the evans

Progress

2010-12-09T16:25:00.002-05:00

I would consider this a step in the right direction, wouldn't you?

2009

2010

While he wouldn't sit on or make eye contact with Santa, he did at least sit by him after ten minutes of coaxing. Ho, ho, ho!

Milestones...

2010-10-06T17:28:00.003-04:00

We finally had Cason's 2-year pictures done! Whoot, whoot! I knew I wanted to do them outside and this summer has been so unbearably hot, I didn't want to make him miserable in the process. Unfortunately, we did them Sunday morning and it was 50 degrees outside and so windy! Go figure. Anyway, we got some good ones despite the conditions. My cousin Jennifer followed us around Downtown Dallas, and then Downtown Hiram where we found a few good photo spots. She's such a good cousin! Thanks Jen!

We do eskimo kisses...it's kind of our thing.

Cason was fah-reezing here...we could barely get him to sit still!

Putters, pouters & the farm...

2010-10-06T17:13:00.009-04:00

Since the kids were out of school a few weeks ago, we decided to take them to a petting zoo. After some extensive research online, mom found this one in Canton called Tanglewood. It was awesome! I love how they had the whole thing set up like an old western town. It was really well thought out; there was a holding area before each exhibit so you wouldn't let the animals out of the gates. The miniature goats were, hands-down, my favorite. I think I've developed an affinity for goats ever since I learned about the fainting goats. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you must click here. Now, tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor.

Adriana, Trin & Little Man in the back of the wagon...

The goats were a little aggressive with Mandy...

Yeeeee haw...

I loved the stylish Alpaca haircut...

This sheep made me smile...I don't know if you would consider that an under-bite or a side-bite?

Portapotty break...

We also took the little ones to play putt putt. We no more pulled up at Mountasia, paid, walked out to the first hole, and the bottom let out. I mean, sheets of rain. They didn't even get to putt once!

The pouters...

Nothing a little icecream couldn't fix...

I am really impressed with Cason's driving skills. I took the governor off of his Junior car, and he can weave in and out of the cars and the bushes. He's actually pretty good!

Sand castles & donuts...

2010-10-06T17:07:00.006-04:00

We took Cason to Ponte Vedra for a long weekend at the beginning of September. Well, we thought it was going to be a long weekend. He ended up getting really sick and we came back after two days. He had an absolute blast while we were there though!

Here he is digging in the sand after taking a quick cat nap on me...

This was actually Ryan's fish net from when he was little...Cason put a few more miles on it...

He kept calling the waves, "Monster Waves!!!"...

It's vacation, so we eat donuts in bed...

Feeding the fish after dinner...the owner of the restaurant fell in love with Cason. I think he was just nostalgic because his little boy is grown now and he kept telling us over and over again to cherish every moment when they're little. There was about a 30 minute wait to sit down, and he snuck us right in ahead of everyone else, and then he must have given Cason a dozen biscuits to rip up and feed the fish with. He was so sweet!

Ryan and mini-Ryan...

Baby #2...

2010-08-31T11:31:00.006-04:00

...for our friends within one week! Corinne and Brandon welcomed Reese Amelia Sunday evening and she is precious. Congratulations guys!

Lisa got a big kick out of pushing the epidural release...Corinne looks happy because she is receiving the epidural release. It worked out well for both of them.

I swear Corinne didn't even break a sweat giving birth...I told her she looked like a fresh spring lily!

Bryson Lee Clarke

2010-08-24T16:22:00.006-04:00

Bryson made his appearance yesterday...7 pounds, 10 ounces. He's adorable! Congratulations Ryan & Michelle!

And speaking of babies...me and Lisa helped throw Corinne a martini & dessert baby shower. It was SO much fun decorating with all the girly pink & green stuff. We'll have another baby to love on in just a few days!

Growing up...

2010-08-19T13:58:00.014-04:00

While I always look forward to Cason's next milestone, it's also bittersweet that he's growing up so fast. He puts a smile on our faces every day with his mischievousness and his humor. We are amazed at how smart he is and how he retains every little detail. When he wants me to explain something to him or he wants to relive a story of something that's happened he says, "Mommy, talk about it. Talk about it." We've found that it's easier to get him to obey us when we explain why we're asking him to do or not do something. He wanted to ride in the front seat on the way home with my mom and after asking him to get in his carseat a few times, she finally explained that if she let him sit in the front and she got into a wreck, the airbag would come out and hurt him. He immediately got up and sat in his carseat and the entire way home he wanted mom to "talk about it" (the airbag) over and over again. If I'm reading him a book and I'm not moving quickly enough for him (or get distracted by an episode of Modern Family for a second), he touches my cheek and says, "Talk about it!" He can be as sweet as he is rambunctious...typical two year old I guess. His hugs and kisses are few and far between, but when I get them, they melt my heart. When he knows I'm upset with him, he'll walk over to the refrigerator and pull off the Valentine Heart he made me, hand it to me, and say, "Happy holidays mommy." How can you be angry after that???

We converted his crib into a full-size big boy bed this weekend. He looks so little in it! We told him he's not allowed to jump on the bed, so he disguises the need to do that by saying he's doing his "exercises." Clever. It took two trips to Home Depot to get the job done. Cason couldn't understand why there was a potty in the middle of HD...

Looking for screws...The finished room...

Cason started 2-Year Pre-K at Burnt Hickory Baptist Church on Monday & Wednesday of this week. I knew this would be a monumental change for him. The excitement for the new backpack and the anticipation of the day wore off quickly when he realized we weren't staying with him at school...he was being dropped off. Queue the Price is Right loser music...whooomp, whoomp, whoomp, whoomp...whoommmmmp. My mom and I dropped him off and quickly said our goodbyes as the tears streamed down his face. We didn't know what to do with ourselves for the next two hours, so we went to Panera at the Avenues and had coffee. We sat there and talked about how we thought he was doing. We were pathetic. I called an hour later to check on him, and he was still crying. When we picked him up, you would have thought he was convinced he wasn't going to see me again. Mom dropped him off again on Wednesday, and although he cried, he had some breakthrough moments where he was okay. He even finger-painted a tree! I'm sure this will get easier each time he goes, as all the other moms have enlightened me. He insisted upon taking his first-day-of-school pictures with his golfclub.

Showing me his backpack...Action shot... Before he realizes Mommy and Nana do not also attend school...

And here is Cason and Autumn...he misses her living next door! We went over to Scott and Emily's to visit their newest addition, sweet Caroline. Cason and Autumn got some good quality time in. We even spotted them holding hands when they didn't know anyone was looking!

Hot, hot, hot!

2010-07-15T17:05:00.015-04:00

We've had a lot of fun with Cason this summer! He's at a great age and it's a lot easier to go to the pool and do activities with him this year than it was last year. Put his swimmies on and let him go! He loves jumping in the pool and he does really well swimming around on his own. Here are some pictures from Father's Day...

Trinity & Adriana hung out with us too...This is what we do to entertain ourselves when the power goes out for two hours...At Brett & Lisa's pool...He had a blast going down the slide...

Hanging out at Uncle Brian & Aunt Mandy's house... At the zoo...

I think Cason likes animals as much as I do!

Now this is love...

I did a double-take when I saw this...the rough life of a gorilla

Luckily we made it through this entire exhibit without getting pooped on...

And we went to Stone Mountain...Cason loved the laser show but kept his ears covered the whole time.

Lots to catch up on...

2010-06-08T13:24:00.009-04:00

And I still don't have time to catch up, really, but here's a snapshot of what's been going on...my new job has been going great and my commute has been cut in half *air fist pump*, which means my mom has been able to meet me for lunch with my little guy from time to time:

Easter came and went:

With his Trinny Rayn Rayn as he calls her. He looks innocent enough here, but really he was strategically positioning himself in front of everyone so he could be first out the door. Cason got really sick and we weren't able to make it to my dad's family reunion. If you know my son, you know he never sits still. So when he did this late one afternoon, we new something was up:

Luckily, he bounced back after a few days and was back to his old self. We have had quite a few birthday parties to go to, and he's had a lot of fun swimming, jumping in inflatable things, and playing on the slip and slide (which will make kids go really fast when you put Dawn soap on the front end - hee, hee, hee). Here are a few recent pictures that my friend Jennifer took at Jacob's birthday party:

Bring on the summertime activities! On the agenda: a trip to the zoo, lots of time at the pool, yardwork, and a trip to the beach - woo hoo!

Christmas and Stuff...

2010-01-20T16:09:00.006-05:00

Christmas was wonderful this year with Cason! We had a great time last year (more us than him), but this year he started to understand more of what it's about. We told him about Jesus' birthday, he sang "Jingle Bells" for a few weeks (and out of nowhere again the other night), and he was terrified to sit in Santa's lap (I'll have to scan that picture so I can post it - it's a hoot). Don't worry - it wasn't anything a candy cane wouldn't fix 30 seconds afterwards, although I think my mom still feels bad we had to peel him off of her to take the picture.

We've been reorganizing the house to fit all the new presents, sorting through toys to put away the ones he's grown out of (sniff), and just generally getting settled into 2010.

We braved the crowds and took Cason to the aquarium on Sunday. He was overwhelmed with all the fish and sharks! It's such a blessing to see joy and excitement on your child's face as they experience something for the first time. I felt like that annoying parent who always has the video camera out recording their child's every expression, but I really didn't care what anyone else thought. I was thinking how lucky we are that we have Cason, and so many years ahead of us to teach him about life and show him new things. He's at such a fun age right now...and he makes us laugh every day!

Christmas Eve...

Christmas Day on his tricycle...

Watching The Bee Movie...

Going for a run in his '70's outfit...hee, hee, hee

At the aquarium...

GA Tech Senior Night

2009-12-03T14:42:00.003-05:00

Tyler is graduating this year...I cannot believe it! They celebrated Senior Night this past weekend at the GA/GA Tech game. Although we wanted Tech to win for Tyler's sake, I was secretly elbowing Chris every time Georgia scored. :) We are so proud of you Uncle T!

Twi-Nerds

2009-11-24T15:13:00.006-05:00

I was sucked into the Twilight series over the summer time. Sucked. In. I resisted, but it was no use. I'm so thankful I fell in. Even though the first movie was below par, we have been waiting impatiently for New Moon's premier. They had no where to go but up on this one. Me, Lisa, Corinne, and Rhonda got our tickets ahead of time on Fandango and went to see it on Saturday. Rhonda even made us personalized "Team Edward" bracelets. The movie was SO GOOD!!! Oh, I want to see it again! The best thing about it, is the entire audience is as invested in the story as you are, so everyone gasps at the same time, laughs at the same time, and ogles over Taylor Lautner's bare chest at the same time. If you haven't read the series, I highly suggest it, no matter what your age. It is such a great love story!

The nerd herd...

Savannah & Halloween

2009-11-16T12:00:00.010-05:00

We made a trip to the beach to visit Chris and Alicia last month. Cason had such a great time! He was a good traveler and was content to watch Nemo, eat snacks, and nap most of the way. We got down there Thursday night around 11:00pm and Cason had fallen asleep in the car around 9:00pm. He woke up about ten minutes before we got there and perked right up to greet Chris and Alicia. He played with them for about an hour before getting his bath and going to bed. The very first thing he did when he woke up the next morning was walk into the hallway and say, "Where Leesha go?" He called Chris, "T" (what he calls Tyler), the entire weekend, but we determined he was doing it on purpose because we would laugh every time. Chris was a good sport about it and kept correcting him, "No, Chris." It was quite humorous. Since we have been home, I can point at a picture of Chris and he will say "Chris," so I know he was yanking our chain.

As we were walking up to the beach for the first time, Cason said, "Wow. Big ocean." He loved playing in the sand, chasing the birds, and running full force into the freezing water. He even fell a few times, but it bothered me more than it bothered him. Friday night we went to eat at Tubby's in downtown Savannah and then we walked to get ice cream and watch the boats pass through the bridge. The next day we went back to the beach and instead of going out to dinner that night, we decided to order pizza in and go fishing in Chris and Alicia's complex. Chris and Ryan both let Cason reel in a fish and he thought he was so big. We pretend at home all the time with his fishing pole, but he's never really seen the whole process go down. You could see him connecting the mental dots. We had a really great time visiting and we couldn't have asked for better weather. Thanks for having us Chris & Alicia!

The 1st day at the beach...

What the boys caught...

Downtown Savannah...

The 2nd day at the beach...

This picture makes me laugh...he looks like he's flexing

Fishing in their complex...

The only thing I caught, a frickin' eel...

For Halloween, Cason was an Amtrak Train Conductor. When his costume first arrived in the mail several weeks before Halloween, I asked him if he wanted to try it on. He emphatically said, "No" and went running the other direction. I had a bad feeling so I decided not to press the issue again until the day of Halloween. When he woke up from his nap that afternoon, Ryan went in to get him and said, "Cason, are you ready to go trick or treating?!?!? And wear your costume and get candy?!?!?" To which he replied, "I not happy." Uh oh. Can you be that opinionated at 21 months? Luckily, once he saw the other kids getting into their costumes at my parents' house, he was too distracted to care. It took all of one house before he understood what was going on here. He ran as fast as his little legs would take him to the next house yelling trick or treat the whole way. Despite the horrible, rainy, cold weather, we had a fun Halloween. Just last week Ryan picked up a Snickers bar and Cason randomly said, "Trick or treat!"

On a side note, Cason said his first full sentence this past Saturday. While Ryan's mom was taking video of him with her cell phone, he said, "Meme's phone has an apple on it." I wouldn't have believed it myself, but it's on video. He has become quite the talker and loves to sing and dance in the car. His favorite songs right now are "Don't let me go" by the Fray and "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga (thanks to Aunt Leesha). Oh, and he always enjoys "You are my sunshine" by me before bedtime. He always chimes in on the last word of every verse. He's gotten really good with the bat and golf club. Instead of whacking the golf ball full force every time, he has figured out the art of putting. Our TV thanks him.

He saw a picture of Santa on a book in the living room and said, "Ho, ho, ho!" I can't believe he remembers Santa from last year, but he honestly doesn't forget much of anything, even if he only sees or hears it one time. I can't wait for the holidays with him again this year. Such a sweet little stink!

Trying to get a picture with all of them at one time, looking at the camera...

Being nosey as to what Adriana is doing...

So what, it's just poop.

2009-10-13T14:57:00.002-04:00

This is the face you get when you catch Cason having an accident in his pants. Vicious.

He's finally getting to an age where he really enjoys playing and can interact with other little ones. Before, it was more of what they call "parallel play." Now it's definitely, "let's get into trouble together play."

With Brayden...

At our house in his sea of toys...

With Aunt Mandy at Sammy's birthday party...

Family shot at Sammy's birthday party...

Summer Time

2009-08-26T15:52:00.007-04:00

Cason has been super busy this summer! He's hung out with friends and family, seen lots of fireworks (he is officially obsessed with fireworks - which he calls "crackers"), been swimming, and even started potty training! It's been an eventful few months. He has done so well with every new experience. Meme got him some water wings and taught him to swim around on his own and he's even gotten brave enough to jump off the stairs. Nana started with the potty training a few weeks ago and he's done awesome! I even bought him some little boxer briefs so he can feel like a big boy when we're lounging at home. I look at him every day and wonder where all of the time has gone. He is definitely a little boy now, and not a baby. His 18 month check-up went great...he's right on target with all of his stats (90% for height, 50% for weight and head circumference - 26 pounds and 34 inches tall). When we were at this appointment, the nurse asked me a whole series of milestone questions, as they always do. When she was finished, she pulled out her notebook and wanted Cason to point to the cat in the lineup of animals. I suddenly realized this was his first test, and got really nervous. I even said, "Cason, this is your first test!" I'm sure the nurse thought I was crazy, but whatever. He definitely knows what a cat is, along with 20 other barnyard animals, plus their noises, but he was not interested at all in pointing to that cat. Mom was at the appointment with me, so after several attempts, she took the notebook from the nurse and tried to get him to point to the cat...to no avail. He was walking around, more interested in everything else going on besides the animal lineup. Mom and I laughed when we left at how serious we got about it. It's funny how you want your child to succeed, even at this level. I can't wait for team sports one day...I think I'm going to be THAT mom.

Hanging out with Autumn...

This is what we do for entertainment on Saturday nights...

Fourth of July...

Going to see fireworks...

Wearing Daddy's boots...

Bee Happy

2009-06-18T15:56:00.003-04:00

We've had so much going on lately, I haven't had time to post! I did want to at least get these two shots up of Cason. He is getting bigger and doing/saying something new each day. He amazes us with how observant he is. He will mimic things you didn't even know you were doing (this could be a good or bad thing). He LOVES the grill outside and begs to go look at it every night when Ryan gets home. Ryan taught him what an arrow is (go figure) so now he says, "rarrow." Ryan also bought him his first fishing pole and it is the cutest thing I've ever seen. He totes it around the house trying to poke Sabyl with it. Consequently, she runs around the living room and kitchen trying to escape which only entertains Cason more and he starts dying laughing. I can definitely say he's well on his way to being an outdoorsman like his dad. He is mesmerized by Alvin and the Chipmunks, Blues Clues, and Jack's Big Music Show. He loves pickles and oatmeal with honey (not at the same time). He learned to say, "love you" this week and gave me his first voluntary hug when I picked him up from my mom's house yesterday. I melted. Ryan's birthday is today, so Happy Birthday Bo! I'll be posting more pictures soon, but just wanted to give a small update.

Good friends, good times!

2009-05-05T14:16:00.006-04:00

'Tis the season for weddings, and human pyramids. Here are a few pictures from the past few weekends. We've decided to make a friend tradition of doing a human pyramid each time we get together with the Dege's and the Stewart's. This all started back in Lagrange, circa 2007. We quickly figured out that this is much easier when there is an extra person present to actually take the shot. The 10 second timer on the camera isn't nearly enough time when trying to hit the button and climb your way on top of seven other people who are extra wiggly because they are laughing. Needless to say, it took several re-do's but we finally got it!

1st failed attempt...

Finally!

2007

The next weekend, we traveled our way to Charleston for Nicky's wedding...so fun! Even though it was a 24 hour trip, we had a lot of fun playing with Brandon's iPod in the car, eating Mexican food with margaritas, getting a pedicure, and spending time with our friends who we don't get much "adult" time with anymore. Congratulations Nicky and John!

We got hats in our crackers! (Nicky's dad is from England, so this is a European tradition I'm assuming)

Easter Weekend

2009-04-14T14:41:00.006-04:00

We had such a fun-filled weekend! Saturday we went with Ryan, Michelle, Brayden, Leette, Eric, Sarah, and Skylar to the Hiram Easter Egg Hunt...always exciting to mingle with the locals. Cason was especially impressed with the helicopter that came by and dropped eggs. He has a noise he makes for aircraft of any kind, but I will not attempt to spell it out because I don't even know where to start. After that, we went to eat BBQ and after he finished his lunch, he had his first two Oreos and a sucker. He was not happy when I took it from him to get in the carseat. After a nap, we ventured back over to dye eggs with Michelle and Brayden. I use the term "we" lightly...this consisted of me dying the eggs and Cason watching while snacking on Cheetos. He did pick up a crayon and draw on one of them. Sunday morning we started the usual holiday caravan...first to Renee's house to see her and Tyler, then to Mary & Ricky's house to see my family, and then to Doug & Lorrie's to visit. It was a very tiring day, but I always say, it's a good problem to have so many close family members to visit!

An attempt to gather the children.

He was far more interested in riding this than hunting eggs.

12 Month Photo Shoot

2009-04-14T13:40:00.005-04:00

My very talented cousin, Jennifer, comes to the rescue once again to do Cason's milestone pictures. Enjoy!

Back where my dad comes from...

2009-04-07T11:11:00.008-04:00

We spent last weekend in Bainbridge for the annual Brock family reunion. It was great, as always, to see the family we don't get to see very often. Despite having his third ear infection, Cason did great on the way down and back. Thank God for portable DVD players and baked Cheetos! We always meet at the church Saturday evening for dinner and then again Sunday for lunch before everyone heads home. This year they had an Easter egg hunt for the little ones too. Cason "hunted" all of one egg before he decided he was more interested in walking up and down the ramp in front of the church entrance. Before we ate dinner, we walked Cason and Trinity up to see the cows in person. He thought they were pretty cool, but was more interested in playing in the grass I think. I have such fond memories of growing up going to the family reunions in the summer time, eating at Pace's for dinner, spending the night with Amber, driving the truck into the pastures at night and laying in the back looking at stars, hearing the coyotes and jumping back inside the truck, fishing at the river...not to mention my Memaw, Aunt Vera, and Amber's Big Momma's cooking. You can't beat flat cornbread made in a cast iron skillet! I hope Cason will have great childhood memories too...we all need to be able to look back on our experiences in life and smile.

Big Top

2009-02-23T13:16:00.005-05:00

Me and Cason went with my family to the circus on Sunday. It was so cold outside but we made it through the elements (from the parking garage to Philips arena) and had a great time. Cason danced the entire first hour, and then after intermission, his batteries started to run out. I think he really enjoyed seeing all the animals, lights, and hearing the music! Half of the show was fluff, and the other half was really cool. I think they could have just shown the cool stuff in the first hour and been done with it. Have you ever seen 7 idiots on motorcycles inside of a metal ball all at one time? If not, catch the show the next time it comes around.

He has a fascination with poking everyone in the nose.

I didn't use my flash on this one so you could see how hard he was concentrating on the show.

How well do you know your husband?

2009-02-12T12:38:00.006-05:00

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Fox News, the Outdoor Channel, or re-runs of Burn Notice
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Caesar
3. What's one food he doesn't like? Sour cream - I try to play dumb every time I make black bean and rice casserole and say, "Honey, do you want any sour cream with it?" He always says, "Steph, don't you know by now I don't like sour cream?" And I always respond with, "Well, I just thought I would check again and see if you had changed your mind." He never does.
4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? Coors Light
5. Where did he go to high school? Harrison - our high schools were huge rivals
6. What size shoe does he wear? 10.5
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Deer heads...they're slowly taking over my house!
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? He really doesn't eat sandwiches that often...but I would say a grilled chicken from CFA
9. What would this person eat every day if he could? Tuna steak with sauteed squash and zucchini
10. What is his favorite cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch
11. What would he never wear? Dress clothes! He complains every time.
12. What is his favorite sports team? Georgia (because of me) & Georgia Tech (because of Tyler) - I know, it doesn't make any sense to us either
13. Who did he vote for? McCain
14. Who is his best friend? Me! - I'm going with Kristen's response on this too
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Interrupt him when he's on the phone to ask questions. I'm a girl, I can't help it!
16. What is his heritage? I'm not even sure of mine, so I'm omitting this question
17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? His mom always takes care of this part. But I do bake him sugar cookies from time to time.
18. Did he play sports in high school? I believe baseball and football
19. What could he spend hours doing? Hunting
20. What is one unique talent he has? He's like my dad...he can fix anything!

Your turn!

Happy 1st Birthday!

2009-02-09T14:34:00.012-05:00

I can't believe it has already been a year since the sweetest little boy ever made an appearance in this world. What a wonderful year it has been! Our lives have changed in ways we couldn't imagine and we are all different people for having loved Cason. He has been the best, sweetest, smartest little thing and I can't imagine our lives without him. Although he isn't walking yet, he will take four or five steps and then resort to his quickest form of travel, the army crawl...with one leg out at times. His extended vocabulary includes momma, dadda, nana, papa, hottt (as in coffee because me and my mom are always drinking it), deer (shocker, I know) - which actually sounds more like dee but we get it, ball, oh wow - sounds more like oooh oww, tttt tttt - this symbolizes anything that he wants really bad and points at, boo - when he's trying to scare us, yuck, bye bye, and uh oh. He has also said Elmo and blue, but these are few and far between. His animal noises include dogs, elephants, monkeys, and pigs. He LOVES fans, lights, light switches, vacuums, bath time, Blue's Clue's, Franklin, peek-a-boo, opening and closing doors, banging on the drier, feeding Ryan's fish, taking walks in his wagon, and reading books. He is very curious and likes to try and understand how things work by investigation...poking at wheels as they move and turning everything over to see the underside. He will imitate anything. This morning in the car I moved a piece of my hair and then happened to look back in the rear view mirror...and he was moving his hair with his hand looking at the back of my head. I choked on my drink the other day, and he started coughing too. It's actually pretty comical that he pays attention as much as he does...which tells me we're really going to have to mind our P's and Q's before too long! Happy birthday Cason Rycher...we all love and adore you to pieces!

Seems like only yesterday...

4 months...

8 months...

The birthday party...

You know it's good when you have to put two fingers in your mouth, and one in your nose.

For Tyler...

2009-01-21T16:09:00.003-05:00

Tyler has graciously sent me a picture of the boys' gingerbread house from Christmas. So I'm not accused of slighting anyone, here it is...along with mine and Alicia's again. Votes welcome.

The Boys':

The Girls':

Christmas Time

2009-01-06T15:45:00.005-05:00

We had such a wonderful first Christmas with our little guy! It was so much fun, even though he doesn't fully understand Santa. He does know that we were getting him excited about something! On Christmas Eve, we had a boys vs. girls gingerbread-house-building contest. It was me and Alicia against Chris, Ryan, and Tyler. Our beautiful house, equipped with terra cotta roof, is below. Unfortunately, my camera died right as I went to take a picture of the boys' house. Oops. I will admit they did a pretty good job...two hours later. Alicia and I whipped ours up in 20 minutes. Girls are way more efficient. It took the boys quit a while to get the creative juices going.

Cason playing with his toys Christmas morning...

Being so excited about his Tickle Me Elmo...

Riding his horse...

I know you're probably wondering why he has a vacuum, but let me explain. Cason is OBSESSED with my vacuum. Because we have a husky, a shedding husky, I am OCD about vacuuming. Needless to say, Cason has been familiar with it since he was born and taken quite a liking to it. Santa decided to bring him one of his own. I think he's manly enough for it.

Giving his cow a kiss...

Helping Dad and Papa hammer his new wagon together...

Once a year when everyone is in town, me and my oldest friends get together for our Christmas dinner. It varies greatly each year...sometimes 15 of us...sometimes 5 of us. No matter how many can make it, we always have a good time catching up and laughing. I miss and love them dearly!

Happenings...

2008-12-15T13:03:00.007-05:00

Life's been busy with the holidays so I haven't posted in forever! But here are some updates in a nutshell, and I mean nutshell...Cason had a visit from Autumn (our old neighbors, Scott and Emily's little girl), my parents rented a cabin for the weekend in Blue Ridge, we visited Ryan's Grandmommy and Granddaddy for a pre-Thanksgiving celebration in Toccoa, Cason had a visit from Kristen and Brian (our dear friends that live in Birmingham), we had Thanksgiving, Cason played with Brayden, and we picked out a Christmas Tree in the pouring rain. Ahh.

On our way to the cabin...

Daddy coat, mommy coat, baby coat...

This is what happens when Lola packs for a weekend...

Ryan & Mandy...

Papa & Trin...

Dad, Brian, & Mandy...

Cason & Trin...

Us before we left for Toccoa...

Tyler, Cason, & Grandmommy...

Grandaddy, Grandmommy & Cason...

Kris & Cason...

Happy Thanksgiving!

The boys...

Cason smooshing Brayden in the rocking chair...

Picking out a tree in the freezing rain!

Hollywood...

Meme & Cason...

Haircut #3

2008-11-11T13:24:00.006-05:00

Cason got his haircut for the third time. You know your child has a lot of hair when you walk into Pigtails & Crewcuts and the ladies recognize you. Here are a few pictures from this weekend.

He got to sit in the airplane by himself this time.

He takes his haircuts VERY seriously.

Bo's Deer

2008-11-11T13:18:00.003-05:00

Ryan was so proud of the biggest deer he has gotten so far with a bow...here are some pictures. Yet another wall ornament for our office.

Halloween Weekend

2008-11-04T08:51:00.006-05:00

Cason celebrated his first Halloween as a teddy bear! Yay! Although he'll probably kill me when he turns 16 and I pull these pictures out to show his girlfriend, I don't care. He was adorable. And we couldn't have asked for better weather. I was hoping it would be a little cool so he wouldn't burn alive, which it was. Because Halloween fell on a Friday this year, we were able to trick or treat with the whole family...mom, dad, Renee, me, Ryan, Cason, Brian, Mandy, Cliffy, Colby, Trinity, Adriana, Susie, Ricky, Mary, Sammy, and Malia. I love making memories with my family!

I think Cason was trying to kiss Malia here...kissing cousins right?

Saturday night we celebrated Corinne and Brandon's birthdays. We went to dinner at Twisted Taco, and then headed over to Cowboys for old times sake. We had so much fun dancing around and being silly! Happy Birthday Brandon & Corinne!

8 Month Pictures

2008-10-30T10:38:00.003-04:00

Cason had his 8 month pictures made several weeks ago...here are a few of my favorites!

The photographer had a "helper" whose sole purpose was to make the babies smile. Needless to say, there may be some attrition over at Portrait Innovations...

Halloween Costume for this year...

This is an outfit that Ryan, Chris, & Tyler all had their pictures made in at this age...

Visit from Great Aunt Sharron!

2008-10-21T09:09:00.005-04:00

We got to see Aunt Sharron last week since she came to Atlanta! We met for dinner at Aspens and Cason had a lot of fun playing patty-cake with her at the table...and tugging on her glasses.

Cason officially knows what the camera is. I mean, he should since it's been in his face from day one. Saturday morning I decided to take a picture of him lounging in his pajamas and every single time I put the camera up to take a picture, this is what I got. Call the modeling agency, I think we have a prospect!

Sabyl doesn't so much like the camera.

If you haven't been to someecards.com, you must go for your daily laugh. Oh, and don't forget to wish your boss a happy Boss' Day tomorrow.

2008-10-15T13:38:00.002-04:00

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-14T10:51:00.003-04:00

We took Cason to the pumpkin patch Sunday afternoon to pick out a pumpkin. He had fun playing in/eating the grass and slapping the pumpkins. Next year he'll really be able to pick out his own!

Sammy & Uncle T's Birthdays...

2008-10-10T10:24:00.006-04:00

We celebrated two family birthdays in the past week...my second cousin, Sammy's, and Uncle Tyler's! Sammy's birthday party was last Saturday at Monkey Joe's, an inflatable playground in Douglasville. Everyone had fun, including the adults because we could act like kids too. If you know my dad, you know he is extremely quiet and has a very dry sense of humor. We talked him into going down the steepest slide they had and I couldn't wait to be at the bottom to catch his expression...he cracks me up. Every now and then ol' Joe will let his hair down and it's priceless when he does. Cason wasn't too sure about the slides. He pretty much kept the same expression when we made it to the bottom. I think there was just a lot going on that was distracting him.

We went to dinner last night for Uncle T's 21st birthday. Me, Ryan, Cason, Renee, Beth and David all met him at Pappasito's off Windy Hill since he was coming from school and would need to quickly get back to do some studying...ha ha ha, just kidding! Despite having shots earlier in the day and cutting his third tooth, Cason was an angel the whole time we were there. The only mishap was when he, oh yeah, dialed 911 from my cell phone. He LOVES playing with my cell phone so from time to time I'll let him fiddle with it, with the keys locked. Well when your keys are locked and you roll the little scrolly button in the middle, it gives you the option to make an "Emergency Call." Somehow he managed to roll the button, click on the Emergency Call option, and then click it again to say, "OK." Next thing I know, I look down and my phone says, "Connected, Emergency Call." I was like, "Oh, crap!" and hit end immediately hoping the call hadn't connected yet. Right after that, my phone starts ringing some 770.421 number and I'm thinking to myself, "should I answer that?" Thank goodness I did because it was the dispatcher calling me back to make sure everything was okay. I assured him everything was fine, without disclosing that it was my 8 month old playing with my cell phone who rang him. I mean, if ambulances would've showed up at Pappasito's, I would have crawled under the table.

Wedding Dress Party

2008-10-08T15:01:00.011-04:00

So tell me...what do you do with your expensive, beautiful wedding dress you wear one time and then hang up in a bag at your parents' house in some extra bedroom? YOU WEAR IT AGAIN TO A WEDDING DRESS PARTY OF COURSE! Brilliant! Me, Lisa, Corinne, Mandy, Ashley and Amanda played bean bag toss, ate hors d'oeuvres, took pictures in front of the church, hung out at Atkins Park, and at the end of the night...cut the miniature wedding cake Amanda had made. We had so much fun being bridezillas one more time!

Doing a little domestic cleaning...

Pure Sweetness

2008-10-03T17:30:00.002-04:00

Anniversary Weekend

2008-09-30T11:54:00.002-04:00

Ryan and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary this weekend...I can't believe we've been together for seven years altogether now! Crazy. Time flies by so quickly.

Cason is crawling all over the place now! FYI: the diaper box can provide a good 10-15 minutes of quality entertainment for a seven month old. Supervision required of course. Meme kept Cason for the night so we could go to dinner at the Atlanta Fish Market. Afterwards, we finished the night off with the most romantic thing we could've done...went straight home to put on pajamas and watch the Georgia/Alabama game. We were kidding ourselves if we thought we wanted to be anywhere else. Too bad we lost!

Ryan caught him at just the right moment!

About to leave for dinner

Being supportive.

2008-09-22T12:06:00.002-04:00

If you would have told me that I, let alone my child, would be sporting navy and gold in support of Georgia Tech, ever, I would've called you a bold-faced liar and probably would have stomped on your foot and maybe even pulled your hair. I stood corrected two seasons ago, and continue to do so. Unfortunately, T had his third major shoulder surgery and has been red-shirted this season...in true thoughtful Tyler fashion, he is using this time to be philanthropic. Tech has a program called Jackets Give Back and in recent years, they have picked one home game to collect donations to help a less fortunate family during Christmas time. Tyler has taken the reigns and brought the program to a new level. They will be collecting donations during every single home game this year so they will be able to help out many more children, instead of just one family. We knew we wouldn't be able to stay for the game with Cason, but we definitely wanted to help Tyler in any way we could. What better way than to solicit your child? People give money to sweet, innocent baby faces. Renee taped a poster to the front of Cason's stroller and off we went. I think we collected almost $400 in less than two hours. Not bad!

After we got home, Cason was exhausted. He took a nap and then his friend Brayden came over to play. I use the term play loosely. Mostly they just stared at each other and then it was time for Cason to get a bath and go to bed. Nevertheless, they had fun, playing!

Lots going on!

2008-09-08T15:30:00.006-04:00

Cason is getting bigger every day and doing new things all the time! It's so much fun to watch him grow and change and become his own person. He makes Ryan and I laugh all the time. We just can't imagine a more perfect little boy! I took him to the doctor last week because he caught Ryan's cold. We just wanted to make sure he hadn't developed an ear infection, etc. Everything looked great! He is almost 20 pounds...not sure how tall because they didn't measure him this time. He goes back the end of this month for more shots so we'll see how much he's grown then. He has two very pronounced front, bottom teeth and he loves to smile and show them to you. And use them to puncture a hole in your fingernail. Our little can opener as Ryan likes to call him. He thinks anything Ryan does is hilarious and anything I do is moderately amusing. I have found a few things that get his goat. I was blowing bubbles in the living room for Sabyl to bite and pop and he thought it was pretty funny. For a minute anyway. His extended vocabulary includes, "Mama," "Dada," "Baba," and he's squeezed out a few "Nanas." He likes to squeal loudly after anything that makes a loud noise (usually Ryan). The other day I was at Babies 'R Us and used the self-scanner to see how much something was. After it beeped loudly, he looked at it and conjured up his best shot at mimicking the noise. I immediately realized what he was doing. He does this with Ryan all the time. I try to tell him it's probably not the best idea to let our child think it's funny to make loud squealing noises, and this was demonstrated the other night in the middle of Long Horn's when Cason decided he wanted to play that particular game. He has been up on all fours rocking for about two weeks so I'm thinking he'll be mobile in another week or so. Oh, and he LOVES to give you high five and will pat your hand like 20 times in a row if you let him, especially after he's had some sugary juice out of a sippy cup. Other than that, we're enjoying him each day and his big smiles!

Waving a white flag.

2008-08-26T09:11:00.003-04:00

Do you ever feel like just giving up when it comes to constantly keeping things neat and orderly? Well, one swipe from Cason into his spoon of sweet potatoes and I was like, what the heck, just let him have at it. This totally goes against my Type A personality. Usually I'm cleaning him with a wash cloth after every bite so he doesn't get an ounce of food on him. Luckily this meal was immediately followed by a bath!

While Dad is away...

2008-08-18T13:58:00.008-04:00

Ryan was out of town this weekend so me, Cason, and Sabyl stayed at my mom and dad's house. We missed Ryan, but we had such a good time! We went to dinner, did some shopping, got Cason's haircut (for the 2nd time), took walks, grilled out, and watched movies.

All done!

Sittin' with Papa

Check out my tooth!

Sabyl got a grooming this weekend too...

Recent pics...

2008-08-12T11:32:00.005-04:00

Our little boogie makes me laugh every day. He is the sweetest thing ever! When I went to get him up from his nap Saturday morning, he had flipped himself around to the other end of the bed, gotten his puppy out of the corner, and had pulled the blanket out. I couldn't help but laugh because when I walked in the room, he had the guiltiest look on his face!

He likes this Sabyl Dog because he can chew on it!

The hat is still a little too big...but it won't be long.

Callaway Gardens

2008-08-12T10:39:00.014-04:00

My cousin Amber got married this past weekend at Callaway Gardens. For an outside wedding in August, we couldn't have had better weather. We drove out there Saturday afternoon, hung out at the pool for a few, and then got ready for the evening wedding. Baby Cason stayed with his Meme, so I thought I might actually have a Sunday morning to sleep in, but something happens to you when you become a mom and your eyes automatically pop open at 6:45am regardless if there is a monitor sitting next to you on the nightstand or not. Oh well. I guess that's nature's way of keeping you on your toes.

Sunday morning we decided to check out of the hotel, grab a quick breakfast, and take Trinity to the Butterfly House before heading home. Well, our "quick" breakfast turned into a nightmare. Don't ever go to the Huddle House in Pine Mountain, GA. After typing that sentence, I now realize it was a bad idea from the get-go. We should've known better. After sitting there for an hour waiting on our food, it finally showed up and it was cold, and all wrong. We were all dumbfounded at the stupidity of the Huddle House workers. It was almost comedy.

In the car on the way there...

Me and Trin playing a match game...

Amber & Joe

Brian & Mandy

Me & Bo

Brian & Adriana

Mandy & Trin

Mom & Dad

Notice my wonderful photography skills...

One of the founders of Callaway Gardens was a man named Cason!

Google Game

2008-08-04T15:42:00.005-04:00

Stole this from Jennifer Winn...so this is how the game works... for each question, look up the answer in a Google Image search. Then choose the FIRST image only. You get some fun and often cryptic answers. If you need clarification on any of them leave a comment. Here's mine:

My age:

Place I'd like to travel:

My favorite place:

My favorite subject:

My favorite food:

My favorite animal:

My favorite color:

Town where I was born:

Town where I live:

A past pet:

Husband's nickname:

(ha, ha...I can only imagine what you're thinking)

My first name:

(um...I picked the only picture I could post without offending someone - apparently there are a lot of risque girls named Stephanie)

My middle name:

(again, same situation with risque girls)

My last name:

My bad habit:

My first job:

My grandmother's name:

My degree:

What I am doing right now:

Uncle Chris & Aunt Alicia!

2008-07-31T10:07:00.003-04:00

Chris and Alicia came home from Savannah to visit the family and see Cason. We had dinner at Meme's house last night to celebrate Alicia's birthday too. Happy birthday Alicia!

The Michael Bolton concert...yes, I said Michael Bolton.

2008-07-21T13:04:00.007-04:00

So I went for the bonding experience, but it was actually a pretty good concert! Me, my mom, my aunt Susie, my cousin Jennifer, and my cousin's wife Mary all went to the Mable House to see Michael Bolton Saturday night. We packed a picnic and sat on the lawn ($20). Towards the end of the concert, Michael yelled into the crowd, "Everyone come up close!" My aunt Susie doesn't wait on anyone to tell her no, so she rushed us all up (after gathering her purse) and we went to the very front. Before I knew it, we were standing in the chairs of the people who paid $300 for a table. Needless to say, they got the crap end of the stick on that one. Oh well...what Michael says goes! Oh, and he had the nerve to throw his guitar pick into the crowd when the show ended like we were all going to dive for it.

Georgia on my mind...sing it Michael

I Heart My New Washer

2008-07-21T13:02:00.004-04:00

Thank you economic stimulus check! My drier has found its soul mate. We got a new washer this weekend and I LOVE IT. The thing is so quiet, Ryan and I actually thought it was broken. You know you're getting old when you get excited about a new washer.

Loungin in the pool...

2008-07-21T13:00:00.001-04:00

Fourth of July Weekend

2008-07-07T09:41:00.005-04:00

We had a low-key holiday weekend...pretty much just hung out at the house. Cason has been recovering from a cold that he caught from me, so we figured it was best to keep him in. We did go to Corinne's parents' pool for an hour or so to let Cason have his first swim lesson and hang out with his new friend Jacob. He loved it! Aside from that, Ryan and I climbed up on the roof to watch fireworks Friday and Saturday night. I would've taken a picture of those, but I couldn't fit the camera in my shirt along with the baby monitor. I figured the monitor was more important.

Baby Jacob chillin' on the Boppy

Trin and Cason - she loves "Baby Cason" and he loves her!
He just stares at Trin and plays with her hair every chance he gets.

Adriana/'lil Zilla posing for the camera

Cason's New Trick

2008-07-03T10:14:00.000-04:00

2008-07-02T11:19:00.001-04:00

Cason has started doing this when he takes his bottle...it's so cute!

Momma Sabyl

2008-07-02T11:03:00.003-04:00

Sabyl has always been maternal towards Cason, even frantically licking his toes when she sees that he's upset as if to say, "It's okay, it's okay." As long as I can remember, when she knows it is bedtime, she would religiously crawl in between me and Ryan to go to sleep. She would stay there for about an hour, and then make her way to the foot of the bed where she remained until morning. This was our nightly routine, every night.

Since the day we brought Cason home from the hospital, she got up for every feeding, never missing one. She would drag her lazy bones up and come sit in the living room with us until we put little man back in bed. Cason has been sleeping through the night since he was two months old, so every night when we put him to bed and tell him goodnight...Sabyl also follows us in there, sits on his rug until we tuck him in, and then she comes to bed with us. Over the past two weeks, she has changed up her schedule. She has now decided Cason is more important I guess. She falls asleep in front of his crib and at some point she'll make her way into the living room. I think she wants to be within hearing distance if he wakes up! I couldn't find her last night after doing the dishes, and I didn't think she would be in his room because I pulled the door to, but I walked in the back hallway and sure enough...she had pushed the door open with her snout and this is how I found her. I guess we've lost our snuggle bunny.

Tooter's New Haircut!

2008-06-24T08:38:00.002-04:00

Trinity got her hair cut this weekend and it is so cute! I think she looks just like Mandy now. How adorable!

Four month pictures and a rollover

2008-06-23T15:40:00.006-04:00

We finally had Cason's pictures made...just a little behind schedule...like by a month, but that's okay. They turned out super cute! The picture industry is ridiculous. They lure you in there with their sneaky little $9.95 packages...no sitting fees...and you're thinking...this is GREAT! Almost $200 later you're walking out of the store like a whipped pup because you couldn't bring yourself to eliminate one more photo out of the 300 poses you can't live without. Kids. I know this is only the beginning.

...& my little man is now rolling over! Wednesday was his first time going from his front to his back and he mastered the other direction on Saturday. As much as I look forward to each milestone, I'm not sure that I'm ready for him to be all over the place yet!

Father's Day Weekend

2008-06-16T14:43:00.009-04:00

We went to a wedding Saturday night - our friends Tony & Ashley got married. The ceremony was at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and the reception was at the Vinings Club. It was beautiful and we had a great view off the balcony overlooking the city! I had a lot of fun hanging out. Ryan hates wearing a suit, but doesn't he look cute??

Sunday we went to the Japanese Steakhouse (Hai Hai - kinda fun to say) for lunch with my family and then we went to Ryan's dad's house for dinner. We had the usual caravan-ing around for holidays thing going on. Happy 1st Father's Day Bo!

Me, Jennifer, & Mandy (don't ask me what my hair is doing)

Me & Bo

Me & Lisa (she was a bridesmaid)

Me & Ashley (the bride - hence the white dress and tiara)

Amanda (bridesmaid also), me, & Lisa

Lisa & Rick (Brett's dad - where was Brett?)

Trin at Hai Hai (she is Mandy made over)

Ryan and Cason

Dad, Trin, Mom & Cason

Camo Man

2008-06-12T09:31:00.002-04:00

I just happen to think Cason is adorable so I thought I would post a picture from last night.

We're not in Kansas anymore Toto...

2008-06-10T10:19:00.004-04:00

So I'm not sure who witnessed the storms that came through last night, but they were
really bad at our house. I usually don't get my feathers ruffled over them, but when it got really calm and hail started hitting the house and the power went out, that was it. Ryan snatched Cason out of the bed (he was dead asleep and still smiled at us) and we headed into the laundry room to take cover. It took about five minutes and the worst of it seemed to blow over. Ryan/Glen Burns was standing at the kitchen window watching the storm (as he always does), trying to get a picture of the lightning when he got more than he was bargaining for. Lightning struck right in between our house and Scott and Emily's...I mean yards away. Ryan just so happened to get a picture with his cell phone. Scary stuff. Keep in mind this was at 10pm when it should've been pitch black outside. Dern.

Bobby LaGrange

2008-06-09T12:45:00.009-04:00

We went to visit Lisa's dad this weekend in LaGrange. I can't believe it's been a year since we were out there last! It was right before I found out I was pregnant, actually. We had so much fun playing with the horses, driving the golf cart, shooting guns, and playing corn hole (a.k.a. bean bag toss). Bob surprised us with lunch and even had an icecream cake to celebrate the boys' birthdays. Thanks for letting us come stay with you Bob!

The boys

The girls

The horses

The golf cart I hog and won't let anyone else drive.
And so.

The target

Corn hole

Jaxon

Trin's 4th Birthday!

2008-06-03T09:55:00.005-04:00

Trinity had her fourth birthday party on Sunday. I can't believe she's already four! Four and full of personality. She got a lot of fun gifts, but the most exciting one was a new swingset. While we were there, Mandy sat Cason in the "Learning Chair" and he was captivated by the lamp that changed colors. Happy birthday Trin, we love you!

"I can't stop looking at the light..."

Adriana checking Cason out

Ashley's Bachelorette Party in Dahlonega

2008-06-03T09:30:00.005-04:00

Saturday morning we packed the cars up and headed out to Dahlonega's wine country for some bachelorette party fun. We had such a good time and it was a nice change of pace from the typical bachelorette party, which sometimes requires a bullet-proof vest to roam the streets of Atlanta and experience the nightlife. The weather was beautiful! We had a little bus that drove us from Wolf Mountain, to Frogtown, to Three Sisters, and then to Blackstock. After visiting four wineries, we then had dinner reservations at 8:00pm. You can imagine how energized we were at that point. Afterwards, we hung out at a local bar where we tried to take over the live band that was playing. Although they found us amusing, they never actually handed over the mic. Wonder why? Anyway, it was a great time and it was fun to hang out with all the girls!

I have a lot to say but I don't know what I'm sayin'

2008-05-21T15:15:00.002-04:00

Cutting his rug, & a tooth.

2008-05-21T15:09:00.006-04:00

Cason is already cutting a tooth...poor little guy. It's on the bottom and his little gum is all bumped up. This has caused him to really chew on his fist and slobber and grunt a lot. If you ever stick a wash cloth or burp cloth in his mouth to chew on, he just talks and talks and talks. He's gotten really upset a few times before bed because his little gummies hurt, but the Hyland's teething tablets seem to help. Thank goodness for modern homeopathic medicine!

The Ted Koppel look is out.

2008-05-19T14:19:00.011-04:00

We decided (well I decided, and convinced Ryan) that it was time for Cason's first haircut. Yeah, he's only three months old, but I didn't feel so bad when I called up to Pig Tails and Crew Cuts and they said they have cut hair on a two week old. I mean, he could've used it at two weeks, but at least I have waited this long. I wasn't sure how this would work, seeing as he isn't old enough to sit up by himself in one of the nifty airplane, cop car, or fire truck seats. Ms. Keisha told me that I could just hold him and they would put a cape around me and a cape around him. Fabulous! He did so good...the kid is just down right agreeable. I figured if nothing else, he won't be traumatized by getting haircuts as he gets older because he's had them for so long. Please look at the before and after shot. You can't argue with that.

Pre-haircut

I just so ha-peeee

Post-haircut

Getting so strong...

2008-05-05T12:49:00.003-04:00

I went in to get Cason up from his nap Saturday afternoon and had a good laugh. He is getting stronger and stronger every day and is able to pick his head up and look around like a little turtle. Ryan plays airplane with him every night before we feed him and he does so good to hold his little head up and look around. I think I'm going to put a brick on his head so he doesn't grow up. Here's the picture Ryan took with his cell phone because we couldn't get to the digital camera in time.

Fun times at the neighborhood La Parrilla

2008-04-14T12:57:00.007-04:00

We went to eat at La Parrilla Friday night with Brett and Lisa, & Brandon and Corinne. Cason stayed with his Meme for the first time. We had a good time...except for the huge rainstorm that came through. Good thing we were inside having fun, being oblivious, or we might have been scared!
Oh, and that wasn't really Lisa's beer...but it made for a good picture. She would be on the floor if she tried to drink that!

Bubbles...

2008-04-11T10:07:00.002-04:00

I'm sure probably all babies do this, but I find it extremely amusing that Cason blows bubbles while he sleeps. Sometimes I'll look at him and he'll have a whole pile of bubbles on his lips. This picture doesn't actually do it justice, but you can get the general idea of what I'm talking about.

The advantages of your baby having a lot of hair...

2008-04-08T14:07:00.003-04:00

Cason really loves to take a bath. Each time we give him one, he seems to like it more and more. I can't wait until he can actually sit up and play with toys. Check out the mohawk...it was Ryan's idea.

Family Reunion

2008-04-08T14:02:00.002-04:00

We went to Bainbridge this past weekend for my dad's family reunion. We weren't sure how Cason would do in the car for that long, but he was a perfect Angel. He slept the entire way there and the entire way back...even through the massive rain storm and us driving 50 miles past our exit. I don't think he cried the entire time we were there actually. I'm scared to have another baby because he's so good. I'm sure we'll have a real pistol next time around!

Mr. Smiley Smilerson

2008-04-08T13:52:00.003-04:00

Cason has really started to smile when he's happy. It just melts my heart! He'll go from having such a solemn expression to a full-blown smile in a split second. It's the most toothless, cutest thing I've ever seen. He's such a happy baby!

Announcement Pictures

2008-04-01T13:27:00.003-04:00

My cousin Jennifer is a wonderful photographer, so I asked her to come over and take some shots for Cason's announcements. I won't include the one we're actually mailing out, but here are a few of the others.

Hangin' out...

2008-03-27T16:39:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures I took of Cason around the house...yes, I know he has a lot of hair. :)

No one said being fashionable means being comfortable...

2008-03-27T16:22:00.003-04:00

So it was Cason's first Easter and even though he's only 7 weeks old, I thought he should still dress the part. What is more appropriate on Easter than a denim collared outfit and a v-neck sweater? Luckily he slept most of the time he had it on. We went to my cousin Ricky's house for the annual Easter egg hunt, and then to Ryan's dad's house, and then to his mom's house. Cason had a busy day! Since he's not able to eat candy, the Easter Bunny brought him some clothes. Well, it's what I would've wanted anyway. Doesn't he have the sweetest smile?

Adriana's 1st Birthday

2008-03-26T18:24:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Adriana's first birthday the other weekend. She wasn't too sure about all of us gathered around staring at her, but she ended up loving her cake after we sang happy birthday. Happy birthday Adriana!

The boys with the babies...

2008-03-26T18:21:00.000-04:00

Scott was babysitting Autumn for the first time while Emily was gone so he walked over to our house with her. I couldn't resist taking a picture of Scott and Ryan with the babies...never thought I would see the day. Emily leaves for a short time and look what Scott dresses her in...she's ready for her first hunt already!

Happy Birthday Michelle!

2008-03-26T18:13:00.000-04:00

Michelle's birthday was March 9th so we went to dinner that Saturday. It was only the second time we had left Cason with Nana and Papa so we missed him terribly! We ate dinner and then went back to their house to play the Wii. Our wild nights are officially over, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

Our first stroll

2008-02-27T11:48:00.001-05:00

It was semi-nice outside one day last week so we decided to take a walk in the neighborhood. I knew Sabyl was ready to get out of the house too, so we bundled Cason up and went walking. He seemed to like his stroller because he slept the whole time we were gone!

And baby makes four...

2008-02-13T09:03:00.000-05:00

He's finally here! After much waiting (and a little help from being induced), our little Cason came to us on Tuesday the 5th at 9:49pm. He weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was 20 inches long. He was a little bigger than we expected! Everything went great at the hospital and we were so blessed to have all of our family and friends there with us. Everyone stuck it out until midnight to meet Cason, even though it was a work-night. It meant a lot to us to have everyone there. Thank you to everyone who came and to everyone who had us in their thoughts and prayers. They say you will never know a love greater than loving a child and I can honestly say it's true. It happens the minute they come into the world and you see their sweet, helpless little face. We love him so much already! Sabyl was a little jealous and confused when we first brought him home, but her confusion has turned more maternal. I think she's gotten up out of bed for every feeding and diaper change that we have. She's been just as exhausted too, taking naps every afternoon.

The outfit that Cason came home in was the same outfit Ryan came home in when he was born. It looks a bit out of season, but Ryan was born in Arizona in June and it was 112 degrees the day he came home. We just made sure we bundled peanut up before we got him outside.

Now we just need a baby to put in it...

2008-01-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

The nursery is complete! We hung all the pictures, curtains, and a swing for the cow in the corner. Now it's time for Cason. Everyone says you hit that breaking point when you're pregnant and you want it to be over. I'm there. I can't breathe (haven't been able to for months) and the acid reflux is burning a permanent hole in my esophagus. I know it's all for a good cause, but the sooner we can get this party started, the better. I have been half-way effaced and 3 centimeters for about 2 weeks now (for those of you who even know what that means). I have one week and four days left until my due date. I think I may try Scalini's eggplant parmesan for lunch today...

Couple's Baby Shower...

2008-01-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

My boss' wives (Joanna and Lani) and my old boss (Sarah Jane) threw me a couple's shower on January 5th. Everyone came from work and we had a lot of fun. Sarah Jane flew down all the way from Chicago so I felt very honored. I was up and around so much that weekend, my ankles started swelling for the first time! Luckily it has gone down since then and I haven't experienced any more "cabbage patch kids" feet.

Someone has found a use for my crumb-catcher...

2007-12-17T13:18:00.000-05:00

I was sitting on the couch watching TV this weekend when Sabyl decided to curl up with me. She seemed pretty comfortable using my belly as a pillow...who am I to move her?

My Second Baby Shower!

2007-12-17T13:12:00.000-05:00

I had my second baby shower the other weekend...these things are fun! :) It was good to see all my friends and even some from elementary school that I haven't seen in forever! Thanks Corinne, Lisa, Pat, and Tanya for a wonderful shower! Here are some pics...

My First Baby Shower!

2007-12-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

I had my first shower this weekend for mostly family and some close friends. It was really good to see everyone since I don't get to see them very often. I got so many wonderful gifts! Ryan and I got almost all of our big items which is a huge help...baby stuff is so expensive. I think Michelle got me my favorite gift...check out the cute necklace. Her and Sarah knew I had been frantically looking online for one that I liked and they got me this one from The Mart. Love it! Ryan spent most of Sunday putting together the stroller, the swing, the jumperoo, and the highchair. He was able to do all of that without cussing once! So proud of him. :) A big thank you to my Aunt Susie and cousin/sister Jennifer who threw the shower...everything was wonderful! Shower #2 next weekend! Yippy skippy!

Baby Cason's Nursery...

2007-11-26T13:10:00.000-05:00

Well we finally started working on the nursery this weekend! I say we, but really my mom, dad, and Ryan did most of the work. I just supervised as ordered by my doctor...wink, wink. Ryan rolled on the blue paint, mom rolled on the white paint, dad trimmed everything out and then taped off the area for the brown stripes, and mom and I painted the stripes on. I think I occupied every free moment they had this weekend, but hey, what are grandparents for? As dad was finishing up the final touches on the chair rail and mom was fixing lunch, Ryan and Clarke went to pick up the furniture...in the rain. Throughout the day we had lots of visitors come by to help...Michelle and Brayden hung out and played on the floor, Sabyl slept on the couch, Brett and Lisa stopped by and Lisa got up the courage to hold Brayden for a few minutes until he started wiggling, and Renee, Chris, and Alicia came by too. We even had the neighbors stop by later on to check it out. It was quite the eventful Sunday!

Georgia vs. Georgia Tech

2007-11-26T12:40:00.000-05:00

Saturday we (me, Ryan, Renee, Chris, & Alicia) went to the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech game to support Tyler (and silently cheer for the Dawgs). It was so cold outside but it turned out to be a beautiful day and we had fun. Unfortunately, everyone stands for the entire game and I had to sit down from time to time so I missed a lot of it. The hot chocolate was really good though!

Ryan's Deer

2007-10-30T10:52:00.000-04:00

Ryan killed another deer this weekend. I believe it was a 6-pointer and weighed 162 pounds, but that's like asking Ryan to relist stats on a new Coach purse so I'm not exactly sure I have that information correct. Here are a few pics...

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet

2007-10-29T16:24:00.000-04:00

Saturday night we went to a Halloween party at Brett and Lisa's neighbor's house. I wracked my brain as to what I could be to incorporate the pregnancy and I decided...who better to be than Britney Spears? I wore the "I have the golden ticket" tank top she wore to the premier of Charlie and the Chocolate factory, a skirt that was too tight (with underwear), some ripped fish-net hose, and a pair of mis-matching brown boots. Ryan wore his cowboy costume with the inflatable bull underneath. Lisa was Cruella DeVille and Brett was Slash. If I had thought about it before-hand, I would've made Ryan dress up as a DEFACS officer. Too little, too late.

Moooooove on over...we're going to Cagles Dairy Farm

2007-10-08T14:12:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning we drove out to Cagle's Dairy Farm in Canton. It was me, my mom, my dad, my brother, his wife Mandy, and their four children: Cliffy, Colby, Trinity, and Adriana. The kids had so much fun! There was this big jumpy thing they got on for a while, and then we took the Dairy Tour. We got to see how the milk was manufactured, got free chocolate milk to drink (not sure how smart that was in the 90 degree heat) and then took a hay ride through the farm to see where the cows eat, take showers, and are milked. We also got to feed goats, which Trinity thought was hilarious, see two pig races, and see baby cows that were just days old. I wanted to take a baby cow home with me, but we didn't have room in the van.

Tech vs. Clemson

2007-10-01T16:23:00.000-04:00

DISCLAIMER: Let me preface this by saying that I am a proud UGA grad and would never wear Georgia Tech paraphernalia under any other circumstance, except that I love Tyler and will support him no matter what, even if it burns my skin. That being said, we went to the Tech/Clemson game Saturday. Even though Tyler separated his shoulder two weeks ago, he was still a trooper and caught every ball that was kicked to him. Good job T! The weather was so beautiful and it was perfect for a football game. I can't wait for Fall to be here!

North Georgia Fair

2007-10-01T16:01:00.000-04:00

Me, Ryan, Michelle, Clarke, and Brayden all went to the Fair Friday night. I must say, the Fair brings out some of the weirdest people, and then everyone you know from high school. Brayden was asleep for the first hour we were there, but the boys had fun throwing baseballs at beer bottles to try and break them. I'm convinced this could have entertained them for close to three hours had we stood there that long. Clarke won Brayden a duck on his first try. Ryan won himself a goldfish throwing ping-pong balls into a bowl. I cried over a donkey named Dusty that was tied up on two feet of rope so kids could sit on his back and take a picture. I mean, what kind of life is that for a donkey? Maybe it's just my hormones. I took a picture of Brayden while he was asleep in the stroller and I swear it looks like he's going, "Holla!" the way he's holding his hand...so cute.

20 weeks, 5 days and counting...

2007-09-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

We went to the doctor yesterday for my 20 week check-up. This was the appointment where they should have told us what we are having...too bad we cheated and already found out! Nonetheless, the appointment was just as exciting. I will refer to the baby as "Jack" since that's what Lisa insists upon calling him. That won't be his name, but until we come up with one, I will pacify Lisa. The sonogram tech measured "Jack's" head, tummy, and femur and they were all perfect and in-line with the February 9th due date. Apparently, "Jack" is a thumb-sucker. He had his finger in his mouth the whole time, so much so, that the tech was actually shocked and switched the screen to a 4-D view so we could see more of what was going on. I thought to myself, "This is great! I'm all about having a self-sufficient baby." (Yeah right) He is so cute if I do say so myself!

'Tis the Season

2007-09-25T16:51:00.000-04:00

Since Ryan does count for one-third of this blog, I thought I should post what's going on with him too. He killed his first deer this bow season and he was so excited! I, being the animal lover that I am, don't much like the thought of it but Ryan has kindly explained to me that if they didn't cut down the deer population, they would likely starve because there would be too many of them and not enough food. This makes me sleep better at night so thank you honey. That being said, he took his deer straight to the processor so I wouldn't have to see his big brown eyes. Here he is at the Core Land with his 7-Pointer...Congratulations Bo!

The Big Day: Brett & Lisa's Wedding

2007-09-24T13:46:00.000-04:00

Well, it finally got here! It seemed forever away, and then before we knew it, we were hustling and bustling around with Brett and Lisa's wedding activities. The bridesmaids' luncheon was Friday at the Horseradish Grill, and we stuffed ourselves silly with lunch and dessert. I barely had enough room left for the baby after eating all that Chocolate Chocolate Layer Cake with Corinne!

The entire wedding day could not have gone more perfect, other than a slight altercation Sarah and I had with the hair salon. Lisa was absolutely glowing and beautiful! Brett made a pretty handsome groom too. The ceremony was at Peachtree Christian (where Brett's parents were also married) and then the reception was at Fernbank. The atrium in Fernbank made for a wonderful atmosphere. The big dinosaur bones were around us and we could see the stars through the glass ceiling. It was quite romantic! Everyone had a wonderful time and I was sad to wish Lisa and Brett farewell...but I'm sure they're not missing us since they're laying on the beach in Jamaica somewhere with a daiquiri in their hand.

Lisa's Bachelorette Party!

2007-09-17T11:19:00.000-04:00

Me and Corinne threw Lisa a Lingerie Shower & Bachelorette Party this weekend at the Georgian Terrace. After the shower, we all went out to Opera and had so much fun!

It's a twig and berries for us!

2007-08-30T10:02:00.000-04:00

After the doctor's office told me only one person was allowed in the room with me when we go to find out what we're having and that they don't let you record the session on a tape, I was really discouraged. With a family like mine, they want to be a part of everything. I wanted the experience to be a little more personal than sharing a few 3.5 x 5 printed pictures. So...my friend Corinne found this place online called Baby's First Images (http://www.babysfirstimages.com/). It was perfect! They offered several packages, including a "Gender Determination" session. I booked a time and we packed the whole family up and went to Alpharetta Wednesday night! It was so much fun to have everyone there. The sonogram tech was really nice and accommodating with everyone asking a million questions. There were three separate monitors in the room so everyone got a good view of what she was doing. It took her no time at all before she identified "the part." We're having a boy and Ryan was so excited I thought he was going to hit the ceiling. Michelle insists she knew the whole time. I must admit I had a feeling that it was a boy. I'm still coping with the fact that I can't dress the baby in cute pink polka dots, at least in public anyway. Snips and snails and puppy dog tails...

I'm starting a family, I'm starting a blog...

2007-08-27T15:51:00.000-04:00

So I guess it's just what you're supposed to do these days. You have a baby, you keep everybody abreast of what's going on. It's your parental duty. We're still about 5 months away from meeting the little one, so I thought I would start early to get the hang of things. For now, here's a picture of my current Punkin' Butt.