1st Beach Trip of the year

We returned yesterday from our 1st trip as a family of 4! We had a great time at the beach. I will say that I was worried. It is hard enough to pack up all the stuff that you need for 1 kid, much less, 2! We did not forget anything and it was a smooth trip. The kids were ANGELS in the car, both ways! 

We arrived on Friday. We had enough time to have half of a beach day! We knew going into this trip that the weather was going to be iffy. We had to make the most of the sunshine while we had it. It turned out to be slightly nicer out than it was supposed to have been. We had decent weather on Friday and on Saturday. 

Baylor did pretty good on the beach. We had a tent and he took some good naps in it. He also made lots of beach observations. The temperature out there was not outrageously hot, so I was able to feed him on the beach as well. 

When we were in the condo, Brighton and Baylor amused themselves. Here they are playing cars together for the 1st time I love it!

This year, we discovered a new pizza/game place near the condo. This made for great entertainment for Brighton. A short ride away, and a few minutes of game playing, collecting tickets for prizes and he was happy! 

To his father's delight, Brighton's favorite game was the basketball one!! 
After playing the fun games, we got to redeem our tickets for prizes. 

No beach trip is complete without having dinner at our favorite hole in the wall Bimini's! Yum. This is not the best pic, but it was the only one that was even remotely clear and unblurry. I guess the rest were REALLY bad! 

Baylor tried his 1st lemon. He liked it!!!

We were originally going to stay until Tuesday, but we woke up Monday to thunderstorms and "100% chance of rain" all day Monday and Tuesday, so we decided to pack up and come home. We are hoping to go back in May, so knowing that made it easier for us to leave. We had so much fun. It was the perfect little getaway!

Slow Week

This week has been one of those slow weeks. You know, the kind where in your head you are one day ahead of what day it really is. Yeah, when that happens time seems to stand still. Not much to report. Baylor has not been digging his baby food as much as he did last week. Not sure why. He has been sleeping better though. He loves his new activity seat. It was Brighton's of course!

He also had fun on this little vehicle that was in the room at his last Dr.'s appointment. He was actually moving it with his legs. I think he felt powerful! He didn't quite have the balance that he needed to keep it moving for very long though. 

 Brighton has been in his own vehicle in the afternoons, cruising our street, since the weather has been nice this week. He has had this jeep for a while but is now really at the right age and size to start enjoying it. Beep Beep!!

We are not planning any big trips this summer. Since we got the boat at the end of last summer and the new additions, (Baylor, bonus room, stone walkway and some landscaping) we are going to try and stay grounded for a while. We will be taking a few long weekend trips this spring/summer to the beach. We are lucky to have family with properties in Myrtle Beach. We are planning on going for a long weekend on Friday. The weather does not look great, but we feel like it will do us good to get away. Hopefully we will have at least one decent day. It will be our 1st trip with Baylor. I am nervous about packing and making sure that I have everything and wondering how he will do in the car for a few hours. Hopefully it will be fun and worth it. That could be the reason the week is dragging on so much.  

Our Weekend

We had a lovely weekend. On Saturday, Jason took the boys to meet his mom for breakfast. Brighton went home with Gigi to spend the night, and Jason hung out with Baylor. This gave me some time to go with my mom and sister to the High Point Furniture Mart. This is always fun and overwhelming. So many beautiful things to look at! I got a few ideas for what I would like to save some money for the next time that I go. 

On Sunday, we went to have a lunch cookout to celebrate Pop's birthday. It was such a nice day. We managed to get a group shot as well as a picture of just the 'men folk'. 

Speaking of "pop", my sister in law Kelly is about to. Not that you can tell by looking at her, but according to her Dr., it could be any day now! We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Brighton and Baylor's new cousin Taylor!!
 

Same Outfit Back to Back Picture Time

This is NOT the official 7 month picture of Baylor, but I had to add these. When I got Baylor dressed this morning in this outfit, I remembered how sweet it was and I remembered Brighton wearing it. Baylor in the sweet Janie & Jack Summer Frock

I didn't have the Uncle Craig and Gigi props for these pictures today, so the Bumbo seat had to do!
Here is Brighton when he wore it. Sweet!

Side note, I  just realized that I used the word "sweet" 3 times in this post! I should change the title! 

Bouncing Baby Boys

This week has been moving along nicely. Except for allergies, all is well at our house, or "Homa" as Brighton likes to call it. 

Brighton got a visit from our local police men and firemen at his school this week. He has been talking about the cars and sirens. He is on a big cantaloupe kick all of a sudden. He eats it like crazy, so I am sure he will burn out by the end of the week, just as soon as I have stocked up on more. 

 
Baylor has been continuing to eat solids. He loves applesauce and pears and thinks that squash and sweet potatoes are acceptable. Boy, is he a messy eater!! A bath immediately follows dinner each night. As of today, he has figured out how to actually bounce in his Jumperoo!! I cannot wait to see him in full bounce-action mode, the way that Brighton used to do. It was hilarious. 

He is getting the hang of it. Maybe we will have a very bouncy weekend!!

Tea for 1, Popsicles for 3!

We had a fun weekend. The weather was beautiful! Brighton and Baylor got to play with their cousins all weekend long. Here are Brighton, Jameson and Michael having messy popsicles on a hot Friday afternoon. 

Meanwhile, little Baylor is sitting in the Jumperoo.
He is not jumping yet, but likes the activity part of it. I am hopeful that he will figure out how to bounce soon. Brighton used to jump in that thing for an hour at a time!! It's time to pack up our sweet Little Lamb swing and get it to Kelly and Craig for Taylor to use. 

Oh, I have some good news. I took Baylor this morning to his weekly check up at Cranial Technologies and they have predicted that he will only have to wear his band for 2 more weeks!! More than anything, I am so glad that we started this when we did, so that he will have it off by May. You don't know how hot that thing makes him. This has not been easy on any of us, but at least we did it, and the worst is almost behind us. 

We don't have much going on this week. Low key, the way that I like it. 

The Weekend is Upon Us

Brighton was helping Poppi plant his garden yesterday. 

Baylor continues to love his new activity mat. He is also eating pretty good. A jar each night of something different.So far, he loves apple sauce, and pears. Peaches are just ok, and bananas are YUCK!. I have bought more fruits as well as vegetables for him to try this weekend and since I will have more time with him, I can start giving him two or more of these feedings a day! 

Jason is working on a house for Habitat for Humanity on Saturday through his work. He hopes they will finish early like they did last year. I guess the kids and I will do a Target run for a few needed items. The weather is supposed to be nice. Low 70's!! I love this time of year when you get to have a break in the power bill. No heat and no air. In no time it will be up to 85 and 90 degrees, I am sure, so I had better appreciate this weekend!

Around the house

Lacey went to visit Stephanie and Patrick last weekend. She got to see our Aunt Paula. Stephanie and Paula both sent gifts for the boys back with Lacey. Baylor just loves his new activity mat.

Brighton has a little trouble understanding that Baylor needs "his space". What do you think? Brighton is so sweet with him most of the time and "wants to hug and kiss him". Last weekend, Brighton was laying with his little brother and said to us "I am so happy that you gave me a little brother". I have to document these little sweet moments as they may be few and far between once these brothers start sharing toys.

Jameson and Michael's New Playhouse

Lacey came across this adorable playhouse last week. It has a moss roof and a rustic cottage look to it. It is just precious! The kids will have a ball playing in this all spring and summer. What a great find! 

Chicken Pot Pie

It's recipe time. Those of you who only check in to see my kids and family, skip on ahead!! I thought I would share another recipe though. It is a good way for me to keep track of it, in case I ever need to reference it. My girlfriends and I actually do share recipes a good bit, and I find that we are often sending each other emails that sound something like "sorry to ask you for this recipe yet again..."

I decided to wrap up winter last week with a comfort food dish. My chicken pot pie. For a long time I wanted a good recipe for this, but the only ones I came across involved crust ONLY on the top. This was not going to cut it for me as I think the crispy crust is the best part, so I came up with my own recipe a few years ago. 
These are my ingredients but you can use any veggies that you like. Also, I have made this before with leftover roast beef.

2 large chicken breast cooked and shredded (a rotisserie chicken from the deli works well too)
1 cup of frozen shredded or diced hash browns
1 sliced onion
1 small bunch of asparagus cut into inch long pieces
A handful of baby carrots cut up into bite sized pieces
Half a cup of whatever cheese you have on hand, shredded
1 package of chicken gravy
1 box of pie crust dough. They come 2 to a pack and are found in the biscuit isle

Saute your onion, carrots and asparagus in some butter in a pan

Spray a deep cooking dish (I use my Corning ware) with cooking spray and put down 1st layer of crust. 

Prepare gravy on the stove
Combine chicken, hashbrowns, veggies, cheese and gravy in a bowl and mix well. Poor on top of 1st layer of dough. Cover with the 2nd layer of dough. Cut 2 slits for ventilation. Cook in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

This is always enjoyed in my house or is a nice dish to make for someone who just had a baby or did you a favor! 

"Mama"

Baylor has been saying "Mama" and "Mom" a lot lately. I really don't think it is intentional, but it is sweet! 

I am not sure, but I think he might be trying to tell us about his new, 1st tooth! I knew he was getting close to teething because he has been drooling like crazy lately, but all of a sudden he has a tooth, and it was like it grew over night!! Sorry, you can't see it in this picture. 

Busy, Fun Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend! The sun was shining and it was warm. Saturday was the perfect day for Kelly's baby shower. My mother in law wanted to throw something for Kelly and Craig in Craig's hometown of Fort Mill, with all of her (Rachel's) friends and family that Craig grew up around. She asked me to go in on it with her and it was my pleasure to! We decided to go with a tea party theme. 

We had a great turn out. Kelly and Craig got a lot of nice stuff for baby Taylor. Notice how beautiful and glowing the mama to be is. 

We are all looking forward to meeting Taylor in about a month from now!! 

On Sunday I was invited to go to Raffaldini Vineyard and Winery. It was towards the NC mountains. Six of us went. The wine tasting was fun. I cannot believe that I have never done that before! The vineyard was gorgeous with breathtaking views of the mountains in the back ground. The main building was a Tuscan style structure and we seriously felt like we were in another country!

We noticed on the way there and back that there seemed to be several of these vineyards in the area. I think we may try and go visit some more in the near future. It was something fun and different to do. 

Busy Bees

It seems we have reached the light at the end of the tunnel! The illnesses of the past two weeks have finally BUZZED OFF! The last 10 days have been very challenging for us all. Screaming, fevers, lots of throwing up, sleepless nights...etc. As of now,Baylor is back to his old self. He has been eating like a champ again, and most importantly, keeping it all down!

I am really looking forward to this weekend. On Saturday, my mother in law and I are throwing a shower for Kelly, who is due in 1 month !  Also, I am going to a wine vineyard with some girlfriends on Sunday. Jason has some yard work planned and hopefully Brighton can enjoy some nice sunshiny, outdoor playtime!!