Jaimes

After 79 blissful years, Jaimes is closing today in Austin. I have fond memories of Jaimes and I will never forget their squeeze butter on warm tortillas. Your panchos were good and the margs came in pitchers, but it was the friends, family and laughs that I enjoyed there the most. From Cowboy socials to dinner before 6th street with the pi phi girls I had a blast. I will never forget Leisha's birthday there on St. Patty's Day, eating with the Brenham crew before Cathleen's state basketball game and happy hour before the Snoop Dog concert. Thank you for the memories and giving Mark the liquid courage to give his wife their first kiss.

Another One Bites the Dust

Today Will turns the big 7 months.

Weight: 22 lbs

Length: 27.5 inches long

Favorite Food: Everything in sight

Milestones: Sitting up, but luckily right now he has no desire to become mobile

Discovered: Mom's hair which he likes to pull and put in his mouth

Favorite Toy: The bouncer and Charlotte the Spider

It's Official!

Baby M will be arriving in January!!! How lucky is Will to be gaining two cousins in the next 6 months? We are so excited for Stacey and Jake and they are going to be such great parents...they've been taking care of Mark and I for years! We can't wait to spoil Baby M (From looking at S&J I'm betting he/she is going be the most beautiful baby!) Can't wait to celebrate with you both and Will can't wait to see his Aunt Stacey in three weeks:)

Farm to Markets

Farm to Market (Brenham, Texas)

Saturday Market on the River (Augusta, GA)
Midtown Market (Houston, TX~ next to the Breakfast Klub & Tafia)
I have a strong love for Farm to Markets. It all started as a little girl waking up early to go with my Dad to see what was growing in and around Brenham. We would come home with squash, zucchini, fresh dill, onions, radishes, sometimes fresh eggs and my favorite pickles! When I went with my mom we were usually on the hunt for jams, good desserts, picante sauce and plants. Even during and after college if I was home I'd wake up to go to the market. The Austin market was just starting up when I left Austin, so I never got to visit it, but I'm sure I'll make my way there in the near future. During med school the Houston farm to market was right by Mark and my's favorite breakfast taco place, Tacos A Go-Go, so we were frequent visitors. Who can pass up a breakfast taco and shopping for food (2 of my loves!)I loved the Houston market because of the eclectic goods: they had naan bread, tapenades, homemade humus, chocolates, fresh cheeses and great flowers. So of course, I had to check out the Saturday market here in Augusta. I was not disappointed, fresh butter beans, collards and strawberries. The big find was homemade blue cheese bread which I devoured in two days and a unique bulb of mushrooms that are great cooked with beef. What can I say I love food--especially when its fresh and grown with love!

Happy 2nd Birthday Sweet Girl

WE LOVE YOU ELLE! Love, Uncle Doc, Aunt Fab & Little Ash

He's a Heartbraker, Dream Maker

My 2 little monkeys sitting in the bed

Peas in a Pod in their matching plaid swim trunks! Thanks Aunt Stacey & Cowboy Jake

Rock the Vote

We participated in our first Georgia election today (I guess you can tell by the color I'm wearing what side we are supporting. Yes I planned it...you can take the girl out of Texas politics but you can't take the politics out of the girl. The Memorial Republican Women's Club would have been proud!) It's been a while since I've voted at a polling place. I have worked two or three elections but since Mark and I never lived in an apartment longer than a year I usually voted by mail. I must say I love voting machines (much better than that #2 pencil and ballot) and the ladies at the poll gobbled Will and his sweet meat up. One lady couldn't stop pinching Will's cheeks and oddly I think he liked it!

I Wish I Knew What I Knew Now, When I Was Younger

Our friends with kids tried to explain how our lives would change once Will came and how we would posess this love that we had not known before. We believed them, but didn't truly understand it until William Ashley (Big Willy Lump Lump) came along...

1.)We started the year off with tremendous fear. We were afraid of what would happen when we brought Will home, when my mom went back to Texas and how we would survive with out our friends and family. Could we handle it- the level of responsibility was terrifying and exciting! We had read countless books, but would we do it right? Finally we realized that all Will was counting on was for us to love him and protect him-we could do that! And, as Dr. Draehn always said "People have been doing this in caves for thousands of years, how hard can it be!"
2.)We do make mistakes. We have finally realized there are going to be bumps, bruises and ailments. We can do our best to avoid them or prolong them, but eventually they will happen and we will learn from them.
3.)Nothing grosses us out, Mark can even now openly talk about breast feeding and see it and doesn't get creeped out. We have been spit up on, puked on, peed on and even gotten boom on us. (We now buy oxyclean in bulk.)
4.)We love our parents and realize more each day how much they sacrificed for us and cared for us through the good and the bad. Being parents now we regret all the stress we put our own parents through.
5.)We have a deep respect for single parents and parents with multiples!

6.)What's big today will not be big tomorrow: In the beginning we stressed so much on little things: will Will gain weight, will he latch on, will he sleep through the night? Now we have all new questions and worries, but I'm sure in three weeks we won't even lose sleep over them. (Well maybe Mark will still stress over if he is going to be an athlete or go to Texas, but who wouldn't)

7.)It's the little things that amaze us. We love seeing the world through Will's eyes--the face when he tries bananas for the first time, the giggle when he realizes that we are going to change his dirty diaper and the brow lift when he tries to pick up a ball.

8.)Being on time is hard with a child. We have always been on time, and being late gives us anxiety, but with Will there is always something to pack, an outfit that needs last minute changing or a bottle that took 5 minutes yesterday taking 25 minutes today.

Monkey & My's Morning

Besides the waking up part I love mornings. I feel so productive between making bottles, doing laundry and a brief clean from the night before (aka picking up toys). In order to get to work on time and get Will to daycare my morning routine starts a lot earlier than it use to (which I think Mark loves.) My favorite part is getting Will up, he's always so happy to see me and I cherish our morning breakfast together. Sometimes I get looks like this and it makes me just want to stay home and play all day.

Then reality sets in and I know I've got to get him to daycare and get to work if I want to keep spoiling him and of course Mark and me too.
Then as I'm about to leave daycare I get the look of, "Mommy where are you going?"

And just like that my little monkey is entertained by his friends and surroundings and I am a second thought which makes it easier...plus I know I get to pick him up and see him get excited in only 9 more hours!

Bless you

We had a great time last night eating at our neighbors, the Hogg's, house (the guy with the lawn like a putting green). They have 4 and 1 year old boys and our other neighbors the Rivers brought their 4 and 2 year old girls. It was a mad house with kids running everywhere, 2 kids crying at once, and pieces of Candyland scattered through the house. It was a wonderful time and it was nice to not be embarrassed by kids while eating. It was also great to spend a little quality time with our awesome neighbors. Anyway, before we went over, Will was getting fussy and starting to cry. I sneezed and he thought it was hilarious so I just kept sneezing and he kept laughing. We did this for about 5 minutes and my face hurt from smiling so much.

The Dentist's Kid with the Bad Teeth

Pink Eye: 2, Will: 0! Yes, you guessed it we've got our 2nd case of pink eye. I called my mom to tell her about it and she said it reminded her of The Dentist's Kids with the bad teeth. I'm hoping this isn't a pattern, because I'd hate for Will to be known at daycare as the Opthamologist's Kid with the Pink Eyes:)

Happy Birthday America

The Whiteds & Will
Bald Eagle-how patriotic

The new Penguin exhibit

The Party Animals

Since Nana & Tony were leaving on Sunday we debated about what to do for the 4th. Then we received the best call-our friends Chad and Amy were in Charleston for the weekend and needed some Trevino Time. Chad is at Duke doing his residency in ENT and Amy is doing political consulting in Durham. We had a great time with them and Will loved getting to see Tio Chad & Tia Amy and getting to watch his first firework show at the Charleston aquarium (Aunt Candice & Sal-you would have liked it even though there was no whale shark.) Great seafood, friends, fireworks and the aquarium...gosh I love the 4th of July and Charleston!

Nana & Tony's Visit

Mark's mom and Tony came in to visit us this past weekend. Will enjoyed getting spoiled and getting to see his Nana & Buddy.

On Saturday, Mark and I went to Academy and picked up some fun balls for Will to play with. Will's friend Nina said they were a must, so we were super excited to get home and let Will play with them. I think he may enjoy them more the older he gets, but now we have some fun toys too for when Ms. Nina and Ms. Elle come to visit.

We also have successfully moved onto pureed foods. So far we have conquered peas, carrots, sweet potato and banana yogurt. We are quite the messy eater, but we take it all down in record time (this may be why we weigh 20+ lbs.)

Happy Eater, just like his parents!

Shout Outs from Day Care

So a few quick shout outs:
Happy Belated Birthday to: Aunt Stacey, Uncle Kris & Uncle Mike
Wohoo: On the arrival of Henry Augustus Menefee "Gus" -can't wait to see you in Oct. in DC
Can't Wait: for Baby Lucy, Baby Katelyn, Baby Ehlert, Baby Mathis, Baby Sutherland, Baby Langley & Baby Gracie

Four Legged Friends: Augie Doggie, Pinot, Major, Trigger, Hunter, Spencer, Sophia, Ace, BJ & Riley
Lovely Ladies: Who Will and I will be seeing in Oct...Lulu, Lala, Abs, Syd, Em, Lace, Virg & Sal
Newlyweds and Soon to Bes: Congrats to Trey & Ashlee, Trae & Cyndi, Shea & Allison & Cat & Ryan
Happy Anni: Aunt Caro & Aunt Em

Thank you: To Aunt Lacey for getting me hooked on the Stieg Larsson books & Aunt Candice for the cute pic

Will's peeps: Nina, Maggie, Alice, Austin, Jordyn, Harper, Swayzee, Press, James, Madelyn, Avery, Reese, Hudson & Ellie, Charlie, Elle & Caroline
Miss & Love you All

1st Day of Ophthalmology

Mark, congratulations on your 1st day of ophthalmology! We know it was a hard 1st year with overnight calls, getting off work sometimes with Will already asleep, not getting to hang out with friends and family when they came to visit and the emotional toll of losing patients. We are so proud of you and how far you've come and are excited for the next three years and finally some weekends off!