2 Months

Look at that face! Could he possibly be any cuter? The answer is NO! Grant is giving his two big brother's a run for title of Best Baby Ever! Not only is he cute as a button, but Grant has the sweetest disposition. He's so happy and content.His cries aren't the wailing that you so often hear from babies. Grant rarely fusses, and if he does, it's easy to determine what he needs. He has a distinct cry to indicate whether he's hungry, wet, or tired. Those are his 3 concerns. Seriously, he's pretty darn low maintenance.
At 2 months old, Grant has discovered his hands and his tongue. He makes the funniest faces! His hands are always in his mouth. I swear Anh must be dipping Grant's fist into chocolate or coating it with jam when I'm not looking because Grant is always gnawing on it like it tastes heavenly! The play gym toys occasionally serve as a punching bag. I'm sure in a few weeks the punching will transition to grabbing. Ahhh...I remember the grabbing phase well. My hair and jewelry make me an easy target!

Grant already seems frustrated that he can't run and play with his brothers. His favorite activity is "standing" with some help, of course. He just loves to feel like he's making progress towards walking. Our little guy also seems to be taking an interest in food. He studies you as you eat, and now cries if he's not seated at the table to witness a meal. I guess he likes torturing himself! Thankfully, 5 ounces of formula seems to fill him up quite nicely, and for now, he's content with his limited offerings.

At our latest check-up with Dr. M, Grant was 23 1/4 inches long and 12 lbs, 12 oz. That places him in the 75th percentile. A bit bigger than Jax at that age, but smaller than Baylor who was off the growth charts. To me, that makes him just about perfect! I'd say the opinion is shared by many!

Indulgence

It's early Spring. The flowers are starting to bloom, the birds have started to chirp, and the temperatures are starting to climb. What does that mean? That it's time to make the trek to the Charleston Food & Wine Festival, of course! Okay, it's only our second trip, but it feels like a Spring tradition already. Last year, Scott and Geraldine joined us for the adventure, but in 2012, we recruited 2 new couples for Round 2.
Truth be told, it wasn't hard to find willing participants. We actually had to limit the number of couples in our group to avoid the possibility of feeling like we missed out on any special opportunities due to a large group size. Plus, you know what they say...Quality not quantity!
This year's hotel was Charleston Place. While we loved the Vendue Inn last year, Charleston Place is a little more centrally located and therefore took less of a toll on our feet when walking to & from the festival's events.
Upon check-in, Anh and I did a little room-hopping. Initially, we had a balcony overlooking the fabulous shopping on King Street, but ultimately, we opted for the quieter balcony facing the hotel's courtyard. We're too old to enjoy the all night party in the streets!
Ready to celebrate, we all freshened up a bit after the 4-hour drive and set out for the Charleston Aquarium's Opening Night Party.

We posed like red carpet celebrities, and then, we were treated like royalty to what seemed like an endless variety of savory and sweet dishes.

The party was a huge success. The perfect way to kick off the festival, and by the end of the weekend, we unanimously agreed it was our favorite event. The dishes were not only delicious, but creative as well. Plus, the venue was amazing! You couldn't ask for a better backdrop.

Day 2 was spent wandering the grounds of Middleton Place Plantation. This was a repeat visit for Anh and me, but we had such a wonderful time last year, I wanted our friends to share in the experience. The event while fun just wasn't the same. There seemed to be fewer food & wine stations which resulted in longer lines. Not a good thing when the temperatures and humidity are high, but we made the most of our time together since the real highlight was spending time together surrounded by the picture-perfect gardens.

Day 2's Bubbles & Bites evening event seemed just as overly crowded as the plantation which was a definite disappointment because we had such great reviews of the event in the past. As we wandered between the various tasting stations, we often found ourselves trapped in what I can only describe as shoulder to shoulder gridlock. Eventually, we made our way to the rooftop patio where they were serving dessert flavored vodka. Yeah...that made the situation a little better. Ha!
Thankfully, we left Saturday morning and afternoon open for sight seeing and shopping. I think the break from eating and drinking was necessary to truly appreciate the festival's main event, The After Hours Party. This year, the event featured a street party theme complete with food truck and street performers.
The food and beverage stations were plentiful, and the crowd was festive. By all accounts, it was a fabulous night that had a redeeming quality after the two previous disappointing events.
On our final morning in Charleston, the group gathered for Sunday Brunch. I'm sure we all knew it would be best to make the most of our gluttonous weekend together because the only thing awaiting us at home were diet & exercise routines to undo the damage we had delightfully inflicted on ourselves during the festival. Why not go out with a bang? And, that's exactly what we did. The High Cotton Jazz Brunch was exceptional! Seriously, you must go!
Although the crowds were greater, I still say the same about the Charleston Food & Wine Festival. Good food/wine and great friends...that's a combo that's tough to beat!

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

It isn't every day that you're invited to a celebrity birthday party. So when the opportunity presents itself, you GO! Baylor, Grant, and I gathered with the rest of Baylor's 3-year old preschool class to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday with a very special guest...The Cat In The Hat!!!Most of the kids were shocked to see one of their storybook characters enter their classroom. I say "most" because as you can clearly see, not everyone was impressed. Give him a few years!Baylor was all smiles as The Cat In The Hat read the class one of his stories and then handed out treats. Afterwards, the kids were able to visit five activity stations themed after the guest of honor's books.It was a fun and exciting day for all...Okay...MOST!Thanks for letting us share it with you, Baylor!

When it Rains, It Pours...and Tickets are Scored

The 54th running of NASCAR's Daytona 500 did not go according to plan...anyone's plans! The annual event attended by Grandfather and Anh was rained out for the first time in history on Sunday AND Monday! As a result, the unthinkable happened...I (of all people) found myself sitting in the grandstands!Grandfather and Grandma had to return home. Anh had to work. That left me with two tickets to the Super Bowl of NASCAR! I can't say that I was overwhelmed with excitement, but I do enjoy experiencing new things and figured if nothing else, I would enjoy people watching. NASCAR has an eclectic fan base. I invited Brad to join me, and we set out for the first Daytona 500 that would be run entirely under lights. All sorts of historic elements associated with the 54th running!
Immediately upon entering the grandstands, I understood why Grandfather and Anh refuse to relinquish their two seats at the Start/Finish line. The view is spectacular! You can see almost the entire track. Pit row, the pre-show stage, and the flag man are all directly in front of you. Seriously, the seats don't get much better unless you're in a suite.
Grandfather joked that he would have to compete with me in the future for the second ticket, but I assured him that the seat next to Anh at the race would always be his. The roar of the engines was exhilarating, but once was enough for me. I'm grateful for the opportunity, but content with the possibility that it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. At least for Grandfather's benefit, I hope so. Surely, Mother Nature won't spoil his fun in 2013? Fingers crossed!

Speed Demons

My boys are obsessed with cars. I can only assume that it's an interest (passion) inherited from Grandfather. Although, Anh and I do have a touch of car obsession as well. We both appreciate the beauty in vehicle design, but the boys don't just see a beautiful object. They see the ability for SPEED! As a result, the annual family gathering for NASCAR's Daytona 500 race weekend is always BIG excitement for my little speed demons! In past years, we've made the trek to Daytona as a family and explored the numerous exhibits set up outside of the Daytona Speedway. The boys enjoy a day of riding simulators, collecting token giveaways, and photo-taking opportunities while Grandfather and Anh actually get to attend the race. In 2009 at the ripe old age of four, Jaxon attended his first race with Grandfather. Lucky kid! Jaxon's luck continued in 2010 and 2011, but this year the luck ran out thanks to little brother Baylor. Yes, FINALLY, it was Baylor's turn to venture inside of the Speedway with Grandfather. It only took him 3 1/2 years. I guess it's true that parents relax the rules with each additional child. Maybe Grant can go next year when he's 1...Nah! Something tells me Jaxon and Baylor would never agree to that!
This was also the first year, that we didn't make the trip to Daytona together as a family. The rest of us stayed behind to attend Jaxon's Cub Scout Blue & Gold Banquet while Grandfather and Baylor set out on their adventure. It all worked out for the best really since I didn't have to come up with an excuse for Baylor on why he wasn't also receiving his Tiger badge. Neither Jaxon or Baylor would have a clue what they were missing out on. Score! I couldn't have planned it better if I tried!
Based on the pictures, it doesn't look like Baylor or Grandfather missed us much! They were too busy having fun and snacking. Apparently, Baylor is quite the snack monster when there's no mommy around to police the junk food. I guess that's part of the fun of spending alone time with Grandfather...endless snacks and COKE!
It was a special day that Baylor almost sacrificed completely when he discovered Jaxon wasn't going. Above all else, Baylor prefers to just be in the company of his best friend and big brother. We couldn't let Baylor miss out on the excitement though, and thankfully, it wasn't too hard to twist his arm. Flashing the radio headset and bag of snacks pretty much did the trick! After giving Jaxon a hug, Baylor was out the door with Grandfather headed to NASCAR's mecca!
I know the memories will be fuzzy for Baylor if he remembers at all, but I'm sure it was a day that Grandfather won't forget. A day spent in the grandstands of the Speedway with his second grandson. What a lucky kid!

Blue & Gold

As a family, we're still enjoying the adventures associated with Scouting, but it's Jaxon who is climbing the ranks. On Saturday, Jax was awarded his Tiger badge at the annual Blue & Gold Banquet. Shhhh! Please don't tell Baylor! While both boys completed all of the requirements for the badge, only Jaxon is officially enrolled in Cub Scouts due to the age requirements. Baylor has no idea that he's only a tag-a-long little brother, and we prefer to keep it that way. The only resulting confusion is explaining to Baylor why he doesn't get every single badge, belt loop, or pin that Jaxon receives. Sometimes the Pack plays along and awards both boys with an honor, and Baylor ALWAYS goes up on stage with Jaxon to receive acknowledgement. However, for such an important award, we felt it was better to let Jaxon enjoy his moment in the spotlight alone. Thankfully, Grandfather had other plans for Baylor.The theme for this year's banquet was robots, and each Den was challenged to build a robot out of recycled materials. As a group, we would vote to select a winner at the banquet. Our Den robot was a Super Cub, our Pack's mascot. Even Grant embraced the theme by sporting his robot bib. He was a hit with the crowd as always.The Pack went all out for this special occasion. Volunteers created robot centerpieces to adorn the decorated tables and went above and beyond to create a festive mood in the banquet hall.We gathered to acknowledge all of the Scouts' efforts. Dinner and a wide array of desserts were served. Pictures were taken. Badges were awarded, and the Scouts were thrilled. Congratulations on the achievement, Jaxon! As Grandfather would say, "Tiger is the first step towards Eagle!"