Ok, ok, I know it's been forever ...

Hopefully this blog will make up for it. So where should I start? How about some updates on our little man. Alex is now ...

1. Walking. Finally! But along with walking comes ...

2. Injuring himself on a fairly regular basis. We've gotten two calls from the day care saying, "We just wanted to let you know, in case you wanted to take him to the doctor ..." The first time we did (busted lip), the second time we didn't (giant bruise/bump on forehead). I feel terrible telling the daycare director, "nah, I'm sure he'll be fine." But, seriously, what can a doctor do with a bump to the noggin? Don't worry, if there had been a noticeable change in his attitude or behavior, we would have taken him in asap.

3. Still being super-picky when it comes to food. His diet largely consists of whole grain crackers, Gerber meat sticks, and whatever his poor teachers can get him to eat at school. The kid will absolutely not eat fruit. And trust me, it's not as easy as it seems to trick (or force) a 15 month old into eating something.

4. Saying two words! The first he's been saying a while (though not with as much frequency as he used to): meow. Actually it sounds like "ooowww." Which makes sense because that's how Riley, the only animal that doesn't run from Alex, sounds when he meows. Word #2 is: Uh-oh! He learned that from the "older kids" at school, who like to throw things, just so they can say it. So now when Alex drops/throws his food on the floor, he says "Uh-oh!" like he means it.

5. Throwing temper tantrums. They usually consist of prostrating himself on the floor and crying for a few minutes. They are not very big right now, but I know they'll get worse. And more frequent. And in the isles of Kroger. Can't wait.

6. Getting a little beer gut. Though, technically I guess it's a crackers and meat sticks gut.

7. Loving getting naked. This will be fun as he gets older and figures out how to remove his own clothes and diaper.

So that's what's new with Alex. Andy and I will have some changes of our own soon. This summer we both go back to school. Andy is registered to take three classes; undergraduate prerequisites to the Master's in Information Systems Management program he hopes to enroll in the fall (he's taking the GMAT soon). Assuming all goes as planned for me, I'm planning on starting the PhD program at Auburn in Forestry while working full time. It will be a slow process, since I'll only take one or two classes at a time. Our finances will be a bit tight over the next couple years, but we're pretty sure in the long run, this will all pay off. It will also mean that Alex will be an only child for a while. Sorry, little man, no siblings to pick on for a while. Also, Andy and I have finally found a church we like. Unfortunately, Alex doesn't seem to handle the nursery so well. Last Sunday we didn't even make it through the opening announcements of the service before our parent pager started buzzing. I'm sure the people around us were thinking "geez, I bet their kid is a handful if he can't make it 10 minutes."

So that's what's new in Dyerland. Here are some long overdue pics. I hope they make up for months of woeful neglect.


A boy and his Bop Bop:



Having waaay too much fun:


Not having any fun:


Being a big scary bubble monster:

Playing with all those toys is exhausting:

Yay for weather warm enough to play outside!

Baby's first (Alabama) snow:

Alex Update ... Finally (pics to come later)

I know an Alex update is loooonng overdue. The truth is, he hasn't really reached any major milestones lately. He kind of took his first steps on Christmas day, but has really just decided that crawling works fine for him. Unfortunately for us, though, he no longer likes to be held, especially out in public. So standing in line at the pharmacy with a squiggly squirmy 24lbs baby is super fun. But here's a list of things Alex is doing or enjoys these days:

1. Alex is starting to watch TV. I know, I'm a horrible mommy for being happy about this, but it sure does make things easier when we're trying to clean up the house.

2. Sleeping still continues to be a little bit of a challenge. Though the last three nights (knock on wood), he has slept through the night, about 9 and a half hours. It's been great. But I'm sure that will change the next time he gets sick.

3. Alex loves infommercials. He is especially enamored with the voice of Billy Mays. Go figure.

4. Alex likes to lift up shirts. He also likes to reach down them. This is bad.

5. Alex's laugh his changing. It used to be more of a throaty chuckle. Now it sounds a little more maniacal. There's nothing better in this world than a baby laughing - no matter what it sounds like!

6. Alex still hates anything remotely resembling fruit or vegetables. We have decided not to fight this battle until he understands the concept of bargaining. For now, we just put bits on his tray and get a kick out of the look he gives us: "You seriously think I'm going to eat this s***?"

7. Alex has got some moves! The kid is a terrific little dancer. His teacher said his signature dance reminds her of the Pepsi commercial with Jimmy Fallon. She's totally right.

Seven things ...

My step-sister, who is waaay better about keeping up her blog than I am (in fact, she puts most bloggers to shame), bestowed this upon me:

So, in the spirit of "man, I guess I gotta do it," here it goes!

The rules are as follows: List 7 random things about yourself and pass it onto 7 honest bloggers.

1. I don't like reality TV, but for some reason, I could spend all day watching America's Next Top Model. Not sure why, I guess it's the 13-year-old in me judging yet envying beautiful, skinny women. But I still don't like Tyra Banks. Sorry.

2. I don't consider myself a materialistic person, but I love, love, love shoes! Not the $400 Jimmy Choos or anything (don't even know if I spelled that right), but regular, everyday sneakers, sandals, boots, etc. I have too many, but always want more!

3. In high school, I wasn't a particularly fun person. But on a weekend trip to Birmingham my senior year I did moon a bunch of truckers. I won't tell you what my best friend sitting shotgun in front of me showed those truckers! Let's just say we got several honks and headlights flashed (hint!).

4. I was in a Japanese commercial as a child. They actually wanted my best friend to do it, but she was sick. But since I had blond hair too, I could fill in. I got paid $200 (or whatever the Yen equivalent is).

5. Secretly, I always wanted to be a dancer. I guess it's not much of a secret anymore.

6. Before my son was born, I was always paranoid about having an ugly child. Obviously, that wasn't the case. But now I realize that even if he had been born with three eyes and both ears on the left side of his head, I would have thought he was the most beautiful child I had ever seen.

7. Growing up my dad always told me: "You'll never know how much I love you." I would always roll my eyes and groan "Da-ad, yes I do." Well, turns out my dad was wrong. I did figure it out. It just took 26ish years and having a child of my own before I knew what he meant.

Too bad I don't know 7 bloggers. So I'll pass it on the few I do:

McBaby and More
Fricknits
What the Springers are Doing ...
Southern Foothills Cookery

Here's to you, little man ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Almost there ...

As the one year mark approaches (sigh), here's a list of 10 things Alex is doing (or not doing) at this point. He's becoming such a big boy.

1. Alex is eating like a champ. Once we ditched the baby food and started the table food, Alex really started to get his eat on. He is now wearing 18m pants, despite that they're too long, because his 12m pants won't stay snapped. His favorite foods are meat, muffins, meat, and meat.

2. Alex is testing his boundaries. He is learning right from wrong, and likes to make sure we haven't forgotten which is which. His favorite no-nos to engage in are crawling up to the fire (darn floor-level hearth), opening the DVD bookcase doors, and playing with/smacking the PlayStation 3. He's gotten a couple of swats on the behind, but he just looks at us like: "Are you kidding? That's all you got?"

3. Alex is getting bored with his "baby" toys. Good thing his birthday and Christmas are right around the corner.

4. Alex is flipping over during diaper changes. Makes things difficult.

5. Alex is sleeping ok at night. He wakes up an average of twice a night, but at least we're able to pat him back to sleep relatively quickly. Still a vast improvement over the past several ear-infection-induced-screaming-all-night months.

6. Alex is starting to get a bit shy. No longer quite the big flirt he was, he is starting to clam up a bit when grocery clerks try to talk to him. That's ok, he's still manages to turn on the charm.

7. Alex is (according to his teacher) starting to get a little possessive of the toys at daycare. His teacher seemed to think this was funny. I'm not sure if that is because it is so out of character for him or what. As long as he doesn't become the class bully.

8. Alex is NOT walking. He uses his little lion walker all the time, but he's not so sure about letting go of it. He doesn't cry when he falls. I think he's just content with where he's at right now. And I'm ok with that.

9. Alex is NOT talking. Not even close. He's not even waving. He will imitate us, though, when we clench our fists in frustration and go "Grrrr!" Though his "grrr" sounds more like "eeeegggghhh!" or something like that.

10. Alex is growing up too fast!

Update

Tubes are in! Hopefully this will mean no more (almost) weekly trips to the pediatrician's after-hours clinic or calls from the day care saying "come get your kid; his ears are draining." Hopefully we'll all get some good sleep! Thanks to everybody for their words of encouragement!

Fun on the Farm

To celebrate Andy's, his mother's, and his brother-in-law's birthday (yes, they all share a birthday), we took the kids to Dreamfield Farms in Bullock County. Good times ...