Houston Texans Game

On my family's last day in town (back in November) we went to a Houston Texans game.  This was William's first time to see the Texans play.  As usual, William was in awe of the football game.  He is so well behaved at these football games....because there is so much to watch!  He talks about the football game for weeks afterwards.  :)  Although I was raised as a Dallas Cowboy fan....over the last 10 years as a Houstonian I have fallen in love with the Texans (and most recently JJ Watt).  Hopefully we can teach little William to love both teams!  

• William was too into the action on the field to look at the camera.
• The Hattenbach/Gooding family
• The guys were excited to see a couple of the Texans cheerleaders! #suitelife
• Trying popcorn out for the first time....he was a big fan.
• Thanks Dad for the awesome day!
• Baby boy gets himself so excited during the first half that he passes out during half time!  He woke up from nap time to these two ladies.
• Hanging with the boys.
• William ate this entire red velvet cakeball by himself....the thing was bigger than his hands. #hewasinheaven
• We love nap time during football games! :)

We've had such a fun football season with my family.  So many fun and happy memories were made!!  Can't wait for next season.  :)  

ME Time

The last several months have been a crazy mess.  But, a good crazy!  And by mess...I mean a saw dust mess.  When we moved into our home a year ago we knew we wanted to change the kitchen island.  After the miscarriage, I saw lots of time ahead of us.  I felt the need to be occupied and busy.  I needed to check things off my list.  It's like I've been nesting over the last 3 months and I'm not even pregnant.  By the time I am pregnant again there's going to be nothing left to organize or do.  Guess I'll just sit around and eat bon bons and play with baby boy. :)  Back to the mess.....dust, dust has been everywhere.  Thank God William asks me to vacuum because we've been doing a lot of vacuuming!  We extended the kitchen island, a white marble counter top replaced the black granite, our media room bar area got a face lift as well as the floors in our 4th bedroom.  Hopefully, I'll do a post with pictures of all the newness soon!

Outside the house, I've had some fabulous times with my favorite ladies.  I am so blessed to have such a great support system outside my home/family.  These ladies keep my heart happy!  It's hard to believe that Alison and I have been partners in crime for more than 11 years.  I don't know what I'd do without her.  I had a lot of unexpected emotions after the miscarriage and Alison and Stacy have aloud me to talk to them about anything and everything.  They both, in their own ways, get what I've experienced better than anyone else.  xoxo        

{Painting with a Twist for Lindsey Z's birthday} 

{Fun night at J Blacks}

{Girls night out to see Gone Girl.  Stacy is my book and movie buddy!}

{Macy's Fashion Show and Lunch}

{Nutcracker Market with the Katy girls}

{The new island before the countertop was placed}

It's been a great few months!!  I will say that I'm excited for no traveling in the month of January.  Happy Holiday!

Friendsgiving

We had our first "Friendsgiving" the weekend before Thanksgiving.  It was an extra special Friendsgiving for us because my parents, brother and SIL celebrated with us too!  My mom is a super good cook so this worked out perfect.  :)  As always, Dustin and Skye were the best helpers ever.  They got lots of baby watching/tips that evening!  We had 7 couples (including 2 preggos) and 8 little kids running around the house ranging from 3 months to 6 years old.  The kids had lots of fun playing, coloring and bugging each other.....the adults had fun watching the Red Raiders WIN, eating some yummy food and catching up with each other.

{The big kids were ready for some turkey} {William riding his favorite bike and Harris trying to crawl} {Perry giving William some love} {My co-workers that I'm lucky to call my best friends} {Skye and Nana getting things ready *more on the new kitchen island soon*}  {5 of the 8 kiddos}

We are so blessed to have such sweet and supportive friends.  My heart smiles when I see our kiddos playing together.  It's crazy to think that some of these friendships started back in 2000.  #bestfriendsforever  Hopefully this is the first of many Friendsgivings to come!!!

No Label In The Fall

I posted here about our summer trip to No Label.  Since we had so much fun the first time we had to go back for more!  No Label is the perfect place to go, in the fall, when the weather is nice.  This trip to No Label was a little different than the last.  We weren't as close to the music and the Wilson kids were with us so, the little man wanted to run around and play.  Hunter was super sweet and let William play football with the big kids.  When William was done playing with Hunter he moved onto his Daddy and Cesar!  We had a great afternoon relaxing and catching up with our friends.

Girl Time |  Hanging with one of my work buddies :)  |  He loves throwing the football  |  

These two had too much fun!

There's nothing better than a day spent with friends out in the fresh air!!    

Cowboys Football

I am happy to say that, at 32 years old, I finally attended a Dallas Cowboy game!  It was William's first Cowboy game too.  We have all been to the fabulous stadium before and were happy to be back for a day of fun with my family.  

William was nearly speechless about all the activity going on in the stadium before the game started.  The cheerleaders, the fireworks and all the people kept our little guy well entertained!  He is a big fan of what he calls "soccerball".  

{Taking it all in with Daddy}

{Watching the cheerleaders during the pregame show.}

{Our little family}

{He was mesmerized....by the football and those yummy carmel pretzels.}

{William's favorite meal!}

{Passed out at half time. #suitelife}

{Standing by some of my favorite players.  Thanks Dad for the fun day!}

{Everyone looking sad about the Cowboys score.}

{Hanging with Skye and Uncle D}

A Hot Dog Halloween

This is the first year we got to do some real trick or treating with William!  We spent our second Halloween in a row with William's "Houston friends".....Teddy, Britton, Eli and the twins.  William was still a little unsure of what was going on.  He did made it up to a few doors steps but didn't actually say "trick or treat".  Once he found out he could eat the candy he just wanted to sit in the stroller and munch on M and Ms!

Here are the fun treats we took to William's school friends on Halloween.  

Pretzel Snack = pretzel, hershey kiss and a candy corn or m and m on top

Perfect size for toddlers

I found this cute tissue paper at Under Five for super cheap.  Then, I just added a glow in the dark bat, play-doh, a snack size candy, and a pretzel treat we made at home.  Tie some string around it and you are done.  :)

William wasn't into the Mickey Mouse ears actually being on his head.  But, at least he didn't mind the costume since "Hot Dog" is his favorite!  We had such a great night with our friends....Grant and Emily even came along for the fun (I'm guessing this night was excellent birth control for them....things tend to get a little crazy with 6 two years running around.  haha).  Britton and William still love each other to pieces.  Look how cute they are holding hands!
Being the typical toddlers they are......I think they had the most fun playing with all of Teddy's toys afterwards.  Oh the life of a toddler!

Fun Fall Activities

In mid October I started working "part-time".  I actually work somewhere between part-time and full-time.  Regardless, it's so much better than 5 days a week!  William and I kick off my part-time status at Houston Zoo Boo.  We had the best mommy/son day.  :)  We got to watch the elephants get a bath (he's still talking about it), we rode the carousel, went to the petting zoo, painted pumpkins and obviously rode the train!  After our adventures at Zoo Boo we met Daddy for lunch in Rice Village....followed by shopping of course.  I can't say how wonderful these extra days have been with William.  I definitely don't think I'm cut out to be a stay at home mom but, an extra day or two a week at home with this little man is perfect.

That following weekend our favorite friends came over for Halloween cookie decorating.  William just dumped a whole container of sprinkles on his cookie and then proceeded to eat a mixture of frosting and sprinkles.  #sugarhigh  The older kids were much better at decorating their cookies!  We are so lucky to get to call these guys our best friends.

Happy Fall Y'all!!!

2 1/2 years old

It's official, William has caught up to all the kids his age!  He has gotten so big and being the toddler that he is, he wants to do everything himself.  Here is what the little guy has been up to these days.....

Time For Your Check Up!

Weight- 26 lbs 2 ounces (up 3 lbs in 6 months) ~ 11% on growth chart (up from 4%)
Height- 35 inches (up 2.5 inch in 6 months) ~ 30% (up from 13%)
Head Circumference- 20 inches (same) ~ 85% (down from 93%)

Eating- Not much has changed in this department.  William is still a good eater.  For breakfast, his favorite is still oatmeal.  He also likes waffles, yogurt and fruit (grapes and watermelon are the fav) at breakfast time.  Eggs are still on the do not like list.  William's not a huge fan of meat, but is more willing to eat it if there is some cheese on it (cheeseburger, hotdog with cheese, ham and cheese sandwich).  Carrots and cherry tomatoes are his favorite vegetables right now.  He still hasn't tried much candy but I can say he loves MandMs.  *At school William drinks out of an open cup like a big boy!!!

Sleeping-  We are still blessed to have a good sleeper!  After a bath and a book W is usually in bed by 8:00 and wakes up around 6:00 or 6:30.  Nap time is the same, 12-2.  Hate to say it but....we still give William his paci in the car and during bedtime.  I can't even begin to think about how hard it will be to take away.  When he's tired he still rubs soft fabric like his lovie and tags on cloth books/pillows.  He'll ask us, "Where's the tag?"    
Development- William can now say 50 + words and he's working on perfecting his jumping skills.  He is a pretty cautious kid so he likes to test everything out first!  William is a pro at our stairs now and he loves to run.  He always tells us, "I run fast!!!".  He knows all of the basic colors except RED.  We can not get the kid to say red.  Every time he sees the color red he yells BLUE!  At this point, I think he's messing with us.  Going to the park has gotten to be a lot of fun (and not so much work for the adults).  William can climb up all the equipment, slide down by himself and even swings on the big boy swing.  
Personality- William is in full blown toddler mode.  We do a lot of redirecting and explaining what actions are not nice/not acceptable.  He's still such a sweet boy that loves giving kisses but he is hard headed.  He truly thinks that his way is the best (only) way.  He'll even tell me "that way" and point to where I need to go when I'm driving.  He may be a little bossy like his mama.  :)         
Clothing size- He can wear a size 4 or 5 diaper .  His shoe size is 5 or 6 (he has become a huge fan of shoes.....you will rarely see him without shoes on these days).  Most of his clothes are 2T except Gap which he wears 18-24 month.  
Things mommy loves- 
Right before bed I'll tell William to take a rest and he'll lay his little head on my shoulder.  I'm so glad he will still cuddle with me for a few minutes every day.  Listening to William laugh when we tickle him is priceless.  The way William asks questions is so cute...."what it IS?" or "where he go?"  When we pull up to the house after school William announces in a sing song voice, "We're home!"   The way he says juice, moose, and fish crack me up.  I need to catch it on video. 
Mommy stuff- Since William's 2nd birthday we let him go to Midland for a week with my family and then to Texarkana for a week with the Goodings.  It's not always easy to "let go" but I know it's what's best for him.  
Things WJG loves- William loves to play!!  He still prefers to be outside but he really loves his play room.  He's getting better about playing on his own.  He cooks food in his kitchen, builds stuff at his work bench, and drives his trucks and trains all around the house.  He really loves his little "bike" Nana got him from Sams.  It's usually the first thing he gets on when we get home from school.  Helping with yardwork is still his favorite.  He loves watching people mow their grass.  His love for trucks has continued....specifically buses, fire trucks and police cars.  He loves pointing out all the buses on the way to school and he tells me every morning, "I wanna touch bus" and "I wanna ride!"  :)  
Sometime at the end of the summer William got hooked on Mickey Mouse, better known as Hot Dog in our home.  Luckily, it's semi educational and not too annoying.  Everything in moderation is the key to TV watching.
Things WJG doesn't like- There isn't a whole lot that William doesn't like.  But, if he finds something he doesn't like he is quick to tell you, "YUCK!".  Getting him to sit in the stroller so I can walk (for a little exercise) has gotten a lot harder recently. :(  Day care drop off has been pretty brutal lately.  He cries and yells, "Where mama go?" when I'm leaving.  Breaks My Heart.  
Favorite Things To Say- "What it is?" "Oh no, a MESS!" "Mama's car?" "Daddy's truck?" "I watch Hot Dog?"  "I wanna help."  When he sees a picture of himself he says, "It's YOU!"  After giving you a kiss sometimes he'll say, "A BIG kiss!"
Funny Dad Moments- Whenever we read books about trucks William points to the truck and says "Daddy Ride!"  Doesn't matter if it's a tractor, a fire truck or a crop sprayer.  His Daddy can drive all of those!!  
First time- William went to San Antonio for the first time in August.  He pee peed on the potty like a big boy for the first time in August and did really well for a month.  Unfortunately, that ended and he's showing NO interest anymore.  William became a cousin in September to baby Katherine (who we'll be meeting at Thanksgiving) and in July he found out he was expecting a boy cousin in 2015.  He was a big brother for a few weeks and hopefully will be again before long.  
From the Doctor-  William is a healthy little boy that got an A+ at his check up.  He didn't have to get any vaccinations (just the flu mist) at this doctor visit.  Besides some dry patches on his scalp and a black toe nail (he dropped a can of corn on it!) he is doing great!  

• Reading Polar Bear, Polar Bear.
• He hates taking pictures.
• He thought escaping to his lion would save him from the camera!
• Such a big boy now. 
• Cutest Moccasins ever by Freshly Picked.

A Week Of Fun

A few weeks ago we were lucky to have Nana and Papa visit us for several days!!!  We always have a blast when they visit.  Daddy gets to go shooting with Papa while we get lots done around town (little gym, grocery store, nap time....).  My parents even got to visit our new church for the first time since our big move out to the burbs.

We made it out for date night

    The little buddy got to stay home with Nana and Papa on Monday and on Tuesday, since it was my day off work, we all went to the Zoo, pumpkin patch, and to the Galleria.  Visits to the Galleria have definitely changed!  William has become a crazy shopper.  He runs around like a mad man, touching everything and laughing the entire time.  Toddlers.  William did make it out of the Galleria with a sweet new pair of Spiderman boots!  After all of that, we headed to William's 2.5 year check up.  The little guy lucked out and got the flu mist instead of the flu shot!  

Shop Til You Drop

 

Spaghetti Lover  |  Ready for the Choo Choo  |  This is usually the silly face I get when I ask him a question  |  Walking with Nana  |  "I wanna touch?!?  |  Ducks, water, train, zoo = He loves Hermann Park

It is always so great having my parents in town!  Having dinner ready when you get home from work is awesome.  :)  We can't wait for them to visit again.  Thanks for putting some sparkle in our week.
 

My Reading List

Truth be told, I never ended up reading all the books from my Summer Reading List.  I got too distracted with Divergent and then The Maze Runner series!  I've read 4 of the 5 books posted below.  Here are a few of my thoughts......

~ The Maze Runner Series:  I loved these books!  I'll admit, I'm a hopeless romantic.  All the trilogy books I've read have had fabulous love stories.  But, not this one.  And guess what, I still LOVED them.  Each one of them kept me interested and wondering what in the world was going to happen next.  I read one a week.  They are good quick reads that must get put on your list.  I can't wait for William to read them one day.  Gordon and I went to see The Maze Runner movie a couple of weeks ago and it didn't disappoint either.  They had to change quite a bit....which can be disappointing....but I felt like a lot of the changes were probably necessary.  Read the book, watch the movies, and you'll understand.

~ Gone Girl:  OMG.  Such a messed up story line but after the first 100 pages you literally Can't. Put. The. Book. Down.  The author of Gone Girl also wrote the screen play for the movie.  From what I hear, the book and movie are pretty similar.  Obviously, the book will always be better.  That's why I love reading!  It makes you use all your senses.  You can imagine everything just the way your brain wants you to.  Eeekkkk......I can't wait to go see the movie!

~ The Secret Keeper:  One of my good friends has invited me to join her book club in November.  They are reading this.  I love a good mystery book and I'm excited to see what this book club thing is all about.  :)  I'm guessing it will be fabulous.  Yes, I'm a dork...and a book nerd.  

I have a whole list of books on my "To Read" list.  I'll share soon!

Pumpkin Patch

I can't believe another year of Pumpkin Patch fun is in the books!!

A couple of weeks ago we went to the same pumpkin patch we've visited for the past 3 years.  We had been out and about all day long with Nana (running errands, shopping, riding the choo choo)....the little guy was pretty tired, but he had fun!  We picked out a few pumpkins and, of course, he ran around like a crazy man touching all the pumpkins.  I'm still hoping to make it out to Dewberry Farm so Daddy can have some fun with us too.    

I thought I'd throw the picture in of William having a complete melt down....that's the real stuff.  :)  He has become a toddler 100%.  He wants to do things all by himself and melt downs come with little-to-no warning.  The camera is still his worst enemy (he gets that from his daddy).  As you can see, a smile when the camera is pointed his direction is rare.  This little boy just wants to PLAY!    All. The. Time.  William sure can drive me mad but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  When I see pictures of me smiling at him I can see what I feel inside shining.  One of the hardest parts of our recent miscarriage is not knowing if we'll ever have more children.  People tell you again and again....and you tell yourself again and again that this little man is enough.  And although he is, I pray that I get another little soul to love.....because, William has made my heart so much bigger and happier.  Being a mother is the best thing I've ever done.  I want more babies.  Simple as that.  My heart aches to see William holding his baby brother or sisters hand.  I want to see him share sibling love that I was lucky enough to experience.  All we can do is pray and trust that God has the perfect plan for us.
  

 I sure do love this little boy to pieces.  He definitely had me from hello.

Long Weekend Away

We spent the first weekend in October visiting family in East Texas!  Gordon spent most of his time hunting and working out at the farm while we did lots of playing.  The weather was beautiful so we took advantage and literally spent ALL day outside on Friday and Saturday.  This momma spent nap time reading and getting some much needed R&R!  G and I even got away for a few hours on Saturday night.  We were all pleasantly surprised when William slept until 9:30am on Sunday!  In our house, that's unheard of.  :)  

Laying outside looking up at the pretty trees, searching for pine cones.
I found out I was pregnant with this little man 3 year ago!
10.5.2011       #blessed

• Walking through Mimi's garden
• This kid would live outside if we'd let him,
• This picture sums up William's life.  Always getting love and attention from everyone!  "Week 40" of 2014 is a special weekend for the Gooding family.  We welcomed another baby Gooding into the world.  William's a cousin and I'm an aunt to a sweet baby girl. :)  I'm over the moon excited about this chapter in our life.  Little man will have to get used to sharing the attention with KJG!
• Snuggles with Daddy.
• Going on a ride!
• We are ready for Fall.  
• He loved picking out pumpkins and then helping Mimi decorate outside.  
• The pictures below melt my heart.  He loves looking out those windows searching for the cat, Smokey Joe.  

These two pictures were taken 18 months apart.  It's crazy to see how much they change in that amount of time,  Sigh.  I can't believe my baby is a little boy now.  Thankfully, he still adores his mama.  

We can't wait to get back to East Texas for more pine cone searching and four wheel riding!!

Ice Cream Party!

A couple of weekends ago we helped Emersen celebrate her 3rd birthday party.  Emersen's mom, Rachel, is one of my best friends, that I met when I worked at M.D. Anderson.  I loved getting to make a trip into town for the big day!
The birthday party was at one of our favorite spots, Mia's.  Rachel did a fabulous job with the ice cream themed birthday party.  The decorations were precious and the kids stayed happy and busy the entire time.  They had someone painting faces, lots of yummy food for kids and adults, a pinata, a balloon maker, and ice cream!  It doesn't get any better than that.  :)

adorable organic ice cream cone cupcakes | the pinata was a hit! | the balloon lady made his day when she handed him "hot dog" | happy boy | everyone watch out! | pic with Rachel | yummy!  

I still can't believe we have kids that are old enough to walk and talk!!!!  Big hug and thanks to Rachel for having us!

Our Special Day

The day Gordon and I said "I do" was the happiest day of my life.  William's birth is a close second.  This may seem weird to some but it's the truth.  Our marriage is the foundation for everything.  If it wasn't for our love and trust in each other we wouldn't have this precious thing that we call our life.  When I walked down that aisle four years ago I knew we had a million happy times ahead of us.  I tried my hardest to take all the sweet moments of that weekend in....because I also knew there would be hard times. 
Two weeks after the miscarriage we celebrated our 4 year anniversary.  With every day that passes, with every year that comes and goes, I fall a little more in love with Gordon.  He is my rock.  He keeps me positive, he gives me perspective, he makes this life of mine happy.
We had a fabulous night out on our 4th anniversary.  I was still having some anxiety/sadness about everything that'd happen over the previous 2 weeks....but, the night out really helped.  Things get better everyday!  Gordon even agrees that 6 weeks later I'm back to my "old self".  Maybe one day I'll post more about some of the unexpected emotions that I experienced after the miscarriage. 
We had the best dinner at Ouisie's Table (where my bridal lunch was held).  My sweet in-laws even had my favorite bottle of wine delivered to our table!  (I'm still not sure how I got so lucky....great husband, baby, parents and in-laws)  While we were out on the town, William got to hang out with his buddy, Teddy, and Ms. Melissa.  We all had a fun night.  :) 

I pray that the next year is as fabulous as the last four have been!!!  xoxo

The Ebola Scare

I alwsy

White, Ketrese M. (Ketrese)

Texas Children’s confident, prepared in face of Dallas Ebola concern On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States. “An adult patient who traveled recently from Liberia to Dallas

10:33 AM

While driving to work this morning (at 5:45am...yuck!) several of the talk shows discussed the Ebola case in Dallas.  Which then, of course, brought up the topic of movies such as Contagion.  Silly.  I get being scared but I also believe in educating yourself and learning the facts and protecting yourself/family.

I've said it a million times.....I keep up with my blog for personal reasons (memories!) and in hopes of educating others. With that being said here are a few fun facts about Ebola that I've come across!

Important facts to remember about Ebola

Most of the population in West Africa doesn’t have Ebola.

As of September 30, there had been about 6,500 cases of Ebola diagnosed in Guinea, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone. However, more than 20 million people live in these countries. This means fewer than 1 percent (.03 percent) have the virus – 99.97 percent of the residents in these countries do not have Ebola.

Diagnosis occurred in Dallas, but the disease source is still in Liberia.

Tuesday’s news revolves around the first case of Ebola that was diagnosed in the U.S. However, the source of transmission originated in Liberia – not here. Nothing has changed about the epidemiology of this virus in the U.S.

Ebola is not a highly infectious disease.

Ebola is a blood borne pathogen – it is not transmitted like the flu or other airborne viruses. It is spread only when symptoms are present.

The CDC is the best source of information, not the media.

The best way to allay any concerns is to educate yourself. The most current information about Ebola is available online from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

There you go folks.  Just a little food for thought.  Hope everyone has a happy weekend....mine is starting NOW!  :)

Lake Livin'

Writing this post makes me a little sad because it's the last weekend that we were still pregnant and excited to be welcoming two new babies into the Hattenbach family (ours and my brothers).  I'm the oldest of all my cousins, and to be honest don't have much in common with them due to the large age gap.  So, being pregnant with Skye and having babies that close in age was exciting!
Anyways, onto our annual lake trip!   This year we headed to Cedar Creek Lake to meet my family.  Since the lake was so close to East Texas Gordon's parents even joined us for a day.  Besides it being really windy on Sunday the weather was beautiful.  The best part was the lake wasn't very crowded!    We had so much fun out on the water and just laying around the house relaxing, eating yummy food and playing games outside.  William is still talking about the jet ski rides he took with daddy and papa.  :)    

{Ready for a boat ride} {Going for a ride with Daddy} {Naptime}

{Fun with Papa} {Hanging with Nana} {Trying out Mama's shades}

{The gang} {So much fun!} {Big boy driving the boat with Uncle D} 

It's been kinda fun checking out different lakes in Texas!  Let me know if you have any recommendations.  We were thinking about LBJ next year.

Finally Football!

Football season is finally here!  And that folks, makes me HAPPY!  Two weeks ago we headed to West Texas to visit my family and our old stompin' ground.  The crazy West Texas weather really messed up the outfits I had picked for the weekend.  I planned on wearing a white sleeveless top but ended up wearing a long sleeve denim shirt with my dad's NorthFace.  When the game started it was 55 degrees out and cloudy.  Oh well.  That's what I get for being such a planner.

I can't really explain the feelings I have when I visit Lubbock.....excitement, regret, happiness...all in one!  I would say I regret a few of the decisions I made while I was in college.  I wish I'd been a little smarter.  I should've held onto a few of the guys I blew off and vice-versa.  BUT, if I had been smarter I know for a fact, I wouldn't have Gordon and William.  Gordon and I have so many fun memories at Tech.  Most years we end up sitting right below where we sat our first game together back in 2000.  It's fun to reminiscence and talk about the "what ifs".  We both agree we made the right decision to wait to date until after college.  Regardless, it's fun to talk/think about.

• Listening to some live music with Uncle D and Aunt Skye
• Safety First!!  He loves playing with the maltese puppies.
• Sunday Funday with his GG and Pop.
• Our little Red Raider family at Gardski's 
• Horse ride at Cagle's
• Sorority sister, roomie, and best friend!
• Enjoying a Flirtini at Cafe J's 
• The love of my life!  Wreck 'Em
• Crazy baby on a plane.

The weekend before our Tech visit was rough.  So, it was a breath of fresh air to be in the LBK.  We ate at some of my favorite places, we had lots of "us" time and we loved every minute of the cool weather.  

Win or Lose I love my Red Raiders.  Some of my favorite friends from college are coaching at Tech now.  I have so much respect for Kliff and will cheer him on as long as he's around......I will always cheer on Tech....and we will of course teach William about that too.   :)    

 

TCH guest blogger

This past week William was featured on the TCH home page.  There is nothing better than seeing his sweet face when I log onto my computer at work.   :)  This blog post is about the progress William has made since his NICU stay two years ago!    

I never thought I’d be able to forget the exhaustion that accompanied my son, William’s, four-week stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in April 2012. William has reached so many exciting milestones since he left the NICU two years ago.

First Smiles!

The progress William has made between his first and second birthday still amazes me. At his first birthday, he wasn’t walking, he had no teeth and he had no interest in solid food. By his second birthday, he was a walking, talking, food-loving little toddler who finally had seven teeth.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry about him not being on the growth charts for so long and his speech being delayed compared to others his age. When William turned two years old, I had him evaluated by a speech therapist because he wasn’t saying 50 words. They told me what I had known deep down in my heart. He didn’t qualify. He was learning a little more every day. William was doing things on his own timeline and that’s okay.

William is his own person. He was a preemie who has made remarkable progress. All we can do is love him, teach him and encourage him. He has met all his milestones. A few were several months behind but he’s done it and that’s what matters. He can kick a ball, he repeats things he hears, he knows all his body parts, he plays make-believe and he’s more independent with each day that passes. We couldn’t be more pleased with his progress.

Although a NICU stay can be exhausting, there were several things that made it an awesome, positive experience. The car seat education program was priceless. I got to have a little baby for longer than most. The nurses were so informative and helped me perfect my “mom skills.” Gordon and I enjoyed going out to dinner a couple of times which most new parents don’t get to do (and we had the best babysitters in town!). Since William received donor breast milk while in the NICU, I knew I had to give back by donating myself!


His excitment and joy for life is priceless. 

 Gordon and I would love to add another little Gooding into our family.If we are ever blessed enough to welcome another baby into the world, we will be more prepared for a NICU stay. It won’t be easy but being a parent never is. Every NICU family has a different story. Some are harder than others. I try to always put things into perspective. Find the silver lining. My motto is: You have to embrace all the days, good and bad. In their own unique way they are very precious moments. It may not be what you envisioned but sometimes that’s okay.