Fulton Family Fun

Beach Trip

2010-04-30T17:57:00.001-07:00

We were blessed by a trip to the beach a few weekends ago. I had been yearning to go and told Coleman that maybe we'd get to go someday, so we said a prayer to ask God to provide a way to visit the beach, and God did bless us with an amazing condo to stay in right near one of the nicest beaches on the Gulf, as well as perfect weather. You can see Coleman and Eliza having fun on the lounger in the master bedroom. That morning we took a walk, and Coleman biked, to explore the local 'town'.

After a long nap we all made our way to the beach. I forgot how that sand gets everywhere! Digging a hole is what Jared loves to do, and then he and Forrest got busy designing a city of sand castles. Jared never stops working. Eliza and Coleman loved the sand, but not the water. I'm with them...the ocean is intimidating. Coleman had to learn the important lesson of not destroying other people's sand castles. It was a hard lesson for him.

The next day: same thing. Beach time! I braved the water and discovered its not that cold. I'm used to swimming in the ocean off Rhode Island where you would get in up to your ankles, then when they were numb you'd wade into your knees and wait for them to numb, then wade in..and so on. This was like bathwater compared to that. I even got to see two dolphins swimming by, or maybe one dolphin jumping out twice.

At the condo we had a deck and were on the third floor so we'd often eat our meals out there. Here Coleman is eating his dinner and talking non-stop about where the ocean is and the pool, and the sand, and, and, and....He was very excited!

The next morning I took a 25 mile bike ride while Jared, Forrest and the kids explored a nearby town. Coleman had fun on his bike too! That afternoon we went, for the last time to the beach. All was good and fun until Jared and I decided to go in the water together. We were having fun, jumping over waves, laughing, ha, ha, until we decided to go back in. We started swimming and I realized I'd used up most of my energy on the bikeride, because I wasn't moving any closer to the shore. Jared was having a difficult time as well. We both started to panic and started flailing around, bumping into each other. Jared started to lose his glasses and I started to really panic to see him not calm. He told me to swim sideways. I started praying and somehow we finally got in close enough to where we could both stand. I have never been a fan of swimming and being under water, but this experience just reinforced my fear of water. Ahhh, what's a vacation without a near-death experience?

The final day we left in the morning and met Dad and Cheryl at the Montgomery Zoo for a break from driving. Coleman got on his bike and zoomed all over the zoo. Eliza apparently had not drank any water in days because she spent most of our time guzzling water. And pointing at everything she saw. It was a great way to end our vacation.

Thomas Comes to Town!

2010-04-30T12:11:00.001-07:00

We took a trip to Calera several weeks ago to see Thomas the Tank Engine. Coleman was so excited he couldn't stop talking about it all week. Every day he'd say "Today we see Thomas!" and I'd have to tell him "Not today, but..." Finally, Saturday arrived and I could say "Yes, today we see Thomas!"

Dad and Cheryl met us there, as well as Ashley and little Naomi. Coleman was so excited to see them all.

Here Coleman is watching the newest Thomas tecnology...very intriguing. A whole tent filled with toy trains and tracks.

These photos were taken in the sand box where Eliza had a blast. She loves exploring anything new and the sandbox kept her entertained. Naomi showed up looking so hip, as did Ashley :)

After seeing Thomas we went to have lunch together and open Eliza's birthday present and both girls Easter presents from Dad and Cheryl. I could have stayed in those rocking chairs at Cracker Barrel all day! It was very relaxing.

Yet another family picture, with Thomas, of course!

Spring!

2010-04-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

Making Easter Eggs

This is always a fun time for me, but is especially fun with a 3 year old. Coleman thinks it is fun to mix all the colors together, but I know that will only make brown eggs, so I had to curb his fun of mixing. What do you do with the dyed Easter eggs after they are done? Ours were hard-boiled so we couldn't leave them out in a basket...Suggestions welcome.

Eliza's Birthday

Sadly Coleman woke up on Eliza's birthday party day with a fever and feeling extremely sick. Eliza was on the mend herself from a flu and earache. So we had to cancel with everyone except the great-grandmas. They are truly "great" because they traveled 3 hours one way just to see Eliza open her presents, poke her cupcake and then take a nap. But we still had a good visit and Eliza is still loving her new toys. She especially loves her shape-box and when she pushes a shape through the right hole (with my help of course) she looks up for everyone to praise her and clap because she is so pleased with herself.

Crestwood Spring Fest:

A local church sponsored a fun Saturday get-together of hotdogs, music, bouncy castles and lots of local people. We saw more people we recognized than we had expected. The photographer from our wedding was there and remembered us, our wedding date and that its almost been 5 years. I was impressed he remembered us so well. Coleman had a blast running around playing with his balloon sword and eating more than his fair share of 'treats'. Eliza nearly broke down when a clown came to say hello to her. She was terrified, and rightly so I think. The music was great, the weather started to cooperate and all-in-all it was a great day. Oh yeah, the best part was our kids napped until 4 p.m. that day!

Easter:

We couldn't help ourselves: we sold out the true meaning of Easter and hid Easter eggs this year. Next year we'll still hide the eggs, but will include the true meaning of Easter. I told Coleman a little about Jesus dying and coming back to life, but I'm pretty sure he didn't get it. Its still hard for me to understand! I guess that's why I call it faith.

Anyway, Coleman had a great time finding eggs, and then eating the treats inside. Not all at once, of course. Here you can see his green sugar goatee from a marshmallow treat and his sugar-stupor. Our sweet neighbor Brownie made sure he got Coleman and Eliza peeps for Easter. They were a big hit with all of us. I remember the days of my Dad giving us peeps for Easter and they tasted so good. They still do for me.

Splashing Fun

Eliza loves to splash in the water even though its cold and gets in her eyes and takes her breath away. She'll just pause, take a deep breath and go right back to it. Coleman, on the other hand, does not enjoy being splashed and preferred riding his bike. He is really getting into riding bikes lately. I am so glad spring is finally here. We get outside every chance we get. Eliza crawls straight towards the open door as soon as I open it and Coleman is forever asking me to go out back, or to Triangle Park. Now we finally can do all of that with the nice weather.

Our Spontaneous Roanoke Trip

2010-03-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday evening Jared and I were discussing the level of stress in our lives lately, and I was desiring to take a vacation to visit my cousins in Roanoke, since it would be a low-cost vacation, and we'd have time with much-missed family. It was my spring break this past week, so we decided, if Julie and Mark were up for company last minute, we were up for traveling last minute. Sure enough, they were. So, at 3:15 p.m. Monday we left Birmingham and arrived in Roanoke at midnight.

Here is Coleman passing the time by making silly faces. He was so excited about our spontaneous adventure that he was unable to sleep. Finally at 10:30 he fell asleep. The
next day we all needing long naps to recover. Elise, Coleman and Evan all
loved playing trains together. After naps we went with Elise to her swim lesson and Coleman got to play in the shallow end of the pool. I tried to take him into the hot tub but was reprimanded for that. Oooops!

The day ended with a fun bath for all the kids except baby Kiersten.
Evan is a very shy boy, and was a little sick that week, so it took
some convincing before he got in the bath. Elise loves the water and
is almost able to swim by herself. She loves to wear her swim goggles in the pool and in the bath.

One day we went to the local zoo which sits on top of a small mountain with hiking trails. The zoo was lots of fun, and Shauna met us there with her kids. Later Eliza and I went back to hike...I miss hiking on the Trail soooo much. I get what hiking I can in when I can. When I got back to the house Uncle Paul and Aunt Laurel were there visiting for dinner. Eliza took to Uncle Paul right away, which says a lot since usually no one will do except Mama for her. As you can see we had perfect weather for the week!

Our last day we all (Julie and her kids, me, Jared and our kids, and Shauna and her kids!) went to the Transportation Museum to see all the trains. Coleman was content to watch the model train go around and around. It was a huge model train set of Roanoke which was very impressive. That evening we had a cook-out at Adam and Shauna's. I walked the short mile over with Elise, Coleman and Eliza. Then Julie and I walked it back with our two quiet kids: Coleman and Kiersten , so we could chat :)

Our last morning there we were surprised with a birthday ice-cream cake for Eliza's birthday. She didn't quite know what to make of it at first, but slowly started to get her fingers in the icing and then her fingers into her mouth. She was very cautious, especially since all eyes were on her. On our last morning there we finally got Evan smiling at us, hurray!

We got on the road by 10:30 and made a nice stop-over in Knoxville visiting some Boston friends, Christy and Wyatt and their sweet dog Skylar, newly transplanted to the South. Some next-door neighbor kids were playing in the water fountain and Coleman decided he'd like to get in too, so he took off his pants and merely splashed in some of the puddles. That's a lot for cautious Coleman to try. One little boy was soaking wet and shaking and told me "You do NOT want to get in that fountain because it is cold!" I told him maybe he could go home and get dry clothes on because I bet his Mom would be worried. He said "No, my Mom doesn't worry about me." It made me so sad.

We are finally recovered from the trip, and feeling refreshed. We were blessed in every possible way. It was a great trip that will continue to bless me for many months.

Coleman's 3rd Birthday Party

2010-03-04T11:44:00.001-08:00

As you can see, Coleman's birthday party was a success! Every time the doorbell rang and another friend of Coleman's showed up he'd get so excited. Not to mention the presents they would bring for him. It was so much excitement for one day. We got to borrow the blow up fire truck from a friend for the kids to play in. The train table was of course a hit. Coleman was given tons and tons of great presents. One of his favorites is his Thomas tent that he likes to get in with his blankies and books and trains and get "nice and cozy". Another favorite is his bag of simple blocks. He loves building houses with it, and Eliza's loves knocking them over. And another favorite is his Bugsby books that are helping him to read. He is starting to spell words out now and will say "I want to spell 'car'". Once I asked him to clean up and he looked at me and said "N-O spells 'No!'' I guess his spelling comes in handy for talking back now too.

Thanks everyone for coming and celebrating with us. I have yet to send out Thank-you notes...sorry! They will be coming this week, just before Eliza's birthday party.

Christmas with the Kokotiuk's

2010-01-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

My parents came down, actually drove down 20 hours from Connecticut, to celebrate Christmas with us this year. It was a really great 4 days. Here are the pictures, long, long overdue, but finally posted :) Both Eliza and Coleman got a piano to play. Eliza loves her Alligator chimes and plays them all the time for me. She's also starting to dance when she's standing up and a I play some fun music for her. We all got to go swimming once in the pool at Mom and Dad's hotel. Poor Eliza was a bit overwhelmed by the cold, the water, the new place and was clinging to my neck. Turns out the poor baby had an ear infection. But Coleman loved playing in the water. Eliza bonded with her Grandpa this week. My Mom, Coleman and I would go off to do something fun and leave Eliza to nap with my Dad. He'd read to her, and pat her until her little eyelids would close. He took the picture of her on the bed with the books around her. Coleman loved his time with both Grandma and Grandpa playing with his new Christmas gifts and his trains. He'll say to me once in a while "Maybe Grandma and Grandpa can come visit us and that will be fun."

Yesterday Coleman and I were looking out the living room window and saw a little fly on the outside. He started to tell me about the fly trying to catch Coleman when he went outside but it couldn't because the fly would trip, but the fly wouldn't cry because bees don't cry. (Bees and flies are the same thing to Coleman right now). He then went on to say that Daddy doesn't cry either because he's a man.

Holly Jolly Christmas

2009-12-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

As you can see we have had a very busy Christmas this year! Our first Christmas was with Dad and Cheryl here at our house. Coleman received more trains and tracks as well as his favorite movie Polar Express. We then drove down to Sue's to celebrate with her a couple days later. Eliza and Naomi bonded while trying to play with the same toy. Poor Coleman had a fever the whole day so was in my lap watching his new Cars movie most of the day. On Christmas day we had our own celebration, and finally tomorrow we will celebrate with my parents who are here for a few days. Four Christmases!! After we opened all our gifts Christmas morning Coleman went and laid down in his bed he was so worn out and it was only 8:30 in the morning, ha, ha!

Eliza is working so hard at crawling, but she prefers to stand at a table and play instead. I think she may get her first tooth before the new year. I'm hoping there are teeth in there. She loves her brother and Daddy. Coleman makes her laugh a lot, especially while she eats. When Jared gets home from work she is all smiles for him. She discovered that she does not like banana. When I feed it to her she'll stick out her tongue so the banana will fall off. She doesn't cry, she just refuses it. She also loves to clap her hands now.

Coleman is enjoying his time off from school not having to rush anywhere. The first day after our busy school week he spent all morning in his pajamas. He spent almost an hour under my chair with a blanket over the chair like a tent, looking at books. I guess everyone needs to unwind, even a 2 year old. He is always asking me to play with him, and at the end of the day sometimes he'll tell me "But, I need more "mommy-time"'. Just like I need more Mommy-guilt. He'll also ask if we can leave Eliza home so he and I can go out together without her, ha, ha.

For the holidays I took him to see the lights at the Zoo one evening. The zoo is decorated with tons of Christmas lights and is open after dark every weekend. It is very magical. We also got to ride the zoo train with Katie and Josiah, a very special treat for Coleman. The next day Coleman and I went to see Polar Express at the IMAX theater. He was so cute to watch because he was so intent on the movie. That's a pretty amazing first movie to see in a theater.

I'm hoping for a new job in the new year. I am hoping I can work part-time and that God will provide Jared with more work. Architects are not finding much work these days. However, we are doing well in spite of it. We both have peace and faith that it will all be fine.

Thanksgiving, etc

2009-11-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

Coleman and Eliza are starting to play together more and more as you can see in the
above picture. It can get frustrating when Coleman keeps taking her toys/paci, and she keeps taking his toys/paci. For the most part though, they really enjoy each others' company. He will crack her up by running around the dinner table and saying 'hello' to her each time he passes by. He also keeps her happy in her car seat while we're driving by laughing or singing to her.

Coleman and I helped Jared clean up our yard by raking huge leaf piles that Coleman could lay down in as his 'bed'. Notice his Indian hat that he made at school. I get such a kick out of him when he willingly wears silly things like that. He and I had a fun afternoon while Eliza slept.

I've noticed that Coleman picks up things I say and incorporates them into his vocabulary. One morning I was feeding Eliza and got out two spoons so she could hold one while I used the other one. Coleman observed this and said "That's so sweet Mama to get a spoon for Eliza." Ha, ha! I guess I say "That's so sweet" a lot. Recently he's begun saying "Mmm-hmmm" for 'yes.' He sounds so grown-up. Another thing he'll say is "Holy Moly that is huge!" because I said that when we were eating huge grapes. Now he'll say about it anything huge he sees. He will tell Jared he's a "different daddy" after Jared cuts his hair, or shaves, because he looks so different.

Sadie-boo got a bath a week ago and she looks and feels like a new dog. As you can see here, she is completely humiliated by the bath. Poor girl. I just had to take a picture though.

Thanksgiving was a whirlwind tour of family, but we managed to see the entire family! On Thursday we stayed at Dad and Cheryl's, where Grandad and Marcy came by in the afternoon to visit with everyone. Coleman's new friend is Cheryl. He followed her everywhere and wanted her to feed him, bathe him, play trains with him. It was very sweet. Then Friday we drove up to Sue's to visit with Grammie and Grandma. We were supposed to shoot some skeet but everyone was exhausted and Eliza and I got sick, so hopefully it will be postponed for a better day.

Sunday night Coleman 'sang' Jingle Bells at a church service where they decorate the church in preparation for Christmas. He really only rang his bell as did the rest of his class instead of sing. Next to him is Walton (in plaid), and CC, his favorite girl friend. For a while he was saying CC was in his heart.

The one thing I hear more out of Coleman's mouth these days is "Mama/Daddy/Grammie/______ will you play choo-choo's with me?" How can I resist? It is my goal to get down on the floor and play with him for 20-30 minutes every day and get into his world. It is lots of fun, once I do it!

We are going to get our tree on Saturday. Coleman is very excited about Christmas this year, which gets me very excited! :)

October

2009-10-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

October has already been a busy month. Last week we celebrated
Forrest's birthday with Dad, Cheryl, Brian, Ashley and Naomi. It was a success, though I think Coleman got more presents than Forrest! He got 5 new trains and new track. He'll wake up and say "Wanna play choo-choo's with me Mama? After you get your coffee. Wanna say O.K.?" We went out to eat and Coleman got the grilled cheese. When it came out he said "Oooo!" and started wiggling in his seat with excitement.

Jared got Naomi not only to smile, but to laugh as well. Not me. She almost started to cry with me. I take care of babies 3 mornings a week, I should know how to do this! Oh well. I'm sure she and I will bond eventually. :)

Coleman thought the cake was for him, so he helped Forrest blow out the candles...sort of. He only knows how to stick out his bottom lip and blow air up, so he blows his hair up.

Yesterday we went hiking with friends that Jared knows through work, Andrew, Tara and their twin boys, Logan and Will. The boys are 9 months old and very cute, as you can see in the pictures. It was great to get a backpack on again and tramp through the woods. It makes me miss my hiking days a lot! Eliza loves the backpack. When I lift her up onto my shoulders she just grins as being up so high. Coleman loved being on Jared's shoulders, and then later Andrew's shoulders. At one point we paused at huge rocks that you could crawl under. Coleman asked Andrew to hold his hand so he could go under to explore.

Today after naps we went to Park Place downtown, a housing development that our church is ministering to. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors. Coleman loved the big slide. He went down all by himself as long as Jared was on the other side to meet him. The kids loved playing with Coleman. One girl was having fun tickling and wrestling with him, and Coleman loved it too. On our drive home Coleman asked if I would play choo-choo's with him, and Daddy too. I said that someone had to feed Eliza. So he said Daddy should and Mommy will play with him. Then he said "Coleman loves mommy, and Eliza loves Daddy." He has some very definite ideas about the world.

Since school has started for me days have been really busy, thus less free time to blog. I'm starting to think about next steps for me to take towards a career. I'm asking around, and praying for the right timing and opportunities to arise. School has been tough for Coleman because he and I get less time to play trains together. That leads to more behavior problems. At school he's had to be in time-out for biting, spitting and not listening.

Jared is doing a lot of great work in Woodlawn, along with the guys he works alongside of. They are trying to revitalize the area. I get really excited about for Jared when he tells me all the things he's working on. I love his new office too, AND you can watch trains going by from the window. Its meant to be!

Family Visit

2009-09-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from Jared's Dad recently, known as 'Grandaddy' to Coleman. He brought some great books for Coleman one of which is a puzzle book that he loves. Who doesn't love books?

Then we had Sue, Forrest, Brian, Ashley and baby Naomi visit. Coleman loves to kiss his sister and cousin. Eliza's new talent is shown above in the video.

Coleman's vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. He cracks me up with things he'll say. This morning he said that Sadie will grow bigger and bigger and then she'll say "Excuse me" when she farts. I love hearing his perception of the world.

Happy Birthday Christen

2009-09-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sister Christen. Coleman an d I decided to sing to you so you can imagine we are there with you. Now you can blow out the candles on your cake! Wish we could be there to celebrate with you.

Learning How To Be a Big Brother

2009-09-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

Coleman is learning what it means to be a big brother and how very important that role is. He loves to pat and kiss Eliza's head, take a bath with her, show her his trains and share them with her, and of course sing to her. He also likes to boss her around "don't bite that Eliza". Or boss me around "Baby's frying (crying) Mama."

Coleman has a list of words that he chooses to say his way even though he can say them the correct way:

Frain = train
fruck = truck
canana = banana
flease = please
forn = corn
Casiah = Josiah
finkle = Twinkle
wittle = little
fry = cry
Fwatamala = Guatamala

I find myself saying them his way to him because they are so cute. Jared told me I need to stop so he doesn't keep saying them incorrectly.

Happy Eliza

2009-08-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

I'm

Eliza is starting to really laugh these days. She loves it when I say silly things and make silly faces as I pop out from hiding. She's also discovered her feet and that they are fun to put into her mouth. She is sleeping 11-12 hours at night now! Hurray! She is also taking really good naps. I moved her into her own room recently and it is great to have our room back to ourselves. I think she really likes her big crib too. She will often be on the other end and laying in the opposite direction that I laid her down in. As you can see in these pictures she is a very happy girl.

Coleman is loving using the potty these days. I am able to take him for a walk wearing his underwear and he will stay dry the whole time. Today we had to run home for him to use the potty. We got home just in time! Coleman is learning how to interact with Eliza in a gentler, more helpful way. He's starting to say things, and state observations that crack me up. For example, "Coleman will push his ear in and then Coleman will be a handsome boy", or "Coleman is a tough guy" as he pushes the stroller up a steep hill. In church nursery I'm told he is a great helper and pat-pats all the babies.

Jared and I have been busy painting our kitchen. We still have a long way to go, but it already looks so much better.

Playing is hard work

2009-08-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Coleman is still very excited about trains. We went to the Train Museum on Saturday with Jared's Dad and his girlfriend Cheryl. Coleman had so much fun! He was so overwhelmed with all the trains, and a train table to play with in the gift shop. Cheryl bought him a new train, Duck, from the Thomas series. That sent him over the moon with excitement. When he plays trains he narrates all that he is doing. He usually will give me a train to play with, and Daddy and baby. He's very generous with sharing. Coleman's potty training is going so well I think we may be saying good-bye to diapers soon.

Eliza is starting to 'talk' more in her own way. She is sleeping better at night now too. Hurray!

I'm busy painting our kitchen white. It looks so much better already than the salmon pink it was before. I can get a lot done in just 2 hours without the kids around!

July Update

2009-07-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Facebook has dominated most of my time lately, but I'm back on blogger!

We have officially lived in Birmingham over a year now. I love it here. The summers are not that hot after all. We've been having many days with weather in the high 80's, low 90's...in other words perfect for me. I'll start "teaching" three mornings a week in September at the Parents Day Out program at the Methodist Church near us. I'll have the 0-1 year old class with Eliza in it and Coleman's class is next door to my room.

I have decided to rediscover my pre-pregnancy figure with the help of Jillian Michaels from "The Biggest Loser". I work-out 20 minutes a day and she kicks my butt, but I feel great for the rest of the day. I have so much energy in fact that I often don't need a nap, and feel up to painting the kitchen at night. Thanks Jillian, ha, ha.

Coleman has been growing up over the last few months, and it has been painful at times. He is very jealous of Eliza and when Jared gets home he'll make it very clear that he doesn't want Daddy around: 'No Daddy, just Mama and Coleman'. He'll often say very loudly to Jared "NO, Mama do it!!" Jared often has to put him in time-out for being so rude. He's learning. He is learning how to be gentle with Eliza and loves to help with her bath, loves to give her kisses, and make her laugh. Sometimes he'll just start singing a song to her with his face inches from her face. It is so funny.

Tonight I was making dinner and cleaning up and Coleman entertained himself happily for an hour. He decided that he wanted to wash dishes, one of his favorite things to do. So he pushed the chair up to the sink as I was leaving the kitchen to take care of Eliza. I was with Eliza for about 5 minutes and I came out and found Coleman amidst a ton of bubbles. He loves to clean!

Lastly, our little Eliza bug is growing up! She is no longer content to just lay on a mat and look at a picture. She wants to be grabbing things and pulling them into her mouth. She is also interested in eating. One day I was eating a sandwich and saw her looking at my mouth so longingly as if she wanted to try eating too. So we've started giving her rice cereal and she loves it! She is starting to sleep better at night with 1 or 2 feedings on a good night. Hurray! She almost always wakes up happy and starts talking and cooing. When she sees me looking in at her she'll grin so happily. I love seeing her personality starting to come out now.

Oh yeah, for those of you (Elizabeth) interested in the update on Tikka, our cat, here it is: She is growing up too. She is now an outdoor cat and no longer sits on Jared's head at night. What a good girl. :P

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

2009-06-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad visited us last week. We had a great time at the pool, eating and relaxing. I got some good naps in, and even a bike-ride. One week goes by so quickly.

Coleman is already asking to call Grandma and Grandpa. I think he misses them already. Eliza just loves to be held and talked to, so she was a happy girl all week.

Summer Fun

2009-06-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

Summer's here at last! We had a lot of fun outside today playing in the sandbox, in the pool, and in the swing. Coleman likes to order me around, especially when I am paying attention to Eliza. He's still very jealous of the attention I give her.

Its Time To Clean Up

2009-05-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

Coleman is such a great "cleaner-upper". He will ask for the "wipe-cloth" all the time so he can wipe the table, his face, hands and anything else that needs wiping. Yesterday I made pizza dough and he helped by pushing flour onto the floor. I told him he'd need to clean it up so he happily got the broom and started sweeping. Then I gave him a washcloth and he went to town, even wiping the flour off my feet. He laughed and said "It feels nice!' as he wiped my toes.

Coleman is very creative with his eating. He likes to have jam on his banana, peanuts with his cantaloupe, raisins with his chocolate graham cracker fish. He is also adventurous with his eating: he loves cheese like his mama. He asked for goat cheese yesterday, and loves the sheep's milk feta cheese we have. Perhaps he'll be a chef?

Eliza's Bath

2009-05-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

I posted this video on my Facebook page, so forgot to post it here. Eliza loves her bath time so much right before we put her down for the night. She is getting more and more expressive these days as well.

Coleman is learning that we pick up after ourselves before we move onto the next thing. Today we were going to go outside and play in the pool, but Coleman had been playing with colored pencils. He ran over to the colored pencils, grabbed a bunch and put them back in the box, and continued until they were all put away. I didn't even tell him! I rewarded him with two jellybeans.

Life is beginning to have some order to it 9 weeks after Eliza arrived. She and Coleman both go to bed at 6 each night. She is getting better and better about putting herself to sleep so often I lay her down at 6 and then I'm done! Praise God for an easy going baby. :)

Eliza

2009-05-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

Some pictures of Eliza, my little sweet-pea. She's smiling more and sleeping better and better these days. Coleman is learning how to interact gently with her. Although today he did say he wanted to wrestle with her.

Holding hands

2009-04-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

Coleman is learning how to hold hands and shake hands, so he's practicing with Eliza. I also showed him how she'll grasp his finger, and he really liked that too. He loves to bring her her pacis too.

Coleman has had two successful visits to the potty in the last 3 days! I'm so proud of him. I'm hoping to move him to his toddler bed in the next month or two.

Snotty Nose

2009-04-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

I found this old video and found it so gross I laughed out loud. Enjoy!

Big Brother

2009-04-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

Coleman is learning h0w to be a Big Brother. He's wanting to be very hands-on with her. He's also learning how to be competitive to get my attention.

Chasing Sadie

2009-04-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Coleman enjoys chasing Sadie around the house with his lawnmower. Sounds like a horror film for dogs. This is her exercise in lieu of her walks lately. She's a good sport, and I don't let him chase her for too long. I love how he pauses in his chasing to pat-pat Eliza. Coleman has been hugging a little too aggressively at school, but putting his head and whole weight on the other kids. I'm not sure if he understands he's being too rough, or if he is just wanting to hug the other kids. He does this too with Eliza.

Today was my first hard day. Eliza did not want to sleep much, and while she was awake, she wanted me to hold her the whole time. I wish I had 8 arms!

Grandma Visits

2009-04-10T08:51:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful week with my Mom in town. Coleman took right to her. I think he remembers her from her last visit in October. Mom was able to bond with both of her grandbabies this past week, and I got to rest and eat well. :)

Coleman loves the little monkey stuffed animals Mom brought, and decided to make them walk. Anytime he sees stripes he'll call them "choo-choo tracks". He is having a hard time adjusting to Eliza and sharing me. He tells me "Mama and Coleman sit down and talk" if he hasn't seen me for most of the day. It is so cute! His favorite thing about Eliza is her eyes. He'll say over and over again "See her eyes" as he gets dangerously close to her fragile little head.

Day Out With Thomas

2009-04-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jared and I took Coleman and Eliza to see Thomas in Calera. There is also a train museum there with old engines and coaches you can climb into. Coleman was in heaven. I don't think he knew what to do when he saw Thomas. Then we got on the train for a ride and he was so serious the whole time! It was so cute. Eliza did great for such a big outing. She slept in her sling most of the time. It was such a fun family day.

Making Cupcakes

2009-03-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

How content does Eliza look? She often falls asleep while eating and its hard to reawaken her to finish her meal. Right now she's sleepy during the day and very awake at night which means I'm tired. Not surprising with a new baby.

Coleman helped me make cupcakes today. He started putting the batter into the cupcake liners all by himself before I showed him how to do it.

Eliza Hope Fulton has arrived!

2009-03-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Eliza is here!! She came on the first day of Spring at 11:00 a.m., weighing 7 lbs. 7 oz. The labor went very quickly, and delivery even faster. I feel really good, other than fatigued. I'm also eating everything in sight. Coleman visited with Sue and Ashley minutes after she was born. You can see him trying to hug her later that day. He is going to be a great big brother.

We arrived home today and Coleman ran right over to Eliza and offered her a paci, and was rocking her in her car seat. He just crouched there watching her and wanting to help. He is excited to have a baby sister.

Sue is here with me to help as I transition back home. What a blessing she is! :) I am already in love with my new baby. I feel so blessed with my family.

Gondola Car

2009-03-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

Coleman is enjoying reading, which is when he memorizes a book and we'll start a sentence, and Coleman will finish it. I love when he'll read to himself.

Yesterday at the park Sue and I found an abandoned dog, pictured above. He had all of his toys, blankets, and food with him by the garbage can. We brought him home, not having the heart to leave him there. We're hoping someone will want to adopt him. He's very sweet and intelligent.

Diaper Dilemma Solved

2009-03-16T17:06:00.001-07:00

A third, better option

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Music

2009-03-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Lately Coleman has been expressing interest in music and drawing. He loves to draw with his markers, and will ask to color quite often. He also loves to listen to music and will dance with the speakers while listening. He'll sometimes start singing to himself too, which is so cute. Right before bed he'll ask me to sing a song, and then giggle happily while I sing.

We're trying to prepare Coleman for baby sister's arrival, and explain he'll have to share Momma. He doesn't like to hear that, and lately he's been especially clingy to me and cranky towards anyone who isn't me. This morning we were playing under the covers, which Coleman calls his "tent", and he got annoyed that Jared was under with us and said "Bye, bye Daddy, beep, beep". He wanted it to be just he and I. Maybe he knows and understands that the baby will take up some of my time.

Speaking of baby, I am feeling great lately. No symptoms of labor, and sometimes I forget I'm pregnant, which is a lot to say at 38 weeks pregnant. I am feeling especially creative and social lately. We're hoping and praying she'll come by next week, for various reasons, but I'm also prepared to wait until her due date and beyond.

Driving Lessons

2009-03-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

Coleman has discovered a lot of buttons to push when he's in the driver's seat of the car. Often when we get home he'll ask to "push buttons". He's learned pretty quickly how to put the hazards on, wash the windshield, and roll the windows up and down. He laughs so hard when a car drives by. His newest phrase is "Want some, do you?" as he points to something he wants. It is really hard to resist when he asks so cutely. The other morning Jared was making pancakes and Coleman ran into the bedroom and asked me if I wanted pancakes? When I answered him he said "Thank you!" and ran back to the kitchen. I asked Jared if he told Coleman to ask me that and he said he didn't. He just thought it up himself.

We are as ready as ever for baby girl to arrive. Our bags our packed, her room is ready, the house is clean, now we just wait. Some days I feel really good, and some days everything hurts. Anyone care to guess when she'll arrive? I'm betting on St. Patrick's Day.

Showered in Pink!

2009-03-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Ashley and I were showered on Saturday with lots of love, gifts, laughter and pink! I had a great time. The guys were outside in the mud shooting skeet while we opened darling little outfits with bows, flowers and ribbon. Coleman loved eating his pink cupcake, as you can see here. When he is enjoying eating something he won't put it down, he'll just keep shoving it in his mouth as he swallows it. Coleman got a few presents to open as well as Ashley and I. One present was Toby the train from the Thomas series. He could hardly contain himself he was so excited, and has been playing with it ever since. He likes other gifts, but right now the way to his little heart is Thomas the tank engine trains...and "candy-candy".

Sue planned lots of fun games. One event was the daddy olympics: changing diapers. This is a video of the two dad's-to-be competing. Can you guess who the winner will be? She also had a lot of white onesies and markers so we could decorate our own. We have some interesting onesies now for our baby :).

Today it snowed! I bemoaned it thinking "This is why I left Boston". (Did anyone go sledding today?) I have had a serious case of the crankies lately. I can't sleep, I'm tired all day, when I eat I feel ill afterwards, I feel uncomfortable, people are always in my way, and I am just ready for little girl Fulton to arrive. Jared has been so patient with me through all of this. I'm very lucky.

Walking in Mama's Shoes

2009-02-25T16:21:00.000-08:00

Either I have really small feet, or Coleman has big feet, because he is able to walk pretty well in my shoes. Coleman has 2 monkey towels, and he loves them both. Its a rare moment when he'll lay his head on anyone's shoulder. So, this picture is priceless.

Today I am 36 weeks and the countdown is on. We found a great used double stroller, and have everything else we need. We just need to pack our hospital bags and we'll be ready, whenever she is.

Crunch & Munch

2009-02-21T17:24:00.000-08:00

Our neighbor Katie gave Coleman a little bag of special sprinkles as a treat. I let him put them on his pudding for dessert. He got so giggly when I said "crunch and munch" so we got the camera out and captured his giggles. Grammie is visiting us for the weekend, which has been such a treat.

Jared is taking this weekend to hang the doors on our back room, which will be Coleman's "big boy room" after the baby arrives.

Ready for Sister?

2009-02-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

Apparently Coleman tells his teacher's at Parents Day Out all about the baby sister in Momma's belly. But when he's home he never talks about her, nor shows interest. We have set up the bassinett and room for when baby arrives, including the bouncy chair. Coleman thought the chair was the best thing ever and isn't keen on sharing with baby.

Coleman likes to help me out with things, such as dishes, sweeping, and walking Sadie. When he's in the jogging stroller he'll hold onto the leash and tell her "No pulling Sadie!". I think he likes to be able to boss someone, just as he feels I boss him. Yesterday, we drove the car to Jared's work and brought Sadie so we could walk home with her, leaving Jared the car. At one point Sadie was standing up in the backseat so Coleman said "Sit your bottom down Sadie." and when she did he said "Thank you!" just like I say to him.

With all of my insomnia I've been reflecting a lot on how blessed I am. The more I get to know myself and Jared the more I see God's hand in bringing us together. Jared's easy-going, forgiving, non-controlling ways have blessed me so much and made me a better woman. I'm truly very lucky.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

Jared and I took Valentine's Day to revisit the church we got married in and

have lunch at The Globe restaurant, where we had our reception. It was
very romantic. Brian and Ashley very generously offered
to watch Coleman for the day so we could have time alone.

After visiting the church we visited some other Rural Studio (http://cadc.auburn.edu/soa/rural-studio/) projects. One

was the birding tower which we climbed up to the top. It was a beautiful view and well worth the 200 stair climb. When we got down from the tower and starting walking again our legs almost gave out from under us. We both had jelly legs and very sore thighs. We laughed very hard to know we are so far from being in the shape we were when we hike. One day we'll hike again.

Above is a picture of 'kissing cousins' soon to meet

each other in July.

Lately my biggest pregnancy craving is ICE! Not big cubes of ice, but the small ice cubes that you get from a soda machine. Its better than ice cream, or chocolate or fried chicken. I had a dream last night that our baby girl had one eye in the middle of her forehead, and was unattractive. I was horrified and thought "How can I love her as much as I love Coleman?"

Jumping on the Bed

2009-02-13T16:40:00.000-08:00

Coleman was singing the song "10 Little Monkeys" as he jumped on our bed this morning. His memory amazes me. Maybe because mine is fading?

Tomorrow Jared and I are going to visit the church we got married in, and eat lunch at the restaurant where we had our reception. We are doing this to celebrate Valentine's Day and our anniversary before the baby comes. Coleman is going to stay home with Brian and Ashley while we go. What a great gift! They are expecting a girl too, in early July!

Trainspotting

2009-02-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

Here's another belly pic. I feel that I was this big with Coleman when I was 9 months and I still have 7 weeks to go! I am getting everything ready in the house for when our little butterbean arrives. She could be early, at least I'm hoping she will be.

We live very close to the train tracks and will bring Coleman down almost daily to see if we can spot any trains coming. Its about a 50/50 chance we'll see one. If we do we get out of the car and wait for it to come. Coleman is beside himself with excitement while it approaches, and then gets very serious when it goes by. He'll wave to the train and often the conductors will open the window and wave back at us.

We've had some beautiful, spring-like weather lately. The daffodils are blooming! Jared is working in the backyard a lot, getting it ready for gardening and the greenhouse we are being given by a neighbor.

Jared's Office Space

2009-02-04T10:45:00.001-08:00

Jared, Derrick and Gabriel all work together at their company, BOX, behind this art gallery that they help Kathy run. Currently it has a Cuban art show running that they helped organize. It is a really neat office space, and a great place to meet potential clients. This is the second show of the art gallery, so hopefully as word gets out the next show will draw even more people.

Since Coleman turned 2 he has been throwing more tantrums and testing me every day. It was like a switch went on in his brain telling him he's 2 and now is the time to test everything. I am reading as many discipline books as I can get my hands on. Every day is a challenge. A few days ago he started throwing a tantrum on the kitchen floor and hitting his head on the floor, hoping to get my attention. I just went about my business and within seconds he was standing next to me wanting me to pick him up. I picked him up and hugged him and sat him down for lunch (the reason for the tantrum), and he calmed down. After a few minutes he said "Better. Coleman's better." And he was!

Happy Happy Birthday

2009-01-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we celebrated Coleman's 2nd birthday with family. Coleman had a great time opening his presents and asked for more. He also loved his cake and ate a pretty big piece all by himself. In the morning we were able to see 2 trains going by. One of his favorite presents is his new bike which is still a little big for him. He's been practicing walking the bike around the house. He's just a bit too short to sit on it still.

We've settled on going to Branch Life Church downtown, a new church plant. We really enjoy the preaching and the community has been so warm and welcoming to us each time we go. I hope to get more involved in the nursery and outreach programs they have set up.

The hat was made by Jared, and he drew the Thomas face on the cake. Amazing!

Dad is Great!

2009-01-23T16:29:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday Jared surprised Coleman and I by coming home early to celebrate Coleman's 2nd birthday as a family. We took Coleman to Irondale, the next town over, to see "choo-choo's". An obliging restaurant owner (the famous Whistle Stop Cafe from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes) called over to the train yard to see when the next train would run, and two minutes later a train went by. Jared and Coleman ran out to a platform to watch it go by. We then took Coleman to the grocery store where he got a GIANT cookie with sprinkles on it. Coleman will usually just talk about, and look at his treat for a long time before eating it. He savors his treats.

Tonight while cooking dinner Coleman was talking about Daddy, so I decided to call Jared. I called and handed the phone to Coleman and told him to say "Where are you Daddy? Are you coming home? I miss you. Come home and play choo-choo's." It made Jared laugh. This video is of Coleman and I waiting for Jared to come home and Coleman pretend calls him again to tell him we're hungry. Its funny when he falls down for no apparent reason in the video. It explains how he just randomly fell at school while walking and cut his head. When Jared got home he played trains with Coleman just as Coleman had asked. What a great Daddy!

The Parents Day Out director and the pastor of the church have blessed us so much. They were both at the hospital when Coleman got his stitches, as well as Coleman's teacher, Emily. They followed up with a phone call and on Thursday when Coleman was back at school they were all so relieved to see him healing so well, especially Emily. :) She loves our little monkey.

Jared's business is being richly blessed lately. They signed a contract today with a couple to build a house in the mountains of Alabama. The house is going to be sustainable and "off the grid" meaning it will use all solar power. Praise God for this provision! I am excited to see what they create.

4 Stitches

2009-01-21T06:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at Parents Day Out, Coleman had a bad fall and was brought to the ER. He had hit his head and eye. When Jared and I arrived he was talking, eating and acting completely normal which was a relief. He then had to receive 4 stitches on his head and had to be put in a papoose to hold him still. This was the worst part, but afterwards he was chattering again like normal. Here is a video of him after his nap, and he has completely forgotten his bad fall. Once in a while he'll point to one eye and say "Owie eye" and then the other eye and say "This one better."

Today is his 2 year birthday! We'll be celebrating on Saturday with family and a train cake.

Last night Jared and I watched The Magnificent Seven with Steve McQueen in it. We now know where the inspiration for Three Amigos came from. It was hilarious.

Chattanooga-Roanoke Visit

2009-01-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

We arrived home safely yesterday after many hours of driving. Coleman is used to highway driving now. He'll look for big trucks, and wait patiently to arrive at the next bookstore with a train table. I would stop every 2 hours at a bookstore to divide up the drive. Coleman was a great traveler. In the top picture he is studying a pamphlet for Thomas trains. He can look at the that for 30 minutes or more.

We had a lot of fun at Julie and Mark's. Elise and Coleman both love trains so they played together very well. They liked playing a simpler version of hide and seek, more like run up and down the long hall-way. Evan would join in when he could. He is already walking and starting to talk! We went to visit Shauna, Seth and Abel one morning, and also the afternoon before I left. Adam and Josiah were there as well. Aunt Laurel made Coleman a train quilt out of pillow shams that were a great deal at a local store spotted by Shauna. Coleman is hugging his new pillow in the above picture. We will use this quilt for his 'big boy bed' that he will transition into when the baby comes.

At Hopeful's Coleman bonded with Hopeful's grandson, Tyler. They are sitting in a chair together playing video games while I crashed out for nap #1 of the day. Since I arrived home I've been sleeping non-stop. It was a busy but blessed week with friends and family.

Cream of Wheat

2009-01-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

Coleman loves his Cream of Wheat and sprinkles in the morning. He started chanting 'cream of wheat, ha, ha' he was so excited about it this one particular morning. He's a good eater.

Coleman and I are leaving tomorrow to drive to Chattanooga for the night, staying with Hopeful. Then we drive 6 hours north to Roanoke to visit my cousin Julie, cousin Adam and aunt and uncle who all live there. I am very excited about this visit! But I will miss jared very much.

I recently finished reading a book entitled "A Severe Mercy". A great love story, story of intellectuals coming to faith in Jesus, and many letters by C.S. Lewis in there as well. It was a heartbreaking ending, but very inspiring. I highly recommend it. Right now I'm reading a book that lists all of the saints, just 2 page synopses of each saint, but it is really good.

Our New Years Eve was spent painting the bedroom and falling asleep early. Woo-hoo! Here is a picture of the room so far. My nesting instinct is overpowering latley.

Christmas!

2008-12-30T16:17:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas this year was full...full of food, presents, family and fun. I am now exhausted and recovering, but it was well worth it. Coleman quickly understood the concept of opening presents and would say "Open presents". Pictured are a few of the great presents he got this Christmas. The trucks from Grandad were almost impossible to get out of the box. Nolan, the possible future welder, had a hard time opening it, but he did get it.

Happy New Year everyone!

Early Christmas

2008-12-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

We have been receiving boxes of Christmas gifts from my family this week. I let Coleman open one from my sister and Steve. The present is actually from 1 month old Brooke, so clearly she's a genius. Coleman understands the concept of unwrapping presents, so Christmas will be fun.

Notice our living room no longer has dark, shiny brown trim. I've been on a mission to get our living room trim painted, and I finished last week. Hurray!

My Mom and Dad sent a box our way filled with pre-Christmas gifts and Christmas gifts. One of the gifts from my Mom is a Mickey Mouse Club apron and chef's hat for Coleman. Its perfect! Just what I wanted for him. :) He loves it and it'll keep him clean now. Thanks Meemaw and Peepaw!

Lastly, here is a prego picture of me and my belly. It is always amazing to see my body change shapes and distort so amazingly to house a baby. She's kicking away now, and if I lay still I can even see my belly move. Only 3 months left to go.

Good Manners Bad Manners

2008-12-17T04:58:00.000-08:00

When I was eating salad and Coleman was watching, he cracked up when the salad stuck out of my mouth. Of course, I had to keep him laughing so I continued to eat like this perhaps teaching him some bad manners. Jared had found his tiger hat and surprisingly, he liked wearing it while he ate.

Candy and Daddy

2008-12-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

Two things Coleman loves are candy and Daddy time. We made a gingerbread house at Story Time at the library. He of course ate most of the candy decorations and was chanting "Candy, candy, candy, candy!" while kicking his legs or dancing the rest of the day. I guess the love of candy comes from my Dad, through me to Coleman. :)

When Jared gets home from work Coleman will run to the door and say "Daddy!" excitedly. Jared throws him around and wrestles with him more than I do and he loves it! Then after dinner Jared and Coleman watch a Thomas video and read books. Coleman is like jello by this time he's so tired. He's blessed to have such a wonderful daddy.

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year, and especially getting a fresh Christmas tree and decorating it, while drinking eggnog of course. Coleman was really excited about the whole experience as well. While picking out a Christmas tree he had fun running through the trees and playing hide and seek with Jared and I. He loves the lights and the popcorn chain. He also loves the silver balls, though many have been lost through his playing with them.

Lately Coleman and I have been baking a lot together. He'll push a dinner chair over to where I mix and say "Mix, mix Coleman". He then will say "Taste, taste, taste, taste" until I pause in my mixing to let him taste. Today I made Julekage, a Norweigian coffee bread similar to Irish soda bread with raisins. He couldn't get enough tastes. We're secretly hoping he may be a chef so he can cook for us. :)

I will post a belly picture soon. You can kind of see my silhouette in the picture above. She is kicking a lot now.

The Pampered Chef

2008-12-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

Or is it the chef in Pampers?

Coleman loves to help me bake. He'll push his chair up to the table so he can stand at the end and help me mix. He is an enthusiastic cook. Just in time for all of the holiday baking. He just needs his own apron now. Anyone have some good cookie recipes?

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T16:37:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving with the Fulton family on Thursday. On Friday we had a second Thanksgiving meal with Grammie...lots of food to eat. Thanksgiving day was very warm so we got outside for some frisbee. Back inside cousin Caroline played with Coleman with the toys she's outgrown. Coleman loved the new toys and the attention! Friday night we stayed with Brian and Ashley and Coleman bonded with their dog Maddie. He kept asking her to play with him and tried to give her a truck. She was too tired to move, so he settled for giving her hugs and kisses. Coleman and Ashley watched Bob the Builder together before he went to bed. He'd wake up in the morning as ask "Where are you Ashley?" Then he'd pause and say "I don't know." He loves his Auntie Ashley. We finally got home today. It is always great to come home!

Night-night

2008-11-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

This is one of Coleman's favorite games to play currently. He loves to be startled. Very unlike me, ha, ha.

First Haircut

2008-11-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

Coleman got his first haircut last week. He looks like a different boy now. He looks more like a boy than a baby now. Its a little bit sad. He's growing up so fast!

I can now feel our baby girl kicking inside me all the time. Soon enough we'll meet her.

Yesterday we went to an early Thanksgiving with our neighbor's and their family. There was a 3 year old girl there, Regan. She and Coleman took to each other right away, chasing each other around the house. Then she'd give him kisses and he'd grin and look so pleased with himself. He was a like her little puppy dog following her around everywhere. I think it was his first crush.

Trains!

2008-11-17T10:46:00.001-08:00

We took Coleman to the McWain Center Saturday to see the Train Exhibit, here for the holidays. Coleman loved it, but was very serious as he took it all in. The model trains are amazing, especially all of the detail work put into the towns around the trains.

Rodeo

2008-11-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

Coleman figured out how to sit on top of his dump truck and will show off his new trick to any visitors we may have.

I am officially halfway through my pregnancy and feeling more energy and less sick. Hurray!

Grandad Visits

2008-11-04T05:49:00.000-08:00

On Sunday Dad Fulton made a visit with us. It was a long drive for him to come all the way up here, so it was greatly appreciated. Coleman took a while to warm up to him, but at the end of the day he was quite comfortable. After dinner, Coleman was holding Jared's hand and reached up to take Grandad's hand and walk together out to the parking lot. It was very sweet! He then had lots of fun sliding off the truck into Jared's arms.

Georgia Aquarium

2008-11-03T06:22:00.001-08:00

For my birthday Jared took me to Atlanta for the night to see the Aquarium, and spend a night in a hotel without Coleman. Sue took Coleman out trick or treating as a pumpkin. The Aquarium was amazing! You can see my belly in the beluga whale picture. It was such a treat to get away just with Jared. It was a very happy birthday.

It's A Girl!

2008-10-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

We went to the ultrasound yesterday, and found out we're having a girl. We are both really excited about the news. She is healthy too. We'll post the ultrasound pictures and possibly the video soon.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-28T12:18:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the weather, feeling cozy, lots of candy, and of course my birthday. :) I found such a deal on this beautiful pumpkin suit for Coleman today. He didn't mind wearing it either, even the hat. It will be fun to take him trick or treating on Friday.

Sweet Hoodie

2008-10-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

The temperature has dropped at night, and we didn't have any heat on, so in the mornings we would all be cozy in our sweatshirts until the sun warmed up the house. Jared got Coleman to walk around with his hands in his sweatshirt in this video. We got our heat turned on since then so our house is cozy now.

Sue came up to visit for a few hours yesterday. Coleman was so cute with her. He'd be pushing his stroller and then stop and come back and give her a hug. He was specifically showing off for her.

Coleman is showing signs of liking order and cleanliness. If his hands get dirty he'll show them to me and say "Owie" so I'll clean them. When he sees something on the floor like a piece of paper, or food he'll say "Uh-oh" and point it out to me. Then he'll say "Clean up" and won't stop showing me until I clean it up. He also likes his seat to be clean before climbing into it for a meal. He'll point out to me any food bits I missed so i'll clean them up. He also likes telling the dog and cat "No, no". Sadie has bitten several of his toys and when he sees a toy with her bite marks on it he'll say "No bite Sadie".

Cool Boy

2008-10-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Coleman went to a fellow schoolmate's birthday party and got these sunglasses as a party favor. He loves them, especially while eating. We think he looks like Elton John with them on. Could this be his Halloween outfit?

2008-10-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling so much better this week, eating better and my belly is growing very well. This is a video of Coleman taking some of his own quiet time reading some books. He does this often, its so cute.

Cyrstal LeRoc Eat Your Heart Out

2008-10-08T18:04:00.001-07:00

Another favorite video of mine.

Sisters Do As Sisters Should

2008-10-08T18:01:00.001-07:00

This reminds me of my cousin Laura, and I can't stop gigglng about it.

2008-10-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today Coleman successfully used the potty after dinner! What a celebration. He is wanting to be more of a big boy, like spooning his yogurt, or pudding into his mouth by himself, or holding onto the banister and walking down stairs.

When I ask him where Mee-Maw went he'll say "Up, up, up" because she flew up in an airplane.

Coleman loves music and will sit in front of the CD player for 20-30 minutes just listening. His favorite song is "Old McDonald". His second favorite song is "i come from alabama with a banjo on my knee". He'll say "Knee" when it comes on.

I've been feeling much better since my Mom left. I saw the doctor today, and we will have our ultrasound on oct 29, Wednesday, just in time for my birthday. :) So, what does everyone think we'll have? Boy or girl?

Tour of our Home

2008-10-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Today my Mom left after a week visiting with us. About 5 minutes after dropping her off at the airport Coleman said "Bye-bye Pee-paw". I think it clicked that she was gone. We had a great week with her and I feel so much stronger and better as a result of her help.

Here is a mini-tour of our house. It looks so much better since Mom visited :) Thanks Mom!

Mee-Maw Visits

2008-10-01T17:48:00.001-07:00

My Mom came down for a week to help me out since this pregnancy has not been easy. My Dad has been very generous to give up my Mom for a week. She's revolutionized my kitchen and I've been eating soooo well this week.

Coleman calls my mom "mee-maw" because he can't say Grandma. That makes my Dad Pee-paw.

Here is Coleman showing Mee-Maw how fast he can run and acting very silly.

Dip Dump

2008-09-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

I can always tell when Coleman is tired because he gets super giggly. This is a good example of that. He was fine after his little fall and when right back to playing by the way.

Playing in the Sprinkler

2008-09-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today while Jared worked on his art Coleman and I cooled off in the sprinkler. At first he was a little timid with the water, but it didn't take him long to start enjoying it and even sticking his head directly in the stream.

Pregnant!

2008-09-12T06:12:00.001-07:00

I made it to 12 weeks pregnant! That's the little nugget causing me so much misery. That's not an actual picture of our nugget, just one i found on line. My suspicion is its a girl since I've been so much sicker this time than I was with Coleman. I turned a corner this last week and suddenly feel my energy back and very little nausea.

During the worst of my sickness Jared was desperately seeking advice from women he'd meet through his job. One woman suggested drinking a tablespoon of cider vinegar once a day and in three days I'd feel much better. I was desperate so I tried it, not having eaten or drank much for days. I took a tablespoon of cider vinegar and loved it!! It was like a shot of whiskey on a cold winter's day. My body just loved it. By the third day I was feeling much better. I tried another tablespoon of vinegar a week later and it tasted pretty awful and burned so much. Very strange how that was what my body was craving then, but not now.

Coleman has been so clingy to me lately and orders me to come with him all the time. I love it, but I worry about his reaction to the new baby.

Oh, two of my weird food cravings have been celery and cream cheese. It reminds me of visting Aunt Laurel's as a kid and eating it with my cousins there. But I'm loving it now. Also, the Thai coconut soup I can't get enough of. Does anyone have a good recipe for it so we don't go broke?? :)

Coleman Dancing

2008-09-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

Coleman is starting to like music more and dance to it. He'll even dance to my ridiculous ring tone. His new favorite thing is to go collect nuts, leaves, sticks and rocks in his garbage truck. He's very deliberate and careful, as you can see in the video.

Yesterday was his first day of 'school' at the Parents' Day Out program at the nearby church. When I dropped him off he was clinging to me and crying. When I picked him up he was playing with a train and didn't want to leave. When you ask him if he liked school, he'll say "ohhh" and "choo-choo". They told me that he really liked the singing too. It was a little sad for me to bring him to school. He's all growsed up!

I think Coleman is ready for potty training. He'll tell me when he's made a poop, and he's always eager to sit on his potty when we suggest it.

Daddy the Bobo

2008-08-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Coleman's new favorite thing is Bob the Builder videos. He calls them 'Bob bobo'. All day he'll walk around with the DVD in his hands and say "Watch Bob bobo" and I'll say "no watch' so he'll say "no watch bob bobo". yesterday Jared built a desk so we called him Daddy the Bobo, and Coleman was his little helper. He had eaten a ton of raisins and apricots that day and had just filled his diaper prior to helping Jared, thus the comment at the end.

Family Weekend

2008-08-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Aunt Linda was in town so we got to spend a day and a half with her. It was great to see her, even if it was brief. Forrest came up to visit, as well as Sue, Nolan, Brian and Ashley. It was a lot of fun. We all had a nice lunch together and spent the rest of the day shopping. Though Jared, Coleman and I opted to nap. Jared made his famous pizza for everyone Saturday night, and then made pancakes the next morning with our blueberries from blueberry picking. It was a food weekend.

New Olympic Sport: Shopping Cart Racing

2008-08-21T17:30:00.001-07:00

Here is Coleman having fun with his shopping cart. He's clearly impressed with himself and loves being filmed. I'll show him the video after and he gets a kick out of seeing himself.

A funny story about Sadie: I went out for the afternoon with Coleman and left Sadie in our back yard. I was pretty sure our gate was securely closed, but had a fleeting thought that maybe it wasn't. When Coleman and I got home Sadie was at the back door ready to come in and greet us. When she ran in I saw, and smelled, that she was muddy from the middle down. She stank like pond muck! I saw the gate was open, and figured out that she had walked herself down to the park where the duck pond is and had a field day. Then she walked herself home like a good girl. She got a bath that night and it was dirty water.

New Toy

2008-08-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

I found a toy police car on the sidewalk set out for the garbage, so Jared and I picked it up on our way to church. What a find! Coleman loves his new police car. He is getting so good at getting in and out of his car, and climbing in general.

Coleman and Sadie keep me very busy every day. I've noticed that Coleman is very conscientious. When he sees something where it should not be he says "uh-oh". Today he saw leaves on the road and said "Uh-oh" because they looked messy. So he picked them up and put them in the gutter with the rest of the leaves. He is also a good helper. He'll put back the chairs when he is done, likes to help me with the dishes, and will pick up his toys. Of course, a little encouragement is needed sometimes "Pick this up or do you need a time-out?" He usually picks it up.

Yesterday I was awfully sick to my stomach and coleman was sooo sweet giving me hugs and pat-pat-patting me with his little hand. Sadie was sympthatic too. Of course, Jared was great! :)

Here is my helpful boy at the sink.

McWane Center

2008-08-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today it rained all day, so Coleman and I checked out the McWane Center downtown. It is a combination of a Science Musuem and a Children's Museum. We had a lot of fun. We became members so now we can go anytime. Our favorite part was a board of plastic "pins" that you can plant your face, foot, hand in and the image would be in 3D on the other side. Coleman got the hang of it after he saw me do it and couldn't stop.

Blueberry Pickin'

2008-08-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

Today we went blueberry picking north of Birmingham in the country, with Richard and Sophie. It was a lot of fun. Coleman was ecstactic about the thousands of blueberries all within hands reach. He ate his fair share. We picked 5 gallons of blueberries in maybe 2 hours. They are delicious!

Oh My

2008-08-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

Certain words crack Coleman up. Lately its been "nut" , "bone " and here "Oh my!".

Favorite Picture of Coleman

2008-08-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

This picture cracks me up every time !

A Day with Grammie

2008-08-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

Coleman and I went to visit Grammie Sue and had her show us around. We had lots of fun, as you can see. First we went to Peach Park where they take fresh peaches and make peach everything: ice cream, pies, cobblers, etc. Along with the cute store was a lot of fun things for kids to do, such as ride a pelican, ride a horse, and ride a tractor. We then went down the road to the Water Works where you learn about the importance of water. You can step into a helicopter and take a simulated helicopter ride. Coleman is in the driver's seat and very, very serious about it here. After all our fun we all went to her house and took a long nap.

Learning to Talk

2008-07-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Coleman is mimicking us more and more and learning to make sentences. Here is saying "Back in the bag".

Yesterday we had a huge thunderstorm with hail, trees blowing down and a loss of power. I wonder what hurricaine season will be like? We lost power before dinner last night and didn't get it back until mid-morning today. It was a hot, miserable night of sleeping last night.

We finally got our Alabama license plate today. We are officially Alabamians...Alabamites?

The "Hi" Game

2008-07-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Coleman could play this game for hours. He loves being startled, and the unexpected. This is one of our favorite parks here.

This is a video of Coleman saying Hi to a cat sitting in the driveway. Coleman is learning how to walk on the sidewalk, and not on the grass or someone else's property. He is also learning how to listen to me better. For a while when I would say "Stop" he'd just laugh and run faster away from me as if it was a game. So, the fact that he is mostly listening to me here is huge! I am also teaching him to say "bye-bye" as a signal that we are to move on. Usually this works, but not in this case.

I love living in Birmingham. I haven't had one day where I thought the heat was too much. I spend most of the time outdoors too. Today Jared found a plastic kiddie pool in the garbage as he was rummaging for wood. We've been wanting a pool for a while, so this was a find! One man's trash is our treasure. :)

Beach days

2008-07-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Coleman and I went to check out the local lake at
Oak Mountain State Park. He loves playing in the sand and dirt. He was very brave getting in the water walking in (with my help) almost to his chest. He is learning to kick as well while swimming. Before hitting the beach we did a short hike. The woods here are so beautiful! Coleman loves to hike with me too. When the path gets flat and even he'll pat my shoulder and say "Down" because he's ready to hike. He hikes well, stepping over roots and rocks, saying hi to all the trees, and helping me find ditches. He loves saying this new word: ditch.

The other picture is of Coleman eating. He will often shove more food in his mouth than he can handle. As you can see his mouth is already full and he's ready to add another cookie in.

I enrolled Coleman in a Parents' Day Out program at a church 4 blocks from us. He will go there Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I am excited for my time to myself and for Coleman to be able to play with other kids his age. This program starts in September.

Hugging Sadie

2008-07-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

I caught Coleman hugging Sadie last night. She is very patient with him. He loves to hug her!

Newest Family Member

2008-07-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

We adopted a dog today from the Humane Society. She is so sweet with everyone, especially Coleman. He likes her so much that he is offering her his paci and trains to play with. Tikka is hiding out under the bed very annoyed with me.

The other picture is Coleman watching Thomas the train. Could he look any more relaxed?

We need name suggestions for our dog!

Feeding Daddy

2008-07-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

This was a fun dinnertime with Coleman. Have we become Southern already by letting our son go around in just his diapers and eat shirtless? Notice the chicken frying in the background?

Fun with Tikka

2008-07-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Coleman chasing Tikka around. I'm not sure if she's having as much fun as he is.

Our New Blog

2008-07-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

We recently went deep sea fishing with the Fulton family. We all caught at least 2 red snapper, and I even managed to reel up an octopus but he slid off before I could get it in the boat. It was a fun and exhausting day. Here are some pictures of Nolan, Forrest, Ashley, Brian and myself: