Random Pics

Just had some pics that I wanted to post that I hadn't, so here they are...

Mom has these plaid pillows at her house that Nolan loves to pull them on the floor and just roll around on top of them. It's really bizarre! They are the only pillows he will do this with! He then fights with Brady cause he wants them both to himself and daddy is trying to steal them!

This is a pic from the one hour of peace we got on the way back from Levelland. Refer to the First 1st Birthday Party if you don't remember that story.

And, here is just a random pic of me and my boy : )

Second 1st Birthday Party

I made you all stay tuned a little longer than I expected too (sorry, Granny!).

So, birthday number two was good, although chaotic...at least I thought so. We invited Brady's family and a few friends here in town over to our itty-bitty house for Nolan's birthday. Pop and Jamma arrived a little earlier to help us finish setting up and watch the littlt guy while I finished getting ready. I can say that I litterally just finished getting dressed when the first guests showed up!

Anyway, while I was getting ready, Nolan was recieving his second present already. Jamma and Pop bought him his own motorcycle! He enjoys it, but his feet don't touch the ground in order for him to move around on it...he'll get there.

I noted that that was his second gift cause he had already recieved something from us as well...the ball pit...

More friends and family arrived, and we started to set out the food so everyone could dig in! Hamburgers and hot dogs again, but Nolan doesn't get sick of it...the boy loves a hot dog! Once we were all done, again, we went straight to cake. I'm guessing that party number one was practice, cause this time, he had no problem ripping his cupcake apart! My child had cake up to his elbows, all over his shoes, and me! Of course. Brittany even pointed out that I had cake on my face!!! It was all worth it.

Next came presents. Toys, toys and more toys! Brady I were talking after the party, and we realized that my family gave Nolan clothes, while his gave toys! Funny observation. He actually did get some good stuff: some books, a rocking horse (with a cowboy hat), wagon of blocks, a leap frog, and he did get some clothes. Although, nothing beat the red volleyball. Uh-huh, a red volleyball. Who would've known that that would be the ultimate gift???

Look at that smile!

We had a good time, and were so glad that everyone that could make it could. Nolan was very blessed this year, and I know he will be every other year as well. A BIG thanks to everyone for all the love and gifts!!!

First 1st Birthday Party

Yes, you read that right. Our child is so deserving, he got two birthday parties...deserving or spoiled, you choose.

Anyrotten, the first 1st birthday party was held over Labor Day weekend in my amazing hometown of Levelland, Tx! That Friday, we drove into Levelland around 11pm with an angry, screaming Nolan. I have to say a HUGE sorry to our cousin April for having to listen to the uncontrollable crying the whole way home...I swear every ride is not like that!!! So, 11pm, yeah. I still have to make my wonderful idea of a cake. I'm an idiot is all I'm going to say. I made my mom promise to NEVER, I mean NEVER let me do that again! It turned out okay, according to my 8 year old cousin, but she's 8. Either way, the cakes got baked that night...icing awaited me in the morning.

Saturday morning came too early. Nolan only slept for about 6 hours when he decided to get up for the day. Ugh. So, while mom played with him, I started icing cakes...that lasted for about 15minutes. I couldn't do it anymore, so we switched. Thank God for Nana, she really did all the work on the cakes and made them look good...Thanks, Mom! Seriously, if she wasn't there, we would have had maybe half a cake with no icing, me in tears and unshowered, and a cranky baby Nolan. But it all worked out. Nolan went down for a morning nap at 10am, Brady started the burgers around 11am, and guests began arriving at noon. Everyone ate, then we sang happy birthday and ate some cake before opening presents, which you all know how a party goes!

Nolan recieved lots of clothes for Fall and Winter, which is really what he needed. He also got some puzzles, some cars, and the big present...the John Deere tractor. The kid can't even reach the pedals, but Papa insisted (He always insists, Lexi got a Jeep, and Lauryn got a bike for their first birthdays...dad's crazy!) However, since Nolan couldn't ride it on his own, Little Lo decided she would drive him all around the back yard. He really liked it, except for all the whiplash. Go figure.

It was a good first 1st birthday party. He got lots of things he needed, and he enjoys them, so that's all that matters! Who cares what the cake looked like...I do that's who! Oh well.

Our weekend didn't end there though. The next day mom, dad, Nolan and I went to take him to get 1st year pictures. He did really well even though he was exhausted. Once we got back into town, it was time to head to the park for a mini family reunion. It was a good time, and fun to watch Brady play kickball in flip-flops (sorry, I didn't get pictures)!

Monday came, and it was time to head back home to Waco. We kept Nolan up all morning so that he would sleep and it wouldn't be a difficult trip. That didn't work. Sure, he slept for the first hour, but after that, oy vay! We can't figure out what it is about Brady's car that he doesn't like. We don't know if he just doesn't feel comforted by the openness of the carseat, if the carseat is too low and he can't see out the windows, or what it is...it was just not like him! Again, sorry April!!! We finally made it home and the screaming ceased. Hallelujah! We played for awhile with new toys, then put the little one to sleep, and then Brady and I started cleaning up the house for party number 2!

Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday, little man!

New Pictures

I'm sure you all have noticed the new title picture, so I wanted to let you all know that we took 1st year pics this weekend. Don't worry, you will all get one...maybe 2. I'll post a few more on here later, as well as birthday party #1!

Until then...

Move Over Michelangelo

Our little Nolan has become quite the artist! Since he started his new daycare class, he has come home with art work every day...I'm talking EVERY. DAY.

I'm sure he has had a little help completing them, but I say the kid has an eye!

These are his very first two...

Here, he fingerpainted after playing in shaving cream, which he wasn't too sure about!

And, this was his first time with colors...

What do you guys think? They are museum ready, right??? I thought so.

Carseat, Cell Phone, Bucket and Duke*

*this is a long entry folks...I warned ya!

Nolan is now in a big boy carseat. I finally admitted that he needed it, and Brady's dad was nice enough to buy us one for Brady's car...even though we put it in my car until I get the one from my sister.

Anyway, the first day he was in it, he seemed a little confused. Each time I turned around to look at him, he would smile awkwardly and then look to each of the windows : ) He is so stinking curious!

Although he has transitioned to the big boy carseat, he wasn't too fond of his first car trip! He did not like that he was unable to lay down and sleep!!! We were on our way to Brady's parents' house, and we were only about 15 minutes away, when the uncontrollable crying began. He was so frustrated that he couldn't get comfortable in order to fall asleep that he just kept crying and screaming! We finally decided to pull over so I could make sure that he wasn't dirty, and when I got him out of the seat, he became the sweet, little Nolan we all love : ) So, naturally, getting him back in the seat was a big ordeal. We finally got to the grandparents and all was well.

The next day was pretty low key in the morning. We all tried to get Nolan to walk more...did I mention that he took 3 steps Friday night?!!! Yay and Boo all at once. Anyway, we wanted him to keep at it, but he said no. Anywalk, while Brady was out running errands, his mom and I were playing with Nolan and still trying to get him to walk. I stood him at the ottoman to get him to walk to me on the couch, but he decided to play. He grabbed the house phone, which we don't have nor have we ever shown him one, and he held it to his ear to say, "Hiiii-Iiiiiii!" I was completely shocked, proud, and filled with laughter all at the same time! It was hilarious! His Jamma then went to get one of his birthday presents, which is a John Deere cell phone, so he could have his own phone to play with. He talked and talked on it, and we found out that it has a cool little recording device where we can record our voices to say hi back to him. I just can't believe that he knew what to do with the phone...

Later that day, we went to see Brady's grandparents, since we weren't going to see them on Sunday like we normally would (I'll get to that later). As we were driving to their house, I noticed a woman with two calves, standing on the side of the road. I immediately wanted to pull over, but Brady thought it would be weird and said we would ask his Grandpa if he knew them. So, we get inside and ask Papa if he knew the people that lived 2 houses down, he did. We walked over there to find out that the calves didn't belong to them, but the people that lived behind them; we walked back to Granny and Papa's. Granny then called the people with the calves to see if we could come over, but the cows were scrared after being loose, so she said maybe some other time. I decided to leave to get a pedicure, and of course, while I was gone the neighbor calls for them to bring Nolan over to see the cows, Bucket and Duke. Of. Course.

This was when he first saw the cows, Bucket and Duke, and decided he wasn't too sure about them!

Papa had the camera for this one...bear with him : )

So after all of Nolan's excitement, he had a calm evening with Jamma and Pop, while Brady and I were at the Rangers game. It was a great game, with great friends...and family! I could have spit on top of mom's head if I wanted to : ) HA! Rangers won 7-2. Go Rangers!!!

This is Brady showing excitement about the new Cowboys stadium...what a dork!

Sunday morning came. The dreaded Sunday. It was the day I decided to send Nolan back to Levelland with my parents. Why? Because I'm crazy.

Nolan and I woke on Sunday, and his Jamma fixed him a waffle...he loved it! He even took a few more steps to me, as I inticed him with the plate of yummy goodness!!! Once he was finally done eating, I thought it would be funny to wake daddy up with syrup kisses, although daddy begged to differ! We did it anyway. Once we were all ready, we got in the car to head over to my aunt's house for lunch. This time, Nolan fell asleep without any problems in the new carseat. Yay! When we arrived at my aunt's, he was in awe of the trees blowing in the wind, pointing at them with a questioning "Uh?". His mood changed once we got inside. I'm sure it had to do with my whole family surrounding us at the door, and the fact that he hadn't seen them in a while, cause he gripped my shirt and laid his head down as if he was telling everyone, "I'm not leaving my momma." I finally convinced him to raise his head, and he started looking around from one person to another and finally came around. He went straight to mom, who went straight to feeding him, and she became his new best friend! After lunch, he played with my little cousin for a while and loved the robot dinosaur that he had!!! After a couple of hours of this, he would then crawl away from everyone and wave bye to us, so we knew he was ready to go. However, this time, he wasn't going with us. That's right, it was time for me to say bye to my baby boy and send him 6 hours away, for an entire week.

However, not before a little ice cream...

After lots of kisses and hugs, more kisses, thousands of tears as mom and dad pulled out of the driveway, and a thousand more as Brady and I drove back to his parents, I said goodbye. We got back to Brady's parent's house, and his dad said I looked lost. I felt it. That was one of my hardest days, and I've had hard days before, but that one takes the cake. However, it got a little better with a story I said I wouldn't share, but I appreciated the laughter very much ; )

I'm doing fine now. I know he's safe and being loved just as much as he would if he were home with me, so it's all okay.

I love you little man and miss you very much, now go to sleep!!! (That was for you, mom and Aunt Mo!)