Hmmmmm...

Hello friends! I've been contemplating lately. I've been thinking about changing our kitchen, yet once again. It's really bugging me and I dunno why.
Remember that I love the show Parenthood? I LOVE their kitchen as in would LOVE for our kitchen to look like that. Watch this 30 second commercial on their kitchen. Don't ya just love it?
Okay..maybe I'm obsessed with that show..just maybe?

Or there is always the Father of the Bride kitchen...it's dreamy too!
And I LOVE this one too!Please don't get me wrong...I AM NOT wanting to spend millions of dollars for a re-do, just some new accessories along the way. A girl can dream, right?!

One trend I'm seeing in ALL the kitchens...a hanging pot rack. Okay, I need to get one of those!

Baby Needs- Top Picks

Hello Friends! Anderson and I have a nice day at home with me cleaning and him reading lots of books. Go check out the cute video of him today at the bottom of this post! ;)
My friend Candice who is due with her first little boy(in about 90 or less days) is having a giveaway over at her blog. You can visit her here. She was wanting to know good things or bad things you need for babies. And maybe you were wanting to know too!:)
Here are my top picks for baby needs:

1. We used Dr. Brown's bottles. To some people they are really annoying, but I loved them, because they have a tube inside the bottle itself(which is extra cleaning time for you)These bottles reduce colic(b/c it reduced gas)

2. You have to have a bottle drying rack. To start off with, I just put out a towel and let them dry like that. But that took up MEGA counter space. So this is a super idea. Wished I would have thought it up.3. When Anderson was first born, we didn't think we needed a bottle warmer. Uhhhh...yeah you do. Do NOT use a microwave(it will leave hotspots in the milk) This bottle warmer heats bottles up to the perfect temperature in just 3 minutes. Awesomeness!

4. Monitor- We have this t.v. monitor and I LOVE it! I can see Anderson at any time in his bed(he's in black and white) I can hear him well and see him clearly. Only downside is that see this camera right here in his bed, well when they get old enough they can move it around and so all you see is the ceiling, but you can still here them. This one is a Safety 1st and runs about $250.00 but is WORTH IT!

5. Diaper wipes warmer and diaper pail. I'm gonna admit that I really thought the wipes warmer was a DUMB idea at first, but Anderson HATED the cold wipes. So this really helped out a lot.

The diaper pail we got is the Diaper Genie II, I think it runs about $35 but the replacement bags around $6 and those last every month. This diaper pail REALLY keeps the stink out! Caution for people with dogs, if don't push the diaper all the way down in the pail, the dogs can get them out and ours LOVE to eat dirty diapers...YUCK!

6. Our course every body has a diaper change table, but I liked the idea of these baskets(got them at Target in the baby section) and I put his diapers and cream in them. And on the bottom of the change table his books.

7. And last but not least. You JUST HAVE to get these great books. I started reading Goodnight Moon to Anderson when he was just 6 days old! These are my favorite children authors :
1. Sandra Boyton
2. Eric Carle
3. Margaret Wise, Goodnight Moon is a MUST!!

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I wanted to post a video of Anderson on here. We sing our daily 50's songs, I dunno why I started singing 50's songs...I wasn't even alive then. I just LOVE the music. As usual, please don't listen to my wonderful singing! Ha!

Hodge Podge

Hello friends! Don't you just love Spring? We do. It's so much better than Winter! Look how much prettier our yard looks when everything is just green.
Which makes me LONG to have a yard like my mom. Seriously....that yard!!!

Did I mention my mom is retiring? Yep, she is. 38 years at the Medical Center in Dothan. Hopefully she's gonna come hang with us some this summer. She and Bob(my stepdad) are coming out in 2 weeks and we are going to Sea World.

Yay for Sea World and Yay for San Antonio. My favorite city!
Okay...I'm back from my ADD moment.
It's too much fun to get out in the yard and water and have Anderson beg for the "waterfall"! Ha!
He LOVES being outside and so do I.
If you have kids still in diapers. Have you tried these?They are Target's brand of diapers. They are called Up and Up. I LOVE them. I'm usually a snob when it comes to skimping and cutting corners with Anderson. But, Anderson has worn Pampers for the first 2 years of his life and I tried these and they are just as good or better than Pampers. They only cost $13.05 for 82 diapers and Pampers cost $19.98.

Go watch Parenthood tonight on NBC at 9p.m.! ;) It's my fav!!

Sunny Days

Hello friends! It's been beautiful and sunny here all weekend and we've probably been outside 75% of the whole weekend! Delightful!
On Saturday, Adam, Anderson and I took a trip over to Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens. It was perfect weather for it too.
These botanical gardens are just HUGE. I've never seen anything like it before! I guess everybody else had the same idea, because it was really crowded. But we didn't mind, it was still really nice.
This is the biggest hydrangea I've ever seen!
Today, Anderson and I went over to story time again at the library. He just loves it and it's good socialization for him, since I don't have him in a Mother Morning Out kind of deal.
When we came back home, he has started saying "back yard" over and over again. That is where his swing set is and he could seriously LIVE out there. :) Can you tell how happy it makes him??!Even Gus and Annabelle were interested in playing in the tree house too.
And yes... Anderson INSISTED that I come in the "tunnel"(under the tree house) and play. :) It was a tight fit getting out though. Ha!

Anderson's 2nd birthday party in pictures

Hello friends! Yesterday was Anderson's 2nd birthday. I will show you how the day unfolded in pictures!
You know I can't just let the pictures do the talking...so a little commentary;) Anderson and I went to the Ft. Worth Zoo yesterday...it's his favorite thing to do.
Anderson and his birthday present from us, my mom and Bob, and Adam's parents.We had a little birthday party (again) for Anderson. We invited our sweet neighbors over from across the street and there were 5 children there. Anderson and the kiddos had a blast! We LOVE our living in our neighborhood! The people here are so good to us.We are a little under the weather today. Anderson woke up vomiting last night around 3a.m. He's been my little cuddle bug all day today. But, I think he's on the mend!

To Anderson on His 2nd Birthday

I woke up this morning thinking about my Anderson on his 2nd birthday. And a flood of emotions overwhelmed me. I began thinking about what a gift God has blessed us with in Anderson . Two years ago, I was in the hospital waiting, waiting, waiting for you to come. I thought the day would NEVER get here and yet how did it come so fast? When I delivered you through c-section, I remember waiting to hear you cry and when you did...it was the happiest moment of my life. I said a thankful prayer right there while the doctor was sewing me up. They took you to NICU since your lungs were "wet" and I remember thinking would I ever get to hold you.
I think I slept maybe 30 minutes the WHOLE night waiting and wondering about you and longing to hold you. The next morning, when I saw you. You were hooked up to a breathing machine and I remember thinking "wow" nothing else, but "wow". I was in AWE. When I held you I knew I would LOVE you forever. Your Dada and I had never felt unconditional love like that.

The past two years have been a whirlwind. And the BEST two years of my life. I look at you sometimes and see so much of your Dada in you and then see so much of myself in you...hard headed youngin'. You are truly my heart and soul. And I have never been the same since you have came in our life.
I LOVE you Anderson!

Too sleepy and kinda giddy

Hello friends! I'm not my chipper ole' self today. Our electricity went off last night and it woke Anderson up at 2a.m. He didn't go back to sleep until 6 a.m. and neither did I or Adam. We are EXHAUSTED!! I'm not quite sure what he's doing. Maybe since he's going to be the BIG 2 tomorrow he is going through the motions of being an infant again(just for remembering sake;) Kind of a sign to me...you don't want another baby ANY TIME SOON! Ha!

I was too tired to take pictures today(cause I feel like a mac truck ran over me) and so I have no pictures of Anderson.

I want to share this sweet email from one of my former students that I got today on my facebook account, just cause I get to feeling sorry for myself sometimes and think I'm not a good mom or good at anything else either. Let me give you a little background on her. She was in teh 6th grade when I taught her and she was FULL of attitude and SPUNK! She is being raised by a single mom with 5 other girls and her mom is a great mom. She has always kept those girls in line and very respectful.

I was ALWAYS very hard and strict with my students(especially at the first middle school I taught at) it was an all African American(VERY POOR) middle school and there was little ole' me who was...well. As white as they come. I had to learn to get strict and I did. At lunch I would make the girls place their napkins in their laps and keep their elbows off the table kinda thing ;) Hey, the learning never stops. And I figured, some of those girls didn't get that at their home.

I'll stop now and let you read what Fredriatta says. I can't help it, I know you're not supposed to feel prideful, but I just do, reading this. It made my day~possibly my whole week. Boy, God always knows exactly what we need at exactly the right times!

Fredriatta says:
omg let me start off by saying i wouldnt have never thought i would see the day lol i mean i cant stop smiling or shaking my head in disbelief lol i honestly just wanna say that its an honor to look back on everything that was said and done sixth grade year to me was really worth it and that everything you taught me and my peers have really paid off in the long run and i know that this seems to be sort of long but i just cant believe it i left mcintyre thinking i would never see or even hear of you again but god is good and this is the highlight of my day mrs.mccord and ericas last name is alloway and i thought you would have forgotten me!!!!