Our First Outing

I know, given the title you pictured Cooper and I strolling bilssfully through the mall purchasing gifts and getting ice cream.  But I hate to burst your bubble....we were not so lucky.

Some new mothers take their new roll in stride, dashing out to run errands and lunch with friends...I am not one of those moms.  It has been a month and I just went out with Cooper by myself yesterday.  We just had to take Ali to the airport.  A simple little task that ended up much more challenging.  There I was sitting on the tollway on my way home, in five o'clock traffic, feeling proud of myself. I did it, I successfully loaded him up and made it home with a peaceful sleeping baby.  And then my bubble burst.  Screaming from the back seat, loud bloody murder screaming.  I knew this wasn't just the fake cry (yes, my son fake cries...at 4 weeks of age) it was the real deal.  It took me about 10 minutes to be able to exit the tollway and pull into the Embassy Suites parking lot.  And there in the back seat was more poop than I have ever seen in my life.  What am I supposed to do? I am in a parking lot!?! So here I am with my son in the trunk on my changing mat, he is screaming and crying, I am panicking and crying and we are both covered in poo. There just aren't enough wipes in the world to make this VERY WRONG situation right.  For some reason I kept looking around, hoping someone would come help me.  It's not like I had a flat tire...its a dirty diaper lady, pull it together.  I thought about calling Bobby to rescue me but I knew that this was my moment.  My baptism by fire into motherhood.  And I must say, besides the sobbing, I handled it quite well. Three brownies and a glass of wine later, I was ready to get back in the game.

P.S.  I promise to not share too many poo stories.  So many women never tell the real details though.  They live in a bubble. I believe I owe you the truth.  Its messy. But at the end of the day, I think this is the most important job I will ever do.

Christmas Wish

Patience Brewster Nativity

Look at the adorable Magi animals!!

And lets not forget Harold the Camel!

Domestic, what?

If I must be at home, all domestic with a baby and what not....then at least I need a few key essentials to make the job a teeny bit more exciting.

William Sonoma dish soap. Smells so pretty I almost forget I am washing dishes.

Frilly gloves for all those dirty bottles and diapers if it comes to that!

 My favorite scent for the holiday season.  I burn this around the clock. Delish!

(Picture taken by Jenny Leigh Photography)

And a sleeping baby wouldn't hurt either.  Life is so peaceful when he sleeps!



Mom Moment of the Day

When my son peed on the photographer. 
Not a little tinkle, a real pee.  How he was packin that much liquid, I will never know. 
She said it was normal and it didn't phase her.  Jenny really is a baby whisperer.  You should call her to photograph your newborn.  I bet your little girl won't pee on her.

Cooper Cade

Hi, my name is Cooper Cade.  My dad calls me Captain Awesome.  I was born on November 13 which means at some time in my life I will have a Friday the 13th birthday....I am not superstitious though so I guess it won't matter.  I have a mighty strong set of lungs for my wee 6 lb. 4 oz. body.  Also I can burp really well.  At least, thats what my mom says.  I don't mean to brag but I have a pretty strong skill set for being 17 days old.  I am an expert pooper, sleep like a champ AND I can roll over from my tummy time to my back.  I really don't get the point of tummy time.  I'm sure I will guest blog on here every once in a while, as time premits, I have a life you know....cause I'm Awesome.

Oh and here is a family shot, right in the middle of my nap...no respect for a sleeping baby.  I think its funny my parents match.  They say it was on accident but I'm not sure if I believe them.

View from the Top

Preggo polka dots.\

I see my cute shoes! I see them.

Jeans

So, I purchased a pair of post pregnancy skinny jeans today.  This may have been foolish but its too soon to tell.  They were on sale.  And I am moving my mind forward to the next stage.  The stage where I trade in my basketball belly for milk stained tops.  Also, I cut myself off from buying anymore maternity clothes since I only have 3 weeks left but this has caused me to have to do laundry, almost constantly....compared to the once every 3 weeks cycle I used to pull off.  I hear this happens once baby comes anyway so I guess I am just getting a head start.  Also, I don't think I can pull off the booties look this chic is wearing.  I am planning on riding boots over the denim.  I hope that is still in style.  Also, I give you permission to call me out if at anytime I appear to be wearing mom jeans or a really bad mom hair cut.  It takes a village.

Love of my Life

Today we celebrate 3 years.  I know, its not that long compared to some of you but its been the best 3 years and I can't wait for many more years to come.  I don't want to be sappy, thats just not my style so I will just give you a few of the non sappy details.  We like to keep it PG around here.

Why I'm glad he chose me:

• He thinks I am cute pregnant and says it will be weird for me to be skinny again.  Bring on the ice cream and cream puffs, people!
• He never expects me to be domestic, cause thats just not me.  Smart man.
• He thinks I am funny when he is the one that is funny.
• He gives great career advice even though I no longer have a career.
• He likes to buy outfits for the dogs as much as I do.  Yes, my dogs have outfits for every occassion.  They are most famous for their UT cheerleading skirts.
• He can grill a mean steak.  Something I didn't even know I liked until I met him.
• He brings me a scoop of ice cream at night on the couch, many nights of my life.  I know, enough about ice cream but we can't ignore the fact that this year I am preggers.  And most people eat yogurt these days and look at you harshly when you mention you eat real ice cream.  He doesn't judge my love for the real thing.
• He loves for the Christmas tree to be up.  Don't get me wrong, he does not love to decorate for Christmas. I don't want to mislead you or sell him out.  He just likes to come home and see a festive house.  I like that.
• He buys me flowers for every occassion even though he secretly thinks they are a waste of money.
• He loves me.  Plain and simple. 

Oh Baby, Oh Belly!

Sara did a great job with our pictures! Check out her website here.

Puppy Love

We are getting so close to Cooper's arrival!  I am finally getting down to the details that need to be done before he comes.  Like buying his first set of blankies!  I just received a pair and a spare of the most adorable puppy dog lovies I have ever seen!  What a great idea to have 3, so you always have one on hand when you need it!  Oh yeah, and I bought diapers and wipes and bathing products...you know, those other necessities that don't seem quite as exciting.

Pregnant

When I looked into the mirror this morning, I thought, "Wow I am really pregnant!"  For those of you that know me, this does not surprise you at all.  Adjusting to change has never been my strong point.

Panic in the House

The other night Bobby woke me up yelling and in a panic!  It was 2am and I did not know if I should be worried or mad.  When you are pregnant, you will understand how rare deep sleep is and how I might possibly be experiencing anger when my husband clearly sounds panicked.  He was yelling, "Your belly button is out! Your belly button is out!"  Of course, once I registered what the commotion was all about I switched on the light as fast as I could and ripped up my shirt to inspect this new thing called an 'outie'.  I was scared and a little annoyed that my innie had changed its mind and in the middle of the night too.  Apparently, he was having a nightmare because my innie is still an innie.  Bobby has been quite concerned about my belly button.  I think he thinks its going to come untied and my guts are going to squirt out.  Nightmares are a common side effect of pregnancy.  And you don't have to actually BE pregnant to have the side effects!  I love it that my husband is so involved in this process.  I could not be more blessed!!

Feeling Inspired

I love to see a small business owner with a passion for his trade. 
A Soda Pop Shop, sweet!

Formal Announcement

Many of you have figured it out but some of you are still unsure of what to call our son.  We have decided on Cooper for his first name.  I know, I know....you were hoping for Awesome but I just couldn't do that to the little lad.  Life is hard enough as a boy.  I don't want him to feel overwhelmed with the expectation of being Awesome all the time.  If it were soley up to his Daddy, he would be named Awesome.  Bobby says Cooper will like his name until he hits highschool and finds out what he could have been and then he will be so sad that his mom didn't name him Awesome.  He will wish that the bold word Awesome dawned the back of his football jersey.  That the people at the DMV thought he was joking when he went to get his drivers license.  But then there will come a day when he needs a job.  When he sends out resumes across the country with the name Awesome on them and they all get sent immediately to the shredder.  That is the day he will realize that his mother was and almost always is right.

You NEED a puppy

Everyone needs a dog.  I honestly don't know how people go through life without one.  They are so loving and make you feel like you are the center of their world.  Well, cause you probably are other than their food bowl. 
I just ran to Starbucks for a pumpkin cream cheese muffin (I'm addicted by the way) and came home to the most excited set of puppies I have ever seen.  I was gone for about 8 minutes...they acted like they hadn't seen me in a week!  So cute and cuddly and hyper.  Millie likes to sit in my lap at my desk while I work, she is so light and little I hardly notice her.  Lexi spends her time in her daddy's chair...I think she is sad that he is gone all day.  They really are great company to have when I feel like I can't bare to print out one more report.  I love my puppies!  Now hurry along and go buy a dog.

I want these

I have been shopping around for new place settings ever since I found out that Bobby is not a big fan of red.  I guess when you are engaged and registering for your entire kitchen, you just agree with your lady friend?  Apparently, men don't feel the need to express their true feelings about home decor when you are buying everything.  No, they share them 3 years later after you have accumulated an entirely red kitchen, down to the red KitchenAid Spatulas....Yes, I even have a red egg chopper thingie.  At least that is what happened here in our house!  Of course, when Bobby's dislike of the color red slipped out, instant panic set in on his face. Panic you ask?  Yes, panic.  He knew I would have no problem remedying the situation. I want him to love our home and be happy in his surroundings. What girl doesn't like shopping anyway, especially for the house!  So I have been on the look out for new plates to start out the transition.  I found a few sets that I like...now if only Christmas would get here already!  These are my choices so far...its so hard to decide!

Option #1

Salad plate

Always blessed, ever thankful....such a great reminder

Option #2

Stamper!

I am soo excited ya'll!  I finally bought myself a custom self inking address stamper!  I have been wanting one for 2 years now and I finally have it in hand! I ordered my stamp from Three Designing Women, a company based here in Dallas.  I know I will get tons of use out of this little stamp just within the next couple months!  Once you buy the base stamp you can mix and match designs and styles, even colors.  I went with basic black to start but next Christmas I might need to get a red ink cartridge!

My new stamp looks like this but with my name of course! I can't wait to use it!

Baby Cooper's Room: Step 1

We worked on the walls in Coopers room a few weeks ago with Bobby's parents.  It took 3 long days but the room turned out so cute!  Now we need furniture!  And cute accessories, of course!

Before, kind of....we forgot to take a pic of the actual before.

Proud dad working hard!

Look, I helped!

Walls complete

We like it! Puppies approved too.

Baby Shower!

I had my first baby shower for Baby Cooper on Saturday.  It was so fun and everything was so cute and blue.  I really enjoyed seeing friends and family, eating yummy Greggerson's baby cakes and M&M's with baby Cooper's name on them!  Cooper got a lot of super cute presents and I just can't wait to dress him up in his adorable new outfits!!

Blue Hydrangeas, like my wedding :)

Cute polka dots!

The girls

Super soft, hand knit blanket

You know you are in El Paso....

You know you are in El Paso when you are awakened at 3am by the strong distinct smell of burnt chile rellenos.  I was at home visiting my parents this weekend and I seriously thought the house was burning down.  I got up in a panic, thankful for my sensitive pregnancy nose, ready to save the family.  After a swift search of the house and no smoke in sight, I determined that it must be an electrical fire.  I have never experienced an electrical fire so I could only assume that electrical wires might smell like chiles when they are burning.  I then proceeded to wake up my sister, doubting myself just a little.  At 3am she was not exactly pleased with me alarming her with the smell of chiles in the house but since I am pregnant she heard me out and confirmed that I was not crazy. It did indeed smell like burning chiles.  Next stop, my parents room...still slightly convinced there was an electrical fire because it made no sense that someone would actually be cooking chile rellenos at three in the morning.  My mom, concerned that I was waking them up cause I was sick or hurting or possible hungry due to pregnancy, was quite alert.  Once a mom always a mom.  She then explained to me that I was not crazy, it did smell like burning chiles and it most likely was.  The neighbors smoke meat, chiles, all types of food in the middle of the night....sometimes all night and the smoke drafts into the air conditioner and fills the house.  They don't share their meat either but I know that if my parents showed a slight interest they would be invited to the family gatherings every Sunday from over the fence.
Now if that ain't El Paso, I don't know what is. 

Lost Money!

Have you heard that advertisement on the radio that talks about unclaimed money in your name.  They go on and on about how you need to go online and look up to see if you have any unclaimed cash just sitting out in the universe waiting for you to collect.  Everytime I hear that commercial I dream of some long lost relative that I have never heard of placing cash in my name for me to discover one day.  Of course, I have heard this commercial for years and not once have I thought to actually check.  What are the odds right?? 

Well, guess what, I finally checked and I had unclaimed cash sitting out in the universe!  How? I have no idea.  From when and how in the world did I not know about it is beyond me but I just made $500.00 for going online and looking.  Bobby had $3.17 so I guess not everyone has a lump of lost hidden bounty in their name.  But I did! I am so elated and confused but its true, I got the check in the mail today.  I think you should check your name out too.  Maybe this will be your lucky day as well! 

Go to http://www.window.state.tx.us/up/ and look up your name.  You never know what you might find!

August

August has always meant two things to me, my birthday and back to school shopping.  It has always been my favorite month.  Now, I realize that one day I may need to change my favorite month to one that does not keep track of how close I am getting to 40 and how far I have come from my school days but I am not there yet.  I can face the fact that I have not been in school for...gulp...6 years.  I can barely face the idea of turning 30 but I still have a year left before I have to conquer that hurdle.  I assume by the time I get to 30, I won't be shocked.  The wear and tear of motherhood will have started its toll and I hope to be a bit wiser with the wrinkles to prove it.

My back to school shopping spree began last week, yes I cheated and started early but I do have extenuating circumstances this year.  Each morning I wake up and lose the ability to wear yet another piece of my cherished wardrobe.  Panic has set in a few times but I am always able to calm myself after a few deep breaths and a little snack.  After a lifetime of shopping with my mother and years in the retail industry I have mastered the art of finding clothes that fit my body type at reasonable prices.  I have a hit list of stores I tackle and know exactly which fit, style and item I will be purchasing before I enter the building.  This, my friends, has changed.  I am completely clueless when it comes to maternity wear.  The obvious places want to charge me $210 for a pair of jeans and $80 for a not even that cute top with crooked darts.  Maternity wear has me stumped.  I have resorted to purchasing online which goes against every fiber in my being.  I am so old school.  At least I can admit it.  I revisited the store that made denim cool, The Gap.  I cross my fingers that they will not disappoint.

Pretty

I haven't had a 'pretty day' in quite a long time.  Most of my days lately have been 'total waste of makeup days'.   A pretty day is one of those days that you just know, you KNOW that you look good.  Today was one of those days! And I am SO grateful to have one every once in a while now that every part of my body is expanding in an unrecognizable way.  I finally buckled and bought a pair of white, skinny maternity jeans and Oh my gosh...life changing for a preggers.  I am soo going shopping again soon.  I just didn't want to waste the money on clothes that are going to have such a short life span but honey, its worth it.  Sometimes all a girl needs is a new outfit and some lipgloss to turn the day around.  Oh and also, a slice of cake could never hurt!

What should we eat?

For those of you who know me, you know that I can run a million dollar store, that I can manage over 100 people and that I can even plan out someone elses life(sorry if I have done this to you) but that I cannot, for the life of me, decide where we should eat.  I have never been able to make the most basic decision on the planet, what to eat.  You would think that at my age I would have mastered this small little task but it has only gotten worse. 

The other night, Bobby and I were looking for baby bedding(don't get me started) before dinner.  He pulled the 'you are pregnant so you have to pick card' so I decided to man up.  I picked Chuys, I love their jalapeno ranch!  The wait is 30 minutes so we get a buzzer and run to another store.  Well, on the way back I smelled Chinese food.  Bobby swears he never smelled it but I know I did!  I am sure you know where this is going.  I decide that I no longer want Mexican but we should eat Chinese.  Bobby turns in the buzzer and we hop in our car to find some Chinese.  Well, then I suddenly realize that I NEED a snocone.  But the guilt in me knows that I should eat dinner first. Meanwhile, we have a 20 minute drive back towards home to eat Chinese.  This is obviously much too large of a window for me. About ten minutes in I have a sudden change of heart and want a bean burrito.  (Have I said that my husband is a patient man yet?)  And I am starving. 

Warning: Never be in a confined space with a hungry pregnant lady. 

That bean burrito better get to me fast!  My super husband to the rescue, quick on his feet, finds me a burrito and a snocone in ten minutes flat and still had a smile for me when I announced, I think I need some corn.

Names, Names, Baby Names....

Everyone keeps asking me if we have picked a name out for our little baby boy.  The answer is no, not yet.  Not for lack of trying, on my part at least.  My dear husband is a fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy, so I think he envisions us picking a name as we rush to the hospital.  Perhaps naming him after a street sign we pass or making the license plate in front of us into a name.  But not me.  I am a planner who wants to embroider baby's name on everything I possibly can.  Yes, I am going to be one of those moms.  Go ahead, judge me now. 

I thought you should know what Bobby and select friends have come up with for baby names so far.  You need to know what I am going through.  You must understand how long this process WILL take us.  And you may want to say a little prayer for the lad. 

These are ranked in no particular order.

1. Fitchwood Herbold
2. Herb Bo Herbold
3. Theodore Herbert Herbold
4. Ted...you know like Madonna, Eminem, Jay-Z...the kid that is so cool he can't be bothered with more than 3 letters.
5. Bobby Jr. and we can call him BoJu.

Baby Brain

So, I read about this thing called Baby Brain and I completely thought that it did not apply to me.  That for some reason, I was invincible to this ridiculous idea that a baby makes you forget your car keys and your doctor appointments and the fact that you need shoes when you leave the house!  Yes, I thought I was above all this.  Never have I been more wrong!  I thought I would never forget I was holding a cup of dipping sauce IN MY HAND as I was holding it in my hand.  Only to remember the moment it splats on the floor in Central Market.  Lately, I think that I would forget my head if it wasn't attached!  I have never felt like such a flake before.  Constantly apologizing for being a crazy lady or a pregnant lady or whatever I blurt out in my utter embarrasement that this is in fact ME behaving in an unrecognizable manner.
I ask Bobby every few days, What is wrong with me? And he continues to smile and reply, You are pregnant.  He routinely states the obvious like its a new found discovery.

Lucky for you, I have remained focused for this entire paragraph and I am even going to remember to post this beauty.  But if its five minutes past the time I was supposed to meet you for coffee, you might want to call me.

Boy! Boy! Boy!

We saw our little baby yesterday and everything looks good and healthy so far.  We also got to see that baby is a boy!  I feel such a great peace now that I know the gender and I can stop referring to baby as an it, I mean he, I mean she....what do we say!!  This has been a problem for the last few months.  Now he is the proper word.  I can't wait to start collecting cute outfits and filling up his room with all things boy.  This will definitely be a very new chapter in my life!

"Build me a son, O Lord, whose heart will be clear, whose goals will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget to weep, one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past."

Boy or Girl!!!

Today is the day! We find out if Baby Herbie is a Boy or a Girl!!! I cannot believe this day is here already and I am so very nervous and excited to find out.  You know what this means, shopping!!!!! I can finally start buying things for my sweet baby and decorating a baby room. It will be so much easier to picture the future with a gender in mind.  Thank God for technology.  It sure does help out the planner like me.  Lets just hope they get it right!  I keep dreaming we have an entirely pink nursery and then bring home a boy...disaster.

Baby Moon

We got back from our Babymoon a few days ago and I am slowly adjusting to the real world.  I tried to work the first day back but I just couldn't bare it.  Today is a better day and reality is slowly starting to creep back in. 

Turks & Caicos, uncharted paradise.  Bobby did an amazing job planning our trip. I mean, I could not have picked a better place to spend some down time with my husband before the poop hits the diaper.  Since most of our days were spent in bathing suits drinking fruity shakes and Fiji water, I didn't really take a bunch of pictures.  Beached whale in a bathing suit doesn't appeal to most people! Just kidding, I'm not that big yet but the growing tummy has begun and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon!

View from our porch

Can't you just feel the sand between your toes!

Growing Baby Herbie

Space Shuttle

We just got back from our trip to Florida to watch the Space Shuttle launch.   NASA is important to Bobby therefore it is important to me.  We help each other accomplish our dreams, check off items on our to do lists and most of the time it ends up being fun for both of us!  I can honestly say that I would never have thought to go watch a space shuttle but I am so glad that I did.  A truly amazing experience. 

And this isn't even the largest shuttle!

My baby heard a space shuttle!

Since the shuttle launched as scheduled, we had a few days to kill in Florida.  We spent a little time at Disney and watched Cirque du Soleil La Nouba. Phenomenal.  The performers were amazing! I wonder how they started?  A little 5 year old boy with a passion for juggling is now a performer in a million dollar production?  Proof that you can follow your passion, even if it is the trampoline!

Kitchen

We redid our kitchen a few months ago and I never showed you the pictures.  It hasn't made me a better chef but it has made me a happier dish washer.  We are slowly but surely ditching the early 90's vibe we had going on in our house.  Sometimes I can't believe that we have a house! I really do love the fact that I can paint my walls magenta if I want(and I did!).  Being a grown up does have its perks!

Before

Eric (our fab realtor!) and I posing in the attack of the 90's kitchen

After

  Much better!

Before

White is good but not when you have 2 dogs!

After

Awe, dark tile....the dirt just blends in!

Before

Just changing the knobs makes a huge difference!

After

We changed the white outlet plates to bronze since this pic for a more cohesive look. If you just buy one plate a week you can redo your kitchen in no time! The same thing with knobs.