SJB, M.D.

Is there a Dr in the house? Well, in fact there was in October. Silas was a doctor for Halloween this year. He first donned his scrubs for a trip with his first best buddy ever, Logan. Logan’s Mom reserved the caboose on the Three Rivers Rambler. All of the kids got to dress up, do crafts, and eat awesome cookies all while riding the train. It was a lot of fun. Logan’s Mom is a pretty awesome lady—she always has the coolest things to do! Sie loved hanging out on the front of the caboose. He thought we were riding Thomas!

This year we decided to do Boo at the Zoo. Steven had a wedding the weekend of Halloween, so we knew he would miss all of the festivities. Boo at the Zoo was our answer. Sie could trick-or-treat, and Daddy could be a part of it all. We chose the weekend before Halloween to go. There were so many people there! I wouldn’t call it a pleasant experience. Sie totally did not get the concept of trick-or-treating. Every time we went to the next station, the kind person would place a treat in his pumpkin. This resulted in a meltdown. Silas would inform the person very sharply and loudly that was his pumpkin and would snatch it away from them. The person would stare at us a bit shocked. I would have to explain that he thought they were taking his stuff, not giving it to him. We couldn’t get him to understand. Hmmm…. nothing warms the heart like a stingy toddler!

Needless to say we did not partake of the actual Halloween festivities. I did hand out candy at our house, while Sie hung over the banister crying “my candy, no Momma”. Again, it just warms the heart. *sigh*
There’s always next year!

Clearing out the cobwebs.....

Hello loyal readers!
I know it’s been too long. Summer has come and gone in such a blur and now the trees are finally changing colors and losing leaves. I shared my experience giving blood on my last blog visit. Well, it will be my last. Evidently I’m even stingy with my blood. I didn’t rebound well at all. In fact, Alicia, I was in the same predicament that you were, I just chose the wrong road so my ending wasn’t as satisfying as yours. Everything happens for a reason though.
Silas and I had a wonderful, yet quick trip home during his birthday. He was such a trooper on the plane. I was so proud of him.



I was, however, surprised in how unhelpful our fellow man tends to act. I struggled 8 times up and down an airplane isle with only two people offering to help me at all. One of these only offered after I found my seat at the back of the plane. I was wearing Silas on my back while carrying his Britax marathon car seat that had his backpack and diaper bag strapped in it. Nobody really seemed to think I had quite the load until they noticed the toddler strapped to my backside. People!! They’re everywhere I go!! UGH!!
Silas loved riding the Kawasaki mule with his cousins. I was still feeling pretty drained from the giving blood thing so I was glad E & E were able to keep him entertained.



My one regret was not making it to the lake. It was at the top of my list of things to do, it just didn’t happen. I miss it so much and just wanted to share it with Sie, but I guess there is plenty of time for that later.

We made the early flight home only to be delayed in Atlanta for a few hours because a light bulb was out on the plane. Our dear friend Jess came over to help Sie celebrate his 2nd birthday. You can check out the details on Steven’s blog.


Steven and I actually spent our first weekend away from our sweet boy. Grandpa and Nana were sweet enough to take time to come and stay with him. Steven took me to a ranch in Townsend, TN. We were real cowboys for the weekend! We learned how to prepare our horses for the ride, groom them, and everything. It was so much fun.




We made another quick trip home at the end of September so that Steven could take Elizabeth’s senior pictures. That made me officially old! We had planned to reconnect with so many of our friends, but there just wasn’t enough time.
Silas really enjoyed some of the same things his Momma did growing up. He LOVED the farm. He rode the tractor with his Uncle Mitchell and enjoyed every minute of it. On our way out of town, we stopped in Beedeville to see Papa. Papa let him get in just about every combine on the Madden Farm. Silas didn’t know what to think at first, but soon was driving the big machinery. He's our little farmer!





It melted my heart. Even when we were back on the interstate, he pointed out every combine he saw and demanded that we stop the car. Silly boy. Needless to say, he really enjoyed the trip to Arkansas. I, however, did not as much. I apparently came back to Tennessee with a little visitor. That’s right folks, I picked up an intestinal bacteria. It was miserable—I’ll leave it at that and spare you the details.

Anyway, I hope I didn’t lose all of you forever. My plan is to blog about halloween before Thanksgiving gets here. Stay tuned…..

Update

For some reason some people think that if you have a blog your suppose to update it. Well here is a picture of Silas. I shot this a couple of weeks ago while we were playing in his ball pit.

First and Third

No, this isn't some baseball post about my infactuation with the Cubs.

I simply mean that there is a first (and third) time for everything. Yesterday I experienced something for the first time in my 31 years. I finally gave blood. Somehow over the years, I managed to conviently bypass the entire subject. Not even Coach Stewart could sway me in my Jr. year with enough bounus points that I could easily miss the entire second semester of class (and still pass). Nope, I never even considered it. I am terrified of needles. My sweet sister has given me a few flu shots while sitting on top of me. The time had come. A sweet little patient of mine was in dire need of A+ after a recent surgery. So..... Sheri (a coworker of mine) and I mustered enough courage to make the trip to Medic yesterday. We were both first-timers. I won't go into the yuckiness of the needles and such, but we both were very brave. I actually finished my donation in less than 5 minutes. I made my way to the refreshment counter and poured myself a nice cool glass of OJ.

This is where "there's a third time for everything" comes into play. I started getting that static tunnel vision and knew I was going down. I knew because I have passed out twice before in my life. (Thank-you xray school) I tried to get myself to the floor so that I could lie down, but I must have failed. When I opened my eyes there were like ten people around me. I was severely embarrassed!
My sweet friend Sheri saw me through to the end. I was very thankful she was there.

Why does drama seem to follow me everywhere?! Oh, by the way, even though I felt pretty rotten most of the night and a bit today, this experience did not waver my intention of donating again. There is a severe blood shortage. What better gift than the gift of life? I was amazed how many coworkers I saw at Medic donating for this little girl. It really warmed my heart. People never cease to amaze me!

All Aboard!

Here at the Bridges Abode we are boarding the Potty Train. I have a feeling it's going to be a long ride.
Now after that being said, I have a confession. I'm obsessed with the potty. It's all I think about, and it's quickly becoming all I talk about (hence this post :)). I really need to get a grip.
We have purchased 2 potties that can be placed on the big potty as well. Silas LOVES the potty. I think he would sit on it all day if I would let him, however I'm not that mom.
I really do not want to use Pull-ups. I'm sure it will happen here and there, but I remember from my daycare working days that they were still basically a diaper. The world of cloth training pants has changed so much since my tushy graced the vinyl covers. I remember sporting the old school whitey-tightie that strangely resembled thermal underwear on the sides and had that thick cotton goodness for absorption. Now days I find on the Internet something called an all-in-one. What the heck? I don't even know where to start! There are two brands that interest me and I'm trying to find out more about them (translation: are they worth the money). I found some Gerber training pants at the Wal-Mart. They don't seem great. There are no covers to be found.
So this weekend Silas and I are doing PBC or Potty Boot Camp. That's just fancy terminology for me running him to the bathroom every 20 min. He has yet to actually potty in the potty, but he loves the routine. This boy has the cleanest hands in Knoxville!
Anyone else have any good tips for the journey on the potty train?

Memorable Memorial Weekend

What a weekend! It all seems like such a blur now, but it was a blast. Two of our favorite people in the world FINALLY tied the knot. Congratulations Joe and Ashley!
Our "weekend" actually started on Wednesday when two more of our best peeps flew in from AZ. We really enjoyed Shawn and Lisa. It had been forever since we were able to chat face to face and we loved every minute of it. It didn't take Silas long at all to warm up. He was being his normal crazy self in no time.
Silas actually picked up a few more phrases this week as well. His favorite thus far has been "Cain poot?" Yes, he is already blaming the dog for his wind. He is such a boy. Now we frequently hear "Hold on" or "awesome". He has learned the sign for "potty" as we are trying to board the potty train here at Casa Bridges. However, if you ask him if he needs to use the potty, a firm no is given in response. All this potty talk has made him quite obsessive. He was convinced that "Shawn poop" in the koi pond. First I must say this is a total untruth, and second, I have no idea why he was enthralled with poor Shawn's bowels.
Anyway...here are some pictures from our weekend.

Friday night the festivities began. The wedding was held at this beautiful lodge It started with the rehearsal. Silas thoroughly enjoyed running up and down the sidewalks to the lodge.


Shawn and Lisa stand in the crowd behind Ashley and Joe during Ed's speech at the Dinner.


Silas & I went back to the room to chill after dinner. The room was very nice, but lacked a television. ( I know, poor us.) So, we broke out the laptop and watched Beebo and Nemo.


Saturday was a beautiful day. Sie and I played on the grounds while Daddy did groomsman stuff. You will notice that no outfit is complete with out his favorite ball cap. It is rare that the cap is worn without his sunglasses.


Joe had a plethora of photographers in attendance. Even his groomsmen were packing cameras. Needless to say, this wedding was well documented.


Silas was a little unsure of the crowd so Momma strapped him in the mei tai that Nanna made for us.



Everyone had a fantastic time at the reception. Steven was still long enough for a photo opt.


Silas had to make frequent trips to check on the fish in the pond. There was a frog that he always scared away as well.


In preparation for this wedding, I have been dancing with Silas for weeks. He could have cared less. I could entice him with a round of ring around the rosies, but that was as far as it went. Ashley's dad announced that the band would have to wrap up soon due to a city ordinance. Steven decided it was time for a family dance. He grabbed Silas and I followed them to the dance floor. Yet again, Silas wasn't the least bit excited. I tried holding him and he still wasn't in to it. He wanted down. I thought "great, just great, now I'll get to chase him in front of all these people." Then something magical happened. I stood him on the dance floor. He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye, clapped his little hands, and spun in a circle. Then my sweet boy dropped it like it was hot!! I don't know if it was the Prince song that was playing, or the orange and white checkerboard floor he was on, but all of the sudden-dancing was in his blood! I was so proud!



Sie-Guy #1; Joe-Joe #1
What can I say the boy LOVES him!


After his dancing debut, Silas and I retired for the night. Sunday we had to pack up and go home. Silas had other plans. He kept unpacking and halting the process the only way he knew how.


We decided to finally come home. Silas flirted with Lisa on the back deck between finger painting and reading with Shawn.




Monday was a holiday, so that meant no work for me. I had one more day to spend with my family. We remembered Silas' pool from last year and thought it was a good time to re-introduce it to him. He wasn't too sure at first, but he is our water baby. It was amazing to see the difference in him compared to last year. I have to say when he wears that cap correctly he sports it like Papa.



It was an awesome weekend. Reconnecting with old friends is truly priceless. Sharing that experience with Silas made it even better.

I'm Late (but that's how I roll)

I have one particular friend that it seems I am always unable to wish Happy Birthday on her actual birthday. For Years I waited for Cinco de Mayo to roll around and would excitedly shout "Happy Birthday!". One day that friend and I had a conversation.

friend:(very sweetly) You know my birthday isn't on Cinco de Mayo
me: what?! Yeah right.(laughing)
friend: Really. (very gently) It's May 4...... The day before.
me: Ohhhkay. *slaps forehead with hand Homer Simpson style*

Fast forward to now. Years and years later. I'm still late, but I just wanted to say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!

I hope you had a great one!

My turn

Since I have not posted in awhile, on any of my blogs, I figured it was about time. Here are a couple of pictures of Silas playing on the driveway after school the other day.

Catching Up

Hello, my name is Erika. I've been a bad blogger!

Okay, now that that is out of the way, where do I start?!
First, I've got to say GO LADY VOLS!!! I am thrilled that they won another championship. I have loved this team as long as I can remember. It's been awesome living here in Knoxville and getting to experience the last two seasons first hand. I hate to see Candace, Alexis, Shannon, and (my favorite) Nikki leave, but they are sparking some interest for me in the WNBA. I wish them nothing but the best for their futures.

The earthquake! OMG!! That was a first. I thought it was just a mixture of my imagination, medication, and just waking from a bad dream. Steven never roused and no one from work mentioned it so I thought I was just a bit crazy. That night I learned that it was indeed an earthquake and I felt some what validated.

Silas is a busy, busy guy. I'm trying to figure out how to connect my video camera to our computers, but apparently there is a complication between our Sony handicam and our Mac computers. Steven says he's been working on it...hopefully, I'll have something to share soon. Steven just got a new computer so I got his hand-me-down. There are still some files to transfer. When I'm more savvy, I'll post pics as well.

Well, the summer is around the corner and so are the family reunions. The Nances and the Lees have chosen the same weekend for their festive events so that works for us. However, Steven will not be able to attend. He has a wedding to shoot so Silas and I are embarking on the trip sans Daddy.
After much deliberation about how to travel, we have decided that an expensive 3.5 hour plane trip far outweighs the cheaper 8 hour driving time over two days one way.
I have a confession. I'm not a good fly er. SSSHHHH!!! Don't tell.
I usually have to take Xanax. It never knocks me out, but I'm usually good and chill. Oh yeah, I'm going to have Silas with me. Holy heck!! What am I going to do. Silas has never flown. It will be the weekend of his 2ND birthday so he has his own seat. I am getting the gogo Kidz Travelmate to help with his car seat. I'll use our Mei tai as well. Heaven forbid that we have a direct flight, so we are changing planes in Atlanta. At least I'm comfortable with that airport since I've been there a few times.

Here is where I need my blogger buddies.
Will he need id & what do you use for that?
How do you entertain a 2 yr old on a plane?
What should/can I take with me?
Any tips would greatly relieve my anxiety!!
(Lynley, Lynley...I know you're out there. Please help me!)

Outside

For those that don't know, Silas has had several ear infections. The last one was a month ago. At that point the doctor scheduled a checkup for yesterday and if he still had an infection at that point, he would need tubes put in his ears. Well we went to the doctor yesterday and everything checked out. Due to his age,the straightening of his ears canals and changing to warmer weather, ear infections should be a thing of the past. That's a good feeling, for all of us.

After the appointment we played outside on the driveway. Erika brought out the chalk from SIlas' Easter basket but she did more drawing than he did. As usual he loved riding/being pushed on the tricycle that his Papa Ron got him and running into the neighbor's yard.

Double Time

For those of you that read my blog also, this will be a double post. It has been a while since I posted here so I thought why not.

I had grabbed my camera this morning to shoot a picture of Silas sleeping and what do you know. By the time that I got back to his room, he was awake. So I proceeded through our morning routine. As normal he began playing with the blinds next to his changing table. Instead of getting on to him, this time I took a picture.

19 months going on 19 years

I amazed at how much our sweet boy is changing. I mean he is growing up much too quick. I try to remind myself of just a few short months ago when he wouldn't crawl, much less walk and how I longed for him to "catch-up". Well he has. Lately our biggest battle has been the high chair. He simply refuses to sit in one for more than thirty seconds. So, last night we went to our favorite local BBQ joint for dinner. Steven & I decided to let him sit in the booth with us without even a booster seat. I just wasn't ready to battle. Do you know that sweet blonde haired boy was an angel for the first time in public in months?! He sat quietly on his bottom and ate a good portion of his food without any kind of struggle. He even sweetly signed more. He even spoke the word "more" while he signed. His vocabulary is picking up. He surprises me just about everyday now with a new word. He is just amazing.
I must say, I'm a tad bit emotional in regards to him here lately. For those of you that don't know, I'm a radiation therapist and I see some pretty sick people. Well, right now we are treating a little girl (just a bit older than Sie) from Haiti. I have watched that baby's mom be so brave and trusting...it just overwhelms me. I wonder how I would be in a strange land with an unfamiliar language. I just don't know. Sometimes I get so caught up in silly stuff I forget how blessed I am. The past few nights, I've held my sweet boy and touched his hair and his perfect little face. I've watched him sleep and just thanked God for him.
I'm going to try to enjoy every stage (even the high chair aversion stage) from here on out. It's hard not to long for the time he can tell me exactly what he wants or what is hurting. I'm going to enjoy my "baby" as long as I can. ;)

Not Happy

Well I forgot to pick up Silas' yogurt yesterday. So when we went to the fridge for breakfast this morning, he was not a happy camper. Normally he is fussy through the first few bits. He did the same thing when I fed him Honey Smacks today. I don't know why it matters that I gave him something different if he is still going to fuss. BTW, yes, I know that sugar is not exactly the breakfast of champions.

Wallpaper Warriors

I absolutely hate wallpaper. Whoever made wallpaper is the devil!
Steven and I resumed our updating of our home this weekend. The previous owners loved wallpaper. It is plastered throughout the house. As I've been scraping it off, I have had a little peek into our home's history. We have discovered three layers of wallpaper that cover our foyer and hall. The outermost has a 90s appeal to it. It is splashed of burgundy, green, and gold. Although my father thought it was quite pretty, we didn't agree. The middle layer is classic 80s with its country blue ducks with mauve accents. However, my favorite has to be the very first layer of wallpaper to grace the walls of this home on Kevin Road--it's cream and yellow with classic 70s designs. This layer has been on for 30 some odd years and has actually burned its image onto the glue underneath. This glue is the monster that we are dealing with now. It's taking some elbow grease, but soon it will be gone.
Silas has been such a big help these past few days. He likes to take the trash bags filled with wallpaper shreds and run, laughing gleefully down the hall. He also likes to take the putty knife and gouge the walls. He is very quick at this because he has usually completed this task before you even realize the tool is within his reach. His most favorite helping task is to throw everything within reach of his tiny little arm span into the trashcan. I never thought I'd be dumpster diving in my own house! UGH!
So, long story short, there are many things in life that are more fun than redecorating a house with a toddler.
I'll let you in on a secret though--I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

War Paint

Here is a shot of Silas after dinner a few nights ago.