Christmas 2010

Trey's first Christmas was so fun and memorable. We were at my mom's house along with all my siblings and their kids. I loved it!!! It was a Christmas miracle! We also woke up to a white Christmas. The first in Alabama history. We opened our presents while the snow was falling - it was too cool. After a delicious breakfast casserole Kimberly made, we all went back to sleep for a nap. The Harris's came over for lunch and then we went to Uncle Jimmy's for dinner with the Bynum's. It was a very busy day! The 26th was just as busy. We went to Bruce's Aunt Linda's house with all of his family. David and Katie were there and it was nice to see them for a hot second. Then we drove to Helena to Uncle Steve's for Christmas with the Bailey's. Dad was actually somewhat normal. What a relief.

Through all this travel Trey has slept in so many different beds, but he has done amazingly well! I was worried about nap time, because he usually sleeps in his swing, but he has started falling asleep on his own in his bed! It is amazing!! I'll put him in his bed and say "lay down!" and he actually lays down! It takes him a few minutes to fall asleep - he will stand up and talk and giggle and throw his paci, but then he will bend over and lay his head down and wiggle around until he's asleep. I'm so proud of him! Such a relief! He is also still sleeping 12 hours at night. I couldn't ask for a better travel baby.

We were such a sight when we traveled to Alabama on Dec 23. At the airport, we had 5 checked bags, 2 carry on bags, a baby bag, a stroller, a dog in a crate, and a baby. Security ended up not being a problem at all and we zoomed on through. Maggie did really well considering it was her first time to fly. And Trey slept on both legs of the flight. Timing and everything worked out perfectly. I was so relieved. I don't look forward to flying back to Utah in April by myself. It will be a challenge without Bruce.

About a week ago, I was telling everybody that Trey wasn't really saying much - as far as words or things that make any sense. Well he has really changed that within the past few days. He has been saying mama mama over and over and it completely melts my heart. Today he started saying dada dada - the first time ever! I love his baby babble.

We have noticed him becoming so smart. It's amazing how quickly they change from an infant who just sits there and into a little toddler walking around, getting into everything and learning all sorts of things. There is this toy where you put a ball into a hole and it slides down a little slide. I did it one time for him and then asked him if he could do it and he immediately did it! I was so amazed. Later, I had been playing with him with this Winnie the Pooh toy that has 3 characters - the Tigger, Roo, and Piglet. Later Glenda got the same toy out and Trey reached into the cavernous toy box and drew out those 3 characters to go with it. He knew which ones to grab! Such a smart cookie.

Bruce leaves for Utah tomorrow and then he's off to Afghanistan on Jan 11th. It doesn't seem real yet and I've yet to have an emotional breakdown. Hopefully I can hold it together when we say goodbye at the Huntsville airport.

Slow-Cooker Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
12-oz. bottle red taco sauce
4-oz. can green chiles, chopped
2-3 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 1/4-oz. can corn, drained
15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 c. water
1 1/4-oz. pkg taco seasoning mix, I used hot
Garnishes: sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, corn chips

Brown beef, onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat; drain. In a slow cooker, combine beef mixture and remaining ingredients except garnishes. Cover and cook on high setting one hour. Serve with garnishes, if desired. Serves 8-10.

Fried Okra Salad

2 lb. pkg. frozen breaded okra
10 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. vinegar

Fry okra according to package directions; drain. Combine okra, bacon, tomatoes and green onions; set aside. Mix together remaining ingredients; pour dressing over okra mixture. Best served at room temperature. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

Delicious! Enjoy!

Everything Happens in Stages and Phases

I've learned that with a baby everything happens in phases and stages. And this is a bittersweet realization. For instance, if you are going through a phase where you aren't getting very much sleep, you will come out of it eventually and everybody will sleep like a baby. And there is nothing better than coming out of that phase. But I had a stage that went away and I was heartbroken. Trey decided a month or two ago that he did not want me to rock him to sleep. He would squirm and worm his way out of my grasp until i had to just lay him in his bed, pat his back a little, and let him fall asleep on his own. This lasted a few weeks, but as a result, he started sleeping better; sometimes going 8+ hours without waking up. (Trey has never really been a good sleeper until recently. His max would be around 5+ hours.) So I embraced the new phase and got used to not rocking him to sleep. About a week ago, he started either falling asleep while I nursed him, or actually letting me rock him to sleep again. I was in love all over. It is such a sweet and special time for a mother. I was scared that he would go back to his old sleep routine, but actually he started sleeping even longer! Now he's up to 12+ hours of unblemished sleep. (Which since he goes to bed at 7ish, gives mommy 8+ hours of sleep.) It took my body some getting used to it, but I slept 8 hours straight the other night for the first time since I was pregnant. Hallelujah!

Another phase he is going through is so funny! He sucks his top lip in to where it completely disappears and it looks hilarious. It mostly happens when he's eating but I find him doing it every so often and he makes me laugh. When I do it back to him, to try and get him to mimic me, he doesn't understand. He just laughs at my silly face. Can't you tell we have fun together?

As of about a week ago, Trey can officially stand up on his own. Before, he would have to crawl over to a wall or something steady and pull himself up to walk. Now he bends over in the downward dog yoga position and lifts up. I am so proud of him! And it is absolutely adorable!

When I hold my arms out to Trey and tell him to "come here" he gets this huge smile on his face, shrieks with excitement, puts his head slightly down and almost runs to me. I grab him in a big bear hug and smother him with kisses. It is precious and one of my favorite things we do.

I have been on a reading FRENZY lately. I guess I'm averaging about a book a week or so. Especially when I'm really into it. I started this new series called The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. It has been a wonderful break from the Rick Riordan books I've read recently with all the monsters and magical powers and whatnot. Which are great in their own way, but I wanted something different. It is a young adult romance set in 1899. The fashion and history about what life was like back then has captivated me. It is told from the perspective of 5 different people, all from different backgrounds and social statuses. There is mystery and scandal and sweet love. I haven't read a plain old romance in a while and it's like a breath of fresh air. There are 4 books in the series. Book 1 was addictive and wonderful. I started book 2 last night and it is just as good. Reading is my way of escaping from everyday life. I'm so thankful for it.

Funny Little Guy

Sometimes Trey does the funniest stuff and totally cracks me up. It is amazing how a 10 month old can already have so much personality. Now that he's walking all over the place, he can sometimes get out of my sight. Lately he's been wandering down the hall, trying to find something to get into. One morning I hear the door slam and I go to see what's going on. He has gone into the office and has shut the door on his own and is giggling inside. I knock on the door and slowly walk in. He puts his head to the floor and is laughing at himself as if he's discovered a secret I don't know about. I sit down on the futon and watch quietly. He is getting such a kick out of opening and shutting the door. (The door isn't closing all the way because our doors are jacked up, the latch never catches.) He is able to use those chubby little fingers to pry it back open, watch it swing out and then slam it shut again. He now does this to all the doors in the house. He especially likes to do this with the pantry door, along with pulling everything in sight off the shelf.

In our guest bathroom there are three drawers and in the bottom drawer are a bunch of old shower curtain hooks. Trey loves to open and shut drawers, but especially this one. The hooks clank around and make lots of noise. There is a particular gold hook with a big gold ball on the end. He searches until he finds this hook and then walks around with it until I find him with it and take it away. He loves that gold hook.

I am praising the Lord because Trey has slept 12 STRAIGHT hours the past two nights. It is so wonderful. He has gradually made his way here after 10 months. He used to get up every four hours, but slept 12 hours. Then he started sleeping 8 hours, woke up to eat, then went back to sleep for another 4 hours. But 2 nights ago was the first night EVER he slept 12 hours straight. I couldn't believe he did it again last night. Of course, my boobs don't exactly know what to think, but we will learn to deal because this is a gift from God!

10 Months

My little man is 10 months old as of yesterday. He is such a mess. He is walking so well now and is into everything, I mean EVERYTHING. One of his favorite things to get into is Maggie's dog food. We have found him sitting by her bowl with food in his hands (once in his mouth, eww!) several times. What is the appeal here? Probably the fact that I tell him no every time he goes near it. But life is changing by the day as he is finding new and exciting things to explore. Like Mommy's bookcase. Which I let him pull all the books off of - I don't want to stifle every curiosity! He follows me around the house like my shadow. It is so adorable to be so adored. Sometimes he gets a certain object in his hand (like a bag of buns, my chapstick, my iPod, etc.) and walks around with it, and will NOT put it down. This could go on for a while and is so funny to watch. He is determined to hang on to it. I'm figuring out that learning to walk is dangerous! He has so many bumps and bruises, especially on his face. I need a tshirt for him that says "life's tough. get a helmet."I still can't believe he is walking. He's too little to walk! Where did my little infant go? I told Bruce we now have a TODDLER in the house! It's unbelievable.

He still crawls sometimes to get where he is going, maybe it's easier and faster. He has started crawling with his head down, almost like it will make him go faster. Aerodynamic. It is so funny. He bumps into things all the time because he's not watching where he's going. Once again, a helmet would be nice.

He is eating some table food, but since he has no teeth we stick mainly to baby food. He LOVES bread of all kinds; especially biscuits from Cracker Barrel. I gave him some pasta the other night with some red sauce and cheese and a little meat. He really liked it. I try and give him little bites of the things we eat and he will eat just about anything.

He is quite the jabber monkey lately, but no new words that I know of. He was saying "mama" at 5 months, but I haven't heard it in a while. Still no "dada." He constantly makes the sound "unk" with a hard k sound at the end. Who knows what that is supposed to be!?

He has been sleeping great lately. I love it! He sleeps for 8 hours, wakes up to eat then goes back to sleep for another 4-5 hours. He also takes 2 naps during the day, which range in how long they are. He still loves to take his naps in his swing.

Bruce will be deploying 11 Jan for 4 months to Bagram in Afghanistan. He has volunteered 5 times and was finally chosen. I can see how truly excited and thrilled he is, which makes me happy for him. He is a true patriot. Deploying means so much to him and I fully support his dreams. He has talked about deploying several times and we thought he was going to deploy this December, so I've had some time to get used to the idea. Four months is actually a really short deployment compared to others. However, I know it will be difficult to be apart for so long, so I have decided to go home to Alabama for a few months while he's away. I am excited about the opportunity to spend time with friends and family. Martha and Kyle are expecting John Asher around 10 Apr and hopefully we will be able to see the little man. Being in Utah has kept us from several family events; I am glad to be there for such a big one.

We are all going to Alabama for Christmas on 23 Dec - 4 Jan, and I am thankful we will get to spend the holidays together. I am so blessed to be with my family this Christmas. It will be Trey's first Christmas (yay!) so I know it will be super special. I can't wait!

Man Cub

I don't want to jinx anything, but Trey has been sleeping like a rockstar lately! He has been sleeping up to 8 hours straight, eating then going back to sleep for another 4 or so hours. Plus, he takes 2 naps during the day. It has been amazing!! Momma is finally getting some sleep. Granted, he's almost 10 months so it's about time! But I will take what I can get! I love the little bugger. His walking has improved in the past week and he's walking across the whole living room now. Standing up and walking on is own is becoming easier and we can hardly keep up with him. It's crazy that he is walking already!! I just can't believe it.

9 Months

Getting Around
I guess this is the area where Trey has made leaps and bounds in the past month. You can definitely say Trey is ahead of the game when it comes to cruising/crawling/walking. I chase this boy around all day!

I kindof wanted to do a progression chart that shows how Trey got to where he is today. As of yesterday he took his first steps. I knew it was coming soon. He was starting to balance on his own for a long time without holding onto anything. The only thing left was for him to get the guts up to take a few steps. It finally happened yesterday and Bruce and I were both there to watch. It was very exciting to say the least.

1. Pulling up on things. The coffee table, the couch, drawers, the dishwasher, walls, toys and my legs. Pretty much anything that's sturdy.
2. Cruising. The coffee table is definitely his favorite, but he cruises along pretty much anything. Usually patting his way along.
3. Moving from object to object while standing. If 2 toys are close enough, he will hold onto one while reaching for the other and make his way over.
4. Walking with his toy that he pushes around to help him balance/walk. Really wobbly but getting the hang of it.
5. Balancing while standing, but not holding on to anything. This started happening a couple of weeks ago. He would be holding a toy while standing up, let go of the couch/coffee table and just stand there on his own, rocking back and forth between his toes and heels. This is when I knew he was close to walking.
6. RUNNING with his toys that he pushes around. Dude man can fly!
7. Walking from object to object taking 1 or 2 steps. This started last week. He would be holding on to the coffe table and reeeeach out while concentrating really hard on the couch. Then take the 1 step in between the two to get to the other. He walks from coffee table to couch to end table and then drops to the floor to crawl around. He knows how to get where he wants to go.
8. Taking his first steps on his own. He did it! So proud!!!

(Trey started crawling right at 8 months, but I didn't add it because it doesn't really have anything to do with walking.)

Sleeping
His sleeping habits are pretty much identical to last month. Due to sickness, we've had a couple of bad nights where he wakes up 3-4 times in one night, but he usually only wakes up once to eat. I'm hoping we get back on that schedule REAL soon! Momma needs her sleep.

Eating
This area hasn't changed much either. I am starting to give him more of the food I eat, like mashed potatoes or bread or veggies. He was eating sweet potato fries at MacCool's last night. Yummo! He eats baby food 2-3 times a day and is breastfed mostly. He is much better at putting food into his mouth and actually swallowing it. Like the puffs; he doesn't gag anymore. He loves crackers but has a hard time gumming them enough before he tries to swallow, resulting in some choking. We're going to have to break it into pieces or lay off for a while. He still struggles with the sippy cup. He cant figure out how to get anything out. We're still working on it.

Talking
No new words this month. Just alot of jibber jabber. He doesn't really way "mama" anymore, and "burp" has turned into more of a "up", but everything is "up." He's starting to make more sounds, which is fun to hear. It sounds like he has his own language that makes no sense. I love it.

Playing
Trey will play with his toys for a bit, but most of his time is spent crawling around and getting into things. I cannot get him interested in books. I have tried to read to him but he is way too much of a wiggle worm to sit still for it. We have a couple of musical activity centers where Trey will stand there and play with them while pressing buttons, playing piano keys, or flipping things back and forth. He has a couple of cars that he pushes around while walking behind them, and like I said before, he is FAST! The Hills let us borrow a big toy that has a door that swings open, mailbox, light with a switch, and doorbell among a few other things. It talks and tells you what you are doing like "light on" or "goodbye" when you shut the door. Fun stuff!!

Quirks and Special Notes
Trey is still going through that phase where he has to have his momma. When he's fussy he even cries when I leave the room. Bruce is trying really hard to break that trend, but it's a challenge. Even though he seems uninterested in daddy right now, his face lights up when Bruce walks in the room. It's precious.

Trey can wave, clap and give a high five on occasion. All are absolutely adorable.

He still loves to take naps in his swing. This is a lifesaver!

He still cries and gets very upset when I use the hairdryer, vacuum or blender. It makes me laugh even though he seems traumatized.

At his 9 month well-baby check up he weighed 9 lbs 5 oz and was 28.5 inches long. He is still in 9 months clothes but fits some 12 months. Still size 3 diapers.

Bath time way very well be his favorite time. He KNOWS whats happening when we go in there and start running the water. Last night I turned on the water and started taking his clothes off when I realized he had a poopie diaper. So I turned the water off and walked to his room to clean him up. You would have thought the world was ending! He started screaming and crying! I told him we're going right back, but he wasn't happy until we were back in there with the water back on. He looked at me with the biggest smile on his face and started bouncing up and down. He couldn't WAIT to get in the tub! Such a funny baby.

The Best Blondie Brownies!

This recipe is AMAZING! For an extra-special dessert, serve each square topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce...delicious!! Hope you enjoy!

1 c. butter, melted
2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, beaten
2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. white chocolate chips
3/4 c. toffee or caramel baking bits

Spray 9"X13" baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt; mix in pecans, white chocolate chips and baking bits. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 min or until set in the middle. Allow to cool in pan before cutting into squares. Makes one dozen.

War Eagle Baby!

We've had such a fun and exciting football season so far. Auburn, along with Cam Newton, makes for one amazing team and it is a great time to be an Auburn Tiger. Hopefully we can keep up the hard work and make it to the National Championship game. This weekend we watched as Auburn defeated LSU over at Annie and Ryan's house with Brad and Jacquie. Trey had fun playing with Bryn who is about 10 months older than him. I think playing with other kids around his age has been a great way for him to learn new things. Two weeks ago, after he saw another baby crawling, he started crawling the very next day. And now, after playing with Bryn, he's learned to wave and clap! His wave is the cutest, most lopsided wave ever and it is precious.

Now that Trey is crawling, things have changed a bit. Obviously, he is on the move and getting into everything, but he loves to follow me everywhere I go. I left him in his room on the floor while I went down the hall - I peek my head around the corner and here he comes! Making his way as fast as he could. He's getting so smart and he pays attention to everything. He's not walking yet, but I get the feeling he is happy with crawling for now. He gets where he wants to go. He still likes to cruise around the coffee table and push his car around, learning to balance. It is fascinating to watch him grow and learn.

Bruce's Birthday weekend

We had such a great weekend when Bruce turned 27 last Saturday. Our friends Zach and Lauren had a hog roast over at their house with lots of people and lots of babies. At the party, Trey gave me a high five for the first time. It was too cool! I had been trying to get him to do it for a couple of days, and he finally figured it out. The next day he started crawling on all fours. I think he saw another baby doing it at the party and it was like it clicked for him. He's been on the move ever since. It was a monumental weekend for Trey. I'm so proud of him!

8 Months

Trey is 8 months old today. I can't believe it! Time flies by with this kid. He has changed so much in the last month.

Playing
Play time has become a nonstop, on-the-move, all-over-the-place activity. I have officially started baby-proofing the house. Trey will no longer play in his exersaucer - I think it's because he hates to be confined. He will play for a little while with his toys on the quilt. I got a couple of our old cell phones out and let him play with those. But he seems to get bored easily and is usually trying to find something else to do. He will army crawl and roll his way around the room, finding things to pull up on - the coffee table is his favorite along with the couch and futon (which is in the living room for now.) He will stand there and patty pat pat on the coffee table, cruising his way around it. Usually reaching for whatever is on it. The kid has like a 3 foot reach, I swear! You think something is out of reach and he will get it! He loves to play with the drawers and doors on the entertainment center, but he knows he's not allowed. I will tell him NO! and he jumps out of his skin. LOL! He knows what NO means, and gets mad when we say it. Life is so not fair!

I bought him this new toy that you push around and it helps you balance while you learn to walk. It also converts into a car you sit on. He is getting good at pushing it, but falls easily. I usually help him. When he sits on it, he can push himself backwards but not forwards. It's pretty funny. Most of the time he just sits there and plays with the gadgets on it. I went to Kid to Kid yesterday and bought him an activity center that you stand at while you play. So far, he will play for a little while, but not long. So sad! I thought this was going to be a life saver. Maybe he will learn to like it more. So for now, most of my day is spent chasing after him and keeping a close eye on what he's getting into. I can only imagine what it will be like when he's walking...heaven help us when he's RUNNING!

Eating
I'm still nursing him and he's eating baby food about 2 times a day. He will eat just about any type of baby food. Definitely not picky anymore. He loves all the fruit combos. I started buying those meals mixed with chicken and turkey and he seems to really like those as well. He grunts for you to give him more. Typical male! Haha! I have started mixing in a snack here and there. He will eat crackers and biter biscuits, and sometimes those puff things. He is too funny with the puffs...he will put one in his mouth and then gag. And he's put half the biter biscuit in his mouth and then let it sit there and then try to swallow it and gag on it. He's not gumming it or chewing it enough. How do you teach a child to chew?? We're working on it. I haven't given him any adult food yet, but I think I'm going to start trying soon. We're also trying to get him to use a sippy cup. He will just chew on it. I'm pretty sure nothing comes out. I bought him one with a straw and he just chews on it, too. I'm not going to worry about this one for now.

I recently went out with a friend and left Trey with Bruce. To prepare, we tried to give him a bottle a few days before to see if he would take it. He HATED it. Will not touch a bottle - Just like me when I was a baby. Bruce ended up giving him baby food before bed and he went to sleep fine without it. I fed him when I got home.

Sleeping
Sleeping is where we have taken the largest strides this month. He is doing so much better! It is amazing! Last month we had all the drama with the baby monitors and not sleeping much. Well we've done a 180. I no longer sleep with the baby monitor. His room is right next to ours so I just keep the doors open. I usually wake up either on my own or when he's crying to feed him once or twice a night. He is sleeping 12 hours!!! Usually 7:30 pm-7:30 am. I LOVE it! Such a change. He is very active in his sleep. He rolls around, completely turns around facing the opposite way, and ends up on his stomach most of the time. When he wakes up in the middle of the night to eat he's usually sitting up in his bed, sometimes standing! Which really scared me at first. I was like what the heck! He goes right back to sleep after I feed him. He still usually takes 2 naps during the day. One morning and one afternoon. The times usually differ. Just when I think he has a set schedule, he goes and changes it. This is mainly b/c he doesn't always wake up at 7:30. This morning he didn't wake up until almost 9:00, and took his nap at 11:30. I'm flexible.

Moving Around
Like I said before, Trey is all over the place. He isn't up on all fours and crawling yet. He is really good at getting around, but it's usually by rolling and doing the army crawl. I think his favorite thing to do is stand up when I'm holding his hands. We're working on balance and he can stand for a good while, but usually falls over. He still loves cruising though. He walks along the coffee table, couch, chairs, toys...anything. As long as he's holding on he can get around. I think they call this "cruising." It's fun to watch - no walking on his own as of yet.

Talking
So Trey's first word (other than mama) is ... "burp." Hilarious! You never know how often you say something until your baby starts saying it. I've said "Trey, do you have to burp?" a million times since he was born so it's no wonder he picked it up. Now everything is burp. I point to Maggie and say dog, and Trey says burp. He makes me laugh. He still says mama every once in a while when he's fussy, but hasn't said dada yet. I haven't distinguished any other words through all his babble. He likes to skwawk - I think he likes the way it sounds.

Quirks and Special Notes
Trey still loves bath time, ALOT! We try to give him a bath every other day. He will splash and chew on his toys, while I pour water over him. He, of course, tries to stand up and I say NO. He's fallen over a couple of times. We recently filled up the whole bathtub and Bruce got in with him. It was hilarious. (See picture above.) He fell over and got his head all the way under the water and Bruce pulled him up. His eyes were all big and he coughed a little. He is so hard core.

I bought Trey some shoes this week for the first time. He had a cute pair of tennis shoes that he got from a friend, but mostly during the summer I didn't see the point in putting anything on his feet. But now that it's getting cold I went to Kid to Kid and got 3 pairs. They are really cute. You never know how incomplete an outfit is without shoes, until you see them on him. He's adorable! They're so small. Maybe they'll be magic shoes and he'll start walking.

I know this may be weird to put on here, but Trey has found his penis this month. He grabs it when I'm changing him. I'm like, "Look you found your penis!" So funny.

He is still giving us kisses, and does it very generously now. Me and Bruce actually compete to see who can get the most kisses. For some reason, Bruce keeps winning, but I'm picking up speed.

I don't know where this came from, bur recently Trey has started crying when there's anything loud going on. The vacuum is the worst, but he also did it when I was using the hair dryer, the blender and when Bruce was yelling at the tv during the Alabama vs Arkansas game. Such a kooky little guy.

Trey is wearing size 9 months clothes, size 3 diapers and weighs about 20 lbs.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

We had a bunch of people over for the Auburn vs South Carolina game and I wanted to try a new appetizer so I googled "game day recipes" and came up with this. It was easy and a big hit!! Enjoy!

2 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (half jack, half cheddar)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 oz chopped green chilies
4 oz chopped jalapenos (8 oz for an extra kick - we did this and it was amazing)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 stick butter, melted

In a food processor, add the first 6 ingredients and process until smooth. You do not need to drain either can of peppers. Spread the dip into a greased 2-quart casserole. In a bowl, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter; mix well. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over the dip and bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for about 30 minutes. You want the top to get browned and the dip to be heated through and bubble gently on the edges.

Do not over cook this dish or the mayonnaise will separate and you will have a grease puddle in your dip. Serve with Buttery crackers or a sliced French baguette.

Seven Months

Eating
Trey is still primarily breastfed and he eats about every three hours for about 10-15 min. Breastfeeding has been one of the most indescribable bonding experiences ever. I have enjoyed every minute of it and feel very blessed to be able to nurse him. He is very easily distracted while eating, so we usually go to his room where it's nice and quiet. He recently started patting my chest while he eats and it is just precious. I plan on nursing him until he is 12 months. He started baby food as of 6 months. For stage 1 foods he was pretty picky. I blame it on him getting sick off old baby food (bad mommy). The only thing I could get him to eat were carrots, pears, and sweet potatoes. He wouldn't touch peas, prunes, peaches or any sort of cereal. Slowly but surely, he is coming around and he's now eating applesauce and bananas. This week we've started some stage 2 combos like bananas, apples, and pears and he loves corn mixed with sweet potatoes. He goes through one container of food in a day or two. It looks like he's going to be a big eater.

Playing
Trey loves to hang out in his exersaucer. It has so many components on it that speaks and sings songs. It definitely keeps him entertained for a while. He's totally outgrown his bouncy seat so we've put that away. He's way too wiggly for that. I started laying out a blanket with lots of toys on there and I sit him down in the middle of it and he'll keep himself busy for quite a while if he's in the mood. Lots of times, he ends up rolling off the blanket and half way across the room. It's great! And once he starts rolling around, he's occupied for forever. One of his favorite things to do is sit in the Bumbo seat in the kitchen and watch me cook or clean. He is so content there. Sometimes, when I'm cleaning in his room, I will put him in his bed with his stuffed animals and he will play. He gets very verbal. I love it. He absolutely loves his swing. He will usually swing and take a nap once a day - sometimes staying in there for 2 hours. He will doze in and out of sleep and usually stares into space, in his own world, very content.

Sleeping
At 6 months, Trey was on a great schedule. He would go to bed around 8:00 and sleep about 5 hours, eat, then go back to sleep for another 5 hours, eat, then sleep for another 2. In addition he would take two naps and sleep about 2 hours each. It was ideal and worked great for me. Of course there were those occasional nights where he would wake up unexpectedly and I would go check on him. I was using a baby monitor and tended to go check on him when he cried. He would usually go right back to sleep and I was so used to getting up that it really didn't bother me. There were a few times where there seemed to be nothing I could do to make him happy, so I would just let him cry it out. Well, around 2 weeks ago, that ideal schedule went out the window. I didn't know what was going on. He was waking up so much during the night - at least every 3 hours. And his naps turned in to two 30 min naps. It was like he didn't even like to sleep. You would think this lack of sleep would make him irritable during the day, but he was happy as a lark. In the middle of this phase, we were in Alabama for a week. This took a toll on mommy and daddy who were sleeping in the same room as him. There wasn't exactly a door we could shut to let him cry it out. I was so tired I was beginning to not even feel like myself. I was hoping the problem was just the change in scenery. Now that we are back home, he seems to be doing better and we are making our way back to that perfect schedule. The first night back in Utah, I put him to sleep and went to sleep myself with no baby monitor. I have no idea if he cried or not. I just know I needed sleep. Of course, my body wouldn't let me sleep very long, so I woke up to feed him around 2 and again at 7. It was very liberating. My mom told me I worry about him too much. I would always say "what if he's hungry? what if he's cold? what if he just needs his passy?" I'm trying to let go of that worry. I'm praying for peace, comfort and sleep - for both of us. Maybe I will try leaving both of our doors open. But I no longer sleep with the baby monitor. I rock him to sleep and then leave him be - waking up on my own to feed him. In the morning he's alive and happy.

Talking
It's been so interesting to watch how babies progress with their verbalization. Trey has been super verbal even when he was younger. He started making sounds around 2 months and hasn't stopped. He makes very distinct sounds and we swear he's said "hey" and "hi" to us. Once, he reached out his little arms to me and said "ma". This weekend he started saying "mama" - I've been trying really hard to get him to say "mama" by patting on my chest and saying it over and over. I absolutely melted when he coherently said it for the first time. He has said it several times since then. He is so precious.

Moving Around
Trey can sit up on his own for a long while, usually toppling over if he's reaching for something. He started rolling all the way over at 6 months and is his current mode of transportation. He wants to crawl so badly. At around 6 1/2 months he started getting up on all fours, but hasn't quite figured it out yet. He does this squirmy type moves that resembles a glow worm. He seems to be trying to use his feet instead of his knees. I feel like he will get it soon. His absolute favorite thing to do is stand up. Of course, he can't do it on his own, but all is right with the world when you are holding his hands letting him stand. He shuffles his feet around like he's doing a dance - I call it the Elvis because his hips sway back and forth. It's so cute. We're working on balance. Recently he has started pulling up from sitting to standing. Bruce started walking when he was 8 1/2 months, and I feel like Trey might be an early walker. I guess we will see.

Quirks and Special Notes
Trey is such a luvbug. He started giving kisses about a week ago. If you put your lips in front of his, he will lean in with his mouth wide open and plant a big slobbery one on you. It's definitely my new favorite thing of his.

Trey is definitely a pacifier baby. He loves that thing. He doesn't have it in all the time, but when he wants it, you better give it to him. He will lay there and chew on it like it's a chew toy - and not just the side with the nipple. He can pick it up and put it in his mouth and when it drops, he has to pick it right back up. He has to have it to fall asleep, but I'm totally grateful for it. I can see an attachment forming. Which, to be honest, doesn't bother me in the least bit. A pacifier, unlike a thumb, is something you can easily take away when the time is right.

At about 6 months, Trey started this funny thing where he would look at you and then cock his head to the side. It is hilarious. It's so extreme you think he's about to tumble over, but he'll just cock that head to the side and smile his big cheesy smile.

Which leads me to my next thought - Trey has started this big cheesy smile lately. He will tip his head back, squint his eyes and smile this big gummy smile that will melt your heart and make you laugh. I feel like he has such a lighthearted personality and a great temperament. He laughs a lot and it is the cutest laugh you'll ever hear.

Trey is very sociable. He will let anyone hold him and will be so happy and playful. However, within the last couple of weeks, he has become really mommy-fied. He wants me to hold him all the time. It's especially worse when he's fussy. If you're holding him and he sees me or hears me, he will stop everything and fuss until I hold him. But if I leave the room, and he can't see me anymore, he's fine. While it's totally endearing to be loved and wanted so much, I hope it's a phase. It wears me out!!

I love morning time with Trey. He will usually wake up in a great mood and just lay in his bed talking. I will walk in his room and peek in his bed and he is either on his tummy with his head up or playing with his feet, just talking away. It is absolutely adorable. I will feed him and then bring him in the bed with me and we usually go back to sleep together (since daddy is already gone to work.) I love it. He'll sleep for a couple of hours and then wake up in the same great mood again, just talking.

When you blow in Trey's face, his eyes bug out and he sucks in wind like you knocked the breath out of him. It's really funny to watch.

Trey loves for me to sing to him. He will be as fussy as ever and when I start singing to him, he calms down and stops crying. I love to sing and dance for him (in the privacy of our home, of course) because it makes him laugh. Silly mommy. Some of his favorite lullabies are Hush Little Baby, Mommy Loves Her Little Trey (this is a Kristi original), the Bluebird song, and What a Wonderful World. Some of my favorite, most precious moments are when I rock him to sleep and sing to him. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Trey weighs about 20 lbs, wears size 9 months clothes and size 3 diapers.

Bear Lake

We had such a great time this weekend. On Sunday we took a 2 hour drive north to Bear Lake. It was absolutely beautiful - as teal as the Caribbean. We went to the beach and let Trey dip his toes in the icy cold water. The weather was perfect - no clouds and about 70 degrees. After the beach we went to get a famous raspberry shake which was a-mazing! Trey was an angel the whole trip. He slept going and coming. He's a trooper when it comes to traveling. We are trying to take advantage of all Utah has to offer before we leave. We only have one year left and we want to make the most of it.

6 months

Reading over my last entry (June 17), I realize Trey is still on that exact sleeping schedule. It works well for me. He's still waking up once at night to eat, then goes right back to sleep. Not too bad; I can't complain. 

Trey is 6 months old today! What a big boy he is. He weighs 17.5 lbs :) We love him more and more every day as he gets more and more fun and entertaining.

At 6 months Trey loves to:
* Bounce in his exersaucer for about 30 minutes at a time.
* Sit in his bumbo seat - esp. to watch and help mom in the kitchen.
* Roll across the living room floor. He started rolling all the way over about 2 weeks ago, now he can't stop.
* Take at least one of his naps in his swing.
* Smiles at everybody. Is such a happy and well rounded baby.
* Loves the pool and bath time - is playing with toys and splashing around.
* Loves to sleep in our bed at nap time.
* Reaching for anything shiny or electronic. 
* Stand up. All is right with the world if you let him stand. Maybe we have an early walker.
* He has been sitting up on his own since 5 months, but needs absolutely no help now.
* Still scratches the crap out of his face when he's tired, therefor I am still swaddling him when he sleeps. I feel like he may be too old for it, but he sleeps good and that's all that matters. Sometimes he gets out. Hilarious!
* He can soothe himself to sleep if I lay him down beside me in our bed and he can soothe himself to sleep in the swing, but I am rocking him to sleep at night; which I love to do.
* We tried the "cry it out" method a couple of times but it broke my heart, so I decided against it. He really doesn't need it though. He falls asleep really well most of the time.
* He will wake up on his own in the mornings and not cry but just lay there and talk. It is precious and I live for moments like that
* He will swing forever just dozing off occasionally. It's pretty funny because he's just chilling with his hands up on the tray, not making a noise. He's very self reliant and can entertain himself.
* Big Daddy Mac is here this weekend. He was on business in CO and decided to stop over for a couple of days.
* Trey likes to patty pat pat everything and likes to throw his toys and his paci. It's a great game.

Tour de Alabama

Trey and I visited Alabama and were there from 24 June to 11 July. It was quite the trip and we got to see so many friends and family. We flew into BHM where Jenny and Jason came to pick us up. After a quick pit stop at Zaxby's (oh how I miss it), we headed to Auburn where we spent a few days with Ashley Ward and Evie, along with some of the Italy girls, Netherland, Jessica, and Kristen. Trey and Evie are only 6 days apart and it was unforgettable when they met for the first time. They were reaching out for each other and touching each others faces. It was priceless. We got our grub on at some favorite places like the Barbeque House for breakfast, Niffer's for lunch, Momma G's for some nachos, and Mikata and Laredo's for dinner. We walked around downtown and drove around to see all the new construction. Auburn has definitely changed in the last 3 years since I've been there. But it still has that wonderful feeling of "home." I truly miss that town.

Sweet babies!!

Italy Girls at Samford Hall

Our next stop was Birmingham where we spent a couple of days with Grandmother and got to see Kristie, Debbie, and Linda. Then it was off to Huntsville with Grandmother, Gigi and Aunt Katie. Trey experienced his first dip in the pool and he loved it! It's like he was made for the water. We had a blast going to eat at Mellow Mushroom and Rosie's. It was great to just hang out and spend time together.

Hims loves his Aunt Katie

Trey and Gigi

First time in the pool!

Totally doused in spf 100.

We rode with Grandmother back to Birmingham where we met up with Kimberly, Stuart, Alissa, and Lucas. We drove to Fayette where Kevin, Melissa, and Whitney were awaiting us at mom's. It was so great to see them! It was our first time to meet Whitney and she was such a riot! She was full of energy, smiles and squeals. She had the longest legs! Just like a Bailey :) I love it when all of my siblings and I are together. We have the best time. On Saturday, July 3, we had a big family get together that lasted all day. We started with lunch, a rook tournament, tug of war, watermelon and ice cream, talent show, and then dinner. We had such a blast and there were so many people there. Mom, John, Joshua, Kevin, Melissa, Whitney, Kimberly, Alissa, Lucas, Me, Trey, Granddaddy, Aunt Sheila, Uncle Jimmy, Jenny, Mike, Micah, Julie, Jonathan, Kallie, John, Joy, Neely, Jax, Andrew - Randy, Kellie, Dakota came for dinner - Aunt Marie, Aunt Mary, and Aunt Marta stopped by for ice cream. I loved seeing everybody.

Aren't they cute?

The Bailey/Gordon Clan

The whole clan

So precious - Maw Maw and Trey

Trey and Whitney - 1st cousins only 2 months apart

Aunt Kimberly loves her some Whitney

This just makes me laugh out loud. Especially Alissa's hair.

MawMaw and the Pud swinging with Whitters

All the girls!!!

A Fabulous photo shoot

Swing low, sweet chariot

So presh

Jenny and the babes

These two mean mischief.

The 4th of July bash wouldn't have happened without all of MawMaw's wonderful planning

Me and my beautiful momma

Momma and all her kids on the 4th of July at Crossview. It's a beautiful thing when we're all together.

The next day was July 4th, and we all rode to Uncle Steve's house after church. We went swimming and Trey loved the water. He was straight chillin' in the float. Uncle Tim, Aunt Jo and their kids, Nicholas and Jordan, were there. I haven't seen them in years!! As always, we had a great time. We left knowing we would see them in a week at Christina's wedding. Kevin, Melissa, and Whitney headed back to Virginia. It was so sad to see them go. Our goodbye lasted forever.

Bailey Girls and Trey at the pool

Me and my little buddy at the pool

After Uncle Steve's, we went to Kimberly's to spend the night. The next day we went to the pool with Aspen and then went to see Eclipse while mom watched Trey. We spent another night with Kimberly then went shopping a bit before heading home to Fayette. (BTW, I tried 5 guys burgers and fries and HATED it!!) 

We spent a  couple of days in Fayette, ate at Lisa's, did the usual. We drove up to Harvest on Thursday to drop Trey off with Glenda while we went to Point Mallard Water Park. It was a hot day - perfect for a wave pool and a float. The big slide was crazy fun as always. I think this was the longest I had been away from Trey up to this point. And while I remembered to leave him some milk, I forgot to bring my pump with me. I thought my boobs were about to explode, and in result, I thought I was going to die. This may be too much information for some people, but I had to do into the shower and squeeze some of my milk out. It was both painful and relieving at the same time. A mistake I will hopefully never do again. Let's just say I was extremely glad to see Trey when we got back to Glenda's.

On Saturday we went to Christina's wedding. It was simple and elegant, and she looked beautiful. Most of the Bailey clan was there, so naturally it was a good time. Congratulations Christina and Brian!

We went to Uncle Steve's house for a while after the wedding and hung out with the fam. Me and Momma rode back together. It was getting late and Trey was ready for bed. We spent the night with Sis and she took us to the airport the next day. It was a long and wonderful trip full of friends and family. I am so grateful for chances like this one to be able to reconnect with everyone. I only wish Bruce was able to join us in the festivities. He sadly had his bi-annual canoe trip during the same time, and was unable to come with us. We were extremely happy to see him when we got back to Utah. There's no place like home.

Trey eats big boy food for the first time!

Trey went in for his 4 month check up a week ago and got 4 shots. The next day he had a 101.8 temp. His first fever!! I had to give him Tylenol for a day or two to keep it down. He was not a happy baby. On sunday we started feeding him rice cereal mixed with breast milk and a few veggies. His first meal was hilarious and priceless. He loved it and couldn't get enough. He had apples, bananas, peas, sweet potatoes, and peaches. He likes them all but the peaches. He makes such a  funny face like they are sour but I think it's because they are tart. He's such a big eater! I was hoping he would start sleeping through the night now but he is still waking up at least once to eat. The past few days, I've had him on a pretty good schedule of going to bed around 8:30, then he usually wakes up around 2ish (it really differs every night - last night it was 3:00, the night before it was 1:30, then 4:30 the night before - I never know) and then again around 7:00. We go back to sleep together in my bed (after I usually eat breakfast) and sleep till around 10:30 or so. He eats again and usually takes about a 2 hour nap around 1:00 or 2:00. Wakes up to play, then a small nap around 5:00, then is out for the night around 8:30 or so. It is a pretty good schedule. He still definitely sleeps a lot, but he definitely needs it. He is really fussy when he doesn't get enough sleep.

He is still laughing on occasion and we treasure those precious moments. You never know what might make him laugh. Sunday it was animal noises. Ruff and Nay were his favorites. I was ironing today while he was in his exersaucer and I started dancing to the music playing and he was just staring at me and laughing. So cute! We go on our Tour de Alabama in a week. I'm so excited. We get to see Ashley and Evie! Yay! I haven't been to Auburn in TREE years! War Eagle!!

4 months

Trey found his feet on Sunday and has been playing with them ever since. It is so cute, and a milestone we have been waiting for. He is 4 months old and we love him so much. I got him an exersaucer on Monday and he seems to love it. He's very intrigued by it all. There are colors, lights and sounds to keep him entertained for at least 20 minutes. He hasn't quite figured out how to stand up in it, but when he does he will be bouncing and spinning away.

I left Trey with Bruce and the guys on Saturday to go out with the girls. We watched Sex and the City 2 and ate at Sonora Grill up in Ogden. It was fun to get out and we had a great time. We had a couple of margaritas and were quite buzzed for the show. Well, apparently Trey was not well behaved while I was gone. Bruce said he cried most of the time. I'm not sure what the problem was, but Bruce swears he tried everything. Alligator tears everywhere!! Poor things. I wonder if it's because I was not there. I hope not. I want to be able to leave him & go do things. Especially be able to leave him with his daddy.

Apparently they had a good time at the beginning of the night. Trey had him a hand and a stack of chips. Surely the beer is someone else's ;)

Apple Brickle Dip

8 oz of cream cheese
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 cup of regular sugar
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1 bag of Heath Bar toffee bits or toffee brickle

Mix first four ingredients until soft. Then stir in Heath Bar toffee bits.

Yummy yummy way to eat apples or any other fruit. Enjoy!

Trey Giggles for REAL!

Bruce is on tdy to Malstrom and Trey and I are home alone for the first time. Tonight I was changing Trey and he really laughed/giggled for the first time. It was the most precious thing I've ever heard. I had his arms raised above his head and asked if he liked to giggle. And he did! It continued on as I said "giggle" over and over. I get so emo over the smallest things with him...this made me tear up. I absolutely love being a mom. There is nothing like it. My emotions are all over the place. I even feel like there are emotions I have never felt before with him. He is sleeping with me while Bruce is gone. We slept 8 hours for the first time in a while. Then went back to sleep for more!! Woo Hoo!!

Chicken Enchiladas

**From the kitchen of my good friend Denise Jenkins **

Ingredients:
1 cooked skinned whole chicken
2 - 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup
2 - 4 oz cans dices green chilies
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 bags shredded 4 Mexican cheese
1 large onion
1 pkg flour tortillas quartered
2 cups chicken broth from cooking (skim grease before adding)

Directions:
Cook chicken and let cool so you can take it off bones and shred into pieces
Saute onion and add chilies half way through
Add soup, seasons and chicken broth
Bring to a slow boil then turn down heat and add chicken
Layer in 9X13 pan sprayed with Pam
1 layer chicken mix
1 layer quartered tortillas
1 layer cheese
Repeat about 3 times ending with cheese
Cook 30 min @350 or until cheese melts


This is one of mine & Bruce's favorites. Hope you enjoy :)

What A Wonderful World

We welcomed Trey into our lives on February 8, 2010 at 3:30 pm. He was perfect from the minute I laid eyes on him. 7 pounds 11 ounces, 20 inches long and already as precious as can be.

It's true what they say...a baby will change your life forever. In the past 6 weeks we have welcomed that change with lots of laughter, smiles, burps, spit-ups, and late night feedings. It has been a whirlwind of emotion. I can truly say there is nothing like becoming a mom and having your first child. Trey has brought so much happiness into our lives and I am overwhelmed with love for him. Every sweet little stretch, every sweet little yawn, every sweet little smile amazes me. I am a sappy mom who is content to just sit and stare. I can't believe how fast 6 weeks has past by. I can't begin to imagine the next 6 months or even years.

Our first week as parents was spent in and out of the hospital getting his bilirubin levels checked and at home with a bili light trying to fight jaundice. This was harder on me than it was on him. I definitely bawled the first night, but he slept the whole time. I don't know what I would have done without Bruce. He was so supportive and caring. Seeing Trey get his heel pricked at least 6 times was about more than this new mommy could bear. A week after Trey was born we took him to get circumcised and Bruce watched the whole thing. I waited in the lobby :) My mom arrived on the scene that day and was such a big help. She watched Trey in the mornings while I went back to sleep for a while. I was so exhausted. My little chunk likes to eat every 3 hours. Milkaholic.

My sister and Alissa came to visit the next week and the assistance continued. Kimberly loved her morning time with Trey. Mommy loved the extra sleep. We watched movies and enjoyed each others company while we got to know Trey. Recovering from the delivery took a while, but it didn't keep me inside for long. We had fun going out to eat and walking around the mall while Trey slept the whole time. It was during this week that Trey's umbilical cord finally fell off and he got his first bath. He loved it. I'm so glad he loves bath time as much as I do.

A lot has changed in the last 6 weeks. He has outgrown one of my favorite pajama sets. He stays awake more during the day, which is so much more fun than watching him sleep. He has started the gees and gahs we call baby talk. He will look me right in the eyes and smile. It will melt your heart it is so sweet. He can bounce himself in the bouncy seat. He likes to lay on his play mat and kick till the cows come home. We love to take walks with the baby bjorn. And thank goodness the weather is finally enjoyable.

I have had some pretty terrible jobs in the past few years. I've struggled to find something that makes me truly happy. I think I've found my calling. I'm loving every minute.