"Aunt" Katie's Goodbye

Katie, one of my best friends and one of Mason's favorite people, left Thursday to move to Denver, Colorado for her one year dental general practice residency. We are going to miss her so much. I know she is reading this, so you better come visit asap.
We love you Katie,
Kate and Mason




Katie's goodbye kiss to Mason


Mason's goodbye kiss to Katie!

Pictures of Mason's 1st Birthday

We've been awfully busy. That is why these pictures are just now being posted. Not only is Mason's birthday this month but so are his cousins Harper and Hayden's, mimi's, and mommy's and on top of that Father's day. Most of the pictures we got were on Chase's camera, but these are some that I got on my camera.


Playing with the water table mimi and poppi got him




The dinosaur cake I made. It was a little messy because it was my first time.


mason in the radio flyer wagon Chase and I got him

Mason Turns One!

This past Friday at 3:01 a.m. exactly one year ago, our son Mason was born. It was on that day that my life changed completely from what it once was to what it is now, a complete 180. About a year and 8 months ago I was reading the plus sign on my pregnancy test and was overcome with emotions. I was sad and happy, excited and extremely scared, but most of all worried for what the future held. The pregnancy was completely unplanned and at the time something I wasn't quite sure I was ready for. This past year though has put all of those uneasy feelings to rest. I couldn't have asked for a better child. He is fun, energetic, sweet, so happy, and even though I am possibly biased, he is the cutest baby boy I have ever laid eyes on! And with the help of Chase's family and my family, we were both still able to get through school successfully. I can't believe it has already been a year. I never understood what people meant about they grow up in an instant, but now I am starting to see what they meant. A year seems like just minutes! A year ago I was worried about what the future held for us, but now I have never been more excited to see my little boy grow older. I have my new family where we have already made great memories, and I am so excited for the new ones we will continue to make.

I have pictures from Mason birthday and I will have them up soon.

My Baby is Growing Up Way Too Fast!

Apparently Chase is already teaching Mason to drive. I got honked out to the driveway the other day to this scene. Of course I thought it was too cute and ran inside to grab my camera. He is growing up way too fast!

Graduation!!!

I know this is being posted late, but I finally graduated from dental school. I am officially a Doctor of Dental Surgery. Besides Mason's birth and my wedding day, it was one of the greatest moments of my life. I have worked really hard and went through a lot of crap the past four years to get to this point. Thank goodness it is over. It was a wonderful day and the greatest part was that I got to spend it with my new family. Mason actually made it through the ceremony too! I start my residency for pediatrics July 1. Two more years and then I promise I am done with school (I think I have gone long enough =)!!

Mason's Favorite Toy

So of the probably hundreds (literally) of toys Mason has around the house, he always finds the items on the floor or table that are not toys to play with. Last week I finally got Mason's big boy carseat and I had left the box in the living room. Next thing I know my son is playing in this box and he continued to play in it all night. We left it out for him for a couple of days until he finally didn't seem as interested in it. It always amazes me how you can spend all this money(or get them as gifts. thanks Nana and Mimi) on all of these toys you think your child will just love and they turn to the items that cost you nothing!

Mason's New Swing

Mason's great grandmother got him his first swing last week. It is also his first birthday present. She isn't going to be able to make it down to Memphis for his birthday, so she gave it to him early when she was down here for Chase's graduation. We knew Mason would love swinging because he can stay out on our porch swing for hours, but we never knew he would get this much joy out of it. He absolutely loves his swing!
Thanks Memaw!

Heart Breaker

Today as I was walking out the door for school Mason crawled after me saying MaMaMaMaMa. It makes it very hard to leave. All I could do (especially since I was really running late) was pick him up, give him a big hug and kiss, and hand him to his daddy. Talk about feeling like you are abandoning your child. Walking away was one of the hardest things I have made myself do. Needless to say I am looking forward to the month of June when I get to spend everyday with Mason while I have my break from school before starting my residency July 1. My last summer break ever. Kinda feels weird. I am finally done with school!

Easter 2009

I know I am posting this kind of late, but this past week has been extremely busy because I was preparing for my licensing exam. I took it all day Friday and Saturday. It was extremely stressful but I found out today that I passed. Now all I have to do is graduate at the end of May and I am finally a Doctor of Dental Surgery ( something I have worked very hard over the past 4 years to get). Back to Easter: It was wonderful. We had our family get together the Saturday before Easter. My family gathered at mine and Chase's house for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. It was a lot of fun. Mason attempted to find Easter eggs but as you can imagine his attention span was not very long and he got distracted by the grass instead!



Chase and Mason



Mommy and Mason



Mason lasted a little longer than poppi



Mason finding his first Eater egg






Getting distracted by grass before finding his first egg

A little bit of pampering

Lately I have to admit I have been stressing out. I usually am a stressed out person but you can ask Chase I have been exceptionally stressed lately. I have managed to somehow overwhelm myself with responsibilities. Not only do I have an 8 month old son (which in itself is the biggest responsibility of all), but I am trying to finish up dental school, start a residency, run the student body of the Health Science Center here in Memphis, and take my dental licensing exams. What in the world was I thinking!?!? Well needless to say I haven't been able to take any time for myself lately or spend that much time with my wonderful husband ( who when I walk in the door at 5pm he is walking out the door to go to work or class, so the only time I see him is on the weekends). So this Friday I made Chase and I an appointment for an hour long massage, found a babysitter for a couple hours, and plan on getting that much needed time for myself and the much needed time with my husband. I never thought that I would ever want to be a stay at home mom, but man these days I would give anything to do just that. I have so much respect now for all of those working moms. It is hard raising a child, but it is exceptionally hard having a full time job and trying to be a good mom all at the same time.
I applaud you working mothers out there!!!

A Little More Roaring

I just wanted to post a few more pictures of our little dinosaur roaring because I think it is the cutest thing in the world right now.

Napping with Daddy

One of Mason's favorite things to do still is nap on his daddy. There was a couple months where he quit doing it, but he is back at it now. We know it is a horrible habit to get into, but don't they look cute?! And the only time it happens is when daddy wants to nap too. I think it is Chase's secret way of getting out of doing anything because not in a million years would I disturb a moment like that!=)

My Little Dinosaur

Mason has been making this sound lately like he is roaring at you. He loves it when you roar back at him so he can roar back at you. It just keeps going back and forth. Chase and I have been calling him our little dino. It is amazing how the most annoying sound can become the cutest sound when it is coming out of your child's mouth!


Mason roaring


My little dino

Alex and Kala's Wedding

Mason walking with his great grandfather


Chase and I


Mason and his dad


Mason and Uncle Alex

Chase's brother Alex got married the Saturday after Christmas to the wonderful miss Kala Goodwin (now Mason's new aunt). It was the last event in Knoxville before we headed home to Memphis. Believe it or not it was Mason's second wedding to attend (he attended Chase and my wedding when he was 3 months old back in August). The church was decorated with all of the Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, white lights, and poinsettias. The bridesmaid's dresses were a beautiful red color, Kala was as beautiful as always, and my very handsome husband was on stage in a tux. It was a beautiful wedding, and I was very proud of my motherly planning. I made sure that I fed Mason right before the ceremony and thanks to Mason's Nana's help Mason slept through the ceremony! Doesn't Mason look cute all dressed up? And if I have to say so myself, my husband is awfully good looking in his tux =)

Christmas with Papaw Joel and Jenny

Our next stop in Knoxville was first to Mason's other great grandparents house (Papaw Joe and Mamaw Bettye). We spent the beginning of Christmas Eve at their house. There we were able to spend time with Mason's great grandparents, his papaw Joel (which we are not sure if that is what his grandfather will be called yet!), Jenny (Chase's step mom and we also don't know what she will be called yet either), his uncle Turner, Britney,his uncle Alex and now Aunt Kala. We opened gifts there and then packed it up and went to his papaw Joel and Jenny's house to open more gifts! We spent the rest of our vacation in Knoxville at Joel and Jenny's house because Mason's uncle Alex was getting married the Saturday after Christmas ( which pictures will be posted soon). Christmas day was more family and gifts in the morning and then the rest of the day was simply relaxing, just the way we like it.


Mason bouncing with Papaw Joe


Mason being super cute.


Mason with his T-rex from his Uncle Turner and Britney


Mason's books from Papaw Joel and Jenny (they also got Mason one of his big gifts, his high chair)


Mason with is sideways moving crab from Papaw Joel and Jenny

Christmas with Nana and Papaw Darrel

The first stop in Knoxville was to visit Chase's mom and stepdad. We stayed at their house the first couple of nights and had a very relaxing time. We also traveled to Gatlinburg to see Christmas lights and do a little before Christmas shopping. We had Christmas with Mason's nana and papaw Darrel (Chase's mom and stepdad), his greatgrandmother(memaw), who is in the picture below, his great aunt and uncle and his second cousin, Hunter, (at least I think that would be her relationship to Mason) around lunch time on Christmas Eve. There were presents from wall to wall when we walked in and from the picture below you can see the mess we made opening all of the presents. Mason got one of his big gifts from his great grandmother which is in the pictures below. According to Chase and his research, it is suppose to be a fabulous toy that Mason will be able to play with from sitting to crawling to walking. Mason absolutely loved the monkey on the top of the toy. He kept wanting to stand up and hug the monkey. We just hope it gets him pulling up by himself soon.


Mason opening a gift with his greatgrandmother on the right.


Mason with Nana


Mason hugging his monkey


Mason with his new toy

Our First Family Christmas

The Sunday before Christmas and the day before we left for Knoxville we had Christmas dinner together, just us, and opened our gifts to each other. This is the night Mason got to open the gifts I talked about earlier that he picked out at toys-r-us. I don't know why but this is the only picture I got from that night. It may have been because I was too tired from packing and getting the house ready to leave. Who knows. Notice my new glasses. I am super pumped about them. They were a gift from Chase's mom and they are the exact frames that I found at an eye store in Seattle, Washington when we were there visiting for my interview. And when I say exact frames, I mean she called the store in Seattle and had the ones in the store shipped to me! Thank you Karen! Also notice Mason sitting on the table. We had already gotten our high chair, but for some reason he still ended up in the Bumbo on the table (and yes trying to get our food). All in all though the night was perfect. Afterall, it was our first Christmas together with just our new family. Something I hold dearly in my heart.

Christmas with Mom and Dad

The Saturday before Christmas we had Christmas in Memphis with my mom and dad (mimi and popi), my sister and her two daughters, Harper and Hayden and my brother. We had a lot of fun. Everyone came to Chase and my house to have good eats, good fun, and then open some early Christmas gifts. Mason got a cute outfit from Aunt Brie and Uncle Brad and some wonderful toys from mimi and popi. This was also the first time that Mason was actually able to sit up and play with his cousins! As you can see below, his cousins brought out Mason's wooden blocks and like every toy they went straight to Mason's mouth.


Mason with popi and his cousin Hayden


Mason with mimi and Hayden

Lounging Around with Dad

I just thought this picture was super cute. It seems like as the holidays come to an end that all we do is lay around the house. Don't worry we aren't getting lazy. We all start back hard core Monday!