Chef Price & Sweet Owen

Price has started this new phase where he wants to help me do everything! He wants to help me load the dishwasher, washing machine & dryer, clean the table, bathrooms, vacuum and most importantly cook. Last week I decided that I would let him help me make a Pizza for dinner. He was excited and did very well for his first time.

For our playgroup this week we all decided to make Christmas cookies with the little ones. Price didn't do quite as well..........but hey, we did what we could!!

I am so excited about experiencing Christmas with Price. He knows that Christmas is Jesus' Birthday but I'm not sure he knows exactly who Jesus is. Everytime we see a baby, he says "Baby Jes-wus?". He is also excited about Santa bringing him "pweswents" (yeah, that's presents...good thing we have a speech pathologist in the family!)

Owen is teething badly and his new things is chewing on his foot! I try to give him his teething toys but instead of letting me know when he drops them, he just grabs a foot!! It's actually pretty cute, but hopefully not a habit he'll keep! He can also sit up.....kinda! He does very well while sitting in the boppy. If you take it away........not so much!

Owen is truly the best child. He rarely ever fusses and when he does, there is a reason. He's the happiest, most content child I've ever met. Yesterday I had a doctors appointment, did a bit of shopping and had a Christmas lunch with my LMC co-workers and he stayed awake the entire time and didn't make a peep!

Thank you, Lord, for my wonderful babies!!

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year....

December is always very busy for us but I love every minute.....
This weekend we had a fabulous weekend full of the joys of Christmas!



On Friday my best friend, Rhetta, stopped by with her little boy Hampton. It was the first time I have gotten to meet Hampton and he is even more precious in person! These pictures just don't do him justice. He & Owen cooed at each other on the floor..... I think they're already good buds!

Friday Night we went with my mom & stepdad to get the boys pictures made with Santa. Price loves talking about the presents Santa is going to bring and he loves saying "HO HO HO, MEWWY CWISSMUSS!!" so I really thought he was going to do great with Santa.....and he DID....as long as he was at least 5 feet away from him. He talked to him and waved at him.......but no sitty on his lappy!! BUMMER! Maybe next year! This year we opted for Rudolph instead!

I will say, Owen did just fabulous! :)

Friday was also Owen's 5 month birthday. He celebrated by getting his very first tooth! It's a bottom one, a canine, I think! Weird! My little vampire....

Saturday morning we went to the Columbia Christmas Parade downtown. It was freezing cold but well worth it! Price loved all the excitment!! I was amazed at how much he enjoyed the parade. Especially the fire trucks, Elmo, the marching bands and, of course, Santa!

The kiddies watching the parade

Daddy & Price

Julie & Sallie

Mommy & Price

The REAL Santa

After the Parade we went to Carter's 2nd Birthday Party at Fun Zone! Price enjoyed jumping on the jumpies and eating cupcakes!! Owen even got to jump a little himself! :)

On Sunday we had a family Christmas party to attend and it was so much fun seeing all the family we don't often get to see. There are so many children now, so Price had a blast playing with all of his cousins and everyone enjoyed loving on sweet Owen. Needless to say, we all slept very well come Sunday night!

Never say Never!

When I first got pregnant with Price several of my friends jokingly told me that I was going to be driving a minivan soon!!
My response: "NEVER will I be a minivan mama! I'm way too cool for that!!"

Well, guess what?? I must have lost some cool points along the way b/c I am now the proud new owner of a MINIVAN!! A Chrysler Town & Country to be exact!

I have been wanting one for several months now and Galena was practically giving them away.......so my loving husband took me down to the dealership and got me an early Christmas Present!!

I know most of you are getting a good chuckle......but once you start having multiple children.....You'll be calling me to ask about my ride!



Here it is!!

Yep, that's how I roll!!!

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with all of our family! It's such a special time to share with the ones you love. To be thankful for all that you have and to be thankful for having each other!

My boys are my world! Josh is an extraordinary husband and Price and Owen overwhelm me with the joy they bring!

We are so abundantly blessed and I am Thankful!

First Haircut!

On Wednsday I finally decided Price needed a haircut. His hair is extremly curly but since there hasn't been much humidity lately, it has been a little crazy.
Hair Doodles was booked so I ended up taking him to Sports Clips b/c several of our friends go there. They did a pretty good job concidering he wouldn't keep his head still...
I gave him a sucker and told him if he wanted to keep it, he had to sit in the chair.
Josh couldn't get off work to go so it was just me and Owen with him. I was nervous that there would be a melt down, but surprisingly, it went pretty smoothly. I promised him a "pwize" if he did good so we went to Target afterwards and he picked out a "twactor". YAY for Target's dollar section! He had no idea that he got a cheap toy and I didn't have to spend a fortune!! :) Santa's coming soon, ya know!

Patiently waiting for his turn while reading the sports mags!

Trying to sit still!

The End Result!

(I think he was about to dig for treasure!)

I Am Thankful

I Am Thankful

I am thankful for everything I have experienced in this life of mine

For in all I have found that in His Word-the answers I find

I am thankful for all the tears I have cried

For they have taught me to appreciate laughter

They have given me the ability to see the the joy that comes thereafter

Through my tears I have come to know his Holy Spirit in my life

How He is always there and comforts through the strife

I am thankful for the storms I have encountered, knowing that a rainbow is at the end Realization that they are only temporal, that with time all will mend

I have learned that I don’t need to be strong, for Yahshua supplies the strength for me

He shoulders my burdens regardless of what the circumstance may be

I am thankful for all the relationships, for the good and for the bad

For they have given life to my emotions an appreciation of what I have had

My most valuable relationship is that with Yahweh, my Father

I know that I can trust Him as I can trust no other

I am thankful for the pain I have known, it has given a compassion for the suffering

An ability to reach out to others, an appreciation of little things

I understand the greatness of Yahshuas love and the pain he suffered for me

How He endured all things so that I could be set free

I am thankful for the hunger and thirst that I have had to go through

I appreciate having food before me and sharing it with others too

He has given himself as my food and drink to make sure that I was fed

His Blood shed for my drink and His Body broken for my bread

Most of all, I am thankful for His Grace, for the provisions that it brings

How it has always provided for me in all things

Kathleen Shelton Poulson

Hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving!!

It's Official!!

Price is now officially a "Big Boy"!
He no longer sits in his high chair! (I have been keeping him in that high chair b/c the clean up is so much easier!)

He wears his big boy underwear now more during the day then he wears diapers....AND we made his crib into a big boy bed today! NO MORE CRIB!

He was sooooo excited when we got home from Puggles tonight and he walked in his room and saw his bed. He loved me laying beside him reading him his bedtime stories. He wanted me to stay in the bed with him and only whined for a minute when I got up and turned off the lights. Then he went straight to his ZZZZZZZZ's.

And as for potty training......Well, It's going great!! Since Monday I have kept him in underwear the entire time he is awake and at home and he hasn't had a pee-pee accident yet.......except when he has the shoo-shoo accidents. (I guess they are a package deal.) This success may be because all the Halloween candy has become our "potty pwizes" and he loves examining each piece to pick out the one that looks the most appealing.

Even though he hasn't officially shoo-shooed on the toilet, He did spend about 25 minutes attempting on Friday because I promised him Birthday Cake (all cake is bday cake, in case your wondering) if he could "go shoo-shoo in the potty". Great attempt, but so far no luck! Maybe next week!!!

Although this is a milestone, I am a bit sad. He's growing up so fast! Even though he is no longer a baby, he will always be MY baby!

With a little help from my friends....

When I first left for college I was scared. I was sad. I was lonely. I was overwhelmed! It was my first time being on my own with no one to tell me what to do....when to be home...no one was there to make sure I went to class.....or studied!

It was the biggest change of my life. I left family and friends behind....to be on my own. It was a great responsibility and it was my first time to prove myself.

Soon after moving into my dorm I met the most special group of girls who helped me thru. We were all there together. Going thru the same emotions and adjustments. We supported each other, helped each other and eventually depended on each other. When I graduated from college I cried tears....BIG tears! I was afraid we would loose touch.....go our seperate ways. I had friends before them, but no one that I depended on quite like them. They had become my family.

So we made a pact! We would get together once a year for a weekend. A GIRLS WEEKEND! So far we have kept true to our promise. There are times when everyone can't be there but for the most part we make it a priority. A priority to keep in touch! To remain close! We always have a fabulous time enjoying each other. This time was no different...

We went to Asheville and stayed at a FABULOUS B&B, went on the Christmas candlelight tour at Biltmore, shopped, ate and chatted. It was a wonderful, relaxing weekend. We missed all those who couldn't make it but I am already looking forward to next year.

Like the Beatles once wrote:

"What do I do when my love is away,

Does it worry you to be alone?

How do you feel by the end of the day,

Are you sad because you're on your own?

No, I get by with a little help from my friends...

I get high with a little help from my friends...

Gonna try with a little help from my friends!"

THANKS FRIENDS!

And, as promised, pictures are HERE!

Big Boy Underwear!!

This upcoming Monday, Price will no longer have the luxury of peeing in his pants and being comforted by it's warmth!

I am going to get this boy potty trained if it kills me!! He does really well with peeing in the potty as long as I remind him. He refuses to tell me he needs to pee unless it's RIGHT before nap or bed time. Then he just HAS to pee-pee in the potty because he knows it prolongs the inevitable.

Soooooo yesterday I took the boys to Target and Price got to pick out his very own BIG BOY PANTS!! He chose Mickey Mouse! I made a huge deal out of his new underwear and explained to him that only boys who pee-pee in the potty get to wear theses super awesome Mickey Mouse underwear. He came home begging to put them on.......but.......they needed washing first. And since I am going out of town this weekend, I thought it would be best to begin this on Monday when we can start somewhat of a potty routine. ( I will be keeping the diapers on for naps and night time in the beginning.......I'm not that ambitious!)
I know this is going to be very difficult for me because having to clean up pee-pee from everything is going to make me insane, but I am hoping he'll get the hang of it fast so accidents will be minimal.

It's the poo that I'm really concerned about because so far he hasn't accomplished that in the toilet yet! Oh, the joys of Motherhood!

Wish me luck and add my patience to your prayer lists!! :)

Playdate

This morning Betsy and I took Price & Mary Grace to play at Sallie's new house. Price loved the playset and told me that he wanted "a swide wike Swallwies". I'll be sure to pass that info along to Santa, but I'm thinking he'll be able to fit the remote control dinosour in his sleigh much better then that playset....I guess we'll have to wait and see!!

My Wonderful Hubby, Game Day, Celebrity Sightings and Showers

This weekend my mother didn't use her USC tickets so she passed them on down to me. I didn't need to go to the game because I was having a shower at my house on Sunday and had planned on getting ready on Saturday. Josh knew how excited I was to get to go to a game (this was my first since Price was born) so he said he would stay home and clean and I dragged Betsy to the game with me. Josh mopped floors, cleaned the bathrooms and washed all the clothes in the house. WHAT A GREAT HUBBY!! He can be the sweetest thing sometimes......

In the meantime, Betsy and I met up with our friends Jessie and Jeff and guess who we got to see? YEP!! The 8 time gold medalist, himself, Michael Phelps!! He was like 30 yards from us. It doesn't take much to get me excited!! I called Josh and this was how our conversations went:

Me: "OHMIGOODNESS! I AM LOOKING AT MICHAEL PHELPS! HE'S HERE AND IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US AT THE GAME! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?"
His Response: "So?"

Sometimes we just don't get each other.....

Then Saturday night I went to a surprise Baby shower for my friend Andrea who is expecting her second little babe soon. She was very surprised!! :) We can't wait to meet Baby Larson! (It's a surprise.......she never finds out what she's having!!)

Then on Sunday my friends Jenny and Emily both had baby showers but I couldn't make it because I was hosting a shower for my good friend, Kara! She is having her first little boy in December and we had such a good turnout to celebrate! Cannon will be here before we know it!!

So many babies joining us soon!! Price and Owen are going to be blessed with so many new friends!!

Owen is 4 Months Old!

I can't believe how fast he is growing. Seems like just yesterday I was in the hospital about to deliver my little bundle of joy....
He is the best baby I've ever known. He loves sleeping, smiling and laughing!! Rarely does he cry! He is such a sweet blessing in my life.
They say you can't have 2 good babies in a row, but I am a testament that this is not true. Price was a good baby and Owen is even better. Hopefully this trend will continue.....not getting my hopes up though!
We went for his 4 month check up and he weighs 17lbs and was 27 inches long. He was in the 90% for weight and 95% for height (WHOO-HOO!!) and his head circumference was off the charts, which is funny because I thought Price's head was much bigger then Owens and his was only in the 55th percentile. I guess it's big for that large brain that is going to help him do great things! :)
Dr. Dodds said that we could try baby food now so this morning I put him in his high chair for the first time and attempted to give him some applesauce. He wasn't into it at all...he just kept pushing it out of his mouth with a disgusted look on his face! (Funny, b/c Price probably would have eaten real food straight from the womb) Oh Well....we'll try again another time!!

6th Folder, 6th Picture

I have been tagged to show you my 6th picture in my 6th folder and since that picture is just of Price's crib and nothing exciting......I am also posting the 5th and 7th picture on here because they are much more fun!!

Price's crib

This was Price at one of his finest moments!! Truth is, I barely remember these days!

This is my sweet little man being the angel that he used to be.....you know....before he hit 2 years old!!

Okay, so I must now tag 2 people to do the same so.......Emily & Ashley L!! Come on Guys, Don't spoil the fun!! :)

An Eventful Halloween Week

We had a busy Halloween week! Last Friday night we went to Josh's parents house to have dinner, carve pumpkins (or "pun-kins" as Price calls them) and decorate Halloween cookies.

On Saturday Betsy, Emilie and I met our friend Frankie at the Beacon in Spartenburg and then went shopping at the oulets in Gaffney. We had a great time catching up with Frankie and shopping! Em tried out the famous Beacon Burger!!

Sunday was our church's Fall Carnival. Price had a great time riding the rides and running around. Owen only dressed up for a minute but they were the two cutest Dino's ever! I didn't get a picture of them both together in their costumes because Owen didn't like his too much!

Monday we got to visit with our friend Carrie who moved to Texas a little over a year ago. She is having a sweet baby soon and we are so excited for her and Daniel. Too bad we're not closer....

On Wednsday we had two very special births!

My sister in law gave Josh and I another sweet little neice. Taryn Grace Gooding was born at 4:57pm weighing a whopping 9lbs 1oz. Taylor is a proud big sister.

And my best friend Rhetta also gave birth on Wednsday at 5:11pm to John Hampton Cloyd. He was 4 weeks early and was 5lbs 13oz. Good thing he came early... Another 4 weeks and he'd be a 10 pounder! :) I can't wait to get up to Charleston to meet the little fellow. I know that he will be helping the Jackson Boys get in trouble soon enough!!

Thursday was Price's preschool Pumpkin Party. All the kiddies had a great time and it was so exciting to see Price in action with all his preschool buddies.

Friday was Halloween and I took Price to play with Mary Grace and Sallie at Lexington First Baptist for their Hallaluah Hoedown! They had a trunk or treat area, which Price loved, and also a petting zoo and rides. Once Price got candy in his bag, he refused to let it go. I guess he thought someone was going to steal all his goodies.....

Josh stayed at home with Owen because he spent the week being sick and had 3 trips to see the doctor. He's finally better now!

After we left the church we stopped by to see Taylor & Taryn in their Halloween costumes. Price got to hold his new baby cousin.

And on Sunday Owen was dedicated at church. We had most of our family their to celebrate and it was a very special occasion for us. Owen was an angel during the dedication but spit up all over Josh's suit as soon as we got finished!! :) You can see his dedication via the FBC worship cast here.

All in all, this was a great week!! Glad things are going to calm down for a little while (at least until Thanksgiving)!

Sorry for the long post..........had a lot to blog about!! :)