Has the Teething Subsided?

Just wanted to record for posterity that last night was the first night in over a month that Alden has slept all night without the benefit of Motrin or Triaminic. Her snotty nose is finally drying up and hopefully, we are out of the woods with the teeth for a while. Please, Please.

It figures though, that while Alden was sleeping blissfully, Lily howled at 3:30 this morning and woke us up and then we were awake another hour while Matt battled allergies. Why is sleep so elusive??

This morning we went to the reading time at Barnes and Noble, which Alden likes for about 4 minutes, and then to Katie's. I got to get out to the barn this afternoon, and now Matt is out with his guys. We are headed to Apex tomorrow!

Great Long Weekend

What a wonderful long weekend. It seemed extra long since our Frontier friends Chris and Julie arrived on Thursday night to kick things off. What fun to have them in our house and catch up! One of the Frontier Interns from our last year was marrying a girl from Charlotte, so we were able to reap the benefits of all their guests being in town.

Saturday morning we went to the Labor Day parade in downtown Matthews, which is apparently on of the largest LD parades in the southeast, or country or something...There must not be a lot of competition in this category, because it wasn't huge. Fun, but not giant. Our friends Bill and Ashley met us with their daughter, Ella. Alden really enjoyed the balloons, floats, and people in animal costumes. She loved the softball players from Matthews Rec. Tractor trailers and softball...what is this leading to??

Bill and Ashley came over for dinner Saturday night, which was great. We have really enjoyed our friendships with folks here in Charlotte. Unfortunately, we missed the late night after-reception festivities with all the young single wedding guests up town. Alden fell asleep, and really, have Matt or I ever been out past 12:00 that often in our whole lives??

Sunday we did church, which we love, and then Shelly, Sarah and Vinton (more Frontier folks) came over on their way out of town. Sarah saved Alden from her first very-near-death experience. We were all talking in the kitchen, and Alden was milling around. Sarah looks into the living room, and Alden is almost to the top of our 8 foot ladder that we had out to hang curtain rods. Matt and I both saw her as Sarah was running into the room to rescue her. Please don't judge our lack of parental supervision...I promise it is better than that.

Sunday afternoon my parents and Ashley met at our house and we went to Nana's 87th birthday party at Aunt Kitty Scott and Uncle Dickie's. It was fun to have everyone together and Alden especially enjoyed playing around their fountain and riding Cousin Scottie's scooter. One of our favorite things about being here is spending time with Nana, and it was really special to get to celebrate her!

Sunday night Matt's college friend Sean and his girlfriend stayed with us on their way to the beach. I had never met them, so it was great to put a name with a face, and have more old friends at the house.

Monday we had breakfast with everyone at Nana's and my parents kept Alden over there so Matt and I could run some errands and get started on some house projects. What a blessing to drive off without her!!! We needed a little break. With my parents help, we got so much done around the house and had a great dinner with them afterwards. No trip to Concord Mills is complete without visiting the fish at Bass Pro Shops, so that pretty much rounded out our long weekend.

Busy Weekend

Wow, it is hard to believe that the weekend is already over! We have had a great time with friends and family this weekend, and have gotten a lot done around the house.

Saturday was our friend Anna's 1st birthday party. It was fun to celebrate with our friends, and enjoy the park. Anna was much more pleasant at her party than Alden was at hers and ate her cake and wore her hat like a champ. We thought for sure that Alden would konk out on our way to Nana's for dinner, but she stayed up and then played and played with cousin Scottie. I don't know where her energy came from, but even after we got home after 9:30 she was still gung-ho about playing in the tub. Mom and Dad were exhausted even if she wasn't! And then, to top it off, she was up for 3 hours that night! AHHH!

Sunday we had lunch after church with Bill and Ashley and their daughter Ella. Then, we took a dip in their neighborhood pool, which may be one of the last swimming days of the year! On the way over to their house, we stopped at the grocery store, and hear Alden in the backseat going Vrooom, vroom, and looked to see her doing her "motorcycle" sign. Sure enough, their was one parked right near us. It is amazing how much she is noticing and communicating! She is very interested in big trucks still, as well as airplanes and trains.

H-O-T

We had a busy weekend with a visit from one of our Colorado friends, Kimmy. It was soooo nice of her to drive up from her vacation in Georgia to visit Chez Wyatt. We had a great time catching up, and reminiscing about times in BV. One of the old Frontier interns, our friend Allan, lives in town and hung out with all of us on Saturday giving us a guided tour of Charlotte. He has lived here a little longer than us, but knows so much more of the city. We spent some time at the Whitewater Center, watching the rafters and all the planes flying by, but boy, was it hot.

This week has been cram-as-many-days-in-at-the-pool-as-possible week. Katie has been so gracious to let us come to her pool all summer, and sadly, those days are nearing their end, as the pool closes during the day after this weekend. Connor and Alden have been very kissy lately, and luckily today I remembered the camera!

Diagnosis: Ear Infection

So, maybe there is something to be said for the baby signage. Alden did have an ear infection! After much screaming at the doctor's, we were able to leave with a prescription and get started on some medicine. Hopefully, this will mean the return of a full-night's sleep for mom and dad.

The only good thing about the doctor was a yellow sucker, which Alden loved and was kind enough to share with me...on my shirt, in my hair, on the car...and even with Lily. Needless to say, the Lily-haired sucker's next stop was the garbage can.

Beach Trip

We had a wonderful week at the beach this past week with Grammy, Pop pop, Amber, Ashley, Andrew and Nana. I think we lucked out on missing the HOTTEST week all summer in Charlotte, too. Alden LOVED the water and was in and out of the ocean over and over. It was great to have a pool, too, which she liked, but became more interested in walking around the deck as the week progressed.

Some highlights:

* First steps in the ocean...not wanting to touch the sand though
* Alden dancing on the counter eating a giant piece of watermelon.

* Enjoying the huge pile of shells left on the porch, and distrubuting them all over the deck.

* Great dinner out to Capt. John's in Calabash, which had an alligator (stuffed, of course) on the roof. Alligators say "Snap!"

* Auntie Ashley taught Alden to say "Wow"

* Time alone at the beach for mom and dad!

* Getting to spend time with Ashley's boyfriend, Andrew

* Alden going #2, and then bringing mom a diaper...probably a fluke, but cool in the moment nonetheless

* Playing with seaweed, but then realizing it is a whole different animal when the water moves it and it touches your leg...FREAK OUT.

* Seagull noises, fish noises (what does a fish say, you may ask, and the answer is "Glub, glub")

* Playing in the blow-up dolphin exclusively in the house, and shunning it completely in the water

* Dancing at the beach music concert, and going on a search with Pop pop to find the giraffe at the miniature golf place

* Happy hour daiquiris courtesy of the "Cabana Boy" aka Pop pop

* Holding a sand fiddler

* Going to the pool with Grammy and Pop pop and starting to swim

Now it's back to the old grind. Alden seems to have come back from the beach with either teeth coming in, an earache, or a combination of both. She told us last night, in her spotty baby signage, that her ear hurt. We are going to the doctor today just to make sure. Welcome home!

Photo Shoot

I wanted to post a couple of the pictures from Alden's latest visit to the photographers that were cute, but didn't make the cut to print...

It has been sooooo hot here the past couple days, which is making us even more exctied about going to the beach tomorrow.

We had playgroup at our house this morning with Katie and Connor, Darci and Anna, and Megan and Abby. Fun for Alden because it is an opportunity to pirate snacks from other people. Things like grapes and goldfish that she would shun if they were offered to her in her high chair, but take on a whole new appeal when someone else has them. Fun for mom to have adult conversation!