Bad Luck!

Yuck! I have that icky feeling in my stomach right now. You know, the I-just-broke-my-brand-new-digital-camera icky feeling. I was trying to get "before"pictures of the basement since Shane is just about to start framing it in. I decided I shouldn't be down there with Eli (some of the insulation is down) so I passed my camera off to Shane. I should say attempted to pass my camera off to Shane Somewhere in the hand off we fumbled and the next thing I heard was the sickening sound of metal smashing on the floor. So, bye-bye lovely brand new camera with all the great settings. Bye-bye being able to download my pictures right onto my computer. It's back to the old camera again, because there's no way we're going to shell out the dough for a new camera in the middle of this remodel project! OK, I'm done pouting- guess I feel a little better. As my dad would say, "Bummer trails, dude!"

CC Edwards Mascot?

Grandma Snow had this adorable onesie made for Eli before he was born (Like the rest of us, I think she had a pretty good hunch that he was going to be a boy!) He finally fits in it, and I must say, would make a pretty adorable company mascot!

Memorial Day Weekend

Well, there's never a dull moment around this ranch! The three day weekend provided some much needed time to start tackling our very long "To Do" list. Included on the list: add a bathroom upstairs, remove remaining lathe and plaster upstairs, fix the flooring upstairs, finish the basement, build a laundry room, have the house painted, and paint the garage. Yep, it's gonna be a busy summer. You know that saying, "ignorance is bliss?" It's true. When we first tore into this old house, we thought it would be "a fun little project." Now heading into this second go-round, we're a little less ignorant of the work we have cut out for us! Wish us luck and I'll keep you posted on the progress!



.This is what our bedroom looked like Monday morning when we got up. (You've gotta love my sheet curtain-see I knew there was a reason I didn't get around to putting curtains in this room!)

The set-up Shane rigged for dumping plaster from the bedroom. I think there's a name for such poorly engineered operations...but it worked, so I can't tease him too much.

A little lathe for the burn pile...you won't believe how fast this stuff ignites!This is what our bedroom looked like by the end of the weekend. We'll be adding a soaking tub, shower, double vanity and toilet closet. Unfortunately we had to lose the biggest room upstairs, but it was the only (affordable) way to get a bathroom upstairs.

"Mom, I really don't care if the house is blue or yellow! JUST DECIDE ALREADY!"(Just in case you're wondering it's going to be pale yellow (almost cream) with white trim. )

There is nothing better than a weed-free flower bed. (Actually, a weed-free AND rooster-free flower bed would be tops.) Relaxing on the front porch after a hard day's work.

Bailey loves to sit in this chair on the porch. Sometimes she looks through the windows and watches us inside. Other times, she leans back and watches cars go by. What a nut!




Reading a bedtime story before calling it a day! (I discovered that if I lay on the floor with Eli he will actually look at the pictures...as opposed to chewing/waving/dropping/folding/throwing the book! It works for the time being, anyways!)

FREE Rooster

Yep, you read that right. We are giving away a rooster. What's that you say...you didn't even know we had acquired chickens? We didn't. They acquired us. About a month ago, two roosters started hanging around our place. (We figured they were from a small farm a few roads over where there are so many chickens they hang out in the road.) Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-Dum made a fine pair, until Tweedle-Dum disappeared. (Coyote snack, we assumed). That left us with with Tweedle-Dee, who seemed to be a rather appropriate addition to our old farmhouse.

So Tweedle-Dee lived a happy life as the free-roaming, cat-food-eating rooster...that is until I started working in my flower beds. I just finished weeding and top-dressing all of my flower beds, only to have that rascally rooster scritch-scratch them to pieces! After two weeks of watching him ruin all my hard work, I had it! I made a half-hearted effort to kill him by hurling a hand trowel his way. I was glad I missed, but my frustration by this point had reached maximum capacity. Shane meanwhile, was getting all sorts of laughs over my hatred of the rooster. (In fact, one night, as we sat eating dinner, I jumped up, ran out, and tried to chase the rooster out of my flowers. All I ended up doing was chasing him around and around a tree and giving Shane a side ache from laughing so hard). But come Saturday morning when Tweedle-Dee started crowing at 4:00am and continued every 30 seconds, Shane joined the "Kill The Rooster" bandwagon. Eventually, he too, attempted chicken murder. (This time it was a flying hammer).

So, here we sit with our flower-bed-digging, Saturday-morning-ruining rooster. Neither of us have the heart to do him in and we don't have the time to build a chicken coop. Do you know anyone who wants a rooster? As you can see, he's beautiful. He's also friendly. And as far as chickens go, he must be fairly smart to have made it this long.

Free to a good home................or anyone that will take him.

Our New Niece!

My sister and her husband (Heather and Andy) just welcomed their newest arrival this morning. Her name is LillyAnne Sue. She weighed 7 lbs 10 oz, measured in at 19 inches and has strawberry blonde hair (at first, it looked like she was going to be a red-head like Heather). She joins her big brother, Kailer, who just turned two. We can't wait to meet her...Eli and I will be going over to visit sometime this week/weekend. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures to share next week!

Well Baby Checkup

I know what your thinking...why is Eli having a Well Baby checkup at 7 1/2 months? It's a long story, but the sum of it is, I goofed and took him in for an extra one (How was I to know he didn't need a 3 month check? ;-)

That said, Eli is, indeed, a well baby. He is up to 16 pounds 6 ounces and is 27 1/2 inches long! (My little 6 pound 12 ounce, 21 inch baby is growing up!) That puts him in the 25% for weight and just below the 50% for height. Though he isn't a big guy, his pediatrician said his growth is very normal. He got two shots this go-round and, as always, was an absolute trooper.

The only not-so-great news is that he has a lazy eye. His left eye doesn't track quite as well as it should. (Some mom I am-I never even noticed!) It's probably nothing major, but we'll have to head to Children's in the next few weeks to get it checked out by a pediatric ophthalmologist. His pediatrician assured me over and over that it's nothing big, just something we should have checked out...I'll keep you posted on the diagnosis.

Something about going in to the Dr's office really marks time and helps me to realize how much Eli has grown and changed. Each time I put him on the baby scale, I instantly flash back to his very first checkup. He was so tiny it seemed the scale would swallow him up...now when I try to settle him in it, his chubby legs hang off the end. Wow! Time really does fly!

Just havin' fun

I finally captured some of Eli's adorable smiles on camera! Take a look at our little cutie pie...

Check out my teeth!
Eli has started to push himself up into a crawling position and attempts to crawl. He can scoot himself backwards now!

As Cody S. would call it, "Pikey hair!"

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

Read 'em and weep ladies! That's right, my husband made me breakfast in bed for Mother's Day. (Okay, we didn't actually eat it in bed, but it was delivered to me in bed).


Shane did an awesome job of making my first Mother's Day special. After the yummy breakfast (french toast, sausage, apple slices, and tea) we went to morning meeting. When we came home, Eli decided to cooperate and continue sleeping, so we got to induldge in a rare Sunday nap. Since the weather stayed decent all day, we loaded up Eli in the stroller and took a nice long walk around town. To cap off the day, we had dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant and headed to Coldstone Creamery for dessert (Oops-so much for cutting out all sweets...oh, well-everything in moderation, right?) All said, it was a relaxing, fun day with my two favorite people!

Motherhood

I've definitely thought a lot more about Mother's Day this year than I ever have. After joining the ranks, I hold a new and deep appreciation for the colossal job that mothers do. I'm so thankful for my mom, grandmas, mother-in-law,sisters, sisters-in-law, and all the other moms out there who have helped me learn how to be a mom! I loved these quotes about motherhood and just had to share...

"A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take." - Cardinal Mermillod

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~Honoré de Balzac

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day! :-)

A future farmer?

I wonder if Eli is going to grow up to be a farmer...he seems pretty happy about wearing overalls and riding a John Deere. The tractor actually belongs to Bella, who was kind enough to share when we visited last week. (Thanks, Mandy, for the great photography! One of these days I'll figure out how to get a picture with Eli ssmiling!)

Must Be Spring!

It's that time of year again...the lawn has to be mowed at least once a week. Tonight, Shane decided to take Eli along for the ride. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more!

Tooth Number 2 Appears!

Eli now has two adorable little teeth. His second came in right next to the first, so now he's got a matching set on the bottom. Of course neither are all the way up, but I must say, they look pretty cute! I wonder if we'll get a break from teething now, or if they will continue to come in rapid succession? (Sorry you haven't got to see them yet. I tried to snap a picture of his pearly whites today, but they're still so small, I have to get really close...which results in Eli trying to pull the camera out of my hands. It's not the best way to capture a picture, but definitely entertaining for Eli!)

A Little Accountability

You know how they say if you share a goal with another person, you'll be more accountable? Well, I figure if I post this on my blog, I'll really be accountable...

I told myself (and all the reasonable literature affirmed) that the baby weight would take nine months to gain and, likewise, nine months to lose. Sounds reasonable, right? The only problem is, I did the math yesterday and Eli will be nine months old in a month and a half! I'm down to the last few pounds (ok, ok-I'm not talking a few as in two-I've got 5-6 lbs to go...). The fact that I'm anywhere near my goal has everything to do with little Eli's voracious appetite and nothing to do with my eating/exercise habits the past 8 months. That said, I'm committing myself to less snacking, smaller portions, and more regular exercise. There! I said it for all the world to read, so now I better get to work! Wish me luck, and please be sure to answer the survey!