Sunday, February 5, 2012

...Lazy Sunday...

Apparently this child has never heard of one! In his defense I will say it has been a LOOOONG week of teething and ultra cranky baby boy. A few days ago I discovered a molar that had come in, but not before I called my child a jerk countless times throughout the week! Mother of the Year award anyone? Yes please.
Porter's activity of the week: (besides seeing how many levels and pitches he could scream/whine/and cry) was crawling under or in things! This was the dining room chair :)


This was our afternoon activity. He brings me his shoes when he wants to go outside, and today was so nice he walked right out and sat on the curb and just stared down the street. I think he knows daddy is coming home!! what do you think? ;)

 Such a poser! I couldn't be more proud!

We decided to take a walk down to Aunt Brittany's and Uncle brado was a little hard to keep up with! But he did great :)

Distracted by the flag.... He's such a boy!
3 days until Cameron is home and this little mans world changes forever!!  :) Don't worry.... I have PLENTY of Daddy/Son bonding time on the schedule for them over the next few weeks! ;) It'll be a quick adjustment and I'm sure Porter will be in heaven with the new arrangements! 

Friday, January 27, 2012

Keeping Busy

What a crazy long month this has been already! My schedule at the gym has picked up quite a bit since Christmas. We had a BodyPump instructor who was hit and killed by a car on her way to class right before the holidays and needless to say it has been a huge loss for the gym and especially the members that she has motivated and encouraged for so many years. It has been pretty emotional, and a huge adjustment for everyone, but I am proud to say that her classes have continued to grow and work their butts off! Which is exactly what Shelly would have wanted. 
I have taken over all of her classes and have enjoyed each one! I have never been so exhausted mentally, physically, etc, but I think 6 pump classes and 1 combat class a week will do that to anyone :) 

Bradon has been playing on soccer for the East high school team. They have had an incredible season and are undefeated at this point. For his birthday he requested that we all go watch his game against Garces. To be honest it was a really uneventful game. In fact... this is what Bradon looked like in the whole 2nd half. I think he was playing stopper and since the ball rarely made it to a position where it needed to be stopped, he just kind of watched the game too! :)

But, Porter got to hang out with Grandma & Grandpa, and he played on the bleachers almost the entire time. Pretty sure he worked up more of a sweat than Uncle Brado. He only REALLY got upset when I wouldn't let him run onto the field. He really does just wanna be one of the boys :)
(and PS. It really wasn't that cold out there...)
(PSS. or PPS. taking pictures with my parents is almost has impossible as taking them with 3 small children... they never look at the camera at the same time... example)


(there were more, but you didn't need 12 pictures of the same attempt)

A few days later I was needing to get a few sewing projects marked off my to do list so Andi offered to come over and play with Porter so I could get it done. I have to say, the girl is GENIUS! It worked like a charm! Where was she when I was killing myself trying to get all the Christmas gifts done?? hmm.... seriously though, this 6 yr old has to be the best "baby sitter" around. At least Porter thinks so!!
 Hahaha, I told her to take a picture next to porter thinking she would just put her head next to his, but nope.... this is what I got :)
 Here is Porter's favorite game to play with Andi. It's actually perfect as long as he keeps his feet lifted up so he isn't drug underneath the car. Sammy doesn't tell him "no" or take things away from him, Porter doesn't play in the dog kennel or hit Sammy with anything he can pick up, and Andi & Sammy seem to get along best when the activity is pushing porter in the car, running and screaming in any general direction, and chasing the dogs around the back yard.... poor jersey. 


The weather this month has been totally ridiculous to be considered "winter". Apparently Bakersfield forgot that January should be at least below the 60's..... So, we've had a lot of outside play time, which is actually perfect because Porter loves it, and he wont' be seeing grass or sunlight for much longer ;)
His new favorite thing to carry (besides his blanket) is this super long yellow bat. He just carries it around, dragging it on the ground. Weird, but whatever. He's a boy.


hahahaha...... I love all the faces he makes! Seriously, I'm not even sure what his emotions were with this one, other than gearing up for a good yell....


 Oh, and I get this look more and more frequently, especially when I try to take a picture of him with the camera or my phone. He pauses for a brief moment as if to say, "k, are you done taking it yet?" But somehow I imagine he just thinks I'm embarrassing already!

Porter has started using that bat to chase KC around the back yard with. It's too long for him to actually pick up, but he thinks poking her with it or trying to jab her with it is super funny....
 And THIS is what KC thinks of it...... hahahahaha.... look at that face, "are you kidding me with this dumb kid!?" this dog is so patient. 

 And of course, she keeps him in line.

It is that time of year again when I typically vent and rage about the stupidity of the people I have to deal with for a military move. (Fact: I have typed a previous blog ripping each idiot apart one by one, and then decided, no matter how hilarious I think I am, somehow this could come back to haunt me. .. it was pretty vicious. I was in a mood.)
However, in light of dealing with the Eielson AFB travel management office, I have to say I AM A HAPPY MILITARY WIFE! The kids I called up there sound like they are 12, and have absolutely no phone etiquette skills, and they call me "ma'am" a little too much,  but they know their names and they know their job and that is all I care about! It has been a breath of fresh air to my other wise stressful and angst-ridden month! I told Cameron today that their is a huge batch of home made chocolate chip cookies hanging in the balance if these kids pull off a minimal hassel free move for me :) SO FAR SO GOOD!! 

After teaching a class every day, trying to organize life and a move, talk to Cameron on the phone and plan out my next to-do list, play with porter enough so I don't feel like I'm neglecting him, feed the dogs, wash laundry (because I sweat a lot these days), and maybe shower I am pretty exhausted and the final hour before Porter goes to bed turns into the longest, most exhausting hour of my day! (my parents actually drug porter out to lowes and home depot the other night after he was bathed and in pajamas because they could sense that I was checking out and too tired to deal. haha, sad but true, and much appreciated)
So... I taught Porter this awesome game. Basically I get to lay on the floor (and take my pony tail holder out, because it's not comfortable to lay on anyway) and I shoot the band in the air and catch it as it comes down. Apparently its hilarious and totally entertaining for a 16 month old because I get away with laying like this for at least 20 minutes every time! It's brilliant!! I'm like the best mom ever. 

Speaking of 16 month old. He had his check up today. He is "chunky and the tallest with the biggest brain" according to Dr. Santiago. It sounds better coming from her because of her really thick accent, but those are the terms she gives so I can "explain to dad what it means" to be in the 97th, 78th, percentile. or something like that. He weighed in at 26.15lbs, which I fully expected to be a much larger number. He is healthy and happy (mostly, apparently teething and growing tend to put a damper on that part), and exploring EVERYTHING!! Lucky for me, Cameron will be home in 2 weeks to take over some of the play time. I don't think I play rough enough for a little man Porter's size. KC and Jersey do a good job of knocking him on his butt, or send him flying through the air when they plough him over, and then he just cries and gets so upset, so I'm certain I haven't toughened him up enough yet. ;) Ah well, he's a momma's boy and I am quite happy about that..... but I'm sure once he meets daddy, that could change too. 
2 week countdown starts now! :)

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Happy New Year! 2012

I feel as though I have been spoiled as a mom. Porter took fairly easily to his sleep schedule from day one, had very little eating or pooping problems, has had a mild temperament, and been amazingly undemanding in his short 15 months of life. Don't get me wrong, he has his days, especially since his first birthday. In fact, I was pretty convinced I had ruined my child by leaving him for 2 weeks, because he morphed into a little demon while I was gone. He would follow me around whining and crying and being angry all the time for no reason at all. We have made some changes and slowly but surely my even-tempered little boy is making an appearance that I hope is here to stay. Unfortunately, the poor kid has been “blessed” with my quick-to-anger-temper with his daddy's stubbornness, so I doubt I'll ever see the baby that would sit for hours playing with a diaper wipe wrapper being completely entertained, happy, and (best of all) quiet! But I'll take what I can get :)
With all the changes and phases Porter has been going though, I have had to change my thought process a tad. He has become more curious, and is quite a bit more capable of getting into/making messes anywhere and everywhere.
For example: My instinctive reaction when I discover my baby has carried in a pile of dog poop and put it on the kitchen floor, but not before rubbing it all over himself and probably having a taste or two, would be to: FREAK OUT, gag a little, slap his hand, wash his mouth out with peroxide (if it was safe or legal for that matter) and toss him in the chlorinated pool (if he could swim).... however, since most of my options would result in me no longer having a child, I have had to re-think my process. (No worries, in that last scenario I definitely freaked out, gagged, and slapped his hand, but everything that followed was totally safe and legal and in the end I was probably more upset about the whole thing than he was). It was after this lovely afternoon that I decided for the safety of porter and my own sanity, I need to take a chill pill... OR, just take more pictures :) So here is how Porter has spent his first week of 2012
  1. Ringing in the new year a little fussy.... until we pull out a cape and some chop sticks and suddenly we are super hero rocker boy for the rest of the night! He used those sticks on the fridge, trash can, tile floor, dishwasher, and my face (momentarily) and had a blast until bed time. Who needs toys when you have wooden sticks!?



  2. I let Porter play in the back yard unsupervised for a few minutes at a time (of course, AFTER I scoop the poop these days), and he has become quite independent. I walked out of the house the other day to find that he had relocated the car, AND climbed inside it all by himself! What a big boy :)



  3. After a bath and pajamas I took Porter over to Britt's house to play with the kids for a while before bed. It helps kill the last ½ hr or so before bedtime. Anyway, We hadn't been there 5 minutes when Andi starts screaming in the bathroom. Britt, Thad, and I all run in to see what she's going crazy about and we find this.... He really loves his baths, with or without pajamas! Luckily britt only lives 4 houses down from my parents, so... porter got to enjoy his bath while I again, calmly, walked back home, picked up a new diaper and pajamas, and walked back to change him.

  4. Sunday afternoon, Porter managed to find the one and only mud puddle in my parents back yard. I walked around the corner of the house to find him sitting IN the puddle, completely covering the lower half of his body in mud. Instead of swooping him up and tearing off his clothes like I would originally have done, I calmly walked back inside the house, found my camera, and took some pictures. It was much more enjoyable for both of us!





  5. Of course after the mud we had to get him cleaned up. So... to the bath he goes AGAIN. If I didn't know any better, I would think he makes all these messes JUST so he can get in the bath tub!










    Here are some other cute pictures of Porter lately. Because of the air quality in bakersfield, he has had to have a breathing treatment or two a while back. Well, when uncle bobby came to visit, he needed one as well, and apparently Porter thought it was a family activity.  
    Thats right. my kids all about the steroids... ugh. gosh.


    Playing ball with the dogs. Pretty much he just holds both the thrower and the ball and then turns in a circle to try to get away from kc's over-eager attempt to swipe it from him

    15 months and driving! WOOHOO

    Taken with the cell phone... Happy New Years! Here's to a year full of picture taking to keep my sanity in tact. :)