Pool Partying!

We are down in Fort Myers at my parents' house enjoying the Memorial Day weekend, plus a few extra days. From here we are basically going straight to Lakeland for the United Methodist Annual Conference, through the end of the week. I am not able to put up new pictures right now, but hopefully while we are in Lakeland, I will be able to, with Eric's laptop. We have had lots of adventures to share! Bryce took his first swim yesterday and had a blast!! He looks SO cute in his big boy swim trunks!!! He was kicking his feet and carrying on the whole time! (Will post lots of pictures!!) We also bought Bryce a highchair while we were here, but he hasnt quite decided how he feels about it!! (Will post lots of pictures!!!) Last night we had a cookout with my family, and today we went to the outlet mall and bought sleepers for Bryce (he's in 6-9 months now!!) and clothes for Mommy, Daddy, and Bryce! Look for pictures to be posted on Thursday night!
Love and miss you all!

Shawn, Annamaria, Jillian, and us! 

Baby Jillian

Today we got to meet a very special baby! Jillian Shockey was baptized today, in Lakeland. Jillian is my dear dear roomie and pal Annamaria's baby. Us three roomies, Annamaria, Joy and I were all working on babies in 2004. Bryce was the first one born, in December. Then Jillian was born in March, and Joy's little man is due in about three weeks!!! (I cannot WAIT!! I bet she can't either) ANYWAYS, Jillian is this tiny little pixie sweet pea of a girly girl, and I was so happy to meet her! Eric, Bryce and I got to catch up with lots of friends and enjoy time at Annamaria's parents house after being at the baptism. Here are some pictures from the day!

Annamaria and Jillian, sweet mommy, sweet baby! 

Look at all the people who love Jillian! 

Two tired mamas with two sleeping babies! 

I was screaming in my bed a little while ago, but I am HAPPY now!! (I've got them wrapped around my finger!!!) 

Nice do, dude. 

Who's that big kid sitting with Daddy? 

Who's that big kid in the bed? 

Surprise Mary Page!

Yesterday some of Mary Page's friends had a surprise birthday party for her. I drove up to Edgewater (about an hour and a half) to REALLY surprise her!!!! She got to meet Bryce for the first time, and I got to see Emilie walking and crashing all over the place. Thanksgiving was actually the last time we had all seen each other . . .I was big as a house, Emilie was not mobile yet :) and a LOT has changed since then!!!! It was a ton of fun!!! (By the way, Mary Page is one of my dearest friends from Flagler, for those who don't know her!! We have been friends for ages!!) Happy birthday Mary Page, and almost 1 year old Emilie!

Happy Birthday Mary Page! SURPRISE!!!!! Bryce was so excited to finally meet Mary Page, and Mary Page was just in SHOCK!!! 

Emilie was not so sure about Mary Page with a different baby in her arms! Emilie is toddling around all over the place now! 

Mary Page and Bryce met for the first time yesterday! 

Adventures in Jacksonville

Sorry I haven't updated in so long! I have posted enough pictures this time to make up for it though!! We went on a quick trip to Jacksonville and visited with Eric's family. Bryce got to play with the next youngest family members, Sarah Kate and Rutledge (Eric's cousins) who are two years old and CUTE AS CAN BE!!! (You can see for yourself in the pictures!) I am not sure why some of the new pics look fuzzy on the website, but I am going to work on it.
As for the little dude's sleeping habits, things haven't changed a LOT, but I am hopeful! Last night he woke up, but a few times put himself back to sleep - once I didn't even have to go in there. When I do go in, I don't take him out of the crib, but try to calm him by talking to him and patting his tummy for a minute. I am sooo hopeful that maybe tonight will continue to be better. Keep your fingers crossed, and enjoy all the new pictures!! OXOXOX

Another one of Laura's new favorite pictures, we finally got one with Lizzie, the coolest almost-15 year old aunt ever . . . 

I let lots of people hold me at breakfast, and I didn't even cry! (I have them all fooled - they think that I NEVER cry, and that I sleep all the time. I save the good stuff for Mommy and Daddy when we are alone!) 

Getting to know Sarah Kate and Rutledge (Daddy's cousins) at breakfast. Rutledge liked me a lot, but Sarah Kate was a little unsure about another baby around! 

We went up to Jax for a quick overnight trip, and Bryce got to play with Eric's family! He was sooo good, and slept the WHOLE way there! 

She finally has a NAME! It's Gigi!!  

Sippy cup? Sounds like fun . . .but how do I use it again, and what is it for?  

This picture was taken on May 14th, with our NEW camera, so it took me a while to sit down and get it onto the computer! Sorry we have been so out of touch lately! 

Party on at 3am

Another night, another nightime blog, another party in our house tonight. Tonight Bryce initially went down amazingly easy. (Which was nice because I was on my own, as Eric was at church during the dreaded Bedtime.) But I have now discovered what is worse than being up for an hour in the middle of the night . . .its being up for ten minutes, and down for ten minutes, then up for ten minutes, then down for ten minutes. We are on the third ten minutes of crying now I think (or maybe the fourth, who can keep track?) It is SO very hard to not get cranky, annoyed, and generally pissy in the middle of the night when I am SO STINKING SLEEPY!!! Especially when I have just gotten settled (again) in my nice cozy bed, cuddled in with my big cushy pillow, and Eric snoozing away, drift back off to sleep and then WHAM . . . .or should I say WAAAHHHHHHHHHH. He is back asleep now, but do I dare go back to bed? With my luck if I stay up, he will actually stay asleep, and if I go back to bed - he will surely wake up. For some sleep though it is surely worth the - WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. oh DEAR. Crying round number 4, here we go again. I suppose I will go comfort the baby, and keep my fingers crossed. Sleep tight, all you sleeping girls and boys out there. Happy dreamland, catch some zzz's for me too, would ya?

Crying it out at 4am

Teaching one's child to sleep on their own, soothe themselves, and fall back asleep when they wake up is NOT a happy process. Apparently, it is THE thing to do, and since nothing else works, and Mama is becoming rediculously tired of being up six, seven, eight times a night, we are finally giving in and letting him "cry it out". Mind you, we are still going in every few minutes and talking to him, rubbing his tummy, and probably trying to soothe ourselves as much as Bryce, but the whole thing is miserable. And this is why, at 4:30 in the morning, I am sitting HERE because what else is there to do while listening to your child wail in his crib for 30 minutes? This is the first time all night that he hasn't gone back to sleep fairly quickly - so I am fairly frustrated. Just when you think you are making some headway, that stubborness rears its ugly head. This is night number two of Crying It Out. Those who have walked this path before us tell us it is SO worth it, and life will be so much better after it. It better be - because this is miserable.

Mimi and Poppy

I love it when Mmy grandparents come to visit! This weekend Mimi and Poppy came. (that's Mommy and Daddy's parents) It's fun because Mimi always takes us to Target, and I end up getting cool new stuff. (This time it was a new carrier so I can ride around on Mommy's hip). Poppy always makes good things to eat (Well good things for big people to eat anyways.) They always play with me and make these really funny faces, and talk in funny voices to me . . . .but it does usually make me smile! I like them a lot. Grandparents are fun stuff!!

I love it when Mimi and Poppy come to visit! 

Mimi always smells like vanilla, and I love it! (Mommy says its her perfume, but I think she keeps cookies in her pocket so I will like her!) 

Playing With Poppy 

Bryce says, "It's a beautiful morning to eat my feet and roll around on the floor." I thought the light was just so nice coming in this morning! 

Here comes the sun! Good morning! 

I am a cutie, cutie, cutie! 

Rolling over and FINALLY back again!

FINALLY, Bryce has decided that he is ready to do the rolling over thing again. He just sort of QUIT for a while. Eric says its a Williams trait, the whole "I will master this, get bored, and then move on to something else." But finally he has decided to roll over again AND he finally got back from his tummy to his back, which he had never been able to do. Hooray!!! Today is Eric's long day at school, so we are sending some pictures of us to brighten his day- it's us doing laundry. . . no time for soap operas and bon-bons for this at-home mommy!! :) We miss you Daddy! Work hard at school and we will see you tonight!!! WE love you!!!!! XOXOXO (By the way, for all you wondering, today is Eric's last day of classes before exams next week! HOORAY!)

Hey, how YOUU doin'?