Weekends...

I sat down last night to post this blog, only to have it somehow delete and then immediately save the just-deleted/empty post version.  Let's try this again...

The last couple of weekends, we've been in North LA; first, celebrating Mom's birthday, and then last weekend for Memorial Day.  For my records, David Scott had to go to the doctor for his 6-month well baby visit on Mom's actual birthday (May 21st).  He was "perfect," and weighed 17 pounds, 2 oz., and was 25.5" long.  During the visit, we discovered a third tooth coming in.  It is also on bottom like the first two.  If you watch the tv show "The Office," then you know the character Kevin.  IF Kevin shows his teeth -- even when smiling -- it's only his bottom teeth.  Scotty and I have an ongoing bet that he doesn't even have any top teeth.  Well, it looks like our little DS is going to look like Kevin for a while...but much, much better looking!

After his visit with Dr. K, David Scott went on to daycare and I went to work.  After work, we left for the 'Boro.  Because Mom and David had a function that night, we ate dinner with Sue Sue and her crew at San Marcos.  The company was great; the food, not so much.  That night, David Scott had his first real bath by himself without his baby bathtub.  It was a success!

Saturday morning, DS and I headed to Monroe to visit with Mimi and Mamaw for a while.  Scotty stayed in BR so he could get some golf, I mean, work done.  After a couple of hours, we headed back to Winnsboro to hang out at Mom's.  Jessie's mom, Gayla, came over for a quick visit since she hadn't seen DS yet.  A little later, we got into the pool for a little while, but DS was less than impressed, so we went in.  We were all a little tired since DS hadn't slept very well on Friday night, I think, due to the shots and the teething.  He didn't sleep good on Saturday night either, so Auntie Boo and I were both up and down all night both nights.  Needless to say, I think it will be a while before David Scott has any cousins to play with.  We came home Sunday afternoon and had a pretty uneventful week.

This past weekend, we headed back up north.  This time Scotty came with us b/c him and Lee were playing in a golf tournament.  They didn't win; we'll leave it at that.  Friday night, DS and I stayed at Mom's again where we went out to eat at Brown's Landing.  I've been going to Brown's my entire life -- since I was younger than David Scott.  He had his second encounter with a pickle and seemed to like it.

On Saturday, once again we headed over to Monroe where we had lunch with Mimi and Mamaw followed by a quick playdate with Betsey and Stella Grace.  SG is exactly 3 months younger than DS, and with him being on the smaller side and her being on the bigger side, when we laid them side-by-side on the floor, they were almost the same size! David Scott is curious about everything these days -- hair, earrings, noses, random stuff in stores, so when he saw Miss Stella Grace's headband and bow, he immediately started grabbing for it. Betsey and I were both laughing so hard, trying to move SG away from DS all the while trying to keep them both upright since he was the Leaning Tower of Pisa and she was just in need of some support, that we failed to capture that moment. And yes, that was the longest run on sentence, but that's okay. It's my blog. I'll make a run on sentence if I want to.

After our playdate (this was the first real one for both), we went to the nursing home to visit Papaw.  He's so funny, that Papaw is.  Only occasionally does he refer to our little boy as "David Scott."  Usually it's "David," "Davey," "Scott," "Scotty," and I think he may have even called him "Peanut" when we were there.  However, as long as he doesn't call him "Junior," I wouldn't dream of correcting him.  :)  After the nursing home, we took Mamaw to eat at the Olive Garden.  That place is consistently good; always a favorite of mine.

On Sunday, we got ready for a small cookout at Deb's house.  When we saw that we'd have a little time to spare, Mimi and I decided to take "the boys" -- Doodle the dog and David Scott to the park by her house.  They both had a good time.

Doodle pooped out and decided that he'd prefer to ride in style in the stroller basket.

That night, we ate outside and DS got to sit in the same high-chair that Scotty sat in as a baby.  It is now considered an antique or vintage.

On Monday, we returned to Mom's house for more food and fun by the pool.  This go round, DS very much enjoyed the water.  I suspect that he will be a water baby given how much he already likes bathtime and now the pool.  Hopefully the oil will be gone from the beach and we can take our little man to Gulf Shores at the end of the summer like we'd planned.

This week was uneventful as well.  As I was making my first attempt at updating last night, I brought David Scott into the extra bedroom with me so I could type and watch him at the same time since Scotty wasn't home from work yet.  After a minute or so, he started grunting.  I looked down to see this:

Yes, David Scott can go in a complete circle (multiple times) on his belly, and now he can go a few inches back, but still not much forward motion.  It'll come, though.  I can tell that the pieces of the puzzle are about to come together.  It's time to batten down the hatches. 

And because I haven't included enough pics, here are a few more:

DS and Gran

Chillaxin

1st popcicle -- sugar-free -- loved it!

Mimi and DS

David Scott:  "Hey girl.  Whatchu doin?"

Stella Grace:  "Uh, Mom...he's touching me!!!"

6 Months...

It seems like I just did David Scott's update for 5 months old.  And here we are a month later and he's now 6 months old.  Geez.  Excuse me, Father Time.  Could you please slow things down for us just a bit?  Thanks...

At 6 months old, David Scott, you are:

• Easily rolling over from belly to back and have been for a while.  We've even walked in on you several times after taking a nap or first thing in the morning, and you surprise us with your precious, smiling  face instead of your backside.  Yes, you still sleep on your belly at home.  You are thisclose (literally) to rolling over from your back to your belly.
• cutting TWO teeth!  I can't remember if I've already noted the appearance of the second tooth, but they're both on the bottom and boy are they sharp!  Speaking of...
• almost completely on formula (only two of the 5 daily feedings remain non-formula).  My research indicates that you shouldn't stop nursing cold turkey for a number of reasons. And for me, I really love that special time where it's only you and me and no one else can participate in our little world.  However, I know that it will soon be time for us to include others more and I'm sure Daddy is looking forward to that time as well.  
• handily holding bottles by yourself.  This past weekend as I was preparing one for you, you saw what I was doing and started going a little nuts.  It was almost like a little pirhana seeing food for the first time.  And don't try to take the bottle away once you've gotten started on it.  Boy do you get upset if we try to do that.  It's the first I've seen of your Rainwater temper.  Since you don't have too much of my looks, I like to take credit for your fantastic disposition and personality.  Although we rarely see it, your temper, though, could go either way.
• 17 or 18 pounds in weight.  You go to the doctor for shots (agh!) on Friday, so we'll get the official stats for height and weight then.
• eating baby food at dinnertime each night.  So far you've tried carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, peas, and you're just starting apples.  You've loved everything except the squash...and I don't blame you.
• very social.  You are happy to let most anybody hold you and you can bat those big, blue eyes like nobody's business.  I think you got your charm from Daddy too, since Mama isn't as flirtacious as those Rainwater boys can be.
• about to be wearing Size 3 diapers.  We're trying to finish off the Size 2s so we can move up.  Because daycare provides your diapers during the day, I buy a box and you literally outgrow them before we've used them all.  I should just pass them on but Daddy wants us to get our money's worth!
• SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!  For the most part, anyway.  You may wake up crying out for your paci, but we can put it back in your mouth and we're good to go until it's actually time to get up.  You've been going to bed about 9pm and will wake up around 6am.  It is wonderful!
• pulling up on our hands all the time.  This is in addition to you still jumping all the time.  And when I say all the time, I mean that you literally try to jump while you're sitting in your car seat.  That's how much you love to jump.  You don't want to stop to sit, to eat, and sometimes, even when you're sleepy, you still want to jump.  You're like a little frog.

It's funny to think about what we did before we had you in our lives.  I think we must have been so empty inside and not even knew it until you came along.  We love you so much!

Love,
Mama and Daddy

This was what DS was doing right before we got his official 6-month pic (above).

This is what the messy boy looks like mid-meal.  I think this was rice ceral one day this past weekend.  Also, check out the drool.

Bathtime!  This soapy boy loves his nightly bath.

DroolMaster 6000 at  his finest.  This was in our backyard this past weekend.

We ate out twice on Saturday -- for lunch, we ate Olive Garden where David Scott tried a lemon for the first time.  He was underwhelmed.

And our second meal out was Saturday night at Casa Maria, a local Mexican restaurant.  DS is more interested in a kid nearby than he is stopping for long enough to pose for a pic.

Being a Mother

Dear David Scott,

Thank you for a wonderful first Mother's Day.   When I picked you up from daycare on Friday, imagine my surprise at finding a gift from you.  With very little assistance from your "teachers," you gave me a handmade card which you'd scribbled on -- I'm sure you meaned for it to say, "Mama, you're the greatest and I love you!" (with perfect grammar and punctuation) -- and a framed poem with your painted handprints on it.  I shed a few tears reading the sweet poem that I'm sure you came up with and typed all on your own -- who knew you could type?!?  I told Daddy that you'd raised the bar so high on Friday that I hoped he'd prepared sufficiently for Sunday.  He sheepishly admitted on Saturday that he had not prepared and that I wasn't even getting a card due to his lack of planning.  I knew that he was joking (or at least that he better be joking!), and he was.  I got the sweetest card which I'm sure you helped pick out along with a gift card (love those) so I can go pick out something I want.  I'll probably use it to buy you more clothes, even though I desparately need work shirts and a few other things.  For the most part, I haven't bought myself too much over the past year b/c I knew I was having you and didn't want to buy anything that I wouldn't be able to wear for a while.  But nowadays, all of my extra spending money goes towards stuff for you.  But that's what moms do.  They make sacrifices.  And most of the time they don't think twice about it. 

When we were growing up, I know your Gran wore the same pair of tennis shoes for about a decade.  The same could be said for a pair of her blue jeans and a couple of work outfits.  We always thought she just wasn't stylish.  Little did we know that she was spending all of her money on us so that we could have new tennis shoes each year, or cool trapper keepers, or funky-colored windbreakers, or braces...twice...for all three of us.  We didn't realize these sacrifices until we got older.  I don't think she would've wanted it any other way.  Just like I don't want you to be aware of all of the sacrifices that are made on your behalf until you have to make those same sacrifices for your own children. 

This fashionable frock was worn by my mother when I was just a babe.  She gave it to me at my baby shower and now I wear it when feeding DS his baby food since he's so messy.

For me, being a mother isn't just about the sacrifices you make with your body, time, or money, although there are BIG sacrifices to be made on all three of those fronts.  Being a mother is selflessly giving everything you have all of the time, and even when you're completely exhausted, giving a little bit more so that your child remains happy, healthy, and thriving.  Being a mother is giving up a meal because your child wants to play or needs to be held or you just run out of time b/c there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done.  Being a mother is making sure you get the proper amounts of nutrients to ensure proper growth, and freaking out b/c you don't know which brand or what kind of baby food to get -- organic or regular?  Jar or homemade?  For the record, it's Earth's Best organic in a jar.  Being a mother is staying at work even though you are miserable with an allergy attack and can't see through your watery eyes and don't want to take more cold medicine than you have to b/c it will dry up your milk supply (even though we're in the process of weaning you right now), just in case I need that sick day down the line to use for you.  Being a mother is everything.  It is omnicient -- all knowing.  It is omnipresent -- everywhere.  Being a mother is a paradigm of opposites:  rewarding, hard, fun, exhausting, but overall, it's the best thing that's ever happened in my life. 

You, David Scott, make it so easy being your mother.  One of the many highlights of my day is picking you up at daycare and seeing your smile when you realize I'm there.  I also love seeing your sleepy face first thing in the morning.  I love that you follow me with your eyes and even crane your neck to see me sometimes.  I love watching you learn new things.  I love how you reach for the spoon when we're trying to feed you your baby food.  I love your laugh.  I love your recently-discovered shrill squeal.  I love your belly.  I love your eczema.  Well, not really, but you get the point -- there is nothing about you that I don't love.  Not even your stinky Anders feet.  (In your defense, I think that smell comes from the sandals I make you wear all the time; but there IS a heredity-thing with stinky feet on your Bud-Bud's side of the family, so I'm not fully blaming the sandals just yet.)  I hope that being your mother is always going to be this easy, but I know that there will be times when you try my patience, lose my trust, and go against my wishes.  I can only hope that those times are few and far between and trust that the good will greatly outweigh the challenging times, and I know they will...because I'm your mom.  And I say so.

Love,
Mama

P.S.  You are such a dream child and I look forward to many future Mother's Days with you. 

DC...The Recap

Ok, so the play-by-play of our trip to DC was very worthwhile.  As I was recalling all of our touristy stops to my coworkers on Monday, I started losing my memory of where all we went and when we went there.  I'll blame that on two things -- One being the fact that we jam packed so much into the day and a half we really had to see everything, and Two being the fact that David Scott kept me up All. Night. Long on Sunday night cutting tooth #2.  Seriously, he didn't sleep for more than a couple hours at a time, which means that I didn't sleep for more than a couple hours at a time.  Talk about exhausted.  As a side note, he's been a complete angel and has even been sleeping through the night ever since.  Fingers crossed that it continues.  Anyhoo, back to my point of the fact that I'm glad I documented our trip as we were seeing everything as it will serve as a great memory for Scotty and I for years to come.  So, if you've never been to our nation's capital, I would highly suggest that you go. Whether or not you're a history buff (we surely aren't), I think you'll leave with a greater appreciation for our country, how it was formed, and the people who helped make a difference both past and present.  So here's my rundown of things to keep in mind for when we go back -- or to save you a little time when you go...in no particular order:

• Don't do the shuttle bus from the airport to your hotel.  Complete waste of time and money.  Just take a cab.
• Wear comfortable shoes that will allow you to walk miles and miles without getting a foot cramp.  Better yet, go buy a pair of those tennis shoes that tone your tush and kill two birds with one stone.
• Don't take an infant or small child the first time you go. 
• Also, I will not go back if I am nursing.  Having to run back to the hotel to pump mid-day is such a disruption only to have your supply get messed up anyway...but that's a whole other story.
• Make sure you check out your hotel beforehand.  You want to stay in an area that is easily accessible to most of the sights.  The fact that there's not a homeless shelter nearby would also be an extra star on my rating scale.
• Don't try to squeeze everything into two days.  We will definitely stay at least 3 days next time we go just to ensure that we have enough time to do/see everything on our list and not be totally-and-completely-fall-asleep-in-your-clothes exhausted.  That did not happen, but you get the point.
• We were told beforehand to buy a metrocard to ride the bus around town.  Personally, I'm glad we didn't b/c that would've been one more thing to try and fit in our schedule -- when the bus ran.  But for some people, it might be a very handy thing.  We walked EVERYWHERE and only took a cab when we were too exhausted to walk another step or when we were going from one end of the area to the other.
• Do the hop-on-hop-off double decker bus tour.  Boo and I did this when we went to NYC a few years back and it was fab.  Scotty and I didn't do it in DC, but it sure would've been nice to sit down between each stop on our agenda.
• Everything seems to be a little more expensive than things are here.  Be sure to take enough cash or risk trying to find an ATM near the hotel...which either had someone sleeping on the ground in the lobby area or has a homeless shelter nearby.  (You may think I harp on that little detail way too much.  But let me tell you, it freaked me out.)
• The service was nothing like it is in the South.  It wasn't as pleasant.  It wasn't as fast.  Overall, it just wasn't as good.  I don't know if it's b/c most of us who live here grew up in the South and have good home training, or what, but I was not at all impressed with the people in the service industry up there.
• Keep a map (and a compass!) with you at all times.  The layout of that city can make no sense at times, and the cabbies aren't guaranteed to know where you want to go.
• Fanny packs make a little more sense -- sorry for making fun of you, Mama, back in the 80's (and 90's), when we went on various vacations and you insisted on sporting the fanny pack.  An utter embarrassment at the time, I can see how it would serve a purpose.  That being said, I still will never wear one myself, I'm just saying that I understand the logic after carrying my purse with me on Friday; on Saturday, I carried only the bare necessities...in my pockets.
• Don't use the courtesy check-in outside the airport.  Complete waste of time and money as well.

And now, a few more pics:

At the Capitol Building on the "Lucky Stone."

Standing outside the Capitol.

Outside the hotel before our fantastic Friday night meal.

Scotty standing by the NJ part of the WWII Memorial -- this was for his Papaw.

Wearing our super cool 3D glasses before the IMAX movie.

Pointing to the person whom I believe I am related who bravely fought (and died) in Vietnam.

Trip to DC...

Scotty and I are in DC for a long weekend; Mimi is keeping David Scott at our house for the weekend.  Since this is kind of a memory book for our family, we decided to keep a log of our trip (thanks for the idea, McLemore clan).  Check back for more updates and pics...

 Thursday April 29, 2010

11:00 a.m. - left my office for airport

11:35 - just before checking in, we helped an old man who'd fallen on the escalator.

11:45 - checked in, returned a dropped credit card to one of the ladies in front of us, went through security, and ordered lunch. Personal pan pizza hut pizzas. Not the best. Doing 2 good deeds already...good karma/mojo headed our way.

12:35 p.m. - board plane

1:26 - been in air for 30 minutes. Wondering what DS is doing. Have already said as much to Scotty ...3 times.

1:40 - Looked through all 200 of my pics on my phone. And have been turned down by Scotty TWICE to make out.  Ha! Should've brought a book or magazine to read.

3:17 (eastern) - just landed in Atlanta. Can't wait to call and check on DS to see how he and Mimi are doing.

3:40 - no electrical outlet in ladies restroom. Panicing that I'll have to wait til we arrive at hotel in dc to relieve myself of the food that nourishes our child.

3:55 - found a family restroom near our gate. Ahhhh...sweet relief. Don't want to diminish my milk supply any earlier than I need to. The lengths we go to for our kids.

4:00 - spoke to Mimi. DS was doing good and they were on their way to our house from daycare.

4:15 - we just boarded the plane and are missing our boy! Scotty is sitting by the window...again.

4:58 - a group of people 3 rows back will not stop talking about work stuff. We were hoping the loudness of the plane's engines would drown out their annoying, Yankee voices. No such luck. Increasingly, I wonder what magazine they apparently work for. Secretly, I hope they start drawing the rest of the plane in on their conversation, decide I have an interesting viewpoint on whatever topic and then make me a regular correspondent. I wonder what pseudonym I could use if I don't use my real name...

5:15 - looked at my roll of 200 DS pictures...again. I wonder what he's doing. My guess is...jumping!

6:05 - landed in DC

6:45 - get on pre-paid shuttle to go to hotel. Note to self: next time, just take a cab. Glad we're not in a rush.

8:30 - walked around for 45 minutes trying to find a place to eat that wasn't near the homeless shelter by our hotel. We finally settled on an Irish pub nearby. Feeling kinda left out...most of the other patrons around us are...wait for it...Irish.

9-ish - Got pic from Mimi. DS appears to be having a good time bathing. Food is pretty good. Glad this place is just around the corner (opposite direction from the homeless shelter).  P.S.  Thanks Orbitz for not mentioning the proximity to the homeless shelter like you did to everything else.

10-ish - got back to hotel to plot our Friday and Saturday excursions and go to bed.


Friday, April 30, 2010

6:50a.m.  - woke up for Scotty to prep for his depo and me to pump. It's killing me to throw this liquid gold down the drain. A full night's sleep was nice, even if the room was a little warmer than we like it at night. Thinking of either going back to sleep or getting ready just in case this spa nearby can squeeze me in for a massage. At this point, I like the idea of sleep!

10:50 - evidently I DID like the idea of sleep-- I just woke up! Called to check on David Scott and Mimi and was glad (but not surprised) to hear that they were doing great and he was pretty much staying on the "DS' Typical Day" schedule I'd left for them to give Mrs. Debbie a better idea of when he typically eats, how long he usually naps for, etc. Looking forward to an afternoon of sightseeing

12:18 p.m.- Scotty returned from depo. Finish getting ready, eat lunch, and off to the Capital.

12:47- stopped at Quiznos around the corner for a quick bite...they put mushrooms on Scotty's sandwich. He realized it after eating half his sandwich...he is green now.

1:30 - visited the Supreme Court and sat through lecture of the history of the court, bldg, etc. Cool architecture throughout.

2:10 - met with Congressman Cassidy's assistant for a tour of the Capitol. Part of the tour was going through the underground tunnels which was pretty cool.  Greco-Roman architecture throughout.  Boo would love DC.

3:50 - just finished up our tour of the Capitol. Got to see where the House of Representatives convenes. We're about to make a stop at the gift shop and then it's on to the Library of Congress. Scotty is ready for a snack and a brief nap. Too bad.

4:25 - finished a quick run through of the Library of Congress. Next stop is a reflecting pool on the other side of the Capitol this is mainly so we can get something to eat and drink. We're both rather parched. DC is quite picturesque as we walk through these areas. We plan on bringing DS and any future Baby Rains back so hopefully they'll appreciate our country's rich history like we have come to.

4:40 - at reflecting pool...reflecting on how blessed we are and loving/missing DS.

5:45 - walked to Union Station where we FINALLY had a snack. Once again, mine was better. Scotty opted for a (soggy) cinnamon pretzel and I chose ice cream. We also stopped and got him a pair of shorts since he didn't bring any. What a maroon.

5:55 - "took" a picture with Barack.

6:12 - Sarah got an awful foot cramp. I thought it was worthy of documenting; she did not.

7:45 - returned to hotel about an hour and a half ago for a brief rest and to get ready for dinner tonight. We're going to eat at Charlie Palmer's, a steakhouse...surprise!!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

7:45 a.m.  (Eastern) - Dinner last night was really good.  It was one of those restaurants where I was glad to have my cell phone in my purse.  We needed to look up about 3 or 4 items before ordering.  Are we cultured or what?!?  On our agenda today:  The White House Visitor's Center, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History for sure.  Perhaps we'll see more if time permits.  We plan on spending several hours at the Natural History Museum and are pumped about seeing the dinosaurs.  Tonight, I think we're going to do the Monuments by Moonlight tour.

8:18 - on cab ride to White House Visitor's Center. How do cabbies in a tourist town NOT know where to go? "White House Visitor's Center...do you know where that is?" he asks us. "Ummm... Near the White House."


9:30 - after we saw the White House, we walked to the WHVC. Kind of disappointing. Don't know what we were expecting, but that wasn't it. After a brief break for breakfast -- cookies for me, a regular pretzel for Scotty, and a coke to share--yes, the healthiest breakfast ever, we're about to go to the Washington Monument.

10:13 - saw Washington Monument. Note to self: although admission is free, request tickets in advance next time. Just walked through the WWII Memorial. It was very awe-inspiring and brought chills to both of us. Papaw, Scotty's grandfather, is a veteran who was in the Air Force and who fought in this war. We believe he was living in NJ at the time, so I took a picture of Scotty beside that state's memorial wreath. We both had chills thinking about the price so many have paid in order for us to have our continued freedoms. Thanks to all our veterans and their families.

This is the WWII Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background.

10:20 - sitting on a bench beside the reflecting pool between the WWII Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. The water is gross. I don't think it was this yucky when Forrest Gump ran through it to meet Jenny in the movie. It is quite tranquil despite the multitude of runners and throngs of people. At least the protestors up close to the Memorial have stopped speaking...for now.

10:45 - done with the Lincoln Memorial. Evidently they've repaired it since Marky Mark crashed into it in the Planet of the Apes remake. Thinking we may catch a taxi to go to Arlington Cemetary

11:52 - saw the changing of the guard at Arlington cemetary. It is a very humbling thing to watch. Humbling b/c it saddens us to think of so many who gave their lives for our country , some of whom only God knows the identities of. We are currently trekking through the cemetary. Hungry, thirsty, and tired, but forging ahead...much like those who we are here honoring have done in their previous missions.

12:26 p.m. - in taxi on way to Union Station for some Sbarro pizza followed by a brief return to the hotel for a brief rest. Then, we're going to the Natural History Museum and maybe the American History Museum nearby. I haven't quite figured out why all taxi drivers are anti-air conditioning.

1:42 - returned to room. Sbarro pizza was as good as we remembered. Then we picked up a few souvenirs. We are so tired and our legs feel like they're going to fall off. I will never come to DC in the middle of summer, pregnant, old, or with a child who cannot walk long distances. Have spoken to Mimi earlier today. Except for waking up twice (!) in the middle of the night, they are having a good day. Can't wait to see our boy tomorrow!

2:20 - going to the Smithsonian!

2:32 - standing in line. I guess everyone had the same idea. Note to self: next time, come earlier in the day.

3:48 - on a brief rest in the Natural History Museum. Have seen the dinosaurs, an exhibit on Darwin's theory of evolution, the mammals exhibit (also cool), and now we're sitting for a few minutes. In about an hour, we're going to watch the Imax movie on dinosaurs. Scotty is looking forward to sitting for more than 10 minutes at a time; so am I.

This is some kind of fox.  It reminded us of Lola who is also at home. 

4:45 - this place is massive. We could spend all day in this museum and still not see everything. Going to see Imax movie. Scotty has come to the realization that at 30, he is old. Or at least, he feels old with his knees bothering him as a result of the miles and miles of walking we've done in the last 36 hours or so.

5:36 - cool movie. Begs the questions: 1. How do they create 3-D movies? 2. Why would a sane person bring your small child (who you know will be scared by the images on the screen coming "at" him) to an Imax 3-D movie?

7:05 - left the Smithsonian and made our way over to the Vietnam Memorial. Found the name of a distant relative of mine who'd fought in the war and paid the ultimate price. Both of us have never felt as connected to history as we do today. It is hard to realize just how many people have died for this country until you visit this place. Again, it is quite humbling.

7:40 - took a cab to ESPN Zone only to make a game-time decision to eat at a place across the street called Harry's. Good call. They apparently don't have any air conditioning. Yay! Our waitress just moved us to a more airy table. AND Scotty got carded. Highlight of his trip. :)  BTW, the air conditioner really is not working in the restaurant.

8:55 - returned to hotel. We did not do the monuments by moonlight tour as we are both absolutely, positively exhausted beyond belief. I need a good foot massage and Scotty needs some Tylenol for his aching knees. We have to leave for the airport at 5:30 a.m. which is way too early. But, the good thing is that we're about 15 hours away from loving on David Scott! We are so glad that Mimi could keep him as this trip would have been quite difficult toting a 5-month old everywhere. We definitely know what we do and don't want to do next time as well as some insight as to when to reserve tickets and such for different things. Can't wait to take a hot shower and go to bed early!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

5:30 a.m. (Eastern, I might add) - caught taxi to airport. Shuttle thing wanted to pick us up at 4:30. No thank you. Instead, Old Man Moses -- who was 85 if he was a day -- was our driver and he literally drove 10 mph for the first mile or so. Now, we're going 40 mph, with other vehicles honking at us, down the Interatate. Wonderful. At this rate, we'll get to the airport sometime next week. Yet another good call. This guy shouldn't be driving a wheelchair, much less a dangerous vehicle.

5:53 - made it to airport and through security. Scotty got preterbed b/c the curbside check-in guy asked about a tip. Hilarious! He unwillingly gave the guy $5. Our bag better make it! After we grab something to eat, we'll wait for our plane. Only a few more hours til DS!!

8:53 - plane landed in Atlanta. Uneventful flight for the most part. Just ready to be home now.

9:52 (still eastern) - getting ready to take off for HOME! Once again, it should be no surprise to me by now, but Scotty is by the window. In his defense, he offered me the seat, but being the sweet wife that I am (ha!), I let him have it.

11:21- in mid-air. Got a late start to flight due to weight issues of the baggage area (too little requires the plane to be weighted down a little...interesting). Now listening to a kid up ahead of us make himself sick b/c of non-stop crying. As much as I'm ready to see my baby, I'm glad he's waiting for us patiently at home-- I'd rather not be getting the glares the mother is getting from some of the other passengers around them.

11:25 (central--an hour since last post) - landed in BR and have been waiting for 20 minutes for our luggage to come through. It's almost as if the travel gods are trying to delay us seeing DS' smiling face as long as possible. Ugh!

We arrived home about 12:45 or so.  We were so happy to see our sweet boy!!!  He couldn't care less that we were home -- I think Lola was more happy to see us than he was.  Truth be told, that boy was hungry and was not in any mood to be put off any longer than Mimi had already managed to.  Once he ate, he was in a much better disposition.  :)

BTW, it took the luggage 40 minutes (!!!) to make it through to the conveyor belt.  I have never (EVER) waited that long for my luggage to arrive -- not in Puerto Rico, not even in NYC.  BTR Airport, you suck. 

I'm in the middle of cooking dinner right now.  If I can, I'll do the official recap with more real pictures tonight or after work tomorrow.  We are both so dog-tired right now, that I think it's gonna be an early night in the Rainwater household tonight.  I just hope David Scott agrees with us.

5 Months...

David Scott, you are currently:

• 15.5 lbs
• 24.5+ inches in length -- you literally won't sit still long enough for me to measure you.
• wearing a size 2 diaper
• a "supported sitter," but you have sat up, unsupported a few times
• drooling non-stop.  Among our other nicknames for you, we also refer to you as Droolmaster 6000.
• cutting 2 teeth.  On the bottom, your two front teeth are coming in.  We can definitely feel (and see) the one on your left coming through the gum.
• mastering all of your musical, noise-making "things."  You've been shaking the rattle, but now, when sitting in your stationary/exersaucer/bouncer thing, you hit the keys to trigger the music.  You also hit the music-maker on your activity mat.  For the longest time, your arms weren't long enough to hit it, but one day we noticed that they were, showed you how to do it, and you've been making music ever since.
• loving everything -- being inside, being outside, being awake, sleeping, splashing the water in your bath, being "splashed" while you're in your bath.  You are seriously the most content baby I've ever had the pleasure of caring for, or even met for that matter.
• jumping all the time.  You jump while in our laps, you jump in your exersaucer, you jump in your actual jumper.  Perhaps you'll be a track star jumping the high hurdles like your Bud-Bud was.
• eating baby food at dinnertime every night.  This last week was carrots, you've had a few nights of sweet potatoes, and you'll get to try out squash mid-week.
• still waking once in the middle of the night.  
• blowing raspberries -- you apparently picked this up from one of your friends at daycare.  Some people might stop their kids from spitting all over the place.  Not us!  We blow raspberries right back at you.  

Everything you do makes us either laugh or smile.  You are constantly amazing Daddy and me with your new skills and tricks.  You have the most expressive little face, the biggest, and most beautiful blue eyes, a heart-melting smile, and the most delicious little legs -- fat rolls, really...but oh so cute.  I tell you all the time that I don't know what we did to deserve such an awesome little man.  But I'm not questioning it, that's for sure.  We thank God every day that we have you in our life.  And although I'd like to stop time for just a bit, every day with you has literally been better than the day before.  Our life is infinitely better as a result of having you in it.  We love you! 

Love,
Mama

Whoa!

Whoa!  Has it really been a month since my last post?!?  I certainly didn't mean to deprive everyone of the recent events in our/David Scott's life; however, we've been quite busy.  I've pretty much given up having any time during the week to update the blog.  Between working, commuting, getting DS to and from daycare, taking care of him at home, attempting to cook and avoid having a mountain of clothes to wash, my time during the week is limited.  And that's not to say that Scotty doesn't help out b/c he certainly does.  Scotty's been busting his tail at work, and since I'm still nursing, his role is still somewhat limited by those constraints.

We were in North LA for Easter, back here the following weekend for Scotty to play in a softball tournament with his team from work, and just this past weekend went back to North LA.  Our purpose for going this past weekend was to celebrate the April birthdays in Scotty's family -- Lee, Papaw, Whitney (cousin), and Scotty.  We had a great time visitng family and friends from both sides of our family. 

The above are his Easter pics.

Speaking of our little monkey, each day is better than the one before.  When we were in North LA for Easter, David Scott started this jumping thing and he is absolutely OBSESSED with it.  All he wants to do is jump, jump, jump. All.  Day.  Long.  Needless to say, Scotty and I both have arms which are becoming increasingly muscular as a result of this constant jumping.  We don't mind the jumping at all, but there's only so much one can get done when both of your arms are occupied.  So, our solution to that was David Scott's 5-month birthday present...the jumparoo.  He loves it.  But then again, is there anything this kid doesn't love? 

For the last month, we've been feeding David Scott his rice cereal at night.  Then I had daycare giving him rice cereal in the morning and we switched to oatmeal cereal at night -- variety is the spice of life, you know.  So finally, after nearly a month of eating his cereal so well, we started DS on baby food...carrots, specifically.  He loved them!  His food got all over him, but again, the kid loved his dinner.

DS...loves him some carrots!

My camera's been acting up so I wasn't able to take pics of our most recent trip to North LA.  Hopefully I'll get a few from Mimi and Mamaw to share with you.  Additionally, I should have the official 5-months old post in the next day or two.  Yes -- two posts within just a few days of one another.  Shocking, I know.  Anyhoo, Boo was able to get a few pics with her camera on our last few trips up to North LA, so here they are:

Legal Disclaimer: The picture of a "flying" David Scott is more of an optical illusion -- objects in photo are not as high as they appear.      :)

The flying photo and the one of David Scott in the tree were taken at my mom's house.  The pic of David Scott in the azaelas was taken on an impromptu trip to Squire Creek where we met up with Jessie and Olivia.  Check back in a couple of days for the offical 5-months old pic and recap.