Tennis Anyone?

Lily's first ponytail!!!!
Well, that's what I like to call it.
It's really just a little twig of hair wrap very tightly in a mini-rubberband, hidden by a pink bow.

She didn't dig it as much I did so I knew I had to grab the camera and take as many shots as I could.

Mark my words: Kennedy will come out WEARING A BOW.
She will have a bow in her hair, on her head, wrapped around her ear or neck E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y.
I so much as breathe on Lily's head and she thinks I've snuck a little barrett or clip into her hair.
You try to just smooth out her hair and she immediately reaches up there to pull out whatever it is that might be there.

This is supposed to be one of the fun parts of having girls......bows and clips and fuzzy things in their hair. (Although I hated bows and dresses as a kid, why am I trying to force it on my children?)

Anyhow....
Lily absolutely loves being out on the tennis court. She loves the racquet. She loves chasing the balls. She even loves trying to carry the basket of balls like a purse even though it's still taller than her.
Several months ago....and when I say "several," I mean A WHILE ago.....John asked the crazy question: "Do you think we should hang a tennis ball over her crib so she can start tracking the ball?"
My response: "Do you want to start her in therapy now or wait until she's 3?"
Needless to say, he was kidding (I hope) and we never made a mobile of tennis balls for her room.
But she loves being outside on the court with her daddy! It's very cute to watch!

Lily and her new friend, "Melmo."

Out on the courts with Dad

So incredibly cute!

Helping Dad with his lesson

Mother's Day and More

Okay.
So I've been getting grief for not putting any pictures of my pregnant self up this time around. The day this picture was taken, someone saw me and said, "Holy cow!"
I wasn't quite sure how to take that.


John and Lily headed back up to Nashville for Grandma's 75th birthday party while I got to stay home, rest and get rid of my persistently nasty hacky cough.

Thank you, Aunt Libby, for always giving us a place to stay.

Isn't Grandma pretty???

Happy Birthday!!!

Uncle Robby came for a quick visit before having to travel again

The two loves of my life...

Mother's Day was special!

Despite having to get up early and receiving some losing lottery tickets as a "gift," it was a fun day to be "mama." We got to go out to breakfast because I was craving IHOP pancakes....don't ask how many I ordered.

John and Lily gave me the world's sweetest cards and those are what really made the entire day wonderful. You wouldn't know it, but he's pretty good with words.

Later on in the day, I treated myself to a pedicure and wished it had lasted longer.

My squirmy wormy isn't much for being photographed these days so this is all I got....

Attempt #2

Feeling pretty good about myself after Mother's Day and because of the fact that Lily has finally started saying "mama" and running to me at the babysitter's and seemingly loving me, I pushed my luck to far:

After an attitude adjustment and perhaps a bit of coaching:

Some other fun things to report on the Lilster at 16 months:

Various new words...mama, no, mine, dada (of course), si (yes), tunk you (thank you), no, mine, peas (please), outside, go bye bye, no, mine, gracias, no, phone.

She's putting things together as well and follows commands extremely well. She definitely has her morning routine with her father and throws a fit if that bagel isn't quite ready for her when she's in her chair.

She loves saying "hi" to my belly and giving it kisses! I'm not pretending she has a clue of what's about to happen to her world but it's still sweet and cute. Besides, she lifts up her own shirt to show her belly and says, "Baby!" Let's wait a few more years for that, please.

She likes phones and remote controls. Sometimes the remote becomes a phone which I never knew you could do.

She's able to identify her mouth, head, ears, eyes, nose and belly. She likes showing you your nose and mouth as well.

She makes a silly face, happy face and fishy face.

She goes to sleep extremely well and wakes up happy almost everyday.

She's the best thing since sliced bread, if you ask me!

Babies, Nashville and....Vampires?

Meet our new little one....
Kennedy Taylor Thompson
(This ultrasound picture is actually the least scary one.) It sort of looks like maybe she's waving to us.
We're past the halfway point....22 weeks today and it's going by a lot faster than Lily's pregnancy. SLOW DOWN!!!


And here's the other star of the blog.....Lily Grace being her typical silly self opening and closing the laundry room door saying, "HI!" "Bye bye." "HI!" "Bye bye."
It never gets old!

My droopy face that makes everyone ask, "Oh...did you just wake up?"

"No, I look like my father."

Lily and I packed up the car last weekend and drove up to see John's family outside of Nashville for Laura's (Lily's cousin) baby shower.

Apparently I'm old enough to have a niece who is having a baby. Where does the time go?

I digress.

We had grand old time.....closing all the open doors, meeting cats and playing the piano with Uncle Ahyah.

Grandma time!

Vampires.

I love 'em.

I'm hooked on the Twilight series.
I'm hooked on the True Blood HBO series.

And I'm hooked on The Vampire Diaries.

I received a call at work a couple of weeks ago from my friend at the Sunshine Kids (in Houston) asking if I might be able to get a group of teenagers together to go on the set of The Vampire Diaries. (It just happens to be filmed 15 minutes from the hospital.)

HELL-TO-THE-YOU-BETCHYA, I said.

I called on my fellow 30-something friend who got me addicted to the show to go with us because we "definitely need" two nurses on this outing, right? Right.

What a fun-tastically wonderful day it was! We, I mean the kids, got to meet all the main actors and watch how things were done and tour the different sets, etc. Fabulous!

I feel a little weird posting all the pictures on here for patient confidentiality but there's one good one I got of "Damon."

Hubba-hubba-hubba.

Mr. Ian Somerhalder

Ian being pinned by one of our teens! He looks kind of menancing here but he was a sweetheart....as were the rest of the cast members.

We're trying to figure out a way back in. We're all friends now......we should be able to just show up and be extras or something!

OH BOY!

Or is it "Oh girl?"

We have the answer!!!
More to follow.....

Easter Lily

I keep getting hassled for more pictures, so here you go.....
Enjoy!

Going to watch the Georgia Tech tennis match

Our wedding tree getting bigger and bigger each year!

Ready to go hunt for some eggs in the 'hood

Aren't there rules against hunting while drinking?

"Found one!!!"

Easter morning.....yes, wearing a Christmas night night

I must come to terms with my sweet baby girl not being very girlie.
She doesn't care for dresses, sandles or apparently tutus.

Ready to hunt for some more eggs across the street

"What a rough weekend. I need a drink."

(Like mother, like daughter.)

Notes to Self

I have a very well written friend who brilliantly rehashes her Adventures in Motherhood.
She's funny.
She's sweet.
And, man oh man, she LOVES her beautiful boys!

I read her blog and wonder, "Gee...I sure wish I could write like that."
Or...
"Gee....I sure wish I could have things to report on in a creative way."

Therefore, it's come down to good ol' plagarizing.

Every now and then my friend will list a bunch of "lessons" she's learned along her journey of being a fabulous mom. Sometimes the lessons are sweet and sappy. But sometimes the lessons are freaking hilarious.
I'm talkin' slap-your-knee/milk-coming-out-of-your-nose hilarious.
She ties one into the previous ones and it turns into a list of "no way could that really happen to one person."
BRILLIANT!

Therefore, I'm copying her method and format.
Please forgive me. By no means am I going to attempt her humor because.....well, I'm just not that funny.

Notes to self:
1. For baby #2, introduce milk at one year of age in a sippy cup. No bottles. Don't even teach the word "bottle."

2. If baby #2 becomes addicted to the bottle (much like baby #1), rip the band-aid over a weekend. No bottles. None. No matter what Daddy says.

3. When dealing with the above issues, don't worry about constipation or dehydration. Ms. Jenny will fix those little things on Monday at day care.

4. If we decide to ever move bedrooms again for the kids and the safety gate at the top of the stairs has to be taken down, I should keep an eye on the toddlers just in case one decides to go down with her blankie, stop, turn around to take a look and trip and tumble down the rest of the way.

5. After #4 happens, it might be a good idea to keep an extra eye out if that same toddler approaches the stairs from the other end and wants to take a "big girl" step up. You wouldn't want her to not make the step and fall face first into the only spot missing carpet (thank you, Bear) and bust her lip open. This is key, especially if you want to keep it from happening within 30 minutes of #4.

6. Also when transitioning bedrooms, maybe don't decide to make the first night in a new room on a Sunday when you have to go to work on Monday.

7. If it smells like poo, it probably is poo. Even if it doesn't necessarily look like poo. When the decision is made to take off a questionably smelly diaper while the toddler is standing up, don't be surprised to find poo and don't get too upset when the said toddler makes that the time to come straddle your panted leg to snuggle.

8. Perhaps I should re-evaluate myself as a mother if all of the above take place within 72 hours.

Hi, Lily!

Call me crazy, but I think she's trying to say her name!
I do have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed....
I was hoping to hear "Will Wee."




Here are some other fun pics.....

More fun times with 75% of my favorite girls!

(You know who you are, other 25%!)

Future's lookin' so bright....

Learning how to hang with dad early.

Seriously? This is what I come home to?

Yes, that's a beer.

And, no, she couldn't be smiling any bigger.

FOR THE LOVE!!!!

How do I get this thing to

stop

double

spacing????

HELP!!!!

Places to go, people to see

What do you do when the weather is nice?

I honestly forgot.

OH! You go OUTSIDE!

You PLAY PLAY PLAY!!!!!

We've had a fun month between going to Colton's 2nd birthday party, having a playdate with handsome little Bryson or just tooling around Marietta Square with sweet baby Owen. This little girl cries when she has to go inside. She LOVES being in the great outdoors running around and exploring.

Can't wait for summer!

Playing kitchen with Riley


"I beat to my own drum, ma."

Just a swingin'

Things Lily is doing these days....

Loves Teddy Grahams (or whatever it is you happen to be eating)

Can point to her head, nose and tummy

Speaks Spanish to me so I can't understand her when she wants to get down from her high chair. I ask, she replies with "Baaahh.....baaahh." Now one could interpret that as asking for her bah-bah (bottle of milk) but not me. She is very obviously saying "ba-ha-de." I might not be able to spell it but my genius baby can absolutely say it.

Pointing

Asking for things by saying please via sign language (or whining)

And she's still fun and adorable and kissable and everything in between!

What About Me?

You know that song that goes...."What about me? It isn't fair. I've had enough now I want my share. Can't you see?" Yadda yadda yadda.
That's kind of what I'm living right now.
Although I lack photo proof, Lily and John are INSEPARABLE right now.

Everything John says is hilarious.
Everything John does is perfect.
Everything John looks at is something she HAS TO have.
Everything Lily wants, she gets....from John.

Yes, it's sweet. But what am I? Chopped liver?

He comes home and the dog can hardly keep his bladder in check and Lily goes absolutely bonkers.
I come to the babysitter to pick her up and she runs the other way and hides.
WTH?

So, in order to gain some points, I've taken the sweet little girl to some playdates.

First there was Tanner...

...which made her sleepy.

Then there was Charlie...

...who let Lily poke him a bit.

Baby in a box

Then I left Lily with our sweet babysitter, AJ, while I went to a friend's baby shower. It was great to have some grown up time on the weekend and catch up with some friends.

I even got a little something out of it from my good buddy Erin.....

Some cute maternity clothes!

Wait just a second.
Back the bus up.

Some WHAT?!?!

Yup, I said it.

Maternity clothes.

Lily had another big birthday present that we haven't reported on until now.

She's going to be a big sister this summer!

"But don't you have a 13 month old?"

Yes, yes I do.

"Was this planned?"

Yes, we wanted another one.

No, we had no clue it really only takes one time to make it happen.

This is how we told my mom....by asking her to open Lily's last little gift from us:

And here's the little peanut today:

Growing strong with a hefty heartbeat.

It's not 100% confirmed yet, but it looks like it could be another girl!!!

As for anything being about me.....
Well, I'm accepting the fact that's not going to happen for quite some time now.