The Howard Crew

10 days

2011-09-18T19:28:00.001-07:00

Its been 10 days since I blogged. I sit here and I try to think of positive things to say.. but it all feels so gloomy.. sad.. worrisome. I know I have many things to be thankful for. I have a wonderful husband, two beautiful children and a great extended family who helps me yet I still have trouble blogging about the happy things in my life. I'm over whelmed, over extended and I don't see anything changing in the near future. This is exactly why I haven't blogged. I re read this and I know how depressing it sounds.

Tug of War

2011-09-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

Lately it seems as though I'm torn. Its hard enough being a working mother and having that guilt of leaving your children and not being able to do as much as you'd like at home for your family. Then add to it the endless activities that your son has to do daily due to his pdd nos. Add into that preschool, doctors appointments and friends who want to do things with you. Its all too much sometimes. I find myself feeling so torn. I feel as though I'm always letting someone down. Its impossible to juggle it all and be happy. I know that when I'm choosing my child or family over going to dinner or shopping with a friend that its the right choice but its still hard. Its hard when people expect me to be available like I used too. I just really can't. I'm not even available to do the things I love to do anymore. I am sure someday I'll be able to get back to the things I enjoy like baking on a saturday.. watching a movie or just taking nap but for now its not possible. I can't be everything to everyone and I continue to be in a tug of war.

Friends with Flaws

2011-09-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

I have friends with flaws. I'm learning to accept them for who they are and take the mistakes they make with a grain of salt. I think we sometimes expect alot of people. Why do we hold our friends to such high standards when we don't do the same for ourselves? We've all done it.. we say something bad, we are judgemental.. I know I have done it. I think its important to take the good with the bad and communicate when things go wrong with your friends. I'm learning to do that more. I have such a hard time with confrontation. It makes me tremble inside and arguing just makes me so upset that I cry and then seem weak. I do think if we all call each other out on our mistakes that we'd all become better people, at least I hope we would learn from our mistakes.

Wouldn't it be interesting to give your friends a survey and have them fill it out about you? to learn about all your flaws and how people percieve you? People take me wrong all the time..its my lack of filter. Its a strength and weakness. I personally would never change that about myself. So I'm just going to keep on loving all my friends with flaws.. at least until they screw up big!

Inspirations

2011-08-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

I've been away from blogging for quite a while.. 3 years or so. I got caught up in life and doing other things. I don't think the things I did instead were better and I"d like to get back to a place where I take some time to be productive and not get caught up in doing what everyone else is doing. Theres so much technology with texting and facebook that I think we've lost the written word. No one writes letters or notes anymore. Its convenient to text your friend, girlfriend or family but theres something special about getting a card, note or letter in the mail that means so much to you that you put it in your keepsake box. We don't do that anymore. We hit delete, erase and clean everything up for more space on our phones.

I thought I'd start by telling you about some of my resent inspirations. I had totally forgotten I even blogged until a friend told me she started doing it. She shared her blog with me and I really am enjoying getting to take a peak into her world. I feel special that she shared it with me. She has inspired me to start putting my thoughts down again. I think it will be extremely therapuetic for me. Doing this leads me to another inspiration.. my son Gordon. He's 4 now. I have no idea where the time has gone but he has certainly changed our life. He's smart, caring , polite and so many other things. He loves music of all type and its so sweet to hear him sing and try and make up songs of his own. We recently found out that Gordon was PDD NOS which is an Autism Spectrum Disorder. We were completely blind sided by it. It was extremely hard for us as parents at first.. and still is.. but I'm really inspired by him. He inspires me to be more excepting.. to stop and have patience to realise that so many things in this world don't matter. He needs me to change and help him and in the end I think we will both have helped each other.

Charlotte.. oo my sweet Charlotte.. shes a mover and a shaker.. shes my almost 11 month old. I am truly blessed to have her. She inspires me to be a better woman. To set a good example of what she can grow up to be. These are just a few of the things that inspire me lately.

He look so different in every one!

2008-05-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how different Gordon looks in pictures.. I call this one here the uni brow picture. I am so glad hes not a girl.. look at all the plucking that would be necessary.
ah and this one.. my sweet baby after he took a bath.. he looks so much chubbier and his hair has gone wild!
Now theres nothing greater then a Nascar baby! He stole Daddy's hat and loves to walk around with it on.. when it falls off he cries for his hat back.
and lastly just a funny picture I took of the 2 of us together... I still can't get over how much I love that little face of his.. what did I ever do before he came into my life? I just don't remember.

Party Time!

2008-05-25T09:47:00.001-07:00

Gordon had a great birthday party. He won't have such a big party next year but being his first we wanted to have his family and extended family there to celebrate. We had terrible weather but at least the house was big enough to hold everyone. He really seemed to enjoy his cake.. though I admit I didn't let him eat that entire splash cake.. I didn't want him getting sick later. I am sure with the second child I"ll let them have the entire thing.

Heres Gordon with his Auntie Lea Lea and his cousin Dylan. He loves them both so much. Our Leanne looks great doesn't she? shes down 71 lbs since her gastric bypass.

Heres one of Gordon and myself waiting for the guests to arrive.. I thought it'd be cute if we all wore checked shirts to match the farm theme. I know I"m a dork.. but you already knew that!

Gordons One!

2008-05-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe my baby is 1 year old already. I don't know where the time went.. but I wish I could get it back. I love watching him grown and change and though he takes my every free minute I wouldn't change it for the world. Here he is having his birthday pancake in the morning.

We got him a cupcake for his birthday since his party is later.. he didn't know what to do at first..

But as you can see he definitely figured it out! I guess he loves the icing just like his Mum!

Happy 1st Birthday Gordon!

I'm a bad blogger.. and our happenings!

2008-04-02T08:39:00.001-07:00

I know I'm a bad blogger and I promise to try and do better.. just a lots been happening here at our house. We lost Jeff's Gram in February and at the same time found a house to buy so that has us busy packing.

Here is Jeff's gram Marie holding Gordon when he was 3 days old.. she had heart trouble even then and we went straight from Magee to make sure she got to see him. We have some very nice keepsakes that she made to show Gordon when hes older.
Here is our new house! Jeff is away for 2 weeks but we've been moving boxes and packing as much as possible.. the big move is on the 13th! We can't wait.

Gordon had a great easter and he got a soccer ball.. who knows maybe that will be his sport when he gets bigger. Heres some other Easter pictures.

February in Pictures!

2008-02-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

So I know I"m a slacker.. its been a crazy month. I"m going to be an Aunt to twins.. who knew!
I was house shopping and found the house.. so moving is on its way. My sister had the gastric bypass and lets think.. if anything else happened... I"m not sure as its all a blur but here are some pictures from the month of February.

Gordon learned to stand and loves playing in his new corral above .. hes safe away from doggie when we leave the room.. u just never know with Chalupa!

I also think its time for Gordons first hair cut. I hate to see my baby lose his baby hair but its definately getting too long.. time for an appointment with Nina.

Moms Night Out!

2008-01-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

OK what do you get when you take about 9 Moms out for dinner and a little drinking.. CRAZINESS! We went to Rodneys and had a blast. It was nice to go out with the babies and chat and enjoy ourselves. The food was great also.. I should NOT of had that dessert but it was so yummy.

Heres two of my lovely Mom friends.. Candice and Tami. It was great chatting with them at dinner.. now if only Tami wouldn't of left so early. Hopefully we'll do this again.

Pajama Party!

2008-01-25T17:42:00.000-08:00

Here Gordon and I are all dressed up for a pj party at Gina's house. Gordon ended up staying home.. he had a bit of a cold but it was fun to dress up in our racing pajamas. I of course had on Gordon pj's.. but Gordon has gotten so big he outgrew his and had to wear Cars.

Heres a picture of Gina and Giovanni.. he is such a cutie pie and Gina is definately a mom doing it all! We're so glad to have met them.

A tooth picture!

2008-01-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled to say we finally have a picture of Gordons teeth!.. he ended up getting another one Christmas night.. that Santa is a sneaky little guy. Here is his 2 little teeth. I always thought him getting teeth would upset me.. u know the whole hes growing up so fast thing.. but I love it. I love watching him grow and change and I still can't believe how lucky I am to have him.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

Heres our baby new year! Thank goodness he lets me torture him with these silly pictures!

Here he is after the party!

Gordon gets sick

2008-01-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

On December 28th my baby got sick. He was throwing up everything. It lasted 2 days and was the worst feeling I've ever had. He would cry then I would cry.

Here he is having a popsicle. He wasn't taking anything, he hated pedialyte so the nurse said almost anything was good to try. We were just worried he'd get dehydrated.

We were so thrilled after 2 days when he was able to hold down his formula again. Here he is being held by Daddy. He got spoiled being held so much while sick but we didn't mind.

Gordons 1st Christmas!

2008-01-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

Here he is opening his first gift from Santa!

We all had a wonderful Christmas. I almost couldn't find this $5 bib that I had to buy for my baby, somehow it got lost in the laundry. We went to Gram and Pap Howards house in the morning and Gordon had a great time opening gifts and he even took an hour nap.

Here he is opening some more gifts and wondering. "who put this silly bow on my head?"

He has teeth!

2008-01-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

You can't see them but there's a tooth there. December 14th Gordon got his first tooth.. its in the front and it came kind of quietly. I was thrilled of that but I found out later that the rest are going to be quite a challenge.

His second tooth came on December 25th at bedtime and Gordon definately let us know it was cutting through. Two down and alot more to go! As soon as he lets us get a good picture we'll be sure to share it with you.

Holiday Pictures

2007-12-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

Its a busy time here at our house so I thought I'd just show you a few holiday pictures.

Heres Gordon loving his tree!

Heres one we used on the Christmas card.. he could totally be a girl with those lashes!

I think he looks like he might be able to get in trouble soon in this picture.

Gordon likes Santa!

2007-12-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to take Gordon to see his very first Santa. I could kick myself now for not video taping it.. but thats totally like me to forget. We went early so we wouldn't have to wait in line and took him to Monroeville mall. We were so pleased with how great the Santa looked and Gordon didn't cry. I wished he'd of smiled better but ooo well!

Our Little Turkey!

2007-12-04T18:43:00.001-08:00

We had a very nice Thanksgiving.. it was a little hectic as all holidays are but I was happy to eat eat eat.. having just finished a way too long diet. Jeff pulled his back out a few days before the holiday so he ended up not working the night before so he was with us the entire day.

Gordon loved seeing everyone and getting passed around all day. He didn't have any turkey but he ate up his sweet potatoes. He was needless to say exhausted at the end of the day and cried at his Pap and Grams house or we would of stayed longer. Hes definately what we are thankful for this year and every year.

He says Da Da !

2007-12-04T18:39:00.001-08:00

Thats right folks.. he says DA DA!.. not Ma Ma! but its ok I won't hold it against him. The funny thing is Jeff was trying to make him say ma ma.. I was trying to make him say Da Da.. it was bound to happen though as the da da is much easier to say. I told Gordon its perfectly ok with me.. just as long as he loves me the tiniest bit more then his Daddy : )

November Happenings

2007-11-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

Gordon and I took a massage class with my Moms group.. this was taken before hand.. he seemed to enjoy it. That didn't surprise me though as he likes his cream rub down after a bath.

Here he is enjoying his rub.

We also went to a party for Mickey Mouse..it was his birthday. We had a great time and thankfully Jeff was even able to come with us.

Gordon the lizard boy!

2007-11-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

Lately Gordons been into his tongue and I thought this was cute so I video taped him.. its getting harder and harder to catch him on camera.. he knows when I turn it on and tries to grab it.

1/2 way there!

2007-11-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

Its so hard for me to believe that my baby is already 6 months old. We see him grow and change on a daily basis and though its wonderful its also a little sad. The time is going by way too fast and I am trying to cherish every moment of it.

Here he is on his 1 month picture to compare... oo so tiny! he went to the Dr's the other day.. hes 27 1/2 inches long.. 18 lbs 3 ounces and his head circumference is 43. The Dr. was pleased that hes chubbed up and his muslce tone is great.

2007-10-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night around 5:15 pm my Mindy passed on.. I took her to the vet to be put down. I loved her dearly. We went thru many things together.. my divorce and years alone .. she was always there for me.

About 6 years ago she had trouble with her knee.. I ended up at the specialist only to find out her hip was bad also.. so the hip was fixed first.. some thousand dollars later.. we went back for the knee.. turns out the dr. noticed her walk was weird.. it took him a few months to figure out she had a very rare disease.. 1 in a million. Its a collagen disorder and has a name but its so long and odd I can never remember it. Basically your body is held together by collagen and hers was breaking down. This means she didn't walk on her feet any longer but her ankles.. and then her knees.. her feet become floppy and had no strength. She did ok for herself though.. could only do the 2 steps on and off the porch.. had to be carried up a flight.. but her body just kept breaking down. Bad kidneys and an enlarged liver and abdomin. She as on meds and pee'd still on the floor. She finally kept getting a skin infection that her body couldn't quite get rid of and we had to have her tested for things, we worried the baby could catch something. It was another sign that her body couldn't fight any longer and we decided it was best to put her down before she went in pain.She went peacefully without even a fight when they had to prick her legs that were already sore. I miss her terribly but know it was best to let her go. She was my first furbaby and I had never gone thru this before. My heart goes out to anyone who has to lose their best friend.

I very much hope to see her there at the Rainbow Bridge.. I just know she'll be there waiting for me.

The Rainbow Bridgeinspired

by a Norse legend

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.Where the friends of man and woman do run,When their time on earth is over and done.For here, between this world and the next,Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.On this golden land, they wait and they play,Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.They romp through the grass, without even a care,Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.For just at that instant, their eyes have met;Together again, both person and pet.So they run to each other, these friends from long past,The time of their parting is over at last.The sadness they felt while they were apart,Has turned into joy once more in each heart.They embrace with a love that will last forever,And then, side-by-side, they cross over? together.

Thanks for reading about my Mindy.

Superman or the little chick?

2007-10-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

We have 2 outfits for Gordon for Halloween... I was lucky and got them at yard sales while camping for a buck a piece. U can't beat that! I like the little chick more .. Jeff likes the Superman.

I of course got my way with this one and hes wearing the little chick for Halloween. I think it suits his happy personality and his sprout of hair on his head since he was born.

Cousins!

2007-10-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Leanne had to do rounds at the hospital on Sunday so I was watching Dylan, hes a total angel and no trouble.. and Gordon loves him too. Dylan is getting to an age where hes very helpful to me and likes to play with his cousin.

Here he is giving him a smooch.. it just melts my heart.

Gram and Pap came to visit!

2007-10-19T18:39:00.001-07:00

Jeffs parents came to visit last weekend and we went to the Oaks for dinner, odd that we all chose fish.. but it was delicious.. especially my long island ice t! yumo!
Gordon had a nice time with his grandparents and thought he was a cutie in his pumpkin outfit.. hopefully we'll be able to go over and visit them soon.

Sweet Potato Man!

2007-10-19T18:34:00.001-07:00

I was excited to give Gordon his first vegetable.. we chose sweet potato and he loved it. He sort of looked at me weird at first but then he started liking it. So far hes also had green beans and squash.. no complaints so far.. tomorrow here we come bananas!

He's also enjoying his flying practice lately.. now if only we could get him to put those arms down and push up more often.. but I am sure he'll figure it out sooner then later.

Apple Fest!

2007-10-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

We went camping with my parents the first weekend in October for the annual Franklin Apple Festival.. its always a great time and Gordon wanted to look especially nice for the ladies.

We also got to see this really neat bee hive at one of the displays.. it was very fitting as theres always a ton of bees at the Apple Festival..they are out looking for their last bit of summer.

This weeks happenings

2007-09-30T18:01:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday we had a yard sale.. boy is that hard with a baby. My Mum and sister came to help as Jeff was working the night before and had to come home to sleep. We did ok.. made about $116.00. We let Gordon keep the cash for his bank account. I decided I won't be having another yard sale until we move in a few years.

I finally was able to get my hair cut this week. It was getting so long and theres nothing greater then a fresh cut. Here I am giving my sweet baby kisses.

Gordons been playing and doing time on his mat and he just loves playing with his feet and taking off his socks. He is always trying to eat them. We've also been working on the cereal.. he liked it at first then he just cried when we tried to feed him but thankfully hes liking it again and I think for good now.

I also joined a Moms group recently and went today for a meeting at Starbucks.. it was hard to order as I don't drink coffee and I am on a diet but I had a chai tea with nonfat milk and it was very good.. I didn't know it'd be spicy. I had a good time and got to meet some new people with kids Gordons age so that was great. I was also happy to pick up the new Rascal Flatts cd on Tuesday.. Gordon seems to like it also.

See him eat

2007-09-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

Our First Cereal

2007-09-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Its been a fun week for us. Gordon has been doing many new things daily.. hes getting better at his saucer and actually plays with the toys.

He had his first cereal.. he did really well with it.. if only that tongue would relax a little and let that food in some more, practice makes perfect so we'll just keep giving it to him.

We're also teething so we're a bit fussy and I think hes going thru a growth spurt. He has gotten up in the middle of the night to feed this week a few times and he hasn't done that in 2 months.

I love this face

2007-09-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

I took this picture yesterday of Gordon on the porch.. the lighting was so great and I realise every day just how lucky I am. Hes growing and learning so fast that its hard to take it all in and enjoy it. I wish I could make time stop.

He is now holding his own bottle when hes 1/2 way thru. He is starting to wiggle his legs and hike up his butt.. I see crawling coming way too soon. I found a bump in his mouth.. a tooth is about to appear. Where did the first 3 months go.. and how can I keep my baby a baby?

All these events make me happy and sad.. hes learning and reaching milestones which is wonderful but I want to keep him tiny and my baby. I do long for the day when he can call me mum and give me a kiss.. I have a feeling it'll be here all too soon.

MY HOT SEXY OLD MAN!

2007-09-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

OK Ok so I might be the only one thinking that but my man is now HOT and SEXY... but especially OLD! Jeff turned 40 on the 1st and had a total of 3 cakes.. the one I bought him was small so no picture but heres the other 2. He seriously needed to smile in that picture.. but its his rough look!

His Mom surprised him at Aunt Joans picnic with this one.. it was yummy! and I know he loved that everyone knew it was his birthday.

This one we had at my Mums when we celebrated her birthday too.. its on the 8th.. we won't broadcast her age but she definately over 40! Here she is with her new Vera Bradley purse that my sister bought her.

Holiday Weekend

2007-09-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

I sit here today trying to remember what in the world did I do this week! Honestly its all a blur sometimes.. I need to jot things down so I can remember for this blog. I know we went to the vet on Wednesday.. couldn't forget that.. it cost over $200. We were thinking of putting Mindy down but its not come to that yet.. but its in the back of my mind and I just can't bear to do it yet. I took a picture of her before we left just in case.

Friday I took Jeff to Texas Roadhouse for his birthday.. he had a 16 ounce steak and was pretty full afterwards. I bought him some Jeff Gordon gifts and he was a happy camper.

Saturday was of course special as Nicole and I went to the Rascal Flatts concert. We had a great time. Its becoming a summer ritual to go see the Flatts on Labor Day weekend. Here we are in our Send me Back stage t shirts.. however they didn't pick us!

Sunday we went to Aunt Joans picnic.. its always a good time..this year it was a low turn out though so a low key picnic but still fun.. Heres a few pictures of us there.

Happy Saturday!

2007-08-26T12:00:00.001-07:00

It was a very HOT but pretty Saturday here and I wanted to go visit my friend Aggie. I hardly get to visit or chat with her since G and thought it'd be a good day to visit. She looked wonderful and just had her other cataract done. She can now see all my flaws! G loved her too and did all his tricks for her. Heres the two of them together.

Daddy goes shopping!

2007-08-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Turns out house husbands get bored too! Jeff watches Gordon 4 days a week and he was feeling cooped up so off to Kmart they went. He bought G a very cute Halloween bib... I can't believe its going to be Halloween soon! Thankfully we already have 3 costumes. He was a little nervous driving with him alone in the car.. I said honey I do it all the time. I told him he can't go out anymore though.. he spent $40! and at kmart thats unusual.

Heres another great picture Jeff took of Gordon with Angel.. so cute.. and Angel is usually afraid of G and doesn't get so close.

Gordon Rolling

2007-08-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

heres a video of Gordon rolling.. hes so good at it now!

Where to being!

2007-08-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

oooo my where do I begin! I am overwhelmed and so behind that I don't even remember what happened this week in my life. I do know it was hectic.. Jeff had to be off for reserves so he worked during the week. That isn't so bad except I have to take G to my Mums 3 days and get up at 530 each day.. lets just say I was tired and glad to see the weekend get here.

Since Gordon has been rolling over and just recently started doing so in the crib we started using our positioner.. no idea why though as he gets himself out of it every time.

Mindy thinks this play mat is for her and I am constantly trying to pick it up one handed while holding the baby.. I guess this time I forgot! She does however look so cute all stretched out on it. Jeff would be mad if he saw this.. shush.. we won't tell him!

Birthday Party!

2007-08-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

Gordon and I went to Marissa's birthday party on Friday.. she turned 6! Amazing how fast they grow. She'll be in 1st grade this year. I am sure the time will fly by that fast with G also. Gordon had a good time and everyone was holding him. Jeff had to work so he couldn't be there. She had a sponge bob cake and got some cool gifts. I think she loved her skate board the most from her parents.

Say Cheese!

2007-08-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Gordon went for his 3 month pictures on Wednesday at Target. It was during a big thunderstorm and we were glad the power didn't go out when they were taking them. He did really well but since hes small theres not much they can do. The power did go out after while we were ordering them which slowed everything down. The girl working there didn't know how to fix the computer so it took about 25 minutes longer then it would have. We also had no idea we'd end up spending so much! We went in there with a coupon for $7.99 and spent $126! Talk about insanity.. but his pictures were so cute and we wanted the extras. He wore this outfit for his pictures and looked so cute.

Gordon and Uncle Lane

2007-08-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

Today was my brothers 41st birthday. We went out to Max n Ermas and ate and then back to my Mums for cake. It was yummy but now I am so full. Believe it or not Uncle Lane had never held Gordon until tonight. Its that man being afraid to hold a tiny baby thing I guess. Heres a picture of them together.

Nana turns 91!

2007-08-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

My Nana turned 91 on Friday and we had a party for her. Gordon was a total so well behaved and we had a good time seeing family and old friends. It was also my cousin Colleens birthday.

Gordon was also excited about seeing his 2nd cousin Wendy.. it was their first meeting but you can tell he loves her already.

A big 3 month happening!

2007-08-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

It was a big 3 month happening here at the Howards. Gordon likes to lay on his side but I never thought he'd roll over this fast. He rolled over 3 times in a row from his back to his belly on the day he turned 3 months. I thought he was about to go over and I called Jeff in from outside so he got to see it happen too. Needless to say I was shocked and tickled. My baby is getting so big. He's also done it about 4 times since so I guess it wasn't a fluke.

Root Canal Heaven!

2007-07-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

I know I know! thats not what you expect to hear when someone says root canal.. my point exactly! I told many people I was going to have to have a root canal and they all made this horrible face and told me the pain I was about to endure. Boy were they wrong! I was lucky though mine was caught by the dentist with xrays before I ever knew I had a problem. It wasn't infected or bothering me. I was however scared to death! He assured me it wouldn't hurt and he was right.. I only had some soreness after wards which was fixed with ibuprofren.

I was surprised when I came home to see pretty flowers and a card from Gordon and Jeff.. I guess I whined just a little too much before going to the dentist. I thought that was so sweet of them!

Back to work!

2007-07-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

I went back to work on Wednesday.. I didn't know how it'd be. I cried that morning feeding G. That did surprise me. It went better then I thought. It was nice to get out of the house and socialise with adults. Gordon was a good boy for his Daddy and I knew he was safe and well taken care of. Monday will be harder as I have to drive him to my Mums early in the morning and lug a bunch of stuff.

Zucchini Day!

2007-07-24T14:51:00.001-07:00

Today was zucchini day here at our house. I was lucky to score some from a few of my friends.. 11 in total! I gave 2 away to my neighbor who was thrilled to get them. She was going to stuff them for dinner. I had a plan.. bake until I couldn't take it anymore! I was up early feeding Gordon so I just stayed up and got to baking, shredding and peeling!

So after standing for about 5 1/2 hours I baked about 14 loaves of zucchini bread. Some regular with cinnamon.. some with pineapple and also chocolate ones. Needless to say I am tired.. but I still have about 6 zucchinis left! I hope to bake more on the weekend and shred some up for the freezer to bake later. Gordon was great the entire time.. thankfully Jeff was home to help with him while I baked.

Morning!

2007-07-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

Just a regular morning here at the Howard house.. G woke up and ate a bottle.. took him forever he was 1/2 asleep. Now hes talking to his bouncy seat toys having a great time. I figure he will fall asleep again soon for a little morning nap and I hope to clean up and bake some banana bread.

Yesterday he took a little nap in his swing and tried to eat his lovie.. he is really starting to like it but always seems to want to chew on it. I think he is wanting to get teeth as hes chewing on his hands or anything else he can get in his mouth.

Baby Einstein

2007-07-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

I've been bad and haven't blogged everyday but I guess its a good thing as I probably won't have the time when I start work again. I might have to make a weekly blog at that point. Gordon has been watching his baby einstein tapes for the last few days and he just adores them. I can't get over how much he loves the tapes and he gets his legs moving and hes just so excited watching them. Heres a picture of him during his tapes.

We're just hanging around getting things done today while Jeff is home and I have to visit the dentist this afternoon.. EEK! I hate the dentist with a passion and I'm going to a new place which makes it worse.

Busy Saturday

2007-07-15T05:20:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a busy day for all of us. Jeff had reserves and was up very early. Gordons grandparents were coming over so I had cleaned alot the day befor getting ready. We also went to Sams club to buy a sandwich ring and stopped by Babies r Us to pick up a few needed items. Gordon was good the entire time though.

We remember that Chick Fil A was having their grand opening nearby and I adore it so we headed on over. It was almost time for Gordon to eat so I went thru the drive thru. I saw all these kids coming out with balloons and a tiny cow stuffed animal on the end and I knew Gordon had to have one. I asked the girl handing out flyers and she went in and got us one. Here he is with his Chick Fil A cow.

Rainy Day

2007-07-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today is a rainy gloomy day here.. it started out nice and Jeff decided to take a run.. something he hardly does anymore. I was laughing when it started to down pour knowing he was gonna be all wet coming home. Thankfully though there wasn't lightening at the time. We just had to snap a picture of him all wet.

We did have a nice thing happen today. My friend Kelly from across the street and her little boy came over. Jacob is such a cutie and we hope that he and Gordon play together as they get older.

Guess who came to town?

2007-07-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

Thats right.. the man himself.. Jeff Gordon. He was in town for the Vintage Car Show and appeared at the Waterfront. We saw it on the news and they said there was thousands of racing fans there. We decided it would be entirely too much for Gordon to go and just a mad scene so we chose to stay at home. My sisters boyfriend Mark however went and promised us pictures. We can't wait!

Heres Gordon today trying out his bumbo seat for the first time.. we still think he doesn't have enough neck control but wanted to give it a shot and see. He is also having some tummy time.. funny how he thinks his arm is his pacifier!

A boy and his lovie

2007-07-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

Heres Gordon with his lovie.. its new to him and I keep putting it in his arms. I think theres nothing cuter then a baby and their lovie. My mum says be careful what you wish for but I want him to have something to comfort him. He likes to bang on the bears head and make it jingle.

Not much going on here today.. I hope to get some good Dennys corn..its $5 a dozen but so very worth it. I also need to think of something for dinner. I find it impossible to think of new things.. its either. .pork, chicken or beef!

Gordons 1st Luau

2007-07-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Gordons 1st luau.. it was Madison's 9th Birthday party and all the girls had on grass skirts and leys.. they looked so cute. Gordon wanted to be just like the other kids so he wore his hawaiian shirt. He enjoyed the music and was good the entire time.. he finally fell asleep in my arms but I know he hated missing anything, hes such a nosey one.

Happy 4th!

2007-07-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

I went to a friends house for a 4th of July bbq and we had a great time. The kids of course enjoyed themselves with all the sparklers and fireworks and the display the township put off was beautiful. They look cute here haming it up!

I finally wore Gordon in my snugli carrier and though he was facing the wrong way to see the fireworks he enjoyed the nap he had while it was going on. All that noise didn't even phase him. Its so cute looking down at him and seeing his big eyes looking up at me.

Time for shots!

2007-07-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today was shot day at the doctors.. I told Gordon this morning what he was in for.. I told him I too wasn't happy about it and that I was sorry but it would only hurt for a minute. He did cry when he received his shots but he stopped right after.. hes been sleeping more then usual today but we'll see what the night holds for us later.

He is now 11 lbs, 24 inches long and his head circumference is 40 cm. He currently eats 5 ounces every 4 hours but we're moving him to 6 ounces tomorrow.. he is getting hungry around 3 hours and the doctor says he must metabolise it fast and its ok to move him up.

As you can see from his picture he is getting really good at getting his hand in his mouth.. he such a sweetie!

2 months old!

2007-07-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

Its so hard to believe my baby is 2 months old already... I can't get over how fast time is flying. We went to WestmorelandArts & Heritage Festival with my mum, sister and nephew.. we had a great time. Gordon was so good and road in his baby buggy upright for the first time.

We saw some adoreable little baby hawks at the birds of prey display and a funny looking man walking around on stilts. The food was great and it was a nice sunny windy day.. perfect because Gordon wasn't too hot or too cold.

Best of all though was the Geico gecko, the booth had a blinko game and you won prizes.. we got a free tshirt and bag.

Cooking out

2007-07-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day for a cookout! We decided to have our friends Nicole and Brian and their daughters Ali and Marissa over to cookout and have a fire. It was a beautiful day in the 70's and it was nice to have company. We didn't have anything fancy.. just hamburgers, hotdogs, and brats with calico beans and fries. My sister and Dylan also came and the kids had a great time playing together. I am sure they fell asleep in the car on the way home.

I figured they had to be tired and Gordon certainly was.. he went to bed at midnight and slept till 7 am... gotta love that! He just keeps getting easier and easier and hes so darling. He really enjoyed all the company and people holding him. Here he is chewing on his favorite thing.

Sleeping thru the night!

2007-06-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

What a surprising morning! I woke up at 6 am and thought OMG the baby.. I don't remember hearing him last night.. then I thought maybe Jeff fed him and I just don't remember? so I ask him.. nope he didn't feed him. I run in to make sure Gordon is ok and he is.. he's sound asleep.. I touched him to be sure he was awake and he moved a little. I can't believe my little boy slept thru the night.. from 1130 pm to 6 am.. I was thrilled. I just hope it continues.

I truely believe being in the crib has helped him sleep better.. he has so much room and squirms around and I find him in different positions in the morning.

Boring

2007-06-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

I just realised today that I didn't do my blog.. I truely don't have much to say.. I do have this cute picture of Gordon.. hes either almost got his finger up his nose or he's trying to give you the finger but can't get the right one up there!

We did get our drain unclogged.. there was a golf ball in there clogging it.. shocking I know.. must of been from the previous owner as we don't golf!

Beautiful Morning!

2007-06-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Its a beautiful morning!

Gordon spent his first night in the crib last night and though I was very nervous about it everything was great. Now if only we can get him to nap in there instead of my arms.. he likes to be held still. He woke up for his 4 am bottle but went right back to sleep like always.

I am glad I finally did it.. he was just entirely too long for that bassinette and ran out of room.. he had a ton of room to squirm around in and I know had to enjoy his sleep more. He's growing up so fast!

My Karmas off!

2007-06-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

I think I've gone and ruined my karma! Its been a busy few days here and I haven't had time to blog.. We went to a friends wedding on Saturday and I had way way too much fun.. what can I say.. the drinks were free and I hadn't had any alcohol since before Gordon was conceived. The wedding was beautiful and I enjoyed myself but I did miss my baby. He gave his Auntie Leanne a bit of a hard time.

Jeff's niece Emily was the flower girl in the wedding and she looked absolutely beautiful! Just like a little princess.

I woke up Sunday morning ready to do things around the house and get more organized only to find after I 1/2 filled up the washing machine that we had a clog somewhere.. what a mess! It was Sunday so we didn't want to pay the extra money on the weekend and hopefully it gets fixed today.

Toe'dally Happy!

2007-06-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

OK ok so I know u weren't expecting a picture of my foot! but today I am toe'dally happy! First I am in love with my new nail polish.. I saw it on a friends nails and I knew I had to have it.. its Opi's Decades of Shades.. its dark brown and I adore it. Jeffrey ( hes color blind ) thought it was some shade of red and could care less. So I've been in a good mood since giving myself a pedicure and doing my nails.

Then the best thing happened today.. way better then my silly polish. Gordon went for his hearing test at the audiology department at Childrens Hospital. When we left the hospital his right ear kept failing so we had to go back. He passed with flying colors right away! We weren't worried going in but we were thrilled knowing he hears 100%. Here he is just listening to the world around him.

A walk in the park

2007-06-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

We woke up to a beautiful day today and decided to walk in the local park. Jeff was off so we packed up and off we went. We even saw my cousin Chris walking there also.. that was a nice surprise.

Last night we thought it might be fun to put Gordon on his tummy to see if he could lift his head up. He got it up a little bit but he hasn't had any tummy time to gain strength in his head and neck yet. I am going saturday to buy him a special tummy time mat.

Busy Busy Busy

2007-06-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was quite a busy day here at the Howard house. Jeff was home so we took full advantage of having an extra set of hands. We did alot of cleaning and errands. Jeff had to get a hair cut and his oil changed and I went to Fashion Bug. Jeff took Gordon with him as it'd of been hard for me to manage Gordon while trying on a ton of clothing. Now that Jeff has his hair cut I have 2 handsome guys in the house. I just hate it when Jeffs hair starts to get long.. which in his case isn't really long but I like his high and tight.

I never did find all that I needed for my outfit for the wedding we're going too on Saturday so I went out last night to my mall with my sister and finally got an outfit. I'm looking forward to going out with Jeff on a real date without Gordon.. though I wonder how many times I'll call to check on him.

Fathers Day!

2007-06-18T10:04:00.001-07:00

We left the trailer Sunday morning early so poor Jeff didn't get any special Fathers Day breaksfast.. I did make him a cup of coffee though. We were in a hurry to get home and bath Gordon and take showers ourselves since we were going out to an early dinner at Pluma for Fathers Day. We went with my family and my Nana also came. It was the first time she got to see the baby and thought he was cute.

Gordon got his Daddy a Nascar Dad tshirt, Jeff Gordon lunch bag, and the new Nickleback cd. We wanted to get him the new Bon Jovi cd but it wasn't out yet.. we gave him an IOU on it though.

Its been so great watching Jeff be a father to Gordon and seeing just how moved his is by him, especially when he was born. I always knew Jeff would be a great Dad as he was always very attentive and loving to me and its a pleasure to see them together.

Camping Weekend

2007-06-18T09:48:00.001-07:00

We went camping again at my parents trailer and had a nice time.. it was a much shorter weekend then the last one but it was nice to get away and out of the house. It was the opening of bass and Jeff got to fish a couple of times and even caught himself a 17 inch bass.

We went to a boy scout camp nearby where they were having pioneer days and walked around. It was a bit hot and muggy but it was something to do on Saturday. Gordon got to wear his new sun hat and I think he looks like a little girl pilgrim in it! but it keeps the sun off his eyes.

Just a nice day!

2007-06-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Today was just a nice day here for me. Jeff was home in the morning and I was able to go to the grocery store and pick up some deals. It was nice to have a bit of help this morning. I was able to bake a new recipe I saw on Paula Deen.. Lemon Blossoms.. they are so easy and delicious! When I see a new recipe in my mind I won't let it go til I try it and these are a hit! I am already thinking of ways to vary the recipe.

Gordon on the other hand didn't want to nap today.. we tried the swing.. but he fought the sleepy bug and ended up falling asleep in my arms outside while I talked to my friends Allison and Aggie.

Big Smiles

2007-06-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

Its been just a regular day here today.. Mammy came over and went with us to Sams Club.. turns out Jeff left the water we bought on the bottom of the cart.. thankfully someone took it to the front desk or we'd be out $19! I love honest people. Then we stopped by Big Lots to make a return and picked up a few goodies.

Gordons been eating so well and slept wonderfully last night.. He went to bed at 930 and didn't stir until 1 am..so great! I also caught some great smiles today .. he is smiling more and more for me and I just love it.

Proud Gordon Fan!

2007-06-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

Jeff of course was proud again to be a Jeff Gordon fan.. Gordon won the race again yesterday.. it was called due to rain but since he was first he won! We finally were able to put out our new JG spinner that my sisters boyfriend bought us. Thanks Mark! Now we're sure everyone will know when they drive past just who we're routing for.

10 lbs!

2007-06-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

I am so surprised how much Gordon weighs now. Jeff got on the scale without him and then with him and hes weighing 10 lbs already! I don't think he looks it but he is long so he still looks on the thin side.. he does have some creases in his thighs but not very much. I can't believe my baby is 10 lbs already.. I so don't want him to grow up so fast.

I want my pizza!

2007-06-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

We had a nice day yesterday. We went to see Jeffs father who was in the hospital for a blood clot in his leg.. 2 of them actually behind his knee. Gordon got a chance to visit with his grandma while we were at the hospital. We didn't want to take him to the hospital with all the germs.

Then we went to our favorite place.. Sir Pizza! I adore it and get it hardly ever now that we live so far away. Gordon wasn't too happy that he couldn't have a piece either.. but I promised him when we get older I'll take him for a slice.

Fashion Help Needed!

2007-06-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I laid out an outfit for Jeff to put on Gordon.. I didn't realise I should also put out the socks. Jeff comes upstairs with the baby and I see this

I say to Jeff.. what color are those socks.. he says blue.. and I say.. his outfit? he says grey? Nope its olive green! my poor baby has a color blind Daddy and I guess now I have to make sure I lay out the entire outfit so Gordon matches and looks cute.

Watch me grow!

2007-06-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to see Gordon grow.. we are going to take his picture every month with this stuffed Jeff Gordon car and see how he grows and the car becomes smaller. I am sure it'll happen in no time!

Mummy's New Ride!

2007-06-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

Today is an exciting day for me.. I officially have a Mummy car! The pt cruiser was getting entirely too small with Gordon and all his equipment. Thankfully my Mum was buying a new Nissan Quest and instead of trading in her old van she traded in my car.. now I just have to pay the difference and I have a much needed mini van.. and it has super low miles!

Jeff's Mini Me!

2007-06-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Stacey mentioned to me that Gordon is Jeff's mini me.. and shes absolutely correct. I took this picture when we were camping at the trailer and thought how adoreable!

Heres Gordon and his Daddy.. they are so alike! I guess I was just the oven.

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

It was the first of many camping trips I'm sure and Gordon just loved the fresh air. We stayed at our parents trailer and there were many baby sitters there that wanted to hold Gordon so it gave us a break to do some things together.

Gordon of course dressed up for Memorial Day.. he even went flea marketing around the camp ground and got some clothes for when hes bigger and some halloween costumes.

Bear with us!

2007-05-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

We're new to blogging but thought it would be a great way to journal all about all our new happenings with baby Gordon. So far it looks simple and lord knows I can talk so this shouldn't be that hard! We look forward to sharing our many adventures as our lives change and grow.