Why I Love Saturday Mornings

We lay in the bed and be lazy!!

We watch Handy Manny on TV

Monte in deep thought...

Monte obviously doesn't care about Handy Manny

We play with Daddy... He's showing him where his ear is.

He's showing him where his nose is... or he's picking it : ).

I LOVE my lazy Saturday mornings!!!

Flashback Friday - 1 Year Ago

This was a year ago...

I remember thinking how big he looked in that booster seat!

Here is another picture taken a year ago. He couldn't even sit up by himself and now he's running all over the place!

And here is my sweet baby today... Look at that sweet little smile! It's very rare I catch one of those on camera!
This is his serious face he has when he's concentrating REALLY hard on watching Elmo.

Can't believe how big he's getting! He'll be 18 months in about a week! A year and a half old!!!! Aren't there a whole bunch of milestones they are supposed to hit by then? I've been slacking on reading my weekly toddler emails. This weekend is filled with family time and a dinner out with friends tomorrow night! Yes... we're attempting to take him out to dinner... in public! I'm hoping my friend's son can entertain him and distract him from being the little devil he was at dinner last weekend!!! We are also on the hunt for an "Easter Picture Outfit". Yes, on top of finding outfits for our family pictures, I've now got to find an outfit for his school Easter pictures... that are with a bunny... a REAL LIVE bunny! I'm definitely getting these... there's no telling what Clay is going to do to that poor bunny!

I'm also still on the hunt for a perfect picture shirt for me since I was informed by Francesca's customer support that they will not be re-stocking my Plaid-a-Plenty shirt I love so much. Since they are a boutique that specializes in unique items, they typically do not restock and have moved on to newer fashions. Oh well, I think I may have found a replacement. Wish me luck!

Have a great weekend!

It's Only Tuesday...

I woke up this morning thinking it was Wednesday... but then I was disappointed when I found out it was only Tuesday. This week is already dragging!

An update on my cousin... actually, here's the story... It's my cousin, Jay, who lives in Arkansas. He's a football coach at a college here in Alabama so he splits his time between there and home in Arkansas. He was home on a visit and came down with what they thought was the stomach flu. He ended up in the emergency room and that is when they found the masses in his stomach (around his liver and that area). He was in a lot of pain and they have determined that his gall bladder is causing this so they will have to remove it, but are planning on doing this later. The reason why they are planning on doing this later is because they want to go ahead and get started on chemo immediately. He has a relatively fast growing non-Hodgkins b-cell lymphoma which they claim is 50 - 75% curable. He will have to go through 6 months of hard-core chemo which will make him VERY sick in-between treatments. Last night he was admitted to the oncology ward and a central line was started so that he can begin chemo treatments immediately. Please, please pray that he will beat this and that he and his family will remain strong during this very trying time! I really appreciate all the praying you guys have already done!

Now, to change the subject, Clay has had case of bronchialitis which did not make for a very happy child. He was put on some steroids and antibiotics and is doing much better. His ears started draining, which we were told could happen with tubes, since there is now a hole for "stuff"to come out, so we are putting drops in his ears to prevent an infection. He's a trooper, though. You'd never really know he was sick except for the hacking cough and runny nose.

We've got pictures coming up in March... I think. We all know what has happened to the last 3 sessions we've scheduled with our photographer... sickness... tornadoes... thunderstorms! Hopefully we will have a pleasant day with everyone being nice and well. Although, this crazy weather this winter is making me a little nervous! We may have 2 feet of snow on the ground that day! And since we've got pictures coming up, I've got to find something for all of us to wear! I found Clay an adorable outfit at the Children's Place (I usually never go there!), but I'm on a mission to find the perfect shade of green on a button down shirt. I think he looks so good in green. See...

I don't want anything too bright... or electric (like the one at Children's Place). The closest one I could find was HERE at Janie and Jack's. I was actually wanting it a bit "greener" than that, but I may have to go with it. I'm also bummed that the shirt I wanted HERE is out of stock! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this shirt and I think it would look good with the green shirt I'm on a mission to find for Clay. I've emailed Francesca's to see if they are going to get it back in stock.

Wow! This has turned into a much longer post that I had thought it was going to be!

Onto my next topic... my obsession... my grocery shopping!!! This past weekend I went to Publix and spent $60 on groceries that would have cost me $135!! I finally saved more than I spent!! And look at what all I got! (Yeah, I'm a geek... I took pictures of my groceries)

There were a few other items not shown like fruit and veggies... but I was very proud of myself for sticking to my budget and saving that much! I have the basics for at least 9 different meals! I now will just have to buy the perishable items like milk, salad, etc.

And that's enough for today! Have a great week!

Prayer Request - My Cousin

Last night I learned that my cousin was diagnosed with cancer. We don't know what kind yet - he has been undergoing tests since yesterday. They think it's a form of Lymphoma, but the tests should show exactly what kind. My cousin is 8 months younger than me... 32 years old!! I haven't seen my cousin in forever because we live so far apart! Growing up we'd spend a lot of time at my granny's house or over at their house. I have fond memories of jumping on their trampoline, watching them ride dirt bikes, and playing Super Heros.

Now all I can do is pray! Please say a prayer for my cousin and the doctors that are making this diagnosis. Pray that whatever form of cancer he does have that it's easily treatable.

Pray for his family, especially! He's got a wife, daughter and son.

As soon as I have an update, I'll let everyone know! Thanks for your prayers!

My Newest Obsession

No, it's not the 4 boxes of Girl Scout cookies I got from my niece this past weekend... No, it's not the new season of American Idol (although, there are a few really good people I'm rooting for this season - did anyone see the guy who did the Paula Abdul song - FABULOUS!).

My newest obsession is COUPONS!!!!! I have turned into a coupon freak! Before, I snubbed my nose at coupons - thinking they were a big old waste of time. Fifty cents here, forty cents here... sometimes a whole dollar - wasn't worth my time collecting them. Until a friend of mine passed along a website that created this monster I have become (Thanks, April!). I now know how to work the coupon system.

My first real coupon trip occurred a couple of weeks ago when I decided to try out my new-found knowledge at Publix. Publix has a weekly ad that includes buy one get one free's along with their other deals. The trick is to buy when things are on sale... or utilize the buy one get ones to your advantage.

Check this out... They had a buy one get one deal on all Nabisco crackers (which is basically most of the crackers on the cracker aisle). You could get 2 boxes for $2.75. I also had 2 coupons for $2 off 2 boxes of Nabisco crackers. I bought 4 boxes and used both of my coupons which made them... 38 cents a box!!!! CRAZY! Another great deal I got was a buy one get one on Heluva dips. I had 2 50 cent coupons for Heluva dip and Publix had them buy one get one for $2. Publix doubles coupons up to 50 cents (every day!), so I got 2 dips for $2 and used both of my 50 cent coupons (that both doubled up to a dollar)... which made them FREE!!!!!! (Can you see where this can get addictive?!?) Without my deals, I would have paid almost $100 for my whole grocery trip... but I paid... $55!!! This past weekend I tried my hand at it again even though there weren't as many deals, and I still did good! Before deals and coupons, my bill would have been almost $100 again, but I only paid $52!

And I'm such a geek... the lady that runs this magical website is hosting a training seminar in town on March 20th and I think I might go!!! My husband is all about me saving money, but I think he's a little embarassed about me going to "coupon class"!

Here is the website that got me started: www.southernsavers.com

Some other sites I also like are: www.couponing101.com and www.moneysavingmom.com (thanks, Beth!).

And don't even get me started on the diaper deal I'm working right now to keep this little guy supplied with diapers for a very long time...

Snow Day - AGAIN!

At first I was annoyed to hear that there was a "chance" of a light dusting... this stupid weather was going to mess up some big plans we had for the weekend! Then that light dusting turned into a couple of inches and it was beautiful! And I got to play with this excited little guy...

Who had a great time watching Mama and Dada building a snowman...

And laughing at Dada who was knocking the snow everywhere...

Laughing HYSTERICALLY, I might add!

He even obliged and let us take a picture of him next to our sad snowman... AND he smiled!

And at the end of the day, we actually saw the sun and had a beautiful sunset!

I guess the snow day wasn't so bad after all!

You Know You're A Mom When...

You know you're a mom when...

you are riding down the road jamming out to the Wonder Pets theme song and realize you are the only one in the car and can actually listen to YOUR music.

you can successfully buckle your squirmy toddler into his carseat with one hand because your other hand is holding the big glob of snot you just saved from dripping into his mouth and you had NOTHING to wipe it with!

when you constantly use phrases like "Don't lick the fireplace!" or "Get your hands out of the toilet!"

But, of course, it's all worth it!

I have been trying to take more pictures of Clay, but the only time he's "calm" is when he's watching Sesame Street. This is what I usually end up with... sucking his thumb while standing in front of the TV! Oh well, at least he's still!

17 Months!!

My not-so-sweet-as-of-lately Clayton… you are 17 months old today!!

So what are you up to these days??

Well, if you take a look at my last couple of posts, it looks like you are really honing your skills as a tantrum thrower! You are really opinionated and are only satisfied if you get your way. I’m convinced I am being paid back for all the temper tantrums I threw in grocery stores (and other places) that caused my poor mom so much grief that she couldn’t take me out in public for 2 years!

Putting that aside… let’s focus on the positives – because there really are a lot of them!

You are finally saying Mama and Dada!!! You don’t call us that all the time, but I can point to myself and you’ll say “Mama”. The other night when I was rocking you, you put your sweet little hands on my cheeks and said “Mama”… melted my heart! You were on a kissing strike for a while, but you are now back to giving me kisses. I LOVE your kisses even though I feel like I’ve just been given a bath.

You are P-I-C-K-Y when it comes to food lately! There are a few things you will consistently eat: snack cakes, ice cream, teddy grahams… hmmm, I’m noticing a pattern here! You obviously got your sweet tooth from your Mama! You also like healthy things like fruit and yogurt (still has to be Go-Gurt). It’s hit-or-miss on things like vegetables and meat. I can usually get you to eat green beans and chicken nuggets, but it’s hit-or-miss on hot dogs, grilled cheese, broccoli and avocado (which used to be your favorite!!). I finally gave in and was desperate to get you to eat something with protein in it, so I gave you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I know, I know! I was told by your pediatrician, “No peanut butter until 2”… but everything I read said if there are NO peanut allergies in both families… it should be ok. You weren't too sure about it at first, but with some high-maintenance spoon feeding, you ate the whole thing (see video at the end). You also didn't go into anaphalactic shock or break out in hives, so I guess PB&J is a keeper!

You love, love, LOVE your books! I’d think you’d be happy if that’s all you had to play with! We read them to you so much, I think I’ve got just about every one of them memorized (and you probably do, too!). You now have started pointing to everything on the page and want us to tell you what it is. Sometimes I will ask you to find certain things on the page and you’ve gotten pretty good at finding them!

You’re still obsessed with ELMO! You’ve also taken a liking to Big Bird. You’re even saying Big Bird’s name… kind of! Your favorite thing to do right when you come home from daycare is watch that day’s episode of Sesame Street. You’ll stand right in front of the TV with that thumb in your mouth and watch the whole thing! I think it’s absolutely adorable when you grab my hand and lead me to the living room to watch TV with you!

You still like your farm play sets and it’s so cute how you identify the animals, not by what they are, but by the sound they make. You’ll pick up a sheep and go “Baa”… or you’ll pick up the cow and go “Moo”! Very cute!

You are still a fabulous sleeper and even entertain yourself in your crib for as long as we leave you in there! You’ve learned how to climb up on the couch and you think you are “Big Stuff” when you do it! Now I’m just hoping you don’t learn how to climb out of your crib!

Happy 17 months old, Baby Clay!!!

No pictures today, but I do have video of Clay eating his first PB&J. I love what lengths his daddy will go to get him to eat it! He ate the whole entire sandwich via "airplane"...

And the Oscar for Best Actor in a Drama Goes to...

Clayton Marshall

For his work in Terrifying Tantrums Part I!

(And ya'll thought I was exaggerating when I said I thought he was going through the terrible 2's!)

So what does any normal mommy who's about to lose her mind do when her child is throwing a full-blown "I don't want to eat ANYTHING" tantrum?? She pulls out the camera to take pictures and video! (This is going to be great to play at his rehearsal dinner!!!)

It started out as a little whimpering...

Then it went to a full-blown, screaming, crying, snotty, red-faced, hyperventilating tantrum!
And don't worry... I caught this performance on video. This was actually towards the end of his tantrum, so he's slowin' down a bit.

I know... it's pitiful!

But after I showed him the video of his tantrum, he decided to settle down a bit and eat some Cheerios.

And we did let him watch a little bit of Backyardigans to help him "relax". He even drank some juice.

Now, I will say that he did NOT have a nap at all at daycare, so I'm sure (hoping) that was the cause of the tantrum. Hopefully he will take a good nap today and will be his sweet, pleasant self tonight!

Terrible Two's... ALREADY!!

Can it be possible?? Terrible two's already?? Baby Clay has not been the "perfect" child lately. He is a very strong-willed child and has a little bit of a temper (hmmm... takes after his daddy!). I'm hoping this is just a phase he's going through... maybe it's those horrible teeth that are trying to poke through, but whatever it is, I hope we get through it soon!

The other day I got him out of the car for daycare. He had his Elmo book with him, but I made him leave it in the car. Well, he proceeded to stomp his little feet and scream all the way into daycare (thank goodness, he stopped as soon as we opened the door). And the tantrums don't stop with us... the other day in daycare he wanted a specific book (the Elmo one, of course) and they couldn't find it. Well, he threw a fit until they finally found it! Yesterday we were on our way to the grocery store and we had to turn around and take him home because he was throwing such a fit! (Hmmm... I'm thinking maybe I'm getting payback for what I did to my mom when I was little. She said I was HORRIBLE and they couldn't take me anywhere.)

Even though we've experienced a bunch of tantrums lately, he's still my sweet little baby! He loves for me to watch Sesame Street with him. I'll be trying to get a little work done and turn Sesame Street on for him... typically I've got a good half hour or so of peace and quiet... but now, he'll come grab my hand and pull me into the living room. I'll sit on the floor and he'll plop down in my lap and stick that thumb in his mouth. Makes me melt every time... and forget about those awful tantrums... until the next one happens because Elmo has not come on Sesame Street fast enough :)!

And here is my little monster playing with, of course, Elmo... and his Cookie Monster! (He LOVES his Cookie Monster, Lori!)
And here he is trying to shut the door on me. He has this thing about going into a room and shutting all the doors.

Happy Monday!!