Let's go to the zoo!

The effin zoo may have been closed for Ray and Jerry, but not for us! Ann and I took Bradley to the Zoo of Northwest Florida, which is conveniently across the street from our neighborhood. I had been waiting to take Bradley when he was old enough to recognize some of the animals and pay attention to them.


Here's Bradley & Grandma Anna, waiting for the train. You will notice of course that B is decked out in his safari hat, and tiger shirt and shorts! He is ready to see some animals!

On Tuesdays & Thursdays they have a Zoo Tots program for kids under 5 which includes storytime (which Bradley could not have cared less about), a train ride through the park (which Bradley was too hot and fussy to enjoy, plus the animals weren't close enough to gain his attention) and a live animal encounter, which Bradley LOVED! Here he is about to pet Pepe, the Gecko

And now petting Hedgie, the Hedgehog

We got to see lots of different kinds of monkeys, lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

I know what I smell, and it wasn't no brimstone!

Bradley's favorite were the sheep, because he got to touch them, and the giraffe. After traversing the grounds for several hours, a hot and sweaty Bradley was ready for some lunch and a much-needed nap. Hopefully we will get to go again soon. Thanks for taking us, Grandma Anna!

Driving down Hwy 98 is like deja vous... all over again

A lot of people have been asking how I'm doing, adjusting to Brian being gone. Usually I'm fine until they ask, and then I start to fight back the tears. Yesterday was both and "up" and "down" day for me.

Bradley and I drove out to Panama City Beach to visit Rhonda & Joe on their mini-vacay. The weather cooperated, so we got in some beach time. We burried Joe in the sand, and Bradley actually enjoyed being in the Big Ocean for a change- I think I finally figured out the trick here- take him out past where the waves are breaking, and he loves being held and splashing in the water! Of course with Photo Joe and his lovely wife around, they had the camera and were taking pictures, so I don't have any of my own to share yet, but I'm sure they'll be good when I get them.

After beach time, we headed up to the condo for lunch and cleaned up and left to go shopping at a nearby area called The Pier. We treated ourselves to ice cream, and Rhonda and I had to pose for a picture in front of the Panama City Beach location of Tootsie's Orchid Lounge! I didn't realize there was one down here. Joe left us briefly to go look at shoes, so Rhonda suggested we go in this store called Deja Vous. So then I suggested we go in this store called Deja Vous. :)

After a small poop explosion from Bradley which required an outfit change in the family bathroom, we drove around a little more, and then dropped Rhonda and Joe back off at their condo. It was Bradley's nap time, and time for us to head back west on Highway 98. I did take one picture on our drive back. It's a little weak for the TAR blog, but I laughed nevertheless.

Laura guessed that maybe she was a pig farmer. I suggested perhaps she's a manager of a Honeybaked ham store.

Driving past base on my way home, I couldn't help but see all the uniformed people driving home from a normal day at work and feel sad that Brian was not one of those people. On a positive note, I have gotten a phone call from him almost every day so far, and daily emails as well so that helps. He is doing well and adjusting to his new job and schedule. So far I have met my goal so far of physically getting out of the house at least once a day. Today will be no different. I'm taking Bradley to have some follow up bloodwork done for his anemia, and then tonight we have church and choir. Happy Hump Day to everyone.

Steppin out with my baby

Maybe Bethany will be the only one who'll get the title of this blog (JustJazz!!!) but the point is, Bradley is Walking!!!

He took his first official steps on Friday before Brian left (I wasn't in the room when it happened, but he and Ann got to see it) and then today Ann and I got him to take several steps in a row and document them on video.


And remember, you can see this video and more on Bradley's very own Youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/AVilendrer so subscribe now and be notified when new videos are posted automatically.

Shoes Blues

Twelve minutes and thirty five seconds. That is exactly how long I got to talk to Brian today. I never knew that a phone call could make me so overjoyed, or so overcome with sadness at the same time. Most of you know this by now, but Brian has left for Afghanistan, and won't be back until sometime in November. It seems like an eternity away at this point, but those who have been through spouses deploying before tell me that the first two weeks are the hardest. After that, you realize you can do it, and you create a new normal, and a new routine.

I look around and see Brian everywhere. His shoes by the front door, his towell hanging in the bathroom, his Mountain Dew bottle left on the counter, and I don't want to move any of it because I don't want to take "him" out of our home, and of our lives. But then my OCD kicks in, and slowly but surely I am starting to put the towell in the hamper to be washed, and rinse out the Mountain Dew bottle and put it in the recycling bin. The shoes however, are a different story. Even though that's one of the tiny things I've learned to accept about living with Brian- he leaves a pair of shoes by the door so he can slip them on when he leaves. I would prefer they stay hidden on a shoetree in our closet. But those shoes laying there on our front step just remind me of him, as if I could forget anyways. So the shoes will stay where they are. At least for now.

short road trip

Please point and click your mouse HERE when you're done reading to see the newest addition to the long-ignored That Ain't Right blog. These came from a recent roadtrip to the other side of Panama City, FL to visit Brian's Grandpa Cimpher.

Tuesday we drove out to Port St. Joe, FL to visit Grandpa Cimpher in the nursing home. It's about a 3- 3 1/2 hour trip each way, but he was sure glad to see us! I'm so glad we got to drive out and visit before Brian leaves for Afghanistan soon.

Bradley with his great-grandpa Cimpher

Me, Brian, and Bradley with Grandpa Cimpher. I gave up trying to get a picture where everyone was looking and smiling at the camera, so this is as good as it gets!

It's not easy bein Green!

Kermit the frog said it best: it's not easy being green. I liken the whole global green movement to eating healthy. It often costs you more time, and more money, but in the end it's better for you. That's how I feel about the making the effort to "go green" and reduce our carbon footprint on the world. My sister in law Sarah could probably give a lot of facts to back up what we're doing (and maybe she will post a comment with some info and other helpful hints, hint hint!) but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, and we will do our part, one thing at a time, to be kinder to our planet. Here's what we've done so far:

• Recycle. We purchased 3 recycling bins from Lowe's, and we recycle paper/cardboard, plastic, glass, and aluminum (an added perk is that since we recycle, we can share the cost of trash pickup with our neighbors b/c we don't produce as much)
• Replaced all our lightbulbs with the long-lasting environmentally-friendly CFL ones
• Installed a timer to our hot water heater. Now it kicks on twice a day, between 5:30 and 8am, and again at 5:30-7:30pm, and we still have plenty of hot water throughout the day
• Be conscious about turning off lights when we leave rooms, especially keeping the computer turned off when not in use
• Unplugging appliances like the toaster, and even the coffee maker when not in use, and phantom energy users, like ipod docks and cell phone chargers, that consume energy when left plugged into an outlet
• Installed an energy-saving shower head which reduces the water pressure, saving several gallons of water for each shower taken
• Keeping our thermostat set at higher temps in summer, cooler in winter. I'm cold natured and this usually doesn't bother me. Ours is at 77-78 during the day, and 75 at night after we put Bradley to bed. We also turn the temp up a degree or two when leaving the house.
• Run the dishwasher/washer/dryer only when we have a full load
• Use reuseable cleaning cloths in place of paper towells whenever possible
• Use reuseable shopping bags
• Purchased a special power strip for our office, so that once the computer is turned off, all the other accessories will shut off automatically
• Stopped buying bottled water, and other individual plastic bottled drinks and use refillable bottles instead
• Use tupperware instead of plastic baggies whenever possible

Now that I look at the list it seems like a lot, but Brian and I are constantly looking at ways to reduce energy consumption even more, so any ideas of your own would be helpful, and I hope our list inspires you to take steps to go greener. This site is a good place to start if you need ideas.

POP goes my baby

The blog title references a song in of one of my favorite movies, Music And Lyrics. The subject matter of the film focuses on pop music and the impact it has on people's lives. I use my Bachelor of Music degree every day (thanks mom and dad for college!) to sing to Bradley. Most of the time, we sing pop songs with the lyrics changed to apply to him. I thought I'd share a few of these.

• B-man (Michael Jackson's Beat It)- since B-Man is Brian's nickname for Bradley
• Gwen Stephani's Holla Back Girl- during breakfast, since B has a banana almost every morning. The song serves educational purposes!
• Munchkin Man (Macho Man- the Village People)- since another nickname is munchkin
• Miss New Booty- Bubba Sparxxx- yes, some will wag their finger at me for singing offensive rap to my child, but it just comes naturally since we refer to Bradley's derriere as his "booty!" (the lyric most often sung is "Booty booty booty rockin' everywhere!"
• All the single Babies (All the single Ladies- Beyonce)- this is a favorite of mine to sing to Bradley as he immediately starts clapping along, just like in the real song, whenever I sing to him

I'm sure there are more, but they escape me at the moment. I love surrounding Bradley with music and making it a part of every day life. I can't wait til the day he hears the real version of a song we sing to him, and recognizes that it has different lyrics than the ones we usually sing!

Fashion rose pas

This morning Bradley and I went to our first ever Spouses gathering for Brian's squadron.  It was an informal coffee at Panera, and it marked the first time I would meet other wives whose husbands are in the same squadron as Brian.  After a year of being here, I figured it was about time I got involved, plus it gave me an excuse to get a cinnamon crunch bagel from Panera!  Nevertheless, I was nervous about going.  Would these ladies be snooty and not welcome me into their group?  Would they frown upon the fact that I brought Bradley with me?  I got up extra early this morning to give me enough time to shower and get ready before Bradley got up, and I decided on a bright red shirt and jeans to wear.

Well now I'm home, and the coffee couldn't have gone better.  I met so many wonderful ladies, and two other moms had brought their little girls with them, so it eased my fear about bringing children to these sorts of events.  I whisked Bradley inside to get him down for a nap since he missed his morning one completely, and I'm feeling pretty chipper, and confident that I could have made some potential new friends.  All of a sudden, I look down at my feet, and in horror, realize that I still have my hot pink flip flops on from this morning, when I slid them on to water our plants out front!  I had meant to change shoes and left the house in rush to make it on time, and forgot to make the switch.  I am mortified, and hoping that no one else noticed my fashion faux pas of a red shirt with pink shoes!  So much for making a first impression, huh?

Musings on Michael & McNair

I'm currently following the twitter updates from the Tennessean on the latest news conference on the death of former TN Titan Steve McNair.

It's such a shame such a great player had to die so tragically. Of course he will be remembered for his contributions on the field, and generosity to charities, but though he lead the Titans on the field for years, he was still just a man, just as infallible as the rest of us. Now in his death the public sees another side, an uglier side, of our once-valiant quarterback. All of Nashville is in a tizzy over what police are now ruling a murder-suicide, and it just makes me sad for the McNair family.

What is in the water lately that there have been so many celebrity deaths? First Ed McMahon, who got zero coverage, then Farrah Fawcett, followed so closely by Michael Jackson that she got no recognition either. After MJ was Billy Mays, and now most recently Steve McNair. I watched most of the Michael Jackson memorial on tv yesterday, catching it by chance by turning on Headline News to see what was going on in the world. Apparently nothing else was going on in the world, because not only was HN showing the service, but also CNN, and our local channels as well.

I grew up in the 80s, the era of MTV and the music video. I can remember watching Michael Jackson videos- in particular I remember loving "Beat It" and also "Smooth Criminal." If you would have asked me before his death, was I an MJ fan, I would have said sure, but now that the king of pop is gone, I became one of the many who bought their very first Michael Jackson cd. I don't consider it jumping on the bandwagon. Jackson's death merely brought to mind numerous past hits that I used to listen to on vinyl growing up, and recalling other songs that I had forgotten about completely. For all his shady past, the man is still a musical genius and icon, and I can appreciate what MJ did for music without condoning his character as a person.

I feel the same way for Steve McNair. People are not perfect, and while controversy may be a part of a person's past, their legend should be bestowed on them for what they contributed positively to society. I would like to think the same could and should be done for any of us when our time comes to leave this earth.

4th of July Funnies

Every year my mom's side of the family gets together for a big 4th of July get-together. It began in 1996 at our house in Brentwood, and has been going strong ever since. The past several years the event changed locations to my aunt & uncle's house in Indiana. In a last minute turn of events, Bradley and I decided to hop in the car and make the trek up there so we could share in the fun; plus if you aren't there, you get talked about, so that was one more good reason to be there!

In case you missed our 4th of July fun, here are a few things you might want to ask about, or remember if you were there, since there's always funny stories that crop up that will be told for many years to come (like Laura's martinis from Christmas, and the gang of 3+1 watching the TV on high speed rewind):

• Mom accidentally calling the "shamwow" a "shamu"
• Michael singing the same line, "I can't explain it," over and over
• Jimmmyyyyyyyy!!!!
• Eric referring to Budweiser as Ryan's "talk juice"
• Ryan's new and improved Christ of the Ohio
• Everyone: "it looks like it's starting to clear up," talking about the nonstop rain
• What happens when good Fireworks go Bad
• 4-alarm fire greenbeans that no one but Eric & Ryan could eat
• Good thing the van was stolen so we had room to hang out in the garage
• Lisa yelling at Oreo (the poodle) to get out of the kitchen
• Lots of good food, good drinks, and good times

I do not like it, Fantastic Sam

Are you all happy? The baby mullet (or British Emo Band hairstyle, as Laura referred to it) is now gone.

I am not happy! I took Bradley to get his first official haircut today, and now his long locks are gone, he is no longer a baby, and so begins the cycle of kiddie haircuts. Wednesday is "kids day" at our local Fantastic Sam's so that's where we went. Bradley didn't shed tears, but he wasn't happy per say at the turn of events either. See for yourself in the pictures.

Here's the "before" shot, with his hair all wetted down
Just getting started

Nope, not liking this At ALL

a little better now, and almost done

Glad that's over with!

The official lock of hair and certificate to document the occasion

Twins?

There's just something about this picture of Bradley that reminds me of Martin Scorcese... but I can't put my nose on it. Maybe it's the hair, perhaps?

Laughter is the best medicine

June Journal

I have been so uninspired to blog lately, so I apologize to the many (or the few of you) who keep checking the divadomain, only to be frustrated that you've already read the recap of our trip to Tennessee. Well to those I say, read it again; it's just like a great book. You can get something new out of it each time you read it. No? Well, I tried anyways.

Okay, so here's what's been going on with us, the Vilendrer family, Brian, Amanda, and Bradley:

Brian's mom, Ann, moved here a week-and-a-half ago, so now Bradley has his Grandma Anna just a few miles down the road. We are excited to have her here, and she's already helped us out by babysitting so Brian and I could attend a marriage seminar on base this past weekend.

Also the same weekend Ann moved, Brian and Bradley celebrated their 2nd Father's Day together. Bradley had this great idea to spell out a Father's Day message to dad, so I helped him out with it.
I honestly can't remember what we did that day! I think after church it was just a lazy day around Casa Vilendrer. We ate a quick lunch of pizza, and then I cooked for all of us that night. Here's Father and Son, opening presents. Brian received a travel coffee mug personalized with pictures of him and Bradley together, and also a "daddy and me" picture frame.


Besides those 2 events, there isn't much else to report except that it has been HOT here! I have had to be diligent about watering my hanging flower baskets twice a day (the ones I was so excited to purchase for $5 a piece). I also really goofed and watered our lawn for 3 hours one weekday after turning on the sprinkler in the morning and forgetting about it til lunchtime! Oops!

To cool off in the afternoons, and to give us something to do in between lunch and the afternoon nap, Bradley spends some time in his backyard pool. This is a rare occasion where he isn't tugging at his hat or his sunglasses!

On the Bradley front, there isn't much new happening. He still won't say 'mama' although ironically enough, on Father's day Ann and I heard him say it once, but he hasn't said it again since. If you tell him, Bradley, say mama, he responds cheerfully with da-da-da-da. Fantastic. The little guy is so close to walking, and we are hopeful we can coax him into taking those first steps before Brian deploys in a few weeks.

I suppose I should say something about that on here too. Brian is deploying in a few weeks. He'll be gone for a few months, and it will be our first deployment since we've been together. I am a wreck about it whenever I see war movies on tv, and I anticipate the 4th of July taking on a particular new meaning for me this year, but otherwise I am confident the time will fly be and he'll be back before you know it. I still don't know all the ins and outs about what's allowed to be discussed openly about deployments, and documented on the internet for all to see, so anyone who wants to know more can ask me directly.

Back to Bradley, this is a blurry picture, but I caught him with "Alfalfa hair" one day last week after waking up from a nap, so I had to take a picture.

(PS aunt Lisa, he loves his Fischer Price aquarium you got him for Christmas- I put it in his crib back when we had to take down his mobile, and he is mesmerized by it!)

We went and got 1st birthday pictures taken last week, so for all of you who sent birthday presents and cards, I'm sending pictures along with thank you notes, so that's why you'll get them a month late!

The month of June has given us many opportunities to see family. Last week Bradley and I were able to drive out to PCB and visit with Michael, Missy, and the kids. We spent the day with them at the beach while they were down here on vacation. I feel horrible because I brought my camera, and I know that Michael took some pictures, but the only one I have to document the day is Bradley sacked out on Michael's lap at the very end of the day! It was so great to be able to visit with my aunt, uncle, and cousins.

And what is new with me, the Domestic Diva? Well I fixed my own stopped-up kitchen sink this past week. Apparently the garbage disposal can only handle so much, and the white rice was a bit too much. With Brian's blessing to attempt to fix the sink on my own, and with my dad talking me through it over the phone, I was able to unclog the sink myself, and I was darn proud of myself for doing it! Brian was also a handyman around the house this weekend, but that's going to have to be saved for a separate blog because it's an entirely different topic that I want to cover.

Blessings to you all, and happy anniversary today to Bart and Ari who are celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary! Love you, Snake, and Sceptre!

Time in Tennessee

Bradley and I came up for a week-long visit to Tennessee this past week. Since I'm currently job hunting, I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to take off and come up there for an extended amount, so we took advantage of having the time now. We got up there on Sunday evening, Bradley's birthday. Laura made her famous quesadillas, guacamole, rice and beans. It was delicious as usual, and I always get full before I can eat as much as I want. After dinner Bradley was allowed to have one birthday cupcake so Laura & George could see him dive into the chocolate since they couldn't be at Bradley's party. I have to say, the second time around was a little lackluster, both on the part of the audience and the birthday boy!

Bradley also got to open his gifts from Laura & George. The little man was way more interested in the envelopes from the birthday cards! He couldn't really stand up yet behind the Fischer Price lawnmower that Lu got him (a favorite from her childhood) so we posed him behind it for a picture, then pushed it back and forth and played with the bubbles.

Grandma B got this little rocking horse (rocking dog?? What does one call this toy?) to keep at her house, and besides this big grin as a first impression, Bradley hasn't shown much interest in it since.
George, however, loved the toy!
The next few days were pretty here (a welcome change from the wet spring Nashvillians have suffered). We took B to the pool and he liked playing in the baby pool and watching all the other kids there.

One perk to going home is that I don't have to cook! I get treated to amazing homecooked meals by mom & Laura, coupled with being able to dine out at some of my favorite places. While in TN I visisted Bluecoast Burrito, Royal Thai, Five Guys, and Mcdougal's, plus ate homemade grilled tilapia and couscous (yes, I ate FISH- can you believe it?), and round steak with gravy, mashed potatoes, fried okra and squash. I was in food heaven!

Tuesday night Laura and I went to Kairos at BBC. It still amazes and humbles me to see so many people my age (okay, let's be realistic; most of them are younger than me these days) at church on a Tuesday night. They come from all over Nashville to be fed spiritually, and Mike kicked off this night with the start to their summer series on relationships. With over a thousand bodies filling the hall, and getting to see the new Connection Center, I was overwhelmed with how much this ministry has grown.

Back at the house, here's B and Grandma B, checking out the backyard landscaping.

Bradley loves his quality time with Grandpa B. Favorite pasttimes include wagon rides, and swinging on the porch swing, or in the new baby swing.

On Wednesday I was able to meet Mary Anna & Emily for lunch at Logan's then we treated ourselves to desert at Las Paletas. I can't believe I had never sampled one of these original Nashville treats, but the fresh popsicles were amazing. They are homemade and come in all sorts of quirky flavors that change from day to day. One on the menu today was rose petal. I wasn't sure I was ready to see what rose petal tasted like, so I had the creamy lime instead. MA sampled the oatmeal cookie, and Emily had the pistachio. It was so good to see both of these lovely ladies and catch up on life over a quick lunch and culimate our time with this delectable desert.

I also got to visit with Rhonda Lu this week twice- once pre-surgery at my house, then once post-surgery at her place. (She had outpatient surgery on her leg Wednesday of last week.) The visits were both short and sweet, but I'm so glad we found time to see each other.

Bradley was especially curious of the doggie door this visit! He did well around the dogs and even played ball with Julius one afternoon.

Friday mom and I had McDougal's chicken fingers for lunch (Bradley tried a little bit of everything and liked it too) and then we took Bradley to Pinkerton Park in Franklin to play.

Bradley really enjoyed the plastic drums they had there.

We had a relaxing week, ate a lot of good food, and had a great visit with friends and family. It was so good to see everyone and we miss you all already, and can't wait for our next visit.

Free Beer & Hot Wings

Almost every story that my brother in law tells begins with these words:
So I was listening to "Free Beer & Hot Wings" the other morning...

FB&HW is a nationally syndicated morning radio show that apparently holds a special place in George's heart. He's constantly finding fun new websites to visit and hearing news of the weird that he reports back to us. The latest find was learning about this funny commercial for a furniture store in NC. I promise this one's worth the click on the link- you'll be singing the jingle for days after watching this.

Fast forward to this past Friday night. I went with Laura & George to Jonathan's, a local sports bar, to watch the Red Sox game on tv. George ordered a huge plate of nachos, and then got a plate of hot wings that he couldn't finish. After a while, the hostess came by our table and asked if we minded switching tables since the room in which we were sitting had been reserved for a private party. We happily obliged, grabbing all of our unfinished food and drink, moving to a table on the patio with the Red Sox game on a tv right in front of us. The manager came by later and thanked us for moving, and offered to buy us a round of beers. After he dropped off the beers a few minutes later, I exclaimed to George, hey, we've got free beer & hot wings!

We all laughed and George said that maybe he would call in Monday morning to the show and tell them the story. But. he said, they usually make fun of their callers, so maybe not. Well George, I took the liberty of emailing the show myself, so hopefully they make fun of you on the radio anyways.

12 month stats

Today was Bradley's 12 month checkup. He had to get 4 shots, and his finger pricked to test for anemia. As usual, he cried initially, but as soon as the bandaids were on the tears stopped. The doctor checked him out, and gave us the thumbs up for Bradley. Turns out our little chunky monkey has turned into a skinny mini though, as he's in the 19% for his age in weight, and the 20% for his age in length. Dr. Bryan isn't worried about the slow in growth, so I'm trying not to either, given that breastfed babies at this age do tend to slow down. Anywho, 12 month stats are officially as follows:

• weight: 20 lbs. 15 oz.
• length: 29 inches
• Cruising around the house like a champ (for those not familiar with baby jargon, as I wasn't a year ago, this is where they get around by walking while holding onto furniture)
• Clapping his hands, and seeking approval for everything
• Knows what 'No' means, but doesn't always listen!
• Finally allowed to eat table food. Beans seem to be a favorite of his- back, white, or baked
• Using his sippy cup at will now
• Loves, loves, loves Books and Music

We are done with checkups until 18 months (ie a year and a half).

Fun at One

As of this past Sunday, our little man is one year old! We celebrated on Saturday the 6th with a "Fun At One" themed birthday party at one o'clock in the afternoon. The Reeds (Tim, Sandy, and Casey Michael) came down from Tennessee to attend. Amber and Micah were there, Wes just back from deployment, and of course, Grandma Anna, and Grandma & Grandpa B were there. The festivities began with lunch, followed by presents, and finally ended with Bradley digging into his very own chocolate cake.

Bradley did great with all the people. He was passed from person to person and smiled and chattered away, earning applause anytime he did anything remotely cute. He bounced up and down, obviously excited when we sang him 'Happy Birthday.' His favorite present he opened was a bag of Gerber yogurt melts, and got upset when I sat the bag aside to open other gifts! Bradley received lots of clothes and toys, including some bath toys, a cross-stitched baby sampler that my mom has literally spent a year making, and a cute Mickey Mouse ride-on toy. His feet don't quite touch the ground yet, but he loves pushing the buttons and watching the propeller go.

We had a great time, and Brian and I are so thankful for everyone who was able to be there with us to celebrate, and for all of the gifts for Bradley. Thanks also to all our wonderful friends and family who called/texted B birthday wishes. For all you Facebookers out there (Facebooker, I don't even know 'er) I have pictures posted from the party. Here's a few to document the event though:

This is the invitation I created on Snapfish, although it didn't scan very clear:

Bradley with Grandma & Grandpa B

This is the best daggum picture we got of the three of us that day :o(

The birthday boy with his grandparents

Bradley with our good family friends the Reeds; Tim, Sandy, & Casey
A shot of the homemade cakes... I was pleased with them except the writing- it never turns out right- the pressure from those icing canisters is NEVER even! Grr!
Opening presents!
Let him eat cake!

After the cake, and the sink bath, a clean Bradley tries out his new swimming pool in the backyard with Grandma Anna
The party was seriously so much fun, and not nearly as stressful as I'd made it out to be in my head. It was just so great to get all those people who love Bradley in one place, and celebrate the fact that he is now officially a "Toddler" (according to my weekly Babycenter emails)! Thanks to everyone! We are blessed!

A few firsts

After months and months of protesting, we finally broke down and gave Bradley his first haircut on Sunday. I didn't want him looking too shaggy for his first birthday party (coming soon, to a Gulf Breeze house near you, this Saturday!), so we sat him in his high chair and Brian and I each took a turn snipping the long pieces of hair that cover his ears. Yes, we finally cut the "old man hair!" His locks are still long in the front and back, but I don't care. Here's a few pictures to commemorate the event.
It's also worthy to note that Bradley is sick in these pictures. He's suffering from his first cold, and luckily, his first illness in almost 12 months. Like a sweet boy, he shared his cold with mommy, so we're both suffering from nasal congestion and a cough, right in time for the party this weekend. Hopefully we'll both continue to be on the mend.

I also wanted to post a picture of Bradley drinking from his sippy cup, since he's lazy and usually won't hold it himself! This is proof that he can and will do it on occasion.