Eating Like A Big Boy!

Casey's Bachelorette Weekend

On of my dear friends, Casey, is getting married in October. In celebration of her, we headed to "Camp Collier" on Lake Martin for her bachelorette weekend. Casey currently lives in New York City so she and and 5 of her girl friends flew in. It was so fun having the fab four back together and meeting and spending time with Casey's other friends. Mrs. Collier had a perfect weekend planned for us. We had great food, drinks and fun! And we even learned how to make and can pear honey. I had never thought about learning to can - but now I am so excited about trying it!


Fab Four Reunited

All of us at dinner at Willow Point

Cheers!!

Enjoying the day!

At Wahoos

I'm the bride - woot woot!!

Lingerie Shower

The weekend was so much fun. I cant wait to for the wedding and to see all these sweet girls again!

And a huge thanks to my wonderful husband for taking care of James Bradford all weekend. They had so much fun together. And what a fabulous surprise to come home to a perfectly clean house. I'm a lucky girl!

Lovey Love!

It's official - James Bradford is attached to a lovey! We wondered if he would ever become attached to anything and he did! He officially made his selection!

He has a hippo, "Hippy", and a dog "PupPup" We would give him both during naps and at night time. I honestly thought he was leaning towards the dog. He loves to touch his silky ears and hold him. And Cory thought he liked the hippo better!
A couple weeks ago - we realized he was attached. But not to one of the animal loveys - but to this blanket that we keep hung on his crib.

This blanket was given to him as a gift before he was born. He loves it so much. It is so soft (and pretty!) Before nap and bedtime we give it to him and he immediately settles down and gets all cuddly. Also, if he is upset, he gets so happy when he gets to hold it. (Even the nursery workers at church said "it works!" We try only to let him have it during nap and bedtime, but he also is allowed to have it when we are away from him.

He is so cute and so sweet with it! He never took a paci and doesn't suck his thumb, so we are so happy that he has something that will comfort him!

Big 3-0

It's officially to late to make a 30 before 30 list!! On Tuesday, I officially turned 30! 30 - really?! And I'm eldest of both my high school and college friends. I always loved being the oldest - being the oldest meant getting my driver's permit first,first to get a car and driver's license and being first to be able to drink. (legally that is!) But first to turn 30 - that's not as cool!

I remember my mom turning 30 - well maybe I more remember seeing pictures of the party, rather then officially remembering it! But I was there!

To celebrate this big milestone, Cory and my sweet friend Emily, threw me and Emily's husband a Birthday party. It was originally going to be a surprise, but the beans were spilled and Jeff found out about it and Emily and Cory decided it would be best to tell me. So several weeks ago, the told me about it. I was super excited because it was going to be a Fiesta!

They did a fabulous job with everything - they had been planning this shindig since January. It was at the beautiful home and Jeff and Emily Jensen. And everything was perfect. It was special to get to share a party with Jeff, as he is one of my favorite people.

There was no better way to spend my party with such sweet family and friends!! Thank you all for making it such a special time. And a BIG thanks to Cory and Emily for planning it!

James Bradford is 11 Months!!

James Bradford is 11 months! Just one more month till he turns 1 - I can't believe it!!

James Bradford has conquered crawling (and the stairs!) and is now actually now working on his walking skills. Everyday he is getting better at standing and balancing without the help of anyone or anything.!!

He is a great sleeper (about 11.5 hours every night!) and we have finally perfected the 2 nap schedule. His daily schedule looks like this:
6:30am - Wake up
7:15am - Breakfast
9:00am - Morning Nap
10:30am / 11am - Awake
12:30pm - Lunch
1:30/2pm - Afternoon Nap
3:30/ 4pm - Awake
5:30pm - Dinner
6:30pm - Bath
7:00pm - Goodnight!
It took awhile to finally get this down but it was totally worth it!

James Bradford is a great eater. He still mostly eats just fruit and veggies. His favorites include bananas (whole - he won't eat them cut up!!), watermelon, mango, peaches, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes. He also loves unsalted saltine crackers!
He is a chatter box! In the past week or so, he has really found his voice. He talks and talks. He will be sitting on the floor playing by himself just talking away. It's so cute - I can't wait to be able to understand what he is saying!

He loves to brush his teeth. I assist him, then he likes to do it himself. He and I brush our teeth together and he gets so excited!

Yesterday he got his first boo boo =( I was in the bathroom getting ready for my birthday party (more to come on that soon) and he was crawling really fast from the hall into the bathroom and hit his face on the tile. He began screaming and I picked him up and saw blood in his mouth. His lip immediately began to swell. I immediately call my mom for support and advice. I end up giving him a water/juice bottle then ice. Luckily he wasn't upset for long. And immediately the swelling went down - Thank Goodness! My poor baby - I know this is the first of many!

He is a fish - he loves the water. The pool, the lake, the ocean, the bath, my water glass and even the dog's water bowl! He loves it all! We were just given a water/sand table (Thanks Ellen & Dan!) and I can't wait to set it up on our porch and watch James Bradford play in it. He is going to love it!!

Happy 11 Month Birthday to my sweet baby boy!! We love you so much!!

Catching Up

Has it really been over two months since I last posted?? Thanks for not giving up on me!
On Tuesday I was talking to a friend, and we were talking about our babies. I told her that James Bradford was beginning to take steps. She told me that she recently checked the blog and that it cracked her up that my last post was about James Bradford beginning to crawl. That's when it hit me - I MUST CATCH UP! A lot has happened over the past two months - that being said - I'm breaking out the calender for this catch up! Here is an overview of the last 2 months!

MONDAY AUGUST 8th - James Bradford takes his first steps!!
Is my baby really in the early stages of walking?! He took 3 steps!! He is so cute - he is so proud of him self. He stands up on his own, balances - looks so happy and moves his little legs - what a big boy!! (Sorry for the blurry picture - but it was his first steps and I had to post it!)

MONDAY AUGUST 1st - SATURDAY AUGUST 6th - Destin
Cory had a conference in Destin, Florida - so we packed up and headed to the beach. Cory's conference began on Wednesday, so we decided to go a couple days early and have a little family time. We were so excited to take James Bradford to the beach for the first time. We knew he loved the pool, but couldn't wait to see his reaction to the ocean. HE LOVED IT! It was hot - so we spent a lot of time in the pool and ocean! It was a great time - we are ready for next year!






SUNDAY AUGUST 7th - Hairspray
Mommy and I had a date to see Hairspray at a local theatre. It was so much fun. I love Hairspray the movie and had seen it the play before. I had forgotten what a hilarious and fun show it is. Mom and I had a ball together. We left singing and raving about how fabulous it was! Thanks for taking me on a fun afternoon date Mommy!! And thank you Cory for watching James Bradford while I went out and played!

THURSDAY JULY 14th - 10 Months!
James Bradford turned 10 months! Is my baby really just 2 months away from being 1?! He is doing so much!! He has conquered crawling and pulling up and the scariest of all - the stairs!! He loves to help me in the dishwasher and has so much fun playing in the Tupperware drawer. He is eating lots of finger fruit and veggies. His favorite right now is watermelon! He is so much fun and getting to be such a big boy! HAPPY 10 Month Birthday to my sweet boy!

THURSDAY JULY 14th - SUNDAY JULY 17th - Annual Girls Trip
Every summer, a group of girls from my pledge class get together for some R&R together. For the 2nd year in a row, we headed to Lake Lanier to our friend, Natalie's lake home. We spent alot of time catching up - not just on each other but trash tv too! The first day it rained - so we hung out in our PJs all day majority of the day and chatted, watched tv, drank skinny girl margaritas, played games and just enjoyed the freedom of not having to do anything! Saturday we headed to the outlet mall and when the sun came out - we headed out for some boat and sun time. It was a great fun weekend with friends. It was the perfect getaway to catch up with friends and rest! (unfortunately, I didn't break out the camera the entire time we were there!)
This was my first time to leave James Bradford. Cory's mom and Nanna came in town for the weekend to assist Cory and to spend time with the baby. James Bradford had a great time. But boy was I so excited to scoop him up in my arms Sunday afternoon. I had missed him so much!!

SATURDAY JULY 9th - Isaac's 3rd Birthday Party
Saturday morning Mom, James Bradford and I headed up to Madison (Huntsville) to the Train Depot for Isaac's 3rd Birthday party. It was such a fun party. We celebrated in the "Birthday Caboose" where he opened presents and ate cake. (Ellen is becoming a pro at making cakes!) Then we all headed to the train for a ride and checked out the museum. James Bradford loved riding on the train and watching all the big kids run around and play. It was such a fun time! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET ISAAC!!

FRIDAY JULY 1st - TUESDAY JULY 5th - July 4th at the Lake
We spent July 4th weekend at the Lake. It was so much fun. My entire family was there, plus some close family friends of ours that we consider family - Andrew and Ellie Kurz and their two sweet boys. With 5 kids ranging from 7 months - to age 4.5 - someone was always taking a nap. But being there it was easy to keep them all on their schedule they are used to. We spent alot of time swimming and boating. Its official - James Bradford loves the water!!

SATURDAY JULY 25th - SUNDAY JULY 26th - NASHVILLE
We packed up and went to Nashville for the weekend. Saturday we spent the day hanging out at the house with all of the family. It was so much fun watching all the kids play together. And getting to hold and spend time with our new niece - Sadie. Shes so sweet and little - hard to believe that James Bradford was once as little as her! On Sunday, we all went to church together and came back and had a family lunch. After lunch, Megan invited me to go with her to the mall to meet a friend of hers to shop. So we left the kids with the daddies and DeeDee and Nanna and we had a kid free afternoon. We had a great fun time together! I'm so thankful to have her in my life! After we got home from the mall and a stop at a yogurt shop - it was dinner time for James Bradford. We then performed his bedtime routine and put him in the car for night night. It was a little bit of a struggle to fall asleep, but he finally did and then we quiet ride home and a smooth transition for James Bradford to go back to sleep when we get home. It was a a fun weekend!!

THURSDAY JUNE 16 - MONDAY JUNE 20 - Texas
This was a week of lots of firsts for James Bradford. First Trip to Texas, First Airplane ride, First LONG car ride, First wedding, First time out past 9pm (since we set his bedtime at 7pm in December) and the First time sleeping in room with us (other then the hospital. Cory's dad and extended family live in Texas. His cousin Jake got married - so we went for the wedding and to introduce James Bradford to everyone. I was nervous about flying with him - but he did great!! We flew from Birmingham to Memphis, from Memphis to Dallas, then from Dallas we drove to Eddie's house which was 3 hours, then the following morning we got up and drove another hour and a half to San Angelo to Granny's. All the traveling was hard on James Bradford, but over all he did great. Dad did all the driving, while Mommy sat in the back and entertained James Bradford. We read alot of books and sang lots of songs. And when it got tough we let him use our IPHONEs to watch YouTube Thomas and Baby Einstein video snip its. We were so proud of him - he was a great traveler.
All the family loved meeting James Bradford. He was got lots of attention - and he loved it!!
Friday night we had a babysitter so we could attend the Rehearsal dinner and enjoy talking and being with family. (Plus it was a late night) Cory, his dad, his cousins, and uncles spent the day cooking for the dinner. It was a huge barbecue and it was delicious! The venue was amazing - it was on a range. I had never seen anything like the property before.
Saturday night - wedding time. We claimed the back row at the church - as a just in James Bradford started to get chatty or loud. We bribed him with puffs. But getting to the wedding early and sitting there a long time - about 5 minutes into the wedding he was ready to get down play, talk and laugh! So he and I snuck out and played in the foyer. Luckily the ceremony was short! The wedding and reception was beautiful. James Bradford took a little snooze after the wedding and ate dinner at the reception. After dinner, we went ahead and put him in his pjs and got him ready for bed. We continued to enjoy the reception until James Bradford started showing signs that we was beginning to get tired. We headed back to Granny's and put him to bed and I was right behind him!
Sunday was father's Day! Thank you Cory for being such a fabulous father! James Bradford and I love you more then you will ever know! (Check out the picture of the 3 generations! - I love those boys!)

It was a great trip. We loved spending time with family - especially with Pops!





TUESDAY JUNE 14th - Sadie's Sip n See
I headed up to Nashville to assist with a Sip N See for our new niece Sadie Rose. It was at one of Megan's friends house. On my way up, James Bradford and I swung into Madison to play with Aunt Ellen, Davis and Isaac. After some playtime, I slipped out to finish my journey up to Nashville while James Bradford stayed and was taken care by Aunt Ellen, Uncle Dan and his cousins.
The Sip N See was great! This was my first time to meet sweet Sadie. She is precious and oh so little. I loved getting to hold her and love on her mommy. I had a great time getting to see the Hall girls and spending time with family and new friends.


After the shower, I headed back to Madison to spend the night at Ellen and Dan's - James Bradford went to sleep perfectly. The next morning we got up and played and headed back to Birmingham.
TUESDAY JUNE 14th - 9 Month
James Bradford turned 9 months old!! He is so cute and sweet! He is continueing to crawl more and is all over the place. He loves crawling to the storm door and looking out with Sabrina.
He had his 9 month check up. The shots made him and mommy sad, but overall he did fabulous. Dr. Wilson said he looks great! - Can't believe we don't go back until he is 1!! Here are his 9 month stats:
Weight: 23 pounds, 12 ounces (90-95th percentile)
Height: 29.5 inches (90th percentile)
Head: 17 7/8 inches (?? percentile)
Happy 9 Month Birthday Buddy! We love you so much!!

MONDAY JUNE 6th - THURSDAY JUNE 9th - Sisters Lake Trip
Ellen, Laura and I thought it would be fun to have some sister time at the lake with Davis, Isaac and James Bradford. We had such a great time. And Julie, Laura's sister ended up having some time off work - so she came over from Atlanta. It was a fun and relaxing week. The boys had a great time playing and we had a great time relaxing.


SUNDAY JUNE 5th - WELCOME SADIE ROSE!!!!
Megan and Chandler welcomed sweet Sadie Rose into the Hall family. She weighed 7 pounds and was 19.25 inches. She is perfect and beautiful!! I ccouldnt wait to meet her. Unfortunetly, I was unable to run up to Nashville to meet her, but Cory did. He loved meeting her and holding her. WELCOME SADIE ROSE!! We love you so much already! And Congrats to Megan and Chandler!!

SATURDAY JUNE 4th - Danny & Jessica's Wedding
One of Cory's good friends and fraternity brothers got married in Montgomery. We headed to the lake on Friday with my parents - as Montgomery is just an hour away from there. We had a great day on Saturday playing in the lake and pool. Saturday evening we left James Bradford with my parents while we went to Montgomery for the wedding. The wedding and reception was beautiful. Danny and Jessica looked stunning and so happy! And we had a great time catching up with some of Cory's friends. Congratulations to Danny & Jessica!! We are so excited for yall - It has been so fun watching yall begin their life together.

Thursday JUNE 2nd - Grandma turns 81!
Today my Grandma turned 81! Mom, Dad, James Bradford and I had a small birthday celebration for her. We went out to lunch at the Dragon (our favorite Chinese resturant) We had a great time. I am so glad that she has moved to Birmingham and that James Bradford and I get to spend time with her. She is a special and incredible woman!

Alright - that's it! We are back to May! Short and sweet overview of what has happened over the past 2 months. I'm so sorry that I haven't kept up to date. I'm really going to try better about updating! Thanks for not giving up on me!