I am going to be OUTNUMBERED very soon!!!

Yes, folks, it is official: at the end of August, Whit is going to have a baby BROTHER!!!!! When I was 15.5 weeks along, I went in for an ultrasound to make sure that the cyst on my left ovary had gone away because the size of it at my 8 week ultrasound was a bit worrisome. Luckily, I found out that it had completely disappeared, which was great news. The technician then asked if I wanted to find out the sex of the baby. I was shocked b/c I didn't find out with Whit until I was 20 weeks along. I didn't even know you could tell the gender that early. I asked the technician that question, and she said that if the baby was in a certain position, she could give a very educated guess. Even though Scott was not with me at the appt, I went ahead and told her I wanted to find out b/c I couldn't not know! She told me that she was very confident that it was a boy, but when I went in for another ultrasound at 24 weeks for the full anatomy check, we found out with 100% certainty that we are definitely expecting another little boy! My due date was also changed from September 4 to August 28 b/c apparently, they miscalculated it by one week. We decided to name our new little one Graham Wesley Vasey. Graham is my dad's middle name, and Wesley is Scott's dad's first name, so we went with a family name this time. Graham is one active little boy, I can tell you that! Whit moved around a lot, too, but he was usually active at night when I was lying down. Graham moves around all day, which is always a nice reminder that he is doing well! So far, my pregnancy has been free of any real complications. I had pretty bad morning sickness for the first 17 weeks, and I have recently started having bad heartburn again, but besides that and the usual fatigue, things are going well. It is hard to believe that in 3 short months, Scott and I will have TWO children!! We are getting soooo excited about baby Graham's arrival, but we are also cherishing the time we have with just Whit as well. This Saturday, Scott and I are taking our first ever trip without Whit. I have never been apart from Whit for more than a few hours since he was born, so this will be tough for me, but I am SO excited!!! We are flying to NYC on Saturday morning, and we will return on Tuesday afternoon. Whit is going to be staying with Scott's parents for part of the time and with my parents for the other part, so he will be very spoiled, I'm sure! We are going to see a Broadway play one night, we're going to a Mets game with my cousins who live on Long Island, and we also plan to do a lot of just walking around and enjoying the city! I will tell you all about the big trip when we return, and hopefully, Blogger will be better about letting me post pictures of our adventure!

Postponing Mother's Day...

All last week, I was so excited about spending my second Mother's Day with my two favorite boys. I knew Scott had cooked up a whole plan for the day, and I couldn't wait to see what he had in store for me! Unfortunately, at about 4:30am on Friday morning, I woke up with a horrible stomachache, and by 7:00am, I could not stop vomiting. When Scott went to retrieve Whit from his crib, he found that Whit had also thrown up a couple of times, which he has NEVER done before. Luckily, Scott was able to take the day off, and he cared for Whit while I was busy with bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. (I apologize for the graphic nature of this post!) It was such a long and painful day. The only bright part was that Whit was in great spirits the entire day. He didn't throw up any more after those initial morning ones, but he did have diarrhea throughout the day. On Saturday morning, of course, Scott woke up with the exact same stomach bug, and he and I had to take turns caring for Whit while feeling miserably. On Sunday morning, we ended up having to take Whit to Scottish Rite because he couldn't stop throwing up, and we were scared of dehydration. This was our first ever trip to the ER, and of course, it was on Mother's Day. While we were in the patient room, Whit threw up on me twice, and he had diarrhea on me once. It was certainly a Mother's Day I will never forget, to say the least! Luckily, we found out that he was not dehydrated and not running a fever. They gave us some anti-nausea medicine and sent us on our way. They also said that they have seen tons of cases of this bug lately, and it is a nasty one! Throughout the day, Whit started feeling better and better, and he never threw up again. His diarrhea was gone by early Sunday evening, too. Now we are all healthy again, thank goodness, and my Mother's Day has been postponed to this Saturday. Having this stomach bug really made me appreciate good health, and I am so thankful that this is the sickest Whit has ever been. I have the utmost respect for all the parents out there who have children who are chronically ill. They are truly the unsung heroes of the parenting world.

Welcome to the World, Mary Kathryn!!!

Little Miss Mary Kathryn Nagode entered the world (5 days late!) on Monday, May 4, 2009 at about one o'clock in the afternoon. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz, and she and Bree are doing just great! I went to the hospital yesterday to visit them, and I couldn't believe how beautiful or small she looked! I haven't held a newborn in almost a year...you really forget how tiny they are! Being at Northside and seeing Mary Kathryn definitely got me even more excited about welcoming our little bundle of joy at the end of August!!! Many congratulations to Bree, Doug, and Mackenzie! We can't wait to see little MK again soon.

A (Very) Belated Easter Post

So, this is now my third and final attempt to load some pictures from Easter onto Blogger, but it is being SO slow that I only have patience to load two sorry! Easter 2009 was absolutely wonderful. After a visit from Easter Bunny #1, who brought Whit a new smocked summer outfit, a pair of shoes, a new sippy cup, and a few books, we went to brunch and had an Easter egg hunt over at Scott's parents' house. Whit was much more interested in throwing the eggs and running around everywhere, but maybe next year, he'll actually want to place the eggs into his basket. His 16 month old cousin, Alexia, definitely beat him in the egg gathering contest for sure! After the hunt was over, we went inside to see what Easter Bunny #2 brought Whit. He received a ball with dinosaurs all over it, which is currently his favorite toy. He also got a new book, a plush Peter Rabbit doll, an Elmo coloring book, a stuffed animal duck, and probably some other items I am forgetting. After a delicious brunch with the whole extended Vasey fam, we headed over to my parents' house for Easter dinner and to see what Easter Bunny #3 brought. Whit got a new mini football and several new outfits to wear this summer, so all in all, he definitely made out like a bandit! We enjoyed a terrific dinner with my whole family and then went home and put a tuckered out Whitster to bed. It was an extremely full and wonderful day!

15 Month Stats!

On Saturday, April 11, Whit turned 15 months, so we went to the pediatrician on Tuesday for his check-up. Here are his stats:

weight: 24 lbs. 12 3/4 oz. (50th percentile)
height: 31.5 inches (75th percentile)

Sorry, I can't remember his head measurements, but I know they were around the 50th percentile as well. Dr. Douglass said that Whit looks to be in perfect health, and she doesn't need to see us back until his 18 month well check-up. Yay! I know I have said this over and over, but I really can't believe it has been 15 months already, yet I don't really remember life without Whit. He has been the best thing to ever happen to us, and he becomes more and more fun and loving every day! We love you more than we could have ever imagined, sweet baby!

Although Whit technically only has 8 teeth right now, there are about three more that are dying to make an appearance, so our poor baby has been in some pain lately. Two of the teeth are his one year molars, and those are supposed to be two of the most painful ones to get in, so here's hoping they break through very soon!

I have been trying and trying to post pictures from Easter, but Blogger has been extremely slow, so hopefully, I will be able to get that done this week. :)

Amelia Island Trip!!!!!

At long last, I am back!!!! I am completely over my nausea now and ready to get back into the blogging world. Yay! On April 4-11, Scott and I took Whit to Amelia Island for Spring Break, and we had an absolutely fantastic time!!! We stayed at a condo right on the beach, and the weather was sunny every day, which was wonderful. Most days, it was between 75-80 degrees, but there were two cooler/windy days mixed in as well. My sister flew in on Wednesday at about noon and rode back with us on Saturday morning, so we got to spend some quality time with her, and it was so much fun. Whit loved running around on the beach, but he was not a big fan of the actual ocean because it was freezing! Anyway, the condo we stayed at was very cute and decorated in a beachy theme, which I loved. We had so much fun playing on the beach, going into the historic town and walking around, enjoying homemade ice cream, and of course, shopping! I found this adorable kids' clothing store called Twisted Kidz, and they had gorgeous smocked shortalls for boys that I had not seen anywhere else. I bought Whit one blue-green smocked shortall with sea turtles, and I ordered two other outfits because they only had one shortall in the 18 month size at their store. We also enjoyed some yummy seafood and one of the best pizzas I have ever tasted! Scott and I were able to have one nice dinner out while Hillary baby-sat Whit, so that was very nice. We also took a romantic walk on the beach after dinner, which is one of my all-time favorite things to do at the beach. The week went by so quickly, but we really did have such a fabulous time. It wasn't as relaxing as we had first thought it might be because our 15 month old constantly wanted to run around and explore everything, but this age is just so cute that we didn't mind a bit. Above are pictures taken from my old Canon PowerShot camera and my new camera that I got for my birthday, which I LOVE!!!! It is a Canon EOS Rebel XSi, and I don't know why we didn't get it sooner because it is awesome! Spring Break 2009 was the best one yet! :)

Can't Wait for a Fantastic Fall!!!!

So, blog readers, I must confess that the real reason I have been so bad about blogging regularly is because I am PREGNANT!!!!! Today, I have completed 12 full weeks, so hopefully, we are out of the danger zone of miscarriage now. With Whit, I threw up almost every single day for three months, which was torture, but it was summer break, so at least I could stay in bed. This time, even though I did not throw up much at all, it has probably been even tougher because I have had a very active 13 month old to take care of, so there has been no wallowing in bed for me! I am hopeful that all of my nausea will soon be gone completely, which will be quite a relief, to say the least. Once again, Scott and I were blown away when I took a pregnancy test on December 23rd because my period was late, and it came back positive. We had planned to start trying this summer at the earliest, but this pregnancy is such a blessing! Whit and the new baby will be about 20 months apart, which makes me extremely nervous at times, but I am so excited about adding to our family. I think Whit will make a superb big brother, and I can't wait to find out whether he will have a baby brother or sister. There are so many pros to each sex, so we really don't have a preference either way. We found out the sex last time at 20 weeks, so I am guessing the timeline will be the same again. I wish I could be patient enough to be surprised in the delivery room, but I am way too much of a planner and way too impatient for that!

Whit Playing in the Park!

First off, please allow me to apologize yet again for being a bad blogger. I have been feeling so poorly and run down lately, so I have been just plain lazy about updating this bad boy. Anyway, on Friday, the weather was absolutely beautiful-sunny and high of about 60. Scott, Whit, and I met my friend, Mandi, at Newtown Park for Whit's belated 12 month photos. Mandi is a girl I used to teach with at Autrey Mill, and she is also quite a talented photographer. Above are some pictures of Whit having a blast at the park.

A Successful Surgery!!!!

Yesterday, our prayers were answered because the ear tube procedure went perfectly! Whit now has tubes in both ears, and we are very much hoping that this is the end of the many ear infections. The surgery was scheduled for 9:10am, but we had to be there 2 hours early. I was nervous about how Whit was going to behave because we weren't allowed to give him anything to eat after midnight. I thought he might get really fussy because the boy does love to eat, but luckily, the waiting room was chock full of amazing toys. Scott and I just played and played with Whit until it was time to get him suited up for surergy. Those toys sure were a wonderful distraction, to say the least! Whit didn't fuss once because he was too busy having fun. Once we got called back, I had to put this tiny gown on him, and I got teary because it hit me even more that my baby was about to be given anesthesia and actually operated on for the first time. They let one of us go back with him just while they were putting him under, so I got to make sure that he was really "out" before they started the surgery. Luckily, it only took Dr. Thomsen about 10 minutes to clear out the fluid in the left ear, (the right ear was clear) and to put tubes in both ears. When they brought Whit back to us, he was asleep, but when the nurse started checking his vital signs to make sure he was okay, that woke him up, and he was insanely fussy for about 15 minutes while the anesthesia wore off. He was so confused and out of it, and I felt incredibly badly for him. As soon as I nursed him, he calmed right down, and then we were able to leave. All in all, I was extremely pleased with Scottish Rite and all of their staff. They took wonderful care of our son, and we are so thankful that everything turned out great. For the rest of the day, Whit was in great spirits and ate like a heavyweight boxer! He even slept his usual 12 hours last night, and he woke up in a terrific mood this morning, too. We have to put ear drops in his left ear twice a day for three days, but after that, we are free and clear. Hooray!

Whit's Surgery :(

Last Monday, I took Whit in for his 12 month check-up, and we found out that he weighs 23 lbs. and is 30.5 inches tall, which puts him in the 50th percentile for weight and the 50-75th percentile for height. Everything looked great until they checked his ears and found out he had a double ear infection! That news was upsetting enough, but what was even worse was knowing that because he got yet another ear infection, he would have to get tubes in both ears. We went to our pre-op appointment at the ENT on Thursday morning, and Whit's ear tube surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at Scottish Rite. They are going to call us this afternoon to let us know his surgery time, but they take kids from the youngest to the oldest, so I'm pretty sure his will be done early in the morning. We are supposed to be there 1 1/2-2 hours before the surgery start time, so it will be a very early start to the morning. Even though I know the surgery only takes 15 minutes, and our ENT does this procedure all the time, I am still so nervous and feel sick to my stomach every time I think about my baby going under anesthesia. Please, please pray that everything goes smoothly tomorrow. I am really hoping that these tubes will allow Whit to live an ear infection-free life from now on. Bless his heart...since September, he has had at least 6 ear infections that I can think of off the top of my head. I will try to update the blog as soon as we get home from the surgery.

Whit's 1st B-Day Party, Sesame Street Style!

Please forgive me for not blogging in a really long time. We have all been sick in the Vasey family with bad colds, sore throats, ear infections, etc., but we seem to all be on the mend now, thank goodness. Whit's Sesame Street first birthday party was a roaring success!! At first, he wasn't so sure about his cake because he got very upset when I tried to put his birthday hat on his head (big mistake!), but as soon as I gave up and just gave him his mini cake, he loved it!! At one point, he realized that his hands weren't doing a fast enough job getting the cake and frosting into his mouth, so he just bent down and tried to put the entire cake in his mouth! It was hysterical!!! We had tons of family and friends join us to celebrate Whit's big day, and it was so wonderful sharing this milestone with the people who matter most to us. My friend, Katie, who has 2 small children, told me that I would get teary when everyone started to sing happy birthday to Whit, and she was exactly right!!! I just started thinking about all that has happened in the last year and how absolutely amazing it has been to watch Whit grow into this happy, healthy toddler! He is such a sweet, curious, adventurous, loving baby, and I know this next year is going to be even more fun and magical! Here are some pics from Whit's party. My friend, Mandi, who is a professional photographer, also took pictures at the event, but I haven't seen them yet. As soon as she burns me a CD, I will post them. For now, these are the definitely less than professional shots! :)

The Big Day is Tomorrow!!!!

Tomorrow is Whit's first birthday party, and Sunday is his actual birthday!!! I have been busy planning his party for a while now, and I am so excited that the big day is almost upon us!!!! I am going to keep the party pretty low-key because it is his first birthday; there will be plenty more in the future for me to go hog wild on, I'm sure!!! Guests are arriving to our Sesame Street themed party at 11:00am, and then we will serve lunch: Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets, high roller deli wheel sandwiches, pasta salad, cheese and crackers, and for dessert, Sesame Street cake, of course! I was going to attempt to make Whit's small cake and the cake for the rest of our guests, but I haven't felt great this week, so I broke down and ordered the cake from Publix instead, and they are throwing in a small cake for Whit free! After lunch, we will let the babies play for a while-besides Whit, there will also be Alexia (13 months), Mackenzie (10 months), Wills (8 months), Pippa (12 months), and Wyatt (almost 5 months) in attendance. There will be about 30 adults there total, so we will definitely have a full house, which is just the way I like it!! I bought all sorts of Sesame Street themed first birthday stuff-plates, napkins, an Elmo balloon, cups, a Happy Birthday banner, so I think we are set!! I can't believe my baby boy is turning ONE this weekend!!! Aaaaahhhhh! The best year of my life by far has flown by, and I can only hope that the rest of Whit's childhood slows down a bit because I don't want it to be gone in the blink of an eye!!! Besides Whit's birthday party, we also have a baby shower, a birthday dinner party, and a baby dedication for our niece to attend this weekend, so it is going to be CRAZY busy around here! Please check back in a few days for lots of Whit's party pics!

Happy New Year!!!!!!

Is 2008 really over already?!? This year has truly flown by like no other. I can honestly say that while 2008 was the best year of my life, I think 2009 will be even better! I do remember that the first 10 days of 2008 were extremely uncomfortable because I was soooo ready to have Whit!! I was huge, I had horrible heartburn, I couldn't sleep because I had to pee every 5 seconds, and my back was killing me. Once January 11th hit, though, the year suddenly got incredible, and it has continued to become even more wonderful every day. Having Whit completely changed my life, and he has filled me with such overwhelming love and joy. I remember a few hours after having him, I felt so overcome with love that I thought I was going to burst! This year has also been extra special because I got to see my husband transform into the most loving and amazing father, and that has made me fall in love with him over and over again! 2008 was definitely a year for having babies! Tons of people I know were also blessed with babies...Bree, and her husband, Doug, welcomed Whit's best friend, Mackenzie, on March 4th, Michele, and her husband, Will, welcomed precious Wills into the world on May 8th, my friend, Jenny, and her husband, Adam, welcomed adorable Wyatt on August 18th, Lizzie and Mitch welcomed Olivia on November 2nd, Stephanee and Ryan had Julia on November 18th, and Steph and Dan just welcomed Baby Daniel on December 28th, 2 minutes before Steph's birthday! Whoa! There are tons of people having babies in 2009 as well, so there is a lot to look forward to. Andrea is due January 23rd, Amy is due February 16th, Tania is due March 31st, Bree is due April 30th, and Linda is due June 11th. Hooray for a wonderful 2008, and I can't wait to see what 2009 has in store for our family! Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy New Year! (By the way, if you are wondering, the pics at the top are just some random ones of Whit enjoying some of his new toys!)

Merry (Very Belated) Christmas!

I cannot believe it is now New Years Day, and I have not even blogged about Christmas yet! In my defense, our internet was down for over a week. Anyway, the Vasey family had a wonderful first Christmas with Whit! On Christmas Eve, we headed over to Scott's parents' house for the annual Christmas Eve dinner with the whole Vasey clan, my sister, my sister-in-law's mom, and my brother-in-law's new girlfriend. My parents were unable to attend b/c my mom came down with a nasty 24 hour bug the day before Christmas Eve. It was so cute watching Whit and Alexia play together as always, even though they always seem to want the same toy at the exact same time! We had a yummy dinner of ham, macaroni and cheese that I made, cheesy pineapple casserole, green beans, and bread. Whit loved it all, too! On Christmas morning, Whit slept until 7:30am, and then we took him downstairs to show him what Santa brought! Whit must have been a very good boy this year because Santa was extremely generous! He got Whit a Radio Flyer wagon with a canopy on top, seatbelts, cup holders, an extra seat for another passenger, the works! I can't wait to take Whit for lots of rides when the weather turns a bit warmer! Whit also received several pairs of Carters fleece footy PJs, an adorable outfit from Gymboree, finger puppets, tons of books, Tonka cars, a huge container of Mega Bloks, a dump truck to put the blocks in, a truck that makes all sorts of sounds, nesting cups and cubes, and more stuff that I just can't remember now! We made the mistake of leaving out his favorite toy in the world, his Thomas the Tank ball, so he was more interested in that than in his new stuff for a while! He did help us tear open a few of his gifts, and he liked playing with the wrapping paper when we rolled it up into balls for him. After a morning nap, we headed over to Pam and Wes's house at around 11am for brunch and Christmas Part II. We opened up stocking gifts first, then ate, and then opened up the rest of the gifts. Once again, Whit really cleaned up! He got his very first train set, a Little People animal farm, a Little People racing garage, a Little People ferris wheel and amusement park, 2 pairs of adorable "big boy" shoes, a Learning Puppy, a Little Tikes car and train, a Little People Tow and Pull tractor, and once again, more that I can't recall. It was wonderful! We left at 2:30pm to head home for a nap because Whit was exhausted. After an hour and 20 min. nap, we went to Christmas Part III at my aunt and uncle's house at 4pm. Whit got this great ball pit and tons of extra balls, a Bounce and Spin pony, a Winnie-the-Pooh choo-choo learning train, a Leap Frog musical table, Leap Frog farm fridge magnets, and a gift card to Babies R Us. We left at 7pm to take a very tired Whitster home. So far, he has LOVED playing with all of his new toys! Because he got so much and will be getting even more at his birthday party next weekend, we decided to put away 4 or 5 gifts and give them to him one at a time later. All in all, it was the best Christmas for Scott and me because we already had the best Christmas present we could have ever imagined! I did not take many pictures this year because I was too busy having fun and enjoying the moment, but here a a few from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I hope your Christmas was magical as well!

The Cookie Monster!

Friday was Scott's last day of work until January 5th, and Whit and I are LOVING having him home with us! Weekends have been so crazy lately, so it is super to just be able to relax and enjoy some quality time together. This weekend, I have been a cookie making machine!! Scott says I am turning into a domestic diva! While that certainly is not true, I have been loving having time to bake. Yesterday, I made chocolate chip cookies using a new recipe we found from http://www.recipezaar.com/. If you are a cook or a baker and have not checked out this website, I highly recommend it. I love the ratings system and the easy-to-understand recipes. I also made pound cake cookies and my very own frosting. I had never made my own frosting before; I had always been lazy and just bought Betty Crocker at the store, but not this time. I divided the frosting in half and dyed one part red and one part green. Unfortunately, because the frosting was white and the food coloring was red, they ended up more pink than red, but at least there were red and green sprinkles on top to make them look more festive. Today, I made Joan Lunden bars, which is my favorite dessert that my mother-in-law makes. They weren't quite as good as Pam's perhaps, but I was still proud of how they turned out. They were very labor intensive, but worth the extra time and energy. I also helped Scott make molasses cookies, and they were also yummy! Boy, do I love the cookie baking time of year! Scott knew I was pumped about baking yesterday and today, so he took me to Williams-Sonoma and bought me a red, white, and green apron, an elf oven mit, a red, white, and green oven mit to match my apron, red and white striped kitchen towels, and a green frosting spreader/spatula. I just love Christmas colored gear, and I am obsessed with Williams-Sonoma! That store is incredible, and I love going in there and just browsing. It was one of the stores on our registry when we got married, and we got lots of wonderful things from there, including our 5 quart stainless steel Kitchen Aid mixer, which is absolutely essential for true cookie making. By the way, I know the picture up at the top has nothing to do with the subject of my post, but I just love Whit's expression as he checks out this plastic Santa in front of a store. It is priceless!

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!!

Today is Scott's and my two year anniversary, so I am dedicating this post to him. Because we found out I was unexpectedly pregnant 5 months into our marriage, I think that is why it feels like we have been married so much longer than two years. I truly feel like I have known Scott a whole lifetime, not just four years. I can honestly say whole heartedly that I am so much more in love with my husband today than I even was two years ago on our wedding day. He really is the absolute greatest husband and father I could ever have imagined. I know it is cliche to say, but in Scott's case, it couldn't be any truer. Because I am a list maker, I feel I must list my Top 10 reasons why I love this man so much, and why he is the best person I have ever met in my entire life.

1. Scott is the most selfless person on Earth. When I got pregnant, he decided right away that he would do whatever it took to make sure I was able to stay home with Whit. In order to make that happen, he teaches 7 classes instead of the traditional 5, and he tutors for 12 hours after work and on weekends. He is the hardest working person, yet he never believes that what he is doing is out of the ordinary. He seems to think that everyone would do what he does in his situation, which is definitely not true.

2. Scott is the epitome of the term "family man." He places spending time with Whit and me over everything. I am the happiest when I am with my two favorite boys because Scott always makes sure that the time we spend together is filled with fun, laughter, and lots of love.

3. Scott is the best father I have ever seen. As soon as he comes home from work each day, he races inside to see Whit, and he never leaves Whit's side until Whit goes to sleep. He plays with him constantly, and he tells Whit he loves him all the time. He is so tender with him, and he always makes sure he comes in to say good-bye to Whit in the mornings before he leaves for work.

4. Scott has basically no time to himself because of his busy work schedule, yet he never complains one bit. He says that all he wants to do when he does have free time is to spend it with his family.

5. Even though he works 60 plus hours a week, almost every Saturday and Sunday morning, when I finish nursing Whit, Scott takes care of him so I can get an extra couple of hours of sleep. I often try to reciprocate, but he says that he wants one-on-one time with Whit and that I deserve extra sleep because a stay at home mom works so hard, too!

6. Scott is the most generous man I know. Before we got engaged, he took me ring shopping, and I (unfortunately!) fell in love with a very expensive designer ring. I never thought in a million years that Scott would be able to afford it, but somehow he did, and whenever I look down at my ring, it reminds me how generous and loving Scott is.

7. When I was pregnant with Whit, I had a lot of back pain, and every night before we went to sleep, Scott gave me an amazing back rub that put me to sleep. These back rubs always lasted at least 45 minutes, and they were just what I needed. Even now, when I have had an extra long day, Scott will give me a back rub without expecting anything in return.

8. When we were dating, engaged, and first married, Scott whipped up many elaborate meals just to show me how much he loved me. I am talking four and five course home cooked meals. He is quite the chef, and these days, he doesn't have nearly as much time to cook, but he will still make me a feast on special occasions. As all women know, a man who can cook is a very sexy and wonderful thing!

9. Scott is a big believer in the little things. He shows me how much he loves me on a daily basis by doing things for me that seem mundane and every day, but they mean so much to me. For example, I hate taking out the trash, so Scott always takes it out, even Whit's stinky diaper trash bags! Scott also often takes Tilly outside to go to the bathroom, especially when it is cold outside. I do almost all the cleaning of our house because I am at home, but Scott will often sweep the floors for me because he knows it hurts my back to bend down like that.

10. Scott is an amazing poet. When we were dating, he wrote me beautiful poems on a regular basis. When he proposed to me, he recited a lovely poem that he had written. When we got married, he wrote me a poem about how wondeful our life was going to be together. When I got pregnant with Whit, he wrote me a tear jerker of a poem about what a wonderful mom he thought I was going to be. When Whit was born, he wrote a poem about how much he loved our little man already. He is such a talented writer, and his words always move me beyond belief.

I love you so very much, Scott, and you have made me happier than I ever thought was possible. Thank you for all that you do for our family every day. I look forward to celebrating many, many more anniversaries with you in the future.

Whit's First Haircut!!!

Yesterday, Scott and I decided that it was finally time to take Whit to get his first haircut because his hair was getting to the unruly stage. It had gotten so long that it was completely covering his ears if we didn't tuck it behind his ears. We went to "Snip Its," this really cute, kids-only hair cut place, and Whit was an angel the entire time. At the end of the haircut, the kids get to go up to the special haircut machine, put a lock of hair into a slot, and out comes a special surprise! Whit got a ruler, so it wasn't exactly an exciting treat, but that's okay. There were all sorts of fun things for kids to do there, like play with puzzles, sit in the Thomas the Tank little engine, watch children's shows on these really cool TVs, and read all sorts of fun books. The haircut was $18 plus tip, which really shocked us, especially since it took the lady less than 5 minutes to complete the cut. Oh, well. It was fun to take him there for the first haircut, but we will probably go somewhere else next time. He even got a "First Haircut" certificate with his name and the date on it, and they stapled a little bag with some of his hair as a keepsake that I put in Whit's baby book. It was definitely a fun "first!"

Happy birthday, Daddy!!!!

On December 12, 1950, in Davenport, Iowa, my beloved father, Forrest Graham Walker, was born. Throughout the past 26 years of my life, he has been there for me whenever I have needed him, in good times and bad. I think because he has taught high schoolers for the past 30 years, he always knew how to relate to me when many of my friends' fathers seemed totally clueless, especially during the awkward teenage years. I have always felt as if I could tell my dad anything, and I think that is pretty rare for a daughter to feel towards her father. My dad is such a compassionate, loving, understanding, generous man, and as I have become an adult and especially a parent, I have realized how much he sacrificed for me growing up. It was his and my mom's goal to put my sister and me through college without us ever having to pay a dime ourselves. We both graduated completely debt-free because they were such savers with their money, and for that, I will eternally be grateful. My father has been the best teacher I have ever had, and I have always looked up to him with great admiration and pride. Daddy, I love you so much, and I am blessed to be your daughter. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for everything you have done for me. You have been and will continue to be my hero! I hope your birthday is as special and wonderful as you are.

Here is a poem that conveys so well how I feel about you, Dad.

You may have thought I didn't see

Or that I hadn't heard

All the life lessons that you've taught me

But I remember every word
Perhaps you thought I missed it all

And that we'd grow apart

But Dad, I picked up everything

It's written on my heart.
Without you, Dad, I wouldn't be the woman I am today

You built a strong foundation that no one can take away
I've grown up with your values

And I'm very glad I did

So here's to you, dear father

From your forever grateful kid.

Happy 1st birthday, Alexia!!!!

Today, our niece, Alexia, turns one!! Yay! Happy birthday, Alexia! Tom and Megan hosted her party at their house this past Sunday from 4-6pm, and a good time was had by all. I can't believe my niece is already one. It has been so wonderful having her and Whit only a month apart in age. Megan and I have been able to go through the first year of motherhood together, which has been very special. At one, Alexia is already a master walker. She started walking at 9 months, and she has become so fast! She and Whit really seem to enjoy each other's company when they are together, which is so cute. I have loved watching you grow this past year, Alexia! We love you so much, and we hope you have a great day! Here are some pictures from her first birthday party.

One Month to Go?!?

Today is December 11, 2008, which means that in exactly one month, my baby boy will turn 1!! How did eleven months fly by so quickly? It just doesn't seem possible that Whit is about to be...gulp...a toddler! Every time I look at him, I marvel at how much he has changed and how he is turning into a little boy instead of a baby, but still...one year old sounds so grown up. I'm not sure if I am ready for it. I guess I have another month to prepare! The plans for Whit's first birthday party are in full swing, and that is one thing I am getting very excited about. It is going to be a Sesame Street theme, and we will have an Elmo shaped cake, Cookie Monster cookies, and all sorts of other S.S. themed goodies. I really need to get out my invitations ASAP. That is on the agenda for today, actually.

So, in this month before you turn one, Whit, here is what you are up to these days:

1. You are the fastest crawler ever!

2. You only walk when you are holding onto furniture, and you take a couple of steps with me when I hold your hand, but you do not seem at all eager to take steps on your own. That is fine with me; I will not rush you.

3. You are a babbling machine. You say mama and dada to Scott and me, but you also say a lot of lalala and babababa, too.

4. You love clapping when people enter a room or when you see someone else clapping. You get a huge smile on your face when you clap.

5. You give "high 5's" and "low 5's" all the time.

6. You love "reading" your books, but when I try to pull you into my lap to read to you, you usually only want to stay for a few minutes before crawling off to your next adventure.

7. Your favorite toy is still your Fisher-Price Learning Home. You love to turn on and off the lights, open and shut the window, ring the doorbell, and check the mailbox for mail in your little house.

8. You love going grocery shopping and looking at all of the lights and people around. You also love receiving samples of cheese!

9. You love "big person" food exclusively; there is no jarred baby food for you anymore. You especially love chicken nuggets, goldfish, dried strawberries and bananas, (he likes dried ones over fresh for some reason) yogurt, any kind of cheese, blueberry muffins, NutraGrain bars, meat sauce, ravioli, and waffles

10. You almost always fall asleep very easily at 7pm on the dot and wake up between 6:15am-7am. I wish you slept in, but you are always ready for your day to begin early!

11. You still enjoy "my milk" about 4 times a day. This will be very hard for both of us to give up, I think.

12. You enjoy playing with your friends at our two playgroups and at our Gymboree classes, but sometimes you pull the babies' hair, poke them, and make them cry. Then you smile a huge smile. We are working on that.

I could continue, but I guess the list is long enough for now. Happy 11 month birthday, Whitster! I love you more than words can express!