Poor Baby!

Clinton has had another trying day. Now, I have NEVER wished to throw up...it's something I absolutely hate...and every time I do I cry and call out for my mommy, even when she's 1000 miles away...but today as I watched my son throw up 7 times in two hours only to conclude with dry heaving, I prayed to God to let it be me.

The first time he was asleep in the next room and mother heard him gagging. She ran in and sat him up so he could get it out of his throat. (Please don't leave your babies asleep where you can't hear them!) In order to calm him down, I walked him around and then we stopped in the kitchen to show Bebe and Jzajzie that he was okay. Then without warning he spewed what felt like gallons of vomit all over me, himself, and the kitchen floor. I never even flinched...didn't have time to, really. I just stood there a little sickened from the smell waiting for my mommy to come and rescue both of us. With Clinton now screaming, Mother pulled out her mommy and grandmommy super powers and went to work. Within seconds she had a cold rag for Clinton, a warm rag for the floor, and bath water running. I took Clinton in for a bath, usually his favorite part of the day, and he just kept trying to crawl out over the edge to get back into my arms...I knew we had more to come. We spent the next two hours going through the same cycle over and over...Clinton would lay across my chest almost lifeless, he'd start to squirm as if to look for that perfect position that would offer him some sort of relief, he'd get clammy, he'd give his best attempt to cry, a large gurgle would come from his belly, he would spew, he'd cry a little, then feeling better he'd offer a little smile...then we would rinse and repeat. I changed clothes four times and Clinton had two baths.

The last episode was so bad that I rushed downstairs and told mother we were going to the hospital. I handed her Clinton so I could throw on some jeans and t-shirt. She had Chelsea hold him so she could also get dressed (yes, we were still in jammies at 11am--of course it was my 3rd or 4th pair for the day). Chelsea took him outside and he immediately perked up. Within ten minutes he was back to jumping around in his exersaucer, playing the drums (slapping his hands in rhythm to any surface he can find--the table, your face, whatever), and squealing like it was the best day ever.

Seriously, y'all...I would rather have two broken legs, pink eye, a UTI, and a bad hair day, than to watch my child endure the pain and agony that comes with nausea and throwing up.

This is the second time in his short little life he has had to suffer a stomach bug. And where do you think we were the last time it hit...TEXAS! No worries, Texas, I don't blame you. We actually took him to the doctor later in the day and the doctor said it wasn't really a stomach bug, but all the drainage from his head cold that had gone into his stomach...gross! So not only was I covered in vomit, it was snot vomit...and I'm one of those people that can't stand to hear people blow their noses...it makes me gag to think what I was being covered in.

Oh, the things you'll do for your children!

Getting to Know Me

Whit sent me this email, and rather than forwarding it on I thought it might be fun to post it here. So, here it goes...

4 Things about me you may not have known

A) FOUR jobs I have had in my life
1. Drive thru teller - Bosque County Bank (high school job)
2. Program Assistant - Tarrytown United Methodist Church (college job -- best job ever!)
3. Case Manager - The Planning Group (1st post college job -- worst job ever!)
4. Market Intelligence Specialist - Crowe Chizek(current job -- 2nd best job ever!)

B) FOUR places I have lived:

1. Alpine, TX
2. Meridian, TX
3. Austin, TX
4. Nashville, TN

C) FOUR TV SHOWS I LIKE TO WATCH

1. Boston Legal
2. Private Practice
3. Martha Stewart
4. Oprah


Four Places I've Been on Vacation:
1. Maui
2. Summit County, CO
3. London, England
4. Muscat, Oman

E) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:

1. Steak Fajitas
2. Carne Asada Tacos
3. Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
4 Hawaiian Fajitas from Hula Hut in Austin

F) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:

1. Asleep
2. Maui
3. At home watching football with Rodney while he rubs my feet :-)
4. Downstairs chatting with Chelsea and Mother

G) FOUR FRIENDS I THINK WILL RESPOND:

I'm not going to pressure anyone...but feel free to copy and paste onto your blog.

H) Four places I like to shop (only 4!)

1. TARGET (is there a need for any other store?)
2. Ann Taylor Loft
3. uncommongoods.com
4. babystyle.com

I) Parents' first names
1. Clint and Deborah

The Baby Has Spoken

For months now we have been hearing endless streams of baby babble...da da da da da...ma ma ma ma ma....ba ba ba ba. We would listen so intently with the hope of hearing just a mama or dada. While we did catch the occasional mama or dada, we've not yet been sure of it's intent. Was he talking to me? Was it an accident? Was he trying to say something else? Well, as of Friday, his very first true, intentional word was spoken...and it was....can I get a drumroll, please...it was "dog". My grandmother, Peggy, and I stopped into PetsMart on our shopping trip to Midland to pick up snacks for her dog, Snicker. I walked Clinton over to the birds which made him smile and throw his arms and legs about in a crazy fashion. Then, I walked him over to the window where you can look in on all the dogs getting groomed. When we got to the window we saw a large black standard poodle and he clearly said, "Dog!". I couldn't get him to say it again, but when we got back to my grandmother's house her dog ran in and he clearly said, "Dog!" and everyone was there to witness it. We went back to the pet store the next day and he said several times again.

Mother claims he also said "Pop", but no one else heard it and he hasn't said it again. However, tonight he CLEARLY said "duck" several times...but it almost sounds more like "duct". We know what he's trying to say though because he says it to his little rubber ducky.

My child clearly looks like me...everyone who sees us always says he does and if you look at my baby pictures, you know he does. But now as he is able to communicate and interact more, I'm seeing a lot of his daddy's personality. SOCIAL! Clinton loves to be around lots of people...when we go out he is always looking at and "talking" to everyone...just like his daddy. I could sit at home by myself for days and be perfectly content. Now as the words seem to be coming out, it's obvious he loves to be heard...he commands your attention as he "speaks". I look forward to seeing what he has to say about it all...or do I?

Pictures, Pictures, and More Pictures

Chillin' in Texas

We finally made it out to the great wide open of west Texas and Clinton has been enjoying lots of play time with Pop.




Brendan Ties the Knot

Me and Chels with the bride and groom (Veronica and Brendan)

Me, Chelsea, and Hali

The Meridian crew. Back: Cindy Knudson, Rob's Girlfriend; Third Row: Sky Parsons, Linda Carter, Franny Mezger, Jane Murphy; Second Row: Dana Henderson, Mother, Me, Margaret Winkler; Front Row: Hali Henderson, Janene Day, Chelsea




Clinton's First Parade

Clinton found himself an "older" woman who happened to look a lot like Aunt Jzajzie. They played together for quite a while.

Pop and Clinton checking out the parade.

Clinton waved this flag almost the whole parade. It was adorable!



At The Alamo

Playing in the gardens.

Clinton and Pop.

We had so much fun the first day, we went back the next day with the Hendersons. Pictured are Mother, Dana, Chelsea, Clinton, Hali and me.



Down on the River Walk

We at breakfast at this great little Mexican place down on the River Walk. We ate out on the patio and Clinton loved watching everyone walk by and the ducks in the "river".

"Pop" and Clinton feeding the ducks. Ducks like to dine on tortillas, right?

Mother and Chelsea discussing something wonderful.



Kisses....for me!

Clinton gives these wonderful kisses that are both messy and sometimes painful, but beautiful still. However, only a handful of people have been lucky enough to receive one...he's very picky (although Dalby and Conley have both gotten one). While at the hotel in San Antonio, Clinton found himself in the mirror and decided that he, too, was worthy of his beautiful kisses!





Clinton Meets Conley

Oh, mom, look how pretty she is!
Oh, what should I say to her?

How you doin'?

Can I give you a kiss?

Uh, oh.


Conley, Whitney, me, and Clinton






Clinton Flies to Texas...AGAIN (Get used to it, kid)

I love this picture not only because it makes him look like such a big boy, but also because his eyes are so beautiful! How could you not be in love if you had to look into those eyes everyday?




Clinton and Dalby

A few weekends ago Dalby's parents, Heather and Ryan, ran in the Race for the Cure. We had the pleasure of watching after Dalby during what they called a "date". (While I enjoy running, I'm not sure I'd ever venture so far as to call it a date.) Anyway, while they were on their date, Clinton and Dalby enjoyed their own date...playdate, of course. They played together on the floor (as you can see in the pictures). Then Clinton had to get in his high chair for breakfast, so we put Dalby in the bouncy seat on the kitchen table (with close supervision) and let them watch each other. Then we put Clinton in his jogger stroller and snapped Dalby's car seat into the Graco stoller. Rodney and I walked our three mile loop (again, not calling it a date) and the babies fell asleep. When we returned, our runner friends were back from their date and we were able to visit for a few more minutes before the children woke up with all their demands!

Starring ZjaZjie

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!Since Clinton has been born, Chelsea (aka ZjaZjie) has had to take a bit of a back seat to all the attention. In honor of her I have posted a cute little video of her that she is sure to treausre.

I wish I had discovered this all my own, but I'm totally stealing this idea from the Selke blogs.

9 Month Stats

I forgot to mention that Clinton had his 9 month appointment on November 8th, just before we left for Texas. Here are the all important stats:

Weight: 22 lbs. 14 oz. (this has him back down into the 80th percentile)
Height: 31 in. (this now has him off the charts)
Head: 48 cm. (this remains off the charts)

This is how badly my brain has suffered since Clinton's birth...I was bragging to my parents about how Clinton had already grown a foot since he was born...they just both looked at me like I was an idiot. After a few awkward silent moments dad asked how long Clinton was when he was born. Thinking he was stupid for asking because I had just told him that he was 31 inches now and that he had grown a foot I replied, "21 1/4 inches". Even after I said it he gave me a moment to try to piece it together...still nothing. Finally he said..."That's only 10 inches." Ah, duh.

Some other notables from our 9 month adventures:

Clothes: One pieces - 18M; separates - 12M
Shoes: size 5
Hats: X-Large Infant or Small Toddler
Teeth: 2 in, 2 on the way (maybe 4)
Eyes: still sparkling blue like his daddy's, we think they're going to stick
Foods: 3rd Foods, Biter Biscuits, Puffs, Formula, Juice
Hair: Tons of dirty blonde hair (everyone who sees him in person can't believe how much hair he has--apparently his pictures don't do him justice)
Faves: Baby Einstein World Animals DVD, cruising in the stroller, MUSIC, clicking his tongue, tupperware, baths

New Pictures Already!

Well, I was able to track down the photographer who took our picture at the parade. Here are the two pictures she took of us. I believe the silhouette one made the Waco Tribune Herald, but won't know for sure until I get a copy (coming in the mail from the Hendersons--thanks!) and can see for myself. The silhouette is of me, my dad, and Clinton. These pictures were taken by Nicole Fruge of the San Antonio Express.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

I'd like to give a shout out to my husband who turned 33 today (and his twin, Alesha)! I'm so sorry Clinton and I couldn't be there to share it with you, but we'll give you a good Texas celebration when you get here next week!

We love you!

Catching Up!

So I've been absent from my blog for a bit as I have been swamped with work, motherhood, housekeeping (ha ha, I know...but I promise I did all the laundry), packing, and traveling. I am now in Texas with my family and enjoying it thoroughly. There will not be any pictures on this post because I left my camera cord at home; however, I'm driving to Midland on Friday and I will go to a photo store and download my pics onto a disc so that I may share them with you.

Since I have so much to catch up on, this post with be a series of short stories...once you have read this you'll be up to date with the Williams' family. Enjoy.

Super Mom Strikes Again!

Okay, so I was trying to creatively child proof my home...meaning rather than locking up cabinets or constantly telling Clinton no and dragging him away from his little daily adventrues, I wanted to create areas with safe things for him to play with. I started with the lowest drawer in our bathroom vanity. This was filled with every medicine our house contained...not ideal for little curious hands that put everything in the mouth. So I boxed up the medicine, placed it on a high shelf, and filled the drawer with blocks. 1 transformed area down, 473 to go. Quite proud of myself, I ventured into the kitchen to address the lower cabinets filled with all the small appliances...food processor, mini food processors, blender, steamer, crock pot, chopper, quesadilla maker...everything you could ever need, right? Not too far from the kitchen sits one of my spare bathrooms with a fabulous linen closet full of extra and miscellaneous linens. Since we don't use these much, I moved the linens to the kitchen cabinet and the appliances with glass, blades, and other harmfuls to the linen closet. HOWEVER, while trying to carry too much at one time, I dropped my very durable blender onto the cooktop. What would have been great would have been if my blender had broken, but oh no that's not the kind of thing that happens in a Williams' house....no, my COOKTOP broke. My beloved gas cooktop that my husband lovingly bought me so I could cook all my gourmet meals was broken! I had no idea it was even glass. So now I have an eye sore on my counter, with jagged edges that are surely not childproof! No worries...we've got a new one on the way!


The CMA's Came, and I Went!

So, I got a pleasant surprise last week when I was invited to the CMA's by my neighbor. The Fishers seem to know anybody and everybody in town, and lucky for me they like me enough to share in their fortune. We had wonderful seats in the platinum section. We weren't on the floor with all the stars, but rather just a few rows up on the side where we could watch over them and also had an amazing view of the stage for all the wonderful performances. Some of my favorite stars that I got to see were Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Nicole Kidman, Kate Walsh, and Brad and Kimberly Paisley. If you watched the show, you know it was full of amazing performances.

We also had tickets to the official CMA after party. Now, my overactive imagination had convinced me that the party would be wall to wall celebrities and we might even get some swag....no such luck. The only "celebrity" I saw was the lead singer of Emerson Drive, and that's boderline celebrity. It was really fun, though. There were probably 1,000 or so people with tons of food and drinks. And when I say food....I mean food. Anything you could possibly want they had. It was an amazing set up.

And I would like give a HUGE thanks to my sweet hubby for staying home with the baby and letting me enjoy a much needed night out!!!

Clinton Meets Conley...Was it love at first sight?

Friday one of my very best friends, Whitney, brought her very darling daughter, Conley, to meet my stinky little boy. Now, the two babies I spend the most time with are Clinton, who has a massive head and the build of a linebacker; and Dalby, who has rolls for days that you could just eat up 'cause they're so yummy. These two babies made Conley look like the most petite of petite things...of course, she's a little younger, but still. And those beautiful brown eyes! Clinton didn't tell me whether or not it was love for him, but it was for me! We have adorable pictures...will post later!

Clinton's First Parade and Trip to the Alamo

This story would be much better with all the adorable pictures, so I will post them as soon as I can. However, here's the story. While in San Antone this weekend, we stayed on the River Walk and enjoyed TONS of Mexican food. I've been so deprived of good Mexican food, that we literally had it for every meal we ate! Anyway, Saturday morning we walked by the Alamo and walked through the gardens...Clinton will obviously not remember his first trip (which was also my first trip!?), but we got some great pictures...which were really the highlight of the visit.

When we walked out of The Alamo we just happened to be there in time for a Veteran's Day parade. Now, I have mentioned several times how much Clinton loves music...and now I'm saying it again! He would get so excited every time a band would pass...his legs and arms would just go flailing about. Someone in the parade handed Clinton a little American flag and he waved it the whole time....too cute! A photographer even took our picture (me, dad, and Clinton). She was from the San Antonio Express, but our picture (we've been told) ended up in Sunday's Waco Tribune Herald...kind of a silhouette shot. Again, I'll post pictures soon....they're priceless.

Brendan Ties the Knot

So, the whole point of the San Antonio trip was Brendan's Wedding. It was wonderful. The service was at San Jose Mission...beautiful, and very neat...lots of history. The reception was at Sunset Station...and talk about a reception. I've never seen anything like it. First of all, the building is a restored train station with some of the most intricate detailing and artistic work all along the walls and ceiling. We sat at a table in the balcony (with all the other Meridian people) that overlooked the main floor and dance floor. There were two bands that played, food that seemed to never end, and tons of great conversation!

I got to catch up with a couple of old classmates, sweet Nathan and Rob--so good to see you guys! And of course, Chelsea and I got to spend lots of time with our youngest "sister", Hali. Hali spent the night in our room...and truly if you saw the three of us together, you really would think we were all sisters....nothing is left out...there's laughter, bickering, sharing secrets...it's all there.

The most interesting part of the whole night was how my child was able to sleep through it all. The band was very loud, but Clinton fell asleep in his stroller and slept upstairs. Between myself, my parents, Dana, Tom, and Hali Henderson, Roger and Sky Parsons, and Chelsea...and I think Clinton was probably checked on every 2.5 minutes or so!

It was such a great time and we'd like to thank the Day and Lomas families!


This Kid is Weird

My poor baby has a bit of a head cold, maybe allergies. Anyway, his little nose just keeps running and there's not a lot I can do. One of the things my pediatrician did say to do was to use my little suction thing, which we call a boogerdang, to suction out the snot. Have you ever tried doing this to a baby? They hate it! ...and not just a little. They will fight you to the end just to keep that boogerdang out of their nose. EXCEPT my son. He loves it! He just sits there and waits for it, laughs when you do it, and gets mad when you put it down. I'm glad he makes it easy for me, but don't you think that's a little odd??


Well, that's it for now...I'm sure you'll be on the edge of your seat just waiting for the pictures! Don't hold your breath...it'll be at least Friday before they get here! Take care...and love to all--Courtney

For the Record (Hush Little Baby)

One day, I'm going to print each of my blog posts and start combining them into a "book" of sorts, and this will be the closest thing my children will have to a documented baby book. Don't worry, I'll have digital scrapbooks made with their pictures, but as far as writing things down....this is it. Seeing as that is the case, I wanted to document our version of Hush Little Baby. See, my little Clinton LOVES music. He loves it when you sing to him and he cries when you stop...and many of the children's songs are so short! So, I rewrote this little tune into an extended version that was more to Clinton's liking....just wanted to write it down, so one day when I'm trying to remember the words to sing to one of Clinton's children I'll be able to find them and say, "I used to sing this song to your Daddy when he was a little boy."

Hush little baby, don't say a word
Momma's gonna buy you a mocking bird

If that mocking bird don't sing
Momma's gonna buy you a diamond ring

If that diamond ring don't shine
Momma's gonna buy you a golden mine

If that golden mine has none
Momma's gonna buy you a water gun

If that water gun does break
Momma's gonna buy you a juicy steak

If that juicy steak tastes bad
Momma's gonna buy you a cowboy hat

If that cowboy hat's too big
Momma's gonna buy you a truckin' rig

If that truckin' rig's too loud
Momma's gonna buy you a milking cow

If that milking cow runs dry
Momma's gonna buy you the Texas sky

If that Texas sky starts to rain
Momma's gonna buy you a choo choo train

If that choo choo train's too long
Momma's gonna buy you a country song

If that country song's too sad
Momma's gonna buy you a baseball bat

If that baseball bat don't swing
Momma's gonna buy you a trampoline

If that trampoline's not high
Momman's gonna find another lullaby

Goodnight, sweet boy.

Stinky's 1st Halloween!

For Clinton's first Halloween we went to my friend Adrien's house for her annual Halloween party. It was really fun. We had chili, butternut squash soup, cornbread, chips and dip, cookies, apple cider, and other yummies. Clinton found himself in a sea of adorable girls and had a great time. He also got to wear his costume for the umpteenth time. You'll notice some pics he has it on and some he doesn't. It was a little warmer tonight and his costume was fur (fake, of course) on the outside and heavy fleece on the inside. The captions above each picture are Clinton's words. ;-)

Daddy...is there going to be anyone here for me??


Oh, yeah....I see some people for me.


There's little miss Maggie...


...and there's Ella June...


...and I see Maguire...


....and, of course, Dalby.


Ah, hmm...we need our privacy over here. (This is when Maguire and Clinton's evening together began)


Oh, Maguire....I'm over here!


Oh, yeah, dad.....she's sweet as sugar!


You come back and see me anytime, alright?


I didn't mean to make my girl cry....here, give her back her broom. I'm sorry!


Oh, Maguire, I love you!


Let me give you a hug....dad, some help here please.


Wait, Maguire.....I didn't get your number!

Sunday School Family Halloween Party

This skunk does not look amused.



A skunk and a puppy...how cute.

Fall Festival

Emma's preschool had a Fall Festival and we were invited. Below are a few pictures of Clinton....some in his Tennessee sweatsuit and some in his Halloween costume. I'm pretty sure he was the cutest skunk ever!

Checking out the ponies.


Family photos.



Skunk head


This skunk is done! Stay away from that tail! :-)