One week = big changes!

I grew up going to the Outer Banks for the majority of my childhood and teenage years with my family.  We had the most amazing vacations and I am not sure if my parents were just super fun to hang around when I was a child/pre-teen/teen or if Nags Head is simply the greatest place on Earth, but either way, that one week each summer was the time of my life.  So it is no wonder that I have continued this tradition with my own family.  Well, scratch that, so far, it has just been me and Mike, but ever since we were engaged we made the trip to OBX most every summer.  This summer was no different.

We were fortunate enough to have Mike's Mom agree to watch Olivia for the entire week.  I am certain she loved the opportunity to be with Olivia for a week as she lives in another state, and Mike and I certainly appreciated the chance to spend time together without our precious cherub, but we missed our little LiviLou so much.  But at the same time, an entire week, can you imagine!?  Well, we could and we did.  We slept in, we stayed up late (10PM!).  We were responsible for only ourselves. Hopefully next year Olivia will be joining our little family vacation, but as for this year, we certainly enjoyed some much needed Mom Time and Dad Time.  It went a little something like this:

The one and only sunrise I saw, Mike saw ZERO

Maybe because Mike was always on the phone with his Mom, checking on Livi

And we enjoyed girls day while guys were golfing

Wine Wednesday was a success!

Seafood Buffet Night was a success for some... Poor Taylor!

SUN + SAND = HAPPY ERIN

Beach Life

Not super smart to learn how to use the deep fryer at the beach, but delicious!

Steelers, like part of the family

LIVE

LAUGH

LOVE

FAMILY (Den was napping probably)

But of course, all good things must come to an end.  Mike and I left on Saturday morning around 6:45AM because we were so eager to get home and see our sweet little girl.  We pulled into the driveway and before Mike had stopped the car I had the car door open and I was running for the house.  I scooped up Olivia and we hugged for a long time while she made the cutest words/talked to me.  We both missed her so much!

After only one week of not seeing our 21 month old daughter, it seems we came back to some BIG CHANGES.  Not only did it look like our little baby had suddenly grown 4 inches and turned into a toddler, she had also made some serious walking progress. As soon as we returned home she decided she was ready to walk while holding on to the table or the couch, even turning back and forth between the two.  This is a big step up from the one directional push toy!  We were amazed by her progress!  She is even standing on her own for very long periods of time, and leaning on walls, ME, Mike, WHOever.  And she will lean on you all while she is drinking her milk or eating a snack like she is in a movie, leaning against a wall, chillin', it is so funny!  Our therapists had also mentioned previously that with walking will likely come more language, that the process in the brain for walking helps to trigger the process in the brain for talking.  Well, let me tell you, Olivia can walk (assisted) AND talk!  She is making so many new sounds and it feels like it is even easier to understand what she is requesting when she wants something.  She is really using her signs and she is also really using her tantrums along with her vocalization of her lack of approval when Mommy says "no".  She is definitely turning into quite the sassy little girl and proving more and more every day that she is clearly her Mother's daughter!

Standing!

It is amazing how only one week = big changes! So for now, I am going to be sure to cherish each and every moment because before long, our sweet little baby will probably be running all over the house, and that is when life will REALLY change!