We're Alive

Just in case you were wondering. I've been bad about blogging this week. It's not because I don't have anything to report. It's because we've been so dang busy! Anh's new office is thisclose to being complete, and that has us running around in circles. Construction is pretty much done, just a few minor details left.

Right now, our home looks like a warehouse. We have new office equipment and furniture stashed in every corner and closet. Sometime next week, we expect to start moving in and decorating the new space. That's when we'll finally see if we were successful at translating a mental picture to reality. I'm actually a little jealous of some of the pieces. I wish they were staying here at the house. I wonder whether Anh would notice if they didn't make it on the moving truck?

This week, we also started interviewing applicants to staff the new office. Our classified ad ran in the paper for 7 days, and we have been absolutely swamped with applications. I guess the media isn't exaggerating the sorry state of the economy. There are a lot of people looking for work! It's sad actually. I mean, it's good for us, but bad for them. We're only hiring two people, and it seems like we may have too many qualified people applying which could make the choice tougher than we thought. We were actually prepared to run a second ad in the event that we didn't receive enough qualified applicants. I don't think that's going to be an issue. All in all, I guess it's a good problem to have.

In addition to all the work on the office, all three boys have been dealing with some sort of illness. Each has different symptoms which makes me think that they all came down with something independently. Jax still has his cough. Although it has progressed from this horrible chest congestion cough to this extremely irritating throat irritation type thing that causes him to clear his throat CONSTANTLY. I'm seriously losing my mind! It is beyond irritating for both of us.

Baylor has turned into a fountain of snot. His poor nose just runs and runs. He runs from me when he sees me holding a tissue because his nose is so raw. Otherwise, he's fine. No cough. No fever. Baylor also decided this week that he no longer likes baby food. Never mind that just last week, he was eating 4-5 containers of it each day. Nope, this week, it's garbage that you had better not dare offer it to him. He wants table food. No big deal, except Baylor still only has 1 tooth. I'm kind of limited in what I can offer him because I don't want him to choke. So come on, teeth! Hurry up already! Baylor wants real food!

Anh completes the trio of sickos. He came down with the complete whammy - cough, sore throat, and allergies. He didn't let it slow him down though. He couldn't. There's just too much to get done. Somehow, I've managed to avoid all the sickness. I'm sure I've willed myself to remain healthy. At this point, I think I've avoided the truly contagious period. I just have to pray that my nerves can survive Jax's throat tickle. I know, I know...I'm horrible!

Throw Me Somethin' Mister

We actually didn't get to yell that at passing parade floats this year, but we did somehow manage to score some king cake on Fat Tuesday. That's something something to be greatful for!
To celebrate, we decked ourselves out in beads, and shouted for Baylor to show his belly! As you can see from this picture, he earned his beads.

It looks like the pressue is off for next year too. Jax, while unsure about his first bite of king cake, ended up finding the baby in his piece. Therefore, next year's party is on him! That should be interesting, to say the least.

That Will Teach Him

During his recent visit, Grandfather made a sarcastic statement about us living in Florida for over a year, yet we had only taken him to the beach once when we first moved here. He doesn't even like the beach! Regardless, because he teased us, we visited the beach 3 times last week to teach him a lesson about opening his mouth. Here are a few shots from our last trip.

On the Go

Breaking news! At barely 9 months, Baylor walked across the living room (about 15 feet) all on his own!

Mr. Personality

Baylor is nothing, if not charming! On Saturday, we thought it would be fun to take Grandma and Grandfather to our local winery. Grandma loves her wine! I checked the winery's website to make sure that children were welcome, and they were. So off we went! However, when we arrived, we discovered that the winery really wasn't set up to accommodate strollers. It was super crowded, and the gift shop was packed with lots of breakables. Usually, doing without a stroller wouldn't be much of an issue, but Jax had passed out on the drive there, and we didn't want to wake him up and risk having to deal with Mr. Grumpy.

Anh volunteered to sit in the lobby with the boys while Grandfather, Grandma, and I took the tour and participated in the tasting. I wasn't too worried about leaving both boys with Anh. The tour was relatively short. Plus, Jax was passed out in Baylor's stroller, meaning Anh really only had 1 child to take care of. No big deal!

The tour turned out to be self-guided, and the first station was located in the back of the gift shop. As the 3 of us stood around the bar waiting for the attendant to begin her presentation, we realized that we could hear Baylor "talking" all the way up front. He wasn't being annoying, just social. I would have worried if he was being that annoying kid we all encounter at the store or while dining in a restaurant. You know, the kid that's throwing a tantrum and ruining your otherwise nice outing. Baylor wasn't that kid. He was just giggling and carrying on like a happy baby.

After we made our way through the tour circuit, I headed towards the lobby to relieve Anh. As I walked up and held my arms out for Baylor, I heard the winery greeter say, "Hello, Baylor's mother!" I thought, "Uh oh. She's on a first name basis with Baylor. That can't be good!" Turns out I was wrong. She was actually quite taken with Baylor. How do I know? Well, she told me so. She said, "He has got to be the most delightful child I've ever encountered." What do you say to that? I think I responded with something like, "Wow! Thanks!"

As we gathered our things, Anh told me that Baylor just loved being in the center of so much activity. He had a great time watching everyone come and go. He was "talking" to everyone. The greeter even incorporated Baylor into her greeting. With Baylor babbling in the background, she would say, "Hello. Welcome to San Sebastian. This is Baylor. He will be helping me check i.d.'s today." He was her little sidekick. The funny thing is that I'm fairly certain, if we had stayed much longer, Baylor might have been offered a full-time position. He was that popular!

Lighthouse Park

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday temps were near 80 degrees. Today, we struggled to stay in the 50's. The sun was shining though, and that was enough for us. We threw on our jackets and headed over to Lighthouse Park.

On the pier we encountered a fisherman that was cleaning his fish. He would throw the scraps over the railing to 5 hungry pelicans who would then duke it out over the free lunch. Jax was fascinated by the sight.

From the pier, we made our way over to the playground where Grandfather decided to teach Jax about the art of climbing trees. Oh good! Just what my nerves need! Thanks, Grandfather!

After warming up on the tree, the jungle gym seemed like child's play. Even Baylor channeled his inner monkey and got in on the action.

All in all, another fun day.

9 Months

Yahoo! Baylor is 3/4 of a year old, and he has made the most of this last 30 days! He's teeter-tottering all over the place, and boy, it's a good thing that his diaper provides an extra bit of cushion. Otherwise, his bottom would be pretty sore because he's only able to maintain his balance through 3 steps. Then, he falls. He never gives up though.

Over the past week, Grandfather has discovered that food is an excellent motivator. He waves treats just out of Baylor's reach to encourage him to take more steps. The treats aren't "Mommy-approved" either. I know that in the last 5 days Baylor has sampled Coke, sweet tea, coffee, and french fries. I don't even want to know what Grandfather has slipped him behind my back.

Baylor's little personality is really starting to show too. Actually, maybe "little" isn't the best adjective to describe it. He's actually pretty boisterous at times, and Baylor is not timid about letting you know when you've ticked him off. When Jax or anyone else takes something from Baylor that he's not ready to give up, the whole house knows about it. Oh, and Baylor has already learned that sharing means "I got to it first. Now, you sit and watch me play with it. Hours from now when I've grown tired of flaunting my prized possession, you can have your turn." Obviously, this was a lesson learned from his big brother. Baylor figured that game out QUICK!

We're also already seeing signs that we've got another little mischievous rascal on our hands. Baylor knows when he's being bad. He'll actually stop and look around to see if anyone is watching. Like today, when he made a mad dash for the office because he thought everyone was distracted and wouldn't notice him. Grandfather saw where Baylor was headed and said, "Uh oh, he's headed for trouble!" Baylor stopped and did his best to look innocent, pretending that he wasn't just heading for an off-limits area. As soon as he saw Grandfather walking over to shut the office door, Baylor took off, trying to beat Grandfather to the door. He's bold. I'll give him that.

Luckily, Baylor is also very sweet. You can't help smiling when you see him. He really does touch the lives of everyone that he encounters. I know I'm a bit biased, but there's something special about this kid. Complete strangers stop and tell me that watching him brought them joy. Now, that's a compliment!

Baylor is growing up fast! Twelve months is right around the corner. Time is flying. Quick, somebody, pass me the magic remote so I can press the pause button and savor these childhood moments just a little longer!

Not Your Typical Sick Day

Jax was still coughing today. So what did we do? Well, we headed to the beach, of course! I know. It's not the typical parent response to having a sick child, but when you're lucky enough to have a beautiful 78 degree day in February, it seems like an ideal way to spend the day.

The fresh air and warm breeze did a better job of calming his cough than any of the cough medicines I've given him over the past few days. I swear he didn't cough once while we were on the beach, but as soon as we were back in the car headed home, that cough reappeared. Suspicious! Very suspicious!
It was funny to watch as Baylor experienced the sensation of sand between his toes. This wasn't his first trip to the beach, but it was the first time since he's become mobile. When we first put him down, the strangest expression crossed his face. You could tell that he just didn't know what to make of the sand, but in a matter of seconds that confusion morphed into sheer delight. He was laughing and bouncing with excitement.Jax had the opposite reaction. He was thrilled when he realized we were going to play on the beach, but briefly his mood soured when he discovered I didn't bring the beach toys. He didn't have a melt down or anything. He just looked confused about how he was supposed to play in the sand without getting dirty. He's my clean child, remember. The sand got the best of him though. He couldn't resist the urge to dig and accepted that his hands would just have to get dirty today.

In addition to enjoying the beautiful weather before the cold front moves through tomorrow, I really wanted to get a nice picture of the boys together. For Valentines Day, I had planned to give the grandparents a nice framed picture of the boys, but every time I tried to take a nice picture, the boys were less than cooperative.

Today was no different. When I take individual pictures, they're relatively good subjects. Put them together, and I swear it would be easier to take a picture of the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot. I swear they get together and plot behind my back on how they're going to sabotage my efforts.

Eventually, Jax got tired of the torture session and decided to take pity on me. Actually, I think he just realized that he could return to playing in the sand, if he would just cooperate, look at the camera, and smile. Baylor, evidently, didn't have the same epiphany or he just never tires of doing the opposite of what I want. When Jax became my ally, this was the result. Nice! Totally frame-worthy, don't you think?!Oh, and just to spite me, when a nice lady walking on the beach offered to take a family picture for us, Baylor looked at the camera on the first take! Jax, however, seemed completely confused about my decision to hand the camera over to a complete stranger when I refuse to ever let him hold it. I guess he has a point on that one.

Cough, Cough, Cough

We've been relatively lucky when it comes to illness. Both kids must have strong immune systems because they very rarely get sick. Of course, now that I've said something we'll catch every little bug that is circulating! Seriously though, except for a brief period when Jax started school, he's probably been sick less than 5 times in 4 years. Baylor has never been sick. Again, I've just cursed both my children.

That said, I guess we were due for something. Jax has come down with a nasty cough. The poor kid can't stop hacking. I know his chest must be sore. He's handling it really well though, no bad mood or anything. I noticed he was coughing on Tuesday, and mentioned to Anh that he would probably need to stay home from school on Wednesday. Anh being a "know-it-all doctor" said it was just a little cough, and Jax should be fine to go to school. Silly doctor...a mother knows!

Sure enough, by the next morning Jax's cough was worse, and Anh was forced to admit that my assessment was correct. Jax would not be going to school. Aside from coughing up a lung every 5 minutes, Jax had a relatively good day that involved lots of time on the Wii. Sounds like a kid's dream sick day to me.

Luckily, Baylor isn't showing any symptoms yet. It's hard enough to listen to Jax and not cringe. I really, really hope that Baylor doesn't catch it. However, given my earlier statements, I'm sure he's doomed! I'm off to knock on some wood.

Fort Matanzas

With Grandfather in town, we had the perfect excuse to spend the day as tourists. After considering our options, we decided to head down to the "little fort," Fort Matanzas. It's located at the mouth of the Matanzas River and once served as the 1st line of defense for the city.

Thanks to some rather knowledgeable park rangers, we learned a lot about the history of our city. We also learned a little about the boys during our adventure. For example, Baylor is really coming out of his shell. He's actually quite the socialite. He had a great time today socializing with the other tourists.We learned that Baylor LOVES boats. He was glued to the rail and savored every second of the ride over to the fort. He was fascinated by the water and the wake from the boat. When Baylor wasn't starring at the water, he was scanning the scenic surroundings and seemed to be captivated by the breeze blowing through his hair.Jax could have cared less about the water and beautiful views. He wanted to drive! After boarding the boat, he declined my offer to sit by the rail, choosing instead to sit on the aisle of the 1st row with a prime view of the controls. You tell he was taking mental notes on everything the park ranger did during our cruise. If Jax has any say in the matter, we will be the proud owners of a boat sometime in the future!As we approached the fort, Grandfather and I were surprised that it was so small. It turns out that this fort was only a small outpost for the main fort located downtown in our historic district. The little fort was constructed after a failed attack by General Oglethorpe from Savannah. The small group of Spanish soldiers manning the fort would fire warning shots on any potential invaders.

It turns out that construction of the outpost alone was enough of a deterrent. The cannons were only fired once, coincidentally enough, they were fired upon General Oglethorpe who decided to come scope out the fort that he heard was constructed after his failed invasion. The cannon ball greeting convinced him not to make a 2nd attempt. Go figure! Getting back to list of discoveries. I discovered that Baylor LOVES cannons. Although the fort was small, it was armed with 4 cannons, and Baylor had to pretend to fire each and every one! That boy LOVES cannons, and I wasn't the only one to notice. Our entire tour group couldn't help smiling as Baylor squealed with delight over each cannon. Boys and their toys!The fort had 3 levels. The main level included the firing deck and a bunk house where the soldiers slept.

From the main deck, you ascended a flight of stairs (back then, it was a ladder) to the commander's quarters. Then, you could climb a ladder to the roof of the fort. Let me tell you, Jax LOVED that! Grandfather accompanied him to the roof while I stayed below with Baylor. When they finally made their way back down, Jax offered several times to show me the way to the top. You could tell he was enjoying the experience, but climbing that ladder to the roof just made his day.

Before we knew it, the park ranger was herding us towards the boat. Jax was a little disappointed to leave, but Baylor couldn't wait for the ride. He was bouncing with excitement on Grandfather's lap.

The park also had a short nature walk that we explored before heading home. It was nice, but we're kind of jaded thanks to our awesome neighborhood boardwalk. It's sad when something in your neighborhood trumps the state park!

Now that we've explored the little fort, we'll have to make a trip to the big one downtown. Grandmother, I hope you didn't have other plans for the weekend!

51st Annual Daytona 500

The racing excitement continued on Sunday as Anh and Grandfather attended the 51st running of the Daytona 500 under gray threatening skies. There was an 80% chance of rain. Everyone knew it was coming, but was crossing their fingers that Mother Nature would hold off until after the race. The Weather Channel wasn't giving the fans good odds though.

Looking on the bright side, Grandfather and Anh had scored some great seats...front & center, right by the start-finish line. They were able to see most of the track from their vantage point, plus see all the action on pit row.

The pre-race festivities included a performance by country music star Keith Urban. Oddly enough, Tom Cruise was the "honorary" pace car driver. For those that aren't up on their celebrity gossip, Tom Cruise was once married to actress Nicole Kidman, but she's now married to Keith Urban. Were the organizers trying to stir up some drama?

Keith Urban PerformingThe View of Pit Row After They Removed Keith's StageGrandfather Before the Race

(You can see the podium the flag man stands on in the background.)Legendary NASCAR driver Bobby Allison was the honorary flag man.The cars lining up to exit pit row before the start of the race.

Here they come!

"Boogity Boogity Boogity...Let's Go Racing!"

Grandfather, Anh, and Jax all have a favorite driver that they root for, and somehow it worked out that they all support someone on the Hendricks's team. Jaxon's favorite driver is #48, Jimmie Johnson.Grandfather roots for #24, Jeff Gordon. Jeff got a flashy new paint job this year.And, finally, Anh is a #88, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fan...along with about 95% of other NASCAR fans! EVERYBODY just loves Junior! There are pretty much two things that every NASCAR fan wants to see when they go to a race: (1) Junior and (2) wrecks!

Shortly after this little mishap, they had to stop the race with only 48 laps to go because of rain. After looking at the radar, the officials decided to call the race. As a result, #17, Matt Kenseth was declared the winner because he held the lead when the race was halted.

I'm sure to Kenseth it was thrilling to win the "Superbowl of NASCAR" under any conditions, but if it had been me, I would have felt cheated that I didn't get to celebrate such a career milestone with all the usual fanfare and excitement that comes with crossing the finish line. But, then again, since most fans agree that Kenseth didn't stand a chance at holding on to his lead, maybe I wouldn't have cared that I won by a technicality. Maybe I would have just embraced the moment and thanked my lucky stars!

And, with that, the countdown is on for the 52nd running...