Busy, Busy, Busy . . . then Simpler Times

Anne Louise has been VERY busy this past week. She is starting to create her own "insane lifestyle." At home, we've been working on strengthening her neck muscles by practicing sitting in the Bumbo seat (pictured here) and also improving hand/eye coordination using different objects and the activity mat. The weather was so beautiful, we also got out of the house alot. We walked around Freedom Park with Ashley and Adler on Monday, spent a day at the mall (including lunch with Caroline) on Wednesday, and hit Harris Teeter for triple-coupons with Nana on Friday. Anne Louise also had a fun afternoon with Aunt Denise on Thursday while I went to a lunch for a federal magistrate judge who is retiring. It was a busy week! Friday night we had dinner with Caroline, Ross, Denise, Hill and Anne, but Saturday was the BIG day . . . . it was Anne Louise's first time going to a bar. Before people start calling DSS, there are a few important details: it was a smoke-free bar; it was a Saturday afternoon and there were other kids there; AND Patrick's band was playing!! That's right - another Simpler Times gig, and this one was super fun since it was open to guests! The performance was at Dilworth Billiards, and the guys played for about an hour as the "opening band" for another group. It was fun to have Patrick and the band play in a place where our family and friends could hear! Anne Louise had a BLAST listening to the music and meeting lots of new people, but by the end of the afternoon, she was worn out and had fallen asleep on Aunt Denise's shoulder.

Sunday, Anne Louise went to church for the first time. Patrick was so nervous that she would have a noisy diaper blow-out in the middle of a prayer or something, but she slept the whole time and didn't make a sound. After church, my dad's cousin Linda and her husband Angus came to visit Anne Louise. They live in Georgia but were in town for the weekend and wanted to meet the newest addition to the family! Linda gave Anne Louise a very special present - a pin with an "L" on it that my Great-Aunt Louise used to wear. (That is one of the Louises that she's named for - it was my dad's Aunt, and therefore my Great-Aunt). We had a good time visiting.

Later that afternoon, we watched the Tarheels play into the Final Four! Although I wished for a second that I was back in Chapel Hill getting ready to storm Franklin Street to celebrate like we did in college, I realized I was perfectly content sitting on the back porch with my husband and precious baby! A great way to end one hectic week and prepare for the beginning of another!