Our Adventure called Life

Long fingers that looked like she should have taken piano lessons at some point in her life. Fair skin that required loads of sunscreen for anytime spent outdoors. Cool skin that always felt wonderful on a feverish head. Slightly bitten nails she would try to hide from others. These are my mother’s hands. My mother’s hands are a direct extension of her heart. These hands held me when I was little. They shooshed me when I was upset. They held my hands tight keeping me safe. They would pull me away from danger or give a gentle push when I needed encouragement. They helped me hold books and handed me toys. They cleaned me and fed me. They would write me notes that found their way into my lunch box. They braided my hair and helped me tie my shoes. They wiped away tears and applauded me when I had done something good. They taught me to make clover chains and how to hand over a credit card. These hands that raised me are now caring for the hands that raised them. Those hands now take car...

 2 Month Old Paisley Andrew Another month has already come and gone.  If anyone has found the secret to keeping their little ones little, now would be a great time to let me in on the secret.  In some ways, it seems like it was just yesterday I was on the operating table waiting to hear that first little cry.  In other ways, it feels like P has been a part of our lives forever.  But, in all reality, the little guy is 2 months old.  2 months.... Stats at birth :       S tats at 1 month:         S tats at 2 month :            6lbs. 5.9oz           8lbs. 12oz                     11lbs. 19 inches long      21 inches long    ...

Scott & Little Scott It's been awhile since I posted a song that summed up our lives.  The song below could bring tears to my eyes during pregnancy.  These days when I hear it, I can only smile.  Here is our song to our baby boy... Anything Like Me By Brad Paisley I remember sayin' I don't care either way Just as long as he or she is healthy, I'm okay And then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen And said, "You see that thing right there? Well, you know what that means" I started wondering who he was going to be And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me He'll probably climb a tree too tall and ride his bike too fast End up every summer wearin' something in a cast He's gonna throw a ball and break some glass In a window down the street He's gonna get in trouble, oh, he's gonna get in fights I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback I...

The moment I heard the first scream come out of my sons lungs, my life was forever changed.  Along the journey of becoming pregnant, I read a few books, cruised a few webpages, and spoke to other Moms about having a baby.  Inevitably, there are things that no one tells you.  There are things you simply must learn as you go.  Here are a few of the things I've learned in the past 7 weeks 5 days; 1.  You can and will spend entire days doing nothing but staring into the face of your child.  And that's ok.  2.  People say "Sleep when the baby sleeps."  Sometimes that's possible, sometimes you've got to get up and do laundry.  3.  Sleep deprivation is a real thing....and it makes you a little crazy.  And forgetful.  4.  2 A.M. is a little lonely, but also very peaceful. 5.  When you try to think of a lullaby to sing, they all escape you.  It's alright to substitute popular hits from the 80's and 90's. ...

Some probably thought the idea was a little crazy...I mean how many people take their 6 week old camping?  Pre-Paisley, Scott and I made a promise to one another that just because we were becoming parents did not mean we had to stop going on adventures and experiencing life in various ways.  With our favorite time of the year upon us, Scott and I decided there was no time like the present to introduce Paisley to the great outdoors.  Packing to take an infant camping was a little more time consuming than if just Scott and I were going, but the end results were completely worth it.  Our biggest dilemma was where P would sleep.  Scott and I have spent the last couple of years camping under his camper shell on a mattress, but we couldn't just let P curl up next to us.  We experimented with putting him in a large shoe box, a plastic tote (without the lid obviously), and finally figured we would take the top portion of his bassinet an...