Watch out world, there's two of them now!

This is Aunt Busty picking up the slack for Mama G, who has been busy being pregnant and running after a toddler (a lot of our phone conversations these days include me saying, "Better you than me!"

But now I'm popping in to report that Peyton has a brother! He doesn't know it yet, but his life is about to be changed (and in a year or two, hopefully he'll agree it's for the better, but for now, I'm sure he's going to miss being the golden child, the angel, the center of attention...)

Wyatt Thomas was born this morning at 8:02 a.m., weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces. His mom is happy he's here and his dad is happy he made it in time for the family to take the tax deduction for 2009!

Peyton was still asleep at home with Grandpa G. when I last spoke to the happy mama, so he doesn't yet know the news. I just hope his parents get a call through to him before he checks the blog and hears the news from me.

Congratulations to the family of four!

Say What?!?

Now That We Have Connections....

Peyton has a little obsession with the furry red guy from Sesame Street. He never watches Elmo on television, he's never met Elmo in real life but he can't get enough of this video. So naturally, when planning his first birthday it was a no brainer to come up with the theme.
First, an Elmo cake


Second, some Elmo balloons


Even some Elmo presents


But how many birthday boys can say they got a happy birthday phone call from Elmo himself?


Now, the person who made this all possible shall remain nameless (he is a high powered lawyer with his own firm and therefore needs to maintain his dignity, after all) but I am still in complete awe that all I had to do was let it be known that Peyton was hoping for a phone call and it was a done deal.

Which leaves me wondering what the theme for next year's party should be...what, PEOPLE's 100 sexiest men alive isn't appropriate for a two year old's birthday party?

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To

This seemed to be the theme of Peyton's first birthday today, although the official theme was Elmo. By the time we had cake and presents this evening, Peyton had pretty much had it with all things birthday.

So many people told us not to bother spending money on presents because he is still too young to really enjoy them. If this video isn't proof of that, I don't know what is!






Peyton enjoyed the frosting more than the actual cake. At first he delicately picked at the frosting but he eventually got into pulling it all apart.



All in all, we had fun, although Mat and I a bit more than Peyton, I think.

A Boy's Best Friend

Our three dogs have taken to Peyton with varying degrees of interest. Carter loves Peyton most of the time and even initiates playful interactions while Harley would prefer to keep the kid a paw's length away at all times. We've been the most surprised with Callie, however, because she has been the gentlest, most tolerant of the bunch. Peyton can be pretty rough with her and she usually lies down and takes it. Tonight, we caught a cute moment between the two.....

He Went A'walking

At 11 months old, Peyton has really begun mastering the art of walking with help from his push-toy. He is absolutely hysterical to watch!

How Many Licks Does It Take to Get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop?

Not Me Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not substitute time in the kiddie pool for my baby's bath this weekend....Not me!

I did not hide a bar of dark chocolate in my bedside table so that I wouldn't have to share it with my husband (too bad he still found it!)....Not me!

I did not leave the house with a diaper bag devoid of any diapers, wipes or bottles (really then, what good is a diaper bag?!?). Nope. Not me!

I did not find a new "lazy way" to walk the dog (i.e. attach leash to dog, get onto bicycle and pedal around the neighborhood on said bike, all while making the dog sprint)...Not me!

I did not mumble expletives under my breath when my husband called me, while I was having some "me" time, from the store to tell me he locked his keys in the car and he and the baby were stranded- could I bring over the spare set of keys? So much for a much deserved break. Nope. Not me!

My Son, the Tadpole

Peyton had his first swim lesson yesterday. When I say, "lesson" I do use that term loosely because it's really just pool time for baby and mommy/daddy to get kids used to the water. I have been looking forward to this for quite some time (since Peyton was about, oh, say, 4 months old). Mat tried to keep my expectations in check, telling me, "Don't get upset if he starts screaming the second you get in the water." No need to worry though because P absolutely LOVED the pool. He started squealing and shrieking the minute we got in and loved all 30 minutes of it. He was kicking his feet, blowing raspberries (during which I would stick his face in the water to see if he could "motorboat") and even happily swam into the arms of the swim instructor a few times. I'm so glad he liked the pool because we are scheduled to go back every Saturday for the month of April, at least. Then when the weather warms up we are going to practice in the pool at the country club we joined. He should be jumping off the side of the pool and swimming laps by summer's end, I reckon. From tadpole to full-on froggie!

Video Wednesday

The little (ha!) guy is 6 1/2 months old and getting to be so much fun. I haven't posted any videos in a while so here you go...





Peyton "playing" basketball




Peyton in his new jumper

Not Me Monday- Stellan Edition

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.

In honor of Baby Stellan, I am participating in Not Me Monday for the first time this week. For updates on how Stellan is doing, please visit MckMama's blog. So here goes.......

I haven't bookmarked MckMama's blog site under "favorites" so I can check for Stellan updates about 25 times a day. Not me!

I didn't sit in church on Sunday and ignore the homily, instead focusing on the image of Jesus on the cross and asking him to heal Stellan. Not me!

I didn't almost start crying in the middle of prayers of intercession when the priest asked us to pray for all those who are sick and frightened (me, of course, thinking of Stellan). Not me!

I didn't keep the computer logged on throughout the night so I could check for any updates in the the middle of the night when I got up to tend to my own child. Not me!

I didn't pull out my bible, which I haven't read in ages, seeking a passage that would help explain why bad things have to happen to innocent children. Not me!

I haven't been in tears several times per day for sweet Stellan. Not me!

I haven't let my own baby cry it out a bit in his crib while I finished reading a new post about Stellan. Not me!

Lord Jesus, we believe that Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Please bring healing of heart and body to sweet Stellan and his family. Amen.

Georgia on My Mind (But That's Not All)

Wow, I have been a very bad blogger, and I admit it. Thanks to Aunt Busty for keeping up the posts. But I do have a good excuse. Hubby, baby and I have just completed a big move to Georgia from Florida, and we are finally feeling settled in. There is so much to get used to here- small town living, southern accents, cold weather, no Starbucks, having to drive 20 minutes to any type of civilization and oh yeah, stay-at-home mommyhood. Which by the way, I am loving. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when we moved- pound the pavement to find another job or enjoy staying home and taking care of Peyton for a while. Well, it's been almost a month since I left my old job and I haven't even opened the classified section of the paper or browsed online to see what is out there. I realized that Peyton is at the age where every day is so precious, every day brings something new. He literally evolves from day to day, rolling, babbling, laughing, almost sitting up, eating solid food. He will only be a baby for so long and I want to be around to see it all. I hadn't planned on staying home with him. In fact, at 11 weeks old, he went to daycare for 10 hours a day while I worked full-time out of necessity. But with this move to Georgia, I was blessed with the opportunity to choose. And I only have to look at my son's face light up each morning when I go to get him out of his crib to know that I made the right decision.

This might be the last post from Aunt Busty if P's mom figures out how to change her blog password

Ahem, is this thing on? [[taps microphone...]] Is anybody still reading?

This is Aunt Busty and I broke into And Baby Makes Three because, as a blogger myself (one-half of a team that tries to post every day, New Momma!), I'm personally affronted that someone (ahem, New Momma!) could let their blog languish for two months without filling us in on the amazement that is Baby Peyton. I think New Momma needs to realize that P isn't going to be little forever, that these days are precious and someday you're going to want to remember them (or, at least that's what my friends who are parents tell me-- as for me, I'm trying to memorialize every cute thing one or the other of my dogs does...)

Anyway, to fill you in on Peyton, he's got his learner's permit, has been dating a nice girl and is going to prom in a few months. Oh wait, it hasn't been quite that long since New Momma has posted... actually, P and his family just made a big move and if that wasn't enough excitement, he slept in his crib in his very own room all by himself for the first time.

But you don't visit this blog to hear about those things... admit it, you want to hear about the sordid details of how P pooped all over himself three times in one day (THOSE are the stories I'll be pulling out for future prom dates, P!) Apparently, Peyton not only enjoys his Baby Einstein exersaucer but he gets a bit, um, stimulated by it. To the point where he not only poops, but does it in such a way that it ends up leaving his diaper and climbing up his back. Any further details are hazy because I was too horrified by what New Momma had described to listen closely, but it included the phrase "ended up in his hair and on his face." Yeah, I'm not sure how that happens either-- that boy has talent.

Enough embarrassment for the little guy for one post, I suppose. And don't worry, Peyton, I have enough cute photos of you to make up for the less-than-flattering stories. 

Love (and those embarrassing kisses where I leave lipstick all over your cheeks), Aunt Busty

Pardon the Potty Mouth

Peyton is nine weeks old now and starting to get really fun. He coos, smiles and giggles but whenever we pull out the video camera to try to capture his cuteness, he always stops. Maybe he's camera shy, I don't know. Last night was the first time we managed to get him smiling and cooing on film. Pardon the potty talk but that seems to be the only way we can really get him going!

Happy Halloween!

To Get a Little Personal......

I read somewhere that because infants basically only eat, sleep and poop, parents become very obsessed with these functions. Thus, we find ourselves talking about poop way more than we imagined we would. Poor little P has had some issues lately in that department. The pediatrician suggested prune juice and since that hasn't worked, the next step was to try a glycerin suppository. Supposedly, once it's been administered, it works pretty quickly. So, I tried it tonight (we are still waiting for the results) and before I did, hubby and I were conversing. I told him the suppository would work quickly and we might have a blowout in little P's diaper to which hubby replied, "Can't you just put him on some newspaper? Why waste a good diaper if you know it's just going to get dirty in a few minutes?" My response? "He's not a puppy for heaven's sakes. We'll use a diaper!" So that's my only poop story for a good while, I promise.
On another note, we went and picked out a pumpkin the other day in anticipation for little P's first Halloween. He even got invited to an adult Halloween party this weekend. He's going with a cute little onesie that says, "this is my costume." Now I just need to come up with a good idea for my costume. I don't think taking a marker and writing "this is my costume" on a t-shirt will cut it. I'm just not cute enough to pull that off.

Little P Says to Rock the Vote

I have a confession to make. Even though I am almost 30, I have never voted. I was always away at school or never registered in the place where I was living during the times that the elections rolled around. However, since moving to Florida, I made sure to register in my county and yesterday, the hubby, little P and I went to early voting and cast our ballots. I realized that it was my duty as a US citizen as well as my duty as a mother to make sure I voted this year. You see, as soon as little P came into this world, I realized I had this new awesome responsibility as a parent. (This realization even caused me to break down in tears several times on our way home from the hospital; I just couldn't believe the nurses allowed the hubby and I to take this little creature home with us!) And I feel that an important aspect of being a good parent is to do everything possible to ensure the best future for my child and any future children. I might not be able to single-handedly fix all the problems this country is facing at the moment but at least I can try to help bring into office the best person to address the economic crisis, health care, education, the environment and foreign relations so that little P and his future sibs will have a wonderful world to live in. Sure I feel guilty for not taking advantage of my right to vote sooner but I am happy that I didn't let another opportunity pass me by and that I made little P a part of the experience too. After all, not many 6 week olds can say they've been to the polls.

I know, I know. I'm not keeping up with this blog like I should be. We've just had a lot of visitors lately, and I've actually been able to get out of the house a few times! Hubby's parents came for a visit when little P was about a week old.











Then hubby's sister and her boyfriend were down for a few days, and little P had his first experience bowling. Well, okay, he really only sat in his little car seat at the bowling alley and actually, he slept through the entire thing so he didn't even know he was there. Still, Mama bowled well and we all had fun.














Today, hubby's boss and his wife hosted a University of Tennessee football party/Noah's ark-themed baby shower for little P (how many babies get one of those?!?) They were so generous in putting together all the food and gifts and the most adorable cake I've ever seen.


And again, little P slept through 95% of the party so everyone said what an angel he is. Papa and I are just bracing for tonight thinking we may not be getting too much sleep since that's all he did today.
Aunty Busty (my sister) and her hubby are coming on Tuesday to meet their nephew. I know they'll spoil him rotten with hugs and kisses and cuddles and hopefully they'll spoil me rotten by mixing me up one of those delicious chocolate martinis they make. I've been craving one since I got pregnant. We can't wait for them to visit!

My Boy Knows How to Eat

Peyton went to the pediatrician this morning for his newborn check-up. He did well (aside from peeing on the exam table twice) and is now 8 lbs, 10 oz. That's almost a 1 pound weight gain in 4 days! I wasn't surprised he had surpassed his birth weight the way he's been eating lately. I know he needs to eat to grow but sometimes I want to tell him Momma's milk buffet is closed.
Grandma and Grandpa G are down from Virginia for a visit. I'll post more pictures soon.

I Think I'll Just Stay Home From Now On

Hello all! Sorry I've been a little MIA lately. A 7 pound, 12 ounce little bundle has been keeping me pretty busy. But, we did manage to take our maiden voyage out of the house today to WalMart of all places. And I discovered something that as a working woman I never realized before. All the idiots of the world shop at WalMart during the day while the rest of us are working. Or at least that's the case where I live. I wasn't feeling too well to begin with, as I'm still recovering from a pretty traumatic delivery but I managed to slowly make my way around the store gathering some essentials I needed. Then I got to the checkout, where some lady couldn't get her credit card to go through. Think she tried another card? No, instead the cashier turned on her blinking light and they proceeded to wait for a manager who didn't appear after 5 minutes. Thinking I could get through checkout more quickly in another line, I moved down to one with only one lady ahead of me. I loaded all my items on the belt before I realized what kind of a moron was in front of me. This lady had a full cart and wanted to pay for her items via several methods of payment. But mind you, she didn't want her total purchases to exceed $200 for some reason so once she saw the register at $204, she starting handing items back to the cashier to remove. Then, through broken English, she tried to explain to the cashier that she wanted $50 put on her credit card and that she would pay for the rest of the items with a check but she wanted a cell phone rung up separately. The cashier was confused but then again so was I, so I can't fault her for that. After swiping her credit card, writing out a check, having the cell phone rung up and discovering that she had now exceeded her limit on her credit card, the lady then wrote out a second check. Meanwhile, I'm starting to sweat profusely and get the shakes, probably from low blood sugar and overexerting myself, as I've pretty much laid in bed or around the house for the past week and can't handle all this exercise. Luckily, sweet Peyton was happily napping in his little car seat. When it was my turn, I paid for everything with just one method of payment and left the store with a new realization. I think my baby, who can't yet talk, walk or see more than a foot in front of his face, is already smarter than most of the people I've encountered today.
(A big thank you to Aunty Busty who filled in for me while I was giving birth. Peyton is a lucky boy to have such a crazy aunt!)