Blooming Photographer

 

Melt. My. Heart.

I wanted to capture his gorgeous baby blues, and I get this squinty-eyed grin. Hee Hee. Nothing like a strained smile to appease your camera happy mother. He is quite possibly the sweetest child on earth.

I know....he looks exactly like porky pig. Let me explain.

Carter is now into photography. So he decided to take some funny pictures of Coop. As you can see I participated in the photo shoot. I think we accomplished the funny part. I crack up everytime I look at these. I promise it wasn't child abuse. Coop was cracking up as much as we were. I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore. We are sort of ridiculous over here.

You know it's funny.

Here he is back to normal. Carter actually took a nap one day last week, so I had a little photo session outside with Coop. I refuse to be one of those parents who has twice as many pictures of the first child, so I try to grab my camera and get some good shots of Coop alone when I can. Equality, people! 

His favorite form of entertainment....playing in the car. Carter was the same way at this age. I can remember sitting in the garage when Carter was 18 months old for what seemed like hours while he played in my van.

Look at those sweet curls. I am struggling with knowing what to do with this head of hair. I don't want to be one of those moms who lets her child's hair get way out of control just because she doesn't want to cut the curls, but I also don't want to take the baby-ness away yet. And goodness, we don't want a mullet! So I am experiencing an internal debate. Sometimes it looks cute and curly (see above) and other times it looks stringy and shaggy. I think I'll just go for a tiny trim to layer up the back but still keep some curl....good compromise I think.

BaBa and YaYa....the center of both my boys' little worlds.

On his way to see the Rebels play! Not really....just on his way to see the Pride of the South in the grove. We'll brave a game in a year or so.

More of Carter's photography. Yes, I am aware of the train tracks on my forehead and the lower eye wrinkles. What's a girl to do but moisturize and simply embrace it? Keepin it real.

Gotta end the post with some sweet Coop Coop love.

Happy Feet

Typical Moments

Buddies, Art, and Pancakes

You heard all about my buddies back in February when we met in Nashville for a girls' weekend. Well, I flew to see them last weekend, and man oh man was it ever fun! Love my friends. This is Cecile Gray my preggo buddy. Can't wait to meet baby Nora who will be here very soon! Last time I saw CG, she was only a couple months pregnant, and now she is about to have her baby! Selfishly, I was hoping Nora would make her debut while I was there :) Oh well, I will just have to fly back up there :)

This is my Nancy. We are kindred spirits. We talk every day and talked for 48 hours this weekend and never ran out things to talk about. Buddies to the grave!

Are we cute or what? The three muskateers. Wish they were my neighbors :( Although we would rarely get anything done if we lived near each other because we would be too busy having fun!

I am the odd duck. Here are their babies....all girls! I didn't know what to do with all that pink all weekend.

Carter's latest art work. If you can't tell, it's a rainbow, a tree, a pink balloon, a sun, and clouds with lots of lightning. This picture makes me happy.

We are into pancake breakfasts on the front porch lately. Gotta take advantage for the great weather!

Two silly boys

All day, every day. Trains, trains, trains.

 "Watch this, Mama"

 "Talk to Percy, Mama"

"Tell Thomas where he should go, Mama"

"Mama, sing 'Go Rebels' to James"

"Mama, help me line up my trains"

"Look how awesome Gordon is, Mama"

"Mama, Emily has coal"

"Look at their eyebrows, Mama"

"Mama, Mighty Mac has two funnels"

Well, you get the picture.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

I give him a sip or two every now and then. Don't judge.

In the words of my dear friend upon seeing this picture, "What a ham!" Hit the nail on the head...a ham if there ever was a ham.

I have two silly little boys on my hands.

"Mama, take a picture of me so I can see it."

My baby.

Admiring his reflection. Yes, Coop Coop, you are very handsome.

And so very big.

Law Help

Hey Friends,

I need a favor! Actually, it's a huge favor. I am on the search for a good-hearted lawyer. I have a friend here in Oxford who is in need of a divorce in order to get child support for her two children, and she can't afford it. Her oldest child is autistic, and she is a single, working mom trying to raise a special needs child and also pay for her other child's day care. She is not asking for a hand-out. I am! After getting to know her and after hearing her story, I felt God telling me to help her. I am not a lawyer, but I do have a blog that a lot of people read! My friend is just a mom caught between a rock and hard place.

I was advised to look into the state's services, but it has become clear that that is going to get her nowhere fast. If any of you is a lawyer or knows of a lawyer that may be willing to help her, please let me know. Her husband will more than likely contest the papers, blah, blah, blah. So that is why I am saying it's a big favor.

Thanks, friends!

Jill

First Day of School

The first day of school was great! Carter had a blast, did not shed a single tear, made a precious craft, and wasn't even excited to go home with me when I came to pick him up! Woo Hoo!!!! So proud of my Carter! God answered my prayers. I have been worrying about the first day and praying that Carter wouldn't have separation anxiety, and he didn't! Sorry for all the exclamation points....can you tell I am excited?!!! His teacher said he was talking and talking and kept saying, "My name is Carter Bell." Hee Hee.

Coop did great too considering it was his first day ever. He cried a little bit when they took him out of the car, and they said the entire one year old class cried on and off all morning, but I am pretty sure that's normal. They are at that contagious age where if one cries, they all cry. After a week or two, I am sure they will all go in without a peep. His teacher said he loved playing outside and did great for his first day! Go, Coop!

An excavator was working across the street...it was waaaay more interesting than Mama and her camera.

Where is Mama's nose? And they point. I was looking for eye contact and a smile.....oh well.

So I acted like a crazy person and hooted and hollered, and I got eye contact AND a smile too!

Are they big or what? Are they gorgeous or what? Are they sweet or what? Okay, I'll stop. I'm smitten.

Too Cool for School

Whatever am I ever going to do with this cool cat? We may have problems in our house but self-esteem is definitely not one of them!

Grovin'

Family pic on the way to the Grove. The double stroller is a doosey to maneuver amidst all that red and blue, but it's waaaaaay better than trying to carry sweaty little boys on your hip

This is my sweet friend, Julia, and her precious baby girl, Elizabeth Magee. Julia and I roomed together at Ole Miss our freshman year and therefore our souls are bonded for life. We will be buddies to the grave. We were actually commenting on how not too long ago, we were in the grove as clueless freshmen girls, and now here we are as mothers with three kids between us. Oh how our lives have changed! Love you, Julia, and LOVED seeing that precious EM!

The Grove is exhausting.

Coop's new love is ice. If he sees you with a cup, he starts repeatedly saying, "Iiiiiice, iiiiiice, iiiiice." It was hot out there, so ice was tasting extra yummy to him.

DaDa and Coop at Coop's first grove appearance.

DaDa and Carter at Carter's first grove appearance. This seems like yesterday to me.

What a great way to end the day! A good ole brotherly smooch. We needed something positive after such a lousy game. Boooooo!

Just some summer pics

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

There is no telling how many of these popsicles my kids have eaten this summer. I would be ashamed if I knew.

My babies.

Typical...no clothes and two YaYas. My kids are rarely dressed.

Have you heard about these trains? Well, if you've had a conversation with Carter over the past month, you have heard ALL ABOUT his trains. "Obsession" would be putting it lightly. Some of them he got on his birthday and others he has earned by pottying and by being brave. For example, not crying at the doctor or dentist or not crying when we have to drop him off somewhere or jumping off the diving board, etc... He absolutely, positively LOVES his trains. Can you believe he has so many?! Gotta love Craigslist! And there are still more in the garage.

Caught a frog.

Poor Coop. We torture the kid to death, and he's such a trooper.