SHE'S BEAUTIFUL!

BANANA NUT BREAD

This turned out so perfect that I just had to post a picture. 

I was going to clean today because the house is literally disgusting. If the food inspectors were to come we would for sure not get an "A". But I woke up with a "nagging" pain in my back and after getting the boys going the pain was so bad in my back I could hardly breathe. Ben had to come home and bring the kids in to the day care.  I in turn made a chiropractic appointment (because I know that the ER just x-rays you and gives you narcs and muscle relaxers). Turns out I popped a rib out ... random. I swear it, the pain was paralyzing, worse than labor! It even made me cry it was so bad! They got me to the point of functioning again. Sooo no cleaning for me today.

Bad news: Ben leaves today for the next 4 days and I have 2 kids to take care of. Good news: I get the banana bread to myself! Well actually, since it turned out so nice I think I will share it with a neighbor :)...or would it be wrong since my kitchen is so gross right now? It is actually just the floors that desperately need a good mopping but when they are this bad then everything seems dirty to me. There is just no way I can mop in this condition!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

We were actually all home! How rare is that?! (with the exception that I did work on Sunday). Lita AND Poppy came to visit for the whole weekend! It was so nice having them down, especially to have my dad here too, and it is NOT because he has perfected home made ice cream making to a "T" and has invented a few creative recipes of his own. YUMMY!

We all hung around the house on Saturday morning then took a drive to see a house that we found on the Internet for sale, that we will never get because or house will probably never sale in Virginia. Granted, we just decided to put in on the market Friday. We have not been too stressed because we have renters, who want to buy it...but have to sell their not one, but TWO houses in North Carolina. We don't foresee that happening any where in the near future (sorry guys)  so on the market went good ole' 40 Faircrest Rd. We are paying $400 of the mortgage ourselves and we are willing to "take it up the rear" and just sell the thing way below what we put into it...so holler if you know anyone moving to Lexington!

Anyways, then we went to Chick-Fil-A where our child is probably the only one who will not eat their chicken nuggets or fries, crazy (so guess who gets to...) BUT he WILL eat an entire carrot raisin salad! Then we laid low until Georgia Southerns Football season opener.  I probably saw all of maybe 3 plays. But we all had a great time. Connor especially did because he snatched up one of Ben's "pig in a blankets" when he was not looking and insisted on eating that instead of a cold processed jar of baby food-smart kid.

 I worked Sunday and Ben had a 10:00 am practice so my parents snatched up the boys and went to Savannah for the afternoon (without a camera, bummer). There is this great little park area they developed with the water fountain things that shoots up out of the concrete that Ben loves, so off they went. I was shocked that they were willing to brave it "2 on 2" alone down there. But they said the kids were soooo goood and soooo happy. Even in the car...another HUGE difference between Connor and Ben. I remember we would have to sneak off at night time so he would sleep if we wanted to go on any car trip over an hour with Ben otherwise he would throw a fit!

Monday was relaxing and just walked over to watch Daddy's practice while Ben played with a water hose (thanks football budget, your water bill may be unusually higher this month!). Then my parents left :( ... and I picked up a few hours at work :( that turned into me coming in at 1 in the am due to a brain bleed I had, a GI bleed, a chest pain, and a bunch of other crapola...While Ben put the boys in the stroller and walked to Hanner Fieldhouse to watch the Girls Volleyball game...Fun, no fair!

~THANKS AGAIN FOR VISITING POPPY AND LITA~

9 MONTHS OLD

NONNERBABAJIGGAWAGGA

(one of his wonderfully creative names given by his father)

The kid is already 9 months old. It is just plain crazy how fast time has flown by.

Stats: 30 1/2 inches

22.5 pounds 

He is a solid happy healthy kid. We are so thankful.

His is standing on his own.

Says "dada" and "baba"

Likes to do the "Cinco Lobitos" and "Pat-a-cake"

Will eat anything, he was even nawing on a rib bone on Sunday

admires his Big Brother

and turning into a mama's boy.

He is just such a great baby.  I'm not used to hearing people say what a "sweet" boy, so I reply by saying "I know, isn't he!" Because when Ben was this age, we had just gotten pregnant with Connor and friends were like "wow, what are you going to do, he is such a handful and so busy and sick all the time and ...  and... and then with two..." Our only reply was, "well, it cannot get any worse can it?!" Now, I don't think it can get any better! (except for the sleeping through the night issue). Don't get me wrong, Little Xangi is awesome and an out going energetic ankle biter that a brick wall cannot even stop, we wouldn't trade his personality for anything! It is just so nice to now have an orange. I hate comparing the two, you just cannot, they are so different from each other at this age. Like for example Ben was 4 lbs lighter and 2 inches shorter too! He almost makes us want to go for it and have number three....but then you about reality and how hectic our schedule is and how we are dropping a whopping $900 a month on child care for 2 already (ouch! I know).  Ifffff we could have Marmie or Lita living by us there would be no question about it!

The day we brought him home:

BROTHERS!!!

Now that Connor is pulling up and standing and crawling like a champ, the kid won't leave his brother's side. He loves watching Ben and likes to try to do everything  he is doing. Sometimes Ben is nice but most of the time Ben will shove him away like when he is playing with his train, eating, or playing with balls. Otherwise they are chasing each other though the house and climbing under the table together or in the bath and on the bed. It is quite fun to watch!

So what has been going on with us? - in brief

BEN:
Soccer season has officially started. They had a 1-0 win over Mercer on Saturday. The team looks great! They do have morning practice so he is out the door every morning by 6:00. Ben (husband) started school last week...WHAT? Yes, that is not a type-o. He is back in school getting a second masters in Sport Psychology. To cool and it is perfect for him.

MELISSA:
I am trying desperately to get a different job. I just cannot handle the stress of this ER here. It is crazy busy and I admit it, I just cannot handle it. I think it is my personality type. I like to be organized and in control and this place it just ridiculous. Sooo, there is this new Interventional Cardiologist in town (who happens to be my neighbor) and slowly but surely we are meeting here and there and working out the kinks to get me as an office nurse in his office! This would be an amazing opportunity so cross your fingers and say some prayers! I cannot keep working 11 to 11 but staying 2 hours late and leaving after 12 and the 3p to 3a shifts....uuugh no more thank you!

WEE BEN:
He is finally starting to figure the whole talking thing. Still to darn stubborn to repeat anything though. The pediatrician is not too concerned about it. He says some kids just take longer. Plus he is talking non stop, you just cannot understand a darn thing he says. He has surprised us by how brave he is at the pool. We are not allowed to catch him when he jumps in. He loves going under the water. This has also kept his sinus's clear so that has been awesome. Since all of the traveling, he is also a pain to put down at night, this is no fun for any of us so we are working on this. Although he is usually asleep by 8:45 so cannot complain too much. Oh and he loves his brother :)

BIG NON:
Still just a great, happy, easy baby. Although he is not sleeping through the night yet. He started off as a great sleeper and now he wakes up more at night than ever! We have been enabling this behavior though because I have either been home alone and too tired to stay up and get him back to sleep and it is just sooo much easier to give him a bottle...but that has changed and now we just cross our fingers and hope that he does not wake up his brother.  However Saturday he came down with and has been fighting his first ear infection so back to the comforting 3:00 bottle it has been since he has also been up at 12 and 4 and 5....  His 9 month appt is next week so I will have more to say then!

"Lita" also came this weekend!!! So fun to have her. We shopped around town and she baby sat the kids and Ben and I had TWO date nights in a row!!! Come ANYTIME you want mom!

PRE-SEASON!!

We attended "Meet the Eagles" today in leu of fall sports kicking off. Ben got to meet GUS, Georgia Southern's mascot. There is a chance he made it on the local evening news too because he would not stop following the poor "buwd".

It still never ceases to amaze me though that with all the action going on down on the field, guess where Ben wanted to be??? On the Bleachers!

 Uncle Sam also came for a wee visit. It was great to see him. Thanks for coming Sam!

SERIOUSLY BEN?

He is one determined kid!

HOME SWEET HOME

Finally after 2 weeks of being on the road all through Georiga then to Charleston we are all home as a family again. It was a great end to a crazy and difficult summer. Now Bens season starts at Georgia Southern next week and the craziness will start all over again!

Some happenings over the last 2 weeks:

My sister had her official wedding/celebration/party last weekend. Sadly this was the only picture worth showing that I took. It is a Bobble Head replica that they had made and used as the cake topper. Pretty cool idea. Half of the Freakley Family took advantage of the central location of the wedding and turned it into a reunion as well...plus came to baby sit. And boy did they have their work cut out for them!

 

While there, General Freakley, Will, Sam and Ben ran up Currhaee Mountain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currahee_Mountain). While the wives layed low in the hotel with the kids:

My bother flew in to meet up with the rest of his family and we all went to White Water (greatest water park). I think Connor may have has more fun than Ben! Sorry no pictures, as there were more kids than adults and lots of water = not good situation for camera. But here are the kids relaxing on the couch after a fun day.

After the wedding, where my Ben finally met up with us (he had been in Virginia for 3 weeks doing camps) we all went to Charleston to the Isle of Palms and stayed at our friends condo on the beach for 2 days to close out the summer. It was wonderful, Thank You Dr. and Lynn Nycum and Emily for babysitting!

It is official: we have 2 major beach bums on our hands!

Here is Connor standing, his favorite thing in the world to do:

Ben eating ice cream with my mom. Aka "Lita". I met her in Macon and dropped Ben with her at the begining of all the traveling so Connor and I could have some peace and quiet ;). He had fun with her and the cousins.

The boys bumming around:

Yay, dad-deeee is home!

And a family picture, you take what you can get at this point! :