Speedy Gonzalez is 8 months old

Well the little terrorist is 8 months old.  Sorry mom…. I can hear you right now saying, “My grandson is not a terrorist!”  He really isn't a terrorist.  He’s precious and I love him to pieces, he’s just into EVERYTHING and he’s fast!

From months 7-8 John Brantley has made a lot of changes.  He isn't so much of a baby anymore and quite frankly it makes me sad.  Within the last month he learned to sit up, crawl normally, and pull up.  And don't worry, he still doesn't sleep through the night!  He has also developed quite the little temper too might I add.  If things don’t go Bitty’s way he sticks that bottom lip out and pitches one!

On Sunday he decided he didn't like his car seat and would buck his back, flip over, squirm, and all out throw a fit.  Changing clothes is a chore.  When it’s time to pull the shirt over his head he sort of panics.  I can be a claustrophobic person myself, but I don’t lose my mind when I pull a shirt over my head.  He also doesn't appreciate you putting his arms in the sleeves.  It’s like dressing a monkey putting clothes on him.  He’s constantly flipping and kicking.  I have to give him the butt paste tube to chew on and that only buys me about 22 seconds of uninterrupted dressing time.

He tries to take this picture off the wall every time I change him.  

 He hates the nose sucker.

Feeding time is always exciting.  I learned quickly that regardless of what he is eating it requires two spoons.  After a bite or two he grabs the spoon and gnaws on it.  Eventually he chunks it across the table and grabs the new one I am using.  Therefore, I have to use the one with baby food smeared all over it.  He also finds it comical to spit baby food out of his mouth making a sputtering sound.  Whoever is the lucky one feeding him usually gets sprayed with peas, carrots, or mixed fruit.   By the time he is finished the towel on the table, Bumbo, and John Brantley are completely covered in mushy baby food.

He has 4 teeth…2 on the bottom and 2 on the top.

He helps me unload the dishwasher every morning about 6:00 A.M.

He likes to check on Delta’s water bowl.  If he feels the water isn't fresh enough he will pour it all over the floor and himself so that I will get her some fresh water.

He is into EVERYTHING….

It only took him 5 nights to learn to appreciate bath time and understand that I wasn't trying to kill him.  

 This is how I look 95% of the time.  I know y’all are jealous of my lovely robe!!!

Hey, I know him….

 John Brantley ADORES his brother!!!!  I have waited for months to see them really interact and play together and they have started doing so this month.  It makes my heart smile! 

 Watching the race cars drive around the track.

Ford had a friend over to play for about 3 hours yesterday.  They spent a while riding his 4 wheeler and hunting deer in our yard!   

 On a Walgreen’s run yesterday Ford told me he needed some glasses to help him see.  He picked out these beauts and has been sporting them ever since.  They helped him do his work this morning!

Yep, he’s sporting the belt.  

 I love this little guy.  He might be a bigger momma’s boy than his daddy!!!

 Happy 8 months to my precious baby boy!!!!!  He has made our lives so much fuller and more wonderful. 

 June 13, 2012 - February 13, 2013…. 8 months

A pair of latex gloves

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions.  I think they are kind of goofy.  However I have decided, kind of on accident, to do a monthly resolution.  I like to joke that Mayberry is the “fast food” capital of the world.  We don’t have many places to eat other than fast food restaurants so our choices are limited.  If I don’t feel like cooking we can have Sonic, BYB, McDonalds, Wendy’s etc… you get the point.  Well, it seemed like I was pulling thru a fast food restaurant too many times a week whether it be lunch or dinner.  I noticed around January 4^th or 5^th that I hadn't eaten fast food.  I know that it was only 4 or 5 days into the month, but I felt that it was quite the accomplishment.  So I made a little goal to NOT eat fast food any during the month of January.  I accomplished that goal!

Now we are into February and it was time to make a new goal for the month.  This time it’s NO carbonated drinks.  This proved to be very difficult the first few days because I NEED my caffeine in the morning.  I don’t drink coffee so I’d have a diet coke.  I felt sort of like a crack addict craving it the first few days, but my unsweetened tea has been sufficient.  And I am pleased to report that I have only eaten fast food once this month.  Ford insisted that we eat at Chick-fil-a while in Memphis last week.  I caved.

The weather has been nice enough that we could get outside some without getting frost bite on our appendages.  Regardless of the weather lately, Ford has been sporting the cool outfit complete with toboggan, Dollar Tree sunglasses, mittens, Puddin’s belt, a button down shirt, and rain boots.  This morning he even wore the rain boots and belt to church.  Whatever….He’s 3 and thinks he’s as cool as sliced bread and I’m not going to be the one to shatter his dreams.  He can live it up!!!

Last week Ford and I both went to the dentist.  His appointment took twice as long as mine though.  The dental hygienist would clean about two teeth and he’d have a question.  Or needed to touch something.  Or needed to help hold the equipment.  Or ask if he bit her finger would it hurt.  I think she found him highly entertaining at first and by the end probably wanted to kick him out of her chair!  He did score of lovely pair of latex gloves which he has worn every day since his check up and likes to call them “baseball gloves”.  It’s the little things in life you know!

I do believe this is John Brantley’s first time to sit in the grass.  Without a doubt he had to sample the leaves…. Everything goes in his mouth!

Yes, he is sportin Puddin’s belt and the latex gloves from the dentist!  He’s cool like that!!!

Ford and I both went to the doctor last week because we have sore throats and funky coughs.  The doctor insisted that John Brantley have his first sucker.  Sticky doesn't even describe the finished product!

 I love to watch a sleeping baby.  However, I don’t watch John Brantley sleep.  This picture was taken right before I woke him up.  He’s such a light sleeper that if you go in his room there’s a good chance he will wake up.  I stay OUT OF THERE until I hear him through the monitors.

My little man will be 8 months old on Wednesday.  A blog will be posted about his holy terrorness soon.  I know that isn't a word, but you get my drift……

Bitty is into everything

I feel like I haven’t blogged about my little buddies in a while.  We have been taking it easy.  Ford and I have both been doing a lot of coughing and John Brantley is cutting more teeth.  He got another one yesterday, this time on the top.  He also got round 2 of his flu shot and fell and hit his head constantly so it was a tough day for the little guy.

He is into EVERYTHING and he’s FAST!!!  He loves dog bowls, phone cords, Delta’s dog bed, garbage cans, floor mats, diaper bags, purses etc.  Ford is a super duper helper with him.  He tells me when he’s about to get into something that he shouldn't be getting into.  He will say, “Buddy is about to get in Deltas bed.”  He calls him Buddy about 75% of the time.  

 I have been coughing like a crazy person lately.  It has driven Trey crazy.  I feel like I have done extensive abdominal workouts from all the coughing and tightening of my stomach.  I finally went to the doctor today so maybe I am on the road to a quick recovery.

 On Saturday we went to cousin Jack’s 2^nd birthday party at a kids indoor play place.  Ford had a large large time!

 After the party we stopped by to meet, Mae.  Mae is a few months younger than John Brantley and her daddy and our daddy are big buddies.

 John Brantley decided he’d put his hand on her leg and she didn't approve!!!

 I think he gave her some kisses here and she wasn't feeling that either!

 Willis, Clyde, or Slick… how I often refer to Ford, stole my cinnamon sticks to use as logs in his dump trailer.  Ohhh his little imagination makes me smile!!!

 The other day I made some brownies for the Super Bowl and asked Ford if he’d like to lick the bowl.  He thought it was a good idea and…

 His daddy did NOT!!!  Trey is NOT very good at sharing a good licking bowl.  He thinks they are all his.  Am I right, Puddin???

 Today it was time to go for our regular teeth cleaning.  I went this morning and then took Ford back this afternoon.  His appointment took twice as long as mine did because after she cleaned about 2 teeth he’d have a question.  Or he’d need to touch something.  I think she was tickled and annoyed at the same time!

 I tend to do stupid stuff a lot.  Things that I KNOW I shouldn't do, but for some reason I think it’s a good idea at the time.  Well, last week my grand idea was to “touch up” my roots in certain spots to “buy” me some time until I went to have my hair professionally done again.  WHY DO I DO STUPID STUFF???!!!!  WHY???  Well, needless to say, the color on the box isn't always the color that you’ll get as your end result.  Instead of a nice dirty blonde look I got Garfield.  My hair looked speckled or spotted.  When I tried to make an appointment to get it fixed on Friday my parents had a BLOW OUT on the way to Mayberry and I had to cancel.  I've had to walk around looking like Spot for a week now!  I am an educator not a cosmetologist and I need to remember that!

 If only we were all this cool!!!!!!!!

 Watching Daddy cut his fingernails…

 I occasionally wake up with pains running down the side of my neck.  I don’t really know if I sleep funny or what causes the random discomfort.  The other day I was in my favorite store, Dollar Tree, and I found these patches for Fancy.  He likes to complain about his back hurting so I thought maybe these would help.  I grabbed a pack and he tried it out but didn't elaborate on how it felt.  Well, I gave one a try this morning on my neck and ewwwwww, ahhhhhhh it was LOVELY!!!  It was COLD too!  I think I love them!

Ohhh yes and before I forget I was completely sober in “The Mask” pictures on the blog post.  Gran told me if she didn't know any better she would have thought I was “three sheets to the wind”.  I wasn't.  I promise!!!

The Mask

This momma doesn't get out of the house a whole lot other than the grocery store or a few around town errands.  Last week Trey told me that some friends had invited us to a formal Mardi Gras party in Hernando.  A Mardi Gras party sounds lots of fun, but throw that cute little word “formal” in there and the fun in g-o-n-e!!!  I don’t have formal attire.  All that did was send me into a panic stress mode.  I went through my closet and pulled out all of my long dresses and they screamed “BRIDESMAID DRESS!!!”  Then when you factor in that I have had two children and my body has completely changed and shaken up, nothing was working out for me.  I borrowed some stuff from people in town to try and it just wasn't happening.  Finally I found a dress from my cousin and with some tweaking it worked. 

 The couple that invited us asked if we had gotten our “masks” yet.  I told Trey that the whole “mask” deal goobed me out and I wasn't wearing one.  But the mask is really a big deal, so I learned, at this function.  Well, I guess after living with me all these years I am starting to rub off on Trey and he actually wanted to make our own masks.  No, we didn't make Mardi Gras masks, instead we blew up pictures of his friend that we went with and those were “our masks.”

His wife thought it was fabulous and she jumped in the picture with us!!!

We decided not to bring them inside the party so we grabbed some lovely party favor masks at the door.  Needless to say, I didn't wear this thing any longer than it took to take this picture! 

 The absolute HIGHLIGHT of my night was the PHOTO BOOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Ohhh it was great!!!  Going in there once wasn't enough; I made Trey go back for round two.  Will someone please buy me a photo booth for my birthday with a box of dress up attire????

We got home late and after 4 hours of sleep John Brantley woke up to eat and cuddle.  I felt like I would die!!!  I require about 8 hours of sleep and 4 just wasn't working.  Fortunately, he went back to sleep for another hour and a half.  We had a good time and enjoyed a night out and about!