Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The bunny hop with Nana and Pop!


We were so excited that Ryan's mom and dad were able to come for a long weekend and celebrate Easter with us. The first day they were here we loaded up and headed for the boardwalk. It was a beautiful day with great weather. JT got some adorable clothes from his Nana and we all had lunch at Joe's Crab Shack. Ryan and I love crab legs, and that is one of the only places you can get them here! James was not feeling so hot, and I realized during lunch that he was running a fever...whoops. Guess we shouldn't have taken him out but he was a good sport about it! :)





Sick or not we had to find time to see the Easter bunny! After our experience with Santa I wasn't sure what to expect but JT loved the bunny!


The next day Sandra and I took James to get his picture taken while the guys watched golf and went to some of the "guy" stores in town. We met up after awhile and went to Biscotti's for lunch and ran some more errands. Of course we had to stop by and get some cupcakes while we were out! We were all pretty worn out by then so we headed home to take a break. Later that night Nana and Pop babysat so Ryan and I could go out to eat.

Getting ready to go get pictures taken

It takes a lot of energy to go shopping!
Relaxing after a day of running around town...not the most appropriate picture but pretty funny!
Easter Sunday arrived and the bunny came to see everyone in the house! JT's favorite thing was the box that the chocolate rabbit came in. We all went to church, out to lunch for some Mexican food, and then unfortunately back to the airport. We had a wonderful visit with Sandra and Rick, and they were so helpful with James. Thanks again for everything! Come see us again soon!























Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Eighth Month





Stats: no doctor's appointment this month but you are getting really big and heavy! You wear mostly 9 or 12 month clothes and wear size 3 diapers during the day and the really big size 4 at night.
Likes: milk, all of your "baby" food, drooling, scooting backwards (especially in your crib) laughing when we tickle you under your arms, crawfish, fans, cell phones, and television remotes

Dislikes: your new car seat, finger foods, the nursery at the gym

James, your dad and I can't believe how big you are getting! You are interested in everything and are so fun to watch as you interact with the world. It's definitely obvious when you are happy or frustrated, and you let us know exactly what you want. Your stubborn streak is still there but you also are very sweet and love to give us smiles. We love you so much!

This past month you got two new teeth- the top two. Your teeth didn't make you fussy, but they sure do make you drool!



You have gotten so big and tall. Your infant car seat is too small for you so we had to put you in your new convertible seat. You are not always very happy in it.

There are plenty of toys in the house for you but of course these are the ones you want to play with!




One of your new tricks is pulling up to stand by yourself. Daddy had to lower your crib and your playpen because your mom worried you might topple over the side!


We took you to the park for the first time. When we got there you were fast asleep, but we woke you up and made you play with us.



We also went to Norton Art Gallery before church one Sunday and took a few pictures. It was beautiful there but you seemed a little confused as to why we put you on the ground in your Sunday clothes.

Mom, why am I here?
The biggest change of all over the past month is you finally are getting the hang of sleeping, and we are so thankful!!!! You don't sleep through the night every night but enough to give your parents hope for the future. You do best when we put you to sleep really early, around 6:30. Most days you take 2 naps, one around 8 and the other around 12. If you have time you like to sneak in a power nap around 4.



You are a joy to be with!

Your daddy wanted you to wear your scrubs one more time. We love your little stomach hanging out!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Key West


Ryan has been on vacation this past week and we knew we wanted to take advantage of it. This is his only real “fun” week off for the year so we decided to venture off to Key West! I still wasn’t really ready to leave James for so long and the logistics of having someone come here to take care of him aren’t the easiest. I confess- I am pretty attached to the kid. So… Mom graciously offered to be our “nanny” again and she even convinced Dad to come along for the ride. We were hoping that David would be able to come, but he wasn’t able to this time. We missed you David! The first night we ate dinner where we were staying. We got to eat right on the beach and see the sun go down. It was a beautiful sunset!






When we got back to our “cottage” that we were staying at Ryan and I realized that the air conditioner wasn’t working. The good news is that they gave us a free upgrade to the ocean front cottage so we had a beautiful view of the water and the sunrise. (which we got to see every morning since JT decided to get up around 4 each day! ) The next day we hung out on the beach and in the pool. James wasn’t too sure about the ocean again but did enjoying splashing in the pool and chilling on his float.


It's 5:00 somewhere, right? :)


Chilling on the float

Over the next couple of days we hung out in the sun, walked along the famous “Duval” street, saw the sunset at Mallory Square, and of course ate lots of yummy seafood. I confess that I did also find time to sneak in a massage at the spa, and it was awesome!

James enjoys lunch on the beach...and anywhere else for that matter!

Ryan and I decided to take advantage of having the grandparents to babysit and took a 26 mile jet ski tour around the island. I’m sure some of you know that the last time I was on a jet ski I ended up lost and stranded on Lake Tillery with poor Sara. Haha- needless to say I made sure to follow the guide on this trip. It was a lot of fun to hear about the history of Key West and explore some of the areas while being on a jet ski. I’m proud to say that neither of us fell off even though a few people in our group did.

We have discovered that we have outgrown the hotel room setup now that we have a baby. It was great to be in a “cottage” while in Key West. It came with a living room and kitchen that we could hang out in, wash bottles, store food, etc. We knew that we wanted JT in an area away from us and that was as dark and quiet as possible so he ended up in…..the bathroom! Poor kid. We even brought his IPOD and plugged it in the bathroom so he could listen to his music.

Bath in the sink, bed in the bathroom!


Hanging out at the cottage
Another neat thing about where we stayed was that it was on a little island right beside Key West. That meant you could get away from the craziness over there but still enjoy all that Key West had to offer. The hotel had a boat that took you back and forth. James enjoyed riding it!



Overall we had an awesome trip. It was great to get away from the stress of work and home and spend time together as a family. We miss the beach so much now that we live in a state that has NO beach anywhere nearby. James did great, and my parents were so helpful with him. Thanks Mom and Dad for all you did for us!


Worn out on the plane ride home. If only this had lasted!