Cousins reunited!

My sister's family moved to Shalimar, FL (just outside of Pensacola) over a year ago. We were so excited to have family nearby! In Florida, however, "nearby" is a relative term. We learned that it's still almost a 7 hour drive from their place to ours. They made a trip to Tampa when Abby was born (just 3 weeks old!) and that was the last time we've been together. How sad is that? Bethany and I are pretty sure this is the first time we've ever gone over a year without seeing each other. So when I learned that Mike and Cadence were headed to Gainesville to see the Gators play the Seminoles, I knew Abigail and I had to head North to meet up with everyone. Unfortunately, Robert was on-call for work and couldn't go with us. More sad news: game day traffic on I-75 was a nightmare. We came to a complete standstill several times and spent about 45 minutes going less than 20 mph. Ugh. But it was totally worth it when we finally made it to the hotel and Clay and Abby were reunited.

Think they're related?!

Sweet hugs.

Clay is very good at sharing and thought Abby would like some of his banana. He also shared celery (her first time eating it since I don't like it) and carrots with her.

We hung out in the hotel room for about an hour and then headed into Gainesville to meet up with Cadence and Mike after the football game. Cadence makes an adorable little cheerleader.

Gainesville has the best grocery store ever: Trader Joe's! Robert and I used to love shopping at Trader Joe's in both Cincinnati and Columbus. We can't wait for the Tampa store to open down the street from us in 2014. 

Cadence knew what she was looking for and filled her basket with her favorite strawberry cereal.

  

Then we headed over to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. While we were waiting for our table, a lady asked Mike if Clay and Abby were twins!

Abby had all kinds of new food: corn and steak and Clay even slipped his cousin a few bites of cheese fries!

Our visit ended way too quickly. After only 5 hours together, it was time for Abby and I to head back home. We decided to stop into Barnes and Noble so that the kids could wiggle around a little bit first.

We love you, Mike, Bethany, Cadence and Clay! We'll make sure it's not another year before we see you again. Abigail can't wait to play more with her sweet cousins.

Abigail's 1 Year Professional Pics

Abigail turned one and now I can't seem to keep up with regular posts. My apologies, blog readers! For those of you who haven't already seen the link on facebook, you can check out Abigail's pictures by clicking: HERE. Enjoy!

I will try to get some more of my own pictures up very soon!

this & that

Since starting our Music Together classes back in September, it seems like Abigail has been responding more to music. I love her silly little dance moves! She usually spins in circles until she gets dizzy and falls down. I wish I had recorded this video 2 seconds longer because she looked up at me with a big smile on her face.

This is one of my new favorite photos. Our little sweetheart has been falling asleep while looking at her books! 

This morning some of my middle school students were performing a Veteran's Day concert downtown. I decided to take Abby out so that we could enjoy the music and the 70 degree weather. Abby enjoyed hearing bagpipes for the first time and she walked around the crowd for a good 45 minutes, introducing herself to various armed service members and veterans. Sorry about the flagpole in the middle of the photo, but that was our view. 

Abby is a very friendly little girl and at our play groups or during our Music Together classes she will often pick out another mom and plop into her lap. For proof, here she is making herself comfortable with a mom we had just met at the concert this morning. Oh munchkin, what am I going to do with you?!

Pumpkin Patch Redux

Oh what a difference a year makes!

2012

2013

There's a little pumpkin patch at a Methodist church just down the street and Robert and I decided it'd be fun to revisit it this afternoon. Last year Robert's mom was in town when we took a 2 week old Abigail to see the pumpkins. I remember being (unnecessarily) concerned about the light breeze that was blowing on her. I also remember feeling very overwhelmed as a new mom. I felt like I didn't know what I was doing at all. I wish I could pop in and visit myself back then to say something encouraging. "You're doing great! Everything is going to be fine! Your little baby girl is strong and sweet and wonderful! She's going to make this mom thing a piece of cake for you."

She really has made my job easy. Thanks for that, Absters.

On the go!

Laughing at the scarecrow.

No smiles for me today, baby girl?

Curls!

In other news, this is the first time I've set my camera to MANUAL to take photographs! It felt a little slow and clunky at times and there were many disappointing blurry photos that I had to delete, but I'm learning and hopefully I will get better and faster. Robert stayed home with Abby the Saturday before last so that I could attend a 4 hour photography class that ended up being really inspiring. Thanks, sweetie! He's been great about supporting some of my projects lately. I recently completed a 5 week intermediate swim class at the Y, as well. I've wanted to feel more competent and confident in the water for years and what better time to learn than when we live in Florida and I have a new little one to keep safe? I also attended a grant writing workshop last month that got all kinds of ideas churning. As crazy as it might sound, it was so nice to listen to a lecture and watch the PowerPoint presentation while taking notes and sipping a Starbucks latte. It's the little things, right?!

We have another baby Halloween gathering with our playgroup on Thursday. Then it's November, which marks my official start of the holiday season -- my favorite time of the year!!

Baby Halloween Party

Today's post will be short and sweet. Check out all of these adorable Halloween babies!

We had 2 Snow Whites, a ladybug, Pebbles, a Tough Mudder, Little Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland, a pumpkin, Shrek, a monkey, and an elephant. (There is also a missing lion.)

Here are the babies with their mommies. While she looks a little unhappy in this picture, I promise Abigail had a lot of fun at the party!

And with their dads. I love it!

Pumpkin Patch

Last week -- I'm doing a terrible job of posting to this blog in a timely manner lately! -- Abigail and I went to the pumpkin patch with some friends from our play group. Hooray for Fall! Well, kind of. We do live in Florida after all.

 Happy Abigail!

She looks so big compared to the other babies, doesn't she?

Here is sweet little Juliet.

 And Axel.

Emma and her tutu!

And our sweet Abigail.

This might be my new favorite picture. Happy girls!

Daddy's Post for Abby's Birthday (Belated)

My little Abster,

Quite a year it has been. To think about how small and helpless you were in those first couple of days to the (big) little girl that you have grown into in the past year makes me worry if I can keep up with you. Walking up to the nursery in the hospital in those first couple of moments of your life I could hardly believe that you were finally here, because I have always loved you. I dreamed your name before you were born and when I finally got to be close to you, you grabbed my finger with your little-long fingers and melted my heart. Your name means "my father's joy," and for you my dear, it is the absolute truth. You are more than I could have imagined - goofy, loving, friendly, a little spicy, and so beautiful.

And now you are One. This previous year has been fun, but from how you have been acting lately, I can't wait for this next year. You have started to talk, granted you said "mama" and "kitty" before you said "daddy" but you spend much more time with them. I enjoy your hugs and sloppy kisses. The cats are learning to tolerate you more and you are rewarding them by chasing them about the house. I look forward to taking you to the beach and playing with Grandma and Grandpa (once they fix his leg) and hopefully you can meet some more of your family soon. Also, you need to see snow, 90 degrees in October is disgusting and wrong. I will do everything I can to introduce you to this amazing world in which we live and watch with love as you continue to grow.

Let's go!

I love you, little Abigail.

Always,

Daddy