and this too shall pass...

So I am happy to report that JD's mood has improved. I'm telling you what, last week was ROUGH! Like tackle football with no pads rough!! I even found myself second guessing if I could handle another baby! I know...shame on me. Thursday night JD woke up (again) and I cried!! Jimmy woke up quick and asked me what was wrong...I screamed "I'm a bad mother!! I'm so awful, I can't even go in there and look at JD's face right now. I'm sooo tired the thought of even having to hold him makes me want to scream!!!" Of course, this is after JD didn't (wouldn't-refused) to go to bed until after 11:00 (3 hours past our normal bed time) only to wake up 4 hours later! Luckily, my wonderful husband got up with him and I slept. Well, after I too had to get up and eat myself a hot pocket because after listening to him cry for 10 minutes I was starving! How many more months do I have left???

Friday night was our annual Christmas party. It was a blast as usual. We had about 40 guests and after dinner (ham, turkey, dressing, green beans, purple hull peas, rolls, sweet potatos, etc - all the trmmings) we had a gift exchange!!! There are few things funnier than watching a bunch of guys (there were a few more guys than girls) get all riled up over a few Christmas gifts!!

Saturday night my beautiful, wonderful, most-important-woman in my life, mother took JD for the evening! What a treat!! Jimmy had all these plans to go to dinner and see a movie, but instead we oredered take out and watched a movie at home. It was more than wonderful! Thank you mama...I needed it!!!

So here we are...7 days away from Christmas and I can't wait! I'm just so excited to see JD open his gifts this year!! He's got several I know he'll love!! The best being the golf clubs Jimmy bought him. They are a real set of clubs in a real, looks-like-daddy's bag!! I'm blessed to have a husband who can't wait to share his passion for golf with his son!! He's already made plans to take him out to the range to hit balls. After all, Phil Mickelson began hitting balls on the range when he was 2 years old, or so Jimmy says!! All I can think is...a few hours of sanity for myself!!

My Dislikes...

Yes...I realize this is my 3rd post in one day, but now I'm venting....

I've had a rough few days...I'm tired and grumpy...someone has replaced my sweet boy with a whiner...here I go...

I dislike:

- sippy cups - I realize that every mom who raised kids prior to 1993 is booing me but I'm sorry, sippy cups are NOT suppose to leak. They are suppose to save your carpet and furniture from apple juice! I used to believe this at one time. I even remember having a conversation with another mommy friend (I know...the joys of motherhood conversations) about sippy cups. She was complaining about them leaking and I'm thinking to myself that apparently you aren't buying the right kind because mine never leak. Ha - 2 new couch stains, one ottoman stain, 2 chair stains, and 2 carpet stains later - THEY LEAK!!! If yours don't now, give it a week!!!

- grocery shopping (with JD) - Like I mentioned before, my sweet, take-anywhere, happy-go-lucky, baby boy has disappeared and been replaced with a sweet (sometimes), take to the park ONLY, happy to whiny in 3 seconds toddler!!! I made it through a third of my shopping trip when JD became everything I'd ever read about toddlers in grocery stores. He wanted everything in sight (hotdogs, apples - which he won't swallow, only chews then spits out, cereal, waffles, biscuits) and voiced this to the entire store. I was that mom getting those awful stares!!

- old food in the fridge - I know this is a given, but I could handle old food before being preggo but not now. After emptying an old (by old I mean OLD) container of guacamole I proceeded to puke up my entire subway-like (I made it and it was delicious) sandwich and 20 puff cheetos in the kitchen sink. All the meanwhile Jimmy watching me. When I finished he had the nerve to say, "Next time why don't you just have me do that" NEXT TIME...are you kidding me???

- sales people in parking lots - I am loading enough food to feed a small army into the back of my car, JD is now eating a sticker that the checker gave him, my phone is ringing, and it's starting to sprinkle and this guy comes up to me trying to sell some window decorations. After I've loaded nearly all my groceries he offers to help. I smile and say I can manage the last two, thanks. He contines with his speech. I know it was a fund-raiser of some sorts, but seriously...don't they teach you who to approach and who not to. A mother with groceries and a child eating stickers in the rain is probably not the best choice!

- my water fountain - We have one of those water tanks that you put the five gallon water bottles on. I LOVE the water and drink a lot of it. However, I am not the only one. JD has taken a liking to the water tank as well. He likes it so much that he fills anything that will hold water up. Jimmy asked me earlier today, "Why are there 3 cups of water in the fridge?" I explained that I refuse to throw away the water NOT because it's expensive but because it takes him a week to get the bottle refilled and that JD keeps filling different containers up. In the last 24 hours I have found the following full of water: a LARGE cup, the dogs bowl, a lego, a bath toy, a decorative Christmas box, a flipflop (I'm not sure where he was going with that) and the top to a marker. As funny as this may sound...it's quite messy!!!

Even though he's a mess....how can you not love this face??

Uh-oh...I better hide!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot like Christmas...

Yea...it's my FAVORITE TIME of year!! I literally wait all year to decorate and it begins ASAP. I normally start the evening of Thanksgiving, but this year we were out of town so I got it all done the day we got home!! I love everything about Christmas. I love the smell, the colors, the cheeriness and most of all the REASON. It took us a little longer to get out tree this year because we were gone several weekends in a row, but it's finally up!!! We started a new tradition this year by cutting our Christmas tree down. We've always had live trees but we usually just pick them up at the garden center. This year my mom, Tim, Shan, Matt, Susan, Jimmy, JD and I, and our friends Kate and John went to the Christmas Tree Farm and cut one down. We had such a wonderful time. JD loved the farm animals they had and really enjoyed the tractor ride. As adventurous as it sounds, cutting down your own tree really isn't all that difficult. The people at the farm take you on a tractor hayride to the trees, drop you off, give you the saw, and then pick up the tree once its down. I was a little worried because my dear hubby isn't one for sawing, but I was really impressed. It took all I had not to attack him then and there in front of family!!!

FuFu (Jimmy's mom) and JD

If we aren't going on the ride yet, can I pleeease have some more hot cocoa???

Dada and JD picking out a tree

We finally made it home with one 8-1/2 foot tree and one poinsetta. Jimmy had a busy weekend because we are having our annual Christmas parrty next weekend, so he was busy in the garage while I decorated. Of course this took a trip to Target because I got mad at our lights last year and threw them all away after Christmas. So 3 new strands later, our tree is up and decorated!!

BEFORE JD got a hold of it (see bellow)

JD's tree in his room

This Christmas has already been a little different because JD is almost 2. As fun as it is, it's also a bit harder. Yesterday the following Christmas decorations were broken....
- a glass bowl and all 12 ornaments inside
- 3 glass ornaments taken from the tree and thrown across the kitchen floor
- a minature snowman from the fireplace

I'm not sure if our dustpan has ever been used so many times in one day!!!

Anyways...we are ready for Christmas in this house!!! I love this time of year....

Will I Ever Slow Down?

For some strange reason I am running in this new race and this stinks because I don't like to run. I have titled it...Who Can Finish 2006 First? I am pretty sure somehow I am a few days ahead of everyone else. I can't seem to slow down. I am going non-stop and I'm getting a wee bit worn out. Since my last update...life has only gotten crazier. Where do I start??

The family is great. JD is changing so much. He's talking up a storm. I understand a lot, and I can figure out for the most part what he wants on a daily basis. Here are some of his newest requests:

- "HELP Peeeeseeee!!" He gets frusterated and starts whining so I say, "JD use your words, tell mommy you need help." So now it comes out in a shriek but he does say peeeessse!!!
- "Unt Juice" This is I want juice or sometimes I hear "Unt Inlk" which is milk!! It's sooo cute!!
- "I wide it" I can thank my mom and Shan for this one. He loves riding on your back around the house like a horse and this is how he tells me. Once he's on he says, "Yee Haw"
- When he asks for something I ask him what he's suppose to say and he always says, "TankToo" and then I say no, say please first. Then when he gets his wish he says, "TankToo Elcome" together. It's hilarious!!!
- "Sorry Baby" He says this anytime he hurts you or pushes you away.

There are several more...but these are the cutest right now!! I love the talking stage (most of the time)!

I think he's also hitting a growth spurt, or atleast I hope so!! He's eating like crazy and not sleeping so well! We'll see...Jimmy and I have been spoiled rotten because JD has always been a great sleeper. He started sleeping throught the night at 3-1/2 months and hasn't ever stopped (I know...you hate me). Anyways...you get use to this to say the least, and now that he wakes up every morning between 5:30 and 6 and cries for 20 minutes had kinda thrown me off. Luckily, the last 3 nights he's gone back to sleep for several hours. We'll get through this...

The other big news for those who don't already know...I am pregnant again. Jimmy, JD, and I wlecome the newest member to this crazy family in July. We are so excited, but I'm already tired of being pregnant. If I could just go longer than and hour and a half without eating I'd be thrilled!!! But...no, as of right now I eat at least every 2 hours and by eat, I do mean a meal not a snack!! Ugh...Dear Santa, please send mommy a chef for Christmas!!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We spent it in Mississippi with Nana and PawPaw. We all just love it there. These are my grandparents for those who don't know the meaning behind Nana and PawPaw. They have a beautiful house with a yard that can't br throughly explored in just one day. JD had so much fun and misses his Nana and PawPaw so much. Luckily we will see them the day after Christmas!!! Here are a few photos from our Thanksgiving...

JD at the Olive Branch park with the ducks, which he loved!!!

JD sliding...wheee!

JD with his Nana

JD and ToDo on Thanksgiving

JD and his Uncle Matt

JD and his Aunt ShanShan


A few days after getting home from Thanksgiving, we headed to Green Bay. For those of you who don't know, I don't do the whole winter thing. I live in Houston, cold is 55 in January!! So, Green Bay was beautiful but our relationship ends there, I'd rather keep it a summer romance! I saw snow for the first time ever and it was beautiful, cold, but beautiful. JD didn't think that highly of it though...too cold for him too!!! We went and saw Brett Favre get spanked by the NY Jets in a negative 6 degree Lambeau Field!! Jimmy's brother lives there and we dod have a good time, but I was so happy to return home. Believe me, the Houston cold weather welcomed me home nicely when we got off the plane!!!

JD eating his first and possible ONLY snow ball.

Our Happy (cold) Family