Friday, August 31, 2012

The Duck Days of Summer

Today (as promised in a previous post ) I took Augie to feed the ducks. Unfortunately all of the pictures I took are a little over exposed, but I talked to Sarah Giles and I have a better plan for next time! For now, enjoy these fun little moments of Augie's first duck-feeding extravaganza! 




8/31/12





This lovely outing took place at Watter's Creek-- a fancy shopping center with a nice grassy area and an ACTUAL creek. I love how the ducks there are not at all afraid to come up to humans for food. Augie didn't know what to do with himself when he realized the ducks would eat right out of his hand...well, right out of his toes...where I wedged some bread. : )

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Fun Swimming Day

Today Augie and I went over to visit the Sears family and go swimming with Mama-Liz, Everette, Blaise, Enoch, and Daisy. We tried this once a few months ago and Mr. Aug was just not having it, but this time he seemed to have a great time! Unfortunately I did not bring my camera. I suppose the pessimist in me assumed we would have to leave early after a crying fit (again) but now I am sad I didn't get to document it!

I did get this picture of what his hair did all day afterwards...

8/30/12

This miraculous coiffure is due to a lot of excess sunscreen that won't wash out of his hair! The sunscreen he gets is called California Baby, and it is a physical barrier sunscreen (titanium dioxide) instead of chemical sunscreen. Since he is not quite six months old yet, I don't want his little liver to have to process any extra chemicals. Turns out, the sunscreen works really well BUT it won't wash off, no way, no how. And it smells like he is covered in old fat. I still love him.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Channeling Lauren Bacall

Today we met your papa for lunch at the Londoner Pub. It is our favorite place to rendezvous for lunch on special, fun little days like today. It is worth telling that the waitress complimented me that I had such a well behaved little man, as you sat sweetly on my lap the whole time we ate and talked. I tried to keep a completely straight face as I looked at her and replied, "It is because we beat him frequently". I don't think she believed me but she looked horrified none the less. Mama tries to be funny...sometimes people don't get her. 


Since I have really been channeling Lauren Bacall as of late, I decided to dress a little like her (as much as I could, using the clothes and makeup I already had) and even put you in a rather dapper getup. Papa took our picture, and I think we are quite the pair. I love you, Sweetest Bear.

8/28/12

After lunch papa had to go back to work, but we stayed and looked at the ducks down at the creek. They seemed to be very friendly, and unafraid of us. You were very interested in these new little feather people, so I promised you we would come back soon with bread. 

Monday, August 27, 2012

Pooped Out from Visitors

8/27/12
You pretty much got a little grumpy by the time Moo and Baba were leaving today. Right after they walked out the door from their visit, you ate, took your binky, and passed out like it was all you ever wanted to do. Moo plays hard with you! At 5am this morning when you wouldn't go back to sleep she came in and got you. Mama got to sleep in for once, and when I finally woke up I found Moo in her bed, you in your crib, and new clothes on you! She said you had pooped everywhere and she had to use dish towels to clean you up and put the wrong diaper on you, because she didn't know where to find a clean one in the dark! Oh well, you survived : )
P.S. You are a 4.5 month old wearing a 12-18 month old outfit in this picture. Yeah. You are a beast!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

A Pain in the Back and More...

For those of you who don't already know, this past Thursday I threw my back out! This had never happened to me before, and so I called Forrest to come home from work (I was sure that I was crippled for life) and he then took me to the ER. After some X-rays the doc told me I likely had a back spasm, which is nothing serious, but I was likely to be pretty sore for a few days. Little did I know that my mother, upon receiving my initial call (made in tears as Forrest was on his way home to help me) had already packed up and gotten on the road from Corpus (with my dad) to come help me.

Cut to now-- my parents have stayed for the weekend and we have had a lovely time. Aside from some soreness, my back hasn't troubled me too much. If this happens again I will just know to take several Ibuprofen and suck it up. One neat thing that came of this is that Augie now has a new toy/present/tool! My dad made him his very own "kitchen helper".


8/24/12





On Saturday we had a little fun letting Augie try some avocado. He was confused at first, but the end consensus was "nummy!"

8/25/12



Today he got to spend a little cousin time when Tammy and Kaleb came over to visit. Isn't it funny that I am equally close in age to Tammy and Kaleb, and that Kaleb is equally spaced in age between Augie and myself?? Think about that one!

8/26/12


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Crinkly Book

8/22/12
Today you sat up for quite some time (with the help of your boppy pillow) and played with the crinkly book your grandmother gave you. When I finally went to retrieve it from you it was soaked in saliva. Good times. : )

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

St. Augustine Onesie


8/21/12
Soon after you were born, auntie Stu came to visit (a fine lady who HAPPENS to be your Godmother and one of mama's favorite people on earth) and she gifted you with this St. Augustine onesie. It was a bit big at the time, but now it fits you nicely! I believe this pose to be your rendition of "Blue Steel". Ask me about Zoolander when you read this...


Thank you Auntie Stu. We love you.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Sleepy Bear

8/20/12
<3 *Sigh* <3

Natural Remedies!




I love using a natural remedy for what ails me whenever I can, and I just read a really cool one for cough and cold's on a blog I follow. I just love how simple it is!

This weekend my bother-in-law, Crockett, was suffering from an ear ache, so with a little research (and help from my fellow-cruncher, Sarah) I recommended him this remedy of garlic infused oil. I hope it works...well really I hope he actually tried it so I can ask him if it worked!

What natural remedies do you swear by?

Leave your comments below and hopefully I can make a nice archive of natural remedies for everyone's reference!


Joy vs Fun

I was watching the news this morning (does the Kathy Lee and Hoda Show count as news?), and they mentioned something about this guy who said he was done with "fun". "Fun" being the sought-after feeling one gets while at a festival or a concert or a vacation. This man (maybe he wrote a book or something? I was only half listening, since I mainly only watch TV while nursing my IshySquishyBooBooBear to sleep) was making the point that fun is nothing in the light of JOY, which is something one can have in the mundane, daily goings on of life.

This really stuck with me...

Cut to several hours later and a couple of grocery store trips where I got to nibble on Little Bear's toes up and down the aisles and think about my Sweet Love coming home from work. Guess what? I have joy! Maybe not 24/7...everyone has a down moment, but I truly am joyful just to live my life. And guess what else?? So does my mama, my daddy, my sisters, my Syler, my Dennis, my siblings-in-law, and my close friends. I know this because they all get excited just to see each other, give hugs, and revel in our cumulative love. It might sound strange, but it just made my so happy to think about. Really, it multiplied my joy to think of how blessed most of the people I know are.

I have laundry piles, stinky diaper smell in my closet, lists of things that keep getting put off, a hurty toe, and of course there are always bills and such. Nevertheless, I manage to open my eyes each morning, look over at a smiling baby bear and a snoring grizzly, and I have incredible joy.

<3


Sunday, August 19, 2012

Busy Weekend Trip

This weekend Forrest, Augustine and I made a trip down to College Station to see friends and family, and made a sub-trip to Houston for a couple hours on Saturday to see my newest niece, Mary Grace. We had a wonderful time, but boy was it jam-packed and boy-oh-boy are we tired now! Thank goodness for "our own bed", am I right?!

Friday afternoon, when we first got to Sarah and Hannah's house, we were swept away for a pre-bedtime photo shoot. Augie may have been more pleased to be in the bucket if it were morning, but then again I think he is WAY cuter with this expression...

8/17/12
"HaHaHa, Aunt Sarah. Do you know that I will be bigger than you in about 2 years? We will see who gets made to take demeaning bucket pictures then..."


 Unfortunately (bad Jenny!) the pictures I took from the Houston mini-trip turned out awful. I have a habit of getting excited and then doing a cruddy job of documenting the very thing I am excited about! Oh well, ...here is the best (sadly) picture of that bit.
Augie and Christian
Later that evening we went to have dinner with the other cousins (and the parents of the cousins, of course). Augie got LOTS of hugs and kisses from the girlie cousins. They just plain love this guy.

8/18/12

This morning before we left for church, Augie even got to make a little time for Maybe....

8/19/12

We had a lot of fun, but the Auger was ready for bed when we got home. My boy doesn't mess around  with his sleep times. : )

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Bumbo Seat Recall

    For those who haven't already heard, Bumbo has had to do a "recall" due to infants getting injured using their product. If you already own a Bumbo chair, simply go here and follow the instructions. They will ship you a "do it yourself" safety belt installation kit, for free! I believe that if you take the seat back to the store you purchased it from, you may also be able to get a refund, although I have no idea if you need the receipt. If you are currently registered for a Bumbo seat, or just want to buy one, I am sure than any that they have left in stores are up to standards. For a little added safety/comfort/usefulness they also have a play tray that you can order (not for free). I think I might look into getting one of these, because it looks like it would be a good place to feed a baby. The only issue is that you would have to keep close by your baby in this seat, even with a safety belt, or only set the Bumbo on the floor. I think that may have been the issue with babies getting hurt-- Parent places child in Bumbo ON A TABLE and WALKS AWAY. What!?! Who does that?....



Anyway, go getcha' self a free seatbelt, Bumbo owners. I did.

Crawling Fit

8/16/12
"Mama, now that I can crawl a little I am going to throw a FIT every time you try and lay me on my tummy. I know this doesn't make sense, since I didn't ever do it before." Oh well...at least you throw cute fits..

Thank God for Carol Bunker.

     So, I was just doing a little light reading on birthin' babies (I am a birth-geek) and read into asynclitic birthing.

             See: http://www.spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/all-positions/asynclitism


     Augie was asynclitic. It is when a baby's head is tilted to one side so it is not in line with the birth canal and therefore the cervix dilates in an uneven fashion. APPARENTLY common procedure for a lot of OB's it to tell the mama that they need to be cut open at this time, because the baby isn't going to come out properly/safely/etc. WHAT?! Carol (my midwife for the birth of Augustine) didn't even look at me sideways when she realized he was asynclitic. She just told me different positions to push in (squatting, one leg up, etc) and held back that stubborn cervical lip, and miraculously I had me a happy little HEALTHY baby. Seriously, obstetric community? You are telling women they need to be sliced wide open for something that, I can attest, is not that big-a-deal? Quit riding your scalpels to $$$-ville and learn how to birth babies! If you are "uncomfortable" with something that isn't ideal, GET comfortable. Not every child will come out the way that you leaned (in a textbook!) is the "correct" way. Are c-sections a WONDERFUL thing for a mother or baby who is in REAL danger? Absolutely. Are 33% (the average c-section rate) of women in danger? No. Well, they weren't until they stepped into your office.

     I am just very thankful that Carol trusted herself, and birth enough to let my body work it out. Thank you Carol! I will bring you guys cookies soon. ; )


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

A Bath For Two

8/15/12
Today we went over to visit Lilly and Emily. It was a cloudy day so we decided to let you guys swim in the kiddy pool, but you got a little chilly so then it was bath time!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Mommy Movie Date!

Today my sweet friend Kirsty invited us over to watch a chick-flick and eat a yummy lunch. She lives in Celeste, so it was a little drive (about half an hour or so) but boy was it a pretty one! Then, the boys ate, napped, and played on their mama's, while the mama's watched "This Means War". It. Was. Amazing. To get to hang out with a friend AND watch a chick-flick AND get to play with sweet babies all afternoon? Heaven. After the movie we had a little picture fun, and I couldn't choose just one...
8/14/12
Chapman and Augie. Clearly BFF's in the making.


Super Chap!

Posin'

Bonk! 





Don't these two pictures look like it is one that got chopped in half? Hehe.

Sweet chunky goodness!


Thanks for inviting over, Kirsty! We had a great time, and can't wait to do it again : )

Monday, August 13, 2012

Pack'n'Play!

8/13/12
This was your first time in the pack'n'play! Guess what?! You crawled a little bit (army crawled) for the first time today, AND you rolled all the way over for the first time! You really threw me for a loop, and so I ran and set this puppy up for you to take naps in, so you won't roll off the bed when I am not there. I can't believe how big you are getting. 




Sunday, August 12, 2012

Footsie

8/12/12
Lately you have realized you have feet, and you love to play with them. The first time I saw you grab them was on the changing table a week or two ago. You giggled and giggled at your new accomplishment. I was so proud.

Grandmunnah's Birfday.



We went to Eustace-town this weekend for Granmunnah's birthday. We had a lot of fun and played with crinkly books!

I think this boy is falling in love with his G-ma

Uncle Chis made scarrrrryy faces!

Cousins hugged.
8/11/12



Rivers was the official binkie replacer. 


And we got so pooped out we had to nap in a cuddly spots!






Bonus Feature: "Hilarious Aunt Erin"