Friday, April 10, 2009
It's been a while since I've blogged anything, which isn't to say I haven't had anything to say, Lord knows that never happens. I just needed a break in more ways than one and didn't really feel like writing much of it down. The past few weeks (well, months, really) have been quite crazy and in fact, downright overwhelming, so I just didn't really take time to blog about it. More than likely, I'll let it all be water under the bridge and just catch up to speed on what's going on now, but we'll see.
Since we have been back from Colorado, the weather has ushered us from cold to warm, the back to cold and back to warm. Oh the joys of spring in Middle Tennessee. We've braved our share of tornado sirens already and Aiden and I had a big scare one late afternoon when hail was about the size of golf balls. Of course, it was right at dinner, so I ended up taking all of it into our safe room (our closet!!) and finishing it there. Hopefully he didn't pick up on how scared I really was to be all alone in such a storm. I was brave!
Nathan has been traveling quite a bit - was in Phoenix for 12 days straight in fact. I always say, "Poo" on those types of trips. His work keeps him super busy for sure.
When he got back I headed to Charlotte to do some things at the office. Some good, others not so good. Regardless, it was good to be back albeit a bit depressing. The unemployment rate there has skyrocketed and the whole city seems to be in a constant state of head down. It's kind of sad, but it makes me really understand another reason God has us here. I don't have to see that every day or be one of them.
It's been a month of ups and downs as I said before and the drama never ceases to amaze me. As much as I try to avoid it in my life, it manages to find me one way or the other. Thank goodness God gave me a sweet baby boy who will hopefully have only a fraction of the drama a girl would have brought with her. He really knows what we need at the time we need it.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Either that, or Aiden's nine months old. How in the world we got here, I'll never know. Hard to believe that at this time last year, this little dude wasn't even in our worlds and now he's the biggest (and best) part! He's nearly walking, "talking" up a storm, and is still the same bundle of laughing, joyous energy he always has been as his personality continues to explode!
Luckily I still have this cute little peanut of a boy. After his nine month checkup, he's still hanging out at the bottom of his weight curve, around a pound a month. But if you saw this boy eat you would wonder how in the world he's only 16 pounds! I often wonder myself. It never ceases to amaze me that as soon as he finishes eating he can continue as if he'd never eaten a thing. Where he gets this, I am not sure...but I am thinking I'm going to have a little helper in the kitchen before long! I can't tell you how much this excites me!
I love this age he is. He's so curious, so excited about everything, and in such a discovery mode. It's really neat to watch him learn how to do things, watch things work, discover chain reactions and cause and effect, etc. We had Mommy and Me swim at our neighborhood pool and despite being the only one under 2 in his little group, he did swimmingly! We had a fun time each day in the pool as we learned new games, dipped under water, tasted the saltwater pool, did the backstroke (in our unique baby way), and just experienced the fun of the water. It makes me really look forward to the beach in a few weeks...yes, weeks!! Summer is almost here and I can hear the waves beckoning us. Can't wait to share that with you!
Our buddy Jacob was in town on business, so he came to stay with us for the night and had fun playing with Aiden.
And Reagan always stops by on her afternoon bicycle ride to say hello and "hold" baby Aiden. She's asking to hold him here...so cute!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Westhaven (our neighborhood) had a huge Easter Egg Hunt April 4, so baby Aiden got to experience the thrill of finding eggs and discovering what that bunny was all about. It was fun to see him out with all the children and holding each egg gently with care, inspecting it all around and making sure it was fit to be in his basket. Despite it being slightly chilly that morning, it was a gorgeous day for the hunt.
We were lucky enough to have Nate's parents in town visiting that same weekend, so they were able to celebrate in the festivities with him and it was a fun day all around. After the hunt, we walked around the neighborhood and visited some of the open house homes and let Aiden walk around in them...since that's his new thing...and he has to do it all the time! It tuckered him out, so it was back for naps, then off to dinner at our favorite mexican joint, Pueblo Real, where everybody really does know our name.
The Tablers left the following morning and Aiden spent the rest of the weekend playing with his new found love of plastic Easter eggs. It's so hard to imagine that at this same time last year he wasn't even here, and this same time next year he'll be almost two years old! How quickly these times fly by when we are in the midst of them. It excites me for him to discover the real meaning behind Easter and watch the joy he has now magnify itself thousands of times over. He is such a joy and full of life and makes me appreciate every second.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Since we have been married, Nathan and I have taken a trip every March (I guess he feels like we should really celebrate his birthday in style) and last year was the first year we didn't go anywhere. I guess because of all the traveling we were already doing pre-Aiden: baby showers, shopping trips, etc. Though we have typically headed out to Pebble Beach, California for a few days, and had planned to again this year, we were given a chance to travel to Colorado instead. Despite the fact we were really tired of the cold weather and winter all together, we opted to head out to ski country and brave the winter temps for a long weekend away. Crested Butte, Colorado was the spot this year where we headed for five days of Rocky Mountain high sans Aiden. We hadn't been away from him for that long before, but everyone told us how much we would appreciate the time away and how much we'd appreciate seeing him when we got back. I look forward to seeing him every day, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and was sad to leave him, but hoped to enjoy the time as a twosome.
The trip out there took most of the day, but once we arrived we were not sorry we skipped out on California. The beautiful landscape of this tiny mountain town was absolutely amazing. We flew into the smallest little airport (all of four gates!) and then traveled about 3,000 feet up to Crested Butte. As we passed the lakes, land, mountains, snow, ice, cattle, a bald eagle conservatory, a fish hatchery, estates, etc. we came across the small mountain town tucked away in the valley. It was absolutely breathtaking.
We made our way to the condo and discovered we were right at the base of the ski slopes - we could literally pop in and out of our skis right there outside our door and hop on the lifts. Amazing. The lines were non-existant, the snow was fresh (we got about 30 inches in the five days we were there), and the skiing was indescribable. Nate had never been out to the West coast to ski, so he only had East coast to compare it to, and if you haven't skied both, there is no comparison. None. Needless to say the next five days were sheer skiing bliss.
Those of you who are aware of the famous couple who's female side hails from Crested Butte, we did look for them, but to no avail. Maybe next year. And there will be a next year. After seeing all the 2 - 4 year old crazily flying down the slopes, I cannot wait to have Aiden strapped up to a pair of skis. It will be so fun. My worst fear was that Aiden would forget me while we were gone, but luckily that morning after we got back he remembered right away and into my arms he flew!!! I was so happy to see my boy...how my face was covered in tears of sheer joy! A great week all around.
Those of you who are aware of the famous couple who's female side hails from Crested Butte, we did look for them, but to no avail. Maybe next year. And there will be a next year. After seeing all the 2 - 4 year old crazily flying down the slopes, I cannot wait to have Aiden strapped up to a pair of skis. It will be so fun. My worst fear was that Aiden would forget me while we were gone, but luckily that morning after we got back he remembered right away and into my arms he flew!!! I was so happy to see my boy...how my face was covered in tears of sheer joy! A great week all around.
Pictures are on another computer, but you can click here to see the album. They are amazing!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
February has come and almost gone. Hard to believe. But here we sit on a rainy Saturday afternoon, watching the warm weather leave and ushering in another bout of cold (hopefully one of our last) before the onset of spring in a few weeks. For this, I cannot wait. I really like cold weather, for like a week...maybe even just on Christmas Day...but after that I am pretty much over it. So, as you might imagine, I am way over the cold weather by now and very thankful for what is to come.
Our month was fast and furious...Aiden saw seven months come and go (how quickly it has flown!), Nathan traveled to Phoenix and D.C. which left me a few days of single parenthood - I had a great time enjoying Aiden, we heard from three great friends who are all expecting (right around my birthday!), I joined a Bible Study at a church near the house to get to know some ladies and experience some growth personally, and along the lines of growing, I started training for a half marathon that I'll run in April. The training is fun, but just takes up so much time. With the little dude in tow, I can't imagine training for a full marathon... but we'll see what the future holds.
Aiden is such an active guy these days and is into pretty much everything. But his zest for life and the verocity with which he lives it makes me appreciate so many things about life. He loves to eat and would do it all day if we let him. His transition to solids has gone quite swimmingly and he is very methodical about the way he eats. It's quite a funny treat to witness. This video (which is not attaching right now) was taken a few weeks ago...he is so funny. It's hard to believe this little guy was not even here at this time last year. Now he's the center of our world and teaching us something new about ourselves and God every day. We love him!
WILL POST LATER
The Bible Study I'm involved with is a Beth Moore study on Esther and I'm excited to learn about her life and how it impacts us as women. So far, it's been super enlightening and the subtitle says it all, "It's Tough Being a Woman." Every week we add to the list of reasons why that statement is true and it's really been a great deep dive for me into my own soul as I find myself in a brand new place in life as a mom, not going to an office, and dealing with new relationships in a new environment. Making friends once we're all out of the college "bubble" is so very different and female relationships are such a different animal all together. Doing this has helped me see that is not so far off base...we'll see how God uses that as the year continues.
Nathan's job is so busy right now and he's totally swamped with huge projects that are very demanding, but at this point, we're both very grateful he has a job given the current economic climate. It will hopefully calm down once a few things get off the ground for him and we'll be able to enjoy our summer.
As March is on the horizon, we are enrolled for Mommy and Me at the pool (hooray!), anticipate Nathan's birthday, a trip to Crested Butte, Aiden's eight month milestone, a practice half marathon for me, and as I mentioned before...SPRING! All pose such excitement as we head deeper into 2009.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
This week was one of those weeks. You know, we all have them and this one was one of them. Nathan was out of town all week working hard in Arizona at his real office. Aiden was teething pretty badly and fighting the feverish cold that often accompanies it. And I was fighting something on my own. It was a busy week at work and by Thursday, we really missed Nathan. So Aiden had the idea to send him a message so he wouldn't forget us while he was working. Here is our attempt at a "don't forget us." Please note how Aiden loves to look at himself in the camera. So cute!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Yes, I will admit, I am hanging on by a thread to my 20's and am indeed a member of Facebook. There, I said it. But, just to caveat this for myself, I did graduate from college LESS THAN 10 years ago, which I feel like somewhat justifies it for some reason. Well, that and I'm not a sexual predator. (I know, shocker!)
It seems that right now the thing is these surveys, which honestly, I don't have time to fill out and pass around. But, one night I had time while Nathan was entering his time (weird, but true) and I actually completed a survey with some very witty and yet straightforward answers. And somehow, for reasons I am still trying to uncover, it got erased. So I figured since I don't have time to sit there and do it all again, I would do at least one survey and post it here for the world to see, although I think my readership ends up being closer to just me and Nathan, with the occasional hit by my parents. Sad, but true. :)
So here we go. Here are the rule on Facebook: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. If you want to play, and you find yourself reading this, consider yourself tagged, go ahead, play along; otherwise, here are my 25 random things:
- In the 13 years that made up my grade school life, I attended 6 schools, lived in four states, and in at least 13 houses (maybe more, I can't remember all of them to know for sure). Since leaving for college, I have lived in 11 more places in 3 states. I am a moving expert.
- I have, undeniably, two of the most powerful "Spidey senses" of almost anyone I know. The first is a canine-like sense of hearing - I can hear things that I don't necessarily think I should be able to...and that most people around me can't pick up. The second is my super strong "sniffer" (aka sense of smell) - I can pick up a scent a mile away...I mean, maybe a mile is exaggerating, but I can smell the most random things. In both cases, these senses can be both a blessing and a curse.
- When I was in college, a guy approached me at a restaurant and asked if he could take my picture in a guitar shop down the road...long story short and fast forward a few months - I was featured in Lucky magazine.
- Nathan and I met, were engaged, and married a year and a week from the first day we met. (We met on July 3, I moved to different city on July 10, he came to visit August 7 (Braves game!), he asked my parents if he could marry me on September 15, we got engaged December 23, we were married July 8....whirlwind of a romance!)
- Memorization is fairly easy for me. When I was five, I memorized Luke 2 for church. In middle school, I learned the United States in alphabetical order and can still recall them. In high school, I memorized the book of James and could recite it word for word until I graduated from college. Be it words or numbers, I can pretty much memorize anything I put my mind to.
- I cannot drive a manual transmission vehicle. Call it ignorance or lack of appropriate resources...I just cannot do it and I honestly can't see the need for it in my life at this time, especially given the hills in Tennessee.
- In college I majored in accounting until my last year when I made the switch to marketing. I am 3 credit hours shy of having a double Bachelor's degree, and about 50 hours away from being able to sit for the CPA exam. I have thought about doing that...but that's about it.
- I absolutely love lip gloss. No matter how many I have rotating in my current repertoire, I always look for new kinds and colors at whatever store I'm in.
- Clinique Bonus Time is like Christmas in my house. I'm not sure how many times I have purchased the Bonus, but I hawk them like a good sale. I have more free bags than should be humanly allowed and yet, I will obsess about the new bonus until I have it in my possession.
- I hate being late. I mean, really and truly hate it. I love being punctual and think it's disrespectful to not be. My husband is always late. This is my plight in life.
- When I'm nervous I clean my nails, look at them, feel them with my thumb...that's a dead giveaway that I'm thinking and the wheels are turning. They usually always are.
- I speak my own language of sorts (hence the "karaspeak" blog title). The most noticeable part of my language is my tendency to add an "s" onto any number of words to make them my very own. Examples: When the restaurant brings a basket of bread to our table, it is known as "breads." My mom's grandma name is Mimi, but to me she is "Mimis." You get the point. Nathan is scared for Aiden as he learns his words and has tried convincing me to change my ways for the sake of our son. I'm going to have to figure out a contingency plan.
- Three year olds who still wear diapers make me crazy. So do three year olds who are not weaned. These should both be criminal offenses.
- I absolutely love to clean and love doing laundry. I love the smell of clean laundry (especially sheets) and how it permeates even to the outside of my house. I love a warm pile of clothes sitting on my lap. I love that something goes in dirty and comes out clean.
- I crave change. I can't stand for things to be the same for too long or I will go crazy. Not only my location, but in life. Maybe that's what I get for moving all those times.
- Learning is my favorite. I love to learn and if I could afford it I would be a perpetual student. When I was in grade school, I used to make practice tests for myself at home and then take them and grade them. Sad, but true.
- I love to read and love to write. I secretly wish I could write well enough to pen a published work one day. It was a goal of mine at some point in my life...and I still have life to live, so we'll see.
- Music is a language in and of itself. It speaks to a whole other part of me that I don't know how to get to with any other method. It moves me beyond words. If I could sing or write songs for a living I would do it in a heartbeat.
- I love to run. I even ran a race in my seventh month of pregnancy and had this amazing feeling of accomplishment to be able to pass people with my big old belly hanging out there. It was exhilerating. Ironically enough, I used to hate it. I ran track in high school and the furthest I ever ran in a meet was one lap around a track (400 meters). I ran mostly to spend time with my dad, who was the coach. However, sometime in the past four years, I have found a true love for it.
- I love to cook, and I love to bake. There is something about a hot cookie out of the oven that can change the course of a day. That and brownie batter. Cooking/Baking soothes me in a way not many things can. I do it whenever I get the chance, although with a little one in tow, I don't have time as often as I'd like.
- Most dogs scare me. I was attacked when I was about three and chased down by a dog (while walking ours) when I was in third grade. Once I get used to a particular dog, I am usually okay, but from the intial meeting, I am typically scared out of my mind. Therefore, I would not consider myself a pet lover. They are smelly and messy and require more work than a child. I think people who have unhealthy relationships with animals have a lot of issues they aren't dealing with and need help. There I said it.
- I am fiercely independent. Aside from asking help with something I can't lift or open I almost NEVER ask for help. I need to get over this for my own good.
- The beach is my favorite place in the world. I wish I lived there (sans hurricane season). I could lay on the beach on a warm day without doing a single thiing but lay there. If I had music, books, and a stack of gossip, fashion, and health magazines I would be made in the shade.
- Due to number 23, I absolutely abhor cold weather. My worst nightmare is waking up in a place that never gets warm.I will never move to this place.
- My biggest fear is failure. I fear it more than spiders, well, depending on the size of the spider.
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