Chipper's #1 Fan

Ever since I was a little girl, my Memommy and I have loved baseball. Specifically Atlanta Braves baseball.... and that means Chipper Jones.

In all honesty, we just thought he was really cute. :) Year after year we would talk about his great plays, and homeruns. My dad took me to see a Braves game once when I was younger, but we were in no way close to Chipper Jones. Memommy has only viewed the games from the comfort of her couch. It's about time that changed!

This summer Ryan and I were able to trade one of our season tickets in for a special game... the game in which they would retire Chipper Jones' minor league jersey! I mentioned to Ryan how much Memommy loved Chipper and he agreed that she HAD to go to that game with me. He also got us old Chipper baseball cards and a shirt. He is the best!

Normally Memommy will make up excuses when you try to get her to go somewhere. Not this time!!! She was ready to go and super excited! We had great seats and we got to see Chipper right up close. Memommy was eagerly waving as he went by us. So cute. As I was taking pictures of him passing, it was like time stood still. In that moment I realized how special this was. A huge bonding moment for Memommy and I. It's been about 10 years and we are still talking Chipper Jones together. I know my time with Memommy will not last forever, so it's moments like this that I honestly love and cherish.

PS- Memommy hates pictures and she never smiles in them. The fact that I was able to get these pictures and catch her smiling just shows what a success this trip was! LOL!

Fall Family Update

Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I always think of this time of the year as a fresh start. It usually is with my job. :) My summer is officially over. My first official workday was today. This will be my 5th year teaching! Wow...I'm starting to feel old. I am also taking on something new this year. I will be Wake Forest High School's SGA Advisor - Student Government Association. We are in charge of Homecoming, Pep Rallies, Student Legislative Association, and other service activities. It's a huge role, but I think I am ready to take it on!

Ryan is still enjoying Brinks. By enjoying I mean, he is working his butt off, getting paid decently, and enjoying his days off. He is still looking into applying for a police academy soon. There is a ton of paperwork required and he is now just needing one last thing. National Guard weekends aren't that bad anymore. No more long weeks of training away from home! Yay!!

Blake is enjoying his time at Mrs. Dawn's while we are at work. His little best buddy, Seth, is still there. He also has a couple of other playmates his age. Mrs. Dawn is amazing and provides such a "homey" environment for Blake during the day. We are forever grateful for her and what she offers for our family. Blake will be back in his routine in no time!

Fall is just around the corner. It's hard to believe! Check out our Fall bucket list...

• Go to the beach (rollover item...since it didn't get crossed off on the summer list!)
• Go camping (ditto to above comment....)
• State Fair
• Pumpkin Patch
• Trip to Utah (For Ryan at least...still a pending bucket list item)
• Trick-or-Treating
• Football Games
• Homecoming Dance
• FHE (trying to start planning little ones for Blake... I will try to share some ideas)

Pilot Mountain Trip

Blake and I were able to visit my grandparents in Pilot Mountain, NC. About 2 weeks ago my Papa gave us a terrible health scare. He had a heart attack...and his triple bypass surgery was 10 years ago. Currently he is taking medication to try to strengthen some small vessels in his heart, but he is somewhat running on half a heart.

It meant the world to us that we were able to go and spend some special moments with him while he is recovering. I think it helped him too. :)

Choo Choo...

I love grandparents. It is so much fun watching them do all of these things just for Blake. Talk about selfless love! For my dad's birthday this year he just wanted to take Blake on a train ride...a REAL train ride!!! And its no secret that Blake LOVES trains.

My dad purchased a couple of tickets from Durham to Raleigh. The train ride was just a little over 30 minutes. Perfect time for Blake to get excited about the train and also fit his very short attention span. :) Heather and Memommy dropped us off and then picked us up. Perfect day for new things!!

PS- Ryan was still at National Guard and missed out on the fun. :(

Happy Birthday Dad - 54 years old!! Sorry, had to put that for family history's sake ;)

Grandparent Fun

This weekend is Ryan's National Guard weekend. I always hate these weekends. It sounds cheesy, but I hate being without my husband!! I want him with me every day and every night. Yes, I can obviously survive, but it just doesn't feel right. :( Thankfully we live near my family and they always know how to cheer us up when Ryan is away. Today the grandparents took over and put lots of smiles on our faces!!!

Granny had the morning shift! She took us to Hillridge Farms to have some fun.

 

There was a huge corn kernel play pit.

 

A GIANT slide..



 

 

 And of course a train!

 

GDaddy had the afternoon shift... He took us to the pool! Blake still isn't a huge fan of large bodies of water yet. Large body of water = anything that isn't our bath tube. He did get an A for effort though. He got in but had to cling to my side the whole time. Overall, the poolside snacks were the afternoon favorite. :)

 



 

Blake is 18 Months Old

Blake is 18 months old... that means he is 1 1/2!!! Oh my word...I am speechless. Our baby is no longer a baby! Where has all the time gone. It is amazing how fast they grow and develop within the first couple of years. I could go on and on being mushy, but I know that is not what everyone wants to read about. :)

Since this is such a critical benchmark, I thought I would put in some picture comparisons too.

Baby Blake...

 

 

 6 months...

 

1 year...

 

18 months...

 

 

 

Here is what he is up to these days...

• Words: dada, toodles (Mickey Mouse Club), go, choo choo, bob, mama, car
• He weighs about 27 lbs. Official check-up is on Monday!
• He sleeps all night now! Still wakes up at 6 every morning.
• We are down to only 1 nap during the day (12:30-3)
• He is obsessed with trains. Loves to ride them.
• He loves to play with his cars.
• Being outside is a favorite. He lives to ride his wagon and family bike rides.
• He likes water but is still not too sure about the lake or pool. Baby steps!
• Favorite foods are strawberries, cheese, crackers, oatmeal cookies, applesauce, mac n cheese
• He is a climber and tries to climb anything
• His favorite animal is a monkey. He loves to make "oohh ohh ahh ahh" sounds. :)
• He is sometimes shy when meeting new people but he always loves to make friends.
• We are trying to get rid of the pacifier during the day. It's a struggle. He loves that thing.
• When he wakes up he has to hold his blanket and monkey for about 5 minutes while waking up. :)
• He loves learning new things.
• New skills we are working on - playing with crayons, sensory learning, singing ABC song, counting 123, learning new words, exploring new sights
• Favorite Shows - Mickey Mouse Club, any train show, Madagascar, Jake and the Neverland Pirates
• He loves to laugh and wave and point.
• He isn't too bossy yet, but I am sure that will come soon enough. Sigh.
• He gives mommy and daddy kisses!
• I am sure we are forgetting a lot.... but you get the idea behind our grown up little boy!! :)