The Howard Family

Halloween

2012-02-02T16:11:00.000-06:00

I was a little unsure of how Halloween was going to go this year. I remembered back to Isaac's second Halloween and he wasn't the most cooperative little one at all. Thankfully, Layla was a bit better and perhaps it was because she had a big brother to watch and see how it was done. Whatever the reason, I'm thankful! We really didn't do a lot of trick-or-treating because they are still pretty small and getting Layla in and out of a carseat over and over is no easy task. We ended up going to the Trick-or-Trunk event held at the Hopewell Baptist church. Various church members bring their vehicles to the church parking lot and decorate them for Halloween and give out candy. That way, the kids still get the experience of going around and saying trick or treat, but they are in a good, family oriented environment and aren't on the streets, which suits this Mama just fine!

Isaac was our transformer Optimus Prime and Layla was our little pumpkin girl.

(Don't know if you can tell in the photos or not, but Layla was introduced to Dum Dum suckers this Halloween and she is now a huge fan!)

My Little Cuties

2011-12-31T14:13:00.000-06:00

Things have been going pretty smooth around here lately, just been busy, busy, busy!

Just wanted to post a couple of pics of my sweet babies.

Miss Layla

Mister Isaac

Hope all is well with everyone and I will hopefully catch up more soon!

Weekend at Grandma's

2011-12-31T14:11:00.000-06:00

On Friday, October 14th, we deaded out to Grandma's house for the weekend. On Saturday, our nephew Jakob was having his birthday party in Murfreesboro. It was held at Patterson Park, which has an indoor pool. Isaac was very excited about this, but after seeing the water and slides, his sister Layla was pretty excited too. We hadn't brought anything for her to get in the water with because neither Darren or I was planning on getting in the water either. Well, she ended up throwing a fit so Darren's Mom went and got her some little swimmers to put on so she could play around in the shallow end.

Isaac having a ball

Miss Layla all wrapped up after getting out of the water

Layla having a ball on the swings outside too

Layla and Daddy

After the party, we headed back to Grandma's. It wasn't 5 minutes in the truck until both of my babies were fast asleep and slept the entire ride back to Carthage. We just visited with Grandma and Moms the rest of the evening and after church and lunch on Sunday, headed back to Savannah. It's always good to come back home, but it never gets any easier when it's time to leave. Luckily, I won't have to wait too long before it's time to come back and visit again!

Weekend at Papa's

2011-12-31T14:02:00.000-06:00

On September 30th, we headed out to Papa's house for the weekend. Dad had given me a gift certificate for a photo session with a photographer in Nashville and we had an appointment with him that day at the Ellington Agricultural Center. We arrived a few minutes early for our session and I called the photographer to find out exactly where we were supposed to meet him. Imagine my surprise when he told me he was on his way to another session and he had no idea what I was talking about. Of course me, being the emotional one that I am, totally lost it at that point. I was sooooo upset because we had driven all the way to Nashville for this AND Darren and I had both taken the day off of work AND we had pulled Isaac out of school for the day too. I hung up the phone with him and was absolutely devastated. Then, Darren, being the amazing husband that he is, asked if he could talk to the guy on the phone. I gave him the number and he called him back and must have worked some sort of magic, but managed to get our session rescheduled for the very next day at 10:00am.

The next morning, we were up and ready and got back to the ag center right on time for our appointment. The whole session went amazingly well and the photographer kept apologizing for his mistake. All in all, it worked out great and I hope to use him again for another session next year. (If you saw one of our Christmas cards, all of those photos were from this session.)

After the session was finished, we headed back to Papa's to play awhile before heading out on our next venture. Isaac and Layla played and played in the yard and had a blast.

Layla having fun swinging

Isaac swinging on Papa's tire swing

Papa even took them for a ride on the 4-wheeler

After going in and resting a bit, it was time to get ready and head to town for MTSU's homecoming game against Memphis. We were going a little early to tailgate some and then heading on to the game. Isaac had been to one game before, but this would be Layla's first.

Mommy and her little Raiders!

Blue Raider Family

Isaac and Layla did much better at the game that I had anticipated. Layla got a little antsy towards the end of the game and since MTSU wasn't doing too great anyway, we decided to head out and try and beat some of the traffic.

When we finally got back to Papa's, we were all zapped so we ended up crashing and going to bed fairly early.

The next morning, we played around and visited again before heading back to Savannah.

We had another great weekend with both Papa and Nana and can't wait to visit again soon!

Trip to Chattanooga

2011-12-31T13:42:00.001-06:00

On Tuesday, September 20th, Darren and I headed out to Chattanooga for an HR conference I was attending. We left around lunch on Tuesday and didn't come back until after lunch on Friday. I hated being apart from the kids for a few days, but it was nice for Darren and I to have some time together too. On the way there, it rained on us almost the entire trip. When we got to Winchester, it finally slacked up and even quit raining for a bit. During that break, we saw the most beautiful rainbow. After watching it for a few minutes, we even noticed a second one. They were absolutely gorgeous and stretched from one side of the sky to the other. I wasn't able to get a great picture, but I did get one out the window of my truck as we were driving. It was just beautiful and pleasant reminder of the rainbow's true meaning.

Soccer

2011-12-26T18:16:00.000-06:00

This fall, Darren asked Isaac if he would be interested in playing soccer. Of course, he said yes so Darren got him enrolled. At the same time, Darren also volunteered to be an assistant coach so it was a learning experience for them both!

The season was every Tuesday and Thursday night for the months of September and October. Isaac's league was 4, 5, 6, and 7 year olds. A lot of the other kids had played before, but that didn't slow Isaac down one bit! He had a ball the whole time and I think he will want to play again next year. I'm not too familiar with the rules and regs of soccer, but with this age group, no one really keeps up with anything other than when the ball goes out of bounds. I have some learning to do, but if he keeps playing, hopefully I will catch on.

Here are some photos of our little player!

Cooking with Mommy

2011-10-15T21:22:00.000-05:00

One Sunday afternoon, I decided to try a new recipe. Layla was being quite the fussy one and clining to both of my legs so I just plopped her up on the bar with me to help.

I turned my back for one split second......

And guess who was smack in the middle of my mixing bowl???

100% pure cuteness!

Kids Being Kids

2011-10-15T21:18:00.000-05:00

Isaac went out with his Daddy one evening after dinner and they couldn't have been outside more than 10 or 15 minutes..........

.........and came in looking like this!

Got to just love little boys!!

Sweet baby Layla........

.......she looks so sweet and for the most part she really is..........as long as you don't make her mad.

I know it's hard to believe but this pretty little girl has one heck of a temper sometimes!

Happy Birthday Layla!

2011-10-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

Our sweet baby girl had her first birthday this month. One year ago on August 25th, Layla Claire Howard arrived into this world. Her arrival was a bittersweet moment. We were so glad that this baby girl was finally here and healthy, but her arrival also marked the end of a chapter in our lives. With a healthy boy and now a healthy girl, our little family was complete.

Now, here we are, one year later. It's amazing how when I was pregnant with Layla, I thought I had it all figured out. I had done this before with Isaac and he turned out ok so we would be pros with this second baby. Well, I can say for sure that some of the knowledge that comes with experience has helped, but when you add two little ones to the picture, things get crazy no matter what, but I can't complain. Even on days when I think I am literally losing my mind and I can't take one more minute, my little ones do something to just melt my heart and all my cares just fade away. Life is grand with my babies and I wouldn't trade one second with them for the world.

These are just a few shots I took on her actual birthday. As you can tell, she wansn't the most cooperative child for her Mommy that day.

On Saturday, August 27th, we had Layla's birthday party. It was a small gathering with just close family at our house, but it was just perfect for the occasion.

Here are Miss Layla's cakes

Birthday Girl

Layla was a little unsure of things when we brought out her cake and lit the candle. While we were all singing Happy Birthday to her, she looked at us like we had all lost our minds. She didn't jump right in when it was time for cake either. She took her time and finally gave it a try, but then only barely stuck her finger in before licking off the sweet icing.

Daddy stuck her hand right in the cake, but then she still went back to one little finger at a time.

Layla and her 2 great-grandparents, Boots and Moms

Our little family

Daddy and his girl

Happy Birthday to our sweet Layla!

We are so glad you came into this world and made our little family complete. We can't imagine our lives without you and your sweet brother. We love you both more than you can ever know and are so blessed to have you light up our lives each and every day.

1st Day of School

2011-10-15T17:29:00.000-05:00

On August 16th, Isaac had his very first day of school. He got into the pre-K class at Parris South Elementary and Ms. Marian Perkins is his teacher.

Our big boy is ready for his very first day!

We had to come up with a new morning routine now that the kids were going to two different places. Darren decided he would take Isaac to school and I would continue taking Layla to daycare. I was worried how Isaac would do and he did cry for the first few days, but once he got into his new routine, he was perfectly fine and now loves going to school. It makes his Mama sad to think he's old enough for school already, but it does my heart good to see him and grow and learn.

Isaac also had his very first trip to the dentist this month too. He got his teeth checked and cleaned and Dr. Givens gave him a clean bill of health. Way to go Isaac!

On the other hand, Miss Layla wasn't feeling to well the week before her birthday and since I definitely didn't want a sick girl on her birthday, I got her in to see Dr. Hall at my office. She was 24 pounds and 29 inches long. I'm so glad I decided to take her in because she had a red ear so we went ahead and put her on a round of antibiotics to get her all cleared up before her party next weekend.

Trip to Carthage

2011-10-15T17:22:00.000-05:00

On August 10th, we loaded up the kids and headed to Franklin. I had a payroll conference on Thursday and Friday to attend and Darren was coming along with me. Grandma and Moms met us at the hotel and took the kids back to Carthage with them for a couple of days until the conference was over.

The conference ended on Friday and Darren and I headed to Carthage for the weekend once I was done. Grandma was cooking a celebratory dinner for Moms's 84th birthday.

Happy Birthday Moms!

We even got see Uncle Patrick!

Saturday, we headed out to Lebanon to do a little shopping at the outlets. Once we got back to Grandma's, we just hung around and visited the rest of the evening. On Sunday, we got up and went to church at Defeated Creek and then came back to Moms's for lunch.

After lunch, we hurried and packed up so we could hit the road back to Savannah. We always love to come visit Grandma and Moms in Carthage but it's always so hard when it's time to leave. Even though our home now is Savannah, Carthage will always be home to my heart.

Happy Birthday Boots!

2011-10-15T17:11:00.000-05:00

On August 5th, Darren's grandad Boots celebrated his 90th birthday. To honor this special occasion, there was a birthday reception held at Pyburn just for Boots on Sunday, August 7th. These are my sweet babies before the party.

Cowboy Isaac

Miss Lady Bug

Uncle Derek, Mimi, and Daddy

Somehow, I managed to miss getting a picture of the birthday fella and for that, I could just kick myself. Boots has seen a lot in all his years and I'm thankful to have heard many of his stories and tales. I hope Isaac and Layla can remember him when they are older. One thing is for sure....he sure loves his great-grandbabies and they love him too. Happy Birthday Boots!

July '11

2011-10-15T17:06:00.001-05:00

July sure got here in a hurry! Miss Layla started off the month with a bang. She has been pulling up on stuff for quite some time now, but finally, on July 1st, she took her first assisted steps! She walked behind a push toy at Mimi and PawPaw's house so we knew it wouldn't be long. Sure enough, on July 10th (her Papa's birthday) Layla took 3 steps all by herself! I can't believe how fast my baby has grown and to think her first birthday is just right around the corner makes me just want to cry!

Although she definitely looks a lot like her big brother, she is definitely her own little person. I can't wait to see what kind of child she grows to be and to see how she and her brother grow together.

Here are just some pictures of my sweet babies from throughout the month.....

Vacation 2011

2011-10-15T17:01:00.000-05:00

We took our first official family vacation this year. Darren planned a last minute trip to the beach and it was wonderful. The only down side was that we had to leave a member behind. After much thought, we decided not to take Layla with us. Since she was only 10 months, we knew the ride down there would be rough on her so we came up with an alternate plan. Since Grandma wasn't working and was free, she came to our house to get Layla on June 20th. She stayed the night and then she and Layla took off to Carthage around lunch time. I only worked a half a day and once I got home and changed, we hit the road! Mimi and PawPaw came with us and we drove down to Mobile to stay the night. The next morning, we got up and toured the USS Alabama battleship. Isaac loved seeing the big ship!

After touring the ship, we drove on over to Orange Beach. We arrived at our condo and changed and Isaac was ready to hit the beach! This was his first time to ever see the ocean and he was just amazed at how big it was!

Since it was late when we got there, we didn't stay at the beach too long. We went up and showered and got ready to go out and find some good food to eat!

The second day, Isaac wanted to hit the pool. The ocean had been choppy and rough and since he had been knocked down several times by the waves, he decided the pool was a bit safer. This was fine by me......I was just happy to be out in the sun!

As you can see, Isaac tans pretty easily. This was just after the first day!

This was the view from our condo's balcony.....

We headed home from the beach on Saturday, the 25th. We made a pit stop at the famous Lambert's Cafe to eat before we left. The wait was pretty long, but the food was definitely worth the wait. Good stuff!! Then it was time to hit the road. We hated to leave, but we were all tired and ready to be home. Most of all, we missed our girl! Grandma kept her at her house Saturday so we could get home, unpack, and rest. She brought her home to us on Sunday and boy, were we all glad to see her! Grandma said they had a ball together and she was so glad to have some special time with Layla. She stayed the night on Sunday and then headed back to Carthage when she got up Monday morning. Next year, we are hopeful to have another beach vacation and Miss Layla will definitely be included!

June '11

2011-10-13T14:22:00.000-05:00

June was the start of a busy summer for us all. With Layla pulling up on things, she is constantly into things and it's usually something her brother doesn't want her to get into! Early this month, she started something new that her Mommy did not like at all. At bedtime, she did not want me to rock her. When she was done with her bottle, she was ready to be put in her crib. Well, I was not happy about this and cried many tears wondering what I had done to make my baby not want me to rock her. Thankfully, it was just a phase and we are happily back to rocking at night. This Mommy was not ready to give up that part of her yet, especially knowing she is my last one!

I've told several people many times about what a temper Layla has and some say it's just the drama queen girl in her, but others don't believe that such a sweet little girl could ever have a temper. Darren says she gets it from me, I'm not so sure sometimes. Either way, these are some shots that show my little girl very unhappy with her Mama because I wouldn't let her play with a ceramic coaster. (I know, I'm such a mean ole Mommy!)

Layla playing with boys at Mimi's house

If you look closely in this picture, I think you can see her 2nd tooth, which came through on June 7th.

Layla also had her 9 month photo shoot this month which went really well and the photos were great. Also, remember the bike that Isaac got for his birthday?? Well, he decided the next weekend that he was ready for the training wheels to come off so Daddy took them off and he just started riding that bike like he had been doing it forever!

We also planned a last minute vacation in June, but that's a whole other post all to itself!

Lastly, Layla had her 9 month check up on June 30th. All was well with the little lady. She weighed 22 pounds 9 ounces and was 29 inches long. This visit we excaped without shots, but the next visit we won't be as lucky. I'm just thankful for two healthy and happy kiddos. They are my world and I love them and their Daddy more than they know!

Happy Birthday Isaac!

2011-10-13T14:12:00.000-05:00

On June 3rd, our big boy Isaac turned 4. Hard to believe 4 years have already passed by and I know they are just going to go by faster and faster as he gets older. Papa and Hope came down Friday night to spend the night and stay for Isaac's party. We had the party on Saturday at the part at Pickwick again. Grandma and Moms came up for the party and stayed the night and Papa and Hope went home after the party. Isaac got lots of nice things from his friends and enjoyed playing with them. HOT doesn't even begin to describe how it felt at the park, but we managed to get through.

Isaac's Cars cake

Birthday Boy!

Isaac and his best bud Maddox

Emma, Ellie, Isaac, and Maddox

Layla hanging out in the shade

Isaac's new bike

Both of my little ones were sacked out once we got home from the party!!

May 2011

2011-10-13T14:06:00.000-05:00

On May 12th, we (and Mimi and PawPaw too!) packed up and headed to Memphis after work to spend the night. We decided to spend a day at the zoo before the summer heat kicked in high gear. We had an amazing day! The temperature was just right, the zoo wasn't crowded at all, and Isaac and Layla loved it!

This is how Layla spent most of the day......kicked back and smiling!!

Isaac wearing his new hat from the zoo

Miss Layla

Also in May, CCDC had their year end program. Isaac didn't want to cooperate too much with photos, but at least I got a couple!

Miss Layla had a 1st this month. I don't think you can see it in any of these photos, but her very 1st tooth broke through on May 22nd. No more gummy grins for our sweet girl!

Easter 2011

2011-07-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

On Good Friday, me and the kids headed out to Grandma's for the weekend. Daddy decided to stay home this trip so it was just us three. We left a little after lunch, which is Layla's usual naptime and thankfully, she slept the entire way. Driving 3 hours by yourself with 2 little ones can sometimes be nerve-wrecking, but we managed just fine.

We really didn't do anything out of the ordinary while we were there, but as always, it's good to visit with family, especiallyl when you don't get to see them too often.

Miss Layla getting bathed in Grandma's sink

And of course, the Easter Bunny made a visit to Grandma's house and brought them both lots of goodies. When Isaac woke up, I told him to come and look by the door. When he saw all the goodies, he said "Mama, did Santa Clause come to Grandma's house?"

We tried to do lots of pictures before church since this was Layla first Easter, but she wasn't in the cooperative mood and neither was her brother. We got a few decent ones so I guess I can't complain too much, but they weren't nearly as good as the ones I had planned out in my mind!

After church, we went to Moms' house for a wonderful lunch. We didn't get to visit very long after that because we had to get on the road back to Savannah.

It's always good to go home and visit and no matter how long I have been gone, Carthage will always be my home. I hope my children will grow to love it as much as I do. I can't imagine having grown up any other place and hope I can pass the same beliefs and values on to my own children that I learned growing up. They are some of the most important life lessons and I'm so very thankful I was raised in an area that allowed me to be exposed to them.

April

2011-07-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

April started off with an exciting milestone for Miss Layla. On the 3rd, she crawled just a little and within a few days, she was going all over the place! She ended up having to go to the doctor on the 6th and had an ear infection, but we got it cleard up pretty quickly. She also weighed 19 pounds 11 ounces and was 27 1/2 inches long. We have been very blessed so far that she hasn't been nearly as sick or had as many ear infections as her big brother did as a baby.

They have both been enjoying the nice weather and we can't wait for it to keep getting warmer. They both LOVE being outside!

This was taken on the 9th. We were going out to eat with Mimi and PawPaw to celebrate their anniversary.

On the 15th, we headed up to my Dad's for the weekend to visit and also to celebrate our nephew Ethan's birthday.

Isaac definitely loves his Papa!

Isaac and Papa enjoying the tire swing Papa made.

And of course we had to squeeze in time for a tractor ride! Layla loved it too!

Layla wasn't quite sure what to make out of the grass and flowers.

Isaac also got to experience a first. My Dad's friend has lots of horses and was able to make time for us to come visit. Isaac got to ride a horse for the very first time. He was very hesitant at first, but luckily decided to give it a try and had a ball.

It was a fun weekend for everyone and we are always glad to visit Papa, Nana, Amanda, and Callie Grace. We hope to come back soon for another visit!

Also, on the 20th, Layla (finally!) started saying "Ma Ma Ma". She still says Da Da most of time, but at least I'm in her vocabulary now!

March

2011-05-30T11:26:00.000-05:00

March came and went in a hurry. It was a busy month with lots of firsts for our little lady. Grandma and Moms came the first weekend of the month and got to accompany us for Layla's 6 month photo shoot. She did wonderful and the pictures turned out so cute! I can't believe she's 6 months old already!

That same day, Layla started sitting up on her own and did really, really well. Then, a few days later, she was getting on her all fours and rocking. This lady will be on the move very soon!

On April 9th, Layla went for her 6 month check-up and shots. She was 18# 12 oz. and was 25 1/2 inches long.

As you can tell, she is quite a little chunk!

She also reminds me soooooo much of her big brother when he was this size

Love that sweet smile!

Layla also started babbling this month and of course, the first sounds out of her mouth were "da da da" and you can imagine how proud that made her Daddy! The last accomplishment she had this month was a big one. On the 23rd, right before she turned 7 months, she pulled up to a standing position on our coffee table. Isaac didn't start pulling up until he was about 9 months so this caught me completely off guard. She's trying her best to keep up with her big brother and she will very soon be on the move!

February

2011-04-05T10:06:00.000-05:00

These are my 2 John Deere cuties one morning before heading out to school.

Happy baby

Happy big brother too!

On the 9th of this month, Layla rolled over from her tummy to her back. Since she learned this new trick, sleeping on her belly is the only way she wants to sleep now. Isaac slept on his belly almost immediately, but she's been on her back up until this point. Maybe this will make her a better sleeper! I just think babies asleep on their tummies are the cutest thing!

Isaac just loves his baby sister and I'm so thankful!

This is one of my new favorite pictures of my babies!

We got a visit from Papa this month too! He came down on the 11th and stayed the weekend. We are always glad to get a visit from grandparents and Isaac had a big time playing with Papa. It won't be long until a little lady will be big enough to get in the floor and romp and stomp with the boys too!

Layla also started baby food this month. Squash was the first thing we tried and it didn't go over too well at first, but we are still trying and hopefully she will come around soon.

Layla has also recently discovered her feet and LOVES to play with them! If she is laying on her back, this is what she looks like almost all the time. I just think babies playing with their feet are the sweetest thing!

I still can't get over how much she looks like her big brother when he was this size. I will try next time to post a picture of him at this age, just for comparison's sake. Her hair continues to grow and she already has more hair now than her brother did at his 1st birthday! We still have no teeth and they are really giving us a hard time. I keep thinking any day now one will break through, but so far, no such luck.

Layla is still having quite a bit of trouble at night. She has never been the best sleeper and she goes through spurts where we have several rough nights in a row and it's extremely hard on me. I keep praying and hoping she will do better, but so far, we haven't had much luck. I keep telling myself this is just a phase of her life and it won't last forever, but it is so hard to deal with when you are living it each and every day. Please keep us in your prayers that I can always remember to be a patient mother and that I take the time to slow down and enjoy these moments because like the saying goes, the days are long, but the years go by so very fast.

January 2011

2011-04-05T09:56:00.001-05:00

Well, I have to admit I have let my blogging take a back seat for awhile now. I never would have dreamed how different life would be after adding a second child. You think you are better prepared with a second one and to a certain degree, you are, but no one can tell you just how hectic things will be. You just have to find that out on your own!

January came and went fast. On the 5th, Miss Layla had her 4 month check up and shots. She was 16# and 5 oz. and was 24 1/2" long. She is just growing way too fast!

Mommy's two cuties

Miss Layla has also been trying some cereal and so far, seems to be doing very well with it!

Also this month on the 18th, Layla rolled over from her back to her tummy for the first time. Way to go Layla!!

This little girl is full of smiles almost all the time and I'm so thankful for a happy baby

I'm very thankful for this sweet little guy too!

This was from the big snow we got in January. Isaac was so excited to go out and play. Unfortunately, me and the little lady had to stay in and just watch through the windows, but he definitely had a big time with Daddy!!

Layla's other new trick she has learned!

On the 24th, I had to take both of my babies to the doctor. They both had bronchitis and Layla had her 1st ear infection. :( Luckily, a quick round of antibiotics for them both and they were good to go in no time at all. I hate having sick little ones.

I love these sweet babies more than you can imagine!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T16:22:00.000-06:00

Christmas for us began a week earlier than the actual holiday. On December 17th, we headed to Murfreesboro to spend the night at Papa and Nana's house. We have started combining Thanksgiving and Christmas for them. We pick a weekend between the 2 holidays and it's affectionately known as "Thanksmas". Anyway, we got in pretty late on the 17th. On the 18th, we got up and had a nice breakfast and spent a lot of time just hanging out and visiting.

This was Isaac demonstrating his new trick

Baby Layla

Isaac also put on quite a show for us while we were there. He sang all sorts of songs and Papa even got a couple of them on video.

We tried to get a photo of the 3 little ones and this was the best we could get.

This is Isaac, Layla, and our niece Callie Grace.

(Doesn't she just have the cutest curls ever???)

Layla has really started to smile a LOT, which of course, just melts your heart!

We all got lots of nice gifts. Thank you all! Isaac loved all his toys and poor Layla didn't have a clue what was even going on! Next year will definitely be more fun for her though and I'm looking forward to it for sure!

Daddy and Isaac

Miss Callie Grace

I know she will hate me for it one day, but I just had to put up a pic showing how chunky my girl is. I just LOVE babies with rolls. Isn't she just the cutest?? (I am a little partial, I know!)

My own little Santa Baby!

This picture was supposed to be horizontal and blogger turned it (not me) and I don't know how to turn it back. I just love the picture though!

Family shot

This is another one that blogger turned horizontal. I still think it's pretty cute though!

Thanks to Papa, Nana, Amanda, and Callie Grace for a great weekend. We all had a good time visiting and will definitely have to get together again soon. We had to rush back to Savannah on the 19th in time for our Christmas program at church. I was hopeful I could get a photo of Isaac with Santa, but he didn't want anything to do with him (again).

On Monday December 20, Isaac had his Christmas program at school. They sang a bunch of songs and it was all really cute. Isaac even had a solo line and Daddy got the whole thing on video. Isaac's line was "Trust Jesus because he is God's son"

They even dressed Miss Layla for the program!!

Now on to the rest of Christmas! Me and the kids rode in with my Mom to Carthage on Thursday and Darren came in that evening when he got off work. Christmas Eve evening was spent at my Grandmother's house where that entire side of the family comes for dinner. We went over early that afternoon to visit, to help my Grandmother prepare, and do our gifts.

Me and my little man

Darren, Isaac, and Uncle Patrick

Our little family

Family Shot again

4 generations

I just love this shot of Layla and Moms!

Once again, we got lots of nice gifts, but the best gift was being able to spend time with my family. We left Carthage around 9:00pm headed back to Savannah so that we could do Christmas morning and Santa at our house. Isaac and Layla both were asleep within 10 minutes of getting on the road and both slept the entire way back!

The next morning, we had to wake Isaac up to do Santa gifts.

This is what it looked like when Isaac got up...

Isaac got lots of cars from the movie Cars and several Toy Story Characters. He also got a scooter, but so far, he doesn't seem to care about it too much. Maybe once the weather gets nicer and he can take it outside. He and Daddy stayed busy awhile opening things out of their package and putting them together.

My two Santa babies

All in all we had a wonderful Christmas. We enjoyed our time with all our family and are very grateful to once again have that opportunity. On Christmas Day, our baby girl was 4 months old. Time flies! She is getting so big and getting to be so much fun!! She is smiling all the time and giggling here and there too. I can't wait until the giggles are much more frequent. My Mom weighed her on Christmas Eve and she weighs 16 pounds!! We go back to the doctor January 5 for her 4 month check up and shots.

This will probably be my last post for 2010. This has been such a wonderful year with Layla's arrival and all and only hope and pray 2011 is a wonderful year as well. We are very thankful for the blessings we have received and pray for continued health and happiness.

November Catch-Up

2010-12-21T15:33:00.000-06:00

Well, I knew things would be hectic with 2 kids once I went back to work......but I had no idea just HOW hectic life would be! I have been back at work now for almost 7 weeks and I can't believe how fast time is passing. We have been busy, busy, busy lately and things won't slow down any time soon with the holidays and all.

My little ones are both just growing like crazy! They are both doing well at school and Layla is just becoming a little ball of fun. Her personality is really starting to come out now and she smiles all the time. We've even gotten a couple of giggles out of her! I can't believe she will be 4 months old on Christmas Day.

As you can see, she likes her Bumbo seat. She absolutely hates laying down and always wants to be included with things and seeing what is going on with everyone.

For now, her eyes are still big like her Mama's, but blue like her Daddy's

This little man just continues to keep us on our toes

My two babies!

This was taken after we went to try and do Santa pictures. Once again, Isaac was pumped up and ready until we got there, then he didn't want anything to do with Santa. Layla had no problem sitting on his lap for a picture, but if she takes after her big brother, that may be the only one I ever get!

Sweet baby girl

Sweet big brother

This is her solemn face and when she wants to, she can stare a hole right through you!

The week of Thanksgiving, me and the kiddos took off to Carthage for the weekend. This was the first trip home like that I've made by myself with them, but things couldn't have gone any better. Layla slept the whole way both going and coming and Isaac kept me entertained with conversation. We ate Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandmother's house and my aunt, uncle, and cousins from North Carolina came in for the holiday too. It's aways good to spend time with family and I was so happy they got to see Isaac and meet Layla. The rest of the weekend was pretty lazy and we just hung around and visited. We went to church on Sunday, which I always enjoy, then came back to my Grandmother's for a quick lunch before hitting the road back to Savannah.

I took this picture of my babies after church and I have to say, it's probably one of my all-time favorites.

My smiling, chunky little girl!

Being silly!

Sweet girl again

We went to my Dad's this past weekend to do our annual Thanksmas (Thanksgiving and Christmas combines) weekend. We took TONS of pictures and once I get them uploaded, I'll do a December/Christmas post to finish out 2010. We'll be back very soon!!

Reflections

2010-11-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

As I sit here today typing this, I am overcome with a range of emotions. Today is my last day of maternity leave with Layla and I will return to work on Monday. These past 10 weeks at home have truly been a rollercoaster of a journey with many ups and downs. Part of me is looking forward to going back to work and getting to be around grown ups during the day as well as getting back into some sort of routine. The other part of me feels guilty because I know I will never again have this amount of time with my baby girl. I had these same feelings when I went back to work with Isaac and I know it's completely normal, but it's still hard. I know you can't be with your kids every hour of every day and that time doesn't stop simply because I have to go back to work. It doesn't make it any easier though to know she will be spending so much of her active awake time with people other than her Mommy. Please keep us all in your prayers that things go smoothly as we begin this next chapter in our lives.

Mommy's sweet baby girl

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T10:15:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that November is here. Layla had her first Halloween and Isaac had a big time too. Isaac went with Daddy to the hunting club on Saturday morning to shoot guns and get Daddy's scope set. Me and Layla went to Mimi and PawPaw's to hang out until the guys got back. Here is a photo of my little ones before we left the house. It's amazing how much Layla looks like her brother did at his first Halloween too!!

When the guys got back, we got the kiddos dressed to go out trick or treating. Several of the large churches here do the trunk or treat deal where the cars are decorated and treats are given out of the trunks. This keeps the kids off the streets and is so much easier than going door-to-door and having to get in and out of car seats so that's what we did. We did go to a few houses of folks we knew basically to visit and let them see how cute our little ones were! :)

Here is my little flower girl Layla.....

and her big brother Spiderman (aka Isaac)

This was the only one I could get of the two of them together where they were both looking in the direction of the camera!

I just thought these next couple of photos were cute and showed off the one thing that both of my babies got from their Mama.........LOVE, LOVE, LOVE those big ole' eyes!!!

My two favorite guys!!

And last but definitely not least, I have followed through on my promise to get a shot of Layla and her sweet smile!!

This is my last week home with this sweet girl and I'm a nervous wreck just thinking about going back to work next week. We have had some sleep issues with this lady. She goes to bed fine and is still sleeping good for the first stretch, but after her bottle, she wants to be awake and play and it's taken a good hour to hour and half to get her back to sleep. That's all fine and dandy now, but I can't do that next week when I have to get up and go to work so last night we tried something different. She got her last bottle around 9:00 and was wide awake, but I was able to get her to sleep around 9:30. I rocked her quite a bit after that just to make sure she was good and asleep, then laid her in her crib in her room. She's been sleeping in a pack and play beside our bed in our room, but decided it was time to move her out. I felt kind of bad because Isaac was in our room like that FOREVER before we finally moved him to his room, but things are so much different with the second child. Anyway, she did great in her room last night. She woke up around 2:00 for her feeding and was asleep on my shoulder, but those big eyes popped open wide when I laid her back down. She wasn't fussing or crying though so I left her in her crib and went back to bed. She must have eventually drifted off because the next thing I know she woke me up at 5:00. She just woke then because she was gassy to after some gas drops and about 5 minutes of rocking, I laid her back down again and she slept until 7:00! I'm hoping to get her into a more predictable routine soon, I just don't know how. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please share!! I also have trouble getting her to nap for much longer than 45 minutes to an hour during the day. The only way she will sleep longer is if she's in her swing, which is not a bad thing, but I don't want her to have to always be in the swing in order to be able to take a long nap. Any ideas on this would be appreciated too! Please keep us all in your prayers as we prepare to start a new routine with me going back to work. We definitely will need all the help we can get!!

2 months

2010-10-27T10:27:00.000-05:00

Wow.....I know it sounds cliche', but how in the world does time fly by so fast? Miss Layla turned 2 months old this past Monday and I can't believe how quickly these weeks have passed and how much has changed. We are still taking things one day at a time and I'm constantly reminding myself that the best days are yet to come. Post-partum hit me like a mack truck this go-around and I had some extremely tough times. I still have my moments, but things are definitely much better now. We still aren't on a set routine, but things are falling into place somewhat. Typically, I can get Layla down for the night somewhere between 10:00 and 11:00 and she will usually sleep 4-5 hours on that first stretch. After that, she's usually only good for 2 1/2-3 hours, which is, from what I've been told, pretty typical for her age. Due to the post-partum issues I was having, I made the decision to stop breastfeeding and switch her to formula. She made the transition well and I feel a HUGE sense of relief now that that burden is off my shoulders. I'm somewhat sad that I couldn't nurse her like I did Isaac, but things are so totally different with 2 in the picture and I'm confident that I made the right decision. Layla went for her 2 month check-up and shots yesterday and all was well. She weighed 12 pounds 2 ounces and was 23 inches long. She's a little chunk, but I just LOVE fat babies!!! She's smiling a whole lot more now and cooing a lot more too. I have yet to capture a good smile on camera, but I'm still trying and I WILL succeed!

Isaac is doing good too. He has moved up to the 4 year old class recently at school and seems to be doing well. He doesn't have a lot to do with Layla and doesn't try to hold her, but he's constantly kissing her and loving on her, which is so very sweet. I can't wait for the time to come when she is big enough to actually interact with him and to see what kind of relationship they will have together.

As you can see, it's about time to retire the Moses basket!!!

LOVE those chubby cheeks!!

My babies

This was taken just last night after her bath. Sometimes she reminds me SO MUCH of her big brother it's scary!!

I can't believe my maternity leave is almost over. I go back to work on November 8, which is a payroll Monday for me. (What was I thinking??) For the most part, I'm looking forward to going back and being around grown ups during the day and getting into some sort of daily routine. At the same time, part of me is also sad that my time with her is almost up. A few weeks ago I was a miserable wreck and wanted to go back to work immediately. I still feel so guilty for having those feelings and wishing away my time with my baby girl, but I keep telling myself it wasn't something I consciously felt, but was the hormones and sleep deprivation taking over. I know this time is precious and I will never again have the opportunity to spend this kind of time with my children. Life is short and I pray for the strength, knowledge, and patience to live each day to the fullest and take advantage of each and every moment I have with these little ones because tomorrow, they will be bigger than they are today and I can never again get this time back. Although my days are filled with many ups and downs, I have to constantly tell myself this phase won't last forever and things will get better. Life is good, but it's also short and I always try to remember and follow the phrase I once saw on a church bulletin board......."Don't count time, make time count"

Church

2010-10-05T10:59:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, October 3rd, Layla took her first trip to church. She was 5 weeks old and did great. She slept the entire time! I was a little worried she would wake up wanting to be fed in the middle of the service, but she never even stirred. The gown she wore was hand-made by our preacher's wife, who also happens to be my father-in-law's cousin Janie. She did an amazing job and the dress is just precious. I plan on having her 3 month pictures done in the dress too. Special thanks to Janie for such a sweet and special gift!!

So long September....

2010-10-01T10:08:00.001-05:00

Wow, how can it be that September is gone?? Time sure does fly! Anyway, things are continuing to go pretty good at the Howard house. I went for my post-partum check up this week. The visit went well and I got some "happy pills" to help with my post-partum issues. I knew I had lost weight since having Layla, but was pleasantly surprised to see that I am 13 pounds less than I was when I got pregnant. I gained about 10 pounds with the pregnancy and with me nursing, the pounds just kind of melted away. Pretty good incentive to continue, huh? I also took Layla by Dr. Amy's office for a weight check and was very pleased to see that she is now 10 pounds and 2 ounces. She's just growing like a little weed! She is now completely out of all her newborn size clothes and is in either 0-3 months or just 3 months. She'shad her first smiles and she has also cooed at the ceiling fans a few times, which is just so sweet to hear! Her little personality is definitely starting to come out, which is so fun to see. She is now 5 weeks, which means my maternity leave is now officially halfway over. I'm still trying to get her in a routine and we're doing pretty good. She only gets up once or twice at night, but it's still being 10:30 or 11:00 before I can get her down for the night. Hopefully, by the time I go back to work we will be settled in better. Part of me is dreading going back to work, but the other part is soooooo looking forward to being around grown ups all day again! I know I should enjoy my time at home and I'm trying my best. It gets kind of lonely sometimes, but I'm trying to make do. Anyway, please continue to keep us all in your prayers. We'll update again soon!!

4 weeks

2010-09-23T16:19:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Miss Layla turned 4 weeks old. My, how fast time flies! This first month home with our little lady has been full of ups and downs, smiles and tears (hers and mine both!). For the most part, she is a very laid back baby and cries very little. We are trying to get her on a daily routine and so far, things have gone pretty good. She sleeps for 3-4 hours at a time at night and when she wakes to feed, she usually goes right back to sleep. For those good nights, I am extremely grateful. We've had a couple of rough nights where she wanted to be up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night and I will admit I have struggled with the irregular sleeping patterns. I know this is completely normal for a newborn and Darren just keeps telling me what a good job I'm doing. I also try to keep reminding myself that this phase won't last forever and things DO get better. I've had a little trouble myself with some postpartum hormonal issues (that only intensify with sleep deprivation), but they're getting better. I had the same trouble with Isaac so I kind of knew it was coming. I go back to the doctor next week though so maybe we can get a grip on things and start to get better. I took Layla to the Health Department yesterday when she turned 4 weeks old for a weight check and my little chunky monkey was 9 lbs. and 7 1/2 oz. She continues to nurse very well so we'll just keep trucking along as long as we can! Big brother Isaac is still doing great too and always wants to love on his baby sister. Part of my postpartum issues involve Isaac and the fact that I don't have the time to spend with him like I did before Layla arrived and I feel extremely guilty about that. I just keep telling myself that he is fine and I'm not the first mother in the world to have these feelings. Please keep me and my little family in your prayers that I can overcome these postpartum issues and focus on the many positive things that I have in my life, most importantly, my family.

Life with Two

2010-09-13T11:26:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, September 9, the 2 kiddos had appointments in Jackson for their check-ups. Luckily, Darren's mom was able to go with me. Not quite sure I could have handled them both by myself just yet! Anyway, they were both good as gold and their check-ups went great. Isaac was 37 lbs. and 38" tall. He did fantastic until they had to check his hemoglobin right at the end. Of course he cried (I would have too-I hate having my finger poked!) and needed lots of loving from Mommy, which I happily obliged. Layla got a good report too. I am continuing to totally breastfeed, which is so much easier the second time around, and she is gaining weight very well. She now weighs 8 lbs. and is 19 3/4" long. Isaac doesn't have to go back until he turns 4 and Layla will go back at 2 months for another check-up and her first round of shots.

Life with 2 kids is much different than with just one, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Isaac is still going to school each day to keep him in his routine and allow me not only to heal and rest, but to spend time with Layla like I did when Isaac was a newborn. Of course, the first few weeks with any newborn has its ups and downs and right now, we are just trying to begin to get some sort of routine in place. She has her good nights and bad, but overall, she has been a really good baby so far. She can sleep through just about any kind of noise and with the exception of a couple of belly aches, doesn't really ever get upset. I hope she stays this way! All in all, I am so very blessed to have 2 healthy and happy kids and a loving husband. I pray each night that I have the wisdom and knowledge to be the best Mommy I can be and raise my children to be honest, respectable, and God-fearing individuals. I know life has its ups and downs, but right now, life is good!!

August

2010-09-03T12:58:00.008-05:00

Ok, I know I said I was going to do better at this whole blogging thing. August was a wild and hectic month so this will be a VERY lengthy post. We've also been having internet issues at home so I'm doing the best that I can!! Anyway, August got here in a hurry and there is a lot of catching up to do. On August 5th, I went for my non-stress test and another ultrasound. All went well with those and the ultrasound tech figured Baby Layla already weighed around 6 1/2 pounds. That sounded like a lot to me, especially since I still had 4 weeks left!! Anyway, I was down to my weekly visits now and on the 5th, I wasn't really dilated or effaced any to speak of so I was a little disappointed, but figured things would start happening when the time was right. On August 12, the ladies at my office threw me a baby shower. I got a ton of stuff!! There were so many nice things that I got along with a lot of practical stuff too like diapers, wipes, and lotions. I work with a great group and am so thankful for the close relationships I've formed with several of them. I took my camera to work that day, but forgot to get it out during the shower so I don't have any pics from the event. I did however get Darren to take this photo when I got home to show how large and plump my belly was at this point!

36 1/2 weeks pregnant

I went back to the doctor the following week and still had made no progress. I was dilated between 1 and 2 and only about 50% effaced. Apparently this little lady was going to take her sweet time getting here!!

On August 20, the ladies that I used to work with at the Health Department threw me a shower too. This was totally unexpected, but I can't tell you how much it meant to me that they wanted to do that for me. Again, I got lots of super nice things and can't wait for Miss Layla to get here! Here is a shot of me and my dear friend Dale. I love you girl and don't know what I'd do without you!!

Here are some shots of Layla's room

On August 23rd, I went back to Dr. Mic for another weekly visit. At this point, I still hadn't made a lot of progress. I was dilated to a 2 and between 50% and 60% effaced. He joked with me that it would be fine for me to get started any time now and that I didn't have to wait for my due date to roll around. I told him it wasn't due to a lack of wishful thinking and that as soon as this little lady decided to get things started, I would be ready too!!

The next day was pretty routine and we all went to bed just like normal. Sometime after midnight, I started having contractions. At first, I didn't think much of them, but once I noticed they were coming pretty regular, I thought I better start timing them just to see. Between 4:00am and 6:00am I timed them and they were all between 4 and 7 minutes apart. I then got up and packed Isaac's bag and then decided I better call the doctor and see what to do. They said to come on in so I woke Darren and told him to get his things packed that we needed to head to the hospital. I then called my Mom and told her to pack up and hit the road. Darren called my Dad, who just happened to be at the airport getting ready to board a plane. His uncle in Detroit had just passed away and he was flying up to be there for that. Luckily, we caught him in time and he headed back to his house to pack up and hit the road to west TN. We finally got everything loaded up and packed and headed to Darren's parents house to drop off Isaac. He was finally awake at this point, but didn't seem to upset to be getting dropped off. Anyway, off to Jackson we headed!! We got to the hospital and got checked in and put in a room in Labor and Delivery. The nurse came in and checked me and at this point, I was still only dilated to 2 and 50%-60% effaced. She said I needed to make some sort of progress before things really got started and she recommended walking. So, off we started walking. She told us to walk through the hospital for an hour and then come back to be rechecked. So that's just what we did!! When our hour was up, we headed back to the room and called for the nurse. She checked me again and I still had not made any progress, even though my contractions had not slowed down at all. Then she dropped the bomb on us. She told us we would probably be discharged since I wasn't making any progress. At this point, I lost it! I couldn't imagine being discharged and having contractions like I was having. What was I going to do?? So we just waited........and in about 30 minutes, another nurse came in with papers and told us we were being released. To say I was devastated was a HUGE understatement. When she left the room, I stood up to get changed back into my clothes. When I did, a couple of drops of some kind of fluid ran down both my legs. I wasn't sure what it was, but thought I better have a nurse check it out before we got gone. I called her back in there again and she tested it with some sort of strip, but couldn't officially determine what it was. She told me to get back in the bed and they would leave me on the monitors a while longer to see how things went. Well, it was a good 2-3 hours before I saw another nurse at all and during that time, my contractions were between 2 and 3 minutes apart and were getting stronger and stronger. When she finally came back, she could tell from the monitors that I had been progressing and when she checked me, I was about 4 cm dilated and 80%-90% effaced. We were definitely going to have a baby today! They then sent in more nurses to get an iv started and to get my lab work done. Once this was completed, I could get my epidural. Woo-hoo!!! They finally got all this done and by this time, Dr. Mic was there too. He was in the room just chit-chatting with Darren and asking us if we were ready to have a baby. We both said of course! He hung around a bit longer and it was no time before I was ready to start pushing. I went from being 5 centimeters dilated to 10 in about 30 minutes and with 5 or 6 good pushes, she was here! Layla Claire Howard was born on August 25, 2010 at 4:45 pm. She weighed 6 pounds and 15 ounces and was 19 inches long. Darren went to the waiting area to get Isaac first and let us have some family time, just the 4 of us. He was pretty skittish and didn't want to touch her, but his eyes were huge and he just kept staring at her. When Darren took him back to the waiting area to get the rest of the family, they all asked him about her. He told them she was "little bitty" and was just "this big" and held his hands about 6 inches apart!!

Our first family photo

Me, my Mom and Layla

Layla Claire

We got released the next evening and this photo was taken when we got home

Big Brother Isaac. He has done SO good with Layla and just loves on her all the time. Another Isaac funny.....Darren's Uncle Jimmy was asking Isaac how Layla was and his response was "She's out now!"

Layla's first big smile caught on camera

So far, Layla has been a wonderful baby. She's nursing well and rarely cries. At the moment, she seems to have her days and nights a little mixed up. She likes to be awake in the middle of the night, but at least she's just awake and not crying and for that, I am grateful. I just feel so blessed to finally have our little family complete. I am looking forward to spending the next several weeks at home with her, learning her personality, and just soaking her in!

July 4th

2010-09-03T12:48:00.005-05:00

July 4th weekend was spent with the Howard family. Darren's brother Derek and his family came in for the weekend and all the little ones had a big time together. Saturday was spent out on the lake, but it was rough. There were so many boats out and the water was so choppy that it was hard to do much of anything. We did still manage to have some fun time in the sun though. After we got off the water, we all came back to our house to grill out and do fireworks. All in all, it was a really great weekend.

Isaac and Jakob

Memphis Zoo

2010-08-21T10:18:00.003-05:00

On June 19, we took Isaac to Memphis for his first trip to the zoo. I don't think we could have picked a hotter day to go if we had tried, but let me tell you, my little guy had a ball! He absolutely loved seeing all the animals and just kept saying "Daddy, come look at this!" It was the cutest thing! He said the lions and tigers were his favorites and he keeps asking to go back. We will definitely make another trip to the zoo, but I promise you it won't be while the weather is still so miserably hot!

In one area of the zoo, they had a giant fountain that was representing Old Faithful. It was so hot out, we just couldn't tell Isaac no so we let him loose in the water. He was totally soaked from head to toe, but I know he felt so much better after cooling off!

He really liked the snakes too!

He completely crashed out on the way home. We had a great trip and can't wait to go back!

Baby Layla Update

2010-06-24T10:48:00.003-05:00

Well, I still have one more post to do to get everyone up to date on things, but I had to share this one first. Working for a medical clinic definitely has its bonuses so yesterday, I went over to our OB clinic and got a peek at our baby girl. Right now, I am about 29 1/2 weeks along so we are almost on the home stretch. You have no idea how ready I am for this baby girl to get here!! Anyway, Tabatha said everything looked good and she is definitely still a girl! According to the measurements she was getting, Baby Layla is about 10 days ahead of my due date so she may come a little early, or she just may be big. I hope it's the first, especially seeing how hot it's been already and it's not even July yet! Anyway, she also said that she is already in the head-down position, so her feet and her little booty are the reasons I am so out of breath these days! I've been bad and haven't even taken the first belly pic with this pregnancy, but I will try and get Darren to do that soon and will share them here. I'm finally within a couple of pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight, but still throwing up just about everything I eat during the day. Thank goodness this won't last forever! I go back to the doctor next Tuesday so i will give more of an update after that. In the meantime, here are a couple of pics of our baby girl!! The one on the left is her profile, which was a little tough to get because she had her hands up by her face and didn't want to move them at all. The one on the right is a little harder to make out, but she is looking right back at you. We can't wait to meet you sweet girl!!

Out on the Lake

2010-06-24T10:36:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, June 12, me and Isaac went out on Pickwick Lake with Mimi and PawPaw on their pontoon. Isaac had been begging to go swimming and it was SOOOOOO hot that day we figured the water would be a good place to be so off we went.

Isaac even got to help PawPaw drive some!!

We went out to a popular cove (Dry Creek) and anchored down. We didn't waste any time getting in the water as it was entirely too hot just to sit around on the boat. I was a little worried how Isaac would do in the water, but he was not scared a bit. In fact, I was in the water in front of the boat he was jumping off into my arms. He's definitely going to be a water-lovin' boy!!

This is a view from our boat of all the other boats camped out in the cove

On the way back to the loading dock, Isaac crashed out. He had so much fun in the water, but it completely exhausted him!!

I know, I know.......the paci is something we are hoping to eliminate very soon, but he is SOOOO very attached to it! At school, he only takes it at naptime and we don't let him take it out anywhere in public, but he really likes it at home, especially at bedtime. I would gladly welcome any suggestions on how to easily break this habit!!

Isaac's Birthday 2010

2010-06-24T10:02:00.008-05:00

On June 3rd, my sweet baby boy turned 3. It blows my mind how fast these 3 years have gone and it breaks my heart to see how time truly flies with little ones. I love watching him grow and learn, I just wish things could slow down. I feel so very blessed to have such a good, happy, and healthy child and I try to take the time to enjoy the small things and savor each and every moment spend with him because I know that one day, they will just be memories. Isaac's birthday this year fell on a Thursday and even though his party wasn't until Saturday, the 5th, we still celebrated at home. Darren's Mom, Dad, and Grandad came over and we all ate dinner and had birthday cupcakes for dessert. Afterwards, we let Isaac tear into some gifts. As you can tell by the photos below, Isaac is all boy and absolutely loves anything to do with construction machines and tractors, especially John Deeres! Thank you Mimi, PawPaw, and Boots for coming and sharing this special time with us!!

On Saturday, June 5th, we had Isaac's birthday party at the Pickwick Landing State Park playground. For those of you that attended, this is the same park where Darren and I got married back in 2004. Here is a photo of Isaac's birthday cake. It was sooooo yummy!!

These are some pics of the playground at the park. The playground is to the side of the inn and the spot we were married is on the back-side of the inn facing the water.

This is a group shot we got of almost all the little ones that were there. From left to right are Lillie, Maddox (Isaac's best bud in his class at school), Emma, Ellie (Isaac's "girlfriend"), Isaac, and Jakob. Jakob's little brother Ethan was also there, but didn't want to get in the photo.

Here are just some more shots from the party

Later that evening when we got home, Isaac had to try on his Spiderman outfit that Jakob and Ethan got him. He loves it and I'm pretty sure our Halloween costume for this year is already taken care of!!

Grandma (my Mom) also brought Isaac some boxer brief underwear so he could be like Daddy and he loves them. They are sooo cute on him, but they make him look so grown up!

Thanks to everyone that came to Isaac's party and helped make it a success. Also, thanks to Grandma and Moms for coming and staying the night with us. We missed Uncle Patrick, but hope he and you all can come back and visit again very soon. We love you all!

Catching up.....again!!

2010-06-11T09:09:00.008-05:00

Well, I had really hoped not to get so far behind in my posting, but as you can tell, that's exactly what I've done. It seems like time really gets away from you once summer arrives, especially when you throw in a 3 year old little boy and a pregnant Mommy! Anyway, I have a lot of recapping to do and a lot of pictures to share to get everyone up to date on things.

We headed to middle TN for a visit back in April to celebrate our nephew Ethan's 2nd birthday. Dad and Hope were on a trip out west so we stayed at my Mom's house for the weekend. We had a good time at the party, which mostly consisted of just family, but nevertheless, the little boys sure had a big time together! I know I'm terrible, but I didn't even get a picture of the birthday boy. I'm sorry Ethan! Here are the bigger two though who, as you can tell by the photos, had a big time sneaking in a taste of the blue icing on Ethan's cake.

I do want to make a note that on April 4th, Isaac wore his big boy underwear to school for the very 1st time and had no accidents all day long. Way to go little man!

Next, on to Mother's Day. Darren and I have agreed to start alternating holidays now between my folks and his and this year, it was our turn to stay in Savannah for Mother's Day. In no way, shape, form, or fashion though did this mean I didn't think of my wonderful Mama on this day. I am so very blessed to have been born and raised by her and with her influence and if I can somehow be just a fraction of the Mother she has been to me, I will feel like I have truly accomplished something. I love you Mom and thank you for not only being a wonderful Mother to me, but also being the best friend I could ever hope to have. Silly me forgot to even check the batteries on my camera so when I was preparing to take some pics of me and my little guy on Mother's Day, my battery totally died. Here is one of the shots I did manage to get though. Isaac, you will never know how much you mean to your Mommy. Since you've been in the world, my perspective on life has completely changed. You are everything to me and I pray each and every day that you will continue to grow and learn and that I can be right there with you all the way. I pray that you will grow to be a strong, respectable, loving, and God-fearing man and I promise that I will do everything in my power to help you achieve all these and more. I love you so very much Little Buddy!!

Now, on to some humor!! Isaac recently decided that he and Daddy needed to take a bath instead of a shower. Of course, it couldn't be just any old bath, it had to be a bubble bath. Needless to say, I think they both enjoyed it because they've done it many more times since. As you can see in the pics, Isaac even decided one night that they needed to wear goggles in the tub and he somehow convinced his Daddy to go along with it too.

This one just absolutely cracks me up!!!

On May 12th, Isaac school (Cumberland Child Development Center) had their end of the school year program. They mostly sang songs and did the pledges they had learned. Isaac did ok at first, but then refused to get back up there with his class and finished out the program sitting with Mommy and Daddy. Isaac has really thrived since starting at CCDC back in October and we just love the teachers there and the new friends he has made.

After the program, the parents were invited to stick around and have a picnic lunch with the kiddos outside and visit while they played and wore down before nap time. The kids had the biggest time!

Here is Isaac and his buddies Maddox and Payton. Isaac talks about Maddox all the time and just loves to play with him. He really is a sweet little guy and I'm so glad Isaac and he are buddies.

Isaac blowing bubbles

And here is Isaac with two of his favorite girls, Arianna and Ellie. Ellie is on the right and I worked with her Mommy, Mrs. Dale at the Health Department. Isaac has known Ellie for a long time and refers to her as not only his best friend, but his girlfriend too. She is such a sweetheart and I hope these two can stay buddies for many years to come.

These are just a couple of shots of Isaac being his cute little self!!

Memorial Day weekend was a big weekend for us. After work on Friday, we loaded up and headed to my Mom's for the night. The next day, we got up early and hit the road east headed for North Carolina to attend my cousin Haley's wedding. I was a little worried about how Isaac would do on the trip considering it was roughly 450 miles from Carthage, but he did great. Thank goodness for portable DVD players!! When we got there Saturday, we got to visit a bit, but then had to go and get ready to attend the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately, due to my troubled pregnancy, I didn't really get to enjoy the wonderful food that was available because I still get sick all the time. Anyway, I was able to get in a couple of pictures before we left of me and Darren and Isaac.

Before I move on, I have to share another funny Isaac comment. While we were at the rehearsal, Isaac suddenly had to go potty so off we go to the restroom. When we went in, there was no one in there but us. I stood Isaac up on the potty and he did his business, then started to open the stall door. I told him to wait just a minute that Mommy had to go potty too. At this time, I heard the bathroom door open and more folks come into the restroom. I proceeded to sit down and do my business when Isaac asked me out loud "Mommy, are you peeing or pooping?" I told Isaac to be quiet that Mommy just had to pee. He then squatted down and looked up at me and said "Mommy, where does your pee come from?" I was completely mortified and before I knew it, I said "Isaac baby, shut your mouth!!" He looked up at me with the most solemn look on his face and said "Mommy, we don't say shut up!" I wanted to just crawl up in a little hole!! Thankfully, the other ladies in the restroom were friends of my cousin that I had met before and all seemed to get a big kick out of Isaac's comments!

After a day on the road and busy night at the rehearsal, we finally crashed out and all got a good night's sleep before the wedding the next day. I was supposed to sit up front with the family during the ceremony, but was too afraid that Isaac wouldn't cooperate. I definitely did not want to cause a scene so we just kind of stood in the background. The wedding was outside at my cousin's house so it worked very well. There is a playground across the street from their house and Darren ended up taking him down because he got a little restless during the ceremony. I really wanted to get some more pictures afterward, but Isaac wasn't cooperating very well at all. I did manage to get a few in though so I guess I can't complain too much!

Here is my mom and my Aunt Carol, her sister and mother of the bride

Isaac and Grandma

My brother Patrick, Mom, and me

Isaac and Daddy. This is probably my favorite. I love these two guys!!

Isaac and Mommy

We got up and headed home the next day and were on the road for almost 12 hours. It wasn't nearly as tough as I was afraid it was going to be and again, Isaac did so much better than I even could have hoped he would do. Needless to say, we were all exhausted when we got home. Also, this is the first night that Isaac slept in his big boy underwear and so far, he hasn't had any accidents during the night. Yay!!! I took the next day off work to recoup and I also had my monthly doctor's visit that afternoon. Everything went well and I had finally gained some weight this visit. Like I said earlier, I still can't eat meals and still get sick when I do, but I have learned that if I can just munch on bland foods in small amounts throughout the day, I can usually do ok so I'm trying to stick with what works. I was having some issues with my feet swelling though and strangely enough, it was mostly on my left side. I mentioned this to Dr. Micetich and he said swelling was pretty normal, but it was a little odd that it was mostly on one side so he wanted me to get an ultrasound of my left leg just to make sure, which I had done last Friday. I have not heard anything back from him regarding that, so I'm going to assume that no news is good news. I go back to him on the 29th of this month and after that, we are down to visits every 2 weeks. I can't believe it's already that time and that I only have about 12 weeks to go. I am so ready for this little girl to be here! I'm already feeling very uncomfortable and large and I have the entire summer to go so I know it's not going to get any better any time soon. She is really moving a lot right now and seems to be all over the place, which makes me think of another funny that Isaac said not too long back. We were at church one Sunday and during the music, Baby Layla was really moving around a lot. I let Isaac feel my belly while she moved and he said "I know what my baby sister is saying." I asked him what she was saying and his response was "She is saying let me out of here!!" I just cracked up at him and just can't get over a lot of the stuff he comes up with. It really makes you wonder what all goes through his mind sometimes. This is all for now. Isaac just had his 3rd birthday on June 3rd and I have lots of pics to share from that day as well as his birthday party, but I haven't taken them off my camera yet. That is my next project though and I promise I will have them and another post up as soon as I can!!!

According to Isaac

2010-05-20T08:30:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't posted in a while and this is going to be a very quick one, but I just had to share with you Isaac's latest comment that was just hilarious. We were sitting in church on Sunday and just like her big brother Isaac did, baby Layla really starts moving when the piano and singing begin. I got Isaac's attention so he could feel my belly and hopefully feel her movements. I asked him if he could feel her and he said "Yes Mama and I know what she's saying". I said "You do?? What is she saying?" and he replied with "My baby sister is saying Let Me Out of Here!" Well, I almost fell over I was laughing so hard. He can come up with some of the funniest things and oh how I would love to know just exactly what's going on in his little head. Sorry this is so short, but I will do another update soon and will share some pics too. As for me and baby Layla, we are about the same. We are almost 25 weeks now, which is pretty close to 6 months. The nausea and vomiting are still the same, but I continue to try and cope the best that I can. I will be going to North Carolina next weekend for my cousin Haley's wedding and am not sure if my guys are going with me yet or not. We shall see!! Then, I go back for my next doctor's appointment on June 1st so hopefully all will go well. Please continue to keep us all in your thoughts and we'll be back soon!!

Pictures!!!

2010-04-15T10:12:00.005-05:00

Hello again! I apologize for the delay in posting. I really don't have a good excuse other than.......I'm just pregnant and STILL not feeling too good. The good news is I haven't lost any more weight (yay!), but I'm still throwing up everything I eat with the exception of what I eat right before bed. Oh well.....I'm half-way there now so I only have 20 more weeks of this!

Also, I thought since my last few posts have been mostly about me and the baby, I really needed to do one about Isaac and include some pics as well. He is still doing great and continues to tell everyone we are still naming his baby sister Spiderman! As for names, she still doesn't have an official name, but we both have agreed that we really like the name Layla so that will probably be her first name, we just have to come up with a middle name to go with it.

As for Isaac, here is my little guitar man. Everytime Daddy gets his guitar out, Isaac has to run and get his too. It is the cutest thing! He even tries to play and sing along with whatever tune Daddy happens to be singing.

This one was taken after school on the day they had their Easter egg hunt. Isaac was so excited to tell me that the Easter Bunny woke him up from his nap that day. He had a blast finding eggs and even played for them for about a week or so after Easter was over.

Isaac got to go to another egg hunt that weekend at church, which he also thoroughly enjoyed. This is my brown eyed boy before the hunt.

This is what the Easter Bunny brought Isaac

He is really in to Curious George these days so he was thrilled to get a movie with a bunch of George episodes on it. He also REALLY enjoyed the chocolate stuff he got, which I am happy to say, we are finally finished with! Chocolate + an almost 3 year old makes for a very interesting and wild combination!

This was after church in his Easter outfit

Isaac and Daddy

Family Shot
(apparently I didn't notice my dress falling off my shoulder at the time!)

Mommy and her sweet boy

We went to Carthage this past weekend to spend time with Grandma and as always, had a wonderful visit. It was way too short, but I hope to get back again very soon.

I have to share one last thing with you which is the latest Isaac funny. We were at Grandma's and she was telling Isaac how big my belly has gotten. Isaac says "Yeah, because my baby sister is growing in there." Then, Daddy decides to take it upon himself to ask Isaac how his baby sister is going to get out of Mommy's belly. I panicked when he said this, but Isaac's response eliminated all my worries. With a straight face, he simply said "Well, I guess God is going to fly in there and just flip her out!" I told Isaac, "Yes baby, that is exactly right!"

That's all for now, but I hope to not be so long before posting again, I promise!!

Boy or Girl???

2010-03-28T17:07:00.004-05:00

Well, this past Friday, I had my appointment with the specialist for my ultrasound. The days and weeks leading up to this appointment filled me with much anxiety and anticipation, but Darren kept reminding me things would be ok and God would take care of us, no matter what the outcome. So, the news is.........everything looked completely fine and normal!! He said he saw a few remnants of the membrane they had spotted on the first ultrasound, but it was nothing to be concerned about and he didn't see any reason for me to come back to him. He though we would finish out the rest of the pregnancy with Dr. Mic and everything would be fine. I can't tell you how much relief this brought me!! Thank you all for your prayers and support. Also, they were able to tell us one other piece of important information. Baby Howard #2 is going to be a..................GIRL!!! We are so excited and thrilled that our little family will have a boy and a girl. As for me, I'm still throwing up everything, but my days aren't filled with quite as much nausea as they were. Guess by now I should know it's just something I need to get used to until September gets here and this baby girl makes her debut. We have been throwing around a couple of names, but we aren't decided on one yet. If you have any suggestions, please share!! Also, my Mom and Grandmother came to visit for the weekend and we all had a very good visit. We hadn't seen them since Christmas (I know, waaaaaaay too long!) and we had some long overdue catching up to do. We love you Grandma and Moms and hope to see you both again very soon!!

Also, Isaac has said some more funnies lately. He told my Mom he was having a baby brother and when she asked him what his name was going to be, he told her "Superman"! Then, she asked him what if the baby was a sister instead. His response was "I'm not having a baby sister at my house!" Guess we have some work to to before she gets here!

Lastly, I want to give a quick thank you to Mrs. Julianne. I got the sweetest card a couple of weeks ago and I just want you to know how much that meant to me. I was in a pretty low spot at that time and your note definitely lifted my spirits. Thank you again, it meant the world to me!!

Doctor Visit

2010-03-06T11:29:00.005-06:00

So, we had another dr.'s visit this past Thursday and for the most part things went really well. Unfortunately, there is still no change with the nausea and vomiting, which I voiced my concerns over. Although he is aware of just how awful and miserable it is, for now, he said I'm still within the normal timeframe for all this sickness and for now, he's not that concerned about it. He told me to keep drinking the water all during the day like I've been doing, but to also try and add in some gatorade too and we would see how things are at my next visit. I'm still hoping and praying for this to pass, but at the same time, I'm realistic in the fact that I know the odds are not in my favor. Oh well, not much I can really do about that huh? Anyway, the rest of the visit was a little stressful for me. He told me that the ultrasound tech had noted a spot on the ultrasound and just for safety's sake, he wanted to send me to a specialist for a more detailed ultrasound. He said many times, spots like these go away on their own and cause no harm at all for the Mom or baby. He stressed to me that he wasn't really concerned about this, but just wanted to double-check things and he didn't want me to worry about it either. Well, that's easy for him to say! I'm trying not to get worked up over this because there's just no sense in worrying over something we really don't know a lot about just yet. Anyway, I go to the specialist on the 26th of this month and then back to the doc for my monthly visit in April. Please keep us all in your prayers that my visit and ultrasound go well and that the only thing they see is a happy, healthy little one bouncing around in there.

P.S. Just this past week, I have felt the first movements from this little one which is both exciting and comforting.

P.S.S. I have to tell you a couple of funnies that our child has said lately. First, he asked his teacher why the little girls in his class pooped all the time. She told him that they didn't and why did he say that and his response was, "Yes they do Ms. Cassie because when they go potty, they wipe every time!!" He also asked Ms. Cassie if he had a baby sister, what would her last name be. She told him it would be Howard, like his was and his response was "Well, if it's a boy, they better not name him Isaac because that's MY name!!"

Update Overdue

2010-03-02T09:27:00.004-06:00

Okay, I know that once again, I'm behind on things. I meant to post long before now, but if you all knew how sick and puny I've been, you would totally understand! So, let me catch you up on things. Due to the insistence of my wonderful Mom and Dad, I ended up ordering the Nausea Watch I talked about in my last post. They both basically told me that I couldn't afford not to at least give it a try because after all, according to the reviews, it's the latest greatest thing. So I get the watch and for the first day or two, I really think this thing might work. I still got sick, but I thought it was because I was just overeating. Then I thought that maybe it might take a few days of wearing it for it to really kick in. It felt pretty weird to wear. Every time it would send one of those pulses, it felt like my hand was asleep. Well, turns out my high hopes came crashing down. Guess I'm one of the rare weird ones that it doesn't help. I still wear it sometimes, I guess because I feel obligated after spending so much money on it.

So, after another week of feeling lousy and puny, I called the doctor back to complain and see if there was anything they could give me. Dr. Mic's nurse said she would call me in some phenergan, but I didn't get too excited. I took this with Isaac too and it didn't help a bit, but I thought I would at least give it a shot. Well, I was right......again! It didn't help at all. I still threw everything up and then I couldn't hold my eyes open. Phenergan totally knocks me out, which completely takes it out as an option because #1, it doesn't work and #2, what good is a pill that doesn't work and just makes me sleepy?

So, I give it a few more days of being just completely miserable and last week, I thought I just can't do this anymore so I called the doctor back to see if there were any other options. After weighing myself and discovering I had lost another 2 pounds (which brings me to a grand total of 12 so far) I called the doctor, desperate for help. That was an ordeal in itself, but I finally got one of his nurses to call me back and she said she would call me in some zofran. This too was something I tried with Isaac that seemed to work, but only for a short time. Zofran is a drug that is typically used with cancer patients to help with the nausea while they are going through chemotherapy. Anyway, she called it in for me on Friday so I was hopeful that I would have a decent weekend. Guess what??? Once again, I was let down. I do think that the zofran has helped with the nausea some, which is definitely an improvement, but I still threw up everything I ate. I am really starting to get concerned now because after looking back at my pregnancy notes from Isaac, I was not this sick with him. Yes, I threw up all the time with him, but I managed to maintain my weight for the most part. I would gain a couple of pounds, then lose a couple and it was back and forth like that for practically the entire pregnancy. I did not lose a big lump sum of weight all at once like I have with this one. I go back to the doctor this Thursday and I am asking that you all please keep me and this little one in your prayers. I pray that everything is well with this pregnancy and that like Isaac, this will be a healthy happy baby.

On a lighter note, we went on February 22nd for my first ultrasound. The sonographer said everything looked really good and we got to hear the heartbeat for the first time too. She told us that I was actually measuring about a week ahead, but wasn't sure if Dr. Mic would change my due date or not. Guess we'll find that out on Thursday. We also go back on April 19th for another ultrasound and we should be able to tell what Baby Howard is at that point in time. We did get some pics of our little one and I'm so excited to share. Meet Baby Howard!!!

First Visit

2010-02-05T08:35:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was my initial prenatal visit with Dr. Micetich in Jackson. Darren went with me and we actually had to take Isaac along too because Donny and Janet were heading out for Murfreesboro. Everything went really well and I now officially have a due date! It is September 5, which is weird because Isaac's due date was June 5. He said everything was looking good and I complained to him about my constant nausea and vomiting. In case you forgot, I had it the ENTIRE time I was pregnant with Isaac and since it's started again, I've braced myself for another 9 months of it. He didn't want to start me on any kind of medication just yet because he wants to give it a chance to maybe wear off by the end of this 1st trimester. If not, then we will look into meds. He did however recommend this cool gadget called a Nausea Watch. They had one there and let me try it during my visit. You wear it on your wrist like a watch and it sends light, electrical pulses that are supposed to trigger something in your brain to help settle the nausea. His nurse was going to put in an order with insurance to hopefully get me one. By the time we got home, there was a message on our phone from the company wanting me to call in regards to the order and to arrange for delivery. I just got off the phone with them and they are going to try and run it through my insurance. The out of pocket cost for this thing is $189 so if insurance doesn't pay, I'm out. That's just a little high for me, but hopefully insurance will at least cover some of the expense. Keep your fingers crossed! Anyway, I go back in 2 weeks for an ultrasound just to check the size and all and then go for another montly visit in 4 weeks. Please keep your fingers crossed and pray for me that this nausea and vomiting will go away! I've already lost 6 pounds, which I know is not good, but right now, that's about the best I can do. Until next time.....

Big News!!

2010-02-02T11:09:00.002-06:00

January

2010-01-25T14:19:00.006-06:00

I've had these pics loaded on here for awhile and just never sat down to actually finish the post, but I figured I better get to it so here it goes. Things here have been good lately, just COLD!! Isaac had a little bout with a cold, but seems to be doing well now and hope he continues to stay that way.

Some time back, Papa Murf and Mama Hope got Isaac a pair of John Deere boots, which he absolutely LOVES, but are still a little big for him to really wear. This is him modeling them one night for me before bed. Cuteness!!

Then, Isaac comes home from school one day and his face was stained with paint! Turns out his usual teacher wasn't there that day and the sub thought she was using washable paint, when in fact, it wasn't. Luckily, Daddy was able to get it off just fine in the shower that night.

As you probably know, we got a little snow a couple of weeks ago when it was so very cold for so many days in a row. Our office actually closed for the day so I was able to stay home with Isaac. I wasn't going to take him out in it because he had been croupy and sick. I didn't want to make him worse, but he had never seen snow before so we bundled up from head to toe and headed out for a short bit and I'm so glad that we did! He had such a good time driving his gator around, but we were only able to stay out 15-20 minutes. He has been asking for more snow ever since so I'm hoping we might get a little more this year so he can have some more fun!

These next pics are just some shots of my little man being silly. He is such a hoot!!

This past Sunday night, Papa Murf came for a visit because he had to be in Memphis the next morning for a speaking engagement. He brought Isaac all kinds of goodies that he and Mama Hope had gotten for him when they were in Gatlinburg recently. He got a Carhartt t-shirt, some Carhartt overalls, some John Deere overalls, and some pj's. They were all so cute and Isaac loves them all! He also brought Isaac a hat just one of the ones he wears sometimes during football season. Needless to say, Isaac loved the hat too and wore it for a big chunk of the evening!

We are supposed to be getting more bad weather tonight. I don't mind the snow, but I'm hoping the icy mess misses us. We have some more news to be sharing, but we'll save that for the next post so stay tuned!

Christmas Blog Hop

2010-01-04T11:52:00.004-06:00

I just got this post finished yesterday so I was very excited to see this theme on the Blog Hop list. Hope you enjoy!!

Christmastime!!

2010-01-01T11:49:00.011-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Ours was pretty exhausting, but I can't complain at all. It was all great! We stayed pretty busy and on the go for most of the holidays so I've given you fair warning........this may be a pretty long post!

We started off the weekend before Christmas by going to my Dad's for the weekend. We have done this the past couple of years and it works out really well. It's a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas to help us not have to be on the road so much. It really just works and I hope we are able to continue this new tradition.

I just love this photo of Isaac and a little Santa that Papa had on the porch!

Little Miss Callie Grace is getting so big!! (I absolutely loved her little dress. Too cute!!)

The two of them got a long really well and were so cute together!

Darren

My brother, Uncle Patrick

Aunt Amanda

Isaac playing with Uncle Patrick's present, which was awesome. He got Isaac a John Deere set and he just LOVES it. Thanks Uncle Patrick!

This is the guys trying to figure out Isaac's race car set from Papa and Mama Hope. They finally got it together and think they all had fun with it! You shake the cars to make them go and then they crash and make the crashing sounds too. This is another one of Isaac's favorites. Thanks Papa and Mama Hope!

Amanda and Callie Grace

My little cutie pie!

Isaac trying out Papa's new head phones!

Isaac and Callie Grace reading a book

One of Papa's gifts was a pair of boxers with the Smurfs (Papa Murf-Papa Smurf, get it??) Anyway, Isaac just had to try them on too for whatever reason, but it did make a cute shot!

My little man again

Isaac playing with another one of his toys from Papa and Mama Hope. This one is a little hunting club set so he can be a little hunter just like his daddy.

Of course, he also had a fit to go outside before we left, even though it was FREEZING! We made him bundle up and out we went.

We didn't get to play out long because it was time to hit the road home. Thanks for a wonderful Christmas/Thanksgiving weekend Dad and Hope. We love you all and will see you again soon!

We had to get home because our Christmas program at church was that night. We had tried a couple of weeks ago at the Christmas parade to get Isaac's picture made with Santa, but for 2 years in a row now, we were unsuccessful. He kept saying "I don't like him Mama" and I didn't have the heart to force him up on his lap. So, I was hoping that since Santa was going to be at the church program and he just happened to be someone very close to Isaac, I might get my chance. Well, Isaac was still a little hesitant and this was the best I could get.

(Can you tell who Santa is?)

So, fast forward a few days to the 23rd. Darren was off work that day due to his Mom's stint and I left work after lunch so we could hit the road to Carthage. We stayed at my Mom's house that night and after sleeping most of the ride in, Isaac had a case of the sillies!

The next day, which was Christmas Eve, we hung around Mom's house for awhile before going to my Grandmother's for dinner. Patrick wasn't there for the very first time because he had to work. We missed you Uncle Patrick!

Isaac and Grandma under her tree

Family shot

When we got to my Grandmother's, we opened our gifts from each other before the rest of the family arrived.

Isaac and Moms

We tried, and tried, and TRIED to get a decent family shot but as you can see, Isaac was not cooperating at all! This was about as good as we could get!

Isaac had a big time playing with his cousins (the "big kids"). If you know my family at all, you can tell who each kid belongs to simply by looking at them. Apparently, we have some pretty strong genes! If you don't, from left to right is Nick, Isaac, Preston, and Elizabeth.

Isaac being silly!

Isaac even helped our cousin Jane play the piano a bit

We got to stick around awhile before we headed home to Savannah. Darren and I made a deal a couple of years ago to come home Christmas Eve night so that Isaac would be able to wake up Christmas morning at his own house and see what Santa had brought him. It was almost 8:00 when we left Carthage and had a 3 hour drive before we got home. Of course, Isaac slept the entire way in, which was good since he had missed his nap that day anyway. When we got home, we had to unload the truck and then get all the gifts ready. By the time we finally got to lay down, it was almost 2:00 am and we were exhausted!

Isaac first woke up Christmas morning at 5:00 am and said "I'm ready to get up". Unfortunately, I was no where near ready to get up yet so I got him some water and turned on the tv and went back to sleep. Eventually, he did too! Darren and I got up around 9:00 and were able to get the cameras ready and all before Isaac got up.

He was sleeping so good!

We just couldn't take it anymore so Darren, with the video camera in hand, woke him up so he could see what Santa brought him. He didn't know what to think at first, but it didn't take him long to get into it!!

Isaac checking out his new John Deere tractor and trailer

Isaac riding his new tricycle, although he calls it a bicycle. He even knows how to pedal it too!

After we did all our Santa stuff at our house, it was time to head to Mimi and Papa's to do gifts. Uncle Derek, Aunt Jill, Jakob, and Ethan were there but were getting ready to leave so we didn't get much time at all. They had all already done their gifts to each other and Santa gifts too, but we didn't get to see that part. We got lots of cool stuff though and thanks to everyone for everything!

Isaac loved his goggles that were in his stocking!

Isaac and Ethan with their goggles on

All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas. We are so very blessed to have our family and to all have the opportunity to spend time together. We look forward to more Christmases to come.

2010 looks to be a pretty promising year and hopefully we'll have many blessings this year too.

Happy New Year to all!!!

Update

2009-12-26T17:50:00.003-06:00

Hello all! I hope everyone had a good Christmas holiday. Ours was busy and hectic, but absolutely wonderful!! I will post some pics when I get a chance, but I wanted to give an update on my mother-in-law Janet. She had her other stint done on December 22nd and made it through with no trouble at all! She had to stay overnight for observation, but was home on the 23rd. The doctor has told her she can go back to work when she feels like it. She is taking things slow, but all in all, is doing fantastic. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. I will post more with Christmas pics and all very soon!

November

2009-12-09T11:46:00.008-06:00

Well, here we are again. Another month (at least) has passed and I am once again so VERY far behind in my posting. Things have just been, well, kind of WILD for the past few weeks and once you are finished reading this post, you will know what I mean. November started off pretty calm and normal, nothing out of the ordinary to speak of. Darren's brother Derek and his family came in for the first few weekends of October because the guys all wanted to go hunting.

Isaac even got to go out with Daddy one of the days!

The rest of the time, Isaac was pretty content playing with his cousins Jakob and Ethan. Here are some shots of them in the back yard at Mimi and PawPaw's house.

This one below is one of my new favorites!

Isaac also FINALLY got to experience a "first" that most kids have by the end of their 1st year. Isaac finally had his 1st haircut!! His Aunt Cathy was the lucky one that got to cut it and all in all, he did better than I thought. His hair really wasn't that long, but there were some parts that desperately needed shaping up. As you can see, we didn't get this done completely without just a few tears! (I think he just didn't like having to sit still!)

The rest of the time, he was an absolute angel!!

These next shots were of another day Isaac got to tag along to the hunting club. The only problem was, he missed his nap that day and could barely hold his little eyes open. Needless to say, he slept like a baby that night!!

Now, we are to the point in November when all the action took place. The week of Thanksgiving, we were all getting excited about our long weekend and the plans we had made. On Tuesday, November 24th, I was in an all-day staff meeting for a lot of annual training type things. One of our docs called me out and pulled me aside and told me Darren's mom had had a massive heart attack and I needed to go straight to the ER here in Savannah. Of course, I was shocked so I got out of there as soon as I could and called Darren. All he would tell me was to go to the daycare and get Isaac, then come to the hospital. I picked up Isaac and headed towards the hospital and called Darren back for him to come out and meet us. When he answered, he told me to come straight home and pack because they were air-lifting her to St. Thomas in Nashville. She had a blockage of 100% on one side and the other side was 90% blocked. So, off the house we go to pack up for an extended weekend. Darren was already packed when we got home so he left to drive his Dad on up to the hospital. Me and Isaac took our time packing to make sure we didn't leave any necessities, then took off for Nashville ourselves. We got to Nashville around 7:30 or so, but had a bit of a problem when we arrived. Turns out that due to the H1N1 junk, no one under the age of 15 was allowed in any patient areas of the hospital. Luckily, my Dad and Hope were there along with Derek, Jill, and Donny and between them all, they kept Isaac pretty busy. I didn't get to go up and see Janet that night, but Darren had said they took her into emergency surgery to do a stint on the 100% blocked side. Isaac and I stayed at my Dad's house and went back to the hospital the next day. Derek kept Isaac busy while Darren took me up to see Janet. I was not prepared at all for how she looked, but the doctors and all remained pretty positive that she would have a full recovery so I tried to stay positive. That night, Isaac and I went on to my Mom's house, where we had originally planned on going anyway. Later that evening, I got a call from Darren that really scared me. He said she had gone into v-fibb and they had had to shock her 3 times. I also learned that they had already shocked her 3 times between Savannah and Nashville. They were taking her back into emergency surgery and things weren't looking good at all. Something had gone wrong with the stint and they had to go back in and correct the problem. I left Isaac with my Mom and once again, took off to Nashville, but got a call while I was on the road. Darren called just after I had passed Lebanon and said that she had made it out of surgery and was stable and that I should turn around and go back to be with Isaac. After the surgery, they decided to leave her sedated and on the ventilator so that her body could rest and reouperate so there wasn't much for me to do there anyway. Since it was already kind of late, I took his advice and turned around. Thankfully, she made it through the night ok and things slowly improved from there.

I also had other exciting things going on for Thanksgiving. My aunt, uncle, and cousins, who live in North Carolina were coming to visit for Thanksgiving. I haven't seen them in SO long and I can't tell you how wonderful it was to spend time with them all. Even though it was short, it was definitely one of the highlights of the holiday for me. My cousin Haley will finish medical school next year and also recently got engaged. Her wedding is set for next May and I am so excited and happy for her. My other cousin Casey will graduate in December with his Masters and has already passed his CPA exam. He will begin working in January as an auditor. I am so proud of him too!

Anyway, we went back to the hospital on Saturday for a visit and Janet looked MUCH better. Her breathing tube was out and they were even beginning to get her up and about a little bit. Sunday, we went to church and then ate lunch at my grandmother's like we usually do. We had to cut things a bit short since Isaac and I were going to stop by the hospital on our way home. Again, I got to see Janet and she again looked better than before. Darren didn't want to leave her just yet so Isaac and I took off for Savannah by ourselves. It was a lonely couple of days, but Darren came home Tuesday night and Janet got released on Thursday. She was sent home with a d-fibb vest, which has electrodes attached to her to monitor her heart and has the ability to shock her if necessary. Luckily, that has not happened yet and hopefully won't. She goes back to St. Thomas on December 22nd for them to stint the other side and to do some maintenance on the side that's already been done. Hopefully, things will go smooth and she will have a complete recovery. Please pray for her and the family as we prepare for this event.

My other big news is this............Isaac is both peeing and pooping in the potty!!!! I couldn't be happier for my little guy. He peed in the potty a few times over the Thanksgiving weekend and then that following Monday at school, he did it several times along with pooping. He has slowly increased his frequency and now goes to the potty all day long at school! We aren't yet to the all-night fase, but most mornings, he wakes up dry. My problem is that he is NOT at all a morning person and is hard to wake to go potty. The only time he will wear a diaper now is at bedtime and the rest of the time he will tell you he needs pull-ups. Maybe it won't take long for us to graduate to underwear. Either way, I am so proud of my little man!! Mommy and Daddy love you Little Buddy!!

September & October

2009-11-02T10:14:00.020-06:00

Ok all, just like I promised, I have finally finished this post. It is full of fun and I have lots of photos to share so get comfy, this may take awhile! You may have noticed I have changed my layout again. I decided it was time for a change and I liked the "fallish" colors in this design so I hope you enjoy it too! Me and Isaac are home today. He had a little round with what we think was a stomach bug yesterday. He seems to be much better now, but I kept him home today just in case. Anyway, this post should bring everyone up to date with what's been going on with us so I'll not keep you waiting any longer!!

This first photo is a the bargain I found for Isaac at a consignment sale back in September. He just LOVES his little Gator and rides it all over the yard! I was impressed at how good a driver he is already so come spring, he will be a pro!! (Notice how he's hauling his little 4-wheeler in the back end!)

Darren has been working on a play set for Isaac in the back yard. For those of you that have priced them, they are quite pricey so Darren decided to take it upon himself to just build one on his own. Isaac has been helping him and they've had such a good time with this project. Isaac will have a ball playing on it this spring when the weather is nice again.

The second weekend in October, we went to Grandma's (my Mom) house for the weekend to visit. We hadn't been there to Carthage since August so we were long overdue. We got in pretty late on Friday night, but made it in just fine. On Saturday, we had to get up and head to Murfreesboro for Jakob's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. We tried to get a family photo while we were all together, but Isaac wasn't cooperating very well. This one was the best we could get!

This was Isaac's first trip to Chuck E Cheese. By the look on his face, he was pretty overwhelmed when we first got there, but it didn't take him long to join in the fun! I think Darren had just as much fun as Isaac did, if not more!

Instead of a cake, Jakob had Spiderman cupcakes, some with red icing and the others had blue. Isaac chose a blue one and as you can see, he thoroughly enjoyed his cupcake! Happy Birthday to Jakob and thanks for inviting us to the party. We had a great time!!

After the party, we went back to Grandma's where we just visited for the rest of the evening. Moms (my grandmother) and Uncle Patrick came by too and it was so good to see them both. We got up Sunday and went to church and it's always good to be at my home church. It's funny how you take little things like going to church for granted when you are younger, only to miss them so very much when you are away and unable to go every week. As always, we went to my grandmother's house after church for Sunday dinner. I was able to snap a few photos of my little guy before we ate.

After we ate, Isaac was having a fit to go outside and play and since it was so nice and we had such a long drive ahead, we let him have at it. He was all over the yard playing with sticks and such and just had a ball. Although it was a quick trip, it's always nice to go home and hopefully, we will be back to visit soon.

The next weekend, we headed up to Papa (my dad) and Hope's (my step-mom) house for the weekend. Again, we got in fairly late on that Friday night, but Isaac did great on the trip in. We got up early on Saturday and headed out to MTSU to tailgate and watch the game against Mississippi State. Isaac had never been to a game before so we weren't too sure of how he would do, but of course, he did great!

Mama & Isaac before the game

Isaac & Papa tailgating

Amanda & Callie Grace at the game

Mama & DaDa

Family shot!!

This was one of my favorite pics of the day!!

Although MTSU lost, we still had a big time. After the game we headed back to Papa's house to visit and play the rest of the day. Isaac and Callie Grace got along great and just played and played. I love how you can see her MTSU bloomers and his MTSU socks in this shot.

Later, Isaac decided he was going to show Callie Grace how to dance. She wasn't too sure about this, but it was very cute anyway!!

Isaac and DaDa playing later that evening

I just think this one is precious!!

Isaac and Papa playing peek-a-boo outside

We headed back home that Sunday afternoon. Like always, it was good to visit and we hope to be back very soon. Thanks Papa, Hope, Amanda, and Callie Grace for such a great weekend!

Isaac ready to hit the road home with his shades on

Once we got home, we hurried to get Isaac into bed because he had a big day ahead of him. After a lot of thought and prayer, we decided to take him out of the home daycare setting and place him in a more structured environment. We placed him at Cumberland Child Development Center. This is a daycare/preschool located at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Savannah. The teach a Bible based curriculum and have lots of educational activities. I was a nervous wreck about him starting! He cried a little bit that first morning, but has done great every day since. He comes home most days with projects he has done at scool and always has a smile on his face. He loves his "new school" and Darren and I truly believe we made the right decision.

Last week, out of the blue one night, Isaac's breathing started sounding all croupy and congested. That morning, when he got up, his nose was just POURING so I asked him if needed to go to the doctor. His response was "No Mama, I had my flu shot!!!" I guess he remembered me telling him the flu shot would keep him from getting sick and he thought it would take care of ALL of his sickness!! Anyway, off to the doctor we went. Turns out he had a touch of a respiratoy infection and an ear infection. So, here we went again with another round of antibiotics and we were also doing breathing treatments for him at night to help with the croupy mess. He finally started doing better with that, thank goodness, but we still have the rest of the week to finish out our antibiotics.

This past Friday, Jakob, Ethan, Uncle Derek, and Aunt Jill came in to visit for the weekend. Isaac is always glad to get a visit from Jakob and so he stayed the night at his Mimi and PawPaw's house with them all on Friday night. On Saturday, he and Jakob went with the big guys out to the hunting club for the afternoon. They both had a big time out there and love to go any chance they get. When they finally came in, it was time to get them cleaned up and in their Halloween costumes. Needless to say, Isaac did much better this year than last year.

This was the best of MANY attempts to get the 3 boys in a photo together. Poor Ethan was not happy at all!!

This is my little lion!

Is he not just the cutest lion you have ever seen???

Anyway, all went well with them trick-or-treating, but they didn't last long because Isaac and Jakob had not had a nap that day so they were pretty worn out. Isaac stayed the night with them again and we thought all was well. Darren's Mom (Mimi) called us Sunday morning though and said that Isaac had thrown up twice during the night, but seemed to be ok now. We thought maybe he had just eaten too much junk the night before, but then she called again and said that shortly after he had been up awhile and eaten breakfast, he got sick again. Darren got dressed and went to town to pick him up. He came home and seemed to be ok, even though he was a little pale and just not quite himself. He wouldn't eat anything, but kept telling us he was thirsty so we just kept giving him liquids. A little bit later, he came into the den and was whining saying "Mama, I wanted you!!" I immediately picked him up and put him on my shoulder and almost instantly, he threw up again all over him, me, and the recliner we were sitting in. Luckily, Darren was close by and was able to help get us both cleaned up. He was a little puny the rest of the afternoon, but he never got sick again. He had a low grade temp last night so I dosed him with some Motrin. He slept pretty good last night too, but I stayed home with him today just to make sure.

So, here we are, completely up to date again! Again, I apologize for the great length of this post, but as you can see, we've been quite busy lately, thus the reason for my lack in posting. Hopefully, the sickness bug will leave us alone for awhile and my little man will get better soon. Keep your fingers crossed for us and until next time....

Quick Update

2009-10-31T14:44:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know that once again, I'm slacking in the blog posting department. October has been an extremely busy month for the Howard household. We've made trips to both of my parents' homes, had a couple of bouts of sickness, and started Isaac's new school. I have pictures to share from all of these and as soon as I even have time to take them off my camera, I promise I will share! Just wanted to let you all know that I haven't forgotten about this site and hope you haven't forgotten about us either! I'm going to get off here and start getting my little lion ready for trick or treating tonight, which of course, I will share pictures of too! Hope you all have a Happy and safe Halloween and stay tuned for another update very soon!!

Happy Anniversary

2009-09-26T14:21:00.003-05:00

5 years ago yesterday, I married my best friend. Little did I know at that time how much we would accomplish in the next 5 years. We moved to Savannah, started new jobs, built our house, got pregnant, and had the most wonderful baby boy in the world. Life has been so good to us both and I am so very thankful for our blessings every day. When we got married, we were just husband and wife. Now, we each hold an even bigger role as Mother and Father. I hope that we continue to prosper and as partners, can teach Isaac about the important things in life and how to grow to be a good, strong, Christian man. Marriage isn't always easy and we have our fair share of disagreements and bumps in the road but the truth is, I can't imagine going through life with anyone else. To Darren, I look forward to the years to come and finding out what else life has in store for us both.

I Love You Sweetheart!

I'm Still Here!

2009-09-15T19:48:00.003-05:00

I know, I know......once again, I've let my blogging take a back-seat to things. Sorry! I haven't been busy doing anything too major......just been enjoying life!! Things here have been going pretty good. Darren and I survived our trip to Branson and really enjoyed ourselves. Our little guy, on the other hand.........didn't even ask about MaMa and DaDa!!! Although I was relieved he did ok, it was a little ego crusher to learn that he DID indeed survive without us ok. Oh well, guess that's part of growing up. Also, Isaac has cut 2 of his 2 year molars within the past 2 weeks and has done just great with that. Last weekend, my Mom and Grandmother came for a visit and we had such a good time. They came Saturday morning and visited a little while, then we went to Nathan's birthday party and they went to town to shop a little bit. We got to visit the rest of that afternoon and evening and it was soooooooo nice! We got up Sunday morning to a snotty, crusty-nosed little boy, which was NO GOOD!! I got him an appointment yesterday afternoon and low and behold, he had a double ear infection. Poor little guy! We got some good meds though so hopefully he will get cleared up pretty soon.
For those of you that already have little ones, you know what I'm talking about, but Isaac has hit this stage where he says some of the funniest things! I try to write them down when I can, but I can't always remember them all. Here are some of his latest:

Isaac and Darren had been outside playing and when he came in, he was covered in dirt and had dirt all over his face. My grandmother said "Isaac, have you been eating dirt?" and Isaac said, in his most serious voice, "No, I don't eat dirt"

Isaac was outside in the shed with Darren and they had been doing something with wood. I asked Isaac what they were going to do with the wood and he said "We're going to build a house in a tree"

He was with me in the kitchen last night while I was cooking and he started singing "It really don't matter" and he would sing it over and over. I said, "Isaac, what are you singing?" He said "MaMa, I singing Big Green Tractor!" (What can I say? His MaMa likes Jason Aldean too!!)

And I saved the best for last....
Isaac has recently gotten into taking showers with his DaDa because he thinks its very cool. After showering with him one night, I was getting him ready for bed. I was trying to put his diaper on and if you have little boys, you know how fascinated they are with their parts! I said "Isaac, quit that so I can get your diaper on!" Isaac's response then was "Isaac's got a little peeper MaMa!" I said "I know". Then he said "DaDa's got a BIG peeper!!" I called Darren in there to hear what he said and Isaac repeated it for him. Darren's response was "That's my boy!"

I guess little boys never grow up....

Blog Hop!

2009-09-01T11:34:00.004-05:00

Hello all! Thought I would give this blog hop thing a shot again. This week's theme is Baby Pics so you know I just had to play along with this one!! These are from Isaac's very first photo session when he was just 3 months old. These are some of my favorite pics of him ever and I love just how simple they turned out. Hope you enjoy!

Growing Up

2009-08-17T19:23:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday, Isaac went to have his 2 year old pictures done. I was a little nervous he might be at that stage where he would not cooperate at all, but my little guy did SOOOOOO good! If you all are on facebook, you can see the proofs on my page. I couldn't have asked for any better! My problem now is going to be deciding which ones to pick!!!

Next week, Darren is going with me to Branson, Missouri. We will be leaving on Wednesday and not coming back until Friday, which means, I will be away from my little man for the longest time in his entire life!!! I'm looking forward to getting away and spending some time with Darren, but I'm definitely going to miss my Isaac! Anyway, in preparation for this, we decided we should let Isaac spend a night away from us before we left him for 3 whole days. So, this past weekend cousins Jakob and Ethan were coming so we decided to let him stay with them at Mimi and Paw Paw's house on Saturday night. We stayed at their house until the boys were asleep, then we came on home. Darren told his Mom to call us, no matter what time it was, if he woke up crying for us. We got up Sunday morning.....no phone call. I just couldn't wait to see my baby! Turns out, he slept the ENTIRE night and didn't even ask for us when he woke up!!! That little turkey! It makes me a little sad, but I'm glad he did so well that first time. Hopefully he will do just as good next week! Keep your fingers crossed for us!!

I just had to include a picture with this one. This is the 3 Musketeers in the tub at Mimi's house. It's almost impossible to get the 3 of them to all look at the camera at the same time so this was the best I could do! Aren't they just the cutest!!

Looking Back on Life as well as Looking Forward

2009-08-14T19:59:00.003-05:00

This has been somewhat of a tough week. As some of you know, yesterday marked the 3 year anniversary of losing my dear cousin Natalie. Also, a month ago yesterday marked the 3 year anniversary of losing my grandfather. Although losing someone dear to you is never an easy thing, I will say that the loss of my grandfather wasn't nearly as hard as losing Natalie. My grandfather, Pops, had fought a long and hard battle with cancer, but unfortunately the cancer finally took over his weakened body. He had lived a good, long life and knew that he had a better life awaiting him in eternity where he can now forever be healthy and whole. Although I hope that I too will live a long and happy life, I look forward to the day I can see him again. On the other hand, losing my dear cousin Natalie is one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through in my life. Our entire family had a very rough time with that and many of them are still struggling with it now. Natalie was one of the most kind hearted, gifted, and beautiful people I have ever known. It breaks my heart to think of the struggles she dealt with throughout her life and I only hope she knew how much we all loved and cared for her. I think about her often and even though the realistic part of me knows that she's gone, a part of me somehow still wants to think this has all just been a really bad dream. The relationships within our family have taken some hard hits throughout all this, part of which I'm ashamed to say may be due to my own selfish actions. I can only hope and pray that those relatives know that I would never, ever intentionally do or say anything to cause their hearts to hurt. I know that things will never be the way they used to be, but I would love nothing more than to try and move forward with a new "normal", one that involves us all as well as keeping the memories of both Natalie and Pops alive and well. I look forward to the day Isaac is big enough to understand the stories I will tell him of them both. The stories of how his cousin was truly a gifted soul with many talents. The stories of how his great-grandfather was one of the toughest, yet sweetest men I ever knew. He was both a God-loving and God-fearing man and had the strongest faith I have ever witnessed. If I can be just a fration of the Christian man that he was, I will feel like I have accomplished something in this life. I only hope and pray that I am able to instill in my own child the values and morals that he instilled in my mother who in turn, passed them on to me. I know this post is out of the ordinary for me. I guess I just had a heavy heart this week and needed a release. I pray that I can be the best mother and wife that I can be and that I am able to teach Isaac the important things in life and the things that really matter. Please keep me and my little family in your prayers. God be with you all....

The Farm, Birthday Parties, Visits, and New Toys

2009-08-03T19:50:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, Darren's Mom and Dad (Mimi and PawPaw) became the owners of Mimi's parent's house and 67 acres. This land is now affectionately known as "The Farm" and that's where a lot of our weekend time has been spent lately. I think the guys are preparing to turn one of the lower fields into a dove field for this fall, which in turn, presents the need for lots of bushhogging (hope I spelled that right!) Personally, I think they just like a reason to get on the tractor, but oh well. This is a shot of the 3 Howard men on the big tractor.

On July 25th, Isaac's friends Ellie and Emma (they are sisters) had a pool party for their birthdays, which are only a couple of weeks apart. I worked with their mom Dale at the Health Department and she is now one of my dearest friends. They also all go to daycare together. Isaac had the best time. He just loves Ellie to death and I'm so glad they are buddies. Isn't she a little cutie?? (Look out Holli, I think he has a think for red-heads!!)

I just thought this one was too funny not to post! He just cracks me up sometimes......actually, all the time!!

Last week, my Dad (Papa) came to stay for a couple of nights while he was delivering his yearly football book. Isaac and Papa had a big time (as always) and it's always good to have company!!

I just thought Papa's expression on this one was too cute!!

This past weekend, me and Isaac headed out to Carthage for the weekend. I took off work Friday so we could get a head start. I haven't been able to go to Carthage for what seems like FOREVER so it was sooooooo good to be home!! Saturday night, my Mom cooked dinner for my grandmother's (Moms's) birthday. She will turn 82 on the 12th of this month, but we went ahead and celebrated while we were in town. Isaac is at the stage where he usually won't cooperate for pictures very well, but this one of the two of them is just precious!!

I bet we took 50 shots over the weekend trying to get a decent one of he and I together, but like I said, he just wouldn't look at the camera! Little turkey!!

Yesterday, we had our annual Shepherd family reunion. This involves all of my grandfather's siblings. None of them are still living, but all of us decendents still get together. It's always nice to see everyone and visit. I just wish we could have stayed longer. I get homesick so easily!!

So, now to the new toy part I was referring to in the title. Isaac and I stopped by Mimi and Pawpaw's house on Friday before we hit the road to Carthage. When I got there, this is what I saw in the back of Darren's truck......

....only there were 2 instead of just 1!!! Turns out, they were re-poe'd (i don't know if that's even a real word!!) by the bank and Darren got them both for a total of $100!! One is for Isaac and one is for his cousin Jakob. Although there are no where near big enough to handle something like this, Isaac is still able to ride with his DaDa!! It makes me a nervous wreck, but they had such a good time on it.

Keep your fingers crossed my boys stay safe with this thing!!

One last note, hope you enjoy the tunes I've added to our page. They are all personal favorites of mine and have pretty special meaning. Let me know what you think!!

Blog Hop

2009-07-28T14:35:00.004-05:00

So I thought I would try out this whole Blog Hop thing. This theme is favorite kid photo and the idea is to pick one, but you know me, I can't pick just one!! This first one is from his 2nd birthday party back in June. He was totally exhausted by that point and ready to crash out with a nap, but not before having some yummy cake and ice cream! The second is one of my all-time favorite pics of Isaac. I just think his expression is hilarious!! Hop on over to some other blogs and check out the photos. Have fun and hope you enjoy!!

What's different???

2009-07-17T16:47:00.004-05:00

Hello all! This will be quick and very short as it's almost officially the weekend. Just wanted to see what you thought of my new blog design, courtesty of here. It's nothing fancy, but I decided it was time for a change. Hope you all like it and have a good weekend!

Summertime!!

2009-07-15T14:48:00.005-05:00

Well, once again I am slacking on this thing. Funny how time just gets away from you, huh? Anyway, things have been going pretty good this summer. Isaac is definitely loving the warm weather and playing outside. I think he would stay outside all the time if we would let him!! Anyway, I hope this entry will cover just about everything that's happened since my last post. I really didn't mean to go this long without updating this thing!! Sorry!

Anyway, on June 26, Lifespan had our summer employee picnic. It was held at the Shiloh Golf Course in Adamsville where they have eating areas and pools. Darren stayed home to work on the boat, but me and Isaac went and had a good time, as you will be able to tell from the pics below. It was SOOOOOOO hot that evening!

This was Isaac when we first got there. He didn't waste any time at all getting in the water and would have gotten in with all of his clothes on had I not stopped him!

After he'd been in a few minutes, he started splashing (of course!)

And then a little more splashing!!

As you can see, my child is not afraid of the water AT ALL, which can be both good and bad!

By the end of the night, this is what he was doing!! I bet the kid jumped in 50 times and NEVER got tired of it!

And this was the pitiful look I got when I told him it was time to go. He cried because he wanted to stay and swim some more!!

Thanks to Lifespan for having such a fun party for us all!

Due to all the craziness and the insane amount of people that go out on the lake here for the 4th of July, we decided to take the boat out on the 3rd since we were all off. Isaac LOVES going out on the boat to the "big water". We stayed out all afternoon, but left a little early because even though it was only the 3rd, there were still a ton of folks out. We ended up anchoring out in a cover where we usually go and just to give you an idea of how many folks there were, out in the middle of the cove were 10 (yes, I said 10) boats tied up together. That was just 1 cove and this was on the 3rd so you can imagine what it was like on the 4th!!

This was taken after we came in and showered and yes, Mommy got quite a bit of sun that day!!

This was after we finally got home that night. Isaac was actually cooperating with the camera more than he usually does. I was calling him "Hollywood" and he was saying "I not Hollywood Mama, I big boy!!"

This was a little later on that same evening. He was just being a card that night! (I just love that this is a real, true smile and not the fake kind!!)

This past weekend, Uncle Derek, Aunt Jill, Jakob, and Ethan came in to visit. Saturday morning, me, Isaac, Jakob, Jill, and PawPaw took the pontoon out. As you can tell, Isaac and Jakob had quite a large time!

We had to come in fairly early because that night, the Howard family (and I mean the WHOLE Howard family) was having their yearly get together. They weren't able to do it last year and this year, we did it at Boots's house. The weather wasn't too bad actually and there was lots of good food and fun!

Isaac had quite a big time playing in Boots's garden!!

And had an even better time when his DaDa let him sit on Boots's big John Deere tractor!!

I just love this serious expression on his face!!

On of the other cousins brought some homemade toy guns that were a HUGE hit with the little boys because as you know, this Howard family just can't seem to have any little girls!

And that pretty much brings us up to date with just about everything. We've had several birthday's this month. Dad's was the 10th, Hope's was the 11th, and Darren's was the 14th. Happy Birthday to you all! I have a few pics from Darren's birthday, but they are still on my camera as of now so maybe next time, I'll get them on here.

And now, I'm going to do like my dear friend Holli. I have an area on the right side here to sign up as a follower of this blog. Now, I know I don't update and all nearly as much as I should, but if you do read this blog and you do try and keep up, please sign up as a follower. I would love to know who all is keeping up with us!!

Until next time........

Isaac's Birthday

2009-06-08T20:07:00.004-05:00

Ok, I hope you don't think I'm a bad Mommy, but I am a little behind with updating this thing. This may be a little bit long, but you will definitely be caught up on things when I get finished!! Anyway, as a lot of you know, my birthday was May 24 and I turned 29. Woo-hoo!! Last year as a twenty-something. I can remember being in high school and thinking 30 was just OLD!! That's hilarious to me now because I definitely don't feel even close to being old. Anyway, Dad and Hope came down the weekend of my birthday because they weren't going to be able to make Isaac's birthday party so they got both of us taken care of in one weekend! Isaac had a big time and loved his presents, which included a t-shirt, a tool set, and a bright yellow "boo dozer" as he calls it that he can ride around the yard and driveway. Thank you guys for the gifts and hope you are able to come and visit again soon.

Now, Isaac's birthday was on June 3 and it blows my mind to think he's now 2. Where in the world does the time go? It really does fly by and as much as I'm looking forward to watching him grow and learn, I know it will go by in the blink of an eye and if I sit and think too long on it, tears definitely come to my eyes. On a lighter note, here is a picture of the birthday boy on his actual birthday.....(can't you tell he's just rotten??)

So, fast forward a few days 'til Saturday, the 6th. This was when we decided to have his party. My Mom, Grandmother, and brother all were able to come down for this so we were excited to see them all! Grandma and Moms were able to stay the night, but Patrick went back home to study for his state boards that he was taking this week. Isaac got some cool presents from them which included a new Wiggles DVD, a couple of trucks with trailers, and some $$$ to get a front-end loader to paly with in the yard. Sounds like a trip to Toys R Us is in our near future!! Anyway, back to the party info......One of Darren's old high school buddies has a business called Party Inflatables so we thought this might be fun to have for the party. This is what we got.....

It was a 16 foot slide that I would have thought Isaac would have just loved.........WRONG!!! He went down the thing one time with Darren and that was enough for him. He wouldn't go down it anymore all day!! He had much more fun playing with his riding toys and such outside. At least all the other kids seem to love it! I went down it myself and it was fun, but could easily see how it might be a little intimidating to a 2 year old.

Here are Isaac's cakes that we had made. Our sitter Michelle's sister made them for us. She did his cakes last year too and they were just wonderful!! Once again, I was very happy with how they turned out (and they tasted just as good as they looked!) Thank you Mrs. Teresa!!

Here is Isaac getting ready to blow the candles out on his cake. He was pretty amazed that all these people were singing the Happy Birthday song to him and he just kept looking around at everyone. It was cute!

Afterwards, the kids got ice cream cones and cake and as you can tell, Isaac definitely was enjoying his ice cream!!

Here's the birthday boy getting ready to open his gifts. He was pretty tired at this point because it was WAY past nap time, but he managed to muster up enough energy to open presents!!

This was Isaac after his bath that night........He definitely had a big day and was just completely pooped out. Thanks to everyone for coming and making his birthday so special!! We love you!

We slept in the next day and later that afternoon, went to MiMi and PawPaw's to visit with Jakob and his family before they went back home. Isaac has the best time playing with Jakob and is always glad to see him!

That pretty much brings things back up to date. I will leave you with the most precious boy I know.......I just love him!!

Rock and Roll, Baby!!

2009-05-11T19:45:00.003-05:00

So I'm sure you are probably wondering about the title of this post so let me explain. Yesterday afternoon, Darren took off to Wal-Mart with Jakob and Isaac for a quick trip. When they returned, Darren told Isaac to tell me what DaDa had taught him. So, he raises his arms and says "Rock and Roll, Baby!" It was the cutest thing!!

Ok, so now on to the rest of my update. I know I told you in my last post that I would have LOTS of photos to share next time because Patrick was graduating. Well, Patrick graduated all right, but his silly sister didn't have her camera handy when all the "photo opps" were available. So, PaPa Murf and Amanda, can you please, please, please burn me a cd of all the shots you got that weekend? I sure would appreciate it!!

So, now on to the whole graduation story. Friday night was the pinning ceremony, which was a very sweet and personal ceremony strictly for the nursing students. It was held in this large church in Lebanon, but Isaac didn't do to well. He wasn't bad, but after sitting in a car seat for a little more than 2 hours, sitting in a church pew, being quiet and still was not something he was interested in at all! Luckily, there was a playroom right outside the sanctuary so DaDa was able to keep him entertained there. Meanwhile, I had big time playing with little Callie Grace, who isn't so little anymore. She's growing like a weed!!

Then, Saturday morning came and if you know us at all, you know that we (mostly just my husband) are almost always late and this drives me NUTS!!! So anyway, the graduation ceremony was initially supposed to be outside, but as you all know, here in TN we seem to be in the middle of our own monsoon season so of course, the weather did not cooperate. They decided to hold the ceremony inside, which would be fine, if they had a building large enough. The building that held graduation was full, and of course, the building they had set aside for all the overflow was also full so we got to spend all of graduation outside. I hate that we missed it, but for Isaac's sake, we were probably better off because I know there is no way he would have sat still in a tight space for that length of time!! We pretty much just took pictures and let him run around outside. If you've never been there, Cumberland has a beautiful campus, it's just pretty small. This is their notorious chapel with the clock tower.

Since it had been raining so much, there was water and puddles everywhere. Isaac managed to find a little buddy to splash around in the water with. They were so cute!!

These are 2 of my favorite people!!

We made a trip back to Savannah after graduation and lunch because the next day was Decoration Day at church. Isaac and Jakob had a big time just playing. This is them with their Papa Boots, which is Darren's grandad. Isaac just loves Boots and he's at our house most nights just to see the "little boy."

Isaac cracks me up with this smile he does. If any of you all are fans of one of the best shows of all time (Friends) you will know what I mean when I say this is Isaac's Chandler smile. Hilarious!!

This is my favorite smile. I think it's just precious!

Isaac is now at the stage where everything Jakob does, Isaac has to do too.......which usually isn't good at all!! They did get to go out on the boat fishing with their PawPaw this weekend, so yes, they had a ball! Isaac has never really been out on the water until this year, but he has no fear!! They finally started to wind down, but not before getting a good scrubbing together!!

Finally, a shot of Isaac, Ethan, and Jakob together. This is a very difficult task to accomplish!!

As you all know, yesterday was Mother's Day and although I didn't get to spend the day with mine, that doesn't mean she wasn't on my mind. I think of her often and it seems that the older I get, the more she means to me. She is my very best friend and I love her more than anything. I'm grateful that she instilled in us the morals and beliefs that she did which in turn, I will pass on to my little one. I could never be half the Mother that I am had it not been for my own Mother, so Mom this is for you. I love you so very much and thank you for shaping me into the person that I am today. I am eternally grateful for all that you do and have done for me in the past.

And thanks to this little guy who has brough more joy, happines, laughter, and love into my life than I ever thought was possible. He is my pride and joy and I hope one day he will be proud to call me his Mom. I love you Isaac!

Boys will be Boys

2009-04-29T18:48:00.002-05:00

Once again, things have been kind of hectic around our house. Guess it's something I better get used to, huh? Anyway, Isaac's Papa Boots (Darren's grandad) comes by the house just about every evening to help Darren out in the yard or whatever and of course........to see the "Little Boy", which is what he calls Isaac. Isaac just LOVES Boots and they always have a big time together. This was a shot I took one night right after they had come in. (Notice the mowhawk Darren gave Isaac) Cute!!

This past Friday night, Isaac went to a birthday party for Will, one of his daycare buddies. All the other kiddos were there too and they all had the biggest time! Will had all of his riding toys out for them all to play with so needless to say, by the time the party was over, Isaac was pooped out! He had a ball though and it was good to get to visit with the other Mommies too. Thank you Mrs. Dana and Will for such a good time!!

This was after church on Sunday and I just wanted to add it in because I thought it was such a cute picture!! (if you can't tell, Isaac is yelling out "cheeeeeeeese")

And this one was after lunch when he was in MiMi and PawPaw's back yard playing. Another favorite of mine!!

And now to the incident report. Saturday, I was in our bedroom getting some clothes together to wash. I had sent Isaac in the kitchen to pick out some noodles (his absolute FAVORITE) for lunch. All of a sudden, I hear a loud thud and Isaac starts bawling. I run in the kitchen (which is the very next room) and by the time I got in there, it was already purple. Isaac had dropped a can of chef boyardee beefaroni on his toe. Luckily, it was one of the small cans, but it got his toe good. He was just freaking out and squirming and of course, I was bawling too because I couldn't stop the hurt. I finally got him calmed down after about 20-25 minutes. The rest of that day, he really wouldn't put any weight on it at all and was asking to be held and carried. Talk about making a Mommy feel bad!! Anyway, by the time Sunday rolled around, he was still limping some and complaining of it hurting, but funny, when it was time to play outside, he seemed to forget all about that toe!! I know it hurt like crazy and nothing hurts a Mommy more than seeing her little one hurt and not being able to fix it. Luckily, he seems to have mostly forgotten about it now, unless he hits it on something or just happens to notice it. Here is a pic of his pitiful toe...

So, since Isaac is older now and much more steady than he was this time last year, he spends most evenings outside with his DaDa. They have the best time and I'm so glad Darren and he get some quality time together. The only thing is, when he comes in, he is absolutely FILTHY!!! This was what he looked like the other night when he came in and no, that's not chocolate or any other food on his face.........it's pure dirt!!!

And this is is his perfectly cute, nice and clean, innocent looking little face afterwards!!

That's about it for now. We're headed to Lebanon Friday evening to (hopefully) make it in time for Patrick's pinning ceremony. Then, Saturday morning at 10:00 is his graduation. We're so excited for him! He's already accepted a position at Vanderbilt in the ER so he's looking forward to that. After graduation and some visiting, we will head back to Savannah since Sunday is Decoration Day at our church. Should have lots of photos to post though so stay tuned!!