The 4th of July

After we went to the beach (see earlier post), we celebrated July 4th by watching the big firework show from Patriot's Point. We just took a picnic to a plantation lawn and watched the fireworks from there. The view wasn't quite what we expected, and we had to wait a long time for them. However, we still managed to have a good time as you can see from the pictures!

Summer Beach Pics

Some cute summer pics... the first picture is of Caleb at the lake before we headed back to Charleston. The other pictures are of the kids on our first beach trip to the county park at Kiawah Island in South Carolina. This is probably the beach that we will go to most of the time because it is the closest to our house, and the park is really nice (has lifeguards, restrooms, showers, concessions, etc.) Abby Grace and Caleb had fun too! Abby Grace absolutely loves the water and would probably stay in it all day! Caleb enjoys playing on the beach and does not mind the sand at all. He's a little unsure of the water though; I think it is mainly because it feels cold to him at first. He does like to put his feet in and play along the shore. We weren't sure of how long he would last, but as you can see from the picture below, he was fine taking his nap on the beach! The beaches here are definitely different from the Gulf beaches that we are used to, but there are some good aspects of the Atlantic beaches too, like the cool breeze blowing off the Atlantic. In fact, we never really felt hot, which was really nice. Hey, I am not complaining; we live 20 minutes from a beach!

Playtime!

Caleb and Abby Grace are enjoying their new playroom in our house in Charleston. Abby Grace loves to get all of Caleb's toys out for him!

Abby Grace loves trains and can now put her own track together herself.

Abby Grace is enjoying herself in our neighborhood pool.

Resting and snacking after having fun in the pool!

Caleb's 7th Month (June)

Well, I am going back in time a little bit to Caleb's 7 month birthday... we've just been a little busy this past June! Anyway, this is a picture of Caleb in his bed back in Birmingham on June 4 before we moved. Caleb is just waking up from his nap. I decided to take my camera to get a record of this sweet face when he's happy from a long nap! Caleb is definitely growing and learning new things everyday! He is genuinely a very happy baby! He is finally sleeping through the night and is taking two long naps a day. He also likes to go to bed around 8 and wakes up between 7 and 8 in the morning. He loves eating "big people" food and has two more teeth coming in for a total of 4. We actually just spent the last week with a fever, which I believe was a result of his teething. He loves to clap his hands and now likes to play "copycat" by leaning his head over to the side when we do the same. And he loves his sister, and his sister loves him! I am going to post some more pictures in the next few days, which shows him on his 8 month birthday, July 4. I also hope to post some pictures of our new house too!

Lowcountry here we come!

Well, we're finally here! It's hard for me to believe that a little over a year ago, we were finding out that Brian had matched at MUSC and that we were having a little boy! Time sure does go by fast! So I find myself now typing in our new house in Charleston (it only took AT&T 3 weeks to get our DSL up and running, but that's another story). Anyway, we closed on our house here on June 17. The movers came the 16th to pack our house in Birmingham, and then they came on June 17 to load the truck that was to head to Charleston. Brian, Caleb, and I left the 16th to head to Charleston while Abby Grace stayed back home with Grammy and Granddaddy. As we were about to walk into the lawyer's office to close, we get a call from our mover saying that they had underestimated our stuff and that another truck would have to come on a later date (that later date being July 3)! So our stuff came on the 18th, and we began unpacking while we waited for Abby Grace and the grandparents to arrive. Abby Grace was very excited about the new house! She was really cute because she would ask things like if the truck was going to be bringing the window or door that was in her room in B'ham. After spending a few days working on the house, putting in ceiling fans, and trying to get organized (all with the hired help of Carl Brunson!), we had to head back to B'ham for Brian to finish up his residency at UAB. And now we are back in Charleston, and Brian has begun his fellowship in gastroenterology. So far things are going well for him; he's just staying pretty busy as he learns the ropes. We are still unpacking and trying to get settled in. We love our neighborhood and are really excited about the pool and playground that we have! However, we do miss everyone back in Birmingham! Stay tuned for pictures of the house and new updates on the kids!