Much Ado about Nothing

Sorry it's been almost a week since I've updated. However, things around here have been pretty uneventful. I FINALLY got my car back today, good-as-new, but severely depreciated. I should have taken pictures of the reunion... We pulled into the collision center and there she was. Like a long lost friend. The sun shining on her new parts (which would include the hood, headlight, driver's door, bumper, fender, wheel, and an assortment of other small but costly items). The best part... she still had her new car smell. My dad has been nice enough to lend me his Trail Blazer for the last two weeks and filling it with $75 worth of gas every three days got old REAL fast, so we had been limiting our outings.

BUT we did go out for a few special occasions...BOTH of my sisters had birthdays this week. Jessie's is the 26th and Lori's is the 27th. They both turned 22. Now, those of you who don't know my family are trying to wrap your brains around that one I know. I'll let you think about for a minute and I'll get back to you...

Give up? Well, they are technically my half-sisters (although we don't consider ourselves that at all...) Jessie on my dad's side and Lori on my mom's. Crazy huh? Love those girls more than anything, well except maybe my baby...but definitely not Leo...hehe. Just kidding. Not really though.. No I am. Ummm...anyway...

Oh.. I rejoined LA Fitness this week. My account had mysteriously gotten cancelled after extreme inactivity. But I'm back now. I don't know if you noticed (hehe), but I gained a LOT of weight during my pregnancy. Make that about 65ish pounds, give or take a 8 1/2 pound baby. Wow. I know. Impressive. Well, thankfully most of it has just come off naturally, but I do have about 10 stubborn pounds left to lose. Plus things aren't where they used to be even though I've lost the weight. Jogging up the stairs its me first and then my rear end comes flapping along a few seconds later when it used to be perky and tight...So I'm going to work out. I'll keep you updated on my progress. For those of you who have forgotten where I started this is a picture of me a full month before Beau came. I still had about thirty days of ice cream gorging to do. That will stayed burned in your retinas all day. Seriously, when you close your eyes you are going to see my thunder thighs. I'm sorry. Public humiliation/motivation never hurt anyone. I was lucky, though. My husband always said I was cute, for a chubby girl.

So...that was just a bunch of words to tell you I don't really have anything to update you on. Beau is his usual easy-going, charming self. He's a poop machine and makes no apologies for it. On top of that he has discovered that he can, in fact, slobber. He takes great joy in spreading slobber all over his clothes, bed, toys, swing and most importantly, my best shirts. He talks in his little Beau language all the time...except for when I turn a video camera on him. I keep trying to get some footage to put up here but he has a little performance anxiety for the camera. I'll keep working at it though. Meanwhile maybe these will make you happy...

A Furlong Weekend

Some of the Furlongs were in town this weekend celebrating a Monday off, cousin Brent's graduation, and of course spending time with Beau. He loved seeing his family!Beau spending time with Nanny
Beau and Grandma Pat

Enjoying a game of peek-a-boo with Uncle Ben
Playing with Uncle Ben
Sitting with Grandad

Congratulations Brent. He graduated from South Cobb High School this weekend. We all went over to help celebrate. Steak, beer, cake, and someone to hold my kid while I ate in peace. My kind of night.
Brent the graduate
The cake says it all Cousin Anna

Enjoying the outdoors, family, and a yummy thumb Beau and Ben. When Beau gets older Ben is going to teach him archery and martial arts...among lots of other things I'm sure. Thanks for coming and visiting us! We had fun.

Cutie Pie Pictures

Since I got my new camera I have been taking SO MANY pictures. I don't always have stories to go with them all so I'm just posting some pictures that I adore. I have taken all of these within the past two weeks. Beau in the tub. He loves it. Those are his vitamins all over his face. We give them to him in the tub, well, because they end up everywhere. Then he spends the rest of bath time pondering the taste and smacking his lips. Check out that "mooby". (man-booby)
He holds his head up like a champ now and can even lift his chest up too.
I just love this picture. I sit him in this Boppy chair when I take a shower and get ready in the morning. He's usually content just sitting and chewing on his hands. He loves to watch me brush my teeth and dry my hair. It usually turns into a photo shoot, though.
Playing with me on our bed. I'm pretty sure we were discussing lunch...

This evening was so beautiful we took the whole family outside to get some fresh air.

My 3 boys....and the Weber

Hmm... I'm speechless
So cute. And doesn't our lawn look so good in this picture? Don't let it deceive you.
Beau has become a certified card-carrying member of the thumb suckers club. He does have his own style though. He's a trendsetter already.
Again, showing off the thumb sucking style. Mom's just trying to get a good picture... oh well.

Love those toes. Those are Beau's toes... Is that a haiku?

Battle of the Sexes

That's it. I've developed a theory today. My boys are in cahoots. Leo and Beau have ganged up on me. In fact, I think Leo has convinced Beau to do his dirty work. In the following points I will list the evidence that supports my theory:

* * Today I was desperate for Beau to take a nap. In the past few weeks he has decided he no longer has use for nap time and would rather stay up and fuss because he is so tired. Well, this is just torture for us both. He was having a particularly fussy afternoon and after bouncing around the house "shhhh"ing him for about half and hour and letting him "cry it out" for a while on top of that, the only person who was ready for a nap was me. I had read several books on soothing babies before Beau got here, and I had read a lot on white noise and have used it a few times to get Beau to sleep at night (using the roar from the big floor fan). I put Beau in his swing (screaming) and proceed to vacuum the downstairs. He quieted down the second I started and by the time I had finished, he was out. As I was putting the vacuum away I thought to myself how I never would have vacuumed if it hadn't thought it would quiet Beau down.

Light bulb over my head just went off. Leo will love hearing about how his son just wouldn't be happy until his wife cleaned the house once in a while.

* *A couple weeks ago Beau and I were in Macy*s. I was looking for an outfit suitable for him to be baptized in. (Which is next to impossible, by the way. Cute little girl clothes are EVERYWHERE. Where are the boys? I have become increasingly frustrated with the boy selection just about every place I go...but that's a whole 'nother blog for another time.) Beau was awake, but in a pleasant mood so after I purchased his outfit I strolled on over to the women's section. I was eyeing a particularly cute summer dress when meltdown occurred. I had gotten what I had gone for, so we just left. Later that night I was telling Leo about our day:

"You should thank your son because if he had not started screaming I might have come home with a new summer wardrobe."

-Gasp-

Come to think of it, he does the same thing in Target. We need diapers? Happy as a clam...until...I happen into the shoes, makeup, or magazines. Ugh. Rush through check-out and buy the stupid diapers. He gives me just time to buy what I made the trip for, but forget looking at things impulsively. His dad would be so proud.

* *We (usually) go to the 8:45 service at our church. There are more seats, for one, we get out and still have the whole day ahead of us, and Beau is usually cooperative at this time of the day. He's a morning guy for sure. Now, we have gotten through many a Sunday without incidence UNTIL they started serving donuts, coffee and juice during (for the people coming in for Sunday School) and after the service. Now, Beau so much as whimpers and Leo is grabbing him and is out so fast. I know where he is going. Don't you? He'll come back 20 minutes later with coffee breath and powdered sugar all over his fingers. Don't you wish all couples with small children were this polite? HA.

Using your son to get out of church and into donuts. Low Leo. Low.

* *Final exhibit. Leo has complained about two outfits that I have put on my child. He claimed they were too "cutesy" for his son. Fast forward half a day... both times... Beau has explosions in both of them. If you have read previous posts, yes, it was his Baptism outfit and what he wore to B's funeral. I can argue with my husband, but I won't argue with a poo stain. You win.

In honor of this tag-team effort to drive mom to the loony bin I will post pictures of Leo and Beau. Together. Probably conspiring their next shenanigan.




I know you can't see Beau very well, but I love how Leo has him all bundled up but his little bare foot is sticking out.

Alabama...woohoo!

Today Leo and I loaded up the truck (my car is still out of commission) and headed west to Birmingham. My little sister Lori graduated from Samford University! What a super reason for Beau's first out-of-state adventure. I'm sorry I don't have any funny stories to tell, but thankfully all doodies stayed in the diaper (naturally, because I actually was prepared this time). Other than trying to breast-feed in the Chick-fil-A parking lot (I will spare you those details, however) it was a pretty easy, uneventful, nice day.

My sister Lori...
Lori graduated Suma Cum Laude with a degree in Music Education. To me, though, this awesome academic accomplishment is just scraping the surface of the amazing woman my sister is. She truly walks the walk, ya'll. I couldn't be prouder of my bestest friend. I'm so excited to have her back in Atlanta - She'll be starting grad school at Emory.

Some pictures of the day. I had a lot more, but it turns out I was taking a bunch of pictures of some random girl I thought was Lori. Oops. Hey, we were sitting far away.

Beau watching his aunt graduate

Getting her diploma

Beau exhausted

Proud parents and beautiful graduate

Me pretending

This is what he did the entire two hours there and most of the way home.

A Quarter of a Year

February 15th 2008

Three months later...

Three months ago today I woke up in a small little room in Kennestone Hospital wearing a diaper and a backless hospital gown. I would be eating jello and broth the next couple days, but thanks to a magical IV and a couple pills...I didn't mind all that much. Looks like we've both come a long way in a few months.

mish-mash and poo poo

First of all...Happy Birthday Jackie! She turned 21 yesterday. I'm sure she felt fantastic this morning. Love you babe! Hope you had a great one!

These are just a mish-mash of photos I took the last couple days. I take pictures like its my job. You know those books where you flip the pages really fast and the picture becomes animated? We could put together all the pictures I have of Beau and do the same thing. I document EVERYTHING.

Me too Beau, Me too.
Love that footsie. Sweaty it may be.
Me and Beau going on a walk. Well, I walk... he mostly just chews the side of the Baby Bjorn.
This is the trophy Leo won in his power-lifting competition. I don't know if you can read the plaque but it does say first place. I asked him how long he had to stand still posing while they chiseled (I have no idea how to spell that) this statue of him.

On a different note...


Well, today was B's funeral. Thank you everyone for the thoughts and those of you came. She was a special lady and nothing proved that more than today. The service was very nice... or what I got to see of it was. (warning: the following has very descriptive talk of doodie, those with weak gag-reflexes or get their panties in a wad with poo talk should just go ahead and skip down to the next post.) There we were...the third row of the church. Leo and I always strategically place ourselves on the ends of the pew as I'm sure many parents with young kids do. We call it our evacuation plan if things start heading downhill...and today...it did.





I was holding Beau in my lap when Mt. St. Poo-vious erupted. I heard a gurgle, gave the "ooo I'm glad your gonna have to get this one" look to Leo with a smug look on my face...and then looked down. Now, I'm not a baker but I would guesstimate there to be about a half a cup of doodie in my lap. On my pants, or rather seeping through my pants, becoming one with the fabric in a huge wet mess. Beau's in pretty bad shape himself. That cute little sweater vest? Poo. The little man shirt I loved? Poo. His khaki pants you ask? Poo. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of experiencing baby dookie or those who might have forgotten...think really runny guacamole. Shit. Literally. Everywhere. Not a peep from Beau. Wide eyes and smiles. I hand him to Leo who carries him out like a waiter brings the beverage tray and I proceed to use my one little balled up tissue to push the doodie around my lap. The poor lady next to me forfeited her little tissue pack to help the cause, bless her. I finally get cleaned up enough to stand up without it dripping a trail on the church floor and go help Leo with damage control. Thank God you wear black to funerals and not white. And that my friends is how my son has ruined 2 church outfits in 3 days and how I got to say goodbye to my grandmother. At least I know she was heaven with her Bloody Mary cracking up. Love you B.