Go Braves!

Last week, I went back to work for the week. I taught an AMSTI math class to second grade teachers. It was nice to not have 2 diaper bags with me all the time, and made me remember how much I love teaching and miss 2nd graders! However, I could not have done it without a team of people - my mom, Heath's mom (and sister), Heath, my sister and Covenant nursery. That is a lot of people for these 2 for just 5 days!!

They look sweet - and they are. But a lot of work!!

It made me appreciate staying home for now - I was exhausted! I give working moms more credit than I imagined. So much to balance!!

After that crazy week, we felt brave (ha!) this weekend, and headed to Atlanta for the day to watch Heath's favorite baseball team, the Braves! We had a wild time. It was crazy HOT and 2 small children were definitely a challenge, but we had fun. Here is a little list of the events (in no particular order):

- Getting to nurse the baby in the First Aid room. Awesome. But, he had to eat! And I swear he was on top of a blanket and I turned around to throw something away and he rolled over! Given, he had a slant underneath him, but still! He is crazy strong!!

- Having someone knock on the door while John Burke was eating, only to refuse to "share" the nursing room. Seriously? The lady working the first aid room (which was barely air conditioned, but better than outside) said "She said she don't want to share!" Whatever - more makeshift hospital bed for the baby and me! And I am hoping it wasn't the young woman with her 2+ year old standing outside when I left.

- Turner kicking the backs of the three men in front of us because it was shockingly close to us. I am sure they loved it!

- The guys on the end of our row walking out - several times - thanked me for bringing my kids to the game. I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and think they were being serious. I mean, who doesn't appreciate an 18 month old, 8 month old (cousin Ellie), and 8 week old at a game?? Luckily, I only half heard him in the heat and constant scooting out of the row and was too hot to start something.

- When we were leaving the game, I turned around and asked the girl behind me to hold John Burke. Kate looked at me like I was crazy. Because I did ask a stranger to hold my baby. But, she had been playing with Turner at the beginning of the game, and Kate didn't know that. At that point, the girls held Ellie too while we moved our small arsenal of baby items out of the row.

- The drunk man walking 17 times out of our row. We were on the end, so we got to get up for him a lot (which was probably a relief for the 3 men getting kicked in the back). He leaned in Turner's face and was joking around with him. Turner promptly grabbed his (large) nose. He said to me "It's okay - I know I have a big nose." Awkward. Then Turner did it again and laughed and laughed!!

- This one is for real - Chipper Jones hit an amazing homerun. The crowd went wild. The team pretended like they were running on the field, and held back, so it was just Chipper. Everyone gave him a screaming standing ovation. Really neat to see!

- This daddy got to share his passion for the Braves with his sons for the first time!

Great family pic :) This was obviously the end - we were worn out!

Afterwards at The Varsity with Jay, Kate and Ellie. Delicious! And I think Ellie and Turner look sort of alike!

We also got Turner's haircut this weekend. Or you can call him Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber. We went at the last minute, so we ran in SuperCuts. Not so super. The girl was extremely annoyed to have to cut his hair. She did everything she could to avoid it, sweeping the floor, rearranging her station. She was waiting for the other 2 girls working with her to finish. But alas, she was lucky enough to cut Turner's hair. Some highlights - she said "Has he, like, ever gotten his hair cut before?" Yes. Though it did not look like it. Then, he had to sit in my lap. She rolled her eyes and sprayed him with water. Then, she looks at me puzzled and said, "Does he like to get sprayed with water??" Yes, he does. We know. Weird. Then she turned a corner, I guess intrigued by him. He moved around a lot, even in my lap. She looked up and said to me "I hope you weren't expecting this to be straight." She was dead serious. I almost said, "I hope you weren't expecting me to pay if it isn't." But I held my tongue. Good thing, because he bucked his head like a bronco and I apologized. She says "This ain't my first rodeo." Awesome. Looking at this awesome 'do, it might have been!

From my phone

Before I Forget

At this moment, my babies are 18 months old and 7 weeks old. So far, they are totally different to me!

John Burke makes pretty funny faces. They usually look like he is irritated or not amused by what I am doing around him. (Like Heath sometimes :)). Turner never really has had looks like that. Derek asked the other day if it was possible that John Burke was already more mature than Turner. Just more serious, I think.

Turner and Uncle D - both very mature

John Burke has some stomach issues. Nothing major, just some pretty rough gas! Like a grown man. He loves to lay on his stomach, and is very cuddly. I love him - he just likes to snuggle! And he is obsessed with being hot - outside is his favorite place. Thank God he loves being at the pool! He gives me at least one 5-6 hour stretch a night, and has gone 9-4 and 8-3 straight a couple nights this week. Come on, keep stretching it out! I am not complaining, he is a pretty good sleeper. He has a very strong neck and looked up at me at the hospital after he was born (unlike his brother, who did not hold his head up until 7 months! Glad he was my first, I might have been a little alarmed!)

He tries to crawl up my chest, I swear. He is just much stronger than Turner was. And he flips from one side to the other when he is laying on the bed. Not flipping from front to back, but almost. I am not writing this out of pride or anything ridiculous like that, more amazement! How can 2 kids be so totally different from the start?? I know John Burke will do things faster because he has an older sibling, but he is lapping him!!

Trying to "help" while I was trying to get a pic in their coordinating outfits

Now for Turner. He looks so old now. He went to school this week for a couple of hours, and they all commented on how big he looks. He went to the "bigger" classroom - because he has grown out of the baby room - and had so much fun. They told me I need to work with him on coloring with crayons and with scavenging for other people's food. I had to remind him that he is just 18 months old, and particularly CRAZY!!

Ever since we have been at the beach (the last 3 weeks), he is saying so much more! The most common thing he says is "Dant Du" for thank you. And last week he mastered saying "peas" - particularly when he wants peanut butter M&Ms, thanks to Heath's dad! He introduced him to the love affair with M&Ms last time we were with him.

Last week, Turner woke up from his nap. He was chirping around in his room (most of the time he wakes up talking, I just can't understand what he is saying). I called his name -

Me: Turner!

Him: Huh?

Me: I am coming to get you in a second!
Him: Okay!
I looked at Heath - did we just have a conversation?? Weird. He still loves (bordering obsession) the telephone - house or cell phone - and tends to pick it up, say hello, continue with jibberish, say okay! and then bye and close the phone (he has my old flip phone). I noticed my conversations follow a similar pattern. Hmm.
Also, this week I asked him to retrieve a few things. He listened and then did it! Hallelujah!! I asked him to bring me his shoe. He looked at me and said, "Shoe." Then he walked across the room, picked it up and brought it to me. I almost fell over. Then the next day he did it with the baby's paci. Wow.
The other thing I wanted to remember was that he points to things and says "What's that?" That usually means he wants us to give him something. He doesn't really concern himself with listening to what it is called. In fact, thinking about it, he might be saying "Wants that." Please excuse me, just interesting to watch the tiny baby I feel like I just had (oh wait, that was his brother) turning into a big boy!! His main words are: dog (old favorite), MaMa (not totally consistent yet), Dah (for Dad). please, thank you, bye, ball, hello, hey, huh, what's that, mine (usually pointing while panting insistently for ice!), book, "un, two" for 1-2-3 (but it usually is uhn, two, six!), and Heath swears he says "love you." He must not love me, I haven't heard it!

Starr family picture update - Grandad took us to dinner for Stacy's birthday

Water Bug

Working on my tan this summertime..might take a while with Mom's skin!

One of my best friends told me the other night it was high time to update the blog. I know! Wehave been enjoying the summer so much, I haven't slowed down to post.

This cat loves loves loves the water! He has been in the ocean, the pool and the lake over the last few weeks.

Last summer, he hated the beach. Hated it. Given, he was only 6 months old, but still. Screamed the second my feet hit the sand. This year, he was all about it! Played in the sand and the ocean for hours! Thank God for MeMe and Pap, who spent many hours on the beach with him!

We spent time in the pool at the beach - both at the condo and at Granny's house (with the water slide). At first, Turner hung around the stairs and splashed and splashed. Then we introduced the floaties. He loves them - once we get past putting them on he will keep them on for hours! He likes being able to hold himself up in water. We took an Infant Readiness class when he was 9 months old, and he successfully learned how to hold his breath when he goes under water and how to crawl in and out of the pool. However, before I brag too much on the little water bug I must say that he is a Swim Lesson Dropout.

We went with our BFFs Evan and York to swim lessons this week. When we got there, York and Turner ended up being pretty advanced. Almost everyone else were babies with very little experience in the water. Sweet York cooperated, but guess who did not! If they did not involve my post partum swimsuit self, I would show you the pictures my mom took of us - running in and out of the zero entry swimming pool while the other children were sweetly kicking their feet and blowing bubbles in the water with their moms. Here is a picture of Slumpy (as I affectionately call him because he slumps down in his chair a lot. And he LIVES in his carseat chair) watching his brother at swim lessons.

This was how Slump Dog enjoyed the beach. The little bird LOVES to be hot!! Works well for us, in this summer heat, he is not slowing us down!

The first day of swim lessons, the teacher said "Now, we are trying to eliminate F-E-A-R." As she was saying this, Mr. Fearless dunked down underneath the water and came bobbing right back up. She stopped, clapped and congratulated him. When she came to us for some one-on-one swim time, I explained that I wish Turner had a little bit more fear! My mom watched the baby while I spent about 6 minutes in the water and the other 39 running in and out of the pool after my little dropout. He was so over it! We didn't even go for the last 2 days!

Last weekend we went to the lake with the Averitt family. Mr. Averitt let Turner drive the boat. He loved it, and took it very seriously!

We also watched Dad ski - don't worry, he's still got it! He skied 4 different times, and Turner loved watching him from the boat. That was before he fell asleep on both of his boat rides! Crazy - I guess it was the lull of the boat.

All right, off to feed this little bit. Story of my life! But, he is pretty sweet. Guess I'll keep him!

We heart summer. And water. And the fact that it makes babies extra tired!!