6/30/11

Momma!

So Davis has been acknowleding Davis and I for a long time, saying Da-ee and "mommommommommom" when he misses me or sees me or whatever the case may be. But last night was the first night he really addressed me directly as "momma". I was in the kitchen, getting his dinner ready, and all of the sudden I heard this sweet, but very direct and a little abrupt "Momma!" I turned around and he was standing on our chair. He wanted me to look at him- so he called to me. I get it- no big deal to anyone else- but a big deal to me. And he wanted me to look because he KNEW he wasn't supposed to be doing that.

Then last night as I was rocking him to sleep, he had his head on my chest, tucked under my chin. All of the sudden he said "Momma?" looked up, and just stared at me. I said "Yep. You got it."

Such sweet memories.

6/29/11

Man She Hit 30, and...

found her groove.
really got serious about doing stuff.
never looked back.
hit her stride.
things started to take off.

10 years from now, I hope people will be saying things like that about me. And I think the only way people will say that is if I make it so. I'm hoping with the momentum of co-writing the next version of "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This", hopefully having a panel at SxSW on the program Oscar and I are putting together with the UT Ad Grad students, and the side business we're going to start, those things will become a reality.

Life is short. Moss doesn't grow on a rolling stone.
Turn your audio on. And click here: Ain't nothin gronna break my stride, nobody gonna slow me down...

6/27/11

Oh Isn't He Just a Doll?

Looks like one but isn't always acting like one lately. This parenting business is rough. Davis has always been so even-keeled, happy go lucky, sweet hearted and kind. Lately I describe him as "adventurous" at best. For the last week he has screamed going to bed, screamed waking up in the morning, and has been super dramatic on and off throughout most of the day.

Last night we had the Ryans over- and he was in Time Out more often than he was able to play. He was such a stinker. He ran across the couch. He shook the lamp. He tried to unplug and plug things back in. He climbed up and stood on his little table. He refused to eat. Oh I hope this is just a phase. Last night he was up 5 times- just crying and crying. I think he IS getting his molars, so that makes me feel a little better about the way he is acting...but still. I want my sweetheart back.

Okay, but it's true. He's still pretty dang cute. And here are some pictures to prove it. I think he's going to be a lady killer. I guess every mom thinks that...but I see dads looking at him one day and thinking "here comes trouble." Not because he won't be an amazing, sweet, respectful guy (I will make SURE he is)...but because while he is sweet, he also has a wild streak. Just like his daddy. And girls fall for that every time- I can tell you that for sure :)





6/22/11

Mud

Teen Parent Mentor Network is a bust. Seriously. I signed up, was all excited, I've been trying to figure out when my first training is or what I need to do to get started, and NOTHING. No response to email, nothing on the message boards, nothing. This is the SECOND volunteer opportunity I've looked into that is not legit. It's disappointing. It sounded like exactly what I needed. I'm probably going to have to start my own version. But I don't really have time for that right now. That would be quite an undertaking, and probably that is how this one got started, and then someone was too busy to run it. :(

So I got a picture from Carrie today of Davis at the park, his face smothered with mud. She said "there must be something magical about this mud that we don't know about..." And actually it's probably true. Davis hasn't even SEEN mud in the last 6 months because there has been no rain. It poured last night and seriously, everyone at work is in a better mood, because of it. Austin is breathing a major sigh of relief today. Sleeping when it's raining is the best thing. I'd almost forgotten.

Carrie also sent me a funny text about Davis the other day when they were at the store. She said "I love giving Davis samples at the store because he looks at me like 'where did this little treat come from?'" Ha! And it's so true. He loves the samples. And he'll try anything at the store. We need to figure out a way to replicate that at home. His meal list is super limited.

Anyway- just a quick update.
sam

6/20/11

Horseshoe Bay and Father's Day

The weekend finally got here! Katie, Kim and I went to Horseshoe Bay for the weekend and had the best time relaxing in the sun, drinking pina coladas and catching up. The resort was gorgeous- we had such good food and felt like we were in another state- but the best part was the talking. It's always good to catch up in person after long periods of time. We talked the entire time. It was awesome.

Before we left on Friday I took Davis to Cool Kuts for Kids. I wanted him to get to ride in the fire engine, watch Barney and eat Dum Dums. He thought it was pretty great, really. Kept looking at me like "Seriously, I get to eat this?" Then the bossy lady chopped his hair off. Not what I asked for- but he does look cute. He looked so old I almost cried. It's nice for summer though- and hair grows. He is doing some new things these days.

1) All of the sudden he is the music man. He sings and mimics everything he hears. I know this is such a mom thing to say, but I'm really impressed with what he picks up musically. Last night we were watching "The Voice" and he started humming the tune of a song after hearing it for the first time.

2) Also he is starting to dance. Mainly he squats low and goes back and forth on his feet while clapping...but last night the music on The Voice moved him so much he started stomping his little feet so fast and he looked down at them like they were moving on their own. It was so cute.

3) He has picked up on sympathy. Carrie taught him "oww" and now every time he gets the slightest injury (seriously, could be as small as swiping the wall as he walks by) he says "Oww...." and walks over to you, waiting for the acknowledgment and a kiss, hug or something.

4) He is obsessed with daddy. Da ee? Da ee? All the time- which is perfect timing for father's day. Any time he picks something up that is daddy's and you tell him- he thinks it's ten times as cool and says about 100 times Da ee. Da ee.

5) He's real dramatic. Usually well-behaved for about 90% of the day, but occasionally will throw himself to the floor so dramatically when he is upset. He visited Time Out three times yesterday. He is really pushing the limits these days and Time Out is better than him getting his little finger jammed in a socket.

6) He broke the lid to the toilet while I was gone this weekend. Yep- the super heavy porcelain top. Same size and weight as he is, probably. Pretty impressive. That one was on daddy's watch. Again in perfect time for father's day because who can give someone heat when it's father's day?

Another cute thing about Bennett that I want to remember...Before I left, I asked him what he thought he and Davis would do this weekend while I was gone. He paused and said "Ummm, I think I might take him to see Cars 2." a) how sweet is that? Davis is obsessed with cars- and all the Cars 2 commercials make him so happy, so I thought it was so sweet, but b) Davis barely makes it through the :15 commercials, so I just thought it was awesome trying to picture Bennett taking him to a two hour movie.

Here are some pictures of haircuts and horseshoe bay...but one quick note to Bennett.
Thank you for being the most amazing dad to Davis. He is so lucky to have you- and I feel blessed to get to watch such a neat father/son relationship in the works.

You are the best.



6/15/11

Funny Guy

So Davis has quite the personality these days...and lately when he does something a little over the line, I'll look at him with a serious face, stick out my finger and say "WHYIOUGHTTA..." he thinks this is hysterical. Laughs his brains out and then tries to say it himself which sounds mainly like "IIOUGHTTA".

When he has something he knows he isn't supposed to have he'll say "NONONO..." and run my way to give it to me. Which is great. UNLESS it's something he really wants that he isn't supposed to have, in which case, he runs my diretion, then right before he gets to me, he veers left or right and laughs his head off.

He also has stopped saying "Dow! Dow?" so much and now says "Dowm?" which I think is adorable. So much so that I say it too- just to encourage him.

Yesterday he received a package in the mail from Nikki- and inside was a broom set just his size. I wasn't there- but both Carrie and Bennett said he did the very low "OOOHhhhh!!!" which means he totally loved it. He scooted it around all of last night. And then realized that the box actually made for a good car. Bennett pushed him around the floor so fast and he had the biggest grin on his little face.

Also, yesterday we took him on a walk in his wagon and he kept humming to himself. Bennett and I were like "that sounds like the Barney song..." but thought no way. Though he loves it, we don't watch it that often. This morning Carrie told me she has been putting Barney on in the morning- and he just LOVES it. He claps when it comes on and hums that song. So crazy. That Barney.

Also last night he couldn't stop kissing me. Mouth open. Teeth out. It was so funny because every time he kisses he does a long "mmmmm" sound with it- so it sounded like he was really going to town. Which he was. I'll take it.

He is a silly billy. I can already tell he is going to be the funny guy. The life of the party, but with a very serious, sweet and sensitive side too.

6/12/11

6 years and counting!

Yesterday was our sixth anniversary. It was a great day. We had breakfast together, took turns relaxing at the pool while Davis slept, went to a 2nd birthday petting zoo party, and then went out to dinner at Congress, downtown. It was fun to get dressed up and go somewhere we haven't tried before. So on the way there- Davis handed me a present and I opened it and was SO SURPRISED. He gave me the most beautiful watch I have ever seen. I seriously couldn't believe it. I was so excited and just kept looking at it all through dinner. He made me feel so special. I loved thinking of him picking it out- looking at all the options- and picking that one especially for me. He is the best.

After dinner we went to Clive for some drinks. It is a cute little bar in downtown Austin- housed in a renovated old home. We drank wine and talked and had a blast. Brooke and JG met us and bought us anniversary shots. Yikes. Been feeling those all day- but you know- life is short. Gotta celebrate good times. We had a really good time. I'm so thankful that after six years- we are just having more and more fun together. I love Davis so much, he is my best friend, and I very often think "I can't believe this is what its like to be grown-ups, to be parents...it's so much fun."

Very blessed!
Oh and I also get to see Katie this weekend. Our long awaited Horseshoe Bay girls weekend is finally upon us. CANNOT WAIT.

6/10/11

Zumba Fever


Tonight I happened into the gym right at 6:45, walking slowly, kicking the ground because I forgot my earphones and I wasn't meeting Stacey, so I knew how boring the workout was going to be. As I stomped my way over to the treadmill, I noticed a class beginning off to the side. It was packed. Thought I might just check it out, and as I walked in, the latin beat started pumping. ZUMBA. So why not?

I found a tiny spot in the back...and had maybe the best (most fun) workout I've had in a while. The music was great, the teacher was latina and super impressive, and OH MY GOSH, the people watching was second to none. I love how one thing you can bet on is that there is always that girl that got there early to make sure she had a front row spot so she could watch herself dance. I admire this, really I do, because about the last thing I ever want to do is watch myself dance and sweat. Anyway- the girl in my class, lets call her Raquel, was wearing black tight pants and a lime green tank...and I could not stop watching her. She didn't have a perfect body, and I'm not judging, neither do I. But you would have never guessed it because girlfriend was making love to herself in the mirror to the latin beat. She for sure was pretending she was the second instructor- and she sort of was- I could barely see the real instructor at times- so I just watched this lady in lime green.

And there were so many different people in this class. Thin asian girls, a few guys, some fit ladies, some ladies maybe in the 250-300 pound range...and the best thing was that regardless of who they were and what they looked like, they were going to town during that class. It went from sweaty 24 hour fitness classroom to night club in about 30 seconds. I sort of got into it too. I mean most of the time I was just trying to keep up- but when I would get in a groove- I was for sure channeling my inner Gloria Estefan circa 1985. It was fun. It might be my new thing. I might have zumba fever.

6/9/11

Pop Ups

A few little notes about this week.
1) Davis must miss the beach. He is so whiney and complainey in a way we have never seen before. Not sure what his deal is. I think maybe he misses vacation. I do too.

2) Yesterday Carrie (nanny) sent me the sweetest text saying that Davis was going to be so excited to see me after work because he had been saying "Mamamamama" for the last hour. Made my heart sing.

3) Last night- after about 30 minutes worth of non-stop whining about anything and everything...I got out the pop up books my grandmother and Alan gave Davis at Christmas time. He sat on my lap- cuddled up- for at least 45 minutes...which has NEVER happened. It was pretty fun.

4) Today was either my worst or second worst measurement day with Ahmad. Ugh. Back on the wagon.

5) I am speaking at our agency meeting on Monday. Pretty exciting- my first really big speaking thing...500 people. Zoinks.

6) Last night, Bennett and I had our quarterly Bennett family meeting, which in this incident took place at Torchy's. (Yes, I realize maybe this is part of the measurement problem.) It was great. We joke about it like it's a business meeting- but honestly it makes a lot of sense to do something like this, I think. At the beginning of the year, or just before, we outline our goals for the year- everything from personal to family to financial...and then about once a quarter we check in. It's a good way to both stay on the same page and hear how each other is feeling about things- and also a good way to gauge success.

7) This Saturday is our 6 year anniversary. Yahoo! Pretty crazy. Sort of feels about right- the amount of time, that is. I am excited to celebrate. It's crazier that we have now been together for 10 years. We've seen each other grow up.

8) I found a teen parent mentorship organization to volunteer with. I am ridiculously excited about it. I have such a passion for helping teen moms- simply because I think it's been hard becoming a mom for me- and it was planned, I've had help, a job, financial resources, not to mention I'm 30...so I can't imagine how hard it is for a teenage girl. Except that I obsessively watch Teen Mom...so I sort of get the idea. Who says reality TV can't inspire good things? NOT ME. I'm pumped. I hope they accept me. :)

And I guess that's about it. I know it's funny to only list 8 things rather than 10- or at least it seems funny to me...but it is what it is. :) More later.

More pictures later too- we have beach pics but I just can't find my battery charger. It's driving me bonkers. I'll either find it tonight or buy a new one. I didn't used to lose things all the time.

6/6/11

Beach Time

We just got back from Port A for my mom's birthday. We had a great time. I was reminded on this trip how awesome my little boy is. He was such a trooper on the way there- didn't cry or fuss the entire time, though I know it helped that he had a backseat-mate in my mom. She sat down and he said "HIYEE!" like "oh well this is so much more fun..." Poor guy also was so sweet and fun the whole weekend even though he ended up with some MAJOR diaper rash. I have never seen anything so bad- I felt horrible. We took him to the doctor this morning- it's that bad.

I feel like he has really changed SO MUCH in the last couple weeks. He's so easy going and loves to play by himself, he listens better, his vocabulary and mannerisms are growing and changing like CRAZY. I love that he is so brave and sort of like a little tank- but also so sweet. Last night we were letting him run around butt naked after a bath- and he felt like he was just having the time of his life- so much so that he kept going back and forth between Bennett and I, puckering up his lips and kissing us each on the lips. He was just so happy.

He has a real sneaky approach to things now too. He waits till you turn around and then sneaks up on your computer and pounces- smashing all the keys and then giggles his brains out when you turn around and bust him.

He LOVED the beach. We set him down in the sand and he just ran like a crazy man toward the ocean- up to his knees- giggling the whole way. He just HATED the seaweed though- it made him nuts every time one would float his way- which happened A LOT.

He is such a great little boy. I adore him. Here is a quick list of newish things.
1) says "kite"
2) says "Hiyee!" in a way that makes me wonder if that's how I say it?
3) shakes his head for "no"
4) is really in a daddy phase- says "DA-ee?" so much and giggles at him like no other
5) knows where his belly and his nose are- lifts his shirt up and crinkles his nose
6) knows the word "snack"
7) imitates doggies- woof woof
8) is terrified of the sound of the lawn mower
9) kisses a ton but has forgotten what hugging is
10) taps his foot to the beat of music, or just in general (SO CUTE!)

So, we took lots of great pictures and I will post them soon.

6/1/11

Welcome to the World, Mary Mae!

Carrie and Zach had their baby girl today, Mary Mae Ryan. Could she be any cuter? I see some similarities between her and Porter, but I think it's so fun that she looks like her own little person. I can't wait to see her in person and I hate that I have to wait until next week...but I am excited that we are going to the beach tomorrow. Anyway, welcome to the world, Mary Mae, and congrats to the Ryans!