Busy but Fun weekend

Just a glance of what all we did this weekend:

Friday: Austin and Josh went to the WWII museum while Colby and I went walking with Casee and Baby Jax

Friday Night: We met Austin's parents in Slidell at the Cracker Barrel. It was a really nice visit and good food too!

Saturday: Austin worked I went to the movie to see Shutter Island with Laura. My parents kept Colby.

Saturday Night: We just hung out at home and ordered pizza. Colby devoured most of mine!

Sunday: Sunday School we actually had Colby and Amara in class. I was glad there was another kid again! Colby played really well with her too. Austin and I got to sit in church again together! We ate lunch at McAlister's and Colby ended up pitching a fit...think he was just overtired from the business of the weekend.

Sunday Night: Laura came over to eat hamburger with us. Her husband Josh had to work. We had fun we ate played with Colby and took a walk. It was a fun evening for all of us!

I would say we had an awesome weekend it was very busy and I was almost glad to see Monday come for life to slow down a little! But we had a great time I was glad both Austin and I got to hang out with our friends this weekend!

Doggy Jail

So Austin bought Allie a new kennel this week...long story but we are having issues with our neighbor saying Allie is barking all the time. She went as far as to call the cops on us last Friday when we weren't home. So now we have to be careful about leaving Allie out when we are gone for long periods especially in the evening. Well Austin decided that our kennel was just not big enough so he went and got the EXTRA EXTRA LARGE size one. I think its made for Great Danes. Anyway I think Allie likes it and she does have more freedom to move and she can watch us more and feel like she can interact even though I think she liked her little cave too.

Well when we set it up Colby had to try it out first he loved it. He still gets in it and just laughs and laughs! Check out the pictures what a good time he had!

Romping at the Gym!

Today was gymrompers class...it felt like forever since we had been since class was cancelled last week with Mardi Gras. I was so glad to go back. Colby just loves it! And its a great outlet for him to get out some climbing energy. As always he had a blast. He spent most of his time climbing and sliding those seem to be his favorite things. He also interacted with other kids a little more this time. He seems to get closer and want to hang out with other kids more and more. He picked a little girl Ruby and a couple boys to kinda hang by! So cute you can tell he already picks favorites. He still does really well as far as not getting ugly with other kids. He did take a ball away from a little girl but he doesn't really do it ugly I think he just doesn't understand yet that you can't do that. I tried to explain that she was playing with it right now. But most of the time if a child is on something he just stands there and waits until they are done. I am so proud of him. He sized up a little boy really well who had a paci in his mouth. I never let Colby bring one in there so he just looked at him like why come your momma lets you have that? I was afraid he was going to try and take it but he didn't. He just stared for a few minutes. He did the same thing the last class with a boy who had a sippy cup. He stops and observes other kids too which I think is funny I just wish I knew all that was going on in his head.
Our only tantrum at Gymrompers was when it was time to clean up the instruments. He always picks the same blue shaker thing and never wants to give it back. His fav color is blue and I think this is partly why! He thinks that is a great treasure. Anyways I finally pryed it away from him---the teacher said he could keep it that she thinks he is too young to understand but I don't think he is. I don't want to get it started to where he thinks he is special and gets to keep something when all the other children clean up....plus we are trying to teach him that he doesn't always get his way. I don't think children are ever too young to learn that. He was over it in about 3 minutes anyway. Also with the instruments he is so funny when it comes to that time, he can be all the way across the room and when those come out he runs over to the circle. He does the same with the animal puppets. I can't get him to sit in circle time anymore but I know he is learning the stuff even though he's moving around b/c he knows enough that when she starts singing about instruments or puppets he runs over there.
Another new thing he is doing this week is bringing books to bed and I have to say its the most adorable thing ever. Since he gave up the bottle I have been reading a book to him every night. Well last night he wanted to bring the book with him to bed. So this morning I hadn't heard a peep out of him at 8:45 so I decided I better go wake him up since we had Gymrompers. Well I walked in his room and he was awake he was just sitting up reading his book. Same thing after nap. So again tonight he wanted his book to take to bed. I am so happy I hope he is a reader like I was! He has tons of books but now I want to buy him more especially the soft kind or board books b/c those are good ones for him to bring to bed. Ones that he can't tear or mess up the pages! I don't mind starting his practice now b/c I always said even when he gives up naps he is going to have some type of quiet time so I can have some peace so maybe he will enjoy laying in his bed and reading when he is 4 and outgrows naps!

Growing up so fast

my big boy now

my little baby boy this time last year!

So this morning we officially registered Colby for school. Well its Mother's Day Out but still close enough. He will attend in the fall. He will go Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-12. We just went to the church today to get the form and ended up going ahead with it before they book up. Apparantly these type of things fill up fast. They gave us a tour and it looked like a nice cute little place. I hope he enjoys it next year. I am looking forward to the 2 days a week for mommy time. My plan right now is one day run errands and the other come back to the house and clean. Its just hard to believe my little man is old enough for this. I think it will be good for him to get used to a "school" atmosphere and he also enjoys learning so much he should like it! They have 10 kids per class with 2 teachers so that sounds good. So that is what we did! Just kinda bittersweet to say my baby is going to be a big boy going to school in September!!

what we've been up to

This is just a run down of what has been going on since yesterday. Yesterday was ofcourse Sunday so we went to church. Austin was even off. It was so nice to get to go as a family it was the first time I think since early January. Between Austin working and Colby being sick it had been hard to get the 3 of us there. Sunday School was exciting this week because we actually had 4 kids. I was very happy to see this b/c I get tired of just having Colby every week by himself it just seems pointless I know its not but anyways.

So Broc was there, another girl Amara, and Glenn Paul. Colby did really well him and Amara played the whole time. Broc didn't get into the mix too much b/c he fell asleep around 9:30. I enjoyed seeing Colby interact though with another kid. They played well together and just followed each other around and copied what the other one did. Its fun to see him changing and noticing other kids and beginning to play with them. Glenn Paul didn't come until the end so I didn't get to see him playing with Colby too much although they usually do play together well so I am sure Colby, Amara, and Glenn Paul probably all played. I brought rubber stamps for the kids to play with and make art. Broc and his older brother Brennan I think liked it the most. I was setting it up whenever they came to Sunday School so they played with it for awhile. Colby was more interested in putting the stamps in his mouth and came out looking like a smurf! Amara didn't pay them much attention either. It was nice Austin and I actually got to sit together in worship service as well. This doesn't happen often either due to one of us always having to work in the nursery or him not being there. I thought I was going to have to work in Colby's class but they had it covered. After church we went to Applebees with our friends Josh and Laura. Colby did pretty well after having to be "snapped back into reality" which consisted of a swat on his hand. After that he was fine. I know he was probably just tired and hungry but he was screaming and being pretty loud and I will not put up with that at a restaurant. It was nice to visit with our friends although I don't feel like I get to vist quite as much when I am worrying about Colby constantly! Our Sunday afternoon was pretty much the way they always are we all took naps and relaxed then we took Colby and Allie out for a walk.

Today was another beautiful day so we decided to run errands and take Colby to the park. I know the park has become an often occurence in this house! This time we went to a NORD playground in Algiers. Colby had a blast. There was a grandmother there with a little girl then a mom there with a 2 year old girl and a 10 month old little boy. It was even fun to talk to another mom and she was really nice. Colby was fascinated with the 2 year old little girl. She ofcourse could do a little more then him but he wanted to follow her and do what she did. Its so cute b/c he already seems to like little girls! We stayed for about 30 minutes but I was excited to find another park that we can take him to on occassion. That was pretty much our day we just came home for naps and resting then we will do a walk this afternoon.

Randall's Birthday Party

Last night we celebrated my brother's b-day. We always do family gatherings for birthdays in my family. Its not a huge thing but we do something small to make each family member feel special. It was just us, Randall, Elizabeth, and my parents. My mom usually cooks whatever that member wants and makes their favorite cake.

We enjoyed last night. Colby did well but he was a little fussy towards the end of the night. It was partly b/c he didn't have a long nap that afternoon and partly b/c it was late anyways. We usually try to bathe him by 7 and have him in bed by 7:30 or 7:45. He ate really well though and seemed to have a good time.

pretty day to play at the park

So the weather today is very spring like. Its in the 50s and 60s and clear sky. I knew we had to get Colby out of the house. I decided to call a friend and see if her and her little boy would like to meet us there. We planned for 10:30. So Colby and I ran a quick errand to Walgreens then went to the park.
We beat her there actually by about 30 min because she didn't end up getting there until 11. Colby had a great time. When we were pulling up he started going "oooh" in the car. He was quite excited. The park actually ended up being quite crowded today. Typically its just us there or us and like 1 other family but today there were about 12 kids out there. When we first got there we were the only ones though. Then a family came with 2 little girls. They mainly played on the big kid playground though. Eventually my friend got there with her little boy Braden. Colby and him didn't really interact too much. I think Braden tried to talk to Colby but Colby just kinda watched and played by himself. They are about 2 months apart and you could tell Colby was more used to climbing and being careful on these type things. I had to watch him some but for the most part he has learned to go up and down stairs and knows how to slide the right way and all so he does well. I think part of this is b/c of Gymrompers and the other maybe b/c he is a little older. Braden did well but he was less cautious then Colby. He in fact fell and busted his lip at one point. After we had been there awhile another boy and little girl came. All the kids were like 5 and older. We were a little worried about them knocking the little ones down. It was fun though I'm glad we went and got the boys out for awhile. I would like to try different parks around the area but I just suggested that one since we have been there a lot. I would rather try out new parks when Austin is with us b/c its easier for 2 people to watch Colby and make sure he can do everything then just 1. Because today since it was just me I had to walk around the whole playground area whereas usually Austin gets on the playground with Colby and I stay on the ground level.
Colby is napping now. I think that wore him out. I wish I had gotton pictures though. Tonight we are going over to my parent's house though to celebrate my brother's b-day so I hope to snap some then!

our valentine's night out

Since Austin had to work on Valentine's day we decided we would celebrate later on in the week. We had decided on tonight b/c Austin was off today. We also decided it would be a good night for my parents to just keep Colby overnight because I have a hair appointment in the morning anyway that they were going to keep him for.
We went out to Palace Cafe downtown. We were able to park at the Marriott which is right next door. Huge perk of austin working downtown. I think we will both miss this if he moves to another hotel. We ate dinner which was delicious. I had a filet and mashed potatoes....soo yummy. We both also had gumbo! We enjoyed the peaceful dinner to enjoy and visit. Its rare we have a dinner like that because usually I am trying to cram food into Colby or he is begging for food off our plates or something. During dinner we discussed riding the streetcar down St. Charles but then began to think it might take us awhile to get all the way down and back so we scratched that idea for another time. We instead just drove around the quarter then uptown. It was nice just taking in the sights. It makes me so proud to live in such an interesting city. Although we passed so many things that we just don't take advantage of. Our last stop was Starbucks before heading home. It was a fun relaxing night! We got home and it was kinda strange not having to be quiet for fear of waking Colby. I already miss the little dude. But I know this is a good break for us all. He is having fun and getting to know his grandparents. I talked to them and they said he is doing just fine. I am so glad he adjusts so well. My mom said he did seem like he missed us though...I wonder if he thinks we will be gone a week again? I look forward to suprising him in the morning! I am excited to have the morning off as well to take my time getting ready and get my hair done. Just have some mommy time! But I will be totally ready to see my lil man by the time I am done!

19 Months!

Colby 1 year ago today

now by big boy at 19 months!

Wow I can't believe my lil man is another month older. He is 19 months today! Hard to believe! A year ago he was just 7 months. He was just learning to sit up well and play with toys. He wasn't even mobile yet!

Colby is learning so much these days. He recognizes 4 or 5 letters of the alphabet. He is really expressing an interest also in learning new words. He can repeat a few things he hears. "okie dokie" "eight or ate" the sound "h" are just a few of the new things he has said lately. He still loves trucks and dogs. He is getting a little more interested in tv. He likes Sesame Street a lot and Dora and Diego. He also likes Between the Lions. He loves seeing letters on tv. I bought him a letter DVD but haven't used it yet. He just seems so anxious to learn.

He loves climbing and can climb on just about any piece of furniture in our house. He is also really into playgrounds and slides now. We have been taking him to a local park a couple times a week recently and he loves it! He really enjoys the outdoors which I am thankful he doesn't seem like he will be a couch potato. He also loves going places. In fact now we have a hard time spending an entire time at home. I used to enjoy those quiet days when he was a baby when we didn't HAVE to go anywhere now he gets upset and begs to leave the house atleast once a day! He still enjoys eating. He will eat pretty much anything you give him. He is still eating very healthy though. He loves his fruits and veggies. He will scarf down a banana or strawberries every morning before his oatmeal. He is also addicted to Gerber puffs and yogurt melts. I figure if he has to snack atleast these are good ones. He likes nilla wafers since being introduced to them by his girlfriend's mommy. Thanks Mrs. Kim and Cameron! I bought them awhile back and he wouldn't eat them but I guess if they are good enough for Cameron they are good enough for Colby! He still loves mac n cheese. He likes chicken and pretty much any type of pasta. He will also eat lunchables now.

He is wearing some size 2t clothes now but can still wear his 18-24 month stuff too. His 2t pants are still long so we have to roll them up. He is in size 5 diapers still. He naps once a day for about 2-3 hours. He goes to bed around 8 and wakes up around 8 every morning. I am so thankful he is a great sleeper! Although I think a lot of that has to do with how he is raised but that's another topic for another day! He's a wonderful boy! He's very active but he really isn't bad. He listens pretty well and I can pretty much trust him around the house. He makes messes but doesn't get into anything really bad or do anything that can't be picked up easily. He really isn't into "art" yet but that might come with age. He gave up bottles in the last month. He now has a new bedtime routine of a story, songs, prayer then he gets tucked in. He seems to enjoy a different book each night. I am hoping he will be like me and love to read!

He is still taking Gymrompers classes. He loves it! I know he has learned so much from it! He just seems to enjoy and soak up every experience so its fun going new places with him! I love my little fellow! Happy 19 months Colby!!!

Happy Mardi Gras Ya'll!!

So today is Mardi Gras! We aren't parading though...I would have liked to but 1) its wayy too cold to have Colby out there and 2) Austin had really had enough of it from working all week downtown. We decided not to do it this year...maybe another year Colby can experience Mardi Gras day but least he got to go to a couple parades this year!
Since Austin was off today though and Colby and I stayed home all day yesterday we decided that a trip to Target would be in order. We needed some stuff and Colby just really wanted to get out the house. Afterwards since it was still so pretty we stopped at the park. It was a little chilly but Colby had a blast! He loves that place! I guess its gonna be a regular outting for us. So the rest of the day we plan on staying in and just enjoying the day together. Its so nice to have a "family" day since the last week has been so crazy! We will probably get the dog and Colby out for a walk later on and play in the yard when it warms up. So that's all for now but everyone who is out enjoying parades have fun and be safe!!

Art projects

Colby not really happy about "art time"

his beautiful picture

enjoying it for a moment

all done mommy!

So I try to come up with creative things for Colby to do when we are stuck at home. So today was one of those days. I thought I had some really cool large rubber stamps and some really large ink pads I would let Colby try that out. Its actually a recommended activity for the Sunday School class. So we got everything set up and I put Colby in his highchair its really the only good place I have right now for him to do that type stuff. He needs a little kid table and chairs! Well he liked the stamps and he got the hang of stamping it but after about 2 minutes he was done. This is how all of our "projects" have been thus far. I guess I get discouraged b/c I want him to really enjoy it and to keep him busy for atleast 10 minutes but I guess he's just not there yet.

I was telling a friend how right now he is so into his gross motor skills that he doesn't really have much interest in the fine motor skills just yet. This probably normal and I'm sure once he is in school he will develop his fine motor skills a lot more. I guess I just want to do these little "Creative" things with him and he's just not ready yet. He likes them for a small amount of time just not very long. I do want to get him a little table and chairs where he can sit and do art. Maybe then he would like it more.

My lil Valentine This year and Last

my how my little valentine has changed from last year! I hope to get some cute pictures every year and see him go from baby, to toddler, to little boy, to big boy, to teenager, and then to a young man. He might get annoyed with me by the time he is 12 though! We'll see! But look at how much he changed in just a year!

Blue Valentine's

So today has felt like a different Valentine's day. First off with it falling on a Sunday that made the morning more hectic anyway. We didn't even wake up and do a gift with Colby this morning. Plus Austin was in the hotel so we didn't have him here. So really to me it hasn't felt like Valentine's at all. I guess the most festive part of the day was going to church for Colby's preschool valentine's breakfast.
He did look cute though in his red sweater, white button down shirt, and black pinstripe pants. We both tried to dress festive this morning. Thought it might make us feel more in the mood. I really have always liked the holiday but for some reason today I haven't been able to get excited at all. Austin and I aren't really even exchanging gifts or cards. I think we normally would have its just with Colby being sick this week then all the Mardi Gras stuff and the fact that Austin wasn't even here this morning put a damper on our Valentine's spirits. I didn't even wrap Colby's gift I just gave it to him this afternoon I feel like such a bum but he won't remember! Maybe next year will be better =). I have just had a hard time this weekend getting it together. Austin and I do hope to celebrate Thursday night. I think we need some time away. We haven't really gotton away since our cruise at the beginning of December. I think I definitely need a break! I am just feeling very burnt out these days! We will probably go out to eat and Colby will just spend the night with my parent's b/c I have a haircut the next morning so he will just stay until I finish that. It will probably be good for both of us especially after the way I feel tonight. I just feel like all the wind has been let out of me.
I know I have so much to be grateful for and my hubby was only gone 1 night and he's breaking his back to get home to us tonight so he can atleast see us on Valentine's. I don't know how women do it whose husbands are in the army. I guess you make do but its hard being a single parent. Well enough of my boo hoo I hope to enjoy atleast an hour with my 2 valentine's tonight and show them my appreciate and love for both!

superbowl, snow, sleet, saints, parades, and valentine's day

Colby watching Tv

More TV

On to bigger things

How can you resist this face

my sweetie pie

playing legos

reading books

aww bailey

What a week this has been! It began last Sunday with the Saints winning the Superbowl! Mardi Gras had also offcially kicked off in the city also! With all this going on we had a sick child at home. So not much celebrating for us! The Saints had a parade Tuesday night but we didn't get to go! Man did I want to go! I have not always been a HUGE Saints fan and I wouldn't claim to be an avid one like some people but since Katrina I have to say I have been a Saints fan. This year I have watched every game start to finish. I also knew this parade would be a big thing and it was history. If we hadn't had a kid we might have gone. Austin also had to work Tuesday and he left work at 5 and we did contemplate going down there but it took him over 2 hours to get home. So we knew it would take us another 2 to get there and then it would all be over!

Like I said this week we have been dealing with Colby and the stomach bug. We haven't done much of anything. Between trying to get him well and not wanting to expose anyone else plus the cold weather has had us in.

We did go to Gymrompers Tuesday just because he needed something to do. He had a blast too and acted like he felt fine. Actually all week besides the whining he has pretty much acted fine. He still plays. He would also still eat but you had to sorta force him until like Wednesday or Thursday night. Wednesday we planned to go to church but he had another HUGE blowout so we stayed home. Thursday he was diarhea free which was great! So by then his appetite was back in full force! I feel like since then he has been eating anything and everything in sight!

Thursday we went to my parent's house. We knew we had to get out and do something! So we hung out over there and ate lunch. I think we all enjoyed it! I don't know who has more fun my parents or Colby. Colby was a ham for his grandparents too ofcourse! He learned 2 new words while he was there: "okie dokie" and "more". Me and my mom also made him flash cards of the letters he knows and he was able to show them how he knows letters. He knows the N, H, D, and L. He also was a big boy by climbing up the stairs and coming down on his bottom. I tried to teach him this at Christmas I didn't realize he actually paid attention though ha.

Yesterday the weather was completely nasty. It was just cold and rainy. It seemed like everyone else was having snow but no white stuff here. I really kinda hoped that we would wake up to some flurries but no such luck. It would have been fun to have a "snow" day with Colby. We had one last year but he was only 4 1/2 months and not really sure of what was going on! This year I would have loved to see him actually play in it! Well by that afternoon I think we both had cabin fever so we left the house to visit the Ketchum's. Kathy Rupple is staying over there she is in town from Japan. She was one of my teacher friends from Calvary. It was good to visit and just get out of the house. Colby was a ham for them too! I think he really enjoyed Jamie and the doggie. After that we went to the post office to mail out his Valentine's!

Today was a beautiful day. This is the kinda weather I like! Its cold but sunny! When I woke up today and saw how pretty it was I decided Colby and I needed some type of outting...so I called my parents and asked if they wanted to meet us at Barnes and Noble. I wanted to go there to get a Disney 2010 book since we are going in December! I also thought the children's area would be a good place for Colby to play and burn off some energy! He had a blast. My mom also found a few "classic" books to get him also. I found the book "goodnight nola" and had to get that for him as well! What a perfect bedtime story! I can't wait to read it to him. Since he has no longer been drinking out of a bottle at bedtime we now read a story every night! He actually sits and listens too which I am quite proud of! After we left the bookstore we decided we would also take him to the park. It was too pretty a day not to let him play outside. He had a great time and my parents got a kick out of seeing him play too. I realized we need to be doing stuff like this more often. I mean he does get to see my parents several times throughout the week but now that he is getting to where he loves outtings we need to have a special one with the grandparents each week. These will be such special memories for him as he grows up. It was also so sad when we got home and they left. My mom planted many kisses on his cheek but when she set him down and closed the door he stood there and cried. This actually happens about half of the times they leave. I know it makes their heart hurt. I'm sure there were many factors, tired, hungry and sad to see his fun with the grandparents end. I am glad he has the chance to hang out with them and have them to love on him so often!

The rest of the day was spend with Colby and I at home since our daddy is off at work since its Mardi Gras time. Tonight my friend Laura came over which was really nice just to have someone to talk to and pass the time. Thanks Laura for keeping me company!

So we haven't been to any more parades we may try to catch some Tuesday if Austin is off. I haven't been to Mardi Gras day parades in years so it would be fun to see a little REX and ZULU and let Colby experience some more of what living in NOLA means! Oh and Valentine's is tomorrow. Stinks that my hubby is in the hotel and can't come home. It really doesn't even seem all that exciting. Although Colby does get to celebrate tomorrow at church so that will be fun! I probably won't let Colby open up his stuff from us until tomorrow night or Monday night when Austin comes home. Austin and I don't really plan to celebrate until later in the week we may do dinner and let my parents keep Colby for the night!

will the poop ever end?

So I wasn't going to post today because there is much exciting happening right now. We have not done much this week b/c Colby is still getting over his stomach issues. He is better I can tell his appetite is finally getting back to where it was. Last night he was begging for tacos something he really hasn't done all week beg for food. He has also been finishing his meals like a champ. I thought maybe by today the diarhea would be gone but when I went to wake him up from his nap I got a bad feeling.
YEP another poop explosion! Again all over him all over blankets everywhere. AGAIN I had to bathe him and strip his bed. Not fun at all. Again though I am thankful that it could be worse. He could be dehydrated or something. Well I hope today is the last of the explosions. That's 2 in one week! And ofcourse daddy has not been home for either of these events. We had planned to go to church tonight since we have missed the last 2 Sundays. Plus Austin had a deacon's meeting so I thought it might be nice for us to make an appearance and be there as a family. Well after the mess I decided maybe Colby shouldn't get out quite yet. So it was another day at home. We did make the grocery store though. Tomorrow we will probably go over to my parent's house in the morning and hang out for a few hours! But thats it here nothing major going on!

Our last few days

So I will do a little recap from Sunday. Colby and I skipped church Sunday since he has had the stomach bug. I think he would have felt ok to go but I didn't want to expose any other kids to his germies. I also was worried that he would have diarhea or something while he was in the nursery. It was nice to stay home and relax though. We watched all the Super Bowl live stuff throughout the day. Oh and after Colby's nap though he had a major explostion. I put him to bed in a t-shirt and just a diaper. So he had diarhea and man it went everywhere. It was all over him, his sheets, blankets, bumper pads, matterss pad! So needless to say I had to throw him in the bath and then strip his bed! Austin had to work but fortunately got hom in time for the game. We enjoyed watching the game as a family. Colby wasn't in the best of moods though and I kept getting aggravated with him b/c I felt like I couldn't really get into the game. We decided to bathe him and put him to bed during halftime. Thankgoodness we got to enjoy the 2nd half! Maybe in a few years he will be old enough to understand the importance of the game and we can let him stay up with us.

Yesterday Austin was off so we had a nice quiet family day. Colby began the day again though really whiny. We had a Target trip planned and it was such a beautiful day we swung by a park first to let Colby play. He had the best time. It made me wonder if he just wanted to get outside. He climbed and played on the slides for about 30 minutes. Now that he is getting older I have got to try to make a practice of bringing him to these places. After he got out some energy we went to Target. I had to stock up on some Valentine's stuff. I got Colby's gift and some Valentine's stuff for our preschool party on Sunday. We got Colby a leapfrog puppy that is supossed to talk and sing. You hook him up to the computer and download different things. I am anxious to see how it works. I also picked up Valentine's for Colby to send to his little friends. I know he's young and he doesn't get it but I figured it was a neat idea. People love to get real mail so I figured this would be fun for some of his lil friends. Colby also still had the diarhea he went twice yesterday. I hear that stuff sticks around for awhile so I hope it goes away soon! Poor baby I know thats not fun at all. He's also gotton picky again with his eating and I can't figure out if its b/c of all the stomach issues or because he is also teething. He has gone in and out of the picky moods of and on so I am hoping its just a phase with his teeth and he'll go back to the way he was. It depresses me b/c this time last week he was pretty much eating anything and everything.

So today Colby had Gymrompers I decided to go ahead and bring him. I don't think he's contagious anymore. I knew he wanted and needed to get out of the house more then anything. He ended up having a blast. He even "cleaned up" whenever they sang the song! I was so proud of him! He is learning so many new things each week we go. I am so glad I chose to do this class with him. Its a special time for me and him. Other then Gymrompers we stayed in the rest of the day. We watched the Saints parade on tv. I really wanted to go. But Austin had to work and didn't get home until 7. Plus it was cold and I really didn't want to drag Colby down there. But it would have been awesome to be there in person! Colby has eaten pretty well today better then the other days....he still shakes his head no but I think his teeth are bothering him. He only had diarhea once so I am hoping by Friday we will see the end of that! I hear it takes about a week for that to go away! But he was begging for my tacos tonight from Taco Bell so that makes me know he must be feeling somewhat better!

Colby's first Mardi Gras parade

So this weekend began Mardi Gras season in New Orleans. We knew this year we wanted to try to bring Colby to a parade since last year we were not able to coordinate a time to bring him when he was awake. Today seemed to be the best day 1) Austin was off 2) we wanted to bring him to a day parade ( I think he is still too young to do the night ones) and 3) the parades go right by my parent's neighborhood.

Well if you read my earlier post you would know that Colby is battling a stomach bug right now. So we thought today's parading might be out all together. We got up and he actually ate a pretty decent breakfast, the sun started to come out so we figured we would go to my parent's house and try it out. First we made a stop to get beignets. What better way to begin a parade day then stopping for beignets first! I would have loved for Colby to eat some but with his tummy issues we are still doing bland stuff right now. Deep fried donuts with lots of sugar mmm prolly not so good! Anyway we were able to see some of the parade lining up on our way over and Colby got really excited about the horses. This is his first time to see horses up close! He was so happy!

So we set off and walked down to the parade. I think Colby enjoyed it but since he's only 1 he really had no idea what it was all about. He wasn't scared or anything but he was just watching and not quite sure of what to think. I was suprised that the loud noises didn't make him cry. We have tried bringing Austin's nieces to the parades and they were freaked out when they were Colby's age. His only cry was when some beads smacked him right in the face. Which I don't blame him! Parades can be a little bit dangerous! But he was ok. I really wanted to get him used to them so he won't be scared in a couple years. I think he really took in all the sights. He caught a few cool things too including beads, a stuffed penguin, and a spear. We were really hoping for some Saints throws but no luck! He did well and I am glad he has had another experience to add to his life experiences. He's a NOLA kid so he's gotta love Mardi Gras. It brought back memories to my parents and I. They used to bring me down there every single year when I was young. Anyway it was a fun day and I am glad Colby was well enough to go. That will probably be our only one this year. Austin with his job has to work most of the other Mardi Gras days so we can usually only make the westbank ones. But good enough to say Colby went to one.

Update on his stomach bug:

No more throwing up since yesterday at lunch! Praise God. He has had a little diahrea though...twice since his nap but that is expected. Still don't know about church tomorrow. I think he feels pretty good but I don't want to infect any other kids. So we'll see!

First Stomach Bug

So Colby had his first official stomach bug this week. Yesterday was our last day in Hattiesburg and our plans were to leave for home around lunch time. Well we woke up and found Colby's bed with a mysterious "wet spot" in it. Austin at first asked if I thought he threw up. I was like oh no its probably just pee. Sometimes his diapers leak not uncommon. I did think it was wierd though that his pants remained dry. So apparently this was throw up number 1 although we didn't really know at first.

So I made Colby breakfast like usual not thinking anything of him being sick because the day before he had been in a great mood and eating and playing like a champ. So while he was eating breakfast he threw up twice. So now I was beginning to think ok something is not right with him. I tell Austin and he thinks maybe he just ate breakfast too fast. But now I start thinking he doesn't look quite right either. So I went ahead and cleaned him up and got him dressed. I didn't want to give him anything else heavy since obviously he just threw up. I went ahead though and let him have his milk and gave him some puffs and fruit snacks b/c I didn't want him to be grumpy and starving. Well at first he seemed to be doing alright with them. Well soon after came throw up number 4. So now I am like he is definitely sick.

My intuition really told me we needed to get him home. But Austin had promised we would go back to his parent's and see his sister. So I am like ok we will go say hello and tell them Colby is sick and we gotta go. Well we got there and she wasn't even there yet. We ended up waiting over an hour. This whole time I was pretty perturbed b/c I knew Colby wasn't feeling well but everyone else wanted to blow it off. They even played with him and rough housed which I told Austin I didn't want anyone to do. Well my gut feeling also kept telling me we didn't want to feed him lunch till we got home either. I figured that would give his tummy 2 hours to settle and plus I didn't want to chance him puking in the car either. Well again everyone argued and said he should eat before we go. So yea I gave in and put him in his seat and began to feed him. Well he started crying and didn't even want to eat. But I forced him to take 2 or 3 bites. Well like 3 seconds later came throw up number 5! So now I was not a happy momma at all. I quickly got him up cleaned him up and ran out to the car. I was so mad but also worried about my little boy at the same time. I know I probably over reacted but I was so upset that no one bothered to take me seriously when I kept telling them he was sick. A momma just knows her child and has instinct. I mean I have been with him 24 hours for the last 18 1/2 months. So I think I should know! I think I made a scene and probably left everyone with a bad impression but when it comes to your child sometimes you just don't care what anyone thinks of you.

So we ended up coming home then and Colby did fine on the way home. He was just quiet mainly. He slept some of the ride but mainly just sat and stared out the window. I am just grateful he isn't a child that screams when they are sick. We got him home and I let him play for about an hour while we unloaded the car and got unpacked. Well by 2 I could tell he was in need of some downtime. I put him in his bed and he slept for about an hour. After that he got up and seemed a little better but was still a little cranky. He held down a snack of crackers and puffs which I was glad to see b/c thats pretty much the only food he had all day. He was able to hold down liquids though the whole time thank goodness so we didn't have to worry about him getting dehydrated.

Well last night for dinner I made him some bland mac n cheese pasta. He just picked at it maybe eating just 6 noodles. This is totally unlike him b/c mac n cheese is probably his fav food. He also didn't want his applesauce which he normally loves. He drank a lot of juice though which was good. We decided to put him to bed around 7ish. We knew he needed lots of rest to get over this bug. I was praying he wouldn't wake up hungry in the middle of the night. Thank goodness he slept all night actually 13 hours. We were so thankful. I know that did him some good.

Hattiesburg Trip

We just got back from Hattiesburg today we went up there this week for Austin's mom's b-day. We got in late Wednesday afternoon. So we went straight to his parent's house and ate dinner. We got to hang out with his parents, Harvey, and Shelbi and Maggie. The girls are getting really big. Especially Shelbi she just seems so grown up now that she is in real school. Colby did well he I think enjoyed all the activity although he didn't pay much attention to the girls. Maggie was sleepy so she didn't play much at all. We played Wii with Shelbi which was a lot of fun. I just can't believe she is old enough to play that kinda stuff. I remember when she was Colby's age.

Once we got settled in the apartment we got Colby ready for bed. Then the strangest thing happened. Well we put him in bed like always and he started to cry out. Now he never does that at home...so I kinda just expected him to be a little upset since he was in a strange place. So he cried for a few minutes and I decided I would go back in and just tuck him in and let him know it was ok. Well when I opened the door he was standing OUTSIDE of his crib! He has never done this before. Now granted he was in his pack and play. I am pretty sure he couldn't do this in his real bed. So I was really worried I thought now this was going to be a game. But I put him back in and he cried for a few minutes but by the time I went to check on him again he was sound asleep. This was the only instance we had on the trip so I am not sure whether he climbed out or fell out. Either way I don't think he liked it. I think it really scared him. Thankfully after that he slept all night without another peep.

So Thursday we got up and got ready and went to Austin's parents house for waffles. Colby ate his breakfast at the apartment though we have tried waffles and pancakes with him at home and he's just not fond of it. After we all ate we visited for awhile then went up to the mall. It was nasty weather so that was pretty much all we could do as far as getting out. Colby enjoyed the mall I think. He prefers being walked around the main part of the mall though he gets bored in stores. He also enjoys the little car rides they have. Austin thought it might be a good idea to let him out of his stroller and let him walk. Well he decided to run into Dillards and go behind a makeup counter...hmmm maybe not a good idea. After the mall we fed Colby his lunch then came back to the apartment for his nap. Well we all got lazy b/c it was such a nasty day. We all took naps. Once we got up from naps it was time to go out to eat for his mom's b-day. We also stopped and got her a cake. Colby did really well at the restaurant and at their house that night. He was such a ham and in a great mood. I thought he did well the whole trip he entertained everyone and talked and played.

no more bottles!!!

Just a few pics of my lil guy enjoying those bottles! Man how's he grown up!

So my baby boy made one more step to being a big boy tonight. He went to bed with no bottle! YAY! We started about 3 weeks ago with no naptime bottles and he has been doing great. I just rock him and sing for a couple minutes then he goes to bed. He has been drinking milk out of a sippy in the morning and has been doing great! So I decided Feb. 1st would be a great day to start with no bedtime bottles. I figured he would do fine since he didn't even seem to miss the nap one.

So tonight after his bath and he got in his pjs we got his blankie, paci, and his sippy and sat in the chair with a book. We read a story, he sipped his milk from a big boy cup, then mommy sang songs, daddy prayed, Colby sipped some more then he put his paci in like ok I'm ready for bed. I was so proud of him! We probably could have done this months ago...I think I was more afraid of him growing up. Kids usually adjust better then we adults do.

I have to say I will miss his bottle time. Even though he got to the point where he wouldn't lay in my lap he would lay on the floor and I would just sit on the couch and watch my little boy. He always looked so precious. But no more. It is a relief though...no more bottles taking up space on our counter, we can put away the bottle warmer, no more cleaning bottles and packing bottles when we go on trips! I just can't believe though he's a big boy!

I am so proud though of how well he adjusts and how well he eats and everything. He is such a healthy eater and such a wonderful sleeper! Thankyou babywise! Anyways so proud of my lil man but sad to say he's turning into a little boy at the same time!

Church cleanup and cleanout!

So today Colby and I went up to the church with a friend Kristie and her little boy Cade. Our plan was to cleanout a room up there so that it is more usable. It was quite overwhelming when we first got there. There was tons of junk that just needed to be thrown away. I think we got a good bit done but we were also tending to our kids at the same time. Cade played in a walker, took a catnap and played on the floor. Colby had fun digging through toys and scattering things around. He also helped me eat my McDonald's bacon biscuit this morning. There is still lots to be done in that room but I think if we do this again we can maybe have most of it done. I also was able to work in my Sunday School room. I was a little annoyed whenever I went in there. It was a HUGE mess. There were still snacks on the table and toys were EVERYWHERE! I didn't go to church yesterday b/c of Colby keeping me up Saturday night.
I don't really want to blame anyone but someone should have helped Mrs. Shirley pick all that up. I know she's older and it would have probably been a lot for her to do it since she was the only teacher there and had to take care of Broc. But really I dunno it just discouraged me a little. Also the trash stunk so I hope that gets changed by Sunday. I straightened up in there and got it looking presentable again. I mean that would be an embarrassment to a visitor I think. My room also needs some cleaning and some work so I am going to try to make it my goal to go up there once a month. It seemed to work out well to meet Kristie up there because her husband is on staff. So maybe we can both go up and have clean out days once a month. We both obviously have something invested in the nursery =)
Well that is all we have really done today. By the time we got home it was time for lunch then naptime. Colby is still napping which is awesome. Its probably the longest nap he has taken in a few days!!