Back from The Empire State of the South & A Photoshoot

So Lil' A and I made it back from Georgia - which Wikipedia told me is also known as The Empire State of the South (so if you were wondering when we went to New York, we didn't). Long story short - we had a great time! Here's a few superlatives to hopefully condense what could have been a ridiculously long post.

Bram's Favorite Airport Distraction: My Dasani water bottle (the 10 or so books jammed into my backpack for him went untouched).

Best Meal: Pizza from Mellow Mushroom in Augusta. Mmmm.

Latest Development: Bram started saying "doggy" and started pulling up on things while we were there...including the raised crib he was staying in - uh oh!

Cutest newbie: Miss Eliza was as cute as can be. She is a pretty content baby when she is not hungry and currently is sleeping 4.5 hour stretches at night! She needs to teach Bram a lesson in melatonin release.

Most fun, expected event: Mini early birthday party for big boy Bram. My mom and sister's had warned me ahead of time, but Abram got to "open" a bunch of new toys (okay, so I opened them and he ate paper and continued looking for off limits toys like remotes, phones, and cords)! He pretty much got his late summer/fall wardrobe as well. We are so thankful!

Most Life-saving: Praise baby dvds on my phone, on the computer, and on the TV. It was our go-to babysitter when Abram needed containing while I cooked or cleaned or helped with baby E. And it worked wonders. It also worked amazingly during downtime at the airport and on the airplane.

Most Life-Changing: My newest nephew was born, James "Daniel"!

Abe's Favorite Pastimes at Aunt Julie's: cruising around furniture like a pro, clearing off any surface within reach, finding any and all cords including the ones we tried to hide, terrorizing the Morkie, Watson, by grabbing his beard/paws/fur, finding all bits of trash on the floor and treating them as his afternoon snack, talking/grunting loudly whenever baby Eliza made a peep (as if he was talking to her, or frustrated at the crying).

Best Airport helper: The Ergo carrier. This thing saved my back, my shoulders, and my sanity. It was a way to keep my kid contained and safe as we traversed through the airport on foot. It was a way to get him to nap on the airplane. It even got us out of the TSA body screening because I was carrying him in it. Okay, maybe we got out of it just because he was an infant. Whatever the case, having my hands free but also having Abram with me was so nice. I have used it in the airport before, but it made such a difference this time as I was without my hubby. I could go on, but I won't.

Best Welcome Home Present: My hubby went grocery shopping and made us dinner for us to chow on upon our arrival, specifically the Heavenly Homemaker's Cheesy Beef and Rice. And, he fed the baby and cleaned up dinner. It was the best way to come home after a long day of travel!

Most Frustrating Happenings: Mealtimes were stressful as Abram was so incredibly distracted by the baby crying, the dog barking, the other 3 adults there, or just his new high chair for the week. He would arch his back, fling food off his tray, have meltdowns, bat at the spoon causing food to spray all over the dining area, and clench his teeth. I think the kid ate a diet of mostly fruit this past week because it was all I could get in his mouth. Oh well.

Most Surprising Event: Abram was an angel on our last flight of the trip, a late afternoon flight from Atlanta to Baltimore. Seriously. I know he had to have been so wiped out from the terrible nights of sleep we had (he woke up SO MUCH), the early mornings of the week (he woke up 1-2 hours earlier than "normal"), the long day of travel (we had left my sister's place at 8:30am and already had spent 2 hours on a plane and 4 or so in airports), the lack of naps, and the lack of food (he refused the food pouches I had bought him that he loved on the trip down...figures). So here's what he did: I had him content with Praise Baby dvd on my phone until we had to turn off electronic devices before take off. Then I put him facing me in the Ergo Carrier and gave him a paci. Then, he laid his head down on my chest, fully awake. This kid does not do that. He is never still in the Ergo even when he's tired. When he falls asleep in the Ergo, it's after a lot of crying and bouncing and forcing his head down and lulling to sleep. So he laid there fully awake for 20 minutes or so and then fell asleep like that for the duration of the flight. He did not stir until the extra loud announcement to turn off all electronics for landing. And when he did wake up, he was so happy, content to stare at the women behind me and to my left. Smiling, talking, waving, bouncing, standing on my lap. What was so funny to me is that everyone on the flight thought he was so perfectly behaved. If they only knew. We love our kid, but he usually gives us a run for our money every minute of every day. My husband said that it was evidence that there is a God, and that He indeed gives grace. It's true! I am indeed thankful to God though for His grace during our travel days. I was pretty stressed about facing the traveling/flying process alone with my 11 month old, but we came through it better than I could have imagined.

Cutest Moment(s): Walking down by the Savannah River one evening after eating at Mellow Mushroom. Uncle P carried Abram (Baby A's only "guy time" all week) and I got some cute pics of that, while Julie pushed Ellie in the stroller for one of their first outings. Such a picture perfect evening walk. Well, except for the mugginess factor. The walk only lasted about 20 minutes because by that point, we were all drenched in our own sweat.

And, upon my return home, I got some new photos in the mail from a family shoot we did in June. I'm attaching a few of those and I'll post some Georgia-themed photos later.