First Piece

Thanks to low- and no-VOC paints, I get to help with the nursery updates this this time around. This is a little nightstand I made for the kids' room. It is just a wooden cube, painted one of the colors in the mural my sisters painted in their room. Then I added "bun feet" like we have on other bookshelves we painted in their room.

When Lee woke up from his nap the other day, he saw the finished product and said, "Mommy build it." He then helped me move it into his room and transfer all the bedtime books inside.

Blueberries!

1. Squeeze

2. Stuff

3. Smile

First Construction

Last week, Lee helped his daddy build a new shelf for his and KW's closet. He has been "working" on it ever since. He uses his own hammer, but he had to teach himself how to get inside the tool drawer (i.e., defeat the baby-proofing), as only Daddy's screwdriver fits into the little holes!

Baby Brady

Last Sunday, we took Lee to meet his new cousin, "Baby Bay-dee". He was allowed to touch his feet, and sneaked a few hugs. Such a cutie pie, he looks like our first nephew, Brant. I stole a picture from Lins' FB account to show you how adorable he is:

Something is so easy (and lightweight) about holding a newborn. When given the opportunity, I am not going to fret as much about holding our little one this time. Lee has taught me well that snuggle time will NOT last forever!

Pronto Pups and Sno Cones

Mmmmmmmm. Mmmm-hmmm. Anybody ever had one of these little tasties?

If you just said to yourself, "Of course, I have eaten many corn dogs," you are W.R.O.N.G. These, dear readers, are pronto pups, and to quote wikipedia, "Pronto Pups are made with a pancake batter based mix and should not be confused with the corn dog, which is made with corn flour." These delectable treats run in my blood, and I hope you have been able to eat them at every fair in Memphis that you have ever attended.

This has been a pregnancy of cravings unlike anything I experienced with Lee. My daddy was kind enough to make pronto pups when we were in Memphis earlier this month, and I hope he is going to make them again when he visits in September. Maybe I will have my first pronto pup party, because you just can't get anything like this in the ATL.

Sno cones are another thing I wish I could eat daily. I would be willing to add this item to our budget for the duration of this oppressively long, hot summer (has it ever been this hot in Atlanta before?!). A friend in Memphis is always Facebooking about Jerry's Sno Cones and Car Wash, so by the time we arrived, there was nowhere else I wanted to be. We had to do some serious rearranging to make it happen, but I had to go.

You can see where the car wash used to be, BITD. The Wedding Cake Supreme has soft serve ice cream layered with yummy sno cone flavor, plus Eagle brand drizzled over the top. But I chose to stick to old fashioned sno cream, so I could compare this flavored ice with the Sno Cream Castle of my youth (though I did go supreme with the soft serve). Mmmm, mmmm, good!

As a side benefit, Lee got to meet one of my best friend's kids for the first time ever. His two memories of the day are (in order):

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth." (after a hitting incident)

"Elizabeth, Stop It!" (Elizabeth told him to stop it)

One of Each

I am still running a little behind on my blogging, and some of you may be surprised to find out how long I waited (four weeks) to let you know that Baby Hardman is a girly-girl!

People keep asking me if I am excited, if it has sunk in, and the truth is two-fold: I used to want all girls, but then I had Lee. So, this time, I thought it would be fun to have another boy. Overall, I really did not care as much as I did the first time.

But take away the morning sickness, the time-consuming projects at work, and the crazy June that we had, and I admit...I am getting pretty excited about her.

PS - It really drives me crazy when people tell me, "Now you'll have one of each." As if this combination fulfills me as a mother - and now I don't need more children. Or two boys would have somehow been inferior - it would have been so fun! But I titled the blog this way because, well, now, I will have one of each!

Whatchu Talkin' 'Bout, Willis?

There's Always a Favorite

"Oh, Boy-ee...Bakum Keener!"

Oh, yes, there is always a favorite gift, and this year, it was a vacuum cleaner of his very own.

Realizing what's inside the birthday bag

Checking out the features

The proud owner

Vacuum in action

Snoogle Envy

Cute Birthday Moments

Before I move on to the more recent past, I had to share a few cute moments from Lee's second birthday party...

Lee is much better and showing much more persistence in unwrapping his gifts these days - he knows something is inside that he must want. What cracks me up is how he seems to know to read the card first. He carefully rips open the envelope, takes a look at the picture on the front, then opens it up - only to quickly close it, lay it to the side, and get down to business!

Perhaps my favorite pictures from the party - my nephew, Brant, suited up in safety goggles and ready to take off!

This is how Lee blows out a candle - top teeth on bottom lip. Needless to say, he needs a little help getting the job done.

First bite of birthday cake...Who needs a fork?!

Sophie la girafe

Does anyone have this cute little teether as a beloved member of your family?

The giraffe has long been the favorite jungle animal of Lee. It must have started last Thanksgiving when we first learned what the giraffe says:

(In our house, the giraffe does not say anything; it peeks over the top of the wall at the zoo and looks from side to side while it chews on yummy leaves.)

Giraffes in puzzles are big hits. Looking at pictures of giraffes on the "poo-ter" (translate: computer) is even better. But nothing could compare to the day when Lee met Sophie la girafe. Ever since that day, all giraffes are called "sophies".

The love of Sophie inspired Lee's birthday party theme,

a birthday cake,

and Lee's very own Sophie!

Now, how many other kids do you know who receive a teether for their 2nd birthday?