Making a Stand

Baby Chase is really anything but anymore.  He's becoming a toddler right before our very eyes!  Not only is he mobile - and boy is he mobile! - he can now pull up on anything and everything and he can stand for a couple of seconds at a time.  I predict that he'll be walking in the next two months.  Oy vey!

Here's video of Chase standing by himself.  Doesn't he look so big?  What happened to my baby!  Charlie makes a cameo in this video.  Anyone who can translate what he's saying gets $100 gift card from me.

Enjoy!

Back Safe Home Again

We had such a great time visiting the grandparents in Tennessee.  I can't believe how fast those 10 days came and went!  The trip home was just as simple, thank goodness.  Charlie was wonderful, as usual, and Chase was a trooper.  He liked it best when Mama crawled in the backseat, and I was happy to oblige.  We all had a wonderful visit, but it's always nice to come home.

Here are a few pictures from our last couple of days in Tennessee...

 

Farm Livin' is the Life for Me

Well, our Tennessee trip continues.  We're now at Grandpa and Grandma's house, enjoying the farm life.  Charlie loves to walk down to the barn and see the "horsies" and "kitty cats."  Of course, the "cockey" (tractor) is a big hit as well.  However, when you ask him if he wants to get on the tractor, his response is "No, I'm not!"  What can ya do?

Charlie is also enjoying the "wa-wa faw" (waterfall) in the back yard too.  He likes to get in the water, climb on the rocks and splash around.  All in all, he's definitely having a good time.

Chase is his usual sweet self.  He's officially crawling now and he's also pulling up.  Soon enough he'll be cruising from place to place.  The days of putting him on the floor for a few minutes while I take care of something else are over.  He's on the move and oblivious to things around him, so I have to watch him constantly.  

In other Chase news, his two top teeth are poking through, so I think he's finally going to get some relief from the pain he's been in lately.  Poor guy.  Teething must really bite!  (Sorry.  That was really bad, I know.)

This trip, while fun, has totally wiped both boys out.  Charlie asks to take a nap every day and yesterday, he wanted to lay in his bed for a few minutes right before dinner.  He's pooped!  Chase is also napping like a champ.  He's taken three 2-hour naps a day lately.  He practically jumps out of my arms and into the pack -n- play so he can get to sleep as quick as possible.  Of course, none of this has affected the time they wake up in the morning.  Chase still wakes up by 6a and Charlie by 7:30a.  Darn!

Later today, Charlie and I will head to the airport to pick up Daddy which we are all excited about.  (Although, I think Charlie is almost as excited to go to an airport and look at airplanes as he is to see his Daddy.  Sorry, Daddy.)

So, that's our trip so far.  Hope you enjoy these recent pictures from the visit to Grandpa's farm.  

As you can imagine, this is Charlie saying "Oh Whoa!"

Take Me Home Country Road

On Thursday, Charlie, Chase, Raz and I all packed up the car and hit the road, headed to Tennessee to visit the grandparents.  I was so nervous about the road trip.  I wasn't sure how Charlie would do for 5-and-a-half hours in the car, let alone Chase.  It was his first trip out of North Carolina!  But both boys were so good, and I mean SO GOOD!

Charlie didn't make a peep the entire trip - not one whimper, whine or wail.    I couldn't believe it!  I think two viewings of "CARS" might have helped.  I should also thank the TN DOT for parking all of the giant excavators, cement mixers, skid steers and dump trucks along our route.  That was extremely helpful as well.

Chase was such a trooper too.  He was cooing, laughing and gurgling for most of the trip.  I'm sure he enjoyed looking at his older brother as well.  Chase got a bit fussy the last 90-minutes of our adventure, but Raz was so wonderful and climbed into the back seat to feed him and play with him.  Before you know it, we were pulling into Grammy and Poppy's house.  How lucky am I to have two such amazing, well-behaved little boys!

Day one in TN was lots of fun.  Charlie has really enjoyed the playset in Grammy and Poppy's back yard.  He also rode his first riding lawn mower and had a blast!  We'll probably go swimming later today, but even if we don't, with Grammy, Poppy, Uncle Matty and Raz all here, there are plenty of new folks to play with so Charlie and Chase are sure to be very busy.  (By the way, Charlie can now say everyone's name, so all of the grandparents should be excited about that!)

We'll head to Grandma and Grandpa's house on Tuesday, but in the meantime, enjoy our photos from day one in TN.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

What a big time Charlie & Chase have in the tub together!  They splish.  They splash.  They move from one end of the tub to the other.  It's nuts!  It literally takes two people to bathe these crazy monkeys!  

Doesn't Chase look so big?!  I swear he grows and inch every day!

Charlie loves to crawl all over the tub.  He tries to get as close to Chase as he can.  

Remember when I took a picture of Charlie sitting in the door of this very same toy house?  

Charlie loves to sweep.  Yes, you heard right.  Sweep.  If only he could vacuum, dust and do the dishes too...

See the trail of toys spanning all the way around the island in the kitchen?  That is what our house looks like at any given moment of the day.  Toys everywhere!

Fun at the Finish Line Festival

We spent Sunday after the All-Star race at an event called "Taylor's Finish Line Festival."  The event was a celebration for J.D. and Melissa Gibbs' youngest son (Joe Gibbs' grandson), Taylor, who just completed three years of chemotherapy for leukemia.  Thankfully, he's now in remission.  The event also raised funds for a local children's hospital.

With Joe Gibbs Racing and its sponsors involved, there were lots of fun racing-themed things to do, so Charlie was in heaven.  He got to see a dragster, several race cars (including Uncle Tony's old ride), a Monster truck and an RC car race with Kyle Busch at the wheel of one of the cars.  

We also managed to get Charlie on a couple of rides!  He rode in a train with Dad and Mom and he also rode his own motorcycle!  

Chase was there too, but... I don't think he was quite as thrilled to be there as Charlie.    

If you want to see the entire gallery of photos, click on the following link:

http://gallery.me.com/kellyearning/100204

Puzzling...

I just love how the light hits our back deck at sunset.  It's perfect for taking amazing photos!  I was able to catch the Arning brothers playing together, and I took several photos of Charlie deep in thought as he worked on a puzzle (which, by the way, he is very good at.)

To view all of the photos I took, click on the link below:
http://gallery.me.com/kellyearning/100196

Here's to more beautiful evenings on our deck!