high five for Friday

I haven't posted a high five for Friday in so long, but I am about a week ahead in my grad classes, Beckham is napping, and Butch is working in his garden- so I had a spare moment and thought I would share!

1. On Beckham's 23 month birthday we got a clubhouse/swing set thing for his actual birthday! We decided to get it a little early so we could play with it for more of the summer. Since, tomorrow is actually the first day of Summer!

2. Wednesday, I had to do some observations for my online class at NSU and my brother is at school there so we met up for sushi! I only had an hour free and I wish we could have visited longer, but it was still nice to see him! It had been a while!

3. Beckham is obsessed with these costume glasses and it's so cute!

4. We went shopping for some clothes for his 2 year pictures.. ahh I can't believe he's about to be TWO whole years old.

5. Also for his birthday and because we were having sleep in your bed issues. I put up this bookcase, new TV, and DVD player in his room. He loves it!! AND HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN HIS BED!! YAY! Super excited about that. I also found the guard rail for his bed to convert it to a toddler bed. I'm thinking after he turns two I will put it on. Not sure yet. I know it's a big step and I'm not sure if I am actually ready. eeek

he's still a "big drool" I don't think he'll ever outgrow it

18 month checkup at 22 months

I said in this update that we didn't make the 18 month doctor visit so here's technically the 18 month update although he was 22 months old...don't judge. I had good reason to not take him to the doctor in the middle of flu season. And I stick by my decision!

So last week we finally made our 18 month check up. Beckham at 22 months weighs 28 lbs and 6 ozs (75%), he is 34 inches tall (50%), with a head circumference of 19.5 (90%). His pediatrician was happy he was back in 75th percentile weight range since he had been in 50th for so long. She is still pushing for us to switch to whole milk, but his stomach just can't handle it. It's no fun, and not worth it in my opinion. He's not a skinny baby- he's all muscle. Beckham is seriously talking up a storm. He now says 4 or 5 word phrases. His favorite phase has got to be "Sit Mama's lap, play phone." Seriously, he could/would play on my phone for hours if I let him. And the sad funny thing is he's usually watching videos of himself. My favorite thing that he says is, "What's that about?". It's so cute. Speaking of cute, he loves to show me random things like blocks, puzzle pieces, etc. and say "Awww cuuttee!". He also loved to wear sunglasses, or any glasses actually and look at himself in the mirror and say, "too cute". I've given up trying to count how many words he says, however he has a book of 101 first words and he knows every single one (and it doesn't have most of the words that he says), so I'm guessing he knows around 200-300 words total. Our pedi was shocked when he said "sit Mama's lap, play phone" while we were in her office. She said that was a 3 year old phrase.

Although he does so much beyond his age, we are having a few issues. Namely, his bed and potty training. First of all his bed- he officially hates it. I have NEVER been one to put him in our bed, we would play in the bed but never lay down for bedtime in there. However, he wakes up like clockwork around 12:00 every night crying and saying Mama a million times. I put him in our bed the first few times and now it's an every night occurrence. I. Don't. Know. What. To Do. He usually falls asleep watching TV in the living room, so I'm thinking when he wakes up in a different place he is scared. I honestly don't know. I'm just trying to rationalize an almost 2 year old. So, we put a big bookcase with a TV and DVD player in his room and I am hoping that will help and he will want to stay in his bed. I think it's a little early to transition to toddler bed, and then I am dealing with the whole -stay in your bed- issue. I'm not ready for that!

Now to the potty issue. Okay so, he HAD a lot of interest in the potty, he even went 6 nights in a row using the potty before his bath, so I thought it was time to try to potty train. I set aside a few weeks to stay home and have some consistency. I bought all kinds of underwear, pull ups, a potty seat, all of it. We talked about how the underwear were different from diapers and big boys wore underwear. We talked about how if needed to use the potty he needed to tell me and not go in his underwear. The first day he did great. We only had two accidents and before his bath that night he used it before his bath. The next day he would have nothing to do with it. That morning I said, "let's go try to use the potty" and he said, "no". I kept asking if he wanted to go try and he kept saying no. UGH! So, I have no idea what to do about that either. I don't want to force him because he is still young, but I don't understand how we had a good first day and from then on he wants absolutely nothing to do with the potty. At. All. I'm at a loss. Therefore, we are holding off on potty training for a while, hopefully in the next few weeks he will show interest and we can make it his idea to use the potty. I just hope it's before I go back to work in August.

That's pretty much all we've been dealing with lately. He completely runs the show around here. It's undeniable. Monday we are getting his playhouse- which is an early birthday present. I'm so excited about it and can't wait to see his face when it's all put together. I opted to get it early so that we can play with it all summer and we'll have it for his birthday party. Speaking of birthday party, of course I am in full-on planning mode. I can't wait. But, I also can't believe he is about to be 2! WOW! It seems like a month ago I was planning his first birthday. :'( Anyways, that's what has been going on around here lately.

May

The middle of May we went to my Mom's house for my Papaw's 75th Birthday! It was so much fun to see most of my Mom's side of the family that we never get to see. They live on the lake so the majority of Butch's time was spent fishing. I told them not to take it personally; he simply can't be that close to water without fishing. Beckham caught his first fish, actually three total- with lots of help from Daddy, of course. He actually threw his fish back in the lake, too. I was impressed. I don't even do that! I just don't like the texture of fish and I'm afraid I'll get stuck or cut or something. But, Beckham is fearless and had no problem. It was adorable to see him and Butch bonding like that. We had a great time.

The end of May meant the end of this school year, which also meant my baby nieces are off to highschool next year. It's such a bittersweet feeling. They have been at Herndon (where I attended and now teach) since Kindergarten. I was there the day they were born and seeing them grow up has been so much fun and now I feel old. Ha!

Summer is officially here and although I am writing this June 11th it has been extremely hot since the middle of May. We are seriously enjoying Grami's pool! Nothing crazy has been happening around here. I am taking two graduate classes this summer and they are tough. I remember undergrad summer classes being extremely fast paced, but I also wasn't married with an almost 2 year old at the time so to say that time management is key is a little bit of an understatement! However, I am committed and I know I will get through it. Plus, I saved about $700 by taking two classes instead of just one (I'm not paying double fees- which helps!). 

The very end of May Butch and I went to the Florida Georgia Line and Nelly concert. I bought Butch tickets for an early Father's Day gift. Coincidentally, it was my best friend, Amber's, sister's birthday and she had gotten them tickets as well. We were just one section over from each other. Also, when Butch and I found our seats we were one row above another group of friends...talk about a coincidence! Anyways, we went to Margaritaville and then to the concert that night and had a nice little date night. The music was wonderful and it was a much needed little adult getaway!

I think that pretty much wraps up May! :)

Easter 2014

Written Sunday, April 20th
This weekend has been so fun! With the exception of Butch being out of town working, it has been perfect. We have really missed him because now that he is working at home (most of the time) we've really gotten used to him being home- so it really sucks when he has to leave us. He especially hates it during any holiday. Beckham is growing up and becoming so independent, the holidays are becoming more and more fun!

On Good Friday we went to an EGGstravaganza at Beckham's BFF, Jake's house. It was so fun! We had a little lunch, dyed Easter eggs with Koolaid and then the kids hunted for eggs. They all had a blast. Even though Beckham is an only child, and the first grandchild on both sides of the family, he still plays really well with others, which I am so thankful for!

Saturday morning, Yaya, my Mom, came to spend the holiday weekend with us. She is off tomorrow (Monday) and I have to work so she is keeping Beckham. She also wanted to come hang out with us and participate in the Easter festivities. She actually pulled up as Beckham and I were working in the flower beds. I am trying to improve my grey thumb, but that's another post in itself! Saturday afternoon, we all went down to Grami's to dye Easter eggs and just visit. We ended up letting Beckham do the Koolaid eggs and shaving cream eggs (again this year link from last year). Like I said, he is so independent so naturally he wanted to do it all by himself; which consisted of him sitting on the picnic table and literally throwing eggs into the cups. It was hilarious and we all ended up pretty orange/red tinted, but the memories made are priceless! I had already planned to make a little chick footprint for Easter to give to Grami and Yaya but I didn't have a chance before so we ended up making them together Saturday night. They turned out so cute! Saturday was jam packed with fun Easter festivities. I am blessed in so many ways. 1) Beckham...of course, but 2) my Mom and Mother-in-Law get along so well! I mean I have a great mother-in-law but I am glad we can make these memories together with Beckham.

Saturday night was not the best for sleep. Beckham woke up around 1:00am crying and screaming about a big cat. It was weird. I am guessing he has a nightmare. So, I put him in the bed with my Mom and I. Unfortunately, my Mom snores like a grizzly bear so Beckham kept waking up. He finally said, "Yaya snore.....loud!". So, we got on the couch. We both pretty much tossed and turned most of the night and got littler sleep, so he did sleep in a little Sunday morning. Once he woke up and saw that the Easter bunny had left him a basket and hid eggs in the yard he was wide awake. We went through his basket and scoured the yard for eggs, which was so fun because he was really hunting for them!

Then, we all got dressed to go eat lunch at Grami's house. Beckham is such a spoiled good boy that the Easter bunny came to Grami's house too! So, again with the egg hunt. I'm guessing that since this was his third time hunting eggs he was a little over it, plus it felt like 100 degrees outside so we didn't stay out long. After a wonderful lunch, Mom and Beckham took a nap and I finished The Maze Runner (which was so good but had such a cliffhanger...ughh). We spent most of today just eating, and playing with Beckham. It was, with the exception of Butch being gone, a perfect weekend. If only I was off tomorrow it would be realllllly perfect! :D

With all of the superficial Easter festivities of the weekend I still have to reflect on the real reason for the season. He is risen! I am so thankful to believe in a God that loves me more than I deserve, who has plans for me better than I can dream, and sent his son as a sacrifice so I could live. I am so blessed beyond my wildest imagination! I thank God everyday for this beautiful life.

Easter 2013 post.

update

Okay, so it's a good thing that I didn't have updating the blog on my list of new year resolutions because that's been a total fail. Sorry! Here's a bit of an update.

Life has been crazy good, crazy busy, and down right CRAZY lately!

Butch changed jobs so he is no longer working in Alaska! YAY!! He is home pretty much every night- with the exception of occasionally working out of town. But, it's nothing like 3 weeks 23 days in Alaska! Still working/thinking about our future house plans but nothing concrete has happened.

Beckham is growing like crazy and talking up a storm. You can pretty much have a full on conversation with him now and he's not even two! Speaking of him turning two shortly I am in full on party planning mode. I love it! I'm super excited and sad at the same because he is growing up so fast. I posted a couple baby pics last thursday for #tbt and it made me so sad. I mean, not sad-sad but I just can't believe how much he has grown and will continue to grow in the future. It's just going too fast. I am having a bit of baby fever. BUT- I am not planning on getting pregnant again until we are in a bigger house! We literally have no room for us right now, I can't imagine bringing another baby into this small house. So, back to Beckham. I had planned to post an 18 month dr visit update but when we went to the doctor Beckham has a runny nose and a little cough so he couldn't get his shots or anything, so I didn't make a post. Then we had it rescheduled for 3 weeks later and he still had the same cough. I am convinced it was all allergies because he seemed to just come and go and he didn't act like he felt bad. Who knows? So here we are he's now 20 months and we still have no had 18 month shots. I called the nurse and she said it's fine to wait until after flu season to come in, so that's what we are doing now. Beckham is still obsessed with being outside all day-everyday which does not help his allergies but I've come to terms with the fact that he is ALL BOY and the weather is just starting to warm up so I'm sure we will be outside a lot in the next few months!

What else is new? Umm...we got a little puppy! She was free we adopted from Craigslist. Her name is Bella, she is bad and Beckham loves her! Shes chihuahua mixed breed, but she really is sweet- just not potty trained yet and that's driving me a bit crazy.

Also, I took Beckham to his first carnival a few weeks ago. The town we live in has a little festival every March and they always have a little carnival. Beckham was only tall enough to ride one ride but he absolutely loved it!

On top of being a full time Mom, Wife and Teacher, I am also a student in the Grad School so that should tell you why I haven't posted as much as I wanted to lately. Again, my apologies but the blog is just having to sit on the back burner for a while. I do, however, have an A (I'm expecting to keep an A) in my class and I have already registered for two this summer. Yes, I am insane!  I'd rather just get it done now rather than later.

So, I guess that's all I really have to say. We've just been having fun around here nothing too wild going on. We are just living life one day at a time!

eighteen month favorites

compare to one year favorites. all images below from google.

written January 16, 2014
I can't believe Beckham is 18 months today. I know I've said it a million times but he is seriously growing up so fast!! I loved my post on his one year favorites and honestly couldn't wait to post one for eighteen months. It's so funny to see how his favorite things have changed...however, one this in particular stayed the same. He is such a smart little toot. I counted all of the words he can say and identify and was well over 100 when I just stopped. If I show him a flashcard on the iPad (or he flips through them himself) after one time hearing the word and seeing the picture, he can say the word and point to it if he sees it in real life. I am just beyond amazed at all that he does on a daily basis. So, anyways enough of me going on and on about how smart, cute, amazing Beckham is....here are his favorites.

iPhone- first of all this is his all time favorite thing in the whole entire world. He loves all phones in general, but he really knows how to work the iPhone so it is his top choice. I can't remember if I mentioned this or not, but over the Christmas holiday he actually put my iPhone in the toilet. Yes, good times. I dried it in rice for two days and although it is technically working, it is definitely not up to par, so I ordered a new one yesterday that should be here tomorrow. Hallelujah because I seriously want to throw it back in the toilet about five times a day.

iPad- this has to be a close second to the iPhone. Since turning 1 year old he has really started to love the iPad. It is so amazing to see him turn it on, go to the game/app he wants and pretty much navigate around all on his own. He recently started loving to see the baby, which is where he goes to the photos and either watches videos of himself or looks at his own picture. It's hilarious! He also gets really pissed if it's about to die and I have to plug it in. He really does not love the cord.

Mickey Mouse car- Butch and I got him this car for his birthday but he never really LOVED it; grated when he first saw it he freaked out but he didn't really have the coordination to ride it at the time. However, in the six months since he has most than mastered the art. Our house is not very big but he will ride that thing from one end to the other, and he goes fast!! And he can get it completely turned around and cut corners to get anywhere he wants to go. The seat also lifts up and he loves to stash away things for us to find later.

Jake and The Neverland Pirates bubble bath- while shopping in WalMart a few months ago he spotted Jake on the side of this bottle and had to have it. I was a little nervous about it simply because it wasn't Johnson's brand. Why? I don't know because he has never had sensitive skin. I did read on the side that it was fragrance free and hypoallergenic, but anyways it didn't break him out at all and he loves it. As soon as I get the water for the bath running he starts yelling "Jake" and "bubbles". He is definitely vocal and quick to tell me exactly what he wants.

Spiderman toothbrush- since he got his first tooth I have tried to get in the habit of brushing his teeth every night and as he's seen Butch and I brush our teeth, he likes to do it himself. He got this toothbrush for Christmas from my grandparents on my Dad's side (it's kind of their thing to give a toothbrush every year). It's not so much the Spiderman toothbrush that he loves, just more of any toothbrush in general. He will, however tell me which tooth brush is mine, which is "Diddy's" and which is "baby's", then he says "teeth" when he wants the toothbrush and "paste" when he needs more toothpaste. Genius.

fuzzy blankets- I bought this super fuzzy white blanket at Target last black Friday (2012) and basically had it laying on the end of our bed forever and then Beckham became obsessed with it. He now loves all blankets and calls them "beans". His favorite blankets are thick fuzzy ones. I was afraid of letting him sleep with it at first because he gets so hot when he sleeps but he insists on sleeping with it and so far it's worked out really good. We have actually noticed that he sleeps better when he has a big blanket. Add that to the fact that when he lays down he says "milk", "night night", and then "bean".

Mickey Mouse couch- Butch and I also bought this for his 1st birthday and he has really loved it all along, I probably should have included it on the 1 year favorites. Anyways, it's still a favorite. He loves to sit on it like a couch and pull it out and lay flat. However, his favorite thing is to sit it up like a couch and run and flip over the back of the couch part and land on his stomach. The first time he did it I think it was more of an accident. He was running away from me while I was trying to tickle him, and he's been obsessed with doing that ever since. It's so funny to see.

Thomas the train- Beckham got a lot of Thomas the train stuff for Christmas but he really loves to push the train cars around the track. He loves trains in general though. He has never been afraid of them, even if we are very close and they are very loud. He just loves them. He says "choo choo" and tries to see it out the window.

football- typical boy... He loves throwing and 'catching' the football. I say 'catching' but really it usually hits him and he runs to pick it up. He is learning to throw it really well and even says "fumble" when he drops it. His Uncle B has also been teaching him to say "ready, set, hut, hut". B usually says the ready, set part and Beckham says hut, hut. It's really cute. He can identify pretty much spot a ball from a mile away, even on TV. If he sees baseball, basketball, or football on TV he says ball and is usually glued to the TV.

So, those have to be some of his top favorite things to play with. He is still (and probably will always be) obsessed with playing outside and riding the four wheeler. We've had a few really pretty days lately and it's impossible to keep him inside. I've heard stories of Butch being like that and I know he has to get it from him because I am what you could call indoorsy... :)

We have our eighteen month check up next week. Hopefully no shots, I can't remember if the nurse said he will have vaccines or not. I'll probably give some Tylenol just to be safe. He's cutting jaw teeth like crazy anyways, so it can't hurt. Speaking of that.....teething sucks! We've never had as much trouble as we have lately. I'm talking fever, upset stomach, won't eat, complete grouch...yeah, we've had some rough teething days. I want to say I'm ready for them to come in, but that's not true. I miss my snuggly tiny baby. He is growing up too fast!!

2014

Compare to last year's New Year post.

It is officially 2014 and I can't begin to explain how fast 2013 flew by. My life in general is flying by. Beckham is growing at warp speed and I feel like I am completely out of control. As I read my post from last year I could literally remember sitting down and writing it. I can't believe that was a year ago. Wow. I am usually quite eager for the new year, I like the idea of a new beginning; and the motivation of being able to start over with whatever goals you may or may not set. As I read my resolutions from last year I couldn't help but laugh because they are pretty much the same this year.

Last year:
1) No more regular Coke
2) Update this blog at least twice a month!
3) Lose the baby weight by Beckham's 1st Birthday

I am completely over the whole don't drink Coca Cola thing... I'm sorry but maybe I get it from my Mamaw but I love regular Coke (boy coke is what I called it when I was little). I don't want to give it up completely. And when I tell myself I am 'quitting' something, it just makes me want it more. I have no will power. So, this year I am just going to say that I want to drink more water! Updating the blog- I'd say I have done a pretty fair job! I am keeping that goal in my mind because I truly love to look back at older posts to see things that Beckham was doing or what was on my mind at the time. And lastly.......lose the baby weigh. Well, that hasn't happened completely. I am down two pants sizes and about 17 pounds since I was about 6 weeks post partum. I lost 19 lbs the day I had him; so I'd say I still need to lose about 20 pounds which doesn't seem completely out of reach. I have joined Weight Watchers....yes I was suckered in by the Jessica Simpson ads....don't judge me. But, I am doing pretty good so far. I love the indulgence points because I don't feel like I am on a "diet". And I guess I am kind of not- it just teaches you how to eat, more or less. I am learning a lot of about what types of foods are best to eat and portion size (which is my biggie). So, I am not calling it a diet and I am not thinking about it like I am on a diet. If I want to eat a Reese's peanut butter cup, I will! I just won't eat ten like I really want.

Resolutions:
1) Lose 15-20 pounds (by Beckham's Birthday)--that's 6.5 months away...completely doable.
2) Drink more water!

As I said, 2013 flew by at the speed of sound. I mean I literally blinked and it was gone. All of the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas....all of that just crept up and them flew by. I am usually all about a new year, a new beginning, a fresh start, all of that. However, this year I don't know if maybe I was just unprepared for the new year or what because I am really just wanting time to slow down. Beckham and I were laying on the couch tonight watching videos on my iPad of him when he was a little baby, just barely walking, barely talking (more babble than anything), Beckham loves to look at babies (any baby in general, but I mostly just have pictures and videos of him on my phone and iPad), he was completely memorized watching this little baby just crawl and walk around. Whether or not he knew it was himself, I don't know, but as we were watching I couldn't help but feel a little bit sad. He is sooo not a baby anymore. I mean he is my baby and will always be, but he does things so much sooner than most babies his age. He was crawling a 6 months, walking at 9.5, and now at almost 18 months he can pretty much tell you anything he wants, or at least he will point you in the right direction, he identifies all kinds of things, and he follows commands. I know everyone says this but he is so incredibly smart for his age; and while I am completely proud of all that he can do, it also makes me sad because I feel like I am not getting as much time with him as other Moms get with their babies. He is so mobile and fluent and I just wish he would slow down just a little bit so I can catch up- or at least prepare myself a little better. Anyways, I know that he is not slowing down anytime soon. If anything, things will be happening even faster in 2014. I swear when it's time to potty train (which will probably be soon because he already tells me when he's done his business) I will probably cry. I just want him to be my little baby forever, which is completely selfish. I want him to grow into a handsome young man but I need to figure out a way to be able to absorb every single thing that he does so that I never ever forget them. :)

Our New Year's Eve was pretty low key. We watched the LSU game and had the traditional cabbage and black eyed peas. Beckham had a little bit of both- neither of which he really liked but he has been cutting jaw teeth lately so he hasn't been eating all that well the past couple of days. We popped some fireworks at Grami and Pop's house and he actually liked them pretty well. He would say "oohhhh and ahhhhhh" mocking me. I was trying to show him they wouldn't hurt him or anything because he was a little freaked at first because they were so loud. So, we hung out by the bonfire with Grami while Pop and Daddy put on a firework show for us.

Then, that night was crazy. Beckham fell asleep around 9:00pm; then woke up at 10:30 sick to his stomach. As I said, he had been teething and was running a low grade fever, so I'm thinking the milk didn't sit well with him because puked three times. And then he was ready to party. For real. Like, I'm guessing he was fired up from watching the neighbors firework show but he wouldn not go to sleep after that. Maybe he was just feeling better after getting all of that off of his stomach, but he stayed awake until after 2:00am. He was just running all over the house playing with toys, watching TV, messing with me....you name it. Around 1:00am I finally turned the TV off hoping he would realize that it was time to go to bed. Needless to say, I looked at my phone at 2:17am and he was still wide awake. Some time after that he fell asleep, on me, on the couch because I woke up at 7:00 and put him in the bed and got in bed. Naturally, he was up at 9:00am, so our New Year's Day was not that great. We were both pretty sluggish. But, last night and today was much better. I was thinking to myself....ok this is not a good way to start the New Year. I was thinking he was trying to turn into a sleep-hating baby, which he has never been....ever.

wonderful iPhone quality 

 I could tell he was so sleepy but fighting it for some reason!

So, there's that! 2014 has already gotten off to a crazy start. I am excited to see what this year holds. I know my life will continue to speed by if I'm not careful, I am just hoping I can keep up.

Happy New Year!