What a difference a year makes!

If you would have asked me one year ago if I like Apex my answer would have been... I miss Greenville. I have always loved Apex but we just really thought of Greenville as home after living there almost 10 years. It wasn't so much that I missed the town of Greenville but I LOVE the people there. I do miss the college town feel and football season tremendously. We have some great friends there that we miss dearly. On a happy note after living here a year now( its hard to believe this weekend last year we had an almost 5 month old baby and we were packing up the moving truck to move!) I can truly say we LOVE it here. Don't get me wrong it has taken a little bit of time to love it but we have met some really great people and enjoyed getting to know old friends again. If I could move my Greenville friends here I would but now after living in this great town I don't think I want to move again. It is such a great place for young families, it is so safe here, all the schools are wonderful, and it just has that "homey" feel. (not sure if that is a word?) So I wanted to show everyone why we love it so much. Downtown Apex is one of the main reasons. We love walking down there and spending our evenings downtown. That's why we are thrilled about our new house... it is even a closer walk that what we have now. Our new house is just .6 tenths of a mile from Downtown. Now you can spend your nights in downtown Greenville (Josh and I did that probably way too much) but it is not the same family oriented experience. We went downtown tonight for dinner and shopping and there were tons of family and kids out doing the same thing. I got a few stares taking pictures of the stores/restaurants but its ok! I will have to do this again at Christmas because it is so neat that time of year. They have horse and carriage rides and shopping nights and the decorations are precious!

Here is the church where we got married... This is my "home" church that I grew up in. Since we moved back we are going somewhere different but this church is very special to us! It is on the corner of downtown.

I was standing in the church parking lot when I took this. The black awning is the cutest little bakery (they have the best desserts!) Across the street is Anna's pizza and pasta. You can eat inside or out and it is really good.

This would be my child trying to go into the Ice Cream Shop before we went to dinner. He knows what he likes! We love walking downtown when its hot out and getting a special treat. There is also a new frozen yogurt place but I decided not to take pictures of everything or we would be here all day! So I just picked my most favorite places.

Love Love this cute boutique. It has the best clothes and the cool thing about this is they order from New York and big cities but they only order each piece in a S,M, & L. So they get three of each and that is it. So if you see something you like in your size get it because that is the only one they will have and they don't order more. They get new items all the time since they only keep a limited selection.

Two other favorites side by side. On the left is Green Pea Baby... love their baby stuff. It is a little more expensive but all of there clothes and bedding is made from organic fabric. They also have the best toys and puzzles. Tonight we went in and I noticed many expecting moms standing around... they were getting ready to have a cloth diaper class! The store on the right is called "All Booked Up" and it is a used book store.

Here is Wade trying to find some books to bring home. This store is so cute and decorated so well. They even have a little coffee and hot chocolate corner in the back and some great big chairs where you can sit and enjoy a book and a drink! I should be getting paid for all this advertisement!!!!

This is where we eat most of the time. You can eat inside or outside here too. It has a bar area and lots of TVs so it is nice and loud in there. The food and service is great too. We ate here tonight and were so happy there were kids all around us! Wade did pretty good though, he got a little loud while waiting for our check. They have live music Saturday nights but we haven't tried it out yet.

This is Peak City bar and Grill. Apex is called the "Peak of Good Living" hence where they got there name from. This is where we do not take Wade... we go here for date nights or girls nights. Great food but not so much kid friendly. It is quiet and quaint. We always eat inside but they have a really nice outside sitting area under the black awning. The brick building beside this is the Fire Station and Wade loves walking down to look at the fire trucks. If you keep walking down past the fire station there is one more section of shops. We didn't walk down that far but there is a coffee shop, hair salon, pilates studio and some other little shops. Back the other way is La Rancherita a Mexican place that has been here forever and a really cute jewelry and purse store called Surcee. Just didn't get around to taking those pictures but they are both some of our favorites too. Oh I forgot the cute candle/gift shop that I love. They have the neatest stuff there. Great gifts for a special present.

And just because I could not resist. I know I am partial but I just think he is just one of the cutest little kids!! He had a blast running around playing downtown. He even met a cute little girl (an older girl probably 2 or 3) who he gave a high five to and then blushed. I almost died... I have never seen his cheeks turn red before. He got embarrassed after the high five because she was too cute!!

4 Funny Things!

Wade will do something to make me laugh daily but today he has out done himself so I knew I better blog about it because I will look back when he is all grown up and just laugh at my silly boy.

The first thing he has been doing is talking about his balloon. Now let me tell you it has been many weeks since his beloved balloon went to meet Jesus. My poor child is still talking about it today. Every time we get in the car. He starts talking and at least once a day I hear "up up sky" and he pauses and then I hear "baoon" (balloon). Bless his heart he is still upset about letting go of his balloon. Well I made the big mistake of talking about "pappy" (paci) going up up in the sky one day when we get rid of it. Well now he will occasionally say "up up sky" "pappy." So I have stopped talking about getting rid of that because I don't want to upset him anymore. He is so sensitive about these things!!

Speaking of pappy today I just randomly asked him while we were having an in depth conversation what his favorite toy was... well you guessed it. His answer was "pappy."

It is funny what kids pick up on because just today he started saying something new. When we pull up to our house or even when we pulled up at mom and dad's he said "home" with a big smile on his face. I always say this because usually he has about had it in the car seat and I say "Yeah we are home!" I guess we are spending too much time at my parents because he thinks their house is home too.

Finally the last thing he did today made me want to just pick him up and squeeze his sweet face. I always let him sleep with his fan on and after he is asleep I go in and put his thin blanket over him. Well today I guess he was not all the way asleep; I quietly walked in and covered him with his blanket and all of a sudden those big eyes open up and he has this HUGE smile on his face, he didn't say anything just stuck his little arm up in the air and waved at me and then closed his eyes again. Almost like he was saying "oh hi thanks mom." I wanted to just grab him out of the bed but I just let him sleep. Good thing because he slept for 3 hours so I guess he was tired. Most days he sleeps 2 1/2 hours but usually once or twice a week he surprises me with a good 3 hr nap!

Family Time

After we helped Ashley and Zach move a few things we headed down to the lake. It is sad that it is one of our last summer weekends at the lake. We had a good time Saturday just being lazy and going for boat rides. We took the boat to the marina to go get lunch and had a great time. We grilled out for dinner and spent some time down at my aunt's place just hanging out. It was great catching up with everyone.

Sunday we got up and took a quick boat ride and then got ready to head to Josh's grandparents house. We were really excited to see everyone again. We had not seen some of them since Christmas (way too long.) It was a little cooler Sunday which was nice so we mostly stayed outside and played. We all had a great lunch together and just hung out. It is so funny because three years ago there were no little one's around and now there are five. Its funny how things change. I love that Wade has cousins close to his same age. Josh's grandparents have a lot of land and Wade had a blast running around and playing. He was such a sweat ball when we left. We can't wait until we all get to get together again soon. We headed back to Josh's parents house and Peyton and Wade played with the toys there and we got to spend some time with the twins. Its hard to believe they are almost 5 months old. I picked up Rylan and got to hold him for a bit and he was just so sweet and sat with me for about 30 min. It was great to see everyone again. We got pizza for dinner and then we headed back home after supper. What a fun weekend!

 

 

I love these tractor pictures. Wade just had so much fun. I love the one with him and his cousin Peyton. I am so glad they are getting to the age where they can play together. They are too cute. I just love that both of their hair is soaking wet in this picture. They were playing so hard and were so sweaty.

 

 

Last Week

Last week we had a pretty laid back week. We must not have done too much because I can't remember what we did!! I know we spent one morning at the park and had a great time. Wade is getting fearless and will climb up on everything and will even slide down the slides by himself. He also loves to search for rocks. This is one of his new interest these days and loves to throw them. I am trying to teach him rocks are not balls and they will hurt if they hit anyone. He doesn't get it. The park near downtown Apex is great because it is mostly shaded so it feels much cooler. However Wade was still a sweat ball when we left. Here are a few park pictures.

Here he is making me a little nervous about to go down while I am taking the picture. I can't even imagine the things he will be doing 3 months from now.

This one makes me smile... I just see Josh when I look at this picture. This is so something I can see Josh doing. Like Father like son!! The next picture is also a "Josh" picture. Wade has learned to love the remote just like Daddy and loves to pretend or try to change the channel.

Friday we headed to Ashley and Zach's new house to help them move... we were not too much help because they had gotten most things done by the time we got there. Josh was able to help with some of the bigger furniture. Here are some cute pictures of moving time. Wade just loved to play in Zach's grandparents truck... he had a blast.

Here is Ashley taking a much needed break!! Actually I was impressed because she packed up most of her apartment and had everything all ready to move into her new house. We can't believe it is just 6 weeks until their wedding.

Last Weekend

 So I have been in a blogging rut but now I am back. I think it was just called being "lazy." Wade is wearing me out more and more each day (but I love it.) He is just so busy all the time. Last weekend was so much fun. Friday night we went and looked at houses. Our house in Greenville is on the market and we are just starting to look in Apex some. It was fun but we saw nothing we were dying to have. Mom and I got everything all set up Friday afternoon for Ashley's shower before the house hunting began. Ashley and Zach came into town Friday night and we saw them for a little bit before putting wild man to bed. Saturday morning mom and dad and Wade took an overnight trip to the lake. I was sad he was leaving but with Ashley's lingerie shower and girls night it was much easier not to have to worry about him. Plus Josh and Zach got to go to Josh's work and move him into his new office!!  Here are some cute pictures of my wild child trying on his new life jacket. We were talking about going to the lake and needless to say by the look on his face he was not too sad about leaving us!! In the first picture W is showing me how strong he is... he loves to "show his muscle's"

Here are a few pictures from the shower. I did not take my big camera out to dinner but Ashley's friend Maggie took hers and got some really cute one's. We had a little lingerie shower that my cousin Christy and I gave for Ashley. We did this around 4pm at my mom's house and then got ready and headed out to Raleigh. Ashley got some really cute things from her girlfriends. We went to Sullivan's for dinner and it was wonderful. I just love the food there. After dinner Josh and Zach came and picked us up and took us to Rum Runners and we had a blast. It is a piano bar and it is so much fun. We stayed there a couple of hours and then headed back to my parents house where all the girls spent the night. We got up and all had breakfast together and then everyone headed home. I am so glad everyone was able to come and everyone seemed to have a great time!!

Josh and I took advantage of tax free weekend and headed to Stride Rite to get Wade two new pairs of shoes for the fall. I think everyone else in Cary had the same idea because it was packed. We came home and just laid on the couch/chair and thought "Is this what we did before Wade?" I had to work that night but it sure was nice to just relax for a bit before work. We were ready to see our wild man when they got back that night. Luckily he took a late nap in the car so he was awake at 9pm so I got to see him when I got home!!

16 Months

Before I know it I am going to have a one and a half year old. Its hard to believe that Wade is 16 months today. July went by so very fast; it doesn't seem like it could already be August. I have to say I am ready for Fall to get here. It is my favorite. Wade is busy these days and climbing, stepping, or trying to jump on anything in sight. Usually he is trying to stand on his blocks or toys and will say "jump" and step off of them. He hasn't mastered jumping yet (his feet don't leave the ground) but bless his sweet heart he lifts his shoulders and body up and tries hard. He is such a boy and is wide open. Nothing seems to scare him and he is fast so he is keeping me on my toes. He will run full speed at my parents and right off their steps if you don't grab him. His new thing (thanks to my mom) is to make an "obstacle course" inside and climb and slide. She brought his outside slide inside and puts the ottomans around it and he will just climb up the slide onto the chair, jump to the ottomans and continue on down the slide. He also has learned to say "come on" and will grab our fingers and pull us into the kitchen to get a snack. The boy loves to eat. He would eat all day if I don't distract him.

His other new thing is that he has started to recognize places and things in the car. For instance tonight on the way to my parents house he started screaming "Mimi & Pops" when we turned into their neighborhood. He also knows when we go by the high school by there house he is going to see B-Bus (school buses) and says "more b-bus" when he sees the second parking lot full of buses. The one that surprised me the most was... we were driving on hwy 55 past Beaver Creek where Target is and he started screaming "big balls" it took me a minute to realize what he was screaming about and then it clicked... he LOVES the big red ball outside of target. Well what shocked me the most is when he stopped screaming that he said "hot." That is because I tell him they are too hot to touch that way we can get into the store without spending 10 minutes playing outside. It is amazing what kids remember! Here is what else he is up to:
-weighs 24.5lbs
-size 3-4 diapers
-12-18mo clothes
-sleeps 11-12 hours at night
-takes one good nap 2.5-3hrs a day after lunch
-has really started loving his "pappy" (paci) and would prefer having two at a time (he only gets them in the car or in bed)
-talking a mile a minute and can count to three
-knows his name (it is so cute how he says it "ade")
-will point to our entire family and name everyone
-can say "love you" and it melts our heart
-loves to try to sing and loves dancing
-still loves to hit things or people with his golf clubs
-going to Lowe's or Home Depot with Daddy is top on his list
-still in love with lawnmowers, golf carts, trucks etc
-really loves Charlie and Riley and loves to give them hugs
-loves to read and to play blocks with Daddy
-is obsessed with getting graham crackers at my parents house
-says "mine" and knows what he means, says "oh man" and it cracks me up
-now says "out" "up" and "down" when he wants something
-would rather drink out of a cup and straw like a big boy
- says "bite" when he wants something we have or some of our drink

I know I am forgetting things... he is just precious and we are so thankful he is healthy and growing. Some days he wears me out and goes to time out way too much but when he looks up and smiles with those big dimples it just makes everything ok. Except for today I said "give mommy a kiss" he looked right at me and hit me right in the face. I was not happy at all. I had to turn my head and laugh because after he did it he looked at me and smiled so big like he just gave me the biggest kiss ever. After I laughed we went back to time out for the 3rd or 4th time today! The other three times were for throwing dog food all over the floor!!

Two other funny things I forgot to mention: a couple of weeks ago we were having a conversation at my mom's house and I said "Wade do you want to go with Momma to the gym daycare?" Well I should have known the answer but he looked at me and said "No Momma" and then said "Mimi" Well I guess you know how that ended... he stayed with my mom! A day or two later we were at our house and I had a can of Almonds sitting on the couch. Well he picked them up to play with them and was carrying it around. A minute later he walked over to me and says "Mimi" I just figured he wanted to see her but he kept saying it over and over and pointing to the almonds. I just busted out laughing. If you know my mom she always eats a low carb diet and eats tons of nuts/almond all the time. There is always a can in her car or around her. I couldn't believe he put the two together. She got a kick out of that story!

Long Week!

So after an extremely long week of being sick we finally ventured out on Friday. I looked at Wade and looked at our house (which was destroyed) and said we need to go somewhere!!! I was about to go stir crazy in our little house. So we packed up and went to Chick-fil-a and met my cousin for lunch. We are finally feeling better. Wade still has a cough and I still have a lot of congestion and an occasional sore throat but overall we are good. So we had lunch and then did a little shopping. I took Wade to Old Navy, Home Goods and then we headed to Borders to play/look at books. Wade was so cute in Old Navy. I tried on 3 dresses and took him in his stroller in my dressing room. We don't do this much but I would ask him if he liked Mommy's dress each time I tried one on. Well the first one he said "no" and the second and third one he said yes. So I held out 2 & 3 and he picked out 3 so we went with that. I couldn't believe he told me "no" about the 1st one. I just had to agree and laugh at him! He loved Borders... he would grab books and toys and he just had a blast. We went home for a nap and to clean our house and we both felt much better after getting out.

Josh has worked so hard all week with hardly any sleep. He even had to fly to Atlanta for a big meeting (we are very proud of Josh he is doing so well at work!) and so that just added to him being exhausted. Anyways his boss realized how much he did last week and let him leave at 2pm on Friday. Talk about one happy mom. So we went to look at a couple of houses (we are in the process of house hunting since ours is on the market) while Wade took a nap. My dad came over to sit with him so we could actually take our time and really look. Once we got home I had to wake him up because it was 430pm and knew he would not sleep that night if he slept any later. Well of course he was grumpy once I woke him up so we decided to have a family fun night! We took Wade to Monkey Joe's; (note to self never go there again without Josh) it was so much easier with both of us there and Wade had a blast. He was a ball of sweat when we left. We only stayed for an hour but the hour we were there was great because it was not crowded at all. He was even braver this time and doing more on his own. He tends to scare me a little going down those huge slides.