Dec. 31st - Jan 6th - "Lighten Up!"

I have been running a little behind on my blog entries because I decided that in 2009 I would make a little more time for myself. I have been using one of Sawyer's nap times to do something for me (not laundry, cleaning, cooking, blogging, or EATING) and it has been so therapeutic.

But it is now 2009. The best thing about 2009 is 2008 is now over. We had quite an eventful 2008 which ended up with Heidi in the hospital. We can say that all members of the family have been hospitalized and had our first IV's in 2008, Clint, Sawyer, Heidi, and myself. We don't do New Year's resolutions, but mottos every year. This year it is "Lighten Up". There are several areas we need to lighten up, but I have to start with the baby weight. My challenge for the month of January is to not eat my recent vices: alcohol, sweets (not including chocolate covered fruit -- that's just crossing the line), cokes, white bread, and chips. So far it is going pretty good. I may add saturated fats next month but I am not sure if I can give up cheese.

We had a nice quiet New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Clint and I were tired of holiday food and Clint had a cold so we didn't want to go out; we stayed home and made the biggest baddest sandwich we could (ignore me in my sweats with no make-up on). On New Year's day we took a long hike. Check out Sawyer in his OSU hat. With it on backward I told him he looked like an OSU frat boy.

Dec. 16th - Dec. 30th – Sawyer’s 1st Christmas

We left town early to start our Christmas celebrating with Drew Johannes and Cassie Lewis’s wedding. It was a beautiful wedding with a handsome couple, but not as handsome as Clint in his tux. It was Sawyer’s first wedding and the latest he has stayed up, but we learned he is a party animal. He did great!

We then spent a few days at Grammy and Duke’s in Stillwater. Christmas morning Sawyer was super excited to get up and see what Santa Claus had brought even though Daddy did not get out of bed (he had done too much Christmas Eve celebrating). Clint decided he and Sawyer should match to open up gifts. They have become two peas in a pod.



On Christmas day we traveled to Arkansas to have Christmas at Meme and Kimbo’s house. It was a lot of fun with Sawyer, Jackson, and fetus Titus. That’s right Julie and Taylor are having a boy! There will be 3 boys cousins all the same age. Baby Savannah also got to hang out with the boys.

We had one quiet day and then the Wright family came over for the annual Christmas get together. We had an ugly Christmas sweater party the day before. Clint was the winner! Jay came in a close second. My mom had a great idea to have it at the Chinese buffet in Siloam Springs, AR. Sketchy. But sure enough she made us all sing Deck the Halls with Fa Ra Ra Ra. Embarrassing if you weren't already wearing an ugly sweater. My dad is one of 6 and this year everyone made it. Look at the pictures of the grandkids and great-grandkids. It was a crazy day.


Clint got a cold over Christmas and with all the festivities we were ready to get home. It definitely was a memorable 2008!

Week 17 (12/9-12-15) - Santa Claus

It has been a quiet, but crazy week at our house this week. We have been trying to get ready for Christmas like everyone else. The highlight of the week was Santa Claus came to our house a little early! Clint and I did not get anything in our stocking, we assumed we were naughty, but he did bring Sawyer some goodies.

This Saturday Sawyer started to get much fussier. He has never cried much at all, but he has been fussier the past few days. He doesn't appear to be teething and he doesn't act sick. The upside of the situation is he is also much more giggly and interactive. He also is starting to actually play with toys. Do any moms out there have advice or had babies who went through a similar phase around 4 months?

Week 16 (12/2-12/7) - Back to Work

I started back to work on Monday, December 1st. I am only working in the mornings, but I started working on a different team so I am trying to get caught up. Work has been so busy so fortunately I haven't missed my Sawyer too much. I also know he is in loving, trusting hands with Mr. Mom (Clint) watching him. This is what I came home to one day this week. Notice that the pants, jacket, and shirt belong to 3 different outfits.

Actually Sawyer is never crying when I come home (but sometimes Clint is). He loves hanging out with his dad. We also got our Christmas decorations up this week. Because Clint and I are never at our house on Christmas, we always have a little celebration on the weekend we put up the Christmas decorations. We watch Christmas movies, bake cookies, eat breakfast casserole, get double doozie cookies, and try to turn it into a party. Sawyer enjoyed getting ready for the holidays too!

Sawyer is getting so strong. He is rolling over (though he lacks all motivation to) and playing a lot on his tummy. He coos all the time and seriously I mean all the time. He really likes to eat his hands and is starting to try and put other objects in his mouth. He also started giggling this week.

Week 13, 14, 15- Thanksgiving

November 11th - December 1st



It has been a few weeks since I have posted, but that is because I have been on the road. We left November 13th for Arkansas. On the 14th Clint flew to Pennsylvania to visit his brother and attend the AICHE conference where he gave two presentations. I stayed in Arkansas with my family. Clint returned on the 19th and we celebrated our 4 year anniversary on the 20th. We got to go out on two dates! We then celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and with his family. We returned to Houston on the 30th. We had a blast celebrating, I think Sawyer and I both gained about 5lbs each!

Sawyer is changing so much. Besides the fact that he is such a big boy, he is reaching for things and hitting at things, smiling and cooing constantly, rolling over a little, holding his head up, discovering how cool his hands are, trying to put whatever he can into his mouth (he still can’t grab very well so it is still hard) and just being absolutely precious. Of course I am completely biased. He is also such a good boy to sleep through the night.

Here is Sawyer with his favorite cousin Jackson.



Look how cute the boys are with their mommy’s.



Sawyer got to meet both of his great grandmothers. He is the twelfth great-grandchild for my grandmother Mammo and the first for Clint’s grandmother G.G.



We have a funny tradition in our family of dressing up like indians and pilgrims for Thanksgiving. Below is Julie and Taylor with my niece, nephew, and cousin. I had to put this picture up because Taylor put a picture on his myspace page once of Julie and me at thanksgiving when I was going through my awkward stage (that stage only lasted from 11-21). Sawyer, Clint and I didn’t get a chance to dress up this year because Clint went hunting all morning and Sawyer decided to be a pickle and I was just trying to keep him happy.



Here is Thanksgiving at the Aichele’s. Yummy!



Sawyer went on his first weenie roast at Grammy and Grandpa’s farm.



Clint and Sawyer are getting ready for the OSU vs. OU game. Clint got to go to the game, but Sawyer and I stayed back.

Week 12 (11/4-11/11) - Rice's Homecoming

We went to Rice's homecoming game this weekend. We learned why we have never been to a Rice football game before -- let's just say it is not OSU. Below is the homecoming king, yes it was Hurricane Ike. I am not kidding. Check out the hot dude in his shades. Clint and I decided to bale the game and took Sawyer to his first bar. I promise we are good parents.

We took Sawyer to the doctor today to get his hemoglobin checked. His numbers are up! Things are looking good. He still has to take his iron supplements which means I still have to get him to eat his prune juice. UGH! He is getting so big. He isn't even three months yet and he weighed 15 lbs 14 oz. I know almost 16 lbs! He gained over 2 lbs in just 3 weeks. He is also sleeping through the night. I didn't want to jinx myself by talking about it early, but he has been sleeping through the night for about two weeks now. He goes down at 9:00, I wake him up at 5:00 am to feed him (that is when I am going to have to feed him when I go back to work), and then he sleeps until about 8:30. I moved him from his bassinet to his crib last night. He slept great, but I hardly slept at all. I had to keep checking on him. Hopefully I will get over that.

Since he is almost 3 months I thought I would post some fun moments of hanging out with the little guy:

• One day I came in to Clint screaming. Clint was changing his diaper and he pooped all over Clint, the couch, the floor, the coffee table, . . . I still don't know how it got everywhere.
• Last week I was letting him hang out naked after a diaper change (one of his favorite things to do). I had briefly turned my head but turned around to catch him peeing in his eye. Crazy.
• I was at hobby lobby the other day and I had his prune juice bottle with me. A lady stopped me to ask what I was feeding my baby. I told her. She thought it was coke. What kind of mom did she think I was, yes he has been to a bar, but he is way to young for coke.
• He smiles at everyone, but extra big for the waitresses at House of Pies.
• When I am breastfeeding him I get the evil eye until I start rubbing his head and telling him how wonderful he is. That is definitely a Clint trait.
• It seems every time I am walking out the door in a hurry he poops through his entire outfit and sometimes on mine as well.
• It is precious when he talks to us in his language of aahs.
• I love it when he sucks his thumb. Reminds me of my own childhood and early adolescents. . .

There have been many many more moments that have made me smile and laugh in the past 3 months. Actually I have smiled more in the past three months than ever before in my life. Below is another picture of my beloved boys in their matching red henleys.

Week 11 (10/28-11/3) – Halloween

Happy Halloween! Sawyer was Heidi (our dog) for his first Halloween. I modified an elephant costume to get the right effect – the giant ears. Clint, Sawyer, Heidi and I had a great time trick-or-treating on Friday night. Unfortunately with a two month old baby who was asleep the entire time it was obvious the candy was for Clint and me. We had so many kids come by (and adults too) that we had to turn out our lights early. We then enjoyed an evening roasting hot dogs over the chiminea. It was Sawyer’s first “camp fire” which was a momentous event because one of Clint’s favorite things to do is sit around a camp fire.