Troy and Melanie (dot com)

Yes, I know we’re midway through January…given that mommy work is never done, I’m thinking that’s not too bad.  Anyway, I wholeheartedly agree with Troy’s wrap-up and love his 2010 goals.  I just wanted to add a few thoughts regarding my experience of 2009.  So, here goes…

2009 was the year I:

>  Gained a whole new respect for my knockers *heh heh*

>  Adjusted my definition of a good night’s sleep *read: SOME continuous sleep*

>  Felt most like a pin cushion

>  Met Zac Efron

>  Missed the most days of work ever  :)

>  Traveled the Pacific Coast Highway with my boys

>  Hated poultry for the first time and then miraculously loved it again

>  Perfected my rendition of “Itsy Bitsy Spider”

>  Fell in love with my husband all over again

>  Experienced the miracle of life firsthand…and it was awesome!

>  Embarked on my best adventure/undertaking yet…motherhood

There’s so much from 2009 that I’ll never forget and at the top of that list is holding my son in my arms for the first time…and then the second…and then the third…  :-)  Family defined my year.  Troy, Cole, and Bella…our parents (now known as grandma, opa, nonni, and pappi)…uncle Kev and Kelsey…friends near and far, extended family near and far.  2009 was unforgettable and 2010 looks to be a year full of Cole firsts and other Cole happiness.  :-)  Thank you to everyone in our lives in 2009 and here’s to a great year ahead!

Melanie: “Maybe we should co-blog today.”
Troy: (look of disbelief) “Are you in my head??”
Melanie: “Sixteen years, babe…sixteen years.” (how long we’ve been together)

Every year we celebrate Thanksgiving we have many, many things to be thankful for. This year, in particular, we’ve been blessed with a growing family and feel more thankful than ever. To commemorate our first Thanksgiving together as a family, Melanie and I decided we would write a blog post together and share our lists of things we are most thankful for.

Melanie’s List:

• That God was so good to me and helped me find the love of my life early in life
• That He was also so good to me and brought me the second love of my life this past August
• That I was raised in a family filled with love, with parents that helped me to be the best “me” I could be
• That I have a fur-baby that, after five years, still greets me (when I emerge from the bathroom, no less) with kisses and butt shakes like I’ve been away for months
• That I have a job that I find fulfilling, challenging, and enjoyable for an organization whose mission I respect and support
• That we have good health, a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and even perks like a dvr and an iMac.
• That we have friends and family who are there for us and want for our best, who we can have tons of fun with, and who care enough to read this list…

Troy’s List

• my wife… 16 years? seriously? every day still feels new
• my son… words can’t express how he’s lit up my life
• my family… both near and far… I love you and miss you dearly
• my health (the worst thing to happen to me this year was nearly breaking my toe)
• our dog Bella who makes me smile everyday, no matter how bad my day has been
• my job… the people, the mission, my manager… who approved my 7 week paternity leave

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope you and your family had a great day celebrating all that you are thankful for.

Today’s photos

Morning bath time (Cole had an unexpected diaper blow out that necessitated the bath)

Bath time = splash time from Troy Schneider on Vimeo.

(the Longhorns are playing the Aggies tonight… which team do you think we’re cheering for?)

Troy’s been having all the blogging fun…  ;-)  I need to try to pop in here more often.  Anyway, this week was the beginning of a new chapter — going back to work was no doubt good and healthy for me, but it was tough.  Tears were shed.  I’m told it gets easier each day, so we’ll see how next week feels.  Anyway, some highlights from the week were 1) Cole and I doing a “duet” to Lean on Me during Glee, 2) Cole visiting me at the office, 3) the nice brunch my team greeted me with my first day back in the office, and 4) watching “Up” with my boys…very enjoyable.

This morning was a good one.  Cole is a pretty happy little man in the morning.  Even as I’m doing that one-eyed, sleepy thing where I have to tell myself I have to get up despite the choppy sleep overnight, I can’t help but be happy to do so as I listen to him coo and squeal happily and watch him give me his variety of smiles.  They are the best sights in the world!  :-D  So, we had some happy back time in bed this morning and we also had some happy time reading (except for the part where I cried a little…”Love You Forever” gets me every time!  But “Barnyard Dance” is more upbeat, so we ended with that) and some happy time looking at all the fun stuff in the nursery.  I think Cole loves Eeyore as much as his mommy does.  Yay!

So, anyway, that’s all I’ve got right now…no pics but I know daddy will be putting some up later.  Life is good…gonna enjoy the rest of my day and weekend with my favorite guys!

Today was Mel’s birthday and for the first time in almost 10 years her parents were here to celebrate with us. We didn’t do anything special, but it was nice having them here.

Happy Birthday gorgeous!