{Almost} Wordless Wednesday: Yay Cake!

Travis on his 1st birthday.

Yes, we did "paint" his face with frosting.

My first sewing project.

I took a Sewing 101 class a few weeks ago at a local fabric store, The Fabulous Fabric Shop and wanted to try my hand at making something before the dress making class I signed up for next(I like to just jump right in). I decided on a tie for my 9 month old son Travis. I didn't take any pictures of the process because, well, if it sucked i didn't want any proof of it's existence. It didn't turn out quite how i wanted it too, but I think that's because I used flannel. I plan to make him another one out of a thinner cotton to see if it comes out a little better. Even with it's imperfections, I still think it turned out pretty darn cute!

Travis wore it to church last week and I got countless compliments on it.

 I will be making him several more for sure!

9 months and a sunburn

Today Travis is nine months old. This morning we had his check up with the Dr and found out that he has dropped from the 10th percentile of weight to the 3rd. Yikes! I knew he was little, but really? He weighs 15.1 pounds. They weighed him twice just to make sure. So now I have to add a scoop of formula to his meals for extra calories. We have an appointment in one month to see how he is doing...she wants him to have gained 2 pounds by then. Other than that he is a strong, healthy and active little boy! Now I just have to fatten him up a bit:)

After his appointment I met some friends at the lake for some mommy/kid fun time. There is so much crap you have to take with you when you take kids to the lake. I pretty much take everything I can ever imagine needing because on the rare occasion that I did not pack a certain thing it was the one thing that was needed. I think a wagon would be a handy thing to have for the next time I do this so that Brooklyn can pull all the stuff in it while I push the boy in the stroller.

Now I am sunburned and exhausted...it was worth it. The kids had a blast. Travis ate dirt and put every rock he could get his grubby little hands on into his mouth, and Brooklyn swam and made sand castles with friends while I talked with my mommy friends.

We had a great time and can't wait to do it all again!

Culp Family Photos 2010

We had not had family portraits done in over 3 years...so it was time. Enter the amazing Kara Stewart of www.karastewartphotography.com. She made us feel so comfortable and was able to capture who we are.

1.2.10

This is our first family picture of the new year.

We need to work on getting Travis to look at the camera...it freaks him out a little.

I love my kids...and my new hat.

I realized this evening that Travis is three months old today! Um, where did the time go?!? Here's a picture of him in his new Bumbo.

I decided to bite the bullet and buy it new after searching every second hand baby store in town as well as craigslist with no luck. One second hand baby store had a used blue Bumbo with a tray, but it was priced at $44.00! Brand new at Target I got the chair for $35.00, and the tray for $10.00. I think it was worth it though because the boy LOVES it. I love to say the name...BUMBO! Try it, it's fun:) He's not very strong in the sitting position yet, so we will have to ease him into it a few minutes at a time while he gets stronger.

1.1.10

Travis:13 weeks old

We started Travis on the Baby Wise eating/sleeping schedule five days ago and he is thriving! He eats full meals now instead of snacking, and he sleeps for full sleep cycles instead of cat napping all day. He is happier and more content now, and during his wake times he is all smiles!

He has grown so much this past week and I think it may have something to do with the new schedule. On day two I noticed that he was feeling much heavier and I had to pull out his six month clothes because his three month clothes were too small. I am curious to see how much weight he has gained.

He is quite the talker and we have many wonderful conversations consisting of ridiculous made up words and sounds. Brooklyn thinks he is a genius...that he knows all of his colors and can already say her name along with other random words.

His favorite place in the world is his changing table. He LOVES to have his diaper changed. He laughs and talks while I change him and then we stay there and chat for a bit. If it were safe I would let him hang out there all day, that's how much he loves it.

Baby Wise

When Travis was born, he had jaundice really bad and ended up being hospitalized twice. We spent 7 of his first 10 nights of life in the hospital where I would feed him, change him and then put him right back in his bassinet under the bililights.

When I got home all I wanted to do was to hold and snuggle him. That led to him only sleeping in my arms during the day, which I didn't mind because I just wanted him near me all the time. At bed time I tried to put him in the co sleeper and he would cry and cry and cry, and Jon and I would get no sleep. So I pulled him into bed with us, sleeping with him in the crook of my arm where he would nurse until he fell asleep.

These things combined to create a child who would only sleep in mommy's arms or the swing and wanted to snack all day instead of eating a full meal. Some days he would fall asleep eating and then he would wake up a few minutes later acting like he was starving. Basically he was never satisfied with food or sleep.

We stayed with my sister Angie last month when we were in town for our sister Fish's wedding. I told her that I really wanted to get Travis on a schedule and she lent me the book Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam . When we got home I went to find the book and it was no longer in my bag...turns out that Jon thought our 1 1/2 year old niece had put it there when she was playing in out stuff, so he put it back on the bookshelf.

When we were there for Christmas Eve I made sure that the book made it into my bag so that it would make it home with me.

Saturday evening I sat down and read the whole book. I was so excited to try it that I almost started right then. I thought about it some more and decided to wait until the next morning.

Sunday morning I got up and started the routine. I decided to start with a three hour cycle. Feed, wake time and then nap time.
Rinse and repeat.

First nap time he screamed the whole time.

Second nap time he screamed for the first part and then slept for a bit.

Third nap time he screamed, slept and then screamed.

That continued all day.

His last scheduled feeding was at 10pm. I fed him, changed him and put him down in the co sleeper where he cried until 1:45am. Every 15 minutes or so I would reach over and give him his pacifier and tell him it was nigh-night time. At 1:45 I decided to feed him. Afterall, he was going to need to keep up his strength if he was going to continue to cry like that. I put him back down at about 2:15, he fussed for a few minutes and then slept soundly until 7 this morning when I woke him up to eat.

I am so tired, but I am seeing promising results with him already...

First nap today he turned his head to the side and went right to sleep! Victory!

Second nap today he cried then slept and is now crying again. **sigh**

I just have to stand firm and give him some time to adjust. I think he is going to do well once he gets the hang of it, and if not, I will find another method that works for him.

I am just so thankful for all the great mommy friends who talked me through last night....even though I knew I was doing the right thing it helped tremendously to have the support of other mommies who have gone and are going through this with their kids.

Mr Bub

Hello big eyes! You are such a joy for your mama...
I love you so much.

I am so Blessed

These three are my love and my heart.

Brooklyn, Jon and Travis

My boys.

Travis Ezekiel

This boy has my heart.

Travis, 11 weeks old

I love his tiny feet.

Merry Christmas

Travis and Brooklyn with Santa

Glitter shoes and Christmas songs

Last night was Brooklyn's school Christmas program and it was just me and the kids. Jon went to a concert with friends(a Christmas present), so I was left to fend for myself.

I, of course, underestimated the time it would take to get ready and ended up running out the door frazzled, thinking to myself "Am I dressed? Did I put on deodorant? Is the baby changed? Does the kid have underwear on? Where are my keys? Is the camera charged?" As you can see, it's pretty stressful and crazy in my brain.

We got to the theater and it took me awhile to wrestle the baby into the baby carrier which I was so thankful that I remembered, or truthfully, had left in the car from the last time I had used it. Then I slung the camera bag and diaper bag over my shoulder, grabbed the girls hand, locked the car and then weaved my way through the busy parking lot to get into the warm theater.

Once we got inside I went to our section and took pictures of all the kids in their holiday best, looking so adorable in ties and dresses. Brooklyn wore her white flower girl dress from my sisters wedding along with silver glittery shoes; it made her feel like a princess and it showed. Next year she said she wants to wear a red dress and the year after that, a green one. She decided that she would rotate the Christmas colors each year. I love her:)

When it was time for the first grade class to go up on stage I pulled out the video camera. Of course it is at that time that Travis decides to cry. So there I am, bouncing the screaming baby and trying to record my first born singing with her class. Every time I would look down at the baby to try to hush him I would look back up only to find that I was filming the floor. I will have to remember to hand out barf bags when we view the tape later.

Thankful

I am thankful for:

• My husband Jon. I would not trade him for anything, except maybe coffee, but probably not.
• My daughter Brooklyn. She is hilarious! I laugh everyday with her around.
• My son Travis. When he smiles my heart explodes. That's a good thing.
• My huge family. They have made me the crazy person I am.
• My husbands family. They are amazing.
• Coffee! Without which nothing would get done.
• Digital Cameras. Without pictures I have no memories.
• Facebook and Blogs. Don't judge me, you are too!

...and so much more.

I am so blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

7 weeks old

As of yesterday my son Travis is 7 weeks old. Seriously? It feels like he has been a part of our family for much longer than that. Maybe that's because I am attached to him, or more accurately he is attached to me, 24 hours a day. The boy thinks that if he is awake he should be eating and that if he is breathing he should be in my arms. 99% of the time I am alright with this...I actually love the closeness that I feel with him. There are times though (the other 1%) when all I want is to take a long hot bubble bath with a book and a glass of wine. **sigh** Someday. Until then I will enjoy my baby snuggle time;It goes by way too fast.

Sunny Saturday

Today was gorgeous. This afternoon we loaded up the family in the car and headed out to a local walking trail. Brooklyn rode her bike while Jon and I walked with Travis in the stroller. It was so nice to get out in the fresh fall air and get a little exercise with the family. I hope to do this more often...it felt amazing.

Jon, Brooklyn, Amy and Travis getting ready for the walk.

Take 2: I'm not used to taking family of 4 self portraits

She loves to ride her bike.

Me and my girl...

Oops! How did this one get in here?

Loving every minute

So the laptop is back from the shop...Yay! That means that I can stay connected through blogs and facebook again.

One month ago today our son Travis was born. He has grown so so so much over the last month that i find myself staring at him to see if I can catch the exact second that he changes from one stage to the next. They just grow up way too fast. My house is a mess and some days I don't take a shower, but those are choices that I make so that i can enjoy this wonderful baby that God has gifted me with.

I love to watch him sleep...he smiles and laughs in his sleep. He laughs! I have never known a more pure joy than the sound of my tiny baby laughing. It is as if he is so filled with joy that it just bursts from within him. Such a blissful thing to witness and I don't ever want to miss it when he does this.

Even in the moments when he won't stop crying and I have done everything I can think of, I am filled with a love and joy so deep and thank God for that moment with my son. The son that I thought I would never have. I am so very blessed.

Brooklyn adores her little brother, but sometimes she resents him. She has had her parents all to herself for six and a half years. Then this little baby comes into our lives and changes everything so completely. I try to remember this when she acts up and I talk to her about what she is feeling and why. It helps so much to understand why a child is acting the way they are so that you know how to respond.

"A misbehaving child is a discouraged child" ~Jane Nelson, author of Postive Discipline