Swinging with Daddy!

Ike likes to take Brinkley to the park after he gets off work.  This is one of our videos from this month! 

 11 Months!!

11 Months and one to go...

We are on the last few weeks of a baby and about to go BIG girl fast!  Brinkley has began holding her balance and trusting herself to let go of things while standing, but still no walking!  She crawls a mile a minute and chats a lot!  She doesn't necessarily make sense but she mumbles "Momma" and a few other words!  You can see who is teaching her...haha!  She waves bye bye and gives the best kisses!  The funniest thing she has learned how to do is get our attention...she will be so happy and laughing but the minute we ignore her she screams, no tears, eyes wide...then we turn around and she's happy and giggling again!!  She has got us figured out!  She loves when we read to her but she tries to eat all the scratch and sniff pages, she pulls out all the hair with pretend animal and she always wants to go back to her favorite pages!  Typical child...right?

Well, my sweet momma has been in town for the past month!  Thanks to her, Ike and I have been doing a lot of projects around the house and yard!  Plus she has been able to spend a lot of quality time with Brinks.  Her trip is coming to and end Saturday and we are bummed but we will see her in two weeks!  

Here is Brinkley balancing..almost 11 Months!

What happens in Vegas...requires HEELS!

Thursday morning on a bittersweet departure I left my sweet baby girl for a long weekend in Vegas with my hubby! A few shed tears and I was out the door! Ike and I haven't been to Vegas just the two of us in 4 years so we were really looking forward to some quality time in Sin City and I was thrilled for a weekend of stilettos and mini skirts! 

Vegas was amazing as always! Thursday we bounced around the strip and ended up at a awesome piano bar in New York, New York!!! Then Ike had a cadaver course on Friday so I spent the day at the Spa and afternoon at the Cosmopolitan pool!!! Such fun! We saw "Vegas the Show" and had dinner at Bellagio with the best view of the dancing water! Our final day, we spent the evening watching our favorite Gordie Brown in OLD Vegas!! 

It was a perfect vacation! A good realization that although we love and worship our time as a family, we need a few days occasionally for us! 

Yesterday, as I traveled back home from the best weekend, I could have jumped out of my skin with excitement to see my girl!! My mother brought her to pick me up and her face lit up when she saw us! It was precious!  I could have squeezed the life out of her!  She looked so big(yea to a mother a lot can change in 3 days)!

So my heels are put away and my motherly routine of snacks, diapers and naps have began with a BIG smile! 

I scream, you scream...we all scream for ICE CREAM!!

Ike's new favorite thing to do with Brinkley is run outside anytime we hear the ice cream truck!!  So much for opting out of a future sweet tooth!

Frequent Flyer!

We have been gone for three out of the last four weeks traveling back to NC, to the beach and to the Midwest! Brinkley has become a Frequent Flyer on Allegiant Airlines haha!  Just going to do a short recap of our month!

South Bend was so relaxing and great time spent with family we rarely see! We stayed the week up at Diamond Lake and commuted into South Bend for a family dinner and day at the Notre Dame campus! We had a wonderful time and really got to spend some quality time with Nanny! It is definitely a favorite vacay spot for all of us especially as our family grows and the kiddos can play!

Beach week with the Heavner family was amazing!  The entire family played on the beach daily and did dinner together...it was such a treat!  I miss everyone so much, so anytime I have a chance to see them or let the kids play with Brinkley I take full advantage!  Ashe-leigh, Stephen, Ike and I, took shag lessons!      Let me clarify for all of you that "the shag" is a Carolina dance that everyone does to beach music!  I can't wait for next July to go back...if not before!

Last we spent a week in NC!! Going back home is always a good time!  No worries, lots of friends and plenty to keep us busy! !  It's always sad to leave but nice to get back to our daily routine and my friends!  Ike...long story...left on Saturday to go to Kuwait...hence the reason I packed Brinkley back up and headed for NC!