Mothers Morning In

Today was supposed to be Thomson's last Mother's Morning Out for the summer but we were up all night with a high fever and very sick baby. I have been looking for an incentive to slow myself down and this is it - nothing will stop you in your tracks like a sick baby. Nothing else is important except for making him feel better. I am so glad that this is now and not next week. So today is Mother's Morning In!

New baby is still hanging in there even after a few hiccups along the way. We spent a few hours in the hospital last week but he was looking strong and so we left him there to finish growing. The c-section is scheduled a week from tomorrow. The stockings are hung, bags are packed and we are ready. Ready at least to meet him, not sure if we are ready for the storm after that.

Thomson is adorable as ever. He is into everything and learning new things every day. His new word is amen - "aah-me" and he helps us finish our blessings and prayers, then he claps and laughs. He is running everywhere. He loves books, especially new ones, and he loves to point out things that he knows in every book. We took away his pacifier last week - bad timing but it has gone pretty well so far. I thought we would try it one night and we have stayed strong since then. I figure it is going to be difficult whenever we take it away so we might as well do it while we don't have a newborn. I am sure he will find Baby's pacifiers so we might have a little fight on our hands.

Thomson loves to play on the baby things - the bouncer especially. He runs to the nursery yelling "bebe bebe bebe" and likes to talk about all of "bebe's" things. I think it will be fun for him to have a baby here and I think the transition will be pretty smooth. He loves stuffed animals and real animals so he will probably think the new baby is a cross between the two.

I will try to get some pictures together for one more post before baby is born . . .

At 19 months I guess it was time for Thomson's first haircut. I loved his little soft curls so much but after much badgering from a few nameless relatives, I gave in and made an appointment with William Hamby, a local favorite. I did cry a little and we definitely had a pre-cut photo session.

Thomson did great, not a peep. William was kind even after I threatened to tackle him if he got out any kind of electrical razor on my child. He cut the old-fashioned way, with scissors only - and he only cut a very little bit off the back, just as I requested. One day Thomson will make me wait in the car while he goes in for a haircut, especially if I don't get my act together soon!!

Haircut: check. Checking things off my list these days!

We had a fun time at the beach. After a little hesitation, Thomson loved the ocean, especially the waves. He liked to hold onto my bathing suit and jump jump jump. I think jumping is his most favorite thing. We also went to the pool where he jumped some more. I wish we had taken some pictures at sunset but sleep was much more important!

Thomson loves Uncle Derek!

Five weeks and counting!

Easter

Christ the Lord is risen today, ALLELUIAH!

Earth and heaven in chorus say, ALLELUIAH!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, ALLELUIAH!

Sing, ye heavens, and Earth reply, ALLELUIAH!

We had a happy Easter! Simple and happy. Church was crowded and the message was short and clear. Thomson and I have been singing "Christ the Lord is risen today . . . " all week, preparing for this joyous day. How blessed we are to have a Savior! I love what the angels said to the women at the tomb: "Why do you seek the living One among the dead?" I wonder how they must have felt, in the middle of their grief, to hear those words. This morning our pastor prayed a simple prayer "May we have a faith that is worthy of Easter". Amen.

Shiner

Thomson got his first black eye this weekend, just in time for Easter! He is obsessed with stuffed animals these days and he fell on one of Gus' deer heads and the antler caught him in the eye. Luckily his Ophthalmologist was 18" away, ready for an immediate eye examination. I think he thought the deer head was a soft stuffed animal (well I guess it really is a stuffed animal, right?) Hopefully he won't be embarrassed at his first Easter Egg hunt this afternoon! My first and only black eye came at the worst possible time (besides maybe your wedding or when you are competing on the Bachelor on national television). For me it was the weekend before my first day of middle school. We were school supplies shopping and the bracket flung off the shelf and poked me right in the eye. It was the most horrifying thing ever to have to go to Marietta Middle School with a black eye. And Pod 6-C had the cutest boys!!! Luckily I overcame it.

Tractor rides

Last weekend Ben Taylor came to town so a visit to the farm was in order along with a tractor ride for Thomson and Caswell. As Ben and Gus drove off in the fields with the boys on their laps, I heard them making plans for hunting trips with all of the boys in the future.

Some of you may want to know that Ben is doing really well - they are monitoring the tumor and have found no growth since his surgery. They will continue to monitor and we will continue to keep him in our prayers. They have moved to Charlotte where AnnaGreta is working as an anesthesiologist and Ben is starting a new career in medical equipment sales.

How adorable is Caswell? He has the sweetest little personality!

16 months a few weeks late!

We have been busy busy and having lots of fun! Thomson took his first few steps around 16 months and every day since then he is walking more and more - we don't sit down all day long! Mom took Thomson and Lee shoe shopping last week for red Keds. They had a ball and I think the store was glad to see us leave :)

His favorite toys right now are stuffed animals, push toys, especially his grocery cart, his wagon, books, and anything that plays music. And all of a sudden he LOVES Bates. I think because he is standing up now so he doesn't have to duck and cover when Bates runs up to lick him. He chases Bates around the house. Today I showed him how to pull his toy behind him when he walked and he was so excited, he thought it was chasing him!

We play every day "ousside" with Bates and Thomson's favorite wagon. He pushes the wagon, loads up toys, and I pull him around and around the yard. Yesterday Gus and I set up his water table and it was hours of fun!

Thomson is very attached to Gus all of a sudden. He has always LOVED when dada comes home for lunch and after work, but now he has separation anxiety for him. I have started spelling "G-U-S" to avoid a meltdown during the day. Maybe my next child will be mama's boy? Gus and I have switched cars and so all day long Thomson runs to the back door, sees the Tahoe and starts saying "Dada"

I am busy trying to get a lot of things settled before I get so big (and hot) that all I want to do is park on the sofa or sit in the pool! We are starting to set up Thomson's big-boy room. I wanted something he could grow into, so we decided on a hunt-country theme. Dada is excited to display some of his prize animals in Thomson's room . . . Pictures to come.

We have still not talked about baby names, besides one of us saying "We really need to start talking about baby names". He might be called bro-bro for the first year or so. That would be cute, right? :)

Here are pictures from Touch-A-Truck this weekend. Thomson loved the tractors the most:Thomson with Hagan Barrow - hopefully the last time in the back of a police car!

Flowers...

Gus went to the farm today and came home with an arm full of daffodils, one of my favorite spring-time flowers, perfect in an old mason jar on the counterLast week for our anniversary Gus brought home orchids. Orchids are great, they will bloom for months in the right light and with just a little watering. Here is a trick to dressing up grocery-store orchids - do you know the gross plastic hair clips that hold them up?

I like to take them off and tie them with twine or raffia

Voila - much better, enjoy for months (unless you don't water like me). I also usually replace the sticks with curly willow or bamboo but I didn't have any on hand this week

And one more thing about orchids - when I pick them, I look for one that is partially blooming and partially budding, it will last much longer. Also - this one is pretty but I would have picked one that is shorter and better proportioned, the really tall ones can look leggy. That's just my opinion!