Weekend Recap

Last weekend we had a slow relaxing 2 days and actually got bored. Not this weekend! My Mom arrived Friday, and we stayed busy. My Dad went out of town hunting, so I convinced her to come visit us!

Robbie and I went out to dinner with 2 other couples and had so much fun having adult conversation with our friends. {It was also nice not to have to pay a babysitter :) } We went to our local country club and even dressed up a little bit.

Saturday Robbie got up at the crack of dawn to go duck hunting, and I could NOT go back to sleep. This combined with the wine from the night before gave a slow start to the day. My Mom and I played with Hawkins all morning and then went shopping in Tallahassee while Robbie babysat in the afternoon. It is so much easier to shop without getting a baby in and out of the car.

We went to several cute little shops in the Market Square, but Talbots was my favorite. It is so nice to be able to fit into regular clothes again! I got the cutest dress and skirt. I will show pictures in my next post. It gave me the biggest energy boost to look good in new clothes and makes me want to work harder to be fit!

Saturday afternoon we went to a little girl's 3rd birthday party. The theme was princess and everything was decorated so cute. There were alot of older children there and Hawkins loved watching the "big kids". One little boy (who was about 8 years old) LOVED Hawkins and kept trying to kick the ball with him and show him how to play on the swing set. It was adorable.

You would not believe how hot it was. It is almost October! October is supposed to mean sweaters, pumpkins, hayrides, and maybe even a fire - not 90 degree temperatures. Man, I am ready for some cool weather.

Robbie went duck hunting again Sunday morning and we had a super lazy day. My Mom and I stayed in our pajamas until lunchtime! We visited with a friend in the afternoon and then Robbie and I went to an event at our country club. It was a auction for Tall Timbers, which is a non-profit organization in Tallahassee.

This is what I love about Thomasville. A nice group of young and older people gathered on a Sunday night to have drinks and dinner and help a great organization. There was a silent and live auction and they had great items to bid on - paintings, hunting trips, vacations, guns, etc. Robbie had his eye on a hunting trip to Ted Turner's ranch in Montana, but he got way outbid!

It was a busy but fun weekend. My Mom left today :( We are looking forward to having a low key night tonight and getting in bed early!

Mid-week randoms

-We have stuck with the one nap a day routine all week. Hawkins has been going down between 11:30 and 12 and only sleeping an hour and 15 minutes. Grrrrrr. That is not enough rest for this energetic little boy!

-I have gotten advice from other Moms that this new routine takes time and he will eventually learn to sleep for a long stretch in the afternoon.

-He starts to melt down around 4:30 or 5 with no afternoon nap. I have tried to keep this under control by planning things for us to do every morning (to keep him awake) and every afternoon (to keep him entertained).

-We have done pretty well so far, but I wonder if I am doing the right thing! Is he really ready for one nap?? He was not even taking an afternoon nap at all, so I do think he is ready. (I would put him in his crib but he would just play around for a hour and never fall asleep)

-Hawkins has been doing GREAT at school. He fusses when I drop him off, but by the time I pass his window going out the hallway he is playing. His teachers say he is doing better and better and barely cries at all during the morning. I wish he went more than 2 days a week!

-I am super busy baking cheesestraws. A local lady asked me to do the gift bags for a wedding in October and she ordered ALOT of cheesestraws!!! I am pumped about the opportunity and the publicity - this is supposed to be the THE wedding in Thomasville of the year. Jenna Bush is coming!

-My super sweet husband dropped Hawkins off at school this morning and I stayed home and baked CS. It was so nice not to waste 30 minutes taking him to school. I got so much accomplished - 2 makings of CS, laundry, shower, prep for dinner, etc etc.

-I ordered a new pair of jeans from the Gap and I LOVE them. I just can't fit my new Mom hips into my old Seven jeans. I have worked out all I can and my body is just shaped differently after being pregnant. I could not stomach buying new designer jeans and then I read a blog that mentioned Gap jeans. I decided to give them a try when I got a 30% email from Gap. They came in the mail last week and I am in love. They are high enough that I can play on the floor with Hawkins and not show any skin, but not too high that they are Mom jeans. They are on the shelf waiting on cool weather!

-I started this post this morning and am now finishing it as Hawkins passes his 2 hour nap mark - YAY!!! Go Hawkins!

Nap time

Hawkins decided last week that he is ready for one nap a day. I had heard it would just "happen" around 15-18 months, but H is ready at 14 months. Last Monday was the last day he slept in the afternoon. The rest of the week he would sleep for a long time (1.5 to 2 hours) mid-morning and then would refuse an afternoon nap. I have been moving back his morning nap to 10:30 or 11am and that leaves no room for another nap.

Today we went even further, and I fed him lunch at 11am and then put him down at 11:30am. I am praying that helps him sleep a REALLY long time to have a full belly :)

I have never seen a child with this much energy. He keeps changing and seems so much older. He wasn't even acting tired at 11:30 today! He woke up before 7am and we played and played at home. Thank goodness he has school 2 days a week, because he got really bored here. We had been in every room in the house and played with every toy by 9am. We would have gone to the Y, but I was making cheesestraws. (which is very difficult to do with a roaming toddler!)

He has also taken an interest in being outside. I am so thankful it is getting slightly cooler now, because that is nearly impossible in Thomasville summer heat. We spent alot of time outside this weekend with Daddy. He got a red wagon for his birthday and loves to ride around in it. He cried for it whenever we go through the garage.

Any ideas for other outside toys? I am thinking a water table or a small slide...

I am not sure how I feel about one nap...I miss some quiet time in both morning and afternoon, but if he will sleep for awhile then I know I will enjoy one good long nap too. Let's hope we don't have to do sleep training for this one. He should be worn out!

Hawkins loves bathtime!

UGA game

On our way home from Cashiers we stopped in Athens for Hawkins first UGA game! This was kind of a list minute decision, so I panicked trying to track down an outfit for him. Luckily a cute store in Athens, Heerys Too, had just gotten in this bubble on Friday!

My Mom and I drove down Saturday morning and met my Dad and Robbie there. My Mom's best friend from college lives in Athens, so we have always had a place to stay :) We had lunch at her house and then started tailgating! My Mom picked us up and dropped us off, so that was very convenient. Driving in Athens can be a nightmare on gameday!

Hawkins met a bulldog at our first tailgate:

We ran into Hawkins' girlfriend, Miller Anne! They had a super fun tailgate (in the shade), so we hung out there for awhile.

This was my first game in 2 years! Athens is a very special place for me, and I forgot how much fun it is. I always knew I wanted to attend UGA and didn't even have a back up choice for college. Lucky for me it was easier to get in back then and they let me sneak through admissions. I pledged ADPi in 2000 and started making memories and best friends that I still have today. It is so much fun to share that with Robbie and now Hawkins!

Hawkins was tuckered out after his first day of tailgating! Sweet baby :)

Labor Day Trip

Hawkins and I headed north to Cashiers, NC with my Mom for Labor Day weekend and stayed the whole week! My sister was there for the long weekend and we had so much fun! She left on Monday and that's when the rain came in. The weather was really nasty for 3 days, but we didn't mind.

We lost power in the middle of the night, and I freaked out. I realized that is the first time the power has gone out since Hawkins was born! I was worried his milk would spoil in the fridge and how would I cook his grilled cheese? LUCKILY I had a noisemaker that had batteries and I opened his door and snuck it in the room before he woke up. Is it terrible that he has had a noisemaker since day 1 and he would wake up if he didn't have it?? I sleep with one too, so I don't think it's too bad. *note to parents: always have one with batteries!

It was sooo much cooler than it was in June when we last visited. I wore cardigans and closed toed shoes, and it got me super excited for fall weather!

I would get up in the morning before Hawkins and enjoy a cup of coffee on the porch in complete silence. It was glorious. The view is unbelievable, and it is just so quiet. Mothers just don't get much quiet. Robbie usually gets Hawkins out of his crib the second he wakes up, but this vacationing Mother left him in his crib until 7:30 every morning. Don't worry - he wasn't crying. That sweet baby would wake up and just play around until I went and got him.

These pictures were all taken with the camera on my phone, but they are still stinkin cute.

Mommy and Hawkins having lunch

55 degree weather!

Going for a walk

Out to lunch again at our favorite - Cornucopia

Hawkins first time playing on a playground! They have the nicest, cleanest playground in Cashiers and Hawkins had a BLAST. It wore me out more than him, but really was fun for both of us.

Hawkins in his new Patagonia vest - such a big boy!

This is Hawkins on the way home from Athens totally pooped from the long weekend!

A Day in the Life

Erin over at Blye-Eyed Bride wrote "a day in the life" post, and it prompted me to do the same. I love schedules and will love to look back and see what we were doing at one year old.

Here is a typical day in the life of Hawkins:

7am

Hawkins wakes up

He really wakes anywhere from 6:30-7:30am, but we never get him out of the crib before 7, unless he is crying of course.

Robbie or I take him a sippy cup of whole milk, and he drinks it while standing in his crib with sippy in one hand and blankie in the other. Recently he has wanted to hang out in his crib after he wakes up. We can't leave the room or he would cry, but we just stand there and talk to him. This works out great, because once he is out he is distracted by toys and will not drink his milk.

7:30am

Robbie takes H in the bathroom with him while he showers and dresses for work.

I use this time to check my email, get the kitchen ready for breakfast, unload the dishwasher, start laundry, etc. I utilize every second!

7:45am

Robbie leaves for work, and we are on our own!

8am

Breakfast

H usually eats a blueberry waffle, a smashed banana with diced peaches and rice cereal. Breakfast is his best meal of the day!

I have an english muffin with cream cheese.

8:30am

Two days a week Hawkins goes to school, and one day a week we go to the YMCA for my Zumba class. The other 2 days we stay home and I make cheesestraws. We are busy in the mornings!

10:30am

Snack, milk and nap

Hawkins has some cheerios or puffs and a half sippy of milk - we read a book and he goes to sleep

I use this time shower, get dressed, laundry, clean, check email, blog, etc etc etc

12pm

Lunch

Hawkins has a grilled cheese, yogurt and some type of veggie and maybe some baby food mixed together.

We either play or run errands until his next nap. If we are out and he is in his car seat for awhile then his nap is later b/c he has not gotten any energy out. I have never seen a human with as much energy as this child! I wear myself out trying to wear him out so he will sleep.

2:30 or 3pm

Afternoon nap

I give him a snack and some milk and we read a story.

This is iffy. Some days he will sleep for an hour and some days he won't sleep at all.

I give him a little milk in a sippy when he wakes up, and he drinks it in his crib (with me right there). He has a light up fish thing in his crib and he LOVES to turn it on and play for a few minutes after his nap.

I try to get out of the house after this nap. We go to Zumba a couple of afternoons a week or we will get out to Publix.

5:30pm

Hawkins' dinner

His meal varies, but often includes sweet potato or rice cereal, yogurt, tator tots, chicken nuggets, and a veggie.

Robbie gets home in between 6 and 7pm, and I prepare our dinner while he plays with Hawkins.

6:45pm

Robbie gives Hawkins a bath while I cook and clean up all the toys.

7:15pm

One of us gives Hawkins his nighttime bottle (this is his only bottle of the day) and he goes to bed!

Then we eat our dinner, clean up and have the rest of the night to relax!

Jcrew

I have not bought "real" clothes in 2 years. Maybe a few dresses or tops from Target here and there, but nothing fun or trendy for this girl since I found out I was pregnant in November 2009.

I am pretty excited about fall clothes! I went to Jcrew armed with gift cards and a coupon and scored some pretty cute stuff.

First: the Minni pant. My sister and Mom have had a pair since last season, but I refused to buy pants until I lost some weight. FINALLY I am in a size I am not embarrassed about, so I bought them in black.

I am thinking about red too? Maybe.

The sales lady picked out this top for me, and I didn't even want to try it on. I did anyway and LOVE it. I would have never picked it out for myself, but it is a great color and the ruffle is flattering. This will be perfect for all the "dressy casual" events held in Thomasville.

I am strictly a Tory Burch shoes girl, but I could not take my eyes (or my feet) off of these babies. I have only worn heels once or twice since having Hawkins, so I think a nice wedge will be good for me.

What are you buying this fall?

13 months

This post might be confusing because Hawkins is 13 months old, and I am talking about his 13 month accomplishments...but the sign in his pictures says 12 months. Well, I took these pictures at 12.5 months and really wanted to have them to complete his one year photos I have done in his white chair with the sign. I have already done his 12 month bog post, so I decided to include them in his 13 month post :)

Ok. 13 months. You are STILL growing and changing every day. It is truly amazing. I never thought it would get better, but you keep getting more fun!

You are walking like a pro (and getting faster) and love to be down and INTO everything. Our house is pretty well baby proofed so I can let you roam around and explore (with me behind you of course). You love to play in the refrigerator door. You pull out all the mustard or salad dressing bottles, but the spray butter is your favorite. You giggle with glee and then walk around the house carrying it.

Speaking of carrying - you LOVE to carry stuff around in your hands while you walk around. Hats, toys, the phone, the remote, potholders - anything. You really love it if you have 2 for each hand.

We leave a small cooler in the kitchen for you to play with. You love to put toys in it and take them back out. A mixing bowl works well for this too. We should not ever buy anymore toys because you could be content with measuring spoons and cups and wooden spoons.

As the above pictures shows, you have started climbing. You will try to scoot up and climb on any chair, ottoman or object. It is scary and will only get worse as your lets get longer!

You put a phone up to your ear and say "oh...oh" for hello. You must have thought the clock was a phone in the picture below.

Words you can say:

Mama

Dada

Bottle = baba

Sippy cup = ba

Tractor = dar-dar

Beau (our dog we call Bo Bo)= bo bo

Lady (our other dog) = bo bo

Any dog that we see or hear bark = bo bo

Cracker = tr-tr

Cookie = tu-te

Deer = dar

Turkey = tur-ter

Poopie = poopie (seriously, he can say that clear as day and it is hilarious)

Blankie - ba-ky

Your newest accomplishment is that you can understand "some" commands. I can say "take the toy to Honey" and you will do it! Other commands you understand: "brush your hair, drink your water", etc. You do NOT understand no yet though :)

You still love Lady and Beau, but especially Beau b/e he will sit still and let you pet him and lay on him and climb all over him.

You are such a big smart boy and I just can't believe how fast you are growing. Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

Roadtrip

I have had extreme anxiety over a possible Labor Day vacation. We have back and forth to Atlanta quite a bit in the past month, so I was ready to have a staycation. My Mom and sister begged me to bring the little guy to Cashiers, but I was determined to stay at home and relax (and save gas money).

Then my sweet husband informed me that he would be dove hunting ALL.WEEKEND. Well, it would not be fun to have a staycation by myself, would it? The problem is that I would have to make the 7 hour trek by myself with a 13 month old that does not like to be in the car for over an hour. Sounds fun, right?

I literally lost sleep deciding whether or not I would go on a week long vacation b/c the car ride might be too hard. That is not normal is it? I should be counting my blessings that I have the ability to travel on a whim and take my baby and have a nice (*cool*) place to go. I was so scared though!

I finally decided to bite the bullet and just go.

I made plans to have lunch in Macon with my BFF from college, Elizabeth and her precious daughter, Ella. The last time I saw Ella she was 2 months old, and Elizabeth has NEVER met Hawkins {gasp}! Then we would stop in Atlanta and pick up my Mom before completing the marathon trip to North Carolina.

The first part of the trip was {dare I say} easy. Hawkins slept the first hour and 15 minutes and then just sat there when he woke up...holding his blankie and his sippy cup and just sitting like the sweetest angel I have ever seen. We had lunch with the girls at Chick-fil-a and he played on the playground. It was HOT. Literally lots of sweating. It was SO GOOD to see my old friend Elizabeth and our babies had fun playing together.

I think he got really hot and tired b/c he got back in the car sweetly and then fell back asleep for 30 minutes. I was prepared for the worst when we still had over an hour to Atlanta, but he just watched his DVD and munched on the occasional baby mum mum passed back to him from his Mommy.

We picked up Honey in Atlanta and then all hell broke lose. Hawkins literally refused to get back in the car - arched back, red face, screaming. I felt like a child abuser! Nothing could persuade him in the carseat, not even his blankie. We waiting awhile and let him play around and then finally forced him in.

After some real tears he {briefly} fell asleep and I had a panic attack. THIS is what I was afraid of, and THIS is why I didn't want to travel with him. Luckily, my Mom drove that last leg, and I could regain my composure. She reminded me that is just what happens when you have a baby and everyone was OK. I would be insane if I just stayed at home all the time b/c tears were shed in the car, right?

He actually did pretty well the rest of the way, so all and all it was not too bad of a long drive.

We arrived, unpacked and the little booger ran around to his heart's content. He is really such a sweet little boo boo. That is something I have never written on this blog...Hawkins' nickname is Boo Boo...and sometimes Mr. Boo Boo. I hope it doesn't stick for too long, but I love it. I started calling that when he was a baby and have never stopped.

It was actually chilly when we woke up this morning. I sat on the porch overlooking the mountains and realized it was all worth it. I miss Robbie terribly, but we are having fun with Honey and Aunt Nina. I even got an afternoon "out" and went to an adult clothing store and the grocery store - it's a wild weekend!

Have a fun Labor Day weekend!

Brain dump...

Here are my random thoughts for the week:

-Running - I have never been a runner, but recently have gotten on an exercise kick and LOVE to run...well jog really. I go to the YMCA to walk on the treadmill and end up jogging most of the time. It is such a great release of energy and just makes me feel good.

-Zumba - I am still doing Zumba and loving it! I had to miss several classes last week while we were in Atlanta and I was craving it. Also, I went yesterday and we had a substitute teacher and it was NOT the same. The regular teacher is awesome, and I had never been to a class without her until yesterday. I still got a good workout, but I realized that the teacher makes a huge difference!

-Fall - I am craving all things fall - clothes, weather, colors, leaves, etc. My car read 100 degrees today, and it is awful! I am so ready to get out my Frye boots and sweaters and go play outside with Hawkins!

-Clothes - I haven't gotten into any of the clothing trends since fall of 2009 - seriously. That is when I got pregnant and wore maternity clothes for the next year. Then I had a baby and couldn't wear any normal clothes, so I just couldn't bring myself to buy cute nice clothes. Now my body is finally getting back to normal (but still 15 lbs to lose) and I am excited about buying some new fall outfits! I just ordered a chunky sweater turtleneck and a black pair of skinny pants from Jcrew. They came in the mail today and I can't wait to wear them!

-Organization - I have really been getting into organizing lately. I wrote a post about my new Erin Condren planner, and I am obsessed with it. I take it with me everywhere even though it is pretty heavy. I also created a home organization notebook that is totally nerdy, but I love it. I got both of these ideas from the Blue-Eyed Bride. I had been feeling anxious and not getting anything accomplished and now I am a new person. I have our menu planned for the week and a to-do list for each day. I am getting so much more done and feeling satisfied at the end of the day. It is a wonderful feeling!

-Baby fever - I get a flutter of baby fever every once and a while. Robbie is dying to have another baby right now, but Mama is not quite ready yet. Soon though. I do finally feel like I have this SAHM thing down. I can handle it. I can leave the house multiple times a day with success and without meltdown from me or from Hawkins :) I selfishly don't want to rock the boat...we have such a good routine going, but I also think I could handle 2 babies once we would be out of the newborn phase. We shall see...

That's it for now. Have a good week!

Ahhh....

I would like to report that I got my first full nights sleep WITHOUT the help of medicine in over 2 weeks! It was glorious!

I am treating myself like Hawkins and trying to "wear myself out" during the day so that I am exhausted by bedtime. Well, yesterday it worked. Robbie had to travel out of the state for work, so he left the house before 6am and did not get home until almost 7pm. I am so used to him helping me before and after work with Hawkins!

I started out my day at 6:30am making cheesestraws (which takes me 3 hours with Hawkins running around), then made a Publix run after lunch, then went to Zumba in the afternoon, and THEN washed and dried my hair, which we all know is a workout itself.

As 9pm approached, my body gave out. I was so tired that my muscles ached. I felt confident about falling asleep, so I tried to give it a go without any meds. It worked! I woke up a few times in the night, but quickly fell back asleep and slept all the way to 7AM - that is a miracle. I usually wake up at 6 or before WITH ambien. Hawkins is sleeping now and I am not even laying down for a rest.

This gives me hope that I can get back in my routine and put the medication on the shelf.

Hawkins went to school this morning and did GREAT. He is getting better and better. I dropped him off and then went to treat myself to a pedicure. This is a rarity these days since I have cut them from our budget, but I splurged.

I go get him from school early b/c he still takes a nap and usually he is already tired and crying by the time I get there, but today he was happily playing in his classroom with the kitchen set. He didn't see me, so I let him play another 10 or 15 minutes before I got him. He has gone from taking his morning nap at 9:30am all the way to 10:30am and it has made a huge difference. He can stay longer at school and not get so cranky.

Go Hawkins!

Free Mommy Cards from Minted!

I just ordered my free Mommy cards from Minted!

The Blue Eyed Bride wrote a post about Minted and their promotion, and I had to order mine right away. I don't hand out my number much in Thomasville, but who could resist these cute cards??

These are the ones I ordered...in pink even though I have a son. Oh well, I liked the pink!

Go here to order yours:

http://www.minted.com/mommy-calling-cards

Doodle with Daddy

Thursday was Doodle with Dad day at Hawkins' school. Daddys went for the first 30 minutes and drew a picture with their children and spent some time in the classroom. Of course I had to go take a few pictures :)

Having fun with Daddy

Tracing our hands

Hawkins loved having Robbie there!

Erin Condren life planner!

I read several blogs and in July it seems they were ALL talking about Erin Condren!

Her life planners have been pretty popular since they came out with the new 2012 ones. Bloggers everywhere were going on about the bright colors and handy tabs, and I could not wait to get my hands on one.

The price tag put a halt to my plans until Plum District had a deal for $50 worth of Erin Condren products for $25! I snagged it immediately and placed my order! It took a few weeks (seemed like months) to come in, but it finally arrived last week! I practically chased down the FedEx man and planned my whole day around it's arrival b/c it required a signature - sad I know.

Even the packaging was pretty...

Here it is! The planner is for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012.

The pages are filled with bright colors and inspirational quotes

Each month has a tab followed by pages for days. I forgot to take a picture of a day pages, but they are broken down into "morning, day and evening". I didn't think I would like it at first, but I really do!

Erin also threw in some freebie stickers!

I just LOVE my planner. It take it everywhere and have written all our important dates for the rest of the year. I already had a pretty good planner, but I like the tabs and day pages better on this one. It has made me so much more organized and maybe even more sane :)

Insomnia

I have not been able to sleep in a week. It started out where I would go to sleep fine, but would wake up at 3 or 4 or 5 and not be able to go back to sleep. I would be a little tired during the day, but feel ok. Then I would sleep for an hour and wake up and stay awake for 2 hours, sleep for an hour - on and on. Then I just could not sleep AT. ALL.

Do you know what it feels like to lay awake all night long? Everything is quiet and dark except for your mind. It is lonely and kind of scary.

I took tylenol PM with no help - and they always work for me. One night I took 2 of them and just lay there with my heart racing and my mind racing from thought to thought. Not one particular thought that was keeping me awake - but a jumble of a million thoughts. Fragments popping into my mind. It is weird.

All the while Robbie is taking the Neupogen shots to prepare for the stem cell transplant and they are making him feel like booty. So I have to pull it together and pack us up for the trip to Atlanta, drive us to Americus to drop Hawkins off and then drive us to Atlanta. I sucked it up and did those things safely and took care of my sweet husband.

I won't go into detail, but the shots did not agree with Robbie. They are a high dosage of a drug that boosts his stem cells. The plump up the cells and make your whole body sore and give you a constant migraine headache - sounds fun huh? He slept alot and just needed to be in a cold dark room. Thank the sweet Lord for my parents. We stayed with them on our way to Atlanta and they took care of Hawkins and both of us.

We arrived in Atlanta Sunday and stayed with friends. We were able to rest there after visiting Bryan in the hospital.

Then someone gave me an anti-anxiety pill (b/c obviously that is what I needed.). Sunday night I took 2 of them and it was glorious. I slipped under the covers and felt comfortable. It took about an hour to fall asleep, but my mind was not racing and I was peaceful. I fell asleep around 11pm and the next thing I knew it was 6am - VICTORY! I was still a little groggy, but felt great.

We got through Monday with a mid-day nap, and I felt good about being able to sleep again last night. I took one of the anti-anxiety pills and got into bed. Nothing. Lots of thoughts - not racing, but still lots of thoughts. No sleep.

Sleep mask - check, loud noise machine - check, my own temperpedic pillow - check, my blankie that I have slept with since birth - check, complete darkness - check, a bed to myself b/c I slept in the other guest room to escape Robbie's snoring - check. And still no sleep. Finally at 11pm I took another pill and hoped for the best. (I had started trying to go to sleep at 9:30)

I HAD to be alert for the big transplant the next day.

Another hour went by and still no sleep. After that things go fuzzy and I finally fell asleep until 4am. Snoozed until my alarm went off at 5:30. I jumped out of bed and showered and quickly got ready. We went to Starbucks quickly!

We are currently at the hospital and Robbie is hooked up. He is donating stem cells as I type.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for Robbie. We pray he gets through todays transplant and that Bryan's body accepts the stem cells and saves his life!

We give all the Glory to God.

Some bible verses I have been focusing on:

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"

Prayers

We need your prayers this week as we head into preparation for Bryan's stem cell transplant. Robbie is the donor and begins his round of prep shots tomorrow.

2 shots twice a day for 4 days - yikes!

This is a procedure that could save Bryan's life and it is such a blessing from God that Robbie is a 10 for 10 match.

We head to Atlanta next week for the transplant. Robbie's donation will take one day, and Bryan will receive the stem cells that same afternoon followed by a lengthy hospital stay while his body gets a new immune system. We pray for safe travels for everyone going to Atlanta, a safe transplant on Robbie's part and that Bryan's body quickly accepts the new stem cells and begins his road to recovery.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

Zumba

Have you heard of the new workout craze? It was even on the Today show. Zumba! I had heard of it, but didn't think my tiny town would have it. Low and behold our local YMCA has Zumba classes several days a week. I went last Friday for the first time. Dropping Hawkins off in the nursery was stressful and tearful enough. Then I walk into a dark room filled with colorful lights and jam packed with people jumping and shaking it. Seriously shaking it. A mix of teenagers and grandmothers were all smiling and dancing away their stress.

I could barely see the teacher from my spot in the back, but I liked it. So I went back today. There is something very freeing about sweating and dancing with a bunch of girls and just letting loose - AND getting a workout on top of that.

Robbie got home from work tonight and I was practically skipping around the kitchen I was in such a good mood. I had gotten out of the house, gotten a little break from the babe, and gotten a workout - score!

Latest happenings

So, only 2 days into school and Hawkins is sick. We have got to work on that child's immune system. He woke up Thursday morning with a runny nose, so we played hooky from school that day.

I am hesitant to write about this, but I want to discuss it.

Later that day I did the thing that all Mother's fear as I dialed the numbers 9-1-1 into the telephone as a held my child in my arms. It is hard to describe what happened - it was all SO fast and so scary that my mind has blacked out parts of it. I remember sitting on the couch as Hawkins played with Beau on the floor. Hawkins was patting him then swung his leg over to try to ride him, which has been his new favorite past time. He lost his balance and dove forward hitting his head on the floor (rug over hardwood). I watched the whole thing and didn't think it was that bad of a fall - he was barely a foot off the ground. He started screaming crying and I instantly picked him up and put his head to my shoulder.

Then I noticed that his limbs were tight and stiff. I pulled him away from me to check him out and saw the most horrifying sight - which again is very hard to describe. His arms were stiff and straight up in the air and his head sunk into his neck. He was conscious, but sort of twitching...I think...I can't really remember. His limbs and body were contorted and everything was wrong about it. I just know it was so bad that I instantly called 911 without a second thought. I was filled with panic and fear that was crippling. I tried to pull it together and grab my keys, shoes, cell phone ready to drive to the ER.

While I was on the phone his stiffness went back to normal and he laid quiet and calm on my shoulder his eyes closing and then opening. I was afraid he was passing out. They sent EMS and then I called Robbie. He was home within 5 minutes. By the time Robbie got home Hawkins was quiet as a mouse on my shoulder, but completely coherent and acting fine - just quiet.

He went straight to Robbie and by the time the EMS got there (3 minutes later) he was walking around, pointing and laughing.

I am baffled at what happened. A similar situation has actually happened 3 times before, but not to his severity. He will fall and bump his head and his body reacts to locking up and hitting a reset button. It is the scariest thing EVER! Robbie did some internet research and found something called "breath holding spells" and it describes what Hawkins is doing pretty accurately.

Has anyone ever had this experience with this behavior before or heard about this?

school school school

...is not going so well. This was Hawkins on his first day of school. He was not this happy when he actually got to school :)

I was hesitant from the get-so because Hawkins still takes (and loves) a morning nap. He has never been a great napper, but for the past few months he will sleep an hour and a half to 2 hours in the morning. I picked him up early the first 2 days and he was a crying mess when I got there - just so tired! It is also a new experience for him to be in that environment, so it's all a big adjustment.

I am not sure what to do now. Pick him up early so he can take his nap at home? Leave him and let him figure it out? It will be great in a few months when he goes to one nap a day on his own, but it will a struggle until then.

Good thing he is so stinkin cute!

Fleming's Birth

Robbie and I woke up Friday morning to a text message from Crisp saying that Katie's water had broken in the middle of the night and they were at the hospital having their baby!

I jumped out of bed and jumped in the shower. We were planning on going to Americus anyway that day, so Hawkins and I drove to Albany early to be there waiting.

I got there at 12:20pm and Fleming Elizabeth Gatewood was born at 12:29pm - I got there JUST in time! Katie did great! We went in to see Mom and Baby and then left to get some lunch.

Here is the proud Daddy bringing in Fleming's bag:

We could not wait to get back and hold her again!

Honey and Big Daddy with their new granddaughter

Sister and brother with our babies

It was really hard having Hawkins in the hospital, so we headed to Americus to spend the night. Robbie swung by the hospital when he left work Friday afternoon and then met us in Americus. He stayed there with H on Saturday and Mom, Dad, Virginia and I went back to Albany to see them again.

This is hilarious - all 5 of us trying to change her clothes!

The Gatewood girls with Fleming

Aunt Nina

Two Aunts!

Honey and Fleming

Precious girl

I am an Aunt!

All three of us

Crisp, Katie and Fleming went home from the hospital on Sunday and got settled in. Robbie, Hawkins and I stopped by their house on our way home. We didn't intend to stay long, but ended up staying several hours! I helped Katie get some things organized in the nursery and Robbie boiled all the bottles!

Hawkins was very interested in the baby and was SO sweet to her! He would point to her and say "Baby" and then lay his head on her shoulder.

Sweet Fleming

Hawkins wanted to check out all the baby gear...

Crisp and Katie are loving their new baby girl and are doing such a great job. I HATE that I am here in Thomasville and can't spend the whole week up there helping them!