Vacation of a Lifetime

An extremely generous friend offered our family a vacation of a lifetime by allowing us to use his home on Sunset Key. Sunset Key is a 27-acre private island off the coast of Key West, FL that is only accessible by ferry. It is pure paradise! We feel very lucky to have experienced such a fabulous trip, and were thankful our friends, Courtney and Jeff joined us. Naïve and unsuspecting travelers, we randomly booked our trip to begin on October 31st.
Charlie Brown and Snoopy traveled with us.

I knew our departure day was Halloween, but I didn’t have any idea it was Fantasy Fest. In fact, I had no idea what Fantasy Fest even was. Well, I do now.

Fantasy Fest (noun – also known as NIGHTMARE)
“This year, Key West celebrates 31 years of Fantasy Fest with attendance surpassing 100,000 people or more than three times the population of the island itself. The event has escalated to a ten day celebration that includes balls, a parade, costume competitions, AIDS fundraisers, body painting, drag queen contests, costume parties, lots of drinking, as well as pet and neighborhood parades for the whole family. Fantasy Fest has grown to rival New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. The highlight of Fantasy Fest is its parade.”

With that said, we arrived in Key West (after about 12 hours of travel by plane and rental van) around 10pm with two VERY tired kids two years old and younger. And, wouldn’t you know, the streets were blocked off and there was no way to the ferry boat dock until after the parade/crowds dispersed (which was going to be NO TIME soon). The situation seemed dire as we were in the thick of huge crowds with two small children. We had to get them to that boat and on over to the island. So, Courtney and I took off on foot, with a two year old, a seven month old, a stroller, several bags of cold groceries, and some luggage. The guys stayed behind with the van to wait for the roads to open. Without going into too much detail, let’s just say that my kids and I got “cultured” that night. It’s laughable now, and thankfully we handled it all in stride. What else were we going to do?

Once we arrived on the island, all the mess of Fantasy Fest was washed into a distant memory. We had now arrived in paradise. This place was amazing! From private beaches with literally NOONE else on them... to million dollar sunsets...

to zero entry pools... with waterfalls... to brick lined pathways...

and flower covered fences…

it was all fabulous!

The home we stayed in was nothing short of beautiful and beyond comfortable.

And because our friends have grandchildren, it was equipped with many kid friendly things that made traveling with children that much easier (crib, sand toys/floats, high chair, etc.). It had a backyard pool... and a spiral stair case... that led up to an observation deck that sported 360 degree views of the island and Key West. We spent our entire week soaking in every minute of it. We lounged and played at the private beaches...played in the pools...

and went snorkeling. We also took a catamaran to a coral reef 6 miles south of Key West to snorkel. But, since I was trying to keep my eyes on the horizon and my lunch in my stomach, there are no pictures of that trip. I haven't felt that sick in a long time!

We caught the ferry back to Key West for dinner as a group one night... and for a night out with just our families.We enjoyed the gourmet meals prepared by Jeff and Courtney.Ya’ll we ate like Kings and Queens…they’re GREAT cooks.We enjoyed conversation out on the porch while listening to beach music... allowed our kids to sleep in bed with us since it was vacation...and SO much more.

On our departing day, we treated ourselves to a delicious ocean side dinner at the island’s restaurant. It was the perfect way to prepare us for the trip home, because it’s quite a trip with a 4 hour drive to Miami and then a flight back to our house!

And, airports don’t make it easy on those traveling with kids. Seriously, how are you supposed to fit this...

into this? And, there was no other entry door…I looked. I literally wet myself (2 pregnancies have affected my bladder control) watching Michael do his song and dance getting all our gear through this revolving door. It was HILARIOUS, but he prevailed!

Our kids did great traveling on the plane. Both Dawson and Bryce slept a good portion and were easily entertained when awake (for the most part). We just got home today, and it already seems like a dream…

one that I hope I have again! And, oh how grateful I am that our "dream" took place last week and not this week.

Charlie Brown Loves Snoopy

Sorry for the delayed post. We just returned from paradise...Like I said, it was PARADISE! These are real photos that I took with my point and shoot camera. It was EVERY BIT as beautiful as these photos depict and then some. This slice of heaven is also known as Sunset Key, a private island off the coast of Key West that a friend of ours has a house on that he let us borrow. More about that later.

Since we were flying on Halloween, all the folks in the airport and on the plane got to meet the cutest Charlie Brown and Snoopy on the planet.I thought ya'll wouldn't want to miss out on meeting them, too.Told ya they were cute.

Home Grown Camping Fun

We spent our anniversary weekend doing one of my all-time favorite things...CAMPING (in a tent, on a weekend that dipped into the 30's, with a 2 year old and a 7 month old)! It was Bryce's second camping trip and Dawson's first. We had planned to go as a family a few weekends ago, but it rained, so we opted out. Lucky for us, our friends, Craig and Shannon, asked us to join them and a few other families they know to camp this past weekend. They're professional campers, and life around the campground is much more enjoyable when they're around. My husband, now doesn't he look like a professional camper?

Anyway, Shannon found this fantastic campground 45 minutes from our front door called Bald Ridge Creek. It's PERFECT for kids and absolutely beautiful because it sits on a pennisula on Lake Lanier. So, we packed up and off we went with everything but the kitchen sink!

Upon arrival, we set up camp and got the boys fed.Bryce had a great time tackling, I mean, filling holes with pinecones with Xander. All of the families had children. It was so nice to have some playmates for Bryce to interact with. They jumped rope...road bikes...played Marco Polo and freeze tag on the playground...played flashlight tag and so much more. Don't ya just love home grown fun! It's WAY better than what Fisher Price offers.Dawson, he preferred to hang out with the dogs...literally.

Bryce really wanted to go swimming. With it being in the 30's and 40's, it wasn't an option...so-we-thought. Michael says he "fell" in. I'm not so sure it was an accident. Regardless, BOTH of his jackets (who knew I'd need to bring more than two) that I brought were soaked to the bone, as was every inch of his body. I was afraid his skin would permanently be the above rosey red color. The child felt like an ice cube. Never fear, moms are always prepared. He wore my down vest jacket the rest of the night.
Like I said, Craig and Shannon are professional campers. They cooked our entire dinner in dutch ovens over a fire...apple cobbler, too. It was delicious!We hung out by the campfire...a lot.And, ate s'mores.Sleeping in the tent was FUN for Bryce.

He did great in his new sleeping bag and slept like a baby.This one, NOT-SO-MUCH!!!!
The 30 seconds it took me to locate my camera and take this photo is about as long as he slept THE-ENTIRE-NIGHT! I had kind of prepared myself for a rough night as Dawson still isn't a great sleeper. He'll still give us a bad night at least once a week or so even at home. But rough doesn't really explain it. Let's just say the two of us had a lot of quality time together that night.

Too bad Dawson and I weren't quite as "rested" as Bryce was the following morning.Apparently most of the families heard Dawson at some point in the middle of the night (oh goodness, I feel kind of bad about that). Craig heard him early in the morning so he got up and made a fire so we could get warm. How thoughtful...that Craig! (Note: Dawson wasn't crying because he was cold. He wasn't. Trust me.)

We also roasted our frozen doughnuts over the fire. Bryce was a *huge* fan.

I can't hardly wait to take them both camping again. Even with the lack of sleep, we had SO much fun. We are already semi-making plans to invest in a pop-up camper (let us know if you know anyone selling one) once we buy our next car that can pull it.

Thanks Craig and Shannon for allowing us to tag along! Now, I'm off to tackle Mount Laundry (I end up having to wash everything twice to get the campfire smell out if it)!

6 Years

Six years ago tonight I began my new life as Michael's wife. Six years later, I'm writing this while my two children and husband are sleeping in the room next to me. I love my life!

Michael,

As I vowed on October 25, 2003:“I commit myself to love you and even lay down my life for you. I forsake all others to fight for your heart. I cherish you when you are sick and when you are healthy; when money is abundant or when we have to watch every dollar; when things are good and even better and when things are worse; when we are fighting and when we are at peace. I will go with you and encourage you as you follow God’s calling in the faith and hope of Jesus Christ our Lord.” So, for everything I am, I commit to dedicating myself to making Jesus the center of our lives and marriage. I'm so proud of who you are. I'm proud to talk about you, to be your partner in life and to call you the father of our children. I can only pray God shapes me into what you and our children need and deserve in a wife and mother.

I love and believe in you! Happy anniversary!

Oh, and thanks for the best gift ever...these two rascals!

Camping for Christmas

Bryce got an early Christmas present and is trying it out in his bed tonight.

The true test will be tomorrow night when we hit the tent!! It's Bryce's second camping trip and Dawson's first. We're pumped!

Pumpkin Patch

Flashback

The other day we took Bryce back to the park that we went to just a couple of days before Dawson was born. Here's a flash back to about 7 months ago.

Boy have we ever hit a stage of tantrums. Virtually ANYTIME Bryce doesn't get what he wants, when he wants it, how he wants it, at what time he wants, in the color/shape/size/smell he wants it, he throws an all out temper tantrum. And, I admit, we've let it go on too long. This behavior has crept in over the last few months, and we're now kind of in a small mess. I basically have committed to virtually staying home until we get this behavior modified. I've consulted many books and a few other folks that I greatly respect for parenting advice, and we've now got a plan in place that started yesterday. I've also prayed about it a great deal as it's really just been on my mind a lot over the past few weeks. I think Bryce woke up and within 15 minutes was looking at me like, "Where did the mom I knew yesterday go?" By the end of yesterday, I was pleased with the results (from both him and me) and could already tell somewhat of a difference. One day is by no means a "quick fix" but we're sticking with our strategy at least for a few weeks to see if we can turn things around.

Hopefully Not a Sign of Things to Come

I'm trying to tell myself that Dawson is going to be like any "normal" kid and when the time comes, he'll just pick up a puff or any other baby-sized solid food and eat it with no problem. I'm trying to overlook the fact that Dawson seems to gag a lot on baby food. I'm trying to tell myself, "All babies gag, Amy."

But, I'm having a hard time overlooking the fact that yesterday he gagged on baby food (the jarred, very smooth kind) and vomited all over himself, the highchair/chair and the floor when I was feeding him.UGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE, someone tell me that this is just a one time occurrence, and I wont' have ANOTHER kid on baby food for 2+ years!!!!!!!!

P.S. Sorry for the photos, but I didn't want ya'll to think I was making it up!

I Knew I Liked The Pioneer Woman

I found a magazine article about The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond). If you are a regular on her site, you know she doesn't call her children/huband by their real names. For whatever reason, she does in this article.

I knew I liked her. Check out what her oldest son's name is in the caption below.

Well, I guess you can't read it. Hopefully you can see this.

Did you catch it? Yeap, her oldest boy's name is the same as my oldest boy, Bryce. And just in case you're curious, Marlboro Man's real name is Ladd, her oldest daughter is Alex, middle daughter is Paige and youngest son is Todd.

I *love* her, and for whatever reason I like knowing their real names. And, I can't wait to get her new cookbook (thanks, Laura!).

Serving Your Brother

Bryce has arrived at the age of tantrums learning to serve others. He’s such a difficult pleasant child at the age of 2.5 that I thought, why don’t we learn about selfless serving.

Whatever.

That’s all a bunch of malarky (except for the tantrums and difficult part – those are TRUTHS with a capital “T”).

In reality, Bryce truly is intrigued by Dawson right now. I’ve caught him on several occasions this past week trying to get Dawson to play with him. It’s adorable.

Here he is "playing" cars with Dawson.

Here they are "sharing" kisses.

Here he is "encouraging" Dawson to play blocks.

Here he is "reading" books to Dawson.

Here he is "helping" Dawson jump...or so I thought.

After watching them "jump" I went to the other room. I heard dreaded silence (Moms, you know the kind) followed by a slight whimper from my "I never cry" teeny tiny tot. So, I hurried out to see Bryce dumping the entire contents of my ice water thermos on said brother. He was soaked to the bone in freezing water. And, barely whimpered. Seriously, the kid NEVER cries! Oh, the “fun” of brothers!

On another note...

I took Dawson to his 6 month appointment today. Technically, he's 6.5 months, but who's counting?!?! Here are his stats:

Weight - 14lbs. 12 oz (3%)
Height - 25.75 inches (14%)
Head - 17 inches (23%)

For comparison sake, here are Bryce's 6 month stats:

Weight - 19 lbs. 13 oz. (86%)
Height - 28.5 inches (97%)
Head - 18 inches (93%)

The doctor was very pleased with his stats and how he looked today. He's not concerned with the 3% weight because his height and head are looking great.

I think we're out of the woods, which is a HUGE relief to me.

He doesn't have a ferocious appetite. A lot of the time, you really have to encourage him to get ounces in. So, we'll keep at it as it appears to be working. We are also going to begin adding proteins to his diet...yogurt, meats, eggs here we come!

World's Worst to World's Best

First off, none of the pictures in the previous post were of our little man. Isn't it unbelievable how much they look alike, though? Dawson's own father, Hannah's mother, our sister-in-law, and most friends thought at least 1-2 of the photos were Dawson. Hats off (and 100 points) to Becky, her sister, Connie, and Hannah's dad for being the only ones to get it right.In other happenings around our household, after a l-o-n-g six months, Dawson seems to be following in his brother's footsteps and becoming a great sleeper (thank you, formula). He's consistently been sleeping through the night for about two weeks. Every now and then he gives us a 4am-6am wake up call of cooing, but he'll always go back to sleep without us having to tend to him. And, lately, he's been sleeping until 9am and waking up as happy as can be. Today, I decided to wake him up at 9:15am just so that we can get enough feedings in throughout the day.

I still watch his food intake like a hawk (i.e. I weigh him before and after most feedings to ensure approximately how many ounces he's getting). Just before sitting down to write this post, I weighed him (fully clothed) and he registered 15lbs. 2oz.. So, he's probably not quite 15lbs yet...still a little guy but definitely much better than he was.

For now, I'm continuing to nurse him every feeding (every little bit counts, right?), and I give him a bottle afterwards. He's not a great eater, and we really have to encourage him to finish in order to get enough ounces in him. He also eats two meals a day of baby food and is doing great, much better than Bryce ever did. He transitioned to two naps a day when he was about 5.5-6 months old, and I find it MUCH easier. I think 3-4 naps a day is annoying and confusing because no two days were alike, it was difficult to get anyone on a semi- schedule, and it was tough to get out of the house because someone was always napping. Lucikly, now that he's on two naps a day, he proving to be a great napper. He's usually awake about two hours and then takes a two hour morning nap, awake another two hours and then takes a one and a half or two hour afternoon nap. In general, this is what he does:

9am - Wake, nurse/bottle

11am - Sometimes nurse before nap

11-1pm - Nap

1pm - nurse/bottle/baby food

3pm - nurse/bottle/then bed

3pm-5pm - Nap

5pm - nurse/bottle/baby food

7:30pm - bath/nurse/bottle/bed

11:00pm/midnight - nurse/bottle

Most of all, he's definitely my cuddler. Bryce never was much for cuddling, but Dawson just curls up and rests on my chest/shoulder just about anytime of the day. In fact, one of my most favorite times is when I get him out of bed in the morning. He'll just be cooing (Bryce ALWAYS woke up grumpy...like his momma), and then I'll pick him up, he'll pop his two fingers in his mouth and just rest his head on my shoulder for a good 10 minutes. It's the sweetest!

Dawson's Twin

100 points to the person(s) that can pick which photo(s) are of Dawson and which aren't.

Photo #1Photo #2Photo #3Photo #4 Photo #5Photo #6Photo #7Seriously, I didn't realize Dawson had a twin! Leave your guesses in the comments.

P.S. Michael, his own father, got two of them incorrect!

Hikin' In The Smokies

Hikin' nowadays is a lot different with these little rascals in tow.There's no way we could head to the mountains and not at least do an easy hike. So, we opted for Clingman's Dome primarily because it's short and beautiful. "Topping out at 6,643 feet, this short but steep hike whisks up 332 feet to the top of Clingmans Dome, the highest point along the Appalachian Trail/in the Smokies."

It's easy for us to get off the beaten path with a curious 2 year old.He had a ball exploring. The way I figure, Michael has about 5 or so years before he's finally got a rock climbing buddy.It took us forever to get to the top because of Bryce's little side trips. But hey, that's what exploring is all about, right?!

Holy moly, it was cold.
Dawson stayed tucked in tight.Bryce made it almost the entire way by himself, that is, after a few times requesting, "Sit down here, mommy".Dad's shoulders provided the extra "umph" needed to make it to the top.Here are his first steps on the Appalachian Trail. I have a feeling we'll be pulling this photo out some time in his future...maybe when he takes off for his first hike on the AT with his friends.Another 54 feet up takes you atop an observation tower where, on an average day, you can see more than 20 miles into the distance and several states."We stayed all of 2.2 seconds at the top...long enough to snap this photo. What you can't see is Dawson screaming bloody murder (it was time to eat), ruining the peace and quite everyone else was trying to enjoy.

Ya'll, I'd move to the mountains in a heart beat if I could. We dream of making it happen one day.

2nd Born

Love him...

(Note: Bryce was napping when these photos were taken.)

Slingin' It

I've LOVED having a sling with Dawson, and I think it's safe to say Dawson has loved it even more. I tell ya, there's nothing better than to have your hands free to chase a toddler while having your baby tucked in close. I've worn him in a sling FAR more than I used his car seat carrier. Don't ya hate lugging those things around? They're so big and bulky and with a toddler in tow, it's virtually impossible for me to carry it.

I knew with baby #2, I wanted to be on the go as early as I could (for my sake and Bryce's). These slings helped me get out and about as early as 2 weeks after Dawson was born. Since then, we've been hiking, boating, to parks, to church, to movie theaters, to the aquarium, and so many other places. So, for those of you that have inquired, here are my two cents about slings...

I've had three types of slings.

Baby Bjorn...

First, Bryce is about 8 weeks old in this photo...he looks HUGE to me in comparison to what I'm used to with Dawson! Anyway, I borrowed a Baby Bjorn when Bryce was little and used it until he was about 2.5 months old. I *thought* I liked it, but now I know better. By a couple of months old, I found it to be quite uncomfortable on my shoulders. I had never worn a sling before and I thought since Bryce was such a big baby that's why it was uncomfortable. Well, now that I have more experience with other slings, I've realized it's really not the size of the baby that's uncomfortable is that this sling is just uncomfortable. I've only used this one once with Dawson (just yesterday), when I had it on for 2-3 minutes (with him facing outward) before my shoulders were killing me. I'm so used to the comfort of the other slings mentioned below that I've now realized I'm NOT a fan of the Baby Bjorn.

Recommendation: Skip it!

Hotsling:

Man, do I ever look tired in most of these photos!! Anyway, I got my Hotsling on clearance at Target for $9.00. I probaby wouldn't have bought it except all the reviews said it was great for newborns and it was only $9.00 (regularly close to $50). Dawson wore this wrap for the first 8 weeks, and it was very comfortable while he was so tiny. It's a slight pain to get him in and out of, but once positioned, he slept like a baby for hours. I used to wear him in this sling for 2+ hours at a time and was very comfortable. I did notice around the 8 week mark (10lbs-ish) that it started to get a little uncomfortable since all the weight is on one shoulder. I know a key to comfort of this sling is making sure you get one that fits you well. You actually carry the baby quite high, so most people end up with a smaller size than they think they need. I've not yet tried Dawson in a sitting position in this sling, but I plan to soon. I used this link to teach myself how to use the Hotsling.

Recommendation: If you can find an inexpensive one on clearance, it's worth your money. Otherwise, skip it.

Homemade "Moby Wrap":

This is BY FAR my favorite sling. I made mine from cotton jersey fabric that I got for about $10 (it actually makes 2, so you get 2 slings for $10...it's nice to have 2 because they do need to be washed), while at stores you'll pay upwards of $50. If you want to know how to make one, leave a comment with your email, and I'll send you directions. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this sling. It's so comfortable for both mom and baby. I had Dawson (now 14lbs) in it for almost 1.5 hours this past weekend (he's now 6 months old) and didn't become uncomfortable at all. That's why I was so surprised when I put the Baby Bjorn on yesterday and was miserable after 2-3 minutes (seriously). I love how cuddled up next to me Dawson feels in this sling, and like I said, he loves it too. It literally feels like he's hugging around me while he's in it. They say a major advantage of this sling is that the baby is sitting in it rather than dangling from it like in the bjorn...who knows...that could all be fluff. What I do know is that this sling is comfortable. Because the "straps" spread out over your shoulders kind of like sleeves, it distributes the weight evenly. He takes great naps in it...still to this day, at 6 months old. I used this link to teach myself how to use my "fake" Moby Wrap.

Recommendation: Make one NOW...you'll LOVE it!

Ergo Carrier:

While I can (and still do) put Dawson in the Moby Wrap, now that he is getting bigger, I'd like to get the ergo carrier to be able to have him on my back. Maybe I'll ask for that as a Christmas gift.

Happy slingin'.

P.S. There's another post below.