Busy Memorial Day Weekend

This Memorial Day was different from our past Memorial Days in that we didn't travel anywhere. We spent Friday night at home with Hunter, Amanda and Hannah stopping by for a visit. Then Haley and Grady showed up too...funny how those nights that you plan to do nothing always seem to turn into something a little more fun than you thought!

Saturday Mom, Dad and I spent the day getting things ready for William's Baptism on Sunday. Saturday night we went to Kristen and Drew's house for burgers and hung out with our usual crowd (both Bozards, Bells, Coffers and Kirks).

We had a nice lunch reception at Mimi and Grandaddy's house on Sunday after the Baptism for all the family, the Motes and the Bells. Mimi made some really pretty flower arrangements as usual. Below is the outside bar on the screened porch--Mimi and Grandaddy sure do know how to throw a party!

Here is the display of silverware (only Grandaddy and his photo geekness would take a picture of the silverware)...we enjoyed some fabulous food: grilled ham w/ horseradish, fried chicken, brown rice, butter beans, chopped salad, deviled eggs, sour cream/cheese biscuits, blondies, brownies and and petit fors. It was a downhome, comfort meal--delish!!!!
Everybody left the house mid afternoon and in typical Suggs fashion, the party cranked back up around 6:00 to celebrate Memorial Day and a Monday off! Let's see if I can remember everybody who came over Sunday night: Jeff, Kimberly & Virginia Grace, Hunter, Amanda & Hannah, Haley, Gene, Emory Anne & Grady, Tombo, Anna , T & Lesesne, Walks, me & WAM, Billy, Virginia & Benjamin and of course Mimi and Grandaddy!

Emory Anne & T got wet while they played with Hannah's little water pool table so they stripped down and ran around in their diapers!


They loved playing in the rocks...

T stood in the water like this for awhile...all three of the kids were soaking wet!!

Sweet baby LesesneWe had a great weekend and hopefully I'll have some more pictures to post later. What a great weekend we had. Thanks to Mimi and Grandaddy for letting enjoy their house so much!!!

5 months old

Today my baby is 5 months old...and he has become more of an angel as every day passes. He is cooing in his crib right now after waking up from his morning nap. It is unusual for him to wake up crying; he's so sweet 23 1/2 hours out of the day! He is very attached to his lovies--we have 3 of them to keep in the rotation (we're always washing them, because he still spits up every day). This is what I found one day last week (almost 5 months old). I walked into his room to get him one morning and I saw his little head...he had flipped over and was on his tummy.This is my favorite time of the day--he loves it when Walks and I go in to get him in the mornings. We get the biggest smiles and of course this day we got even bigger smiles because we were making such a big deal out of him flipping over onto his tummy.
Looked a little like his mom and dad that morning...rough!
When I have William time on the weekends, we move from station to station as long as he is content. Last weekend we laid out this blanket and let him roll over, grab for toys, etc.

He's starting to get into his bumbo now. He can last about 15 minutes in it before he hits the wall and says get me out of this thing!
He has learned how to put his paci in by himself. He pulls it in and out all the time and now likes to chew on it. He's been drooling over the past few weeks and starting to chew on things, especially his hands. No sign of teeth yet, but maybe in the next month or so one will pop up.
Things to note:

- Had his first fever last Saturday--he didn't let him bother him too much though.

- Goes to bed around 7:30 p.m.

- Wakes up at 6:30 a.m. (instead of 7:00)

- Gets his medicine around 6:45 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

- Feeding schedule:

Bottle 7:30

Rice cereal and either pears, applesauce or bananas around 9:00 a.m.

Bottle 11:00

Bottle 3:00

Rice cereal and a veggie (if we're able to get him to eat, but not usually)

Bottle 6:30

- He does belly laughs now, but it takes some major work to get them.

- Found his feet, but doesn't play with them much yet.

- Plays in the exersaucer

- Sits in the bumbo

- Still loves his bouncy seat in the morning and also when he's eating if I'm too busy or rather too lazy to hold him.

He is really getting spoiled by his Mimi and Grandaddy. And he definitely knows who they are now. He LOVES to see them- they don't put him down and they oogle over him every minute they're together!

We love you so much baby William--happy 5 months!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!

Mother's Day

Father/Son weekend in DeBordieu. Not only was I a little ticked about the weekend, but roughly 15 other mothers were affected by this too. Nice planning...

Murrells Inlet

We got a phone call last Friday from King & Ashley inviting us to Murrells Inlet for the weekend---I quick put my "mom" hat on and threw as much as I could remember into the car for us to survive for the weekend. We were with King, Ashley and their baby Ellie, Carrie and Robert Pulliam and me, Walks and WAM. It worked out to be a great weekend and the weather was perfect!!! The guys went out on the boat Saturday morning and took a trip down to McClellanville for the shrimp festival. The girls stayed at the house with the babies and ventured out Saturday afternoon to DeBordieu to visit Harper, Christy and Ragen. Harper's little girl, Annie, was out there loving on William and Ellie. We took the babies out to the beach and after they got all slathered up with sunscreen, we got all settled into our seats and William started to cry for his bottle, the wind picked up and was pelting us. We moved up the pool and had a much more pleasant visit and time in the sun.

Ashley, Ellie and William

William checking out Ellie

King, Ellie and Ashley

Ashley and Carrie

Poor William wearing one of Ellie's hat's...we accidentally left ours inside!

Thank you again for such a wonderful trip to the beach!!!!

10 adults, 4 children---Edisto Beach April 2008

Mom and Dad so graciously opened their house to us a few weeks ago down at the beach. It was Mom, Dad, Hunter, Amanda, Hannah, friends of their's- Lee and Mandy, Gene, Haley, Emory Anne, Grady, me, Walks and William. We had such a good time, especially watching Hannah and Emory Anne play together.

I know how tough it is to pack for a 4 month old for the beach, but Gene and Haley were lucky enough to figure out how to pack for 2 children! I think it took 4 adults to get their car packed to go hom, kids strapped in and out the driveway. Walks and I spent one extra night and relaxed with Mimi and Grandaddy and left Monday.

While we were there William slept in the pack n play in a closet--I assume this isn't too mean, right? I mean, that could be considered abuse once he's old enough to know where he is, but for now, we consider it out of the way.

Hannah and Emory Anne played perfectly together the whole time and William and Grady were little angels as usual. I can't wait for them to start playing together--it couldn't be any more convenient that we have boys that are practically the same age.

While we lay out on the beach, William enjoys the breeze on the gazebo.

Hunter reading to Hannah and Emory Anne

Mandy, Amanda and Lee
Walks and WAM
Gene and Grady
William waiting for Grandaddy to put the paci back in.

Grady in his papason chair...I think this is his favorite seat.

WAM
Grady and Williams first time on the beach.
Emory Anne & Haley
"Emmy Anne & Hannie"

4 months old

Just a few days late, but WOW, my baby is 4 months old. Our precious Baby William is growing up so fast. Things to note about the last month:
- Stats:
24 1/2 inches (30th percentile)
13lbs 12ozs (30th percentile)
15 3/4 inches (25th percentile)
Although he looks big to me, I guess the numbers tell the truth!
- We switched from 5- 7oz bottles to 4- 8 oz bottles a day. Schedule is 7:30, 11:30, 3:30 then again at 7 or so. He's down between 8 and 8:30.
- Started to "talk" to us. When he's in a good mood he'll coo and mimic us if he's in a really good mood!
- Spit up has leveled off a little, but not much. We started 1/2 dose of Prevacid in a.m and 1/2 dose in p.m. about 3 weeks ago. It's helping, but there is room for improvement!
- Started taking a "lovey" when he was 3 1/2 months old. I noticed him grabbing for his burp cloth and decided it was time for a lovey when he was in bed. Now one lives at Pam's, one lives in the carrier and one lives in his crib. Our favorite is El...our cute blue elephant.
- He is into toys these days...something to hold onto. Our favorite is this Whoozit that I did not realize cost $16.99 until I checked my receipt later. We have gotten our money's worth, but as I drove down the highway back into town from Babies R Us, you better believe I was thinking of returning it. Glad I didn't- it's a good one!

- We have almost completely phased out this swing, but still catch a cat nap in it every so often:

- Loves to watch T.V. I have to admit that in the morning after his 7:30 bottle, we do put him in the bouncy seat on the coffee table and let him watch The Today Show. Probably not his show of choice, but it's our fave. He often looks from the T.V. to the mirror over our mantle to see the deer in the reflection or the fan. But like I said, LOVES the T.V.
- Goes to Pam's Monday thru Friday from roughly 9:30 to 4:30 (just until 2:00 on Friday's). She says he's a sweet boy, but as we know, spits up a lot. There is no rhyme or reason to a "good day" or a "bad day"- we just take each day and use as many bibs as we need to! I did a load a few weeks ago that was a Sunday and Monday worth of WAM clothes and there were 16 bibs in the load.
- Holds his head up ALMOST perfectly. There is still the occasional "flop" though :)
- He has started to look more like Walks the past month- still a good combo though. You be the judge, pictures of our angel below!!!

You are a sweet, precious boy and we can't wait for the next 4 months!!!

As the "family" grows...

All together again...it's been awhile, but we had T, Emory Anne and Hannah all over last Saturday night. Of course this time, Lesesne, Grady and William were part of the crew. It was a very informal, WILD night with 8 adults and 6 children...wow, how quickly things change!


We loved spending the evening with everyone and look forward to our next gathering!

CiCi, Grady and Lesesne...what a dream to quietly hold two sweet, sleeping babies!

Gene and Tombo hopefully enjoying dinner.
Emory Anne, Hannah and T
Can you believe that they are almost two years old? They had a great time playing with each other and before we know it, Grady, Lesene and WAM will be right there with them!