White, Party of 3

White, Party of 3 is now a "Party of 4!"

2009-07-29T23:41:00.003-04:00

Please visit our new blog at whitepartyof4.blogspot.com as we have added one more member to our crazy crew!

Thanks!
Brian, Beth, Garrett...and Lucy Lynn

stacking boxes

2009-07-20T20:15:00.002-04:00

(click on the photo above to enlarge)

today started off a little hectic @ the white house...i had a regularly scheduled OB appt, but had some complications that made my visit a little longer than i expected - did get to see the baby via u/s, so that's always a treat. thankfully, all is well. i'm dilated about 1.5 & the baby looks great...but barring going into natural labor, we're going to be induced on the morning of july 29th - hard to believe we're only 9 days away from meeting the little girl who will turn our *party of 3* into a *family of 4*!

but driving home from the dr & once i knew all was ok, all i could think about were the boys waiting @ home...my B & little G. garrett's completely in love with brian right now...probably 15 (no exaggeration) times a day garrett says, "ma!" (& he waits, totally pauses until i acknowlege him); i say, "yes, garrett" or "what, buddy?"; & G says, "where da?" it's so sweet...he's always asking about his daddy! :-) so when i got home i could tell he was in a particularly good mood b/c he'd had all that alone time w/ brian during the AM.

then my own morning with garrett was sweet too...complete with reading books & stacking boxes. just stacking boxes. it thrilled me to watch him figure out how to do it in order so that he could get all the boxes on there. it cracked me up to watch him *crash* them all down. that's right...no conference calls, no important meetings to go to, no fun new outfit to oogle over w/ the girls @ the office, just watching my 19-month-old be proud of himself for stacking boxes & knocking them over.

i wonder how life will change with two little ones desiring my love & attention each day. i value the experience & advice of many other moms who have been so reassuring as i approach this time. but i am cherishing, relishing every day i have left with just the little man.

& i can't let this post go w/o thanking one of my favorite people - susan b! - for making my life much simpler today...thank you for taking little man with you & the kids to the pool, for feeding him dinner & giving him a bath! you spoil him (& us!)!!! thank you, thank you, thank you for loving on him & treating him to such a special afternoon. love you, girl!

grandparents

2009-07-18T19:02:00.002-04:00

brian's parents were here a few weeks ago. they spent all their time playing with our little man, making life easier for me :-), & allowing brian & i yet another night in town to have a good time with some friends! these photos were shot one evening prior to dinner. & yes, garrett is fully clothed & wet! we turned on the sprinkler & he just ran in what he was wearing! :-)

we're so grateful for the four incredibly loving grandparents (& 2 great-grandmas!) God's given our children. the memories garrett (& our other kids) will make with them will be a blessing & part of the incredible legacy that grandparents get to pass onto their granchildren. thank you - to all 4 of you - grandmom, papa, grammy (mimi!!!) & pop pop for all your loving kindness to us & our little ones.

boots

2009-07-18T09:20:00.000-04:00

one afternoon, waiting on daddy to get home. it was hot outside & G napped in his diaper that day. somehow, the clothes never made it back on but the boots did. i love when he puts these on & just tramps around the house! love this little guy!

happy father's day!

2009-06-21T14:20:00.005-04:00

it's amazing to journey into parenthood. it's amazing to watch your spouse grow into a parent alongside you...for me, my love for brian has increased exponentially since having garrett (& becoming pregnant w/ baby girl).

brian, you're a wonderful in father in so many ways. you give so much of yourself in being a dad by caring for garrett in any way he needs & in the fun ways that will make your relationship with him unique. i know you will be the same with our little girl, in fact we'll see a new side of you as a dad to a daughter, i would think. :-) thank you for giving to our family as a father. we are blessed that you are ours! happy father's day! love, your biggest fans (beth & garrett) :-)

my seasonal color reminds me of my grandfather. the only one i ever knew. as long as i can remember, his yard each summer had marigolds. they make me happy & remind me of the countless days & nights i spent enjoying his laughter (which was endless) & love...being his *jewel*. there's something so incredibly special in the grandparent relationship.

it's amazing to watch your own father become a grandfather to your child (even though I'd watched him with my nephew & niece for years; same with brian's dad & our nephew). but seeing them love your child is a beautiful experience. my dad's very quiet...his play is intentional & patient with garrett...since dad usually finishes a meal first, he's the first to get up & walk w/ the kids in a restaurant, to spend hours upon hours pushing a wagon around or going on long (slow, in garrett's case) walks around their yard. happy father's day, dad - i love you! (garrett 9 months old)

garrett said, "don't even think about moving me from this man's lap!" (garrett 3.5 months old). brian's dad is quite gregarious...he has a special song for garrett ("hurrah for garrett!") & is constantly teaching garrett a new sound or showing him how to ride a broom like a horsey. we love you, gary - garrett can't wait to see you later this week!

after pictures with daddy this afternoon, garrett went on a stroll through our front bed.

dirty, dirty boy!

2009-06-18T19:16:00.001-04:00

with summer temps in full oppression, being outside & getting wet is a fun end of the day activity for our little man. the sun burns bright on the back of our house until close to 5 PM these days, so it's usually a great diversion as we wait for brian to get home as well.

today garrett & i popped out for a while & filled the pool, water table, squirt bottle, etc. but his biggest point of interest was the potted tree on the patio. our sweet friends dustin & kelly jo gave it to garrett for his birthday (six months ago) & for whatever reason, he picked today to go & plow through all the dirt in the pot! this kid just makes me laugh...he had a bath afterwards, but i still had to swab (with safety swabs!) the dirt out of the outer part of his right ear. (click on the picture above for a closer view.)

up tomorrow?...18 month dr visit - boo! - but brian's taking the day off so we hope to have a fun day regardless of the shots & 96 degree temps that are predicted.

my baby love

2009-06-14T13:11:00.005-04:00

my baby love...no, not the little girl in my belly. though, i do love her & am becoming more & more anxious to see her! my first baby love...brian. this september we'll have been an official couple for 15 years...married for 10 in november. & while the road hasn't always been smooth, & while we've had to work (@ some times harder than others) @ our marriage, brian's STILL my favorite person. :-)

before garrett was born, we went away to grand bahama island for several days...a "babymoon". since we were just away with garrett @ the beach last month, we decided simply to spend a weekend in atlanta, just the two of us, b/f baby girl comes on the scene. we realize that the more children we add to our little brew, the more of a challenge our alone time will become. & b/w all the demands currently in our life, we both were dying to get into this weekend - we both needed this time away & with just one another.

i'm so grateful for those couples we have watched be married & parent who are long ahead of us & just ahead of us, walking beside us even. those couples who have been consistent in creating space for themselves - sometimes before creating space to be parents. ultimately, our children arrive b/c of our love for one another...and in the end, they will leave us - with just one another. our goal is to still like each other @ the end of all the *parenting*. :-) i appreciate that brian & i share that vision within our marriage & it's NEVER a struggle to steal us away from garrett for a night, a weekend, a vacation, whatever...to be alone, to be with each other or with our friends.

we had a great time...stayed in Buckhead, ate out every meal, slept in both mornings, sunned by the pool, read, saw a movie, ate junk food (hello, i'm pregnant AND it's vacation), talked about how we missed garrett (of course, come on, we're not heartless!), talked about life with baby girl joining us, napped, etc. the only picture i managed to shoot of us is above...if you know my husband @ all, you'll know where we ended up for dessert on friday night (even though you can't see much of the background).

meanwhile, my mom was a godsend this past week...she arrived wednesday & then stayed w/ G all weekend (all by herself!). on wed, she gave me the gift of a 3 hour nap (am i really that exhuasted?) & on thursday, i snuck away for a mani/pedi that made me feel like a new woman. while she was in, she bathed & changed G every time he needed it, let him play with all the gadgets in her minivan (while it was parked in the driveway, of course), made him a sweet little jon jon for the summer & fed him every meal, made every snack, played outside letting him soak himself in his pool or via a water bottle every trip out! after brunch this morning, i'm not sure who was more sad to see her leave...us or garrett!
after brunch, we stopped for a few pictures...garrett (as you can tell) wasn't really into it. note how GIANT my babydome is! can't believe that little girl has more weeks of growing to do. she's a pushy one, i can already tell ya! kickboxing me 24-7! :-)

garrett & grandmom on the swing at kimball hall.

garrett's 18 months!

2009-06-09T09:44:00.006-04:00

garrett's little personality has just exploded in the last month or two...we hear a new *word* out of him every other day. we find new things that he wants to explore or attempt just about every single day! he laughs @ himself, he loves making us laugh & mocking us.

one of the cutest things he's done lately is grabbing his belly & saying 'ow, ow'! he's doing this b/c baby girl really really really hurts me when she kicks me. truly, painful. garrett didn't act like that when he was in there! so...he scowls (but often smiles while scowling), presses both hands on his belly (or mine) & says, "owwww! owwww!" CRACKS us up!

he loves to play outside! & is such an active, sweaty little guy when we're out there. he's reached the point that he'll cry when we bring him inside. he loves to push light switches up & down, turn anything on & off basically.

happy 18 month birthday (yesterday, sorry we're a little late), little monkey!

(top photo: just playing in our bedroom one afternoon, G was totally laughing @ himself b/c he was playing w/ an old alarm clock & plugging & unplugging it...thought that was hysterical!)

check it out...not the first skinned knee, but the first one that bled all the way down his shin. poor baby!

still checking out that knee!

alright, mowing on...

@ our neighborhood cookout the kids were in a little parade...we didn't actually get around to decorating G's stroller, but he did manage to blow kisses all along the way to his adoring public.

G loves, loves, loves our sunglasses. this is his first *real* pair...last year's *baby* pair have the strap & he gets hung up taking them on & off - so needless to say, these are a hit - when they're on...or off, actually.

too bad that bubble mower doesn't really cut the grass!

so excited to be on the mow!

no joke...every day when B comes home from work, G is certain to make sure that B's bops (aka, socks) must come off. he takes off the shoes, pulls the *bops* off & then wants to shove brian's shoes back on. here he's pointing @ the shoes, ready to start the process. :-)

mom's $28 mistake

2009-05-19T22:18:00.009-04:00

the temps have been cooler here. i didn't pack garrett a single long-sleeved item! no jacket, no shirt, no pants! lesson learned...it DOES still get cool @ the beach on occassion. of course, brian didn't pack one for himself, either, so...garrett & brian both scored new t-shirts this week. how is that garrett's only costs $2 less than brian's??? they get away with crazy prices around here, for sure.

but...our day was still lovely...this AM, garrett slept in until 8:30 (which is 9:30 eastern!). the nicest part? brian & i did too (do you sense the recurring sleep theme in my blog posts about this vacation?)!!! we hit the beach after breakfast & little guy was like a maniac trying to dive into the cool water. we were out on a sandbar where he could walk around w/ minimal waves & he wanted to just go face forward into the water. we were fighting to keep our hands on him!

after lunch the dude slept for a 3.5 hour nap...meanwhile, brian biked up to the local gas station for a can of *fix a flat*!!! when we returned from the beach, we realized that the truck has a flat tire. argh! real life - even on vacation. so it goes, right? just a little reminder that tomorrow we'll be heading out of here & back to reality.

btw, top shot...@ dinner tonight, garrett kept mashing banana into his hair. brian wiped it off w/ a warm rag & then shaped it into a faux-hawk. hahahaha! garrett thought it was pretty funny too.

@ the beach today, this was garrett's favorite thing to do! we were sitting in our seats & he snagged the set next to us.

family shot for today...garrett doesn't quite grasp the concept of smiling @ the camera when no one's behind it!

little man is seriously YELLING down @ the people on the balcony below. the funniest part? they just started talking back to him. i think he's talked to, waved @ or blown kisses to everyone staying in RB this week!

hhhmmm...daddy looks pretty cool sitting up there...

...so i have to climb into the chair & be like daddy.

a slow, quiet day

2009-05-18T21:10:00.008-04:00

the day started out with cool temps...so we went for a walk after breakfast. after the AM nap (once again family nap!) we headed to the indoor pool...garrett played IN the pool for an hour & a half! he mostly loved watching the bigger kids being thrown into the water/around the pool by their dads, blowing kisses to older women (ages 6ish-40ish) & squirting a little plastic frog!

after lunch, garrett hit the hay (we managed not to go to sleep once again, though) & brian went for a bike ride around rosemary & i spent some time relaxing with a book (it's 'twilight' & i've started it for the third time...despite the hype, i'm still not totally convinced it's a *good* book...we'll see).

the weather finally cleared & we made it onto the beach & to one of the other pools in the community. they were both short lived little trips as it was getting late in the day. but we had so much fun today...seeing all sorts of fun things about garrett's personality; listening to the little man jabber on to everyone he sees, talking to them just like he does to us...enjoying a leisurely dinner of takeout, just me & brian...it's so nice to be in such a beautiful place...enjoying my boys...

garrett's ALWAYS on patrol...checking out everyone & everything...from other kid's sand castles to their moms laying on the beach to the giant poodles on the boardwalk.

garrett & mommy in the pool @ day's end...can you tell? mommy's tired...once again, baby girl is on the MOVE in my belly...tiring me out.

this is one tired & hungry little baby! but still...so freakin' sweet!

on the move...always...all boy

2009-05-17T20:47:00.013-04:00

our morning started around 6:45...which is about 45 minutes past G's usual start time if we were on EST. after breakfast, we walked around rosemary & down to the beach - garrett's first view of the ocean.

after his AM nap, we went to play on the beach...and play we did - for 2.5 solid hours! brian & i were playing zone defense b/w garrett & the ocean...that kid ran around, wanted to dive into the water, no fear, splashed in waves - either in our arms or running into them himself, ate some sand, played in a little tidal pool, made a friend...he was exhausted by the time we left & headed back for a nap.

this afternoon after nap (yes, we ALL napped! so freakin' wonderful!), we took garrett down to the fountain...it shoots water up out of the ground. little man's favorite part was that he could press the button himself to start the fountain! he LOVED it & was sooooo proud of himself that he would press it & magically the water would shoot up.

i can't tell you how much time we spent chasing this kid today, though. he is so, so, so on the move. such a boy...that's what you'll see in so many of our pics...he will just not sit still. :-) every time he gets up & we get ready, he starts getting so excited & ready to go out the door (in addition, being outside is his favorite thing in the world right now).

checking out the water with daddy...see how even then he was so ready to jump in that water?

playing in the tidal pool with his new friend, parker.

those are my boys! we had taken a break for lunch & garrett showered daddy w/ some love. i can't tell you how many times today we've said, "i love him so much!" in reference to something garrett's done or just in talking about him in general...that boy has our hearts!

family photo...check out the BELLY (on mommy!). this baby girl is being WILD in my belly - not just when i'm resting; ALL the time!

pressing the button to start the fountain up! when you're 17 months old, this is some serious fun.

our baby sweetness running through the fountain.

running through the fountain & again, away from us!

we were intending to play in the grass park in front of our condo...garrett intended to run away from us. again. :-)

we're on our way

2009-05-16T22:09:00.005-04:00

headed off on our first family vacation this morning...we've made *trips* before with garrett, but not a fun vaca, just the three of us. wanted to make it happen for us b/f baby girl arrives. the photo of garrett in his car seat is so sweet...he loves when we count 1, 2, 3 & then raise our arms & yell "wheeeee"!!! we were on our way!!!

little man only slept about 45 minutes today...but was an amazing trooper on our 7 hour drive! plus, he was a little angel until his bedtime tonight...an hour past the usual time. sweet boy! love him!

"momma, let's go to the pool!!! get a move on...wait, can you get this banana off my face first?"

"this elevator's holding up my pool time. let's get this show on the road, people!"

i'm the lucky one

2009-05-10T22:54:00.008-04:00

i feel so lucky. to be garrett's mom, mom to Baby Girl growing in my belly. i'm also lucky because i'm sharing the incredible journey of parenthood with brian. he & garrett made today so special for me...it's been a wonderful mother's day! i am so thankful for my mom, becky, & brian's mom, martha. we're blessed to have them be such an active part of our lives & garrett's. we love you, mommas! :-)

below are some pictures of garrett late this afternoon. recently @ my friend christy's house, garrett found the water bottle that she uses to flatten her boy's *bedhair* every morning - he loved it & had sufficiently sprayed himself & her carpet pretty well by the time we left. i picked up a bottle for garrett @ the dollar store this week & let him take it outside today...as you can see, he can't quite grasp the concept of doing anything beyond spraying it directly in his face!

logo recognition

2009-04-06T22:45:00.003-04:00

a few weekends ago, brian suggested we hit Krispy Kreme for breakfast on a saturday morning...of course, i put up a fight (right) & eventually gave in. :-) we picked up some mini's...KK's new marketing strategy in which you actually consume MORE doughnuts b/c they're just so easy to walk by & pop one in your mouth!

thought we might see what garrett thought of them...well, he LOVED them. he held them like a little sandwich. he GOBBLED it down...then any time he walked through the kitchen he would point to the box, grunt & sign 'eat' to us! he totally recognizes that KK logo & wants IN that box. i finally had to hide it in the pantry!

soooo...b/w KK & Goldfish...garrett's already being *influenced* by all those dang logos! it's fun to watch our little guy experience new things...especially when they make him happy & he just laughs & laughs & laughs!

our not so happy leprechaun

2009-03-18T09:22:00.001-04:00

garrett had a not so happy day yesterday (& monday, for that matter). when he woke up from his nap yesterday afternoon, he was running a temperature. but...it WAS st. patrick's day & i HAD to get a picture of my little man in green...well, you can see how successful it turned out. :-)

here's to hoping luck's on our side & today's a better day!

the white's are tickled PINK

2009-03-04T09:30:00.004-05:00

according to an ultrasound tech & a perinatologist, baby white #2 is a GIRL! no one's more surprised than me & brian! b/f i even knew i was pregnant, i dreamt it was a girl...but just figured we'd have another boy.

but friday night when we opened that envelope to see that they had written, "congratulations! it's a girl!"...i literally didn't stop laughing. i mean, i just kept on laughing!!!

brian's over the moon w/ excitement over having a girl...& i have to admit, i'm VERY intimidated by it. i am happy that we'll have one of each, but i love my baby boy & would've loved another little man running around here. but it's incredible to know that our daughter is the gift that God's designed for our family; it's a second born girl that God will use to grow me & brian into the people & parents He wants us to be.

& while last week was frought w/ excitement over the *girl* news...last week was also an amazing journey in mine & brian's marriage & our faith. last tuesday AM my OB called to let me know that my blood levels showed high markers for down's syndrome. (apparently - we've learned - this test has a very high false positive rate & now know so many who have walked this same journey.) so thursday AM we had a level 2 ultrasound @ the hospital to check it all out.

our prayer in the 48 hours b/w that call & the perinatologist talking w/ us was NOT that the baby NOT have down's syndrome. i fully believe if that's the course God charted for us, this child & our families, then it was going to be what it was. our prayer was simply that we face the test & the future w/o fear & w/ peace. knowing that the author of perfect peace was simply asking us to look up. to rest in Him. we had a small circle of friends & family praying over us...& we felt such extreme peace driving to our test, in the midst of it & even as the dr spoke w/ us. we know that it was a divine experience. knowing that nothing the dr was going to say that day would take away our peace. that if the diagnosis was yes, then we would begin to process through that & educate ourselves for the future & for our baby. if it was no, it was no.

& while the dr did say there were no obvious signs that our little girl has down's, we are going to repeat the u/s on april 1 (not a joke!) just to confirm. but i have to say, it still doesn't matter. she's ours, He's in control & we are just so grateful for the journey...for the opportunity to have our faith strengthened & to be reminded of just how powerful our God is!

well...i can't leave you w/o posting some pics of our little man...he's getting SOOOO big it seems (almost 26 pounds now); runs just about everywhere he goes; points to things he's not supposed to have/do & says "nah, nah" (translated: no, no) & shakes his hand back & forth; he loves bringing you a book to read to him & curling up into your lap; i've watched him recently instigate games w/ other kids his age; he's begun to cry @ the church nursery when we leave (yes, we leave anyway!) & sometimes when we leave the house...he is SUCH a joy & an enormous bright spot in our days!

garrett sporting the mardi gras beads our sweet neighbors gave him!

reading w/ my mom on her recent trip here to visit with us.

our baby valentine

2009-02-14T22:30:00.002-05:00

garrett is our little love...i took these pics to make a few valentine's...they are just so sweet (i had to stick a bandaid on his thumb to get him remotely still, though - and that was WITH brian helping me!!!).

our little valentine is 14 months old now...running all over the place. so sweet. such a little flirt, smiling & *winking* at people in restaurants & stores everywhere we go. he babbles constantly, and we even know a few distinct words - ba for ball, ba for bottle, baba for baby (ok those all sound alike but we generally know what he means!) :-)...he's definitely got the mama & dada down. do is dog - no more hu for huck. he zooms his cars along the floor making a *car* noise. he says something that sounds like "tickle, tickle, tickle!"...probably b/c we say that as we're tickling him all the time. he has a rocking horse in his room...which he can now climb onto the back of & STAND UP! did i say how busy he is? :-) he's all boy...when he's awake, he's full force - we love it!

so...happy valentine's day! we send you love, hugs & kisses from our little valentine to you!

silly garrett

2009-01-27T15:28:00.003-05:00

our child is constantly cracking us up. saturday night we returned from the gym, fed G & i was letting him crawl up the stairs to clean up (please don't judge me: a second post where the poor kid has a dirty face!) & go to bed.

on the way up the stairs, he grabbed brian's goggles (brian had been swimming @ the gym) & tried to put them on his head...the pictures above resulted. hahahahaha...he looks like a little super hero or something. he's obsessed with putting on my sunglasses now too...the best part is that he often puts them on his head - how i end up wearing mine around the house half the day, i'm sure.

we have a walker!

2009-01-24T11:25:00.006-05:00

yesterday marked a monumental occasion in the white house...garrett is officially walking. all over the place. he goes fast. then he does a mummy walk. sometimes it's on his tip toes. but for the most part he's able to get exactly where he wants to go. from a walking/standing position, he's able to bend down & pick up his fireman hat or bowling ball & just keep on trucking - it's amazing!

he's also packing in food like nobody's business this week. clearly, the child doesn't miss many meals, but he's been like a trash compactor all week. as a family, we're kind of turning into a *waffles on saturday morning* kind of crew. last week it was blueberry waffles, today chocolate chip. AFTER garrett ate his usual breakfast of milk, oatmeal & banana...he ate 1/4 of a thick, giant chocolate chip waffle. his face & hands show the evidence - holy moly! he would've eaten more had we offered it to him. earlier this week he ate an entire grilled cheese sandwich, half the chicken out of my salad & half of a giant cookie! my goodness...no wonder we're @ 25 pounds & counting! now...granted, *most* of what he consumes are delicious veggies & fruits, but man...he consumes ALOT!

& i had to include one of G kissing...he loves, loves, loves to kiss!!! this is one morning he wanted me to lean in so he could kiss me (he pulls us down to his face quite often, just to kiss us!). i'd just gotten out of the shower, my wet hair pulled up, but he made me feel like a million bucks! :-) he'll kiss our hands when we're feeding him, our feet when they're propped up, my belly when we're playing in the floor, our lips & cheeks...he'll also kiss other children (random strangers, mind you) & pretty much anyone we instruct him to kiss...he's a bandit...look out this valentine's day!

white, party of 4!!!

2009-01-20T17:03:00.003-05:00

soon enough...our blog name will have to change...

we found out in early december (just b/f garrett's first birthday) that baby white #2 is on his/her way in early august (due date is officially aug. 7; which makes me about 11.5 weeks along)! we are excited & certainly feel blessed beyond belief to be entrusted by God with the life of another child. we also feel a bit nervous about all that life with 2 under 2 will bring (garrett will be around 20 months when Itty Bitty - as we're calling this one - comes along)! it will be fun, it will be challenging & it will be yet another chapter in the amazing journey of parenthood.

we hope that 2009 is off to a great start for you & yours!
the white's...all 4 of us!

ps - yes, i took 3 tests. i was shocked. i had to be sure. :-)

sweet boys

2008-12-31T19:16:00.000-05:00

brian's parents bought their grandsons matching PJs this christmas - i found it very cute & clever. of course, we couldn't let christmas eve pass w/o taking a few shots of them in their new jammies together. cousin J is four & oh so patient with little garrett - it's quite sweet, as garrett was mostly fascinated w/ what J received for christmas & not what he (well, I) had unwrapped for him.

hope that each of you have enjoyed the amazing gift of family & friends this christmas season!

merry christmas, from the white house!

2008-12-23T10:24:00.005-05:00

hope that you & yours will enjoy this christmas season! & we wish you all the best in 2009!

with love,
beth, brian & garrett

ho, ho, ho!

2008-12-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

garrett LOVED his first visit with santa...he didn't cry - he smiled @ santa, it was so sweet! & we were able to capture this precious shot! merry christmas, everyone!

happy birthday, garrett!

2008-12-08T22:11:00.004-05:00

a year ago today, mine & brian's lives were changed forever. Garrett DeArmon White came on the scene @ 12:26 PM, weighing in @ 7 pounds, 4 ounces, 20.5 inches long. i remember being so tired and so happy and so delirious with emotion. i remember thinking he was the most beautiful thing i'd ever seen in the entire world. and that i wanted to hold & love him forever.

every parent says it, but truly...where does the time go? you look at a year & wonder where your little tiny munchkin went...you know, the one you gave birth to in the hospital? the one you picked up out of his crib for midnight feedings those first few months...the one that snuggled on his boppy & slept contentedly there for an hour or two? it's too quick...the *little itty bitty* stage didn't last long enough.

while i am *sad* to be entering toddlerhood b/c it means my *baby* is not so much a baby anymore, i am amazed @ how he continues to develop. that he says "mmm, mmm, mmm" in response to us teaching him "ho, ho, ho" - that while he doesn't say the words, he does the same inflection. i'm amazed each time he eventually picks up on a new sign & does it back to me - like "eat" and "all done" this month. i crack up when he pulls his shirt up by the hem (exposing his large belly!) to play peek a boo with us. i laugh when we're talking to new or old friends & he leans into that person, sucks his thumb, wraps his other arm around them & lays his head on their shoulder. the things that make him laugh, make us laugh even harder. he is garrett. he's coming into his own. he's aggressive. he's very verbal. he is social & loves watching people. he is the joy of our day. we love you, little one...we've had so much fun celebrating your first birthday...remembering all that happened a year ago today...we look forward to all of the future celebrations we'll have with you & seeing you grow into a man of character and faith.
since garrett can't blow out the candle, well...mommy & daddy have to.

once we showed him how, he dove in!

cousin clay & garrett check out the loot!

garrett *helped* me open presents for about 3 minutes!

our little man on the day he was born.

our sweet pea the morning after his birth.

mommy snuggling into the new man in her life!

finally @ home...a family of 3!

laughter

2008-11-27T22:38:00.001-05:00

i'm thankful that i have a husband who is above all a man of character, truth & loyalty. who is faithful to God, me & our son. i'm thankful that he helps to create a home filled with laughter & joy for me & for garrett. i'm thankful that despite my flaws, he continues to try & make our marriage better than it ever has been. thank you for giving so much in this last week, B. you know precisely what i mean. :-)

i'm thankful for a little boy who is the light of my days. even on the bad days; those days that are personally trying for me. that he's learned to *kiss* me & his stuffed monkey this week...even if it is with an open mouth & his tongue sticking out! i'm thankful for his cute little smile & giggles. that he loves being chased & squeals, @ what you can tell is the mere thought of it.

i'm thankful for dear friends...like the four who sat around our dining room table @ various times today. we're so blessed by your friendship...the ways you all love & care for us & garrett.

to all of our friends & family who we didn't celebrate with today, please know how grateful we are for the investment you've made in our lives. we look forward to seeing many of you in the month to come!

unwell

2008-11-21T13:56:00.003-05:00

it's amazing how sad it is when your baby is sick. they can't tell you what's wrong. you often don't know what to do for their illness or how to comfort them. there's this prevailing sense that they're just *unwell*.

that's been the story of our lives this past week & a half. garrett started in on a virus last tuesday...brian picked it up by thursday...they both got over that & were coughing & snotty by monday. they're *still* coughing & snotty on friday.

fortunately, i managed to avoid it. but garrett's been overly fussy & clingy. in ways that - through caring for him & for brian, even, last week - have pushed me to my outer limits. i just don't know what to do sometimes. i feel incompetent & frustrated. not so much w/ garrett as w/ myself for not knowing what to do to make it all better.

i try to remember...i'm still new @ *this*. i've tried to equate my feelings of inadequacy to the ones i felt early on in my career...that i no longer felt after 10 years of being a professional...but that now, as a parent, i'm starting over. this is a new phase in my life. so these feelings are natural, right? thank goodness for several sweet friends who in the last week have helped me step back, try not to take it so seriously, stop being so hard on myself & offered their own life experiences as moms & human beings to help me through. susan s, KJ, stephanie & lee...you rock my world, thank you for listening & encouraging.

this photo was an attempt @ humoring myself one afternoon. after garrett's bath, i toweled off his hair vigorously to see if it would stand up. it did! :-)

happy (belated) 11 month birthday, little dude!

2008-11-16T22:46:00.003-05:00

gare bear was 11 months old on november 8. we've been delayed in posting our pics b/c a virus of epic proportion hit the white house this week. garrett & brian were both down & out much of the week. the little guy's still trying to recover but i really hope we're on the mend!

can't believe that we're getting so close to g's first birthday. but in the last month he celebrated his first halloween (as a monkey!), attended his first neighborhood bash, went to our 10-year college reunion with us, hit his cousin jackson's 4th birthday party, really started shaking his head "no-no" & definitively signing "more"; he's starting to let go of cruising & taking some *lunging* steps @ us.

his biggest feat in the last month? climbing the bin of books in our bedroom to then STAND on our TV table & bang the top of the television...i was in our bathroom & thought "that doesn't sound right!" i came around the corner to see him lift the second leg onto the table. we've got a climber, people!!!

his monthly monkey picture was once again a challenge this month - even w/ brian here helping me...these pics kind of show the progression of me chasing him around all angles of our bed & brian trying to get him back into place - holy moly - baby on the move!!!

falling leaves

2008-11-07T13:36:00.000-05:00

i told him he wouldn't like the taste of that leaf, but he had to go on & taste it anyway! geeessshhh...kids!!! :-)

happy fall, everyone!

2008-11-06T13:29:00.000-05:00

denise tagged me today!
i had to blog about the 4th photo found in the 4th file. the way picasa organizes it, it was a very old folder for me. it's new year's eve last year. we had just given garrett a bath & were settling in for the night. he looks so small here & it makes me sad...i yearn for the days when he was so tiny & i was nursing & he loved being on the boppy & talked to (ie, stayed relatively still!). why are babies only tee-tiny for such a short, short period of time?

can you tell i have the baby itch? :-)

happy halloween, little monkey!

2008-10-31T19:55:00.005-04:00

no surprise, right? that our little monkey dressed as a monkey for halloween! thanks for the tip, beth, on the old navy costume - it was perfect! we thought he would hate having the headpiece on, but no problem! the pants didn't want to stay strapped around his feet, though.

tonight we went out for about an hour & saw some other friends trick or treating & then visited the homes of some others. garrett loves being around people, so i think seeing all the kids & pets out was the highlight of his first halloween!

in the stroller, all ready to go!

garrett's first official trick or treat @ ed & linda's house!

ed & linda are wonderful neighbors & friends (more like family!). linda was garrett's nanny for a few months when i went back to work.

garrett with bret tenny...bret & his wife (linda - we missed you tonight!) are ROCK STAR parents - we want to be just like them (& have our kids grow up to be just like theirs!).

garrett & daddy @ the lammers house.

garrett was getting so tired by the end of the night!

happy birthday, brian!

2008-10-27T09:38:00.004-04:00

happy 32nd birthday, brian!

garrett & i are wishing you all the best on your very, very special day. you are an incredible man & i am beyond blessed to call you my husband. you are probably the kindest person i know & while i do believe in the fall of man, sometimes i wonder if it somehow missed you? :-) you love people in ways that i fail to do. you are a loyal & tender friend, husband, son & father. you want to see the best in the world & in those around you. you show others unconditional acceptance without judgment. you're one of those people that others are lucky to know because you bring such a beautiful light into their world.

so, thank you (for more than 14 years!) for loving me in spite of myself. thank you for the sense of humor you bring to our life together. thank you for the time you have taken to love our son & be a great dad to him. thank you for setting an example for me of how to be a better human being! thank you for giving so much of yourself to our families & friends.

i love you & am praying that the year to come will be an amazing one for you! all my love...

PS...i've posted some pictures that sort of celebrate who you are...the goofy & fun-loving parts of your personality! hope you (& everyone else!) will get a kick out of these!

top photo: 10 year college reunion @ milligan this past weekend.

mother's day 2007 with your mom, michael, julie & jackson...we had just told your fam we were pregnant!

THE PUNISHER!!!! your birthday last year as you were heading out to play paintball with the boys!

you & dustin laughing @ who knows what one night @ pure.

your rally cap @ the cubs vs. braves game in chicago last summer! didn't work...

one night @ dinner in costa rica. nov 2006

camping with dustin & kelly jo...just a note of self-improvement: contribute more around camp. :-) fall 2006

@ the windham's for t'giving dinner. nov 2006

brian & some of the girls from his old job! this makes me giggle!

we had just found out we were pregnant! it was our secret still! april 2007

you & your bro being crazy @ jackson's birthday party this past weekend.

dear friends

2008-10-16T22:13:00.004-04:00

it's not often in life that you come upon people you find so genuine, so real that you are overwhelmed by their friendship, their light. brian & i have been blessed...a few times...to encounter these relationships, to count these people as our dearest & best friends.

dustin & kelly jo are two of those people. they stand out. they are different. they are different from us in ways that challenge us. they are similar to us in ways that hold us accountable & give us the reality checks we so desperately need.

and i don't think that often enough we publicly (or privately, for that matter) praise our friends, so i just wanted to take a second to do that!

the past year or so has been tough for us with brian's job. the funny thing is...we were in TX - w/ D & KJ, visiting both their families - when this opportunity presented itself in our lives. they've literally lived this journey with us every step of the way. tonight was a hard night for brian - a night that was raw with emotion & challenge, work wise. we were out w/ D & KJ & they watched B experience this & then encouraged him & counseled him in ways that showed their support, in ways that really mattered. it made me think of the following passage from ecclesiastes 4...

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

i couldn't even begin to outline here all the ways that God providentially put these 2 INCREDIBLE people in our lives. i can't begin to list the amazing ways they have loved & supported us through so many changes. how they have loved garrett & walked with us through becoming parents, despite not being parents themselves!

so to dustin & kelly jo...thank you for simply being who you are. two beautiful people who are gifts to our family. you are a credit to your people. ;-) we love you both - words could never express! thank you for tonight - as always - for the fellowship, for the laughter, for the honesty. we're better people b/c you are our friends.

a day off with daddy

2008-10-14T08:51:00.006-04:00

garrett & i were so happy that brian had columbus day off & we could head up to the foothills for our *true* pumpkin patch experience! it's always fun to have an extended weekend together! plus, we missed brian on sunday since he was able to go away with a group of guys for a mountain biking experience in TN! brian's been working *very* hard & it was good to see him take some time for himself that day.

so here's a visual recap of our time at the pumpkin patch...

much of the time, baby G was more interested in the cool mulch than the cool pumpkins!

garrett's *definitely* a people watcher!

his head looks like a little punkin'!

what did you say, daddy?

what is going on here????

sweet, sweet, sweet! daddy & garrett

my parents stuck me in this wheelbarrow to try & contain me...

but i think i can escape!

if i could just see inside this thing...

mommy & garrett

garrett loved being up on this tractor!

peeking out from behind the wheel!

finally...someone can actually take a decent picture of the 3 of us!

garrett is 10 months old!

2008-10-09T21:20:00.004-04:00

i feel like every month is just flying by now...that we're just simply *too* close to his first birthday! (which i have already started planning!) garrett was 10 months old yesterday!

this month we had a trip to NC to see beth's family, numerous outings to the park, a visit from grandmom & clay while brian was in CA. garrett started saying "uh oh!" & "Hu" which is short for Huck (our dog) - he says it every time huck barks or scratches @ the door, when he points to huck! he plays little games with us, like peek a boo. he loves to fly around here in his walker - chasing us or being chased by us! he loves the animals in the murals in his room now - we point to each one when he wakes us & say what animal it is & the sound it makes (he especially loves brian's pig noise!).

he also discovered that he can *look* under a door, as well as stick his hand under some - like from the main bathroom into the potty room! ha...despite being moderately disturbing, it's pretty funny to see those little fingers trying to figure out where you went & get into where you are! garrett's also cruising around *everything* in full effect...plus, every now & then he simply stands on his own!

clay, garrett & emma...this was like wrangling cats! it's the best pic i got of them all weekend!

garrett with grandmom & papa.

@ a local pumpkin patch (practicing for our *real* pumpkin patch visit on monday!).

one set of garrett's halloween PJs...he's a spider baby!

this picture was nearly impossible to take - he is FAST!

i can't believe i got one that's *remotely* good!

i love fall

2008-10-07T17:24:00.002-04:00

i love fall. it's pretty much always been my favorite season. i love the crisp feeling in the air. i love pumpkins. i like halloween. i like apples. i love festivals. i love pie. i love the cool nights. i HEART the amazing afternoon weather, particularly in the south - the right mix of sunshine & cool breeze, with the leaves starting to find a tint of orange, red or yellow. & this year, i love fall even more b/c i see it with garrett. he will be ten months old tomorrow. & as each day passes, i love & enjoy him more. we've spent so many days @ the many parks around our house in the last few weeks! this afternoon we hit another one...he loved swinging, climbing through the giant tunnels & then i just threw down a blanket & he played with toys & watched the bigger kids.

today. i love where i am in my life right now. & although, there are surely days where i miss all that my old job offered me...i wouldn't pass on what this time is offering me today. this afternoon - what it gave me. moments with my son. my sweet, beautiful little man. as we contemplate a second child, i realize that the alone time i have with garrett now will subside when baby #2 one day arrives. i realize that my time with baby #2 will also never really be this way...he/she will (almost) always have garrett & any subsequent siblings along. so in this season, i'm also grateful. for the days of solitude i have with garrett. my (not so little) baby!

getting so big

2008-10-03T15:41:00.004-04:00

today we had a play date @ our friend kelly's house! chase was born a few days before garrett, so it's been fun to sort of see how the boys are developing alongside one another!

the photos above were taken today (the boys @ almost 10 months)...the photo below taken @ around 1.5 months! oh my...i think garrett's finally gaining on chase in terms of weight! they're so much fun now!

as long as

2008-09-30T21:34:00.004-04:00

it's hard to believe that garrett's been *in* the world as long as he was *in* my belly! despite not really leaving the house today (we're in a gas shortage here, people!) garrett & i found plenty to do & went in the backyard to play & i was struck by how big he looks in his little jeans & polo.

his new thing is "uh-oh!" - think he picked it up from clay last week when he as playing with garrett. sometimes it comes out "uh uh uh uh uh oh!" - it's so sweet! hope everyone's having a great week!

i love this boy

2008-09-24T21:38:00.002-04:00

my nephew is a little man...and yet all fun, crazy boy! he has been here visiting this week with my mom & i've had so much fun. his personality is just so engaging & joyful! i love the time i get to spend with him...which isn't enough!

this week...i went for a run & clay accompanied me on his bike...we went to the soft play area @ the mall where he showed garrett how to scale the slides! (& garrett can do it now!)...yesterday we went to a park & he & i went on a 5-mile bike ride while mom & garrett waited for us back at the park...

last night i taught him how to play a dice game (Fill or Bust!) & if he starts running a dice game in his neighborhood later this month, don't go blaming me - the kid's a natural - naturally lucky with the dice, that is!...& today we went to another park for playgroup (clay & mom came along!) & C was so fabulous with G & the other little baby that was there - C is so fantastic with little ones, btw - he's totally entertained G this week & it's been a HUGE help & so neat to watch!...tonight it was more dice & then we made cupcakes!

quotes from clay this week:

"aunt beth, you don't weigh that much!" - in response to my saying i didn't think a balance beam @ the park would hold me.

"one day girls are going to want to dance with me. & that's fine. as long as they're sexy girls." - in response to me dancing with him in my kitchen tonight. i'm *still* laughing @ that one!

"you know the best part about being here aunt beth? my sister's not!...oh, and seeing garrett!" - hahahahaha! completely unprompted...i think he was happy to escape my 3-year-old niece for a few days on a special trip with grandmom to atlanta!

poor clay...aunt beth said he could lick the frosting spreader & then she mashed it on his face! :-( i offered to let him get me back & he wouldn't do it! ugh...his daddy would've NEVER passed on that offer when we were kids!

think that clay is a budding photographer! he took this picture of garrett earlier in the week...does it even look like him? he was laughing so hard @ clay!

so cute

2008-09-20T22:24:00.002-04:00

this is just a really stinking cute picture of our little man...who is quite the messy eater & i just have to laugh @ every meal when we drag out a wash rag to wipe him down. (i think he looks so much like brian in this photo...not b/c brian's also a messy eater but b/c little G's eyes sparkle just like brian's!) G had his 9 month appointment this past week & he's 22 pounds/13 ounces & 29" long! let's just say, he doesn't miss a meal! in public now people ask me his age & say, "wow...you've got a little offensive lineman on your hands!" ha!

he loves clapping his hands. rolling his tongue around in his mouth feeling his 2 new front top teeth. he is working on signing "more". ah, i just love him!!! we're beyond blessed.

what's in your backyard

2008-09-15T13:29:00.009-04:00

this weekend we were in nc. my brother & sister-in-law recently moved into a new home & i decided to go exploring in their yard...@ first only drawn out by some of the beautiful flowers/foliage the previous owner had left behind. but upon further inspection, i came across some amazing little (& not so little) creatures...brian & robyn have quite the little animal kingdom in their yard! the only shot i didn't successfully capture was that of a praying mantis. i reached up to grab a crepe myrtle branch & saw him sitting on the end of the bloom. his triangular head followed me around, so i took no chances in bringing him down within lens reach!

lee, i hope i've done you proud...i thought of you as i took these pics!

if you want to see some amazing photography of nature, check out http://fromthesehills.wordpress.com/. lee (the photographer) was my dorm mom my freshman, junior & senior years in sutton hall...we won't say how many years ago!

the heart of a rose

the heart of another

magnolia blossom

tiny purple bells

these guys are hard to catch in action...they simply don't stay still

a 6" long creepy caterpillar hanging on the butterfly bush

garrett's 9 months old today!

2008-09-08T20:31:00.007-04:00

his first trip to the ER...just a case of hives!

oh my goodness...our little guy is all over the place! he's been crawling for about 6 weeks now (he is very, very fast!) & last week also started pulling up consistently & *cruising* @ the same time! tonight he even stood up on our bed all by himself!

he no longer likes diaper changes (how *do* you keep those little guys from twisting off the changing table?); he laughs like crazy @ things he thinks are funny - this applies mainly to brian's antics! (daddy's always get the biggest laughs); @ the gym, he *only* wants to be out w/ the big kids & doesn't like being in the *baby* room - are you kidding me?; he loves watching anything that huckleberry (yes, we still have that blessed animal) is doing + he chased our friend's cat around their house; he apparently loves fireworks, shoving his bottle out our friend brandy's hand in order to see jeff light them off on their driveway!; he had his first trip to an art museum & the ER - all within a 24 hour period (however, the events are unrelated!). we've also heard numerous times in the last month how garrett is chunking up! ;-) he was weighed in the ER sunday & is around 22 pounds.

happy birthday, little monkey man!

garrett was trying to crawl away from ansley! she wasn't having it!

kennedy had better luck!

cruising around the ottoman in our den.

garrett's first trip to the art museum in town.

today we had a picnic with daddy in the square close to his office.

mommy & garrett @ our picnic today.

look how big he's getting!

note that he's wearing a different outfit in these photos...there was a *blow out* mid-shoot!

brian finally got his wish

2008-09-04T19:36:00.002-04:00

it's rare (as in maybe 4 times) that garrett will go to sleep in our arms. since he was an itty bitty we usually put him in his bed to sleep. since he's been big enough to know what's going on around him, he's not interested in sleeping if there's *anything* going on!

the few times garrett's *really* slept in someone's arms, they've been mine. brian's been dying for garrett to fall asleep on him, to ease his little man in that way! well...we've discovered that G has 3 teeth coming in @ once. no fun for the little guy @ all! tonight we put him down & he started screaming (so sad!). brian went up to comfort him...& garrett granted his daddy's wish!

nothing better than holding your sleeping baby in your arms, eh? brian remarked when he *finally* came back downstairs, "that's good stuff!"

it's in the everyday

2008-09-01T20:23:00.003-04:00

i read a while back on another mom's blog that she tries to photograph the everyday moments that make up her life with her kids. in thinking about that, i've tried to capture some of those more simple moments with garrett. what i'm finding is that these everyday photos are the ones i love the most...that best reflect what it is i see in him & feel about him...my little baby monkey!

in the last month, he has fallen in love with being in the bath! while sitting up, he'll kick his legs so fast & furious that he'll scoot all the way from one of the tub to the next. he splashes like crazy & doesn't care in the least if all that water goes directly in his face!

today was not a particularly great day with our little guy. he's been fussy the past few days (some stomach issues going on there!). PLUS, he's (we *think*) starting into some separation issues with mommy! :-( making mine & brian's lives a tad more difficult as he's not done anything like that previously.

but this afternoon he was so happy in his bath that i had to grab my camera! (don't worry...brian was there supervising while i ran to get it.) i love these shots. i love his little rolls. i love the way his eyes look so big & he looks so innocent.

the book thief by markus zusak

2008-08-29T09:21:00.002-04:00

I stayed up way too late last night to finish this amazing book! If you love reading (as I do), have ever been intrigued by the power of words (for good, for evil, to change the direction of your personal history or the course of the world)...you will LOVE this book. Every character fascinated me.

The story is told from a very intersting POV...one which I won't spoil for you here. I think it's good to be reminded of periods of time in our world's history that have brought about immense suffering. It should remind us that we - as humans - are capable of inflicting this type of suffering on one another. That we must constantly look at ourselves, our country, other nations...to ensure that this type of suffering doesn't continue to repeat itself. That when we see it occur we must do all that we can to stop it. Even when it costs us something. Perhaps when it costs us everything.

Author's description of the book:

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

new york, new york - day three

2008-08-25T10:03:00.005-04:00

tuesday morning brian & i took advantage of our last day away from home by...sleeping in, again. at this point, i had a terrible cold going full throttle in my head (ugh!). so we spent the morning relaxing & then headed out to coney island in the afternoon.

wow...so if you don't believe rednecks live in the north, go to coney island! while we're happy to have seen & experienced this iconic american locale, it was definitely not as *nice* as you might think - clearly it's a place well past it's prime. we did hit the wonder wheel (a 150-feet tall ferris wheel that's been in place since 1920), as well as the cyclone (a wooden coaster that's nearly as old). plus, we had to down a corn dog @ the original nathan's (there since 1916) & home to the annual international hot dog eating contest.

the most bizarre part of coney island? an attraction called 'shoot the freak' - check it out for yourself below. what?

tuesday night we headed to our second baseball game...this one @ shea stadium to see the braves play the mets. while the braves did not prevail, it was very fun to see the mets' fans responses to the braves, specifically chipper jones. when chipper is up to bat, every mets fan starts yelling 'larry' (his actual name). the place would go nuts every time he came up to bat. bizarre.

we're already considering next year's baseball trip...& are pretty sure that trip will include our little guy! we had a great time in NYC & are grateful for opportunities like this to reconnect & just have fun sans our precious garrett (no thinking about naps, bottles, feedings, etc!). we were happy to get back home & relieve brian's parents, though - i'm sure they were in need of a big nap by the time they made it back to TN!

coney island boardwalk

the wonder wheel

inside the wonder wheel

a view of the beach from the wonder wheel.

a very, very old wooden roller coaster, the cyclone...you could use a chiropractor after this thing!

so bizarre...you're shooting a real man down there! what the heck?

from the vantage point of our seats.

new york, new york - day two

2008-08-22T09:47:00.005-04:00

something you should know about nearly every museum, broadway show, tourist attraction, etc in NYC - it's closed on monday! but since our main *entertainment* while we were in town was going to be baseball, it didn't seem to matter too much to us...

monday morning we slept in & had brunch @ sarabeth's. apparently *the* place to brunch on the upper east side (which is where we were staying). but i have a theory about the food in NYC - or the perception of the food in NYC...& some of you are going to disagree with me...but it's for the most part no better than the food i've experienced in chicago, atlanta, maui, charlotte, phoenix, nashville, miami, etc, etc, etc. it's still brunch. come on, people. i mean, hello! you can only do eggs & bacon so many ways! & this applies to breakfast, lunch & dinner - across the board.

anyway...after our massive brunch'ing, we decided to walk (& then people watch) through central park. i find central park to be one of the most beautiful places to visit. i've been there @ different times of the year & find it equally beautiful in each instance (particularly the fall!). after central park we seemed to keep on walking (i love the "faux" exercise i got out of this too!) & ended up in times square. i'm amazed - every time i'm in times square - at the bustle. at the lights ("the smoke, and the lights" - 10 points if you can name that movie!). there's so much going on there! it also ended up being an ice cream pit stop...if you know my husband, this is no surprise (it also won't surprise you that we also had a gelati later that night in little italy!).

by late afternoon, we were tired...& if you know us, you know we love our naps...so we headed back to the hotel for a snooze & then a late dinner at benito's II (thanks for the rec, keith!) in little italy. we also hit ferrara's (a very old bakery/sweet shop + yummy gelati!) that we'd been to before with friends. *supposedly* (or supposably!) a mobster was killed out front of ferrara's back in the day!

so, while day 2 seemed like we didn't really *do* anything, i think that was kind of the point. we loved the walking...seeing new parts of the city...buying from street vendors...checking out little shops...eating...napping...eating some more & just hanging out!

ok...day 3 tomorrow!

on the east side of the park, looking across the reservoir towards the upper west side.

the hustle & bustle that is times square.

brian & beth, times square.

little italy @ night.

new york, new york - day one

2008-08-21T09:59:00.005-04:00

last summer, brian & i were in chicago to see the braves play the cubs...we decided we'd start a new family tradition - something we both love (the Braves & baseball!) & could enjoy (eventually) with our kids - traveling to see our hometown team in a park we've never visited.

this summer it was only fitting that we head to NYC to see the yankees (take on kansas city) & the mets (against our bravos!)...watching each team play a game in their legendary ballparks in their final seasons. both teams will have new homes next year.

we left atlanta early sunday morning & saw an absolute slug-fest sunday afternoon in yankee stadium. the yanks beat the royals 15-6! despite the fact that i actually did doze off during the game (what? we got up *really* early sunday morning to fly out!) our seats were great & the weather was perfect. it felt strange actually *cheering* for the yankees, but...

thanks to brian's parents for coming to stay with garrett. now that he's crawling all over the place, we know it made their time here a bit more tiring than when he was a stationary little guy! i know brian & i will spend the next week undoing all the "love" (aka, spoiling!) garrett received while we were away! fortunately...we wouldn't have it any other way! thanks, mom & dad!

brian & beth, after the game.

cross streets of yankee stadium.

from the vantage point of our seats!

outside the new yankee stadium...just across the street from the old one.

bandana boy

2008-08-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

no idea where this bandana originally came from, but we found it the other day & brian put it on garrett. hahahahahaha...he thought it was so funny!

On 8.8.08 Garrett is 8 months old!

2008-08-08T20:19:00.007-04:00

funny coincidence that on 8.8.08 baby G is 8 months old! so much has happened in the last month!

garrett's crawling! 2 weeks ago, he went 5 *crawls* looked at me & smiled. after that, the boy took off! don't know what he waiting on, but he's now into everything. (as you'll see in my trying to take his birthday photo today...he wanted to geronimo off of the side of the bed!) at the gym, he's apparently no longer happy in the infant room & i come back from my workouts to find him out with the toddlers, crawling around, taking away their toys, smacking little girls in the face, sitting in the midst of 4 little girls one day! hahahaha...i know he doesn't know what he's doing, but it's pretty freakin' funny. his crawling has also presented brian & i with the challenges of baby-proofing the house - a job we hope to accomplish tomorrow.

our little guy has also discovered *swimming* - basically he loves to splash & will put his face right down in the water if we'd let him. this means he's also grown to love his bath time - big splashes everywhere & now that he can crawl he crawls around our bathtub chasing the little toys.

we don't know what's happened this past month...perhaps just more of garrett's personality is coming out...but brian & i are continually amazed @ how our love for him grows. you think *this* is the best, but every day is better & better. we are truly blessed with such a happy little man! he is very *busy* & into everything...his disposition is amazingly sunny (a mother never tires of her child's caregivers commenting on *that* let me tell you!). garrett wakes up happy - in fact today i went in to get him & he was startled by me walking in the room but then burst into the most incredible smile! garrett & his mother have also joined a pl..a play...playgr...a playgroup... boy, i could hardly spit that out. don't ever say never...b/c i said "ugh, i'd never join a playgroup!" it's fun, though - it ended up being all boys in the group & they're all within days/1 month of garrett's age & we meet once a week to let our boys *play*. this is where i first observed garrett *taking* toys from other children & smacking them in the face! ha!

so happy crazy 8-month old birthday today, baby garrett!

earlier this week, he kept taking a bite of food & then rubbing his face!

when he was trying to nosedive off of the bed while i took his picture!

it was almost as if this is the first month that he's *seen* the monkey - he was talking very loudly to it (imagine, mine & brian's child talking, & loudly!).

we were changing garrett poolside today & brian had him really laughing as you see in this & the next photo.

after his bath tonight...he was DONE with me taking his picture!

ruby, ruby, ruby, ruby

2008-08-04T10:13:00.000-04:00

ok...so there are no pictures of a ruby here, but we'll get to that story in a minute!

we were in TN this past weekend...felt like the fastest trip of our lives! it was consumed with time with brian's extended family & those who live in the area, as well. the snodgrass (that's right, snodgrass!) family reunion was on saturday night, the main event! it's always great to see many of the family we don't see throughout the year & to listen to stories about those who have passed on, as well as have the opportunity to make memories with the newest & oldest members of the clan.

the above collage highlights some of our time there this weekend. you'll also notice brian panning a bucket of gems at gold city (in nc). we pass this place every trip back to TN. it's somewhere west of asheville. brian's been consumed lately with panning for gold (seriously) & we needed to feed garrett, so this seemed like the perfect place to stop for a bit. we bought a bucket of dirt & started looking @ the rocks. (decided not to the do the gold as it takes a while to pan the entire bucket.) to my astonishment (& i think brian's as well!)...

we came out with several cuttable stones (rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethyst, topaz, etc.). i have to say, it really was fun to play in the dirt & the water & see the amazing colors that came alive as that red clay washed away. made me wish i had been a bit more attentive in my earth science & geology classes in college. as corny as i thought this little adventure might be, i'm really happy we did it. brian & i both learned some interesting facts about the local area, as well as the geological factors that contribute to the formation of gold & gems. i think gold city might well become a tradition on the white family trips to/from TN! we're having a 4 ct. ruby cut now...can't wait to see how our little find turns out!

chubby chin

2008-07-29T15:12:00.001-04:00

brian was playing with garrett...after work on monday.

the luckiest

2008-07-27T21:05:00.005-04:00

there are moments in life that you find yourself consumed, simply overcome, with emotion. this weekend i found myself in several of those.

it is not often that garrett will fall asleep on us. he takes 2 naps a day, but sometimes needs a little catnap in the late afternoon, for 15/20 minutes, just to make it until his 7 pm bedtime. saturday was one such day. he squirmed around on me...sucking his thumb, rubbing his head - which is his way when he's trying to get comfortable...until he finally dozed off for about 20 minutes. there's simply nothing sweeter than feeling the weight of a sleeping child against your body. their little breaths, sighs, movements...in these moments (& then later watching garrett playing with brian), i was so grateful that "these are the days of our lives".

i am grateful for a sweet sitter who came to watch garrett early on saturday so brian & i could have a much needed breakfast to reconnect & catch a movie. i'm grateful for a healthy & happy little son who finds joy (so far!) ;-) & comfort in being with his parents. i am grateful for a husband who adores our son...who will talk to him, do anything to make him laugh, & who revels in the small things we watch garrett do. there is nothing about my life i would trade. i am grateful for the grace that God's bestowed on my life to bring me to this place. i am unworthy of the blessings that present themselves to me daily. & i am overcome with love & happiness towards my little family. in the words of ben folds, i am the luckiest. :-)

oh happy day!

2008-07-24T11:06:00.002-04:00

one of my favorite parts of every day is in the morning, just after garrett eats. he's usually very happy after his bottle & he sits on our bed playing with his toys while brian gets ready. some mornings i read or sing to him, or sit & play with him too. he's also very talkative during this time (go figure!). he's becoming so adept @ "crawling" though, that i have a feeling we'll soon have to move to the floor for a *safer* play time!

yesterday i decided to try & capture some of the *spirit* of these mornings. this is what my little guy gave me. i laugh so hard every time i look @ this shot. hope that it will make your day too!

cal ripken, jr.

2008-07-21T21:08:00.000-04:00

are you kidding me? one of the biggest legends in the game of baseball (& hottest players, ever) & my husband gets to meet him? (seriously...check out the blue eyes on that man!)

brian was in DC a few weeks ago for a client (holiday inn) event. cal ripken, jr., has been a "spokesperson" for holiday inn (appearing in ads & such) for a couple of years. HI is also the official hotel of major league baseball. so brian was stoked when he found out CRJ would be speaking at this event!

PLUS...brian was able to chat with CRJ afterwards about baseball in general...as well as the braves, specifically about jeff francoeur's recent stint down into AAA, as well as chipper jones' stellar season. how cool is that?

our miami getaway

2008-07-18T10:17:00.007-04:00

ok, ok...geesshhhh...susan, this post's for you, girl!

our trip to miami was precisely what we needed. several friends (who have multiples) had received some good advice & passed that along to us...no matter what - when your baby's 6 months old, you simply must get away as *just* husband & wife. & despite their triplets & twins they all managed to do it, so we figured we could too! my mom agreed to come stay with our little man & our plan was put into action...

we set off for miami in late june...i was apprehensive about leaving garrett for a few days, but knew this time was crucial for me & brian! so after a few tears when we took off that morning, i did just fine (&, incidentally, so did garrett!). we landed early, arrived @ our hotel (the palms, south beach) & were on the beach by lunch. lovely.

what did we do? hhhmmmm...read, slept, went to a movie, ate out every night, lounged at the pool & beach, sipped cocktails...read, slept, talked about our baby, did not talk about brian's job (way to go, honey!), laughed...it was phenomenal. check out the size of those crab claws & the way yummy pizza (we didn't eat them in the same night!). we are obsessed with trying pizza everywhere we go (& ssshhhh, but we would love to have our own place one day!). so if you have recs for pizza in our area OR in a city/spot that you love, let us know!

our trip to Miami was so phenomenal that we're being brave enough to go away again in august! brian's parents are going to come watch G for us & we're heading to NYC...going to hit a Yankees game & see the Braves take on the Mets! since it's the last year in both stadiums, we wanted to see both teams play while we're there. any recs for a great show/place to stay/restaurants while we're there? i know some of you have been there in the last year or two & i'd love to hear your thoughts (my heart is set on seeing 'wicked' while we're there, but i haven't even looked into it, yet).

all this to say...if you have kids (or think you will one day in the future)...go away for a few days alone (repeatedly)...our marriages are just as important to our kids (& each other) as being good parents are! you'll have more fun than you might think; you will miss your baby/babies & be happy to get home; but it will be rewarding time...very well spent!

we didn't take many pictures, so this is one of the only ones i have of me & brian...in the back of a cab on our way to dinner.

a view of our pool & beach from the room.

pizza party - fantastico!

check out the size of those...crab legs!

our little guy gave us a big pout when we first walked in & then burst into a giant smile. here he is with grandmom just before she left.

7 months old!

2008-07-08T09:41:00.003-04:00

garrett's 7 months old today! the summer is passing so quickly & we're enjoying every moment with our little guy. he's getting so big & less & less "babyish" as the days go by.

he has 2 teeth now...garrett eats oatmeal, banana, avocado, sweet potato & yesterday ventured onto carrots!...he is loving being up on all fours (sometimes hands & feet, not just hands & knees!) in preparation for crawling (not sure how ready his parents are for that, but!)...garrett's a HUGE fan of his jumpy swing (thanks, gilmore family!) & will just scream in sheer excitement while he jumps & jumps & jumps...he loves being tickled & will give us the GREATEST laughs...he's started reaching for people here & there (mainly mommy...aaawwww)...in the last month brian & i went away to miami for a few days & garrett stayed here with my mom - he did awesome, though i think grandmom was pretty tired when she left! brian & i had a great time being on the beach/by the pool & while we missed our little man, it was nice being just the 2 of us for a few days...

hope that you're all enjoying the summer & leave us a little note here & there...we'd love to hear from you!

the 4th of july

2008-07-07T08:38:00.000-04:00

the white crew had a great 4th of july weekend...brian's sister (julie) & her boyfriend (brandon) came to visit us & it was fun just hanging out & catching up with them...in addition to eating well, taking garrett to the pool for the first time (he loved it!) at our friend's (dustin & kelly jo), going to a braves game (despite their poor performance & loss on saturday night) & downing some homemade peach ice cream with our newly-returned-to-atlanta friends (the bolden clan).

hope that everyone enjoyed the long weekend...now back to the grind, eh?

my new boss drools

2008-07-02T10:13:00.005-04:00

so...after a not so long stint back into my life as a career woman, i finally put my job to rest on june 13. my heart was being called home...to brian & garrett. knowing that - for me - being the wife & mother of excellence i desire, was simply not possible as a working girl.

the decision, in many ways, was very simple. and in other ways it has presented me with a new set of *issues* to work through in my identity, in my relationships, in my beliefs, etc. i am suprised (though most have said you are not!) at how i am already relishing my new roles. the ways i am finding myself more fulfilled and at peace. i have found a renewed energy that seems to come with the start of a school year, a new job, moving into a new place...whatever the change is.

and already i've experienced the questioning about my new roles...ignorantly, i am sure i've asked this question of other women before i had kids, but...people are already saying "what are you doing with all your time?" are you kidding? what's funny is how many of my stay @ home mom friends have said people ask them the same things...one friend has twin 3-year-olds & people *still* ask her what she does all day! WHAT? some days are so busy i couldn't begin to list it all out. and some days are so amazingly peaceful that i'm able to watch the *small* developments in garrett occur right in front of my face! i am grateful for brian...that we've chosen this path for our family. i'm grateful that he supported my "being happy" & would've encouraged whichever way i went...

so below you'll see some recent photos of "what i do all day"...my new boss is great, though...big blue eyes, approximately 19 pounds, drools, only 2 teeth, can't feed himself...& btw, if you read our blog - ever, basically - please let us know. just click on comments & leave us a little note...we'd love to hear from you!

see - he does cry! a not so happy moment in garrett's life!

my parents came for a visit over father's day weekend & to watch garrett as i ended my last week of work.

brian's parents came for a visit during my last week of work...to watch garrett (we really had to twist their arms to come!).

crawling could be close? i walked into the family room for a minute & came back to find him far away from the pillow on the right where he'd been sitting when i left!

yesterday garrett ate sweet 'taters for his afternoon *meal*...in the midst of this, he found his hands quite fascinating & kept sticking his hand in his mouth after a bite of food...he then ended up rubbing his hands all over his face - love it!

happy (belated) father's day

2008-06-29T09:25:00.005-04:00

this is a little late...we're behind on our blogging these days; i'm trying to catch up...

but, i did want to *publicly* wish brian a happy father's day...the picture above was taken in february, but it's one of my favorite photos of brian & garrett.

brian, you've become such an amazing dad...everyone warned us that you'd have a tough time with the first 6 months - in reality, you've been a champ! our rock! i watched you enjoy nearly every minute of this transition...not wanting garrett to grow so fast & simply get onto the next "stage" - you've truly relished the *baby* part of his life. in all of this, i've come to love you in new ways...respecting even more your character & desire to raise a child who loves God & puts others first. i'm happy to be on this journey with you. i love you & thank you for being a wonderful father (already!) to garrett!

some more recent shots of my two boys...

on father's day...garrett was only paying attention to huckleberry & NOT the camera!

garrett's new thing is grabbing brian's face (he only does it to him!) and twisting his nose or mouth, ear, whatever!

brian had come home early one friday & was checking email on his blackberry. our smart son thought he'd try to swipe it away!

so special

2008-06-27T09:39:00.003-04:00

i love the above photo for many reasons...the smile on garrett's face being one of them! the other is that garrett's being held by his great-grandmother. one of two great-grandmothers he will have seen and hopefully know in his life. this is brian's maternal grandmother, margaret snodgrass (that's right, people. snodgrass!).

nanny barkie, as we all call her (the "barkie" name goes way back), is one of the strongest women you'll ever meet. life did not deal her the easiest hand...helping support her mother & younger siblings after her father walked away from their family...losing her husband when brian's mom was only 4...raising martha alone while working in another town every day...she is a woman of incredible faith & fortitude. a testament to the fact that grace - if we allow it - is so very amazing in our circumstances.

we love you, nanny barkie! thank you for coming to visit & we'll see you soon!

this photo of barkie & garrett was taken on her recent trip here (with brian's parents). they came & watched our little guy while i finished out my last week of work (that info for another post).

happy 6 month birthday, baby garrett!

2008-06-08T23:05:00.002-04:00

it's hard to believe that 6 months ago today our little man came into this world. revealing a love so amazing in our hearts that words really can't describe. my mother-in-law used to say, "you won't understand the love until you have a child yourself"...she was right. even when i was pregnant, i didn't. you don't. you can't. it's simply not possible. my heart now lives outside my body - garrett carries it with him wherever he goes.

visit from grammy & pop pop

2008-05-25T14:45:00.005-04:00

brian's parents came for a visit last week. garrett had so much fun with them...of course, he had their full attention during every one of his waking hours! they kept him while i was at work each day & played, sang songs, read books, etc...all the great things that grandparents do - with none of the worries a mom & dad have! :-)

i love the pics i've posted here. brian's dad made up a song for garrett (using his name), so the smiles you see here are a result of the song being sung to him over dinner that night - probably for the 436th time that week! even brian & i managed to learn the words & when we sing it to garrett now, he immediately starts to smile - so sweet that he'll have this special little "diddy" with his grandfather!

happy mother's day

2008-05-11T18:07:00.003-04:00

today was such a special day for me. i'm in a new club (aka, mommyhood) & today was the highlight of our season. ;-) brian made me breakfast, had flowers waiting on the dining room table. for those of you who know my dear husband, this is a special treat...the man rarely to never (more of the never side of things) cooks. but our breakfast was absolutely delicious.

after church, we fed little G and then headed to moe's for lunch. is it sad, when your husband lets you pick ANYWHERE and you want Moe's? but we sat on the patio with garrett...and brian surprised me with a very sweet card & a gift card for some new clothes! this afternoon i was surprised with yet another precious gift...photos of me, brian & garrett that brian had printed & framed for me. i love them!

but in reflecting on today, i am so thankful to be garrett's mother. i am thankful for his health, his promise & his precious life. i am thankful for a husband who will set a wonderful example for how garrett should treat me...because of the way brian treats his own mother, as well as me. i am blessed beyond measure.

and to our moms, becky & martha...thank you for all that you both gave up to be home with us as children. thank you for the millions of prayers you prayed (& still do!) over us & now garrett. thank you for all the nights you waited up for us to make sure we came in safely (even if our fathers were already zonked out & snoring in the other room!). thank you for making prom dresses & renting tuxes & being homeroom moms & celebrating our successes (even when they were small ones) & for taking us to church & teaching us what's right. we love you both more than we could ever say! happy mother's day!

don't mess with texas

2008-05-06T14:32:00.004-04:00

last summer we bought our little one a onesie...not knowing if it was a boy or girl...on a trip to texas with our friends dustin & kelly jo. we'd gone out to see their families & needed a little something for our baby to "remember" the trip by!

i love that in the picture above, garrett looks very serious about not messing with texas.

then in the picture below, it's like he's saying "oh, i'm just kidding with ya!"

note above that garrett's holding his toes...grabbing his feet & toes is so fun for him...and loves patting his chubby little thighs & knees!

always carry a spare

2008-04-26T17:06:00.005-04:00

if i heard it once, i heard it a million times...but i chose - one saturday morning - to not put a spare in the diaper bag. a spare outfit, that is...

garrett had outgrown the spare outfit in his diaper bag, so i put it aside as i was checking his bag while walking out the door to a granite showroom. since it was going to be a quick trip (as in just going there & back), i thought i'd put a new one in there when we got back or before church the next morning. i should've taken the extra 27 seconds to run upstairs & get a new one!

on the way to the granite spot, garrett's diaper overflowed with...well, poo... so we changed him quickly in the cargo area of our SUV. only after i finished changing him did i realize there was NOT a back-up outfit in the diaper bag! but we had gone 30 minutes to this granite showroom & we were going in...naked baby or not. i felt compelled (but didn't actually) to explain to everyone why my child was only wearing a diaper in a public place. that i was merely an inexperienced mom who would (i hope to god) never let this happen again (i pray) and we are not the white trash that we appeared to be.

regardless, it was funny to put garrett in his car seat for the ride back home. he looked nearly naked sitting there in his diaper. he could've cared less, though! love this little man & all his sweet little faces!

happy spring

2008-04-21T21:42:00.003-04:00

this past week, my mom was here from wednesday through sunday. our nanny had gone on a cruise with her hubby & Grandmom came to fill in (we really had to twist her arm to get her here!). ;-)

garrett totally entertained her...even showing off two of his newest tricks - rolling from back to front AND playing with his feet & toes! so stinking cute, that kid! saturday - the weather here was phenomenal - we went to a local art festival...one of garrett's first cultural experiences. we're attempting to raise a well-rounded child here, people!

friday garrett also had his 4 month appointment (including 4 shots, which almost made Grandmom cry & DEFINITELY made garrett cry - although i managed NOT to cry this time!). garrett weighed in at 15 pounds, 12 ounces & 25 5/8" long.

Garrett's 3 Month Photo Shoot

2008-03-28T17:17:00.006-04:00

Tuesday I took Garrett for his 3 month photo shoot. Yes, I realize...this child is already very well documented, BUT I can't let these milestones pass. These are rough cuts of some of the photos...The photographer will touch up all the little scratches on his face & minus out drool (if I want her too).

I can't believe we're already more than a quarter of the way through the first year of his life. He is really "talking" now...very loudly at times (I have NO clue where he gets that from!!!); extremely curious about all that's around him - wanting to stand, not even sit, up; he gives us enormous grins & laughs - sometimes screams out in sheer excitement! He's really taken to sucking his thumb in the last month & sleeping with his left arm thrown over his face/above his head...that arm thing is totally from his mother!

Thank you for indulging us & looking at these pics. Hope everyone's enjoying a lovely start (almost) to spring!

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T17:16:00.004-04:00

We spent Garrett's first Easter in Tennessee with Brian's family. This was also G's first trip to his daddy's hometown! We headed up Thursday night & returned home around dinner last night. Funny to realize how travel time increases with a little one in tow!

Two weeks ago we also went to North Carolina to visit with my family & friends. It's been so much fun to bring those people who have meant so much to me & Brian, to our lives...into Garrett's life. It's been special to see some of our best friends, closest family members & people who have known us for a lifetime...to see our baby! Yesterday morning when we dropped Garrett off at the church nursery (in TN), one of the nursery workers commented she had kept Brian in that same nursery room when Brian was Garrett's age - how special!

I'm posting a few pictures from yesterday. As you can see, Brian was showing Garrett off at the end of church. All of a sudden Garrett just zonked out! Julie (Brian's sister) and I were laughing so hard! He literally fell asleep in a vertical position with no problem! I've also posted a shot of all of G's Easter basket goodies...there were plenty! Books, stuffed animals, toys, clothes, etc! & don't worry...I'm not going to feed him the candy - that was for mommy & daddy!

7 things you may or may not know about me

2008-03-15T22:31:00.003-04:00

I love to write. Not just write about something, but I like the feel of a pen in my hand and I’ll write anything down just to be writing. It’s why on the middle finger of my right hand, I have a hump. Brian (& a few people in my family) has made fun of me forever about my hump…and it’s from simply holding a pen in my hand so hard for so long and writing, and writing and writing some more. In school I never cared if I had to write sentences as punishment. I’d see how uniform I could make each sentence…which meant I had to write the first sentence perfectly. I will write my name, I used to write the name of my boyfriend’s last name with my first name, the names of potential children, now I practice writing Garrett’s name, random words, I write in print & cursive..trying to define exactly which “style” of my handwriting I like the best (my friend Laurie finally perfected her “style” and I love it). Perhaps my love for writing is what led me to want to be a “writer”/journalist/purveyor of words…Maybe one day I’ll “write" something great…In the meantime, I’m simply content to write my name over & over & over again.

Grace & mercy are not my spiritual gifts. This is not a good thing. I once heard it explained that we all possess a pump with two handles…one side is grace; the other side is truth. My grace pump has been broken for some time. It’s something I have to work on…in nearly every conversation, I literally remind myself to shut up. That what I want to say – whether it “is” the truth or what I simply “perceive” to be the truth – doesn’t necessarily need to be said. It’s why God had me marry someone like Brian. Someone who’s grace pump has an endless flow. Someone who reminds me that my words have power…and not in the way Joel Osteen or Creflo Dollar might say they do…but in the ways that build bridges or walls – I get to decide which one that will be with my words.

When I was in elementary school I shoplifted from the school cafeteria. They say you never forget these types of things & I never have. One day I plan to go there & return the $.20 that I “stole”. My mom would fill in at the cafeteria there whenever one of the ladies was out. When she was in one day, I went to see her – a few hours before any of the classes had come in for lunch. On my way out, the snack bar line had already been filled with all the candy. It was like I couldn’t resist…I remember that almost out of body feeling…taking the pack of Beach Balls (these were sour hard candies, a pack of 5) and then another pack of 5 sour something or others. I don’t remember when I ate them…but the experience of doing something I knew was so horribly wrong…I can still see my hand reaching for them & I remember the sensation I had walking out of that cafeteria. I can honestly say I never shoplifted again. I don’t know why I did that day.

Ok…this is actually turning out to be more like True Confessions…Let me try to lighten this up.

Alright, #4…I once met Jose Cuervo & his son. Yes, that’s right, Jose Cuervo. This particular Jose is a direct descendant of the infamous tequila makin’ family! He was starting a new brand of food/beverage products and was in the US to meet with the media. The importer of his products was my client, so I spent an afternoon taking Jose & crew around to various Atlanta, Hispanic & national media outlets touting his new line.

I recently said to a man with one arm, “Oh my gosh, you must have your hands full!” Does that need any further explanation? Probably the biggest “foot in mouth” comment of my life!

I have to give props to my friend Denise (who tagged me in this little game) because she’s training for a marathon – you go girl! My *dedication* to something that big pales in comparison; but I do love to sweat. It’s something that really only developed in the last 2 years. I finally decided to turn my health around, lose weight, eat right, work out, etc. The week of my 30th birthday I started a boot camp with my friend Susan (one of my workout idols!) – it kicked my workouts into high gear. You’re right…there’s nothing really interesting about all of that. BUT…Another friend once mentioned to me how he loved to wear gray t-shirts when working out b/c you could “see” how much you sweat. I was hooked. So, now, I’m totally into it. If my sports bra & tank top are not visibly soaked, I just don’t think I worked out that hard. I want to see those sweat stains, people – is that disgusting or what! (Side note: Favorite quote from boot camp…”Pain is just weakness leaving the body!”

What else? What else? What else? Gosh, this is hard. I’m starting to think I’m not that interesting.

Uhhmmm…let’s see. I have to ask Brian.

Ok – he didn’t have anything.

So...Finally…I have a scar on the center part of my upper lip. When I was almost 4 I stood – in my socks – on a small table that held my grandmother’s television. Grandmom was in the kitchen; my mom was feeding my brother. No sooner could Mom tell me to get down than the entire thing knocked me over backwards…falling down on top of me. That’s right…a TV fell ON my head! (Btw, the way the TV was a color tv…complete with rabbit ears & two dials – one for sound; the other for channels.) A TV falling on my head might explain more than just the scar on my upper lip. Anyway @ the little ER clinic, they had to strap me down in one of those papoose things to keep me still; Grandmom had to stay with me b/c Mom fainted – or almost fainted – when she saw them hook that needle through my lip. I distinctly remember a giant plastic turtle – which was actually a sandbox – in the play area of the waiting room.

Alright…TAG, you're it! (Thanks, Denise, for tagging me!) I don’t know if I know 7 people who have blogs (but you might have a MySpace or FaceBook page). BUT I do know 7 people, so I’m going to ask them to do this & just send it to me in an email or post it to your blog, but if you have a blog/MySpace/FaceBook post your 7 unique, weird or goofy facts about yourself & ask 7 of your friends to do the same:

Brian – dude, just post it back on our blog.
Susan – Your life is so interesting & I feel like I know a lot, but I’m sure I don’t know it all, so give me a few new facts.
Kelly Jo – Even though you are my sister & I *think* I know all there is to know, I’m sure you can conjure up a few more.
Laurie – You blog more than anyone I know, so I’m quite certain you can detail this one!
Jill – I don’t see enough of you anymore to know it all, so fill me in!
Boo Boo (aka, my coolest cousin, Katie D) – Since you moved far away from me you must answer these questions.
Jenna - Give it me to, girl! I know you have all sorts of crazy stories in there.

BFFs...Joy, Beth & Jill

2008-03-13T16:54:00.001-04:00

I know people talk about their friends & say "oh, I've known them my whole life!" When in reality, they've known them only some very small portion of time in their life. These two girls, I've actually know my whole life. Literally.

In the baby nursery of Northside Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, we all became friends! We entered kindergarten @ the Academy together...and somehow managed to not get kicked out (although we did get our share of demerits, discipline committee & in school suspensions) & graduate from high school in 1994! (Wow, that was 14 years ago!) There were plenty of other friends, boys, good times & mistakes along the way...But one thing I'm eternally gratefully for - that hasn't come & gone - is the friendship we've maintained for 31 years. That's a long time people.

Joy & Jill, I just wanted to tell you both how much I love you. How much I admire your marriages, your parenting, your lives...You are both beautiful - inside & out. You are each role models for me in your own ways. Your calm & peaceful spirit, Joy, and Jill, your fire & zest for life are inspiring. Thank you for being my friend...I love you both! I wish we had more time together, but I'm always grateful for the moments we're able to enjoy when I'm in town. xoxoxo

first day back in the office

2008-03-03T16:34:00.005-05:00

ok...so i'm not working 9 to 5. not yet. fortunately, my company has allowed me 4 weeks of half days to transition back to the office...and that started today!

needless to say i was very apprehensive about leaving garrett & heading back to the office. especially since brian had to make a last minute business trip to denver this morning & i was going to be doing the whole getting ready (me & garrett), dropping garrett off @ the nanny's, etc. without him. but in the end, i think that helped (+ the 1,376,981 people praying that i wouldn't have a nervous breakdown over it all)! i was so "rushed" i didn't have time to think about it. so after a sweet smile from my little guy & one last hug, i headed out the door back to my office.

garrett did great & nanny melton said he had fun watching the other two girls she keeps (ages 4 & 3) run around & play, they went for a walk, he napped well, took all of his bottle - was a sweet boy! yahoo!

is he supposed to sleep like this?

2008-02-28T13:30:00.006-05:00

no matter what type of positioner we've used, garrett has always managed to get himself twisted off of it. to the point that i've just stopped using them. the only way to keep him totally immobile is to use a swaddler - which can seem to frustrate him. but, really? *this* is comfortable? i mean, i guess his face is saying so, right? ha! in the last 2 weeks, he's also become familiar with his little hands! so now when he sleeps he's constantly looking for them...which makes for some restless sleep until he finds those fingers again (i haven't caught him on camera just yet!) & he won't hold onto his paci, so it's no good either! but...it also leads to some little scratches on his face (which you can kind of see here).

rookie of the year

2008-02-25T14:12:00.007-05:00

garrett's getting so pumped that opening day is only a few weeks away...with glavine back at the braves this year, he can hardly contain his excitement!

he's already sporting his baseball attire (a gift from our dear family friends in charlotte, linda & kimberly!)...we tried to tell him 'there's no finger sucking in baseball', but he doesn't listen (go figure)! & check out those cheeks, people! @ garrett's 2 month appointment, he'd gained 3 pounds & grown 2.5" - it's starting to show!

so...quick update from the white house....big plans in the month to come. i return to work this coming monday. i'll do half days for 4 weeks & then back full-time on march 31. we have a wonderful nanny just a few doors down...she'll be loving on G for us each day! march will also include 2 road trips for our little fam...we'll be heading to charlotte & elizabethton to visit our families & allow many of them to meet garrett for the first time!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T08:43:00.003-05:00

To all my lady fans:

I just want to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day & say how much I appreciate you following my growth! I hope that wherever you are you'll find love, hugs & kisses from those around you! As you can see my mommy is the one who loves me best of all...as if there was any question?!?! I have to run see the doctor now...perhaps she'll just give me kisses instead of shots - oh well, a baby can dream, right?

xoxo -
Garrett

garrett's 2 months old today!

2008-02-08T18:07:00.000-05:00

where *does* the time go? our little guy continues to light up our lives every day with his smiles, oooohhs & aaahhs, sneezes, nearly laughing, following us around the room with his eyes, responding to our voices...the list goes on!

we had incredible visits from grandmom (beth's mom) & grammy & pop pop (brian's parents) this month. we took garrett to visit mine & brian's offices, made it back to church & garrett saw his first snow! every day is so much fun - especially watching the many ways he changes/grows...we're still in awe that this little guy has been given to us, to be a part of our family.

below are a few shots from the past month - enjoy! the one thing I'll say about the picture at the top...garrett is our little sweet pea & these sweet pea PJs were a gift from grammy & pop pop...one friday afternoon i took that pic & sent it to brian - it was titled "have you seen my daddy?". ha! brian left his office immediately & came home to see his little man...i am shameless!
xo

We met daddy at the office & right away he put Garrett to work. You can see that our G-man did not have much of an impact that day...fell right to sleep!

He looks like such a little man in this sweater! This was taken after our first trip to church...which he also slept through!

Every month I take his picture beside this giant monkey - as a way to chronicle Garrett's growth...today I decided Garrett & the monkey should both have some tummy time though!

Brian & Garrett getting ready for the national championship!

so much love

2008-02-06T11:08:00.000-05:00

it's awesome to see your parents with your children. brian & i have both been fortunate to experience incredible relationships with our grandparents & want the same for garrett in his life.

brian's parents were here last week...to hang out with garrett...oh, and see us too! they also got to see brian's new office & meet some of his co-workers...who have already heard a few "funny" stories about them (ie, rabbid skunk attacks small dog; dog owner tries to run skunk over with car & stab with pitch fork!...that's right, you heard it here first, folks!)

we love you, grammy & pop pop! thanks for coming to love on garrett!

a heart full of fear

2008-01-31T08:41:00.000-05:00

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7) In the KJV, self-discipline is interpreted as a sound mind. I feel lately that I don't have a sound mind or self-discipline. And I have to keep repeating this verse. In general, I have never thought of myself as a fearful person. I think I'm pretty strong & able to handle the struggles that have come my way...and they're very small...in life. Not until Garrett was born have I experienced a whole new level of fear.

Initially I was afraid we weren't feeding him enough, that he wasn't thriving - was he merely breathing in his crib. Now I worry that he's not getting enough sleep or time on his tummy. Bigger than that, I worry about all the hoopla over immunizations & if I'll "give" my child autism, will I instill morals & a desire for the things of God...I have nightmares about things happening to him. I am petrified of returning to work & leaving Garrett in the arms of a caregiver...who is not me. I realize much of this is normal - I'm a new mom, have never done this before, post-partum hormones, etc.

I know that God is holding my chin, prodding me, trying to turn my eyes towards Him...oh, how I refuse. I'd rather cry, wrap myself in fear, freak out on Brian :-), etc etc etc. It's ridiculous...I try to count my blessings. I/we are blessed. I had a wonderful pregnancy, amazing delivery, Garrett's been a great baby...& yet in all of that, I neglect to thank God & to praise Him. I allow my fear(s) of things unproven & unrealistic to overcome the joy He's placed in my heart.

Recently I had a friend shoot me an email about a family in NC. A family who is so much more fearless than I am in the face of enormous, overwhelming adversity. The blog is titled, Confessions of a CF Husband - he's Nate, she's Tricia. His wife has cystic fibrosis & was preparing for a double lung transplant when they found out they were expecting their first child, putting the transplant on hold. The baby was delivered early...just over a pound in weight & about a foot long, little Gwyneth Rose.

I read their blog almost daily trying to remind myself...as Nate writes through their struggles...that our God is big - our fears are small. It's amazing how having a child brings you to your knees. How their small physical presence can create the most overwhelming emotions in your heart. I admire Nate & Tricia's relationship with God. Their seeking His face in the middle of this. Check out their blog (the link is at the top left here) - I think you too will be amazed at their story. I hope that it provides you with the encouragement that it gives me...To turn my fears over to the only one who can provide me with perfect peace. A Father who comforts His children & casts out fear.

Beth

BFF's...Garrett & Chase

2008-01-26T08:29:00.000-05:00

Our friends, Greg & Kelly Gardner, gave birth to their first son/second child, Chase, four days before Garrett was born! We laugh that our boys are now best friends forever (BFFs) because they're so close in age.

Clearly one outweighs the other...I won't say who...But it's probably a good thing because we're a little worried Garrett might get made fun of for his short pants & perhaps Chase will be there to protect him! (Photo below) We have a little problem with G's pants...they end up more like knickers, because so far, this guys is shaped like his daddy...long & lean...so his pants don't fit him in the waist but yet they're too short!

So last night we headed over to Casa de Gardner for some din & to let the boys "play" & see Chase's big sis, Riley! Chase & Garrett are both awesome little men, they both have mommas who are completely in love with them & they're both happy & healthy...who could ask for anything more? What little blessings they are to our families!

Hippie Hippie Baby

2008-01-21T21:11:00.001-05:00

We know, we know...If you have kids, they're cute. But seriously, our Garrett is "the cutest"...In fact, he's uber cute! We realize they don't actually hand out titles for this position, but seriously, people...come on, you know it's true. LOOK at this baby!!!

I think we stare at him about 14 hours a day. We think everything he does is cute or funny. We take a million pics a day. Etc, etc, etc. Brian had today off, so we had some serious play time, it was awesome! Garrett & I both are spoiled when we have Brian here with us for a 3-day weekend! Love having all the White Boys in the house!

Thanks to my cousin, Katie, for this super hip tie dyed onesie she made the Gare Bear (as Katie has dubbed him) for Christmas! Katie, girl, I hope you're loving Liberty...can't wait to hear all about it!

Our little love bug

2008-01-18T18:19:00.000-05:00

This week my mom has been in town..."supposedly" she came to spend time with us. We realize there is no longer an "us", it's a "Garrett"! :-) The great thing? Garrett started smiling the moment Grandmom walked through the door - literally...she took him & he started smiling so sweetly at her.

So much of Garrett's personality is coming out...he seems to be responding to us in new ways...tons of smiles to Mommy on Thursday morning while she was singing to him...smiling at Grandmom nearly every time she'd talk to him while holding him in her arms, of course!...making happy noises for Daddy while he gets ready for work in the mornings...

We love snuggling with our little love bug...he makes our day!

Watch Garrett Grow!

2008-01-07T11:36:00.000-05:00

One of my girlfriend's told me before I had Garrett that while I was on maternity leave the day's would be long, but the weeks would go fast...I don't know, it all feels like it's going pretty quickly.

Garrett has (to Brian & me) changed so much already in this first month! His birth weight was 7 pounds, 4 ounces...at my appointment last week he was up to 8 pounds, 11 ounces at around 3.5 weeks old! His cheeks are getting chubbier (which I adore!) and he's starting to become more verbal during his awake time. We don't know if he's smiling at us (or just has some serious gas) but during his awake time he follows our faces, responds to our voices and appears as though he's smiling at us - we don't care if he really is smiling AT US or not...we love seeing it! :-) He loves to swing & tracks with the mobile above his head. When we burp him he loves to hold his head straight up and look around...we call it his frogger look!

While everyone tells you that having a baby changes your life, nothing anyone can say prepares you for these feelings. It's amazing & we highly recommend parenthood (if/when you're ready to take the leap)...Our life post-baby truly will never be what our life pre-baby was...And I wouldn't trade in our pre-baby life for anything...But this is pretty amazing, people!

So, here are some highlights of our monkey's first month! The month to come is already full of exciting plans, including visits from all of the grandparents!

From top to bottom: White Family's First Christmas at home; Garrett hanging out in his swing on a Sunday morning; What you talkin' about, Willis? (a look he gave me after he finished nursing); in the hospital with our friends Laurie, Susan & Kelly Jo

It was a White Christmas

2007-12-26T21:03:00.000-05:00

Hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! Garrett has had numerous visitors over the holidays, including nearly all of his grandparents, great-grandparents & a few aunts & uncles...

We spent Christmas day as a family of 3! Believe it or not, we got up to feed the little man in the morning, but all managed to sleep until around 11 AM! Later in the afternoon, Garrett met Chase Gardner! Chase is the son of our friends, Greg & Kelly, & was born just 4 days before him. They both slept nearly all the way through their first "play date"! Last night Garrett slept in his car seat next to us while we dined on some yummo Chinese food.

Photos top to bottom: White, party of 3 on Christmas; 4 generations in the Houser family...my grandmother, Boots Houser, my dad, Ronnie, me & Garrett; Brian's parents, Gary & Martha (aka, PopPop & Grammy) with Garrett by the tree; my parents, Ronnie & Becky (aka, Grandmom & Poppa) with Garrett & Huckleberry.

Garrett's first lunch date

2007-12-22T09:55:00.000-05:00

This week has been rather adventurous...I went solo with Garrett on Monday & Tuesday - not too bad except the slight meltdown he & I both had Monday night after Brian got home from work! We were both happy to see him!

Brian's mom, Martha, arrived on Tuesday night & has been helping us this week. Again, what would we do without our moms to get us through these times? B's dad & sister, Gary & Julie, will arrive today! Lots of hands to love on our little man.

Garrett had a dr appt yesterday. He's regained his birth weight, plus 2 ounces, so he's up to 7 lbs, 6 oz! Yahoo! His sleeping & eating is going well. Brian & I are actually surprised & even though it could change at any moment, we're not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. We'll take it for now!

On Thursday Garrett & I had our first lunch date with some of my co-workers (seen in the photo here). Peter, Lee & Lauren all got to gaze at our "perfect" (yes, you guys, he IS perfect - every stinking little part!) baby boy. It was great being out & catching up with each of them!

Merry Christmas!
Beth

Merry Christmas

2007-12-17T21:29:00.001-05:00

As Dr. Suess - that wise old sage - said in How the Grinch Stole Christmas..."Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more."

For me & Brian, this year, it definitely does. We can't express our joy over the gift we've been given this Christmas season. Garrett has been - in the 9 days he's been in our family - such an amazing addition...bringing laughter & tears galore! (Even Brian's shed a few tears, people!)

So we hope this holiday season brings you & your family something beautiful & magical too...Just had to share a few pics of our little guy!

PS - Thanks to great-grandma Houser for the uber cute Christmas outfit & great-aunt Sybil for the first Christmas blanket...they, of course, make some darling photos!

Staying Alive

2007-12-14T11:31:00.000-05:00

Who knew Garrett already knows how to disco?...Looks like he's "Staying Alive" in his little Moses basket! & for those of you who have seen Brian's 5 dance moves, this is an encouraging sign that perhaps one White man will make us proud out in da' clubs. So, you'll also notice the orange outfit & UT hat he's dressed in...yes, yes, folks it's true...Brian has created another Volunteer for the UT Nation!

It's been a good week so far...my mom, Becky, has been here with us all week & has certainly helped make my life a lot easier transitioning to being at home with Garrett. What would the world do without Grandmas hands to help & hold our babies? I love this shot of my mom's hands just loving on Garrett while he sleeps.

Garrett is also adjusting well to life at home. He had his first dr appt on Wed & had gained back an ounce of the 8 he lost in the hospital. Feeding & sleeping are currently not a problem for our little guy. We'll see how all of that pans out in a few weeks when the "newborn slumber" has worn off.

Welcome to the World, Garrett DeArmon White!

2007-12-09T18:28:00.001-05:00

Garrett DeArmon White made his way into the world on Saturday, December 8 at 12:26 PM. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces & was 20.5" long. Garrett is in honor of Brian's dad, Gary. DeArmon is in honor of Beth's grandmother, Betty Newell DeArmon.

Garrett has overwhelmed his parents with more love & emotion than they could have ever imagined. He is perfect in every way & has stolen the hearts of his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins & friends.

Beth & Brian are so grateful to God for the amazing privilege of being able to raise Garrett.

Our due date is today!

2007-12-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

Update from dr appt yesterday...He feels that Baby White is going to be on the scene in the next few days. As in, I will not be seeing the dr for my scheduled appointment on Monday morning because the baby will already be here. No guarantees, of course, but the Houser-White clan is on standby ready to swoop in from all over the SE at a moment's notice!

Baby scored 8/8 on the ultrasound "test" yesterday which is all very good. They're estimating him/her to be around 7 pounds, 9 ounces. We saw a sweet little profile of the baby...each time we tried to look at the face head on, though, he/she held its hand up directly in front of its nose/mouth! The tech also pointed out the fuzzy line around the head which is apparently dark fuzzy hair! For some reason the thought of our little munchkin with dark hair is very funny to us!

Ok...that's it from the White House...we'll keep you posted! It's hard to believe that Dec. 6 has finally arrived!
Beth & Brian

Baby Arrival Update

2007-11-29T16:47:00.000-05:00

Quick note...Doctor said today that the baby hasn't moved much since last week. I "might" be one cm dilated & "maybe" 25% effaced. We'll go next Wednesday for another check & an ultrasound & I'm totally stoked about seeing the bebe skeletor one more time! We'll keep you posted! Dec. 6 - our due date - now seems so far away!

Beth & Brian

Check out the belly!

2007-11-28T09:08:00.000-05:00

Brian & I did a maternity photo shoot when I was right at 36 weeks pregnant. We had a great time...as the photographer really shot "us" first & then focused in on the "belly"! We had a great time at Mike's studio here in Roswell. He's out on 8 acres of land & has his studio on the back of the property. There are more than 200 photos, so I tried to pull some of my favs. If you want to see "the complete collection", let me know & I'll send you the site & password info.

I would recommend that anyone who is pregnant definitely have maternity photos taken. As conscious as you might feel about your weight, you will only be pregnant & really "look" pregnant one, two or three times in your life. You should capture that for yourself & your child. I would love to have seen my mother's bare belly when she was expecting me!

Baby White also wanted to be a big part of this shoot...you can see him/her sticking his heel/butt up on my belly - specifically the shots where I'm laying on my back. Check out the difference in the one that's in color to the one that's in black & white. I was laughing so hard during the shoot...my belly looks like a camel!

So, as of today, we're 8 days away from Baby White's due date. I have an appointment tomorrow to find out I've dialated any further. Last Wednesday, the doctor said I was "the tiniest centimeter" dialated, so we should continue to expect a December baby! I have to admit, I'm finally ready. The discomfort in my back & recent carpal tunnel have made working, sleeping, etc. a bit miserable...but all in all, I have so little to complain about...We are so blessed to have a little baby for Christmas! We are just so anxious to find out if it's a boy or girl...who he/she will look like...who will the baby act like!

Enjoy the photos & we wish you & your families a wonderful holiday season...Check back here for more info on Baby White's impending arrival!
Beth & Brian

Celebrating Baby White, Georgia Style

2007-11-24T10:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks to our friends who so graciously showered us with love, excitement & gifts for Baby White in mid-October! You guys have been so thrilled over our little "surprise" & we can't thank you enough for all of the prayers, support & encouragement you have provided during our pregnancy. As we told you that night, you have truly become our "Atlanta Family" for the last 8 years & we are grateful beyond words for the impact you've had in both of our lives.

Thank you also to our family who made the drive & were finally able to meet many of our friends here!

I've included 2 photos from the evening! Have more to post of the recent few weeks & Laurie, I promise I'll post a belly shot once more before I go into labor! Hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

A little "babymoon"!

2007-11-01T11:58:00.000-04:00

Several of our friends advised us to take the time - while we still have it - to get away, just the two of us, before the baby came! We originally intended to go to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, BUT when the pregnant lady found out that it was a 2-hour hike from the airport to where we were staying - the trip to the DR was nixed. All was not lost, though...Brian simply redirected us to Grand Bahamas...a quicker flight & only 10 minutes from airport to hotel!

It was great having time to read, lay by the pool/beach, journal, talk, eat & drink - do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted to do it! Despite a huge storm on Tuesday (my birthday!), we still had an incredible trip.

Brian & Robyn, Clay & Emma (my bro, sis-in-law, nephew & niece) came back from Charlotte with us the night before we left. Robyn was sitting in our room with us while we were packing. She pointed out that this would be one of the last times the two of us only packed for the two of us! It made me giggle to think the next trip Brian & I take together will include our little one in tow - so that will mean a car seat, stroller, pack & play, diapers, wipes, etc.!

While we vacationed, Brian & Robyn were working away in our house. As a gift for the baby, Brian (my bro) wanted to paint our nursery & do molding for us. He did an awesome job! (We'll post pictures once the nursery's complete after baby White arrives.) AND Robyn cleaned my house, folded all the clean laundry, organized my pantry! Plus, Brian hung a new blind for us on our backdoor, changed some lightbulbs outside & repaired drywall in the garage! We are so thankful that they were so generous in creating the nursery & doing so many things for us around the house!

Hope everyone's doing well & had a Happy Halloween!
5 weeks & counting -
Beth

A soccer player, a pimp & a princess

2007-10-16T10:47:00.000-04:00

I LOVE the photo of Clay (our nephew), Brian & Emma (Clay's lil' sis, our niece)! It looks like it's Halloween & they're already in costume! We had just come back to my parent's house after Clay's soccer game (he scored two goals @ his game this past weekend - way to go, buddy!). Emma was running around in her princess dress & Uncle Brian decided to snag her "dress-up" hat - which obviously makes him look like a pimp!!! Hysterical!

The weekend we were in Charlotte our family & friends threw a shower for me & bebe White! It was incredible to be surrounded by so many women who have been an integral part of my life in one way or another. I know that this little one will be loved & cherished by them as well!

xoxo -
Beth

Aunt Beth, Clay & Uncle Brian at the soccer game!

Jill (Smith) Blanton & Joy (Clippard) Seger are two of my lifelong friends - we've literally all known one another for 30 years, went kindergarten through high school together, attended the same church, our mom's worked in the nursery together! I'm "finally" following their footsteps into motherhood!

My sister friends!!! Kimberly & Stephanie Orr are like little sisters to me! Both of them were junior bridesmaids in our wedding 8 years ago - next month Stephanie will walk down the aisle to be a lil' Mrs. herself! They have both grown into such beautiful women & I'm grateful for them & their sweet momma, Miss Linda!!! Love you, girls!

It's Baby Shower Time in TENNESSEE!!!

2007-10-10T09:28:00.000-04:00

In early September, our TN family threw us a beautiful shower. It had a "Sweet Pea" theme - which is very special...not long after we knew we were pregnant, Brian & I were at an Amos Lee concert where he played one of our favorite songs - "Sweet Pea"! So we've always talked about our little one as our Sweet Pea!

Just want to say a special thank you to Gary & Martha (Poppy & Grammy to the baby!) for hosting the shower in their home & to Michael, Becky, Julie & Aunt Linda for all they did to create an evening where we felt everyone's excitement over the baby! It was a special night & we're so grateful for your generosity!

Here a few pictures from the evening...Top photo are Beth's parents - Ronnie & Becky; Beth & Brian; Brian's parents - Martha & Gary. At the bottom is our sister-in-law, Becky; Brian's brother, Michael; Brian's sister, Julie; & our nephew (Becky & Michael's son), Jackson is on our laps! & finally...a photo of Brian - note the fear in his face (Michael's trying to prepare Brian for fatherhood with a nice little guide!)!

The babydome!

2007-10-05T08:38:00.000-04:00

Brian has taken to calling my belly the babydome! :-) It cracks me up every time he says it.

So...much to the disappointment of the guys who look at this blog, I'm posting additional photos of my belly. So, girls...here you go! I'll try to be better about "taking" the photos, as well as posting them.

Baby is doing well, moving ALOT...I was 31 weeks yesterday, so the single digit weekly countdown is on...9 or so weeks & counting!!! Hard to believe - as this whole pregnancy has just FLOWN by for us. We've had 2 showers so far - one in TN with Brian's family & one in NC with mine. I'll be posting those photos in the next week - so check back!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Beth

A day at the High

2007-10-04T15:56:00.000-04:00

This fall my awesome cousin, Katie, ventured out into the college world & is now a full-time student @ Lee University in Cleveland, TN!!! Go, Katie!

The BEST part of this - as she is DEFINITIVELY one of my favorite people on earth - is that she now lives only 2 hours from us!!! The first weekend in September, Kate came for a visit & we had an awesome time - the pictures here are from a trip down to the High Museum. Dustin & Kelly Jo went with us as well!

So proud of Katie (as she's one of the most beautiful people I know - inside & out) & so THRILLED that she lives so close! Can't wait to see more of you, chica!!!

I'm wit Chingy, at the Holidae In

2007-09-05T16:13:00.000-04:00

Friends and Family,

Well, it’s official.

I gave my two weeks notice this morning. I am ending an 8-year career in the automotive advertising industry and jumping to hotels.

No, I am not the bellhop.

I have accepted a position with an ad agency in Historic Roswell called Ogilvy Action and will be the Group Account Director on the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands. You can check out the agency at www.ogilvyaction.com. I’m looking forward to this challenge but also a little nervous to start something so new to me. The agency is made up of about 25 people and they want to double that number by next year. The agency is growing like crazy and I’m excited to be a part of that.

I want to thank everybody who has been praying for me during this time and I ask that you continue to do so as I not only start this new challenge but that of being a father (which scares me more than anything). Oh yeah, speaking of scary things – since Beth has been pregnant she has developed an uncontrollable snort that happens only once daily/nightly at around 3:30am every night. It sounds like the noise the vacuum makes when accidentally sucking up a shoe. She never wakes up during it…but of course, I do. Please pray for that.

Thanks again for everything you do for the both (three) of us,

Brian

Here we grow!

2007-08-23T09:47:00.000-04:00

Many of you have asked to see a photo of my growing belly...it's been very fun to watch my belly get bigger. Based on the way it looks, most "people" are saying that it's a boy - carrying low & out front! We'll see...Brian's still holding out hope for that little princess! The photo here was taken at 23 weeks. I'm 25 weeks today. & besides the excrutiating heat we've been experiencing here, I have no complaints about pregnancy!

The other two photos are of us at Babies-R-Us a weekend or two ago registering. Crazy Brian took the gun to everything you can imagine...he LOVED scanning all of the items. We ended up in the toy section - big surprise! :-)

Our baby waved to us!

2007-07-16T14:03:00.000-04:00

It's still overwhelming - in some ways to know that we'll soon be parents, but it is starting to sink in that our whole world is about to be turned upside down. It's strange to think that after 8 years of marriage, it will no longer be just Brian & me.

We had our second ultrasound today!

At the ultrasound the baby was moving all around...the tech said he/she is a wiggle worm & she kept telling the baby to be still (wonder how many times Brian & I will use those same words to this child in the future?!?). The baby literally kept waving at us & his/her mouth was moving EVERY time we saw the face - geez, wonder which parent that comes from? Would be a total toss up, right?!? HA!

Dr & tech said everything looks great...the baby is anotomically right on schedule & doing great. The morning of July 4th (just before Brian & I launched into our first 10K!) I felt the baby move. It will apparently be a few more weeks before Brian is able to feel the baby moving - which has been disappointing to me b/c I love feeling the baby move - it really is the craziest, most amazing feeling in the world!

Thanks for your continued love & prayers for me, Brian & the baby as we embark on this journey!