Brandie's Big Bad Blog

First BIG Boo Boo

2012-02-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

Poor little Mootz got her first big boo boo this weekend. She was playing in the living room while I was washing dishes. She's recently started pulling up on EVERYTHING...including a TV tray I had set up by the couch. I swear I took my eyes off of her for a second and BAM she and the TV tray were on the floor. She got a little bump and scratch on her forehead and bloodied her nose. She cried for about a minute and then she was back to playing and pulling up on EVERYTHING again. Well, not the TV tray - I put that up.

Even with her busted up nose and scratches she is still the most beautiful and happy baby ever. Thank you God.

Meow

2012-02-06T06:37:00.000-08:00

Brian got called into work yesterday afternoon so I had no choice but to make a Super Bowl bet with my 9 year old step son Aiden. He came up with the craziest bet. Let me preface this by saying that I really didn't care who won the game but it always makes it more interesting if there's a little incentive to cheer for one team or the other. Anyhoo, Aiden and I made a bet. He chose the Giants for no other reason than they're called the Giants. To a 9 year old that sounds way cooler than the Patriots.

The Bet: The next weekend Aiden stays with us the loser (that's me) can only say the word "meow" all day Saturday. So...it looks like Saturday, February 18th that will be my one and only word...MEOW! Where does he come up with this stuff? And why did I agree to this?

Shots!

2012-02-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

Emrie had no idea what was coming her way as she sat on the floor of the doctor's office reading her book. Thats right...the dreaded shots! She was in such a good mood right up until the nurse poked her with the first needle. Poor baby. But to my surprise she only cried for about a minute. And then she was in a great mood the rest of the afternoon and night despite the fact that she ran fever all night long.

You may notice she has her tongue out in the picture. That's her new thing. She likes to stick her little tongue out and blow raspberries when she gets excited.

Peek-A-Boo

2012-02-02T08:33:00.001-08:00

Emrie's loves to play peek-a-boo especially after bath time. She pulls the towel over her head and then waits for me to ask "where's Emrie" and then she pulls the towel down and starts laughing! This is a great game anytime other than 4am. The other morning she woke up super early and was wide awake. I put her in our bed hoping she'd doze back off. Instead, for the next 15 minutes she pulled the covers over her head and then pulled them back down and then laughed...over and over and over again. Apparently, the "where's Emrie" part is not necessary for a good laugh at 4am.

Employee of the Year!

2012-01-30T14:25:00.001-08:00

Brazos Valley Communications hosted its First Annual Awards Banquet last Thursday night. It was awesome! It was a really a great opportunity to get all employees from all 5 radio stations together at one time. You know DJ's...just say the words "free food" and we're there. Throw in a couple of cool awards/prizes and we'll even get dressed up!

I received a couple of amazing recognitions. It was a thrilling night for me. I pulled a 19% market share for my show. What does that mean? It means the number one rated radio show!!!! YES!!! Thanks to each of you who listen. I'm continuously impressed by the loyalty of KORA listeners. You make my job FUN!

And then, as if I wasn't beaming already, I was awarded Employee of the Year! The best part about that award is that it was voted on by my peers. What a great honor!

I love my job! It's so nice to know that people enjoy my show and that the people I work with recognize the time and effort I put into each day. It's what keeps me coming back day after day.

My favorite part of the whole night...getting to bust out a fun dress to wear. This is a picture of me and John Seigler, sales manager for Brazos Valley Communications. Get a good look because today I'm back in my jeans and a t-shirt : )

Quality Time with the Neighbors

2012-01-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

The weather was so nice yesterday afternoon that Emrie and I decided to take our play time outside. We hung out, played with some toys, ate some leaves and grass (well, she did not me) and then got to have spend some QT with our neighbors Mr. & Mrs. Smith. They are such a blessing. They were the first ones to greet us when we moved in. They prayed with us when we were trying to get pregnant. They counseled us when we were arguing. They've endured (not to be confused with endeared) Judy. And they love Emrie just like she is one of their own grandbabies. And, Emrie loves spending time with them.

7 months!

2012-01-30T09:00:00.001-08:00

Emrie turned 7months old this past Friday. She's getting to be such a big girl. She's crawling EVERYWHERE! She has 8 teeth. So far, she's eaten and enjoyed every food she's tried - even her veggies. And, her new thing is to clap and laugh when she gets excited.

She is truly a precious gift from God.

Don't you wish you could sleep like that?

2012-01-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

Emrie has had a bad sinus infection. Sunday and Monday were pretty bad. She had high fever and simply could not breathe. The antibiotics finally kicked in yesterday afternoon and by 7pm she was feeling better...she had her appetite back and she didn't seem as congested. Thank you God! Honestly, I'd rather change a hundred dirty diapers then have to use that little aspirator to suck the snot of her nose - neither one of us enjoyed that!

She slept pretty well last night until the storm blew in so I put her in bed with me. When I got up at 6am this is how she looked. I couldn't help myself ...I had to risk waking her with the flash and take this picture. She slept right through it! So here she is...my little Mootz...cuttin' some zzzzzzzz.

I forgot to mention...

2012-01-20T06:25:00.001-08:00

I almost forgot to mention more teeth are on the way!

Emrie was on my lap last night and threw her head back for a hearty, mouth wide open laugh when I noticed something in her mouth. Sweet little Mootzie is getting some top teeth now. She already has three on the bottom. Well, now she has three coming through on top to match. I wasn't able to catch a picture of them but I could offer the bite marks on my finger as evidence : )

I love my little Mootz! She has brought so much joy to my life. Even on my worst days she can make me smile. It's become a habit for me to call her that...Mootz or Mootzie. She responds to those names. She doesn't always respond to Emrie - selective hearing, maybe.

She enjoys looking at the baby in the mirror. She gets all excited trying to touch her and kick at her. It's the running joke that the baby in the mirror is her friend Emrie. Poor Mootzie...I mean Emrie...she has no idea what her name is!

I realize this blog is way more fun to read with pictures so I've included two pics of Mootz from last Sunday opening her Christmas present from her Uncle Robert and Aunt Katherine. We had dinner with them Saturday night and finally got the chance to exchange presents. As you can tell, she loved eating the wrapping paper almost as much as she loved the building blocks.

Bring Your Baby to Work Day

2012-01-20T06:08:00.000-08:00

Emrie wasn't feeling well yesterday so I picked her up early from day care and took her to work with me. She had a late doctor appointment so she hung out in the office for an hour or so. She had a great time crawling all over the place. And again, even with all the toys I brought along, she still played with my water bottle the most.

Ummm...it wasn't until I snapped this picture and took a look at it that I realized she was sitting on a bunch of floor outlets chewing on a half full water bottle. YIKES!!!

We have movement! Life will never be the same!

2012-01-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

Last night it finally happened! Emrie crawled. I was sitting on the couch and she was playing on her TAMU blanket with her favorite toys. I went to the kitchen to grab some water and when I turned around she was right behind me. I was so excited I did a little cheer and my happy dance which scared her a little so she crawled back into the living room.

I spent the rest of the night moving all over the house to see how long it would take her to catch up. The answer: not long. So long pretty candle holders, farewell tiny trinkets and goodbye to anything else she can get her little fingers on. You're all going on a trip way, way, way up high.

Roger Creager!

2012-01-18T13:54:00.001-08:00

Yes ladies...I got to hang out with Roger Creager yesterday. Eat your heart out!

He was in the studio during the Big Lunch Rush to talk about his brand new CD called Surrender which was being released yesterday.

He's Fightin' Texas Aggie class of '93 just like me. I think we had MATH 142 together at TAMU back in the day. He said he remembers me cause I'm so cute.

Blahahaha! I could just eat him up!

Emrie's Big Day

2012-01-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Emrie's first day at day care. My parents are still keeping her a couple days a week for me but the rest of the week she's attending Brazos Valley KIDZ Academy in downtown Bryan. As you can tell from the picture she's not too sure whether she should smile or cry.

Well, I'm happy to report that she had a great day and an even better night. She went to sleep on her own in her own bed and slept for 7 hours straight! I actually had to wake her up to nurse instead of the other way around. I have a feeling it won't be long before she's snoozing for a solid 8 to 10 hours a night. I can hardly wait!

Awwww...my little Mootzie is growing up so fast.

I got a Glock for Christmas!

2012-01-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

That's right. I'm a pistol packin' mamma! I got a Glock for Christmas and finally had the chance to try it out yesterday. I went out to my parent's ranch in Deanville for a little target practice and I was actually pretty good once I got my groove on. Now, I want learn the ins and outs like how to take it apart and put it back together and of course how to take out a zombie should the occasion arise.

3 Big Teeth

2012-01-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

Emrie is 28 weeks old today. She has 3 teeth (all on the bottom) and continues to use them as she experiments with a wide variety of food. Although to look at her after she's eaten, you'd swear she didn't get any of it in her mouth.

She's trying to crawl. She manages to get up on all fours, rock back and forth and then BAM she flips over on her back. It won't be long though before she's mobile and then watch out!

She loves being outside. The weather's been so nice this week that she's spent a lot of time in our yard in her exersaucer or in the garage in her walker. Ahhh the walker...it's become a source of frustration for her as so far she's only been able to scoot backwards.

Hang in there Mootzie!

Another picture from Emrie's first Christmas...

2012-01-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

I was looking at some old pictures I took with my phone and realized I hadn't posted this one yet. So, here it is another picture from Emrie's first Christmas!

Emrie and William...sitting in a tree...

2011-12-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

My friend Bec came into town for a quick visit. She has a little boy named William. He was born in May. We had a great time catching up while the babies played on the floor. Emrie sat up the whole time and William rolled around the whole time...neither of them have mastered crawling yet. They actually did very well together. William kept taking her teether and Emrie kept trying to pat his head. It was sweet. A budding romance? I'll get back with you in about 20 years and not a day sooner.

Emrie's First Christmas Present

2011-12-30T07:20:00.000-08:00

Emrie just turned 6 months old today. She is my pride and joy. So, it should come as no surprise that I wanted her first Christmas to be extra special. Granted she's too young to understand the whole meaning of Christmas BUT I am doing my best to raise her in a christian home and to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With that said, I decided not to buy a bunch of toys this year and opted for something she could carry with her throughout her life and maybe one day pass down to her daughter. I know it's kind of hard to tell in the pictures but I got her a beautiful painting for her room that says " Daughters are a gift from the Lord." And she is. I love her.

The Have a Little Brandie and Get Rowdy Morning Show

2011-12-29T07:06:00.000-08:00

Rowdy Cooper and I have been filling in on the morning show all week for the vacationing Roger WWW Garrett. Other than having to get up at 4:30am, we've been having a pretty good time. Here are the pictures to prove it.

The guy sleeping on the couch is Rowdy's son, Hayden. We were goofing around trying to snap a picture of him and he had the nerve to tell us "GROW UP" to which we replied "YOUR MAMMA."

Baby Mullet

2011-12-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

Emrie is finally getting some hair! Oh sure...it's a baby mullet but its still hair! Besides - mullets are making a come back.

Okay fine! I made that last part up.

But it won't be long before I can snap a little bow onto her head. Hopefully, that will keep everyone from saying what a beautiful baby boy she is.

It's Been FOREVER!

2011-12-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

What can I say? Life get's in the way...
Since I blogged last Emrie has celebrated weeks 23 and 24 AND she's started eating real food. Well, baby food but that counts. So far she's tried sweet potatoes and pears. I can't lie, I tried them too. Probably not my number one choice for a meal but not too bad. This week we're going to try carrots or squash. I haven't decided which just yet. I'll probably let her pick. You know, put them both in front of her and see which one she grabs. These are her latest pictures: The much loved sweet potatoes, week 23 and week 24.

Reindeer Games

2011-12-08T07:51:00.001-08:00

Emrie went with me to the Ladies Christmas Party and Cookie Exchange at our church on Tuesday evening. She had a blast!

Thank you to all EVERYONE who held her and carried her and played with her throughout the party. A special thanks to Savannah and her reindeer antlers. Emrie was mesmerized!

Like I said she had a blast AND I got cookies!!! Lots and lots of cookies! That's my kind of party.

Aunt Sandy's Outfit

2011-12-07T13:31:00.003-08:00

Last June one of my co-workers Sandy, gave me this great outfit for Emrie as a shower present. Since then, I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for the right time to finally let her wear it. Well, today was the day. It was finally cold enough and even though its sized for a 12 month old it fits our little Mootz just right. What? She's a big, healthy Polish girl! Ain't she cute?

Thanks Sandy!

Aunt Sandy

2011-12-07T13:31:00.001-08:00

Cookie Time!!!

2011-12-05T21:24:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow night is the ladies Christmas party at our church. We're having a cookie exchange which is why I'm still up...baking cookies! I've got the last batch in the oven now. I ended up making 4 dozen - 3 for the exchange and 1 for Brian. I'm making my friend Aimee's World Famous Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. They're yummy. I haven't made cookies in forever. It's kind of nice. While the cookies have been baking, I've been updating my blog. I may have to start baking cookies every night : )

Sleepy Squared

2011-12-05T21:14:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law, Kimberly, kept Emrie for me the week of Thanksgiving. She took Emrie and her three girls to the park. It was Em's first time on a swing. Kimberly said she LOVED it. Obviously she and her older cousin (by 8 mths)Secora had a blast. This is a picture of them on the way home from the park. Go ahead and say it...AWWWWW!!!

You gettin' in or what?

2011-12-05T21:12:00.001-08:00

Our Little Cover Hog

2011-12-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

Yep...that's Emrie in the middle of our bed. She normally goes to bed anywhere between 7-9pm. She starts in her bed but usually ends up in ours by early morning. I snapped this picture yesterday morning. Emrie had a bad night and was up quite a bit so I gave in and put her in bed with us. She'd doze off but anytime either Brian or I moved she'd wake back up. So, when she finally fell asleep Brian and I slipped out of our big, comfy, king size bed and claimed our spots on the couch and love seat. Ahhhh....sleep at last.

When I got up the next morning to take a shower I couldn't resist taking this picture. Such a tiny baby in such a big bed...her little head barely visible above the covers. She looked so warm and snuggly. I can't lie. I was totally jealous.

Radio MASH

2011-12-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

Aiden went with me to Radio MASH yesterday. I was so proud of him. He helped unload toys from the cars that stopped by and he worked in the Toy Doctor tent too. As you can tell from the picture he was also on sign duty. It was so windy that our signs kept blowing down so he volunteered to stand by the entrance and direct cars. He's going back out with me today.

I'll be broadcasting live from 3-7pm. Drop by and see me and be sure to bring your new or gently used toy.

Another Week Older

2011-12-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

Emrie turned 22 weeks old today. It seems like she's growing up so fast I don't have time to blog about it! Before I left for Radio MASH this morning I got her all dressed to spend the day with her Mufasa (my dad). He said they'd probably stop by MASH in the afternoon so I dressed her extra cute. In her 22 week old picture to the right she's sporting her milk chocolate (not to be confused with brown) onesie with the pink flower on it over her boot cut blue jeans. All sized for a 12 month old! Granted the pants were a little long but they fit just right around the waist. Besides...rolled up jeans are making a come back. Emrie is so chic.

Radio MASH

2011-12-02T05:08:00.000-08:00

I have so much stuff to blog about BUT I'm pretty tied up with Radio MASH. We're in our 28th year of providing toys for children in the Brazos Valley. This year we have 5600 orders to fill - our biggest year ever. Please make a donation of a new or gently used toy or cash. We have always met our goal...with your help we can make sure this year is no different.

I asked Aiden to find 5 of his toys he no longer plays with and donate them to Radio MASH. He did pretty good up until toy #5. Our conversation went something like this...

What is this?
What?
Aiden, this is a Math workbook!
Yeah...I never used it.
These kids don't have any toys for Christmas! Why would they want a Math workbook?
The problems are easy...
Aiden! Get back in your room and find another toy! Oh, and do every one of those EASY Math problem before you come back out!

21 Weeks Old

2011-11-30T07:45:00.000-08:00

Emrie turned 21 weeks old on black Friday. With all the excitement of the day I forgot to post her picture. So, here she is...our big baby girl. She's sporting 9mth old clothes! She's sitting up pretty much all by herself now. She still hates tummy time. In fact, she pretty much protests it (silently) every time. When we put her on her tummy she just sticks her thumb in her mouth and goes to sleep. I'm pretty sure she's going to skip crawling all together and go straight to walking. She's recently started playing peek-a-boo. She loves that game. She has also started eating rice cereal in the evenings before bed.

We love our little Mootz!

Emrie's First Black Friday

2011-11-25T18:25:00.001-08:00

I had totally planned to do some black Friday shopping at Midnight this morning BUT after all the turkey & dressing (with all the trimmings) and apple dumplings with vanilla ice cream I passed out around 9pm. I didn't even make it to the end of the Aggie game which I understand is a blessing.
However when Emrie woke up all bright eyed at 4:30am (like she's been doing since the time change), I seized the opportunity! She and I made it to Kohl's, Target and JC Penney before she pooped out. What a trooper! She get's that from her mommy.

Emrie's First Turkey Trot

2011-11-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

Turkey Trot 2011. It was a first for Emrie and a first for us as a family BUT we had so much fun I think we're going to make it a tradition. Our friends, Robert & Katherine Patterson and their daughter Devin, decided they were going to do a 5k run Thanksgiving morning called the Turkey Trot. I have no idea how she did it but Katherine talked me into doing it too. So, me, Emrie, Aiden and Brian all got up early yesterday morning and "trotted." Brian and Aiden did the 5k and Emrie and I did the family friendly mile walk. It was really fun although I think Aiden was disappointed there were no real turkeys trotting with us. I was so proud of him for doing the whole 5k that I think I'm going to try it next time. So, after I'm finished eating all the leftover turkey and pie I'm going to start training for the Armadillo Dash in March. Emrie was in a great mood as you can see from the picture. I think she's going to do the Armadillo Dash too!

Emrie's Purple Hat

2011-11-22T07:58:00.000-08:00

One of my girlfriends, Erin, made this sweet little purple hat for Emrie as a shower present. I tried it out this morning when I was getting her dressed. She seemed to like it okay. That lasted about 5 minutes. By the time she was dressed and ready to go she was pulling it down over her facing and shouting obscenities. Alright, not really but as you can tell from the picture on the right, she was determined to get it off!

Judy's new spot

2011-11-20T19:12:00.001-08:00

Judy used to sleep under our bed. Now when she comes in the house she's decided her new spot is under Emrie's bed. I snapped this picture of her over the weekend. Both Judy and Emma were in the house. Emma was in the living room with me. I couldn't find Judy anywhere. Then I went into the nursery where Emrie was sleeping and there was Judy asleep under the bed. I tried to get her to come out but she wouldn't budge. I was finally able to coax her out with a treat but the minute I turned my back she was back under the baby bed. I guess under it is better than in it...which is where she used to try to get all the time.

20 weeks old

2011-11-20T19:03:00.000-08:00

I missed a Mootz update...she turned 19 weeks old somewhere between me having that nasty stomach virus and the flu so now she was 20 weeks old! The picture on the left is her 20 week old snap shot. It wont be long before she's bigger than her pillow pet. The picture on the right is of her and her Mufasa (my dad). She loves it when we hold her in a standing position like that. She's also now sitting up on her own...most of the time. She's packed full of personality. She get's that from her mommy.

Back Among the Living

2011-11-17T03:21:00.000-08:00

I'm finally feeling a little better. I say a little because at the time only one nostril is operational and I hate being congested but it's getting better. I've been fever free since yesterday morning so I think the worst is over. Hopefully that means I'm no longer contagious. I wiped down the entire house with Clorox wipes just in case.

Emrie, my sweet little Mootz, has been staying with my parents the last couple of nights. My mom picked her up from Amy's on Tuesday because I didn't want to share this crud with her. My dad is bringing her home this afternoon. I can't wait to see her! This isn't the first time she stayed overnight with my parents but it's the first time it got to me...I cried both nights. Brian doesn't get it but you mommies out there will understand : ).

I watched the last Harry Potter movie yesterday, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. It was good and I liked the ending. I've never read any of the books but I have thoroughly enjoyed the movies. I'm sad this was the final one. I don't want to ruin the end for any of you who have not yet seen it BUT I think there's the potential for a whole new series featuring Harry's children.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-11-15T09:03:00.000-08:00

I love you so very much! I hope that I can be the bright light in Emrie's life that you are in mine.
I'll expand later. Right now I'm going to bed. Pretty sure I have the flu.

God told me to write this blog

2011-11-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not kidding you. I can feel God's gentle push to write this one. This morning while I was getting ready for work I was halfway watching Fox and Friends. The host was interviewing former Indianapolis Colts Coach, Tony Dungy. He has a new book called The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge. It has 365 daily reflections that encourage you to focus on the Lord and on your life. Dungy discussed how easy it is to have faith and say that God is taking care of you when everything is going well. It's when something negative happens that people tend to either push away from God or draw closer to God. And his new book, hopefully, will help people draw closer. I like it. And how true how...how true. When we were struggling to get pregnant I turned to God and prayed, prayed, prayed. And you know how that story ends - God blessed us with Emrie. Now that I have her and things are soooo good, I have to remind myself that she is a gift from God and that the praying should never stop. So that was this morning.

Then today at lunch during the Big Lunch Rush, I took a call from a man named Tim who wanted to hear a song for wife and daughter called "I'm Going to Love You Through It" by Martina McBride. If you haven't heard the song - Google it! It's an amazing song about breast cancer and love. So Tim said last year, he and his wife found out they were going to have a baby but they also found out his wife had cancerous cells on her pancreas. He was told he was going to lose his wife and baby. I can't even imagine what that feeling must be like. BUT by God's grace his wife and little girl survived! Today his daughter is 9mths old and both she and his wife are healthy! Wow! What a powerful message. So that was lunch.

How can you possibly hear that story and not believe in miracles?

And just now in my car, I started listening to a new book on CD, one my mom passed along to me. It's called Heaven is Real. It's a true story about a little boy who experienced Heaven and came back to tell about it. I'm just in the first few chapters but already it has touched my heart. I'll keep you posted on this one.

So that's it. God wanted me to share those things with you. I hope they move you and inspire you and encourage you. God is so good.

The Nutcracker Market

2011-11-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

So me and my TAMU peeps made the trip to the Nutcracker Market in Houston. It was a blast!!! I have officially started my Christmas shopping. There was so much cool stuff there. Very unique gift ideas. I got stuff for my parents, in-laws, nieces, Emrie and friends. I would tell you specifically what I got BUT some of the very people I bought gifts for may be reading this. Guess you'll have to wait til Christmas. I think I'm going to make this an annual trip. FUN! FUN! FUN!

It's official. I'm a lemon.

2011-11-13T03:59:00.000-08:00

I've developed de Quervain tendonitis. It causes a sharp pain at the base of the thumb (and wrist) and it most often affects new mothers. And, it's another post-partum ailment nobody bothers to tell you about.

For the last couple of weeks I've been noticing it getting steadily worse until this morning it was so bad I couldn't pick up Emrie! Now, after using it for a little while this morning and taking some Advil, it's loosened up a little.

I wasn't exactly sure what was going on but I figured it had something to do with having a baby because I never had this kind of pain before. So, I did what I always do...I GOOGLED it! I searched for wrist pain from holding a baby and there it was. de Quervain tendonitis. Apparently, lots of new mommies get it. The bad news - not much can be done to treat it. Wear a brace, take more Advil, try not to use it. Really? Now how am I going to accomplish that last part? The website also recommends a cortizone shot if the pain gets severe.

And we have TEETH

2011-11-12T01:04:00.000-08:00

Emrie is 19 weeks old now and she has two teeth. I discovered those little chompers the hard way. That's right she bit me! Well, that's not exactly true...it was more like she just gnawed a harder when she was nursing. Over the last few weeks she's been putting everything in her mouth and I mean everything. She even tried to take a bite out of that pumpkin! My dad said he thought she might be teething but it seemed kind of early to me so I just blew that theory off. That is until the gnawing incident. And sure enough Emrie has two little teeth on the bottom. What can I say? She's an overachiever!

This picture was taken at the Krazy Korn Maze in Snook. And yes, she tried to take a bite out of that pumpkin!

Long time, no write...

2011-11-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

Its been a long week. I'm glad its over. I'm lovin' this cooler weather. And, I can't wait for Emrie to get adjusted to the time change. She goes to bed early which is great because it gives me a little time to get stuff done in the evening BUT this waking up at 4am has got to stop!

On the bright side (and totally unrelated) Blue Bell released some new holiday flavors. I love the Peppermint and my new favorite, Banana Nut Bread. Yummy! Oh sure I was going to try to lose some weight before the holidays but I figure at this point I may as well wait until January and make it part of my annual resolutions. No sense in getting ahead of the game...

OH NO!! Mom and Uncle Brandon got it too! And last but not least Brian!

2011-11-06T16:47:00.002-08:00

First Emrie had it...then me...then Mufasa...then Mom and Uncle Brandon...and now Brian! Emrie has managed to contaminate the whole family. Brian made it all the way to church this morning but didn't actually make it inside the building. We pulled up. Me, Aiden and Emrie got out and Brian said he was going to throw up and decided to go back home. He was nice enough come back to pick us up after church but he sure did look pale. I'll be glad when this bug has run its course.

Emrie is 18 weeks old!

2011-11-06T02:37:00.001-08:00

Our sweet little girl is 18 weeks old! She's getting so big. She talks all the time...wonder where she gets that from? And you know, I think my dad is right, I'm pretty sure she can say I love you. She's getting her first tooth. It doesn't seem to be bothering her. She just puts everything in her mouth and drools everywhere. She's perfect!

Its 4:20am and the Eneks Fam is up!

2011-11-06T02:20:00.000-08:00

Emrie had a big day yesterday. She and I spent some time at the radio station. She loves the Eli Young neon sign that hangs in the control room. Everytime she comes to the station I have to plug it in for her. Its mesmorizing.

Then we spent the afternoon playing and playing and playing. So, she zoncked out around 5pm. And then she slept and slept and slept. She only woke up long enough to nurse and have her diaper changed and then she was back to sleep. This continued until 5am this morning! 4am new time. So alas...we're all awake. She's in a great mood. She's playing in her baby gym now and Brian and I are drinking some coffee kicking ourselves for letting her go to bed at 5pm!

I'm feeling better but poor Mufasa.

2011-11-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

I had a virus hit me late Wednesday night. I threw up all night. It was not pretty. So, my dad, better known as Mufasa to the kiddies out there, drove to Bryan early Thursday morning and took Emrie back to Brenham with him. What a blessing. It gave me a day to recover. I was still feeling puny Thursday night so mom and dad kept Emrie overnight...another blessing. I actually slept and didn't throw up a single time. By Friday I was feeling some better - not great but better. I was starving but afraid to eat anything too heavy because the last thing I wanted to do was throw up AGAIN.

My parents brought Emrie back to Bryan around 7:30 last night. Boy I missed her. She was full of big smiles for me and Daddy. We ate dinner (burgers from Wings n More). I actually had a third of mom's burger and just a few fries. It tasted amazing but I didn't want to overdo it. Emrie got a bath a little after 8 and we were all in bed by 9. And, Emrie actually slept. She did a nice 5 hour stretch and then another 3 hours. It was a good night.

This morning I called to thank mom and dad again for keeping Emrie overnight for me. Mom was fine but ol' Mufasa had the stomach bug. According to mom, he had been throwing up since 7 this morning. Hmmm...wonder what happened?

Oh boy...what a night

2011-11-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

My stomach was bothering me all day yesterday. By 8pm, I was confinded to my bathroom. TMI - I know. But honestly, I threw up pretty much all night. I am seriously considering never eating solid food again. On the bright side...I think I lost a few pounds.

I did make it in to work today although reluctantly. As they say, the show must go on. Oh and I licked every microphone at the radio station. That's right I'm taking them all down with me.

Chicken Pox?

2011-11-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

I noticed a couple of spots on Emrie's face yesterday morning. By the afternoon, she had 8 more bright red ones on her arm. YIKES!!! Could it be chicken pox? I found out if it is chicken pox there's really not much you can do. Tylenol for fever and an oatmeal bath for the itching. Thankfully, she hasn't had any fever and seems to be in a great mood so hopefully that means no itching. This morning the spots were still there but she didn't have any additional ones pop up. So now I'm thinking maybe it was a mosquito attack - which, honestly, I don't like that anymore than the idea of chicken pox. At least with bites she doesn't have to be quarantined. Regardless, she loved her oatmeal bath last night and has been in a wonderful mood today.

Another week bites the dust.

2011-10-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

Emrie was 17 weeks old on Friday. She continues to get more personality every day. Lately, she's started doing raspberries with her tongue when I talk to her. She's like "Ehhh get outta here Mom. You're too funny. I think I'll spit a big raspberry at you." Then she spits and laughs.

This is her 17 week picture. Sorry I couldn't catch the raspberry on camera.

Our Little Cupcake!

2011-10-29T20:21:00.001-07:00

The Aggie Mom's Clubs had their annual sale on campus Friday. I bought this sweet little cupcake hat for Emrie. I snapped a couple of pictures with my phone this morning. Everytime I see them I can't help but smile. I think the one on the left is going to be my "when I'm having a bad day" picture...you know, the picture that makes everything better. There is no way I can be in a bad mood after looking at it. God has blessed us with the sweetest little girl. I knew that I always wanted to be a mommy. Now I know exactly why. My heart overflows with love everyday with just one look at her. Thank you God for our Mootzie.

CHOKE!

2011-10-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Emrie went to bed last night around 7:30pm so I went to bed around 8:30pm. Hey, I learned my lesson early on...I gotta sleep when she sleeps. Anyhoo, she woke up around 10:30 and did not want to go back to sleep so she and I joined my dad on the couch and watched the end of game 6 of the World Series. The Rangers were sooooo close not once but twice. Wow can you say choke. Emrie was extremely disappointed. In fact, she was so distraught that she decided to stay up til about 1am. Then she was back up around 4am obviously awakened by nightmares of game 6. All I can say is the Rangers better win tonight. I need some sleep.

Mom + Dad = AWESOME

2011-10-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

My mom keeps Emrie on Mondays and my dad keeps Emrie on Thursdays and Fridays. When my moms here she normally cleans. She does the laundry, changes the bed clothes, washes dishes etc. It's AWESOME! When my dad is here he cooks. Tonight we had meat loaf, mashed potatoes and corn. Again AWESOME!
I'm currently working out the details of my master plan to convince them to BOTH come on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays : )
We're winding down for the evening. Emrie is already in bed and we're watching the world series. Go Rangers!
Tomorrow is Friday. Thank you God!

The Butterfly Orb

2011-10-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post pictures of this thing I bought for Emrie's nursery called the Butterfly Orb. It's really cool. I custom ordered it and actually got to choose how much of which colors I wanted. So I went with 40%turquoise, 40% yellow, and 20% pink.
It matches her nursery just right. Right now it's hanging over her changing station. The ceiling fan creates just enough breeze to make it spin slowly. It's mesmerizing. And Emrie likes it too.

It's also a real pain because it never fails when I'm changing Emrie's diaper and get a little too close...the next thing you know my hair is tangled up in the orb! Once she starts sleeping in her baby bed (yes, she's still in our room right now) I plan to move it over her bed so she can gaze at the butterflies as she's drifting off to sleep. Awww sweet baby.

Mommy & Emrie Day

2011-10-26T14:42:00.001-07:00

My Wednesday babysitter, Amy, went out of town for the rest of the week so Emrie and I spent the whole day together. This morning we tried out her exersaucer for a while. She really likes bouncing up and down in that thing and pushing the buttons to make the lights and music come on. She also had her dreaded tummy time. Most of the time when we put her on her tummy she just stubs her nose at us, stick her thumb in her mouth and falls asleep but not this morning. As you can see in the picture she was up looking around. It won't be long before she's sitting up all by herself.

At 10am we headed to the radio station. In fact, if you listened to KORA from 10am-3pm you probably heard Emrie on the radio. She'd be quiet as a mouse until I turned on the microphone and then she'd start talking or humming or laughing. I think this baby has a real future in radio!

When I got off the air she and I did a little shopping at Gymborie. Well, I shopped and she slobbered all over my shoulder. I don't think she's teething yet but she sure does slobber. Anyway, I picked up a bright red shirt with polka dot tights on SALE. I love that word SALE! It's never too early to teach it to your children.

Emrie is sleeping now and I'm working on her scrapbook. I've made it all the way through her showers. I haven't even gotten to the part where she was born yet. WHY? Why didn't someone warn me about what a big undertaking a scrapbook would be? At the rate I'm going she's going to be a year old and I'll still be working somewhere around the 3 month range.

Quick Update from the Weekend

2011-10-25T18:52:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to my cousin Cody and his new beautiful wife Bri!

They tied the knot on Saturday in Industry, Texas. It was a really nice wedding. My singing partner Scott Hughes and I sang at the church. We sang The Prayer. I love that song.

Brian had his company picnic so he and Aiden went there first and then met us at the reception in Shelby. It was Emrie's first wedding and she did really well. Mom gave one of the readings during the ceremony and I was up at the front singing so daddy better known as Mufasa was responsible for Emrie. I honestly only heard her once during the ceremony and even then she wasn't crying. She was just chattering away.

She also did really well at the reception. Granted she had three major blowouts but I was well stocked with backup clothes. I only wish I would have gotten at least one good picture of her in any of her wedding clothes. By the third change of clothes she was down to your basic pink onesie. Ahhhh my little Mootzie made big poopsie. That just came to me. Yep. Sometimes I amaze even myself.

The Walking Dead

2011-10-25T18:31:00.001-07:00

Brian and I have recently started watching the TV show The Walking Dead. It's in its second season and we still can't figure out where the zombies came from...maybe in season three. Anyhoo, it's Monday night and I'm waiting for our other favorite show Sons of Anarchy to come on. I just stumbled across a show on the History Channel called Zombie Apocalypse. This show is actually telling you what to do should zombies attack. Right now it's discussing what weapons are best suited to properly kill a zombie. In case you're wondering, a snow shovel is one of the number one rated tools. I'm afraid we in Texas are going to be out of luck. The good news is that guns are a handy second - plenty of those in Texas. Oh, and always aim for the brain.

I gotta be honest; I never gave much thought to it. You know zombies are just something someone with a morbid imagination made up to scare the poop out of you. Well, not according to this show. It's tying biological warfare to the creation of zombie-like people much like the movie I Am Legend. Now that is scary.

16 Weeks Already

2011-10-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is Emrie chillaxin' on her pink piggy pillow pet. She was 16 weeks old on Friday! She kind of looks like her favorite Uncle Brandon when he was a baby.

At 16 weeks Emrie has become a little chatter box. I have no idea what she's saying but she just talks away. I especially love it when I ask her a question and she answers in her precious baby talk. It makes me laugh which makes her laugh. That's also something new she's just recently started doing...LAUGHING. She has also discovered her feet. They're apparently very captivating because she loves holding them...pulling on them...staring at them...talking to them. Ah feet. Who knew?

15 Weeks Old

2011-10-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

I have really gotten behind on my daily blog - SORRY!!! This whole mommy thing can be very time consuming.

Emrie was 15 weeks old on Friday. I figured I better post her 15 week old picture before this Friday gets here and she's actually 16 weeks old!

I included her 11 week old picture too so you can see how much she's changed. She's getting so big.

Thank you God for our little Emrie. You have truly blessed us. Our hearts overflow with joy and love daily!

Mootz...in a hat!

2011-10-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

It was a little chilly this morning so I dug out one of Emrie's little hats for her to wear. She looked so funny...but warm. I just had to share this picture with you.

I call it Mootz in a Hat!

Aggie Bling

2011-10-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

98.3 KORA and Montelongo's have teamed up to bring you the Collegiate Jewel Giveaway! Every time you hear the Aggie War Hymn call us to register for the weekly drawing for some AGGIE BLING! The winner will be drawn on Friday mornings. I love this contest because I actually have a beautiful ring from The Collegiate Jewel and I receive so many compliments on it. If you're a true Aggie fan you should stop by Montelongo's and check this jewelry out. In fact, while you're there REGISTER TO WIN IT!!!

That Hit the Spot

2011-10-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

At the end of my really, really, really bad day I was exhausted. Being upset will do that to you. And, I had a crick in my neck. It didn't start out too bad but by the end of the day I couldn't turn my head. So I decided I deserved a massage!

I managed to get in a 30 minute appointment at the French Door at 5:15. If I would have known how good it was going to be I would have scheduled a full hour. Delores, my massage therapist, took a couple of minutes to discuss my trouble spot and then got started. I was wonderful. This sounds kind of ugly but I really liked it because she was all about my massage and not a chatty cathy. I don't want to talk during my massage. I want to just lay there and drool. Delores has it down to a science. It was like getting a massage from a mime. I went in knotted up and left feeling like jello.

I know what you're thinking and NO I do not get paid to tell you these things and I didn't get a free massage. I just believe in passing along good stuff and my massage was REALLY GOOD STUFF!

Sometimes a girl just needs flowers

2011-10-14T13:53:00.001-07:00

I was having a really, really, really, really bad day. You know how sometimes you let those little things slide...and slide...and slide until all of a sudden you just can't do it anymore and you explode. Well, today I had reached my capacity with the little things.

Anyway, since Brian is out of town and my stupid cell phone only works half of the time (which only adds fuel to the flames) I decided to unload on my good friend John Siegler. Thank you John for listening to me rant and rave and cuss and fuss. Thank you also for the flowers. They made my really, really, really, really bad day a little more tolerable. Thank you for thanking me for all of my hard work.

See how easy that was? I said "thank you." Those two simple words go a long way. We should all say them a little more often.

The Best Night So Far

2011-10-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

Emrie stayed with my parents yesterday in Brenham. My mom watches her on Monday and my dad gets Thursday and Friday. So, with Brian out of town I ended up staying the night in Brenham too. Wednesday night was the pits. Emrie wasn't feeling well so she was up ALL NIGHT which means I was up all night. I made the drive the B/CS early yesterday morning, doubled up on coffee and was okay until about 3pm. Boy, I was tired. I made it through work and hit the road back to Brenham at around 6pm. Thankfully, Emrie was feeling better and had an amazing day with her Mufasa - that's what we call my dad. She was talking away when I got there. My dad has been trying to teach her to say "I love you" which he swears he's heard her say : ) You gotta love grandparents.

I went through our nightly routine of nursing, bathing and putting Emrie to sleep and she passed out at 8:30pm. Now here's the GREAT part. She slept like a log until 2:30am. That's 6 whole hours! I was so refreshed (its amazing what a couple extra hours can do) that I didn't mind nursing her in the middle of the night. And you know that little Mootz fell right back to sleep. We were both snoozing again by 3am. Granted I had to be up extra early this morning (5am)because I had to report for work at 7am but still it was a great night!

My little Mootz is growing up so fast! Brian wont recognize her when he gets back.

Brian's daily pictures...

2011-10-11T06:26:00.001-07:00

When Brian is out of town I try to send him a couple pictures of Emrie each night. These are the two from last night. She looks so funny!

He misses his little Mootz. He calls every morning and every night to talk to her. Yes, I'm chopped liver : )

I normally put him on speaker phone so she can see the picture of Brian on my phone and hear his voice at the same time. The picture on the left is her..."you talkin' to me" face. Priceless!

Emrie and Addix

2011-10-10T14:15:00.001-07:00

These two pictures just make me smile. Emrie was so happy sitting on the couch so I snapped a picture. Then we put Addix on the couch next to her so I could get a picture of these two happy babies together. For some reason these two were no longer happy BUT their mommys had a good laugh.

Sunday...another exhausting day

2011-10-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

We started our Sunday at 5:30am. Now remember we didn't get home from the Jankowiak Family Reunion until 1am. Did I mention we were pooped? Brian had to be at the airport by 6:30am so we were up and out the door early. I know...I know... he could have driven himself to the airport but he's going to be gone all week so Emrie and I wanted to see him off. She was actually a way better sport about getting up early than I thought. She woke up on her own at 6am. We plopped her in her car seat and drove to the airport. She never even fussed. Brian gave us both a big kiss and hug and then he was off and Emrie and I headed back home. I was exhausted but Emrie was bright eyed so we hung out for a while before getting ready for church. I had nursery duty so we didn't leave church til after noon. By this time she was getting cranky. Can you tell?

We had somethings to take care of at the radio station and then be back at the church by 5pm. We ran some errands and finally called it a day around 7pm. Emrie passed out about 30 minutes ago and I'm about to do the same. Tomorrow is Monday. Ahhh...Monday. I can hardly wait.

Updates from the weekend...Friday and Saturday

2011-10-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

The Jankowiak Family Reunion was scheduled for Saturday afternoon and as long as I can remember my mom and dad have been the ones in charge. So, when I got off work on Friday I made the drive to Brenham to help get things ready. Emrie was already there...she and my dad had spent the day in Brenham.

Let me back up for a second...on Thursday, my great-aunt Bernice passed away. There was a visitation on Friday and then the funeral on Saturday. She was a neat lady. In fact, she told her daughters when she got to Heaven she was going to tell God we needed some rain. You gotta love her attitude. So, when I got into town I met my family at the funeral home for the visitation.

After the visitation, my mom, dad, Don and Kerri Woltmann (friends of my parents), Wanda (friend of my parents) and Emrie and I all drove out to the Latium Volunteer Fire Department. That's where we've had the reunion for the last several years. We peeled potatoes. Covered tables with paper, decorated and basically got everything set for the next day. It was a lot of work and we didn't get home til 12:30am. Emrie and I stayed at mom and dads.

The next morning was the funeral. We finished up there around 12:30pm and then had to hurry and get out to fire department for the reunion. It was supposed to start at 1pm. Thankfully, no one really shows up until 2ish. Mr. and Mrs. Woltmann had been there since early morning and had already taken care of a bunch of the busy work. Once we got there we set up for the raffle and started cooking. We served steak, sausage, potatoes, corn, green beans, sweet potatoes, sour kraut and bread. What can I say? We come from a long line of eaters. The food and fellowship was great. New this year was BINGO! I was the number caller. We also had a margarita machine. And, new for the kiddos, my cousin Debbie brought a huge donkey pinata. The kids beat the snot out of the poor donkey and had a blast doing it.

People started to clear out around 9pm...which meant it was time to clean up and pack up. I dont think I ever fully appreciated all the work my parents put into the reunion each year until I helped them from start to finish. We made it back to Bryan around 1am. We were pooped! As you can tell from the picture Emrie had a great but exhausting time too.

Thanks Mom and Dad for all you've done to keep the Jankowiak Reunion running strong for more than 30 years. Thanks Don and Kerri Woltmann - Mom and Dad are blessed to have such wonderful friends. Thank you EVERYONE who stayed to help clean up! It was another great year.

Another week bites the dust!

2011-10-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

Mootz...I mean Emrie is 14 weeks old today. She's spending the day with her Mufasa (my daddy) in Brenham. Daddy kept her yesterday too. He said she had the best day ever. She never cried, took several good naps, went on a walk and just talked the day away. He swears she even spoke a full sentence. Really? I know she's extremely brilliant but a whole sentence at 14 weeks? All she does is chirp and grunt when I'm around. Who knows...maybe she's been holding out on me.

I weighed her on Wednesday and she's a healthy 14.5lbs.

In the picture on the left she's sporting a light pink Ralph Lauren onesie. Before you say anything, it was a gift. And, right after this picture was taken she took the biggest poop ever. I think it's okay to say poop on a blog. Anyway it was huge. So big in fact that it got all over Mufasa too. I ended up having to cut the onsie off of her and hose her down in the tub. So much for the Ralph Lauren onesie.

The picture on the right is after the big poop incident. Yes, he's feeding her. What can I say? He's a glutton for punishment. Emrie loves her Mufasa.

Two of her favorite things...

2011-10-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

Emrie loves bath time and her thumb...LIFE IS GOOD!

Emrie Visits Texas Nation

2011-10-05T19:08:00.001-07:00

You can't tell from the look on her face but Emrie LOVES Jake Thomas and Texas Nation! We stopped by the KORA studio this evening and "Uncle Jake" was about to go on the air but he managed to slip in a couple of minutes with his number one fan before his show. Emrie's favorites - Velvet by Stoney and I Dont Want You to Go But I Need You to Leave by Aaron Watson.

REPULSIVE BUT I COULDNT LOOK AWAY

2011-10-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

Repulsive but I couldn't look away...in fact, I took a picture!

I was on my way back from lunch and drove past this poor squished squirrel with its tail sticking straight up in the air in the middle of the road. I have no idea what possessed me but I found it necessary to turn my car around and snap a picture. Even worse...I found the need to blog about it.

Living the Good Life

2011-10-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of sweet Emrie from this morning. She woke up not long after I did and was in a wonderful mood. I put her in our bed and we chatted a while before I had to get up and ready for work. I popped on the TV to catch a little of the morning news and noticed her watching the TV. So before I got in the shower I propped her up on her "pillow recliner" and changed the channel to Disney just in time for Mickey Mouse. She loved it! I know...I know...I shouldn't make it a habit of sitting her in front of the TV but she seemed to be enjoying it AND I was able to get dressed and ready for work in record time. M...I...C...See you real soon! K...E...Y...Why? Because we like you! M...O...U...S...E!

Sing Sing Sing

2011-10-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

I joined the church choir on Sunday. Since the first time I attended Parkway Baptist I've always loved the music. We truly have some gifted folks at our church who make beautiful music and I felt the time was right to be a part of that. The last few times I've taken Emrie to church she's really enjoyed the music...now the rest of the service not so much (sorry Pastor Chris) so I took her along with me. She loved it and the choir members loved her. Brian and Aiden showed up about 15 minutes after practice started so all three of them watched. It was cool. I didnt realize how much I missed singing until I sang those first few notes. I hope Emrie takes after me and likes to sing. Brian always says he's singing in his head. Blah Blah Blah.

Courageous...2 Thumbs aUp

2011-09-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

Brian and I had our very first official date night. Our church, Parkway Baptist, hosts a date night once a month complete with child care and a chance to win gift cards to restaurants! Daddy took Emrie with him to Brenham for the day so we didn't have to utilize the child care and since neither of us made it home til 6pm, we didn't get in on the pre-date night festivities. We did, however, get our date! Wednesday night Pastor Chris gave Brian and I a pair of tickets to the sold out premiere of the movie Courageous.
Wow! What an amazing movie with an even more powerful message. I challenge every one of you to go see this movie. I laughed and cried and left with my soul uplifted!

On a funny note, I needed a napkin to wipe my tears. I mistakenly grabbed the one I had used for my hot dog and wiped mustard all over my face. Blahahaha!

The Butterfly Orb

2011-09-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

Emrie has really started to like playing in her baby gym which has all kinds of fun stuff hanging over her head. She kicks and chirps and smiles. So, I decided it was time to find a fun mobile to hang over her baby bed. Now keep in mind at this time she's still sleeping in her pack-n-play in our room at night but I think I'm finally feeling comfortable with a move to her own room. With that said, I've decided she's going to need something cool to kick and smile and chirp at while she's in her new big girl baby bed. I stumbled across this butterfly orb online. Isn't it cool? It's got almost 100 butterflies on it. Initially, my friend Amy and I thought we could make one of these things ourselves - NOT. First of all, my butterfly cutter kept eating the glitter paper I wanted to use. Then, we couldn't get the wire to hold the orb shape. And finally, the paper was too heavy for the wire. It was a noble effort but I ended up placing an order for Emrie's custom butterfly orb this morning. It's really neat - I got to pick the size, color and number of butterflies. I can't wait to see it!

Another week older! Lucky number 13!

2011-09-30T07:48:00.001-07:00

Emrie at 13, 12 and 11 weeks!

Snapped another picture of Emrie this morning with her pillow pet. She's 13 weeks old today and as you can tell from the picture she's trying desperately to get that thumb in her mouth. This last week she's really started talking or as I call it chirping. She prefers to sit up over laying down and she also likes to stand - with us holding her of course. My little Mootz is growing up!

My dad said she drank a 6oz bottle yesterday. Well, actually she drank 4oz and was still hungry so he gave her another 2oz. My mom and Amy (her other babysitter) said they've had to do the same thing. At this rate we're going to have to change her name to Big Mootz! I haven't weighed her this week but she has moved up to size 2 Pampers and 3-6mth clothes. I'm predicting 15lbs : )

Emrie Found Her Thumb!

2011-09-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Emrie has been working on self-soothing and this morning it finally happened. I had placed her on a pillow in our bedroom while I was in the bathroom putting my on makeup. She immediately started complaining...you know, not really crying just fussing. Anyway, I was running late and couldn't hold her and get ready at the same time so she continued to squawk. After just a couple of minutes - NOTHING. SILENCE. I thought this can't be good. What's she doing? So I poked my head around the corner and this is what I saw. My sweet little lamb with her thumb tucked inside her mouth. She was so content she was even smiling! She has refused a pacifier since birth and has been working diligently to get that evasive thumb securely in her mouth for months. Today was the day! YEH EMRIE! I love you big girl.

I know...I know...it's a hard habit to break. Heck - I should know. I sucked my thumb until I was 10!

See You in Maryland

2011-09-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

Don't get excited. I'm not going to Maryland...a least not yet. My former boss and friend Laura is moving back to Maryland. In fact her flight left this morning. She excepted a position as VP of Emrollment Management at Frederick Community College. I'm really going to miss her. She was a wonderful boss. She was always so positive - regardless of the situation her glass was always half full. And, no matter how deep "it" got...she stepped right in it with us.

I can't wait to take a vacation to Maryland to visit her. Our little girls are just one week apart in age. The picture above is of the two of us in the same dress when we were pregnant. College Station could really use another maternity store : )

Comparing week 11 to week 12

2011-09-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

I took my friends advice and started snapping pictures of Emrie every week with the same stuffed animal so I can see how much she's grown. These are her week 11 and 12 pictures. She doesn't look much different in size to me. Now Brian who was out of town for a week said he can really tell. He thinks she's gotten longer.

Just this past week she's really become much more interactive and is talking (well making noise I call talking) a lot. She smiles easily and seems much more attentive. She's also really enthrawled with her butterfly mobile. I'm currently working on what I call a big girl mobile. I saw it online. It's called a butterfly orb. Of course its $100 so I'm trying to make one myself. I've gotten as far as buying the paper for the butterflies.

Surprise!

2011-09-25T06:49:00.001-07:00

One of my best friends EVER turned 40 on Friday! Happy Birthday Denise! I would have said something sooner BUT her husband had a surprise party for her on Friday. I sure didn't want to be the spoiler...but it almost happened anyway. I left work early and drove to the Clear Lake area. The party was set for 7 at Perry's Steak House off Bay Area Blvd. I made it just ahead of traffic so I thought I'd do a little shopping. In fact, I wanted to get Denise a gift certificate to a really neat store she showed me when I visited her last time. It's called Glass Mermaids. So I stopped by the store to grab a gift certificate for her birthday. Well, while I'm there her husband, Jason, called me to check on my progress and see if I had made it into town. When I told him where I was he went into panic mode! WHY? Apparently, Denise was right next door getting her hair done! What are the odds? So I pulled my hair back in a pony tail put my sunglasses on and got out there. No way was I going to be the spoiler! I made it and even had time to do a little more shopping (across town) before the party.

Denise arrived at 7:30. Jason had told her he wanted to take her someplace nice and celebrate her birthday just the two of them - something they rarely got to do. Needless to say when she walked in and saw us standing there she was in total shock and started crying. So, of course, I cried too! What? It's the hormones! Okay, not really, I'm a cryer from way back. It was a wonderful party complete with a video Jason had put together with tons of pictures of Denise. There were just a handful of people there - about 20 so I was tickeled that I made the cut. Denise's sister, Debbie, and I sat together because neither of our hubbies could make it. I had a blast talking to her and reminscing about all the good times we had growing up in Brenham. We ended up making plans to go to a Cub football game sometime this season for old times sake.

At 10:30 I turned into a pumkin and had to head home. My parents were keeping Emrie for the night but I had to be at TAMU for a game day workshop at 8am the next morning and with the drive I probably wouldnt be back in Bryan until about 12:30am. On my way back, I got a call from Brian. His plane had landed at 9:45pm and his friend Robert had picked him up. Instead of going straight back they stopped off for dinner so he was waiting for me at 290 and Fry Road. It was great! We were able to ride home together!

12 Weeks Old

2011-09-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

According to my sister-in-law, we have now made through the "4th trimester." Emrie was 12 weeks old yesterday. I weighed her and she is an extremely healthy 14lbs. She has, just in this last week, started sleeping better and longer...even taking some nice naps throughout the day which she never used to do. She's also eating more. Must be a growth spurt. I see her every day so its hard for me to tell. Brian got back from Philadelphia late last night after being gone all week. He hasn't seen Emrie yet - she stayed the night with my parents. It'll be interesting to see if he can tell if she's grown any.

Dog Gone Cleaning Service

2011-09-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

Brian surprised me right before I had the baby by bringing in a cleaning service to clean our house from top to bottom. It was wonderful! I loved the idea of coming home from the hospital to a clean house! Well, he surprised me again. Yesterday, I got home to find several bags of leaves and branches next to our curb. When I looked in the backyard I noticed that it had been totally cleaned - I mean the grass was trimmed, flower bed cleaned, patio swept and the doggie poop gone. With Brian in Philadelphia I had no idea how this happened. I mean I sure didnt do it in my sleep and I highly doubt there are yard fairies. Then Brian called and the mystery was solved. He had Dog Gone Cleaning Service (the same ones who did our house) clean our backyard. And I'll be dog gone if all the evidence of our dogs wasnt gone!

Thanks you Dog Gone Cleaning Service! You did a great job! And thank you wonderful husband! You get extra points for this one!

Our Monday night...or should I say Tuesday morning adventure

2011-09-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

Emrie exercising at 4am

My parents keep Emrie on Mondays-sometimes at our house in Bryan and other times at their's in Brenham. This past Monday was a Brenham day. So when I got off work I ran some errands, went to the grocery store, and picked up pizza for me and the fam for dinner. Mom and Dad arrived with "the package" (that's Emrie) around 7pm. We ate dinner and then Mom helped me give Emrie her bath and get her ready for bed. After my folks left Emrie and I settled into our nightly routine...feed the dogs, feed Emrie and go to bed.

All was well until about 2am. That's when Judy and/or Emma made a ruckus in the kitchen by tumping over the garbage can...my moneys on Judy. Anyway, I got up, put them outside, cleaned up the mess and went back to bed. That's when the barking started and continued on until I let "the Hounds from Hell" (that's what I affectionately call them) back into the house. My mistake. They clicked and clacked until Emrie woke up. I changed her and nursed her but she was wide awake by this point and wanted to play. So, I chased the dogs back outside one more time and played with Emrie for a little while. After about 15 minutes I put her in her exer-saucer,which she loves, and I decided to clean the house. That's right at 4am Emrie is playing and I'm cleaning. She played and I mopped, swept, vacuumed and dusted. We ended up back in bed at 5:30am which meant I had an hour before the dreaded alarm.

Needless to say Tuesday was the longest day.

Updates from the weekend...Sunday

2011-09-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

Emrie's Sweet Look

Emrie has Brian wrapped around her little finger. I snapped this picture Sunday morning just before we left to go to the airport. Emrie was sitting on the bed and Brian was telling her about the big trip he was about to take. She looked so sweet staring up at him and smiling. And because she's still working on holding her head up she almost seemed to be nodding along to his story. Brian is in Philadelphia all week for work so we're on our own....just me, Emrie, Judy and Emma. Last night was an adventure. Details to come.

Updates from the weekend...Saturday

2011-09-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Wickershams
Our friends Erin and Tryon Wickersham invited us to the Aggie game on Saturday. So my mom and dad kept Aiden and Emrie for us and we went to Kyle Field where the Ags proceeded to beat the hell outta Idaho! It was a great game and we had awesome seats although we rarely actually sat down.

My favorite part...THE FOOD! I can't help it...I'm a concession stand food kind of gal. I had a sausage wrap, popcorn, ice cream and a Dr. Pepper. And I wonder why I cant lose all this baby weight : )

But I'm back on the wagon as of Monday. No junk food so far.

The Honky Tonk Kid

2011-09-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

Brandon (my bro) and I went to see Aaron Watson at the Texas Hall of Fame Last night. He put on an amazing show as usual. Brandon and I went backstage before the show to talk with Aaron. It was priceless when he greeted me with "Hey Brandie! I haven't seen you in forever. What have you been up to?" I got to reply with "I had a baby!" I also threw in the fact that Mike Eli from the Eli Young Band actually sent me a CONGRATULATIONS text when I had Emrie...didn't hear a word from Aaron Watson. He just grinned, apologized and then told me a couple of stories about his baby girl. She's 21 months old.

Last night was the first time I've been on stage in almost a year (since I found out I was pregnant). I've toyed with the idea of leaving radio so that I can spend more time with Emrie but I have to admit the rush I got when I was up on stage pumping up the Ags before Aaron came on makes it a pretty tough decision. It's nights like last night that make being a DJ such a fun job.

A Bigger Bath Tub...

2011-09-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

I snapped a picture of Emrie in the bath this evening. She's really starting to enjoy her bath time. No matter how fussy she is it really seems to calm her down. And lately, she's started kicking and splashing the water...like a big girl. I thought you might like to see just how much bigger she's gotten since I posted the last picture of her in the tub.
Yes. She's in the kitchen sink : )

It's Friday Night...And I'm Going Out!

2011-09-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Aaron Watson, the Honky Tonk Kid, is at the Hall of Fame tonight and I'm going! I'm waiting for my brother to pick me up any minute now. Yes...I'm tagging along with him BUT in exchange for having to hang out with his big sister I'm going to take him back stage to meet Aaron before I bring him on stage. I'm cool like that : )

Hopefully if all goes well I'll have a couple pictures of me, Aaron and Brandon to post tomorrow morning. I cant remember the last time I stayed up past 10pm INTENTIONALLY!

11 Weeks Old TODAY!!!

2011-09-16T07:27:00.001-07:00

Sweet little Emrie is 11 weeks old today. She's getting so BIG! A friend of mine recommended that I start taking a picture of her every week with a stuffed animal so that I could see just how much she's growing. I probably should because I know she's growing BUT I don't see it as much as everyone else because I'm with her everyday. So my assignment today is to find the perfect stuffed animal so I can start taking pictures. Granted she has a bunch of sweet little bunnies and baby dolls and even a sock monkey...but I'm thinking something along the lines of a Pillow Pet. I really like Zippity Zebra!

I'd like to get Aiden the T-Rex Pillow Pet. Its the "manliest" pillow pet I could find online. Now I just have to find it in College Station.

Speaking of Aiden. I had to laugh. Last Sunday I was taking Emrie to Brenham to visit my parents which gave Aiden and Brian the perfect opportunity to hang out together. I asked Aiden what they were planning to do. He said "guy stuff" like ride bikes, go to Lowes and watch the new Smurf movie! Blahahaha! I'm sure Brian thought the Smurfs movie was extremely manly...probably more along the lines of Smurfy!

MOOTZ!

2011-09-12T11:06:00.001-07:00

Ain't she just the cutest?! This is another picture Amy snapped of Emrie. God I love little Mootz : ) My dad made the mistake of calling her Mootz-sak once. I'm spelling that phonetically because I have no idea how its really spelled or what it really means for that matter. Anyhoo, Daddy called her Mootz-sak once and it stuck. Supposedly, his mom called his little brothers Mootz-sak when they were babies so surely it doesn't mean anything bad. I sure hope not because now we all call her Mootz-sak or Mootz or Mootzie. Poor Mootz...I mean EMRIE!

Pictures of Emrie (and me)

2011-09-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

Dr. Allon's office called and asked if they could use a picture of Emrie and me for a local flyer and possibly a billboard. I, of couse, said YES! I mean who wouldn't want to show off their beautiful baby girl to whole world. The two words I missed during the conversation "Emrie AND YOU." Come on! I just had a baby (10 weeks ago today). I'm not ready for pictures. In fact, I didn't have any of the two of us together other than the one of us at the hospital. Definitely not the most flattering picture. So, my friend, Amy, snapped a few pictures for me...from the waist up, of course. She did an amazing job! The ones above are some of my favorites that I sent to Dr. Allon. Now I can't wait to see the flyer!

Hands Free

2011-09-08T08:23:00.001-07:00

I got this contraption at one of my baby showers. I had tried it a few weeks ago with Emrie facing towards me - she hated it. Then last night Brian and I were talking about how much more alert (I think the word we actually used was nosey) she had recently become and how she likes to be held facing away from us so she can see everything. So I strapped the "baby in a bag" thingy back on and TA-DAH! She loved it. I think her eyes say it all.

I know...I know...It's not on just right. She's still a little tiny to face forward so I had to roll it down under her arms instead of putting her arms through the holes. If I put it on like it was supposed to only her nose and eyes stuck out. She definitely didn't like that.

Ahhhh Sleep...FINALLY

2011-09-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

I know its been a while since I've blogged but I've been exhausted. Emrie got her first round of shots last week which ended up giving her a fever for a couple of days. Poor baby girl : ( Anyhoo, the fever interupted her sleep schedule - we were just starting to get into a pretty good nightly routine. So up until last night she was only sleeping for about two hours at a time.

Then finally last night it happened! She went to bed at 9pm and didn't wake up until 2am! That's right 5 FULL HOURS. It's amazing what a little bit of sleep can do for you. I'm like a new woman this morning. So figure I might as well blog and get some of this energy out.

I've got new baby pictures to show you! I'll post some on my next blog.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2011-09-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Judy strikes again! Since going back to work I've been pumping so that Emrie would have plenty of milk to get her through the day. Well, I made the mistake of leaving my pump on the kitchen table one night. When I woke up part of it was missing. Well, not actually missing - just gone. Would you believe Judy actually climbed up on the table and ATE PART OF MY PUMP? What kind of dog does that? She's a distructive weirdo dog. Luckily, I had an extra part and didn't have to spend a bunch of money for replacements or Judy would be a distructive, weirdo and DEAD DOG!

My Nieces - The Sisters Hill

2011-08-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sedona (4), Secora (9 months) and Sierra (7) Hill - Ain't They Sweet?

My sister-in law and brother-in-law, Kimberly and Josh have three beautiful girls. I have my hands full with Emrie and she's just one little baby. I can't even imagine having three. Wonder what its going to be like when these three are teenagers? Josh better start cleaning that shot gun.

I found this quote about sisters. Granted I only have a brother, Brandon, but I think it pretty much sums it up. "Having a sister is like having a best friend you cant get rid of. No matter what you do, they'll still be there."

Emrie's Big Adventure

2011-08-30T18:34:00.001-07:00

We spent our weekend on Taylor Lake near Kemah with our friends Denise and Jason McWhorter. The whole family needed a get away and it was awesome! Jason, Brian, my dad, Aiden and Josiah (Denise and Jason's son) spent the day fishing and playing on the lake while Denise, mom, Emrie and I played at the pool. It was Emrie's first time in a pool. She loved it but it pooped her out pretty quickly as you can tell from the picture above. We ate and played and ate some more. So much so that we ended the weekend with a friendly wager as to who could lose the most weight before our next trip to their house - the last weekend in October. The winner (that's going to be me) gets $100 and bragging rights. After we all weigh in and I collect my winnings we're going to celebrate with a big dinner!

Singing and Running in the Rain

2011-08-25T04:46:00.000-07:00

Emrie is all strapped into her stroller and ready to go for her Wednesday evening walk.

Yesterday Emrie and I were watching Ghost Hunters, our favorite Wednesday evening show, when the National Weather Service interupted with a Severe Thunder Storm Warning headed our way complete with 60mph winds. Well, Emrie and I had our doubts and we typically went for a walk about this time of day anyway so we figured why not? So we decided to saddle up, take our walk and temp fate and rain.

We were about halfway down the walking trail behind our house when the winds started to blow and blow hard. Leaves were flying and so was the stroller. I kid you not - the wind was pushing the stroller so hard I had to hold on tight for fear of it being pulled right out of my hands. Needless to say, we decided to head back home and quickly. And just as we were walking into our driveway the rain came! It was amazing! Emrie and I stood (well, I stood...she sat) in the garage for what seemed like a long time just watching it pour down.

Say a Prayer Please

2011-08-25T04:43:00.000-07:00

My Uncle Alvin suffered an aneurysm on Tuesday. He was taken to St. Joseph's where they were able to perform surgery but his recovery does not look good. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.