Getting Ready For Church

It Was A Holly Jolly Christmas For Sure!

Christmas dinner is so much fun when you have a sweet Christmas bib to wear!

I am a bit embarrhassed by the amount of goodies in this photo so I must explain that these were not all Christmas gifts....many were toys we have had that just had to be played with today as well :)!

Ok, seriously...have you ever seen a more precious face???

Look at our big boy - standing without any help!!!

Santa brought Rhonald ... I mean Cole ... an early gift this year. We bought an aquarium and both of the boys are IN LOVE with it. I have been enjoying it so much too but I think they are obsessed! It is so relaxing and fun to watch. And if you ask Cole "where are the fish?" he crawls over to the aquarium and points....so sweet!

We had such a wonderful first Christmas with Cole this year! Above are pictures that we took trying to capture the fun we have had! We kept saying how strange it was to think about last Christmas when we were wishing and hoping for him to make his first appearance into this world...how nervous and excited we were to meet him face to face! Now, we know everything about this sweet boy and cannot imagine life without him! Last night Rhonald stayed up putting together a few toys for Cole and I stuffed his stocking (and Mason's too of course). He loved the stocking...taking things out of containers is a big deal to him right now so that was right up his alley. I think he was a bit overwhelmed with the toys and the unwrapping but he did well and seemed to love everything he got! It was so much fun watching him take everything in today! We were lucky to have Rhonald's mom and dad here with us this year and I know they loved sharing the day with Cole as well. We had a huge dinner (which Cole also loved) and then we all settled down for a long afternoon nap! Tonight Rhonald and I took Cole out to look at Christmas lights - I think he fell asleep about 30 mins into the adventure but hey --- at least we can say we did it! I included the last picture to let you know that Cole loved every card we received so if you sent one to us I promise it was looked at at least 1 million times! There is so much more to share but I am exhausted! We hope that your holiday was amazing and we look forward to hearing all about it soon! Merry Christmas!

WOW!

I read this quote today and wanted to share it...thank you Gaylee! I know you were actually sending me a forward but this really touched my heart too!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Marianne Williamson adjusted, originally Nelson Mandela

I've Been Tagged....

My friend, Melissa, tagged me with this through her blog so here I go....7 random facts about me:

1. I am a list maker. I actually made a list of things to put in this post. I make lists everyday and I am so obsessive that if I have to add things, or I don't like my handwriting, I rewrite the list! I know, crazy huh? I love lists and I have no idea how people live without them. I do not make lists for Rhonald...that was something I promised I would never do although I would like to every now and then!

2. I love the smell of fresh cut grass and burning leaves. I love them so much that I even mowed the yard when we bought this house just to smell it. Of course, that stopped when I got pregnant and I have not picked it back up since!

3. I pray every time I rock Cole. It is about the most relaxing and peaceful time in my day. I rock him before each nap and bedtime and that is my "quiet time." I love it.

4. I wish I was southern. I was born in Michigan and have wonderful memories but I wish I could say I was truly southern. I try and I do well but there is a difference. I love the traditions of the South...the sweet tea, the porches, the Sunday picnics after church...the lazy days. If you have never lived here you think I am crazy and cannot understand but there is something so charming about it and I love it.

5. In another life I would have loved to be the star in a musical! Not any musical mind you...a musical on Broadway! When I am alone in the car (not often) I tend to put in a CD from one of my favorite shows and sing like crazy! If you know me well at all you know...I CANNOT SING (and I have never been in a play)! But I love to think I would be awesome if given the chance in another life.

6. I do not like popcorn. Well, I should say, I only like homemade popcorn and I am so lucky to have a father in law that will make it for me whenever I ask!

7. I am very proud that I have breastfed Cole for a year (well almost...we only have 3 weeks to go) and that I made all of his baby food.

Now I tag.....Kellie, Rachel C, Rachel G, Emily, Deidre, Margaret and Amy M!

A Messy Kind Of Day

You know, it has been one of those weeks! Cole and I have had a great time together but we have been stuck at home much of the time (except for play group - thank goodness for that) because of the weather. As I mentioned a few days ago, Cole is not a pasta fan! That is ok with me but I felt like he would like it if he could learn to have fun with it. So, today was the day! I bought some Beefaroni (I know, gross-but every kid tries it) and off we went! He loved playing with it and making a mess and he even ate quite a bit more than I thought he would. He did not gobble it up but it was a start and it was fun! Now, looking back, there are a few things I would have done differently....like take his clothes off before he ate! Needless to say after lunch we jumped in to the tub - that turned out to be fun too since we usually only take baths before bed. Overall, it was well worth it and hey- I got a few great pictures too!

A New Kind Of Dinner Party

Saturday night we had a few friends over...all who have children! It was a fun and wild time with 4 little ones running around but it was well worth it! And, once again, we were all reminded of how times have changed...every child had a seat at the table while every adult stood while eating! Oh - and the centerpiece has changed from flowers to Clorox disinfecting wipes!!!! Oh well...such is life! Cole had an absolute blast sharing his toys and home with his buddies. We enjoyed lots of good food and company and I actually hope that we do it again soon!!!

Just A Few Pictures To Share

Cole is really into the cabinets and drawers these days. This morning I cleaned out a drawer and put all of his cups, bowls, bottles, etc in it so that he could get to them easily. Well, as soon as there was a little extra room in this TINY cabinet he climbed in. I could not believe that he could even get in there but he did! We had a small amount of trouble getting him out but he did not seem to mind...he tried to climb right back in! What a silly boy!

How many Searcy men does it take to child proof the kitchen? I am thankful to Rhonald for putting locks on some of the kitchen cabinets...so that I did not have to do it myself! It was an annoying job but one that needed to be done.

A family picture taken by Miss Amy. I promise I am not that pale!!!

If Cole is not in the kitchen getting in to things he is usually reading a book on Mason's dog bed. He loves rolling around on there and bouncing. He really loves it if Mason is there too but after several minutes of sharing his place Mason usually finds a new place to rest.

Dear Santa...

Today marked a very special day for me...we took Cole to meet Santa! Rhonald has the worst memories of visiting Santa of anyone I know so, needless to say, he was not as excited as I was. The Santa I was able to visit growing up actually went to our church so he knew me by name and even dropped a gift off at our house every Christmas Eve! We made an afternoon of it and had a nice lunch and then went to the mall. Luckily there was not a line so we were able to let Cole look at Santa and wave at him which he loved. He did very well sitting on Santa's lap too...until he actually realized he was sitting there. Santa told us not to worry....he said children cry when they see him all of the time. We were laughing about that on our way home...how horrible would that be?! I can't wait until the day when Cole knows who Santa is and gets just as excited to go see him as I was!

Has It Really Been 11 Months????

Today our baby boy turns 11 months old! It is so hard to believe...time simply flies! Cole is very busy these days doing everything from clapping and waving to digging in the kitchen cabinets! He really loves playing with other children and, of course, Mason. He is babbling more and more. Cole can walk around the furniture and can stand by himself for about 40 seconds. He is still enjoying his food...he eats basically anything and everything. Right now his favorites are pears, bananas, peas and corn. Cole still hates all kinds of pasta (crazy kid, I know!). He is nursing 4-5 times a day depending on what he has going on...if he has something else on his mind I cannot get him to sit down with me to eat! Cole can hold his own sippy cup and drink from it. He can also drink from a straw. Cole can crawl up stairs and then back down again. He loves music and loves "bouncing" to it. If you ask Cole to hand you something (for example: can you please hand me your cup?) he will do it. He loves to help us pick things up - but then he usually wants them back!!! If you ask Cole where something is he can point to it (for example: where are your shoes? where is Mason?). Cole loves when we chase him and if he hears the phrase "I am going to get..." he assumes it will end with "you" and he takes off crawling and laughing! Cole is still sleeping well - from about 8 pm to 6-7am. He is taking 2 naps every day. It seems like there is something new each and every day which is so much fun! I hope you enjoy the video - it was hard to get him to pay attention with food sitting in front of him....and please disregard my "singing."

It's Finally Christmas At The Searcy's

It took us a little longer than normal to get the decorations up this year but we finally did it! And I love them!!! Rhonald and I always decorate the tree together, drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas Vacation. This year we waited until Cole was sound asleep to put the tree up so we were able to continue our tradition and not worry about him getting in to everything while we decorated. Rhonald even decided to put lights up outside this year. I have never lived in a house with outside lights and I was thrilled when he mentioned doing it. And I have to say, they are beautiful and I love looking at them when we drive up to the house! We were so excited for Cole to see the tree that, in a moment of insanity, we almost woke him up - BUT we thought about it a moment longer and realized that would be totally crazy so we waited for morning. He was a bit unsure of the tree at first but quickly adjusted and then just stared at it for a long time. As the day progressed so did his curiosity and he did manage to snag a few ornaments off of the tree. Since then we have been working with him to not bother it - just look - and he has been doing very well. Every morning he acts like it is the first time he has seen the tree and all of the decorations and it is precious! We are so excited to continue making new Christmas traditions with Cole .... last night I bought a copy of The Night Before Christmas to read on Christmas Eve and Friday we plan to go see Santa! I love it - it is like reliving Christmas as a child but better!

Mommy and Me

Cole and I attended our first "Mommy and Me" class at Gymboree Play and Music this afternoon. I wish I had a picture to share with you but I did not even think to bring my camera! It was such a blast! Cole is the youngest in his class and, honestly, I thought he would be a little bit shy and intimidated but boy was I wrong! As soon as we got there he started following his friend, Ben, around and playing on the equipment. When the class started we sat in a circle to sing a few songs and Cole LOVED it. Like, loved it with all of his heart!!! It was so sweet to watch him - he even clapped his hands for the 1st time! He played well and tried a lot of new things (like crawling up stairs and through tunnels). At the end we sang a few more songs and again, Cole went nuts! I was so happy that I signed us up for the classes --- the hour went by much too fast and I am already excited to take him back next week!

An update - thank you for your prayers....they have worked! We have had a great day with a long morning nap! He is 26 hours out from the Splenda oranges and seems to be back to normal and happy! Poor thing...I hate that his tummy was hurting so much but I am so thankful that he seems to be feeling much better!

Some New News

So, Cole has been doing a few new things since we got home from our trip! It is always exciting to watch him learn something!!!
1. He likes to hand us things....anything and everything. Last night he kept handing me food during dinner!
2. He can hold his own sippy cup and drink out of it...if we are holding him and can lean him back a little bit.
3. He can drink out of a straw! Funny story about that...we were at lunch with our playgroup friends Tuesday and he was playing with my straw. I told my friend, Kellie, how he liked to play with them but he could not drink out of them. Then Wednesday I had a milkshake for lunch (yes, you read that right and I am not ashamed!) and he wanted to play with the straw as I was getting him out of the car. Well, when I got in the house I looked over at him and he had ice cream all over his face and was smiling so big! Then I watched him take a big drink!!!

In other Cole news....we had 4 glorious weeks of Cole sleeping through the night and then we had the nerve to go on a trip! Needless to say naps and night time sleep have not been the best for us over the past few days. I think 2 things are going on....I think another tooth MIGHT be coming in but more than that I think I made a boo boo! Cole has never tolerated artificial sweeteners...major tummy upset. We have never directly given him any but whenever I would drink even 1 Diet Coke and then nurse him he would cry and cry. Well, we accidentally bought some mandarin oranges over the trip with Splenda in them and when we got home - to save room - we took all of the fruit out of the boxes to put them away. He loves oranges so he gets them a lot and I thought last night...I never got rid of the Splenda oranges and I bet he has been eating them! UGH!!!! So, I share this story with you to ask for prayers for patience as Cole has not been his normal happy, sweet self and for prayers that he starts to sleep well again so that mommy can be her normal happy, sweet self too!!!!

Cole's First Thanksgiving

(The pictures on this post are in a random order and I apologize. I wanted to get them on the blog to share with you and could not figure out how to reorder them).

Thanksgiving has always been the biggest of holidays for my side of the family. Growing up Thanksgiving was the only time where all of my dad's family was able to be together. I was so excited to introduce Cole to everyone this year and be able to include him in our traditions! We were blessed to spend a wonderful day at my cousin Katie and her husband Marc's beautiful home in Chicago. The food was AMAZING, but more than that, the company was wonderful! As you can see above Cole even had his own place with Rhonald and I at the table which was so sweet. Our sweet boy loved the Thanksgiving feast....not a big surprise!

You know how there are people in your life that you love so much but rarely get to spend time with? Well, my aunts and Katie are 3 of those people for me. I have such awesome memories of spending time with these women throughout my life and I loved sharing Cole with them and watching him develop relationships with them. I wish I had gotten a picture of him with my cousin Katie - he adored her...as well as my Aunt Peggy and Aunt Debbie. I think they were a little shocked at how much Cole loved to look at books but I think they loved it at the same time....that way they were able to get some one on one time with him. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to watch him with them.

Wow - this never happens! This is a picture of us with my brother, Mark, and his family, along with my mom and dad. Everyone is actually smiling and paying attention...priceless! My dad is the oldest of 3 boys. I know my grandparents would have been so happy to see everyone having such a wonderful time together.

As I mentioned before, Thanksgiving has always been the biggest holiday for us and this year was no different. Katie and Marc have a beautiful new home and had everything decorated perfectly! It is so fun to get dressed up and enjoy good food while you are surrounded by those that you love! The only "downer" to the day was that my grandparents were not able to be with us this year. Traveling is just too hard on them now. It was impossible to look around the room and not think of them and the fact that they started this family and this fun tradition. I remember my grandpa saying the Thanksgiving blessing dressed in his white dress shirt, grey cardigan sweater and red tie like it was yesterday. I know they are so proud to think of everyone celebrating together even though they were unable to be there.

Cole had a blast with his cousins: Luke, Tyler and Kylie. The last time we were with them he was so small he could not play very much. This time he was very excited to see them and play with them. Luke and Tyler were such a big help to Rhonald and I. They would keep Cole laughing at all times and help watch him while we got ready each day!

Cole playing with his Uncle Mark and Aunt Laura. It is a lot of fun to be able to share parenthood with them. Mark is 10 years older than me but as time goes on the age difference seems less and less. I hope that Cole is able to see them a lot and get to know them over the years.

Poor Sasha! Sasha is Katie and Marc's lab (who we love) and Cole spotted her as soon as we walked in the door! He was a bit shy of all of the new people at first but boy did he want to get down and play with Sasha! Thank goodness she is so sweet and loved Cole as much as he loved her. Sasha was so great that we wanted to take her home with us!

We had such a blast over the weekend. Friday night we ate dinner at a nice Italian place in Chicago. I will be the first to admit that I was stressed out most of the time waiting for Cole to lose it in this nice place but he never did. Actually he was perfect the entire weekend. As much as Cole and I depend on our routine while we are at home he did amazingly well without it. Rhonald and I were so proud of him and the way he seemed to just go with the flow and enjoy his holiday too. The weekend ended much too quickly. The drive seemed forever long and ended with 6 hours of beautiful snow falling on us! I could not stop looking out the window the entire way home. As nice as it is to be home I am already excited for next year!

Boys Are From Mars

My mom sent Cole these PJ's and we love them! They say "Boys are from Mars" - isn't that the truth???? I don't think there is anything cuter than a baby in jammies!

Enjoying some quality time with daddy! Cole is so into books right now. It is so fun to watch him learn about reading and point to things on the page that he recognizes. I hope he enjoys reading forever like his mama!

Sweet smile!!!

This is from a few weeks ago but I love it all the same. Since I take most of the pictures I don't get to be in many. Cole is such a happy and sweet boy. I am so proud to be his mama!!!

The Big 1-0

It is so hard to believe that we have gone from this (Cole the day he came home from the hospital)...

to this, in just 10 months!

That is right...at 4:42 pm Cole will officially be 10 months old! He has been very hard to get a picture of today so I had to use one we took last week. Our 10 month old baby boy is very busy these days. He is learning so many new things it is hard to keep up with him! Let's see...Cole can put objects into containers. His favorite thing to do is put his toy fish into their fish bowl. He walks while holding on to his walking toys. If you ask Cole "where is the light?" he looks up and almost points at the ceiling fan. My favorite thing is that when Cole is playing with his books (which he does a lot lately) he will turn the pages and babble away like he is reading them. It is precious!!! He claps his hands and is starting to wave. He is still eating like a horse! His favorite foods are: chicken, blueberries, applesauce, mandarin oranges and peas. I say favorite foods but really, I think he would eat anything. The best news is that Cole is sleeping through the night and has been for about 3 weeks!!!!! It is wonderful! He goes to bed around 8 pm and wakes up around 6 am. He still loves bath time, taking walks and playing with Mason. It is really seems strange to me that he is already 10 months old. Time has flown by yet it seems like he has been with us forever. We are so blessed and we are having such a great time being parents to this little guy!

An Afternoon On The Pig Trail

Rhonald is on vacation this week so we have been trying to enjoy the nice weather and our time together. Today we decided to head down the Pig Trail and look at the beautiful fall colors! And beautiful it was!!! Our dentist recommended we stop at a lookout point called White Rock (yes, another fun vacation activity was that we both went to the dentist). After driving for quite a while we found the turn off and headed up a mountain on a very rough dirt road to White Rock. The drive reminded us of a scary movie - it was so pretty but totally out in the middle of nowhere. Once we got to the actual lookout point we were so glad that we had made the drive. It was amazing!!!! We were the only people there so we let Cole crawl around in the leaves. He loved that so much!!!! It was a great day and a wonderful way to spend time together. I could not help but think about how glad I am to live in Arkansas - it really is a beautiful, beautiful state.

Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween...have I mentioned that before? I have had to work on the past 8 Halloweens and I was so excited about this one...because of Cole and because I would be able to enjoy the holiday too. We started off by taking Cole to Rhonald's clinic to show him off. Everyone loved his monkey costume and squeezed on him like crazy. Then we headed down to the Fayetteville Square where they had Trick or Treating and costume contests. We were shocked at how many people were there. It was so much fun to show Cole off and see the other kids all dressed up. We even ran in to the Burrow family and got some cute pictures with Ben. Tonight I was so happy to pass out candy to all of the kids in our neighborhood. Cole helped me answer the door and laughed at all of the costumes that he saw. If I counted right we had about 35 kids come by and it was awesome! Before bed Rhonald read Cole his Halloween books (thank you Aunt Laura). We are already excited about celebrating again next year!