The Music Man

Here's Mac with his keyboard...plus there is a "bonus track" of Eric in the shower in the background =)

Ahhhhh.....

You know when you are just exhausted after a long day, plop down on the couch, and just say “Ahhhh.” That’s how I feel after last week! It was a GREAT week, but just so busy!!! We went out to Katy on Monday to visit my Mom and my friend Jenn, Tuesday I had a Dr. appt (so not that busy of a day really), Wednesday we met up with my Dad and Cindy at First Baptist and then swung by just to check on my Granddad since my Grandmother was out of town for the day, Thursday we went back to my Grandparents house for our weekly lunch, Friday I drove to my Dad’s house to drop Mac off so that I could get some appointments out of the way without lugging Mac around, Saturday we went back to my friends house in Katy so that Eric could play golf with Bryan and I could hang out with Jenn/Jackson and then have a very comical dinner (I’ll explain in a minute), and then on Sunday I went back to Katy to see my sister get a few photos snapped (it started raining a little bit) for her engagements pics! Whew…I’m exhausted just typing it! Everything we did was fun and wonderful, but it was just A LOT of stuff! This week we are just going to relax a little bit.

Now, back to the comical dinner I mentioned. Eric went and played golf with our friend Bryan while I hung out at the house with Jenn and Jackson. Before I continue please note that I am about to discuss my son’s bowel habits so continue at your own risk =). Poor guy had not been able to “go” in 2 days! Well, he started making some noises for me and then I smelt it. You would be surprised how excited you can get over poop! I put him on his little changing mat, opened the diaper, but there was nothing there…well, all of the sudden he started pooping. I slapped the diaper back on a waited what I thought was an appropriate amount of time and began to change him again. I got the diaper off, was wiping him down and he started peeing in his face…I throw the diaper over the top of him and about that time he started pooping all over the mat! I only have two hands! I could handle the dual poop/pee, but not at the risk of it getting on someone’s carpet! And keep in mind this was 2 days worth of stuff! Fortunately I had a seasoned Mom there to help out. We had to bathe him off, wash his clothes and his mat, change his clothes, etc. Baby boy made a mess! So you would think the fiasco ends there…oh no. Mac somehow managed to pee on himself again in the next changing and then got choked on his bottled/spit up the entire thing on me, him, and his blanket. The child had no more clothes left! So thanks to Jenn for pulling out an old onesie for him to wear.

Now onto dinner. As the 6 adults and 3 children (2 ½ months, 10 months, and 2 ½ years) are eating I just started laughing. I have never seen people shove food into their mouths so fast! I was told, this is dinner from now on…eat as fast as you can before the kids cry, scream, or throw up! My, the difference 2 ½ months makes! And I loved every minute of it! But I finally understand why people always say “you just don’t understand until you have a kid….” It is so true!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the week…enjoy!

This might be my favorite picture of him so far:

Like Father, Like Son:
Taking a nap with Grandaddy:

So precious...this is his favorite place to sleep =)

Now that's a happy baby! A very tired Daddy: Napping with Mommy:

Mac's New Buddy...

Mac had a busy day today. We went to see my Mom at her work out in Katy this morning. He got to meet everyone there and then we went to meet up with my friend Jennifer and her little boy Jackson. He is too cute for words. He seemed to be very interested in Mac and when we got back to her house he was so cute. He wanted show Mac where he puts his shoes, he showed him some toys...very sweet =). But the cutest thing was when he got to hold Mac. You don't expect little boys to be gentle with a baby, but he was so good with him! Mac just laid there and laughed/smiled the whole time. Tell me this isn't adorable:

They also have a Boston Terrier so I got lots of nice kisses from their dog Sophie. But I have still yet to meet a dog with the spastic nature of Heisman. Compared to him Sophie was calm! I forget how flat Heisman's face is sometimes...then I see another Boston who actually has a snout. Poor Heisman...it really does look like he ran into a wall =)

I decided to take Mac and Heisman for a walk this evening. There is a small lake behind our house that we always walk by. I noticed a piece of wood floating, but it quickly sank and started bubbling...I stood there for a minute and then I realized it was an alligator! Now most people would probably leave at that point, but I just had to wait to see if it came back up (we were not in danger...I promise I wouldn't do that with Mac!). Soon it popped back up and the head was about the size of Heisman!...it was huge. Then we left =). I could just see myself getting chased down the street by a gator...and if you've ever seen me run you know I would not win that race! Here is a picture I took of it as it was going under the water for the 2nd time:

Good Morning!

Mac woke up around 6:30ish this morning to eat and he just didn't want to go back to sleep so I let him lay next to me in the bed (which I NEVER do because I don't want to fall asleep with him there). And of course I fell asleep with him in the bed. Next thing I know I am having my picture taken because Eric found me holding Mac....and Heisman "spooning" Mac!




The flash woke Mac up and he was not too happy, but the look on Heisman's face is just so sweet in this one so I had to put it up too:

Our Little Ag

Eric and I took Mac to his first Aggie event last night. We went to the A&M vs. Rice game. I decided to try out the Baby Bjorn and it actually worked very well. I didn't think it would be very comfortable, but it is so nice to be hands free but still carry him around. He did pretty well, but by the 6th inning he had had enough. He was mad! He screamed all the way to the car and then for about 2 minutes on the ride home...then off to sleep again. Overall he did pretty good though.

I also feel the need to talk a little bit about our first child (the nonhuman one), Heisman. Poor guy, I mean he still sleeps in between us in the bed, but for obvious reasons he has not been getting the attention is used to. Yesterday I went and sat outside to get a little bit of sun and Heisman was begging for some love. At one point I was laying on the deck and he decided he would lay on top of me (front paws on my shoulders and back paws stretched out on my legs. At that point I realized he needed a buddy =). I let him go "swim" (it's a baby pool that he likes to splash around in), we played fetch (which is really Heisman getting a toy and trying to bait me to chase him around the yard), and then he actually fell asleep sitting on my lap...I'm thinking that's a pretty good day for a dog. I cannot wait until Mac is old enough to play with him. He is actually really good with kids. He will jump up and down when an adult comes him the room, but for some reason he doesn't ever jump on kids. I have a feeling when Mac can actually play with him they will be best buds. He really is the perfect dog for a little boy...he NEVER runs out of energy and he loves to be chased. I think that he likes Mac...he seems to be kind of protective of him. Maybe he just pretends to like him/sit by him so that we'll show him some love....who knows?!? The only thing about Heisman is that it seems that he feels a sense of entitlement...for example, yesterday I walked outside to find my dog sitting on top of the table enjoying the sun. He has an entire backyard and a deck, but he chooses the table . And when I told him to get off he looked at me like I had lost my mind. Oh well, I love him...but I guess if you come over to our house just don't eat off of the patio table =)...Here are some pictures from yesterday:

Cooling off in the pool

Apparently he thinks my legs are his to stand on too:

Giving me "the look" when I told him to get off the table:

See...he does love his Mac!

My Big Strong Man...

Well Mac went to the Dr. today and he weighs 10 lbs. 11 oz! He's getting to be such a big boy! The Dr. even commented on how active/vocal he is. She said, and I quote, "He is very advanced for his age." See, I wasn't making it up...he really is special! =)

Now when it came time for the shots I was okay and then the Dr. said "just so you know, a lot of new mom's cry when babies get their first shots." I was totally fine. Then they stuck my little man and he made a face and a noise that I have never seen/heard from him and it made me tear up! The Dr. just patted me on the back and said "I told you." I felt so silly that I started laughing a little bit. All in all Mac did really well though, he cried for about 15 seconds, whined for a minute or two and then off to sleep. He is passed out right now, but I'm certain that tonight will not be fun for any of us. I'm glad we don't have to do this again for 2 months.

I Love Easter!

This is probably going to be a long post...so here we go:

I seriously love Easter....it is my favorite holiday...always has been. I don't really know why though. I just love spring time. I mean in Houston it's basically the start of summer so I can get out in the sun, I love the beautiful colors of spring; it's just always been once of my favorites! And this Easter did not disappoint. It was Mac's first real holiday and he was look'n pretty snazzy if I do say so myself.

When you carry a little baby around you hear a lot of "oh, how cute" and "awww, look at the little baby!" It makes you smile. And old women LOVE babies. I had more little old ladies come up and talk to me today...it was really sweet. We got to church a little early so that my friend from work could meet him and then we went and sat in the very last few against the wall in case we needed to make a quick escape. Mac made it through about 90% of the service without a peep and then he started to get a little fussy so I decided to make preemptive strike and head out. Fortunately there are tvs right outside the sanctuary so I could listen to Dr. Pace finish up. I will say, it is kind of difficult to really listen to the sermon when you are taking care of a little baby. The whole time I was trying to anticipate if he was going to need anything/what I needed to do to keep him quiet.

Now, this has been a long weekend for me, but in a very good way. Friday was my 28th birthday and it was wonderful. Eric even went shopping with me in Rice Village for something to wear to my birthday dinner (if you know Eric, you know that he must really love me to go watch me try on a million things that I have no intuition of ever buying just because I enjoy it). We met up with our friend Calvin for lunch and then headed back home. My sister and fiance came over and she got me a pink Ralph Lauren polo (I love RL). And of course BB had to get Mac a present....the cutest little polo and a pair of plaid shorts. My Mom came over too. She got me a really cute picture frame that goes perfectly in our guest bedroom, and some "Happy Easter" balloons...but I had to share those with Mac =). She kindly volunteered to watch Mac for the night so that we could go out to Lucio's with some friends for dinner...if you haven't ever been there I strongly recommend it. We had such a great time. I really have the greatest friends anyone could ask for. We had such a great time just getting to catch up and hang out..I love you guys!

Saturday was my birthday lunch at my grandparents house. We all met up and had a great lunch...and of course Mac was the hit of the party. He was looking so cute in his little preppy/spring outfit (the shorts are the one's that BB got him). My Dad is so funny...we had not even gotten out of the car before I saw him heading for us to get Mac...he is so proud of that little boy.

After that we went over to the Ofili's house (parents of one of Eric's college roommates that we love dearly) so that they could meet Mac. They were so excited to see him...it was so cute. As soon as I rang the door bell they were all fighting over who got to hold him...that is one loved little boy! And since we were in the neighborhood we stopped at one of my friends houses from work. It was a long day for all of us and we all just wanted a nice long nap!

And of course Sunday, today, is Easter. The Easter Bunny came to see us all while we were sleeping...and Mac got some great stuff! I can't wait until he can pull that little golf set around with his daddy. Mac was so excited he could hardly contain himself =)Even Heisman got some good stuff...the Easter Bunny couldn't bear to leave him out!

Now back to the title of this post...I truly love Easter, but now for a whole new reason. I finally got it. I finally understand what Easter is. I mean I know that we are celebrating the Resurrection and having grown up in church that might sound a little silly to say that at 28 I finally know what Easter means, but it's true. About a week ago I was sitting at home holding Mac and thinking about how much I loved him. For some reason I just sat there and thought....wow, God sent his one and only son as a living sacrifice. He sent an innocent baby to one day die for all of us. The thought of Mac even being hurt or sick is enough to bring tears to my eyes. I feel like I have finally begin to understand God's unconditional love for us. It is so amazing.

All that being said, we had a great long weekend...unfortunately tomorrow will not be a happy day for Mac. We go for his 2 month shots tomorrow. I have a strong feeling that Eric and I will not be getting much sleep tomorrow night. If any one has any tips on what to expect after the first round of shots...maybe it will keep me from freaking out if he's acting weird or something...

Here are a few pictures from the past few days:

And here is a video of Mac talking to me on his first Easter morning....=)

And one last one I have been meaning to post (took it sometime last week I think) of Mac looking in the mirror:

I Got It, I Got It!

Eric got me the Wii Fit for my birthday! As most of you know, Eric and I are like little children when it comes to presents....we NEVER actually make it to the day of the event before we open something. Since we have been together, I don't think I have ever actually opened a Christmas, birthday, or anniversary present on the actual day...I think he got an Easter basket on Easter once =). I have an hour and 45 minutes until it's really my birthday so that's pretty good for me! Anyway, I am so so so so so excited! I have wanted one of these for so long! YEAH!!!!!! I can't wait to use it. Seriously guys...the level of excitement is kind of ridiculous for a 28 year old.

Cards are a BIG deal to me, and after many years, and many fights, Eric has realized that I want a card!!!! And my sweet boy Mac got me one too....

How cute is that?!?!?

And even Heisman decided to join in on the fun (he LOVES unwrapping presents). And I know he looks possessed in this picture, but the guy was just having fun! And on a side note...we took him for a walk this evening and somehow he managed to run face first into a fence...it was quite funny.

I am already having the best birthday ever and it's not even my birthday! But I have to admit...having my boys in my life is really what makes this day special (but I'm keeping the Wii Fit!)

Tomorrow we are going to Rice Village so I can find a shirt to wear for dinner (I'm sure Eric is so excited about that part of the day) and then we are going to dinner at Lucio's with some of our closest friends. My sister and her fiance are coming over to see me (yeah right...they are coming to see that cute little man) and then my mom and her fiance (lots of weddings going on) are going to babysit....

I am so happy....I can't wait to just hang out with the Eric, Mac, and Heisman. I'm so glad that Eric has tomorrow off...

I love my life =)

A Fact of Life..

Here is a tested/proven scientific fact of life: If you leave your house without a shower, no make up on, and your hair looking like a rat has slept in it...you WILL run into someone that you know! I guarantee it! I was just going to run up to the grocery store for a few essentials and of course I was looking like a hot mess. I am standing in the middle of the fruits/veggies and I see this guy that I work with. My initial thought was "just turn around and pretend that you didn't see him." Then I remembered that the guy is 6'7 and he's pretty hard to miss. So I smiled and said hi and he told me that his wife just had their baby, a boy, on Friday. He had just gotten her home from the hospital and was picking up a few things. He told me that she had a C-section (this is her second one) and it took 40 minutes just to get the kid out! She has had other abdominal surgeries and so there was apparently a lot of scar tissue...but still! From start to finish the whole thing took almost 2 hours...wow. Makes me very thankful for my 25 minutes! So we chatted for a little while and he told me he was picking up some cabbage to help his wife's milk dry up. He holds up a big head of purple cabbage and then it got awkward. For some reason I decided to hold up my cabbage and tell him I chose the green one so that it wouldn't stain my clothes! Why I was discussing my breasts/drying up with this man in the grocery store I did not know. But he actually opted for the green after I told him that =).
Anyway, ladies...please remember this important "Fact of Life"...although I'm sure you have all figured this one out by now.

My First Mother's Day!

I'm super excited...Mac is going to be baptised on my first Mother's Day! It will be at 11am on May 10th...how special to have it on that day!

Mission Accomplished!

We did it! We successfully took a newborn to church! He was such a good little boy. We sat through the baptism class today which was very interesting. They explained the purpose/why the Methodist church believes in infant baptism. Growing up Baptist, this is all very new to me. We always "dedicated" babies and baptism was a personal decision that was made once you decided to give your life to Christ. Before I decided to do this I wanted to know exactly what I was committing myself and my son to. In the Methodist church, infant baptism is basically the same as dedication. Before going to this class, my concern was that the church was doing this to "save" my child. I do not believe that a child needs to be saved. I believe that as you grow and learn about Christ you have to make your own personal decision to follow Him. I look at this experience as the first step for Mac in his spiritual life. As he grows up in the church and learns about our faith he will still have to make his own choice. The only thing that I don't like about infant baptism is that it's not the choice of the child. To me the reason that my baptism was special was because I made the choice to make a profession of faith and follow in Christ's example. However, I love our church and I believe that this is where we should raise our little guy. I am going to call the church office tomorrow morning to schedule the baptism, so hopefully it will be on Mother's Day!
On a completely unrelated note...my ankle is killing me! I have had 3 surgeries to fix it and it just never works. Every 2-3 years following the surgery, it seems to flare up again. I WILL NOT have another surgery because it obviously is not a long term solution. I've been trying to soak it in Epsom salts to see if that will help. It's not a stabbing pain, but it's just a constant dull ache...it's just frustrating. It really does affect what I can/want to do. I am actually very surprised that it didn't bother me while I was pregnant. I assumed that adding on weight would cause problems with my knees (which I have also had surgeries on) and ankle, but it was probably the longest I have gone in a long time without joint pain. Oh well, I've pretty much just come to the conclusion that my joints are going to hurt (I sound like an old person) and I'm just going to have to find a way to deal with it....
And...only 4 days till my b-day!!! YEAH!!!!!

Mac's First Girlfriend....

Well, Mommy and Me yoga didn't happen...Mommy was too sleepy =). We are going to try again on Monday.

Mac and I went over to my friend Shauna's to drop off a jacket that her little girl, Brynn, left at our house last week. Eric met us over there and we ended up staying for dinner. I just had to share some of these pictures!

Brynn LOVES her Baby Mac...Here are some of Brynn "sharing" her toys with Mac...

And this has to be an all-time favorite...you can play "Where's Waldo", but instead of looking for Waldo look for Mac...this one can be used for black mail when he get a little older! Brynn was determined to give him that little pink dress =)

And these 2 are just adorable. Brynn decided that it was time for her and Mac to take a little nap...The first one looks like Mac is just shocked by whatever Brynn just told him =)...she is so funny with him: Brynn wanted to help me change Mac's diaper and of course it was a nice big poop...she grabbed a wipe to help me and as she was wiping him I hear in a quiet little voice..."nasty...just nasty". I was laughing so hard. She just kept saying it until we were done...

Okay, gotta get some sleep!