Work hard, play hard, keep partyin' like it's your job

Zoey has seriously been making us laugh this week. 

Here's some of our favorite conversations/comments:

Dinner time, after I just cut up her food and put it on her plate:

"Zoey can you fold your arms to pray?" "NOPE, I'm eating (as she shovels everything in her mouth)"

Zoey climbs up to the table and starts grabbing the water pitcher:
"Zoey can I help you?" With a smug look "No thanks. I get it."

"Zoey, what did you learn about in Nursery today?"
 "How to kiss Jon Bradley" 



"Zoey, did you have a good nights sleep?"
"Yeah."
"What did you dream about?"
"Jesus."
"Jesus?"
"Yeah. K?"

Zoey wasn't eating her bagel, so I eat a piece.
"MY BAGEL BACK!"
"Umm, sorry zoey, I can't give it back"
(meanwhile Cary is laughing)
Zoey gives the stern look I usually give her when i want her to listen, "my bagel back!"

We have a mini boppy for tummy time for Tucker. 
Zoey grabs boppy "I feed tucker, k!"

We're safe and sound

Introducing:

Aaron Tucker Tippets

(We call him Tucker. Or Tuck. Or Tuckmeister. Or Tuckerman.)

(Cary is a big fan of nicknames.)

Tucker was born August 25, 2013 at 2:15 pm.

I went boating the day before, went into labor around midnight, and headed to the hospital around 6 am. Labor was night and day different from Zoey's. Tucker's delivery was great and recovery has been soooo much smoother this time around. I call him my perfect baby because I wouldn't change any of it. 

Also, that was probably the best boat ride of my life!

Physical Stats on Tucker:

-Born 2 weeks early weighing 7 lb 12 oz. 20 in long

-He has a little hair, less than Zoey initially had, but he's kept it longer :) Cary also wanted me to note that he has a perfectly shaped head... apparently it runs in the family.

-He's got long long arms, and super long skinny feet.

Personality Stats on Tucker:

-Easy going!

-He is pretty much only interested in sleeping and eating

-Total mamas boy. He loves me best. It makes me feel pretty great (especially since Zoey didn't reallly care if it was me holding her or not), but it does make it hard to get things done.

We're all in love with "baby brudda" (as zoey says). It's nice to have a punctual member in the family and we're adjusting well to our new family of four status.

And I'm loving every second, minute, hour

I've kinda lost the passion for blogging (ya think? you say... yeah, yeah it's been months since I last posted, but only Kim reads this anyhow...)

Anywho... I've been feeling about done with the bloggity blog, but then I think I should really write down the cute/funny things Zoey does lately, so...

1. If Cary or I is getting ready to go she INSISTS on a kiss before we go, and then demands we kiss each other. It sure makes you feel loved.

2. Zoey loves to remind us to pray... and also to interrupt the prayer with reminders of every. single. person. we should possibly include in the prayer. Family know that Zoey wants you to be well blessed.

3. She has recently tuned in to the radio in the car, and if a commercial comes on she screams "NOOOO. SONG!!!!" I feel the same way kiddo.

4. She has discovered that "colors" (crayons) work on the walls and floors. I don't like this and we're on a coloring ban currently.

5. She has become a very picky eater. She'll eat fruit. Any fruit really. Oh and she LOVES to eat cereal for breakfast like mama and daddy. She tries so hard to get the spoon of milk and cereal in her mouth and her favorite part is drinking the sugar milk left in the bowl (although I'm sure about half her meal ends up in her lap).

6. She constantly asks "what's this?" She learns probably 15 new words a day, and it's amazing, but hard to keep up with--so she's always surprising us.

We sure love this little girl!

I'm gonna pop some tags

So we're having a BABY BOY!!!

We are very excited. I've always planned on having a son so he can play basketball for UNC and his mama can have excellent seats for all the action ;)

So, it was especially fun that we got an ultrasound of our little tarheel...

Of course now we have the task of picking a name for kiddo! As of now, we're open for suggestions.

Criteria include:

a. Not a top ten name or super common (sorry don't want the 10th michael or jacob in his class)

b. No super weird names or off the wall spellings

c. Must make for great cheers when he's playing in the Dean Dome... so sweet nickname or ability to make some slogan on the posters would work :)

Ready, shoot, I'm all ears.

I belong with you, you belong with me

In Zoey news....

... We are working on our p's and q's. Sometimes I hand her a cup while she has her pacifier in, and she responds thank you. But, I can't understand her so I ask her to take out her pacifier and repeat herself, she then screams "THANK YOU!!!"

I choose to just be glad she says thank you every time.

... She has learned to bow her head and fold her arms during prayers, but if the prayer is too long, she lifts her head and says "DONE. done, done done." No idea where her impatience comes from... ;)

... Before Cary will hand her anything she wants, he makes her name 5 body parts or tell him the different sounds made by at least 5 animals. She usually plays along, unless she's having a real sassy day and then she purposely answers every question wrong with a smug smile. Too smart for her own good!

                                                       (She loves seeing the chickens)

... We decided to participate in Easter Egg hunts this year. My expectations were extremely low to say the least, but Zoey blew me away. She pointed to an egg right away and I told her to go put it in her basket, and then she just went to town. She was pretty stoked to collect a bunch of eggs, and even more stoked when she realized they had chocolate! (yeah, I'm just now learning that parents of young children put healthy treats in the eggs, or stickers, or little toys... don't judge me for eating way too much candy with my 1 year old!)

... We had the stomach flu, and Zoey decided she was ok watching a movie (never sat through a movie before) as long as it was Disney's Tangled. I was very ok with this since it's a great movie. However after 3 days of watching it on repeat all day, she seems to think this is an acceptable routine and asks every morning to "watch, watch?"

I know... it sounds bad. Don't judge me.

... Zoey finally has some hair! and she brings me rubberbands every day and asks for a ponytail. Only problem is... she doesn't have much hair and it's very fine. But we do the best we can.

... According to the pediatrician she has an extremely advanced vocabulary for her age. She repeats everything, which mostly just makes me laugh and totally catches strangers off guard. Most people just don't expect her to answer their questions. But my favorite is still that when she wakes up at 6:30 she screams "DA-DEE" and then if I go in to get her she sits down and says "no, want da-dee." No loyalty I tell ya...

... And Zoey stats just for my own comparisons down the line.
She'll be 17 months in a week, and she's about 23 lbs.
She still wears a size 2 diaper.
She's outgrown her 9-12 month clothes in length but the 12 mo and up clothes just fall off because she doesn't have enough chub to hold anything up.
She has become a very picky eater. It's frustrating. But she loooovvveeees chocolate. That girl is just like her dad. I think she learned how to say chocolate around 14 months that's how deep the love runs.

Settle down it'll all be clear

So I get this text from my sister informing me that I haven't blogged in 6 weeks...

followed by "you suck at blogging."

Well, yes, yes I do. But you try growing a baby and teaching a toddler all her body parts and animal sounds while keeping her from eating off the ground. S'not easy.

Yeah, you read that right (in case anyone reads this blog that isn't related to me... which I'm guessing is ... probably a big fat goose egg). Baby numero 2 is due beg. of sept, so expect arrival sometime mid october probably, and we find out the gender next week!

Anyhow, I realize there are lots of other mothers out there who manage to be pregnant, raise their child(ren), keep their house clean (please don't knock on my door today, or probably tomorrow either... i'm serious, i won't even open for the fedex dude), blog, craft, and all sorts of other tasks.

And to them I say.... quit making me look so bad!

Or maybe perhaps share some of your secrets... because only thing I'm sure to get done each day is take a nap! (I wish I wasn't serious. 'k maybe not EVERY day, but at least 5 a week... yeah, i'm pathetic I know)

Valentine's Day

Have you seen the Hallmark commercial for Valentine's Day?

The one where someone says "Just tell me you love me", another person "Just tell me you miss me", etc etc. And ends with a cheesy Hallmark plug... All you need this Valentine's Day is a card to say what you need to say.

False. I turned right to Cary and said "No, I don't just need a card, sorry."

Even Kelly Ripa, said she'd be happy with a card for V-day (and, her husband picking his clothes up off the floor)

LIES. Everyone sits on a throne of LIES!

C'mon I get a card from my dentist for heaven's sake! I need a little more, not much more, but something that says you love me more than the dentist...

Say you agree? No?

I'm never changing who I am

Yikes! Has it really been over a month since I posted?

Whoops.

Well I'd share about Christmas and our December adventures but my pictures all got deleted (I was really sad, and now I'm trying to move on...) But we had a wonderful Christmas! We got to spend time with both families and couldn't be more blessed.

In Zoey news... She is hilarious. She repeats most things I say and always laughs right on cue. She's miserable this week though, as her whole set of teeth it seems has decided to show up--poor girl.

It's a new year, and for me that means new goals. In the last 4 years-ish I've gotten really serious about my New Years Goals. I love the opportunity to really have a good start, to reflect on what I want to change throughout the year, and I never forget to look back and reflect at the end of the year since that's all anyone is talking about.

I usually try to pick 4 goals, one spiritual, one physical, one social, and one mental. Last year I set goals to 1) Have FHE each week 2) read a book a month 3) Plan/participate in a social acitivity for Cary and I at least once a month and 4) Run a half marathon

I did awesome on the first 3, and although I didn't run the half marathon, I did step up my exercise regimen to at least an hour workout a day, lost 40 lbs, and was in excellent physical condition. Looking back the half marathon wasn't very realistic for me financially as well as with a new baby--but I was a new mom, I didn't know what life would be like.

This years goals include:
1) Read the entire standard works
2) Do one Rosetta stone lesson a week (this has been on the to do list for 3 years, yikes, time to finally do it)
3) Keep in touch with friends/family. I want to touch base by email/text/or call at least once a month.
4) Workout at least everyday I don't work (since going back to waiting tables it's hard for me to find the stamina to workout and then walk/be on my feet for 4-7 hours.... so a little less ambitious on this one) and ideally I'd like to end the year weighing the same I do now--sooo maintenance is the goal of 2013!

Wish me luck!

Look at this photograph, every time i do it makes me laugh

Can I just say... I dread family photos.

I mean, we all have mental images of our awful 80's family photos that seem to haunt us. (Sorry mom, it's true, my bangs, all the denim... )

Then the fact that Cary and I are not photogenic.

You don't have to lie and tell us we are. I think we have a rare gift for squinty eyes, producing double chins, and adding 20 lbs on picture day.

That being said, this mom gig makes me feel super guilty for not getting pictures taken. So I asked a friend, Monica (if you want her info so you can get pics, let me know) to meet us for a quick 45 minute jaunt through campus before I had to be to work.

And I liked a couple... which is all one really needs.

I laugh so hard... every. single. time. i look at this

Turkey for me, Turkey for you

(So I started this post two weeks ago... whoops)

Happy After Thanksgiving to you! I hope yours was wonderful!

I have a lot for which to be grateful, namely the gospel and my family. Those two things are everything to me.   Of course I also feel I should express my gratitude for a job and the abundance we are blessed with--we were able to buy a new camera! So i can actually show you some pictures!

Also, in zoey news... her words of the week are "cheese, clock, and grandma." We were very impressed when we pulled up to grandma's for thanksgiving, she knew exactly where we were and excitedly said "grandma!" and pointed to the front door. And then while eating dinner she just got real excited about her cheese--that's normal, i know adults who do that :)


Zoey has also learned....
... to clap
... wave and say hi and bye (she's been doing this for a month or so, but it's very clear now)
..."twinkle" she smiles and winks with both eyes... it's too cute, and maybe I'll get a pic soon
... tell you what a dog says: "ruff ruff"
... dance... it's an upperbody twist, she loves dancing
... to "high five"
... to go get things when I ask her. She's especially good at collecting her shoes, hat or coat to go outside... but she'll also gather toys for me.

Chocolate milk for the first time... she didn't set the cup down til it was gone. Girlfriend LOVES chocolate milk.

"Why are you trying to take my picture?"

Out walking with "papa" as she calls grandpa.

So stylish.

I just look up to the ceiling

I finally finished Zoey's bedroom! 

(Sad, it's not even a nursery anymore... but hey, at least it got done eventually)

It was cute before, but it needed more finishing touches and I decided I wanted something a little less pink and a little more gender neutral.

Before:

After's... sorry they're so dark... not much sunshine today

I sewed new teal crib bedding 

(thanks mom for the help sewing and watching zoey so I could get it done)

 Little sweet dreams cradles

Matching quilt made by Aunt Jenny 

Baby pictures of Cary, Zoey and me... she loves these! And she has to have a twist of the mobile before and after every nap. Thanks Aunt Lindsay for the mobile. 

Aunt Heather made a cute cross stitch! 

I made the headboard, blackout curtains, and painted the dresser and added new knobs. Poor dresser was looking a little worn with the stain chipped off in spots, so we gave it a fresh look. 

Close up of my handy work ;) 

Love it, so bright and fun. 

Also made blackout curtains for the ginormous window. They're nothing pretty, but thanks to them mom and baby sleep well--which is all that really matters, right? 

Zoey in her favorite hiding spot...  

And for her play nook... crayon art made by Aunt Kim!

Having written this i suppose I have a lot of Aunts to thank for the bedroom makeover... thanks sisters, 

and sisters-in-law.

What do you think? Any must have accessories we're missing?  

Happy Happy birthday zoey dear

Zoey's 1st birthday was pretty low key. We had family over for dinner and cake. 

I wish I had better pictures, but Zoey broke my camera, and I'm not used to my mom's... sooo at least I got some!