Alphabet Book - complete!

I ran out of time to post letter by letter here. Instead, I'm sharing the whole book. We had it sitting out as a guest book at Isaac's party for people to sign. I had his guests write birthday messages to him. There are some people who didn't sign it {ahem, Grandpa}, so we'll be tracking him down for a little message later . It turned out really cute, I'm so pleased. Isaac loves it too - he laughs whenever we read it!

Guest messages

Click here to view this photo book larger

It's a party

We celebrated Isaac's first birthday yesterday with some family - as is customary with parties, I think everyone in this house ate a little too much {including Isaac!}. Some photos:

Walls

You know, it's really amazing how fast contractors, and the guys that work for them, can put something like this together. They did all of this in one day! It's nothing fancy yet, but you can see the skeleton of what the office will look like {hopefully very soon!}.


While the contractors were busy doing that, we were busy finalizing purchases for the x-ray, adjusting tables, computers, etc. Spending this much money makes me nervous! I'd probably feel better if I could find a 20% off your x-ray coupon. That being said, I did get an additional $30 off of the computers on top of all the instant rebates, so I shouldn't feel bad, right?

Thursday deals - 10/8/09

1. JCPenny has some great coupons for use Sunday Oct. 11, and Monday, Oct. 12. Print them here or use online code 37VIP. Coupons include 30% off regular priced items, 15% off sale items, and 50% off clearance items. Or, if your local JCP is anything like mine, they'll just have coupons at the checkout that they will use for you!

2. Not sure where the nearest Whitecastle is to any of you, but they have a buy one get one free sliders coupon here.

3. If I had a little girl, I would be all over this deal! The Playskool Dream Town Sweet Lily Castle with Dress Up is now only $72.19 plus free shipping and no tax. Down from $199.99. SWEET!

4. Have you seen Target's Daily Deals? For 24 hours, they offer up to five different items at a different price with free shipping. I've been checking every day!

5. I wish I had to go to IKEA this weekend {10/10-10/12}. I could get a free small breakfast and a free coffee. No coupons necessary!

Happy First Birthday, Isaac

At exactly this moment a year ago, Isaac was less than three hours old. I was staring at this new little person and wondering aloud, with Blake, what we had just done. I was also very tired, and sore.

Today, I couldn't be more in love with this little guy. He is the light of my life and brings complete joy to my days. His little smile melts my heart over and over again. He's the perfect medicine to any bad day. Any loss of sleep or physical pain I may have been feeling are a long distant memory. Our little guy was worth all of it.

This month, Isaac has:
1. Become very proficient at walking {he can change direction, no problem}
2. Says: mama, dada, uh oh
3. Mocks sounds for things like : cows, four-wheeler, mmmm
4. Started bringing me diapers when he's wet or poopy {he just goes and gets them on his own!}
5. Imitates us fairly well
6. Understands a lot {especially in Chinese}
7. Learned to stand himself up on his own {without the help of mommy, daddy, or some other object}
8. Discovered endless ways to get into trouble
9. Started attempting to use silverware at the dinner table

Happy first birthday to my sweet little boy!

All in a day's work

Here's what the office looked like yesterday morning:


And here's what it looks like now:


Looks like the framing for our walls will start to go up tomorrow {Isaac did a quality check of the lumber!}. This is moving right along - we had to choose trim today. I wanted to poll the trim color again, but time won't allow. We were going between white trim or more of an oak colored trim. We opted for the oak {actually, the color is pecan} because it will look better with the carpet and paint colors combined.

Ow....

We spent a good part of today ripping out carpet, tearing down wall paper, and removing trim, with my Dad's help, and my mom keeping an eye on the little guy. We could have had our contractor do it, but we're trying to save $$ wherever possible. The result - we are SO sore - and there is still some carpet to remove tomorrow {just a little patch, but enough to make us cringe!}. Some before and during shots:

Paint

Since our contractor is going to start with the build-out next week, Blake and I thought it wise to pick out the carpet. Work has also started on the custom receptionist desk.

Here is our carpet - the base color is sort of a dark gray:


Here is our carpet again, with an oak color swatch laid on it {our reception desk will be oak - it's going to look sa-weet!}. On top of the oak swatch is the actual color of the counters of the reception desk:


With all of this in mind, we need your help, dear readers, with paint colors. Our top three choices are shown below. If you don't like any of them, please let us know why and what other colors you might suggest. Otherwise, voting on the poll in the right hand column of my blog would be appreciated! Please note that all colors on these palettes will be used somewhere in the office. The blues are going in Blake's office and the bathroom. Others will be divvied up between adjusting room, therapy, waiting room, etc. Thanks in advance for your advice and opinion! :)
#1
#2#3

All business

Dear readers,

Blake and I value and appreciate your opinions very much. In the coming weeks, please check back often to help us decide on all kinds of things for Blake's new chiropractic office - like, chair styles, paint colors, and various other decor options. I say check often because the time between a post and the decision will be very slim - and I'd like as many opinions as possible.

I'll try to post pictures and polls to make things easier on you. :) Feel free to spread the word - we want things in our office that will be appealing to everyone, so I figured gathering your opinions will help us make the best decision.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

Becky

Thursday deals -10/1/09

1.Pay a visit to your local Starbucks from Oct. 2-5 to try out a sample of their new instant coffee. As a reward for your time you will get a coupon for a FREE coffee on your next visit.

2. If you love Consumer Reports as much as I do, take the survey here, and get one FREE month of their online subscription.

3. Having a Halloween Party? Get some cute and FREE printable invites here.

4. Want to check out a Sam's club to see if it's worth the membership? Sign up for a FREE one day pass here. Must use before 11/1/09.

5. Wendy's is now offering their Halloween booklets for $1. They contain 10 FREE junior frosty coupons. So, technically NOT free since you have to buy the booklet, but at $0.10 a frosty, that's not bad! :)

6. Just in time for Blake's new office - a FREE download of Microsoft's Office Express Accounting 2009 software. Woohoo!

6. Need a Nintendo Wii? Right now at Amazon - Wii is $199.99, BUT you get a $25 gift card with your purchase, making it $174.99 + free shipping. Great deal!

7. I have not tried this out yet, but Target is offering a $0.05 credit for every reusable bag you use and it does not have to be a Target brand bag. Definitely trying this out soon!

8. Free pocket Sophie - a great gift for anyone. Read about her here.

Have you seen this?

You know that they are always retouching things in the world of media - but this is sort of a reality check. It's no wonder so many young people have issues with their self image in today's society.

I love...

Cloth diapering.


Seriously, it's so much easier than I ever imagined. I've even graduated to cloth wipes {only part-time though because I take the disposable wipes out and about}. I ordered three more cloth dipes today, to bring my current stash to a total of 20 diapers. I think I'm done for awhile now. :)

Not only are they cute, but they have saved my skinny boy from bruising on his butt - he had terrible bruises when he was in disposables from falling down. Shortly after switching to cloth, the bruises went away and he hasn't had another. And, even cooler - Blake is into it. My mom is into it - she did a show and tell with a group of old ladies at Hardee's after breakfast last Sunday. I secretly think my Dad is into it too, but he'll never admit it. :)

I've become a total cloth diaper snob. When we run out of cloth or forget to pack some with us on a day out, and I have to put him in a disposable, I even notice how his butt sounds "crinkly." Snob much?

Some of Isaac's stash - minus an orange, cow print, and another Dallas Cowboys dipe - they're in the wash. :)

Busy Night

Want to know just a few of the things we do in the final hour before Isaac heads to bed?? See for yourself - he's such a busy little guy, it's tough keeping up with him:

1. Practice languge - We're hoping Isaac picks up on more of his grandma's native Chinese and Taiwanese than I know. So far, it seems we're headed in the right direction.

For those who need translation {because they don't know the language, or I'm not pronouncing it 100% correctly}. First, I say "hello," followed by "how big are you" to which he responds with the action for "so big." I then attempt to get him to show you good-bye, which he doesn't do, but he does give me the kiss that I ask for. Lastly, he very proudly shows that he knows where his nose is when you ask him in Chinese. He doesn't, however, point to his nose when you ask him in English. He also knows the words for flower, swing, feed fish, open and close door, gentle, diaper change, and a handful of others. I'm learning more too!



2. Walking - even doing turns, and correcting himself on stumbles. What a little stud.



3. Watching Sophie do her tricks, but trying to help out too!



4. Climb the stairs, laughing almost the whole time. This is usually followed by a lot more walking.



5. Playing with blocks and other toys. Can you pick out his new word? He's talking up a storm these days! This one would be his official third word, followed by mama and dada. He also says, "maa" when referring to cows {it doesn't sound like a cow, but like a baby calf} - I don't count this as a word because, really, he's just mocking the sound.



6. Climb up on the couch using pillow or whatever else is available to step on. This is only an attempt as it was near the end of the night, so he was really tired. Also a sure sign that he's really tired - he stumbles and falls a lot more when he's walking around.




Thanks for taking a peek into our evenings. Anyone want to baby-sit? ;-)

Life of the party

This video {Thanks Lola!} of my Uncle Wayne at my brother's wedding last weekend probably sums up why he is always invited to everything - who wouldn't want this at their next party?! He's so awesome.

Thursday deals - 9/24/09

1. Right now at Boston Market, Two (That's right TWO) kids eat free for every $6 purchase. Kids must be 14 and under and must be present. Deal ends Oct. 31.

2. The Children's Place is having their fall sale with some great prices. Use code V4989 at checkout and get an additional 15% off. Woohoo!

3. Coffee lovers, get your free coffee spoon here. :) I don't drink coffee, but I ordered one for my hot cocoas!

4. $5 off a $10 purchase at Build-a-Bear Workshops. Coupon here. Expires 9/28.

5. Free portrait package from The Picture People for new little babies. Coupon here.

6. Bath and Body Works is giving away a FREE travel sized item with any purchase now through October 7 {Isaac's birthday!}.

7. I want to try the new Yoplait Delights - they look yummy! So, I'm printing a $1 off coupon here, in addition to the $1.25 off one multi-pack of Yoplait Delights from coupons.com, and I'm going to try them for a steal. :) You should try them too, and then we'll talk about how delicious they are!

Adventure

For those of you who don't already know - I've been a little absent from my blog for a few reasons:

1. Prepping for Isaac's first birthday {and his first birthday party} - sometimes I get a little emotional over him turning one
2. Catching up at work now that Brian and Jenna's wedding is past
3. Blake is opening his own chiropractic practice - so working on plans for that, meetings, etc. has completely eaten up our time! That being said, we're SOOOOOOO excited!! :)

I do promise to stick to the Thursday deals! I missed last week because of the wedding, but we're back on track this week! :)

Happy Marriage

Congrats to my brother and my new sister-in-law on their marriage this weekend! Thanks for the great time!

Some pics from their big day:

Adjust Adjust

Isaac gets adjusted by his chiropractor {daddy!} fairly often - we attribute his adjustments to his general overall good health through his first year. While other kids were dealing with ear infections, major colds, flu, and other ailments, Isaac has only had one minor fever {which broke after an adjustment}, one sickness caught from daddy {and passed on to many}, and a couple minor colds {one he had to sleep elevated for and was actually sort of miserable for one night, but it wasn't terrible, especially considering how bad it could have gotten}.

Blake and I recorded this little clip last week for a few friends who were interested in Chiropractic. Most kids are squirmier than Isaac is in the video, but you can tell when daddy hits a spot that is tender by observing Isaac's reaction. If you're interested in how chiropractic can help kids, this site is very informational.

Toddler

Isaac has been taking anywhere between 3-5 steps on his own for awhile now, just never really making too much in the way of forward progress. And then yesterday, he really started taking off. At this rate, he's going to tear up the dance floor at our family wedding next weekend!

Check it out (I missed a few steps with the video, but you get the picture!)

Super deal

Thanks Jennifer for sending this my way. How you got the message that you could get a nursing cover free is beyond me! ;-)

FREE nursing cover from Udder Covers using code BACKORDER. Just pay S&H - $8.95. I ordered Porter for future/eventual kid #2.