Big Boy Bed!

This past Sunday Ian and I spent all day working on Aidan's Big Boy Room.  The plan is that Cami and baby Aislyn will have the two rooms that are together and share a bathroom and Aidan will have his own suite with his own bathroom, where he wont have to worry about dodging perfume, 5 types of shampoo, or other things that girls tend to accumulate in the bathroom as they grow.

So we started early!  His mattress was due for delivery between 12 and 3 so it was a mad dash to convert his crib to a full size bed frame.  Once all of the furniture was in place, mattress was delivered and items were transferred, we put on the freshly washed Spider Man sheets, new quilt and shams and Aidan was ECSTATIC!!!  He was just giddy going around his room looking at everything as if it were all bran new.  He had the biggest smile on his face and could not stop talking about his new Big Boy Room.  

We were worried that he would have a hard time falling asleep without the familiar surroundings of his old room or the security of his crib, but he did beautifully.  Cami slept the first night with him (more her choice than his...she thought the new room was pretty cool too!) He asked for his music and a book and after about 15 minutes they were both fast asleep.  This morning they stayed in bed looking at books until I came in, they were still grinning from ear to ear.

My baby boy is getting so big.  Im trying to be better about really living in the moment, because I know that it only takes a moment and its all different or gone all together.

Rock and Roll All Night!

Most of us remember the days that seem like a lifetime ago. Our summers were spent riding barefoot to the beach on a tank filled with $.99 gas. Or, for those that grew up in Houston, wearing out our season passes to Astroworld wasting away our days and nights on rides that would make me sick just looking at them today, eating expensive crappy junk food, and hauling around obnoxious stuffed animals in clothes soaked from riding Thunder River one too many times. And who could forget outdoor summer festivals?! The heat was completely irrelevant...we were young and thin with nothing between us and the sun but a strappy tank top, short shorts, and a layer of Banana Boat Deep Tanning lotion (spf whaaaat??). Ah the crowds, the smell of smoked herb wafting through the air, music on multiple stages (usually a bunch of obscure unheard of bands) and who needed food if you were old enough (or could find someone old enough) to buy beer.

Well those days are long gone my friends. Today Im opting for air conditioned venues that I dont have to put $60 worth of gas in my tank to get to and Im slathering on the highest spf known to man on the barely visible patches of skin that show just past where my capri pants end. Crowds are not my thing anymore and the only "herbs" wafting past my nose are from the dashes of Oregano in the spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. Then theres the music...this weekend we enjoyed a private show from our very own up and coming talent. The sound was still obscure and wildly untamed, but unlike bands of days gone by these little artists were much cuter, fresh faced and unjaded, they performed their little hearts out and were in bed by 8:30. Yes these days its those quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) moments with my "up and comings" that far outshine those times gone by when I thought that life couldn't get much better...and this is just the beginning, so rock on my little monkeys!

Self Portrait

I LOVE to take pictures, but RARELY do I allow my picture to be taken.  At Amber's shower on Wednesday the topic of "belly pictures" came up.  When Kristina was pregnant with Hudson, Lisa Mangos did some gorgeous maternity portraits of her, Tracie and Amber are both having them done as well.  So I started thinking...I never did this when I was pregnant with Cami or Aidan and its NOT likely that I could get up the nerve or the courage to do it this time around.  What a shame to not have a record of one of the most amazing times in ones life.  Well I may not have the courage to stand and bare it all in front of a someone else's camera, but why not my own??  Sooooo this afternoon, with EVERYONE out of the house, I stepped on the other side of my lens with nothing but some natural light,  a black backdrop,  and a timed release on my camera.  So now I've done it and I know my prego profile is not NEARLY as perfect as many that I've seen but its a record of me and my child at I time when we are one and what could be more amazing than that.

Oh and for someone so camera shy you may ask how I could post such a revealing photo...notice my face is not in the shot...hmmm that one may require some psychoanalysis :)

Wilting Flower

We have these lovely Magnolia trees along the side of our house and they create the most beautiful blossoms.  Its been do dang HOT lately though!!!  These poor flowers always look so bright and beautiful in the morning and by the end of the day they are a brown wilted mess!  Thats kind of how I have felt lately...I start out the day ok, ya know get all dressed, make-up, hair brushed and neat, smelling nice and feeling pretty good.  BUT the moment I break the seal between my constant 73 degree dry indoor environment and expose myself to the hell that is a Houston Summer, its all down hill.  We start our day fairly early and, though Cami is at school, Aidan and I are out at Gymboree, playdates, or music.  By the time I pick Cami up at noon, I am so DONE!  My mood has changed, my hair is frizzy, my make-up has melted and I carry a thin film of dried sweat on my skin...all this is amplified by hormones and what feels like a human incubator wrapped around my body.  So here I sit at 20 weeks (almost 21) wondering how in the world Im gonna make it through the rest of this summer.  That mid-pregnancy burst of energy HAS to kick in soon!  Til then Im praying for rain and a breeze...and for those of you that have the misfortune of crossing my overly emotional path,  bear with me this too shall pass and we will have a beautiful baby girl to show for it!

Posting a picture of one of our Magnolias in full bloom, so when you see one all brown and wilted know that she was once fresh and lovely and Im sure thats how she would want you to think of her.

Happy Fathers Day...

...to my amazing husband!  Ian, you blow me away as a father- our children are so blessed.  

Today was amazing!  The kids slept in which means we did too.  Ian took the kids to see Kung Fu Panda after breakfast THEY HAD A BLAST (and mommy had quiet time).  When Ian and the kids got home, he surprised us all with gifts.  Yes you heard that right...he gave US gifts on HIS day :)  Moon Sand for Cami, Tech Decks for Aidan and a Spa Certificate for me plus beautifully written cards for each of us.  The kids and I gave Ian a Waffle Iron...yes I know it seems strange but breakfast is a special time for Ian and the kids.  They have breakfast together every morning.  Ian loves to make smiley faces on their plates using mini pancakes and fruit...lets see what he can do with a waffle!  During breakfast he and the kids chat or he reads to them from their favorite books.  We also got him the latest Dean Koontz book because he loves to read horror suspense novels.  Finally, we went out to lunch and then spent a lazy afternoon together before heading to my parents house for an evening visit.

Im posting some pictures that I took of Ian with the kids a few days ago. I see the most genuine joy on his face when he is with our children, it melts my heart.  Im on top of the world today and hope he feels the same.

Blogging???

Hmmm...this is going to be an interesting endeavor for me as I am techno-challenged and typically a private person.  But I see it this way- Its a way for me to let go of my frustrations and share in my joys, seeing as how my days are often filled with both in the extreme and ordinary sense.  There are so many topics that Im sure to include in this "blog world" of mine...my children, my husband, my family and friends will surely all fall victim to the keypad.  I can only hope that they will see these posts as a window to my world and enjoy the journey for better or worse.  

Oh and a big thanks to Kelli for encouraging an outlet.  I admire you girlie!  You truely do inspire greatness in those that have the pleasure of knowing you!