The Willistons

I year checkup

2012-02-15T11:45:00.003-08:00

Thomas had his one year checkup yesterday. It went well. He is still such a little boy. He weighed 19.4 lbs (6th percentile), was 28 3/4 in tall (19th percentile), which is a little under what Matthew was at 1 year.

Things the boys are doing now:
Thomas- loves to cuddle, walking everywhere and gets going pretty fast, eating table food and drinking whole milk from a cup, says mama and dada and babbles all the time, loves watching Matthew and follows him around, pointing at everything, likes to hold out his index finger to give love (Matthew used to do that in daycare), likes climbing on things, super sweet boy!

Matthew-loves dinosaurs and any kind of animal, starting to use potty again and getting more interested, teaches Thomas (see pictures below), shares well with Thomas- if Thomas has something he wants, he goes and gets another toy before taking it from him.lol, always giving hugs to us and pets our heads, can count to 10 pretty well, count to 20 with help, likes to cuddle now, so sweet and thoughtful, loves his brother "baby", started swimming lessons this week. He did great and loved it. Was able to pull himself out of the pool by himself by the end of our class. He also wore goggles which I couldn't believe because he is just now starting to wear his sunglasses.

Little Drummer Boy

Hey mom, look at me! Want some of my snack?

Matthew teaching Thomas what all the puzzle pieces are. He also reads books to him...so cute and sweet

Happy Birthday Thomas!

2012-02-13T07:11:00.001-08:00

Thomas is 1 year old today! We celebrated his birthday Saturday with a few friends and family. Thank you to everyone who came and made his party so special! I think back over this past year with Thomas; he has been such a blessing! Paul and I were a little scared about having two so close, but honestly, we wouldn't change anything about it. He and Matthew get along so well. They really are best friends and play together so nicely (for now at least). I love that Matthew has a playmate 24/7 now, and Thomas just adores his big brother. We have had a great year! I have truly enjoyed staying home with the boys and seeing Thomas go through all the first year phases and how Matthew adapts to him at each phase. Now it should get really interesting with 2 yr old and 1 yr old boys. But for now, Life is good! We love you Matthew and Thomas! Below are pictures of the party.

Thomas' cake

Thomas digging in. He really loved his cake!

He really dug a hole in the middle of his cake. Too funny!

Matthew and his best buddy Jackson. Mimi and Paw Paw watching them play with the trains.

Thomas and his best buddy Reed, who also turned 1 this weekend and is Jackson's brother.

Birthday Boy!!

Opening presents. I had some really good helpers; Matthew and Ava Greear

Cousin Tucker

Thomas is showing off for Caroline. No shirt, haha. I had to change him because he had cake all over him.

Don't underestimate a 2 year old!

2012-01-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

Well we come home from the gym and Target and I take the boys inside first as usual. I go back out to the car to get the milk and a few bags. When I try to open the door it was locked!! That is right...Matthew had locked me out. I tried so hard to get him to turn the lock to let me back in, but he didn't understand. I was holding up treats and begging, but it didn't work. He was just running around playing. He would come to the door and wave and say "hey mommy", then run off. He managed to pull his shirt halfway off too. Thomas luckily stayed at the door the whole time with me, so I could see him. Although he did start to play in Roscoe's water. I just knew he was about to start eating dog food, but luckily he didn't. So I called a locksmith, and they said it would take 45 minutes for them to get there. There was no way I was waiting that long! Now I am in panic mode almost ready to break a window or door, so I call the police who sent the Fire Dept over to try and open the door for me. Luckily, they found a way to open the door without having to break any doors or windows, and 40 minutes later I was able to get my 2 yr old and 1 yr old!!! Just another day in the Williston household.....Never a dull moment!

Thomas will be one in a few weeks. He is starting to take steps without holding on now. He is also taking a sippy cup well! I feel like my baby is no longer a baby ;( It makes me sad to see him growing up, but it is also exciting. He and Matthew are able to interact and really play now, so I know they will have a lot of fun together!

Matthew is so funny these days especially the things that he says!! "I don't like that", "Baby need to go night night mommy", "don't worry baby, mommy come get you", "Oh Mommy"-like on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse when they call for tootles....just to name a few. He loves trying to hide from me now and usually gets under the table or behind something if he doesn't want to do what I ask him. He really is becoming a little boy!!

I haven't been very good about taking pictures lately, so I will try to do better and post some soon. It is getting harder and harder for me to find time to do things with Thomas being so much more mobile now, and Matthew just being Matthew. LOL..I really can't take my eyes off of them.

What a Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

We have had such a fun month. We have gone to the Christmas parade downtown, Santa in the Park, the Zoo, Christmas in the Oaks, Christmas parties, Lighted Boat Parade, West Point, and many more. I took Matthew to see Santa, but he would not say a word, much less sit in his lap. I will say Santa was very good to us though. The boys had a wonderful Christmas! I swear our house is like a Toys R Us! Toys everywhere. We really enjoyed seeing everyone over the holidays. It is so fun to catch up and see how the kids are getting bigger and changing. Here are some pictures of the past month.

Ava Greear, Tucker, Thomas and Matthew. We took these pictures over Thanksgiving when we went to see my sister and Family. I always forget to take pictures in West Point. We had a great visit with everyone.

The Christmas Parade downtown

Santa in the Park...It was really cold.

Matthew eating a chocolate cookie. Paul trying to clean him off.

We had Christmas at our house this year! So much fun! Toys everywhere :)

Sweet Mimi and Pawpaw! We love you!

Matthew got a bike...

a John Deere Tractor....

and a Home Depot Workshop...I think Thomas likes it better though ;)

Matthew and Whitt wrestling....what I have to look forward to...I'm a little scared.

"The Who Dat Babies"

Almost normal

2011-11-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

Our house has been crazy for the past few weeks! Lots of work going on here. Hopefully it will be finished this week. We have just been all out of wack. Matthew has been sleeping in his old room, Thomas has been in ours because Matthew had a virus last week. We have been kicked out of our house so that people can do the repairs for us, but we couldn't really go anywhere since Matthew was sick so we ended up at Paul's parents for a few days. Then we went to West Point for Thanksgiving. Thomas woke up about every 3 hours since he is teething! So needless to say, we have just been here, there, and everywhere and running on little sleep. Paul did surprise me for my birthday and took me to New Orleans for the night! A much needed get away! We have never left the boys overnight so it seemed as though we were gone forever! We had a great dinner at the Pelican Club, had a horse and buggy ride afterwards, went to church the next morning, and then lunch at Mother's. What a great birthday, Thanks Paul!!

Busted! Playing in the spices. For some reason, both boys loves getting the spices and playing with them!

Thomas is everywhere and loves being by his brother! It was very had to keep them separated when Matthew was sick!

The boys having a jump off.

The finished product!!!

What to do

2011-11-11T10:49:00.000-08:00

So we had a little water in our kitchen now from a leaking pipe that we did not know about :) We have floating wood floors, and the pad was soaked halfway through the kitchen. Now we are trying to figure out how we want to fix it. These are the options we are between now. Do we
1-tile the kitchen area and leave the rest wood?
2-tile the whole room?
3-put down brick in kitchen area and leave the rest wood?
We figure we need to do some kind of tile/brick in the kitchen to prevent this from happening again. We also have to pull up all the original floor because water has gotten under it. We still like the wood in the kitchen so we thought if we did half and half it would break up the room a little, and we only would have to repair half the room which is half the cost. But will it be worth it, or would it look better to go ahead and do the whole room? If we did half and half we would go from the kitchen area through the walkway from the side door to the dinning room door, and the dining area would still be wood(about where the wood stops in the picture). Suggestions are welcome and appreciated :)
Here are some pictures and ideas

Check out the Old South Carolina tile to get an idea of the transition in the room
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Loving this weather!

2011-10-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Matthew and Anna Gray walking around at Seward Farms

Thomas and Caroline at Seward Farms

On the Cow Train

Matthew pushing Thomas in the car

At the Zoo with Nana. Our camera died so we didn't get many pictures :(

Halloween Party at Kindermusik. Matthew is Woody from Toy Story. "Cowboy"

Chilling in the bed with daddy

Such a big boy!

I was cooking one day and Matthew had taken some Chili Powder and sprinkled it on the window ledge. He was rubbing it on his face like I do with my makeup. haha

Happy Birthday to...

2011-10-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Matthew has his 2nd birthday Saturday! We had a Thomas the Train party at our house. We had lots of family and friends to help us celebrate! He was walking around singing "Happy Birthday to" "Happy Birthday to". He really liked it when we sang Happy Birthday to him. His face lit up. He had a great time at his party!
Thomas is crawling everywhere. He is also sitting up on his own now and starting to pull himself up/climbing on everything. He will be walking before we know it! He is such a sweet, happy boy!
We took the boys to North Carolina to see Paul's sister and her family. She has 2 children: Whitt, 3 yrs old and Payson, 7 1/2 months old. We drove 14 hours in one day!! The boys actually did really well. We went to a few museums, did a little shopping, had some carolina bbq, went to Duke gardens, and got to see our friends, Dawn and Bailey from optometry school! We had a great trip!

Birthday Boy!

"Happy birthday to you!"

Paul's Family- 4 generations

Celebrating Matthew's birthday with his cousin Whitt.

Matthew and Whitt running around at Duke Gardens.

Thomas and Payson, 3 weeks apart

I love this picture. Matthew wanted to walk with Thomas and hold his hand. So sweet.

What is not going on...

2011-09-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

We are super busy these days. Matthew started Mother's morning out at Trinity Methodist Church this week. He did great and has a great class. I know he will enjoy that. Next week we will start Kindermusik. I think Thomas and Matthew will both enjoy it, and we are doing it with some friends. I have also joined a women's BIBLE study group at Trinity which I am very excited about. I have been wanting to do one for a while, but our church just doesn't really offer that for us. It is during the day, and they offer child care, so Matthew and Thomas get to go play for a little while. I have also starting running a little now that it has cooled off a some. We will see how long it last though ;)
Tropical Storm Lee left us with some water in our bedroom and Matthew's bedroom. We had a couple inches of water coming in from the ground. We have a french drain, but I think we just got too much water for it to handle. So our bedrooms have been a mess this week, and I think we are going to have to replace the carpet pads, walls, baseboards, and french drain. I dread having to do all that, but I don't think we have any other options. Matthew has been sleeping in Thomas' room since his is all messed up, and they have been doing great with that. I tried the big boy bed today, and he did great with it. I have really been debating about putting them in the same room lately anyways, so I may just take this opportunity to do it now. I can make Matthew's room a playroom and hopefully reclaim the den!! :)
Thomas is crawling around everywhere now. He likes to get the power cords to the lamp and phone, so I have to keep a close eye on him. Everything goes in his mouth these days. He is doing great with solids, sleeping great at night, and is close to sitting up on his own. Matthew is obsessed with Thomas the train and Toy Story 3. We have to watch them at least once a day! He also is climbing everything. He loves climbing onto the beds and lately he keeps climbing into Thomas' crib with him. Especially after nap time. He doesn't do it unless I am in there though, thank goodness :)

Brotherly love and bunkering down

2011-09-03T10:20:00.001-07:00

The boys ready for the first STATE game. GO STATE!!

Matthew was helping me feed Thomas one day, and yes, he has on just a diaper.

Play time!

Well we are bunkered down for the weekend with Tropical Storm Lee. It hasn't been too bad so far, just a lot of rain that comes and goes. But yes, there was a moment this morning when I was scared. We were under a Tornado WARNING, which anyone who knows me well knows I don't do well with bad weather. I think it is one of my biggest fears, so anyways I get out the radios and make sure they work with batteries, get Matthews mattress and take it into the bathroom along with some food, diapers, wipes etc...just in case. Paul went back there and started laughing, which of course I wasn't :) Once the tornado warning expired and the rain had stopped, I sent Paul out to get a weather radio and some groceries. Now I have calmed down a little, and we are ready to watch football and eat my favorite dip- spicy spinach rotel!
I hope and pray this weekend won't be too bad. I can handle the rain and a little wind, but tornadoes scare me!!!

As for my goals, I haven't done too well with them, so since it is the beginning of month, I am going to try really hard to do better this month!

Fun day in New Orleans

2011-08-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Paul had Thursday off so he wanted to take us to New Orleans for the day. We started at City Park at Storyland. It was a really cute place with lots of props from nursery rhymes and popular children's stories. It was a great place to take cute pictures and let the kids climb on and slide down the props. We wanted to go to the zoo, but after being outside for 30 minutes, we decided it was way too hot! So we ended up at the Louisiana Children's Museum. It too was a very neat place. They had a lot of places for the kids to explore. They even had an eye area, which Paul thought was really neat. We had a great time in New Orleans. Can't wait for it to cool off a little so we can go to the zoo!

Jack and Jill with a well and slide

The cow jumping over the moon

The whale

The Firetruck

The Three Little Pigs houses

Matthew is showing Thomas what all the pictures are.

Changes

2011-08-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Well we have a lot of changes going on. Matthew is very interested in the potty now and goes usually about 3 times a day, so I think we are about ready for potty training. I am waiting for him to say potty, then he sits and goes, which he is getting pretty good at, I just want him to be really ready. He has also learned his basic colors and loves being called a "big boy". Thomas had his 6 month check up this morning, and it went well. He weighed 15.8 lbs (13%) and is 26 inches long(18%). He is also starting solids, we have done sweet potatoes and peas so far. I tried green beans, but he did NOT like them, so I will try again later. He is sliding around everywhere on the floor, so it won't be long until I have two really mobile babies!! Paul had his last day in Purvis last week. He had been going there once a week for the past 5 years. So that gives him another day at Belk Eye Clinic now. Football season is starting up, so that is always a fun time for us :) Here are some recent pictures:

Matthew loves getting in Thomas' tub

Thomas is on the move...

This is how I found Matthew after a nap one day. I had given him a sucker earlier for going potty, but he didn't finish before nap time. He was upset about his shirt so I gave him his sucker back while I took a picture.

Again, monkey see, monkey do. Matthew came and laid down by Thomas and started kicking his feet like him...too funny

I snuck away for a little while, and when I came back this is how I found the boys...watching football of course. Matthew has his hands up saying "Touchdown!"

The Williston Household...

2011-08-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Well today would normally be my first day back to school. It does feel weird not having to go back, but I feel so lucky that my husband is giving me the opportunity to stay home with our precious baby boys. Yes, it can be trying at times, but it is well worth it. Thanks Paul!! Instead I get to see moments like these:

"NO, NO, NO, Mommy!!!"

I guess old habits never die. Monkey see, monkey do.

Making homemade meals has not been near as hard as I thought it would be. We have pretty much made every meal homemade for the past few weeks. I really like it :) We had homemade marinara with fresh pasta, fried green tomatoes, corn with bell pepper and onion, cornbread, fresh fish that Paul got fishing, pork roast with cauliflower augratin and green beans, sauteed spinach, etc. I am also reading a book called Superfoods RX, which is all about fresh foods. There are 14 superfoods that you can incorporate into your diet that are extremely good for you, and according to the book, help PREVENT many diseases and illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes, heart disease, etc. It is an easy read, and I am learning a lot from it.

My helper in the kitchen

As for my little one, Thomas is starting to enjoy his cereal. We are about to move on to vegtables. I am going to try to make as much of his food as I can. He is also trying to crawl. I don't think he will do it for another month or so, but he keeps pulling his legs under him and pushing up. He can scoot around pretty well.

As for me...

2011-07-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

As for me, I am really enjoying my role as a mother of 2 boys! They bring so much life and love to our lives! We are truly blessed! I still haven't mastered the taking care of two babies, keeping the house up, and getting dinner ready thing yet. I am pretty good at the 1st one, getting better on the 2nd one, and about to start working on the 3rd. Paul and I went to a cooking class last night where they taught us how to make homemade pasta, marinara, and alfredo. We had so much fun, and got inspired to start eating better. The chef from Capone's Restaurant in Ocean Springs was the one teaching the class. She is a big believer in eating fresh foods. Everything she makes is from scratch and she uses all fresh ingredients that she gets from her own garden or Farmer's market. With all that said, I want to start creating healthy meals for my family. We are terrible at just making something out of a box because it is convenient. I have also noticed that Matthew is getting pickier and pickier and eating more junk food and less healthy food, so I want to try and change that. With that being said, I am giving myself 3 goals to reach by the end of Sept. Paul is always wanting me to set some goals, so here I go :)
1st goal: Eat healthier, I want to create 2 homemade meals a week using all fresh ingredients (I am being realistic;)
2nd goal: lose 10 lbs, I still have more baby weight than I should at this point. It has just not come off like it did with Matthew. I have been going to the gym 3 times a week for the past 2 months and don't really feel as though anything is changing. (I am enjoying going though.) So, I need to change my eating habits!! This should go hand in hand with my first goal.
3rd goal: save money, With me staying home now and about to have to buy our own insurance, we are on a tight budget! I have recently learned how to coupon and have done pretty well with it so far, but a lot of what I have been buying, as far as food, probably isn't the healthiest....so I will now have to work a little harder to get more savings on fresh foods and other areas such as household products, clothes, etc.. I pretty much just want to save in general.
Wish me luck :)

I love my brother!

2011-07-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I gave in. I was trying to put this off a long as possible because I hate the baby food stage, but I think he is ready for it. We tried cereal for the 1st time today. He didn't love it, he didn't hate it. We will have to try again tomorrow :)

Playing with his feet. Matthew did this all the time when he was an infant, and I thought it was so cute. Now Thomas has started doing it, and I still think it is precious!! Notice all the toys Matthew brought to him.

Matthew taking a break (which is very rare) on our bed. His new favorite thing is getting on our beds by himself (SCARY)!!!

MILLION DOLLAR SMILES :)

Matthew giving his brother a kiss.

Matthew has learned how to tickle from his daddy. He is tickling Thomas' feet.

Just hanging out with my brother.

Again, tickling Thomas.

"Thomas say Cheese, they are about to take our picture." I love my brother!!

Matthew really does just adore Thomas. He is always asking about the baby and bringing him toys to play with. I know that when Thomas is older they will have so much fun together. A lot of times when we are riding in the car, I can hear Matthew talking to Thomas and see him holding his hands. It is too cute!!

Updates and new pictures

2011-06-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Thomas~
had his 4 month check up last week. He did not gain as much weight as I had hoped, but he is still a happy, healthy boy! He weighed 13.2 lbs (25th%), 25 1/2 in. (75th%) He is still doing great! He holds his head up well, sits well in the bumbo seat, is rolling over on his tummy and back, and smiles and laughs. He is also starting to play with toys, loves putting things in his mouth, and likes the pool. Still not sleeping through night yet, I usually get up once anytime from 1-4 :(

Getting some love from Mimi

Getting love from PawPaw too

Enjoying the pool

Matthew~
had surgery last week. He had a tongue tie when he was born. Paul and I had always talked about getting it clipped, but we finally decided to go ahead and do it. We just did not want it to cause any problems later. He did absolutely great! By the time we got home, he was running around laughing and playing as if nothing had happened. Immediately after the surgery, he was eating and drinking. He has also gone potty a few times. I couldn't believe it! He loves dancing! We went to eat the other night, and they had a band playing. Matthew was tearing it up on the dance floor. His face was bright red, and he was sweating so bad. He would come get me and pull my hand saying "mon, mon" meaning come on mom! I didn't have my camera with me to take pictures. It was too cute though. The band was calling out his name and loved their #1 fan.

1st boat ride

Playing in the sprinkler with daddy

Fun in the sun!

The Boys

2011-06-04T12:18:00.001-07:00

Here are a few updates on the boys:

Matthew (20 months)
getting his canine teeth
a typical toddler- one minute pitching a FIT, the next jumping and laughing
loves, loves, loves the baby- he is always talking about him, kissing him, and hugging him
we are introducing the potty. Not potty training yet, just getting ready for it ;)
LOVES puppies...everything is a puppy if it is furry with legs
is getting pretty wild
loves balls and is pretty good at basketball and soccer
loves books and pictures of things
Still a mommy's boy, but equally a daddy's boy now too

Say CHEESE! (he really will say CHEESE and smile)

Sitting on the potty. I did bribe him with chocolate :) (I just wanted him to like it)

Typical dinner time at our house. He loves sitting in my lap and playing with my food.

Thomas (3 1/2 months)
smiling
laughing/giggling
not sleeping through the night yet, we are working on it though. He does about 2/3 of the time.
loves his paci
napping when Matthew naps in afternoon :)
drooling like crazy
does not like taking bottles (I am nursing him)
loves attention

SO SWEET

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-06-04T11:22:00.001-07:00

May has been a super busy month for us. We really have been traveling 4 out of the past 5 weeks. So things are finally settling down for us. We went the the beach again for Joe Dixon's wedding, which was very nice. Paul's family went with us. We stayed in Watercolor Resort, which is one of our new favorite places! Then we headed to West Point for another shot at meeting Baby Tucker. He is super precious and looks just like his daddy!! Unfortunately I forgot my camera so I didn't get any pictures. I do have to go to Jackson next weekend for my dear friend Mary Grace's shower, but after that we should be home for a while if anyone wants to come visit.
I have enjoyed the past 2 weeks as a stay at home mom with my boys. I was really worried about what we would do all day, but truthfully, we are always going somewhere. My new favorite place is the gym that I joined. The boys are able to go with me, which is nice. They get to play while I try to get back in shape after about 3 years of not really exercising due to being pregnant or just having a baby. Needless to say, I am pretty out of shape so I am excited about getting back in shape. Paul is out on his boat today. He hasn't gotten to use it much for the past year and half due to the oil spill, babies, and traveling. So he is happy! Hopefully he is catching some fish for tonight! We are planning on taking Matthew on the boat for the first time! I think he will like it. Here are recent pictures:

Thomas is such a happy baby! He loves attention :)

We tried to get a picture of Paul's parents with all 4 grandchildren. His mother got all 4 of them the cutest matching outfits. Matthew was not having it that day though!! He was the only one not cooperating :(

Matthew's RED mohawk

A day at the beach. We decided that we were probably the whitest family out there :) I think we are blending in with the sand.

Not a fun week, but a great weekend

2011-05-15T16:58:00.001-07:00

So we are finally feeling better!! I got better, Thomas got better, Matthew had the stomach bug this week and is better now too! Thank goodness nobody else got it. Paul and I wore mask this week so we wouldn't get it. LOL. I had to miss 3 days of work last week, yes it was MCT2 testing week, and I was the assistant test coordinator at our school!! It has been a hard week! We only have 3 and a half days left of school!! YAY!
We had Thomas and Payson's (Paul's sister's baby girl, 3 weeks younger than Thomas) Christening and Baptism this weekend. My dad and brother came down, along with Paul's sister, brother in law, and their kids. Everyone came over to our house to boil crawfish Saturday night. Sunday Morning we all went to church, had the Christening and Baptism ceremony, then came back to our house to eat! It was so fun to have everyone together! Thank you all for coming to celebrate our baby's baptism.
Here are a few pictures from this weekend.

Thomas and Payson

Eric playing with Whitt and Matthew

Matthew and Whitt reading a book at church together

Megan and Payson, Megan and Thomas

The Family

I just have to say, Thomas is such a sweet baby. He is always such a trooper. He is very laid back and allows us to chase Matthew around while he just hangs out. (He still gets plenty of attention.) He is always smiling and rarely fusses unless he is hungry or needs a diaper change. We love you Thomas!!

Our World of Craziness

2011-05-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

Well I am back at work and extremely busy. Paul had a work trip in Destin last week/weekend, so I load up with both boys and head that way after work on Friday. (yes, I think I may be crazy) They actually did really well on the drive. We all went to the beach for a little while on Saturday. Matthew did not like it at first. He did not like having the sand all over him, he kept brushing it off. But he eventually decided that it was fun. Thomas just hung out in the carrier for a little while, then we headed back for naps. I got to relax at the pool for a little while, which was AWESOME! On the way back home, it was a little more chaotic. We tried to go get breakfast, which ended up being lunch by the time we ate. We headed back to load up the car and both boys fell asleep, so we decided to just load as fast as we could and let them sleep. As soon as we started heading out of town, they both woke up and needed diaper changes. So we pull over to change their diapers out of the car (Paul and I are getting really good at this) Then we had to stop to get gas, once we started getting close to mobile, they were getting restless, especially Matthew. So we decided to go to Bass Pro Shop and let Matthew walk around for a little while. He did fine at first, but after a while, he was FUSSY. So we go out of there as fast as we could, got back in the car, and Matthew fell right asleep. Once we get close to Ocean Springs, he wakes up again, FUSSY...but it is dinner time, so we get some Wendy's and finally make it home.
This past Friday my sister had a baby boy, Tucker James McDaniel, 7 lbs, 10 ozs
Later that day I got the news that they had to take Tucker to Tupelo because he was having trouble breathing, so of course we are all worried and ready to get there. As soon as Paul got off work, we headed that way and got to West Point about 10, too late to go visit. Garnett had to stay in West Point, and Jarrod went with Tucker to Tupelo. So Saturday Thomas and I go visit Garnett for a little while. She was doing really well. Her Dr. allowed her to go home Saturday afternoon to get better rest so she could go visit Tucker in Tupelo on Sunday. Well, I started not feeling well on the way down, but I thought I was just run down, tired, and worried. I had a terrible headache and sore throat. I started running fever Saturday around lunch. We asked her doctor if I needed to leave, and of course he said yes, but he did call me in a zpack. So about 3:30, we start loading up the car again for another long car ride with 2 under 2. We finally make it back to Gulfport around 9:30, put the boys down, and unload the car again. My fever started to go up. It got up to 102.8, so I am really glad that we did come back. The doctor told me if I wasn't better, then to go to the ER. So I go the ER this morning around 6 to get tested for strep, which came back negative, but he still treated me for it anyway, so I got a penicillin shot.
I am feeling better now, but still had some fever today, Tucker is doing great and should be able to come home Tuesday!! Garnett got to go spend the day with him today, so what a wonderful Mother's Day gift! Life is so precious, and in spite of all our craziness that we encounter on a daily basis these days, I know that we are all so blessed to have our children, husbands, Mothers, Fathers, sisters, and brothers that love each other! Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Mrs. Cindy, Mimi, Garnett, Megan, and every one else who is a mother! I hope you got to enjoy this day with your family.
And Paul just told me Thomas had 101 fever! Guess he got what I have. Always something!

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

New Stats and pictures

2011-04-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

We took the boys for their 2 month and 18 month checkups. It was wild with 2 :) Good thing Paul and I went together! They both checked out fine. Thomas was 11.2 lbs (50%) and 22in (10%) and Matthew was 24lbs (25%) and 30 and 3/4 in (10%).Thomas has been doing great! He is usually a good baby. He is sleeping anywhere from 4-7.5 hours at night. (I really enjoy when he goes 7-7.5 hours, but it still isn't a consistent thing yet!!)
Thomas will start Daycare on Friday since I will be going back to work, but he will only have to go for a few weeks, then I will be home with both boys. Paul and I have decided that I will stay at home with the boys, so I will not be teaching anymore for now. I am excited about being able to stay home with them, but a little nervous too. Matthew is such much fun these days, but definitely a HANDFUL! I will have to keep him busy! I know it won't be easy, but I am glad I will be able to be with them during these early years! Pray for me ;)
Here are a few pictures.

A few pictures

2011-03-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pictures of the boys!

Me with my boys

"Mom, what is this in my lap?"

"It is your new brother!"

This is how I found Thomas one night, on his stomach.

Matthew came out of his room one day with his dirty clothes hamper attached to him. He loved it :) He has gotten Thomas' before too.

2 weeks later

2011-03-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

Thomas is now 3 weeks old. He starting having reflux problems towards the end of the 1st week. He has started taking Zantac now, which is finally seeming to help. Poor baby has had terrible stomach cramps, but seems to be doing better now. Night time, of course, is the hardest time. He seems to be more fussy then. Paul usually gets him when he is the fussiest so I can lay down for a little while. I pretty much have night duty after that. Overall I think he does pretty well at night. He usually goes about 3-4 hours in between feedings. We had his 2 week check up last week and everything went great. Matthew is still doing wonderful with him. Paul and I are so impressed with Matthew and how well he has adjusted to having another baby in the house since he is so used to having all our attention. It is definitely an adjustment having two kids, but not as hard as I thought it would be. Paul has been a great husband taking care of me, Matthew, and Thomas. We just have to juggle our time more right now with the kids. I can't wait until we can start getting out with Thomas. Right now, we pretty much are staying at home until he has his shots.

This is what he is finally doing today in between feedings :) Usually he wakes up about an hour or hour and a half after feeding him with his tummy hurting.

This is him ready to eat again! He is such a sweet boy!

Our first week home

2011-02-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

Well I will start with the Thursday before Thomas was born...
Matthew was running over 103 fever, so I had to leave school to go pick him up from daycare. We stayed home Friday because he was still running fever. We went to Dr. and they tested him for the Flu, but it was negative...We went ahead and started him on Tamiflu just in case...Saturday night I wake up about 1:00 with contractions 15 minutes apart. I woke up Paul about 2:00, and he called the hospital. They said to come in if they get stronger. About 3:00 we called Paul's mom to come over to stay with Matthew because we were going to the hospital. We got the hospital about 4:30. I told Paul they were probably going to send us home, but I just wanted to see if these were real or not...
Well I was admitted. I got my epidural about 9:00, by 9:45 Thomas was ready! He was born at 10:16 a.m. Sunday. So needless to say, it all happened pretty fast.
Matthew finally stopped running fever Sunday. I came home Tuesday. I had not seen Matthew the whole time I was in the hospital. I finally saw him Tuesday night! He looked so big compared to Tiny Thomas that I had been taking care of.
On Thursday Paul comes home and says he isn't feeling well. He started running fever and had a sore throat. He went to the clinic on Saturday and was tested for Strep and the Flu. He tested positive for Strep! We made him stay locked in our bedroom from Thursday-Tuesday!! Luckily Paul's mom and my mom were able to stay with me and help out! He is finally feeling better and able to help with the boys again! It has been a crazy and exhausting week, and I am glad that everyone is feeling better now. Thomas has been absolutely great! He eats well, sleeps well, and is not very fussy at all. Matthew has done pretty well with him. He has his moments, but overall I think he has accepted Thomas well. He likes to look at him and play with his feet. I can't wait until Thomas is able to interact a little more with him. I feel so blessed to have such amazing boys! Paul and I are very lucky! Here are a few more pictures.

Matthew trying to relive his infant days

Sweet brothers