Brayden is 18-Month’s Old!
There was definitely no lack of boredom this month. We visited some friends in SC in March where we took Brayden to her first college baseball game (even though it was at the opponent’s turf), threw a baby shower for some friends (which turned into a nice reunion of our Raleigh posse), did some babysitting (both dogs and kids), went to Charleston for the Cooper River Bridge Run (can’t wait for next year), hung out with friends (finally some down time), and took a trip with Joe/Les to the Dominican Republic (ahh, the Caribbean sun). Yes, all of that in one month. See below for details.
Brayden had her 18-month checkup and here were her vital stats: weight: 22 lbs. 9 oz. (25%), height: 31″ (31%), head circumference: 18″ (55%). So, the consensus is that she’s still our little peanut. She got over an ear infection and is now getting over yet another one. Yep, that’s #6 so far. We are keeping the pharmacies around here in business. Brayden’s vocabulary is really starting to blossom. She is putting multiple words together that usually end up revolving around breakfast (“faffle mommy”=”waffle mommy”), the dogs (“nah nigh peta”=”not nice, Peapod”), or us (“uh peez”=”up please”). She has her 11th tooth now as well, so those chompers are on their way. I’m hoping that means that she’ll be more adventurous in terms of food and trying new items.
Dominican Republic Trip
We spent April 16-20 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with Joe and Leslie and had a fabulous time! After some discussion on where to venture to as our first trip all together without our kids, we decided on the Majestic Colonial. While we were gone, both grandmas babysat Miss B (with a quick trip by Grandpa Terry) during the trip and had a great time playing with her! There were a few travel hiccups, but the hotel grounds were beautiful and the staff was great. There were plenty of activities during the day and at night. We spent most of the time laying out on the beach getting burned (first trip to the beach this year), drinking Banana Mamas, El Presidentes, and brushing up on our quickly forgotten español! Leslie and I even went parasailing! Although we missed our little girls at first, we soon found ourselves laughing constantly and enjoying each other’s company. We even encountered two very clueless high school boys who had the chance to hit on 43 hot, young, spanish nurses, but didn’t because they didn’t speak their language (what a couple of morons), so we quickly became their mentors on how to pick up chicks. Les, Joe, and I participated in some beach olympics and we all took a snorkel trip, which was great! Is it time to start planning our next Caribbean getaway yet?Cooper River Bridge Run
While everything we did was wonderful, there were definitely some highlights! A large group of friends all culminated in Charleston, SC for the annual Cooper River Bridge Run. This is a 10k and attracts about 40,000 participants. It is such an amazing (and sore) experience where you get up before the sun and encounter people dressed up in crazy garb (such as a turtle or a group of race cars) and the serious racers who finish in 27 minutes. Being our first year, Trent and I managed to finish in 1 hr. 26 min., and we were very pleased. Halfway through the race, you approach a very steep, three-mile long suspension bridge that takes you 200 feet above the Cooper River in one mile (that’s a 4% incline). After the race, we celebrated our victory with some partying with friends. It was awesome and I believe will become a new tradition for us!