All the Troups

Changing the view

2009-11-20T22:59:00.003-05:00

If you're reading this, thank you for checking in on us. I realize I've taken a long hiatus from blogging, but I have been preoccupied with helping clients set up their own blogs.

I've been playing around with headers and templates. It's fun to freshen up the look and re-amp efforts to communicate a new message.

About the family...we've been pretty busy, but life is good. Halloween was a blast (although we're still drowning in candy!) and we're getting ready for a trip to NC for Thanksgiving.

Avery and Stuart are loving school at Crieve Hall. Avery is writing her name (and everything else she can find to copy) and Stuart has mastered the art of making funny faces on command.

I'll leave you with a few pictures...

Stuart checking out his studly reflection in his Bama jersey.

Avery and her ballet buddies

Me and my cutie at Alabama's homecoming game. Eli brought us into the booth with him during the broadcast!!!

Avery's Halloween party at school

The pink poodle's last showing (we hope) and Stuart as a lollipop-loving vampire

Taking a break

2009-08-19T19:30:00.001-04:00

Obviously, I haven't posted in a while. I plan to return to my blog when I find a little time. Keep checking back. Thanks!

The Return

2009-07-10T16:39:00.002-04:00

My days are quite different now. I had spent the last 5 months on contract with a publisher working on book promotions with some very talented publicists in an office setting. My contract was up June 30, so now I'm back home on contracts with various publishers and clients. Working from home is a blessing. I was thrilled to be full-time there for the last few months, but I sure did miss my double life as a mommy/promotions consultant. The kids have been great! I love being back home with them. Some days are challenging, but I'm able to get my work done and I'm getting used to balancing it all.

As an extra added bonus, I'm relearning how to do laundry and dishes and cook for my family again! The things you take for granted...

Chad and I had a date last night. Tori came over to put the kids in bed for us and hang out while we were gone. (It's so frustrating to have to pay a babysitter to literally just sit in your house while your children sleep. At least we love her!) We grabbed dinner and headed to The Basement on 8th Avenue to see FLOREZ. We got there at 9, but the guys didn't go on until after 11. We're almost too old for that! Regardless, we got to see a great show. Alex Florez is an incredibly gifted guitarist. He, Erik and Justin blew us away. They'll probably have another show there next month, so PLEASE plan to be there with us. We promise a great night!

Here's hoping my life becomes blogworthy again. Hang in there with me! Much love...

I'm hoping that this little life will become blogworthy again!

Finally -- an update (especially for Mary Alice)

2009-05-12T21:46:00.008-04:00

So the slacker finally got around to posting an update. We've been busy! Once we survived tax season, we zipped off to Chattanooga to welcome our friends Za and Krishon. Za, Chad's best friend, and his wife Krishon moved to Chattanooga from Los Angeles. We're SO EXCITED that we don't have to hop a flight across the country to see them any more! Hooray!

We settled into our hotel, grabbed coffee with Za and Krissy, and crashed for the first night, but we were up bright and early for a huge breakfast at The City Diner Cafe Restaurant (no kidding, that's the whole name!) Stuart really loved eating anything within reach.

We had an awesome Saturday trotting around at Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls, and an awesome water park downtown. Here's Michael Jackson, I mean Chad, dangling the children over a waterfall. (Just kidding. It's a decorative fountain.)

This is proof that I was actually there. Avery and I were staring directly into the blinding sun, but at least we captured the moment.

Avery and Stuart couldn't get enough of these huge wooden chairs. Unlike Cracker Barrel (or Barrel Cracker, as Avery calls it), these aren't for sale.

BEAUTIFUL view!!!

You can see 47 states from this viewfinder! (Okay, not really--but maybe 7, I think.)

Avery didn't care how cold the water was. She was in the middle of it.

Stuart, on the other hand, screamed like a girl.

Stuart loved the back of Za's car. There's so much fun to be had with a bag of softballs.

Stuart is pretty infatuated with Krissy.

Avery, too.

Aren't they handsome!

I've tried to forget the rest of the weekend because it was spent hovering over a toilet. The stomach bug got me. It only lasted a few hours, but it took 2 more days to recover. Let's erase that from memory. Delete!

A bunch of my college girlfriends came to town the following weekend to catch up before Lindsey and her family move to Portland. It's quite a task to wrangle all the children, much less photograph them, but we did it. Sort of.

These two are my favorite. .I'm a little biased, I know.

Papa stayed a night with us when he was in town for a funeral. We were just glad to have a little time with him and shower him with attention.

And in the latest news....We went to the beach. No, not all of us. Just Chad and me! It was the best ever! We were a tad bit crispy by the end of the weekend. It was the first time we'd been away from the kids for more than a day since before they were born. Hooray for vacations.

Dear readers (all 2 of you), if you're still hanging with me, I sincerely appreciate it. Till next time...

Mercy!

2009-05-06T14:44:00.002-04:00

Please, please, please extend mercy to this woman! I'm so sorry to have gone so long between posts. I definitely haven't lacked things to post about. We have so much going on in our lives right now that I'd like to share. I've just been focused on work and Chad's been dominating the computer (we just survived tax season, so he gets forgiveness.)

Stuart has started taking steps. That's the biggest news in our house. He's also mastered several words. Fun kid. We are so lucky to have such laid-back, easy-going children.

Pictures and videos to come. Hang with me.

Stuart's Birthday (aka "The one with all the pictures"

2009-03-21T22:21:00.005-04:00

On Stuart's actual birthday, we let him open a few presents. He was thrilled to add a few more bouncy balls to his collection.

He just looks so big!

He got his first taste of a cupcake, too.

At the actual party, the kids were content to scoot around on riding toys and play with balloons and balls.

I don't think he was even reaching for anyone in this picture. I'm pretty sure he was just celebrating.

Stuart loves his Uncle Shawn.

Can't tell by his expression, but Stuart was thrilled to get to eat pizza. We couldn't keep him from shoving more in his mouth before chewing and swallowing.

He got one good look at his cake and then...

He started digging in.

He had an audience, too.

He decided not to use a fork.

Stuart wasn't taking a break from eating just to get his picture taken.

These kids are up to no good!

Can you tell it used to be a cake?

We had to drag Stuart away from the cake. He would have eaten the whole thing if we'd let him. But he thought it was hilarious that Daddy was showing off his mess.

Had to throw the poor child in the bathroom sink to clean him up.

Stuart is 1!

2009-03-11T22:46:00.004-04:00

My precious baby Stuart is a year old. I can hardly believe it. This last year has been a wild ride, but we've been so blessed by his addition to our little family. We've come a long way.

Stuart crawls around this house like he owns the place. He's FAST! (as was his labor!) He is such a laid-back, go-with-the-flow child. He takes life in stride and thinks just about anything is hilarious. I doubt he'll walk any time soon, but he's quite content to get around at his own leisure.

Stuart loves his big sister, even though she sometimes pesters him. One day (not too far from now) he'll be bigger than her and put her in her place.

We're a lucky family and can't wait to see what the next year brings for our sweet one.

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Working Girl

2009-02-28T09:29:00.004-05:00

We've had a few changes in our house in the last couple of weeks. Those changes have kept us quite busy, so please accept my apologies for the delay in posting.

I run a marketing and PR consulting firm with my friend Lola. We work on contract with companies to book media, write press material, and train authors how to blog and work with social media. I was approached by a former colleague a few weeks ago who asked if I'd be interested in putting my contracts on hold and work full-time with them through the end of June to get through a heavy spring publishing list.

It was good timing. I was craving a little break from my stay-at-home mom status and this position allows me to get the corporate life back for a few weeks. I worked out full-time childcare for the kids and committed to working with Hachette Book Group through the end of June. I've got traditional work hours and go to an office every day. I even had to go out and buy some new work clothes.

The change of pace has been refreshing for me. However, there's a bit of chaos in our house sometimes. Wednesdays are a nightmare. I drop off Avery and Chad drops off Stuart. We both work full days. Chad picks up Stuart and heads to church and I meet Avery at church. We eat dinner there (if there's a Wednesday night meal) and I have to dash upstairs to get my kindergarten class ready. It's 8:30 before we're home. We have to lay out clothes for the kids for the next day and get them into bed (hopefully before 9.)

I hope you don't think I'm complaining. This job is a huge blessing in the middle of a recession where people are being laid off left and right. I enjoy what I do and I honestly appreciate my kids and husband more when I get home.

So if you see us looking a little harried and hurried, please forgive. We'll either get used to this schedule soon or be done with it at the end of June. Thanks for checking on us!

Ten Years Later...

2009-02-07T09:37:00.003-05:00

Ten years ago today, I was hit head-on by a drunk driver.

I'd just had a great weekend in Atlanta at Kimme's house and was not looking forward to being back to reality. I'd turned down an offer for a ride to Nashville Christian School because I was going to be late getting back into town. The Lipscomb University Acappella Singers, in which I was singing alto in college, was about to give a Sunday evening concert at NCS and I was a little grouchy about cutting my weekend a bit short to sing there.

I changed into my black dress, grabbed my music folder, keys, and driver's license and jumped in the car -- my mom's hand-me-down Volvo. (Side note: Over Christmas break, I'd contemplated bringing my old purple Camaro back to school instead of the Volvo. That probably changed the course of my history.) Since I didn't have any pockets in my dress, I'd been balancing my license on top of my folder, but it slid off on the way out the door.

I wasn't incredibly familiar with the route to NCS, but I knew where I was going. I was on Charlotte Pike in Nashville, where it's two lanes. It was straight, wide, and flat. The weather was perfect and it was still daylight. I was going slower than I cared to because of the traffic.

All of a sudden, the Jeep Wagoneer in front of me swerved and took the ditch and that's when I saw him. His Ford Econoline van clipped the back of her and hit me head on. I don't remember the impact.

The next thing I can recall is a rescue worker outside my shattered window reassuring me that I was okay, but that he'd have to cut my door off to get me out. I remember telling him (screaming at him) that I was fine and that he just needed to get me out. There was blood everywhere, but I had no idea where it was coming from and I couldn't move my arm.

Then I remember the lights inside the ambulance and the light above my bed in the trauma unit at Vanderbilt. Doctors were coming in and out and asking me the same stuff over and over, but I don't think I was giving them good information. Since my driver's license wasn't in the car, I was unidentified. (They named me "El Paso, El Paso" because I was the fifth unidentified person admitted that day and they were using cities in Texas to name them.) I'd give them parts of names and parts of phone numbers and they finally pieced together enough information to get in touch with my family.

Whomever called my mom should win an award. They called her at home. My brother answered and they started giving him information until he said something like "Whoa. You need to talk to my mom." Very calmly they told her that her daughter Laura had asked them to call her and tell her that she's okay, but that she'd been in an accident and wanted her to come." I had no idea they'd called anyone. She was 6 hours away, so she called Grandma and told her to hit the road since she was only 2 hours away.

My uncle (Russ, I think) took Grandma to Nashville to be with me and as soon as she saw me in the trauma unit, she passed out and had to be admitted. Evidently, I looked pretty bad.

I was still covered in blood. The driver side window had shattered and was in my face and arms. The airbags had burned my hands and left forearm. My right humerus was completely snapped in two places. (It had been set and put in a gravity cast.) My legs were deeply bruised from the engine impact and I was swollen all over. I had a reaction to the pain medicine they'd given and had thrown up all over my hair, so they wrapped it back in gauze. (What?!?) My clothes (every stitch of them) had been cut off and I was only covered by a sheet -- at least that's what I think, because I was freezing. However, even just that sheet was killing my right foot. That was the only body part I was worried about because it was hurting so bad. Yes, I had my arm dangling beside me in pieces, but I was concerned about the foot. (Another side note: The trauma team didn't even check my foot. A week later at my first ortho follow-up x-rays, I forced them to x-ray the foot and they determined that it was broken in at least 4 places!)

My family finally all arrived. Dad had been out of town on business, so he hopped on a plane as soon as mom called him and dashed to my bedside. I was only in the hospital 2 days. Mom and Dad took me to Steve and Susan's house (mom's college roommate) to rest and recover. They bathed me and scooped the rest of the glass out of my ears, nursed my wounds, and put me in bed.

That afternoon, my dad went to the lot where they hauled my wrecked car to retrieve my belongings and assess the damage. When he returned, he sat down in front of me, held my hands, and cried. I had no idea what he'd seen. (Mom and I can't find the pictures, but once we do, I'll be sure to post some.)

What they explained to me that day is that I shouldn't have walked away from that accident. If I'd been in any other car, I'd have been killed. Upon impact, the airbag deployed, the steering wheel popped off (probably what broke my arm), the engine dropped down and when the van went over the top of me, the windshield cracked without shattering and the roof buckled on the "B" pillar, creating a safety cage.

I don't know all the facts of the guy who hit me. I know his name, but I'll keep it to myself. He was 49 years old. I'm told he wasn't wearing his seat belt, but survived anyway. His face was shattered on the windshield and he was in the hospital for 3 months. Instead of a simple misdemeanor of DUI, he was charged with the felony of vehicular assault, which was violation of his parole -- for murder. Yep. He'd evidently killed someone more than a decade before over drugs.

He went to prison. My source told me he'd be eligible for parole in 2008. So at the end of 2007, I wrote the parole board and received an unfortunate response. They told me he'd been released a few months before. I'd been told wrong about his parole. They assured me that I would be added to the list of people they contacted if he were to be arrested again. I sincerely hope he does not get arrested because that would mean that he'd done the same thing to someone else.

I'm pretty passionate about alcohol awareness. And I'm definitely a serious seatbelt advocate. I think Volvos are great, but I don't drive one now. I give credit for my survival to God. For He alone can give life or take it away.

It's hard to believe that I didn't even know my husband ten years ago. I can barely imagine that he is such a huge part of my life yet he has no idea what that season of my life was like. I stayed in school that semester, only having to drop one class. I learned to write with my left hand (not very well, but it did the job) because my right arm was immobile for two months. I pledged a social club (for all you non-Lipscombites, that's like a sorority in Christian schools). I wore overalls a lot so I didn't have to constantly ask my fellow dorm dwellers to fasten my pants for me. I learned how to tie my hair back with one hand. I moved on. But at the end of that semester, I had to be at his hearing. I had to look at him. I had two of my best friends beside me in the court room that day and I was strong.

I remember my accident every day. I still have scars on my hands. I feel the weather change in my shoulder, knees, and right foot. It doesn't go away. But I don't want it to. That terrible event is part of who I am today.

I know I shared a bunch of information with this post and I don't expect my writing to win any style points, but I thank you for reading it and for letting me get it out. Today was a big day.

Stuart's first haircut

2009-02-06T17:53:00.004-05:00

Before:

After:

And everything in between! We started by putting the long patch on the top of his head into a ponytail and cutting it off. It was easily an inch and a half longer than the rest of his hair anyway!
Stuart was a very well-behaved little boy during his haircut today.
His expression seems to indicate that he's a little disturbed, but he was happy as a lark the entire time.

Almost done...

Our little guy was happy to be able to see out from under his hair again!

Dying to get out of the house!

2009-02-04T22:42:00.002-05:00

We've been suffering from cabin fever. After 2 weeks of colds, ear infections, pink eye, and a little pneumonia, we were itching to see the light of day this week. However, with high temperatures in the teens and twenties, we only got to see the light of day through the car window or the glass ceilings at the galleria. Yep, we met Heidi and the girls at Cool Springs Galleria so they kids could run off some energy at the indoor play area.

After some fun time, we headed upstairs for lunch. Macy decided she wanted to hitch a ride in Avery's lap in our double stroller.

The girls are probably smashing each other, but they didn't seem to care.

Stuart and Harper seemed happy to just get to be riding shotgun.

At lunch, Stuart used no restraint with my waffle fries.

The not-so-little guy crammed as much food in his mouth as would fit at once.

What will tomorrow's adventure be?

Slumber parties, pneumonia, and getting older

2009-02-03T19:44:00.004-05:00

Our friends, the Houstons are expecting their third daughter, so we offered them a break from children overnight before the chaos. Macy and Harper spent a Friday night at our house. I actually wouldn't call it a slumber party because not much slumbering occurred. Avery and Macy slept in the same bed and Harper kept escaping from the Pack 'n Play in the guest room. (We all thought she'd be the easy one.) Nevertheless, we all survived.

Avery and Macy settled in for bedtime stories.

All the girls got musical Saturday morning and entertained Chad and me on the piano.

Don't let her fool you with a sweet face. Avery's full of mischief.

The following week, we started dropping like flies. Stuart went down first with a high fever and was diagnosed with an ear infection and pink eye. My symptoms started then, too, but I powered through. Avery started coughing on Tuesday night and her nose and eyes started running Wednesday. We went to the doctor first thing Thursday and she was also diagnosed with an ear infection and pink eye, but she also had pneumonia. Lovely. Chad and I were both put on antibiotics for ear infections within a couple of days, but after 14 days of being sick, I was SICK of being sick. I returned to the doctor for a cortizone shot and an antibiotic switch. It worked!

Poor Avery had a TERRIBLE hair day before we went to the doctor with her. We have no idea how she slept rough enough to wake up like this.

Stuart thought Avery's hair was hilarious!

Avery managed to get well enough to go out for pizza with friends on her birthday at Joey's House of Pizza in Brentwood. We closed the place down.

Avery probably only had one bite of her pizza. She was more interested in running around in circles and having cake.

Avery was thrilled with her Tinkerbell cake. It was almost too pretty to eat.

She seemed so timid while we sang to her.

Yes, she is dangerously close to the candle!

Obviously, she decided that while the cake was beautiful, it wasn't too beautiful to eat!

Daddy brought a balloon home for Avery on her birthday.

She got a TON of mail, so we stayed up late opening all the fun birthday cards.

The highlight of the day was Avery's new SUV for her dollhouse. She (and Stuart) can't get enough of it!

Catching up

2009-02-02T11:55:00.008-05:00

At a Super Bowl party last night, I was asked if my mom was mad at me. Confused, I said, "I don't think so. Why?" The response I got was incriminating. "Because you haven't blogged in so long." Yikes. I'm in trouble.

The last few weeks have been VERY FULL. I'll have to start with Christmas and catch up. I'll apologize in advance if you're overwhelmed by the photos and multitude of posts in one day. Deep breath. Here goes...

Avery left out cookies, one of the brownies she'd made for baby Jesus's birthday, a glass of milk, and some carrots for the reindeer. She was very proud of herself.

Avery and Stuart had matching snowflake jammies (or "jammas" as she calls them)

Stuart just seemed overwhelmed on Christmas morning. Eventually, he got into the festivities.

Avery showed Stuart how to play with his little tikes sports center.

Stuart really enjoyed the wrapping paper.

Avery got to play Santa at the Troup Christmas and was THRILLED with her Alabama cheerleader dress.

Chad's grandmother ("Mom") was happy to get her hands on the great-grandchildren.

Stuart was right at home in Mom's lap.

After heading back to Nashville to wash clothes and repack, we hit the road to NC to see my parents. Papa is just happy to get the kiddos for a few days.

Uncle Ben (a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill) got Stuart a Hansbrough jersey so they could match on game day.

Chad and I got away for a couple of days and headed up the mountain for some skiing and relaxing without the children.

On the way home, Avery showed off her Magnadoodle skills. This is her first freehand cat. How 'bout that?

On the drive back to Nashville, Stuart popped the lenses out of my old sunglasses and Avery thought they were way cool!

The scissor incident

2008-12-29T09:50:00.005-05:00

We have a junk drawer in the kitchen. I'm not embarrassed by it. Most people seem to have one somewhere in their house. By most standards, it is very organized. I even have a divided tray with sections labeled for certain items. I typically know exactly where to find buttons, safety pins, batteries, post-its, matches, tape, pencils, scissors, and any number of other random necessities.

Avery also knows where to find things. Trouble is, she's not quite tall enough to see what she's grabbing for. She found my scissors. We've caught her several times cutting paper into little strips and have sternly told her that scissors are only for mommies and daddies to use and that she may only touch them if we have told her it's okay.

(Side note: Don't panic. She did not cut her hair. We're very lucky. Stop freaking out.)

Lately, Avery has been waking earlier than we care to, so we send her downstairs to play with her dollhouse or watch a cartoon while we get a few extra winks in. Yesterday, Chad got up and headed downstairs to check on her and found her in the kitchen with the scissors. She had raided the refrigerator and found string cheese snacks. But she couldn't get them to tear apart on the perforations, so she employed the use of scissors to cut them apart. The best part? When Chad asked her what she was doing, she said, "I'm cutting the cheese." Priceless.

Reminds me of one of the funniest commercials I've seen. I don't support beer sales, but the folks in the advertising department at Budweiser are comedic geniuses. Enjoy!

Run-in with Santa

2008-12-22T12:09:00.002-05:00

Friday night, our little family ventured out to Wal-mart to make an exchange and gather some Christmas items. While circling the parking lot looking for a space, Avery spotted the Salvation Army bell-ringer dressed in a familiar red. "Santa!!!!" she screams. We told her that it might just be someone wearing a Santa hat and she calmed down. We parked and unloaded. As we approached the door, she saw that the bell-ringer had a beard. He let out a deep "Ho, ho, ho!" and she KNEW it was the man himself. He offered a bell for Avery to ring and I don't think she even noticed that he was missing a couple of teeth. Lovely.

We headed inside and did our shopping. After several minutes, Avery stated quite loudly that she needed to go potty. I asked if she could hold it, but she screamed that "my pee pee's coming out!" (That's her new way of telling us that she really needs to go.) Chad offered to take her so I could finish shopping. In a bit, they returned and Chad was grinning from ear to ear. He said, "Avery, tell mommy who we saw in the bathroom." She said, "Santa." Great. Chad again said, "What was he doing?" Avery smiled, "Going potty!" Evidently, when they entered the restroom, Santa had been standing at the urinal. Guess she needs to learn that Santa goes potty too!

Family Christmas Breakfast

2008-12-10T10:11:00.004-05:00

I'm just now getting around to posting pictures of the Otter Creek Family Christmas Breakfast. We had a great time. This year's festivities were so well organized. I was much more comfortable this year, too, because I wasn't large and pregnant. Hooray!

Avery and her friend Fenley were showing off their Christmas dresses for us.

Stuart loves Miss Betty!

Avery wrote a letter to Santa Claus. She wants a dollhouse, a bus, a train, a bicycle, and a guitar.

Avery mailed her letter in the North Pole Mailbox.

After two visits to see mall Santas, she was finally comfortable with Mr. Claus and jumped right into his lap for a photo.

Stuart was also quite comfortable in Santa's lap.

Stuart liked the balloons -- and there were PLENTY.

We managed to get a pretty good photo of our life group (sans Kim and Kevin). Amy actually Photoshopped their faces onto Santa and Mrs. Claus and added them to her picture.

Our little family photo may make the Christmas card this year!

Our last stop was the craft room where we made Christmas trail mix and a Christmas tree ornament.

Still giving thanks

2008-12-03T13:55:00.006-05:00

Our little family spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Huntsville this year. We trade out Thanksgiving and New Year's each year in either Huntsville or Hickory and then we spend Christmas at home in Nashville.

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Chad's aunt Elaine's house. She always has a beautiful, festive table.

Stuart got to enjoy his first Thanksgiving meal, too. Elaine had a special bib ready for this special meal.

He enjoyed bouncing in Mom's lap (Chad's grandmother). She always gets a kick out of the kiddos.

Avery and her cousin Caroline had a ball fooling around together.

Papa John was helping Stuart stand up. Doesn't he look so big?

Avery made herself comfortable in Elaine's massage chair. It took no time at all for her to figure out which button did what. She'd disappear for a while and we'd find her in the den by herself, getting good back rub.

Weather was amazing on Thanksgiving day, so we spent quite a bit of time outside on the back porch before the sun went down over Monte Sano Mountain.

We managed to get a family Thanksgiving photo on Elaine's sofa. Stuart stopped screaming for a brief moment so Jim could snap a shot.

Our holiday was very musical. Avery enjoyed helping Jim play the guitar. He also played a little trombone for us.

Stuart was a whiz on the maracas!

Bebe (Chad's mom) also pulled out the guitar so the kids could make music.

Our whole family was full of spirit for the big Iron Bowl game. Roll Tide Roll!

Chad's sister Julie, her husband Shawn, and their daughter Caroline came over to Chad's parents' house for the game.

Avery and Stuart have been extra sweet to each other lately, so it's pretty easy to catch them loving on one another.

Elaine and Jim joined us for the game, too, so Avery wallowed all over Jim as usual.

Stuart loves hats these days and got pretty attached to this one that goes with Bebe's rocking horse.

Papa John took Chad and Avery for a ride in the T-model. Avery begs for a ride every time we come for a visit.

Caroline and Avery camped out at this little table and had tea parties all weekend.

The kids and I are in North Carolina this week, so I'll have many more photos when we get back to Nashville. Till then...

Troup Update

2008-11-26T14:04:00.005-05:00

I've been scolded by my mother about not posting frequently enough. I'm trying to keep up with the service blog as often as I eat out, but our family blog has fallen by the wayside.

I'm cursing under my breath today because I finally blew out a knee in my favorite old jeans. I've had them since college. They're a little tighter than I should wear them, but they're worn and comfy. I'm mourning. I'll keep them around for wearing in the house, but they need to be replaced.

We're cooped up at home for a bit because Avery has pink eye and a double ear infection. Fun! She completely perked up yesterday morning, so we took the whole family to the Predators game last night. The kids were great and our seats were awesome! We were 11 rows off the ice behind the goal. Too bad we blew it in the shootout.

We're spending the day packing for our holiday with the Troups. We'll head straight to Huntsville in the morning after the Thanksgiving worship service at Otter Creek. While I'm really looking forward to some good food, I'm dreading blowing my diet. Nursing is winding down, so I'm getting serious about finally shedding the baby weight.

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. You don't have to worry about buying gifts that people don't really want or transporting too much stuff in the car. You just get to celebrate being a family and counting all your blessings. Oh, okay. Yes, I love the food!

I wish all God's blessings on you and yours this Thanksgiving holiday! I leave you with photos of our activities over the last couple of weeks.

Here's Chad accompanying Avery on the carousel at the mall. We took her to visit Santa, but she wouldn't get her picture made with the poor ol' guy!

Stuart loved watching the animals go around and around.

Stuart loves feeding himself. Most of the food ends up in his lap or on his face, but it sure is fun!

Za and Krishon made an oh-so-brief visit from California, so we stopped in to eat at the Loveless and shop at Hams & Jams market.

I was afraid Krissy would try to sneak Stuart into her luggage.

Avery is quite fond of her new elephant jammies. Makes bedtime MUCH easier.

Papa stopped in for a couple of hours on the way through town to play "Ride a Big Horsey."

Stuart was showing off his clapping skills for Papa.

The Other Blog

2008-11-05T01:09:00.003-05:00

I started another blog. I have no idea how I'm going to keep up with two, but I'm gonna try! The other blog is www.theserviceproject.blogspot.com. It's dedicated to my reviews of restaurant service. What???

I know it sounds completely off the wall, but I've always had a strong passion for good restaurant service. We've all had bad restaurant experiences. It's hard to forget them. My plan here is to critique restaurant service with the ultimate goal of having restaurants improve their service. I've been writing training material for years now--assembling notes from my various experiences along the way. This new blog is going to be my sounding board and my storage unit for all the notes to come.

I'd appreciate if you'd bookmark the site and share it with others. I plan to make it interesting and I promise to share the funny stuff along the way. Thanks for your support!

Panhandling

2008-10-31T23:09:00.004-04:00

Halloween is nothing but legalized panhandling. Our neighborhood has no street lights, so it isn't exactly ideal for trick or treating. We headed out tonight at 6, trying to catch the last little bit of daylight. However, most of our neighbors closed their blinds and turned off the porch lights. A few left bowls of candy on their doorsteps--a welcomed opportunity for Avery to hoard extra sugar.

Nevertheless, we ended up with too much candy. And, of course, since the local kids have figured out that our neighborhood is sub-par for trick-or-treating, we didn't get many visitors. Therefore, we have tons of candy left over. I have exercised restraint and avoided it so far. I'm still holding onto a few pregnancy pounds and Halloween candy would be the death of me.

We let Avery stay up a little late to watch Little Monsters, but she seemed to get a little freaked out by Howie Mandel in costume, so we switched over to a little Dora On Demand before bed.

By the way, Stuart was a chicken. He had already outgrown his size 9 months lobster costume, so we let him borrow Avery's costume from 2 years ago. And Avery was a pink dog -- again. She has been begging to wear the costume again ever since she took it off last year.

I leave you with a few sweet pictures from our fun family night.

Up to no good

2008-10-30T17:39:00.002-04:00

My little fashionista has a newfound interest in hair curlers. We found these soft ones at Target. They roll like a sponge roller, but they twist closed so they are easy to sleep on. (We haven't convinced her yet that she should sleep in them. Stubborn.)

Another favorite pasttime is dressing herself. This kiddo can be caught in all types of getups. Never a dull moment in our house!

Monday Night Football

2008-10-29T09:44:00.003-04:00

We spent Monday night cheering on the Titans...from LP Field! Normally we'd be planted on the sofa, but Bob and Shannon Barrett invited us to share their tickets. We dressed in our Code Blue apparel but prompty covered it up with layers of sweaters, coats, hats, and gloves. It really wasn't as cold as I expected, but I think the cold spurred on my cold. Yep, I've gotten Avery and Stuart's colds. We've been practicing the art of sharing with Avery, but she hasn't quite figured out that you don't share everything -- namely, germs.

Ideally, I'll rest today and get plenty of fluids and then be back to my old self in no time. We're going to try not to pass this cold in circles.

A special shout out to Becca and Nathan Daniel for inviting Avery to sleep over with Fenley and to Jay and Melanie Brown (and Tori and Abby) for giving Stuart his first sleepover! We couldn't have a life without you all. We owe you a big one for our NFL date night! Thanks!

Becca, the saint

2008-10-21T17:25:00.002-04:00

I had an appointment this morning that I wasn't exactly looking forward to. (Ladies, can I get an "amen"?) Avery has school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I make all my appointments on those days so I'll only have Stuart in tow. However, today, she was on day 5 of a cough and I felt pretty guilty about exposing her to other vulnerable kiddos.

My precious friend Becca had offered to meet me at the doctor's office to hold Stuart in the waiting room. She also got stuck with Avery. Not normally a big deal, but today Avery was bound and determined to wear her big girl panties. Before we went into the office, we stopped off at the restroom. But the kid doesn't perform under pressure. So I warned Becca that she might need to make a quick trip out to take her to the potty.

When my appointment finished up, I came out to the waiting room to find Avery in different pants. Becca told me that Avery had made a face, so she asked her if she needed to "go." However, she'd already peed into her shoes. Poor Becca. She is a true friend for putting up with me and my potty training child. I love you, Becca!!!

Diaper woes

2008-10-17T17:05:00.002-04:00

I just made my daughter change her own diaper. Not kidding. I just sat on the edge of the tub next to her for an hour and 3 minutes waiting for her to go to the potty. She gave up and asked to put on her diaper. Then she promptly peed in it. So I sent her upstairs to change herself. Tough love.

Family night out

2008-10-16T17:36:00.005-04:00

Normally on Wednesday nights we go to church. We are blessed to be part of an amazing church family and look forward to meeting with that community multiple times each week. However, last night, our plans changed at the eleventh hour. We took the kids to a rock show!

Our friends Alex and Erik are in a band called FLOREZ and they had a show at Belmont last night. We found out that the show was going to be fairly early, so it was a prime opportunity to let our little ones see them live. Avery loves to listen to FLOREZ music in the car and she's constantly hounding me to let her listen when I'm on the computer.

The show was fantastic. They even threw in a couple covers that were awesome! The guys really put on a great live show.

We got to see Alex's sweet wife Michelle (who is expecting their first baby in January) and Erik's fiance Jaime (who he met on CBS Survivor: China). Erik and Jaime are in the final days of a wedding contest. They're hoping to win a dream wedding in Charleston. Go online and VOTE for them!

Can't be mad

2008-10-15T16:07:00.003-04:00

I needed to be talked off the ledge this afternoon. My stubborn kids didn't want to take a nap. This is nothing new for Avery, but Stuart is usually out like a light as soon as I put him in his crib. Not so today. So he's in the living room with me.

Avery begged to go to the potty. She's been getting better. She went last night before bed (after sitting on the pot for 10 minutes -- no exaggeration) and did the big #2 this morning after about the same amount of time. However, this afternoon, it was simply stall tactics. She sat for a good 20 minutes with no activity, just so she didn't have to be in her bed. I finally forced her to put the diaper back on and put her back in bed.

Every few minutes, she'd be at the door whispering for me or jumping off furniture in her room. I heard her moving around in there a couple of minutes ago, which obviously means she's not in the bed I told her not to dare get out of. I headed upstairs to tell her to get back in bed, but she was huddled in the corner by her nightlight reading her picture Bible. Can't be mad at her for that! At least she's quiet!

Night of the living dead?

2008-10-15T09:23:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, the kids and I met Becca and Fenley at the Edmondson Pike Library to play on their playground. It was a REALLY HOT day, so we tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. There was a large tree nearby shading a picnic table, so we grabbed a seat.

We let the girls run around (sweating their little tails off) while we caught up with each other. One of Becca's friends was there with her two girls and we offered to keep an eye on her infant in her carseat carrier while she ran inside to let the older one go to the potty. A small girl approached, obviously very interested in the baby, and climbed onto the table to look at her. Her mom was fairly close on a cell phone call. The girl sneezed on the baby's foot and the mom ran over (still on the phone) to tell her to get down. She moved the child to the playgound mulch and dashed off so the person she was talking to on the phone wouldn't hear her daughter cry. The little girl went straight back to the picnic table to check out the baby. Mom again grabbed her by the hand and dragged her over a concrete curb and into the mulch and dashed away so her conversation wouldn't be interrupted, leaving the girl lying on her back throwing a fit. I wanted to grab the mom's phone and toss it. Bizarre.

We stayed in our spots under the tree for quite a while, periodically jumping up to make sure the girls didn't venture too close to dangerous playground dropoffs. Finally at one point, Becca looked down at her feet and said, "I KNEW I was feeling something under my feet." I thought she had been referring to an anthill or some sort of bug. But I looked down and didn't see anything. I thought Becca was nuts. Then I realized that she meant not just under her feet, but under the ground, too. The ground was moving. Something was under us crawling around.

We got a stick and started digging in the dirt. Our behavior seemed a little odd to our girls, so Avery and Fenley came over to investigate. When we started digging, the bumping moved a few feet over. We backed away and watched as it moved back to the spot where we'd been digging. Would it come up through the hole? We were freaking out! Periodically poking at the hole, we couldn't take our eyes off the spot where we expected to see a paw or claw or snout (or zombie!). Nothing. The little booger (whatever it was) wouldn't break through the surface. We must have scared it off. Deserves it. It scared the daylights out of us.

The Beach!

2008-10-02T13:32:00.008-04:00

I know you haven't been waiting around for my beach post (except you, mom), but I apologize for the delay. I've just had a few things that were higher on the priority list.

We had a great time at the beach. We stayed in the same place as last year--Mediterra in Perdido Key, FL--and were very pleased with our accommodations. We had great weather, beautiful sand, an indoor pool to die for, and awesome seafood.

My only complaint was the bugs! On our way down, as soon as we got through Montgomery, we started hearing them splat on the windshield. It sounded like rain. Yuck! The wind one day took care of them for a while. Then they reappeared. I think it was mating season. Gross.

Nothing else really exciting to share, but I'll leave you with some pictures of our trip:

Our bathtub was fantastic!!! Avery loves a good bath, so this was a dream for her.

Work clothes

2008-09-16T16:25:00.002-04:00

Every morning, when Chad gets dressed, Avery asks him if he's going to work. She knows the difference between his work clothes and his play clothes.

Yesterday, when I woke up, I threw on jogging pants and a tie dye t-shirt, plopped down on the couch and got out my laptop to start working. She cocked her head to the side and said, "Mommy, are those your work clothes?" Great.

Yes, sweetheart. They are.

To answer your questions

2008-09-13T17:01:00.004-04:00

Yes, Eli Gold is one of my clients. I've done book publicity for his most recent two titles, Bear's Boys: 36 Men Whose Lives Were Changed by Coach Paul Bryant, and Crimson Nation: The Shaping of the South's Most Dominant Football Team. Eli Gold is the play-by-play announcer for the Alabama Crimson Tide Football team and has a very distinct voice. He has become a friend.

I first got to know Eli while working at Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was marketing director while Crimson Nation was being published. I was thrilled to be working on the project because I grew up in Alabama and have been a fan of the Tide as long as I can remember.

I left Thomas Nelson to stay at home with Avery, so when they got ready to publish Bear's Boys, I took on the publicity for his signing events and solicited reviews with my friend and business partner Lola.

Both books have been wildly successful, especially among Alabama fans. We've had several sell-out autographing events and tailgate parties. What a ball!

In the process, I've gotten to know Eli well and have come to enjoy Alabama football even more. Roll Tide!

Impromptu Roadtrip

2008-09-09T17:21:00.004-04:00

Saturday, we jumped in the car and headed to Florence to my best friend's studio to get Stuart's 6-month pictures done. (I cannot believe he's already 6 months old!!!) We started kidding around about how we were already half way to Tuscaloosa and that we should go try to get tickets to the game.

I sent a text message to Eli Gold, play by play announcer for the Crimson Tide, who is a client of mine. I told him that we were thinking about coming down and asked him if I'd get to see him. He told me that he'd be free between 2:30 and 4 and that we could come up to the press box!!!! I replied back to tell him that we hadn't gotten tickets yet but that I'd call him if we headed that way. He immediately called me and told me that he had left tickets in my name at his hotel! How sweet is that?!?!?!?

So we zipped to a department store and bought Crimson Tide apparel and hit the road. We borrowed my grandparents' camera and bailed on 'em. (They understood, of course.)

The Tide wasn't rolling too well Saturday, but we pulled off a win against Tulane and the kids got their first-ever Alabama football experience.

After the game, we all hiked back to the car (should've seen our blisters!) and headed home. We didn't get home until 3 a.m., so Sunday afternoon was dedicated to the mother of all naps!

Thanks, Eli, for a great day! We had a ball!

My sweet Alabama Girl

Stuart in his new duds with Grandma

We even got to catch up with my aunt Amy (all 3 of her kids are students at Alabama this year)

Scoping out the new talent during warmups

Coach Nick Saban

Yet another hot dog (Avery tells us she prefers "cold dogs")

Wide-eyed doll got mesmerized by the action!

Stuart was soaking it all in, too!

Calling all novice photogs!

2008-09-05T15:05:00.002-04:00

I'm in need of a new camera. My current one works, but only if I'm careful with it. The on/off switch is part of the trigger and it has all popped off. It still takes pictures, but only when I hold it in place gently. It has done the job fairly well for the last 5 years or so. I haven't been thrilled with it, though. A spring in the battery chamber has caused the battery door to randomly fly open and dump out the battery -- usually only when I have a very important shot to capture.

I'm hesitant to buy a new camera without a glowing recommendation (or 6). Here are my needs: compact digital, at least 10 megapixels, a large preview screen, and a secure battery chamber. I don't care about fun colors, but it would be nice to have something flat enough to stick in my pocket.

Okay, wow me with your suggestions!

Couldn't resist

2008-09-03T13:54:00.004-04:00

Okay Melanie, I couldn't hold out any longer. I have to post the story. Please forgive me!

One morning last week, I met a couple of moms at the OC playground so the kids could run off some energy. I had a 1 p.m. appointment with Doug to discuss Kirkpatrick EOS volunteers, but I had some time to kill in between. Rather than go all the way home just to turn around and head back, we just grabbed lunch and ran Brentwood errands. We still had time to spare, so we hung out at the church building. Although they insisted they didn't mind, I knew we were being a complete distraction to the office staff.

They were so sweet to the kids. Each of them has a special place in Avery's heart -- especially Melanie. But Avery got wound up really fast. I heard a yelp and turned around to find out that it was Melanie. With a shocked look on her face, she informed me that Avery had bitten her -- in the tush! I was trying to quickly scold my precocious 2 1/2 year old, but everyone on the office staff was trying to contain their laughter. They had to quickly scatter away from earshot so I could explain why biting is not acceptable. We're all still laughing about it.

On another note, we had a wonderful long weekend of pool time, Crimson Tide football, big girl bed, yard work, and free Chick-fil-A chicken strips. Who could ask for more than that? And to top it all off, Avery started back to preschool Tuesday! She and I were getting tired of each other, so this is a welcomed blessing. Here a few shots of our high points. Big girl bed pix to come later when we finish the bedding. Enjoy!

Avery and her buddies Isaiah, Macy and Harper on the hippo.

Playfully peeking from inside the play structure

Making faces at the pool

Watching Alabama football with Daddy

Snuggling with my little man

Avery's first day of school - She's now asking for a "side pony" every time I fix her hair!

Obviously, Stuart's going to love Kix cereal as much as his sister. Let's just hope he doesn't cram it in our electronics, too.

Stuart started eating cereal a couple of weeks ago, but he seems to enjoy wearing it as much as eating it.

Carolina Wedding Weekend

2008-08-28T09:15:00.004-04:00

She did it!!!!! Avery made it down the aisle as a flower girl! I was so proud. We had a wonderful weekend in Asheville, North Carolina to witness Tiffany Stovall and Paul Erwin commit their lives to each other at the Deer Park Courtyard at the Biltmore Estate. It was a whirlwind weekend starting with a rehearsal and dinner at the River Bend Farm on the Biltmore property. I've never seen such a fancy dinner in a barn!

Avery crashed on the ride over from my parents' house to the rehearsal.

Avery and Maddie became fast friends and found a table just their size.

Avery was very proud of the puzzle "Miss Tiffy" got for her.

The Johnson Hall girls

I somehow managed to get through the weekend without pictures of the bridesmaid brunch at the Biltmore Inn. It was amazing food and a beautiful spread in a private dining room. The photographer arrived when we finished eating so we could get some photos on the Inn grounds. Here's a link to the photographer's blog so you can see them.

After brunch, we all started getting ready and boarded a shuttle that drove us around the property so we could get pictures wherever we wanted them. Tiffany tried not to sit down and wrinkle her dress. She looks like a glammed-up tour guide here.

Tiffany and the bridesmaids in front of the mansion. L to R: me, Tara Erwin, Kelsey Byers, Jodi Mitchell, Tiffany, Benae Aultman, Lindsey Crites, Aimee Cronin, Kim Collins

Avery and I got to strike a pose and wish we could live in "the big house."

Possibly the only family photo we got (at least we got one!), but Stuart was at my parents' house and missed out.

I love Avery's expression in this shot. She was having so much fun being a little princess.

We were impatiently waiting on another wedding party to get finished so we could snap a few pictures near the fountain.

Chad found bribery in the form of cookies & cream ice cream so Avery would cooperate with all the picture taking.

The entire wedding party on the front lawn.

I love how tiny Avery looks sipping water to stay cool during pictures.

This little whimsical shot is getting enlarged and framed. Love it!

We were shaking it down on the dance floor. She was a trooper for surviving such a late night.

I might be able to steal more photos from friends for later, but that's it for now. Thanks Tiffany and Paul for a great weekend! Congratulations!

Negligence

2008-08-19T17:12:00.003-04:00

Wow. It's been a while. Sorry Blogger. You've had to take a back seat to the chaos for a bit. Our lives have overflowed with stuff. You know what I mean -- the normal, everyday tasks that fill the calendar.

Why does it take 45 minutes to do something now that used to take only 15 before children???

Not that I'm complaining. I wouldn't trade my life for anything. (Although many days I threaten to throw the kiddos in day care and go back to Thomas Nelson.) We are blessed by the luxury of one income supporting our family. I get to help develop my children's brains and personalities. I get to be the one to teach them about manners, motor skills, and how the world works.

Never mind the dirty dishes in the sink, the Magic Eraser markings on the dining room wall from scrubbing off crayon, the puzzle pieces in the floor, the unmade beds, or the fact that I haven't had a shower yet today. I am a mom and that is the coolest job in the world because I got an Eskimo kiss from my sweet girl and a toothless grin from my adorable boy.

And I've just been informed that someone needs a new diaper...

Blogger gripe

2008-08-07T18:12:00.000-04:00

What in the world is up with Blogger spacing right now???

Scary bunny rabbits

2008-08-06T12:41:00.002-04:00

When I think of bunny rabbits, I think of sweet, fluffy balls of fur that hop around and deliver Easter eggs. Obviously, my daughter has other ideas.

Last night, after much weeping and gnashing of teeth, I wrangled Avery into her room for bed. We'd had a bath and read stories, sung songs and said prayers. But when I got ready to make my exit, she dissolved into a screaming, crying fit. Why me?

I tried tough love and told her to get into bed unless she wanted a spanking. (Empty threats are worthless in my house.) She just stood at the door and yelled -- waking her brother from his peaceful slumber, of course.

After a bit of probing and cuddling with her to calm her down, I asked if she was afraid of something. She nodded and mumbled and answer. Had I misunderstood? I had her repeat her response, and I had in fact heard correctly. Bunny rabbits.

I laughed. Bunny rabbits? You're afraid of sweet, perfect bunny rabbits? You haven't even seen Monty Python. How could you know the dark side?

I convinced Avery that bunny rabbits lived outside in the woods and that even if we did come in contact with bunny rabbits, they are very friendly and sweet.

That seemed to do the trick. She drifted off to sleep.

We've pickled everything within 30 miles!

2008-07-28T15:32:00.003-04:00

If it ain't pickled...we just stick it in brine!

We've been enjoying pickles made from Chad's parents' cucumbers. I'd never made pickles before, but I was pretty pleased with the way this batch turned out. These are bread & butter and they're about the only way I'll eat onions. We shared the love at life group last night and knocked out a jar. Only 7 more to go!

Avery met up with Baylor and Caroline at the Chick-fil-A playground Friday. We had planned to go to the pool, but the bottom fell out of the sky. The girls didn't seem to mind at all, though.

And in a brave move with my husband Saturday night, we took the munchkins to--drumroll, please--Chuck E. Cheese! Avery had no idea what was coming. On the ride there, we looked back at her and she was completely asleep! We were sacrificing a date night to take the poor child to the moneypit and she had the gall to konk out on us! We gently woke her up and she reluctantly went inside. SYSTEM OVERLOAD!!!! She wasn't expecting all the colors, all the people, all the blinking lights, and of course, a giant mouse.

She looks content here, but about 30 seconds later she had a royal meltdown and panic attack because she didn't think she could get out of there. I had to crawl up in there after her. (That place is disgusting!)

She loves carousels and anything that resembles a zebra. Horses will have to do.

Avery enjoyed the Bob the Builder ride the most. The majority of our money was fed into this machine. Oh, and yes, Stuart was there, but he slept through most of the evening.

Flashing lights -- long night

2008-07-28T10:08:00.003-04:00

I woke up at 1:40 this morning to what I thought was a garbage truck outside. When I opened my eyes, I noticed a red glow coming from the window. After checking out the window, I woke Chad up and told him he should run across the street and check on our neighbors because there were two fire trucks at their house.

Smoke was billowing out of their porch. Over the course of the next hour, three more fire trucks and a fire chief vehicle showed up. The fire fighters seemed baffled because they couldn't find the source of the fire. Smoke was coming from in between the concrete slab porch and concrete steps. They finally pulled the steps away from the porch with pry bars and sledge hammers. When air got under there, what was simply smoking finally starting flaming. It was bales of hay that the builder had stuffed under the concrete steps that had combusted. Bizarre!

Several of our neighbors had gathered in the street to make sure everyone was okay. We returned to bed smelling like smoke, but easily went back to sleep. What a night!

Oh Yes, it's Ladies Night!

2008-07-24T09:15:00.002-04:00

Tuesday night at Melting Pot was Ladies' Night. Christy Mc found out about it and didn't want us to miss out. We finally got an 8:45 reservation and when we arrived, we found out why. That place was PACKED -- with women. They had a great deal on a TON of food. After an evening of too many calories and great conversation, we called it a night.

AFTER -We probably should have taken before photos so you could see how skinny we were before consuming so much!

Christy, Kim and Amy

Sheryl and me

I thought a button-down and khakis would be cute on our little man. So right!

She looks kind of angry, but Avery was very happily chewing a vitamin this morning.

Biggie Smalls

2008-07-22T13:34:00.005-04:00

My little man isn't so little. I changed my status this morning to say something like "Laura is ready to see how much Baby Goliath weighs." A few moments later, a friend wrote on my wall to say "I'm just hoping Goliath is not really the poor child's name!" Bless. I don't know that anyone in history has named their child Goliath since the Biblical standoff with the boy David. Stigma, right?

Stuart is thriving. At his checkup this morning, he weighed in at 17 lbs, 2.2 oz. I thought for sure he'd be 18 lbs. But he's in the 97th percentile. Same for length. 26 3/4 inches. And his head is 43 cm. That's 75th.

Stuart started the appointment off in a great mood, but time wore on and he got sleepy and cranky. The 4 immunization shots at the end of the appointment pushed him over the edge, but he easily fell asleep on the way home. The huge neon bandaids on his thunder thighs just make him look pitiful. Poor guy.

Okay, off to the sewing machine. This is Avery's next-to-last day of Mother's Day Out before Labor Day, so I MUST finish her flower girl dress for Tiffany's wedding. She asks me every few hours if it's ready for her to wear yet. Do you think she might be excited?

Learning to Share

2008-07-22T09:20:00.003-04:00

Avery is getting better about sharing her toys with other kids. She hasn't yet understood that Stuart doesn't really play with toys yet, so she doesn't have to share with him yet -- although she does. Doesn't he look fetching in the gold tiara? Right now he has a houndstooth headband on and she's getting ready to brush his hair with her Dora hairbrush. Go figure.

Avery has a renewed interest in her puzzles. It probably helps that I tossed out several of the toys in her downstairs toy cabinet (so she actually knows what toys she has!)

Stay tuned for a post later on Stuart's growth. He has his 4-month checkup today!

2008-07-21T15:22:00.002-04:00

Five years ago Saturday, I married my best friend! I can hardly believe how quickly time has passed. (We look so much younger in our pictures!) We've been blessed with two beautiful children and are looking forward to many more years together.

Chad got me some beautiful diamond earrings (and I was VERY surprised!) I always try to go the traditional route. The traditional fifth anniversary gift is wood, so I got Chad a Japanese maple tree for our yard. We've always wanted one, so I suppose this is the perfect occasion.

We went to dinner Saturday night without the children (hooray for adult conversation!!!), but we're planning a weekend getaway -- just the two of us -- as soon as possible. We need it.

While our wedding day was incredibly special to me, we've made so many more amazing memories since then, so I'm dying to see what else is in store for us.

My little man

2008-07-15T21:40:00.003-04:00

This post is dedicated to my sweet Stuart. I take lots of pictures of Avery because she asks me to, so I'm making a conscious effort to capture more of Stuart's best moments for the ol' blog.
It's so rare that I get pictures of myself with my kiddos since I'm always the one behind the camera! (Check out my impressive biceps! That's the only good thing about the 400 lb carseat.)

Stuart is turning into a little ham. He loves to laugh and grin and his smile makes my heart melt.

He loves his activity mat. I catch him craning his neck to "make eyes" at me. It's adorable!

Avery also loves her brother's activity mat and makes it a point to hang out under it with him. She is so gentle with him and says the sweetest things. Oh to have a video camera ready for moments like that...

No post is complete without catching Avery in action. We replaced the markers this week. We previously had Rose Art ones and they were pitiful. Wal-mart had Crayola ones on sale this past weekend. Hooray!

Quick update

2008-07-09T14:24:00.007-04:00

I'm way overdue for an update from the Troup household. And my mom has threatened me within an inch of my life if I don't get new photos on the blog!

Avery, Stuart and I went to Murfreesboro a few days ago to Lola's house so the kids could play and the mommies could get some work done. Here are Avery and Lola's son Rowan playing with Play-Doh (which we eventually caught them eating.)

Chad has also been introducing Avery to the game of golf. She really loves it, but we're going to have to get her a set of lefty clubs.

We've also spent quite a bit of time at the YMCA pool. Avery is fearless out there and can't get enough. We're pretty eager to get her in swimming lessons so she can learn strokes and get really comfortable under the water.

I've been working on making Tiffany's bridal veil, so Avery is very interested in wedding stuff. I pulled my veil out of the closet for her to try on. She acts like a little princess. Avery is going to be the flower girl in Tiffany's wedding next month, so we're getting her hyped up so she'll actually perform her flower-throwing duties when the time comes.

We celebrated the 4th in Huntsville at Chad's parents' house. We let Avery stay up late for the fireworks that we could see from Joe Davis Stadium. We introduced her to sparklers, too!

Avery's adores her buddy Fenley. Here are the girls playing under the kitchen table after life group on Sunday.

Stuart is growing exponentially. Don't you love his man boobs?

He is such a sweet kiddo and just rolls with the punches. We're very blessed to have such a laid back child.

Mommy, what's that?

2008-07-03T19:57:00.003-04:00

She's a funny kid -- so curious and interested in everything she sees. Her favorite thing to do lately is point out something she's spied and ask me what it is. "Mommy, what's that?"

I've done my share of explaining -- scabs, food, freckles, and my favorite: clumpy accumulation of deodorant in my armpit. That's her favorite, and probably mine, so far.

It's also incredibly entertaining to teach her new words (long ones are the best) and see what her interpretation of the pronunciation is. In honor of our nation's birthday, we introduced Avery to the Statue of Liberty and the American flag. To her, it's the stash o fliffery and the merka fack.

Happy Fortief Jo Y!

Heinous oversight

2008-07-01T12:22:00.002-04:00

I'm embarassed that I didn't even mention yesterday that my baby brother turned 21. I had already talked to him on the phone multiple times to wish him Happy Birthday and remind him to behave, but I should have paid him tribute here on the ol' blog.

It blows my mind that he's 21. That makes me feel really old. He's a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill (and he's a HUGE Tarheels fan) and he's so independent. I'm very proud of the man he has grown up to be -- so responsible and confident, but kind and compassionate, too.

I'm so lucky to have such a great little brother. We miss you. Happy Birthday Uncle Ben!

Blog break

2008-06-30T18:09:00.002-04:00

Hello fellow bloggers! So sorry for the hiatus from blogging. I've had plenty to blog about, but have felt guilty for not having pictures to accompany a post. Gonna have to get over that.

The big news of the day is that I got to the chiropractor today. On Friday, while leaving the Y pool, a lady was impatiently waiting on my parking space. (Don't rush me! I've got two kids and a boatload of stuff.) I was trying to hurry for her and in the process, I popped something in my back while putting the stroller in the trunk. I thought I might be able to sleep it off or just stretch it out, but this morning it was horrible. The first appointment I could get with Dr. Graves was 3:15, but I wasn't waiting another day.

By the time 3:15 rolled around, it was hurting to breathe deeply. When I told the doctor that, he was pretty sure he already knew what was wrong. Some strategic pressing around confirmed that I somehow popped my ribs out in my upper back! He adjusted the front and back. (I had no idea you could pop ribs at your sternum.) He told me I wouldn't get relief immediately -- and I definitely haven't felt better yet -- but that some Aleve and an ice pack would help. I'd normally go back in a couple of days for another adjustment, but he's out the rest of the week for federal jury duty! Kill me! I have to wait until Monday.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to avoid lifting Stuarts mammoth carseat but still be able to get out of the house...

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-06-12T09:05:00.003-04:00

Nope, you read it right. Mother's Day. I can't quite figure it out either.

Yesterday, we had attempted nap time -- although we're still not doing very well in that department -- and I decided Avery had been in her room long enough (without sleeping, of course.) There was a pair of panties outside the door that had been tossed over the safety gate. When I let Avery out, I realized she had removed her shorts, taken off her diaper, thrown it away and put on a pair of Dora panties. When she saw me, she exclaimed, "Happy Mother's Day!" No idea.

Where do they live?

2008-06-11T09:28:00.002-04:00

After I picked Avery up at MDO yesterday, we sat down in the kitchen and she had a snack while I went through her backpack. I pulled out her daily report and her artwork. She had colored sea life. I pointed to each animal and had her tell me what they were. She correctly identified the octopus, fish and starfish. However, when I asked him where they lived, she replied, "Mount Vernon!" She kills me.

I don't know that she'll ever let go of learning about George Washington. She knows he was the first president and that he lived at Mount Vernon, but now she think everyone we know lives there!

Memorial Day Braves getaway

2008-06-02T16:40:00.003-04:00

We headed to the great city of Atlanta for the long Memorial Day weekend. (Yes, I'm just now getting around to posting about it.) We wanted to hit a Braves series and managed to talk my parents into meeting us there to join in the fun -- and help us wrangle the children! While it was definitely hot for day games, it wasn't unbearable and we had great seats in the shade each day.

Nana and Papa went with us to the Saturday and Sunday games and then took Avery back to NC with them after the Sunday game --- for a week!!!

On Memorial Day, Phil Stacey led the national anthem and it was spectacular! Probably one of the best performances I've heard.

Stuart was exhausted by all the baseball drama!

Avery loves her Papa! Here they are at Turner Field waiting for Chad to pick up the tickets.

It was almost easier to carry Avery on our shoulders through the crowds.

Avery also discovered her new love for peanuts. Papa had to "open" them for her.

We had a nice, easy walk back to our hotel. We only stayed 2 blocks away. It was perfect!

I definitely have more pictures from our last few days, but I won't attempt the mega-post. More next time...

'cause I had a bad day

2008-05-22T15:48:00.003-04:00

On the way to Avery's follow-up orthopaedic appointment yesterday, we hit a few bumps in the road.

She wouldn't get into the car on her own. Stuart was not happy to be in his carseat and got angrier the longer it took to wrangle Avery. I ended up chasing her through the yard. After finally buckling her in and calming Stuart down, we headed out and I was lecturing the whole way.

About a mile from our house, I heard banging on top of the car and had a mini panic attack. It was my BlackBerry. Since cursing in front of the children wasn't an option, I just repeated the phrase "I am so angry" over and over again. I made a U-turn on Huntington Parkway and found the phone. I jumped out and saw that it was only the rubber "skin" that protects the device. The BlackBerry itself was several yards down the road. It was terribly scratched but still in one piece -- no doubt because of the skin.

I turned around again and resumed the trip to Vandy. A car pulled out ahead of me and I realized it was an undercover cop pulling over the guy in front of me for speeding. If the BlackBerry hadn't fallen off the roof of my car, it probably would have been me getting pulled over.

So sorry for the posting hiatus. I'm making the adjustment back to work. The transition is manageable, but I'm still getting used to the bumps along the way! Pictures next time...

Silence is golden...or is it?

2008-05-09T17:59:00.002-04:00

Disclaimer: The following story is not for those with a weak stomach. Reader discretion advised.

This morning, Avery and I were having breakfast while Stuart was still sleeping upstairs. I stayed downstairs to catch the news headlines on TV. She went upstairs to play. I was just happy she hadn't asked me to walk her upstairs. I told her to play quietly so she wouldn't wake up her brother. I could hear her playing in her room for a few minutes and then I headed upstairs, too, to get my gym bag packed for the Y. (Yes, I'm still forcing myself to go every day.)

When I peered in Avery's room, I saw a bare bottom. She whipped around with a guilty look on her face and immediately said, "Avery change her diaper." It wouldn't have been a big deal except that I also noticed poop on her tush. Panic sets in. I rushed her to the bathroom and made her sit on the potty. It took SEVERAL cleaning products, but I got her clean, the potty clean, and finally the carpet clean. Yes, the carpet.

How do you convince a 2-year-old that if she needs to go to the potty, she can do that by herself, but that if she missed the opportunity, she should let Mommy change her?

Thriving

2008-05-06T17:51:00.002-04:00

We're here! Our world is no longer spinning from delirium and lack of sleep. Avery has transitioned nicely to her paci-free world and new-found freedom in the big-girl bed. To be on the safe side, we put up the baby gate at her door at naptime and bedtime. That way, if she wakes up early, she can't wander or fall down the stairs.

Sometimes, if Stuart wakes up in the middle of the night to nurse, he wakes Avery up in the process and she has to be tucked back in. But it's pretty rare; he's a great sleeper. I usually get 7 or 8 hours in a stretch. He even slept 10 hours one night! Crazy! I don't think he'll starve, though. The kid has plenty of fat stores to support him for a few days.

On another note, I resumed my workout schedule at the Y. My abs are feelin' the burn, but that's a great feeling. I just wish I could ensure that my stretch marks would disappear with the extra flab!

Adios paci -- Adios sleep

2008-04-29T14:02:00.002-04:00

As innocent as she looks here, this child can be a royal terror when she hasn't gotten a good nap or long night's rest. Upon getting the cast off last week, we took the front off Avery's crib (as suggested by the doctor to prevent any more base jumping.) She adjusted pretty quickly and seemed pleased to have been trusted with a bit of freedom.

On Saturday, she told us that she was ready to trade in her paci for a toy. We'd been building up the moment for a while. Although we'd initially planned to get rid of the paci whe she turned 2, Stuart's arrival was a bit too imminent. But Saturday seemed perfect because she thought it was her idea. We took her to Babies R Us and let her trade it in for a big Magnadoodle. Of course, at naptime that day, she realized what she'd done and lost it. The last few days, she hasn't napped or slept through the night. No matter how rough it gets, she's not getting the paci back. We're just going to have to ride out this little storm.

She doesn't seem the least bit jealous of Stuart's paci. In fact, she loves to give it to him when he gets fussy. She's pretty proud of her baby brother.

Loving on Stuart

Stuart loves to swing

Stuart flexing his massive muscles

Welcome to the world baby girl!

2008-04-28T20:48:00.003-04:00

Campbell Reese Loiseau was born Thursday to my sweet friend Keeley and her husband Gene. When I found out that she and I were expecting at the same time, I was thrilled to be going through this with her. Keeley and I have been friends as long as I can remember. Our moms were college roommates. Keeley's parents, Susan and Steve Furman, have always jokingly called me their second daugher, so I'm claiming this sweet baby as my niece.

Keeley, Gene and Campbell

Proud grandparents, Susan and Steve (Go-Go and Doodah, I think)

Little girl, you're going to have a great life! You've got really fun parents and your grandparents are full of energy. And Stuart is really looking forward to getting to know you!

"Doctor take Avery's arm off"

2008-04-21T16:28:00.006-04:00

Avery has been looking forward to this day. We've been building it up for the last week so she wouldn't be afraid. She wanted to match her cast today to go to the hospital to see the doctor. She kept saying "Doctor take Avery's arm off" and we kept having to explain that he wasn't taking the arm off, just the cast.

They didn't really tell us what to expect this morning. We just showed up expecting to get the cast off, come home, and take a big bath. Not quite so easy. Avery had a minor flip out moment when the fella came at her with the saw (I think I would have, too, at that age), but she sat really still and let him pry it off. He was desperately trying to joke with her, but she wasn't having anything to do with it. Poor guy.

Next, they took her for an x-ray to see if the arm had healed correctly. They informed me afterward that if it hadn't we would have to have another cast put on. Try telling that to a 2-year-old who is living for her freedom from the cast. Luckily, the x-rays looked great, so they had to take the pins out. No anesthesia. Poor child. The nurse gripped each pin with pliers and pulled. Kill me. Even bubbles and a Lion King book couldn't distract the child. They slapped on a Bugs Bunny band-aid and sent us home.

We got the bill for all this over the weekend. It was over $10K before insurance. That's more than it cost to have Stuart and stay in the hospital 3 days! That's crazy!!! The bulk of the expense was anesthesia. There's no telling how much Stuart would have cost if I'd gotten an epidural. One more reason I'd do it all over again! He's happy to hear that he didn't cost too much.

Baby Goliath

2008-04-15T23:03:00.003-04:00

Stuart had his 1-month checkup today. Our big boy is now 11 lbs., 11 oz. and 23 1/4 inches long. That puts him in the 95th percentile! When he was born, Alice Griffith lovingly dubbed him "Baby Goliath," so I guess it's gonna stick!

Yesterday, Avery found funfetti frosting in the pantry and begged me to help her bake me a birthday cake since I didn't have one last week. The cake turned out great and she went into sugar shock from licking the spoon. Aside from a broken egg on the counter, we managed to keep the kitchen fairly clean. I'm raising a little Betty Crocker!

As promised

2008-04-13T22:47:00.008-04:00

As promised, here are some photos of a happier child in her cast.

Here's Stuart (Baby Goliath) in the same bassinet my grandma slept in as a baby.

And Avery LOVES her baby brother. Aren't they sweet?

This is a personal favorite. Grandaddy is very excited about his first great grandson!

Spiritual Bath

2008-04-08T11:29:00.002-04:00

Sunday morning, I went to church for the first time in a month. Chad agreed to stay home with Stuart so I could take Avery with me to Sherrod Avenue, the church I attended growing up. We sat with my best friend Jennifer and her husband Jason. Avery managed to behave herself, staying distracted by a Magna-doodle and goldfish crackers. But during the invitation song, a young girl went forward to be baptized. Avery seemed concerned when the projector screen raised, so I explained what was going to happen.

I told her, "Watch the curtain. It's going to open and there will be a boy and a girl back there. He's going to baptize her because she believes in Jesus." Avery looked up at me with big eyes and said, "Amen."

When we got back to Grandma's to get Chad and Stuart, Avery was still talking about the baptism and sharing every detail with Chad. She kept telling him that the girl got a bath behind the curtain and that she wiped her eyes and that she was crying and that people were clapping. Chad told her that it wasn't the same kind of bath that she gets. The best he could come up with was that it was a spiritual bath. Pretty good, huh?

We'd been in Florence for my 10-year reunion. It was a very low-key gathering at Dale's Steak House. We had a great time catching up with each other. Music City was well represented, so we're determined to get together regularly here with the Nashville residents.

I know I promised pictures, but I have yet to download them to the computer. Next time ...

On the upswing

2008-04-02T22:53:00.002-04:00

Just a quick update ... we're doing much better. Avery is finally trying to be active. For the first couple of days with the cast, she just wanted to let it hang limply by her side. We've encouraged her to use it as much as she can. She is mostly frustrated with herself when she can't do something that would normally come very easily to her. Since she's left-handed, eating and coloring are the toughest tasks.

If any of you have tips on how to dress her, please help me! At least we're staying inside all the time right now. We can only put sleeveless or short-sleeved shirts on her and they have to have big enough holes to fit her cast through. Pray that this cold snap is short-lived! If we let her have her way, she'd wear her nightgown all day long!

The first couple of nights, we had to wake up every 2 hours to wiggle Avery's fingers for her to make sure she doesn't swell and be certain her arm is in an elevated position. I was taking two shifts when I was already going to be up to feed Stuart. (Interrupted sleep is common in our household!) Now we're cutting back to every 4 hours because she's finally doing most of the moving on her own.

We head back to the doctor for x-rays on Monday! Let's hope the arm is healing correctly. Pictures of a happier, more active child next time ....

When it rains...

2008-03-30T20:39:00.003-04:00

We thought our season of plagues was over. Now we're waiting to see what's waiting around the next corner.

This morning, Avery made her first ever attempt to escape from her crib. She managed to break her arm when she landed. It wasn't a major fracture, but she also dislocated her elbow in the process. Of course, we didn't know this upon first assessment. I convinced Chad that she at least needed to be checked out since she couldn't squeeze my fingers or raise her arm up. And since it was the weekend, our only option was the ER.

Chad took her to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for x-rays and they determined that she would need surgery to put pins in. Poor kiddo. She was so brave, though. Chad and I, on the other hand, were just trying to hold it together. I think we were mostly just tired, but we couldn't help but feel guilty, thinking that maybe we could have done something differently to prevent the accident. We've gotta get over that and just focus on taking care of her and making sure she heals correctly.

Please pray that we can adjust to this minor inconvenience. (I'm mainly concerned about bathtime!) We'll make it just fine. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?

Are you kidding me?

2008-03-26T14:14:00.002-04:00

Stuart is 2 weeks old today. I can't believe it. Now time is flying by! Avery is very proud. She is acting out a little bit, but for the most part she's handling this transition well.

Our drama of the week, however, is that Chad has the shingles! Aarg! He's normally a very healthy guy, but since the beginning of my third trimester, his immune system has pooped out. He started getting headaches on Friday night and ibuprofen wasn't helping. He got an early appointment with the doctor on Monday morning, and they found spots behind his left ear. Since then, he's been breaking out on his scalp, forehead, nose and eyelids. As I type, he's at the opthamologist to make sure it's not in his eyes. What a nightmare!

For now, we're making sure he stays away from Stuart and we're all washing our hands like crazy. Please pray that this runs its course quickly! Thanks for checking on us.

Stuart at home

2008-03-18T11:45:00.002-04:00

My sweet boy's chubby cheeks

Proud big sister before church

Bonding with Uncle Ben

Our first few days at home have been interesting. We're just trying to get used to having an extra person in the house. Probably the toughest thing is that I'm not allowed to pick up Avery for 2 more weeks. She always wants to be held. And when she goes down for a nap or bedtime, I can't put her in the bed or get her out. Aarg!

I'm also trying to get used to teeny tiny diaper changes -- on a BOY! I've been peed on quite a bit. Stuart has quite the range! He has been so good, though. He's nursing well. He even slept well last night. We always worry about his being fussy at night and the risk that he might wake up his big sister. So far, she has snoozed right on through the night.

Stuart had a doctor visit yesterday. The hospitalist encouraged us to go see the pediatrician before the 1-week mark due to the risk that I might have passed GBS to Stuart. He checked out great, though. He was almost back to his birth weight already (even though he feels so tiny) and had great reflexes. We were very encouraged by being there.

Now the challenge will be adjusting to Chad's being back at work. Say a little prayer!

It's a BOY!

2008-03-15T14:54:00.003-04:00

Our little one finally made an appearance! After much anticipation, we had a little boy on Wednesday morning at 7:42 a.m. Stuart Benton Troup made his entrance into the world weighing a whopping 9 lbs 2 oz and measuring 20 2/4" long.

I woke Wednesday morning around 3 a.m. thinking I was having a contraction. I had 3 in a row 15 minutes apart each and then they started coming closer and closer together. We called my mom and she encouraged us to call Dr. Staggs. He told us to come on in. We called Melanie Brown to come stay at the house until Avery woke up and we high-tailed it to the hospital, arriving there at 6 a.m.

I completely expected Dr. Staggs to say we weren't very far along, but I was already 8 cm dilated! We had expected to be induced on Friday and have family there, but it was just Chad and me and the Centennial staff welcoming Stuart into the world a short time later. Labor was definitely fast and furious. Even if I'd planned on having an epidural, there wouldn't have been time! This 4 hour labor was much more manageable than the 40 hour labor with Avery!

Avery was the first one to meet her little brother. A little timid at first, she warmed up to him quickly. Chad's parents arrived shortly thereafter and my parents still had quite the haul from North Carolina.

We were grateful for all the visits and gifts at the hospital, but we're thrilled to be at home now! And our house is clean! (At least it was.) Our precious life group friends had broken into our house and cleaned and decorated it for us. We are blessed!

We're so happy to have our little boy safely in the world. Welcome Stuart!

Still pregnant

2008-03-10T09:50:00.002-04:00

My due date has come and gone. Just like Avery, this child is quite content in the familiar comfort of my womb and has decided to stay inside.

Going to church was really tough yesterday. I actually dreaded it because I knew I'd get a thousand comments like "you mean you haven't had that baby yet" and "what are you doing here?" Besides that, I get random people rubbing my belly and talking to it. I'm not terribly uncomfortable being poked in the belly, but I'm most bothered by the fact that people don't ask to touch. They just touch. I read an article on BabyCenter about how to handle that situation. One gal said she just rubs people back if they touch without asking. Then they get the idea! Hilarious!

I'm definitely not complaining about going full term (and then some) with this baby. So many people have a hard time carrying babies, have difficult pregnancies, or can't get pregnant at all. We are blessed.

The latest news we have is that I go to the doctor tomorrow for a non-stress test and possibly a biophysical profile to make sure everything is okay in there. If the baby hasn't arrived on its own by Friday, I'll be induced. I REALLY don't want to be induced. I'd like to go into labor on my own so I'm not a "watched pot." I'd prefer to labor at home without induction drugs. Please pray for us! I'll update when we have more news.

Shop 'til you Drop

2008-03-04T18:08:00.003-05:00

PLEASE take advantage of this great sale at Otter Creek starting Thursday. The sale is quickly becoming one of the area's best and biggest. We're the largest not-for-profit sale in the state, I think. All the proceeds are going toward building the Otter Creek Kindergarten at our new site.

You'll find all sorts of great deals - infants' and children's clothing, maternity wear, furniture, baby gear, accessories, toys, books, and all sorts of other great deals. Go shop and bring a friend!

You Say It's Your Birthday

2008-02-23T10:22:00.005-05:00

Today is my sweet husband's 27th birthday. He catches up with me in age for a few days each year! The poor thing is desperately trying to fight a virus that has plagued him for the last 4 days. We had big plans for stuff to do today, but our primary concern is to get him well so he can play a very active role in the delivery of his second child ANY DAY NOW.

Doll, I love you more every day. Thank you for choosing me and making me a better person. You are my best friend and I couldn't imagine this life without you. You're my world! Happy Birthday!

Exit/In Saturday

2008-02-20T19:28:00.002-05:00

Just a quick reminder that FLOREZ will be performing at Exit/In on Saturday, February 23. Clark Richard and Brotherhood are opening for them at 9. Then FLOREZ goes on at 10. It's an 18+ show and it's $8. Hope to see you there! Actually, I hope to see ME there. No telling when this baby is going to show up.

A belated birthday post

2008-02-18T09:21:00.004-05:00

My sweet girl recently celebrated her second birthday. We had a very low-key gathering at home with family and friends and made every effort to let Avery know how special she is.

Her transformation from baby to little girl has been miraculous. Time has FLOWN by. We are so blessed to have such a sweet, happy, laid-back little girl. She is the center of our world.

I'm a very proud mama. Here are some of our best shots from the celebration.

My new favorite band

2008-02-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

I've been totally blessed with the most fun job EVER! I get to do PR for all sorts of clients, so I meet quite a range of talent.

Chad has done taxes for a band called FLOREZ for the last several months. He came home one day early last fall to tell me that one of the band members had been secretly out of commission for the summer and that he'd just learned why. Erik Huffman, FLOREZ bassist, had been filming Survivor: China!

My mind immediately went into PR mode and I wanted to make sure the guys were taking advantage of Erik's exposure to raise the band's profile. We went to see their show at The Rutledge (a great live music venue, by the way) a couple of months ago and were pleasantly surprised. Not only was the music fantastic, but they also put on a GREAT show.

We all started talking about what could be done through the fall TV season while Survivor was still airing. The biggest challenge was that the band had been going through so many changes and had been on hiatus from performing and recording since Erik had been out of the country.

Erik didn't win the million-dollar prize, but found an adorable girlfriend in the process in fellow contestant Jaime Dugan. The guys have been hitting the studio and recently released their "Yellow Shoes" EP. They're wrapping up recording on another EP to whet their fans' appetites until they're able to record a new full-length album.

I can honestly say that their music is fantastic. I keep 3 of their CDs in my car at all times. Be sure to visit their site and listen! They'll be performing at Exit/In on Saturday, February 23 at 9 p.m. I'll be sure to remind you a little closer to the show.

Playing Catch-up

2008-02-11T10:42:00.000-05:00

Chad and I spent a fantastic few days in Los Angeles celebrating the marriage of Chad's best friend, Za Farley, to his sweet new bride Krishon. I was a bit concerned about flying so late in my pregnancy, but everything went really smoothly. We arrived on a Wednesday and went to work making sure the happy couple had everything taken care of for the Saturday wedding.

I spent the nights at the new home they'd be sharing together and Chad stayed with Za (and all the other groomsmen) at one of the groomsmen's houses. We only spent our last night in L.A. together. Crazy!

I went with Krishon to an amazing spa on Thursday for manicures, pedicures, waxing, sulfur baths, mud baths, pools, and pampering. It was divine! I'll have to get copies of the pictures the maid of honor took of me in the mud bath. The girls had my large belly slathered in goopy mud.

On Thursday night, we hit Buca di Beppo for dinner before the bachelorette party. We had intended to go to a karaoke bar after dinner, but the bride had forgotten her driver's license to prove her age. If you've ever been to L.A., you know you can't get anywhere quickly, so we opted to head back to her house for games and late-night naughtiness. It was hilarious!

On Friday, we ran last-minute errands and decorated the church. At rehearsal on Friday night, I was put in charge. Dangerous! After smoothing out the rough spots, we nailed down the wedding day gameplan. (Bossiness is taken so much better from a pregnant chick!)

We got up EARLY on Saturday to take Krishon to get her hair done and then to church to get dressed. We were SO behind schedule -- which is tough for a morning wedding. We made it, though! The ceremony started late because the guest line was out the door. The guitarist wasn't anticipating a late start, so he just kept playing the same song over and over. I doubt anyone noticed. The ceremony itself was amazing and so sweet.

There was a cake reception at the church and then a formal reception in Malibu on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Gorgeous!!!! We danced and stuffed ourselves and took thousands of pictures with the photographer.

After the getaway, Chad and I drove Za and Krishon to their house to change and get their luggage and he took them to their hotel. He picked up food on the way back to the house and I ate it asleep. I literally could not open my eyes to eat.

We got up at 4 Sunday morning. (Yes, I said 4.) Chad touched base with Jackson, who was our ride to the airport, but he wasn't able to get his rental car out of the garage! What is that about???? We had to call a cab, but made it to the airport on time. However, when we got there, we learned that Northwest had switched us to a Continental flight. We ran -- yes, this fatty ran -- to the next terminal only to realize we needed to be on the other end of the airport. After waiting for a shuttle (dry heaving in the process), we didn't make it on time. We had to catch a later flight home. At least we got home.

It took us a week to recover from our trip, but it was definitely worth it to spend time with such good friends.

8 Things About Avery

2008-01-14T09:30:00.000-05:00

We've been tagged! Carrie, I haven't been ignoring you -- we've just been swamped with nursery preparation the last few days.

But without further adieu ... here are some of my favorite things about my sweet girl:

1. Every morning when we get her out of her crib, Avery says, "Eat breakfast. Avery eat waffle." She loves frozen waffles.

2. She's obsessed with Elmo. I'm not sure how she even learned about him, but she's got Elmo radar and sees him everywhere we go.

3. She loves to count and jump. "One, two, free, jump." When we tell her to count to 5 and then jump, she says, "One, two, five, jump."

4. She has been thoughtfully contemplating giving up her pacifier. I'd love her to give it up before baby 2 arrives, but I don't want her to think the new baby is taking it away from her!

5. Avery loves to call people on her cell phone (an old one of mine with the battery removed). 90% of the time, she's calling Papa. In fact, she's pretending to be on the phone with him right now!

6. She is fully convinced that "If you're happy and you know it, say 'Roll Tide'" is an actual verse to the song. She says "Roll Tide" to random strangers wearing Alabama apparel and identifies elephants as Big Al about half the time. Just trying to raise her right, y'all!

7. She adores Miss Carol at Crieve Hall and always thinks we're going to school when we drive past it any day of the week.

8. She loves her jammies -- especially her Nick & Nora "sheep jammies" that are too small for her -- and if you ask her what time it is, it's always "time for a nap."

So now, I'm supposed to tag 8 more, so I'm tagging Emmy M., Elijah N., Caroline W., Mallory M., Abigail & Ansley J., Baylor M., and Aiden M. Go forth and conquer!

Spoiled Rotten

2008-01-03T17:09:00.000-05:00

We had a fun holiday as Chad's office was closed from Dec 24-January 1. He got to be home with us, so Avery and I were spoiled by having him around. The only down side was that I still hadn't shaken the sinus infection I'd gotten the week before and the holidays don't exactly make it easy to see a doctor. The father of one of Chad's childhood friends is a doctor in Huntsville (where we were the week following Christmas), so he did us a favor and worked me in so I could get a different antibiotic. I still sound like a chain smoker, but I'm slowly improving and I'm not contagious.

Here are some long overdue photos from our Christmas. This is Avery's new chaise lounge. My dad had it reupholstered for us. It's going in Avery's room to replace the rocking chair that's moving to the nursery. Didn't it turn out great???

This is my little cowgirl. The outfit was a gift from Bebe (Chad's mom.) The boots that came with it were too big and when we went to exchange them, there were none left. So Avery picked out her new pair. She's a little fashion diva.

In her Christmas pajamas (Ho Ho Jammies, as she calls them) on Christmas morning. We went in her room that morning to find her jumping up and down in her crib waiting for us.

Ride 'em cowboy! Lucky for us, this rocking horse resides at Bebe and Papa John's house. It sings a song when you press its ear and I have no idea how to remove the batteries! Also notice the basketball goal back there. That one came home with us. We have no room indoors for it, so we'll have to play when it gets a little warmer around here.

On another note, I haven't really talked much about my pregnancy on this blog, so I suppose it's time. It's very different this time since we aren't finding out the gender. We can't refer to the baby by name, but it's SO MUCH FUN to speculate and imagine what we're having.

I feel really different this time, too. I'm much more uncomfortable. I can attribute much of that to trying to keep up with a toddler, I suppose. This child is VERY active in utero. It likes to stretch, kick and tumble all day (and all night) long. I feel like I'm carrying high and I quite possibly have an elbow in my lungs right now. I also think this baby is more out front. With Avery, if I hadn't known any better, I would have thought she was going to fall out my rear. I'm pretty sure she broke my tail bone. But this little one threatens to climb out my belly button.

We're expecting the nursery furniture to arrive in a few days. We'll start painting this weekend and I'm picking up the fabric early next week and starting on the bedding, window treatments and rocker slipcover. There's so much to do before this kiddo arrives, so we're just trying not to panic.

We're getting ready to head to L.A. for Chad's best friend's wedding, too, so I need to rest up and make sure I'm in good condition to travel so far so late in my pregnancy. If this child is anything like Avery, I don't have to worry about delivering early.

Till next time . . .

It's too quiet in here

2007-12-19T14:46:00.000-05:00

After a few days of sore throat, cough, sneezing and general yuckiness, I headed to the doctor this morning. Sinus infection. Great. I have plenty of time for that in the midst of finishing my Christmas shopping and packing. (Please note the sarcasm.)

For the majority of the day, I've been trying to take it easy on the couch and let the meds kick in. I used every ounce of energy I had to feed Avery some lunch and clean up a bit. I was straightening the living room, trying to recover from the tornado of puzzles on the floor and realized that it was really quiet. I yelled, "Avery, where are you?" I heard her tiny voice say "in da kitchen." Then I heard the toilet seat.

I raced through the kitchen to the half bath and found the little loon with her pants around her ankles trying to put the toilet paper (completely unrolled) back on the roll. A definite Kodak moment I couldn't miss. She told me that she wanted to go on mommy's potty. I think it's time for door knob covers!

Hope you weren't holding your breath!

2007-12-04T09:33:00.000-05:00

Many apologies if you were waiting around for me to write -- that's if any of you are still even checking for updates!

I'm at the very end of my last campaign for work before the holidays. Lola and I decided not to take on anything extra -- just in case. She delivered her first son VERY EARLY, so we're not taking chances. Besides, we need to make sure we're really rested before we each become parents of two. Holy Cow!

That said, I'm praying myself to Friday. I've made hundreds of media calls in the last two weeks and it's not only physically exhausting, but it's sometimes ego deflating. Of those hundreds of calls, it's rare to actually get a live person on the phone and when you do, most of the time they're either too busy to talk to you or completely not interested in what you've got to say. That's when I have to put my game face on and plow through. You absolutely must believe in what you're pitching and feel confident that there is someone out there who is going to be thrilled to cover it. I've got the pleasure of doing tour press for Moya Brennan, who is performing her holiday album, An Irish Christmas, on the U.S. leg of her world tour. She's Enya's sister and lead singer of their family band, Clannad. How cool!

In other news, we're decking our halls for the holidays. I LOVE Christmas. I'm already listening to Mix 92.9 around the clock to get myself psyched up for the holidays. Avery is intrigued by the lights and decorations, too. When we were in NC, she helped Nana decorate the tree and had a ball. She's also very into her "Ho Ho jammies" (red & white striped pajamas with a matching hat.) Looks like I've infected her with the Christmas spirit!

I also couldn't resist sharing a photo of my not-so-little brother carving the Thanksgiving turkey.

Been on hiatus

2007-11-23T18:59:00.000-05:00

So sorry for the long lapse in posting. I wonder if I even have any remaining readers any more. We've had a very eventful last couple of weeks and I've been overwhelmed by the holidays.

We're currently in North Carolina at my parents' house. The house smells magnificent -- turkey, cornbread, freshly-peeled oranges, and all things Thanksgiving. We've been eating like kings (and queens and princesses). It's so hard being pregnant this time of year. Even though I'm supposedly "eating for two," I feel terribly guilty for every bite that ends up in my belly. Pretty sure I'm way ahead of schedule on my weight gain this pregnancy, but I've been told I should either be more careful about the types of foods I'm eating or just delight in the fact that I'm fat anyway and enjoy it. I guess I'll enjoy it!

The holidays bring the most decadent foods and family gatherings require everything in a casserole. Bring on the butter! We've tricked ourselves into thinking we're eating healthy by masquerading these butter dishes behind vegetable facades, too. Not only that, but you MUST have a bite of everyone's casserole -- troublesome if you attend a gathering with a large family as everyone is responsible for bringing a different dish.

I learned this morning that the number one food on the day after Thanksgiving is take-out pizza. No wonder! It's so much easier to prepare (just pick up the phone!) and clean-up is a cinch. It's probably healthier than all the casseroles anyway.

Black Friday is absolutely the worst thing about Thanksgiving. It's pitiful how people bundle up their exhausted, cold children and force them into what is essentially the running of the bulls at 2 a.m. Not my idea of a fun time. We woke up at 9 o'clock this morning. Yay! I'll stick to catalogs and online shopping.

We wish you and yours all the best the season has to offer! Happy holidays!

God is taking pictures!

2007-11-06T09:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, Avery and I zipped outside to get the mail around 4. What a nice afternoon. And then.....the clouds rolled in. It got incredibly dark incredibly fast. With a cold front on the move into town, it bumped right into the warm front we'd had going on here for the last few days. Yikes! The perfect storm.

With it getting so dark, Avery was acting hungry, so with Chad at a work event, we were on our own for dinner. What does that mean in our house? Spaghetti-Os! I pulled Avery's bowl out of the microwave and put her in her high chair. Her high chair is right by the back window. When I couldn't see the head and tail lights of the cars on Old Hickory from the window, I went in for a closer look. When the lightning flashed, all I could see was swirling wind and rain.

I very quickly rolled the high chair to the safest interior space in our house and then the power went out. It was pitch black. I managed to keep Avery calm by telling her that the lightning was God taking pictures of us. The power blinked on a couple of times, so Avery clapped and cheered. Then it was off for a long time, so I pulled out the candles. Avery had Spaghetti-Os by candlelight. I, on the other hand, had peanut butter crackers since that was all I could see to find in the kitchen that didn't require heating. Oh well.

We moved our party to the car in the garage so we could listen to the radio. (No, we don't have a battery-powered radio within easy reach in our house.) Avery enjoyed "driving," beeping the horn, flipping the turn signal, turning on the hazard lights and climbing from front to back seat. Once we were sure the storm had passed, we returned to the comfort of our living room and played puzzles and read books by candlelight.

I called NES to report our outage on their automated phone system. The final prompt tells you to press "1" if you want to be called and informed when your power is restored. Hmmm, let me think about that. No, thanks. I think I'll figure that out when EVERY LIGHT IN MY HOUSE COMES ON AT THE SAME TIME. Give me a break!

Whirlwind holiday

2007-11-02T09:22:00.001-04:00

The last week has blown by so quickly. We jumped in the car immediately after church on Sunday to meet my aunt Amy to hitch a ride with her to North Carolina to visit my parents. The journey there took FOREVER, but we managed to arrive before midnight. We spent Monday hunting for shopping deals on last-minute Halloween costumes (and collected a couple for next year, too!) Monday night, mom had a bunch of friends over to see Amy's fall CAbi clothing collection (Carol Anderson by invitation). After lunch on Tuesday with mom and dad, we jumped back in the car and returned to the central time zone. Yep! Quick trip!

Wednesday, I forced myself to hit the YMCA and then met with the Creative Planning Team at Otter Creek for lunch and a brainstorming session for Tim's upcoming series on Time. I'm really looking forward to his message this season. So much preparation and prayer goes into his message. I am grateful that we're blessed with his talent.

I made an early dinner for our family and we tried to get Avery out the door for some quick Trick-or-Treating before church. No such luck. The child didn't want to put on her costume. Chad had let her try it on that morning, so she was a bit freaked out by it. Marvelous. We thought we'd be able to bribe her to put it on for Jay, Melanie, Tori and Abby Brown before church, but they weren't home, so we just zipped off to Parade of Bible Characters. Rather than wear myself out (and the kiddo who'd have to actually wear the costume) we opted to be audience members at church. Surprisingly, Avery really enjoyed clapping and cheering for each kid that crossed the stage.

We headed home to see if any porch lights were still on in our neighborhood. We convinced Avery to put her costume on and we popped over to our next door neighbors' house. Here's our adorable pink poodle.

I'm also overdue for a post from our visit to Walden Farm. Avery had the most fun with the tractors and shopping cart. We brought home two "punk nins" that day that Avery is VERY proud of!

May I change my name?

2007-10-18T09:24:00.001-04:00

For some strange reason, the last two nights my normally-predictable, even-tempered child has boycotted sleep. Why? She was grumpy on Tuesday when her preschool teacher had to wake her up from her nap at the end of the school day. I don't think she has recovered.

Tuesday night, we were up and down at least every hour because she was crying hysterically. However, she wanted nothing to do with Chad. She just stood up in her crib saying, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy ..." I'm flattered. Honestly. But I need sleep, child!

She also resisted her afternoon nap yesterday, begging for my bed. So I tucked her into my bed. She escaped. I put her back in my bed and laid down next to her. She attempted to escape again. Back to the crib. She screamed for a while and finally crashed. The nap was shorter than normal, but at least she got one.

She woke up from that nap in hysterics again. My wheels are turning, thinking of every possible mysterious illness that could be plaguing my child. I stripped her down and wrapped her in a blanket and rocked for for a little. She calmed down, then went nuts again. I dressed her and brought her down to try Elmo. That stinkin' red monster has helped in the past, so I'm pulling out all the stops.

I spoon-fed the child some cottage cheese and let her watch the Elmo in Grouchland DVD and she transformed back into my child again. Were we in the clear???

No. She was normal for church last night and very pleasant on the way home. We had a great bedtime routine and tucked her in without incident. I crashed pretty soon thereafter and just as I was drifting off, I heard "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy ..." Kill me. I'm really considering a name change. I laid her back down and told her to go to sleep. She woke up several times last night, but we let her cry it out. Tough love? Maybe. But DEFINITELY sheer exhaustion.

This morning, she was as perky as ever. She wanted breakfast. Yogurt, apple, cheerios, juice. I'm happy with that. While she was eating, though, I ran upstairs to grab another load of laundry to throw in. By the time I got back downstairs, Avery had painted her entire bib with her yogurt. Why me??? I stripped her down to her diaper, but she has a yogurt cowlick that I've got to remedy before school today.

This job is nuts, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Difficult loss

2007-10-15T22:39:00.000-04:00

Friends, I learned tonight that a friend and former co-worker had a difficult prenatal doctor visit today. She and her husband found out that their baby no longer had a heartbeat. Tomorrow, she'll have to deliver the baby. How profoundly sad that a normally happy occasion will be extremely full of pain and disappointment.

When I hear things like that -- God-fearing people having to endure unspeakable loss -- I feel a sense of guilt that my pregnancy has been so routine and normal and joyful.

Please pray for peace and comfort for my friend and her husband. And cherish every normal, average moment of your day that you'd normally take for granted. Much thanks.

It's not easy being green

2007-10-11T17:09:00.001-04:00

I needed a change. I've had the same blog template for ages now. Okay, so now I just have the same template in a different color, but it feels different. Just go with it.

The day has been NUTS. I realize it's only 4:00, but I feel like the day won't end. The alarm went off this morning about 3:45. (Yes, you just read that correctly.) Chad got up early to take his best friend Za and his fiancee to the airport. They had been staying with us since Sunday because Za's grandmother had a massive stroke. Thankfully, she's doing much better and is about to be moved to a rehabilitation facility. The day started REALLY early for my sweet husband, but he was glad to help his friend.

I'm very grateful that Chad remembered to re-set the alarm for me. Normally, I wouldn't need it, but Avery was snoozing away this morning, way past her regular wake time. I had to wake her at 7:45 so she could be dressed and fed before we needed to zip out the door for a meeting at Kirkpatrick Elementary at 8:30.

I scheduled aforementioned meeting at 8:30 so I'd be done in time to take Avery to preschool at 9:30. After the meeting, I rolled into the Crieve Hall parking lot at 9:35 and there was not a soul in sight. Fears affirmed. School was closed for Fall Break. WHAT??? I thought I heard a little buzz Tuesday afternoon about Fall Break, but I ran home and checked the school handbook and calendar that said Oct 12 was Fall Break. That's tomorrow. NOT today. Nothing had been sent home. Nobody'd said a word to me.

Well crud. Now I had to come home with an antsy toddler who'd be climbing the walls while I was trying to make media calls. I needed a Cranberry Limeade. However, Avery was a little angel this morning. She played quietly with blocks and books and baby dolls and chattered away to herself. She did try to turn on the television, but I distracted her with markers and paper.

We met Chad for lunch outside at Baja Burrito to give Avery a break from "my office" (the living room.) He had stories, too. Since he had to drop Za and Krishon off at the airport at 4:45, he was at work by 5:15. He pushed a wrong button on the alarm panel, setting it off. So he corrected it and turned it off. Next thing he knew, the phone was ringing. It was the alarm company. They asked him if everything was okay and requested the code. He gave it to them, but couldn't provide the account password. They hung up. 2 minutes later, the police roll into the parking lot. Chad explains and thinks it's all fixed. However, then his boss, John, squeals into the parking lot, looking confused, tired, and disheveled. Chad felt TERRIBLE! Poor John. Back to bed.

Anyone ready for TV tonight? I've been disappointed with Grey's. I hope tonight gets better. The Office is definitely winning my affection. Jim and Pam. Yay!

Okay, so it's broken

2007-10-08T16:02:00.000-04:00

Saturday, Chad got brave and took apart the VCR. We made it a team effort and Avery wanted to help. Chad had taken the top off the VCR and laid it on the floor. Avery stepped on it and bent it in half. Spectacular. I bent it back as close to the right shape as possible. Then Chad stepped on it and cut his toe. He then bled all over the carpet. Marvelous.

We unwound the tape from the machine and pried the cassette out of it. I wound the tape up and saved the cassette. A good start, right? Nope. I found out what was goofing up the VCR. Brace yourself, okay?

Kix cereal.

I flipped the VCR and shook out all the stale kid-tested deliciousness. We replaced the cover and plugged it in. The "cassette in" light was still flashing. Even though we removed the tape, the tape deck was still down, indicating to the sub-human super-smart VCR that it knew better than us. Aarg!

We took the VCR apart again and forced the tape deck to the "up" position. In the process, we snapped one of the parts off. Okay, so new VCR/DVD combo in our near future. We had to go ahead and break the thing even more to remove Avery's precious "Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland" DVD. (She can't live without it. How did she even learn about the little red terror in the first place???)

In other news, Avery got her first professional haircut several days ago. This is just the first time I've gotten around to posting the pix. She didn't make a peep! She just sat really still and acted very serious. I'm really missing the pigtails, but we have no more ragged ends. Yay!

Thursday night gripes

2007-10-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

Why? Why must all the good television shows be on the air on the same night at the same time on the one night of the week when Chad isn't here? I am completely addicted to Earl, The Office, & Grey's Anatomy. The Office and Grey's are on at the same time on different networks. Chad doesn't give a flying flitter about Grey's, but he won't miss The Office.

I ran to Walgreen's yesterday to grab some VHS tapes. Then I stuck one in the VCR in our bedroom on NBC and tried to stick the other in the VCR in our study on ABC. However, we are missing the cord that attaches the VCR to the TV. Aarg! So I decided to just record whatever I was watching in the living room.

Chad zipped out the door to softball and I put Avery in bed and grabbed a glass of sweet tea and plopped onto the couch. Then I remembered the tape! I hadn't put it in the VCR! I jumped up quickly and popped it in. It revved its little motor and made a strange sound. I ejected the tape and peered inside. Diaper coupons. Lovely. I pulled them out and tried again. It whirred again and then shut itself off. I turned it back on and pushed the eject button. Nothing. It turned itself off again. You've GOT to be kidding me!

This morning the tape is STILL in the VCR and I have no idea what else might be in there with it. At least I managed to get my cell phone out of there the time my little helper stuck it in there.

Since NBC was being recorded upstairs last night, I watched Grey's on ABC. Then I ran upstairs and watched Earl and The Office. (I have no desire to watch 30 Rock. Not sure why. Love Tina's credit card commercials, though.)

So if any network executives stumble across my blog, please hear my plea. Move SOMETHING to another night. Thank you for Heroes and Dancing with the Stars. And I LOVE YOU CBS for making Survivor available On Demand. (One of Chad's tax clients is on the show this season!) My other plea is to move the good stuff that falls on Wednesday night to another weeknight. I'm never sure what's good on Wednesday since we're at church. It may be time for DVR!

By the way, if anyone has recommendations for getting a VHS tape out of the VCR without breaking either, PLEASE let me know!

The Manipulator

2007-09-28T08:46:00.000-04:00

My child is a con artist. She knows how to get what she wants. The bargaining comes mainly at naptime and bedtime. Since she was sick during the last weekend and the first part of this week, her schedule has been a bit "off." A little leniency when she's sick makes her think she can get away with anything.

She uses her sweetest face when making requests and she always says "peeeeese" with her little head cocked to the side. Kill me. I'm a sucker for the cute face.

From what I understand, it gets worse as they get older. Great. What have I gotten myself into? How soon is it to start using the phrase "because I said so"?

The Beach - Take II

2007-09-26T10:39:00.000-04:00

I'm just getting around to posting about this past weekend's beach trip. We had planned to go to Gulf Shores with Chad's parents, sister, brother-in-law and niece. Chad's sister called us Wednesday evening. They had left around noon that day to get there ahead of us. They'd been contacted by the condo people telling them that there was a problem with the stove in our condo. They had decided to move us. However, all the places they tried to stick us in were lacking. Julie had done her research and chosen our place because of the size, indoor pool, and proximity to the beach.

She got tough with them. They finally called back to tell us that we'd be in a 3,300 sq. ft. condo just on the other side of the FL/AL border with a wraparound balcony right on the beach. Incredible. The kitchen was top-notch and all the bedrooms had their own bathroom and king sized bed. It was wonderful.

We had been concerned about the weather. When we attempted to go to Hilton Head earlier this summer, the torrential downpour kept us from enjoying anything and the forecast was looking gloomy this time, too. Depressing. However, the rains saved themselves for night. We got a little sprinkle shower one afternoon, but that was all. It was great!

Avery was a bit timid on the beach (as was her cousin Caroline), but she warmed up to the ocean when one of us was holding her. She adored the indoor pool, too. She kept asking to go to the "o-sin" or "da poo."

The rough spot to the weekend (there's always one of those, isn't there?) was the fever Avery woke up with Saturday morning. We thought it might be molars coming in, but then the coughing started. By the time we got home Sunday night, she was miserable. She had a fever off and on until yesterday. The doctor says it's viral, which means we just have to sit and wait. We've been trapped in the house forever and I'm dying to see the light of day again! I think we're on the upswing!

Caroline and Avery were very excited to see each other!

Avery LOVED the indoor pool.

Avery entertains Caroline during tummy time.

Avery and Caroline in deep conversation about sippy cups

Public Apology

2007-09-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

I need to publicly apologize to the poor soul I was impatient with on the road today. When I thought she was changing lanes too slowly (and dangerously), she was really having some sort of car trouble. She could tell I was impatient because she mouthed the words "I'm sorry" when I drove past her.

Like a coward, I was too embarrassed to turn around and find out if she needed any help. I just hung my head and finished my drive home.

I've got to learn patience. Too many times in my day I am short with people -- even those I'm closest to -- and I'm a poor reflection of Christ in my day. I am at my worst when I am behind the wheel, too.

So dear, sweet, frustrated, embarrassed driver on the road: I'm so sorry for my behavior today. I hope you can forgive me!

The Secret's Out

2007-09-13T22:37:00.000-04:00

I suppose it's finally time to let the cat out of the bag. On March 9, we anticipate the arrival of a new member of the family. Avery is going to be a big sister!

We managed to keep it all quiet for the longest time so we could enjoy it ourselves for a while. I also wanted my clients to maintain their confidence in my skills. I believe I've proven that I'm quite capable of handling all their needs while growing a person at the same time!

I'm thrilled to be pregnant. I love the way my body changes and adore experiencing one of God's most beautiful mysteries. Even now, God is knitting the child together inside me. Wow! Who, after witnessing the miracle of life, would deny believing in God?

I appreciate your prayers during these next 25 (or 26, if this baby is like its sister) weeks. I leave you with the first picture of our little bundle.

Michigan who?

2007-09-05T09:19:00.000-04:00

What a thrilling weekend of football! As most of you know, I profess faithfully to be an Alabama football fan. However, DEFINITELY the game of the weekend was the matchup between Michigan and Appalachian State.

My brother John just graduated from App this summer, so I'm not just jumping on the bandwagon blindly. App really shouldn't have been considered the underdog. They've won the last two 1AA national championships and were ranked #1 in the polls again. Michigan was #5. (Not any more!)

John and his friends watched the game from the Hickory Tavern near my parents' house. He said that people were standing on the tables during the last couple of minutes of the game. I can only imagine the chaos! Chad and I watched the re-airing on CSS last night. It was amazing how action-packed the last minute of the game was. Even though I already knew the outcome, I was on the edge of my seat. (It's like watching Titanic!)

We were supposed to spend the weekend in Hilton Head. However, the monsoon rains drove us out. As soon as we were off the island, the clouds parted. We drove up from there to my parents' house to enjoy better weather. I'll be sure to post pictures of our mini-vacation when I get them from Mom.

Wild Child

2007-08-30T10:18:00.000-04:00

My daughter is half Tasmanian devil. In the last week, she has found another level of energy and fun. She'll run and jump and spin in circles while squealing with delight. On Sunday afternoon, she thrashed around on my friend's living room floor laughing and jumping on Steve-o's chest. But as soon as we put her in her carseat for the drive home, she could barely hold her eyes open. She slept--HARD--for 5 hours in the car.

I've decided that this wild chaos is her way of trying to stay awake. I really must capture it all on camera and post here for your viewing enjoyment. It makes me tired just watching her.

Goodbye, Ol' Bird

2007-08-19T14:02:00.000-04:00

This morning, Nannie, my great-grandmother (and Avery's great-great-grandmother), passed away peacefully. Until the last week, she's been doing very well, but she took a rough turn. She had a strong heart, but the rest of her was wearing out. To have been 90, I think that's pretty impressive.

Around midnight, her breathing slowed down and became more peaceful. She'd had what the doctors call a "death rattle" in her chest for a day or so, but her last hours were calm. With two of my aunts by her side, she opened her eyes (for the first time in 4 or 5 days) and looked at them intently. Then she squeezed their hand and exhaled one last relieved time. She was gone.

For the last few years, she has always talked of being eager to go be with Jimmie, my great-grandfather, who preceded her in death. She has acted ready for a long time, so I know she's thrilled to be together with him again.

I will always miss her and remember all my favorite things about her -- fresh figs on the kitchen counter, ginger ale on a hot day, climbing the clothesline in her yard, her beautiful roses. She was always wonderful to me and loved Chad like he'd always been hers. I am better from knowing her.

So here's to Jamie Burgess, my Nannie. I love you, Ol' Bird.

Dog days of summer

2007-08-16T21:34:00.000-04:00

Avery's been very busy while she's out of preschool this month. (I'm hanging in there, by the way, but very eager for Crieve Hall MDO to start up again in September!) Here are a few pictures from our fun lately:

Grandma and Avery, playing with a little bottle --hours of fun

Yummy watermelon on the deck, stripped down to a diaper to save the clothes!

Cooling off in the little pool -- so hot, even I had to join her!

Noshing on corn on the cob - she wouldn't let us pry it out of her hands before leaving the restaurant!

Enjoying a refreshing hose-off at the Troup farm

Playing in the dryer. Don't worry -- it wasn't on! She was having a ball!

Everything

2007-08-07T09:09:00.000-04:00

This video moved me to tears. Thank you, Jillina, for sharing it with me. It's pretty incredible.

August already?

2007-08-01T22:19:00.000-04:00

Okay, so July totally got away without me. I'm not quite ready for August, but it's here. It will be my busiest month this year by far. Avery is out of school this month and I have added two new clients. If you see me out and about and I seem to be in the zone, snap your fingers and welcome me back to Earth.

We've spent a lot of time indoors the last couple of weeks. It's just TOO HOT. It's almost not even worth going to the pool. I may just have to grin and bear the scorching heat on our walk to the pool for the relieving cool of the water.

We spent last weekend in Florence with my mom and brothers. They drove in from NC to play on the lake with us. My grandparents got a trampoline for the lake that is anchored on the lake bottom with a cinder block. I wish I had video of my mom trying to simply get on it. The actual jumping was just icing on the cake.

You would have thought it was Thanksgiving on Saturday as most of the family gathered from across the South to celebrate Grandpa's 62nd birthday. Grandma's kitchen was full of home-cooked Southern food and, as every year before, we dug into the annual prune cake -- Grandpa's favorite!

Avery had a ball running back and forth between all the cousins. I really wish we lived closer to all of them because Avery thrives on the family interaction. She's started speaking in sentences and over the weekend, her vocabulary seemed to develop even more. It's so fun to see!

No pictures this time, but I'll be sure to capture some of Avery's antics for next time.

C'mon, Vogue!

2007-07-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

Well, I've got a new passion. Modeling. I honestly believe I'm terrible at it, but it's so much fun!

Earlier this week, I got a call from a former client, asking me if I could be a model for a photo shoot for a feature in the Tennessean. Oh, the pressure! I caved. I'm a sucker for trying on clothes and shoes, so I agreed.

This morning, the photographer and feature writer came to Petite Boutique for the shoot. The owner, Laurie Roe, pulled a few outfits for me to try and we got down to business. The Tennessean team was wonderful. They gave great direction and were very generous with their compliments. It was a nice little ego boost.

I had a great time this morning and even came home with a new pair of sunglasses.

Watch for the feature in Sunday's edition of The Tennessean.

Consumer Review

2007-07-02T13:17:00.000-04:00

For the last several months, I've been begging Chad for new carpet or hardwoods. The people who lived her before obviously never walked on this carpet because it was gorgeous when we purchased this home. However, when we moved in, let the dogs temporarily rule the roost and then had a child who loves to make a mess, our gorgeous carpet bid us adieu and its ugly alter-ego took over.

It was obvious what our normal path was -- down the stairs, into the kitchen, and onto the couch -- the carpet ratted us out by pointing the way with dingy dirt. We also couldn't hide the fact that we're habitual tea drinkers because of the spill stains in not-so-subtle places.

A few months ago, I called Stanley Steemer. (It drives me crazy that they won't spell it right! That was just their first mistake.) They sent out Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb to clean our carpet. In the dead of winter, I couldn't close the door because the hoses had to be run in from their van outside. They also informed me that the girl who "just answers the phone" incorrectly assured us that the spots would come out of the carpet. So much for the guarantee. I was a totally dissatisfied customer.

After grumbling and complaining too much, I went to look at carpet. Should I fork out the big bucks for the good stuff that I'll love or purchase the cheap stuff and hope we can move soon? Oh, the angst.

Last week, however, after my weekly grocery run (Who am I kidding? It's a grocery journey -- LONG journey.) I noticed a rack of Rug Doctor machines by the checkout line. When I got home, I unloaded the food and jumped on the computer to do a little research. For about $40, I could rent the machine and additional upholstery cleaning hose for a day and also purchase the concentrated carpet cleaning solution. A small investment. The reviews and testimonials sold me.

I ran back to the store with Avery on my hip and rented the bad boy. I even rolled it to my car and put it in by myself while still holding her. Something told me my doors wouldn't have to stay open while the carpet was being cleaned this time.

I vacuumed the house quickly and went to work steam cleaning away. It was marvelous! That machine sucked all the nastiness out of my worn out carpet. You no longer can tell where the main traffic paths are. I might be able to get a few more years out of my carpet.

A quick disclaimer: If you come to visit me and don't think my carpets look smokin' hot, get over it. You should've seen the before shots! Go get you a Rug Doctor, too!

Getting frisky

2007-06-26T21:28:00.000-04:00

Well, we made it home, but not without incident. We had our luggage packed, had breakfast, grabbed a cab, and headed to the airport. The security line wasn't too bad, so we felt good about our trek through the terminal. However, I started beeping through the metal detector. I backed up, removed my watch and bracelet and walked through again. Beeped again. Then I realized that I still had my very large hoop earrings in. Too late.

I got whisked into a plexiglass holding pen with a man who looked like an old man extra from a Saudi Arabian film. They very obtrusively summoned a female security officer who made me "spread 'em" and frisked me. It was the earrings. Duh.

For a split second, I thought about being embarrassed. Then I looked around and remembered that I was in Las Vegas -- the city of lunatics -- so I blew it off.

We had a wonderful time -- seeing all the city sights, losing only about $20 (since Chad has self control), and lounging by the pool. We managed to avoid a couple of disasters at the HR convention Chad was helping with, and felt great about it before leaving town. We ate WAY too much, walked WAY too far and smelled WAY too much cigarette smoke, but all in all it was a spectacular place to travel together.

We came home to a very excited Avery, who ran back and forth between Chad and me hugging us over and over again. I LOVE that. Even though it was nice to get some time alone without her, we missed the little booger and couldn't wait to get home to her.

I'll leave you with a few pictures from our trip. We didn't have a single one of ourselves -- just the sights. Oh well. Enjoy!

The beautiful Bellagio before the infamous fountain show

The Eiffel Tower at the Paris resort

The volcano at the Mirage

Sweet time with Papa when he was in town for a funeral

Cheesin' it up with Nana and her super fun Green Tea bottle

Today's high

2007-06-23T12:40:00.000-04:00

Chad and I are in Las Vegas for the next few days -- sans Avery. His parents came up Thursday and my mom is relieving them today. Chad is helping with set-up and dismantle for a Healthways trade show booth at two conventions, so I'm tagging along.

This place is really amazing. It stinks like a giant ashtray, but the architectural details are phenomenal. We've exhausted ourselves each day so far with all the walking and intense heat. The high this weekend is 109!!! The low is 88. It's a really dry heat, so it doesn't feel as bad as 90 in Nashville, but it does feel like we're just standing in front of an open oven door.

We're at Bally's, next to Paris and across from the Bellagio. We watched the fountain show last night. It's amazing that they'd give up that much precious real estate for a big pond, but it draws so many people.

We've played a few slots and some video poker, but Chad won't let me bet more than 5 cents at a time. I keep telling him that a big investment equals a big return, but he keeps reminding me that we haven't lost more than about $10 so far.

This is the first time we've both left Avery overnight. We don't have a problem with it -- we just don't have any family in town to leave her with. She's in great hands with her grandparents and I'm sure she's getting spoiled beyond belief. I miss her terribly, though. Every time I see a child (not sure why ANYONE would want to bring a child here), I miss her even more.

Well, I'm finally off to eat breakfast. I know, I know. It's 11:50 to my body right now, but we're on VACATION! I'll post pictures when we return. Have a great weekend, bloggers!

Pool drama

2007-06-07T21:24:00.000-04:00

After Avery's second day of "school" today at Crieve Hall, I took her to the pool at the Y. It's her favorite place now. She's thrilled with being soaked to the bone.

Avery showed off her jumping off the side moves. Another mom with a daughter a little older than Avery struck up a conversation with me about their comfort level in the pool. It was an ever-so-brief chat, but a few minutes later, I noticed her across the pool with something all over her cheek.

She started trying to get the attention of her older daughter and I heard her give instructions to get out of the pool. After a closer look, I realized that she was holding the back of her baby's head and the 'something' all over her cheek was blood. She rushed over to the first aid station and the lifeguards were helping her stop the bleeding and trying to get her husband on the phone. They were pretty sure the baby would need stitches. She had slipped and hit her head in the shallow sloping end of the kiddie pool.

What do you do in a situation like that??? I would flip out if I were that mom. She couldn't drive to the hospital because she needed to keep pressure on the back of her baby's head. I tried to get her to let me drive them to the hospital, but she was nervous about driving without the baby in a carseat (and she'd just met me 20 minutes earlier.)

I felt compelled to help, so Avery and I gathered up her stroller, shoes, towels, pool floats and other belongings and kept her other daughter Joanna (probably age 5) occupied while she and the lifeguards waited for her husband to arrive.

In the mean time, Joanna said her stomach hurt because she was hungry. We went to my pool chair to get fruit snacks and cash and I got her and Avery each an ice cream sandwich. They were a mess, but stayed out of everyone's hair. We decided to play on the playground, but Joanna changed her mind on the way over because she needed to go to the bathroom. She informed me that she needed help and that she was sorry because it was "really messy." I wasn't prepared for that, but we survived.

Joanna was so polite and sweet, so it was an absolute pleasure to be able to help however I could. Once her daddy arrived, the whole family rushed off to take care of business and get the baby's head checked out. I certainly hope I see them again in better circumstances.

Is it summer yet?

2007-05-30T13:57:00.000-04:00

I know it's not quite summer yet, but it sure feels like it. It's HOT. But thank heavens for the pool at the YMCA. Avery and I have been hitting it up every day. She's a big fan of splashing around. She's pretty brave, too. She's not afraid of the freezing cold water. I just have to grin and bear it so she doesn't get out of reach.

We spent the holiday weekend in Huntsville with Chad's family. Saturday was devoted to tromping around on the farm. Avery loved the barn and got to pet her first cow! It was the one that was born the same day as her. All the other cows run when you get too close, but "Avery's cow" will walk right up to you expecting some attention. All the photos are on Chad's parents' camera because I bought the wrong size battery! At least we had the video camer for other stills from the last few days.

I ran by Target this morning and bought a pack of the right size batteries so I won't have any more excuses for not documenting all the growing up going on in our house. I'm always behind the camera, so here are some good pictures of Avery with Daddy.

Cuddling by the pool

Eating spaghetti

"Helping" Daddy wash the car

"Helping" Daddy water the lawn

Playing in the bathtub with our buddy Madeline