Halloween

We dressed up in a family costume to a friend's Halloween party. Isaac was stinker boy. Chris was punctuation man. I was math woman. We were supposed to be a group of reject superheroes :). Isaac also got to party at daycare; he was just a skunk for their Halloween parade.

Grandma G and Balloon Festival

In September, Chris went on a trip with his school to the mountains. My mom came down to visit with me and help me out a little. I was really grateful, because I was feeling overwhelmed with work (both jobs), school, and caring for Isaac. My mom came down and helped me surprise Chris by having the carpets cleaned, framing our two oil paintings, and other general clean up. It was quite a surprise for Chris--we had to go to Ikea and get some new furniture! It so nice to have someone come down and lend a hand to help us out.

My parents and grandparents came to visit us again. It was really nice to have the extra help around the house again. It was a quick trip, but we made the most out of it. We went to the Lexington barbecue and the Statesville balloon festival. We had a good time and Isaac was happy to see everyone!

Williamsburg, VA

Only a few days back from Cape Cod and Isaac and I headed up to Williamsburg, VA, to meet with my parents and grandparents. Chris and Marvin had to stay home, because Chris was getting ready to start school again. The drive was interesting; it was about four hours to get there. Isaac and I didn't do too bad. We got there in time for dinner. I had recently gotten my Droid, so we used it to determine where we were going to eat. We decided to eat at Second Street Bistro. It was good, and I would recommend it (stay tuned, there are lots of great restaurants that we ate at!).

The next day, my parents had to go to on a tour, so my grandparents and I hung around the house. Then we went to the shopping area. It was tax free weekend, and I desperately needed clothes for work--or that weren't maternity :). We didn't really find anything spectacular. We had a snack and then headed back to the condo.

It has been a long time since this, so I am going to summarize the trip from there:

--we went swimming a few times in the pool

--we went to Bush Gardens, but only rode one ride. Isaac wasn't big enough for the kid rides

--we went to the College of William and Mary (so beautiful!)

--we went to the Williamsburg Winery

--we went to the Jamestown Settlement

--I drink tim tams and tea Austrailan style (thanks Elizabeth :))

--we played dominoes, I am sure I didn't win!

--we ate at the Carrot Tree (a must go to, make sure you get dessert)

--we ate at the Blue Talon Bistro (very good as well)

Isaac and I enjoyed our time with everyone and were glad to share some vacation time with Mamie and Papaw Bill, Grandma G and Papaw Sam.

An update--FINALLY!

Isaac is a week away from being 10 months old! It is hard to believe. I hope to have some of the pictures and news that I have missed over the past 5 months up soon :). Isaac has three teeth and is working on the fourth! Here is what Isaac can do and what he eats.
He can:

• pull up


• cruise along furniture


• crawl well


• crawl up the stairs


• stand momentarily without holding on (did this last night for the first time in the bath!)


• feed himself


• walk behind his tractor


• clap


• wave and say "hi"


• say "mom" and "dad" (almost says "dog" too)


• points (not at anything specifically yet)


• drink out of a sippy cup

He eats:

• rice, barley, and oatmeal cereal


• whole wheat toast


• brown rice


• whole wheat tortillas


• puffs (blueberry, apple, peach, sweet potato)


• fruits: blueberries (a favorite!), apples, peaches, cherries, pears, mango, banana


• vegetables: green beans, peas, squash, broccoli, red pepper, yellow pepper, onion, cucumber, spinach, carrots


• protein: egg yolk, avocado (a favorite!), beef, chicken, turkey


• kidney beans
• potato
• sweet potato

Isaac is growing fast! He was 24 pounds and 4 ounces and almost 29 inches at his 9 month doctor's appointment.

5 months of Isaac and Cape Cod

After our trip to Indiana in July, Isaac turned 5 months old. We had tried some rice cereal, but we weren't doing it often. We started to prepare for Isaac's first plane trip. We were flying to Boston, Massachusetts, for a wedding in Cape Cod of one of Chris's friends from high school. We left the house early enough, parked the car, and headed on the shuttle to the airport. I was probably more nervous than Isaac. We got on the plane first and got settled. I began to nurse Isaac as we took off. Luckily, he was great on the flight. We got our rental car and car seat and headed off into Boston to explore before we headed to the Cape. Neither Chris nor I had been to Boston previously, so we wanted to see some stuff! We ended up having lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe (yes, I am one of those dorks who collects Hard Rock guitars--my last one previous to this one was from Buenos Aires, Argentina). We also got to walk around Quincy Market which wasn't far from the Hard Rock. After a little bit of Boston, we decided to head out to the Cape. The trip was supposed to take an hour and a half, but it was closer to two and half to three hours to get out there. Our little motel was quaint. We checked in and got our welcome gift from Erin and Matt. We decided to take one of their recommendations and eat at Arnold's for dinner. Arnold's was a very popular place. We waited in line for over an hour, but the food was well worth it! Isaac was the life of the party until we sat down to eat; he nursed and then slept through dinner. Chris had some fish and chips that looked and tasted delicious. The next day was a little stormy when we woke up. We had a package to go whale watching, but we knew the boats wouldn't be running with the stormy weather. We ate breakfast, talked with the groom, and headed to the Cape Cod vineyard. It was a really pretty little vineyard. The tasting area was really neat, and Chris and I got to enjoy some wine. After a quick lunch, we headed out to the whale watching. It took us awhile to park, so we signed up for our trip and then went to have an early dinner. We had another fantastic dinner, and Isaac had quite the poopy diaper episode! We boarded the boat and took a seat on top. Another first for Isaac--a boat ride! Chris and I weren't really thinking and we sat near the horn. It scared Isaac pretty good. As the boat started out, Isaac fell asleep in my arms. We got some pretty amazing views of the cape on our way out to see the whales. The boat stopped once we saw the whale. Isaac woke up and found everyone's silence to be a moment for him to show off his screeching skills. We got tons of great shots of the whales and Isaac's enthusiam. It was just really cool. We started to make our way back to shore, and the sun was setting. It was absolutely gorgeous! We headed back to the motel, and Chris headed off to the bachelor party. Isaac and I enjoyed some time in the motel together.

The next morning, we headed off to the bay to play in the low tide. It was really cool to see all the different types of crabs and the oyster traps. Isaac enjoyed the warm waters as well. We headed off to lunch and then decided to take a trip out to the ocean side of the cape. We parked and decided to walk without the stroller to the beach. The walk was about a mile and half. It was a little chilly when we got to the beach, and Isaac wasn't really excited to see the ocean. The waves sounded scary to him because of the rocks. He got in for a second or two, but was more content to sit in the sand and watch Chris swim.

The next day was the wedding. We all got ready and headed out to the wedding site. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. Isaac wouldn't cooperate during the ceremony, so he and I did not get to hear the ceremony. We enjoyed the cocktail hour and the sitdown lunch. Everything was just beautiful, and we enjoyed being a part of Matt and Erin's day. After spending some time talking with friends, we headed back into Boston for our flight early the next morning. We had a great time in Cape Cod!

Part Two of the Indiana Trip

After leaving my mom and dad's, we headed up to see Chris's family. They had planned a get together for that afternoon with his family. We had a great lunch and got to sit and talk to everyone. Isaac loved showing off how he can rollover onto his stomach and turn in a clockwise circle.

The next day we went out to Matt and Heather's for brunch. Chris played outside with the Dylan, Jaycee, and Kolton, and I stayed inside and played with Isaac and Addison. I think the kids gave Chris quite a workout! They played baseball outside for most of the day. Kolton had a baseball game, so we went to Michigan to watch him play. Matt is the head coach, and Chris got to fill in as a coach for his brother Thom. Kolton played outfield, catcher, and pitcher. He did a great job! They ended the game early in a tie. Isaac enjoyed watching the game for awhile, but he and I did do a lot of walking around. We went back to Matt and Heather's for dinner that night.

The day after that we had lunch at a local restaurant with Chris's parents and grandma. It was all decorated with Cubs stuff. It was very appropriate! We went out to Matt and Heather's again that night for dinner. Matt cooked spaghetti--it was really good! Marvin had some issues with one of the kid's friends that was over, but he really enjoyed Addison.

The next day, we left to come home. It was an 11 hour journey again. Isaac started to get fussy when we were an hour away from our house. He was excited to be home though. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed our entire trip to Indiana!

Four month doctor appointment and Part One of Indiana trip!

Whew! July was a very busy month! Isaac, Chris, Marvin, and I are just getting caught up. Isaac went to his four month doctor appointment, and he was in the 75th percentile for height, the 93th percentile for head size, and the 99th percentile for weight. The doctor suggested that we wait on rice cereal due to his weight. The doctor was impressed with Isaac and his attitude of "faster and better" as his dad says.
We finally went to Indiana to visit our families and friends. I decided to do the trips in two parts due to all the excitement. The trip started with an 11 hour car ride with us arriving at my parents' new house at 2:30 a.m. Isaac was pretty good during the car ride, but he had definitely had it by hour ten. Marvin was also ready to get out and play. When we arrived, Isaac played on the floor, Marvin got a quick walk, and I got the tour of my parents' new place. After sleeping briefly, we were ready for the adventures of the day. My parents' went to some garage sales while we had breakfast and walked Marvin. They found a Combi stroller for ten dollars, which they bought for Isaac. It is great, because it is small, lightweight, and easy to travel with. For lunch, we went to a Japanese steakhouse. It is one of my favorite places to go while in the area. Isaac did really well while we ate lunch, and he wasn't scared of the fire (they cook in front of you). After lunch, we got to see Andrew briefly to give him some lemonade at work. It has been crazy hot this summer! We then had to pick up Ty and Audrey from daycare to do the grandkid pictures at the Farm. I couldn't believe how much Ty and Audrey had grown up! I do realize it had been over a year since I had seen them last but still! We arrived at the farm and got the kids all changed into their jean overalls. Colton was cute with his curly hair! It was pretty hot, but I think we managed to get a few good shots. Afterwards we hung out with Aunt Tracy, Uncle Tom, and Michael. We headed back to my parents for dinner. My dad had been busy cooking bacon while we were away. My grandparents and Uncle Tom and Aunt Tracy also had dinner with us. We had tomato and bacon sandwiches, Indiana sweet corn, and wilted lettuce. It was fantastic, and yes, I have pictures of the food!

The next day we had scheduled a playdate with Amanda's kids--Ellie and Kentley and Kayci's son--Gavin. It was great to catch up with them and see how much their kids had grown up. We all went out to lunch together. Afterwards, Andrew got his kids from daycare, and we all went swimming. It was really great to get in the pool. Audrey wouldn't let go of me though! Isaac enjoyed a meal after swimming for a little while. We had dinner at Andrew and Leann's house. It was the first time that we had seen their new house as well. I really like the colors and the layout. I really enjoyed the turkey burgers that we had for dinner that night.

The day after that we went swimming again in the morning. We had an open house in the afternoon so that all of our friends and family could come and meet Isaac. We also got to play some dominoes and eat The Ordinary's pizza. By the way, cheeseless pizza from the Ordinary looks very weird. Marvin ripped a hole in my Uncle Rick's shorts when my dad took him down to the house. Sorry again! Marvin has been afraid of storms, and he has been especially protective of us since Isaac was born. Thanks again to all our friends and family who made it out! We didn't get to see everyone, so we hope that we do on our next trip up!

We left the next day to go up to see Chris's family. Look for the continuation of our Indiana adventure in the next blog post!

Four months of fun with Isaac!

Isaac is now a little over four months! We will have the updates on length, weight, and head size after his doctor's appointment (which includes his four month shots!). Uncle Thom came down for a visit with us. He got to come to my work and meet some of my colleagues, and he watched Isaac for 20 minutes all by himself! Isaac enjoyed his visit; Thom and Marvin did not get along, however.

The four of us met up with Grandma G, Papaw Sam, Mamie, and Papaw Bill in the mountains. Our cabin was up very high (up a very scary one lane "cow path"), but the view was beautiful! Isaac enjoyed some time in the hot tub (no worries--it wasn't hot at all). Grandma G made a fantastic birthday cake for me. Marvin kept his eyes out for the black bear that was supposed to be lurking about. We never saw him or any evidence that he was close by. We went into town and had lunch with some samplings of the local microbrews and strolled around the shops. Grandma G gave Isaac his new favorite toy--his jumparoo! He loves to jump for long periods of time in it (and his Mom and Dad appreciate the time to have our hands free). Chris enjoyed his first father's day with dinner and a card chosen especially for him by Isaac, Marvin, and I. It was nice to spend father's day with my dad and Papaw Bill again. My mom enjoyed her S&D coffee that we picked up for her for her birthday present as well. Isaac was much better on this car trip, so we are learning how to travel more with him (and Marvin)!

Isaac continues to roll over on his left side and occasionally on his right side. He has made /f/, /g/, and /r/ sounds and all of his vowels sounds. He loves to talk to people or his hands. He continues to amaze us everday!

A milestone reached!

After about a month of trying, Isaac rolled over! He rolls over to his left side. After a month of getting his left arm stuck underneath him or getting distracted by sucking on his thumb or distracted by toys, he pulled his left arm out yesterday and did it!

The picture is of Isaac dancing during our trip during Uncle Thom's visit to the Carolina Brewery. Isaac started dancing to the live band's verison of "Brown-eyed Girl". He entertained not only our small little group, but the other tables surronding us too!

Birthday, Aquarium, and First Swim!

It has been another busy month already. For Chris's birthday, Isaac made a card at daycare! It was a very special card. Annalee told daycare that it was going to be Chris's birthday, so that made sure to make it a surprise! We had our first family roadtrip (minus Marvin) to the Aquarium. It wasn't the most successful car trip with Isaac; both mom and dad learned a lot! When we first got to the hotel, Isaac slept on the bed. We took off for the Aquarium first thing the next morning. Isaac was hungry as soon as we got in, so Annalee fed him before we did anything. Isaac then fell asleep, so Chris carried him around. It was all of our first time at the Aquarium, so Chris and I enjoyed it even when Isaac was sleeping. Annalee went to check out the penguins, and Isaac woke up! He spent most of his time in the stroller or in the carrier with Chris. Isaac really liked to watch the fish and other sea creatures as they moved around. He particularly liked the coral reef animals.

When we got back from the Aquarium, it was time for Isaac's first trip to the pool! He loves bath time, so we figured he would love swimming as well. Chris took him into the wading pool at first, and then we all three got in the regular sized pool. Isaac did not seem to like being in his turtle--he was not heavy enough to touch the water with his hands. Chris and I both took turns walking around with him in the pool. He seemed pretty indifferent. We are sure on his next swimming adventure, he will be happier!

Busy, busy and so much has happened!

Well, our little family sure has been busy over the past six weeks! We wanted to give you a brief update on all the happenings:

• Grandma G came down to help Annalee get ready to go back to work. It was hard putting in Isaac to daycare, but it was great to have an extra person to support her! Grandma G also was a big help in cleaning and making a few meals that Chris and Annalee both enjoyed eating! Thanks again, Grandma G!


• Isaac started daycare. We love his teacher and have enjoyed watching him grow as he learns at his "school".


• Annalee started school. In some ways, it has felt like she never left. In other ways, it seems like she missed a WHOLE bunch. It is always interesting trying to find the time and place to pump.


• Isaac got his first fever and cold. He got it and had to stay home with dad. It was the same day he was supposed to have his shots, so they got postponed. At that appointment, which was his two month appointment, he weighed 13 lbs. 6 oz. and 24 1/8 inches. He is in the 90th percentile for both height and length! No worries about being too big: he is in the 50th percentile for his weight compared to his length


• Isaac got his first shots! He cried, but Chris fed him a bottle left over from daycare, and he was just fine!


• For Mother's Day, Isaac made his mom a very special Mother's Day card. It had his picture and his handprints. It made his mom cry.


• Isaac had his pictures taken at daycare--his first school pictures! He also fingerpainted a flower that is displayed in the classroom.


• Isaac was the life of a party celebrating a good friend's birthday. His parents were glad to get out of the house and enjoy some adult company.


• Isaac got a visit from his Uncle Ricky and Aunt Lauren, and Lauren's sister Erin and her parents Pat and Tyrone! We had a fantastic brunch with them and enjoyed the opportunity.


• Isaac is the happiest little guy: he loves going for walks with Marvin and smiling and laughing and "talking" to his mom and dad. He likes holding his head up and looking around, and he's trying very hard to roll over. We think he will do it very soon. He has slept through the night three nights in a row, but the streak was broken by another cold.


• Isaac continues to grow so fast. He is well into 3-6 month clothes and is even wearing some that are labeled 6-9 months. Since there is no three month doctor visit, we weighed and measured him this weekend: based on the bathroom scale and dad's tape measure he's 15 lbs 12 oz and 25 1/2 inches.

Update more soon!

Sixth week with Isaac

Here are some pictures of Isaac as he plays in his pack n play and in the bath! He is learning more and more everyday. He enjoys hitting his rattles and looking at himself in the mirror. He has started sleeping in his crib in his bedroom. It is hard to believe how fast the time is flying by!

One month and counting...

Last Friday, Isaac, mom, and dad went to the doctor for our one month check up. Isaac weighs 9 pounds 15.6 ounces (50 percentile) and is 22 1/2 inches (75 percentile). To quote the doctor, she said, "He is perfect!". Of course we already knew this! He is lifting his head for longer periods of time during tummy time, tracking toys from left to right, and recognizes mom's, dad's, and Grandma G's voices. Isaac loves the sunshine and warm weather, so we walk as much as possible with Marvin. We have moved from Newborn size diapers to size one, and Isaac is now wearing 0-3 month clothes instead of Newborn size. Although there are a few outfits that are newborn that he can still wear! We are developing more and more of a routine. Isaac sleeps three and half to four and half hours during the night. During the day, he likes to play in his activity center and watch the mirror and mobile on his swing. His all time favorite activity is to walk around the house in the baby carrier with his mom.

After our first outing last week, Isaac and I were more confident to go out on our own. We visited dad at work and had lunch, went to the dry cleaner and Target, and Babies R Us and Chick Fil A. Chris and I also took him to Punchy's for dinner over the weekend. He did really well and did not get fussy until we were about to leave. Mom also went grocery shopping over the weekend without Isaac. It was a good test for Mom! Dad enjoyed his time alone with Marvin and Isaac.