December Rewind: Santa Number 2

Charley enjoyed this Santa "helper" a little more!!  

So Sweet:

Can someone please tell me why Sam has his tongue out of his mouth 93 percent of the time?  I'm clinging to the hope that it's "only a phase"!!!  :)

December Rewind, Take One: Charley's Dedication

On December 13th Charley was dedicated.  They do all the dedications during the evening service now so that equaled a lot of fussy babies!!!  But not our Charley...she was an angel!!  It's always good to be an angel in church!!  Most of the babies wouldn't even let Pastor hold them!  Charley went right to him and started playing with his face!  The congregation ohh and awwed at her! See me laughing...Pastor commented on how big her bow was...I'll deal with him later :) :)!  Crying babies or not, it was a sweet service as we promised to raise our children in way of the Lord.  It is our prayer that Charley will seek God's love and guidance in all that she does, as we seek to show God's love daily to her!  "Children are a heritage of the Lord" Psalms 127:3

SCA (Second Child Alert) When Sam was dedicated we had all these pictures of us as family and our extended family that was present...Charley, you get the above family photo...and consider yourself lucky!

Inside the Numbers

Hey everyone…it’s me, Chris, with another guest blog. Wait, I mean “Coach.” Sorry. Do you know how hard it is to sneak a guest post on this thing? I’m actually sitting on the couch WITH EMILY right now at 12:38 a.m. on Sunday morning! We’re intensely watching the “Hudson Plane Crash: What Really Happened” (another TLC classic). You have no idea how much better this is than the Tiger Woods exclusive we just wasted our lives watching about 30 minutes ago.

Another problem I have with my cameo blog appearances is the fact that I’m not sure what type of content to really blog about. I must keep reminding myself that you guys are here for Emily, and my content on Emily’s blog should be directed to the ladies, and Ed (is there a difference anymore?) who are reading this. So P-Dub’s, if you’re out there reading this, enjoy…and props on your blog…just please give Emily a shout-out if you get a chance.

My first idea for this holiday guest blog I consider to be my best, so I’m going to go with it. I’ve always loved those Sports Illustrated “Inside the Numbers” columns where they give you numbers along with a description of what they represent. I’m pretty sure it’s from Sports Illustrated…if not, you still know what I mean. So here are some numbers that have been on our minds this holiday break:

4 – Sam’s “go-to” number…represents anything from the amount of playtime before bed to the amount of M&M’s he wants out of Dad’s 3.5-pound Sam’s Club special bag.

18.2 – The inches of snow we received last weekend which provided for some great entertainment, such as, Sam’s first snowman, Sam’s first snow fort/tunnel and Sam’s second, third and fourth sledding adventures. Sam went FULL SPEED down the hill at Aunt Betty’s house on Wednesday. They had a massive sledding hill with a pond and creek at the bottom. Everyone needed a couple guinea pigs, so enter Dad and Sam…first ones down the hill! In retrospect, a slower mechanism might have been safer as opposed to the land speed record 3-man that Sam and I boarded. Apart from significant snow in the face, everyone stayed in tact. Sam even went down by himself on an inner tube (I held on to the rope and sprinted down the hill with him…didn’t want you to think I was completely insane).

5 – The number of times, per Sam’s request, that we have had bacon and eggs for breakfast over break. I’ll ask him again tonight what he wants for breakfast and I’m…

99 – Percent sure that Sam will ask for bacon and eggs for breakfast.

2 – The number of antibiotics that Charley has tried to get rid of her double ear infection – apparently she’s a robot, nothing has phased her yet.

0 – The number of college football bowl games I will watch this year. Open your eyes NCAA and make college football a real sport.

0 – The number of playoff games the Redskins will play this year. Can’t wait for the draft…when do the Winter Games begin?

124 – The approximate number of gifts Sam and Charley received from very loving friends and family this Christmas!

1 – The number of showers taken by Sam this holiday season (baths are normally his cup of tea). He received brand new “shower goggles” for Christmas (definitely Speedo…official).

12 – Ounces of DP (Dr. Pepper) downed by Santa on Christmas morning at about 12:30 a.m. Good idea by Sam to leave some caffeine for Santa on his big night.

Well I hope you have enjoyed my own version of “Inside the Numbers” this holiday break. I also hope you guys have enjoyed your time together as much as our family has. Ed, strap on a fridge pack and stay true to the Skins…1:00 today at home vs. the Cowboys. Rest assured, it will be on at the Dowdy house with a fresh batch of bean dip and some Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees. Which, by the way, if you haven’t tried these, go shopping right now. They’re just like the Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs (massive Reese Cups), just in tree form. I kind of hope Reese continues to make more holiday peanut butter treats. Eggs for Easter, trees for Christmas and I’m recommending:

Peanut Butter Turkeys for Thanksgiving – or Peanut Butter Barry Sanders’ figurines
Peanut Butter Flags for Independence Day
Peanut Butter Leprechauns for St. Patrick’s Day – or Peanut Butter Bono figurines (he’s Irish)

Anyway, I’m rambling…off to the retake of our church’s Christmas Day program. They are replaying the service due to inclement weather last weekend. Hope you enjoyed reading!

Christmas 2009, Photo Journal

Sam set up his Little People Nativity almost every night!!!  It was so sweet to watch!  Can you find "Nonnie Wiseman".  Bless his 2 year old self!!! 

Oh you didn't know Santa liked Dr.Pepper.  Sam insisted and we agreed that Santa might need a little caffeine to get through the long night!!!

Sam was so expressive the whole time he was opening his gifts!  He loved his "redskins bankie" that mommy made him!!!  And oh how he ohhh and ahhhhed when we opened his "baseball dove", "more football socks", and "more real balls"!!! 

More Holiday season pictures to come!!!

Merry Christmas From the Dowdy's!

Santa Baby...

Here is attempt number one with Santa for Charley!  This was at Mom's soroity pancake breakfast and def. during her nap time!!!!  It makes me smile!!!

Sam surprised both of us by marching right up to Santa and telling him exactly what he wanted!

See these adorable matching outfits!!  I heart them...I really heart them!!!  They were supposed to be the outfits we had our Christmas pictures in, but one thing led to another, and time ran out on my special (by the way I got 100 photo cards for only 15 dollars at Sam's Club!!!) and I had to resort to sending pictures of my baby naked...I'm not kidding...don't worry, there may have been a tutu involved...you guys know what I'm talking about!!!  I'm hoping they still fit into these outfits next year!!!!

The family shot:

Here is the whole fam:

I'm so behind on Christmas post so expect to see the Holiday cheer well into the New Year here at the Dowdy House!

So Christmas is this week but lets talk Thanksgiving

 
I forgot to post these pictures from Thanksgiving and when Sam is 34 and wondering what he did for his 3rd Thanksgiving I totally want him to remember his class's party!  Here we are eating the feast!  The Dowdy's were in charge of green beans for 10 kids and their families!!!  As you can see by the ketchup on the table they opted for chicken nuggets instead of turkey and because this was a preschool party full of 2 year olds I say...genius!!! 

Sam enjoyed showing Charley all his toys at school...do you see Charleys little leopard bloomers and adorable pink boots...precious!

And OH.MY. is that a matching leopard bow...too much Miss Thing...I can barley stand it!!!

And this is Mrs. Tiffany.  She is very patient with our Sam.  She helped just perfectly when Sam was potty training the first week of school (we didn't plan that very well did we...but he did awesome)!  She knows Sam doesn't like transition so she always warns him before they move to a new spot (especially the playground)!  Thank you Miss Tiffany for all you do!! 

On a completely unrelated tangent:  I got all of this at CVS on Thanksgiving completely free!!!  In fact every week I get free stuff!  This past week I got labels, bows, mini ornaments, and tissue paper for FREE!!!  I use manufactures coupons and only buy products that I can get Extra Care Bucks back..then I use email coupons from CVS (example 5 dollars off $25)!!!!

Did you notice my new look??? I'm still working on it but it totally takes me to my happy place.  I pretty much just learned as I went along (and when I got stuck I whined real loud until Chris paused the football game and rescued me!!)  I also decided that if PDubs could give her husband a nickname then so could I!!! I don't really call him Coach...but look at his cute little picture on my sidebar, call him Coach, and see if that doesn't take you to your happy place...because I'm definitely at mine (plus its my blog and he can't stop me, plus Chris, errr... I mean Coach, laughed his head off when I told him about his code name:):)  I'll show him to laugh at me...Coach it is! :):)  )

VCP

I know it has been 3 weeks since the Vinton Christmas Parade but I wanted to make sure I documented that the Dowdy's were in fact, in attendance!!! Here is Sam all bundled up...man that other glove sure would have been nice when he went outside to play in the blizzard this morning!!
Cam holding Charley Bird...yes we dragged Winkie and Cam with us...they like us English's are true Vintonites!!! We had fun all night trying to decide what we could enter the parade next year as...I think the final decision was that Cam and I would hone our fire baton twirling skills and give the Emeraldettes a run for their money!

The crew...doesn't Chris look so excited to be there!

The fam:

This year Vinton clearly outdid themselves. As you can see Charley was so excited she couldn't stand it...

You just wait until next year Miss Charley...Cam and I are already working on a routine to "Santa Baby". I can totally see Chris walking beside us with the charcoal and Winkie queuing up the music while mom is driving the MaJo van! That takes me to my very happy place!

The funniest part of the night was when Sam saw Santa on the back of the fire truck. He turned to me and said very seriously, "mommy, get him down here"! That kid is full of one liners I tell you!!

The Dowdy's are off to frolic in our 18 inches of snow...again! If you shovel your way out stop on by the Dowdy house...rumor is we have the cutest snowman on the block...(pics to follow)!!! :)

Sissy no feel good...

Chris and I thought we would add to our "parents of the year" resume by taking Charley to her 9 month "well" doctor's appointment only to find that she had a DOUBLE ear infection...I mean, we totally knew that, we just wanted to make sure Dr. Gard was on his "A" game...for the record...he was!!! On Monday they put her on an antibiotic but last night she still had a bad fever so back to the doctor we went, another co-pay and medication later we hope to finally kick this thing!! Even when she is sick she is still the best baby in the world. She still sleeps all night she just wakes up long enough to get more Tylenol, and during the day she just wants to be held more, which I dutifully oblige!! Here she is too tired to even finish her bottle:

Yes, that would be an 8 oz liner in a 4 oz bottle and YES that would be Chris playing Playstation...did you miss the part where we were applying for P.O.T.Y!!!

Charley's 9 month stats:

height: 21.5 inches (90th percentile)

weight: 18 lb 10 oz (45th percentile )

and because Dr. Gard always lets us check in on Sam, his stats:

Sam weighed almost 32 pounds...he is getting so big!!! and Sam would like to report that he was glad they didn't have to "check his ears for birdies"...his least favorite part of his check-ups!!!

Here's to Daddys who are brave enough to go to the doctor with both kids...one being extremely sick and one being extremely an "almost 3 year old"!!! Kuddos Chris!! And I would like to report that Sam did in fact have shoes on this time, however Charley still remained in her PJ's...baby steps folks, baby steps!!

Why you decorating the tree, why???

Sam LOVED hanging the ornaments on the tree! He decorated at least 30 minutes after Chris and I stopped, sometimes "re-hanging" ornaments as he went!
Hence why some spots on our Christmas tree look like this:

Sam left his signature mark all over the bottom branches. Can anyone tell where Sam's decorating "territory" was? Those poor bottom branches!!

Sissy supervised...

I mean could she look anymore relaxed?? Work it out sissy... work it out!!!

There may have been some after decorating wrestling!! I'm willing to bet Sissy is going to be the toughest girl on the street!! Let it be known she can totally hold her own!!

And because this is my mommy journal and I never want to forget:

1. Sam always begins and ends his questions with why...for example: "why we going to the store, why??" or "why you have to go to school, why?"

2. Sam actually gets the concept of the basketball game "horse"! He will try "funny shots" like one foot on the pillow or jumping off Daddy's back to slam dunk. And this weekend he 100 percent legitimately beat Dylan in a game of horse...don't worry Dylan, we won't tell your 9 year old friends!!! :)

3. When we get home from work he always asks us "How was school mommy"! As soon as he sees Chris's car pull into the driveway he opens the door and yells out, unprompted, "How was school Daddy!!!! He makes us smile...a lot!!

and one more funny story for the road...

This past Sunday Charley was getting dedicated at the 6:00 evening service (pictures to follow soon). After Sam's nap he noticed I was getting ready so he asked, "why you gettin ready, mommy, why?" "Sissy is getting dedicated at church tonight, we are all going to back to church!" Sam responded, "why Sissy getting decorated, why?"! I laughed for at least 5 minutes!!! We love that kid....a lot!!!