Six Month Pictures

Captured Studios did Collier's 6 month pictures for us at the beginning of May and once again, I was super pleased with them!  Seriously, it was so hard to narrow them down because they were all so good.  Here's a little sneak peek...

This session was much easier than the 3 month session and he was full of happy smiles and giggles.  He did tire out (no pun intended!) a little towards the end though.  I'm already thinking ahead to what I would like to do for his 9 month session... always the planner!

Annual Momma's Getaway

Back in April, after Jamie and the guys went to the Masters and had a little golf getaway, Chenequa and I decided that we also deserved a vacation.  Surprisingly, our husbands agreed with very little convincing on our part and our plans were quickly arranged.  Chenequa has a 23 month old and an 8 month old so we both have our hands very full.  We love our kids dearly, but 3 days to ourselves without having to worry with bottles, diapers, or naptimes?!  To say that we were excited was an understatement and the countdown began!  I was even able to talk Jamie into letting us take his prized Jeep Wrangler which made it even more fun (as long as I promised not to drive over 65mph and not to "be careless"... as though I'm some wild college kid!) :)

The day finally arrived and on Thursday, Chenequa and I headed south towards Destin, FL.  Since I met her in Athens, we made a pit stop to visit our friend, Amanda, who had just delivered her new baby boy, Sam, one week prior.  After being on strict bed rest for preterm labor, Amanda delivered Sam 5 weeks early and despite his itty bitty appearance (around 4 1/2 lbs), he is doing amazingly well and is 100% healthy!  Alot of prayers were said for this sweet baby and his momma so it brought tears to my eyes to get to see him perfectly okay.  Its nothing short of a miracle that he was born so early and didn't even have to spend an hour in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit!

After our visit with Amanda and Sam, we hit the road and arrived in Destin around 7pm that evening.  On our way there, Chenequa's mother-in-law asked us if we felt like birds out of our cages... we found that to be so funny so it became our "slogan" for the trip.  After checking in and freshening up, we ventured out for a late dinner and didn't get to eat until 10pm... yes, we were definitely child-free!  Having had such a long day of driving, we decided to head back to the hotel for a night of uninterrupted sleep. 

The next morning, we ate a late breakfast at Another Broken Egg Cafe in Baytown Wharf in Sandestin.  It was delicious and I can't wait to eat there again when we go back as a family in a couple of months!  After stuffing our bellies with a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant (me) and an omelet filled with cheese, mushrooms, and green peppers (Chenequa), we headed out to the gorgeous beach of Sandestin.  With it being late May, the weather was PERFECT.  It was warm but a nice breeze kept us from getting too hot.  We were in heaven just relaxing in our beach chairs, listening to music, sipping on fruity drinks without a care in the world!  Of course, it's never a dull moment and shortly after getting settled into our chairs, the bottom of Chenequa's chair BUSTED and her butt landed right in the sand!  We laughed until we cried!  Chenequa joked about how that knocked her self-esteem down quite a bit however, those chairs have been in my garage for quite some time and are at least 6 years old so she shouldn't feel too bad!  After several hours in the sun, we decided to head back to our hotel to get cleaned up for dinner.  Once we had arrived in the room, I realized what a TERRIBLE job I did putting on my tanning lotion.  It said "even coverage spray" so I didn't rub it in, just sprayed it on and I had the WORST tan lines ever.  My arms and chest were spotted with places where I did and didn't get sun... it was quite a sight!  We got cleaned up and headed out for Destin Commons to do some quick shopping, each found something to wear for that evening and headed back to the hotel to change.  Our second night, we chose Louisiana Lagniappe, my absolute favorite restaurant.  I've been eating there since I was a kid and every time, I choose to have the Grouper Pontchartrain.  It is by far the very best seafood entree I have ever tasted.  And it definitely didn't disappoint!  Following our delicious dinner, we met up with one of my friends from high school.  She had flown in that evening with 3 of her college friends for a bachlorette weekend, so we all went out together.  We went to the Swamp to listen to music and (of course, dance), however, the band was far from the kind you dance to.  More like something you would head bang to...not my cup of tea, however, they did play a few songs we recognized. A DJ played during the band's breaks so we were able to get some dancing out of our systems.  After a fun (late) night, we made a Whataburger run and hit the bed.

The next morning we woke, grabbed breakfast and got out in the sun.  This time we decided to hang around the pool.  I worked really hard on trying to 'repair' some of my terrible tan lines from the previous day.  After another several hours of chatting and laying out, we got cleaned up and hit the outlet mall in Sandestin.  We both lucked up on some really cute finds from J.Crew, Nine West and Fossil.  After shopping, we headed to The Back Porch for our last dinner in Destin. 

The following morning we set out around 9am to head home to our babies and husbands.  I thoroughly enjoyed my getaway but by that time, I was ready to be back home with my family.  Three nights away was just enough; any longer would have been too much.  I owe a HUGE, GINORMOUS thank you to Jamie.  My parents were out of town until Saturday afternoon because my dad was getting chemo at Vanderbilt so Jamie took care of the kids by himself the whole time I was away.  Thankfully, the kids were perfect for him the entire time and he really enjoyed his time alone with them.  He even got Noah to school on time Friday morning.  Every time I would talk to him, he was as cool as a cucumber and he never once called me stressed out.  Can we say Super Dad?!  He even managed to do some laundry, wash dishes and have the house straightened up.  Things like that make me love him even more! :) 

Chenequa and I had the BEST time!  It's so great to be able to have some time for ourselves and that our husbands recognize that we deserve it.  I'm not sure I have laughed so much and so hard in a long time!  My kids and husband are my world and I would never ever want to go back to the way things were prior to them, however it is very nice to be able to have some "me" time.  I think that things like this allow me to be a better mother!  Since Chenequa and I planned this trip pretty quickly, none of our other friends were able to come; however, we've decided to make it an annual event so that they can make it in the future.  This is something we are definitely going to stick with for years to come because every mom needs some ME time with her friends!

And by the way, when did it become the trend to have bird feathers in your hair?!  We spotted these in several women's hair... and I'm not talking about young teenagers, I'm talking about grown women our age and older (for example, a woman in her 50's... granted she also had long gold fingernails and was sporting a gold teeny bikini).  It was almost like those hair wraps that we used to get when I was in middle school, except it was bird feathers somehow sewn in all through out the hair.  It was strange and kind of creeped me out.  I don't like snake and alligator skin on any kind of accessory... they give me the willy's and those bird feathers did the same thing!  Has anyone else see this?? 

Beach Bound!!!

First night -- Dinner at Joe's Crab Shack

Thanks to Jamie for lending us the Jeep!

"Two Birds Out of our Cage"... except we don't have bird feathers in our hair!

Beach time

Heading out our 2nd Night

Dinner at Louisiana Lagniappe

  

Last night -- Dinner at the Back Porch



Happy 7 Months, Sweet Collier!

Sunday, May 22nd marked my little boy's 7 month "birthday!"  And what a memorable day it was because he began crawling!  He's been trying for a few weeks and even crawled forward a few feet last weekend but he waited until yesterday to really begin doing it consistently.  Its so entertaining to watch him spot a toy out of reach and work so diligently to get to it.  I can't believe that I've now got two little boys on the go!  Not only is he crawling, but he's also going from all fours back into a sitting position AND while he's crawling, sometimes he'll straighten his legs so that he's crawling using his hands and feet rather than his knees.  I feel like he's learning something new almost daily!  We lowered his crib this evening because I feel like he'll soon learn to pull up on things so I definitely don't want any accidents. 

I've begun hearing some consonants in his babbling such as "ba" "da" and "ma" but no words yet.  He has started realizing when Mama (or Daddy) leave the room and fusses for us to come back, rather than being so easily distracted as he has been in the past.  He definitely loves attention!  He's been kind of fussy the past couple of days but I'm almost certain that it's because he's teething.  Although, the fussing is pretty minimal, it's more than what's normal for Collier (since he rarely fusses).  Collier has some very grabby little hands and if I'm not moving fast enough, he will grab his baby food container and stick the whole thing to his mouth!  He will also grab the spoon in an attempt to feed himself.  Needless to say, mealtime has become quite messy.  He still LOVES to bounce away in his jumper and he enjoys when I read to him and Noah.  We are now doing baths in the tub without his bath sling, so he is able to sit and splash away, which he loves.  I can't wait to see what he thinks of the pool this summer!

As each month passes and Collier gets a little older, he becomes more and more fun.  Just when I think it can't get any better, amazingly, it does!  He is the light of all of our lives and I look forward to what each and every month holds!  Happy 7 Months to my sweet, smiley, always happy Collie-Bear!

Superstar!

I entered this photo of Collier in Parent's Magazine Cover Contest and he's been chosen as a Weekly finalist.  Please vote for him DAILY so that he can win.  If he wins, he's in the running for a spot on the cover so please VOTE VOTE VOTE! :)  Thanks!

Vote Here

The Stats Are In...

Noah and Collier had their 4 year old and 6 month old check ups this past week.  Noah weighs 40 lbs (75%) and is 42 1/2" tall (80%).  He is doing great and healthy as can be.  They were pleased with his developmental progress.  I've always wondered if he had a form of autism but Dr. Crenshaw told me that he did not.  Most kids on the autism spectrum lack social skills, which is not the case with Noah.  Plus, kids with autism have delays but not gross motor delays.  We still don't have a diagnosis as to what he does have, but it's nice to be able to rule out autism.  Noah recently finished his 2nd round of physical therapy in Birmingham and did a really good job.  He is not walking independently all the time, but he is walking when he wants to.  He's kind of stubborn about it... he won't do it when he has a group of people watching him, however, when we least expect it... off he goes!  It's only a matter of time.

Collier weighs 17lbs 13oz (50%) and is 27" long (55%) so he has slowed up a bit in the growth department.  He has been around the 75 - 90% since birth so I imagine the more he starts moving, the more he'll slim up.  And speaking of moving, he crawled for the first time tonight!  Yes, my 6 1/2 month old is now on the go!  He only did it once and moved forward a few feet but I guess he'll really figure it all out in the next few days.  He has also begun doing a yoga pose... downward dog!  He'll be in a crawling position and raise his bottom into the air and stand up on his tippy toes.  It's so funny!  It amazes me how strong he is and I have a feeling he's going to be one of those babies that does everything early.  Probably God's way of having a sense of humor... both of my kids will probably start walking around the same time!  But I don't mind at all. :)

Lastly, I'm considering taking my blog private in the next few weeks.  Please send me a message with your email address so that I can "give you permission" to read my blog once I make those changes.  Thanks!

Our Extra Special Mother's Day

This Mother's Day was extra special for us... why? Well we had Collier dedicated at church on Sunday!  My hubby and boys showered me with a Bo-berry biscuit, cards, gifts and lots of love Sunday morning and off to church we went.  We were so happy to have the entire Brink family join us to share in this day!  Noah was dedicated on Mother's Day in 2009 so these two days will always be very memorable for us.  After church, we all enjoyed a delicious lunch at Cypress Lakes Country Club.  Jamie and I loved celebrating Mother's Day with BOTH of our moms all together. 

I am so grateful for my mom!  She has always put her family first and is such a sweet, kind, and giving person.  She's the peacemaker in our family.  She always encouraged me to do my best and to be respectful to others; she was a disciplinarian and always taught us right from wrong.  However, I always knew that I could go to her for advice or simply as someone to talk to and I never once doubted her love for me.  She loves Jamie as though he is her own son and she is the BEST Mimi to her grandboys.  I'm so thankful that I have her to look to as an example of the kind of mom I want to always be to my boys.

As a child, I wanted to be a mommy when I grew up.  In fact, my baby book has in it that one day when I was maybe 2 or 3, I asked my mom how old I had to be to become a mommy.  My mom's answer was "at least 25!" And guess what, I was 25 when I had Noah. :)  I had three "life-like" baby dolls that I carried around with me and I diapered, dressed and fed them.  I am so thankful that God fulfilled my dream of being a mom.  Motherhood isn't always easy and there are some days where I feel like these kids are out to get me but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  The good moments far outweigh the hard moments.  I am so thankful for the priviledge to be the mom to my two precious boys.  God has been so good to us and we are blessed!

These three are all the gifts I need!

Noah's gift to me that he's been working on in Sunday School

Collier's Dedication 5/8/11

What more could I ask for?

Wanna a cool shirt & help others at the same time?!

Maggie Crisler, a graphic designer/artist in Florence designed this shirt in order to raise money for relief efforts in Alabama.  Her goal was $1000 and in less than 24 hours, she exceeded her goal.  100% of the proceeds are being donated to the Red Cross.  The shirts are so cute and only $15 + $5 shipping (local folks don't have to pay shipping and can pick them up in Florence).  I ordered the grey one and can't wait to get it!  She's working on making them available in kid sizes too.  You can click HERE to order yours! 

Birthday Week

Noah's birthday week didn't quite start off on a good note...  On Wednesday, a series of deadly tornadoes ripped through our state, destroying thousands of homes and businesses, killing hundreds of people with many others still missing.  Cities and towns such as Huntsville, Phil Campbell, Cullman, Tuscaloosa and several others were hit the hardest, leaving these areas in a state of devastation.  It is considered to be the second deadliest series of tornadoes to have ever swept through our nation.  Thankfully, the Shoals area was spared with very minimal damage.  We were very blessed.  Also, Jamie's uncle Freddy had been in the hospital for over a week with not much hope for recovery.  Thursday, he passed away with his visitation and funeral scheduled for Saturday morning.  With such sadness and turmoil going on around us, we considered postponing Noah's birthday party to a later date.  However after some consideration, we decided to proceed with our original plans so that we would have something to celebrate to take our minds away from everything else going on around us.

One of Noah's favorite toys is a remote control race car that my dad bought him for Christmas so I quickly decided that we would center his party around a race car theme.  And it was an obvious decision to have the party at Forest Jumps since Noah loves playing there.  I love all the little details that go into party planning so I had fun coming up with a "race car themed" menu.  Since the party was from 3 - 5pm, I decided to go with light snacks, in addition to cake.  I chose to serve Traffic Light Rice Krispy treats (cut into a rectangular shape and decorated with red, yellow and green M&M's), Nuts & Bolts Party Mix (Chex Mix with M&M's) and Fruit Wheelies (an assortment of fruit cut into the shape of tire wheels).  Our Fueling Station was set up with lemonade and bottled water. 

 (and yes, I didn't even realize it until I looked at these pictures... but I had one of the trays of traffic lights set on the table upside down! ooops!)

  

I asked Beth Ledbetter to create the adorable cake.  She does a great job and her cakes are DELICIOUS!  Seriously, best icing ever... not too sweet, just right.  And if anyone around the Shoals area needs someone to do a cake, she is very, VERY reasonable and never disappoints. 

I appliqued and monogrammed race car shirts for both of the boys.  Noah's car had the number 4 on it and Collier's had .5 (I wanted to put 1/2 but my monogramming machine wouldn't let me do the "/" so I did .5... Jamie didn't get it, he kept saying why didn't you just put 6 for 6 months?? Oh well... I tried)

The kids had a great time jumping and playing on the inflatables.  There are two rooms with inflatables: a double slide, an obstacle course, and a huge steep slide.  They also have Chuck E. Cheese type games in the main room ... so lots of fun things for kids to do!

This is Noah's buddy, Windsor Grace.  She is PRECIOUS and so sweet to him.  She told her mom that she loves Jesus, Santa Claus and Noah :)

After an hour of playing, we gathered the kids together, sang Happy Birthday to Noah and dug into the yummy cake. One tier was a yellow cake and the other was strawberry!

I didn't have to worry about Collier... my grandmother and aunts were glad to watch over him.  Some even stole a few kisses leaving their lipstick behind on his forehead! :) After our busy morning at the visitation and funeral, he was exhausted, so he fell asleep and Derrick, my sister's husband, held him for the last half of the party.  He's such a good uncle!

After eating cake, it was time for presents.  Noah got lots of fun toys and clothes... several polo shirts and shorts, some cute t-shirts, a bathing suit, a police cruiser with lights and sounds, a t-ball set, a motorized dump truck, a Chuck the Truck Stunt Park playset, several books, an Alabama t-shirt and basketball, Batman and the Batmobile, a Monster Truck, and a Race 'n Load Car Carrier.  Jamie and I got him a basketball goal and some clothes, my parents got him a tricycle, as well as a few polo shirts and shorts, and Jamie's parents, along with Ma Maw (Jamie's grandmother) got him a Power Wheels Ride-On Jeep Rubicon (we have ordered it and are waiting on it to get here).  Thank you to everyone!  He has had a ball playing with all of his new cars.  

 

By this time, it was almost 5 and the party was coming to an end.  Everyone had a great time, including the birthday boy!  We sent the kids home with Red Velvet Cake Pops and Balloons.

After the party, we went for a birthday dinner at Logans with my parents, Lindsay and Derrick. 

 

I'm glad we proceeded with Noah's party... he had a great time and lots of sweet memories we're made.  Thank you to EVERYONE who attended the party and helped in celebrating Noah's 4th Birthday with us!