Ok, it's lame how long it's been.

I can't say things have been too crazy for me to have time to blog. But the important thing is that I'm back, for whoever is actually still reading this. I've really got to work on my consistency. :-) We've had a lot of visitors from the East lately, (well, technically just three) and it's been so much fun. My sister was here for 3 weeks, but it felt like one. We had so much fun together and I wish she could have stayed longer. She was hoping to get a job out here for the summer, but ended up getting one at home. I guess it's for the best because she has a wedding to plan and it helps to live in the right town while you do that. I miss her like crazy though. Then TJ's parents came down for a few days, and we had such a great time with them. They made it a fun touristy drive down here and we went to the Fort Worth stockyards, the JFK museum, and the Dallas aquarium while they were here. As soon as I find the cord for my camera I'll post some pictures. My favorite part was the cattle drive down the streets in Fort Worth. I think those longhorns must be like 20 years old, because they were not the slightest bit interested in their audience. I think they do it twice a day almost everyday, so it makes sense. Siah kind of cared, but he really liked the train. I guess that's from all the times I've made choo-choo sounds while trying to get him to finish his food.
I can't believe how big he's getting. Tomorrow is his 10-month birthday. While his Nanny and Pops were here they bought him one of those toys that he can push and walk behind - it was a HUGE hit. He is so proud of himself, and loves to go fast. Sunday was his first time in the "Crawlers Room" and when we went to pick him up there were 2 men playing guitar and singing songs to the kids. This was a room full of 10-13 month olds, and they were sitting quietly in 2 rows watching the music. Siah was in the front row holding a toy, and just mesmerized. Every so often he would bounce up and down to the music, and it just made me want to cry. It was the first time I've seen him in an organized class and I got all weepy thinking about his first day of Kindergarten. I'm going to be a basket case. It's so great to see how much he loves music too. I think when he gets older he's going to need some lessons in piano or guitar. Ugh, I can't think that far in the future. It makes me sad. He's so close to saying Mama. He's figured out that saying "mamamama" gets my attention, and while Nanny was here he definitely started some "nananana" to get her attention. I love him so much.
TJ's work is going really well, he's actually working on a job in Austin right now. He spent last night and will spend tonight down there and then be back up here. I miss him when he's gone, but on the upside I can clean at my own pace instead of feeling the pressure to have everything done before he gets home. My parents are coming in on the bike for a long July 4th weekend, and I have a few leisurely days to get the house the way I want it before they get here. We can't wait to see them. I think it's going to feel really strange when we stop having visitors every couple of weeks. :-)

Happy Easter!

We're missing our family today, but having a happy Easter. The service at church last night was amazing. They played Revelation Song as special music with a slideshow of sketches of Jesus going through the crucifixion and then the empty tomb, and it was so powerful. I had to put the song on my blog. It's my new favorite song.

Holy Holy Holy.

I always wanted to be a Jetson.

This month has been so crazy already. Actually, month and a half. My parents came in for my Mom's spring break, then Terri (TJ's mom) came in for her spring break, now my twin brothers are here for a week. (Although it's a little easier because they're staying at my Uncle Larry's.) Siah has LOVED all the visitors and attention. I'm still working on getting him back to playing without an audience. He's so used to looking up to people watching him and clapping that he doesn't understand why I leave the room. Ever. :-) We also think he may be starting to get into the 'clingy stage'? He seems to want me more than he used to. Maybe some of you moms can tell me if your kids went through this. I like being wanted, but I don't want him to cry if we leave him to go out. Come to think of it though, when I've seen those kids they were a lot older than Siah.

I'm not sure how I got the cutest baby on the planet, but I am thoroughly convinced that I did. He's getting so close to crawling, I can taste it. He's starting to get up on his knees, but then he gets frustrated because he doesn't know what to do next. I've tried showing him how to move his legs, but he just laughs and thinks it's a game. I guess he'll have to figure it out on his own. :-) He's such a big boy, while Terri was here she bought him "big boy pajamas" and he looks adorable. They're basically a t-shirt and boxers, and I can't wash them fast enough for him to wear every night. Now that we're eating solids, I have to color-coordinate his clothes and bibs with the food he ate for when he spits up. I know, gross.

So I think I've become addicted to Twitter. I thought it was really dumb at first, and didn't get why everyone was so into it, but I do now. It's just fun. I can't explain it, but it just is. I guess it's just one of those things you have to do before it makes any sense. I actually started an account just to see what it was after hearing about it everywhere. I'm curious to see how long it lasts, if it's just a passing trend or something that will actually stick for years and years. Maybe we'll still be tweeting when we're driving flying cars. I'll be like 80 years old tweeting about lack of respect and the price of a moon vacation. That would be cool.

Is it only Thursday?

Yea for fixed cars! As of today, my car has been at the mechanic's for exactly a WHOLE week. Due to circumstances...well, in our control...we are just now getting around to getting our registration, tags, and driver's licenses for the state of Texas. Don't judge me. So anyway, I'm going to go get my car inspected and there's a light on. And the guys at Autozone won't turn it off for me, which means I have to go to a mechanic. Fortunately, I found (God directed me to?) a really nice place close to our house. They drove me home and said they'd come get us when it was finished. Fast forward to 8 days later. :-) What was one problem became 2 problems and I let TJ take over from there. BUT, I got my car back last night and it drives soo great. Then I took it back this morning to be inspected and they fixed the air conditioning for free! (It was weak before they started fixing stuff, and then had totally quit when I got it back, so they fixed it!) The little boy was such a trooper this morning. We were there waiting for half an hour past his naptime and he was very tired. But he really didn't fuss much and I found 2 quarters in my pocket, so I entertained him by getting some peanut M&Ms from the fun machine. For me. :-)

So now we are home, he is sleeping, and as soon as he wakes up and eats we're off again to get my registration. I think I'll put off the DMV until tomorrow morning. The poor kid deserves to play with his toys sometime today. On the other hand, all this waiting in lobbies is making him very patient. Which is good, b/c he sure doesn't get that from me.

Tourist season at the Hood home starts tomorrow - my parents are flying in and we're so excited! My favorite part of people visiting is feeling like they get to see the little everyday moments that just can't make it to facebook. Funny expressions, the way he treats his saucer like a trampoline now. I'm telling you, every time I turn on the video camera he just stares at me and smiles. I tried to tell him I already got that shot. I think I'm also going to like having someone else entertain him if I want get something done. What I don't know, but at least the option is there.

Make reservations to visit sunny Fort Worth anytime from 7 am to 9 pm

Down with the Sickness

Everyone thinks that Texas weather is so awesome. It's winter up there, you guys are stuck with ice and bitter cold. And I certainly am not sorry to be missing that. But this 72 one day and 40 the next is killing our immune systems. This week the Siah and I are sick again... with the same bad cold we had last time. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't keep us from fun stuff, like church. The nursery asks that you not bring a sick baby, which I totally get b/c I don't want people to bring sick babies when we're well. Fortunately we're almost done with it I think, and I had medicine to take right away. Last time I waited until it was really bad and then finally asked Siah's doctor what would be ok while nursing. Thank goodness for Sudafed!

I think we'll be better just in time for my parents to visit! I can't wait - they'll be here in exactly 2 weeks. The week before they get here I plan to do a complete overhaul of our house. It's going to be so clean and wonderful. Then it'll be nice for the rest of the visits we're anticipating. TJ's mom is coming a couple of weeks after my parents, then hopefully my brothers, TJ's grandparents, his sister, my sister, maybe some friends.... I'm excited about this now, but by the end I'm sure we'll be a little tired. :-) On the upside, I'll be more motivated to clean with so many people coming to see our apartment. I still haven't found curtains I've liked and that's the big thing I want accomplished before everyone gets here. I've been looking at Target and haven't been excited. I think I'm going to have to break down and go to a bigger decor store.

Well my wonderful husband just got home early! Happy weekend to us! (and all of you!)

I Can't Think of a Clever Title

I just want to start by saying that it is never a good idea to follow up a chocolate-chip pancake with pilates. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but I assure you, it is not. I think it's going to take me a little while to recover.

Life in Texas is good. It is cloudy, but a nice 70 degree high is expected for this afternoon. Siah and I are going to run some errands when he wakes up from his nap. That is, if he ever goes to sleep. He slept for about 45 minutes and then I put him in his swing to help him finish his nap (they're usually an hour and a half to 2 hours). But he's been singing and talking to himself for the last 20 minutes. I think I drink too much coffee. When he stops nursing and goes through caffeine withdrawal my life is not going to be so fun. But I digress. Texas is pretty wonderful, small group this week was really great. I walk into whoever's house it is and immediately feel intensely loved. I think it's unfortunate how many churches don't have that kind of love and fellowship, and I feel so blessed that God sent us to such a great church and great small group. We're studying prayer in the sermon series and in our small groups and it's been a lot of fun. We talked about intercessory prayer this week and it was really interesting.

My birthday was last Friday, and I can't believe I'm 24. I think I thought I would be 22 for several years before I moved on. I don't feel like I'm in my mid-twenties. That makes me think of young professionals in offices. It was a good day though. My husband surprised me with a
beautiful bunch of gerber daisies and then we went to The Cheesecake Factory and to a movie on Saturday. And this weekend is going to be a lot of fun, we're going to (FINALLY) get our Texas plates and driver's licenses. Yes, we have been driving semi-illegally for the last 2 months but all of that will be behind us tomorrow. I think I'll really feel like a Texan when my plates and license match everyone else's! And as we're still working on building up our babysitter list, we're going to make dinner and rent some movies and just be a little family staying in. As soon as I'm done here I'm going to make TJ a Valentine's Day card out of construction paper. :-) I watched the Charlie Brown Valentine's special and was inspired. Snoopy can really cut paper hearts.

We Have Feet

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. Sorry! Writing a post usually ends up taking all day, because I sit down to write, get up to do something and end up forgetting about it until hours later. Or I get distracted changing the background. I have ADD about my blog background. I can't make up my mind. ANYWAY. Here we are.

Life is settling back down, this week my women's bible study started again, and I'm so thankful. I almost didn't go, because we were running late. (Okay, we weren't really late to start with, but I thought I had time to run to Starbucks, and there ended up being a line at the drive-through.) My thoughtful mother-in-law gave TJ and I Starbucks gift cards in our stockings, and I have been loving it! But fortunately I wasn't really late. Apparently they tell us that it starts at 9:45 to give us 15 minutes to chat before we get down to business. (Smart, huh?) So I got there in time for the beginning of the actual discussion part. I'm the young one in my group, and it's so great being in a study and hearing about experiences I'll have one day. I love getting advice and wisdom from women who have been through so much. It's the same reason we like our small group so much, there are couples of all ages, so everyone has a different perspective and the older couples have great advice and can relate to everything we're going through right now.

Josiah is doing great, he's discovered his feet in the last week and a half, which is a lot of fun. He can't quite reach them all the time though, so TJ helps him. :-) But when he's on his back he looks so funny, trying to get his feet up to his mouth. I can't believe how much more he's started doing. He loves his new saucer, and he pushes the music buttons like it's nothing. I remember being so excited when he did it the first time, and now it's constant. I foresee us removing batteries when he gets older and the noise isn't cute. :-) We're going back to the doctor on Monday, and I'm pretty nervous. Last time was NOT fun, and I don't think we're getting 5 shots again, but still. And now he's older, so I'm anticipating him giving me the look of betrayal. Honestly, that's the part I'm dreading. I'm going to look resolutely at the wall. So if you want, pray for me. :-) I know it will be fine, but probably a little stressful anyway. I remind myself that this is a very small problem compared to the ones we'll have when he's 17. Or 5, for that matter!

TJ is wonderful. He's so great with Josiah. As soon as he comes home, Josiah just watches everything he does. He stares at him forever, and I wonder if he already knows that he wants to be just like his Dad. It's great on the weekends, he sits with TJ and watches football while he sucks on his fist. He tells me work is going really well, he likes it a lot, and I know that the more he learns the more he enjoys it. A good day is one in which he got a lot done. I really hope our kids get their work ethic from him.

Speaking of which, it's time to move the laundry. :-)