Look at me....I can sit up!

Well, I decided that Will might just be big enough to try out the Bumbo seat. It is the cutest little seat that we had when Caroline was younger that allows babies to learn to sit up by themselves. Will is a little young for it, but since he is so big for his age, I decided to give it a try. In case you're wondering, Will is 16.5 pounds at 3 1/2 months of age...no wonder Caroline calls him Big Boy! I'm glad I tried it out, because Will loved it. Over the past few weeks, Will has become much more aware of his surroundings and wants to be where the action is. He is no longer satisfied with sitting contently in his swing while we all go about our business. No, now he wants to be in the room with us where he can see what we are doing. When I put him in the Bumbo, his eyes lit up. He was so excited that he could see everything a little better. Caroline seemed to like him sitting up as well. Neither one of them can hardly wait until he is big enough to start moving around and they are able to play together. Matt is pretty much in the same boat with wanting him to get moving, but I am content with him being my little baby. They grow too quickly as it is in my opinion.

A visit from friends

This past Saturday night, we had some of our friends over for a shrimp boil. Rick and Missy Wright have a little girl Caroline's age named Isabella. Rick is a number cruncher like Matt and Missy works with me at the hospital, so needless to say, we have a lot in common. It took a few minutes for the girls to warm up to each other again, but when they did they had a blast. We had a great time eating as many shrimp as our tummies could hold while the girls entertained themselves by having their own little "dress up" session. I even got a break from holding Will since Missy had the perfect touch with him. He has been a little under the weather this weekend with his first earache and now has a tummy ache because of the antibiotic he's taking. Not to worry, though, because Missy knew how to pat his rear like his Mommy does. It put him right to sleep. We had such a good time that time flew by and before we knew it, it was past the girls' bedtime. We can't wait for our next good time with the Wrights. Missy, just make sure you bring some more of your sweet tea!

Happy Birthday Caroline!

Today is Caroline's 2nd birthday. It is amazing to see how much she has grown in the last year, and my how the year flew! This time last year she was starting to really get the hang of walking and saying a few words. Now, she is saying EVERYTHING...much of which are things she hears us say, and is running everywhere. She knows her ABCs, can count to 15 (because we have 15 steps to the 2nd floor of our house), can sing a variety of songs (i.e. Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, The Moon song and Boots) and knows most colors. I had no idea a child so young can learn so much so quickly. Their little brains are absorbing everything. I put together a little video of the past year...it's on the right hand side of our blog site if anyone is interested in seeing just how much our little girl has changed over the past year.

To help her celebrate her special day, we had a little party for her at school. We continued with the Elmo theme, and Matt and I took off work so that we could be a part. She was surprised to see us both at her school, but quickly discovered we were there for "my party" as she described it. Here are a few pictures from the party.


This is Caroline and her buddy Madison. They are getting excited about the party!

This is Caroline with her teachers, Ms. Victoria (left) and Ms. Delores (right).

This is "Queen Caroline" and her court....they are enjoying cupcakes, ice cream and Cheetos!

Will's Baptism

Since all of the grandparents were in town for Caroline's birthday party, we thought it would be a great time to baptize Will at our church. It was a short and sweet ceremony that our immediate family, Will, Matt, Caroline and I, participated. Will was a champ and went right to our pastor without a problem.

In a recent Women's Conference I attended, one of the speakers, Ginger Plowman, stated: "There is no garden as worthy as seed planting than the fertile soil of a child's heart." Matt and I firmly believe that the most important job we have at this time in our life is to raise our children in a manner pleasing to God. In doing so, we felt we should baptize (or dedicate in this Southern Baptist girl's mind) our son. We pray that all of our family and friends will help mold our children into adults who love God and choose to serve Him in their life.

Caroline's Elmo Party

This past weekend we held an "Elmo" party for Caroline at our house, and we were fortunate to have a full house for the event. Pop, Mimi, Nana, Papa Buddy, Mamaw Kat, Pappaw and Aunt Erin all came down for a visit. Though she was a little overwhelmed at first by having all the grandparents in town, she soon warmed up and had a blast. She got several gifts, but I think her favorite was the Barbie Beetle Matt and I got her. She still hasn't gotten the hang of it yet, because she prefers to just push the gas peddle and not steer it. However, the more bushes she runs into, the sooner she'll learn she's in control of where it goes. Mimi made the cutest Elmo cake, which I was extremely grateful for...it got me out of making it! After the party, we wrapped up the day with a shrimp boil. Matt and Pappaw did a great job because everyone ate boiled shrimp, potatoes and corn until they could pop. Here are a few pictures from the party...



Since everyone has left to return home, I have been left with the daunting task of "grandparent detox"...this is the phrase Matt and I call the first few days following a visit with the grandparents. Though they may all deny spoiling our kids, it does happen and as a result, we have to reprogram their little minds and bodies after they leave. For instance, Caroline cannot eat chocolate at any time of the day or night now, nor can she stay up to 11pm, or eat her dinner from her booster seat on the floor. :) In the grand scheme of things, none of these things are really that bad; however, we were not allowed to do them when we were children. It is amazing how the rules have changed all of the sudden, but I guess that is why they are called "grand" parents. To children, they are just that...grand. Please don't interpret "grandparent detox" as if we don't enjoy their visits or their relationship with our kids. We miss our parents dearly and treasure the times we get to spend with them. We just have to pick at them about it because it is rather funny how the rules have changed. So, for the next 48 hours, our house will be in full detox!

An example of this occurred just this afternoon. I was taking the kids for an afternoon walk, when out of nowhere Caroline begins to scream that she does not want to go. Well, that is fine and dandy, but we are now 1/2 mile from the house. I try to continue our regular route, but her thrusting makes it hard to push the double stroller. As I turn around and head towards home, I explain to her that when we arrive home, she will be sitting in time out for her erratic behavior. She then starts to become solemn. I ask her what is the matter and she says, "I sad." I said, "Why are you sad?" She responds, "I go to time out." I said, "Yes, you are...because you have acted real ugly." She replies, "I know it." It was extremely hard to keep a straight face at this point, and just as hard to send her to time out; however, she sat in time out for a short time period and the remainder of the afternoon was just fine.

Happy Valentine's Day

We hope everyone has a very Happy Valentine's Day. I returned from Nashville last night after being away for 2 nights at a conference for work. Needless to say, we were all extremely excited for me to be back home. I don't know who screamed louder when I walked in the door...me or Caroline. Matt managed to take care of both children by himself while I was away, and I couldn't be more proud of him. Despite challenges early on in my trip (I called several times and both kids were screaming in the background), he pulled it together and conquered the challenge. I think this Valentine's Day we will both have a greater appreciation for each other.

Below are some pictures from my recent photo shoot with the kids. I made homemade Valentine's Day cards for some of our family members and ended up just using one of the photos; however, some of the funniest ones are the many, many attempts I made at getting the "perfect" photo. Here is how it went:

In the 1st picture Caroline says, "Broder, look at the camera. Smile broder".


The next picture: "Broder, cross your legs like me."



And next..."Hug, Big Boy."



And then I think she whispers to Will..."Sit back and relax Big Boy 'cause Mommy can't get it together...she's going to take 1000 pictures before this is over."


And FINALLY....the perfect picture:



HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Nana's Visit

Well, Nana has managed to visit us two weekends in a row and Caroline and Will couldn't have been more excited. Last weekend, she came down to go to Ballet Magnificant and our church's Women's Conference with me. Both events were great, and we were so glad we went. Matt and I even had a chance to go play tennis and have a nice dinner date while she was in town.

This weekend, she and Papa Buddy were in Montgomery watching Papa Buddy's son, Matt, play basketball. This is Matt's senior year and he is quite the athlete. From all accounts, to include the newspaper, Matt is a football star and now he is making his mark on the basketball courts. Anyway, since they were already in Montgomery, Nana was just too close not to visit her grand babies. So, they made an extra drive down to spend a night with us. Poor Papa Buddy, he can't come for a visit without us having a home improvement project for him to help us with. This time he helped us install a new faucet, which works wonderfully! Thanks Papa Buddy...let us know when you're coming back so we can have another project waiting! :)

I'm So Pretty....

This week has been a busy one for our household. I've had to work a little more than usual, and Matt had a business trip at the end of the week. Tuesday night we had a Mardi Gras party at the church. There was a pancake supper, a jazz band, and then all of the kids were in the Mardi Gras parade where they threw out beads and Moon Pies to all the adults. Caroline loved it! We decorated her wagon and she wore as many beads as she could wrap around her little neck. The wagon was a big hit among all the kids, but it took Caroline a while to warm up and let someone ride with her. Finally, she allowed her little buddy Samuel to get in with her. After the parade, there were blow up toys in the gym and much to our surprise, Caroline absolutely loved the bouncing one. Most of the kids her age wouldn't even get in it, but Caroline didn't hesitate. Our family made quite a scene when it was time to go home. After pulling her out of the contraption, we carried a kicker and screamer out the church. She cried for a while, but then quickly told us how much fun she had. It's a good thing that it will be returning to our church for the Easter Carnival.

Well, as Caroline fastly approaches her 2nd birthday, we are seeing our baby turn into a vivacious, charming little girl. She is a girly girl, yet also somewhat of a little cowgirl. She loves putting on jewelry and primping. This week I placed a footstool next to me as I got ready. She had already adorned herself with ALL of the Mardi Gras beads she brought home from church, but obviously felt she needed to primp a little more. She climbed up on the stool and asked me to turn on the water so that she could put some in her hair. This is something she is accustomed to us doing for her in the mornings since she has terrible bedhead every morning. It was so funny to watch her wet her hair and brush it for minutes on end. I don't think anything has kept her attention for that long in a while. The best of it was when she looked in mirror and so seriously said, "I'm so pretty." I couldn't help but crack up! Matt and I always tell her how pretty she looks every morning before going to school, and I guess she is starting to agree. Childhood innocence is precious, and I am so glad that we are raising a confident little lady. Here are some of the cute pictures from Caroline's primp session.

Perhaps the funniest thing that happened this week occurred on Saturday. Matt had just returned from his trip, and while he was changing into something more comfortable, Caroline and I were outside getting the hammock up. When I went into our garden shed, the door suddenly shut behind me. I have a sneaking suspicion it had a little help from a little girl, but I can't honestly say this for certain. Regardless, as I was trying to come out with the hammock, I realized I was locked in. I asked Caroline to help me by unlocking the door and she said so matter of factly, "I can't right now." The first 5 times she refused to help me were funny, but after that, I began to get frustrated. I told her to go knock on the door and get Daddy and again she replied, "Not right now." Finally, she decided she wanted me to come out and play with her so she went to the door and began to call her Daddy. She said, "Daddy, come outside. Help Mommy, right now." What a stinker!

We'll Miss You, Mr. Bud

Yesterday a very good man by the name of Bud Breland passed away. Since I am not going to be able to travel home to pay my respects to him due to family obligations, I thought it would be a nice gesture to remember him and his impact on my life through this blog. Mr. Bud and his wife, Mrs. Jewel, were my next door neighbors my entire childhood. They were like grandparents to me, always remembering my birthday, visiting us Christmas morning to see what Santa brought, and always glad to have us stop by for a visit. They had two daughters of their own, but sadly both passed away in their early childhood. As a result, they were "parents" and "grandparents" to many in our community. Mrs. Jewel preceded Mr. Bud in death a few years ago when she passsed away from cancer. She was a lovely woman whose smile could warm anyone's heart. She was a school teacher and you could tell from all of her stories that she really loved the children she taught. Mr. Bud was a mechanic and he had a shop behind his house where you could always find him tinkering away on something. He especially loved fixing old tractors. Mrs. Jewel robbed the cradle when she caught the eye of Mr. Bud since she actually taught Mr. Bud in high school. From all accounts, Mr. Bud was a great basketball player and didn't care much about studying his books. Luckily for him, Mrs. Jewel overlooked this fact and ended up marrying her former student.

In recent years I learned more about Mr. Bud's time in the military, where he courageously served our country overseas while Mrs. Jewel had their children and even lost one while he was away. I cannot imagine going through such a loss when you cannot find comfort in the arms of your spouse, so my respect for them grew immensely as he began to share this with me. Perhaps my favorite memory of Mr. Bud and Mrs. Jewel is that they would always change the light outside their house to red and wrap the post like a candy cane on Christmas Eve so Santa would know where to stop and in turn, my sister and I wouldn't miss out on the goodies. I joked with him about this on my last visit home and we both got a little laugh.

Over the years, Mr. Bud and Mrs. Jewel taught me alot. Not necessarily from anything they said, but rather how they lived. They were Christians, loving neighbors, and a wonderful example of how a marriage should be. Everyone could see the love they had for one another in their eyes and through their actions. They were married for over 50 years (I don't know the exact # of years), and you could tell that their love for one another grew each day. While some families are torn apart when they lose a child, Mr. Bud and Mrs. Jewel obviously grew closer as they coped with their losses. I have no doubt where Mr. Bud and Mrs. Jewel are right now and I am happy to know that they were able to reunite yesterday. However, losing Mr. Bud closes a chapter in my childhood, and I will miss him. You see, my childhood home and the Brelands' home have both been leveled and in their stead stands a Walgreens. Thankfully though, I will always have the memories of the many fun times I had in that neighborhood, and I know I am a better person for knowing both Mr. Bud and Mrs. Jewel. Mr. Bud, you will be missed!


My sister commented on my thoughts written above and I thought everyone could benefit from learning a little more about the Brelands. Here it is:

What a beautiful summary of Mr. Bud and Mrs. Jewel! I am strangely relieved to learn that Mr. Bud was away when one of his daughters past. The tears of guilt for not being able to attend his funeral become more tears of joy for his reuniting with his family he waited years to see. It is the closing of a chapter of our childhood; which makes this "another" huge loss after losing Mammaw and Pappaw Deweese. These beautiful men and women that lived years before us are irreplaceable, which saddens my heart deeply. They were the safety net of our backyard and they made our neighborhood, "home". I can still laugh at how I would hide from Mr. Bud so he wouldn't see me in my swimming suit laying out in the backyard. And we will always talk about the ride we took when it snowed to see the "country side". I can't imagine what they said about all the dogs we had. There is no telling what trouble they caused behind our backs. There was always a comfort when we were at home by ourselves, Momma would say "just call Mr. Bud and Mrs. Jewel if you have an emergency". "1617". It's just deeply saddening that we have lost our "backup protection". They were our 3rd set of grandparents and will always be missed! I just hope they knew how much we loved them; there is no doubt they loved us. I can't remember a childhood birthday missed!! By: Kristin Deweese Kirkland

In closing, I would like to add a thought...they don't make neighbors like Mr. Bud and Mrs. Jewel anymore. I have lived in several cities since I left home and unfortunately, I have barely known any of my neighbors. In some places, I didn't even know their names. It saddens me to think that my children may never have a Mr. Bud or Mrs. Jewel in their lives. Perhaps we should all learn from the example the Brelands set and get to know our neighbors. I think they would both smile from heaven if they saw us being kind to those who share our backyards.

Saturday Mornings

We're trying to start a little tradition in our home on Saturday mornings in which Matt gets up and cooks pancakes for us. So far the pancakes have been really good and Caroline likes to get in on the action. I'm all for it since it means I can try to sleep in a little later...something that I need more of lately since Will is still getting up during the nights. Here's a picture from this past Saturday morning of Matt and Caroline cooking pancakes. Hopefully I can talk him into expanding his menu to include eggs and bacon in the near future, but I'm not about to complain since anything is a treat!