Christmas Day

At my aunt and uncle's house

Kathryn and Andrew hanging out

My cousin Lane's wife, Kristin, is due at the end of May, I am due May 11, and Kathryn is due March 25. My grandparents are excited about the arrival of three new great grand babies in a matter of two months!

I don't have any pictures of Christmas morning yet. . . all those pics are on my film camera! The only way I am able to post these pics are because I downloaded a few from my dad and sister. We had a very busy day! We woke up to Santa and played for a while. Then we usually go to my mom and dad's house for lunch and presents, where all my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents get together for the one time a year. This year we went to my Uncle Joe's house though because a few weeks ago, my parents started demo on their kitchen/den/living room/dining room, so their house was not an option for Christmas this year! (I am really excited that they are finally redoing their own kitchen finally after owning a kitchen and bath store for almost ten years! It should be really nice!)

Several years ago, Chad and I decided to liven things up a little bit and "graciously" give some gifts (think bad Dirty Santa presents) to my Uncle Lee. I will say on the front end that he has been a great sport over the years! It all started when one of Chad's ELL students proudly gave him a half-drunk bottle of Cognac for Christmas. These gifts from "long lost family members" have "appeared" at our Christmas day gatherings for several years now. My Uncle Lee started to finally reciprocate after realizing that we would never quit giving him gifts! This year Chad received some worn Christmas boxers from "Pedro Garcia" (the Metro Superintendent of Schools). Lee received some candies that Chad had received from one of the Kurdish janitors at his school. The only words written on the entire box in English were "Natural Aphrodisiac". Classic Lee gift. Needless to say it brought many laughs from all the adults. :)

We headed to Chad's parent's house for Christmas night and had a great time there, too. Hopefully I will somehow post pictures from Christmas morning and night sometime!

Christmas Eve at our house

Lawton got a new tractor to go with his John Deere tractor from last year!

Reading up on what it means to be a big brother . . . can he handle it? We hope so!

What fun . . . playing in a laundry basket with Grandma looking on!

Telling everyone good night so Santa can come and visit!

For the past several years, my parents, sister and brother-in-law and grandparents have come to our house on Christmas Eve to open presents and eat. I went pretty simple this year and just had sausage potato soup, pimento cheese sandwiches/ham and cheese sandwiches and salad - finished off with a chocolate pound cake of course! We opened presents and Lawton was so excited with his presents from Noni and Dandy that we had to convince him to keep opening more! He especially loved a camping stove and some books from Noni and Dandy and a doctor kit from Kathryn and Andrew. He calls himself Dr. High and loves to look in people's ears. Poor guy - he's had to have his ears checked so many times! It cracked us up because when he listens to our hearts, he will say "mmm hmmm. mmm hmmm. mmm hmmm." like he is really hearing something good! I guess his pediatrician does this and I have never noticed! It was fun night - I was sad though because we forgot to put out milk and cookies for Santa! :( I think Santa might have found some leftover pound cake on his own after setting out all the toys, though! ha!

Pickler/Thomas Christmas

The original Pickler/Thomas girls and our spouses (left to right - Chad and Laura Beth, Jeremy and Marie, Andrew and Kathryn, and Nick and Amy. Brian was not able to make it that night! )

Amy is due in February 25, I am due May 11, and Kathryn is due March 25! I am not really that thrilled that we are all basically the same size . . . :(

Prego sisters!

Lawton was a very happy boy that night and made himself completely at home!

The Picklers are our family's best friends . . . literally for years. My mom and Sissy became friends when they were pregnant with me and Brian. They have been best friends ever since. Buddy and my Dad are best friends, and Kathryn and Amy have literally been best friends since birth. We are all so busy now, this is about the only time we can all get together . . . and it took four different tries to schedule this date! We had a fun night together!

Santa brought Lawton the best present ever! It's a . . .

LITTLE SISTER!!!!



Baby girl's sweet profile



They tell us this is the proof that the baby is actually a girl! :)

We had a great doctor's visit this morning. (I am just now getting a chance to go to my in-laws house to use their scanner!) The doctor told us that everything looks healthy and the tech that did the ultrasound said she looked like a big girl. I'm not sure how she can tell because when I asked her if she had a guess of how long she was and what she weighed, she replied, "Oh, we can't really tell that." What?

We are very excited, and needless to say shocked that it is actually a girl. There hasn't been a High girl born in almost thirty years, so the High fam is excited and wondering "What are we going to do with a girl?" :) Here's the funny/strange/awesome part - two nights ago, (Tuesday night), I had a dream that we were in the ultrasound room and the tech told us - "It's a girl". That night Chad got home from school and was sitting on the couch. He said, "Guess what? I dreamed last night that we were in the ultrasound room and they told us it was a girl." I looked at him wide eyed and said "ME TOO!" Neither one of us had had had any dreams about the sex of the baby at all and then we had almost identical dreams on the same night!! We call these our "fantastic" moments because we do things like this quite often.

We almost have a name, but are not ready to make it "public" quite yet. We didn't even have a clue for a boy, so now we don't have to worry about that! I'm sure the name will be coming soon . . .

Most importantly, we are so thankful to God that everything looks healthy for me and our baby girl. We thank you all for your interest, thoughts, and most importantly, prayers. Have a wonderful holiday season with your families. May God keep you safe and bless you all!

Boy or Girl??

The big ultrasound is Thursday, December 20th. Chad and I are ready to hear that everything is healthy and on schedule. We honestly don't care what the sex of this child is, but all three of us (Lawton included) have a strong feeling that this child is a boy. Chad is one of three boys and there are three grandsons. My sister, her best friend, my best friend from high school, Karie, Christine, and just about everyone else I know that is pregnant are all having boys. We would be thrilled either way, though! Join in the fun by putting in your vote. Please pray for a healthy child!

Fun at the zoo with Noni and Dandy

*I have posted twice tonight, so keep scrolling down!*


Riding high on Dandy's shoulders!


Our sweet boy!



Lawton has been infatuated with all the beautiful leaves this fall, so of course, this huge leaf captured his attention!


He wanted to get as close as he could to the music piping out of the speakers!

Last Saturday, my Mom and Dad (Noni and Dandy) took Lawton to the zoo while I helped out at the BHCC Harvest Sampler and Chad worked on the Kentucky family farm house. I think all three of them had a great time! Lawton loves his Noni and Dandy!

Usborne books!

Just to let anyone out there who might be interested in fabulous books for your little one(s) say, from Santa, or grandparents, I am having an Usborne book show at my house this Thursday. If you want to join the party, e-mail me at chadandlaurabeth@yahoo.com and I will get you more information. If you don't live nearby, but are interested in these great books, go to http://www.ubah/R2808 and it will take you to my e-show. I have talked about one of Lawton's absolute favorite books on an earlier blog, (September 17, 2007) which is an Usborne book. They are super gifts from Santa! :)

"I so excited!"

Well, Lawton knows about the baby now! Last week, my best friend from 5th grade on, Karie, with her two kiddos, Annie and Daniel, came by to visit. She is pregnant with her third child and due in January. Thinking I would plant more "seeds" about my pregnancy, I told Lawton that there was a baby in Mrs. Karie's belly. He just grinned and stared at her belly.

Later that night, he was sitting in my lap and tried to readjust and scoot up high on my belly. I told him not to sit on my belly like that because it hurt. (Which it did!) He turned around and looked at me and said "Why? Is there a baby in there?" Chad's head whipped around, my eyes got big as quarters, and we both shrugged our shoulders. I replied, "Well, yes there is a baby in my belly." He clapped his hands and grinned from ear to ear and said "I so excited!!" We were glad that he initially responded in such a positive way! He proceeded the rest of the night to pat his belly because there is a baby in his tummy, too! :)

We were surprised that he would make that kind of connection/association with Karie's belly and me. I guess kids are more aware of things than we realize!

Here's one more funny story . . . at least to us! Last night, I picked Lawton up from his Wednesday night class at church and his teachers asked if Lawton's room was in tip-top shape at home. I just started laughing because I knew where the conversation was headed. Now, with a background in preschool education, I know that young children, especially two year olds, go through a period where they have an extreme sense of order. However, Lawton has exhibited his "sense of order" for a very long time and shows no sign of letting up anytime soon. If a door is usually shut, and it is open, he has to shut it. The toilet lids must be down (I'm not complaining) and so on. He also doesn't like to have messy hands, therefore does not like messy foods. And so on and so forth . . . Well, back to last night - they were making the cutest turkey headbands in class. Andy, one of his teachers, said he could barely get anything glued because every time he would set a glue stick down, Lawton was right there behind him putting the lid back on. Lawton was also straightening the feathers and making sure everything was neat and tidy. So funny. Now, I know Chad and I both have tendencies to be organized and neat, but not overtly so. Lawton doesn't fall far from our tree, I suppose!

That's right . . . a new ticker!

Well, Chad and I just wanted to announce to the blogging world that #2 is on the way! We are very excited and heard the heartbeat this week for the first time. What a beautiful sound! We feel very blessed that a little bambino is growing very rapidly inside me.
I am almost thirteen weeks and due May 11, which just happens to be Mother's Day! Our big 20 week ultrasound will be December 20, just in time to share with everyone at Christmas! Lawton will be three years old on April 14, so they will be almost three years apart.
We have not yet told Lawton the big news . . . it is such a vague concept to a two year old and his world will be rocked soon enough. My sister is also pregnant (her first - due March 25), and just found out last week that she is having a little boy! We have been talking up her pregnancy to Lawton and that he will have a new cousin, Luke. Maybe when we do break the news after all the other preparation about babies, he will be excited about his new brother/sister. Chad and I honestly care less about whether we have a boy or girl, we just pray for a healthy baby! Please pray for the health of this child and an "uneventful" pregnancy!

On a side note. . . last night I was rocking Lawton before bed. As most of you know, I have a mole (or what I like to refer to as my "beauty mark") on my left cheek. He took interest in it (which he does occasionally) and started rubbing it. He then proclaimed, "I need to get you a bamboo! I will get you a bamboo and make it feel better!" He then proceeded to open up one of his drawers, get out a band-aid and put it on my cheek (with a little assistance from me). Sweet boy.

Happy Halloween from our "Little Stinker"

Here are some pictures from tonight at Gran-D and Papa J's house. Lawton was a "Little Stinker" a.k.a. a skunk. :) We had lots of fun visiting our old neighbors, our new neighbors, and Trunk-or-Treating at church. Lawton was absolutely exhausted when we got home. I do believe that he doesn't completely understand Halloween still, though. Several times in the last few days when people have given him treats, (we have gone to Lebanon and Chad's school the past few days and already received some treats), he will look at his pumpkin bag and say "sing Happy Birthday to Lawton" and proceed to sing Happy Birthday. After Trunk of Treat tonight, he got in the car and said, "They had a party for Wawton and I got candy!" Oh, to be in the life of a totally egocentric two year old who believes Halloween is totally and only for him. Hope you had fun trick-or-treating!

Out of the mouth of my babe

The other day, Lawton and I were driving and listening to one of his CDs. Well, I was just singing along being silly with him and he spoke up (quite firmly I might add) and said, "No, Mommy. Don't sing. You just drive." Well, excuse me, mister, I didn't know my singing was that offensive! :) He told me the exact same thing a few days later once again. Hmmm. . .

Last night, Lawton had been asleep for a while and I was in the living room watching television. I heard him stirring around and then I heard him mumble, "And there goes Thomas, puffing down the track." I would love to know what he dreams about, but this gives me a glimpse. Perhaps episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine?

He calls bananas "Ban-na-nas" and Mr. Potato Head "Mr. Taba Head". I love that. When racing, he calls out, "Ready, 'sick', go!" If something is stuck that he is playing with, it is "stucky". He has said so many funny things, but I forget to write them down and then, of course, I forget. That makes me sad.

Do your kids have any cute sayings?

Happy Birthday, Houston!

Houston, our nephew, turned six this past Saturday. It's hard to believe that he is already six! Check out the awesome cake my sister-in-law Emily made! (She is for hire if you need an awesome cake decorator!)


Lawton, Houston and Hunter in their football gear. (Thanks, Brody, for letting Lawton wear your Bama jersey!)


Lawton and his beloved "Emmy" or "Emiwee" as it is now evolving into.


Do you think he will ever be big enough to actually play real football one day? :)


The "big boys" as they were about to play a game of football on the field that Brent and Emily had painted.


The boys were "tackling" this blow-up with quite a bit of force, to say the least. What six year old boy wouldn't love to do this?


However, when it came Lawton's turn, he was a little bit unsure. Notice the one handed "shove". Precious.


What else can I say? Like father, like sons. Welcome to the High family! :)

Seriously, it was a great birthday party. Happy birthday, Houston!

My man

1. Who is your man? Chad Oliver
2. How long have you been together? including dating, it will be 8 years in December
3. How long dated? 6 months dating, 6 months engaged
4. How old is your man? 30
5. Who eats more? Chad
6. Who said "I love you" first? Chad - it took me a few days to tell him
7. Who is taller? Chad
8. Who sings better? Chad is a good singer, but sings so quiet you can hardly hear him. He has a "muffled voice" - those are his words!
9. Who is smarter? Depends on the subject :)
10. Whose temper is worse? Neither one of us really has a temper, but I get irritated at things much easier.
11. Who does the laundry? all me! (I can be kinda picky about laundry, esp. folding)
12. Who takes out the garbage? We both do
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Chad
14. Who pays the bills? me-I handle all the money.
15. Who is better with the computer? Chad
16. Who mows the lawn? Definitely Chad - He loves his grass!
17. Who cooks dinner? me
18. Who drives when you are together? Chad
19. Who pays when you go out? Chad - and then he hands me the receipt! :)
20. Who is most stubborn? definitely me - and when Lawton shows his stubborn side, I have no one to blame but myself!
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? it goes both ways
22. Whose parents do you see the most? Chad's - they live two miles away
23. Who kissed who first? me :D
24. Who asked who out? Get this girls . . . I asked him out on the first THREE dates before he got the hint. Bless his heart, he didn't really date before me. Wonder why? :)
25. Who proposed? Chad - We went to Valentino's to eat and then walked around downtown and on Capital Hill. (We had walked all around downtown on our first date and had about a dozen pictures to capture it all.) On a bench on Capital Hill he pulled out a "children's book" that he had written and illustrated about our dating "story" On the very last page he had written "Will you marry me?" and got down on one knee and gave me the ring. It was our six month anniversary so I really wasn't expecting it. My precious Chad.
26. Who is more sensitive? definently me
27. Who has more friends? me, I am the extrovert, afterall.
28. Who has more siblings? Chad has two brothers, I have one sister.
29. Who wears the pants in the family? We are a team. You better watch out if we compete in a three legged race! :)

I tag Lyla, Courtney, Jenn, Laurie and Kristy!

Some late additions to the 100

101. I have always been fascinated with clogging. I would love to learn how one day.
102. I have never taken a dance class in my life. You DO NOT want to see me dance!
103. I am a pretty sensitive person.
104. However, I cannot cry sometimes when I should, and cry at things I shouldn't.
105. Example: I almost ALWAYS cry when people win things. It can be $100 or $1,000,000. Growing up, we used to listen to Gerry House in the mornings on the Big 98 while getting ready for school. On Thursdays, they would give away $10,000. Never fail, EVERY Thursday I would cry for the people who won because they were so excited and seemed so deserving. I have also been known to cry watching The Price is Right and Wheel of Fortune.
106. I love the Wheel of Fortune.
107. I'm pretty good at solving the puzzles.
108. Can you imagine me as a contestant?
109. First of all, I have such an annoying, high pitched country accent I would put Tennesseans to shame. Secondly, can you imagine if I won? I would seriously need lots of waterproof mascara.
110. I do not like to spend money on clothes.
111. You can probably tell by the way I dress.
112. It does make me feel so much better about myself, however, when I do have new clothes.
113. I like to shop for shoes because my size does not change from season to season. (There are no "fat shoes" and "skinny shoes" for certain days or times of the month!)
114. My shoe size is 5 1/2 or 6. Chad wears a size 15. Where will our children fall?
115. I have had my hair highlighted professionally twice. Once in college, once before I got married.
116. Belle and Natalie tried once about six years ago. My hair turned orange. I don't blame the bad hair on them, it was my idea.
117. I am have been blond since I was little. However, I have jet black eyebrows, so this tends to confuse people.
118. Since I have gotten older and especially since Lawton was born, my hair has gotten darker and darker.
119. I have even heard people describe me as having brown hair. Gasp! (It is brown now, I know, but if you've been blond for your entire life, you still consider yourself as blond.)
120. I could bite the bullet and get highlights like the rest of the modern world, but, once again, I am too cheap.

Since Rebekah told me I should add this addendum, I feel as though I have the right to tag her now! TAG!

100 things you might want to know about me (or not!)

1. I love being a mommy.
2. I love being able to stay at home every day with Lawton.
3. I love the one day a week that he goes to Mother's Day Out.
4. I love that Chad wants me to stay home and works so hard to make sure it is a possibility.
5. I have married the most wonderful, kind-hearted, calm man.
6. I am an extreme extrovert.
7. Chad is an extreme introvert.
8. Since marrying, I have become more introverted and he has become more extroverted.
9. I love things to be organized and for things to have their place.
10. I hate to clean, especially the bathrooms!
11. I don't mind vacuuming.
12. I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate!
13. My all time favorite ice cream is Haagen-Dazs chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
14. I love Sonic.
15. I used to be a Cracker Barrel waitress.
16. I still like to eat there - especially their cornbread with blackberry jelly.
17. I haven't had a caffienated beverage since May of 2004.
18. I can be hyper enough without it!
19. I like to decorate . . . I just wish I had an endless budget! :)
20. I'm a scrapbooker, but have to be in the mood.
21. I like to sew.
22. I like to paint, but again have to be in the mood.
23. I hate for my feet to be dirty - I am never barefooted, even in my house!
24. My toenails are always painted, my fingernails are never painted!
25. You will never catch me out of the house without at least mascara and earrings - never!
26. I played basketball in high school - don't worry if you didn't know this - I was TERRIBLE!
27. My specialty was fouling at the end of the game because I USED TO BE very fast!
28. Everyone used to call me LB, and some still do.
29. Chad will never call me LB because someone unnamed used to call me that.
30. Chad and I both agree that we never would have dated if we met early in college.
31. I'm glad the timing worked out where we could meet and fall in love!
32. I am certified to teach Pre-K through 8th grade.
33. I hope I never have to use the upper end of my certification!
34. I am thankful there are people out there who love middle-schoolers!
35. I was a nursing major until my junior year in college.
36. I finally realized that I would never get over my queasiness of blood and guts.
37. When I see people with bandages that might look like they may have serious injuries, I almost throw up.
38. However, for some strange reason, Anatomy and Physiology (for an entire year) was my favorite class in college.
39. I didn't know the cadavers, they were experiencing no pain, and there was no blood.
40. This is my only explanation for #38.
41. I am glad that my parents didn't freak out for too long after I changed my major.
42. I have the greatest parents - they have always believed in me and told me I could achieve anything.
43. I have the greatest sister!
44. She is pregnant with her first and due in March.
45. We are all excited!
46. I have the best in-laws ever, too.
47. I truly feel as if I am their daughter.
48. I feel as if my sister-in-law, Emily, is my sister.
49. Oh yeah, my three brother-in-laws are great too. :)
50. Chad and I are do-it-yourselfers (with a lot of help from our dads).
51. Sometimes we shouldn't be do-it-yourselfers.
52. We redid our bathroom this summer.
53. I will have to post picture to show you why. Auggghhh!
54. Chad and I did all the tiling ourselves and it was very satisfying . . . in the end!
55. Sometimes on Sunday nights, and only Sunday nights, I will have a coke and popcorn for dinner.
56. My mom used to do this growing up.
57. We went on some fun trips growing up. I hope we will be able to do the same with our family and create some great memories like I have.
58. One favorite was our "Wild West" two week trip.
59. Another was our trip to New England, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
60. Our first trip (besides our honeymoon) was seriously a Chevy Chase National Lampoon's disaster vacation.
61. It's funny now, but wasn't then.
62. Ask me about it sometime, it's too long to blog.
63. Chad and I love NYC and have been there so many times.
64. Camp Shiloh is near and dear to our hearts.
65. I was very close to moving to NYC, but I met Chad.
66. I don't regret my decision to stay! :)
67. I know that God has a plan for my life - and that thought is so exciting!
68. My biggest fear in life is that something will happen to Chad or Lawton.
69. I don't consider myself a worrier.
70. Unfortunately, I can be pretty anal about certain things.
71. I have loosened up a lot.
72. I also consider myself pretty laid back in certain aspects.
73. Is that a possibility?
74. I like to bake, especially for other people.
75. I never bake for us, because I am the only one who would eat it. (Chad does not eat desserts). Therefore, I cannot blame the whole pie disappearing on anyone else. Lawton??? No.
76. I taught at a Montessori school for three years and loved it.
77. I felt like people think Montessori methods are strange, and therefore thought I was strange.
78. It is excellent for early childhood education.
79. I would send Lawton to a Montessori school when he turns three, but 1) they are so expensive and 2) I couldn't bear to send him to school five days a week yet.
80. I like to dip Wendy's fries into a Frosty. You should try it!
81. I have a newly found taste for turnip greens. . . but have no idea how to cook them. I just order them from Cracker Barrel.
82. I love to watch the Yankees play, espcially in the playoffs.
83. Green is my favorite color.
84. I have only "owned" two cars in my life.
85. My first car was a "tin can" black '88 Chevy Nova.
86. I gave it back to my parents when I bought my '00 gold Honda Accord which I still drive.
87. Cars are not important to me.
88. I only know what a handful of my friends drive, I just don't pay attention. Sorry!
89. I am very intuitive about other things and notice details that most people wouldn't.
90. I can't wait to take Lawton to Disney for the fist time.
91. We don't have a trip planned.
92. My favorite movie was, and I guess still is, Annie.
93. My favorite book growing up was Little Women. I still remember where I was when I read about Beth. (I won't give it away if you haven't read it.)
94. I love to take pictures and looking back at old ones.
95. We are probably the only people we know that doesn't have a digital camera.
96. I love my film camera!
97. I am so ready for cool weather!
98. I have gotten too addicted to blogging in the past month and a half.
99. I am glad that I started, though, because I have been able to catch up with so many friends!
100. Hopefully you haven't been too bored by my writing!

I tag Candie, Kristy, April and Karie!

It's a wonderful thing!

Lawton really is a good little boy. He CAN entertain himself for short amounts of time, but I often hear "Mommy, come play trains with me." "Come play cars with me." "Come play animals with me." and so on . . . Well, Saturday, I was putting some summer clothes away and fall clothes in his closet since it was so nice and brisk outside (but alas, the cool air only lasted a day or so). Lawton was right there with me, playing with toys in his room. He has a little radio/CD player/tape player in his room that we listen to books on CD or tape with. We have read this 200+ page colleceted volume at least 50 times cover to cover. So, needless to say he knows the stories pretty well. Recently, we introduced him to the CD with all the stories read aloud on it. (He loves it, too!) So anyways, he looks at me and says, "I'm going to read a book" and proceeds to start the CD, sit in his chair, and literally listen to every single story. Thirty minutes later, he was still "reading" (on the correct page no less with no "bell chimes" to cue him). And I was able to finish things in another part of the house. What a beautiful moment!

Peas and Carrots

Lawton is such big buddies with his friend, Frances! You could say they go together like "peas and carrots"! Frances came over to play the other day and had so much fun! They are very similar . . . very busy - very, very busy! :) Frances is on Lawton's "speed dial" on his "phone". When you ask him who he is talking to, 97% of the time he will reply, "Fwances!"




I couldn't believe that they actually BOTH stood still, looked at the camera, and even SMILED! :)



All of a sudden, I noticed that it got very quiet, and was honestly worried what the two of them could be doing together. I scanned the playroom - nowhere to be found. I scanned the living room and kitchen - nope. I scanned his bedroom - not there either. Hmmmm . . . where could they be? I went to our bedroom in the back of the house and lo and behold, I find them here, pleased as punch with themselves. Can you see this 25 years from now? :)



For those of you who read the previous post, do you think I have a "womanizer" on my hands? (See #9) I'm just kidding - I know it is all innocent, but I just had to share these cute pics!

Strange but true obsessions of a two year old

Okay, some of these obsessions are not that strange, but keep reading and I am sure that you will see some oddities (at least to us!)

1. Anything related to the Cars movie. Lawton loves his "Wightning McQueen" watch and only takes it off to take a bath. He religiously wears it everywhere, including to bed. His Mater and "Wightning McQueen" underwear are some of his favorites and can often be found carrying two cars in his hands at all times. He has to have one for each hand, of course!

2. Which brings me to obsession number two. . . He ALWAYS has to have something in his hands. When we are leaving the house to get in the car, he desperately searches for the nearest toys to take with him. It is always interesting to see what makes it out the door. :)

3. He is also infatuated with anything "Thomas the Tank Engine". We actually went to see and ride Thomas today . . . (pictures to come) Believe it or not, the only Thomas paraphernalia we have in our house is some underwear (we love our underwear these days) and "Hengri" (aka Henry). Somehow he still knows all engines by name and we can hardly tell them apart.

4. Rain boots and crocs.

5. Watching Little Bear (which is so sweet!)

6. Closing any door, cabinet door, toilet lid, or anything that should be shut but isn't.

7. Doing everything independently . . . Augghh. I saw sweet Mary Kate Fisher today and we were discussing his independence. She says, "Oh, but it is to your glory later." and I say "But it is not to my glory NOW!" He says all the time, "No, I do it 'mysef' , no mommy, you stay right there, don't touch . . . and on and on and on!

8. Which brings me to number eight - he insists on pushing the cart at the store, no matter how full. When we are almost done shopping and the cart is full, people are staring at me thinking "Child Labor Laws!?!" I needed heaps of patience when we go shopping to say the least!

9. Okay - here's the strange but true obsession. He has somehow attached himself to my most recent Parents magazine. He will find it, turn to about the fourth page where there is a two page spread of a Pantene ad with a woman's face and her hair covering the rest of the page, and just stare at it, "reading it" he says. He has done this repeatedly for about a week and a half now. It doesn't end there. At Wal-Mart the other day and then at Target, he has run over to the makeup section (when I haven't even been intending to go there) and will stop, look up and stare at the ads of women over the makeup. Does he already like to look at pretty women? I'm a little worried!

Does anyone else's child/children have strange obsessions? I hope so! Maybe Lawton's obsessions have brought a smile to your face!

Music City Star

Mom and Kathryn got up early and rode downtown just so they could see Lawton's expression when he boarded a train for the first time. It was well worth them boarding the train in the 6 o'clock hour just to ride straight back where they had come from at 8:20 in the morning! Lawton was so excited . . .he loved the ride and he loved spending the day with his Noni and Aunt "Kafryn" (Kathryn). We rode back home alone that afternoon after his nap. We will definitely have a train day again!

Potty training, anyone?

This is the standard attire around the house these days . . . rain boots and undies!

Okay, I know this might be irrelevant to some of you readers, but if you have "potty trained" or will someday soon, keep reading! :) My mother-in-law, Donna, swore that this book written in the 70's was the end-all in potty training. . . she trained her three boys by it and even my nephew, Hunter. She purchased the newest edition of the book back in the spring and loaned it to me. I will be honest, I was a little skeptical because it promises you can do it in one day. Yes, that's right, ONE DAY! So, I did my summer reading on the beach - very enlightening- :) and picked the prime time to try it. A week where we had virtually nothing going on, and it was (and still is) so stinkin' hot that we weren't even going to play outside. It works! Within an hour, he was using the potty, (he never had before) and has not had a single "pee-pee" accident since the very first day! He had several "other" accidents, but most of the time we make it in time! He has only had four "other" accidents since we started training two and a half weeks ago. I will say, I'm pretty proud! For those who want specifics, the title is Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Nathan H. Azrin and Richard M. Foxx. Happy Potty Training!

What a difference a year makes!

With cousins, Houston and Hunter (there was quite a saga over the Mr. Potato Head) in April of 2006 and then a year later on April 14, 2007!

Lawton was not the biggest fan of his first birthday cake, but loves "chokit" cake now!!

Lawton's 1st Birthday: Baby Einstein themed (it was really the only thing he truly loved then . . . see the Einstein caterpillar? ) and then we had a jungle themed 2nd birthday party, hence the hippo!

Thanks to my awesome sister, Kathryn, I am able to reflect and reminisce the changes and differences over the past year. (Let's pretend this is April and we are just celebrating Lawton's 2nd birthday! ;) Thanks for sending me the pics, sis!