Out of the Gate and Time's Already Flying

Oli's second month is almost gone and I don't want to forget it. His floppy, cuddly, bob-against-your-neck stage is coming to an end. I will miss it.




This is his "before church hair"

And his "after church hair"


We went to a corn pool (literally). That's Oli with his friend Atticus. Oliver mostly just sat on top of the corn and wiggled his feet through it. It was pretty amazing, that corn.

And nothing's sweeter than a baby sleeping. Bradley and I always joke that it's like watching a fire. You just can't stop looking at them!



I can honestly say I've never had so much fun in my entire life. Being a mom is just too cool.

Renaissance Festival

We woke up this morning with nothing to do...so, naturally, we went to the Renaissance Festival.

First, we posed at the play house.

Then we tried to knock some pins down with a ball. You got three tries, and the best part was the sign.

Here's me by the castle in front of the jousting arena, and then me with the princess and her friends.


The parade with the king, queen, and other drunken people...?

Here's the jousting fight/sword fight. It was the best part. Oliver thought it was awesome, I think.




The food there was awesome (and super expensive). Here's our 1 kabob for $7. We also got a funnel cake (Bradley had never had one!), but I didn't get a picture of that. It was just too good to remember to take a picture while eating it.

Dragon Skull (I dunno...)

Oli gettin' ready for the Wild Wenches Pony Race...

And then the Wild Wenches themselves.



Here's what Oliver thought of that.

And here's Oliver once we got him outta there and into the car...(nah, he loved it)!

Dairy Confessions

We love chocolate milk. We love ice cream. A lot. But we've made a compromise lately after Bradley took a nutrition class at school (brakes screeching in the background...)

A good compromise.



If you're as squeamish about soy as I was, don't be. It's GOOD. It is just like chocolate milk only it has real cocoa in it, so it has a darker flavor. Yum. And the Ben and Jerry's--go snuggle up to it. It loves you back. The chunks in it are still huge.

Be brave. You can still cheat on Cold Stone later.

Bradley vs. Doug

Back in one of my psychology classes, I heard that people often marry people who are similiar to one of their parents, i.e. females marry men like their fathers and males marry women like their mothers.
Sound weird? Well, here are some obscure similarities between Bradley and my dad.
THINGS THEY LOVE (AKA ALMOST CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT):
Homemade Rootbeer.
Heinz 57.
Rib-eye steak.
Corn on the cob (in massive quantities, if available).
Popcorn at the movies (the movie doesn't matter so much as long as there's a treat involved and its half entertaining).
Salad (especially from a salad bar).
Chips and Dip (French Onion and Fresh Salsa).
Claussen Pickles.
Toffee.
Buffalo Wings.
THINGS THEY DO:
Monopoly.
Cook more than their wives (and probably grocery shops).
Snore.
Wear Sunday socks with shorts.
Semi-lame jokes (actually, they are pretty funny).
Late 90's/early '00 sitcoms.
Piano.
Bowling.
Top off the gas tank and shake it.

A Little Something About Oli

Every weekday morning after Bradley's goes off to school, Oliver and I just lounge around until we feel like waking up and getting dressed. He holds my hand and makes faces, doses in and out of sleep, growls, and coos. Its during these moments that I get little glimpses into his future personality...

Personality hint #1-Future Ladies Man

Personality hint #2-Future Philosopher

Personality hint #3-Future "Eat Mom and Dad out of house and home, including the sheets."

Personality hint #4-Future Sneakster

Personality hint #5-Future Right-hand Man

Personality hint #6-Future Sweetheart (Yeah, Mama's boy...)

I want him to stay right where he is, but I can't wait to see who he turns into. I feel like I'm caught in a wonderful and unsure place. Motherhood rocks.

Bradley's Birthday Bash

Welp, Bradley is officially over the mid-twenty hump. That's right, he's 26! Hip Hip Hurray! Here's how the party went down...

First, after a great night's sleep thanks to Oli (no joke), Bradley decided that we needed donuts for breakfast! Three cheers for donuts!

For lunch we tried a new borrito place called Panchero's (kinda like Chipotle only they make the tortillas from dough right in front of you and mix the stuff in your borrito) and then the party started! Two things I couldn't resist:

One, I saw this Star Wars birthday banner at the store. Need I say more?

And then a party hat for Oliver!



Then it was time for some gifties and a Jello cheesecake (by special request)! When I first asked Bradley what he wanted gift wise, he immediately said he wanted a...

TIE HANGER!!!?

And a new SHOWER HEAD!! We went to Lowe's and picked it out special!

He also got a new tennis raquet! (Shout out to Nathan and Shaleena--you have been warned of a tennis doubles match. Cut throat.)

Happy Birthday Bradley! Sorry the candles didn't change colors like the package said ;-( HAHAHAHA!! Love you to bits!

Oliver's Big Weekend

Oliver is one month old! We have loved every minute of him! He is such a great, sweet baby and hardly makes a fuss unless he's hungry. We love him so much. This weekend was his baby blessing and a lot of his family came out to see him. It was beautiful. Thank you so much for everyone who traveled. It was AWESOME and SO much fun! I think Oliver stole a lot of hearts while he was here with his mini man charm and good looks.
Guess who's hiding in the big, crooked family picture...? Hmm, I wonder ;-)






Claire wasn't liking the pictures too much, so I thought I'd give her credit for this one. Pretty cute.

Overall I think Oliver will be very excited to hear the stories of his blessing when he is older. Namely, gallons of Cold Stone in our freezer, fun games, ugly picture contest (don't ask), yummy sandwiches, yummy restaurants, RED potato salad, and a good heap of hello dolly bars. Oh yeah--and a really great time with FAMILY! The best!