We have been extremely negligent with regard to updating the blog, so hopefully I can do some frequent posting over the next few weeks to get back on track. Moving, starting a new job and looking for a house can do a number on your free time.
First and foremost, we are really excited to be back in Winston-Salem. There is something great about being able to raise your children in your hometown. Molly and I both miss Washington quite a bit – we knew that we would – but we are excited to start our life down here in North Carolina. The move was rather uneventful, no major catastrophes or flaming moving trucks (sorry Sean). We were there one day and gone the next. We drove out of town without looking back. We knew that if we had decided to take one last tour of the city, it would have just made things more difficult for us. We simply jumped on I-95 and drove home.
So far we have noticed many changes in our new life, some good and some bad. We have definitely had our fair share of “OMG, what have we done?” moments, but in the end we feel like we made the right decision. I think that once we actually find a house – something that is taking us much longer than we anticipated – we will unpack, settle in and feel more at home. We miss the diversity and excitement that Washington tendered, but we are glad to have the space and familiarity of North Carolina.
Mary Grace started school the week we moved into town. She goes to Saint Paul’s every Monday and Tuesday morning, and so far she seems to love it. She is learning sign language, something that is very popular these days. Babies are taught sign language so that they can communicate with their parents prior to talking, it is really cool. She mainly breaks out her new party trick when she wants more food. Mary Grace has been relatively hesitant to eat table food, but has come on strong in the past few weeks. She has a nice set of chompers, four on the top and four on the bottom, and she loves using them. This past weekend she enjoyed some grits for the first time, but she mainly sticks with steamed vegetables, cheerios and goldfish. She is still nursing, so she has yet to view table food as the staple of her diet.
Walking is imminent; we can tell it is right around the corner. Mary Grace isn’t going to crawl, but she has never really wanted to. She just scoots around on her bottom, and she is really fast and efficient so we never thought that she would take to crawling. She has been pulling up a lot lately, but still has some difficulty due to her left hand. When we stand her up and hold her hands she takes little steps and seems to know what she is supposed to do, so the desire is there.
She is starting to remind me of her cousin James, a lot. She has many of the same mannerisms and it is so cute to see her do things that I remember James doing a couple of years ago. Hopefully we will be able to get Mary Grace together with all of her cousins soon, she misses them. She loves being able to see her Geegee and Poppie every day, and is making up for lost time with Molly's cousin Janie, who is apparently Mary Grace's new idol. She gets stars in her eyes every time Janie comes to visit.
We left Mary Grace for the very first time last weekend when we went to Nashville for a wedding. Grandma and Grandpa came to stay with her, and she must have had a blast because I don’t think she even knew we were gone. It was apparent that it was much harder on her parents than it was on her, but it was a milestone for all of us.
Here are a few pictures from our first two weeks in the Camel City:
The Pumpkin Patch.
Getting excited for her first Halloween.
Picking out the perfect pumpkin.
"Daddy, I think I found one!"
Trying to eat the stem.
She ended up choosing the tall, skinny pumpkin.
She knocked it down; we considered that her seal of approval.
At the Dixie Classic Fair with Janie and Ann Bennett.
Pointing at the cotton candy.
Tasting the cotton candy (she devoured it).
At the petting zoo with Mommy.
Only Winston-Salem would have a camel at the petting zoo.
Playing with Mary Brooks.
Hanging out with her homeboy Jack Wall.
