RA's First Father's Day

RF and I let daddy sleep in on Sunday as we set out on an adventure --- it was 6:00AM and we were on a mission --- bring back breakfast for daddy --- his favorite breakfast --- Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

We were successful in our quest and once he woke up RA enjoyed his coffee and a few 'Hot Nows' --- YUMMY!

Warm doughnuts and RA's Father's Day presents --- a photo book, a collage of RF and RF's 2nd piece of artwork - a handprint monkey (one of RA's nicknames for RF)

Exploring on the front porch - actually I think he had just chased one of the dogs in to a corner...

We all spent the morning at home enjoying each other's company before heading to lunch at T.P. Crockmeier's with Papa Tad, Lola, Aunt Hartley, Uncle Michael and Aunt Haydn. The afternoon was spent napping (a favorite Hawk family activity) and spending some time outside. RF enjoyed time on the porch in his walker and was mesmerized by the present Meme brought him --- his very own tricycle. I am sure he will be riding down the sidewalk before we know it.

What is this, mama? And how does it work? 

A daddy and his little boy... 

We hope you had a wonderful First Father's Day, RA --- RF and I love you to the moon and back. :-)

Second Week of Summer

1. Our rough and tumble ouchie turned in to a full-blown ER visit last Thursday evening. A few hours after he hit his head, RF started vomiting (sign of concussion), so we made the decision to take him to our after-hours urgent care. On the way there, RF got sick again to the point where he couldn't breathe he was dry-heaving so much, so our after-hours plan quickly morphed into an emergency situation so we headed for the nearest ER. Our ER experience was not in any way the most pleasant, nor was the CAT scan. Although, in his time of fear - as he was quite vocal about his dislike of the CAT scan machine and being scared, tired and hungry - he did say, "Mama". Dr. believed it to be a mild (very mild) concussion. We learned a  number of things through this experience.

A. Have an "If there's an emergency, where do we go?" plan in place.
B. ER's are gross...really gross.
C. According to the pediatrician that saw us, the front part of the skull is stronger than other parts of the skull.
D. Also according to the pediatrician that saw us, vomiting can occur in children after an accident - their system is thrown in to a little shock-type situation.

2. More story-time at the library. RF loves story-time - I think it is partly the SUPER animated children's librarian that reads and sings with them, but hey, it's good for him on many levels to participate in story-time.

3. Crawling - he has made it to his hands and knees and has begun to really try moving in that position. I have couple of videos of him really, really trying (and getting a little ticked that he can't do it yet). I cannot wait to show them to him one day. So funny.

4. Dogs - the dogs have become even more interesting to him this week. When he is on the floor and spots one of them he takes off army-crawling in their direction. Gracie and Lucky are more patient with him and Charlie is still his old stick-in-the-mud grumpy self so he tends to walk away (quite quickly) when he sees RF headed his way.

5. His walker - He can now scoot around the house in his walker at lightening speed. He has figured out how to go forwards, backwards and even turn himself around when he gets stuck. The dogs are not a fan of the walker as he tends to try and chase them down our main hallway. 

Petting UGA...

6. Outside/Water - If it wasn't so darn hot, I'd let him hang outside more, but it is sweltering already. We've spent a lot of time on the front porch in the late afternoon/early evening as the sun is behind us. We usually take him outside in his walker, block off the steps and let him roam around the porch - he thinks he is big and bad. He still loves the water, too. We've spent time splashing in the washtub in the backyard, taking splish-splashing baths, and even playing in a puddle of water that spilled out of a cup on the kitchen floor.

Water, mama...

Watching it rain with daddy...

The First of Many

I saw my child's blood today for the first time in relation to a boo-boo.

RF has been trying to crawl in the last few days. He gets up on his hands and knees and tries to move them, but then ends up falling on to his belly. Well today we were playing on the floor in our living room, he fell on to his belly and shifted a bit enough to clip the pedestal of our coffee table. There was blood and there were tears (his and mine).

Once RF calmed down a bit and I was able to clean the cut some I snapped a photo and sent it to Lola (who just happened to be at the office - 2 minutes from our house). She came right over and as I was calling the pediatrician's office to find out whether or not we needed to come in for stitches she was able to get a good enough look at it to see that it was more of a contusion/cut as opposed to a gash. Whew...no stitches but he will more than likely have a tiny scar.

Wanting to document the goings-on of our little boy, I figured a blog post was in order. One day I'll show him these photos and tell him about how on the 69th anniversary of the D-Day invasion he managed to earn his first rough and tumble little boy scar. 

His first real 'Ouchie'

Laughing it off...thinking he's big stuff with his bloody eyebrow.

Little boys and their boo-boos...

First Week of Summer + My Birthday

Week 1 of summer was a success and I am looking forward to the next nine weeks of spending time with my favorite little boy. We were off work on Monday for Memorial Day and Tuesday was a teacher work day. After I had I wrapped up the 2012 - 2013 school year, I sprinted out to my car happy to have 10 weeks ahead of me to spend as I wanted to - mainly doing whatever I want to, with a few things I have to do sprinkled in. Wednesday and Thursday we mainly hung at home. RF has spent so much time on the floor crawling around that we rarely see him just sitting up playing with toys.

He is usually chasing (scooting toward) toys around the room. He gets frustrated when he gets almost to a toy and then swats at it only to have it move farther away from him. But to his credit, he is determined to chase after his toys and doesn't give up until he gets to it. He has even learned that if he can get the toy up against a wall or a piece of furniture that the toy will be easier to catch - smart boy :-). 

Since he is spending so much time on the floor (and outside), his clothes and his feet are getting those little dirt stains on them (while I hate doing laundry, I can't help but smile when I put dirty little boy clothes in the wash... :-). 

Thursday RA and I had to update our driver's licenses so we meandered down to the Satellite Courthouse in Fairhope with RF in tow. He enjoyed being out and about and of course, had all the ladies at the DMV smiling. 

Friday I had a meeting to attend, so RF spent his last official day with Lola as his caregiver. RA and I could never have asked for a more perfect caregiving situation for RF for the first seven months of his life. We are so thankful to Lola (and to Papa Tad) for taking her focus off of work most days in order to nurture RF. 

Today, I celebrated my 28th birthday. I woke up this morning to a smiling 7-month old staring at me, ate a delicious breakfast prepared for me by RA, enjoyed a cup of coffee while looking at a vase of beautiful morning glories from our backyard, scrapbooked while RF played with art sponges, spent time on the floor with RF playing, had time to make a weeks worth of baby food - including our newest food - green beans (which RF LOVED, by the way), had pizza for lunch, napped with RF and watched as he worked toward figuring out how a sippy cup works, had a homemade Mexican feast for dinner and Red Velvet cake ice cream for dessert. Quite a fantastic day, if I do say so myself. 

And He's Off...

We have a mobile 7-month old! For the past two weeks RF has been moving, moving, moving and he's getting really fast (this is one of his earlier 'move-it, move-it' videos). RA and I are getting ready to do the 'crawl-through' checking for those things that RF shouldn't get his little hands on (like the extension cord in the back of this video...). For now, he's under a watchful eye, although the main things he heads towards are things he can try and pull up on and the dogs. It's going to be a F-U-N summer!

End of the School Year + 7 Months Old

Oh happy, happy, happy day! Today is the last day of the 2012 – 2013 school year – my sixth year of teaching is a wrap (well, sort of – teachers have to work next Tuesday and then we’re really finished for summer).

RF and I have big plans for the summer – story-time at the library, play-dates with friends, lunch-dates with family, splish-splashing in Lola and Papa Tad’s pool, scrapbooking, and I’m sure we will find LOTS more to do together. I am so excited to have ten full weeks with my sweet boy. I have a sprinkling of meetings and workshops to attend this summer to gear up for next school year, but my main priority is that cute, chubby-legged boy that stole my heart back in October when ours eyes met for the first time.

Since the weather has been a bit warmer (although it is quickly approaching the sticky, nasty, hot stage) we have spent quite a bit of time outside. RF loves, absolutely loves, to be outside. Hopefully this summer won’t be too miserable and we can spend time outside each day – even if it’s just swinging on the front porch and listening to the birds chirp.

RF turns 7 months old today. He is closer to being a year old than he is to being a newborn – how crazy is that? I was asked the other day if I had started planning his first birthday party…seriously, I’m about to cry – I cannot think about that just yet…although I suppose I should start thinking about it, as once school goes back in August life will be back to crazy busy. Nope, not thinking about that right now – my priority right now is to hang with my little boy and drink in all these moments before he is walking, talking and going off to Kindergarten.

RF has begun mimicking the words we say more and more. I’m pretty sure he has no clue with the words mean, but he makes the sounds anyway. He really enjoys saying da-da (sometimes sounds more like ga-ga, though) and has recently realized that he can make a spitting noise --- that’s fun to deal with right after he eats.

He is also scooting around on his belly. He lays flat and then pulls himself towards whatever he is after – a block, a ball, a refrigerator magnet (I’ve mentioned that he enjoys odd items as toys, right?) or whatever happens to be in the floor (only baby-safe toys, of course). He hasn’t made it over to the dog bowls yet, although I’m sure that will happen sometime soon and mama will have a big ole’ little boy mess to clean up.

Aunt Haydn graduated from high school this week – YEA, AUNT HAYDN! It was 10 years and 1 day from the day I graduated high school. As fast as time is moving with RF, it is really hard to believe that it has been 10 years since I graduated high school. 

The GRADUATE! The last of the Denson girls is FINISHED with high school!

All the sisters, Mom and RF 

Aunt Hartley loving on RF

A HAPPY little family :-)

5/24/13

4/24/13

3/24/13

2/24/13

1/24/13

12/24/12

11/24/12

10/24/12

Mother's Day 2013

What a perfect weekend....truly perfect.

My Mother's Day gift from RA was something I desperately have been needing - it was something that a mom (in my opinion) wants to have, but for those like me, can never find the time to get ---- a cleaned out car. That's right, folks - RA cleaned out my car, like detailed it, like waxed it and everything. It hasn't been this clean in 6 1/2 months. I am so grateful, especially since it took him four, ok maybe five, hours to take care of...thanks, honey - you're the best.

This morning RF slept in - he woke up at 5:30AM instead of 5:00AM. We all snuggled in bed for a little while before venturing downstairs for RA to make me some breakfast - pancakes - yummy!

We then got ready and headed over to Aunt Hartley and Uncle Michael's for lunch - Michael cooked, so it was a no brainer - Hartley mentioned last week, "I think Michael's gonna cook lunch on Sunday for Mother's Day, wanna come over?" No need to ask, sister. The answer is always - YES! Those who have been to Delish's Desserts and Eatery, know exactly what I'm talking about. Lunch menu consisted of roast, vegetables, hashbrown casserole, salad, bread and desserts - more yumminess!

Some sweet cards, a new Scout bag, a facial and the best present of all, RF's first art project - thanks, Aunt Hartley - it was perfect!

Happy Mother's Day, Mama! 

Mama and her sweet baby boy...

Hanging with Aunt Hartley...

Playing with Meme...

All smiles!

Playing with Zoey girl...

PERFECT Mother's Day present from RF 

T-I-R-E-D after all the Mother's Day festivities 

Our happy, little family :-)

Days Filled With Fun

Not a day goes by that I don't take a photograph of RF and all the fun things he gets to do. We are so excited for the school year to wind down - just 2 more weeks - and can not wait to spend the summer together. 

We recently had to lower RF's crib mattress because he decided it was time for him to pull up on the sides - talk about scaring his mama. I sat him in his crib with a few books, walked to our laundry room and back (I was gone maybe 20 seconds) and when I get back I see him standing up, holding on to the rails of his crib...yet another milestone that I cannot believe is happening. 

He has also realized that he can get on his hands and knees. It doesn't last long - maybe 5 seconds or so before he falls down, but for those 5 seconds he thinks he is big stuff. Once he's on his hands and knees he rocks back and forth - which RA did as a baby, too. 

Toys - RF has lots of toys. He has books, stacking toys, blocks, and teething toys amongst other things. We have come to learn that he enjoys new toys - things that aren't necessarily baby toys, but things that entertain him none the less. This past week that included: a paper plate, a small box, a whisk, a spatula, a measuring cup, a washcloth, and a cowbell. These are in addition to his love of the TV remotes, our cell phones/iPad and his computer keyboard. 

Everyday is new and exciting for him - it's a great reminder to appreciate the small things in life and to greet each day anew. 

He's a Hawk - loves to climb...

Enjoying the fresh air

Standing up 

He loves to be outside...he just sits and takes it all in

Being taken care of by Zoey girl (and Aunt Hartley) :-)

Zoey was a bit jealous of RF's blocks...

I put a little bit of water on his high-chair tray - he was amazed. 

LOVES to pull up on everything...

Hanging out at the office helping Lola and Papa Tad work

I'm naked, mama...why are you taking my picture? :-)

Apparently washcloths are fun to chew on...

Daddy walked in - this is the look on his face every time he sees his daddy...

Fun times...with a box...

6 Month Check-Up

Our bouncing baby boy is continuing to grow, grow, grow. RF's six month well visit today gave us another perfect bill of health physically and developmentally. 

Birth           10/24/12      9 lbs, 7 oz          21 inches long 

1 Month      11/27/12     11 lbs, 8 oz        24 inches long 

2 Months     1/9/13         14 lbs, 6 oz.       25 1/4 inches long 

4 Months     3/7/13         17 lbs, 2 oz.       27 1/2 inches long 

6 Months      5/1/13        19 lbs, 12 oz.     28 inches long 

Aunt Hartley accompanied us to our appointment and RF had the best time hanging out and talking to her while we waited. 

Chatting up our pediatrician

What mess, mama? I didn't make a mess.