Maddox and bike rides to the park!

Robert and I have been taking Maddox on bike rides to the park lately. We hook up the Burley to the back of Robert's bike and take off! He seems to really enjoy it. Its been a lot of fun for us and its been nice to do something a little bit different with him. We try to swing by the park and push him on the swing. He really loves to swing! 

Below is his first time on the teeter totter with his dad and I. He really likes that too! 

 When ever we stop pushing him he starts yelling... Not very good at getting out of the swing yet.

 Of course after a bike ride and sometime at the park, he zonks out for a nice nap!

 This is a family picture, we tried to get one of him smiling... never seems to turn out quite right!

Maddox is pulling up! I caught him trying to climb the stairs last weekend. It was so cute, seeing him try to lift one pudgy foot up. He is Mr. Independent and wants to be in the middle of everything. He loves playing with toys, my shoes, and the dogs leashes. 

Now that our patio is pretty much completed except for some stepping stones, we spent almost every evening and afternoon out there last weekend. The weather was amazing and we really enjoyed watching Maddox crawl around and explore. 

Maddox and daddy at the table

 doing a little yoga, "downward dog" to be precise 

 Oh No! I've been caught!

And the leash!

YAY for nice weather!

Well, things have been going pretty well around here! We finally have nice weather!

Mothers day was very nice, Robert's family came over and his parents came down for a few days. 

We had a nice time on Sunday with a cookout and wonderful summer veggie's... 

I've been thinking about eating a fresh tomato and corn on the cob since last fall! 

It was a wonderful first mothers day for me. 

I have been so blessed with such a wonderful son! 

Praying that the second one is just as happy and joyful as Maddox is!

Our patio is coming just fine! In fact its almost finished. They have a few more pavers to put along the pathway behind the morning room and those should be done in the next few weeks. But the patio for the most part is done, the plants are in the plant beds and the trees are in the yard. It really looks nice. We are looking forward to spending a lot of time out there this summer. Maddox and I spend about an hour out there this morning while he chilled in his little pool. 

 We put a walk on the side of the house so we can get to the side 

garage door and the driveway from the back.

 This is before they fixed the yard... Lots of mud!

 Just out the morning room door.

Backyard view

We are hoping that the trees will fill in the space and eventually block the road from our house.

This is where they still have to finish the pavers.

 View from the the yard.

The other side of the morning room.

Getting ready for the warmth!!!

Well, it seems as though we can't shake this cool weather! Maddox and I are OVER it. We want to be outdoors! I am ready for some nice long runs in the sun and ice tea (not hot tea) on the patio! Its taking a bit more effort to stay in shape with this second pregnancy, but I am trying. My time is certainly not my own anymore, it belongs to Maddox! But thats ok, I love our time together. Thanks to the awesome jogger my sister in law is letting me use... Every nice day we have Maddox and I try to get out. He even keeps his shades on!

We've been enjoying our playdates this winter with some new friends we met at the library. We have a playdate at someones house about once a week and then we've all been going to swim class. Thank God for our little group. I don't know who enjoys it more... Maddox or myself. We both have a good time. 

The new patio is coming along fabulously! The crew from Yardscapes works so hard, The don't stop all day except for a quick lunch break. And they are doing a great job!

New Patio

We are putting in a patio out back and I so excited about it! Its going to be so nice to sit outside this summer and relax on it! We are looking forward to lots of cookouts and good memories! Here are a few shots of the first day! Pretty messy!

Big Brother Maddox!

We recently found out that Maddox is going to be a big brother! 
We are so very excited about it. I am about 13 weeks along and due November 9th. 

Just before the Holiday Rush! We told the family by putting Maddox in a t-shirt that said "big brother" and wait to see everyone's response! It was pretty exciting! Maddox definintely enjoyed the attention. 

He is such a happy little man. We are praying for a happy 2nd one too!

 This is Maddox at the pool while we visited my family in Florida earlier this month! He has found a new fav in cucumbers!

 We sent a walker to my parents house so he could use one while we there since he loves his one at home so much.

He was such a good napper! Chilling my the pool all snuggled up in towels!

Chopper and Zoe!

We have 2 little wiener dogs! They are so cute and lovable... Until you ring our doorbell!
They are still warming up to the idea of having Maddox as a member of the family.
But I think they are coming to the conclusion that if you can't beat em... then you join em!

Our first Ball Family Blog!

I decided today that it would be fun to keep everyone up to speed with pictures and family updates on a blog! Maddox is growing so much every day and I don't want anyone to miss out on it.

He is almost 8 months old. He weighed about 19 lbs at his recent doctor visit and is 27.5 inches long... He is long and lean!! Just like his daddy.

Lately we have been keeping busy with playdates, swimming lessons, and of course naps. 

Maddox has several pals his age that we get together with on a regular basis. It is so neat to see them all play and interact together. We are really looking forward to warm weather so we can get outside and go to the park. Not to mention I am just dying to get out for nice long run!