Lately... (Part 1)

Man, time really flies when you are not in school! I can not believe it is already practically June. We have been SUPER busy lately with birthdays, cleaning, searching for a house, trying to pack, cleaning, chasing around a busy 11 month old, and cleaning (why does it seem that cleaning is a neverending task? I swear the more I clean the messier my house seems to be...this is one of those things that I really think will never make sense to me). For the next few days I will try to catch you up on what we have been up to since my last post...

1.) Gardening

 

better late than never :)

I have been meaning to post this for a few weeks, but with school being so crazy, and with the long time it took to upload the video to youtube (mostly because I kept forgetting it was uploading in another tab and kept closing out of the internet every time I tried to upload it) I am just now getting around to it...but here it is finally.....

Wyatt is officially CRAWLING :)

He had been going backwards for weeks, but could never really get the hang of going forward, until a few weeks ago he finally just took off! He even waited for me to get home from school so I could video it, that sweet little angel :)

I bet you can't guess my favorite part of the video...

Easter!

I love holidays...I mean REALLY love holidays. Growing up my dad always decorated the house to the nines for every single holiday- from the beginning of October till the end of Easter our house was a steady stream of ever changing holiday paraphernalia-  clingy glass things, battery operated light up figurines, thousands...ok, millions of strings of lights, and giant blow up animals in the front yard. It was nothing short of glorious. One day when my life has some sense of normalcy again I hope to be able to do the same, but for now we pretty much just go all out for Christmas starting in mid-November and leaving it up until mid-February...hey, at least I'm festive, right?? Anyways, all of that to say that I was really very excited about Easter this year and had tons of plans to make Wyatt's first one very special (to us...obviously he has no clue yet)...but as usual with my life right now, all of my intentions fell through so I still have unboiled eggs in my fridge, a box of egg dye in my pantry, no picture of Wyatt with the easter bunny, and no family picture of the three of us at all... at least I did snap a few photo's with my phone throughout the day :) 

Church on Easter Sunday was on the lawn in front of the Civil Rights Museum. We sat on blankets for the service and afterwards we had an awesome picnic! It was so much fun and the babies loved being outside. 

Nathan, Isaac, and Wyatt enjoying the sun after we slathered them up really good with SPF 60. Nathan has just learned to floss, Isaac is trying to figure out how to get the top off of the water because he is parched, and Wyatt is thinking "why is there no food in my slop trough?"...side note, check out the difference between Wyatt and Isaac's legs...I'm pretty sure wyatt's foot is wider than Isaac's thigh...holy moly. My child is large. 

 Isaac definitely won the "most fashionable baby award". He was decked out in this adorable vintage yellow onesie courtesy of his daddy who wore the very same outfit over 20 years ago! And check out those awesome shades...precious! 

Sweet Nathan playing with an easter egg and Wyatt still disappointed there was no food in the bucket. Sadly we didn't get any pictures with Braden :( He sat with his family up front for most of the time, so the short time that I had my phone out I didn't have a chance to get a picture.  Don't worry B, it's not because you are not important! We didn't get a family photo either, so obviously our heads were not in the right place that day.

Umm...mom? Its REALLY hot out here? Can we PLEASE get to some A/C? 

After church we went to my sister's for a little while. Emma and Bennett were dying eggs...well, actually...Nanach was dying eggs, Emma was entertaining us all as usual, and Bennett was multitasking (AKA coloring on eggs while watching a lacrosse game on TV).

Emma in her "after church outfit"...a swimsuit with a tutu and pink napoleon dynamite snow boots. There are no words to describe how hilarious this child is! Well...maybe in standard SAT format. Wyatt : Chubby as Emma : Funny

Wyatt trying to figure out what exactly the plastic eggs were for. 

Wasn't it so sweet of the good Lord to bless me with this child that resembles a bulldog puppy because of my love for Mississippi State? I think so :)

Emma in her second "after church outfit" of the day. This time just the swimsuit...no snow boots. And you gotta love the side ponytail. 

Wyatt still trying to figure out what the plastic eggs were for...obviously not for eating. 

Notice the curled toes. My sister likes to call those his "stress toes" as he tends to do that when he gets tense. Im not so sure he liked sitting in the crunchy grass, although he hid his apprehension well as he kept his typical "andy" demeanor for the majority of the day, even despite the 9 dirty diapers as a result of a vicious top tooth trying to come in. 

No, we did not use dapper dan in his hair that morning...the slicked back look is a result of the massive amounts of sunscreen we slathered all over the poor child. His pores will be clogged for months.

This is my new favorite face that he makes. He does it when he thinks he is being funny. He has also started laughing at himself when he does something that he things is funny and fake laughing when he wants your attention. Cousin Tuesday's with Emma are really starting to pay off... Hopefully he will be as entertaining as she is one day!

You're killin me Smalls!

Is it just me, or is there a striking resemblance?

I can almost hear Wyatt saying "the great Bamby? That wimpy dear?!?"

 you have to admit...there is just something hilarious about an oversized hat.

PeePie

I can not get enough of the delirious laughter...It makes me giddy.

bracelets

i mean...seriously... those wrists...

the end.

still truckin...

Well, I actually started this post a few nights ago (actually a few mornings ago...it was about 1:45 AM as I was typing), and was seriously so delerious that I never even actually posted it! thankfully Blogger autosaves your drafts... I saw it and figured there is no time like the present, so...

sitting here in the computer lab with all my study buds trying to maintain some sort of mental function...it's really not working very well. They are all still studying, as I am going in and out of conciousness and back and forth between having a headache and laughing for no apparent reason...yes the delirium is setting in...probably a result of lack of sleep plus...

the excessive amount of caffiene i have consumed...oh and the lack of oxygen because we have all been in this room since 11:30 am so at this point we only have recycled air. not good for brain function.

yes, this is the life of nursing students...staying up all night, consuming toxic amounts of caffiene, and catching up on sleep whenever possible...

yes...that is me and my friend nicole... asleep...in the front row of our pharmacology class. Nicole was zipped up in her jacket and I had sunk so far into my seat that when i woke up i had the worst crick in my neck ever and had to sit with my head cocked to the side for the rest of the class. Good thing our teachers are also nurses and have therefor been through everything we are going through...thankfully they understand the lack of sleep we get in order to keep up- it gives them an uncanny amount of grace towards us when we fall asleep in the front row of their lectures. Truth be told, this was during a break, but yes...we were both sound asleep so another girl in class took the picture.

So glad we only have 3 weeks left! The insane amount of time I have spent at the library is nothing short of ridiculous. My friends and family are beginning to forget what I look like and I have completely forgotten what it means to live a normal life where you get to actually make plans to do things other than study...oh summer. I can not wait till you finally arrive! and that is not to say I won't miss studying...

Of course I will miss Dorothy telling me "we have GOT TO GET IT TOGETHER" and then me responding "OKOKOKOKOKOK I think I've got it!!!!!" over and over again and then her doing interpretive dancing to our favorite song while everybody outside of our study room prays that we are leaving soon...

 And I will miss looking up and seeing Kayleigh (who now has nothing flowing through her veins but pure caffeine) doing yoga in the middle of the floor to try and get her brain flowing again...

And I will miss Nicole saying "poor myself" and Ashley's contagious laugh :)

And I think I will even possibly miss making my infamous outlines on the white boards...I may just have to buy a whiteboard for our new house to tide me over for the summer...yes, I will definitely miss school, but I think it is very safe to say I could not possibly be more excited about all of the catching up I will get to do with my long lost friends :)

home again, home again, jiggity jig...

The closer it gets to June, the sadder I am getting that we have to move. I really love our little house. We have put lots of time and money into getting it just how we like it, and it really has become our "home". I have moved several times in my life, and each time it never really bothered me, but this time seems different. I think maybe it is because this is the first time in my life I have really had just ONE place to call home, since as long as I can remember I have been a multi-home resident (2 homes until my senior year of high school, 3 homes until I graduated college, and then bouncing all over the place once I graduated until I got married). The thing is, when we moved in to this house, I really didn't like anything about it, other than the black and white tile on the kitchen floor.

But now I really do love this whole house. When we moved in we didn't really have anything other than my bed and a few random pieces of furniture, kindly donated by family members (and somehow we ended up with like 6 couches...that was the running joke for a while). But as time has gone on, we have gotten our own furniture and our own decorations, and every piece we have purchased has been selected specifically for this very house. There is a side of me that just wishes we could stay here in our little home that has become so special to me...but then there is a part of me that is excited about moving, the side of me that loves change and enjoys new things. When I get sad about moving, I try to think about all the possibilities of the new place (wherever it may be...). After all, this house doesn't even have a front porch, and if you know anything about me and my family, you know a front porch to us is like water to a camel. So here's to hoping the new place pops up soon, and that it has as much potential "homieness" as our first home... Who knows....maybe it will end up being like my TV dream home.

After all... there have been several pieces of "homieness" that I have always wanted, but didn't have room for in our current abode. Maybe after our move, we can have a huge garage sale (right Sherri?) and I can use the money from our old junk for the "turn the new house into a home" fund :) Ok... let's be real... the junk I have would not amount to much, but just in case Ed McMahon decides to knock on my door, here are the first few things I would buy for "Project Homify"

 Seriously, sweedish clocks are probably my #1 materialistic desire. I have wanted one forever, and will probably never have one since they are redicoulously expensive...but a girl can dream, right?

 It would probably be silly to buy this, since it looks very similar to something we already have, but I couldn't help but download the picture when I saw it months ago, so I just had to put it on here. I think it is beautiful.

 ok, probably not the most comfortable choice, but definitely the prettiest outdoor patio set I have seen in a while. I love how simple it is. You can just imagine the conversations that have been had around it.

Again, not very practical, but beautiful. It makes me smile just looking at it. 

 Couldn't decide between these two... I really love them both.

ahhh.... and it even matches my rug. I mean, seriously. Why can't I be talented with a sewing machine like Jessie Routh, she would totally be able to make this. I need some sewing lessons in a bad way.

ok, so obviously my list is not very practical...but again, it makes me smile, which is really worth more than a comfy place to sit anyways, right?

What is not to love about this...the headboard, gorgious. the comforter, beautiful. the blanket, amazing. the lamp + lampshade...I am running out of adjectives. Ironically, my favorite pillow that I bought with my christmas money is in this photo and I didn't even notice it until now :) 

Well... I guess until we actually find a place to live I should probably not get too sad about moving...after all, it may end up being a dream come true! 

pouty faces are the BEST!

We got a good laugh earlier from Wy... Andy was buckling him into his carseat so I could go to Kroger to get a few things for the week and the little stinker has a spoon in his mouth (not sure if he snuck it out from inside or if he had been hiding it in his seat), but Andy took it away like a good dad, so if I had a wreck it wouldn't jab through the back of his throat and....

the poor thing just sat there, tucked in his bottom lip and pouted! We were cracking up...what a ham.

Beginning to see the light...

...at the end of the tunnel that is! Don't get me wrong...the rest of the tunnel is a VERY long and VERY bumpy stretch...BUUUUTTTTT (and that is a HUGE butt) I can BARELY see the light! YAY!

AKA: 23 school days left this semester...the joy I feel is indescribable.

I mean REALLY indescribable...just to give you a little glimpse of what the rest of this tunnel entails, let me just say the week ahead looks something like this: studying for 3 tests, taking care of a patient in contact isolation with MRSA and a pressure ulcer, taking aforementioned 3 tests, worrying that my 9 month old angel is going to get MRSA, writing a paper, stressing out about the tests and then stressing out about the fact that in stead of stressing I should be studying, trying not to worry about my family getting MRSA since I really don't have time to worry and should be....yes, studying and writing a paper, and then occasionally trying to get a tiny bit of sleep, which will probably total somewhere around 12-18 hours total from now to saturday. oh...and changing diapers, doing laundry, washing dishes, showering...ok, who am I kidding- I definitley will not have time to shower until Saturday...if you see me, you will not want to hug me- for YOUR sake, not mine.

Are you beginning to understand why I can not WAIT till summer?? I will say this semester has absolutley flown by, and that even though it has been stressful (to say the VERY least) I really have LOVED school. I love my new friends, my teachers (well...almost all of them), my patients... It really has been fun! Wyatt even keeps me company while studying which makes it even more enjoyable :)

This is us in the "study hut" that my mom help me build so that we could enjoy the sun without either of us incurring 3rd degree burns...we make casper the friendly ghost look like a Baywatch star.

Well, now that it is 2:17 AM and I "only" have a little more than 3 hours  to finish my homework before I have to leave for the hospital (and try really hard not to catch or spread MRSA) I better get back to it.

Did I mention only 23 more days??? WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Raspberries

Wyatt is trying really hard to learn how to blow raspberries and it is cracking me up!

lately...

I feel like the phrase "fallen off the face of the earth" has come up more times than I can count...the funny thing is, I am the one saying it... Before nursing school I thought you could only accuse somebody else of falling off the face of the earth, and now I know it is perfectly normal to say to yourself "Self, you have fallen off the face of the earth!" Trust me, sometimes talking to yourself is the only thing that will keep you sane. So, in light of me having fallen off the face of the earth I figured I would fill you in on what my life has consisted of as I have been wherever it is that you go when you fall off the face of the earth (say that 10 times fast...)

The first thing that has been consuming my time: school.

these are two of my NSBFF's (Nursing School BFF's)...my other NSBFF is Dorothy, whom I spend the vast majority of my time with (ask andy...she is at our house more than he is these days!) We study for every test together (read: spend every waking moment together), but for some reason I don't have a picture of her...yet :)

This is a picture of what my brain looks like while I am studying... Doro and I love to make outlines...well actually Doro likes to laugh at me while I make outlines...her specialty is finding practice quizzes online (read: more practical) while my specialty is making outlines (read: explosive diarrhea of the brain- not very practical). 

Time consumer #2: My babies (yes... you read that right...its plural...keep reading.)

Baby #1- no explination needed...my heart and soul...which leads to baby(s) number 2....

my Zinnia's! I planted these seeds a little over a week ago and they have already sprouted into the cutest little miniature plants you have ever seen. Now the problem is trying to find somewhere to move so I can transplant them before they die from not having enough room to grow. I am seriously in love with these little guys and can not wait to watch them grow! I am probably being too optimistic, seeing as how I have NEVER grown anything before, but hopefully these little guys will not let me down. They will also have some more siblings in the next few weeks because we are going to go to Bayless and get some veggies to plant (but I'm not doing those from seed because they would take too long and too much TLC- of which I do not have time for). 

Well...now I must get back to studying...In the mean time, looking forward to May!!!

 Over and Out.

hectic doesn't even come close to describing...

Last week was without a doubt one of the craziest weeks of my life. Without going into too much detail (simply because it is 2:30 am, and I have to get up in 3 hours to take Andy to the airport) it consisted of Andy getting stuck in Alabama with a broken down RV, me getting a total of approximately 32 hours of sleep over a course of 8 days, Andy getting one of the worst stomach viruses I have ever witnessed (it ended up being the Rotavirus and in a matter of 3 days he lost 15 lbs...all I can say is thank goodness for vaccines or else we probably would have ended up in LeBonheur with Wyatt), and one of the hardest exams I have ever taken after a night filled with Tornado Sirens, Lysol, Pedialite (for Andy), and LOTS of caffeine (for me). Needless to say this weekend was spent catching up on some much needed rest, and of course LOTS and LOTS of homework. I must say, the one thing that makes every ounce of stress dissappear...

I swear he really is an Angel. 

Every time I get a little overwhelmed with life, he looks at me with that goofy crooked grin and my heart melts into a million pieces! How could I be stressed at all with that precious face looking up at me? People at school always say to me "I don't know how you do it with a baby at home" and what I am realizing more and more is, I don't know how I could do it without him. He keeps me sane and constantly reminds me what life is really all about. 

"love your neighbor as your self"

well, Wyatt has certainly gotten the second half figured out- he definitely understands the concept of loving himself...

Distractions

I tend to get very easily distracted. Ok, that is an understatement, but at least I am self aware. Ever since I have been back in school I have had the hardest time getting any school work done, partially because I have a 7 month old that I am obsessed with, and partially because I am extremely ADD. I'm not sure which part plays into it more but that is neither here nor there. Well, today my wonderful hub-bub, Andy, decided to give me some time alone to study, so he took Wyatt to my dad's house with him. As soon as he left, I shut the blinds, cleared the room (so I wouldn't be distracted), set my computer ACROSS the room (just for the music), and sat down to study. Then I realized my computer wasn't turned on. That was a bit of a problem since I wanted to listen to music while I am studying (silence is much more of a distraction than music if you are ADD, trust me). So I got up, went to my computer and turned it on. I decided I really needed to look at Pioneer Woman just once, so that I wouldn't be thinking about it constantly while I was trying to study (it's an obsession that I am trying to work on...I can't help it though, I think we are soulmates). Anyways, she has posted a new photo contest and it was on love. So I thought to myself "I should enter a picture just for the fun of it AFTER I finish studying" and then sat back down to study. But then I kept thinking "what if there is a deadline?" "what if I forget?" "what if I NEVER finish studying!?!" and at that point I realized...I will NEVER be able to study unless I go ahead and enter this silly contest. So what did I do? Picked the first picture I thought of, edited it as quickly as possible (seriously, I ran 4 actions and that was ALL) and then entered it. So the moral of the story is...sometimes a distraction is more of a distraction if you try to ignore it! My entry is VERY poorly edited, and I am sure I had some better photos I could have chosen, but it's done, and now I can study and not worry about it anymore :)

 

Oh, and of course I had to blog about it before sitting back down to study so that THAT wouldn't be an another distraction...and NOW I can go and study for the rest of the day :)

Snowmageddon 2011

Memphis has gotten quite a bit of snow in the past few weeks, which is very unusual for the Bluff City. Usually it either snows in Arkansas and then moves north before it gets here, or rains through Memphis and starts snowing once it gets just east of us. Everyone was so excited a few weeks ago when the first round of snow came through. We ended up going to Hernando to my dads with several friends and all of our babies to make our best attempt at sledding. The babies seemed to enjoy it almost as much as we did!

Wyatt and me having a grand ole time!

Wyatt in the "sled"...yes its a cooler. A sled is not a common household item around here...Southerners must get creative when we are lucky enough to get 3" of snow.

Here are the little rascals. I have a sneaky suspicion that one day they will cause all kinds of drama with pudding filled water baloons...but for now they are angels :)

Anyways, Snow Day #1 was incredibly fun. Snow Days 2, 3, and 4 were just kind of teases, since we only got enough flurries to get us exited for no reason. But then we heard forecasts of Snow Day #5. Supposedly we were going to get 12" this time, at least that's what I heard...but then again I don't watch the news because it is far too depressing (and inaccurate according to my Mass Media professor in college), so I usually get my weather info from pretty unreliable sources. Well Snowmageddon came and went...we got somewhere around 2-4" which was enough accumulation to provide as much fun as the first Snow Day...except this time around poor baby Wyatt was sick :( So this time, in stead of hopping in a cooler and enjoying the snow, this is what we did...

Sat at the front door and looked at the snow.

 

"Hey mom! Remember that one time it turned all white like this, and you dressed me up like a bear, and put me in that box, and stuck me in the white stuff and I sat there? Can we do that again??"

"No angel, because you are sick. You need to stay inside and rest. I am very sorry."

"Aw gee mom!"

And that was when our front door sitting ended because I couldn't help but put the camera down and pick up that little bundle of cooties and rock him for the rest of the day. Sick babies make my heart melt. The End.