Toes in the water, Toes in the sand...

I can't say that we didn't have a worry in the world... sadly, I think those kind of beach going days have long passed, but we did make our first beach trip (a very brief one) when Trace was 10 weeks old.  It was Memorial Day at a public beach in Orange Beach, so it was PACKED!  We didn't stay very long, but he enjoyed sticking his hands and feet in the sand...and in the ocean.  I guess he had no choice but to be a beach baby with 2 beach bums as parents :)
 

We went down to stay with Sissy for a little while and then visit with Matthew and Courtney, our dear friends who recently moved to Gulf Shores.  They hadn't been able to meet Trace yet, and Trace fell in love with Courtney... although, apparently, I took no pictures.  I do have a precious video of him talking to her in the car that I will try to upload.

We took some really great shots of the little cousins this weekend.  Trace was sleepy, so all of these are pretty mellow for him, but I love how it looks like they were telling each other secrets!




 
He was loving on Daddy that morning!  It was a fun trip, but a rushed trip for Trace's first road trip.  He was SO good for the 6 hour drive...both ways.  We had one incident on the way down where he was inconsolable for a time, but all in all... very good trip!

Starting Him Young

We have a divided house.  It is not easy for me.  There is no secret that I am what Jefforey calls "Auburn people." I am not ashamed. I bleed orange and blue from my head to my toes, and I have no shame in the pride I have in my alma mater. It is much more than just sports to me. Auburn is a way of life, and seriously... if you aren't a part of it, you cannot possibly understand it.

Jefforey grew up as an Alabama fan... pretended for a while to be an Auburn fan (so I would date him), and then went to Alabama the year I went to Auburn.  We have gotten along fine for years (especially well in the years 2002-2007) UNTIL we bring a kid into the mix.  I simply cannot stomach my sweet, handsome boy wearing Crimson, but I do love my husband, and I want to respect his wishes. I know it sounds trivial, but it is a serious discussion in our house.

On April 17-18, my Marshall County Leadership Challenge class had a trip to Montgomery.  Jefforey couldn't go because of school, so thankfully... mom went along to keep Trace so I could take part in the day's festivities (including pumping without a cover in the state house!  You've not lived until you've had that experience!) It was a bit crazy with a 4 week old, but hey... you do what you've got to do.  A silver lining of that crazy trip was that I would get to detour through Auburn on the way home so Trace would get a chance to see Toomer's Corner.  The trees were scheduled to be removed on the following Monday after A-Day that weekend.  So instead of seeing it like THIS (with 100,000 of our closest friends and AU family)....

We chose to see it like THIS (with our 4 week old)....

Now, we will have photo evidence that Trace Parker Morgan rolled the original Toomer's Corner (even if he slept through it).

Naturally, we had to do the pictures with all of the Auburn landmarks on this first trip.  Here we are with the University Seal.  There are many great superstitions about this seal... if you step on it, that means your kids will never come to Auburn.  If your Alabama-fan spouse steps on it for that purpose... it means that they will ;)  He has joked, but never actually stepped on the seal, by the way. And neither have I!

It was such a special day, and precious time to spend with my mom and little guy in one of my favorite places on earth.

I loved this picture of the sunset. Sunsets are ALWAYS more beautiful in Auburn than anywhere in the world... although, Hawaii has given my AU sunsets a run for their money!  I thought the sun setting on Toomer's Corner was poetic.

When we got home, in the interest of being fair and balanced, I did allow Trace to wear the Alabama onesie that Grumps got him in the hospital. I must say... he even makes Crimson look good!