The Real King is Retired!

This Memorial Day weekend Barry finally had his retirement party-it's official! The King has laid down his crown. At least for a while, we all have running bets on how long it will be until he goes back to work doing something to get out of the house. I think my dad made it about 3-4 months.....

Auntie Joyce and Uncle Bill are visiting from Washington. It's hard to believe it's been a year and a half since we saw them last! Time sure flies. They are having a good time getting to know Chase and have confirmed that he really is "so cute"!

We are planning to give them a tour of Atlanta on Friday, maybe going to the aquarium. Hopefully the weather will keep up and maybe we will go to the park too!

What a week!

What a crazy week! I'm glad it's over! I took my long-awaited exams in math and social studies on Saturday. Starting at 7:45am!! I took these exams as the first step of becoming a public school teacher, the alternative way. I have a degree (two actually), but not in teaching. So, if I pass these tests and get a job offer in the public school, I can get x amount of years to get my teaching certificate while working. I am trying for a middle school math job. The social studies was just for fun....ha!

I have a job interview on Monday for another position as a conference center manager. Totally in another direction. I don't know how I feel about this position. I have always wanted to work as an event coordinator, and this would be it! But now as a mom, a job like this would be a lot of time away from my little boy. But, it also would be a much higher pay and could lead to great things. I figured I wouldn't worry too much about it unless I get offered the job!

We are going to buy another safety gate today. We need one that swings open so that we can pass thru more easily. I picked up a gate last week but we end up stepping over it-NOT GOOD! Chase is really pulling up now and trying to walk. That's his main goal in life! At all times he's trying to pull up and walk-even in bed! Did I mention that he now says "Da Da"?!? He's growing up too fast!

A Week of Firsts

This week has been AMAZING as far as Chasen's progress.

It all started with Joy giving Chase his first artichoke. He LOVED it! He actually cried when all the leaves were gone. He left the cutest little tooth marks on the pulp. I guess that's why babies get their bottom teeth first-for eating artichokes!

Then, Chasen said his first "word". And guess what it is?!? "MA MA"!!!! He has been saying it all week. Of course he has said it to me, dad, the fish, and his food!

The day after he said mama he pulled up from the coffee table for the first time. He's been unstoppable since. He pulls up on everything. We catch him now standing in his playpen, in his crib. He loves to pull up on anyone and anything around him!

He's going tonight to spend the night at Grammie's so that Justin and I can get some schoolwork/studying done. We will miss him, but it will be a nice quiet evening at home!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

My first Mother's Day was a blast! Justin and I prepared a brunch for our moms and families and it was delicious! We sipped on mimosas and pigged out on homemade goodies. Justin gave me a beautiful black pearl necklace that his mother helped make. (Pictured here) I also was lavished with gifts from my mom, sister, and mother-in-law. I received fragrant soaps, a crown pendant (to signify "The King! aka Chasen"), lounge chairs for the deck, as well as a shopping spree for some much needed summer atire!

Chasen was perfect, of course. He has learned how to suck on his lips for a "kiss" and wave goodbye. Too cute!

New tooth to go!

This has been a big week for Chase! First, he got his second baby tooth, next to his first tooth. So now he has a "pair"! It's so cute seeing his little toothy smile! We joke though, because the second one looks like it's coming in crooked. Probably that's just how they come in, and then they straighten up. But we are foreseeing a future with expensive braces already!

Chase has started to officially crawl now! On Cinco de Mayo he was able to get on his hands and knees and take 5+ "steps". Now he's all over the place and no longer landing on his tummy for support. He also keeps going over to the curtains to pull on them. I say "No", and "Chasen, No" and he turns his head, smiles at me, and keeps going for them!!!!! Does he think I'm encouraging him or does he know the word no and keeps going anyways???? His next challenge is pulling up. He tries so hard to pull himself up and gets so frustrated that he can't. I expect it won't be too long, since now that he's crawling he should be building some good leg muscles.

One thing I do worry about is his whining. He has really perfected his whines and coughs when he is not happy. I read in my book "How to raise an unspoiled child" that this cry (or in our case whine) for attention starts early on and the parents can do this and that to eliminate it. Of course this is all in the chapters of 6-8 months! I'm afraid we missed our window and now have a cranky whiny child on our hands! Hopefully he will grow out of it! I also don't know if he's just being this way because his gums are on fire!

Pictured is Papa Barry and Chase in his chariot on Cinco de Mayo. We celebrated Mexican independence at the Miller's with lots of guacamole! YUM!

Good Pals

These pictures are of Chasen and his friend Payton. They were born only 10 days apart, Chase coming first. As you can see, Chase is too happy to eat other baby's toys as well! He then went on to hit Payton in the head with it....but that's a story for the psychiatrist later! By the way, that's food in his mouth, not his tooth!

He's really getting around now. Not officially crawling, but pretty darn close! He can go forward now-a huge improvement. And also rolls where he needs to go too. He's also trying to pull himself up like mad. Mom and Dad are not new "toys" for baby to climb up and over! He is 100% boy! A huge handful! It's hard to believe that just a few months ago he would sit quietly in his bouncer and drool. Now he is EVERYWHERE and is so LOUD! Time to invest in some safety gates!