sleep

 This is a picture I just took of my video monitor as documentation of how well “naptime” is going. He’s not yelling or mad. In fact, he’s having a great conversation with someone. Woody, maybe?

We’re about to start ‘sleep bootcamp’ around here. I won’t go into great detail here, but with the move and all of the changes going on, Zane’s sleep schedule is really messed up. He’s been staying up late, sleeping late, refusing naps and then crashing late in the afternoon…which makes him stay up late again…and the cycle continues.

Anyway, that’s beside the point. I wanted to include this to remember a few things about how funny Zane is.

A few minutes after I took this picture, he started yelling, “Daddy Matt! Ane poo poo, Daddy Matt!”  Too bad ‘Daddy Matt’ looked like this: Which means that “Mama Churra” got to do the dirty work. Yes, he really calls us by our first names. Sometimes he even calls Matt “Daddy Matt Bell” but it sounds like “Daddy Matt Beh-yull”. So funny.

While I was changing his diaper he started singing ‘Old McDonald Had a Farm’. He came up with this all on his own. Because I’m not that creative. His verse: “With a poop poop here and a poop poop there. Here a poop. There a poop. Everywhere a poop poop!”

He went right back down after a clean bottom. Which means we’re once again at the late nap. Down for the count at 3pm. Great.

zane’s adventures in baby-sitting

 

Doesn’t this look like the face of a happy boy?!

Lots of recent changes for this little guy. New house, new town, and biggest of all, no grandparents around. My biggest fear about this whole move has been finding someone reliable to keep Zane and how he would adjust to everything.

One out of two ain’t bad….(more on the adjusting part later)

Zane seems to LOVE his new baby-sitter, Chelsea! After his first day with her, I asked him if she was nice. “Uh huh! And pitty (pretty)!” Um, hello? You’re two!  But he’s right. ;)

Their first day together she took him to the park in our neighborhood. For three hours! I’m sure he was in heaven! And she was able to get him to teetee on the potty, so mommy’s happy, too!They went to the Madison Children’s Museum the next time she kept him, where he made this little art project. When I got home I asked him if he made it. He said, “Made it for you, Mama!” So sweet. We will be buying a family pass to this place because, judging by her pics (so glad she took pics for me!) it looks awesome!                      Petting the baby chick!          Making a long distance call to Arkansas???                   This looks a little dangerous….My favorite thing is that he looks SO stinkin’ happy in these pictures! She also took him for ice cream. He made his own sundae and put chocolate syrup, lots of sprinkles, and gummy bears on it. (Aunt Lindsey, you should be proud). Matt and are afraid that he’s going to be disappointed to see us on our days off of work!

Missing Friends

 

I’ve got a lot to update about…with the move, work, Zane’s adjustment, growing baby, etc….but I just wanted to get these pics on here because I’m SO behind!

Matt and I have a great group of friends in central Arkansas and they were thoughtful enough to throw us a going away party before the move. Being here makes me realize how easy it is to take your friends for granted. Just knowing that they are just down the street or an easy drive away is comforting. Now I just have to remember that they are only a phone call away. And three years will go fast, right? Right? ugh.

Brad and Crady hosted the party at their house. They just moved to Little Rock last year for Brad’s residency at ACH, but we feel like they are family now.Thad &Sara, our bff’s from med/pharmacy school Ryan & Amy, my bff since….she was born?Whitney, college roomie & we’re matchy-matchy :) Justin & Kasey. J is a resident, K is a pharmacist…obviously have lots in common! They were our ‘dinner’ buddies and Zane loves Kasey!  Lee & Amanda, aka ‘Bob’ & ‘Gigi’, aka ‘the inlaws’I miss friends that take goofy pictures like this. Matt & Nate’s infamous awkward prom pose pic. We have one like this in our wedding album. not kidding.And pictures like this! Showing Hollin the love. We might have been making fun of pregnancy pictures.We had so much fun! It was great to see all of our friends before we left. :(  And I couldn’t resist this next picture, although Matt might kill me for it….   Miss you girls!

Because I miss him…

 

My heart hurts.

That’s what I’ve been thinking. “My heart hurts.” And today, my friend Amy said those exact words when I told her how sad it was to tell him goodbye for nine days again.

Matt’s mom and dad brought Zane up last Sunday and stayed until Wednesday. It was SO good to see him! (And them! Thanks Dee & E!)Things I want to remember about Zane’s trip to see us:

*Feeling like our family was complete again, even if just for a few days.

*Wearing his hat and boots every day. Except to the water park.*Z wanted to ride EVERY ride at the water park, but wasn’t big enough for most. So, we rode the ones he could ride over and over. and over. As soon as we would splash at the end he would say, “Do it again!”*We made him a “dog house” out of a cardboard box in the hotel and he pretended he was a puppy. Entertained him for at least 30 minutes. And we tricked him into eating by bringing him “puppy snacks”. He probably ate a pound of cheese curds out of his “puppy bowl”! (And we may or may not have had a noise complaint called on us….)

*The train at the zoo*The carousel*While Matt was carrying him on his shoulders, he kissed Matt on the head. I said, “Did you kiss your daddy on his little head?” Z said, “No. I kiss daddy on his BIG head!” Hi.larious!   *Riding the turtle*Everyone in the airport called him “Tex”. And he even tipped his hat to one lady, said ‘yeehaw’, and danced a little jig. No kidding. :)*Oh, he liked riding the “alligator” (elevator) in the hotel, but would stand as straight as a board against the wall while it was moving.

Next weekend can’t get here fast enough!  

 

22 Weeks and her name is…

 22 Weeks

The awful curtains in the background are in the hotel! Not quite my style :)

Things of note this week: (1) Matt felt her kick and (2) apparently there are exactly ZERO Ob/Gyns in Madison that take my insurance. No kidding. It was looking like I was going to have to drive about 40 miles to the clinic & hospital. After being accustomed to UAMS & ACH, I was not thrilled about having this baby in a small town hospital. So, we are getting Matt’s insurance, too, so that I can see a doctor that is associated with UW (the hospital where Matt is working.)

And her name is…..

Hollin Elizabeth Bell

I found the cutest boutique here in Madison, Patty Cakes, and they even sell bows! Matt knew I was afraid that bows wouldn’t be very popular in Madison (and from what I’ve seen so far…they’re not) so he even got excited when we saw them. Now we can make sure that Hollin has a big bow in her hair to match every outfit. I can still raise her as a proper ‘Southern girl’ even in Wisconsin!

Matt & Sarah move to Wisconsin, Part 1

So long, Epernay Loop.  

A summary of the past two weeks of our lives, splattered with Zane pictures, of course.

Last Monday, June 21st, the first of two PODS was delivered to our house. The next one arrived on Tuesday. Our plan was to pack all week and leave early Saturday morning to drive up; however, the best laid plans…Matt packed allll day Monday-Friday. The attic was a nightmare and took most of his time. In the meantime, I worked on the inside of the house.  I packed everyday, except Thursday. By then my back was killing me, I had developed an awful cold, and just needed to rest. I didn’t hesitate to remind Matt that I was doing all of this while carrying another human with me the whole time! I spent Thursday with Zane, swimming, playing, and cuddling.Friday afternoon was the worst day of the week. I was tired and pretty emotional. And then my mom came to get Zane for the weekend. This meant saying goodbye to our baby boy for NINE days! He spent the weekend with my mom and then came back to Matt’s parents for the week. I know he’s had the time of his life and never needed for attention, but I’ve never been away from him for this long! Enough of this topic, I’ll cry again.Our big snag came on Friday afternoon. Once the two PODS were full, we realized we were also going to need  a UHaul trailer. Matt filled it with trash and headed to the landfill around 3:45. Guess what time it closed? 4pm.  Didn’t make it in time. So now we had this UHaul trailer FULL of garbage that had to be emptied before we could fill it back up with the stuff we were taking with us. Great. Plan delayed. Matt’s parents, Lindsey, Erik, Matt, and I spent Friday night (LATE) finishing up the garage, packing the house, and cleaning the now empty house. Matt, his dad, & Tyler went to the landfill early Saturday morning and then we headed back to the house, where my brother and Erik showed up once again to help.By 2 pm Saturday we were loaded up and ready to go. I wish I had a picture of that, but the camera was packed away somewhere. Needless to say, with Matt pulling the UHaul behind my Tahoe, and me driving the truck with the bed full of randoms, such as grill, lawn mower, chain saw, weed eater, brooms, etc….we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies headed to the big city.Matt & I drove about six hours, to Mt. Vernon, IL, where we spent the night. And maybe the bed bugs really did bite. Gross. Sunday morning we got up and drove another six hours until we arrived at our new (temporary) home away from home away from home….the hotel.Our house won’t be ready until the middle of July, so we are living in a hotel until then. That, and the fact that I still need to find childcare for Zane, are the main reasons he’s still in Arkansas. BUT, DeeDee & Skeet are bringing him up here on Sunday for a visit!  I can.not.wait! I’m gonna squeeze him and kiss him til he begs for mercy!