New Orders

Well the wait is finally over. . . Chris got his orders on Friday. We're staying in Norfolk. He got orders to the USS Enterprise. Which is where the movie Top Gun was filmed. But the wait to see where he'd go was almost tortorous! Not being able to say where we'd be a week from now was starting to take its toll on us. The Enterprise was exactly where we wanted him to end up. We knew a little more about that ships schedule than any of the others.

Chris being on a ship is going to be so different. We've been married 2 years and he was only on a ship for a few months. I've definitely been a spoiled military wife. Having him come home every night, eat dinner together, go to bed together and wake up together is not at all the norm for a military family. So it's going to be a big change for all of us. For now we're just going to relax and enjoy our weekend.

Here are some pics from the last week or so. .

Kisses for Daddy! This has to be the most adorable picture ever! She was leaning down to give kisses to her daddy! Chris is saying "awww" as she was doing it. That's why he looks so funny here. Definitely my favorite picture!

She loves to sit up like a big girl. You can sit her down and turn Mickey Mouse on and put some toys in front of her and she'll sit like this for hours! Once in a while I'll sit her down and leave the room and when I look back in on her she's fallen over and is laying on her back. But you'd never know anything ever happened bc she just falls over and resumes playing like nothing ever happened.

I was obviously oblivious to the fact that my picture was being taken! Rylee on the other hand was all smiles! I think I was engrossed in Storm Stories. They were telling a story of a 2 families that were neighbors in Greensburg, KY. There was a tornado headed straight for them. The one family was a mom, dad, and a 9mo little boy. The family next door was a dad and his daughter. It was kinda intense bc the mom and little boy were home alone. The dad was a truck driver and was on the road. He happened to be on his way home so it was flipping back and forth between the dad trying to get home and the mom trying to decide where they should go because they didn't have a basement. Long story short. . . both sets of neighbors made it out alive and well. The tornado did hit and wiped out the entire neighborhood.

Who would've thought someone sucking their thumb could be so cute! She just started doing this over the last couple of weeks. She kind of sucked her thumb as a newborn, but this is taking thumbsucking to a whole new level! Although, she really only does it when she's tired or hungry.

She's just kinda giving me this look like "what are you doing now?"

I could never watch TV this way. It would kill my neck. But this is how she watches TV if she's not sitting up. I betcha can't guess what she's watching???? MICKEY MOUSE!!!!

She just got done eating (as you can see all over her face) when Rocky walked past. Although he wasn't paying a bit of attention to her she obvioulsy thought he was amusing!

This was after church last Sunday. We came in and I sat her down so I could get changed and when I came back in she was talking to Rocky who was laying on the couch. We have no idea what it is about him, but she is so amused by him. Most of the time he's not even paying any attention to her. He's usually trying to get my attention so I'll pet him. Even when he eats she just stares at him like he's the most interesting thing she's ever seen. Ok, so we bought this jumperoo like 2 or 3 months ago and couldn't wait to put her in it. We just knew she was going to love it. But she had her own opinion. . . she hated it! She cried everytime we put her in it. Plus she wasn't quite long enough to touch the ground. So we kinda set it aside for awhile and just recently decided to give it another try. She loves it! She bounces and giggles and looks at us like she's wondering where the heck this toy has been all her life.

Day At The Aquarium

I think Rylee was pooped after an exciting day at the Aquarium

Rylee loved the birds

Daddy and Rylee posing by the birds Nap? Who me? No Way!!!!

Just can't quite reach the paci

Roley, Poley

Last weekend we decided to have a "family day" and just find something to do as a family and just get out of the house for awhile. So we decided to pay a visit to the Virginia Beach Aquarium. Rylee of course wasn't all that interested, but then again neither were Chris and I. We were both very disappointed. They didn't have hardly anything in their exhibits. Everything had signs saying "under construction" or "waiting on new residents". So we spent most of our time in the bird sanctuary.

Overall though it was a very relaxing weekend. Chris went golfing that Saturday and Rylee chilled at home. She took a 4 hour nap and I actually had to find something to do!! So I read for awhile, watched a little tv, and played on the computer. I think this was the first time in a long time (5mo probably) that I actually said I didn't have anything to do!

It seemed that the excitement of the weekend continued through the week. . . Rylee started rolling over nonstop!! She rolled over the first time at 11 weeks. We had put her to sleep on her belly and found her on her back. Then a week or so later she rolled over again, but I was the only one around. That was the day before I went back to work for the first time in 3 mo. I had been so upset about starting back to work and missing out on all her milestones. I truly believe that God used that opportunity to reassure me and give me peace of mind. He knew how truly worried I was. After that day it was another 3 months before she would roll over again! Chris still hadn't seen her roll over until just the other day. She rolled over for the babysitter one day this week, so we brought her home and instantly put her on her belly in hopes she'd excite us w a roll! We weren't disappointed! Chris can now say he's seen her roll over. Now she doesn't stop rolling. Now we're done w the rolling and ready for her to start crawling!

Bittersweet Memories

This is one of Rylee's favorite "toys" now (thanks Jenn). She loves to sit up like a big girl!

Rylee and Poppaw

Mommy and Rylee at the beach

Nana, Rylee, Daddy, and Pappy

My grandpa passed away August 20th. This was the first and last time he got to see Rylee.

I have so many wonderful memories of my grandpa. . . I remember getting up w him on Saturday mornings to go to Hardees. Every Saturday morning he used to go to Hardees for breakfast and coffee w all the other old men. I would always tag along and he would buy me a cinnamon roll. I also remember frequent trips to the Dairy Queen for ice cream. All I had to do was say the words and off we went on another ice cream trip. Although every now and then I had to beg a little harder. . . hahaha! I can still hear him saying "Ah Les" when i would beg and beg. But of course he always gave in. I remember playing catch in the frontyard w him. There was a time when I lived w him and my grandma. During that time he would always drive me to school and be there when school let out to pick me up. I have so many fun memories of him. These were just a few of my favorite. I definitely owe him and my grandma alot. They are wonderful grandparents and have always been there for me when I needed them. And now as an adult w my own family I really look up to them. They were married for 61 years!! I still turn to my grandma at times for "marriage advice". Although she usually just laughs at me! Who better to give out advice than someone who has been married to the same person for 61 years.

Rylee is now 5mo!! I can't believe how time flies. She is definitely developing into her own little person already! She has already started solids and is now onto the 2nd stage of solids. Now this little girl knows how to eat! And don't think for one minute that she's cut back on her bottle. She eats just as much as she always has and now has added even more to her menu! She is sitting up w very little support and can even sit up unsupported for a couple of minutes. She's changing so much I just can't believe it. She no longers takes a bath in her "baby tub". We used to sit her tub in our bathtub and bathe her that way. Well about a month ago she decided she was too big for that tub bc it forced her to lay back. So now she bathes in the sink where she can sit up. Last night while I was bathing her she discovered the knob that turns the water on and off. She was so fascinated by this. It eventually made her mad though bc she couldn't figure out why it wasn't doing anything when she grabbed it. It didn't move, play music, or light up like all her other toys. So then she had a little fit. She balled up her hands into a fist and was smacking the water. Which in turn splashed out EVERYWHERE including all over me! She even knows her bottle now when she sees it. She got mad at me the other day bc it was time for her to eat and she was already fussin a bit so I went and made her bottle and when i walked in w it she stopped and her eyes got real big. Well i had to sit it down so that i could pick her up. Oh my goodness this made her so mad bc she saw me walk in w the bottle and then when i went to get her it was no longer in my hands!! She has developed quite a temper and is not afraid to show it!