Father's Day

Dear Abigail - I know one day I won't have to tell you, because you will see if for yourself, but you have the best daddy in the world. He loves you so much. He may not know that I notice, but he lights up every time you enter the room. He even gets sad if you don't notice immediately when he walks in a room. He does such a good job with taking care of you, too - he's even better at putting you to bed than I am. Every morning, he gets to spend a special hour with you while Mommy goes to work. He makes sure to always put Elmo on for you, because he knows you love it. That's big, Abigail. I know he's dying to watch his Sportscenter, because he has it on in our bedroom, but he watches Elmo with you every morning! He also thinks you don't like using the same spoon for your fruit as you use for your veggies/meat. So, when he's feeding you a meal, he always comes prepared with 2 spoons! Whenever you are away (i.e. Memphis), he insists on a picture every day, just to remind him how pretty you are. Then he always gets concerned you won't remember him. How would you forget - he gets on the floor with you and let's you chase him around. Then he lets you put your paci in and out of his mouth, for hours if necessary!! I could go on forever baby girl, but like I said, you know this, you will know this. I am so happy for you to have such a special dad! Oh, and he never makes you wear shoes (as long as I am not around!!). Love you - kiss your daddy every night! He loves you too.

Another week in Memphis

Dear Abigail - You have the best grandparents ever. It's been awhile since I've written to you, but we've been so dern busy!!!! You don't sit still, and I don't just mean how you crawl around everywhere - although that is very very true, still. SO... Mimi came up 2 weekends ago, and tried bringing Em up but she had to stay home because she would miss her mommy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's sweet, but we got to get that girl up here!! I even tried bribing her with a pedicure and she took the bait at first, but then changed her mind later that day. Oh well, we'll keep working on her. You clearly have no issues with leaving your mommy, at least not yet. So, Mimi came up and watched you Saturday night while Mommy and Daddy went to Cookeville for the night. Then on Sunday, the girls went shopping and Mimi found so many good things for your play room. I can't wait for her to come back up so we can finish it - it's going to be so cute. Just don't take a magic marker to all the cute things we're doing, that would break my heart. Anyway, so Mimi then took you home with her!!! That gave me and daddy a couple nights at the house together sans baby. You will learn that means without you one day - in French class maybe... You and Mimi had a ball together. Visiting mammaw, playing with Emily and Aunt Ash Ash and Clara Lee. All the usuals! Then I got in on Wednesday night (after riding in with Miss Leigh and Ryan, who slept 99% of the way and who you need to take lessons from Miss I don't like to sleep long in the car anymore!) - anyway, so I got Mimi immediately had to show me your new trick. Daddy and I didn't believe her over the phone, but I witnessed it live - you totally took 3-4 steps!!! We couldn't get the camera fast enough that night because it was getting close to your bedtime, but don't worry, we got you the next day!!! Of course, it's on Mimi's camera, so i can't upload it just yet! Nonetheless, you walked, several times. And Em taught you how. She kept telling you 'you have to put your feet on the ground first.' And Mimi kept telling you to slow down because you kept getting in such a hurry!

Then Thursday morning we went and got your 9 month pictures with Mr. Phil. You did a pretty good job, although I think you were holding back a little because of Mr. Phil and his big camera - however, i KNOW those pictures will be beautiful, between you and Mr. Phil's high quality work! Thursday after your photo shoot we went to the mall with Papa Rob, who, btw, thought it was insane that i didn't bring a stroller and was going to have to carry you all through the mall. Now, we weren't hard core shopping just running in and getting a present. He held you a little, but he let me know several times when he needed a break. He claims his hips (all mens hips) aren't designed to carry babies. He may of gotten away with that back in the day, but it's 2009 - that doesn't fly!!! ONce we got back to Papa Rob's you were ready to play on the bed. You, my precious dare devil little monkey, LOVE diving head first off the bed, or couch, or really anything. And then you want to do it over and over again! here's a few pics...

After we played on the bed for what seemed like forever, we were all just chit chatting in the living room and we looked up to see you doing this:

It of course, freaked me out, but we let you keep climbing and you climbed all the way to the top without stopping, looking back, or thank goodness, falling! Of course, after that, there was no stopping you and we began playing Guard of the Stairs. Somehow we got you preoccupied with something else...

PEACHES!!!! Man alive you love your peaches!! And don't try to give it to you cut up! You want the whole thing!

Friday we decided to go to the YMCA pool in Millington. Papa Rob took you and Emily and Madison - well, he really just 'took' Emily, but he played with all 3 of you! You of course loved the water (and all the attention) and so did Papa Rob (both water and attention b/c of all his beautiful granddaughters!). When we were worn out from the pool, I started to change you into your dry clothes when I noticed, well, a not so clean diaper - a swimmy diaper! I had never encountered one of those before adn wasn't really sure how to handle the situation. THANKFULLY, Miss Cindy Kraft was there and informed your goofy mommy that the sides of those diapers rip apart, so you don't have to slide the diaper off like a bathing suit bottom. NEVER KNEW! and man, that would have been awful had i gone through with it. Anyway, Miss Cindy then further helped me out by holding a towel so the sun didn't get in the princess' eyes and then washing you off with water (not in teh pool, but over on the side!). I'm going to make you give Miss Cindy a hug one day, for both of us! (oh,and no pics from the pool because i of course left my camera - boo mommy - BOO).

After the pool we hung out at Mimi's house for a bit and then met Sarah for dinner at Mexican. There are also no pics from this, but not because I left my camera. More so because I don't want it documented how terrible you were!!! And everyone was being so nice to you - the waiter kept playing with you and people tapping your cute little head. But no, you fussed and fussed and fussed. Finally I took you home, only to realize it was almost an hour past your bedtime. So, partially blame me, but I'm not letting you fully off the hook missy. Thankfully Sarah knows what a sweet baby you normally are or I would have made her go back to dinner with us the next night!

So... Saturday - another pool day! Mimi took us and Em down to Mammaws for the day and Lynnie came too. OH, and Daddy finally made it in town - you were so excited to see him!

This was your first swimming lesson with Mimi! You had so much fun playing in the water. You splashed a whole lot and then we would sit you on the side of the pool and you would jump in!! We were so amazed at how brave you were! I'm going to have to keep my eye on you missy!!! AFter a few laps, you needed a rest, so you and Em took a little boat ride:

And then after that you really needed a nap, but not before a quick picture with Mimi's baby girls! I know it's hard to tell, but I am being very sarcastic here - it was not quick at all. Not with 3 princesses!!! You all 3 are so darn cute though, aren't you!

AFter you got your short nap, Mommy and Daddy had to leave you with Mimi - we had to. An old friend of ours, Eddie Vedar, was playing a show and we had to go see him... Anyway, i thought "oh, no worries with Abigail, she's with Mimi - she'll be fine." Boy was I mistaken when I saw these photos! I can't believe Mimi let you get on that thing! She claims it was running out of battery and wasn't going very fast at all. Not sure i'm believin'...

I'm keeping my eye on that Mimi of yours, too! All in all it was a great weekend Abby! We got to spend a lot of good times with the family, and it was worth all the hassle of packing and loading, unloading, loading, unloading, driving, etc!!! Like I said, your grandparents ROCK! Love you - and get excited, we're headed right back there in a week for A LOT of family - big Tramel Family Reunion!!!! love love love you.

The Beach - days 3, 4, 5,6 & 7

Dear Abigail - You are such a clever one, my sweet, smart baby, you! I know what you were doing, you were setting me up. You were making things as bad as they could be, getting my expectations so far down for the remainder of the week, then BAM, anything you did, even the slightest bit good, you were praised for it. I don't care - I'll take it. Here's the deal, after that terrible terrible first day, Sunday morning really, you became the perfectest angel. You got a good nap in Sunday afternoon, and after that, you started loving the beach, loving the pool, loving life again! You started sleeping good at night, taking decent naps, and making mommy & daddy's life on vacation so much better - like i said though, maybe it was just that things weren't as bad as that first day. Nonetheless, the vacation go so much better!!! Let's see... Sunday afternoon, we all got to hang on the beach together. You and Ryan got in the pool on the beach while Ellie took a little nap.

If I recall correctly, Sunday night was a little tough with you going to sleep, but nothing like the first night. Actually, Daddy and me let you get in the bed with us for a little bit, probably more than I should share on this blog because someone may yell at me - but you know what, it worked and you slept, and that meant I slept, and that meant we were all happy for the beach the next day! You had so much fun playing with Ryan, or at least playing with Ryan's toys. You were quite the active little girl and kept trying to touch both Ryan and Ellie. We also have to have a lesson in personal space with you - maybe this will come naturally with age, but for right now, you would crawl right up to them and just sit, right on either one of them. You also had a fun time with Mr. Jay - throwing magazines on the ground. He thought he could outlast you and keep picking them up & putting them back on the table, but little did he know you just keep on throwing them. The boys did a good job of setting up your toys at poolside, too, and you really like that! You loved your little float and almost fell asleep in it!

You also like when Ellie got in the pool with you - I'm not sure she liked you there though - once again, hopefully this will change with time.

You learned to say "mamamamamama" this week, and I just loved that. We really think you know who I am now, you even point - sometimes. And you loved clapping - all the time. Miss Erin would just look at you and you'd start cheering! We had such a good time with all of the group, babies and all. You turned out to be a pretty good beach baby. Let's see... you went shopping one day and we got you some new jammies (this pic was taken at home, but you are just so cute in them!!)

and you and Ryan looked so cute in your carseats on the way to and from shopping:

Let's see... you tried papaya for the first time - not sure you just loved it, but nonetheless, you tried it:

Oh, and you loved mommy and daddy's bed. You were quite funny, actually. Everytime we put you on it, you would look at us and take off 'running' to the pillows and just laugh and laugh and laugh. Then I would tickle you and it would get you giggling so much. It was my favorite time, the whole vacation. Even when I was laying on the beach reading while you and Daddy were at the house, napping! That is a close second though!! Once I figure out how to post videos, I'll put that on here. Here are some other pics though - we had such a good time and I can't wait to make many more vacation memories with you and Ellie and Ryan and all the rest of the gang!