Busy Summer and Busy Baby

It's been a few months since the last post and there is a ton to catch up on. We've had a busy summer and things look to stay that way into the fall. Sophie has begun to crawl and express herself more and more everyday. Dada and Mama have become part of her vocabulary, along with giggles and screams of joy anytime she sees Maddie. She has also become quite the jumper and dancer.

Summer started early for us with a trip to Carolina Beach the week before Memorial Day to help Mommy relax after starting her new job with Corning. June brought my first Father's Day with Sophie and Alli treating me to a homemade breakfast and relaxing day that included Grammy and Grampy Breeding. We ended the month visiting friends in Hickory and celebrating the 30th birthday of Charlie Zagaroli. He's all grown up now folks.

The last month and half has been action packed on all fronts. July started with a trip to Delaware to visit family and friends over the 4th of July. Sophie and Maddie were in their element. Maddie got to stretch her legs in wide open spaces and Sophie got to show off her smile and two new teeth. Sophie's love of the water grew as she got to swim in Uncle Butch's pool and try out her new float. We loved spending time with everyone at the cookout and catching up.

After that, it was back to the grindstone for Mommy and Daddy.

The end of July closed with a boys trip to NJ/NY. Rich, Sean, Caps and I set out to win riches and live the city lifestyle. We ended up realizing we like the slower pace of North Carolina and the friendliness that the South brings. However, we made the most of our three days by gambling in Atlantic City, watching Bruce Springsteen perform at the Meadowlands and taking in our last Yankee game at the original Yankee Stadium.

There's a few thoughts from the trip that I'd like to share. Atlantic City was fun, but one night was plenty. If you've ever had a Nathan's hot dog, Burger King Whopper, KFC mashed potatoes and a chocolate milk for breakfast, you have more in common with Sean Gill than you know. Seeing Bruce Springsteen live is the only way to truly experience his music. Add in the 60,000+ at the Meadowlands singing the chorus to "Badlands" over and over to get an encore and you've seen the best live show ever. Yankee Stadium isn't beautiful, it's breathtaking. Walking out of the tunnel from the concourse and laying your eyes on the same field where Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and so many others played makes you feel like a little kid all over again. I can only hope that Sophie will one day have that kind of connection with something she loves so much.

I was lucky, as the boys limped into work that next Monday, I sat in a beach chair at the Outer Banks drinking a cold beer. I got home that Saturday, packed up Alli, Sophie, Maddie and myself and headed to the coast for a week with the family. We were joined by the Breeding and Dillard grandparents for a relaxing week no one wanted to end. Sophie got her first taste of the beach life and ocean. She was hesitent about the waves, but warmed up to them by the end of the week. I'm sure she'll be running out into the waves in no time with Daddy running after telling her to be careful. Maddie was extremely excited as she got in the ocean for the first time in years. She definitely didn't want to leave and certainly didn't listen to Daddy when he asked her to be careful.

So here we are with schools back in session and Fall just around the corner. Sophie is working with six teeth now and has somehow learned how to shake her head no. She continues to leave her mark on Daddy's heart. Mommy and her went this weekend to throw Aunt Carla a baby shower and by all reports it was a hit. However, it just wasn't the same around the house without them. Sure, it was great on Saturday morning when I was able to get up at my own pace and sit on the back porch having breakfast and reading the paper. Yet once that was over, I wondered what to do. I wondered what Alli and Sophie were doing. Were they having a good time without me? What did I do in this situation before Sophie? I missed them. Luckily, they weren't gone for long and I got my two favorite smiling faces back home.

Looking forward to the Fall and all the new things that fatherhood brings. Take care and enjoy your favorite smilng faces.