Brian's Birthday

Brian's birthday was this past Sunday.  We went to church, went out to eat, and then just hung out at the house for a while.  In the late afternoon, Brian's sister and her family came over for some cake and ice cream.

Noah mesmerized with the candles.

Noah's cousin and buddy Solomon.  Noah still mesmerized by the candles.

Brian's cake with all 32 candles on it.

Blowing out the candles.  Noah still mesmerized.

Victory!!!

After cake and ice cream, we all loaded up (all nine of us) in Rob and LaRhesa's van and headed to the ball park to watch the Traveler's play.  A little history, Brian grew up going to the Traveler's games.  His dad was the team chaplain, and when Brian was younger, he was the batboy.  When we started dating and early in our marriage, we would go to the Traveler's games a lot.  A few years ago, they built a new ballpark in North Little Rock.  We haven't been to very many games since then.  It was not as convenient to get to, you had to pay for parking, and we were just down-right boycotting the closing of Ray Winder field.  Rob and LaRhesa had eight free tickets and wanted to take us for Brian's birthday so we went.  Immediately we were loving the new park.  We had never been to a game with a child and soon learned that the berm section is perfect for them.  

Noah picking flowers.

Fern, Solomon, Tessa, Brian, and Noah watching the ominous sky.

Under the shelter during the rain.  This picture cracks me up because the girl in it looks just like my sister.  

There was a little bit of a rain delay, but it didn't last too long and then the skies cleared and it was a perfect night.  

Noah supervising the tarp removal.

Noah and Solomon getting the water off the chairs for everyone after the rain.

After the rain, we had so much fun.  The kids ran and played.  We ate hot dogs and polish sausage.  Oh, and watched some baseball.

I am not sure if Noah is getting in trouble in this picture or getting a lesson in the game of baseball.

Watching the game together

This picture didn't turn out very well because I was zoomed in all the way on my phone, but I took it to show how Noah would clap after every play.  He loved it!

He was very busy all night running around the grass.  

His new hairdo courtesy of his cousin Tessa.

Everything was perfect, UNTIL about nine o'clock that night.  Noah was sitting on one of the metal chairs in the front row.  We looked away for one second and he decided to nose dive off the chair onto the concrete.  By the time Brian picked him up (which was about 1 second later), he already had a knot the size of a golf ball on his forehead.  He scraped his face on the concrete and nailed his head on the corner of it.  Poor baby!  We ended up leaving the game after that to the sound of Noah's screams, all the fun forgotten in the moment.  After we got home, he perked up some and started acting a little more normal.  We didn't have any Motrin in the house so I headed to the store while Brian played with Noah.  Thank goodness for 24 hour Kroger!  We kept Noah up for a couple hours just to make sure he was okay and acting normal. He went to sleep a little after 11:00.  This is a picture of him right before bed.

By the time he went to bed, I was exhausted!  When we went to bed, I was out and didn't move until the next morning.  I learned the next morning that Brian had not been able to sleep very well all night because he was worried about Noah and had been up three times during the night to check on him.  He is such a great Daddy.  Noah has since been pretty cranky, a combination of teething, having a cold, and a huge headache I imagine.  He has been through a lot lately and I hope he feels better soon.  It is so hard to watch him not feel well and not know why.  The good news is, his head is looking much better now and we did actually have a good time at the ball game.

Family Reunion and the Glamorous Days of Motherhood

This past weekend we went to a family reunion for Brian's extended family at the YMCA of the Ozarks in Missouri.  We got there late Wednesday night and left Sunday.  It was a good long weekend of swimming, archery, lots of eating, and lots of laughs.  Sadly these are the only two pictures we got of the weekend.  

We stayed in a four bedroom/four bathroom cabin with all of Brian's immediate family.  Their were eight adults and seven kids in our cabin, plus two other cabins.  The food was provided and I think I ate more in those 3 1/2 days than I have in the last two weeks.  It is probably good that I don't have someone to cook for me three meals a day.  Two nights while we were there, they had firework shows.  I was nervous about Noah getting scared, but he, in usual Noah fashion, loved every moment of it, clapped after every firework,  and cried when the show was over.  We stayed up late every night visiting and playing games.  We (at least Noah and I) were very worn out by the end.  We had a lot of fun and look forward to going back in 2012.  

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Today was one of those days that just don't seem real at the end of the day.  It started out like any other day, Noah and I eating breakfast together.  That's where the routine ended.  We have a very old stove, circa 1980s.  It has a timer on it that we never use and I had never heard it before until Noah figured out how to turn it on a few weeks back.  The noise scared him and he hasn't really messed with it since then.  Until today.  He managed to turn it on again.  I quickly turned it off, however about a minute later, it came back on.  I, again turned it off, and it again came back on after about a minute.  We did that for about 15 minutes until it came on and I couldn't turn it off at all.  After several futile attempts to turn it off, I decided to turn off the breaker.  Unfortunately, our box is not labeled very well, aka barely at all.  I spent the next 30 minutes running back and forth between the oven and the breaker box trying to find the right switch while carrying Noah and Rudy was of course tagging along close behind. In the midst of everything I received an encouraging and helpful text message from Brian  saying "Don't turn the refrigerator off."  Thanks Sweetie.  What would I do without you?  

After all the excitement, I tried to lay Noah down for a nap hoping for some rest myself, but to no avail.  He would have none of that.  Oh well, at least he will take a long nap this afternoon, right?  We packed up and headed to Wal-mart before lunch.  Our trip there was actually quite uneventful.  Then came lunch where Noah, our little tortilla snob, decided that he did not like the brand of tortilla that we had purchased and proceeded to take all the tortilla off his cheese quesadilla and eat only the cheese.  After a while, he gave up and just threw it all to Rudy, another no-no.  After lunch we played for a while and then it was really time for a nap.  Did Noah agree?  No.  He cried for a while, but eventually fell asleep.  FINALLY time for me to get that nap I was hoping for.  False.  Just as I was about to lie down, Noah wakes up screaming.  So much for the nap I was hoping for.  We layed on the couch together for a while and watched an episode of Handy Manny, Noah's favorite cartoon. After a while, we had a snack.  While Noah was in his high chair eating his snack, he pooped.  Dirty diapers are never fun, but especially not during your first trimester of pregnancy.  I get him out of his chair and start walking back to his room to change him.  I was rubbing his back and felt something.  When I looked at my hand, it was covered in poop and up to Noah's shoulder blades.  He hasn't had one of those in about a year.  I stood him up on his dresser and start the difficult task of undressing him without making any further messes.  I got him undressed and diaper off and then the morning sickness (why is it called that anyway when it lasts ALL DAY LONG!) got the better of me.  I started vomiting in Noah's room.  I puked into his dirty diaper, grab Noah (still covered in poop) and race to the bathroom.  I continued to vomit trying to keep Noah back while he is laughing at me and trying to both stick his hands in the toilet and flush it.  Meanwhile I am yelling at Rudy while he is trying to lick all the poop off of Noah's back.  It was a pretty memorable experience.  I finished up, wiped Noah down, and threw him in the tub.  While Naoh was still in the tub, Brian calls to let me know he is coming home and see how our day was.  It was FANTASTIC!  Fortunately for me, I have the BEST husband in the world, who after a long day at work, came home only to clean up the trail of poop and vomit we left all over the house.  I think it is safe to say that we are both ready for the first trimester to be behind us. :)  Here is Noah after his bath, looking like it was the best day ever!

And, yes, that is a TV cable that my son is playing with.  

The Latest Hughes Installment

Meet the newest member of our family.  I am 8 1/2 weeks pregnant and had my first doctor's appointment today.  Everything looked great.  

Va-ca-tion!

Last week we went to Destin, FL for a week of fun and sun.  I was a little apprehensive because last year we went to the beach when Noah was around 4 months old.  It was fun being with my family, but it was not the easiest of trips with feeding  and pumping and sleeping (or lack there of), and I am pretty sure that Noah was miserable.  This year was very different...He Loved It!  He had one day where he was cranky and generally unhappy most of the day due to teething, diarrhea, and an awful diaper rash, but other than that he was pretty happy.  Every morning we got up, ate breakfast, spent what seemed like 5 hours putting on sun screen, and then headed to the beach.  Noah wasn't a huge fan of the brightness and kept rubbing his eyes.  It took us a few tries to realize that it was better to put him in the sun in the wet sand than under the umbrella in the dry sand.  It didn't get in his eyes nearly as easily.  We played for a while on the beach, then went to the pool for a bit, and then headed in for some lunch.  After lunch, Noah took a nap while Brian and I had our own little vacation.  He would sleep about three hours so we just hung out on the beach and would periodically check on him.  After his nap, we went back out to the beach for a little bit before dinner.  This was by far his favorite time of the day.  It wasn't nearly as bright, and with less people and umbrellas, he had a lot more room to run around.  Then dinner, a walk on the beach and bed.  Overall, it was a great vacation!  The lighting isn't the greatest on some of the pictures, but you get the idea.

First day.  Ready to go!

Running away from the waves

Sand in the eyes

Noah's least favorite time of day... the clean-up

He loved the little pools/puddles near the water.  
And rolling in the sand

We went to The Back Porch one night.  The girl at the outdoor bar offered to take our picture and this is what we got... Thanks for nothing! :)  At least it proves that I was there too.

Again running from the waves.

No oil in sight.
One day we left him a little too long during nap time.  He was quite upset when we got him.  He got to keep his paci and eat his snack in front of the TV while watching a Sesame Street video that Brian found at the condo movie rental place.  We felt really bad.  He loved Sesame Street.
I think this picture is hilarious.  He just looks so proud.

This one makes me laugh every time.  It looks like we stumbled upon some lifeless doll lying on the beach.
Brian's shot of the storm rolling in.  He is a much more artistic photographer than me.
Happy boy... until he got all that sand washed off. :)
His facial expression cracks me up.  
He somehow always managed to find a stick to play with.
His favorite time of day was the early evening when it wasn't quite so bright and all the umbrellas and chairs were gone.  He would run all over the beach.  His favorite game is chase, especially when Brian is the one chasing.
Sweet boy!

Picture with the alligators at Fudpuckers.  I tried to take a picture of him petting a real alligator, but they wouldn't let me since they sell pictures.  But he, as usual,  was fearless and pet the alligator with no problem.  

From our patio after a morning on the beach.

We met some ladies from Atlanta who were kind enough to take pictures for us.  I think they did a little bit better job than the girl from The Back Porch.

It was a great time and we miss it already!  If only all of life were a vacation! :)

15 Month Visit

Weight:  26lbs 12oz, (75th %)

Height: 2ft 8.87in, (90th %)

HC: (75th%)

He's gets his height from his dad. :)

In this picture, I had laid the lens cap on the table.  Noah grabbed it and kept saying "Uh-oh" while trying to hand it to me to put it back on the camera.

I finally had to take the cap back so I could get a picture.

15 Months- My New Favorite Age

He has actually been 15 months for 11 days now, but as usual I am a little late on things.  I LOVE this age.  He is so much fun.  Before I had a child of my own, when I would see patients, the four-month-old visit was always my favorite.  I always thought it was my favorite age.  Since I had Noah, every new age is my favorite.  With every month, he can do more and more things, but yet he is still so sweet (For the most part).  This all may change when two comes around, but for now, I am loving each new stage.  Here are his latest feats...

-  He says 'Daddy,' 'doggy' and 'Rudy' (or 'Doody') and they all sound very similar.  He also says 'bubble,' 'bird,' and 'ball' -- at least I think that is what he is saying.  

-  His favorite word is Uh-Oh which he usually says after doing something very destructive.  We know it wasn't an accident Buddy.  He also uses Uh-Oh to let us know when things are not as they should be- like when Rudy's food and water are on the floor where he can get them instead of on the table or when the bathroom door is left open and the toilet is free game.  He is so good at policing himself sometimes.  

-  He STILL does not say Mommy.  I think he is capable of saying it, he just doesn't see the need in it.  I try not to let it bother me.  Actually I find it quite humorous.

-  He loves to play with sticks and dirt.  Just today, we went to the park with my sister-in-law and nieces and nephews.  She asked me where I wanted to go, and my response was "Wherever, they all have sticks and rocks and mulch."  When he plays in the backyard, he ALWAYS carries a stick around.  Rudy ALWAYS takes them from him.  I think if anyone else took them, he would get upset, but when it's Rudy he doesn't mind.  He just finds another one.  Which brings me to...

-  He LOVES Rudy!  Every morning when I go in his room to get him up, he looks up at me, sort of smiles, and then carries on with whatever he was doing.  When Rudy walks in the room, he immediately throws down whatever he is playing with and starts jumping up and down, saying "Doody, doody, doody."  Again, I try not to let it bother me. :)

-  Every day when Brian comes home from work, he runs to the garage door saying "Daddy, Daddy" and waits for him.  After Brian comes in and gives him a hug, he runs to the pantry and starts banging on the door.  Brian, after washing his hands of course, then opens the pantry door, pulls out the Goldfish and they enjoy a snack together.  Most of Noah's Goldfish are thrown to Rudy.  He is so good about sharing with him. :)

-  Every night, he gets a bath, we brush his teeth, and then read his Tiny Bear Bible, a kids Bible that has a furry bear for a cover that Brian's grandparents gave Noah.  He sits in the recliner with Brian and listens so intently.  He loves it all...except for Daniel and the Lion's Den.  For some reason, EVERY night when we get to Daniel, he immediately turns the page.  He sits through every other story, except Daniel and the Lion's Den which he has NEVER listened to.  It is hilarious!  I just wish he could tell us what it is about ol' Dan that he is so against.  I am so curious.  

-  He hates getting his diaper changed.  He would rather sit in poop forever and get a horrible rash than stop playing for five minutes to get his diaper changed.

-  He is learning to eat using a spoon/fork.  He usually makes a few good attempts and then decides he is much more efficient with his hands.

-  His current favorite toy is a ginormous train table that some good friends gave us.  He loves it.  One of his favorite things to do with it, is rip up all the track and bring you pieces saying "uh-oh".  It makes me laugh every single time.  I don't think I will ever get tired of it.  

-  His other favorite toys are his Little People animals, firetruck, popper, balls, and the beads on wire toys. 

-  He just recently started liking a couple of stuffed animals.  Since day one, I have tried to get him to want a stuffed animal or a blanket, but he never has.  Just in the last couple weeks, he has started wanting to sleep with and carry around a stuffed dog that Brian gave me when we were dating and as of yesterday, a stuffed polar bear that we somehow got from National Geographic a few years ago.  

-  He knows two animal sounds... They are elephant and dog.  For elephant, he raises one arm and spits everywhere.  For dog, he leans forward, squats down, puts both arms back as if he is about to jump and grunts.  It is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.  We have not been able to capture the dog on video yet.  Hopefully we can before it changes to 'woof.'

-  He has still been taking two naps, but the past few days when I have put him down in the morning, I think he has just been playing the entire time.  There was a lot of squeeling going on.

-  He has four and a half teeth right now, but is currently cutting about 4-5 new ones.  Ouch!

-  He is a biter.  He will walk up to you and bury his head in your legs like he is going to give you a hug and then, crunch!  It is so painful.  He usually bites Brian in the chest when they are wrestling and will sometimes bite me on the back of my thigh while I am cooking and have no hands to fight him off.  So watch out everyone, he is not always trying to be sweet.  

-  His hair is very fine and blonde and sticks straight up.  I keep thinking that as it gets longer it will lay down, but so far it just sticks farther up.  It is the source of many comments at the grocery store.

-  On St. Patrick's Day, the Riverdancers performed on the Today Show. He loved it, so I rewound the tv and recorded it so that I could show it to Brian.  To this day, he is mesmerized by them.  I usually try to save it for when I need to cut his fingernails.  That is the only thing that will keep him still and distracted long enough.

   I have been laughing and smiling the entire time I have been typing this.  I feel like I could go on and on, but I guess that is a pretty good list.  He is not all kicks and giggles.  Sometimes he drives me crazy when he won't eat his vegetables and throws them on the floor and spits in my face or when he rams his fire truck into my shins at full speed sending me to the floor or when I am cleaning up Rudy's water bowl that has been spilled all over the floor despite me telling him "No" a thousand times, but for the most part it, I couldn't be happier.  I love being with him all day and am so glad that I have the chance to do it and a husband that supports that.  

When he was little, the days would drag on and I would count down the hours until Brian came home feeling guilty that I didn't always want to be there with him and wondering if I wasn't really cut out for this and should just go get a job.  Those days are over!  Sure I can't wait for Brian to get home at night, but the days tend to go by more quickly now.  And, yes, I often miss working and think about getting a part-time job often, but now I view it as a job would pull me away from my primary responsibility of him, not him pulling me away from a job.  At the end of the day, when we put him to bed I tell him "Good-night" and "I'll see you in the morning" and it makes me very happy knowing that tomorrow is just another day I get to spend with our little boy, even if he is thinking "I can't wait to see Rudy in the morning."  I love you so much Noah and I am so grateful that God has given us this time together. 

Last week, we had some very steamy days.  Noah and I were playing in the backyard one afternoon and I was thinking about how sweltering it was and how I wanted to go inside when I noticed the sprinkler sitting out there.  I hooked it up and Noah had his first encounter with a sprinkler. I think he had fun.

And yes, the grass has been cut since then.