Rough Day.

I'm having a rough day.
I wont be blogging much today.
I wont be at work tomorrow, and then I'll be gone for the weekend.
Probably wont be back to blogging until...Monday.

So Much to Say, So Much to Say...

Okay...so last night was the season premiere of Gilmore Girls.
I missed it. Didnt PVR it. I was in class...

I was in class, turning in the most BORING paper ever for my Research I class.

Dad accepted a full-time position with the Marriott, so he will be retiring from Delta & moving to Houston. I believe his start date is in the beginning of October, so this is all about to happen pretty quickly. He's ready to leave Delta behind, so it'll hopefully be good.
He went to Houston yesterday & found an apartment he likes. The apartment complex has ELEVEN pools, a fitness center with trainers, etc. Sounds like fun!

I got an mp3 player last year at Christmas. Just yesterday I tried to upload songs, but it's not compatible with napster, etc.etc. What a whooping. I just gave up.

I have no class tonight. Thank goodness. I have class tomorrow night though, and we're working on a group project for behavior modification, and I have to prepare a little "bit" on the history of behavior modification (Pavlov, Skinner, etc.) Need to get on that...

I have a wedding this Saturday. Sarah, the girl I share my office with, is getting married. What to wear? What to wear? What will the weather be like??? I want a new dress. Something to feel SASSY in.

Oh, speaking of weddings & dresses....Megan bought her wedding dress on Saturday! Cant wait to see it. And, I picked out my bridesmaid dress....
This is the dress...it's called the "Coco" & mine will be black with a black sash.

Took my measurements for the dress....34-29-36. Everytime I hear measurements like that, my brain immediately references "36-24-36" from that song, "Baby Got Back".
Um...for that I will need to increase my bust & decrease my waist!

Got a raise. Well, it will go into effect in October, but I'm excited about that...I got 5.5%. Not bad at all!

Gage's squeaky shoes are in. I was in class last night though, so I have not tried them on him yet. I'm sure they are going to be awesome.

My friend, Jolene, is PG with twins---twin girls, fraternal. Well, yesterday, for the very first time she felt a distinct "kick". We were all in a meeting yesterday afternoon, and then it happened. It was so cute!

Speaking of babies...Julie & Ben (Susan's little sister...well, she's 5'9" & pregnant, so she's not so "little"...I should say, Susan's younger sister & her husband) are having a girl. Little Caroline Bliss is growing, growing!

Last Friday, had to take Eddie-Spaghetti to the vet. He's having a difficult time in the restroom department. Vet suggests that it is likely due to aging. I had to switch him to light dog food, and now feed him a 1/2 can of pumpkin 2x/day. I thought at first that Eddie would not eat the pumpkin--but I was wrong. He's totally down with it. Yums it up. The issues have not completely resolved themselves, but we're working on it.

Won't be at work on Friday. Linda-lou is going out of town, so I have no childcare that day. No biggie---I have Gage's 1 year pedi appt. that day too, so poor thing will have to go w/ Mommy & get shots. (sniff*sniff)

Topic: new car.
There has been much discussion in my household about me getting a new car. Currently, I have mixed emotions on that for a variety of reasons. I will discuss a few...(1)Cost. My car will be paid off very soon. I look forward to a period of time with absolutely no car payments. A time where I will be financially responsible for fuel, maintenance, registration, inspection, and insurance only. (2) Emotional attachment. I have only had 2 cars in my life: my first car, the convertible...& now this one. When my first car was totaled & towed away, I stood there & just cried & cried about losing my car---even though I knew I was getting a new car. So many memories from that car.... And now, this car. This is the car we were in to bring Gage home the hospital. So many memories with this car.
So...I don't know what's going to happen in the near future w/ regard to the purchase of a new car for me.... we'll see.

Can we talk Desperate Housewives?
Marcia Cross is pregnant, but I heard that they are not going to work it into the story line. But--in the show--her character---getting all entangled with psycho-dentist guy??? Let's think back...she met the dentist while he was "visiting" someone in the mental facility while she was there as a patient. Here's a theory: maybe he didnt kill his wife--maybe nobody has heard from her b/c she's in the mental facility....hmmmmm...just a theory.


And now it's time for....
...Random Things About Me!

1. I'm a social worker.
2. I have a dog & a cat.
3. My toenails are painted red.
4. My fave flip-flops (at the moment) came from Old Navy.
5. My hair is naturally curly.
6. My favorite swimsuit ever is my yellow bikini (which I admit is WORN OUT!)
7. Right now, my car is filthy, inside & out.
8. I havent gone for a manicure in over a month.
9. Calla Lillies are my favorite flower.
10. I ate a Rice Krispy treat last night.
11. My toothbrush is pink, orange, & white.
12. My 2 favorite hair products are "Smooth & Seal" by Straight Sexy Hair, and "Super Skinny Serum" by Paul Mitchell.
13. I love mimosas.
14. I still have my baby blanket from when I was younger.
15. I've collected Christmas ornaments fro years & from all over the world.
16. I suck at reading maps.
17. I've only owned 2 cars ever.
18. I'm kind of PMSy right now.
19. I miss Cafe du Monde beignets.
20. My kitchen had turquoise carpet when we first bought our home.


Okay, that's plenty of stuff for now.

Funny Newspaper Ads.

I got this in an email from mom, who got it from Tammy, who got it from....

Anyway...it had me laughing this morning, so I thought I would share...

REAL NEWSPAPER ADS

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.
8 years old. Hateful little dog. Bites.

FREE PUPPIES:
1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog.

FREE PUPPIES...
Mother, AKC German Shepherd.
Father, Super Dog...able to leap tall fences in a single bound.

FOUND DIRTY WHITE DOG.
Looks like a rat ... Been out a while.
Better be a reward.

COWS, CALVES: NEVER BRED.
Also 1 gay bull for sale.

NORDIC TRACK
$300 Hardly used, call Chubby.

GEORGIA PEACHES
California grown - 89 cents lb.

JOINING NUDIST COLONY!
Must sell washer and dryer $300.


WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE.
WORN ONCE BY MISTAKE.
Call Stephanie.

AND THE BEST ONE:

FOR SALE BY OWNER:
Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica, 45 volumes.
Excellent condition. $1,000 or best offer. No longer needed, got
married last month. Wife knows everything.

Welcome to the Party!

Gage's FIRST Birthday Party was on Saturday...


The cake table...


The big cake...


Gage's cake...


The fire station...


Gage in the bounce house...


The Birthday Boy!


Of course it's blurry: he's running!


Gage & Mommy (yes, I did wear the fireman hat! We all did!)


He got soooo many gifts!


Yummy cake!


Sucking icing off his little thumb...


And...he's done!

Commentary on some randomness...

Well, this blog is being generated out of procrastination.
I am at the library & should be looking for articles for my research proposal due...um, Tuesday. Today's Sunday.

My brain & eyes need a break!

This morning, after a fight of course, I got to sleep in until big 7:30.
Hey---it's MY day.
Well, the day started around 5:30ish when I had to remind someone that yesterday was HIS day to sleep in.
The general rule is that if it is your day to get up early, then you are responsible for all parenting duties from 6 am until the other parent wakes (at their discretion). So, technically, I was responsible for all parenting duties this morning until 6am. Um, at 5:30ish, I changed the rule.
I rounded up to 6 b/c it was after 5:30. It was 5:30-something.

Of course then, I felt kind of guilty, plus I was mad, even though I was very well aware of the fact that I was wrong.

But, I got over it & snoozed until 7:30.

So, here I am admitting my mistakes.

...and now, onto my commentary, which has been lacking in this blog of mine.

The Birthday Party: big hit. Went very well. Will of course be posting pics soon. And that reminds me---for Christmas, I want a new XD thing for my camera so I can hold more pictures! I had to rely on mom's camera, and now I have to go download the pics to a CD so I can upload them.
So, I promise to revisit the birthday party topic, when I can adequately relay the events with corresponding photography.

Big Brother All Stars: yes, I'm aware that this has been over for a while, but I have yet to give my opinion, which is this: Mike Boogie? Are you freakin' kidding me? I so wanted Janelle to win. I can't stand Mike Boogie. But whatever. I don't rule the world.

Grey's Anatomy: Is it me, or does McDreamy not look so dreamy anymore? He's all skinny-scrawny...somebody hand that man a Big Mac. And poor Addison...I just feel bad for her, and yet, I'm still hoping that Meredith & Derek will get together.

Names...there are quite a few names that I dont like. Derek is one of them. (Can you track my train of thought here??? Derek on Grey's Anatomy is McDreamy....yada,yada,yada.)

Dateline, To Catch a Predator: seriously---do these people never learn??? I guess men who are chatting/trying to pick up underage girls/guys are successful more often than not, and think the odds are in their favor for not being caught on that show/by the police. Just the thought of that is sooooooo scary. And, I guess it's that whole way of thinking "It will never happen to me"....typically seen in your teenage population, but I guess with these men too....

Okay. I've got to get to work on my school stuff now.

Must not procrastinate.
Must not procrastinate.
Must not procrastinate....

One year ago...

One year ago today, I was going to the hospital to have my son.

I would never return home the same.
I would never ever be the same!

Here's my post from a year ago telling Gage's birth story....



On Thursday, 9/22/5, I was scheduled to go into the hospital for my induction. I was told to call L&D first to make sure they were still able to induce me that day. Damon called around 7, as we were supposed to go in at 8. They said that I had to be delayed, and that they could take me at 9.

So, we leave the house to head to the hospital...oh, about 8:30 in the morning. As we are backing out of the driveway--it seems to hit Damon that we wont be returning to our home as 2 people ever again...when we come back, there will be a 3rd person with us!!! We'll be parents!!! As he was verbalizing all this to me--you could see the little beads of sweat developing on his forehead. Damon FINALLY had his little "overwhelmed" moment. Lord knows I had a few throughout the whole pregnancy...

So, we hop on the highway heading to the hospital. Damon was so excited that he was on the phone nonstop with various people. I tried a couple of times to suggest that we not take the highway, but he was quite occupied on the phone. Well...the highways were packed with all of the Gulf-coast people fleeing Hurricane Rita. (Hello...45 turns into 75, and the hospital is off 75....) So, there we were...running late.

Finally, we get to the hospital. Some of Damon's family was there. (His sister, Kim, even beat us to the hospital!...obviously she didnt take 75...) After the necessary paperwork they took me back to my laboring room & got me started. As it turned out, I was actually contracting on my own--every 5-7 minutes. They didnt hurt. And,I guess I had just gotten used to the slight discomfort, b/c I didnt realize anything was out of the norm...

First IV infiltrated. Thought I was going to die.
2nd one was better...and they got the pitocin going.

I was there laboring for over 15 hours. They kept increasing the amount of pitocin...I never dilated past a 3. Finally, around 1 in the morning, the doctor came in & broke my water. Oh my...that's a lot of "water"! So, from that point, there was no turning back!!!

Before that---we were so afraid that they were going to send me home as a "failed induction" since I wasnt making any progress. At 1 in the morning, the doctor explained that was an option, or we could just break the water & get on with things.

So...the doctor came back at 3 in the morning. I was STILL only dilated to a 3. Gage was showing no signs of distress, but I was not progressing at all. Dr.B said that it looked like I wasnt dilating because Gage's head wasnt properly engaged in my pelvis, possibly because his head was just too large for my pelvis. So, a c-section was our safest option then.

Got my epidural...Damon got his scrubs to wear. By this point---Megan, Susan, Damon's Mom & Dad, & My mom were still there. My sister & brother in law had to leave, and Damon's sister had to leave. (who can blame them??? it was 3 in the morning!!!)

The epidural....well, it didnt take so easily on my left side. Apparently it was leaking out all over the bed behind me. So, that had to be resolved. Going in, it didnt hurt as much as I thought it would...but it made a sound...it was just a weird gross sound... But then, boom--it was over & the epidural was in! Easy. Anyway...before going into the OR, they had to keep giving me more & more medicine to get my left side numb. So, by the time they were wheeling me to the OR, I could barely feel my face! Everything just felt so heavy. But, as I was being wheeled by the nurse's station, I remember saying to all of the people there, "I'm going to have a baby now." They all said things like, "Congratulations" & "Good Luck" & they were all laughing & smiling at me. I'm sure I sounded half drunk!!!

So, we go into the OR...and there are nurses all around...my doctor's there...and they're counting things...and hooking me up to things...and asking me if I want to listen to music (I could barely feel my ears!...and besides, all I cared about hearing was my baby cry!) Then some other dr came in to assist. I'd never met him before. They put my arms flat out to my sides...I always thought they strapped them down, but Damon told me that my arms werent strapped down. It wouldnt have mattered anyway...I couldnt feel them!

So, they started prepping my lower tummy for the surgery. In the big light overhead, I could see what they were doing in the reflection. I was hoping that they would leave the light just like that so that I could watch the whole thing...they didnt. They put the big "tarp" up so that Damon & I couldnt watch. I guess it probably is too much for some people....

Then Damon came in....they said that I would feel pressure, but not pain...tugging or pulling but not cutting. No. I didnt feel anything. The next thing I know---Gage was here! The nurse took our camera & got pictures of his very first breath. He cried exactly 3 big wails, and then across the room--you could hear him sucking.

Dr.Brough said that Gage was trying to come out face up, and he had the cord wrapped around his neck. He said that it also looked like he never would have fit through my pelvis. So, my healthy little man never even showed any signs of distress through all of that! What a trooper!









Gage was born at 3:59 am on Friday, 9/23/05.
He weighed 7 lb 10.4 oz.
He was 19 3/4 inches long.

He was born on a Friday, my very favorite day of the week. Damon & I also got married on a Friday...

But anyway...back to his birth story!

Damon went w/ the nurses to watch Gage get cleaned up & weighed...and he came back over to me & I asked if he had any hair. I think I asked if it was dark too. Damon said he had a ton of dark hair. Well--I was picturing a big huge mop of black hair. No, he had medium-brown or even light brown fine baby hair. Not very much at all. To Damon, that was a lot of hair...



I remember Damon bringing Gage over to me to see him for the very first time. Gage was all swaddled up in blankets & had a hat on his head. It wasnt enough!!! I wanted him to be immediately unwrapped so that I could see his whole little body! I didnt ask for that though, b/c I knew Gage would get cold! But I tell you--I wasnt satisfied until I saw his whole little body...fingers, toes, tooshy...all of it!





After that...they must have stitched me up...& wheeled me back to my room...I barely remember that... I dont remember saying Goodbye to Dr.Brough...

During this time Damon went out to the waiting room to tell everyone the good news. I've seen this on the video camera, obviously..I wasnt there... You truly could not have peeled the smile off Damon's face. And, being that we're in the age of digital cameras, everyone got to see the pictures of Gage immediately. What a treat!

I remember being back in my L&D room, and they brought Gage into my room in an isolette (spelling???). He was near the foot of my bed. I still hadnt held him yet...and I was so nervous about my arms & hands being unsteady from the epidural. But, I just couldnt stand it, so either Damon or a nurse handed him to me, and I got to hold him for the very first time. It was wonderful. But, I was still nervous about my arms, so I only held him for a minute.



After that, Family came in & Megan & Susan...they all got to hold him.



I just enjoyed looking at him & watching him....

Shortly afterward, they took me upstairs to my postpartum room, and Gage to the nursery for his first bath, & tests, & let me rest.

I remember opening my eyes a little while later, and all I wanted to see was that sweet face a little more!



And even still...I never get tired of looking at him!!!



Now...it's a year later.
He's grown SSSSOOOOOO much.
He's looking more like a little boy everyday, instead of a baby....

9/23/6
Gage,
Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy.
Mommy loves you!

My Little Beastie Baby!

So, not today, but yesterday & the day before, Gage & I jammed to my old Beastie Boys cds while driving in the morning....

He sits in his carseat & kicks his legs to the music, and now, he sometimes pats his knees to the beat. It's precious!

So...there we were, going on our way...just jamming to "Brass Monkey", among other songs...


And here.....I found....a little "Brass Monkey, that Funky Monkey" outfit for babies. It's crackin' me up!
www.angelicgenius.com

New Shoes.

Gage loves new shoes.

Now, many of you are probably thinking, "No, it's Mommy who loves for Gage to have new shoes"...or "It's Mommy who loves new shoes in general."
Well, both of those may also be true...but really, my child loves new shoes.

I took him to Northpark Mall, where we purchase 2 pairs of Converse All Stars tennis shoes--low tops.
He was so proud when people would look at his shoes. He'd bounce his little feet when passers-by were...well, passing by.
And--there he was, securely harnessed in his stroller w/ the 5-point harness that I'm sure is also the same one used in bungee-jumping contraptions...but I digress.
So, there he is in his little stroller w/ the little tray-table thing in front...he would lift his feet up & hold them out straight so that he could see his shoes over the tray-table.

So proud of his new little kicks...

Well....look what Mommy just bought for Baby Gage!


from www.borninmommysheart.com

You may be thinking, "Oh, look, a pair of brown kid shoes."
Well...these squeak every time he takes a step! I'm so excited.

I'm either going to adore them, or require lots & lots of booze & pills to put up with them!

(...I'm just kidding about the booze & pills by the way....I'd never mix the two--I'd do one or the other!........okay...again, just kidding!)

He's getting so big!

My little boy is getting so big.

These were taken yesterday....

















He is just getting so big!

TMX

Elmo: Tickle Me X-treme!

Gage must have one.
Yes, I am one of those parents that is completely buying into the hype. It's so cute & funny, and I am convinced it will make my son's heart sing!




From USAToday:
Meet 'Top Secret Elmo'
By Olivia Barker, USA TODAY
For a guy who has giggled, squawked, sung and shouted, Elmo sure is quiet these days.

Ten years after the original Elmo was the must-have toy, a new version called T.M.X. will make its appearance in the fall.
Fisher-Price

His latest incarnation is about to be introduced at Toy Fair, but only in a manner of speaking.

The toy industry will reveal at its annual trade show starting Feb. 12 that the new Elmo's name is T.M.X., a nod to his moniker Tickle Me Elmo, as well as his 10th birthday. The plush toy will cost about $40, compared with his previous recommended retail of $29.99. He will require six AA batteries (included).

But that's about all that is known.

Elmo's new identity is shrouded in the kind of secrecy typically reserved for the latest Harry Potter book or iPod. His full, furry self won't be revealed until T.M.X. hits store shelves in September. The delay is unprecedented, toy experts say.

Back in 1996, Tickle Me Elmo mania made grown men cry — in happiness over snagging one of the elusive toys — and drove desperate moms to duke it out in store aisles. He was one of the last huge hits of the toy industry, which is betting that this successor will stimulate sales in the upcoming holiday season. "The toy is so magical that we want to keep a little suspense around it," says Neil Friedman, president of Mattel Brands, which include Fisher-Price, the maker of Elmo.

The only available image of the red phenomenon features him in silhouette, in a haze, giving off a "Tenth Coming of Elmo" aura. A short promotional video shows an anointed few watching and reacting to the new toy; all had to sign confidentiality agreements.

"That's truly amazing," Jim Silver, co-publisher of Toy Wishes magazine, gushes in the clip.

The soundtrack is Bachman-Turner Overdrive's You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet.

Silver says he has seen nothing like it, but he can't say much else about it — yet. "The first reaction I had was, 'Where are the wires?' Because I didn't think anything like that could move on its own."

The effect was akin to puppetry, but with no strings attached. "It was very impressive," Silver says.

Of all of Elmo's alter egos, "this is the first one in a long time that's a real 'wow,' and you go, 'How did they do that?' " says toy analyst Chris Byrne, who laughs heartily at T.M.X.'s antics in the video. "This is a quantum leap forward," like the original, "another breakthrough in the preschool plush category."

No wonder, then, that the toy's new name also can be read as Tickle Me Elmo Extreme, Fisher-Price says.

Though Byrne predicts the company will sell every T.M.X. it makes, he says he doesn't think Elmo will fuel any slugfests in the next holiday season. "The culture has moved beyond that, the whole hot-toy phenomenon," he says.

There hasn't been a widespread playthings craze since Furby was unleashed in 1998.

T.M.X.'s cloak-and-dagger debut is "completely consistent with the way things are marketed in this country," Byrne says. "Because this is such a fickle consumer society, raising the volume on that buzz is really important."

And though the toy is silent now, does T.M.X. live up to that buzz?

"To me," he says, "it does."
*********************************************

On another note....the TMX Elmo in a store, if you can find it, will cost around 40 bucks.
Just saw a brand new, in the box TMX Elmo on Amazon.com for $299.95.
Are you kidding me???
My son doesnt need one THAT bad.
You'll be able to find them in thrift stores in a year. I'm not paying $300 for an Elmo doll!

So much...

So much that I've done!

Cleaned out my purse...it's definitely been a while.
Balanced my checkbook (hadn't done that since 8/16...)

Have my annual performance eval tomorrow.
Have a "bariatric sensitivity training" tomorrow morning. (fun...NOT!)
...I can't believe I just typed that.

Well, I did. Moving on.

Tuna fish sandwich for lunch.
Then chocoate cake after that.
Seemed like a good idea at the time....then shortly thereafter I thought I was going to greet it all again as I puked in the bathroom.
Word to the wise: you may not eat the two TOGETHER, but they end up meeting in your tummy, and it's got to be an awful little spat they're having in there.
YUCK.

Mom Lesson #3851

Baby hands coated in raspberries will stain taupe couches.

Getting Ready for the Big ONE!

Okay...so we're getting ready for Gage's b-day party...

Here's the firetruck & firestation for the cake....


And...here's a little "ONE" t-shirt that he may or may not wear at his party. Depending on the weather...and the shirt is long sleeved...so we'll see.


And...we did TONS of yardwork!

Can you believe it's pumpkin time already???


This is one of my little yard dragonflies. Love it. I got 4 dragonflies & one butterfly.


Here we are...striking a pose. So sweaty & gross after busting our butts on Saturday!
In the end, we planted: 49 mums, 4 petunias, 4 ferns, 3 bushes, and 2 other bushy things. Plus, we mulched. We still have some mulching to do...but we got a TON accomplished.

AAAANNNDDD....remember how I got Gage a firetruck, and I couldn't wait for his birthday to give it to him???
Well, I got a license plate for it, and went to HD (Home Depot) to get some zip-ties to properly affix his little license plate.
It's so cute!


What a stud!


I can't wait for his birthday, and I can't wait to see his little birthday cake!
I hope he's in a good mood that day.
I hope he's not overwhelmed by people.
I hope he enjoys opening gifts.
I just can't wait!

Welcome to parenthood: you get more excited about your kid's birthday than your own.

Me Love You Long Time!

Okay, I didnt allot much time for blogging today.
Please forgive me.

After work---I need to go to the school library, and then find a quiet place to do my homework for tomorrow night.
Ugh. Not looking forward to that....but, oh well.
It must be done.

I'm so ready to be done with grad school & it just started.
It's going to be a long few years...

Piracy...

This one's for Jamie...




"AAAAAAAARRRGGGH! I'm a Pirate!
And I'm Heeeere for the Booty!"

Why I was late...

So, I've pretty much worn out the ol' "I was late because of traffic."
And, it's not fair.
It's always true when I say it.
I have a long way to travel to get to work.

I wake up in Dallas, drive to Rockwall, and then turn around & drive to Arlington.
It's a long way.
I travel the freeways with many other drivers, and frequently there are travel delays. Yes, I can prepare for them, but never really know how much extra time to throw in there for travel/delay purposes.

Anyway...
So, the other morning, I'm leaving Rockwall...get into Garland...and there's an accident on the service road.
We all narrow our travelling into one lane. When I was 2nd in line to get through, a cop comes over & tells me & the lady in front of me that Careflite is going to land on the freeway, so it's going to be shut down completely--for a while.
too late to back up.
too late to catch the last exit prior to this point.
Nothing to do but sit & wait.
So I took a picture to show my boss....."I swear, I was in traffic!"

This is my delay.

I'm a big dork for even taking these pictures.
I'm very well aware of that fact.

Here's Careflite coming in to land...

And, for the record...I made it to the hospital for work by 8:04. That's right.
It was wonderful once the freeway opened back up because there were hardly ANY cars!
Woohoo!

I swear it's not perfect.

Someone recently said to me that they think I have the perfect life with the perfect marriage & the perfect child, and must live in this orderly & tidy perfect house.

I assure you...(and for those that REALLY know me...you'll know this is true)...I am FAR FROM PERFECT!
Now granted, my child is almost perfect...(I could do without the fits he throws every now & then...and his dependency on the bottle...)

Anyway...
After a full day of playing...
Here's what happens to my orderly & tidy perfect living room....


My house gets messy.
My child gets messy.
I get messy.
Life gets messy!

Happy Birthday, Linda Lou!

Okay, so Linda, my mother in law, just had a birthday.
We had them over to lunch to celebrate.
Her birthday wasn't actually ON Sunday, but that's when we got together.


I didn't ice the cake...Damon did.
But, I baked it!





The candles are golf balls on tees. She loves golf!

Welcome Baby Lane!

My cousin & his wife just had their 2nd child...a boy...

Welcome to the world, Baby Lane!

Me holding Baby Lane.


Ty, Lane, & Nicole


He was about...25-27 hours old in this picture!


Their little family just grew by 2 feet!


And Ty is already the perfect big brother.


Here's Gage...running in the hall outside Nicole's room!


Yes, I am aware that he is wearing his jammies. It was evening time, and off to bed when we got home!