March Madness!

Sorry I have been MIA for almost 2 whole weeks. We have had no shortage of busy days around here. Work is in.sane. I have picked up some extra hours and fortunately for me, I am being allowed to complete those hours from home. This makes for some late nights since I can't seem to get any work done with a toddler near my computer. If mommy is working, so is Deuce. So I have been up until the wee hours of the morning working. The work day is just slammed packed and we have been in training rooms for the past several weeks, away from our desks and piled around conference tables. I have had no time for much else.

With the 1st and 2nd rounds of the NCAA tournament being in Greensboro, I took Deuce over to the coliseum last Thursday to watch the Tarheels practice before their first game on Friday. He had a great time. I have been fortunate enough to see the Heels play in the NCAA tournament the past several years {twice in the Elite 8} and I want Deuce to have that experience also. We didn't go to the games but Ed & TJ went to the game on Sunday.

The practice was about 45 minutes, which was perfect for Deuce. I think he was ready to go by the time it was up. He really just wanted to walk up and down the stairs but after I got yelled at by some old man "guarding" the stairs because I was letting him walk to our seat on his own {he was holding the railing, mind you} I decided that wasn't going to work. These ladies in front of us were just so amused by Deuce and how excited he was every time he heard the fight song. One of them asked could she record Deuce on her iphone fist pumping to the fight song and saying "TAR...HEELS" during the practice so she could show her husband. Her mother was amazed at how early he had developed his love for the Heels. That's because we are Tarheels born and Tarheels bred and when we die, we'll be Tarheels dead. See for yourself!

Go Heels!

Ramses Geer.

About 2 weeks ago I had an appointment with Amanda to get my hair did. I asked my sister if she could pick up Deuce from Ed's parents house and occupy him for about an hour so I could go to the salon. She picked him up and took him to University Mall where they roamed around for awhile. There is still a Roses in the mall and they have a huge selection of Carolina gear. So naturally Deuce left the store with a new purchase, thanks to Aunt Wawa. As it turns out, he walked away with a musical Ramses that is the exact same one that Harrison has. Laura said he walked up and down the mall playing the fight song and fist pumping the whole way, just like Harrison does.

Ramses has not left Deuce's side since Deuce adopted him and I started sending Laura a daily picture of Ramses & Deuce. Here are a few shots. Deuce props him up in the seat and talks to him, explaining that they are watching Elmo or Toodles.

We had dinner with Harrison last night and both boys had a great time playing with the Ramses'.

Hopefully the Heels will be able to come away with the ACC Tournament Championship this weekend to go along with their regular season title!

Tar Heels are On to the Next One!

I had the fortunate luck of being offered a ticket to the UNC/Washington game in Charlotte yesterday.  And I turned it down.  Yep, that's right I said no thanks...my husband can't go with me.  It was an offer for only 1 ticket.  And not only that, TJ had his tournament this weekend so even if there was more than 1 ticket, Ed couldn't have gone.  "You are crazy!!" some of you are probably thinking...I know!  I was thinking that too and kicking myself in the tail at the same time.  But first let me back up.  Most of you know how we are about our Tar Heels.  We don't go to anything without the other.  Ever.  It's what we do for fun.  It's our version of quality time together versus some people's dinner & a movie.  That's just how we roll and it's what works for us.  Last weekend my husband was offered 1 single ticket to go to the ACC tournament with some buddies.  He said he couldn't go.  He didn't want to go without me. (Really, he knew I would be so ill and I'm sure he didn't want to deal with that, lol!)  But seriously, he passed up the tickets to sit on the couch and watch the games with me.  I mean don't hate...he could have gone, I didn't tell him "No" (not really, kinda sorta.)  But I would have gotten over it...eventually.  Anyway, when I was offered the ticket, I said no...after some hesitation.  Hypocrite much?

When I told Ed I had turned it down he was more than encouraging me to go to the game.  He told me I should really go because it was Carolina - Washington and the 3rd round game (3rd round still sounds weird to me but whatever).  So after a BRIEF "are you sure?" I called to see if the ticket was still available and lucky for me, it was!  So late Saturday evening, I made plans for mom to watch Deuce and I headed to Charlotte with my good friend Patrice.  We met up with Mindy and her two boys, Gavin & Garrett, and headed over the the arena.  I have been to games with Mindy before but they were all at the Smith Center.  I have been to Time Warner Cable arena several times to see the Bobcats play.  I have even been to see the Heels play in the Elite 8 and beat Louisville to advance to the final four but we were sitting like with God in the clouds so going with Mindy to this game was even better!

Thanks to Mindy & her husband Jerod, we had prime seats not too far behind the bench.  Like seats right in front of Phil Ford (yes, that's him above) and right behind Coach William's wife.  Like seats right below the box where MJ was sitting.  Like THE MJ that adorns my baby son's wall with his shoes!  So Serious.

What a great game it was.  A very rough, physical game but I enjoyed the outcome so it was a good game to me.  I was glad that I got to be there in person and that my husband was so happy for me to be able to go with girlfriends!

When we were leaving the game I thanked Mindy and told her that she had no idea how much it meant for me to go to the game with them and sit in the coach's section among some of the greatest UNC basketball legends.  She replied, "Oh, I think I do.  I read your blog."  I guess I do write something about the Heels in like, every other post, huh?  LOL!  So big shout out to Mindy and Coach Haase for sharing their tickets with me!  And thanks to Chris (Patrice's husband) for having an un-reschedulable tennis match he just had to go to.  In the words of the sweet lady cheering loudly behind us, "Aww, Shucks!"

So it's on to the Sweet Sixteen for the Heels and on to the next one with Marquette.  Oh, and when I picked Deuce up on Friday, he was still in his turtle pj's.  I guess grandma liked them too so she decided only to change his undershirt!

Sleep Update...Go Heels & Jewelry!

Here is proof that I have been letting him "cry it out." 

Last night he woke up about 45 minutes after he went down.  He didn't cry a lot but would cry in like 1 minute spurts.  I could tell he was still half asleep just by the way he was crying and stopping and crying and stopping.  He was really fussy in the evening and Grandma said he only slept about 40 minutes the entire day so I knew he had to be exhausted.  We agreed that we wouldn't go in there while he was having these crying bouts.  I headed to bed about 11:30 (after the UT/Kentucky game) and he had been quiet for about the last 45 minutes.  So I checked the monitor right as I got in bed and I saw the above.  He had fallen back to sleep sitting up, leaning on the crib bumper.  So sweet.  So I left him there.  I had to hold back the urge to go in there and gently lay him back down but to avoid waking him, I resisted my temptation.  I flipped off the monitor and went to sleep.  When I got up this morning I turned the monitor back on before I showered and he had made it through the night just fine.  We are so glad that he is learning to go to sleep on his own and our efforts are paying off (as all of you said it would...)

Because he slept so good he was wide awake all the way to Grandma's this morning just talking and singing.  He got quiet about the time I got off of 40 at the Chapel Hill exit and I looked back and he was sucking his thumb!  He hasn't done that in a while.  Then as he was closing his eyes, he switched to his pointer finger.  He sucked on that until he fell asleep and it fell out of his mouth, right as I was getting him out of the car, lol!

In honor of tonight's big game I am sporting a new pair of earrings.

My mom & sister make these and they have so many different styles!  I love them and get so many compliments every time I wear them.  Below are two others that I love.  Super Cute!

The sky is a beautiful Carolina Blue today and I'm feeling good about the big game tonight.  I'm ready for 9pm! 

Let's Go Heels.  Beat the Dookies!!!