One Year Ago...

The best year of my life began.  

Happy Birthday, sweet Riggins Thomas.  

Birthday Girl

On Sunday, Weber Sue turned THREE years old!  

Now, I usually think it is ridiculous when people go over the top in celebration for their dogs.  Heck, I even have a hard time seeing dogs wearing clothes!  But while the idea of a cake made out of canned dog food absolutely disgusts me, I recently came across a recipe for a dog-friendly baked cake.  

And I decided that it was time for our Puppa to have a cake of her very own!  

Voila.  

Peanut Butter Delight Cake with Honey Cream Cheese icing, garnished with bacon and Milk Bones.  Served on a pewter cake stand fit for a princess, of course.  We even lit a candle and sang Happy Birthday.  Go big or go home, right?  :)

It was well received, for sure, although it took her a bit to get the hang of eating it.  One of the girl's quirks is that she gets intimidated by things that she has to bite into.  So he started by licking off all of the icing.  Then she sat and stared at the bare cake for a bit before I got out a fork and hacked it up into pieces for her. The party really started then!   

Riggins was just dying for a bite!  Little does he know that later this week 

he will get a cake of his very own!  

That's right!  Both of my babies have birthdays this week.  

Everyone is growing up on me.

Sniff!  Tear!  SOB! 

I Serve a Risen Savior

We are joyful today.  

Not because of fancy clothes, a special meal, or a treat-filled basket.   

Not because of tulips, bunnies, eggs, or a seersucker suit.   

But because Christ has died.  Christ has risen.  And Christ will come again.  

In the midst of this broken world, my sinful heart finds hope, joy, and peace because of this truth.   

You can too, if you look to Jesus Christ and follow him.  

Blessings to you and yours this Easter!  

Creeper

This is a public service announcement.

Have you seen this man?  

I noticed him creeping around my house today and was very disturbed.  

Even little Riggins knew there was something weird about this guy.  

  

Consider yourself warned.  

Alternative titles to this post: 

"Jonathan Gets a Makeover.  Give Him Your Feedback"

"Ask Dr. Poe: Choosing the Right Glasses for You"

"Jonathan Turns 53!"

"The Do's and Don'ts of Facial Hair"

{Rest assured that the 'stache has been shaved and that he does not own the glasses.  They were donated for his upcoming trip to Guatemala.  Let's hope thick, round glasses are all the rage in Central America!}

Spoiled Rotten

On Tuesday night, Memphis was hit with a pretty awesome thunderstorm that knocked out power in several big chunks of the city.  After leaving for school at around 7:15 on Wednesday morning, Jonathan walked right back in at 7:30 with the announcement that the optometry school had lost power.  We did a little victory dance before I realized that Riggins and I were heading out the door for BSF followed by lunch with a friend and wouldn't be able to enjoy join him for his morning off.

"Well, why don't you just leave him here with me?  That way you can enjoy an uninterrupted lunch too?"

Ummmm....let me think for two seconds...

You got it, dude!

Shortly thereafter, I realized that I was completely ready to leave the house, but now that I didn't have a baby to get ready, I was running a good 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

"Well, why don't you just leave early and go get coffee?  You could even sit and read for a bit if you wanted to!"

Again...hmmm....what's a mom to do?

Yes, please!

So off I went, early to Bible Study for the first time since, well, ever, AND on my way to get coffee!  I never get coffee before BSF because (1) I am usually running late, and (2) I am not coordinated enough to carry one baby, two tote bags, and a steaming hot cup of java through the very big parking lot, into the church, down to the children's area, and up to the sanctuary without making a mess of us all.  Seriously, the one time I tried I spilled coffee all over my favorite little tote with Riggins' name on it!

The morning was glorious, and being able to enjoy lunch with my friend Leslie without having to tear up bits of cheese, pick puffs up off of the floor, or keep a juice box from erupting into Old Faithful all over my child was simply divine.  I don't care how well behaved your child is, attempting to fully focus on a conversation with a kiddo in tow is HARD.  I even got to run a few errands afterward without getting a baby in and out of a car seat each time!  I had all but forgotten the ease and speed with which you can run multiple short errands when you don't have to worry about the whole car seat thing.

I returned home refreshed, energized, and oh-so-thankful for my husband.  He approaches parenting as a true partnership, and is genuinely enthusiastic about spending one-on-one time with our son.  While I hem and haw over "Are you sure you don't mind?" or "Isn't there anything you would rather do with your morning off?"  He looks at me like I'm crazy and simply says, "Les, it's Man Time.  Get out of here!"

He realizes that his schedule will not always allow for spontaneous days spent alone with his children.  Soon enough, optometry school will be over, his days will be more structured, and his time with our kids will be less flexible.  So he is embracing this season while he can, and Riggins and I are both blessed as a result.

So thank you, Memphis Light, Gas, and Water, for being incredibly slow to restore power at Southern College of Optometry (he was off again today...hoorah!).  And thank you, Jonathan, for being such a wonderful team mate in this journey of marriage and parenting.  I am spoiled (but hopefully not rotten!).

Sweet Spring

I used to say that Autumn was my favorite season, but three years of living in Memphis have made me fall in love with Spring.  You just haven't lived until you've seen Sam Cooper draped in wisteria, Rhodes  College in bloom, yards on fire with forsythia, and my own breathtaking dogwood.  

This year we were blessed with an extra-long blooming time on the dogwood--just over two weeks!--that overlapped with the blooming of our white azaleas.  This hasn't happened since we've lived here.  Typically the dogwood poops out just before the azaleas burst forth.  It was an extra gift of Spring to have our whole yard snowy white with blooms!  (This picture just doesn't do it justice!)

Of course, we haven't wasted any time in teaching Riggins an essential skill of boyhood: climbing trees.  What says "spring" more than a sweet little gingham-clad boy in a blooming dogwood tree?  

We have taken advantage of the gorgeous weather and are spending tons of time outdoors.  Riggins has been practicing his walking skills with his new push toy in the back yard.  

He pauses every so often to give a little gun show.  :)  

 The beach is that way, ladies....

Pressure

I've been feeling a little pressure lately.  I wonder if you can relate.  

The life of a mom is a funny mix of caring for your child, caring for your spouse, caring for your home, and caring for whatever other responsibilities are on your plate.  In doing all of this, I often find myself fluctuating between two extremes.

On one hand, I feel this pressure to be Super Educator Mom.  When Riggins is awake, he should have my undivided attention and our time should be filled with me intentionally teaching him how to point to his body parts, speak fluent baby sign-language, make all of his animal noises, and distinguish the difference between Beethoven and Rachmaninoff.  

On the other hand, I am a big believer in assimilating a child into the everyday life of the home.  I should be active when Riggins is active, going about our daily errands and my daily chores, talking him through these activities, and trusting that he'll learn all he needs to know as we go.  This is what most of my days end up looking like.  And yet I often feel as though--with the exception of meal times and nap times--our days are not structured enough.  Now that we are entering the toddler phase, I feel like I need to be more intentional in the way I use his awake time.  

If I live in "Super Educator Mom" mode, nothing else will ever get done and my child will think that God's Green Earth revolves around him.  But if I live at the other extreme, I end up with a completed to-do list but a child who might be missing out on more intentional opportunities for learning.  

So, dear reader, I bring my questions to the table:

1) Am I psychotic for even thinking/worrying about this at all?  Does anyone else out there worry about these kinds of things?  I hereby give you permission to tell me to take a chill pill.  (But really, that's kind of my problem...I'm worried that I'm too chill!)  

2) Where do you fall on the spectrum between these two approaches?

3) How have you found a balance between the two? (Because I'm assuming that, as with most things in life, the answer lies in balance.)

4) Where can I order that manual called How to Be a Mother?  I think I left mine at the hospital....  

Road Trippin'

Last Wednesday, my little man and I packed our bags, kissed the man of the house goodbye, and hit the road to Arkansas.  After a night at my parents' house, we were joined by my dear friend Carrie and we headed north!  This time, we brought a GPS so as to avoid recreating the adventures of our last road trip together.

Our final destination?  Pattonsburg, Missouri.  Population 261.  Home of our precious friend Kenan and her family.  They are moving to Arizona in May and we had to make one last trip to P-burg.  

But first, an essential stop.  I just couldn't drive through Kansas City without taking my husband's firstborn son to his mecca: Kauffman Stadium, home of the Royals.    

Being a Royals fan is tough business, but we're hoping that Riggins will see 

a change in luck during his lifetime!  

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing around the house and enjoying small town life in Pattonsburg, including Saturday morning women's bible study and walks to the gas station for fountain drinks.  Riggins is finally at an age where he is interested in other kids, and he had a ball following Emsleigh around the house.  Emsleigh loved having "Baby" around, so long as he didn't mess with any special toys!  He gave her a bit of a heads-up on what life will be like once her new baby sister arrives in May!  

On Saturday we drove to Jamesport, an Amish town with some cute shops, a general store, and some great little bakeries.  I stocked up on homemade pickles and jams and the general store before we feasted on some good home cookin' at a Mennonite restaurant.  I could get used to this Amish thing.  Minus the whole horse-and-buggy thing.  

Carrie and I hit the road after church on Sunday.  It was so strange to leave Pattonsburg knowing that we will probably never return.  Very rarely in life do you visit a place and know that you'll never be back!  It is such a sweet little town and after several visits over the last four years it has become a special place in my heart. I had a little lump in my throat as we drove away!  

Riggins and I spent another day in Fort Smith on our way home, where he got lots of quality time with his grandma.  She hated every minute of it.... ;)      

I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends.  For Carrie, who isn't afraid to spend 8 hours in the car with my boy and me; who spent much of that time turned around giving him snacks, toys, and pacifiers; and who is a endless source of great conversation and laughs.  And for Kenan, who is well worth traveling a total of 16 hours--with a baby--to a teensy little windy town in northern Missouri.  With these girls, the miles and the hours are nothing!  I am blessed.  

The Anatomy of a Mullet

For months, I debated.  It was a vital question.   

At what point does a baby's hair go from a cute little duck tail to a mullet?  

Over the last few months, my son's hair had gone from a crown of fuzz to a full coif.  As the back grew longer and longer, I held out hope that his little duck tail would begin to flip out or curl up into a little duck or pig tail.  But as time went on, it became clear that his hair had no intention of curling.  Rather, it grew straight down, and soon it began to resemble Jeff Foxworthy more than 

Huey, Dewey, or Louie Duck.  

It was time for a cut.  I put it off as long as I could, trying my best to delay another "first," but it became glaringly obvious that a trim was necessary.  We gathered the scissors and the spray bottle, combed his little tail out (rather than towards the middle as we usually do after a bath), and belly laughed over how long it really was!  The situation was worse than we had thought...

The dude was well on his way to a little 1950's flipped-out 'do!  

Our friends the Rimmers were in town, so Jessica held him in her lap as I cut.  Jonathan took photos while Terry manned the video camera.  Baby Einstein guaranteed a focused, still baby.  It was quite the operation!  

My photographer missed the final back shot, but I have to say that Riggs looks mighty handsome with his new hairdo.  And I don't think he'll be mistaken for Billy Ray Cyrus any time soon.  Although I might have a bit of an achy, breaky heart at the sight of my clean cut big boy!

(I know...terrible joke...insert groans here.)

Eleven Months Old!

March 29, 2011

Dear Riggins,

Last night, I visited a dear friend who just had a baby at the same hospital where you were born.  As I walked the halls of the postpartum ward, I was overwhelmed with the realization that it has been almost one year since your birth.  A year ago, I was as big as a house, putting the finishing touches on your nursery, visiting the doctor each week, and spending my sleepless nights wondering when you would decide to make your grand entrance.  Now, I spend my days chasing you around the house, singing your favorite songs, and helping you learn to walk and talk.

At eleven months, you weigh 21 pounds, 2 1/2 ounces and wear 12 month clothing and size 4 diapers.  Your two bottom teeth are visible and you have one top tooth barely poking through the surface.  You nap twice a day, at 9 and 1, and sleep from 7 to 6 each night.  You nurse three times per day and eat like a champ.  Most of your food is table food these days, and you love pretty much everything we put on your plate.

You are a speedy crawler and can pull up, cruise, scoot up stairs, and stand unassisted for brief periods.  New developments include giving a high-five, pointing and gesturing, "sharing," and playing patty cake on command.  Your favorite things include swinging, playing on our bed and "body slamming" yourself into the pillows (such a boy!!!), riding in the shopping cart, looking in the mirror, bath time, being outside, Patty Cake, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, being flipped upside down, opening and closing cabinets and doors, watching the microwave, and your Millie Cow book.  You dislike sudden loud noises, being left in the nursery, hearing the word "No," and sitting still against your will (for diaper changes and the like).

Although you have been saying "Mama" and "Dada" indiscriminately for the past couple of months, you only recently began to use them more deliberately.  Even now it is a bit hit or miss.  But you did say your official, intentional first word this month, and it wasn't mama or dada.  It was WEBER!  She walked in the room and you said, "Eh-buh!"  And when she left you reached after her and said it again.  It is the one word that you use often and purposefully.  Mama and Dada know where we stand now, buddy!  Right behind the family dog!  All kidding aside, I love that you adore your puppy and that she loves you too!

Unfortunately, another big first this month was your first ear infection.  It seems that you are a bit too tough for your own good, because you never once tugged on your ears and all of your symptoms coordinated with the arrival of your first teeth.  We had no idea that you had a raging ear infection!  To make matters worse, two weeks later you were back at the doctor with another infection in the other ear.  We are really hoping that after almost a month on antibiotics we have kicked those ear infections to the curb!

The big event this month was Daddy taking his board exam, which was followed by a nice long visit from your Mama Anne and Papa Tom.  They had so much fun taking you out to lunch, taking you on a walk to the park, pushing you on the swings (your new favorite thing), playing in your nursery, and swinging on our front porch swing.  The next weekend, we took you to Texas for the first time where you met many new friends and family members who doted all over you!  You are one loved little boy!  You rolled with the punches of being completely off schedule and were a total angel all weekend, until getting stuck in bad Dallas traffic on the last night of the trip.  I'd say your outburst was completely justified by that point!

Every one who meets you comments on how sweet, happy, friendly, and good you are.  They also comment on your full head of blonde hair (which was cut for the first time this month!), your bright blue eyes, and your closed-mouth grin that makes your cheeks puff out like rosy, dimpled apples.  I smile and say "thank you" while trying not to burst with pride at the thought that you are mine.

I love you, Riggins Thomas, and I will soak up every second of this last month in your first year of life.

Get ready to party, little man!
Momma.