Day 91

First Step

It's been quite a while I know, but I haven't been really motivated. Now, i'm right back where I was before. I have been taking pictures left and right and I have so much I want to share. Arthur Jay and I are up in Alabama visiting Nana. Today he was outside running around, enjoying the true fall weather, and I snapped this. His first attempt at climbing a tree. Everything was working against him. He didn't have on shoes or pants and there were no branches low enough for him to get started. But that didn't stop him. He gave it a few good goes and then gave up. Arthur Jay looked like such a big boy trying to climb that tree. I was so proud.

Day 90

Paw Paw's one and only

We had visitors the weekend of September 10th. Trevor's Mom and Dad came down from St. Augustine and brought their dog Lola. I told Arthur Jay about them coming to visit the week before and he talked about them for 4 days straight. I have said before how much Arthur Jay loves his Paw Paw and it's only gotten better. He loves sitting in his lap talking about the Wall Street Journal and the stock markets. I think it's hilarious to see Trevor, Arthur Jay and Bill at the table having "boy talk." Arthur Jay is the luckiest little guy in the world to have Bill as his Grandfather. We love you Paw Paw.

Day 89

Baby Blues

I love this picture. Arthur Jay has the sweetest eyes ever. I know I'm a little partial, but I can't take enough pictures of his face. I got a new lens for my camera for my birthday and it is great for taking close up pictures. I didn't waste any time in getting pictures of those eyes and that sweet face.

Day 88

Favorites

Every time we take a trip to Disney, we have to go see Mickey and Minnie. What made this particular visit so funny was how eager Arthur Jay was to see them. We waited in line patiently. We were next in line to meet them and we had to physically restrain Arthur Jay from bum rushing the two. He was elated. He hugged and kissed them both. Gave them high fives and loved every minute of his visit. He is definitely a Disney Baby!

Day 87

Silly Boys

Sorry for such a long hiatus. But I'm back in full swing. We took Arthur Jay to the Magic Kingdom a few weekends ago and this was taken after we rode the Buzz Lightyear ride. Trevor is a kid at heart and him and Arthur Jay are two peas in a pod. They were being so silly with this jail cell type display. The looks on their faces are hilarious.

Day 86

Routine

Dr. Seuss is a regular at our house. He is Arthur Jay's favorite author at the moment. He loves Hop on Pop and Cat in the Hat. His daddy does books every night and he really enjoys it. Thank you again Mr. Seuss!!

Day 85

Not on couch Akshully

The Cooks' have two Great Danes. I have posted pictures of both of them before. One rule at the Cooks' house: No Danes on the Couch! And well....Madeleine isn't actually on the couch. LOL

Day 84

Ginger

This is the newest little girl brought on to the Cook's farm. Her name is Ginger. And before you start wondering, no, her ears aren't missing. Ginger has very small ears due to the breed of goat she is. Lamancha goats have long legs and little ears. They are super friendly, as you can see. We love Ginger!!

Day 83

More Sweet Pea!

This little girl is getting so BIG! She is jumping all around her pen like a little Mexican jumping bean. Sweet Pea is super friendly and very curious. I love going to see her. Isn't she just the cutest thing ever?

Day 82

HIS

This is one of the outtakes from Tricia and Chamois' engagement pictures from this weekend. A little back story: Tricia and I have known each other for years. We were pregnant together and our boys are two days apart. She is one of my dearest friends and I would do anything in the world for her. So, she is getting married and we had the same thought at right about the same time of me doing her wedding photos. I went to their house on Saturday and had a great time. Tricia and Chamois are so in love. I mean, IN LOVE. I loved being around them and taking their pictures. They were such goof-balls and I loved it. Chamois loves her so much and it shows in just the way he acts when she walks into the room. They both light up like the fourth of July when they look at each other and I could talk about them all day. Congrats to them both. I love y'all. I can't wait till October.

Day 81

Cheeks Feets

There is something about baby feet that I love. There is nothing cuter than seeing the wrinkly feet of a small baby. I saw Cheeks this weekend and I had to get some shots of those precious feet.

Day 80

Still got those Cheeks!

I went to Jesup on Saturday to do my first ever engagement shoot with some friends and I got to see my sister. She had a couple visitors and I had to get pictures. Here is Mr. Levi again. AKA Cheeks. I love him so much. His cheeks are slowly going away though. He is thinning out and getting so big. I got the sweetest kisses from him and I cant wait to see him again.

Day 79

Spaghetti and Chocolate Cupcake

I love getting pictures of Arthur Jay after mealtime. He usually makes a huge mess, and tonight he didn't disappoint. I made spaghetti and meatballs. And Arthur Jay had a chocolate cupcake for dessert. I think he ate a little of the cake and licked off all the icing. He is such a sweet boy. I could look at this face all day, everyday. I am so honored to be his mother. The mother of a messy little monster.

Day 78

Meet Sweet-Pea

Introducing Ms. Sweet-Pea Cook. She was born Sunday evening at 9:25 pm after a semi-short labor by her mother Flower. Mrs. Cook and her sister Lisa said that all of Flower's babies had to be named after flowers, so I suggested Tulip and Sweet-Pea. Mrs. Cook decided that it would be Sweet-Pea. She came out and got cleaned up and was walking within minutes, and she hasn't stopped yet. I am in love with this little girl. There is something about her that I just love. Maybe Mrs. Cook will let us buy her, but if she doesn't, I know she will only be across the street. We love you Ms. Sweet-Pea!!

Day 77

And I'm ready too!

Arthur Jay is not the only one ready for football season! We have 21 days to go and I cannot wait! Roll Tide Roll!!

Day 76

Yes, he's ready

Football season starts in a matter of weeks and you can tell around this house. I bought this jersey for Arthur Jay while we were in Alabama. He read it and said "Alabama, number 1." I was so proud and I answer.."yes, that's right baby. Alabama is number 1." Roll Tide Roll!

Day 75

Everyday at Mrs. Cooks.

I love this picture. Mrs. Cook and all the "babies" sitting all around her. Copeland is near her head, then Arthur Jay, Madeleine and Harley. Everyone is drawn to her like a magnet. And she loves every minute of it.

Day 74

What's in the box?

Mrs. Cook bought six new baby chickens the other day. She was setting their house up and Arthur Jay and Madeleine stood guard over them. I loved watching her watch over the little ones.

Day 73

Freshly Hatched

Mrs. Cook recently bought an incubator and when we returned from Alabama, she had it full of eggs. This little chick is just a couple days old and I had to get a picture to share with everyone. They are the most precious babies ever. They are so fluffy and just full of spunk.

Day 72

Water Boys

This is another shot from Riley's party. Both of my guys love the water. Arthur Jay felt so big when he got to swim alone in the big pool. I was a nervous wreck, but he had on enough flotation devices that would have prevented the Titanic from going down. That, and his Daddy was right there too.

Day 71

Playing Possum

This is sweet Levi. I call him cheeks, and for good reason. He came to Riley's birthday and I got to get lots of sweet kisses from him. I wish I lived closer so I could see him more often. He is the sweetest little guy!

Day 70

Birthday Girl

Sweet Riley turned 6 on the 1st of August. She had a pool party and had the best time. I sure do love that sweet little lump. And she knows it too.

Day 69

Big Smiles

This is Arthur Jay's Great Aunt Diane. She lives in Alabama and Arthur Jay loves her, and her husband Uncle Craig, so much. We ate dinner at their house last night and he couldn't get enough of her. They helped raise me when I was about Arthur Jay's age and they will always hold a very special place in my heart. Roll Tide!

Day 68

Ride!

This is Arthur Jay, Ms. Ann and her grandson Bosie. That's pronounced Bo-zee. The boys were riding their bikes and they wanted Ann to ride with them. She didn't hesitate. I loved the look on her face. She was bound and determined to get on that bike and show those boys what she could do! Not too bad for being Bosie's GREAT grandmother!

Day 67

Swinging

We visited one of Nana's friends daughter's house today. She had her two grandsons over and Arthur Jay had so much fun playing with the boys. He is like any other little boy, he loves to swing. I loved seeing his face while he was on the swings. He was so happy.

Day 66

My Pecan Trees

While driving to Alabama today, I took the long route to drive through this small stretch on Highway 341, near Perry, Georgia. This has always been my favorite place in the world. The pecan trees are on both sides of the roads and at times they join together above the road to make a canopy. It's so beautiful.

Day 65

Mamas!

This is another picture from our reunion. This is Nicole, myself and Donna. These two girls are wonderful women and amazing mothers. I was so glad to see them both and I can't wait to catch up with them more!

Day 64

Happy Reunion

I went to my 1o year class reunion over the weekend and boy did they put on a great show! Our class President did an amazing job and we all had so much fun! In this picture is a some what new friend on the left, Kasondra and on the right is Mandy. She has been my best friend since the 6th grade. I love them both!!

Day 63

Forever Friends

I am not the only one who will miss Whitney..Mrs. Tanya, Drogheda and Sweet Granny have all voiced how much they will miss her. This was taken at Mrs. Tanya's house and it was Whitney's last afternoon in FL.

Day 62

Sorry Ladies, He's taken...

I would like everyone to meet Drogheda...She has been in a few pictures in one form or another, but now you get to see her face. She is the daughter of Mrs. Cook, who is my across the street neighbor. Arthur Jay was taken with her, right off the bat. She took to Arthur Jay very quickly as well. We always joke that in 18 years Arthur Jay is going to seek her out and marry her. If ever a two year old could be in love, he is it. And she is the lucky girl.

Day 61

Baby Fat

I know Arthur Jay is anything but fat, but today while sitting together, I saw the last of his baby fat on his belly. There are days where I miss his little chubby body as an infant. He is so handsome. I know I am tooting my own horn. But he really is. :-)

Day 60

Mama's Boy

I don't have too much to say about this one. Arthur Jay and I were watching Finding Nemo today and he was sitting in his favorite spot: Mama's lap.

Day 59

Rabbit....strikes again

I think I could do a whole blog about this rabbit. I have posted a blog on rabbit before and she is always with us and she is put in so many cute places, I had to share this one. I can't really remember where we were going, but I sat her up on the front seat head rest and she rode that way until we got to our destination. As posted before, Arthur Jay has had this rabbit since he was born and she is his security blanket you could say. He also carries around a silky night shirt of mine..I'll have to get a shot of that one too. But here she is....Rabbit.

Day 58

Arthur Jay and his Whitney

Whitney's time is almost up down here. We are taking her back home on Thursday and my heart is so broken. I know she is ready to get back to her friends and family up there, but I am going to be selfish for a minute. I have really enjoyed her down here. I have got to learn about who she really is and what she is really like. I've always loved my neice, but now it's different. She is one of the most wonderful people I have ever met and been fortunate enough to spend time with. She is so good with Arthur Jay and he loves her more than life itself. Every morning he is waiting for her to wake up so he can see her and talk to her. We have gotten to go out and do some girl stuff and I have gotten to know her style and her music tastes. I am so proud of her and what she has become down here. She has touched my heart in so many ways and I can't wait to have her come back down here to visit. I love you Whitney Dawn.

Day 57

If baby wants grits...Mama makes the grits

Out of everything in the kitchen to eat, Arthur Jay wanted grits. I can say that he is a true southern boy, when what makes him happy is a steaming bowl of Mama's cheese grits. He ate it all...and wanted to lick the bowl. That makes me happy... ha ha

Day 56

Cinderfella

Arthur Jay with a broom...it's not a rare thing to see. This child loves sweeping and mopping. And loves to "help" sweeping and mopping. This particular broom is used to sweep up goat poo out in the goat yard. We go over to the neighbors about once a week to help her sweep up the goat poo so it doesn't start over running the place. I hope that Arthur Jays love of cleaning stuff continues throughout his whole life. He will make girl extremely happy!

Day 55

Harley

This big fella is Harley. He's a Great Dane and he's owned by the neighbors. This guy is truly a loving giant. He loves his Mama (Mrs. Cook) and will follow her everywhere she goes if he gets the chance. When he walks and runs, he looks like an imperial walker. He's all legs. He's also so strong. When you stand beside him he likes to lean against you, and if you aren't careful he might just knock you over!

Day 54

Pedal Pusher

Our neighbor, Mrs. Cook, has a golf cart she likes to call "The Goat Cart." The carts actual name is Ms. Daisy. Like most little boys, Arthur Jay is obsessed with anything that has wheels and a motor. Any chance he gets, he climbs on to the driver's seat and acts like he is driving. I love to watch him pretend and when I ask where he's going, his answers always vary. One day the answer might be Aunt Sissies and the next might Maw-Maw and Paw-Paws. But nothing is funnier than him making loud screeching noises and then say, "Sissy driving!!"

Day 53

Farmer Whit

I laugh every time I see this picture. Whitney on the lawnmower. That is a contradiction in itself. But we told her before she came down that we would be showing her how to do all sorts of new stuff. I am so proud of her. She has done so much down here and has faced her fear of dogs and has even fallen in love with a poodle. She was helping Trevor out in the yard in this picture and was learning to drive all at once. I can't say how proud I am of her.

Day 52

Hop on Pop

This picture is courtesy of Whitney again...I couldn't pass up posting it because this is Arthur Jay's favorite book. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss. I think we have this book memorized. And Arthur Jay loves to physically "hop on pop". He loves all of his Dr. Seuss books and we think the man was a genius. Even though they are repetitive and they get annoying at times, we wouldn't stop reading them for the world.

Day 51

Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

This picture tickled me to death. I love these new babies and I love getting photos of them every day. Isn't he sweet?

Day 50

Is for...

Arthur Jay! This photo is courtesy of Whit...like I was saying about children and goats being alike...my child likes to put things in his mouth too!

Day 49

Nibble

It's so funny how baby goats are like children. They love putting things in their mouths. This is Arthur, getting a little nibble of Drogheda's finger.

Day 48

A day in the dirt

You know the old saying "Monkey see, Monkey do?" Well, Arthur Jay is a prime example of that saying. We were at the neighbors and her donkeys decided that they wanted to roll in the dirt. Arthur Jay saw this and thought he should do the same. Before I could say no, he was in the dirt having a good ol time. I laughed at him and thought...boys will be boys!

Day 47

Piggy Treat

Yes, that's a pig eating a candy cane...I thought that was the neatest thing ever. But apparently that's one of her favorite treats ever. Georgia is certainly one of a kind!

Day 46

Baby Boys

We spent a couple hours out with the "kids" the other day and these two boys are growing so quickly. They are climbing all over their toys and hopping all over the place. It is amazing to watch them grow and change all the time.

Day 45

Prissy

Most of us have lost pets through the years. Today I was watching old videos on my computer and I came across a few with our beloved Prissy in them. She was Trevor's dog before I came into the picture, but once I came around, Trevor played second fiddle in her heart. She was our first child. She was the sweetest and funniest dog I have ever known. She knew I was pregnant before we did. We lost her on Valentines Day in 2009. It was a short illness and she was gone before we knew it. Our hearts were broken for months and months and we still tear up talking about her from time to time. I thought I should post a picture of her to honor her memory. She touched so many hearts and will never be replaced. We miss and love you Sweet Prissy.

Day 44

Piggy Talk

While visiting the new babies I caught Arthur Jay having a serious conversation with Georiga, the pig. We thought this was so cute because Arthur Jay is so intouch with all the animals on the farm...for the most part. He really loves going to see Georgia. This picture says a thousand words to me...love, is one of them.

Day 43

Sweet Granny

Mrs. Cooks mother is up for the week. She goes by the name "Sweet Granny". If you ever get the chance to meet her, you will fully understand why. Sweet Granny is one of the most amazing women I have ever met. She has the sweetest heart and just being around her can make a bad day turn into a sunny day. Every time she comes into town I make sure Arthur Jay and I come by to see her. She has also passed her sweetness down to her daughter, Mrs. Cook, and her granddaughter, Drogheda.

Day 42

Curious

This is once again, Mr. Jay. He is one of the newest additions to the Cook Farm. Whitney was visiting them today and Jay was having to check everything out. I believe he thought there was teats under the stool, maybe he was hungry.