Zebra?

Delia has been talking a lot lately, but some words still give her trouble. Perhaps the most interesting word that she struggles to say is "zebra." Here you can see her practicing with Aunt Jennifer. I think you can tell she is self conscious about her short coming...I doubt this video is helping that problem.

Around the house

Just a few little videos from the past couple weeks.

Delia protecting Baby from the dogs.

Very short, but I love this video. This is the first time we have captured her "I just heard a noise" face.

This was not staged. We had never heard her try to "count" before, so we got a kick out of it.

Amelia's Baptism and Good Cheap Fun

OK - maybe Delia SHOULD be a baby model. This was taken after church last Sunday. Thank you Nolan cousins for the beautiful dress!

Amelia got baptized last Sunday and we took the pictures!

"And after I get baptized, we're going to go out to lunch, and it's going to be soooo great!"

Like a pretty little cream puff!

Mamas and babies! I don't know how long I'm going to be able to heft Delia around. She weighs about 26 lbs now! That's heavier than one of those giant bags of dog food. Ooof.

Grady had a class all day Saturday, so we just bummed around the neighborhood. That morning we went for a stroll, then walked over and had coffee and banana bread on the patio at our neighbors', Tom and Barb's house. After nap time and lunch, we walked down to Dr. Wax's house. He has a big pile of pea gravel that Delia likes to scoop up and dump out.

"See how they stick to my hands?"

"Hmm. Scooped, now what?"

After that, we walked through the woods behind our house to the cow pasture and there were cows everywhere! I was carrying Delia, so I didn't get any pictures, but she was mooing at all of them. We cooled off with a cup of ice (one of Delia's favorite things) when we got back. It's funny because Grady used to always say that the only treats our kids would be allowed to have were "water pops. " :(

Sunday morning she wanted to sit in the big chair for breakfast!

What is sweeter than this? She won't be able to fit in that crib much longer...

Hard to believe she ever slept in a little baby swing!

Who Let the Dawgs Out?

"What was that? The Bulldogs completed a pass?"

"What? They scored a touchdown??"
That's right, it's that time of year again. The time when we consume insane amounts of food and drink and wear maroon from head to toe, in the hopes that the gods of football will smile down on our beat-down Bulldogs and the fans that cheer them on.

Wes, Jennifer, and Wesley came to stay with us for the weekend! The babies got up at 6am Saturday morning, ready for breakfast and play time.

First, we had to make a quick trip to town to get new MSU outfits!

Early tailgate this weekend. We were there by around 11:00am. This year we are trying out the College of Arts & Sciences tailgate. Free food and drink, and all we have to do is sign Grady up for the tailgate committee! His job this week was to pick up the beer. No setting up the tent and grill the night before, no cooking the night before, no packing everything up (and always forgetting something) - it was great!

Wearing an Arts & Science polo shirt is also part of the deal. Lookin' good!

"Mmmm cheese."

"Mmmm beans!

"MMMM beans!"

"MMMM BEANS!!!!!!"

Passed out Wesley. That boy can sleep anywhere!

Our friends Truman and Mary came up from Jackson for the game!

Before the game, Jennifer and I ran the babies home to a babysitter. I snapped these pictures quickly before we hurried back to campus, only to sit in traffic for a good 45 min. I am not one of those moms who thinks my baby should be a baby model, but I think this picture should be in the MSU apparel catalog... stay tuned.

Wesley and Delia Aug. 2009

Delia and Wesley Aug. 2008

As soon as the players ran out onto the field, it started to pour down rain and the officials called a rain delay due to lightning. I don't know if you can tell in this picture, but we are DRENCHED. MSU beat Jackson State 45-7!

Sunday morning: 2 mouthfuls of Cheerios

Riding in the wagon, but not too happy about it.

Happier once the neighborhood dogs joined us!

"Here comes one now!"

"I love dogs!!!"

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

Last night Delia had been asleep for about an hour (she goes to bed at 7!), when the dogs started going nuts outside. I stuck my head out the door to see what was wrong, and there was a copperhead coiled up on our patio on the step that goes into our bedroom. I got the dogs inside and proceeded to call Grady at his cigar club screaming "There is a snake coming into the house!!" He said "Then shut the door!" The door was not open, but I did not like that snake even thinking about it.

After it slithered off our bedroom doorstep, it came on over to the kitchen doorstep, where I was leaving screaming messages on a neighbor's answering machine. I took this picture with my phone through the kitchen door. He was looking for a place to hibernate!!

Grady called our neighbor Tom who is an ex-Marine. He came over (cigar in hand) and killed it with his kaiser blade (some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade). Take that, nasty poisonous snake!

Our neighbor Conner is always on the lookout for deer, snakes, and other critters and he was quick to come take a look. Our house doesn't have many windows, but you better believe we won't be opening the doors this fall when the weather is nice.