Topsail Beach - Thanksgiving 2007

We survived another long car trip to North Carolina where Grammie and Grandpa Nick are renting a house on the beach. We had a great week with them and enjoyed being right on the ocean. Jack became very familiar with the taste of sand while I (Sophie) preferred the more sophisticated flavors of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Grammie even let me help make the pie! Enjoy these pictures and hopefully Mommy can post a little more often now that we're staying put at home for awhile!

Halloween 2007 - Old MacDonald's Farm

When Mommy asked what I wanted to be for Halloween this year, I told her I wanted to be a cow so "I can say MOOOOOO". After all, I've become an expert at animal sounds while entertaining Jack with "Old MacDonald's Farm" when he needs a little boost. He followed suit with the animal theme and dressed as a duck (Mommy thought he had a chicken costume until he was actually wearing it and everyone kept commenting on the cute little duck). She is still not sleeping through the night on a regular basis, so I guess we'll let that slide.

There were several festivites including a big event at Daddy's work, a parade at preschool Halloween morning, and a neighborhood parade and party that evening. It took me awhile to get the hang of "trick or treating" in the parade. Each time I was given a piece of candy, I stopped to eat it (wouldn't you?). I think it's going to take a little time before I accept the delayed gratification of collecting all the loot first before digging in.

Operation Lamp Cord

I've been crawling for almost 3 weeks now and in that short time I've scoped out a few dangerous places in the family room just to keep the parental authorities on their toes. Even with all of the babyproofing in place, I have found a way to require my parents to run after me just about every 3 seconds. Sophie has even caught onto my game and likes to place toys just in the right place to lure me into the danger zones as fast as possible just to see how long it will take for someone to notice. My 2 favorite spots are the jagged stoned fireplace hearth and the lamp cord next to the couch. Today, when Mommy was a little distracted with her emails, I decided to just go for it. She caught me in the act and decided to capture it on film since I looked so cute and Daddy (aka "The Safety Officer") was far away at work.

Jack's Baptism

I (Jack) was baptized at the beginning of September. That meant that once again, our house was filled with family, friends, and lots of fun. I wasWe loved seeing Oma and Uncle Mike again (My Godfather) and enjoyed meeting Auntie Sandy (My Godmother and Mommy's best friend from college), Uncle Matt and Madison Wheeler.

Mommy and Daddy should have known that there might be trouble in choosing a die hard Yankees fan and a Red Sox fan to be my Godparents. The rivalry is on now that The Wheelers brought me a Red Sox hat straight from Boston. As long as I stay true to Daddy's Dallas Cowboys, Mommy and Daddy said I can root for whatever baseball team I want.

Enjoy the pictures from my special weekend!

Our Trip to the Beach

Mommy and Daddy took us to Myrtle Beach for a little R&R and to meet some of Daddy's college buddies and their kids. We had a great time with The Jacksons and The Sweeneys, but Mommy and Daddy don't seem to be all that rested and relaxed for some reason. I guess vacations were different before we came along. The kids proudly outnumbered the adults 7 to 6. We stayed right on the beach and had great weather. Daddy was thrilled that there was a Krispy Kreme down the street from our condo, and I (Sophie) got to enjoy my first donut (and it was even "Hot Now") Why did they hold out on me all this time?? Jack has no idea what he's missing.

Baking Cupcakes for Daddy's Birthday

Mommy let me help her make cupcakes for Daddy's birthday! I was in favor of Chocolate, but Daddy picked Vanilla (BIG YAWN). Since it was his birthday, we had to go with it. What can I say...some people's palates just aren't as sophisticated as mine. I had fun watching the batter get all mixed up and then watching the cupcakes get real big while they were in the oven. But, my favorite part was the icing. Mommy let me sample a little bite, and from that point on, I alternatively (and not so accidentally) dipped my finger between the frosting container and the already frosted cupcakes. I drove Mommy a little crazy asking to eat the cupcakes every 5 five mintues or so until Daddy's car pulled into the driveway. I managed to hold off until then but luckily we sang Happy Birthday and indulged BEFORE my healthy dinner.

Opa's Visit

Our "Opa" (Daddy's Daddy) came to see us this past weekend. It was a very special visit since he had last visited over a year and a half ago. He brought us many tomatoes from his garden which we loved! He likes to call us "his sweethearts" and we even got him to lay on the floor and do puzzles with us! Mommy and Daddy are always jealous when our houseguests get to sleep in despite all the noise we make in the early morning. Will they ever feel well-rested again?

Some Things in Life Just Aren't Fair!

Even at the ripe old ages of 2 1/2 and 6 months, there are some iniquities in the way Mommy and Daddy are treating us. How come Sophie gets treated to an ice cream cone for taking ONE nap Sunday afternoon, when I usually take 3 naps a day and am stuck with that awful rice cereal and pureed sweet potatoes? Sophie assures me that my time will come to enjoy the same wide array of foods that she gets to eat,and that there are just some things that Big Sisters can do that set them apart from their baby brothers.

Our Visit with Uncle Jeff, Aunt Mil and Cousin Erik

Mommy's "favorite" Uncle Jeff and his family came to visit us all the way from sunny California at the beginning of this month!! We had so much fun together. Sophie and Mommy got to go to the aquarium and Children's Museum with the rest of the gang while Jack stayed behind to taunt the babysitter. We went to the pool a few times and even met Daddy for lunch at his office. Sophie loved being with her cousin Erik who will be starting kindergarten this fall. He was more like a big brother, walking hand in hand through the aquarium, letting Sophie sit on his lap to watch TV and even putting barrettes in her hair and trying to help her onto the big girl potty. Jack missed out on a lot of the fun, but can't wait until he's old enough to keep up with the big kids -which won't be long at the rate he's growing!

Better Late Than Never!

Mommy has finally gotten her act together and is attempting our first family blog. She's been inspired by several of her friends and family members who are expert bloggers and we're hoping that she can keep you up to date on our latest adventures. At the very least, it's a way for us to keep track of all of the fun we're having so that one day when Mommy and Daddy are old(er) and gray(er), they can reminisce about our early years and realize that despite the many...and we mean MANY...sleepless nights they've logged since we've come along, we are truly the sweetest blessings they could ever have imagined! We promise to keep our entries short and sweet, and hope that you visit our blog often!