The Pucketts

farewell..

2010-05-26T09:31:00.001-07:00

... not for good though.
I am moving my family blog to my photography blog. For simplicity reasons and to get more traffic looking a my work...

So, to find out what's going on with us, visit www.nicolepuckettphotography.blogspot.com

See you there!

Five-year aniversary

2009-11-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

This year marked the end of five years spent being pregnant and/or having babies so, thanks to my great in-laws, who babysat all weekend, Josh and I got to spend three days in Charleston.

It was awesome... the weather was great, the food was good and we enjoyed every aspect of it. thanks again, G and Grandpap.

This was our place, called the King George Inn, and it was perfect. I highly recommend it to anyone.

We ate here Friday night for dinner. There was a live jazz band, great wine and not a highchair in sight!

Saturday we went for a carriage ride.. here is our driver Rebel and horse, Brock

Some shots from Saturday night dinner

On Sunday we returned to the scene of the crime and took a walk down to the battery, where Josh proposed to me.

New pictures

2009-10-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a while I know and it seems the Shutterfly video slideshow doesn't exactly work well so I am back to posting the old-fashioned way...

I'd like to say I have a ton of pictures to post but, the truth is, I don't... I have been so busy with weddings/engagements, etc. that this is really the only weekend time I have spent with my kids lately :( But, things are starting to slow down and with the holidays I hope to have more and more posts...
Here is a few shots of our latest pumpkin patch adventure.

Pictures from Nikki

2009-10-05T13:15:00.001-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Three months

2009-10-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here is an attempt at the girls' three-month photos. They aren't great and there aren't many of them. I originally thought I would try to do them again but of course never got around to it... Oh well:) Stay tuned for more photos from vacation:)

Click here to view these pictures larger

Pictures from Nikki

2009-09-10T14:52:00.001-07:00

We've been up to alot lately. Here are some pics from our latest adventures. Picnic at Suwanee Town Park, Visiting Ink with our friends the Hammocks, Seeing Curious George at the Discovery Museum and lunch at Coolidge Park on Labor Day

Click here to view these pictures larger

It's already been two months!

2009-08-13T12:31:00.001-07:00

The girls will be eight week sold this Friday and I know I am behind on the posts. Turns out I don't have as much time on my hands these days... crazy, huh? Everyone is great.. the girls are growing like crazy and gaining weight. We are looking forward to the days when they go longer than three hours between meals but they haven't slowed down yet....

Everyone wants to know how I do it and it turns out there is only one necessity you need with twins..... grandmothers!! My mom and Josh's mom have been with us every week since the girls have been born and I feel so lucky! Eli goes to school 2 days a week also so there are days when it is just us and the girls. Annabel and Harper are staying awake more these days so it is becoming a bit of a challenge to keep them entertained but most of our days are still spent feeding and keeping Eli from going crazy.

This picture is for Aunt Christy who bought these cute dresses for the girls!

The girls are just now beginning to learn how smile socially and this morning I happened to catch a few little ones on camera... of course the ones beore I got the camera out were better but you know how that goes. I'll let everyone guess which one is which

The new Puckett family

2009-06-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

This is very late but.... the girls are here!!! They are a week-old now and doing great! Most everyone know the details but...

Annabel June Puckett
born June 19, 2009
6 lbs. 6 oz.s
20 inches

Harper Naomi Puckett
born June 19, 2009
6 lbs. 5 ozs.
19.5 inches

Everyone is doing great! I have spent nine months with alot of worrying but now that they are here and healthy all I can feel is blessed for my beautiful family and for the support of friends and family. Thank you to everyone for nine months of love.

The longest four days ever....

2009-06-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

To update all my close friends and family, at my doctor's appointment today we discovered while last Thursday both of the girls were head down and in position to be born, TODAY Harper decided she wasn't comfortable so she flipped breech ( or oblique, or something...)

Anyway, I am now scheduled for a C-section on Friday afternoon and am trying to find a way to fill the days until then.. I bore very easily so, although I am trying to just relax and enjoy the peace, it's proven difficult. There are only so many Jon and Kate Plus Eight reruns you can watch.

Next post will hopefully contain pics of my beautiful girls!!

Down to business post.

2009-06-08T11:00:00.001-07:00

It's time for a medical update so, here is a boring run down... no pictures:)

I am now going to the doctor like every three or four days so I won't update every time unless there is something new. Last week at the ultrasound we did, which was likely to be the last weight check, the girls weighed 5lbs 6 oz a piece. In two days I will be officially 36 weeks and so I am set to go into labor at any time.

This morning I was over 1 cm dialated so we are just waiting now.... The doctor did reassure me that she will not make me go more than 38 weeks so that's just over two weeks at the longest. I can't wait to see my girls and give them kisses!!!

Thanks to all my family, especially Aunt Christy this weekend, the house is clean, the girls room is ready, the van is bought and the car seats ready, bags are packed and by the door, there is food in my pantry and freezer it is go time at any moment.

I feel anxious and nervous and really really weepy so f you talk to me in the next weeks and I burst into tears.. just ignore me and the hormones. Any relaxation tips? I feel like I am so nervous I can't enjoy the next weeks.... Any helpful advice?

A changing point in my life....

2009-06-08T10:40:00.001-07:00

I now own a minivan.

The biggest news from the weekend was our "shopping" trip to the dealership that turned into a rather large purchase. We knew we were going to buy one in the next year so I had been researching my options and narrowed it down to two types of vans. We planned to buy maybe this fall or even next February.... That of course changed when my plan to fit all three car seats in the back of my Matrix backfired. They all fit but it looked ridiculous and like a safety hazard.

On Saturday when Josh and Burt installed them, I took one look and tears came to my eyes.... no way could I let my children ride around in that... so off we went to test drive and.... voila.. came home in alot more debt:)

But, I love the van. It was just what I wanted and I feel so much better about the years to come with our family.

Here are the pics:

The 2006 Toyota Sienna: the color is called magnesium but it's more like metallic navy

Here is Josh installing my car seats into the van. My "nesting" instinct is insisting everything be done immediately:)

My sister-in-law was gracious enough to buy us the second carseat. She really wanted them to match but we didn't want to have to buy two new carseats and Graco doesn't make Eli's anymore so she joined with my mom who, believe it or not, handmade two matching car seat covers for the girls... Don't they look great:)

2009-06-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Weekend fun

2009-06-08T10:30:00.001-07:00

Just a short post with pics about the weekend. Burt and Christy came into town and bought Eli a slip n slide. He is still a little timid about it but we plan to work on it. Here are the pics:

The room awaits...

2009-05-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend with my mom's help we put the finishing touches on the girls room.

Our older house has been blessed with one thing: Big bedrooms and lots of closets so the in the babies room we do have room for a futon ....

.... and we have two closets (although all their clothes are in one right now... I am allowing for "room to grow":)

The girls do have their first dolls already... Josh bought them both Cabbage Patch Preemies and picked them out straight from Babyland General in Cleveland. I love them!!

My friend Christine painted this for the girls' room... She painted a picture of a giraffe for Eli's room so I asked for one for the girls' too.

Josh and I only purchased the futon for this room so everything else was a gift.. How blessed are we??? Thanks to everyone who helped make Annabel and Harper's room perfect!

34 weeks and counting.....

2009-05-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

Baby update: Not much going on with the Pucketts that doesn't include preparation for the girls' arrival! Here is our latest news:

Tomorrow I will be 34 weeks... last week at the doctor I had a great visit! the girls were really active and healthy.. they both were doing their practice breathing (which is a good sign apparently) and weighed in at 4lbs 9 oz. (Annabel) and 4 lbs. 6 oz. ( Harper), which for the moms out there is in the 69% and 62% percentiles:) They are both currently breech and the odds of them turning are not great so that may mean a C-section for me but I will keep everyone updated.

Here are the ultrasounds:

The doctor and the technicians were very impressed that I am not on bedrest and still working, which I am very thankful for. I am starting to feel worse and worse so I don't know how much longer I can impress them but... Here I am at 34 weeks.. My next appoinment won't be until next week so stay tuned:)

Mom of the year

2009-05-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine, at 32 weeks it's a little difficult for me to get around and to get anything done at my house. Josh is a great help but because of his work schedule sometimes he isn't home in the morning or in the evening. This week was one of those weeks so my mom offered to come stay with me and help me out with Eli.

I'll begin by saying my mom does not sit still... She constantly has to be doing something (a trait I didn't inherit) so she continually is helping me including rearranging cabinets, making drapes, etc. So, I could never thank her for everything she has done for me but I wanted to post yesterday's events to give an example of her generous nature.

When I got home from work yesterday, my mom had washed my couch and its cushions (They are all slipcovered), shampooed my living room rug and cleaned my refrigerator (not emptied it but literally scrubbed it clean). All of this on top of keeping a whiney 3-year-old all day long. Plus, she made dinner for us all like she has for the last three days...

So, I know all moms are the best but mine seriously may have yours beat this week:) Thanks Mom. I love you!

Work update

2009-05-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I am officially on photography maternity leave! I am still working at the paper everyday but I am not shooting anything else until August. This last month has been really busy fitting in engagement portraits for fall weddings but I feel like working every weekend only makes me a better photographer.

Check out my blog for three new engagement slideshows but here is a sneak preview of a couple of my favorites...

29 weeks!

2009-04-24T09:05:00.001-07:00

This is what I look like now at 29 weeks... I figure I must be alot bigger than I was with Eli because this shirt is the one I wore to the hospital when Eli was born and it wasn't near this tight!!

I did have a doctor's appointment this week with an ultrasound. No pictures this time though.. The girls are so big, it's really even hard to tell what's even on the screen.. I couldn't tell at least. they are right at 3 lbs each and doing really great.

I also had my glucose screening test which came back elevated so now I have to take the 3-hour test so be thinking of me next week and pray this one goes well:)

If you are reading this, thanks Molly!

2009-04-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

This post is only like a year overdue but, every now and then, I like to say something about my life that has nothing to do with the twins or Eli. It's like a nice reminder to me that I have my own life too... Crazy, huh??

Warning: kinda a long story but relevant:)

Couple of years ago my friend Molly got married in Louisville and Josh and I along with my best friends spent the weekend there. Being big music fans themselves, Molly & Stephen hired a bluegrass band for their post-reception reception and I was introduced to "Wagon Wheel." It's a simple song but, for some reason (those who love music know what I'm talking about) I fell in love with it.... It has since become maybe my favorite song of all time. I don't know why, it just reminds me of that weekend, and of my childhood, etc...

Anyway, to progress on a long story. My first thought was "If I love this song so much, that I have never heard in 29 years... how many more songs are there out there that I didn't even know I loved?"

I work in a close-knit office with many different personalities so I decided to start a CD Club here at work in hopes of being introduced to different types of songs, bands, etc. Last June we started with like 13 people, who made a CD of their top 20 favorite songs and then exchanged CDs each week until everyone had heard everyone's CD. After that, people made a top 20 CD with its own theme (Soundtracks, songs you had never heard, top 20 songs from Canadian artists?). We are now on Round 3, which my friend Corinne has graciously taken over since I have found myself preoccupied with life:) But, after a year, I am still enjoying it..

This morning I was listening to my CD for this week and found a new song that I love. I have learned alot... like, for example, I love Bob Dylan!! I didn't even know it until I experienced several different songs of his in this club.. I also learned that I can't turn off a Michael Jackson song if it comes on.. Man in the Mirror is a great song!! Thanks to Corinne's 2nd round CD, I remembered that 1994 was an awesome year in music!

So, in the end, it's been a great year and I am lucky to have co-workers that get excited about silly clubs that a grown woman can think up! I suggest it to any music fans.. or you could do it with movies.. Either way, it's a fun diversion every week.

So, for those interested, here is a link to the you tube video for "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show... who just happens to be playing at the Fox tonight! Just so you know- video is not child-appropriate!!

Wagon Wheel

I can't believe I am doing this to myself...

2009-03-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

I look at this picture and think, why on earth would anyone post this on a website for people to see??

Anyway, in order to preserve an accurate history, here I am at 25 weeks.

I have a social experiment for any pregnant women. Tell a stranger you are having twins and I would be willing to bet the next comment is something about your size.... It's a strange thing.

Everyone knows, when you are pregnant, there are the standard 3 or 4 questions you get from strangers (checkout people, colleagues that have never talked to you in the 10 years you have worked at the paper, etc. etc.) ... When are you due?, Do you know what you are having?, Have you picked out names?, etc etc etc..... I have found it very amusing that, when carrying twins, you get the second question, what are you having and when people find out you are having twins, they automatically give a judgment on how big/small you are... like, "You are so small for twins.. or "wow, I thought you looked big" and so forth. I find it funny because I NEVER got any comments on my size with Eli and I was huge but now perfect strangers feel it's okay.. I don't care, I just feel like a whale on the inside. I'm glad if I don't look like it:)

Warning!! SPOILER ALERT! Baby names enclosed...

2009-03-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today I had a 24-week checkup and everything seems to be perfect!

(being pretty open here..) Every month I walk into that place and am so nervous and scared but as things progress I feel so blessed that God has chosen me to have these babies and is keeping them healthy. I'm sure most moms out there can agree that it is pretty unnerving since it's all so out of our control and feeling like we are relying on luck and prayers... but anyway, this post is to say my babies are great! I wanted to share several things. First are our recent pictures: The girls are so big now!!

The picture above is the baby on the left (as they call her at the doctor). Both babies have switched around their heads and feet but mostly had stayed where we can identify them separately.
Though most of the family knows already, her name is Annabel.

This is my "wild" child since everytime we are at the ultrasound she is jumping all over the place and she makes my belly move like jello most nights.
Her name is Harper.

The next thing I want to share is a video Josh took at the ultrasound today.. it's kinda boring and long because the girls weren't moving very much but mostly I wanted to share our experience. There are two ultrasound technicians at my doctors and I love them both! When I walk in ready to throw up from anxiety both of these women put my heart at ease immediately. Today we had Mary, who is so good at her job I can't imagine there is a better one out there! I love her energy and she make my eyes tear up everytime with her positive attitude and reassuring comments.

Lastly, I didn't leave out middle names on purpose:) We aren't keeping them secret or anything, it's just... Josh and I don't know them yet:) We have decided to let our siblings and their spouses pick out the middle names for the girls... so we may not know until they arrive! Suspenseful, huh???

New wedding stuff

2009-03-23T10:31:00.001-07:00

I usually just put this on my wedding blog but I wanted to share this wedding with everyone. This is my last wedding until after the babies are born and it couldn't have been a better send off! Jennifer and Jeremy were the sweetest, most easy-going and wonderful couple to work with. Their wedding party and families were equally awesome! I had such a great time that it reminded me why I do this and how excited I am to get back to it in August! I still have lots of engagements and families coming up though so stay tuned to the blog!

Being pregnant I also hired a helper with this wedding so I give credit to some of the pics to photojournalist Jonathan Phillips .

Jennifer Miller & Jeremy Woods
March 7, 2009
Lilburn, Georgia

The fun begins...

2009-02-24T07:51:00.000-08:00

Now, five months into this life-changing event, we've gotten to the fun part:)
Shopping!

In the last two weeks, it has been baby buying crazy at my house and I have had so much fun! As soon as I found out I was having twins I was determined to make it all very economical, which has turned out to be really difficult but, with all my family help, I think we have done a great job.

Number one rule: CONSIGNMENT, CONSIGNMENT!!
I went to two consignment sales.. one with my mother-in-law and one with my sister-in-law and Mom. Since they are spring/summer sales the only clothes we could buy were 0-3months or 12 months but I think we managed to find a few things:) Actually, not overbuying was easier than you think, since every time you find something you like, you have to make sure you can find something to go with it!

I also got two big items, like the double snap and go frame for two infant car seats:

And the infamous double stroller.. all of these were used so basically half price.

Of course, the girls already have lots of new things too thanks their Mammie. And I really thank my mom, Christy and Becky for all the things they bought for us and the time we have spent shopping and planning. It has been so much fun and helped my stress level tremendously! I love you!

Last but not least, we had another ultrasound yesterday and the girls are still growing great and looking good. We didn't really get very good pictures since they are getting so big but I thought I would post another pic of myself at 5 months.

I feel like I could give birth anytime.. some people keep telling me I look so small and I can not believe it!! I already feel like I am in my ninth month!! Anyway, feel free to comment honestly. I still have over four months to go and about 50 lbs to gain so this should be interesting!

A Valentine's performance for you!

2009-02-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

Eli sings all the time.. 90 percent of the time he is in that "silly, making up words to songs" phase but, as him mom, I still think he is adorable. Here are some of his latest tunes..

The boys have been outnumbered!

2009-01-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

Today was our 16 week ultrasound and I can't promise I won't post ones every single time, so get used to it!!

Most importantly the babies are healthy, both growing at the same rate and looking good!
Secondly, they are both little girls:)

I never had a sister growing up (although I have two awesome ones now) so I am really excited to see real sisterhood in action!

Baby A was pretty mellow.. she looked like she was trying to sleep the whole time but finally at the end she started pushing her sister with her feet so she could stretch out!

Baby B, on the other hand, the technician kept calling a wild child because she was all stretched out, taking up all the room and moving around all over the place. Josh said that sounded more like the Finley and Puckett women to him!

Try this and let me know....

2009-01-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

So.. I love trying out old wives' tales. I think it's fun and I had heard about this one when I was pregnant with Eli but figured it was just silly..

Today, on morning radio I was reminded of the needle on a string baby gender test and normally ignore those things but since I am having an ultrasound on Monday, I thought why not???

Apparently this can work on any woman... even if you are not pregnant so anybody who wants to try.. let me know the outcome. Allegedly, any woman can have somebody else hold a needle(or ring) on a string just above your wrist pulse point and it will document ALL your pregnancies. For example, if you have a boy and a girl in that order, the needle will swing back and forth.... stop...... then swing in a circle. No kids and the needle won't swing at all..

I know it's kinda silly but when I got to work today I found a needle and string and tried it.. It's kinda cool because first it swung back and forth, then stopped still (seriously), started again in a circle, stopped, and swung back and forth.... Which would indicate Eli, a girl and a boy....:) maybe we will find out next week:)

I tried it on a couple other women here at work and it worked with all of them accurately... It's a fun experiment anyway:)

Baby Scarlett needs a few prayers

2009-01-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post a note to ask everyone who reads my blog to include baby Scarlett Mann in their prayers....

Scarlett's mom Shelley worked with me at the paper before moving to Columbus last year. Scarlett was born right before Christmas and is currently in the ICU of the hospital unable to breathe well. After her third hospital stay, they now think she has pnuemonia but for a month old baby, I know she needs some extra strength and so do her mom and dad. So be thinking of them.

If you want to see Scarlett, her mom's blog is on the right under "The Manns."

Thanks!!

I mean......seriously???

2009-01-21T11:14:00.000-08:00

So, let me begin this rant by saying this: I know pregnancy is a wonderful and beautiful experience. It is pure joy to bring a child into this world and I really enjoyed being pregnant with Eli!

That being said, when I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror, I thought to myself (repeat blog title here)...

On top of nausea, shooting leg pain, headaches, exhaustion, stretch marks, weight gain and the myriad of my other pregnancy related issues now I have been blessed with........ acne? Really? Is there no end to what else I get to experience?

But, some people have asked so here is the first picture of pregnant me at almost 4 months (pre acne)..

Hope you have a great day!!

2009-01-13T07:06:00.000-08:00

We love you very much Christy!

This was about the 18th attempt so... it's the best I could get this morning..

And then there were five....

2008-12-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

Most of our family and friends know by now but I want to officially announce that the Puckett household will be growing by two in July!

Yes, we are having twins. We had out 12-week ultrasound today so I wanted to post the picture. They are too big to get in the same frame anymore so they did a split screen of both Baby A and Baby B. The technician is pretty positive that Baby B is a little girl ( Yeah!!!) but the word is still out on Baby A. We should find out at the next ultrasound in January!

I have been very stressed about the babies but have a great support system so thanks to all our friends and especially family.. We are so blessed!

Christmas Program

2008-12-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

This year Eli was in a short Christmas program for the 3 and 4 year old class at his school. Of course, you can't really hear him but he smiled and seemed to enjoy it...

The first video is of him walking in and the second is of the songs he actually sang...

Eli's turning three!

2008-11-16T11:50:00.000-08:00

My baby will be turning three this Saturday so this weekend we took some pictures of my little boy! He really does a great job during pictures so I am lucky in that aspect, plus, seriously, how cute it this kid!!!!

here is the slideshow

We are back

2008-11-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while.

I have been blessed with alot of phototgraphy work lately, so with those projects outstanding, I haven't been able to find time to post about other things, although we have had alot going on...

October was an awesome month! We enjoyed it all.. this first weekend I had a wedding in Athens so that was boring... Two weekends later, we visited my friend from Arizona, Lauriann Jones, at her parent's cabin for our annual 2008 Blue Ridge Bash. My friend from Virginia, Amy Holtschneider, was able to fly in with her four month old too, so I was ecstatic to spend the weekend with them and and my friend Christen as well. We four girls rarely get to see each other and I feel so blessed each time we do.

Of course, we visited a pumpkin patch, carved pumpkins and had a Halloween to remember throughout the month, also. We went trick or treating with our friends, the Hammocks.

On a really sad note, we lost Josh's grandmother last weekend after a short illness. There was peace knowing she was no longer in pain and we celebrated her life in a service in Carrollton on Friday.

Though the circumstances are sad, being able to see distant family and spend time with them is a shining light at a dark time. Chuck, Amy and the boys came down from Missouri for the weekend and we were able to see them and help celebrate Quinn's birthday on Sunday. The boys were also all able to go to our friend, Dylan Hammock's, birthday party at a local fire station.. what a great idea!

Below are slideshows for all our events:
Pumpkin patch/carving
Blue Ridge Bash 2008
Halloween 2008
Dylan's birthday/Fire Station
Nov. Weekend/Quinn's birthday

It's ABOUT time!!!

2008-09-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

After nearly 3 years I have finally begun my own photography Web site... The blog has been working great but I needed my own page and needed to move away from the Flickr slideshows for my professional photos... Thanks to my awesome mother-in-law, we finally have her up ( not exactly running yet:) .

Feel free to view a preview and make a mental note to check itout every once in a while... I'll still have the blog, too.

Introducing..... www.nicolepuckettphotography.com

Thanks again Becky!!

Family Time

2008-09-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Chuck, Amy, Trip and Quinn were on their way up from a week in Florida and stopped to stay with us a few days. I have linked to a slideshow of the boys at Jungle Jump that weekend. You may notice there are not may pics of Eli because he wanted very little to do with the inflatables... He warmed up at the end but really had more fun just running around with his cousins. After our weekend together the Scoggins clan were on their way to North Carolina to see Josh's parents for a week.... SO... they took Eli with them and we went up on Thursday night to see them for another day. Aunt Carol hosted a great dinner/ mini family reunion for us on Friday night and we all had such a nice time. Thanks Uncle Phil and Aunt Carol! and... Thanks Uncle Chuck and Aunt Amy for providing us all with some quality Scoggins time!

Here is my favorite pic and the slidesho w

Rain, rain...Come again another day

2008-09-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

Eli's "G" gave him an umbrella the last time she visited and he loves it... He is always carrying it around the house. One day, on the way home from school, it was pouring and Eli asked if he could use his umbrella. So when we got home I let him take it outside for a while... Of course by then it had stopped raining but... not really the point I guess! P.S. Blogger didn't want ot upload my photos so I had to make them really small.... If they look funny, that's why.

New Wedding

2008-08-06T14:07:00.001-07:00

Here is my most recent wedding. I don't know how but I continue to get blessed with the most beautiful brides and wedding parties... I truly think every bride is beautiful but mine have been absolutely gorgeous... which makes for great pictures:)

here is the slideshow

Beach pictures

2008-07-28T19:39:00.001-07:00

So.. long overdue but when we went to Myrtle Beach earlier this month I took some portraits of Daniel and Nora.

Here is Daniel

Here is Nora

Despite the kidney stone...

2008-07-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend!!

Thursday I was afflicted with yet another kidney stone so most of Friday was spent in a druggy haze.. luckily, my brother and sister in law are awesome and came down on Friday morning to help babysit Eli and me! This video is for them

Eli's in love.....

2008-07-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

... with his new swingset!!
Some neighbors of ours moved to Texas and left us their wooden playset. Our awesome neighbor Mike helped Josh a few weeks ago by grading and leveling an area in our backyard for it and my mom and dad were nice enough to come down this last weekend and help up put it in.. We added mulch made it level and...... TADA!! Eli has a slide and swing to play on every day, if he had it his way.

Myrtle in the Middle

2008-07-21T08:22:00.001-07:00

This post is kinda late but there are so many pictures, It took me a while to get them up and this isn't all of them:)

Two weeks ago, Josh, Eli and I were graciously invited to spend a long weekend at Myrtle Beach (for a second time this summer) with our friends The Holtschneiders (from Willimasburg, Va), The McCloys (from Boulder, Co), The Schoonovers (from Reston, Va) and the Todds (from Newport News, Va). We all had so much fun that we are attempting to make it an annual trip, therefore I am naming it (because no one gave me any better ideas)....

Myrtle in the Middle!! because it is almost in the middle for us all...except for the McCloys who were coming to Virginia to visit anyway!

We had eight adults, two two year-olds, one three-year-old and a one-month old in one condo, along with Mrs. Todd, Andrew and James in another one... Believe it or not, it wasn't even that chaotic.. Eli loved having Nora and Daniel around to play with and the place we stayed came with a huge indoor water park with two kids areas, about eight pools, two water slides and two lazy rivers... it couldn't have been any better. (it's called The Dunes Village and I recommend it to anyone).. I could go on and on but really????.... don't you just want to see the pictures?

Here is the slideshow

Groovy!!!

2008-07-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

My creative mind needs a project now and then and the lastest issue of Parents magazine reminded me of....... TIE-DYE!!! I actually have never tie-dyed anything before but always wanted to and this weekend my mom was coming in town so I thought it would be a cool project for Eli and I to do with her... of course, from the pictures you can see Eli helped for about... oh.... 5 minutes and then just wanted to dump the water back and forth, but I knew this was mostly for me anyway so My mom and I finished several T-shirts and other items... As you can see, Eli only needs so many T-shirts so some of our lucky friends will be getting packages from us in the mail soon:)

Fourth of July

2008-07-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend we had!! We spent time with family and friends and enjoyed the summer weather and great food!

Thursday night we went to the Sugar Hill festivities and saw some fireworks. Here are those pics.

Then Friday we were invited to the annual fourth party at Bill and Janet Hammocks house. They have a pool, sand volleyball court, great food and Eli's two best playmates as grand-children, Bryn and Dylan. We spent all day there and had so much fun. Here are those pics.

Saturday and Sunday we spent with my friend Ami and her fiance Blair at their dock on Lake Lanier.

We then spent the rest of the weekend with my family, who were great to come visit us.. recapping our great times makes me feel so blessed... I hope everyone else's weekends were great too!

2008's best week

2008-06-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a great week at North Myrtle Beach with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. It was wonderful weather and fabulous quality time with Eli and the family. I am already missing the ocean breeze. I took lots of pictures and am too lazy to write info for each of them so I have broken up the pics by day so that I can describe what we did.

Day One
We all left Saturday from our house in Buford. Family friends (Thanks Scotty and Sharon) let us borrow their deluxe van which was awesome. Last time we rented a mini van and this was so much better with more cargo and people room. I will brag on Eli(you might hear this alot) because he was really patient and great on they way down there. Uncle Burt taught him how to play air guitar and Aunt Christy kept him from getting bored. As soon as we got there, we headed to the beach... Overall, Eli loved the sand and the pool.. the ocean was a different story.
Here are the pics from Day one

Day Two
This was a very hot hot day!!! We went to Wilmington to see the city and take some tours. I will say that my family was very sweet to accommodate this trip because it was basically for me. I wanted to take a studio tour of Screen Gems studio in Wilmington.. they shoot lots of movies but most importantly, they are the sets for the show One Tree Hill and the former Dawson's Creek. For those who know me, know I LOVED Dawson's Creek and am a fan of One Tree Hill but, either way, the tour was really cool... We couldn't take pictures inside but got to walk onto the show sets including, for those who know, Lucas' house, Peyton and Brooke's house and Peyton's office. It was really neat. Afterwards, I asked our tour guide, Kristen if I could take a photo of the Dawson's Creek mural outside.. she agreed and then told us they still had (Dawson's Creek fans will understand) Pacey's Boat 'True Love' there and took us to see it and take pictures.... IT WAS AWESOME!!!! While Mom, Christy and I took the studio tour, the boys toured the USS North Carolina battleship... which they loved. Later, we went downtown and had lunch and walked around. The tour guide also gave me a list of places in Wilmington that were important to the show, including the brick wall Pacey bought for Joey in Season Three!!! The last picture is of a message from Joshua Jackson written on the wall in the city market! Ahhh..... I loved it!
Here are the pics

Day Three
Day three started at 3:30 a.m. when Eli woke us up vomiting... Poor guy. So we took most of the day pretty easy staying inside for most of the morning and venturing out only later in the day. That night we went out to dinner at Broadway at the Beach where Eli and PawPaw rode the carousel.
Here is day Three

Day Four
Eli seemed to be feeling great, so we spent the entire day at the pool and beach. It was a nice day.. Eli loved the pool.
Here is day Four

Day Five
It began familiarly at 3:30 a.m. with Eli vomiting... Again..... Only this time it continued most of the next day also.... We had no idea what was wrong so we just kept him in out of the sun. That night my parents were sweet enough to let Josh and I and Burt and Christy go out to dinner alone and babysit. We ate dinner at the House of Blues and walked around Barefoot Landing. It was nice night. Here is Day Five

Day Six
We figured out that Eli just had a bug but we aggravated the second time by giving him dairy.. so we kept him away from milk and cheese and he was good. Day Six I tried to spend some time videoing instead of pictures so there aren't many during the day. That afternoon though I decided to take some portraits of Eli on the beach. He did so good, although I have great backups(Mammie, Aunt Christy, Uncle Burt) that are willing to make fools out of themselves to get him to smile... That night, after dinner, we went back to Barefoot Landing to get our pictures taken at Preservation Station.
I'll post those pictures later but we got to hold a tiger baby and a monkey. Eli loved it and still says this was his favorite part of the trip. It isn't cheap but if anyone is traveling to Myrtle Beach, I highly recommend it.
Here are Eli's portraits

Day Seven
Our last day before leaving and Burt and Josh, along with Mammie and PawPaw decided to go parasailing... The pictures are pretty far out but you get the idea. I was still trying to take a lot of video but here are the few pics I did take. Day Seven
That night we took our family portraits on the beach. It went very smoothly, believe it or not:)
Here are those pics

And that was our trip!!!
It was a great time! My mom and Dad are awesome for planning it for us! I am already looking forward to next time. Stay tuned for more pics and video.

A special day

2008-05-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Many Many Many Many Many years ago, a wonderful woman was born... then, many many man many years later, she spent her birthday giving birth to a wonderful baby boy...

Today, Eli has something to tell them

Wedding Season

2008-05-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

When I started shooting weddings, it really made me nervous... Like with anything, practice evokes confidence. Now I feel like I have hit my stride! I really enjoy shooting weddings, from the beginning to the end... (Actually the editing is my favorite part) And I am still surprised how different each one turns out.

Here are my lastest two events!

Charity & David - March 1, 2008

Christy & Josh - April 12, 2008

Mother'sDay

2008-05-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend we journeyed to Rutherfordton to spend time with Gram and Grandpap. On Saturday we went to Lake Lure to see the dragon races...which were pretty interesting... Saturday was a gorgeous day even if Sunday wasn't.... We had a nice time seeing all the family on Mother's Day! I missed my mom and grandmothers, but talked to them and will see them soon!!

Here are the rest of the pictures

Day Out with Thomas!

2008-04-28T12:03:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went to ride on Thomas the Train! Eli isn't a huge Thomas fan but my sister-in-law got us free tickets so the whole fam went to the Tennessee Railway Museum to see Thomas! Eli has been asking to go again every day since Saturday! It was a great day!
Here are the pics

2008-04-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

Click here for something new!!

Better Late than Never

2008-04-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

So.. these are the Puckett Easter pictures.... Yes, I realize Easter was a month ago... but, sometimes I am ridiculously behind!!! Oh well, enjoy them any way:)

P.S. The beginning includes a few pictures of Eli's Easter celebration at school.

Another Game Ranch visit

2008-03-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

Eli has still been talking about the bears, squirrels and ducks that we saw at the Yellow River Game Ranch last September so last weekend, when Uncle Burt and Aunt Christy came to town we went back. They had alot of baby animals which were really cute. I tried to take more video this time, which I will work on soon but here are the few pics I did take.

Christy got to fulfill her dream of feeding a squirrel:) Here are the rest of the pics.

Extreme blog catchup

2008-03-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

So, I have several things I have been meaning to post but time has gotten away from me so this is the result! three blogs at one time!!

First, since most of this blog is dedicated to the life and times of Eli, I wanted to prove Josh and I actually do get some adult time occasionally;) No need to blush, just a birthday party. In February my friend Ami celebrated her birthday with a wine tasting/housewarming/birthday party at her house. She and her boyfriend Blair just finished some major remodeling after a storm last July destroyed the top floor of their Lake Lanier home and they welcomed all of us to see the finished product. For fun, we all brought a bottle of wine in a paper bag and had a wine tasting where we judged which wine was the best. My friend Christen won with her, believe it or not, $8 bottle of Sutter Home Cabernet. It was loads of fun! Thanks Gram and Grandpap for babysitting.

Here are the rest of the pics

Is his last name Manning?

2008-02-25T17:56:00.000-08:00

Eli is a sports fan... baseball, football, soccer, golf... he loves them all. We've been playing with all his equipment for the last year and for some reason last week, he created this unusual windup when he throws the ball...

It cracks me up, so I taped it.

A Very Solemn Post

2008-02-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, the Daily Post ran a health story about parents of kids with lukemia... I remember because I chose a quote from one of the mom's in the story for the headline, because I really thought it summed up the entire story......

"Kids shouldn't have Cancer..."

Today, a little girl in Iowa, named Shaelynn Sue Kelly died from a brain tumor. She was 1 month older than Eli. I didn't know Shaelyn or her parents... I actually just found her story when she was diagnosed about a year ago, on a blog of a blog of a blog, etc... I've been following her story every week and am very sad today for her family... and amazed at their faith and strength...

This post isn't meant to depress anyone, but just a small form of therapy for me in hopes that my prayers, or any of yours, can help the Kelleys in the next few months....

The Next Iron Chef

2008-02-18T17:30:00.001-08:00

So, I mentioned Eli's new interest in helping in the kitchen... I pretty happy with it because it is the only thing that can occupy his time long enough for me to cook dinner(with the exception of Dora, Curious George or Little Einsteins..which I use quite enough)... and for those who know Eli well, he does not entertain himself... and that drives me crazy before Josh gets home and I am trying to cook dinner.

Anyway, this is a short video the day I discovered his interest.... I'm amazed at what a bowl, spoon and some egg noodles can do for a mom's sanity:)

Happy Late Valentine's Day

2008-02-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

We have a late post... as usual. I always have such great intentions of posting these things on the right day but, oh well... I wanted to show the cookies Eli made with Mammie (my mom) the weekend before Valentine's day. He loves helping me cook. It's amazing because it's about the only thing I have found lately that can hold his attention fro longer than about 10 minutes...

Here is the valentine we sent out to family:)

Here is the slideshow of the rest of the pics

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

2008-01-28T05:07:00.000-08:00

So, we are big Sesame Street fans at my house. Eli realy enjoys it and, to be honest, I promote that because I really enjoy it:) I think it's pretty funny. Anyway, I heard him singing this by himself during this morning's episode so I grabbed the Flip. It's not as cute as before he saw me with the camera but I wanted to capture it anyway!

BTW: That's peanut butter on his face from his peanut butter bagel breakfast!

Georgia's version of a snowstorm

2008-01-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

For all the bloggers in more northern parts of the country, I know this isn't anything, but for us here in the Atlanta area.... this is our first official snow!!!!

Last night when it starting accumulating we took Eli out to see it, just in case it was gone by morning... and honetly, he wasn't impressed. I think he was too cold. Even this morning., he just wanted to see it from the window... But of course here are the few pics.

The view down our street

Across the street

Maya!

2008-01-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

Since, I like to archive this blog like a diary, I wanted to write something about Maya.

Since I was little I have always loved cats.... I'm just a cat person:) And while growing up, I I always had cats.. When I went to college of course, while living in apartments, I was cat free for 4 years... and hated it so when I graduated from college, my brother gave me Maya as a graduation present.

On New Year's Eve, we had to put Maya to sleep. She was a loyal pet full of personality. She was almost 9 years old. She was independent and moody, which is what I loved about her!

Christmas catchup!

2008-01-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you fellow bloggers know how I feel.... When you take so many photos at an event... like Christmas... It's a bit daunting trying to find time to post them...

But I finally did.... here is the slideshow!

We spent the weekend before Christmas in Chattanooga with my family... We have old and new traditions. We always go to my grandmother's house on Christmas Eve so t there are pictures of that and this year we started a tradition of taking Eli to my mom's carousel to ride Rhett.. then the fam went on a walk around the riverfront... It was so much fun.

Then, on Christmas Day, we traveled to North Carolina to spend time with Gradnpap and G, Uncle CHuck, Aunt Amy Trip and Quinny. The boys have so much fun together...

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Santa Claus is ALL OVER town!!

2007-12-19T13:45:00.000-08:00

Let me begin by saying that last year Eli and Santa were not a good combination... we tried several times didn't want to have anything to do with him.... but this year, since we have seen him everywhere, Eli is warming up....

First we saw him in downtown Buford at the Christmas tree lighting...

Eli needed Daddy to help him this time..

Then, we saw him again at Chateau Elan...

And THEN Santa visited the kids at Eli's school.....

Overall, he did a great job and I was very proud of him.... I think next year will be a home run!!

Two wonderful Years!

2007-12-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

I'm late but here is a post about Eli's 2nd birthday party. Like I said before, his actual birthday was on Thanksgiving Day and believe it or not, I didn't take one picture....

Somtimes I just want to relax and enjoy it... Anyway, we spent Thanksgiving in Chattanooga with my family and had a great time.

On Saturday, we invited family here for a party at our house with Eli. He was adequately spoiled and has truly enjoyed each one of his presents. Here are some pics

Getting bigger

2007-11-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving Day, my baby will be 2 years old!

I decided to follow the advice of everyone and take his pictures myself this year. . Really, can you imagine a 2-year old in a photo studio.... plus, don't get me started on the quality of local studios.... it's ridiculous.

Anyway, Eli obviously lights up every room he is in. I am more proud every day of him. I love the pictures because I feel like they really show his personality:)

P.S. Thanks Corinne and Christy... you were great toddler handlers:)

Some business to take care of

2007-11-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

So, since this is the blog that most of my friends and family visit first, I always like to post my weddings here in addition to my wedding website.

In October, I shot Kelly Anderson's wedding to Rick LaBarbera. It was truly a great experience.

The venue was beautiful in downtown Atlanta. The wedding was held at what most people known as The Abbey, a former restaraunt which is now a church and special events facility.

I decided to hire one of the paper's intern Jenna Findlan to help me and she was awesome!! With her, I had more than 1500 photos to edit through.... which is why I am just now getting done . Kelly & Rick also have a 2-month old daughter Averie, so I got some different portraits of her too!!

The entire night was such a great party! I've never seen so many people on the dance floor.

here is their slideshow

Speaking of work, I am trying to start a portfolio of family portrait sessions to add to my services and am offering a special for some outdoor family portraits for Christmas or just to have. If anyone is interested , email me at nicole.puckett@gwinnettdailypost.com

Halloween party

2007-10-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

This weekend we traveled to Chattanooga for my brother & sister-in-law's annual Halloween party. I'll post pics from trick-or-treating later this week but here are a few from the party.

Biker Eli Puckett

Here's the fam... I lovevd my costume.. I even had battery powered Christmas lights ... For any Michael J. Fox fans... Josh went as Marty McFly... I thought it looked awesome

here are the rest of the pics:

Visiting St. Louis

2007-10-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun in Saint Louis last weekend...
I am working so hard to keep up with all our fall adventures... and with Halloween this week, I'm updating as fast as possible.

The weekend was really relaxed... we spent most of the time letting the boys play together... at Grant's Farm, at the church playground, in the backyard and at the park... It was perfect.

here is the slideshow....

First Annual Blue Ridge Bash

2007-10-15T14:17:00.001-07:00

So... two weeks ago my friend Lauriann, who lives in Arizona, hosted the first, of what will be annual, weekend getaway for her friends.. Lauriann's parents live in Blue Ridge georgia and have recently built a cabin on their property , which is awesome and available for rental....

So 10 adults and 8 kids took over the cabin for the weekend and it was so crazy!!! But it was also alot of fun and I will look forward to the next one over the next year.

So...I really didn't take many photos and after looking at them I realized all I took was pictures of the kids.... Which are always my favorite subjects anyway:) here they are

This time of Year

2007-10-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE this time of year!!!! It is my favorite... So we have been crazy busy and I have been crazy about taking pictures.... The first weekend in this month, we spent the weekend in North Georgia with some of my college friends... then we got to spend Sunday with the Scoggins, who happened to be in Elijay that day too:) Here are the pics of our day at the pumpkin patch

Special Message

2007-10-04T05:38:00.001-07:00

Eli has something to say:

First of Three

2007-10-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

So we have been very busy for the last three weeks and will be for the next month.. but it is all very fun stuff so I am not going to complain:) But it has put me a little behind in my blogging so I am catching up today!

Last weekend Josh and I decided to find out about replacing the old shrubs we pulled up last spring in front of our house... We were told now is the time to plant although the new water ban may mean otherwise.... Anyway.. we are not landscapers but I was really happy with the results and with the great deal we got:) (we only spent like $60 ... Eric at Northside Gardens was very helpful) The plants look a little small now but in a couple of years they should fill out and if you could see what was there before....you could really see the improvement

Our little helper

Josh planting our new Indian Hawthorne bushes

I also got some new ivy for my hanging pots...

Second of three

2007-10-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went on an awesome trip to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge with my family. My mom and dad graciously rented us a cabin to enjoy. Although it was short it was really a relaxing and fun weekend. It wasn't as cool as I would like but the weather was still nice. There are lots of pictures so here is the link to them all:)

Last of three

2007-10-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

So... MANY weeks ago we went to the fair! Eli freaked out when we tried to get him to ride anything so we ended up just looking at the animals and eating of course... We actually didn't stay very long but these are the few pictures I got.

Weddings

2007-09-24T11:05:00.001-07:00

I finished Rebecca & Derek's slideshow which is posted on my wedding website so if you know anyone who is is need of a portrait or wedding photographer, please refer them to this page but for those who want to see Rebecca's wedding pics....

here it is:
Rebecca & Derek

Great weekend

2007-09-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

We had a great holiday weekend just spending time here in Gwinnett at home and with friends. I also found more motivation for pictures so now I have alot to share from the weekend.

On Saturday, we went to the Yellow River Game Ranch, which as a 30-year-old I still think is one of the coolest places ever.... I can't get over all the animals and their tame natures.... having deer just follow us around and having squirrels eat out of my hand was so awesome.... and Eli liked it too:) He actually, got frightened by an agressive duck that kinda snapped a cracker out of his hand so it took him a while to get over that but he enjoyed looking at everything, anyway.... Here are the pics

Then on Sunday evening we went to the playground with our friends the Hammocks and Eli got to play with Bryn and Dylan... here are the pics

For Lauriann, Amy, Christen and Anne Marie

2007-09-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post these pictures of my friends and I at Molly's wedding but it has taken me forever.. so here they are.... sorry!!

Common Threads

2007-08-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

I wanted to use my blog as an advertiser real quick:) Lots of you know my Mom does alot of embroidery work and I have just recently talked her into trying to make a little money out of it. Well, I started her a blog called Common Threads and this weekend she will have a booth at the Boutique Armoire consignment sale in Norcross..

If you aren't familar with Boutique Armoire, it's a semi-annual consignment sale that provides UPSCALE slightly used children's clothing. In addition to the clothes my mom will have a booth there with some of her handmade embroidered towels, baby blankets, etc. You can see some of her work on her website... but it is just a small amount... It is still a work in progress.

New video

2007-08-01T18:57:00.001-07:00

Actually, this video is about a month old but I haven't posted any yet from the new awesome Flip camera that my mother-in-law gave us so I thought I would start with Eli practicing his animal sounds....

My wonderful Hubby!

2007-07-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

So... for those who don't know, we live in charming:) little 1930s house and there are alot of things we would like to do to it... BUT most require a major investment so we are happy to find little relatively inexpensive ways to update our house.

So, for Mother's Day , Josh said my present was a new closet organizing system which we have been trying to decide on for about a year:) Anyway, Josh spent this weekend and week finishing my closet and I love it. He thinks he isn't very handy but I beg to differ... he did a great job and it makes all my clothes seem alot nicer somehow:)

I didn't think to take a before picture at first so here is Josh's side, which is basically what mine looked like before

And here is my side now:) We will eventually be changing Josh's side too:)

Our family vacation

2007-07-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

This year we were blessed to get to go on vacation with all of Josh's family for a week to Santa Rosa Beach (near Destin). Now, a week later, I am so missing the beach and the relaxation and most of all my awesome nephews:) I really enjoyed every second I got to spend with Trip and Quinn (and Amy, Chuck, Gram and Grandpap:)and so did Eli.

Can't wait to see the Scoggins soon in St. Louis!

Here is a slideshow of the week!

Molly & Stephen

2007-07-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

I finally have finished the slideshow for my friend Molly Wade's marriage to Stephen Hyman in Louisville on June 29th. It was such a fun weekend for Josh and I to get to spend time with all my closest friends. Since Molly is such an awesome friend I only shot her portraits and ceremony and someone else shot her reception so that I could enjoy it... and I certainly did:)

I'll post the friends pictures later, but for now here is Molly and Stephen's slideshow. Molly was such a calm and organized bride and she literally just glowed all day long. The day had such a romantic and vintage feel from her dress to the Cadillac they drove away in... it was a photographer's dream:) Molly's wedding was on Friday and on Saturday the bride & groom threw an awesome picnic at a local park, so there are a few pics at the end of the barbecue.

Enjoy!

Starting with Daniel

2007-07-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy two weeks and I have so many photos to post, I am a bit overwhelmed. So Stay tuned for vacation photos, vacation videos, and pictures from my most recent wedding.. who happens to be one of my best friends Molly!!

I am starting here with some pictures I took of my best friend Amy's little boy Daniel who has the bluest eyes I have ever seen on a child:)

Rebecca & Derek Save the Date!

2007-06-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I shot engagement portraits for Rebecca & Derek at Little Mulberry Park in Dacula.

I posted them on my weddings website but I know some people will look for them here!

Swim video

2007-06-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

As I promised..... here are two videos of Josh and Eli at swim lessons

Forgive the camera action.... Josh and I don't even own a video camera.. My mom was nice enough to let us borrow hers... so I am not very good at it..

Swim lessons

2007-06-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

So this week was Week 1 of 2 weeks of Eli's swim lessons at Bogan Park. I have really enjoyed it, although the water has been a little too cool for Eli's taste... He is very cautious and takes a while to get used to the water temperature.

We took some video of him on Thursday but haven't been able to load it yet so... I will post these pics. Stay tuned for video though later.....

Eli before the lesson starts

Mommy & Eli getting used to the water temp

Practicing kicking

Eli's favorite part is when we practice jumping into the water from this wall... You're supposed to count to 3 and have them jump so that teaches them not to jump into the water without an adult there.....supposedly:)

The main lesson this week has been to teach the babies to blow bubbles into the water instead of sucking in the water and drinking it.... you can see me blowing bubbles here.. Eli hasn't gotten this lesson down yet...

Here is playtime at the pool... Bogan Park has a great facility... it looks like so much fun for kids. There are so many water features, etc..

We have lessons next week too... I highly recommend them to anyone interested... If Eli gets nothing out of it at all, it is at least an hour of quality time for me and him... I love it!

Say Cheese!

2007-06-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Amy posted a blog like this about her son Daniel and I thought it was really cute.

Eli has recently learned to say Cheese and make a funny face whenever he sees a camera so I thought I would post some of his recent cheesey smiles.

Many, Many thanks

2007-05-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the helpful advice.

I really like the idea of toaster or waffle sticks for breakfast... during the week I have to have something I can just give him and leave to get ready... and he has been using a spoon for a couple of months at dinner and last night he seems to really be doing pretty well..

and I am so glad to know other people have the same issues with those bath toys. I think I will just find some other toys. We have one cup in the tub for me to help wash his hair but last night I took MK's advice and gave him 2 more cups and he was fascinated the whole time with pouring water in and out of them... over and over so much he was actually still for me to wash him... it was great... we'll see how long it lasts..

Thanks again

A small cry for help!

2007-05-23T06:58:00.001-07:00

As a first -time Mom I am always encountering things I just don't know the answer to.... I usually just wait until I see my sister-in-law Amy and ask her but since these few questions have been driving me crazy... I thought I would use this blog to get advice from all Moms:)

1. How do you feed an 18-month old soup!!! Eli loves alot of soups and things like it, ex.. grits, oatmels, etc.... but how can he eat them himself? I don't mind feeding him myself but does that inhibit his self-feeding learning?

2. What can he eat for breakfast? Right now we do fruit, yogurt and cereal bars... of course with the yogurt I have the same problem as question #1. I just feel like the kid needs a little variety... I don't think the kid can look at another cereal bar again... BTW: Eli CANNOT have bananas... or really anything with bananas in it.... Any suggestions? Especially things I don't have to feed him myself.

3. Does anyone else have bath toys that retain water inside to that you can squirt them? If so, how do we keep these things clean inside? I have tried to squirt all the water out after every bath but it seems impossible and if you don't the next time you use them, they gave this nasty black mildew junk that comes out of them... In this area, how do I keep the kid still so that I can actually wash him during bath....

Any help would be awesome!!!

I have discovered one thing that I think is a great invention for Moms:) So I will share in exchange for any advice! Eli LOVES books.. that's all he ever wants to do and I found what they call a book rack on Ebay. I saw one in Pottery Barn kids but it was like $300, so I went searching and found one, a little smaller but much cheaper at $70 from Ebay that comes put together and plain so you can paint or stain it yourself..

Anyway, the point it, this is so perfect for Eli because he loves to pickout books himself so now he can look at all his books together and choose one without dumping the rest of them out, like on a bookshelf... and he can put them back so easily too.... It's so awesome, I wish I had two!

Here's a pic if it doesn't make sense.

Fish, Fish, Fish

2007-05-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

This Mother's day, we went to the Chattanooga Aquarium and had a great time. Eli was very intrigued... especially with the otters and butterfly garden... which he calls "Bys"

We missed seeing Gram for Mother's Day, but thought about her all day:)

Here are some aquarium pics:

The seahorses were probably my favorite:)

Thank You, Spiderman!

2007-05-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

This post may sound funny but I wanted to send a link out to Christy (since she asked to see it) and I love to mark milestones on this blog... It is like a diary for me....

Anyway, there is a website for newspaper designers to post the pages they are proud of and create an online portfolio... Papers from all over the world post their news pages... Every week or so, the creators of this website browse through what people have posted and make a slideshow on the home page... it's kinda an honor to have you page selected.... and I have always wanted to make the slideshow and last week, the Gwinnett Daily Post's weekend Spiderman cover did!!!

(It's been up for a week, so if you click here and it's gone...sorry!) Here's the website

Photography services

2007-05-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

Several people have asked in comments about shooting things other than weddings and I didn't know how to respond to them so that they would get it immediately so I thought I would make a post.

I would be more than happy to shoot family and children portraits as well as wedding photography. I don't have a studio at my house, so my suggestion for family or bigger children is outside at a park, etc. I have done a couple of family portraits, as well as baby and children but not enough to make a portfolio.... of course, I did a ton of these kinds of things as a photographer at the paper.

If anyone is interested, you can email me at nicole.puckett@gwinnettdailypost.com

Strawberry fields

2007-05-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

We went to Washington Farms this weekend to pick strawberries... More for the experience than the fruit being I haven't done much with the ones we picked.. After we told Eli to eat one, he thought everyone he picked up he had to taste. Funny thing is every strawberry he would pick up he would take one bite out of it and then put it in the bucket. It was hilarious.

anyway, here are some pics.

New wedding photos

2007-05-03T11:45:00.001-07:00

This last weekend, I traveled to Charlotte for the wedding of Anne Marie Cotter to Chris Ashley. It was such a fun experience. The Cotters are close friends of mine and I enjoyed seeing all of them plus my best friends from college. Doesn't get any better:)

Anyway, this link is for any family and friends who might look here for Anne Marie and Chris' pics. They are posted on my weddings site at www.weddingsbynicole.blogspot.com

I would encourage any potential brides to go to that site, but for everyone else, here is a link to their slideshow

Arranged marriage?

2007-05-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

Of course he is a little young but we may have discovered Eli's soulmate:)
Eli met my friend Lauriann and her beautiful daughter Taylor this weekend and it turns out the two have alot in common:) Other than their adorableness, they have similar vocabulary and motor skills....

Plus, is Eli going to find anybody cuter than this girl?

here are some other pics of Taylor... with such a cute subject I couldn't stop taking pics...

Warning

2007-04-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

I will go ahead and warn you all...... my new camera is so much fun that I am using it constantly... so therefore you may be seeing more pictures of Eli than you could ever possibly want ( does not apply to grandmothers)!!

Anyway, last night we were playing in the bath and were practicing our body parts so here is a montage of Eli's "Eyes and Ears and Mouth and Nose" (He also says the word when we practice, so that's why he has funny mouth expressions)

And my favorite picture, his hair:

Happy Easter!

2007-04-10T10:51:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! Easter has always been my favorite holiday mostly because it has always been near my birthday and, as a kid, I usually had a birthday party on Easter:) AND because we always celebrate it with my family at my parents house. I was so disappointed it was so cold but we had a great time and it was awesome that Eli could actually participate in the egg hunt. We had 9 kids there and they all had a blast.

I didn't have a party this year but my Mom did make a dessert just for me.. ( I don't really like birthday cake:)

Here are the pics... I decided to try out these slideshows everyone has been using.

Cool Slideshows

New Camera

2007-04-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a new camera for shooting weddings so immediately I took Eli outside to try it out.... I ended up with some cute shots so I thought I would post them...

A New Video

2007-04-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

We have nothing exciting to post so I thought I would just add this. Here is a semi-recent video of Eli performing at lunch. This video was taken with my little digital camera so there is no sound... sorry...

But I will narrate.... after the 50 seconds on playing with the straw, Eli attempts to perform the itsy, bitsy spider and then the wheels on the bus ( go round and round). The arm swinging at the end is his display of the wipers on the bus go swish swish swish :)

The simple things that moms are so proud of:)

Wedding photography

2007-02-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

Most of you probably know, but when I can I like to shoot weddings for mostly friends and family. Well, recently I have decided to try and expand my clients and do a little marketing. Some of you may have seen my wedding blog already.

This weekend, I shot a wedding for one of Eli's teachers at daycare and wanted to share a slideshow here for my family to see.... If you know anyone looking for a wedding photographer, please go to my website at www.weddingsbynicole.blogspot.com.

Here is Nicole & Kenny's slideshow

Hugs and Kisses

2007-02-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

Here are Eli's Valentine pictures...
Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day!!

Look What I Did!

2007-02-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

No much going on for us to post but I thought I would post something about Rhett:)

Rhett is my Mom's carousel horse. He lives at the Coolidge Park Carousel in Chattanooga. My Mom carved him several years ago. Last night, on HGTV, on a show called Look What I did! The carousel was featured with a story about the operator Bud Ellis. They interviewed my mom for the show but I guess she didn't make the edit. But, she said she saw Rhett in the background several times and also saw the beginning of a Rhinocerous she is carving for Chattanooga's next carousel.

The show will air again at 1:30 p.m. on Monday Feb. 12 if anyone wants to see it and if you are ever at the Collidge Park Carousel in Chattanooga, you should ride on Rhett:)

here are some pics from Christmas. This was Eli's first time on Rhett.

Eli with Grammie and PawPaw

All of us at the park

Eli and Josh at the Park