boating

today we decided to take the boat out for the first time. wait...back-up. there's a story to this. a week ago andy mentioned that since the title was finally in our name and he felt the boat was water-worthy, we should take it out. i said, "heck yeah!" and the next time he mentioned taking the boat out while on the phone with his cousin i got all tickled and gave him the thumbs up.

so it was decided that after my doctors appointment this morning, we'd take the boat out. andy spent all morning cleaning, buffing, waxing, and organizing his new boat. so when i got home and he asked if even though it was really windy, did i still want to take the boat out i quickly replied, "of course!" because he had worked soooo hard, why would we wait? he warned me the wind would be rough, but i didn't think anything of it.

so we loaded up my car and his truck pulled the boat and we headed to our local lake with a good boat ramp. after watching my husband struggle through the wind and (seriously) crashing waves - for 20 minutes - getting the boat off the trailer, i unloaded my diaper bag and the toy bag (with my camera in it) and the baby in the car seat. andy put the baby and toy bag in the boat and helped me get in. he told me how to trim the motor and turn the engine on and put the boat into reverse, and pushed us off the "beach." he tried to jump in without having to swim...but that wasn't meant to be. he got into the boat...and the water works began. Hagan was woken out of a nap by the waves splashing over the back of the boat...i got him moved to the front. andy got the boat going forward and then the waves started soaking my baby from the other direction! i jumped into mommy action and grabbed the super-thick baby blanket my aunt made Hagan and used it to SUCCESSFULLY shield him from the waves (the blanket my husband thought was unnecessary!). and i used the towel i brought (also thought as unnecessary) to cover/keep him warm - although he really wasn't as wet as i'd feared.

once we got to the other side of the lake there were no waves at all. we drifted for a while, turned the boat around, and drifted again. we talked...i tried to dry off...and Hagan spent his first bits of time on a boat :) it was pleasant without so much wind. and when Little Foot decided he was tired, we headed in. and heading in is so much easier when you're riding with, and not against, the waves. i don't think i was the complete nervous wreck i felt like i was. although watching my husband load and unload the boat nearly gave me conniption fits. i swear he washed out the floor-boards of his truck because he had to back the truck up so far to get the trailer actually into the water! we decided a.) no more trips to the lake in such windy conditions because it's cold, difficult, and not the maximum fun it could be and b.) we'll try again next week. *smiling*

andy has since admitted he knew the trip wouldn't be very fun, but i had been so excited to take the boat out that he was willing to so very hard to give me the chance to get out on the boat. he also admitted that my decision to bring the big blanket was smart. i'm looking forward to a summer full of sun, swimming, and family time!

i'm also looking forward to calling the YMCA tomorrow and getting Hagan into an infant swimming class - FUN! they have a class that starts the 30th i'm hoping to get into...swimming twice a week? with my baby? burning calories, getting out of the house, and soaking up the sun? yes! i'm in! sign me up!

i'm also going to look into the cost of a photography class to take with my best friend kelly. andy's more than willing to let me go, and because my parents are teachers, they can babysit while i'm in class. i'm excited!!

there will also be a 6 month photo shoot coming up soon - it's awesome having best friends who are photographers with mad skillz - who are also willing to use those skillz and help a sister out :)

i discovered i have a cavity/hole in one of my molars today...so in between making other appointments...i'll be calling the dentist tomorrow. everyone hates the dentist. *when it rains, it pours*

<3
~*mandypandy*~

routine? just kidding!!

i am totally loathing this huge 6 month growth spurt! between sickness and this growth spurt i haven't slept since sunday night...and i can feel it. the child i swore would never be in my bed over night has spent the last 2 nights laying in bed with me. i figure, if i'm going to be up every hour, on the hour, to comfort a crying baby, why walk all the way to his room? and i'm not kidding...he stayed up until 11:15 - then i was up at 12:15, 1:20, and at 2:30 i tried to coax him back to sleep, but ended up nursing him instead. then he simply stayed in my bed...why wake him by trying to lay him down in his bed? andy dislikes this because he's such rough sleeper - but i did warn him that there was a baby in the bed. he woke up and heard me and everything. we haven't had this little sleep in months! i guess my super-amazing sleeper has just spoiled me!

and to top it off - we have to go to walmart today. poor walmart shoppers. the rude ones had better stay away from me.

also - today is the 8th anniversary of mine and my husband's first date :) we've been together for 8 years! wow how the time has flown.

<3
~*mandypandy*~

morning niceties

this morning we walked. i was walking every day...then there was a month that i didn't walk...and i've since had a hard time getting back into the routine. we'll have to be morning walkers...considering the heat we're already suffering (and it's only april!). this morning we got up half an hour earlier *gasp!* and Little Foot ate, i got everything ready, and we headed out the front door. it was a nice overcast morning with a cool breeze, which is bound to put anyone in a good mood. as we walked we were greeted by several nice elderly people in our neighborhood. i wasn't pestered by any of the fierce, free-range, chihuahua's that terrorize my neighborhood. and then it happened - i got to watch a few fledgling Mocking Birds practice their skills! they were less than 5 feet away from me. and they were so cute! they were still a little fluffy, and so indignant that there was a witness to their practices *smile*! there was also a woodpecker hanging around, she/he got really close to me too. it was just a sweet walk we enjoyed this morning.

SN - yesterday while driving around a lake in town, i got to watch some osprey's fishing - so cool!

once we got back home i got a bunch of little things done while HP hung out in the exersaucer. it's the little things that make me feel so accomplished these days. i.e.: i got the end tables tidied, a box of obsolete baby toys put into the attic, the house swept, the sweeping pile vacuumed, the dishes all washed, and some other minor daily duties. all before someone got fussy! then i changed him and he's now chilling in his swing asleep. i'm making a blog post, and then i have to bathe. i still can't believe how liberating a bath can be!

yesterday we got up and walked and then we headed to return some library books. mommy got a coffee from the new coffee shop in our tiny little town - which i LOVE! because mister i-don't-need-naps-and-will-fight-against-them-always was asleep, i decided to keep driving. we called his Daddy and found where he was working. we spent some time with Uncle Jim and Daddy and then we hit the BB&B...where we nursed in the parking lot before shopping :) we found what we were looking for...and then found some bonus clothes and pair of shoes for mommy! we had a fun afternoon hanging on his Dr. Seuss quilt and playing with toys, practicing sitting up, and being happy.

i believe i'm going to need to start Hagan-proofing my house pretty soon...i get the feeling that he'll be a little boy who's into everything!

<3
~*mandypandy*~