Here we are again.

What a week we have had!! I will explain much of our week, but I will also let the pictures tell most of it (don't lie, you like to skim pictures and just read the captions. Everyone does).

On Tuesday night we made the drive to Ft. Worth, Texas to visit our soon to be born nephew. Thanks to a few Dora episodes on the IPhone and a sleepy child, we had no tantrums (unless your counting my tantrums) and a pretty easy trip. By the time we got to Ft. Worth, Isabelle was passed out and we layed her down in her pack and play for the night.

On Wednesday morning we went to the hospital to wait on the arrival of our newest nephew. Our sister in law was being induced so we knew it wouldn't be a short wait. We were correct.  We did a lot of this:

. Playing Flash Cards on the iPhone

And this:

Eating a bean and cheese burrito. When in Rome right?

After over 12 hrs of waiting we all forgot our boredom when Mr. Walker was introduced into this world weighing 8 lbs.

 Isabelle was 6lbs 9oz when she was born and seeing how TINY an 8 pounder was reminded me of how quickly things change and brought tears to my eyes. I mean I completely understand the miracles of conceiving and birthing a baby, but every time I see it, I am reminded of what an awesome God we serve!

I'm a tad bit tired in this pic, so please ignore my face...concentrate on that cute, tiny little person. Ahh soo cute.  My uterus lept with baby fever and then quickly curled back up in fear when I saw what pain the new Mama Jessi was still in.

This is about as close as she would get to her new cousin. When we held him, she would sign, "all done" to us holding Walker  and then put up her arms to be held.

After late nights in the hospital visiting, Miss Isabelle was EXHAUSTED. Like I've never seen. Passed out, with no pacifier....maybe that's how I'll wean her. Just make her exhausted past words to where she doesn't even comprehend then thought of a pacifier. Mother of the year award right here!

Yes, that's my arm holding her head up. Lady is not a cuddler until she is sleepy. Then all she wants is a little skin on skin. I attribute it to nursing. Either way, it's awesome.

Just when we thought about throwing in the white towel to exhaustion, Isabelle and I flew home so we wouldn't miss the Tulsa Run and my nieces first birthday! I got 5th overall female in the 15k run with a time of 1 hr and 36 sec. I really wanted to break an hour, but it just wasn't in the cards on Saturday. Thankfully, we had a fun Saturday ahead of us to keep my mind off the race.

My niece's birthday party was Alice in Wonderland themed and it was such a BEAUTIFUL party (more pics to follow on a different day). It was a dress up party so the kids dressed up as their favorite character. I am not one for missing an opportunity to dress up Isabelle so we went with the good ol' Minnie Mouse costume.

"Allie" in Wonderland

Tea Party for Minnie Mouse and Alice in Wonderland and the Rabbit. Such a bizarre combo...like some weird, trippy, drugged out dream. But oh so cute.



Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb also decided to make and appearance.

  After the rager:

Every party has a pooper...

 On Sunday, Minnie Mouse came out again for our Fall Festival at Church but once again Minnie didn't make it to lunch time. I'm telling you it's a BIG deal when she sleeps through anything ESPECIALLY a meal. Homegirl would be so mad if she knew she missed some Schlotzky's.

Mr. T is currently melting



Sleeping in the booth during lunch 



So all in all it was a great weekend. And tonight we are going Trick or Treating at our local Aquarium and tomorrow I will do the BIG reveal for Isabelle's REAL costume. I warned you I have a crazy love for dressing kids up in Halloween garb. Isabelle has 4 different "vintage" costumes she wore this year. (I use the word "vintage" because it's the churched up version of "hand me down") 



Here we go!

Tonight we are leaving to head to Texas to welcome our new baby nephew into the world. My sister in law Jessi is being induced tonight so please keep her and baby Walker in your prayers for a safe delivery. I was induced as well, so I know what kind of road is ahead of her....hopefully involving lots and lots of drugs. Thank you Lord for Anesthesiologists.

Also keep me and Mr. T in your prayers. We are driving 4 1/2 hours with a 14 month old. Faced backwards. And not during nap time. Without the use of lots and lots of drugs. Crap.

Have you been enjoying your weather? Our weather here has been amazing. It's chilly in the morning and then warm in the afternoon. It's been so nice that Mr. T grilled our dinner last night in shorts and a t-shirt. If I could keep this weather I would and just live in a climate like California. People say, "You'd miss the seasons", but I think those people are liars. Why would I miss freezing my butt off and being snowed in for weeks or it being so hot that the CD player in your car burns and doesn't work again. Right Mr. T?

We have taught her it's better to smell the flowers than it is to pick them. You can grade her listening skills by the large amounts of flower petals on the ground.

She's at such an exploring age that everything in this world is amazing to her. Her best buddy just learned to sit up and she thinks that is amazing!

Giving words of encouragement....or a mammogram.

Telling secrets....or reporting his results.

 Thank you guys for your encouraging words on embracing the "now" and not worrying about the future. It honestly helps so much to hear those things. I am blown away at how much I feel like Isabelle is understanding and acting so much older each and every day.

There is one thing that I would like for her to get rid of though. It's a habit she's had since she was in the womb. She came out with a hickey on her arm (where a birth mark now replaces the hickey) and wanting a pacifier. She still LOVES her pacifier. How do you wean them? I don't think I can just throw them out. I'm not that tough (plus I have sensitive hearing and she yells really loudly). Any tricks of the trade you would like to pass on?

Smell fear?

You know when people say, "dogs can smell fear"? Well I think life can smell when you are really busy and so it throws more stuff on your plate as if to say, "You thought you were busy before...Ha!". That seems to be happening a LOT lately.

The race here in town that I have been training for since this summer is happening on Saturday. My baby nieces first birthday party is on Saturday, halloween parties are on Saturday, Mr. T is going to be out of town all week (including Saturday) AND we are still selling our house. Yowzers, we're busy. Too busy for anything else? "HA!" says God. My pregnant sister in law in Texas is being induced on Tuesday so we are heading up there for the week on Tuesday night and then flying home Friday night. Insanity.

Life can be overwhelming and can make me sort of wish my life away. "Life will be easier once Isabelle can communicate. Life will be easier once she can feed herself. Life will be easier when it SLOOWS down." None of those things are really going to matter. Life is hard. And it goes by fast. I have to remember to slow myself down and enjoy it. I read THIS a while back and it completely changed my way of thinking. "This too shall pass", but meaning that the good stuff is going to be gone soon and we will never have it back. I will miss the mornings Isabelle wakes up at the butt crack of dawn just so she can get in our bed and snuggle. I will miss her dirty laundry that seems to pile up so fast and I will miss the days where Mr T and I are not only figuring out marriage, but also figuring out parenting. One day we will sit on our rockers on our front porch talking about these days with tears in our eyes.

 It's all going to pass and I pray to be present.

Cousin Allie and Izzy playing together. Allie's eye had a rude first meeting with her coffee table.  

Keep my little lady in your prayers. She's not feeling so hot and has FOUR teeth coming in at the same time.

So What! Wednesday

It's that time of the week again! We've had a busy week this week, but there is always a little time for SWW.

So what if:

 I saw a 2 1/2 or 3 year old KID nursing off his mom and I was completely weirded out. Sure, the National Pediatrics blah blah blah group say nursing 2 years is best, but seeing the kid pulling up his moms shirt to nurse made me feel really awkward. That is just too much for me.

I woke up this morning with sore abs. I haven't done sit ups or any sort of crunches since high school so I can't be sore from that. The only thing I can think of that would make my stomach sore would be from laughing from watching "Bridesmaids". Mama needs to do some abs! I'm pathetic.

I eat dinner just so I can have dessert. I think I'm a 5 year old trapped in an old ladies body. This little habit might also show that I need to do some sit ups every once in a while.

I have IBS and I think dairy also upsets up stomach, but I am an icecream addict so I don't want any doctor to tell me I'm lactose intolerant. I would rather eat it and then have stomach cramps then to give it up. No lie when I said I'm an addict.

I am addicted to all things fall. I hate winter so I really hold on strong to the fall. I have been to the pumpkin patch already and I am going again today. I will probably go again when it get's closer to halloween too. Our squirrels eat our pumpkins so I need to get new ones quite often. The squirrels come into our yard to eat their pumpkin buffett and Spike get's to chase them away. Win Win!

Ok time to link up with Shannon!

Monday Morning Blues

Why is it that when you have a great weekend, it makes Monday's even worse? I don't know why I feel like I have the "blues" considering I'm a stay at home mom and I don't have to get up and get dressed for work or go to an actual office. My boss also seems to have an attitude this morning and coffee doesn't really make her feel better.

This weekend we traveled to Kansas City and Lawrence Kansas for the big OU vs. KU game. We left Saturday afternoon after we dropped Isabelle off at her Grandma's house and headed to Kansas City first to get some of our favorite BBQ. As soon as we were done gettin our grub on, we rolled ourselves to the game (I honestly looked 7 months preggo after dinner). My sister and nephew traveled all the way down from Nashville for the game. My nephew was born and raised (for 3 years) in Kansas so he does have Kansas ties even though he cheered for the Sooners. His reasoning? He was born in Kansas but made in Oklahoma. I asked him what it meant to be "made in Oklahoma" to which he answered, "Jesus put me in my mommy's tummy in Oklahoma because he knew I would be an Oklahoma Sooners fan." Can't argue with that. So Mr. T and I were the only KU fans in the family. There was a LOT of trash talking going on. Especially from this guy:

Don't let the snow cone mouth fool you. This guy can whip out some good trash talk. He did have a few breakdown's when the Jayhawks scored. He wanted a 100-0 score. Winning by 30 just wasn't quite good enough.

Our group. Notice the non-packed house at the stadium.

 Thanks Mr. T for sporting the Jayhawk shirt. You look perfect in blue.

After the beat down of my Jayhawks nail biter of a game, we headed to Kansas City to stay the night and sleep off some of the BBQ. Have you been to KC? If you want to gain 20lbs in a weekend, go visit KC. It honestly has the best restaurants of any city I've been to. We miss the restaurants since moving so we decided to wake up early and hit our favorite biscuits and gravy place and then get some shopping done. Don't you love trying on clothes after eating a HUGE meal and a few dozen cookies? Those mirrors and lights in the dressing rooms are just great to flatter the flub. Kansas City also has some Bad A shopping. They just got a Nordstroms Rack and H&M so you can look awesome while staying on a budget. WIN WIN!

We also picked up this little number for the trash talking Sooner. He loved it. Even though he had to throw in an upside down "hook em horns" sign.

After a day of grubbing and shopping we headed back to Tulsa to see our dogs and our little lady. They both had great weekends and now are experiencing some of the "Moday Blues" right along with me, except they look cuter when they're tired. I just look tired. And bloated.

Rock Chalk...err Boomer Sooner??

This weekend we are traveling to Lawrence, Ks (also known as heaven on earth) to watch my Jayhawks play my Oklahoma Sooners. That's right...you heard me just call both teams "mine." As I have stated before, I grew up a Sooners fan, but then decided to be a rebel and go to school at KU. I always cheer for the Sooners during football because let's face it, they're always good at football and no one in Kansas gives two hoot's about football. The only to my cheering rule is OU is playing KU. I cheer for my Jayhawks. My blood, sweat and tears (literally) were shed at KU and I will forever be a Jayhawk. The game starts at 8:30, which is WAYYY past Miss Isabelle's bedtime, so she is staying behind with her Gram's to cheer for the Jayhawks in her sleep. She's bad A like that.

Vintage Isabelle Pic. Circa 2010.

This time last year, she went to the game (don't gasp. The games aren't loud. No one goes to the KU games, so they are honestly more quiet than any high school game I've ever been to) and she was such a tiny tyke. This picture makes me a tad sad...I know, I'm lame.

What's on your agenda this weekend? Who are you cheering for? Or are you just cheering for any team that plays to keep your husband out of your hair for a few hours...been there. Go Cowboys???

Happy Fun Friday!

Adventures in Running

With the fall weather out in full effect, my runs have consisted of being completely in the dark. I start at around 6am and am done by 7am without seeing sunlight. This has made my runs more interesting in very different ways.

 First, I have probably thought I saw or heard a serial killer around every turn in my neighborhood. Serial killers enjoy a good jog at 6am right? They also are 70 year old couples walking golden retrievers right? These days, they're so sneaky with their tricky identities. Because of my wild imagination, I have had to stop watching scary, suspenseful shows like Criminal Minds only adding to my weird thoughts and sleepless nights. I have always been a fan of suspense shows. When I was little I used to LOVE to watch Unsolved Mysteries, but I was too scared to watch it alone, so I would recruit my mom to watch it with me. The sound of that guys voice still sends chills down my spine. Anywho..my runs seem to go by fast because I always feel like I am on the chase.

What else is different about my runs? The amount of nudity I see. Honestly, people think that when it's dark outside they are invisible. Quite the opposite my friend. When it's dark outside, but light in your house it's VERY easy for people to see inside especially when you decide to forgo the blinds. I saw a woman emptying her dish washer the other morning completely naked. Why would a person feel like that is a good idea? I understand if you sleep in the nude, but please get a little robe action on before you do your morning chores.

Mr. T saw a man making breakfast the other morning completely naked. Not only does that sound unsanitary, but it also sounds dangerous! I have burned arm hair right off my arm before while cooking bacon. I don't even wanna imagine his danger zone....I'll stop there.

Cat's are such creeps. Dogs would never violate your privacy like that.

So next time you think you don't want to run in the morning because it's too boring, think again. You can get your heart racing before you even get started and you can learn the importance of a good, supporting bra all at the same time.

So What! Wednesday

Today I am linking up with Shannon for a little So What! Wednesday.  

So what if:

• I listen to rap as soon as Isabelle's not in the car. I don't listen quietly and I don't just listen, I rap along. Sure, I'm a 26 year old married female from Oklahoma with a baby, but when I'm rapping I feel like a G. 

• I change my music immediately back to Country or Christian when Isabelle is in the car. Momma can't be raisin no gangsta. 

• I used to be a die hard Biggest Loser fan. Now I'm over it. I feel like since I've watched EVERY episode they all are starting to have the same story. Plus, it pisses me off to no end to hear women say that became overweight because they are selfless and took care of their family. So am I selfish because I work out? It makes me a better mom and wife. Ask Mr. T what it's like when I don't work out. I'm like an ADHD 8 year old on crack.

• I had a mommy's day out yesterday and decided to get a pedicure, but then quickly changed my mind when I saw a cute Kansas Jayhawk shirt in the window. Bye bye Pedicure money HELLO cute shirt!

• If my feet are like sandpaper now. I have a cute Jayhawk shirt!

• My SWW post is going to be short. I got like 4 hours of sleep last night. On a brighter note....I got some good, quiet reading time in!

Punkin Patch

Last weekend we ventured to the pumpkin patch (I know you know someone who says "Punkin". If you don't, you do now) with my brother and his family. My sister in law is a great professional photographer so it's really nice to get some good family pictures wherever we go. My ol' handy dandy iphone is great and all, but her camera really seems to do just a tad bit better.

 My little lady with some minor scratches on her head. That's what happends when you figure out that you can get from place to place a lot faster if you run. Girl takes after her mama.

 Her nervous habit. When she's feels awkward or doesn't know what else to do she just says, "Hi". It's a real ice breaker.

I'm going to have to teach her about angles. And how to look like you don't have a double chin in pictures...All in due time my lady.

 Isabelle and her cousin Allie Grace picking out pumpkins. Why yes, I did dress my daughter as a lady bug! We have 3 hand me down costumes that you can bet I'm going to use. I mean honestly, what is cuter than a kid in costume?

 Don't be scared. Isabelle is not putting Allie Grace in a sleeper hold. That is just the way she gives hugs. Again, girl is just like her mama.

 Telling secrets

Picking out pumpkins together

And a good ol' smack to the face to end the cuteness

 She was dying to feed and play with the goats. The goats were dying to nibble on those chubby little fingers.

 Me and my sweet little niece Allie.

She was dying to have a pumpkin on her head after she saw her big cousins doing it.

Our little family

 Our little family and Isabelle blowing kisses...typical.