Summertime Fun!

Yikes...my poor blog is feeling neglected. I check on everyone else, comment, upload my pics and goings-on to Facebook, but can't seem to take the time for a blog post. That's gotta change!

Here's what we are up to... I'm out of school for summer (until August 15th!!!!!! woooohoooo) and I've enjoyed my first week off with the kiddos. Beckett is already becoming quite the momma's boy, which I don't complain about too much. However I know Lori, our babysitter, won't be too thrilled with an unhappy boy come the end of summer break. 

I am still in class earning my Master's degree. I get no breaks. My courses last 8 weeks and every other course we get one week off before the next one starts. It's a lot of work, but I'm thankful I don't have to travel and sit in class and that I am able to complete most of the work after Paisley and Beckett go to bed. Ready for it to be over...April 2012. Ugh.

We bought a new camera over the weekend...no more point and shoot for this family. I am SO excited. We celebrate our 5 year anniversary on June 17th, so it was our gift to each other. We researched a lot and decided on a Canon Rebel T1i. I am very pleased with it but I sure do have a lot of learning ahead of me! So many modes, then there are the lenses that I really know nothing about. I'm determined though. Ready for a new hobby and better pictures of my sweeties.

Rodney is just working away. Nothing new or too exciting to report for him. Paisley counts down the minutes until he comes home each day from work and asks often...I think I heard Daddy or It's almost time for Daddy to come home or Is Daddy on his way home yet? Poor girl...daddy's girl for sure!

Paisley is turning into quite the little fish as we are spending as much time as possible at the Uhl pool (close friends of our family). She loves to swim and have Abbigail's undivided attention in the pool. This week Paisley thinks she doesn't need a nap. Let me tell you...she does. :( Beckett naps from 1-3 or close to it. At Lori's, and at home when she wants to, Paisley does too. She lays in her bed, sneaks books and small toys into bed with her, or tip-toes around her room collecting things. When she hears me coming to check on her...run and jump in her bed. Little stinker. Her brain gets new wrinkles all the time as she is learning things like crazy. She knows all her letters and their sounds. She can spell and write...Paisley, Mommy, Daddy, Pop, Nana, Mamaw, and Papaw. She is close to knowing Beckett but still gets a little confused. She loves to draw and her pictures of people are getting more detailed every day. They are hilarious!
See Paisley's artwork album on Facebook...

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1637102739077.2073050.1582015272&l=c10551fee0

  

 Beckett is doing absolutely amazing! We have his 12 month well child visit scheduled for the first week in July. Birthday party planning is well under way and the invites went in the mail today. No big theme, just bright colors, a new red wagon, and a handsome boy! We are trying to turn this party into more of a thank you for all the support we received before he was born and while Beckett was in the hospital for 20 days. It is so hard to believe it has almost been a year since our time in the NICU. In most ways it seems like that stress was just yesterday. How far we have come in a year!?! Beckett is still receiving physical therapy once a week. He is crawling EVERYWHERE, pulling up to his knees all the time, and starting to repeat words. In PT, Heather is working on standing while holding onto toys, pulling up to stand from kneeling. He really doesn't like to stand now that he crawls, because he knows he can get down and move wherever he wants to. Still working like crazy though to make him more comfortable standing.
Food is his main love right now...pieces of cheese, crackers, baby puffs, yogurt melts, still some baby food especially at lunch time or dinner if we aren't having something I can give him, yogurt with rice cereal, baby goldfish, a few french fries when Paisley will share at a restaurant, pretty much anything we put in front of him. Still having four 6oz bottles a day. Refuses any of the 362 sippy cups we have purchased. Water in a bottle will do occasionally. We've got to figure something out but he is quite stubborn. Dr. Nassim (our pediatrician) will tell us no more bottle at his 12 month checkup. Geez! 
Beckett's words...mama, dada, no (hilarious...see the video on Facebook, if you haven't already), duck, uh-oh. He's repeated some other sounds as well (thank you, please, I love you, more, all done) and Paisley is quite the little teacher trying to get him to say words all the time. He knows the sign for "all done" too!

Last Thursday we spent the day at Kosair Children's Hospital filming a commercial. :)))) Yeah, pretty amazing opportunity. I've been talking to a guy with an advertising company in Georgia for over a month. They got our name from the hospital, but I honestly didn't think it would ever work out. Turns out...it really happened! It was quite the experience, that's for sure. There were about 10 kids, one of them was "going home" and the other children were supposed to be in the hospital telling her good-bye. Beckett was the only baby and was in a nurses station with a nurse playing. We have no idea when it will air, but it was quite the production...crew of 50, most of a unit shut down, security around the area. Fun times! We were told to bring at least 10 outfits for the wardrobe lady to choose from, then she called and wanted us to bring pajamas and onesies too. A whole laundry basket full of choices and he ended up wearing a yellow onesie. Oh well, they liked his chubby legs showing. We have no idea when it will air, but I can't wait to see how it all comes together. My mom and I recorded some audio for them to use also, just sharing Beckett's story and our experience with the hospital.

A few more pictures to share.

 

Paisley with some sparkling grape juice at the Uhl Anniversary party. She thought she was big stuff!

Paisley with Mamaw Jones.

Beckett and Juliann

Yummy...first ice cream cone at Polly's Freeze and crackers and cheese.

Wow! I ended up with a lot to share. Thanks for sticking with me!