They love each other! ... for now at least ;)

Dog Poo, part deux

So, after the "incident" with Gavin picking up some of Buddy's poo, both Ryan and I have been extremely cautious to scoop it up as we head outside. Gavin caught onto our routine about a day later...

Dad! Look right here...

Really Dad, I found another *pile* ...

See Daddy! I told you ;)

Mmm, you need any help with that?

*High Five* You're welcome Daddy.

Don't worry Mom, I'm looking for more...



Nah, you're the coolest!



The Elusive Leaf Bug

I have always been a sucker for a good animated family film-- and very close to the top of that list would be, 

 Horton Hears a Who

If you haven't seen it, you totally should-- entertaining for everyone. One of my favorite scenes is at the beginning when Horton the elephant is showing his class, a leaf bug. The leaf bug has disguised himself so well, that after some tugging and pulling, Horton decides that he must have been mistaken. It was just a real leaf and there are in fact no leaf bugs. Cue 2 seconds later, and about 100 leaf bugs are all over him.

So imagine my surprise when we found this guy hanging on our window this morning...

Pretty cool, eh? I'm not sure that he picked the best place to pull off his disguise, but it certainly gave us a great vantage point.

And just for good measure, I added some of my favorite quotes from the movie:

Horton: All right, I gotta get this speck up to the top of Mount Nool A.S.A.P, whatever that means, probably 'act swiftly, awesome pachyderm'!

Horton: I said what I meant, and I meant what I said. An elephant is faithful 100%.

Epilogue: And so, all ended well for both Horton and Who's, and for all in the jungle, even kangaroos. So let that be a lesson to one and to all; a person is a person, no matter how small.

Tug-of-War (toddler style)

Danger, Danger Will Robinson!

This attractive and stylish, oil-rubbed bronze door handle was (I thought) going to be the perfect style handle for ALL the doors in our house... Although attractive, it is sadly NOT ideal for tall toddlers. We definitely have an escape artist on our hands.

Fortunately, we've got dead-bolts on all the doors leading to the outside...

Ha! Your plan has been foiled!

Unfortunately, we don't have them on the other doors -- AND Daddy frequently forgets to use the dead-bolt (which will no longer be fail-safe after 2 more inches of growth... any recommendations??)

So, as a cautionary tale to all the soon-to-be Mommy of toddlers, invest in the slightly more complicated and far less modern round-style door handle :)

...And a few photos from before learning how to open doors

I know you're in there...

I'll give BIG kisses if you let me in...

C'mon Ma, it's hot out here!

Just a little bit of bragging...

Bryson has rolled over a few times for us, starting from that first week we had him home from the hospital. It's probably just a passing super-strong infant phase. But somewhat comical, as we had to wait a LONG time for Gavin to finally roll over. Still kinda wild though, huh? Or maybe lots newborns roll over and I just had no idea :)

Playing a little catch up...

Life is good! Can't complain too much, my one (obvious) request would be some more sleep-- but even that isn't too shabby.

We've had a few visitors since Bryson came into our world, first up- Grandma & Grandpa Goodlin

The Grandparent requirement (spoiling) continues, they brought up a very cool sand box complete with beach toys!

Love those toes!

For those who, didn't see my post on facebook, I got Gavin (and Ryan) a Transformer. His name is Stratosphere, and he actually transforms into a cargo plane, that looks pretty similar to the C-17.

I had looked for a cargo-plane toy for Gavin for a while, and this was the closest I could find. It's actually pretty perfect, Transfomers 2 was Gavin's first movie... at 2 weeks old.

 "Look how cool Mommy!"

Okay, so maybe it's a slightly advanced toy for a 16 month old -- but super-cool toys know no age limit, right?

Then we had my brother and his family up, to include my nieces - Victoria & Katherine.

Some pretty good genes, if I say so myself ;)

During our stay in Dallas last weekend for my 6 week follow up appointment, we discovered a pretty innovative park smack-dab between both sets of Grandparents (who live about 3 miles from each other).

Ms. Victoria having a blast...

 Yeah, Gavin does NOT like to swing. Which is sad, because swinging is awesome... I'm hoping this is a phase-- but I feel like he's the only kid I know, who isn't into it.

 This slide was for either VERY brave children or risk-taking adults. I'm not sure you can tell in this photo, but Ryan's butt barely fits on it, and there is NOTHING to hold you on-- and it turns!

Angela (my SIL) made it to the top - Queen of the Mountain!

Overall I am happy for the cooler weather, but a little sad that this summer is coming to a close.

I must admit, time is flying a little too fast for my liking.

Ryan now has his "I turned my head for 2 seconds AND..." story!

This morning, Ryan was playing outside with Gavin and Buddy- when he turned his head just long enough for Gavin to pick up some of Buddy's fresh dog poo in the backyard and place it into his water table :) where he then mashed it around... Eeeeewwwww!!!! I can't tell you how thankful I am that this happened on his watch, and not mine!

Do you have a "I turned my head for 2 seconds AND..." story?

Just a little sample~

Our new little bundle of joy...

I love this last photo -- it was literally the only one we were able to get of the two of them.

Gavin has a hard time sitting still- ever.

I am so excited for what the future holds for these two boys!!

Baseball, Soccer, Camping... But for now it's snuggle, cuddle & hugs :)

IT IS DECIDED...

His name is...

Bryson Connor Goodlin

I was the one who came up with Gavin Curtis, so Ryan got to choose this little ones name. It definitely took a while to find some names we both liked. After careful discussion and a few weeks of trying it out, we are finally settled! Can't wait to meet this little man =)

The end is nigh...

Baby #2 update- Ryan and I had an appointment & a class at the birth center on Saturday. The class was interesting, mostly stuff we already knew, but a refresher in all things baby is a-okay with me. I was checked for the very first time ever (I never got checked to see how dilated or effaced I was with Gavin, because he arrived the day before that appointment). The result for baby2 - the Midwife didn't get very far. Apparently my cervix is "very mushy" ... So as to not accidentally induce labor, she didn't go any further then that.
It's funny the mind games that kind of news can give you... I was obviously totally shocked when my water broke almost 3 weeks early with Gavin- but with this "knowing it could happen any second," it's making me a little crazy! For instance, I walked into the Post Office today holding Gavin and I thought to myself "what would I do, if my water broke right now? I'm wearing black pants so maybe no one would notice and I would just walk out, drive home and call Ryan." I think about that kind of scenario every hour or so - and I spend most of the night dreaming about it too. I woke up about 5 times last night to use the restroom and each time, I was certain my water was going to break on the way there.

Something else I missed out on the first time around, maternity photos! I will never forget Allison Richardson calling to confirm my appointment for the next day and I had to explain to her that I just had him that morning. Kind of bittersweet, I was obviously so excited to have Gavin in my arms, but a little sad we didn't get a chance to capture what he was looking like in the tummy. Although I wasn't really feeling a photo-shoot this pregnancy, I decided to bite the bullet and get some done anyways. After all, if it's up to Ryan, we are done adding to the clan. Hopefully, I will have some samples soon and you will all get to see some belly shots =)

In the mean time, I did some fiddling around in black & whites with my favorite muse...

Where is Gavin??

THERE HE IS!

This is a big, BIG DAY - HUGE!

The day has finally come... Gavin's very first tooth is here!!

Let it be known, that on July 29th, 2010 at 1 year, 2 months & 2 days old, Gavin finally got his first tooth!
This is truly momentous, we thought this day would never come =)

Okay... I know you can barely see it - BUT IT'S THERE!

I think we might throw a special party this weekend. Maybe have a cake in the shape of a tooth!

NOT cool...

So, last night I was walking into our bathroom to find -what I seriously thought was a rodent...

But no, it was just a HUGE spider. Almost every time I have Ryan come check out a spider, he tells me "Don't worry, that's just a wolf spider. They're good, they eat other bugs." This answer pacified me UNTIL last night. After I got a couple close ups on this thing, I decided to do a little research... This is what I found:

"The bite of the Wolf Spider is poisonous but not lethal. Although non-aggressive, they bite freely if provoked and should be considered dangerous to humans. The bite may be very painful. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, particularly as to children or the elderly."

So I am pretty sure I don't want these in my house! Apparently they are nocturnal- but what if he's crawling on me while I sleep and I inadvertently provoke him??

I mean, check out these beady, glowing eyes!!

Just looking at these pictures gives me the heebee jeebeez!

The story here...

For the last few days Ryan has had night flights, where he will get in around 3am and (attempt to) sleep until 11am or so. The first day, I was able to keep our door shut and Gavin had no clue that Daddy was home, sleeping behind that door. Sadly for Ryan, the "cat was outta the bag" fairly quickly... So the rest of this week, about 20-30 minutes after Gavin wakes up, he's knocking on our bedroom door. As I am sure all you Moms & Dads can relate, your giggling toddler is kinda hard to resist - especially for Ryan, as his schedule hasn't coordinated well with Gavin's wake times.

All that to say, this is why Ryan is wearing his night shade (and no shirt)!

Gavin on the other hand, started to insist on "No Mommies aloud when Daddy is around." Which might hurt my feelings usually, except that I can totally relate to how precious time with Daddy is. Occasionally, we will love on each other in front of Gavin for 2 reasons - 1. Because we've read some theories and understand the importance of showing affection in front of your little one(s). And 2. Because teasing a toddler can be fun :).
So, as I was coming in a little too close for comfort with the camera, Gavin gave the "Stop right there Mommy" signal just as I snapped the shutter...

For whatever reason, this photo totally cracks me up :)

More photo editing fun! Gavin is a pretty easy muse...

Gavin's 1st tricycle ride!

I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to share videos. The quality isn't so great here, but after uploading from the iphone, to youtube, to our blog - I guess I can't expect much better :) Any advice on this?

And so the journey continues...

Well, I am having a hard time coming up with more to say on my previous thread... The struggle to get healthy continues, however there isn't much I can expand on until after the baby comes and I am able to really document my weight loss endeavors. In the mean time, I have decided to start using the gym at around 8pm during the week. If any of you living in Altus are interested in joining me, I would love the company =)

I'm going to copy one of my friends blogs and tell you my (current) favorite kitchen gadget! As I have started dicing and chopping more and more (skills which come even more necessary once you have a toddler), my knives have become duller and duller. Which is obviously annoying for several reasons: unsafe, slower, can't mimic the chefs on Food network... Anyhow, I began looking for easier ways to sharpen a knife that require almost NO skill. I FOUND IT! The AccuSharp Knife Sharpener - it's amazing. For only $10 and a Lifetime Warranty, I am getting an excellent blade on all my knives in the house! And yes, I actually pulled out all my knives and started sharpening, it was just too easy and dare I say, fun.

If you like a good, sharp knife on the fly - this is the way to go... Geez, I should be their spokeswomen. :)

Speaking of new toys, I recently got Photoshop 8- so I will leave you with a photo that I did a little editing on yesterday. Although I was able to remove the scratch on his nose and the bug bite on his cheek, the lingering bruise on his forehead remains. Oh well, gotta document some of these battle wounds.

(Look Ma, still no teeth!)

My chipmunk...

I just added the photos of Gavin on the right side... Do you think he was storing some nuts in those cheeks for winter??

Where should I go from here...

Nothing like a 12 month well-baby checkup, vaccines & some blood drawn to knock a toddler out!

(My three boys ~ I took this pic last night on my phone)

Now that I have had a day or two to think about what I would like to share/blog about with a few close friends, I've decided that what I actually need, is some accountability... Recently, after visiting with the Midwife that we decided to use for the birth of our second born (still unnamed), I got a renewed desire to get healthy and fit -or as fit as I can be, being 7 months pregnant.

I'm not going to try and hide behind the truth (or maybe a little), but after Gavin was born, I let most of my energy revolve around him. Which might be acceptable the first 3 months, but not after that. You see, God has blessed me with many things, one of them being a child that takes 2 solid naps a day. Offering me plenty of time to get off my tail and move! Unfortunately, there are many excuses as to why I hadn't already done this. First there was the move from Charleston to Altus that resulted in a lot of crappy take-out, then there was the (unanticipated) 1st trimester exhaustion, followed by the very slow setup of our new home... I could probably go on and on with more excuses. All of that to say, I started off 20 pounds heavier then I should have been at the beginning of this pregnancy.

Obviously, my current goal couldn't be weight loss... so I am focusing on watching what I eat and staying off my rear! As with any new project, I needed some tools -- I've started (once again) using the LoseIt! app on my phone to help monitor how many and what type of calories I am consuming. AND my new favorite toy -- the GoWear Fit armband.

It's kind of a glorified pedometer - yet so much more. This nifty little device tracks the steps I take, the calories I burn, and the amount/quality of sleep I am getting. The main catch is that you have to sign up for a monthly service plan to use the online program that tracks all your info. However, they are nice enough to start you off with a 3 month free trail. For all you Biggest Loser fans out there, this is made by the same company as the BodyBugg.

I've now worn this contraption for 4 days and I can tell you that so far, it is worth every penny! Each day I plug it into my computer with better results then the day before, i.e. more steps taken. As with any toy, I am sure the newness will eventually wear off. But as for now, this device and my new blog are going to track my journey to success!

Now there is a way to share all my info with Facebook, but I'm not really prepared to have that many people know THAT much of my business. I'm going to see if I can post my results here somehow...

Stand by for more to come!!

Must UPDATE BLOG!

SOOO, maybe blogging isn't for me afterall... Nevertheless, I am going to give it another shot!

... As soon as Gavin goes down for a nap... :)