Ride 'em, Cowboy!!

Wanted: Brantley the Kid

Height: 25 inches

Weight: 17 lbs (with diaper)

Eyes: Baby blue

Hair: barely, with rub ring in back

Proceed with caution when approaching from either end.

He is likely armed and dangerous.

Known as the fastest measuring cup or spinny mirror draw east of the Mississippi.

When Brantley is not playing cowboys, he likes to pretend to be a magician. Here he is caught red handed in his vanishing act. This occasion, we left the room, and to our panic, later discovered the room void of our baby. He, however, has learn to multi-roll until he gets under the nearest shelter, i.e. his crib. The dust ruffles are meant to keep out dust, but not a baby boy with much momentum.

Here is Brantley's first lone swing ride. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself, but he is still a little small for the crotch-bucket seat.

At the outdoor movie, Baby Bear and Daddy both exhibit their patented postprandial glaze-out.

Brantley's Friends

I am a little behind on posting these pictures form our play dates two weeks ago.

Brantley, Ryan, and Jake Now.

Jake, Ryan and Brantley almost 6 months ago. How they have grown. It has been so much fun to watch them grow.

Ryan admiring Jake's ability to get his mouth around the blue ring.

Porter's Mommy let Brantley take a bath with him and we all had so much fun.

Thanks for being my friends.

Brantley loves some sweet potatoes and avocado. He is growing so fast.

This is how I found Brantley when I checked on him the other night. He is now sleeping with his butt up.
I always find him in the corner of his bed. Guess he is going to take after me.

Bubble Bath Time

Bath time look-alikesThis is obviously an homage to the King....

With a little help from Mama, Lil' B tries to pull off Elvis's patented snarl. Thank ya, thankyaverymuch.

" I pity the fool who don't know I'm on the A-Team!"

Mommy has been telling me about George Washington, but there are too many Georges to keep up with.


Brantley has left the bathtub.

Two Of The Best Years Of My Life

Has it really been two years? Times flies when your in love. In one way, it feels like yesterday when we were standing here trying very hard not to look at one another before we walked down the isle . Then on the other hand it feels likes so long ago, because I can't remember my life with out him. I love and respect him more every day. Brantley and I are two of the luckiest people alive.

Thanks Ryan for loving me so much!!!!

I wanted to pull him around that corner and kiss him so badly.

What a sweet memory.

Still smiling!

Many more years to come!!!!!!!!!

Brantley is Five Months

Brantley is getting so big, too fast. He likes to try and hold his bottle, but sometimes he gets excited and puts it in his nose.

Brantley has been trying to roll over for about three weeks. He made his first official all-the-way over roll on our trip to Tennessee. He is now rolling all over the place. Yesterday, I put him down on his play mat and walked out of the room; when I came back into the room, I found that he had rolled all the way off the mat, off the rug, and was trying to scoot around on the hardwood floor.

Our First Family Vacation

For our first family vacation, we all loaded up and went to Gatlinburg, TN and the Smokey Mountains. The weather was great and it was a fabulous experience for us. Although, taking a 5 month old on a few day vacation is quite a challenge, but worth every minute.

Brantley and Mommy under a beautiful backdrop

Ryan had planned a few hours for me to go shopping. It is funny how shopping now just turns

into buying for Ryan and Brantley( mostly Brantley).

-------------
One of the favorite spots on our trip was the Aquarium.

Brantley was very intrigued by all of the bright colors and movements of the jellies.

They had a number of huge sharks in the underwater tunnel. Check out the multiple rows of teeth!!!

Our little Kangaroo kid

-----------------
Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede.

We thought that a dinner show would be lots of fun, but we did not know that the Dixie Stampede did not serve silverware. It was all eat with your hands...which proved a bit cumbersome when holding a squirming 5 month old.

Our favorite part was the world-famous pig races...that's right, pig.

Brantley would not sit still during the show and got pretty fussy...finally, we just gave up and laid him down on the floor at the Dixie Stampede, and he was as happy and content as possible. Lesson learned -- when in doubt, put him on the floor.

---------------------

The final day of our trip, I thought it would be fun to have a nice, relaxing drive through the Smokey Mountain Nat'l Park. I went on Google Maps and Nat'l Park maps website to find a route that was on the way towards home. I found (what I thought was) the perfect road that ran through the Smokies and brought us out onto a main hwy. Well, let's just say this was what the Nat'l Parks call a "Primitive Road." Which are great for seeing nature and riding a Moped down, but not for blazing through on the way home with five hours of driving still ahead. We laugh now, but it was quite frightening and VERY tense for a little while. It took us nearly an hour to drive eight miles on this glorified walking trail.


As you can see here, we did not cross over creeks...they crossed over us. Luckily, we had just purchased new tires :)