The Shackletts

Anything you need

2012-01-30T04:30:00.001-06:00

Since Chris became sick, our amazing family has stepped up to the plate. They have slept over (without sleeping), made food (without eating), taken care of kids (while wanting to care for their own), gave dog treats (while their dogs waited outside), and done chores (while their houses remained messy). It's been awesome... But to the three of us, it just doesn't feel the same.

Everyone keeps asking what they can do to help. Unfortunately when Daddy is sick and Mommy stays away and takes care of him, here is what our kids need:

1. Someone who throws perfect pitches.
2. Someone to have Friday Fluff day.
3. Someone to dance with who spins just right.
4. Someone races me to get the newspaper.
5. Someone who gives peanut butter with reckless abandon.
6. Someone to let my swim I the tub and play till the water runs down.
7. Someone to tackle right before bed.
8. Someone who can "sing all the animsls".
9. Someone to sing Twinkle, Twinkle "super loud like a rock and roll star"with snuggle friends who play air guitar.
10. Someone to give "all the kisses".

With all the amazing people in Andrew and Caroline's lives taking care of all their needs, there are just a few things that the kids still need.

Cakrline shows it... On a quick trip home from the hospital, Caroline runs to me. She hugs me, kisses me, and then signs more... She leads me to the pictures on the fridge signing more, pointing to the picyures, and says "dada, dada".

Andrew shows it...On my first night home after a couple of long nights at the hospital, Andrew comes to my too my room at 3:30am glad that I am the one he finds. I calm him, sing to him, and rock him (although we haven't rocked to bed in ages). I take him to bed, sing my best "rock 'n roll" Elvis the Elephant variation of Twinkle, and then we pray. He fights back tears and says, "when I go visit my daddy tomorrow, I will just bring him home with me".

We are so grateful for all the help, but sometimes we just need mommy and daddy. Thank you God for the blessings in my life.

:)
Anne

So wise

2012-01-26T09:42:00.000-06:00

Chris has been laid up for almost two weeks, so it's been all mommy all the time. Andrew, Caroline, and I are starting to show signs of wear. As I buckled Andrew in to his car seat this morning, here is our conversation:

Andrew: (seeing the worry on my face) Mommy, what does that face mean?
Mommy: I'm just a little tired. I'm ready for Daddy to feel better.
Andrew: Me, too. But why does that make you feel like that?
Mommy: Well, when someone is sick it's hard for everyone. We have to be more patient, more loving, and we don't always get everything we want.
Andrew: But Mommy, Daddy is the one who is sick.

Yeesh. I'm feeling very selfish. Simple wisdom from an almost four year old. No matter how tough it is to pick up the slack, it's still worse to be the sick one.

:)
Anne

PS: I did have some much needed help this week from Grandma, Grandpa, Grandma Mary, and Aunt Martha! Love y'all!

Battle in Bethlehem

2011-12-07T21:05:00.000-06:00

Last week Andrew and I spent a quiet morning decorating while Caroline napped. The tree, the mantle, and the nativities looked perfect. We have one grown-up nativity in the kitchen, and Andrew has a sweet little one for his room. Once the decorations were in place, Caroline woke for her lunch feeding. Andrew dismissed himself to his room for my nursing, for which I was truly grateful.

Caroline and I were enjoying our peaceful moments together when I heard the clinging of toys. Strange, I thought, which of Andrew's toys cling? Hmph. Oh, no.

"Andrew, what are you doing?" I asked as I finished the last minute or two of the feeding.

"Nuffin'. Just playing," he replied ever so sweetly. Uh-oh.

I closed up shop and headed into Andrew's room. As I entered, I saw baby Jesus, the shepherd, and the flock sitting peacefully on the table. Andrew still had Mary in his hand. This left Joseph, now headless, on the floor alone.

"Oh, Andrew! How could you? What were you thinking?..." I berated for a minute and then fell silent.

Sheepishly, Andrew gestured to Mary and Joseph and said, "They were fighting... Mary won."

Apparently, she did. Bring on the super glue.

Merry Christmas.
:)
Anne

Being Thankful

2011-11-23T14:34:00.001-06:00

As I read Facebook posts, I am always amazed at the number of people who use it to complain about how bad things are for them. I'm sure I've done it... we all vent. Here are all my knee-jerk complaints that I have thought about posting... this week.

1. My husband is gone once a week for grad school, so we don't see him those days.
2. My husband has night meetings that keep him from us a few times a month.
3. My daughter consistently wakes in the 4 or 5 AM hour to feed.
4. My house's foundation is moving causing the doors to stick.
5. My heater doesn't heat the kids rooms very well.
6. My 3 year old is full of sass and shares it readily.
7.My blah, blah, blah.... bitch, bitch, bitch.

Yuck. I know things are bad sometimes, but I think we all need a wake up call. I recently heard a speaker and had mine. She was just a mom, who has the most amazing outlook on life. All she said to us was this, "No matter what your life is like you are living the dream, so take the time to give thanks to God and enjoy it. You might not like your house: out of date, bad foundation, old siding, lousey neighborhood, etc... But you have a house. And at this very moment, someone is living in a tiny apartment dreaming of your house. You are so blessed. Please don't spend your life dreaming of more when you could be enjoying what you have."

Wow. I took a long hard look at myself and the little things I let bring me down...
1. My husband is gone once a week for grad school, so we don't see him at all. My husband is in GRAD school while working full time, so I can stay home. He's a rock star.

2. My daughter consistently wakes in the 4 or 5 AM hour to feed. I have a daughter. A wonderfully sweet, squeezy ball of love, who can't wait to spend those first few moments of her day with me. She's healthy and happy. What a blessing.
3. My house's foundation is moving causing the doors to stick. I have a house... a house that I love and a yard to enjoy with my sweet babies.
4. My 3 year old is full of sass and shares it readily. I have a very smart and very vocal 3 year old who uses he smarts for sass, but also he uses it to bless me. He realizes things like this, "Mommy, some mommies go to work all the time. You get to play with me. I'm so glad you get to stay home with me and Caroline."
5. My husband has to work late some nights, and I don't get a break. My husband has a job. Scratch that- my husband has a great job that provides for our family.

No matter how hard I try to be upset about something, I am slapped with the realization that my small inconviences are temporary setbacks related to a much greater blessing.

No matter what your life looks like, you are living someone's dream. Why not make it your dream and be thankful?

:)
Anne

Halloween part 1: Trunk-or-treat

2011-10-31T10:40:00.002-05:00

Here's a taste of our Halloween weekend! We hosted a trunk at our church's Trunk-or-treat event last night. Here are the trunk and our two trunk-or-treaters!
:)
Anne

Sweetness

2011-10-27T21:47:00.001-05:00

The look in her eyes makes my heart shine: Unconditional love for her Bubba.

:)
Anne

Really?!

2011-10-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

Andrew hobbled out to the kitchen this morning, and here's the conversation:

A: Mommy, I think my foot hurts.
M: What do you mean your foot hurts? Show me where.
(I bent down to check out where.)

A: it's my ankle, Mom.
M (dumbfounded, I stared at Chris and asked...) really?! What's your ankle?

(Surprisingly, he actually points to his ankle.)

C: Bud, how do you know it's your ankle?
A: (shocked at Chris's ignorance- scoffs and replies) 'Cause it's the circle bone on the outside of my foot.

Really?! Where does he get this!?

:)
Anne

PS: here's a video of some sibling silliness packed with giggles!

Proper usage of f***

2011-10-12T17:57:00.000-05:00

We are on our way to our friends' house for dinner, so we are listening to the Ranger's playoff game on the radio. In reaction to a bad play, Chris drops the f-bomb. Cue Andrew's genius:
"Daddy, fuck is a bad word, and that means you shouldn't say it."

Daddy, "I'm sorry, Bud. I shouldn't have said it."

After a moment of thoughtful reflection, Andrew said, "No, Daddy. You can say fuck if people drive slow in front of you, but you can't say it about baseball."

Thank you, tiny wordsmith. We laughed f-ing hard at that.
:)
Anne

Communication conundrum

2011-10-12T14:41:00.000-05:00

I am having trouble communicating a few things around my house. Maybe these issues need to be in writing to be resolved, so here goes...

Dear neighborhood cats,

I can see where this might be confusing; however, andrew's sand box is not your alternate litter box. Go home then go pee.

Thanks,
Andrew's Mom

Dear motorcycle driving neighbor,

I will admit I know nothing of motorcycle care; however, I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't rev the engine (parked right outside Andrew's window) several times before and after you drive it. It's loud enough without these "warm up" and "cool down" periods scheduled daily at 6:30am and 8:30pm. Mopeds are cool, too and much quieter. I think I saw one on Craigslist. Check it out.

Thanks,
Andrew and Caroline's mom

Dear Confused Caroline,

Settle down...The chalkboard is not covered in powdered sugar. Trust me, I've checked.

Love you,
Mommy

Dear Astute Andrew,

Yes you were cute, funny, smart, and very well behaved at the dentist; however, that does not mean you get to watch a movie... nice try, Bud.

Love you,
Mommy

Just a few of the day-to-day issues around the house.

:)
Anne

Rangers clench... Mommy cries.

2011-09-30T15:27:00.000-05:00

Andrew, Chris, and I watched to Rangers clench the division. It was such a fun night; however, I doubted (many times) whether Andrew would make it through the whole game. Luckily, he did.

Things started out with an unexpected bang! We parked and road the shuttle...boring, right? Wrong. We were the last ones seated, and the only seats left were the two in the far back: the full-sized and the half seat. Andrew sat BY HIMSELF on the half seat. The worried look on his face was pretty hilarious as he debated the safety of the whole experience having only ever ridden in car seats. Then, we hit a bump. His face lit up and he said, "This is amazing!"

Next,we had to wait at will call for our friends and our tickets, which soon soured Andrew's pregame excitement. My doubting began at this very moment. Although, once we got to our seats (right by first base), Andrew was in perfect position to see his favorite player, Michael Young. His excitement grew again... until the middle of the 2nd inning when he started asking to go home. Yikes.

Luckily, I had enough sugary treats in my purse to keep us all interested in the game. The Rangers helped by hitting a few home runs, and Andrew loved the celebratory fireworks. Throughout the game, he enjoyed most of the in-game festivities like the dot races, music, and foenormous video screen. He was a little distraught when they played the "stealing third" game. A little boy gets chance to "steal third" if he can run to it, grab it, and bring it back in time. Andrew's objection, "If they let him steal that base, then the Rangers won't have anything to run around." Good point.

Fast forward to the end of the game, and we are all waiting for the post game fireworks. Andrew (now several hours past bedtime) is cradled in my lap (where he spent most of the game). The evening's a little cool, so he is snuggling into me just a bit. The fireworks start, the music plays, and I'm loving every minute: singing Journey, snuggling my little man, and gazing up at the 360 degree show.

With the biggest smile on his face, Andrew looked up at me and said, "Mommy, this is the happiest I ever been in my whole life. Thanks for bringing me to the Rangers game."

Me too, baby. Waterworks again. This kid really knows how to melt my heart.

:)
Anne

Points of View

2011-09-16T20:48:00.000-05:00

We had our dear friends, Rachel and Matt, over tonight for dinner, and with them came their 3 kids (2 of which are newly placed foster children). As the years of their fostering have past, we have seen many sweet faces pass through their care.

As an educated adult, I can barely wrap my head around the foster parent gig that my friends have chosen. Andrew has tried to understand the process, too; however, we don't really explain it all that well. I just have told him as his playmates come and go through the Clarke house that Mattie and Rachel help take care of other people's kids when those people can't. Mattie and Rachel are these kids' mommy and daddy when they need them. He seems very accepting of this.

Tonight, I saw two very different points of view of this process. Long after dinner and playtime, it was time to clean up (after two 3 year olds, a 6 year old, and a 15 month old-Yeesh). The very verbal and smart 6 year old stops cleaning and asks me, "Why do you have kids?" Slightly taken aback, I paused to reflect on such a deep question. Before I could answer, she continued, "Do you foster them?" I said, "Nope. I don't foster them, but I am surely living the dream." What do I say to that?

About 5 minutes later, we all finished our clean-up efforts and joined Chris, Rachel, and Andrew in the kitchen. As we were saying our goodbyes, Andrew said to Rachel, "Thanks for getting some new kids."

Matt then turned to the 6 year old and said, "That's why they have kids. Because they are funny."

In Andrew's mind, having foster kids as your best friends means always getting to have new friends.

I like that. So, thanks Mattie and Rachel for getting some new kids. (Although we all know it's much more than that. )

:)
Anne

Battle of the Sexes

2011-08-26T21:15:00.000-05:00

To my knowledge, no one has told my little Andrew the "typical" gender roles of men and women. He doesn't know that women fill the teaching profession or that men seem to be the only garbage men. He has no reason to think that I am better than Chris or vice-versa simply based on me being a girl and daddy being a boy. He just knows that when he scrapes his knee, he prefers mommy. When he needs to know the "right" way to stand to be the batter, he trusts daddy.

Sadly, he seems to have made another correlation between the genders... although, I honestly don't know how. It all centers around bedtime. When Daddy's away in the evenings for business, school, or sport, Andrew has had a hard time going to sleep. We've been working on this issue for several weeks and have made a great deal of progress. I'm very thankful for that.

However, after three attempts at bedtime (going on an hour and a half tonight), I am saddened for my sweet boy. As I calmed him, I told him that I was very blessed that God gave him to me, and I thank Him nightly for Andrew.

Here's the conversation that followed:
Andrew: Is God in your room at night?
Me: Yes, baby. God is with us always. He's here to give us his love.
Andrew: Are there bad guys in your room?
Me: Nope.
Andrew: Oh. When Daddy's home, he has strong powers to keep the bad guys away. I wish Daddy was here now, so we could have his powers.

At the ripe old age of 3 and a half, he somehow knows that I am not physically strong enough to protect him. My heart breaks... for him to know this already and for me to be reminded of this. I guess it took him verbalizing it to remind me that I can't protect him from everything.

My prayer is that God covers Andrew in peace, so he can rest each night knowing that he is loved and cared for.

My precious, too smart, little boy.

Anne

Potty Training, cont.

2011-08-18T21:16:00.000-05:00

Andrew has been potty trained/training since July of last year. We are still working on nights, but I'm fine with pull-ups for now to get us through our slumber. Anyway, my favorite thing about potty training has to be Andrew's urgent need for privacy. He's 3, and we all must afford him the right of privacy when he's going poo... although we still have to assist in the wiping that oh so private hiney.

So, Andrew insists on someone accompanying him to the bathroom if he needs to poop. Once you get there, he turns and says, "I need privacy". We must all wait patiently outside the door for our opportunity to help the king off his throne.

Here's the twist. The other day we went to the mall and had to all share the family bathroom. Andrew mounted his throne and gave his usual request for privacy. I shrugged at the exit to the single stall bathroom and explained that I couldn't leave. What was his response?

"Then, please, just don't look at my eyes."

Oh, my. It was all I could do to hold back the laughter.

:)
Anne

Beauty Shop Guy

2011-08-11T13:31:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been to the hair salon, and the stylist left you feeling less than great about your 'do? I think we all have. For example, I once asked for her to trim about an inch to make it look healthy. To which, the stylist held up my abundance of split ends and said with disgust, "It's gonna take a lot more than an inch to make this look healthy." Ouch. That was the harshest comment by someone working with my locks... until now.
Flash forward to beauty shop time in the Shacklett living room. Andrew has started "doing" my hair recently. This time he said he wanted to brush my hair, so I let him work his magic for a few minutes. Then, I asked "Is my hair pretty now?" He sighed and replied, "Well, first I'm gonna need some scissors. Then I will have to keep brushing to get all the bugs out." Double ouch.

Apparently, I have let myself go.

:)
Anne

PS:
Great Auntie M,
Here is the picture proof of the newly mobile Caroline that you requested.

A girl's best friend...

2011-08-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

Caroline did it! She finally managed to figure out crawling. We have been modeling, coaxing, pushing, pulling, baiting... but she never could make it happen. (To her credit, she could roll anywhere and wiggle backwards and an alarming pace; however, she never made those sweet little pudgy legs take her forwards.)

Saturday was the day. We sat her in the middle of Grandma Mary's front room in the middle of quite a crowd: Mommy, Daddy, big brother, Grandma Mary, Aunt Heather, Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Heather's friends. We offered several "forbidden fruits". We dangled shoes, candy, cupcakes, and puffs, but she just didn't budge. Then I caught her eye-balling my engagement ring, so I took it off and told her to come and get it. And, I'll be damned- she came and got it.

I guess diamonds really are a girl's best friend. Even if the girl is only 8 months old.

Anne

Smooth Talker

2011-08-05T14:12:00.000-05:00

In yesterday's post, I forgot to mention the best conversation of all. I witnessed this little gem at the playground the other night. Andrew, Caroline, and I went to the playground to kill time while Daddy tried out for the city's softball team. Two little girls, one 4 and one 7 years old, were already playing. Andrew approached the two of them batting his big blue eyes and flashing his pearly whites.

Andrew: Hi. What's your name?
Younger girl: Yuck! A boy. (She's saying this while running away as fast as she can.)
Older Girl (Cocks her head, slightly annoyed.): I'm Emily. She's Sarah.
(With the way she says this she's obviously way cooler than anything or anyone at the playground.)
Andrew: I'm Andrew. That's Caroline.
Older Girl: So, how old are you?
Andrew: Well, I'm gonna be 4.
Older Girl: So, you're 3 then?
Andrew (clearly defeated): Uh, yeah. I'm 3.
Older Girl: Well, I'm 7, and I can swing on the big monkey bars. There's little kid stuff over there.

Ouch. Nice try, kiddo. I do applaud his attempt, but it's a hard lesson to learn at 3-gonna be 4. By the way, who taught him to lie about his age to impress people?

:)
Anne

PS: I still think he's a looker. :)

Andrew's To-Do List

2011-08-04T17:24:00.001-05:00

Andrew can be very intense and sometimes behaves and speaks as if he were really a young adult. Here are some of our latest gems:

1. I asked Andrew a question at the breakfast a question. His response, "Hold on mommy. I just have to check my email." Then he looked down at the grocery list and wrote something down.

2. Andrew got up from his movie and put his shoes on headed outside. He turned and said, "Mommy, I have a lot of piles to do. I just need to get out there and start raking until all the piles are done." My response, "Good luck".

3. Against the fence, we have an old stump that needs to be ground. I found Andrew out there hitting it over and over with his bat. I asked, "What's up, Bud?" His response, "I'm just 'chinging' this until it goes away. I have to use my strong muscles." (FYI-To ching something is to hit it so hard that it makes a "ching" sound like two swords hitting.)

4. One morning, Andrew found my grocery list pad and pencil. He said, "I need to add some things to the list. We need: vanilla yogurt, milk, granola bars, veggie chips, Reese's cups for Daddy, maybe some lollipops, and oh yeah- we need more pretzels, too." Aside from the Reese's cups, all the rest actually should have or were already on the list.

5. Finally, this morning we ran an errand dangerously close to lunch time. Andrew was starving, so he began to bargain. "Well, Mommy, for lunch today, I think you should make me a sundae ice cream. We have ice cream, walnuts, and chocolate, so I think that means we should eat that."

On a Caroline note, she is still red on top with her sparkly blue eyes. Her 4th tooth popped through this morning. She is eating any and everything you put in front of her, and she's on the verge of crawling! Yeesh. She has also started to talk. Her first word? Bubba. Every time she sees her big brother, she lights up, squeals, and says Bubba, Bubba, Bubba. Then, she said Dada, dada. Grandma Mary and I think we heard a Mama yesterday... Hopefully, she'll be a talker like her brother... and her mother.

Oh, yeah... She also likes to roll under furniture just like her brother used to.

:)
Anne

No floaties?!

2011-07-18T14:35:00.000-05:00

Andrew just finished two weeks of swim lessons with Miss Ginger, and now he's floatie free! I know what you're thinking, but it's true. Andrew didn't believe her either. Actually, he still doesn't believe it. When asked about swimming without floaties, he varies from excitement to concern that he will "float to the bottom".

Here are a few shots of Andrew swimming with his teacher. One picture on the shows Andrew preparing to jump of the diving board without floaties. He's getting a little encouragement from Miss Ginger. Her full time job is teaching high school students, so she has a completely different style for handling toddlers. It was fantastic. Initially, Andrew would ask over and over, "Did I do a good job? Was that a good one?" Finally, Miss Ginger looked in the eyes and said, "Andrew I really like you, but no. You are not doing a good job. Just put your head down and look at my feet. Do it again...right this time." No sugar-coating in Ginger's pool. He responded, and the evidence is in the pictures and in the pool.

We still have some practicing at Grandma Mary's before we head off to the Hurricane Harbor, but he's doing amazingly well! Thanks for everything Miss Ginger! (By the way, Andrew is one of 150 little guys and gals that will learn to swim in that pool with Miss Ginger's guidance!)

Anne

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-02T20:59:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July from the Shackletts. We celebrated Caroline's first 4th with our first time participating in a 4th of July parade. Our very young neighborhood association started an annual parade for the 4th. The sign said there were prizes... We were in! Here is our "float".

At this point, we are clearly the front runners for the best decoration prize.

Caroline, although a very good sitter, didn't last long once the wagon was in motion. I soon moved her back to the stroller.

Including us, there were about 20 people, so I felt pretty good about our odds for first prize. We did one lap around the park, and all the middle-aged soccer men happily cheered and clapped for our tiny parade. After our lap, we enjoyed Popsicles and fake tattoos. A hush soon fell over the crowd, and the two little old ladies (the organizers) grabbed the prize box... She shrugged and said, "We have prizes, y'all, but I just don't have the heart to pick a winner. I think we'll just save the prizes for next year." Horse shit.

This time next year, it's on. I encouraged the sweet old ladies to hire judges. The Shackletts will win the neighborhood parade. Isn't that what our forefathers would have wanted?

Either way, happy birthday America!

Anne

Sweet Siblings

2011-06-23T07:18:00.001-05:00

We are having lots of laughs around the Shacklett house. Most are centered around the love between our two kiddos. Caroline adores Andrew, and he lives to make her laugh!...

This first one is from May. (I still can't covert and add the videos directly to the blog, so you will have to follow the links to YouTube. They are worth it with the sweet giggles. :))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPHkEpW67HA

These two were from some spontaneous sibling sweetness last night.

This is Caroline's reaction to my laugh at the dinner table... you can see how quickly it turns sad when I stopped. (PS: Did you notice those two chompers?!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JdtrKS9iFE

Anne

Caroline's Baptism

2011-06-22T20:10:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago,Caroline was baptised. She did such an amazing job. She checked out Pastor Clayton, smiled at the choir, and never once cried.

Andrew did an amazing job as the big brother, too. Afterwards, we all enjoyed a delicious brunch at Amigos, and headed home for naps.

God is doing amazing things in our lives daily! We were so glad to have our friends and family their to celebrate with us!
:)
Anne

Spilled Milk

2011-06-14T08:33:00.001-05:00

Sophocles wrote,"There is no sense crying over spilt milk." Sophocles was a man, and therefore, he never chose whether or not to breastfeed. Recently, someone said that I breastfeed because I am cheap, which led to some "crying" over spilt milk, or pumped milk... for the working mom.

Breastfeeding for a year
Pump (or pump accessories/parts for a borrowed pump) $300.00
Nursing Pads (changed 3 times a day to avoid infection) $171.00
Manual Pump for emergency pumping $30.00
Pump wipes to clean pump with no access to sink $40.00
Lanolin for sore nipples $40.00
Prescription for infection $10.00
Cream for infection $40.00
Cream for cuts $7.00
Milk storage $60.00
Nipple Shields for protection while baby nurses on sore nipples $15.00
Nipple Shells for protection from bra as it rubs your sore nipples $15.00
Nursing Bras (Sleep bra, day bra, jog bra) $60.00
Nursing Pajamas $40.00
Nursing Cover $20.00
Supplements for milk supply $60.00
Tea for milk supply $20.00
Nursing pillow $30.00
Pillow covers $10.00
Bigger tops for the bigger tatas (So far I have 5, so you've probably seen them.) $75.00
Total $1,043.00

That's my total if I never have to buy formula to supplement, which lots of girls must do. To compare, I asked a friend who is formula feeding, and she says she spends about $70 per month. $70 times 12 months equals $840... Even if we round up her formula cost by almost $20 more per month, it will only equal the cost of breastfeeding.

Aside from the cost, please take into consideration: Everything I eat or drink affects the milk. Every errand, appointment, or get together has to be scheduled around pumping or feeding the baby. I have to endure glares from people who are uncomfortable seeing my nursing wrap. I have to be the one up at every feeding, which means I never sleep in past the first feeding. I have popped buttons (in public) when my milk let down because a baby (any baby) cried. If we have people over and my feeding makes them uncomfortable, I go into another room to feed. I miss part of the festivities, so they don't feel weird. If I have a stomach bug, hives, or a sore incision from major surgery (C-section, duh), I still have to feed the baby. Yet for all of these down sides, I still do it. Why? Would I do all of that to save a few dollars?

Hmmm... No. I have an amazing bond with my baby, and I have the comfort of know that ALL experts agree that breastfeeding is best. The American Academy of Pediatrics states: Human milk is species-specific, and all substitute feeding preparations differ markedly from it, making human milk uniquely superior for infant feeding. Exclusive breastfeeding is the reference or normative model against which all alternative feeding methods must be measured with regard to growth, health, development, and all other short- and long-term outcomes. So, for those of you who think I breastfeed because I am cheap, think again. It's better for the baby. Period. And I work damn hard to do it.

Their are people who breast feed exclusively, people who formula feed exclusively, and all combinations in between. I promise to never make a judgement on whether you chose to put a breast or bottle in your kid's mouth. Please afford me the same courtesy.

Glad to get that off my chest,
Anne

Waterworks

2011-06-06T20:57:00.003-05:00

Today was my first day home after quitting my job to stay home with Andrew and Caroline. It's been a long time coming. The day was amazingly simple, and it ended beautifully.

Chris came home and instantly noticed the calm saying, "everyone seems so happy". We were. We were rested, not rushed. The evening flowed well with a family foam-bat sword fight followed by dinner, baths, and books.

Andrew crawled into my lap with his normal request, "Mommy, can you give the baby to daddy, please?" This means he wanted me all to himself, and I am ready... or I thought I was.

Andrew sat on my lap and "read" me his book. His tiny finger moving across each page to help guide his "reading". My arms hugged around him, and it hits me. I don't have to go back to work... Silent tears pour out over Andrew's shoulders, and he stops reading. He looks terrified. "Mommy, what's wrong?" I tell him that I am happy. That sometimes mommies are so happy that they cry.

Instead of sad tears in August, I get to have happy tears now.

:)
Anne

Caroline's First Easter

2011-04-26T20:50:00.007-05:00

Caroline had her first visit from the Easter bunny, and Andrew was right there to teach her all about it. We spent Saturday evening dying eggs. Andrew dyed and Caroline chatted away the entire time as she admired his work. (And, yes, I stripped him down to dye the eggs. It's not my first rodeo.)

We left out some carrots for the Easter bunny and headed to bed. When we woke up, we headed straight to church. We had a lovely service and headed home to see that the Easter bunny had hopped by our house. The babies each had their baskets filled with goodies!

Before we dug through our treats, we were able to capture our Easter cuties in their Sunday best.

I know I'm biased, but they are a good lookin' pair.

Happy Easter!

Anne

Best Butt-dial Ever

2011-04-23T10:28:00.005-05:00

Yesterday my sweet husband was livin' the dream. Unfortunately for him, he was livin' my dream... That's right, folks. Daddy stayed home... alone... with both kids. I should have taken a picture of the look of terror on his face the night before. They ran errands in the morning and then stopped by school to visit me, which made my day! After naps, Daddy took the sweet babies for a walk in the stroller. His phone bounced around in his pocket until it butt-dialed me... and left me a message. Unlike most butt-dial phone call messages, I stuck with this one, and I was rewarded.

Here is the transcript:

(Swish- swish, woosh, swish- swish, woosh.. I can tell the message is a butt-dial.)

Andrew: Daddy, I have to potty.

Daddy: Andrew, I told you to go before we left.

Andrew: But Daddy, I have to go now.

Daddy: Then should we just go home now?

Andrew: No, you said we are going to the park. I have to go poop.

Daddy: (Sigh) You have to go poop? Bubba, you're not gonna like the bathroom at the park. You just have to hold it. (pause) And do not go in your pants.

(another pause)

Andrew: Is Mommy home yet?

I was laughing out loud in the car as I listened to this. The message continues for another 3 minutes and at least 2 more requests for mommy and/or bathroom. When I talked to Chris about 10 minutes later, they were at the park. Our conversation ending abruptly with Chris saying,"Andrew just ran out of the park to the soccer field... uh, he's not stopping. I think I need to go get him." Good idea.

Well, both kids and Daddy were no worse for the wear. Way to go, Daddy.

Anne

Blessings

2011-04-21T13:07:00.002-05:00

I have two beautiful blessings.... even at 3 am, they make me smile.

Now that I am back at work, the house, the laundry, and everything else has become a little neglected. Amongst the mess and after all the commotion of getting everyone home, fed, bottles washed, milk stored, babies bathed, etc., Chris looked at me and asked,"What did we do before we had children?"

Good question.

Love those babies. I have 29 days until I get to be with them full time!!

Anne

Deep thoughts... With Andrew

2011-03-17T17:35:00.005-05:00

I have hundreds of interesting conversations with my very verbose 3 year old. I can't tell if they are supreme genius or complete idiocracy. I'll let you have a taste, and then you can be a judge.

Deep thoughts about....Getting in Shape:

While on a jog today, here's our conversation:

Andrew: Mommy why are you jogging?

Me: Mommy needs to get in shape.

Andrew: (Turns around with a very serious expression) Mommy, a shape is like something you put in a puzzle. It's not a good thing for people.

I never thought of it that way. Does anyone need a jogging stroller? I guess I'm done with mine. :)

Deep thoughts about... Swallowing:

In the car on the way back from our trip to Leakey, Andrew asked for a piece of gum only minutes after getting a piece.

Mommy: Andrew, did you swallow your gum?

Andrew: No.

Mommy: Is it in your mouth?

Andrew: No. It's in my tummy.

Mommy: (Sigh) Then yes, Andrew, you swallowed your gum, and it's in your tummy,

Andrew: No, Mommy, I didn't swallow it. I just ate it in my mouth, and it went to my tummy. So can I have more gum?

Double sigh. What a clever way to get around the no swallowing gum rule.

Deep thoughts about... word choice.

Andrew has trouble sometimes with the words he uses as compared to what he tries to say. This can cause the conversation to derail quickly.

Andrew: Mommy, when we go to the mosque I will play.

Me: (I'm instantly intrigued.) The mosque? When are you going to the mosque?

Andrew: (annoyed by my stupidity) Mommy, when I go to the mosque, I will play with the zebra and snake, and I will slide down the waterfall.

Me:(Lightbulb) Andrew, that place is called the mall. Mall with an 'l'.

Andrew: (pointing to the high school) Yay! Look! We made it to hoes.

Me:(I search Chris's face for an explanation.) What is hoes, Andrew?

Andrew: Look, it's hoes, Mommy.

Me: Andrew, what is hoes?

Andrew: Hoes has the water fountains, and we can look and touch water.

Me: Andrew, that place is Lowes. La, la, Lowes. And yes, you can look at the garden fountains when we get there.

I'm sure there's plenty more to come....

Anne

Music Man

2011-03-14T14:35:00.007-05:00

Out of the blue, my little charmer has decided he has a musical side. I have to admit that I dig it. First, he showed us all that he has a knack for karaoke. With the mic in one hand, he said, "Mommy, I need a guitar."

A few weeks later, he received his Paper Jamz guitar, which makes anyone a instant musician. With the guitar in hand, he said, "I need a strap, Mommy".

Then, he revisited his drum and played an old classic, Hot Cross Buns. Although a very annoying tune played by a 4th grader on a recorder, it's pretty cute on a drum by a toddler.

By the way, he turned three. My little baby boy is 3! It was a month ago, and I haven't done a proper post about it... will one happen? I have no clue, but here's how we started his big day. The day before he asked, "For my birthday, can I have sprinkles for breakfast?" Sure thing, kiddo.

We went from cabin fever to Beiber fever. In our case, Andrew is convinced that Beiber is a girl... Baby, baby, baby...

Anne

Cabin Fever: Blizzard 2011

2011-02-07T10:41:00.010-06:00

"Andrew, give me the scissors, put your pants on, and clean up all that hair." Add that phrase to the list of things that I never thought I would say. Well, here's how it happened.

February 2011 turned out to be record-breaking in snow fall, temperatures, and days missed from school. For a girl on maternity leave, all of these things equal cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching. While others looked outside at the snow and ice and saw white, I saw green. For each day that the school was closed, I earned a "free" day of maternity leave. I never thought I would work so hard to earn a "free" day until I was locked in the house with a 3 year old boy and a newborn.

Day 1: Hello snow day! Chris has to go to work, so he dug his car off and headed out into the great white wonder. See you later, sucker. I'm all cozy inside and enjoying a fun movie day with my two little angels. We popped those movies in one after another, took a nice long nap, and then popped in some more. We all had a great day. Yay for a snow day!

Day 2: What's this? More snow and ice? Why thank you, and I will take that extra "free" day. My son knew the routine from the previous day, so he wanted to pop in movie #1, which was actually movie #1 from day 1. I said no way, Jose. I stupidly asked him to pick another movie, so he picked #2 from day 1. Noticing a pattern, I put all the unwatched movies on the TV stand and told him to pick from those. He did, and we navigating through the day with breaks between movies for crafts, naps, and baking.

Here's where the trouble started. Mommy and Andrew decided to bake some oatmeal raisin bars. Andrew had fun until about minute 3 when he realized you can't eat them for a long time. I let him go back to his crafting and movie watching. A few minutes later, I pour the batter in the pan, and I catch something strange out of the corner of my eye: naked toddler toosh. Uh-oh.

As I approach the scene, here's what I see. The living room looks like someone smashed a pinata of confetti, crumbs, and hair. Apparently, Andrew took a potty break (good), left his pants off afterward (well), and decided that he wanted to practicing cutting shapes (oh, no). After 3,000 tiny triangles, he got bored and gave his golden locks a trim, too.

So, I calmly say "Andrew, give me the scissors, put your pants on, and clean up all that hair." I tried to show him the damage to his 'do in the mirror, but he's three and a boy. He didn't care. His response, "Are the cookies ready?"

Day 3: I don't know if I can do this anymore. I need to go for a walk, run around, or see someone else other than my sleepy infant and stir crazy toddler. Enter the Clarkes. They came like angels with a peppermint mocha and their children to play with my son. Day 3 went by super fast. Yay, Clarkes.

Day 4: Things outside started to melt a little, so Andrew went outside. I didn't care that it was 15 degrees, and Andrew didn't either. He just needed to be out. So, I poured a bunch of salt on the porch, and out he went. I watched from the door.

Once the blizzard of 2011 ran its course, we were no worse for the wear. Sure, we were short several sheets of construction papers, a few locks of hair, and an entire tray of oatmeal bars, but I got plenty of quality time with my babies!

Oh yeah! Caroline also got to "play" in the snow for the first time. Andrew made snowballs, and Caroline "made" snow angels. Let's go with that. At least she was warm. Warm? Yes. Happy? Not so much. Did I mention I was mother of the year?

Anne

So much for subtlety

2011-01-09T15:57:00.005-06:00

I have reached another parenting or mothering milestone. I have now nursed in public. Wee! Well, I wish it went that well. Here's how the beautiful moment actually went down:

We arrived at Andrew's best friend's birthday party, which was held at an indoor soccer facility. Yum.) There were games being played and watched all around me. The hostess of the party, a fellow nursing mom, said I could sit at the party picnic table and nurse.

All the party people were either playing or watching their kids, so I could nurse subtly. I would alone-ish. I can do this. Cue the deep breath and positive self talk reminding myself that I have every right to do this, it's normal, beautiful, blah blah blah.

I get the baby out of the car carrier sitting on one bench of the picnic table and I sit on the udder side (Get it? Ha.) Anyway, I cover myself with my Hooter Hider, pop out the boob, and attempt to latch the baby.

Here's where the fun begins. The soccer ball slams against the nearest goal, so Caroline jerks her right arm, which pulls up the Hooter Hider. AHHH. I pull back in response subsequently shaking the picnic table, which knocks the car carrier to the floor. The loud crash of the car carrier causes all the soccer moms around me gasp and turn thinking that my sweet baby was left unattended and is now face down on the concrete floor.

With every pair of eyes looking at me and realizing that I have all kinds of boob action happening, I shrug and gingerly point to my covered baby. With several awkward nods, they return to game watching, and I pretend to be totally cool with the whole situation.

So much for subtlety.

Oh, well. Yay, boobs. And, yes, it's really called a Hooter Hider.

:)
Anne

Unanswered Questions

2010-12-29T12:24:00.010-06:00

From countless people, I had the same questions over and over about being pregnant for the second time and with a girl this time. I thought I would break it down for my friends and for future reference for my sweet Caroline (hoping that she gets to experience it someday).

With Andrew: I was pregnant all over, and I didn't get that round pregnant belly until the last few weeks. I got sick many mornings right after breakfast, but then I felt fine all day long. I nibbled my way through the day, and that kept me from sleeping at my desk or getting sick again. I first felt Andrew's fluttery movements around 21 weeks, and a few weeks later, I began to have Braxton Hicks contractions that continued regularly throughout the pregnancy. I didn't wear maternity clothes until about 6 months, but I could still wear regular shirts until the very end. My belly didn't have that round pregnant look until the last few weeks. I ran until I was 5 months pregnant, and then we walked regularly up to (and including) the day my water broke. At 39 weeks and 5 days, I labored (unsuccessfully) all night and then had a C-section. Andrew was delivered at 9:11am. He took a few seconds to cry, and he weighed 7 pounds & 13 ounces. The recovery was extremely painful and walking took a lot of effort and time. Eventually, I was back to walking an hour a day with Andrew in the stroller.

With Caroline: I was pregnant out front (mostly). I immediately had a poochy tummy and bigger boobs, which my doctor attributed to the "estrogen dump" when the baby's sex was assigned to female at 10 weeks. With that sudden growth spurt, I was thrust into maternity clothes right then. I was nauseous ALL the time and nothing seemed to help; however, I never once actually got sick. Around 15 weeks, the sickness stopped, and I started to feel Caroline's flutters. She never stopped. She moved often and with a good amount of force. I had Braxton Hicks from about 22 weeks until the end. I ran until I was 6 months and then I didn't exercise very much at all. My pelvis was sore most days, so we only walked a couple times a week (followed by serious heating pad usage). My maternity shirts BARELY fit over my belly by the end because it was all out in front. At 39 weeks and 1 day, I arrived at the hospital 2 hours before my scheduled C-section, and the doctors delivered Caroline safely at 8:54 am. She weighed 7 pounds & 1 ounce and screamed the second she was out. The recovery has been a great deal easier, and walking (although very slow) feels pretty good.

With Both Babies: I followed my gut and my cravings and tried not to stress about the weight I gained. Both babies needed lots of ice cream, candy, and chocolate. I enjoyed a few sips of wine here and there, napped as often as possible, and went to bed very early. I packed on exactly 30 pounds with each baby; however, the weight looked and felt very different. Both pregnancies yielded beautiful healthy babies. :) You can see the final belly shots for each baby. For Andrew's pictures, I wore blue shorts and with Caroline I wore red. Caroline seems to poke straight out!

Anne

Just a few weeks ago...

2010-12-23T10:26:00.004-06:00

Just a few weeks ago...

Andrew's hand was tiny in mine.

Andrew was so young.

Andrew needed me for everything.

Andrew was my baby.

Around 9:45 on December 8th. the nurse handed me Caroline.

Caroline's hand is tiny in mine. Suddenly, Andrew became enormous.

Caroline is so young. Andrew is a big boy.

Caroline needs me for everything. Andrew seems so independent.

Caroline and Andrew are both my babies.

A few weeks ago I worried about so many things. Now I have my two beautiful, healthy, loving, needy, tiny, babies... and I couldn't be happier.

Welcome to life with children, or as Uncle Jason told Andrew upon his arrival to the big, bright world a few years ago, "Welcome to the Jungle."

Anne

Andrew's Last Hurrah

2010-12-13T12:14:00.014-06:00

For Andrew's last weekend as an only child, we decided to hit of few hot spots. To start the weekend, we ate at Andrew's favorite restaurant, Amigo's, where he dined liked a King. He feasted on their finest offerings of beans, rice, chips, and ice cold lemonade. While there, he blessed the bathroom with one final poo, and announced to all the restaurant goers and servers what a wonderful job he had just done. Although I sat there looking embarrassed, everyone else seemed to be genuinely happy for him. He may have even had a high five from a stranger.

On Saturday, we packed up our snacks and our shades and headed to the best place on earth, the zoo. Andrew had been begging to take Daddy to the zoo since our last trip. He even snuck the request into our nightly prayers. We decided what better time to walk several miles than with a toddler and someone whose 9 months pregnant. :)

Chris gave me my birthday/happy Caroline present early (a Flip Video camera), so we were able to document our fun in a whole new way! (Unfortunately, I don't know how to upload the new videos... ) We passed the penguins and the baboons on the way to the gorilla enclosure, and we stopped for a few Andrew and Daddy photo ops.

When we reached the gorilla (or Gradilla as Andrew says), we realized very quickly that he wanted nothing to do with us. Andrew said the Gradilla was too sad, and I tend to agree.

Next up, we had some of the coolest experiences in the Giants of the Savannah exhibit. Many of the animals share a large open space and interact with each other freely. With free roaming animals, we were bound to catch some gold.

The best part of the whole day had to be feeding the giraffes. Andrew and Daddy got to share some delicious leaves with some super tall friends.

We had fun the rest of the morning at the zoo seeing the big cats, amphibians, and reptiles. Then we headed home for a much needed nap. Make sure you pay close attention to the slide show... we got to see some serious tortoise-on-tortoise action. Full-throttle. I was a good girl, so I didn't take a video. (That would verge on tortoise porn, and I think they deserve some dignity.)

After our lunches and naps, we bundled up and headed to Santa's village. Last year, we waited in line forever for Santa and then had to "persuade" Andrew to sit on his lap. (Last year's picture is first, and bless the sweet elf who caught the millisecond that Andrew sat on Santa's lap.)

This year, we arrived early to check out all of the elves' huts and wait for Santa's arrival. We came prepared for the line with snacks and a lawn chair for me, super preggers.

He is another slide show showing all the fun "shops" we visited while waiting for Santa.

After exploring Santa's village, Santa finally arrived by fire engine, and the mayor officially opened Santa's Village by turning on the Christmas tree and all the lights. Here's Andrew after eagerly waiting to see Santa. We needed no persuasion this year.

What did he ask for? He wants a mower and a weed eater. I hope Santa was listening... I guess we will find out soon enough! Last year, he asked Santa for a baby "sisser", and we all know how that turned out. Andrew must be a really good boy.

Anne

The Stats

2010-11-04T18:32:00.004-05:00

I have...

a waist that is 38 inches around.

gained 27 pounds.

only 20 days left of work.

at least 15 things to do on my "Before Caroline Comes" list.

5 weeks till my delivery date.

3 doctor's appointments.

a 2 year old who is very ready to be a big brother.

1 dog who has packed herself in my hospital bag.

Did Lady do this in protest of the new baby or in an effort to go with me? Either way, I think I need to put the bag in a safer place. Let the countdown continue!

Anne

Family Funnies

2010-10-17T17:21:00.008-05:00

Andrew has been cracking me up. Here's some of his latest funnies:

Lying
Andrew has been riding the fine line between fact and fiction. After an episode of pure fiction, I called him on the incident in front of Daddy. Daddy said, "Bud do you know what lying means?" Andrew replied, "It's kinda like a tiger." Lying, lion, tiger. It makes perfect sense, Andrew.

New Place to Play
I watched Andrew trying to set his football on the tee. His back was to me (and the dog),so he didn't know Lady was squatting right behind him leaving her...uh pile. Andrew (still unaware of Lady or her business) stops working and says aloud, "Huh, I need a new place to play. It smells like poop over here." Andrew, you don't know how right you are.

Angry Expressions
Unfortunately for all of us, Nebraska got their tails handed to them by Texas. Daddy was very verbal in his displeasure. Andrew apparently took notes. Flash forward to today after church. Daddy, frustrated with the length of the traffic light, voices a somewhat muted bit of anger. From the back seat, Andrew firmly agrees, "F*** it. Holy crap." Once we pulled it together, I gently reminded Chris that Andrew repeats everything. Chris's response, "He didn't get "holy crap" from me." Touche. I have let a few "holy craps" slip.

:)
Anne

Dear Caroline,

2010-10-14T16:01:00.005-05:00

Dear Caroline,

As I prepare for your arrival, I am reminded of all the little "perks" of being pregnant. I would hate to forget all these little reminders of my time carrying you, so I thought I would make you a list. (One day, I hope you are lucky enough to experience these, too... for better or worse.)

1a. Hello, boobs. From the very beginning of pregnancy, I have had boobs. It's pretty cool considering the other 28 years of my life I haven't had them. Score.

1b. Hello, belly. With the newly added boobs, I also had to welcome an ever expanding waistline. Unlike my pregnancy with Andrew, you showed yourself in my midsection VERY early. (Thanks for that.) A gut at 10 weeks translates to maternity jeans much sooner than I had hoped. The even larger gut at 32 weeks means that I can't see my feet. Perk?

2a. Shiny hair. Before people even knew that I was carrying you, they complimented me on my hair saying how healthy and full it looked. Score.

2b. Shiny face. Awesome. I now understand why people say pregnant women look "glowing"... People say that to because if they say you look like a greasy slice of pizza, they would get punched. Perk?

3a. Forget your worries. With each little kick, roll, or nudge, I am reminded of the miracle in my belly and am anxious to meet you. From the outside, anytime someone sees my bump, I get to gush on and on about your and my plans for you. Score.

3b. Forget everything else. I have read articles by doctors (with perfectly fine degrees) that say being pregnant does not cause a brain drain or forgetfulness. All of these doctors are men. With Andrew, I caught myself driving away with the gas pump still in my tank, losing everything from my keys to my mind, and one day showing up to work with my underwear on inside-out. With you, I caught myself in a new predicament that made me write this post today. I wore two different shoes to work. Perk? From the reaction I got, I guess it was a perk for all the teachers and parents who saw my feet today.

I know what you're thinking, "How did you make it to work without noticing?" For your answer, see 1b.

Anne

Dear people...

2010-10-06T19:20:00.008-05:00

Dear people who are wrong,

1. Training Potty Inventor: Although the idea of having a tiny potty is great for tiny people, there's a major flaw: some poor, big person has to clean it up every time. Trust me, if you don't clean it each and every time, you will suffer the stinky consequences. Plus, the tiny potty has tons of tiny little places where tee-tee can hide.

2. Ice Cream Manufacturers: First of all, congratulations on making a damn fine product. Ice cream might just be heaven on earth. The only mistake seems to be in the nutritional information typed on the back of your containers. It must be a typo because it says that the tub has 12 servings. Weird. I only had it for 5 nights, and it was empty. Clearly, my tub was mis-marked.

3. Andrew, dear sweet Andrew...
First, you are not nearly as accurate peeing standing up as you think you are. Trust me, I have had to wash the bathmats too frequently to think otherwise.

Next, you can tell me "Trust me, mommy", but that won't get you what you want. For instance, when I say no to your pleas for more cookies, you saying, "trust me, mommy, I just need two more" won't result in more cookies. Trust me, Andrew, that won't work.

Your are also wrong when you tell me that you need privacy in the bathroom. I still wipe your butt, and you still pee in the grass in front of anyone who will watch. I will grant you no such privacy... not yet at least.

4. Curious children. You are all wrong about what's going on with my gut.

No, I did not just "get fat over the summer". (10 kids asked that)
No, I wasn't "just pregnant like last year". (1 kid)
No, it's not weird that "[I] already got a baby, and now [I] get to get another one". (1 boy)
Finally, no, I did not eat a baby. (1 kid... 1 kid that will have a rude awakening when he figures out how babies actually get there.)

I think that's all for now, but I am sure that many more people will need my correcting soon enough.

Anne

In my head..

2010-10-04T20:31:00.003-05:00

Things in my head right now:

The bigger I get with Caroline... the more Andrew wants me to hold him, which isn't fair... for either of us.
The more big boy milestones he acheives... the harder it is to watch him need me less and less.
The closer Caroline gets...the more nervous I get that I won't be enough for both of them.
Should we have waited until he was older to have another?
Have we given him enough of us?
Will he be ready for a sibling?
Will we be ready for his sibling?
Will she be like Andrew?
Will we have more after her?
....and on and on and on.

I guess the hardest part of parenting for people like Chris and I is that we can only plan and prepare so much. For two people who have planned out every step of the way, we will just have to see what God has planned for us. It's an exciting time, but I think it's okay to admit it's a little scary, too.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1

Anne

Potty Training

2010-08-29T13:12:00.011-05:00

Between my ever-moving, ever-growing, and ever-changing son and my ever-moving, ever-growing, and ever-changing belly, I have fallen victim to the comforts of my couch more evenings than not. Andrew goes to bed, and my feet go up. It's been way too easy to ignore the brand new laptop begging for blogging, so that I can veg out. I vow to better... at least a little bit better and post more than a couple times a trimester. :)

Potty Training

I will start with the biggest change in the past few weeks. Andrew still loves his big boy bed, so the next big boy change was using the potty. Towards the end of July, I decided to go for it. He was just shy of 2 and a half (still young according to all the articles I read). I found an approach that involved the two of us being on house arrest for several days to get Andrew in the swing of things. He was naked from the waste down, so he didn't have to wrestle with undies while he learned to interpret his urges.

He had a few accidents, even more successes, and many uneventful trips to the potty to read one of our animated potty books. Of all the trials and tribulations, the funniest (for me) and most trying (for Andrew) involved his first diaper-free poop. Andrew was naked from the waste down and playing in the backyard. I walked in to refresh my water, and I hear Andrew running in and excitedly yelling, "I went poo-poo, Mommy. I went poo-poo." My first thought, "Oh my, where?" My second thought, "Is he clean?"

I had Andrew bring me to the scene of his "success", which was outside on the walkway to the shed. I told him that we needed to get clean, and then we would clean up outside. We did our bathroom clean-up; however, when we returned to clean the mess outside, it was not there. (Brace yourselves!) In it's place was a wet spot on the stone and my disgustingly satisfied dog staring up at us. Andrew looked confused and asked, "Mommy, where's my poo-poo?"

Dumbfounded, I muttered the response, "I guess Lady ate it." Wrong answer, mommy. Andrew, instantly horrified, was reduced to tears and yelled, "Lady ate my poo-poo, Lady ate my poo-poo. Bad girl, Lady!"

Yeesh. Since then, Andrew has made great progress! He has become pretty independent and has learned to poop in the potty. Yay!(He still scolds Lady when he remembers that events of that fateful day.)

Needless to say, you shouldn't let my dog kiss your face.

Here's to potty training!

Anne

Big Boy Bed

2010-08-02T16:31:00.005-05:00

Andrew has successfully entered the realm of sleeping in a real bed! It's been a few weeks, but I didn't want to post until I was sure it would last. Before we moved the bed, Andrew and I went shopping for linens. He picked out what he wanted (I liked them, too... phew). He stuck with the jungle theme for his room, so it fits right in! The first picture is of Andrew sleeping in the bed for the first time!

After a few experiments, Andrew moved the pillows to "size down" the full sized bed. In the picture below, you can see that Andrew moved the pillows, so that he sleeps in the same size space as his old toddler bed. He's a genius.

Anne

The Fourth of July

2010-07-15T16:54:00.005-05:00

For the 4th of July, we had a splashy celebration at Grandma Mary's and then we made our way to the city of Richardson's fireworks show. We had a great parking spot, so we didn't have to get there super early. We also didn't have to join the massive crowds that took shuttles. Yeesh! Here are some highlights! Left: Here's Uncle Jason sporting the three glow-in-the-dark necklaces that he bought for the kids. (Yeah, right.)

Below: Andrew, Macy, and Jack on the blanket anxiously awaiting the fireworks show... and chowing down on some chips.

Andrew told everyone "happy father's day" to celebrate, but when the fireworks started, he was a little less enthusiastic. As long as I was holding him at a "safe" distance, he enjoyed the fireworks.

We finished the evening with snow cones, and headed home to bed at midnight!

Anne

The Lake

2010-07-12T09:13:00.007-05:00

Andrew had his second trip to the lake, but this time he was big enough to swim, splash, and build sand castles. (Andrew was only four months old when he took a joy ride with Ang and Charlie on their boat. Merely an observer. )

For this trip, Andrew was the man in charge. Grandma Sharon and Grandpa got a sweet condo at Lake Texoma for the whole crew! The whole crew? That's us, the grandparents, and Aunt Lisa and Uncle Wayne! The accommodations were super nice! Grandparents had a room to themselves and the rest of us had a massive suite to share! We also had a big common area with a living room, full kitchen, and dining room!

Enough of those details, let's get the important stuff:
1. The giant pool. Our should I say Andrew's pool? He definitely owned it... Along with his five personal playmates. Here's a video of Andrew and Daddy. (Although Aunt Lisa, Uncle Wayne, and Grandpa all took turns tossing the baby around.)

2. Baseball- Andrew's Pastime. Ever since he saw his cousin Jackson playing tee-ball, Andrew has obsessed about hitting his own home runs. We had to bring the tee, balls, and bats to the lake.

2. Fireworks-Andrew's first! Aunt Lisa and Uncle Wayne snuck some fireworks into the resort... They were innocent enough- no one wanted to burn the place down. It's dark (duh), but you can still see the excitement!

3. The beach. We found a little boat company that would take us out to our own private island! The captain, a sweet girl named Katie, set up our private beach with an umbrella, toys, and noodles. We were set for a few hours of playing in the sun! The weather was perfect, and Andrew showed us all that the lake is his territory, too!

The whole trip was a blast, and Andrew did amazingly well! Thanks for a great vacation, Shackletts!

Anne

When Mommy says no...

2010-06-21T21:00:00.004-05:00

When Mommy says no, Andrew has found ways to attempt to break me down. Here are some of his "reasoning" tricks:

1. If Andrew wants some of what I'm eating, and I say no, his response is "OK, mommy, then I'll just have a couple."

2. If Andrew wants me to play a game with him, and I say no, his response is "OK, Mommy, you play just one time."

3. If Andrew wants to watch a DVD in the car, I say no and "we only watch them on long trips." Andrew no longer asks to watch a DVD. He now enters the car and tells me, "Mommy, let's take a long trip."

4. If he wants to go inside, and I say no, a moment later he will pretend to "swat at a bug" and say, "Mommy, go inside. Bugs are biting".

5. One time he wanted to run after a ball in the street, so I told him that "we only run and play in green grass". (I meant- stay in the yard.) Now if he asks me to play with him outside, and I say no and sit on the porch/deck, his response is, "Mommy, you have to stay in the green grass."

6. If Andrew wants to take a toy another child is playing with, he simply snags it and tells me reassuringly, "I'm sharing this Mommy."

Well, if you put it that way, Andrew... the answer is still no. Nice try.

:)
Anne

The Dining Board, part 2

2010-06-17T20:50:00.003-05:00

Andrew has no fear. It's equal parts super cool and super scary.

Anne

Summer begins!

2010-06-15T14:15:00.013-05:00

Andrew and I started summer with a bang! We went to the zoo last week and were so excited that Grandma Mary could come, too!

We followed the same formula as last year to ensure success: get there early, bring water and snacks, and wear comfy shoes!

The Dallas Zoo just opened the Giants of the Savannah exhibit, which blew our minds! Before we got to that exhibit, Andrew demanded a stop with his old friend, the gorilla. (Andrew calls it the Gorilla-dilla.) Last year, Andrew and Wyatt spent time with the female gorilla who seemed truly taken with the boys. This year, the male gorilla seemed equally interested in Andrew and Grandma Mary.

Next we visited the new exhibit, which got us eye to eye with the elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, and lions!

After our close encounters, we were on a hut for the zebras, and stumbled upon a new adventure. Camel riding!

The last place we hit was the children's zoo. Most of the animals were sleeping, but Andrew did find a sweet goat to pet and a sleeping pig that didn't seem to mind us either. He also spent some time analyzing the fish with Grandma Mary.

After all that fun, we decided to pack it up. The clock said nap time, so we decided to stop at the Zoo McDonald's for a nugget meal to share... and to keep Andrew awake for the ride home. It worked, and we all had no trouble napping once we got home!

We can't wait to go back! Hopefully Daddy can come with us next time!

Anne

Baby Shacklett

2010-06-09T21:11:00.003-05:00

Dear Baby Shacklett,

You may not know for a while but your big brother already loves you. Tonight as we got ready for bed, I asked Andrew about you. "Andrew, do you want a brother or a sister?"

He thought for a moment and turned in my lap to look in my eyes. He very quietly said, "Mommy, I just want the baby. I want to hold the baby like this." He cradled his arms around his Lovie to show me that he was ready for you.

You are going to have a wonderful big brother. He can't wait to meet you.

Anne

Hello Summer! Hello Foodie?

2010-06-08T13:28:00.006-05:00

I don't know if the moon is in alignment with Jupiter or what, but I don't care. A new side of my son... a foodie side of my son has emerged. I know what you're thinking, "A foodie, that can't be!". I agree. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

So here's the run down of new foods since mid-May:

1. Kiwi

2. Strawberries

3. Apricots

4. Donuts (not exactly a health food, but a new food... who cares)

5. French Toast- the real deal. It was homemade, mushy, and covered in eggy goodness. He ate 2 full pieces!!

6. Peanut Butter- that was about 15 minutes ago, and I was able to snap some shots of the newly crowned foodie in action. He started out cautiously with little tastes on his finger... then he took my whole spoon...and another...and another!

:) Here's to trying new things and loving them!

Anne

PS: I know Aunt Bre will be happy that her little guy is becoming a foodie! Maybe he'll try something new with her in San Antonio!!

Introducing...

2010-06-04T21:51:00.009-05:00

Introducing the newest addition to the Shacklett family. Baby Shacklett is scheduled to make an appearance on December 7. If you can't tell, this is a video of my latest sonogram. It starts out slow, but then you can see little arms, legs, a big noggin, and a big belly...Also, at around 30 seconds, you can hear the sweet heartbeat!! The doctor estimates the baby is about the size of a peach! We are so excited, and Andrew is already practicing how he will rock the baby!

Anne (+1)

PS: Lady can't wait either!

The Dining Board?

2010-05-31T18:06:00.004-05:00

Oh how quickly the toddler mind changes! Last weekend we could barely get Andrew to splash on the shallow end steps... Yesterday he was a water bug all over the shallow end...

Today, Andrew announces, "I jump the dining board" as he points to diving board way at the other end of the pool. Hmmm. Am I ready for this? I decided I was as long as Andrew had some sort of floatation devise.

After some explaining/persuading, Andrew let us put on some sweet Spiderman floaties, and off he went. Here's a video of boy wonder on his 50th trip off the "dining board".

It's going to be a fun summer!

:)
Anne

Andrew's first ice cream cone

2010-05-09T17:08:00.009-05:00

Andrew enjoyed his first ice cream cone at Souper Salads yesterday. It actually went pretty well! I only put a tiny bit in the cone to minimize the mess. He would take a few licks and set the cone on the table (germs? Nah.)... Then he would remember it was there and go back it! (In the last picture on the right, he's "cheesing" because he realized I was taking pictures.)

Earlier this month he also developed quite a liking of corn dogs. (For those of you who know my son's pickiness, this is a huge surprise!) Now he can't get enough. Here's a picture of him going to town on a FOOT LONG corn dog from Cottonwood. The plan was to share, but Andrew must have missed the memo.

The past month and a half has been super busy because of my recent Star teacher award, but I hope to get back in the swing of posting soon! I got an iPhone for Mother's Day, so hopefully i can figure out how to post from it.

So, double yays: yay to iPhones and yay to babies who eat stuff!

Anne

Easter Fun

2010-04-15T08:16:00.004-05:00

Although seemingly well-adjusted, Andrew is remarkably spoiled and loving every minute of it. He got to have two Easter egg hunts. Lucky!

The Easter Bunny hopped his way to Grandma Sharon and Paw-Paw's house the weekend before Easter. Andrew was super excited! He kept trying to hold the eggs in his had while picking up new ones. Then his basket began to overflow. He dropped several and became frustrated quickly. I know what you're thinking, "A two year old? Quickly frustrated? Never...." The grown-ups learned to quickly to scoop up the dropped eggs and hold them out of sight, so he had could blissfully search for more eggs.

Once inside, Andrew had to open each egg and inspect the contents. About half of them had coins for his piggy bank, some had foil wrapped chocolates, and the others were filled with marshmallows. For the coins and the foil wrapped candies, he just pushed those aside... With the marshmallows, it was a different story. He just kept saying, "I need more. I need more." Or at least that's what we think he was saying through the 10 marshmallows already in his mouth. Yeesh.

It was a fun morning, and we all ate our weight in sugar! The Easter Bunny also found his way to our house on Easter morning, and I will share those soon... as soon as I can figure out the camera. (Anne vs. The Digital Camera- a saga continues.)

Anne

Forgot to mention...

2010-04-06T14:13:00.005-05:00

I forgot to mention the old friend we ran into at our resort! Here he is in all his tropical glory!That's right... It's Izzer! Some people thought I had sent him to certain death in our backyard, but he was free. He finally got to do the traveling he always dreamed of. Nice tan, Izzer.

Who knows where we will see him next?

:)
Anne

Mommy & Daddy's Vacation

2010-03-28T14:07:00.012-05:00

Since Andrew was having so much fun with Grandma and Paw-Paw, we decided to hop on a plane (or two counting our layover) and fly to Jamaica. On the left you see the view from the airplane window as we left Atlanta. On the right, you can see the two most excited lovebirds on the plane.

We arrived in Montego Bay around 8:30ish and our shuttle driver was ready and waiting to load our bags... and offer us some of Jamaica's most popular "export". Needless to say, we declined, but we did purchase a margarita for the ride! Here's my crude illustration of our trip. The original map is from The Commonwealth.org website, and I added the red stuff. (Also needless to say, my husband, the mapmaker, doesn't approve of my simple map.)
When we arrived at the resort, we went straight to the Treetop cafe to eat a very late dinner (by then it was about 11). I had lamb chops on recommendation from the server and Chris enjoyed a Jamaican classic, the Jerk pork. Dee-lish! We walked along the beach and met another couple that had arrived earlier that day. Once back in our room, we realized the air conditioner was broken, and the rest of the first night was not such a blast.

We woke up bright and early to see the view from our room, eat a big scrumptious omelet by Jerome, and then we hit the beach. here is the view from our balcony.

After sunning for the entire morning, we headed back to our room, which was still sweltering. Chris "negotiated" with the manager, and when Chris informed him that our bags were packed, a new room with a functioning AC opened up next door. Ahhhh... air conditioning is amazing. Here is what waited for us in the new room as an apology. A nice little towel arrangement, a bottle of champagne, and some chocolate dipped treats (there were strawberries and biscotti, but the strawberries didn't last long enough to photograph).

Though we loved the new air conditioning, we spent most of our time outside, which is fitting since we were in paradise. We sunbathed, Chris played volleyball, I swam, and we had a couples massage right at the water's edge.

At night, we at many delicious meals from steaks to swordfish. The resort had bands nightly and one evening they hosted a beach party. We had a scavenger hunt (guess who volunteered?), and watched some pretty amazing acrobats!

We had some more fun pictures for our catamaran cruise, snorkeling, and laying on the pool deck, but they were digital. Scan them, you say? We tried, and they were super blurry. You will just have to imagine them. Although, I would be happy to take you to Negril and recreate them.

Anne

Andrew's Vacation

2010-03-22T14:59:00.003-05:00

Andrew packed his bags and told us he was spending Spring Break with Grandma Sharon and Paw-Paw. What were Chris and I to do? We felt is was best to let him be independent... so we let him go.

They had loads of fun digging dirt, raking leaves, and visiting the Ft. Worth Zoo. He even got a new hat!

Since Andrew, Grandma and Paw-Paw were busy, Chris and I decided to take advantage of the time alone. So, did we do chores, run errands, or get caught up on home improvement? Heck no! We hopped a jet to Jamaica, mon! We had an amazing time, and I can't wait to upload pictures with the camera cord I finally found. Ironically, now I can't find my camera. You will just have to wait to see the amazing-ness of Negril, Jamaica and our beach bodies until tomorrow!

:)
Anne

PS:
I didn't really lose my camera. I just forgot it at work. It's in my desk drawer because all I did was show people pictures today.... when I wasn't hard at work, I mean.

PPS:
Here's a teaser, though: no matter how far we travel, we always run into old friends...

God is good.

2010-03-03T20:06:00.008-06:00

Shortly after Andrew's second birthday, Andrew and I shared a very special day, our baptism. The journey to our baptism began almost one year ago on Palm Sunday when we first visited First United Methodist under the recommendation of my good friend, Kathryn. Chris and I had been searching for a church home, and she thought that her childhood church, FUMCR, would be a perfect match for our beliefs.

Nervously, we slipped in the side door and were greeted by several very friendly people. I asked the first man, "We are visiting for the first time, so what should we do with our son"? (Andrew was on my hip at that moment.) The man replied, "You can drop him off at the nursery. The ladies in there will just love him. Or, you can sit him on your lap. We like to start 'em early."

About ten minutes after signing Andrew in to the nursery, the service began. The friendly gentleman who told us our options stood at the front of the church in robes and held his Bible ready to preach. We had already met our Pastor, Dr. Oliphant.

After months of warm welcomes and touching sermons, we decided we wanted to "make it official".

The conversation went something like this:

Anne: I think we should join, so we don't have to keep checking "visitor" on the attendance log.

Chris: Yea.

Anne: So, what do we do?

Chris: I don't know. (He reached forward to the pew in front of us, and we began frantically reading pamphlets on how to be "real members".)

Chris (pointing to the bulletin): I think we can join next week, but we have to contact this person.

We contacted the this person and found out that church members must be baptised. Chris was baptised as a child, but he went with me to my baptism class, so we could both understand the meaning a little better. According to our church, "It is the gift of God's Grace (unearned love and mercy). It is a sign of acceptance by God and our entrance into the Body of Christ, the church."

Andrew and I will each have a different understanding of our baptisms. For Andrew, he will probably not remember being sprinkled with water (the picture on the left) or being showed off to the glowing church members behind him (the bottom picture). For us, Andrew's baptism was a promise to raise him as a child of God. He is loved by us and, more importantly, by God. We hope that we fulfill this promise, so by the time he is old enough to understand, he will appreciate it.

To the right: I am kneeling as the Pastor baptises me.

For me, my baptism was my statement to the church, my family, my friends, and my God that I believe in Him and Jesus as my savior.

This day marked the beginning of our family's journey to learn more about our faith and our God who has provided so richly for us.

We are truly blessed.

Anne

More Birthday Celebrations

2010-02-23T19:07:00.010-06:00

So, my camera cord has decided to take a vacation... once it returns, i will add more birthday fun. Until then, here's a little to wet the whistle.

On the left and right, Aunt Angie and Uncle Chuck are too of Andrew's favorite people, and here he is with them. Here he is opening an early birthday present. Below, he and Uncle Chuck are playing "catch".

Here is a video from Andrew's birthday party. (Thank you, Walt!) Andrew is enjoying birthday cake and having trouble deciding if he really is "all done".

Also, here's our snow day adventures in the record snowfall! Andrew and I made a tiny snowman with raisins for eyes, a nose, and mouth... About three seconds later, a bird ate them. Awesome.

Well, that's all for now. I hope to add the rest of the birthday pictures soon... like before Easter. :)

Anne

PS: Congrats Angie and Charlie (Aunt Ang and Uncle Chuck)!

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

2010-02-11T07:13:00.002-06:00

Here's Andrew singing a little "happy Birthday" to himself...

Happy Birthday, Baby!

I love you!

Anne

Beds are overrated

2010-02-08T09:25:00.003-06:00

Chris sent me an email from his iPhone this morning at 7:55. The subject line read, "Beds are overrated."

Apparently, Lovey thinks beds are just fine.

Anne

Isn't it ironic?

2010-02-03T07:02:00.004-06:00

So, shortly after I posted that Andrew was such a big boy and sleeping in his bed. Chris went to wake Andrew up for daycare. When he walked into his room, the picture below shows what he found.

A little scary considering that where we left him the night before. Not to fear, as Chris turned to leave, here is what he found.

... Andrew... sound asleep... on the floor... behind the door. At least he slept through the night. (Even if it was sleep walking through the night.)

Anne

Big boy

2010-02-01T06:32:00.000-06:00

Andrew has become quite the big boy in the last week. He talks ALL the time (no idea where he gets that), he's become a little more adventurous with food (now he'll eat 3 different brands of nuggets), and he's mastered some physical milestones, too.

1. Andrew loves swinging, and he always has. Now, Andrew will ask for and tell you all about his adventures going "more higher" while he's "weenging".

2. Along with the fun of the swing, Andrew has finally made it up the ladder to the "big boy slide". (You have to read that like Andrew saying it. When he does "big boy" things, he uses a deep, growling voice to say "big boy slide".)

3. Lastly, and the most sad for me, my baby has made the transition to a big boy bed. He's not a baby in a crib anymore. Two weeks ago, Andrew tossed himself over the crib railing to freedom, so we decided it was time for the toddler bed. I wasn't ready for a toddler bed with no railing, so he slept in the pack-n-play for a week. We finally converted his crib to a bed and let him try it out. He was asleep in 3 minutes. Now, he asks for his bed before we are even done singing at night. Yay for him, boo for me.

Here's Andrew his first night in his toddler bed, January 26. He had been asleep for about 15 minutes when we snuck in to check on him.

During that first night, he got out (or rolled out) of bed 3 times, and we rocked him and laid him back down each time. The second night, he woke up once... Now he sleeps the whole night.

I can't believe he's such a big boy.

Anne

Four Christmases

2010-01-20T19:26:00.006-06:00

I am totally stealing from the movie title, but it fits for our family, too! We are trying to teach Andrew about the true meaning of Christmas, and he absolutely loves Nativity scenes. He was a little confused at first because he thought the three main people were Baby Jebus (check), Gamma Mary (oops), and Uncle Te-te (double oops). After a few corrections, he now can tell you that they are Jejus, Mary, and Jofus. (Chris says that Jejus is closer because the 'j' is closer in the alphabet to 's' than 'b'... Sure, Babe, whatever.)

1st Christmas Eve at Grandpa Gesino's house: Every year we have a fabulous dinner and present exchange at my Grandpa's house (Andrew's Great Paw-Paw). From our Italian heritage, dinner consists of a delicious plate of anchovies and spaghetti (don't knock it- till you try it). Andrew decided to be adventurous... and eat two jumbo turkey dogs instead of the usual one hot dog. Anyway, the great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren opened their presents with youthful exuberance. My cousin Jill's family scored big time with some super cute sweaters for all the sweet babies. I will add pictures soon! (Like their mommy's and I used to as little ones.)

2nd Christmas morning at our house: Wow! Andrew totally gets presents and isn't afraid to unwrap them like he was last year. He got a new book shelf, a play kitchen, books, a ride-on giraffe, magnetic letters, and a new electric toothbrush. For all the planning, shopping, wrapping, and excitement... Andrew loved the electric toothbrush the best. We had to remove it from the room before any other presents even existed. Here's some of the excitement!

White Christmas! Since we had an amazing amount of snow for Christmas morning, we all got bundled up to go play. Andrew fell immediately and hated it. After the fall, we turned off the camera to help the screaming, freezing baby. Oh, well. There will be lots more snowy days to play.

3rd Christmas at Grandma Mary's: For the first time since 1968, Aunt Martha (Andrew's Great Aunt Martha) celebrated Christmas in Texas! We were all so glad to have her share in our joy for the season. We opened gifts and enjoyed a delicious brunch and mimosas together after opening our Shacklett family gifts. (Hopefully, my sister will send me more pictures from that morning because my camera battery died. Poo.) Here's what I captured!

4th Christmas at Grandma Sharon and Paw-paw's House: After taking a mid morning nap because of a fast moving migraine, I joined the family for some Christmas festivities. We opened gifts with Grandma Sharon, Grandpa, Aunt Lisa, and our crew. Everyone scored big time! Finally, we enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner of prime rib. Yum!

On a side note, my camera died earlier that morning, so I have no other pictures to share... hint, hint people who have pictures I want. :)

Anne

PS: Technically, I can't be considered late writing this Christmas blog since my Christmas lights are still hanging on my house. Right?

PPS: Thanks to everyone for sharing pictures!

I miss you.

2010-01-10T18:22:00.004-06:00

After a fabulous afternoon shopping with my mom, I returned home to my sweet boys. When I entered the kitchen, Chris said hi, and gave me the rundown of the afternoon. I turned the corner to give Andrew a kiss, and he said, "I missed you". All three words were clear as a bell and sounded just as sweet.

Hello waterworks.

I instantly gushed and called my own mom to share...then I took a picture to remember his sweet, ketchup-soaked face in that wonderful moment.

Anne

December fun and a surprise visitor....

2009-12-24T12:17:00.014-06:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Andrew, Chris and I had prime seats for the Richardson Christmas Parade. It was super cold, so we were all bundled up. Surprisingly, Andrew kept the hat and over sized coat and gloves on the whole time! He got high fives from celebrities like Clifford and Blue! (Chris was pretty excited, too.)

Later that day, we went to Bounce U (the coolest place on earth) to celebrate the birthdays of Macy and Jackson! We all had loads of fun, but I stand by my thoughts from last year: Dads have just as much fun as the children (if not more) . The funniest part of the entire Bounce U process is the safety video they make the children "watch". The sweet teenaged employees get all the children together, "Here you go toddlers. Sit quietly and watch the safety video. Make sure you follow all these rules." The picture below miraculously captured the the 3 milliseconds that all children happened to glance at the screen.

Here are some candid shots from the awesomeness of Bounce U. (Hmmm... Can we have my 30th at Bounce U?)

Lastly, we had a surprise visitor yesterday. I bet you're thinking Santa, right? Wrong... It was Izzar! He/she is alive and well plotting his/her way back into our fireplace. Kristin was lucky enough to get a front row viewing of our lovely lizard! (She was being Santa's helper and delivering some cool presents! Thanks!)

I guess Izzar is officially a Shacklett. Welcome to the family!

Anne

PS: Merry Christmas!

Fun, Yikes, and Double Yikes

2009-12-19T17:08:00.011-06:00

Fun: Much to Andrew's chagrin, I decided to set Izzar free (the lizard who lived in our fireplace for the past several weeks). I had no idea what the lizard's long term plans were; however, I feared the following: 1- He was sluggish because he was hibernating and lighting a fire would kill him. 2- He is sluggish because he's dying and trying to find a comfy final last resting place. 3- He is actually a she, and she was sluggish because she was about to lay all kinds of gecko spawn in the fireplace. Either way, he/she had to go.
It was a tearful goodbye, but Andrew seemed to get over it soon enough. If you ask him wear the lizard is now, he simply points out the back door. God speed, Izzar.

Yikes: Last Saturday, we put on our coats and hats to meet Santa at Santa's Village. (Yay, Richardson for having such a fabulous holiday hot spot.) Andrew loved the sights and sounds and didn't even mind waiting in the cold. After over an hour of waiting in line to meet Anta (Santa), Andrew finally got his turn. He walked up to Santa chanting "Anta, Anta, Anta" with a big smile on his face. Then, we put Andrew on Santa's lap. Yikes. Andrew couldn't get down fast enough. To be honest, Santa's expression seems to say, "the feeling's mutual, kid". Double Yikes: Andrew begged and begged to give Lady a treat, but before I made my way to the pantry, he stopped begging. Over the past 22 months, I have learned a quiet baby usually means bad baby. Andrew grew tired of waiting for me to open the pantry, so he did some problem solving.

That's Andrew balancing on a 12 ounce cup to reach the handle of the pantry. You've got to him props for figuring it out. I'm glad it didn't lead to another black eye.

:)
Anne

Natural Consequences

2009-12-17T12:53:00.004-06:00

In education, I love when children can experience the natural consequence of their actions because I think it is a better deterrent than me nagging. For example, if a student keeps rocking in his chair and falls, his natural consequence is a bump and the embarrassment of falling in front of the class. Ergo, he won't rock in his chair.

Apparently, natural consequences don't mean much to toddlers. Rule: Don't climb on furniture like it's a jungle gym. Andrew hasn't made the connection... although his face has connected with the floor several times. The picture quality isn't great, so you can't see the red and purple shiner (looks like late eighties eye shadow). You can definitely see the swelling.

Poor baby.

Anne

PS: Still to come... Izzar moves out, Andrew meets Santa (yikes), and Andrew becomes a problem solver (double yikes).

Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T18:08:00.010-06:00

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all! This year, Andrew had his second chance at eating the wonderful Thanksgiving spread put before him. The only difference was that this year he could actually say no to show his disgust and not just throw the food on the floor.

I was finally able to convince him that whip cream is delicious and avoiding it would be sinful to turn it down.
After a wonderful feast at my mom's house (with the beast turkey I have ever had), Walt, Chris, Andrew, and I packed into the truck to get Sharon. Once we picked her up, we headed to OKC to visit Aunt E and Uncle Ayne (Lisa and Wayne).

The drive went well, and the trip was lots of fun. The boys spent lots of time splashing in the hot tub.We got to see Wayne's daughter, Krista. The last time Andrew saw her, he was only 3 months old, so he didn't remember her... or how fabulously, gorgeous she is. He fell in love with her instantly.

Last but not least, Andrew decided that they only part of Thanksgiving feast he wanted was the arm that was feeding him. Oh yes, The Biter is back. Check the red mark on my arm i know it doesn't look like much, but I have several others on my belly, back and legs to match. If anyone has a solution, I would be willing to try it.

Anne

Our New Pet

2009-11-30T19:48:00.008-06:00

I know what you're thinking, "Where's the Thanksgiving stuff?" Be patient. I will post that stuff soon... Well, it will be soon in Anne terms.

Anyway, we have a new pet at our house named Izzer (Andrew's name for "lizard"). Izzer is a big, fat, gecko that has taken residence in our fire place. He's been living in there for a couple of weeks. I don't know what he eats in there or what he does when we are not around. When we are around, he just clings to the glass or the chains of the fireplace.

Needless to say, Andrew loves Izzer, and we have even touched him when he was hanging around! Izzer doesn't care that Andrew bangs on the glass, yells at him, and attempts to attack him with a plastic dinosaur.

Luckily, Andrew isn't old enough to realize what the first fire of the season will do to Izzer.

Anne

PS Here's a random cute picture of Andrew with one of his favorite toys, his broom.

Baby Loves Me

2009-11-12T09:01:00.004-06:00

Today is hat day at school, so of course, Andrew had to participate. He kept yelling, "Hat! hat! hat!"

Right after this picture was taken, I did my normal routine: picked up my stuff, said bye and told the boys I love them... This time, Andrew said it back. "I wub u".

Hello waterworks.

I love wub that baby.

Anne

Yucky Baby

2009-11-05T10:00:00.002-06:00

The other night while we were reading and singing before bed he had an amazing case of projectile vomiting. Andrew was sitting on my legs, so both of us were COVERED. Yum. In response to this, Chris and I hustled around with startled faces that upset Andrew. Andrew and I got in the tub in our pajamas to rinse off.

Noticeably upset and crying, Andrew looked down at his pajamas and repeated the phrase, "yucky baby, yucky baby, yucky baby". Poor guy. He had know idea what was happening, he knew he was covered in yuck, and everyone seemed to be mad.. at him. Or, that's what he thought.

Luckily, we were able to clean everyone and everything up before lady had the pleasure of doing so herself. With new pajamas and his Mip (his blanket- no idea why he named it that), he snuggled on the couch and watched a little ball.

Although the throwing up was an isolated event, he still keeps muttering "yucky baby" and shaking his head.

Poor Andrew.
:)
Anne

PS:

Missing the Boys

2009-10-30T21:46:00.010-05:00

I am such a dedicated librarian that I gave up 2.5 days with my precious boys. I was a chaperon at Sky Ranch with the 5th graders from my school. Well, as they say,"when the cat's away...the giraffe will play??" ...maybe that's not the exact saying, but Andrew and Daddy sure had fun at Andrew's Halloween party today. And Andrew was the cutest giraffe around...at least the Shackletts think so. Here are some shots that Daddy took. Hope

From left to right:

Pic #1: Andrew got to Trick-or-treat at daycare. All went well until they told him he couldn't have the candy anymore. Chris got to be the proud papa as Andrew threw himself down and failed while screaming madly to get his candy back. I wonder why the iPhone wasn't clicking pics for that moment.

Pic #2: Andrew finally settled down to enjoy his Halloween feast. I got to see this picture in real time. At first, I was so excited to see my sweet giraffe enjoying his party and costume. Then I realized he was drinking orange juice... from a cup... with no lid... while wearing his costume. Awesome. Luckily there was minimal spillage (shocking), so the costume would be ready for Halloween.

Pic # 3: Eventually, the fun of the hood wore off, and Andrew finished his meal of cookies as a headless giraffe.

Yay, Halloween fun. Bring on the Trick-or-treating with the Clarkes tomorrow!

Anne

Lover or a Fighter?

2009-10-21T19:37:00.004-05:00

Hmmm....

Wow. Andrew apparently has a fighten' streak in him. Is it the Italian or the Irish that makes him box? Will we ever know?

Either way, I picked Andrew up yesterday, and his teachers were VERY upset. Apparently, Andrew (overnight) has become a serial biter. Awesome.

He bites everyone... at least once... even the teachers. (FYI: Poor, sweet high school girl who is doing a part time gig with kids... this is what toddlers are like.)

We had a"heart to heart" with Andrew last night about biting. I know what you're thinking, "a heart to heart with a kid who eats dirt, how does that work?" I get it, and Chris gets it... and we feel like idiots having "a talk" when Andrew is so young...and still occasionally eats dirt. Either way, we did and thought it might help.

It didn't.

Here's how it went down: After recess, Andrew stalked his prey all the way back to the classroom. Once alone, he bit the crap out of the victim. The victim was ready (after yesterday's string of attacks- who wouldn't be?). He grabbed the closest board book and whacked Andrew across the face.

Here's the beginning of his shiner... that my bully of a son fully deserves.... what a jerk. (When you're looking at the picture, it's the left side of his face, or his right eye.Yikes)

The funny part is everyone still loves him because he's so super cute... jerk. I love my little fighter...

Anne

Sick Mommy

2009-10-16T07:58:00.002-05:00

Dear Andrew,

I know you don't understand, but Mommy is sick. She doesn't feel good and she has a fever. Trust me, you don't want to feel like this, so that's why your getting less snuggles and kisses. You really just need to play by yourself.

:(

Sadly, in an attempt to occupy your time without Mommy, you managed to pull the highchair down... on your face... on picture day. At least now, we will have professionally made pictures of the trouble that little boys get in.

:)
Anne

Proud Math Mommy

2009-10-14T09:44:00.004-05:00

So, I have to brag... Do you know what this is a picture of? Andrew does!

When Chris and I took Andrew for a walk on Monday, and I took him for a jog on Tuesday, he pointed something out to us. As we passed the yield sign, Andrew sat up in the stroller, pointed, and yelled "triangle"... or at least his approximation of the word, which currently sounds like "unga". He also knows square (skare) and circle (no clue how to type what he calls it but he can pick a circle out of any line up!).

Yay, math-y baby. He may not know what yield means, but he sure knows the sign is shaped like a triangle.

:)
Anne

The Busy Fall Beginning

2009-10-11T12:08:00.015-05:00

First, we got a new addition to our backyard a few weeks ago, and we all love it... It's Andrew's Sport Climber. It's a five-in-one play thing that includes a tiny rock wall, slide, football goal, soccer "net", and basketball hoop. He LOVES it. You can throw a football through the hole in and keep score. You can shoot the soccer ball into the plastic net, and it bounces back to you. You can dunk on the super tiny basketball goal. Of all theses awesome posibilities, Andrew just jams the soccer ball in the basketball goal and then slides. He'll figure it our eventually.

Anyway, the day it arrived, we put it together, and it started to rain. Boo! So, like any good parents with a new outdoor toy, we moved all the living room furniture and let the fun begin.

Here's what it looks like when it's outside.

So, yay for the fun of climbing and sliding... and although they have VERY clear weight limits, you better believe that Chris and I have spent our fair share of time on it.

Along with work and the sweet baby, Chris and I have been participating in Corporate Challenge, which is like Olympics for different companies. Each division has 8 companies, and Chris and I have been competing with his company, City of Richardson's City Slickers. We ran the 5K (our team won bronze), I played volleyball (won silver), Chris played flag football (won Bronze), and we played softball together (Chris coached and we won gold). With all the events, we had practices, and I had a pre-tournament league for volleyball. We have been super busy, but we have had so much fun... Sadly, because of the busy schedule and running the Race for the Cure, we chose to drop out of the Corporate Challenge bowling. :( Maybe next year!

In the midst of all the sporting events and sporty things in our backyard, I had my 10 year high school reunion. I had SOOOOOOOO much fun. In fact, I had so much fun at the pregame happy hour Friday evening, we never even made it to the Homecoming game. It felt like high school all over again when I overdid it and wound up playing in the softball tournament the next morning with dark sunglasses and a box of saltines next to me in the dugout. (Yikes.)

Saturday night was a more formal night downtown with dancing and pretty dresses! It was so good to see friends that I haven't seen since high school. Chris finally got to put a name to lots of faces and now I have like tons more Facebook friends... I'm moving up in the world for sure. We stayed out with the Leglers and Barnicles until the wee hours of the morn. We had tons of fun, and the boys developed quite the "bromance". Those three boys are never allowed alone together from this point forward... They think they are hilarious, which is scary.

So, fall began with a bang, and right now Andrew has a stomach bug. He is on day four, so we are hoping he feels better ASAP. The bug doesn't seem to slow him down though. The pictures from above and the ones below are all from his sick days.

Right: Who says pool noodles are just for the pool? They are great for chasing dogs around the yard...

Below: In response to my question Andrew says," No, no, Mommy". Awesome.

Bottom Right: Although it's not the best picture, it's the first time that I have asked Andrew to smile for a picture and he actually did it. So, i guess this is his cheese ball smile.

That's all for now. Hopefully after these past few busy weeks, I will be able to post more regularly... It's almost time to hit the pumpkin patch again! I can't wait.

Anne

Hmmm...

2009-09-19T20:29:00.003-05:00

I know for a fact that I told Andrew to put the dog food in the bowl.

Nice try, Bud.

Anne

The Sample Nazi

2009-09-10T19:56:00.004-05:00

Everyone knows that grocery shopping is no fun unless you happen upon some delicious samples. They are free, they are food, and that makes them yummy. So, when Andrew and I had to make an impromptu stop at the grocery store on Wednesday, we were pleasantly surprised to see beautiful sample ladies dressed in there aprons and plastic gloves dishing out the goods.

All was well, until we met the meanest sample lady ever....The Sample Nazi... She was at the cookie samples... and she was only giving half cookies... really? A half a cookie?

Let's just say that Andrew didn't agree with The Sample Nazi's half cookie policy.

The ensuing tantrum lasted a record 21 straight minutes. Through all the crying, flailing, kicking, and SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER, I still had to check out (self checkout-no less- which was awesome), unload the groceries, load Andrew, drive home, unload Andrew, unload groceries, try to divert his attention and then... grab my camera.

This will go in the record books... Thank you Sample Nazi.

I hate to show Andrew in such an unfavorable light because he is such a fabulously sweet boy. Here's a video from last month when we celebrated Jason's birthday. Andrew enjoyed some play time with his Uncle Tim, or Te-te as he calls him.

Anne

Mohawk Monday

2009-09-07T20:25:00.006-05:00

...and if that's not good enough, here's some fun with Bre- or Beee as Andrew called her.

Anne

Super late is still better than never...

2009-09-05T21:04:00.006-05:00

I don't care what anyone says about the Dallas Zoo. I think it is wonderful. Andrew, Grandma Mary, Jodi, Wyatt, and I went for Zoofari Days last week, and it was the best zoo experience I have ever had. (Andrew's been "oo-oo-ooing" like a gorilla ever since!)

Here's the secret to our success:
1. Get there early to beat the heat and the crowd. The animals were very active and many of them were munching on super delicious grass and carrots for breakfast.
2. Read tons of animal books with real pictures so that your baby knows what he's looking for. (If you have ever met Andrew, you know he's obsessed with these books!)
3. Pack lots of water. When you think you have enough water, pack a little more. We were short on water very quickly even though it wasn't that hot.
4. Wear comfy shoes. Duh.
5. Don't let any cute toddler girls distract your son with the excitement of a vending machine... then the zoo loses its luster.

Here are just a few of the wonderful pictures we took at the zoo. The pictures turned out so fun because the babies and animals were equally into each other!

We went to the zoo on August 6... forgive my lateness, but I have been working since August 7th...

Anne

Back to work blues

2009-08-29T15:20:00.004-05:00

Andrew,

I'm sorry that... the summer had to come to an end.
I'm sorry that... I have to leave for work before you even wake up.
I'm sorry that... I'm not there to tear apart your waffle.
I'm sorry that... we only get to spend 2.5 hours together a day.
I'm sorry that... my job has open house and nighttime events, so some days i don't even get to see you.

I love my job, but sometimes I feel so bad being a working mommy. I hope you understand someday. I hope this is what I should be doing.

I miss you,
Mommy

PS: This picture was taken from Daddy's phone because I am out of town and missing you big time.

Cousins, cousins, cousins!

2009-08-10T20:06:00.008-05:00

Next on the agenda for July was a visit from Andrew's cousins from Florida. We played in the pool, ate hot dogs, and even had a birthday breakfast with chocolate covered donuts. We tried and tried to get a picture of the five cousins, but as with Easter of '08, getting five babies to sit and be happy can be a challenge (to say the least).

Here is some pool fun at Grandma Mary's house and the birthday girl getting her donut and song!

Since we had zero success getting all five kids to sit in the same spot and smile simultaneously outside, we decided to give the inside of the house a try. I also posting the picture from last Easter below the new picture, so we can compare.

Above from the left: Kallie, Kaitlyn, Jackson, Andrew, Macy.

Below from the left: Andrew, Macy, Jackson, Kaitlyn, Kallie. It was great getting to spend some time with all the cousins around... although a group with kids ranging from 1.5 to 5 years old was quite an interesting group to watch interact.

Anne

NE Fun (Part 2)

2009-08-09T19:53:00.015-05:00

Ok... It's a month later, but Andrew has been taking tiny 30 minute naps. That leaves me with zero time to use the computer. Anyway, enough excuses! Here's some more Nebraska excitement!

Since we did spend SOOOO much time in the car, I would be remiss if I forgot to mention the wonderful times that Grandma Mary had with Andrew. She sang songs, read books, and even put on puppet shows. Thanks, Mom for being our nanny on the road!

We stayed in a fabulous hotel in Fremont, that had a very cool pool downstairs. We had some serious family fun and Grandma photographed it all!

Sadly, I never took pictures of Chris and I when we were all fancied up to go to Chris's reunion. I spent time showering, putting on makeup, and wore a dress. I didn't take a single picture to prove it. Amidst all the reunion festivities, we enjoyed the action at John C. Fremont days with candies cashews and a walk around scenic downtown Fremont. Later we squeezed in a playdate with some highschool friends of Chris and their son.. :) Again, we took no pictures. Hmmph.

We did, however, chronicle the drive back home. Oh, my goodness. Andrew may disown us. Here's what we found out when attempting the drive with an awake Andrew during the day:

1. You can see how dirty a baby is when it's light outside. Here are Andrew's H.E.B. feet when we left Fremont. To answer your question, the only placed he walked barefoot was INSIDE the hotel room. Yikes.

2. To avoid stopping unnecessarily, we tried anything... including alternative means of "cooking".3. Alternative means of "cooking" aren't very convincing.

4. Daddy gets to sleep during his turn "entertaining" Andrew. All he has to do is hold the laptop that's playing Elmo.

5. Taking a pitstop for the night in OKC with Aunt Lisa and Uncle Wayne was a GREAT idea and very much needed.

So, yay for our travels to NE and back. It was a blast!

Since then, we have had a busy time, so I will post soon... I hope.

Anne

Watch out Nebraska!

2009-07-21T20:03:00.016-05:00

Well, we did it! We drove 11 hours to and 11 hours from and spent some great, quality time in the land of the corn. Andrew did FABULOUSLY, and Chris's family and friends were really nice!

We left Wednesday night and drove ALL NIGHT. Grandma Mary (our fantastic Nanny-on-call) took the first shift in the back seat to try and lull Andrew off to "ni-ni" land. Not happening, so we did some over the seat acrobatics to switch spots, so Chris wouldn't have to pull over. Shortly thereafter, I realized that Andrew had peed through his diaper, through the pajamas, and through the car seat pad. Nice. A pit stop was necessary. After a quick freshening up, we hit the road... again.

After a massive storm in Kansas and potty breaks all around about 1:30 AM, we hit the road again. I do have to mention that the Kansas turnpike has the best rest stops and potties. They even had a front row seat for Andrew to watch Mommy go tinkle. Interestingly enough, the website says the seat holds someone up to 150 lbs. I don't want anyone that big watching me tinkle, and if someone that big does watch me tinkle, how would I lift him/her onto the seat? But, I digress.

At the crack of 6:30 AM, we arrived in beautiful Plattsmouth, NE. It was incredible. Chris's Aunt and Uncle have an amazing piece of land with breathtaking views (I can't say the best views of the aunts and uncles because I have heard Montana's pretty fantastic...)

Although my pictures don't do it justice, here are some shots from the back door. (And yes, it's supposed to look panoramic.)

Inside the house, Andrew fell in love with Aunt Cindy and Uncle Bill! Here's a slide show of the fun!

Both Bill and Cindy did us a BIG favor and let us sleep while they entertained. I am having issues uploading it (hence the long delay in posting), so I will post the video on the next round of Nebraska fun.

After a fun filled 24 hours with Bill and Cindy, we headed to the glorious town of Fremont, NE.... That will have to wait until the next post, though.

Thanks for being such wonderful hosts, Bill and Cindy!

:)
Anne

Dress to impress...

2009-07-15T13:21:00.005-05:00

Dear Andrew,

Please take the following fashion advice to heart (although it makes me sound like an old fogie).

Don't ever wear:

1. Pegged jeans. Well, don't peg any pants for that matter. It didn't really work when I was a kid, and it sure doesn't work now.

2. Sagged pants. Your underwear should be worn under your clothes... hence the name underwear.

3. Skinny jeans. These types of pants are only meant for super cute and stylish girls. No one else should even try. Even ultra-cool boy band types can barely pull it off.

I am the first to admit that I have made some serious fashion mistakes :giant hair bows, "hot" colored everything, and biker shorts under white denim skirts- to name a few. However, being a parent means trying to make a better life for your child. So, take my advice, please.

Anne

Cutest Cow Contest

2009-07-06T20:44:00.005-05:00

Do you remember the cow costume from last year? If you don't, click here. It was a hot day in July, much like today, when I found out about Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. If you dress like a cow, you get a free meal. Sign Andrew up. Last year(and still now), he didn't eat chicken or cow, but I still dressed him up. At least now, he eats waffle fries!

Well, it's that time of year again, but this year, there is a contest! Please follow this link to the contest and vote for Andrew. (Feel free to forward it on to your friends!) You have to search for Andrew by his name. Then, click the vote button under his picture. The contest runs until the end of August, so tell your friends.

:)

Anne

PS The picture in the contest is better... :) Also, I will be emailing everyone the link, so I'm sorry for the duplicate message!

Wonderful Friends!

2009-07-01T19:30:00.013-05:00

I am so blessed to have friends that refuse to let me fall off the face of the earth. I get caught up in mommy-dom and forget to touch base with my girlfriends. Tisk, tisk. Luckily I have people like, Kathryn, Rachel, Liz, Em, Angie, Kristin, etc., who text me and call me and remind me that I need to do the same.
As a result of one of those fabulous calls, Angie and Andrew had a play date at Chic-fil-a. We were good patrons and Angie purchased lunch first, so that we could all go for a romp in the fantastic in door playroom (it's 100 freakin' degrees outside, so indoors we shall play). Angie, the photographer extraordinaire, always has a camera, so here is some of the fun. Not pictured: Andrew's first french fries! As a parent, I never thought I would be trying to get our child to eat fries, but with this finicky eater, we will be happy with anything that doesn't end in cracker.

Andrew was double lucky in the fact that he was the only kid there, so he got to wreck shop on the big play stuff, too. Andrew says,
"Ha ha, big boy suckers, I'll slide down your slide. "
Until he thinks he hears something over there..."Maybe I'll just get down."

Thanks for a great play date, Ang!

:)
Anne

Just a mullet away...

2009-06-29T20:16:00.008-05:00

We are super classy at the Shacks. In case you doubt our high level of class, check out my sweet baby walking the dog... in only his diaper and fake Target Crocs.

I know there is a picture of my little brother that looks strikingly similar, so hopefully I will get my hands on it soon.
Luckily, Lady came home when I called, so they never got very far. (Not pictured here: Andrew letting Lady poop in the neighbor's yard and leaving it.)

Stay classy~

Anne

Swim Lessons

2009-06-27T21:23:00.008-05:00

Well, after 10 swimming lessons, we know a few things.

1. Andrew can now go under water and hold his breath (for the most part).

2. He loves being thrown up in the air. (He likes that regardless of the setting.)

3. Nothing beats the sprinkler in the backyard.

So much for swim lessons...

:)
Anne

About Eating

2009-06-20T13:52:00.005-05:00

Dear Andrew,

Here are a few thoughts to remember while eating:

1. Ten bites at a time is enough.
2. Along the same lines, please swallow occasionally. I have noticed you like to eat by osmosis... letting the food sit on your tongue until it seeps into your blood stream. That won't work.
3. Staying with the same theme, if you choose not to swallow, please don't share my drink.

4. If we are at a restaurant, you do not have to yell "mama" and point to me. The people at the surrounding tables both know that I am your mother and they do not care. (This goes for any time that we are in public and you incessantly remind people of my relation to you.)

I'm sure there are other "reminders" I need to give you, but I am drawing a blank.

:)
Anne

Tricky Baby

2009-06-16T12:42:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I wonder how Andrew could be so tricky at such a young age. His trickeration comes in many forms, and although somewhat angering, it's always impressive.

1. Mine. I learned a valuable lesson about the word mine. Andrew has a new found obsession with my cup of coffee each morning. In an effort to explain that he couldn't have it, I touched my cup of coffee and my chest and said "mine". Now, instead of Andrew letting me drink my coffee in peace, he points to it, touches his chest, and says "mine". He does this with anything he wants now. I think it's safe to say I didn't teach him the true meaning of mine.

2. Coughee. Along with Andrew's misguided understanding of the word mine, he also doesn't get what is in my mug each morning. I know this because of what started yesterday. We went through our normal rigmarole with him pointing to my mug, touching his chest, and saying "mine". I responded by saying, " No, Bubba, this is mommy's coffee". He then touch his chest and coughed. Andrew now thinks that each morning mommy enjoys a big cup of cough-ee to get her going.

3. Teet. No, it's not what you think... Teet is Andrew's approximation for treat. He used to be able to trick Ladyby pinching his fingers together as if to offer her food. That no longer works; however, he does know that Lady responds favorably when offered a treat. Now, he chases her around saying "teet, teet". While playing outside, Andrew spilled out my entire water. I encouraged Lady to drink it up, but she quickly left after she had her fill. When Andrew saw how much she enjoyed the water, he devised a plan: he splashed his hands in the water and held it up saying "teet, teet".

I know that baby's get smarter by the day. They are little sponges that pick up sounds, words, actions, etc. I just didn't know they were conniving at such a young age. Fabulous.

Anne

Even the Rangers could feel it.

2009-06-14T12:32:00.007-05:00

Did you try to watch the Rangers game last night? Were you frustrated with the light malfunction that led to the hour and a half delay and the eventual Rangers' loss? We all were. Would you like some answers? Here's how it all went down....

At approximately 2:30pm yesterday, I arrived home from a very brief shopping excursion to find my husband and son in the kitchen. We were headed out to Arlington for the night, so that Chris and his dad could celebrate Father's day watching the good ole Texas Rangers versus the hated Dodgers. (Sorry, Walt. I hate any team that's not the Rangers.)

Chris greeted me with, "I packed Lovie, and Andrew went crazy." Period. End of discussion... We pack into the Malibu and head to Arlington.

Once Chris and his dad were enjoying countless cold beverages at the Rangers game, it was time to get Andrew ready for bed. The milk was warming up, and I reached in the bag and found... no Lovie. "This can't be," I tell myself recounting the short Lovie related conversation only a few hours prior. "Chris said he packed, and that Andrew went crazy," I kept repeated this over and over trying to somehow will Lovie into the bag. No luck.

I call Chris, and here's how it went:

Me: I thought you said that you packed Lovie. I can't find it.

Chris: I did pack Lovie, and Andrew went crazy. So, I took him out and let Andrew put Lovie back in his room. (Aside: this sentence would have been helpful around 2:31)

Me: Chris, what the (insert choice four letter word here) am I supposed to do now?

Chris: I'm sorry. He was freaking out, so I let him... blah blah blah.

You get the point.

So, here's what happens with no Lovie: Andrew screams and screams unless I let him sleep on me. The Rangers lights mysteriously wouldn't work, and they eventually fall to the hated Dodgers. Life isn't good without Lovie.

Next time we go ANYWHERE overnight, we will have a checklist.

Anne

A few questions

2009-06-12T20:23:00.004-05:00

Dear Andrew,

As of today, we have spent the past 5 uninterrupted days together, and it has been fabulous! (Even with the teething and the onset of your terrible twos...) With all this time together, I have a few questions for you. However, considering your communication skills are still in the works, I have to write them down and just hope that you'll be able to answer me later.

1. First of all, I am super glad that you fulfill the role of Mommy's Little Helper for all of my chores. It really adds a special something to each household duty. Speaking of adding things, here is my question to you: Why were there a fork and a spoon in the dryer with the newly changed load of laundry?

2. Next, I know that you have a newly discovered little toy hanging below your belly button. It's what you call your "teetee". With that "new friend" in mind, here is my question to you: Why is it that whenever you are naked you have to have a handful of your "teetee"? (By the way, no matter what you may think, it will not fal off if you stop holding it.)

3. Lastly, I have seen you watching Lady as she goes about her daily business: eating, sleeping, begging, faunching, and bathrooming. I know you love her, and you're curious about your sweet "goggy". Having said that, here's my question to you: When I walked inside to get my coffee, you were playing with a truck on the deck watching Lady take her "daily constitutional". About 30 seconds later, I returned to see you still sitting on the deck, and Lady had completed her duty and was out sniffing around the slide. So, here's my question to you, why was there a single Lady turd sitting right next to you on the deck? (I have a nagging feeling that I don't really want to know...)

Well, we have lots more "adventures" like these ahead of us this summer, but I can't wait.

I love you, my strangely fascinating boy!

:)
Anne

PS:
Next week, we will hopefully have pictures from our Waterbabies swim class. After the first week, Andrew's going under the water like a champ!

Narcissism

2009-06-09T11:55:00.003-05:00

... is an inordinate fascination with oneself or excessive self-love... or staring at yourself in pictures whenever the opportunity presents itself.:)
Anne

PS: I wonder where he gets that?

Totally tubular

2009-06-07T00:19:00.004-05:00

Dear Andrew,

You're parents are super cool... like totally.

I promise....you should have seen the rest of the peolpe at the party.

:) Mommy

So that explains it!

2009-06-05T21:19:00.004-05:00

After a week of worry and Andrew's diarrhea, low grade temperatures, tugging on ears, and zero appetite, we have- drum roll please...........the appearance of the lower cuspids! Yay, for more teeth. It has been so long since we last "teethed", we have forgotten what it looks like. Next time, I hope Andrew has the decency to tell us when he plans to teethe again.

Here's the breakdown of our overachieving, super early, super-toothy baby:

Note to self: The next time the baby just isn't acting like himself-think teething. By the way, thank to baby ibuprofen for helping Andrew through those grouchy evenings that he couldn't communicate the problem to us.

Anne

PS: Good luck baby having friends. If you haven't reached teething, you will be there soon, and you will all survive. Even if your child has a million teeth.

Random Videos

2009-06-02T20:17:00.007-05:00

There's no doubt that I love that sweet baby, so here are some random times we have turned the camera on to record a little bit of baby fun.

1. Chasing the dog. Lady's a lot tougher than I am. She doesn't give in even when Andrew says "peese" for her chewy.

2. Where did she go?

3. Thanks to Kathryn, we are now OBSESSED with animal sounds in the Shack house. Here is Andrew's animal sounds. (I'll explain them after you watch. Let's see if you "get" what he's doing.)

Although I am sure you understood it perfectly, Andrew growls like a bear, pants like a dog, and quacks like a duck.

Anne

2009-06-02T19:38:00.006-05:00

The "magic word" holds a great deal of power. It shows people you are curtious, have manners, and are generally a nice guy. Mainly, it's magic because when you say it, people are more likely to do what you say. Haha, suckers.

As I told you in a previous post, Andrew has mastered this "magic word". It now comes out as "peese", which is pretty impressive, and I dig it. Anyway, here are a couple of examples of using the "magic word" for good:

1. At breakfast, Andrew uses a combination of signs and words. He signs eat. I hand him a NutriGrain bar, and he hands it right back saying "peese", so that I will open it. Score 1 for Andrew's manners. I will absolutely open your breakfast bar!

2. When playing Andrew will hand Daddy or me a book and say "peese", so that we will read to him. Another score for Andrew. Reading is fundamental, and who wouldn't want to read to polite little man.

Now, here comes the tricky part about the "magic word". Here is an example of using the "magic word" for evil:

Andrew is sitting in the car seat eating his paper from daycare. I take the paper away, and he looks at me with that sad, sweet face and begs, " peeeeeeeeeeese". First of all, that's not fair. Secondly, I don't know if anyone would have been able to keep the paper away at that moment. I gave it to him.... How could I resist? He said the "magic word".

For the future, I plan on being stronger. So, I have news for you sweet toddler: Just because you say the "magic word" it doesn't mean the magic is going to happen.

Anne

PS:

Here is a picture of a time when Andrew used the "magic word" for evil. He was begging for us to turn on the hose because he likes to drink out of it. (I know... super classy.)

Cruisin' for a... Broken Butt?

2009-05-27T10:50:00.005-05:00

If you thought I learned my lesson, you were wrong. I just had to let Andrew indulge in the bliss of beans another time. I was a little tricky though, and I hid some rice and cheese in the beans. (He won't even attempt to eat either if offered to him.)

So, with the rice and beans commingled, he ate it all! He only consumed about 3 tablespoons of beans with the concoction, so I hope I haven't broken his butt again.

We'll know soon enough... At least he's at daycare today.

Anne

PS:

I got the cute bean and rice friends picture from a neat graphic design website called Beans and Rice.com. http://www.beansnrice.com/about.html

One Little Monkey....

2009-05-20T19:25:00.001-05:00

...jumpin' on the bed! And he's loving every minute!

Anne

The Uh-Oh Game

2009-05-18T15:57:00.011-05:00

Well, Andrew is moving right along with his language development.... Although, I may be the only one that speaks the language he's developing. Here are some of his new "words":

Ya-ya = Yogurt. Wow, can Andrew eat some yogurt. He loves any flavor, and yes, he can practically feed himself... with a spoon! (Not too shabby for a 15 month old.)

Pua-pua = Poop. He actually barely makes a sound when he says this. It's more like just making the noise that the letter 'p' would make. As of now, he doesn't lie, so if he says this, grab the wipes.

Upa = Up. He usually only says this in response to a question about the stroller or high chair. For example, "Do you want to get up?" If he's ready, he'll say, "Upa!" (I think the "ah" sound at the end is because I say "up" real hard.)

Mommy and Daddy = Ma-ma & Da-da, duh This is a work in progress, but more and more he says our names like a "big boy".

Bawbuul =Bubbles. Like most babies, Andrew loves bubbles. The fun part for us is that he can ask for them by name!

Pwee = Please. How freakin' cute is that? He's already got manners... who knows where he got those?

And last, but defiantly not least, Andrew can say.....

Uh-oh = Oops = the beginning of the end of my sanity. Uh-oh not only means oops, but it apparently also means there's about to be an oops. FYI- There's ALWAYS about to be an oops with a 15 month old. Hence, we are in the midst of the rollicking fun game... The Uh-oh Game.

The Uh-oh Game Would you like to hear Andrew's super cute "uh-oh"? No need to sign up to be a contestant for this game show. All you have to do is be near Andrew and ANY object that he can pick up and drop. Once this happens, you will hear his sweet, angelic voice utter those two syllables that get old real fast. If you're lucky, you can sometimes catch the uh-oh before he has even dropped the item. It's amazing. How could he possibly know that it would fall out of his hand? He must be a genius.

:)
Anne

PS: Here's a picture of poor Andrew eating beans... before his butt was broken. (And no that glass of beer isn't his... he still prefers the bottle. :))

In hindsight, refried beans, really?

2009-05-11T20:23:00.004-05:00

Well, Andrew has his moments of asserting his independence, and who am I to squash that? One such opportunity for being a big boy happened this weekend. After watching a super sad Mavericks loss, the Shacks decided to enjoy a lovely dinner at El Arroyo. At the restaurant, we learned a magical combination of circumstances that allowed us to enjoy our dinner and keep Andrew awake and happy until 8:35 pm! (He's been getting ready for bed starting at 6:30, so 8:35 was a very late night.)

What was this magical combination?
1. Andrew got his own water in a Styrofoam cup. He doesn't need a sippy cup when his out for a night on the town!

2. Andrew sat nearly front row for his first live band. They were at least in there late fifties, but I'm thinking they were pushing mid-sixties. They weren't terrible, but Andrew thought they were fantastic!

3. Refried beans.... Andrew ate an entire plate of refried beans... with his fingers. He did very well and kept the beans on his fingers and his mouth. (He's SOOOO picky that Chris and I want to encourage any "real" foods that he will actually eat.)

As for numbers 1 and 2, water hydrated him, and the music led him to spontaneous dancing. Both are very good things.

I realize now the mistake in #3. Poor Andrew had no idea the wrath that the beans would have on his bowels. And, oh my gosh, have we plowed threw some diapers. I think his butt may be broken.

On a lighter note, I had a yummy taco salad, and Chris enjoyed his brisket tacos. We may have to take out a second mortgage to cover the cost of the extra diapers and wipes from our evening out.

Yuck. Lesson learned.

:)
Anne

PS: He looked super cute while chowing down, and I will add those pics when I get them.