"Tractor" Time with Big Papa!

Pink and Blue Pages

OK, I need help from y'all! If you could use this address: www.facebook.com/pinkandbluepages;
and like Pink and Blue Pages on Facebook, I would REALLY appreciate it. Once you're there, please post on their wall that I sent you there. I want to get as much of a following as possible so they will know I am taking my new column seriously. They plan to go live in 2 weeks, so look for their website info around that time here. THANKS!!!!!

Swing Time!

Branner and I have been walking to our neighborhood park a couple of times a week recently to get some quality time in on the swings. Yesterday, I took my camera and snapped a few pictures. As you can see, Branner LOVES to swing. He has the best time flying through the air and laughs the whole time.

9 Months Old!

Well, here we are, 3/4 of the way through sweet Branner's first year of life. I cannot believe how much he has grown, developed and mastered in such a short time. He is turning into such a big boy! There are times it makes me sad he is growing up so fast. I want him to grow up and learn and have fun, but there will always be a part of me that wants to keep him close and that wishes he could stay a baby forever. We went into Dr. Craig's office for his 9 month check-up yesterday, and everything looks great! Despite the rash scare last week, Branner is healthy, continues to progress ahead of schedule and is just a good baby in general. He weighed in at 20 lbs, 1 oz (50th percentile) and is 29 in long (70th percentile). He has finally evened out a little, and is no longer a giant compared to other kids his age. Dr. Craig did say he is tall for his age, but we'll see how long that lasts. He got one vaccination and his flu shot, and he did great. He didn't even cry, probably because of the bottle he was drinking at the time! An overview of his life these days... Likes: Crawling, crawling, crawling, pulling up on anything and everything in site, Bailey, Chloe, Dylan, walks, baths, talking all the time, putting objects in his mouth, afternoons swinging at the park, Kindermusik, having me chase him everywhere, opening and closing things, Gerber snack puffs, texting on his Blackberry and feeding himself bottles(finally). Dislikes: Not being able to stick his fingers in sockets, being told "no" when he pulls up on things he shouldn't and teething. Clothing sizes: 9 or 12 mo, some 12-18 mo. Diaper size: STILL 3 What he eats: Formula, fruits (except apricots!), grains, veggies, meats, yogurt and puffs. We love you, Branner!

Halloween Costume Preview

Branner wearing his monkey pjs and monkey head piece for his Halloween costume!

Pumpkin Patch

We are just in from a fabulous afternoon spent at Hodge's Dairy Farm (thanks for the recommendation, Shana) picking out pumpkins. We had the best time! We strolled around, looking for the perfect pumpkin. As you can see in the picture above, there were plenty to chose from.

Branner posed for MANY pumpking picking pics. He thoroughly enjoyed sitting among the pumpkins. The one he is reaching for is the one we brought home. If we had the space to post all of the hundreds of pics we took, you would see how he really took a liking to this particular pumpkin.

He even let Barry and I in on the action! Sweet boy!

We love OUR little pumpkin and can't wait to introduce him to all of the fun Halloween traditions! Life is good!

Meadow's Birthday Party

Yesterday was our friend, Meadow's, third birthday party with a Fancy Nancy theme. There were tutus, tiaras and feather boas galore! We had so much fun! Branner played, played and played some more. He also went on his very first horse ride with Daddy! Mommy didn't think getting on the horse would be such a good idea in her "fancy" outfit, so she took pictures instead.

We can't believe Meadow is already three years old. We remember the day she came home from the hospital like it was yesterday. Now, she is a big sister to Summer (10 months) and we have our own sweet baby who is already growing up too fast. Being a parent sure makes time fly by.

Thanks to the DiProspero's for having us! Can't wait to do it again soon!

Mommy's New Job!

I am really excited to announce that I now have a job(ish)! OK, I'm not getting paid for it yet, and it's temporary for the meantime, but I am still uber happy! I applied for a spot as a blogger at a soon-to-be launched Charlotte parenting website a couple of weeks ago. I found out this morning that I have been chosen to write a column. Right now, I will be writing weekly blogs for free, but come January, the 1o bloggers with the most following/response will be chosen to stay on. This could end up being something really big. I really, really hope that everyone who reads this blog will follow me there, too--I know there are only "technically" 4 followers here, but I also know a lot more people than that read it because they tell me. As soon as I have more information, I will post it. I can't wait to get started!

Guest Room Revamp

Finally! I found a duvet I love, and the redecorating of my guest room can commence. I am using a white/grey/black/green color scheme and I can't wait to get started! The duvet is on backorder until October 13, so until then, I will focus on accessories and drapes. So excited to see the finished room!

Daddy Gets Artistic

Ummm, so, Barry is better with the new camera than I am. Here are two of several bath time pictures he took yesterday evening. He has taken to bathing Branner in the sink because that's where he was bathed as a baby. Branner loves it!

Shopping Day With Shana and Carter

Playing in the play area.
Carter teaching Branner how to drive.
Branner made a new friend!
Hellooooo, ladies!

Yesterday, we spent the morning with Shana and Carter at Carolina Place Mall doing what we do best--shopping! Okay, we actually didn't buy anything, but we were helping Shana try to find something to wear to a party she is going to this weekend. Unfortunately, we didn't have any success in that area. After we had traipsed around to all of the stores that we thought would have what she was looking for, the boys blew off some steam in the play area. Branner crawled to his heart's content, made a new friend at the wall puzzle and "drove" a Corvette. He had a ball! After a quick lunch at McAllister's, we headed home for naptime. Can't wait to do this again soon with our favorite buddies!