How did this happen?

No, TJ did NOT fly solo to Atlanta; we had an unplanned layover there, and were able to spend some time with his cute Gonzalez cousins.


Abby and TJ

Charlie, TJ and Abby

The Other Man In My Life

Forgive me if TJ has a tendency to dominate my blog (hey, I know he's the REAL reason anyone ever checks this thing). But today's post is dedicated to the other man in my life, my sweet husband, Rob. Today is our anniversary. Looking back over the past three years (THREE years? Really? Surely it hasn't been that long?), I have to say I would make the same decision again: Marrying you is by far the most clever thing I have ever done.

We maybe should have picked a warmer day, though. What I remember MOST about that morning is how darn COLD is was...

And I was trying to be beautiful for posterity (as were you), so we neither of us had coats. Silly, silly, silly.

But that lapse of error in judgement aside,

THANKS for the best three years of my life.
I am so lucky to have married my best friend, who is always willing to play with me,

who will help me rise to any height, hike any trail,

explore bizzare backwoods neighborhoods,

and not so bizzare or backwoods tourist attractions,

be pleasant when I make a TERRIBLE error in judgement about the length of a trail,

travel to exotic locales,

and absord the spendour of the world with.

There's no one I'd rather walk through fire with,

walk the world with,

climb through the jungle with,
explore ancient wonders, and now raise a child with. I'm looking forward to where the next year takes us.

I LOVE YOU!!!

What I'm Thankful For

This Thanksgiving was certainly not the funnest one we've ever had. Rob had been asked to take call for the day, so I had not even bothered to buy a turkey. Who wants to cook all day for themselves? Well, late on Tuesday it was discovered that Rob could NOT take the call due to a glitch in the paperwork. Okay. So there we were, no turkey, no time to thaw one even if we bought one, and no place to go. A family from our church had graciously offered to share their turkey with us, and we called to accept. Thanksgiving rescued, right?

Wednesday night, my poor little baby started getting fussy. Then really fussy. He didn't sleep well that night--this is unusual for him, as he's usually a champion sleeper (he's even started sleeping through the night on occasion). Thursday morning dawned to a nasty temperature, head congestion and swollen, watery eyes.

We kept hoping he'd rally in time for turkey, but it was not to be. He went from bad to worse. We called and declined our dinner invitation (however, Rob is a champion and whipped up this fabulous ham dinner--thus saving us from McDonald's), and began combing the Internet for ANYTHING that could help our baby. We spent a nasty night with the humidifier, holding him upright, and sitting in the bathroom running the shower on hot to create a steam-room. By 4:30am this morning his fever was still climbing, and it was time to pay a visit to the Emergency Department of Arkansas Children's Hospital. As far as ER visits go, it was exceptional service; we did not wait in the waiting room AT ALL (I think someone tipped them off that TJ was the doctor's kid)-- the entire visit took about 5 hours. The doctors were very good, and did a thorough work-up. I am thankful to report that, although I have a very sick little boy, he does not have any of the dire diseases common to small infants. His fever still hasn't broken, but we have been able to make him comfortable enough to sleep, and his fever is now under control. We have had to cancel our trip to Houston; but the important thing is that our baby is going to be okay.

As we left the ER, I joked with Rob that holidays just aren't that good for us lately: last Christmas we almost offed the dog, and this Thanksgiving, the baby. Apparently we should have stuck to house-plants, or some anaerobic organism.

The Week In Pictures

Monday: Was the day we sized-up in diapers.
This boy is G-R-O-W-I-N-G.

Tuesday: Was one of the first baths that was not a Scream Fest. Although, as you can see from his face, he's still not sure if he actually LIKES this bizarre ritual.

It's much better to be dry...
and clothed.

Wednesday: Was a hard day for my little boy. It took a good long cuddle to feel better.
Thursday: Was a nice long run. Check out the Boss in his ride.

I just thought this outfit was cute.

Friday: TJ had to come with me to do my Visiting Teaching. This is what he thought of it. You could say that I was bawled out by the Boss.

Later I consoled him by letting him order me about.

I sure hope everything meets his approval.

Blinded by the Light

TJ has this thing for blinds. In the morning, we get up and open the blinds together. He stares at them in wonder, and some mornings he'll just smile and smile at them. Today, he was super-fussy and nothing was calming him down. I put him down on the bed for a moment... and he stopped crying. The magic of the blinds has worked again!

I Heart Running

I love mybecause it allows me to run during the day, while is at

This has the added bonus of helping me to lose the baby-fat-- without cutting

from my diet-- all while spending time with

The Boss

Rob and I joke that our blog now exists for the sole purpose of showcasing our cute baby. I guess it's not much of a joke, but really more of a true-ism. So here are a few more pictures of the Boss:

Everyone keeps asking me who he looks like. I'm still not seeing it...

So today was TJ's first Bumbo experience.
I'm not really sure if he liked it. He stared at the green arm rests with intense interest for about 3 minutes, then progressed to wildly waving his arms and legs around.

But he never did cry, so I don't think he DIDN'T like it. Oh, the world is just clear full of new things...