Pumpkin Patch 2010

Here are the pictures from our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.  This year we got to go with Kayce and Jackson.  So you get a sneak peek of what Emilia will be like with her little brother.  The cows really liked Brian - as usual.  Emilia got to ride the horse which is always one of her favorite things to do.  Thanks, Kayce, for taking the pictures!

23 Weeks

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

22 Weeks

I have not done my updates as I did with Emilia but here is where I am in the pregnancy now.

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

This is not what little Landon looks like.  He is actually the opposite.  His head is up and his feet are down.  Not sure if he will flip or not.  I know he has been like this for at least two weeks now.    Yes - he is standing on my bladder.

20 Week Ultrasound

We had our 20 week ultrasound on October 7th.  It confirmed that we are having a boy - Landon Magee Hall!  We are very excited and very thankful. 

As of tomorrow, I am 22 weeks along so we are on the other side now:)  I have already bought way too many clothes but in that department we are starting over.  We will hopefully find Landon's bedding this weekend and then will decide on the room colors.  He will be here before we know it.

Warriors Wear Pink

Leslie is a friend of a friend.  Please take a moment to watch her video, sign the petition and view her blog.

Warriors Wear Pink from Docent~Prodigy on Vimeo.

ipetitions.com/​petition/​helptrademarkwarriorswearpink/​

warriorswearpinkpromise.blogspot.com

Its A....

School

Emilia started school on September 1st.  The day before we had visiting day and I really think the time we spent in the classroom on that day helped.  She was fairly easy to "drop off" on her first day - at least compared to some of her classmates.  She loves school!  This was the perfect time for her to start.  She goes three mornings a week for now. 



We also bought her a toddler bed and made the transition on the same night she started school.  She is doing pretty good with it.  Emilia is for now officially a BIG GIRL:)

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Emilia

Just a random picture. 

Emilia's First Time Bowling

Emilia was invited to a birthday party for Hannah last month and got to bowl for the first time.  She had so much fun.  Thank you, Hannah, for inviting her to your 6th birthday party!

Bowling

HHI

We got to spend a few days at Sea Pines on Hilton Head again last month.  It is such a family friendly place and we always have a good time!  Thanks for the invite, Catrina and Steve!

Baby Hall #2

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting Baby #2 sometime around February 22, 2011.  I will try to update at least once a month on the growth of the baby.  So far everything is great.  I am thirteen weeks along.  The heat has been making things a little less easy than my first trimester with Emilia was.  I have also had lots of headaches.  Hopefully, this second trimester will be much more fun:)  Regardless, we could not be happier.  Emilia is excited too.  She just wants to know if she can expect a baby brother or baby sister.  I think that part is a little confusing for her.  Hopefully, we will find out sometime next month which to expect.  I have added a ticker at the bottom of the blog for everyone to follow on how far along we are in the pregnancy.

Lindsey Turns 21

Lindsey officially turned 21 on July 22nd.  We celebrated with a party in Charleston on August 1st just before she headed back to New Orleans.

Last Summer Dance Class

Emilia had her last dance class of the summer, and Brian and I were both able to go and watch.  It was a very small class but I think just the right size for her first "drop off" dance class.  She did great and was so proud of herself everytime she did something.  She would run back over to us and say "I did it."  Every day at home, she asks us to turn the music on so she can dance.  I really think dancing is in her blood.  I started taking dance at 2 so she is following in my footsteps.  She will be taking dance in the fall at her school.  Luckily, she will have the same teacher she had this summer. 
Speaking of the fall, she starts school on September 1st and will be going three mornings a week with dance class afterward one day a week.  She is very excited.  I am just not sure that she gets the whole part about being dropped off.  Hopefully, she will adjust as well as she did with dance this summer.

Folly Beach 2010

We have not spent nearly as much time as we normally do at the Magee's beach house this summer.  It has been too darn hot.  There is always next year.  Thank you, Magees for having us out.  We had a great time at the annual party!

July 4th Weekend

We had a very low key July 4th weekend this year.  Emilia and I watched the annual parade in our neighborhood.  We also went to the parade at the Elk's.  Both of these were on July 3rd.  July 4th we spent the day shopping.  Not a typical July 4th weekend for us but it was just as nice.

Emilia's 2 Year Pictures

E's 2 Year Pics

These are Emilia's two year pictures taken by KDS Photography.

Maddox's Dedication Weekend

We traveled to Knoxville for the weekend to celebrate Maddox's baptism.  There was a party on Saturday afternoon complete with bbq, cake and a jump castle.  The dedication was Sunday and then lunch at the Country Club.  It was a great weekend to celebrate Maddox!

Emilia's First Dance Class

On Friday mornings this summer, Emilia is taking dance.  It took her five weeks before she got through one class without crying for Mommy.  She loves it and looks forward to dance school every week now.  She will continue to take dance when school starts in September with the same dance company.

Emilia's Playdate at Her New School

Emilia will be attending a program next school year three days a week from 9-12am.  During the summer, they have playdates on the playground at the school for the kids to hang out with each other.  Here is a picture of Emilia getting ready to meet her new classmates.

It's Official

Today, Maddox Bennett Beck became an official member of the family.  Not that he wasn't already but now he is in the eyes of the court system.  Welcome again, Maddox.  We love you!

Just Another Weekend in Paradise

Not really paradise - actually pretty far from it. I suppose any weekend away, no matter where, is a good weekend though. I got some much needed girl time when some friends and I went up to Myrtle for a little relaxation. We had a wonderful time and should really try to do it more often. Thanks girls! Unfortunately, I have no pictures to share but will post if I get my hands on some that one of the other girls took.
Sunday, we celebrated Vaughn and Victoria's 3rd birthday. As you can see from the pictures, Emilia had a wonderful time. I wish I had actually gotten a picture of her with the birthday girl and boy though. Thanks for letting us celebrate with ya'll!

Twins 3rd Bday Party

Church Picnic

Church Picnic

Daddy helped Uncle Tom and crew cook for the church picnic last Sunday. It was hot but everyone had a great time as usual. There was yummy food, jump castles, cotton candy, sno cones and a fire truck.

Boat Cruise

The Herrin family invited us on a boat cruise around the harbor last weekend. It was Emilia's first boat ride in Charleston believe it or not. We had a wonderful time and really appreciated the invite.

Boat Cruise

Yeah Me!

I don't know how I did it but I got all of the pictures and the videos from Disney on the blog already. We just got back one week ago today. I can't believe it. Enjoy them all and give me feedback on the videos. I don't know if You Tube is the best way to post but it is the only way I could figure out.

Magic Kingdom Video

Hollywood Studios Video

Epcot Video

Chef Mickey's Video

Ohana's Video

Disney World May 2010

We drove down to Orlando on Saturday, May 22nd with my sister, her husband and my two nieces and two nephews. Bright and early Sunday morning we headed to our resort at Disney. We stayed at one of the new Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs. Of course we arrived too early to get in our villa but we were able to check in and head to the Magic Kingdom. We had a really fun and long first day. Emilia loved every ride but I think her favorite might have been It's a Small World. She is still singing that song and the Yo, Ho, Yo, Ho pirate song. She was able to meet Pinnochio, Mickey, Minnie and three of the faries. We ate Dinner at Tony's which is a yummy italian restaurant right when you get in the Magic Kingdom. Somehow we managed to stayed for the fireworks and the nighttime parade, Spectromagic. Believe it or not, we all stayed out until 1am! On Monday, we started at Epcot. Emilia and Reegan made masks while we waited to eat lunch in Mexico. There was also a boat ride inside Mexico that Emilia went on at least two or three times. It is very nice that there are things like that to do when you are waiting on a table. I wish everywhere was so entertaining. We then headed to visit with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy. It was time to go back to the Magic Kingdom for dinner with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore at the Crystal Palace. We started our day Tuesday with an early luch at Hollywood & Vine inside Hollywood Studios. There we danced and took pictures with Handy Manny, Leo, June and Jo Jo. Emilia had a lollipop as big as her face for dessert. After a couple of rides, we got to meet Sully from Monsters, Inc. Luckily we were able to get a Fast Pass for the new Toy Story ride before they ran out. It was an awesome ride. There is no way we would have waited an hour and a half in line to ride it so thank goodness for the Fast Pass. We headed back to our villa fairly early and got in some pool time. Emilia absolutely loves the pool and slides. Our villa had boat transportation to Downtown Disney so we headed over there for a little night time shopping. Unfortunately, so did everyone else so it was a short trip. On Wednesday, Brian, Emilia, Lauren and I went to the Animal Kingdom. We were able to get on the Safari ride first and saw a lot of animals. That afternoon we met back up with everyone else at Epcot for dinner in France with Ratatouille. Thursday morning we had breakfast at Chef Mickey's which is in the Contemporary. Minnie, Mickey, Pluto, Goofy and Donald were there to hang out with us. Although Brian and I had not planned on going to a water park, we decided to join everyone else and go to Blizzard Beach. This might have been the best decision we made all week. Emilia could not get enough of the water and slides. She had a complete meltdown when the park closed and we had to leave. Catrina and Steve got a Polar Patio for all of us and it may have been the second best decision of the week. We had our own area with shade, towels, a locker, stocked cooler and waitress. It was wonderful to have this to come back to every hour or so and to eat lunch. I highly recommend it. Lauren watched the kids that night while the four adults headed to Downtown Disney for dinner and a little relaxation time. We ate at Fulton's Crab House and then got poured down rain on. Once the rain let up, we headed back to the villa. Downtown Disney is nothing like Brian and I remembered it in our younger days. Ohana's was our last Disney meal on Friday morning. Emilia danced with Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch. Brian, Emilia and I headed back to Charleston after that while the Becks stayed another day and a half for more Disney fun. We truly had a wonderful trip and were so fortunate to be able to stay so long. It really let us enjoy all of the parks. We have lots of pictures, video and best of all - memories.

Disney May 2010

Emilia's Second Birthday Party

Disney

We had a wonderful time at Disney last week. I will work on uploading videos and pictures over the next few days.

Emilia's Actual Birthday & Mother's Day

A Birthday Present

Emilia's Birthday Call from Mickey Mouse

Mother's Day 2010

Emilia's birthday fell on Mother's Day this year. She is the best Mother's Day present ever! I love you little E and am so thankful that you are mine.

Mother's Day 2010

Emilia's Birthday Weekend

Yes - Emilia had a birthday weekend not just day. On Friday night, we took her to visit one of her favorite guys - Chuck E Cheese. Both adults (we all love some skee ball, right?) and children had a fun time. Saturday was her official birthday party at West Ashley Park. While it was almost 100 degrees as it was last year for her birthday, everyone had a great time. The location couldn't have been better. Next year though, we are really going to have to talk to Mother Nature about the heat. And I really do like the mini cupcakes but not sure that decorating 70 plus of them will be in the plan for next year. Sunday was Emilia's actual second birthday and yes she did get one more cake to round out the weekend. She is one lucky and loved little girl!
I will be uploading several videos of all of the festivities once I figure out the best way to do it. For now, enjoy the pictures

Playdate with Brennan

Emilia and I went to Alhambra Hall to meet Hollis, Brennan and new baby Finley for a playdate last month. Emilia is one week older than Brennan exactly. I can't even fathom having a newborn already. Hollis is one brave woman:) Here are a few pictures from the fun get together.

April Playdate with Brennan

May is for Birthdays!

We have a lot of birthdays coming up in May - Me, Grandaddy, Emilia, Uncle Jeffrey (30), Poppy and Uncle Kevin (40). So be sure to check back often for lots of pictures of all of the festivities. It is going to be a fun month.

Blue Angels

Blue Angels

Thanks to our good friends Kayce & Jason, we had a great view of the Blue Angels show. While my pictures are not so great due to the fact that the planes fly so fast, I thought I would share them anyway. It was an amazing experience and Emilia really enjoyed it.

Easter 2010

We had a great Easter weekend. Emilia's first Easter egg hunt was actually an Easter egg drop. There were 30,000 plus eggs in a field separated by age group. Then just before time to let all of the kids go grab eggs, a helicopter came and dropped even more eggs. It was so much fun! We went to lunch with Catrina and the kids after that before they headed back to Tennessee. Emilia and I headed off to another egg hunt that afternoon. We missed the actual hunt but were still able to enjoy the festivities. Emilia's favorite part was decorating cookies and playing on the playground. Meeting the Easter bunny was definitely not her favorite part so no pictures of that. On Sunday, Brian and I took some eggs to his aunt's house for a hunt. Emilia is now a professional egg finder. We'll see if her skills hold over until next year.

Easter 2010

Hilton Head Island

HHI

Emilia and I went to Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island for two nights and one day last week to have some fun with her cousins and Aunt Catrina. We had dinner at the Crazy Crab the first night. We walked right outside there which is Harbor Town and Gregg Russell was performing (http://www.greggrussell.com/). I have to confess that I had never heard of him but he was very entertaining for the kids. The next day I rented a bike to join the kids riding theirs. It was so much fun but did make me pretty soar after our 20 minute bike ride turned into an hour because we got lost of course. We ate lunch at the Salty Dog and Emilia got to take some pictures with Jake. After a little shopping at South Beach and seeing the birds, we went to the one heated pool for a little swimming. Thursday night we ate at Harbor Town again and did some more shopping. It was a great little vacay for Emilia and I. I really like Sea Pines and hope to get back there. The Heritage is their next week - They were already setting up when we were there.

KDS Photography Easter Shoots

Kayce did a couple of different shoots for us for Easter this year. The first was of Emilia in her Easter dress. The other was at the Easter Egg Drop. We were able to get some pictures of Maddox and Emilia together during this one. Also, she got a couple of great ones of all of the Beck children. Thank you, Kayce!

Easter 2010

Knoxville 3/16-3/22/10

Emilia and I went to Knoxville for a week to help out after Aunt Catrina had knee surgery. We learned that we - meaning me - are glad that Emilia is an only child right now. We really enjoyed the week but wow four kids plus Emilia is a lot of work and laundry:) Maddox laughed for the first time while we were there and it was such a sweet sound. Uncle Steve put up a swing for Emilia on their swing set and she loved swinging. We went to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate Reegan's 9th birthday. Emilia loves Chuck E. We are looking forward to seeing them again this week as they travel through for Spring Break.

Knoxville March 2010

First CofC Baseball Game

Brian helped cook for the College of Charleston and Alabama baseball teams after the second of three games they played during the first weekend of March. Emilia and I went to help cheer the Cougars on. They did not win the game but we had the best time. Emilia helped load the water in coolers for the players. She ate her new favorite snack - popcorn. She could not get enough of riding what she calls a tractor. Some of the players and coaches even signed a baseball for her. It was a great first CofC baseball game for Emilia. We can't wait to take her to more.

CofC Game

Emilia Playing Golf

Brian is already preparing Emilia to be a golf star. She has her on little plastic set but prefers to use the real thing much more.

Disney Live

Emilia and I went to Disney Live Rockin' Road Show at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. She got to see some of her favorites - Mickey & "Rella." We had a fun time and she got her first Mickey ears! I have to say that I think the popcorn might have been her favorite part. As soon as it was all gone, she was ready to leave. She was asleep in my arms before we left the building. Dancing with Mickey must have worn her out.

Disney Live

NC Weekend Away

NC Weekend

Brian, Emilia & I went to NC for a weekend away in February. It was so nice to get to spend some time together. We really need to do this more often.

Believe It or Not

So believe it or not, we actually had snow in Charleston. It has been 20 years since we have seen anything like this. We had a wonderful time playing in it.

Snow in Charleston

Typical Friday Night

Typical Friday Night

We spend a lot of Friday nights with Emilia's godparents - Uncle Ryan & Aunt Meghan. These are from Emilia loving Uncle Ryan swing her in Mommy's bag.

Surprise Baby Shower

When my sister came in town in January with Maddox, Reegan and Lauren, I threw her a surprise baby shower. Needless to say, she was VERY surprised.

Knoxville Trip

These are from our trip to Knoxville to meet my new nephew and Emilia's new cousin - Maddox Bennett Beck.

Christmas Festivities

Christmas Festivities

Here are pictures from all of our Christmas festivities.

More Emilia Pics by KDS

Here are a few other pictures taken of Emilia by KDS Photography.

Christmas Pics 2009 by KDS Photography

Here are our Christmas Pics taken by Kayce - of course. We took them at Middleton Place. Love them all as I always do!