The Putnam Family

LOOOOONG TIME, NO BLOG

2011-03-18T04:22:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since my last blog, to say the least...

1) We moved to Fairhope, AL...and love it! What an awesome community. After many long discussions, we decided the only reason NOT to move was the distance from family. However, still being within an afternoon's driving distance from everyone, the good outweighed the bad. Great schools, tons of family activities, beautiful, safe, small, and...THE BEACH!

2) We started new jobs.

3) We quit new jobs.

4) We started our own business. To elaborate...for quite a while I've had an entrepreneurial spirit, I just haven't been able to put my finger on what I wanted to do. The past year or so, it has been a restaurant. However, despite my business plans and recipe development, I still didn't have a clue about how to actually go about doing this. So, after talking with some good friends in Chattanooga who have been in the restaurant business for forever, and started their own place (a successful place) 2 years ago, we decided to open their 2nd location. So...in about a month, Todd and I will be opening and running Champy's Famous Fried Chicken in Daphne, AL. It is a Mississippi Delta-based, blues-listining, beer-drinking, laid back place to be...and the food is FANTASTIC. Made to order fried chicken, homemade hot tamales, homemade sides like fried green tomatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, and to top it all off, homemade key lime and Mississippi Mud pie. YUM! So, if you're headed to the beach this summer, stop in and see us (because we'll be too busy to come see you)!

Here are some recent pics of the kiddos.

My beautiful girl

My hunk of a man

This scrunched up nose is my favorite!

First beach visit of 2011

little heartbreaker

Pics of the kiddos

2010-09-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

I love my pics. I love my photographer. I could have honestly put up every pic she took as one of my favorites...but, i managed no narrow it down to my top 12. Enjoy...

www.ashleighpeak.com

funny babies

2010-09-08T05:03:00.000-07:00

Summertime fun

2010-07-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

but, momma, he's making a mess...

LOVE

watching fireworks

morning milk

Camping/St. Louis

2010-06-26T14:30:00.001-07:00

Well, our vacation did not go as planned, thanks to BP. But, we rescheduled and ended up having a great time minus the ocean. We rented a cabin on a lake in Missouri for 3 nights...where we cooked out, took some hilly bike rides, hung out at the beach, and played at the playground. When the weekend came around, we headed to the city...St. Louis. We went to the City Museum (fun, but better for kids a little bit older) and the Children's Museum/Magic House (which was crazy good). With some our good friends that used to live in Memphis, we took a bike ride to a restaurant on a lake, where the kids got to feed ducks and the adults could chat and catch up. Finally, we finished our trip with a PERFECT cardinals game...with kids, that is. Right when we got inside, it rained for about 2 minutes, cooling the temp down to about 70. Then, to top things off, it was a ridiculously quick game, just over 2 hours. So, by time we consumed our hotdogs, bbq nachos, lemon icy, cotton candy, and adult beverages, it was time to walk back to the hotel.

So....It wasn't Orange Beach, but it was fun...and the commute was soooooooo much better with the kiddos!

And, of course, I don't really know how to put together a blog...so all my pics are in reverse order?!?

big ole boy's first baseball game

presley and her "number 1 glove"

her marilyn monroe moment

no way she was doing that alone

helping daddy clean the grill

before there were pack-n-plays, there were truck beds

mommy got a new toy

2010-05-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

...and it's a big girl camera. Don't totally know how to use it, yet, but plan on taking a class soon. Here are a few cute pics I've taken...

Hello, my name is Erin...

2010-04-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

and I'm a match-aholic. And, despite my husband's pleas, I'm not kicking this addiction anytime soon...

At the campground in Enid

At the botanical gardens - not the cutest pic, but is definitely the funniest one. Anytime Nate and Presley sit beside each other, it's only a matter of time before he pulls her hair...I think he is enjoying himself.

Their Easter attire

More Easter attire...in which they matched their cousins, as well...this makes me very happy.

definitely related

A Real Vaca...kids not included.

2010-03-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

The first week of March, Todd and I took a wonderful week getaway to Punta Cana. Oh my, what a beautiful place! The sand was white, the water clear, and the weather a perfect 82 degrees. We mostly stuck around the resort, as it had plenty of restaurants, bars, nightly shows, a nightclub, and a casino. We ventured out to zipline. Just the trip into the mountains was worth it...the scenery was ridiculous! But, the actual zipping was the icing on the cake...so much fun! Todd went fishing one day, but I won't get into that...he came back quite the UNhappy camper. All in all, it was a great week. We of course, missed the kids, but we figure this will be the last trip of this sort for quite sometime. Enjoy...

The boy's 6 month pics...a month late ;)

2010-03-13T05:33:00.001-08:00

the kiddos

yummers

big 'un

got daddy's big ole eyes

loves the thumb...

and the fingers

www.ashleighpeakphotography.com

long time, no post

2010-01-04T16:47:00.001-08:00

Here are some Christmas pics. Sorry, I don't have time to write more...since Todd has been working nights, and I'm home with the kiddos in the evenings, the little bit of blogging time I used to have, is now almost obsolete. Oh well, doesn't take much time to just post pics :)

Happy New Year, everyone!

the boy with spit-up on his chin...as usual...but, still cute!

attempting to get a cute pic of the kiddos in their Christmas attire...this is the best I got

post candy cane

Nate is obviously not old enough to be scared, yet...hence the reason Presley is not in this pic.

Happy girl in her train...she managed to fit all of her new toys in there. If only she'd keep it like that, the house would look halfway clean!

recent cute pics

2009-10-25T12:50:00.001-07:00

brown bear...almost

2009-10-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

Vacation = Relaxing...not so much.

2009-09-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

Since I have been employed by the doings of baby Nate for the past 9 weeks, Todd thought this was the perfect time to take yet another summer vacation. I resisted at first, as my definition of vacation includes the word 'relaxing' and this did not at all sound relaxing. But, after listening to how horrible his work has been lately, I showed a wee bit of sympathy. 10 seconds following this wee bit of sympathy, we had a condo booked. So, last Friday we loaded up the Putnam mini (have I mentioned how much I LOVE my mini) with 4 bags and 4 humans, a pack and play, a double stroller, a bouncy seat, a inflated kick board, a wagon full of beach toys, a cooler, a box of diapers, beach chairs, a beach tent, and much more...and still had room for another average-sized human. We made the trip to Orange Beach in record time (for us)...just under 8 hours...not bad for chauffeuring two kiddos. The weather was PERFECT! Nice, since from what I'm told, it continued to rain constantly in Memphis. We agreed to eat lunch at the condo (to save some $ and our sanity) and dinner out. I think I'll pass on pimento cheese sandwiches for a while...I've had my fill. We went to our 2 favorite places there...Cobalts and the Oyster House...and both did not disappoint. I believe Todd and I consumed close to 100 oysters over the week and Presley consumed probably as many crackers. I even got a "I'm impressed" by a waiter. I was so proud. Anyway, we beached it from 8-11am, then 2:30-5ish. Unfortunately, the warmth of outside made Nate's naps a little longer than the norm...therefore, his nighttime sleeping was a little less than the norm. So...Presley, Nate, and I were usually up and at 'em by 5am. One day he let us sleep until after 6, but another he graced us with a 4am wake up call. Thanks, Nate. But really, I liked getting at the beach early...not too hot and not too crowded. Presley only had one bonafide meltdown when I chose to stay in the condo one afternoon to give Nate some playtime. Gosh forbid I spend any time without her...and even worse...with Nate. Poor deprived child. We were packed up and headed back home on Wednesday at 7:15 (again, thanks to Nate). Presley provided some entertainment singing her 2 new favorite songs...the classic "Roxanne" and the Pitbull's "Hotel Room Service" (soon to be a classic, I'm SURE of it!). The overall trip was great...but, not at all relaxing. I think I'm going to have to change my definition of vacation for few years. Thank goodness I still have 3 more weeks at home to relax after my vacation.

Roxanne...

2009-09-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

A lot of time was spent in the Putnam mini over this past week. One of these times, Presley heard this song for the first time...now she's hooked.

da boy...

2009-09-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some of Nate's professionally taken newborn pics. I was very pleased with how they turned out. I'm starting to get comfortable with life with 2 kiddos, although it is VERY hectic. The kids and I made a trip to the delta last week and visited with a bunch of folks. Presley was WONDERFUL, so that was a nice little surprise. We are going to try to swing a trip to the beach next week...I'll let ya know how that turns out?!? Anyway, here are some tidbits about caring for an infant that I had forgotten:

1) I'm a bit obsessed with the frequency of his BMs.

2) I am very excited when there are coupons for diapers in the Sunday paper.

3) Breastfeeding hurts.

4) Quitting breastfeeding hurts even more...picture 3 sports bras with cabbage leaves sticking

out...it's attractive.

5) Formula is ridiculously expensive. A $2 coupon is not that big of a savings for what it costs. Send me some more samples, please...that may not actually save me more, but it seems like

it does.

5) 1 child can produce a whole load of laundry in one day...and folding itsy bitsy clothes is not

at all fun...and Nate has yet to offer up any help.

6) What's with all this spit up?!? YOU ARE HUNGRY...KEEP IT DOWN!

7) When he is sleeping, then startled, and he sticks his arms out like an enthusiastic preacher

man, i laugh every time.

peace out

FYI - Ashleigh Peak took my pics and I would DEFINITELY recommend her. If interested, go to www.ashleighpeakphotography.com.

matchy matchy

2009-08-28T13:14:00.001-07:00

So, I happened to dress both the kiddos in green yesterday, so saw a photo-op. Couldn't get them to both smile, of course, but the pics did turn out pretty cute.

kiddo pics

2009-08-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

How mom doesn't want you to eat a pb&j sandwich

pool break

the look of 104.5 fever...poor thing

snoozing

smiling

Living the Dream, Baby...

2009-08-10T17:30:00.001-07:00

So, this year's mother's day card from Todd had this lady sitting in a folding chair, feet in a kiddy pool, cocktail in hand, and says "living the dream, baby." We joke about it at least once a week. Anyway, here are some pics that fit the saying well...

baby nate pics

2009-08-02T12:45:00.001-07:00

http://ashleighpeak.squarespace.com/home/2009/8/2/baby-nate.html

click the link to see my precious boy.

basic math

2009-07-30T09:14:00.001-07:00

so, as i was showering this morning at 4:30am (because i wasn't sure i'd actually have time during the day, so why not go ahead and get that done?!?), i started to do some math in my head. if my child breastfeeds for ~ 40 minutes and then i pump for ~ 20 minutes and i do this every 2.5-3 hours...i'm spending about 8 hours every day being sucked on! doesn't that seem a little ridiculous? so...that, as well as all the other glorious stuff like diaper changes, burping, bathing, rocking, etc. is where all my time goes. i've been feeling unproductive at the end of the day, but this math helps me put things in perspective...

Putnam...Party of Four

2009-07-25T09:17:00.001-07:00

I obviously don't have much time or energy to write a lot, but wanted to update the blog and let everyone know that Nate has arrived. I must admit, as much as I hate being pregnant, I have been blessed two times with fairly easy births. This go-around, I was induced at 5:45am, water broke around 9:30, and baby Nate entered the world at 11:37. I did require 2 epidurals...and thought it was going to be 3, but he wiggled and poked and such that the 2nd finally started working 1 hour later...but, that is the ONLY thing I will complain about. The rest was absolutely no problem. Nathan Patrick Putnam was born 7/22/09 at 8 lbs 5 oz and 19.5 in. He has brown hair and dark blue eyes. He looks skinnier than Presley did, but he weighs more and is shorter...go figure?!? Here are some pics from the past couple of days.

Me and my ginormous belly

the fella has arrived

The updated Putnam Clan

Big Sister and Little Brother

blueberries

2009-07-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

my crazy head...

2009-06-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

So, I guess the pregnancy hormones are really getting to me because about 3 hours ago I cleaned up the house, took some pics, made a flyer, and stuck a for sale sign in the yard. Simple as that. Seriously, it is something Todd and I have been talking about for a while, so we figured...why not now? Here are my/our thoughts...

1) this is not the house we are going to be in long-term...so, I hate sinking money into it.

2) we will soon have 2 kids, 2 years apart. Instead of putting our money towards private school, it make more sense to spend the $ to move into a good neighborhood with good public schools. at least your money is going towards something tangible.

3) i want a pool. really. the apartment pool we've been visiting for the past 7 years is just plain grossing me out. we are lucky enough to have a neighbor with a super nice pool...and he is never there...so, when we can, we go over there and daydream that it is our house. really.

4) it may take us a while to get this off of our hands, anyway...so, lets just put it out there and see where it goes.

5) i will be closer to deli mexicana (this may actually be a financial burden, but i don't want to think about that right now).

6) mud island is just too convenient to work. not really...this is the only downside i can think of.

any input is appreciated. i realize i'm crazy.

cute presley pics

2009-06-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

the sunflower she got at the farmer's market

hanging out in the neighbor's hot tub

her morning make-up routine

riding the bike

2009-06-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

We're 2!

2009-06-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

Presley's 2nd birthday has come and gone...crazy?!? I can't believe my baby is 2...and I really can't believe baby #2 will be here so soon. Enjoy some party pics!

Presley and "Unkie" Bert

She snuck a taste before she blew out the candle.

Super cute cake...if you can't tell, it is a cabana with umbrellas, sand pails, and beach balls.

Presley and her big wheel

Making (and tasting) cupcakes for her party at school.

Oh how I love my minivan...let me count the ways:

2009-05-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

1) it seats 8...enough said.

2) when raining...you can park, easily climb in the back, undo the kiddo, and exit out the closest door.

3) back in the diaper-changing days...again, ample space to sprawl out and change.

4) it may not be legal, and it's definitely not safe, but when on a 9 hour trip with a child who prefers to potty every 1.5-2 hrs...set the potty down on my abundant floor space, unbuckle the kid, TT, wipe, put it in the trash bag, back in the seat, and keep on driving. Of course, there does need to be another adult in the car to help out...but, this was a huge time saver!

5) you can pack for vacation, seat yourself, hubs, and kiddo, carry 10 tomato cages to your father in law, and still have room to seat at least 3 more folks...maybe 4 if they are dieting.

6) super-sharp turning radius. breland can laugh all she wants about this...this mini will turn around on a dime...no more 3 point turns for me!

7) uh...electric doors. you don't know you need them until you have them. try being 7 months pregnant, groceries in one hand, 30 lb kid in the other, and then open the door...not gonna happen...but wait, oh, i can punch this little button and whalah...open sesame.

8) cup holders, cup holders, cup holders. i have 6 within my reach in the driver's seat. i haven't counted them all, but it is probably at least 100.

9) all seats are removable...all of them. i haven't had to use this nifty function, but i plan on it, even if i don't need to. the fact that i can load pretty much anything todd can in his big ole truck is very exciting to me.

10) on a similiar note, say you are sitting in the back and you don't want to eat your fast food out of your lap...oh, looky here, i can just pull this little lever and down comes the seat back, and i have a nice little serving tray (and cup holder, of course) right there.

11) lastly, the fact that i look so unbelievably cool is undeniable....undeniable.

Summer Vaca '09

2009-05-14T15:42:00.003-07:00

We headed to Orange Beach last week for a mini-vaca before #2 comes. We had never been and were pleasantly surprised...I'm pretty sure I tried to talk Todd into moving there at least 10 times...to no avail :( Anyway, we will definitely be back. Presley LOVED the water...at first, she preferred the pool over the ocean, only because the waves were a bit big on day 1...but, after she got used to it, she loved walking to the rocks, splashing, stepping on sand castles, and CONSTANTLY being able to wash her hands. For some reason, this kid loves to wash her hands, so when you can dip them in the sand, then immediately run to the water and wash them off...that is big fun. We ate a lot of good food...a lot. Presley and I treated ourselves to ice cream 3 nights in a row...and I didn't feel bad about it one bit. Enjoy the pics!

Presley and Daddy

Daddy building castles and Presley promptly stepping on them

The best restaurant BY FAR...Cobalt's

Cobalt's had this big fish tank...this is Pres looking at the fish and making her fish face.

LOVE

Oh...I forgot to mention sea shells...I think we picked up everyone of them!

I got down...not sure how I got up ;)

the sweet girl

on the "big rocks" with daddy

I tried to get her to pose...this is the best pic I got.

the weekend of potty

2009-04-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

Presley's Potty Training Rules

days 1-2: naked booty

afternoon of day 2: introduction to panties

evening of day 2: practice pulling down the panties (we still haven't gotten that completely)

day 3: stay outside most of the time so mommy doesn't have to clean up any accidents (she didn't have any, by the way!)

days 1-3: the almighty M&M reward

So, I was pleasantly surprised this weekend...we potty trained Presley with little problems at all. She was obviously "ready" because it was fairly simple. I just hope she stays this way through our welcoming the little boy...i've heard that they sometime revert back. Now, we will be transitioning her to her big girl bed next weekend...oh, how my baby is growing up!

Easter weekend

2009-04-17T18:12:00.001-07:00

The kids...we attempted to take cuter pics, but my child chose to look totally depressed in those, so this is the best I got?!?

Presley playing in Emma's car

Finally, she doesn't have to bug her daddy to wear his watch all the time.

"ooooh, right there"

She found them all!

Presley and Lilli Dawson

Lilli smiling

Presley smiling...of course, they couldn't smile in the same pic, that would just be too easy...

Lilli, Lawson, and Presley

Lawson Zepponi and Presley

ABC's, Row the Boat, and just being cute ;)

2009-04-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

Some updates...

2009-04-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

I finally got to see my doc today, and she did just what I've been hoping for...bumped me up a week! So...thank goodness...now, I'm due 7/26 (she won't let me go past this date secondary to this ginormous thing growing in my belly). However, this now makes me 1 week less prepared...which isn't that big of a deal, considering I've done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! We haven't named the darn fellow, haven't bought Pres new furniture so that she can move up and he can move in, haven't bought him any bedding, etc. The only thing I have done is bought one little pair of overalls. So, at least he'll look cute in his blue overalls and pink socks ;) She also recommended I start prenatal yoga for my sciatica. Uh...if any of you know me at all, I'm not quite the yoga type. So, I'm thinking I'll just start some stretching in the mornings and evenings...or, at least that's what I say I'm going to do. She was also quite shocked at the massive amount of weight I'm gaining compared to last time...ok, not her words exactly...but, that's what she meant when asking questions like, "you eat pretty healthy, right?"..."what was your starting weight, again?"..."maybe you should stop eating girl scout cookies for breakfast"...you get the point. Anyway...the point of all this rambling is to express my joy of being 1 week closer to ending this misery. Here are some pics that remind me that it's all worth it...

loving the slide

finally learning how to smile for the camera

besides playing outside, reading is by far her favorite thing to do

The girl counting...with 2 tries.

2009-03-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

I just figured out how to post a video...i'm quite proud of myself ;)

a boy?

2009-03-06T16:02:00.001-08:00

Yep, a BOY!!! What am I going to do with a boy? I'm still in shock?!?

and, some pic updates...

2009-03-01T18:44:00.001-08:00

I don't have much time or energy for a written update, but here are the latest pics of the girl...

First taste of snow ice cream...I think she likes it...

At the Little Gym for Connor's 2nd Birthday Party

All of the children sit in a circle...this is what my child does...

At Annellise's Birthday Tea Party

She loves the jewels.

...and the hats.

...and the make up.

snow day

2009-01-28T06:39:00.000-08:00

It snowed a whole 3/4 inch here in Memphis, so of course, the city shut down. Well, maybe not the city, but the schools. Unfortunately, Memphis city schools decided not to announce the closing until I was walking out the door, fully dressed, child in tow. But, at least we were up and dressed and got to go play in it before it melts, which it will do as soon as the sun comes up, I'm sure. For some reason, the munchkin had to have her glasses on?!?

Presley and her heels

2009-01-24T09:09:00.001-08:00

The child loves her heels, what can I say? She must know that they elongate the Putnam-Bell-not-so-long-legs. The funny thing is, every time she puts them on (which is pretty much nightly), she says they are "B-B's shoes." I guess I typically look frumpy and Breland is dressed up?!? This is also the child that told me I had a "big booty" last week. Good thing I'm not too sensitive!

Our Christmas Surprise

2009-01-10T04:57:00.001-08:00

You read right...number 2 is due Aug 2...but, I'm hoping for a week earlier like Presley ;)

Christmas '08

2009-01-03T06:07:00.000-08:00

Oh my...having 5 whole days off in a row felt like 1.5, but it was all worth it. We had a great holiday, without too much running around. I got off work on Tuesday, and came home to Clete, Ashley, Thomas, Lily, Emma Grace, PopPop, MeMaw, Todd and Presley...who had spent the day in Arkansas visiting Peggy's fam. So, Todd prepared us a yummy steak dinner, opened gifts, and stayed up way later than my usual bedtime. Todd, Presley, and I got up bright and early to head to Inverness to visit my dad, then on to Cleveland for lunch and gifts with my mom's side of the fam. Then, back home that evening for our first Christmas night at home in quite sometime. Presley let us sleep in a bit, I'm sure she was just beat from the 2 previous days of traveling. She came down to all of her new gifts and was really excited. She didn't really "get" Christmas, but she loves toys, so it was fine with her. Hope you enjoy the pics, and I hope everyone had a happy holiday!

good river pics

2008-11-25T19:03:00.001-08:00

These pics were taken a couple of weeks ago...before the temperature dropped a good 30 degrees. They turned out pretty good so wanted to share.

Learning to smell the flower...not sure if we actually sniffed, but we definitely liked sticking our nose in it.
Making the trip up the hill...you'd think that would be relatively hard for her, but she had no problem.
This is a cool pic of Todd looking at the river. I don't quite have the photographer-gene, but I thought this turned out pretty good.

Learning to blow bubbles...she got pretty good at it after she stopped trying to eat it?!?

getting in the christmas spirit

2008-11-25T19:00:00.001-08:00

Can you tell she is saying, "ho, ho, ho" with her bubble hair and beard? Too cute! If only she could stay in the tub...she'd be happy all the time :)

what age group do i fall in?

2008-11-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

So, it's that time of year...shopping for that something special for the ones you love...AND answering all those questions about what YOU want for Christmas. My husband wants to know what I want for my "big" gift. After weeks of thinking, I have come up with 2 options.

1. a Wii 2. a sewing machine

After sharing these with my dear husband, he then laughed...hard. I do realize that these are pretty much total opposite gifts, but I think I'd enjoy both of them. I'm leaning towards the sewing machine, though. It's crazy that almost all of my friends don't have a clue how to sew, but almost all of our moms do. Am I the only one that thinks that's odd. Assuming that Presley will have the short leg to long body ratio like Todd and I, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to hem a pair of pants. Todd and I alone would save a bunch...that's 10-15 bucks a pair?!? Even more...I may actually figure out something cute and crafty to do with it. So, feel free to share your thoughts...

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-02T06:24:00.001-08:00

Presley had her first trick-or-treating Halloween this year. We went to all of 4 houses, and asked for just 1 piece at each house. Maybe it's horrible, or maybe it's good, but I've never given my child candy. So, she ate 2 suckers and 2 smarties (I may have slipped a piece or 2) in one night. I'm not sure if it is related or not, but she would not eat any "real" food yesterday, so no more candy for quite some time. Anyway, we did have a big time and she really enjoyed it. She would even keep her pig head on for most of the night. Oh, and what a good move I made getting her "mo bucket"...we are a big fan of Elmo right now. Enjoy the pics.

Presley the pig and Marley the loaf of Wonderbread. Too cute!

zoo love

2008-10-21T19:08:00.001-07:00

Hippo Love
Monkey Love
Giraffe Love

recent pics

2008-10-21T19:04:00.001-07:00

Presley and Daddy with one of her favorite animals
Daddy is so funny!
I see the polar bear!
Tailgaiting with Pop
a cute shot down by the river

and this little piggy went wah, wah, wah all the way home!

2008-10-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

Presley's cute Halloween costume came in...and cute it was...but, Presley did not agree. Ha! Notice daddy laughing in the background...that didn't help too much?!?

what does an elephant say?

2008-10-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

weekend pics

2008-10-05T15:13:00.001-07:00

I love ice!

feeding my baby

my bed-head
notice the tacky shoes, I got them on sale for 'playing-outside-shoes'...and, of course, she loves them!

the pumpkin Presley and PopPop carved

when all is quiet...

2008-10-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

so, i sit here this evening at the desk, checking my email...nothing new. then, after a minute or two, i notice that all is quiet. the sun is down, and the lights in the other rooms are off, so i wonder, where is my child? i check behind the couch, no presley...i check in her room, no presley...then, as i walk in to the hall i here some movement in the bathroom. i flip on the lights, and here is what i find....

too cute!

She has a lot to say...

2008-09-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Lately, Presley has A LOT to say...some of it makes sense...some of it, not so much. But, either way, she is mighty cute!

The Mini - Petting Zoo

2008-09-29T05:15:00.000-07:00

The mini-petting zoo came to Presley's school on Friday...so, that was a lot of fun....mostly playing with the dropped food on the ground, but also seeing the animals. Of course, in typical first-time-mom fashion, I dressed Presley up in one of her cute smocked dresses that morning, because I knew I'd be taking pictures of her that afternoon. Uh...note to self...put the child in cute clothes right before you want the picture. I showed up that afternoon to find her in her too-tight extra outfit. Yes, my dear child decided to smear her lunch all over her dress...and on her socks...let's not miss one inch. So, please excuse the tackyness of these pics ;)

too cute not to share

2008-09-22T18:58:00.001-07:00

so my child is OBSESSED with shoes...really. no matter what she's into, she'll come running if you mention putting on her socks and shoes. she has gotten pretty good at putting them on herself. i thought she was so smart that she has never put them on the wrong feet...i just figured she realized the difference. well, obviously she was just getting lucky all those times, because she proved me wrong tonight. i took a few pics, but then noticed how absolutely funny her legs were in the pic...had to share...

yawn!

2008-09-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

i still haven't recovered from the weekend, so hopefully i'll be hitting the sheets soon...but, figured i'd download and post some pics. todd, presley, and i headed to chattanooga this weekend and stayed with seth and his family. the adults headed to knoxville saturday morning to see the gators chomp upside that volunteer head (i'm still a tad excited from the game...todd would be so excited that i just said that ;) anyway, we had a great time, but quite a long journey for just a weekend. not much else going on. monday is down, just 4 more days to go to the weekend! enjoy the pics.

gator girl

2008-09-06T18:31:00.001-07:00

vacation

2008-09-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we went through Gustav with no problems. Actually, we didn't even see much of it. We arrived in Destin on Sunday afternoon and the waves were big...that was great, because we watched some guys surfing. The next morning, Gustav was nearing, so it rained on and off. Luckily, a friend of mine lives in Panama City, about 50 miles east, and she said it wasn't even raining there and they were heading to the pool...so, we headed to Panama City. We lounged by the pool all day and watched football that evening. Tuesday through Friday were beautiful...absolutely perfect, not a drop of rain and sunny. We beached it, shopped a tad, ate a lot of seafood, and slept at least 10h a night...did I mention we decided not to take Presley! Ha! Really, it was a true vacation and we got a lot of much needed sleep. We also had some Memphis friends in Destin, too...so, we had plenty of folks to play with and had so much fun! Our trip home was not quite as fun, as we had a 2h delay in Magee MS with a dead battery. It could have been better, but it could have been a lot worse...so, I won't complain too much. It is nice to have to 2 days to recover and rest from the travel...and get some quality time with my girl.

peek-a-boo

2008-08-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

instead of exercising...

2008-08-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

I have chosen to update my blog. One thing I have learned about being a working mom is that I am very lucky if I exercise 2 days a week. You heard me, my current goal is to do 2 days a week...and, I am failing?!? The girl who used to run hours in a day, is not even running an hour a week. Oh well, I'll chose this life over that one any day.

Not too much going on in our lives. We are trying to get new carpet put down, however Lowe's is making it hard on us. Who knew that when they said in 5 business days that they actually meant 22. Silly me!?! Of course, Todd wants me to cancel the order and take our business elsewhere...but, that means I would have to load up the child on Saturday and spend my free time picking out carpet...again! After the 3 trips and 4 hours I spent in Lowe's surveying everyone that went by on which one they thought would look the best, AND be good for a 1 year old and a dog, I finally made a decision. I do not want to do that again...so, I'll just wait my 22 days.

I made an impromptu trip "home" (aka the delta) last weekend. Bert and fam decided to go see our granddad in Cleveland, so I hated to pass up the opportunity to see them. It was a nice day trip. Todd is happy because my last 2 trips, I haven't come back begging to move. Yes, ever since Presley was born, I just wanted to move home. Todd did not agree. But, he just listened to me whine and cry after every trip. But, now, I have changed my mind. It's nice and all, and I wouldn't mind the move, but I'm feeling a bit more content here so I think I'll stay put...for now.

We are planning our first summer vacation in 2 years. We are headed to Destin the week of Labor Day. We are still debating over taking Presley or not. Here are my thoughts. A couple that lives down the street and has a baby girl (just a few months) are going to be there, too. So, we could take Presley and trade nights in and out, one couple keeping the babies, then maybe girls out one night, boys, etc. I know she would like the beach...but, she'd like anywhere, for that matter. I just can't decide?!? I know I will miss her like crazy, but it also won't be a total "vacation" with her. We obviously won't take her skiing this winter, so in that respect, I want to take her on this trip. AARRGGHH! You see where my head is. I just can't make a decision. Any recommendations are welcome!

I guess I'll wrap things up and go tidy up before bed. Here are some pics.

home today with a semi-sick child

2008-07-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm home today! Presley was sent home from day care yesterday with a fever, so she can't come in today. I'm about 99% sure she is teething, and that is the culprit, but we're going to go into the walk-in clinic this morning just to make sure. To be honest, having a little time off is nice. I had a super busy weekend traveling to Murphreesboro for my friend Kim's wedding. It was really nice and everything went well, but it wore me out. I needed to be there @ 1130 on Friday morning...so, I had to leave the house at about 6:45 that morning in order to swing Presley by Holly Springs to drop her off with the Putnams (they met me half way, thank goodness). I got home about 1230 on Sunday, but Todd didn't get home until 215 ish, since he had to pick her back up on the way home. Anyway, we were beat! But, I am glad Presley is finally showing some signs of teeth. She got her first 6 right around when she was supposed to, but then they just stopped. I think she is supposed to have 4 on the bottom and her 1st set of molars right now?!? She never really teethed before, they just showed up. So, maybe they are all coming in at one time and it's causing her some pain...I'm new to this, so I don't really know. Well here are some pics.

busy, busy, busy!!!

2008-06-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been neglecting my page...this working-mom stuff is hard! I don't really have much new stuff to report. Presley is into EVERYTHING...but, what's new? Her vocabulary is finally expanding a bit...ball, bottle (for her baby doll), and hey (to everyone she passes by). PopPop, MeMaw, Clete, Ashley, Thomas, Lily, and Emma Grace all came this weekend. We had a big time and got some cute pics.

a day at the zoo

2008-06-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, this is my last week at home. This has been a great year, but it's time to go make some money. I will be heading back to the VA next Monday and Presley will be headed back to school full time. I'm sure it will be hard, but I'm actually looking forward to getting back into a schedule. So, this week I made a list of things to do...and I've done everything with a day to spare! Todd called it my "list of frivolous thing to do." I have gotten a pedicure, gone to see Sex and The City movie, updated my photo album, gone to the mall to take back some of Prelsey's clothes that didn't fit, gotten my oil changed (see, all things weren't frivolous!), and finally...today, we went to the zoo!

My friend, Meg, her 9 1/2 month old son, Jackson, Presley, and I met at the zoo @ 10. This was not Presley's first visit, because for some reason Todd and I took her when she was 6 weeks old...I'm sure she has fond memories of it. Anyway, this was the first visit where both of them could at least see moving creatures in front of them. Of course, Presley called almost everything a dog. She is big into pointing right now, so that's really all we did. I'd pick her up out of her stroller, she'd point at it, maybe say "dog", then I'd put her right back in the stroller, and we were on our way. The best part was the polar bears. I'd seen them before, but they were just sitting there. But, this time they were having a big time. They were wrestling with each other, diving off the rock, and playing with the ball. It was a lot of fun, I could have watched them for an hour! However, that was the time that Presley decided she wanted to take her nap...figures. All and all, we had a great day...we ended up staying until after 2! And, we got some cute pics of the kids...especially since Meg and Jackson are moving in 1 month :(

family reunion and a sick baby

2008-06-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we headed down to Batesville for the Putnam family reunion. It was perfect weather, so the kids spent most of the time in their swimsuits playing water games. Emma Grace is getting so big...I think she'll be walking in the next month or 2, and she has quite a little personality...so, I predict she is going to be trouble. I kidded with Ashley and Clete that she was going to corrupt my sweet Presley. No, really, I'm so glad they are so close in age...they are going to have a lot of fun together.

Then, this past weekend, Presley had a stomach bug...which lead to a horrible case of diaper rash. You know, the best thing for diaper rash is fresh air...yet, that is hard to do when your child has diarrhea...but, last night, we let her run free in the yard for a couple of hours and it REALLY helped. Her little bum looks so much better today! I know that is probably more information that most would like to hear...but, I needed to explain the pics...and, I would assume most parents totally understand.

Enjoy the pics!

Oh my....

2008-05-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

I survived this weekend! It was very hectic...and I finally got my first good night's sleep last night, so figured I'd update my blog.

For starters, Presley had been very sick with a sinus infection. But, Friday she woke up and could actually open both eyes, so we decided to head to the delta for Trevor's class day. It was a lot of fun...wills, slide shows, etc. Presley was squirmy as usual, so we spent most of our time in the corner of the gym playing. But, when the lights went off and music started for the slide show, Presley went fast asleep...it was so sweet!

After getting back to Memphis, Todd said he'd keep Presley and let me mosey down to BBQ fest for a bit...which ended up being a late night. Todd worked on Saturday and Presley woke up bright and early (as expected)...So, that was night 1 of little sleep.

Saturday morning, I had to bake the 2 layers of Presley's cake. The first layer messed up, so it was trashed. But, thank goodness, the next 2 tries were successful. Then, while the cakes were cooling, Presley and I headed to a friends Crawfish Party. I only planned on staying a little while, but it was so much fun we stayed for 3 hours! There were a lot of other children and toys and Presley had a big time!

So, back to the house about 6:30...time to finish that darn cake. I had to make the fresh strawberry filling, make the icing, put it together, ice and decorate it. That was all finished around 11. So, I headed to bed. Around 1:30 I woke up, totally awake. I think it was a combination of being anxious about Presley's party the next day and the fact that I drank 3 sodas on Saturday (I rarely have caffeinated drinks, let alone 3 in one day?!?). I laid there until about 3, then decided this was crazy...I was awake, I might as well get up and get ready for the party. So...that's what I did. I blew up balloons, cleaned up, got out my serving dishes and arranged them, etc. Around 5am I realized there wasn't too much more I could do at the time, so I tried to go back to sleep. I think I got another 30 minutes to an hour, and just got up again. Cleaned some more, started cooking, thawed the punch, etc, etc, etc....

So, before I knew it, folks were showing up at my door. We had such a good turn out and everything was great! Presley was in a pretty good mood, all food was good, cake got rave reviews, she got some great gifts, and she had such a great time! Aimee, Bert, Harper, Annellise, Raanne, Philene, Grandaddy Bell, PopPop, and Memaw were all here. Plus, the majority of our Memphis friends showed up. So, I'm thinking we had around 40-50 people! After everyone filtered out, I cleaned up for a while (yet, somehow the house is still messy?!?), then just relaxed. Todd told me to take a nap, but I declined because I didn't want to mess up the perfect night of sleep I was going to get. I started watching Desperate Housewives, thinking it would end at 9 and I would head to bed...then I realized it was the season finally and it went until 10. I struggled through it and my head hit the pillow at 10:01 thinking I was about to get the best sleep of my life. Silly me. At 11:30, I woke and knew I was about to be sick. Todd was upstairs playing the play station. I managed to make it up there to tell him...which I try to do since I have this crazy fainting problem (I didn't faint, thank goodness). 2 hours later and 10 pounds lighter, I made it to bed. So, I got about 5 hours of sleep that night.

Needless to say, I had a very lazy Monday. Presley had to go to school at 10 because she is moving to another class and needed to do her visit. She visits for an increasing amount of time everyday for 2 weeks, then officially moves to the 'walkers' class. So, I had the day to myself. Todd and I grabbed lunch at Mrs. Cordelia's, then I headed to the pool with Maggie (my friend that is about to pop...she is definitely having that baby this week!). Why I only put sun screen on my face, I do not know, because now I have a white face and bright red body...only on the front that is. It's very attractive.

I went to get Presley from daycare, for her 4:00 appt for her 1 year check-up. Everything was fine. She is meeting or exceeding all of her milestones. She was 22.9 lbs (75th percentile) and I can't remember the length (but I know it was right above the 50th percentile). She got her 3 shots like a champ....cried for a second, then is totally over it. She's a tough kid! So, we headed home and had a lazy afternoon. And, finally, I got my good night's sleep last night 8 and 1/2 hours!!! Whoo Hoo!!!

Here are some weekend pics...

a beautiful weekend

2008-05-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

We had some beautiful weather in Memphis this weekend. So much so, we couldn't resist going to the park on both Saturday and Sunday. Presley got to swing and play in the rocks for the first time. She had gone down a slide before and really liked it, but she liked playing in the rocks most of all! We also blew some bubbles...big fun!

Planning the party

2008-05-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that planning a first birthday party would be so labor-intensive? What to serve...what to give as favors...do we need hats...do we need big AND small plates...etc, etc, etc. Whew...it is fun, though. I sent out the invites today. They ended up really cute. I'm going to attempt to make the cake myself. I did a "practice cake" a week or so ago and it turned out pretty good. I figure polka-dots couldn't be that hard...and it wasn't. I'm not saying it looks professional, but it definitely looks good enough!

Todd and I went on a mini-vacation this past weekend...up to St. Louis and saw a Cardinals game. It was really good...they won, had a couple of home runs, and a fight. Our plan was to see 2 games, but the temp really dropped and the Monday night game was supposed to be 35 degrees...NO THANK YOU! So, we headed back a day early...which worked out really well. Holly had just delivered her little girl in Oxford. I had to go pick Presley up in Batesville, so we just scooted right on over to Oxford and met baby JoAnna. Who would have thought itsy-bitsy Holly would have an 8 lb 10 oz child...a week early! Despite a rough delivery, JoAnna is a beautiful baby.

Here are some pics of Presley playing outside today. She is so sweet!

2008-04-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

The weather is wonderful here. Todd and I are trying to get the yard looking halfway presentable for Presley's birthday party next month...we'll see what we accomplish in the next couple of weeks. The previous owner over-landscaped, so we last week we had several bushes and trees taken up. We were going to lay sod today, but went to the store to get it and it looked horrible. So, we'll wait another week or 2 and see if some new, healthier grass comes in. We did plant our mini-garden, though. We have about 5 tomato plants, a few green peppers, a orange pepper, squash, and eggplant...yum!

Presley is a real walker these days. She obviously hasn't perfected it, but she is feeling a lot more confident. Todd and I crack up watching her. She has also started saying "uh-oh"...so, whenever something is dropped (or thrown, for that matter), you here her "uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh." Here are some pics out enjoying the weather yesterday and one from this morning.

I spoke too soon...we're walking!

2008-04-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well, just a couple of days ago I mentioned that Presley was not interested in walking...well, she made a liar of me. This weekend she started taking a couple of steps at a time, and today she will take several...getting halfway across the room! Todd was off today, so we both got to witness it. Here are some pics. We are so excited!

a taste of having 2 children...

2008-04-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

I kept my friend Meg's little one last night. Jackson is 8 months old and is Presley's first boyfriend. Of course they got hungry for supper at the same time...so Presley was in her chair, Jackson was on the table in the bumbo seat, and I had a spoon in each hand. I'm pretty sure I never want twins ;) But, they played and had a big time. Here are some pics.

Again, I know...

2008-04-11T12:12:00.001-07:00

Ok, I realize I've done 3 posts in the last few minutes...I don't fully know what I'm doing. I thought I'd actually write some stuff this time.

Our sweet Presley is just a month away from being 1 year old! I can't believe it. She is so fun! She just got her 5th tooth this week. She is eating so many new foods. Daycare fed her a breaded chicken patty and beans the other day! I was shocked, but now that she finally has some teeth, she can eat most foods. She is very "healthy"...I'm guessing somewhere between 22-23 lbs. I thought she would be walking by now, since she has done most physical stuff early, but she is just not interested. She scales the walls and furniture and sometimes stands on her own, but no real steps, yet. She is definitely Todd's child...what I mean is FEARLESS! Why would you sit and slowly rock on your horsy when you can stand up on the seat and rock so hard it almost tips over? Philene would have a fit...she will probably run out and buy her a helmet as soon as she reads this! Ha! She pushes any object she can up to the couch so she can use it as a stepping stool to get up there. After taking a few tumbles, she has learned how to stay on the couch/bed. She also sleeps just like her dad. No problem what so ever...put her in bed, throw on her blanket Mary Jane made, and she immediately rolls over and goes to sleep. Really, though, she is such a good child and Todd and I were definitely blessed!

Easter '08 Pics

2008-04-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here we go...

2008-04-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm straying from the myspace world to try out this blog stuff. My sister-in-law has had one for a while, and a friend of mine just started one...so, why not me? Bare with me while I try to figure this stuff out?!?