Week 80: 7 Days of Beckett

August 16; loving her shoe display surprise!

August 17; rocking her new nikes with Dad outside of Sweet Tomatoes

August 18; across the street at the park watching the school bus unload children - her favorite part of the day!

August 19; our teeny princess preparing her descent down the stairs 

August 20; Beckett at the splash park celebrating Jake's second birthday 

August 21; loving her playdate at Reagan & Sydney's - didn't get a shot of all the girls together but loved this one of B enjoying one of their many playgrounds!

August 22; cutie pie bringing me leaves in a restaurant courtyard 

Her Week in a Nutshell:

• Saturday: Around the House updates; B & Austin went to Home Depot, the park, out for BBQ - he loves spending the day with his little B - it's the sweetest thing (and I get to sleep which is amazing!); Surprised B with her new shoe display!
• Sunday: Family visit to the mall for new Nikes for B; out to eat at Sweet Tomatoes
• Monday: Toddler room at the gym; wal-mart with mom for back-to-school items
• Tuesday: Toddler room at the gym; grocery store with mom
• Wednesday: Jake's birthday party at the splash park
• Thursday: Toddler room at the gym; playdate at Reagan, Sydney & Finley's house
• Friday: Mother's Morning Out Open house at the church; errands with mom; playdate with McKenna at our house

Beckett Starts School

I made the above to capture today, this moment of time of this little teeny lady who started school! Below are several more pictures I snapped on our way in this morning. Unfortunately I had the settings on 'nighttime' AND my SD card was full so I was kind of doomed to fail, but thankfully I got several shots of our cutie to remember this day, and for her Dad who couldn't be there!

She did great at the 9 a.m. drop off, just seemed a little confused but fine. And when I went to pick her up at 12 p.m. several moms and their kiddos were already there early talking with the teachers. When I walked up one of the teacher's, Ms. Charlotte, was like, "there's Beckett's mom" - and everyone looked at me - and she said, "Mom, Beckett didn't cry once! Not once, she did great!" So there ya go, she had 3 hours away from mom and dad of fun times with new friends. Now, not 7 seconds after Charlotte's update, she saw me and cried immediately - she never misses an opportunity to  make me feel guilty for leaving her! LOL She does at the gym, too - I watch her over the half wall laughing and playing and then she sees me she bursts into tears. :(

She drank her milk on the way home and almost fell asleep, then had a quick favorite lunch (chicken, rice, broccoli & strawberries). She crashed at 1 p.m. and I have no doubt she'll sleep hard for several hours. So far she hasn't stirred once - blanket exactly where I placed in on her per the monitor! All in all, a successful first day of Mother's Morning Out! I'm so proud of our happy, friendly little lady!

smiling at all the kids going inside

starting to wonder what exactly is going on...

oh, there's another friend!

I can do this! So long as I can hold my backpack vs. wear it

bye bye!

Card for Beckett's 'Dadda'

 Beckett crafted on dad's birthday to make a special card for her favorite person! Dad turned 34 and just wanted a Mexican dinner with me and Becks - done and done!

Week 79: 7 Days of Beckett

August 9; Sweet girl still sporting her busted lip - obviously still happy!

August 10: big girl was very happy to be at her 18-month visit!

August 11; Beckett's first visit to our local library! We picked out lots of board books for her and she LOVED running around

August 12; Family selfie on Daddy's 34th birthday! We went out for his favorite - Mexican - and gave him the card we made that morning!

August 13; Trying on her new fall dress while collecting leaves in the backyard!

August 14; At the Train Museum with Graham and Gavin!

August 15; road testing the new backpack - can't believe this little doll starts school in just a couple weeks! Granted it's 6 hours total a week but STILL!

Her Week in a Nutshell:

• Saturday: Family day! B spent lots of time with her dad - she missed him this past week!
• Sunday: B spent most of the day with Dad while mom went to a baby shower for Teagan Johnson!
• Monday: Toddler room at the gym; 18-month pediatrician visit
• Tuesday: Toddler room at the gym; visit to the library 
• Wednesday: Toddler room at the gym; crafting with Mom for Dad's birthday; birthday dinner for Dad at his favorite Mexican place!
• Thursday: Toddler Day at the Train Museum; night with Dad while mom went to dinner with Monica & Sharon and to the consignment sale with the mom's group
• Friday: Toddler room at the gym; mail day! New backpack came in! She loves it!

Celebrating Estella

Beckett attended Estella's second birthday party on Saturday, August 23, and had SO much fun! She was a little bit shy at first and clung to us, but before long she was all over the water table, sand box, sidewalk chalk, fun bus slide, and more! She was cracking us up climbing the bus by herself and racing through all of the inside obstacles just to do the slide again. She had so much fun and so did we - Estella's mom, Kari, went all out and we appreciated it! Here are a few pictures of our little girl, wearing one of her new dresses and a pair of shoes from bestie Emma Velotas. Note; by the end of the party the dress had layers of chalk, pureed fruit pouch contents, water and then sand - it was like a paste. She is a girly tomboy!

Wouldn't stand in the photo booth - but this worked!

Pic of B with Dad in early-party clingystage

hanging by the tunnel with dad checking out the party

talking with the dads

me and my sweet girl

holding her own at the crowded water table

loving the fun bus - so excited to go down the slide

birthday girl Estella in her Elmo-themed dress to match her perfect Elmo party

henry and the dads!

B with Henry & Benner

Staying close to her dada

a little tunnel time

back at the water table!

testing out the activities in the fun bus with Jake

pink sandbox fun with Matthew & Graham 

She got very into the chalk and used almost every piece on the driveway! Swear she put them all back in the bucket after this picture - her favorite thing to do!

For the Shoe Addict

So baby girl is obsessed with shoes. Obsessed. When she sees a pair she freaks out and sits down and puts her foot up - time for you to put them on her! From the moment she wakes up she's looking for shoes, when it's time to go outside she goes to get her 'outside shoes' and sits down for you to help her change into them (because of course she's wearing another pair). She even wears shoes in the pool - her water shoes from Mimi! I keep several pairs in the car as truly she is NOT happy unless shoes are on. She's even gotten to where she wants socks for naps - must have something on her feet and it makes removing the shoes much easier when I have a substitute!

This morning Austin took her out for errands and ended up going to the park, so I took the opportunity to make a big surprise for Beckett - only took a few things!

• I had a hanging organizer in my closet filled with things I never go after - time to purge!
• Beckett was given a box of at least 25 pairs of shoes from her best friend Emma Velotas - not all fit yet, but many do!
• Becks had at least 5 pairs of shoes on her own - mostly summer shoes that she's about to outgrow - sad!
• I quickly got to work hanging the organizer in her room and filling it with shoes - the ones at the bottom fit now, and as you go up they get bigger!

Austin and her got home around 11:30 with lunch, then we headed upstairs and put her in her nap outfit (onesie and leg warmers!) - then we showed her the closet. She. was. pumped. She immediately began pulling out shoes and trying them on. When it was all said and done she tried on at least 7 pairs and is officially a size 5 in most brands!

Best. Gift. Ever. for the shoe lover in your family

She didn't know which ones to touch and try - it quickly turned in to a frenzy!

Love making this doll happy!

We were changing the sheets on her bed to her new girly pink ones... she quickly made her mattress a seat to try on shoes with!

Special thanks to our Velotas family who is so incredibly generous with their kids' toys and clothes - it was such a fun surprise to be given a box of shoes and swimsuits, a box of PJs, and a box of clothes - Beckett is such a lucky girl to have family like this - thanks so much, sweet Emma!

Week 78: 7 Days of Beckett

8/2; diva during walk with mom!

8/3 - omg this girl's hair is getting so long! You can kind of see one of her little birth marks, too!

8/4; playing at Chick Fil A with cousin Dane in South Carolina, en route to meet her Great Grandma Shaw in North Carolina

8/5; cutie cousins running on Grandma's land - love this shot Devon got!

8/6; silly girl playing on great grandma's fireplace!

8/7; silly cousins on Grandma's front porch steps just before we left town!

8/8; Happy to be home, taking all of the books she can reach off of the book shelf!

• Saturday: Day with mom! Austin left in the morning for a guy's trip to Athens, so Monica & Baby John spent the day with us, and then Sharon came by in the afternoon! Everyone left by 4 so we walked the neighborhood, visited the playground and had a great night together - love her! 
• Sunday: Morning with mom! Family day once dad came home!
• Monday: Toddler room at the gym; visit from Aunt Devon & Dane for lunch; hit the road for North Carolina (road trip with Cousin Dane!); playground at Chick-fil-a; meeting Great Grandma Shaw for the first time and seeing her home; out to the Chinese buffet where B completely showed off her healthy appetite; playtime at Grandma's before bed
• Tuesday: First full day at Great Grandma's House; visit to Barnes & Noble for Story time; played with Cousin Dane at Train Table; out to lunch at J&S Cafeteria; naptime; playtime and meeting Great Aunt Melinda; ordered in pizza and met Great Uncle Joel
• Wednesday: Second full day at Great Grandma's House; out to lunch at Diane's Diner; playtime with Cousin Dane outside; visit from Aunt Melinda; out to dinner to our favorite, Geppeto's Pizza!; playtime and bedtime
• Thursday: packing up to go home; playtime with Cousin Dane; first time busting lip open (eek!); pictures before heading out; stop at Chick-fil-a on the way home; back in Atlanta by 3 p.m.; helping mom unpack; running errands with Mom; seeing Dada  - we missed him!
• Friday: obgyn visit with Mom - sweet girl held my hand during the ultrasound and was SO good; visit to the toddler room at the gym; errands with mom and then family night - she had missed her Dad since Monday night!