Happy 1st Birthday Jayden

Yesterday was the birthday of Tucker's very best buddy, Jayden. Jayden and his Mommy play with Tucker all day long on days Mommy works. Jayden's birthday party was last weekend.

This little boy knows how to party!!!He was slightly unsure at first....But one little taste is all it took to go from this...........to THIS! "I think I'll wash this down with some milk now."

Love from Mommy, so sweet! :)

I'm not sure if Daddy & Mommy realized it or not, but I think what Jayden really wanted for his birthday was a doggy like Tucker's!Just to show you how much Tucker loves Jayden, here are some pictures from a day that Jayden surprised Tucker when he woke up from a nap.

They were SO excited to see each other!Tucker loves to give Jayden hugs and kisses :)
Best Buds!

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAYDEN!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!

p.s. Jayden's Mommy has a brand new blog. Check it out here. Trust me, it's bound to be very entertaining; after all, her facebook status updates alone have me laughing out loud sometimes! :)

Streptococcus

Another first in the Keene household.

But this one is not one to celebrate....

Tucker has Strep Throat.

This is the first time he has really been sick other than the sniffles.

It's not been as bad as I thought it would be. Tucker is just so good and so sweet, even when his little body feels awful! To be honest, I was really surprised when our pediatrician told me the strept test came back positive. I probably wouldn't have even taken him to the doctor except that he started vomiting EVERYWHERE yesterday morning. Talk about scary! It was out of no where. Well, maybe not no where. The night before he hardly touched his dinner. He would take bites of his broccoli (a favorite) and then spit it out. I thought that a bit odd, but he does have some days that he just doesn't feel like eating as much as usual.

Fast forward to breakfast the next morning. Same thing. He didn't touch his food. No sooner had I lifted him out of his high chair when he started vomiting over and over. I didn't know what to do. I just kinda stood there, allowing him to throw up all over me. It might of been funny had my precious baby not been suffering through the ordeal and had I not been covered in vomit from head to toe. I just held him saying over and over, "Tucker! Oh my gosh!" And the vomit just kept coming. Poor baby! I felt so bad for him.

So, it was to the pediatrician's office we went and sure enough, the Strep test was positive. I don't think Tucker was happy about it either.... Just this past Sunday he was blowing kisses to our pediatrician at church. Yesterday, he didn't want her near him! When she came in the room, he started signing "open" wanting me to open the door.

Strep Throat has been going around here like the plague! Seriously, so many of Tucker's friends have had it. Our *wonderful* pediatrician said you can pretty much walk in Kroger and come out with it right now. I was hoping we would somehow avoid it. It's things like this that make me want to keep Tucker in a germ-free bubble. I hate knowing that his little throat probably hurts so bad! :( And I HATE giving him antibiotics. As much as I know they're fighting off all that nasty strept, I don't like them. I've stocked up on probiotic as well (something I HIGHLY recommend giving to your little one anytime they're on an antibiotic!)

Dear Streptococcus,

We do not like you! Please leave us alone!

Signed,

A Momma That Has Given You Your Eviction Notice

Tucker, up from his morning nap, not feeling hot, double-fisting some carrot sticks :)

Bootcamp!

Bootcamp.

Just that word alone has come to elicit pain!

That's right, I started a bootcamp last week. It's a 60-day-long intense workout program. There's about 15 of us in the class that I'm in. It's 3 times a week, including Saturday mornings at 8:30 (!!!!). And includes a manuel with diet information and workout schedules for off-days. I even signed a contract saying I would follow the terms laid out in the manuel!


One week in and I haven't had a day where I'm not sore. But that's okay, it means it's working, right? According to the manuel, beginning on week 2 we are to start following the diet plan. Ughhh! I think I would rather workout 6 days a week than to diet, but I know there's only so much working out alone can do and that dieting is a HUGE part of weight loss. I haven't dieted in SO long and am NOT looking forward to this. I've already given up a few guilty pleasures, including this one, but I have a lot more to do to follow the rules in the manuel. Thanks to breastfeeding, I've lost most of my baby weight. I have like 3 pounds to go to be at my pre-pregnancy weight. But after carrying a baby for 9 1/2 months, 'things' don't just go back to the way they were, even if the scale says you're there in the pounds department. I know plenty of hot mamas who manage to lose their weight and fit even their skinny clothes only months after having a baby. Secretly, I hate them. Okay, maybe "hate" is a tad strong.... I've come to conclude that age counts against you in this area. (Really, is there an 'area' that age doesn't count against ya??) Maybe if I had been pregnant when I was 23, then maybe I wouldn't be shelling out $200 to some body-perfect, though well-meaning, trainer to come up with body-torturing, fat-burning, heart-pumping exercises guaranteed to help me shed those inches and pounds....


Before starting this bootcamp, I had to be comfortable with the fact that all the exercising and dieting may effect my milk supply. I would be lying if I said I've come to terms with that... But I am SO ready to reclaim my body! So far I haven't noticed a change and Tucker is still demanding just as much. I will probably not restrict myself quite as much in terms of calories since my body is still making milk and I have been trying to drink lots of water. Fingers are crossed that I can manage to keep my milk up.


Well, help keep me accountable. Ask me if I'm following the diet. Ask me if I've done the workouts on the days off. And in 60 days, ask me if I reached my goal.


Any encouragement is greatly appreciated!

He's definitely worth it!

(Gotta love that bed-head!)

Christmas Season 2010

Wow! We were so busy over the holiday that so many of my "post ideas" went unpublished, many not even making it to draft form.... I hate that! I really want to be better about posting more frequently. A New Year's Resolution perhaps? We'll see....

Anyway, one post that cannot go unpublished is our family Christmas. Tucker's 2nd Christmas was so much fun! He is such a fun age right now! He just takes everything in. It's so neat to just watch him take something new in, process it, and then watch him react. I could never get bored of watching him experience life! He never fails to amaze me with what he figures out.

We set the video camera up to catch Tucker's reaction to seeing presents under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning, so no photo of his reaction, but this is what he saw:

Santa brought Tucker 4 gifts and some smaller gifts in his stocking. At first, Tucker took the 'nice-and-easy' approach to opening his gifts.....

BUT, once he realized there were toys under all that wrapping paper, he got to work ripping them open!

That is until he came across his remote control car! By far his favorite toy!

He immediately had to try it out, meaning his other gifts and stocking had to wait. In fact, he played with his car, bongos, and kitchen so hard that after breakfast he was ready for a nap! Then, it was time to go to Memaw and Papa's so the rest of his gifts had to wait until the day AFTER Christmas!

The verdict's still out on who enjoys the car the most, Tucker or Daddy....

Wes and I spent a lot of time this year talking about what family traditions of our own we wanted to start. I am a girl who LOVES traditions! I hold memories of Christmas traditions as a child very close to my heart. In a way, it really makes me sad that I am grown up (that term is used very loosely sometimes lol!) and due to our family dynamics, many of those traditions have changed. For example, the timing of our family Christmas at my mom and dad's has to be scheduled around families of spouses and significant others. Up until only a few years ago, Wes and I and my sisters would go stay at my parents' house on Christmas Eve and we would all wake up on Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought everyone. While I do miss that, I want our own little family of myself, Wes and Tucker to have our own family traditions.

We immediately decided that we wanted our traditions to focus on the reason for Christmas, the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. How easy it is for that to get over shadowed in all the gift-giving, money-spending, and ripping and running. It's sad that keeping 'the main thing the main thing' (in the words of a great friend) requires you to be intentional in doing so, but it does. Luckily, we have many friends that have wonderful family traditions that we were able to 'borrow' and make our own.

To start with, we sent birthday party invitations to our family members inviting them to the Christmas Eve service at our church and then back to our house for a birthday party for Jesus! We sang Happy Birthday and blew out candles. Put it on your calender for next year!

We also decided that we would only give Tucker 3 gifts, minus the smaller gifts in his stocking, just as the three wise men gave Jesus. Many of our friends do this and we LOVED the idea from the get go. What better way to keep the number of presents your little one *expects* (because, really isn't that want they do, they expect toys on Christmas morning) under control. "I get 3 gifts from Santa on Jesus' birthday because that's how many gifts Jesus got." (It's confusing enough to even explain why WE even get gifts on Jesus' birthday.....we might need to put some more thought into that one for when Tucker's old enough to ask those questions....any ideas???) Jesus gave the ultimate gift, one that we don't even come close to deserving. To shower Tucker with a million gifts just doesn't seem right. We immediately loved the idea of giving him 3 gifts symbolizing the 3 gift Jesus received from the Magi. I do have to admit, I had a LOT of trouble with this one, hence the 4 gifts Tucker received. I found myself saying, "I think I can shove this one in his stocking and it won't count..." (For the record, the LeapFrog Fridge Phonics does NOT fit in a stocking!) We need to commit to doing better next year.

Tucker may be too young to really understand the meaning of Christmas, but it's never too early to start teaching him about Jesus and His love for us. We have a play nativity set from Little People (which is now on sale for $19.99!) that we set up on our coffee table.
When Tucker plays with it, we always take the opportunity to tell him bits and pieces of Jesus' birth and even though much of it goes over his head, it's laying the foundation for future learning and understanding. Tucker knows which character is Baby Jesus and will pick him up and kiss and hug him. If you ask Tucker, "Where is Jesus?" he will point up (toward Heaven). If you ask him, "Who does Jesus love?" he will point to himself. Tucker already loves to pray. He will hold his hands together indicating he wants us to pray at the most random times! After we pray, he always signs "more". That's my boy! :)

There's a few other traditions Wes and I have talked about, but that's a start!

Since I missed the opportunity to post individual posts about our holiday activities, here are a few (okay, a LOT, but I'm combining like 4 posts into one!) pictures from our holiday season:

Papa and Memaw with Tucker at our birthday party for Jesus.

Papa reading Tucker the Christmas Story

A few pics from Christmas at Nana's:

This is what Xavien does every time he takes a picture! He's smiling for the camera, but he's looking at the person beside him smiling! Hilarious!

Tucker LOVES his big cousins! He is so lucky to have 6 older cousins ranging in age from 7 years to 19 months. I don't even want to think about the trouble, I mean fun, he will have with all those cousins in the years to come!

This was Tucker's reaction to Santa this year. Poor Buddy! I have to admit, I have this fear that my son will be in therapy when he's 16 years old and it will all come back to the fact that his Mommy put him on the lap of some scary guy with a white beard when he was 14 months old!

Nothing a few Cheerios won't cure!

Braving the cold to help Mommy and Daddy finish up some Christmas shopping!

Tucker posing before church on Christmas Eve. Future GQ model?

Daddy, Mommy & Tucker Bug after church

And this is what Tucker spent the whole Christmas season doing. We had to move all the ornaments from the bottom of the tree so they were out of his reach.

On Christmas Day we headed to my parents' house. Here are a few pics:

Everyone waiting to open presents. It always starts out nice and calm, but it doesn't take long before wrapping paper is flying and kids are screaming with excitement! It really is bit of a crazy time!

Aunt Holli & Tucker Bug (drinking from the sippy of one of Tatum's baby dolls lol!)

Tatum INSISTED on opening EVERYONE's gifts!

Mikie, Holli & Tater Bug!

Tatum putting make up on Makenzie. Please notice that she is putting eye shadow in Makenzie's hair!

Bridgette and Holli are going to kill me for this!

O'mauri and Tucker playing hide 'n seek with Memaw! They LOVE Memaw!

Can you tell that Tucker was up way pass his nap time?

Sleepy eyes :(

Daddy, Mommy & Tucker Bug on Christmas day

Me and Mom. (Mom always wears her PJ's all day long on Christmas day ;)

Shelby & Tucker (when we first got there, before Tucker got dressed lol!)

I didn't end up with many pictures of the guys (Dad, Wes, Mikie, Luke, Nick, Joshua, & O'mauri)
because when you have 2 new Playstation 3's and a new Wii, they tend to hibernate in the basement!

Yes, Christmas this year was a great time filled with spending time with family and reflecting on the reason for celebrating.

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6

The Coolest Couple Time Group Ever

I really want to show off some pictures from our Christmas, but not tonight.

Tonight, Daddy and Mommy had some much-needed adult time with some amazing friends that we LOVE! Wishing all of y'all a great New Year's Eve tomorrow ;)

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We love you!
Love,

The Keenes :)

Old Man Winter

A few days ago it was snow, and today it was ice. Yuck! I guess Old Man Winter is making his presence known around these parts.

Poor Daddy had to shovel the ice off the driveway this morning before leaving for work.

"Daddy! Can you hear me, Daddy?!" "Mama, Daddy needs my help! Can I go play?" Maybe later, Tucker Bug....maybe later!

"Muah!"

Happy 14 Months (yesterday...)

Tucker turned 14 months yesterday.

To celebrate, he had a chocolate chip cookie for the first time.

Here's my chocolate-covered 14 month old :)

(Actually, he's protesting b/c Mama won't give him cookie #2!)( He also had his first time out yesterday..... The offense: playing in the dog dishes for the millionth time. More on that in a later post.)

Thanks, Shutterfly!

Have y'all realized just how last minute I am yet lately? Seriously, the whole "pregnancy brain" turned "mommy brain" is like a very bad joke! I used to classify myself as a very organized, got-it-all-together kinda gal, well at least around this time of year. What would that look like this time of year? Well, Christmas shopping would be done with the exception of a few last minute touches like the perfect pair of socks to incorporate into the bow on my sister's gift, or the Flor de Lis Christmas ornament to dangle from the gift basket for a counselor at one of my schools. Tucker's Christmas outfit would be ordered, monogrammed, and hanging neatly in his closet awaiting it's debut. Christmas cards would be mailed. The gifts would be wrapped and placed perfectly under the tree. By this time, I would be enjoying the snow from the stress-free bubble I so carefully positioned myself in.

Well, "Mommy Brain" has taken all that and turned it on it's head. I.am.serious. I can't seem to get myself organized enough to get anything accomplished these days! Christmas shopping.....let's just say I had great intentions of gettin' it both started and finished last Saturday but spent over half my time helping my brother, Nick, shop for his girlfriend. I was able to get 2 people checked off my list, leaving about 20. Which means I will be like all the other last minute shoppers this weekend and next week fighting each other for a parking spot and last minute deals. Woo hoo! And let's not even talk about Tucker's Christmas outfit. I'm just hoping it actually arrives before Christmas or it might become a New Year's outfit....

Then there's the Christmas cards. You know, the chance to put your beautiful family's picture in the mailboxes of your nearest and dearest, along with every other person you've ever met and manage to 'whitepage' their address. Not only have I not ordered our Christmas cards yet, but I have yet to nail down that perfect picture. Yes I have about a dozen recent pictures of Tucker Bug that would do, but the goal is to top last year's card, right? Remember ours:

That was my newborn baby! And while I do happen to think that my toddler has gotten even more delicious with each passing month, he would rather push around toys and hide behind closed doors than to take a posed, Christmas-card-perfect picture these days!

Which leaves Mama ordering Christmas cards at the last minute! It's a good thing there is still time to order that perfect card from my favorite site, Shutterfly!
Once that perfect picture is snapped, the hard part is then to decide which card will perfectly accent that pearly white you managed to bribe your precious lil one to flash. Shutterfly has so many greeting cards to choose from! My favorites are the folded greeting cards because you can include more than one photo and there's room for a personal letter. Of the 221 folded greeting cards to choose from, here are just a few of my favorites:

I like the simplicity of this one, but yet the freedom to include multiple photos:

And maybe I'm just drawn to this one by the cute kid:

I love the fun font on this one:

No matter which card you choose, you can be confident that your pictures and card will turn out great! I have used Shutterfly in the past for invitations and photo books and have always been more than satisfied with their products. I have no doubt my Christmas cards will turn out great too!

Thanks for helping to take one thing off my list, Shutterfly!

Now if only Shutterfly could take care of my shopping and gift-wrapping, and even more importantly, this whole "Mommy Brain" thing!

* They are, however, helping out somewhat. By posting this blog post, they are giving me 50 free holiday cards! It's a special they've been running for bloggers. Score!

What I'm Thankful For - Tucker Bug Edition

If I wasn't a mother.....

*I wouldn't have scratches all over my coffee table and end tables.
*My favorite big candle holder from Pottery Barn with the river rock and the big red candle in my favorite scent would still be the centerpiece of that scratch-free coffee table.
*You wouldn't have to look under the rug and couch for coasters.
*I wouldn't find smashed peas and blueberries in my carpet.
*I would sleep until 10:00 am (possibly even later) on Saturdays.
*It wouldn't take me 2 hours to get out of the house in the mornings.
*When I try to schedule a last minute hair appointment with my favorite stylist and they say, "Can you come in 20 minutes?" I could answer, "Absolutely."
*I would be on time more often.
*My house would actually be clean, not just straightened up 20 minutes before expecting company.
*I might not be drowning in laundry. (Okay, well that's not entirely true.... I hate doing laundry, so I would probably still be drowning in it!)
*I wouldn't have tiny hand prints all over my windows.
*I wouldn't know 50 children's books by heart.
*I would still be able to wear low-rider jeans without fear of resembling a breakfast item.
*I wouldn't constantly trip over toys.
*My make-up and hair would be just right instead of 'that-will-do'.
*I wouldn't need to buy a gazillion batteries every couple weeks.
*I would have an additional cabinet and drawer in my kitchen to put actual kitchen items in.
*I wouldn't be too embarrassed to take my car to get it cleaned out because of all the Cheerios and who knows what else in it.
*I would never know true love.


God,
Thank you for the scratches on my furniture and the hand prints on my windows; it means my son is curious and able to explore his curiosity. Thank you for the smashed food in my carpet; it means my son is eating and healthy. Thank you for less sleep in the mornings and the 2 hours it takes me to get out the door; it means I have more time to enjoy my son. Thank you for the toys I trip over and the children's books I have memorized; it means I am able to provide those things for my son and that he has a passion for learning and exploring. And, yes, even thank you for the trouble with low-rider jeans; it means I was able to carry my son for 9 1/2 months and experience the indescribable joy of giving birth to the most beautiful baby boy! THANK YOU for loving me enough to bless me with the most wonderful, priceless gift ever - being a mother, and not to just anybody, but to the most perfect child in the world - the one you created all for me! Thank you for showing me only a glimpse of your love for me through my love for Tucker. For all this, I am eternally grateful.
-Amen

There isn't anything in the world I would rather be than Tucker's Mom!

I am SO thankful for him and what he means to me and Wes.