I don't know how it happened, but here we sit on July 12 with almost half the summer already gone. It probably has something to do with all the fun we've been having in the last few weeks, because you know what they say about time and fun......at any rate the last few weeks have been chock-full of firsts.
We started the month out with our first single parent trip to West Virginia to spend a long weekend hanging out with friends and family. Lance (aka Daddy) stayed in Charlotte to do a few things around the house and enjoy some much deserved personal time. The trip was a success with both Kaden and Kiesel traveling like pros!
When we returned to the steamy south we brought some very precious cargo with us. Rhea, Shaunna and their dog Kya made the long trip down to spend some time with us in the month of June. Having 2 full grown german shepherds, 3 adults, 2 cats, a three year old and a baby in the same house would probably have been a site to see at times; but it was great having so much life in the house. Rhea was a great helper always wanting to help change Kaden's diaper, pick out his clothes and of course entertain him during tummy time. Likewise, Kaden was very intent on watching Rhea and observing her activities. I think they will be great friends and playmates. It was also great to have Aunt Shaunna's energy around to help out with the big man. She did a lot of entertaining and a lot of walking/bouncing when the situation called for it. Shaunna was even gracious enough to give the new Mommy and Daddy a date night.
Of course a visit to see Uncle Lancey and Aunt Manda is not complete without a trip to Chuck E Cheese. I have a feeling Chuck E Cheese will be part of our future for years to come, because not only does Rhea have a great time there ,but Kaden really enjoyed all the lights and sounds as well. We also took a trip to Discovery Place where we watched a very impressive 3D film about sharks and played with some interesting "experiments".
During Rhea and Shaunna's visit Kaden took his very first dip in the pool. He was not a fan of the sun in his eyes, but once we got him situated in his frog float with the half cover he had a great time bobbing around the kiddy pool with his cousin Rhea. It was also a monumental time for Rhea in that she began putting her face in the water and feeling much more secure in the pool. We might have future swim stars on our hands, one just never knows!
Towards the end of the month we packed up the dogs and the kids and headed north again. Lance stayed behind to finish up his work week and then joined us in WV on the first of July. During our time in WV we had lots of important firsts. My personal favorite being that Kaden slept through the night for multiple nights in a row. (note we have been unable to replicate this phenomenon since we have returned to NC). We also went on Kaden's first camping trip (and I believe Rhea's first overnight camping trip as well) with Pappaw John and Grandpa Conley. Kaden loves being outside and enjoyed hanging out by the campfire and playing outside in his exersaucer. It was unusually cold at night (down in the 40's), but Grandpa Conley had us covered and let us borrow his ceramic heater for inside Pappaw John's camper. And speaking of Pappaw John, while we were home he reached the monumental milestone called retirement. Though I think he had mixed feelings about leaving a job he had been doing for almost 30 years, we are looking forward to hopefully seeing him in NC a little more this year (hint, hint).
In other firsts, Kaden met his friends Austin and Savanna for the first time. We spent the afternoon hanging out poolside with Austin, Savanna and their Mommy, Tarra. Tarra and I have been friends since the third grade, so it was pretty cool to see each other and see our kids together. Savanna is only 2 months younger than Kaden.
Of course we should not forget Kaden's first trip to Granny's cabin. He had a great time enjoying the clean mountain air, watching the dogs frolic by the pond and of course riding atop Granny's new John Deere. We hope to make many visits to the cabin in the future, provided of course we find a way to keep everyone out of the pond (yeah right).
After celebrating my Grandad's 90th birthday and a few other fun activities, Lance, Kaden, Kiesel and I made our way back to NC. We were greeted with the 100 degree weather, which is quite hot for this time of year, even in the South. Since we have been back we have been spending most of our time in-doors and are all missing the mountain air, the cool weather and our family & friends back in WV. However, it's been nice to catch up with some of our Charlotte friends and hear what they've been up to lately.
I'll close out this month's blog with one more first....Kaden's first (and only) 4 month "birthday". It's hard to believe that he is already 4 months old. Everybody always wants to know how much he weighs, and today's official answer is 16lbs and 14 ounces. Which is a perfectly healthy weight for someone who is 27 1/2 long! Kaden celebrated his 4 month milestone by "finding" his feet for the first time. The ability to see, grab and almost chew his feet (yes, he is millimeters away from getting them in his mouth) has also sparked a lot of new sounds and babble, which is a lot of fun for Mommy and Daddy as well.
We started the month out with our first single parent trip to West Virginia to spend a long weekend hanging out with friends and family. Lance (aka Daddy) stayed in Charlotte to do a few things around the house and enjoy some much deserved personal time. The trip was a success with both Kaden and Kiesel traveling like pros!
When we returned to the steamy south we brought some very precious cargo with us. Rhea, Shaunna and their dog Kya made the long trip down to spend some time with us in the month of June. Having 2 full grown german shepherds, 3 adults, 2 cats, a three year old and a baby in the same house would probably have been a site to see at times; but it was great having so much life in the house. Rhea was a great helper always wanting to help change Kaden's diaper, pick out his clothes and of course entertain him during tummy time. Likewise, Kaden was very intent on watching Rhea and observing her activities. I think they will be great friends and playmates. It was also great to have Aunt Shaunna's energy around to help out with the big man. She did a lot of entertaining and a lot of walking/bouncing when the situation called for it. Shaunna was even gracious enough to give the new Mommy and Daddy a date night.
Of course a visit to see Uncle Lancey and Aunt Manda is not complete without a trip to Chuck E Cheese. I have a feeling Chuck E Cheese will be part of our future for years to come, because not only does Rhea have a great time there ,but Kaden really enjoyed all the lights and sounds as well. We also took a trip to Discovery Place where we watched a very impressive 3D film about sharks and played with some interesting "experiments".
During Rhea and Shaunna's visit Kaden took his very first dip in the pool. He was not a fan of the sun in his eyes, but once we got him situated in his frog float with the half cover he had a great time bobbing around the kiddy pool with his cousin Rhea. It was also a monumental time for Rhea in that she began putting her face in the water and feeling much more secure in the pool. We might have future swim stars on our hands, one just never knows!
Towards the end of the month we packed up the dogs and the kids and headed north again. Lance stayed behind to finish up his work week and then joined us in WV on the first of July. During our time in WV we had lots of important firsts. My personal favorite being that Kaden slept through the night for multiple nights in a row. (note we have been unable to replicate this phenomenon since we have returned to NC). We also went on Kaden's first camping trip (and I believe Rhea's first overnight camping trip as well) with Pappaw John and Grandpa Conley. Kaden loves being outside and enjoyed hanging out by the campfire and playing outside in his exersaucer. It was unusually cold at night (down in the 40's), but Grandpa Conley had us covered and let us borrow his ceramic heater for inside Pappaw John's camper. And speaking of Pappaw John, while we were home he reached the monumental milestone called retirement. Though I think he had mixed feelings about leaving a job he had been doing for almost 30 years, we are looking forward to hopefully seeing him in NC a little more this year (hint, hint).
In other firsts, Kaden met his friends Austin and Savanna for the first time. We spent the afternoon hanging out poolside with Austin, Savanna and their Mommy, Tarra. Tarra and I have been friends since the third grade, so it was pretty cool to see each other and see our kids together. Savanna is only 2 months younger than Kaden.
Of course we should not forget Kaden's first trip to Granny's cabin. He had a great time enjoying the clean mountain air, watching the dogs frolic by the pond and of course riding atop Granny's new John Deere. We hope to make many visits to the cabin in the future, provided of course we find a way to keep everyone out of the pond (yeah right).
After celebrating my Grandad's 90th birthday and a few other fun activities, Lance, Kaden, Kiesel and I made our way back to NC. We were greeted with the 100 degree weather, which is quite hot for this time of year, even in the South. Since we have been back we have been spending most of our time in-doors and are all missing the mountain air, the cool weather and our family & friends back in WV. However, it's been nice to catch up with some of our Charlotte friends and hear what they've been up to lately.
I'll close out this month's blog with one more first....Kaden's first (and only) 4 month "birthday". It's hard to believe that he is already 4 months old. Everybody always wants to know how much he weighs, and today's official answer is 16lbs and 14 ounces. Which is a perfectly healthy weight for someone who is 27 1/2 long! Kaden celebrated his 4 month milestone by "finding" his feet for the first time. The ability to see, grab and almost chew his feet (yes, he is millimeters away from getting them in his mouth) has also sparked a lot of new sounds and babble, which is a lot of fun for Mommy and Daddy as well.
