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Noelle and I got McDonalds today due to our kitchen being completely blocked off while the hardwood floors are redone. In her kids meal she got a Polly Pocket doll that came with a little thing that is pretty hard to open for a kid. She asked me how to open it, and after I explained it to her and showed her she said, "Oh! So if I want to open it, I ask Daddy!"
on July 14 2008 at 09:20 AM
by: Andy Matthews
File under:
Noelle Jordan,
Andy
It always amazes me when kids "learn" to be sneaky.
The other night, Noelle was having a rough time going to sleep. She kept calling for me and calling for me with these silly requests. "My blanket is on the floor.", or "I can't find my picnic basket." or my favorite "baby doesn't have her shirt on.".
Anyway, I finally got really fed up with her and told her not to call for me again unless you're scared, or hurt, and to just go to sleep!
Next morning, what do I hear? "Daddy...I scared. I'm scared Daddy" in the happiest, most cheerful voice you've ever heard.
Kidsitellyou!
The other night, Noelle was having a rough time going to sleep. She kept calling for me and calling for me with these silly requests. "My blanket is on the floor.", or "I can't find my picnic basket." or my favorite "baby doesn't have her shirt on.".
Anyway, I finally got really fed up with her and told her not to call for me again unless you're scared, or hurt, and to just go to sleep!
Next morning, what do I hear? "Daddy...I scared. I'm scared Daddy" in the happiest, most cheerful voice you've ever heard.
Kidsitellyou!
Here's the breakdown for today...pics are here
6:10am - "Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy? Daddy?" Why on earth does she wake up this early? I know that she CAN sleep in because she used to wake up at 6:45 - 7 every morning so something must have changed. Note to self: Must tape aluminum foil over windows to simulate total darkness.
6:20am - Noelle lets the dogs outside with me every morning. Lately she's been very crabby when she wakes up, see entry above for reason, even though I KNOW she's still got to be tired.
6:25am - Noelle gets stickers as a prize for helping me with the dogs and puts them on paper. She loves everything about stickers; they're some of her favorite things.
6:45am - Noelle eats breakfast while I do laundry. I gave Jaime a "1 week of free laundry" coupon for our anniversary. She decided to cash it in this week.
7:00am - Noelle plays in the living room while I eat breakfast.
7:45 - Noelle asks for "a cat video" while we're in the office. I had already told her she couldn't watch a show because we're getting ready to go visit our "farmer friends". Youtube.com is the greatest invention for entertaining children...within seconds I find thousands of cat videos and we're watching one. 10 minutes later we've watched 2 "funniest cats" videos and one "funniest dogs" video and then it's time to leave.
7:58am - We head out to pick up our CSA produce from our "farmer friends". Lately that's been the Saturday morning routine for Noelle and I. We get up, eat breakfast, and then go pick up our "groceries".
8:20am - Noelle enjoys helping me count our veggies, and weighing them. Cher and Eric (the farmers) have learned our names and greet us as we walk up. As we're leaving, Noelle asks me to roll down the window so that she can say goodbye to them. It's cute.
8:55am - Back at home and Noelle plays in the living room while Jaime gets ready. Kate Truss is coming over at 9:30 for play time so we've got to get ready.
9:30am - Kate gets here and the girls start playing. They get along surprisingly well considering they usually fight over everything.
10:30am - While the girls are playing in Noelle's room, Jaime and I both notice that Noelle is a hidden instigator. Noelle would do, or say, something to Kate. Kate would start whining and Noelle would instantly start "shhh"-ing Kate to keep her from tattling. Instantly thoughts of Noelle doing this to younger siblings spring to mind.
12:30pm - Jason and Shannon Truss come to pick up Kate. We pass some time after they leave by reading, or playing.
1:15pm - Getting ready to head to a pool party for one of Noelle's classmates from Parent's Day Out. Should be fun.
5:15pm - We just got back from the party. We weren't quite sure what to expect but we ended up having a good time. This little girl, Sky, and her family live in a very wealthy part of Nashville and so the party was quite over the top. Gourmet eats and drinks for the adults, along with a real life snack truck in the back yard. An in-ground pool and lots and lots of people. Noelle wanted to swim, but both Jaime and I forgot our swim gear. So at first I sat on the edge of the pool with Noelle and let her play on the steps. Finally she wanted more than just swimming on the edge, so I bit the bullet and jumped in with my shorts. We stayed just long enough to see Sky blow out the candles, eat some cake, and then we left. Noelle was cracking Jaime and I up on the way home because she was so tired she wasn't talking straight. This child is going to bed EARLY tonight for sure.
6pm - Jaime and Noelle have been laying down watching TV, resting. Now they're having smoothies before bathtime.
6:15pm - Bathtime for Noelle...trying to wind down the day and get her drowsy and ready for a LONG sleep. As she's walking into the bathroom, Jaime starts laughing and proceeds to tell me that she shared a straw with Noelle for the last part of their smoothies. Noelle says in a rough whispery voice "don't drink after me mommy...my sick" even though she's not sick...silly billy girl.
6:45pm - Finally it's bedtime and a well-deserved rest for mommy and daddy. Luckily it's my turn to sleep in tomorrow morning.
7:00pm - Noelle's asleep by 7pm for the first time in 4 or 5 months.
WOW! What a full weekend you had. Lots of parties and good stuff to do. That is super!! I'm soaking up the blog for the last couple of days....Thanks Mommy and Daddy for keeping us Grandmas and Grandpas (aunt and uncle included) in the loop for the hour by hour(almost) of your lives. Kisses and Hugs for that!
grammy - July 06, 2008 03:59 pm
on June 16 2008 at 07:57 AM
by: Andy Matthews
So Father's Day was this past weekend and I had a great time. This is only my third one (as a Dad myself) but this was the best one. We had lots of good food, I got to spend lots of time with Noelle and Jaime (and the coming baby), and I even got lots of time to myself. All in all it was a great weekend in general, but even better as Father's Day.
Saturdays are Jaime's day to sleep in, so when Noelle woke up at 6:45 I jumped out of bed and went to get her. She was in a great mood so we talked while I got her dressed. You might recall that the Matthews' have joined a CSA program (think farmer's co-op), which we share with Brad and Heather Daugherty. Sat is the day that Eric and Cher (from Bugtussle farms) are in Nashville, and it was the Matthews' turn to go pick it up.
Noelle and I headed over to pick up the produce, singing and laughing and talking the whole way. When we got there she helped me collect our goods, and even helped me weigh the peas. After we got back in the car, I decided that Jaime hadn't had enough chance to rest, so Noelle and I sacrificed our time and went to eat at Fido's.
All in all, my weekend with Noelle was great. We had so much fun playing and talking and laughing. It's a special blessing to have a child who's so good-natured, and bright, and clever. I'll leave you with this little story about Noelle to tie it all back together. We planned on calling both my dad, and Jaime's on Sunday and so we trained Noelle to yell "Happy Father's Day" on cue. "Okay Noelle, when they pick up the phone what do you say?" "Happy Father's Day!". "That's right Noelle...good job." Right before we called Jaime's dad, Noelle let's out a huge toot. Jaime looks over at her and says "Noelle...what do you say?" to which Noelle responds loudly "Happy Father's Day!!!"
I hope everyone had as good a Father's Day Weekend as I did.
Saturdays are Jaime's day to sleep in, so when Noelle woke up at 6:45 I jumped out of bed and went to get her. She was in a great mood so we talked while I got her dressed. You might recall that the Matthews' have joined a CSA program (think farmer's co-op), which we share with Brad and Heather Daugherty. Sat is the day that Eric and Cher (from Bugtussle farms) are in Nashville, and it was the Matthews' turn to go pick it up.
Noelle and I headed over to pick up the produce, singing and laughing and talking the whole way. When we got there she helped me collect our goods, and even helped me weigh the peas. After we got back in the car, I decided that Jaime hadn't had enough chance to rest, so Noelle and I sacrificed our time and went to eat at Fido's.
All in all, my weekend with Noelle was great. We had so much fun playing and talking and laughing. It's a special blessing to have a child who's so good-natured, and bright, and clever. I'll leave you with this little story about Noelle to tie it all back together. We planned on calling both my dad, and Jaime's on Sunday and so we trained Noelle to yell "Happy Father's Day" on cue. "Okay Noelle, when they pick up the phone what do you say?" "Happy Father's Day!". "That's right Noelle...good job." Right before we called Jaime's dad, Noelle let's out a huge toot. Jaime looks over at her and says "Noelle...what do you say?" to which Noelle responds loudly "Happy Father's Day!!!"
I hope everyone had as good a Father's Day Weekend as I did.
WOW, you packed a lot into a weekend! Sounds like you and Silly Willy Noelle had a great time. I love how you fit perfectly in the role as Father! Hugs and Kisses to all. MOM
Mom M. - June 18, 2008 05:57 am
Today we are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary, as well as the 1 year anniversary of the day Charlotte was born. Celebrate almost seems like the wrong word when thinking about Charlotte, but after looking it up in the dictionary I think it's just right. The definition of celebrate is "to observe a day or commemorate an event with ceremonies or festivities", or "to make known publicly; proclaim." It comes from the Latin word celebrare, which means "to solemnize, celebrate, honor," but also "to frequent, to fill together." Times of celebration remind us that we are part of a community, we are not going through this life alone.
An article I read online today said that celebration "fulfills a human need in two ways. First, we all have the need to escape the pressures of everyday life and the responsibilities which absorb so much of our time. We need to distance ourselves from this pressure in order to grasp the depth and fullness of daily life. Second, celebration allows us to enter into a more profound communion with the social groups that define us. Our relationships define each one of us as a social entity and help to integrate us more fully into the body to which we belong."
As I get older I find myself caring less about my birthday, Mother's Day, and all those other holidays that put the focus on me. I tell myself that although a break from responsibility and recognition of the day are appreciated, I don't need anything. What I forget, though, is that God created us to need each other. He made all believers a family, brothers and sisters, and His son prayed many times that we would be one as the trinity is one.
The same article referenced this passage in the Bible:
Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he had possessed was his own, but they had everything in common ... There was not a needy person among them, for as many were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made to each as any had need (Acts 4:32, 34-35).
I'm not necessarily suggesting that I'd like to go back to communal living, but there was a lot of good in that way of life. We try to do entirely too much on our own, and we're all frazzled as a result. This has lended itself to us having a much harder time understanding the concept of dependence on God. We can do for ourselves what needs to be done, we're told to take control of our own lives, set boundaries, get as much out of this life as we can. All of that is well and good, but it too often sacrifices community in favor of "personal growth."
The author also wrote that "those who champion individualism think of freedom as the absence of interference from outside forces. In contrast, ...think of freedom as the ability to make our lives a gift through which we deepen our relationship with the community. A person is a being-in-relationship, and to exist is to be in a relationship. To deny relationality is to hover on the brink of non-being. But the more we belong to one another--the more we are able to make ourselves a gift--the more fully we exist."
What does all of this have to do with Charlotte? When she died one year ago, I had a choice. I could have shut down, kept it inside, let it alienate me and weaken my faith. Or, I could see it through God's eyes, and ask "to what end." Andy and I decided from the first moment we saw Charlotte's little body on the ultrasound screen with no heart beating that this had to be something that drew us closer together and closer to God, or what was the point in the suffering? I had to allow myself to need my friends and family, even though it was really hard at times. I saw all of those people coming together to surround us in prayer, fill our refrigerator, care for Noelle, and help me grieve, and it reminded me that I was not alone.
I have always believed that it is best to share my struggles openly instead of keeping them locked away, and many times people have thanked me for my candor. They often open up themselves afterward, and a depth is added to our friendship that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. When I read the part of the definition of celebration that said, "to make known publicly; proclaim," my first thought was of my committment to claim Charlotte as my child to everyone I meet. I don't often let an opportunity pass me by to say that I have another daughter. Noelle knows her sister's name, and knows that she is in heaven. Every time I share her story, I am celebrating her existence, her role in my life. I am thankful to her for teaching me about reliance on God and others, and for giving me an opportunity to build deeper relationships with those in my community. Happy Birthday, Charlotte Mae Matthews. Your mommy loves you and will be with you again someday.
An article I read online today said that celebration "fulfills a human need in two ways. First, we all have the need to escape the pressures of everyday life and the responsibilities which absorb so much of our time. We need to distance ourselves from this pressure in order to grasp the depth and fullness of daily life. Second, celebration allows us to enter into a more profound communion with the social groups that define us. Our relationships define each one of us as a social entity and help to integrate us more fully into the body to which we belong."
As I get older I find myself caring less about my birthday, Mother's Day, and all those other holidays that put the focus on me. I tell myself that although a break from responsibility and recognition of the day are appreciated, I don't need anything. What I forget, though, is that God created us to need each other. He made all believers a family, brothers and sisters, and His son prayed many times that we would be one as the trinity is one.
The same article referenced this passage in the Bible:
Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he had possessed was his own, but they had everything in common ... There was not a needy person among them, for as many were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made to each as any had need (Acts 4:32, 34-35).
I'm not necessarily suggesting that I'd like to go back to communal living, but there was a lot of good in that way of life. We try to do entirely too much on our own, and we're all frazzled as a result. This has lended itself to us having a much harder time understanding the concept of dependence on God. We can do for ourselves what needs to be done, we're told to take control of our own lives, set boundaries, get as much out of this life as we can. All of that is well and good, but it too often sacrifices community in favor of "personal growth."
The author also wrote that "those who champion individualism think of freedom as the absence of interference from outside forces. In contrast, ...think of freedom as the ability to make our lives a gift through which we deepen our relationship with the community. A person is a being-in-relationship, and to exist is to be in a relationship. To deny relationality is to hover on the brink of non-being. But the more we belong to one another--the more we are able to make ourselves a gift--the more fully we exist."
What does all of this have to do with Charlotte? When she died one year ago, I had a choice. I could have shut down, kept it inside, let it alienate me and weaken my faith. Or, I could see it through God's eyes, and ask "to what end." Andy and I decided from the first moment we saw Charlotte's little body on the ultrasound screen with no heart beating that this had to be something that drew us closer together and closer to God, or what was the point in the suffering? I had to allow myself to need my friends and family, even though it was really hard at times. I saw all of those people coming together to surround us in prayer, fill our refrigerator, care for Noelle, and help me grieve, and it reminded me that I was not alone.
I have always believed that it is best to share my struggles openly instead of keeping them locked away, and many times people have thanked me for my candor. They often open up themselves afterward, and a depth is added to our friendship that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. When I read the part of the definition of celebration that said, "to make known publicly; proclaim," my first thought was of my committment to claim Charlotte as my child to everyone I meet. I don't often let an opportunity pass me by to say that I have another daughter. Noelle knows her sister's name, and knows that she is in heaven. Every time I share her story, I am celebrating her existence, her role in my life. I am thankful to her for teaching me about reliance on God and others, and for giving me an opportunity to build deeper relationships with those in my community. Happy Birthday, Charlotte Mae Matthews. Your mommy loves you and will be with you again someday.
Thank you for sharing! I personally am very thankful for your openness and willingness to be honest about your struggles. I'm sure that was a hard day, but I'm glad you were able to celebrate and remember her. And happy anniversary!! Can't wait to meet New Baby Matthews :)
Tiana - June 02, 2008 02:02 pmWhat a great tribute to Charlotte! I continue to be amazed at your wonderful talent for putting things into words. I thank God everyday for bringing you into our lives through Andy. We are blessed to have you as a daughter in-law and the mother of our grandchildren! Happy 5th to you and Andy.
Carol - June 04, 2008 03:43 am
No no...not our fifth baby. Maybe that should have read "Happy Fifth, Baby", as in Happy 5th Anniversary? That's right...Jaime and I are coming up on the 5th anniversary of our wedding day back in May of 2003. Hard to believe that it's been that long, yet it also seems like longer.
So we're currently sitting, well laying, on a bed in Louisville, Kentucky chilling. Watching a little TV, doing a little net surfing, and waiting for it to cool down before heading out to do some shopping, and some mini-golf, and then some dinner.
Tomorrow, we're driving up to Illinois to attend the wedding of one of the girls who was in OUR wedding. Then we head back to Nashville on Monday.
Lucky for us, my parents are watching Noelle for us while we take this short weekend to spend some time together. So, here's to you Jaime...5 years, then another 5, then ten, and then 20 more. If we're both still alive then, we can renegotiate.
Mwa.
So we're currently sitting, well laying, on a bed in Louisville, Kentucky chilling. Watching a little TV, doing a little net surfing, and waiting for it to cool down before heading out to do some shopping, and some mini-golf, and then some dinner.
Tomorrow, we're driving up to Illinois to attend the wedding of one of the girls who was in OUR wedding. Then we head back to Nashville on Monday.
Lucky for us, my parents are watching Noelle for us while we take this short weekend to spend some time together. So, here's to you Jaime...5 years, then another 5, then ten, and then 20 more. If we're both still alive then, we can renegotiate.
Mwa.
Brad and I have a 50 year contract. After that, we're renegotiating. We thought it sounded like a good idea when we got married :) Of course, Andy, since you're already 50, I'm not sure that you'll make it to 50 :)
Heather - May 24, 2008 02:45 pmThat's right. I'm going to be tanning myself on a beach in Hawaii on our 30th anniversary. I'll be 63 and wearing nothing but a smile and a Coppertone tan.
Andy Matthews - May 27, 2008 07:27 amWow! I'm glad that it's Jaime that you're married to!
Heather - May 28, 2008 08:23 amHe said he'd be tanning himself - and that's BY himself! He knows I'd never join him on that kind of outing. :)
Jaime Matthews - May 28, 2008 09:35 am
on April 27 2008 at 04:15 PM
by: Andy Matthews
Out of necessity, we've decided to start letting Noelle take naps every other day instead of every day. Over the past week or two she's been getting harder and harder to put down for a nap on a daily basis, but great the following day. So rather than put up with the whining and tantrum throwing from Jaime (haha), we'll just let her nap M-W-F-Sa, and give her some quiet time on the off days.
So since today is a "no nap day", we decided to go shopping right after church. It also happens to be "Tax free in Tennessee" weekend. Noelle and Jaime both need new clothing because they are both outgrowing what they have. Jaime because she's over 4 months pregnant, and Noelle because she's growing like a weed.
After church we drove down to Cool Springs which is a big shopping area. We decided to eat lunch first, at Schlotsky's Deli. I've only been there a few times, but this lunch was fantastic. Their ciabatta bread sandwiches and pizza were amazing. We shopped at a few places, ended up spending about $200, then came home exhausted. Shopping is hard work.
So since today is a "no nap day", we decided to go shopping right after church. It also happens to be "Tax free in Tennessee" weekend. Noelle and Jaime both need new clothing because they are both outgrowing what they have. Jaime because she's over 4 months pregnant, and Noelle because she's growing like a weed.
After church we drove down to Cool Springs which is a big shopping area. We decided to eat lunch first, at Schlotsky's Deli. I've only been there a few times, but this lunch was fantastic. Their ciabatta bread sandwiches and pizza were amazing. We shopped at a few places, ended up spending about $200, then came home exhausted. Shopping is hard work.
on April 23 2008 at 07:17 PM
by: Andy Matthews
Jaime and Noelle had a funny moment just now and I thought I'd share it. Noelle was in her room, in bed, while Jaime and I were in the living room. Noelle had pulled out her new underwear and put them on over her diaper, but then asked for "another pair". Jaime went in there to deal with her. As she was getting ready to leave the room, they had this conversational exchange:
Jaime: I'm not coming in here again.
Noelle: Okay, I call to Daddy.
That made Jaime and I both laugh because how smart is that? She realizes that she can at least attempt to play us off each other.
Jaime: I'm not coming in here again.
Noelle: Okay, I call to Daddy.
That made Jaime and I both laugh because how smart is that? She realizes that she can at least attempt to play us off each other.
Ah, yes... and so it begins! Jackson does this quite often these days as well. He likes to ask the same question of both of us, hoping for a different answer from the second. It's amazing how early they figure out how to get what they want! Miss you guys!
Jonathan - April 24, 2008 04:25 amKatrina does this, too! She asked me to open a bag of snacks for her the other day, and when I said no, not now, she replied, "My Daddy open it!" Thankfully Ryan was in earshot and heard the exchange, although that doesn't always happen ... Scary, isn't it, how they learn things we never intentionally teach them?
Lexa Herbert - April 25, 2008 07:40 amBoy did she learn from one of the best, many a times Andy went to Mom to get his way, but I guess that's why we love him so now and even then.
Dad - May 01, 2008 12:10 pm
No no, don't worry...Andy&Jaime.com isn't going anywhere. But all of the coding and techy posts that I've been making over the last year or so are going to have a new home.
That's right...I purchased yet another domain name, but this one's really legit. It's my name Andy Matthews. At the moment, the only thing there is a splash page because I just bought the domain name last night, but give me a month or two and I'll have a blog there up and running.
That's right...I purchased yet another domain name, but this one's really legit. It's my name Andy Matthews. At the moment, the only thing there is a splash page because I just bought the domain name last night, but give me a month or two and I'll have a blog there up and running.
We need to have more posts, on this one as well as the new one.....we grandparents crave more news about the family..... love and kisses
mom - April 12, 2008 06:39 am
We made pizzas tonight...but not just any pizzas...they were tortilla pizzas and they couldn't be easier.
Take a large 10" flour tortilla, spread some spaghetti sauce on it. Sprinkle cheese over the sauce, then add your favorite toppings. We used pepperoni on one, and sliced red peppers and bacon on the other. Sprinkle some dried italian herbs over the toppings, cover with more cheese, and then bake in the oven at 450 for about 12-15 minutes.
If you're lucky, the edges will get nice and crispy but the middle will still be a little soft and chewy. They were very good, and cost maybe $2 apiece.
The best part was that Noelle helped me make them! She stood on her learning tower and helped me sprinkle cheese, and put on pepperoni (ate more than she put on of course), but it was a fun time.
Take a large 10" flour tortilla, spread some spaghetti sauce on it. Sprinkle cheese over the sauce, then add your favorite toppings. We used pepperoni on one, and sliced red peppers and bacon on the other. Sprinkle some dried italian herbs over the toppings, cover with more cheese, and then bake in the oven at 450 for about 12-15 minutes.
If you're lucky, the edges will get nice and crispy but the middle will still be a little soft and chewy. They were very good, and cost maybe $2 apiece.
The best part was that Noelle helped me make them! She stood on her learning tower and helped me sprinkle cheese, and put on pepperoni (ate more than she put on of course), but it was a fun time.
for the "Cutie-bomber". She is considered cute, hip, and will charm you with her smile and friendliness.
We went to the playground yesterday and Noelle introduced herself to another little girl by saying "This is Noelle." I've heard her say it before, but never realized where she got it from until yesterday. When Jaime and I are with Noelle and we meet someone for the first time, we introduce Noelle by saying "this is Noelle".
Makes perfect sense doesn't it?
on January 24 2008 at 07:39 AM
by: Andy Matthews
File under:
Noelle Jordan,
Andy
And hasn't been for quite a while. But just because she can speak well, doesn't mean that she can carry on a conversation. Or at least that's what I thought until I talked with her on the phone last week. I got a call from Jaime early one afternoon, "There's a little girl here who would like to talk to her Daddy."
So Noelle gets the phone and we proceed to have a real conversation...for real. I asked her a few questions bout what she had done that day. "Did you go to school Noelle? Yes. What did you do at school? I saw Lola. Did you eat lunch today? Yes. What did you eat? I had pickles...and...carrots...and hot dog...and pears."
At that point I started laughing, but only to cover up my amazement. I've known that Noelle's verbal skills were far in advance of many other kids her age. but up until that day I had really treated Noelle as more of a talking parrot. I'd ask her to repeat words that I said, I'd ask her basic questions, and I'd try to get her to tell me what things were on flash cards, or in books. But now I realize that my little girl really is growing up. She's not only carrying on conversations, she makes up stuff on her own. She's using logic, she's saying funny things, and she's even lying.
Anyway...I just wanted to brag on my little girl. She might not have as much hair as other kids her age, or even HALF her age, but she can talk circles around them...and she's MUCH cuter.
So Noelle gets the phone and we proceed to have a real conversation...for real. I asked her a few questions bout what she had done that day. "Did you go to school Noelle? Yes. What did you do at school? I saw Lola. Did you eat lunch today? Yes. What did you eat? I had pickles...and...carrots...and hot dog...and pears."
At that point I started laughing, but only to cover up my amazement. I've known that Noelle's verbal skills were far in advance of many other kids her age. but up until that day I had really treated Noelle as more of a talking parrot. I'd ask her to repeat words that I said, I'd ask her basic questions, and I'd try to get her to tell me what things were on flash cards, or in books. But now I realize that my little girl really is growing up. She's not only carrying on conversations, she makes up stuff on her own. She's using logic, she's saying funny things, and she's even lying.
Anyway...I just wanted to brag on my little girl. She might not have as much hair as other kids her age, or even HALF her age, but she can talk circles around them...and she's MUCH cuter.
You know, Noelle is pretty cute, although I think that mine is just as cute. I was thinking that it will be weird when Noelle has a lot of hair and gets ponytails, etc. I can't even picture it! Someday, though....
Heather - January 24, 2008 07:38 pmI can remember a few years back, yes a few year and I can remember that far back, a little boy was doing about the same thing and boy what a proud Dad I was, so I know exactly what you are going through now. I love you all 4.
Pappaw - January 25, 2008 11:56 am
on January 01 2008 at 12:03 AM
by: Andy Matthews
Yes, yes, I know it's been a long time since we made a post. Yes, I also know that we skipped right over Christmas in Florida with the Matthew's family, Noelle's birthday, and the grueling 13+ hour drives to and from Tampa.
We'll get to those, never fear. I'm coming to you with a story of a scrappy rock band named "Assh@t" that was founded this evening deep in Old Hickory, Tennessee. What's that you say? "What" hat? Founded where? I'm talking about Rock Band, the video game for the XBOX 360 which allows up to 4 people to play "musical instruments" simultaneously. Assh@t? That was our band name.
Maybe I should start at the beginning. Today my boss, Aaron West mentioned that he was going over to the house of a mutual friend of ours to hang out and play Rock Band. Now I've been reading lots about this game, and it's parent, the monster hit Guitar Hero, but I've never had the chance to play either. When I mentioned this to Aaron, he invited me to come over. I double checked with "the home office", got the necessary requisition forms and I was off.
It's quite enjoyable actually, but pretty tough. There are 4 available instruments: guitar, drums, bass, and surprisingly the microphone. Each instrument has it's own settings, difficulty level, and buttons (except for the mike). When a song starts up, you're presented with a train track looking thing. This represents the notes you'll have to play. On each instrument (again excepting the mike), are 5 notes, or in the case of the drums 5 drum pads. As the song progresses, notes scroll towards you in the column representing the note you need to play on the instrument.
Never fear, this isn't a note for note representation, nor could it be with only 5 notes to play. BUT< it is enough to give you a real feel for the song. And it's freaking awesome to play. I was able to cycle through all of the instruments tonight and liked each of them. The drums were the hardest due to the setup and the angle they were at, plus I've never played drums. I have played guitar, bass, and I sing so that's not too bad. Out of all of them I had the most fun with the guitar and the bass. They actually make Guitar Hero 3 for the Wii and I'd like to pick that up after I finish off 2 games I'm playing now.
So, until the Assh@t reunion tour, I'll see you guys later. I'll leave you with this screenshot of Rock Band in action.
We'll get to those, never fear. I'm coming to you with a story of a scrappy rock band named "Assh@t" that was founded this evening deep in Old Hickory, Tennessee. What's that you say? "What" hat? Founded where? I'm talking about Rock Band, the video game for the XBOX 360 which allows up to 4 people to play "musical instruments" simultaneously. Assh@t? That was our band name.
Maybe I should start at the beginning. Today my boss, Aaron West mentioned that he was going over to the house of a mutual friend of ours to hang out and play Rock Band. Now I've been reading lots about this game, and it's parent, the monster hit Guitar Hero, but I've never had the chance to play either. When I mentioned this to Aaron, he invited me to come over. I double checked with "the home office", got the necessary requisition forms and I was off.
It's quite enjoyable actually, but pretty tough. There are 4 available instruments: guitar, drums, bass, and surprisingly the microphone. Each instrument has it's own settings, difficulty level, and buttons (except for the mike). When a song starts up, you're presented with a train track looking thing. This represents the notes you'll have to play. On each instrument (again excepting the mike), are 5 notes, or in the case of the drums 5 drum pads. As the song progresses, notes scroll towards you in the column representing the note you need to play on the instrument.
Never fear, this isn't a note for note representation, nor could it be with only 5 notes to play. BUT< it is enough to give you a real feel for the song. And it's freaking awesome to play. I was able to cycle through all of the instruments tonight and liked each of them. The drums were the hardest due to the setup and the angle they were at, plus I've never played drums. I have played guitar, bass, and I sing so that's not too bad. Out of all of them I had the most fun with the guitar and the bass. They actually make Guitar Hero 3 for the Wii and I'd like to pick that up after I finish off 2 games I'm playing now.
So, until the Assh@t reunion tour, I'll see you guys later. I'll leave you with this screenshot of Rock Band in action.
I recieved Guitar Hero for Christmas from my husband. When we held the Christmas staff party for his company someone brought it. I played it, loved it, and wondered why we didnt own it. I can't wait to try rock band. Love your site.
Zoe - January 02, 2008 05:17 am
on December 14 2007 at 11:08 AM
by: Andy Matthews
We're traveling down to Tampa for Christmas this year. It's going to be great having all that time with my parents. Plus Noelle is changing and growing at an almost daily pace now. I can't wait for my mom and dad to see her and talk to her.
The good thing is that we'll get to spend almost a week with my parents in Brandon. The drawback? Not getting to see Jaime's family on one of the more special days of the year.
So, rather than not get to see us on the 25th, Dean and Diane are driving to Nashville to see us THIS weekend! They're already on the road, and should be arriving sometime this evening. It'll be nice because with this being Noelle's first Christmas (that she'll actually "get"), they'd miss a lot otherwise.
So bring it on! We can't want to see them and spend time with them.
The good thing is that we'll get to spend almost a week with my parents in Brandon. The drawback? Not getting to see Jaime's family on one of the more special days of the year.
So, rather than not get to see us on the 25th, Dean and Diane are driving to Nashville to see us THIS weekend! They're already on the road, and should be arriving sometime this evening. It'll be nice because with this being Noelle's first Christmas (that she'll actually "get"), they'd miss a lot otherwise.
So bring it on! We can't want to see them and spend time with them.
How great can that be. Dean & Diana, I'm glad that you will have the fortune to be with them. I can not tell you how much it meant to us to be able to be with you all and I'm sorry it didn't work out that we could all be together again this year. I wish you all a very Mery Christmas and son, looking forward to see your family here with us this year.
Dad in Brandon - December 14, 2007 01:23 pm
Today was the closing of our mortgage refinancing (yay!), and since we met Andy halfway then went out to dinner, he hadn't been home until we all came in together this evening. He walked in the kitchen and said, "What's up with the counter?" I was still in the office, so at first I didn't know what he was talking about. Then I remembered that it was a complete disaster of groceries, mail, dishes, etc. that I just hadn't had time to deal with that afternoon before Noelle and I left.
I told him hey, at least it's unusual enough for it to be such a mess that you had to ask what happened. It reminded me of that cartoon where the house is a wreck and the mom is laying in bed while the kids go crazy, and the husband asks what happened. She says "You know how you ask me what I do all day? Well today I didn't do it."
Another mess today was during Noelle's nap, when I heard her say "I need to wash my fingers" and went in to see removed pants and diaper, and, well, you can guess the rest. She did sweetly say "thank you, Mommy" as I was changing her sheets, but I was still disgusted. And that's why I didn't get around to cleaning off the counter!
I told him hey, at least it's unusual enough for it to be such a mess that you had to ask what happened. It reminded me of that cartoon where the house is a wreck and the mom is laying in bed while the kids go crazy, and the husband asks what happened. She says "You know how you ask me what I do all day? Well today I didn't do it."
Another mess today was during Noelle's nap, when I heard her say "I need to wash my fingers" and went in to see removed pants and diaper, and, well, you can guess the rest. She did sweetly say "thank you, Mommy" as I was changing her sheets, but I was still disgusted. And that's why I didn't get around to cleaning off the counter!
on November 26 2007 at 08:52 AM
by: Andy Matthews
Jaime, Noelle, and I travelled up to Northern Illinois for the Thanksgiving break. We left Wed afternoon at 4:20pm and didn't arrive in New Lenox (where her parents live) until 1:30am. That's right...we were on the road for over 9 hours...for something that should only be a 8 hour trip max!
Our time in New Lenox was great though. We had a great time with family, and friends, Jaime and I spent some time with fellow Whiskerino-ians Chad (monkey boy), and Tony (hey Zeus), and we ate lots of good food. And then it came time to drive home.
While the trip back to Nashville went FAR better than the trip UP, it was still excruciating. I love road trips, but lately my knees have been giving me grief, and on long trips where I can't stretch out my legs, it's tough. Not to mention having an almost 2 year old in the car.
We made it back though, and in good time (left at 12:30, got back around 9:00). So I'm back at work, and giving thanks for not having to drive again for another few weeks.
Oh, and we're DEFINITELY buying a portable DVD player for Noelle before we make the trip to Florida for Christmas.
Our time in New Lenox was great though. We had a great time with family, and friends, Jaime and I spent some time with fellow Whiskerino-ians Chad (monkey boy), and Tony (hey Zeus), and we ate lots of good food. And then it came time to drive home.
While the trip back to Nashville went FAR better than the trip UP, it was still excruciating. I love road trips, but lately my knees have been giving me grief, and on long trips where I can't stretch out my legs, it's tough. Not to mention having an almost 2 year old in the car.
We made it back though, and in good time (left at 12:30, got back around 9:00). So I'm back at work, and giving thanks for not having to drive again for another few weeks.
Oh, and we're DEFINITELY buying a portable DVD player for Noelle before we make the trip to Florida for Christmas.
We have a DVD player for the car if you want us to send it to you. It even has dual screens. LUVU
Mom - November 26, 2007 08:04 pm
on November 07 2007 at 01:50 PM
by: Andy Matthews
Twice every year the United States, and many other countries around the world, perform a ritual dating all the way back to the ancient Romans (that's even older than my parents). This practice, known alternately as Daylight Savings Time (DST) in the US, "summer time" in the United Kingdom, requires us to adjust our clocks forwards or backwards one hour depending on the time of year.
"Spring forward, fall back" has become a common mantra for those of us who have difficulty remembering which way is which. In spring and the summer we get an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, while in the fall and winter months, it gets dark as early as 5pm (here in Nashville at least). While this can be a good thing during the summer months, it really can play havoc with us in the winter. There's a 4X higher incidents of traffic accidents in the fall/winter, farmers have less time in the fields, and my daughter Noelle wakes up one whole hour earlier than normal.
You heard me. We finally got her trained to sleep through the night (only took us 16 months). Then we finally got her to start waking up sometime around 7pm reliably and now the US government perpetrates this on us? She's woken up earlier than 6:30 every morning since DST went into effect. Now mind you, I enjoy spending time with Noelle, especially since she's getting a personality, and I can interact with her. But when you're used to sleeping in until around 7, waking up an hour early is a jarring thing.
Also, in addition to her early rising habits these days, she's learned how to take off her pajamas. That's added an entirely new suite of things that could greet me when I walk into her room in the morning. For example, twice so far this week I've heard her talking to herself saying "my zip, my...zip". This is a bad sign as it means she's managed to unzip her pajamas to some degree or another. Usually she's only gotten the zipper down to her foot, but it seems she's learned how to completely take her pajamas off. What do I see when I walk in but a mostly naked baby with a diaper that's half off. Luckily it was just a wet diaper or I would have started off the day with a bath.
Anyway, just wanted to share with you the joys of parenthood and children who are early risers.
"Spring forward, fall back" has become a common mantra for those of us who have difficulty remembering which way is which. In spring and the summer we get an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, while in the fall and winter months, it gets dark as early as 5pm (here in Nashville at least). While this can be a good thing during the summer months, it really can play havoc with us in the winter. There's a 4X higher incidents of traffic accidents in the fall/winter, farmers have less time in the fields, and my daughter Noelle wakes up one whole hour earlier than normal.
You heard me. We finally got her trained to sleep through the night (only took us 16 months). Then we finally got her to start waking up sometime around 7pm reliably and now the US government perpetrates this on us? She's woken up earlier than 6:30 every morning since DST went into effect. Now mind you, I enjoy spending time with Noelle, especially since she's getting a personality, and I can interact with her. But when you're used to sleeping in until around 7, waking up an hour early is a jarring thing.
Also, in addition to her early rising habits these days, she's learned how to take off her pajamas. That's added an entirely new suite of things that could greet me when I walk into her room in the morning. For example, twice so far this week I've heard her talking to herself saying "my zip, my...zip". This is a bad sign as it means she's managed to unzip her pajamas to some degree or another. Usually she's only gotten the zipper down to her foot, but it seems she's learned how to completely take her pajamas off. What do I see when I walk in but a mostly naked baby with a diaper that's half off. Luckily it was just a wet diaper or I would have started off the day with a bath.
Anyway, just wanted to share with you the joys of parenthood and children who are early risers.
So your little Houdini is now getting out of her PJ's.....At least she hasn't taken her diaper off with the PJ's. I agree about DST...I hate that it is not dark right after I get home, or before.
Mom - November 07, 2007 02:10 pmShe may not have taken the diaper off completely, but the half off she's mastered could do damage as well! Andy neglected to mention what was all over Noelle's hands this morning.
Jaime Matthews - November 07, 2007 03:01 pmYeah...actually decided not to mention it. But Noelle had poop on her hands this morning. She apparently reached down the back of her diaper and got it on her fingers.
Andy - November 07, 2007 03:41 pmYUCK!!! Good luck with that situation. I don't have any words of wisdom on that, hopefully just the smell would discourage her from doing it again.
mom - November 08, 2007 05:44 amI seem to remember that happening with a little girl that lived in my house.
Mom B - November 08, 2007 07:03 amWell, she definitely didn't like it. She was holding her hands away from her like she didn't even want them to be attached to her. But then again, this is the second time she's done that so who knows. She kept saying "look daddy, what IS it?".
Andy - November 08, 2007 07:03 am
on November 01 2007 at 11:44 AM
by: Andy Matthews
Those of you who've followed our website for at least two years know that I participate in a bi-yearly male bonding ritual known as Whiskerino. On the surface, it claims to be a "beard contest", but at it's core, Whiskerino is a celebration of masculinity, a chance to be "a dude", a way to "stick it to the man" (for those participants who work in the corporate world), and finally it's a way to avoid shaving for an entire FOUR MONTH period of time.
This will be my 3rd Whiskerino and I've been looking forward to this since the close of the last. You can see what I ended up with on Feb 28, 2006, as well as see all of the pictures I took during those 4 months. You can follow my progress during this year's contest if you like.
On a more serious note, I'm planning on using Whiskerino2007 to begin working on a personal goal as well. I'm a big guy, anyone who's seen me can attest to that. But over the past 5 or 6 years, I've been letting myself get too lax in my physical well-being. Part of the problem is that I sit at a computer for 8+ hours a day, the other part is that I eat too much. I'm just thankful that I have a good metabolism or I'd weight a lot more than I do now. Anyway, I want to lose weight, but more importantly I want to get in shape...to be able to walk uphill with Noelle without stripping the bark off trees because of my huffing and puffing.
So, bring on the beard, bring on the exercise, bring on the low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, high-fiber diet, bring on the absence of sodas. But most of all, bring on the support from my friends and family.
I'm so tempted.
Richard McElroy - November 01, 2007 02:17 pmDo it, Richard! Chad Griffin and Tony Mason are on there, too. All the cool kids are growing beards.
Jaime Matthews - November 01, 2007 07:14 pmSadly it might already be too late Richard. They appear to have already put a cap in place, right at 300.
Andy Matthews - November 02, 2007 07:17 amLet the games begin!! You do soooooo need a beard to cover up that baby face...
Mom - November 02, 2007 11:42 amYour Mom did and so can you, go for and keep it up.
Dad - November 02, 2007 12:26 pmMom grew a beard? I'd say she should join the contest, except that it's already closed. And there are no girls allowed.
Andy Matthews - November 05, 2007 07:02 amRob and I have been talking and if it is closed then maybe we will have to do one on The Experience. Now if I could just convince Kari of the merit. . .
Richard McElroy - November 07, 2007 09:32 amVERRY funny....about the beard and me... I think he was talking about the weight loss in the latter part of your post. We need to talk about that.
Mom - November 07, 2007 01:13 pm
on October 23 2007 at 08:45 AM
by: Andy Matthews
A friend of mine, Daniel Isenhower, is moving out of town this week. Some his friends were having a going away party for he and his wife Lindsay. So I decided I wanted to go and wish him well in his journeys. Problem is that I planned my attendance when I thought Jaime and Noelle were going to be out of town. After I picked the two of them up from the airport, I realized that I had Noelle for the rest of the day (this past Sunday), but still wanted to go.
So I packed up Noelle and took off for Two Rivers park over by the Opryland area. When we arrived, there were just a few people hanging around under the park pavilion so I let Noelle down to play. That worked for a little while, but after about a half hour she got bored so we decided to walk over to the playground. The closer we got to the play area, the more excited I got. It looked REALLY cool, big wooden structures, with lots of kids.
Noelle was so eager to get in there, it was really cute. She ran all over the place, to the swings, to talk with other kids, it was great. My favorite parts though were when she started climbing up into the castle. It was full of little passageways, perfect for tiny little bodies. I even got a picture of Noelle peeking through the slats.
Anyway, we had lots of fun and she didn't want to leave. View the rest of the Two Rivers pictures.
So I packed up Noelle and took off for Two Rivers park over by the Opryland area. When we arrived, there were just a few people hanging around under the park pavilion so I let Noelle down to play. That worked for a little while, but after about a half hour she got bored so we decided to walk over to the playground. The closer we got to the play area, the more excited I got. It looked REALLY cool, big wooden structures, with lots of kids.
Noelle was so eager to get in there, it was really cute. She ran all over the place, to the swings, to talk with other kids, it was great. My favorite parts though were when she started climbing up into the castle. It was full of little passageways, perfect for tiny little bodies. I even got a picture of Noelle peeking through the slats.
Anyway, we had lots of fun and she didn't want to leave. View the rest of the Two Rivers pictures.
I love the pictures, especially the one of her looking through the slats....Reminds me of one of you looking through a fence. Sounds like Daddy and Papa need to build her a smaller version in your yard... Hummm!!??
mom - October 23, 2007 02:51 pm
So why am I up and posting at 1:30 in the morning blasting Operation Ivy?
In part I suppose it's 'because I can', followed closely behind by 'because I'm painting the kitchen'. Jaime and Noelle are out of town right now so it doesn't matter how much noise I make, and I can technically go to sleep when I want, so why not do as much as possible to the kitchen while I can right?
In part I suppose it's 'because I can', followed closely behind by 'because I'm painting the kitchen'. Jaime and Noelle are out of town right now so it doesn't matter how much noise I make, and I can technically go to sleep when I want, so why not do as much as possible to the kitchen while I can right?
on October 12 2007 at 07:14 PM
by: Andy Matthews
I really love my job. I love almost everything about Dealerskins; from the people, to the work. What I love most about it is that I'm able to go to work everyday and do something that I love. There's not to many people that can say that.
One of the best things about Dealerskins is the open environment there. Just today I got to participate in an impromptu 30 minute hallway meeting with the our Director of Operations, our Product Manager, and the Development Manager (my boss, Aaron West) regarding the future of our Enterprise level company. I really feel like I'm respected and appreciated there, and that's such a shot of adrenaline in the arm that it makes me want to work all the more harder.
It's really cool because I get to be involved in almost every aspect of the lifecycle of our tools (or web applications as they're called in the biz). I get to help plan the project, then I get to write the code for it, and lastly (in some cases), I also get to be involved in rolling it out and seeing people use it!
I realize that I am truly blessed by God to have a career in a field that I love, doing work that I eagerly look forward to, with people that are great. That's a rare occurrence and I hope that it's not something that I take for granted. Thank you Lord!
One of the best things about Dealerskins is the open environment there. Just today I got to participate in an impromptu 30 minute hallway meeting with the our Director of Operations, our Product Manager, and the Development Manager (my boss, Aaron West) regarding the future of our Enterprise level company. I really feel like I'm respected and appreciated there, and that's such a shot of adrenaline in the arm that it makes me want to work all the more harder.
It's really cool because I get to be involved in almost every aspect of the lifecycle of our tools (or web applications as they're called in the biz). I get to help plan the project, then I get to write the code for it, and lastly (in some cases), I also get to be involved in rolling it out and seeing people use it!
I realize that I am truly blessed by God to have a career in a field that I love, doing work that I eagerly look forward to, with people that are great. That's a rare occurrence and I hope that it's not something that I take for granted. Thank you Lord!
So we're in Chicago...
We drove up last weekend for a wedding (Jaime was a bridesmaid). Since we had another wedding THIS weekend (Jaime's grandpa is getting married), we decided that Jaime and Noelle would stay here while I flew back to Nashville for to Nashville for the week.
MY week went okay, hanging out at home alone, mostly being bored, cooking for myself, and going to sleep at midnite or later. Jaime's week on the other hand was a little rougher. Even though she stayed with her parents and they both helped out with Noelle, it was tough. Noelle is apparently heading straight into the terrible twos and Jaime was the "catcher" for it this week.
I'm sure part of Noelle's behavior was compounded by the fact that she's out of her element, away from her normal routine and such. Hard to think of my darling little girl being a terror, but according to Jaime, she has been (at least a portion of the time). From throwing things, to disobeying, to being sick; my poor baby is just having a bad week.
Jaime's already informed me that I'm on duty from the minute Noelle wakes up which is fine for me. I missed both of them quite a lot and I'll be happy to see Noelle again
We drove up last weekend for a wedding (Jaime was a bridesmaid). Since we had another wedding THIS weekend (Jaime's grandpa is getting married), we decided that Jaime and Noelle would stay here while I flew back to Nashville for to Nashville for the week.
MY week went okay, hanging out at home alone, mostly being bored, cooking for myself, and going to sleep at midnite or later. Jaime's week on the other hand was a little rougher. Even though she stayed with her parents and they both helped out with Noelle, it was tough. Noelle is apparently heading straight into the terrible twos and Jaime was the "catcher" for it this week.
I'm sure part of Noelle's behavior was compounded by the fact that she's out of her element, away from her normal routine and such. Hard to think of my darling little girl being a terror, but according to Jaime, she has been (at least a portion of the time). From throwing things, to disobeying, to being sick; my poor baby is just having a bad week.
Jaime's already informed me that I'm on duty from the minute Noelle wakes up which is fine for me. I missed both of them quite a lot and I'll be happy to see Noelle again
Yes we had a ringside seat at the rehearsal dinner last night..the compact grandma gave Noelle went flying.. we remember those days and are praying for you guys lol Shes so adorable..love
Dan and Sandy - September 29, 2007 06:10 amHard to believe that the precious little angel would turn into a "devil in disguise".... oh, wait, who is her Daddy?? Well that explains it!! Just kidding, remember: "and this too shall pass"! LUVU
Grammy Carol - October 02, 2007 08:00 amI don't know who you guys are, but I love this page and this site, it is so cute. I do know about the terrible two's, I have 3 boys and they all started their terrible twos at one and just kept going after that. It will get easier, but I never had a girl, so I don't know. I'm sure you two will do just fine.
Tibber - October 04, 2007 07:53 amthis is a test
andy matthews - October 05, 2007 01:33 pm
on September 14 2007 at 07:23 PM
by: Andy Matthews
File under:
Noelle Jordan,
Andy
I'm so out of shape...wait...round is a shape right? It is, but it's not the shape I want for myself. So I've been thinking, and talking, more and more lately about getting in better shape. Mostly for my own good, but a lot for Noelle and Jaime too. I don't want to have a heart attack by age 36 or anything. Not to mention I don't want to end up as one of those guys that gets so fat that his loving wife has to sponge bathe him in bed because he no longer fits through the bedroom door.
But I digress...I've been wanting to get in shape, that's what I was talking about. So I've got a bicycle that's been sitting in the garage since Jaime and I got married. I've also wanted to start riding that more often. I thought it was a good idea to sort of combine those two desires, and add into the mix some time spent with Noelle. So I borrowed a tow-behind baby stroller, more like a rickshaw than anything else, and headed out to our local greenway.
Essentially a path through protected marshland, it's a paved trail that winds it's way through grassland and forests right next to the Cumberland river. All total I think the trail is about 6 or 7 miles long and it's very peaceful. Since this was my first time riding the bike in 4 years or so, I thought it wise to keep the workout to a minimum, and made it to the 1.5 mile marker before turning around.
The entire time Noelle was just talking to herself, talking to me, playing with her helmet, etc. I mostly sweated and panted. I made it back safely though. I'd really like to do this again, especially since it's finally starting to cool down. If I can do it regularly, even if it's only every few days, that'll help me out a lot. Who knows...I might even start to like it.
Hey, I'm glad you don't want to be one of "those guys," but I could have done without the visual image of "I don't want to end up as one of those guys that gets so fat that his loving wife has to sponge bathe him in bed because he no longer fits through the bedroom door." Too funny!
Diana - September 15, 2007 01:11 pmyes... make sure you get between the creases honey..LOL
Dan and Sandy - September 29, 2007 06:17 amI know how you feel about the exercise thing. I need to do that myself. I feel rolly polly at times myself. I bought a bike about 2 years ago and I can say that I have rode it probably 3 times. The rest of the time it has been either sitting in the shed in my grandmothers backyard or now for the past several months been resting in my storage bin. Keep going and don't give up, you will do just fine and will drop the weight in no time. I think it was a great idea to borrow that so that you and your daughter can enjoy some time together, good call.
Tibber - October 04, 2007 08:03 am
Just wanted to let everyone know that you can now make comments on each post. If you have something you'd like to say to Jaime, or Noelle, or I. Just click the "Add comments" button below each post.
That is all
That is all
Fun!!
Diana - August 26, 2007 11:31 amYeah...I thought that it was about time we allowed our friends and family to speak their minds.
Andy Matthews - August 26, 2007 02:04 pmFinally, a place to comment. Great idea kiddo. By the way, you do need to Blog more than once or twice a month. Don't you know it is the parents lifeline to what is going on... Love you, See you on Friday. Noelle, Grammy loves you!!
Mom - August 26, 2007 04:17 pmYeah, we knew it would just be Nana and Grammy commenting though! Haha.
Jaime Matthews - August 27, 2007 04:04 pm
Is there any other phrase on God's green earth which can so easily melt the hearts of Daddys? Noelle doesn't say it all that often, but when she does I feel this shiver run through my body and I receive just the smallest glimpse of what it must be like when we tell God we love him.
Nothing quite like the first time your child says those wonderful words....I Love You. You and Jaime are Blessed!
Grammy - August 26, 2007 04:19 pm
So you read yesterday about Andy being sick, and he really was. He doesn't get sick very often, but when he does it tends to be pretty bad. I was glad to take care of him, though, especially since I don't get the opportunity to very often. And as an added bonus, I think he got a few glimpses into what it's like to be me.
He told me that the worst feeling was when he felt like he might throw up at any minute, when your throat gets tight and you can just sense that something is going to happen. And I said, "Yeah, that's how I felt for THREE MONTHS STRAIGHT while I was pregnant with Noelle, and for about a month with Charlotte." Remember that feeling next time I get pregnant, and maybe you will sympathize a little better.
Next, he was sore from all the vomiting and whatnot, and just wiped out from being sick, and he said that now he understands why I wanted to be in bed all the time. Remember that for next time.
And finally, he was laying on the couch and I had set my empty salad bowl with a little bit of Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing still in it on the side table. After about 15 minutes he asked me if I could take it in the kitchen, because for some reason the smell was bothering him. I took this opportunity as well to inform him that he has now experienced yet another wacky symptom that comes with my pregnancies.
So, hopefully he remembers all of those things for next time and is a lot more understanding of what I go through to carry our children. Too bad he'll never experience anything CLOSE to labor.
He told me that the worst feeling was when he felt like he might throw up at any minute, when your throat gets tight and you can just sense that something is going to happen. And I said, "Yeah, that's how I felt for THREE MONTHS STRAIGHT while I was pregnant with Noelle, and for about a month with Charlotte." Remember that feeling next time I get pregnant, and maybe you will sympathize a little better.
Next, he was sore from all the vomiting and whatnot, and just wiped out from being sick, and he said that now he understands why I wanted to be in bed all the time. Remember that for next time.
And finally, he was laying on the couch and I had set my empty salad bowl with a little bit of Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing still in it on the side table. After about 15 minutes he asked me if I could take it in the kitchen, because for some reason the smell was bothering him. I took this opportunity as well to inform him that he has now experienced yet another wacky symptom that comes with my pregnancies.
So, hopefully he remembers all of those things for next time and is a lot more understanding of what I go through to carry our children. Too bad he'll never experience anything CLOSE to labor.
So I went out to eat at Ruby Tuesday's with my coworkers yesterday. Part celebratory lunch (we just hired a new guy), part strategy meeting. I had the hamburger with a side salad bar. It was very tasty and I thought nothing of it until about 3 hours later when I got home.
I started feeling bad, laid down on the couch, feel asleep. Then woke up and made a BEELINE for the bathroom where I spent what was left of the night. Multiple toilet sessions later, I was able to go to sleep, until the middle of the night when I had to make yet another beeline for the bathroom.
So I woke up this morning and all is mostly well except I've been feeling nauseated all day, plus I feel like I've been worked over by Mohammed Ali. So, the only thing that I can think of is that I got food poisoning from something I ate on the salad bar. Jaime, the intrepid web search that she is, found a listing on emedicinehealth.com about food poisoning and it sounds like it's one of these two:
Norwalk virus: Causes a mild illness with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, and low?grade fever. These symptoms usually resolve in two to three days. It is the most common viral cause of adult food poisoning and is transmitted from water, shellfish, and vegetables contaminated by feces, as well as from person to person.
Rotavirus: Causes moderate to severe illness with vomiting followed by watery diarrhea and fever. It is the most common cause of food poisoning in infants and children and is transmitted from person to person by fecal contamination of food and shared play areas.
I feel like crap...hope it goes away soon...
I started feeling bad, laid down on the couch, feel asleep. Then woke up and made a BEELINE for the bathroom where I spent what was left of the night. Multiple toilet sessions later, I was able to go to sleep, until the middle of the night when I had to make yet another beeline for the bathroom.
So I woke up this morning and all is mostly well except I've been feeling nauseated all day, plus I feel like I've been worked over by Mohammed Ali. So, the only thing that I can think of is that I got food poisoning from something I ate on the salad bar. Jaime, the intrepid web search that she is, found a listing on emedicinehealth.com about food poisoning and it sounds like it's one of these two:
Norwalk virus: Causes a mild illness with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, and low?grade fever. These symptoms usually resolve in two to three days. It is the most common viral cause of adult food poisoning and is transmitted from water, shellfish, and vegetables contaminated by feces, as well as from person to person.
Rotavirus: Causes moderate to severe illness with vomiting followed by watery diarrhea and fever. It is the most common cause of food poisoning in infants and children and is transmitted from person to person by fecal contamination of food and shared play areas.
I feel like crap...hope it goes away soon...
I took this picture yesterday at the fountains, and I printed it out and framed it for Andy to put on his desk at work. They had such a great time together at the fountains, running all over the place and climbing every stair they had. I love watching Andy and Noelle together. Sometimes the things he does with her make me cringe, like hanging her upside down by her feet, throwing her too high in the air for my comfort, or wrestling around with her on the floor, but I know those things are important for her, too. And more often, he is gentle and caring in a way that only a child could bring out in a person.Andy is constantly amazed by Noelle and lets her know it. He tells her that he loves her multiple times every day, and shows her by all the little things he does. He gets up with her every weekday morning and changes her, feeds her breakfast, and plays with her before he gets ready for work. She loves to watch his car leave the driveway in the morning, and she asks about Daddy several times throughout each day. The look in her eyes when she hears his car pull into the driveway at the end of the day, and when he comes into the house after work, is one of pure excitement and joy.
I can tell that Andy loves his role as Daddy, and he is really good at it. Usually. Haha. All dads have their moments, right? Things they do or forget to do that a mom would do "better." But even if he forgets her sippy cup or an extra diaper, or feeds her chips and salsa for breakfast, or lets her run around naked and pee on the floor, I know how important it is for Noelle to have him in her life, doing things exactly the way he does them.
I really miss Charlotte today. Andy was telling Noelle this morning that she is one of the reasons that he is celebrating today, along with the other babies that are waiting to be in mommy's belly. And her sister that should have been with us still today, but will only know her Heavenly Father, not her earthly one. Of course, even the perfect earthly father cannot compare to the way God loves and cares for His children, but I still wish Charlotte could have known her Daddy. She would have loved him as much as Noelle, I'm sure of it.
just testing yo
move along...nothing to see here.
Why not? She already asks Daddy to do lots of other stuff.
andy matthews - August 04, 2008 12:08 pm