Day 159

Well, I know we said a post a day might not happen, but Colton has some bragging to do. First, he wants to report that his babysitter commented that mom "does not know how good of a baby he is" and that he is "truly fantastic." Mom did in fact know both of those things, but it was really nice to hear it, especially from someone who has seen so many babies over her lifetime! Colton also wanted to report that the JCC babysitter texted mom today to say that she misses him; I mean, seriously, could this baby be any more loved? Finally, Colton wanted to show everyone his picture from last night. This early morning thing coupled with all the excitement at the baby sitter's (those kids are so much fun to watch) knocked our baby boy out at 7:15, right in the middle of his bottle!

Day 158

Well, today was finally the day...the day Colton (and mom especially) have been dreading...the day that mom had to return to work full-time and Colton ventured to the babysitter's house for the first time. Aside from a clear aversion to the earlier wake up time, Colton seemed unfazed by the new routine. The babysitter reported that he was wonderful (we already knew that, of course), and he came home to have family play time and eat some apples with dad. Mom, on the other hand, is still a little wary of the new arrangement. After a little breakdown upon leaving baboo, she managed to get herself together, but was sure to be there promptly at 3:30 to pick him up. With our new schedule, the blog may suffer a bit; I am sure you all will understand if there is not a post daily:)

Colton's first day of school picture!

Day 157

Colton was so excited to wake up at his own house today, and especially to spend the day with his brother instead of travelling in the car. He clearly had grown a little tired of his car seat and being restrained and spent most of the day squirming around, jumping in his bouncer, and mastering sitting up. As mom and dad worked hard on their fantasy football drafts, Meme and Papa stopped by for a visit. They were very excited to feel Colton's first tooth poking through his gums (there's not enough of it to really see yet, but we will be sure to post a picture when there is!). After dinner, Colton got ready to go to sleep early, as tomorrow begins his first day of the new routine, including a much earlier wake up time. Wish us luck (I think mom needs it much more than Colton)

Day 156

With summer quickly coming to a close (boo!), Colton was anxious to get back home to Va. Beach today and tackle his long list of tasks to do. He woke up and hit the road, getting to ride on the infamous ferry one more time. After a couple stops...one at Aunt Sandi's and then again for lunch at the Kill Devils Grill...Colton arrived home around 2 and was VERY thankful to get out of the car and be able to squirm. In fact, when mom and dad tried to go to dinner later, Colton was clearly miffed at the notion of spending more time in his car seat and was not very anxious to make the trip easy! Needless to say, dinner was quick, and afterwards, Colton was home for the rest of the night to move around all that he wanted.

Day 155

Colton woke up (at 8 AM...we must have worn baboo out the night before) in beautiful Ocracoke. After a morning bottle with mom on the balcony, he let mom and dad go to breakfast at the Pony Island Restaurant. While there, he really enjoyed playing with all the creamers and jellies (oh yes, dining out with Colton is certainly becoming more exciting!). With breakfast complete, it was off to the beach for the day. Ocracoke's beach is beautiful, especially with the wind blowing and slightly overcast skies. Colton loved hanging out, eating seaweed and sand, and playing in the water with mom and dad. With dad's beach patience running thin, Colton left the beach and did some island shopping before going back to the hotel for a nap. At night, Colton went back to Howard's Pub's deck for the view and drinks before going to the Back Porch for a wonderful dinner. Although Colton was fighting sleep the whole time, he was quite the hit at the restaurant, especially later when he ran into his cousin Mary and a flock of women who were eager to get their hands on him! With all that excitement, Colton was ready for bed, so mom and dad headed back to the hotel and put baby boy to bed for the night:)

Day 154

Have no fear, Colton is back from his vacation and ready to report on his last couple days' activities, including his 5 MONTH BIRTHDAY today Colton celebrated in style by hitting the road for Ocracoke bright and early in the morning. On the way down, Colton slept most of the way, but woke up with a vengence, so mom and dad made a pit stop at Aunt Sandi's in Hatteras to feed a very hungry Colton. The stop proved to be really beneficial because Aunt Sandi also gave mom and dad a ferry priority pass that allowed them to bypass the 2 hour wait. For those of you that don't know, Ocracoke is an island in the southern Outer Banks; it is only accessible by ferry, so we loaded the car on to the boat and set sail!

Once arriving in Ocracoke, Colton was quick to explore the small island and get a quick bite at Jolly Rogers on the water. After heading back to the hotel to freshen up, he was off to Howard's Pub for some drinks and dinner before hitting the sack for the night.

Day 153

Further proof that we have the world's best baby? Colton went with mom today to get a pedicure, and sat in his chair and then in her lap perfectly the whole time. Other than that highlight, today was a bittersweet day for mom and Colton. It was the last day Colton and mom would be able to share their routine that they have grown so fond of over the last 5 months: tomorrow the family is going on vacation, and sadly mom returns to work. Colton hung in there as he went on his morning JCC run (the ladies there were very sad that they might not see him for awhile) and then ran some errands with mom. After the pedicure, he stopped by the office to pick up some papers from dad and was lucky enough to run into Meme and Papa there. After that, it was home to rest up and get ready for the big vacation tomorrow:)

PS: you can't tell from the picture, but Colton is in a pink butterfly chair while mom gets her nails done; I think thats why he looks so miffed