Harrington House

I Should Be Doing Laundry

But we're having way too much fun...  ;o)

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Little Bit of Life

We've been a whole lotta busy lately with a little bit of everything!  It always seems like the start of each season is crazy, then it thankfully settles down.  This time of year, for me, is fall coming up on holidays.  So I am always busy, both in body and mind, trying to plan out everything....pumpkin patch, hayrides, carving pumpkins, birthdays, Thanksgiving meal (oh, my favorite meal ever), the Advent season (my favorite), Christmas stuff, and so on and so on and so on...

Today is one of those special events... 

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIKE!!  

 

He spent the weekend with his good friend John at a Detroit Lions game.  He sent me the above picture from his seat on the front row (because he knows how excited I get over football stuff....hahaha!)  Anyway, here is the fun part....  As Mike was sitting there watching the game, he looked beside him and recognized one of his camp counselors from church camp when he was a boy!!!!  Of all the games of the season, in a stadium that seats that many people...really and truly...what are those odds?!?! 

 

Amelia, Jack, and I have been getting ready for his birthday for a couple weeks now.  Yesterday, we ventured out in the rain to get some final stuff at Wal-Mart. 

 

Jack Jack still isn't used to me taking pictures all the time -HAHA!  I love that look!  Bless him's heart.

 

 

Amelia is very accustomed to Momma's photo sessions... ("Uh, hurry up, Momma...")

 

(How precious is her new "yady-bug" raincoat?  Thanks, Aunt Kiki!!  We love it!)

 

Well, I'm fixing to go wrap some presents and bake a cake that Amelia will be certain is hers.  :o)

Bar-B-Q for the Barber Crew

On Saturday afternoon, we had some serious celebratin' to do (for some personal accomplishments!), so we hit up Williamson Bros.  Mmmm, now we Barbers love us some BBQ! 

Jack Jack was taking it all in...just waiting for the day that he can pick some pig!!

Till that blessed day, he reckons he'll settle for some BBQ milk.  ;o)  Bless his heart...

Well, this is how my time is spent these days, y'all...loving on my Jack Jack and being silly with my Amelia Kate...throw in a basket of laundry and some chicken in the skillet, and there you have it!   ;o)

 

YEA!   BBQ!!!

 

WE'RE HUNGRY - FEED US!

RIGHT NOW!!

OOPS!  WE MEAN...PLEASE?!?!

OOOOOOOOOOH.............RIBS...........

 

OH GOSH!  WE FORGOT TO SAVE ROOM FOR TWO-MILE-HIGH PIE!!!!

OH WELL, NEXT TIME!  ;o)

Back in the Swing of Things

HEY Y'ALL!!  I've missed terribly my little blogging world!  I ended up taking a longer blogging intermission than I had expected.  Thank you so much to all of y'all who were checking in on me.  So sweet!  It actually feels kinda nice to be missed...  ;o)  So where was I???

"The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home..." 

 Yup, I went back home to visit all my family (aka "Momma and them").  Mike had about a month of back-to-back traveling planned, so I just up and went with the babies!  Actually, we flew Momma down here so she could ride the trip with me.  Then she rode back with us and flew back home.

Amelia waiting for Chewmomma at the airport...sign and balloons and all...gotta have balloons (according to the law of Amelia Kate...)

 

This was the longest time Mike and I have been apart since we were dating, when he lived in Charlotte and I was in Bowling Green at WKU.  It was almost a whole month this time!  But when he is gone traveling so much for work, I just get so lonely at the house all by myself.  I am probably the BIGGEST homebody of all time, and I get homesick so easily, especially when I am away from Mike.  But...it's also so special to me to get to spend time with my family...Momma and Daddy, Granny and Papaw, Aunt Sue and my cousins Becky and Rachel, Uncle Doug and my cousins Hannah and Abbie...they are all so good to me, and good for me.  And I was so happy when the rest of my family traveled in over Labor Day.  My Uncle Jim spoke at church on that Sunday, and it was just awesome.   I love being with my family...it sure does my soul good.  :o)

Momma had to work while we were there so I spent my days at the pool and park, or visiting with Granny and Papaw.  Jack Jack looooooooooves Granny.  I kinda think she is sweet on him, too!  ;o)  

I spent the summers at Granny and Papaw's when I was growing up.  It started as a two-week thing one summer, and it just kept getting longer till it was practically the whole summer.  We spent days upon days at the pool.  It's called Tranquilin.  It was so fun for me to watch Amelia Kate playing in the same pool I did growing up.

I think she would live at the pool.  Who wouldn't at that age, though, right??

I also took the babies to the Central Park to walk just about every day.  It's a beautiful park right down by the hospital in Ashland where Momma works.  So I would meet her for lunch, and then we'd hit up the park.  This is far and away the best park I've ever seen.

  

There is a great sidewalk all around the perimeter of the park that is just over a mile each time around.  I usually walked it three times, and by then Miss Amelia was ready to get out and play.  While I was up at Momma's, I lost 10 more pounds!  YEA!!!!  I am now in the 150s!  I celebrated with my beloved Giovanni's pizza.  :o)  All in moderation and balance...right?

I, of course, got to do some serious junkin' while I was up there.  So many great places to go....the flea market, Boneyfiddle, Berea...I bought so many wonderful things.  (Well, okay, so I bought a FEW things, and in my mind bought the rest...my sister Kelly Jo and I decided those were the best kinds of buys...the free ones.)  I'll have to show y'all all of my goodies!  I'm busy finding new places for my finds.

Like I've said before, it's always nice to get away, but it's always nice to get back home!  And I missed my home!!  And my routine....and my blog friends....and most of all, MY HUSBAND!!!!  :o)    

Show Us Your Life: Wedding Dress Edition

Hey y'all!  I'm joining in Kelly's "Show Us Your Life" party today for wedding dresses.  I've shown pictures of my wedding and my dress before on here, but I'm posting it again because it makes me happy!  I looooooved my wedding dress.  I still love it.  If I went out  today to buy a wedding dress, I'd still pick this one.  

Like most newly engaged ladies, I knew exactly what  I wanted.  When I went gown shopping, I hauled around this picture of JFK, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy to show the shop ladies what I had to have.

Everybody kept telling me that nobody wanted dresses like that anymore and that I would never find one like that.  They pretty much told me to go have it made.  But, lo and behold, I walked into a shop - not even a bridal shop, mind you - and, SWEET MERCY, it was hanging on the back wall!!  I held my breath as I hoped to find a small train on the back.  And there was!  Woohoo!  Before I could even say anything, the shop girl came up behind me and said in a low voice, "Isn't that beautiful?  It's a knock-off Carolyn Bessette's wedding gown."  And that is how I found my dream dress.

I just LOVE weddings!   One of my cousins is getting married next summer, and it is ALL I CAN DO to keep myself from driving up to Kentucky every other week to help her with the planning and the details!  She would probably meet me with a shotgun at the door if I did!  Haha!  I wish I could plan weddings all the live long day because I love all the sweet, personal details you can put in them.  She has a wedding file already going, and I get so excited looking through her stuff because it's exactly what I'd have picked out, too.  And even if it wasn't, I'd still be happy for her!  Weddings are special times!

Strawberry Fields...Forever

Remember how I said I have started trying to lose some of my baby weight??  Well, I've been trying to eat more salads.  I found the recipe for this salad at allrecipes.com submitted by newcook89.  It's called "Strawberry Fields."  Not only is it pretty to look at, it is sooo good!  I'm going to put some grilled chicken in it today.  Mmmm!  Well done, newcook89!

And I'm still walking every day...while pushing these two wild things...

I'm walking with my friend Rachel and her two boys, Carson and Parker, and she read somewhere that pushing a stroller helps you burn 15-20% more calories!  Since we are pushing double strollers, I like to think it's at least 20%.  ;o)

Okay, and remember how I also said I was not going too crazy with all this baby weight loss??  Well, after a six-mile walk the other evening with Mike, we hit up Dairy Queen.

I got an Arctic Rush, and Mike got a brown derby...a sweet, sweet, beautiful brown derby....

...but he let me eat the chocolate curl on top... 

It's a wonder he didn't pull back a bloody nub of an arm.  Haha!

I really do want to reiterate that I'm not going crazy about the weight loss.  I don't care too much about what the scale says or the size label on my clothes...I just care about the fact that I feel good, you know?  I know when I'm comfortable and happy and that's what matters to me.  So, just in case I talk about it frequently on my blog in the upcoming months (year maybe?), just know that I'm only interested in getting back to a healthy weight.  And getting to the point where I'm not about to pass out after going up one flight of stairs.  

Yesterday evening, we went with Mike to his new office so that I could clean it.  We are so blessed with Mike's new job.  For the past year, I have prayed and prayed about his work.  It had gotten to a point where he had lost some of his passion and was just not happy.  It is so hard to see your husband get to a point where he doesn't enjoy his work anymore.  So for almost a whole year, I prayed and prayed that God would lay out a path for us (well, for Mike) that would be better for him and our little family.  Especially in this time with economic troubles, it was a scary time for job changes.  With the faith that He would take care of us, we both kept praying and praying and praying and praying and praying (get the point?) for not only new opportunities but also for clarity and assurance.  Because of our faith in Him, we had peace.  We "considered the lillies" alot during the past six months.  We all know that God answers prayers in ways that we don't expect and may not understand at the time.  This time was no different.  We know He has plans for us (just like he does for every single person).  We have been blessed.  Mike took a new job...one that he is excited and passionate about and has a lot of promise.  And our little family now has a special, personal testimony of God's faithful provision.     

"Be afflicted for nothing;  but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ."   -Phillipians 4:6-7

The above picture is a happy picture!  Amelia loves the rain, and as we were parked (no, she was not sitting there while we were driving down the road!), it started to pour.  She was telling us all about it raining outside!  It was a big story production with hand motions as you can see.  :o)

And then she found my Bath & Body room spray bottle that I keep in the truck, and I reckon she thinks it's hairspray...

Just a reminder that she sees everything we do!  I gotta watch myself!  :o)

A Year From 30

Yup...I'm 29 years old today...a year from 30!!

My little Amelia Kate told me "Hap Birt-day!" and danced in the yard all evening...in celebration of such a momentous day, I like to think...  ;o)

 

And this little guy (a.k.a. The Linebacker) tried to act all tough...

...but, nah, he's just a softie..............for Momma, anyway!  ;o)

After dinner at Mellow Mushroom, Mike took me to the bookstore to pick up some new reads, including...

... and then he picked up a (two-pound) slice of German chocolate cake at Pasta Bella.  (I'm not lying about that two pounds.)

 

My, oh, my...my birthday was good!

Party of Four

Hi, y'all!  It feels like I've been so busy lately...imagine that!  Life with two children is certainly busier than life with one.  All of my girlfriends who have three or more have always told me that going from one to two is like going from none to one, but that the addition of more after that is not so hard.  So I'm crossing my fingers that this is going to be my hardest transition!  ;o)  Honestly, though, it's been a LOT easier than I expected.  Amelia has really been great with Baby Jack.  Every now and then, she gets oinery, but it's usually when she is just over tired.

And Jack Jack is such a good little baby!

Some of y'all had asked if he is nursing.  I am a huge supporter of breastfeeding, so...Yes!  He is nursing like a champ!  I had so much milk this time around.  It may not sound like that's a bad thing, but let me tell you, oversupply comes with it's own set of issues.  And even though he eats alot (as you can tell by how big he is!), the oversupply, especially in the beginning, was hard to tackle.  But I think it is starting to regulate finally...hallelujah!  My only problem now is that I can't find a good nursing bra that I like.  I saw Bravado mentioned at Baby Bangs.  Has anyone else tried those, or do you have any other recommendations?   

Since we are a growing family, we finally made the decision to get a new vehicle.  Meet our new family ride...

We don't know what to do with ourselves with so much extra space!  Mike and I have always had cars, so this is a big deal for us.  And we have never bought a new car since we have been together, including dating.  So, I guess this is a first for us...

The previous owner, an ex-cop, had dark tint put on all the windows (limo tint, y'all) and you can NOT see inside those windows.  Even the front window is tinted a little.  We kinda feel like the FBI in it.  

And you know what?  It just shows me how old and not cool I am, because I got excited about the tint because nobody can see in while I'm breastfeeding!   Haha! 

All of us piled in our new family truckster...

Check out those sweet, preppy, argyle feet...

The Captain...

This is Jack while we waited at the dealership...can you see the anticipation on his face??

Yes, he is wearing a bib already.  That is because Jack is a spitter, albeit a Happy Spitter...which makes Momma the Tired Laundress.  :o)

Jack Jack's chunk-a-lunk thighs...I could kiss on these rolls all day long.

And his sweet dimply hands...

Ain't Nothing Sweeter'n a Baby

Boy, oh, boy!  What a couple of weeks we've had around here!  It's been everything I thought it would be...exhuasting but exciting, stressful but sweet, busy but BLESSED! 

Baby Jack is such a sweetheart.  Isn't it amazing how quickly and instantly you fall in love with your children?  I just love him to pieces!  We all do...  Amelia Kate tries to kiss and hug him no less than a hundred times a day!  I cannot blame her.  ;o)

He wants to be held 100% of the time.  And I want to hold him 100% of the time.  So that works out just lovely! 

  

Today, we had a doctor's appointment with our pediatrician, Dr. K, and we were so excited to see what he weighed!  Now, Jack Jack loves to eat.  He gets it honest.  Our family knows how to eat...good.  Before we went in, I guessed he would weigh just over 9 pounds, and Mike guessed 9 1/2 pounds.  Y'all...he's ELEVEN pounds!  He has already gained two pounds and 6 ounces since birth!  And he's grown almost two inches!  I was in total shock!  I shouldn't be, I don't guess, because the child eats all the live long day (and night).  Oh mercy, my baby's growing up....   ;o)

Oh, my little Jack Jack... 

Introducing...

Jack Edward Barber

Born April 17th, 2009 at 9:16 p.m.

8 pounds 10.4 ounces    20 1/4 inches

  

Hi, y'all!!  As you can see, we had a baby boy...and he is BEAUTIFUL!  I'm absolutely moonpied!  I'm completely and totally in love with this little thing.  I think I'm still in shock over having been given a son.  I really don't know a thing in this world about little boys, but I'm so excited to learn!  I can't believe I got me a little boy!!!   

Mike is ecstatic!  He had convinced himself we were having a girl (much like myself), and the expression on his face when he saw that our baby was a son was priceless!  I seriously thought he was going to knock people down to see for himself!

My labor and delivery was actually harder this time around than with Amelia.  But oh so very worth it!  I like to go as naturally as possible, although I had to have Pitocin like I did with Amelia's delivery.  I could not have done it without Mike.  He is my best coach!  The nurses were beyond excellent, too.  I'll write Jack's birth story soon.

We just got home a little bit ago.  It feels so good  to be home!  To our surprise, Amelia Kate has just jumped right into her new role as big sister!  She has been so sweet and nice to "Baby Jack" and is almost constantly squealing "It's Baby Jack!"  We are loving it!  I have so much more to write and so many more pictures to post.  

If I haven't said so yet...  

I love my little Jack!