Headed WEST!

We are leaving today to go see family and friends in Utah/Idaho.

We're so excited! I like NC but I wanna see me some family.

Jeff is excited and I'm beside myself with EXCITEMENT!

I'm sure Kam will be excited once we get there. :)

I get to show off my new little baby and I get to see Robyn's baby BOY! Yes, after 4 girls, Robyn has a boy on Tuesday. They named him Raife and I can't wait to meet him.

Nigh unto impossible

McKay has been smiling

so much this week. It started on Monday and he pretty much has had me wrapped around that little finger of his since then.

It's pretty much impossible to catch a newborns smile on camera.

I thought this one was pretty good I just wish the shadow wasn't on the bottom.We went on Thursday for his 1 month visit. (5 weeks really)

Weight: 9 lbs 2 oz

Height: 21 3/4 inches

He's gained 2 pounds and grown 1 1/2 inches!He's getting so strong. I noticed yesterday that his head isn't a floppy fish. He's still a little Stevie Wonder with it but he's holding it up so much better. Who doesn't love a yawning baby?
When I don't have him swaddled his hands are always like this when he sleeps.

Have you met my son Jerry?
He has Jheri curl!
and it's SO CUTE!

Don't wanna play favorites now. :)
It's so fun to watch Kam with Mac.
When I have Mac on the floor, Kam will run around him and look at me waiting for me to tell him to stop. When I have Mac on the bed, Kam will get up on it and jump, also looking at me waiting for me to tell him to stop. That's about the extent for his abuse for right now.
He loves Mac and will lay next to him will he's on the floor.

I'm SO lucky to have these boys.

Double Take

What daddy's do best.

Kamden

McKay

All American 4th of July

We had a very HOT, very AMERICAN 4th of July.

We went to the parade in Greensboro and collected a whole 3 pieces of candy.

We walked around the booths and ate carnival food.

Kam got his face painted. (That's supposed to be a baseball on his cheek incase you were wondering)

we had a cookout with friends. (I made some yummy dutchoven potatoes)

We went to the fireworks at night and waited over 1 hour to get out of the parking lot because of an accident at the top of the hill.

I love this picture of the boys.

Cade- They're called fireworks! They light up the sky, your supposed to like them.

Jeff-You're a grown man, man!

Kamden-Well, at the Grasshopers game they had fireworks and Jeff covered his eyes. Now Kam thinks that's the best way to watch them.Let's just pretend I didn't forget to flip this picture.

Oh yeah, Jeff's back has been so bad this last week. It started the day before the 4th and he could barely walk. So, he sat in the shade with the boys while I went to get our lunch. It's slowly getting a little better but it's worse than it's ever been. Keep him in your prayers.

I knew it...

I was sure that I had taken more pics when my parents were here.

Don't know why, they just didn't upload at the same time.

So, he's a little sequel to the previous post.

After the Grasshoper's game.

Kamden's favorite spot-next to PapaMy mom's birthday.We went to Mt. Airy. It's where Andy Griffith grew up.

A lot of the show and things around Mayberry are based off of his childhood.

This is Mt. Pilot (in the show it's called Pilot Mountain.)

This is the first mountain I've seen in over 2 months.

Jeff & I both agree-we miss 'real' mountains but still, I was very happy to see this one.We ate lunch at "Snappy Lunch"

Hours 5:45am-1:45pmWe gave Kam a haircut on

Saturday and went to Mt. Airy on Monday.

Too bad we didn't wait cause he could have had a 'real' cut from the Mayberry barber. The 'other' guy in the picture, we in the barber shop. Jim Kemp. He asked where we were from. When my dad said Idaho and Jim asked, "So are yall Mormons?"

He was so nice and told us about all the Mormons he knew.

We ran into him a little while later and he decided that he would become our tour guide. He showed us the 'Mormon Ward'. When we pulled up to the church, he got out and asked us if we wanted to go talk to the other Mormons inside the church.

There were 3 cars in the parking lot and they looked like mission cars.

We told him, "Not especially." Is that bad?

Jim was so nice. He drove us over to where some Mormons live and showed us a Mormon cemetary. We did have to tell him that we kind of wanted to see the Andy Griffith/Mayberry tourist stuff. Seeing the church was great but...you've seen one, you've seen them all.

If you are interested in being featured on my blog, it's simple.

Here are the required steps,

1-Hop on a plane

2-Fly across the country

3-Come hang out with us

(Unless you're the Arellano's and then you can just drive over.)

Best 2 Weeks EVER!

Tear...sniff, sniff.

That's how I felt when my mom and dad went back home.

But...

It was so awesome having them come and stay for a while.

Here's why:

1-Cause every new mom needs her own mom.

2-Kamden got SO much love and attention. My mom took him on walks every morning, to the swimming pool & my dad shared chocolate muffins, Diet Pepsi (what every 2 year old needs)

& let Kamden be his shadow.

3-My mom cooked, cleaned, organized, and totally pampered me.

4-I could actually leave the house. You know, it's really hard going anywhere with 2 kids and being the only adult. (I still haven't done it by myself)

It wouldn't be complete if GG didn't paint Kam's nails.

Kamden has a bit of a nail biting problem so my mom painted his nails a light blue color.

It was supposed to be incentive to not put his hands in his mouth. It lasted about 5 minutes but it was worth a shot.

There are 2 things that terrify me about newborns.
Giving them their first bath and cutting their nails.
Mom to the rescue!
Greensboro Historical Museum

I promise, I've had his hearing checked.Sweetest baby boyKamden is SO good with him.
He loves to watch him.
(Newborns are very entertaining don't ya know? All that sleeping)

It was my mom's birthday & my parents anniversary while they were here.

So, we did our nails. I splurged and we got french tip nails from Walmart.

Only the best!After my mom had been here about 1 1/2 weeks, my dad came.

Wow, Kamden thought he was about the best thing since sliced bread.

I was a little worried that Kamden would be shy and take a while to warm up to him.

Nope.

When my dad went to sit outside, Kamden went.

Actually, whatever my dad did, Kam had to do it right alongside him.

You see the duck Kamden is holding? One day when my mom took him swimming, (I was lucky enough to sit on the side and sweat with my feet dangeling in the water) there was this nasty little fish toy with a missing eye. I guess they don't make eye patches for plastic-toys-left-at-the-pool-gone-bad. We found this rubber ducky in Bath & Body. Kamden wanted one of each color but we told him to pick one. He REALLY wanted the pink one. However, the blue one was much cuter and much more manly. I would have let him get the pink one but it really was an ugly pink. He loves that duck and he LOVES yelling QUACK, QUACK. thanks momMy dad was so cute with Mac. He just couldn't believe how small he was. We all forget how tiny and precious newborns are.

He was content to sit outside, hold Mac and read his book.

Thanks Dad Greensboro Grasshopers Game

McKay is so precious. It was so fun showing him off to all the people sitting around us. I love Kam's face in the background.

They took such good care of us. Kamden I think misses them the most. When he hears Jeff come in the door, he says, "GG". The first night after they left, he came in our room asking for GG and a few days ago when he woke up from his nap, Jeff was home. I said, "Guess who's here." He said, "Gapa!" nope, just dad.

Mom & Dad: Jeff & I know how lucky we are to have such good parents. (both sets)

Thank you so much for coming.

For your support.

Advice.

& Friendship.

It's hard living so far away from family and having them come visit was the BEST!

Plus, we get to see EVERYBODY in a month so that makes it easier.