Valentine's Day Cards

As an accountant, I use the left side of my brain all day long at work...but I love to use the right side, too - especially since I've had children. Above is the Valentine card that Barrett and Cousar will be giving their friends today. I found the bubbles at Walmart and the poem on the internet. Everything else I already had at home! I made 19 of these! It took me two nights to make them. (I had to wait for the boys to go to bed! So I've been up late a couple of nights this week!) I'm very pleased with the way they turned out! I've already found some ideas for future Valentine's... http://thesticklerfamily.blogspot.com/2009/02/rodent-you-be-our-valentine.html http://www.designmom.com/2009/02/ralphs-madlib-valentines.html http://www.designmom.com/2009/02/olives-valentine-bookmarks.html http://inchmark.squarespace.com/inchmark/2009/2/10/my-little-valentine.html This is the Valentine that I made for the boys' teachers. It's hard to tell in the picture, but the bag has candy cherry hearts! Cousar was very proud to hand them out to everyone this morning...he even gave out a couple of hugs with them!

Valentine's Day...Then and Now

Oh, how much a year changes things. I took this picture this morning. Cousar wore the same exact shirt one year ago and it still fits...My baby is quickly becoming a little boy!!!

Family Dinner

February 10, 2009

Having everyone eat dinner together is very important to me and Justin; however we don't usually get home from work/school until 5:45 or 6:00 at night. And by then, the boys are starving! So we usually feed them immediately and then just grab a bite whenever we can.

On Tuesday night we were able to all eat together! So I had to stop eating to take a picture of the moment! Tuesday nights Sonic has 5 burgers for $5.95. I ordered them all plain and Justin made the sides (tater tots and mandarin oranges). So for around $6.00 we all eat and then have left overs for one of our lunches the next day!!!

Blocks

February 9, 2009

Cousar's (and consequently Barrett's - because he wants anything Cousar has) favorite toy to play with these days is blocks. We purchased a large set for him for Christmas 2007, and Sweets and Pops added to the collection for Christmas 2008. He has never played with the blocks for more than a couple of minutes until the last month or so! There was a time that I thought he might never play with them. Now he could play with them for hours on end. He likes to build airplanes, robots, and houses. (All three look exactly the same!) This is the house we built last night (using every single block)! It is partially destroyed because that is what you do when you are done building with blocks - You destroy whatever you've just built!! (Barrett started the demo on this project!!)

January 29

Playing in the crib before school

January 29, 2009

Exhibit 1

We constantly hear how much Cousar looks like Justin. I really don't see either one of us when I look at him. Aunt Joyce found two pictures of me and Shane below (I am on the right)...He may look like me after all. I present Exhibit 1. Let me know what you think!!!

Bed Time Routines

One Friday night a month, I go play bunco and Justin, Cousar, and Barrett get to spend quality time together! They do great, but bed time (and nap time) can be hard with only one of us home! Both boys usually go to sleep at the same time but each with a different routine. Cousar falls asleep with his breathing treatment in his bed, and Barrett is rocked with a good night bottle. Last Friday I played bunco. Justin was able to convince Cousar to watch "The Grinch" on DVD (for the millionth time it feels like - He loves the movie!) while he got Barrett to sleep. When he came back to put Cousar to bed, he found Cousar like this on the couch! Bless his heart, I am sure he tried his hardest to stay awake!! Thank you, Justin, for always taking such good care of them when I'm not home (and when I'm there, too)! You are a wonderful daddy, and I love all three of you!

The Dr. Williams' Fan Club

Many of you have heard me talk about Dr. Williams! We begin seeing him in April 2005 because we were having difficulty getting pregnant! Right away we both knew that I would be in the best hands available! He is so knowledgable and he cares so much about his patients! Any time I hear of someone with fertility issues I share our story with them! I believe we struggled with infertility so that we could share our story with others and so that our friends could have children of their own as well! We took the picture above and sent it to Dr. Williams for Christmas! These are just a few of my friends who have used Dr. Williams...his Oxford patient base is rapidly growing! If you know of anyone experiencing fertility issues please have them call me or any of these ladies! I would love to talk to them!!! Pictured (Mother - Children): Laurel Boone - Pharis Boone Allyson Mitchell - Grady & Jessie Kim Baird - Addyson Corey Ussery - Reed & Lauren Me - Cousar & Barrett Meredith Meurrier - Myla Heather Hopson - Expecting a baby boy in 7 weeks Others Not Pictured: Allison Crain - Kennedy Paige Davis - Expecting a surprise in June Joanna Porter - Expecting a boy in May 2 unnamed friends - one expecting in July and one in August (they haven't shared the news with everyone yet!!!)

Almost 9 months

Barrett will be 9 months on Friday! I was able to get this picture of him last night! As I was taking pictures he was trying to get the camera out of my hand!!! I just love those blue eyes...I'm worried they will get him in lots of trouble one day!!!

Powdered Donuts

Barrett had his first taste of powdered donuts yesterday morning! And he loved them! They were all over the place when he finished!

Meet the newest members of our family...

We welcomed two new members to our family on Christmas night...Johnny (Reb) and Colonel (Reb). Both are Beta fish - one red and one blue. They were a Christmas gift to Cousar from Sweets and Pops. Sweets named the fish - in her words, "Like every true Rebel they fight 'til the end." As you can tell from the pictures below, Cousar experienced an entire range of emotions from awe to shock to giddiness!!! By the end, he decided like any good male would that he should catch the fish with his new fishing pole from Uncle P...He loves the fish and helps us feed them first thing every morning! He is also very quick to introduce any guests we have to them!!!

The wheels are beginning to churn... Is that a fish in there???

I think I see another one!!!

I have two fish...and they are all mine!!

I mean, I just can't believe this!

Time for fishing! Get your gear, Daddy!!

I think I caught one!!

Christmas Morning...

Santa Pic...

Santa Pic

December 2008

Cousar wanted no part of it unless I joined the picture and I think Barrett never realized he was in Santa's lap...

Christmas Photo Shoot

After going to visit Santa last night, Cousar, Barrett and I went to visit Aunt Kim, Uncle Shea, and Addyson. Our goal for the evening was to make a great picture of Addyson for their Christmas card. Below are some of the images from our visit...

Cousar being camera shy... Me and Barrett...I have no idea who this baby looks like...

Addyson: "Enough with the flash Aunt Angela!!!" (I couldn't figure out how to turn it off!)

And to Kim...I'm so proud of you for putting a bow in her hair!!!

Kim and I thought it would be great to get a Christmas picture of all three of them...needless to say getting 3 children 2 years and younger to pose together is not easy and usually leads to pictures like the one below...

No worries...everyone was happy again within seconds!!! (They were all so tired!!!)

Uncle Shea let Cousar wear the infamous fish hat!!! He loved it and kept asking for it after we arrived home...in fact he kept asking for Kim when we got home! It is so sweet that he knows who both she and Shea are now! Whenever we see them he always runs right up to Kim and jumps in her arms!

Hello...

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted! Life has been so busy. I promise to put up new pictures soon. Here are highlights from the last month: -Barrett is crawling...EVERYWHERE!! He is also finally cutting his first tooth...we have started adding soft foods to his diet. This hasn't been as scary as it was with Cousar...I guess everything has been easier the 2nd time around. Barrett's favorite food so far is french fries. Yes, I have let my almost 8 month old eat french fries. (I'll be looking for a scolding soon, Jenny!) One of the only times I've ever heard him cry is when we take a fry from him. Mostly he gets soft beans and snack puffs... -Cousar turned 2 on Thanksgiving Day! I can't believe two years have passed already...I can only imagine how fast the next 16 will go! We had his birthday party in early November...I think he enjoyed it. He really got into opening the presents! He uses new words daily and is starting to use full sentences. The most recent new word is maccaroni and cheese or "roni and cheese." The most recent phrase is "Hotty, Toddy. Go Rebs." I'm not sure who taught him "Hotty, Toddy" but he has it down pat! He can count to ten (though he sometimes skips a couple of numbers), and he just about has his ABCs down pat! I took both boys to the Ole Miss vs. State game last Saturday...by myself...I think there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity! It went great though! Cousar loved the game and the band..And there were lots of kind people sitting around us willing to help out with Barrett. Last night, we took both boys to see Santa Clause. Barrett did great and Cousar screamed his head off! I ended up being in the picture with them...I think Santa was mortified. Cousar screamed loud! And just about ran out of the room...oh, the memories! I promise to post more pictures and stories soon!