It seems very fitting, that our son's first word (besides the continual "dadadadada and mamamama") is "uh-oh." That pretty much sums up his personality.
Hopefully this video will work. Blogger just added the option of uploading videos, so we'll see. Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
11 months old
"Christopher! Where are you?"
Uh oh. I'm in trouble...
"I'm right here, Mommy. Just getting one of my toys I threw underneath the stroller."
Christopher moves continuously. He's very quick to crawl after anything he decides he wants. Actually, it's more like an army crawl - belly and arms. He's quite difficult to keep up with. He's also pulling up on furniture and walking around the edge of the coffee table and his crib. What an amazing little guy...we love to watch him grow! Can you believe he's 11 months old?!?! Yikes and wow!
On a different note - last week Andy and I were able to go to a race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
We were in box seats, where they served us food and drinks. N*tara has a box that they take clients to for the big races, so we were able to go for one of the preliminary races.
After the first race, we walked down closer to the track. It was SO LOUD!!! out there, even with ear plugs.
Pit crew.
Our beautiful flag, blowing in the wind as the crowd comes in for the race.
Car in a truck? It was funny to see them loaded into semis after the race.
This was the big screen where you could watch close-ups of the cars as they raced around the track. The numbers show what place the cars are in.
Can you imagine driving so close to other cars at over 100mph? I was a nervous wreck the whole first race. And speaking of wrecks, they're were quite a few. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.
Still a complete blur and I was on a very high shutter speed. The cars made it around the track in about 14 seconds.
You can kind of see the steepness of the bank in this picture, but not to the full extent to really appreciate it - you'll have to go see for yourself. We had a fantastic time and would recommend going at least once.
On Saturday, Silas, Andy, Christopher and I hiked up to the Balds - right next to Roan Mountain.
Christopher really loves the outdoors. He had been fussy and whiny all week, but found his words again while we were hiking.
At the top of the first bald. "Hi, Daddy. I like riding on Mommy's back. It's high and it's pretty outside."
Christopher chilling and eating at the top of the second bald.
Have we mentioned that we really love living down here? It's so beautiful. Please come visit us if you haven't already. We'd love to show you around.
Looking out across the mountains.
Andy, Rachel and Christopher on top of the balds.
Uh oh. I'm in trouble...
"I'm right here, Mommy. Just getting one of my toys I threw underneath the stroller."
Christopher moves continuously. He's very quick to crawl after anything he decides he wants. Actually, it's more like an army crawl - belly and arms. He's quite difficult to keep up with. He's also pulling up on furniture and walking around the edge of the coffee table and his crib. What an amazing little guy...we love to watch him grow! Can you believe he's 11 months old?!?! Yikes and wow!
On a different note - last week Andy and I were able to go to a race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
We were in box seats, where they served us food and drinks. N*tara has a box that they take clients to for the big races, so we were able to go for one of the preliminary races.
After the first race, we walked down closer to the track. It was SO LOUD!!! out there, even with ear plugs.
Pit crew.
Our beautiful flag, blowing in the wind as the crowd comes in for the race.
Car in a truck? It was funny to see them loaded into semis after the race.
This was the big screen where you could watch close-ups of the cars as they raced around the track. The numbers show what place the cars are in.
Can you imagine driving so close to other cars at over 100mph? I was a nervous wreck the whole first race. And speaking of wrecks, they're were quite a few. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.
Still a complete blur and I was on a very high shutter speed. The cars made it around the track in about 14 seconds.
You can kind of see the steepness of the bank in this picture, but not to the full extent to really appreciate it - you'll have to go see for yourself. We had a fantastic time and would recommend going at least once.
On Saturday, Silas, Andy, Christopher and I hiked up to the Balds - right next to Roan Mountain.
Christopher really loves the outdoors. He had been fussy and whiny all week, but found his words again while we were hiking.
At the top of the first bald. "Hi, Daddy. I like riding on Mommy's back. It's high and it's pretty outside."
Christopher chilling and eating at the top of the second bald.
Have we mentioned that we really love living down here? It's so beautiful. Please come visit us if you haven't already. We'd love to show you around.
Looking out across the mountains.
Andy, Rachel and Christopher on top of the balds.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
I'm a Big Boy
Last Tuesday was Aunt Stephanie's 20th birthday. She's been living with us this summer, which I like because I have another playmate. So...on Tuesday, we had a party for her. Babu and Nana and Uncle Si and Aunt SaraBeth and Auntie Anna and Daddy and Mommy and my cousin Bethany all came over to our house for BBQ chicken. Mommy didn't have a special birthday plate, so Babu took Mommy's marker and wrote "Happy 20th Birthday and You are loved" on Aunt Stephanie's plate. She ate some of the writing on the plate and I thought that was funny.
I got to eat chicken too...it was delicious! Nana said Uncle Silas used to chew on the bone when he was a baby...so she cleaned a bone off for me and Mommy let me chew on it. I liked it so much that they even saved some bones for me and I've been chewing on them all week.
Daddy and Mommy said I'm a big boy now and I have to learn to eat my cereal by myself...
...but that's okay because it's messy and it's fun!!!!!
I got some of it in my mouth, but mostly all over me, my chair and the floor. Daddy says I did a really great job.
I'm pretty proud that I'm a big boy now.
I got to eat chicken too...it was delicious! Nana said Uncle Silas used to chew on the bone when he was a baby...so she cleaned a bone off for me and Mommy let me chew on it. I liked it so much that they even saved some bones for me and I've been chewing on them all week.
Daddy and Mommy said I'm a big boy now and I have to learn to eat my cereal by myself...
...but that's okay because it's messy and it's fun!!!!!
I got some of it in my mouth, but mostly all over me, my chair and the floor. Daddy says I did a really great job.
I'm pretty proud that I'm a big boy now.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Our Sweet Boy
We had a fun, mostly relaxing weekend at home. On Saturday morning, we took Christopher out back to take some pictures of him. Here are some of the results:
"You want me to pose how, Mommy?"
"But I just want to sit in the chair."
"How's this?"
Of course, afterward, he was full of 'normal' smiles.
Sunday was a very warm day, so after lunch we took this blue bucket out back and filled it with several inches of lukewarm water. Christopher loved his new 'swimming pool.' He played in it for at least 1/2 hour, dunking his toys, splashing, standing up, and of course...peeing in the water. He figures out that if he gave Daddy or Mommy his little cup, we would hold it up and dump a steady stream of water out that he could play with. This became a game where he would put the cup in the water, then hand it up to us so we could dump it while he tried to grab the stream of water. It was quite adorable. We all had a fun time together.
"You want me to pose how, Mommy?"
"But I just want to sit in the chair."
"How's this?"
Of course, afterward, he was full of 'normal' smiles.
Sunday was a very warm day, so after lunch we took this blue bucket out back and filled it with several inches of lukewarm water. Christopher loved his new 'swimming pool.' He played in it for at least 1/2 hour, dunking his toys, splashing, standing up, and of course...peeing in the water. He figures out that if he gave Daddy or Mommy his little cup, we would hold it up and dump a steady stream of water out that he could play with. This became a game where he would put the cup in the water, then hand it up to us so we could dump it while he tried to grab the stream of water. It was quite adorable. We all had a fun time together.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Our Anniversary Get-A-Way
For our anniversary this year, we decided we wanted to accomplish something challenging together...and then relax. So Christopher experienced his first "trip to Grandma's house" and stayed overnight on Saturday with Babu and Nana (Thank you very very very much, again!).
At 6:00 am, Andy and I climbed in the car, dropped off the baby, and headed to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Our mission?: conquer Mt. LeConte at 6,593 ft. It is the third highest peak above sea level in the park, but the tallest mountain in the Eastern United States from its immediate base (where you see it rise up from the ground you're standing on) to its highest peak (5,301 ft). May I make a suggestion? Be a little more in shape than I was before attempting to climb to the top...this does not include walking only during pregnancy, then no exercise, then walking behind a stroller several times a week...good...but not good enough - I'll share a little of our story through pictures:
Here we are ready to go, standing HAPPILY in the parking lot.
About 15 minutes into the hike, we were greeted by this gorgeous site (Alum Creek)...talk about highway to Heaven. For almost the first hour, we hiked along this creek, which was breath-taking in parts (literally and figuratively). Rachel was fine for this part.
And this part...
...but pretty much from here to the top wasn't much fun for me. Andy was a great team mate. He encouraged me a lot and didn't complain once about my turtle pace and huffing and puffing. I'm telling you, my legs and lungs have never hurt so badly before, but I was determined to get to the top of this mountain.
Along the way we passed under "Arch Rock," an archway of black slate rock under which stairs have been cut into the rock and a steel cable inserted beside them to assist in your climb. That was pretty cool. Half way up, we paused at Alum Cave Bluffs: huge, orange clay bluffs reaching eighty feet in height - quite spectacular.
After that (where most people stop and turn around), Rachel adopted the take a few steps and then pause for 15-30 sec. approach, so the last half took a little longer.
Near the top, we suddenly entered a "tunnel" of Fraser firs.
It was beautiful, much cooler in temperature and FLAT! =)
We finally made it to the top after 4 hours (which actually isn't bad since they say it takes anywhere from 6-8 hours round trip: then I didn't feel quite so bad...plus...I was at the top.)
Here we are on the cliffs at the peak.
Andy cooked a gourmet meal on his stove and we scarfed it down. It consisted of rice, chicken, curry, cranberries, coconut and cashews - quite delicious and much appreciated.
We enjoyed resting for about 1 1/2 hrs at the peak before beginning our descent. It was quite "smoky," yet still breathtaking (figurative only this time).
The landscape was beautiful.
Here I am, hiking along a cliff on the way down, much happier than I was on the way up.
Near the end of the trail on the way down, we paused to soak our feet in the creek. Or, if you were Andy, you would have submerged your entire body into the FREEZING water - it really was so cold that I only left my feet in for less than a minute before they stung so badly I had to take them out.
After a terribly wonderful and exhausting hike, we drove back into Pigeon Forge, picked up a frozen pizza, ice cream, cookies and popcorn at Kroger (bad - I know - but it was vacation), and checked into a little one room cabin in the woods.
And here's Andy, returning with another key to the cabin. They were electronic key cards: we were unloading the car, walked out to grab another bag, and the door closed behind us...with the keys inside on the table. Fortunately, we had an extra set of car keys in the car, so we were able to drive back to the welcome center and get another key. Hiking back after a long day would not have been much fun since we were both in pain. By then, we were moving around like we were 180 years old (ok...at least I was...maybe Andy was only 110).
We had a lot of fun. The cabin was beautiful, with a private bath, king-size bed, mini-kitchen/dining area, couch and TV, and a screened in porch with a swing and a hot tub. It felt wonderful to soak in a hot shower and then eat and watch TV while lying in bed. And if you've never eaten breakfast in a hot tub in the mountains, you should try it!
On Sunday, we took a scenic road home - which I'm sure would have been beautiful if it hadn't been so cloud-covered...we could vaguely see the outline of the mountains. We ate at an apple orchard for lunch...they had a large store with all kinds of fresh veggies and homemade preserves , sauces, and dressings, as well as a restaurant.
Christopher was happy to see us when we arrived home Sunday, late afternoon...and we (especially Mommy) were happy to see him too.
He wanted to be held and read lots of books at bedtime, so we stayed up a little later. Spoiled? Yes, we know.
*intense concentration* Christopher loves to turn the pages.
"Oh! Hi, Daddy. Do you want to read my book with us?"
And that was our blessed weekend get-a-way, which also helped us accomplish a goal of leaving Christopher and spending the night away by ourselves before he was a year old. Yeah!
(Thanks one more time, Babu and Nana. )
At 6:00 am, Andy and I climbed in the car, dropped off the baby, and headed to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Our mission?: conquer Mt. LeConte at 6,593 ft. It is the third highest peak above sea level in the park, but the tallest mountain in the Eastern United States from its immediate base (where you see it rise up from the ground you're standing on) to its highest peak (5,301 ft). May I make a suggestion? Be a little more in shape than I was before attempting to climb to the top...this does not include walking only during pregnancy, then no exercise, then walking behind a stroller several times a week...good...but not good enough - I'll share a little of our story through pictures:
Here we are ready to go, standing HAPPILY in the parking lot.
About 15 minutes into the hike, we were greeted by this gorgeous site (Alum Creek)...talk about highway to Heaven. For almost the first hour, we hiked along this creek, which was breath-taking in parts (literally and figuratively). Rachel was fine for this part.
And this part...
...but pretty much from here to the top wasn't much fun for me. Andy was a great team mate. He encouraged me a lot and didn't complain once about my turtle pace and huffing and puffing. I'm telling you, my legs and lungs have never hurt so badly before, but I was determined to get to the top of this mountain.
Along the way we passed under "Arch Rock," an archway of black slate rock under which stairs have been cut into the rock and a steel cable inserted beside them to assist in your climb. That was pretty cool. Half way up, we paused at Alum Cave Bluffs: huge, orange clay bluffs reaching eighty feet in height - quite spectacular.
After that (where most people stop and turn around), Rachel adopted the take a few steps and then pause for 15-30 sec. approach, so the last half took a little longer.
Near the top, we suddenly entered a "tunnel" of Fraser firs.
It was beautiful, much cooler in temperature and FLAT! =)
We finally made it to the top after 4 hours (which actually isn't bad since they say it takes anywhere from 6-8 hours round trip: then I didn't feel quite so bad...plus...I was at the top.)
Here we are on the cliffs at the peak.
Andy cooked a gourmet meal on his stove and we scarfed it down. It consisted of rice, chicken, curry, cranberries, coconut and cashews - quite delicious and much appreciated.
We enjoyed resting for about 1 1/2 hrs at the peak before beginning our descent. It was quite "smoky," yet still breathtaking (figurative only this time).
The landscape was beautiful.
Here I am, hiking along a cliff on the way down, much happier than I was on the way up.
Near the end of the trail on the way down, we paused to soak our feet in the creek. Or, if you were Andy, you would have submerged your entire body into the FREEZING water - it really was so cold that I only left my feet in for less than a minute before they stung so badly I had to take them out.
After a terribly wonderful and exhausting hike, we drove back into Pigeon Forge, picked up a frozen pizza, ice cream, cookies and popcorn at Kroger (bad - I know - but it was vacation), and checked into a little one room cabin in the woods.
And here's Andy, returning with another key to the cabin. They were electronic key cards: we were unloading the car, walked out to grab another bag, and the door closed behind us...with the keys inside on the table. Fortunately, we had an extra set of car keys in the car, so we were able to drive back to the welcome center and get another key. Hiking back after a long day would not have been much fun since we were both in pain. By then, we were moving around like we were 180 years old (ok...at least I was...maybe Andy was only 110).
We had a lot of fun. The cabin was beautiful, with a private bath, king-size bed, mini-kitchen/dining area, couch and TV, and a screened in porch with a swing and a hot tub. It felt wonderful to soak in a hot shower and then eat and watch TV while lying in bed. And if you've never eaten breakfast in a hot tub in the mountains, you should try it!
On Sunday, we took a scenic road home - which I'm sure would have been beautiful if it hadn't been so cloud-covered...we could vaguely see the outline of the mountains. We ate at an apple orchard for lunch...they had a large store with all kinds of fresh veggies and homemade preserves , sauces, and dressings, as well as a restaurant.
Christopher was happy to see us when we arrived home Sunday, late afternoon...and we (especially Mommy) were happy to see him too.
He wanted to be held and read lots of books at bedtime, so we stayed up a little later. Spoiled? Yes, we know.
*intense concentration* Christopher loves to turn the pages.
"Oh! Hi, Daddy. Do you want to read my book with us?"
And that was our blessed weekend get-a-way, which also helped us accomplish a goal of leaving Christopher and spending the night away by ourselves before he was a year old. Yeah!
(Thanks one more time, Babu and Nana. )
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Four Years!!!! Happy Anniversary to Us!
Wow...4 years...can you believe it? Funny how saying it makes it seem like quite awhile now...it doesn't seem like it's been that long...and yet at the same time, haven't we always been married?
We had a wonderful Anniversary celebration. On the day of our anniversary (August 2), we ate dinner with my family and had a great time.
"Mmmm, Daddy, can Nana fix this for my birthday? It looks yummy." And it was - quite the gourmet meal.
Our family at 4 years: Rachel, Christopher, and Andy.
The next day, Christopher surprised us with his "gift" to us.
"Hey, Daddy, Mama, let me show you something."
"Ok, hold on just a second, I'm getting ready."
*grunt grunt* "This is hard work."
"Did I make it?"
"Yes I did! I'm standing and holding on by myself. Now watch me move."
Christopher is quite proud of his new found ability to pull himself up (something he's done for quite awhile) AND hold on so he doesn't fall, AND shuffle his feet so he can walk around something. He's still a little wobbly, but definitely figuring it all out...what an amazing little fellow.
He also surprised us with 4 teeth! How appropriate. Two on the top and bottom are all coming through. Yikes!
And finally, he's on the growth chart for a 10 month old in the length section...PTL! He's still only between the 5th and 10th percentile, but that's better than below the 5th like he has been. We just need to work on the weight, which he's slowly catching up in, so that is ok...no rush. We're just so proud of him - he continually amazes us every day.
This weekend, we were able to get away by ourselves to celebrate our anniversary...but it's late...I'll publish this tonight and upload pictures from that tomorrow...so look for another post.
~Rachel
We had a wonderful Anniversary celebration. On the day of our anniversary (August 2), we ate dinner with my family and had a great time.
"Mmmm, Daddy, can Nana fix this for my birthday? It looks yummy." And it was - quite the gourmet meal.
Our family at 4 years: Rachel, Christopher, and Andy.
The next day, Christopher surprised us with his "gift" to us.
"Hey, Daddy, Mama, let me show you something."
"Ok, hold on just a second, I'm getting ready."
*grunt grunt* "This is hard work."
"Did I make it?"
"Yes I did! I'm standing and holding on by myself. Now watch me move."
Christopher is quite proud of his new found ability to pull himself up (something he's done for quite awhile) AND hold on so he doesn't fall, AND shuffle his feet so he can walk around something. He's still a little wobbly, but definitely figuring it all out...what an amazing little fellow.
He also surprised us with 4 teeth! How appropriate. Two on the top and bottom are all coming through. Yikes!
And finally, he's on the growth chart for a 10 month old in the length section...PTL! He's still only between the 5th and 10th percentile, but that's better than below the 5th like he has been. We just need to work on the weight, which he's slowly catching up in, so that is ok...no rush. We're just so proud of him - he continually amazes us every day.
This weekend, we were able to get away by ourselves to celebrate our anniversary...but it's late...I'll publish this tonight and upload pictures from that tomorrow...so look for another post.
~Rachel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)