"working mom"

is a redundant phrase.

just read that and thought I would pass it on.

=)

a little sweetness to get you in the spirit

why?

i don't claim to know much about technology so i need a little help here. why are all my pics fuzzy on my blog? they aren't fuzzy in my computer. any help would be appreciated.

the twins at light up lake lily

a new love in my life

It is really simple, but I LOVE it! My friend introduced me to it not too long ago and now I am addicted...I put it on everything. I mainly put it on sandwiches in lieu of mayo (ick!!!) to spice up my normally dry sandwiches. Try it and you will love it too!

Three Months of Sweetness

Dear Sweetness,

You have stolen my heart. I just can't get enough of those cute cheeks to kiss...and I can't believe you are 3 months old already. You have been such a wonderful baby, much like your brother was, and have made my days full of love.

You definitely look more like my side of the family, we just can't figure out who exactly. But I think you are going to have long eye lashes like your brother, a trait of which I can't claim (sigh). My hope is for curly red hair for you, but if you turn out to be a cute blonde I guess I can settle for that too.

For my memory sake, you weigh about 13lbs and nurse really well. Sooo much easier than your brother did. You are a boob man. You have slept through the night since 6 weeks and sleep from 7am-7pm. You are still able to fall asleep on me if we are out and about and you still don't like your car seat...one day maybe I will have a child that enjoys a good car ride. But for now, Shep and I will continue to try and talk over your hollering.

Love you little man!

i don't make these things up

Shep with a "baby" in his belly

Actually looks pretty similar to someone else I know

yummy breakfast

what is it about blueberries in your oatmeal that make it taste so yummy? Shep and I have oatmeal and blueberries a lot for breakfast, but this morning they tasted soooo good! The burst of flavor when you bite down on a cold blueberry amongst warm oatmeal is the best combo. It is kinda like those fruit chewies called Gushers that squirt flavor juice into your mouth when you bite down on them. Add a bit of agave nectar to your bowl and you are set until dinner...

Whew, glad that is done!

Ok I have been at this blogging thing for a little over an hour....7 posts though, not bad. All for the sake of memories. Now off to fold laundry.

Its a good thing...

that I have such a handy workman around my house because apparently my kitchen window was "broken". But never fear, Shep fixed it right up.

the workman and his tools

A visit with the twins

My friend Sarah and her delightful twins came over to "play" the other day. They are the cutest twins and such sweet babies. They were born 4 days before Brennan. When Sarah found out she was pregnant with twins and due around the same time as me we were hopeful for the same delivery date, but 4 days apart isn't too shabby.

For a good laugh, we took a picture of Brennan with the twins. Note: Brennan born weighing 9lbs and the twins weighing 5lbs. Four pounds really makes a big difference on babies! Brennan looks like a giant baby next to them.

Reese on the left and Brooks on the right

Brennan - two months

Little B,

I can hardly believe you have been here two months already. People ask me if I can imagine my life without you and the truth is yes, it really wasn't that long ago, but why would I want to. I love you and am so glad you are here with us. We prayed that the Lord would bless us with another child and He did.

You are a pretty calm baby so far. In comparison to your brother I don't think you are easier or harder, just different. It has been fun trying to figure you out; what you like what you don't.

You have never needed to be swaddled, and always have slept on your stomach. In fact I am looking at you right now and you are sleeping with your little butt up in the air. To calm you down after a good cry or to make you sleepy to put you to bed, I just put you over my left shoulder, shush in your ear and pat your bottom. It calms you right down.

We had our two month visit to the dr. today and you weighed in at 12lbs 12 oz. I thought you would have been bigger than that since you were 9lbs 2 oz at birth, but you are growing just fine. In comparison, your brother was 12lbs 4 oz at his two month check up...so you win!

Your smile is the absolute best!! You even give strangers a smile, not just your momma...so polite! I think the other day I caught you smiling at your brother. The first of many I am sure.

I love you little B and feel grateful to be your momma.

Shep and his teddy bear

Just this week Shep has started imitating me. Well let me back up, he has always imitated me, like putting on necklaces, headbands, cooking dinner, etc. Don't worry Robbie one day he will be so embarrassed that he did those things, but for now I love it. And he does imitate Robbie also, its just that I am around more so there are more things of "me" to imitate.

So it only makes sense that he now also has a "baby" to take care of. He has always had this really soft teddy bear in his crib, but has only recently taken a liking to it. In the last week, the teddy bear has needed his diaper changed, to go outside and swing, to put his (shep's) shoes on...you get the point. Well Tuesday while I was sitting on the couch nursing Brennan, Shep decided that his teddy bear was hungry too so he was going to "feed him". Off he runs to his room to get a pillow and a burp cloth. He comes back and sits down on the floor and starts to feed his teddy bear. I busted out laughing, I couldn't hold it in.

See pics below of all the things that teddy bear has gotten to do this week.

Shep "feeding" his teddy bear

pushing teddy bear on the swing in the backyard

Child of the Covenant

Brennan Carter Riddle, child of the covenant, yippee!!! Brennan was baptized on November 6th at City Church Orlando. We love our church. Some local family came into town for the big day.

Brennan with our pastor

the whole fam damily

after church play with the cousins

Halloween

Just a few pics of Thomas the Train on his big night....I don't think Shep had any idea what we were doing, but he did like the fact that he got candy at every house. The candy of course was for the parents =).

Shep with a witch and a bag lady (really bad picture of the bag lady....my aunt and mom)

Shep with the neighborhood kids

I'm behind a bit

So much to blog about....Halloween, Brennan's baptism, family visits, Shep "feeding" his teddy bear, uh huh, you know what I mean by "feeding" (more on that later, I've got pics too).

Coming soon!!!

Wahhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Sounds from our table this morning at breakfast.

(Shep, not Brennan)

=)

Pumpkin Patch

Here are a few pics of our trip to the pumpkin patch this year. We went with our friends the Angstroms.

And a few shots from the previous two years, just for old times sake....

Such a Deal

I have been searching for a good deal on a double stroller for awhile now. I have been stalking Craigslist and Ebay weekly looking for the perfect fit at the perfect price. I have a double stroller that I keep in my car, but I also wanted one to keep in the garage for walks to the park and around the neighborhood. (I am an American so that totally justifies the right to have two double strollers to make my life easier). Anywho...so about three weeks ago, I found a Bob Revolution on Craigslist. It wasn't the exact one I wanted, meaning it didn't have the front swivel wheel, but they are great strollers, so I went with it anyways. It was the bargain price of $200 and I got it for $175!! Robbie's parents had also given us $150 towards the purchase of a stroller...so my Bob ended up costing me $25. I was pleased....until I really started walking with it and realized that I needed (wanted) that front swivel wheel after all. So while I loved the idea of having two double strollers all with men's first names (my other double is a Phil & Ted) I decided it was time to sell. So I put it back up on Craigslist and sold it for $200, making myself a $25 profit. Now I had $200 to spend...woohoo! Weeks go by of searching again, making a few bids on Ebay and losing. Really wanting to find a Bob again, but knowing I probably wouldn't for the amount of $ I wanted to spend. Then I remembered something I had forgotten...we had bought tickets to U2 but sold them (made a $50 profit) because we were not going to be able to make it. So I was also able to use that money to put towards my new stroller!!! Now I had $320 to work with.

Well....last night I found a Baby Jogger for sale on Ebay that was perfect...I bid on it and WON!!! For the bargain price of $325! This stroller goes for $600! Gotta love a good deal.

Baby Jogger City Classic Double Stroller - Red/Silver

a love hate relationship

Recently there has been some road construction going on by our house. So far, it has provided lots of entertainment for Shep to watch the workmen repaving the road. It has however, disrupted the most important part of our day...nap time. So while I appreciate the workmen keeping my son entertained, I would simply ask that they refrain from working during the hours of 1-4pm so that we could sleep in peace. Not too much to ask I think.

the view from our front porch

I missed it somehow

Shep, somehow I missed you turning from my little baby boy to the big brother. Last week we ran one of our first errands together without Brennan. Since you have been alive I have always gotten you out of your car seat and then picked you up and either put you in a stroller or carried you into wherever I was headed. But last week, I opened the car door, unbuckled your car seat and held your hand to help you out of the car. Then without missing a beat, you just held your hand up to mine and began walking...no lifting your arms up in the air for me to pick you up and no questions asking to be held. You were content with walking on your own two feet.

Sometime in the last 5 weeks you have made this transition to the 'older' sibling and for that I am grateful, but also a little bit sad that my baby boy is gone. Although as my first baby boy, you will always hold a special place in my heart. Love you little buddy!

Shep at 27 months

One Month

Little B I can't believe it has already been a month since you entered our world and our family. You sure have made this first month easy on me and for that I thank you! You are a dream come true, a champion eater and sleeper with the sweetest disposition!

Happy One Month!

The day we became four

It has been brought to my attention that I have not yet posted about Brennan's actual birth story. Thank you friend (Rachel) for reminding me because it is an important story that I want to document and remember. So here we go...and I will try to be brief for another friend that appreciates short posts (Brad).

So here we go! It was around 2:30a.m. on Sunday September 6th, that I woke up with a weird feeling in my back. It would come and go but was neither painful or uncomfortable, just odd. I thought perhaps I had to go to the bathroom, I got up and tried, but nothing. So I went back to bed and dozed on and off, but never really fell back to sleep completely because of this weird feeling. So I got up again at 3 and wondered if this weird feeling could be contractions. Now the only other time I have been in labor, it was clear that I was in labor because my water broke, well maybe not that clear because I thought I was peeing on myself, but as soon as I clued into the fact that my water had indeed broken, it was clear labor was starting. But I digress...

So are these contractions or aren't they, I wondered. Given the fact that I was two days past my due date I went out on a limb and decided they were indeed contractions. So I woke up Robbie and told him labor was starting. But you see, there was no pain, just a weird feeling in my back.

Again, my only other time in labor, because of the water breaking and all, contractions were painful right from the start. But not this time...such a little blessing I was given.

We called our midwife and told her labor had started, but that I wasn't in any real pain. So she said to call her with an update in 30 min. At this point we also called our in-case-of-labor-in-the-middle-of-the-night-on-call-friends, Dan and Liz. Gave Lizzy the heads up that this is it and that I would call her when she needs to head over to our house. Such good friends they are. Especially given what dan had to do...more on that later.

So contractions are heating up, but to use the word pain at this point would be to diminish that which is truly pain....8-10 centimeters! So we will call them annoying and slightly uncomfortable sensations in the torso area. It is about this time that we call Dan and Liz to come on over and once they arrive, we chat on the couch for a bit and then head off to the birth center. When we arrive at Heart 2 Heart it is about 6 am and my midwife is outside waiting for me and greets me with a big hug. At this point I am so excited to get this done with and meet our newest addition, but also knowing the world of pain I am about to be in.

Michelle, the midwife, checks me for dialation and I was about 7cm. So she suggests I labor in the tub for a while. So I comply and get in the warm and relaxing water....which is suppose to help mask the "pain" of the contractions I am feeling at this point. I am in the tub for all of 10-15 min when I realize that this is just a little too comfortable for labor and that gravity is surely not on my side while I am laying down. So I get up and start moving. Then I begin feeling the real stuff....bring it on! Lets get this show on the road, I don't want to be here all day.

Labor progressed quickly from there and the next time she checked me I was 9 almost 10 cm. It was time to break my water. It is amazing how Michelle just knew that I was almost there...almost ready to to start pushing. I guess when you have delivered thousands of babies, you can almost predict these things without even looking at the women, just listening.

After my water broke I began pushing and it didn't take long for Brennan to appear!! Such joy that he was finally here and such relief that labor was over! No more pain and because of the awesome job of midwives, no special stitching needed =). The time was about 8:30 am and we were now a family of four, except our 4th person was missing...Shep. He was still at home with Dan. So Dan, the brave and wonderful soul that he is drove Shep down to the birth center for us so he could meet his little brother. When he arrived, Robbie insisted that he come back to the room to meet Brennan; when Dan came back I could see the "what the hell" look on his face and after taking a quick look at Brennan he retreated back to the safety of the waiting area. I think people who have been through child birth just assume that everyone else is as comfortable with the idea as they are. That is not really the case, but we will forever love Dan and Liz for being our "on-call" peeps that night and we owe a special shout out to Dan for braving the land of the newborns to bring Shep to us!

This wasn't brief...but oh well!

He's Here!!

And we are grateful! Brennan Carter Riddle arrived last Sunday, September 6th at 8:47 a.m. It was a wonderful labor and delivery and we are in love with our little guy.

I delivered at Heart 2 Heart birth center in Sanford, FL. It was incredible and my midwife Michelle was awesome! I am being really honest when I say that only the last hour was truly painful. The rest of the time was very peaceful.

Here are a few pics of everything...

delivery bed at heart 2 Heart

Just doing a little laboring...ya know minor stuff.

First pic of our family of four

sweet big brother

My friend Sarah

Had her babies yesterday, twins!!! a boy and a girl. They are the most precious little twins. Check them out here. She did a fabulous job, and we are all so proud of her!

The Big Day

I am trying not to put any importance on the fact that tomorrow is my actual due date, because I know babies come when they want to. So the fact that I have everything ready, as of today, means nothing to this little child of mine. But maybe, just maybe, I'll get surprised. After all who wouldn't want to lay their head in this sweet little cradle.