Tatum's Thirtieth Week

CRAZY  HAIR!

I love it.  

It's late and I need to log some more work, so that's all.

Nighty night.

Emerging from the Infirmary

For the past week, nearly everyone in the house has been sick.

It started with my dad having laryngitis and something else the week before.  Then Matt started feeling the start of sinusitis on the night of his surprise birthday party. Then my mom and I got the flu..  Then Tatum caught a cold. All while Matt's mom was staying with us. 

Poor Beth.  She was basically an indentured servant while she was here!  I could barely get out of bed, Matt stayed home from work for 3 days (I don't think he took one whole day off while working at REI in Seattle), Tatum's nose was a faucet and she was cranky...I felt so bad for Beth and her vacation!

So if its been a bit quiet from the Oklahoma front the past week, you'll understand why.

We did manage to get to Matt's office and then the zoo last Friday and walk around for about an hour.

Hanging out in Daddy's office...note the bottle of cough syrup on the desk...

Tatum was more interested in Grandma than the gorillas...

The picture of the gorillas was far more interesting!

Awww...look at those sweet little dazed eyes!

So that's where we've been the past week.  On the couch and in bed and going through a gazillion kleenex and feeling like poop.  It hasn't completely released its talons, so your prayers would be much appreciated for recovery for everyone!

Bananas and Birthdays

This, my friends, is my 200th post.

Much like Tatum sitting on her potty in this picture, that makes me happy.

I'm warning you--this post is picture heavy! But how can one resist with a face like this?

Matt's birthday was last Saturday, and his mom Beth flew into town that evening.  

After an intense observation period, she warmed up to Grandma Beth.

After Matt blowing out his candles and opening his presents, we gave Tatum her first taste of real food--banana baby food.  Until now she's only had rice or oatmeal mixed with breast milk or formula.

This was her initial reaction.

Not the biggest fan at first.  She did warm up to it a little bit...but not much!

Yesterday we kicked the boys out under the pretense of watching Downton Abbey and having a girls day.  This meant they high-tailed it out of there, and once they left my mom and I let Beth in on the secret...we were throwing Matt a surprise party that night!

A Mountain Man/Lumberjack party!

(to our credit, we did watch two episodes of Downton Abbey as well)

We had a beard bar...

of which even Tatum partook...

and a campfire cake...

and of course Roy was there in all the excitement...

We had a great turnout (actually, more than I expected!), and noshed on BBQ beef, played games, and had a great time!

here Buddy is portraying...something...in charades...

See how much plaid and outdoorsy stuff people were wearing! LOVED it!

my family is far from the norm...

...and even Matt partook of a felt beard though he was equipped with one himself...

...although he couldn't bring himself to kiss me while I was wearing a beard.  I think I'm pretty okay with that, lol.

Thanks to everyone who came out to show your love and appreciation to Matt--we had SO much fun with you all!!!

My 28-Week-Old Valentine

Here's my mischievous little Valentine who should have been taking a nap during the time of this picture...but coming home from errands proved just too exciting.

Nap? WHAT nap???

We have a love-ly Valentines Day--Tatum and I made Valentines for family from her footprints.

I blatantly copied this idea from Hot Pot, so don't consider me some original genius.

Unless, of course, you want to.

Isn't that the sweetest little footprint?  Getting her to lie still on her back while I painted her feet with watercolor wasn't all that easy, but a Praise Baby video and a frozen wet washcloth did the trick!

I should have used a thicker card stock, but what I bought said card stock...I just didn't feel how thin it was until I got it home.  And the kraft card is actually a leftover Christmas card--I just covered the stamp with the feet! Yay for recycling and not paying more!

I also made the Pioneer Woman's chocolate cookies, and had a dipping bar where my fam dipped the cookies in either vanilla candy, semi-sweet chocolate or buttercream frosting and then into heath bar, M&M's or Butterfingers.

Mmmmmm.

And Matt got me these gorgeous peridot earrings

Aren't they pretty? They're Tatum's birthstone :-)

Take-out Mexican food and some funny TV rounded out the day...I am so blessed to have a husband I love, enjoy and respect, a baby I'm over the moon crazy for, and family that I not only can stand being around...I actually like it. 

Tatum's Twenty-Seventh Week

Here's our little Tootin' Tot at 27 weeks old.

She's a little stinker because she's discovered how wonderful life is...and consequently does not want to go to sleep and miss anything!

And so we have tantrums for naps and bedtime.

Hooray.

Tonight after about fifteen minutes of her little heartbreaking cry, I went in and nursed for for a little bit.

Last night this worked like a charm--she nursed, snuggled, went right to sleep.

Tonight, though, she thought she had escaped the bonds of her pack n' play and sat straight up on my lap and gave me a wide-eyed smile that said, "Did I really get out of it?!?!"  Since introducing her to the jumper she thinks everything is a jumper an consequentially tries to bounce, so with her still so full of energy I held her in a standing position and let her jump in my army until her heart was pounding with the exercise.  A little more snuggle and she was back in bed.  A few sniffles and weak cries later she was out.

Phew.

I can't wait until we get our new jumper on Friday...I'm going to let her just jump until she's plumb wore out!  (we're returning the Jenny Jump Up as it has no bumper and she would have smacked her head on the door frame if my hand hadn't been there!).

All that to say here's our Tooter who despite heart-wrenching cries is our joy.

In other news, my baby bro Jeremiah turned twenty-five on February 4th!  That makes me feel old.  We all went to see him at his new job at S&B's Burger Joint.

Poor guy...pushin' a broom on his birthday...

Actually I didn't feel too bad...and neither did he.  He's glad to have a job!

We had a good time shuffling Tatum around...

and she seemed to enjoy it, too...

We enjoyed the unique burgers including the "Elvis" burger (with peanut butter), the "Fire," the "Thunder," and the chili lime with guacamole.  Yum.  Oh, and really good sweet potato fries.

And J got some cupcakes...since it was his birthday and all.

And one more thing--I got a job! Actually, I got two jobs, but since the confirmation of job #2 I'm ditching job #1.  I'll be joining the ranks at Mid-America Christian University and working on editing curriculum as they're transitioning to their new online classroom program.  Just because you have a PhD in theology doesn't mean you know not to introduce your sentence with a conjunction.

I'm actually really excited about this as the more I do it (editing a few papers or PowerPoint projects here and there), the more I realize this is not only something I'm good at, but something I enjoy as well.  Give me a red pen any day of the week and I'll be happy!

The best things about this little side job for me are 1)I do it on my time...so in the mornings before Tatum is or up or during nap time or when Matt gets home or on the weekends...2) its something I genuinely like to do and the subject matter interests me, and 3) it means we can be more serious about buying a house and not worrying about living on lentils and beans!

Hooray!

Loving Right Now

We may not know what the next step(s) in our life are.

But for tonight, I'm loving right now.

Tatum's Twenty-Sixth Week

Here's the rootin' tootin' Tater at 26 weeks old! SIX MONTHS on Thursday! CRAZY!  Where did half a year go?

 It went in new baby smell and vernix left under her chin and spit ups and milestones and giggles and learning to give kisses and learning she has an opinion and learning there's a lot to stay awake for.

Six months ago we were here.

And now we are here.

Still in a tutu.

this girl loves her naked time.

And so I hope to treasure each moment of the next six months. And next six years. And next sixteen years. And forever and ever, until the good Lord takes me home, amen.