We had ourselves a merry little Christmas...

What a great Christmas season we had here at the Nemec house!!! Our December was filled with dinner parties, boat parades, more dinner parties, and lots of family time! I think Brixon's first Christmas was a success! This child is so ridiculously spoiled...cars and bikes and musical instruments! I may have to add a "toy wing" on to my house! In all honesty, I probably could have wrapped my cell phone and remote control, and he would have been just as happy :) Brixon has enjoyed all of this extra time with mom and dad! In fact, just in the past couple of days, he cries when I leave the room! I'm not used to him doing that...usually Nick is the one that cries when I leave ;p But it is really sad! At least when I leave for work, I know he is with my mom. I can't imagine having to leave him anywhere else. He is also doing some really funny things...my favorite is his fake laugh. Now every time someone laughs, he imitates it with a fake laugh. Which then makes all of us laugh even harder, and him fake laugh louder. It's a vicious cycle...I need to get it on video! He knows to step out of his pants when I undress him, and he now has a major issue when it comes to getting re-dressed! It is like a pro-wrestling match! He hasn't started walking just yet, but he's getting really confident in his cruising. I think I'll be chasing him all over the house pretty soon here!

We're also pretty busy getting ready for his first birthday...yes, one year old. Gasp....I was doing okay until the giant "YOU'RE ALMOST ONE!!!! YOU'RE NOT A BABY ANYMORE, AND YOUR MOM IS GETTING OLD!" flyer came in the mail from Toys 'r' Us. Okay, so it wasn't technically worded like that. But I did cry. I am just not ready for him to grow up! I want to keep him just like this. Alas, not an option. So I'm having fun planning the big Dr. Seuss bash!!!!

Well, here are some photos from Christmas. There's also a photo from my previous post. Happy New Year, and I'll talk to you all soon!

Pardon the static cling :)

Rockin' out

Sooo sleepy!

You want a piece o' dis?!

Little Rudolph!!

It's been a while...

Yikes! I just looked at the blog, and realized how long it's been since I've updated! Apologies...the Christmas season is obviously upon us, and I'm also busy working on Brixon's first birthday party! Such a great time of year! Brixon is keeping us on our toes. He's cruising like a madman along all of my furniture, getting into everything, throwing stuff everywhere....being a typical boy! He also scared us a little. About four months ago, I noticed a swollen lymph node in his neck. Not only could you feel it, but you could actually see it. I didn't think a lot of it at the time, but after it seemed like there was no reason for it, we brought him in to see Dr. Williams. She wasn't concerned about it, but said to keep an eye on it. After it still didn't go away, I called, and they reccommended that he have a CBC (full blood work-up) done. The results came back normal, but after doing what was probably way too much research, I read that neck malignancies don't always show abnormal labs. So last week, I brought him back to Dr. Williams. She was really insistent that she didn't think it was anything, but had me bring him in for a chest x-ray, and schedule an appointment with a pediatric oncologist just for my own reassurance. The x-ray came back normal, and today, we had an appointment with the oncologist. Let me tell you, having to bring your child to see an oncologist has to be one of the most terrifying experiences ever. The doctor was confident that the node wasn't significant, and that he may just always have a slightly swollen gland. After more blood work just to make sure(and a poor baby with his hand all bandaged like a lobster claw!), the doctor said he was perfectly normal. So basically it was complete parental neuroses, but I have to say, seeing that huge swollen node every day made my stomach turn! After seeing the children at that office, and being treated so wonderfully while we were there, I am so unbelievably thankful that we have a healthy baby! Now we can fully enjoy the season with no worries!!!! I'll try to make sure that I post some photos before Christmas of what we've been up to over the past month!

Trip home!!!

This past weekend, we flew up to Grand Rapids so that Brixon could meet my family and friends. We were only up there for four days, but we made the most of every minute!!! We flew up last Thursday morning, and Brixon was SO good on the plane! When we got in, we headed to lunch, then up to meet Aunt Vicki, Uncle Dave, Carly, Lexy, Britney, and Mason. Brixon and Mason had so much fun playing!! I took Brixon for a quick visit to The Dance Network so that we could meet Melissa and Jen. After that, we went to dinner with everyone, and made it an early night. On Friday, we got up early and went to breakfast, then walked around downtown Rockford. We went to my favorite store, Jade, but I was good :) After that, the guys headed to my Grandpa Vic's house, and Aunt Kim, Aunt Kelly, my mom, Colin, Delaney, Kieffer, Brixon and I all went to Robinette's. Brixon sure liked the sugar donut!! We went to Woodland Mall and met Santa after that, and surprisingly, Brixon didn't have a meltdown! Friday night, Nick and I went to dinner and drinks with my friends from high school. We had a great time, just like every year! Saturday morning was the Santa Claus Parade and breakfast with the Dedinas'. I then met up with some girlfriends from high school for lunch, and then took a drive to see the old neighborhood. Saturday night, we had an early Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Kim's house. On Sunday, we had breakfast with everyone, and then went to Frederik Meijer Gardens. It was a beautiful day...we had so much fun there! Overall, it was a great trip. Way too short, but we made the best of it!

In Brixon news, he is pulling up on all of my furniture, and getting into everything! I keep telling him that it's a good thing he's cute ;). He also started "singing" and saying "ra-ra-ra." He gets more and more fun every day. He's not a fan of having his diaper or clothes changed these days. In fact, it's like a wrestling match! But it's alright...it's about the only time that he's fussy!

Well, I need to go start getting my Christmas decorations down from the attic, so have a happy Thanksgiving, and we'll talk to you soon!

Friends since junior high! (even elementary!)

Robinette's Apple Orchard


Brrrrr.....

Such a good boy on his first plane ride!

Double digits?!?!

Yep, our little man is ten months old today!!! I can't believe it! He has changed and grown so much in the past month I can hardly believe it! I feel like I have a little boy now and not a baby anymore :(. He is crawling everywhere and getting into everything! He loves going after the stereo, pulling his high chair around the kitchen, taking everything out from under my coffee table and climbing underneath it...you know, everything he's not supposed to be doing! He's pulling up on Nick's leg to standing, and is trying to pull up on the coffee table. Tonight he discovered the Tupperware drawer...oh boy. He is still on thw waving kick, but now he knows when to do it! He does it when you tell him 'hi' and bye,' but he also does it when he is full and doesn't want to eat anymore, when he throws his toys off of his high chair, and even when he closes his baby laptop!!!

We're getting ready for our trip to Michigan a week from today. I can't wait! We're hoping to spend a lot of time with family and friends, visit Robinette's and maybe Frederik Meijer Gardens, and even go to the Santa Claus Parade! Keep your fingers crossed that Brixy doesn't have a meltdown on his first plane ride! We're flying direct right out of Punta Gorda, so hopefully it will be an easy trip. I'll post lots of photos!

Look ma! No pants!!!

Somebody sure doesn't like the word 'no!'

Wheeee!

First time on a swing!

Brixy's First Halloween!

Oh my, it has been a long time since I've updated this page. Nick has been really busy with Downtown GetDown and the new wine distribution business, and I've been busy at work, so we haven't had much down time. Things are starting to get back to normal now, and Nick is home much more now that we don't own the wine bar anymore. It's nice, and I'm enjoying the help with Brixon! Over the past month, he has started crawling and pulling up into a sitting position. He gets on all fours and tries to push up into a standing position (sending me into near heart failure, as visions of the emergency room flash before my eyes!), but usually just ends up on his butt. He now says "nanana," "bababa," and "ssssssss." He loves waving, and waves at everyone and everything! He now has four teeth on the top, as well as the two on the bottom. They're all coming in at different lengths, so he looks a little like Sloth from The Goonies!! He has also decided that napping really isn't his thing, much to Mimi's dismay! We're working on it, mom!

Yesterday was his first Halloween, and we had a great time! Nick and I brought Brixon downtown Punta Gorda to trick-or-treat with Carter, Ryan, Chantil, Aunt Tara, Grandpa Ron, Mimi, and Grandpa Matt. It didn't feel much like Halloween, with the 90-degree temperatures and all, but we still really enjoyed ourselves! Here are a few photos of the cutest little garden gnome you'll ever see :)

Wait...so that means the next appointment is...one year?!?!

Yes, the little man had his 9-month well-baby visit yesterday (although he won't technically be nine months until the 12th...let's not rush things here, friends!!)! He's doing great! Dr. Williams spotted his top left front tooth coming in, then today we see he has two more coming in!!! Top right front and left eye! Check out his latest measurements --------------------------------------------->

Based on his recent interests, we're thinking we have either a baseball player or an engineer on our hands, because he loves throwing and electronics. Specifically, throwing electronics. He is so much fun, and continues to crack me right up! Nick has been in Napa for the past week, so I think he'll be surprised how much Brixon has changed in only a week!! All of the sudden, I feel like I have this little boy, and not a baby anymore!! Especially when I put him in his new monkey jammies :) I'll have to get a photo...they are so cute! In the meantime, here's a recent photo with TT!

A change would do you good!

For once, I'm not talking about my hair color :) The Nemec's have made a BIG change!!! We have sold the Bin! Yup, you see correctly. We sold it. I no longer have to share my husband with a bar! While we did love Bin 82 and have great memories there, it just didn't fit into our lives anymore. It is difficult enough to be a young married couple owning a bar, but to have an infant AND a bar was impossible! Nick was missing out on a lot of Brixon's important milestones, and that was really affecting both of us. We received a great offer, and we accepted! Nick has started his own wine distribution company, Big Crush Distribution, and is headed out to Napa in a week to select the vineyards he will be representing. Yeah, 10 days in Napa for "work." Rough life :)
In Brixon news, he started waving "bye-bye" and clapping a couple of weeks ago. He loves laughing at Wrigley, and playing basketball with his baby basketball hoop!! So far, he says ga-ga, da-da, a-tah, ma-ma, ba-ba and ya-ya (he learned them in that order...yes, da came before ma somehow!) We're still working on crawling, though....which both me and my breakables are okay with :)

Do we really have to go back home?!

Last weekend, we decided to head up to Orlando for four days. Even though it's only a two hour drive, we always feel like we're on vacation when we go. As crazy busy and touristy as it is, I absolutely love it! This time, we stayed at the Walt Disney World Dolphin. When we got there, we went and had lunch next door to the hotel at Disney's Boardwalk, then headed back to the pool and brought Brixy swimming. He loves being in the pool, and this was no exception! After an afternoon of swimming and a much needed nap, we took the shuttle over to Disney Marketplace, where we had dinner at T-Rex. It was actually a really cool dinosaur themed restaurant similar to Rainforest Cafe. They had different sections, like underwater and ice age. The section we were in was under a sky that had a meteor shower every 2o minutes, and Brixon actually slept through two of them! The restaurant also had a cotton candy martini. Yes. A combination of two things I love. Unfortunately, it wasn' t that great. But it was a good idea :) After Brix woke up, we walked him around to see the big fish tank and the baby triceratops that I swear he thought was Wrigley. We walked around Downtown Disney a little before heading back to the hotel. On Saturday, we went to SeaWorld. Although it sounds like a stellar idea to bring an 8-month old to a theme park on a 95 degree holiday weekend, it wasn't...alright, I exaggerate. He was actually very good. But it was ridiculously hot. We had the intention of getting back in the pool when we got back to the hotel, but ended up taking a nap instead! Mimi and Grandpa watched Brixon that night while Nick and I headed out on a date!!! We had dinner at Narcoossee's at the Grand Floridian, and watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks from our table. It was such a great night! On Sunday, we all went to the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues. We loved it, and so did Brixon! He was so excited, and wouldn't hold still with all of the gospel music playing!! After that, we walked around Celebration a little bit, then went swimming again. We went to dinner at the Boardwalk that night, and walked around watching the street magicians. Monday morning, we went to Disney Marketplace one more time (and had ice cream sundaes at 10:30 am!), before heading back home (very reluctantly!) As always, we had so much fun. Can't wait to go back!

Casey! Where have you been?!?!

I know, I know...I'm falling right back into my old habits of not posting anything new for weeks at a time. Sorry! We've been busy...really busy. With Bin, Downtown GetDown, work and a few things that hopefully I'll be able to elaborate on soon (no, I'm not pregnant!), I haven't had time to do much else!!

Brixon is growing, changing, and amazing me more and more every day! He has two teeth now, and is starting to scoot! He loves to talk and giggle, and is really starting to be affectionate (which mommy loves!). Every day I think that I couldn't love him more, or be prouder of the little boy he is becoming...and then I do love him more, and I do become even prouder of him! What a great feeling being a mom is.

Splish splash! He loves being squirted with his bath toys!

Big boy!

Silly boy

Oh boy...I'm in trouble. He's already putting the moves on a Cabbage Patch! Ha!

Let's See How Far We've Come...

Today, August 13th, 2009, marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Charley. To those of you who don't live in Charlotte County, it may not mean much. For those of you who do, just the thought of that day probably makes you break into a cold sweat. Hurricane Charley was on track to be a Category 2 storm, headed to the Tampa area. At the last minute, the hurricane veered to the right, and also quickly turned into a Category 4 storm (Winds up to 175 mph). Nick and I were at my parent's house, expecting some wind and a little rain. We were watching the news, and the very last thing we heard before the power went out was "The storm has shifted...if you are in Port Charlotte or Punta Gorda, you need to take immediate shelter." Thirty minutes later, the four of us and two dogs were in my parent's 3 foot by 5 foot bedroom closet. My dad was sitting in front of the door, holding it with his entire body weight because the pressure from the storm was forcing it to buckle. For two hours, I was in a complete panic....I have never been so unbelievably terrified in my whole life. There is nothing you can do and no place you can go. You just have to close your eyes, and pray that somehow you make it out alive! When we felt it was safe to come out, it was like we were dropped in the center of Baghdad. After we literally cut ourselves out of my parent's house, which was completely surrounded in fallen pine trees, we had to bring Nick back to his parent's house. Our cell phones weren't working, and we didn't know whether or not they were alright, so we had to attempt to drive. What normally took about 15 minutes ended up taking over an hour and a half because of the complete devastation. Nick's parents were safe, but their house also sustained some damage. The house that they were at (Brixon's Godmother, Kris) during the storm lost their whole second story while they were hiding out in the laundry room. Ironically, Nick and I had just moved into our new apartment on the water in downtown Punta Gorda the previous weekend. We thought we would be safer further north at my parent's house, so we evacuated just in case the storm happened to cause some flooding (which is about the extent of what we expected until an hour before!). We had to wait a day to just return to our apartment because downtown was a complete war zone. We were stopped by armed National Guardsmen who required us to show our ID's to prove that we lived where we said we did. To our utter shock, our apartment was in relatively good shape! We needed a new roof, but none of our things were damaged. Nearly all of our neighbors had to completely rebuild.

We were very fortunate, as residents of Punta Gorda, to come out of this storm stronger than ever. Our town is more beautiful than it has been in decades, and the sense of pride and community is unrivaled. Please read the following article and attached photos to see just how far we've come...This is the building that currently houses Bin 82...it was left vacant after the storm (photo courtesy of John Magnin)

Photos and Video: http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/nfstory.aspx?code=199

M-I-C...see ya real soon!!!

Last week, I had a work meeting in Orlando. I wasn't quite ready to leave Brixon for three days, so I dragged him and my mom along with me. Well, I guess dragged isn't the best choice of words, since they spent three whole days lounging by the pool at the Omni ChampionsGate Resort. The pool had a beach entry, so Brix was able to sit in the water and play. They also had a lazy river, which according to Mimi, he absolutely loved! I think we might have to build one in the backyard :). Apparently his life jacket was a little too cumbersome, so Mimi had to get him some floaties. Obviously the selection was slim (see below).

On Monday, the first day we were there, I noticed Brixon was acting a little out of sorts. He was really whiny, and had no interest in his bottle whatsoever. So after my team dinner that night, I called to check on him. My mom said "Well, guess what he got tonight?! His first tooth!" We have been waiting for this tooth for a long time, as it has been hovering right beneath the gums! I'm pretty sure the one next to it is coming very soon!!!

I was busy with work all week, but Stephanie and I made a late-night shopping trip to Downtown Disney. I guess 11pm is a prime shopping hour...that place was unbelievably busy! I came home with a few "necessary for survival" items...you know, giant Nemo pillow, Mickey t-shirt. As you can see from the photos below, the Nemo pillow was a hit.

Well, Nick and I are definitely planning to head up to Orlando together soon. I can't wait to see Brixon's face when he meets Mickey for the first time!

Tweety Bird? Really?!?

Ahh...this is the life, mom...


So not all impulse buys are completely ridiculous...

We're back!!!

Smith Family Reunion 2009 was a success! We arrived home last night from a great week on Lake Oconee in Madison, Georgia with 32 of Nick's family members from Florida and Iowa. We all stayed in one house on the lake, and only suffered one broken foot (Michelle), a black eye (Claire), stitches (Brooke), and a good deal of alcohol consumption (everyone but Jen and me :) )...so all in all, we did pretty well! The week was filled with golfing, tubing, eating, water skiing, drinking, wakeboarding, stair climbing, swimming, stray dog chasing, campfires, games, and some great stories!! Each family had their own day to plan, from the food to the activities. On Sunday, Carrie's 50th birthday, Matt hired a band to come play outside at the house, and we had a blast! Jen and I even got on the microphone and sang with the band! Monday, we spent the day in the town of Madison. Tuesday was Nick's 27th birthday, so he golfed in the morning, then we all headed into Madison and went to dinner at a great restaurant, Town 220. Wednesday was a day at the pool. Thursday, most of the family went golfing, so Michelle, Charles, Taylor, Alie, Tara, Carrie, Brixon and I all headed to Atlanta and went to The Georgia Aquarium. As usual, Brixon LOVED it! He absolutely loves fish, and since this is the world's largest aquarium, he had lots of them to look at! It wouldn't be a trip to the ATL without a stop at America's Mart...fortunately for my bank account, only two floors were open :). Friday was Matt's birthday, and we went to Athens, home of the University of Georgia. Saturday, we headed out, and drove 9 hours home. Brixon did great all week! He had so much fun meeting all of his cousins, and mommy had a nice break with all of the helping hands around! But alas, the fun must end. I have to go back to work tomorrow...well, here are some photos of our week! Enjoy!

A day on the water...

Yesterday, we went out on a friend's double-decker boat, and had a great time! Brixon loved it! He spent most of the day in his diaper because it was so hot out, but I think he prefers to just be in his diaper, anyway!! Brixon also turned 6 months old yesterday, so we decided to bring a half cake to celebrate :).
I'm back at work now, and it's going well. Boy, I sure missed that paycheck!! Now maybe we can get our electricity turned back on...hehe. I know I've only been back to work since July 1st, but we're headed out on Saturday for Nick's family reunion in Lake Oconee, GA. It should be a great time! I probably won't have time to post before then (packing for a week's vacation with an infant and a fashionista is pretty time consuming :) )......look for lots of pics next week!

Happy Fourth!!!

Another busy weekend for the Brixonator! Saturday was the Fourth of July, and we spent the whole day in Mimi and Grandpa's pool with our friends Ryan and Chantil, and their son, Carter, who is a month and a day younger than B. After the pool, Nick and I headed to the symphony, and then met up with Mimi, Grandpa and Brixon to watch the fireworks. I was bracing myself for a full-scale meltdown, but Brixon slept through the whole first half, and woke up to see the second half and the grand finale! Not a single tear! Today, Brixon had his 6-month check-up (yes, he will be six months on July 12! I can't believe it!!). Again, he took his shots like a champ! He cried only on the last one, and only for about 3 seconds! Then he was over it! His new stats are there on the right...everything was great at this check-up, but he does have positional plagiocephaly (translation: a REALLY flat head). The doctor said if it doesn't start to improve by 9 months, he may have to have a helmet. He sleeps on his side now, so I'm hoping that helps. If not, we'll just have to have my dad paint some flames on the side of his helmet or something :).

So...can I go to bed now, or what?!?!

Back to life, back to reality....

Today marked my first day back as a productive member of the workforce...well, sort of. I had a meeting with my manager, and have about 8 days of home study and testing ahead of me before I can get back out on territory. Surprisingly enough, I didn't cry! I think having my mom watching Brixon makes it so much easier for me to feel comfortable leaving! That and the fact that this girl needs a paycheck :) Here's a photo of us right before I left...