Hello again everyone! Sorry we have been MIA. For those of you who we have seen these past few months, you may understand why the blog got neglected. We have been on the move! I am still trying to figure out how all of the wonderful mothers I know get things done! With that being said, there is never a dull moment in our lives! We have spent the past three months traveling and supporting Bryan in his away rotations in Chicago and Little Rock, as well as holding down the fort for his 30+ hour work days (yes days) here in OKC. Thanksgiving was a welcomed holiday for us in that his schedule should slow down and we will once again all be under the same roof!
September was bitter sweet because although Bryan left to spend four weeks in Chicago, I knew Miles and I were headed there to visit for almost 10 days! Because I have the most wonderful father in law ever, Jack flew to Oklahoma City to help the two of us on our flight. The flight went so great and I was so appreciative of his help! We spent some wonderful time with the Smith family exploring Oak Park and Chicago and enjoying the cool fall weather. Miles and I, along with many family members, put some miles on our trusty stroller. We stayed in Great Grandma Smith's (GiGi's) condo in Oak Park which was walking distance to parks, grocery stores, shopping, and Aunt Joan's. Bryan of course was working long hours, but we found time to enjoy being so close to our wonderful family!
The 'Chicago Bean'
Bryan and I got a night out in Oak Park!
Oaktoberfest
Parks galore!!
Cousin Jack
The boys showing off one of Miles' favorite gestures.
Miles in flight
Miles' first train ride to the city with Aunt Joan, Mom, Poppy Jack, and Grandma Jean
October as many of you know is my favorite holiday, er month. Along with being home to my reoccurring 29th birthday, October also includes pumpkin patches, fall weather (conducive to boots, sweaters, etc), and Halloween! Miles was just perfecting his animal sounds and had a pretty good lion's roar. So, lion for Halloween it was. We enjoyed the holiday here in OKC with friends going to the zoo and trick or treating at the local mall. I put together costumes for Bryan and me, but they were packed away for a more promising next year.
Pumpkin town at the Myriad Gardens on my birthday
Happy Halloween!
Following some quickly resolved flight drama, Bryan and I flew from California to Little Rock on the Sunday before starting his rotation at UAMS. I had booked him to stay in an Extended Stay that looked decent on the website. Lets just say that we didn't end up staying there. Yuck. So...the next week was spent finding an apartment for Bryan to live in for the next month. We ended up renting an apartment a little south of Little Rock and it was not too far from the hospital and perfect for Miles and I to visit on the weekends. Miles stayed in Clarksville during the week and I drove back and forth to OKC for work on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I put some miles on the Jeep, but it was a fun month. We got to spend some great time with our friends and family. The month ended perfectly with Thanksgiving at my grandparents in Heber Springs.
We spent a lot of time with our friends the Dowlers. They have three kiddos and the youngest is Miles' age. He liked Bryan.:) The boys had fun!
Park time in Little Rock! We played with Aunt Jean Ann and cousins in Sherwood!
Cloud dough and relaxin' at Nona and Papa G's
Now, here we all are back at home and enjoying every minute of it. I never knew how exciting it would be to clean my house, have all our laundry in the same state, and snuggle up together on the couch. We put up our Christmas lights and tree (heaven help us) this past weekend and are ready for the holiday season! We are planning to spend some time in Chicago for Christmas then back to Arkansas for a late celebration. I can't wait to see many of you!
During these months Miles has changed so much! He is walking/running everywhere, he is talking up a storm, and is the most curious child I have ever met. His favorite words are now: mama, dada, dog, choo choo, tractor, truck, and please (it gets him what he wants 99% of the time!). He is still signing some words but can usually repeat the word after we say it. He continues to love to play ball and has a pretty mean arm. The dogs are getting a run for their money, as Miles has become very entertained by their ears, tails, and feet. He is an eating machine and has shot up in height and weight finally! Despite all his environment changes he has continued to sleep 11-12 hours at night. We are about the start the pacifier battle, but he has gradually started leaving it in his crib during most of the day. So, life is pretty good for Mr. Miles and I can say this is one of my favorite but one of the most challenging stages so far. He has developed such a sweet (but mischevious) personality! Again, I am still trying to figure out how to get things done--including this blog! I will try to stay on it! Love you all! xoxo
