Eighteen Months at the Beach

You turned eighteen months during our family beach trip to Carillon Beach. We stayed in the most beautiful beach house in the cutest beach side community...thank you, thank you, thank you Bryant family!!! We had a blast and needed a relaxing family get-a-way.

You LOVED the sand, ocean, birds, sand crabs and everything that had to do with the beach! The first thing you said when you saw the ocean was, "Wa Wa...WOW!"

This age is SO much fun and I might have to admit my favorite phase so far - we are loving being your mommy and daddy and look forward to all the new things you bring into our lives. It is such a privilege to see the world through your sweet and innocent eyes! You constantly remind me of things that am grateful for - things I usually don't take the time to notice or to thank God for.

You are really into hats. You love to wear daddy's hats and your new red cowboy hat we bought at Walmart the other day.

You are saying so many new words each day that I can not write them all down anymore! Some of our new favorites are:

• Wee Wee's - The Wiggles, your new favorite obsession. We watched their DVD time after time on the way to and from the beach. On the way home, after the umpteenth time, your Daddy told me how excited he was to be able to go back to work just to get a break from the Wee Wee's. I not so nicely reminded daddy that I would not get a "vacation" from the Wee Wee's for many years!!!
• "Hi-Haw" - for Hee-Haw...Daddy taught you to say this when you put on your cowboy hat. This is so funny and I have to catch it on video before you learn to say it correctly.
• Barrett and Jenny...we are still working on Hudson. I was really surprised that you could say Barrett and you say it plain as day.
• You love to talk about the people you love. I hear nannie, boo-boo, granddaddy, momma, daddy, kitty, mimi, papa, clark (for Uncle Mark) all day long! You found a picture of momma and nanna (you pronounce this nannie) taken at my bridal tea and carried it around all day, smiling and naming us.

You are SO clumsy. You have already had more than a handful of goose eggs on your hard little head and your poor knees stay skinned up. I'm praying for hard healthy bones!

Other than your second set of molars, your last two teeth are popping through. So you now have a whole mouth full, which makes you look like such a little boy to me.

Your new favorite spot to get into is our warming drawer - not safe but too cute when you do it.

I love your curls and never want to cut them off. I promise I will but not until our family members start mistaking you for a girl. Have I mentioned that you get called a girl a zillion times a day? I like to think it's because you are such a beautiful baby!!!

I want to soak up every minute because you are growing too fast and I am so afraid my tired little brain will forget all the cute, sweet and funny things you do and say. We love you little man!

Hooray for Daddy!!!

We are SO proud of our Daddy! This morning he completed (in under 2 1/2 hours) his first triathlon. Let me preface by saying that Michael has not competed in running, swimming or biking before this event. The swim was 0.6 miles, the bike was 18 miles and the run was 5.2 miles. He has been training with a co-worker, Joey for the past few months and has really gotten into great shape and geared up for today. They had a great race and a perfect overcast weather!

Thomas and I woke up bright and early and drove to Callaway Gardens just in time to watch Joey and Michael cross the finish line. The run was the final part of the triathlon so those are the only pictures I have. Michael we are so proud of you and can't wait to cheer you on in the future!!!

Just past the final hill and almost there!

Passing all his supporters

Crossing the finish line - YEA!!!

Michael and Joey after the race

The proud family

Daddy and Thomas

Off to the Beach!!!

See you next week...

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Seventeen Months

Mommy is a little late on this post...you turned seventeen months on July 28th. How time flies!!! Your are FULL of energy and always on the go. Here are a few cute things you are getting into these days:

• You love to snack all day long. You are very good at climbing and picking out whatever looks good to you in the pantry. Thankfully, you are still a fairly good eater for a toddler. You still love all kinds of fresh peas, any kind of chicken or beef, and your favorite foods are still fruit.
  
  
• You are obessed with climbing on and off the sofa, chair and ottoman in our great room. I guess you are trying to figure out what all your body will fit into because you love to squeeze into the tinest spaces - you usually get stuck and need someone to rescue you!
  
  
• Your Daddy and I get the biggest kick out of your MANY faces. You are so animated and will make the funniest faces when trying to figure something out. I can not wait to hear your comments with those faces as you get older.
  
  
• You have learned that saying Please melts our hearts and will get you just about anything - hope you keep up the good manners!!
  
  
• One of the funniest things you are doing at the moment is fake crying. If you see or hear a baby crying you scrunch your face up and whine to pretend like you are crying too. It is so cute and words really can not decribe it...I need to video this one!
  
  
• You love to pretend to talk on the phone and often times anything you are holding all of the sudden becomes a phone. You throw your arm way back over your shoulder and basically talk into your elbow - the actual phone is usually dangling back behind your head.
  
  
• The bugs love you and if you do not have bug spray on, a trip to the mailbox can result in five to six huge itchy bites - OUCH!
  
  
• You continue to talk mumbo jumbo all the time, however each day brings one to two new words. The latest are below:

Green bean
Good boy
Eyes
Baby
Blue
That way
Cook
Cheese
Please
This
That
Right There
Belly
Goldfish
Keys
Uh O
Wow
Ready
Water
Ice
I see
Big
Goldfish
Gobble
Bee

• We love you lots and lots and are so blessed to have you in our lives little one!!!
  

Determined!!!

This is what I found in our pantry this morning. Thomas constantly opens our pantry and often brings me snacks which he wants me to open throughout the day. Looks like he wanted a few bites of cheddar bunnies before oatmeal this morning...but the metal bin was in his way. So he just climbed on in and got what he wanted and then got stuck. He is always into something!!!

What I have found in our trashcan today...

• Bottle drying rack
• Snack cup
• Silver baby cup
• Pack of brand new gum
• Christmas ornament (who knows where this one came from)
• Four tupperware bowls and two lids
• A navy blue croc
• Our remote control

This is the culprit!!!!

Caught in the act

So proud of his accomplishment!

In the last couple of days I have found Thomas' old bottle drying rack in the trash can more than a couple times. It is stored in a bottom kitchen drawer which he recently discovered has many cool things in it. He has enjoyed playing in the drawer and taking the electric mixture and all the cookie cutters out. I figured since the drying rack is on top of all this he simply kept putting it back in the trash to get it out of his new play place. However, after my discoveries today I think he simply likes throwing anything away!!! I even saw him twice today picking up tiny pieces of trash from the floor and throwing them away...maybe he is trying to help his momma declutter!