Weekend Plans

My weekend plans consist of:

Dinner with my wonderful and amazing husband at Iguana Grill tonight. We love some Mexican Food!

Going shopping at The Little Lambs Consignment Sale in Tuscaloosa tomorrow morning with one of my best friends Sarah. (She won't be in labor this time!! haha... Last time we went to a consignment sale together she went into labor and delivered her precious little girl Byrnn within hours of returning home.)

Going wedding dress and bridesmaid dress shopping with Jess tomorrow!


Cooking Grilled Bruschetta Chicken and Fresh vegetables for dinner tomorrow night for Chris and Colton.


And enjoying every single minute of being a mommy and a wife to such a wonderful husband and son! I love my life!

Another Ear Infection

I took Colton this afternoon to the doctor for his 15 month checkup (even though he is now 16 months). Turns out, he has another ear infection. We are going to try medicine again to see if that will clear it up, and if not we will be going to an ENT doctor in a few weeks. Other than that and him not talking (May be due to hearing) they said he is growing and right along schedule. He now weighs 30.4 pounds and is 34 inches long!! We've got us a big boy!!! I'll keep you all posted on his ears.

Where is the Diaper??

Yesterday morning, I was getting ready for work in our master bathroom while Colton was watching cartoons and drinking his milk in the living room. A few minutes later, Colton walked into the bathroom with no diaper on. He had figured out how to take his diaper off and it was laying in the middle of the living room. Luckily, it was a new diaper and it wasn't dirty. Looks like I'm going to have to keep an eye on this little boy!

16 Months

Colton at 16 Months!

I can't believe my baby boy is a little toddler now! He is a complete mess but we just love him sooooo much. Every month just keeps getting better and better. I love watching him discover new things and it's amazing how fast he can pick something up. He is such a happy little boy, although he does have those "Colton" moments. This past month he has thrown a number of temper tantrums when he didn't get his way. However, we are all learning and I am sure that he will as well.

Highlights from the past month:

• His favorite toys this past month: Trucks and Cars, Books and Puzzles

• His favorite cartoons this month: Mickey Mouse, Veggie Tales, Moose on Noggin

• His favorite foods this month: Applesauce, French Fries and Oranges.

• He loves the following songs: Old Mac Donald, How Much is that Doggy in the Window, 10 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

• He loves Crystal Light.

• He knows how to drink out of a straw. Thanks Nana for teaching him this!

• He is still very attached to Mommy!

• He had his worst ear infection this past month.

• He can wave "bye bye" and "hey".

• He got two more teeth (upper cuspids)

• When we say "touchdown" he will put his arms straight up in the air.

• He loves to give sugar and "high five".

• He loves watching Millie and Bella play together. He laughs at them all the time!

• He gave up the pacifier this past month! It was much easier than I had expected and I am sooooo proud of him. He does still have his blankey though.

• He still loves to go outside!! He loves to go for rides in his car and he loves to swing.

• He throws a fit anytime the front or back door in our house is shut. He wants to go outside all the time and if we shut the door, he throws himself on the floor and cries.

• He is baby talking all the time, however he is still only saying “mama” right now.

• He points at everything these days, as if wanting to know what it is.

• He continues to test us everyday!!

• He Moved up to the Butterfly classroom in Sunday School this month.

• He loves to spin himself around and around, making himself dizzy. We don't know where he learned this?

• He likes to give Millie treats after she goes outside to the bathroom.

• He loves to play in the kitchen. He loves playing in all the cabinets and he loves the dishwasher. Most of the time you can find him on the floor playing with my pots and pans.

• He loves to snuggle!

• Weighs 30.4 pounds

• 34 inches long

• He wears size 4 diapers, is in 12-24 month, and some 2T clothing and wears a size 5W shoe

• His Daily Schedule: Wake up around 7am, Breakfast @ 8am, Plays and watching cartoons until around 9:30 or 10am, Nap Time till 11:30am, lunch, Play time until around 2pm. Nap Time till 4pm, Dinner around 6pm, Bath Time @ 7:30pm, Bedtime @ 8pm.

Beach Trip

We got back from the beach yesterday afternoon around 3pm. We all had a wonderful trip!! We went swimming everyday at the pool, walked along the beach, ate at some amazing restaurants, went to the water park, went shopping and just relaxed. I'm sad to say though that it may be a while before I post some pictures. My camera got some sand in it while we were down there, so I had to use my brothers camera. I have all my pictures on my SIM card but I can't upload them to the computer until I get my camera back from Canon and I have no clue when that will be. But I promise I will post them ASAP.

Dinner with Friends

Here are a few pictures of Colton with our friends Zack and Kara. We had dinner with them a few weeks ago in Birmingham. It was so nice to see them since we haven't seen them in almost a year. We miss them so much!

ABC's of Summer

A is for Airplanes..... Colton loves airplanes! Since we leave so close to an airport we see at least one every day and if we are outside he points at the airplanes when they fly over. He can hear them from a mile away!

B is for Blueberry..... Colton and I went to pick blueberries over at Uncle Dwayne's and Aunt Janice's house a few times this summer.

C is for Corn on the Cob..... One of his favorite things to eat this summer was corn on the cob! He can tear up a piece of corn in no time!

D is for Daddy..... Colton spent a ton of time this summer with daddy while mommy was at work. If Daddy was home during the week, the two of them usually stayed at the house all day, playing inside and going for afternoon walks around the neighborhood.

E is for Eating Snacks..... Colton loved eating his afternoon snacks and drinking his juice while watching his cartoons. His favorite snacks this summer were: vanilla wafers, cheese puffs, animal crackers, and gold fish.

F is for Fountains..... Nana and I took Colton this summer to the fountains that they have around town. He wasn't very sure about them but I bet that he will love them next summer!

G is for Granny and Paw..... Chris' parents keep Colton during the day when he is out of town and when I have to work. We are so blessed that they are able to keep him for us and I know that they cherish every single moment with him.

H is for Hot Weather..... We've had some hot weather in Tuscaloosa this summer! We're ready for Fall to get here!

I is for Ice..... Colton is just like his mommy and loves ice! He loves to get a piece out of a cup and chew it up. He also likes for me to put ice in his sippy cup so that he can shake it up and hear the ice.

J is for Jessica..... My sweet and beautiful cousin Jessica got engaged at the end of the summer! We are so happy for her and Scott and I'm so excitied about helping her with all the wedding planning.

K is for Kisses..... Colton loves to give kisses!

L is for Lounging..... Colton loves to lay around and watch cartoons with Daddy and Mommy

M is for Millie..... Colton loves to play with Millie. He loves to give her treats and to throw her the ball. I caught him one time this summer giving her about 5 treats out of her treat box.

N is for Nana and Big Daddy..... Colton loves spending time with his Big Daddy and Nana. We've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time with them this summer when Chris was on the road singing.

O is for Outside..... Colton loves to play outside. If we let Millie outside and we don't let Colton go play outside he will cry and throw a fit.

P is for Pacifier..... We took Colton's pacifier away from him at the end of the summer. It was much easier than I had thought it would be.

Q is for Quack Quack..... We were surprised this summer when we walked outside and saw three ducks in our front yard and flower bed.

R is for Rocking Horse..... He loves the Rocking Horse that was Big Daddy's when he was a little boy.


S is for Sand..... In June, Big Daddy and I took Colton down to Orange Beach to meet Nana for the weekend. He stood by himself for the first time on the sand during this trip. He hated it and after a while he wanted me to hold him. Hopefully next year he will like it better.

T is for Teeth..... Colton loves to brush his own teeth! (Or chew on the toothbrush)


U is for Umbrellas..... We saw a ton of umbrellas at the beach this year.

V is for Vacation!!! We were lucky enough to go on vacation last week with my parents, my brother Rob and his wife Valerie to Orange Beach, AL. It was so nice to be away from everything and to just spend every day relaxing at the pool or at the beach. Colton loved being able to swim every single day!

W is for Water..... He loves to play in the water!

X is for ????? I couldn't come up with anything!

Y is for Yogurt..... We took Colton to TCBY in July for the first time. He loved his vanilla cone!


Z is for Zoo..... Chris and I took Colton to the zoo in June. He loved it! He waved to all the animals and his favorite animal was the flamingos.

Day 4 of the Shred

Last night was tough! I was so sore I had a hard time lifting the weights and doing squats and lunges. I can already tell though, that my endurance has gotten better. Chris said he was going to participate with me last night, but he just watched and enjoyed his dinner from Taco Bell while I worked out.

Family

I love this picture of Janice, me, Mom, Donna and Jessica at Jessica's "Engagement Party".

Taco Casa for Dinner

Last night, I decided to go by Taco Casa to grab dinner for Cotlon and I since Chris was still out of town. Colton loves Taco Casa's enchiladas and as soon as I pulled up into the parking lot of Taco Casa he went crazy!! He was sooo excited. He even got more excited when I pulled up to the window to get our order. He just clapped and clapped! I ordered him an enchilada with no sauce and he ate almost the entire thing. Looks like he will be taking after mommy and daddy! Chris and I love some Taco Casa as well!

Day 3 of the Shred

I woke up this morning sooooo sore!! My back and my legs are killing me this morning. The workout last night was easier than the night before. The hardest part of the workout to me is the 1st circuit. The 2nd and the 3rd circuits are pretty easy, it's just getting through that first round. I'm dreading tonight's workout though, because I'm so sore, but Chris has said that he will join me tonight, so that should be interesting.

Bunco!!

Last night my Bunco group, had our monthly get together at Lauren's house. We had some yummy Poppy Seed Chicken, Squash Casserole, Broccoli Salad and Rolls made by Jennifer Morgan and a delicious key lime cake made by Lauren. We all had such a good time laughing and talking about life, marriage and kids. Last night, I was the big winner!!! It's about time! I won so many cute Alabama/Houndstooth items for the football season. Thanks so much girls! I'm looking forward to our next get together, we're going to paint at My Monet in Northport.

# 11 Completed off 101 List!

Day 2 of the Shred!

Mom joined me last night for my second workout on the Shred. (She did great!) It was much easier last night than the first night because I knew what to expect; however I was tired and ready to go to bed after the 20 minute workout. The strength training, the cardio workout and the abs are a perfect mixture and I like it because you don't get bored doing the same old thing over and over. I'm pretty sore this morning, especially my arms and shoulders, but I'm looking forward to tonight's workout.

Letter to Colton... Things Mommy Has Learned:

Colton, here are a few things that Mommy has learned within the past year:

1. Just how much you can love another human being. The moment that I laid eyes on you, I was amazed at how things can change in a blink of an eye. One moment I never met you and the next I was completely in love with you! Each and every day I fall more and more in love with you. I love watching you explore the world around you, hearing you laugh and seeing that big smile on your face. I will always love you so much!

2. That Jesus' love for us is Amazing! I’m still amazed that God sent his only son to die on the cross for us. I’ve never really understood the sacrifice he made until I had you. After becoming a mother myself, I think of how much I love you and how devastated I would be if anything happened to you, and yet I realize that God willingly chose the cross for His Son all so that I could have a relationship with Him. Truly unbelievable!

3. Time goes by so fast!! It seems like every month with you goes by faster and faster. There are moments at night when I just want to hold onto you and snuggle with you because I don’t want you to grow up too fast!

4. What a wonderful daddy your dad is! I knew the moment that I fell in love with your daddy that he would make an unbelievable daddy, but seeing him with you is amazing!! He loves you so much and there is nothing you love more than playing with him. You love for him to chase you around the house and I love hearing you laugh and giggle with him.

5. Just how important things like "blankies” are. You are very attached to your “blankie” and we make sure that it goes everywhere with us. It’s a good thing that we have plenty of them around the house.

6. That one of the best things Daddy and I can teach you is that Mommy and Daddy love God first, each other second, and you third. I never want you to doubt how much we love you!

7. That thirty pounds is very heavy!!

8. That boys love their mommies! We have a special bond and I love every minute with you. If you are hurt, sick or tired, you want mommy! You love your daddy just as much, but mommy always comforts you the most.

9. That a little boy’s smile could brighten your day sooooo much! I love getting off of work and picking you up in the afternoons. It’s the best part of my day because I get to see your smiling face. As soon as you see me, you smile from ear to ear and come running to me. It’s the best ending to any day!

10. That being a mommy is the best job in the world!!!

30 Day Shred -- Day 1

So, I started the 30 Day Shred last night after I put Colton to bed. I finally decided that I needed to do some type of workout to get me back in shape, like I was in college. (I really haven't done anything that involves a workout since I cheered.. Oh 8 years ago!). I really liked the workout because it was only 20 minutes and it was perfect for me. There are 3 levels and you complete all 3 levels within 30 days. Level 1, wasn't too bad at all, however, I literally thought I was going to die after a few minutes. You start out with a warmup, followed by 3 circuits (each including 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs) and then a final cool down. I made it through the entire thing without resting! I'm looking forward to tonight's workout as well. I'll keep you updated!

Cuspid Teeth

This past weekend, Colton got his two top cuspid teeth. They finally broke through the gums Saturday (8/8/09)!! These two teeth were very painful for Colton and they also caused him to have extremely dirty diapers, which resulted to a bad diaper rash. I'm just glad that he got over the dirty diapers before we head to the beach next week!

Relaxing Weekend at Big Daddy and Nana's House

Colton and I had a very relaxing weekend at home this past weekend. Daddy was on the road singing and we missed him so much, but we enjoyed spending the entire weekend with Big Daddy and Nana. Colton was sick Thursday and Friday pretty much all day long with a bad ear infection and temperature. By Friday night he was finally feeling better so we meet Big Daddy and Nana at Pizza Hut for dinner. After not eating for a few days, Colton finally ate a breadstick and crackers with Ranch dressing at Pizza Hut. (Nana tried to give him a cracker without Ranch dressing on it and he threw a fit!!) After pizza, we headed to Big Daddy and Nana's house for the weekend. Saturday, Big Daddy and Nana worked out in the yard, while we stayed inside where it was nice and cold! Colton loved playing on Big Daddy's rocking horse. (This was dad's when he was a little boy)

Doesn't he look like such a big boy riding on the rocking horse??

After afternoon naps and showers, we headed to Chick fil A for a quick dinner before going to Uncle Steve and Aunt Melinda's house for a welcome home party for Jess. Jessica had been in Hungary for the past couple of weeks and her sweet boyfriend planned a "welcome home party" for her Saturday night. Little did we all know that Scott proposed Saturday morning to my beautiful cousin! I'm soooo excited for Jessica and we are thrilled that Scott will be apart of the family soon! With the help of Jessica's parents, Scott got the proposal on video and it was beautiful! Her ring is gorgeous as well!! Congrats Jess and Scott!!

Nana and Colton

My precious little boy!

Colton loved getting to play with all of his cousins Saturday night. The room was full of boys (Carson, Connor, Collin, Garrett, and Carter) and they all just love Colton soooo much. I'm sure that within the next few years, these boys will be teaching Colton how to play ball and all the other fun boy stuff!

Carter and Colton playing during the party.

Big Daddy taught Colton how to throw the ball a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if this was a great idea because he now throws everything!! Saturday night after the party, he threw a toy car at Nana and hit her on the head. Luckily she was okay!

Carson and Colton

Sunday after church we spent the afternoon at Big Daddy and Nana's house again. Colton was testing us nonstop the whole day!!! He got plenty of "pops" on the hands a few on the bottom from myself, Big Daddy and Nana. We finally had to start taking him to time out to get the point across to him that when we say "No" that he needs to stop doing what he was doing. He also has been throwing "fits" when he doesn't get his way. He has a temper like you wouldn't believe!! It looks like the terrible two's are fast approaching the Whitaker household!!

All in all it was a great relaxing weekend that we all needed. We're looking forward to heading to the beach in a few days with the entire family!

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Another Ear Infection

Yesterday, I received a call from Chris around noon telling me that I should go and check on Colton, because he wasn't feeling good and they thought he had a fever. I hurried over to The Whitaker's (Chris was already on the road for the weekend) and I took Colton's temp. It was 101.1 and I knew the poor baby was sick because he has never run a fever that high before. I called the doctor and they couldn't see us until 4pm, so I headed back to work to finish a few things that needed to be done. Colton took a nap and Mr. and Mrs. Whitaker finally got him to drink something while I was gone. I picked him up around 3:30pm, his temperature then was 102. (While I was holding him and trying to get him calmed down, he peed all over me. My pants and shirt were soaking wet, so I had to wash them off and dry them with the hair dryer!) By the time we made it to the doctor and got back to the room, his temperature had went up to 103. The nurse gave him some Motrin to try to get his temp down, however, Colton threw it all back up. All over him and mommy! I stripped him down, cleaned both of us off and he cried non stop for at least 15 minutes. Finally he fell asleep and Dr. Buenttner came in to see him. Needless to say, he has a very bad ear infection. (Colton never even pulled at his ear) They gave him a shot (more crying!) and sent us away with ear drops, an antibiotic and instructions to give him Tylenol and Motrin every 2 hours. I met mom after she got off work so that she could take Colton home with her, so that I could run home to take a shower and to grab our things for the night. We couldn't get Colton to eat anything except ice chips last night, but at least he was getting some liquid that way. Last night he slept pretty good and he is feeling much better this morning. I've never seen him this sick before and it broke my heart to see him feel that bad. Hopefully by the time I pick him up today he is much better!

Pacifier Update!

Colton is doing great!!! Sunday night he went to sleep after crying for about 15 minutes. He woke up around 3:30am and didn't go back to sleep until around 5:00am. It was a long night but I didn't give in. Chris didn't get home until around 2am, so needless to say he was soooo tired and he wanted me to give Colton his pacifier. Monday he did great and last night he went to sleep without crying at all. He slept until 7:30am this morning as well!! I can't believe he is growing up sooo fast! He is such a big boy!

1st Trip to TCBY!

Big Daddy and Nana came over last night to have dinner with us. After dinner, we all loaded up in the car and headed to TCBY to get Colton his first Ice Cream Cone! He had a vanilla kiddie cone and he loved it! He did so good holding the cone, and he didn't let go of it until all the ice cream was gone.

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Bye Bye Paci!!

I took Colton's paci away from him yesterday morning and I am pleased to say that he hasn't had it since. Yesterday afternoon he cried for 15 minutes solid when I put him down for his afternoon nap. He did however, eventually fall sound asleep. Last night, he fell asleep on the way home and he didn't wake up during the middle of the night wanting it. :) He had a hard morning at church, however, I didn't give in and he was fine after spending some time with mommy with Sunday School. Cross your fingers that he want miss it that bad this afternoon!!