Hilton Head Beach Vacation

Our beach trip this year was with our tailgate family - Shannon and Allison and the girls, the Potters, and both sets of Terry's. We went to Hilton Head and stayed at the Beach and Tennis Resort. Since everyone has children, it was great having them to entertain and play with each other. I could tell Banks really enjoyed having his cousins and some buddies to run free with. Mommy and Daddy aren't nearly as exciting as other little people. It really was the best of all worlds. We got to spend time with our babies on the beach AND our family and friends, and they got to play and spend some time with their buddies too. We even took Banks for his first time playing putt-putt. He played two holes and said, "I'm done doing golf now." He was a much bigger fan of the arcade games inside. The trip was so much fun, we're hoping to make it annual. So, until next time....

Georgia is 10 Months Old

Baby girl is 10 months old (well, actually more like 10 and 1/2 months). She makes us laugh every day with her "looks" - she has the best stare down look ever, but then she gives the brightest smiles too. It's still a pretty gummy smile, even though she has her two bottom teeth now. She is so close to walking. She stands on her own and walks while holding on to our hands or the furniture. I'm sure her first steps will be happening in the next week or two, and they probably already would have if she hadn't of been sick for the last week (long story short - ER visit with 104.2 temp, likely a virus and leftover ear infection, treated with 3 shots of Rocephin antibiotic that made her legs really sore).

She is a great eater, and is eating a lot of solids now. I pretty much just break off little pieces of whatever we are having and let her pick it up and eat it. She actually insists on picking it up and feeding it to herself. She has enjoyed meatballs (like big brother), chicken, bread, pizza, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, avacado, Cheerios, puffs, crackers, tomatoes, ice cream, and really most of what we put in front of her. The only thing she really hasn't cared for is green beans, and thick pureed baby foods. I'm still nursing her and I figure at this point, I'm just going to ride it out for the full year. She is a great sleeper now, and makes it from about 7pm-5:30 or 6am. Her words are, "UH OH" (which she says a lot, particularly anytime she or anyone else drops something or when she falls down), "mama, dada, byebye." She waves, claps, and does "Pat-a-cake." She imitates us if we turn on music and dance. She is really snuggly, which is surprising because she wasn't an extremely snuggly newborn.

I'm still her favorite person in the world, and she still cries anytime I'm in the room and someone else tries to hold her, although she is warming up to her sweet Dada and gives him some big smiles. She also gives a big belly laugh when she sticks her finger in his mouth and he pretends to bite it. One of my favorite things lately is that she wants to climb on Banks and snuggle with him. She will climb up on top of him and lay her head on his chest when he is laying on the couch watching TV, and he immediately wraps his arms around her and baby talks her. It is the most priceless, precious thing in the world to me. She is in major "stranger danger" mode, and the hospital, doctor visits and shots haven't helped with that. She knows where we are when we walk into the doctor's office, and immediately starts doing the famous, piercing "Georgia scream." When Dr.Maddox or Whitney (his nurse) walk into the room, I swear someone in China could hear her screaming. Hopefully she will outgrow this. She loves her daycare teachers (Jeri, Beverly, and Julie), and doesn't even cry when I drop her off with them anymore - as long as they are holding her.

We are so blessed to have this sweet baby girl that has completed our family of 4. I count my blessings every day, all the time.