Yankee Doodle Babies

This 4th of July was full of: playing in the pool, water balloon fights, and splashes......

Eating cake and singing Happy Birthday to America........

Sparklers and watching fireflies light up the night sky......

And playing outside until it got way too hot......

Happy 4th of July and Happy Summer!!!

Fun and Fancy Free

My mom came up to visit on Wednesday and we have had such a fun few days!

Everett feeding the ducks at Lake Julian. I kept yelling "too close" as he teetered on rocks near the water. Eric and I got a date in on Thursday night. We went to Barnes and Noble cafe for dessert and then went and saw Eclipse.

Hampton and Nonny at the park.

On Friday we went out for pizza. Here Everett is watching the television they have mounted on the wall.

Everett and all his paraphernalia he toted along with him that day.

Hampton looking quite patriotic. It even kind of looks like he has his hand over his heart.

Saturday we all went back to the lake with Eric after a nice brunch. It was so hot. I kept reapplying sunscreen on Everett because he is so fair skinned.

Oh my chubby chubby baby. I just love those chipmunk cheeks.

My mom and I also got a pedicure and went out to eat Friday night. It was so much fun just being out the two of us. Good food. Good company. We also have done a few projects these past few days as well such as reupholstering our dining room chairs and revamping the garden in our front yard. A fun few days. We are wore out!

Barbeque Faces and PlayDoh Fingernails

Today was just one of those days.......You know. One of those days that just seem to go on forever. One of those days when you look at the clock only to realize just 5 minutes has passed. Don't get me wrong. I love to spend time with my babies, but I am thinking this morning they got together when I wasn't looking and decided to team up against me. Hampton is going through another growth spurt (I think his whole 3 months has just been one huge growth spurt) and is teething something fierce. This combination made for one unhappy baby today.

And Everett, well I don't think his "listening ears" were working at all today. It could be for the fact that I often caught him plugging his ears several times when I was instructing him to do something. That or he just played dumb. Eric and I often wonder if he understands what we are saying to him as we give him a specific instruction. He is a pro at the blank stare. I have come to realize he understands way more than we think. He had us going for awhile, but we are on to his little game. Ha!

But at the end of the day today, as we were eating our barbeque chicken and enjoying a cool breeze as we dined outside, I felt content. Sure this mama had a tough day. But as I kissed the barbeque sauce off my toddler's face and admired the blue PlayDoh underneath his fingernails, I remembered how I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ducks and a Picnic

This morning I decided to take the babies to Lake Julian for some fun. We enjoyed feeding the ducks that were waddling around by the water, even if some were grumpy and hissed at us! I told Everett to stay away from the mama ducks because they were just trying to protect their babies and I was concerned he would get an eye pecking. With the heat the way it was, I was about to just jump into the water for relief! It looked so inviting and I longed for a boat we could sail away on.

Everett also had fun on the playground where we made some new friends. We even met a boy who we found out will be in Everett's preschool class in the Fall. After playing we sat under some tree and had a picnic lunch. The summer heat then finally got to us and we headed home for naps. A fun morning. Where shall we go next boys!?!

Career Girl

For the past few months (6 months to be exact) I have had the joy and pleasure of being at home full time with my babies. As much as I have enjoyed this, I cannot say that I am not eager to get back to work. That is not to say that being at home all day, every day is not work. Believe me, I know it is. There are many days where I just fall into bed completely exhausted from caring for an infant and chasing a wild toddler. However, I absolutely love being a speech therapist and I have really missed it these past few months. It is a part of who I am and I have worked hard to get here.

So, I will be working Tuesdays and Thursdays (about 16 hrs a week) at a long-term care facility roughly about 45 minutes away. I may just enjoy that commute. On Monday and Tuesday this week I was in Durham (about 4 hours away) doing some training/orientation. It was my first time staying in a hotel by myself and it was kind of exciting. I am leaving the world of pediatric rehab and moving into the adult world and I know it will be a professional challenge, but a good one.

So I will need to change my mindset on Tuesdays and Thursdays from: breastfeeding, swaddling, cheerios, Barney, playdoh, naps, changing diapers, burping, blocks, cars, burp cloths, and pacifiers to: aphasia, dementia, swallow studies, cognition, lanugage,tongue depressors, diagnostics, report writing, oral motor exercises, diet modifications, feeding, medicare, and the list goes on.

I feel so blessed the Lord has given me a job where I can be at home more with the babies. We have found an excellent babysitter and Everett will be starting preschool for two mornings a week (the days I work) and I am so excited for him! We have gone through so many changes these past 6 months, but we feel so blessed!

The Past Few Days

The past few days have been really busy, but fun. My aunt Jenny is visiting from Florida this week. We have done some swimming. Gone to the arboretum on a absolutely gorgeous day.

Throwing pennies into a wishing well.

Aunt Jenny and Everett. I love the hydrangea bushes!

Hampton is wearing a hat that is size 2t. It practically fits his head!

We went to the Biltmore's Antler Hill Village. Everett loved the petting zoo where he chased chickens, danced for the goats, and imitated the sheep sounds!

My big boy Hampton. He weighs almost 16 pounds now!

Family picture at Antler Hill Village

Eric's 30th

Eric turned 30 yesterday, whereas I am still hanging out in my 20's! I had some special plans for him and I was praying all day that I would be able to accomplish all my goals. These were the "manliest" flowers I could find at the store. They do look lovely on my table.

Eric's birthday meal is Farmer's Pasta. I make it for him every birthday and it is truly a labor of love. It involves five different types of cheeses, heavy cream, whole milk, and pancetta. It is rich and so good! Try it. You'll love it. Be careful carrying it to the oven though, because this baby is heavy!

We had an arugula salad and pancetta biscuits as well.

The babies were cooperative most of the day. Hampton sat and watched me cook for an hour while Everett napped. I talked to him the whole time, explaining each move and I felt like I was on a cooking show.

Everett is just as wild as ever. My favorite part of the day with him was when we broke out into a spontaneous Pandora dance party. He loves to dance if you haven't noticed.

After we put the babies to bed, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner followed by vegging out on the couch watching a movie. Overall, I think Eric had a very nice birthday. Mission accomplished.