Our little One Year Old got his first hair cut Saturday! It was t-i-m-e time. Those sweet curls were very cute when they looked neat and tidy - which was about 2% of the time. The rest of the time the sweet curls were uneven, stringy waves. I'll admit, I was a little sad, but a bigger part of me wanted a cute, groomed, well kept baby. I know there are certain grandmas out there who loved the long baby hair, but we'll always have our memories!

Now certainly this picture is quite the extreme of when it was unruly and messy - but was becoming the norm more and more. I was *this close* to clipping a pretty bow in his hair to keep it back nicely but that would have really made certain daddies uncomfortable around here.
Not naming any names...

We went to Cool Cuts for Kids and I was totally impressed! I was pretty nervous about the whole sharp-object-really-close-to-my-child's-head issue, but the stylist used her hand as a guard and always had the point in the palm of her hand when she was snipping.

Plus they had GREAT little cars for Joseph to sit in and the Wiggles playing on the TV at her station. Joseph really dug the steering wheel.

I only had to hold his head once when he was looking around too much. And much to the stylist's chagrin, I squealed with delight through almost the whole cut at A) how good he was doing and B) at how great the hair cut looked. I am sure she was used to that but still I'm sure she thought I was just a little crazy.

Here's our little pumpkin all done! We got a keepsake Polaroid and of course some hair to commemorate the event. That's going in the scrapbook. "Baby's First Curl"...awwwww.

Here is the cut today. So full of body and so shiny. Ha, just kidding. I love it - as you can tell from my blogging it in the first place. And Joseph is sporting his new outfit from Bobe Chelo (Josh's grandma) - it's super soft and super cute. We love a good softie outfit around here.

See how happy he is?! His confidence is through the roof! Everyone should have a hot, sassy haircut! Oh man, Josh is going to get me for calling his boy sassy....

Like Father Like Son

Joseph usually wakes up in quite the mood after his afternoon nap. Morning nap - no problem, but that afternoon nap just puts him in a foul mood. This day daddy got him distracted quickly when he offered to play video games together. Joseph was tickled pink and took the task very seriously.

I looked over and saw Joseph's sweet little hands gripping the controller and his little thumb was just pushing away on that button. But then Josh says "Aw man, we lost that one." They were playing tennis and Joseph just couldn't quite get the serve down.

More and more now days he is really mimicking us. He surprises me every time he copies something I do...like I forget that he is a growing, learning boy and not just a little lump of cuddles anymore. He puts the phone up to his ear, he helps me dust (and with the cutest imitation of the sound of the Pledge can spraying), he makes truck noises right along with us, tells me num num num when I give him yummy bites of dinner, brushes his hair......he is really growing now and learning so much!

How much sweeter could it get? Those little baby and daddy fingers punching away - I see some father-son bonding in the near future. Just as soon as he gets the hang of his serve and return.

You can just smell the concentration in the air. And best of all...it zapped that foul mood right out of my sweet baby. We don't appreciate foul moods around here. Get on out of here, mood, we've got video games to play!

Sticky Situation

We have family in town for Edie's birthday! Josh's aunt, uncle and bobe (grandma) came in to celebrate with Edie. They all came over last night and we ate dinner and got a good visit in. After they left there was a big brick of fudge on the counter. Josh asked where it came from and I figured that they wanted to eat it after dinner but probably forgot.

So I opened it and cut right in. I cut a few good looking slices and took a plate over to the couch to share with Josh and he said "What's that?!" Well duh, it's the fudge we were just talking about, dear. He looks at me slightly shocked and said "So fudge appears on your counter and you just eat it?!" I do see where he was coming from, after all...it wasn't MY fudge, and no one actually said for us to have some, and I can only assume that they were the ones who even bought it...but I looked at him and snapped right back "Well, what are you SUPPOSED to do when fudge appears on your counter?!" We laughed at the mysterious fudge and he shrugged, "Eat it, I guess!"

Amen, brotha. I don't need no stinkin' invitation. By the way...don't leave things laying around my counter if you don't want me to claim them as my own. Especially chocolate...

Joseph Update

Oh goodness! Where was my brain?! I never posted the official stats for the one year wellness checkup! I know...you were waiting with bated breathe for these numbers. Right? Well slap my hand and call me lazy. Or busy, or sweetie, or Heather, or Suzy...you can call me anything and I'll usually respond.

Joseph did pretty good this time around. We got vaccinated: MMR, chickenpox, pneumococcal conjugate, and his second flu dose - they give it in two shots for under one year old - and a stick to check his iron. His iron is low so they want us to give him a vitamin. The liquid multivitamin supplement crap is so vile though, I am going to have to figure out a way to get him to eat either the fruity jelly-like chewables or crush up a Flinstones. We got the normal poke and prod procedure when the doc came in and he said Joseph is the best, most happy, perfect baby ever. And he wanted to use him in a study for perfect parenting! Can you believe it? Ha. Teasing, teasing.

Joseph weighed in 20 lbs 13 oz. - 20th percentile and he measured 29 3/4 inches long - 60th percentile. He registered in the 100th percentile for cutest baby ever. ;)

He just got over a little something. He had runny poops that turned white! Chalky white. It was crazy. So I googled it and of course everything said white wasn't normal and to call the Dr. It could indicate something going on with the liver. The Dr. however, said that with no temp and little irritability, just to keep an eye on him. But he did confirm that white poop could very well be the liver not producing enough bile or a gallbladder problem. We chalked ours up to a virus. Then the next day he wakes up with dots all over him! Oh lordy, I thought for sure he was the 1 person out of 20 that gets a rash from the chickenpox vaccine. It didn't bother him though. I called the Dr. again just to let them know what was going on and they said it sounds like a reaction from his MMR vaccine that can occur 7-14 days after it's administered. And, thank goodness, it cleared right up after a few days. The poops are slowly but surely getting their color back, too...so we are pretty much back to normal. Getting more "experience" under my belt, but I sure hate it when they don't feel good. Poor baby wanted to be rocked all the way to sleep for every bed time and nap time so we got to spoil him a little!

Speaking of...it's nap time now. I need to get off this computer and get some stuff done! Hugs and kisses!

Rising to the Occasion

Here's our Simple Abundance inspiration for the week! Can I get an Amen?! Enjoy...

To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization.
-Harriet Beecher Stowe

In real life, serenity depends on coping and coping well. Rising to the occasion.

Consider the following scenarios. You have a flat tire on the way to an important business meeting. You find yourself locked out of the house. You discover that your husband's college roommate is coming for dinner in two hours. The pipes freeze. The puppy swallows an earring. Someone's sick or snowed in. You're asked to send money, switch car pool trips, show up for jury duty. One minute you're called our of town, the next you're asked to step in on a moments notice to save the school bazaar.

Real life is the collision - day in, day out - of the improbable with the impossible. Longfellow believed that situations that call forth our coping abilities are "celestial benedictions" in dark disguises, sent not to try our souls, but to enlarge them. Just as dough rises in a bowl, expanding before it becomes bread, we become larger than we ever thought possible when we rise to occasions, performing miracles with good humor and grace. Coping well enables you to see beyond the circumference of circumstance, so that the Real in the center of your daily round is not hidden by happenstance.

Most women are geniuses at rising to the occasion. But we've never realized how extraordinary this talent really is, because it's second nature by now. We've never given credit where credit it due, because we've never given coping much thought. But if women who cope well ran everything, Nirvana wouldn't only be the name of a grunge band.

We become more adept at rising to the occasion each time we see ourselves doing it. Every time we cope well with whatever real life throws our way, it's another deposit of confidence, creativity, and courage in our self-esteem account. So congratulate yourself each night for handling the unexpected with finesse. Well done.

Today, when you need to rise to the occasion, do it with style. Do it with a knowing smile. Confound them. Astound yourself. Make it look easy, and it will become so.

I came across a little post on the blog Shutter Sisters that I wanted to share. Jennifer sent me over there from her blog and I think I'll be a new visitor on their site!

I have had a whole new feeling for the holiday season this year than ever before. I've felt a peacefulness that I am so grateful for in the midst of the failing economy and lost meaning of Christmas. That's not to say that everyone has forgotten the "reason for the season", but surely you agree that it's taken on a whole new meaning over the decades. In my own quest to find religion and spirituality, this time of the year reinforces that my search is not in vain. I need to find what is good and right for me and when I read the following post, I had to smile. It just kind of spoke to me I guess. Perhaps it's motherhood and all the indescribable-ness of it, perhaps it's any number of personal milestones...but I do feel peace. I still have hope for the world, and I still believe in good. I hope you do too.

This year I have striven to be a part of the quietness of the season. I enjoy the pretty twinkle lights the neighbors have up and I like looking in their windows at the Christmas trees they have up. I like seeing Santa at the mall with the little ones all waiting their turn to see him. And I really really like seeing all the pretty wrapping paper and bows at The Container Store. But in choosing to not be a part of it all...I can't quite describe the contentment I feel this season. It just feels right.

Here is the link to the article, it's a nice short read but in case you can't get over there I'll copy it here too. You can go over there to see the photograph that inspired her. Happy Holidays, all!
http://shuttersisters.com/home/2008/12/17/quiet-celebration.html

Typically when I think of the holiday season I think of festive, boisterous, falalalaing. This year I have changed my tune a bit. I have learned to find the beauty in the quiet of the holidays. The peacefulness, the unspoken love between families, the loveliness of nature this time of year. Perhaps the key is to learn to appreciate both. Take the time to celebrate with loved ones, but also take time to enjoy the quiet- take it in.

This photo reminds me of my newfound appreciation for quiet. Walking through my neighborhood alone I happened upon this cluster of pink sticks, perfectly framed by an evening sunset. Escaping the joyous noises of December is just as important as partaking in them. Capturing them can be equally festive.

Ha...the quote of the day is funny! (for Wednesday)

Joseph started chewing on his cheek. It's really cute, although a bad "habit" I'm sure. I bet it's just a passing thing and he'll forget all about it after this week like so much else that they do. So I got out the camera ready to capture it and all I could get were these silly faces! One after the other. He would chew his cheek and I'd raise up the camera and get a "What you talking 'bout, Mama?" face. It cracked me up!






By this time I was really laughing so he was too! He knew he was being a NUT!

Someone is Dreaming of White Christmas...

I meant to post these last week. With the "wintry mix" we are getting right now I thought a couple of snow pictures were in order! Grandma emailed with these and word that they had gotten three inches!! Now, the kicker is that this is just barely east of Houston. And they say global warming is a problem! Ha.

This is my Uncle Ray and Aunt Sheri's house. They live next door to Grandma. Uncle Ray built this house with his own two hands!! And with the help of a crew. ;) I am so proud of him. He is an amazing and skilled man. That's his work shop behind the house to the right.

This is Grandma's house. Man, that front yard looks awesome! Still so pristine at this point. I bet the kids got in it pretty quick!

I love the snow with the big blue sky. I can feel how crisp and cool the air is just by looking at this picture.

This is the back of Uncle Ray's shop. That's some good looking snow!!

We have a little freezing rain in the forecast so we are hoping for a delayed start for work tomorrow. A little early morning play time with Daddy would be awesome! I brought all the plants in tonight and we've been cranking out the hot tea and hot chocolate lately. Hope everyone is warm and snuggly. We are!!

Welcome Baby Matthew

One of my good friends from high school, Letica, had her second baby! These pictures of him are so cute I just had to share. Not to mention how exciting it is to welcome a new life into the world - whether they are cute or not! ;) But lucky for them he IS really cute, even straight out of the womb!

Baby Matthew tried to come early. Ticia went into pre-term labor in early November at 31-ish weeks (I think) and was on bed rest until 35 or 36 weeks when Matthew would be pretty much fully baked. He stayed put, even with her having contractions almost the whole time, and made it to the safe mark. Doesn't he look like a wonderfully healthy little guy? Beautiful hands!

Matthew Isaac Bachman was born December 10th with one push at 4:15am. He weighs 6lbs 8oz and is 18½ inches long. Leticia and Matthew are both doing great. His big brother, Jake, is SUPER cute and seems to be happier than ever at his new little brother. Look at that grin!

Unfortunately Tica lives in Roundrock so I can't get my hands on him for awhile, but fortunately her parents live in Dallas so hopefully I'll see him sooner or later. Congratulations Bachman Family! Love you all!

Bed Head Baby

I Want My...I Want My...I Want My HDTV

'Tis the season! It's a time to give back. It's a time to help those in need. It's a time to think of people less fortunate than us. So while we are busy doing that....it's also time to hit the electronic sales!! Josh has been eying the high definition televisions and we decided to go for it. I mean, in this time of a declining economy who doesn't need to buy a new, fancy TV? Was that dripping in sarcasm? Ha.

Awww, it's our old TV...you were such a good TV. We'll always remember you. But look at how small it is! I mean, you can barely see the screen, right? All stuffed over there in that little corner of the living room.


Now look at this nice big blank wall. I hear it begging for a beautiful new "something", don't you?


Ahhhh, that's better! Our new console with the 46" Sony HDTV! Joseph loves the new HD Sesame Street! Everyone needs to experience HD Elmo at least once in their life. In all seriousness, this HD business is fantastic. A lot of the time it looks 3-D even. We were admiring the hair on the actors the night it was hooked up. You could see every little strand of hair. Truly amazing! Bad news for the actors who now have to wear more makeup to look good, since you can see every little thing about their faces...but better for my eyes. The tickers on the news channels (like CNN and such) are crystal clear. And this whole time I thought my eyes were bad. I didn't need glasses, I needed HDTV!

My Backyard Baby

This was funny! Joseph and I were playing out in the backyard the other day and he decided to try out a little leaf snack. Check it out...

Joseph finds a delicious looking leaf. I guess so anyway...doesn't look so good to me.


Oh man, the leaf is going in. Looks like he might be having trouble. Those drooly fingers are sticky.


It's in! It's in, folks! Yes, I am sitting here taking pictures instead of stopping this.


Ha! What a leafy grin! He is such a boy! "Yummo, Mom!"


"Ok, wait...on second thought..." He started trying to scrape it out of his mouth. I did go and help a brotha out at this point. I guess the nuts don't fall far from the crazy tree with this leaf munching kid. Or something. Is that a saying? I think I made that up.

But while we were out there I got some great pictures of that toothy grin. I tried Pioneer Woman's tip on tilting the camera a little (on the second pic below) to add a smidge of "interest" to your picture. I kinda tipped it too much. It's making me a little dizzy to look at it. I'll work on that one.

I Love ' I Love Lucy'

Don't you just love the zany antics of that crazy Lucy and her gang?! I do! Good grief, I've been watching Lucy for as long as I can remember. I remember once I saved up enough babysitting money for my own TV for my bedroom, that was by far one of my favorite shows to watch. And usually it was late at night and my lights would be off, I'd be under the covers and the light from the TV would be flickering around the room. Very nostalgic!

Joseph and I were watching Lucy Wednesday morning and it was the one where Little Ricky was born. It was a hoot! When they checked it at the hospital it went a little something like this.

Nurse to Orderly : Will you please take Mrs. Ricardo to room 354?
Nurse to Ricky: Say goodbye to your wife down here, you're not allowed upstairs.
Lucy and Ricky hug and kiss and Ricky says: I am going to be right here, you just take it easy.
Lucy to the Admissions Nurse: Take good care of him, now.
Lucy and Ricky wave to each other and she leaves.

You just take it easy...I'm going to be in the father's waiting room chilaxing and just holler if you need anything, k baby? Hope all goes well with that birthing business. Talk to ya later. Ha! Things have changed a bit these days.

Everyday Life Is the Prayer

My mom gave me the book 'Simple Abundance, a Daybook of Comfort and Joy' - by Sara Ban Breathnach - about 10 years ago. I've read it off and on over the years and took out of it what was most pertinent to my life at the time. Life has changed so much and the entries have different meanings these days. Here is my Simple Abundance entry for you for the week. This one spoke to me and had me nodding my head thinking to myself "yeah, yeah." I hope it touches you too.

More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.
-Alfred, Lord Tennyson

In the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God.
And the Word was God.
Might I have a word?

Some women know they pray. Other women think they don't because they aren't down on their knees morning and night. But they're up in the dark with sick children, visiting an elderly parent on their lunch hour, supporting the dreams of those they love with their work, helping a friend bear grief or rejoice, nourishing bodies and souls. This, too, is prayer.

For weather we realize it or not, with every breath, with every heartbeat, women pray. We pray with desire, longing, hunger, thirst, sighs, remorse, regret. We pray with disappointment, discouragement, despair, disbelief. We pray with anger, rage, jealousy, envy. We pray with pleasure, contentment, happiness, exultation, joy. We pray with gratefulness, acknowledgment, appreciation, acceptance, relief. We pray when we comfort, cheer, console. We pray when we laugh. We pray when we cry. We pray when we work and play. We pray when we make love or make a meal. We pray when we create and admire creation. One way or another, we pray. Everyday life is the prayer. How we conduct it, celebrate it, consecrate it. It's just that some prayers are better than others. Conscious prayers are the best.

In its purest form, prayer is conversation. Communion. Connection. Intimacy. Prayer is the dialect of Divinity. Prayer is actually the authentic conversation because you don't have to hold back; you can say whatever needs to be said, exactly the way you want to express it, when you want to express it. You won't be judged. You won't risk losing love, instead, by praying you will increase your awareness of it. You won't have to phrase your words carefully lest there be misunderstandings, because you can't be misunderstood. Even if you don't know what you want or need, Spirit knows what you're about to say, ask, beg, scream, or praise before you utter a syllable.

Then why do we need to lift up our voice in prayer?

Because it's not good for women to be silent. We need to get real life off our chests. Get whatever's bedeviling us out into the open, so that we can get on with it. We can't do that when we're stuck, and women do get stuck, in a kind of self destructive holding pattern, when they're silent. "Every person's life is lived as a series of conversations," Deborah Tannen tells us. Women pray because we need to talk to Someone who's really listening.

Joshie Poo Quote of the Week

I was in the other room playing pool all by myself....well, Joseph was there but he can't reach the table and the pool cues are too long....so I hollered out for Josh to come join me. He was in the living room, and whopping 10 steps away so I knew he could hear me. Now I could have walked in there and talked to him in person but instead I kept calling his name. Finally, I hollered out "Hello? Are you in there? What are you doing?!" and he came in where I was. I was frustrated and said "didn't you hear me?" and he said in the most innocent and honest way "you only said my name like four or five times..."

Yep, that's true. I forget he doesn't have to respond until the fifth or sixth time I yell for him. Silly me.

Connor is home! He was released in time for Thanksgiving (either Wednesday night or Thursday morning - I don't remember) and got to come over to celebrate!! At first he wanted to stay home; I'm sure he was overwhelmed at the thought of NO MORE HOSPITAL, plus I know he was tired. They weren't going to come but then Connor changed his mind, so they packed in the car and headed over. Yeaaaa!

Sweet nephew Connor still has the palsy in the right side of his face. We're hoping that the nerves will grow in successfully and he'll regain movement there. He also has a "crick" (putting it mildly) in his neck from the surgery - both soreness from it and from keeping it guarded. Then it became really stiff and sore with the meningitis so he is using some PT exercises to work it out.

With Michael needing to work and Tammy staying with Connor at the hospital, I kept Cayden last Tuesday! I have to admit, I was a smidge nervous about having two kiddos but it was a breeze! We had so much fun.

We went to the park to play and feed the ducks. Cayden LOVED it! He did so good tearing off small pieces of bread. I was expecting to see the whole bun go flying in at first. I guess I don't give these kids enough credit sometimes. He kept sneaking bites of bread. I told him it was ok if he liked stale bread! He is such a nut!

He started throwing bread at the birds and they would catch it in the air. He laughed so hard and squealed and jumped around when they caught it. It was cute. Ahhhh, the simple things in life....

We got some good playground time in and it was a beautiful day. I had Joseph in long sleeves and a jacket, myself and Cayden had our jackets too, but before long it was downright WARM. We peeled off our coats and it was perfect.

Cayden found a homeless little ladybug on the slide. He really really needed to save him and "keep him warm" in his hands. He named him (it was a boy) Crayon and I fixed him up a little bowl to take home. Cayden says Crayon does gymnastics and plays peek a boo, but only when you shake the bowl. He doesn't move around a lot, if you know what I mean. Tammy says it's the best pet they've had in a long time. LOL

Oh don't forget this cutie! He crawled around and around just like he was one of the big boys.

I love this picture! Cayden crawled up inside this drum. It doesn't go anywhere, mind you, and he fit! He said "I'm going to put my body in there!" and he did. He is such a sweet little guy. He is so energetic and laid back at the same time.

He says the funniest things, like when he was "fighting the wind" and he fell over and said the wind won. Ha! Then another time he was talking about Joseph and he says "Jo..., Jo...., Jo..., Aunt Heather, what's his name again?" But then says it "Joefess"! Love that kid.

These two played so nicely all day. And when they got a hold of my kitchen utensils I took this little video. So funny!!



Welcome home Connor! We love you! Come back and stay with us again soon, Cayden!