Beach Baby 2013

Last week, we packed up the car and headed south...to the BEACH!  I can't even begin to describe how needed this trip was for our family.  

Mr. S and I have been swamped with work lately...throw a hellacious CPA exam into the mix and talk about stress!  But nothing a little sun and sand can't fix :)  Oh and not to mention, we found out Slade passed his hardest portion of the exam the day before we were leaving...HOORAY!!!  So proud of my man and his hard work.

Anyway, back to the oh so lovely beach trip!  We decided to leave Tuesday night and drive as far as we (aka Slade) could make it which just happened to be Atmore, AL...home to the state penitentiary...good thing I did not find this out until later in the trip :)  So glad we decided to make the longest haul at night.  Lily slept the entire time and transitioned easily to her pack-n-play once we got to the hotel.  The next day we had an easy hour and a half drive to the white sandy beaches of Orange Beach, AL! 

Ignore the hideous flag behind us!

Sugar, Boss, The Lichters, Cody and Allie met us down and we had a great time.  There was plenty of eating, drinking, playing, swimming, boating and just good QT time together.  There also may or may not have been a night at the FloraBama for us "kids" thanks to Sugar & Boss babysitting :)

Cousin love...warms my heart!

This was Lily's first time to the beach, so we were all really excited to see her reaction to the sand and waves...this video pretty much sums it up...

She didn't seem to care either way...I think she preferred boating and playing in her blow up pool much more than the actual crashing of the waves on her feet...maybe next year her feeling will change?!?!

We went out on a boat for the day, enjoyed cruising the bay and stopping at some favorite bushwhacker spots...Pirates Cove & Flippers :)

Lily enjoyed being "Captain" for a bit :)

One thing I can say about the kiddos...they were awesome the whole time!  Both were super flexible, never cried & found ways to get a nap or two in :)

Yes, my child is napping in the ocean...

Since we had two little ones with us this year, we decided just to do one dinner out.  We went to Cobalt and it was delicious!  The outdoor area is so nice for waiting and allowed the little man to run around and dance a bit :) while Lily enjoyed playing with her new colorful frog (thanks Boss!) and dancing with Sugar!

Rare to have a picture of just us nowadays!

To wrap up the week, we took some family pictures...

Not sure these kids could be any cuter...

however, I think Lily is already making teenager faces....we're in trouble!

LOVE this girl

Look closely...they are holding hands :)

The trip was just perfect!  It was so nice to slow down, relax and spend some good family time together.  We're already looking forward to next year :)  

Lillian Pace- 6 Months

Dearest Lillian Pace,

You are 6 months old today.  I can’t believe half a year has passed since we met your sweet face.  At times, the days have seemed long, but the time has passed in a blink.

You are ever changing.  You amaze us daily with the little things you can do.  Just this month you’ve developed new sounds and ways to communicate.  You started sticking out your tongue and blowing, which as you will learn soon enough, makes a pretty inappropriate sound :)  You also squeal & try to sing/talk all the time.  Your daddy & I have enjoyed watching your personality continue to shine thru…you are hysterical!   

Your eating schedule hasn't changed all that much.  You're still eating three meals a day with bottles in between.  Overall, you eat around 24 ounces of real food a day & around 20 ounces of milk.  You definitely favor your solids over milk nowadays!  You also know what is coming when we put you in your highchair…you start squealing & wiggling…if I don’t get the food to you soon enough you have a complete meltdown.  We tried meat for the first time this month- chicken & turkey.  You liked the chicken a lot…the turkey, not so much.  Other new foods this month- spinach, pumpkin, kiwi and beets.  

Sleep has been much better this month!  All in all, you're sleeping between 10 and 12 hours a night, with 3 to 5 hours of napping each day.  You definitely let us know you're ready to go down by yawning & rubbing your eyes.  Not to mention, you go down with such ease...seriously, put you in the crib with a lovey & paci and you are done :)  I'm so thankful you are a great sleeper (all that sleep training paid off!), but most days I am just waiting for you to wake up so we can play...the day is much more fun when you're up!

You had some big developmental milestones this month.  You started rolling from your back to your tummy, which has resulted in you not staying in one spot once you're put down on the play-mat or a blanket.  Speaking of not being able to sit still...taking pictures this month was rather challenging.  Here is proof...you would not stop wiggling around in the chair!  Silly girl :)

Also, you started sitting up this month!  Talk about a BIG girl!  I've never been more proud as you sitting there without me holding your little hands...you're growing up so fast. 

Some other fun firsts we did this month- you went swimming, attended a Braves game, went to the beach, rode in a boat all day & rode in a shopping cart while helping mommy & daddy grocery shop (you may or may not have found some ice cream along the way!).  

I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful, exciting & fun these last 6 months have been.  Just when I think it can't get any better, you prove me wrong.  We love you so much our sweet girl & look forward to what the next 6 months have in store :)

Lily’s 6 month stats:
Feed: 

Three meals per day &  three 8 ounce bottles

   

Weight: 

15 pounds 2 ounces- 48th percentile

Birth Weight: 6 pounds 2 ounces

Length: 

26 inches- 70th percentile

Birth Length: 18 inches 

Diaper Size: 

Size 3  

Clothes Size: 

 6 month clothes

Hair: 

Blonde & short...can't tell you how many times we get asked how your bows stay in:) 

Eye color: 

Big, beautiful blue eyes

Favorite time of the day:

Meal time has become super fun this month...love seeing the reaction to new textures & tastes

Funniest moment this month: 
Your reaction when you see food or a bottle!