Smocking 201.

After success with the smocked geometric designs, I decided to tackle picture smocking with the go ahead from my patient teacher who thinks I am doing great for a beginner! It took me a while and several trips for some help getting started with reading the patterns, making the stitches go the way they needed to go, and then finally learning to turn the garment upside down to do the cable stitches on top of each other. Then just as I thought I was finished, the pleats were popping out of line after the guidelines were taken out and I was told I then needed to do this thing called backsmock to keep the pleats in line. I thought backsmocking was certainly something that I would never be able to do. Thankfully, all it meant was do a few rows of cable stitches on the back of the insert! After 5 rows of backsmocking, at last, it was completed! The dinosaurs are not perfect---but I am getting there!!

Anderson wore it to church a few weeks ago and after the service we were invited to lunch by a fellow church member to one of the clubs around. VERY nice invitation, but my plan was to get him home and out of the outfit before eating lunch! I was paranoid the entire time that he was going to get something on it and it was going to be stained/ruined! That did not happen, but I sure was sweating it!

Tuesdays With Big Daddy.

On Tuesday, the retired guy (Big Daddy) came down to spend the day with us! We enjoyed the pool--really, pool does not give this place justice all all. A place with a huge playground, splash park, lakefront beach, lazy river, etc..can hardly be called a pool. But anyway, we are fortunate to be able to go on a weekly basis and love doing so! I have learned that my Blackberry takes just as good of pictures as my point and shoot does and is quicker too--I have been spoiled horribly with my Nikon, but it is too risky to whip it out near large bodies of water. All the below are Blackberry shots!

An attempt at a swimming lesson!

Of course the shower is more entertaining!

Big Daddy & Anderson's buddy Harper


First taste of watermelon--the child ate his weight in it!

Even though we might not get every Tuesday with Big Daddy, we were sure glad he came this one! I got to sit down and eat my lunch and Big Daddy entertained him most of the time (NICE!). I also was able to go to the grocery alone while daddy stayed home with him after we got back from the pool! It's the simple pleasures.

The Nona and Granddaddy Show!

Brad's mom and dad came down from the upstate to help Anderson celebrate his birthday weekend! In the 10ish years that I have know Tap (Brad's dad) he has mostly been the all business type w/ a great personality (I mean this in a good way!). I had NO idea that he would turn into quite the comic and silly guy when he plays with Anderson and it is hysterical. Anderson gets the biggest kick out of him and just belly giggles. Kathy (Brad's mom) can hardly contain her laughter and along with Brad and I enjoy watching the show :)

Love this face!

With his da (we can't get dada)!

I could not resist--I feel like I am always behind the camera!

Singing to Anderson!

Is this guy for real?

Here they are making the grand exit! All part of the show----they have the top down at the beach! Actually, that they have a convertible at all is fantastic and I something I never expected! Next time I am going to see if they will let their favorite daughter-in-law take it for a spin (oh, and Brad is an only child!) Details, details :)

Forever Young.

I took Anderson for his 1 year old well visit on Thursday afternoon! All is well and it was noted in his chart that he is quote a "healthy boy!"!! He weighed in at 20lbs 2oz (10-25%), height 29" (25%), and head circumference 18 1/2" (50-75%). I really thought that his height % was going to be higher b/c I feel that I have noticed more that he is taller. My friend Katy stopped by when she was running errands on this side of the county earlier today and she even said that is what stuck out for her from the last time she saw Anderson. Nonetheless, he is perfect to me! He is very busy these days and crawls at lightening fast speed. He still has not taken that first step yet but his static standing balance is great, he bends his knees to crouch instead of plopping, he can bend and twist while standing, and his balance when walking behind the chomp and clack push toy is great too. When he finally gets up the courage to put one foot in front of the other there will not be much of a learning curve I am afraid :) His toys are more and more entertaining to him and he will play with them for longer periods of time. He likes to push buttons, will push a ball back and forth with me, gives high-fives, and pushes toys with wheels across the floor the correct way! He is not drinking from the bottle at all and now drinks milk and all his water/juice from his sippy cup. The boy loves to eat and has had all sorts of new things the past week. He is also enjoying car rides in a whole new way...

I had intended on keeping him rear facing as long as possible, and it turns out that a year was all I was going to get. He was running out of space so we made the switch. He really likes to ride and when I look in the rear view mirror he is just looking out the window most of the time.

My favorite part is that his little personality is really starting to show through. He does have his moments, but most of the time you will catch him smiling :) It is so much fun to play with him and introduce him to new things. He is learning so much so quick I have taken some recent advice (Kelly, you leave some of the best comments!) and have tried to focus more on the firsts. After all, he won't be young forever!

I also made a trip to the MD this week and I am happy to report that my foot is completely healed and the orthopaedic surgeon said I do not have to wear the post-op shoe anymore! That was music to my ears. That thing was seriously starting to irritate me! Only restrictions now are no running (um, not a problem b/c it is doubtful you would catch me doing that anyway!) and no high impact sports like tennis for a month. He did mention, with a smile, that I should still need help w/ cooking, cleaning, and childcare. I would settle for a pedicure :)

Do the Cake and Ice Cream!

Anderson got a birthday card with music that summed it all up for me..."smoosh the cake, eat the cake, and get it in your hair! Get it on the the birthday outfit momma made you wear!" The song goes on about make sure you grab more and this is what birthdays are for, but it was pretty spot on for the day. I dressed him in his smocked birthday jon-jon which, of course, had to be washed in the afternoon b/c he had a huge blow-out that got everywhere and required changing his clothes and the his crib linens too! I seriously thought that something like that just had to happen so I was already half expecting it! I had fun decorating his chair, found a great birthday hat, and pulled out the special birthday bib for the big day. My friend Jennifer, that I work with, made him an adorable smash cake (last minute I must add). Luckily, she was already making cakes for another friend of mine so she was able to whip something up from the extra stuff she had! And I must add, I gave her no direction at all and only told her to make it boyish...she did a fantastic job! We had a small family party on Saturday afternoon with hamburgers and then it was cake and ice cream time--my personal favorite part! All I wanted for him was for him to destroy the cake and get messy which he did :) Just a warning that there are quite a few pictures...

In the chair that Brad sat in at his grandparent's house as a child

The birthday chair!

The smash cake!

The cake from Signe's for the rest of us, although we snacked on the smash cake too!

The bib!

The hat!

Opening his presents!

He finally got the hang of it!

Almost birthday cake time!

He did eat quite a bit of the cake!

My messy 1 year old!

My Birthday Boy!

Anderson had a big day today turning 1! He was so sweet and was his smiley, happy self! I have a ridiculous amount of pictures to sort through and am looking forward to posting about his birthday party!!

In the meantime, I have found my mind wandering thinking if it is possible that he has gone from this........

To this......

In just 1 short year???!!!

Happy Birthday Buster...we love you :)

T-Minus 2 days and Counting....

Anderson is going to be 1 on Saturday! On one hand I feel that in some ways this has been the longest year ever, but on the other hand I feel that I blinked and it was gone. This week has been particularly fast! I went back to school (students start Monday the 17th) and I am trying to adjust to the new back to school schedule and being at work my two days a week. It has thrown me for a loop. Perhaps some of my problem at this point might or might not have been the girls night out last night that kept me out way later than I needed to the night before I had to be dressed and out the door the next morning---worth it, but I think some bad influence might have encouraged me to go to on past when I should have (umm, I won't mention any names!)! It will take a few weeks for me to get used to this and on track! All this week I have thought about how on Saturday Anderson will be 1 and about the "lasts" I have done for him---I made his last batch of babyfood about 2 weeks ago, bought his last can of formula, and bought his last box of bottle liners! His baby tendencies are really fading away and he is acting more like a little boy. He doesn't want to drink from a bottle (I could not be happier...but sad too), he would rather finger feed than be fed from the spoon, he squirms in my arms to get down when I am holding him, and has started to play more appropriately with his toys. A few examples.....he likes to put his bath toys on the ledge of the tub, he will reposition the push toy to get it moving again, and he will put smaller objects in others. His balance is great when standing and more and more he is standing near something while using both hands to play with a toy. I am just waiting for him to get the courage to take those steps! I know these birthdays come every single year without fail, but he will always be my baby!

A Trip Back...

Our trip back to Charleston was jammed packed and way too short! We had a laundry list of things we wanted to accomplish and it was mighty lofty considering that we headed home late Saturday afternoon. Not everything was crossed off the list, but it at least makes for a great reason to go back soon!

The first stop of the trip was to Meme Love's house, who lives just outside of Charleston. We got to visit with Meme twice in 2 days since she treated everyone to lunch on Thursday in celebration of daddy's birthday. I will post pictures of that event when I get my hands on some of the pictures taken!

Then it was off to do some shopping and then meet up with our friends Rob and Ginny and their son Ford who is just shy of 2 weeks younger than Anderson (we visited with them back in November--click here for the post). They were (and still are!) some of our good friends when we lived in Mt. Pleasant. They so graciously hosted us in their home Friday night and showed us exactly what we are missing out on not living there anymore :)

Anderson and Ford

Ginny and Me

Rob and Brad striking a pose?

Ford and Anderson "playing" together

Look who was caught standing on his own!!

Our boys!

Saturday afternoon, we went to the old neighborhood and had lunch with our old neighbors--Debbie and Dennis. Dennis cooked a pirlieau (also known as chicken bog in some places) with field peas and mac-n-cheese! I love his pirlieau and always stuff myself to the gills!! Their granddaughter, Murray, was also there and I was so glad to see that little girl. I posted about Dennis and Debbie several months back--click here to read some history.

Anderson playing on Murray's trampoline!

Anderson and Brad on our old dock.

Murray, Me, Anderson and Brad on the bench near the property line of our 2 houses.

In the background, behind the bench to the left is the dock that we shared with Dennis and Debbie. The grassy area behind us to the right of the dock was our backyard. It was a little sad to see our old house. As silly as it sounds, it seemed so lonely and lifeless. The yard was poorly taken care, bushes were overgrown, and overall looked horrible. Brad and I took such good care of that house and to see it in its current condition was disheartening. I hope that house is sold soon and brought back to life (we sold it to the company--click here for the post).

After lunch and visiting a while, we had to start making our way back home. We had a great time and there will be a trip back!