N is for New Furniture

Today was an exciting day in the Sharp house. We got a new couch, chair and ottoman delivered! We went to lunch with Brad's dad yesterday and he said he wanted to take us furniture shopping. We finally accepted after trying to refuse. It was fun to go and pick out anything we wanted. Our old stuff did the job but it was getting pretty tattered since we've had it for almost 4 years and the Sharps had it several years before that. We've wanted to replace it but there was always something else to spend our money on. Its so nice to have new stuff to sit on (including the recliner our dads gave us after Will was born). Now we need to get some new tables and repaint. I've wanted to paint the woodwork white since we bought the house but if you've ever painted trim - well its not fun. But maybe we can make some time to get it done now that we have some inspiration.

M is for Monkey Bread

(I forgot to take a picture yesterday so I got this off a recipe website)

I made some Monkey Bread yesterday and it was sooooo yummy. I'll admit its not very nutritious so it shouldn't be eaten with regularity but my goodness it was good! My mom used to make this for us.

Monkey Bread

3 cans biscuits (the cheap kind are best)

3/4 cup sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup pecans (chopped, halves or pieces)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first set cinnamon and sugar in bowl or bag. Cut biscuits into 1/4s (pizza cutter works great) and put in bowl or bag then coat well with mixture. Grease bundt, bread or 9inch cake pan with nonstick spray then place pecans on bottom. Place coated biscuits on top of pecans. Mix melted butter with 2nd set of sugar and cinnamon, then pour over biscuits. Bake about 35 minutes. Turn over onto large plate or platter to let gooey goodness run to bottom. Serve immediately.

L is for Lucy

Lucy and her daddy
1 year old
2 years old
3 years old with one of MANY splints we went through in 2 weeks for a fracture

Lucy was our first Golden. She is a total daddy's girl and isn't as thrilled about the new arrival to our household as Jake is. She isn't aggressive toward Will or anything but you can tell she misses the attention she used to get. I do think she likes him more than she lets on. Anytime I go in the nursery, she follows if she's not already asleep in there. She loves riding in the car and is a faithful paper-getter (not the Sunday paper but the small ones). She is good at obeying commands and doesn't leave the yard like Jake does. She is such a sweet dog and constantly has a smile on her face. She can be pretty annoying in the mornings though - she's just so darn happy that a new day has dawned! She's been known to walk up and down the middle of our bed until we get up and let her outside, no matter how long we lay in protest. Don't think we're cruel for making her wait - she's not anxious to use the bathroom - she just loves to start the day!

K is for Kissable Cheeks

I just love to smooch them!

J is for Jake

About 8 weeks old
5 months old
1 year old
2 years old
Jake with Will

We have two wonderful Golden Retrievers, Lucy and Jake. We got Jake on a whim right after Hurricane Katrina. We went thinking we would 'just look' at some puppies. Well, you know how that goes. We call him our 'discount doggie' because he and a few other puppies had ringworm and it caused some bald spots on his paws and tail. The puppies were already over 7 weeks old and the lady didn't have many prospects for homes for them. They were AKC registered and come from champion bloodlines and she said she usually charges $450 for them but was only asking $250. Then she told us if we chose a ringworm puppy we could just have it for free. We didn't feel right about just taking him so we paid her $100. It evened out in the end because we had to spend so much money on vet bills to treat the ringworm. He now has a very fluffy tail so we obviously got rid of the problem! Jake will be 3 next month and has been such a great addition to our family. He gets a little wild when he goes out front and there are no walls or fences to hold him in, but otherwise he's very gentle and sweet. And he's lazy, too, which I love. Lucy rises with the sun ready to start her day but Jake enjoys getting in the bed with me and sleeping in (not that I do to much of that anymore!). I think he and Will are going to be very good friends. Jake loves to be near him and has an endless supply of kisses for him (he's not too good at listening when we tell him to stop licking the baby).

I is for Introductions

Will and Betty Jo
Will and Kat
Sadie and Will

This weekend we took Will to Corinth to meet his great grandmother (my mother's mother), Betty Jo and his great great Aunt Kat (my late grandfather's sister). It was our longest trip away from home (about 4 hours) and he did really well. Betty Jo doesn't travel by herself anymore and it was nice to go see her. Kat lives in Arizona and just happened to fly in last weekend so it was a treat to see her, too. After visiting for a few hours we drove to Memphis and stayed with our friends Alyssa and Chris and then met Brad's grandparents for lunch on Sunday. It takes awhile to get from Memphis to Jackson when you have to stop and feed a baby but it was a good trip. Then today we got to meet Sadie for the first time! We wanted to go see her last week but Brad wasn't feeling well and we knew they'd probably be overwhelmed with visitors those first few days. She was so tiny! It's hard to believe Will was that small just 2 months ago. Will was a gentleman and brought her flowers. First impressions are important!

H is for Husband

In December of 1998, I met the most wonderful man (well, almost man - we were teenagers!) and was instantly smitten with him. We started dating and I fell in love pretty quickly. After several years of ups and downs and a big breakup in college, we got engaged. The day we married in October 2004 was one of the best days of my life. I love this man and he is such a great husband. I can't imagine my life without him. The few times he's gone out of town I just feel lost at home by myself. He makes me laugh and smile all the time. Neither of us are perfect, but I think our relationship is about as good as it can get. I'm very lucky to have a sweet husband and now a beautiful son. Life is good and we have been blessed!

Welcome to the world Sadie!

Sadie Kay Murphey was born this evening at 7:23 pm. She was 6lb 13oz and 19 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great! We are so excited!

G is for Gooey Cake (aka Chess Squares)

These are really sweet and really yummy. The recipe was given to me by my 'Aunt' Melinda who was my mom's best friend since they were teenagers. She passed away 2 summers ago after battling many health issues. I think about her often and especially when I make these. They are a crowd pleaser and so easy!

1 butter cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
3 eggs
1 1lb box powdered sugar
1 8oz block cream cheese, softened
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking or baking spray (I use butter flavored in a glass pan). Mix together dry cake mix, melted butter and 1 egg to form soft dough. Spread evenly in pan, pressing against edges. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add in 2 eggs and lemon zest, mixing gently. Pour over 1st layer. Allow to sit a minute for any bubbles to rise out of 2nd layer. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden brown and flaky on top. Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting (1 hour is better, but 30 minutes if you just can't wait). Cut into about 28 squares. Keeps for several days in a airtight container.

F is for Fantastic News!

Our friends Josh and Stephanie are going to be welcoming their baby girl, Sadie, into the world tomorrow! She's going to be induced early in the morning. It has been fun for us to go through pregnancy together on our way to parenthood. We're hoping that Sadie and Will become very good friends. We can't wait to go meet the new addition! Unfortunately, we won't be able to until Brad gets over this cold or whatever it is he has. Also my friend Paula is supposed to be induced on Friday so that Sebastien can be born. I will be very excited to meet him, as well!

E is for Entertaining

Will's wall-o-fun
His best Elvis impersonation
Thinking Daddy is pretty funny
Filling his diaper (really - caught it on camera!)
Being silly

We all have our different ways we like to be entertained. Some people like football, others movies, or maybe a crazy rollercoaster. These days, Brad and I are pretty entertained by a tiny person. We love seeing all the faces he makes and hearing him coo, belch (he's really good at this, especially in church) or pass some pretty loud gas. Will seems to be most entertained during diaper changes, when he can stare at the letters above his changing table. They were meant to be more for decoration, but they are apparently very stimulating if you laying beneath them. He laughs and coos and smiles at them almost every time he gets changed. I tried to catch it on video to show you, but I guess he got performance anxiety.

D is for Daddy

Holding his son for the first time
Changing a diaper
Helping with the first bath
Reading The Little Engine That Could
Talking to each other

I've known Brad for nearly 10 years and to finally see him as a daddy is amazing. He's never been much of a baby or kid person and wasn't even sure he wanted them. But the moment he laid eyes on Will, he was hooked. He doesn't mind changing his diapers or getting him dressed (except for gowns - he hates those). He loves reading to him and feeding him and playing with him. He's even told me Will was his baby and I couldn't have him! (that doesn't last too long because once he starts crying, he's all mine) Unfortunately, Brad is not feeling too good today, so he can't even hold his little boy on his first Father's Day. But hopefully we'll have many, many more to come. Happy Father's Day to all you daddies out there!

C is for Clothes

Who doesn't love clothes shopping? Let me tell ya, I've found its so much more fun to shop for little people clothes than for myself. You don't have to worry about getting in the dressing room and being disappointed or worry about finding the perfect shoes to go with that dress. For kids you pretty much just buy the size they need, throw in a pair of socks and you're done. And sometimes you can find great deals on stuff you love! I found this cute chocolate lab romper at Gymboree for Will when he was 2 weeks old (on sale for $10!). I was tired of him wearing the same things over and over since we didn't have many newborn clothes. This said up to 7 lbs but he wore it until he was 10lb, so don't always believe the tags. I liked it so much that when I found it online for $7 I just had to get another one for him! I bought it in a 12-18 months and decided to put them side by side and see what the difference in a year of growth would be (I'm hoping he won't be too big for it by next Spring). I do get a kick out of dressing him up. He's my own living baby doll! Unfortunately, he seems to know just which outfits I adore the most and promptly spits up on them as soon as I get them on him.

B is for Baby Gear

Carseat
Hammock
Swing
Moses Basket
Activity mat

We have got a lot of stuff to put this kid in! And that doesn't even include the crib, stroller, sling, bumbo, jumperoo, tummy time mat, high chair and bouncy seat. And we pretty much use each of these things every day (except the high chair - its still in the closet). Its true that babies take over your house!

A is for Andrew

Andrew is Brad's younger brother (left). I've known him since he was 13 and have watched him grow up. He's sort of like the younger sibling I never had. He just graduated from nursing school in May and will be getting married to Sara (confusing, huh?) in September. He gave Will this shirt:

2 Months Old!

Will is 2 months old today. It just doesn't seem fair how fast time is flying. He gets cuter to me every day because he is doing more and more. Last night Brad said "I can tell he's about to get really fun". He's able to stand supported and hold his head up for longer periods of time. He's found his hands and loves to suck on his fists. He's been batting toys and grabbing things, but I'm not sure that's intentional just yet. He's really happy in the mornings and smiles and coos a lot. We're getting into more of a routine and our days seem to go more smoothly now. It just stinks that its so close to July and I'll need to return to work. I would love to stay home and watch him discover new things!

This makes my day:

8 weeks old

3 days old/8 weeks old

Will was 8 weeks old yesterday. Its hard to believe that much time has passed already. Its bittersweet because I am loving interacting with him more and more. He smiles and coos more each day and we can see him learning from his surroundings. But soon I will have to return to work and it breaks my heart to think of spending many hours a day away from him. I try to enjoy each moment even when I'm exhausted because I know time isn't going to slow down and before I know it he'll be walking and talking and not want me to hold him all day. Its amazing to look at him from 3 days until now and see how big he's gotten already. He's about to outgrow the moses basket!

A Simple Trip to the Grocery...

...isn't so simple anymore! Will and I went to Kroger earlier and had quite a trip! Before we left I changed his diaper. It wasn't very dirty but I didn't want him to have to sit in it while we ran errands. Little did I know he had a surprise in store for me! We got to the store after going by the bank. As I was preparing to get him out of his seat and put him in the Peanut Shell, I heard a tell-tale signal of the completion of digestion. Again, not wanting my baby to be dirty for long, I decided to go ahead and change him before we went inside. We got to the back of the Tahoe and I witnessed what has been aptly named a 'diaper blowout'. Lets just say I was thankful for my prior wardrobe choice of a onesie with matching pants today because if not, it would have been everywhere! I didn't even know where to start! The more I wiped, the more there was to clean. It took me a minute to figure out that I had to roll up the bottoms of his onesie to get it over his head without getting more poo all over him. I was also grateful I had bought a little roll of plastic baggies for such a situation. 10 minutes and a new diaper and outfit later, we finally made it in the store. But not before he spit up as I put him in the sling. After we got home I was washing my hands in the bathroom and noticed yellow all over my gray shirt. That's right, he got me too! Luckily the sling had covered it while we were in the store and I was wearing a non-important outfit. I just can't imagine taking care of that with another child in tow!