Relaxing On The Shore!

Shadow of Mommy and Bear!

L'ie Bear and I just got back from four relaxing days on the shore.  On Monday, I had a court hearing in Caroline County and there was no way I could drop the Bear off at daycare, drive the 2.5 hours to court, and get there by 8:30.  Luckily, Grumpa and Granny Fisher were able to meet us at the Queenstown Outlets and offered to babysit.  After an early morning for the Bear, we switched cars, and they took her back to their place.  I picked up L'ie after dinner and it was clear that she had a great time.  There were toys strewn all over the family room and she was happily rolling a ball back and forth with Granny.

Since it was getting late, we made a quick stop at the grocery store, to stock up on Bear food, and then put her to bed.  Thanks to Grump and Granny, she slept so well.

Shopping is much more fun in this cart.

The next day, was a low-key day.  L'ie caught up on her sleep at Mee-maw and Grandpa Pali's house, she watched her first episode of the Teletubbies, and we even got to see Aunt Sarah's new car...the StrawBEARy!!

Watching the Teletubbies on the iPad.

She actually looks big compared to Merl in this photo.

On Wednesday, we had a quick visit with Granny and Grumpa Fisher and then headed to the beach.  It was late afternoon before we arrived on Assateague Island and the beach was fairly empty.  It was perfect!  I was anxious to get L'ie in the water, but there were some things we had to do first...

First, we slathered L'ie with sunscreen!

Then, we buried L'ie in the sand and made sure to protect her eyes!

We even let L'ie have her first taste of sand...not a fan!

We made sure L'ie saw her first pony!

And we posed for some photos!

 Finally, we put L'ie Bear in the water and she LOVED it!!  At first, she calmly watched the waves crash onto the sand at her feet, and then she began to crawl out towards the waves.  Although the waves were not huge, there were many times where water splashed into the Bear's face and the receding waves tried to pull her further out into the water.  Also, L'ie was visibly cold when playing in the water.  But, despite all of that, she kept giggling and really enjoyed her time at the beach.  I foresee many more Assateague trips in this beach baby's future!

So much fun!!

On Thursday, we headed back home to Fairfax, but not before a stop in Cambridge, MD.  First, we went shopping at one of my favorite shops in town, A Few Of My Favorite Things.  The owner, Carol, had not met L'ie before, so it was nice to introduce the two.  I spent quite a lot of time in that shop when we lived in Cambridge, and I enjoyed taking L'ie there.  Then we stopped by my old workplace, the State's Attorney's Office.  Unfortunately, the Bear was very scared of everyone when we initially got there and would cry as soon as someone tried to touch her.  During the past month or so, she has been going through a separation anxiety phase, but she warmed up to everyone once she was able to play with some toys.  It was great to see everyone and I hope that she will be more friendly the next time we visit.

We arrived home around 6:30, and Chad was able to spend some time playing with L'ie, while I unpacked.  Then it was time to put her to bed.  It is always nice to come home, but I must admit that I am already planning our next trip to the shore.  And we will definitely be back soon!

Bear's On A Boat

On Friday, L'ie Bear, Wrigley, Chad and I packed up Big Merl and headed out to Deep Creek Lake for a fun and relaxing weekend.  Our good friends, Adam and Laura Blough, have a family house on the lake and, Chad and I have always enjoyed our time up there.  So we were especially excited to introduce L'ie Bear to the Blough Lake House!  It took us around 2.5 hours, and the Bear even slept for some of the ride.

Sleeping Beauty

We arrived around 7:30 pm and spent a little time with Laura, Adam, and baby Jack before putting L'ie to bed.  Since the lake is located in the mountains of Western Maryland, we were able to open the windows and sleep with the cool night air.  There is nothing better than falling asleep to a cool breeze and the sound of water lapping against the rocks.  The Bear slept so well! 


Shortly after that, Rick and Beth Nelson arrived with their dog Ilio.  We spent the evening catching up, but did not stay up too late because we wanted to be well rested for our Saturday on the lake.

The next morning, we woke up and spent some time on the back deck.  The air was still cool and the lake was empty and smooth.  It was the perfect setting for family time with our babies and dogs.

The back deck, where we spent quite a bit of time!

The view from the deck.

But that did not last long.  We all quickly headed down to the boat dock after lunch and went for a nice ride around the lake...the first ride for L'ie Bear and Wrigley.  

With Daddy before we left on the ride.

Eating snacks with Mommy.

Jack's snazzy life jacket

L'ie was not a fan of the life jacket

Captain Blough

Sweet Jack and his mommy

The Nelson Family

Super Ilio (look at those awesome ears!)

Chad and Rick with the dogs

The Bear enjoyed her first boat ride.

Coming back to the house

Once we got back, everyone decided to spend some time swimming and tanning out by the boat.  Laura and Adam kept Jack in the shade, Rick and Beth went swimming with Ilio, and we decided to put L'ie in the water for the first time.  She had previously wet her toes in the ocean, but we did not really go any deeper.  This time, we brought a special raft for her and could not wait to see what she would do.

Chad eagerly blowing up the rafts

Jack in the shade with his Daddy

Floating around with Daddy

She really seemed to enjoy the water

  

Ilio getting ready to jump off the dock

Ilio and Beth

After all of that fun in the sun, L'ie Bear went down for a much needed nap and the adults were able to enjoy some quiet time, reading in the sun.  Some of my favorite moments at the lake have been reading on the docked boat.  It is always so quiet and the sun combined with the rocking motion is very relaxing.  

We ended the evening with an amazing steak dinner and some hilarious games of Word On The Street.  Go Girl Team!!  (And I will never think of the Sykesville Fire Department the same way again!)

The next morning, we all enjoyed a huge breakfast and then spent some more time out on the boat, while L'ie took a nap.  Once she woke up, we discovered that people of all ages can find fun things to do at the lake house.  L'ie Bear had no problem amusing herself.  Below are some examples..

Crawling through the Great Room

Teasing the dogs out on the deck

Opening and closing the huge wooden doors throughout the cabin

Crawling down to the water!  (Under supervision)

Eating twigs and leafs

We were all very sad when it came time to clean up our stuff and pack up the cars.  There is something special about that lake house and we did not want to leave.  But, the weekend had come to an end and it was time to head back to reality.  Still, I refused to leave without a few more photos.

Relaxing with Daddy in the backyard 

Posing by the Blough sign in front of the house.

And finally, one last photo of L'ie Bear and Jack before we left.

Leave It To Beaver L'ie!

This post is not so much a milestone post, as it is a "oh the things we learn through parenthood" post.  I never thought I would say this, but Chad and I have just discovered that our beautiful L'ie Bear is actually a beaver!!

When I was pregnant, Chad and I sat down and discussed what the Bear's nursery should look like.  We knew we wanted neutral colors, extra storage, and dark furniture.  Picking out the bedding & colors was easy and I  bought an extra shelf for storage.  But we agonized over the furniture.

First question...should we get a convertible bedroom set or just buy a crib for now?  Eventually we decided it was best to buy the convertible furniture instead of a crib.  That way L'ie would have this set until adulthood.  Second question...should we buy cheap furniture or go the expensive route?  Luckily, my parents solved that problem for us and purchased the furniture as a Christmas gift.  The set was not ridiculously expensive (think over-priced boutique furniture) but it was not cheap either.  We were thrilled with our choice and immediately went to work putting the nursery together.  It turned out exactly the way we wanted, and we loved looking around at everything during those middle of the night feedings once the Bear arrived.

Now fast forward 15 months and we realized that L'ie is a actually a Beaver disguised as a toddler.  What was once beautiful dark wood furniture is quickly becoming a new teething toy for L'ie.  And I am not sure what to do to prevent this from happening.

If you don't believe me, please take a look at the following photos...

What you see when you approach the crib

Chew marks on the side rail.  (This was done during
ONE afternoon nap)

  

The beginning of chew marks on the front of the crib.

We knew that the furniture would take a beating through the years, as most kid's furniture does, but I was not expecting this amount of damage so soon.  I hope this phase passes quickly and Chad and I have learned a very valuable lesson...when the time comes, the next Fisher Baby will be getting cheaper furniture.

Happy Mother's/Father's Day!

I did not write a Mother's Day blog this past May, because Chad's parents were unable to join us in the celebrations and I wanted to make sure I included everyone.  Fortunately, this past weekend we all met up for Father's Day and we were also able to include a Mother's Day get-together with Chad's mom, Charlene.  So without much further ado...here is the 2012 Mother's Day/Father's Day post.

In May, we celebrated Mother's Day in Annapolis.  That Saturday, I turned 33 and got to open my Birthday/Mother's Day gift...an iPad!  On Sunday, we met Aunt Sarah, my mom and my dad at the Boatyard Bar & Grill for lunch and then strolled down to the water for some photos.  The weather was lovely, the food was great and it was a perfect day.

The Fairfax Fishers!!

Getting into position for a photo.

Then, last weekend we celebrated a wonderful Father's Day.  The Fishers came up for the weekend and, on Saturday, we headed out to Western Virginia to sample some local wines.  It was bad planning on my part, since the Barrel Oak Winery closed early for a special event.  Luckily, we were still able to enjoy some of the beautiful weather and a bottle of white wine.  And we will definitely try another visit soon.

Enjoying a short Saturday afternoon at Barrel Oak Winery

On Sunday, we all headed to the Annapolis area again for a Father's Day dinner.  We met up with my parents and Uncle Ryan at the Old Stein Inn and enjoyed a filling German dinner in the Beer Garden.  Once again, the weather was perfect, the food was incredible, the German Beer was flowing and polka music filled the air.  And most importantly, I think all of the dad's really enjoyed themselves.

Chad, his Beer & his Bear!!

L'ie with the Dad's!!

Group Photo in the Beer Garden.

This year, L'ie Bear made original artwork for the grandpas and she and I got Chad a custom beer tap handle for his home brew.  The image incorporates the Bear's actual handprint and was a perfect fit on Chad's kegerator.  Here's hoping he will take a break with the IPAs and a wheat beer will begin to flow from that tap soon!!  (hint hint)

Chad's Father's Day gift.