Happy Friday!

Going to my first Clemson game this weekend! SO excited!

GO TIGERS!!!!!

 Going to Great Grandma's

Doug's grandmother and aunt in North Georgia were the only people left to meet Callen. We could not find a good time for them to come to Greenville. so we took a road trip to Cumming, GA, this past weekend. Both Grandmom and Aunt Ann were super excited for the little guy to come and visit. This was also Callen's first trip outside South Carolina! Unfortunately, we did not stop at the state line and take a picture with the GA sign.

We spent the afternoon at Grandmom's house hanging out. The weather was pretty rotten, so we weren't able to get outside. No big deal...Grandmom and Ann were ok with holding and playing with Callen. Doug's dad and step mom also drove up from Atlanta for the afternoon. They enjoyed holding and playing with Callen as well. It is always nice to spend time with family, and even better when they are able to play and enjoy Cal. It is amazing to me how such a tiny little baby can make anyone smile and relax no matter what kind of day you are having. They are truly tiny miracles!

Grandmom is amazing...celebrated her 90th birthday this summer and still on the floor playing with her great grandbaby!

Pure joy on her face!

 

 

This is the book we gave to Charley and Linda to tell them we were expecting. Charley quickly named our 'Popcorn Shrimp', 'Muddypaws' because of this book. He wanted a picture with Callen (Muddypaws) and the book Muddypaws

1st Trip to Charleston 

Doug has gone shrimpin' (not shrimping...I have been corrected many times that we go fishin', huntin', shrimpin', etc. There is no 'g' on the end of any of these words!) for close to 20 years with his stepdad, Ken. I have been going out with them for 7 years now. I act more like a cheerleader or shrimp/fish catcher if something falls out into the boat. The boys allow me to throw, but if we had to rely on my catch for dinner, we would all go hungry! 

Opening weekend of bait season was this past weekend, so we packed up and headed to Charleston. (Packing this time was a little different...Doug and I each had a bag, while Callen had 3 plus his stroller, bouncy seat, and play mat. No more jumping in the car and go for us!) Ken, Doug, and myself headed out Friday evening to set up poles and shrimp while Callen stayed behind with his Nana. The conditions weren't all that great for shrimpin', so we headed home fairly early with a fourth to a third cooler full of shrimp. Not what we are used to, but we enjoy getting out there and being on the water most of all. And I am pretty sure Nana enjoyed her one-on-one time with Cal! She had no complaints. 

For those of you that do not know about shrimpin', it is more involved than going out in a boat and throwing a net. There is more to it...both before and after you go out. Doug decided Callen needed to help with the before (making bait balls to attract the shrimp) and the after (popping the heads off the shrimp). Since Callen is too small to wear a life jacket...and he can't stand or walk yet...we excused him from coming out to help catch the shrimp. 

Making bait balls with Doug and Oupa

Popping shrimp heads

Doug was very excited to take Callen shrimpin' this year. The entire time I was pregnant, Callen was referred to as Popcorn Shrimp or just Popcorn. We thought the nickname of Popcorn would stick, but Doug and I hardly call Cal by that name. As he has grown, we have started calling him Jumbo Shrimp!

As always, we had a wonderful trip to Charleston. The weather was perfect, and so much fun to introduce Callen to some of the fun things we like to do when visiting Ken and Jan. 

Hanging out on the veranda and dock in the evening

One of my favorite pics from the weekend. We enjoyed champagne while little man enjoyed his bottle! He fit right in!

The boy can drink some milk...and mom, dad, Nana, and Oupa can drink some champagne!

Enjoying time on the dock. Cal loves to be outside.

Practicing throwing a shrimp net

The net is still a little too big for him, but he will grow into it!

The weekend was too short. Cal enjoyed visiting with Nana and Oupa, and I am pretty positive absolutely certain they enjoyed his visit too!!

Meeting My Uncle Dave

Doug's brother, Dave, lives in Fort Lauderdale, and wanted to wait to come up and meet Callen. We decided it would be best for him to come the first part of September, not knowing when Callen would arrive, and what all would be going on around his birth. This ended up being a perfect weekend for Dave to visit. There haven't been as many visitors coming over, so we were able to spend quality time with Dave. And, Dave was able to have Callen to himself for visiting!!! The time around Cal's birth was so hectic with bringing home a new baby, lots of people wanting to come and visit, and extra people in the house at all times. We were glad Dave waited to come now so we could all have quality time together.

Dave flew into GSP Friday evening. One of the things Doug wanted help with was installing an exhaust fan in Callen's bathroom. Doug is not very good with electrical, and knew Dave would be able to help him. The project ended up taking much more time than originally planned because of the existing electrical in this house. So, most of Saturday and Sunday, and a little Monday morning was spent working on the project. One of the joys of living in an almost 70 year old home! However, Dave was able to spend some good snuggle and play time with Callen even with the project going on. We had a great visit with Dave, and hope he will come back again soon to visit his buddy.

Thanks so much Uncle Dave for coming to visit. You are welcome anytime, and next time no projects will be involved. Only play time with me!

We thought it would be cute to make a 'driver's sign' for Callen to take into the airport to pick up Dave

Doug received lots of comments about the sign and 'Lucky Uncle Dave'

Dave taking Callen off roading!

Cal helping with electrical work. He wasn't too happy to be working!

 

 

Cal's favorite new play toy...Uncle Dave's hair!

GO TIGERS! and HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOUG

All I could think about this weekend was the Johnson and Johnson ad campaign "Having a Baby Changes Everything." 

We had a big weekend planned and were worried how everything was going to take place. We were able to do everything we wanted to do, just 'slightly' altered from our normal ways! On Saturday, we headed to Clemson to tailgate for the Clemson vs. Georgia game. In years past, Doug and I would have been there for the start of College Gameday, and not left campus until well after the game was over. With Callen in tow this year, we decided early on to sell our tickets. We knew the noise and heat of the day would be too much on little man. (Little did I know it would take its toll on us!). However, we still wanted to get out and experience the tailgating and see friends and family that would be there. We made it to campus by noon, and quickly realized it was going to be a HOT day. Poor Callen seemed to be overheating from the start. We soon stripped him down to his orange diaper and walked around campus. It looked like it was going to storm and Cal needed to eat, so we headed to Littlejohn to get out of the rain. We stayed in there for almost an hour while Cal ate and cooled down. It also allowed for the outside temp to cool down and make it better for walking around. We soon went back to the tailgate, visited other friends, and finally decided to head back to Greenville around 5:30pm. We made it home in enough time to get Callen bathed and fed before the game started. Callen even stayed awake to watch the running down the hill and the start of the game. 

He may not have made it into the stadium for his first game, left Clemson before the game started, and fell asleep before the game ended, but this experience was great. Doug and I would not change anything about this day (except maybe the heat!). We were able to tailgate, experience the atmosphere, and best of all, be together as a family for the day. Standing in front of the TV and having Cal in my arms while we watched 'The Most Exciting 25 Seconds In College Football" was priceless. Although we weren't tailgating for 18 hours, watching the game from our seats in the stadium, or in Clemson to celebrate the big win, we wouldn't trade our experience/adventure for anything. This is our new normal, and we love it. Anything we can do with Callen with us is what we want to do!

My first outfit of the day. Orange Clemson onesie. Very cute, but VERY hot!

This is what I ended up wearing. Much cooler!

My first College Gameday

The days of relaxing with an adult beverage are gone...for a while!

Cooling down in Littlejohn

Getting ready for the running down the hill

Doug's Birthday fell on Labor Day this year. All Doug wanted for his birthday was to 'take his boy hiking.' Very easy to please! Instead of driving far away for a hike, we decided to try a trail 10 minutes away at Lake Conestee to see how Callen would do. We put him in a front carrier and headed out. Callen did great and fell asleep quickly while Doug was holding him. However, the humidity was horrible, and Callen quickly started to overheat. We hiked back close to the entrance, sat on a bench, and ate lunch while Cal cooled down. We decided that hiking with Callen would be good as long as there are cooler temps and little to no humidity.

Doug and I are used to driving out of town to do a 5-7 mile hike. We usually make a day of it and hang out on the trail or in the surrounding towns before heading back to Greenville. Our day trip was shortened quite a bit this time because of the weather and its effect on Callen. Maybe a longer hike can be done in October or November. 

 

 

After coming back from the hike walk around Lake Conestee Nature Park, we cooked up a nice dinner for Doug, opened presents, and spent the evening hanging out as a family. This year was not the most action packed birthday for Doug, but he kept saying it was his best birthday ever. That man loves his little boy. He is the happiest when Callen is in his arms or they are playing together on the floor in Callen's room. Such a wonderful sight to see the two of them together. 

We had a great weekend. Definitely not what we are accustomed to, but so wonderful to be making memories with Callen. Having a baby has changed our ways of life, but for the better. Callen is such an amazing addition to our lives, and so much fun. Everyday is a new adventure with our little man.