A Busy Board for A Busy Boy

One of my two projects is complete...drumroll, please.

RF's Busy Board --- :-)

It includes things that he can manipulate and things that he can touch to feel different textures. 

The old electrical face plate is from one of our renovation projects. 

The "5" and "6" were found in a drawer when we moved in to the house. 

The hook latch, door latch and carpet sample I got at Lowe's. 

The wheel is an old caster from an antique chair that we replaced. 

Three different chains and a door stop from Lowe's. 

I found the hook for him to hang things on in our "House Supplies" cabinet. 

Another carpet sample and a light switch, both from Lowe's. 

RF LOVES this thing...He is really enjoying exploring it and although some of the things are a little advanced for him right now, I know he will enjoy playing with it as he grows. I intend on adding things that are even more advanced as he masters these items. 

                                         
                                                                       Little hands exploring...

Another little project that I found on one of my mommy blogs was a homemade book using ziploc bags. I picked up some paint chips at Lowe's, wrote the color on the paint chip, put them in the ziploc bags and then secured the bags together using packing tape. RF enjoys looking at the colors and the noise that the bags make when he touches them. I'm working on making a few more that show RF different shapes and animals. 

What else have we been up to this week? 

He loves to spin the wheels on his stroller. When I say, "Robert Franklin, where are the wheels?" He crawls over to his stroller and starts spinning them. 

Splashing in a bowl of water...

Pushing his shape sorter on the hardwood floor. 

Ignore all the dog hair on the floor...we were busy playing and didn't have time to clean. :-)

Playing with Gracie. She is so sweet. She lets him pet her, play with her ears (his favorite thing to do) and poke her feet. 

Even with the best of intentions...

plans don't always get followed and the tasks on to-do lists don't always get checked off in a timely manner.

Enter --- the last two weeks.

My intentions last week and this week were pretty simple - complete two projects.

One project --- re-doing my kitchen was a bit more major than the other project --- making RF's busy board.

Needless to say, two weeks later and I am still working on both. The paint on the next section of my kitchen cabinets is drying as we speak. Let's hope I can at least get the kitchen finished this weekend - it (and my dining room) is a complete disaster.

My kitchen as it has been since we moved in in October 2010. Sad, huh? We have found all sorts of colors as we have worked on it - yellow, green, red, black, off-white and white. 

 Last week, Robert's parents came in town to spend some time with us and help us work on the kitchen. But, unfortunately with bad weather and a 110-year old house (anytime we undertake one project we find three other things that need to be done, too), things weren't able to be completed as quickly as we had wanted. I think over the course of five days we made five trips to Lowe's for supplies...and I'm still working on it.

Mrs. Margie had a great idea to get a window with as many panes as she has grandchildren and to let each grandchild paint a pane - so cute! RF did a great job painting his pane last weekend.

What is this, mama? 

Ok, I see how this works, mama...

Oh yea, this is fun, mama!

Did I do a good job, mama? 

Swinging with Nana and Babu

We did celebrate RF's first Fourth of July, though. We made ribs, mashed potatoes and corn and spent the evening watching a cinema classic (see photo below). We aren't big fireworks people (mainly because of our dogs - they do not like loud noises) and since the weather wasn't ideal we certainly weren't going to make a trip to the water to see them.

RF on the Fourth of July wearing a red, white and blue John-John that RA wore when he was a little boy...

Our movie on the Fourth of July...anyone know what movie it is just by this photo? And yes, my child is laying on a cardboard box... :-)

Vacuuming up all the sheetrock dust in the house...RF isn't scared of the vacuum cleaner, he just wants to have his eyes on it at all times when it is on. 

This week started off quite well, but took a nasty turn on Tuesday afternoon. RF and I spent Monday hanging at home, slowly working on the kitchen and cleaning up the house as the day went  on. Tuesday I had a meeting at the school, so RF hung with Lola until my meeting was over. After picking RF up, we were heading home when we were in a car accident. Luckily, RF's carseat is in the middle of the back seat as the impact was on the passenger side of my car. My airbag deployed, RF was quite upset and to make the situation worse, the driver of the other vehicle fled the scene. Luckily a Good Samaritan was able to get the vehicle's license plate number. After a trip to the pediatrician for RF and the urgent care for me we made it back home and have spent the last two days resting. RF was given the all clear and I have a few minor scrapes and bruises, a banged up thumb and some intense soreness, but we are super thankful that since we were close to home, RA and my dad (his office is just a block from where the accident happened) were able to get to us quickly.

Not fun at all...especially with an 8-month old in the car...

RF checking out the giraffe at the pediatrician's office...

So today is the first day that I have felt like getting anything done and I am working on painting another section of my cabinets while RF spends some time with Lola. As soon as the kitchen is done, I'll post photos. For those of you who have seen my kitchen in person, it's a drastic change and I cannot wait to show you the finished product.

It's about time, huh?

I managed to find the time to change out the pictures in RF's room today.

For the first 8 months of his life he has been seeing...

Now he'll finally see...

Took me long enough, huh?

The big project that I hoped to accomplish this weekend is taking much longer than anticipated (with a mobile 8-month old in the house, most things take longer than anticipated...), so it will be a little while longer before I can post about that one, but the plan is to try and get it finished this week - notice I said, 'The plan'. :-)

Summertime...

I have never, ever, ever liked summer. It's hot. It's sticky. And to be honest, by the end of June I am bored.

Enter --- Robert Franklin. He's made summer such a fun time for me (kind of like the same way he's made me in to a morning person). From splish-splashing in the pool, storytime with friends, napping, and trips to the grocery store (which he likes almost as much as the pool and library).

Today we stayed home (heat index of 106, no thank you) and spent time...

Petting UGA - he absolutely loves this dog. Every-time he catches a glimpse of it, he makes a bee-line towards it. 

Helping mama prepare for her new teaching assignment next year --- AP World History. We are watching Mankind: The Story of All of Us --- today's episode detailed the rise of the use of iron tools and the expansion of the Roman Empire. 

Crawling --- he's actually crawling now. Not the army crawl that he has been doing for so long, but on his hands and knees scooting across the floor. Another milestone --- they're happening too fast... 

This weekend's movie selection is Toy Story. We watched a few minutes this evening after dinner. Movies (and TV in general) doesn't hold RF's attention for very long (thank goodness). We don't want RF watching TV all the time, but a kid movie every now and then won't hurt.

I am free from work obligations until July 9, so we plan on spending more time just hanging out as mama and son. And I am planning a little project for this weekend for RF and a bigger project for next week, so look for a blog post (depending on how they both go) sometime later this weekend and then again next week.

8 Months Old

We have an 8 month old bouncing baby boy. He is becoming more and more animated every day and I am absolutely loving all the time I am getting to spend with him this summer.

Eight Things RF Loves...
1. His mama --- a little bit of a mama's boy (which I'm ok with, by the way). When we picked him up from Lola's house yesterday, he wrapped his arms around my neck and nuzzled in to my chest. :-)

2. His daddy --- RA loves to make RF laugh - which he can usually do just by looking at him. RF lets out the loudest giggle when RA stands behind me and then pops out to one side, then he'll pop out to the other side, then he'll pop out above me --- RF just cackles. It's the best sound.

3. Food --- considering that he was a big boy when he was born and the fact that he's a Hawk, we figured he'd like to eat. Our favorite foods right now are carrots, green beans, peas, oatmeal, pears, and apples. He recently tried pumpkin and blueberries and enjoyed both of those as well.

4. His walker --- I had no idea he would love it as much as he does. I suppose it's the independence that it affords him and the chance to 'walk' around at his own speed. Or maybe it's the fact that he can chase after the dogs easier, either way --- he loves it. He did laps around Papa Tad and Lola's kitchen/living room this weekend. He has even figured out how to turn himself around when he gets cornered.

5. Water --- bath-time has never been a struggle with RF - he loves the water. He loves even more Papa Tad and Lola's pool. He spent more time swimming this weekend and was kicking his legs like a little mad man.

6. The grocery store --- I'm sure most of the folks in the store think I'm crazy as I walk past items and identify them to RF, but the kid loves the grocery store. He sits quietly in the buggy taking it all in, which is nice because I loathe going to the grocery store (seriously I'd rather clean the bathrooms and put up laundry).

7. Pulling up --- he has realized that he can pull up in his pack n' play. I heard him stirring from a nap one day, walked in to the living room and saw him standing up just a grinning at me. Silly boy.

8. His teeth --- we have two little teeth, although I can't seem to get a good photo of them because he is on the move so much. But he enjoys grinning really big to show everyone his new chompers. He realized that his teeth were sharp the hard way when he accidentally bit down on his own hand...ouch.

10/24/12

11/24/12

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6/24/13

Six Years

RA and I celebrated our six year wedding anniversary today --- six years. It seems like we have known each other all our lives.

Yesterday was RA's birthday so to celebrate both his birthday and our anniversary, Papa Tad and Lola offered to keep RF last night. It was the first time in 8 months that we have been away from RF for more than a few hours. We celebrated RA's birthday in true Hawk-style --- by hanging out at home, cooking together and watching a movie. When we picked RF up this morning we came home and spent the day celebrating our anniversary as a family of three for the first time. We had lunch, played with RF and spent the evening watching our wedding video --- an anniversary tradition.

When RA and I were deciding whether or not to engrave something inside of our wedding bands, I did some research to try and find the right words, phrase, or saying, but nothing I found fit us. And then one morning, as I was walking past RA's dresser I realized that it had been right in front of me all along.

So that's what we engraved in our wedding bands --- the first part in his, the second part in mine. And it couldn't be more true.

I read the poem below a few years ago and as time goes by I understand and believe each line in a new way. There are good days and there are not so good days, but at the end of every day we lie down next to each other knowing that our love transcends all.

WHY MARRIAGE? 
~ By: Mari Nichols-Haining ~

Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...

Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me,
Who won't hold them against me,
Who loves me when I'm unlikable,
Who sees the small child in me, and
Who looks for the divine potential of me...

Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night
With someone who thanks God for me,
With someone I feel blessed to hold...

Because marriage means opportunity
To grow in love in friendship...

Because marriage is a discipline
To be added to a list of achievements...

Because marriages do not fail, people fail
When they enter into marriage
Expecting another to make them whole...

Because, knowing this,
I promise myself to take full responsibility
For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness
I create me,
I take half of the responsibility for my marriage
Together we create our marriage...

Because with this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.

Happy Anniversary, Robert Alan --- I love you dearly.

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...