Over the Hedges

Summer in Texas!

2010-07-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Hedges are having the best time with friends and family this summer! Clayton turned three this month, Colin turned seven. We've had birthday parties, visits from family, vacations and a lot of time at the pool. Although I miss having a little baby around, I love the freedom of picking up and going at a moment's notice with my big boys!

After YaYa and the Maryland crew left, Nana and Papa came to visit. While they were here we also visited Granny in Big Spring and went to Ruidoso, New Mexico with our friends Cassy and Paul and their two little boys Owen and Levi. We had a BLAST and on our way out of town Cassy saw a BEAR! Right in the neighborhood where we were staying! It was a relaxing and fun trip where we got to play by the river, race go-karts, paddle boat, and play cards and watch movies with our friends.

For Colin's birthday we had a pool party at Uncle Rick and Aunt Mindy's house and then Andy and Dukes took Colin and Xavier to Main Event where they played and played. (Clayton was sick so I stayed home with the little boys who had a great time playing with Colin's new toys while he was living it up with the X-man!) Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate Colin's birthday! We love you and appreciate the love you show to our boys!

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of July. Summers go so fast but I feel like we do maximize our family time and fun.

FUNNY: While we were visiting Granny she said, "I'm just an old grandmother" to which Carter replied, "Yeah. But we still like you." :)

Clay Turns Three After July Fourth!

2010-07-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

We are having an incredible summer! Museum school was last week for Colin and Carter in the new Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The boys, of course, loved it! This week was our first week of swimming lessons and we'll finish those next week. Colin is swimming back stroke and Carter is still learning freestyle. Clayton has mastered "big arms" so I'm proud!

YaYa, Tommy, Anna and Camden came to visit us and we have had the best time with them. We went to Canton for the first time and had a blast! We also at a lot of good food--Babe's Chicken House, Joe T's, and plenty of Sonic and Whataburger thanks to Uncle Tommy! Cam is the sweetest baby and the boys had a great time playing with him.

For the fourth of July we exploded our own fireworks at Uncle Rick and Aunt Mindy's house and the boys especially had a fantastic time!

We also celebrated Clayton's third birthday by going to Chuck E. Cheese and having a party with our friends at Cherry Park. I don't have any party pics posted but it was a great time!

Here are some pics--enjoy!

Spring Break!

2010-03-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

We spent the last few days at Horseshoe Bay in Marble Falls and it was a little chilly but we all got sunburned and had a fun time on the beach on Lake LBJ. Here are a few pictures. More to come this summer!

The Days are Long but the Years are Short

2009-07-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of July, 2009 and it has been an eventful and exciting month! We have had two birthdays, a family reunion, museum school, swim lessons, lots of nights out with our friends, and just all sorts of fun! I am a little sad that today is the last day of July because next month school starts and summer officially ends and this has been a really busy, really wonderful summer. The boys are getting bigger and it makes the days long in a different sort of way than with feedings and naps, but I know these years are going to pass quickly. When I take the boys out and I'm about to lose my marbles because one of them is climbing a shelf, one is dumping something out and one of them is screeching at the top of his lungs, a little old lady will look at me and smile and say: Honey, these days will be over in no time and these are the moments you will miss most. Sometimes it is difficult to believe but I know it's true.

A few funny quotes from Colin...

Colin: Carter,that girl's name is Natalie. And Mommy's name is Natalie. So there are two Natalies.

Colin (after I agreed to do a science experiment with him): Mommy, you're the best person in the whole world.

Colin: Mommy, are you happy I'm six years old?

After swimming lessons the instructor gives me a report on how the boys did. The other day after his lesson, Colin looked at his instructor and said, "How great was I?" =)

The Spice of Life!

2009-07-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Colin's birthday party was SO much fun! Thanks to Uncle Rick and Mindy who let us have a pool party at their house and to everyone who helped us celebrate in one way or another! Andy and I still can't believe we have a six-year-old!
Funny story: The other day I found dirt in Carter's bed. It felt like sand but looked like soil and I couldn't figure it out.
Me: Carter, do you know what this is in your bed?
Carter: Pepper.
Me: Why do you have pepper in your bed?
Carter (throwing his head back crying): I'M IN HUGE TROUBLE!!!!

Terrible Twos, Hissers and Croakers

2009-07-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

This summer is flying! We had a fun weekend with firworks at home and Clayton's second birthday with Nana and Papa, Aunt Bertie and Uncle Dukes. Then Colin had museum school this week. Yesterday was his last day of "Hissers and Croakers" and today he is occassionally tearing up when he remembers it is over. He LOVED it! If you have little ones, check out Fort Worth's Museum School. Today we're relaxing at home: it's 100+ degrees outside so we'll probably stay indoors or else go to Uncle Rick and Aunt Mindy's pool down the street!
And tomorrow? The Weatherford Peach Festival!!

My best friend Stephanie had her second baby (a little boy!) this morning--congratulations, Steph!

No Bull

2009-07-04T06:30:00.001-07:00

Happy Fourth of July!! Last night we went to Canyon West with Uncle Rick and Aunt Mindy to see fireworks and it was a total blast! There were tons of things to do for everyone and we all had fun. The fireworks display lasted about 22 minutes and it was set to Christian music and patriotic music that was awesome. There was even an occasional breeze which made the night even more relaxing. (At 7:45 yesterday it was still 97 degrees!) As you can see, the boys got to sit on a bull with enormous horns (named Oreo). My camera died after our pictures with Oreo, so I don't have pictures of the fireworks but I do have quotes for you!
Colin: These fireworks are making me happy!
Carter: I wish I was a firework.
And Clayton pretty much sat there in awe with a huge smile on his face.

Today Nana and Papa are arriving from Tampa for Kristina's surgery on Tuesday. (Please pray Kristina's kidney transplant goes well on Tuesday!) We are meeting Nana and Papa, AUNT BERTIE (there, Bert, you happy now?) and Uncle Nick, and Uncle Dukes for dinner tonight and then we'll light some locally bought fireworks here at the house. (The boys are super excited!) Happy Fourth everybody!

Summertime!!

2009-06-28T07:40:00.001-07:00

Wow, so much has happened since my last post. School let out at the end of May, so we have been super busy with fun stuff the last month. We went to Disney World and Daytona Beach with Nana and Papa; we also visited with Sammy and CJ on that trip. We had a great time! Then YaYa visited us and we went swimming and relaxed at home, which was so nice. On Father's Day we went to the zoo, then last week I had APSI (training) at TCU all week. This weekend Nana and Papa are visiting for the Fourth, then Clayton's birthday is on Monday the 6th of July. I'm hoping to post again before Colin turns six on the 25th...we'll see!

The boys have gotten to be so funny because they're like little people rather than babies. Their personalities are hilarious! Colin is all about animals: he caught a bird the other day and let it go because it was "whining." (Ya think?!) I wouldn't have believed him if it weren't for the little gray feathers in his hand. When we go for walks he pretends to be a lion in the tall grass and he'll try to sneak up on and tackle our lab Cooper, the other day he picked up a dead snake like it was a piece of string, and he prays for God to bring him a "baby fawn." Colin's favorite place to go is the zoo; he particularly loves the area where he can touch sea creatures like horseshoe crabs and starfish. He loves sea creatures like the octopus, sting ray and whale shark. He'll be heading back to kindergarten next year and he is already excited about his animal project!

Carter is our quiet, sweet, sneaky one. Carter is still convinced he is batman and will correct anyone who mistakenly calls him Carter instead of batman. He wears his mask and cape around the house (and the grocery store, and church, and the park) all the time! Carter is fine playing by himself whereas Colin is a social butterfly. Also, if there are ever sweets around the house (homemade cookies or brownies) I can count on Carter waking up late the next day with chocolate smeared on his face. He's very honest about his sneakiness, though, if that's possible...
"Carter, did you sneak brownies?"
"Yes."
"Well, please don't do that any more."
"Ok."

Clayton is almost two and he definitely has a big personality. He is more like Colin than Carter, I think, although his interests are more similar to Carter's. He loves sports and trains. If I ask Clayton to put his own dirty diaper in the trash, he wrinkles his nose and says, "Ewwww." He is starting to potty train because he wants to do everything like his big brothers. Clayton says his name is "Tayton" and the big boys have fun getting him to say words. (I always hear: "Clayton, say ...!") He loves balls and books and, like his big brothers, he is a total Daddy's boy!

In the upcoming weeks we have birthdays, Museum School and swim lessons! We are LOVING summertime!

Happy birthday to Nana!

...and a Happy New Year!

2008-12-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

First of all, I apologize for not getting Christmas cards out to you this year! I promise next year I will send the most amazing Christmas card you have ever seen...well, a good one anyway.
We hope you have had as wonderful a year as we have and we wish you all the best in 2009!

Tis' the Season to be Jolly!

2008-12-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

We wish you a merry Christmas! We wish you a merry Christmas! We wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year!!

I didn't get around to a Christmas card this year...so here are a few pictures of our day today. We have spent time with Nana and Papa, Uncle Matt and Aunt Nina, Aunt Bertie and Uncle Nick, and Uncle Dukes (Micah). Santa brought Colin a new bike and Clayton a golf set. Nana and Papa got a new John Deer four-wheeler for all the boys but guess who is using it the most...Carter, of course! We love you all and hope you are enjoying this fun holiday as much as we are!!

Colin Swallows Penny/Andy Catches Cooper's Tail on Fire

2008-10-20T20:04:00.001-07:00

Howdy, all! Sorry it has been so long, but here we go...
Andy caught Cooper's tail on fire, and many of you have already heard that story. (Cooper never had a clue...Andy just smelled smoke...)
Then there's our financial situation: on Thursday night in the middle of the night Colin reached onto his night table, grabbed a penny, and ate it. I freaked out, but apparently it's common. And now he calls it, "my penny." "Mommy, my penny is hurting!" We've tried to stop him from flushing the potty so we can see if anything shines, but instead we hear the flush and Colin gasp, "Oh no!"
Other than that, Colin is doing well! He is doing especially well in school where he is learning his vowels--he is sweet, he does sign language while he sounds out each letter.
Carter is his usual serious self. He asked me where my mole came from and I said from God and he said, "Did he come to my home and give it to you?"
Clayton is talking all the time now. He says the following words fairly well: Daddy, Mommy, ball, balloon, shoes, juice, there he is (during peek-a-boo!), down. Clayton laughs all the time, he opens his mouth really wide and throws his head back-he is a really happy baby!
We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend with Aunt Bertie and Uncle Nick, who celebrated their first anniversary today!!

This is a funny conversation...

Carter: Colin, where does God live?
Colin: God lives in our hearts.
Carter: But, Colin, God does not live in Mexico.
Colin: No, Carter, God does not live in Mexico.

Soccer

2008-09-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend we spent time with our neighbors and also went out to Plano to visit Uncle Nick, Aunt Bertie, Doyle, and new family member Dixie (an American Bulldog)!
Tuesday we hosted a new life group through our church (New River Fellowship) and had a great time with some new friends! Colin had a really great time playing with his friend Noah, and Carter got a ton of ant bites...you win some, you lose some.
We started soccer practice this week...Carter on Wednesday, Colin on Thursday. Carter's coach is pretty intense and the team did a good job. There were a lot of water breaks but there was also a lot of running, kicking, etc. Carter played sharks and minnows and had a fun time playing soccer. Colin, on the other hand, mostly collected bones. Yes, that's right, bones. So anyway, here is a cut and pasted copy of Coach D.'s latest email to the team regarding Thursday's practice:

"Good afternoon everyone, Thanks for the practice last night. I think it was an overall success for our first time; a little kicking, running, getting to know each other, and we found 7 bones."

Colin Starts KINDERGARTEN!!

2008-08-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

This has been a very busy week--we started school on Monday and Colin had his first day of Kindergarten! He looks SO precious in his uniform! Throughout the week they hunted for gingerbread men and finally found them (and ate them!) on Friday. He loves his teacher Ms. Purifoy and was (mostly) a very good boy. ;) Carter is in K3 and Clay is with his SuSu until he moves into the K2 class in January. Carter is desperate to be in Kindergarten and brought his belt to me the other day to ask if I would put his "seatbelt" on like Colin wears to Kindergarten. My classes are awesome--the kids are great and I am looking forward to an exciting year!
The boys start soccer this week, so this weekend (along with a few FF drafts, picnics, and pool parties) we'll be purchasing our first real sports equipment--shinguards and (how do you spell kleats?) kleats!
Have a fun Labor Day weekend!!

Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?

2008-08-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

The other morning Andy and I woke up to find cookie crumbs on the office sofa, cookie crumbs on the living room sectional, cookie crumbs on the floor of the dining room, and cookie crumbs (but no cookie container) in the kitchen. Hmmm...a traveling cookie eater who has left a major trail. There are three potential culprits. Now Clayton hasn't yet learned to climb out of his crib (I'm sure it's a matter of days, but this simple fact exempts him as a suspect). So...this leaves TWO...and both, who have less than perfect records in the areas of tomfoolery and ballyhoo, are equally qualified to commit the crime. But who would do such a thing? Make such a MESS? I mean, really, who eats cookies in every room in the house?! This is actually another clue because Colin is not necessarily concerned about having a clean record, but he is most definitely interested in having a clean house. A-HA! This can only mean one thing.... "Mommy, my tummy hurts," says sweet, sneaky little Carter.

Critters

2008-08-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

Since we moved to Texas we have had many critters in our house. I honestly can't remember a single critter in Maryland other than the occasional dead bird or mole Peeky (our family cat) would drag to the front porch. Either my parents did a good job of hiding it from me or Texas is just ridiculously overloaded with bugs.
So our battle with the critters started off pretty normal...a few "worms"(millipede-looking insects) near the doors after we first moved into our new house--no big deal. It was kind of funny--one day Colin came up to me and said, "Mommy, mommy, I found another freaking worm!!" Oops.
Occasionally we'd find an ant here and there, maybe a cricket or two, and I can handle all that. Yes, Ross Pest Control was on speed dial, but I can handle those types of insects. This is reasonable, after all, we do live in the "country" now.
Then one day Colin was supposed to be taking a nap and after his fifth or sixth trip to "tell me something" he said a "scorpion needle" poked him. Sure, get back in bed, Colin. I mean, my brother Joey had a scorpion for a pet once, but it was in a cage and certainly those things do not run loose. Hmmm...nope, that is definitely a scorpion. "Ross Pest Control...my son received a scorpion sting...brown...not too poisonous?...ice...ok, great...see you tomorrow...thank you."
And so it began...
After Christmas I was putting our decorations in boxes and I set a box in the garage. I saw a rear end sprinting away from me along the floor of the garage. Take a deep breath. That must have been a...a squirrel or...or a raccoon! Yes, raccoons love Christmas decorations! Yes. That's it. That explains everything. Call Andy. "Andy (remember to breathe) I think I saw a--" "Let me call you back real quick, I'm on another call." "But--" CLICK. Ok, you can handle this. You are an adult, and it's just a little m--Dad! Call Dad, he can help you. Ok. (Dialing) "I think there's a mouse in my garage!!!" "Umm...ok, kill it." WHAT?! "WHAT?!" "Um, kill it. Look, this is Mike, I don't know who this is but maybe you could just kill the mouse." DON'T KNOW WHO THIS IS??? "THIS IS YOUR DAUGHTER!!" Apparently my voice was so high pitched he didn't recognize me. And he lives in Maryland, so that call was not so much help to me. Call Ross Pest Control. Bait stations? Fantastic.
Ok, so at the beginning of summer things are looking better, and instead of "several families of mice" we have "low traffic"!! Fabulous!! There is now an enormous toad that lives on our front porch, but whatever, there is only one of him, and sure he craps all over the place, but he's not a mouse, so he can stay. But what's that I hear in the attic? Scratching? No. Ross Pest Control said we have low traffic. I heard it myself. And this sound is too loud to be mice. No, this is the air conditioning. Yes. Hmm...this air conditioning sure does sound like rat toenails. Just breathe. Don't stay up all night tracking their routes. Just go to sleep. Ross can come out on Saturday! Great.
Their advice? Get a cat. "What?" Take a deep breath. "Well, ma'am, you live next to a field. Just get a cat." WHAT? Are you kidding me? WE JUST GOT A DOG! I DON'T WANT A CAT! I WANT NO MICE OR RATS. I WANT FEWER CRITTERS! NOT MORE CRITTERS! Ross is fired and now we're going with another company.
So this is not the end. Colin, Carter, Clayton, Cooper and I went for a walk through our neighborhood the other day, and as we're walking, Carter says, "Aww, look at the baby deer!" Wow, cool! Maybe living out in the country isn't so bad after all! Sure enough, I see a baby deer with those sweet pointy ears and long...tail...do baby deer have long..."That's not a baby deer that's a coyote," says Colin. Nice.

Colin Turns FIVE!!

2008-07-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

I meant for Colin's birthday pictures to be at the top...oops! Today we celebrated Colin's FIFTH birthday! He was born at 8:11 p.m. five years ago in Tampa, FL. We had the best day today. I woke up at 6:30 and he was right behind me. We opened a few presents, then the rest of the crew woke up and we had breakfast, then opened a few more presents. The party started at 10 at Jumping Party and we jumped until 1. Then on to the pool for phase two where Andy, YaYa, the boys and I swam until 4:30. We originally planned to go to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner, but we all decided it would be better to stay at home and play with our new toys. (Whew!) Thanks so much to everyone who called, partied with us today, sent cards, gave gifts and showed Colin love!
P.S. Carter has a new passenger, I have a new haircut. =)

Clayton Takes Steps/ Andy and Colin to NM

2008-07-15T18:21:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Andy went to Riudoso, NM with his parents and Colin for a wedding. (The little ones and I opted out for this eight hour trek, although everyone who went had a great time!) Thanks, Nana and Papa, for a great visit!
I have to tell a quick funny story. Carter and I were playing football, then Carter went potty. After he finished the task he was walking around with his pants around his ankles. I saw him walk past a time or two, then I said, "Carter, why don't you pull your pants up?" And he said, completely seriously, "Because I can't because I'm too holding my football." The important things in life...
Clayton has started to take steps! And, of course, Carter has taken advantage of this because he is using Clayton to push him around on Clayton's corn-popper push toy! So funny!

Clayton Turns ONE!

2008-07-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

Pray for Aunt Nina

2008-06-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Andy and I went to Houston and had a GREAT time seeing college friends Elizabeth, Lisa, Ashlei, Dori, and Andy's cousin Greg and his wife Jamie and their daughter Campbell. But...I lost my camera, so I have nothing to show you.... Andy's sister Alicen stayed with the boys (thank you, Aunt Bertie)!

This week has been one hilarious escapade after another...from the boys playing in mud, to sneaking chocolate chip cookies late at night, to Carter instructing Colin on how to wear a bra, pointing and saying, "it needs to go on your lippers," to the tuna story (which I'm about to tell).... Of course, I have no camera, but I've tried to take pictures on Andy's iPhone when possible, but you know how that is; if you don't have the camera at the right time you just miss the great shot.

So the other day I am interrupted from folding laundry by the overwhelming smell of tuna fish. (Never a good sign.) I start sniffing around to track the scent and I see Cooper and Clayton huddled together near the trash can. (Never a good sign.) Both of their faces and hands/paws are covered in tuna fish and they are hungrily fighting over the empty can! Do I not feed both of them high quality food all day long?? Why are they digging in the trash for old tuna fish?? Unfortunately, I have no picture to show you, but let me tell you, after the initial shock and disgust, it was funny!

Here is a picture of me and Kristina (Aunt Nina, Andy's sister-in-law) who has been in the hospital since Saturday. She is diabetic and her kidneys are not functioning well. Kristina is a fighter and has been in and out of the hospital for years. She has a good attitude, but I would appreciate your prayers for her. Please pray for Kristina and for her sweet husband Matt today.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T09:59:00.001-07:00

This post is dedicated to Mike Houck, my dad and the boys' Granddaddy. He noticed he doesn't get a lot of ink on my blog, and my dad is not shy about letting me know what's up, so...here you go, Dad!! Happy Father's Day! (P.S.--If you came to visit more often you would get more press.)

Interesting Facts About My Dad:

He can touch his tongue to the tip of his nose.

He can juggle really well.

He is 6 feet 6 inches tall.

He loves Led Zeppelin and has taken me to a bunch of Plant/Page concerts. "Fool in the Rain" is a personal favorite of both of us.

He has seven brothers and sisters.

He is from Bowie, Maryland, the same town that Kathie Lee Gifford is from.

He can whistle really loudly.

He is very funny and loves funny stories about the boys.

He is an excellent golfer and generally shoots around 70-75.*

He is an amazing storyteller and always begins a story with, "There I was...."

His favorite color is blue and he has blue eyes (like Clayton's!).

He got married in Las Vegas and his anniversary was the other day (June 14).

He is a handy man.

He is very good at pool.

He went to the Masters this year (as a spectator).

He thinks Texas is "bizarro world" because every time he comes something weird happens...like that ice storm in 2007.

He gives good advice and is very fair.

He's a great dancer...ha ha, no he's not (that's where I get my two left feet!)

He's a great dad and an even better granddaddy!

Swimming

2008-06-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

We had a great couple of days swimming with Cousin Madi from Hawaii!! She is so sweet and we had fun with her!

Carter is hilarious--he calls Cooper "Coofer"!

Neighborhood Party

2008-06-07T16:15:00.001-07:00

Colin is so sweet...he came running in from the neighborhood party (I am here w/Clayton who goes to sleep at 6) and he said, "Here, Mommy, here's a flower for you, I got it on my way home!" This just sounded so "big boy" to me. He is so sweet. He gives me a lot of gray hair, but he is absolutely precious!

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-06-06T14:06:00.001-07:00

Another Boy for the Hedges

2008-05-29T18:54:00.001-07:00

Ha! Ha! Gotcha! It is another boy, but he has four legs. His name is Cooper and he is eight weeks old and very sweet. Initially Colin wanted to name him "Cooster" and he was actually saying, "Here, Cooster" but that name didn't sit right with me and, frankly, he does NOT look like a Cooster, so we improvised and named him Cooper. He's a yellow lab and he is a lot of work, but the boys LOVE him! We have majorly improved in the area of potty training and we are currently shopping for a good obedience school. Cooper is very lovable. The other day Colin, Carter and Cooper were all in Cooper's crate...and today Carter was hauling him around in the back of his power wheels, so I think Cooper is in for some adventure! It really does feel like another baby is in the house b/c we're up with him all the time and he needs just as much love (and supervision).

The last few weeks have been pretty busy. Two weeks ago Matt and Kristina visited from Austin and that was a fun weekend. Andy, Nick and Matt went golfing, then cooked dinner and the girls got to get a mani-pedi and go shopping!

On Sunday we reorganized the house and moved Colin and Carter into the same (bigger) room. (Thanks for your help, Nick!) That has actually been a very smooth transition and Colin and Carter love their new room. Clayton is in Cart's old room and he is sleeping even better now that he is away from most of the noise.

Then on Tuesday we picked up Cooper from Dallas. I spoke with a friend of a friend on the phone and asked if we could drive out to see the puppies (there were two left, so we had to act fast--this is the second litter we checked on, the first one was sold out). She said ok; she said she had five kids, was pregnant, and her house was the house with all the kids toys out front. So I I'm thinking we're about to pull up to a trailer park...but no...Cooper is from a very wealthy home! This house was AMAZING--it must have been well over $1 million and in the area near Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. WOW! Anyway, that was a long first night--Cooper woke up at 12 and 3...just like a newborn.

On Friday YaYa flew in from MD and we celebrated Uncle Rick's birthday with a little swimming at the pool and food from Joe T's. On Sunday Mr. Rick smoked BBQ and it was incredible! YaYa, how do I have no pics of you? I'm going to have to cut and paste your face on someone's body!

And FINALLY...tomorrow is the last day of school for me and the boys! But not so fast, Colin has a 103 degree fever...and we're getting their new play set delivered tomorrow...and...

...it's summer time!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Carter said, "Clayton, we love you, but right now we're gonna get you. Come on, Colin, let's get him!"

Howdy, Ya'll!

2008-05-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the boys are officially Texans: Carter says, "I'm not mad at ya'll," and last night Colin said, "Carter, I'm fixin' to give you it...hold on!" On the other hand, Colin actually said something was crunk the other day, and I'm pretty sure that term didn't originate in Texas, but who knows...

Carter loves his new roller skates from YaYa, and pretty much wears his Batman mask every day. People will stop us and scream that they are in trouble and need help from Batman, and Carter (who wears the mask so frequently that he forgets he has it on) looks at them like they're nuts. I have to remind him HE'S the super hero until eventually he kicks into gear. This can be a major pain since I have to juggle the other two while prompting Carter to rescue the stranger.

Clayton is TEN months old already!! He is crawling all over the place. He is constantly snatching toys from Carter, which Carter hates. But Clayton is really sweet and Colin has learned he can carry him, so that's funny to see.

Colin is his usual high energy self! He loves running and reading books. The other night I was reading him a book and he said, "Mommy, what does this fish say?" So I made up some ridiculous fish noise while making the fish face and doing my arms like fins and I said, "The fish says, 'bloop, bloop!'" And he said, "NO! What does the fish say?" And so I put a little more effort into pulling off the fish act, with my arms flailing and my face all twisted up and I said, "Bloop, Bloop!!" a little louder with a little more enthusiasm. Finally, Colin looks at me like I am completely insane, shakes his head, and says, "Mommy, when I say 'what does this fish say?' you read me the words on the page about the fish!" So it turns out we had a little miscommunication there...

We love ya'll!

Carter's Third Birthday Party!

2008-04-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

Howdy!
Well, Carter is now three; not officially, but he doesn't know that. He officially turns three on Tuesday (April 22) but we probably won't celebrate since we made today his birthday! We went to Jumping Party where Carter had a Cars party and LOVED it! We had about seven kids come and it worked out perfectly; we got to spend a lot of time jumping with our friends. This was the first time for me to jump since I was pregnant with Clayt last year when we went to Jumping Party. Let me tell you, it is so fun but it is a WORK OUT! I was beat and I crashed with the boys this afternoon. Also, I am getting sick--Colin has passed his fever on to me, but it's not too bad; I think I have a sinus infection. But I still jumped and enjoyed the party, so it was good. We opened presents and got an awesome variety! Carter is really enjoying his Bob the Builder (Carter calls him "Garb the Builder") tool belt set from Uncle Tommy and Miss Anna.
I am so happy I got the picture of COLIN blowing out Carter's candle...and the best part? Carter has a huge smile on his face and has no clue Colin is being a jerk! Another great picture is the one of the boys at the party talking and our neighbor Bobby is gesturing to Colin and they look like they're having a very grown-up conversation--hilarious.
The weather today was incredible: 80 and breezy, so the boys ran around outside a lot. They love their power wheels and Carter usually drives it. Well today Colin said, "Carter, you always drive!" and Carter just looked at him like, exactly, so what's the problem? So Colin just jumped in and they kept riding around! Then tonight Carter was rubbing his eyes and Andy said, "Oh, Carter, you're rubbing your eyes so you must be tired." Carter said, "No, I'm not tired, I just got some bugs in it."
It's been a good day. Thanks for helping us celebrate sweet Carter's third birthday!! WE LOVE YOU!!

February 2008

2008-02-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent pictures. Andy and I went to Austin and had a blast while Nana stayed with the boys. (Thank you, Nana!) We got to spend some time with Matt and Kristina, see a movie, shop, and relax a bit. Clayton is eating solids and has two teeth. Colin is doing great at school and can write his name like a pro, and Carter is his usual self...the other day he told me he's not Carter Hedges, he's Superman Hedges. Like I always say, Carter has no idea he's only two. He'll be three in about two months, though! Next month is busy, we have a trip to Maryland planned and, my favorite, the spectacular golf weekend! Things are good...super busy as usual, but good!

Happy New Year

2008-01-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We can't believe it's already 2008. Here are a few pictures of our Christmas this year. Our last day of school was December 19, so we had a few days to shop and bake before the big day. We had our sitters come on Thursday afternoon and Andy and I took off to Christmas shop--we had so much fun!
Then on Christmas Eve we went to church at First Baptist Aledo with Uncle Rick and Aunt Mindy and their crew, followed by dinner at their house (Joe T's!) and the best part...a train ride around the neighborhood on Uncle Rick's land train! We were COLD but the boys loved it. Then we went home and the boys chose to open a gift from Uncle Joey: helicopters!
On Christmas morning Santa came and I was the first one up! We got video of the boys seeing their toys and we ate breakfast casserole (a Nana tradition) and unwrapped gifts. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Christmas--we love you!
On the 26th I turned 27 and Andy took me out shopping and to a nice dinner with friends.
Then on Friday we went to Austin to visit Uncle Matt and Aunt Nina! We played board games, Andy played nine holes of golf, I got to shop (again!), and the boys got to play with their cousins, so everyone had a great time!
Then back home on Sunday (we stopped at the Czech stop in West, Texas where we stacked on kolaches).
On Monday (New Year's Eve) we went to our friends' house.
On Tuesday we relaxed at home and Andy went back to work on Wednesday.
Last night we exchanged gifts with Aunt Bertie at Carrabas. We gave Aunt Bertie the best gift of all...six lovely visors from a Rough Riders baseball game we attended this summer! =)
Clayton will be six months old on Sunday. He is rolling over and almost sitting by himself (right now he tips over after a while). He laughs all the time, especially at his "bubbas."
The boys and I head back to school on Monday, so we have a few days to rest at home before we are in full swing again.
We wish you a happy and healthy new year!

Halloween 2007

2007-11-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

All three boys have been sick since my last update (Colin had a sinus infection, Carter had strep, now Clayton has an ear infection/upper respiratory infection.) Also, we have had visits by Nana and PawPaw and YaYa. Plus, Aunt Bertie got married to Uncle Nick and the boys were ring bearers (Andy ended up being a ring bearer bearer and walked down the aisle with the fellas.) They were so precious in their tuxes! Clayton will be four months on Tuesday!! Halloween was so much fun. On Friday and Saturday we hit the pumpkin patch. On Sunday we went to a Fall Festival at First Baptist Aledo where we jumped in bounce houses, roped a steer, played games and, of course, ate a lot of candy! Then on Wednesday night we went trick-or-treating hayride style with our Life Group at New River Fellowship. After initially deciding to be Swiper the Fox (Colin) and a ninja turtle (Cart) we ended up with good ol' Batman and Superman. And the boys wear Batman and Superman every day! Clayton dressed up as a spider! Anyway, we had a fun time the past week and if we could just get well we would be in good shape. I have only caught the boys shoveling candy in as fast as they could one time, so that is good. Today they were using sticks to harrass an enormous grasshopper, and it jumped on Carter's arm and he flipped out, saying, "It hurt me! It hurt me!" They are hilarious!

Smiley Boy!

2007-09-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hello! I realize I have not posted in a while, but things are super busy around here! I still think the transition from one baby to two babies was more difficult, but it is certainly more busy now. The fellas are doing well: Colin is learning to write his numbers, Carter is his usual sweet self, Clayton is smiling and "talking" all the time, and the big guy just got over being sick. I wish I had more time to write, but Clayton is calling.... Love you!

Back To School

2007-09-02T05:40:00.000-07:00

Hello! Here are a few recent pictures of the boys. I love this one of Carter: "I sense trouble." The one of Colin smiling really big is hilarious because I told him to get some Doritos out of the pantry since he ate his sandwich and he piled his plate as high as he could! We are finally getting over a string of really bad colds/bronchitis and I am so glad to have the boys well again (Colin still has a bit of a cough). We started school unofficially last week and officially this week (the students had class). Colin likes his new teacher Ms. Hayes and Carter is running the show with his class. Carter is really funny these days, but he has been a STINKER lately--terrible twos was nothing with Colin compared to this business Carter is pulling. Clayton is doing well with SuSu in his personal nursery at school. He has no problem taking a bottle. He's getting very strong and has started smiling! I tried to catch one on the camera, but no luck yet. Andy's job with Countrywide is good for now and he is doing really well as far as production, so we feel like his job is secure. I, of course, love my classes at Calvary. We went to a football game on Friday night and the boys LOVED it! They ran around with all the other kids while Andy and I watched the game and visited with friends. We love you all!

Clayton Six Weeks

2007-08-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! We head back to school on Monday, so it will probably be a while before I post again. I bet you didn't know super heroes wear heels, did ya? Carter has bronchitis but he's getting better thanks to his medicine. Tomorrow is my six week check up and I am looking forward to being cleared for exercise. Can you tell which baby picture is Colin, not Clayton??

Colin's Fourth Birthday

2007-08-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Colin had his FOURTH birthday on July 25, which was a Wednesday, and his Batman birthday PARTY on Saturday, July 28 at Jump Party. We had a great time. YaYa was here last week with us and we did all sorts of fun things! Nana and Papa are here with us now and they are seeing the movie Underdog as I write! The boys have loved being spoiled by their grandparents, but next week real life kicks in and I will be on my own with the three boys while Andy is at work. Yikes!! Actually, I am looking forward to a little quality time with them before we head back to school on August 20 for in-service.

Clayton is four weeks old today and he's doing great. At his two week check-up he weighed 8 lbs., 2 oz. and he had grown 1 and 3/4 inches! He had his first shot and he did fine. Colin had his four year check-up and he had to have SIX shots--poor guy! He was kind of excited at first, but then he cried really hard when the nurse started injecting the shots and when I picked him up off the table when she finished he said, "What happened?" It was awful and I'm glad it's over. Colin is in the 75-90th percentile for his height and weight. He's been eating like crazy lately and sleeping a lot, too, so I think he's going through a growth spurt. Carter is our talker and he is hilarious! He talks almost constantly and he's very funny. He doesn't have much interest in Clayton although Colin is constantly kissing the baby and asking to hold him.

Andy is doing great--above is a picture of Colin holding in his new net a frog Andy helped him catch. (The frog died shortly thereafter.)

I'm sure I have missed a ton of info, but I am holding Clayton and trying to get about five different things done all at once...I am pretty sure this is how my life will be for a while!!

Our First Week as a Family of FIVE!

2007-07-12T08:08:00.001-07:00

One week ago today we were heading for the hospital! Our first week has been really nice. Clayton goes down for the night by 10 or 11 and he wakes up between 3 and 4 to eat, then he goes back down. We really have to work to keep him awake during the day some days, but overall he has been pretty easy. At Clayton's doctor appointment on Monday he was down to 6 pounds, 14 ounces, but he has been eating about every 2 1/ 2 hours so I am sure he's gaining it back.

We had our first family outing yesterday when we loaded up and went to the park. Colin and Carter loved the tire swing and Clayton slept the entire time.

Andy has been doing a great job entertaining the boys--they are totally interested in Super Heroes (all different types--Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Fantastic Four) and Transformers (in the picture above the fellas are watching an old Transformers cartoon).

I am so happy to have Clayton here and I feel like I am back to my old self!

4 Days Old

2007-07-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

We're doing great! Clayton is such a good baby--he only cries when he needs something, and he is a good eater! We are still working on sleeping during the night and playing during the day, but we're getting there. Colin loves to kiss on his baby brother and Carter likes his toys. I am feeling good--Andy pretty much handles the older boys which makes my job easy.

Clayton

2007-07-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

His name is officially Clayton Douglas Hedges! Colin likes Baby Clayton a lot but he's concerned about what happened to Baby Casey. Clayton and I are doing great--we just got home. I'll update again soon with more pictures, I just wanted everyone to know his name!

The Baby Has Arrived!

2007-07-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

The new Hedges baby arrived this morning @ 2:10 am and weighed 7 lbs 7 oz. Mommy and baby are doing fine but maybe a little confused as a name has not been finalized as of yet. Here are some early pictures but there will be more to come.

July Fourth

2007-07-03T18:19:00.001-07:00

Ok, here is a picture of me!! I am surprised by the high demand for a picture of the belly! As you can see, even my maternity clothes I have outgrown and I am SOOOO ready for baby boy to arrive. I went to the doctor today and I am still at one centimeter, so no baby action yet.

The boys have had a good week. Today Colin had gymnastics and I got to see him walk the balance beam and jump on the trampoline on one foot! It looks like fireworks will be cancelled for tomorrow (the fourth of July) as a result of scattered thunderstorms. It has rained every day for several weeks and there is not a sunny day in the forecast! The boys get a bit stir crazy, but we try to sneak outside to play every chance we get.

Funny story...the other day I growled at the boys for jumping on the furniture, then within five minutes Colin came up to me and put his flashlight right into my eyes, so I threatened him with a spanking and here's what he said: "Mommy, you're just like the Grinch!"

Late June

2007-06-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

We've had another busy week! I have dilated about one centimeter and have thinned out a bit, but no real labor yet. My due date isn't until July 15, so I still have a couple weeks to go.

The boys are doing great, but they have a TON of energy since it has poured rain on us all week long--and there is no sunshine in sight! We got about an hour in at the park on Monday, but that has really been all we've played outside. Tuesday we went into town for my doctor appointment and Colin and Carter went to school for the morning. Yesterday we went to Jumping Party for a couple hours, and then today our big trip is...get ready...the grocery store! Tomorrow is storytime at Barnes & Noble. We have watched a lot of movies, played a lot of superheroes and trains, and read a lot of books this week.

I have a funny story...around the house I call Andy "Baby" and the other day Carter picked up on this and said to Andy, "Play trains, Baby!" Now every once in a while he'll call him "Baby."

Happy birthday to Nana!!

Early June 2007

2007-06-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

June 9, 2007

What a busy week! (By the way, I am trying blogger.com after Stephanie recommended it to me so that I can load more pics easily. So far it has been much easier than geocities.com. Thanks, Steph!)
This week Colin had his first swim lessons ever! He went with two of his friends from church and he loved it! The lessons were for thirty minutes every day this week. He learned to jump off the diving board and swim to the edge of the pool w/minimal help and no floaties.
On Tuesday I had a doctor's appointment (34+ weeks and the baby is very healthy). I really haven't mentioned baby boy #3 much, but he moves constantly and loves to get "raspberries" from his older brothers. We are throwing around all sorts of "C" names ranging from Casey to Connor to Colton to Cade... The middle name will probably be Matthew; but we, of course, are not even completely decided on that! Also on Tuesday, Colin had his first gymnastics class with his friends from school.
On Wednesday we went to a place called Jump Party which is basically a huge warehouse with tons of moon bounces, slides, etc. and Wednesday was open jump for preschoolers, so we went and LOVED it! We're going to have Colin's fourth birthday party there at the end of July. He has decided on a Batman party (he is all about those super heroes right now!)
Thursday was a laid-back day and then on Friday we went to storytime at Barnes & Noble where Colin picked out a bat/lizard/spider/snake book (he got a Spiderman book last time!) and Carter picked out a tractor book (complete with tractor wheels!) and a Thomas the Tank Engine book.
The picture of the boys on the floor giggling is right after they got to put on their new jammies--Spiderman for Colin and Thomas the Tank Engine for Carter. As for me and Andy, we have been considering a new fence for our back yard and basically doing a lot of yard work, which we enjoy.