Nashville/ Clarksville Trip

After we had a visit from the Florida now Oregon Coles we had our own little trip for spring break. We spent one night in Nashville and 2 nights in Clarksville (just north of Nashville) visiting with my Cousin and her Husband who live there. Nashville and Clarksville are beautiful cities. A lot different than Memphis (not that I don’t like Memphis but I miss the country side and clean big cities.) We went to the Parthenon and to the state Museum the first night in Nashville then crashed at our hotel and ordered pizza for dinner, which was amazing.

He is always so good on long car rides!

 

The Parthenon

 

 Huge doors leading to outside

 Athena Statue

 

State Museum:

We drove around Nashville saw all the cool famous buildings and drove down Broadway. It was too cold to walk around.

The next morning we left for Clarksville to my cousin’s house. She showed us around the city we had Chicago dogs for lunch. We drove up to Kentucky to an Amish bakery but they were closed. The city was cool we learned some neat things about the Amish communities up there.

 

deer in thier backyard

The river walk

Jennifer playing with Brock

Chicago dog!

 

 

The next day we went into Nashville went to the Opry Mills Mall. And had some mexican food for lunch

we had left our strolller in Clarksville so we rented a stroller at the mall. It was fun for Brock!

little auqurium

I tried to take some pictures of the country side on the way back to Memphis the next day. It was snowing and cold which was a lot different than last year!

 

Adam, Christie,Trace and Mckayla come visit!

It was a quick visit but it was fun! We are excited for them, but sad that the Flordia Coles are moving to Oregon to go to school. We will miss being "closer" to family and how much fun we had always had visiting with them. Sorry we didnt get many pictures but I wanted to put up the few I had.

Bathtime

 

 

 Trace had fun taking pictures of us with our Camera. Pretty darn good if you ask me.

Trace and Brock playing.

We had fun playing tag, soccer, races and other things outside with Trace. He loved the little park next to our home.

 

Mckayla and Brock played really well with eachother, they were so cute stealing each others toys.

 

 

We had to go out for some BBQ and Gus's while they were here. One last time together!

 

 

 

Happy Valentines day

Our Valentine’s Day was a little stressful this year, Brock got a bad cold and Michael had tests. So we didn’t do too much, the night before was just awful so I was a zombie all day long. I wanted to do so many things for Michael and FAILED at a bunch. I wanted to get him some cute valentine’s gifts. Fail. I wanted to clean the house all nice for him; that was a fail but he didn’t come home to a disaster either, so maybe half. I wanted to make him cookies; that was a half fail they weren't done when he came home but they were half done. I wanted to make him a nice dinner. Ok that wasn’t a fail I made him stuffed Mexican shells from when Christie made them he’s been asking for them for a while and it turned out good and was almost done when he got home, and I wanted to take cute pictures of Brock for his First Valentine’s day. Ok that was a WIN I was blessed with a photogenic kid even if he’s been sick. So maybe I didn’t fail to bad... It felt like it at the time.

And Michael came home with some sweet surprises for all of us! Win!

 

"Don't Look Bear Mom and Dad are kissing"

"really guys" I want some kisses too!

Pulling at our heart stings

What a cutie! The bear was the first Valentine Michael ever got me. 5 years ago!

 

 
We have been much better this month, we did a lot of praying, we felt like maybe we had started him on table food and "2s" too fast, too much. We started going back to what he was eating before, and he started doing much better, and we have slowly added back the 2s and table food and things have been regular, I think he just needed some time. We also might of figured out the skin problems too. Some babies after they get a fever even just a slight one can get a rash like a secondary infection. He started getting the rashes skin problems after he had shots and has recently has them after he has been feeling better from being sick. He still has dry patches but we just "grease" him up after every bath and change of clothes. So that’s under control.

He has been sick, so sleeping has been rough but I feel like he’s been better still. I don’t get up every time he cries now and he will sometimes just fall asleep. He’s been weaning himself off his binky on his own. So that’s also been helping. We added a nightlight in his room and now he doesn’t freak out as bad. Or maybe that’s just from all the prayers. I feel like Heavenly Father has been blessing us.

helping "Sweep". if he doesnt have the broom he will chase you with the broom.

Love these boys. My Valentines!

Doing some yard work with mom and dad. It was nice to get out, and get rid of some of the leaves.

 

too cute not to share video.

 

7 months old

This month has been a very hard month. Poor little boy has just developed some problems. We have been having a hard time with eczema and dry patches all over his body if I don't lotion him up at least once a day they get worse. They are especially bad on his chest.

We also have been having a hard time with constipation; he turns all red trying to go but his diaper will be empty. It has been trial and error trying to figure out something to help him, mostly error. Even though we do everything that we are told to do.

And because of these two problems and more we have been having a horrible time sleeping. This whole month he has NOT slept more than 4 hours one time. He normally wakes up every 2 hours and he won’t go back down for anything. He was been awake in the middle of the night for about 2 hours 85 percent of this month; (It’s been getting better towards the end of this month) He isn’t happy either. He has also rejected our bedtime routine which normally happens at 6:30 in bed by 7-7:30, but that only happened maybe once a week. He just won’t eat and won’t calm down than just cries and cries and then will stop crying and start playing or will cry and cry and even if we try and calm him down will freak out even more arch his back and scream. He now goes to bed at 9. He still wakes up at 7-8 in the morning and now refuses to take a morning nap. His afternoon nap is only maybe an hour. So instead of getting 12-15 hours a sleep a day like babies normally do; he gets maybe 9. And we get maybe 5, if we are lucky.

I feel like we have tried everything and nothing has helped. I also think he is now aware that he is not by us when he is in his room which also freaks him out. But I have even tried cosleeping some nights just so we can sleep but he will wake up every 2 hours no matter what.

Let’s just say that my mind is completely gone right now so if I don't do something remember something, or I am a little ornery that’s why. I defiantly feel like relationships have been strained. And my house is a horrible disaster.  I dread going to bed every night and trying to put him down for naps which takes up hours. He either ends up crying every day or I do, truthfully it’s both of us quite often. I just hope we can figure something’s out soon before Michael flunks out of school.

So if you are planning to visit us or we visit you let me know if I need to buy you some ear plugs.

Now the Hard stuff is out of the way it’s time for the good stuff. Despite the no sleep he has been growing growing growing!

loves food and he is good at feeding himself!

 

A constant new face!

We learned how to blow raspberries and do it all the time, like all the time. and makes a big mess.

One morning Michael said good morning to him in which he answered with a long raspberry.

We Creep around everywhere, and he can get up on his hands and knees but doesn't move forward.

 

Here is a video of him moving around, he is mad because I took the camera away from him. You can also see how much he loves Super Why.

 

He found his tongue! He loves playing with it.

 

He talks a lot now. he can say Mamama and Daddadad and something along the lines of hayeah! also tatatatata and his normal baby jabbers.

He will beg you for food if your eating.

he flaps his arms around like he is flying

There is probably moe but my sleep deprieved brains can't think of anything at the moment so we will end it with a cute picture of our boy

 

Our big cute boy!