My new lamp and my sweet boy

Check out my new lamp! I am not a design superstar (hence why I am THRILLED about this!), but I think this older brass style is pretty fabulous. I found it at a consignment store, which makes it even better!


And look at my little guy gearing up for some crawling, probably in the not-too-distant future!


It is adorable when he gets up on his hands and knees and bounces, as if he's just trying to figure out how to "take off."


He had a great time and mom and dad were entertained too!


We "started" solid foods a week or so ago, and Wade has showed zilch interest (so "started" is really a misnomer, pretty much no consumption has occurred)...until I was eating an apple yesterday, and he grabbed it (like he does everything I'm holding), so I thought I would see if he'd put in his mouth....he did, and he apparently liked the taste (or the fact that it felt good on his gums since it was cold?) b/c he sucked on it for a while! This morning the same thing happened with a peach, though the slightly tart/sour taste produced a funny/disgusted face initially!


I picture him thinking, "Mama, is it ok to grab him??"

Notice his monogrammed outfit from these sweet friends! He is just starting to fit into it, and I think it's adorable!


Happy Thursday everyone!

Wade went to the beach!

Back in June Wade and I made the trip down to New Smyrna Beach, FL with my family. It was his first plane trip! Mama does not like flying, but it doesn't appear that I passed my distaste for it onto Wade; he did great on the plane! We stayed in a beautifully appointed ocean-front new condo, just a few rooms away from some dear friends of my parents. The beach was beautiful and I don't think it was much hotter than it is in Richmond (it's not so much that Florida is mild; it's that Richmond's hot!)

In the spirit of keeping things honest around here, I must say that while we did have a fun time, it was not so easy spending a week at the beach with a babe. A friend once said that when you travel with kids, it tends to be more of a re-location, than a va-cation. This is so so true.

Of course, you wouldn't know the new place was tough on the little guy by the looks of this picture. He's just loungin' by the ocean trying to catch a few rays...


Testing out the water. Our sensitive little man was a bit timid, no surprise :)

Did I mention we went with my parents? It is nice to travel with grandparents :)


We are hugely indebted to the Iverson family for arranging for us to borrow their exersaucer for the week--it was such a blessing!!!


I love this picture. I love how everyone is so focused on Goodnight Moon.


Wade and I shared some really sweet times together in the early evening when we would go for walks along the beach. He was so cozy in the Moby wrap, and the sound of the waves just soothed him to sleep so peacefully.

We celebrated Mimi's birthday with an elaborate homemade ice cream cake! I think my mom looks so pretty and full of joy and life here. I love her so.

Wade was just patrolling the beach here, that's all.


Bath time in the sink! It's fun when your baby has a lot of hair!


Uncle G always makes things more fun! He loves the water and rarely tires of it.


Graham's caretaker, Gretchen, traveled with us, and boy was she a HUGE help! Notice how I'm sitting down and she's successfully gotten Wade to fall asleep in the stroller! Yay for Gretchen!

More Proof that Wade is not Perpetually Stoic

These pictures were taken by his Mimi in Lynchburg.

Wade and Uncle G

Six Months!

Look who's six months old and sitting up all by himself?!?! (Can you tell how proud he is? :)

I love how cute he looks playing with his little drum set, a gift from his Aunt Suzanne and Uncle Dave.

He is growing so fast!!!

A fun-loving guy

A lot of people have observed that Wade is very serious. Some have inquired about his frequently furrowed brow. A few have suggested that he may be gravely concerned about the economy. There is some truth to this theory. Despite my advice to the contrary, Wade put nearly 90% of his IRA in GM stock, largely due to his affinity for the GMC Jimmy. He loves cars named after people.

But all that aside, I wanted everyone to know that occasionally Wade does cut loose. He enjoys a good time just as much as the next guy. Here is some visual evidence. In this video Wade performs one of his favorite activities. I call it the "Godzilla."



Usually he brings the animals to his mouth like a giant mutant lizard eating his prey, but he did not comply this time. I think we all had some fun, though.

Please accept my apologies for the amateur nature of the video. We do not have a tripod, so I had to surreptitiously perch the camera on the edge of the crib. The Godzilla requires me to have both hands free for spotting. Plus, Wade tenses up when he knows he's on camera. Fortunately the mobile avoided any permanent damage.

Interior Decorating

One of my favorite things about the bumbo seat is its capacity to limit mobility. I can set Wade in it and then put him places, like a piece of decor. I love that kind of versatility.

an elegant centerpiece

pictured above, from left to right: Kitchenaid Mixer, Fern, Wader Tater

Note to concerned readers: I do not make a habit of leaving Wade unattended in the bumbo seat adjacent to large precipices. The same goes for railroad tracks. I have strict policies on these things.

A new look

So, I owe you all some serious pictures in a big way. Wade is 5 1/2 months old now, and it appears I have fallen off the radar of blogging. Truth be told, I kind of prefer reading other people's blogs to updating my own. Speaking of which, there are some good blogs out there, folks. Someday maybe I'll share with you all my favorite blogs to stalk.

Well, how about I start things off with a picture of a new look Wade has been sporting? A few friends from the neighborhood decided the little dude needed a more edgy look. I think he pulls it off well. I mean, yes, there's still the pensive, furrowed brow, but that's just how my little man rolls.

I totally love this picture.

Watch yourself, 'cause WPW will fo sho bust you in your lip if you're not careful. He says you better recognize.

Speaking of new looks, Wade's not the only one changing things up around here. Yes, this would be my husband. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you felt about this look) Philip is no longer sporting a 'stache (this picture is a bit old). I had a hard time keeping a straight face while taking with him; it was a bit of an unusual look for him. But you just never know with my man; after all, he's also been known to break out a pair of capri pants here and there. He likes to keep things interesting, that's for sure :)

Oh, and our wall got a new look too. I was about to paint it (I have a painting problem obsession), when we realized we just couldn't get past the busted up job the folks before us (aka house-flippers) did of preparing the surface. So, I thought I'd just chip away at the bad areas, sand and patch them, and I'd be on my way. Not quite. One thing led to the next, and soon I was on my way to stripping down the entire wall. For the love, it was grueling. I had to remove all the old paint plus the wallpaper they'd painted over (genius, I know...) and then chip away at the not-so-even pathes of plaster around the edges. Then, I had to apply joint compound and tape before I could prime the wall. Sanding was invovled, which meant that our little house quickly got COVERED in dust! Now it's all done, and while it's clearly not the work of a professional, it'll do. I don't have an "after" picture just yet, but here's two from midway through.

Promise I'll be back soon with more pictures, including, but not limited to some from Wade's first trip to the beach!!

We're Still Here!!

Just checking in to let you all know that we're still around and have lots to share, but the mother-ship computer has been down for a couple weeks, preventing me from posting any pictures (and what's a post without a fun picture?). I know you've all been on pins and needles wondering about us, right? :)

Wade's doing great--at 4 1/2 months, I think he's at just about his most fun age yet! We've had quite a few adventures over the past couple weeks, and I can't wait to share some of them with the blogosphere soon!

Mother's Day

Smothered by mama's kisses!

It was a real joy to celebrate my first Mother's Day! (I was actually pregnant for Mother's Day last year, but it hadn't been officially confirmed yet!) In many ways, being a mother feels very brand new to me, and sometimes Philip and I have to almost pinch ourselves to remember that yes, we are in fact parents to a little boy named Wade. At the same time, being a mom to this boy feels very much like the thing I was created to do; I feel like this is exactly what I should be doing with my life. That being said, there is no doubt that my life is very different than it was last year this time. Last May we had just returned from a fun trip backpacking around Europe for a couple weeks, we had just closed on our home, and Philip was preparing to leave for Mississippi for a month of Officer training with the Air Force. Oh, and I spent my days as a drug rep, selling pharmaceuticals and catering lunches for doctors in my business suits. Nowadays, I still cater lunch, but it's only for one small little guy who needs to be burped during his meal. And I definitely haven't broken out those business suits. My stint in the professional world was a sweet time in my life upon which I will always look fondly; however, I would not trade my full-time mama job for anything in the world. Wade's and my days aren't very glamorous; I get frustrated with him and with myself all too easily, but by God's grace, our days together are sweet and full. It is my prayer that God would give me the strength to care for Wade as He intends and that somehow my mothering might urge my little one to seek the One who cares for him far deeper and better than I ever could. That's a tall order, but God is faithful.



Back to our Mother's Day weekend. Philip, Wade, and I actually made the trip back to Lynchburg for the weekend, so we could surprise my mom. It was particularly special because my brother Taylor traveled in from Charleston, SC too. Taylor hadn't seen Wade since he was two weeks old, so there was much catching up to do. After church (It was Wade's first time in the nursery at my parent's church! It was so bizarre to be one of the parents picking up their child from the nursery...their child who had one of those cute little name tags in tape across their back!) we enjoyed lunch at my grandparents house with Blanks family aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Philip and the G are very tight. They have these signature faces they do. This is the "Wade" face.

This is the "Phil" face.

This is the "Anne" face.


Here, Graham is showing how much he loves my dad (a small amount, according to his fingers!) How funny is he? He really keeps us all laughing, that's for sure.



All three of my grandparents together, what a blessing the older generation is!


Our family, minus Philip and Andrew.

I was thankful to be able to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom, a woman whom I deeply love and admire. It should come as no surprise that I appreciate her in a new way, now that I am a mom too. Not only is my mom a strong and steady support to me who I can call anytime day or night about anything at all, but she is also my dear friend. We have really great times together--we are very much alike in many ways and we share lots of laughs when we're together. So much of who I am is because of my mom and the way she loved me growing up and continues to love me as an adult. She has loved me (and my brothers) so selflessly--she is a woman full of patience and eager to serve, and I long for those qualities to describe me. I would be honored if Wade could one day describe me similarily to my mom.