Random Array

Tomorrow this little monkey turns 3 months old. I catch myself saying all the time "I like him." Good thing, huh? My mom's friend said, "You better!" She is right - I think I just mean I forget how much you can love your baby. Slump-a-lump is starting to chunk up a little bit, and is smiling and cooing all the time. So sweet! Soon he is going to stop snuggling with me so much and become more active. I am not ready for that! Don't get me wrong, I adore Turner, he is just in a more trying phase these days.

Playing in Jeremy's car - he has a thing with cars I guess?! Hot Wheels, here we come!

I heard someone say the other day that another girl really enjoyed her kids. I really enjoy mine too, and hope people see that. I have to be careful joking about them, because they really are wonderful blessings. However, they (like me) are sinners - and I find it hard to write on here how perfect they are. Just trying to paint a realistic picture. Funny - I say that, but I am pretty particular about what pictures go on here!

Had some random things to discuss. Is that really different than any other blog? Here goes...

1. I love the show Cake Boss on TLC. So good! When I was up at night with Turner as a baby, I fell in love with Jon and Kate Plus 8. Like, watched every episode. In fact, I still have a soft spot for Kate in my heart - may be the only one in America. But I digress.

Well, John Burke is sleeping through the night (averages 8 hours - we aren't to 12 yet! I expect it will be a while, but not complaining!) But, when I am nursing him (forgot how often!!), we have been watching recorded episodes of Cake Boss. There was a marathon on July 5th, so I recorded it and it is super cute! Buddy, the owner, is very creative and isn't scared to try anything to design. In the episode right now, he is making a cake because he got a key to his hometown. (Sidenote - did you know HHH has the key to Andalusia?? Sad fact, no actual key given, just a plaque. He might let you come look at it sometime.) Not saying it isn't scripted sometimes, and it does make me crave cakes!

Buddy creating a cake. Fascinating, right?

2. Since I have been craving cake lately, I took my mom to Dreamcakes the other day. She took one bite of the strawberry and wasn't sold. However, she bit into the Mississippi Mud cupcake and said "Wow, it is so decadent." Wonder why I can be dramatic? But she is right.

All of Mom and Dad's (Gigi and Pop Pop) grandkids in the best picture we could attempt

3. Loving some new restaurants around Birmingham. Chuy's is so good - we have been there three times. I went one other time, and there was a line out the door and around the corner just to get your name on the list. No thank you, we walked right in to Flip Burger. Another relatively new addition! And I picked up Urban Cookhouse the other day - also delicious!

4. Megan told me about Smockadot Kids on facebook. It is so fun! They put up posts a few nights a week with smocked and/or appliqued clothes. They put a price on it and sometimes include monogramming - the first people to write "sold" with your desired size and paypal account win! They send you an invoice. I act like you "win" - you do win, but you still pay! I got these 2 matching outfits with monogram and shipping for 50 dollars total. Pretty cheap! I felt the need to share this with blog readers. But I will have to kill you if you beat me out on a race for clothes one night!

5. The Galleria mall may be making a comeback. This should not be so exciting to me, but it is! I saw the other day that Limited is coming back. If you ask me, when Limited left it started going downhill...

This picture has nothing to do with the Galleria, except that Uncle Derek lives near there! Just thought you would like this fatherly picture with Chloe.

6. I will leave you with 2 stories from church. On Sunday, I was checking on Turner through the mirrored windows. Supposedly he can't see me, but that weasel always seems to make eye contact. Then he usually proceeds to walk to the door, press down on the handle and walk out to greet me. Ughh! But, he didn't see me Sunday. Our friend's son was near him and I noticed he was holding Turner's beloved paci. In 2 seconds flat, Turner whipped around, elbowed him and grabbed it back from him while he was on the ground. Did I mention he is in a trying phase??

Someone is psycho about his "Gucky" and paci

Second story - I was nursing John Burke (you can be freaked out - it freaks me out a little, too. But it is what it is) in one of the offices downstairs yesterday during Mother's Day Out. The children's director (a man) definitely walked in. I was covered up, but Slumpy's little feet were hanging out and he is so loud when he eats, so it didn't take him very long to notice what was going on. I tried not to be, but I was pretty mortified. I feel sure he has seen this before, but I would have been okay not sharing this moment with him. Bless his heart! I will be heading to a small dark room next time!

And, because there is not a shirtless Heath in this post, I had to add one! Brushing teeth the other night. Especially for Jami...

Slumpy

Okay, so I don't have a ton to write about lately, but I can't click on the blog and see that fruit pizza again. It is annoying me.

Sweet bug-eyed baby in his sleep sack. Thank you, Megan. Ever since you gave it to him, he has slept from 8-5:30. I love that!!

So, I thought I would write about this little monkey. We are still trying to come up with a nickname for him, since we use all the other nicknames on his wild big brother. The only consistent one is "Slumpy" because he is always slumped over in his carseat. Heath thinks this name is going to give him a complex, though. Nanny calls him "Baby John."

P.S. - Heath is not crazy about always having to be the background model for my pictures. You can tell his hot-natured self doesn't wear much around the house, and I think it is hilarious that it is accidentally documented. He doesn't find it as hilarious.

I took this Baby Buyer with me to Market in Atlanta on Friday. He was a champion!! I loved it. He loved his Infantino baby carrier and stayed in it from 10-6 without fussing at all (except for time to eat)! We thought it was funny that they made us sign our lives away on a waiver and print him a badge to get him in. Also, the lady printing it could not get Lindsey and me straight from our licenses. She tried to tell us that I was Lindsey and Lindsey was me - even handed her the waiver to sign. We don't look THAT much alike.

He got a lot of looks at Market. I forgot he was there, except that I could feel his weight on me. He slept all day. People would look at me with weird faces, and it would take a second for me to remember they were looking at him, not me. Most people were very sweet and loved on him, but a few people said "How old is he? Should he be here?" Thanks. But he did fine, thank you. At one point, he and I went between some showrooms in a back hallway to feed. I explained to these sweet ladies that I was sitting with on the couch that I never thought I would be one of those people that breastfed in public (except for last year at the Galleria at a birthday party when Abby kept photographing me by the carousel, thank you Abby C.). They were very sweet, and of course I had my "Hooter Hider" on, so as to keep it classy :). Anyway, we got to talking and they had just placed a large order at a store. The man who owned the store walked out and commented that we looked thirsty and proceeded to bring frozen margaritas out for all of us. Thank you, John Burke! Score for Mommy. He also earned some male leg warmers with his smile. Trying to figure out how to use them!

Slump Dog Millionaire with his friends Ford, Ann Reese and Averitt at play group - babies of some OMES friends of mine

Here are some of the finds from Market. How fun! We are going back in October to scout out some more fun jewelry for Christmas presents.

This little guy is so fun. I really want to encourage people contemplating or preparing to transition from one to two children that so far it has not been bad, thank GOD! I know that is not the case for everyone, but we are rolling along! Not to say everyday is easy, but not too many major meltdowns.

Turner at 2 1/2 months

John Burke at 2 1/2 months - do they look alike? Sometimes they do to me, sometimes they don't. I hear more often that they do!

Turner gets a little air time. Last week we went to a 30th birthday party for a friend. This car was parked outside. Turner has just learned to say "car", and he jumped out of our car squealing. I thought he was squealing about the balloons on the mailbox. However, this is what caught his eye. I picked him up to look at it, and he jumped in. At first I was embarrassed - Heath was already inside, and I was trying to get him out quickly. I didn't know whose it was!! I would run to one side, and he would run to the other. Then I went around, he ran back. Et cetera. Finally I figured I would get a picture with my phone and then gracefully dive in and capture him, which is what I did. I love this phase because he is talking so much more and making me laugh, but 19 months is WEARING me OUT! At least I am not pregnant and can halfway run after him!!

Breaking and entering at such a young age

July 4th Highlights

We were at the beach this weekend for the 4th. Here are some highlights:

Making good food - Heath's mom and I made this fruit pizza. We also made oreo balls (DELICIOUS!) not once, but twice while down there.

It rained some, so we hung out in the condo more than our last 2 trips. Turner is warming up to his brother. (Side note - he has not had a freak out about John Burke since he has been born. He has been indifferent more than anything else. He will not call him by name, but he will kiss him if we ask him to go kiss his brother or the baby. Progress.)

Turner became obsessed with hats ALL WEEKEND. It started with the Braves hat from the game last week. Then it was any hat he could find in the condo.

He found this one in MeMe and Pap's bedroom. He likes to point it out, put it on his head, then put it on your head.

We spent the day of the 4th with Megan and Kurt, and old and new friends in Rosemary Beach.

Probably won't frame this one, but the boys were looking:)

Very fun - here is a picture of their house!

And where we got to eat barbecue on the greens of Rosemary. Beautiful.

And hang out with all these kids and their families. Turner was in an excellent mood at this point - he went and took a nap so he could wake up and enjoy the fireworks.

He loved them, didn't mind the noise - but he did get tired.

His brother, however, was mesmerized. Hilarious. I kept picking him up saying things like, "Ooh - did you see that?" "Look!" (I tend to get out of control during fireworks. I LOVE them.) I even did a few fist pumps and screamed "That's what I'm talking about!" I forgot that I was holding the 2 month old instead of Turner. He didn't give me much of a response, but I like that he is starting out liking fireworks at a young age. Megan is a better mom than I am because she was covering Macey's ears. Oops. The finale was so amazing I needed sunglasses!!

And a side note - Turner is equally driving me insane and cracking me up. He has started pitching fits more often (no fun) and testing my patience a lot! But, he also entertains me to no end. On the way home from church tonight, Heath passed us on 280. I didn't see him, but I heard Turner yell "Hey!" He was pointing and waving at Heath. He also saw me check on him through the window at the nursery and did the same thing. He jumped on the table and started dancing and pointing at the window from his classroom. My friends (his teachers) think I am crazy - I was dancing back through the window. It is supposed to be mirrored, but Eagle Eye always sees me!

This is the picture from about an hour ago. I ran the bath water and went to feed the baby. This cat didn't want to wait, and just hopped on in in his shorts. Then, when we ran in there, he poured cups of water on him - just laughing and laughing. Heath says that Brad Paisley song "Water" is his theme song. He is right! You like him in the background?? :) I am putting this one up without showing him first...:)