A quick update

Last week I started back to work. Yep. I finally went back after being a SAHM for 21 months. It's crazy to think that it has been that long already. While it has been very hard to leave Miles, it has also been pretty eye opening on a few different levels.

First of all, I never truly believed people when they said that going back to work makes your time with your kids that much more special. How could that be? I already love my child SO much (words don't do it justice) there is NO way I could love the time I spent with him that much more. Well, I do. Every single minute I have with him, I cherish it. It's pretty unbelievable. I think he feels the same way because as soon as I get home with him, he say "mickey...momma." Hahaha...He wants to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with me. So, we sit down and we snuggle for 30 minutes and watch TV. It is SO much fun. There is no more time for cooking (not that I ever really did) but Miles will not let me now if I wanted to. The whole 3 hours that we have together at the end of the day is spent, snuggling, laughing, hugging and playing. It is very rewarding.

Now, on the other hand, it is SO hard. I don't have the time to do the things that I used to. We had to go to the grocery store as a family tonight at 8:00pm because we had nothing to eat and I have had NO time to go. Yes, I could go after work, but Miles is STARVING then and that just will not work. It's just things like grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, etc that I am finding really hard to juggle. I know that eventually I will get the hang of it, but for the time being, it is kind of overwhelming.

Overall, things are going well. I am enjoying work and Miles is enjoying daycare. He has learned SOOO much in the month that he has been there. It makes me feel that much better about my decision to return to work.

So enough about me, here is what Miles is up to these days.

His vocabulary has taken off. Here are a few new words he says:

*Airplane*Blackberries*Teacup*Apple*ChooChoo*Puzzle*Mickey*TV*I see*Papa*Grandma*Blue*Green*Yellow*Red*Purple*Black*Poopoo*Peeps(his penis)*Tang (yes, the drink...he is obsessed)*Moon*Twinkle(when he sees a star)*Baby*Ashley (his teacher)*Ty*Kerri (He hears us say each others names....)

*He has started telling us when he goes "poopoo."

*He knows about 90% of his alphabet sounds and can point to about 90% of the letters when you ask him where the letter is. He doesn't know how to say the actual letter, though.

*He is still a super picky eater and still loves trains, trucks, and cars.

*His newest obsession is "Mickey".

The most wonderful time of the year..

Is Fall!!! I love fall...and pumpkins...and Halloween...and well, you get the idea. Maybe it is because my birthday is in October (this is what I have always told myself) but this time of year makes me feel alive and in love with nature. If it were up to me, I would live somewhere that felt like fall all year round...too bad that doesn't exist, at least not that I know of.

Anyways, today Miles, Ty, myself and my in-laws went to Burts Farm and let me just tell you...it was SO much fun!! Miles LOVED it. I wasn't sure if he would show much emotion towards it (meaning liking it or not) but he definitely takes after me when it comes to Burts...he adores it! He was climbing all over the pumpkins and giggling, once again...precious. We took a hay ride (of course!!) and Miles had a blast. Actually, we all had a blast. It was such fun to see him having such a good time. He is a little obsessed with tractors so I am sure that had something to do with his excitement. The entire time we were on the hay ride he was saying "brrmm brrmm!!" It was priceless.

I hope in 25+ years I will still be going to Burts and maybe then I will be going with Miles and his little family. : )

Looking for the perfect pumpkin.

CHEESE!!
Look over there...more pumpkins!
The end result...a tuckered out little boy!!

The many sides of Miles

These days I feel like I never know what Miles' mood is going to be. One minute he is happy then the next he mad. I love him very much, but I will tell you...I am looking forward to the day where he can tell me exactly how he feels. Now, I know then I will have to listen to him whine and gripe and I am sure talk back (hopefully not often!) but it has to be better than having NO clue as to what he is thinking.

Anyways, here are a few pictures to show you 'The many sides of Miles."

Believe it or not, this wasn't planned...I just happened to have my camera out and within a 5 minutes this all happened. SEE!! I told you!!

Relaxed Side

Silly Side

Happy Side

Back Side

Sad Side

Remembering 9/11

As I was driving down the road today, I started thinking a lot about 9/11. I think about it quite often, but since it is the 10 year anniversary, it is really making me very emotional. I remember that day like it was yesterday and I will never forget it. I remember laying in my bed watching the news that evening and crying my eyes out. I was 15 years old, a sophomore in high school and I was terrified.

As I was thinking about it today, it hit me that that event was the only big event that I have been alive for. Then it hit me that Miles has no clue what happened that day and that it is going to be my responsibility to teach him about it. As that thought crossed my mind, I got very upset and teary-eyed. I mean, what a big job that is. I know that raising a child is the toughest job that I will ever have, but to explain to a child about something that happened before he was ever born and to explain it to its fullest...that is tough stuff.

9/11 has been and will continue to shape his future. It will shape the way he will perceive certain cultures and ultimately, when 9/11 happened, it changed life as we know it...which is the only life he has ever known.

Hopefully when the time comes I can explain it to him the way it should be explained.

With all of that being said, I pray for the families that lost someone that day, I pray for all the soldiers who have lost their lives defending OUR country and I pray that we never ever forget what happened that day.

God Bless America.

The ONE picture I took....

TA DAAAA!!! Here it is! At least it is us all three of us.

This was around 11am the morning after Irene hit, so it was still a bit yucky out. After we left it was BEAUTIFUL outside.

A visit with 'Irene'

This past week, Ty and I decided to take a very impromptu trip to visit his sister who just moved to Maryland. I am telling you...I don't think I thought this out very well. 12 hours...in a car...with an 18 month old. Need I say more? Needless to say, we all survived (I may have less hair and maybe a few more gray ones) and are back home.

You probably won't believe this (alright, you will...because it's me) but I only took ONE picture the whole time we were there. Yep. That's it. It never occurred to me to actually snap photos of Miles playing with his 3 cousins or his aunt and uncle that we get to see probably twice a year. I am hoping to have the one picture that I actually did take up sometime with in the next day or so (of all things, we took it with Ty's phone).

Anyways, while we were there, hurricane Irene made herself known, but all was well. We had some downed trees and a lot of rain, but overall, it was pretty much like a normal thunderstorm we would have here in Georgia.

The only day we were able to get out was Sunday (we came back on Monday) so we went down to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and went to the aquarium. Miles LOVED it and was pointing and making his 'fish face' the whole time. Thinking that getting a pass to the Georgia Aquarium is a good idea....even though I am not a big fan of it.

So that is about it. We went. We played. We ate. We slept (horribly b/c Miles wouldn't sleep in his pack-n-play). We drove. Next time we are flying. : )

A few more things...

So I think instead of always posting pictures I am going to start just writing stuff. Now don't get me wrong, I am still going to post pictures, but not with every post. It is so rare that I actually take pictures. Miles is too busy to photograph and well I am too forgetful. : )

I have been watching Miles a lot lately and I believe that he is going to be left handed. This doesn't surprise me at all. Ty is left handed, as well as his mother and my dad. So he definitely has the lefty gene. Now not everything is done with his left hand (but the majority is) so I am not sure if that means he isn't quite sure yet or maybe we have an ambidextrous on our hands (no pun intended.)

Also, I think he is going to be a quarterback or pitcher. He can throw a ball. Seriously. I am impressed everyday. He throws far and he throws precisely. Who knows, we will see. I don't care what he does (even though I really didn't want him to be a jock) as long as he is happy.

One thing is for sure, he is going to be a book worm like his parents. The boy could really care less about his toys...all he wants to do is read a "ook" and point out ALL the pictures.

Anyways, that's it for now. Just though I would share a few of my thoughts.