Tickle boy has a pillow

Brock is saying "tickle-tickle" all the time. I have been calling him Tickle. He has also been walking EVERYWHERE. He won't stay in the office at the shop. I have at least one scare a day where he gets out and I find him walking down one of the rows of furniture. He has also recently acquired a pillow of his sisters. Let me tell you why this is especially NOT cool. It is a 10" x 12" purple tinkerbell pillow. He carries it around the house. Throws it. Sleeps with it. Matt will aggravate him by holding it and saying "look what I have" to which he laughs and has to immediately go and take it away. It is so funny. I am really enjoying him at this age. He is such a little chubby cuddler. I always think he is my little buddy,riding on momma's hip. I know that is how I felt about Arden at his age too and it is such a sweet time. It is nice because she is at school and I still have a baby around. I am wondering how I will feel when they are both in school. I imagine I will feel very liberated and at the same time really miss having a little toddling baby or a little someone to talk to and teach stuff to.

Arden is in school now 4 days a week. She has the most amazing teachers. We were talking when i dropped her off the other morning and they were informing me that Arden and another little girl are the Chiefs of their class. They dictate the mood of the other kids--they are best friends one day and at each others throat the next. I knew there was a reason I immediately liked the other little girl (Cooper) when I went in for the Halloween Party. Arden has another big program coming up on Dec 16th so I am sure that will be soooo cute. They always sing at Christmas. I think we have decided to keep Arden back and let her be oldest in her kindergarten class.I was going to send her next year but I think we both aren't ready. She still occasionally complains about having to get up and go to school everyday (only 4 days). I don't want her to start out disliking school. She also really needs work on her letters. i have been working with her at home on them too. She is also getting a little "smart mouth" lately. She has gotten a few spankings lately for asking me "why" when i ask her to do something. Or telling me what to do in a catty teenager voice. That does not go over well with me. I think we are just in the beginnings of that. I am also trying to teach her a little about keeping Private parts "Private". She just thinks they are too funny and has no shame. She thinks the word "weiner" is so funny (and it is) and she likes to say it alot--Loudly. Not good.
We are gearing up for Christmas. I am done shopping for the kids and have most things wrapped. I also did a huge closet clean out so they actually have room for new toys. It is really going to be a fun one this year. I still need to take Arden to Rock City Garden of Lights. I just might keep boy home since it has been so cold. We also have a mother/daughter date night to see Tangled this friday and I have been looking forward to it all week. Well, I better go blogger friends-everyone is in bed but me.

Santa Clause is coming to town

Okay so I am going to have to do a HUGE catch up blog later. Still want to update everyone on the disney trip and all that stuff. For now we are all decorated for Christmas. No outside decor--boo! Matt does not like outside decorations or maybe he likes them but when he is home that is not how he wants to spend his time. I would just love it(not this year) if we came home to the outside of the house looking like a multi-colored candycane cottage. ha! I know, I am just a kid at heart. Arden has her tree up with glittery pink and purple ornaments. It is freezing out and I have been trying to ween myself off wanting starbucks every single day just because it is festive time! I promise next post will showcase tree pics. Charging camera as we speak.

Found and awesome deal from Shutterfly for all you other bloggers out there.

http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/



I am hoping to get some free cards so that I can order more holiday presents.

busy fall

You know for everyone fall is just sooooo busy! We are no exception. I am back to living by the day planner. October is the most crazy month. We are planning a disney trip first of november and I have been counting down the days. It is a surprise for Arden and it is my bday/anniversary present. Baby is staying home with mom and dad. We have been camping. I have been out of town and spent one night away from the Boy. I weened the boy right around 13months. I survived all these events with very little crying. We got some family pictures made. www.photosbysamtilley.com---- password Beach70. We went to a Tennessee ball game. Matt has traveled tons. I have been doing bootcamp. We have carved pumpkins and had countless bday parties-all at home. I am hoping once things slow down for us some--November--I am going to get the house all in order and rearrange the kids rooms since Brock is now sleeping in Arden's bed and she is sleeping most nights on the couch. She is just crazy. We hated her walking up and down the stairs at night or yelling for us and waking her brother--who most of the time never wakes up. Anyway, we are just enjoying the kiddos. They are such a blessed and so adorable. Life is crazy but Good Crazy.

approaching 1

So the boy will be 1 on Friday. Time has flown by, as you can tell by the fewer and fewer posts. My boy is mobile and I have all i can handle with getting my work done before he finds something to hurt himself with or destroy. just one of the differences in little boys. OR just the difference in my boy and girl. I am trying not to be too sappy lately about Brock growing up.I am so bad about Arden --I think I just use it up on her. She got her first pair of real tennis shoes the other day and I almost had a cry thinking how big she looked. Not to mention she had went up 2 sizes in shoes. I am trying to enjoy this awesome fall weather and make the most of it. Matt and I are headed to UT to see the Vols play this weekend. Our first day away from kids. woohoo! Thought I would have time to post more but have to get out of work now. Hopefully more soon.

ephanies

So i got the plam pre plus and since then i do alot of my facebook/email from my phone and that means I don't have much time on my desktop to blog. We had an awesome second week of vacation, Arden turned 4, mom and I caught up all of our book work for the shop, we went to the aquarium.....too much to catch up on. One of the best things that has happened is that my hubby and I have been really working on our communication. Most of you know that he travels all the time and sometimes it seemed like we were living in 2 different worlds. We didn't really like it but once we got used to it we went into survival mode. I am serious that we could go a whole week and barely even say hey on the phone. We were both just going through the motions--me busy with work and kids and him out of town busy with work. We would have conversations like this "how are the kids" me: "good,how's north carolina" him: "fine". the end. We finally had a blow out and woke up the fact that this is our marriage we are talking about and it can't just be on the back burner all the time. Everything was coming before our marriage..you name it. Anyway, we have been doing so good--the best we have been in years I think. We are both really happy. It has been a long time since we have been best friends. He has been distant and constantly thinking of work and I have other friends that I can lean on and my parents. He felt not needed and I felt like he just didn't care. God is so good! We are so blessed to have each other back! We have been having alot of fun. We went to a movie this weekend. We have done tons of things as a family. I know it will be hard to maintain for sure. I am just happy to have some balance in my life. I am back in the gym 3 days a week--that is a big deal for me. I secretly LOVE the gym and would rather go there than dinner or the mall. Call me crazy--it's all those years of competitive sports. Brock is about to walk. Arden is jumping off diving board (with floaties) and fixing to start pre-k 4. and then next fall kindergarten. I can't even go there. Life is just good for us right now. It feels so good to come out of the melt down season of new baby into some peace. I know anytime your family changes it is stress. And I felt so much stress after Arden...I guess this was just more of the same. Work and kids I felt like I was getting pulled a MILLION different directions. I am very very blessed to have a great man and family.

vacation time

I am thinking I may be enjoying this second week of vacation at home more than the first one at the beach. Granted it did rain 6 out of 7 days that we were there and we only got a day and half of sun. I am just sad that it is Wednesday already of my week at home. Me and the kiddos have went EVERYWHERE.We may hit the pool today. We have a playgroup on Friday. We have made a millin trips to Lowes,Home Depot, and McDonalds. Matt is working from home this week so we get to have dinner together at night. it is like a little bit of heaven. I love it. I have gotten Arden's bday decorations and made her bday invites. It is just a super fun week for us. I am so blessed with an awesome family and great job that takes a 2 week vacation in the summer

our life

The boy is growing up and getting so sweet. I keep telling both of them to STOP growing up. I am emotional as all get out. NO I AM NOT PREG again. I am just having a hard time with feeling like time is getting away and want my baby to be able to do some great things (like watch mickey mouse with his sis) but at the same time want him to stay baby. He is all over the antique shop in his walker. We leave for the beach in a week and I know the kids are going to have a blast. Must bootcamp this week at max capacity since I am no longer sick. I am so thankful that strep nasty is gone. twice was enough for this momma. Arden is in the "I want everything" stage. She told me that she just wanted all the stuff at Walmart. Where does she get this.....hmmmmm.

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday

finger foods

I do get the award for worst blogger ever but my son has decided he may need naps afterall so I might start doing better. I was having this big emotional day yesterday. Feeling mad,happy,about to cry....etc. Feeling like I had not been working with my baby at some basic baby skills because I am so busy with my job and other extra activities. I was having a big case of mommmy guilt. I was blogging everyday about Arden's little life and all the cute things she did and I feel like I am just dragging Brock along for the ride. We all crash into bed exhausted at night. Anyway, the big things were that he would not take a sipper cup and was not finger feeding yet. I can't believe I never work him on these things much. I tried every day with Arden. Well he must have known that I was feeling terrible. Mom let me take the day early from work and when we got home he ate french fries (that his sister handed to him) AND drank out of his cup. Who would believe that? all in one day. He must have had pity on his poor old mama and thought--she needs a break--she hasn't even had a shower today. HA. Anyway, My hubby had already started cleaning house when I got home from work and me and the kids did a Lowes and Target run before bed. Needless to say, it was enough to turn my whole week around. :)

butt bustin's and stubborn streaks

I don't know why but everytime Arden goes back to school after a break she gets time out. it is like she forgets the rules of school---it happens every time. Today she hit her best friend with a library book and teacher said she would not keep hands to self. As soon as I picked her up she said "do I have to get my butt busted?" I said of course and she knows the rules. She always promises never to do it again. I always think of how much kids just need reminders--just like adults do--to get back in line and straighten up.

Brock has started being the most stubborn guy. He only wants to eat Yogurt and spits almost all other foods. Even when he is nursing and wants to be done because he wants to look around he is like wrestling a bull. His grammy swatted his leg today because he would eat his yogurt but screamed on his carrots. He had a melt down. He was screaming with food in his mouth. She had to take him outside to calm him down. If you scold him--you can just forget it. He gets so upset/mad. I worry what i will have on my hands when he is older. Arden never cared and she would eat till you said stop. Not the boy. We shall just see what the future holds.

"me girl" ate concrete...

when she fell at church with my parents. this is 2 days later and you can imagine how pitiful she looked when i picked her up from school Thurs. after her spend the night at Grammy's.
She had a nose bleed and all. I guess she never even got her hands down to stop the fall.

He makes his own rules

So, with Brock--you can just never tell what is coming next. Example:Matt gone for a week. sleeps through the night every night. Matt home for a week--does not sleep through the night ANY night. Matt gone yesterday. Slept through night last night again. Anyone see a pattern
Example #2: So wish that he would take a pacifier. Try and try and try but he never really likes it and spits it everywhere or gags. Now 6 months old and has a pacifer in his mouth 50% of time. Just started last week. And yes we have tried every single kind-including the one that he now takes.
Example #3: cried non-stop once colic set in at 6 weeks all the way till 3 months. Cheese smiles are everyone and I mean EVERYONE that looks his way. hated life and couldn't get happy and now loves it if you just talk to him.

Go figure!

so hard to believe...

that it has been 6months since our little boy was born. It is amazing to think just how much he has completed our little family that never felt incomplete before. I can't imagine life without him. He is such a blessing! so much personality! He has been a handful-with the colic and no naps but he is so awesome! he is just himself and we love him.

sleeping through the night

So, Brock is doing it. He might not nap but he is sleeping at least one 6 hour stretch and sometimes 9 hours. The other night he slept 8:30pm to 7:15am. I was about to bust but oh-so rested. He is also rubbing his hair off on everything. I am sad. he has the huge bald spot in the back. I am getting him in for pics-6months-next week because I want him to have hair in the pics. I have been so busy lately just doing the day to day. matt is out all week this week in North Carolina. I am at the shop everyday and Arden has school. I just set the goal every day to make it to 9-9:30 bedtime. Then I will worry about tomorrow when it comes. I have to do that or I start feeling overwhelmed thinking about what the rest of the week is going to be or feeling sorry for myself about I never have one minute that I am not getting something for someone. This morning I just told Arden she had to be late to school because I was not willing to be the drill sergeant trying to get out the door with 10 bags and yelling for her to put her shoes on. I just don't want to always be giving commands to "eat" "stop hurting brother" "go to the potty" etc. It gets old. i just want time to love on them. So it was definately a good decision this morning. they are precious.

crying it out

So I hate "crying it out". I know it works for some people but I am just not on board with the idea. Our doctor told us to do it with Arden and I just decided I was the mom and it was not for me. It is still isn't for me!! We are trying it with Brock at his nap time. He doesn't like to be rocked like Arden did so you just have zero options. He will sometimes go all day without a nap. Not okay for a 5 month old. So, yesterday because it was a snow day I let him cry some and he went to sleep , took about 3 naps. I just can't stand it at work. It makes me want to cry by the end of the day. He is in the back office in his crib where no one can hear. But he will cry for like 30 min and then only sleep 15 and then back up crying. That does NOT seem right to me. It would be diff if he cried for 30 and slept an hour but this seems hardly worth it. I have promised Matt I would try it though. I know everyone says you just have to get through it. But it is going to break me---not the other way around. When my babies cry I want to fix it--not let them figure it out. Anyway, that is my rant so i can keep from going back there and picking him up.

the future ball player

This weekend we went to the park to play on the playground since daddy was out of town and one of Arden's friends from school, John Thomas, was there and he was practicing baseball. He is a year older than Arden but he was hitting the ball when his mom tossed it etc. Arden said she wanted to play and proceeded to put her glove on wrong and then try to throw the ball with the glove--instead of the free hand. I never thought about this at all. I played ball my whole life and even in college and don't care if Arden "follows in my footsteps" unless she wants to. But this was just sad!!! She talked about it all day--how she did not know how to play baseball. So Saturday night we loaded up and went out to buy the supplies. Got a brown Rawlings glove instead of the pink ones that they make that are just for looks. Got a pink Easton bat. some pink and white softer balls to learn with. She kept asking "are you going to teach me?" Well after church yesterday we started with putting the glove on the left hand and throwing the ball with the right one. I made the mistake of throwing the ball up and hitting it to show her how to do it and now that is all she wants to do. She tries to "do it herself". I have to admit that I threw myself some monster pop flies and caught them with her baby glove and threw the ball against the house some. It did bring up good feelings!!! Just like a security blanket or something. The mind goes into auto pilot when i am thinking about it. Well all the fun ended when Arden proclaimed "she was not good at anything" and sat down on the ground with her head in her hands. That sent me into the talk of "you have to work to be good at things-you can't just give up" blah blah blah.

On another note- Brock weighed a big 14lbs this morning. He is the most active kid his age i have ever seen. Yesterday it was like he was one speed running his legs and squeeling for hours. Not kidding. He is hilarious. He squeels all the time now. He just likes ths sound of his own voice. He slept through the night 3 out of the last 4 nights. I am knocking on wood right now. He is really getting so much better. I am so glad those colic days are in the past. It seems like Arden had it longer than him but Arden would let you rock her and things like that. With Brock, you might as well just put him down and walk away because he is mad hornet. I am so thankful for his swing. The other night he would not go to bed. Matt had yelled at Arden and it woke him up. It scared him so he was crying and I was bouncing him trying to get him to calm down. He just kept fighting me and bucking so finally i just laid him in his bed. He rolled right over and went to sleep. I am kinda sad that he is that way. I know some people love that. Arden would still let me rock her. Anyway, I am hoping that I can get back into posting more.

the hair is changing

look! it's getting lighter too. he is teething so i am a nasty shell of a woman. no sleep

a sad day

My Uncle Jerry is retiring from the Antique shop. He has been there ever since I started working and way before. He is so special to me. I love him very much and it is going to be a HUGE adjustment for me and Arden. He is the letter I wrote to him and want everyone to know what he means to me.

Uncle Jerry
You have been a part of every memory I have made at the antique shop. I am hoping it will be my only career and you have always been there in picture, encouraging me and supporting me. You have the kindest heart. I don’t know that I have ever seen someone so tender hearted in my life. You never turn someone away that needs help. I know you are one of the people in my life that I will look at when I am trying to understand what it means to walk like Jesus walked. What you have done for the least of these you have done for me is what HE says. It isn’t often that you meet someone who can put aside the things of the world (and their coveted time) enough to put those words into practice. I have always felt so loved from you. I have always felt like I had one more person on my team. You have blessed my life in the days that we have spent together at the shop and now you have blessed the life of my kids. I know that you know you are the FIRST person on Arden’s prayer list-even before mommy and daddy. You have always been like a grandfather to her. I am sure Grand-dad and Granny Doris would look down on you and Aunt Lois and see how you had taken their place in the lives of the great grandchildren that they would never know and they would be proud. Thank you for all that you are to Arden. I know you say that she is the perfect child and always save bank suckers in your top drawer. You know for a parent that when people treat our children with kindness and love it is the greatest gift to us. It has been a gift for Arden and me to see how you have loved my little girl and her brother. I know that even though you aren’t at the shop you will be in our lives and always in our prayers. We just love you so much and will miss you! It won’t be the same.
LOVE YOU
Christy

back at it

So after a very difficult first week back to work after vacation I think i am coming back to grips with reality. Right before we left for break my printer broke. Then mom and I worked the 20th and some on Christmas eve to try to catch up from how we have gotten behind with new baby at the shop. Well, my first day back to work my harddrive crashes. Needless to say I almost had a heart attack. This is only one of my worst fears at work. Brock was NOT a happy camper to be out of the limelight and having his mommy focus on other things besides him. He wouldn't let anyone else even hold him. So after leaving at 8:30 monday and crying all the way home (with both kids crying from no naps) and doing the exact same thing Tuesday.....I was way past my rope's end. I was seriously fixing to turn crazy. I started telling myself all those things that first time mom's tell themselves and that I did with Arden --"it's never going to get better""I can't do anything well" and other such things that equal to me feeling really sorry for myself. But thanks to lots of prayers and encouragement and a little pep talk from my mom I am back to normal. I have even started running this week. I promised myelf I would when Brock hit 4 months so i am a week or so early. I have got to keep this guy away.


Anyway, Brock is doing good. He doesn't really like cereal. Kinda disappointing since his sister was such a fan. He is still just a rotten boob boy. He is sleeping in his pack and play really well. He doesn't like to be rocked to sleep but will go asleep nursing and then I stick him in bed. He also doesn't like to lay down beside mom anymore. I think he is really getting on a better schedule. Seems like it is starting to regulate. HOORAY. He can wear his 6 months clothes now,even though they are a little big. He is getting sweeeter but still has a temper.
As for his sister--wow-that is another story. She is obsessed with toilet words. Not that we care but it does get old and is not okay for school. I can't count the number of spankings lately. One of my favorite new Arden sayings is "those are MY rules". It is not good but it makes me want to laugh everytime. She also came in and said to Matt "Daddy are you bored? he said "no" and she said "but your married". Don't think she meant it the way it sounded but it was hilarious. She does tell me that she poots at school adn I just don't know if I have the farting kid or if she is lying (she is like her daddy about that). She told me the other day that she farted in her class and that everyone laughed and she laughed. What do you do with that? I am just glad she is not embarrassed. That could scar her for life. ha.
Well, I will try to be better with posting now that I am out of colic world