What Every Mom Wants to Hear....

That sweet word....Ma-Ma!!! Ah, it's music to my ears!!
My lil sweetpea has been saying 'Mum' for a week or so now, but to hear that defined Ma-Ma while getting her ready for the pumpkin patch tonight was the best thing I could have asked for....especially after a long Monday at work! It's amazing how the littlest things make your day so unbelievably a-mazing!

I love this little pumpkin more every day!

Pure Bliss...at a little beach called Pawley's Island

To say that we had an amazing trip is an understatement....our week in South Carolina was perfection at its finest!  What else can you expect with amazing girlfriends, their terrific husbands, the most adorable and well-behaved (most of the time that is!) bunch of babies that ever existed, and wonderful grandparents (we all love Grandma Rose and Doc (aka Papa Smurf))!  Not to mention a beautiful stretch of sandy beach, weather that couldn't have been more perfect, one big tent with lots of chairs, sand toys, beach blankets and sweaty, smiling, sandy babes passed around for all to love on. 

Mia and I flew up early since Daddy had to work and was going to drive up to meet us on Sunday...it was my first solo flight with Mia and I wasn't nervous since I figured she'd eat and then sleep the whole flight.  Boy was I wrong, she wanted nothing to do with napping and instead wanted to make friends with everyone around us on the plane ~ she started this new head tilt thing and was just laughing and talking up a storm!  When we landed, Aunt Katie met us at our gate and off we went to the Litchfield Inn....where we enjoyed a fun girls' weekend with one of mommy's dearest friends, college roommate, and all-around amazing woman (we love you Aunt Kates!).
 

Over the next two days, the rest of the group arrived and by Sunday evening, all the pieces of the puzzle were in place....and so the fun began!  We didn't do anything super exciting or out of the ordinary....the days were lazy and fun, full of chasing toddlers with magic telescopes and tutu-ed bathing suits, running after birds and a rare horse, cuddling sleeping babies, enjoying a few adult beverages....followed by nap time back at our respective 'homes' and dinners by the marsh, family photo ops, lots of laughter, hugs good-bye and "see you in the morning, can't wait to do it again tomorrow"s!

The many faces of Mia (with her new straw hat!)

Rylee Roo and Dennis....our roommates for the week! :)

Sammy & Stella loves...

Daddy's Girl at heart!

Many "firsts" during our trip....the new head tilt, her first taste of fruit (apple cinnamon oatmeal), taking a bath in the big tub, sitting in a big girl high chair at restaurants (and screaming so everyone knows I'm there!), and enjoying her new friend, Sophie the giraffe.

Momma Love...

The best part of the trip was Mia really getting to know and spend time with her aunts, uncles and cousins....hearing Rylee's morning song of "Baby Mia" and referring to Mia as her sister, Jake playing with her on the living room floor, kisses from handsome little Sam, and lying cheek to cheek with Stella...brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my heart.  My girlfriends truly love Mia like she is their own and I feel the same about their babes....I got to know them a little bit better and see more into their day to day lives, which I will cherish forever.  It was also nice to get to spend quality time with these women who although I talk to on a daily basis, it is not the same as long chats in adirondack chairs on the patio! 

We were sad when this trip came to an end, but we look forward to seeing ya'll at the beach next year!!

Another First....

I don't think this counts as her official first hair cut, but Daddy had to trim her little 'wings' today....my baby girl might not have a lot of hair, but the little hair that she does have was getting too long around her ears.  So the scissors were brought out and with a little snip snip here and there, she's now sporting a new 'do! 

A month of Chaos!!

My little world traveler!

Gosh am I behind on updates....we were so busy the month of September and October is shaping up to be the same way, that the blog took a backseat to all the other activities we had going on!  

A quick rundown of the month of September ~ Mia met some new friends (welcome baby Jordyn), went to her first birthday party (Happy 1st Birthday Zachary!), met Aunt Janice (finally!), visited the doctor for her 6 month well visit (more to follow on that), took her first beach vacation to Pawley's Island, SC (with some of her best friends!), and celebrated Mommy & Daddy's anniversary and Daddy's birthday!  WHEW! 

Celebrating Daddy's birthday on the beach at sunrise!

October is off and running with another trip (back to back trips with a baby is beyond exhausting!), this time to Cooperstown, NY for Mia's first wedding (congrats to cousins Ricky & Allison!), and then the birthday celebrations continued this weekend for the Bates twins and Aunt Erin.  There are many more parties to come the rest of the month, but we plan to relax and enjoy this absolutely amazing fall weather in between all the festivities ~ looking forward to some punpkin picking, picnics at the beach and park, cool evening runs, and of course trick-or-treating! 

My first wedding...being a good girl in church.

Happy October!!  Hope it's spooktacular!