The Pynes

Hudson is here! And has been for two months.....

2010-12-14T21:30:00.005-05:00

Wow! I am the biggest blogging slacker! I've just been enjoying life as a mother of 2! That's right,Hudson Joseph Pyne was born on September 29, 2010 at 1:11 am. He weighed 8lbs, 11.6 oz, and was 21 inches long. I was hoping to avoid a 2nd C-section, so I delayed my scheduled C-section for a week. My due date was on the 24th, and my wonderful doctor was willing to let me try to go into labor until the 28th. Well, the night of the 27th, I started having contractions. We had to be at the hospital at 5am on the 28th for my C-section, so we showed up, asked them to please cancel the C-section (again) and let me labor. And boy, did I labor! I thought for sure when the doctor initially checked me I would be dilated at least 4 cm, um no, I was at a 2. I was slightly devastated by this news, but thanks to my sweet, calm hubby, I was able to calm down too. The painkillers they gave me helped a little, but I was ready for my epidural as soon as I could get it! Once I got my epidural, life improved dramatically, but my labor slowed down. I didn't care at that point though, because I was no longer in pain. I labored all day on the 28th, into the evening. At one point, the doctor told me if I didn't progress, he would strongly recommend I go ahead and have a C-section. Fortunately, the next time he came to check me, I had progressed and was ready to have this baby! I pushed for about an hour, they got the vacuum and sucked little/big Hudson right on out! He was/is perfect!
I was shocked at how amazing I felt later on that day! I thought I had recovered pretty well from my C-section with Sawyer, but this was a bajillion times better! We even went home on the 30th, because we were both doing well.
Sawyer has been a champ and loves his brother. He loves to kiss him and rock him in his car seat. He has started driving hot wheels over Hudson's head, but Hudson doesn't seem to mind-he's a pretty laid back kid. I'm excited for all of the adventures that these 2 have in store for me! Here are some amazing pics, taken by Janet Jensen of Jade Photography

2010-09-27T18:10:00.000-04:00

Sawyer's Big Boy Truck Bed

2010-09-09T19:46:00.010-04:00

Since Melissa is due to deliver our second son sometime in the next couple of weeks, we decided that it was time for Sawyer to give up the crib. I decided it would be a fun project for me to build him a bed. His nursery is a safari theme, and his favorite things in the world are trucks. So I decided to make his bed a safari truck of some sort. I settled on a Unimog, because they look tough and would likely be used on a safari.

So with a rough idea of the plan in my head, I bought some plywood, 2x4s, screws, paint, and other random supplies, and went to work. The tires are used tires I got from a tire shop. The steering wheel is from an old riding lawnmower. Melissa asked for storage for toys and such, so I made the hood open into a toy chest, and also the hubcaps are little doors so you he can put things inside the tires.

I really had a lot of fun doing this. It took a long time, and Melissa has been patient since we haven't parked in the garage for about a month now. It was nice to be able to do something hands on and stretch my creativity. So far he's done a pretty good job of staying in the bed at night, but nap time is more challenging since he can get out and play and it's not dark in his room. He also has learned how to turn door knobs now, which we were hoping he wouldn't learn for a little while longer. We've had to put the child proof knob cover on his door so he can't escape and explore the house while we're sleeping. We hear him knocking on his door in the morning and after naps to let us know he's awake.

This is the license plate on his truck.

A quick update on Meli-she had an ultrasound last Wednesday, and it was estimating that the baby weighed in at about 8 pounds already. They have scheduled her for a C-section on the 21st, but they will let her labor if he decides to come before then. They will do another ultrasound on the 17th, to check on him again.
We'll post pics of the new baby's nursery soon and hopefully, of the new baby even sooner!

What we did on our summer vacation.....

2010-08-16T12:06:00.009-04:00

I remember writing this essay pretty much every year I was in school. Some summers were definitely more exciting than others. This summer has been pretty fun! First, for those out of the loop,

We found out we are having another little boy in September! We are still undecided on his name, but we've been calling him "Huck" as a nickname for this whole pregnancy. Greg would love to name the baby Finn or Huckleberry, but I have yet to jump on board with either of those names. ( I love the name Finn, I just think Finn Pyne sounds funny, and I think people would think we were Mark Twain groupies if we had Sawyer and Finn.) My favorite name so far is Hudson, and Greg says he doesn't hate it like some of the other names I liked, so hopefully, it's in the running. I will find out on Sept 1st if I need to schedule a C-section based on Huck's size. If he's in the 90th percentile for size, they will recommend a C-section. If he is smaller, then my OB group will let me go to my due date to try and labor naturally. If he hasn't come by then, they'll go in and get him. I can't wait to meet him and can't believe he will be here next month!

This summer we've tried to beat the heat by going to the lake and to the pool. Sawyer loves the water so much that I enrolled him in swimming lessons. He had a ball! Even though he was the youngest in his class, he did great! He wasn't afraid to stick his head under the water or jump into the pool.
Here are some pics of his swimming adventures

As mentioned in our previous post, Greg has been taking care of our garden this summer. We were blessed with zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, broccoli, squash, lettuce, spinach, jalapenos, bell peppers, carrots, a watermelon, a few strawberries, a few blueberries, and some blackberries. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but almost everything we planted produced at least one fruit/vegetable for us to eat. I canned spaghetti sauce and salsa, and made strawberry freezer jam (not with our strawberries though). I felt very domestic!

We grew all of that in our backyard-it was kind of exciting. All credit goes to Greg though. I did not weed, fertilize, or plant a single thing in that garden. I just cooked what came out of it.

We're currently working on the baby's nursery, and Greg is building Sawyer's big boy bed. Any advice on transferring an active toddler to a bed seamlessly? My goal is to have Sawyer staying and sleeping in his big boy bed by the time the baby gets here. Am I crazy or can this really happen? We'll post pics of both of the boys' rooms as soon as they're ready. Wish us luck!

Dirty hands are very satisfying

2010-04-13T11:40:00.004-04:00

About three weeks ago my dad Terry and grandpa Max came out to me graft our apple tree. My dad brought some dormant clippings from our orchard out in Utah. While they were here I decided that as long as we were working on the apple tree, we might as well plant the garden that Meli and I have long talked about. Meli's dad Quentin and my brother-in-law Todd came over to help as well.

Greg, Terry, Quentin, Todd

Dad digs a hole for one of our fruit trees while Todd tills the ground.

Grandpa Max supervises me load the tools back in the pickup.

And here is our garden this morning, just over three weeks after planting.

Here is our apple tree. As you can see, at least two of our grafts have taken and are starting to grow leaves.

Our garden now has:

Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Corn
Spinach
Romaine lettuce
Onions
Broccoli
Strawberries
Asparagus
Zucchini
Beans
Peas
Carrots
Potatoes
Cucumber
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Raspberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Apple tree with a few different varieties (we will have to wait for a while to see which ones)
Pear tree with 3 different varieties
A tree with nectarines, plums, and apricots
2 Peach trees

I've been told that we were a little over-ambitious this year.

Baby #2 is on the way

2010-04-05T12:18:00.012-04:00

That's right! Little pynenut #2 will be making his or her grand appearance at the end of September. My official due date is September 24. We are so excited! I've had more nausea and been much more tired with this pregnancy than when I was pregnant with Sawyer. Overall, I feel good and will be excited to find out the baby's gender some time in May.
Since our last post, we went on a cruise to Mexico with the Pyne family. I still need to upload pics from that trip, but we had an amazing time. We got to spend a lot of time with the majority of Greg's family. We went zip-lining, swimming, boating, some rode dune buggies, and we all ate too much food. It was so much fun!
We have a garden now too! Greg's dad and grandpa came to help till and plant "our crops". It is a little larger than what I was picturing, but if all goes well, we will have all kinds of fruits and vegetables in our backyard.
Amy and I took Chloe and Sawyer to get their Easter pictures taken. We thought it would be cute for them to be in some together. We were fairly successful and got some cute pics. Here is one of the best ones of them together.

This is one of my favorites-I think he'll be a great big brother.

She is such a precious angel! I love her!

Here is Sawyer "sneaking" into a shot. He wanted to be in some pictures that he really wasn't supposed to be in.

Such an infectious smile!

He looks so handsome in his suit and tie.

I hope everyone had a happy Easter!

Chloe is here!

2010-02-01T20:53:00.005-05:00

Check out my beautiful niece Chloe Celine Baker! Isn't she darling! She graced us with her presence on January 23, 2010. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches. She is such a little snuggle bug !

Miss Chloe had to stay in the hospital an extra week due to an infection. She is home now and is happy to be with her mom and dad! I love that she's already sticking her tongue out at the
camera :)

Here is another picture of her cuteness.

Such a sweet girl! Welcome to the family!

Sawyer's visit to Santa

2009-12-18T10:32:00.013-05:00

Sawyer got to see Santa twice this week! His first visit was at our local mall, where interestingly enough, depending on the time you visit, you can see a white Santa or a black Santa. We were there on a Wednesday, so the line wasn't too long. Here is a shot of Sawyer and I waiting in line.

Still waiting.....

He did such a good job! I was afraid he was going to wonder why his mom was putting him on a stranger's lap, but he didn't seem to mind. This was the picture you had to buy if you wanted to take pics with your own camera.

Here are a few Greg took. Sawyer had to check Santa out at first.

Then he got comfy and smiled for us.

We then saw Santa at my sister's school. She teaches Kindergarten, and before their Christmas break, they have a Polar Express Day. The kids wear their jammies to school and get to watch Polar Express the movie, drink hot cocoa, and meet Santa. Sawyer got to participate in some of the festivities.

Here the kids are "riding" the Polar Express to see Santa. Sawyer is the little stowaway on the 4th row in green pajamas.

Here he is with Santa (does Santa look familiar? Yep, it's my dad!)

Just in case I don't get to update before Christmas, Merry Christmas! We hope y'all all have a great holiday!

Some belated birthday fun

2009-11-25T23:12:00.012-05:00

I wanted to post a few pics from Sawyer's first birthday party. He really likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so we had a Mickey party. He had a few friends come and play, plus a ton of family. Grandpa Terry and Grandma Sue flew out from Utah to visit and participate in the festivities.

Greg was inspired by the show, Ace of Cakes, and took on the challenge of making Sawyer's birthday cake. I was going to just make cupcakes with mini oreo ears, but Greg had grander plans. He decided to replicate Mickey's Clubhouse. This is what it looks like on the show.

This is Greg's version. Not too shabby for a first time kiddie cake maker!

I made these Mickey party hats for everyone to wear, which most did without complaining (except for the birthday boy). Here, they are being modeled by some of the party guests. (A special thanks to Amylou for cutting out those circles for me at school).

We had a knock-off version of Cafe Rio for lunch and then birthday cake. Sawyer was a fan of the cake and frosting. Here he is after his first few bites

and a shot towards the end.

He had such a good time and enjoyed getting to play with his buddies, Graham and Lydia.

Here we are opening some of his presents.

This one is from Uncle Dave-it's his very first movie. It's called "It"-by Stephen King-a must see for the 1 year old crowd (Uncle Dave says, "but it has a clown in it")

Here he is opening a few more with his dad, and me looking on.

Fun was had by all ( I hope!)

In other news, Greg had surgery on his eyes this past Friday. It is called PRK, and will give him 20/20 vision(or pretty close to it). I got to watch the procedure and thought it was pretty cool. The sound of the laser is scarier than anything that you actually see going on. He was uncomfortable the first few days, but he is now feeling and seeing much better.

I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! May you all get to spend time with friends and family and eat lots of good food!

Brace yourself for the cuteness!

2009-10-29T20:59:00.009-04:00

Okay, so I told a little lie in my last post. We aren't getting his pictures taken next week, but today. I decided to take advantage of my baby's relatively bruise/scratch free face and get his photos taken. I knew if I waited too much longer, he'd probably gash his face open or get a rug burn on his forehead. He loves to crawl with his little hiney in the air and his head pressed right against the carpet-it's so funny to watch, but a little dangerous to his face! He was a lot wigglier this time than the last time, but they still managed to get some cute shots.

He was way more interested in other people's photo sessions than his own, and kept trying to sneak into their pictures.

He also liked to play with the props instead of pose with them. Like in this next picture....

Or eat them, like in this one...

He was very sad that wasn't a real apple.

We are still working on his roaring. He likes to do it when he's not in his costume, usually at lunch time with a mouth full of food. I hope people hand out string cheese and yogurt, because that is all he wants to eat right now.

He's such a fun little guy!

Happy Birthday Sawyer!

2009-10-27T00:01:00.001-04:00

Our sweet baby Sawyer is 1! This year has flown by, yet it seems like he has always been with us. I still am amazed at what he has accomplished in his first year of life. He used to stay on the blanket where I put him. Now I have to try and brush his hair as he's running down the hallway. He has brought so much joy into our lives, and I can't wait to see what this next year brings.
Here are some pics from the last couple of months. ( We're going to get his 1 year pictures taken next week).

We went to the Yellow River Game Ranch, which is basically a huge petting zoo. Animals, like deer, rabbits, and ducks, are walking around for you to feed and pet. Some animals are in cages (like bears, cougars, and other animals that would eat young children). Sawyer wasn't too sure about seeing animals up close and personal, but got used to them towards the end of the trip. Here he is petting the rabbit, ever so sweetly.

And here he is trying to pull it up by the poor bunny's ears.

We went to Utah in August to surprise Greg's dad for his birthday. His sister Kelly and her husband Cardon flew in from New York too, so it was like a mini family reunion. We went boating, hiking at Sundance, played games, and had a great time. Here are my boys getting ready to start our hike. Sawyer thought the back pack was pretty cool.

I love this picture-it shows off how beautiful his eyes are.

Here's the whole gang at the waterfall we hiked to at Sundance-even Sue made the whole trek! : )

Greg's brother, Kent, has this cool scooter and sidecar. We went for a drive up and down the street. Sawyer wasn't a fan of his helmet.

Sawyer has his 1 year appointment next week, so I don't have his stats yet. He is walking and running very well now. After wearing flip flops all summer, he is now wearing regular shoes and is having to get used to them, but he is not letting them slow him down. He drinks from a sippy cup and loves milk, string cheese, fruit, and yogurt. He squeals when he sees a soda can or a real cup and instantly becomes your best friend if you share. He is no longer wanting baby food, but regular food. He is a funny little kid at meal times. He has to get the smallest taste of what's on the spoon before he will commit to a full bite. I have to dab the food on his lips because his mouth is clamped down tight! He prefers to feed himself most of the time, so I am trying to make his meals finger food friendly. He can say mama and dada pretty regularly and loves to play patty cake. One of his favorite games is to sneak up behind you and "scare" you. He also loves to brush your teeth for you with his tooth brush and give you sips from his sippy cup. If you are lucky, he will also share some of his partially eaten or manhandled food with you too! I am hoping his love for sharing will continue on as he gets bigger.
As soon as we get his new pics taken, I'll post them. Greg is in Chicago to take his oral exam to finish his board certification process. I know he will be glad when he is finally done! Since he is gone, we are postponing Sawyer's birthday to the Saturday after Halloween. Greg's parents will be here for the festivities. I'll post pics of that day too!

I love to swim!

2009-08-20T23:05:00.004-04:00

Actually, he loves playing in all types of water-fountains, bathtubs, sinks, etc. Here are a few pics of him swimming with his Grandpa Cashman.

This one's my favorite!

He likes to drink the water too!

Stay tuned for pics from our trip to the petting zoo!

A Hodgepodge of Info

2009-08-12T21:26:00.008-04:00

Things are going well here in the Pyne household. Sawyer and I had a great trip to see family and friends in Pennsylvania and DC. We drove out with my parents to PA, and then Sawyer and I flew home from DC. He fell asleep as we were taking off, and woke up as we landed. I am sure people thought I drugged him, but I didn't-I swear. We just happened to be flying during his nap time.
We had a fun time swimming, eating, playing, and catching up with everyone. I got to see my friend Alyssa, who was home for a few weeks from Berlin and her family. We've known each other since we were really young and were roommates in college. We also got to visit with my Grandma Agnes, Aunt Laurie and her 3 children. Sawyer was a good little traveler and did not do anything that required a gas station bath : ) We had so much fun, but we both missed Greg, and were excited to be reunited as a family.
While we were gone, I was given strict instructions by Greg to not let Sawyer start walking while we were away from him. Sawyer was obedient, and started walking soon after we got home! He is still pretty unsteady, but he averages about 5 steps before he lunges for the closest thing to balance himself on. His record is 10 steps. His little face is a mixture of excitement and terror as he toddles around. He has also discovered that he can step on top of things to get taller-yay for us-climbing and walking all at once! This little trick has resulted in the removal of the crib bumpers from his bed. We need to get a video of him walking and playing his favorite game of chase.
He had his 9 month checkup which went well. He is weighing in at 22 pounds, 4.5 ounces, is 31 inches tall, and his noggin is 48 cm in circumference. He is still off the charts for his height and head, and is in the 75-80% for his weight. He didn't have to get shots, which is always a good thing. He has 2 more teeth coming in on the bottom, bringing him to a total of 8 teeth.
I am going to totally change the subject, hence the hodgepodge. I really am wanting to become a better cook, so I look to the internet for recipes and guidance. I have been using a website for the last couple of months that I absolutely love. I like everything that I've made so far. The recipes are delicious, well-written, have pictures, and use pretty normal ingredients. It is called
Ourbestbites.com My favorites so far are the Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos, Thai Peanut Noodles, Grilled Pizza, Stuffed Pizza Rolls and the Spicy Honey Chicken. Yummo!
I have also stumbled across another site that I think I am going to love. It is called Picky-palate.com. I have only made one thing so far, and they were super delicious and easy.
They are called Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bites. I made them for a YW activity and they were a hit! Here's the recipe and a picture of the goodness. They were so easy, and I bet you have all of the ingredients in your pantry.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Brownie Bites

1 brownie mix such as Pillsbury (I used a Betty Crocker one for a 9x13 pan, and it was the perfect amount)

2 Cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 Cup peanut butter

1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Bake until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center but still slightly undercooked-about 3-5 minutes less than what the box says. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. When you are able to touch brownies comfortably, scoop brownies with a medium cookie scoop or spoon, roll tightly into a ball and place onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Continue rolling until brownies are gone. Freeze brownies until very firm, a couple hours or overnight. No worries if your brownie balls aren’t perfect, once frozen reshape them. They are easier to handle when chilled.

2. Place chocolate chips over a double broiler (or heat in microwave until smooth) to melt, then stir in peanut butter until creamy smooth. Roll each frozen brownie ball into chocolate and place onto wax paper to dry. Enjoy room temperature or chilled.

So rich and so good!

Have a great week!

Panama City

2009-07-13T18:36:00.013-04:00

For the 4th of July, we went to Panama City with the Cashmans and the Bakers for 3-6 days. (Some of the folks had to leave on Sunday and left the rest of us to bask in the gloriousness of the beach until Wednesday). We had a wonderful time! The weather was pretty much perfect the whole time we were there. We were not without our adventures though. On the drive down, Sawyer decided to spice things up a bit. TMI alert---he exploded out of his diaper, out of his clothes, and into his carseat. Fortunately, we had just pulled up to a gas station within minutes of him doing this. I had never been so excited to be at a gas station. I had to bathe my sweet, smelly baby in a gas station sink. He thought it was the most fun thing ever and enjoyed slipping and sliding around in the sink while I tried to clean him with wet wipes. Of course they didn't have paper towels, just the hand dryers. My poor, pregnant sister (yay for the Baker's bun in the oven!) tried to help me without puking on me or the baby. Once we got the little guy cleaned up and his carseat cleaned and deodorized, we were on our way again. We arrived safely to our beautiful condo for the week, and Sawyer was good as gold for the rest of the trip.
Greg and I our scuba-certified, and we convinced my dad, brother, and brother-in-law, to get certified too. They completed their open water dives and are now official scuba divers. Greg and I got to do a wreck dive while they were off being certified. We have been spoiled by the Caribbean waters though, and are probably scuba snobs, but it was still fun. The guys also went deep sea fishing while we were there and caught about 12 fish. They were very excited about their catch. I really only like shrimp, and they didn't catch any of those, so I won't be enjoying the fruits of their labor. (I use the word labor very loosely here-they were on a pretty sweet boat and loved every minute of it!)

Here is a pic of the boys with some of their fish.

Yes, that is a sideburn in the shape of a lightning bolt on my husband's face. All I can say is, I choose my battles, and as far as his facial hair, it's just not worth fighting about it. Plus, it makes him so happy for some reason. He has to be fairly clean shaven at work, so I know whatever he etches into his face, will have to eventually be shaved off.

The pool area was beautiful, and we spent most of our time there.

I'm sure those people would love knowing that their fannies were posted on my blog. Do you ever wonder how many strangers have pictures of YOU in their photos? Kinda creepy if you think about it too long....

Here are a few pics of Sawyer enjoying his trip.

He enjoyed dining poolside.

I love, love, love when babies have their little feet crossed!

This is a shot taken from our balcony. Sunscreen makes pretty good hair product, huh? Yes, that is how I dressed him to go to the pool-plus a hat, and sunscreen. Even though he is darker than me, (I know what you're thinking, who isn't darker than Melissa?) I can't imagine anything worse than a sunburned baby, so I was extra careful.

I know I mentioned it earlier, but MY SISTER IS PREGNANT! I am so excited and can't wait for the little sugarbuns to get here. Her due date is January 25th, which seems like forever away! I know Sawyer will be glad to have a local cousin to wrestle/play with on a regular basis. I only hope to be as good of an aunt as she is to Sawyer.
Sawyer and I will be taking another road trip in about a week to visit some friends and family in the DC and PA area. Hopefully, it will go as well as the PC trip (minus the gas station bath of course!) I'll try to take more pics and post again soon!

Sawyer laughing...

2009-06-27T15:05:00.005-04:00

(PS, this is an HD video, so once you press play, you can click on the HD logo on the lower right corner to get an even better look at his cuteness)

I know, I know, what an original title, but I'm limited in my computer time since Sawyer is extremely mobile now. He's crawling like a champ and wants to walk soooo badly and sometimes thinks he can. He will let go of whatever he's climbed up/scaled up (doors, tables, walls, people) and try to take a step, and promptly falls. Is it bad parenting to wrap your baby in bubble wrap? He is especially intrigued by electrical sockets, wires, and the sharp corners of tables.
This video was taken 2 months ago on our cruise. Sawyer loves to watch it and will smile and laugh the whole time it's playing.
He is officially 8 months today, and we are having so much fun with him. He loves the water and would swim or stay in the bath all day if we let him. He can clap and say some form of "yay" while he is doing it. He can wave hi and bye. He said "dadadadada" for Father's Day, but he hasn't said it since then. He has 6 teeth-poor kid! The four on top all came in within days of each other. He loves to chew/bite everything-furniture, food, people-literally, whatever he can get his teeth on. He still loves to eat and opens his mouth very, very wide so as not to miss a drop. My favorite is when he gets so excited that he's eating, that he starts to clap. Let me tell you, this kid has amazing timing and manages to clap his hands together just as the spoon full of food is in between them. Is it bad parenting to wrap your baby in paper towels too?
We are gearing up for a Cashman family trip to Florida in the next week or so. We can't wait!

Cruises, concerts, and crib tricks

2009-06-08T21:07:00.016-04:00

I've been planning on posting since we got back from our cruise, but I just have been too busy and/or lazy and/or forgetful. We had a fabulous time cruising with the Pynes (Greg's parents, grandfather, and sister, Adrienne). It was so nice to visit, relax, and not have to do anything but have fun. We cruised on the Carnival Valor and stopped in Grand Cayman, Belize, Roatan, and Key West (We were supposed to go to Cozumel, but with the swine flu saga, we got re-routed to Key West.). Oh well, we still had a great time. Grandma Sue graciously watched Sawyer for us while we went scuba diving in Grand Cayman and Roatan, and on our cave hike/zipline excursion in Belize.

Adrienne and Terry before the dive in Grand Cayman.

Here we are on the boat after our first dive in Grand Cayman.

Some dinner pics ( I think Sawyer is grabbing Terry's hair.).

Sawyer and I in Key West. I had to wear that brace for about 5 weeks. I was diagnosed by my favorite doctor with de Quervain's stenosing tenosynovitis. It feels fine now, and I haven't had to wear the brace for the last week or so.

We don't have a picture, but I was chosen/forced to volunteer for a game show on the cruise and I won! I now have in my possession, a "24kt plastic piece of ship on a stick". Aren't you proud of me, Heather? :)

It looks like this, but ours is from the Valor-I stole/borrowed this from the web.

This was the crib Sawyer slept in on the cruise. I would wake up to find him clenching the bars in his sleep, like he was in jail or something. Unfortunately, those pics didn't turn out-probably because they were taken at 3am in the dark.

Fast forward to this crib pic.

He is so proud of this accomplishment! He now feels the need to stand up and do a lap around the crib before he goes to sleep. He can scoot from the far back corner, almost all the way around to the other side before falling. He is crawling around pretty well now too. He does a cross between a downward dog yoga move and an army crawl to get to his toys. His favorite toys right now are empty water bottles, paper, and remote controls. We have video of his crawling, we just need to figure out how to post it.
At his 6 month checkup, he weighed 18 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 29 7/8in tall. He is off the charts for his height and in the 80 percentile for his weight. He is growing way too fast! His 2 top teeth are working their way out-I can see one that's broken through already. We've been practicing clapping, blowing kisses, and waving hi. He also loves to pick up and snack on his fruit-flavored Gerber puffs.

Amy and I had the fabulous opportunity to go see New Kids on the Block in concert! I was supposed to go with her in October, but I was still in the hospital with Sawyer. It was such a fun show! They sang a good mix of their old and new songs. How crazy is it that I still know the words to songs I haven't sung in years! We had seats on the 25th row, which were really good seats. They turned into phenomenal seats when they came out in the audience and performed on the bar right behind us. We both got to shake hands/touch/grope (appropriately of course) 4 out of 5 of the boys!

This is Amy's hand resting on Donnie's leg.

I just had my camera phone, but I made friends with the girl next to me who had a camera and she sent me about 40 pics- if you tell me your favorite, I can email you a good close up pic :)

We had so much fun!

One last pic to end this random blog entry. I find him in the craziest positions. He has a big ol' crib, but likes to squish himself into the smallest spot.

As soon as we download our video software, I will post some live action shots of Sawyer.

The Photo Shoot

2009-04-02T21:48:00.010-04:00

Sawyer had his first photo shoot today! He did such a good job! I was getting a little worried because they were running about an hour behind, and I had tried to schedule his session before his nap time. Fortunately, the little guy hung in there for the whole shoot, and promptly fell asleep in his stroller as I was picking out pictures. It was so hard narrowing them down-he's just so stinkin' cute! Here are some for your viewing pleasure!

He has been showing off his teeth a lot more lately. For the first little while, whenever we tried to show people, he'd always cover them with his tongue. The bunny in the first picture got a nice slobbery kiss from Sawyer right before they took his picture. And that shovel in the last 2 pics, it went into his mouth 2 seconds after the picture was taken. I'm sure they've been in the mouths and grimy hands of many, many other children. Yahoo for germs!

This was the very first one she took-I'm glad he loosened up a little as the session went on! He looks so stiff, like he's not quite sure what to do, so he'll just lay there and smile at his silly mommy who was jumping around trying to get him to laugh.

We had a good time, and now that I know he CAN smile for cameras, we will be going much more often!

Quick post

2009-04-01T12:32:00.002-04:00

Here are some pics of Sawyer's 2 teeth! I took the pics with my phone, so they aren't super great. The first one broke through a week before he turned 5 months, and the second one broke through a few days later. We call him "Piranha" because he loves to gnaw on anything that passes in front of his face.

He loves to eat sweet potatoes and squash, and we now strip him down to his diaper to eat (orange baby food is not fun to try and get out of clothes). He is getting pretty adept at rolling over and is practicing doing the inchworm to get to his toys. Greg and his Georgia uncles help him "practice" crawling and walking. I don't think they know what they are setting themselves up for! We go for his first professional photo shoot tomorrow, so I'll post real pics soon!

It's March already??

2009-03-05T22:23:00.011-05:00

Okay, so I know the last time I posted was last year, but we've been pretty busy in the Pyne household. Greg is feeling better (yahoo!) and Sawyer, I swear, gets bigger every day! He had his 4 month checkup today. He is tipping the scales at 16.5 pounds (85%) and is 27 inches long(97%). The doctor said he is just a big, happy, healthy baby boy. I couldn't agree more!
Greg's sister, Kelly, got to come and visit us for a weekend in February. Her husband, Cardon, bought her a ticket to Atlanta. We had fun showing her some of the finer things Atlanta has to offer, as well as introducing her to her newest nephew. Hurry back, Kelly-Sawyer misses you!

Sawyer had his first airplane ride a few weeks ago out to Utah. Greg's sweet Grandma Bea passed away, and we went out for the funeral and to visit with family and friends. He was so good on the trip out-he only got antsy a few times, but settled down if we got up and walked around a little. He slept almost the whole flight home, which was great since I was flying back minus Greg (he had to be at work on Monday, and I stayed out until Tuesday to visit some family and friends).
Here's a pic of him snoozing on the plane.

As we were going through security in the Salt Lake City airport, they made me take Sawyer's tennis shoes off! The people behind me in line couldn't believe it, but I slid his tiny shoes off and sent them to be x-rayed. We can all sleep tight knowing that every security precaution is being taken!
Here is another pic of Sawyer trying on his "snowsuit" for Utah.

Here's a picture of 4 generations of Pyne men. Check out Sawyer's cute tie-he got so many compliments on it-check out Dainty Couture on etsy for other "little man ties".

Greg and I are also attempting to complete the P90X program. (Y'all can stop laughing, I'm going to try to do it or at least some version of it). We got off to a pretty good start, but then got derailed with company, sickness, and our trip out to Utah. Our goal is to start up again this weekend and stay strong for 90 days (of pure torture) I'll let you know how things go. It is geared for people who are already in shape and are wanting to take things to the next Xtreme level (okay really, stop laughing).

Other good news, Greg passed his boards-yahoo! Not that there was any doubt in my mind, but I know he was relieved to get that news in the mail!

Here's just a random cute pic of Sawyer in his outfit from my Aunt Anita and Uncle Dale from Wisconsin. I love the hat-it's my favorite part of the outfit. Check out that belly and double chin action going on (not mine, Sawyer's)

Since the weather's been pretty decent, we've had a few bonfires out at the house. Here's Greg and Sawyer showing off the awesome fire.

This has been a very abbreviated version of events from the past 2 1/2 months. I mean, we celebrated Christmas, New Year's, our 2nd anniversary, etc , and each of those events deserve their own post, but I'm lazy. I know I won't get around to it all, so just know we had a fabulous Christmas, a great New Year's Eve (Sawyer stayed up til 11:57-he just couldn't hang on for those last 3 minutes), and a romantic anniversary.
My goal is to update at least 2 times a month-wish me luck!

Playing Catch Up!

2008-12-16T23:43:00.013-05:00

Wow! So much has happened since our last post! I'm sorry for the slacking off, but things have been pretty hectic-I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just start with Thanksgiving. Greg's parents and sister, Adrienne, came to Atlanta to celebrate with us and meet Sawyer. We had a wonderful time visiting and relaxing. I think Sawyer was impressed with his grandparents and aunt from Utah, and they thought he was pretty fabulous too!
We hosted Thanksgiving at our house, so I got to cook the turkey. I've never cooked a turkey before, and was a little nervous, but I got some excellent advice from my mom and Sue. I was kinda grossed out by the instructions to "remove the packet of parts" and "lift back the neck flap to remove the neck", but I was brave and removed the extra turkey parts and it turned out really well. Here's a pic of Greg carving the beautiful bird.
This was the one day Greg felt really well while his parents were visiting. He's been feeling pretty wretched for a while now. We are hoping his doctor visit next week will shed some light on what's going on and get him feeling better.
While Greg's family was here, we had Sawyer's blessing. He was such a good baby during the blessing, even though he tooted at the very beginning of it! I don't think too many people heard him, and Greg gave him a beautiful blessing. I am going to take some pictures of Sawyer in his blessing outfit and post them later because I didn't get any of him that day.
Sawyer had his first month appointment on December 4. He weighed in at 12 pounds, 1 ounce, and he was 24 1/4 inches long. That is a 3 pound weight gain, and an extra 2 1/4 inches. He's getting so big! Here are a few pics of the darling little guy.

Greg's sister-in-law, Mandee, gave Sawyer these hospital scrubs so he can match his dad.
Here he is in his BYU spirit wear, sent to him from Auntie Alyssa.
The most traumatic part of this month happened a week ago when we were trying to take pictures for our Christmas card. In retrospect, Greg and I realize we were being pretty dumb and hope Sawyer can forgive us! We were posing Sawyer on a little sled in front of our fireplace. I moved away for a second so I wouldn't be in the shot, and he tipped over and burned his hand! We have gas logs and there is a glass "screen" in front of them, and his hand touched the screen, blistering it. Sawyer cried for about 30 minutes, I cried for about 3 hours, and still get a little teary-eyed when I think about it. Greg took care of Sawyer's hand and called a doctor that specializes in burns. He agreed to see Sawyer a few days after it happened. The burn doctor said he would be fine, and that he shouldn't even have a scar. I am so grateful he wasn't hurt more than what he was, but I feel absolutely awful that I broke my baby in the first 6 weeks he's been here! Thankfully, his hand hasn't seemed to bother him. He likes to whack people with it and suck on it. Here is one of the pics from the ill-fated photo shoot.
Here is an after shot-he doesn't look like he'll hold it against us for too long. Once he was bandaged up and fed, he was acting like nothing happened. I think I was still crying while Greg took this picture though. He looks so pitiful with his little bandage!
Sawyer has really started smiling a lot these past few weeks (despite all of his troubles-he's also been fighting a cold). I can't wait to get his dimply, gummy grin on camera, but when he sees the camera, he clams up. I tried taking some more pics for our Christmas card-no fires involved this time-but I haven't captured his smile yet. Y'all might get your Christmas card after Christmas, but here is a sneak peek of what I'm hoping to get-only smiling. Of course, he might refuse to smile if I keep dressing him up like this! I hope to update again before Christmas, but if I don't, I hope y'all all have a very Merry Christmas!

Loving Mommyhood

2008-11-15T19:35:00.007-05:00

I can't believe my baby is almost 3 weeks old! We took him to the doctor for his first appointment the Monday after he was born. He gained back almost all of the weight he lost while in the hospital. They wanted to be sure he would continue to gain weight, so they asked me to bring him in for a weight check that Thursday. Well, we all had nothing to worry about! The little piglet gained 8 ounces in 3 days! Here is a picture of him before his first doctor's appointment. Greg was able to get him smiling-check out those dimples!

We have no real routine yet-Sawyer loves to sleep and eat, and as long as those two things are taken care of, he is a really happy baby. He also loves to snuggle-he can fall asleep in anyone's arms. He is a noisy little guy though-especially while eating and sleeping. I wonder who he is talking to while he dreams (He gets this from his dad-Greg talks in his sleep all the time!)

Here are some more pics of my sweet baby. His hair changes color-it goes from blonde to red-depending on his mood. Also, if he gets mad and starts crying, his hair will stand up on its own-kind of like a cat!

Here Sawyer is getting his first kiss from a girl-an older girl at that! : )

We have a bajillion other pictures, but they aren't on the computer yet. I will keep them coming!

Say hello to Sawyer!

2008-10-28T22:45:00.010-04:00

Sawyer Max Pyne was born at 9:02 pm on October 27th, weighing 9 lbs 1 oz, 22 inches long. Melissa was post-term a few days, and Sawyer was measuring pretty large, so she ended up having to be induced. Labor progressed slowly though, and the little guy didn't seem to like her contractions very much, so in the end she had a C-section. And after all that, she still didn't even curse me or complain. Isn't she the most beautiful woman - pregnant or otherwise - that you've ever seen?
Since he was a little bit overbaked and had some stressful contractions, Sawyer had some meconium (poop) in his amniotic fluid. So they suctioned his lungs out and watched him closely for a short time in the NICU.
In this next picture, he really looks like a redhead. And he really does have a reddish tint to his hair, but here it looks especially red (they hadn't shampooed the meconium out of his hair yet.)
Here is a video of Sawyer just after his arrival to the NICU and just after being cleaned off. People were anxious to get to see him.

Here he shows how his first priority is to eat. He also gets to meet Grandma Cashman.

Sawyer and Dad talk about life outside the womb.

The Pyne family:
Taking a walk (Meli's first since the delivery)
He's sporting some sideburns, trying to look like his dear ol' dad

The nursery is almost finished...

2008-10-22T17:49:00.006-04:00

The only thing missing, is a baby. Now if Melissa would just stop procrastinating... Actually, it's not her fault I'm sure. More likely, our boy takes after his good old dad. I have mastered the art of procrastination for many, many years, but really, who am I kidding, it's just in my DNA.

We were given the most wonderful gift by the builder of our house, Barbara Parker, and her family. She hired a professional artist to paint the nursery for us. Her name is Jessica Rollins, and let me tell you - she is an amazing artist and a perfectionist-she made sure everything was just perfect for our little boy. We had the basic idea of what we wanted, and she took those ideas and made a beautiful room. If anyone would like her contact info just let us know. We would wholeheartedly recommend her.

As you will notice in the pictures, we have finally decided on a name. We wanted to put it up on the wall, and I wanted it to be unique and playful, so I just started cutting up some bamboo and made the letters. I think it turned out pretty cool.

I've been tagged!

2008-10-07T20:48:00.005-04:00

My friend and roommate from Provo, Lindsay, tagged me, so here, in no particular order, are my lists of five:

5 Joys:
1. My wonderful and adorable husband, Greg, our new baby boy (ETA, Oct 23), and my family
2. Hosting parties for family and friends
3. Traveling
4. Finding fabulous things on sale
5. Decorating my home for the holidays, Christmas being my favorite, followed by Halloween

5 Fears:
1. Losing Greg, our baby, or my family
2.Frogs-yes, I know it's ridiculous, but they terrify me to no end.
3. My teeth being knocked out
4. Getting caught on fire
5. The upcoming labor and delivery of my baby (maybe more nervous than fearful)

5 Obsessions:
1. Trying new recipes-especially baked goods
2. Buying baby clothes and shoes-Greg is hoping this ends soon!
3. Getting my house organized and decorated-still a work in progress.
4. Sewing-who knew how fun it could be? (Other than my mom, who was dying to teach Amy and I how to sew when we were younger). I love it, because I am able to have exactly what I want. I've made 2 pairs of curtains and some table runners so far. I haven't decided what my next project will be.
5. Clearing unfinished time off of the microwave-it should always have the clock time on it, not seconds left : )

5 surprising facts:
1. I went backpacking through Europe using my college back pack for 3 weeks with my friend Sarah.
2. I've been bungee jumping, sky diving, and am a certified scuba diver.
3. I'm only allergic to one thing-self-tanner. (My only hope for a "safe" tan, and it makes me break out in hives-my hopes of being a bronze goddess will never be fulfilled).
4. I've had my picture taken with Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20 and Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block (and yes, I was over 20 in both of them).
5. I haven't had a Diet Coke since February 6, 2008. This is huge-I used to be a 3-4 20 oz bottle a day Diet Coke gal!

I tag:
1. Amy
2. Paula
3. Heidi
4. Becky
5. Alyssa
and anyone else who wants to play!

Quick update

2008-10-04T00:12:00.005-04:00

Greg and I went to the doctor for our ultrasound Friday to check out how big baby boy Pyne is getting. He is so cute! He was measuring in the 100th percentile about 3 weeks ago, when they thought he weighed about 6.5 to 7 pounds. Today, they measured him at about 7 pounds, 10 ounces-closer to the 67th percentile and more on track for his due date-which is only 19 days away! It honestly has flown by!
I am writing my "things to take to the hospital list" and will pack it sometime this weekend. Any suggestions on things to take?

Noccalula Falls

2008-09-13T10:12:00.008-04:00

Greg and I took a mini vacation to Gadsden, Alabama to see the world famous Noccalula Falls. Okay, so maybe the waterfall isn't world famous, but it is listed as one of the most beautiful places in Alabama. Greg has never been to Alabama (my birthplace, but don't tell anyone), and we didn't want to be driving all day to go somewhere, so we chose to give it a try. They have a little train that takes you throughout the park. You can get off at any of the stops and hop back on, or just walk-it is a fairly small park. They have an animal habitat with a petting zoo, some deer, and a lioness (she wasn't part of the petting zoo). How random is that though-a big ol' lion in the middle of a petting zoo. They also have a little village you can walk through and see old buildings and artifacts. The highlight of the park is, of course, the waterfall. We hiked down to the waterfall, which was pretty. We were able to hike behind the waterfall and take some pictures. The statue of Noccalula at the top of the waterfall makes it appear like she is jumping off the cliff. Apparently, it was the first statue of its kind when it was created-kind of morbid I think, to have a suicidal statue, but that's just my opinion. Since it no longer is the only jumping off a cliff statue, that means there are more out there-creepy.

Here is the train we rode on through the park.

The waterfalls and a bellyshot-I am 33 weeks in these pics.
The suicidal statue

Behind the waterfall

We had so much fun and enjoyed just getting to spend some time together. We only have a few more weeks together by ourselves, which is a scary/exciting thought! We can't wait to be parents, but we are a little freaked out when we really think about it.
I had a doctor's appointment when we got back on Monday, and our little guy, isn't so little. They think he weighs about 6.5 pounds right now. Supposedly, they gain 1/2 a pound a week at this point, so if he goes the 40 weeks, he'll be a 10 pounder. Yay for me! I was a 10 pound baby, so I guess it is only fair that I have a big baby too. Wish me luck!

A New Look

2008-08-26T23:42:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the ginormous picture of us! I was trying to change up our blog a little bit, and I have no idea how to make our title picture smaller. I'm going to keep working on it, but for now, enjoy our huge faces.
Things are going well here. I still feel great and really can't complain about this pregnancy. Our baby boy is very active, particularly at night when I'm in bed trying to sleep : ) I still work a few days a week and am planning to keep at it until I feel miserable or until the baby comes, whichever comes first. We are in the final planning stages of getting the nursery situated, so that's been fun. Our amazing home builder has offered to paint our nursery as a baby gift. She has even hired a professional interior designer/artist to do it! Greg and I thought she was just going to recruit one of her work crew painters to do it, so we were very surprised when she called to set up our first meeting with the decorator. I met with her last week to discuss our "vision" for the nursery and she is supposed to draw up plans this week to show us what she can do. I feel like I'm on HGTV! I can't wait to see it finished and I'm even more excited to see our baby in it!
Greg and I have been debating/arguing/discussing the name of our baby since we found out he was a boy. We've discovered that our tastes in names are pretty different. Greg tends to like older, more mature (ie 80 yr old man names) and I tend to like more popular, traditional names( too popular as far as Greg and our OB are concerned-my OB told me flat out I could not name my baby Aidan because he had already delivered too many babies by that name). I was so afraid our baby was going to leave the hospital as baby boy Pyne until this past Saturday night. We went bowling with some friends and family. I was up to bowl the 5th or 6th frame and knocked down 7 of the 10 pins. The 3 remaining were one towards the front, and then one on each corner of the back row (pins 7 and 10 for the bowling gurus). A horrible split shot, so horrible that my dear husband was prompted to call out to me, "If you can knock down all 3, you can name our baby!" The pressure was on, and after some good advice from my brother-in-law, I let the ball go. I don't know who was more surprised when I actually got the shot! I jumped pretty high for a pregnant lady and turned to see my sweet Greg's shocked face! He recovered pretty well and now says he's glad the pressure is off of him as far as naming the baby. I won't let him off the hook that easily-I still want his honest input. No decisions have been made yet. I think I want to see him first before making our final choice. We'll keep you posted on our progress!

Bumbo Seat Giveaway

2008-08-12T12:23:00.002-04:00

Isn't this cute?

I love cool baby stuff! I've heard bumbo seats are lifesavers, so we registered for one, even though they aren't really that attractive. These covers make them really cute and probably softer on a baby's legs. You can enter a contest for winning one by checking out the blog here.

We're back!

2008-07-24T22:30:00.018-04:00

Did you miss us? Sorry for the lack of posting (technically, it's Greg's turn to post, but I don't want to get any more irate comments or emails about my deficiencies as a blogger). These past few weeks have flown by. I can't believe I am 27 weeks pregnant! I am feeling really good so far, and love that I can feel the baby moving around on a regular basis. I'm not crazy about this picture, but I've been promising a belly shot for a few months now. It was taken before we went to Utah, so I was about 25 weeks. It looks like I'm missing a foot, but I promise, I still have
two feet : )We had a great trip out to Utah a few weeks ago. Greg's family had all sorts of fun stuff planned for us while we were visiting. We spent a day at Utah Lake wakeboarding, skiing, and tubing.

Here is Greg driving the boat
and wakeboarding.

This is our cutie nephew Daniel who thought riding on the boat was pretty cool.

This is our other super cute nephew Kenton. He liked the boat too, but took a little nap to recharge his batteries.

Here he is, well-rested and ready to drive the boat for us.

The next day we went to American Fork Canyon to the Tibble Fork Reservoir to fish, canoe, and cook out. Mike, Greg's brother, was the only one who had any luck fishing. While we were there, a woman was impaled on a tree branch! Greg was asked to help out until EMS arrived, and the local news stations interviewed his sister in law, Mandee, and his dad, Terry. They both were on the news that night. They don't have those clips available online anymore, but in this clip, you can see the back of Greg-he's wearing a grey shirt with maroon piping around the collar.

During our visit, Adrienne, Greg's sister, had a baby shower for me! It was so much fun, and I got to visit with so many great family members. We got some really cute baby things-everything is so adorable and little. I can't wait until he is here!

Here are a few pics from my shower. This is the diaper cake Adrienne made-so fun!
Some of my family that came to visit-I love y'all!

We also got to go to the Alpine Slides while we were visiting. They were not recommended for pregnant women, so I sat out and took some pictures. Unfortunately, Terry's sled ran out of steam towards the end, but he got to take another ride for free!

It was hard coming back home to real life after all of the fun we had! We are looking forward to seeing everyone again once the baby is born. We'll update again soon-I promise!

We're having a.........

2008-05-23T12:15:00.005-04:00

We are so excited! I was a little nervous the baby would be bashful in front of the camera, but our little guy had no problem flashing us {I guess he takes after his dad :) } He has a really strong heart beat and the ultrasound tech said everything looked good. He was very active during the session and liked holding his hands up close to his face. Here is one of the images.

It looks like he is sucking his thumb in this one. It was an amazing experience to see him moving and seeing/hearing his heart beat. The ultrasound tech said he weighs about 8.5 ounces. To put that in perspective, that's the weight of this, this, and 28 of these. I realize those are all food items, but that's what I get for blogging before lunch time. Now we just need a name...

What will our baby be?

2008-05-15T17:43:00.000-04:00

For Mother's Day, Greg bought me a session at a 3D ultrasound studio. We will be able to find out our baby's sex and get to see the little pynenut for about 20 minutes! We will go next week, so the question of the day is

We'll see what good or bad guessers y'all are! Feel free to leave comments with your guesses as well!

Things have been going well with our family so far. I've been feeling really well, just a little more tired than usual--nothing a quick nap can't fix though! We also got news that Greg's brother, Kent, and his wife, Mandee, are expecting their second baby. Congratulations to them! I'll post some baby bump pics soon--I'm still trying to decide if it is a baby bump or an ice-cream, donuts, and french fries bump (maybe that will be my next poll) : )

Cinnabon in the Oven

2008-04-07T10:43:00.005-04:00

That's right, Melissa is pregnant. And no, this isn't a dirty, rotten joke. We are excited, freaked-out, in disbelief, extremely fertile, nervous, and happy to share the news with y'all.
You might be able to do the math if you look closely at the picture, but if you can't see it clearly, we are about 11.5 weeks. D-day (and yes, that stands for Disembarkation Day) is estimated for October 23, 2008. It is a day that will forever be remembered as the day in which the tide changed in our lives (we will be buying lots more Tide to keep everything clean).

Here are a couple more pictures, in one you can see the baby waving at you -- or flipping you the bird, we can't be sure....

Melissa told me that she was pregnant by putting a box of my favorite junk food under the covers at bedtime. Its a good thing I didn't jump into bed. She had two positive pregnancy tests there as well. But we are only having one baby, just in case you were wondering.

Creamy Banana Pudding

2008-03-27T14:06:00.004-04:00

So sorry for the lack of posts lately. We will do better! I wanted to post this super easy and delicious banana pudding recipe. It is favorite in the Cashman family, and I am hoping it will be a favorite for y'all too!
Creamy Banana Pudding

1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 (4-serving) package instant vanilla pudding mix (french vanilla works too)
2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream, whipped and sweetened with a little sugar (Cool Whip works too)
3-4 bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice( this keeps them from turning brown)
1 box of vanilla wafers

In a large bowl, combine Eagle Brand and water. Add pudding mix; beat until well blended. Chill 5 minutes.
Fold whipped cream into chilled pudding mixture ( save about 1/3 cup of whipped cream for the top). Layer pudding mixture, vanilla wafers, then bananas. Repeat layering, about 2-3 times, ending with whipped cream on top. Garnish as desired. Chill thoroughly. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.
*You can use a trifle bowl, casserole dish, or individual parfait glasses.
*I usually have 1 banana at a time in the lemon juice. After I layer the banana, I'll slice the new banana in the lemon juice and let it soak while I place pudding and vanilla wafers. This way, the bananas don't taste too lemony.

Enjoy!

Cruisin'

2008-03-04T13:28:00.008-05:00

Having just returned from a relaxing Caribbean cruise, we've decided to make the plunge into blogging. No more excuses. After all, the office downstairs is finally clean, and now it's time to share a bit of our lives with y'all. (By the way, this is Greg, not Meli that is typing, just in case the y'all threw you off.)
We had a great time with the family on the MS. Noordam. Terry and Sue were very generous to take the whole brood (14 total) with them on a family vacation. It had been quite a while since being together with everyone.
We sailed out of New York, and visited Grand Turk, Tortola, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and San Juan. If you're wondering why we would fly to NYC to cruise to the Caribbean, it's because my beautiful sister Kelly and her husband Cardon (also beautiful) live there.

Here we are returning from our first scuba diving trip in Grand Turk. The sea life was abundant. A grouper was there that was so tame it swam next to us and let us pet it. We saw a large sea turtle, a giant crab, some stingrays, baracuda, and lots of colorful coral.
We decided to do a different sort of cruisin around St. Maarten. The island is the perfect size to explore in an afternoon on a scooter. We visited a couple of beaches for some swimming. One was next to the airport, and when the planes landed, the wind would blow/sandblast you, driving you back into the sea. We also visited the nude beach on the French side, which was pretty scary, and almost took away our appetites, except that the food was delicious. Just ask my nephew Kenton.
We are waiting to get the other pictures from our family. We will try our best to keep this blog updated with new and exciting things that are going on in our lives -- and when there isn't anything new and exciting, we'll just make stuff up.