Porch Pool Party

Yesterday, we had our first ever pool party on our porch!  Annie loved it and so did I!  

You see, all that Annie wants to do these days is move!  But, she cannot yet move on her own.  So this means that I am either walking her while holding her hands or following very closely behind while she walks with her baby walker.  And if we are not always moving, it can be very frustrating for this active baby girl! 

So, I decided that a pool party on the porch would be a great way for baby and Mama to sit still for a little while :)   

Annie splashed and played and watched the world go by!  

Can you see her tan?  She has the most adorable tan that looks beautiful with her blond hair and gorgeous blue eyes!

She even started throwing her ball out of the pool and down the front steps on purpose.  I would go after it, throw it back, and we would do it again!  Our first official game of throw and catch!

Annie also stayed hydrated by drinking the pool water! 

She drinks like a duck - head all the way in the bucket or cup!  

Look how flexible she is!

We danced to some music which is one of Annie's favorite things to do!  

She loves to boogie and definitely has the beat!

I can see a lot more porch pool parties in our future!!

And finally, when it was time to get out, I asked Annie if she was ready, and this was her answer!!

I think its safe to say she liked it! :)

9 Months

Annie is now 9 1/2 months old, but I am just getting around to this post as usual!  

8 months was a great month!

We do not go back to the doctor for another well baby check-up until she is 1, so I don't have any official stats.  I meant to measure her myself and chart it, but I just never did.  I do know that her unofficial weight was 20 pounds because I weighed her on my scale.

Here is a look back at her 8 month picture.

Annie continues to be such a happy baby that is full of love, laughter, and smiles!  She is learning new things every day which is so much fun!

I love this picture because this is a face we see a lot these days!  Relaxed but contemplative.  Love those cheeks!

She has learned cause and effect meaning that if she pushes a button something will happen.  She intentionally makes her toys play music, spin, etc.

Annie is also very intrigued by all buckles.  She likes to try and put them together while in her stroller, car seat, etc.  Here is a little video that I took of her working on her stroller buckles.  I am amazed that she knows that they go together and is also so good with her hand-eye coordination at matching them up to try and buckle them.  So smart!

This month Annie learned to clap!  It started out with one fisted hand and one open hand, but by the end of the month she was clapping with both hands opened up!  She is very proud of herself and loves to clap!  She also loves when we clap with her or for her!  Annie claps when appropriate too!

Annie also started shaking her head back and forth as if saying "no."  At first, I thought it was just coincidental that she would shake her head no when I asked her a question.  But then, I realized that she was actually answering me intentionally saying no.  She tells me no if she doesn't want anymore water, a certain food, a particular toy, etc.  It is so amazing to have her communicating like such a big girl!

Annie also started using her bye-bye wave as a means to say hello!  She learned that it is a good way to greet people and get their attention.  She does not always wave, but she definitely knows when and how to if she wants to.

Annie also waves at me from the back seat while we are in the car!  She sees me in the mirror above her car seat which reflects from my rear view mirror.  We talk, smile, and wave at each other all the time!  It is the sweetest thing!  She also laughs all the time while in the car which I love to hear!  

While in a sitting position, Annie can now spin herself completely around in a circle.  This is very handy when trying to reach something or see something.

Watching Brad hit golf balls on the range!  She loves being outside!

And finally, Annie took her first steps with a baby walker just 3 days before her 9 month birthday!  When I stood her up behind the walker, she knew just what to do since she walks with my hands all the time.  She immediately started walking and liked it!  (She has now officially taken her first baby steps on May 6 at just over 9 months old!!! More to come on this in a separate post!)

As for food, Annie continues to try new things and enjoy eating!  She  is a great eater!  We still nurse  4-6 times a day, and she eats 3 meals of solid food a day as well!  This month, I introduced Annie to bite sized food that she can pick-up, and she has become very good at using her pincer grasp to eat!  She loves everything that she eats (except apples, pears, and plums still) and wants anything that I am eating!   This month she ate spaghetti, black beans, corn, watermelon, tomatoes and tons of other new foods!  I am so thankful that she is such a good eater!  

She is now my breakfast, lunch, and dinner date every day!

Here she is drinking my green smoothie that she LOVES!  I love how she is watching me film her :)

And, as far as sleeping, 8 months was a great month!!  She slept through the night more often than not!   Annie also continues to be a great napper and takes 2 good naps everyday!  Thank you Lord for a baby who sleeps well!

Annie, you are an absolute joy to be around!  I am so thankful that I am home all day every day to enjoy each little thing that you are learning and doing!  We are so proud of you and love you very much!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to me, my Mom, and mother-in-law along with all of my friends who are moms too!  

I love everything about being a mother and have found such joy and contentment in this new role!  

I thank God every single day for allowing me to be a mom!

Annie, I love you with all of my heart and am so grateful to be your Mama!

We have had a fun weekend celebrating Nicole's birthday and Joanne with bowling and dinner at Carrabba's and then brunch today at our house celebrating my Mom!  

Thank you Mama for being a wonderful mother and role model to me!  I love you!

The Best Day

Like I said in my last post, Brad, Annie, and I stayed an extra night at Carillon Beach so that we could drive to Mobile on Monday and stay the night there for Brad's business meeting on Tuesday.  So, as I told Brad at the end of the day Sunday, the three of us had "the best day" spending time as our little family of 3!  We are so fortunate to get to vacation with each of our families and we certainly get to do way more than we could ever do alone, but it was so fun to just be the 3 of us for a little adventure!

We started off the day with a delicious breakfast at The Summer Kitchen Cafe in Rosemary Beach!  

We ate on the patio and enjoyed being surrounded by the quaint and beautiful village as well  

watching the passers by.

Look at the beautiful shops and architecture in Rosemary Beach!

I loved this stand alone screened in porch above the garage!  What a dream!

After walking around a little bit and admiring the amazing homes, window shopping, and watching dogs catch a frisbee on the green, we headed back to the condo for Annie's nap.  I was able to lay out by the pool which overlooked a small little lake.

After nap time, we packed up everything we own everything we needed for a day at the beach and headed back to Rosemary Beach.  We rented two chairs and an umbrella and set up shop for the day!

Here is our set-up!

After a few pictures including all 3 of us,

Daddy and Annie,

and Mama and Annie,

we sat down to enjoy the amazing view!  I haven't seen the water this gorgeous in a long time!

We saw two women walk by with a live parrot!?!?  What in the world?!?!

The houses at Rosemary Beach that overlook the beach are unbelievable!

Then, we all enjoyed lunch on the beach

and Annie played in her baby pool!

Annie was exhausted after being in the sun and splashing in the pool, so her Daddy worked his magic and put her to sleep beach side.  

Seriously, Brad can get her to sleep anywhere even when I cannot!  It is amazing and awesome!  I think Annie just relaxes in his big arms and falls right asleep :)

Brad and I gave each other a big high five and sat down to enjoy a cocktail!   

After Annie's nap, we headed back to the condo, let Annie take another short nap, cleaned-up, and then went back to dinner at the Old Florida Fish House on 30A.  It was that good! 

What a perfect day!

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On Monday, we packed up and drove to Mobile.  On our way, we stopped again at The Summer Kitchen Cafe in Rosemary Beach and then did a quick drive through of Seaside since Annie was asleep.  What a beautiful and fun place!  Once in Mobile, we had a good time and were mostly just happy to be together!  Unfortunately, Brad's meeting never happened on Tuesday because the man he was supposed to meet got called into court to testify about something.  So, after a long day of waiting around, we headed home about 3:00 Tuesday afternoon and were so glad to be out of the car!  I love vacation, but it is always good to be home!

Carillon Beach

Last Friday, Brad, Annie, and I joined his family at Carillon Beach for the wedding of Leigh Ellen & Mitch.  It was a lot of packing and quite the journey to get down there!  Annie immediately fell asleep and did great for about an hour and fifteen minutes until we had to start driving around in a big loop on Highway 331.  

Brad had a conference call for work and was afraid of running out of service on the rural highway so we kept turning around to stay within cell phone coverage!  Eventually when it was his turn to talk on the call, Annie and I got out and walked around a random gravel road and field!

Eventually, we got back on the road and slowly made our way to the beach.  We did stop again at Doc's which was one of literally just a few places that we saw to eat.  Thankfully, they were willing to make us a cheeseburger even though they had already stopped serving lunch!

The porch at Doc's

Finally, we made it to the beach in time to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.  We had a fun night and delicious dinner at the Old Florida Fish House on 30A.  Annie and I stayed until 8:30.  She did great staying up way past her bedtime and with all of the people and excitement.  

Annie slept in until 9:00 Saturday morning since she went to bed so late and since she was so worn out.  After we all got up, we ate breakfast with the family at a local dive called Steaks, Shakes, and Pancakes in Panama City.  We all lounged the rest of the day and got ready for the wedding at 5:00.  Unfortunately, Annie only got one nap in on Saturday so she was very tired.  

The Newlyweds

The wedding was beautiful and the food was delicious!!  We also took lots of pictures with the family!

All of us!

Love this one of Annie clapping with JoJo and Grandpa!

Aunt Nicole and Uncle Taylor

Just the girls!

Annie enjoyed dancing with her Daddy...

and walking around exploring with him!

Thankfully, Annie is a trooper and did great!  We stayed at the wedding until 8:00.  She was asleep within 1 minute in the car.  Poor baby - I felt like we just wore her out!

 Thank you to Tom and Joanne for the fun weekend!  We enjoyed getting to spend time with the family!

Brad's family left early Sunday morning to pack up his grandmother who is moving to Birmingham, but Brad, Annie, and I stayed so that Brad could do work in Mobile on Tuesday.  More to come on the rest of our trip!