Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday afternoon we went back to the Botanical Gardens so Mr. B could see Baby's fun in the water.

Can't get enough!

Sunday afternoon, she's pulling double duty on the "purses," while enjoying a shopping trip around the living room. If you look closely, you can see her gold shoes from Aunt Kelley. They are two sizes too big, but she spends time wearing them daily.

We spent the afternoon on Monday at Piedmont Park with friends having a picnic and playing.
Fun, relaxing, family weekend. Loved it!

Cute babies

Tracy and I took our babies to the Botanical Gardens on Wednesday, where they got to splash around in the water play area. Baby B loved the water--she stood right in the midst of the fountain and tried to drink the water, soaking herself. Even when she became cold and shivering, she didn't want to leave. Thanks Tracy for the photos:Aren't these two buddies adorable? And I love having membership to this garden--anyone want to come with us next time?

Piano lessons

I decided to take up piano lessons again. It's been over ten years since I've taken lessons, and I've really wanted to improve lately so that I can play in church, while singing at home with Mr. B, and just for personal enrichment. My friend Jen is teaching me, and we had our first lesson tonight. Turns out she is a fabulous teacher, and I will definitely improve under her tutelage. :) I'm so excited to practice!

Game Ranch

This morning Tracy and I took our babies to a nearby Game Ranch and got to see all kinds of animals up close. We fed deer, several varieties of birds, goats, and donkeys, and we saw many other types of animals. I even got to pet the deer and feel their antlers. Baby B was very excited to see the animals, but also terrified. She wanted to run up and see them, but when they stuck their nose in her face, she started screaming. She spent most the adventure nervous, but she had fun too. Baby B's first deer encounter. Running away from the "doggie NO!" Feeding the deer. Checking out a mama duck and her duckling. Feeding the goats.These two are so cute together! A little ride in front of the ranch.

This one's for Laura

This video is 2:39, of Baby B talking. It has some slow parts, but it's cute enough to share. Relatives will probably appreciate it the most.

DC trip

For the past week our family has been in Washington, D.C.; Mr. B for business and we girls for fun. And we did have fun, but it was an exhausting adventure. Baby B and I took the metro everywhere: the zoo, Natural History museum, Air and Space museum, Postal museum, the Mall, Old Town Alexandria, meeting Mr. B for lunch, meeting my friend Rachel and Mr. B's brother Sam for dinners. I stopped carrying my camera after the first day (too much of a bother), but I did get these butterfly shots in the live exhibit at the Natural History museum. They had a little greenhouse in which you become surrounded by butterflies--awesome. One of the highlights of the trip was going up to our friends the Edelson's home, where we had an excellent dinner and Baby B got to play with their daughter and her toys. I was also grateful that my stroller has a strap that I could put over my shoulder to carry it up and down escalators in the metro. I became adept at closing the stroller and carrying it one armed, with Baby B in the other arm, then grabbing my metro card out of my bag and going in and out of the turnstiles. We also walked a ton, and I probably would have lost weight if I hadn't eaten out every meal! And seeing Rachel and Sam was worth any hassle in getting to DC and dealing with rain and a under-rested baby. I love those two! Great fun--glad to be home.

Baby B update

Just to catch you up: Baby B is now 17 months old, and her hair is finally growing. She says more words than I can count; the latest favorite is "owey." Owey means "I'm hurt," "I'm irritated," "Pay attention to me,"etc. She also recently learned to say her name very well. She loves to be told she's pretty after being dressed. She also loves to play dress-up, especially with clothes and shoes that are too big, as featured in the first photo (that's my shirt falling off her shoulder). Also in this picture is one of her proudest accomplishments of late: closing the snaps on the high chair. She then expects praise followed by someone unsnapping them so she can start over. Baby B is still a finicky eater, and she still uses her pacifier, mainly at sleep times. She has outgrown her morning nap (yay!). Above: Obviously she is getting tired, as she has turned a puzzle piece into a binky. Baby B has enjoyed make-believe a lot more lately, and she plays like a big kid sometimes. Yesterday at the park, Baby B got really good at going down a swirly slide, all by herself. She smiles the biggest on the fast parts of the slide, which worries me a bit... Below: Baby B is getting pretty good with a spoon (a-poon, to hear her say it). She likes to feed herself yogurt, applesauce, and cheerios with milk. She does leave quite a mess, but she manages to eat her fill. Baby B also loves being outside, sitting in chairs, putting shoes on, and the song Baby Beluga.

Happy Birthday Mr. B!

Today is Mr. B's birthday, and he received the best present ever--as of yesterday, he is done with all his coursework!! So the semester is over (whew!) and he will be working on his dissertation for the next two years. He feels very relieved right now, and excited about the future. He also has had today off! To celebrate his birthday, we went to Social Circle, GA, which is a small town about 45 minutes from us, and ate at the Blue Willow Inn. Mr. B had been wanting to try their famed southern spread for awhile. It was a beautiful day, and the food was good! Daddy taught her how to smell the fragrant flowers!

Outside the Inn, some father-daughter bonding.
A happy family!!
Before we left for Social Circle, Baby B learned how to put her hands in her pockets. Adorable!
Bonus photo: Earlier this week, Baby B hanging out with Carlie.