Together Again

For weeks our anticipation grew. Stephen and I knew that these five 1/2 days we would spend together would rank somewhere among the best five days of our lives. I never would have imagined that just being at home together would be such a big deal. As the weeks passed, we became more and more excited. Realizing that Eli does not yet understand the concept of weeks and months, it wasn't until a week before Stephen's arrival that I began to say, "Guess who's coming home in seven days?" "Guess who's coming home in five days?" "... four days?" "... three days?" Each time I would ask the question, Eli, with a smile and raised eyebrows, would reply, "Daddy!" When we arrived at the airport, Eli kept asking, "Where Daddy go?" I heard this question about twenty times before Mom and Dad arrived at the airport.

As we sat, looking at the teeny, tiny words on the screen, Mom and I saw that Stephen's plane landed earlier than expected. So, we began to look down the hall, past the doors. Then, Mom spotted him, "There's Daddy, Eli!" Eli began running to him. It was so sweet to see him so excited to see his Daddy. The entire day, Eli kept smiling and saying, "Hi Daddy. Hi Daddy." You can tell by this smile on his face that Eli could not have been any happier.

Bella has had a bit of stranger anxiety the past couple of weeks, so I was a little worried that she might cry when Stephen held her since it had been so long since she had seen him in person. Stephen told me that she would remember him, and he was right. When he held her, she was smiling at him and touching his face.

Reunited At Last

C'mon Daddy, Let's Go Home and Play


Mamaw and Papaw came to visit.

One day, we decided to go to Harmony Safari Park. It was a rainy day, and we were the only ones there. A buffalo stuck his huge tongue through the window. It was so funny, but Eli did not like it. I just happened to get it on video. Bella slept the entire time we were there. By the way, buffalo breath smells awful.

One other thing, besides us, that Stephen missed while being in Cuba was Mexican food. So, we went to eat at Rosie's one night with Mom and Dad. As always, it was yummy and we ate too much. Mom and Dad have been a huge help in Stephen's absence. I don't know what I would do without them!

You know Daddy is home when... Eli chows down on donut holes and jelly beans (two things Mommy never gives him),

is sporting a mohawk,

is decked out in his Auburn attire (For the record, I did put the Auburn shirt on Eli because I knew Stephen would want him to wear it. When I put the shirt on him, I said, "What does this say, Eli?" He replied, "Roll Tide!" :-) ),

and is wearing cowboy boots to music class.

While Stephen was home, Bella... started rocking on all fours and lunging forward (I guess it's time to get out the baby gate.),

sitting up for longer periods of time on her own,

ate her first solid foods (carrots and butternut squash),

Side Note: Bella isn't nearly as messy as Eli was when he started solids. He didn't like food at all and would spit out his food constantly. He would also look everywhere except the direction from which the spoon was entering his mouth, hence the very messy face.

drank from a sippy cup for the first time (I guess Grandpa was trying to demonstrate how it's done?),


and got long overdue kisses from her Daddy.


We had a great time just being together, but it went by way too fast. As we walked across the airport parking lot yesterday, it seemed like we had just been there the day before leaving the airport with big smiles, ready to go home and just be together. Now the countdown begins again. Well, it will start as soon as Stephen has his four day pass approved. Just let me know the dates, my sweet husband. We'll see you in Jax very soon!