We are back!!

Sorry Disney blog followers! We have been SUPER busy for the past week or so, and I finally have had time to sit down and write. We had a nice trip to Kentucky to visit the Great Grandparents as well as the Grandparents. While we were there, we took Archer to his first visit to the zoo. He didn't REALLY get it, but he seemed to very much enjoy the Penguins and the Gorillas. Our flights out there were a bit of a challenge, as Archer is SO busy these days. It was hard to keep him still and playing with toys. He wanted to try and walk/crawl every where. The flights on the way back went MUCH smoother, as he slept from Louisville to Dallas.

The day after we came back Archer turned 11 months old! I cannot believe he will be a year next month. I keep looking at him asking him, "where did my tiny baby go???" He has changed so much this month. He now has his two top teeth fully showing. He also tries to walk more (using whatever he can hold onto still) and he talks from the SECOND he wakes up. I am not sure all what he is saying, but his conversations are VERY involved! He has a few clear words like momma and daddy. He also sings "ei ei ei" but still has not added the "o" part to it. He claps, points and has started dancing when he hears music. He has also started mimicking us on the telephone. He uses whatever he can find and pretends it is a phone. I am pretty sure he is close to saying "hello." Hopefully I can catch this on video soon.

Archer's Gee-Ma bought him this dinosaur ride-on toy for a valentines gift. I thought you might like this clip of him when he finally figured out how to use it. It wasn't long after this clip that he decided to start RUNNING behind the dinosaur.

I have also learned that I sound RIDICULOUS on videos. I think it is because everything he does I find myself getting so very excited about. When he really started getting good at walking with the dinosaur and turning it, I cried. Hopefully I will be able to post again in a more timely fashion!!

A Silly First...but a first none the less!!

I had to blog about a first that Archer had today. This is not some huge epic first, so don't get to excited. Today was the first time he has ever sat in a shopping cart shaped like a car. I decided to try it out today while on my weekly trip to the commissary. The reason I was curious about how he would do in the car was because he has not been doing so well in a regular cart recently. He has been turning around, getting his feet stuck in places where it seems impossible for him to get stuck. Basically doing anything he can NOT to sit correctly in his seat. Well...I discovered the cure to this. When we pulled into the parking lot, I spied a car cart and quickly parked and grabbed the cart. Our commissary does not have many of these so this was a prize. After buckling him in and showing him the steering wheel, we where off. It was one of the most stress free shopping trips I have had with him. I don't think I have managed to get as much done as I did today since he was tiny and slept through my shopping trips. I did take a picture, and I am sure anyone who saw me taking this picture thought I was a complete nut case. But at least now I know the power of the car cart!!

Palmers Red Rocks

What an amazing Sunday our little family had. After Archer had his morning nap...or I should say lack of a nap, we hit the road and headed to Palmers Red Rocks for a hike. It was a BEAUTIFUL day here in the Springs. After the snow we have been having, the high today was 68, so Nick and I knew we had to get outside and enjoy this day. Something we have learned in in the limited time we have lived here...weather can change almost instantly. Even if the five day forecast predicts one thing, you will most likely get something else. So, we headed up the mountain at about 1 p.m. Nick said it should only take about 2.5 hours, so I was very confident that I could handle this task. Well...Nick was wrong, and...so was I. We didn't really factor in two dogs and a baby. They require breaks...and we also hit some snow here and there on our trip. We did manage the very muddy trip in right at three hours, so it wasn't TOO terrible. We were EXHAUSTED by the time we got to the car. It was a blast though, and hopefully it will be a trip we repeat. I think that the trail will be so amazing when spring hits and everything is blooming. I also know the dogs had a great time, as we let them get SOOOO dirty and they were let off of their leashes for a lot of the trip. Anyway, here are some pictures from our adventure:

And yes...I DID sustain a minor injury during our hike. Beau Leaux got a little ahead of me at one point and of course I landed right on my rear end. I am not sure how I cut up my hand...but I did. Nothing major, but of course...we all know my middle name is grace.

Clapping, high fives, uh-oh...what next?!?!

Okay...I know I say this a lot, but it appears as though Archer changes every single day. It is never a dull moment in the Disney house. Over the past few days, he has started clapping. This is mostly for himself...when he does things that either I like or he likes, he very much enjoys giving himself a round of applause. A couple days later, while watching a Kentucky basketball game we realized that he is a fan of high fives. Every time something good would happen, Nick would clap...causing Archer to clap and then they would high five. It was so cute and hilarious. Now, Archer has taken to saying, "uh-oh" all the time! I don't think he quite knows what it means yet but he certainly does like to say it. It was funny the first time he did it because he was watching my mouth SO intently. Then he finally said it. As with any of his other "words" he repeats it over and over again. So "uh-oh" is added to his growing list of "mama," "dada," and "ewwie ewwe."

Nick took Archer to his 9 month well baby appointment yesterday. I know...it is VERY late. I blame myself completely. The reason it is so late is that I always forget that you have to call three weeks in advance to get appointments. At an Air Force base, you cannot just walk up to the counter after you are done with your appointment and make the next appointment...you have to call an appointment line. This is too much for my little brain to handle. SOOO, we were a little late. Anyway, we found out that we have a perfectly happy, healthy baby! He is 26 pounds, 2 ounces (95%) 30 inches tall (80%) and his head is 18.5 inches (80%) so not only is he healthy...he is a big man...still...

I will work on posting the videos I have of Archer doing all of his new tricks. We are off to Louisville, Kentucky in one week to visit the Great Grandparents. It should be a wonderful special treat. Who knows what he will be doing by then!!