...Time would slow down to let me catch my breath!

Well, I know it’s been a while since I posted anything new. Much has happened! M is finding his way around the floor now. He’s not crawling, although he’s working on learning how to use his arms/legs for movement, but he is rolling and squirming all over the floor. He is now sleeping in his crib in his room through the night. We get up maybe once a night to put his Nuk back in. He has also started this really cute thing where he sees something he wants and he throws his entire body into the effort to reach it. For instance, this morning coming down the stairs he saw Macy and decided he wanted her so he threw his body forward and nearly flipped out of my arms. Yep, we have to keep a tight grasp on him these days! Still no words, but we’re getting tons of “Bah, bah, bah” with different pitches as if he thinks he’s saying words.

We also found out that Nic should be leaving the desert on February 17th. So we’re super thankful for that. We’re not sure when he’ll get to come home to Kentucky, but as long as he’s out of harm’s way we’ll be satisfied. I absolutely can’t wait for him to meet M. That is going to be such a sweet moment and I know I’ll cry and be a blubbering idiot, but I don’t care.

We also had his 6 month pictures taken by Amy Sieweke, my personal photographer. J She did an amazing job, as usual. You can view them by going here: http://www.amysiewekephotography.zenfolio.com/ and clicking on his sweet little face. The Ale-8 pictures were taken specifically for my Dad, who as you may or may not know drinks that stuff like it’s going out of style. So those pics were for him.

Oh we also got to see our President inaugurated. B and I both very confidently voted for President Obama (like the sound of that!) because we wanted to see a change in Washington and he inspired us like no other candidate ever has. So we’re hoping and praying he keeps up his end of the bargain and is able to accomplish all that he sets out to accomplish. Welcome home Mr. President!!

Alright, sorry this is so long…I’ll try not to wait as long next time!

PS-Can you believe it's already been 7 months since M was born?? I CAN'T!!

...mobility is upon us.

Yes, that's right...he's a rollin'! He was very sick Sunday/Monday/Tuesday of last week and he rolled every day. It was just once a day, but he has finally figured out how to get over that speedbump arm of his. He rolls onto his belly from his back and just kind of lays there and kicks his legs trying to figure out how to get them to go somewhere. Then about 3 minutes later he starts crying because he HATES being on his belly. That said...I don't think we're far from a crawler or at least a little roley poley who roles where he needs to go. :-)

Also, I am proud to report that I bought a smaller size jeans yesterday because the ones I bought the other day were TOO BIG! Yay! I'm now only 4 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. Woohoo!! Now if only I could get this saggy belly to snap back into shape. :-) That's gonna take some serious treadmill time though. I'm also considering training to run/walk the 5k for the Derby Festivities. Haven't totally committed to it yet, but I'm thinking it might give me a goal besides weight loss. It's hard to motivate myself to exercise to lose weight when dieting is working perfectly for me. So I'll keep ya posted on that one. Plus all the people who I see that run all the time are smokin' hot...and I'd love a bit of that smoke in my step. :-)

Okay off to see Wicked with Mamacita.

...this new year will bring wonderful joys and many happy times.

Last year was amazing for me. It was amazing in that B and I got the little piglet we had been praying so hard for so long for. I saw a quote on a message board the other day that went like this "First we had each other. Then we had you. Now we have everything." That sums up 2008 for B and I.

2008 is the year that I became a mother. This deserves a different paragraph because it's HUGE. When we were trying to conceive I knew what the job entailed physically (most of it anyway) and I knew it was a 24/7 job. I knew I would love him, but there is no question that I could not wrap my mind around the love I would have for him. M is now my life. I think about him all the time. It's kind of a disservice to everyone else really...M gets 1/3 of my brain, B gets 1/3 and everyone else gets the rest. My Mom always told me that she and Dad always wanted to spend time with us (kids) and together more than with anyone else. I now understand that.

2009 is going to hold some changes for everyone...mainly because we CAN'T keep going like we had been...that's why our country is in the shape its in. Together B and I will be scaling back on what we spend. We live pretty much within our means now...but we spend what we have and no more. We want to start saving big time. We want to be prepared for an economy like this if it happens again...and if it doesn't happen again we can go on a trip around the world before we die. :-) Bottom line, we want to be prepared for anything.

For me, 2009 is going to represent change too. I'm going to focus on making myself happy with who I am and what I look like. I've always had issues with body image...that's going to change. I'm going to start exercising and eating better and whatever I look like is what I'm supposed to look like. I refuse to continue feeling badly about myself when I stand by someone wearing their size 6 jeans. I'm going to teach myself to be happy in my 12-14's. I'm a Mommy and with that comes a change in body shape/size. 12-14's are worth my little M.

I'm also going to focus on making my husband happy. A lot of you know B and you know he is just like his father...angels. I take him for granted more than I care to admit. But this year I'm going to focus on making my child and my marriage a priority. If the three of us are happy then nothing else matters.

Along with the body image resolution, I'm going to focus on what I'm eating. I'm cutting out sweet tea (oh the horror!), regular sodas (and not drink a lot of soda at all), enjoy sweet indulgences in moderation, enjoying a fair portion rather than a full plate and seconds, and hydrating my body. I started this right before I went back to work in September and I've lost 15 pounds. So from 9/8/08 to 1/1/09 I've lost 15 pounds. That's fantastic and I'm so proud of myself...and I'm going to continue to make myself proud. It wasn't hard once I got used to a routine with it...it was when I broke the routine that I struggled. So I'm focusing on it again. I WILL BE BACK TO MY WEDDING WEIGHT BY MY 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN JULY. That's another 26 pounds. I can do it! I know I can and I'll feel so great if I do...stretchmarks and all! :-)

Alright, there ya have it. That's what I'm resolving to do. I'll keep you posted on how I do.

Happy new year everyone! Good luck!

...5 months wouldn't just be a memory.

I know it's late, but here's a video montage of M's 5th month. Enjoy!! He's so big and such a little character.

...it's Christmas!

Yes, M's first Christmas is finally here. This is also the 8th Christmas B and I have spent together. While things have changed a great deal over the years, it's still Christmas and we're so happy to be surrounded by family...now our own family. M's stocking is hanging on the mantle with some goodies in it, there are gifts under the tree...and our kitchen is ready for baking. Life is good.

We were good though and didn't go over board on the gifts for him. We figured he's only interested in like 1 toy at a time anyway and the grandparents will probably bombard him with gifts...so we went light this year. We also decided that we will not be "those" parents who overwhelm their child with gifts to the point that they don't appreciate them and being to feel entitled to them. We want him to always appreciate what he gets. So while we'll do more than we did this year, we're still going to TRY to maintain a "one big gift and a few small ones" plan.

Below are a couple of great shots of M in his Christmas attire. :-)















Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Happy Hannukah/Feliz Navidad/Happy Kwanza, whatever works for you...either way enjoy it!

...I could hit pause on my life.

Last night B was feeding M before bed and he wouldn't take his bottle. So as usual, Brad put some Orajel on his gums because he's been teething for a good 2 months now. When he did that he felt something new that he hadn't felt before. That's right...the tippy-top of a tooth is trying to poke through! It's still in his gums, but it's starting to make its way to the top. :-)

I almost started crying. I'm so happy he's growing normally and things are as they should be, but does it have to go by so fast? He was barely bigger than a 20 oz. Coke...and now he's getting teeth! Someone stop the ride?? I wanna get off with my little man and keep him little like he is now.

...the answer would be clear.

I have this overwhelming need to teach my son, from an early age, to be selfless and to be empathetic to others' situations. I want him to put himself in other people's shoes before he judges them. I've seen so many people around me be selfish (myself included) and judge other people's situation without having an inkling of how it feels to be them. I want to make sure he knows that someone else always has it more rough than he does and that the way to make himself feel better is to help someone else feel better. B told me the other day that we need to make sure we're happy so that others around us will in turn be happy and I think he's onto something.

My dilema is that I just don't know how to be a good role model for M. I want him to see me helping others and doing great, selfless things for others so that he will want to model that himself and he will be raised by two people who care so much about others that he will know no other way. I'm just not sure how to get started. I feel such a strong draw to the children in Africa, but I don't know how, aside from a monetary donation, to help them. I also don't want him to think a monetary donation is enough. While that's a great start, I want him to know that just sending someone a check doesn't feel nearly as good as physically helping someone.

So where do I start? I can't move to Africa. I can't quit my job and work not-for-profit...so where do I begin? I just see that he has so much potential to be a wonderful human being and I don't want to mess that up a bit. It's my job as his mother and B's as his father to make sure he's surrounded by encouraging people and people who model the behavior we want him to learn as the norm. So where do I begin? Any ideas?