one little, two little indians

March 2011- Pecos was VERY excited to receive an invitation to nn Indian themed birthday party for a sweet friend.  This required we pull out every piece of road-side tourist attraction Indian paraphernalia Pecos has ever owned.  It just so happens that Pecos loves everything Native American.  From the moccasins on his feet to the feathers on his head, every piece was acquired over the past few years by Casey as he travels Indian territory in New Mexico and Oklahoma. 

Chief I Wanna Party



digging for arrowheads



found one!



bow and arrow practice

Chief Sand Box Excavator



When we got home from the party this little Indian brave was begging to have his photo taken: 

10 months old

March 25, 2011- We've hit the double digit mark in age, well, months of age anyway.  Can you believe it?  Brazos is growing like a weed and always on the move.  He finds trouble in all sorts of places.



who me? no, i didn't do it

One of his favorite hangouts is the dishwasher.  I guess because it is at his level when I open it.  Even if he is in the living room playing with toys he'll come crawling fast when he hears the door to it open.  Makes it rather difficult for me to load and unload while he is awake. 



His other love- besides me!- right now is Brownie.  He goes right to him at his spot on the wall in Pecos' room.  Then he attempts to crawl around the house with him.  Look out when he starts walking and dragging him around.  But Pecos isn't ready to give up ol' Brownie just yet.  A plus for me is I can usually keep him busy with Brownie for a good 15 minutes so I can get something done around the house...except load or unload the dishwasher. 

We finally have a tooth!  A month before he turned 10 months old a bottom tooth finally broke through the gums. 

No official doctor check up this month but we did make a visit when he seemed to have a "bug" for over a week.  At that visit he weighed in at 19 pounds.  All that crawling around- and maybe a little less eating because of the bug- and he leveled out in weight gain.   

breakin' in spring

March 14-18, 2011- It's spring break week here in Texas.  With a forecast of beautiful weather I promised Pecos we'd do something fun every day.

Monday:  First up was bowling.  Pecos has been asking us to go bowling for a couple of weeks.  I think it stemmed from an episode of Tom & Jerry, thus the shirt he is wearing.

developed his own bowling style

checking to make sure the ball will come back



Tuesday & Thursday:  I had a workout class; while I did that Pecos went to a fun art and play session at YaYaBee in Fredericksburg. 

Wednesday:  After a not so cheerful Easter picture session with Brazos I told Pecos we'd go ride the train at Brackenridge park.  Everyone else out for spring break told their kid the same thing and we were all there together.  We had talked about the zoo and I told Pecos we might go on Friday but when we arrived at the park to ride the train and saw the long lines of people for the zoo we changed our plans.  Pecos is not much for crowds and he said "I do NOT want to go to the zoo with all those people on Friday."  Music to my ears.  I offered that we could come back one week when it is not spring break and he eagerly agreed. 

our train; brazos was not as thrilled to take a ride- actually, it was the photo he didn't want, he did fine on the train ride

spring break = ice cream break

playing in the river at Brackenridge park

mr. cautious stepping across ever so carefully

finally in a better mood and enjoying the park

Friday: A picnic at Lady Bird park in Fredericksburg followed by swimming in Kerrville.  Notice the flip flops?  Never thought I'd ever see Pecos in a pair of them but he's been asking me for a few weeks if I could find him some.  He broke them in over spring break and at one point we were eating lunch on the patio at Taco Cabana.  The music was playing and Pecos said he was ready to leave because it was too loud for him to hear his flip flops! 



first swim of the year was a little chilly

Saturday & Sunday: Recover!

little leprechauns & an irish mystery

March 17, 2011- My little leprechauns had a not-so-festive disposition at picture time on St. Patrick's Day. I insisted we take the photo before leaving the house in the morning before one of them had a chance to get dirty. As you can see by this photo neither of them were very happy about it.

Other than that we didn't celebrate too much. St. Patrick's Day was during Spring Break so we had other things on our mind. We didn't even get the chance for green pancakes. And we had planned to make cookies but just didn't get around to it.

Later in the day after a very good nap I managed to get one of Brazos in a much better mood.

Now for the mystery.  For some reason everyone seems to think I'm Irish and should therefore celebrate St. Patrick's Day like a national holiday.  Maybe it is the fair complexion, freckles, slightly orange tint to my hair and greenish colored eyes.  Or perhaps that my name is Erin. The reality is I just don't know.  My dad's father's side of the family is unknown to me.  He died when my father and his siblings were children and after that I guess they didn't do too much with that side of the family.  Or at least they don't talk about it with my generation.  Perhaps there are skeletons yet to come out of that closet.  And my dad's mother's family were Gremillion's from Avoylles parish in Louisiana.  Cajun- yes; Irish- I doubt it.  As for my mom's side of the family, German descent is the best I can come up with.  So I can't pinpoint where the Irish-ness comes from but I play the part on March 17th and other times when it seems appropriate. 

Hope you enjoyed the day of green!

revelers

March 8, 2011- Our Mardi Gras this year was rather mild. For the past few years MiMi and Paw Paw have visited bringing with them King Cake, beads and various other treats from home. But this year we had too many things going on and Casey had just returned from Brazil so it just didn't work out for them to come.

Not too much reveling, but I did get out our stash of beads to take these photos.

Brazos was rather excited about them and entertained himself for at least half an hour!
 

9 months old

February 25, 2011- Brazos is now 9 months old and on the go.  He's into everything and tends to have one mode: BUSY.  He is turning out to be our "wild child". 

Still no teeth, which I know is perfectly normal, but Pecos had teeth at 7 months so I guess I was expecting that.  He's slowly getting used to "real" food yet still has a jar of baby food here and there.  For some reason he is anti-sippy cup and I've tried nearly every type of cup and nipple combination on the market but can't find the one that suits him.  Perhaps it is because he just doesn't want to be bothered by holding the cup himself and would prefer if I did it for him.

He had the flu this month- so did Pecos and I.  Casey was on the road working non-stop and managed to stay away from us during our infectious period.  But let me just say it was not fun and I'll leave it at that.

He doesn't have a scheduled well baby check until 12 months but a recent trip to the pediatrician had him weighing in at 19 pounds.  I asked them to measure him since it seems like he has grown longer/taller and he was 31 inches long/tall.

Only 3 more months and we'll be having a birthday party- wow!

Nekkid!

Hmmm, let me see what I can get into.

cowboy cupids

February 14, 2011- Hope everyone had a sweet Valentine's Day with those they love.  Happy Birthday from these little cowboy cupids.

At a recent birthday party Brazos was putting the moves on Miss Desi.  Such a lady's man!



 

baby it's cold outside!

February 2011- We got the blast of arctic cold weather like much of the rest of the country.  Even though I felt like I was the only one battling the blistering cold I do know that it wasn't near as bad here as it was elsewhere.  Casey was out working in it every day in West Texas, the Texas panhandle and New Mexico.  Most of the clients he had lined up for the week wanted to re-schedule.  But that wasn't exactly possible as he is booked up nearly every day from now until the end of March with not a day to spare.  So to work he went in the bone chilling cold. 

School was closed for a day for icey road conditions.  Then for a few days I kept Pecos home in an attempt to keep us all well and healthy.  I just didn't want to have to get Brazos out in the weather if not absolutely necessary.  We built a roaring fire and tried to keep from getting cabin fever.  There was a light dusting of snow which made Pecos very excited but he really wanted to make a snowman and had a hard time understanding why there wasn't enough.  Afterall, he had prayed for lots of snow!

wishing for more snow

I have a much better appreciation for farmers and ranchers that live in colder climates and have to feed and water livestock daily throughout the winter.  I was having trouble getting it done for just a few days trying to break ice twice daily, feed heifers and horses and monitor them all while trying to keep myself and the boys warm.  By the end of the first week of cold weather we were just about out of water in both troughs.  Each morning had a layer of ice about 4 inches thick.  And the pipes leading down to them were also frozen solid.  I kept a bucket of water full and thawed up at the house and the livestock found it- and drained it- quickly!  

me + crowbar + anger towards old man winter = this jagged masterpiece

when she's thirsty enough WidowMaker can reach much farther down into the water trough then she would normally lead you to believe

a very cold and fast drink before it freezes over again

janet & wendy didn't seem to mind the cold too much as long as the feed truck- my Expedition- arrived at the designated time each day

The second week of the cold blast was no fun either.  By this time Pecos and I both had the flu while cooped up at the house and away from everyone.  So much for flu shots and my plan to stay well.  We were cold, achy, stir-crazy and now had a frozen well-head and busted faucet at the shop which meant no running water to the house.  Feel sorry for me yet?  Our neighbor came to defrost the well and cap the busted pipe so at least we had water again.  And once Oma stepped in to help with the boys so I could rest it became apparant that I might actually survive.  Then Casey came home for a brief weekend to play the part of my hero and it was all better.  Almost.  Then Brazos got the flu.  

 



 There is a reason I don't live in a colder climate- I wouldn't survive!!!  Spring can't get here fast enough.  Bring on a heatwave!
  

8 months

January 25, 2011- It has been a very busy month for Brazos.  Christmas and Uncle Eric's wedding!  Plus, he is on the move, crawling everywhere.  I wasn't prepared for him to be so mobile so soon; after all Pecos didn't walk until 15 months and he never had a really strong crawl, it was more of an army crawl and dragging himself.

The way his leg is cocked back here is generally how he sits after crawling and then getting to a sitting position.  Looks awkward but it works for him!

The many faces of Brazos:

Still no teeth yet but maybe soon; everything goes in his mouth so we try to be sure all of Pecos' toys with small pieces are not left lying around.  He can really put down the puffs and Cheerios.  We try to give him "real" food anytime we are eating but he just doesn't care for the texture as he often replies with a grimace and usually spits it out. 

At about 6 months old he was babbling and would make "MaMa" sounds, then that turned into just grunting sounds for about a month.  Now he's back to babbling, this time with "DaDa" sounds. 

Here's the latest stats:

Weight- 20.05 pounds (58% tile)

Height- 29.5 inches (92% tile)

Head circumference- 17.25 inches (22 %tile)

At his well baby check he got 2 shots; one on the delayed vaccination schedule and the second dose of flu vaccine.  And for now we think he has outgrown his dairy intolerance.  He's on a low lactose formula and things seem to be going well; what a relief.  His refulx also seems to have worked itself out and I have enjoyed not smelling like spit-up all day long!

whirlwind wedding weekend

January 21-23, 2011- After a year of anticipation the big wedding weekend finally arrived.  Eric and Shellie are married!  I'm not ashamed to say a little bribing went a long way and Pecos did excellent as a ring bearer. 

The ceremony was beautiful and Msgr. Gaddy who married Casey and I ten years ago did the honors for Eric & Shellie.

 

The reception was extravagant and the few photos I took don't even begin to do it justice but here's a glimpse anyway:

I wish I had thought to take a photo of Pecos as he chowed down on corn dogs en route to the reception.  He was just soooooooo hungry after all that ring bearer duty and photos after the ceremony that we had to make a quick stop for him before making our way to the reception.  I can only imagine the thousands of dollars Shellie's parents paid for catering yet my child only wanted corn dogs from Sonic!  But he did enjoy the cotton candy at the reception.

The only cowboys in attendance (no surprise there), but I was glad to call them mine!

Brazos was a hit at all the festivities.  Although there were a few times where loud music, large crowds and lots of new and excited faces were a bit too much for him to handle.  Well, maybe a bit too much for all of us to handle; we're just not used to all that rowdiness!  This was his first trip to Louisiana and he did really great on the car ride to and from.  But he did get just a little excited in the hotel room.

  

Speaking of hotel rooms, we've found that leaving in the afternoon and stopping to spend the night in the Houston area makes for a much better trip for all of us.  After several hours in the car the boys were ready for a little wrestling to burn up some energy.

The rehearsal dinner location had great entertainment for the kids and Pecos showed off his bronc riding skills for the flower girls.

Our little family at the wedding.

Several of the Eskew cousins were in attendance and it is always good to catch up with them.  From left is Erin, Claire (holding Brazos), Katherine, Patrick, John, Allison and Melanie. 

At the end of the weekend I asked Brazos if he was ready to plan his next road trip to Louisiana.  I think his look says it all!

Oh, and what did Pecos pick as his reward for being such a good listener and "making good choices" at the wedding?  Spider-Man!  Just like the one his cousin, Alexander, had at the hotel of course! 

turkey trouble

January 2011- We love living out in rural America.  Partly because we like wide open space and clear night skies.  But we also need space for our livestock and enjoy sharing our land with wildlife.  There are wild turkeys in this area that we catch a glimpse of from time to time.  And lately we've been seeing them up near the house very close to the porch.

 

At first it was cute and I thought if I went out to get milo or chicken feed from the shed it would scare them away.  So I resorted to provisions in the pantry...it needed cleaning out anyway!  I tossed them cornmeal, mixed nuts, dried cranberries, oatmeal, and an assortment of breakfast cereal.  I'm certain it is the most exotic diet they've ever had.  They liked it so much they decided to stay awhile...and then just made themselves at home.  There are two gobblers and a hen that think they need to be on our back porch all of the time. They have become quite tame and we can get within about 4 feet from them. 

I saw them on the porch one day and was tired of taking their photo from inside so I went around and walked right up to them to get these photos:

Then I wondered if they would come into the house if I opened the door.  They'd been standing there staring through the door and pecking at it for a few days.  So sure enough, I opened the door and they just walked right on in.  But I didn't let them stay, right back out they went.

Pecos said he wanted to rope them but they kept running away so he decided to trap them instead.  Casey got a plastic container from the shed with a stick propping it up and put bird seed under it.  I thought it looked like something out of a Looney Tunes coyote and roadrunner cartoon.  They ran the string under the door and waited, but the turkeys were non-interested in the birdseed; perhaps they were waiting for more gourmet items from the pantry.  I can't imagine the commotion it would have been if he actually caught one. 

 

 After a couple of weeks we'd had enough.  The turkeys have been shoo-ed off the porch and no more exotic pantry food for them.  They only get birdseed and chicken scratch far away from the porch.  Look at the nasty mess they left behind.  Turkey sandwich, anyone?