Big Helper

Not to copy Ashley's blog, but we too are trying to get some work done around the house. If you don't know, we have an unfinished basement that we have been working on since we moved in. We want to turn it into a nice entertainment room, plus we added a bedroom and a bathroom. The boys have actually been working down there the past month and have the almost all the drywall up. Nik is putting up insulation in the bedroom and bath now. I'll keep ya updated!!!

Corey's First Snow Day

hehehe...just makes me laugh looking at these pictures. We had our first measurable snow on Monday. We decided it was time to go buy snow gear for the little guy. It's so funny because with all of his attire on, he can hardly walk. When he falls over, he has to be picked up hehe... Nik's dad bought a mini snowmobile this past summer in hopes of getting the boys (Corey and William) out to play in the snow. Well, I think Nik liked it more that either of them! Hope this is the first of many memorable snow days for Corey!

Monkey Business

Like my new Pjs? I'm so excited that Corey can now wear one-piece feety pajamas! He looks so cute in them. Plus it solves my problem with him not wanting to be covered up at night. No worries now!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Our camera is broken and Nik wouldn't let me buy a new one. BUT, he went out and bought one today!! Yay!!! Will post new pics soon!

Yes He Can...I hope!

Wow! I don't know what else to say but, wow... As I lay in bed with Corey at my side, watching Obama accept his new presidential elect status, I couldn't help but think about Corey's future. What is the world going to be like in 20 years? Will Corey get a good education? Will he be able to go to college? Will we be able to afford to send him to college? Will he be drafted for a war? Will the economy be steady? So many questions are going through my head. As I watched Obama give his acceptance speech, it struck me that he's not elated to be President. He knows he's up against the toughest fight of his life. He knows he has millions of people expecting change and growth. He accepted the vote as a new challenge, not a victory. That kinda scares me, but it also makes me feel that he's not just in this to prove a point or make history. He's ready for the challenge. Lord I hope he is! What a night...

Courtney's Thought Provoker

I search: for corey's pacifiers
I regret: nothing...look where it lead me!
I love: my family
I care: too much
I always: cry
I worry: what the world will be like when Corey is 21.
I am not: social anymore
I remember: when I was
I believe: your body and mind turn into another person after you have had a child
I sing: 80's & 90's rap
I dance: when Corey dances.
I don't always: brush my teeth at night
I argue: about nothing sometimes.
I write: everything down because I'll forget
I win: only in my dreams.
I lose: my mind.
I wish: money was never an issue.
I listen: to my son eat...hehe..love it!
I don't understand: why people have to be mean.
I can usually be found: chasing Corey.
I am scared: of not being a good mother.
I need: reassurance constantly
I forget: that I'm actually a mother.
I am happy: when I am with my family!

OUR FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM CARMI...

When we went to Carmi for Corey's Bday, Corey and I stayed for the week. I wanted Corey to get a chance to reconnect with everyone. It kills me that they don't get to see him everyday. I do this blog so that they can see him, but the pictures just don't do it justice. He cracks me up all the time! These pictures are some our my favorite memories fro the week. I love the picture of us all by the corn car. I love going up to the parade with the family because, just like at church on sundays, the Towell bunch always made a showing. It just makes me feel good to be a part of our family!
Corey fell in love with Pa and his lawn mower. He had a blast that day riding around with Pa. It was so heart warming to see them together. And then Ne and Corey raked up the leaves together and played peek-a-boo around the big tree. This picture is just perfect! Corey had such a good time with Ne and Pa! I'm so glad we got to stay the week so they could bond.
Lastly, Aunt Tam had Corey suckin on the bottle, and not his baby bottle! hehe... It was so funny watching him try to drink out of the beer bottle. What can I say? He's my boy!

COREY'S BDAY IN CARMI!

We went to Carmi the next weekend for Corn Day and to celebrate Corey's birthday with the southern family. Ne got him an ice cream cake, we won't mention the misspelled name, which he loves! He just dug right into that cake! He got so messy that we had to hose him down afterwards. hehe... That was funny to watch. It was great being able to celebrate with the "Towell" clan too. Love you guys!!!

COREY'S 1ST B-DAY!

We did Corey's First Bday Party at Grandpa and Grandma Taylor's so that we could accomidate everyone. Aunt Jen made his cake...awesome, huh?! It was Chicago Bears themed, thanks to Daddy. He had a great day playing with his cousin William, and his buddies Brian and Colin. He carefully picked at his football cake at first and then started pullin out chunks! hehe... My boy loves food, what can I say?! What a day to remember...

ONE CRAZY YEAR...!

We made it! One crazy, fun filled year of Corey! I can't believe how fast it went by. A year ago I was lying in my bed wide awake at about 1am, waiting for Ne, Pa and Tam to get here because I was finally going to meet my little man the next morning. I was picturing what he would look like...if he would have red hair, which Nik and I knew he was destined to have,... if he would be a big baby...if he would be perfect...what if he wasn't? What if he had big ears? What if he only had 9 toes? What if he was cross-eyed? Yes, I thought all of this and more. I was so wound up that I couldn't sleep. But, the next morning we got the call to come into the hospital and it all fell into place. I can still remember Nik yelling, "he's got a mouth like a bass!" as the doctors pulled my new little man out of my tummy. I remember thinking, "oh my god! What's wrong with him?" Then I saw him...my beautiful little Corey, red hair, big mouth and all! He was everything I could have imagined. He was perfect and sill is!

Corey's Fort

This is our first "Fort". Corey loved crawling in and then knocking it all down. He probably learned that from his Daddy because I will build a pyramid with his blocks and then Nik, being the kid he is, has to thrown something at them or "accidentally" swipe by them and knock them down. He's just like a kid! hehe...

Unfortunately, the fort didn't last long because with all the cushions off the couch, he was able to climb right up on the couch....and fall off. So, we'll have to find other things to make a new fort...stay tuned.

In spite of it all...

So, even though my little man has croup and has a front tooth popping through (yea finally!), he still finds the energy to help me clean. He loves the feather duster and the vacuum for some reason. Although I think he has become a little scared of the vacuum. He runs away now when I have it running, but he'll go and check it all out when it's just sitting there. strange...
We are all trying to get well so on that note, I'm gonna take a nap.

Cubbies are in the Playoffs!

sorry I haven't been on in a week. It seems to get harder and harder to keep up with this thing. We have all been sick this week. Nik and I have sore throats and colds and Corey has "The Croup"! ehhh... Poor little guy. But I have to say, for being sick, he's sure dealing with it well! The first couple nights he was fighting a fever so we didn't sleep, but once that broke it's been much better. We are just having to deal with "the dreaded nose plunger". Man he hates that thing, but I guess I would too. So, hopefully he'll kick that dang cough and we'll be ready for Corn Day! And yes Court, he is ready! He is doing so many new things now that I can't hardly wait for you all to see him! I've even taught him to do the "hay ha and away we go" knee pat! hehe...Love you guys! Go Cubbies!

Just like the real thing...

So, I figured out how to solve the whole "pet" issue, for now at least. This is Corey's new puppy. His name is Biscuit. He barks, pants, growls, whines, sticks his tongue out, wiggles his ears and even wags his tail. He doesn't smell, poop or pee, or shed. hmmm, not a bad deal. And for now, Corey doesn't really know the difference. Now, lets see how long Biscuit lasts before the batteries die??

Allergies or Mean Parents??

This is Corey giving/receiving kisses from Grandpa Taylor's dog, Annie B. He is so into puppies right now it's ridiculous. He loves the neighbor's dog, Boo Boo, as the few blogs before shows. He even sits and watches The Great American Dog, or whatever the name of that reality show is. My kid does not sit and do anything! So as most of you know, Nik and I are not animal people. We decided before Corey was even born that one of us would "be allergic" to animals so we would have an easy excuse/reason not to get any animals for our kids. It's just so cute to see him with these dogs now. Nik said the other day, "You know as soon as he can talk, he's going to ask for a puppy and we will have to break his little heart and tell him no." I'm still holding my ground though... Allergies it is!

Climbing my way to the Top

So, guess what Corey's doing now?? The little turd is climbing on EVERYTHING! He does pull ups in the fridge, climbs onto the couch, and stands on top of his toys. The funny thing is, after he makes it up on whatever it is he's climbing on, he claps for himself. Silly little man...

Filter This...

Every time we make coffee, Nik puts a filter on Corey's head. It's the funniest thing because he will leave it on there until it falls off. He'll be running around playing with his toys with this coffee filter on his head like its just supposed to be there. The darnedest thing though...he hates to wear hats! He fights us to leave a hat on so we have to put the chin strap on to keep the hat on. Maybe I should invent a filter light hat for babies....hmmmmm??

Long Week, But Well Worth It

Sorry I haven't been on the blog all week, but it's been pretty crazy this week. Work is demanding this week because of Labor Day Weekend and we've just been dealing with some other issues that have just worn me out. But, I'm happy to say it's Friday and things are looking up! We have decided to keep Corey at home more often so that he and his Daddy can bond. We tried it this week and saw MAJOR improvements with Corey and that pretty much sealed the deal. He will be staying home with Daddy during the day as much as possible. He loves playing with Daddy, as the picture shows and they have bonded so much more just in these last four days. It makes me proud that my wonderful husband is also such an awesome, selfless father to our son. Just seeing them play together and interact with each other makes all the stress from this week just disappear knowing that we made the right decision to keep Corey home more. Boy, what a smile he has...now THAT'S worth it!

Corey's new Best Friend

Since Thursday, we have been pet sitting for Gail Dean, Gail Dean. (you have to know the story) They are both named Gail Dean (no crap!) AND have the same birthdays! Anywho, they are our neighbors. Dean(the husband) found out he had an abdominal aneurism and had to have surgrey. They ended up doing a triple bypass instead. Long story short, we have been feeding and letting their dog, Boo Boo, out. Corey loves Boo Boo. The three words Corey knows are Dada, Mama, and Boo Boo! We took this pic yesterday when we were outside playing. We are going to have it framed for Gail Dean, Gail Dean. ps... Dean is doing great and will be home later this week.

First Corn Day Parade!

As I was scrolling through all of my pics to put on this blog, I have come across some pics that just make me smile. When I saw this one, I couldn't help but put it on my blog because it just makes me happy. I love seein' Ne with her beads and Corey all wrapped up and snuggly. He hardly even budged through that parade, even with all the sirens and the bands. Wish he'd sleep like that now, speak of the little devil...

I love my Daddy, when he has food!

It's so funny how kids think. Nik is the one at home with Corey all day, playing and running around with him, yet when I walk in the door, Daddy's no longer the man. This really bothers Nik because he feels like he makes such an effort to entertain Corey and be the kind of Dad that his wasn't. I just try to explain to him that it's just a "Mommy" thing and not to take it personally. Well, Nik has found a way to win Corey over when I'm home....he pulls out food. I tell you what. If that kid doesn't grow up to be an enormous man, I will be surprised!

Cubs Win!

So, last night on our "date night" Nik and I talked about Corey's future interest in sports. Being that we both have backgrounds in various sports, we debated on which one would be best for Corey and how we would know if we should focus on one particular sport or let him dabble in different ones. Of course we came to the obvious conclusion to let him decide and not to push anything he doesn't want to do on him, but we both came to an overwhelming realization. What Corey becomes is ultimately based on Nik and me. We are responsible for how he turns out and the paths he takes in his life. I know, I know...should be obvious common sense right? I think we both know/knew in the back of our minds, but to actually talk about it really makes the fact very real. It was definitely an eye opening conversation to have on a night when it was supposed to be all about us. Just goes to show you right there that it will never be just "all about us" anymore. Funny how you realize things sometimes... Oh by the way, CUBBIES WON!!!!!

Merry Go Round and Round and Round...

Last night we went to the Kenosha County Fair with the Reichs, Jen and William. This wasn't our first Fair, we went to the Lake County Fair a couple of weeks ago, but I(well Nik did) remembered the camera this time. We ate corn dogs, potstickers, homemade donuts, chocolate shakes, and deep fried cheese. Hello thunder thighs!! It was fun though. Nik and Corey rode the Merry go Round, which was the only thing Corey was able to do. We didn't last long because Nik had to work this morning and + +l+-(that's from Corey) it was way past Corey's bedtime. Nik and I are actually leaving Corey with Grandma and Grandpa Taylor so that we can have some alone time and get a full night's sleep. It's so bittersweet because I'm looking forward to time with my husband, yet I'm already sad to leave my little butters.

I make man boobs look cool

Can I tell you how big of a flirt my son is? Nik and Corey met me for lunch today at Lonestar. I swear that he kept checking out one of the waitress' butts. Everytime she would walk by he would completely stop doing whatever it was he was doing, even eating, and stare at her butt! Funny kid! He was even flirting with the old ladies sitting next to us. My Corey, the ladies man.

Can't help but smile

Corey has been off schedule the last couple nights because of the trip to Indiana. This morning I was extremely tired and grumpy after being up half the night with Corey. Already late getting up, I was trying to get ready with a screaming baby clinging on to my calf. I was just about to have a "Ne moment"-I have had it!"-when I bent down to pick Corey up and he farted so loud it made him stop crying and start laughing. I looked at him and said, "what did you do?" He was just laughing and smiling and at that very moment, all my frustration went out the door. Just look at that face!

The one that got away

Hehe...Corey has fallen in love with these new little yogurt puffs that Gerber makes. They are just little strawberry yogurt puffs that melt in your mouth. Everytime I pull out the bag, he gets this big smile on his face and starts acting all giddy like he's looking at a big cheeseburger! I break them in pieces, being the overprotective mother that I am, and scatter them out on his highchair tray. He pretty much gobbles them up just as soon as I can put them down. I almost feel sorry for those little yogurt puffs knowing that Corey is just sitting there waiting to gobble them up. But this time, he let one get away. Can you find it??

Corey's Walking!

Corey has been starting to take steps here and there over the past month. Over the weekend however, he has actually started to walk! He is still pretty shakey but walking none the less. Here he is walking from his toys! I can't believe how fast he's growing!

nobody cares about blogs

"nobody cares about blogs" is what Nik told me when I said Court had told me to start this blog. I said, "But Court says all the cool Moms do it!" You can imagine what Nik said next, but I'll spare you his sarcasim. Ok, well I'm gonna try this blogging thing out. I hope my family at least reads it and keeps up with the happenings of my life way up here in Wisconsin; ya hay der.