Baking with my Boy!

Note the concentration as he pours the milk.

For some reason, I was feeling like Susie Homemaker and decided to bake blueberry muffins mid morning. As luck would have it, I found a sweet baby boy who was more than willing to help. From pouring the milk into the bowl to dipping his fingers in the batter, Will helped me bake blueberry muffins from start to finish. What a fun and messy experience :)


You can never use too much PAM.


"This one looks too full."

Festival Fountain

This weekend was Festival International de Louisiane and we took Will to downtown Lafayette to soak up the scene. Mind you, we are still over protective parents and wouldn't take him close to the concert stages (too loud), but we did take him over to the the fountain and arts and crafts areas which were more child friendly.

The interactive fountain in downtown is a lot of fun! It's similar to many of the fountains that are found across the country. Jets shoot up randomly or in a pattern and a rubber pad below the spray allows people to run through the water with out getting too banged up. By the time we got to the plaza, it was hot, and there were a dozen other kids running around the jets and splashing in the puddles. Will has only been walking for a little while, so we didn't let him run free in the water, as we feared that he would slip on the hard ground or get knocked over by the spray. Instead, we held his hand and walked as close to the water as possible without getting completely drenched. As has happened in the past when Krissy and I think we have found an activity that Will will absolutely love, he instead shows little excitement. As was the case with the fountain, and he kind of seemed almost offended that we were getting him wet. Our little boy loves the bath and loves playing with a garden hose, but I guess fountains aren't yet on his favorites list. Though he wasn't the biggest fan of the experience for himself, he did find it humorous that his Mom and Dad were getting wet and acting like little kids.

Even though the fountain wasn't a thumbs up, it was still nice to get our boy out to the festival, to people watch and soak in some Lafayette and international culture. I can guarantee that we'll have much more fun next year.


Will and Momma exploring the fountain.


Getting less and less excited about the spray.


Dad got too close.


"Seriously, can't you think of something more fun to do next time?"

Best Pals

Snuggling on the couch.

We've loved watching Will's determination to get Lulu to notice and love him. Since Will learned to pull up on things, when ever he's gotten a chance, he has loved on his doggy giving her kisses, plenty of hugs, and even enticing her with her toys.

Well it took a while, but I think it might be safe to say that Will and Lulu are now best pals. Of course I haven't actually heard Lulu's opinion on the matter, but I'm going to assume that she loves her brother as much as he loves her.

Lulu has put up with a lot of body slams, smacks and screams from Will over the last few months, but either she finally excepts him as a member of the family, or two things: one, he's completely worn her out into acceptance, or two, he's given her enough table scraps that she realizes that being close to him usually comes with a few extra treats. Regardless of the reason, witnessing you're child and your pet getting along together is one of the sweetest things. It will now only be a matter of time before we find Will riding on Lulu's back and them playing fetch in the yard.

Happy Mother's Day

This year I got to celebrate my second Mother's Day, and it was very special! I awoke to a card, red roses, breakfast which consisted of a ham, egg, and cheese croissanwich from Burger King, and a halia bracelet. And, yes I was completely excited about the croissanwich because they are my favorite breakfast sandwich in the world, but I don't ever get them because they are so unhealthy. Ben knows me too well :)

The halia bracelet was super sweet. Ben and Will chose 4 charms to start the bracelet off that represented various parts of my life. My favorite charm was the one engraved with a "W" for Will's name. I can't wait to see what the bracelet looks like in the future once it's all filled out.
Who knew that a piece of jewelery could represent the story of my life...LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

The rest of the day was pretty low key, but wonderful because I spent it all with Ben and Will, who both made it feel like it was my day. It was also special because we got to spend time with both our Mom's as well.

Ben and I would just like to say thank you Mom's for your constant love, encouragement, and support of us as we have embarked on this journey of parenthood. We wouldn't be who we are today without your guidance. You have both shown me how to be an amazing mother to my sweet baby boy! We love ya'll!

We also remembered our amazing Grandmothers on this day as well. Memow and Grandma Jo we love and miss you both dearly, but know you were here with us on this special day and always!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Sweet Home Alabama

Rehearsal Dinner...Will is giving the stink eye

Over the weekend, we took a trip to my birth town of Anniston, Alabama for Lori and Joseph's wedding. To my delight, I was asked to be a bridesmaid and of course gladly accepted the responsibility. Lori and I have known each other since birth and even though we moved away when I was 5, our families have made it a point to see each other through the years and we have all remained very dear friends. So much in fact that we refer to them more as our family.

Anyway, that's enough of a history lesson. Back to the weekend. Once we all arrived in Anniston, the wedding festivities began. Manicures and pedicures, rehearsal dinners, hair appointments, etc. In the midst of it all, we still managed to get to spend some down time just hanging out with everyone and letting the kids run and play outside.

As a result of being in the wedding party, my schedule was fairly packed, so Ben took on the role of single dad for quite a bit of the weekend and I must say he did an amazing job (of course which was no surprise to me.) I think Will and him may have even bonded more than they already are. I was quite amused with Ben though on Saturday morning when he had only been with Will for a few hours while I got my hair done, by 9:00 am he said he was pooped and ready for bed. If nothing else, it gave him more of an appreciation for what stay at home mom's do all day :)

Before we knew it the wedding was over and it was off to the reception where we all spent most of our time on the dance floor (surprise surprise.) Will enjoyed watching everyone dance and even danced a little with Ben and me. To add yet another element of fun to the evening, Corey and Angie decided to jump in the pool fully clothed, dress pants, bridesmaid's dress and all, which as you can imagine encouraged many other guests and wedding party to follow suit. I was ready to jump in until I saw a dead bird in the pool, which totally grossed me out so I passed.

As the night closed we said goodbye to everyone and the next morning trekked the 8 hour drive back home. It's always fun to see our Alabama family, especially as each individual family grows. The best part about it all is watching all of our kids play, bond, and grow together just as we all did growing up. We feel very lucky to have them all in our lives and can't wait until we see everyone again!

Congrats Lori and Joseph!


Will enjoying a popsicle while taking a break from playing at the Cheatwood's house.


Will and Elena just chillin' at the reception and watching us make fools of ourselves on the dance floor.


The beautiful bride and me.