O'Toole Odyssey

The Joy of the Holidays

2011-12-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Hanging out at GGP's house

We ventured to Fort Worth for Thanksgiving this year to join the Corders and Mansons for lots and lots of food. Luckily, Kate is very talented with a camera and took the pictures shown here! We headed out to the park for some time in the fall leaves and Emerson thoroughly enjoyed climbing, running, and playing.

Getting sleepy

Emerson and I made holiday cookies yesterday for Steve to take to work. Emerson loved the green icing and ended up looking a bit like the Hulk.

The aftermath of cookie baking

We're backing up to Halloween now. Emerson dressed as Plex from Yo Gabba Gabba! The outfit was completely his choice. We headed out to Trunk or Treat for candy and games then back home to peruse the treats received.

Christmas!!

2011-12-17T12:58:00.000-08:00

Emerson visiting Santa. No tears this year!!

My boys in their hats

On the go

I think this captures a 2 year old perfectly


Checking out the Christmas lights in the park

Emerson was too enamored of the train to look at Mummy

Waiting to see Santa!!

Riding a train...this has been the highlight of his year!

Chugga-chugga-choo-choo

Watching the world go by

The first attempt

Emerson, Daddy, and the train

Unhappy about having his picture taken

But happy about balloons!

I got a puzzle!

Happy boy

Emerson's first school picture. I have no idea how they got him to sit still.

Swimming and School

2011-10-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Swimming

Our happy little fish

This summer we decided to get in the pool! Emerson took swimming lessons - he hated them at first, but then, as you can tell, he LOVED the pool. He is still talking about his lessons and his teacher and is ready for next summer.

This fall marked the beginning of Thursday school for Emerson. We had been talking about it all summer, so when school rolled around on September 1, he was all smiles and ready for class. I was worried that he would be upset when I left - I couldn't have been more wrong. We went in and he took off for his classroom, handing me his backpack and lunchbox on the way. When I got to the room, he was sizing up the puzzles on the table. After putting everything away, I turned to say bye to Emerson, expecting tears. He just turned to me and said, "OK, Mummy. Bye-bye" and went back to his puzzle. I think the whole experience was more traumatic for me than for him!

Getting ready for the first day of preschool

Breakfast on the go

I'm ready!

This is my chair

Too busy doing puzzles to say bye to Mummy

Enjoying the Grandparents' Day cake at the preschool party

The grandparents

Emerson took this picture of himself

The pre-Halloween wearing of the costume

Plex at the preschool Halloween party

The little robot

CUPCAKE!!

The treats - sugar overload for this little fella

Up close and personal with Plexerson

Emerson's 2nd Birthday

2011-10-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'm behind. Like MONTHS behind. Summer has come and gone, birthdays have been celebrated, school has started (for TWO members of the family this year), and Halloween is tomorrow.

We'll start with the Fourth of July, which was celebrated with a large lollipop and fireworks.

The aforementioned lollipop.

Emerson's birthday was celebrated with much pomp this summer. On the actual birthday, we had presents in the morning, a swimming lesson, then we all headed to Fort Worth for lunch and an afternoon at the Children's Museum. Emerson was especially partial to the dinosaurs, though the toy trains were a close second. It was HOT - too hot to stay out very long with the dino dig, which was a shame as Emerson was thoroughly enjoying himself! Emerson's birthday party was Yo Gabba Gabba themed - his choice! Family and friends gathered to celebrate this wonderful little boy's 2nd birthday and he had a BLAST!

The presents awaiting the birthday boy.

Milk and a cereal bar are necessary before opening presents

Present time!

Absolute joy

Studying Plex and Muno very intently

SWIMMING!!

Surveying the menu - a soft cheese taco was selected

Mmmmm.....sopapillas

He wanted me to take his picture upside down. I couldn't refuse the birthday boy!

Sitting in a Paluxysaurus footprint

Checking out dinos with Daddy

A quick chat while playing trains


Through the tunnel!

The birthday cake of joy

Sampling the cake

Ready for guests! Emerson and Mummy made the Plex cookies

A big dinosaur book - what more could a boy want?

CAKE!

The pre-cake pizza and pringles

Opening presents

Joy

Checking out the birthday tent


In awe of the Yo Gabba Gabba toys

Summer is here!

2011-06-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm going have to break this down into sections as it has been two months since an update. I know, it's shameful.

EASTER

Emerson had a great time hunting for Easter eggs on a rather warm Saturday. He took a while to get going, but once he did, there was no stopping him! On Easter Sunday we travelled to Fort Worth for a visit with GGP and Cathy. We all ate way too much food and Emerson was admired by everyone!

An egg discovery

He wouldn't let go of his green egg

Showing off for Granddaddy

The joy of finding a Reese's egg

Opening the goods - with some help from Mum and Grammy

These things OPEN? For real? AWESOME!

Making a break for it

Post-hunt playgrounding

Slightly chocolate face after showing Daddy the Easter goods

Celebrating Easter

Daddy, draw the Easter Bunny

POST EASTER.

We had Mother's Day celebrations, school ended, and summer began. That's about it. Emerson is a chatterbox. More and more words are becoming understandable, more and more food is being tried, and more and more curls appear in his hair every day. We've transitioned from a highchair to a booster seat - this is an at-home experiment so far. After about 30 seconds of screaming because it was new and different, he settled in and realized his reach had expanded dramatically

I don't remember when I took this (not while I was driving),
but he is letting me know there are CARS out there!

So Emerson decided to try on my hat. I may never get it back.

Chilling on his sofa

Chilling on the big sofa (did I mention he's figured out the climbing thing?)

Emerson and I made cookies. This is the result.

So, breakfast should always be on your nose, right?

Cheesy grins at the breakfast table

Playing with Mouse and G-raffe.

Leo. This is the oh-so-sad view from the table.

What happened to February and March?

2011-04-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I'm sure that the last time I looked at a calendar it was February. Now it's April. I am officially behind on EVERYTHING. We had more snow in February and I got a week off school due to it! Steve managed a couple of days off as well and we spent our time playing in the snow, then warming up inside with hot chocolates. Yum!

Conquering the snow-covered Leaf Mountain.

Blazing a new trail

Footprints

Jack spent about four days just like this.

The snow melted, school and work resumed, and suddenly it was March. Emerson is talking a mile a minute and learning new words everyday. Right now his favorite is "AWESOME!" He has learned all of his ABCs, most of his numbers (he has an aversion to 3 for some reason - the counting goes 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10), we're working on our little letters, and colors are next on the list. Leo now has a name - when he is lying down and Emerson is asked what Leo is doing, the response is, "E-O sleeping."

I've been a bit under the weather the last couple of days, so Steve has been sleeping in Emerson's room to avoid contamination. Emerson woke him up yesterday by saying, "Shhhh - Daddy sleeping." What a great alarm clock!

Emerson has also become a rather picky eater, which is frustrating and disappointing. He used to be rather adventurous in trying new things, but now sticks with what he knows. We're trying to introduce new foods, but it's heartbreaking to watch him scream his way through dinner. I guess we just have to tough it out and hope this phase passes sooner rather than later.

Currently, tantrums consist of throwing himself on the ground face first, then rolling over to his side and lying there, absolutely quiet, until he's forgotten why he was mad. Or until I laugh at him, whichever happens first. These tantrums are pretty amusing!

Emerson has also become a very talented artist. He would draw all day if we'd let him. He draws for a while, then asks you to draw letters or pictures of some of his favorite characters. The current faves are Plex from Yo Gabba Gabba! and HoHo from Ni Hao, Kai Lan. Steve is archiving all of Emerson's artwork - the box under the bed is now full.

The oh-so-fashionable applesauce beard

Giggles

So happy to be home and playing
Check out all of those teeth!

Oooooooo!

What's in your mouth, Daddy?

Taking a break from playing to pose for a picture

Crunching and munching.

Evidently Mummy and Daddy are hilarious when spelling EMERSON.

Emerson joined me in searching for costumes - this was our snack break.

Reading his letter blocks

Snow Days!

2011-02-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

Dancing to the theme tune from The Big Bang Theory. It's the highlight of the week!

Recovering from the New Year festivities.

Leo.

Watching TV with Daddy.

Still watching.

Surveying the frozen backyard.

Testing out the ice.

Better hold on - it's slippery out there!

Loving the winter weather.

Is it time to go in?

Checking out leaves

Two handsome fellas

I found a dog toy!

And I'm terribly proud of myself!

Bedhead at breakfast

Showing off his chewing skills.

Hangin' out with Mummy on a snow day.

Emerson has had a great 2011 so far. At his 18 month checkup, he measured 35" tall and 25 pounds. He's got 9 teeth (2 of them are molars). He loves to eat - chicken nuggets, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, chips and queso, corn dogs, pudding, yogurt, applesauce, and pretty much anything that's on our plates too! We'll be trying crescent roll pizza pockets tonight, so we'll see how those go down.

Emerson talks like there is no tomorrow. I can't understand it all the time, but he usually repeats himself or pantomimes until I get the point. Silly Mummy! Currently all dogs are Jack, which makes sense as one of our dogs is named Jack. He loves to chase the cat while screaming "CAT!" at her over and over again. Tilly Cat will not have an identity crisis. He asks for more, lets us know when he's done and wants down, and still loves his cuddles. I will be sad when those days are over!

Adventures in snow.

Disregard the last few seconds as I am trying to catch him before he landed face-first in the ice!

I was successful, by the way.

Showing off my four front teeth!


Jack, the grand old man of the household.

Visitors, Christmas, and a New Year

2011-02-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

This December we were thrilled to have Uncle Mikey (Steve's brother) and Steve Bishop come all the way from England for a visit. Emerson was certain they arrived solely for his amusement.

Michael and Steve strolling through Fair Park

Emerson strolling through Fair Park

And then running...

You can't catch me, Daddy!

Sleepy boy having a nap on Uncle Mikey's hand

But not too tired to eat...

Sweeping up after dinner

Time to say "Bye!"

Luckily for us (and for Emerson), the flight was delayed due to the snow at Heathrow, so we had a few more days to enjoy company. The visit was over much too soon!

And then it was Christmas. I'm pretty sure Christmas exploded all over our house. Emerson enjoyed the opening of presents. He's very patient about it - he'd open one, play with it for a while, help us open ours, and then be ready for another present of his own to open. He's spoiled rotten.

We then ventured to Grammy and Granddaddy's house for brunch and more presents. Emerson fell asleep after food, but was up and ready to go at the mention of presents!

Not too sure about Santa - but Steve is having a great time!

The only photo with Santa that even remotely looked like a smile.

The tiny Christmas tree.

Checking out his goodies.

Super excited about the keyboard Santa left for Daddy!

Blurry, but still excited about presents.

After bath and right before the door got slammed in Mummy's face.

Getting ready for bed.

Steve.

Steve and the wiggle monster.


Blurry boy and happy Steve.

Visitors

2011-02-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Dancing to the music

Bundled up for a trip out

Super cute hat

Hanging out in Granbury

The courthouse - under construction, but still lovely

I'm sure he was amused by Daddy and Uncle Mikey's antics!

Dallas

T-Rex

Watching the T-Rex roar

That was AMAZING!

Hanging out with a triceratops, like you do.

Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

This Halloween we once again ventured to the FUMC in Cleburne for their annual Trunk or Treat. Emerson was admired by many and did well with the candy - no one can resist a cute cowboy! Emerson chose his Halloween costume all by himself - we held up a selection, and he went straight for Woody. There was a slight tantrum when the woman had to borrow it momentarily to scan it so we could legally leave the store! The boy seemed to enjoy himself immensely, as you can see.

Sliding with Daddy

Even a cowboy has to eat

Perusing his treats

Checking out what Elmo has for him

Blurry, but cute

Rounding up the herd

The goat liked Woody more than Woody liked the goat

Woody!

Sliding - the playground was a big hit

Lookin' good

Climbing the steps to slide some more

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Everyone is safe in Emerson's town

TEETH!

2010-10-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

I have been on a picture taking frenzy the past couple of weeks - most of the shots are incredibly blurry. Trying to get a fifteen month old to stand still for pictures is impossible! Out of 60, these are the best.
I also have tons of video to post - its processing, so fingers crossed.

Cheeky...

Blurry boy reaching for the camera.

Happy boy! Sitting on the table with Daddy's help.

My toy.

Sleepy fella.

The toothy grin of joy.

Old Video, New Post

2010-10-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

This video is from May. He's much bigger now, but I love the smiles when he pulls himself up!

Autumn Leaves

2010-10-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Emerson and I have been enjoying the cooler temperatures - windows are open, the outdoors is being played in as it isn't a sauna anymore, and leaves are falling (and boy, are they great for jumping in!). I have loads of pictures and videos, so here goes!

The videos are not wanting to load, so we'll have to wait a while on those. Oh well.

The results of spaghetti.

The results of chocolate cake.

Celebrating Mum's birthday - what a happy fella!!

CAKE!!!!!!!!

Looking for toys.

Found the toys!

Too cute.

The Birthday Party

2010-09-06T19:28:00.001-07:00

I really thought I had updated with these pictures. I hadn't. But I have now...
Emerson celebrated his first birthday with the Corder side of the family - a great day was had by all! He loves all of his presents, the cake (oh, how he loved the cake), and everyone who came to play!

A lovely birthday hat.

Having lunch with Uncle Matt.

The center of attention.

Playing with his new toy - he likes to go shopping with this thing!

Ummm...this toy is mine.

Lookin' good.

It's a good thing he wears a diaper.

Checking out the new toys.

Unwrapping presents is the BEST!

So excited about CAKE!

The theme was Cars - such a cool (and tasty) cake!

The first bite.

Trying it on his own.

MORE PLEASE!!!!!

Birthdays, Summer, and the Return of School

2010-09-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

The piano has been the discovery of the month.

The summer flew by (as it tends to do). I'm sure it was only May yesterday! But, alas, it is September and I am back in school. Emerson is wearing his Grammy out during the week. I'm not sure who is more exhausted by the end of the day!

Emerson now has two bottom teeth, one upper, and one poking through any day now. He likes to wave bye-bye to his Daddy, dance along with Yo Gabba Gabba and anything vaguely musical, play his guitar, sing, run, torment the cat, and generally be a happy kid.

Happy - playing peekaboo with his sippie cup

Not happy - Mum took the remote away. And then took his picture. Double unhappy.

Happy. A guitar - late birthday present.

Cute story - Emerson was watching Yo Gabba Gabba at his Grammy and Granddaddy's house and Muno (one of the characters) appeared onscreen with a guitar. Emerson got all excited and said, "DADDY!!" Not because his father is a big red pickle, but because he plays the guitar, just like Muno. This kid is smart.

Muno and the guitar.

Emerson in his Muno tribute outfit, remote in hand (ready to crank the volume)

Lots of words - Daddy is the favorite (he runs through the house calling for Daddy)
Cat, dog, Mummy, up, gabba gabba
He is always talking, I just can't understand his language yet.

Bathtime - what a change from a year ago!The little monster after a bath.

4pm and still in pajamas - he is his mother's son!

This just makes me laugh. He's just so excited about the guitar, dinner, and life.

Birthday Celebrations!

2010-07-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Emerson celebrated his first birthday on July 14. He had a fun-filled day full of presents, lunch, cake (yum), more presents, a nap, and playtime at the park. He is looking forward to his birthday party this Sunday - more presents and more cake!

Good morning, birthday boy!

A birthday breakfast.

It's my birthday, so I'll choose what to watch!

A card from Grandma and Grandpa.

Opening presents.

I got a red car....vrooooom!

Having lunch - see what a big boy I am!

Opening a present from Grammy and Granddaddy.

I got a popper!

A book is always great!

Checking out my presents at home.

I climbed a mountain...with Daddy's help.

Walking to the river with Daddy

Checking out the ducks

Birthday swings.

Fourth of July

2010-07-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

Emerson celebrated his first Fourth of July this weekend. We had lunch with Grammy and Granddaddy (and tried on Granddaddy's World Cup hat for size). Then we braved the Hill College parking lot and watched the fireworks. Last year Leo joined us for the event, but this year we got to bring Emerson instead! He wasn't bothered by the bangs, didn't really care about the bright and shiny things in the sky, but loved watching the kids there run around and around. Next year he'll be joining them!

Where did my lunch go?

There it is!

Not too impressed with Granddaddy.

If the hat goes on backwards, lunch can be eaten.
(I think I got that in a fortune cookie once.)

Waiting for the fireworks to start.

Still waiting.

More interested in Mummy's keys than the fireworks.

Ready for the Fourth of July - decked out in red, white, and blue. Even the sippie cup matches!

The Baby in the Mirror

2010-06-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

More pictures, courtesy of Grammy. He's been hanging out some at Grammy and Granddaddy's house this summer - where else can a boy stay in his pajamas all day, fall asleep in the recliner with Granddaddy, and get as dirty as he wants with no threat of a bath?

Playing with the baby in the mirror.

Give the baby a kiss!

Celebrating Mother's Day - Emerson is by far the best looking one in this picture.

Dancing with the baby in the mirror.

Playing Catch Up...Again.

2010-06-24T11:20:00.001-07:00

Being coy.

Chilling out with Daddy.

Hi, Daddy!

Too cute in Black and White.

Once again I am months behind on posting. Too much has been happening! Emerson perfected crawling on Easter Sunday - just in time for his great-grandmother to see it!! Since then, I have finished school for the summer, Emerson has grown a tooth, and the summer is in full swing.

Emerson is growing up too fast - he'll be ONE in three weeks! His first tooth (bottom left) has been slowly emerging for the past month and the second one is close behind. Since his epic crawling feat, he has been pulling himself up on anything and everything and then...HE WALKED!! On his own two feet without Mum or Daddy's help. There's no stopping him now. His first tentative steps were last week, and then yesterday he took off from the coffee table to the TV and back again. Then he fell asleep - walking is exhausting.

Food. Emerson likes everything except peas and green beans. This has not changed since we started him on solid food. But now, since he has his tooth (or most of it), he has decided that real food is the way to go. He loves things that are crunchy - he's happiest when he stares at me, picks up a corn puff, shoves it in his mouth, and crunches. It brings an enormous smile to his face. And to mine.

The pick-up.

The crunch.

All done!

Pictures - I have hundreds to upload, but I'll do as many as I can while Emerson is asleep. We visited GGP for a belated Mother's Day celebration. Emerson and I also took a trip to Dallas (his first and he was FANTASTIC in the car) to see the godparents, Matt and Jeremy. I had some difficulty removing Emerson from their house - I think they wanted to keep him! We also celebrated Steve's first Father's Day. He got a bike seat for Emerson - it's a present for both of them!

Celebrating Mother's Day with Great-Grandmother Patsy.

Hanging out with Matt and Walter.

Check out my standing skills...

Meeting Walter

Happy boy

Playing is serious business

Emerson is fascinated with glasses, but he hasn't quite gotten the hang of using them. We'll stick with sippie-cups for a while.

CHOO CHOO!!!

Daddy and Emerson celebrating Father's Day.

Grandaddy, Emerson, and Daddy
Happy Father's Day!!

Those first few steps...

Playing catch up.

2010-03-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind on posting. Here are LOTS of pictures to make up for my lack of something witty to write. Emerson is 8 months old now, working hard on crawling, but generally content with rolling to get wherever he needs to be.

7 months old and hanging out in the highchair after dinner - no, he's not usually this clean!

Dinner sure can make a boy sleepy.

Ready for bathtime.

Watching TV with Daddy.

Bouncing with Daddy. Who cares about the Golden Globes?
(Sorry this is sideways!)

I said no paparazzi!

8 months old, sitting up and playing with his elephant.

Extreme close up!!!

All smiles and giggles.

Emerson loves sitting up, rolling around, and playing with his blue elephant.

The art shot of the evening.

All those pictures sure can make a boy tired. This is how he fell asleep yesterday evening after playing, eating, playing, and fussing. He didn't even wake up when I rolled him onto his side. Days with Mummy are EXHAUSTING!!

More sleeping baby.

Emerson in his walker - makes him look a bit like Davros, dontcha think?

He is thoroughly amused by Steve's toes.

The Great Thaw Out of 2010 and Leo's 1st birthday.

2010-02-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

The record snowfall is starting to melt. Emerson has experienced more snow in his 7 months than I have in 31 years. I'm sad to see the snow go - especially as it's my day off and I can sit and watch the squirrels and birds drive the cat crazy by running around in the snow.

Yes, this is our backyard!

Spot the squirrel...

The view out our front door

Happy Birthday, Leo! 1 year old today.

Is there food? The boys are off to hunt down a midnight snack.

These pictures of Emerson are a month old, but still cute! In this first picture, you can see just how much Emerson likes his food...

Dinner got EVERYWHERE, so we hung out in our robes until bath time.

Watching Mum feed Jack.

You rang?

Yes, I'm gorgeous.

Probably watching The Three Stooges with Dad. Emerson has started saying "Da da da da da da daddy!" I'll have to get a video of it. Maybe one day it'll be "Mu mu mu mu mummy!"

SNOW!!!

2010-02-11T17:18:00.001-08:00

I'm a bit behind with the 6 month pics - it'll be 7 months on Valentine's Day! Emerson is eating everything we give him - except peas. Not a fan of the peas. But sweet potatoes, bananas, peaches, applesauce, pears, and carrots are favorites so far. We'll see how long this lasts!

Lots of snow here today...yes, it snows in Texas.

I can't believe my little boy is almost 7 months old! Where has the time gone? He's working on crawling, but is content with rolling himself around the room.

Jack in the snow

Eating dinner with Daddy.

6 months

2010-01-16T16:53:00.001-08:00

Where has the time gone? Emerson is SIX MONTHS OLD!!!! Had a doctor's appointment yesterday - he's 16 pounds 1.5 ounces, 26 1/2" long, and has a 17 1/4" head circumference. I think he's going to be about 9 feet tall. NBA here we come! Will post some 6 month pictures soon.

CHRISTMAS!!!

2010-01-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

Emerson greatly enjoyed his first Christmas and New Year's. Santa was good to us!

Christmas Eve in Wylie. Yes, his eyes are still blue!!

Emerson's stocking - handmade with love by Grammy and Grandma!

Santa came to visit!

Opening presents with Dad.

Enjoying Boxing Day and his set of keys. That sing. Constantly.

Opening presents - he loved unwrapping things.

2009 has been very good to us - we had Emerson! 2010 can only bring better things, more fun, and more love. Happy New Year to you all!!

Christmas pictures

2009-12-20T06:25:00.001-08:00

Emerson visited Santa yesterday - he didn't cry until the man in the red suit said "Ho, ho, ho" to him. He did well! He has also been very patient in posing for various Christmas pictures in various Christmas outfits for me. He has discovered the joy of real food - bananas and applesauce are faves so far.

Emerson and Christmas friends.

Santa's Little Helper. (Emerson, not the Simpsons' dog)

Emerson's first visit with Santa.

Update

2009-12-15T16:51:00.001-08:00

The last couple of weeks have been eventful. Steve's parents came to visit (more pictures to come), Thanksgiving was enjoyed by all, I went to England, and Christmas is fast approaching. Emerson is gorgeous (as always) and he seemed to enjoy the ten days with his daddy.

The O'Tooles arrive at the airport!

Leo. Nothing more needs to be said.

Bathtime has become much less painful. For everyone.

Hello from Emerson,Steve and Pets!

2009-12-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

As Jenny is in England for a few days, I have been put in charge of updating our Odyssey. Mum and Dad visited for ten days and it was really good to see them. They flew back to England yesterday (30th November). Jenny flew to England too, as she will be doing her viva for her phD at Essex University on the 8th December. Therefore, me and Emerson are holding the fort, along with Jack, Tilly and Leo. Everyone is fine. Emerson is snoozing at the moment and I'm sorting out the laundry! When I get a moment, I will sort out some photos and put them on the Odyssey for all to see. Once again, it was really good to see Mum and Dad and I will go into their visit in more detail on the next blog.

4 months!

2009-11-19T05:55:00.000-08:00

Time has flown - it's almost Thanksgiving, the semester is almost over, and Emerson is 4 months and 5 days old. His doctor's appointment went well yesterday. He's happy, healthy, and perfect (which we all knew). He is 25 inches long, has a 17" head circumference, and weighs in at a whopping 13 pounds 10 ounces. He's the size of the turkay in my freezer, but he's much cuter and not frozen. He loves to chatter and play with his toys. He has also discovered his feet and thinks they're the best toy EVER because they go everywhere with him! Luckily he is sleeping through the night, which has made everything much easier. He's excited about meeting his O'Toole grandparents tomorrow when he picks them up at the airport (4 months isn't too young to drive, right?).

More cuteness.

2009-11-11T06:40:00.000-08:00

Daddy and Emerson being silly.

Long time, no post.

2009-11-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

So I've been SUPER busy and have finally found some time to post some Emerson pictures!! I'll try to do a big post sometime this week, but I'm making no promises...

It's tiring being so darn cute.

All dressed up for Halloween.

Slightly confused about what exactly Halloween is...

See how big I've gotten!!

All smiles and giggles.

2009-10-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of videos of Mr. E...

Playing with Daddy

All smiles and giggles

So much to do, so little time...

2009-10-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

So, in the past couple of weeks we've celebrated my birthday (yes, there was cake), had a baby shower (which the baby got to come to), and hit the State Fair (corn dogs and funnel cake). Thanks to my parents for looking after Mr. E so Steve and I could have a "date day" and see the fair and Mary Poppins. Here's some cuteness of Emerson...

Emerson LOVES to watch the Wonder Pets.

But not as much as he loves his daddy.

Emerson wouldn't let anyone but Steve hold him at the baby shower.

Thanks to everyone for the great gifts...big thanks to the music department at HC for putting it all together for us!!!

The biggest pig I've ever seen...4 feet tall and 1100 pounds.

Big Tex would like to welcome ya'll to the State Fair of Texas!

2009-09-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I'd update a bit more while Emerson is busy playing with his giraffe and listening to music. He LOVES music - any genre, any artist. I've got pictures, pictures, and more pictures, so get ready for an Emerson Extravaganza!

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday, so Happy Birthday to you! He got some golf balls, some clothes, some books, and a dvd of 1776 (that one is from Emerson). Emerson LOVED that movie - even though he saw it through the bellybutton window - and he decided that he and his grandaddy should watch it together. Lots. All in all, a good day with a lovely chocolate fudge cake. I forgot to take pictures though. Does that mean I get to have another lovely chocolate fudge cake in order to recreate the moment?

Two Months

2009-09-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Two months old! Time flies when there's a baby in the house. Emerson had his two month checkup today. He's perfectly wonderful...but we all knew that. The shots were over and done with in a flash - almost before he had time to scream. He has adjusted really well to my work schedule and I look forward to our weekends together. Steve and Emerson really love to have their father-son time on Wednesdays. I can't believe how much he's grown and how much he learns and changes every day.

Seven Weeks

2009-09-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Emerson is seven weeks old! I got home from work today and was greeted with a lovely smile. It's hard to leave him in the mornings, but coming home to a happy, lovely little boy is worth it! We're all busy sorting out our new schedules - mornings aren't much fun! But Emerson is sleeping through the night (more or less), so that helps the days seem smoother.

School is an adventure, as always, and I'm enjoying the new students in the drama department. Other than that, things are just ticking along nicely in O'Toole land!

Six weeks old and wondering what to do with these toys...

Sleeping.

Just had a bath

Getting ready for bed

Everyone loves story time!

This made me laugh....

2009-08-25T09:09:00.001-07:00

This is the lovely face that greeted me when I got home from work. It made the day worth it.

Steve's Birthday

2009-08-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid that Steve's birthday has usurped Emerson's five week celebrations. I have lots of pictures of Steve, and only a couple of Mr. E - I guess it's about time that Dad got the spotlight! We kept it low key for the birthday celebrations Tuesday night. Emerson stayed with my parents while we went out to eat (thanks guys!), then we returned to the parental abode for cake and presents. Steve got some shirts from Emerson and me (Emerson picked them out), a picture frame from Oberon and Bear (the parents' dogs), and a tea strainer/steeper thingie from my parents. Then came the surprise - a bicycle! I'd managed to keep this a secret for AGES - Emerson didn't breathe a word either. Steve was thoroughly surprised and happy (I hope). He rode it home today and looked thrilled to have the wind in his hair and the bugs in his teeth.

The artistic shot of cake, presents, and Steve. Happy Birthday!!

Surprised Steve and sleeping Emerson.

The surprise!

I'm not looking forward to going back to work on Monday. I'll miss Emerson and his silly faces and our morning cuddles before we start the day.

Sleeping Emerson at my parents' house. Happy 5 Weeks!!

FOUR WEEKS!

2009-08-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Mr. E is four weeks old as of yesterday. He even had a four week birthday cake, which I will happily eat for him. Maybe I'll freeze a piece for when he's older and can eat it. Or maybe not. Not alot has been happening. I go back to work on August 24 (boo). Anyhoo, here are the 4 week pics and a couple of videos.

Emerson's cake...lots and lots of chocolate

Hanging out with Dad watching TV

In my crib and wide awake

Emerson and his Elephant from Auntie Mel

My new Australian friends...thanks guys!!

Emerson chattering and crying

Making faces

Three Weeks Old

2009-08-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Emerson is three weeks old today, so I thought I'd post some more pictures. He had his first doctor's appointment last week - he's grown a whole inch and is almost back to his birth weight! He's holding his head up for short bursts, rolling from side to side, cooing, and eating all the time. We're awfully proud of him! His great-grandmother came for a visit over the weekend - I think she approves of him! We're all looking forward to Steve's parents coming over for a visit in November to meet Emerson. He loves talking to them on the phone, so an in-person conversation will be even better!

First story time with Daddy. They read Where the Wild Things Are and both enjoyed it, as you can tell! We're going to have story time every night - it makes all of us sleepy.

Goodnight, little boy.

Being three weeks old is exhausting!

The grumpy face - evidently I make the same face.

Lookin' cute.

Stuff that has been happening...or not

2009-08-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

So our router imploded during one of the storms this week, leaving us with no internet and therefore no means of updating. I shall attempt to rectify that now! Emerson has passed the two week mark and is fast approaching THREE WEEKS! He's changing every day (and not just diapers!) and it is fascinating to watch him learn about the world.

Steve went back to work on Tuesday, which has been a big adjustment for me and for Emerson. Emerson gets excited when he hears the back door open - he knows Daddy is home! Then they bond over a nap while dinner gets made!

We've had lots of visitors over the past three weeks. My aunt, uncle, and cousin came to meet Emerson the first Saturday we were home, then my other aunt came over last weekend! Our friends (and Emerson's godparents) Matt and Jeremy appeared last Sunday to play with the baby - I'm not sure who had more fun!

Mindy, Kate, and Emerson

Cathy and Emerson

Jeremy and Emerson

Matt and Emerson - both very happy boys!

2009-07-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

Emerson had his first bath at home Monday afternoon. As you can see, he wasn't thrilled with the idea. He's really a bashful boy who prefers to be fully clothed!

Leo was very worried about Emerson and sat out in the hall waiting. When the bath was finished, Leo had to make sure Emerson was still in one piece (which he was!) before he could go about his business.

One Week Old

2009-07-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

Emerson was one whole week old yesterday - a monumental occasion!

My mother and grandmother made Jenny Bears when I was born, so we decided to continue the tradition and make Emerson Bears to celebrate his arrival!

I finally got a picture of him with his eyes open!

Can I help you with something?

More pictures

2009-07-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Emerson will be ONE WEEK OLD tomorrow. How time flies when you're having fun (and no sleep!). I thought I'd post a few more of the pictures from the hospital - I'll post some one week pictures tomorrow. Steve is a fantastic father - he and Emerson watch classic movies while I get to have a nap. The cinematic and musical education has begun!

Proud Grandfather (or whatever he'll be called) getting to feed Emerson.

He's on his way to play golf, minus his new caddy!

Thr Froggy Bottom Boy and Mom are ready to GO HOME!

Travel-tastic.

Two days old and having a good sleep.

Emerson Bennett O'Toole

2009-07-19T00:16:00.000-07:00

We went to the hospital at 1am Sunday night/Monday morning to get everything started. We welcomed Emerson to our family at 8:27am on Tuesday, July 14. He's 8 pounds and 20 inches and practically perfect in every way! I am amazed every time I look at him. He came home on Thursday afternoon and has been settling in beautifully. Leo has taken the role of big brother to heart and loves to look after Emerson - I will try to get a picture of the two of them up soon. I am so proud of my boys and nothing makes me happier than seeing Steve and Emerson together!

Home from the hospital and tuckered out!

Steve welcoming his son to the world.

Steve and Emerson - the proud papa and his son.

Dr. Ford (you are GREAT) and Emerson.

Our brand-new boy about ten minutes old.

Thundercats are GO!

2009-07-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

Well, we are scheduled to head to the hospital this morning at 1am to get things going. I'm not sure why it has to be at 1am, but that's what the doctor wants me to do, so that's what I'll do! We've tried EVERYTHING to get this baby moving on his/her own, but Bean seems to be awfully comfortable in Hotel Uterus - or just stubborn. The next time I post, there will be real baby pictures, a knowledge of girl or boy (place your bets now, people), and a name (which we've managed to keep pretty quiet, all in all).

We hope we're ready for Bean to come home...and that the dogs are ready for Bean to come home. We're nervous, excited, happy, and about 80 other emotions rolled into one. I'll try to get some pictures of my 40-week self taken today, but I promise nothing.

37 weeks and growing.

2009-06-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

37 weeks - I'm a big green blimp! Dr's appointment on Wednesday, so there will be sonogram pictures up soon. Hopefully there will be BABY pictures up soon...

Stroller

2009-06-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Steve's parents, we are now the proud owners of a "travel system" - otherwise known as a stroller and car seat. It was really easy to put together and I've even practiced with putting a Cabbage Patch Doll in. I assume that's much easier than actually getting a REAL baby in there! We'll soon find out.

The stroller.

The infant seat thingie in the stroller. (I don't know all the technical names for these things)

Infant stroller just waiting for Bean!

Bean

2009-06-14T13:32:00.001-07:00

An update on Bean. We're making progress on the room, which probably isn't too clear from the pictures! We've procured a crib, a stroller (thanks O'Tooles!!), a bouncy thing, and lots of clothes and cute stuff. I like the cute stuff!

Underneath all that stuff, there really is a bed! My personal favorite is the piggy bank that's shaped like an elephant (the yellow thing on the table).

Stroller and changing area - I love the dresser/changer!

Crib, bouncy thing, mobile, and lots and lots of Pooh Bear. The blanket was handmade by a friend of my Steve's mom - it came all the way from England to welcome Bean home!!

Me, large and in charge at 36 weeks.

I take up the whole hallway!!!!!! The het and humidity plus the 36 weeks is making summer not so wonderful - at least it'll be over BEFORE August gets here!

Boys

2009-06-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the boys. Leo is mastering sit and stay, while Jack has somehow managed to forget all that learning he had so many years ago!

Learning how to sit...

STAY!

Good boy!!!

Jack - our special boy. Leo - cute face.

A boy and his dog.

2009-06-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Our big almost grown-up dog looking rather intelligent.

Here's Leo the day after we got him. He's cute and cuddly!

Sleepless nights...already

2009-05-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

We're still seven weeks away from welcoming Bean to our family, but the sleepless nights have already kicked in for me. Don't know why, but sleep has been very elusive these past couple of weeks. I've gotten into a nice routine now that school is out - but summer school starts soon, so that routine is out the window in a week!
Leo is growing SO FAST - it seems like he's all legs at the minute. I'll try to post some pictures someday. Jack is still grumpy about the new arrival, but it's finally sinking in that Leo is staying permanently. Tilly couldn't care less - until Leo decides to linebacker tackle her, which happens on a daily basis.
Steve has been busy at work. He worked all of Memorial Day weekend and is trying to save up as many days as possible for when Bean gets here. It looks like he'll get to stay home with us for two weeks before going back to work.
July can't get here fast enough!

A New Arrival

2009-04-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest addition to the Corder-O'Toole household. This is Leo, a catahoula/lab mix. He's 8 weeks old and has been a member of the family for about two weeks now. He was Steve's early anniversary surprise!
Leo thinks Tilly (the cat) is the best toy ever, but he is in awe of big Jack (our older dog). We're working on manners, but still have a long way to go!
It's not letting me upload pictures at the minute, so you'll have to wait a while to get a look at Leo.

23 weeks

2009-04-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

Here is our latest picture of Bean at 23 weeks. It's from March 19, so, as you can tell, I am a bit behind on posting things. Not sure if Bean is laughing or yawning...

Stuff

2009-02-28T10:12:00.001-08:00

Why am I so tired all the time? I sleep, then feel like I haven't slept for days. Boo. Things are good in O'Toole land. We're busy and need to clean the house, but there's no time for that this week. There's never enough time to clean the house. I blame the dog and the cat.

Bean Update

2009-02-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

We've just returned from a doctor's appointment and have three new pictures of Bean to share. We're not 100% sure what exactly we're looking at, but we have managed to figure out where the face is in the picture that says FACE. You have to look sideways (eyes at 9 o'clock, chin at 3 o'clock) and then think about those 3D pictures. You know - the further away you get, the easier it is to see. Steve is much better at seeing what's what than I am. We did not find out the gender because we want a surprise. It's all neutral here in the O'Toole nursery.

Steve has been working more on the garden and has planted some beetroot. Hopefully we will get some more plants out there this weekend. Maybe I'll get him to post something one day.

February

2009-02-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

We'll try to post more than once a month, but we're boring, so we never really have anything of interest to discuss. Jenny had an appointment with her doctor on Jan. 20 and everything is progressing well! We're at just over 17 weeks now and have a sonogram appointment on Feb. 17, so expect a picture of the O'Toole/Corder progeny.
Steve has been working in the yard. Our house has a large yard that has been left untouched for the past ten years, so getting it into any kind of shape takes time. It's a fun work in progress though! We're clearing out a bed by the kitchen and have planted sweet onions, red onions, and broccoli. There are plans to plant beetroot, lettuce, squash, radishes, corn, garlic, and various other veggie-type things. Or maybe fruits. Who knows?
We really should take some pictures and get them posted up here so you lovely people aren't stuck looking at a picture of Jenny's insides. Maybe we'll even show you the inside of the house someday! Jack and Tilly are looning around the house like a couple of loonies, but that's par for the course.
Steve passed his Texas driver's test and received his proper Texas license this morning. He's almost a Texan now!!

School

2009-01-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

School has started. I was flattened last week by a sinus infection - couldn't get out of bed if you paid me. But I'm much better this week, so I am here giving knowledge to students. They are all very excited about the semester and about our productions and their enthusiasm rubs off on me. I've been thinking about all of it for so long that my enthusiasm has waned, but their excitement makes it all better.

Morning sickness has magically disappeared (more or less). I was INCREDIBLY happy when I found that I could eat real food again - not just jello and pedialyte popsicles. Food has never tasted so good.

Steve has caught the cold now and I left him in bed with tissues, dayquil, the phone, and the all important TV remote. He and the dog are perfectly happy with life - minus the cold, of course.

Tomorrow is a day off and the start of a long weekend for me. I hope to catch up on everything I should have done last week and still manage to stay ahead of the game. I would love to go home, take off my shoes, and have a well-deserved glass of wine...I'll have to save that thought for a while.

I have my next appointment with Dr. Ford on Tuesday, so I'll post anything new then!

2009

2009-01-05T15:02:00.000-08:00

I am procrastinating. I should be finding wonderful information to impart to my students, but instead I am writing this. The winter break has ended much too fast, considering I spent most of it on the sofa feeling very, VERY ill. Pregnancy is great, but morning (and afternoon, evening, and night) sickness ain't.

I don't really have much to say because not much is happening here. The trees outside are covered in ice, which is lovely to look at, but not great to be out in.

Steve is currently on his hands and knees putting handles on the kitchen cabinets. After over a year of no handles, this makes a change. He's excited about everything that is going on and will make a great poppa.

We bought a car over the weekend and I finally traded in my lovely high school car - the red Dodge Stratus. What a beauty. I was sad to see her go, but then I look at the Equinox sitting in the driveway and I think "What Stratus?"

We ushered 2009 in with little fanfare and no pomp. It was more a case of wondering if we could stay up until midnight. We managed to, but by 12:05 we were in bed. I guess we're getting old.

That's it. Classes start next week, so the rush is on to get everything together and to use the copier without anyone breathing down your neck. It won't happen.

Christmas

2008-12-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone. I never much like the after-Christmas period - it all feels like such a letdown! Steve and I had a great couple of days - family on Christmas Eve (lots of good food and good fun), more family on Christmas Day (nice and low-key...we spent most of the day watching Christmas movies and playing Harry Potter Clue at my parents' house), and a lovely, relaxing Boxing Day. Now Steve is back at work and I am at home thinking about how I don't want to go back to work. Holidays sure can spoil a girl!

We had our first OB appointment on Dec. 23. According to Dr. Ford, everything looks good!

This is our first picture of Bean. Head is on the left side and there's a foot sticking up in the air - either a football player or a dancer! We've decided we're not going find out if Bean is a boy or a girl. Surprises are good!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that the New Year is good to you all.

Christmas News

2008-12-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

Well, we are about 10 weeks pregnant! We found out right before Thanksgiving and have slowly been spreading the news. Now it's very public and very official. I've managed to get all of my Christmas shopping done (this is probably the last year I'll get to say that before Christmas Eve) and the presents are wrapped and under the tree.
School is done until January, so I am using these three weeks to rest and relax - a no-stress Christmas! Steve is working through to Christmas Eve, so I've got the house to myself. I only have to share with the cat and the dog.
Thanksgiving was fun. We had the family over to our house and I cooked. Everyone ate all the food and took leftovers home, so I think they enjoyed it.
We'll be home for Christmas, so any Cleburne people who are around should come by!

2008-11-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought we should jump on the blogging bandwagon. Holidays are approaching, so it seems like a little Christmas present to myself. I have no news, just letting you all know that we're here!