My Hubsterama

Sometimes I dont give enough credit to the boy who rocks my world. I have one of those husbands that would do anything for his family. He works his booty off at work so I can stay home with my little guy. He would work ten jobs if he thought it made me happy and would still have a smile on his face. He is so good to me. He is such a good person. All he wants is to make people proud. He wants our god to be proud of him so he has so much integrity. He tries so hard to make every decision he can the best morally he can. He makes me want to be a better person. He wants me to be proud of him so he treats me like a queen and always tries his best to be a great husband. Which he is. He is such a great daddy to brigz, son to his parents and mine, and person to everyone around him. I have never met such a hard worker. Not to mention cute and sweet :) I am very grateful for his love and for God putting him in my life. I hope we can continue to grow as a family in love and happiness. He is my everything!!

14 months

Time has really been flying. I cant believe it has been two months since his one year party. Corey and i still look at him and ask, is he really ours?! He blesses my every day. He makes me laugh! I love the time we get to spend together. Lately he has been a big snuggler and wants to lay in my arms a lot which i love. At 14 months, Brigz is:

-wild! He is into any and everything! I love it! He plays on his own and can completely destroy our house in .2 seconds.

-he wants to be "oushy" which is outside, every second. He looks for Corey outside when Corey is at work.

-he has been sleeping really well. He goes to bed at 8 and wakes up at 9. He still takes two naps a day, but lately He only takes one about every three days. I read that meant he was regulating his own sleep.

-he has been eating a lot. I have been doing lots of research about his diet and his eating is right what it is supposed to be. There are foods he doesn't like but that's fine with me as long as he is getting healthy food. He eats tons of fruit and yogurt so he is not gonna be beefy. Besides, Corey was so little and I think we forget that. Everyone says they thought he had worms!! Haha! He even wore womens boots because his foot was so little until he was 12! I was very tall but my family is all thin. I am not worried about our guy and I am not about to turn food into a power struggle and give him issues in his life! Haha.

-he feeds himself with a spoon and we are working on the fork. He has a hard time getting food to stay on it.

-he is mr. Chatterbox some days. He says lots of animal names and sounds, all done, down, out, hi, daddy (which he says a million times a day trying to find Corey), and more.

-he all of a sudden got taller and a lot of pants are super high waters! So pant size is 12-18 and tops are still 12 month. He has really narrow shoulders.

- he has conquered his animal fears. He loves to go check cows every day.

-he loves, loves other babies.

- he hits his head a lot. He has had 4 bad ones. We have even taken him to urgent care cuz we were worried he had a concussion. They reminded us that God makes their heads very resilient!!

-I gave him a really bad haircut :(

-he is a cuddle bug and a giggle monster. Two things a hoped he would be!

-I think he dances 80% of his life.

-he still only has 8 teeth. It is normal to have 8 but not when 6 others seem to be bothering him for the past month.

-he has the silliest personality! He just makes us laugh.

What we have been to..

Well, it has been crazy to say the least. I guess since we had a new little one last summer, we weren't as busy. This summer has been nonstop. We just spent our first weekend home that wasn't super insane. We had company in and the fair, but it still felt more relaxing.

We finally were able to make it to church which I was in MAJOR need of. We tried the Eldorado campus and we really liked it. It was smaller and a lot closer to our house. We got a not so surprising event occur at the end when brigz's nursery number flashed on the screen that he need a parent. He had climbed all the way up this baby table thing and tumbled down! They were surprised that he could climb it. I was not.

We have recently realized the extent of our child's "busyness". In the past week he has climbed our picket fence, our couch to stand on a window sill, balanced on a blow up horse, and many more. It has became very clear why I have lost so much weight. He is a maniac! And the cutest one ever!

We have also come to terms with our made up diagnosis of ELD (early life depression)! Corey and I spent our entire younger life being super over achievers an hard workers in school. Now we are where God wants us to be, but which also where we never planned on being. It is hard to be in your mid twenties and not feel tugs and pulls of guilt for not pursuing some dreams or another. We have finally realized that we need to give it up to God and try harder to live in the present. Harder said than done. We have an amazing marriage and a beautiful baby boy that need to focus on. By putting god first, the rest will follow.

On a lighter note, I am loving the cooler weather and our rain storms every evening! Coreys cows look great and we have decided to put more of a focus into that as well. Also, I have REALLY been missing riding lately. I want to get back into things once all our kiddos start school and I would love to get into reining.

We are in a really good place right now! Brigz is at the greatest age and we have so much to be thankful for! I can't wait to get started on fall decorations with all my new inspiration from pinterest!!

13 Months

So, I have to admit something. Corey and I both missed Brigz's 13 month birthday. We are horrible parents. This past month has been the craziest month since before the baby came. I forgot how crazy summers usually are. Last summer, we had just had Brigz and we were home a lot. Today is the first day that I have been able to semi-relax at home and not have to stress about up coming trips or events. We have been out of town for 3 of the four weekends in August. We have been living out of bags. I can't complain though because soon enough it is going to be freezing and I will probably be snowed in and begging the weather to let me leave.

I also have bronchitis right now. I haven't ever had it before. I know it effects everyone differently. I went to the hospital because I couldn't catch my breath. I felt like I was having really bad asthma. No other symptoms at all. Weird. I am on an antibiotic, so hopefully I will be able to breathe normal again soon. I really feel for people with asthma. My mom is a sever asthmatic and never has full air flow through her bronchioles. That would stink because it is really scary to not be able to breathe.

I also had a bizarre thing happen. I had a "false positive" pregnancy test. They aren't supposed to happen, but sure enough, I guess they do. I spent a day thinking I was pregnant. At first, I almost had a heart attack, but by the end of the day, I was super excited and planning how to surprise Corey. I took extra tests over a few days time to make sure I was and they all came back negative. I called my doctor and they said to wait and take more, which I did. All negative. I didn't realize how depressing it would be. I have been having a hard time with it and am very emotional. It is best for timing that I am not right now, but it still makes me sad. I'll get over it though.

Yes, our little man is over a year old. Holy cow. In the past month, he has morphed into a completely different child. He is so easy now! (knock on wood) He is silly, so sweet, and so funny! Corey and I just laugh at him when us three are together because he is always into something or doing something funny. Here are the stats on Brigz:

• He is still below the 19 lb mark and thanks to getting sick again this month, won't be for a while now.
• He is in 12 month clothes.
• He wants to be outside. all. the. time. He says "ow-shy" when he wants to go out. which is constantly. He points at the windows and doors and cries to go outside. I love being outside, so I don't mind.
• He is 100% content if he is in his stroller no matter where we are.
• He is a little piggy now. I have realized that it is all a texture thing for him. He likes to bite things that are crunchy (tomatoes, finger foods, crackers), and eat things off a spoon that are cold and sweet (yogurt, apple sauce).
• He wants to feed himself with a spoon or fork. He does a pretty good job!
• He has figured out the difference in a milk and a water sippy cup. When he asks for his "baba" I give him water first, and he will keep saying "baba" until I give him his milk cup. Since he was sick, he has started going even further and says "baba" until he gets his binky. I try to only give it at naps and bedtime still, but man, he can be very persistant!
• He points at everything. If it is food, he will point at it and then put it in his mouth and say "mmm". Sometimes he does this to things that are not food... not good.
• He still has a minor fear of large animals that get too close to him.
• Sometimes when he walks, he throws his arms behind him and does a funny face. He looks like superman.
• He has a super thick head of blond hair. Corey says we can't cut it because it would take two pounds off of him. He has the most amazing bed head I have ever seen!
• He takes two 1-2 hour naps a day which are wonderful. He goes to bed at night around 8 and wakes up at 6:30. I pull him into bed with me and then he sleeps til 9. I hope he doesn't grow out of this any time soon! I love waking up to his smiley face!
• He makes the sound of lots of animals now. His favorites are ducks. He says "Duck, Quack, Quack". He always barks and moos, well he says "booo boo".
• He shows us his teeth with a big cheesy grin
• He is very ticklish
• He hides all over teh house. I find him by asking "where is Brigz?" and I follow the giggles. He is usually slouched down pretending I can't see him
• He gives really good hi fives and says "yeah" afterwords.
• He LOVES books. He brings them to you and then sits in your lap to read them. We have yet to make it through a whole book, but he likes turning the pages.
• He says "go", "there", "that" and "wowww" constantly.
• He loves chocolate.
• He hates to be by himself, although he has been getting a lot better. He plays by himself now which makes it easier to get some things done.
• He still loves to bite.
• He has started testing his disipline lately. He knows when he is doing something bad and looks at you while he does it. He has gotten a few little butt swats.
• He is the best thing ever. I am so lucky to get to spend my days with him. He is sooo loveable and gives kisses and hugs constantly. He wants to cuddle all the time.

I am so lucky that Corey works hard so I can stay home with him every day but Wednesday. God has blessed our family so much and I am so grateful for his love.

To Granny's House We Go

We just got back from a trip to South Texas. Brookshire/ Wallace area to be exact. I have to say it is the most prime example of a bittersweet trip I have ever had. We went down for my Granny's 90th birthday celebration.  It was bittersweet because she has alzheimers and doesn't really know us as who we are now. My dad considers her house "the last peice of his childhood" left and I love going there. It was great because I was able to visit with so much family that I don't usually get to.

My dad calls her house home. He spent summers in the area between my Granny's house and my Grandma Bear's house. They are about a half an hour apart. My Granny owns acres of farmland that my Grandfather ran cattle and grew watermelons on. He has unfortunately been gone for 16 years, but my dad talks about him like he is still here. I wish I could meet him one more time to see all the features about him that my dad remembers. He always talks about his big ol' hands and his smile. He was so kind to my dad and taught him so many things about hard work and integrity. My Grandma Bear is on the other side of the family and she passed away in 2009. Her little home in Wallace was sold last year and it killed my dad. Now my Granny's house is the only place that he has that he has memories of from when he was a child.

When my dad is in south Texas, he is more himself more than any other time or place. We, unfortunately, have never spent a ton of time there. It is a long distance to drive, and flights were too expensive when we were young.  The memories I have from South Texas are so strong. I can close my eyes at any point and smell my Granny's house. I know exactly how it looks and is laid out. I can picture all the faces of the family. I can here the funny little songs my Granny sang to us. I feel the hugs of my Aunt Randy. It is a place that also feels like my home as well. However, we have family members that I know little about. I have heard the stories from my dad, but have little stories of my own.

My Granny is a tough, proud, sweet and sincere Texas Woman. She has done things herself and is a very hard working lady. She also knows how to have fun. There are so many stories of her saying and doing funny things. She has been known to take her clothes off and fly down a slip n' slide at almost fifty. She is your finest dominoes player. She can shoot a gun better than any man. Now, at age 90, her memory is sharper than a tack from about 15 years ago and before.She had a hard time recognizing my dad because his hair is darker than she remembers and he has facial hair.  She has no idea who I am. She remembers who "Abbey" is, but I'm pretty sure that it is the five year old me. The me that she went camping with and sung songs to. She saw me and thought I was just a really tall girl that was growing too fast and "needed a brick put on my head".  She definately didn't know who Corey was even though she had met him a few times and even came to our wedding. She knew Brigz must have belonged to my dad somehow since he has white hair and blue eyes and didn't stop moving.

This trip was  hard for me because of my dad. South Texas looks nothing like what is does in his memories right now. It is so brown from the draught. My Granny's house is dusty and doesn't have any cows on it. My Granny looks great, but it all just isn't the same. The roads are paved, there are new homes, it is all just different. Yet so the same. My dad was able to eat blackberry pie, homemade ice cream, brisket, sausage, gumbo... all the things that he has talked about. We were all able to hang out with family. I loved getting to visit with fellow Kocureks, how my cousin Zach looks like my dad when he was younger, and getting to hear all the stories of my dad cruising around and causing trouble in that same very place.

It was a trip I will never forget. As we left, I cried my eyes out. It was amazing getting to soak up all the family I could. It was terrible saying goodbye. I don't know what will happen in the near future. I'm not so sure I want to know. I hope my dad's memories can always be preserved. I hope things will remain somewhat the same. God has such huge plans for all of us. Sometimes I wonder where he comes up with these ideas, but they always work out in the end!

Someone to Share My Oreos With

There is nothing in life that I love doing more than hanging out with my boys. Now that we have this little halarious, silly creature, Corey and I are appreciating the little things more in life. One big thing that I love is....

that I have someone to share my Oreos with :) (and nutella and ice cream, which he also loves)

Somebody Had a Party...

Yesterday we had Brigz's one year party. It was soooo much fun! It felt like a whirlwind, but we survived and had a blast! We had gorgeous weather, we got our yard finished enough for the party, and we had so many friends and family! Brigz is very spoiled loved and got a rediculous amount of presents! We even had a water fight! I can't believe this year has came and went and we have ALREADY had his party :( His real birthday is the 27th and we are going to have so much fun!

ALSO... last wednesday, I decided it was time to get tough and seriously sleep train. He has been getting up every hour and a half to nurse and I was living off of coffee. Even when cut him off nursing, he kept waking up. I knew I needed to get something done before he can get out of his crip. So Wednesday night he went to sleep and woke up about 2 hours later. So I went in, laid him down, patted his back, and left the room.... and almost fell apart. I went back in and did this every 3 min, then 5 min, and then 10 min until he fell asleep.... 1 HOUR LATER! Killer. I am not cut out for hearing my baby cry. But I did it and he did it. He put himself to sleep!!! It was a miracle! And he slept til the next morning! The next night, he woke up and I offered him a sippy, he didn't want it, and I kissed him and left the room. He cried 5 min and went to sleep. The next night, he cried 3 min. And the past two nights he has..... SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!! AAAHHHHH!!! I am so excited, so well rested, and praying it continues! He is happier, I am happier, it is better for everyone! LOVE IT! 

12 month stats:

• he walks every where and is into everything
• he likes to climp up things
• he likes any toy that he can take apart and put back together, or take out and put back in
• he is still very little, weighing only about 19 lbs, but is very tall
• he loves to eat now, but only the food he likes :) loves fruit, raisins, crackers, cookies, avocados, yogurt, yogurt melts, baby cheetos, and graham crackers.
• he drinks whole milk, almond milk, and toddler formula. he looovvvees water. No babas; only sippies.
• he says go, mamma, dadda, dad, more, dog, bath (baf), quak, growls, ready... go, and more
• he loves "so big", clapping, high fives, his coyote whistle, dancing, and sticking his finger up his nose when ask where his nose is.
• he is a snuggle bug to the max

He is the greatest baby ever! We are so blessed to have him :) I can't wait to see what more he does as he grows. He amazes me every day!