Trips down South

1st of all my baby is 4 months old! When did that happen? Also.... didn't anyone tell him how to sleep? At the very least, he is so stinkin cute, when he smiles at you at 4am you can't help but love him :)

The past couple of weeks Dean and I went on a fun  adventure! Our first airplane trip together! We went to NC to visit family and friends! Escape the cold MN :)

Airplanes are FUN!

We had such a good time in NC! We got to see extended family, spend time with my parents, and we had a homecoming reunion with my "suities". We got to celebrate Andrea and her coming baby DAVIS and enjoyed a WIN for WFU football! Unfortunately we just missed Paul and Susan's new home and move, but Paul did stop by for a night before he moved into his new home! We sure do miss them here in MN!

 He sure is loved in NC! We are glad to be back home though, and Mark can't believe how much bigger and more like a real person he seems :) He LOVES to smile, especially at his daddy, and is so much more interactive and fun! He's getting past his cranky faze, and once that kid can sleep... he'll be perfect :) Just kidding, kind of.

Now it's time to just enjoy fall in Minnesota. I'm trying to really enjoy these last 2 weeks of maternity leave, and am honestly somewhat dreading going back to school. Don't get me wrong, I love my school, and I'm excited to job share and only work part-time, and to teach 3rd grade... But I'd never thought I'd be one of those moms who likes to stay at home with their kid! I think it helps that I've been teaching lots of fitness classes, so I still get some breaks and feel like I'm working, but still get to spend so much time with the little guy!

Since it's fall that means apple picking, pumpkins, halloween, Harvest Fests and more!

Summer Ends School Starts

Today I can definitely tell fall is coming. As I sit watching the Vikings with my guys and feel the cool air blow in from the open window, I am just dreaming of pumpkin goodies and fall decorations.

Accordingly, school has begun and I am now a stay at home mom, until MEA. I have to say I'm very thankful for this decision. Many of you know, but Dean has decided to regress a bit in sleep, which is apparently quite common especially during a growth spurt. He is now 3 months old, and growing every day, so I'm sure that's the cause. However, I do miss a night of sleeping more than 3 hours in a row. Soon I'm sure, but for now I'm thankful that the only work I'm doing is teaching fitness classes.

Lucky for us though, even though we're sleep deprived and tired, Dean is becoming more fun every day! He loves to sit in his Bumbo chair, stick his hands in his mouth, play with his saucer and go for walks. He smiles and coo and occasionally we even hear a giggle. And no big deal but he rolled over 3 times this week (smartest kid ever of course!).

 The end of summer is also bittersweet. It means that in a week I will be heading to NC with my sweet little guy, letting him see all my extended family, my friends and WATCH A WFU FOOTBALL GAME! It's our 5 year reunion and most of my friends are coming back to town to celebrate the homecoming! I'm SOOO excited! It will be a little hard for Deanie and me without Mark, and I know 2 weeks away will be hard for him too, but I know everyone in NC is excited!

The end of summer is sad in that my brother and Susan are moving at the end of this month. We are excited for them because of the opportunities that they are being given, but I know Deanie will miss his little Henry :/

The end of summer also marks an end to boating on the river, market fest concerts, trips up North and Big Brother... (did I just admit my love of crappy reality tv on here... I guess so) But we are happy for the memories that we shared in this first summer of Dean's life. He got to ride in a boat, wear a life vest and "camp" on the St. Croix as a final hurrah.

But for now, the nostalgia of summer must end because the Vikings are on, and they are "my favorite team" :) Right Mark? So let's GOOO Vikings! Beat the Rams!