baby bum.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from the cutest baby bum around!

they're gone.

Yesterday afternoon Brooks and I went over to the new house to check on the progress. Poor John...I am that client. I was just really eager to see the work that was done on Friday since we weren't able to make it over on Saturday nor Sunday.

When I walked through the door my first thought was holy dust. It is EVERYWHERE!

John assured me that he has seen worse. But really. Visions of vacuums and steam mops were dancing around in my head. 

I turned the corner and BOOM, the walls in the kitchen are gone! 

The bathrooms are on the road to being completely gutted, too.

John is going to work over at the house all day Saturday. There is LOTS to be done. I may lend a hand too?

free and easy.

We had a pretty free and easy weekend. John went to Selma to hunt Friday afternoon so Brooks and I laid low. As soon as John got home on Saturday we headed over to the Owens' house to enjoy the great outdoors and this fabulous fall weather and watch football. They have an amazing setup in their backyard. Maybe our Lancaster cottage can sport such greatness one day! HA.  

Margot and little Christopher came by for a bit too. It was nice to visit with my girlfriends and their boys. 

I mentioned in Brooks' 10 month post that our little love bug has mastered "giving love." And he loves his little buddy, C (when he is not trying to sit on his face). 

...and lastly, a group picture! I guess I didn't get the memo to hold Brooks like that. 

On Sunday we went to church, lunch, and spent the rest of the afternoon at home. Like I said, free and easy...just the way I like it.

sledged.

Yeah, so I had the best of intentions to grab my camera on Thursday to take over to the house to snap some before pictures, but...I have a 10 month old baby. And a scattered brain. While I didn't remember the camera, I did remember my phone, so iPhone pics are going to have to do. 

Without further ado, our Lancaster cottage:

Are you as scared as I first was? I don't do well "seeing the bigger picture." Lucky for me, I have a husband who can. And, lucky for me, I have a husband who knows what he's doing. He is a homebuilder; a great one at that.

I digress.

John and I declared Thursday a "work day" at the house. I dropped little man off at Shug and Pops' house so we could actually be productive. When I pulled up, demo had already begun!

Where did my kitchen go?!

Naturally I wanted to do my part and feel like a bad mama jama, so I begged asked John to hand over the sledgehammer and let me have my way with one of the kitchen walls. 

...I will spare you the video, though, I owned that wall. Don't let my scrawny arms fool you. Picking up and putting down a 20 pound baby all.day.long has its pros.

And here is a little doodle of the new kitchen. EEEE. I cannot wait to see some more progress!

Happy Weekend!

ten month favorites.

We don't have very many favorites from month ten because it seems like all of the things that Brooks is drawn to and wants to play with are non-baby items. Like the rocks in the fireplace. Or the bath salts and bubble bath next to the tub. Even leftover charcoal from the grill and anything and everything else off limits that he can get his hands (or mouth) on. Sweet.

1. Nuby Sippy Cups - Brooks loves his sippy cup! I did some research and decided on the Nuby brand to introduce to JB. The handles are great for beginners, it has a no spill spout, is BPA free, and super easy to take apart and clean. Brooks only takes 2 bottles and gets a sippy cup during snack time and at lunch and dinner. He still needs my help drinking, but the transition was a breeze. I am thinking of switching to the straw sippies soon.

2. Baby Einstein Amazing Animals! Book - Brooks is showing a great interest in reading. He will sit on his playmat and "read" book after book for minutes at a time. His latest and greatest book love is this animal book that makes animal sounds. He sits quietly on my lap and waits for me to take his finger and push the button. He gets especially excited when we turn to the "kitten" page.

3. Baby Bjorn Bib - Now that Brooks is eating finger foods the majority of the time, this deep pocket bib is key to catching foods that don't quite make it into his mouth. It is easy to clean and adjusts to fit the growing babe. We only have one and I think that one is plenty! You don't have to wait on it to dry like the other pocket bibs we have.

4. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Chomp & Clack Alligator Push Toy - Brooks has been using this walker since month eight and pushes it like a champ! He is so proud of himself when he gets from Point A to Point B. He is walking everywhere. I love that it is made of wood (you really can't go wrong with any Melissa & Doug toy), is brightly colored, and makes clacking noises when he walks. He also loves to plop down every now and then to play with the butterfly and ladybug blocks.

5. Megabloks CAT 3-in-1 Ride on Dump Truck - Every little boy's dream! We found this gem in Shug & Pops garage. It was a hand-me-down from the nephew littles. When Brooks is done with it, we'll pass it down to baby Sam. Brooks pushes it and rides on it at least twice a day. He loves pushing the buttons and even makes the "sssshhh" sound that it makes. l put leaves, grass, and sticks in it and he loves to pull them out and throw them on the ground. I think that we could go back and forth all day long.

...On to month eleven!

lots.

What a weekend! It was a weekend with lots to celebrate and was lots of fun. 

Friday morning John and I closed on our new house! We are officially homeowners and it feels oh.so.good. Renovations are underway—I really need to get over to the house to snap some "before" pictures so you can follow along. It is going to take about 4.5-5 weeks until our kitchen cabinets will be ready to install, so we aren't able to move in anytime soon. We are hoping to be moved by the beginning of December. Brooks' first birthday is John's our deadline!

On Saturday, John competed in his first ever Irontribe (crossfit) competition and WON! I am so proud of him. Brooks and I were only able to catch one of the three workouts due to the rainy, muggy, cold weather. Hopefully the weather will cooperate at his next competition so little JB and I can cheer him on from start to finish. 

Sunday was John's mom's birthday! Lea and Bradley had the family over for lunch to celebrate and fellowship. We are incredibly thankful for Shug and love and appreciate her so much. After lunch John and I took Brooks to the pumpkin patch at Old Baker Farm. Pops tagged along too. We had a blast! This place was amazing and the weather could not have been more perfect. We took Brooks through the corn maze, watched the big kids jump around in the cotton pit, petted goats, calves, pigs, sheep, and mules, and went on a hayride. I probably took way too many pictures to document Brooks' first trip to the patch. But, when you combine babies and pumpkins there is too much cuteness to handle!

Have I mentioned that I love Fall? Perfection.