It rained for the first 3 days they were in town, but after that the weather seemed to get better. It still seems too hot / humid to be outside with Ava playing for a long amount of time. I’m looking forward to Fall and some cooler weather!
Ava really seemed to enjoy Grandma and Grandpa visiting. She loved to be tickled and rough-housed by Grandpa Dean. She loved to run and give Grandma Dolly big hugs. They both were a great help, feeding Liam, changing diapers (okay, Grandma Dolly took this on ;-)) and loving on the grandkids.
Liam wasn’t shy about snuggling with both of them. He continues to be such a snuggle-bunny! Liam is the smiliest (is that a word?) baby ever! If you catch his eye, he will smile right back at you. He was giggling this week, and seems to show more of his ever-so-content personality by the day. It's such a blessing to see how happy he is. He tries to talk and coo, almost as if he’s holding a conversation with his captive audience. About a month ago, Doug and I woke up to him “talking” in his crib.
I think Liam will probably be a big kid. He measured 24 ¼ inches at 8 weeks. That is already over two inches taller than Ava was at that time (22 inches). Liam continues to eat very well. I have been feeding him more bottles than nursing him; he seems to get too comfy nursing and not eat enough (which leads to snacking, rather than eating “good meals” less frequently). :-) I’m hoping that will work itself out soon.
Ava really enjoyed the time spent with Grandma and Grandpa. It is unbelieveable how well she seems to reason and form sentences. She has quite the little personality - all girl! Interestingly, when you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she will answer "a cowboy".
While Grandma and Grandpa were in town:
We hunkered down during tornado warnings / Hurricane Faye
Went to McDonald's Play Place
Doug and Dad went to Harbor Freight for a tool run
We danced to bluegrass tunes in our living room
Had ice cream at Bruster’s
Went to Johnny Rocket’s and the candy store
Went to Harry’s Farmer’s Market
Went to the park
Ate a "Southern Supper" at Relish
Made fleece blankets
Had "grandparent pictures" taken
Watched Charlie Brown's "The Great Pumpkin"
Played!!!
Visited Atlantic Station
Shopped at Ikea
Doug and I got a night out (Kohl’s, coffee and a nice drive)
Bought fresh noodles at Via Elisa – worth the drive! (shown on "Road Tasted")
Dolly and I went to TJ Maxx for a bit
We endlessly searched for / bought a beanbag
Ate at the Marietta Diner (shown on Guy Fieri’s “Diner’s, Drive-In’s and Dives”)
Ate at the Cheesecake Factory
Doug turned pens made a penholder with Dad on his lathe
Thanks for visiting, Grandma and Grandpa! We all had a great time. We hope you did, too!
With love,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam
Grandpa Dean and Liam snoozin'
Grandma Dolly and Liam
Hanging out at Pway Pwace (Play Place)
Ava comes down the "curly slide" at McDonald's Play Place
Doug having fun on the curly slide, too! :)
Ava enjoyed a chocolate chip cookie...as you can see :-)
Ava and Grandma having fun at Play Place
Grandpa and Liam
Liam has these huge "mouth-open" grins. There is no denying when he's feeling smiley!
A happy little guy
One of our more recent pasttimes... Dancing to the music on the cable music channels. This started as a way for me to buy more time to prepare dinner. We get wild and crazy in the living room while dinner cooks... On this particular night, we threw down some bluegrass tunes. Ava was slapping her leg and saying "yee-haw". She had to don her "cowboy" boots (she never says "cowgirl", just "cowboy") and my "cowgirl" hat. Grandma and Grandpa got a big kick out of her dancing around!
Going to Target, Grandma and Grandpa let Ava pick out some fruit snacks. She decided to forego the Dora snacks, Sponge Bob snacks and Lego snacks... Instead she chose the John Deere snacks. I thought this was nuts, because the box doesn't look kid-friendly compared with the other obnoxiously colored boxes of snacks...
Liking her John Deere fruit snacks
Cowgirl
Marietta Diner- you should see the size of the desserts at this place... The cakes must be 12-15 inches high!?!
At the Marietta Diner
Dad and Dolly at the Marietta Diner
Ava and Grandpa relaxin'
Out for ice cream at Bruster's
Liam hangin' out in the kitchen. He LOVES this bouncy-seat!
Grandpa and Ava shopping at Harry's Farmer's Market. They have kid-sized grocery carts with flags that say "Customer In Training". Ava LOVES pushing the little cart.
At Blue Moon Pizza... One of the businesses in the mixed-use project Doug drew / completed.
Doug standing at West Village, in front of the design development excellence award. He worked on this project from start to finish. Kind of cool to see and walk through something that he drew!
Miss Personality
This picture says it all... Ava is VERY independent, but as you can see, her shoes often make their way onto the wrong foot...
Grandpa and Ava
At "Monk-a-Cheese" (Ava can now say "Chuck E. Cheese", but calls it "Monk-a-Cheese")
Shelly and Liam at Chuck E. Cheese
A little Griffith skeeball (Doug actually instructed us to help out in earning "tickets" for Ava to win a prize... We're working hard here!)
Liam and Grandma Dolly boogie-down to Chuck E's music
Liam looking behind himself... Is he winning the race?
Liam and his frequent grins
Our family, at our favorite park
Grandma, Grandpa and the kids at the park
'
Grandpa Dean and Liam on Doug's lathe. Grandpa Dean is ready for Liam to become a woodturner, too!
Girls can turn wood, too!
At Cheesecake Factory... Ava was one tired girl, from the week's festivities!
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