little man...

All the anxieties I had before about having a baby are slowly fading...

Jamie and I are super excited to be having a little cowboy boot wearing baby of our own.
The minute I found out I was prego, I told the Lord, "yes, I know I am having a boy."  It was just a matter of fact kind of thing.  I think He was preparing my girly girl heart for a little rugged baby BOY!  

I have to say that even though my heart knew we were having a boy, when they actually said, "it's a boy!"  I was a little shocked.  Thinking to myself, what in the world am I going to do with a boy?... I am so girly!  I only know how to sew girl clothes.  lol.  Well...after letting it sink in a few days that baby Higdon is a boy and seeing the excitement on Jamie's face was priceless.  

I am just elated.  

He is kicking like crazy and making me eat cheese and drink milk allll the time.

My stomach is starting to grow and I dont really think i can hide it much longer! My hyperventilating has slowly subsided after constantly waking up in the middle of the night thinking about having a baby.  I think it is setting in 23 weeks later :)

Life as we know it will never be the same, but I am thinking it just gets better...  

Prego

babies...ahh...babies

They are so smooshy, cute looking, baby powder smelling, jibber jabber talking, diaper wearing little balls of cuddliness.  You just want to pinch their cheeks at any moment.  Sweet adorable Rivers.  She is a blue eyed ball of cuddliness.  I just love her.

I had a revelation.  It came to me all of a sudden one night.  well maybe over the past several nights.  ok,possibly months now.

I am having one of these balls of cuddliness!  Excuse me while I hyperventilate for a second.  

Everyone tells me that, "it comes naturally!" "you will just know what to do once they get here!"  "just wait until you see their sweet faces, the anxiety all goes away!"

**tap-tap-tap**  is this thing on....

are you kidding me!  

I have to admit.  Having a life grow inside of you, and waiting, just waiting until the day when you get to hold them and watch them cry and eat and work to take care of the ball of cuddliness, all while enjoying this bundle of joy is just about made me hyperventilate most weeks.  ok. you got me...almost everyday. 

milk.  I crave milk.  lots of milk.  maybe with almost every meal.  

Yogurt and fruit too.  I am hungry a lot and tired alllll the time, but not sick in the least.   Jamie, my beyond sweet of sweetness of a husband is just so excited to have little cowboy boot wearing babester of our own. 

He tells me to get a milkshake and enjoy being pregnant.  :)

I am finished with my 1st trimester this week.  So technically I have 2 more trimesters to figure it all out, right??  Or, does anyone want to be a full time- live in nanny...yes, that may be a good option/possibility.  Takers, takers..anyone.  

Oh my goodness I am hyperventilating again.  

I am off to read another baby book :)

Sometimes life just happens...

Life happens sometimes at what seems like the most in opportune times.  always.

So, it all started back in July.  

I went to the Phi Mu National Convention in Pheonix, Arizona for 5 days.  I think I cried everyday because I missed Jamie and Brodie so bad.  I am a sap.  I know!  Ok, really I just worried of what my two boys would be getting into.  Brodie was probably using my pillow as a doggie bed I just know it.

We stayed at The Biltmore.  It was absolutely beautiful.  My lemonade melted walking from my room to the conference room because it was 118 degrees!!  For the love of all that is good this world.  My hair had seen better days.  enough said.

I had the privilege to travel on this trip with the Phi Mu president of the Montevallo chapter, Kathryn.  We became close.  I also taught her not to eat the $15 M&M peanuts out of the room mini fridge.  I treated her to pizza instead :)

While I was on this trip to the hottest part of the US it seemed, I received a call from my office with an agent wanting to show our house.  slight freak out moment happened for sure.  I am not home.  Jamie is in charge...Brodie is loose...choas my be happening without my approval!  

We got a contract on our home.  I negotiated this in the 10 min breaks we had between meetings.  

I wanted to be excited, and cry all at the same time!

We had to find a home and pronto!
Jamie and I thought we found the house we would be in for years to come.  I could already picture our kids riding their bikes down the street.  3 bedroom, 2 bath, formal dining room, 3 car garage, screened in porch, and a full unfinished basement on 3.5 acres in Chelsea.  We were getting a phenomenal deal.

OH, I almost forgot.  2 weeks before we were supposed to move, this happened!!  I'm Pregnant!!  Baby Higdon is on the way come April 2011.  wow.  the timing is impeccable. I took at total of 4 tests just to make sure the first 2 were correct...lol

We are ecstatic, overwhelmed, elated, overwhelmed, jumping for joy, and did I mention overwhelmed.  lol We are having a baby!!

We soon come to find out 2 days before we were supposed to close on our house that there were title issues on our perfect little family home and that the house was not foreclosed on properly.  It was going to be 6-9 months + before the house would be available for me to apply for a mortgage again.  

*sigh*

For every door the Lord closes, he opens another one.  We are still waiting on that door.  Hopefully it will have huge arrows telling us to open it when it comes around!

So, we moved in with my sweet, and very accommodating parents.   Brodie is even allowed to sleep inside and on the bed!!  We have never had inside pets growing up.  My parents have adjusted to our energetic ball of fur and just want to make life and our stress as easy as possible.

All the while I am still trying to sell real estate.  Enough said on that too.  

This cartoon says it all :)

Brodie has become fond of the HUGE pasture and pond at my parents house.  It is like a serious free for all.  Room to stretch his legs, run until his little heart is content, and leap through the water anytime he wants.  It is doggie heaven.  His little heart can't take anymore happiness!

Can't you just read his mind..."throw the ball again mom!  My tongue hanging out just means I am excited not tired!"

We are still on the hunt for a house, preferably before Baby Higdon comes along.

Patience is truly a virtue.  Through all the tears, excitement, and slight stress, God is always good.  

I guess I can just sum it all up by saying, sometimes life just happens!

The brothers turn 2!

Mr. Brodie Higdon and Sam White turned "2" on August 1!!

 Just seems like yesterday we were bringing the little fur balls home from Tennessee.
That little face had my heart from day one. 

Now, He is a BIG boy.  Toddler to be exact.  The terrible two's!

Really his terrible 2's phase was at age 1.  Oh, the craziness that was bestowed on the Higdon household was like non other.  Our socks, dishtowels, and under garmets will never be rendered usable again.  His latest fetish...our bath mats.

Every dog must have a proper 2 year old birthday party filled with birthday hats, birthday cake, homemade doggie bones, and doggie friends.

Let The Birthday Party Extravaganza Begin!!!

First they got to eat their homemade doggie bones GG made for all three of them.  

gulp...that didn't last long as they lick their chops wanting more...and yes, more is to come.

THEN came the homemade doggie birthday cake!!!!  

Lets just say they inhaled this cake.  Peanut butter, honey, carrots, and some other good doggie treats. It literally became a free for all at this point.  There was no stopping them now!

It is not Miley's birthday, but for all practical purposes, she thought it was!  All that cake cannot be good for her girlish figure...oh well...she didn't seem to mind. 

Sam, on the other hand, thought he would save a birthday snack for later that night.

What a treat it has been to watch these two brothers grow up together and be best friends...even though their personalities may be 180 degrees in opposite directions!

We all love this rowdy and rambunctious trio and hope to have many more birthday parties to come.

Old Age Brings...

WISDOM.

 

I just turned 28 last Thursday.  Happy Birthday to me!  

I have to tell you though, old age doesn't always just bring wisdom.
Some days I wake up feeling like this:

-a little bug-eyed from the lack of sleep from one Brodie Higdon.
-a lot of bed head because the beauty just doesn't come as natural as it used to.
-a little wrinkly from well, you know~wrinkles.
-and a lot of feeling like you could scream from being slightly overwhelmed with all that life has to offer. 

Some pictures just bring out the best in you, and well, others just make you a little worried that you thought about yourself through the eyes of a distressed hungry pony.

Oh well....that is the facts of growing up.  

Gotta Love It!  :)

Day Care??

                  Doggie Day Care to be exact.
                    ~The Three Musketeers~  

             pure bliss.  curiosity.  crazy anxiety. 

Brodie. Mr. High Anxiety himself. Loves to retrieve a tennis ball, barks at anything that slightly moves, points at random squirrels, and tries to catch any fluffy cats that come in the backyard.

Princess Miley. Ms. Diva. Prissy and sassy.
Loves anything to do with water especially swimming in the pool, loves loves to eat, and has her way with driving the boys crazy.

Sam. The calm and collected one that tends to entertain himself with chewing plastic cups and large bones, chasing tennis balls, and occasionally joins in with the other twos crazy doggy antics

There is just so much to do at Doggie Day Care. Chew up the grill cover into little tiny pieces, fall into the pool with the cover still on, dig up each and every plant in the backyard, chew the new cushions on the back deck, take turns diving into the baby pool full of water, run in circles around the pool, sun themselves, roll in the dirt right after it rains, have snack time, and terrorize the cats.

Each has their own personality, and mischief is constantly the word of the day.  Gotta love those little muts of ours.

 Everyday is a crazy day, but a good day!

Peace Like a River

I know I have mentioned having the baby fever...
It is serious...very serious
I think I may need to talk to Jamie
Yeah...for sure. 

Courtney:  "Jamie, I think Brodie needs a sibling to play with and love on and spend all his time laying on top of to give my ribs a break from being smooshed.  What do you think?"

Jamie: "Is that right? What kind of German Shorthair puppy would you like? A male or female?? I hear the females are really loving. Brodie would be ecstatic!"



Courtney:  "Nooo....like a for real live baby, that cries, and poops, and sleeps alot.

 Jamie:  "Have you seen Rivers lately... she is really cute and sweet and loving... you may need to call Christina."

Courtney:  "For serious!"

Jamie:  "Can they wear camo and pink if it is a girl, and go hunting and fishing, and can Brodie sleep in their bed when they get older??

Courtney:  "YES, that way Brodie doesn't sleep on me!!!"  "See, all of our problems are solved!"

Whew~glad we got that settled!

Birthday Boy

My boy turns the big "29" today. 

It is a joyous occasion filled with a birthday song before you even make it out of bed, going out to eat for breakfast, and family over for dinner tonight.  Ice cream cake is a must for my rugged outdoorsy fisherman.  It is his favorite.   

Almost at the BIG "30"  Whew.. So much to do and so little time to soak it all up.  

Fish on my handsome fisherman, fish on.

Happy Birthday Sweetie.  You deserve a great day with everything your heart desires. 

Mother's Day

This morning, was like non other.  It is Mother's Day!  I woke up and rolled over and my little munchkins wet nose was protruding into my pillow and his paw flung across my chest as to snuggle with me.  Not just snuggle, but practically lay on top of me.  He is not content to be just pressed up against me, but his face has to literally be nussled up against mine usually sharing 3/4 of my pillow.  The whole ~here is your line in the bed, and here is my line~just goes flying out the window.
Did I mention that he has allergies-yes, you will wake early in the mornings with his snorting and weasing, and just when he manages to wiggle his way from my feet to my head, he will then, and only then, proceed to sneeze all over me.  That is Brodie....enough said.
Happy Mother's Day.

 

I am right there with you mothers.  Getting any "me" time is such a stretch and can be very trying.  We have to plan our priorities and make sure our time is used wisely and that family time is where our main focus should be.

~Cook dinner for Jamie and Brodie, get water from the tub (only the bathtub!), bath time, go TT, snuggle time/family time on the couch, go TT, bark at the next door neighbors terrier, chew a bone, get some water, help with laundry(better yet, chewing the laundry), paw at the broom as I sweep the floor, bedtime on his throne in the bedroom, 11:00 pm wake up to go TT, get more water, 3:00 am-get more water, 5:30 am go TT again, 6:30 family snuggle time in bed, wipe myself off from being sneezed on, 7:30 breakfast, load up for doggie day care 8:00 am., snack time with Aunt Lacey 12:00, pick him up from Doggie Day Care 6:00pm.  And the process just repeats itself...~

I know what you are thinking, just wait until she has number two!
Whew...How do us Mother's handle it??

It has been worth it for sure to be a mom to my little 1.5 yr. old pupster.  A lot has changed since he was a puppy and I wanted to literally take him back to where we got him after he TT'd on my carpet and Pottery Barn rug for the 1,000 time, until now, many can say I have come a long way.  Brodie brings out the best in me.  Now once he gets my dishtowel for the 1 billionth time and runs behind the couch, I now say "come" and he sashays his way over to me and drops it at my feet with pride.. "look mom, I was obedient, what kind of treat and I going to get"  

He gets the treat of not getting his behind spanked for taking my towel for the billionth time since he brought it back to me.  Yes, I have come along way.

We have experienced many things together, like his 1st birthday party.  What great mom doesn't make you a monogrammed t-shirt, and bakes you cupcakes.  We have also been fishing together, and learned to quail hunt, ride with the window down in the car, learned to retrieve balls off the pier, and we are working on getting along with cats, and calming our anxiety levels just a tad. 

Being a mom has been very rewarding I have to say.  It definitely teaches you patience and that small things are just small things not mountains.  I think it is sweet that he is a mommas boy and loves to snuggle and gets slightly jealous if I pay more attention to anyone else but him.  What would life be like without my little ball of fur.  He is turning the terrible 2's soon, so everyone be in prayer.  

Life is good... and I am blessed.

Pretty in Pink

P.H.I.  M.U. Ladies.  

Prissy. Funny. Pink. Intelligent. Sunhat Wearing. Sassy.  High Heel Loving. Sundress attire. 

Good lookin' girly girls!

For those who do not know, I was a Phi Mu in college, and now have the privilege of coming back to UM be an adviser for these wonderful women. 

I was also very prissy, and a little sassy, and had to have my hair and clothes just so...I was definitely the girl always in pink.  After I met Jamie, really this little sister Lacey, did my wardrobe start to slowly evolve to sundresses and cowboy boots instead of dress pants and high heels.  It is definitely still a work in progress, but the casual side of me is taking form.  All I really knew was high heels and slightly ~ prissy!

Who said Pink wasn't the new brown.

Many faces of Rivers

Sweet Rivers.  

Calm.  Collected.  Sweet.  She almost looks like a porcelain doll.

The baby fever has hit me like a ton of bricks.  

The baby lotion smell, the little rolls on her thighs and arms, her peach fuzz of hair, how she balls her fists up as she so powerfully tries to yawn, and her smooth as a babies behind skin.
I just love it.

My heart just yearns...

But for now... Brodie's puppy breath smell will have to do.