The Payton Update

Montessori School

2010-08-01T19:11:00.000-05:00

Wow, am I behind on blog posts! Either that or Payton is just to fast to keep up with. Now that I think about it I am leaning toward the later. First thing's first. Payton has successfully completed the summer session at Montessori Children's House! He conqured his separation anxiety (good byes are still a little hard) and developed some skills to keep himself ocupied and distracted to pass the time. He made several crafts/projects to give us each day when he would think of us. Mommy was also able to get several projects and a little relaxing done! We are so proud of him...and just a little sad that he is growing up and reminding us more every day that he is NOT a baby anymore.

Love my Daddy! {father's day weekend 2010}

2010-06-25T17:42:00.000-05:00

On Jamie's first Father's Day weekend in 2008 (Payton was 9 months old) I drug him outside for a small photo shoot. Those turned out to be some of my all time favorite pictures of my boys! I had been thinking about those and had my camera out from a family session I did that evening when inspiration hit me. I then had to drag both boys outside to capture the new images above. The new images were taken on Father's Day weekend 2010 (Payton was 2 years & 9 months old). I am so glad I was able to convince them both to do this! It is really cool to see the comparison over the last 2 years. Payton has changed so much but there is no mistaking those blue eyes, strawberry blond hair and little expressive "rubber face". I didn't want the images to be exact replicas but they really turned out pretty close! The fun was discovering things in both old and new images that I didn't even plan or notice were the same until I was in the editing process. Notice in the black and white picture above with the boys sitting on the lawn that Payton was grabbing his toes in both images. I just love that! We hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day weekend and a fantastic summer. We love you all dearly!

Payton is evolving faster than I can keep up!

2010-05-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

That is an understatement! This kid amazes me every single day. He is so independent and opinionated to say the least. He is challenging for sure but just as equally funny, loving, smart, entertaining, quick, the list goes on. He is definitely not a baby anymore and he reminds me daily that he is a kid NOT a baby.

He is dying to get involved in T-ball but is still "to young" to play. For now he practices at home. He throws righty but bats lefty most of the time. He will yell "I'm gonna jack it out of the park!" then practice sliding into base as he screams "I won my first game!"

A few weeks ago I was telling him that when he grew up he could be anything he wanted to be and do anything he wanted to do. Without skipping a beat he looked me in the eye and said "I do not want to be a doctor." I said O.K. and then he said "I just want to be a construction guy and do some digging and stuff."

A few days ago he woke up sat down on the couch. CNN was on the TV so I came in there to turn on one of his shows for him. He told me to wait because he was watching this. He watched the entire segment about the oil crisis and then wanted me to explain to him what was going on. Seriously! I am not going to be able to keep up with him for long.

He is always telling jokes, making friends, going on play dates, practicing riding his balance bike, and generally keeping us busy and entertained. There is never a dull (quiet) moment as he is always passionate and full speed ahead. I don't even know how to sum this kid up in a blog post. He is truly an experience.

Payton is one interesting, funny dude!

2010-03-10T17:19:00.000-06:00

Well we are 3 months into the new year and Payton has taken advantage of every second. He has been super busy and has a full social calender. So weird! I remind you he is only 2 1/2 at this point. He was invited to 3 parties in the last 2 weeks not to mention the regularly scheduled play dates. {The pictures below are from our date to "Menchis" frozen yogurt shop after his first playdate of the week to the park.}

Payton tried Montessori school for the month of January. He was not happy about Mom leaving him and was having a hard time adjusting so we decided to stop for now and try again in the summer session.

He loves quoting movie lines from Night at the Museum, Sandlot, Goonies and Kung Fu Panda just to name a few. Some of those lines also get him in trouble;o) Sometimes you don't notice a bad word until you hear it out of the mouth of a two year old.

February was filled with snow days and he loved every minute of it! It took abotu 30 minutes to get him bundled up to go out but he could spend all day out there building snow men. He was so sad when he realized it would not snow again this year. All week, a while back, he was saying that it would snow on Thursday. Then when Thursday came he said "I just don't understand why it didn't snow on Thursday." He tried to make it happen so hard.

He loves to run errands, hang out with the neighbor girls, go to parties and be outside. He is still obsessed with trains and diggers. He is now insisting that we immediately get him involved in soccer and t-ball. Again, seriously, he is only 2! He remembers everyones name, is very social and will say (un-prompted) "It was a pleasure to meet you. Have a great day!" when he meets someone new. He is a challenge to keep up with and is continually absorbing everything around him. He is also pure JOY to us! Sure we get mad and frustrated but that doesn't last long with P. He is just to funny and sweet! Here are a few 1 liners that he has said this week for your amusement;o)

holding keys in hand- "I'm bigger enough. Can I please take the car by myself?"

"Oh, I'm sorry dear."

"You are so irritating tonight, Mom."

"I'm gonna organize this the best I can!"

"It's late for my nap. We need to go home."

"I'm 'bunctious (rambunctious)"

"Keep shredding, Moon-o!"

Christmas!

2010-01-08T16:44:00.000-06:00

While last Christmas was certainly fun Payton was only 1 and still required a lot of assistance and explaination. This Christmas Payton was old enough to really get into things and anticipate what was coming. How awesome is it that he got to experience a white Christmas! It was the first measurable Christmas snowfall since they began keeping records in the 1890s. We slept in then woke to let Payton open his presents. We had his Thomas train tracks all set up with his gifts wrapped up in the middle. He was so excited to see them first thing! After breakfast we all bundled up and went out side to play in the snow. I would be lying if I told you we didn't let Payton make yellow snow ;o)

That afternoon we joined the rest of my family at Granny and Papa's house for gift exchange and yummy food. (the only vegetable was jalepenos with venison wrapped in bacon and the only fruit was the coconut layer in the cookie bars)

He got a ballance bike and a chain saw and just had a blast all around!

8 crazy nights/Happy Hanukkah

2009-12-20T23:23:00.001-06:00

Hanukkah was so fun with Payton this year. He was actually old enough to participate and understand what was going on...for the most part. On the first night Payton had been to a birthday party for his little friend Owen. They had been talking about Hanukkah at the party as well. When we got home we lit the first candle and Payton tried to blow it out and said "Happy Birthday!" When we gave him his present he said "It's my Birthday!" We tried to explain it to him then he said "Oh, It's my Hanukkah!" Close enough. Each night he would say "I want my Hanukkah now". As you'll see in the pictures he really enjoyed himself and had fun learning the prayer as we lit the candles each night.

We finally did it! Payton's FIRST haircut

2009-12-09T17:20:00.000-06:00

Payton got his first haircut ever today! We have only trimmed his bangs twice since he has been born. As you can imagine this was quite an emotional event for his mommy. My baby has grown up so much in the last couple of months. His pacifier is now only reserved for nap time, he has been completely potty trained, he is scheduled to start Montessori school next month and now he has

a big boy haircut. I was his stylist (I cried at the first cut) and Jamie was the photographer. Payton did great but he was a little wiggly so it got cut a little shorter than planned. We saved his little curls in envelopes and logged the event into his baby book. My little boy is not looking so much like a baby anymore!

This has got to be the most handsome little boy I have ever seen!!!

Our Little Pumpkin/Fall Fun

2009-11-01T16:27:00.000-06:00

Holidays are getting more and more fun as Payton gets old enough to truly appreciate the festivities! I love that we are developing our own family traditions that we can repeat with our little pumpkin each year. We went to the same pumpkin patch that we went to last year so he could pick out his own pumpkin to decorate and mommy could get her own to carve as well. Payton flashed his winning smile and even scored a bonus gourd for free! He had so much fun helping his daddy cut open the pumpkin, drawing and painting his own and watching mommy carve hers. On Halloween he dressed as a "construction guy" wearing his uncle Chachi's old overalls, a bunch of tools and a hard hat. He will get out his tools and in a really deep voice say "I'm workin hard! For money!" We went to a trunk or treat at our church first and then hit another carnival. On the drive between the 2 I had given him a piece of candy and a glow stick. After a few minutes he said "this tastes yucky". I knew he had already eaten his candy... I turned around to find my little guy with a glow mustache! He had bitten into the glow stick!

Potty Training Boot Camp

2009-10-27T22:16:00.003-05:00

Payton's journey to big boy pants began on October 22, 2009. He was 2 years and 1 month old. We had all the supplies, a clear calender and no excuses. I have potty trained many children in my years as a nanny but this was an adventure!

I really wanted this to be a crash course, never look back experience. When I said "no more diapers" I meant it. I didn't want this to drag out for months. I read this book and used it for reference. (I would highly recommend it!) We stocked up on Payton's favorite drinks and treats for rewards and began our day.

We started by giving baby "Georgie" drinks and teaching her how to go to the potty, pull down her pants and clean up after herself when she was done.

All we did was talk potty and practice potty all day long.

Here Payton is practicing pulling down his own pants and sitting on the potty. When ever he had wet pants he was required to practice rushing to the potty, pulling down his pants, sitting down, stand up, pull his pants up and repeat 9 times. Then he had to clean up his mess, change his pants and put the dirty stuff in the hamper. This teaches them the steps, muscle memory and habit. It also teaches them that it is a heck of a lot faster just to pee in the potty in the first place!

When he is done on the potty he is expected to take his potty bowl, dump it in the toilet and return it to his potty chair.

He of course was praised profusely through out the process and received rewards when he had dry pants and stickers for his chart when he pee peed in his potty.

We started on Thursday morning and by Saturday afternoon he had completely mastered using the potty and has had ZERO accidents since then! He is so proud of himself and of his big boy undies and wants to "tell everybody"!

Payton's official 2 year old portrait...and flashback

2009-10-02T17:17:00.001-05:00

While I was the photographer for his 2 year old portrait I was merely the baby wrangler/model for the remaining pictures. They were photographed by The Lynsey Stone D.F.W. Birth Photographer. Who happens to be one of my best friends and the mom of Payton's best girlfriend Naiya. http://www.dfwbirthphotographer.com/

ENJOY!!

age 2

age 1

8 months

4 months

a few minutes old

day 2 of labor

"come this way----> Thanks Dad<3"

37 1/2 weeks pregnant

Payton is 2!!

2009-09-24T10:37:00.001-05:00

Payton is 2 years old! I absolutely cannot believe it that my baby is growing up so fast. It doesn't help at all that he acts so old either. Most of his friends are older so he is trying to keep up with them...and doing a good job. He can hold his own in a room full of 5 year olds. I think my toddler has crossed the line over to "little boy" now. (tear) He keeps his dad and I in stitches with his hysterical sense of humor. He loves to help us and will follow us and say "Good job Mama! Good job Dada!" He adds new things to his resume every day. (Including having mastered every type of lock and safety latch.) I wish there was some way to tell you everything or describe this little wonder to all of you!

On Payton's actual birthday we celebrated at home. His Dad brought him a Happy Meal home for lunch from McDonald's (with 2 toys inside!) and a Cookie Monster cupcake.

After lunch we set him on the counter and gave him his cupcake. We had lit 2 candles for him to blow out but he wouldn't do it until we had sung Happy Birthday to him. So cute! He had been practicing how this whole birthday thing was supposed to work so he would be ready when it was his turn.

He spent the afternoon looking out the front windows hoping to see the UPS truck pull up to our house bearing gifts. Lucky him, it actually showed up! When he saw it he yelled "presents!" and ran to the door. His birthday gifts from his Nanna and Aunt Jen had arrived.

His party was at Cabela's sporting goods store on the Sunday after his birthday. He loves Cabela's because that is where his papa works. This year we had a "digger" themed party. He is always on the lookout for construction equipment. The cake was super cute. It looked like dirt and mud made from icing and crushed cookies with the equipment on top. He thought is was "awesome".

We set him next to his cake and he waited patiently while everyone sang to him (just as he had rehearsed). It was so sweet because he just looked around at everyone that was singing to him. When the song was over, without any prompting, he leaned over and blew out his candles.

Then of course he dug into his cake!

Payton's birth story

2009-09-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Two years ago today (at this hour-10:00am) I went into labor with my little Payton. Of course my little stinker wasn't born until 2 days later. I thought I would share his birth story with you as we celebrate his 2 year birthday!

My birth story begins on September 16. All week long I had been telling the baby that he could not come on Sunday because we had a lot to do that day (to get ready for his arrival). Sure enough, Sunday morning I sat up in bed and my water broke. I called my midwife and, my friend and birth photographer to give them the heads up. We spent the morning running errands and waiting for my contractions to really kick in.
Around 8:00pm we headed to the birthing center. I was ready to have some extra support at that point and to be checked to see where we were at. I was at 3cm 0sta. and 85% eff. with contractions lasting 1 min and 3 min apart. I spent the next several hours in various positions, on the ball, in the bed, outside and finally in the birthing tub about 4:15am.
I spent the night in the tub. I remember watching the sun rise and thinking “I made it through the night.” I was checked again at 8:00am and was a 5-6 and 95% effaced. I had made some progress.
Contractions had spaced so I got up and went to walk with my husband.
They started back up so after a couple hours of walking I got back in the tub again. Less than an hour later they had spaced again so we decided to try some herbal remedies. By 2:00pm my contractions had completely stopped. We continued with the remedies and called a chiropractor to come because they would not establish.
At this point I had been in labor for over 24 hours. The break in contractions, although disheartening, was actually a nice break. I was able to rest, visit and eat. (I was craving Chicken Express;-)
The chiropractor arrived at 6:00 that evening and started giving me adjustments. They were bitter sweet. It was a welcome relief from the terrible back pain I had been in but those contractions started picking up again. My labor had re-established and we were on our way again. She stayed with me for at least 3 hours adjusting every 30 min or so.
Monday evening we were at the 36 hour mark and there was talk of transport. We declined transport as long as baby and I were doing well. Other than fatigue our vitals were great. Thankfully we had a midwife and support staff that would listen and not give up on us.
I had come this far and what was another few hours. Right? The rest of the evening/early morning was spent dealing with strong contractions in the tub and various other positions.
One of the sweetest moments I remember of this labor process was actually spent in the bathroom. I was having hard contractions and constant pressure. My midwife was sitting on the toilet (while my husband rested up) and I was on the birthing ball in front of her leaning on her during contractions. At one point she just started singing a song to me. “It is well with my soul” It was so soothing and encouraging as well as unexpected. I remember thinking “I only have to deal with this one contraction now. It will be over soon and I have people to help me through it.” Then the contraction would be over and I could check it off as completed, never to do that one again.
At 4:00am I was at a 9cm, 98% and +1. I was still 9cm 3 hours later. With some trial pushing, I only had a cervical lip. For the record, I hated the birth chair! For the next 5 hours I continued to push in every position there was. On my side, on my back, on hands and knees, on the ball and one leg up in a squat.
I had finally gotten to the point where I was giving it all I had with each contraction but the fatigue was working against me. “All I had” wasn’t going to get the job done. I was so exhausted at that point I knew I was not making any progress. The thought of transporting was more than I could bear after all that work.
My last resort was getting on the birth chair and allowing gravity to help me. My sweet husband, who initially planned to catch, sat behind me and held out a mirror so he could see. 22 minutes and an episiotomy with internal/external tearing later my little man (9 lbs 2 oz) was finally born. The whole process from water breaking
to birth was 50 hours and 40 minutes. I cried “we did it!” over and over.
What a sense of accomplishment and empowerment to make it through the whole process. Technically it wasn’t what we had planned…A water birth with my husband catching. But it was exactly what I wanted…A natural birth, on my time, surrounded by my support team.
(Payton James Murray Lehr ended up having to be transported because he was having trouble breathing after some time on oxygen. He completely recovered from “possible” pneumonia and was able to come home with us 3 weeks later.)

Instead of sharing pictures from the birth I decided to add some new ones.

Payton and our midwife Molly

Payton is sitting on a birth chair in the exact spot where he was born 2 years ago. It is such a cool thing to be able to go and visit where he was first brought into this world!

This was the actual birth chair I used when Payton was born. He was playing with it in the room where I labored at the birth center.

Payton's first trip to Miami!

2009-09-10T17:50:00.008-05:00

Payton took his first trip to Miami, Florida to visit family and friends last week. It was also his first time on a plane and his first trip to the beach. He had so much fun and was really excited about the whole thing! He even had a couple of play dates while we were down there. Here is just a small sampling of over 200 photos that were taken while on our trip. If you would like to see some more please visit the facebook album in this link. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=306032&id=642450397&l=333045c4a2

He thought it was the coolest thing to watch the planes while we waited to board. He kept saying "take off!" As we were about to step onto the plane he looked at me and said "I'm nervous" with a smile on his face. When we got in the plane he said "hi ladies" and would say "excuse me" as we walked past each aisle. We timed the flight perfectly...right during nap time. He was asleep within 20 minutes of take off and slept for almost 2 hours. What a relief!

Payton and Mommy at the beach. It was rainy but we were still able to enjoy the sand and the view.

Payton and Daddy at the beach.

Quinn and his Mommy Ericka were able to join us for the day. The boys had so much fun playing together. Jamie and Ericka have been friends for over 20 years and she was in our wedding.

This is the convertible "P-Bob" bought for him to drive while we were down. He had the most fun with this thing and took it so seriously that he was driving. He told Aunt Jen "Get in. You can fit!"

Watching for boats with Nanna out on Nanny Sylvia's balcony. It over looks the inter coastal waterway.

There are 4 generations together in this photograph! Nanny Sylvia (who is 96), Nanna, Aunt Jenn, Daddy and Payton.

Payton calls Bob "P-Bob". The "P" stands for Papa. They are sitting with Jamie's cousin Scott and his wife Gayle. Payton thought she was hilarious. He would call her "bad girl!" (because she laughed at him when he said it the first time) and asked her to go to his "roomie". You know Payton likes you if you get an invite to his room.

FOURTH OF JULY-PAYTON STYLE

2009-07-07T15:42:00.004-05:00

We celebrated the 4th of July this year by heading down by the river to the "Fort Worth Fourth Celebration". Payton had such a wonderful time! He loves to be outside anyway but out here there was so much to see and do. We laid out a blanket up at the top of the hill where we had a good view of all the action. Then we would take turns running down the hill to get more watermelon, refills, snacks or jump in the bounce house. It was his first official picnic. The only bummer was that the "big" fireworks would not start until the baseball game was over. We finally gave up and beat the traffic out of there at 10:30. We found out later that they didn't start until after midnight. Payton had a blast anyway and got to see some small "works" as he called them.

"cheeeeese"

Payton came back from one of his trips down the hill for ice cream that his dad had bought him a laser sword. "WOW!"

some of the smaller "works"

Payton at play

2009-06-12T16:08:00.004-05:00

I decided there was no way I could pick just 1 theme and only 3 or 4 pictures for this post. Instead I have chosen several of my favorites from this last month. Payton has been very busy! He has a play date at the water park every wednesday during the summer. Dad had the day off and was able to join us, to Payton's great excitement, this past week.

He braved the slide...sort of. I kinda pushed him down against his will but his

daddy was there to catch him.

There is nothing like an afternoon nap on the couch with dad.

from left to right: Bear Blank, MoMo, Payton (with Pass and Rubbee)

Goggy & Pooh all cuddled under blanket.

"Cheese" this outfit belonged to his uncle "Chachi" when he was Payton's age.

If you put Payton outside and give him some water he is a happy boy!

Notice the lawn mower in the bath tub. This kid is serious about his yard work.

Out in the backyard with his girls.

A favorite summer time snack. "A peach a peach!"

donuts, coffee & the paper

2009-05-17T10:57:00.004-05:00

Well, the coffee was for me. Payton does not need any caffeine! Of course he really didn't need the sugar either. I couldn't resist though. Every kid needs to wake up on a Sunday morning and have a sprinkle donut waiting for them at least once in their life. After he was finished eating he enjoyed perusing the Sutherland's catalog looking for new lawn equipment...really! (See the previous post)

Mowing! Mowing!

2009-04-23T10:46:00.003-05:00

Payton LOOOVES to "work" in the yard with his dad, or his Papa, or just by himself! He has his own rakes, shovels, tools, wheelbarrow, buckets, a wagon and various other utensils he finds a use for on a daily basis. If it were up to him he would stay outside all day long. If he is "out" he is happy. Yesterday he actually got to "help" with the mowing. He was so serious about it. Little does he realize that this will be his chore all to soon.

itsy bitsy spider...

2009-04-06T16:53:00.002-05:00

PAYTON IS NOW 18 MONTHS OLD. I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT! WE ARE SO AMAZED, IMPRESSED AND ENAMOURED BY HIM. HE COMES UP WITH SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY TO ADD TO HIS RESUME. ONE THING HE LOVES TO DO IS SING SONGS. BELOW ARE PICTURES OF HIM PERFORMING ONE OF HIS ALL TIME FAVORITES, ENJOY!

THE ITSY BITSY SPIDER

WENT UP THE WATER SPOUT.

DOWN CAME THE RAIN &

WASHED THE SPIDER OUT.

OUT CAME THE SUN &

DRIED UP ALL THE RAIN

AND THE ITSY BITSY SPIDER

WENT UP THE SPOUT AGAIN.

17 months going on 21

2009-03-03T15:23:00.007-06:00

Can I just say that "I love being a mom!" I am so smitten with this little angel. Sometimes I think I need a break and then I can't bear to be away from him. He is growing and learning so fast that it's hard to keep up. He is talking non stop, working on perfecting his jumping and dancing, learning to read (he can read the words 'baby' and 'hi')...I'm not kidding! He remembers all the neighbors names, as well as the mail man's, and keeps a watch for them through the front window. Nothing happens that he doesn't know about. Most of all he likes to "Go!" doesn't matter where as long as we're going somewhere. If he is outside he is a happy boy. Here are a few pictures from this last month. When your kid is this cute it is hard to choose just a few!

Picking flowers for mom...of course.

snack time!

How sweet is this? Don't you just want to squish him?!

He always has that mouth open, always talking.

What an angel!

"broweeez"

"brownies"

President "BaBaMa"

2009-01-20T22:23:00.004-06:00

Today the 44th President of the United States of America was sworn into office. No mater your party, no matter your race, no matter your religion, Barack H. Obama is the God ordained leader of our country. You cast your vote but now it is time to stand behind, support and pray for our leader and our country.

Payton was very excited by all the fanfare on the TV today. He loves music, parades and action. It was the cutest thing to listen to him sing along with Aretha Franklin as she sang the National Anthem. In the picture below he was pointing and saying "BaBaMa".

Payton's Papa remembers a time when there where 2 separate water fountains, 2 laundry mats, one with a sign in the window that read "whites only", people of color in the balcony of the movie theater and whites in the lower level, the color of your skin determining your seat on the bus or your place in line. I thank God that Payton won't remember things like that! He can look back at these pictures and remember that the first African American President was elected in his lifetime and wonder why we all thought that was so amazing.

Poor guy couldn't stay awake for the after party. He did manage to catch the performance by Sting and Stevie Wonder, which he quite enjoyed!

OUTSIDE!!

2009-01-16T17:00:00.007-06:00

OUT Mama! This child is obsessed with the outdoors. He always wants to be outside no matter the weather no matter the activity. He thinks that having either sunglasses or a hat on increases his odds of getting to go out. This day he refused to take his hat off even for dinner to hold onto that small chance he would be set free. With Payton's holiday money from his Nana and Aunt Jenn we set off to buy him a play set/slide for outside. We were out of luck because most kids don't play outside in the cold apparently. None of the stores have them in stock until the spring. The very next day we notice one of the neighbors had set this play set out at the curb with their garbage. One man's junk is another man's treasure! All is needed was a wash down and some duct tape. You can imagine Payton's surprise when he woke up from his nap and went outside (of course) to find his new toy! He loves to pretend with this steering wheel and throw stuff out the window. Of course, like any boy he climbs up the slide instead of the stairs.

His Granny and Papa gave him this wheelbarrow and tools. He really thinks he is doing some big time yard work hauling stuff around and digging with his shovel.

Holiday Update

2009-01-02T23:24:00.002-06:00

Well, this was the picture that made the final cut for the Holiday card this year. There were no pickles, screaming, crazy faces, eyes closed or back of heads. Yay! I think he's pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. Definitely festive and who cares if there is drool on his shirt!

One of Payton's gifts from Granny and Papa was a tool set. This included a drill seen at the bottom of the picture above. Thankfully it also included safety goggles!

Payton is lucky enough to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas. Every night about 8:00 his internal present opening alarm would go off. He would remind us that it was time for the "lights" and to open a present. He would help light the candles and would get to open one of his presents. After a few nights of this he was quite the pro at tearing into gifts.

Holiday photo shoot- take 1... take 2... take 3.......

2008-12-18T23:46:00.002-06:00

O.K. people, Trying to get a decent picture of a toddler can be challenging under the best of circumstances.Taking them of a toddler with a cold and with a point and shoot camera with a delay is even worse. I won't even talk about trying to add the dogs into the picture. It has been our mission over here for the last several days to get just one good shot. I was just about ready to give up when even hours of editing and head swapping with photo shop could not produce a usable print. We decided to forgo the group shot and take individual pictures instead . That made it a little easier. After the 3rd try I think I finally got the shot. You'll have to wait to see that one though. Below I have included the "best of the worst". I know those of you with little ones will identify at the least. You should get a kick out of these.

This one above is my favorite!

Notice the pickle in the shot above. This day he would not sit still without a pickle.
I somehow thought the tie painted on his shirt and the silk scarves tied around the dogs would make these a bit more formal and sophisticated. How wrong I was. In the shot I took after this one he was picking his nose.

1st Dentist appointment

2008-12-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

Today was Payton's first trip to the dentist. It just so happened that he was my (and my brother's) childhood dentist. I was very glad to find out that he was still practicing. They actually had to kick me out when I was 19 and did not fit in the chairs anymore.

We prepared him as much as possible and practiced saying "Ahhhhhhhh". Things go a lot smoother with Payton if he has adequate information and preparation.
I would say it went really well. I don't think you could expect any 1 year old to be thrilled with a dental exam but he did great. He got to sit in my lap while the Doc checked out his chompers. He cried but as soon as it was over he gave Dr. Doss a high five and clapped for himself. He has 6 teeth on the top and 2 teeth on the bottom. A little unusual but normal. The official report was "No cavities"! He is good about letting us brush his teeth and thinks it's really funny when we get to spit afterwards.
How do we celebrate having no cavities?...
Chocolate cupcakes of course!!! Which, by the way, Payton helped me make a few days earlier.

Bubbles & Giggles

2008-11-29T20:12:00.003-06:00

We had the best time the other day blowing bubbles! Payton loves them but what he really loves the most about it is watching the dogs try to eat the bubbles. He will laugh and laugh until there is no more sound coming out. Of course when you hear a baby laugh like that it is impossible to keep from joining in yourself. Hope you all have fun watching this video clip of our bubble time.

"ALL ABOARD!" chuga chuga choo choo.......

2008-11-25T15:19:00.003-06:00

We decided to take advantage of this beautiful day and go for a train ride with Payton!This was his first time on the Trinity Miniature Railroad. It is a 40 minute ride that runs along the Trinity river, through the park and around the duck pond.
Payton was ready to go wearing his uncle Wesley's train conductor cap that he wore as a little boy. He received several compliments on that hat today.
He loves to be outside so this activity was right up his alley. There were so many things to see... turtles, birds, squirrels, water falls, trees and ducks.
The train stops at a little depot to let you stretch your legs and get some snacks half way through the ride. He walked along the river with his dad and played in the leaves. He lost his shoe and we didn't realize it until the train was already leaving. We had to drive back to the park to search for it after the ride. Luckily it was laying right by a tree and not buried in the leaves.

First Steps

2008-11-19T14:44:00.003-06:00

Ladies and gentlemen, We have a walker!!! Over the last month or two he has been experimenting with a step here and there. Not enough to really count him as a walker. He is now up to about 10 steps with no assistance. He gets really excited about practicing and will run back and forth in between me and his daddy. You really want to teach/motivate your kid to walk...Take him to Chuck E. Cheese's! We just got back from our weekly play date there with his buddies. He would just take off from one game to the next. I was so proud of him, when he would start to fall down he would catch himself, regain his balance, straighten back up and take off again. It is so cute because sometimes his feet move really fast and he doesn't go any where, just stamping away in place with his arms straight up in the air. With each milestone comes the greatest joy and the biggest sadness. My baby is growing up! My baby is growing up:-(

This video clip is of him practicing with his daddy last night. Sorry it is a little dark. This is my first try using video clips on the blog.

ARRRRGH MATEY!

2008-11-02T23:01:00.002-06:00

Happy Halloween! Payton was a pirate this year. We went to the carnival at our church to have some fun. Boy did he have fun. He had a blast playing the carnival games, getting candy (for mom and dad) and eating pop corn. He loves an excuse to be outside anyway. There were games where you had to throw a ball or a bean bag and he would just get so excited he couldn't bring himself to let go. He would act like he was going to throw it and then he would just laugh. It was so cute watching him have so much fun. When we were headed out to the car to leave he kept pointing back to the "fun" and crying. He wanted to stay so bad.
This was his favorite game. You would fish out a rubber ducky and there would be a # on the bottom that determined how many pieces of candy you got. He had more fun throwing them back into the pool. He didn't want to leave this game but he quickly realized that there were more games and more candy every where you went.

Our Little Pumpkin

2008-10-31T22:30:00.006-05:00

Payton had his first trip to the pumpkin patch last week. He was very impressed. Every where he looked there were more gourds.

Those pumpkins were very very heavy! He kept trying to pick them up. The problem was that he couldn't decide which one he wanted. It was hard to keep him still enough to get a good picture.

It is so amazing seeing the world around you for the first time through the eyes of your baby! Everything is new and exciting. It reminds you to enjoy the simple things and just have fun.

Garbage Disposal A.K.A. Payton

2008-10-24T15:12:00.006-05:00

I realize that I just posted yesterday but I have to share this. This little guy eats like nothing I have ever seen! I really think people don' t believe me when I tell them. He is so active that he burns every calorie he consumes. He is actually on the small side for his age but he eats more than I do some days. I looked on a baby web site at a sample daily menu for a baby his age and Payton has already eaten more than that before his first nap. Last week at Chuck E Cheese he ate 3 slices from a large pizza then asked for a snack as soon as we got home.

Here is a list of what he ate yesterday.

1 1/2 cereal bars,
a banana,
5 animal crackers,
box of raisins,
chicken patty sandwich,
slice of cheese,
a few chips,
slice of multi grain bread,

another banana,
4 large strawberries,
juice,
a handful of Goldfish crackers,
Matza with cream cheese,
milk,
4 more strawberries &
a few more animal crackers!

These pictures were taken during his feeding frenzy. At one point he had to stretch out on the
couch- to make more room I guess.

13 months old/baby model

2008-10-23T15:49:00.004-05:00

My good friend Lynsey A.K.A. DFWBirthPhotographer came over last Friday and took these amazing pictures of Payton playing in the living room floor. What a blessing it is to have a friend with a good camera who likes to take pictures of your kid! When I have pictures taken of Payton I want them to show Payton, not some backdrop with props and a cheese smile. Payton really likes "Lynz" so that helps in capturing his cute personality not to mention those amazing blue eyes. Prepare to have your heart melted!

Making Brownies

2008-10-17T21:37:00.003-05:00

Payton got to help mommy make brownies for the first time while daddy was at work a few nights ago. He was so excited that he got to sit on the counter and actually participate. I figured "why not" worst case scenario he needs a bath afterwards.....

So, about the worst case scenario thing... When mommy was distracted trying to take pictures of my cutie "helping" he decided to put his feet in the brownies!!
(by the way, his shirt says "Mr. Mischief- Trouble is my middle name")

Needless to say, he was taken directly to the bath. After, of course, we took time for him to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Unfortunately my labor had just begun. Was it more trouble than it was worth?... No Way!! ;-)

This picture has nothing to do with brownies but it was so cute I had to share. He has that "I'm a stinker" grin because he had gotten a hold of the TV remote. If you look closely at the bottom of the picture you can see it.

Trip to the ER

2008-10-05T18:01:00.003-05:00

October had a bit of a ruff start for us. Payton started throwing up about 11:00pm Wednesday night. When he was still throwing up almost 2 hours later and refusing liquids we took him to the ER. We didn't want to risk him getting dehydrated. Our best guess was a case of food poisoning from some leftovers he had had for dinner that night. They gave us an anti-nausea pill for him, did X-rays of his tummy and did a CAT scan. (to make sure the vomiting wasn't related to a possible concussion from him bumping his head earlier in the day) After he was taking fluids they sent us home at 4:00am with a $3,000 bill.
The next day we had a check up at his doctor's office. (The diarrhea had begun at that point and continued through Friday.) He weighed in at 19lbs 14 1/2 ounces and was 30 inches tall. He is long and lean just like his dad. I think he had lost some weight from being sick. They confirmed the food poisoning diagnosis.
Friday he was so pitiful and drained we were concerned we were going to have to take him back to the ER. He was just laying there starring into space and not able to move around or stay awake. For those of you who have spent any time around my baby you know how active and busy he is all the time, even when he is not felling well. He never laid around and slept like that even as a new baby. He finally seemed to perk up and eat a little bit though so we stayed home.
Saturday he seemed to be back on track but Jamie and I started feeling ache and nauseas. (of course) Makes me think maybe we are passing the flu around. Payton got sick again once last night and we have all been laying around all day today feeling like we have been hit by a truck. Hopefully we will all be feeling well tomorrow.

Payton and Daddy camped out on the couch with all of the "I'm not feeling well" supplies.

Sippy Cup Envy

2008-09-29T17:06:00.000-05:00

My niece Jemma got to spend this past week with us while her momma started a new job. She and Payton could not be more opposite. She is all girl and he is all boy! She spent her days quietly reading books, trying on clothes, taking small bites of food, playing with little people, talking on the phone and "cooking". Payton spent his days climbing on top of the coffee table, scrambling from one room to the next, pulling the books off the shelves, eating like it was his last meal, playing with the dogs and banging pots and pans together. They got along surprisingly well. The one issue we had was "sippy cup envy". He wanted her sippy cup. She wanted his sippy cup. By the end of day 3 it was a losing battle trying to keep the sippy cups with their original owners. Every time I turned my head they had swapped. The grass is always greener I guess. Oh well, I suppose that if that was the worst of it we had a pretty easy week. They were both exhausted by the end of the week but they had a great time playing with each other and enjoying "little person" company.

Puppy Party Blowout!

2008-09-23T17:45:00.000-05:00

Payton arrived at Cabela's well rested and ready to party! He did really well and was so excited to see everyone. Shortly after we got there Payton had a "blowout" of his own and had to spend the rest of the party in just a diaper instead of his cute puppy dog outfit.
Payton had a Puppy theme birthday party. His cake was all bright colors with paw prints and little cute puppy dog toys on the top. The party hats, table cloth and plates had pictures of dogs with party hats and sunglasses on. His Daddy tied blue and orange balloons around the room.

This is a picture of some of the 40+ guests that came to celebrate with us. Everyone had a great time eating chips and cake, visiting, playing the target shooting game and feeding the fish in the indoor river.

Payton took turns opening presents with his Mommy and Daddy. He got clothes, cool new toys and lots of books. He loves to read books and has had fun playing with all his new stuff.
We made it through the party with no meltdowns, injuries or tears. Just an exhausted little boy who passed out within seconds of getting in the car. I would say it was a success!

LOOK WHO'S 1!

2008-09-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Well, our little man is 1 year old today. I must confess that I cried today because my baby is growing up so fast. He is so big and he is always ready to show off all the new things he has learned. His favorite one to show off is telling you how old he is going to be on his birthday.

It sure didn't take him long to get into the whole cake thing. Our funny guy prefers to use utensils when he eats. You might be able to recognize a spoon hidden under all that icing.

I'd say he thoroughly enjoyed his first experience with birthday cake. It took longer to clean him up than it did for him to eat the cake.

1st Year Month by Month

2008-09-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

SEPTEMBER, 2007

OCTOBER, 2007

NOVEMBER,2007

DECEMBER, 2007

JANUARY, 2008

FEBRUARY, 2008

MARCH, 2008

APRIL, 2008

MAY, 2008

JUNE, 2008

JULY, 2008

AUGUST, 2008

Payton's First Year In Review

2008-09-15T18:07:00.000-05:00

This was one of Payton's very first portraits. He was only a minute or two old. Many minutes (and portraits) have flown by since this image was taken. This last year has gone by faster than I could have ever imagined! On September 18 our busy little boy will be one year old!

4 months to 8 months

2008-09-15T18:05:00.000-05:00

Payton was 4 months old at the time of this picture. He has always loved the camera/attention. Doesn't it look like you caught him mid-sentence in this picture? He has always had something to say and we have always acted like we knew just what he was talking about. This has made him into one little motor mouth.
This is his 8 month old picture. My friend Lynsey came over and just happened to have her camera in the car and asked if she could take a few pictures of the baby. Payton really likes Lynsey and this is his typical reaction when he sees her. It works out great for us because he looks super cute in this picture. (Lynsey was the photographer for our birth and the 4 month old pictures as well. You may view more of her work at www.dfwbirthphotographer.com)