High School Reunion

We celebrated our 10 year high school reunion with friends last weekend. It was a lot of fun catching up with our fellow classmates. I am more than glad to have it over after over a year of planning. The weekend was celebrated "Southern" style with a parade, pep rally, football game, and party. I love the fact that we grew up in a small town that still has parades with floats and girls in big dresses waving at crowds throwing candy. (a side note: apparently there is now a city ordinance prohibiting any candy be thrown from a moving vehicle or parade float so now people hire out small children to walk along their cars/floats and gently toss candy to the crowds...we took our chances and threw from the float). Oh, on the candy, Bo collected quite a few suckers which he has carried around all week EVERYWHERE! He takes the suckers out and places them on our dinner plates as he helps me cook at night but gathers them back up and puts them back in his bucket. It has been very comical to watch him with his little treasures. He hasn't had much interest in actually eating the treats as much as just holding them.

A shot of Bo, Nana, PawPaw, and Aunt Marina from the float.

Mary Susan's first parade ride (maybe her last unless we move back to Dalton)

Mary Susan 2 months

I really cannot believe that it has been over 2 months ago since she was born! We are finally starting to settle into our "new normal" as a family of 4 and exiting the haze of utter exhaustion. I'm starting to sew again which in itself is a sign of balance and routine.

Mary Susan is smiling, "talking", grasping, reaching and loves to squeal. She also loves to sleep on her stomach and swing. She watches Bo through the day and loves her daddy's voice. I'm starting to bond more and more with this precious baby. Each day I see more and more of her daddy's looks in her eyes and face. She is sleeping a little longer at night but we still get to see each other quite frequently in the wee hours. I am more aware of her ques when she grows tired or hungry which has been a huge help...still, however, very unpredictable.

Bo is talking more and having many 2 year-old days full of fun battles. I cringe to the term "terrible two's" because even my worst days with my babies are God-given. These little people truly are blessings. (easy to say as I type these words with a sweet boy sitting next to me, sucking his paci, hand rubbing my arm)

Here are Mary Susan's 2 month stats:
weight: 12.3 lb (90th percentile)
length: 23.5 in (90th percentile)
head: can't remember but 50th percentile---sweet little head!

My pictures of 2 are getting much better!

Bo holding and kissing his sister...very first time he would actually "hold" her.
Yes, I bribed him for a sucker.

Beach trip with 2!

Last week we traveled to Savannah with both kids and my parents for a dear friend's wedding (Bucky stayed home with a terrible work schedule). We made a beach trip out of it stopping by Amelia Island for a few days before. This was Mary Susan's first beach trip at the young age of 8 weeks! The weather was warm and the beach was so nice....very enjoyable. Bo was a blast with his ever expanding vocabulary, expressions, and personality and Mary Susan treated the ocean like the biggest and best sound machine staying asleep during her time at the beach. We built "sand castles" Bo style (not exactly any form to them), looked for crabs and ate ice cream---all three were on Bo's to-do list. And Bo was in heaven with most of the attention on him.

Oh, and by the way, Bo knows his colors...trouble is he isn't always forthcoming with the correct one at the correct time. However, we found out quickly that when chocolate is involved (in the form of colorful M&M's) there is very little margin for error. Amazing. Oh, and these were Bo's first M&M's---do you forget that he has a dietitian for a mom?

We are enjoying both children and feel like we are finally coming out of survival mode. Mary Susan is smiling and "talking" to us. So sweet and so fun! Still a hard balance but a blessing every day.

I should also mention that Bo all of a sudden hates having a picture (or at least he is exerting his 2-year-old will on us when we try to get a shot).

Sweet Mary Susan snoozing away

Bo saying, "no ma'am" to a picture (at least he is polite with his "no")

Bo finally found his crap---a big, dead horsehoe crab washed onto shore.

Oh, and a random bath shot for fun! She is getting some beautiful eyelashes!

Another nice paparazzi shot...

Both kiddos OUT on the car ride home!