Autumn Air!

Today was the first day of fall and it actually felt like it! After a cool front and a thunderstorm canceled our Mommy Club we decided to take a walk at 4pm…usually the hottest part of the day. But today it was 65 degrees at 4pm…it felt wonderful! With the cool air still blowing in, we had to put on jackets! Yes, I know I am totally from Texas…but with the hottest summer in recorded history, we have been waiting for this day for quite some time. It truly felt like autumn and I know it will be back up to the 90s by this weekend, but I’ll take what I can get. Jude topped off the day with his first taste of baby puree pumpkin. I can’t wait for apple cider, the smell of burning fire, leaves (and not dead grass) crunching under my feet, and glowing Jack-o-lanterns. As aunt Julie would say…. “There are footballs in the air!”

The Shark

Jude is a shark. He wants to bite everything! He starting teething early at 4 months. He now has 4 teeth and we think more on the way. His gums are swollen, he drools and he loves to chew on teethers. I bought him these yummy organic vanilla teething biscuits to naw on, but by the looks of this picture he is smoking a cigar! Whatever takes the edge off...

Splish Splash!

Today Jude took a bath in his duckie tub....thank you Aunt Meagan! He loved it and so did I because all the water stayed in the tub!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Jude Update

Just wanted to share a few pictures of how Jude has grown and changed this summer. He is sitting up, eating solids, and has 4 teeth and one more on the way! He is gaining a lot of weight and getting a little hair. He is my sunshine!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I'm back!

Well as many of you have noticed I took a hiatus from the blog this summer. This summer was a bit crazy and well mostly just not normal in any way. There were lots of adjustments this summer. I didn't have to adjust to summer break because I've always had a summer break, but this summer is the first with Mr. Jude who is a full time job. The other major adjustment was Chris' crazy Army schedule. At first, he was working from home, then went off to train in California for 3 weeks, then was at Camp Bullis here in town for a month but I could only see him a few nights a week and then we was off for 8 days and came home and then went to work in Round Rock a few days, Deployment Ceremony and now he is gone. It was hard adjusting to him being gone and back again. Just when Jude and I had our routine down, he came home to change it up. Don't get me wrong, Chris helped a lot by spending so much time with Jude, but then I got use to all this extra help and then he left again and I was back to my full time job.

The other adjustment is NOT going back to school. This is the first year since I was 4 years old that I have either not been in school or teaching school. Very strange to not have a first day of school. I miss it...a little. I do miss all the new supplies, decorating my room and the smiley new faces, but I don't miss having the chaos that comes with training 5 year olds to go through a lunch line. I do miss having a schedule and routine. I am slowly realizing how much I thrive on a schedule. But for now I am embracing and enjoying my flexible way of life. So on the first day of school this year, Jude and I spread out a blanket in the backyard and watched the birds in our pajamas...nice.

The other job that consumed my days this past summer was that of Family Readiness Group Leader. My volunteer position for the Army families of Charlie Company consumed any free time I had to begin with. I had to plan the final Deployment Ceremony with my Headquarters counterpart Mrs. Ana Rogers. It was a bit like planning a wedding....stressful, but it came together very nicely, but so glad it is over with!

So that was my summer in a nutshell. Lots of family time and watching Jude grow like a weed (yes pictures coming soon!). Now it is the beginning of a very long year. Thank you everyone for your support:)