Summer Lovin'

This summer sure seems to be flying by! It seems like we have been on the go for the last month. So now is as good of a time as any for a recap!

I went back to work mid-June when BGT was 8 weeks old and that alone has been an emotional rollercoaster. Being a working mom is hard work! There is always something to do around the house and all I want to do is love on her sweet face when I get home from work. On top of that I have still been dealing with issues with my neck so I have been to what seems like a million appointments with a million doctors and still no answers. Hopefully we will get to the bottom of it soon.

Now on to more fun things!

A couple of weeks ago one of my oldest friends was visiting from California. She and I grew up together and were great friends from the time we were tiny and our dads worked together. We both got married the same day in 2007 and we both welcomed baby girls one week apart in April!! Needless to say we took a zillion pictures of the babies and I am anxiously awaiting her return from vacation in Norway so she can send me pictures of the babies!! For now I have only a sneak peek :)

We spent a little over a week at the beach for the fourth of July and it was wonderful! BGT had so much fun spending time with the whole family and got plenty of use out of her bathing suits! She got in the pool and in the ocean and she LOVED it! I think it reminded her of the bath because both were so warm. There was a great pergola where she spent most of her time relaxing in the shade. The weather was great, nothing but a stray shower here and there.

With so many people around to hold her she got more than a little spoiled and it took a good week to get her back to being able to be content without being held 24/7.

My cousin and his wife had a barbecue on the actual fourth of July holiday at their beautiful home on the bay. We spent the day swimming in the pool, riding jet-skis, riding on the boat, tubing, and eating tons of crab legs, a shrimp boil with corn and red potatoes, and burgers and hot dogs on the grill. My poor grandmother fell on her way out for a boat ride but thankfully she was banged up but overall ok.

All the "kids" went to the Florabama one night and I was quickly reminded that I am a "mom". I am definitely not used to being out so late anymore! We did have a great time though and it was a nice little break.

Our last night after most everyone had headed home, we went with my parents to Fisherman's Cove and Sean ate the biggest hamburger I have ever seen. If you can even call it a burger. It was topped with pastrami and a fried egg and the buns were two Texas toast grilled cheeses. It was HUGE. I had the pan seared snapper special and it was wonderful! We also split a nice bottle of red wine, a stack of fried green tomatoes stacked with fresh mozzarella slices and topped with a crawfish remoulade, and a bread pudding for dessert. Holy moly we almost had to be rolled out.

The week after the beach we attended the wedding of my sweet friend Dee. She made an absolutely stunning bride and I could not be happier for her and her new hubby Jay :)

And to cap off the recap, this weekend is our 5 year wedding anniversary! Talk about time flying by!!!

Dear Bennett Grace

Dear Bennett Grace,

Mommy and Daddy can not even believe how fast you are growing. You seem to grow every time we blink our eyes. I have taken to calling you my sugar because you are so sweet! It is amazing to think that only three months ago we would sit and talk about what you would look like and how you would act and the person you would one day grow up to be. It is such a joy to watch you learn and grow each day.

Here are a few things you were up to this month:

-You found your hands and feet :) You are trying very hard to get your tiny toes into your mouth but you aren't quite there. Your hands are ALWAYS in your mouth. Not a thumb or a finger, your WHOLE hand.
-You love to hold on to things and bring them to your mouth. (Toys, your clothes, you name it, it is in your mouth.)  Mommy and Daddy were so proud of you the first time you made the connection to your mouth with a toy and did not bonk yourself in the head. It may sound silly to you but we thought you were the smartest thing ever :)
-You are a little chatterbox! You love to make noises and blow bubbles. When mommy gets home from work she talks to you and asks you silly questions like "Are you a Chicka Chicka Boom or a Boom Boom Chicka?" and you giggle and smile like it is the funniest thing you have ever heard. When your Daddy gets home he makes faces and noises and you love it.
-You smile ALL the time and we can not get enough of it.
-You are eating 5 ounces of breast milk 5 to 6 times a day.
-You are still in size one diapers and size 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes.
-You love a warm bath and you are all smiles when we take you out and wrap you in a hooded towel. We think you are just precious!
-Your Gigi bought you a play mat and gym and you love it. You stare up at the toys and love to put them in your mouth. You get upset if you can't reach them and we have to extend them with plastic loops.
-You are dazzled by the TV. We try to keep you away from it but if it is on you can't keep your eyes off it!
-You make a face we call baby Elvis where you curl your lip. It is too cute!
-You still love to be swaddled and it reminds us of when you were first born and they handed you to us. You were so sweet and tiny.
-You no longer like to burp. You get very angry when we take your bottle away from you. You crack us up because you like to be in charge at mealtime. You hold the bottle and pull it away from your mouth to pause and take a breath. We still giggle at that.
-You are a little bossy and have developed what we like to call your "spoiled cry". It is a tiny annoyed whimper and you only do it when you want something from someone. It is so funny because everyone recognizes it now. Even though you are so little you have totally mastered the art of getting exactly what it is you want.
-You have more clothes than most grown ups, much to your Daddy's dismay.
-You took your first beach trip this month and you loved it! You went swimming in the ocean and in the pool and you loved the warm water. You looked so precious in your swim suits.
-You have been spending a lot of time with your Great Grandparents and they love you to pieces. When we got back from the beach they said they were having Bennett Grace withdrawals.
-You are still staying with your Mimi Monday through Thursday and your Gigi on Fridays.
-We are transitioning you to your nursery and it has been a slow process. It is partly mommy's fault because she loves to be so close to you.

We love you so much that words do not even begin to describe it. We can not wait to watch you continue to develop and learn new things. You make every day a better day just being you.

With Love,

Mommy & Daddy

baby Elvis

The Blogger 411

Today I'm linking up with Becky From Mrs. to Mama for The BLOGGER 411; all you need to know about ME! So let me tell you a little about myself...

1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?

I started blogging recently! In April we had the most beautiful little girl, Bennett Grace and I thought it would be a great way to document her growth and to keep friends and family in the loop :) We are having a lot of fun with it and I have been writing letters to her each month and plan to have them bound into a book for her at some point.

2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study?

I graduated from Auburn University in Criminology and Criminal Justice... I started out in Political Science but the class I needed to graduate wasn't offered so I swapped and the rest is history. My time in Auburn was truly some of the best years of my life! It is where I met my husband Sean and one of my best friends Emily. I love them both so much and they have added so much to my life. I also learned to be independent and a little responsibility too :) I believe in Auburn and Love It!


3. Where have you traveled?

Not as many places as I would like!! I have been pretty much all around the continental United States and to Mexico and the Dominican Republic as well as England and France.

4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?

Sean and I have actually talked about this!! We have a list but these are at the top:
We would pay off our house and travel the world. I also want a dozen Boston Terrier puppies and Sean wants a golf club membership somewhere nice :)

5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?

People who chew with their mouths open, people who do not know when it is not appropriate to use their cell phones, and people who let their children run around restaurants and other public places.

6. What is your favorite movie?

Love Actually! I could watch it all day every day. I also love To Kill a Mockingbird and Steel Magnolias :)

7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?

I love red wine! That was the hardest part of being pregnant! I don't like to drink to get drunk, just a nice Beaujolais with dinner. Otherwise I am a water drinker for sure.

8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?

I am a reader. I love to read and soak in the bath.

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?

Saks and I am heading straight for the Louboutins

10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? Or present.

I can't really think of one! I am not that easily embarrassed.

11. What day would you love to relive again?

The birth of my sweet Bennett Grace. I was so nervous and worried they wouldn't get her out in time, so now that I know she was ok I would like to go back and really enjoy it.

12. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you?

Mila Kunis


13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?

I worked as a hostess and a waitress and I was terrible at both. It encouraged me to do well in college so I never have to do either again!

14. Show us a picture from high school or college.

This picture was from Spring Break senior year at Auburn in Key West. Oh how much I miss those days!!



15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?

Tahiti!!!!! Easy! We tried to go there for our honeymoon except it takes days to get there and back and is soooo expensive!


16. Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you.

This picture is from the beach over the fourth of July and it was the first time BGT dipped her tiny toes in the Ocean. She loved it for sure! I am thinking about having it blown up to put in the house. I found a great idea on pinterest and I'm hoping to make it work!

17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?

Five years from now I hope to be happy, healthy and to have a house full of babies :)

Father's Day

Ashley has been continuously reminding me that I need to post about my first Father's Day with Bennett Grace. So here it is...First things first is that Ashley took me to Cracker Barrel for some delicious breakfast. Ashley is not a big breakfast person which is the complete opposite of me. I mean who in their right mind doesn't like bacon. After breakfast we met with the in-laws (Anglin Family) to visit BGT's Papa D and went out to Montevallo to Ashley's grandparents house to visit Grandaddy Jones. Everybody loved seeing Bennett Grace and she seemed to be having a better day than she did on Mother's Day. I guess she preferred my day. After hanging out at the Jones house we headed to my parent's house where they were cooking out. Getting to hang out with my family is always a good time cause it's always a big crowd and my dad (Pop) is pretty good at manning the grill. All the bros were there with their wives. Our good friend Kathy Jones (Honey) was there as was the Coons' Family. Everyone always fights over who is going to hold Bennett Grace. She get's a lot of attention from Pop, Mimi, Uncle Ryan, and Uncle Matthew since she's the first girl on my side of the family.

Being a dad is a wonderful thing and can't wait for all of the other Father's Days that we are going to share together.