Hail of a Good Time

So I gave up cursing for Lent. Not that I curse that much at all, but occasionally there will be some unforeseen misfortune that inadvertently causes a slip before I have a chance to catch it. Having impressionable baby ears close by has been a great motivator to let it go altogether. But I couldn't avoid the homophonal pun after we got home on Thursday afternoon only seconds before a hail storm raged through. John Thomas and I just sat in the garage taking it all in. Our ex-neighbors, Tommy and Stephanie, came in town for the weekend. It was awesome to spend some time catching up and we even got to go out on a couples date, sans baby. We ate more Nama's sushi than I care to admit and got beat playing a few games of pool afterwards. Of course it's never easy to leave our sweet baby bear at home. We left the camera with the babysitter so that we might have some good blogging pictures. I think this one must have been taken shortly after we left. As you can tell, he wasn't a very happy camper to see us go.

I don't think he fretted too long, because he was pretty jovial in rest of the pictures.

Our absence didn't affect his appetite or his bedtime, because he ate great and slept all night long.

We aren't sure if he'll be walking by his first birthday, but this weekend he has put in numerous laps across the living room behind his walker. The top picture was taken Saturday morning, and you can tell that he's flashing his fake smile while he focuses on the task at hand.

It's amazing that 24 hours later, he was much more comfortable. He hasn't figured out how to turn the lion around when he hits a dead end, so maybe this week we'll teach him how to use the reverse.

I think Chester enjoyed having some company this weekend too. Between the McCain's and the babysitter, he's gotten all sorts of extra attention. Chester deserves some extra love because is the unsung hero of the Kirkpatrick family. He lets John Thomas crawl all over him and poke on his face, licks up all the dropped (or tossed)baby grub, and never complains about any of it.

Spring Break Buddy

John Thomas was the best Spring Break buddy ever. He laughed at most of my jokes, wanted to do whatever I was doing, and never complained about my cooking. Although the better part of the week would seem boring to most (reading, napping, eating, playing outside, walks...), it simply couldn't have been any better. I hope that John Thomas and I both survive our first day back in school and the real world tomorrow, because it will definitely be an adjustment.
If he wasn't a momma's boy already, after a week of snuggling, laughing and shooting the breeze, we've both grown even more attached. In his eleventh month, he has sprouted his fifth tooth, claps pretty regularly, can wave goodbye (but rarely doesn't when anyone is leaving) and has learned a new word besides momma and dadda. Okay maybe he did or maybe he didn't, but I really think he's started saying "Chester." It sounds more like "chestw" but the inflection is exactly how we say it and he's said it three times in the last two days all while looking at the dog.

I'm still trying to figure out the caption for this facial expression.

As some of you already know, we ventured to Cincinnati to cap off our Spring Break week. Several of my college girl friends live their with their families, so it was a great time to get everyone together for a mini reunion. I'm happy to report that John Thomas was quite the sport about being in the car for four hours. The key is to put daddy in charge of wearing him out before his nap, so that by the time he hits the car seat, it's lights out. The weather was nice enough to go for a stroll yesterday along the riverfront. I learned that John Thomas takes much better pictures when he knows the person behind the camera.

Last night all the adults broke away for a very nice dinner at The Celestial, which has both fantastic views and delicious food. From left to right: Troy, Andrew, Jason, Katie, Jen (our gracious hostess for the weekend), Cara and Me. We had a great time and I am thankful that they were able to arrange for babysitters for all five of our kids.

I know John Thomas definitely made some new friends on this trip. I also learned a new way to make John Thomas crack up. My friend Katie, who really wants to be his new bff--but I think he's going to make her work a little harder, put him on her head. I wouldn't be surprised if he's sore from all the laughter. It was great to see some college buds and catch up. I am so lucky that this lanky girl from Powell ended up as roommates to some pretty great gals from Cincinnati, Nashville, and Athens.

101 Blog Posts

If this picture doesn't beckon you to read this week's blog, nothing will. Spring Break officially started at 3:30 on Friday afternoon and it's already been so much fun! This photo of John Thomas and his sweet little buddy, Charlotte, was taken at Cades Cove on Saturday. I'll get back to all that fun later.

Over the past week or so, Jason and I have discovered that John Thomas loves to put his soccer ball in any bucket, box or crevice he can find. So on Friday, daddy splurged on a basketball goal. John Thomas figured it out immediately. I will say, that his dad and I have had a few healthy games of "horse." We are both soooo competitive, I'm already worried that it's going to rub off on John Thomas.
Okay, back to the fun part. We took a family double date to the mountains on Saturday with the McAffry's. The weather could not have been any better. We had so much fun exploring, picnicking and soaking up the company. And, with two of the cutest babies this side of the Smokies, we had plenty to smile about and keep us entertained.

If that wasn't enough fun for one day, it was topped off with a wedding shower with some of my girl friends. Brooke, the blondie in the middle, is getting married in just a few weeks and we couldn't be happier for the new couple. Sunday was another gorgeous day. Besides the fact that we forgot to set our clocks forward and had to get ready for church in less than 30 minutes, it couldn't have been any better. The weather was so A-mazing, Jason even mowed. Moreover, I got a pedicure for the first time since our wedding, and I spent lots of quality time with my two favorite people in the whole world.

I had to end with one of my favorite pictures of the weekend. There are lots of perks to having Sarah as a best friend, but one of my favorite things is the way she can capture our family.

No Shirt Required

It's been a busy weekend around the Kirkpatrick camp. Gramma showed up on Saturday afternoon and it's been nothing but fun, games and homemade meatloaf since then.
Speaking of fun and games, we attended a fabulous surprise birthday party for our college bud, Jeb. Happy birthday again Jeb. Anytime I'm needing a good laugh, I will just think of the look on your face when you were being the "monkey tamer." It definitely takes the cake as one of the more interesting parties I've ever been to...and that's saying something. Thanks Cathy for throwing such a splendid soiree.

I guess while the rents are away, the baby and Gramma will play because John Thomas feasted on his first spaghetti dinner. All I know is he was wearing a completely new outfit when we got home. Now he really looks like his daddy, orange beard and all!

Thank goodness we had a few extra hands around the house this weekend, because we (meaning Jason and his dad) had to fix the broken garbage disposal. I guess fatherhood is really starting to bring out the handyman in my hubby.I had to leave you with one of the cutest pictures ever. Our little babe will be almost eleven months old in one week. We really do fall more and more in love every day and, with a cutie like this, who can blame us?

Dog Gone Cute

This is the look you're sure to get if you come home and discover your 70 pound lab curled up on the bed. How can you be mad at this face?
Our weekend was delightfully simple. I actually slept in on Saturday, both Jason and I got to workout, and John Thomas had tons of fun hanging out with Momma and Daddy.

John Thomas was either helping Chester smile for the camera or following in his Dad's footsteps and doing his first oral examination.

I know it's a short blog, but no news in good news. Everyone is healthy and happy and we simply have more blessings than we can count.

Spring Fever

Everything about this week felt like Spring. I was home, the trees were budding, the birds were readying their new homes, and the weather was ideal. Leave to the Kirkpatrick's to have a more literal definition of Spring Fever. John Thomas had RSV all week. I'm not sure what "RSV" stands for but I'm thinking it could be: Really Scary Virus, Ridiculously Serious Virus, or Raging Super Virus. Either way, his fever actually got up to 105 on Wednesday. In virtual panic mode, I called everyone I thought might be able to help. After a dose of Tylenol and a lukewarm bath, his fever finally came down. I'm happy to report he's almost good as new, with one minor exception. All the snuggling and TLC he got this week has really changed his appetite for cuddling. He has ended up in our bed every morning for the last several days. As Jason would say, "we've got a high quality problem." :)

Of course all of his pictures this week are from the last two days. As you can tell from the picture below, come bath time/bedtime--he really wants to turn back the hands of time. I'm sure we're just so much fun, he never wants it to end.

I'm chalking this bottom picture up to an exaggerated camera angle. Otherwise, it looks like our baby boy is getting so big. At the end of his first week as a ten month old, John Thomas can wave and point (sometimes), he shimmies around on furniture, knows where every "off-limits" spot in our house is (especially the dog bowls, potted plants, electrical cords...), laughs all the time, loves snuggling with mama at 5:00 a.m., gets excited when his dad gets home from work, gives kisses upon request, will eat anything put in front of him, and has had four haircuts.

Love is in the Air

So I've got some good news and some bad news. Good news first. Grandma Molly came in town to visit with the family this weekend. This enabled Jason and I to go on our early Valentines (and desperately needed) date. We did lunch at Coolato Gelato. I never knew peanut butter and jelly gelato could be so good. Really, it's the best lunch in town. Afterwards, we enjoyed a very entertaining and rich film, The King's Speech. We both gave it two thumbs up. I will say I must have been in a hurry to get home to John Thomas, because I left my purse in the theater. Thankfully it was there when I frantically ran back to get it.
Friday night we headed out for some quick Mexican cuisine. Once again John Thomas was more interested in the people-watching than the food. He could not take his eyes off of a cute little girl with long blond hair that was sitting a few booths down. Is it really possible for a ten month old to be girl-crazy already?

I was so glad that John Thomas got a chance to spend some time with Grandma. They had lots of fun together. Everything was going great until last night. John Thomas didn't want to eat dinner, had a fever and was also pretty congested. We were all up most of the night. He is still feverish, and after calling our doctor, we'll be headed promptly to the pediatrician's at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. I was hoping to be home to celebrate his ten month old birthday, but not because he was miserable.

On a lighter note, John Thomas has already learned to share. Chester is loving their new dinner arrangement. After John Thomas gets done eating, he starts giving what's left to Chester. There new favorite meal: Salmon patties, mac n'cheese and mixed vegetables.