Sick baby is breaking my heart!

Well this has been a doozie of a week. It started pretty normal, I was traveling to Jackson at the beginning of the weekend and then returned home Tuesday night. Wednesday is when it all went downhill. We had lunch at mammies and Austin was happy and chatting away in his highchair when all of the sudden it was a puking rally. Dad walked around with him while Zach and I finished eating and within a few minutes it hit again. We took him home, bathed him and got him comfy. Over the next few hours it was bad news from both ends and the doctor said he had the stomach virus...

HUGE BUMMER!

Poor little man was so pitiful and he lost all the life in his eyes. He just sat there in-between episodes whimpering and wanting to be held and comforted. He has been sleeping a lot and we are just trying to keep fluids in him as much as possible. Mom has been great and I am SO thankful she is a few blocks away so she can be here with him while I am working.

Here he is this morning. We had a rough time from 4-5am but then he slept and I was able to sneak away for my workout class and get home before he woke up. I thought we were on the mend this morning because he was actually interested in taking his bottle and was laughing and smiling while we ate breakfast but around 7:15 he was back at it, bathtime for the both of us.

Prayers welcome for our little man who is fighting hard to shake this bug. He was particularly bummed today because he missed school pictures at daycare.

Let's just hope the rest of the weekend is better and that nobody else gets sick.

Happy Friday everyone!

Growing up SO fast

Everyone always told me, "Don't blink, they will be all grown up before you know it". Well I guess I blinked because Austin is such a sweet little dude now. No longer our little bitty coo-ing baby but a laughing, talking little boy! He is a complete joy and I know God has blessed us beyond words with a son like him. He has a very calm and go-with-the-flow personality.

Here are some pictures from the past week as we stay outside as much as possible in this beautiful spring weather! Steve and Sue came in town and we had a picnic with Austin in the park. We grilled burgers, watched Austin swing and enjoyed seeing Austin love on Grandpa and

Yeah-Yeah, and vice versa.

Here he is wearing his "Lil' Reb" hat (thanks Clinton and Glenn)

He laughs and smiles constantly. If you even look his direction he lights up and makes some adorable noise. Usually he says da-da, ba-ba, etc. He also mimics your infection. It's hilarious because after I say something he will say something with the same rise and falls of my tone. Here he is with his girl friends, Molly Mac. He is quite the gentleman letting her have her way and just playing along, I knew we raised him well.

I lay him down in his nursery the other evening during his usual 5:30pm "power nap" and I hear him cracking up. I walk back in and he is standing in his crib laughing. Then I put him down on his bottom and he quickly returned to his feel cracking up. Zach caught it on video:

VIDEO

See how quickly he grew up, you must have blinked!

Just kidding, although this looks like a glimpse into the future with Austin and Zach sitting on our porch this is really our friend Amanda's sweet little boy Liam! They came to play last week and Liam and Zach had fun chatting on the swing.

Here is another flash forward to what he might look like in a few months. is he Zach's mini-me or what? This is Zach at 12(is) months.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

What an exciting day, why you ask??? Because we have NO plans this weekend and I couldn't be more excited to pack our days with sunshine and smiles. This lil guy makes everyday so special. Spring weather + a sweet baby = pure joy! I think this weekend we might invest in a swing!

God's Country

2 weekends ago we loaded up for God's Country, aka. Oxford. We got there Friday and ate at the new Boure, old Downtown Grille. It was great food and the newly renovated building is so cool! Zach was asked to speak at the American Bar Association spring event at the new Ole Miss Law School. What an awesome facility those new law students have... Zach's building looked like a penitentiary so this is a huge upgrade. Zach's lecture on "non-traditional legal careers" was very interesting and I realized that morning as I sat and listened to him talk about his "outside of the box" approach, how proud I am of that man for forging his own path in a very unstable economy. What makes his career "non-traditional" is the fact that he started his own law firm, something that few new attorneys dare to do especially in our economic climate. He also touched on his App development and got a lot of interest from the crowd on that subject. God has been very good to us and I know that we have been blessed by opportunities and timing working together perfectly. Austin spent the morning with the Schove family while we were at the conference and then we all met up for a big Ajax lunch, yummy!!! It was the perfect way to end the weekend, good friends and a good meal.

Happy Birthday Aunt A!

This week we have had the joy of having Alicia in Natchez with us! She rode back from Texas with us and her and Bo have been hanging out enjoying the beautiful spring weather with us. I have pretending that she is here for good and that I will have a workout buddy everyday! When I get off work we go running and then do either a workout video or yesterday she come to the Body Jam class I teach. We are preparing our minds and bodies for the Warrior Dash in April! She is coming down to do this insane run/obstacle course with me, Zach and some of our friends in Jackson! We already have our costumes!!

We went to the Tableau- the southern presentation/play of special events that shaped Natchez and the south, it was awesome. We go out to eat a lot, do Pinterest-inspired projects for Cory, shop and never miss a workout! I wish I had snapped more pictures of her surprise {early} birthday party at Cotton Alley. We had a great dinner and presents-- jewelry, a Birch Box, Toms and a license plate frame Cory planned from a-far. It was so fun and then we went to my house for dessert. She loves Andes mints so I made a chocolate cake with a layer of Andes Mint/Buttercream frosting inside and then topped with mint-chocolate chip ice cream, cool whip and mint shavings. It was to die for but needless to say we cheated on the 24 day challenge for that meal! Mom and Alicia are touring homes today and then we plan to meet for another yummy lunch and an evening at the park for another great workout to burn all this food off!

We are going to miss Aunt A so much when she goes home tomorrow! Austin loves her so much and she has "the touch"! I guess after 4 kids you know exactly how to make a little baby so happy and content! He often reaches over to her but I'm cool with it, she rocks!

Family weekend in Texas

This past weekend we took a trip to Texas to see my cousin Adam and his fiancé, Lindsay, tie the knot. The drive down was really rainy so we pulled over to eat and sit in the car until it cleared up….so what better entertainment to pass the time than some race-car driving and a dance party in the club!

We drove down and stayed a night with my grandparents on Lake Athens then spent the morning visiting with them and Grandma Marilyn and Austin loved getting all the love from his great-grandparents. It was too rainy and cold to walk down to the dock but we are eagerly planning Austin's birthday party on the lake the weekend of the 4th of July!

Then it was onto the Austin area for the rainy wedding weekend. Dispite the dreadful weather, the events were beautiful and so sweet. They love the movie UP so there were a lot of UP themes throughout the rehearsal and reception. It was really cute! We made some really great memories with the entire family and we toted “Flat Cory” everywhere we went. So although Cory wasn’t there in person, we had “Flat Cory” at every event and then thanks to Sykpe we all got to visit with Cory quite often throughout the weekend. Technology is the most amazing thing, we were chatting with him and seeing what he was seeing all while gathered around the dinner table and he is a world away. He is doing well but I know he is counting down the days to come home!

The Happy Couple, Adam and Lindsay Dubberly!

More pics of the family and the wedding coming soon...Lynette, I know you are reading this so send us all those awesome pics!!!

Just a swingin'

Austin's new favorite pastime is swinging! He screams with excitement the entire time and just loves the thrill of going fast...something mommy has to get used to. He leaves his mouth wide open the entire time and then just starts screaming and laughing when he swings. Zach gets him going so fast I can't help myself and I have to grab the back of the swing and slow it down. I know, I am THAT mom but I just get so nervous something is gonna happen. Oh gosh, I need a chill pill. As I am typing this I am realizing what I prude I am. You should see me when Zach hangs Austin upside-down by his feel or when he plays roller coaster with him...I have to turn my head! I fear the day when I will have to watch him on a rope swing, climbing a tree or heaven forbid braving a massive water slide like his daddy did at 18 months.

Someone call a doctor, this momma needs Xanax.