Warning: Another photo overload post (I know, I know, how’s that different than normal?! They pretty much all are…)

I have been promising to blog about this for several weeks now, but that also meant I had to go through all the photos first, so I have just now had the time to do that! I know I say it all the time, but I can’t believe how busy a 9.5 month old keeps me…and she’s not even walking yet! :)

The last weekend in September, Jon, Hadley, my parents and I took a nowhere near long enough short weekend beach trip to Pawley’s Island, SC. We had never been there before, but I think it’s safe to say that this will not be our last trip there…it was gorgeous! And nowhere near as crowded as Myrtle/North Myrtle/Cherry Grove, where we have been going for years. Anyway, the plan was to leave early Friday morning to get there around lunch time and have the afternoon on the beach… but long story short, we didn’t make it out of here until around lunch time (Jon ended up working until 3 a.m. the night before) so we got to the hotel around 4 p.m., which luckily was still enough time to go check out the beach!

It was a nice afternoon, so after getting our stuff unpacked, etc., we went on a long walk on the beach. This time, Hadley at the beach was SO different than the first (she had just turned 6 months old when we went back in June). She loved watching the ocean and the birds, and just kept laughing and squealing (the true sign of excitement for her). She even got a nice long ride on Daddy’s shoulders…and loved that, too. One thing she was not too sure about was the sand…when we let her stand in it, she kept picking her feet up and staring at them like “what in the world is this stuff?!”. 

Side note before these next pics because I know people will wonder…the night before this, H and I went on a nice long walk around the neighborhood, and she (and I) got attacked by mosquitoes. Poor thing!

Funny story…Jon’s Grandpa Aldridge loves to tell about how when Jon was little he used to ride on his shoulders and would always hold onto and pull on his ears. It appears Hadley is paying him back for that! :)

While on our walk, I took the opportunity to snap a few pics of Hadley with my parents (“Pop” and “Meemaw” to Hadley). I realized that somehow in 9 months, I didn’t have a single photo of the two of them together with her! I am going to have to do better with that. Anyway, I LOVE these photos. It is so apparent how much they love her!

After our walk, we headed in to get ready and went out to one of the restaurants my family always went to every year growing up, Drunken Jack’s in Murrells Inlet. It was just as delicious as I remembered… and Hadley LOVED her first taste of hush puppies! :)

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel, gave H a bath, read some books and then it was bed time for all of us—we were exhausted!

The next day, H and I had a delicious breakfast at the hotel with my parents while Jon slept in—he was so tired (after working so late the night before)! Then, it was time to hit the beach!

Jon came out to play for the first couple of hours, and they had a ball playing on the towel with her toys.

For some reason, she thought it was really fun to play in the sand this way…

We decided to let her walk around in the sand for a little while… and she was just not too sure about it on her feet!

She wasn’t too sure about sitting in it, either…

We found a little puddle for her to sit in. Bad idea. She was getting tired at this point (almost nap time), and she was really not happy with us for putting her in it. Bless her heart. ;)

I rinsed her off in the ocean and she was happy again, but it was time for her nap! It worked out perfectly because it was also time for the NC State football game (which no beach would keep Jon from watching…) so the two of them went up to the room and I got some much needed time in the sun!

H woke up around halftime of the football game, and after feeding her lunch, Jon brought her back down. She was in the BEST mood and had a BALL playing on the towel…for several hours!

And of course she got some love from Meemaw.

And H’s face in this one makes me laugh!! So serious. And those thighs!

Finally, the game was over (still don’t want to talk about it…State blew it) and Jon came back out to hang out with us for a little while. We played some more in the sand and water, but my camera battery died shortly thereafter. :( Anyway, we had a great afternoon and perfect beach day!

We ate dinner at Austins Ocean One, which was actually in our hotel and a little nicer than we expected—H’s first “fine dining” experience! I am sure that when we walked in with a baby, everyone there was thinking “grrrrrreat”, but she was a perfect angel and smiled and talked to the people sitting next to us and our waitress the whole time. She loved getting tons of bites of the food we were eating (it was DELICOUS—I cannot possibly rave enough about this restaurant…if you are ever in Myrtle/Murrells Inlet/Pawleys Island, do yourself a favor and GO—I have been to many, many good restaurants and this one is near the top of the list). 

Sunday morning, it was cooold and rainy (boo), but we weren’t too sad since we needed to head home anyway. We said that next time we go to the beach for a “long weekend”, we need to go for at least three nights (preferably four), because two was just not long enough…we only really got one full beach day! We had a blast, though, and it was nice to get away for a weekend and for H to get some QT with her grandparents. 

Hope everyone has had a great week, so happy tomorrow is Friday! H and I have MOPS in the morning, and then the Aldridges are heading to LKN tomorrow for the weekend for some fun with my family (I think all 17 of us will be there…big families are the best!). Looking forward to enjoying a nice fall weekend!

-S

I know I’m a little late on writing this…I meant to write it yesterday but wanted to go ahead and write H’s 5 month post. This past weekend was one of the best ones I can remember. In fact, it was one of those just like I had dreamed we would have when I was pregnant. We didn’t do anything outstanding, but it was great nonetheless.

Friday night was low key. We grilled out some delicious BBQ chicken—the grill is still “new” to Jon so he loves to grill on it any time he has the chance. After dinner, there was lots of play time and giggles from Miss H—she sure loves her Daddy.

We ended up watching some Jennifer Aniston movie and going to bed semi-early. It is important to note that Friday night was the first night I took the plunge and (finally) let H sleep without being swaddled. I was SO nervous and I was sure that we’d be up every 2 hours, but our girl surprised me yet again. She slept from 10 until 6! Don’t get me wrong, I was less than thrilled to be woken up at 6 on a Saturday, but she ate and went right back to sleep until 10:45…so I definitely consider it a major success. Just when I think she is gonna make things difficult for me, she does the opposite. I keep waiting for someone to bring me my “real baby” any day now…if she didn’t look so much like her Daddy, I’d be sure she couldn’t be mine! Like my Daddy says, I definitely do not deserve this good of a baby considering the type of baby I was! ;)

Saturday, we slept in until H woke up the 2nd time, and it was glorious. I woke up not feeling too great (I have not been sleeping well—maybe I’ll write more on that at some point), so after I fed her, Jon took her downstairs and let me rest a little longer. When I got up, Jon went out to do some yard work he had been putting off (by the way, his hard work has paid off—our yard looks beautiful!!). I took this opportunity to head over to Morgan and Lee’s to see them and Jamey, Jamie and Jaxon who were in town for the weekend! We were already planning on heading over there for dinner, but with Jamie and Jamey moving to WA soon, we wanted to get in as much time as possible! This was the first time I have gotten to meet Jaxon, who was born about two months after Hadley. He is a cutie, and such a big boy! H and I hung out until it was time for her nap, and then headed back home so she could get some sleep and be her sweet self later for everyone. ;)

H ended up taking an extremely long nap, and I actually woke her up after about 3 hours so we could head back to Morgan and Lee’s for dinner. Morgan had cooked quite the spread—everything was delicious! We had a great time hanging out with everyone, and I would say that Jaxon and Hadley really hit it off… He wouldn’t take his eyes off her and kept smiling at her! So, so cute!

We headed home around 10 (past H’s normal bed time, but I try not to be TOO strict on times, just the routine) and H was so tired she went right down. She ended up sleeping 11 hours—as if she didn’t even realize she wasn’t swaddled any more. I guess it really showed that it was me who wasn’t ready for her to stop being swaddled—I think that subconsciously, I think that no more swaddling means that she is no longer a “little” baby. Tear!

Sunday, we decided not to go to church because our church, which is part of a “family of faith community” with three other churches, was meeting at Koka Booth Amphitheatre with the other churches. While I’m sure it was a great service, logistically, it would have been hard for us with a 5 month old because we had to bring chairs and a picnic lunch, plus there is the whole nursing thing… Anyway. We ended up spending most of the morning in the bed, loving on H and Ralph. These were the moments I dreamed of before Hadley was born. Just pure love!

It was BEAUTIFUL outside on Sunday, so we knew we wanted to do something outside. First up, we headed to lunch at Chipotle (yum), where we sat outside to eat. After that, we headed to the Raleigh Farmers Market to get some fruit and veggies for this week (love supporting our local farmers!), and also some to make for H’s baby food (I’ll try to write about that at some point!). H loved walking around the Farmers Market and seeing all the colors and people—she was entranced. We got a lot of deliciousness and have been enjoying it all week. :) P.S.—those strawberries?? To die for!

After we left the Farmers Market, it wasn’t quite time for H’s nap yet, so we decided to head over to Pullen Park since we were in that general area. The park has recently been redone/renovated, and we have been wanting to check it out for a while. It was VERY crowded, but it was really nice! There is a train that goes around the whole park, a carousel, a pretty fountain, tons of play equipment for the kiddos, and a beautiful lake. When I just googled, I saw that it is the oldest public park in NC—neato. AND it’s only a hop, skip and a jump away from the greatest place on Earth…NC State, of course! :) Hadley, as always, loved just being outside and taking it all in…and she especially loved watching the train. Our afternoon definitely wore her out—she was asleep in her car seat before we even got out of the parking lot! ;)

H went down and continued her nap when we got home, and Jon got the rest of the yard work finished while I worked on dinner. We grilled out again—filets and some of the yummy veggies from the Farmers Market—delish! It was a perfect end to a perfect weekend.

I am particularly glad that we had such an amazing weekend at home, because it is our last one here until after the 4th of July! We have three weddings and our beach trip in June, so it is going to be go, go, go for us (as usual) this summer! I only wish the weekends could be a lot little longer! :)

-S

Happy Tuesday! I meant to write a weekend recap yesterday, but as is always the case when we have company for a whole weekend, my Monday was spent trying (and subsequently failing) to get the house back in order, sheets and towels washed, etc. etc. etc. It looks like it might be more of a week-long task as it seems Little Miss is becoming more and more demanding (and less and less keen on taking long naps) for my attention these days. Not complaining, though, because there isn’t anything I’d rather be doing than hanging out with her all day long! :)

Friday night, Jon’s parents got in around 7:30, and we ate dinner (I made one of Jon’s favorite meals for his early birthday: country-style steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, yeast rolls and the best part—Sun Drop Cake!). 

After dinner, we just hung out for a bit and Hadley got plenty of love and attention from her Mamaw, who loved getting to feed her (not many people get to, since she only gets one bottle a day, and only sometimes!). 

Saturday morning, we got up and went on a shopping trip to Lowe’s, to get some things for the yard and also for us to get our big birthday present from Jon’s parents—a new grill! While it sounds like this gift may be more for Jon since he is the resident grill master, it is also surely for me since it means I will (hopefully) be getting some help with cooking dinner now! :) Anyway, Jon got his “dream grill” (a Weber) and I haven’t seen him so excited about something in a long time! A HUGE thanks to Kim & Tim for this—we promise to grill for you guys every time you come to visit, as a continued thank you. :)

When we got back from Lowes, the girls just hung out inside while Jon and his Dad worked out in the yard. For those who haven’t been to our house, we have a lot of trees in our yard, and about 90% of them are Sweet Gum trees. These trees are the bane of our existence, because they drop these stupid, sticky, ANNOYING balls that look like this:

So, every year, it takes Jon and I an entire weekend to rake out our beds and the yard to get all of the stupid balls up…except this year his Dad volunteered to help (and I was off the hook)!! They worked hard while H got plenty of attention from Aunt Heather and Mamaw inside. 

Saturday evening, we went out to dinner at one of Jon’s favorite restaurants, Tony’s Oyster Bar. The food was delicious, as usual and H slept through the entire meal—score!

Sunday morning, the guys decided that if they were going to get everything finished in the yard, that we needed to stay home from church (heathens, I know). We woke up early and even though Jon would have waited all day, I insisted that he and his mom open their presents (I LOVE presents!!) first thing. 

Jon got some help from H opening his:

Jon and his mom both got some frames for their desk at work with photos of (what else?) H in them… and Jon also got some undershirts (boring, huh?), cologne, new Rainbow flip flops, and a Blu Ray player (he might be the last guy in the world to finally get one, haha!). Kim also got some gift cards and a small photo album full of (again, what else?) photos of H for her to take to work. 

The guys headed out to work in the yard, and H had play time with Aunt Heather, Mamaw and me.

For lunch, of course Jon had to fire up the new grill! We had hamburgers and hotdogs, and we all agreed that they were the best hamburgers and hotdogs that we’d ever had…hahaha. ;)

When Hadley went down for her nap, I started my own little project, planting a garden! It may or may not be a garden in a box from Lowe’s that I am 99% sure is for 8 year-olds, but it is still a garden (don’t judge me, this is probably the only way I will ever actually do it—and when I am harvesting tons of produce I promise I will share with anyone who doesn’t make fun of my garden in a box!). I planted tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, cucumbers, oregano and basil. I promise that I will post photo updates if when my vegetables grow! 

After H woke up, she got a little more loving before they all had to leave to head back to Concord. 

We had an absolutely fantastic weekend, and we could not be more blessed or thankful for all of the help and the company. Jon’s mom said that it was the best birthday she could remember, and Jon agreed! 

Here’s to many more family weekends, we can’t wait!

-S

We spent this past weekend in Concord with Jon’s family. When we are there, Jon’s mom always tries to make sure that we get to see all of both sides of the family (which is possible with a smaller family like Jon’s—this never seems to work with mine!). We went to Jon’s Aldridge grandparents’ house on Saturday and got to spend time with them and all of the Aldridges (minus Todd—we missed you!). Sunday, we went over to Jon’s Kluttz grandparents’ to spend time with them and the rest of that side of the family. As always, it was great to spend some family time and I know Hadley definitely enjoyed all of the attention—I think she was held the entire time other than when she was sleeping at night! And she was little miss perfect all weekend; there was little to no fussing and lots of smiles for everyone! In an effort to keep my weekly update post from having a million photos, I wanted to go ahead and share some photos of H and her doting family that I took this weekend!

With Aunt Heather

With Great Grandpa Aldridge

With Great Aunt Sandy

With Cousin John Wesley

With Cousin Sarah

With Cousin Meg

LOVE this one with Great Grandma Aldridge

With Aunt Heather

With Great Grandma Kluttz

With Papaw

With Mamaw and Papaw

And finally…a rare pic of the three of us! Love our little family.

-S

I got home a bit later than normal tonight because I had a recruiting dinner in Durham (Maggiano’s, yum!), so tonight’s post will be short and sweet…just wanted to share some pics from this past weekend (NC State game and quick visit with Jamie). The weather was beautiful and we had a great time with our friends! And I FINALLY made an effort to actually be in the pictures… I have very few pictures with me in them since I’ve actually been showing, so I’m going to try to do better!

The food…hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken, and beef-wrapped jalapenos and pineapple

Newly engaged Aunt Bekah and Uncle Kyle

Me and my beautiful little sis!

Jon was trying to do the Wolfpack sign for little miss Hadley ;)

My love and me…Hadley’s 3rd State football game

Me with the birthday boy…Happy 30th Jeff!

Some of the girls…Brittney, Ashley and me (helloooo belly)

Jon and Kyle playing some cornhole

Bek and I playing cornhole (I am terrible, for the record)

Bekah wanted to do a little photo shoot…me at 28 weeks!

As if there was any doubt…!

And finally, a quick visit with my bff Jamie after the game…28 weeks and 18 weeks!

That’s all for tonight, kids… heading to bed! I will try to write an update on our recent car drama tomorrow!

-S

Seeing these boys (and also the girls who aren’t in the pic)…

Eating yummy food at tailgating…

Seeing what Mike Glennon has to offer the Wolfpack…

Enjoying this view on Sunday and Monday…

Some QT with my other “baby”…

Spending time the whole fam damily…

and FINALLY seeing Bek’s bling in person!

I’m REALLY needing Friday to hurry up and be over. It’s going to be a great weekend! Hope everyone has a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

-S