Monday, April 6, 2009
Baby Wesley
This is maybe the only point in his life where it's ok for me to brag about how "pretty" he is, so I shall! Y'all seriously. Mendy and Derek made a PRETTY baby!
And he's soooooo sweet!
My parents and sister were very obliging and I think I held him most of the day on Saturday, except for during feedings and some nap times! :) I think he likes me. He hasn't actually said the words yet, but I can tell he's working on it.
All these pictures are straight out of the camera and need some photoshop work, but I just couldn't wait to share them with you! So here they are!! More to come! (Oh yes, many more!!)
Labels: Aunt Rita, baby, family, photo
Monday, January 5, 2009
Christmas 2008
Kyle and I were in Hampton for Christmas and I'd been thinking that a pregnancy test was probably in order for a few days, at that point. But for some reason -- let's call it Holiday Distraction -- I hadn't. So when his mom needed to run some errands, I said I'd go along. I tried, and I think I succeeded in hiding the test from her under some unnecessary items also tossed into the basket. But it made for a rather tense few moments in the ol' CVS.
Back at the house, Kyle was in the shower and I knew I couldn't possibly wait a moment longer. So I didn't. I tested while he showered and:
Back at the house, Kyle was in the shower and I knew I couldn't possibly wait a moment longer. So I didn't. I tested while he showered and:
...dun, dun, dun...
I held the test stick up over the shower door and said, "Um ... Merry Christmas?"
Kyle is such a pro. He said, "Cool" and seemed genuinely excited. My first reaction was not quite as calm and collected. My hands started shaking and sweating, and I had to go lay down. I was very excited, but also shocked! A few minutes later, Kyle came out of the shower and said, "What's next?" I told him I wanted to get one of the tests that says "PREGNANT" or "NOT PREGNANT".
So I chugged a couple bottles of water (you know, so I could pee again) and drove back to the store.
Confirmation.
And we told his mom. We showed her the test pictured above. She squealed a little and hugged Kyle. Then, turning to me, she said, "You're ok, right? You're going to be ok!" Guess I was still a little shell-shocked. And it showed.
We told his brother later on that evening. We wrapped up another pregnancy test and put it under the tree for him. When he opened it, he acted confused. And I finally had to say, "John. Do I need to spell it out for you? Kyle and I are going to have a baby."
He looked at his friend, Kari, and she said, "I think you should give her what you bought for her."
That's right. He'd bought me a pregnancy test. No wonder he was confused. We'd given him, basically, the same thing!
I knew the first thing I wanted to do was to call my brother, Craig. He and his wife, Amy, had been trying to conceive for several months and, if I was going to tell my family on Christmas morning (which I what I really wanted to do), I didn't want her to be completely broadsided and get upset. I wanted Craig to know so he could "warn" her if he felt like he needed to.
Craig called me about 20 minutes later and asked me to hold my announcement until the day after Christmas. Disappointed, I said, "I guess I could. Why?"
As it turns out, he and Amy had their own news to share and had been holding it for almost a month and a half.
I jumped up and down (don't tell the doctor!) and squealed and cried and acted COMPLETELY girly and then told Craig to have Amy to call me so we could talk -- and maybe break the news to my parents together.
And, thus, a plot was conceived. (pun completely intended)
Amy and Craig went to Walmart that night and purchased stockings and wrapped them in separate boxes. After all the other gifts were unwrapped, Craig gave one box to each of my parents and instructed my dad to go first.
And after a few minutes, my mom remembered that she had an unopened box to return to.
"I wonder what it is!!"
And I was too busy laughing to get her first reaction. But it went something like this:
"Hahaha. Baby Polk."
(realizes, wide-eyed, what she'd just read out loud)
(re-reads in silence)
(looking at me) "Is this for REAL?!"
And then my dad cried again, while my mom laughed. A lot.
My mom excitedly purchases gifts in the months leading up to Christmas in order to "Wow" all of her kids on Christmas morning. And while we were all still wowed this year, Christmas 2008 will forever be branded in our family memory as "The Christmas She Was Outdone".
Kyle is such a pro. He said, "Cool" and seemed genuinely excited. My first reaction was not quite as calm and collected. My hands started shaking and sweating, and I had to go lay down. I was very excited, but also shocked! A few minutes later, Kyle came out of the shower and said, "What's next?" I told him I wanted to get one of the tests that says "PREGNANT" or "NOT PREGNANT".
So I chugged a couple bottles of water (you know, so I could pee again) and drove back to the store.
Confirmation.
And we told his mom. We showed her the test pictured above. She squealed a little and hugged Kyle. Then, turning to me, she said, "You're ok, right? You're going to be ok!" Guess I was still a little shell-shocked. And it showed.
We told his brother later on that evening. We wrapped up another pregnancy test and put it under the tree for him. When he opened it, he acted confused. And I finally had to say, "John. Do I need to spell it out for you? Kyle and I are going to have a baby."
He looked at his friend, Kari, and she said, "I think you should give her what you bought for her."
That's right. He'd bought me a pregnancy test. No wonder he was confused. We'd given him, basically, the same thing!
I knew the first thing I wanted to do was to call my brother, Craig. He and his wife, Amy, had been trying to conceive for several months and, if I was going to tell my family on Christmas morning (which I what I really wanted to do), I didn't want her to be completely broadsided and get upset. I wanted Craig to know so he could "warn" her if he felt like he needed to.
Craig called me about 20 minutes later and asked me to hold my announcement until the day after Christmas. Disappointed, I said, "I guess I could. Why?"
As it turns out, he and Amy had their own news to share and had been holding it for almost a month and a half.
I jumped up and down (don't tell the doctor!) and squealed and cried and acted COMPLETELY girly and then told Craig to have Amy to call me so we could talk -- and maybe break the news to my parents together.
And, thus, a plot was conceived. (pun completely intended)
Amy and Craig went to Walmart that night and purchased stockings and wrapped them in separate boxes. After all the other gifts were unwrapped, Craig gave one box to each of my parents and instructed my dad to go first.
He opened it.
And he cried.
And there were many hugs.
And after a few minutes, my mom remembered that she had an unopened box to return to.
"I wonder what it is!!"
And I was too busy laughing to get her first reaction. But it went something like this:
"Hahaha. Baby Polk."
(realizes, wide-eyed, what she'd just read out loud)
(re-reads in silence)
(looking at me) "Is this for REAL?!"
And then my dad cried again, while my mom laughed. A lot.
My mom excitedly purchases gifts in the months leading up to Christmas in order to "Wow" all of her kids on Christmas morning. And while we were all still wowed this year, Christmas 2008 will forever be branded in our family memory as "The Christmas She Was Outdone".
Labels: family, holidays, photo, pregnancy
The Rest of the Christmas Story
Friday, December 26, 2008
A Very Merry Christmas, Indeed.
My mom put together a stocking for Mendy's bun-in-the-oven.
And Craig & Amy made a very important announcement on Christmas morning using a stocking!
So I'm going to be an aunt ... twice! Once in April and again in July.
Labels: Aunt Rita, family, holidays, photo
Monday, December 22, 2008
December 22nd.
Today is Chris Brown's birthday. And my mother-in-law's birthday. And is it even possible that Christmas is in three days? Eeek!!! (Happy birthday, you two!)
So I fell back off the blogging bandwagon for a couple of weeks there. Sorry about that. I'm sure there are so many of you out there just sitting by your computers waiting and wondering about what's going on in my life. And, yes. I'm so egotistical, I really do think that.
These past couple of weeks have involved turning some of these things into items suitable for gift-giving later in the week. I'm still working on two of those projects and really really hoping they'll get finished by Christmas. (Look for me this week and I'll be the one with her butt firmly planted, Christmas movie on, needles in hand.) And I also took some pictures of our friends and their families for Christmas. (And I didn't ask permission to put them on my blog, but ... come on. You had to expect this, right?! Just kidding. If you want them down, just say the word.)
The Jernigans
I love Eliana's face in this picture. I'm glad y'all picked this one! :)
The Mattinglys
Is Joshua Mattingly not a little stud in that gold tie? What a dude!
So I fell back off the blogging bandwagon for a couple of weeks there. Sorry about that. I'm sure there are so many of you out there just sitting by your computers waiting and wondering about what's going on in my life. And, yes. I'm so egotistical, I really do think that.
These past couple of weeks have involved turning some of these things into items suitable for gift-giving later in the week. I'm still working on two of those projects and really really hoping they'll get finished by Christmas. (Look for me this week and I'll be the one with her butt firmly planted, Christmas movie on, needles in hand.) And I also took some pictures of our friends and their families for Christmas. (And I didn't ask permission to put them on my blog, but ... come on. You had to expect this, right?! Just kidding. If you want them down, just say the word.)
The Jernigans
I love Eliana's face in this picture. I'm glad y'all picked this one! :)
The Mattinglys
Is Joshua Mattingly not a little stud in that gold tie? What a dude!
Labels: family, Friends, holidays, photo
Monday, December 1, 2008
Thanksgiving 2008
Have I mentioned that Thanksgiving is my favorite day? It is.
We arrived at Mendy's house around 10:30 on Wednesday night. My folks were tired.
And probably wished I didn't have a camera in their faces! :)
Thursday morning, we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the
Dog Show that followed. (How awesome was that Bassett Hound?!)
... while others worked on finishing up a homework assignment
... and still others sat outside, wishing to be inside (but not for long).
There was some cooking going on too, as evidenced by this bountiful feast.
It was delicious!
Amy's beautiful (and yummy!) pecan pie. Almost too pretty to cut! Almost.
And then, the obligatory Thanksgiving after-meal nap.
Not sure Amy or Craig ever got a nap, but her assignment did get finished! :)
And then we set up the Goebels' Christmas Tree.
Mendy, Derek, and Daddy decorated the outside. I watched and took pictures. :)
And then we went home and finished putting up our Christmas decorations.
We arrived at Mendy's house around 10:30 on Wednesday night. My folks were tired.
And probably wished I didn't have a camera in their faces! :)
Thursday morning, we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the
Dog Show that followed. (How awesome was that Bassett Hound?!)
... while others worked on finishing up a homework assignment
... and still others sat outside, wishing to be inside (but not for long).
There was some cooking going on too, as evidenced by this bountiful feast.
It was delicious!
Amy's beautiful (and yummy!) pecan pie. Almost too pretty to cut! Almost.
And then, the obligatory Thanksgiving after-meal nap.
Not sure Amy or Craig ever got a nap, but her assignment did get finished! :)
And then we set up the Goebels' Christmas Tree.
Mendy, Derek, and Daddy decorated the outside. I watched and took pictures. :)
Then on Friday morning, we headed out to meet up with Kyle's family for lunch and a visit. It turned out to be a very relaxing day. Just what we needed.
The beginning of what I assume to be a facial hair inspection.
... he passed.
The beginning of what I assume to be a facial hair inspection.
... he passed.
And then we went home and finished putting up our Christmas decorations.
Labels: family, holidays, photo
Monday, November 10, 2008
Husband of the Year
I have to give Kyle Polk some much-deserved credit.
Saturday sucked MOST of the day (except for a few hours during a birthday cookout at my parents' house). I mean, I made the most of all situations that made the day sucky, but mostly ... it just flat-out sucked. And I didn't get a lot of sleep, which apparently alters my mood more drastically than I realized.
Kyle spent most of the day at home. He did several loads of dishes, sorted laundry, cleaned the laundry room, gave Oliver a bath, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned floors, and many other things that I'm probably forgetting to name. And he also, quite patiently, put up with my awful grouchiness. (I mean, it was BAD!)
We live together, so we see the good and the bad in high concentration. And it's easy to focus on the bad and make generalizations. (Me: "You NEVER help with the dishes!" or "You ALWAYS unfold all the clean clothes!", Him: " You NEVER wash my socks!" or "You ALWAYS have to make the bed up while I'm in it!" [ok, that last one may actually be true.])
But I'm here to tell everyone that I married a good man. And we love each other. A lot. Mark this marriage down as one of my best decisions. Hands down.
He. Is. Awesome.
Saturday sucked MOST of the day (except for a few hours during a birthday cookout at my parents' house). I mean, I made the most of all situations that made the day sucky, but mostly ... it just flat-out sucked. And I didn't get a lot of sleep, which apparently alters my mood more drastically than I realized.
Kyle spent most of the day at home. He did several loads of dishes, sorted laundry, cleaned the laundry room, gave Oliver a bath, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned floors, and many other things that I'm probably forgetting to name. And he also, quite patiently, put up with my awful grouchiness. (I mean, it was BAD!)
We live together, so we see the good and the bad in high concentration. And it's easy to focus on the bad and make generalizations. (Me: "You NEVER help with the dishes!" or "You ALWAYS unfold all the clean clothes!", Him: " You NEVER wash my socks!" or "You ALWAYS have to make the bed up while I'm in it!" [ok, that last one may actually be true.])
But I'm here to tell everyone that I married a good man. And we love each other. A lot. Mark this marriage down as one of my best decisions. Hands down.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Fair Pictures, No. 1
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