Seriously. They’re Falling from the Sky.
I think that anyone in my position would have baby fever. I am surrounded by pregnant people and people with infants. Over Thanksgiving I found out that both of my step-sisters are pregnant. Add those babies to Jacob, and Jess and I will be aunts 3 times in 2010. Also, my cousin John and his wife Kathryn had their baby boy yesterday. They named him Corbin. I’ve seen a few pictures, and he’s such a cutie! I can’t wait to see him at Christmas! Just in case you’re starting to wonder, I assure you Jess and I don’t have anything up our sleeves. We know that we cannot afford a baby and we are in no rush to have them. However, we do know that we want to have them and that we want our children to have relationships with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. I almost wish we were ready so our kids would be able to have the same kinds of relationships that I had with my cousins when I was growing up. I had 4 first cousins on my mom’s side and 10 on my dad’s side. Needless to say, I’ve never had a dull holiday! It was awesome to have so many cousins, especially the ones who were close to me in age. I never realized how lucky I was until talking to Jess about it. Most of her cousins lived in New York or Ohio, not to mention she was the youngest, so no one really wanted to hang out with her. I have some really amazing childhood memories, and I hope that one day we will get to provide some wonderful memories for our children. In the meantime I’ll have to settle for being the best aunt ever! It’s not so much a consolation prize as it is an incredible opportunity. I feel so lucky to already have 5 nieces and nephews in my life, and I’m really looking forward to that number increasing to 8. I guess I’ll end up with a big family after all. : ) -Addison
It’s like they’re falling from the sky! Lately Jess and I have been inundated by the arrival of babies and the announcement of pregnancies. I guess we’re at that age. We both have work people who just had babies. I have 2 first cousins that are expecting, and most importantly, Jessica and I will be aunts again in mid-March 2010! (Yay Allyson and Matt!) All in all, I know 8 people/couples who have had or are going to have a baby. What’s really kind of crazy is of all of those babies, only one is a girl! 7 boys, 1 girl. What are the odds? You might be wondering why I’m sharing this information. It’s not that I’m upset by the obscene number of showers I have to attend. (To be honest, I think I’m going to make it out with only 3!) The reason I feel this is a blog-worthy topic is that my darling wife has baby fever. I swear the phrase, “Let’s have babies!” comes out of her mouth at least once a day. At first I thought it was sweet. She had kind of been on the fence about the whole babies thing. They cry, they smell bad, and all they really do is sleep when they’re newborn. That doesn’t quite fit into Sporty Spice’s (that’s Jess) repertoire. But now they do. She has now held several babies and has convinced herself that she wants one. Thankfully we both realize that we are not in the financial state to seriously consider having a child, nor are we ready emotionally. There’s way too much to see and do in this lifetime, and we’ve barely begun! We will have a family one day. Just not any time soon. For now we’ll have to focus our attention on Cole and prepare for the arrival of Jacob! (Or whatever name Allyson and Matt end up going with.) : ) -Addison
What a Beautiful Wedding
So we did it! Jess and I tied the knot. Got hitched. Took the big plunge. We got married! Our beautiful wedding took place May 30, 2009 at my father’s house in North Augusta. The ceremony went off without a hitch, and much fun was had at the reception by all, or so I’ve been told. We’ve had lots of people give us rave reviews of the entire shindig. People have said they loved the hand fasting part of ceremony (thanks to Jess for coming up with a way to incorporate the ancient ritual). Others have said the food was excellent (unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to eat any). And pretty much everyone has said wonderful things about the garden. I tend to forget how amazing Dad & Mary Alice’s yard is until new people come to see it and get all amazed. It truly does give Riverbanks Botanical Garden a run for its money. We’re so thankful we were able to have it there. If you attended, we would love to hear your thoughts, too. What were your favorite moments? What did you like best? Tell us, tell us! Because there were SO many memorable moments at the wedding, Jess and I decided to give out some “awards” to our guests and hosts, and we’d like to share them with you. And the award goes… To Ellie Cook for being the best dressed mother ever. To Bob Cook for dancing the coolest twist in town! To Allyson Stanley for making us laugh out loud during the most stressful of times. To Cole Stanley for being the cutest kid in the world, period. To Anne McClearen for falling like a pro (and she’s got the bruises to prove it!). To Caroline Woodrum for covering our car with fabulous (albeit dangerously distracting!) “Just Married” decorations. To Mary Alice Woodrum for creating a magical, beautiful garden over the past 30 years. To Bear Woodrum for being the best host anyone could ask for. To Linda Haynes for giving the best catwalk during “I’m Too Sexy”! To Dana Lang for making friends with everyone in attendance. To Tucker Mathis for serenading us with a riveting late-night vocal performance. To Jimmy and Lindsay McClearen for traveling so far (from Michigan!) to celebrate with us. To Steven Shields for being willing to do anything that needed to be done while preparing for the big day. And…of course…thanks to all of you who came and to all of you who read the blog. We appreciate all the happy thoughts and well wishes you send our way. -Addison
The Dog Pound
Allyson came over for a wee bit of karaoke tonight. Jess and I recently purchased Karaoke Revolution’s American Idol 2, and Ally Cat has been dying to try it out. Well, her dreams finally came true this evening! We had such a good time! None of us are all that good, but all you have to do is stay on key. There’s no real talent involved. It’s funny to watch, too. Simon, Paula and Randy make comments and tell you how you did when you’re finished with a song and then you’re given a score: silver, gold, platinum or diamond. Apparently I should be an R & B singer. I totally nailed “Apologize” and “Crazy in Love.” (By the way, I have a new- found respect for Beyonce Knowles.) Power ballads, however, are not my thing. Regardless of my shortcomings, Randy Jackson’s avatar totally loves me. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys singing in the shower, watching American Idol, or both. It’s a fun way to blow off some steam, and I hope we can get together and sing again some time soon. Hopefully we’ll be able to drag Matt in the mix as well! (Come on man, you know you want to!) -Addison
