A big girl first...

Since spotting Ruth Ann's first two teeth I've started doing some research about when to begin oral hygenie. I was shocked to discover that I should be brushing her gums and tongue by now. So tonight I went to Target to get Ruth Ann's first tooth brush and sat down to brush her teeth for the first time...



One of the only things Ruth Ann does on command is that when asked where her tongue is she will stick out her tongue. That came in handy tonight...





I have another "Big Girl First" planned for tomorrow afternoon...you'll have to stay tuned to see what I have planned!

Happy Halloween

The good news is Halloween outfits are super cute...the bad news is you can only wear them for a few weeks. Here is one of my favorites...



And of course Ruth Ann has to have a matching bow...

Ruth Ann and Ada

Toni and Ada came to Lexington last weekend. Saturday night we had a pizza dinner and watched the girls play. Here's are the highlights...

At the South Carolina State Fair...

Oh delicious corn dogs, how I've missed you...

Every fall the South Carolina State Fair rolls into town. When I was younger this meant a day out of school...aka Fair Day...thank you South Carolina public education system...where a hand stamp allowed you to ride whatever ride your heart desired as many times as you tummy could stand it.



Now as an adult the fair means one thing to me...a corn dog, Fiske fries and an elephant ear...okay, that's actually 3 things, but they're 3 very delicious things. I would rather eat my way through the fair now, so riding is the last thing on my mind as I stroll the fair grounds. A few years ago the fair began allowing you to visit the fair for lunch only. You pay $5 to get in for 2 hours to eat lunch and if you're out of the fair grounds by 2pm you get your $5 back...perfect! These year Ruth Ann and I visited the fair with our friends Brantley, Mason & Roper. Let the feasting begin...







Now if you're a mother who strives to feed your children only the healthiest food money can buy...you may want to turn your head for these next pictures. What kinda of cruel mother would I have been to deny Ruth Ann the opportunity to experience fair cuisine??





Okay, I didn't exactly share my corn dog with her, but she did eat her "fair" share of fries...with vinegar of course!



Mason eagerly looked forward to riding a few of the rides before we had to leave...





Ruth Ann was very unhappy to hear that it will be another year before she can enjoy the rides too...



Roper didn't care...he still doesn't have a care in the world...he was sweet and content the entire time we were there...



While Brantley and Mason rode the carousel it began to rain. Unfortunately this meant I wasn't able to get the delicious elephant ear I had been dreaming about. Perhaps it was Divine intervention reminding me that my thighs didn't need that elephant ear this year...oh well, I look forward to one next year come rain or shine!

A better look

I was outside getting some pictures of Ruth Ann when I got a better picture of her two little teeth...



I can't believe how fast this little girl is growing up. I'm also starting to understand why parents allow their kids to keep pacies for years after it's really needed. Without her pacie Ruth Ann looks like such a big girl...





But then you pop that pacie in...





And like magic, I have a baby girl again. Don't read this wrong, she won't have a pacie for years and years, but she sure is cute while she uses one now!

Ruth Ann's first tailgate

The nursery rhyme "Rain, rain go away. Come again another day" should probably be the title of this post. My college roommate Candi flew East for the Auburn/Kentucky game last weekend. I had looked forward to tailgating with her and her family for weeks...and it was cold, windy & rainy. I could have dealt with the cold & wind, but when the rain started it was time to pack up my 10 month old and head indoors.

Luckily we took some pictures at Samford Hall the day before...

These are Candi's kids & her nephew Aaron (Aaron's mom, Wendy, was also one of my roommate's in college). Such good lookin' kids!



Here's Ruth Ann in front of Samford Hall. One day we'll take her picture in her cap & gown in front of this same building.



Here are Candi's parents with all their grand kids.



Reagan was so sweet with Ruth Ann...but she is just an all around sweet little girl.



And Landon couldn't resist getting to sit next to a pretty little girl.



Here are some old friends with some new friends.





Saturday was very cold...as you can tell by these pictures. And it being the first time I have had Ruth Ann in the cold this Fall I wasn't completely prepared...I forgot a hat...have no fear, there is now a winter hat in the car that will be ready if & when we need it again. Candi's family tailgates in style so we had heated campers we could sit in to escape the cold...but I still got some pictures outside to remember her first tailgate...





Here are some of the good lookin' kids at tailgate...

Landon



Reagan



Hudson (His mom is my friend Melanie, who is also Candi's cousin)



Someone else (aka Candi) also forgot her hat and had to borrow her kindergartner's hat...



And at a tailgate the truck bed of a Z71 also makes the perfect Pack & Play for wild man Hudson!



He makes this truck look good!



And he loves his Mimi!



We tried to play to distract ourselves from just how cold it really was...







But no amount of playing could keep the rain drops away, so once we felt the first drops of rain Andrea & I loaded up and took Ruth Ann & Anna back home.

I had no plans of going to the football game...not because of the cold and not because of the late start, but because I'm simply not brave enough to take Ruth Ann to a football game as a single parent. Daddy needs to be with us to tackle that kind of event! One of my favorite things about a late starting football game is that it insures you can eat where ever you want for dinner and you don't have to battle the crowds. So we met my friend Amanda and her husband and little boy (Asher) for dinner at Niffer's. Here's Asher showing off his best "Touchdown Auburn"....



Too bad the Tigers couldn't have done a little more of this and not lost to Kentucky...please, who losses to Kentucky...sorry Jeannie, no offense, but it is football season. I fully expect the Wildcats to beat us up and down the basketball court, but never the football field!

Ruth Ann meets Baby Kate

Last week Ruth Ann & I did a little bit of traveling to visit some of my old friends in Alabama so she could make some new friends. Erin, my roommate when I first moved back to Columbia, lives in Montgomery. Even though I go to Auburn several times a year, I don't always drive that extra hour down I-85 to visit her often enough...so this trip I decided what was one more hour when I had already driven 4 1/2. We had such a good time visiting. Kate, or Baby Kate as she is often called, is the such a sweet and kind little girl....but if you know Erin, who is one of the kindest people I know, you would expect nothing different from her little look alike. Kate is going to be a big sister in about 8 short weeks so she got a chance to play big sister with Ruth Ann for a little while. Baby Kate is going to be a fantastic big sister.

We arrived Wednesday evening and Kate had all her old baby toys out for Ruth Ann to entertain herself with...



Then Thursday morning we went to gymnastics to watch Kate show off her moves...she did a great job! It was so cute watching her turn flips or hang from the rings...Ruth Ann will be signed up for gymnastics in just a few years!









While Kate had class Ruth Ann and I played with some of the other gym toys...



Here is Erin & Ruth Ann. Much like myself Erin has forbidden pictures during pregnancy...I managed to get one and I think she looks great!



Then it was time to say good bye...for now...we'll be back soon so we can meet Baby Evan!