Our trip to see the kin folk

So the trip to WV/VA was good, but a little stressful, just because Josie was fussier than usual. I guess all that time she logged in the carseat started getting to her. She has that fussy period every evening anyway, but she took it to all new heights on the trip. But mostly she was either happy or asleep. She often looked like this:

 

Stevie did great in the car, and we kept finding her asleep wedged up against the carseat:

 

We think Stevie was the best behaved she has ever been in life. It was truly a vacation for her, too... at my dad's, which was the first stop, she was able to wander around the property off leash (which is a bad word in Milton). She ran her butt off, and I think we have finally decided she has some whippet in her. I have never seen her run like that. I think "gallop" was more the word. She also got to visit Joye's puppy Rex, and they always have a ridiculously hyperactive fun time together. Then they take a 22 second rest (seen below) and then start up again.

 

She also got to show Josie the ropes of staying in a hotel. She modeled how to hang out on the king size:

 

And Josie followed suit:

 

Josie got to meet Poppa and Ali for the first time. Unfortunately we don't have a picture of Poppa holding Josie, because at picture time she decided to instead have a total meltdown that lasted nearly an hour and then she crashed out and everyone was too afraid to touch her. But we did get a picture of her with Ali that next morning:

 

Next it was off to VA! Josie got used to eating in the front seat on the truck. She did her usual screaming routine at burptime:

 

We headed straight to Joye's first, where Josie met her cousins Lindsey

 

and Madi.

 

They were both so cute with her, and we got lots of photos of the girls holding her and patiently posing:

 

The next day we headed down to Fredericksburg to see lots of folks who hang out down there. But first we stopped at Danny's new favorite restaurant ever, Allman's Bar-B-Que. It was so good he bought a t-shirt.

 

Then we headed over to Uncle Billy's shop, Affordable Automotive, so he could meet Josie, he loved her and she loved him!

 

Joye needed another Josie fix, plus we hadn't spent much time over there the day before. So we went and hung out there, Madi and Lindsey stayed home from school and Jami and Lexi came by too. I think if I had turned my back, Joye would have stuffed Josie into her purse.

 

Aunt Joye and Madi played with Josie and made her laugh a lot!

 

I just have to say, Rex is a very photogenic dog!!

 

We had fun with GiGi staying at her house. She made us a yummy dinner the night before we left. Then it was back on the road. We stayed at the same hotel we did on the way down.

 

The next day we were back home. We had a lot of fun, but it was good to get back to the routine. We already miss everyone!

Learning Curve

Lately we have been giving Stevie a little more run of the house. She has decided that she is the guest in this house, and thus has full access to the guest bed at all times. I keep catching her in there doing this:

Of course it isn't all innocent... I also caught her chewing a hole into the corner of one of the pillows. Later, Danny discovered that she had eaten, in his words, "a full three square feet" of our sheets. One step forward, two steps back.

A not so relaxing nap

Caught Josie sleeping for over thirty minutes while holding on for dear life to her shirt:

She DIDN'T MOVE. Literally, this was her the whole nap. Weird.

I'll Put Fifty on Mine That Bird

Josie looks like she is attending the Kentucky Derby (I know it's a little blurry)

Lil Gangsta

I guess we are not quite ready for the jean shorts yet.

Broadway Bound

This all happened in the space of 90 seconds:

Daddy-O

The girl loves her Daddy (and the feeling's mutual):

My first 4th of July, by Josie

I started my day by hanging out in the playgym:

Then konked out for a nap:

Later I tried my best to look patriotic for Mommy's pictures:

Later I decided to practice my newest trick: screaming my head off while mommy tries to burp me.

Then I got tired of that so I chilled out a little:

Later Daddy cooked on the grill and I fell asleep. The fireworks started, but I slept through most of them. Mom was glad about that, she was worried we'd have a sleepless night! Stevie was the one who was scared, what a chicken!

Dependence Day

Dear Self,

Please stop thinking you can bake. You cannot. Let's review: Snickerdoodles? Burnt on bottom. Blueberry muffins? Flat and dense as Heidi Montag. First attempt at wheat bread? Pita Bread. Never rose. Second attempt at wheat bread? Weighed more than a cinderblock. Brownies from scratch? Sticky, raw in middle, and disgusting. Husband would not even touch. Even the Golden Graham Smores, which just required a microwave and a wooden spoon, NO BAKING REQUIRED, failed. Tonight it was a cake from a mix, with a frosting from a can. Tasted ok, but looked wretched. Burnt around edges. Crumbs in frosting. So STOP baking, or thinking you can bake, or wondering if you could bake that, because the answer is NO. Stick to cereal, and add milk if you are feeling adventurous. Depend on an actual bakery to provide you with baked goods, or your mom.

(oh and here's a cute pic of josie)

And From That Day, All She Ever Posted Was Pictures of Her Kid

I know, but we don't have much else going on right now! And let's face it, no one cares about where we ate dinner this week (The Village Manor) or what I finally accomplished (filing for unemployment for the first time in my life ever). So here are a few from this last week:

 

Yes I realize it looks like she spends ALL her time in the Boppy... not so, it just makes a good spot to stop and take a picture. She also hangs out in her bouncy seat:

... her play gym, her swing, and of course people's laps (her favorite place to zone out):

All in all, a very happy week for Josie!