Wonderful Wednesday Week 1 & 2

I'm really hoping to get back into my "Wonderful Wednesday" weekly routine.  Not that anyone (besides my immediate family) really cares what I'm up to on a random Wednesday each week.....I just like to look back and remember what William, Gordon and I were up to.  The days fly by quicker than I'd like.  This blog is what helps me remember all the little things.  Did you know you have less than 940 weeks with your child before they head off to college.  Soak it up folks.  Time doesn't slow down.  It just goes by faster and faster.      

WEEK 1:

It's 2014!  The number 13 and 14 are my "lucky" numbers.  I tend to like even numbers better than odd so 2014 is bound to be awesome, right?  NYE we started a new tradition in our house.  Home made pizza making.  YUM.  This is our first year in SIX years to not go to Sonoma Wine Bar for dinner.  Everything changes.  {And that's usually a good thing}.  Since Gordon was still recovering from the flu we were all in bed by 9pm! 

The next day we had a few friends over to watch football and celebrate the new year.  We had some yummy prime rib, sweet potato casserole and I even made some homemade black eyed peas for good luck (I love our crock pot and must start using it more often!).  All the kids had a blast playing together and the dads loved watching the game on the new BIG screen TV.   

WEEK 2:

This momma went shopping, got her nails done and had a lunch date with the daddy.  I love having productive mornings out and about alone every once in a while.  I read a great quote by Max Lucado while I was getting my nails done that I loved.  "When you are in the final days of your life, what will you want?  Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame?  Will you ask to be carried to the garage so you can sit in your car?  Will you find comfort in rereading your financial statement?  Of course not.  What will matter then will be people.  If relationships will matter most them, shouldn't they matter most now? -Max Lucado 
That weekend we tried out a new church, a couple new restaurants, and went on a movie date while Grant and Emily babysat baby boy.  We are still trying to get more familiar with Katy.  There's a ton we miss about the city but we are slowly finding some new favorites out here in the burbs!!!  Moving is proving to be one of the best decisions we could've made for our family of 3.   

- cleaning closets, trying on clothes and giving the lion a kiss - wish I had those lashes - ice cream face! - trying on Daddy's boots - River Oaks shopping trip - we are ready for Spring! -

Birmingham

The day after Christmas we made our first trip back to Birmingham since Ashley and Brandon got married 4 years ago!  It was obviously William's first trip to Alabama.  Lucky for us, William slept on the flight there and on the way back.  Every flight with him is different.  You just never know what you're gonna get.  :)
We had a great time with the Gooding side of the family.  We finally got to see Ashley and Brandon's "new" home.  The word beautiful doesn't do it justice.  I'm so envious of their great outdoor space.  Houston just doesn't compare. 
Ashley was prepared for the little mans arrival....she had lots of fun toys to keep him entertained during our long weekend in Birmingham.  During our stay Brandon did lots of grilling (YUMMM), the boys went duck hunting one day, we did some shopping and had a mini birthday celebration for Grant.  You can't beat a relaxing weekend away from home with family. 

• The Gooding guys
• Mesmerized by the leaf blower!
• Hanging with his mimi
• My little hunters
• Giving hugs (note the deer in his right hand....he's obsessed)
• The boys staying busy cooking on the Green Egg
• He loves anything that looks like a vacuum!
• Grant's 30th birthday celebration
• Sister In Laws!

Birmingham is such a beautiful city.  Hopefully we'll make it back to visit sooner than later!

Baby's 2nd Christmas

It's hard to believe that Christmas was almost a month ago!  We were busy bees on Christmas day and since then we've gone out of town twice.  One day I'll catch my breath.....
Christmas morning was so much fun with William this year.  He was so excited to see what Santa had brought him.  His little face was priceless.  To say he loves his new blue truck is an understatement.  We can hardly get him off the thing!  His nana, papa, mimi and grandad did a great job getting fun stuff for William's new playroom.  He's a lucky little man.
Here was our Christmas day agenda:

• Late breakfast with my parents, Gordon's parents and Emily.
• Headed to the other side of town to hang out at Grant and Emily's new house with some of her family.
• Back home to get ready for Christmas dinner with the Wilson's (thankfully my mom was there to help with the cooking!)

We love having the Wilson's right down the street.  :)  The kids play great together which means the adults can sit back and (semi) relax.      

• Before Christmas Eve Mass and dinner at Escalantes
• Santa visited our house
• He loves his belly button!
• Papa taking William on a ride in his new truck
• Hey, what's in this things?
• Christmas morning
• Let's open some presents guys!

• OMG!  This face cracks me up.  He's always SO excited and happy.
• Finding the first of many surprises on Christmas morning.
• Aunt Emily is too funny
• Playing at Grant and Emily's 
• He loves his daddy
• A teepeeeeeeeeee!!
• Truck. Check. Elmo. Check. Reindeer. Check.  Life doesn't get much better than this.
• Best picture we could get of these little rascals.
• The next Iron Chef, ladies and gentlemen!

In their Christmas JAMMIES!  Hopefully they'll be best friends forever!

 William loves his kitchen and new teepee.  It only took this mommy and daddy a mere 3 days to put the kitchen together (his excitement made it all worth while).  You would think putting the thing together would have made me want to strangle Gordon....nope....just the opposite.  He was hilarious.  "Lindsey, just put piece #350 over in the corner.  I'll be getting to that at sunrise."  HAHA.  Good times, great memories.

Kisses for Baby Jesus

 But, the most important thing of all during this entire Christmas season is loving Baby Jesus!!!  

Guest Post for TCH

Have you ever noticed that in every stage of life you are looking ahead to the next? When you’re in high school you’re thinking about colleges, when you’re in college you’re thinking about the city you’ll live in once you graduate, when you get married everyone starts talking about when you’ll have babies, and when you have that first little blessing, you’re asked about siblings. It’s a wonderfully vicious cycle, having something to look forward to makes life exciting.

Before Gordon and I could consider moving onto our next “stage” in life, baby #2, we had to add an extra step. Try to prevent another premature baby. Soon after finding out I was pregnant with William, we learned I had a mis-shaped uterus. This is what caused me to have William eight weeks early. We wouldn’t be able to tell if my preterm labor was caused by a septum or if it was a true bicornuate uterus until after I had surgery. So, this past August I put all my faith into Dr. Zepeta, with the Women’s Specialists of Houston at the Pavilion for Women and went into surgery with lots of hope.

We didn’t know what the outcome would be. For all we knew, my uterus would be unfixable. Gordon and I thought about it a lot after having William. How would we manage work, a baby in the NICU and spending time with William, our rambunctious nearly 2 year old? Of course we can and will do it if that’s the cards we’re dealt…..but why not try to prevent another NICU stay?!?! My preop appointments went great. My labs and my preop appointment with my OB/GYN and the anesthesia team were all done at the Pavilion. The surgery went great. Everyone was so friendly. They did a great job of explaining what they would be doing (from starting an IV to post-op pain care) and everyone was very attentive to my entire family’s needs. The Pavilion got an A+ again…First with William and then with me.

Although we are pretty certain any future pregnancies I have will come with some not so typical issues, I am still 100% happy with my decision to have surgery. Gordon and I have done all we can do to help our future babies stay in utero as long as possible. I have faith in the medical team that has been caring for me throughout this entire process. I know they will continue to do an excellent job. Knowledge is power! By having this surgery my doctors learned more about me. We will all be better prepared if there is ever a baby #2 for the Gooding family!

Right now we are really enjoying our little buddy. We are prepared and ready for whatever comes next in this wonderful adventure that we call life.

Getting Ready For Christmas

The days and weeks leading up to Christmas were so much fun!  I said this last year and I'll say it again.....things sparkle more with William around.  The excitement he has over the simplest things (like turning the lights on the Christmas tree) makes me smile from ear to ear and fills my heart with so much happiness and joy.  If we could bottle up a baby's happiness and laughter the world would be a better place!   
I did a blog post last year for TCH about our family traditions.  I'm happy to say we were able to do all the things we wanted this year (even with our crazy house stuff).  I had to decorate the tree by myself since poor Gordon had strep throat and an upper respiratory infection.  So, I poured myself a glass of wine, listened to some Johnny Mathis Christmas music on Pandora and decorated away.  While doing that, my mind wondered back to my childhood.  I can still remember making strands of cranberries and popcorn over at my grandma Morrow's house.  Hopefully we can add that tradition to our list when William gets older!!        

William loves his Elf on the Shelf!  Every evening when we got home he wanted to go look at his Elf and give him a kiss. 

Gordon and I had our 2nd annual movie date/Christmas shopping night out.  We started this new tradition last year and it's so much fun!  This year we went to a fun movie theatre/bowling alley/bar/arcade to see The Hunger Games 2 (which I loved, loved, loved).  Afterwards we headed to Target to get baby boy some Christmas gifts!  I love everything about this night with Gordon.  :)

• Climbing up the stairs like a big boy.
• Reading in some of his Christmas jammies!
• Reading with his daddy.
• William loved playing with the presents under the tree.
• Giving his favorite ornament a kiss.  He never messed with any of the other ornaments....shocking.  I'm sure next year will be a different story. 
• He even liked reading The Elf On The Shelf book.
• Some of William's Christmas books and toys.
• Such a cutie!

This past month has been so much fun.  Next Christmas has a lot to live up to!!

Our New Home

Our new house is finally starting to feel like home!  We had a lot of empty rooms up until a few weeks ago....it's been a slow process BUT well worth the wait.  We are still waiting on our living room furniture to be delivered.  For now, it's a nice big open room for William to run around in!
We've been so busy going out of town, having company in town, and everyone has taken their turn getting sick with this yucky winter weather.  FINALLY, things are starting to slow down and we are getting into a new routine.  I just need to get everything organized now.  :)

Here are a few of the things we are loving about the burbs:

• We have so much more room.
• William loves his new playroom and his bedroom is twice the size of his old room. 
• The neighborhood is nice and quiet. 
• The park and walking trail around the pond are fabulous.
• We finally live somewhere with sidewalks!
• We live close to friends with kids around William's age.
• The school district we live in is great.
• There's a Sonic right down the road (and my best friend).  :)
• It only takes me 10 minutes to drive home from Bunco.   
• We have the coolest family/game room.
• Gordon has plenty of room to shoot his bow & arrow in the backyard.
• I day dream about the tan I'll have this summer with the pool being only 3 blocks away.
• AND guess what, we still go into "town" once a week to eat at one of our favorite restaurants. 

Life is good.  Moving was stressful.  A. LOT. OF. THINGS. WENT. WRONG during that first month.  But, we survived.  There are still 20+ boxes that need to be unpacked in our garage.  It doesn't even bother me anymore.  It'll get done eventually.  I'd rather enjoy my family for now.  :)

Here are a few pictures my BFF took of us back in November (outside of our new home).  Check out Alison's photography website here.

His kissy face is priceless.

William thinks Alison and I are weird!