Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Beach Vacation

2009-09-19T21:59:00.004-05:00

We went to Ft. Walton Beach, Florida last week for a short vacation... It was Connor's first trip to the beach! We had some good weather and a great time, but it went by way too fast! But even though it was short-lived, it was so nice to get away!

Connor didn't know what to think of the sand at first, but he quickly got over it!

He spent the majority of his beach time napping... He's got the right idea!

First time in the water with Daddy. The water was nice and calm our first day.... so nice!

Playing in the sand with Mama.

Father-son time together.

We love the beach!

Look, a dolphin!

Pondering life...

Happy 1st Birthday, Connor!

2009-08-11T21:14:00.012-05:00

The table is set...

The cake is made...

The candle is lit...

Birthday boy's chair is all decked out....

Time to eat his first cake!!

What is going on here?

I'm one!

Candice and Jackson

Connor with Aunt 'Neana'

Stephanie and David eating cake

Jeana, Ann, and Phil with homemade ice cream

Granddaddy's lap

Look at all the gifts!

A really neat new book

Some fun toys

More books and more toys

Whew! So much new fun stuff, it's overwhelming!

Boat Time... 'Bout Time!

2009-07-16T22:00:00.007-05:00

We FINALLY got a boat.... check it out!

Saturday, we took it out on the reservoir for her maiden voyage....

Connor was NOT very fond of his life jacket. Talk about pitching a fit! The pictures don't show the fit, they were taken immediately after we put it on him... Meanwhile the storm was brewing!

Happy times!

Little Fish

2009-06-14T23:28:00.004-05:00

Splish, splash!
Fun in the sun.
Pattycake-ing!
Splashing is so much fun...
Believe it or not, he was scared of the pool at first.... I think it may have had something to do with the big hippo face! But he got over it once he realized it was like a big bathtub.

Fun in the Swing

2009-06-14T23:03:00.002-05:00

Near-Death Experience

2009-06-14T22:22:00.004-05:00

I know that these are not the greatest pictures, but see that motorcycle underneath the Explorer? That was Jody's Harley. WAS. And thankfully, Jody didn't end up underneath there with it. He was slowing up to turn into our neighborhood, and the kid driving the Explorer apparently wasn't watching the road and rear-ended (more like ran over) Jody on his bike. Jody fell off to the left, rolled off the road, and the Explorer swerved off the road to the right and wrapped around the utility pole. Needless to say, the bike was totalled, but (THANK GOD) Jody just had minimal injuries. And I'm even more thankful that Jody has decided to wait and not get another motorcycle for a while! The sad thing about it: we had just (only like 2 weeks before) spent almost $700 on a new seat and sissy bar so that I could ride with him. I'd had my helmet for only about a week, and I'd only ridden on the bike one time - up and down our street the Sunday afternoon before the accident. Oh well.... One good thing about all of this: we're going to use part of the insurance money to buy us a boat! (Woohoo!)

Moo!

2009-06-09T21:16:00.006-05:00

Or whatever sound an elk might make! When we were driving outside of Cherokee, NC we came across 3 elk crossing the road... this was probably the highlight of our trip! We'd never seen elk before, and we were a little bit scared since we didn't know how they'd react. In Mississippi, we're used to deer who like to be spontaneous and jump out in front of you at the last minute. Apparently, elk are slightly more laid back. Either that, or these elk were just used to being around cars and the road. They just mosied across the road and started walking down the side of the road, while playfully bucking at each other. Apparently they were youngsters, since their racks were not fully developed and still fuzzy.

This dude was being a show-off and sticking out his tongue for the camera!

Here's his buddy crossing the road.

Now a couple of random pictures:
Here's me and my lil' man after church on my first Mother's Day.

This is the whole family after church on Easter Sunday.

First Family Vacation

2009-06-08T21:52:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we went on our first vacation as a family to our second home in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. It was a wonderful, relaxing week! We didn't really get to do much that we normally would have done (raft the Nantahala River, day hike in the Smokies) because Jody was still recovering from injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident about a week before we left to go on the trip. (I'll have to post pictures of that later.) But regardless, we had a good time and a nice visit for a couple of days with my parents and brother. I don't have many pictures, but these are the ones that had people in them!

Hard to Believe...

2009-06-08T21:32:00.000-05:00

Just droppin' by to say "Hi!"

2009-04-13T22:26:00.004-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!

It's that time of year...

2009-04-05T17:40:00.002-05:00

Need I say more?

Jeana and Jody cleaning up the mess

This is just what Jody and I ate

Connor and Angie playing

Bathtime is a Blast!

2009-03-31T19:57:00.003-05:00

Look at the bubbles... What fun!

Splish, splash!

More splashing... We have to mop the floor after bathtime!

It was a bit difficult to get his big smiles... he would only smile when I didn't have the camera in front of my face.

6 month stats

2009-03-09T22:07:00.002-05:00

At Connor's 6 month check-up (a week and a half ago), he weighed 21 pounds 4 ounces (95th percentile) and measured 29 1/2 inches tall (>97th percentile). What a big ol' boy! He also still had red ears, so we got put on antibiotic #4. It's a 3rd generation cephalosporin, so hopefully it did the trick!

6 months

2009-02-21T21:41:00.004-06:00

6 months... I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by! He's getting to be such a neat little person, and he's so much fun!

Okay, okay...

2009-01-26T20:57:00.009-06:00

After some requests... finally, an update. Not a lot has been going on lately... we've just been taking it easy since the holidays are over.

Here we are at church on Christmas Eve.

Look at what Santa brought!

Connor had some special time with Uncle Ben.

Mimi and Granddaddy gave him a wagon for Christmas... what fun! (The Bumbo seat fits perfectly in the wagon, by the way!)

On December 28th, Connor was baptized at Parkway Hills, and Jody became a member, too. It was a very special day, and we were fortunate to be joined by a bunch of family!

It was a wonderful day, but left us feeling pooped!

Connor turned 5 months on January 11th, and we started trying out some veggies. So far he seems to like carrots and sweet potatoes, but squash, not so much. Soon we'll try out some green veggies. He does pretty well eating, but sometimes it's a bit hard trying to get him to focus on the food... he tends to be distracted by everything around him, especially his feet!

Connor is working on sitting up on his own, and he's doing very well at it. I haven't captured a picture of it yet, but hopefully I will soon! He is such a happy baby, and very vocal (he can pierce your ears with his squeals of excitement)! He is so much fun, and I can't believe how big he is getting... I can't believe he will soon be 6 months old!

ElfYourself!

2008-12-21T02:11:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

4 months... What a Big Boy!

2008-12-12T22:44:00.005-06:00

We went for our 4 month checkup yesterday. Connor now weighs 17 pounds, 13 ounces and measures 26.5 inches tall. He is in the 95th percentile for weight, height, and head circumference! Doctor said everything looks really good! We're going to try to start working on introducing some solid foods now, so we're trying rice cereal to start with. He takes it in a bottle just great, but I tried feeding him with a spoon tonight, and he didn't want anything to do with that... made a yucky face and spit it out. You would've thought it tasted horrible. I told him that he can't go through his whole life eating everything out of a bottle... The best foods don't fit in a bottle (as I stood in front of him eating a piece of friendship cake)!

He loves to stick his feet straight up in the air and examine them. Today they were extra pretty with the red and green striped socks!

Hands are so neat, too! If you look closely, he's also spitting here in this picture (like a motorboat), which is a new discovery in the past week.

Look at those big blue eyes... What a handsome man!

He really laughs now... especially when you tickle him!

I can't believe I actually got such good smiling pictures!

He is definitely the (second) light of my life, and he just gets more and more fun every single day that passes. I never imagined being a parent could be so wonderful!

Ho, ho, ho.. Merry Christmas!

2008-12-08T22:03:00.003-06:00

Play time is so fun

2008-11-13T18:40:00.003-06:00

Connor loves to kick his legs and swing his arms at his toys... I can't believe he is getting so big so fast!

Trick or Treat

2008-11-03T20:42:00.002-06:00

"I'm not a moo-cow or a doggie... I'm a horsie!"

Happy Halloween!

One year and counting...

2008-10-20T22:18:00.002-05:00

Wow, what a year it's been! Happy Anniversary!

8 weeks

2008-10-06T21:52:00.003-05:00

I actually captured a smile on camera today! ...They're coming more and more frequently.

My handsome little man
More sweetness

Back to Reality

2008-09-29T20:21:00.002-05:00

Today was my first day back to work after having 8 weeks off. And today was Connor's first day at daycare. It was pretty rough having to leave him at daycare, but I somehow did not cry... came close, though. Probably the medication helped. And I only called once during the day to check on him. I just felt so bad leaving him... he not knowing who he was with and wondering where his Mommy and Daddy were. But I knew he'd be okay, and he probably didn't even know what was going on. I just missed him so much! Time passed by so slowly today at work... the day just drug on and on. I was SO happy to finally get to pick him up and take him home! I guess I'll have to get used to doing this day after day.

6-week checkup

2008-09-25T22:09:00.002-05:00

We (well, Connor) went to the doctor today for our 6-week checkup and first round of immunizations. Everything looked good for his checkup. Of course he screamed when he got his shots, but when it was over he handled it all pretty well. He went straight to sleep and slept all afternoon, and besides being a little whiney this evening, he's been just fine.

He weighed in at 11 pounds, 10 ounces, and measured a whopping 24 1/2 inches long. He's gained about 3 1/2 pounds and grown 3 1/2 inches in the last 4 weeks. His weight is right at the 50th percentile, but his height landed in the 95th percentile! Go Connor! We're raising a future NBA player or maybe a linebacker for the NFL. We're counting on you, Connor, so you can support us in our old age and we can retire in style!

Random Thoughts

2008-09-23T20:28:00.002-05:00

What I hated most about being pregnant:

Swollen feet, ankles, and legs. I'm so glad to have pretty feet and ankles again! No more cankleet!
Not being able to go to the tanning bed. As unhealthy as it is, indoor UV-ray exposure feels so good!
Not being able to drink a beer/margarita/glass of wine if I want to. I still haven't been able to satisfy this desire yet, but the day is coming very soon!

Other than these things, I really actually enjoyed the whole pregnancy experience. Hopefully the next time is just as enjoyable!

Super Sweet

2008-09-20T22:17:00.003-05:00

I think he enjoys bathtime, even though he can't really show it yet.

You can't get any sweeter than that!

First Sunday at Church

2008-09-12T11:16:00.002-05:00

(Don't ask me what was going on with my hair!)

One Month

2008-09-11T22:42:00.005-05:00

Happy One-Month birthday to Connor!

I can't believe how the time has flown by! And now I only have about 2 1/2 weeks left until I have to go back to work. :( So how is Connor? He's growing like a weed! When we left the hospital (day 3), he weighed 7 lbs., 0 oz. (he weighed 7 lbs., 12 ozs. at birth). At his 2-week doctor visit, he weighed 8 lbs., 1 oz. I'm interested to know what he weighs now... if I had to guess, I'd say probably somewhere around 9 pounds. We'll go to the doctor again at 6 weeks (and get his first immunizations then, too). We're at the point where the newborn-size diapers are almost too small, but the size 1 diapers are still a little big. But when we use up this box of diapers we're on now, we're going to the 1's anyway. He's trying very hard to lift his head up, and he's doing really well at it. He'll be holding it up all on his own very soon. And I'm sure it won't be much longer before we get a real smile from him... He smiles unintentionally sometimes, but I know we're very close to getting a genuine smile (I thought I had one the other day, but I haven't gotten him to repeat it since then so it must have been coincidental). He sleeps really well, and eats on an average of about every 3 hours. If he doesn't go to sleep after eating, he's hungry again after about 2-3 hours, but if he's napping well, he may go 4-5 hours between meals. Granted our schedule is a little whacky at the moment, we really only get up once during our sleep (Jody's and mine) to feed him. For the most part he's a pleasant baby, and even though we have some fussy spells here and there, fussiness really isn't a problem. His little umbilical cord stump finally fell off this past weekend (they said it would take about 2 weeks... HA!). And we took our first trip with him this past weekend to visit my parents (Mimi and Granddaddy) in New Albany. It just so happened to be Grandparents' Day (who knew?), and we took him to church for the first time. So that's where we are at our one-month birthday. Check out the pictures below!

This is me, Connor, and Jody one month ago yesterday. This picture was taken right before we left to go to the hospital on Sunday, August 10.

These last two pictures were taken about a week ago (he looks basically the same today), so you can see what he looks like at one month old!

Our New Arrival

2008-08-30T00:51:00.003-05:00

Ok, well it's taken me long enough to post about it...

Connor Joseph was born August 11, 2008 at 6:09 pm by C-section. He was 7 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long.

We're so glad he's finally here!

8/8/08... Nope

2008-08-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

So much for having a cool birthday date for my baby. Oh well, it doesn't matter that much.... 8/11/08 will be just as special.

Expiration Date

2008-08-05T19:51:00.002-05:00

So today's my due date... my pregnancy's expiration date. I'm expired, and still no baby is here yet. Does this mean he'll come out smelling like sour milk?

Lazy Child

2008-08-04T19:34:00.004-05:00

Forty weeks of pregnancy, and Connor appears to still be very content hanging out in my uterus! It already seems he may have inherited my "always running late for everything" gene. So needless to say, he's showing NO signs that he's anywhere near ready to move on out of there. We had a doctor visit today, and they hooked me up to the fetal monitor for a little while to make sure he's alright in there. He was being a little lazy (must have been napping), so after a few minutes the doctor came in and had to give him a buzz and wake him up. Just imagine a vibrator being buzzed against your abdomen... it tickles! But that got him moving and the doctor saw what he wanted to see, so the good news is he's doing just fine. So to sum it up: I'm not dilated or effaced at all (got a nice thick cervix going on); he hasn't dropped down into my pelvis (still floating around freely in there); and the fetal monitor showed that I'm not having any contractions yet. Unless something miraculously happens on its own before then, we're scheduled to go in to the hospital Sunday at 7pm for an induction. Jody is really encouraging Connor to come out on his own on Friday, 8/8/08. How awesome would that be if he was born on 8/8/08 and weighed 8 lbs, 8 ozs... I guess it's not too much to hope for the date, but the weight might be pushing our luck!

"No change"

2008-07-28T19:25:00.002-05:00

...The two words I didn't want to hear today. I've made it past the baby showers, buying a new house, and moving. So today, I was ready for some kind of change... but nope! A week away from D-day, and still NO change!! I guess that means we'll just keep on waiting....

Still alive and still pregnant

2008-07-24T19:54:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it. I'm still alive, and believe it or not still pregnant. We closed on both houses Tuesday afternoon and moved yesterday. And there have been kinks and bumps in the road, but we're here in the house and for the most part, all is good. Still waiting on the refrigerator though. Today is the third day in a row that I've been told by the builder, "it'll be there tomorrow." And tomorrow is the last tomorrow... if it's not here tomorrow he'd better go and physically pick one up himself and bring it and install it, or we'll go and get one ourselves and send him the bill. At least we do still have our old refrigerator, but it's in the garage so it's a pain in the butt to go out to the garage for everything. Plus, the icemaker can't make ice out there because there's not a water connection. So we have no ice. And I accidentally left my diet cokes in the cabinet at the old house... a nice housewarming gift to the young med student guy who bought the house. But some good news.. my new washer and dryer were delivered today! And as soon as we can get the dryer hose hooked up to the vent, I'll be able to use it! I'll fill y'all in on more later, but it's getting late and I'm ready to go to bed asap.

Quick Update

2008-07-10T20:55:00.007-05:00

I don't have time to talk much, but I just wanted to give a quick update... Plan C it is! We've come to an agreement on a contract, and we're even getting a refrigerator and a fence out of the deal! So at least I don't have to worry about buying a fridge, but I do have to get a new washer and dryer... yay! I've been waiting for the day to have a reason to buy a new washer and dryer... I was thrilled when our buyers asked to leave the washer and dryer in the house. So anyway, the new house is 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, split plan, and 2003 square feet. Here's a little preview:

This is it! I'm not wild about the colors of the paint (it is painted brick), but it's livable and can easily be changed when it needs new paint eventually. This picture was taken when we made an offer on the house 3 months ago, and the yard has since been sodded and landscaped.

This is the AWESOME laundry room

Master bathtub

Living room fireplace (it's 2-sided so it's also open to the dining room)

View from living room into kitchen

View from dining room into kitchen

Dining room fireplace

Kitchen (picture was taken standing in breakfast area)

Homeless? Maybe, maybe not...

2008-07-08T20:46:00.002-05:00

Wow, it has been a HELLUVA week... and it's only Tuesday! We spent all day Saturday house-hunting, and we came up with four choices: Plans A, B, C, and D.

We made an offer on Plan A, a new construction bank repo with awesome square footage in our favorite neighborhood. Since it was bank-owned property, we knew we wouldn't hear a response to our offer until Monday, so we waited (more waiting.. ugh!). All day yesterday, it was back and forth with verbal counter offers, but when it came down to it, they just weren't willing to work with us enough. So, Trustmark bank can go to hell and just keep on sitting on their property for another year. If they think that a repo (being bought as is, with no builder's warranty) can compete with other regular new construction, they deserve to keep it.

So on to Plan B, a new construction house right around the corner from Plan A that is a bit smaller but built nicer, has been on the market for 400 days, and whose builder has since passed away. We thought surely we'd be able to get a deal on this! So last night, we wrote an offer on it. Well as it turns out, the property is in foreclosure proceedings and shouldn't even be listed on the market because the bank can't provide a clean title on the house, and the listing agent didn't even know about it! (But she apologized profusely, and she's now removing the house from MLS listings and taking her sign down.)

Next option... Plan C, a new construction house we've had our eyes on for the last 6 months, and actually tried to work out a "trade" arrangement with the builder 3 months ago. We love the floor plan and it's a great size house, but we've (more like I've) questioned the neighborhood. It's a new subdivision that has only a handful of houses built in it so far, and only one house is occupied (a custom-built). The houses aren't the typical "French Acadian" style homes that are being built everywhere you look - they're more vintage, craftsman style homes, and that's part of what we love, that they're different from the other new construction that's out there. Hopefully other people will love it, too, and the neighborhood will start to catch on more. So we wrote the offer on it this evening, and hopefully we'll actually hear some good news tomorrow! I know this builder is desperate to get rid of his property because he's got 3 houses in there that have been sitting there for a very long time, and his agent has even been in contact with our agent a few times since we tried to make a trade with him, so I know he's been thinking about what we offered 3 months ago. Hopefully he'll jump on our offer this time, especially since he won't be taking on the debt of our house in a trade!

Keep your fingers crossed for us because now I'm not sure there really is a Plan D. If this house doesn't work out, I just don't think it's in the stars for us to move right now. But if it all works out (and I really think it will this time.. I actually have a good feeling about this one) we're planning to close on the houses and move in 2 weeks. And Connor is due 4 weeks from today! Talk about cutting it close!

Sale Pending

2008-07-01T19:39:00.003-05:00

FINALLY! We got an offer on our house on Saturday afternoon, countered the offer the same afternoon, and then waited.. waited... very impatiently waited. Then last night at about 9:30 we hear they've countered again, and... OFFER ACCEPTED! Yay! Now we've got to get a move on finding a house, or we will soon be homeless! But the big question is... will we close on the houses and get moved before the baby comes?? Connor, you'd better listen to Mommy right now... we need you to stay in there at least till your due date! Coming early will make things much more complicated, so please get comfortable in there and stay put for 5 more weeks. I'll give you whatever you want when you come out if you'll just do me this one huge favor!

Connor's Room

2008-06-24T00:41:00.004-05:00

I decided it's finally time to share a few pictures of Connor's room since we've got it all put together now. There's still plenty to do to organize it, though. I've just kinda put the various little baby things we've gotten in drawers and in the armoire to get them out of the way, and it all needs organizing. And the clothes need washing. And there's still plenty more we need to get. I have a window valance that matches the bedding, but I haven't hung it up yet. I haven't decided if I'm going to even bother with it in this house anyway.... Probably will just leave the curtains up until we move. I also have a diaper stacker that matches the bedding, but I can't figure out where and how to hang it... It's got 2 ties at the top of it, and I don't have a place to which to tie it. Then I've also got some letters that spell out his name that I'm going to paint and hang on the wall... I'm thinking it might be a project for tomorrow to finally get them painted. We'll see if I get to that. Oh yeah, my plan is to paint the walls blue... In the new house. We painted the room a nice, neutral "Belle Grove Buff" for now since we're still trying to sell. My agent would've had a stroke if I'd have painted the blue that I wanted! So anyway, this is where we are as far as getting his room ready. When I get the letters painted and hung on the wall, I'll post an updated picture.

Just Plain Gross

2008-06-05T17:53:00.003-05:00

I read this article just now. How do you feel about this? My MIL would never see her grandbaby again!

A little better...

2008-06-03T17:42:00.004-05:00

Connor was slightly more cooperative this time around... He started out with his arm in front of his face again, but we finally persuaded him to move it. Then the umbilical cord was preventing a clear view of his face. Then he decided to stretch out his leg and put his foot in his face! But I guess all in all, we got some better pictures than last time. I forgot to mention the other day that he measured to weigh an estimated 3 lbs. 12 ozs.... Almost 4 pounds! Wow!

Mini-Jody in 4D

2008-05-31T22:05:00.006-05:00

We had a 4D ultrasound done yesterday, but Connor was being uncooperative... He had the cord and his arm covering half of his face, and no matter how hard we tried, he refused to move his arm. We're trying again on Tuesday to see if we can get some better images. Even though these pics aren't great, I still think he looks just like Jody... definitely his nose. Because the cord and his arm wouldn't give us a clear view of his whole face, it makes some of his face look distorted in the pictures. Jody thinks he looks like the son of the elephant man, but it's just the way the pictures turned out. Poor baby.. I know he's going to be so cute, but Daddy was just being mean!

P.S.

2008-05-28T18:57:00.002-05:00

I forgot to mention that on Friday we're getting a 4D ultrasound done... so you can look forward to pictures! I hope we get some good ones. :)

Preggo Post

2008-05-27T20:30:00.015-05:00

Okay... after much request, here's an update on my latest experiences. For starters, some questions have been posed to me:
How do you feel?
Have you gained much weight?
Do you have any weird cravings?
Are you hormonal and emotional?
Are you feeling the baby move around a lot?
Is Jody getting excited/nervous?
Do you have a name picked out?

I've still been feeling pretty good, no major complaints. My feet/ankles have been having some slight swelling, but not too bad.... Just bad enough so that no shoe looks cute on my feet, and finding cute shoes that fit my fat feet is a bit difficult. When I wear my tennis shoes to work, my no-show socks in combination with the snug fit of the tennis shoes squeeze the fluid from my feet up to my ankles. So when I take my shoes off, my feet are normal size and my ankles are quite large in comparison. If I sit for long enough with my feet up, the swelling goes away, but any significant amount of time spent on my feet, and it's back again. I also have been unable to wear my wedding rings for quite some time now.. most of the time when I try them on, they are uncomfortably snug, so I don't really even try to wear them.

I'm not sure of the exact amount of weight I've gained because I try to avoid the scale these days, but my doctor says my weight gain is good (I'm right in the average range). I believe I'm right around about 25 pounds so far, and people have told me that I look like I've only gained baby. I guess it's possible they're just being nice.. I do think my butt and thighs may have increased in size a little bit, but I suppose that could still be just baby weight gain/fluid retention. I do have to say that my least favorite (least attractive in my opinion) part of my body is my arms, which have nothing to do with baby weight gain.. of course, I thought they were gross beforehand anyway.

I haven't had any weird food cravings.. I've had more food aversions, more like suppressed appetite. Strange, huh. Some of that may have to do with the fact that about a month ago I had some sort of stomach bug, and then a couple of weeks later I had another stomach bug. I think my GI system is finally now getting back on track... but still no major food cravings. One thing to say about food, though: I do love a good sandwich!

I have been a bit hormonal and emotional.. just ask my husband! It doesn't take much to make me cry... about half the songs that are played on the radio (especially country songs) will bring tears to my eyes if I listen closely enough to them! Anyone heard that new George Strait song, "I Saw God Today"? That last verse gets me every time!

I feel the baby move all the time.. he's a squirmy worm! One night when we were in the mountains, I'd just laid down on my side, and I swear he did a full body turn in there... I was like, "Whoah!"

I think Jody's pretty excited.. we both are. It's beginning to seem more real now that we're starting to buy some baby stuff and getting ready to move the furniture in. This weekend, we're moving out the furniture from our other bedroom so we can bring the baby furniture home and get the room ready. I guess we'll be setting up a nursery in this teeny tiny house, but maybe that's what it'll take to finally sell it. I don't mind doing it twice if it means finally getting out of this house!

We finally decided on a name this past weekend: Connor Joseph. (And NOT to be called "C.J.") It's the name we've had in mind all along, really... it just took us a while to decide that it was definitely THE name. Joseph is after Jody, my husband and baby-daddy, and he actually thought of Connor before I even found out I was pregnant. So I kinda feel like it was meant to be!

We got a couple of awesome gifts this weekend from Grandma Sandi...

The oh-so-cool Graco Pack-n-Play... it was fun putting it together! Then we took it apart and packed it back up. It's in the attic for now.
And the Lexus of carseats... a Britax! Connor will be riding in style (and ultimate safety)! It is also in the attic for now.

And here's another treat for your eyes... updated pictures of Preggers here:
This is while we were in the mountains (a spur of the moment, late-night desire to be photographed). I'm roughly 28 weeks in this picture.
Proud Mommy- and Daddy-to-be! We both have weird grins on our faces, and Jody thinks he looks as pregnant as I do.

This is from this past weekend... I am 29 weeks here in these pictures. (No, I'm not holding my crotch.)

Please keep in mind these pictures were taken at about 1am after being outdoors at a barbecue all evening.

Rafting ...from the River's edge

2008-05-26T19:07:00.000-05:00

Last week, we spent a couple of days at the mountain home in the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. Jody and I are both short on vacation time at work and trying to spare as much as possible for the big event (coming in just two short months!), but we took a short little 4-day weekend to meet my parents in the mountains. Since it's a 9-hour drive up there, we were basically left with only 2 days to play while we were there. Jody had never been whitewater rafting, so one of the days we were there, Jody, my parents, and my brother went rafting on the Nantahala. I wanted to go, but wasn't sure it was in my best interest given my present "condition" (as Jody calls it) since there's rough water, rocks, and 50 degree water (quite cold), and you never know if or when you might fall out of the boat. So I got to watch and play photographer from the riverside.

Here they are braving Nantahala Falls, the class III rapid just before the take-out.

This is still Nantahala Falls, and Jody is getting a face-full of that big wave (you can only see his paddle in the picture). Apparently my brother (guiding the boat) had been trying all afternoon to get Jody wet, and this is where he finally succeeded.... Way to go, Ben!

This is the "post-Falls" picture... my, Jody looks refreshed! Glad to see everybody's still in the boat!

And one more picture for the road! Now Jody's ready to try a kayak, so hopefully next time we're up there, we'll have time for him to take some kayak instruction and see how he likes it.

I can breathe now

2008-05-14T21:31:00.001-05:00

It's all done, finished, over with... bye-bye school, hello life!

Done, done, DONE!

2008-05-13T20:33:00.002-05:00

I am DONE with all my work for school, and I'll never have to do schoolwork again! What a great feeling! I only have to go tomorrow evening, take a quick (and easy) test and make a powerpoint presentation. I am so glad that after tomorrow night, I won't have to focus on any more dang school stuff ever again... and now I can direct my focus on more important and exciting things, like getting ready for Baby to come!

Anyone up for a Glucola?

2008-05-01T17:39:00.003-05:00

I had a doctor's appointment today, and this was the fun appointment where I got to do the glucose tolerance test to test for gestational diabetes. That means drinking the yummy (?) orange-flavored "glucola" and then having my blood glucose tested an hour later. The drink tasted like a flat Sunkist orange soda, but really wasn't as bad as I'd feared. And the good news is that I passed the test. Yay! I didn't, however, pass the hemoglobin test... my iron level is low (I'm anemic), so now I have to take iron supplements. Oh well... if that's the worst I have to deal with, that's great. No other fun stuff happened at the doctor today except for listening to baby's heartbeat with the doppler and measuring my belly. This was the first time to have my belly measured... I measured 29 weeks (I'm 26 weeks now), so doctor says he's gonna be a big baby! This marks the end of my second trimester, and now I'll start going to the doctor every 2 weeks instead of once a month. I can't believe that I'm already at the end of the second trimester! (And the house still hasn't sold!)

Other Stuff

2008-03-27T20:32:00.002-05:00

Here are Jody and me on Easter Sunday.... It was a bit chilly, plus I am the most pale that I've been in YEARS, so I had on pantyhose. Please ignore my swollen feet that are bulging out of my shoes! By the way, I was 20 weeks in this picture.

Also, my crib bedding set came today! It is so cute, and I am so pleased with it! I can't wait to put it in the crib (in a new house)! Here is a picture of the quilt in real life....
This is the rest of the set in the bag... I didn't want to take it all out because I knew I'd never get it all back in!

21 weeks

2008-03-27T19:44:00.004-05:00

Looking at the camera

Side profile

Arm and leg
Another side profile
Sweet little feet
It's defintitely a boy!!

Nursery bedding: check

2008-03-24T21:10:00.004-05:00

We finally ordered the crib bedding this weekend! I had really wanted to get the Pottery Barn Kids' Eli's Elephant, but they'd sold out of everything but the bumper so I had to find something else. Actually, I just checked and now they are out of the bumper also. So anyway, so much for that option... on to something else!

This is "My Little Farm", and I can't wait to get it... I hope it's as cute as in the picture! We got the six-piece set (that includes the quilt, bumper, fitted sheet, bedskirt, diaper stacker and window valance) and the musical mobile. I'm so glad to finally have this taken care of! I think I'm going to paint the walls a blue that matches the bedding (when we get in a new house... unless mine sits here on the market for a couple more months).

FOR SALE

2008-03-20T21:16:00.006-05:00

Two bedroom, two bath house, 1127 sq. ft., fresh paint inside and outside, great fenced back yard, spacious and CUTE! Perfect starter home!

It is officially for sale! So exciting, yet nerve-wrecking at the same time!

Any interested buyers out there?

Belly News

2008-03-08T21:24:00.004-06:00

I thought it might finally be time to post a belly picture, since it is starting to appear (more and more every day). This is me at 17 weeks:

And here I am at 18 weeks (now):

Bedroom Makeover

2008-03-08T21:02:00.002-06:00

BEFORE

AFTER

This is what we spent our Saturday last weekend doing... Painting the master bedroom and finishing painting the master bathroom (we'd already removed the wallpaper in the bathroom the weekend before). Two more chores marked off the list towards having our house up for sale.

Mississippi Weather

2008-03-08T20:32:00.004-06:00

Two days ago, it was 65 degrees and sunny. Yesterday, it turned cold and snowed all across the state. It was 50 for the high today, and tomorrow it is expected to be 65 again. Talk about some crazy weather. (It never really stuck to the ground... The temperature just hovered around freezing and the ground was wet from earlier rain.)

Thinking Blue

2008-02-21T20:03:00.002-06:00

Yes, that means exactly what you think it does... Looks like it's a boy!! We had a sneak peek ultrasound today, and we found a little wee-wee between his legs!

Furniture: check

2008-02-02T21:21:00.000-06:00

We bought nursery furniture today! It feels good to have that major thing taken care of now. We got the crib, dressing station, and armoire in espresso. Now, if only I could know what we're having... then I might could pick out my bedding! I'm thinking that a light green will be a nice wall color. The bedding collections I've found that I like that most are blue and green for a boy and for a girl, either pink and green or lavender and green. So far, my favorite bedding collections are at Pottery Barn. Garden Sprouts is one favorite for a girl. Eli's Elephant is my boy favorite. But we've still got some time before we have to decide on bedding, since we won't know what it is for about another month and a half!

I can see the light!

2008-01-29T20:20:00.000-06:00

I am three classes away from having my Master's degree in my hand! So somehow, I'm going to make it (maybe more like muddle) through three classes this Spring quarter (which starts end of February). I've never taken more than 2 classes at a time, and I haven't even had more than one class at one time in probably like a year. Plus, this is the first quarter that I will actually have to PAY for my tuition. :( Oh well, it was my decision to leave my job at the U, and definitely worth every penny I'll have to pay for these last 3 classes! I'm hoping it won't be all that bad... I know one class will have regular homework (Stats III... and it's been about 2 years since I had Stats II); one class should be a breeze (probably literally, more like a joke); and the other class should be moderately easy (and won't meet every week). Two of the classes are even on the same night and at the same time, but I'm gonna try to swing it! And if I can just make it to May, I will be the happiest person in the world! I can't wait to be done... Hallelujah, I thought the end would never come!

12 weeks

2008-01-25T20:03:00.000-06:00

Here is baby! Sweet Pea is getting so big... Today, he/she is almost 6 cm long! And the heartbeat was 174.. nice and healthy! Today's ultrasound was the most amazing so far. Pea was moving around so much, like almost doing a little dance inside my uterus! It was just so awesome to see Pea moving like that! We had a hard time getting a good picture because he/she was moving so much and on top of that was in sort of an awkward position. And the picture doesn't compare to how it looked on the screen... we could see face and hands and feet (which you can sort of see in the picture). The head is down towards the bottom of the picture, by the way, and you can see one little hand and the feet... I can also make out an ear and a nose when I look hard.

The reason the doctor did an ultrasound this time was because he said that a lot of times at 12 weeks, they have a hard time picking up the heartbeat with the doppler. And when they can't hear it with the doppler, they have to do an ultrasound (and by then, mom is panicking that something is wrong). So he likes to do an ultrasound to hear/see the heartbeat and also just to check that everything looks normal because a lot of miscarriages happen between 8 and 12 weeks. And I had no complaints about having an ultrasound! I won't have one next time (at 16 weeks), but at 20 weeks, we will have another one to see if it's a boy or girl! If only I didn't have to wait so long... it's killing me!!

Where's my Medicaid when I need it?

2008-01-24T20:29:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is our next doctor visit... and with no insurance! Great, huh? See, I left my old job December 28, which meant my insurance was good through December 31. I started my new job January 7, and consequently by the time I was able to apply for the insurance, it put me with an effective date of March 1. Wonderful! Two months with no insurance... makes me very uneasy. I could pay for COBRA, the insurance they offered to cover the gap when I left the old, but it's so expensive it's not worth it. Therefore, paying for tomorrow's visit will be all on us (and hopefully less costly than paying for a month of COBRA). At least the first doctor visit was covered on the old insurance, and the next visit and all following ones will be covered on the new insurance. I picked a fine time to change jobs! But even though it's created a bit of a hassle, it has been SO worth the job change just to be gone from that God-forsaken place! So, I suppose we can handle it... it's only one doctor visit.

PS... The good news is we will have new pictures tomorrow!! :D

Go Mississippi!

2008-01-17T21:30:00.000-06:00

I've been watching the first week of American Idol auditions.... Last night they were in Dallas, TX, and so far, I've seen two guys from small-town Mississippi make it to Hollywood! One guy is from Lucedale (south MS), and the other is a farm-boy from Saltillo (north MS). Awesome!

Here I Am

2008-01-15T20:11:00.000-06:00

Sorry guys... I'm still here, no need to worry. I haven't really had a whole lot to update, so that's why I haven't posted in a while. I've just been busy starting a new job, and on top of that, for the last week or so I've had a miserable head cold. My energy level has been negative... I think the combination of pregnancy, new job, and cold bug has just completely kicked my butt. I've been so lazy, lately all I've done is sleep!

Otherwise, nothing much really has changed. I'll be 11 weeks on Saturday, and my next doctor appointment is next Friday (at 12 weeks). We're supposed to have another ultrasound then, so I should have some more pictures to post. I still haven't had any morning sickness, so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that maybe I'm in the clear. I'm still waiting for my belly pooch to be obviously pregnant. Although I feel like I am pooching a little, I still feel like it's not really anything noticeable. Some people think I'm showing a little, but they don't realize it's just my belly fat that was already there! (These are people that haven't seen me in a while... a few years and several pounds ago!) Anyway, don't give up on me... I'll be back when I have more fun stuff to share... I promise!

So... maybe not the end?

2007-12-28T23:12:00.000-06:00

Well, it felt good to finally have a little bit of feedback, so I guess I'm feeling better about my blogging. I know my blog is boring and I never post, and when I do, I don't say much of anything... but maybe I'll still keep it around to share bits and pieces of my life when I get the time.

So I'll start with today... we had our first "prenatal" doctor visit this morning!! Very exciting. We had a sonogram and a brief visit with my doctor. I've never seen this doctor before, but I think I'm going to like him (plus, he's not too hard on the eyes, so that's always nice!). Anyways, by the ultrasound, baby measures 8 weeks and 3 days, so Dr. changed the due date from 8/9/08 to 8/5/08. I'm sure the due date will change again at some point later.. they seem to change it along the way. I don't care what day they say, I would like for baby to come on 8/8/08.. how cool would that be?! We're definitely in the window to land on that day. So I'll go back in a month, they'll do another sonogram, and we'll see how things are going! Check out my baby pics below! :D

Baby measures about 1.75cm and the heartbeat was like 167bpm... he's grown so much! We did a sneak peek ultrasound about a week and a half ago (thanks to my connections), and pea measured 6 weeks and 2 days (about 0.65 cm.. about like an English pea) with a heartbeat of about 127bpm. I have pictures from that ultrasound, but I don't have digital images. It is amazing to see the difference in size between the two! By the way, I am placing my bets on that it's a boy... if it turns out to be a girl, I will be very surprised... but definitely happy either way!

The End

2007-12-26T22:38:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I know I don't really post much of anything anymore these days, but lately when I do actually post, I don't get any sort of response from anybody. So I've come to the conclusion that: 1) my blog sucks and is completely boring; and 2) nobody bothers to read it anymore. So unless I get some sort of response to this post, I will assume that my conclusions are correct, and I will be closing my blog. It's been great, it's been fun, but after two and a half years, I guess my time has come. See y'all around!

Can someone interpret this for me?

2007-12-20T12:15:00.000-06:00

Because I was in such shock that I wasn't sure I was reading it right!

Daddy and me

2007-11-01T19:33:00.000-05:00

All said and done

2007-10-31T21:50:00.000-05:00

I've got a few pictures to share here.. and if anybody else has some, please share with me!

The happy couple... and stars of the show!

The funniest mother/son dance ever... she was sobbing the whole time!

Parents of the bride

The getaway car

And I had a blast!

But now it's nice to be back to "normal". :)

Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?!

2007-10-31T21:45:00.001-05:00

One week from today

2007-10-13T23:34:00.000-05:00

I'll be a married woman! I can't believe that the time has finally come, and I can't wait!!

Seven days and 7 hours from right now, our plane will be taking off... bound for Cancun!

Famous

2007-09-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

We're celebrities! Check it out...

Wrasslin'

2007-09-27T21:44:00.000-05:00

Bo and Newk love to wrestle... look at how big Newk has gotten and how fat Bo is now!

New Clothes

2007-09-27T21:38:00.000-05:00

What?

2007-09-07T16:59:00.000-05:00

You're The Dictionary!

by Merriam-Webster

You're one of those know-it-all types, with an amazing amount of knowledge at your command. People really enjoy spending time with you in very short spurts, but hanging out with you for a long time tends to bore them. When folks really need an authority to refer to, however, you're the one they seek. You're an exceptional speller and very well organized.

Take the Book Quiz.

Partly true, I guess, but I'd like to think that I don't bore people when hanging out for a long time!

2 years ago today...

2007-08-29T21:07:00.001-05:00

An anniversary that I'd rather not remember.... but is impossible to ever forget.

Paradise Awaits...

2007-08-24T21:19:00.000-05:00

The honeymoon trip is FINALLY booked, and I CAN'T WAIT to go here!

MOG-zilla

2007-08-12T21:59:00.000-05:00

The woman despises me... and I don't really even know why. The only reason I've heard is something that happened almost 3 months ago, and that wasn't even anything that I did intentionally. And if you don't already know what that was, it was that I did not list their names on the wedding invitation (when I designed it on the internet, but had not ordered them yet)... I didn't mind putting their names on there (and had even already considered it), but I was definitely offended by her dramatic display of disapproval (which was directed at me, but through J and not to my face). And I do have to admit, that in response to her actions, her and I shared some words via email. But anyway, I thought we were past that... I thought it was all over, said and done. But I guess only I was over it. Now though, for whatever reason, it has resurfaced, and lately it has made our life a living hell. I don't even know what to do anymore... mainly because I don't think there IS anything I can do, and that is the most frustrating part of all this. She won't talk to me directly about any issues she has with me, poor J has to hear it all (which he doesn't deserve). And at lunch today (where I was obviously not welcomed) she wouldn't even look me in the eye. There's no sense in even trying to start a discussion about it with her... She's so self-centered that she can't even hear what anybody else has to say. And I can't get over the fact that she is so focused on herself and how much she has been "hurt" that she can't even see the effect that her selfish drama has on her very own "precious baby" son. The position that she puts J in in the middle of it all only infuriates me more. It has stressed me out to the point that I think I'm out of words to say about it. I just can't wail until he and I go meet with our counselor on Thursday... I never thought I'd look forward to counseling so much!

Any advice? I'll welcome any!

Up on the Mountain

2007-08-10T00:28:00.000-05:00

I spent last week with my parents at our mountain home, Evensong, in western North Carolina. I didn't take as many pictures as I'd hoped, but I thought I'd share a couple of them with y'all....

Looking Glass Falls in Pisgah National Forest.

The Upper Nantahala River

Queen Ann's Lace

New Addition

2007-07-12T19:32:00.000-05:00

There is a new addition to the family... pet family, that is.

This is Newk.. my new baby that I rescued from underneath a car in the parking lot of Newk's Express Cafe. I thought about finding someone else to adopt him, but immediately fell in love with him and decided to keep him myself. He is the sweetest little thing!!

Magic Mushroom?

2007-07-10T23:05:00.001-05:00

Doo-doo + lots of rain = mushrooms!

I know that "magic" mushrooms grow on cow patties, but what about dog piles?

I wonder... Are they the same?

Take Note

2007-06-29T16:56:00.001-05:00

My birthday is one week from today!

Don't worry, I will accept gifts all month long.

Lesson

2007-06-17T16:46:00.000-05:00

Don't expect to get into the casino with an expired driver's license. If you are under 30 years of age, you must have a valid ID to enter.

Picture of the Day

2007-05-17T21:31:00.000-05:00

Does anybody know what this is? It is one of my favorite springtime/early summer things!

Still Here

2007-05-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

I know it's been forever since I've posted anything... I guess I just haven't had anything much to say or any time to think of anything to say. Maybe it's time to retire the blog? I don't know. For some reason I enjoy having it, and don't really want to get rid of it, but on the other hand I never have much of anything interesting to say.

Wedding? Okay!

2007-03-23T23:47:00.000-05:00

Previously:
Wedding dress = check
Church = check
Photographer = check

Recently accomplished:
Reception location = check
Florist/wedding planner = check
Caterer = check
Wedding band (mine) = check
Bridesmaid dresses = check (I think)

I think I've basically decided on the bridesmaids' dresses... Girls, I'll let you know ASAP so you can get on it! I've rented a 30'x60' pole tent to have set up on the church property for the reception... Everybody, start praying now for dry weather on October 20th! As far as the food goes... expect seafood, fresh from the Gulf ! (yummy) And I love my florist/coordinator lady... I just know she's going to do a wonderful job!

Ahh... WHAT RELIEF!! I'm so happy that (some) progress is being made!

Coming up next: rehearsal dinner, reception entertainment, wedding cake, invitations...

Doggie Buddy

2007-03-21T22:24:00.000-05:00

It was requested that I explain the photo in the previous post....

This is Archie. He is the wienie dog that lives down the street (and whose mama/owner does not take the best care of him). But that is beside the point.
Archie comes to visit us quite frequently to play with Mattie and Aubrey and just mainly, I think, to get some good love and attention from all of us. He's just the sweetest thing, and if he didn't eventually want to go back home, I'd be perfectly happy with him being a part of our family!

So to answer the question.. the picture in the previous post is Archie peeking at me between the boards of the backyard fence. :)

Just Checking In

2007-03-20T22:06:00.000-05:00

I'm still here... I haven't forgotten about my blog! Just been kinda busy lately, and haven't had much to write about. I will be back soon with a more interesting post (maybe)!

Progress Report

2007-02-26T21:09:00.000-06:00

Wedding dress... check
Church... check
Photographer... check

Everything else... we might have to do without! This wedding crap is expensive!! Reception site has been narrowed down to 2 possibilities, but neither place is really big enough. I'm in the process of talking with florists and caterers now. But you know what? I think we might just dress up, meet at the church to have a ceremony and hang out for a little bit, and take some pictures. Then, see ya later.. off to honeymoon! But oh yeah, we kinda need money to pay for the honeymoon, too... so I guess that might be out of the question. I guess we might could have a potluck reception, if the reception part is so necessary. Everybody, BYO food and drink! How does that sound?

Congratulations!

2007-02-20T21:14:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Heather and Jereme! Stella Rose was born today at 2:21pm... 7lbs, 8oz, and 19.5 inches long (I hope I got all that right!). And she is every bit of BEAUTIFUL! I got to hold her when she was only a few hours old, and I was in LOVE! :D Maybe someday I'll get to have one of my own...

Jackpot

2007-02-18T21:59:00.000-06:00

I finally got my taxes done and e-filed tonight. Now, in about 9 days or less... I should have my return deposited directly into my checking account. Thank heavens! What a relief to have that done!

Also, after working this weekend... it sure is nice to have that behind me, too! Working 10 days straight sucks! Only three more days to go to enjoy a nice 4-day weekend...

Grammys!

2007-02-11T22:32:00.000-06:00

I love the Grammy Awards! But even though I didn't get to see the whole event (didn't get home till after 7:30, watched DH at 8, and then realized they were on tonight 1/2-way through DH), I'm so proud of the Dixie Chicks! I love them, and I think they are awesome, and I'm so glad they racked up on awards tonight! Here's to the DCs (and John Mayer)! :)

Notice anything different?

2007-01-30T21:30:00.000-06:00

Check out my new link to the right... it's our wedding webpage at The Knot! Be sure to check back occasionally, too, as I will be keeping it updated as we plan out more details of the wedding.

Save the date

2007-01-24T19:05:00.000-06:00

Mark this date on your calendar:

October 20, 2007

I reserved the church today. Now.. It is starting to become a reality. This really is going to happen!

Scary!

Can I have your attention, please?

2007-01-21T19:21:00.000-06:00

I have a major announcement:

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!!

As of Friday night, I am officially engaged! WOW. It's been a dream for so long that it doesn't seem real yet. I am the future Mrs. Nichols! Woohoo! :D

finally.

Speaking of Weather

2007-01-16T21:01:00.000-06:00

Two days ago, it was sunny and 78 degrees. I had all the windows in my house open for like 4 days straight. Spring fever was setting in. I even broke out the flip-flops.

Today, the high did not even reach 40 degrees, and lows in the 20's tonight. There is even a chance of sleet and snow tonight and tomorrow. The windows have all been closed, and there's been a fire burning my fireplace since this morning.

What is going on here?

I am Queen

2007-01-16T20:11:00.000-06:00

I AM LAPDOG! And it is the most wonderful feeling on Earth!

Putting Christmas Away

2007-01-13T16:48:00.000-06:00

Today, I packed up Christmas and put it all back in the attic. I love Christmas decorations, but then on the other hand, it is nice to have my house back to normal and not feel so claustrophobic in my living room. While it's a little sad to know that another Christmas has come and gone, it's also a little exciting to know that another Spring is right around the corner. Or maybe, it's already here... at least it feels like it with highs in the upper 70's! I'm sure winter's not completely over yet, though.

Poor Bo

2007-01-11T16:49:00.000-06:00

I took Bo to the vet today to have some surgery... he's getting neutered and de-clawed. I was so sad to drop him off, knowing what he was going to be having done to him. :( And now, he has to stay at the vet tonight and tomorrow night, and I won't be able to bring him home till Saturday. Poor thing... I miss him!

A new attempt at dinner

2007-01-08T22:17:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, I'm making my first attempt at cooking a pot roast in the crock pot. Wish me luck!

Happy New Year 2007!

2007-01-01T15:16:00.000-06:00

I hope everybody had a great New Year's Eve! We went to a get together at some friends of ours' house (sorry Sarah, if my grammar/punctuation is incorrect!). We had a really good time, and somehow miraculously made it home without going through a roadblock! But, don't worry, we were prepared for roadblocks and did not drink and drive. (Well, one of us did not drink and drive.) I took a few pics and thought I'd share some.

Jody, that's not who you're supposed to be kissing at midnight!
Shane and Kayce
Gary and Eva
Cameron and Shanon
The girls.. Chelsea, Eva, Kayce, Shanon, and me
The guys (well, half of them)... Jody, Gary, Josh, and Cameron
Me and Jody
Me and Jody again

I hope everybody has a very happy New Year... I know 2007 is going to be a great year! And don't forget to eat your black-eyed peas, turnip greens and cornbread! I'm on my way to do that now... I can't be starting the year off on the wrong foot! And the diet starts tomorrow... ;)

My New Hobby

2006-12-23T22:58:00.000-06:00

This is what I got for Christmas. Now I've got to go read the book so I can figure out how to use it!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-23T22:13:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to wish everybody a very merry Christmas! I'm up here in New Albany visiting the family for the weekend, and I'll be traveling back home tomorrow because I have to work on Christmas Day. :( Not a whole lot to blog about right now, but I'll leave you with some pictures of Christmas.

This is my parents' Christmas tree.. with all the presents underneath!
This was a present to my Dad from my cousin.. an exact replica of the lamp in the movie A Christmas Story.
Here's MY Christmas tree... with presents underneath!
And the Christmas cookies that I made... I only made 4 dozen!
Here's dancing, singing Santa at my aunt's house. He's kinda scary!