3.20.2013
4.20.2011
Growing Up
I have been looking at old pictures of Benjamin lately. I know that pretty much everyone who has ever had kids will tell you straight up that you should enjoy every moment while they are young because they grow up entirely too fast. I have found this to be extremely accurate. I feel like just yesterday Benjamin was doing his first ever Easter egg hunt through the house {with Daddy’s assistance, of course, ha!}. He is just not the same baby as he was back then, in fact I realized today that BabyCenter sends me emails calling Benjamin ‘your preschooler’. Preschooler? My baby? Already?
But it’s true. He isn’t such a baby anymore. In fact, as many of you probably have heard already via Facebook, Benjamin will be hardcore potty-training starting tomorrow. I don’t know how many of you know of the 3-Day Potty Training Method, but that is what we are going to do and we are praying that it will work because first thing tomorrow, all the disposable diapers go bye-bye and the cloth ones get put away. Cold turkey.
I admit that I am pretty nervous about this whole process. This means that there is no going back. No falling back on diapers. Go big or go home, right? Well we are going big. This means that I will have to be right with Benjamin every waking minute of the day for the next three days. I have to catch him while he is in the process of ‘going’, each and every time he goes. Tonight we went on a last minute walmart run to buy one more pack of “big boy unnies”, a bunch of drinks, some special dinosaur cups, and some bananas.
So I apologize, but I won’t be around much the next three days. I won’t be able to do the Morning Glories posts because it takes my attention away from Benjamin for too long. Hopefully the next time you hear from me will be with good news about Benjamin’s potty training. Say a prayer for my sanity if you will, ha! And maybe Benjamin’s too because I am sure by the end of it we will be tired of spending so much time together.
So my big boy is growing up. I think he is ready. And I think I am, too. But we’ll just have to see when the three days are up! Bye-bye diapers!
2.03.2011
oh! my heart!
I just came across this old picture of Benjamin…
Oh! my heart! Why can’t he be small again?
Of course, having a two-year-old is great fun
{most of the time}
But I sure do miss him being so small!
Sigh.
Time sure does fly.
1.06.2011
cherishing memories
So life has been rather full and busy lately. Full of many things. Joys, sorrows, family, friends… many, many other things. I mentioned that my Great-Grandfather passed away last weekend. Tuesday was his funeral and we traveled down to South Georgia to be there with family. It was sad, for our sakes, but joyful for his gain. My life has been blessed as I have been his Great-Granddaughter and I will always cherish him.
Benjamin and his Great-Great-Granddaddy in August of ‘09
We were able to meet my cousins’ babies for the first time, and Benjamin especially enjoyed spending time at Hayden’s house because that is where we slept. We love Hayden so much and Benjamin is now obsessed with looking at this picture on my phone:
Aren’t they sweet? Benjamin was looking at this while we were in Costco and when the screen would go dark he would say, “Oh no! Hay-nen!” He just loves his little cousin. Oh, he also met and played with his third cousin Allie… who enjoyed slinging him around the living room, and he loved it too! Oh he just loved Allie!!
I am so thankful to have been able to make such sweet memories even when Benjamin likely won’t remember them. Thanks to my cousin Tori I have these pictures of Benjamin and Allie playing. I have a ton more and maybe later on I’ll share some more. They had a roaring good time and had everyone else in the room rolling with laughter too! What sweet memories!
Me, My aunt, and my mom (who would kill me if she knew this was up… but I love this anyway. please ignore the gut, HA!)
Granddaddy Bob holding two of three Great Grandsons… Benjamin loved to give “Hay-nen” kisses!
Crawling out of Maggie’s cage with a cup full of peanuts…
Playing with future wife Alethia (don’t worry, she’s not related… ha!)
Sweet Baby Stella (Alethia’s baby sister) – I got to meet her for the first time! She is three weeks old!
My kindred spirit Autumn and myself. I love her so much! She is Alethia and Stella’s momma. She and her family drove up for the funeral and we are so appreciative of how thoughtful they are and how they show love and support for our family!
Don’t you just love creating memories like that? While it was all because of something that to us is sad because we miss Granddaddy, being with family and friends always brings about something to cherish and hold close. We celebrated Granddaddy’s long, full life and said goodbye to a man who means more to us than we are able to express. But at the same time, we live on, touched by his life and by his devotion to God and the church and his family and friends.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end:
They are new every morning!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul;
Therefore I will hope in Him!”
Lamentations 3:22-24
They really are new every morning! Tomorrow morning comes new blessings when we embark on a new journey in our life, making new memories to cherish! We leave to Middle Georgia to pack our U-Haul and then head out to Alabama on Saturday! We are very excited (and I am very anxious!) and can’t wait to be with the good people out there in Alabama! Keep us in your prayers, please!
If I’m not around to post much, now you know why! Many blessings, friends!
7.05.2010
I Still Can't Say Goodbye
Three years ago today, actually. It's always surprising to me how fresh the wound feels and how my heart hurts as though it were yesterday. Papaw was the first person I lost that I was close to. I miss him dearly. Desperately. I had a hard time sleeping last night because I just could not stop crying. I've felt this way all weekend.
It's not something I talk about often. I don't like discussing it. But I think maybe blogging about it might be therapeutic for me. I have heard that blogging is like therapy. So I'm going to give this a shot.
My Papaw was diagnosed with liver cancer and was given 6 months to live. It came as a shock to all of us. None of us were really prepared for the next couple of months. He lived out only a couple of those 6 given months. I remember very clearly the few days leading to his death. It was very shocking when we got the call that hospice had been called in, because just the other day he had been hiking with my uncle. Things quickly took a turn for the worse.
As much as I have tried so hard to forget, I still remember him laying in his bed. I remember how he would cough when he was moved and I remember holding my breath during those brief moments. I remember having to leave the lunch table when the preacher from their congregation came by for a visit to go wipe my tears away in private.
I remember the last time I went into his room and knelt by his bed. I held his hand and told him that I loved him, and he made a sort of groaning noise that made me think he had heard me and perhaps was trying to respond. I held onto the hope that tomorrow we would come back and I would be able to say so much more to him.
But that moment never came, because an hour and a half later, when I had gotten to work and called my mom to let her know, she let me know that my grandfather had just passed away. I needed to come back and we needed to drive back to South Carolina to be with the family.
I remember the long walk from my Explorer to the YMCA building where I worked, walking in and instead of clocking in, I went to my boss and said, "Emily, I don't think I can work today... my grandfather just died." My boss drove me home and her son drove my car behind us because I was not certain I could drive home myself.
The next few days were a blur as family members arrived and hugs were exchanged. I remember the visitation and how Grandma cried when she saw her husband.....
Some things just never leave you.
I held hands with my younger cousin throughout the service.
I remember each and every familiar face from the funeral. So many people from back home, an hour away, came to support us and encourage us. I remember each of their faces as they passed by the family and gave hugs.
I remember feeling so angry. Why? Why did this happen? Why him and not someone else? I look back and see what a selfish thing that is to say. It's hard forgetting the emotions.
My wedding was 3 weeks away. My Papaw never saw the first of his grandchildren to be married. He would never meet his first great-grandchild. He would have loved Benjamin so much. And I know that Benjamin would have loved him in return.
Last night at church they sang one of the songs that my Papaw requested be sung at his funeral: To Canaan's Land I'm On My Way. As soon as I heard the number called out, I knew. Somehow I woke up that morning and knew it would be sung, and I knew I couldn't sing it. I cried the entire time and hoped that nobody would notice. I've only been able to sing that song a few times since the funeral. It's a hard one to sing.
It's been 3 years, and I never expected to still feel so emotional about this. Is it a good thing? A good thing that I still remember him and feel so strongly about him? Everyone grieves differently. I don't think I'll ever "move on".
Heaven will be a beautiful place, when we are all reunited with our loved ones.
I miss Papaw.
Today's "30 Days of Music" is very appropriate: day 04 - a song that makes you sad.
It's a song that my dad showed me a couple weeks ago, and I spent the rest of the night remembering Papaw.
Chet Atkins - "I Still Can't Say Goodbye"
I still can't say goodbye.
2.13.2010
Happy Weekend!
The snow is melting...
And soon our yard will be just soggy, dead grass...
But I'm okay with that.
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, but we celebrated today.
Check out these pictures from Benjamin's First Valentine's Day:
Seems like just yesterday, and yet it also seems like ages ago.
You may have noticed my iPod thingy over there -->
I put some of my favorite songs on there.
Check it out.
And have a fantastic weekend!
2.12.2010
Snow?
Original Post:
Today we are supposed to be getting snow. I really do not like snow. I wish all you up on the northern side of the East Coast would have kept your snow! (Kidding, I know yall got hammered) I think the reason I don't like snow is because usually when it snows here in Georgia it's not actually snow. It's snice. Snow/Ice. We had real snow when we lived in Memphis. Fluffy white stuff. Not a thin layer of snice which melted an hour later.
Take for instance, last year's snow. Stacia blogged about it last year, before we had even met. You can see how much snow we got. I didn't blog about it (if you look back, I only made one blog post in March... weird!), but we did take a few pictures. It was March 1st. It started snowing that morning during church services, which last 3 hours for us. By the time we were out of church, the snow had already started to melt.
We stayed inside for the most part. We did go outside to take these few pictures of Benjamin in his first snow. This lasted about 1 minute, 3 tops. It was the quickest photo shoot ever. I don't remember if we went back in so soon because of Benjamin, or because I was cold.
This jacket was giant on him so we bundled him up.
I can't believe how small Benjamin was!
Though, next to me he looks bigger! And don't you love how I'm bundled up to the max, and Hubby isn't even wearing a jacket. Who likes the cold weather? Certainly isn't me.
So, will I have any new snow pictures to show you later on? I don't know. You'll just have to check back and see!
1.25.2010
I can't believe that ...
My baby was walking holding our hands...
Along the Battery in Charleston, South Carolina...
But now...
He's a pro.
1.17.2010
{Almost} A year in review!
I just can't get over it though. So much has happened. Actually I took some time to put together some of the blog posts that were significant to me during this past year. You don't have to go through all of them. To read all the significant things that happened in this past year:
- Benjamin's Birth Story
- I got accustomed to my mommy role.
- Benjamin did situps in his carseat.
- We switched to cloth diapers.
- First Easter and First Long Trip.
- First Taste of baby food.
- Growing up too fast at 4 months.
- I woke up too early. (a lot)
- He was mistaken for a girl. (a LOT)
- Started drinking from a sippy cup.
- First experience with his swimming pool. (and mistaken for a girl, again)
- Cleaned up lots of poop. (didn't see that one coming, didja?)
- We started cloth diapering full-time.
- I woke up too early. (a LOT!!)
- I woke up at 5AM and cleaned up poop. (Do you see a pattern forming?)
- Five months old!
- Happy father's day, sweetie!
- Jump-a-roo!
- I wanted to sleep.
- I was very emotional.
- Benjamin's first Fourth of July, and 2 years since Papaw's passing.
- I dealt with priorities.
- First Tooth!!
- Benjamin sat up!
- Six Months Old! (Halfway there, folks!)
- First allergic reaction! to Purple grapes.
- Started buggy riding!
- Seven months old!
- Gave Davey Away... :(
- HUGE allergic reaction!!
- Big boy carseat!
- Started stair-climbing... (Uh oh...)
- We got a fish!
- Eight months old!
- Big boy food!
- I fell in love with being a mommy.
- I took a LOT of pictures... (and THAT is an understatement)
- First Fair for Mommy and Benny
- Nine months old!!
- We started watching Mariah.
- My parents' 27th wedding anniversary!
- First Halloween!
- I turned 21!
- We counted our blessings.
- My Nikon died :(
- Ten months old!!
- First Thanksgiving!
- We went on Vacation!!
- We ... came home?
- 11 Months Old!
- Happy New Year!
- First illness of 2010!
And here we are... wow!!
12.13.2009
Ten Random Facts
Make sure you are following my Twitter for short updates throughout the trip! Remember, I'll be back TOMORROW!
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An extra long one today, just in case I don't get around to posting tomorrow. I'm not going to schedule one for the 14th.
One.
I love Giraffes.
Two.
That's my eyecolor.
Three.
My favorite part of my wedding decor was my flowers.
Four.
I am familiar with Atlanta Traffic.
Five.
BBQ Nachos are not as good as they look. And if those don't look good to you, they taste worse.
Six.
My dad did my nails for my wedding.
Seven.
I am deathly afraid of horses and will never ride one again.
Eight.
This used to hang from my rearview mirror. His name is Kenneth.
Nine.
That's my husband, ordering from the back seat at Burger King in New Orleans.
Ten.
I love New Orleans, but I would never want to live there.
See you tomorrow, hopefully!!
12.11.2009
No More.
Make sure you are following my Twitter for short updates throughout the trip! Remember, I'll be back December 14th!
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I used to be weird.
Used to be.
12.10.2009
Laugh Out Loud (Or, LOL)
Make sure you are following my Twitter for short updates throughout the trip! Remember, I'll be back December 14th!
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My Engagement/Wedding Photographers weren't the best. I can't even get to my photos because the Disk won't work on my computers, any of them! So the only pics I have are the ones taken off their website.
I liked TWO of my engagement photos, probably because they were candid:
He still makes me laugh, to this day. For ... different reasons.
12.09.2009
About 20 Pounds Ago...
Make sure you are following my Twitter for short updates throughout the trip! Remember, I'll be back December 14th!
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We went to Chattanooga, Tn for our Honeymoon. While there, we visited the Children's Museum.
Um ... Can you say "Underweight"?!
Or perhaps, "Freakishly Skinny"!?
Just a note, I don't look like that anymore!
12.08.2009
Yes, That Is My Head In The Trashcan.
Make sure you are following my Twitter for short updates throughout the trip! Remember, I'll be back December 14th!
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Yeah, that sort of thing seemed to happen a lot...
12.07.2009
Chickenpox
Make sure you are following my Twitter for short updates throughout the trip! Remember, I'll be back December 14th!
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I look a little too happy there, don't you think?
What goes around, comes around...