The Harriman Family

Easely Amused

2012-01-27T14:40:00.011-06:00

Mary Ella finally got to try out painting on the easel Gigi and Papa gave her for Christmas. It has a chalk board on one side and dry erase board on the other. And it's easy to throw up paper on either side for colors, markers, paint, and more! Gotta love Melissa and Doug!

I kid you not, when she got up from her nap and I asked if she wanted to paint she said, "I paint naked." I talked her into atleast wearing her panties and smock.

Rhett loves his taggie football!

I love that sweet face!

Very serious

Gotta have the attitude to go with that hat! Gigi and Papa gave that to her too! We thought it looked like a good painting hat! Ha!

Then, she went and put on her Belle shoes. She had a blast! I know she will enjoy her easel sooo much! Thank you, Gigi and Papa!

And the ceiling fan easily amuses Rhett. :)

P.S. I didn't think of the clever title. It's the name of a painting studio around here where you go and paint a picture with friends. I really want to go!

More Frames

2012-01-24T20:45:00.005-06:00

Frames I made for Christmas gifts

The ribbon and brooch collection...ha!

And then I got creative with burlap!

For Mama

For Oma

Nanny and Pa

Gigi and Papa

Randy and Lindsay

Julie and Mike

This one was probably my favorite. I used burlap to make the rosettes and funky flower. I found the tutorial link on Kelly's Korner, and they were so easy. I probably would have done more like this, but I didn't find the burlap until right before Christmas.

For Gracie and Anna's room

I only have one unpainted frame left, and it's going to Brady's nursery. It has been so much fun getting creative! My streak is over until Pa decides to cut some more for me. And I'm sure it will take him some time to get his strength back after being under the weather. We are so thankful he is home from the hospital after having a scare with an infection. Get well soon Pa!

11 Weeks

2012-01-22T15:41:00.013-06:00

11 Weeks Old

Hello, Mommy!

Finally up to date on the blog! This week really felt like I got my groove back. My house is not spotless and I don't cook every night, but I am feeling much more rested, together, and less overwhelmed. I think I might even try to get back to the gym in Rhett's 12th week. Just throwing it out there, so maybe I'll really do it! Brad is wanting to eat healthier too, so maybe we'll be turning over a new leaf in the Harriman house. Above is a not so healthy, but yummy, recipe I tried this week. It was on the cover of the January Southern Living...King Ranch Chicken Mac n Cheese...mmm! Doesn't anything cooked in a cast iron skillet just seem more down home delicious?

Wednesday we met the Carters for lunch at Sweet Peppers and then did some browsing at Lemon Meringue and Learning Express. It was good to get out of the house and (try) to have some adult conversation. Mary Ella and Rhett enjoyed it too! She was really excited to see Jack and Emma after so long! She picked out the shirt she wanted to wear, and I thought she looked so cute so I had to snap a picture. I wish I had one of Emma and her holding hands and walking around Renaissance! We also had dinner one night with Birch at Soulshine. The waitress gave ME some paper and highlighters, and that girl went to work. She pretended to take down our orders! ;)

Okay, here is my little Cinderella in action. One day she told Brad and me that she was going to run away. I wondered where in the world she got that. And I probably would have been alarmed, but we were in the car so she couldn't really go anywhere. So, I forgot about it. Then this week I was cooking the mac n cheese, and it took a little time. I had Rhett in the bouncy seat on the counter, and ME tugging on my shirt tail. When I wouldn't stop to do what she wanted she said, "You make me sad. I run away." I said, "Where are you going to go?" She said, "I'm going to the garden." And she took off running and huffing and puffing and threw herself onto the windowsill in the dining room and pretended to cry. Then it clicked and I about died laughing. She was acting out when Cinderella runs out to the garden and cries after the stepsisters tear her gown and right before her fairy godmother appears. Oh my! She is a mess! I might be worried if she was serious and not just acting out something she had seen. I really hope she is NOT going to be a drama queen, but sometimes I wonder. I strongly dislike that quality in girls of any age. That's probably why I had more guy friends growing up than girls, and probably why I would rather have a classroom of rowdy boys than catty girls. And honestly, I can't stand when I see little girls wearing shirts that say, "Drama Queen" and things like that. Why would parents encourage that kind of behavior? I don't think it's cute at all! But maybe I just have a thing about those tacky tshirts. I didn't appreciate "My dog ate my homework" shirts when I was teaching either. ANYWAY, maybe this just means my baby will get the lead roll in the school play and not that I have to fear the teenage years!

Bath time with bubbles!

Looking at sister

Twirling in her princess ballerina outfit that Mia gave her for doing her job in Super Uncle Cole's wedding

And wearing her ballerina slippers we got her for Christmas

Think she is going to be a performer? I can hardly keep her from twirling and dancing in church while we sing. Ha! I cannot wait to get her in dance class!

Dancing with Rhett's monkey

4 golden rings!

Look at those lashes! We love our all star outfit from Mrs. Brenda!

This picture cracks me up! How fat is he getting?

Look at him trying to get up! I cannot believe how much Rhett is changing! He had a big week! He laughed out loud twice. Once at the ceiling fan, and once while watching Cinderella. I have gotten a chuckle or two, but not a full out laugh. He is talking up a storm to his mommy though! And tummy time is improving. He can lift his head and shoulders. He also started getting toys to his mouth. He especially loves to chew on his big fluffy football with the taggies. He really woke up during church this week, and I think he enjoys the singing. He watched me sing and just smiled and smiled. I guess he thought I was singing to him because he started gooing and cooing back at me LOUDLY! Thankfully, he quieted down when we stopped singing!

I told Brad he looks up at this football and tries to reach it, and here is proof. He is so happy kicking around on his playmat. ME never used that thing much, but Rhett loves it. Really, he just loves to be free to move. That boy is going to be strong and active! He loves to stand up and put weight on his feet. With my support he does deep knee bends. It is funny!

This is what ME does when she has something she's not supposed to. It is very obvious. She runs, puts it behind her back, and giggles.

It's lip gloss! Mia filled her Christmas stocking with all kinds of goodies that require adult supervision- makeup, fingernail polish, bath paint, ink pens. Thanks Mia, that's just what we needed! ;)

10 Weeks

2012-01-18T15:21:00.012-06:00

10 Weeks Old

Okay, Mama, I admit it. You were right. Rhett has my dad's chin with the dimple. She called it at the hospital, but I thought it was just her wishful thinking. But he definitely favors my dad a lot, and the fatter he gets, the deeper the dimple. In fact, in the above picture his profile is almost exactly the same. Not the baby or kid version of my dad (I checked that out in his baby pictures), but the grown man version...lips, chin, and maybe even nose. And sometimes his whole facial expressions remind me of him.

This week was our first week back at home after all of our travels. It was good to be home, but it took us all week to catch up on rest and LAUNDRY! I did 10 loads in 2 days! Monday night was the National Championship and for once we were cheering for Alabama. I get an equally bad taste in my mouth when I think of Nick Saban and Les Miles, but I wanted Bama to win it for the town of Tuscaloosa. We saw first hand what the tornadoes did there, and it was awful!

Rhett says, "Roll Tide!" Can you see the roll in his leg?

Mary Ella decided to go on a napping hiatus this week, and it about kicked my booty and I about kicked hers. Think fly swat, people. She was sooo grumpy! She missed a few naps at Mia's and for some reason she got home and thought that part of her day was no longer needed. I was about to lose all hope, and thought they might be gone forever. But, I'm glad I stuck to my guns, because by the weekend she was back on schedule. And we were both in better moods! :)

Little stinker

I promise we do get out of pajamas on most days! Actually, on Wednesday we went to the dentist, doctor, story time, and had lunch with Daddy. All in one day! Impressive, right? :)

This was one morning after her bath. I had to tend to Rhett and before I had time to get her lotion on and hair dry (and panties on) this is what she had done.

Bag lady

See that goofy grin? It's Jess Law!

Friday afternoon Brad called me and said to have Mary Ella ready at 4:00. He had gotten tickets to Beauty and the Beast in 3D and was taking off early to take her. So, when she got up from her nap I told her what they were going to do and I called it a date, one time I think. We got her all Belle'd up and even painted her fingernails. She was excited, but she went nuts when she heard the garage door open. She started running and screaming, "Daddy is here! Daddy is here! I'm going on a date!" It was precious! By the way, I told her to go stand by the fireplace so I could take her picture, and this was the pose she made. Ha!

I hope she is always this excited about spending time with her daddy. I know I was a little jealous, about missing the movie and about the date. I'm needing a date night with Daddy too! ;) It was all good though. I got to spend the evening snuggling with my own little love. PLUS that night Brad told me to go sleep upstairs. He even brought me breakfast in bed and let me go back to sleep until 11:00! Much needed!

Rhett loves getting his exercise! He has a toy in each hand!

Big eyes

Ready for church

It was a good long weekend at our house because of MLK day. I finally got my Christmas stuff down!

2 Months

2012-01-17T14:38:00.014-06:00

I'm 2 months old!

I want to get a monthly picture of Rhett beside his name in his crib, and last month it was impossible to sit him up. This time he has more head control and didn't immediately topple over, so I tried some different positions.

Propped up on the bunny

In the corner

About to go...

I think Rhett looks like my Mimi in this picture. I know everyone thinks he looks just like his Daddy, but he definitely has some Law/Cole in him too.

Rhett,

You are the sweetest boy, and you are growing way too fast! We love and enjoy you more every day! Here is what you have been up to:

You weighed 12 pounds 5 ounces the last time we had you weighed. You wear a size 1 diaper and are filling out your 3 month clothes. You could really use 6 month in the length. You have a long body for sure!
You are eating 5 ounces every 3-4 hours and only wake up once during the night to eat.
You take 2 good naps in your crib each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In the evenings you get a little fussy and want to be held and eat more often. We still swaddle you at night, but let you nap on your tummy during the day.
When you wake up you like to eat and play. You LOVE to kick and move around on your playmat. It took me a while to realize that sometimes when you fuss you just want to be put down so you can stretch out and exercise. This makes me a little sad because it means you're growing up and I want you to be a lovey dovey Mommy's boy, but it does help to have free hands every now and then!
You do still like to snuggle and sleep on Mommy when the time comes. Sometimes when you are laying on my chest and I think you are asleep, I look down and your eyes are open and you are just laying there. Usually grasping my shirt or hair. You paw and grab like a little kitty cat when you eat or when you are putting yourself to sleep. I think it is self-soothing. You may get attached to your blanket because a lot of times you fall asleep rubbing and holding onto its edge.
When you are on your play mat you can not only reach up and bat the toys, you can grab them too! I think you could get one to your mouth if they weren't attached.
When you're on your mat is when we do tummy time. You don't like this, but you are doing a good job of lifting your head straight up.
You love to sit up and look around like a big boy!
You're pretty easy to read. It's easy to tell what you want when you cry. You're either hungry, sleepy, gassy, or want to stretch out.
I'm sorry to say you have grown man gas. Any time anyone holds you they think you have a dirty diaper it stinks so bad. I guess it's just one of the drawbacks of formula.
You and I love our "talk" time. You make goo goo eyes at me and smile and talk back. You can say "goo" and "gah" and "guh" and "ooh" and "ahh." Your cooing is very gurgly too. It's so cute! Once I was moving my tongue and making a sound, and you tried to do it too! Your eyes get so big watching my face and mouth.
You are enjoying games like peekaboo and are beginning to anticipate what's coming next, like when I tickle and kiss you over and over. You will open your mouth when Mommy kisses you!
You have reached for my mouth and cheeks to pull me down to you, but your favorite thing is to grab my hair and pull me to your face.
I can finally sing to you and rock you without crying. I know that sounds crazy, but for atleast a month I could not sing to you or Mary Ella without losing it like a big baby. I guess it's my reaction to a mixture of thankfulness, overwhelming joy, sharing my time between 2 babies, hormones, and sleep deprivation. Right now I'm stuck on "So this is love" from Cinderella (we have watched that one quite a few times since Santa brought it for Christmas). My favorite line to sing to you is, "so this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of...so this is love." Yes, that miracle is you!
I thought you might be a kid that always protested baths and diaper changes, but we get through them now without a fuss. You don't like to be messed with too much though.
Your hair is going to give me gray hair! It is always a mess, and I am constantly combing and smoothing and trying to get it to lay right, but I don't think it is going to have any natural way to go. I know when we go out that people are going to think I didn't even try to fix it. Oh well! It is definitely something that gets you noticed right away. ;) And it is all different colors like your daddy's: black, brown, orange, red, purple...it just depends on the light.
You are starting to watch your sister more. She can calm you sometimes when you're crying. We are 3 peas in a pod! We do everything together when you are awake...play, eat, sing, dance, read books. I don't know what I expected 2 kids to be like, but it is TOUGH sometimes! I cannot believe how much easier it is now compared to just 2 months ago...probably because I'm getting some sleep! I love you at 3 am, but I think I love you even more during daytime hours. ;) I am so thankful that in the past couple weeks we have gotten on a pretty good schedule and that makes things easier and much more enjoyable.
I cannot wait to see what this month brings. You amaze me every day, and I love you so much!

Flashback

11-4-11

12-4-11

1-4-12

This is a little video of Rhett talking. I never can get it when he's really going, but here is a small dose of the sweetness!

Cole and Jenn got hitched!

2012-01-15T14:48:00.024-06:00

Cole and Jennifer were married on January 7th at Ramage Farms in Hooks, Texas. Ramage Farms is basically an open barn that hosts weddings/receptions. I had only been to one other wedding there, and I'm pretty sure it was in the spring or summer. So, I was wondering how it would be in the winter. I had a fur coat to put on ME after she walked down the aisle, but as you can see from the above picture she didn't even need a coat for the rehearsal dinner the night before. The weather was beautiful! They were prepared with heaters and could have closed the sides, but it was so warm and sunny there was no need for it.

Nick and Jenn at rehearsal...after a few times through with practicing the preacher said he was glad to see that she wasn't holding to the superstition of having someone stand in for the bride during rehearsal (they had been practicing kissing and everything)! Jenn's face turned red and she looked a little scared. She didn't even know about it! I love her sweet and innocent personality!

He doesn't look like he's having any second thoughts. ;)

Rhett was a sweet boy during the rehearsal. I enjoyed visiting with Cole's groomsmen, Ryan and Chase, and their families. ME loved playing with Ryan's boys, Cason and Cale.

His first Polo by the way. Thanks Gigi and Papa!

And finally, the big day arrived! We had been practicing all week with her flower girl bucket and fake petals at Mia's house. We practiced walking slow, throwing the petals gently on the ground, all the way to Super Uncle Cole. We told her to give him a kiss when she got there to "up" the cute factor. Funny story: Probably a year ago while we were visiting my mom, ME was having breakfast at the table and Molly ate her toast. Now, Molly is usually a good dog and simply waits for you to drop something, but I guess ME dangled her toast a little too close to her nose and she reached up and bit it. At the time, ME got upset, but afterward she laughed about Molly eating her toast and has remembered it since. Like every time we talk about Molly and every time we visit my mom. How does that relate to the wedding? Well, as we practiced at Mama's house she would FREAK out if Molly got anywhere close when her petals were on the ground. She was afraid Molly was going to eat them! I promise ME and Molly are usually BFF, but she took her flower girl job sooo seriously, and she really didn't want Molly messing it up. It was hilarious! Molly wasn't a bit interested in what she was doing, but she would take off running and saying, "No, no, no, Molly," when her petals were out. Ha! Anyway, my girl did beautifully at the rehearsal, but I was still a bit worried how she would do in front of everyone...

She thought Jenn was the most beautiful princess, and she was! Absolutely gorgeous!

Everything was perfect!

And Cole made a very handsome groom!

Awww...

Mrs. Lisa was in charge!

Love these boys!

While we were waiting to take pictures I caught ME with a cookie from Cole's groom's table (and I wished I had taken a picture of his airplane cookies I ordered...they were decorated to look like crop dusters and were so cute)! Anyway, I wouldn't have put it past her taking it on her own, but Mrs. Donna said she let her have one. She REALLY wanted to stick her little fingers in that cake, especially after she got to taste the icing from the decorator. And you better believe we were bribing her with cake, cookies, snacks, gifts, whatever it took for her to do her job!

Cutie!

She loves them, and they LOVE her!

Love the TOMS, love the boots!

Hooks, Texas, y'all!

Bridal party portraits...their photographer was FANTASTIC! He had pictures of THE day scrolling on a big computer screen during the reception. And Ramage Farms had so many cool backdrops! You can like P.S. Photography's page on Facebook to see some.

L.O.V.E

And the flower girl got a special surprise...Gigi, Papa, Juju, Anna, and Hannah came to see her perform, I mean see Cole get married!

I love this picture! I may be a tad partial, but I thought she was the most beautiful flower girl ever!

This would be Jenn and ME watching Cinderella upstairs just minutes before the wedding began. Jennifer walked down the aisle, married my brother and became my sister-in-law, and Mary Ella walked down the aisle, threw her petals and ran in to the arms of her Super Uncle Cole, and gave him the sweetest kiss (other than that one he got from his bride). I was the proudest Mommy in the world! Not to mention, I got to show off our newest addition to lots of old friends and family!

These 4 boys are all grown up now, but I remember when they used to play t-ball and drive me crazy at sleepovers. ;)

Rhett and his proud Daddy

And I got to see one of my good friends from high school, Michael, and his family! He has 3 beautiful girls, and the youngest, Brynnlee, was born on the same day as Rhett!

So glad I got this picture!

By this time ME was running around like a wild woman. She was playing outside in the grass and rocks, and she really got excited about throwing the bird seed and picking it up and throwing it over and over again. Her dress was filthy by the end of the day. The girl may think she's a princess, but she sure knows how to get dirty too!

Another good friend from high school, Steven, holding Rhett. He just happened to marry my best friend, Michelle, which was so weird at first because we were all such good friends. But, it's totally normal now. They are perfect for each other, actually!

And now they are expecting Brady James! He will be about 4 months younger than Rhett. Love y'all both and can't wait to meet that sweet boy!

And after this I put my camera down and didn't pick it back up. There's a fine line between being the crazy lady with the camera trying to capture memories and actually making them. I so enjoyed seeing so many old friends from Maud and family that I hadn't seen in ages. It was such a fun and special day. Congratulations Cole and Jenn! We love you!

9 Weeks

2012-01-15T13:46:00.007-06:00

9 Weeks Old

This week we were in Hope for Cole and Jenn's wedding week. Like I said before, Jenn had it all together, so there wasn't much for me to do but get the flower girl prepared. I actually took these pictures after we got home, so Rhett was more like 9 1/2 weeks, not that anyone but me is counting.

Mary Ella had a dentist appointment this day. Her xrays looked good, and she was PERFECT during the cleaning and check-up. Mama was so proud!

Just keeping it real...

No!

Stop!

That's better!

Doesn't Rhett look big? I also had him weighed this day, and he weighed 12 pounds 5 ounces. That's 2 pounds in 2 weeks! Don't think I need to worry about him gaining any more! With a full tummy and more weight, hopefully comes more sleep. He slept until 5 at Mia's house 2 nights in a row!

Back to Hope...my crazy mama had waited until the week before the wedding to get a dress to wear, so Jenn was sweet enough to babysit ME while Rhett and I went shopping with her. Amazingly enough we weren't in Texarkana ALL day, and she looked really pretty in what we found!

Mary Ella loves her Aunt Jenn (and Super Uncle Cole)!

Rhett looks excited to be going shopping with Mia. Ha!

For some reason, we all got really dry skin while we were there. That's why his face has red spots.

Also, while we were in Hope, Rhett got to go down to the farm for the first time, go to church in Patmos, visit with Sissy and Leslie, and meet Michelle (and Brady)! One night he and I met her in Texarkana for supper, and he had the biggest blow-out ever! We haven't been out much, so I haven't had to think of putting an extra set of clothes in the diaper bag, so the poor thing had to be naked and wrapped in his blanket at Olive Garden. Lesson learned! Next up, wedding pics!

Merry New Year!

2012-01-13T17:39:00.016-06:00

We had Christmas with my family New Year's weekend. Brad went home Monday and left us in Hope for the week. The plan was to help Jennifer with wedding stuff, but she had everything ready, so we really just hung out. We got to visit with lots of family and friends!

Rhett meeting Nanny and Pa for the first time.

Ready for Christmas dinner

Why?

Mia and her kiddos

They were not cooperating for pictures.

Molly's 12th or 13th Christmas?

Stocking time!

Cole usually delivers the presents, but ME helped him this year. He would read the tag and she would deliver each present with a song...seriously every time. She sang a song from Little Einsteins, "I wish, I wish, I wish, a Christmas wish." And then she would say, "A Christmas wish for...Jenn" or whoever the gift was for. It was precious!

Jenn helped her open presents.

A fritty (pretty) crown!

The crown was really all she needed to be happy, especially since her big gift was her playhouse!

And this was all Brad needed to be happy...a battery operated critter to attract predators, so he can shoot them. Everybody needs one of those!

And apparently, I needed a nap!

And that wraps up our holiday season! Christmas and New Year's all in one! Welcome 2012!

8 Weeks

2012-01-13T15:00:00.004-06:00

8 Weeks Old

Napping in his crib for the first time. I was busy packing for our next trip, and I needed free hands. So, I thought I'd just lay him in there on his tummy and see what happened . He didn't fuss so I stayed in his room and packed his clothes. When I peeked in at him he was asleep. A baby that goes to sleep on his own without a fuss or rocking? Glorious! ME was a good sleeper, but it was never this easy at this age.

How sweet is he? He is getting so long!

So, this week was the week after Christmas, and I obviously didn't take many pictures. ME played with her castle and pooter (computer) for most of the week...we got her a leaptop. I tried to recover from the Christmas weekend, and reload for round two. The biggest news of the week was that we switched Rhett to formula. The Wednesday before Christmas he weighed 10 pounds 2 ounces. That's about where I got ME before she stopped gaining, so I knew it was make or break time. He was still wanting to eat every 2-3 hours, so I was wondering if he was getting enough. And sure enough the Wednesday after Christmas he weighed 10 pounds 6 ounces...only 4 ounces in a week. I was finished worrying with it. I hate to spend so much on formula over the next year, but really when you take into account everything I was doing to breastfeed...vitamins, iron pills, herbs, tea, pads, creams, BEER... Anyway, it was almost a relief. I was exhausted, and now I can share the job. Actually the night before we had him weighed I got up to feed him and as I was changing his diaper I almost passed out. So, the following 2 nights Brad let me sleep upstairs, and I got to sleep through the night for the first time in 8 weeks. Then it was time to head to Hope for our 5th Christmas, New Year's, and Cole and Jenn's wedding week!

Santa Claus Came to Town

2012-01-13T10:32:00.010-06:00

Santa came when we got home from Arkansas, on the Tuesday after Christmas. We got home late Monday night, and we were all tired. Brad had to work the next day, so we had to wake Mary Ella up early the next morning so he would be on time. It probably would have been a good idea for Santa to wait another day or so because it didn't start out so well. Of course I was more excited than anybody, so it was a real let down when she wasn't jumping out of bed with excitement. In fact, she didn't want to get up at all, and then she got mad when we told her Santa ate the cookie we left for him. Oh, toddlerhood! Anyway, as you can see Santa did come and left a note and the 2 things she had consistently asked for: a candy cane and a bracelet (purple).

And Cinderella's castle

Stockings

After she got over the cookie thing and saw what was under the tree, she got in a better mood! Apparently I should shoot Christmas morning with the sports setting on my camera because most of my pictures turned out blurry.

What else is under there?

Writing on her princess dry erase marker that might have come from the $1 bin at Target

It was a princess Christmas all the way! And I'm sure it would have saved Santa some money if he had just stopped at the candy cane and bracelet, but I might have brainwashed her into expecting a castle too just so she would be more excited about it. One day she was trying to put her princesses inside her little fairy house and I said, "Wouldn't it be nice if Santa brought a castle for your princesses?" She thought it would be, and then started telling everyone Santa was bringing her a castle too.

He really did eat my cookie!

See, you would have been sad if Santa didn't get creative.

Oooh!

Aaah!

Cinderella! Amazon knows how to get it out of the vault! Why does Disney do that?

Princess purse with accessories

Princess key

And every princess needs a phone!

Rhett slept through the whole thing again, and ME opened his stocking and presents at home too.

Gotta love kids in Christmas jammies!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-11T21:28:00.020-06:00

Yes, Christmas 2011 started off with the pimp suit. Ha! Our first Christmas was Friday night at Nancy and Leonard's with the Harriman side of the family. The pimp suit makes an appearance every year during dirty Santa, and this year it was AWESOME when Papa got it, kept it, and modeled it.

Mary Ella was so excited to have some cousin play time!

And Uncle Leonard was a baby hog! ;)

Saturday, Christmas Eve, was the BEST day! Mary Ella was so happy and sweet and excited about the whole Christmas experience. I will never forget this Christmas! It was so much fun!

Where is Rhett? He slept through most of Christmas. Big sister got to open his gifts this year!

She was good about waiting her turn to open gifts, and each time she would say..."I got, I got, I got"...until she got it opened and figured out what it was.

Don't you love those sweet faces?

Looking at the beautiful Wizard of Oz book from Gigi and Papa.

Razorback TOMS from Ranjo and Lindsay, painted by Papa

We loved our coat from Juju, but she didn't want to stop to try it on!

Fancy Nancy!

And her big gift from Gigi and Papa...an easel!

Oops!

So lady-like

Anna's painting from Papa

And this was the frame I painted for Anna and her new sister! Yes, Mary Ella is getting another cousin! Mike and Julie are adopting a baby girl, Grace Elizabeth, from China! And Anna is sharing her room with her! She is so excited that she has done videos like the girl on Good Luck Charlie. ;) She has even done a lemonade stand/art sale to raise money to bring her sister home.

First Christmas as a family of four

Rhett wasn't excited about sitting in his PB chair from Gigi and Papa, but I know he will enjoy it when he gets a little bigger!

Gracie's first Christmas gifts...can you tell these kids are excited? We recently got new pics of Gracie, and Rita was talking to Trey about her. She said she couldn't wait to get her home and put some new clothes on her. Trey wasn't worried about the clothes. He said, "She needs us." Man! Choke me up!

My sweet boy

Talking to Juju

It was a North Face Christmas! I got them the day after Thanksgiving buy one, get one 1/2 off!

Trying unsuccessfully to get a cute Christmas pic

Christmas Eve night was Christmas #3 with Rita's family.

Funny Oma

Crazy cousins

Christmas morning we went to church and relaxed at home for the rest of the day. And tried again, unsuccessfully to get a good Christmas pic of both kids.

Oh well!

In her defense, she was really tired! Ha! We usually travel to my mom's on Christmas day, but with the new baby and a short amount of time we decided to split it up this year. We did Christmas at New Years with my family.

The next few close-ups were taken with a lens Lisa is letting me try out. I don't know if anyone likes being photographed this close-up. Ha!

You can even see Rhett's red hairs...I wonder where he gets it? ;)

Hello Papa!

As Ranjo says, "It was the best Christmas ever!" Thanks, everyone!

7 Weeks

2012-01-11T13:40:00.012-06:00

7 Weeks Old

So I'm waaay behind on the blog. Rhett's seventh week was the week before Christmas...very busy! Lots of late nights, wrapping presents, baking cookies, painting picture frames (I'll post pictures of those later). I usually have all of this fun stuff done in time to sit back and enjoy it all, but not this year. I am just trying to stay afloat! We did make time to do some normal stuff...story time and a play date with friends. By Friday afternoon we were all packed and headed to Fayetteville for Christmas...lots of pics to come!

Yay, Mommy finally wrapped presents!

This boy is so sweet! I could just eat him!

He is enjoying bath time these days and even takes some with sister!

Baking cookies for Santa

I am loving Rhett's awake time! He is so alert and smiley and talkative! And darn cute!

You Better Watch Out

2011-12-19T21:25:00.009-06:00

I got this print at Mistletoe the night before Rhett was born. Ann Elise got one for Michael too. It will always be a little reminder of the events of that night and morning. I had to have it because I could just picture it in my house now and in 20 years when the kids are gone. I love it's vintage feel. So, without further ado, our 2011 pictures with Santa...well, after a little flashback...

Santa and ME
2009

2010

2010 (2nd attempt)- I had totally forgotten about this one before I looked it up on my blog. Classic!

Santa and Rhett
2011

Awww...and for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to pay a professional photographer $40 and then STILL wait in line at Sweet Dreams to have Santa pictures made with my kids. I guess I thought this Santa would be less "icky" for my 2 week old than the one that a million kids had sat on at the mall. It's the same photographer that did ME's Easter pics, and these would have been precious and worth the money, except...

What? I thought you loved Santa, Mary Ella?!?! She wouldn't even come close to sitting on his lap without harming him, so we tried the sneak approach...she was smarter than that!

Ugly cry face

She freaked! Totally wasn't expecting it...I don't know why after last year. Ha!

I guess this is the best one, if you can call it that! And then look what she went and did...

The Bass Pro Santa? You smile and sit with the Bass Pro Santa? Really??? Brad took her to Bass Pro one Saturday just to get her out of the house (and I'm sure to look at guns). But I totally laughed when he said they had a Santa, and he was taking her. I thought, "Good luck with that." Oh well, the ones above are pretty hilarious, and I'm sure they will only get better with age.

And when I went to pick up the Santa pics at Sweet Dreams, these were ready too.

Sweet, sweet. I have an imprint of ME's hand from last year and an ornament with her handprint from her first Christmas, but I can't find them since the move. :(

And this set is for his room...love imprints by Mitzi!

Gingerbread House

2011-12-18T19:44:00.003-06:00

Christmas is coming so fast! I am trying to squeeze in everything I want and need to do. Friday night, Mary Ella and I had a little girl time and made a gingerbread house! Rhett also got some one-on-one Mommy time...Saturday we finished our Christmas shopping. It is crazy out there, people! Thankfully, he slept the whole time. And Sunday I finally got around to wrapping gifts. There is still more coming in the mail to wrap before the weekend. Thank goodness for online shopping this year because besides a few hours on Saturday and a few on Black Friday I have not been out to get anything. But my Paypal account has been busy!

Her side of the house

I thought it turned out cute, and she had a blast! I love that she loves to get in the kitchen and get crafty too!

6 Weeks

2011-12-17T21:10:00.012-06:00

6 Weeks Old

Cutie

Look at him reaching across his crib!

Whew! Brad was out of town Monday through Thursday this week, so there was no rest for this weary Mama. Let's just say we made it through alive, and any woman that would choose to be a single mom probably doesn't know what she's getting into! Monday I had my 6 week check-up...that was interesting with 2 kids! Dr. Cole was so sweet and let Mary Ella watch Mickey Mouse in her office. And then she let me feed Rhett in there before we left. Love her! We got to see Daddy one more time at lunch that day. First lunch out with both kiddos, and it went well! This week was also the first week without supper being brought to us. So, I just made a big pot of soup, and we ate it all week. My sweet friend, Rachel, did bring me some yummy chicken salad from Beagle Bagel, so I did have some variety. I was so thankful for a few visits from friends! Rebecca, Cullen, and Campbell and Sara and Ann Louise came over too. It was nice to have someone to talk to and have friends for ME to play with.

This sweet thing gave us his first BIG smiles this week! He tries to talk and can say "goo." He also let out his first real laugh (when he let out a big toot and more). It cracked sister and me up!

Sweet talking Mommy

This is how he looks and listens to me, with his big eyes.

I was trying to catch a smile for the camera, but I got a silly face instead.

He took a few naps in his basinette in the living room.

Getting ready to put sister to bed

It was warm enough one day to let ME and Cullen play in her playhouse. Rebecca and I sat on the porch with the babies and chatted.

This is what Rhett does while I take my bath. He looks thrilled to be sitting in his sister's pink bouncy seat. Notice the raised eyebrow?

Finally Dada's home! Let's hold hands and nap!

More Christmasy pics in our appliqued t-shirts. Thanks, Leslie!

She likes to put her hand over his face while I'm trying to take their picture.

Hi, Mama

Looking up at the Christmas tree

Elf on the Floor

2011-12-16T14:29:00.006-06:00

Most of you probably know about The Elf on the Shelf. It's a book about how Santa knows if you're naughty or nice. It comes with an elf that flies to the North Pole each night to report to Santa and flies back and lands in a new spot in the morning to watch you. I love this guy! He gets Mary Ella to take her medicine, stop whining, and helps out in lots of other fun situations. Now, I'm not the type of person that gets creative with discipline. I'm pretty old school. But right now I'm tired and my patience is pretty thin, so I don't mind a little extra motivation from Santa and his elf. ME loves getting up in the morning and finding the elf. She gets excited and says, "Oh, there is the elf!" She can't seem to come up with a name for him. You're supposed to name your elf, but the only thing she has ever said is Numeroff (as in Laura Numeroff, one of her favorite authors)...maybe next year she'll be more interested, but right now he is just elf. So, the only rule about the elf is that you can't touch him or he loses his magic. This is not a problem because he usually appears in a spot that is out of her reach. WELL, one day this week he was perched on top of the armoire in her bedroom. It seemed to be a safe enough place, until we got her shoes for the day out of it and closed the doors a little too hard...Splat! Elf fell off, flat on his face. You should have seen HER face. It was priceless. Mine was probably pretty funny too, because I thought, "Oh no, how am I going to handle this?" She didn't get upset, she didn't rush to pick him up. We both just froze and didn't know what to do. She wanted to help, but she was afraid to touch him. I assured her that the elf was okay, and that it was probably okay to touch him just this once since he needed our help. I told her that would be the nice thing to do, and Santa would be proud we helped him. Then I told her to wait and ran and got my camera. Her face cracks me up in every one of these pictures. She picked him up, and I put him back on top of the armoire. We ended up laughing about the elf bonking his head, and she was so excited that she got to touch him! Too funny!

You would have thought she was holding something priceless...she's not even that gentle with her baby brother!

First Sunday to Church

2011-12-13T16:32:00.003-06:00

Rhett's first Sunday to go to church...not a good picture of him, but it's a sweet one of Mary Ella

Better, but then she decided to be goofy

Taking pictures of 2 is a challenge!

He was a sweet boy, and everyone "oohed" and "ahhed" over him!

Canton Square

2011-12-13T16:10:00.006-06:00

Saturday night we bundled the kids up and took them to the Canton Square to see the Christmas lights. Canton is an old town just north of us with lots of large historic homes and a beautiful square. Movies such as O, Brother Where Art Thou, A Time to Kill, and My Dog Skip were filmed there. It honestly feels like stepping back in time. Brad and I always enjoyed going there at Christmas for a date night, eating at Davidson's, and walking around the square. Well, this year was different. We were definitely doing the kid version. Brad was pushing Rhett in the stroller, and I was chasing Mary Ella around. But it was so much fun! And we all enjoyed getting out of the house!

Hugging Frosty...girl loves her some Frosty the Snowman! She was going crazy before we ever made it to the square. She was enjoying window shopping and looking at all of the Christmas decorations on the way.

When we made it to the real thing she took off running and pointing to each display.

Carousel time!

Rhett never made a peep.

Waiting to ride the "choo choo"

Fun times with the family!

First Dentist Visit and More Christmas Pics

2011-12-12T21:22:00.012-06:00

This is an iphone pic of ME before her dentist appointment. Can you tell I had to wake her up from her nap to take her?

And then, what do you know? Going to the dentist is fun! She didn't want to leave...poor thing! She must be REALLY bored at home with her nursing mama and new baby brother. Ha! Anytime anyone comes to the house to visit she goes crazy! She runs to the door, grabs their hand, and takes them to her room.

Earlier in the day as I was wondering if my baby girl would keep her tooth, I decided to dress the kids up and capture her smile one more time. Silly, I know, but I sure got some cute pics! Feast your eyes on these...

Merry Christmas from Mary Ella and Rhett!

5 Weeks

2011-12-11T20:44:00.014-06:00

5 Weeks Old

This week was easier than last week. We are getting into a better day and night time routine. But just when I think, "Okay, I've got this..." Rhett starts screaming, and Mary Ella says, "Mama, Mama, Mama" over and over until I want to scream. Ha! I took both kids to the doctor Monday (Rhett just for a weight check) and ME had a sinus infection. Yuck! Maybe that is part of the reason she has been so clingy and whiny. I can honestly say last week she was getting on.my.nerves. And that kid never gets on my nerves! But by Sunday night she was saying she WANTED to go to the doctor, so I knew she felt bad (or maybe she just wants out of the house that bad). She did so good for Dr. Smith that I had him check out her front teeth while we were there (That Monday morning she had fallen off the couch and hit her mouth on the coffee table. And, no, I'm not neglecting her now, I was right there. Could have happened any other time...I tried to check her teeth, but she wouldn't have it. I saw that they were all there and none were chipped, but her gums bled a little). Well, she let Dr. Fish (that's what it sounds like she calls him) check them out. He reached in there and wiggled her front, right tooth. What?!?! He said I needed to have her seen by a pediatric dentist. He could tell I was about to freak out so he said, "I'm sure it will probably tighten back up." Oh my! I got an appointment for the next day and fretted about it until then, especially when she kept saying "ow" when she was eating. And it didn't help that the receptionist at the dentist's office said they would take an x-ray and decide whether it needed to be pulled. Nooo! I could not picture her being snaggle-toothed until she was 7! But that voice inside my head kept telling me, "It's okay, Jessica. It is not life-threatening and could be alot worse. You need to be thankful she is and always has been healthy." Thank God for that voice, it keeps me grounded! Anyway, Tuesday I had Brad take off work and come with us in case the appointment was traumatic for her OR me. Well, she thought the dentist office was the best thing ever! They had toys in both waiting rooms and the Disney channel on tv...she didn't want to leave! She was making friends with all the ladies in the office, took the xray like a champ, and would have held her mouth open for hours for Dr. Waters. What? I can barely get her to let me brush her teeth at home! Thankfully, the xray showed no damage to the tooth or the root. We were just told to keep her on a soft diet for a few days and come back in a month to check it again. Yay! During the exam, she found a nasty molar poking through in the back, so I'm guessing that's another cause of the crankiness and probably led to her sinus infection. But, again, SO thankful it appears everything is going to be okay! So, that was our big excitement for the week! Rhett was just along for the ride!

This is how I do laundry.

One night after bathtime Daddy spiked my hair.

What do you think?

Sleeping like an angel

Is that a stretch or is he calling the Hogs?

Headed to storytime for the first time...ME was glad to be back. She danced all over the room shaking her jingle bells. Rhett must have been bored because he slept the entire time. :)

I'm glad you think so, Rhett.

One afternoon we drank chocolate milk and ate snowballs (marshmallows) and watched The Polar Express. ME is LOVING everything Christmas!

Already hitting his big sister in the face!

After we watched The Polar Express I gave ME a jingle bell to play with. She has been really good about not touching the trees and she definitely didn't get to help Mommy decorate. But she kept sneaking her bell up on the tree. So, I remembered some old ornaments in the garage, got them out, and let her decorate the back of the tree in our living room. Shhh...don't tell anyone there aren't any ornaments back there. We usually put it in a corner and don't have to worry about ornaments to go all the way around. But we don't have any corners in our living room, so when you walk through the gallery behind the fireplace and into our bedroom you see the back of the big empty tree. Well, ME took care of that, and it has provided hours of entertainment. And it's like a walk down memory lane for me because they are the ornaments that were on our tree when I was a kid. She has taken them off and put them back on a million times. I wish you could hear how she says "ornaments" and "decorate the Christmas tree." She also found a little box inside the big box and puts ornaments in it for "presents." She brings it to you and says, "I got a present for you. What do you want for Christmas?" And you have to say what is in the box..."Oh, thank you! I wanted a candy cane and a snowman." And then she takes it away and says, "Awww, you sad. You not be nice. You get no presents." There's a lot of talk about naughty and nice and Santa and presents around here. And yes, I am milking it for all it is worth! Thanks, Elf on the Shelf!

So proud of her decorating

Nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby

Crazy Cousins

2011-12-09T21:37:00.010-06:00

So, while all the cousins were here at Thanksgiving we got them all dressed up and coordinated and tried to get a cute cousin Christmas picture. So, if Gigi and Papa sent out a Christmas card this is what they would have had to choose from. Actually I took 61 pictures, 61! And the very first one was the best. Rhett (3 weeks) behaved beautifully. Anna (7) and Trey (6) have the same smile plastered on their faces in every picture...I'm sure their mommy didn't put the fear in them. But you never know what faces Reese and Eli (4) are going to be making, so be sure to check them out. And my smiley, usually cooperative for the camera Mary Ella (27 months) would NOT smile. It was past lunch and around naptime, plus I think this may have been the beginning of cutting a molar/sinus infection...see how rosy her cheeks are? But she definitely wasn't dishing up her normal cuteness. Anyway, it gets pretty comical...

Going downhill fast

Oh my!

Not bad

Not good

Awww...ME is looking at Reese (because someone said she tooted) Ha!

This one is cute.

Now even Anna is losing it.

And it's over

This one is probably my favorite...sorry big boys ;)

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-09T13:49:00.009-06:00

front

back

I sent my Christmas cards out Monday, so I think they should all be delivered by now. I did a Christmas card/birth announcement for Rhett. Here are the cutest ones...it was hard to choose! Rhett was only 2 weeks old, and Mary Ella is 27 months.

I put this one on the back of the card.

And this one was the winner! I was going for this shot all along. It looks almost exactly like Anna and Trey's Christmas card that I love so much from 6 years ago right after he was born. Rhett is even wearing Trey's velvet Polo outfit. Love it!

I love the last 3 of ME, but Rhett was waking up at this point and making funny faces. Don't worry, this won't be the last of the pics of my kids posing by the Christmas tree. We did another (less formal) photo shoot this week, and I still need to post the Christmas pics we tried to take of all the cousins together when they were here. That was interesting! :)

1 Month

2011-12-08T14:31:00.005-06:00

I'm one month old!

Mommy, please don't take my paci to take my picture!

Rhett,
You are really starting to wake up! Mama has had some time to get you all figured out! And you are so sweet! You are starting to smile and try to talk to me (and sister). And sometimes I think you are trying to reach up and grab my face! I have also heard a few laughs in your sleep. We're not on a great schedule yet, but you definitely have bright-eyed and alert times in the morning and evenings. You eat every 2-3 hours during the day and 3-5 at night. You take a really good, long nap in the middle of the day (same time as ME, yay!). This is usually when we ALL rest. I know I need to put you down and get off my booty and do something, and I will, but not yet. You were fighting the swaddle at night, and we really didn't know what to do because it worked so well with your sister. We tried a sleep sack, but you startled too easily, and you have spent more than a few nights on the couch with Daddy when Mama HAD to get some sleep (you just love to be held and cuddled). But we kept at it, and you have finally surrendered to the swaddle. I wore you down! Ha! It's still tricky getting you to sleep sometimes, but you go down easy now after your feedings in the night. And you are growing so fast! 8 lbs. 6 oz. last week and 9 lbs. this week! I don't know what to do with your hair...it is crazy! But I think you are SO handsome, just like your daddy! Your eyes are a very unique color. They are very dark blue, but they almost look grey. I would almost call them a charcoal color. I wonder if they will stay this way or lighten up or turn green? You are starting to tolerate your bath (when Mommy does it, yes, I think you are already a Mama's boy!). But by the time we get to the lotion at the end you are DONE! Your cry is something else! When you get really mad and cry, I think you sound like a scalded cat. Think about that the next time you can't compose yourself! But as soon as I pick you up you stop, but you still make the sad face and sniffle to let me know how sad you were. You are the sweetest boy, and we couldn't be happier with you in our lives! Love you, Rhett!

4 Weeks

2011-12-05T14:11:00.011-06:00

4 Weeks Old

I was taking pictures of Rhett in his crib, and look who went to her bathroom to get her stool so she could get in on the action. Jeanelle Caraway came over on Wednesday to take Rhett's newborn portraits, and Mary Ella had seen her do this!

She tries to be so helpful, but she is rough! I never thought of her as a wild kid, but I feel like I am constantly telling her not to do stuff for fear of her hurting him!

How cute are they?

Playing with her new tea set from Mrs. Susan. Everyone has been so thoughtful to bring her surprises along with gifts for Rhett!

Well, we survived our first week at home on our own! It went fairly smoothly, but I will say I was ready for the weekend and some extra help from Daddy! Two on one can be stressful! I kept thinking about what our friend, Bryan, told us after we had Rhett. He said, "Welcome to parenthood. You just thought you were parents before." He was cracking us up and scaring us at the same time. He said that when you have one, the worst case scenario is one on one defense, but when you have two, one on one is your best case. Worst case is you're out manned...that's how I felt at times this week! Ha! Not to mention both kiddos had had 3 weeks of spoiling by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. But who am I kidding? I was spoiled too! This week there was no feeding and handing off the baby, or having ME entertained, or going back to bed during the day. I did manage to get myself and the kids bathed and dressed everyday (and fed). Daddy did the grocery shopping and pitched in around the house. And we were so thankful to have ladies from church bring us dinner!

We started exercise time on the play mat!

She is all about bringing baby Rhett toys and giving him his paci and covering him with a blanket. She basically has been all up in our business all week! She is usually great at entertaining herself and playing with toys and being content, but oh no, she is definitely seeking some extra attention. She has been feeling cruddy, so I took her to the doctor today, and she has a sinus infection. Maybe that's part of the reason she has been so clingy.

This was our first outing besides the doctor...we went to church Wednesday night!

Oh how I love these babies!

I'll save the details about Rhett until his one month post. Hopefully I won't get too behind!

First Thanksgiving with Rhett

2011-12-01T17:33:00.010-06:00

So, all of my pumpkin and fall decorations were put away, and my table was already set for Christmas, so it didn't feel very Thanksgiving-ish. I considered just going ahead and using my Christmas china since it was out and we never get to use it, but I decided to use Mimi's china and silver instead.

I still thought my table turned out pretty.

We really used all of our seating. This is the table set in the kitchen.

The weather was so warm, almost hot. So the playhouse came in handy in entertaining the kids. The played outside alot...went to the park, went on walks with Papa, got in the hot tub!

The spread

I was the worst hostess ever! All I did was plan the menu and make the dressing. Gigi and Papa did the shopping, and Rita and my mom cooked most of the food. I just didn't have much time to do anything helpful! With the sleep deprivation and having to leave the room every 2 hours for 30 minutes to feed Rhett...I don't even feel like I finished a real conversation with anyone. I didn't get to cook breakfast or entertain, and I only fixed one supper. Thank you ladies for pitching in with the food and Gigi and Papa and Oma for cleaning my house and doing my laundry. I feel like a stupid mess, really. But our Thanksgiving feast was still fabulous! We had ham, chicken and dressing, peas, corn, green bean bundles, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and rolls.

And the desserts...Rita made chocolate chip pumpkin cake, pumpkin ooey gooey, and a pumpkin roll. Oma made lemon pies, and Jenn made a truffle cake.

And the kids' table

This Thanksgiving was one of many firsts...first Thanksgiving with Rhett, first Thanksgiving as a family of four, first Thanksgiving to host the Harrimans and Laws at the same time. It was crazy and fun all at the same time!

Trying to get a cute turkey picture

How sweet is he?

I found this cute turkey treat in a magazine, and the kids made these Thanksgiving night.

I don't know if there will ever be another reason for everyone to come to us for Thanksgiving, but I'm SO thankful that reason was Rhett this year! We love our little man so much! I can literally cry anytime I think about how much God has blessed me by giving me the husband and kids and family and friends and church and life that I have. And did I mention Jesus? I am most thankful for Him! I could go on and on! I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving too!

Come inside, it's fun inside...

2011-12-01T16:36:00.008-06:00

In addition to all the family, guess what else showed up at our house last week?

Look!

She couldn't believe it!

It was her playhouse!

Super Uncle Cole loaded it on a trailer behind his truck and brought it all the way from Patmos, Arkansas. Pa had been working hard for about a month on it. It is just perfect!

She couldn't even wait for it to get off the trailer to get in and play! It was a good thing we had so many men around or it would still be sitting on that trailer. Brad, Cole, Mike, Randy, and Joe brainstormed about how to get it set up in the backyard. Cole loaded it with a tractor, but, um, we didn't have that luxury here. They had to take part of the fence off, back the trailer up, and use some sort of lever/rolling poles method. I went out there one time to check on them and Papa fell backwards off the back of the trailer, almost tripped on a concrete block, but somehow managed to stay on his feet. I went back in and didn't even peek again until it was set up. That thing is huge, and I can't imagine how heavy! But it looks great!

She is going to have hours of fun playing in her playhouse!

"It's Mary Ella's playhouse! Come inside, it's fun inside!"
Thank you, Nanny and Pa and Mia for the early Christmas gift! And thank you, Super Uncle Cole for bringing it all the way to Mississippi!

3 Weeks

2011-12-01T13:54:00.018-06:00

3 Weeks Old

Daddy likes to brag about your wingspan and big feet!

Gigi, Papa, and Oma were here with us this week! As soon as my mom left, Brad started puking, so I was really glad his momma was on the way! They came Saturday and made it in time for the Mississippi State game. Sunday, Papa took ME to church and everybody else stayed home to take care of Rhett and the sick big boy. I was sooo scared the bug was going to go around, and I actually had fever one night. But, thankfully, it was contained.

Oma meeting Rhett for the first time.

How pretty is he?

Monday I took Rhett to his 2 week check-up. I have been concerned about his weight gain...especially with what happened with Mary Ella. I really want to be able to nurse him successfully, but I haven't been confident he is getting enough...he always seems hungry. So the doctor was pleased that he was up to 7 lbs. 15 oz. I think he should weigh 10 pounds as much as he is nursing, but I'm keeping going until I'm not happy with the weight gain. And then I'm done. But I did start taking Fenugreek, and Dr. Smith said drinking 2 light beers a day could help. He said it was very hydrating, and I guess the yeast helps too. I laughed and said I couldn't do it. Gross! I hate the smell of beer! But I got home, and told Rita what he said because I thought it was funny. The next thing I know, Joe, the elder, comes home from the store with a case of Bud Lite. Oh my! It is terrible, but pretty hilarious that I have a 2 year old and a newborn and am throwing back my very first beers. I'd say that's putting forth my best effort!

Wednesday we had LOTS of company show up! I talked everyone into coming here for Thanksgiving to meet Rhett. There was no way we could travel so soon, so I was so thankful everyone agreed to come. The first to arrive were Ranjo, Lindsay, Reese, and Eli.

Then came Hannah, Julie, Mike, Anna, and Trey.

Lastly, came Cole, Jenn, and my mom came back with them. So we had 19 people in our house from Wednesday to Sunday! Brad and I love National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and all day we joked about the part in the movie where the doorbell ding dongs low and all the company arrives. Cole equally appreciates the movie, so when he showed up I started throwing out quotes from that scene. One of them was the part about Clark's mom pointing out the mole on her neck. And sure enough, later that day, my mom asks Jenn, the nursing student, to take a look at a mole on her neck. Cole and I about died laughing. It was classic Linda...sorry, Mama.

So we had a very eventful few days. I'll post about Thanksgiving later.

Saturday we were SO excited about the big LSU game, but even ME and Rhett's cute matching "Woo Pig Sooie" outfits weren't enough to pull out a win.

Now we are #8. Still proud of our 10-2 season...how can you complain when you only lose to LSU and Bama... the #1 and #2 teams?

Mary Ella had SO much fun playing for days with her cousins! Gigi and Papa have a good-looking crew, don't they?

I CRIED when everyone left. Thank you, Joe and Rita, for all of your help! Now we are on our own!

#3, Baby!

2011-11-22T15:13:00.004-06:00

After our win over Mississippi State on Saturday, we are #3 in the BCS (with only Bama and LSU above us)! We are pumped to even be in the talk of the National Championship game! This weekend is a HUGE game against LSU! Can't wait!

Go Hogs!

First Real Bath

2011-11-22T15:04:00.005-06:00

So, I thought I'd have some really cute pictures to post after Rhett's first real bath. I thought he would love the real thing...not so much. He is getting better, but boy can he scream when he is unhappy!

Poor baby

Before I forget 27 months

2011-11-20T21:08:00.008-06:00

Mary Ella at 27 months

Scary face

Mad face

Sad face

Happy face

So, I'm behind on this post, and there are SO many things I want to remember about ME at this age, but here are just a few:

You are a TERRIBLE eater! When will this get better?
You can recite several books (10 Tiny Tickles, Boo Bunny, Aaaagh Spider) and many nursery rhymes (Wee Willie Winkie, Little Bo Peep, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Humpty Dumpty, Eye Winker, Little Miss Muffet). I think you will be an early reader! I hope you will always enjoy a good book. You also know many books' authors...Karen Katz, Laura Numeroff, Walt Disney, Lydia Monks.
When you say your prayers at night you pray for Karen Katz (your favorite author), Ann Louise (your babysitter), and most of your family members, and food!
You can sing the ABC song and so many more (Itsy bitsy spider, Muffin man, Jingle bells, I know you, 2 little monkeys, Jesus loves me, Little indians, just to name a few)! You are a singing and a dancing girl! You say, "shake a booty" and shake it!
Dada sings I'm so pretty to you, and you LOVE it!
You are 100% potty trained! We had been out in panties a few times, but I was still a little cautious. And then Mommy and Daddy went to the hospital, and you came in wearing panties and have had them on ever since (diapers at nap and bedtime of course, but you usually wake up dry).
You can spit your toothpaste out, so we are using the real deal now.
You are getting opinions about what you want to wear. Oh joy!
You are so sweet to your brother so far. I think you will love him so much. We have only seen a few outbursts of out of character behavior. I think it's the perfect time for the Elf on the Shelf to come out. ;) We read the book, and I've tried to get you to name him, but the only thing you have called him is Numeroff (an author). Ha!
You remember everything and are so observant! You know which way to turn to get to church, the park, Brad's office, home, Jump Zone, the library.
One of your big sister surprises was a little purple notebook with a pink pen. You call it your facebook. Ha!
You're all about carrying your purse and keys and driving your Mickey Mouse Clubhouse car.
You talk ALL the time and say the funniest things...
"I have a booger in my nose."
"The pee pees coming."
"I have pixie dust...I can fly!"
"I not Mary Ella, I Minnie" (when you are wearing your Minnie dress). You REALLY enjoyed Halloween and trick or treating and candy. I think Christmas will be sooo fun!
"I will miss you. I not go anywhere." (this has started since baby)
"I so sleepy." (you love to play in your big girl bed)
When you say your name "Mary" sounds like "Mia" and "Ella" sounds like the Spanish "Ella."
"Shhh...be quiet." (with your finger to your lips)
"I wanna hold baby Rhett. All done."
"Be careful."
"I'm too old." (you started saying this when Daddy told you you were NOT old enough to wear makeup...you have some pretend)
"Stop it."
I'll probably be adding to this later...Mommy can't think...

2 Weeks

2011-11-20T11:18:00.012-06:00

2 Weeks Old

Mia was here again this week. We were so thankful for this! Mary Ella is really going to miss her buddy, Mia. They have done everything together...storytime, riding her tricycle, making muffins, reading books, having tea parties, dressing up. I was pretty busy with little man. He is the sweetest, best baby! Only cries if he is getting a diaper change or a bath. We are even having good nights, except sometimes he decides to wake up right at bedtime. But Mommy is so thankful he goes down easy after he eats in the night.

Napping with Dada

And while Mommy decorated the Christmas tree (while sister was sleeping too...woo hoo!)

Heisman pose

Game day with the Harrimans...another win over Tennessee!

Make Mommy's heart melt

ME went with Mommy to Watercolor to get her hair done.

It is a really cute cut! While we were there, Rhett was a perfect angel. One of the stylists commented that he already needed a haircut. Ha! He kind of does...it comes down over his ears.

Sleeping again while Mommy decorated Christmas tree #2

And Mommy and Daddy even snuck in a date night before Mia went home. Sombra was sooo good! If you are local and haven't been, you should!

Thank you, Mama, for ALL of your help! I know we wore you out, but we enjoyed every minute of it and I hope you did too. ME already misses you, so come back soon! Like next week! Ha!

Gobble Gobble

2011-11-18T20:42:00.005-06:00

Last Friday Brad was off for Veteran's Day so he kept Rhett while my mom, Mary Ella, and I got out of the house for some fresh air. We took a little walk at the Natchez Trace Park, and I tried to get some pictures of ME in the fall leaves, which had already peaked, but I still got some cute ones. We called it a "nature walk," and she enjoyed picking up leaves and listening to the sounds along the trail. For some reason she thought she heard monkeys and "who whos" (owls) in the trees. She was cracking us up!

Is that a monkey I hear?

Chucky face

So thankful for this little turkey!

One Week Old

2011-11-16T20:14:00.003-06:00

7 Days with Rhett

2011-11-14T20:41:00.038-06:00

Sweet Rhett,
What a wonderful first week we have had! You gave us a little trouble the first 2 nights we were home, but I think it was more us getting used to having a baby in the house again than you. The mommy in me can't sleep if you are making a sound (I think you are choking or having trouble breathing), so I couldn't sleep unless you were sleeping and you really weren't fond of your basinette. Plus I think you had your days and nights mixed up. You weren't even crying but stirring and fussing a little, but as soon as we picked you up you stopped. Which is sweet, but doesn't make for much mommy and daddy sleepy time. So, we made a few changes, and you are doing so well at night and during the day. We are keeping you awake some during the day, I'm feeding you every 2-3 hours, and then we do bath before bedtime. It's working so far because you are only eating every 3-5 hours at night. Which is basically one middle of the night and one early morning feeding. Here is our first week in review:

Day 1: See your birthday post.

Day 2: You got circumcised in the morning. Ouch! It didn't seem to bother you too much because you slept all day. Gigi, Papa, Mia, Juju, and Mary Ella came back to the hospital to see you. You snuggled with one of us all day.

Your sister gave you lots of kisses and hugs. She says all the time, "I wanna hold Baby Rhett." And then she says, "All done."

We compared your hair with Dada's hair.

Everyone dressed in Razorback red for game day!

Woo pig sooie!

Razorbacks!

Arkansas played and beat South Carolina. The tv in our hospital room was so small that we pulled the bed up as close as we could and gathered chairs around it. It was a night game so Mia went home and put your sister to bed, but Gigi, Papa, and Juju brought barbecue to the hospital and watched the game with us.

Day 3: We got to go home on Sunday just like with Mary Ella. I guess my babies like to be born on Friday. We were home by noon and had lunch with the family. Rebecca, Jake, and Hallie came by to meet you.

Ready to go see your house and your room

One last surprise for the big sister

Trying out your crib for the first time

And stretching out on your changing table

Day 4: We said goodbye to Gigi and Papa and Juju, but only for a little while. They are coming back to see you for Thanksgiving. We stayed in our pajamas and had a lazy day. We needed to catch up on some sleep. Mia gave you your first bath.

You did not like it!

Until you got your hair washed. :)

Day 5: We had to take you back to Woman's Hospital to the Newborn Clinic for a weight and billirubin check. You weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. when we left the hospital and were now back to 7 lbs. 1 oz. Yay! They had to scrape your heal to get a blood sample, and you didn't even cry. Your levels were high, so you did have jaundice. I knew this before we left the hospital, but by this day you were peeing and pooping and eating well, so I knew it would work itself out. When we got home we took a few family photos, rested, and then had another appointment at Sweet Dreams. I signed up weeks ago to do hand imprints with Mitzi, but I really didn't think you would be around on November 8th. I thought it would just be for ME, but I'm so glad I got yours done too! Talk about fresh prints! You never made a peep when she pushed your hand and foot into the clay. And it was Mia's birthday, so we celebrated with PF Chang's and a piece of Great Wall of Chocolate Cake.

Day 6: We had another lazy day. Mia took ME to storytime and Dada went back to work, so I had you all to myself for the morning. You started waking up a little more on this day.

Night night swaddle time

Day 7: We had to take you back to the Newborn Clinic to check on the jaundice. Your levels were about the same, but since they weren't going up we didn't have to go back until we see your pediatrician at 2 weeks. You had gained weight and were up to 7 lbs. 5 oz. Makes me so proud! This night you went on a date night with Mommy and Daddy...to our infant CPR class. Ha! Didn't get that one in before you were born, but you were perfect through dinner and the class. We ate at Ichiban, which is a Chinese buffet. I don't like Chinese or buffets, but your daddy had been requesting this for a long time. And since I was no longer preggers, I let him have the final say. Funny story: You were sitting on my side of the booth in your carseat, covered with a blanket. At the end of the meal, I got up to get ice cream for dessert. As I was walking back to our booth I spotted your daddy back at the buffet. I said, "What are you doing?" And he had a scared look on his face and said, "Oh, I forgot." Umm...he forgot you were there, back at the booth, all alone. I'm sorry, Rhett.

Thank you for a wonderful first week, Rhett! And thank you, God, for giving us yet another healthy, beautiful baby! We are overcome by joy and thankfulness for the opportunity to guide your precious soul. You are the perfect addition to our family, and we love you sooo much!

Rhett's Birthday

2011-11-12T17:57:00.039-06:00

Warning: If you don't want the details of Rhett's L&D just scroll down to the pictures...

This is me at probably 6:00 in the morning on Friday, November 4th, getting ready to deliver Rhett, but this story starts on Thursday. Well, I'll back up until Tuesday. I saw Dr. Cole and still wasn't dilated, so we were going back on Monday to have a sonogram, check his weight, and make a plan for induction. I really didn't want to be induced, especially if I wasn't dilated, but it would have been convenient for family to make it and have Mary Ella taken care of. And all along Dr. Cole reminded me that if I waited to go into labor on my own I might not make it to the hospital in time to get my epidural, especially as fast as ME came the first time. So, we went along with our week thinking Rhett's birthday would probably be the following Thursday, November 10th. I got my house mostly decorated for Christmas. All I needed to do was put up and decorate the trees and then get the house clean before company and Rhett arrived. Well, my friend, Ann Elise, was in town and she came by Wednesday for a little visit. I got to see Michael, and I asked her if she was going to Mistletoe (a Christmas shopping extravaganza at the Mississippi Trademart. LOVE IT!). I was thrilled when we made plans to go together Thursday afternoon. Shelley even volunteered to keep ME while we shopped. Perfect! Brad told me not to "overdo" it. I basically laughed and said it wouldn't really matter if I went into labor at this point...I was almost 39 weeks. I thought it might atleast make me start dilating, and that would be a good thing. And I had missed the Canton Flea Market in October for fear of inducing labor, so there was no way I was missing Mistletoe if I was still able to go. So I met Ann Elise at 2:30, and we shopped for about 3 hours and had the best time! I found everything I was looking for and more (of course)! We were enjoying visiting so much we decided to have dinner at Biaggi's (little did I know my last date night would be with AE and not my husband)! Ha! When we got in the car she asked how I was feeling, and I said "tight." I had a few contractions that night when I got home, but nothing worse than I had been having at the end of busy days. I had alot of Braxton Hicks this time! When I went to bed that night I was still contracting, but not hurting and not enough to keep me awake or make me worry. I woke up at 2 am to go to the bathroom, and I could tell I was having contractions. I got back in bed and tried to see if they were regular and close together. They were. I wasn't too worried until my head started to pound, and I got dizzy and felt like I might pass out. That's when I woke Brad up, 2:30 am. I told him what was happening and he immediately wanted to call the doctor. I sat up in bed and was no longer dizzy, so I said, "let's just wait and time the contractions for a while." He got his watch, and we timed 7 in 17 minutes. Time to call the doctor. I got up, got ready, and gathered everything we needed. I was mostly packed, but I'm so glad I made a list of last minute things to remember because I sure needed that list at 3 am! Brad called our friend, Rebecca, and she immediately came over. I don't know what we would have done without her! I was really hoping we hadn't woken her up in the middle of the night for a false alarm, but we hadn't. I did have a moment of doubt as we were driving over the Reservoir. I thought, "hmm...I don't think I've had a contraction in a while." And then, Bam! I had a big one and knew it was for real! We entered through the back door of the hospital, and I walked in and signed the check-in papers at 3:42. I asked the lady at the desk, "Where is the anesthesiologist?" I thought I was just joking, but by the time they checked me I was an 8!!! The nurse said, "Do you really want to know?" I was thinking, "oh please don't let me be a 10!!! I want an epidural!" I was assured I would get one, we just had to wait on the anesthesiologist. So, things started happening really fast after that. Brad called the grandparents at 4:00 and told them that we were about to have a baby. Nurses were shoving paperwork in my face. I could have signed my life away and never would have known it. I had one lady working on one arm trying to draw blood and two on the other trying to start an i.v. When they hooked me up to the monitor the nurse said, "Wow! You are contracting hard!" Yes, I was! I was really nervous about getting my water broken, but thankfully that happened on its own. I got my epidural around 5 and felt much better. The on-call doctor was a man. Shoot! I really wanted Dr. Cole, and I REALLY didn't want that grouchy man to deliver (he was very groggy when we called and was not in the best of moods). He basically waited over me and the anesthesiologist until my epidural kicked in, checked me, and I was a 10. I basically could have been a 10 when I got my epidural...glad they didn't check beforehand! So, he left and the nurses got everything ready. Then guess who showed up? Dr. Cole at 6:10! Evidently she checks her phone as soon as she wakes up, and she can see who has checked in at the hospital. She literally rolled out of bed, no make-up, and came to the hospital just to deliver Rhett! LOVE her! And after 3 rounds of pushing, we heard Rhett's sweet cry at 6:22 am. He was MAD! And I can understand why...he had the cord wrapped around his neck. He looked a little blue to me, but Dr. Cole said it is fairly common and wasn't pinched, so he wasn't under any stress. He was still crying when I held him for the first time, but after getting a little cleaned up and wrapped up, he was peaceful in my arms. We were so happy to meet him! And even though he looked exactly as I had pictured him (with a head full of thick, black hair), it was still a little shocking to see it confirmed. He looks EXACTLY like his daddy! Where I am in him, I don't know? But we love him to pieces! Oh, what a happy day!

The lovely Dr. Cole

After delivery she said, "That is why I would have liked to induce." And I said, "Why? It was perfect. I went into labor at 2 and had him by 6:30." Then Brad had to mention that I went to Mistletoe, and she sort of got onto me. I think I was used as an example to her patients that day. She told several that they did NOT need to go to Mistletoe. Ha! She came back to check on me later that day, and even on Saturday. Best.doctor.ever.

Mary Ella weighed 7 lbs. 6 oz. one day early. He weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. 11 days early. He was definitely on track to be an 8 pounder.

He has huge feet! As long as his daddy's middle finger!

Ann Elise, Rhett's first visitor, and my shopping partner in crime

You will always be a part of Rhett's L&D story. I'm so glad it all happened the way it did! Thanks, friend, for being there on our special day! I'm so happy I got to see you 3 days in a row!

We had some time to spend with Rhett when we got in our room before the family arrived. And it sounded like Mary Ella had a super fun time with Rebecca until Gigi, Papa, and JuJu arrived to pick her up.

Meeting Gigi for the first time

And Papa

The big sister surprises were a BIG hit!

Gotta love the $1 bins at Target!

JuJu and Rhett

Even though she got woken up at 4 am and drove 8 hours, Julie was still excited to meet her new nephew!

And these are my favorites...I couldn't delete any of them! Mary Ella was SO excited to finally meet baby Rhett!

Checking out his feet

And holding his hand

Can you say swollen? For some reason I swell AFTER I have the baby, plus I had been up since 2 and you can tell it. Still love these pictures of our new family!

Mia arrived later that evening, but for some reason I didn't get a picture of her and Rhett until the next day. Welcome to the world and happy birthday, sweet boy! It was a long, exciting day that we will never forget!

Meet Rhett

2011-11-12T15:04:00.011-06:00

Rhett Law Harriman
November 4, 2011
6:22 a.m.
7 lbs. 8 oz.
21 in.

Many more pictures to follow...we've been a little busy, and I've got WAY too many to choose from!

My Heart Swells

2011-11-03T12:43:00.005-05:00

I think probably every pregnant girl gets emotional around delivery time, and I'm no different. And I'm sure I'll be an even bigger mess when Rhett gets here. I have been in crazy mode for a few weeks trying to get everything ready, checking my "to do" list, and I felt like crap all last week. It was a very busy week, and I was determined to do everything I had planned...like I was just ticking each one off, just getting through it. And I'm glad I did, and Halloween was fun. But I'm glad it's over, and I'm glad I feel better this week. I said I was going to put up my Christmas decorations right after Halloween, and that's what I've done. It's all ready except for the 2 trees, and I'm waiting on Brad or my mom to get here to help me with that. (I'm not rushing the holidays. I usually like to decorate right after Thanksgiving, but I want to have it done early this year. I just want to sit and relax and hold my baby in front of the tree when he gets here). So, I think I'll have the trees up by the weekend, and the only other thing I really need to do is get one last good cleaning in on my house. And then, it's time to bring on Rhett!

"Be still and know that I am God;" Psalm 46:10

So, back to the emotional part. I have had some time this week to slow down, enjoy every moment with Mary Ella, point out the beautiful colors of changing leaves, and just take it all in. God is everywhere and has His hand in everything! I feel an overwhelming sense of thankfulness and peace. My heart swells seeing these 4 stockings hang on the mantel. I bought all 4 of them 6 years ago. Mine and Brad's came monogrammed and have been with us at 3 different houses now. The red and green polka dots were folded in the bags they came in, and the red one got monogrammed and joined us almost 3 Christmases ago. The green one got monogrammed as soon as I found out we were having our Rhett. I know it sounds silly, but I just feel so blessed to have taken the leap of faith in God 6 years ago to buy those 2 extra stockings for the 2 kids, one girl and one boy, that would be to come. Thank you God for remembering me, hearing my prayers, and giving me the greatest desires of my heart, a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, and a son on the way.

"Delight yourself in the the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Our family has had its fair share of ups and downs, but I hope I can always be grateful and stand firm in my faith no matter what is in store. So right now I want to remember how blessed I feel to have Mary Ella and Rhett. So many people have trouble getting pregnant or have horrible experiences or lose babies. We got pregnant the very first time, both times. Thank you, God! Both pregnancies have been smooth, and I couldn't have asked for a better labor and delivery with ME. Thank you, God! I pray that Rhett will get here safe and sound and be a healthy and happy baby, but I'm not promised that. Anything can happen, but I will praise God no matter what!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above," James 1:17

And speaking of gifts, check out these precious videos. I have also been SO emotional thinking about my firstborn. She is my heart...I just wish I could bottle her up right now and save this sweetness forever. And I have to admit it makes me want to cry thinking about losing any time with her (sorry Rhett). I know when he gets here he will fit, and I will love him just as much and be just as proud of him. But I also want to remember these sweet days when it was just her and me, and right now our days are shortly numbered. I am just SO thankful I have the opportunity to stay home with BOTH my babies. Thank you God and Brad for that one!

Little Bo Peep and Baa Baa Black Sheep- my favorite part is when the "little boy who lives down the lane" sounds like "little booty"

Little Miss Muffett and Wee Willie Winkie- Did you catch "turds and whey" and "eighty o'clock?"

Two Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Jesus Loves Me- sort of, not her best rendition, but still so sweet

The Real Deal

2011-11-01T20:43:00.005-05:00

Mary Ella's first trick-or-treating experience...so fun! She enjoyed handing out candy at home too!

She was so excited and did a great job! She was polite and very cheery and announced to everyone, "I'm Minnie!" She rang door bells and then knocked on doors. She said "trick or treat" and "thank you." At the very first house, when the door opened she went straight in the house after the candy...maybe a little TOO friendly!

And she blew lots of kisses! Ha!

She had a couple treats in the wagon, but when we got home she wanted a sucker. So I gave her this gum-free Dum Dum...I thought it was chocolate. She was so excited!

Until she realized it was root beer...not her fav! Ha!

This was ME getting pumped up beforehand!
Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T16:13:00.004-05:00

It was a "treat" to have breakfast and spend the morning with the Howies before they headed back to Houston. We hope you'll stop and stay again at Hotel Harriman! ;)

Trunk or Treak 2011

2011-10-31T15:43:00.006-05:00

Ava was so sweet to carry Mary Ella around to all the trunks after church.

Mrs. JoRene let her pick whatever she wanted.

Checking out her stash

Corbin and Mary Ella

She sat like a perfect angel to lick her sucker.

Can you tell she gets it? She almost always said "thank you," but sometimes forgot the "trick or treat" part. Tonight should be fun too! It will be a little more work actually having to walk up and ring the doorbell, but I think she'll manage. Her daddy said the first thing she asked for this morning was her candy bucket! All of a sudden she is remembering she wants treats for going potty. Needless to say she is wired already! She was WILD at lunch with Daddy!