Swing: A Series

Summer Shade Festival

This weekend was the Summer Shade Festival in Grant Park. Courtney and Bill met up with us and enjoyed the festival. It was hot, but fun.

First 5K

Baikal competed in her first 5K. She won first place in the category of Bijorn carried. Paul Thomas won first place in the racing while sleeping category. Hooray! We had a great weekend with Beth, Tim, Noelle, and Kevin. Our friend Noelle is due in two weeks with a little boy of her own. She won first place for competing in a 5K race 9 months pregnant in August.

A new world

It is a new world for me now that I am a mom. Here's just one example how things have changed. I went for a walk this morning with Baikal and there was another mom out walking with her baby. We both stopped, said hello, and the next thing I knew we had been talking for 20 minutes. The exchange ended with swapping contact information and possibly meeting for walks on a regular basis. And this interaction happens to me all the time! And it is not just women. I was in the grocery store last week and there was a guy with twins around Baikal's age. Next thing I knew I was inviting his family over to the next neighborhood playgroup. This is getting a bit out of hand. Who are these people? Complete strangers! I have dogs and babies that look up to me. I really should set a better example and not just invite any stranger that has a baby over to our house for tea...

Up close and personal

Baikal is now crawling around and pulling up on whatever objects she can reach. It is a fun time for her and a busy time for mom.


I'm up!


Let's start the day!


Pulling up.



I'm up! Now what?



I can conquer the world!



Up close and personal.

Junaluska part 2

It was a great week at Junaluska. Well, almost a great week..Baikal was crying a lot the first few days. I am attributing that to teething, which I attribute most of her fussiness these days to. Also, I have been breaking out in hives and my top lip has started swelling mostly at night or early morning. Don't be alarmed. This has been going on for months. It has progressively gotten worse, so I have a doctor's appointment next monday. I have a non-medical theory that I am having an allergic reaction to the presence of oxytocin in my bloodstream. Oxytocin is the chemical released when your milk "lets down". I have been doing a bit of detective work over the past few months to pin-point the allergin to no avail. So this is my latest theory. Anyways, Junaluska was still a good time. Here are more pictures of the week.


Baikal at the scarry bookstore.


It is called the scarry bookstore for a reason. It is a mobile home in the front lawn of a local packrat. Every year there are more books and no clear fire exit.


We took a tour of the NC arboritum in Brevard.


Did I mention that the tour was on segways?


We were experts by the end of the tour!


Baikal and Karen at the tea room for lunch after a game of tennis.


On the rose walk.

Junaluska part 1

This past week we enjoyed our annual trip up to Lake Junaluska, NC for the Ryblot family vacation. The Rybolts have been coming up to these mountains for over 20 years.


Baikal slept most of the way. We stopped for lunch in Dillard, GA and ate at the Dillard House. It was great Southern-style food, but Baikal was more interested in fussing. It wasn't a long lunch...



On the way up, we saw a rubber chicken hanging out of the back of a truck...pretty funny.


WE'RE HERE!


Now, where are the rest of the Rybolts?


What a nice change from the hot Atlanta days!

Play date with Paul

Today Baikal had Paul over for a play date. They enjoyed watching each other and stealing each other's toys.


Come on let's go!

I'm on my way!



Nothing can stop us now! Except for maybe moms.

Crawling and Beyond!

Baikal started crawling last Thursday, just a few days before turning seven months. Sorry I didn't post earlier, but we were out of town for a wedding this past weekend and now that we are back I have been busy trying to get a good start on childproofing our house. We had a great time at the wedding in Columbia and I am kicking myself for not getting any pictures. I did get a picture of one of the best things about Columbia: the Columbiana mall located right off I-26. It has several family restrooms (big enough for strollers), a separate nursing room equipped with a rocking chair, and a room just for changing diapers. Talk about luxury! It is a great place to stop on a long car trip.


Sitting up all by herself!



Crawling to Grandpa.


Here's looking at you kid!


Columbiana mall: the best thing about Columbia.

The more things change the more they stay the same

So I have a few requests that I post more often, most of them from the same baby crazed sister. So I feel that I need to explain that my computer is running slow as molasses and even though one might think a person with 7 years experience in the computer software industry might know everything about computers, I am actually hiding a very embarrassing secret. I am a luddite. I had enough time mastering how to use our first family computer, the TRS80 aka "Trash 80". Next was the Apple IIGS which I would play countless hours of Carmen Sandiego and Oregon Trail on. Then, we had to get a new computer, some large IBM contraption, with the prodigy communication software so that my younger brother could tie up the phone line for hours. Then it was on to college where we had Macs. Then my first job where I had to learn and use Windows and develop software for various notepads and palm devices. I got my first personal laptop for christmas of 1999: an apple ibook. It seems like just when I get the hang of computer, it is old and a better and faster one is needed. We now have a 4 year old Dell at home and it is slow and I really do not want to get a new computer...but what about my music and picture files? Surfing the web at faster and faster speeds? Playing video games and movies? It is really an out-of-control "keeping up with the electronic Joneses."
Why do I see a new "Quick Start Guide" in my near future?




Our first family computer. It is hard not to feel a bit nostalgic when looking at this picture.

Trip to Connecticut

We headed up to Connecticut this past weekend for a wedding and to visit our cousins.


I learned some helpful things from our trip to Colorado. This time Baikal got her own seat and wore a hat. An infant seat is not full fare and the hat covered her ears and kept her from waking up from all of the background noise during her nap.


The wedding was in Middletown, Connecticut home of the wild turkey. Here is Baikal taming a native.


Baikal and the cousins going for a walk at the Pine Mountain Inn.



Baikal made a new friend at Lisa and Rob's house.


Bath time at the Inn.


Having fun!


Lisa and Rob allowed Matt to man the grill. Everything turned out fine.


The wedding party.


Partying at the wedding.

Wedding in Charleston

We had such a great time at Jacob and Isabel's wedding. It was in Charleston and I really liked the way they used palmetto fronds as flowers. It was a fun time. I only wish that I had enough energy to stay long enough to enjoy the dancing!

The Grandparents looking grand!

My favorite part of the reception. Matt's favorite part was the german, middle eastern, and low country buffets!

The young couple with the young at heart couple.

Doug and Willa dressed up and looking fabulous.