Halloween...Humbug!

I have a confession to make that could possibly disappoint some of you. Halloween is not my favorite. I'm glad Hayden agrees. And I'm glad it's over. We are just not the "buying candy, staying home and passing it out, decorating the house with spooky demonic looking things" type of people. We never dress up. We put our big plant pots in front of the door to communicate that we're not home. We turn off all the lights, close the shades and go down the street to Hayden's brothers house and watch a movie.

The most Halloweeny thing I do during October is watch The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Well, that, and Hayden usually carves an amazing pumpkin so I buy him a really nice one. This year he just wasn't into carving our HUGE pumpkin until the last minute (see the end result below). Literally, he carved it in his brothers garage as we were getting ready to watch the movie. And I think he only carved it because I nagged at him about how I went out and bought it, ha! Then, when it was all said and done, we left it on their porch.

Just call us Halloween Scrooges.

This year, however, we were given (yes I said GIVEN) three baby costumes for FREE! So, of course, I took pictures of Asher in all three and asked my Twitter followers to let me know which one Asher should be for Halloween. Since I'm just not into that sort of thing I needed to rely on my pals.

The three choices were a Bat
Frankenbaby (aka Little Monster)

Or a Monkey

Frankenmonster came out winning in the end. I think Asher might feel the same way his Dad and I do about Halloween. I just imagine in this picture he's saying

"Please be over soon so that I can start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!"

The Weigh In...& Some New Glasses

We had our 9 month check up last Monday and everything went well. Got the flu shot and another shot and made it through great! Asher weighs approx. 19 lbs. now and is STILL in the ZERO percentile for height!!!

No matter...have you ever seen a smilier baby? I think I should sell this photo to the pediatrician's office so they can use it for advertisements.

Nani and Pops are soooooooooo in love with Asher! We are in some danger here because Pops now oversees the toy department at Wal Mart. They visit a couple of times a week and always come bearing gifts. The most recent, these stylish sunglasses, which Asher keeps on the ENTIRE time we go on our walks! It's so cute!

So what else have we been up to over the last week?

Asher's been a part of a music class for the past few months. I know, I know he's only 9 months old...but we had an "anonymous" donor for the fee, we know the teacher and other kids in the class very well, and the teacher swears it works!

The proof is in the puddin'. Look at him go! He will normally just eat the drum sticks and shakers, but now he's getting to where he copies the older kids and actually...well...drums.

Look at that concentration!!!

Hayden and I just hope that Asher is musical like us. We are exposing him to all sorts of types of music. Hayden is good about getting Asher around the instruments in our house. So far our boy is fascinated with the guitar and mandolin!

Then there's the ongoing (friendly) debate. Does Asher look more like Daddy...

Or more like Mommy?

What do you think?

One thing there is for sure NO debate on is who he loves more...can't you tell by looking at these pics?

Saying Goodbye

My blog hiatus has been well deserved, believe me. Last weekend Hayden, Asher and I drove over to Scottsboro, AL to say goodbye to my Grandmama Ruby.

I haven't had anyone in my family this close to me die since I was just a little kid. It was very tough going into the whole thing because there are a lot of emotions a person goes through when saying goodbye to someone they have loved since they can remember. But Grandmama was in so much pain. She died of Cancer (of many sorts). Hayden posted several videos of her on YouTube...if you want to view them you can go to our channel "Wreyfmonkey" to see them.

This is my Dad. Grandmama is his Mom.

When we visit my family in Alabama we stay at my other Grandparents house (that's Gma and Gpa). We stayed in my old bedroom this time (usually we don't) and Hayden was pleased to find that my Mom had decorated his twin bed with my old pillowcase.

My Little Cupcake

This past weekend my friend returned from a trip to New York City with the most scrumptious souvenir that a girl could hope for. Those of you that read this little blog know that I bought the Babycakes NYC cookbook a while back. I've tried a few recipes from the book (which is totally vegan, sugar-free, gleuten-free) and have really enjoyed them. This might actually mean a lot to those of you who do not eat anything remotely vegan, sugar-free or gleuten-free. I have THE. BIGGEST. SWEET. TOOTH ever. I am addicted to sugar. There I said it.

Why on earth would I waste my time on this crap when I can enjoy the real thing you ask? Because I like my sweet and I like to not feel so darn guilty (and I also like buying new clothes for other reasons than "hips spreading"). The Babycakes cookbook is seriously the closest thing I've found to the real thing.

When A won the trip to the Big Apple I knew I had to tell her to stop by (mostly because she's vegan herself) and try something and report back to me. She went way above and beyond that and brought me back a cupcake from the #1 voted bakery in the entire city! Yes, that's even over the famous Magnolia.

Here's how the exchange went down: I met A's mom at church on Sunday and she greeted me with the cutest little box containing my treasure which looked very much like this...I was giddy and said to her "isn't this just the cutest thing ever?" To which she wondered (I'm sure), "it's three days old, can it really be that good?"

My mouth was seriously watering just thinking about that little chocolate piece of heaven staring at me all during worship! I'm sorry Jesus, I tried to keep my mind on you...but that chocolate was calling my name so loudly! Please forgive me! I didn't cave...alas, I wanted to wait until after I had some "real food" before I stuffed my face with the yummy goodness that awaited me.

We left church and went to eat some barbecue with a group of friends. Since it was about 50 degrees and VERY windy out (I was very cold), I thought the cupcake would be fine in it's sweet little white box in the car.

Left the rib shack. I couldn't resist begging Hayden to take Asher to the pumpkin patch across the street for some cute photo ops, so we went. Meanwhile my little souvenir was in the car turning into this...

Melted goo.

Did that stop me? HECK NO! What's better than a box full of sweet chocolate cupcake? GOOEY SWEET CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE!!!

Get into my belly!!!

Going.....

Going.....

Going.....

Gone!!!

It was so delicious! I can honestly tell you that it was so very rich that I had to have a glass of organic milk with it (I can do that because I'm not vegan). You would NEVER know that it wasn't a "real" cupcake. I've made Barefoot Contessa's outrageous brownies before (which are HEAVEN on a napkin), and the experience was similar to that.

Thanks A, I'll never forget this.

Pumpkin Patch

I just have to thank you guys for giving me some blog lovin' last week. It was fun doing that quiz, and if you commented then you're automatically tagged to do it on your blog too!

Yesterday after church we went to eat at Shane's Rib Shack and then took Asher to a pumpkin patch. All of you know I have been dying to do this since LAST YEAR...yes, before he was ever born, I bought the cutest corduroy overalls for him to wear. He looked so cute in them! It was really cold and windy, so we had to put his jacket on him...he was THE cutest baby around!

I just love how photogenic my baby boy can be.

Asher looks so much like Hayden.

2009 Pumpkin Patch family pic! Thank goodness for Photoshop and a savvy husband.

He can fix these up right nice!

Jeff, Lori and Jackson joined us. Jackson wasn't too pleased with being at the patch, but that's OK...hopefully by Christmas he'll get that smile thing down.

If you think I'm nuts about the pumpkin patch...just wait until all the Christmas decor emerges from the attic!!!

Seriously, have you ever seen anything so cute in all your life?

After a while Asher lost his shoe. I got so tired of putting it back on him that I just sat him down (in his socks) on the hay. To which he replied, "hey thanks! this stuff looks fun to eat!"

I love my baby boy! The pumpkin patch experience was, for me, just like I had always pictured it in my head. Don't you just love it when that happens?

We didn't end up getting a pumpkin because I don't want it to rot before Halloween. They're also cheaper at Wal-Mart, ha!...sorry patch folks!

Hopefully next year Asher will be big enough to appreciate the ponies the older kids were riding!

A quiz

I would like to thank my friend "Monkey's Mama" for tagging* me to do a quiz for y'all...I feel like I have nothing to say on my blog sometimes and so I just let days and days go by...so THANK YOU for giving me something to say!!!

A little quiz about me and the love of my life, Mr. Wreyford:

7 year old pic. Ain't we cute?

What are your middle names?
Mine is Kelly, his is (of course) Asher

How long have you been together?
We started dating sometime around his birthday (December) in 2002. The picture posted above was actually his birthday party where he professed his "serious like" for me. I seriously liked him too! We got engaged in November of the next year and married 4 months later in February of 2004. We have been married for 5 years...so we've been together a total of almost 7 years. WOW!

[Hayden's edit: I think when that picture above was taken was on December 20th, 2002 and I asked you if we could officially call it "dating" that night. You had thrown me my first surprise party ever and invited a bunch of my college friends. I was really surprised and really impressed by you caring for me like that.]



How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Several months. We both had our eye on each other for a while and hung out with our group of friends together a lot. Hayden took me to lunch one day and told me that he intended to "get to know me better"...he did things the total "Campus Outreach" way...which was sooooo respectful, open and so unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The picture above this one is of us before we started actually dating. We went ice skating in downtown Atlanta with a group of friends and Hayden wouldn't ice skate with me because he didn't want to have to hold my hand, we were just friends afterall. Needless to say I fell on my butt a LOT that night. Yeah, notice he wouldn't hold my hand, but he would wear my winter hat and take snuggly pics with me.

[Hayden's edit: More like less than 2 months. We first "hung out" on November 1, 2002 and we started dating December 20th, 2002. If you count from the time we very first met briefly, then it was about 3 months, I guess.]

Who asked who out?
Funny enough...I did! I had to attend a Christmas party with a date, and Hayden was the obvious choice. I asked him if he'd go, and he quickly said "Of course!" To which I replied..."Don't you need to know when it is first?" ha!

[Hayden's edit: When the hot girl asks you out, you say "YES"! Don't ask silly questions.]

Who made the first move?
That's a hard one to answer. What does this mean by "move?" I asked Hayden out first. Later on, he initiated the DTR and he initiated the first hand holding and first kiss.

He had long hair pretty much the entire time we dated.

How old are each of you?
I'm 33 and he's 31. Yeah, just call me "Cougar."

Did you go to the same school?
No way! I went to Alabama and he went to Georgia. (Roll Tide!!!)
[Hayden's edit: This is the only thing we genuinely disagree on. However, it's only once a year on the years our teams actually play each other. Even better, now she's a Georgia fan and I am a Tide fan. Love.]

Are you from the same home town?
No. I grew up in Grant, Alabama (podunk). He grew up in several places including Greenwood, MS...Greenwood, SC and Cordelle, GA.

[Hayden's edit: It's actually Abbeville, SC and Cordele, GA, and while they are all small towns, I've been to Grant, AL and it does take the "podunk" cake.]

Who is the smartest?
Oh Hayden totally! Although, he'd glare at me for saying that. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and I graduated Thank You Lordy!

[Hayden's edit: ...I only graduated Cum Laude and Julia graduated "Thank you, Laude!"]

Who majored in what?
I majored in Television Broadcasting (yes, notice I'm not a news reporter now) and he majored in Speech Communication.

Who is the most sensitive?
Feelings-wise that would be me. I cry all the time. Hayden is more sensitive when it comes to reading people though.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Hmmm...can I say "at home?" Ha! When we eat out it's usually Zaxby's or Chili's.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Camden, Arkansas to see his Mamaw.

Who has the worst temper?
It's a toss up. I am very even keel but let things build and build and build until one day I'm like a volcano that explodes without warning. Hayden likes to get things off his chest right then and there.

[Hayden's edit: This is true.]

How many children do you want?
We currently have differing opinions. I want 5, to which he says "FIVE??? FIVE??? FIVE???" I think he'd say whatever God chooses to bless us with is fine with him.

Who does the cooking?
Me.

[Hayden's edit: I once tried to make her breakfast in bed. I went with pancakes and went by the recipe on the box. At some point I accidentally began looking at the recipe below the pancake recipe, which was for strawberry shortcake. Worst. Pancakes. Ever. She ended up making pancakes for us both instead.]

Who is more social?
Oh Hayden for sure. After church I am always ready to get the heck out of there! I would rather sit in the car and wait on traffic than stand around and talk. But Hayden, he LOVES human

interaction...hence the degree in Speech Comm.

[Hayden's edit: Disagree. I say we take turns. In her example above, I do that because I just hate traffic!]

Who is the neat-freak?
It depends. At home, I am. At work, Hayden is.

[Hayden's edit: Good point!]

Who is the most stubborn?
I am. As a bull! I think I get it from my Dad. If you knew him you'd know what I mean.

Who wakes up earlier?
Me. Asher and I do our thing and then almost every morning we go in and wake up Daddy. Usually that involves a big grin, giggles and tons of drool on Daddy's sleeping face.

[Hayden's edit: Love that!]

Where was your first date?
I can't spell it...but Hayden took me to a Japanese hibachi restaurant in Athens. It's called Inoko's or however you spell it.

[Hayden's edit: That's right!]



Who has the bigger family?
Hayden does. He has a ton of cousins and aunts and uncles. I only have 1 cousin.

Do you get flowers often?
Not really. Hayden would say it's because he'd rather get me something that lasts, like a kitchen gadget or a CD. I'm fine with that.

[Hayden's edit: I'd rather buy her gifts that don't rot in three days. Sometimes I'm too practical to be super-romantic.]

How do you spend the holidays?
Always with his family. Mainly that's because we both like to be home. My family isn't that close "emotionally" so they don't mind.

Who is more jealous?
Neither of us really. There's nothing to be jealous of. I'm totally in love with Hayden and he has no ex-girlfriends.

[Hayden's edit: This is true: I was a loser until I met Julia.]

How long did it take to get serious?
Not that long actually. We met when I was 27 and Hayden was turning 26...so I guess you could say we were both READY to not be single anymore!

[Hayden's edit: I was serious when I told her I was interested in her. I don't putz around.]

Who eats more?
I eat more often, but Hayden eats more quantity.

[Hayden's edit: I'm the fat one, if that's what they're getting at.]

What do you do for a living?
I'm a work from home Mom...Hayden is currently seeking employment. However, he is soon to become a published writer!!! More on that later :)

Who does the laundry?
Me.

Who’s better with the computer?
We're both pretty computer-savvy on the surface...but Hayden knows WAY more than I do about technology and the inner workings of computers.

[Hayden's edit: Translation..."me".]

Who drives when you are together?
I try to never drive with Hayden in the car. I love him, but he is such a back seat (or passenger seat) driver that I go crazy. I just give him the keys to avoid conflict.

[Hayden's edit: I am a control freak, and fewer places make it obvious that I am not in control than when I am in the passenger seat. This is a spiritual problem. I also get carsick unless I drive.]

What is your song?
We don't have a song. Is that bad?

[Hayden's edit: Bunches of songs make me think of you. "St Patrick's Day" by John Mayer takes me back to when we dated.]

*Since I only ever get about 1 or 2 comments I'm going to forego the "tagging" part of this quiz. I don't even know who actually reads this blog.

I can't believe it's been over a week!

Look at him...I just know he is contemplating about how I have let my blog followers down due to lack of bloggage. Are any of you still out there?!?!?!?!

I apologize now to anyone who reads this blog. I don't know if I have ever let our blog go this long without at least one post! I guess being at home now just makes it so much easier to let things go. I promise I'm going to get better soon and blog every single day!

So what have we been up to in the last week? A TON! I won't go into detail right now, but we have actually been doing a lot. As you know, we are now both at home all day, all the time....both in need of the computer also. Hayden has been working on the computer a lot, as have I, so you can imagine that it's hard to share for work AND find some free time for blogging.

But yesterday in the car Hayden mentioned that I haven't blogged in a week. My only excuse is that we need another computer, ha! So hopefully I will find some free "computer" time and keep you all updated on the goings on at our house. Although, it's sort of like checking out "Internet time" at the library...if you have ever done that. Sometimes you have to wait in line for others to finish up.

Anyway...

Over the last week we have filled our time with worship practice several days a week, filled our weekends with music at church and family get-togethers. An "anonymous" friend of ours paid for Asher to attend a weekly music class which is so much fun. Asher and I get to see all of our Mommy and Baby friends every Wednesday morning. He did manage to catch a runny nose that we've been dealing with for about 3 weeks now, and he has been a little on the miserable side at times. That doesn't keep him from crawling all over the house hunting for Sandy's dog bowl. Oh, and he has also learned how to take off his diaper. I'm so lucky that he didn't "go" while I was away (twice...yes, twice)!

There was also a really fun "Twitter" event that happened to me last week which caused me to have to protect my Tweets, monitor all blog posts, and do a search for my name on the Internet to make sure I'm "protected" everywhere. So much drama, so little time!

We have another weekend packed full of worship practice, church Saturday night and Sunday morning...and then Sunday after church the whole Wreyford clan are packing up the kids and heading to a pumpkin patch for some Autumn photo opps. I can't wait!

I'll be sure to blog about it, I promise!!!

Is Chivalry Dead?

If you turn to the very last page of last month's issue of Southern Living you'll find a cute list of things a Southern man SHOULD do for his lady. It's really a great list and I was sure to go through them one by one with Hayden...he does them all already. Lucky me!

Last Saturday when we went to the Georgia vs. Arizona State game we got SOAKED! It was such a torrential downpour that my shoes were completely flooded. I was miserable for 4 hours. After the game was over we had to walk to the bus that was going to take us back to the RV park where we tailgated with our friends. Once we stepped on the bus we saw that is was PACKED. Not a single seat to be found. Soaking wet, cold, feet hurting and tired, we all had to stand up and just hold on (meanwhile the bus sat in the same bad game day traffic as everyone else).

I looked around me (since I had plenty of time to notice) and I was surrounded by men. Men sitting in their nice comfy seats all discussing the game they'd just won (or lost, depending on your team). Remembering the Southern Living list, I started to wonder...is chivalry dead? I stood there sort of just wondering, waiting to see if there was actually a gent on the bus that would offer a lady his seat.

Don't forget, we ARE in the deep, deep South here. It is not uncommon for a lady to expect her door to be opened or to be escorted to the passenger side before her guy enters the vehicle. It's a common practice for our men to walk beside you on the side of the sidewalk closest to the traffic (it's more dangerous and he is protecting you). So you won't be surprised to know that after 10 or so minutes, a man actually did offer up his seat! Here's how the exchange went down.

Man gets off the phone after multiple phone calls to discuss how badly the quarterback "sucked." He smacks me on the arm with the back of his hand and without making eye contact says "Hey, Ya wont my seat?"

What do you think my answer to him was? It wasn't like Prince Charming actually STOOD up and said "My Fair Maiden, you MUST take my set, I know you are tired." He said "ya wont my seat."

I was expecting this exchange, even HOPING for it. I was so very tired and my feet were KILLING me! I was standing there wondering if there were any gentlemen left on this planet and suddenly I find myself with a choice to make.

So I did what any polite GRITS would do (for those of you who don't know that means Girl Raised In The South)...I turned him down. "No thank you, but you're sweet for asking." He probably expected that too. See, it's really just about the niceties. I just wanted to know that he was THINKING about being nice. He didn't actually have to follow through with it.

Perhaps deep inside I wanted him to insist? This is how us Southerners do things. We offer our politeness. We politely turn down the offer. Then we wait for more offerings, even down right insistence! It's sad really.

This prompted me to post a fun list of

10 Chivolrous Things A Man Can Do In 2009:

1. If the weather is cool, and especially if it‘s obvious that she‘s cold, offer your jacket.
2. As a general rule, it is polite and gentlemanly to hold the door for anybody who is following you closely, especially the elderly.
3. If it’s raining, hold the umbrella.
4. If you are sitting at a table with a woman or women, stand up when one arrives or leaves the table.
5. If it’s icy or pouring rain, play valet and go get the car so she doesn’t have to brave the elements.
6. When walking with her, take the side closest to the street. She won’t risk being splashed by puddles as cars drive by and it removes her from the dangers of traffic.
7. Pick her up. Unlike offering to drive a girl home, picking her up doesn’t imply surreptitious intentions.
8. You should always offer to walk, drive or cab her home.
9. If you do drive her home, get out of your car when you get to her house. Open her car door.
10. Even if you just run into an acquaintance on the street, introduce her.

Weekend In Pictures

8 Months Old!

Asher is now 8 months old, can you believe it? Here is a list of things that this sweet little Monkey is up to:

1.) Baby Signing Time - Asher is beginning to recognize the signs that we've been showing him for the last 2 months. He shows excitement by smiling and laughing when we show him signs for eat, drink, more, Daddy and Mommy. Just yesterday we are 99% sure he mimicked Hayden doing the sign for Daddy, a very proud moment as you can imagine!

2.) Eating - Asher can now clean off the spoon by pursing his lips. He grows VERY impatient waiting for his food to be prepped. He grunts, groans and moans just waiting for each yummy bite.

3.) Drinking - He drinks from a sippy cup! We've been "practicing"" for 2 months now and he's great at it! He can hold his cup with both handles and drinks big gulps. At first we tried the Nuby cup with a rubber top, but switched because he was always soaked when he was finished. The top is very soft and every time he tried to drink from it, the rubber broke away from the lid and water gooshed him.

I really love the ones we use now...

4.) He still has only breast milk. He has 4- 4 oz. servings every time and he eats every 5 hours. Now that he's having solids my milk supply is getting lower and he requires less. I was so worried about it but his Pediatrician told us no worries...he's still gaining proper weight and soaking the right amount of diapers during a 24-hour period.

5.) That Monkey-boy is CRAZY! He is crawling ALL OVER THE PLACE and getting into EVERYTHING! Right now I'm really loving the chase, but all Mom's keep reminding me it will get old. He's at the age right now where I can laugh and he won't know the difference. We're having a great time!

6.) He has grown a great deal of dislike for the vacuum cleaner. He cries every time I turn it on. Which is unfortunate because little Sandy sheds so badly and I have to clean our floors every other day!

7.) He has learned the art of mimicking. If you take two blocks and bang them together, he will take two blocks and bang them together. If you hit a tambourine with your hand, he will hit the tambourine also. If you make a noise, he'll copy you. Very cute!

8.) He still loooooves his Rabby and Curious George. They are by far his two most prized possessions. I wonder if that's because they are only allowed at nap and bed times?

9.) He weighs 19.2 pounds. Which means he's not so much fitting into his 6-month clothes anymore. We've moved up to the 9-month PJ's and jeans.

10.) He likes to share with Daddy. If he's holding something (like a baby spoon) and putting it in his mouth, he will then try to put it in Daddy's mouth. He has a lot of fun sharing, but he doesn't want to share like this with Mommy. Sad.

11.) Asher is VERY vocal in church now! He is awake and rarin' to go when we get to church. We're not putting him in the nursery yet so we go to our church's "gym" service (which is a little more family-friendly). I know what you're thinking but WE HAVE NO INSURANCE and I'm not about to have a sick child!

12.) He is a VERY spitty baby. Asher spits up ALL DAY LONG no matter what amount of food he has. Is this unusual?

13.) He has still not broken skin with his little teeth buds. Poor little guy.

14.) Asher now sleeps between 10-12 hours at night. We put him to bed around 8pm and we wakes up around 7:30am. If he wakes up any earlier, I just let him play in his crib. He loves it too (I'm so blessed)!

15.) If Asher wakes up at any point during a nap, during the night, or too early...he crawls to the opposite end of his crib...turns on his fish aquarium...crawls back to his "favorite corner" and lays back down. I FELL OUT the first time I ever witnessed that on the video monitor!

16.) He eats 3 food cubes per meal now (sometimes 2). Still has fruit + cereal for breakfast, fruit + veggie + cereal for lunch and meat + veggie + cereal for dinner.

17.) He can almost pick up small pieces of food. I've tried small pieces of banana and whole grain cereal...he gets pretty frustrated and just grunts right now.

18.) Still has very blue eyes!

19.) Has even more blonde hair now...we can make a baby mohawk during bathtime now!

20.) He is his father's son...Hayden HATES, LOATHES, DESPISES bananas. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE bananas. I've tried giving Asher bananas in all sorts of variations, but he spits them out every single time. He just doesn't like bananas right now. Doesn't mean I won't keep trying!

Here is a list of the foods that have been

added to Asher's diet in the last month:

Butternut Squash

Plums

Blueberries

Turkey

Whole Grain Cereal (O's)

Baby Mum Mum's

Diluted Apple Juice

I think next up on the food introduction list will be pumpkin in honor of Halloween.

The Atlanta Floods & What I've Been Up To...

It has been raining so much in Atlanta that we're having floods that have hit the record books. These pics are courtesy of the AJC blog...
This is a pic of what I-85 going north looks like. The ramp is completely covered in water and people are STILL driving. Man, Atlanta traffic IS crazy!


These are pics of how flooded the houses in the county I live in got...


While Hayden and I were so blessed to not have our house covered in water, the rain still drew the fire ants into our kitchen. I woke up the other morning to a nice family of ants crawling all over my counters! I FREAKED!!! Not only am I sort of a "sanitizing freak" about my kitchen...but I'm deathly allergic to fire ants. This is how my kitchen looks today because Hayden had to take out a huge piece of the sheet rock. Yesterday afternoon he spent about an hour killing fire ants that were literally billowing out of the siding on the outside of our house. I felt bad that I couldn't help him, but he did a great job of getting rid of them (we hope)!

As you can imagine, today I feel like an incomplete woman because my cabinet is missing, we have to recover and paint the wall, and my coffee maker is UNPLUGGED.


Asher is growing up so fast! He's such a big boy now. He's riding in the shopping cart with his cover and taking in all of the exciting Wal-Mart sights. I know I'm going to have to fend off the ladies when he's older. He was so charming to the strangers at the store that one actually came up to him and told him she LOVED him! I have to be careful of who I let touch my boy...we have no insurance at the moment due to the layoff, and if Asher catches the Swine Flu from some adoring stranger I may have to kick some tail!!!



I'm a Medela Maven Mom. What that means is that Medela (the breastpump people) find me to be knowledgeable about breastfeeding and pumping and I get to go on the message boards and answer questions that women post on the boards. They sent us this new bottle nipple to try out for 30 days. I call it the NASA nipple because it looks space-age. I can't reveal anything about it until after October 16, but it's a pretty interesting concept.

Over the past 2 weeks or so, Asher and I have grown so much closer. He's gotten to where he will reach for me, want me to hold him after he's been held by someone else in public (which means church), and he sometimes cries at home because he wants to snuggle in my lap. What a sweet boy! I can't tell you how many times I daydreamed and prayed for these moments. I don't care what any book says about holding a baby too much or spoiling them. Asher is my special little miracle, and I will hold him until those days come that he runs away from me!!!

He's also graduated to the "big boy tub." He loves to play with all of his bath toys, but he is super scared of the big faucet. He's also really scared of the vacuum cleaner, which isn't good because I want to vacuum almost every day!!!

State of Shock

It's been 8 days since I was last able to blog. I feel so out of sorts! This blog won't have pics because, naturally, Hayden is playing HALO 3 with the guys and it's totally "lags" him out when I upload photos. So next blog, I promise. I HATE posting blogs without pics!

As you remember I left my job 3 weeks ago and am now working from home. My new job is such a blessing and is keeping me SUPER busy! I work about 6 hours a day! You would think that the WFH Mom would have TONS of time on her hands for blogging, but NOT SO! My schedule these days is so hectic and I know if I stop working to blog, then I will get caught up in READING blogs and never get any actual paying work done...it's too tempting so I just have to stay away.

The moments I'm not working at computer Asher is awake and I just soak up every ounce of baby that I can! I need to make up for those 5 months that I missed out working at the office and missing him! I can't believe I survived FIVE MONTHS! I think it'll probably take me another 5 months of his life to ever want to leave him again for just about anything. By then he'll be ONE YEAR OLD!!!

My boy is so sweet and is growing so much, but I'll update you on how when I compose the 8-month old blog (one week from today - Saturday).

As you also know, I'm a new Aunt! You might think that means I have been holding him 24-7 the last week, but NOOOOOOOO...I had to go and get sick! Then I had to go give it to Asher! We have both been sick for a few days now. I'm better, but Asher is suffering from a severely stuffy nose. It could be MUCH worse, but having a sick baby is bad enough. I finally met the non-hospital Jackson and got to hold him TODAY! He's so very tiny, I just can't believe my Asher was ever that size.

Lastly, Hayden was laid off from his job this week. We're still in a state of shock and I don't know what to say really. A friend asked me if the company knew they were going to lay him off when I resigned. I would have to say the answer to that is no. But God knew. That's what important right now.

Gotta run, that boy needs me!!!

I'm an Aunt!!

Welcome to the world Jackson Bryan!!!

Squeaky Hairbrush

This weekend Asher discovered how fun chewing his hairbrush can be! He has no teeth right now (although he's shown the signs of teething for months now) so the rubber squeaks on his gums. It's so cute!!!

I hope you'll also notice that he's representin' both our SEC teams...The Dawgs and The Tide!

Look Who's Crawling

Labor Day weekend is the weekend my life as a more "stationary" Mother
changed forever.

Money Saving Tip #4: Around the House

• Try CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs. In the most commonly lit areas of your home, CFL's may be a great idea for saving some money over longer periods of time. They burn way less energy, but put out the same amount of light as conventional bulbs that waste energy by putting out light and heat. The catch is that some people don't like the "color" of light they put off, as it tends not to be as "warm" in color as traditional filamented bulbs. We have lamp shades or glass covering most of the CFL's at our house, so you'd never know the difference until you look at our electric bill. Other possible downsides are that they are slightly more expensive than traditional bulbs up front and that they are not as energy efficient as LED technology (which is not quite widespread yet, but will be). Also, you should know that CFLs, like all fluorescent lighting, contain small amounts of mercury in the bulb itself. So if you ever break one, technically, you are supposed to call the local has-mat squad. I've broken a few before and I am still here. So whatever.

• Mind the water heater. Turn down the thermostat on your hot water heater. It should never be set to greater than 120º. Turn it to "vacation" mode if you are away from the house for several days or weeks at a time. If your water heater goes out and it is time to buy a replacement, consider a tankless water heater that heats water on demand, rather than a traditional one that wastes energy by heating a full tank of water even when it is not in use.

• Set the thermostat appropriately, based on the season. Keep your thermostat at 78º in the summer and 68º in the winter. Turn your A/C off on pleasant fall and spring nights and days and open the windows instead. If you have a programmable thermostat, program it so that the A/C or heat works less while you are away, then turns on in time to have the house cool/warm by the time you normally get home. When you are at work, you can program your thermostat to bump up the temperature 3-5 degrees or so. Too much more than that can put a real strain on your system. And hey, if it is a nice night, turn off the A/C and open the windows!

• Unused appliances. Turn off or unplug appliances that you don't use often. Appliances still draw power, even when they are not in use. Some are bigger energy hogs than others (like electronic equipment), but this is just good practice.

• Natural gas overstock. This is more of an FYI, but the other week, I heard Clark Howard say that if your house uses natural gas, there are currently record high stockpiles of it available...so much in fact that natural gas companies are literally running out of space to store it all. So energy bills and even electricity bills should be way, way lower this winter, and up to four times lower than natural gas prices were just a few years ago.

• DIY yardwork. Do you have a lawn service? Cutting your own grass and treating your own weeds costs WAY less than $40/month and it makes for a good learning experience and great exercise!

Do you have more household money saving tips? Post 'em!

Money Saving Tip #3: Eating Out

• Have an ironclad family budget. Set a designated amount in the budget for eating out and actually stick to it. So many families spend so much money on eating out a little here and a little there every month and then wonder where their money goes.

• Take your lunch to work. Every day at noon, I see scores of people leaving our office to go spend $5-$10 on lunch. Do the math. $5/day x 5 days x 4 weeks = $100/month! Even if you spend $5 only once a week, that's still $20/month...enough to pay a bill. So be shrewd when you eat out. Maybe make a deal not to eat out during the work week. If you love eating out like we do, make it count. Our rule is that we only eat out once a week and we do it after church ONLY if we have friends to go with.

• BYOS. Bring your own snacks to work and other places. Vending machine prices are sky high, so avoid them whenever you can. If you have a soft drink or candy bar habit, you are FAR better off buying your vice in bulk at a store (Sam's, Costco, BJ's) and bringing your dose with you than buying from the vending machine. But if you really want to save money and be healthier, try kicking your habit completely. Guess what? Soft drinks and junk food are terrible for you (and me) anyway.

• Divide and conquer. When you do eat out, understand that portion sizes here in the US are HUGE! Try splitting a dish with your spouse or a friend rather than ordering separately. If you are alone, cut your meal in half and save the uneaten portion for dinner or tomorrow's lunch. Sharing a meal is way easier and more satisfying than you may think...just listen to your stomach and not your eyes. Even more, listen to your wallet because sharing is like getting every meal at every restaurant at HALF PRICE!

• Clip coupons. Also when eating out, instead of picking a place and going there, watch for coupons or special deals and eat where the deals are. Many restaurants email coupons and many websites post coupon deals. There are also entire blogs dedicated to coupon clipping. Be a savvy consumer...literally!

• Stahbucks is da debul. If you are a sucker for your daily Starbucks, you're probably just a sucker. Do the math: $4/day x 30 days = $120/month How many monthly bills can you pay with $120? Then, $120 x 12 months = $1440/year. I don't need to explain that $1440/year is a lot of money, do I? Put it this way...if you made $50K/year in salary and do Starbucks every day, you could give yourself a 3% raise just by quitting. Enough with the designer coffee, already, eh? You're skewering your wallet!

Asher's Little Recipe

Hi, I'm Asher and I loooooooove to eat!

Today I thought it would be fun to give you a little peek...

At one of the yummy things Mommy has made for me to eat.

She calls it Butternut Squash...

I saw her opening one of those things she calls "book."

She started turning the pages

and she read all about Butternut Squash to me.

It has a lot of Vitamin A, which is really good for me!

Here's how it was made just for me...

First, she took one of those big shiny things with a long handle and scooped out this fun-to-touch-looking stuff. I would have given anything to be able to pick it up and put it in my mouth!

Next she put it on this long, thin shiny thing and turned the knob on that big thing that she points at and says "hot!"

I can't read yet, but I want to say 350-degrees very badly! When it comes out all that I can say is "eeeeeeeeh eeeeeeh."

I'm workin' on it!

Then, she poured a little bit of juice (orange) into a little glass thingie with some yellow stuff she melted (butter). Man, I can't tell you how badly I wanted to grab that red thing and shake it!!!

Mommy took that red thing and swirled it all around in that stuff and then she put it on the Butternut Squash. It looked fun.

Then she put it in that big "hot" thing for forever (30-45 min.). My mouth was watering for it so badly that I got drool all over my shirt!!!
FINALLY...Mommy scooped out the stuff, blended it a little, and gave it to me!!! It was sooooooo yummy!

Daddy likes it too because it was homemade and a whole lot cheaper than the stuff from the jar!

Out of all those very cold little squares that she takes from the freezer, Butternut Squash is one of my favorite things that Mommy feeds me!!!