Deep South Tour, Part 3 -- Mississippi

After our time in Alabama, we packed up the car and drove west to see the Campbell family in Mississippi. We made it just in time for the annual Prairie Arts Festival and 5k Run.

H had a great time with Bevie and Papa and he got to meet Aunt B for the first time.

 

He took his first trip to Papa's gravel pit and enjoyed watching all the action. He even got his on safety vest. Papa was proud to introduce H to all his staff.

H spent some time on the golf course, during his first trip to Old Waverly. Thanks to Bevie, C and I enjoyed some time at the pool as well.

H met lots of family during his Mississippi visit.

We even took a day trip to the Mississippi Delta to visit his Great Mama Janet. These two hit it off the second they met. We ate a delicious lunch and H was all smiles the entire visit. He loves his MJ!

After a fun, family-filled week - we packed up and headed back to Alabama. This time to Tuscaloosa, where it all began!

Deep South Tour, Part 2 -- Alabama

Oh my, it has been a long time since I last updated. Isn't a neglected blog so sad? I am going to work in overdrive to catch up, and vow to never get this behind again. But let's be honest, I am sure I will be writing another apology for the silence note by Christmas.

Back to our August Deep South Tour. The hurricane cut our beach trip short, but all that meant was more time at Gradmar and Pappy's house where H got to meet lots of new friends and enjoy small town living.

We took daily walks around the block and made visits to the neighborhood community garden to pick peppers and okra and cut fresh flowers.

We had a constant stream of good friends coming to meet H.

We spent some quality time with Archie, who did his best to ignore the baby who invaded his territory.

H went to college to visit Professor Pappy at work.

Our sweet neighbors hosted a "Sip and See" so H could meet dear family friends.

Finally, we got to cap off our visit with a birthday celebration for Aunt S. We love her so much.

And just like that, we were off for a visit in Mississippi.

Deep South Tour, Part 1 -- The Beach

Summer has given way to Fall in our neck of the woods. What better way to send her off than with a recap of the Campbell summer vacation, also known as "H's Deep South Tour." This two-week trip included a stay at the beach, visits to Alabama and Mississippi, and concluded with H's first football Alabama football game.

H was a perfect angel on his first plane ride. He slept during takeoff and landing and when awake, he smiled at all of his fellow passengers. 

We met Grandmar, Pappy, Aunt S, and R at the beach. Don't let the beautiful sunshine fool you, we arrived just as a hurricane was making its way to the Gulf Coast. We are apparently starting a family tradition of escaping August hurricanes. First, C asked my parents for their blessing of our engagment while Hurricane Katrina swirled around them. We evacuated our honeymoon on the fourth day because of Hurricane John, and this time, H's first trip to the beach was shortened by Hurricane Isaac. Four days was downsized to two and a half, so knowing that our time would be limited, we immediately the pool.

H quickly figured out that beach naps are the best.

Our beach baby loves the water. 

And we loved watching him experience it for the first time. 

C and I celebrated our six anniversary while there, so we enjoyed some downtime at the lazy river pool while grandparents doted on H. 

All in all, it was a happy first beach memory full of all the things it should be: hot sun, cold beer, beach naps, seafood and for our family, a hurricane evacuation...

Six Months

Six months. What?! How?! Wasn't it just yesterday that your Daddy and I secretly wished they would let us stay tucked safely in the hospital just one more day before we introduced you to this big, wide world?

Wasn't it just yesterday that you were so tiny and sleepy and wrinkly?

Wasn't it just yesterday that we wondered what life would be like with a six month old? Now we are here. "It goes by so fast." That is one of the oldest and most tired parenting cliches, but people say it so often because it is so true.

You are a delightful and happy baby and you smile all the time.

At your six month appointment you weighed 17 pounds and 12 ounces and were 27 1/4 inches tall.

You grab everything. You love sitting up and you will rock into a crawling position. There is no crawling yet, so we are trying to take advantage of the little bit of time we have left before we are parents of a mobile baby.

When it comes to solid foods, you can take it or leave it. Some days you are solidly in the leave it mindset and would prefer to live on milk alone. Since the last check in, we added peas and bananas to the list of solid foods you have tried. It seams that oatmeal and sweet potatoes are still your favorite. We also started giving you a sippy cup with a little water at "meal times." You haven't really mastered the skill of drinking from it, but you think it is a fun toy.

You got your first cold this month. It was heartbreaking to see you feel so poorly. After lots of saline drops, snot sucking, and nights with a cool mist humidifier, you were on the mend and smiling again.

Now that you feel better, you are sleeping a lot better too. We hope this trend continues.

The first six months of your life have been a joy and we are so blessed that we get to be your parents.

Farewell Nanny Cousin

C and I are much too young to relate to the empty nesters whose children have gone off to college. However, with Nanny Cousin L's  departure, we certainly feel their pain. Nanny Cousin was the perfect addition to our household this summer, and with her gone we feel like something big is missing. She loved H like he was her own, and made my transition from maternity leave to work so much easier. C and I liked to joke that we had an adult daughter and a baby boy, but in reality she helped keep the Campbell family trains running and was a close friend to both of us.

When I think about how all the stars aligned for her to live with us, I know that it was guided by divine intervention. Let's take a trip down memory lane and put the pieces together.

Nanny Cousin L and I are first cousins. Not only that, her mom and my mom are identical twins. That makes us super cousins.

Every year our family gathers for a big Thanksgiving celebration that includes the traditional turkey and dressing, an Iron Bowl watching party, and now that we are older, an annual trip to the local bar. A few years ago we were all riding high as our beloved Crimson Tide beat that team that shall not be named. This was one of the last big hurdles before the Tide won the 2009 National Championship. This was cause for a major celebration, so we took the party to a movie and then drinks.

As we walked home a little over-served, I told Nanny Cousin that one day in the future C and I would have a baby and she would come live with us during her summer break and be our nanny.

Fast forward three years. Baby H enters the world in February. My maternity leave ends just after time Nanny Cousin finishes her sophomore year of college. Nanny Cousin wants to get away for the summer. Baby H needs a caregiver. Everyone wins. My wishes have come true.

Her presence was a blessing to our family and all three of us miss her very much. Nanny Cousin, we can't wait for you to come back and visit soon!

 

 

5 Months

Baby H, I am woefully behind on your five month update. This post should really be titled 5 month pictures and 5 and a half month update. Better late than never, right?

At 5 and a half months, you have a lot of new tricks under your belt. First, you are sitting up. You started doing this about a week before July 19, when you officially turned 5 months. At the same time, you started grabbing anything and everything in sight. The days of leisurely enjoying a dinner out with you in your car seat are over. Now, we have to keep you from eating menus, silverware, napkins, bread crumbs, you name it.
 

sitting up tall before your first day of school

You also love to stand. You like to grab our hands and pull up. We even caught you trying to pull yourself up in the crib. Aren't you much to young for this?

Speaking of eating, you started some solid foods. So far you have had rice and oatmeal cereals, sweet potatoes, avocados, and pears. We think you like oatmeal cereal and sweet potatoes the best, but it is really too early to tell.  You still nurse and drink milk from a bottle when we are apart.

yummy cereal

You went swimming for the first time in July. You loved the water and your Daddy and I can't wait for our beach trip later this month.

swimming with Daddy

nap by the pool

Cousin nanny L left to go back to college. She will get her own post soon. We miss her terribly and are so thankful she lived with us and cared for you this summer. You are now spending your days at the day care center at my work. I am grateful that I can pop over and see you during lunch.

playing with new toys at daycare

Sleeping...do you want the good news or bad news first? Unfortunately for your tired parents, you wake up two or three times a night. You go to bed around 7:30 pm and typically wake up around midnight and then again around 4 am. Sometimes you like to wake up another time in between. However, there is a bright side to this. When you stir, it takes no longer than 15 minutes to get you back to bed. Our sleep may be interrupted, but we quickly drift back to dreamland.

It is hard to believe that you will be six months old in just a few weeks!