Goodbye to Tickle Monkey

In case you don't know, Tickle Monkey is the monkey that appears in the pictures with Chloe each month. It's been a wonderful way to see how much Chloe has grown but it has also been her favorite toy and transitional object. She kisses him and hugs him when she takes naps and goes to sleep each night.

That's why it pains me to tell say that he is no more. Today when Chloe laid down to take a nap she took her diaper off. Whether she pooped before or after she took her diaper off, I don't know. But she used Tickle Monkey as the brush to paint her masterpiece all over the crib.

After two baths for Chloe, a bleach job on the crib and lots of scrubbing and washing, there is nothing left of Chloe's artwork. I threw the sheets, pillow and toys that were in the crib with Chloe away. Trust me when I say, there was no way paint was coming out of the bristles. I was one dry-heave away from burning down the entire house to rid myself of the 'mess.'

Shorty (my mom) is sending Chloe a replacement tomorrow. Wish us luck as we transition Chloe to a new favorite love. Also, be prepared to see a new face on Chloe's monthly pictures.

Rest in Peace, Tickle Monkey.

I've been MIA

I know I'm way over due on updating this...we've got a lot going on. I'll go into more detail later (and I'm leaving some stuff off) but here is a general overview.

1. Mark's contract for Google is up...
2. Mark may be starting a new job for eBay...
3. We've also been kicking around the idea of starting a business...
4. Chloe on the move and down to one nap means less time to do anything and a lot more fun!
5. Sooooo many days of excessive heat! 101 - 105...I can't think in this weather. I'm not blogging. ha
6. New projects around the house...painting a bathroom, closing in a utility room and some other stuff.
7. Official training for the marathon began this week. 16 weeks until I run 26.2.

Busy, busy, busy. Will post pictures of C-loe later.

Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue!

It was a pretty lame 4th of July here in Central Texas. The fireworks were banned so we were left wondering how to fill our Fourth. We woke up and thanked God for the blessing of living in this country. I'm sure there are better places to live, but I KNOW there are worse. I am thankful for the freedoms that I still have.

Mark's brother is in town from Alaska. He's in the Army and leaves for Afghanistan in December so this is the last time we'll see him until he returns from his deployment. So to kick off the day, we invited Mark's parents and his brother over for brunch. I was a bit nervous cooking for Suzy, who is a MASTER chef! But I think I impressed! haha. We had mimosas, breakfast casserole, biscuits, gravy, cantaloupe and strawberries. Yep. A quite eclectic menu if I do say so...we were serving a wide range of palates.

No pictures of the brunch but here are some we took with my phone. We had a pretty lazy Fourth. I'm hoping next year isn't quite so dry and Chloe can watch some fireworks!

Mark and Chloe...it's only 102 at the park. geez.

Mark's firecrackers

The flash is bright!

haha. too funny to not post.

Last Year I Lost 100 pounds...link.

This is a link to a site I love, Skinny Runner. More importantly this is a cool guest post she featured. I love these kinds of stories and will buy a magazine simply to see a before and after shot. So, check out Liz who lost a 100 pounds!

13 Months

I was really thinking that I would stop these posts once Chloe hit a year. However, in the last month she's taken a giant cognitive leap forward. So in an effort to track the progress, I'll continue. I'm not sure how long. Now that I've started this, it makes sense to take it to two years but we'll see.

Chloe, it's June 28, 2011 and you are 13 months old today!

You insisted on reading to Tickle Monkey.

I think we are about to make the switch to one nap a day. I'm sure you'll still need a second nap on some days but lately you seem to be reluctantly taking very short naps. I think by switching to one nap, you may start taking a longer one. We'll have to play with your schedule and see.

You are now drinking whole cow milk. You seem to like it okay now. You drink an 8oz. glass in the morning and an 8 oz. glass for dinner. Sometimes you get about 4oz. as an afternoon snack.

You are now a toddler. You are officially walking! You still prefer to crawl but you know how to walk and will walk across the room. Sometimes you even stand up and take off on two legs without urging from me and your dad. You walk like a little zombie with your arms out in front of you...it's cute!

Your new word is 'light.' You don't say it that often and it usually takes me a while to figure out what you're talking about. That brings your vocabulary to 12 words: hi, dog, book, ball, bird, mom, dada, ouch, yeah, no, diaper and light. I think that's all of them.

You have been crawling onto the couch for over a month now but in the last week you discovered how to get down. It makes my life so much easier. For a while, you would crawl onto the couch and throw a fit to get down. As soon as I would get you down, you would go right back up. Exhausting!

You love people. Anytime we go anywhere you scream 'hi' at EVERYONE. Most people are polite about it and say hi back. Your favorite places are the gym nursery where you play with other kids and the splash pad at the park. The first time I took you there you saw the other kids and starting yelling in baby babble. You wanted down and if you had been able to run, you would have taken off to go join the other kids. haha. You are so energetic. You NEVER sit still.

We love you, happy girl!

Chloe and Kennedy -- probably scheming against Ashauntee and I.

I made her stop for a picture. She's not happy.
She looking at the boys she wanted to go play with.

Marisa and Gael. He's making sure Chloe doesn't get his animal crackers. haha.

What to Wear...you vote, please.

Mark's 10 year reunion is Saturday. I care way too much and need your help with what to wear. Are any of these outfits THE ONE? It's a cocktail hour at a local bar on the Lake Austin. So I doubt that it really matters but I want my honey to be proud of me....so what do I wear?!?!

Obviously, I will wear appropriate undergarments (not a black bra under a white shirt...see 'B') and I will be doing my hair, makeup and pairing accessories. If you don't want to vote in the comments, you can vote to the right.

One Year Portraits

These are three of my favorites and they capture (almost) all sides of her personality.

serious. determined.

happy.curious.



ornery. beautiful.