I need to go on vacation more often. The blog gets more attention when I’m not at home. When I’m home my children need me, my husband needs me, my house needs me, my laundry needs me, my closets need me… you know the story.
Tara being one of them. I can assure you I was equally excited to see her as she was me {can you tell by baby Blair’s expression?}. She was a sorority sister, lived on my hall my freshman year at Auburn and became a dear friend. She’s from Childersburg, AL and is about as Southern as they come. My first memory of Tara was watching her crack open a can of boiled peanuts and asking her what on earth she was eating, I’m sure she was just as shocked that I didn’t know what boiled peanuts were! She’s fun, a ball of energy and hilarious. A few years ago she had a major scare and underwent open-heart surgery to replace a hole she had in her heart that went undetected since birth! I’m glad she’s alive and I was really glad to see her and her angel, who has her mommy’s lashes.
The shower was straight from a magazine.
No detail was overlooked.
The setting was perfect.
The food and flowers were also perfect! {flowers were all done by Anna– pictured below}
And thirdly, my children. Oh these children, more specifically my son. Complete scallywags.
I’ve never given much, if any, thought to the idea of man evolving from ape, until I became the mother of a son. And now I must spend some more time in the Word to fight the creeping suspicion that man possibly did evolve from ape.
Please, look past his sweet, innocent looks.
And trust me when I tell you he is a total maniac. Do you see the ribbon tied {tightly} around his waist? What you can’t see is that it’s doubled up and also goes behind him to keep him in.
On a very regular basis I say, “John Martin what are you doing? You are going to kill yourself!” I’ve decided to call him “rover” when he acts bad. I say, “You are such a total rover!” I don’t even know what a rover is… but I can probably muster up a pretty good definition and put his picture beside it.
Rover also will never be still and that is why I am mourning the fact that he is no longer nursing. {sniffle, sniffle} He had no problem weaning. I on the other hand am still coming to grips with the reality of it. Why? Because the child is rarely still. The only time he would be still and let me hold him was while he was nursing. I keep reminding myself that I can wear dresses now. Dresses, Darby. Come on, you can wear dresses again!
Right now, he’s sitting at my feet eating a few nerds his sisters shared with him. He only has 7 teeth, all incisors, so I’m not sure how he’s chewing them. But at least he’s not in the fireplace.
Oh, he’s such a rover.
cedwards55
July 30, 2009 at 3:42 pmI just love that little John Martin! He lights up my days. I have two sons (now 22 and 18). I don't get to hold them anymore or kiss their booboos. I'm living vicariously through you until one of these guys gets married and blesses me with grandbabies. Thanks for so generously sharing your three babies with us. You have no idea how they make my day!
Carol
jeana
July 30, 2009 at 3:57 pmhow cute 🙂 your little boy is precious. can you believe i have three little apes?? that makes me feel a little validated for my occasional insanity to hear you say he is tough!
love you. your family is precious. miss you, darby!!
Elizabeth
July 30, 2009 at 3:59 pmThat baby girl is so cute! And, I laughed at you talking about JM evolving from ape. Hilarious. Sounds like he keeps you on your toes!
bethtrue
July 30, 2009 at 4:36 pmYour children are beautiful. The shower looks like lots of fun – I would love a closer shot of what looks like a vintage bassinet there with gifts piled into it? How cool! Thanks for sharing your slice of life!!
Britt
July 30, 2009 at 4:38 pmI'm a southern girl who ended up in Missouri for college and I brought some boiled peanuts back from a trip to Georgia one time. Not a SINGLE PERSON in MO knew what they were. So you are not alone!
Alison
July 30, 2009 at 4:41 pmIs it just me or did John Martin grow into a little man overnight? Th picture in his highchair made me think, "Wow! He looks so much older all of a sudden!" Maybe its his hair… So sweet!
Jessica Ranjbari
July 30, 2009 at 4:50 pmJM is the cutest ape I've ever seen 🙂 I'm jealous that you found that fabric at a thrift store! I think I need to move to Dothan.
Kristin F.
July 30, 2009 at 4:57 pmIt is a small world! I love your blog, but am a complete stranger. However… I go to church in C'burg and Tara & I were in choir and Sunday School through middle school. So funny to see her on your blog! 🙂
J
July 30, 2009 at 5:01 pmWelcome, welcome, welcome to a boy.
Don't worry…he'll let you hold him again…when he gets hurt bad enough. 🙂
And I hope you don't find this offensive, but I think he might look a little bit like Brad Pitt? Esp. in the high chair pic.
Ivy
July 30, 2009 at 5:16 pmI would share nerds with John Martin too!!!
Melissa
July 30, 2009 at 5:23 pmWell, since I only have boys, I don't have anything to compare to, but JM sounds perfectly normal! Luke is a handful too, moreso than I remember Matthew being. He gets into EVERYTHING! Our main battle this week is the movie cabinet. If I'm in the room and he heads to it, I can tell him "no" and he stops. But if I'm in another part of the house and he gets a chance, into the movie cabinet he goes, takes out every DVD case, takes the DVD out of the case, and takes the cover out! He knows he's not supposed to, but he likes to play there when he gets a chance. So, hang in there…boys can be a handful, but they sure are sweet too!
Amber B.
July 30, 2009 at 5:24 pmYou are cracking me up with your description of having a son…it's right on! I watch my friend's daughters, and it's amazing how different they are. I have a 3 year old son, and I'm expecting boy #2 in December. Lord help me. Seriously.
Caroline
July 30, 2009 at 5:35 pmY'all are scaring me with this crazy boy talk. I have a almost 3 little girl and she is the sweetest. Plays quietly and watches her little disney princess movies. Our 2nd is a boy who will be here in 4.5 weeks. I hope I can hang with all you mothers of boys. It sounds exhausting!
Natalie
July 30, 2009 at 5:36 pmthis post made me laugh! yes, the day i stopped nursing bennett i mourned the loss of my "still baby holding time". but that was at 6 months of age – go YOU.
good to see anna on there. i love that girl! again, small world.
anyway, ever since anna telling me repeatedly that i needed to read yours and your sisters blog for over a year, then after meeting erika at the wedding, i am an all out stalker! sad, but true.
um, this is cheesey, but keep up the good work! ha! your blog is neat…
🙂
Jo
July 30, 2009 at 5:47 pmde-lurking for the first time so i feel less like a creepy stalker!
i have a 4 month old little boy and i can already tell he is going to be a handful! he wiggles, kicks, yells, flails all day long. but he's a as cute as john martin (which means he's INCREDIBLY adorable!) so it will be hard to ever get too mad at him 🙂
i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog and am inspired by you to be a wonderful, gracious, do-it-all mother and wife. please let me know where you get the patience!
Beth Goff
July 30, 2009 at 5:47 pmDarby- The party looks like so much fun! My Anderson is the SAME WAY as Rover!! He is in constant motion and I say all the time " your going to kill yourself" too!! I knew boys were different but I had NO idea it would be this bad 🙂 If you find a good christian book that tells us how to deal with such "passion" let me know.
Also, what template do you use on blogger that makes your pictures so big?? It's driving me crazy trying to figure it out!
Beth
bethgoff@ymail.com
Anonymous
July 30, 2009 at 5:58 pmDarby –
I love how you have nicknames for your children. We have one 21 month old son and he is a little man of many nicknames. JM is adorable and seems just a mischevious as my Owen.
Becky
July 30, 2009 at 6:06 pmum…yeah, you might want to skip my blog today. it won't be of much help. at. all.
kdurec
July 30, 2009 at 6:12 pmI don't know if it's just a boy thing! My little Kendra sounds a lot like JM! In fact, I tell my sister (who reads your blog) how often your posts on JM remind me of my little one! She is into EVERYTHING and has some very strong opinions.
Dianne
July 30, 2009 at 6:25 pmLove to hear you talk about the children. So glad you had so much time with your mother. Bet she'll be back soon when Erika's baby is born.Hope you're eating your wheaties…boys never slow down.
Holly
July 30, 2009 at 6:56 pmJM is so adorbale in the high chair photo!
Amber Ellis
July 30, 2009 at 7:11 pmYour family is GORGEOUS! Seriously, every one of you. You look straight out of a magazine. Ugh. So, I'm a little jealous! haha.
You are a blessed girl for sure 🙂
Anonymous
July 30, 2009 at 7:14 pmIf it helps, my boys were easier than my daughter. They were more active, but she is definately more work. JM is too cute to get upset with, right??
Jesse
July 30, 2009 at 7:23 pmI am not sure if I have left a comment before or not, but had to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. I too am a southerner and adore your perspective of motherhood. It inspires me. I have twins (boy and girl). And I hate to tell you but boys, at least mine, are totally rambunctious all of the time too. Only still when sleeping. And oh how I love to watch them sleep. Okay so maybe this should have been an email. Sorry for the novel. Hope you have a great weekend!
Rachel
July 30, 2009 at 7:25 pmJM is such a handsome little fella sitting in his high chair! When I first started reading your blog he was much smaller…he's going to be a charming man, for sure! You and your family are just precious. Thanks for always sharing!
The Buchanan Family
July 30, 2009 at 7:32 pmMy grandparents had a dog named Rover when we were growing up-he was a very active dog! It must mean "active"! 🙂 he is adorable!
Anonymous
July 30, 2009 at 7:32 pmI have 2 little monkeys. I never thought I would say things like"quit licking each other and we don't hug around the neck(also known as choking).They are amazing,supersmart and little angels and devils all at the same time.I wouldn't have it any other way.And it truly has gotten easier.Keep your sense of humor.
Jenna
July 30, 2009 at 7:36 pmYour little guy cracks me up! It's all so familiar. My pediatrician says that little boys are suicidal, and I have to agree – they know no fear!
Mary Beth Smith
July 30, 2009 at 7:57 pmHilarious! FIrst you have great taste and you are triple creative! Second, I have two boys of my own and I always say to them…"You are being such a David!"..This story reminded me of that …boys are so much fun!!!Ha
megan
July 30, 2009 at 8:01 pmyour photography is beautiful {as always}. JM is going to be a heartbreaker! {as i am sure he already is}.
Amanda @ Serenity Now
July 30, 2009 at 8:20 pmOh, cute post!!!! Your little Rover is precious…I need something sturdy to keep my 18 month old in the shopping cart. She can get out of any harness. Drives me nuts! 🙂
alyssa
July 30, 2009 at 8:25 pmOh Darby! Welcome to the world of boys! I, too, have two daughters and a son, and I constantly find myself thinking, "but the girls would never do this!" Just wait until he gets a little older and starts interacting with other little boys…it's like watching Animal Planet! But boy do those little guys know how to wrap their mommas around their sweet, chubby little pinky!
JacciM
July 30, 2009 at 8:45 pmLOL – my youngest is a boy, age 2 and a half. When I first saw that pick of JM (before I read your explanation of how you tied the ribbon) I thought, "What?! He sits in there tied with just THAT little thing???" I chuckled a pretty good chuckle when I read that it was wrapped around him a few times, too 🙂 That's more like it.
He's a doll. My little Samuel is a doll, too, but it's amazingly less work when he goes over to his Aunt Sissy's every once in a while and all I have are his 3 older sisters for an hour or two.
Oh, and good for you not posting because you're loving on your family!! 🙂 I actually am encouraged when mommy bloggers take a day or two (or more) off from blog posting – it shows your priorities are hanging in there.
Blessings,
Jacci
Tonja
July 30, 2009 at 8:46 pmDarby, that first picture is a treasure. One of the things my boys were saying as they talked about their Granny was that she always was ready to sit in a chair and hold them in her lap and read to them. And, they all had their fav stories. Now my 3 boys are all wanting the most fav book of fairy tales. They will remember those times and that will be a beautiful memory!
PS I' m not sure if the male child comes from an ape…but I am quite sure there was plenty of monkey blood in my 3. I also detected a little bit of 'frog', too.
The 5 Bickies
July 30, 2009 at 8:58 pmMy middle child is 8 and has been the more challenging of my 3 children. He is a very busy boy and often I look at him in the midst of chaos and say, "it's a good thing you are cute!"
And your Rover is CUTE!
Anonymous
July 30, 2009 at 10:19 pmI stumbled upon your blog a while back and have looked forward to seeing what you have posted every day! I have 4 children, the first three are sweet little girls that like to dress up, cook, do their hair, typical girly things. The last baby, he's a BOY – and can I ever relate to your little hornet! My guy is 14 months old and all boy. You know how it is – I think our days coinside with one another – even accros the miles! Thanks for the great posts and pictures!
Jill
Tara and Felix
July 31, 2009 at 4:49 amDARBY!!! Thanks for the shout out! It was soooo good to see you as well. We have to promise to meet again sometime soon. I was so mad I didn't bring my camera, but I knew you would do a good job capturing everything 😉 I miss both of you gals, and I love feeling like we haven't missed a beat when we meet up! Let me know if you are ever in for another trip to Talladega! HA!
Love,
Tara
anna and geoffrey
July 31, 2009 at 6:10 amIt was so much fun seeing you and showering Erika 🙂 Too fun. . . . Love the pic – I think I had a little work done!?! xo
Natalya
July 31, 2009 at 6:13 amOh but Rover is such a cutie how can you not just eat him up. Glad that you are getting settled back in after a long vacation.
annek
July 31, 2009 at 6:22 amThe best thing about being a mother is helping your kids grow and learn and be independent…but it's the hardest thing too isn't it? Enjoy every day!
Jboo
July 31, 2009 at 6:23 amWhat a lovely shower!! Your kids are beyond adorable!
Have a great weekend!
Janet
erika
July 31, 2009 at 6:24 amDBoNE!
JM is a MAN. And he's really cute in his outfit, it fits perfect!? Save it for me if my #2 is a boy. I can't stand all the cuteness- thanks for sharing. The pictures from the shower were really wonderful, thanks for capturiing it. 61, I LOVED seeing you too… despite our conversation – hA! I better see you this fall!!
Love you
mommasis
Kate
July 31, 2009 at 7:54 amOMG! I love what you said about man evolving from ape. I to have a son and feel your pain! Thanks for sharing!
Christie
July 31, 2009 at 7:59 amWell, JM is definitely an adorable Rover! He reminds me so much of my little Gibson, who is almost two. It is amazing how boys are born "all boy." isn't it?
The Cascio Whirlwind
July 31, 2009 at 9:34 amUmmm, I have a Rover too…although she's a she and last night she put a ziploc bag of hard shell peanuts in the microwave! Thank goodness she was too impatient to wait on them and opened before they cooked very long! 3 and a serious, hard-core ROVER!
christy
July 31, 2009 at 9:41 amHe is so cute! I say/think/write that every time I see pics of him. Such a doll! As a momma of a wiggly, adevturous, energetic little boy I can totally relate. I often said those same words. I can say now, as a new 6 year old, my son is a total snuggler & not climbing the walls, as much. He still makes my heart skip a beat & drop to my tummy, but not as much as he used to. Or, maybe I am just getting less scared. 🙂
Meadows
July 31, 2009 at 10:14 amYour little boy is so stinking cute!
Anonymous
July 31, 2009 at 10:36 amLove your blog, just started looking at blogs. I was drawn to it for the quality/style of your pictures (linked from your sister's blog). I can sew/build/design/be a great mom and now I want to take photos of my beautiful children so I'm looking forward to your friends advice. What camera do you use?
My son is 100% boy..his full name is Fisher Landon Monkey Business! Watch Ken Ham's Answers from Genesis: Very affirming of God's wonderful creations.
Tara
Design Esquire
July 31, 2009 at 10:45 amGreat photos! That first one with your mother is absolutely precious.
Maegan
July 31, 2009 at 11:02 amI'm actually beginning to wonder if my little girl is actually a boy on the inside.. other than the squealing, and the obvious parts, she is nothing like any girl I've ever known… perhaps she's part ape, too… and I have to know, where did you get Hornet's lil blue striped onesie outfit he's wearing in the highchair? I'm in love with it! Glad you're back home… dying to hear Marla's comments to everyone's questions… a couple of us in the neighborhood are actually eagerly anticipating it! 😉 Take care!
~Mae
Tiffany
July 31, 2009 at 2:47 pmHey, Darby. Every time you talk about John Martin, it freaks me out because he sounds so much like my little "rover"! My Tyson just turned one on 7/15 and he has made his way into our fireplace and covered himself in soot 4 times so far (it doesn't have doors and we need to get some obviously). I have a 3 year old girl so I am just not used to all the craziness but it sure is a lot of fun and it wasn't hard for me to lose my baby weight with him! : ) Oh, and I am completely dreading the day he stops nursing. I feel your pain sister. : )
Beck
July 31, 2009 at 6:20 pmOh Darby – can we have a sniffle fest together? I weaned mine last week (1st) and canNOT believe the momma mourning I am doing. My daughter is never still either and nursing was my time to pretend that she was a snuggle bunny.
janet
August 1, 2009 at 7:14 amI totally enjoyed reading this! If it makes you feel any better I have 5 boys. Yes, you heard correct. Five boys, no girls.Boys are a TON of fun though. They keep you on your toes….ALWAYS. Never a dull moment, and I get to laugh all the time!
thelaundryisneverfinished
August 1, 2009 at 4:09 pmoh my word, Darby, this made me laugh. I haven't commented in eons because time on my end is so short…but boys! Aren't they crazy? I can't believe I'm saying this but I just weaned Jack 2 weeks ago. And he is 2 and a half years old. Have you EVER??? I never figured I do anything like that! But tell ya what…it's the only time he would be still, other than sleeping.
Boys are a breed apart!!