use kitchen shears and cut that off.  Place in a nice row to photography cutely.

 Place the remaining half of the batter divided into three 8 inch pans.  Put the cake balls in the pans and then make the second cake mix.  Once well blended pour it over the three cake pans.

 Bake them in the oven until they bounce back in the middle.

 Then I tried this super easy ombre icing technique, along with this really easy decorating technique.

The surprise of the polka dots, made me giddy.  It was super easy, like easy enough I made another one this same day.  Enjoy

Timeless

I tried one of Cullen's outfits on Jett yesterday.  I wanted to make sure before he outgrew it, he got to wear it at least once.  Jett has several Feltman outfits, people gave him, and he actually has one extremely similar to this one, but this one is 30 years old and was given to Cullen by Mamaw.

He is quite the little cut up and I'm sure followed these faces with cooing and bubble blowing.  The model is precious and the outfit is timeless.

3 months

Our big boy is three months old.  He is getting to be so much fun. Each week he surprises us with new things.  He is such a charmer.  He can grin and it will melt my heart.  He is talking a cooing all the time now.  He loves his Daddy.  This week he moved his paci from his right hand to his left. He weighs 13.7 lbs.  He is spending more time in his Bumbo.  His Mamaw is working with him on pulling up to a sitting position with her hands.  He still loves his bouncy chair and will sit in it for 20 minutes before getting restless.  His sleeping is varied, and he alternates nights of sleeping from 9-1:30, to 9-3:30.  Most short nights are the ones I have, and his longer nights are usually falling on Cullen's shift- go figure.  Bath time is a fun time, and we ask ourselves where our screaming baby went.  We of course think it would be awesome if someone would warm our towel for us, before exiting the bath, like we do Jett.  

Field Trip

There are parts of teaching that I miss, parts I thought I would NEVER miss.  I could not wait for the day I was able to eat lunch with adults and not 20 students.  I daily miss sitting with my class, talking to students and getting know them a little better.  I don't miss field trips on a daily basis, but I do miss them from time to time.  We had a teacher out on the day of the first grade field trip, so I was able to go as an assistant teacher.  I have made no attempt to cover up my love my assistant teacher, Mrs. Bridget, I even posted a few years back that I cried wanting her to come back from an extended leave, because I missed her so much, she is my friend not just a teaching partner.  So to say she made my life easier is an under statement.  With the knowledge of everything she did to make my life easier on field trip day I set out to be the best I could be.  

 I found a backpack in the Homeless Closet at school to carry my supplies, garbage bag, candy to bribe students, water bottles, snacks, extras, germ x, and the like.  I was ready.  I broke a sweat before we loaded the bus.

 I'm lucky enough to work with my cousin, Anna, and she knows I love her because at 10:30 the night before the trip I was still awake making shirts for us and her teaching partners.

And because I love my child, I lugged my trusty cooler with me on the bus.  If only I kept a log of all the wonderful places I have to hide out to pump or nurse him.
The field trip was to Hernando to a farm.  It was a beautiful location and the weather held off so we enjoyed an overcast morning.  The students were great and well behaved. I have had my fix on field trips for a while and hopefully can wait until next year to do it again.  I slept like a baby that night and thankfully so did Baby Boy.

Baby Girl turned 4

 Ellie's birthday wish was to go eat at Chuck E Cheese's.  So on her actual birthday they celebrated there.  I happened to be in Jackson for a work conference and was able to go visit them.  It was my first time ever in a Chuck E. Cheese.

 Note Ellie's silly face.  NO she doesn't actually have cross eyes just a four year old being silly.

 On Saturday of the same week, she had her first real party, with friends invited in addition to family.  It was at Pump It Up in Jackson, another first for me.  Jett and my mom made the trip with me to be with the birthday girl.

 Everyone had to get a picture on the inflatable throne.

 Ellie wanted a princess cake, so she got one. 

She had a great time and there were tons of kids.  The gift exchange, made my nerves a complete wreck.  They would jump up each time she would open a gift.  Ellie would stop to tell them, "Everyone, sit down.  Everyone please sit down." And surprisingly they would sit.  Then the next gift would be handed to her and like jumping beans they would bounce right back up.

It was so worth the flying trip to be with her.  I loved seeing her around children her own age.  She and her best friend, Reagan, were like 14 year olds, as they ate, chatted, and played.  I can not believe Baby Girl is 4.