Change your bookmarks and readers please!

Thanks and Blessings-

Christy C-H

I know it has been a LOOONNNGG time since I’ve posted.  Sorry about that.  Because I’ve all but abandoned this blog I let the rights to my domain name expire.  www.thehyphenatedfamily.com is no longer my domain name and as such some random ad site has taken it over.  SO- if funny posts about software are popping up in your readers, blog rolls and such- please change your bookmarks to http://thehyphenatedfamily.wordpress.com.  If and when I post a real update you’ll get it:).

Frances Louise Correll-Hughes

(she is named after both my maternal grandmother and great-grandmother)

We organized some closets, took down the crib and successfully made the transition to sleeping in a big boy bed.  Brooks hasn’t yet realized that he can get out at will.  He fusses some when we put him in it to go to sleep (although he is usually asleep within minutes).  He calls for us when he wakes up and doesn’t get out of bed until we come into his room and turn on the light.  I know this won’t last forever but it is nice not to have to do battle at bedtimes.  I am VERY thankful for the consistent bed times and routines we’ve established since infancy and our fairly compliant child (which I know is the biggest part of the equation).

Phrases heard lately;

“No thank you” said whenever he doesn’t want to do something.  I think this is perhaps because he has had to sit in time out more than once for saying “no” to us in response to instructions. He thinks if he uses good manners, then time out’s don’t apply to defiance. 

“I kiss girl”  heard on our way home from nursery school today.  His teacher informed me that he kissed a classmate and she then tried to kiss him back.  He did say she was a “nice girl.”  I am not sure what to think about this…

“I funny!”  said whenever he is doing something silly that makes him laugh at himself.  It is very cute.

Gymnastics have gone much better the last couple weeks since the first hilarious week of class.  Brooks loves to go and run and jump and actually is learning some skills. For video of the funnies at gymnastics check out our YouTube channel. You’ll also find a few other funny videos from the past couple months.

I am consistently amazed at his active imagination and memory.  Whenever we go into a big box store he announces he wants to see the fish.  Whenever we go to Kroger he asks for a sticker.  He knows which places have what things he likes and enjoys.  When we walked into the library this week he asked to see Big bird.  Big Bird was on the HUGE bulletin board in the children’s section like a year ago, yet he still remembers and wants to see Big Bird every time.

Brooks has grown VERY attached to one toy train, “Gordon.”  He carries him everywhere and even sleeps with the toy.  We left Gordon at Mimi and Papa’s this weekend and today Brooks told me that he missed Gordon and could we go and get him.  Substitute trains have been filling in, Percy, Spencer and Toby, but Gordon still holds the most special spot in his heart.

Our city has a local park with a gymnastic program that is great and cheap! 

Brooks’ first class was Monday. 

It. was. an. adventure.

We built up going to gymnastics a few days before- telling Brooks that he would get to run and jump and it would be so fun.  He was very excited and pumped to go.  When we got to the gym, we were not disappointed.  The large room was filled with all sorts of fun, colorful (and potentially dangerous) equipment that thrilled my little boy and caused him to immediately want to take off and play.

We had to wait for the class before ours to finish which was torture for a two year old, but finally our turn came.  Brooks tromped out to the big blue mat with all the other kiddos - imagine about 25 2-4 year olds  and the six or so college girls trying to get them all to sit on a colored square.

 After the teachers got everyone on a square and started the warm-up music- every child proceeded to turn in circles and reach up and out, doing all the stretching exercises pretty much together.  Everyone but my kid.

Brooks was not having any part of participation.   He just stood in the middle of the circle, with his giant eyeballs staring around at all the other kids doing the motions.  He was so serious and if I could have read his mind I imagine he was thinking “what are all these crazy people doing turning in circles?”

At one point during the warm up, everyone sat down and did leg stretches-  Brooks continued standing and staring but then decided to get a closer look at the main teacher.  He sauntered over to the teacher and just stood next to her staring. 

All I could do was crack-up.  I mean laughing until I cried at my little serious boy taking in all the people and activity in this new environment. 

  My favorite part was when these college girls, who are teaching the kids, divided everyone up into groups by calling out names.  Now if you are 4 or 5 calling your name means something.  If you are 2 and a half- it just means someone said your name and you may or may not decide to pay any attention.  It was like herding cats.

The teacher is calling “Brooks, Brooks” trying to figure out who he is and get him into her group. Meanwhile Brooks is paying no attention at all but running over to the other side of the room to jump on a trampoline.  When I could get my self together and stop laughing, I put the poor girl out of her misery and walked over to tell her that Brooks was mine and he was the little guy in orange climbing through a tunnel across the way.

Larry helped Brooks sit with his group and he did manage to get into the class once they broke up into groups and began climbing , running , jumping and tumbling.  Though he would at random times run over to another group who seemed to be having more fun and join right in.

The teacher seemed pretty stressed by the time the hour was over- but the kids had great fun.

I should have taken pictures, but honestly I was just trying not to pee my pants from laughing so hard.  I’ll take some next week and post them.

- who is so patient and gentle with our rambunctious little boy.

-who can build the BEST train track configurations Thomas has ever seen!

-who always has a song, silly, out of key, but super fun for every action- tooth brushing, getting dressed, reading books and everything in between.

-who is never too busy to read books, play trains, play dinosaurs or blocks.

-who ALWAYS takes out the dirty diaper trash- EVERY time!

-Who promised me from the beginning that he would parent along side me as a TEAM of equals- and has NEVER broken that promise.

Larry, you have always pitched in, worked hard, loved generously and have consistently been  be the kind of father and man I pray our little boy grows up to be.

LOVE!

Happy Father’s Day

I had a c-section with Brooks, but really wanted to have the option of a VBAC with my next baby.  However- for some reason VBAC’s have become less common and sort of a hot button issue in childbirth. 

I started my dr. search at the local midwife practice only to be told they don’t do VBAC’s and they know of NO docs in my area that do them.  because I am the queen of research, i started looking for resources and information and began to get discouraged -the closest VBAC friendly doc was over an hour away in Atlanta. 

So rather than freak out- I just prayed.  I don’t have a ton of negative feelings about my c-section, but I really feel strongly that I be given the opportunity to have TRY to have a vaginal birth with this baby since it is my body and all…

I realized that there is so much I don’t and can’t control- so I just asked God to help me have peace with whatever comes with this precious child and the way he or she comes into the world.

Then back to the research  I stumbled literally across an organization called ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network.  There I found TONS of information and resources for VBAC as well as a LOCAL chapter website. 

On the local chapter’s website I discovered a list of doctors- short but nonetheless – there are FOUR doctors who are VBAC friendly in my city!!!!!

I saw the first one on the list today and am delighted with his office and his encouragement. He was totally positive about my trying to have a VBAC (while at the same time making sure I know all the risks and realities as well). It was very encouraging.

Get this- as he was taking my history - he asked about my first baby and where he was born-

“his name is Brooks, he was born at _____ hospital in Waco, TX.

He said – really – Tell me about that-

Well- we lived in Waco and worked at Baylor so our son was born at ________ in Waco-

The doctor then says- I went to Baylor-  “did you name your son Brooks after the building?”

“well sort of…”

” I lived in Brooks Hall and met my wife my freshman year at Baylor.”

No joke- my new OB went to Baylor undergrad and Baylor Medical School!  He lived in our residence hall.  I explained that we named our son Brooks because it was a special place for us, we had our first date there, we fell in love there- it was just really special.  Turns out that Dr. Baylor and his wife had their first date at Brooks Hall too!

The apt. took an hour because we spent so much time chatting about Baylor and figuring out all the people we both know.  So fun!  ( a bit wierd with your OB but still a nice surprise).

I am not saying God answered my prayers with a doctor from Baylor-I am saying I was encouraged and now have a more positive outlook for this pregnancy.

I don’t know what the future holds, and I still can’t control every aspect of the pregnancy and birth- but I do trust and have faith that God cares for his children.

Oh yeah-  SIC ‘EM!

After our dinner we stopped by CVS to pick up a gift- well not really a gift but evidence of a gift.

Here is what we got:

Yep- our anniversary gift was the news that we are cooking up another little hyphen:)!

Right after Easter, we went along with the rest of the hoards to Lowes and purchased a few pots, a big bag of dirt, several varieties of peppers, tomatoes and other herbs. We planted our little plants and have watered them faithfully, fed them miracle grow and coffee grounds. Our efforts have been rewarded with wonderfully lush , large plants loaded with fruit.

There is nothing so satisfying as preparing food that you have grown yourself. We’ve made some fantastic cilantro and basil pesto. I cut fresh oregano and thyme to add to pasta and fish. I’ve even plucked lemon balm leaves to rub on my son’s skin to repel mosquitos.

The tomatoes are loaded down, but still green, and I am impatiently awaiting ripe ones. I can’t wait to slice one up on white bread with miracle whip, salt and pepper and call it heaven. I’ll also dice them up with fresh peppers, onions, cilantro and call it homemade salsa heaven.