Baking with my "Bestie"

Mondays are my cleaning days- I dust, change sheets, sweep floors, clean the kitchen, bathrooms, & bedrooms- everything in sight gets a good cleanin'! There isn't anyone who loves a clean house more than I do, & call me crazy, but I get quite a thrill out of vacuum marks on the carpet, the smell of Lysol in the air, & shiny silver faucets with no water spots on them! I like starting the week off with a nice clean house, & I have found that making Monday my official "cleaning day" helps me to get up & running for the week! It's a schedule that works for me.

But yesterday when my best friend Stacy invited Jett & I over to spend the day making Christmas cookies, I happily left the dishes piled in the sink & the dust bunnies nestled in their corners. I grabbed my baby, & flew out the door with my tub of cookie cutters & sprinkles!

We spent the day rolling dough, cutting out shapes of Christmas trees, snowmen, & candy canes, & rotating cookie pans in & out of the oven. Our little ones zoomed cars across the kitchen floor, & threw fits when it came time for a nap. We caught up on each other's day to day lives, laughed a whole bunch, & only cried just a little {we are best friends- we leave no stone unturned}. We baked & baked & baked, & at the end of the day I took home with me a bunch of Christmas cookies & a great big merry heart!

These are the kinds of days Stacy & I used to talk, imagine, & dream about before we ever became mommies. We could hardly wait for the day that our kids would play together, while we spent our days cooking, baking, & having coffee together! We had it all planned out & we imagined how it would be- but you know what? Turns out, these days together with our little ones are way better than we could have even imagined!

I count it such a blessing to be able to throw my responsibilities out the window for the day to go make fun memories with my best friend! I need to do it more often. Because at the end of the day, a clean house is nice; but it just can't warm your heart like baking Christmas cookies with your "bestie" can!

A Griswold Family Christmas!!

Tonight we rang in the holiday season like we do every single year--we snuggled up in our cozy jammies, popped some popcorn, & kicked back to watch our favorite Christmas movie of all time--National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! Every year we giggle, chuckle, laugh, & quote throughout the entire movie, & somehow, it never gets old! It's our own little tradition here in the Briles household, & we look forward to it every year! The Christmas season can't "officially" begin until we have checked this off our list. So with that said, it is OFFICIALLY Christmas time, folks!!!

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-lal-la!!!!!!!!!!

A whole lotta Thankful!

If I could bottle up the amount of "thanksgiving" I have felt over the past couple of days, it would be enough to last the whole year through! We had an absolutely wonderful holiday, & I am left feeling beyond blessed. We gathered together with family, counted our blessings aloud, & feasted until our pants no longer fit comfortably. There were countless moments throughout all of the celebrating that I paused for just a second & noted my thankfulness & blessings.

And if you ask Jett how his first Thanksgiving went, I believe he would tell you it was a huge success! He enjoyed every bit of the turkey, mashed potatoes, & homemade rolls {& probably a few sneaks of pumpkin pie}! But what he enjoyed even more was being surrounded by a love that is big enough to move mountains. As I watched all of our family pour out an immeasurable amount of love to our little boy, my thankfulness consumed me. Jett is so blessed. We are so blessed. We have an army of love around us, & there isn't much more one could ask for!

This year we have much to be thankful for- our precious little boy, a family who loves us, & friends who are there for us!

My life is fuller & richer than ever before, & I am a whole lotta thankful!

Top teeth & silly faces!

Houston, we have top teeth!!! Well, at least one anyways- one is all the way popped through, & the other one is toying with the idea of making its grand entrance! Very soon my little guy will be sporting a new pair of chompers to the world! These top teeth have been tough. The bottom 2 came in as a pair, & were no trouble at all, but the top ones decided to come in with bang! And by bang I mean, a very sore, very tender, snotty, fussy, drooly mess! They have worked our little Jett Jett over, & I will be so glad when they are finally in & his little gums feel some relief. We'll enjoy it for a little while until the next 2 decide to show up on the scene!

And on a lighter note, a little fun we are having! Jett has had us in stitches with laughter lately! His little personality is developing & if you popped in on any given night, you would most likely hear our home roaring with laughter. Jett is a little ham, & he knows it! He will do something & see that it makes us laugh, & continue to do it over & over, laughing in between! I'm tellin' ya- this family stuff- it's the best stuff there is!!! So here is his funny little face from last night!

He did this over & over & all the while, Jared & I just died laughing! If you ask us, he is the cutest, funniest little thing that ever existed & this funny little face just couldn't go without documenting!

In Everything Give Thanks

With the Thanksgiving holiday just days away, there could not be a better time to count all of the many blessings in my life. I am one blessed girl, & deep down I know it. I could rattle off hundreds & hundreds of things in my life that I have to be thankful for, & the list would go on for days & days. I know that I have MUCH to be thankful for, & that I am blessed beyond measure. But if I were to be real honest with you right now, I would have to admit that I haven't had a real thankful heart lately. In fact, I have been downright UNthankful lately.

Instead of focusing my attention on all of the many blessings in my life, I have spent much of my energy griping, complaining, & grumbling about the things & situations in my life that I find to be less than perfect. Over the past couple of days it has hit me like a ton of bricks that during this whole Thanksgiving season, I have really missed the boat. So, instead of making the typical list of all of the things I have to be thankful for in my life, I am going to make a list & be thankful for even the less than perfect things in my life.


So here goes...


1) Our house. We are bursting at the seams! Who knew that adding one little baby to the mix would make the closets overflow, the attic fill up, & the storage space under the stairs become jam-packed?! It's a tight fit, & lately I have let it drive me nuts. I find myself wishing my days away on things like a pantry, a walk in closet, & a place for all of my crafts & sewing. I haven't taken the time to stop for a moment & be thankful for all that I have in this house. It's not just a house, afterall- it's our home. We have made it ours throughout the years. So many of our precious moments as a family have taken place in this home, & honestly, the day I have to pack up & leave this home will be a hard one for me. I haven't taken a moment to realize that some people {even people I know personally} are losing their jobs & having to give up the place that they call "home". I haven't taken a minute to realize that at the end of the day, there is no where else in the world I would rather be, than right here in my cozy little home, all snuggled up close to my boys. So sure, our house is a little cramped, but I'm thankful for this house.


2) My "after baby" body. It just ain't the same. There are parts of me that are stretchy & saggy that weren't ever stretchy & saggy before. The abs that I once had- the ones I worked my butt off {literally} to get just a year before I got pregnant- they're gone. Loooooong gone. And once in awhile, {like lately} I find myself dwelling on the fact that I don't look the way I used to look. I haven't stopped to remember that those faint little lines on my once flat belly are there because I was given one of the most amazing gifts anyone could ever be blessed with- a life. God allowed me to be a part of the miracle of growing my very own child inside of me. I got to feel every movement, every kick, every hiccup. I have let myself forget that there are many women {even some who are dear to me} who aren't able to experience what I have been able to. Some of these women would give up everything they have to become a mother, to feel the aches & pains of pregnancy, just to one day be able to look into the eyes of their very own child. I haven't taken the time to realize that there isn't anything I wouldn't give up just to have my little Jett Jett in my life- my body included. He is worth every stretch mark & every saggy area on my body. Sure, my tummy isn't as flat, & my boobs aren't as perky, but it just means that I have gotten to experience the gift of being a mommy. I'm thankful for this "after baby" body.


3) Friends. Friendships change. We dissappoint eachother, take eachother for granted, & grow apart sometimes. Here lately, I have let myself become consumed with thinking about the different dynamics in some of my friendships, & I have let myself become angry, sad, confused, & dissappointed. I haven't taken the time to stop & look in front of my face at all of the many blessed friendships I do have. In the process of wallowing, I have forgotten that I am blessed beyond belief with friends that love me, encourage me, lift me up, & would be here for me in a second if I called on them. I have sweet friends that just tonight went out of their way to deliver homemade pumpkin cupcakes & to say hi "just because". Sure, sometimes friendships aren't perfect, because we are all just people, but I'm thankful for my friends.

4) Family. You can't live with em' & you can't live without em'. Let's face it, sometimes families can drive us to the brink of insanity. Well, at least mine can on occasion. Then throw the holiday season in there & all the planning, scheduling, & organizing that goes along with the season & it can be a world war just a brewin'. I haven't taken the time to be thankful for the fact that I have a family to spend the holidays with. I have people in my life that love me enough to work through all of the scheduling, planning & organizing if that means that we can all be together under one roof to spend time with one another. I have let myself forget that our families are the ones that when the whole rest of the world walks out on us, it is them that will rise up & do anything in their power to make sure we are loved, supported, & encouraged. Sure, families are nuts sometimes. We fight, we get on eachother's nerves, we don't always agree, but that's what makes us special & unique. I'm thankful for our families.

The bible says to give thanks in everything. Not just the good things- in everything. I'm pretty sure God says that because when we stop to give thanks, even in our less than desirable situations, we realize that we don't have it near as bad as we'd like to think we do. Even in the worst of situations that may arise in our lives, we can find things to be thankful & feel blessed for. I'm thankful for that! I'm thankful that I finally sorted it out in my own life & that in a couple of days, when our Thanksgiving festivities begin, I can sit around that big table, with all of my family surrounding me, & truly have a heart of thanksgiving.

Let the festivities begin! I'm ready & I'm not letting the Thanksgiving boat ride off without me! Happy Thanksgiving, people! Be thankful!

clean-up on aisle 6!

So I'm not quite certain if the antibiotic that Jett is taking is working or not{after 3 days of being on it, he is still tugging at his ears}, but one thing I am certain of is that it gives him one HORRIBLE case of diarrhea. Poor baby.

You can imagine how horrified I was when I went in to get him from his nap & found THIS...

This mommy thing is not for wimps. I'm just sayin'.

And now I finally understand why all of those moms cautioned me about having all white nursery bedding!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Ear tubes.

Just three days after Jett's 9 month check-up, he came down with a bad cough, runny nose, & was tugging at his ears. So we trucked back into the doctor's office {thank goodness our pediatrician's office is open on Saturdays}, only to find out that not only did Jett have an another ear infection, but he had a double ear infection. DARN IT!!! {This is his second ear infection in 2 months} We filled the prescription for that infamous pink amoxicillin & Jett took it like a champ for 10 days. That ought to have done the trick, right? WRONG! Ten days later, we finished up the last of the antibiotic, but I was still feeling like Jett wasn't 100%. I called the nurse & she said to keep an eye on him, & bring him in if he didn't seem better in a day or so. So Wednesday night, while giving Jett a bath, he looked at me, pulled his left ear & let out a little squeal {not a cry} as if he was telling me, "Momma...something is wrong." That was it. I knew first thing in the morning I would make an appointment.

So yesterday we trucked back to the doctor's office, & surprise surprise- his ears are infected. As I sat there in the chair, I felt like someone had kicked the wind out of me. I felt like a failure as a mom, I felt like I should have prevented this, that somehow I could have done something to keep him healthier, & I couldn't help but ask if all of these ear infections are the cause of something I am doing wrong. The doctor reassured me that it has nothing to do with me or anything I am doing or not doing, but rather it is the anatomy of Jett's ears, & that some children simply have smaller sinuses & all of that "junk" just settles in there & creates infection. Our pediatrician isn't quite sure at this point if Jett aquired a new ear infection in two days, or if the amoxicillin just didn't clear up the existing one, so we are starting a new {stronger} antibiotic to see if that will do the job. We will be making many more visits to the pediatrician's office so that Dr. Moylan can monitor Jett's ears & find out what exactly is going on in there & if the prescribed antibiotics are getting to the infected areas. After some close monitoring, we will then find out if a trip to the ENT specialist is going to be necessary. Frustrating? Very much so. I have found that there is nothing more painful than watching my own child suffer & there is nothing as a mom I wouldn't do to make him feel all better. So, that's what I'll do. I'll make a hundred trips the pediatricians office if need be, I'll go to whatever specialist I need to go to, I'll make sure his environments are clean & clear so that his sinuses are not irritated, & hopefully, my little guy can finally get some relief.

Who knew that such tiny little {cute} baby ears could drum up so much trouble?

Oh, & one more thing...just for the record. Jett has his Daddyboy's ears.

I'm not kidding...Jared's mom told me that Jared had tons of ear infections as a child & when I mentioned this to Dr. Moylan, he reassured me that I have every right to blame all of this on Jared! Haha.

Well, that's our latest.

Happy Weekending!

prayer friends

Every Thursday night, at exactly 10 0' clock on the dot, my phone rings. And on the other end of the line is a friend-but not just any friend- a friend that is a treasure among treasures! I met her at church several years ago & we ministered in the youth ministry together. Sunday after Sunday, & Wednesday after Wednesday we spent time together & somewhere along the lines, God knitted our hearts together. I love when God does that. When HE chooses my friends for me. They always turn out to be the best ones!

This friend I speak of, Deb is her name, is one of the most amazing blessings that has ever come into my life! She is one of the smartest, funniest, wisest people I know. She has a heart of gold, & I know that her ultimate desire in life it to serve the Lord! She is one of the most selfless & giving people you'd ever meet, & her heart just shines through the way she loves others, me included.

For some reason, over the years, Deb has kind of taken me under her wing. She has become much like a mother figure & mentor in my life, & I have learned so much from her just by being a part of her life. She is the best cook I know, & when I was in the last days of my pregnancy, she spent an entire day in the kitchen with me, teaching me how to cook some amazing dishes, some nifty tricks to use, & sent me home with a stack of recipes as big as a phone book! We ended up cooking about a months worth of meals to freeze that day, & boy, oh boy, did those meals come in handy when my new baby arrived! She has children who are young adults, & I have watched the way she mothers them, her concern for them, her deep deep love for them, & I have learned so very much about motherhood by simply watching her relationships with her own children. I have witnessed her love for the Lord, & how even though she has faced so many trials, she hasn't wavered in her faith. Even when the knocks of life have beat at her, she has kept her eyes on the Lord & waited for His direction. I have learned a lot about faith by watching her faithfulness.

Well, recently at a time in my life when I needed it most, Deb nestled me right up under her wing once again. This time, she asked if we could start praying together. She explained the burden on her heart for my little family, & how she wanted God to protect Jared, Jett, & me & use us for His glory. But what Deb was clearly saying was that she loves me. That she wants the very best for my life as a wife, a mom, a friend, & daugther in Christ. My eyes immediately filled with tears when she asked me, because at that moment I could truly feel just how much I am loved by my dear friend. There are few friends out there that will sacrifice a little bit of their lives, so that they can bless someone elses life, & I am lucky to have one of them!

So every Thursday night at 10, we turn off the television, we close down facebook, we set aside the distractions in our lives & we take some time to go to the throne of Jesus Christ. We share our joys, our sorrows; our triumphs, our struggles. We pray for our children, & for our marriages. We pray about things in our daily lives, & things that are far far in the future. And when we hang up, I don't know about her, but I feel refreshed. I feel thankful. I feel blessed.

Sometimes, God comes to our side, comes as a friend, comes as a comforter through someone else. I believe He loves me through my friend, Deb. I believe that mine & Deb's hearts are knitted together for a specific reason, & that it isn't coincidence. I believe that God saw a need in my life, & is allowing Deb to be a tool to minister to my heart & life, & I hope I can be the same tool for her {or maybe for someone else one day}! I am so blessed to be loved by my Lord, & by my sweet friend!

So tonight at 10 o' clock when my phone rings, I will lay aside all the "stuff" of this day that doesn't matter, & spend some time with my prayer friend!

**Matthew 18:20- For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

boys will be boys

Boys love forts, & even at the young age of 9 months old, my little boy is no exception!

This morning we decided to build a fort out of blankets in the living room! We played peek-a-boo, hide & seek, crawled through it, under it, over it, & round & round it! Yep, blanket forts in the living room are the best, & I'm so glad my little guy agrees!

I absolutely LOVE my days with this little boy!

**Please excuse the runny, snotty nose. His top teeth are trying to come in, & it is a mess!**

Turkey Tuesday!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, & we couldn't let it pass by without the making the traditional handprint turkey craft! Especially when I just so happened to have a very adorable handprint in the house this year! *wink*

Not only are these cute little handprint turkeys a great craft to do with your little one, they also double as a sweet keepsake! I plan to mail these along with a cute Fall picture of Jett to all of his grandparents, aunts, & uncles! It will be a fun way to watch our little "turkey" grow through the years!

productive Saturday!

Bright & early Saturday morning, we loaded up the car with everything except the kitchen sink & headed over to my in-laws for a day of work!

I really wanted to get Jett a bookshelf for Christmas this year, & after some searching, I found one from Pottery Barn Kids that I really liked. After talking it over with Jared, he took one look at the picture, & made the decision that he & his dad could easily take on this project {love my handy husband}! It would be something special that the two of them could do together & it would save us 300 bucks! Bless my father in law's heart- he spent so much time making the plans for these shelves. He took numerous trips to Pottery Barn Kids & Home Depot. He measured every corner, noted every detail, & chose all of the best materials {he's an engineer, so all of this is right up his alley}- all in an attempt to make Jett's first set of bookshelves nothing short of perfect! When we arrived & walked into his garage, I noticed that he had the Pottery Barn picture printed out, hanging on a small nail above his workbench, & my heart couldn't help but smile. This man loves his grandson. He loves us. Oh, how blessed we are. So, the boys worked & worked all day long & the sounds of hammering, banging, sawing, & laughing echoed from the garage.

Meanwhile, inside the house, my mother in law & I were hard at work, as well! A few months ago, I ordered some beautiful fabric to be used to make new curtains for my living room. Well, time kept passing, & my beautiful fabric just kept sitting in a corner on a bolt simply waiting to be turned into a gorgeous finished product. Problem is, I ordered the fabric without having any clue as to how to sew curtains! That's where my mother in law swooped in & saved the day! She told me to pick a day, & we would turn that beautiful fabric into beautiful curtains! I was too excited! Just as my father in law had gone over every single detail for Jett's shelves, my mother in law had been busy going over every measurement, every detail, every seam & stitch for my curtains! She sat right by my side, walking me through every single step, so that not only would I have curtains at the end of the day, but I would also have the knowledge to make curtains all on my own one day! She let me do the measuring, cutting, & sewing, but she was definitely the mastermind behind the project! We spent the day measuring, cutting, pinning, sewing, chatting, & of course, laughing! My mother in laws sewing machine is many years old, & doesn't run as quiet as the new ones do, & everytime the boys would hear it from the garage {yep, it's that loud}, they would say, "Sew like the wind, girls!" Haha. And that is exactly what we did!

It was such a fun & productive day! All of us were pooped by the end of it, but were also pretty proud of all that we had accomplished! We still have more panels of curtains to do, & the bookshelves are awaiting a few finishing touches, but that's okay with us because it just means that another fun work day is in our future!

We left my in laws with so much to be thankful for! We had shared a day of love, laughter, & learning! We left feeling blessed beyond belief because of the amount of love we are surrounded by. We left with a little bit of knowledge that we didn't have before. And we left with memories that will last a lifetime. I am excited to one day pass down all the love, encouragement, & knowledge to our own children the way it has been so graciously passed down to us. Now, that's what a productive Saturday should look like!

Here is a picture of what the guys got accomplished! And darn it, I forgot to get a picture of us girls, so you'll have to wait on that!

flashback friday!

Well, I am knee deep in a project I took on very late in the game- Jett's one year photo book. I started it around a month ago, & am finally in the 7 month! YAY!!! I can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel! The fact that I take thousands & thousands of pictures {it isn't uncommon for me to take a thousand pictures in one week} doesn't make this project a simple one. There are so many good photos, & choosing which ones to use to reflect Jett's first year of life has been daunting! That would explain the reason why I am already up to 50 pages in the book- because there were many photos that I just couldn't decide between! The task of going through each & every single photo alone would send a normal, sane person running. But not me! I'm a crazy person. I tend to take on more than I can handle, bite off more than I can chew, have an overflowing plate at all times, but I justify it all by saying that someday down the road, it will all be worth it. And I truly believe that. I wouldn't spend so much time & energy capturing our memories & lives if I didn't believe that it matters, somehow. So next time I'm on here blogging about how I'm about to blow a gasket because I can't keep up with the housework & errands, you can kindly remind me that I bring all of this on myself!

So, while I was going through each & every single photo, I couldn't help myself but to post some on here. It's photos like these that are dangerous for me to look at. They make me all nostalgic inside, & actually want to be pregnant again...I told ya I was a crazy person! Oh, be still my soul!

Here's a little flashback for you!

Move over, Martha!

Happy Wednesday!!

Jett & I are both still on the mend, so we decided to declare a "jammie day" for ourselves & just lounge & have an all play-no work kind of day! We both enjoyed the relaxed schedule & agree that we need more of these kinds of days! When Jett took his afternoon nap, I got a crazy wild hair to do something crafty {I tend to do that on occasion}!

Jett sleeps with a little soft blankie-he is pretty attached to it, actually. If he's cranky or tired & we give him his blankie, he nestles it right in between his thumbs {that he sucks at the same time} & that always does the trick! These little blankies are adorable, & are the perfect size- especially for travelling with. We have several of them, but I like to wash them frequently, so having a few more on hand would be nice.

So, last week I went into one of my favorite little baby boutiques where I had purchased the little blankies before, only to find out that the owner was no longer carrying them. I decided at that point I would just find & order one online. But then today that crazy wild hair struck, & I decided to take matters into my own hands!

I went to town digging out all the scraps of fabric & ribbon I could find, threaded up the sewing machine, &

TA-DA!!!! A brand new, super adorable soft blankie for my little guy!

It has a few little imperfections, but for my very first one, I am pretty pleased! Plus, I saved about 30 bucks by making it myself! Can't beat that!

Oh, & on Saturday my mother in law & I will be making new curtains for my living room! Take that, Martha Stewart!

quick update

Two updates, actually.

The first update: Our little meatball has upgraded his "dead leg crawl" to a real, full on, hands & knees crawl as of today! I screamed "NO!" when I saw him do it! I swear this child is going to force me into pregnancy again real soon if he doesn't stay a baby!

Also, we have ditched the little baby bath tub {the one he hasn't fit into for quite some time now, but that I insisted on squeezing him into in an attempt to keep him little}! He is officially a big boy scrub a dubbin' in a big boy bath tub! He absolutely loves it! And he's pretty darn cute in it, too!

The second update: The little surgical procedure I had today went just fine. It was quick & I didn't feel a thing! I'm not feeling so hot right now {as the numbing medication is wearing off}, & I am not supposed to shower for 48 hours (blek) but other than that, I am good! Thank you to those that sent your prayers up on my behalf! You are a blessing & I love ya!

Consider yourself updated! Goodnight :)

SPF- my new BFF

Have you ever put something off, avoided it, pushed it to the back of your thoughts because you were too scared to face the reality of the outcome? Well I have. I have been d0ing it for years, actually. Let me tell you what's up...

I have light skin, light hair, light eyes, & lots of moles & freckles. I'm pratically a walking billboard for the type of person that should NOT expose themselves to too much sun. But that sure hasn't stopped me. All through high school & college, I worked in a tanning salon & tanned as much as I pleased {which was waaaaaay too much}. I have spent every single summer laying by the pool, bumming it at the lake, & booking trips to Florida, The Bahamas, & Mexico {anywhere the sun is sure to blare}. Summer wasn't summer to me if I wasn't sporting a sun kissed look!


I knew all along that I wasn't being kind to my skin. I knew that there were risks. I even knew that I was high risk, but I just kept on pretending I was invincible- that it would never catch up with me. Welp, it has finally caught up with me.


Over the past several years, I have noticed some freckles/moles on my skin that just don't look quite right. I have been scared to death to have them checked out in fear that the outcome will result in that big, scary, terrible word that affects so many people every single day- cancer. Instead, I just have been going along everyday, pretending nothing is wrong, shaking the anxiety when it arises. At least that's what I WAS doing...until I looked into the eyes of my little boy. When I look into the eyes of my very own child, my life takes on so much more meaning. I see a baby who needs his momma. A baby who needs his momma to be strong & healthy, & to take care of herself. Not a momma who refuses to do the right thing because it's a little scary. So I booked the appointment with the dermatologist & fretted until the day of the appointment finally arrived.


It really wasn't as bad I had anticipated. I went in, had a full body check, found that there were indeed some concerns, got all numbed up, & had the 3 moles in question removed & sent off for biopies. I received a phone call from the nurse 10 days later stating that 2 of the moles had come back benign. While I wanted to sigh a big sigh of relief, my mind went a million miles an hour thinking, wait a sec, there were 3 removed...there was still one left. What about THAT one?! Well, turns out that one of the biopsies came back with abnormal cells. So what that means is that tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., I will be having a procedure done to cut the mole completely out so that it can be sent out for another biopsy. I don't know much about what is going to happen- I'm not sure I really want to know how it's all going to go down. I have refrained from googling it, because I don't want to be up all night freaking myself out. I know that several layers of skin will have to be cut, & there will be stitches, & all of that makes me nervous & a little squeamish. I've never even had stitches! I'm sure everything will be okay, but if you think about it, say a prayer for me tomorrow- for my nerves, the pain, & the results. Thank you, friends.

Oh, & as for the future? SPF & are I going to be real good buddies. And I will NEVER EVER step foot into a tanning salon again. It is so not worth it.

Fall Leaves

I love the way God paints his canvas this time of year, with strokes of the most vibrant shades of reds, oranges, golds, & yellows! I find myself scanning over the tree tops, picking out my favorites{usually the deep red ones}, & simply admiring the work of my Father in heaven! What God does with His canvas this time of year is beautiful. It is gorgeous,. It is majestic. Yesterday, God set the most beautiful backdrop, & we played in it, basked in it, & soaked every bit of it up! Luckily, I brought along my camera {& my mom} to capture a little piece of it!



Happy Weekend! Get out there & play in the Fall leaves!

9 month checkup- check!

Meatball had his 9 month check up yesterday, & checked out just perfect! Here's how he weighed in!

Weight- 19.15 (5oth %)

Height- 28.5 (75th%)

We're excited that he didn't quite make it to 30 inches just yet- that means we get another inch & a half out of the carseat we have before we have to go & drop a pretty penny on a bigger one!

Dr. Moylan said that with how well Jett is taking to solid foods, that we can start him on cow's milk now if we want! I wasn't expecting that, but we are going to slowly introduce it until we are all switched over!

It was a quick & easy check up, but of course ended in tears because of that darn flu shot!

Jett is continuing to pull himself up on things, & today he even let go for just a second & stood on his own! He quickly plopped to his bottom, but it was enough to surprise both him & me! He gets the cutest little proud look on his face when he pulls himself up on his own! He knows he is doing something big!

He is into absolutely everything which makes this busy momma an even busier momma! But as busy as it is, I wouldn't trade seeing these little milestones first hand for ANYTHING! It's like he develops over night, & I am so very thankful that I get to see every single "first" right before my own eyes! It is a blessing I surely do not take for granted!

Here are some pics of my busy little guy! Happy Thursday!

It's time...

The past 9 months, I have used every possible excuse to delay working out--my leg is too weak from the nerve damage, I'm breastfeeding, I'm tired, I don't have time...yada yada yada. Well Monday marked the beginning of a new month, the beginning of a new week, & a perfect day to throw excuses out the door!

So Monday morning, I got up at the crack of dawn, dusted off the ol' running shoes, & hit the treadmill! It's time to get back in shape{ & get rid of these pesky 6 lbs that have been hanging on for dear life}!

The girls from our play group & I decided to do the Couch to 5k running program together! My friend Katy from the group has done the program before & said it works great! I am very excited to get back into running & to have some accountability along the way! Jared & I would love to run the Chicago Marathon someday- it is a dream & goal that we want to accomplish as a couple- perhaps this could be the start of that!

I can proudly say that day one of Couch to 5k is COMPLETE! It felt really great to finally be running again- well, after the feeling that I was going to throw up had passed, that is!

one of "those" days

I'm gonna take this moment to gripe just a bit. Scratch that, I'm gonna take this moment to throw a full fledged hissy fit. If you don't want to hear about my terrible day, you may want to quietly exit now. If you've don't mind a little whining & complaining, grab the popcorn, sit back, & get ready for an earfull.

I'm overwhelmed. I'm cranky. I am all outta whack right now. I feel like nothing in my life is in order right at this particular moment. I've got probably 10 different to-do lists laying around, & I am terrified to combine them into one list, because I'm afraid that, that one {very big} list just might send me over the edge. I have so much on my plate right now, & my mind is just spinning. I don't know where to start.

Jett isn't feeling good, & I realize that's probably the reason he screamed bloody murder ALL day long. But after 6 hours of it, I had had it. I was done. I tried holding him, playing with him, singing to him, nothing worked. He just wanted to scream...so I let him. At one point I had to just put him in his jumperoo & let him scream it out. Not fun.

My feelings are hurt right now. Jett is preferring Jared over me these days & though I am trying to not let it bother me, my efforts aren't working. I should be thankful that he loves his DaddyBoy so much {& I am}, but I can't help but want to scream, "I only carried you for 9 months, I only take care of you EVERY single day, wipe your nose, your butt, & whatever else needs wiping, & you are going to cry & reach for HIM????" I am sure it is a phase, & I am probably being a tad sensitive, but I can't help it. It bothers me. Oh, & when Jared came home tonight, guess who was happy as a clam, & never cried a bit?! I guess he got it all out during the 6 hours he cried with me.

Today I ventured out to Babies R Us, Sam's, & the grocery store {what was I thinking}. By the time I finished shopping at the grocery store, I was just ready to get home. But nope! I had to bag my own groceries at Hy-Vee first! I was so ticked! It would be different if they were short handed, but I watched as TWO managers chatted it up without a care in the world! Ugghhh. Then the really fun part of that trip was carrying in all of those groceries, huge box of diapers, & various items from Sam's that were scattered about the back of my Jeep because you know, they don't believe in grocery bags at Sam's. And don't let me forget to add that all the while, I had a screaming child on my hip, so I had to unload everything one handed. Oh, what fun!

And just one more thing, & I'll be done. Housework. I am so sick of the stinking housework. Every time I turn around there is a dirty pile of laundry to be washed, or a basket full of clothes to be folded, or the dishwasher needs loaded, or it needs unloaded. It never ends! I am so sick of dirty laundry & dirty dishes, I could spit {or actually verbalize the cuss words that are running through my head}! I feel like I'm barely treading water with the housework, & any minute I could drown in it. Any hints as to how you stay at home moms make it all work?

Well, I suppose I have had enough of a gripe session. Now I have to go & humble myself & apologize to my husband who I was grumpy with when he came home from work.

Hissy fit over.

{Oh, I know I usually add pics to my posts, but trust me- you don't want a pic of this day. It wasn't pretty.}

9 months!!!

Would the person who took my sweet little baby & exchanged him for this teenager please return him?!

Seriously, doesn't he look so big?!

And as if I wasn't grieving enough at the fact that my baby is growing up, he goes & does this today!!

Happy 9 month birthday sweet boy! I love you so much! Now stop with the growing up!!!