Would Anyone Like a Dog?

Sniff...sniff...choke...sniff...sob...

Malachi is allergic to dogs and cats. It wasn't a huge problem until about 3 weeks ago when he started getting pretty mobile. He rubbed his eye a few days ago and made it swell. He got dog fur in his eye. When I forget to wipe his hands before eating or he just puts the fur in his mouth, he gets pink spots on his face around his mouth. I am afraid that it will only get worse. I vaccuum, but it doesn't help a lot. Kiev sheds a lot and is all over the house all day long. I love my dog, but my son's health is more important. If you would like to adopt a 4 year old, trained, house dog, who is very loving, let me know. She doesn't eat food off the table. She doesn't get on any furniture. She does like to be loved. Let me also know if you know of anyone who would like a dog. This is very hard for me.

Choke...sniff...sob...sniff...

Glad to be Home!

Wow! I don't think that I have seen Malachi that happy in a long time. I took a few toys with us on vacation but not that many. We didn't have the room in Grandpa's gas saving car. Well, when we got home (Sat., June 24th), Malachi was laughing and shrieking like I haven't heard in a while. He was so excited to be home. He had all his toys. He had familiar territory, and he had his Grandpa and Grammy. I caught him mid-squeal. It was so cute. We enjoyed vacation, but we are glad to be home.

C.S.S. Neuse

On Friday, the last true day of our vacation, we went to Kinston (about 45 minutes from New Bern) to see the C.S.S. Neuse. Well, actually, it was the remnants of the submarine. The CSS Neuse was a submarine used by the Confederates during the Civil War. The Neuse was never in combat, but it did transfer troops from one end of NC to the other. It was just sitting in the Neuse River until the 1900's. A few miles away from the remnants is a replica. I will not post any pictures of those. You should remember what they look like from your US history class, right? Anywho, it was nice to learn and see what was left.

Seminole Fan

Malachi is still a Seminole fan whether his Daddy likes to admit it or not. Poor guy. He's going to grow up cheering for the Tarheels and the Noles. It's OK, though. It could be worse. It could be a true mixed marriage, like Florida and Florida State. Right Uncle Andy and Aunt Dot? So, this one goes out to you, Grandpa. We will still teach him to love the best university in the state of Florida. Go Noles!

Happy Anniversary, Daddy and Mommy!

This was Malachi's first celebration of Daddy and Mommy's anniversary (our 4th). We were still on vacation for Thursday, June 22nd. Malachi had been having some serious meltdowns in the car. He was tired of being strapped into his carseat. So, we just decided to chill at the condo for the day. I dressed Malachi up in a typical Sunday/Occasion outfit. He was all dressed up with no where to go. He was very happy that day. He gave both Daniel and I sweet cuddles and smiles. He was so happy to stay put for a little while.

We did decide to go out for an anniversary dinner. We went to Captain Ratty's Seafood and Steaks. Now, those of you who know Daniel and I may be wondering why in the world we went to a seafood place. Well, for listening to a timeshare deal, we were given a $25 gift certificate to that restaurant. Daniel was really looking forward to a good steak, since he can't eat seafood. I was wondering what I was going to eat. Daniel felt guilty for ordering a $20 steak. I told him not to worry about it and enjoy. It was our anniversary, and we weren't paying for much. I got a grilled chicken salad. It was huge! and very good! and cheap! We ended up paying a little over $11 for our fine meal, and that's including a good tip. After dinner, Malachi decided he wanted to suck on a lemon. So, here is his reaction. It's not his first lemon, but he reacts to them differently each time.

He's Not Napping in His Crib

Surprise. Surprise. I guess it was just a fluke. He wouldn't nap in his crib for his afternoon nap yesterday. He is napping in our bed right now, too. Although, this one might be my fault. Malachi and I went to a friend's house to do a little scrapbooking. Afternoons are much better for activities than mornings around this house. Well, we didn't get home until 12:30. Yesterday we played all morning until 11am. I am hoping that if we can stick to that schedule then he will sleep. I just need to figure out when the evening nap time is. I love to cuddle with Malachi, but those nap times are incredible times for me to get stuff done. Yesterday, I was rushing (and I mean rushing) around for about an hour and a half to get as much stuff done as I could. We're still working on it. I have been blessed with a child who is pretty flexible, but I am learning that if I want that time to myself, we need to have a little more structure. It'll get better.

He's Napping in His Crib Right Now!!!!!!!!!!

While we were on vacation, Malachi wouldn't nap in his pac-n-play. I didn't force the issue. It was not his normal crib, and it was hard enough to get him to sleep through the night in the pac-n-play. So, Malachi had gotten used to falling asleep in our arms in our bed. We have struggled since we have been back at getting him to nap (not sleep at night, just nap) in his crib.

I put him down around 11am for his morning nap. When I first laid him down, he was laughing and smiling at me. When I left the room, he cried (loud). I thought that I would be back in there in a few minutes to see him sitting up with a red face and tears streaming down his face.

Not today, my friend. I put Malachi down in his crib, and within two minutes he was silent. I waited about 10 minutes to peek my head in to check on him. If he is not sound asleep the door handle will wake him up. And what did my wondering eyes see? A beautiful, little boy sleeping soundly in his crib! A hurricane could come through right now, and he would continue to sleep. Once he's gone, little can awaken him. Just thought I would share the joy with you all!

A few more vacation pictures to come.

Ode to the Ocean

Oh, how I love thy cool breeze and salty air.
Oh, how that salty air wreaks havic on my hair and makes it uncontrollable.
Oh, how the ocean draws seagulls to land to sqwack and bother us during our picnic.
Oh, how the ocean winds are so strong that we had to use Malachi as a holder for our blanket during our picnic lunch.
Oh, how the outerbanks water is so crystal clear and shallow.
Oh, how the waves are so choppy and make for a back-breaking ride over to Harker's Island to see Cape Lookout.

Ok. That's enough of that. We did thoroughly enjoy our time at the beach. We first had a picnic lunch on the coast before we took the "ferry" (many passenger boat) out to Harker's Island to see the lighthouse, Cape Lookout. The sand on Harker's Island was so white (and hot). The water was a brilliant blue with few waves. We didn't spend as much time there; because we just didn't know what there was to do out there. We are already planning another trip out there sometime to do some of the things that we felt we missed out on. Malachi actually fell asleep on the bumpy ride over to the island, since he wouldn't nap in the car like we would have liked.

After leaving the island, we drove back to Atlantic Beach to get Malachi to swim/play in the ocean water. A storm was coming, and the water was getting cold. Malachi fell asleep in the car and was very cranky and upset the we awkened him to see some more water and get wet.

Ferry Ride

Malachi experienced his first ferry ride. This was also his first boat ride. We were able to drive our car on the ferry for free and go a few miles at about 8 mph. They had a viewing deck on top to get a better look at the beautiful water and other things. Malachi was happy to get out of his carseat. At this point in time, we were starting to get major meltdowns; because he was just so tired or riding in a car.

The Oldest Church in NC

We visited the oldest church in the oldest town in NC on Tuesday. Boy was it hot! 95 degrees and noon make for a hot muggy day. Bath, NC, is the oldest town in the state. It was home to Edward Teach (otherwise known as "Blackbeard" the pirate) as well as some other fairly famous guys that I can't remember right now. The oldest church (an Episcopal church) is also in Bath, NC. It is always open for viewing, so we went in there. It is very small, but they still hold services there today. It is definitely different than our freedom-based pentecostal church. They had an old Bible with the apocripha(?) in it. Now I know that that section is not in my Bible. That's all I'm saying.

When in Rome...

Or shall I say, when in a historic place...take pictures with the cannon. It's cool. These pictures were taken on Monday when we returned.

Tryon Palace

Sunday, June 18th, we visited Tryon Palace. This was the NC govenor's mansion. It burned down in the 1700's. It was rebuilt to the specifications that the meticulous govenor had left behind. None of the original items survived, and there is no picture of Govenor Tryon, but you get a really good idea of what it was like. Daniel and I really enjoyed the tour. There was a lot to do and a lot of historical facts. Malachi did a good job. He was a little tired during our tour, but he hung in there like a champ. The passes that we bought were 2 day passes. We were able to finish touring the many other houses on Monday.

On the Road

Saturday, June 17th, we were off on our first family vacation as a family of 3. We turned Malachi's seat around so we could more easily get to him. It was so nice to be able to mix a bottle and just hand it to him in the back seat. He also loved being able to see his Mommy and Daddy. It made the trip down to New Bern, NC a whole lot easier.





When we arrived at the condo, Malachi was crawling all over the place. The first few days that we arrived, his crawl was a little funny. He would have one leg up in the air in a squatting style, while the other knee was on the floor in a typical crawling style. By the end of the week, he was crawling on both knees and getting pretty good and fast at it. At home, he is able to look out the windows downstairs. Malachi enjoyed being able to look out the window at the condo, too.

First Haircut

On Thursday, June 15th, Malachi got his first haircut. He had fallen asleep in the car; because he would not take a nap before we left. He was really tired. It turned out to be a good thing. He sat very still and quietly while Teresa cut his hair. I held him in the chair while she was cutting. The only movement Malachi really did was turn and try to watch Teresa cut his hair. After his trim, it was Mommy's turn for a haircut. You'll see how short my hair got in our vacation pictures that will be posted soon.

Changing Rapidly

These pictures were taken about two weeks ago, before we left for vacation. We gave Malachi his Leapster Learning Table for the first time a few days before. He absolutely loves it. It is the only toy that he has that he can stand and play with at the same time. I usually had to help him stand. He was still struggling to pull up, but he eventually got it down pat.

A few minutes/hours later he scooted on his tummy to the kitchen (at this point he wasn't "crawling" yet) and pulled himself up to standing on the bar stools.

Strawberries are Good!

A few weeks ago, I gave Malachi a taste of a strawberry. I thought that he would think that it was too tart. Actually, he loved it! I cut 3 strawberries into halves. He ate almost all of them. He was covered in strawberry juice, but it was a ton of fun for Mommy. He wouldn't eat them the next few days and hasn't eated one since, but he enjoyed them for the evening.

His favorite thing???

Cuddling and napping with Daddy

Contrary to Popular Belief

He isnot always happy. Surprise, surprise! I thought that I would let you know that our son is not perfect but pretty darn close.

For You, Aunt Donna

Here are the pictures dealing with Malachi swimming in his own pool that I spoke of over a month ago.

11 Months Old

Today, Malachi, you are officially 11 months old. You are only 30 days away from being 1 year. Wow! At this time a year ago, Daddy and I were sitting around the house just waiting and praying for you to come. You and Mommy were getting huge (and I mean huge!) . It was HOT. Mommy knew that school would be quickly approaching and that meant less time with you. Mommy doesn't remember a whole lot about the month before your birth except for sitting around the house with her feet propped up, watching TV, and praying that labor would start soon. Mommy only had about 3 shirts that she could wear. Boy, is she glad that you are here now. It has been a whole lot more fun than getting huge and just feeling you move.

Also, you are scooting better than ever. Today you scooted from one side of your room to the other to get toys. Then, you scooted under your crib in order to get to Mommy. You are already good at math. You know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I knew that you were smart, but you continue to amaze me. I can't wait to be amazed some more. I have until August 21st to spend time with you and Daddy. I am so stoked! I love you Malachi. Keep being the sweet boy that I know you are.