Autumn - Fall's Loveliest Smile

I think Autumn has already passed and fall is actually here. It's been about 40 degrees in the morning and about 70 during the day. It's awesome.  The leaves here in Lubbock ACTUALLY CHANGE COLOR, so we are getting some pretty scenery.  And we have had hot chocolate several times.  It's going to be a good season :)  I try to do anything and everything there is to do in Lubbock.  I don't want to miss anything. We're only here for a little longer (unless Jeff gets a job here) so I want to make the best of it.  November so far has been pretty chill, mostly we were in Houston hanging out and then finally home.  But October kept me so busy I didn't have time to even talk about it.

We headed out to the orchard a couple weeks ago to catch the Pumpkin festival.  When we were walking out the door and taking off one of the employees looked at me and my giant belly and asked, "Have you paid for that pumpkin, m'am?"  I actually laughed.  See, I can deal with that kind of comment.  We already had like 11 pumpkins at our house so we didn't actually buy any there, but we did do the hay ride and enjoy some bee stories.  I enjoyed my new camera.  And Jeff. He is such a doll.

Tristan was not so much as interested in the bees as he was eating the honey, and trying to step on the ones that were on the ground.   It was a little embarrassing when the owner is sitting there, giving you a private bee lesson and hand feeding his bees honey.  Who's kid was that!??

Tristan in his little yacht outfit, as my brother calls it. Whatever-he had white leather shoes that had to be worn at least once.  Tristan has been really in love with Daddy lately.  He follows him around and won't leave him alone, he asks to go to "cool" with him all the time, he likes to talk to him on the phone, he just loves his Daddy.  And Daddy loves him.  Jeff takes him "bishing" and brings home little presents for him all the time.  He is always bummed if I do something fun with Tristan and he has to be at school.  We took him to the carnival, the rodeo... the movies, and try to not let Jeff miss anything.

My little pumpkin.  I had all those pumpkins right?  So I set up some mini sessions so they wouldn't go to waste.  Then we carved 10 of them and took them to the pumpkin trail.  I love all the pictures of Tristan the little pumpkin patch.  I am totally biased, but the kid is photogenic.  He must get that from his Dad.  So that sums up October.  Attended every community activity we could fit in our schedule.  Enjoyed lots of pumpkins and caramel apples and Halloween activities.  And then before I knew it, November hit. And now it's past the middle of November.  I keep forgetting how quick life goes by.  We'll have a new baby in about 6 weeks and I am still thinking it's 3 months away.

TBT

**This is from my private blog from last March.  Not much has changed, this little boy loves his Daddy.... this morning when Jeff left he was pretty heartbroken, too.  ****

 

Tristan has really fallen in love with his Dad lately. Anything Dad does, he does. Jeff was packing some snacks for school and was putting them in a ziploc bag. Later that morning Tristan insisted his breakfast be eaten out of a ziploc. He is so dang cute. Later that day he kept asking for Daddy and I was explaining that he was gone. When Tristan finally understood, you could literally see his heart break. He dropped his cheese stick and just cried.  We went and got binky, blanky and his monkey and then I held him til he fell asleep. 

Cowboy Baby

Jeff has been in Ozona all week, so Tristan and I headed home to Lubbock til Daddy got home from the "man camp."   I spent the week ignoring laundry and hanging out with friends.  I also did the yard work (you can see the gate now-not covered in vines!), put some large holes in the wall, had someone come fix the holes, unpacked, repacked, and at some point made cookies.  You can pretty much see it all on Instagram.

 

Anyway, on the way back to Odessa on Saturday night we stopped for a few minutes at the rodeo in O'Donnell.  There was the sweetest cowboy who let Tristan ride his horse.  Tristan hasn't been on a horse before, so he was pretty stoked.  Although now he knows he can ride them I am not sure how this will affect his relationship with the neighbor's horse.  

This last week....

Tristan and I were busy this last week. Jeff started his summer internship and had to go to Dallas all week to train. Tristan and I just hung out at the house, having picnics, going to the park and doing other stuff. We cleaned his room and rediscovered old toys.  I went through photos I haven taken recently and updated my photography blog (you can see my Lubbock Photography site here) ....

and added some new ones of my friend's newborn.  Phew. Newborn pictures are not as easy as they look.  I have never seen this child cry until I came over to take pictures. It was like she knew... she knew the camera was there.  Or it was me :) Probably the later.

And then Jeff got home Friday night and we were pretty thrilled.  Tristan followed him around like a puppy and showed him all his new tricks.  Weekends are glorious now that school is out. Instead of homework looming overhead we spent the day doing whatever we wanted.  Usually Saturday mornings we go for bike rides and stop at garage sales to see if there is any junk we don't need.  Everyone always laughs and gets a kick out of Tristan's bike seat.  One lady said she recognized Tristan and kept insisting she has seen him before.  Then she described Jeff, said, "He looks just like his Daddy, right? I've seen them at Target."  It was pretty funny.  We went to the airshow, biking, the bakery, shopping, cooking... it was great.  This coming week will be pretty interesting.  Jeff's internship is 120 miles away.  Too far to come home every night but close enough maybe we will on the weekends.  I don't know.  We haven't decided yet.

 

My Buddy and Me

Lately Tristan has been asking for "Dat Dog" to come and sleep with him at night. It makes me just melt a little every time. Tristan has been infatuated with Chunky since day one.  I swear Chunky is the sole reason he walked at 10 months, he would do anything to keep up with that dog.  Now Tristan is all about feeding Chunky, taking him for walks, playing tug of war with him and getting him treats.  It melts my heart when I look over and Tristan stops whatever it is that he is doing to pat Chunky on the head.  Tonight Tristan requested both Fat Dog and Sushi to sleep with him.  Chunky was happily sleeping under my bed (it's been a long day) and I had to drag him out.  When he knows Chunky is coming, Tristan lays down and scootches over on the pillow to make room for Chunky.  Tonight I laid Chunky down next to him and Tristan rolled over, put his arm around him and held him for a minute.  Chunky just laid there.  They were being so cute I ran and grabbed my phone.  I might have blinded them a little with the flash, but hey, it was worth it.  When I said goodnight and closed the door, I could hear Tristan singing to Chunky.

I love those two so much I think my heart will explode.

That Little Booger

It's hard to believe that this little gentleman, the one who was being SO good to little Miss Ava... The one with the charming smile...

Could turn into THIS not even 24 hours later. I was making dinner in the kitchen and he was whining for attention. When he did not get picked up like he wanted, he ran off. He was only gone for about a minute when I realized he was being quiet. A little TOO quite. Normally I'd say silence is golden, but in the case of a little kid, it usually means a disaster. And there he was. In the bathroom. Happily putting on a beard with my mascara.

While I cleaned the beard off the screaming child, I smelled burning.... The water had boiled out of the noodle pot, burning the noodles. I threw them in the sink and opened the doors to let the smoke out. All that did was let in about 20 flies and let a baby and dog out.

It was a good night.

My Little Man

Every day this little baby turns more and more into a boy. He drives his shopping cart into the walls and laughs, he knocks over blocks and laughs, he tackles the dog and laughs, and he tackles me and laughs. Even though he is all boy he is still a sweetheart. He constantly comes up to me for hugs, he loves to be kissed and I love that he loves to be held and sang to every night before bed. Tristan turns the charm on when other people come around. We rode our bikes to visit the horses, and as soon as the owner came by to say hi he started to wave and smile at her, and if that wasn't enough he stuck his hand out to shake hers. And if that wasn't enough he kept smiling at her and trying to get her to get him out of his seat. She ate it up and asked me to bring him back for horse lessons. Little turkey! When we are at the grocery store I always get him a cookie from the bakery right before we check out, and of course, the girls behind the counter already know him and his little "Deet doo" when they give him his treat. He is learning so fast it amazes me. The other day after I changed his diaper he stuck his hand up and said, "Diaper!" So I handed him his diaper, which he took to the trash bag, then took the trash bag to the door, and when I opened the door, he drug/carried it all the way across the street to the dumpster. He is currently, well, not currently but STILL obsessed with keys. Obsessed with unlocking/locking, switching them in his hands and carrying them around. Tristan will get his shoes on when he knows we are going somewhere, if we go for a walk he knows which way the cows are, and he knows which way the neighbor kids live. He loves those girls, when we get out of the van he usually tries to run to their house. He knows EXACTLY where they live and will run the whole way. If Chunky is outside with us, he will stop for Chunky, whistle "Weet woo!" And wave at Chunky to follow. It's cute. He is repeating words so clearly it's adorable. He says:

"Well, well, well..." but it sounds like "Weh weh weh..."

"Go! Go! Go!" And that sounds like "Go! Go! Go!"

"Diaper" sounds like "Diaper" (most of the time)

"Chunky" sounds like "Dunkdee"

"Dada" of course, sounds like "Dada"

"Mama" sounds like "Mama"

"Thank you" mostly sounds like "Deet You"

"You're Welcome" sounds like "Welwum"

"Alright!" sounds like "Awright"

"Cow" sounds like "Mmmmm... cow!"

Horses do raspberries, it's as close as he gets to the noise they make when they blow through their lips...

"Hi!" sounds just like it should, he changes the tone depending on his mood

"Night night" sounds like, "Nigh nigh"

"Hey" sounds just like "Hey!" Which he does to everyone he meets.

He'll mimic most any word you say if he is in the right mood.

He tries to whistle.

Tristan is just adorable. He is so friendly, but he still loves his parents more than anyone else, although Chunky comes pretty close. There have been a couple nights where he hasn't wanted to go to bed and I've put Chunky in his crib. Crying immediately stops and I don't hear a peep from him. Chunky will just curl up and cuddle with him. I think it's his way of showing him appreciation for all the stolen cheese sticks. Of course, I have the smartest and most beautiful child in the whole world. It doesn't hurt that he is friendly and giggles a lot, either. I spend most of my day thinking about him and I usually look at pictures of him in my phone before I go to bed at night. Stinking cute little man.

Twistan's Swirl

It has been brought to my attention on more than one occasion that Tristan has been licked by a cow and licked good. He has had a PERFECT swirl on his forehead from a cowlick since birth. I used to think it was because I ate a lot of Cinnabon's when I was pregnant and was accused of such by many. But after doing some research I can provide you with concrete evidence as to who's fault it really is that he has a swirl on his forehead. Exhibit A:

My Dad, 7th Grade.

EXHIBIT B:

My Dad, 6th grade.

EXHIBIT C:

My Dad, 2nd Grade

Here's an up-close in case you missed it. There it is. The swirl. Present in all 3 photos provided. That's right. My Dad. He did done it! This poor kid never stood a chance. So, from henceforth and herewith, came to pass, and foretold and such, let it be known that Cinnabon did not do such an injustice to my son, but that it was an inheritance from his Grandfather... a crown of glory, if you will, and I should be able to freely eat as many Cinnabon's as I want without worry that it will have permanent effects.

Blogher New York

I've been neglecting this blog a lot lately! It's been hard to find time to keep my other blog updated, be a Mom, be a wife... and somehow vacuum at least once a month. Eesh. I am leaving here pretty soon to go to New York. Without Jeff. Without Tristan. Without Chunky. I'm heading to the popular Blogher blogging conference and will be gone forever. Or at least it will feel like forever I am sure. I haven't spent one night away from Tristan in over 400 days. To be more specific, 478 nights. That's over a year of peekin in on him every night to make sure he's got a blanket on, somewhere around 2,000 diaper changes, a billion kisses and nuzzles and not enough hugs. I don't know what I will do without my little man for 5 nights. Ugh! I am anxious already. I had a million things to do today but I just couldn't seem to get any of them done. I just wanted to play with Tristan and be with him every moment. So we blew bubbles, and went on a bike ride, and chased Chunky, we had snacks and vacuumed.. and when he napped I worked my butt off. I am trying to get in all I can before I leave. I am such a sap, I know. I've worried about every sneeze for so long now I can't help it. A million things keep going through my head, "Will whoever is watching him hold him if he cries?" "Will he throw fits or behave?" "Will he get enough love?" "Will his teeth get brushed (I hope so, that'd be a step up from right now ;)" "Will he get a good nap?" and of course the dreaded, "What if..." I have to keep reminding myself that it will be OK, I love that little booger so much. That being said, I'm still really excited to go. I just tried to figure out my schedule tonight and my head hurts! So much to do, so little time. Really wish Jeff was going, he is so much better at this than I am. Anyway-stay tuned for updates from New York :)

Baby Man's Photo Shoot

Finally got around to taking some pictures of Tristan for his first birthday! Finally, right? Then in the hussle and bustle of things I forgot his cute candles and party hat. I am still kicking myself for that. Grrrr. I had a cute banner for the background, but as soon as it went up the wind ripped it :( Such is the life in Lubbock! But, I think they ended up cute.

My cupcake stand is still in the mail-so I borrowed my sweet friends.  She came along and helped take pictures... gotta love that girl.

Tristan is just the dang cutest little man I have ever met.  I love that little face.  He loved the balloon until he saw the cupcake.

I thought he'd dive right in like he usually does-but this time he was probably more tired than hungry.  He wanted us to hand feed it to him.  Tristan would lean way over and wait til we got it for him. 

I think he is trying to keep his belly out of the frosting.

Oooh I love that little chub.  He is so sweet.  I love how he comes up and hugs me.  I love when he kisses me.  I just love this little boy.

Can you see the glare?  He did not love sitting here!

Wimberly

Last weekend I went down to Wimberly to visit my parents.  They were in town from China.  When I say, "In town" I am using that term very loosely.  Somehow my Dad figured that Wimberly was halfway from Lubbock to Houston.  Um.  Sure Dad.

Ben used the same logic to get us there.  He asked me if I could see a shortcut on the map.  I said, "Yes, but it looks like a very small road, you sure it's not dirt?"  He assured me that his Iphone doesn't pick up dirt roads.  Um.  Liar.   We ended up in the middle of nowhere on curvy, potholey, dirty dirt road.  Thankfully we eventually got to where we were going.... and Ben is never allowed to give suggestions when driving.  That is how I have these pretty pictures of the middle of nowhere.

We stayed in some cabins right on the river.  I thought I'd go down and see the friendly and cute geese.

They were neither friendly, nor cute.  The psycho geese chased me all over the place.

Seriously!  They were crazy.

When they get really mad they put their heads down and charge.  I was tempted to stick around and see if it hurt, but .... I'm not into pain.

Finally my brother came along, and they heard how great his road trips were and they took off, fearing the same fate.

Aside from the crazy geese, the place we stayed was beautiful.  This view of the pool was right out the cabin door.  And this has nothing to do with the picture, but the second night we were there a HUGE thunderstorm rolled in.  The lightening, thunder and rain were crazy.  Just crazy.  I was worried Tristan would wake up, but super champ baby slept through the night both nights, despite being in a new place and having thunder loud enough it set off every car alarm and made you feel like you were in a scene from Jurassic Park.

They had a cute little playground, a place called Pioneer Town full of cute old buildings, and dirt. Lots of it.

Tristan spent the entire weekend covered in and eating, dirt.  He played in dirt. He ate dirt. He sat in dirt. He wore dirt.  He is more boy than any boy I've ever met.  He loved, loved, loved all the attention from being around extended family.  I was super sad Jeff didn't get to go-taking a trip the day before finals is not ideal for him... so he stayed home and studied.

Whitney didn't force feed anyone ice cream, and is somehow weaseling her way into the "Favorite Aunt" spot.  Not cool.  I am going to have to up my game and stop beating the children.

I haven't seen Sierra or Katie in forever!  I am glad they came.  And it was nice to have Sierra there because these two....

Loved seeing their cousin.  They played, played, played and played the whole time.  Pretty cute.

We also spent some time at the Wimberly Days market.  It was a beautiful outdoor garage sale type venue.  There was a lot of really unique and cute things.  I found a plate in an antique shop that I had when I was a kid. I mean, it wasn't the EXACT plate but you know, close.

The girls found a double rocking chair and took turns hanging out in it.  I don't know why Sadie looks like she is crying-she really wasn't. 

Ben asked for a refill of Dr Pepper and we think it came out as Diet Coke.  How gross.  Actually, I don't know why he is making this face.  Whitney took this picture.  She would know. 

While we at lunch Dad entertained Tristan with a game of... "Where'd the bottle cap go!?"  It was never ending excitement.   Lunch was so good-delicious brisket and live music.  The man sang, "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys"... (and don't let your cowboys grow up to be babies!) to Tristan.  It was cute. 

This is how I felt after being in the outdoor market for 3 hours when it got to be 100 degrees. I finally threw a fit and we all went home. Ben never did find his Dr. Pepper sign, but I suppose it just wasn't meant to be. Tristan is actually crying in this picture because he has sunblock in his eye.

This is how I felt after being in the outdoor market for 3 hours when it got to be 100 degrees.  I finally threw a fit and we all went home.  Ben never did find his Dr. Pepper sign, but I suppose it just wasn't meant to be.  Tristan is actually crying in this picture because he has sunblock in his eye.

Eventually the sunscreen came out and he had a blast chasing his applesauce container around the river.

I am encouraging my parents to retire somewhere like this.  We had fun taking a walk around the river. 

Tristan enjoyed everyone carrying him around and being his friend.  He loves big kids.

Whitney caught a turtle.  This was the best picture I could get holding Tristan, who was super helpful in the picture taking department.

We didn't have room in the tiny, tiny car we drove so I couldn't bring a stroller.  Or a baby carrier.  But that's OK, I didn't mind carrying Tristan around the entire weekend.  My back isn't sore at all.  So glad we didn't take the van though.

Tristan, Mom and I all wore neon green so we'd be seen in case Ben decided to lead the group anywhere and we required search and rescue.

And that was our weekend!  It was a lot of fun.  I foresee many  more future trips there... hooray!