By Carmen
Annley started taking a few steps at a time a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, every time we got the camera out she would sit down and pretend like she had never known how to walk.
Since that time one of her new favorite phrases to say is "go go walk". Once she says this she will usually reach up for your fingers to hold on to while she walks or she will point to the "go mobile" (her push toy).
Last night we were finally able to get some video of what Annley can do.
By Carmen
Last week I Annley and I went to Georgia to visit my family for a week. While we were there I made sure to go visit a horse farm I used to help out at before Tyler and I got married.
I LOVED getting to go back and see my old horse friends and to go riding. Forest, the horse I normally ride wasn't there. He is being leased to some guy in Albany (I didn't know you could lease horses but apparently you can) so I had to pick one of the other horses to ride. I chose Fabio. While I was riding I had the opportunity to play simon says with a couple of girls who were out riding.
I went back to my mom's to get Annley so she could see the horses. She was not disappointed, as soon as I got her out of the car she spotted a horse, pointed and said "this".
I introduced her to Fabio, who she got to pet and sit on. She protested and tried to climb across my body to get back on him.
Next I introduced her to Faith, a 2 year old philly, who I love. It took a little while for Annley to warm up to Faith but in a matter of minuets they were friends. Annley even tried to set Faith free.
We had a wonderful time. I'm so happy that my friend let me come out to the farm and visit.
By Tyler
Lately I've had a lot I've wanted to express but didn't think it appropriate to post it here on my family blog. I've created a new blog for anyone interested in following my less-than-family-oriented thoughts, though I warn you: It's not the depraved type of internal dialogue some of you may be expecting from me.
You can follow my new blog here. I'll be adding additional authors, too, so if anyone reads my first post and feels like they can follow in a similar vane (not necessarily in subject matter, but in writing style), I might welcome you to contribute.
Of course, I'll still be writing here about how Annley is so adorable she makes kittens and puppies look like hideously-kickable monsters, and about how amazingly tolerant of my puppy/kitten kicking habit Carmen is. If you're into reading about that, please keep checking back here.
By Tyler
We've moved into a new house. Well, the house isn't new, really, but it's new to us. It has doors we've never opened before, windows we've never looked through, and floors we've never walked on. Some floors are carpeted while others are made of wood. Some floors are above other floors. There are stairs we have to climb to reach those floors.
We moved into this new house because I started a new job. Unlike the new house, though, the new job is full of things that aren't new at all. There is paperwork to be filled out that I am all-together familiar with. There are doors to knock on that have familiar people behind them. I also have a company badge and business cards that are exactly the same as badges and cards I've had to carry to work before. But still. I think the job can be considered new because I was doing what I'm doing now, but I was doing it somewhere else. You know. Before we moved into the new house.
Along with the new job I've also started a new company. Some people might argue that this isn't a good time to start a new company. I would argue right back that generally they are correct. My new company, however, sells a product that is very, very easy to sell, is something that actually solves a problem, is very profitable, and doesn't require any money to buy it. Sweet, huh?
There are other things of mine that are new, too. For example, I have a few new clothes. In fact, I just bought two new suits for my new job (both of them). I also have a few new friends. Unlike the new clothes, though, I did not try them on. I also did not buy them. Carmen would not have been happy if I had tried either of those new-friend-getting tactics. Instead they were lured in with charm and with brownies.
I also have a few new hobbies. For example, did you know that I am writing a book? It's true, I am. I'm even excited to say that I have an editor. She's my aunt, but I don't think her being related to me will prevent her from critically cleaning up my written word's rough edges (she doesn't edit my blog, so no smarmy comments about how poorly written this is, please). I'm also writing music again, which is good since it's been holed up inside the vast space between my ears for several years now waiting to get out.
But I am stymied.
My new house is a comfortable size, but it's still big enough to remind me how very few things we own. I have to pass through several rooms and go up a flight of stairs just to find a place to sit down with my laptop. That's quite a bit of work just to get to sit.
The new job is going very well well but the new business I've started isn't getting enough attention from me. This is because it is too easy to give your work-related attention to a job that puts money in your bank account every two weeks like clockwork.
My new friends are awesome, but I don't get to see them very often. One of them is an accountant of sorts, and this is tax season. Plus he and his wife and expecting their first baby any day now. In my opinion, those a pretty good reasons to be too busy to be tempted away by brownies.
My book I'm writing is not being written. I spend a lot of time thinking about characters, their motives, and what happens to them. I get very excited about it, but when I sit down to write it out, I always let something else distract me. This means that my wonderful aunt/editor isn't editing anything and is probably wondering when all this editing is supposed to start happening. My music suffers from the same problem as my writing, in that it gets far less face-time than I'd like.
Now, I'm not whining. I'm stymied, remember? I'm not spectacularly upset or annoyed or frustrated or pouty. I'm not sulking or skulking or pounding any fists. I'm just stymied. Progress is not happening.
It could be that there is too much on my plate. Or maybe I'm just lazy. Maybe I enjoy the idea of starting something new, but can't commit to the follow-through. Maybe.
I heard an expression once. I was told by someone who is smart to avoid "analysis by paralysis". What does that mean? Stop thinking so hard about what you have to do or are trying to accomplish and just do it. That is very good advice. Not to say that you shouldn't be planning out whatever it is you're trying to do, but rather that you shouldn't ever let yourself get stuck on the "how". Just do it. Execute. Follow though. Shoulder to the wheel. Get it done.
Yeah! Man, just shouting out short little motivational phrases is enough to get you hyped up to go out and accomplish something. Isn't it? Can't you feel it?
I can.
I guess I'm not stymied anymore.
By Carmen
I LOVE Superbowl Sunday but not for the same reasons most people do . I love it because of the food and the commercials. I decided yesterday that I wanted to have a Superbowl party with just the family. Tyler was very supportive. I think it was because he was able to eat a ton of greasy fried food and there were wings. So I whipped together the following after church. What a way to end a fast.
Annley loves watching spots. Football and basketball are her favorites. She squeals and claps with delight at the sight at watching a game.
Check out her game face.
By Carmen
This morning I had a baby shower to go to. I was on the way there when I received a very random text from Tyler. It read "What r u doing May 6th?"
I racked my brain trying to figure out what was going on that date....nothing that I could think of. Maybe I had accidentally sent him a calendar invite for a non-existent event on May 6th.
My reply: What? Why?
Tyler: I have a surprise for you
Inside my head: A surprise really??? How exciting? It must be awesome especially since Tyler planned it out that far in advance. I mean WOW!!!
Lori: What are you reading over there?
Me: Tyler has a surprise for me on May 6th
Lori had a very surprised look on her face and asked me what day that was. I checked, "its a Wednesday".
By this point I was racking my brain trying to figure out what on earth my surprise was.
We got home and Tyler asked me if I wanted to know what my surprise was. Anyone who knows me knows the answer was yes.
I guessed that it was for a concert and it was.
Then he sang this line to me
"I do believe its true that there are runs left in both of these shoes"
Which is "Death Cab for Cutie"
I am soo excited. I love that band.
Tyler you get like 1000 brownie points.
By Carmen
Tuesday started out like any other day for Annley. She woke up at 6am. She played with her Daddy for an hour so I could get a little more sleep. Then we all came downstairs for breakfast. The morning continued to be wonderful until I sat down to practice the piano. Annley stood at the end of the piano happily hitting the keys until she decided she just had to get on the piano bench. In the midst of pulling herself up on the bench she slipped and whacked her forehead on the corner of on of the legs. A purple bruise promptly appeared right smack dab on the middle of her forehead.
A little later in the day I asked Annley to help me fold clothes which is something she likes to be a part of. Usually this involves Annley unfolding everything I have just folded. This particular day Copper was "resting" (hovering) close by. Annley decided to crawl over and say hello; something that is not out of the ordinary. He saw her coming and seemed to be very calm, she went to pet him (very gently) and he spun around, bit her and snarled at her. I was shocked, furious, terrified and mad. I jumped up and ran over to them scolding Cooper and trying to comfort my hysterical child at the same time. Her little arm puffed up instantly around the area where she was bitten.
Seeing his teeth wrapped around her little arm is permanently burned into my mind. I was shaking for like an hour after it was over and tried not to think about it until Annley took her next nap. What if he wouldn't have let go? What if she hadn't been wearing long sleeves? What if he does this again? These are the questions that have been running through my mind since it happened.
Obviously Annley is no longer allowed to be near Cooper or play with him anymore. Tyler has decided he is not to even be in the same room with her.
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