* BLT and fries from the Grove Park Inn room service - $23

* Paying someone to break into our own car while on vacation in Asheville - $60

* Waiting for 3 hours at an Asheville Wal-Mart (with a sleepy baby) to get a new car battery - $72

* Replacing a broken gear shifter, fixing the engine, oil leak and whatever the krunk else Ben Mynatt did to our Impala - $1944

Getting our car back and keeping the old gear shifter - PRICELESS

Need Advice!

OK, I'm in need of some advice from all you moms out there. MD's started something new - freaking out in his crib and not wanting to go to sleep alone. Eek!

He's been doing this for a month or so at his 2nd caregiver's place, but not with either my mom or me. Well, a few weeks back he started standing in my mom's crib. Then, last week, with me. Which isn't really the problem - the problem is that the minute we lay him down to sleep, he freaks out and pops up to a standing position and CAN'T GET HIMSELF BACK DOWN!

See, he's not quite walking on his own yet. He can pull up on things and get himself in a standing position but then he can't get himself back down. So, if we let him stand in his crib, in hopes of him laying down on his own and going to sleep, it absolutely won't happen. We've tried.

What we have to do is go in there, lay him down, tuck him in, and put our hand on his chest until he is completely asleep. If he's not 100% asleep, the second we walk away from his crib, he freaks out, stands up and wails.

So, I know he's gotta figure out how to get back down from a standing position on his own - but, is there anything I can do in the meantime? I'm so afraid he's already learned that:

Standing in his crib and crying = mommy comes in and takes care of me!

Ugh!!! I definitely don't want to start that. But, there is absolutely no other way to get him to sleep. And, I can't let him not sleep and/or nap. It's not good for him.

Anyway, any advice you seasoned moms might have would help me tremendously! Even to just say you've been through this. Because, of course, I find myself feeling like I'm the only one and this is going to last forever.

Thanks guys!

MD & Conner's Play Date

Our good buddies, Sean and Marianne, have a very sweet son - Conner - and it had been months since he and MD had seen each other. So, it was time to set up a little play date at our local Chic-fil-A. Marianne, being the good mommy that she is, remembered her camera so she got some great pics of our sweet boys. There's a little over 3 1/2 months difference between the 2 boys so watch out Conner, MD's ready to teach you all the fun stuff he's going to learn!

That Conner's a funny boy

Happy times!

Here, I got something to tell ya...

Hey, me too!

Look, almost the same height ;)

A Few Administrative Things

OK, first, my beloved asked me to mention his new Real Estate blog on my blog. How posh are we, right? I've been linking to it for a while now (on the right) but I'm not sure how many of you look over there. So, for Donnie's thoughts on "Real Estate Stuff" check out his blog at donnieicenhour.blogspot.com.

And, for you Michael Dean fans out there, it's time for you to step up and VOTE! I've entered him in an online contest (along with like 37,000 other kids) to become Parents Magazine's cover baby for their November 2008 issue.

It's a long shot, but what the heck. Everyone keeps telling me to get this kid in front of someone else's camera, besides mommy's. And, I refuse to pay $19.95 to enter the 497 cutest baby ever online contests. So, click on the link below and vote! (Well, you're not exactly "voting". You can "Recommend" and "Rate" his 2 pictures. And, do make sure you vote for both pics!)


Vote for Michael Dean!

Happy 11-Month Birthday, MD!

1 more month until fistfuls of cake...