Programs! Get your programs!

With Samantha working Saturday and the Auburn tigers/war eagles/plainsmen in town for the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry," Mac and I headed over to the UGA campus to tailgate.
This time though, Mac and I met up with Uncle Eric and Aunt Jessica to help sell programs to support FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes).
I don't think we were much help until we made our way back to a friend's tailgate where Mac tried his best to sell to everyone. How anyone could say no is certainly an indication of our economy, right?

Anyway, we had a great time and Mac was a real trooper, which is good because we had to walk all over campus when we could park close enough to the buses.

Saturdays with Daddy

I love UGA football weekends.

I hate the weekends that Samantha has to work.

Having a UGA home game can be a saving grace for those weekends that she has to work.

Mac and I are not good at sitting around the house. For one thing, we tend to make a mess and neither of us is good at cleaning them up.

UGA home games give us a reason to get out of the house and visit with friends.

Last weekend there was no UGA game and Samantha had to work.

I decided to take Mac to run some errands including a trip to Lowe's. I had no reason for the trip other than to waste time, but we were in for a treat.

Lowe's has a program for kids called Build and Grow. I asked and was told that there isn't really an age limit, so I signed us up. They gave us a miniature apron, hammer, and goggles. He got to keep the apron and was given a badge for completion which will go on the apron.

The project was called Frankenstring. Its a Halloween magic trick.

This isn't Mac's finished project - his includes several more "scars" from Mac using the wrong side of the hammer on the face. Nevertheless, he had a good time and we are looking forward to doing these workshops in the future. We might even check out the similar program across the street at Home Depot.

Mac was saying "cheese" here, but my cellphone camera leaves a little to be desired. It has absolutely nothing to do with my lack of photography skill/talent.

I should tell you that I think Mac's favorite part of going to Lowe's was pushing the cart by himself. I can't blame him - without extra money to spend that is usually my favorite part too.

Cooking with Mommy

From Augusta 10-09

When we were in Augusta we decided that the cold, wet weather was perfect for chili.

We weren't the only ones. Every shelf in Kroger was full with the exception of the areas for chili related - they were empty!
We did manage to find enough ingredients for Eric to make chili for all of us. We weren't sure how Mac would like the chili (he didn't) so we made sure to get cornbread mix. Not only did he enjoy eating the cornbread muffins, but he really enjoyed helping to make them.

No photographs please

We won't have any pictures, but there are a couple of new developments here in Bogart.

One is that Mac is showing more and more interest in the toilet. He will sit down on his potty and "wipe." This would be much more exciting if he was actually doing something, but its a start.

The other is that we finally started reading him a Bible story each night. We read a story out of The One Year Bible Storybook given to Mac by Samantha's Mema. I like to joke about it being an autographed copy of the Bible since Virginia Muir did actually sign it.

This is something that always intimidated me. I wasn't sure how to do any kind of Bible study that he would get anything out of. To be honest, I don't know that he is now, but I just figured that it can't have any impact if we don't try something. Maybe he is getting something out of it - he sits still and listens intently while we read. After our Bible story he will fold his hands and bow his head for bedtime prayers. He will also do this at mealtime and then finish with a barely audible "amen." Its really cute to see.

I find that even though I'm almost 20 months into being a parent I don't feel like I have any answers - just more questions. I don't anticipate that changing anytime soon, if ever. So, if anyone has suggestions on potty training and/or meaningful Bible study for a toddler, I'd love to hear them.

As promised....PICTURES!!!

From Augusta 10-09

From Augusta 10-09

From Augusta 10-09

From Augusta 10-09

From Augusta 10-09

Another Fun Weekend!

So we don't have any pictures yet because they are mostly on Jessica's camera. She is officially the group photographer. However we did have a really good weekend in Augusta. We went down Friday evening to see Uncle Eric's (Watson) football game. Mac had so much fun hanging out with the other kids at the game. He wanted to do everything that they did. The best part was he and Greer dancing to the band. Jess got a picture so we will post that as soon as we get them from her.

On Saturday Jessica and I did some shopping because the sudden cold snap has made me realize that Mac has outgrown all of his pants. He is at a very awkward size apparently though because the old ones are way too short and the next size up is too long and has to be rolled up several times. Oh well, I guess he will grow into them.

By the way Greer is an adorable little girl whose dad is a coach with Eric (and they go to church with Jess and Eric so we saw them again today too) Mac got a bunch of hugs and then a kiss today when we left. Tonight while he was in the bathtub we were talking about the day and who we had seen and what we had done. He repeated Greer's name clearly enough for us to understand, so that just tells you how special she is.

Pictures, Pumpkins, and the Zoo

Today was a very busy day. We started this morning with Mac's 18th month photo session (yes he is 19th months now, but who's counting). I think it went pretty well. He was a little sleepy and lacking some of his usual spark, but maybe he turned it on for long enough to get some good shots. He figured out how to walk backwards because Daddy was walking backwards trying to entertain him and get a good smile for pictures. Mac was very proud of himself for copying (and he didn't fall down at all). He is constantly surprising us with little things like that.
After lunch (and a nap) we went to church to visit the pumpkin patch. Mac really enjoyed looking at the big pumpkins and climbing on them and trying to pick them up. He also liked picking up the little ones and moving them around. I don't think he rearranged too much of the patch though.

Mac riding a pumpkin

From Pumpkin Patch 09

Mac's scary Halloween face

From Pumpkin Patch 09

Next we decided to visit the little zoo over by our church. (I should clarify that the zoo lists squirrels as some of animals you might see.) They do have some pretty cool stuff though. We were very lucky that some of the animals even "performed" for Mac. I overheard someone say that the groundhog is always asleep, but he walked around and climbed through a tunnel and even jumped over a small span. This would sound more impressive if you had seen how chubby the groundhog was. The bear also stopped resting on his laurels and walked around to show off a little. Unfortunately, the alligators, bald eagle, and yes, armadillo and opossum could not be counted on. Its okay though, Mac was just as delighted by the ducks and geese in the pond as anything else.

I almost forgot until I saw the pictures, but Mac was given some stickers when we left the pumpkin patch. He had one on his shirt and then a few still on the paper for later. He wanted to hold both Mommy and Daddy's hands when we left so he couldn't hold onto the stickers. Doug put them in his pocket and he was very unsure. He kept looking at his pocket the way he had stared at his new shoes. The best part is that he tried to get the stickers out and kept turning around like a dog chasing his tail.

From Pumpkin Patch 09

SHOTS

Today we had to go in for immunizations. Mac did great considering that we had to wait for an hour before we were called back. He weighs around 28 lbs (maybe down a lb or two?) and is 32 inches tall. He is growing so much!!
He was really cute while we were waiting for the nurse to come in and give his shots. He was walking around the room in just a diaper and socks, but he still kept trying to get me to get up and leave. Poor thing! He didn't even know what he was in for.
The good news is that he was using his hand to say "come here" rather than patting his leg the way you call a dog.
The bad news is that tomorrow is the day we have scheduled for his 18 months pictures. Lets hope that he won't be having any bad reactions to the injections. And that maybe he will be in a good mood.

Bed Time and the Terrible Twos

I know he's not two yet, but we are definitely starting to see some of the terrible part. For a while now he has been pitching fits about things any time he doesn't get his way or when we can't figure out what his way is. However, bed time is freakishly easy. It worries me sometimes because he is so wide awake when we lay him down that I think he will never stay in the bed. Sometimes he even waves and says night-night when we are leaving him. However he always stays and goes to sleep quickly (I probably should not write that huh?)
The bad side is that he has been waking up in the night most nights. We have been trying to just leave him and let him put himself back to sleep. For awhile we were going and trying to comfort him, but that just seemed to cause more problems than it solved. Is it bad to turn the monitor down so that we can get some sleep until he really needs us?

Here's a picture of him from the bath tub the other night. The bubbles help entice him into the tub on nights that he's not in the mood. He can say bubbles very clearly now.

Does this haircut make my head big?

Nope. That was Daddy.

We had pictures scheduled for this Saturday and weren't sure the weather would cooperate, then we weren't completely in love with this haircut.
Those two weren't really enough to cancel by themselves.

But the photo session is off because Mac head-butted Samantha while we all wrestled last night. She's OK, but she has a black-eye now.
Of course, Mac would've never known anything happened except Samantha stopped playing and then I did too to check on her.

Oh well, I guess pictures can wait another month - that's how crazy our schedule is.

Good times in the Classic City

Mac has recovered from his ear infection, or perhaps he never even noticed it.
All he knows is that he gets the "pink stuff" and he loves it. Of course he likes other medicine that doesn't taste good, so that's not surprising.

I decided that since Samantha was working and he was in a good mood that I would take him tailgating for the UGA-SC game this past Saturday. He did great and had a good time. Again, not surprising since tailgating is all about the food.
Anyway, click on the UGA Tailgating link at the bottom for more pictures or check them out on facebook.

From UGA Tailgating

Drama

I know it's been awhile, but its been busy around here. Mac has his very first ear infection. Its mild and somehow we actually caught it early. He's on antibiotics (which he loves!) and he is taking it in stride the way he always does with major things.
Regular everyday minor things he freaks out about. Like when there is some imaginary something stuck to his finger. Or when i give him some Kix out of the box instead of my bowl.
Doug and I were discussing last night how he will fall down on the floor pitching a fit and if you leave the room he will follow you and fall down again. I commented to Doug that it was all for our benefit. He replied, "I guess I don't know what benefit means."
Are we bad parents because we laugh at the tantrums?

Sleepy boy

Mac has been up and down lately and I knew he was tired this evening, but I had no idea he was this tired.


Disclaimer: If this makes me a bad parent, please let me know privately and don't call DFACS...

He did go to bed right away after I washed his face and hands. I'm hoping he gets some rest soon so he can get back to his usual fun, easy going personality.

So its not a video of the beach, but these are pretty entertaining anyway. Short story is Mac had an accident which required a change of clothes and a shop vac. Then he needed to help Daddy clean up.

Finally a Picture

Click here to view these pictures larger

Mac took his first trip to the beach last weekend. Unfortunately our camera battery died after about 2 pictures. Luckily my mom's was working so there are plenty of photos. I just don't have them all yet. Here is a sneak preview...there is also a video if I can ever get that uploaded.
He had a blast in the water and he wasn't really ready to leave.

You can ignore the link for now because it doesn't actually make them larger unless you sign in on shutterfly. I will fix this soon I promise.

Odds and Ends

Mac has gotten into watching Elmo videos on YouTube. Most nights now he goes to the laptop and starts in with the "please." We've been trying to get him to say elmo but no luck. At least he's polite even if he doesn't tell you what he wants. So the other night Elmo is singing away and he went and got his phone which sings the same song. I was pretty impressed.

Last night he ate two pieces of pizza for dinner, as much as me.

When you ask him where his shoes go he doesn't point at his feet. He takes you to the closet and points at the shelf.
Sent from my iPod

New Shoes!

So Mac's shoes have been getting pretty tight. We had a backup pair in the next size waiting in the wings, but until now they were still a little too big. This morning, I was going to put the new ones on him, because I thought it was about time. He insisted that he wanted to wear the old ones. He even went to the closet and got them out. (You may find this surprising behavior for a little boy, but thats only if you don't know my child's shoe obsession. Shoes is one of the few constant words in his vocabulary. Don't think he is destined to be a designer yet though, he just knows that "shoes" means he gets to go outside.)

He was determined to wear the old shoes so I tried to put them on anyway. His foot just would not go in, but he jumped down from the chair and took off for the back door. He was limping and walking sideways because he was actually standing on the back of one of the shoes. He tried to push his foot down harder to make it fit, it just wouldn't budge.

I took him to his room and got out the new shoes. He totally pitched a fit, trying to put the old one back on even while I was fastening the new one. He headed to the back door again, but this time with the old shoes in his hands. He did not trust those new shoes and he was apparently planning to bring backup. By the time we walked into church we had gotten the old ones away from him, but he still kept looking at the new ones like they were the enemy.

Despite all the drama, the new shoes have been accepted. By this evening he went and got them and sat on the kitchen floor trying to put them on. This was especially funny looking since he was otherwise wearing only a diaper. Doug said "Put on your shoes so you can go streaking" He took it as a serious proposal.

(Sorry for no photos, we have some good new ones they just aren't uploaded yet.)

Changes Everywhere

Mac is moving up to a new class today. It's not nearly as traumatic as it was the last time, but it will be a big change. This new class sits at tables instead of high chairs and has an actual nap time. I hope that he will be able to adjust to this okay. I'm a little worried though because I'm afraid in the new class they really want them to be there all day. Usually on my days off Mac only goes for a little while if at all. I'll have to talk to his new teachers and see what the deal is.
They are making the transition easy for me because this week I'll continue to drop him off in his regular room and they will transition him around 9:00. I need a little help because yesterday was also my boss's last day so we are about to go through major transitions at work as well.

And here's the cute story for the day...
The other day at lunch he totally faked eating. Someone was trying to convince him that the mac and cheese on his plate would be good. He picked up a piece and appeared to put it in his mouth. He even said mmmm... Then I realized that the food was still in his hand. He's a sneaky one.

And another one...
He has a cute little table and chairs that we got him at Ikea. He loves to sit at the table and read his books. He also likes to stand up in the chairs. Apparently we tell him to sit down alot because he stands up in the chair and then points his finger and says sit down (well I know thats what he is saying, but you probably couldn't actually understand him). He knows what to do, if only we could get him to actually do it.

Guess My Weight

We've been wondering how much the little man weighs (and people keep asking because it feels like a ton). Yesterday Doug decided to put him on the scale. He actually did so using the method of holding Mac and then subtracting his own weight, but of course Mac then wanted to get on the scale himself. Then he wanted to bring the scale to the kitchen where I was cleaning up. He loves to pick up things especially if they are heavy and Doug really enjoys encouraging him. Doug's favorite new trick is to say "take it to Momma" or "go show Momma."
Anyway, Mac now weighs around 27 to 28 pounds. Yes my arms are tired.

Click HERE for more pictures.

Where's my blankee?

So he doesn't have a name for it or anything like that, but Mac has become attached to his blanket. During the last few weeks he has started going and getting it out of his bed especially when he is tired. Now he wants to get it and drag it all around the house behind him. It needed washing yesterday so I put it in the dirty laundry basket in his closet. When we got home from church the first thing he did was go dig it out. (Dumping clothes everywhere in the process) Last night he slept fine without it, I don't think he even noticed. However this morning he saw it in the basket of clean laundry and pulled it out. (Dumping clothes everywhere again). He really did not want to leave it when he went to school. There was a major meltdown, I'm pretty sure he has never cried that much at being separated from me.
After I dropped him off I hid the blankets in the guest room closet so hopefully out-of-site, out-of-mind will be enough to break him. I at least want to get him hooked on a smaller blanket because this one is too big for him to really carry around and you know I don't want him dragging anything because it will get completely dirty.
If anyone has any great suggestions for how to handle this please let me know.

More swimming

 

So the swimmies look a little ridiculous, but he actually seemed to like them. He enjoyed being able to put his face in the water. He probably drank a ton of pool water, but hey he had fun right?

Happy 4th of July!

 

For more photos click here.

White Coats Everywhere

From White Coat

This post is a little late, but its been a busy week. Last Friday we went to a ceremony in Augusta for Aunt Jessica's dental school. She recieved a white coat, it was a big deal. Mac also required special attire for the occasion. His coat, if you can't tell, has Dr. McFarland inscribed above the pocket. There is also a pen in his pocket and an authentic UGA pharmacy school patch on the sleeve. (Saved from Mommy's white coat ceremony).

Swimming!

 

I decided that even though Samantha had to work, I would take Mac to the pool by myself.
It took us an hour and three calls to Samantha, but we finally got ready and out of the house. He loved the water at first, then he fell over (1'-6" pool) and that made him a little afraid and fussy. He cried every time we started to get in the water, so we sat in our chair and went to the happy place courtesy of goldfish.

I finally was able to get him in the water and trick him into relaxing. Then we had a great time.
One question that I still have: are the swimming diapers floatation devices? Mac's rear end kept floating up - both in his float and in my arms.

Another important thing I learned - its not easy to change a diaper when there is no changing table and he has to stand up in a chair. I guess at least there was a chair...

The best part about the swimming is that he went right down for an afternoon nap when we got home.

First Haircut

So many things have happened in the last week, but we didn't have a computer to put our photos on or any time to blog about stuff. I'll try to recap. Mac and Mommy spent a week down in DeSoto helping prepare for Aunt Jessica's wedding. We finally got her married off on Saturday and now we are back home.
Daddy came down after work on Thursday and we were able to go get a haircut Friday morning. Mac was very good and sat pretty still long enough to get it cut.
He got really excited about the mirror and the camera when we first sat down. Don't think he was this happy the whole time, but this was one of my favorite pictures. Strange that I now realize we didn't take any pics afterward so there are none of his new haircut. Hopefully there will be some good ones from the wedding stuff.

Good drive

Mac was so good for our three hour drive. He was awake the whole time, but he was quiet and just looking around. Doug and I think maybe he was nervous that he needed to stay awake to help me drive. More later.

Word to your Mother...

Just wanted to give a shoutout to all the mothers out there. Lookin' good ladies!
Seriously...Thanks for all you do for us.

My kid eats bubbles

So lately Mac does not like baths. He used to love them, but we started doing that every night right before bed and he gets a litte upset. A few nights ago he screamed so much that I didn't even bathe him really, just got wet and got out. It's making me wonder if maybe its more than just dreading going to bed.
Today after breakfast he desperately needed a bath so I decided to try bubbles. Nobody can resist a bubble bath right? Wrong.
He is screaming so I pick up a handful of bubbles and he finally notices and gets distracted. He grabbed some bubbles out of my hand and proceeds to put them in his mouth. I'm thinking it will taste like soap and he will make a disgusted face, but no. He just eats them. When he went for more I made a funny face and said No that Yucky! He laughed and then ate more bubbles.
So now he is eating bubbles and still crying on and off. I grabbed a little rubber froggie bath toy and scooped bubbles on his head. Mac takes the frog away from me and eats the bubbles off of him. So now he is standing in the bathtub (because with his newfound fear/hatred of the bath, he can’t sit down) and he keeps bending down to scoop the frog into the bubbles like a fork.

I give up….at least his utensil skills were getting a workout.

To my adoring fan...

April Fun

Click on the picture to see more of my adorableness. Unfortunately nothing new to report, just cruising along at this point.

We didn't teach him this

He did this once before while we were down in Americus visiting. Last night Doug had the step ladder out to change a light bulb and suddenly Mac is on his way up. He went all the way to the top the first time, but as soon as we got out the camera he wasn't interested in going that far.

Not bad for a kid who is just learning to walk.

Hey...I found ALL of the Easter Eggs!!

 

We should wrap them up for Mommy's birthday...

He walks, he plays, he talks on the phone

This video is probably too long, but its hard to edit out any of his cuteness. More will follow.

This is the way we brush our teeth...

Mac loves to brush his teeth. In fact, we have to wrestle the toothbrush away from him. (okay so maybe he just likes to chew on the toothbrush, but it still works)

Kiss me...I'm Irish...

Steppin out

So no pictures or video yet, but Mac did something awesome last night. We were at church, I had only just arrived from work. Doug put Mac down in the middle of the floor standing up. For the last few days or so he has been playing around and taking one step or pivoting on one foot. But he took one step then another...then another...then one more. Then he sat down. That's four steps! He'll probably be running by the time I get home tonight. I think life at our house is about to change all over again.

Snow!

Saturday we had Mac's party and the weather was great. Sunday while at church it started to snow. We figured it wouldn't last long and certainly wouldn't stick. How wrong we were...
The whole county was shut down yesterday and the schools were closed again today.
There is still snow on the ground.

Finally...Happy Birthday to Mac!!

Today was Mac's 1st Birthday party...if you're counting he doesn't actually turn one until Tuesday. We didn't do much, just a few friends, cake, and icecream. We did get some good pictures though. Here are a few.

First Birthday Party

We put a mat under his chair thinking he would make a big mess. He really didn't though, instead he pretty much ate everything. He didn't need a bath afterwards, just hands and face washed. The bib was a mess though.
The most amazing thing is that he went to bed at the normal time and so far is sleeping well.

Stand up, Stand up for Jesus

Mac did something new yesterday. He stood up all on his own. I was quite impressed. It did involve alot of what looked like an attempt to stand on his head, but that part was pretty funny too. We have been told several times how standing is a precursor to walking so who knows what may happen any day now. (Doug swears he took a step last night but I didn't see it)

Happy Birthday Aunt Jessica!

Happy Birthday Aunt Jessica, can't wait for dinner tomorrow!



Sorry it took so long to post this, unfortunately it was shot in January and we've just been really busy.

Birthdays are cool! I want one!!

Mac went to a birthday party for his friend Ben on Saturday. Ben goes to our church and his mom and I had a joint baby shower. Ben is six weeks older than Mac (and they've been friends since birth). The party was fun and gave us a chance to see how this first birthday thing is supposed to work.




Mac was VERY interested in the cake eating and generously offered to "help" Ben. He was able to get a little bit of frosting before getting his own piece to eat. We think it will be pretty interesting to watch Mac with his own cake.

CLick HERE to see a set of pictures from the birthday party.

Toy boxes are really fun!

So we didn't buy Mac many toys for Christmas, just a few small things. Before you get worried about him though, he received tons from friends and family so he has more than he can play with now.
What we did get him for Christmas was a toy box. I have to admit that it is partially for us so that there is a way to clean up our living room. The toys are trying to take over.
He has discovered just how fun a toy box can be. Play the slideshow to see the whole album, bear with us though because its a lot of photos. He's just so cute its hard to pick and choose.

Happy Birthday Elvis!!!

Actually today is Lolly's birthday, but Mommy says I can always remember it by Elvis.

We wanted to post some Christmas video as a surprise for Lolly, but unfortunately our Christmas morning video didn't turn out quite like we wanted. So instead we will just say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LOLLY!!!! We will work out some cute video for you soon, but for now just a picture.

Lolly and Papa John's Christmas