Slade's First Thanksgiving!

We just can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone already! It was certainly special this year, as we had something to be VERY thankful for; an awesome, amazing, SO sweet little turkey of our own named Slade! Children certainly put things in perspective and we could not have been more thankful this year for our healthy baby boy!

Tradition took us to Illinois to spend Thanksgiving with Brian's family. We shared Thanksgiving lunch with Slade's Grandpa & Grandma and his Uncle Chad, Aunt Suzy, and cousins Nicole & Jake! And...because we are terrible at this picture thing, we don't have a family pic of our first Thanksgiving with Slade. That would make too much sense... So we have TWO pics, one with Slade and his cousins and another with his great aunt and uncle!

Although Slade could not have any turkey and stuffing he did enjoy carrots for the first time! Like the cereal, he wasn't quite sure about them at first and kept leaning his head back in attempt to make them go away, I guess. Next up, squash, peas, sweet potatoes, green beans and then we start fruits.

Soon after lunch the rest of the family made their Thanksgiving rounds. Tina, Nathan and their boys stopped by with Missy, Caitlyn, Sally and Camilla. Following them were Slade's great Aunt Gloria, Great Uncle Steve (who met Slade for the first time) and his son Matt. It was a festive time and we enjoyed seeing everyone!

We spent Friday shopping and eating leftovers before heading back to Georgia Saturday! We'll spend two weeks at home and then we're off to Kentcky for Christmas! It's looking to be an extremely busy holiday season, so lots of posts and pics coming soon! Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Six months, high chair, and cereal!

Hard to believe that this little boy of ours is already turning SIX months old! Just like most things, he is taking his time and is in no hurry to sit up on his own. He's perfectly fine laying down and, like his Dad of course, will not do so until he is good and ready! Fortunately he is getting lots of "wobbly" practice in his jumper and high chair. We introduced cereal about a week before he turned six months old, and like all babies I imagine, he wasn't sure what to do with it at first. Of course he eats it up now and will soon be ready for veggies!

We also introduced a sippy cup so he can slowly get used to it. We give it to him a few times a week with a sip of water. He grabs it right away and takes it to his mouth, just doesn't know to lean his head back to swallow when sitting up. He'll be great at it by the time he's a year old and ready to wean off the breast milk.

Last pic is of him sitting in his new Bumbo seat. This too will help him learn to sit up on his own and can double as a high chair when we travel!

Happy HARLEY Halloween!

Thank you to everyone for the adorable Harley outfits! Since we received ummm...3 of them...we thought we'd put it to good use for Slade's first Halloween! I must say he looked pretty cute all dressed up like a Harley Boy, complete with a do-rag. Of course, we ALWAYS think he's cute though.


Anyway, his first Halloween was a success even though he was in bed fast asleep before it really all began. We stayed home this year and let all the neighbors come to us. Slade did see his adorable friend and neighbor, Caroline, before turning in for the night. How cute was this little bumble bee! Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!

Slade visits the Pumpkin Patch

With Slade's first Halloween quickly approaching we visited the pumpkin patch near our house. Although he was not all that impressed this year, we did manage to get some great pictures in the adorable outfit Grandma Vicki bought for him. He was TOO cute in the paper boy hat!

Grandpa & Grandma Visit

Just after Slade's 5 month birthday, Grandpa and Grandma came to visit. They were REALLY happy to see Slade and couldn't believe how big he was & how much he'd changed. He was happy to see them too, as you can see in the pic! We spent the weekend just hanging out at the house and shopping!

Big Boy and Toys

Our little man isn't so little anymore! At four months, he decided he was too big to be swaddled and took his first nap in just his lounge clothes! He's also moved to a four hour feeding schedule and sleeps 12-13 hours a night now! He's such a good boy!

Brian bought him this adorable outfit at the Ryder Cup! Although the style is a little too "preppy" he looks pretty darn cute in it! Grandpa Jeff bought the Ryder Cup Teddy Bear for Slade. He LOVES it and the bear has been appropriately named "CUP".

We went through Slade's toy bin one evening and found lots of new toys for him to play with! His favorite's include his bumble bee teether and the leapfrog worm he's holding in the picture!

Happy Birthday Daddy! Rollin, Rollin, Rollin...

Brian was fortunate enough to get his hands on Ryder Cup tickets so we were back on the road to Kentucky in September. Grandpa Jeff, Grandma Vicki, and Nicole came over on Friday to spend the afternoon with Slade and celebrate Brian's birthday. Slade was happy to see everyone, including McKayla who spent the night, but he was just exhausted from the trip.

It wasn't long before he found himself on the golf cart with Grami! He just loves it and even took his turn driving!

We also visited Grami's office where Slade stood in as her assistance. Aunt Sami was happy to see Slade and joined us for lunch one afternoon.

Leigh, Jerry and the kids came out Sunday afternoon! Aunt Leigh experimented with her photography skills (below)...pretty good. We may have a future photographer. Slade also rolled over on his own on Sunday, the day before he turned 4 months old! It was funny to see b/c he wasn't sure what he had done. Not a fan of tummy time, he quickly managed to roll back over to his back!

We had fun hanging out with everyone but soon found ourselves on the road to Georgia. Slade was the BEST little boy on the way home. He sat in the back by himself and didn't make a peep until we were 30 minutes from the house. At that point, his feelings were hurt and he was ready to be home in his bed!

Harley, Camos and Football!

Football season is here and Slade already loves to watch football with his Dad! He is really drawn to the TV so if stays off most of the time. We do allow him to catch up on Nascar, Golf, and Football with Dad sometimes!

Slade looking big in his first Harley t-shirt and camo shorts! All he needs is his own bike...when he's about 30!!!!

Big Boy In Town

Slade with his cousin McKenzie, Angel, Johnny, Betty Jane, and Nanny who visited when Slade was 1 month old. McKenzie is about a month older than Slade and still hasn't caught up to him in size.

Slade also met his new buddy Graham! Daddy's boys! Graham makes Slade look like a giant.

All About the Thumb!

We stayed a few more days at Grami's when we returned from Denver, before going home. We went to Joey's wedding and Slade rode in his first parade with Grami (on the democrat float of course), her last parade as she is retiring in December! He slept through the entire parade, but we made the paper none-the-less.

Although we enjoyed traveling the first 2 months of Slade's life, the next three weeks were spent at home. It was a nice change and I was able to spend some quality time with Slade before returning to work. Grami introduced Slade's thumb to him again during the parade and ever since then...he is ALL about the thumb. If he's sleepy, he sucks his thumb. If he's bored, he sucks his thumb. His thumb...is his new best friend and keeps him company!

As you can see in the pictures he is getting so big. Definitely not a baby any longer. He smiles ALL the time and even chuckles. It's so great to see and hear him laugh...truly one of God's greatest gifts. I've included a couple of pictures...Slade with his Daddy (no chance of Brian denying this kid) and Slade with his favorite t-shirt that Aunt Sami sent him which reads "I CRY when ugly people hold me!"

Going back to work was difficult, but we are truly blessed to have the best possible situation. Slade has a nanny, Robyn, who keeps him at home, in his own environment. I work from home quite a bit and don't miss out on too much. He absolutely adores her, as she does him! He's so happy which allows me to work with out worry. I definitely look forward to our weekend's together as a family though!

Slade & Lauren's First Airplane Ride

Just before Slade's two month birthday we were back on the road to Kentucky. We spent a week at Grami's and Slade found a new love...the golf cart. He absolutely loves riding the golf cart with his Gram and did so every night before his bath.

We headed to Illinois for the weekend and stopped at Patti's on the way for lunch. This is a place Brian has told me about for 10 years yet had never taken me. It was really good...just as he had promised but we were stuffed! Grandpa and Gradma were really excited to see Slade and could not believe how much he'd grown. They babysat for us one afternoon while Brian and I enjoyed a day on the lake with some friends. We had a great time!

After we made it back to Kentucky, it wasn't long before we left for Denver, Colorado. This was Slade's first airplane ride and he did great! Nothing bothers this kid. Traveling with an infant is definitely...different...but we managed. Lauren flew out to meet us the next day and this was her first time flying too. She flew alone at only 13 years old...what a trooper!

We stayed around Denver for a couple of days before venturing out to see the sights of Colorado. We took a road trip to Breckenridge, a small ski town. The ride out was absolutely gorgeous and Breckenridge was really charming. Definitely no skiing on this trip, although Breckenridge offered a break from the 90 degree weather we experienced in Denver. It was a cool 65 degrees.

The next day, Lauren and I experienced Pike's Peak. It was definitely an experience with ME driving up the side of a mountain. I'm not sure who was more scared, me or Lauren. We found out after we made the trip to Pike's Peak the previous day that Slade was too young to make it up the mountain due to the decreased amount of oxygen. The ranger said they had seen "blue babies" before and we definitely didn't want that. Now, Brian and I had actually been up before on the motorcycle, but I wasn't driving. Needless to say, we made it and Lauren enjoyed the experience. We certainly did not dress for the occasion though (see pic). It was FREEZING on top of that mountain.

We were off to the airport the next day to fly home. Lauren was happy to have some company this time...and a drink. Someone should have told the girl that drinks were FREE...whoops! The flight was actually pretty rough, but Slade wasn't bothered in the slightest. I think he actually thought it was fun. We had a great time in Denver but we were all glad to be home!

Slade's Second Month

So our little man is almost two months old! He's definitely getting bigger and starting to smile more and more. In fact, he's just about outgrown his tub (see pic). He's also found his thumb several times thanks to the introduction from Grami:) He's been following our voices well for a while and now follows us with his eyes! Still eating and sleeping really well! His favorite place...on Daddy's legs (below).


We did make a trip to Tampa in July. We experienced typical Florida weather...it rained the entire time! We never even made it to the beach. Did I mention that I hate Florida. Anyway, the trip was fine but sleeping in a hotel with this kid is NOT fun. He sleeps great...it's Mom and Dad who don't get any sleep. He makes tons of little baby noises, which would be really cute during the day, but are dreadful when you're trying to sleep. Needless to say, we were happy to get home and in our own rooms!

First Road Trip, June 16th-29th

Slade's first road trip was to Illinois first and then Kentucky. He did really great on the trip, although travelling with an infant is a little different. We have to stop every two hours so Slade can eat and have some time out of the car seat. Although he did great, it's definitely going to take Brian a while to adapt to this new way of travel.

We landed in Illinois first and Grandpa Jeff & Grandma Vicki were really happy to Slade. They couldn't believe how much he had grown. Slade also met his Uncle Chad, Aunt Suzy, and cousins Nicole & Jake for the first time. Nicole was really good with Slade! Slade thought she was really fun and wanted to do something special to cheer her on at her swim meet on Saturday. He wore a personalized t-shirt for her which read, "GO NICOLE!" We also had the chance to watch Jake play baseball. They both did great!

While we were in Illinois Slade also took his first bottle! We had plans to be away from him while we were in Kentucky and wanted to be sure he would take it. Daddy fed him the bottle and he sucked it straight down. Boy was I relieved!

We headed to Kentucky Saturday after Nicole's swim meet. Grami was so excited to see Slade and was happy to babysit for us on Sunday. Brian and I took the opportunity to ride with some friends and had a great time. He did great with his bottles...thank goodness! Leigh, Jerry and the kids came out Sunday evening so Slade was able to meet Jerry and all FIVE of his cousins. Reed LOVES "baby slay" and couldn't wait to hold his new cousin!

Slade loves Grami's bathtub and the "party porch." He thinks were outside when we're out there. He also started sleeping 8 hours at night while we were at Grami's. Sleeping through the night at a MONTH old, Yahoo! Aunt Leigh and Aunt Sami earned their "new aunt" status, they both babysat for us while we were there:) Slade met everyone while we were in Kentucky...Mary Jo, Ron & Karen, Sam & LaDonna, and everyone at Grami and Daddy's office's.

We had a great time! Slade did have baby acne during this trip...boy am I glad that's gone. He's a great little traveler, but that's a good thing b/c he didn't stand a chance. We off to Tampa and Denver next!

Slade's First Bath

Slade has his first bath on June 5th, the day after his cord fell off. As you can see from the picture, he didn't care for it too much. Thankfully he really likes his bath's now and actually gets really excited for bath time.

Welcome home Baby Slade!

We managed to be discharged from the hospital at 10:00 PM the night of the 23rd. Slade did great his first night home, but Aunty Leigh had to rock him to sleep. Grami found them BOTH fast asleep in Slade's rocker/recliner in his room! He did sleep in his crib and looked so small in it! This was the first and ONLY

time he took a passie.

Aunt Leigh & Aunt Sami meet Slade!

Aunty Leigh..."I'm just so happy to be an Aunt!"

Aunt Sami..."He's the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

Grandpa & Grandma welcome Slade!