World Class Traveler

Aaahh! It's so nice to be home. A whole week is a long time to be away. Our trip to Miami was a successful one. We found several places that we would be interested in living, but since it is still about 5 months away, we haven't firmed down an exact apartment. It is kind of a bummer to have to downgrade from house back to an apartment, but it is only one year. And, the complex is only a 5 minute drive from the hospital for Dean. Not to mention, a short walk to the mall for me. Pink stucco, palm trees... the hospital just screams Florida, doesn't it?

Here is a picture of one of our favorite apartments. It is a two bedroom corner apartment. We are hoping this one will still be available when we go to rent. We loved the curved living area with the tall ceilings and large windows. Let that Miami sun shine in!

We spent all day on Friday with the real estate agent. Noah was such a good baby. No nap, but he was in a terrific mood, and he hung in with us all day. We did have an early night. He was ready for bed about 5:30 PM. So, dinner was Chinese take-out in our hotel room, and lights out by 8:00 PM. My how times have changed.

We spent most of Saturday driving around Miami trying to get a feel for the area. We stopped for lunch in Coconut Grove at a restaurant called Jaguar. The weather was really nice, and we got a table sitting outside. We tried ceviche by the spoon. It was actually really good.

We had an early dinner on Saturday where we tried out Cuban food. It was yummy! If you are in the Miami area, I highly recommend the restaurant, Las Culebrinas. Someone recommended it to us, and we were not disappointed. If you go, try the paella (Spanish jambalaya with seafood) and vaca frita (shredded beef) served with plantains and yuca. Simply delicioso.

The flight home was a little long, 2-1/2 hours, but Noah was in a great mood, and the time flew by. What a world class traveler our little boy is turning out to be.

Oh The Places We Will Go

I think I was 16 the first time I flew on an airplane. Noah is 7-1/2 months old and has already been on about six roundtrip flights, not to mention all the times he flew while in my belly. He's flown to Florida, California, Louisiana, and of course Texas. This past Sunday morning, our family of three headed to the airport once again. We parted ways at security. Daddy on his way to a conference in Florida, and Noah and I were headed to Louisiana.

This was no ordinary visit home for Noah and me. Nope. We had a job to do. Grammy was recovering from eye surgery, and we were going to play nurse, keep her company, and spread some Noah love around. Gram had a macular hole that required surgery. The surgery was out patient, but the recovery required her to lay face down 23 hours a day for about a week. Can you imagine? Well, it was pretty much like this, except for the pool, sun, and total relaxation. Seriously, this is the chair she used. Thank goodness for flat screen TVs, Tivo, and the Australian Open. According to Grammy, Noah and I were terrific company and made great nurses. I even got compliments on my housekeeping skills... imagine that! Grammy is off of bed rest, but still has some recovering to do. So. say some prayers that her vision starts to improve.

Today, Noah and I hopped on a flight to meet Daddy in Miami. And, tomorrow we are going house hunting, or should I say condo hunting. Wish us luck.

One Happy Daddy

Noah was a babbling fool today. And, not just the regular oohs and aahs. No sir. Today, Noah decided to throw in a few consonant sounds. Well, Mister No, you made someone in this house very happy. Very happy indeed.

Do You See What I See?

Look very closely. Can you see it? It is tiny, but it is there. Peeking out. Causing grief. Did you find it? Don't feel bad. Daddy couldn't find it either, but I promise... it is there. A small speck of white peeking through his gums. Noah's first tooth. And, there is no way you are going to see it in this picture, so you can stop trying. Have you ever tried to get a 7 month old to open wide?

Since our recent trip to Louisiana, Noah has been fighting a cold. Runny nose. Cough. Unusually fussy. Lots of drool. Gnawing on everything in sight. Hmmm... dare I call these symptoms teething. I was hesitant, since I have been crying wolf on the teething since he was about 4 months old. But, I finally think his teeth... or should I say tooth is coming in.

Sniff sniff... next thing you know he'll be driving.

Second Best

The results are in. We got second place in the Photo of the Year contest. Thanks to everyone who voted! Special thanks to Kimberley who decided to award 2nd place a prize too. Yeah! I am very excited about my DVD slideshow. I can't say enough about the BEAUTIFUL pictures that Kimberley takes. Check out her website to see some more of her work. You may even find a couple of shots of Mister No.

I Heart the 90's

I have decided to start making good on my new year's resolutions. I do realize it is already the third week of the new year, but a year does have 52 weeks, and I have adopted the slogan "this is a marathon, not a sprint." Today, I decided to tackle the closet. I actually completed Dean's side. I have a hallway full of 9 large garbage bags and 2 boxes loaded with stuff to bring to goodwill. Yes, I said NINE.

Some lucky person is going to be really happy with all the goodies we are sending their way. A superman costume circa 1997, a pair of white tuxedo shoes, a pair of mismatched Dr. Marten sandals sized 9 and 10, about 8 pairs of threadbare scrubs from Earl K. Long hospital, golf shirts in all colors of the rainbow monogrammed with the Cadillac logo, countless sleeveless t-shirts bearing the slogan "No Fear," and a kick ass pair of Girbaud Jean shorts... I could go on, but I am cracking up over the jean shorts, so I will leave it at that. On to my side tomorrow... I have a sinking suspicion that I will need to do some shopping when I am done.

New Toy?

Noah got some really great toys for Christmas. Bright and colorful, soft and cushy, loud and eye cathcing... toys all specifically designed to catch the eye of an inquisitive baby. So, why are some of Noah's favorite things to play with the remote control, my cell phone, my car keys, and the latest... the bag of wipes. Seriously. Maybe I should invent a line of toys that looks just like real stuff. I think I could make a fortune.

Fingers Crossed

Kimberley has posted a contest update on her blog. It seems that we have crashed her email. She will not be recieiving any emails until noon tomorrow. So, if you haven't already voted on her blog, click here to vote for #17. Thanks for everyone who has been voting. Kimberley thinks Noah is doing really well in the polls!

Update: Kimberley's blog is now updated with a couple of shots of Noah from today. Adorable! Click here to check them out.

How 'Bout Dem Tigers!

Geaux Tigers! What a great game!

Noah and Daddy all geared up for the game.

Noah and Baby Claire watching pregame.

Pregame.

Noah Still Needs Your Vote!

Everyone keeps asking me how to vote more than once. It looks like you can only vote once on Kimberley's blog, so if you think Noah is the cutest, and you want to vote more than once... or vote multiply times every day for the next 14 days, you can email her your votes. Don't forget... Noah is #17. Noah is currently getting stomped by #9, so get out there and vote, vote, and vote again!

Noah Needs Your Vote!

Noah has been nominated for a Photo of the Year contest. Kimberley Milburn, a Houston photographer, took Noah's 3 month pictures. We have his 6 month pictures scheduled for Thursday... so a free brag book would definitely come in handy. Visit Kimberley's blog and click on #17. You can vote as many times as you want... so VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Cousins! Cousins! Cousins!

This weekend we headed to LA to celebrate our cousin Henry's first birthday. This was the first meeting of Noah and Henry. Henry thought Noah was great (see below the hand holding and sweet kiss). Noah was kind of a grump and not as enthusiastic as Henry. Sorry Henry. Your Nanny loved seeing you, and your birthday party was very fun!

Noah also got to visit with his other second cousins, Payton and Quinn. Payton and Noah are both little June bugs.... just two weeks apart. What a happy baby and so adorable!


Here are some cute pictures of Noah with more cousins. Katie B. and Zachary made sure to get in their hold time with Mister No.

Here is a cousin pop quiz. If Noah's momma and Henry's momma are first cousins, what is Noah's momma to Henry? The answer: Noah and Henry are second cousins, and Henry is my first cousin once removed. Before you go thinking how smart I am... I had to google it.

Happy New Year!

This year, I resolve to...

Eat Less, Move More. If I am going to start a workout plan or diet, I always want to start on a Monday. It just seems best to start with a clean slate. Monday's are always the fresh start of a week. Isn't January 1st the ultimate "Monday"? Who doesn't resolve to lose weight in the new year? And with an unmentioned number of pounds of baby weight left to shed, I resolve to get it off.

Do Something For Me, and Learn Something Too. I am very excited about my new Nikon D40, I resolve to read my camera manual. After I read my camera manual, I will move on to the photography books I have been collecting. I'll start with this one, and if I am feeling brave, maybe move on to this one. After that, I will move on to a photography class I've been eyeing.

Teach Something. I have several friends with young children who are in daycare in the city. It is very popular for the caretakers to teach the children sign language to help with communication. Nothing to crazy, just a simple more, eat, sleep, yes, no, maybe a thank you (because being polite is important, even if you can't speak yet).

Get Organized. The move to Miami is looming over us, and we have accumulated so much stuff in the 4 plus years we have lived in Texas. I resolve to get organized. Get rid of the clutter. My plan of attack is to go room by room, and pack up, give away, and organize. Closet is first, so if you want something speak now or forever hold your peace.

Create Something. I am a big fan of scrapbooking. I love the idea of documenting words and photos to tell stories. There is so much I want to remember about these early years in our family. I resolve to take more photos, to journal more, to create more layouts. To worry less about the design and more about telling a good story.