Bed Buddies

If you'll remember back a couple weeks ago, I posted about the trouble I was having with Brooks climbing into bed with his baby brother. Click here for a review. Well last night I was in the shower when D popped in and said Brooks was asleep in Canaan's bed. Nothing out of the ordinary... until he started to describe to me how they were laying. He said, "imagine them laying on their backs, bottoms together with their feet intertwined." My first thought, "You HAVE to get the camera!" (I'm sopping wet with shaving cream on my legs or I would have done it) So when I finally dry off he's laying in the bed camera in hand. When he turns it around for me to see... well, here's the image. Isn't this just the sweetest thing ever?!?

Time flies when you're busy

Okay, so it's almost July, and I haven't posted since Canaan's birthday!?! Man, I'm behind! Well I do have good reason.

*Caution Big huge run-on story ahead*

Lianna went home with Nanna after Canaan's birthday, so the next week I toted the boys to Houston to go get her. On our way home Wednesday, Brooks started throwing up. By Friday he was feeling much better, but by then Lianna, Darrell and I were puking. Canaan was the only one who escaped the bug. My mother had also texted me early Friday morning about 5:30 a.m. (I know the time because I was up listening to D puke) to tell me my grandmother had passed away. She was 85 and lived a full life and was in ill health the last 3 years or so. Is it terrible that I was actually relieved when she told me? I was so glad for her to be in a better place, with a new body. She now knows who she is and all her memories back. Anyway two days later, we've recovered from the bug and D leaves for Missouri with the church youth group for 5 days. Meanwhile, I travel to Shreveport to pick up my sister, and brother who are flying in for our grandmother's funeral and take them (and the children) to Houston. We spend a few days there visiting family and eating at yummy restaurants. When we come home my sister starts puking. Ugh! Are you kidding me? D gets back from Missouri the next day, and thankfully my sister is well enough to fly home as scheduled. The whole family takes the trip to Shreveport to see them off on Friday evening. Saturday brings a photo shoot (see the "do over" post in my business blog) and a birthday party. I then have the rest of the weekend to decompress. Ahhhh. We have a good 3 or 4 days of our normal routine before Brooks starts to run fever. It's not that high (101... remember Brooks is my 103/104 kid) so D and I decide to continue with our plans for date night Thursday. We celebrate our anniversary in Lufkin with dinner and a movie. But I must mention, I got roses (18 beautiful red ones) for the first time in a long long time. The last time I got flowers was for my birthday back before Lianna was born. I felt very loved and very special. We arrive home that night and Brooks had thrown up and was running 103.8. Ugh! See what I mean!?! Friday I take him to the doctor and well, now it's Sunday night, and he's improved, but not better. The other two have fared much better, Canaan only has the crud, no fever; and Lianna has had some low grade fevers but no crud. Go figure! I hope you guys have had a much better month of June. I feel like most of mine was spent in the car, cleaning puke, or being under quarantine.

Firsts

First Haircut -

On June 7, 2008 Canaan received his first haircut. I had just woken him from a nap so he was still a little sleepy when our famous "kitchen beautician" began her work. He did great! Darrell's mom held Canaan in her lap so D could tend to our other guests, and I could snap pictures. Here are the highlights.

Dude! I just woke up, what is Miss Chris doing, and why is everyone looking at me?






Doesn't he look handsome!?! I'm not sure if the look of shock is from realizing he'll never look like my baby again, or realizing that Daddy got a fancy new (to him) camera off EBay, so essentially mom has two now. :D Ha!

First Birthday Cake -

I got all creative and made this cute little caterpillar cake for Canaan's birthday. I know, no big surprise to those of you who've seen my flip - flop and choo choo train cakes. I thought a caterpillar was fitting given Canaan's preferred mode of transportation up until he was 11 months old. I did however completely forget to take a picture. Imagine a bunt cake cut in half, and then shifted and put back together to make a long "S" (or caterpillar) shape. Then coated in green icing and some random orange and red designs. It probably could have been prettier, but it certainly tasted good. Canaan seemed to like it too!

Notice the match used for a candle. Yeah... after 10 minutes of searching for birthday candles I KNOW I have, I gave up, and agreed to use a match as D suggested.

The whole hand approach. He actually did just stick one finger in the icing at first, but one taste was all it took and he started in with all four fingers.

Oh yeah... this is the life!

So happy!

Happy Birthday Baby!

Well my little boy turned one on Tuesday, June 3rd. At first it doesn't seem like a big deal... after all we've celebrated 1st birthdays twice before. However, Canaan's is different. I'm experiencing this sweet sadness along with the joy of seeing him learn and grow. See, he's my last baby (God willing ;D) and so this is essentially my last first birthday, until we have grand kids, but that's not happening soon... I mean really, Lianna's not even 4 yet.

To fuel these emotions a little more, I've agreed to have Canaan's hair cut for the first time on Saturday. See according to Darrell, Canaan came out needing a hair cut. I've held him off for a year now, but the deal was, we weren't going to cut his hair until he was at least one, and well, now he's one. As most of you mothers know, after that first haircut the baby in them just seems to dissapear. Those sweet baby curls never come back (or are never allowed to because before they can it's haircut time again). I suffered through this last summer with Brooks, but he was almost 18 months old. The difference is, he was born almost completely bald, and hardly had any hair until he was a year old, while his brother had a head full of dark hair at birth.

Brooks' first hair-cut... May 31st, 2007

A recent photo of my sweet Canaan. I'll post his haircut pictures over the weekend.

Oh and for those of you who are concerned about my one year old having a "high and tight" (the only haircut D knows how to do); I'm having a professional come over to cut Canaan's. He's too young for the military look in my opinion. We'll do clean cut, with a little length on top I think. :)

It's so hard when they're so sweet

For the past week or so, during nap time and bed time, D and I have been having a small problem with Brooks and Canaan playing in bed. I love that my boys are old enough now to play together, and that they enjoy each other. I honestly don't mind if they want to talk and laugh even after they've been tucked in. However, a problem arises when Brooks docent stay in his bed. On several occasions this is what we come to find when checking on them after bedtime.




Darrell even found them laying down together one morning (we seriously think they may have stayed the night in there together), though usually Brooks just climbs in there early in the morning to play. It's so sweet, yet, against the rules! I'm torn not knowing what to do... so today, I just decided to take a picture! Ha!

PS. for those that don't know, Brooks sleeps in a bottom bunk in the same room. He apparently just loves climbing into the crib to be with his little brother.

Can I Brag a Little?

I've suspected this for a while, but now I'm just sure of it. I have the best husband in the entire world. If any of you know my man, you know he is goofy, funny, and loves to tease. If you know him well, you know he enjoys being a father and loves to spend time with his family. If you know him as well as I do, you know he's not one to back down from a challenge (not the peer pressure kind, but the kind where he is challenged to grow and become a better man) and he's always ALWAYS there if someone needs help.

I was further blessed within the last few weeks because he willingly took all three kids over the weekend while I went out of town, not once, but twice! That's right, and to top it off, on one of those occasions he even took a 1/2 day off work to boot! You have to admit not many men will do that, and most of those that do, well, they often recruit help in one form or another. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not belittling those men that do call their moms and ask if he and the kids can come over for dinner while their wives are away; I'm just saying, my man willingly took on the responsibility with no help what-so-ever!

Pretty good huh? Ha! It gets better! When I returned from my most recent trip away, I came home to a floor that had been vacuumed. Um, no, Lianna isn't big enough to do that yet, MUST have been my hubby! Wait! Wait! It gets better still. He then proceeded to tell me that the kitchen had been swept and mopped as well! Oh My God! Really!? Seriously!?

I love my husband. I really do. He really and truly supports me in all I aspire to do and become. *sigh*

Forever 18

This weekend I took 3 beautiful 18 year old young women with me to Houston. That's right!... another fun trip for me full of fun restaurants and shopping. You see, these lovely young women have a special place in my heart. They have been in my youth group bible study since they were in the 8th grade. They are now seniors in high school and about to test out their wings in this great big world. So, we naturally needed to celebrate this wonderful transition in their lives. We drove to Houston, stayed in a 4 star hotel, ate at the Taste of Texas (and yes...we all ordered steaks and finished them!), shopped Memorial City Mall all day on Saturday and jammed to the radio all the way home. While shopping we hit places like Fossil, Guess, Express, Forever 21 and Dillard's (we did stop in New York and Co and Ann Taylor Loft for me). Nothing I can think of will make a 30 year old woman feel 18 again, like spending the weekend with 3 sassy 18 year olds.

Alas I forgot my camera. I know, I'm a photographer, but if you know me, you pretty much know, I never have my camera with me (unless I've got a shoot scheduled). I will post pictures as soon as I get them from my girls. :)