it's the little things

nine month old duchess.

2012-01-21T21:12:00.002-05:00

stella is now 17 lbs, 4 oz and 27 inches long...her weight and height are both in the 25th-50th percentile range (and her head is still in the 90th percentile :))...she is still babbling a lot...just started signing eat...has started eating much more table food...has dropped another nursing feeding (only 3 a day now)...loves to see herself in a mirror...when I pick her up out of her bed she holds her arms out toward the mirror in her room and when I take her over to it she waves and waves at herself...such a sweetie...we're starting to work on her drinking out of a cup since I'm planning to wean her after she turns one...she's still not making any strides toward crawling but our pediatrician said at her check-up that she (like stetson) is focusing more on talking and fine motor skills...he said we can probably count on her walking around 15 months...so (unlike with stetson) instead of worrying about it, I finally feel like I can just enjoy her in this stage where she is happy playing on a blanket...she did work herself from a sitting to tummy position the other day but once she got there she started crying...and she will eventually start scooting backwards when she's having tummy time...but other than that she is just happy as a bug sitting and playing...and I am thoroughly enjoying all the smiles, waves, babbles, pointing, and laughing...this is such a sweet age and I'm trying not to think about that she'll be one in a couple of months...(however I can't wait to plan a girly birthday party!)

thankful.

2011-12-22T23:27:00.003-05:00

I love Christmastime...and now that I'm a mama, it definitely makes me wanna be more festive...decorations, christmas music, cookies, crafts...this year has been the most fun. I think because Stetson is at the age where he understands more, gets excited about opening presents, etc. He had a birthday party for Jesus at preschool (where he told me "we had a cake for him") and didn't have a clue who Santa was on the TV the first time he saw him...(ME: Who is that, Stetson? STETSON: Joseph or somping? ME: No... STETSON: Ewijah?)...Ha! The only place he has seen white bearded men is in his children's bible. :) This moment made me laugh and pleased at the same time.

Aside from all the normal 3 year old make-you-crazy-behavior, Stetson is pretty spectacular. His memory is astounding. He remembers everything. Musicians, songs, tunes, VEHICLES (his obsession), directions when we're in the car (he knows what parts of town all our friends/fam live, stores we go to, etc), shapes, letters, numbers...we are continually amazed. He's learning to write and is already becoming interested in reading (he's always asking "what does that say?" about anything with writing on it). I love watching his little brain work.

One of our latest discoveries of a way to help him manage some of his emotions has been to use a timer...on the regular. Almost "quiet time", almost bedtime, almost time to leave someone's house...he responds really well to it. Now he asks most of the time for us to set the timer. I can appreciate needing to know what's up and being mentally prepared. ;)

MY LITTLE STAR...oooooooooh my little beauty. She is babbling up a storm, still all smiles, rolling around (mostly in her bed), scooting backward a little, jumping in the johnny jump up...(Stetson was a few months behind on gross motor skills so I'm waiting to see how it all unfolds with her)...like him, she is already very dexterous...feeding herself really well and even not wanting me to put cheerios in her mouth for her! Today, I told Stella to say hey to her daddy and she looked at him and waved for the first time...and once again, I was a goner. GAH! She is too preshie for words. She also was being held by one of her uncles and wanted me and leaned toward me with her arms out and said "mama". Talk about melting my heart. Stetson was never really like that with me. He would want me to hold him but he wasn't near as attached to me. I have to say, one thing I love about having kids is that, having always loved babies, I've waited my whole life to have one want ME! On days like today when my daughter just wants me and says mama to me for the first time, it is a guilty pleasure and a great joy.

This December has been the least stressful one I've had in years. I think mainly because it's my first year not working and December is a salon's busiest month. So I've been able to somewhat leisurely shop throughout the month...have plenty of time with my little family...watch lots of Christmas movies with James...enjoy wrapping gifts & making treats...instead of trying to cram all of these things into my days off work and being exhausted all the time. I especially enjoy late in the evening, after the kids are in bed...usually in the midst of picking up around the house, dealing with the last bit of dishes, etc...sitting down for a bit in a quiet house, with the christmas lights making everything homey, some delicious hot chocolate in hand, and being reminded of how blessed I am.

So thankful.

Perspective.

2011-12-16T23:31:00.006-05:00

When I re-read my last post, it almost makes me laugh...almost.

So much has changed in our lives since then...I shortly thereafter discovered I was pregnant with Stella...had a fairly non-eventful (aside from having gestational diabetes, being on an EXTREMELY strict diet, and having to give myself insulin shots) pregnancy that flew by...as I imagine all but the first pregnancies do...and she was born via scheduled c-section on March 28th at 7:40 a.m...7 lbs, 11 oz and 19 3/4 in of the sweetest little bundle of all things delightful...that said, the past almost 9 months have gone by in a blink. Once we got past the sleepless nights (she slept through the night for the first time at 6 weeks and then consistently ever since the day she turned 9 weeks...same age Stetson started sleeping through the night), life with Stella on board has added another layer of love and joy to my heart and soul. She is truly a delight. Can't think of a better word for her. I think she came out with a smile on her face. The only thing she means serious business about is her eatin'...and I can't blame her. ;) I didn't go back to work after she was born...it has been an adjustment in more ways than one...but it has also been my heart's desire for most of my life. So...I'm LOVING it...even when I'm exhausted, stressed out, lonely, and half crazy. I love it.

My experience with Stella has been a bit different than it was with Stetson...mainly because I didn't return to work, I have exclusively breastfed (which means I live my life in (now) 4 hour increments between feedings), I'm making all of her babyfood...and now we're giving cloth diapering a try (which has been a great experience so far!)...so I have definitely been embracing being a stay-at-home-mom when it comes to caring for and snuggling my sweet little star. You would think the new baby would be the one that has been a lot of work...but she has been God's grace to me this year.

And then there's my fantastic 3 1/2 year old. Wow. If I had only known what was in store for me when I last posted about him wanting to use the potty. Ha! If I remember correctly, that lasted for about 2 weeks. So...as anyone with a son knows...boys quickly evolve into wild little creatures. Stetson changed so much between 2 and 3. He went to mother's morning out twice a week. He started talking more. And more. And more. And climbing everything. And jumping off everything. And reaching the age where you feel like you spend most of your time trying to keep them safe. :/

And then he turned 3. And it got even crazier. Our beloved pediatrician forewarned us at his 3 year check-up that it can be a hard age...especially if they're verbal...and he most definitely is. My plan had been to start potty training after his third birthday...Stella would be around for a few months by then...maybe he would be adjusted...he would be old enough to know what was up...HA!!! Needless to say, this past summer was one of the hardest of my life because of those two little words. POTTY TRAINING. Where are the children who genuinely just have to get the hang of it, figure it out, and then are so happy to do it for you? I don't have one of those. Oh no...that would be too easy. He knew exactly what to do....how to do it...when to do it...and was even staying dry all night. But he meant he was gonna stick it to us. It was a summer filled with lots of poop and pee clean-ups...lots of tears from both of us...lots of stress for me because he had to be potty trained to go to preschool. It was another one of those things where I was really glad at the beginning that I didn't know what I was in for. Yikes. So there was that. And there has been MUCH sassing..."don't say that to me"...much challenging our EVERY word and/or threat...this kid is gonna be quite the leader...can't wait to see what the plan for his life entails. Yes, 3 has been the most challenging age I've yet to experience.

But it has also been full of many new and fun stages...so much more independence...picking out clothes, getting dressed, FINALLY being potty trained, singing songs, knowing the alphabet, counting, learning to write (trace) letters and numbers, fixing his own snacks/drinks, being a good little helper, overcoming some fears (mainly the vacuum and small appliances), loving being the "door holder" for me, using whatever he can find to be his "phone" that he texts from, takes pictures with, makes calls from, and charges...really just acting so much like a tiny adult (or should I say teenager?) that it is hilarious. Lots of pretending. Lots of precious moments being hilarious, curious, sensitive, sweet and loving...in the midst of all the screaming, crying fits and meltdowns because HE wants to buckle his own car seat, open the car door, etc.

Stetson simply adores his daddy. And he has been mostly sweet to Stella...just a little too rough sometimes. However, he unfortunately has a love/hate relationship with me. He is a man's man. If James isn't home, he's sweet to me and accepts me being the one to see about him. If James IS home...he makes no bones about it...he pretty much doesn't want me for anything. This has not been easy to swallow. And has made this third year difficult for me to navigate emotionally. He is not a mama's boy. He wants his daddy...all the time. He doesn't even want me to look at him if he gets hurt ("you can't see me wike dis"). James is really working with him on how to treat his mama (PTL) and I have definitely (and finally) started seeing some improvement...so that has been encouraging. Don't get me wrong, I love that he adores his daddy so much. I want him to be a man's man. But I am really asking the Lord to help me manage this, too. It's hard for my heart.

It's been a lot, this year. A new baby, recovering from major surgery, a 3 year old boy, potty training, husband away on a 7 week tour this fall...I'd say I've had my work cut out for me. But, you know what? I survived...by the grace of God. And I learned a lot. About loving when it's easy to love and especially when it's not. About leaving dishes in the sink and playing with your kids. About checking on other people when you're feeling really lonely. About realizing what your own needs are and speaking up. And, of course, I messed up A LOT. And I pretty much have realized I may never (will never) have it all together at the same time. And it'll be ok. Let's just I hope I don't do any permanent damage to those in my household in the process. ;)

our big boy.

2010-07-09T15:51:00.003-04:00

before i forget...stetson has decided he's ready to start using the potty...now, i seriously wasn't planning on even thinking about potty training until maybe next spring when he turns 3...however, apparently, he is ready now. for months he has been letting me know when he goes in his diaper...he would just make eye contact with me and pat the front of his diaper...even occasionally saying tee-tee or poop. and then for the past month or so he has been pulling on his diaper alot acting like it bothers him. and then last weekend there were a couple of days that every time he wet his diaper in the least, he would pull on it, say "biper" and want a new one....even yelling "biper" before we can get to him when he wakes up in the morning. so after a couple of conversations with some of my clients who have done this several times, they all informed me that he is most definitely ready. tuesday night after i got home from work and he was about to go to bed, i asked him if wanted to sit on the potty and he was more than happy to...and after about 15 minutes of sitting, he tee-teed...lots of clapping and an m&m. the next night after i got home from work, same thing but it happened a lot faster...he only sat there for a few minutes. then yesterday when i was here all day with him, i sat him on the potty a couple of times and nothing happened. but before his nap i took him to the potty again and, lo and behold, he tee-teed AND pooped!! what???!!! LOTS AND LOTS of clapping and 2 m&ms. so far today, he has tee-teed once on the potty (and immediately starting saying yay and clapping himself)....but i am in shock...because i've been coming up with a plan to start officially potty training in a couple of weeks...when we can be at home for a good week and just put him in underwear, take him to the potty all day, etc....i just can't believe he's done any of this without much effort on my part. i have to admit, i'm a little scared. i keep having visions of him soaking everything everywhere we go. but maybe it won't be as bad as i'm picturing. he seems to be catching on pretty quickly and is definitely encouraged when m&ms are in sight. nevertheless, this has been a monumental week at the duke household. here goes nothing...

2 years old!

2010-06-13T20:59:00.005-04:00

wow...where to begin...stetson turned 2 a few weeks ago...may 27th to be exact...and it seems that he is blossoming overnight...everyday there's a new word...a couple of weeks ago, he could just all of the sudden name 9 colors(!!!)...it's been amazing to watch...he had his 2 year well-check last week...he's doing great...doing everything he's supposed to...he had grown over 4 inches in the last 6 months...35 1/4 inches (75th percentile) and 25 lbs, 8 1/2 oz (still 10-25th percentile)...we've got a little string bean on our hands...i had to get him new shoes last week...every 3 months rolls around right regular...he's wearing size 6 now...he's just turning more and more into a little boy and not a baby...and of course, because he's talking more now, the communication makes a lot of things a lot easier...for instance, if i'm trying to figure out what he will eat for a meal (eating has been our struggle...he's a bit picky to say the least...he won't even eat a ritz bitz if the crackers aren't lined up perfectly) and i name different foods, he will let me know which one he wants...this has been most helpful so that i'm not constantly making him food he won't eat....but since he is off whole milk now, his appetite has increased dramatically...he's still not a big fan of anything red, yellow, or orange...(although he has eaten a few strawberries in the last couple of months and he will drink orange juice)...but he will eat things that are green...so some of his current faves are cucumber, green bell pepper, celery, green beans, black beans, RICE---#1 fave, chicken, cheese (just tried orange cheese for the first time this week), yogurt, toast, peanut butter sandwich....and he's starting to try more things, which is wonderful...he is finally not afraid of balloons anymore, but he is now obsessed with wanting them when he sees them...thankfully the grocery store (& chick-fil-a) gives them away for free...he still LOVES to be outside--and we have the mosquito bites to prove it!...he loves to eat breakfast on the screened porch (pursh) and rock in the rocking chairs out there...he still loves his legos...he plays with them every day...best $15 i think we ever spent...he got a lot of toys for his birthday so i've been trying to go through and make room for his new things...he actually ate 2 bites of birthday cake (last year he gagged when he tasted it) but had to have a fork...he doesn't like his hands to be sticky...we just had a little party at our house...he seemed pretty oblivious that it was for him...he was just happy to be carrying around balloons...this has been a crazy month for our little family...james has been traveling for almost a month...he left may 22nd and will be home june 17th...this has been quite a stretch for us...we're down to the last few days and i am ready to have him back in our everyday life...stetson has changed so much since he left...i can't wait to have him home so he can hear all the new words...i have had a lot of help from family while he's been away (shout-out to mama, dan & marti, aunt holly, and sunni & kate for all their help)...it has been great to have help for all the days i have had to work...the summer is just going by so fast and i know it will be september before we know it and he'll be going to his little school 2 days a week...but i think he is definitely ready...he is very interested in playing with other kids now and i'm sure he's gonna love it....for now, i'm trying to enjoy every moment i have with him.

time keeps passing.

2010-04-21T23:24:00.004-04:00

too much catching up to do....i keep putting this off 'til i can get the photos on here but i'm gonna forget how fast stetson is changing. he will be 2 next month...can't believe it! he is still such a joy...such a fun age...unfortunately coincides with meltdowns. he is trying to say new words every day. it's so weird and awesome when they all of the sudden say a word you can understand. he sings ALOT. mainly twinkle, twinkle. he is a busy little bee to say the least. loves to play outside. loves to play with his legos...he's getting really good at building things. starting to get into coloring...he holds a crayon like an adult holds a pen and knows how to hold the paper so it won't move when he's scribbling. no more high chair. he wants to sit at the table like a big boy. no more laying down to drink his milk before naptime and bedtime...is getting really interested in books...he picks one or two out to read before bed. he no longer cries when we leave him in the nursery or with babysitters (there was a 3 or 4 month span where it was terrible). he gets bored more often at home...some mornings even while eating breakfast he starts saying "bye bye". but last spring/summer/fall he wasn't walking so we couldn't really go to parks and whatnot. looking forward to letting him run wild and play this year. we also go to discovery place on a regular basis to let him play in the "kidscience" room...he absolutely loves it! another cute moment...his easter basket is a horse and when he saw it easter morning, he kissed it on the nose! so precious! he loved getting a piece of candy out of each egg. he is so sweet, precious, funny, stubborn, strong-willed, busy, and delightful. it still rips my heart out every time i have to be away from him. we lost our 2nd little one 6 weeks ago and it helped my heart so much to have stetson around. it's hard not to be happy when you're with him (that is, unless he's pitching a fit). hoping for another little one to come our way soon.

winter wonderland.

2010-01-30T16:21:00.002-05:00

it started snowing yesterday afternoon, so this is what we woke up to today. i love it! i always hope we'll see snow at least once a winter. and charlotte basically shuts down so everyone gets to stay home and enjoy it. (i was supposed to work today.) stetson, of course, LOVED going outside and pitched quite a fit when we had to come in...but it was freezing out there and his poor little cheeks were getting redder by the minute.

big brother.

2010-01-21T14:41:00.003-05:00

things are getting interesting around here....stetson has reached a whole new level of getting into everything. we have been amazed. and now we must baby proof the kitchen cabinets. all this time and he never even tried to open any cabinets or drawers. not so much anymore. his favorite cabinet, of course, is the one with all the cleaning supplies. he loves those spray bottles. and can only spray it on himself. (which he did with anti-bacterial counter spray the other day when james was home with him...luckily it was all on his shirt and not his face or mouth....we have since turned the nozzles to "off".) and today i tied the cabinet doors together with a scarf.

this is only the beginning, i know...it should make for an interesting year...toddlerhood, potty training (at some point), mother's morning out (in the fall), and another baby in september. all of this is exciting/overwhelming.

the adorable culprit (excuse the runny nose)

the loves of my life.

little gentleman.

2010-01-08T11:02:00.002-05:00

we went to amelie's (a really cute and delish bakery) on monday with james' parents and friend mark. a little post birthday lunch. (james' bday was sunday) stetson was really good and loved sitting in this chair-it spinned around.

christmas.

2010-01-08T10:51:00.003-05:00

he just figured out he can blink voluntarily & he was super happy about getting this little car!

thanks mimi & big daddy!

we got him this little tent...he loves it! he stayed in it all christmas morning...he wasn't interested in anything else so i had to open the rest of his gifts and hand them to him. he goes in the tent and says please for you to close the doors.

cutie pie

we tried to not go overboard with presents but between us and all of our family he was very blessed! he got his little cozy coupe car, the tent, a little armchair that has cowboys on it, books, a banjo, a stacking tree, a bowling set, clothes, legos, and more. needless to say, we had to clean out his room and pack up all the baby things he doesn't need or play with anymore to make room.

more photos.

2010-01-08T10:46:00.003-05:00

daddy's first album is here!

at a chuckecheese bday party...too busy to look up!

eating chicken nuggets with a fork!

daddy's laundry helper

just chillin' with a snack & tv

the last couple of months in photos.

2010-01-08T10:41:00.003-05:00

playing in the kitchen is one of his favorite things

my two handsome fellas

at the doctor

hectic holidays.

2010-01-08T10:11:00.002-05:00

the holidays were crazy to say the least. lots of work, driving, family, & friends. i worked way more than usual because james had the whole month off so he could be home with stetson. and december is the busiest month of the year at the salon. so james was mr. mom for the month of december and i missed being with my boys and being at home. hence the lack of blogging.

stetson started officially walking the week after thanksgiving (right at 18 months---i think he must've known his doctor appt was coming up & i was getting nervous!) his 18 month check-up went well...i think he's figured out the nurse is the one who gives the shots because he was still scared of her but not the doctor this time. dr. dorsey was happy with his progress (walking!) and said everything looks great. his weight percentile was between the 10th & 25th so i was glad to see it go up a little. he weighs 23 lbs 1 oz. he is still talking alot (mainly babbling) but his words have slowed down a little bit since he started walking. he is eating with a fork and spoon sometimes (the sight of this made me want to cry as i realized he is officially a toddler and not a baby). it's still a novelty to us to see him walking around. and it has brought on a whole new intolerance to the stroller. he wants to walk everywhere now in public but doesn't want you to hold his hand or guide him. he screams in protest. so i have resorted to the occasional m&m while he's in the stroller to keep him happy while he's in there. christmas shopping with him was all but fun and relaxing. he was acting so crazy the day we went to the mall to take a photo with santa that we decided to skip it. maybe next year.

aside from his momentary acts of independence, he is still so good and sweet most of the time. still a daddy's boy all the way. still LOVES music and dances to every kind of sound. he has started singing, too, and it will break your heart. it's so precious. he's starting to be able to identify more body parts, soft & hard textures, and will act like he's fixing his hair. we've been working on asking for help instead of getting frustrated when he can't get something to work like he wants it to...so we now hear "beebee" (please) ALL the time. but i'd rather hear that than screaming.

so the holidays were good...but every year i wish i could slow everything down enough to really enjoy it all. i so wanted a day at home in my pj's to bake christmas cookies and feel festive. but there's always next year i guess. and next christmas stetson will probably be able to help me make cookies so that will be more fun anyway.

day at the park.

2009-11-20T13:48:00.002-05:00

today we met mimi marti, aunt kelly, and cousins, tyler and vaida, at the park. stetson loved it...he crawled all over the place and really loved going down the slides with me.

he is getting so big! i can hardly believe he will be 18 months old in a week. he was taking more steps last night than i have seen him take so far. he walked from our coffee table to the chair i was sitting in (about 4 ft away). every time he took steps i gave him an m&m and clapped. so hopefully he will keep up the good work and the doctor will be happy with his progress at his 18 mo appointment.

needing a breakthrough.

2009-11-07T20:12:00.002-05:00

stetson has been having a little bit of a hard time lately...first and foremost, he is teething...a couple of weeks ago it was his bottom 2 molars and now the bottom 2 eye teeth. he went from teething with his molars to having a cold to having hand, foot, & mouth to teething again. considering all of this, he hasn't been too terrible but we can just tell he hasn't felt good. today and yesterday his afternoon naps have just been getting back to normal. and apparently, thanks to the time change, we'll be waking up an hour earlier than usual until the time changes again. UGH! i'm seriously hoping he'll adjust at some point.

today was my first real experience with him having separation anxiety. his mimi (marti) came to keep him today while i went to work. he was upset when i left but i called her a few minutes later and he was fine...of course. ripped a little piece of my heart out, though. first of many, i'm sure.

he is still just taking a few steps here and there and crawling the rest of the time. tonight he was taking 5 or 6 little steps at a time and once he took 3 steps like he was walking for real. at one point tonight i really thought he was going to take off. i don't think it'll be long.

my little punkin.

2009-10-30T14:47:00.003-04:00

we had yet to take any fallish pictures of stetson this year...so i had a little photo sesh with him yesterday. he was pretty cooperative. he's looking more and more like a little boy every day. he wanted to go outside after james left yesterday morning so he crawled into my lap and kept saying "bye" (which is a very country sounding bye). we don't have any stairs in our house so he loves to go up and down the front steps...over and over and over. even if there are wet leaves and mud. he was filthy by the time we went inside. (grandpa dan would've been proud!) he learned last time we were at my parents' house how to go down stairs by turning around and putting his feet down first...when he crawled to the first step i reminded him "feet first" and he said "otay". so every step he went down after that he would say "otay". so cute! and then he had picked up a little acorn hat and was studying it...so i picked up a hatless acorn and showed it to him. when i put the little hat on top of the acorn i told him "see this little acorn hat goes on top of the acorn" and he looked at it and gave me a long, drawn out "oooooh". i don't know if he actually got what i was saying but i love when he answers me like he does.

these feet are made for walkin'.

2009-10-24T20:31:00.005-04:00

just wanted to mark it down before my swiss~cheese~of~a~brain forgot...stetson took his first steps last night...3 times he took one step...and then today he took 2 steps a few different times. we're so excited to see him FINALLY trying to walk. a couple of weeks ago he started standing up in the middle of the room (without pulling up) and can dance not holding on...so i'm pretty sure he could walk if he wanted. he is doing and learning more and more every day...it's so much fun to watch him developing. he now can say mama, dada or daddy, hey, hi, byebye, otay (ok), nuh nuh (no no), pee pee (please), ah duh (all done), uh oh, baby, guh (milk), ha (hot), yeah and wow...he can also tell you what a dog, cat, and cow say. he is still obsessed with trying to stand everything up on it's end and he loves to try to put lids on containers. he has a riding firetruck that he loves to play with but has just gotten into sitting on and tonight he was able to get off it by himself without falling. we're still working on getting on. he has a cold right now...it's sad but it's only the 2nd cold he's ever had so it's been over a year. we've been fortunate in that area. also, his 2 bottom molars have finally broken through in the last week. ptl.

my two mimis.

2009-10-12T15:32:00.002-04:00

james has been on an 11 day trip (he gets home today!) so my mama and james' mama were both able to help me with little man. my mama was with us from last sunday to friday...keeping stetson on tuesday and wednesday while i was working and then just keeping me company the rest of the time. and then marti kept him on saturday for me. it was such a treat to have our moms here to help! it made the long trip much more bearable, although it was still hard. but we made it. dada's plane just landed and we are about to go pick him up! i can tell stetson has been missing him...he says dada alot..especially when he's going to bed. and i think he's a little tired of just being with me. james is really busy these days, so he's only home for 3 days and then he's off to california next weekend.

marti took these photos last saturday...the top on is at our house...my mom bought him a tunnel from ikea and he loves it! and the bottom one is him at a bookstore...apparently he crawled around like a maniac in there!

busybody.

2009-10-12T15:13:00.003-04:00

yesterday morning i finally got to witness stetson standing up by himself...not pulling up but just standing up in the middle of the floor. his mimi marti had already seen him do it a few times. every time he does it i clap and make a big deal out of it...so last night he was standing up over and over...for just a few seconds....and then he would stand up and clap with me. but he is, so far, NOT interested in taking any steps. and he certainly doesn't want any help...he still won't really let you hold his hands and walk him. i don't so much mind that he's not walking yet...except everywhere we go he doesn't want to be in his stroller but i can't let him crawl in just any ol' public place. i mean, i have let him crawl in places i didn't think i ever would...such as target and the mall. but the main problem with that is that when there are a lot of people around, we're either in the way or i'm afraid somebody is gonna step on him. not to mention he won't crawl in the direction you want him to.

which brings me to the fact that he hasn't been to the nursery yet at our church...i just haven't wanted to take him...it just makes me anxious...BUT i decided yesterday that we're gonna try it next time we go (we'll be in vidalia this coming weekend). he's so busy and all over the place that i was chasing him all around the perimeter of the church and if i picked him up to get him out of the way of people or keep him from getting hurt, he would kick and scream. needless to say, i was feeling a little frazzled when we left yesterday. i've just never left him with people he doesn't know and just thinking about it makes me start having anxiety. but i've got to do it. i'm never going to be able to actually pay attention to what is going on if i don't. and it's just for the preaching. the kids stay in there for worship...which is good because he loves the music. he gets his groove on.

and his bottom 2 molars are FINALLY breaking through. praise the Lord. he has been miserable with them.

precious moments.

2009-10-04T09:43:00.001-04:00

awesome photos courtesy of wonderful uncle E.

lately.

2009-10-04T08:54:00.002-04:00

i can't believe it's been a month since my last post...the days fly by.

stetson is growing so fast...still not walking on his own, still cruising the furniture. he's very cautious. he loves trying to stand various objects up on one end (remotes, hairbrushes, etc), closing things (doors, sippy cup, things that have lids), putting blankets over his head and/or back, throwing things from his high chair or car seat and saying "bye bye", and tearing tiny bits off the toilet paper roll. a couple of days ago he tore about a 6 inch piece of toilet paper off and i said "let's not do that buddy" and he picked it up and laid it on top of the roll. so cute. he also figured out how to the flush the toilet yesterday and he now knows how to pump lotion out of the bottle. we're also starting to notice how quickly he can ransack the entire house. i guess because he wasn't mobile for so long, we're just now having to deal with that. he's also in the process of getting his molars and it has not been fun. but thankfully he has been sleeping fine. he is a funny little fella which sometimes makes it hard to get on to him. we've just started doing time outs because on the occasion that he gets mad, he has started trying to pinch or grab at me and not in a cute way. yikes. i wasn't expecting this so soon. but the majority of the time he is so sweet and precious...giving kisses often. a couple of new words are "work" (when james is gone and i say where is da da? he says a slightly modified version...more like wor) and just this morning he said please without me asking him to (which sounded more like pee pee). james is on an 11 day trip to ireland and england right now and we miss him terribly. thankfully my mama is coming today to stay with us for a few days. she's going to keep stetson while i work and just help my feelings in general.

first family + friends vacay.

2009-09-05T13:27:00.003-04:00

so we went on our first vacation with stetson. we went with our group of friends here in charlotte (we went with the same group 2 years ago). there were 14 adults and 2 kids in one house. our friends heather and andrae rode with us, hence the pic of our car packed to the roof.

stetson absolutely LOVED the beach. the first time i put him down near the water, he went charging in and i had to stop him before the water was over his head. he would crawl in and back out and sit and clap over and over. his poor little knees got rubbed raw on the sand. i will be glad when he can walk so that won't happen. and of course he had a few bites of sand, which he didn't seem to mind at all.

the weather wasn't cooperative every day but we still had a good time. it was so much fun to watch him enjoying it. i was so thankful that he loved it.

15 months.

2009-08-28T22:30:00.002-04:00

today stetson is 15 months old and had a well check appointment. he now weighs 21 lbs even (10th %) and is 31 inches long (50th %). he's a little lightweight. the doctor wanted to see him to make sure he was making some progress on his feet. and he was happy with everything stetson is doing now...he's still not walking on his own, but he is taking steps holding onto furniture and occasionally letting go and balancing....tonight he stood in the tub without holding onto anything for a good 10 seconds or so...so he's on his way...the doctor says he'd like him to be walking by 18 months. i think he probably will be.

he is also still talking up a storm...most of which you can't understand...he only says a few words on his own...mama, dada, neh neh (no no), yeah, bye bye...but it seems like every day he repeats more words after me...he can say baby really well...yesterday he said it when he saw a baby on the tv without me prompting him...i was trying to teach him to say beach because we're leaving for the beach tomorrow...he says bee...and he had been saying kuh whenever i would ask him if he wanted milk, but now he says gulk. sometimes when he doesn't know how to say what we're saying, he'll use sounds he knows and do the same number of syllables. all in all he is quite communicative...i'm still surprised every time i tell him to do something and he does it.

another thing he really loves is brushing his teeth. he gets so excited when i take him into the bathroom before bed to do it.

so tomorrow we leave on our first vacation since he was born. we haven't been to the beach since before i was pregnant with him. i am hoping he will love it.

while i'm thinking about it.

2009-08-23T12:55:00.002-04:00

these days i have to do stuff when i think about it because sometimes it's days later before it comes back to my mind...i thought it wasn't for real when i used to hear people talk about "mommy brain"...but apparently it exists. anyway.

in the past week stetson has started letting go for just a few seconds when he's standing up...he's also starting to figure out he can reach on top of tables, nightstands, etc. he has made so much progress in the past month...it was just a few weeks ago that he pulled up to a stand on his own.

he also likes to take things (his shoes, my phone, remotes, toys) and put them on top of things that are higher up. he spends lots of time doing this....moving things from one piece of furniture to the next. and it's so much fun to watch him figuring out how his toys work and how to play with them.

i've also noticed that he has started getting under the coffee table or the kitchen table to poop...i guess he needs some privacy...it's pretty funny though.

his naps are so crazy right now. we stopped his morning nap for a week and he took a good long afternoon nap on some of the days...but then he was acting so sleepy we started trying to put him down again in the mornings but that only worked for 2 days. yesterday he did go down for a morning nap but i had to wake him up and then he wouldn't go to sleep all afternoon. so you can imagine how fun that was. so today, we're back on staying awake all morning and taking an afternoon nap. but the other thing is that he's teething again with his molars and i can tell it's bothering him. i guess there's always something to throw a wrench into the schedule.

culture: part 2.

2009-08-19T22:37:00.005-04:00

so we took stetson to the children's library here in town called imaginon...it is awesome and they have a baby & toddler area with all kinds of things for them to crawl on and play with. stetson loved it...he went from one thing to the next for an hour straight. we'll be making this a weekly venture.

his hand is blurry because he was waving "hi" to his daddy

he's so adorable i can hardly stand it.

uh oh.

2009-08-07T10:42:00.003-04:00

he's officially pulling up on EVERYTHING...so the breakable mixing bowls, measuring cups, etc. that i had moved to the higher shelf on our little island will have to be moved again! when he first started pulling up, he couldn't get down and would cry until you helped him. it only took him a few days to figure it out...it's so cute to watch him slowly squat down onto his bottom.

catch up.

2009-08-07T09:38:00.002-04:00

so obviously it's been a while with no updates...stetson is growing and changing so much. he has 8 teeth and is starting to gnaw on things toward the back of his mouth so i think he might be getting some back there soon. he started standing up on his own the day before he turned 14 months!...i'm partially relieved to have confirmation that he's developing...we have to go back to the doctor at the end of this month so they can see how he's doing and determine if he needs physical therapy. i'm hoping he won't. he hadn't started crawling on all 4s or putting weight on his legs at his 1 year appt. so we've had a lot of progress. i've finally figured out that he won't do anything until he's good and ready. he's also eating all kinds of table food now...a couple of months ago i couldn't get him to eat anything but baby food. he loves just about any kind of bean...green beans, black beans, refried beans...rice, chicken, potatoes, corn, strawberries, watermelon, cucumber, green bell pepper, toast, cheese grits, oatmeal...and just about anything you give him off your own plate. he still doesn't really like sweets which is just fine with me. and his favorite snack is the little gerber cheese puffs. his naps are a little chaotic right now. he just wants to practice standing up instead of sleeping. but he's still sleeping really well at night...most of the time from 8pm to 8am at least. that is a treat! he still tries to mimic us a lot...whatever sounds or words we say. and i'm still surprised when he actually does what i tell him to. it's amazing when you realize they know what you're saying and are capable of doing it. all in all, he is still such a joy and i'm so thankful to be his mama.

great's house.

2009-08-07T09:30:00.002-04:00

stetson and i took a road trip to see his great grandparents and great aunts and uncles in tennessee...it was a 7 hour drive and he did really well considering he only slept 1 of those hours both ways! no total meltdowns, just some complaining here and there. we had such a good time staying at great aunt holly's and uncle T's...unfortunately i didn't take any pictures of him or us with them or grandma and grandpa. i always forget to take pictures...but i did manage to get a couple of him with my phone. he had just started standing up...not on his own but he would let you stand him up....this was major progress.

a little more culture.

2009-06-26T21:38:00.002-04:00

every june charlotte has "pops in the park" which is where the charlotte symphony performs outside and tons of folks bring picnics and whatnot and listen...stetson went once last year when he was 5 weeks old but he enjoyed it a little more this year...it took him a few minutes to warm up (as usual) and he wouldn't get out of my lap at first...but then he was happy sitting on the blanket playing with whatever we gave him...he eventually kept trying to crawl to other people's blankets...we had no idea how long he would last because we didn't go until 6:30pm and the music doesn't start 'til 8 but he did great...he didn't start rubbing his eyes until 8:45...it was lots of fun picnicking with our friends and getting to hear the charlotte symphony.

the great outdoors.

2009-06-26T21:32:00.002-04:00

this was stetson's first time in his own baby pool in our backyard...he liked it but eventually was more interested in the grass...he's been weird about textures so i was surprised he like crawling in the grass...and i was nervous that something was going to bite him...i'm trying not to pass on my bug phobia to him so i try to not completely freak out in front of him if there is some sort of bug...but you know...do the best you can.

QT with dada.

2009-06-26T15:03:00.002-04:00

james was in town father's day weekend and he took stetson to our friends' pool that saturday while i was at work...it was his first time in a big pool and he loved it but got bored eventually...guess it's not quite as fun for him as a baby pool where he can crawl around and play with toys.

busy little bee.

2009-06-04T10:33:00.003-04:00

it's officially getting crazier at our house. stetson is (finally) crawling on all fours and starting to pull up so he is all over the place. for right now i'm enjoying it because we didn't know if he was ever going to. he hasn't actually pulled up to a stand yet but is either on his knees or one foot, one knee...baseball picture style. he's tearing up all our magazines and trying to eat them. he's just being funny in general. he claps all the time now (especially when he's eating) and shakes his head no when he's done eating or i tell him no. he loves big boy milk...we're just trying to get him to eat more table food. (the pediatrician would like that to improve over the next few months.) he's had refried beans a few times and liked them...we've gotten him to take a few bites of scrambled eggs. and of course he LOVES baby goldfish and the baby cheese puffs. he's more open to crunchy textures. he is still such a good baby and sweet boy. he catches on to things really quickly...i am discovering that they understand much more than you think they do.

other firsts.

2009-05-28T09:11:00.004-04:00

his mimi (vicki) took him to striderite to get his FIRST pair of walking shoes...he's still not actually standing up yet...but james and i both had to wear special shoes to correct our feet when we were babies, so we're starting early...we just put them on him for an hour a day and put him in either his jumper or walker.

FIRST ride in his new car seat...i couldn't even get him to look at me or smile...he would just stare straight ahead at the windshield...and i have to say, it's so nice to not have to haul him to the car in the carrier!

long live the king.

2009-05-28T08:48:00.002-04:00

stetson's first birthday party was a success...other than the dramatic gagging on the cake...he did really well despite the fact that there were 30 people at our house...he isn't as shy as he was so he acted like his usual happy self in the midst of all the chaos...he wore the little crown the whole time and didn't even try to take it off...and he loved all the cards he got the most.

a year ago.

2009-05-26T21:40:00.002-04:00

so much to catch up on from the last few weeks...2 more teeth...(finally) forward army crawl/inchworm...pulling up in his bed...gagging on birthday cake...getting really good at feeding himself...going from formula to milk...big boy walkin' shoes...first trip away from him...so much going on...

but i was just sitting here (tearfully) remembering that this time last year i was having contractions...that lasted all night, every five minutes....until they became irregular early in the morning...went to the doctor around 9 am...5 cm...sent me to the hospital...contractions stayed irregular until she broke my water i think around 1:30pm...epidural maybe an hour later...and he arrived at 7:50pm.

while showing pictures of him during my first trip away last weekend, i got asked if i walk around feeling like my heart is gonna explode all the time...that would be a yes.

what an incredible joy he has been.

i can't believe it's been a year.

slowly but surely.

2009-05-08T19:53:00.002-04:00

stetson is slowly starting to be interested in moving around...he can scoot backwards on his belly but hasn't figured out how to go forward yet. when he's in his bed, he is constantly getting up on all fours and rocking until he goes forward onto his belly...he even pushed himself up onto his bottom in a sitting position the other day. he also moves around in his walker (backwards) and has started jumping in his johnny jump up. now that he's trying to move around, he has become more interested in the things around our house...i guess this means sometime soon we need to babyproof. he's still super content playing with his toys and will play with the same one for long periods of time. his babbling is so funny to listen to...he can make so many sounds now and he puts them all together like he's really trying to tell you something. he tries to copy any sounds you make with your mouth and will randomly repeat a word. unfortunately, the one sound he hasn't made yet is MAMA. i'm pretty sure he calls both of us da da...sometimes da dee...or the other morning when i went in to get him he said "hey deedee". i keep saying mama to him but that's one of the few things he doesn't try to repeat. he also has started trying to push me away when i'm kissing on him, but i keep reminding him i waited a long time to have my own baby to kiss. his birthday is less than 3 weeks away and i can't believe it.

dirt don't hurt.

2009-04-24T14:15:00.002-04:00

stetson and i sat out on the front steps after lunch today...he liked picking up dirt out of the pot and dropping it on the ground...and i finally got a good shot of his new teeth!...his cheeks are chapped again from sleeping in his drool...i think he's about to get another tooth.

i love my bed.

2009-04-23T10:34:00.003-04:00

i took this monday night...he had just had a bath and he was so excited to be in his bed. we had been out all day and he napped in his stroller so he was thrilled when i put him in the bed...he kept rubbing his hands across the sheet and smiling!...i know how he feels...i feel the same way about my bed.

the best for last.

2009-04-17T23:25:00.001-04:00

uncle E took these awesome photos one day when he and aunt amanda were babysittin'. what can i say?...TOO PRESH.

more photos.

2009-04-17T23:12:00.002-04:00

he's playing with his toy cellphone that i think already has water damage from drool...but he loves it.

easter morning...somehow we managed to not get a picture of him in his easter outfit.

feeling the gravel driveway...way more interesting than the camera!

updating.

2009-04-17T22:58:00.002-04:00

photo sesh with dad

sweet boys

looks like he could crawl, right?...not yet!

sometimes he gets fussy when he's on his hands and knees b/c he's either tired of holding himself up or doesn't know how to get back down on the floor...

hanging out in our room and found one of his dad's guitar pedals on the bed

a happier non-crawling picture...he does get on his hands and knees and rock but so far doesn't go anywhere!...can't complain...life is still easy!

the other one.

2009-04-05T19:04:00.002-04:00

stetson's other front tooth poked through yesterday...hopefully i can get a pic soon...you can only see the edge so there's not much to see yet. he likes hitting his teeth together now...i suppose it's a new sensation for him. but this morning he was grinding them and i could hardly stand it. he is also getting up on all fours, and rocked a little bit but still hasn't figured out what comes next. he has, however, started acting like a crazy person on the changing table trying to flip over and grab stuff. i'll try to put up new pics soon!

before i forget.

2009-03-29T22:18:00.002-04:00

just wanted to mark it down before i forgot...one of stetson's front teeth FINALLY broke through today. the other one should be any day...PTL...the drooling, runny nose, and chapped cheeks have been out of control. he also made the most effort he has thus far to crawl...he hasn't actually moved forward or backward but he's gettin' those legs going and trying to scoot...he will push up on his arms and then drop onto his chest and start moving his legs...hasn't put the two together yet...i have been anxious about him crawling because he's now 10 months and hasn't yet...but at the same time it's about to get crazy...his fairy godmother, auntie heather, kept him yesterday and said twice he sounded like he was trying to repeat "thank you" after her...i've heard him do the same thing...and today he was with aunt amanda and uncle E and it sounded like he was trying to say eric (uncle E)--"eck"...it's so crazy to hear him trying to talk!! smart little fella.

weekend in vidalia.

2009-03-27T17:23:00.004-04:00

we spent last weekend with mimi vicki and big daddy steve. we had a great time...these pics of stetson in his walker were taken while we were getting ready to leave.

looking precious with his biter biscuit.

in mimi's yard feeling grass for the first time.

done taking pictures...but still so cute!

i have a little bit of irish somewhere.

2009-03-17T21:28:00.002-04:00

this might possibly be the cutest face you've ever seen. just sayin'.

priceless moments.

2009-03-15T21:54:00.003-04:00

stetson rolled over in the tub reaching for his duck and then didn't know what to do...he kept looking down at the water and then looking up at me...he didn't mind posing for a photo sesh, though!

this was a couple of weeks ago (when we had a random warm day)...his first time in a swing at the park...he belly laughed the whole time...it was hilarious...can't wait for spring so we can go more often!

sidenote: he now says "hey", da-da (although we don't know if he has connected that with james yet), sometimes when i tell him no he says "neh neh neh neh" and he has randomly repeated a word after us...the other day he said "go" after me and i could've sworn the other night he said "i wah da da"...kinda hurt my feelings!

our little string bean.

2009-03-06T20:05:00.002-05:00

stetson went for his 9 month well check yesterday and weighed in at a whopping 18 pounds 1 ounce and was 29 inches long. so he is currently in the 15th percentile for weight and 70th for length. his cheeks may be deceiving, but he is a skinny little guy. he smiled , talked, and thoroughly charmed the nurses and our doctor. he had to get his toe pricked so they could take some blood to check for anemia and he just sat there with his hand on the nurse's shoulder and didn't even wince. he had to get one shot and did cry a little. but overall, we're thankful for a good report! also, we knew he was teething...it's been way worse than when he got his 2 bottom teeth...but the doctor said he's getting 4 on the top at once. you can start to see a little bit of white through his gums so i'm hoping they'll break through soon! he's had a couple of rough nights and occasionally been a little fussy...but not too bad considering how swollen his gums are. poor little guy. it seems like if he's going to have a rough night, he does it when james is gone...so here's hoping for a weekend of good nights!...especially since mama has a cold.

everyday christmas.

2009-02-27T20:09:00.003-05:00

can't believe that it's been 9 months since my precious, sweet, adorable, hilarious, quirky, lovable, amazingly content, happy little boy entered this world. he has already made it a better place. how did we ever live without him?! so thankful for this privilege.

recent photos.

2009-02-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

life do get daily.

2009-02-26T10:18:00.003-05:00

february has been a crazy busy month...james has been traveling ALOT. stetson continues to change on a daily basis...he is so much fun. he is babbling all the time but his babbles are becoming more enunciated...he says da-da but we're not sure if he knows what he's saying. he finally rolled over from back to front after months of waiting and working with him...he rolled the other way at 4 months. the good news about that is he can finally get himself in the position he likes to sleep...on his stomach. so he rolls all around his bed and talks until he's ready to go to sleep and then he usually turns over. he goes for his 9 month check-up next week. i'm anxious to see how much he's grown. he's not trying to crawl yet...he tries to reach for things but hasn't actually tried to move. i was getting stressed out about it because everywhere i go people ask me if he's crawling but after a few other moms told me about their experiences, i finally let it go and am trying to enjoy this last bit of time that i don't have to chase him. he also decided last friday that he wanted solid food for lunch instead of formula. until then he had been having cereal and baby food for breakfast and supper and 2 formula feedings in between. but that day he wouldn't drink his formula and was whining like he was hungry. so i tried some food and he at more than he usually does at breakfast or supper. so now he's eating food at breakfast, lunch, and supper with an afternoon sippy cup of formula. he still loves baby food and cereal and when i have tried a little bit of real food (a tiny bit of a grape and a strawberry) he hated it. he loves those little puffs, though. and fed himself one last week for the first time. he can't do it every time but he's working on it. what i have been amazed at is how much he seems to understand...like if i tell him no, he will stop whatever he's doing. the only 2 things that really make him mad are wiping his mouth after he eats and putting a shirt on over his head. but every time he starts pitching a fit i tell him no and now he will sit still and let me wipe his mouth. now i know all you moms who have older kids are thinking oh, you just wait...and i know this is the beginning of many battles of the wills...but one day at a time. i just didn't think he would actually respond at such a young age. all in all, he's just a joy to have around. every day i feel so blessed to have him.

first haircut.

2009-01-30T15:00:00.003-05:00

stetson got his first haircut yesterday. not his whole head...just around his ears. it was still really short right in front of his ears and right behind them it was about 2 inches long. so i just blended the sides for him. looks much better...of course, i'm looking forward to him having more hair and getting to give him cool haircuts...just not sure what i'll do first!

and yes, we did save the little locks!

8 months old.

2009-01-30T00:09:00.003-05:00

i took this today while we were out and about...stetson was being so cute...very cheerful and smiling and laughing at everything and nothing. one of the cutest things is watching him laugh while playing with one of his toys---not because i'm doing crazy stuff to get him to laugh. he just started doing this recently. he has a little toy laptop that he is currently obsessed with that makes him laugh.

he's also trying to reach stuff that is out of reach and it's really cute to see him sitting on the floor bending forward as far as he can with his arms out. i'm hoping this will encourage him to start crawling. although i'm really not in a big hurry for that. he sits and plays pretty contentedly and it sure is nice. he's just pretty pleasant all around. and he is growing so much. he looks bigger to me all the time. especially his head.

inaugural snow day.

2009-01-20T22:06:00.003-05:00

so we were excited to wake up to a couple of inches of snow this morning...especially when it means staying home from work and getting to enjoy it. we took stetson outside for just a few minutes to take some pictures and let him touch the snow. he was a pretty good sport. it was really nice to have a whole day at home with all 3 of us. it also happened to be the inauguration so we had on the tv most of the day.

on yer back.

2009-01-19T16:39:00.003-05:00

after months of stetson sleeping on his stomach and rolling over during the night and then not being able to roll back over and crying because he couldn't fall asleep on his back, we finally did it. well, actually, james did it. one day a couple of weeks ago while i was at work, stetson wouldn't take his nap because he just kept rolling over and then fussing because he was sleepy. so james bit the bullet and let him cry it out on his back. i think he said he cried for an hour. until it was time for him to eat again. but ever since then, he will fall asleep on his back. it's been great. and we're hoping that since he's sleeping on his back---even though he sleeps better on his stomach---he'll figure out how to roll the other way. we've seen him trying but he can't quite do it.

sjd.

2009-01-19T16:35:00.002-05:00

what can we say...he is so precious. or "presh" as james would say. he is such a joy to live with. it's like christmas every day. he's continuing to babble all the time and reaching for everything. he has also started eating the little puffs but hasn't quite figured out how to get them in his own mouth. but he bites them with his 2 little teeth. his little personality is starting to come out and it's so much fun to watch. he's finally staying awake a little more during the day so that has also been fun. he's just growing so fast. it's fun and sad at the same time. he's almost 8 months and i know we'll turn around twice and it'll be his birthday. the good news is that we only have to buy formula for 4 more months. but it's weird. you think they're gonna be little babies for longer than they are. i hope i don't ever forget how precious this first year has been.

he's bona-fide.

2009-01-05T18:09:00.004-05:00

stetson was dedicated on december 28.

both sets of grandparents were on hand, which was a special moment in itself. stetson is quite blessed to have such amazing grandparents. I never knew my grandfathers, so it's really special for me to know stetson is so hooked up in that department.

plus, it's a bonus to know your son is a christian. right? just kidding.

stetsie's best friend and confidant, jude w. mcmillan, was also dedicated. as you can see in the picture, they both were dressed super tight + right. jude looks pretty serious in the picture, but he was just dedicated. getting dedicated is serious business.

these boys are gonna tear it all up when they are older. i can't wait.

first things first.

2008-12-26T11:33:00.002-05:00

stetson eating breakfast (oatmeal and prunes) on his first ever christmas morning...he was, of course, oblivious to the fact that it was christmas and went down for his nap before any gifts were opened...unbeknownst to him, he racked up...he got lots of clothes and toys. it's crazy to think that next christmas he'll be running around!

twas the night before christmas.

2008-12-26T11:27:00.002-05:00

a slightly blurry picture of the 4 cousins on christmas eve in their jammies...liam, kate, sloan, and stetson.

james took this out the window while we we driving down to georgia on christmas eve...i worked late on the 23rd so we waited til the next day to drive...it was nice to get up and take our time packing and getting ready to go instead of being stressed and breaking our necks to hurry...it was a good day.

my fellas.

2008-12-26T11:20:00.003-05:00

james took this before he and stetson went shopping one day while i was at work...pete and repeat...

these were some random photos of our little man sitting up like a big boy...you can see one of his favorite toys his "great" bought him...it's a little alphabet wheel that sings the letters.

christmas cutie.

2008-12-26T11:16:00.002-05:00

stetson's mimi (my mama...both of his grandmas are called mimi) bought him this hat....SO CUTE...we took these before we went out christmas shopping while she was here.

our little family.

2008-12-26T11:09:00.002-05:00

we had family pictures taken at thanksgiving and we used this one for our christmas cards.

6 month check-up, etc.

2008-12-26T10:42:00.003-05:00

stetson went for his well-check on dec 11...he weighed 16 lbs 3 oz (now in the 25th %) and 26 3/4 inches long (still around the 75th %)...he's a skinny little guy but he's pretty muscular. he wasn't sitting up too well at the time of the doctor's appointment but he is now. the doctor told us it was ok but we just needed to keep working with him on it...he said that sometimes babies that are really content won't push themselves to do new things. his favorite thing to do is lay on his back and kick like crazy and i'm sure if we'd let him, he'd be content to do that all day...which, for him, is only about 5 or 6 hours of wake time. he still requires alot of sleep and enjoys having downtime in his crib before he goes to sleep. he can now sit up and play for a while before falling over...he got a johnny jump up for christmas but still hasn't figured out the jumping part. so far he just turns himself in circles. his bottom two teeth broke through last week so chewing on our fingers is no longer an option...too painful! he is babbling up a storm now...lots of consonant sounds...the doctor said he's a little ahead verbally...he also has become much more social in the last month...before it would take him a little while to warm up to new people and now he smiles and talks alot more openly. he is such a joy to have around. the month of december has been very hectic and exhausting...hence, the lack of updates. james went on an eleven day trip (let's not do that again any time soon!)...it wasn't bad, we had visitors....my aunt holly and uncle troy and my mama...but just having sole responsibility for that long was truly exhausting...my heart goes out to single moms...so from the time he got home (dec 15) it has been non-stop with me working, going down to atlanta to have christmas with james' family, and then coming down to vidalia for christmas with my family. as much as i love the holidays, by christmas day i'm looking forward to getting back to normal routines.

what a little guy.

2008-12-02T17:18:00.004-05:00

stetson is a real champ. i mean for real.

notice his legs are up in the air. he's real wild with those legs.

first thanksgiving.

2008-12-02T17:10:00.005-05:00

stetson had his first thanksgiving. he slept through the dinner, but woke up afterwards and was ready to feast. he had a good time with the tipps side of the family. he thinks his mimi is the jam. also, we left for vidalia after jacki got off work around 8:30 p.m. and he slept just about the whole way down. we were so impressed that we decided to try that on the way back. he slept the whole way back. so we think that is the way to travel with a stetson in the back.

he's real presh.

early bird.

2008-11-19T21:38:00.002-05:00

the last couple of days stetson has been waking up around 6:30am....a little earlier than usual. he usually wakes up sometime between 7 & 8. so even though 6:30 isn't much earlier, i sure feel a lot sleepier. however, it only takes seeing that little face for a split second and i temporarily forget how tired i am. these pictures were taken this morning at 7:30. he had already eaten and gotten cleaned up and was ready to play....i think he lasted til 8 before he was ready for a nap. is that the most precious face you've ever seen or what?! after being at work for the past 2 days, i'm so glad i get to be home with him for the next 5.

ready for church.

2008-11-16T08:47:00.003-05:00

he looked so cute this morning when i got him dressed for church that i had to take a picture!

what a happy boy. he is growing so fast. he looks bigger to me all the sudden. he's eating a lot more right now so i think maybe he's having a growth spurt. he usually eats half of a jar of baby food and last night he ate a whole nother jar. he's also drinking his formula out of a sippy cup (the transitional ones with soft tops). it's so cute when he grabs the little handles and pulls it up to his mouth.

btw...if you drop a bowl of baby oatmeal and bananas on the way out of the microwave, it makes a HUGE mess.

life+stetson

2008-11-13T08:51:00.004-05:00

this has been a big week for stetson. he is talking up a storm and using a lot more consonant sounds. he is grabbing everything and shoving most of it into his mouth. along w/ the constant kicking he has started moving his arms a lot more. when he sits in your lap he slaps your arms over and over. it's adorable. he holds on to you when you hold him, which is something i've been waiting for. he is eating his fruits and vegetables. he is a vegetarian. stetson says, "the vegetarian lifestyle just makes sense. " i told him that it was a little trendy, but he didn't seem to even acknowledge my comment. which we had to have a talk about.

he is the best thing ever.

all grown up...well sort of.

2008-10-31T10:53:00.004-04:00

this was taken this morning...he looks like a little man in his jeans and flannel shirt. he had baby food for the first time last night. sweet potatoes and some funny faces. it made a much bigger mess than the rice cereal. he does pretty good eating his food as long as his bottle isn't in his line of sight...if he spies it, he won't eat any more 'til he has his bottle.

salute to autumn.

2008-10-31T10:41:00.003-04:00

these were taken when we went to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago. stetson was being cute but was getting tired so we didn't get any smiles for the pictures.

his fairy godmother (aka aunt heather) was holding him in this one

happy days.

2008-10-24T11:25:00.002-04:00

stetson was sitting in my lap yesterday being super cute. the picture where he's smiling with his mouth wide open is what he does when you open your mouth wide with a surprised face. it's hilarious when he smiles like that and shows all his gums. the middle picture looks JUST LIKE his daddy!

at the post office.

2008-10-24T11:21:00.002-04:00

stetson was running errands with his daddy while i was at work. i miss that little face like crazy when i'm not with him.

out and about.

2008-10-20T18:01:00.003-04:00

not loving the parking deck.

helping mama hold the napkins

practicing eating solid foods.

we went out shopping with stetson today. he's cute. he's really aware of his surroundings now. he's constantly looking around. he loves sitting in the sling, facing out, and looking around at everything and everybody. he's quite social and adorable.

doctor, doctor.

2008-10-09T13:02:00.005-04:00

stetson had his 4 month well-check today. he now weighs 14 lbs 3 oz (still 50th %) and is 25 7/8" (still 75th %). he handled his shots really well and hasn't complained since. he's a tough little guy. he's turning over all the time, holding his head up well, babbling(with much squealing), laughing, not crying in the car---he'll finally fall asleep in the car without screaming--but mostly looks out the window/sun roof and talks--- and is eating rice cereal regularly. it's so much fun to feed him his cereal...he opens his mouth wide for a bite...so cute! he also sucks his thumb with his other fingers over his nose when he's going to sleep. "it's so cute, it makes me want to cut my head off"...that's a quote from his daddy about the thumb-sucking. he's quite verbal and active and i think i have my work cut out for me when he is mobile....he spends most of his wake time laying on his play gym and kicking. and kicking. and kicking. and talking to all the little animals dangling over him. he squirms and scoots so much when we put him in his bed (on his tummy) that all of his pj's have pills on the knees. but he's a really good sleeper...possibly because he wears himself out when he's awake! we enjoy him so much we can hardly stand ourselves.

bro's.

2008-10-08T21:26:00.003-04:00

stetson and jude hung out a little (between naps) while john mark and james were downstairs playing music. they impressively slept through lee worley playing drums... and lee don't play quiet.

i bet these two will rock out together when they are older.

the young lion.

2008-10-03T12:31:00.002-04:00

stetsonduke

taste of my own medicine

2008-10-02T12:51:00.002-04:00

so. jacki+stetson headed to vidalia today, and i'm staying home. i am working here in town this weekend so i couldn't go. this marks the first time my family has left me here at home by myself. i deserve a taste of my own medicine every now and again. i'll get a real taste too cos' they will be gone until sunday night. that's just like most trips i take.

i'm not really used to this. but i will get to play guitar as loud as i want.

godspeed, minha familia

surveying the prop.

2008-09-30T22:01:00.003-04:00

i took stetson out to his backyard today. he was a little upset that there was no tree house or swing set. but i reminded him that he is only 4 months old and that he should just enjoy his blue bumbo. the rest will come.

he's on the mend, by the way.

coffee girls.

2008-09-29T14:01:00.003-04:00

smiling at me

looking at "aunt" molly

havin' a chat with "aunt" amanda

these are from this morning at "aunt" molly's. stetson was being super cute after waking up from his nap. he turned 4 months old over the weekend and something changed because yesterday and today he's staying awake for 2 hours at a time (content) and then going down for naps without fussing. he has even been content in the car...which is usually not his fave. it's crazy how they change so fast. and even though it's only the second day like this, it's been wonderful having him awake a little more where i can actually run errands without feeling like i'm disrupting his nap times. so precious, that little guy. can i say it enough?

big boy.

2008-09-28T19:26:00.003-04:00

stetson ate rice cereal for the first time tonight...it took him a few minutes to get the hang of it, but he caught on pretty quick. it was messy but he was happy...as long as i kept that spoon coming!

a good day...here's hoping for a good night.

2008-09-27T20:03:00.003-04:00

stetson still has a cold but he had a much better day today...other than the fact that he woke up a bit prematurely at 4:30am this morning b/c he had turned over...and it took me half an hour to get him calmed down and back to sleep...after which i couldn't go back to sleep...so i reckon you could say the day started a bit rough considering i had a hard time falling asleep last night---last time i looked at the clock it was 1:30am (james is out-of-town)---and now i've been up since 4:30am...i think i get a bit anxious and have a hard time sleeping when i know i have to get up, get myself ready for work, get stetson up, fed, and dressed and have him at heather's by 8am...(thankfully this only has to happen 2 days per month...all the other days i work james is home with him)...so he did finally go back to sleep at 5:05am and slept until i woke him up at 7:30am...we got to heather's on time...he was happy and had a good day with her...(let me just say what a HUGE blessing to be able to leave him with someone you know is going to love him and enjoy him almost as much as i do)...when i got there to pick him up at 5pm (with possibly the worst headache i've ever had), he was still taking a nap so heather and i chatted until he woke up...he had his bottle there and then we drove home, he took a bath (one of his most favorite things), and went right to bed at 7:15pm with no fussing...what a precious, sweet boy...now if only our nights could get back on track...he's had a hard time sleeping for his usual 12 hours since he got sick...but here's hoping since i'm freaking exhausted and daddy won't be home 'til monday night...either way, i can't wait to see that little smiling face again.

under the weather.

2008-09-26T11:58:00.002-04:00

stetson officially has his first cold...james had it first, then me, and then unfortunately the wee prince. obviously this won't be the last one he ever gets, but it sure is pitiful. he can't breathe through his nose very good so when he tries to suck his thumb when he's sleeping, it wakes him up. needless to say, there hasn't been a whole lot of sleep around here for anybody. kinda like having a newborn again. but today he seems a little better than yesterday so hopefully we're on the up and up. it's just miserable to watch them be miserable. and i'm still pretty sick myself. fun times.

hopefully we'll have some new pics up soon...

just the boys.

2008-09-16T20:13:00.005-04:00

stetson + i hung out all day. jacki is at work on tuesdays and wednesdays. so it was just us boys. we jammed out w/ guitars, wrestled, talked, walked, laughed, ate, hung out w/ grandpa, watched tv, cried, napped, crapped, bathed, and looked adorable in our robot p.jammers.

all that before 7:50 p.m. when we retired for the night.

am i cute or what???

2008-09-12T12:40:00.004-04:00

we had a little photo sesh before going out to run errands today...so adorable!

the men in my life.

2008-09-11T20:58:00.002-04:00

i'm pretty sure these 2 are the best lookin' fellas i know.

chip and block.

progress.

2008-09-11T20:51:00.004-04:00

i spy a teeny tiny MOHAWK.

exciting progress.

"what we need is a little culture."

2008-09-10T21:48:00.002-04:00

stetson attended his first art show last weekend. it was put on by "uncle E". he did pretty well considering it was past his bedtime and about a million degrees in there.

have i mentioned lately that he is such a good baby? sometimes we can't believe how good he is. he still sleeps a lot so i feel like i don't get to spend that much time with him. but i'm certainly not complaining. i started back to work last week and even though it's part-time, it's so hard to be away from him. i don't work on thursdays and fridays so i am very much looking forward to spending the next 2 days with him. james is leaving again tomorrow so it'll just be me and little man 'til monday.

Q.T. with grandpa.

2008-09-10T21:40:00.002-04:00

stetson thoroughly enjoyed visiting with his grandpa...he was telling stetson how much he loves him and how blessed he is to have 2 grandpas because he never knew his grandpas and neither did james. so grateful that stetson has incredible godly men in his life.

happy boy.

2008-09-04T12:48:00.002-04:00

stetson is so precious...he's turning over...pushing up on his forearms when he's laying on his stomach...holding his head up pretty well...putting his little hands in his mouth as often as he can...(he found his thumb the other day--we've tried to get him to take a pacifier but unfortunately he doesn't want it)....trying to reach around his legs when you're changing his diaper (yikes!)...laughing and just being altogether adorable. he's a happy little fella and we couldn't be happier.

off to bed.

2008-08-26T19:05:00.000-04:00

just took a bath. ready to hit the sack.

gasoline beehinds.

2008-08-26T17:37:00.000-04:00

on the road again...

stetson + vaida

stetson + uncle ed

stetson + great grandpa tipps

stetson + sloan, kate, liam

we went to tennessee last weekend for my grandpa's 80th birthday. we spent the night in atlanta on the way there and back so stetson wouldn't have to be in the car for so long. (hence, the pic of stetson and vaida) he did relatively well, considering all the time in the car and sleeping in unfamiliar places. he got to meet all of his relatives on the tipps side of the family. and, of course, was a big hit...everyone was so glad to meet their youngest great grandson/great nephew/second cousin. it was also the first time sloan and kate met their newest cousin so we finally got a picture of all 4 grandchildren in my immediate family.

we had a great time, but i think stetson is happy to be sleeping in his own bed. and so are we.

props to aunt molls.

2008-08-20T16:40:00.001-04:00

we thought we'd see if any of stetsons 3-6 month clothes would fit. he slid into this little number, given by his aunt molly. we thought it was most def. photo worthy.

stetson has found his hands. he has taken to clasping them together and staring at them for hours. he loves his hands. we love his hands.

vidalia.

2008-08-18T18:22:00.000-04:00

stetson + charkey

stetson+big daddy

stetson+mimi

stetson+aunt kaysi

stetson+jude

theDUKES went down to vidalia for the weekend. stetson got to visit w/ his great-grandparents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins, and best friends. and he's got the pictures to prove it.

big boy.

2008-08-13T17:45:00.000-04:00

stetson rolled over for the first time this morning. he started stirring a little before 7 am and james went to check on him but he was still asleep...on his tummy as usual (don't worry we know they tell you not to put them on their stomachs to sleep, but it's the only way he will). then around 7:30 we heard him talking and laughing and it sounded different than usual so james went to check on him again and he was on his back. we can't believe how fast he's growing and changing. and how delightful to wake up to him talking and laughing rather than crying. such a sweet boy.

missing daddy and such.

2008-08-08T11:53:00.000-04:00

james left today on another trip after being home less than 48 hours. stetson was missing him. (my sentiments exactly, stetson!)

but then we got ourselves together and looked cute!

brave little soldier.

2008-08-06T16:57:00.000-04:00

stetson had his two month well check today. he's now 11lbs 15oz (still 50th percentile), 23 3/4 inches long (still 75th percentile). he got his first shots today. he did very well. he only cried for a second.

he's so little and precious.

hangin' out with the ladies.

2008-08-05T15:56:00.000-04:00

stetson was being his usual adorable self at "coffee girls" yesterday. (for those who may not know, "coffee girls" is my group of friends who get together every monday morning for coffee and chewin' the fat) he is such a good baby. i just can't say it enough. and he has consistently slept 11 to 12 hours a night since last week. he's talking more and more every day so pretty much if he's awake, i can't stand to do anything but look at him.

who's complaining?..not me.

2008-08-01T08:24:00.000-04:00

for the last couple of weeks or so, stetson has been sleeping from around 8 pm to 8 am usually waking up once to eat around 2 or 3 am. it's been great and we definitely aren't complaining. but last night was the first time he slept from about 8:15 pm to 7 am this morning. you just can't ask for much better from a 2 month old. he's such a good boy. he still sleeps most of the time...he's usually awake for an hour or so at a time and then he's had enough. i would say we have it made..at least for now. i know other new moms who seem frazzled on a regular basis and don't have time to put on makeup or anything else because their babies are so fussy they can't put them down. we've had a couple of days like that (mainly when he was having stomach issues) but i can't imagine dealing with that day in, day out. i mean, the first month was pretty rough...with sleep deprivation and exclusively breastfeeding which didn't work out...but once we got to 5 or 6 weeks, it has been wonderful. he's an easy baby. and we're thankful.

dear mimi marti.

2008-07-30T23:55:00.000-04:00

thanks for the car. i love it! -stetson

general cuteness.

2008-07-25T14:21:00.001-04:00

stetson was telling me all about it this morning. the more lively he gets, the more fun it is. i know a lot of these pictures are starting to look the same, but i reckon most folks understand how crazy you are about your own children. sometimes when i'm looking at him i feel like my heart might explode. can't get over it.

and so it begins.

2008-07-24T23:22:00.000-04:00

the duke family went to visit the mcmillan family at cmc charlotte today. jude w mcmillan was there being new and cute. stetson and jude played together. as well as a two month old and a two day old can play together. stetson was gentle and jude was quite well mannered.

jude has a cry (scream) that will shatter your heart and make you love life all at the same time. it's a perfect cry. an appropriate cry. he's a big spirit in small body, with hands that could palm a basketball. he's going to cast shadows quite early i believe.

jude, welcome to the queen city.