Foxy Family

Christmas Photo Dump

2012-01-09T19:12:00.003-05:00

If you think I am bad about keeping the blog up-to-date, you should see my photo taking that I rarely do! Most of these photos are from our phones. Not because we don't have a decent camera, but because I'm too lazy to get it out.

This Christmas was probably our best Christmas yet. And I'm sure it's only going to get better now that Hadley is getting older.

She did not like Santa this year. But for us, it was a good laugh.

We went to Arizona for Christmas to join sixteen of our family members. We had such a great time this year. It began with this guy (Uncle John) reading The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. All of us had a word from the book and when our word was read we got to choose from the pile of Yankee Swap gifts (equivalent to a white elephant gift). And no, we are not the cheesy family this is made out to be. But as I am writing this, it sounds totally cheesy.

Hadley loved listening to the story and watching everyone fight for certain gifts.

Mom and Aunt Sue having a good time during the Yankee Swap.

The hot item for Hadley was this empty box with daises on it, and the Pooh sunglasses.

I'm not sure about these shoes, but Kristy was way too happy to end up with them.

Santa had no problem finding Hadley Christmas morning.

Uncle Jim was way too happy about having a little one around again. I think it's time for another one in the Denn family (who cares that the oldest Denn is in college.).

I don't think Hadley even knew what was going on….

Elmo,

Rockstar Elmo, Elmo bus, ElmoElmoElmo. Dolls, dolls, dolls.

Because by the end, all she wanted were some animal crackers from her stocking.

And the best part of Christmas for everyone was my sweet grandmother. She is feeling great and looking wonderful too.

Kristy and I finally got to catch-up after what felt like years of absence.

Megan, Kristy, Carly, Abby, and I showing off our new vests and slippers. We lived in these the entire week. No joke.

John, Kristy, and Abby after playing one of our many games of celebrity.

My Mom and Dad not amused by our many games.

Hadley loved pushing my Grandma's walker around. She also liked to sit on the walker. Here she is spin painting with Carly and Abbey.

Forget potty training, these Santa diapers were way too cute. We tried potty training, and I think it was way too early (or we just suck at it). Maybe next Summer.

Hadley's version of the Sorry! game. Within five minutes the floor was covered with all the pieces.

I didn't realize this at the time, but she had a really full diaper here.

She loved being outside so much that she tried to fall asleep outside.

She loved the pool, and the girls swimming with her.

Hadley was spoiled rotten this Christmas, and let's just say it has been very hard to get her back to normal. But it was worth every minute.

Happy New Year!

Paper towels?!

2011-04-06T23:32:00.002-04:00

So, what's your worst diaper story? I bet I could beat it. But for now while I am visiting my sweet grandma in AZ. , here is a pic of Haddles riding a merry-go- round.

Olga

2011-03-06T20:04:00.001-05:00

Children have it so easy…

Olga from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

another Saturday night movie

2011-02-26T19:14:00.000-05:00

Untitled from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

Miss Independent

2011-02-03T07:15:00.004-05:00

Girlfriend likes to play in the dirt at daycare. Not only does she like to get dirty, but she likes to eat the dirt too.

Hadley moved to the big girl room this week. This is where they don't eat baby food anymore. And they only take one nap. Also, they do coloring pages. What? Yes, it's true. Now I am a proud mom, but I know she cannot hold a crayon let alone color with one. (But she can eat one. I told you I was a proud mom.) I think the sweet workers are doing some scribbling "with" her.

It's funny because I think back to the days I thought were wonderful when I was preparing bottles and she was wearing size one dipes, and realize now just how boring and fragile that stage was.

I love this new non-baby stage….

Third World Living

2011-01-23T20:22:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning we woke up to no water in the house. I immediately blamed David for not paying the water bill. Again. (Did you know it takes TWO delinquent bills to get your water shut off? That's just what I heard.) David shoved the water bill in my face to show me we remembered to pay this month and we went to David's work to find out it was not working there either. He checked the Valdosta Daily Times website for breaking news on a water main break, walked the street to see if he saw anything (not sure what he was looking for), and he considered waking up our neighbors to get the latest on the water situation.

But instead I just opened Facebook. At 7:30 a.m. there were at least five posts about the water not working in the entire town. And those neighbors I was so worried about David waking up? They called us at 8:00 a.m. from Sam's Club wanting to know if we needed a few cases of water.

Long story short, we are now on a boil order and we are not to consume any water from the city until further notice.

Here are five amazing thoughts about this situation:

1. If ever there is a crises just open Facebook. Although the information might not be accurate…"Just talked to my second cousin who is a secretary for the water place and he said we won't have water for two weeks." , at least you won't be aimlessly walking around the house looking for the water shut off while wondering why someone would want to mess with our water shut off.

2. Babies are so much happier after they take baths. Hadley (and everyone else in town) went 24 hours without cleansing. So you can imagine how her day went.

3. Dixie plates, bowls, and cutlery are fantastic. I challenge you to do your dishes under a boil order… boil water for at least a minute, let cool, pour into sink. Repeat about five times until you have enough water in your sink to do dishes. Then wash dishes. Rinse (But be sure not to rinse with boiling water or it will burn you. Let. It. Cool. I would know.).

4. Running dirty water is a lot better then no water at all. At least it is warm dirty water and we can still take showers.

5. Don't forget about your pets in a situation like this. If you have a dog like Albert who likes to drink out of the toilets frequently, make sure you shut the lids. We realized this today (48 hours later) after David said "is Albert supposed to be drinking out of that toilet?" So far, no symptoms. But luckily for us he has a lot worse things in his belly (dirty diapers, pacifiers, a 12 pack of bagels, and the list could go on).

American Idol contestant

2011-01-15T00:15:00.000-05:00

My mom and dad send the loudest and most obnoxious toys to Hadley as a joke on us. This is latest and greatest...

Hadley's Favorite Toy from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

Thanks mom and dad.

2010 in Photos

2011-01-02T19:34:00.001-05:00

2010, I have no complaints. What a great year.

But, 2011 we are off to a rough start. I've managed to keep my resolutions for two whole days, but they are quickly dropping one by one. My resolutions are so silly to most people, but these day to day activities are things I should be doing as a grown adult.

First, make the bed every day. Well, does it count if I made it at 5:00 PM today? It's kinda hard when I'm the first one up every day.

Second, pick-up after myself. No joke, I'm very messy.

And third, save money rather then spend money. Long story short… my hair costs more money than I want to admit. So I decided LAST NIGHT to go to a random salon and let some random lady color my hair ( I should have seen the many red flags my husband was talking about after they said they could "get me in right away!"). Well my hair is now the color of a new penny. But I saved money. Forget that I look like a clown. This resolution will be shot because I now have an appointment to correct my money saving idea. With my original stylists I've been going to for three years. Embarrassed? Yep. I think I can save money elsewhere.

Resolutions are pointless.

But Hadley is still as sweet as ever. Here is a slideshow of her fabulous year.

btw... These lullaby songs on this slideshow had good intentions, but were used in only the first few weeks after Hadley was born. Now we just push the button on her mobile and she'll be lucky if it's not out of batteries.

2010 in Hadley Photos from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

ALLLLLLBERT!!!

2010-12-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

My neighbors made us some red velvet cupcakes with walnut cream cheese icing for Christmas. Delicious. Well delicious looking. My fat dog ate ALL of them. I hope he gets sick.

Happy Holidays. :)

A teacher's holiday break

2010-12-01T20:09:00.005-05:00

I decided that the holiday breaks teachers are so lucky to have are no longer a break for me. I remember the days of sleeping in until 9:00, drinking several warm cups of coffee until 11:00, and heading out the door for wherever the day took me at about 12:00. Now during my not-so-luxiorious holiday breaks I am up at 7:00 (if I'm lucky), hopefully drinking a cold cup of coffee by 9:00, and lucky to be out of my PJ's by 12:00. During this time Hadley is out of whack because her schedule is different too, and it's like having two teenage girls in the house who just started their period.

But I aslo decided that holiday breaks are much more meaningful with a child in the house. There is never a dull moment when our families come visit because of Hadley. There are so many "firsts" to celebrate during the holidays that I don't want to sleep in until 9:00. And good news, my coffee can stay warm due to an early Christmas present from David's mother (Keurig).

Happy Holidays!

(Very cheesy pic, I know. But I'm saving our least cheesy one for the x-mas card.)

Hadley's grandma came to visit for the week of Thanksgiving. She not only spoiled Hadley for the week, but us too. Thanks, mom, for the full pantry/refrigerator/freezer and every other cupboard in the house you filled. I think we're set until Hadley is 18. We missed my dad for the week. But he was with my grandpa Parrott who is fighting pancreatic cancer right now.

(I think Albert misses grandma just as much as Hadley does.)

The long blog delay has been due to our uncharacteristic busy Fall. Recaps of a first birthday, NYC marathon, and my cousin's wedding are soon to come.

Ouch!

2010-10-25T07:03:00.002-04:00

A teething baby is not a fun baby. I feel so bad for her. Does anyone have any tricks to make it more bearable for ME? Ha! You'd thought I'd say her! She whines like this all day long.

Teether from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

One

2010-10-16T20:21:00.002-04:00

I know this sounds like the typical boring post that everyone does: "I can't believe my baby is one!", or "Where has the time gone?" or "______ is one!". Blah, blah, blah...

But oh my gosh, HADLEY IS GOING TO BE ONE! What? Since when have I became that mother? I am not sentimental. I like to live in the moment. It rarely occurs to me that on the 23rd of each month that Hadley is 1, 2, 3, …. months old. I don't care about getting fancy pictures done every month. My scrapbook for her consists of absolutely nothing. Nor do I know when she is supposed to hit certain milestones. I am not that mother.

But I am the mother asking where has my baby gone? She is coming up on one and she IS a whole different child. Am I going to miss those fancy pictures I didn't take? No. But I am going to miss the immobile helpless child she pretended to be. And I am going to miss the clean face she always had. And I'm really going to miss her wanting to be held. And why does SHE want to hold her bottle all the time now? Sometimes mom wants to help.

So Hadley is going to be one soon. Sometime around Thanksgiving. No fancy parties will be had and no clips of hair will be kept to remember her first haircut. She's turning one and I'm kind of afraid of what the next year will bring.

Year 1 from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

A Single Mom's Story

2010-10-07T20:21:00.002-04:00

I've been one for four out of the last six seeks. Bottles, food, ALBERT, laundry, work, running (or lack of. did I mention the marathon i'm doing in ONE MONTH?), oh and of course the messiest diapers I've ever seen due to Hadley's enormous appetite and speedy eating habits - have been taking up my days.

Props to all single/military moms. But I sure didn't sign-up for this; therefore, I am allowed to complain. I don't want sympathy or anything. Okay, maybe I do. Thank god David will be back in three days and a wake-up. The lawn needs mowing. Just kidding, but it really does.

Coming Soon: Hadley's first steps…

The newest toy...

2010-09-06T13:59:00.005-04:00

… does anyone want to rent Albert? He will be your child's best friend and will keep him/her entertained for a whole lot longer than an overpriced toy ever would do!

Untitled from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

Allergic to me?

2010-08-19T19:49:00.008-04:00

Neither David or I have allergies. So naturally I would think Hadley wouldn't have any either. Except David pretends to be allergic to snow when we go skiing. And I am allergic to David during football season. God, I hope Hadley is not a football fan and WE can win the television battle during the falls.

Anyways, Hadley has been getting red dots everywhere on her body. They are not bumpy, just red. She doesn't itch them, they are not exzema-like patches, nor does she have a fever. Just random red dots on her body. Frequently. Well as frequent as I am around her.

I told her 76-year-old caretaker that I thought it might be heat rash. She said she hadn't seen that in 30 years. And this woman is usually dead-on about children. So I crossed heat rash off the list. I googled everything you can about red dots on infants, and none of her symptoms (red dots when mother is around) matched any of the results.

This girl honestly breaks out in these red dots when I, yes me her MOTHER, am around.

Could she really be allergic to me? Do I really stress her out that much?

My mom is trying to convince me that it is because of my perfume. That'd be great and all if I wore perfume. But I don't. Then she tried to convince me that it was something in her car seat and that I should throw it in the wash. That'd be fine and all too if I left her in her car seat all day. But I do let her out every once in awhile. And still the red dots are there.

When another person, or Albert, is near her the red dots fade away. NO JOKE. I STRESS MY NINE-MONTH OLD BABY OUT.

But I tell you all what, if it's nothing medically wrong with her, this little girl better get use to mama. Otherwise, when she's a teenager she is going to be a mess because I am not changing a thing.

Gettin' Busy

2010-08-16T19:37:00.003-04:00

Well, life has picked up in our house again. I am almost two weeks into the school year, and Hadley is three weeks into everything. While getting ready for work last week I walked into the kitchen to find this… I'm still not sure how to put this back on the fridge.

That same morning Albert was barking an abnormal amount of times and I found this… She was in the dog food when I found her.

Thank goodness David is helping out this school year. I don't think I would be to work on time if it was not for him.

We got a floater!

2010-08-04T20:28:00.003-04:00

Not that kind. Gross!

Floater from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

Hadley can now float. As you can see she does not enjoy floating. However, I would recommend this program because 1.) the number one death for kids under the age of four is drowning (that's what they told me to get me in the door, so it must be true), 2.) as a parent I learned my child is not as helpless as she seems, and 3.) it's good for you to get your heart rate up sometime during the day, just don't mention that it was anxiety that brought it up.

I promise no more videos for a bit. I can blame this one on Hadley's grandparents in Utah because they've asked me about it for a week now. I don't think they can stand being away from their little girl. And I'm not talking about me.

Random

2010-08-02T19:55:00.012-04:00

Wouldn't you love to go to bed with this beast every night?

Saturday Night Movie

2010-07-24T20:34:00.007-04:00

For your Saturday night viewing pleasure we have Hadley attempting to crawl.

Because I know you all were just itching to see this.

Crawling, kinda. from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

Do milestones really matter?

2010-07-16T10:47:00.006-04:00

I think my baby pretends to be an immobile, helpless human being. Really. She secretly knows that she can get anything by laying on the floor and screaming. Then her mom will come to her rescue and do whatever it is that is sooo urgent.

I know this because I caught her drinking from her sippy cup. The same sippey cup that she refuses to hold. The same sippy cup that she won't suck from. And the same sippy cup that leaks all over her and makes her sticky because she will not hold or suck from it.

Yes, she was drinking from it and was caught in the act. Hadley has not figured out that I can see her in the back seat of the car. She is STILL reverse facing (another milestone she missed too, I'm sure) and the mirror attached to her seat lets me see her. I peeked at her and you better believe she was holding up that sticky cup and sucking from it like a pro.

Once we got home I handed it to her and wouldn't you know, she was back to her helpless ways.

This girl is smart. All you moms can have your baby milestones! Hadley has missed a lot of them because she is actually very smart. She knows she gets more done for her when she misses all her marks.

This article that points out that babies are not as innocent as they pretend to be really hit home for me.

Safety Lessons

2010-07-07T19:20:00.008-04:00

I think parents might need therapy after sending a child to a swimming safety program at 7 months old. I sweat bullets the entire 10 minutes, but I am told to stay strong otherwise Hadley will figure out that I am worried…

I might be hearing from Hadley's grandmothers soon.

What's in your garage?

2010-06-27T18:59:00.004-04:00

I found a couple of garage sales while I was out and about on Saturday. I've never been to a garage sale, but I figured the nicer the neighborhood probably meant the nicer the items for sale. Boy was I wrong.

At first glance I saw a weed eater and a big box of books. Perfect, I thought. I hate paying full price for books. And David has been wanting a gas weed eater to take care of our weed filled ditch on the side of our house for awhile now.

I parked my car while another lady was pulling up to the sale. She jumped out of her car as if it were a race. I thought it was strange but I let it go. I walked to the bin of books - all romance novels. Not just romance novels, but novels with heavy nudity on the cover. I was embarrassed that I even walked over to the box of porn books. I couldn't imagine how the sellers felt. So I walked over to the table of junk. Snow globes from all over the country, a playboy bunny ice tray, a used ceiling fan, used dish towels, and a lampshade shaped like a leg were all found on this table of junk. And that lady that raced me when I arrived would grab everything I touched or even looked at. I wanted to say "You can have the playboy bunny ice tray".

Finally I asked the seller if there was something wrong with the weed eater. He walked over to it as if it was the first time he looked at it and said the gas bubble thing was cracked, but he'd still sale it to me for $5. Sure, buddy. I'll buy your trash for $5.

I went to another sale in the same neighborhood and found just as much random crap as the first sale. I began to think garage sales tell a lot about a family. I wonder what our garage sale would tell about us? I don't think I want to find out.

I lost.

2010-06-20T17:06:00.010-04:00

She won.

After a week of overstimulation, a lack of naps, being spoiled, and getting her way with her Grandparents in Salt Lake City, Hadley had a melt down. On the plane. For two hours.

When we landed in ATL she kept turning herself over in her carrier. She screamed when I put her on her back. So, yes, I walked through the busiest airport in the United States just like the pictures above. I did get several evil eyes, but I also got many "Oh she's so cute!". Yeah, join us on our next flight and we'll see what you think.

Baby Food

2010-06-09T20:26:00.020-04:00

So, bottles have been easy. Formula, water, warm, feed, wash. Then repeat. And repeat again five times before bedtime. A very mindless routine.

Now that the midget is moving into the first stage of real food, I feel like I am entering pregnancy again. Your baby can eat this, but not eat that. Only certain foods in moderation. Be sure to get a lot of this vitamin but not too much of this other one. Oh, and watch out for processed and surgery foods.

My resolution has been her bottle when she wants it, and mashed up bananas and avocados with cereal a few times a day for a month now. She has loved it! Your baby will too!

Until… well she revolted today during our afternoon snack of bananas - a fit that made her wheeze. I thought she was hyperventilating and calling 911 crossed my mind. I've never seen her do THAT before.

After the two of us calmed down and a few hours later I pulled out the dreaded avocado mixture again and she began to fuss. I realized maybe she needed a break from the old routine.

So gave her bottle and I let her suck on my apple core.

Apple Core from Lindsey Fox on Vimeo.

An old habit has returned

2010-06-07T15:46:00.008-04:00

Good or bad, we all have 'em... habits. Talking too much. Tardiness. Biting your nails. Eating a certain food (peanut butter for me). Facebooking, tweeting, blogging, or should we just call it "Interneting". Exercising. On, and on, and on. What's yours?

Some habits will drive you nutty whereas others make you feel good. Many habits come and go. But it's those that have come and gone and came back again that begin to, well like it or not, define a person.

A habit, good and bad, of mine is running. I love it. But at the same time, I HATE IT.

Now I've had my glory days of running. I consider my high school and short lived college career as glorious (even if I was DFL on my college team). And the two marathons following college (one, btw, only a minute from qualifying for Boston) were the highlights of my running career. And just like that, I was done.

But have you ever had old habits pop up periodically? Like smoking, for example. Now I don't smoke but the trend seems to be that a person can quit cold turkey, and then a social situation or a stressful situation presents itself and the old smoking habit arises again. Or another example would be dieting. We all know how that goes.

I have occasionally ran 5k's and 10k's in the past five years with a lot of competitive spirit, but by no means do I have competitive speed anymore. BUT I DEFIANTLY SWORE OFF MARATHONS. Nope, I would never care to do one again. Absolutely not. Done cold turkey.

But just like smoking, a situation has arisen and I'M IN! How could you pass up an invite to the New York City Marathon? Kelli, I really appreciate what you've done to get me in, but god I'm out of shape.

However there is something to say about the feeling you get at 7:00 am and you've just completed a ten mile run. And your furry running partner is foaming at the mouth because the humidity is 110% and he looks as if to say "WTHJH" (what the hell just happened)?

I do hope this old habit sticks around for a bit.

Our newest challenge...

2010-06-05T14:37:00.006-04:00

The sipppy cup! Any suggestions?

BUGS and INSECTS and SPIDERS

2010-04-08T15:53:00.018-04:00

My residing state of Georgia has its good points - the average temp is about 85 degrees, its people are courteous, its luscious shrubbery is abundant, and of course these southerners fry just about anything. Oh, and boiled peanuts (I can't get enough of those salt laden pieces of mush).

But Georgia also has a few bad points - the average humidity is like 100%, its people are top of the list in the nation for obesity rates (probably due to that yummy fried chicken, fried pickles, fried Twinkies, fried, fried, fried...), and its luscious shrubbery brings with its great beauty big BUGS and INSECTS and SPIDERS and BUGS and INSECTS and SPIDERS and... Seriously, cockroaches the size of your middle finger... in our house... with a baby.

When we first bought our charming 1940's BUG and INSECT and SPIDER infested home, we weren't aware of the BUGS and INSECTS and SPIDERS that resided in the swamps of South Georgia. Older homes = more BUGS and INSECTS and SPIDERS. Oh, and the bigger the trees the more, you guessed it, BUGS and INSECTS and SPIDERS.

So when I woke up with a bite from an obviously HUGE and DEADLY spider, I got a little worried. But I tried to play tough guy; even taking the dog and baby out for a run in the morning. But as the day progressed, I quickly thought I was dying a slow death from the HUGE and DEADLY venom that was in my body. I convinced myself I couldn't even eat. Too sick, going to die.

So after a night of no sleep due to watching for spiders that were going to get Hadley, and to the fact that my leg felt like it was going to fall off, I convinced myself to go see a doctor bright and early in the morning.

"So did ya get a meskeeder bite?"

This was no mosquito bite. "Really? Could a mosquito cause this much pain?"

"Either that or an ingrown hair. It looks like you just shaved your legs."

I knew I wasn't going to win with this guy, so I didn't tell him what I had dreamed up in my mind.

"In all my 20 years of practice I have NEVER seen a spider bite...." Never is a very strong word, and I doubt anyone who uses it.

He gave me a shot on my butt, handed me some antibiotics, and told me to come back if the ingrown hair gets worse.

Yes, I will be back to show him his FIRST spider bite in all his 20 years of practice.

Here is a roach I cleaned up just TODAY. They are always dead and they flip themselves over. Our monthly extermination does not keep the roaches from coming in our house, it just kills them once they are in our home. Lovely. Don't you want to live in the swamp lands?

On another note, little miss Hadley has been sleeping for 12 hours most nights and has been for about a month! This happened thanks to a wonderful book recommendation by my friend Holly called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

No stories needed.

2010-03-01T20:11:00.004-05:00

I'll give you two guesses.

2010-02-04T20:13:00.011-05:00

Who is the pacifier thief? I'll bet four out of five of you (I picked-up a reader recently) got it correct. Damn dog.

Our toddler dog has eaten eight pacifiers in the last month. 12 onesies. ALL of the burp cloths. One bottle. Six pairs of my undies. And two full loaves of bread. This dog puts Marley to shame. HOW IS HE STILL ALIVE?

Next question: What will Hadley's first word be? Now this one is tricky so I'll bet nobody got this one. Sarah. Not mom, dad, no, Albert, or anything else you'd expect. But Sarah.

Why Sarah, you might ask. Because Sarah takes wonderful care of Hadley while we are at work. And Hadley grins the second she sees this super woman. Sometimes I feel like Hadley would rather stay with Sarah than come home with mom.

I feel great about being at work because Hadley is in great hands all day long. She has three other infants in her "class". The two-year-olds frequent the infant room and they love to visit Had-d-ley. They think her name is Had-d-ley in a box, not Hadley Fox. Silly kids.

Back in the classroom...

2010-01-27T19:12:00.006-05:00

Well, I am back at work. And, naturally, my six-year-olds are very curious about babies now -- where they come from, how they're made, and today's topic: how babies get out of their mom's bellies.

"Mrs. Fox, how did your baby get out of your belly?" I quickly told this student to ask her parent when she gets home.

Then another student chimed in and said "they just fall out." When I heard this I decided to keep my mouth shut and let the students converse for a bit (I needed some humor).

I heard one student say the mom's belly is cut open, and another one say that it was like going to the bathroom.

But then one boy, who has seen a lot in his life, said "the mom pushes the baby through her belly button."

It's these conversations that make being back to work a little bit easier.

I'm sorry.

2010-01-19T11:30:00.009-05:00

I think the real story is not my apology to all moms, it's that I am actually posting within one week.

So you know how going into parenting you thought you would do things different? Like letting your children only watch educational TV, or making sure your child gets some sort of “educational” time with you each day. Or how about keeping a log and photobook of the many milestones your child hits. And this one WAS a must of mine—not looking like a typical mom (hair in pony, sweats, t-shirt, roots showing, etc.).

Well, hmmm. So far these dreams just are not working out for me. Being a stay at home mom for the past nine weeks have been the hardest thing I have ever done. I have gained a whole new respect for ALL parents, but especially for stay at home moms.

Therefore I have a lot of apologizing to do…

First to my mom. Oh, I am sorry for so many things. First, I’m sorry for being such a mean child on so many levels. Specifically about your clothes (you know, the furry cat sweater). I now understand why you rarely updated your wardrobe. Just getting yourself ready is a chore when you have a child, don’t even mention trying to look tasteful. Second, I regret not taking in your wealth of knowledge. You would constantly try to help me with my homework, boyfriends, hairstyles, etc. I think much heartache would have been saved if I would have just listened. Well mom, I think my time is coming. I am in for it.

Next, I’d like to apologize to my dad. As a teenager I wore three outfits a day, no joke. My dad never complained of the amount of laundry I produced, but I can now understand what he was going through because even a two month old produces more laundry than I ever wanted to do.

Now to my friends who have kids. I want to apologize for (secretly) judging you about the amount of kid-friendly plastic crap that invades your homes. Yes, Hadley is only two months old. But our home might as well be a Fisher Price store. Sorry friends. Oh, and an apology for the eyebrow raise while being at your house witnessing the mindless cartoons you let your children watch. I have to admit that I have put my two month old in front of Scooby Doo for a full hour. I too mindlessly watch Scooby Doo for the full hour with a cup of coffee folding the loads of laundry that Hadley produces. Maybe someday Hadley can help me fold the laundry and I can educate her on the importance of only wearing one outfit a day. See, I am still getting my “educational” time in with her.

And finally, a big apology to my husband. Anyone who knows David understands that he is extremely easy going – almost to a fault. I, being a crazy uptight new mother, thought this was going to be a problem. I thought we needed to constantly entertain, take care of, and even hold our new little babe. But David, in his nonchalant even-tempered way, has shown me that my overbearing behavior is not necessary and even aggravates little Hadley. She actually enjoys being independent ... well sometimes (he, he, he).

So I get it now. I was (and sometimes still am) a foolish new parent who thought I had all the answers. Please go ahead and say it: “I told you so”. I deserve it.

If you have a moment - because we have so much spare time in our days- read The Test of Time, an article that claims stay at home moms have about 30 hours of LEISURE time every week... hmmm.

Hadley loves to nap in her Boppy, in the chair, looking at the flowers, with no blanket on her. I know, not safe.

You know it's cold when...

2010-01-12T16:52:00.004-05:00

...you have to wear Patagonia in South Georgia.

This darling little number is from my friend Kelli. I honestly never thought Hadley would get a chance to wear it here in the tropics (sorry Kelli). Well, the tropics of South Georgia have reached only 45 degrees in the past two weeks and Hadley has gotten more wear out of this outfit than any sleep and play-thingy in her closet. It is way too cold!!!

On another note, I have to apologize to my four blog readers for I have not posted in a month. Okay, apologies to every mom out there because I thought I was a lot tougher than ALL of you. How the h*** do you have time to update a blog? It's not like I am a super mom teaching Hadley how to read. I am just trying to keep the little dwarf fed. Yes, go ahead and say "you are weak". I deserve it.

So here is my challenge to myself (so I can "toughen up a little, linds" as my dad would say). Another post within one week.

Stay tuned for an apology post where Lindsey admits to being over confident in her parenting abilities. And her large blog following offers her much needed advice...

Hadley is here!

2009-12-14T20:30:00.002-05:00

Well, we did it! We are actually parents. Forever. 24/7. WOW.

Hadley arrived after being in labor for six hours on November 23rd at 10:56 A.M. She weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces and was 19 inches long. It was a great labor and we had no problems while at the hospital.

For the last three weeks David and I have been in a fog... several sleepless nights, countless hours of feeding, changing mustard diapers, entertaining family, assuring our other child (Albert) that we still love him, laundry, Christmas preparations, and of course adoring Hadley. We knew life would change but we really had no idea.

For example, since Hadley was born all I wanted was to get a shower before lunch time. Between feeding, laundry, washing bottles, and pumping (yes, that is all) I can not get it done. I don't know what I am going to do when I start back to work. For the first week I think Albert was worse off than David and I. My perky, happy dog was an honest zombie. He was blindsided by this life changing event. And David has never been one to lounge around the house, but he has no problems doing it now as long as his little girl is right next to him.

Our home now feels more like a "home" if that makes sense.

Thank god she is a wonderful baby! No fussiness, healthy as a horse, and very happy.

True Southern Hospitality

2009-10-29T20:27:00.008-04:00

As a lot of you know, I am a first grade teacher in South Georgia. These wonderful women are the first grade team (yes, we have nine first grade classes in my school...huge school).

They threw me a baby shower at school! These women have been so nice to us since we arrived in South Georgia. It feels like we've lived here forever and have been a part of this town since we were young.

Only three weeks five days left until little ????? arrives. We have a new name.... Olivia. We still like Ainsley and Samantha, too. If it was my choice we would call her Reese and be done with it.

Family Time!

2009-10-19T15:01:00.004-04:00

We recently went to my cousin Johnny's wedding in Burlington, Vermont! It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding with the leaves being at their peak before they fall.

My cousin Kristy as a beautiful bridesmaid.

The happy couple right after they were married.

My happy Aunt Sue.

Another highlight of the trip was going to Ben and Jerry's national headquarters. Yummy!

Here she is!

2009-09-23T15:58:00.006-04:00

Here is the little tike at 31 weeks. She weighs 3 pounds 8 ounces, and is 16.8 cm long. She is on track to be about 7.5 pounds. She is head down and getting ready to come! I go to my epidural class tonight (9/23/09), so anytime after tonight would be just fine. Well, maybe a few more weeks.

"Wow! Look at those extra long toes..." said the ultrasound tech. A lot of my side of the family has these abnormally long toes and fingers!
I realize you have to really use your imagination with these pictures (and these are pictures of pictures), but I think her profile looks a lot like David.

That blob is her head and near it is her hand. I have about ten others, but they are just as hard to distinguish.

Do you like the name Samantha Reese Fox? or Ella Grace Fox? or maybe neither...

I love coupons!

2009-09-20T15:04:00.005-04:00

Want to learn how to save $money$ quick? First, get pregnant. Second, use coupons!

I have recently been introduced to couponing by a friend. After she gave me a few Pampers coupons for $1.00 off, I was hooked. I used that dollar and went straight to Starbucks because I felt I deserved it after saving a buck! This is a great way to save money, huh? I have to admit it was a lot of work to find the best deals, looking for a certain coupon, comparing prices, figuring out a store's policies, then having to go to Wal-mart (in South Georgia, enough said) to save a few bucks.

Then thanks to the addicting online social networking that goes on now days, my couponing world is now limitless. I kept reading status updates of "saved 60% on my groceries today" or "got $75 off of $100 at Old Navy today". I quickly contacted this friend and she introduced me to www.southernsavers.com

Here is how it works: A group of women will go to several stores weekly, finding what is on sale and a coupon to go with the item that is on sale, and then they post all their great finds with links to get the coupon. And no, the deals are not for places like Wal-mart, or dollar stores. They are for nice, honest grocery stores. Now this site is just for the Southeastern part of the U.S., but surely there are some for your area of the country.

Today alone on my grocery bill I saved $62.89 by matching a coupon with what was on sale, knowing the store's policies (which was all posted on this site...no research on my part), and knowing how to work a coupon to its fullest potential. And it's not just for grocery stores either. These ladies find sales and coupons for retail, online sites, home stores, and one of my favorites...Target. I got some Glade candles, which I never buy normally, for .16 cents thanks to this site. I loaded up and now I have 10 in my linen closet.

Now this last point brings up an issue David has with my new found passion. He claims I come home with stuff I normally would not buy. But in my defense I would never buy it because it was a big waste of money. And if I can get it for only .16 cents it is not a waste of money. It's a great .16 cents to spend because now I know if it is worth buying again. Everyone loves smelly stuff for their house, right? But it is okay if I find a deal on his Doritos and Mountain Dew and come home with a ridiculous amount of them. He actually asked me today "Are there any deals on Pepsi products?" Because he is almost out of the five 12 packs I found him a month ago. Hmmm...

Regardless, couponing has become a game with me. I feel like I am beating these stores at their own game thanks this wonderful website.

Now if I could just get over my coffee habit (decaf right now, of course) I think I could find another extra $62.89 in our bank account.

"It's the subject that makes the picture, not the photographer," said David

2009-09-09T20:02:00.015-04:00

Me: David, will you take my picture?

David: Why?

Me: Because I asked you to.

David: (rolling his eyes) Is it for the stupid blog?

Me: Who cares if it is.

David: (click, click) Could you just not smile and look forward? You don't take a very good picture. (click, click, motioning as if to be a professional photographer. click, click, flash, flash).

Me: (not smiling and looking forward) You're not a very good photographer.

David: It's the subject that makes the picture, not the photographer. (click, click)

Here is the bad subject taken by the great photographer( approximately 7.5 months prego).

Me: (grabbing the camera from him) So if you're the subject and I am the photographer, will it be a good picture?

David: (nods yes, with his smart a** smirk on his face).

Here is the great subject eating his frosty with dirty feet on the coffee table that a terrible photographer took.

Okay, so neither of us take a good picture, whether we are the subject or the photographer.

I can feel that life is beginning to pick up in our house. The school year has begun for me again. I am over halfway through the first quarter with my 14 first graders. Yes, only 14... it's great! Our "no worries" newly married days are coming to a quick end. The baby is constantly on both of our minds. "Do we need this? Do we need that? Oh, we forgot..." Unconsciously I have found I am trying to get every type of appointment in before the baby comes (dentist, hair, veterinarian, locksmith, alarm guy, insurance, pedicure, pediatrician, OBGYN...every other week now, baby classes, epidural class, breast feeding class).

David has settled in nicely with the football season; however, work has been uncharacteristically busy for him this time of year. Several meetings and some tournaments are taking up his time. Not only that, but he cleans a lot too. Is there such a thing as "nesting" for the dad?

I am certain Albert knows there is a baby in my belly. And he is just as ready for it as we are. He is still the happy go lucky dog he has always been, but he has developed some behaviors we have never seen before. A lot of "happy" whining (if there is such a thing). When other people or dogs are around, he whines and his tail is going 100 mph. Previously, he would just jump on them and want to play. And he is obsessed with licking himself. HE LICKS ALL OVER HIS BODY ALL THE TIME. The vet said he has probably developed some allergy over the past year. Lovely.

Only 11 more weeks until little (blank) arrives! Anyone have a name for us?

Some people should not own dogs

2009-08-16T12:08:00.007-04:00

Every day I take Albert for a walk on the same route. Every day Albert and I see the same dogs and a lot of the time the same people. Albert loves to go for walks, and yes, I do spoil him by taking him most days.

Albert and I also see the same dogs EVERY DAY in the same back yards (or cages, kennels, pens, etc.) getting the same lack of attention. These dogs run to the fence to visit Albert and I as if we are the only human being it will see all day. We always feel guilty walking away from them because they will be sitting waiting for us to come by again tomorrow. Yes, these dogs have food, water, and shelter. They are safe. And their owners probably pick up their waste too. But what is the point of having a dog if it is just there to occupy the backyard (or 5 x 5 area they designated for it). Even if it is a hunting dog, it is not fair to the dog.

Dogs need just as much attention and interaction as humans need. Would you ever dream of sticking your kid in the backyard to live and entertain itself? Some of you might say that a kid is totally different, but IT'S NOT. Dogs are just like kids. They need to be talked to, played with, exercised, and feel loved.

If you don't want the mess or the fleas (yes, ALL dogs do get fleas) that comes with a dog, then please don't get one. Even if your child is begging and pleading with you. Get that child a fish.

Dogs don't deserve to be put in an area to live and entertain itself.

Back to the drawing board!

2009-07-27T09:41:00.006-04:00

Well we have officially ruled out Ella and Hadley. They just weren't working for us.

What do ya'll think about Ainsley? Yes, we heard it from Ainsley Earhardt of Fox News.

I think I'll stick to fiction!

2009-07-19T11:35:00.011-04:00

Summertime is great for catching up on reading! I have devoured several "mom" and "baby" books this summer.

But I've been asking myself "Do these books really help?" Because I feel more overwhelmed than knowledgeable. For example, should I let the baby cry, or go to her side? Let her develop her own sleep patterns, or try to establish one for her? Go back to work at six, eight or twelve weeks? What about our dog Albert? He is just as much my baby as this new baby is. And breastfeeding, where do I even begin? What kind of pump? Doesn't it hurt? How do you know how much milk the baby is getting? Oh and immunizations and vaccines. Wow! Now that was a scary book. Then there is all the CRAP that these books say goes with the baby. I think if I look at buying another plastic, yet necessary, gizmo, my husband's patience will run out.

I am sure these books have helped many new moms, but I am going to lay off them for awhile. I was very happy with the way my parents raised me and I will use that as my backbone to get through this thing called "motherhood".

So I put the mommy-to-be books away for now, and pulled out one of my favorites to finish off the summer...

Did you know it is coming to theaters August 14th?

Dear Ella/Hadley

2009-07-11T20:54:00.021-04:00

Dear Ella,
I'd like to say your room is going to eventually look like this. But it's not. We'll try to coordinate as best as we can Ella, but can you really tell the difference between "dark cherry wood" and "cherry wood"? Because your mom and dad didn't know there was a difference. They just wanted to save a little money. And you can forget about the $500 bedding, bedroom chandelier, etc.

Oh, and Hadley, you can just erase the word "pink" from your vocabulary.

In the mean time, Albert is getting ready for a playmate. I really think you two will enjoy spending time together. Sleeping.

And your mom is happy your growing so well, but she is ready to be done growing herself. You have 20 more weeks until the fun begins...
Love, Mom and Dad

Back on the Blogwagon!

2009-07-01T13:56:00.002-04:00

My friends blogs are funny (their lives are interesting too, of course). We enjoy keeping up with each other through this free communication tool. Well, I guess WE is not the right word, because I can keep up with them but they cannot keep up with me. Because I don't update my blog. BUT I AM BACK! I will no longer be the partial friend i've been.

To begin with I will let you know, briefly, what we have been doing since my last post of November 9, 2008. (David said "Does anyone care?")

Thanksgiving in SLC

Christmas in Kansas City

New Years in Jacksonville

February Ski Trip

2009 South Georgia Classic

Amy's Beautiful Wedding

10 year High School Reunion

It's a girl!

The big 30!

2008-11-09T20:39:00.004-05:00

It was David's 30th birthday on FRIDAY! He chose to go to the local BBQ resturant, then to the Valdosta High School football game (yes, I did say high school. This town is nuts for high school football. The college rents the field from the high school. And the college is Division 2 football champions! Crazy! But, he does need his football fix). After the game we went to our friends house and played Monopoly and lost to the birthday boy. It doesn't take much to make this boy happy!

A couple of weeks ago david wanted to re-live his college days and go to a K-State football game. Manhattan, KS sure did miss this boy.

Fun was had by all...

there was purple everywhere! it brought me back to my high school days.

we sat close to the field. sometimes david thought he was calling the plays...

i think the wives had more fun in aggieville!

Update

2008-09-21T19:48:00.001-04:00

Oh, blogging. I don't know that it is my thing. Keeping it updated, obviously, is not the easiest think for me to do.

I will jump right in. David and I lost the baby at 20 weeks. We went in for an ultrasound at 18 weeks and found out the baby was having some problems. The doctor couldn't tell us much, and we had to go to a Level 2 doctor. After seeing that doctor we were told the baby has an extremely rare non-genetic disease and has no chance of living. She, yes it was a girl, had a Cystic Hygroma with Hydrops. It's basically a lot of fluid all throughout the body and it was invading all the organs of the baby. She shouldn't have lived past 8 weeks. The baby was under a lot of stress so the doctor decided to induce me on September 9. It took me 12 hours to deliver. It was yucky, painful, and probably the saddest thing David and I will ever go through.

We had some testing done with the baby to find out exactly the causes and if we will have problems like this in future pregnancies. We should get those results sometime this week.

Babies are such miracles! We can't wait to be pregnant again!

Finally, home sweet home.!

2008-07-18T10:37:00.001-04:00

Okay... so I am not great at keeping up with the blog. And I am terrible about taking pictures. I get so wrapped up in things we do, I forget pictures.

We went to Mesquite, NV July 4-11. My parents treated us with golf for the week. It was at least 110 degrees every day while we were playing. The golf courses were beautiful. I called them "feel good" courses, because they are so short in length (which helps your score). I shot my career round of 90! The course that David and I belong to is way to long and I am lucky to shoot 100.

As much as I like to travel, it sure is great being home.

Schools in Georgia start so early,with my first day back being August 4th! However, we were strongly encouraged to come in earlier due to "meetings." That's fine with me, I don't do well sitting at home.

The baby is growing so quickly! I am feeling a lot better!

I promise more pictures to come.

Doc today!

2008-06-10T21:53:00.000-04:00

We went to the doctor today! The baby is still as healthy as can be. The doctor said my Rubella count is low, but it was nothing to worry about. He said he has never seen any problems with having a low Rubella count in his 20+ years of practice. Apparently the vaccine didn't take well when I was a little girl. And he does not recommend getting the vaccine while being pregnant. I go back to the midwife in 4 weeks, and will hopefully be able to hear the heartbeat.

I feel absolutely terrible. I have been on the verge of throwing-up for two days now. But the doc said it comes with the territory and gave me some ideas to lessen the queasiness.

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

2008-06-10T19:47:00.000-04:00

We went to Mexico for 5 days with friends Mandi and Matt. We were in a town south of Cancun called Playa Del Carmen. The town is full of European tourists, small shops, and great white sand beaches. We actually were the minority being the Americans.

I was worried I would not make it to Mexico because my passport was in my maiden name. Luckily, David figured it out before we left by calling the passport office and airlines. Getting into Mexico I was questioned, but coming back they didn't notice the two names were different. Kind of scary.

The hotel was all-inclusive. I did not enjoy the food, however; the rest of the party thought it was great--especially the french fries. I thought everything had a terrible after taste. I think it was the pregnancy hormones talking. My stomach still turns just thinking about the food.

The first day we arrived we ate at the buffet and shared the exciting, yet surprising, news of the baby with Matt and Mandi. They live in KC, and we thought it best to share in person.

We then met up with a great friend of ours Joe Mazzeo an his lovely girlfriend Vicki. Joe worked with David and I in Atlanta. He is now the tournament manager for a PGA Tour event held in Playa Del Carmen.

It was great knowing a "local". He and Vicki practically knew everyone in town. They also could tell people to leave us alone when they were trying to rip us off.

On day two we explored the resort and took in what it had to offer. We hung out at the pool, played in the ocean, and Mandi and I attempted to climb on the large sandbags like the little kids were. In the afternoon we went to the popular 5th avenue. I think it was 105 degrees. But, David did finally find some new flip-flops. David has had the same pair of flip-flops since I have known him (5 years). He has been holding out for the perfect pair. Thank goodness he finally found the chosen pair. We also found a cute little dress for our new baby. (This was our first purchase for the baby. You may be thinking "how does she know it is a girl?" Well, according to the Chinese calendar I am having a girl. And it claims to be 95% accurate.)

We met Joe and Vicki for dinner at an Italian restaurant. Yes, I know we were in Mexico and we should be eating Mexican. But the locals we had with us said this Italian place was great. And it was. That was probably the best meal I had the whole trip. After dinner we went to a bar called the Blue Parrot. It was great fun. The bar was demonstrating a fire show. It was amazing how long these girls danced with this fire without getting burned.

Saturday was Mandi's birthday! The boys went to play golf, while she and I celebrated. David would like me to mention that he won golf. However I would like to tell you that Matt and Joe out drove him by 30 yards each drive. Mandi and I worked on our Mexican tan, successfully got up on the enormous sand bags, and went para sailing. I thought I would be a little nervous, but once I got up there I felt like I was on a big swing.

That evening we went to the best restaurant in Playa (according to our local guides Joe and Vicki). It was Mayan food. David was totally out on this idea, but we told him he would be eating by himself if he did not go. He ended up going and liked it more than any of us. Maybe that will teach him to branch out a little more. The camarero sang happy birthday to Mandi and served her a delicious piece of cake. The Mexican happy birthday song is so much longer than the American.

The last day we decided to travel a bit to see some ruins. Tulum was about 45 minutes south of Playa Del Carmen. The roads in Mexico are terrible. The lane lines are not marked, or if they were, it looked like a two year old child marked them. And to top it off, David was driving. So it was a scary ride down.

I would have to say the best thing about Tulum was its location. It was situated right on the edge of the Carribean, and the views were beautiful. Apparently this was beneficial for Mayan ships for trade. Tulum means "wall" in Mayan, and it makes sense due to the wall surrounding the ruins. Once we were inside the area, it was about 110 degrees due to this wall. The wind was completely blocked. Even under the trees in the shade, it was hot. And I think this was an average day. I don't know how they lived in that heat back in the days. There were several structures, a city center, and a temple within the walled area. The ruins were built near 1200 A.D. Unfortunately our camera died right after this picture.

All-in-all, Mexico was a wonderful trip. It was great to see our friends, get a tan, and learn a bit about the culture.

Blogging, what's blogging?

2008-06-03T16:35:00.000-04:00

After re-connecting with some friends, I've learned about this new thing called blogging. After reading several, I am now motivated to get going. What a great idea. I don't scrapbook, or keep track of any memories for that matter, and I thought this is wonderful for the lazy woman that I am. So very simple and interactive. The motivation not only came from the re-connection, but also we wanted to share some news with many people but didn't know where to begin.

Much to our surprise, David and I are going to have a baby. That's right, A BABY! We went to the doc today for our first visit. We saw the midwife, and we really liked her. She said we can opt to see the doctors if we don't feel comfortable with midwifes. Well we decided she was pretty cool, and if she is excited about the baby she is a winner.

Apparently I am a low-risk pregnancy. I don't have any issues. Which is great! We go back in a week to do some more tests. Yippee!