Tropical Pool Party

So this weekend I'm in the Dominican Republic for a wedding. Blogging from my iPad which I've never done before. So if the layout or whatever looks different please accept my apologies.

                                        

Anyway. This will be quick and sweet. Cuz I'm wasting sunlight. I made these for a tropical pool party last year. But I thought they were appropriate this week considering my location. 

My Father

So I am going to tell you right now, I have been avoiding writing this post because it still hurts so much, but I need to.

The month of April was pretty rough for me.  New baby, husband out of town, no sleep, 4 year old...the usual.  So I thought it would be really nice to go home and see my family in Texas the first weekend in May.  See, it was my dad's 60th birthday that Saturday.  My sister and her new fiance were coming into town especially for the occasion...the whole family was going to be there.  So I put myself and the kids on a plane and headed to Texas.  

The weekend started like any other at home.  Hugs to the parents, Dad cooked dinner for us (something he loved to do.  Dad used to be in the restaurant biz.  My passion for food stems from him), watched some TV, cooed over the baby...just spent time with family.  That's how we do it.  We just enjoy each other's company.  

That Saturday was the big day, my dad's birthday.  I didn't see my dad that morning....I was sleeping in...long night of feeding baby.  He was going to work that morning, "just for a little bit", so he told my sister when they passed in the hallway.  We went about our morning, getting ready for the birthday party later that night.  I was all excited to make him my very special chocolate cake.

We were ready to go and started heading to the car.  Now my parents have a driveway that accommodated one car wide so all our cars are out front are lined up like ducks.  If one person wants to go somewhere we have a circus act of car moving. Takes coordination.  Dad's car was still there.  He was supposed to be at work half an hour ago.

And that's about when my life changed forever.  When all our lives did.  

Dad suffered a major cardiac arrest.  When we found him upstairs, he had already gone.

JR Barnes

1953-2013

Sugar Cookie Recipe

I've oddly had a tone of requests for my sugar cookie recipe.  Which I think is interesting because a sugar cookie is a sugar cookie right?  But I still get requests.

Now I really like my recipe.  It isn't too sweet, in fact it's rather buttery which I love.  And has a soft texture. Not a super soft cookie but not a crisp cookie.  So if you like 'em crisp you wont like mine.

I warn you, it isn't ground breaking...I mean there's only so many ways to make sugar cut outs.  And it isn't diet friendly.  But it is delicious.

So here it is....

My sugar cookie recipe.

From the vault: Colorful Butterflies

So I have been a little short on time for cookies lately.  Weird right?  I mean the lady has a baby and suddenly she doesn't have time to do cookies?  Who needs a shower right?  There's cookies.

Anyway, so I'm going to be posting cookies here and there that I made a while back that I've been saving for  times like this...where I'm too tired to remember if I brushed my hair today...just to run my fingers through it and think " Have I even brushed it this week?  What is this in it?  Is that a Cheeto?"

Nice huh?

Anyway....here's some pretty butterflies I made a while back that are so colorful you can't help but cheer up and think, "ah, who cares if you haven't had a pedicure in so long that your toes look like raptor talons....see the pretty rainbow colors!"

Hi. My name is John.

On March 14 my due date finally came....and went.  And for the next 2 weeks I started get ever more impatient.  I mean really kid.  What's the deal?  I can't be that comfy.

I was pretty determined to give myself and my kid every shot at a natural birth.  Not that I am a hard core naturalist, or that I judge or anything.  I just wanted the experience this time around that I didn't get with my first baby.  Sophie was induced a week early because I became toxemic.  It wasn't pleasant.  She was not ready and neither was I.  I digress...

But 2 weeks post due date my doctor put his foot down.  No more waiting for me.  I wasn't progressing past 4cm no matter how many things I tried (and I tried almost everything).  It was due day...

So after a relatively shorter (compared to the days of labor I was in with Sophie) labor John was born.

John

Born March 28, 2013 at 10:38pm

21.75 inches long

7lb 15oz

I'm back!....I think

Well I've been gone a while.  Yes.  Sorry.  Had stuff ya know.  A lot of stuff.  So I'll probably be posting a ton in the next couple days to get everyone up to speed on life over here.  Just because I feel like I owe an explanation....and because it's been a roller coaster of emotions, it's only appropriate that I separate it all in separate posts...other wise it will be the post that never ends....

So bare with me here.  I'll be posting very frequently in the next few days....probably quite a bit today to start.  But for now I have to go to an appointment.  Talk to you soon

Nursery Progress - Week 3

So I know I've been gone a while.

I blame the whole hormonal baby thing.  I've been avoiding the internet like the plague.  Don't know why.  Maybe I'm trying to focus on the here and now.  Getting ready for D day.  (That's delivery day)

So I haven't been doing too many cookies.  And well, the cookies I have done, I am saving for "maternity leave" so I'll have something I can post in between midnight feedings and the occasional shower I might treat myself to.

So instead I have more nursery details....yay.  I know y'all are probably sick of the nursery.  But it's one of those things I have had to focus my attention on.  I'm seriously due any day now.

Any day.... *sigh*

So here's what we have going on.....

Finally got the wallpaper up on the shelves and OMG it's awesome.

Or ya know....I think so anyway.  And since it's my nursery that's probably good.

My mom spent hours putting it up on her last visit.  See the glass of ice tea on the shelf?  That's a southern woman's life line.  Gotta have tea to tackle any home improvement project.  Otherwise your doomed to failure.

We also got a couple accessories and some furniture in the room.

Sorry the pics aren't great.  But ya know...I'm not exactly an interior photographer...

Anyway.  This chair was inherited as well from my MIL.  It's awesome.  I love it.  I have a match in my master bathroom....

There's the chaning table covered by drapes.....and of course the giant giraffe.  I mean what nursery doesn't need a giant giraffe.

I swear it's taller than I am...which isn't a hard feat...but still...

And a lamp we picked up on impulse at TJ Max.   Yeah.  I shop the Max.  With no shame.

Anyway....crib isn't up yet....it's a long story.  Next nursery post will be the completed room.  Well maybe with the exception of some wall art pieces and a bed skirt.  The bed skirt was put on hold.  Part of the long crib story.  So till then...

Maybe pray I go into labor soon.  I really really really want to have a baby....like now.